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Part 1 of Escapismverse
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2021-08-18
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2024-01-06
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Chapter 14: The aftermath

Summary:

The Kents take care of Gar in the aftermath of his super hearing incident.

Notes:

Remember when I said this chapter wouldn't be long? Yeah, me too... I don't know what I was thinking, it's impossible for me to write short chapters, those days are over and I gotta accept that

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

He wakes up to a weight on his chest, a certain type of pressure he wasn’t sure how to explain. It's heavy, able to feel it pressing against his ribcage, but hollow and airy at the same time. It didn’t cause shortness of breath as a real weight would.

It couldn't be real. It only exists to Gar.

Blinking his eyes open to investigate only confirmed his suspicions. Curled up on the boy's chest was a ghostly green, semi-transparent snake, its blank white eyes staring at Garfield as a small forked tongue flickers out of its mouth.

As he thought, the snake wasn't real. It's a manifestation of his enhanced healing. Sometimes it does that. When his powers don't shift him into an animal form to self-heal, it'll create an animal to protect him while his body heals itself.

Gar obviously didn't need protection; not where he was at right now, at least. He's more than safe in a home lived in by Superman and his just as super family.

"Thanks." His voice was hoarse and dry. A drink will be a serious need. "I'm good now."

The snake nodded, then fell apart. Its mock-physical form turned into a smoky flame, glowing and green, and absorbing back into the teenager’s body, that specific snake breed returning to his roster of animals to shift into.

The bed emits a soft squeak as he shifts position to sitting up. Exhaling a tired breath, Gar ran a hand through his hair and took a sweep of the room he was in. By the size of the bed and quite comfortable quilt he currently sat on, along with the simple yet home-y decor, he guessed it wasn’t either Kent boys rooms but Lois and Clark's instead.

Eyes landing on a framed photograph on the left bedside table, Gar scooted to the edge of the bed and hung his legs over the side. Grabbing the photo, a half smile tugs at the boy’s face as his gaze observed the framed picture of the Kent family. A rather early picture. A much younger Jordan - probably sevenish - with a faint grin and messy mop of curly hair covering his eyes was being held on Lois’ hip and Jonathan of the same age standing under Clark’s arm with his sunny curls and signature bright smile painted on his face.

"Hey, you're up."

Gar shifts his attention from the photo to the doorway, where Jordan stood. His housemate’s dark blue eyes pointed solely onto him, blinking concerned but thoughtful, like he was silently debating with himself on something.

"How's everything?” His voice was quiet, just loud enough for Gar to hear him; likely worried about harming the shapeshifter more. He points to his ear. “Like, your hearing?"

Lips pout in thought for a moment, then shoulders shrug in honesty.

"There's a little ringing left, but besides that I'm fine" He replied, speaking in his natural volume to let his friend know whispering wasn't necessary.

"Good." Jordan smiled, then glanced over his shoulder. "I'm gonna tell everyone you're awake." In the process of backing out of the doorway, he pauses and adds: “And just a warning, my brother is gonna burst in here."

Gar chuckles, returning the photo to its previous place. "I'm expecting it."

Truthfully, Gar was kind of surprised that he didn't wake up to Jonathan somewhere in the room. Resting in the bed's open spot as he played on his phone, waiting for Gar to wake up. It seemed like something his friend would do given his past actions.

That or pacing nervously outside the bedroom door like it was a hospital room.

/

Peeling off the bloodied gauze pad from his cheek, the teenager winces. Inhaling sharp breaths through his clenched teeth. The rather fresh wound stung as the seemingly always cold bathroom air brushed against it like fingertips made of ice, a contrast to the warm blood bubbling up from the scratches and slowly beginning to leak inch by inch down his face.

Jonathan grumbles, "Fine, keep bleeding.”

He's not going to the hospital. If he needs stitches, then that’s too bad.

Snatching a washcloth from the wooden cabinet, he drowns the soft square under the sink’s running faucet and wrings out the excess water when it’s soaked. Body wincing again, forcing his shoulders to tense, as the cloth gently presses against the claw marks.

Once he feels like enough time has passed for the remaining blood to absorb into the cloth, he pulls his hand back and points his gaze down to inspect the result. Frowning at the sight of the previous light gray cloth stained with dark red spots.

Exhaling a tired breath, Jonathan moves the washcloth over to the sink and twists, wringing the dirty water into the bowl.

Eyes following the droplets of red tinted water as they splash against the white porcelain, a familiar feeling of panic crawls up his spine, causing his pulse to speed up. His grip on the washcloth tightens until knuckles bleach white. He was stuck where he stood. Frozen. His heart pounding rapidly in his ears blocked out every other sound. Eyes stretched wide and stared at the sink’s bowl as the hardly red water transformed into crimson trails of thick blood splattering into the porcelain, discoloring and staining the pure white glass.

He's seen this before. Remembers the terror making his breathing frantic and shallow, heart threatening to explode out his chest, how he wanted to scream for help but all he could do was stare as the feeling of death loomed over him, it’s boney fingers slowly gripping onto his shoulders. Tears pouring down his face as he desperately tried to wash away the seemingly never ending blood running out of his busted knuckles.

From the doorway, a familiar scoff broke the deafening silence. “Are you done wasting water?"

Inhaling a sharp gasp, Jon snaps his head up. The previous feeling of the walls closing in around him promptly return to reality, releasing the grip on his lungs and giving him room to breathe once again.

Panting heavy breaths and gripping onto the edge of the sink, Jon tears his attention away from his reflection and drops his gaze to investigate his knuckles. Relief calming his pounding heart when there wasn't a single trace of blood nor injury; only scars.

The floorboards creaked as Jordan stepped from the hallway into the bathroom. “Are you okay?”

Jon swallows, then lifts a hand to signal Jordan to pause his stride and keep their distance. His twin understands the command, halting his advance, and Jon takes a controlled breath to compose.

“Fine, I, uh- I zoned out. You know me.” He ends with a forced chuckle, then gestures to the wound on his face with a pointed finger. “I was just cleaning this.”

As Jon shut the water off, Jordan tilted his head slightly. “How’d that happen anyway? It looks like you got into a fight with a cat and lost."

Jon shrugs, “Gar’s heavy and I don’t have super strength, so I kind of just..” He points down to the floor, blowing a raspberry at the same time.

Jordan raised an eyebrow at the action, “You fell?”

“Yup."

By the expression on his face, it was obvious his brother didn't believe a word he was saying, but clearly chose to let it go since he didn't argue.

“Okay, well, I came to tell you Gar is awake.”

/

“Has this happened before?”

Gar blinked up at the Man of Steel, “My hearing sometimes picks up on random stuff but-” He shrugs his shoulders, “It's normally like a quick loud noise.”

A morning where he was lounging on the couch while Dick prepared breakfast and the sound of the blender amplified without warning being the first instance that pops into his mind when he thought about random moments of super hearing. Next would be when Jason - mad about something - slammed his bedroom shut and the unexpected loud noise caused his enhanced hearing to kick in as he tiredly emerged from his bedroom.

His hearing’s spike in volume had always been triggered by sudden loud noises, never had it happened out of the blue and not without something to blame. Chalking it up to his hearing being overwhelmed by the constant sound going on around him would’ve been an easy and probable explanation, but it happened more than once, when he wasn’t near any loud sounds. At the mines, where it was practically silent, and dancing with Jon to music that wasn’t anywhere near loud.

If it had been the music, the song would have been what was amplified; not a high pitched ringing. It wouldn’t have lingered either or caused enough pain to make him collapse.

Lois questions next, “Do you have any idea what might have caused it?”

Gar shakes his head honestly, then curves his lips into a frown when he sees the Kent parents exchange a worried look. Guilt making his eyes darken. This is what he tried so hard to avoid, making the people he cares about on edge and worry about him and his safety. But it seemed like the more he tries to dodge dangerous situations the easier dangerous situations find him, catching him off guard. When he takes a detour around a pothole in the road that could trip him, he decides to walk through a water puddle instead and fails to realize the puddle is five feet deep.

Keeping her focus on her husband, Lois crossed her arms. “Has your super hearing ever done something like this?”

“A few times when I was younger, when I was learning how to use it.” Clark nods to the side, gesturing towards Gar. “But my super hearing could work differently than his.”

The woman drops her gaze to the floor, eyes narrowing in thought. She lifts a hand to her mouth, pressing the side of her fist into her lips and taps against them gently. Pondering. An expression you could identify in a crowd as Lois Lane.

While Lois remained silent, Clark turned back to Gar. "How far can you hear?"

"Like a mile or two?" Gar explained, "My smelling is a lot better, though."

There had been an evening some days ago where he could smell what the neighbors quite a bit down the long stretch of road were cooking. So clear, crisp, and unaffected by any surrounding scents as if he was standing in the neighbors' kitchen. Cheese ravioli with a side of garlic bread sticks if he remembered correctly.

"Gar,"

Reacting to his name, Gar directs his attention to the blonde teenager stepping around his parents and advancing closer. Opening his arms for the incoming hug, his throat rumbles softly when Jonathan takes a seat on the edge of the bed and wraps him in a tight embrace.

After a quick moment of comfort, Jon releases from the hug, but keeps his gaze locked with Gar’s. "You alright, man?"

Gar nodded, red lingering on his cheeks. "Yeah, a little bit of leftover ringing is no bigg-"

Cutting his own response short, brown eyes grow wide and mouth falls agape in a quiet gasp. Swiftly, Gar lifts a hand to gently trace his thumb over the white gauze stuck to his friend’s cheek.

“What happened to your face?"

Chuckling, the blonde teen's face flushed red in embarrassment. “I fell and scraped my face on the road.”

Lips curve into a frown and eyes avert from the boy sitting in front of him, dropping down to his lap. He was experiencing a totally new kind of magic, one he never thought possible. The way it made him feel, how could he even try to explain it? It was amazing, a truly perfect night, and his powers ruined it. Not much of a surprise, though. Gaining supernatural abilities ruined his life, it only makes sense they'd keep doing it.

“No, no, I know that look! Don't feel guilty, I'm fine.”

The warmth returns to the shapeshifter’s cheeks when he feels hands interlock with his, fingers with maroon red painted nails sliding between his non-painted, and a palm - warm, but rough like you'd expect from someone who worked on a farm - pressed against his much softer and oddly, colder.

…Huh.

Actually, Jon's palm wasn't warm. It was hot.

“Look, I- I probably would have fell whether I was holding you or not.” Jon pauses, laughing softly. “We both know I trip over my feet, like every single day.”

Nothing but accuracy in his friend’s words. There had been moments Garfield had to grab the back of Jonathan’s shirt so he didn't slip and fall down the stairs.

“Now, that’s definitely the truth.”

Prompted by voice, Gar glances over Jonathan’s shoulder to see the darker haired twin enter the bedroom and stand next to his father.

“Do you have any idea what happened?” Jordan asked, looking up to his father.

"We’re working on it." Lois replied instead, “Something affected his super hearing.”

Gar flashes a hinted smile as Jordan groans in exasperation and lifts a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Clearly, his friend understands the struggle of being able to hear so well and how such an ability affects your day to day life, not always in the best ways either.

"Super hearing." Jordan grumbles, then drops the hand from his face, diving it and its twin into his hoodie pocket. "It does more harm than good, really."

Gar huffs a mini laugh, tilting his head to the side in agreement. "I can't disagree with that."

Clark crosses his arms, but keeps the smile on his face. "Hey, It does a lot of good." He argues.

Jordan scoffs, "Yeah, for you."

Smirk pulling at the side of his lips, Jon adds. "Dad, no offense, but we don't need to hear a couple making out on the other side of the world."

Leaning closer to her husband, Lois whispers through a smirk. "He's not wrong."

Stepping closer, the boy with longer curly hair didn't take a seat like his brother, but added himself to the duo of teenagers by standing at the end of the bed.

Placing his hands on his hips, he sighs. "Definitely my worst power."

Gar frowns, "Super smell isn't any better."

Jordan cringes at the words. "And you sleep in the same room as Jon?" He exhales a breathy laugh, glancing at his brother. "I’m amazed you haven’t drowned in the smell of cologne and hair products by now.”

"I don't use that much!" Jon protested, then quieted down, continuing through a grumble. "Anymore.."

Whatever Jordan's response was to his brother's claim, Gar didn't hear it. It became background noise. The shapeshifter's attention had been elsewhere, on the Kent parents as they exited the bedroom. If they were stepping out in a normal fashion, he wouldn't have raised an imaginary eyebrow.

Clark had whispered something into Lois' ear the moment Jordan left his side and the woman nodded in agreement before the couple slipped out of the bedroom without a single word spoken, like they didn't want to draw attention in case of questioning. Gar's lived with enough secretive people to know a private conversation in the making when he sees it.

Swallowing hard, a sick feeling of apprehension mixed with budding guilt causes the boy's stomach to ache.

That conversation is going to be about me, isn't it?


“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, right?”

Advancing down the hall, in the direction of the kitchen, Clark exhaled a heavy breath then threw a glance over his shoulder to his wife, who was trailing behind.

“If it's that Gar’s hearing was affected by something d.o.d related? Yes.”

Lois pauses her stride once she stepped through the doorway. “The fact that this happened after he questioned you tells me enough.” She growled.

Side of his balled fist firmly pressed against his lips, the man paced back and forth. A dam opening, sending thousands of different thoughts to flood his brains. Taking another deep breath, Clark paused his pace and turned to face his wife.

“This is my fault.”

Lois raised a brow, then sighed. “Clark, babe,” She pinched the bridge of her nose, “I know you like to blame every bad thing on yourself, but this definitely isn’t your fault.”

“I told Sam that Jon and Jordan were at the Harvest Fest.” Clark admitted, guilt dripping from each word. “If he even thought Gar could be connected to them, he’d send someone there to investigate.”

Eyebrows pulling together, Lois blinked, the words processing in her mind. There’s a brief moment of silence, then the woman shook her head and waved her arms in an x motion, essentially wiping away her train of thought and whatever it was saying.

“That’s not important. The important thing is that - if - my dad sent someone there, they didn’t see Gar.”

“How do we know they didn’t?” Clark challenges, “It’s not like he’d tell me if they did.”

“A boy with green hair isn't automatically gonna scream ‘hey, look at me, I’m metahuman!’. Kids have dyed hair.” Lois combats, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “Jonathan’s hair was blue for quite a while last year, remember? It didn’t make people point and scream ‘alien’.”

How could Clark forget? Inside the shower looked like a blueberry exploded and there's a spot of permanently stained blue on the floor.

Shaking the memory that was rather humorous now from his mind, Clark steps closer to his wife and continues, “To your dad it will. Gar is new and the fact that he showed up right as the animals did..”

Lois goes silent again.

Clark frowns. After running a hand through his hair, he separates his curved lips to speak but is interrupted by his wife before a word could squeak out.

“Take him with you.”

Clark tilts his head slightly as a “what do you mean.”

“To the fortress. With Jon.” She clarifies. Uncrossing her arms, she gestures to Clark with a hand. “You said it yourself, Jon might have to stay there for a bit, so take Gar with you. It’s not gonna hurt."

It wouldn’t hurt Jonathan and Garfield, but he’s not sure the same could be said for the Fortress.

A morning where the Man of Steel hadn’t been called to action, Clark was enjoying the peace and quiet of the remaining morning. Gazing out the kitchen window with a cup of hot coffee in hand, enjoying the sight of birds pecking at the seed he threw out earlier. Calming in a way the man hasn’t experienced in far too long— then Jonathan cried “I’m sorry” and began to thunder downstairs with so much intensity Clark thought he’d break through the steps.

Jumping back to flatten himself against the countertop, swiftly getting out of his son’s path, Clark watched as Jonathan bolted past, heading in the direction of the backdoor; shouting more sorrys and a single “I didn’t know it was yours” through laughter along the way. The man didn’t have much time to question the situation before the answer came as a roar and a green mountain lion sped into the kitchen, leaping onto and off island as if it was a rock, and following after Jonathan through the backdoor left ajar.

He learned a few minutes later Jon made the mistake of eating Gar’s breakfast donut the night before.

And that’s not the first time Clark found himself diving out of the boys’ way. They are.. quite a bit more reckless and rowdy than Jordan.

If he left them at the Fortress together - alone -, there might be a tad bit of apprehension on his end, worried he'd return to find shattered crystals and other important artifacts on the floor paired with scared expressions from the boys' standing over the wreckage.

"I- Uh, I'll think about it."


Gods, he's had a night.

With an elongated sigh, the shapeshifting teen falls back onto the couch with a soft thump. Allowing his body to sink into the cushions under and behind, achieving the most comfortable position he could. It's not just important, it's necessary. This is where he'll be sleeping tonight, and waking up with a lower backache is not what he needs. An earache is enough.

Oh, how he wishes enhanced healing could ease any type of body aches.

Blinking tired eyes he's sure gained more dark circles, Gar reaches to the side and grabs the tv remote, then leans forward to snatch the ps4 controller from the coffee table. It'd be an almost impossible feat to even attempt to fall asleep in a completely silent room with ringing in his ears, so he's gonna try his luck with the living room, using the tv as background noise to block out some of the ringing.

But he's gonna watch a nature documentary first. Those always put him at ease.

The tv flashes to life and beginning to start the ps4 up is interrupted by the stairs creaking. Eyes follow as his roommate descends the steps to the hallway, where he pauses when noticing Gar looking at him.

"What are you doing?"

Jon hesitates in the living room opening, pointing down the hall with a thumb. "I skipped dinner, so I'm gettin' something to eat."

Oh yeah. He missed dinner– and lunch. A few scoops of ice cream and funnel cake had been all he ate today. He needs more - much more - than that to eat daily or the creatures using his body as a rental house will get.. difficult.

Leaning against the doorway frame, Jon's lips curve into a smile. "Let me guess, you're hungry and want me to make you a turkey sandwich?" Humming in thought, he adds. "With a side of barbecue chips and a can of Dr. Pepper."

A smile tugs at the side of Gar's mouth. Someone's been taking notes of his preferred snack, but now that Jonathan brought it up, he's actually not hungry. Whether it's because of the enhanced hearing issue, what almost happened at the Harvest Fest, or both, his stomach isn't feeling quite right, there’s a twinge of nausea.

Gar laughs softly at the offer, then shakes his head. "Thanks, but I'm good."

"Oh, okay."

When Jonathan disappears down the hall, Gar returns to his previous task of starting up a streaming service to zone out and hopefully pass out during a tv show, only for it to be interrupted once again by footsteps quickly advancing towards the living room.

Reappearing in the doorway, eyes round in some mixture of surprise and fear, Jonathan asks. "Did you say you're not hungry?"

"Yeah?” The faint smile drops when his friend’s concerned expression stays on his face. He shouldn’t have made eating such an important part of his character.

Gaze softening, Gar adds as some reassurance, hoping it’d ease his friend’s fear even if a little. “I’m fine, really. It’s just, my stomach hurts.”

So much happened, so fast, he thinks it finally caught up and rammed into him like a bus. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Jonathan exhales, gaze softening as well; thankfully accepting the reassurance. "Okay. Let me grab some grub and I'll join you."

Finally, without a third interruption, Gar manages to start up the chosen streaming service before Jonathan returns, one hand balancing a plate of food with a small bag of plain chips set on top of the sandwich and the other a small bottle of cherry coke.

Don't trip. Don't trip. Don't trip.

He couldn’t help the apprehension as he watched his friend progress to the couch and the quiet breath of relief he exhaled when Jon sat down without a hiccup– or precious food lost to the floor.

“What are we watching?” Jon asks, then takes a bite of the turkey sandwich currently in hand.

"Oh, um," Gar hums in thought; he didn't plan on Jon joining him. "I was gonna watch a nature documentary, but–"

"I'm good with that!" Jonathan cuts in through a mouth of food, which makes Gar shake his head and give the action a good-natured eye roll.

Selecting a nature documentary about a mixture of natural parks, Gar takes another breath and locks his gaze on the screen, tuning his hearing into the sounds of the wild coming from the speakers. His intentions on zoning out to help quicken the process of tiredness seemed to be working after the twenty minute mark, until the documentary began to discuss wolves.

It wasn't the narrator that caught his attention, but the wolves themselves, what the camera captured. A pair of wolves rubbing their cheeks together in greeting before one dropped to a play stance and the other accepted with an excited tail wag and bark, then sprinting down the snowy hill, running side by side and playfully nipping at each other.

Eyes were stuck on the tv screen as if it was hypnotizing. In the back of his mind, drowning out the remaining ringing, a wolf’s howl echoed as brown iris’ are taken over by green.

"Gar?.. Hey, Gar."

He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring at the tv by the time Jonathan's voice, colored with amusement, broke into his trance and pulled him back to reality.

After a quick head shake, Gar turned his head to look at Jon. “Huh?”

“Dude,” A tiny snicker escapes through the blonde teen’s lips, but he quickly shuts up by pressing his them together. Averting his gaze for a brief moment and sucking his teeth, taking a second to figure out what he wanted to say or how to say it. “You kind of look like the wolf-man, right now.”

A pointed ear twitched at the observation. Gasping, Gar dropped his gaze to his hands; the part of his body that normally shifts first. Green fingers were curling in, beginning to sprout fur and form together to create a paw, yellow claws protruding from each digit.

He could feel them now, the fangs pushing against and over his bottom lip, giving him an underbite.

He sees Jonathan's amused but curious smile out of the corner of his eye, causing cheeks to flush a bright red out of embarrassment.

"I- uh," He begins to aggressively shake his hands (paws, really) in an effort to get them to shift back into human hands. "I'll fix this."

"Your powers can be influenced by any animal you see?" He hears Jon question, able to hear the smile in his voice. A stark difference from the fear surrounding his powers back on his earth. "Does that work with fictional animals and stuff too? Like, could you be a dragon?"

Gar blinked, humming in thought. “I don’t know? Never tried.”

The largest animal he can shift into was an elephant and only did it once, he was exhausted afterwards and body ached for days. A dragon would be even larger than an elephant, even more complicated. He might have to be in a full body cast after he tried to shapeshift into one of those.

A growl deep in his chest sets off the teenager’s danger alarms, sensing there’s something around that shouldn’t be. With eyes still glowing green, Gar snaps his attention from his returned human hands to the window behind him, ear twitching at the distant voices able to be heard, just not understood thanks to his damaged enhanced hearing.

Jonathan’s quiet voice enters the air next, “What’s wrong?”

Peering outside as best he could through the frosted window, scanning the shadowy landscape for any signs of movement, only to sigh when his investigation came up empty. “I thought I heard voices.”

After closing the curtains, Gar twisted around to face forwards again and settled back into his spot on the couch. He frowns, “Or maybe I’m just paranoid.”

“It could have been Jordan? I think he’s still up.” Jon said quickly, then paused for a heartbeat. “Err, wait, he’s got school tomorrow.”

Animalistic features morph back into a human’s as Garfield sinks back into the couch cushion, lowering his head into the hoodie's hood and dropping his gaze to his lap, where he shoves his hands into the hoodie pocket.

Scooting closer to Gar, the couch squeaked softly. “I know you said you were fine earlier, but I don’t think you are..” He places a hand on the shapeshifter’s upper arm, “What’s going on, Gar?”

He could scoff at such a question, but didn’t. Jonathan’s being genuine, he wants to help.

Where the hell should he start? The fact that he almost kissed his best friend at the Harvest Fest? His super hearing being damaged? Clark and Lois’ secret conversation that had to be about him and how difficult their lives have gotten since he fell out of a portal?

Even on an entirely different earth, he finds a way to fuck up people’s lives. He ruined everyone’s night because of his now completely useless enhanced hearing. Because of his powers. Maybe he’d feel different if tonight had been the first time his powers made his housemates panic, but it wasn’t.

The dire wolf attack, the bear at the bonfire, and now super hearing…

“I don’t think I’ll be here much longer..” Gar murmured.

The response must have caught the blonde teenager off guard by the silence that followed. A few moments pass before a few stuttering words escape his lips.

“Wha- Why would you think that?”

“I noticed your parents leave when you and Jordan came in, they left to talk about something.” He pauses, eyes shining with newly formed tears. “I think it was about me.”

“I really don’t think so.”

“And why not?” Gar snapped, then quieted his volume. Just because he's upset doesn't give him the justification to wake everyone up by yelling. “All I’ve done is cause issues since I got here. Clark and Lois are probably tired of me.”

His parents got so tired of him they decided he didn't exist anymore and the Titans didn't know what they were getting themselves into by dragging him along, they obviously regretted it though. In other words, Gar and having proper adult-figures in his life never work out.

“They’re not tired of you, trust me. My folks aren’t like that.” Jon frowned, “If anything, they’re just worried about you.”

“But I don’t want them to worry about me! I can’t keep messing up!..”

Leaning forward, placing his face in his hands, the teenager breathes a deep inhale in attempts to compose, chase away the red threatening to color his vision. He couldn’t lose control, not here, not with Jonathan near.

The anger bubbling in his veins wasn't directed towards the Kents, it never will be. It's pointed straight at him and his shitty decisions.

Running a hand through his hair, Gar leaned back and straightened his posture. Tracks from the tears that broke through the dam staining his cheeks, he looks at Jonathan and gives him a sad smile.

“You can’t tell me your life hasn’t gotten more stressful since I showed up.”

He’s not from their earth. He’s no better than an invasive species, taking over and turning their habitat to ruin.

“No.”

Taken aback by the prompt candid, almost out of character response, Gar blinked his watery eyes and sniffled, tilting his head slightly.

“My life has been hectic for as long as I can remember, it comes with having Superman as a dad. I’ve been through some insane shit, I know how I felt during it all.”

The shapeshifter’s heart clenched in his chest when Jonathan's eyes darken with a memory he couldn’t see, wasn’t told about. “Everything that’s happened recently, never once made me feel like I have before. Even the wolf thing..”

The look didn't stick though. A bright sparkle appears in his icy gaze like the sun beaming onto a fresh blanket of snow and lips pull into the blonde teen's signature smile. A smile undoubtedly genuine, familiar and warm enough to melt the green haired teen's worries away.

“My life,” Cheeks turn rosy pink when Jonathan's hand lowers from his upper arm to grabbing and holding his hand. “has gotten so much better because you’re in it, and nothing can change how I feel.”

This feeling, he remembers very well. They’ve been here before. Up in their bedroom, what felt like forever ago, the night Jonathan was helping patch up his wounds. How a simple hug took such strength to return, having to fight against chains wrapped so tightly around his wrists, chains wanting to keep him in place and let fear have control of his experiences, his actions, like he was nothing but a puppet on a string being manipulated by its puppeteer.

That was then, however, things change. And for what seemed like the first time, it changed for the better.

A voice in his head whispering doubts, trying to get him to give into his worst habits, it’s always gonna be there, he knows that. It’s a part of him, just now he found the will to fight it.

Initiating the embrace this time, Garfield threw his arms around the blonde teenager and pulled him forward, causing Jon to make an 'oomf' sound on impact. With tears continuing to stream down his cheeks, he buries his face into the side of Jon's neck and melts into the hug, taking comfort in the pair of arms wrapping around his frame and holding him so close their chests connected, able to feel each other's heart with every beat.

Dear gods, this was perfect. He never wanted to let go, if this moment could last forever he'd appreciate it, drinking in every ounce of affection that radiated from each passing second.

Gar sniffled, tightening his side of the embrace. "No one's ever said that to me before."

"I meant it." Jon smiled, "And about my parents too. They're not gonna ditch you, they just wanna help."

And he knew that. Deep down, he did. Nothing on this earth has been the same as his, not a single thing. But experiences, especially ones he lived more than once, he has a tough time letting go. Ones he's expecting.

Gar sighed, releasing from the embrace but kept his hands resting on top of Jonathan’s forearms while the alien boy's hands lowered and linger on his waist.

"I wanna help them, too."

Jon chuckled softly, "Dude, trust me, you've already helped more than you know."

Gar scoffs, "Sorry, Starboy, but I don’t think building a gazebo counts."

Jonathan tilts his head slightly and shrugs his shoulders, "I think it does, buttt.. agree to disagree."

"And I think I'm ready to finally get some sleep." He huffs a mini laugh, then raises a hand to scratch the side of his face. "Ya know, before the sun rises."

Jonathan nods in agreement. He gives Garfield’s upper arm a pat before standing from the couch and progressing towards the hallway, grabbing the empty plate and bottle along the way.

Frowning, watching as Jonathan walked away, Gar took a breath then gently bit his bottom lip to keep his mouth shut.

Just let it go, Jon's done enough, let him have a comfortable sleep in his bed, is what he tells himself, then reaches over to the chair and grabs the blanket hanging over the wooden arm.

As if Jonathan could hear the inner debate swirling around in Gar's brain, he hesitates in the doorway and turns around to face his green haired friend once more, asking.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Pulse speeding up and cheeks warming, Gar squeaks a simple: "Yes."

"Okay." Jon's response came out in breath, almost like he was relieved to hear Gar agree. "I'm gonna get ready for bed, then I'll be back."

Once Jon disappears upstairs, Gar drops his gaze to his lap and exhales deeply through his nose, but can't fight the smile tugging at the side of his lips or heart growing in his chest.

Of course he wants Jonathan to stay, he never wants him to leave.

----

By the time Jonathan reappeared in the living room, the whole area had been encased in darkness; not even the tv stayed on. Thank god for the moonlight slipping through the little separations in the curtains, if it wasn't for that tiny bit of light, Jon's not sure he would have made it over to the couch without smacking his shin against the coffee table.

Hauling the blanket from his bed on his shoulders like it was a five year old's attempt at a cape, the teenager shuffled to the couch and sat in the spot he abandoned minutes ago.

"How do you fall asleep so fast?" Jon wondered quietly, glancing over to Garfield’s unmoving, very much fast asleep, body.

Honesty, if it wasn't for the soft snoring, he probably would think Gar was dead. He's never seen someone sleep so heavily.

Pulling the large blanket off his shoulders, he places one half over himself and tosses the other half onto his roommate, knowing the throw he was covered up with wouldn't be enough to keep him warm all night.

Huddling up to his friend’s side, Jonathan closes his eyes and begins his attempts at falling asleep, only to have his eyes shoot open seconds later and face turn red when Garfield shifts sleeping positions, rolling over to throw his arm over Jon's chest and rest the side of his face on his upper arm.

After quietly clearing his throat, Jonathan carefully removes his arm from under his friend’s face and loops it over his shoulder, then leans his head to the side, pressing his face into the soft forest of green on top of Gar's head, that actually smelled like pine.

The warmth causing his cheeks to flush red remains, slowly spreading up to the tips of his ears and a smile appears on his lips as Gar cuddles up to his side, a gentle purr sounding out of habit even in sleep.

My parents are so gonna kill me…. totally worth it.

Notes:

next chapter:
It's the twins 17th birthday! Gar aids Lois in cake baking while Clark spends time with his sons before the celebration, though Jonathan finds himself wishing to be home instead.. for multiple reasons.