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John was the kind of man to kiss someone goodbye and bolt, no matter how undressed he was. Or, if the bed was his, he'd remind the other person that it was late and he could teleport them back to their home, no bother at all, it’s just a simple spell, luv, one step and you’ll be in your own bed .
So why was he cuddled at the side of a giant shark instead of asking him if he wanted to be left at the nearest beach, John couldn’t tell. Except that he was a sap. And an idiot, maybe.
It wasn’t the first time either. More like the ... 15th, maybe? Some nights all they’d done was cuddle, in fact. John rolled and sighed as he brushed up against Nananue’s fin. “You’re not asleep either, are you?”
Nanaue turned and looked at him with sleepy eyes. "No, I was thinking I could bring a snack to bed, perhaps? I think I left some vegan cookies in your kitchen."
That, too. Nanaue was making sure he always had healthy food now. Leave it to a giant shark with an unending appetite to fatten you up.
“Wouldn’t mind a snack, though at this rate I’ll lose my figure.” John teased back as he pressed his face into his chest.
"I can make you exercise, then."
John looked mildly appalled, lifting his head up to stare at Nanaue with wide eyes and slight frown. “All those walks you keep having us go on were tricks, weren't they?”
"I just like watching nature, and it seems people are less likely to give me dirty looks or try to hit me if I got a warlock on my arm." Nanaue looked a bit sheepish as he pulled John closer to him. "Not that I can't just eat them if they do, but I don't like to."
“I know you don’t, and I don’t mind. I don’t get out of breath half as quick as I used to, anyway.”
"The fact that I'm managing to keep you out of the habit of smoking before brushing your teeth may be helping."
John scoffed, but he couldn’t help the softness to his gaze. It had been a long time since someone cared about him. “Have ta admit it’s not hurting. Gideon wants to send you a fruit basket.”
"Who's Gideon?" He stretched lazily at his side.
“The computer on the Waverider. She’s a real stickler about smoking.”
"Then one thing I have in common with one of your friends already!" Nanaue beamed at him, and, John be damned, he looked so cute. He supposed he was an idiot after all, falling time and again.
“Yeah, yeah, so you all keep tellin’ me.” John huffed and cuddled into his side, kissing his cheek instead since there wasn’t a smoke for him. It felt weird giving up all his bad habits. Unnerving. “They help keep me calm, ya’know.”
"Do you have any other friends aside from the Waverider ones?" He smiled and let himself be pampered by the human. It was not every day someone was willing to stay at his side, having a small chat.
“Of course. Chas and Zed are both down in New Orleans. And Anne Marie. Known her since I was a kid.” He grinned a bit as he stretched out and started massaging Nanaue’s back. “She was my middle school girlfriend.”
"Oooh, so it's not true all your lovers end up angry or dead?"
The moment he said it he realized he touched a nerve as the hands on his back spasmed, but by then it was late.
John winced, flinching a little and curling in on himself. “Oh trust me, she’s plenty angry. She became a nun just to get away from me and all my nonsense.”
"Sorry, I shouldn't... It was so thoughtless... Sorry."
”No, it’s fine. You have a right to know what you’re getting into before getting much further. Everybody knows John Constantine ruins everybody around ‘im.”
"It's not as if I have a clean record either, you know. Only... I'm not considered attractive by most people. I’ve had less people in my life, that’s all."
Nanaue was regretting answering John. He could have pretended to be asleep, avoided this conversation. He knew the closer they got, the easier it would be to hurt each other, ask each other uncomfortable questions, admit uncomfortable truths.
“Well, most people aren’t that bloody smart.” John hugged him closer. “And your crimes aren’t anything compared to the things I’ve done.”
"I've been in several criminal crews. You don't get that many jobs as a tech guru when your head has gills on the sides and you can't fit into the uniform without tearing it." There was a sad note to his voice. Yes, definitely he was regretting this conversation. He was not one to put all his weaknesses on display.
“I ... I know. I’m not exactly on the straight and narrow either, you know.” John answered weakly. He knew he was terrible at comforting people, mostly because he was not used to staying around long enough to be expected to do so.
"But you look human. I don’t. And people first notice that and then get surprised I'm able to say two syllable words. That’s just the way things have always been for me. You know, from time to time I hack things just because I know nobody would suspect I did that. As if a fish man could be any smart, right."
“I ... I know. And that’s wrong. You’re more human than me. They should treat you that way. I could get Lucifer or Swamp Thing to switch our bodies for a bit, if you want. Swampie did it to me once without even asking, and both have been in an’ out of owin’ me favours for a long time.”
"It's ok, I wouldn't want to trap you inside this." Nanaue sighed and turned, looking at the wall. "Tell me something about your childhood, when you were still a normal child."
John smiled a little, even as he felt guilt surge through him. He gripped King Shark’s flank. This was why he didn’t like pillow talk. Even this he could ruin without trying to. “When I was 14 and found out magic was real but didn’t know any spells yet, I tried to turn myself into a talking cheetah. Scare ta boys in school, get girls to pet me, you know. Basic teen stuff.”
"Either it didn't work, or you were quite able to turn yourself back." Nanaue smiled a bit, still something sad in his voice.
“Ahh. No, I didn’t turn into a cheetah, sadly. Instead my hair turned Cheeto orange.” John closed his eyes and swallowed a bit. “Right before the middle school ball.”
"I guess it is something. And it's always better to look human." He turned again and smiled softly, not able to keep the amusement out of his gaze as he caressed his cheek. "How did you come up with that spell?"
“Copied it from a website for wiccans. One of those nineties ones, with lots of candles an’ skulls an’ pentagrams on the background movin’ in a loop. Think it was from some movie about were-cheetahs. Honestly I’m not even sure why it worked. Or well, it didn’t, but you know what I mean.”
"I think you do, but then again, you're pretty good at lying to yourself."
“I ... maybe. I don’t ... I know some of my ancestors were a bit magic.” John finally admitted with a huff. He pulled him closer, not sure what was bugging him. “Magic like I do, it’s not in the blood. You ‘ave to know the righ’ words., you can’ just make it up.”
Nanaue gave him his biggest grin. "Of course not." Same as his ancestors being sharks didn't make him a shark, he thought.
John gave him a hurt look, though there was almost something worried in his gaze. “Just, sometimes I wonder. Me doing exorcisms and the like, that’s a bit wrong, innit? Since really, I’m not so different from Charlie, just a dabbler instead of shapeshifter.”
"Did you hurt this Charlie person? I think the important part is how you use your magic, and you're exorcising those who make people suffer."
“I temporarily sealed her shapeshifting and pretended it was permanent. But it came back after a few weeks.” John admitted with a quick roll of his shoulders. He decided not to add the part where they almost sent her to hell just yet. Baby steps.
"Not that bad, then. Was she hurting somebody?"
“I ... not exactly. She was doing petty crime with her punk band. Not too different from me in my 20s really, except she’s in her thousands.” John snorted a bit, shaking his head a little. If he’d met Charlie 10 years earlier … well, probably it would’ve just been a different type of disaster, and he’d have a completely different set of things to feel guilty about.
"You talk of her as if she was a friend, though." Nanaue’s voice rang out, sounding curious as he felt an arm wrap around him.
“She is. One of the Legends. You’ll meet her soon.”
Now Nanaue's smile was so wide it seemed to be over 3 feet long. Probably it was, after all. It had a thousand teeth, that for sure. "So you're planning on introducing me?"
“I — yeah, but I got ta’ warn you, they’re all kind of ... strange.”
Nanaue gave him a flat look. "My crew has a clay man, a psycho clown and a plant lady, how worse can yours be?"
“Shapeshifter, former assassin turned team leader who’s died twice before, a clone, a historian who turns to steel, a criminal with a flamethrower, a social influencer hacker, a windmill man, and a Captain America who turns into a tiny flying man. Oh, and a Gary.”
"I think I really want to meet them now. Do you think they'd accept me?"
How could Nanaue doubt that after what he'd said about his team, John had no idea, but he was torn between thinking it sweet and worrying just how bad his life had been. He always seemed so sunny, so ready to fight for himself and for others, so sweet and eager, it was hard to imagine what was really underneath.
“Of course. They’d love you. Trust me, they’ll like you more than they like me.” John promised as he looked into his eyes, holding a fin close. “Whatever anyone else said — the Legends aren’t like that. They’re losers ruining things for ta better.”
"I want you to meet my friends too. Maybe Ivy can help with your garden. And I promise to keep Harley under control, I won’t let her go near the gargoyles. I suspect she’d bite them."
“I’d love some help. My plants are nice but I’m sure they could be better.”
"Do you really want me to meet them, then?" Nanaue's expression was so genuine, John thought once again he didn't deserve him.
“Of course! I’ve never — I’ve never brought someone home to them before.” John murmured and then froze beneath his hands. What. He didn’t — “Not — home. I don’t — I didn’t mean -“
He felt himself being pulled into a tight hug, all air leaving his lungs as an inhuman strength held him close. So close. Too close, perhaps. "I'm glad I went to that wine tasting."
“I am too. Real glad. So are the Legends. Sara said I’ve been nicer for weeks now.”
"Really? did you tell her why?"
“I may have mentioned I was seeing someone. And that I was smoking less.”
"And also you're being forced to have breakfast."
“That too. Every day, even. And you won’t even let me drink that much blood.”
"I may even get a decent human being out of John Constantine at this rate." He yawned, and once again John realized his head could so easily fit inside his mouth.
“You’d be the first.” John teased as he pressed his face against his neck. “What about you? Any cute childhood stories?”
"Let’s see... oh, yes! There was a girl, back in Hawaii when I was little, that was convinced that I was the little mermaid. She kept asking me to sing."
“Did you? Sing her your siren song?”
"I tried my best. But after that she screamed saying I was the sea witch."
John stared at him, not sure how to answer to that. He really sucked at trying to comfort people. “I ... I’m sorry. That’s ... she was a dumb kid. You’re not a witch. As far from it as you can be.”
"You haven't heard me sing yet." Nanaue smiled and chuckled, yawning again and getting closer to John. "That's not my greatest talent."
“Maybe not, but I bet I’m not much better. We can do a terrible duet together. One o’ these days.”
"Add a bit of whiskey and it's a perfect plan." Nanaue started to fall asleep at his side.
“Go to a pub.”
“Terrorize them with our voices.”
“Perfect, luv.” John sighed as he pressed a kiss to his cheek and watched him sleep for a few minutes.