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The sunlight pierced through several curtained windows when a black-haired boy woke up in the king-side bed that he was laying in. He started to rub his eyes to try to get his full vision back. The first thing he saw were the sheets, but he didn’t recognize them. He normally slept under Superman sheets, since it bore the image of his hero and actual father. Jon Kent was not above being a fanboy of his own dad. The distinct lack of Superman on the beddings meant that Jon didn't at all recognize anything in the dark room he'd apparently been sleeping in. Then he felt the sheets moving and for the first time he noticed there was someone else in the bed too, just left of him.
“Oh gosh, where the heck did I end up? Who’s this person next to me?” he thought to himself.
He couldn’t see who it was since they were quite hidden in the bedsheets, so he didn’t know if they were a boy or even a girl.
“No, please don’t be a girl ,” he pleaded in his head.
Jon’s kind nature meant that he wasn't inclined to rudely wake whoever he had been sleeping with, so he couldn't exactly ask them where he was and why he was in bed with them. Then it struck him - this all started with that letter . It started to come back to him, that sense of trepidation and surprise when he'd gingerly held that piece of paper with two fingers earlier that day at his school locker.
Dear Jon Kent,
You are a sunshine of a boy and always in my thoughts. You are the light of my life. Come and meet me tonight at the top floor restaurant of the Metropolis Hotel at Centennial Park.
Hoping you come,
Your secret admireR
Jon had no idea who this “secret admirer” could be. He never even dreamed he would have one when he was only 10 years old. He could barely imagine how this could happen to him.
“You getting ready to head out, Jon?”
Jon got startled out of his thoughts from hearing someone suddenly talk to him. He turned around while trying to hide the letter behind his back and replied, “Oh yeah, Dami. We’re going to our usual place to do math homework, right?”
“Yeah. Be there in 30 and no minute later, Hayseed,” Dami said and walked away towards the exit.
Damian Wayne, Dami, or ‘D’ as Jon likes to call him, is his best friend and the son of Bruce Wayne, the millionaire and philanthropist of Gotham City. Everyone in school is shocked that these two boys were ever able to get close to each other. One is very outgoing, while the other is a moody sheltered boy - how could they ever like each other? What people don’t know is that they’re both heroes, and together they’re the Super Sons. Jon is Superboy, the younger counterpart to Metropolis' premiere hero, and Damian is Robin, the alarmingly young sidekick of the gritty Gotham vigilante Batman. Both boys teamed up to fight crime and capture villains every day. Today was no different, so Jon wasted no more time in stuffing the supposed love letter in his backpack and heading home to get his costume. Damian always got cranky if he was late in getting to their usual spot.
Of course, Robin was already there when Jon got on the rooftop across S.T.A.R. Labs.
“Impressive, Superboy, you’re on time.”
Jon just smiled at Robin after he said that.
“Our intel from last night gives us a bit of time before the goons raid the lab. Until then, we’re staking out from this vantage point, so get comfy.”
Superboy flew over to rest beside Robin. He’d barely sat down when Robin said: “So what was that thing you were trying to hide from me, back at your locker?”
The sudden question left Superboy speechless. His worry was easily visible from his expression.
“Oh, don’t act surprised. I may not be Batman yet, but I’m still a great detective,” Robin smirked.
Jon started to blush, and took his time to choose his words before replying, “I think I got a love letter,” He turned away from Damian.
“>TT<. Who’s the idiot that fell for your country boy charms this time?”
“I-I don’t know. It d-didn’t say who it was from. Just a sec-cret admirer who wanted me to meet them t-tonight,” Jon stuttered, still looking away from his best friend.
“Hey, look at me. Look at me, Jon .” Robin’s voice sounded differently than normal, like he really meant it. He also left his hand on Superboy’s shoulder.
Jon was surprised to hear Damian calling his real name. It must be serious enough that Damian would throw away the rules about using real names during their patrols. It was enough to make Jon look his partner in the eyes and wait for what Damian would say to him.
“Jon, you’re probably scared about the whole thing, but you should go and find out who it is. And you’re still young so it doesn’t matter that much if it doesn’t turn out well. I’ve never experienced being in love before so I might not be the right person to give you advice about this, but whatever happens, I’ll be here to support you. I’ll always be here for you since we’re… *cough* friends.” Damian emphasized the last word with a seemingly sincere smile.
Jon saw Robin blushing before he hid his face under his hood. Jon was perplexed. “ Did Robin…no did Damian actually say those words to me? ” He really didn’t think his friend could get so personal with him. He definitely needed a minute to process what just happened.
“Oh hey, they’re here! Time to go and fight, partner!” Robin said and quickly jumped down using his grappling hook. To Superboy it looked like he wanted to get there in a hurry. But he had no time to think about it now, he’d have to do that later because at the moment, a few hapless armed goons were in urgent need of Robin and Superboy’s care and attention, in a manner of speaking.
As the sons of arguably the two most prolific super heroes in the world, it didn't take much for the Super Sons to subdue the armed thugs. Despite the clear number, age and height advantage, the goons were no match for the two diminutive heroes. It wasn't long before all of the would-be criminals were restrained and ready to be carted off by police, who'd just arrived as Damian and Jon were leaving.
“We did awesome, Robin. As always!” Jon said while doing the pose he learned from his dad, putting his hands on his waist with his feet spaced apart in an attempt to look unshakably confident.
“>TT<. Don’t be such a poser.” Damian teased.
Jon felt a bit embarrassed about that, so he let his arms flop to his sides.
“Well, that’s it for now. You should get ready for your date night ,” Damian smirked with that tease, “I’ll handle the rest of tonight solo.”
“You sure?” On one hand Jon would’ve loved to spend the night with Damian being the Super Sons. On the other hand, he felt glad that his friend was so supportive of him.
“What, did you forget I’ve been trained by the League? I’m more than fine. Now go, Hayseed.”
“Thank you, man,” Jon said before hugging his partner, but not too long enough for Damian to complain that it was getting excessive. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jon began to fly away, but still managed to hear Damian in earshot “Good luck, my friend...” That gave him a warm feeling inside. He always wanted Damian to open up to him and enjoy their relationship together. Damian calling Jon his friend means he feels comfortable having him around. Just knowing that he had that kind of effect on the usually harsh and stoic boy made Jon giggle, and possibly a little happier than he'd thought he'd be after parting ways with his best friend. A fond smile crept up his face...and although he couldn't really explain it, Damian's newfound appreciation of him led him to actually shed a tear or two.
Back home, Jon got worried. He didn’t know what to wear for his ‘date’. He was nervous about asking his mom for advice...but Damian had taught him countless times before to face his fears. And usually, he managed to face them by thinking of what Damian would've done.
"M-m-mom... I-I need your help with s-something. I-I’m…. meeting s-s-someone t-tonight and I d-don’t k-know what t-t-to wear.”
He buried his face in his hands. He hurriedly told his mom about his sudden date without making eye contact, his cheeks flush with having to ask his mother for something like this.
He expected her to give him grief for being so nervous about it. Instead, though, Lois hugged her son warmly, being the ever-supportive mother that she was.
“Oh, honey. That’s wonderful! Of course I’ll help you out with the right outfit.”
She disappeared into the master bedroom and then returned with a bundle of neatly pressed black garments.
“So, of course your dad and I had some romantic nights as well when we were younger, and we still got the tuxedo that he wore on our first date. It shrunk down a bit with the laundry so he couldn't wear it anymore, but your dad and I decided that we should keep it just in case our kids would need it someday. So, we’ve saved it all this time and I think the time has come for you to have it. And see, it doesn’t look that old. You’ll look great and cute in it.”
“Mooom ,” Jon groaned while blushing. “I guess it is kinda cool, though.” He started to get dressed in this special outfit. Before he left, he looked back at her and hugged her again. “Thanks mom! And thank dad for me too, please.”
“I will. Go enjoy yourself on your special night out. It’s gonna be unforgettable if it turns out alright.” His mom had a big smile when her boy closed the door behind him. They kept looking at each other's faces until the door was closed.
Jon was really nervous about the whole thing, but as Damian constantly reminded him ‘you got to face your fears’.
“Wish you were here to help me calm down, friend…” Jon thought.
He tried to fly most of the way to the hotel, but he needed to walk that last block as a regular boy to avoid any odd questions from passers-by that were unused to seeing flying boys in tuxedos. “Can’t reveal that you’re Superboy to people, and definitely not to your secret admirer,” he muttered to himself.
He got to the rooftop restaurant and didn’t see any other customers, and besides the waiter, there was just one other person there on a table, and Jon presumed that this was his mystery date. It looked like it was a boy but he couldn’t see who he was yet because he was sitting with his back to Jon. He was a bit surprised about that - he was expecting a girl at that table.
“Maybe it’s better that it’s a boy. I always feel more myself around boys anyways. Though that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still super nervous to meet him.”
“Face your fears, Hayseed,” was clearly audible in his mind.
“Yes, I shall listen to your advice, Dami ”.
The waiter welcomed him jovially, said that he had to wear a blindfold, and then guided him to his table. Once he was placed on his seat, the waiter asked him to remove the blindfold.
Jon fumbled with the knot at the back of his head for more than a few seconds. His fingers were jittery and his nerves were starting to make him feel some uncomfortable moths buzzing in the pit of his stomach. Once the blindfold was off, he'd have to face his unknown admirer, and the last vestiges of his comfort zone lay in those last few seconds of the cloth covering his eyes.
"Breathe" Jon thought to himself, yet it was Damian's voice he heard in his head, always so confident and reassuring. He took a slow measured gulp of air as he imagined his best friend rubbing his shoulders and preparing him to meet this great unknown. Finally, he released his fingers and let the cloth fall from his face.
When his eyes finally registered the face in front of him, his jaw almost fell to the floor. That’s how shocked he was to see the true identity of his secret admirer. He was literally looking at his best friend, his partner in crime fighting and the other half of the Super Sons duo.
“It was Damian freaking Wayne! ” Jon’s mind shrieked in utmost shock and confusion.
“What the heck are you doing here?” The expression on the young boy’s face was clearly astounded.
“>TT<. You really weren’t able to figure out from your letter that it was me? The last R was even capitalized, on purpose!” Damian said with a smirk. Damian's expression immediately changed, though. The smirk softened to a subtle smile, relaxed cheeks, and thoughtful, almost bashful half-lidded eyes. Jon was perplexed at the abrupt transformation that was happening before him. The Damian of before, who was proud, sometimes boastful and supremely self-confident, was now in this moment, humble and gentle.
Jon almost rose from his seat as a sudden urge to hold his best friend. He could practically see layer upon layer of Damian's thick fortress walls being willingly set aside to reveal...a boy. Just a normal boy who masked his shyness and loneliness with stubborn pride. All it took was a single look from this gentler Damian for Jon to know that whatever he said next would be the most important thing he'd ever say in his young life.
“Jon, I ’m that idiot that fell for your country boy charms,” Damian chuckled a bit after saying it. His eyes dropped to the table, as though apologizing for some imagined wrongdoing.
“Every single moment I've spent with you ever since the day we met has been...frustrating. You were difficult, undisciplined, and impossible...and yet every single day with you was the best day of my life.”
“Every time you smile at me even when I'm being harsh with you reach something in me that I never thought I had or wanted. You often went against my strict ways of doing things...but ended up being happier for it. I guess I slowly started to see that deep inside, I wanted to smile just as much as you did...together," Damian continued.”
“I was trained to bury my emotions under layers of armor and discipline, but you were able to break through all that. I was made to be a warrior...a soldier...but every time you laugh made me feel...human.”
"Jon," Damian began, his voice soft and his smile sincere, "You were the light in my darkness . And I..." A stray tear welled up in the corner of Damian's eye as he prepared himself for the most important thing he was going to say. "Jon, I will always love you for that."
Damian's tears finally fell freely down his cheeks. He covered his eyes with his forearm and gritted his teeth, as though he was threatening his eyes with a fight if they didn't stop the waterworks.
He'd laid bare his heart to his closest and only friend, and now there were no walls to hide the boy and his love.
Despite himself, Jon started to get teary-eyed as well. To say that Damian's words pierced Jon was an understatement. Perhaps it was his age or his youth, but it took a while for Jon to really feel the weight of Damian's most honest confession. He instinctively rubbed at his chest, right where his heart was. He felt like his breath was hitching, but he could've been imagining it. Jon blinked, and Damian, without ever actually changing his appearance in the real world, nevertheless seemed to Jon like he'd been wreathed in something bright and soft...something beautiful.
Jon knew this soothing and gentle Damian...it was the Damian he'd see on the rare occasions that Damian actually laughed at his silly jokes, or the even fewer times that Damian gave him a full-on hug. It was the Damian that unconsciously held his hand during sleepovers, and it was the Damian that held him close after a villain had knocked him unconscious.
This gentle and kind Damian was the boy that Jon had seen under the thick red and yellow leather and the heavy mantle of an 'R'. It was the boy he'd sworn to coax out of Damian every day they were together...this was the Damian that he'd wanted so very badly to be friends with.
Jon never gave this desire to see the boy beneath the mask a name. He didn't know how much of it was a burning need inside of him. But every time he was with Damian, he made it his personal mission to see a smile, to hear a laugh, to hold the hand of that gentle kind boy underneath...and spend the rest of his days with him.
He didn't even notice until now how Damian was in most of his thoughts, and in most of his hopes. The moment he noticed that his admirer was a boy, a part of him, a secret but loud part had hoped for a fleeting half-second that it was Damian, even though Jon was resigned to the fact that it couldn't have been.
But it was Damian after all. And not just the Damian he'd been partners and friends with....but the Damian he'd wanted to hold and embrace without any worry, or fear, or care. Damian had called it love...and it made all the sense in the world that...
"Dami...I love you too."
Jon got off his seat, and couldn't help but float toward Damian, who was already welcoming him with open arms. This first passionate embrace was impossibly warm, and they held each other's bodies for longer than they could count, each other's shoulders damp with the tears of boys who'd found the freedom to bare their hearts' deepest desires. They held each others’ faces then, and it was Jon who closed the distance between their lips. It was a soft, light kiss. Loving in its chasteness, an answer without words. It was a moment neither would forget for the rest of their lives.
“After tonight, we're not just the sons of the world's biggest heroes ," Jon thought, "Not just partners...and not just friends. Tonight, tomorrow, and always...we're lovers." Jon lost himself to his happy thoughts as he spent that memorable dinner giddier, wetter, and happier than he thought he ever would be.
The memory of that starlit kiss allowed Jon to remember everything again, including how he’d ended up in this bed. He’d flown with Dami back to Damian’s bedroom at Wayne Manor after their date and that’s where they’d spent the night together.
The bedsheets started to move again, but this time Jon saw Damian’s face. “The most beautiful thing I’ve seen in the world ,” he thought.
“Morning, beloved,” Damian greeted.
“Hey there, Dami,” Jon replied sheepishly. “I guess I'll have to get used to that, huh? Since…” he paused to give Damian a quick kiss. “I want to wake up next to you every day. It’ll be the best way to start the day. Besides… maybe breakfast? Nah, you’re definitely better than breakfast!”
Damian felt good that Jon would say that about him. “I thought that was a given, now that we’re, you know, officially dating,” he smirked.
Jon giggled as he stuck his tongue out. Damian, despite his better nature, did the same. Both of them ended up laughing at each other.
“Thank you for giving me a chance and for making me feel I could become someone I never thought I could be, Jon,” Damian said after he caught his breath.
“Don’t mention it. I’ll always be there for you too, since we’re… uhm boyfriends,” Jon cooed as he rested his cheek on Damian’s shoulder.
"...You’re just gonna start throwing everything I say back at me as cheesy one-liners now, aren't you?"
“Always.”