Chapter Text
"My beloved, my beautiful songbird," Jon carefully grasps Damian's hand, letting each finger intertwine with one another. "Would you make me the happiest person in the world and marry me?"
"Yes,"
That single word made everything worth it, looking up to meet his lover's teary eyes yet the radiating smile caused Jon to let out his own sigh of relief.
Letting his tears fall from his eyes while simultaneously lifting up Damian. Green and blue eyes met, showing off the devotion for one another." I love you"s rang over and over.
Kissing Damian's check Jon let out a shaky vow, "I promise I'll always protect you,".
All this got out of Damian was a smug smirk and a slight hit to the shoulder "Please beloved if anything I'll protect you," Jon just let out a soft chuckle.
"Probably,"
—
"Why?"
Jon fell to his knees beside his lover whose eyes were already starting to gloss over. He dared not to look down as it was a miracle in itself that Damian could still breathe. Jon's throat tightened as after years of hearing a certain heartbeat struggle to keep rhythm forced him to realize that his lover is dying. He let out a choked sob staring at the soft green eyes he adored so much, look so empty.
A shaky hand raised to Jon's eyes whom took it quickly, uncaring of the bright red covering it. "I'm," Damian looked up at Jon, giving him a weak smile "I'm glad you're safe,".
"Why did you do it," Jon wept, holding Damian's hand.
" I needed..... to keep you safe,"
"But it doesn't matter if I'm safe physically, I'll be destroyed psychology without you!"
"My farm boy," Damian's hand moved brushing against the other cheek causing the golden band on his finger to catch the sunlight "I know you're stronger than that,"
Jon leaned into the touch while crying "I'm really not, not without you,"
"Find someone else.... in the meantime I'll wait for you,"
"There is no one else!"
"I love you beloved,"
Then summoning all his strength left Damian rose to meet Jon's lips as blood and tears ran down their chin. Not wanting this to end Jon kept pushing his lover closer to him and even as he felt the other go limp he couldn't pull away. Even when voices of anguish approached he couldn't, no he wouldn't pull away.
Hands pulled at him but he wouldn't budge. Everything was numb and none of these people could understand what he was dealing with. All he could think of was Damian, why did it have to be Damian? His partner, his lover, the one person stupid enough to protect a Kryptonian of all things.
After what seemed like an eternity Jon took a breath and let go of Damian. Setting down the fallen hero and giving the other one last kiss before flying off not wanting to see anyone.
—
"Jonathan, hon we got to go home," Lois uttered while her husband gave her a pitiful look watching their son deteriorate. It's been months yet every day Jon would be found in his black suit laying against the stone sarcophagus. Endless flowers filled the room which almost seemed to glow in the moonlight.
Jon who was twirling with a slightly wilted lily turned to his parents, giving them a dead stare "Why can't I be with him?"
Lois flinched before wrapping her arms around her son. "Maybe in another life, but right now you have to be strong," she felt a couple of tears fall on her shoulder. Even though this has become a routine Lois feels for her child, after all, losing the one you love hurts.
"Damian wouldn't want you to be hurting so much," Clark said, which caused Jon to bristle and push his mother away. He glared at his father who saw the slight murderous red in Jon's eyes.
"Don't use him to get me to comply," Jon spat. Even after months of grieving, Jon hated anyone using his lover's name in vain most of all to get him to do what they wanted. Which trust him they have tried.
Lois gave her husband a side glare as they both know bringing up Damian just makes it worse and it's better to just comfort Jon. She quickly held Jon close to her, not wanting a fight to break out. "Your father just means when you meet him again he wouldn't want to see you so heartbroken,"
"meet him...again?" Jon questioned
"Of course sweety, in another life, you'll see him," Lois said, rubbing circles on Jon's back.
"In another life..."
---Earth Prime---
Damian knew Jon never loved him yet he foolishly kept the belief that maybe one day he'll have his chance. When Jon came out Damian was ecstatic because that chance wasn't just his imagination. But then Jon introduced Jay and Damian knew he was never looked at, he knew instantly from the way Jon looked at Jay that they were dating. Swallowing his pride, he smiled at Jon and gave a congratulation.
Now though Damian could not hold back his contempt, he could just not believe the utter spew of words coming from Jon.
"Shut up," Damian growled, baring his teeth while simultaneously glaring down at Jon despite the height difference.
"What?" Jon flinched wide-eyed at the other boy
"You're just going to leave, again? After everything we've been through, everything your family has been through," Damian excused poking Jon in the chest.
"What are you even talking about? Damian, Jay is in trouble, he is my everything!" Jon said grabbing his arm stopping the other boy from poking him
"Jay is invulnerable wasn't that the whole reason you two started dating? Wasn't it so you didn't have to fear your boyfriend being in trouble?" Damian mocked rolling his eyes
"You are just being selfish now,"
"Maybe I am but at least I'm honest with myself," Damian snarled, snatching his arm out of the hold and walking away.
"Where are you going?"
"Anywhere away from you,"
"Damian, wait!"
Damian though kept on running. The cold wind hit him as he fought off the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Jumping and leaping from roof to roof was supposed to be easy for someone of his caliber yet he felt his whole body ache and the pull of his heart to return to Jon was nauseating.
Damian has watched Jon date Jay for years now but he held onto the false hope that one day Jon will reciprocate his feeling but it never happened. The words Jon said to him sunk in, maybe he was selfish for wanting Jon. He truly had nothing against Jay, hell he was the person to introduce Jon to the Truth. Yet Damian just felt that he and Jon were destined to be together from the supersons to leading the justice league like their fathers. Even all those years ago when the two fought and butt heads Damian felt attracted to Jon. At one point in time he thought Jon felt the same yet here he is 18 with Jon at 21 taking his fiance to another planet to keep them safe.
Leaping to another roof, Damian’s line snagged on something. He quickly rolled on the roof preventing himself from getting seriously hurt. But just his luck; sitting up, he felt his ankle throb in pain, Damian slammed his fist to the ground. “Damn it,”. Tears started to fall from his eyes. Everything was going wrong for him. ‘Why can’t I be happy’ was all Damian could think of as more tears fell from his eyes.
Just as Damian felt that nothing could get worse he felt the breeze that could only be cause by flight, flight by a super. Not daring to look up Damian kept his head down hoping Jon will just take the hint and leave.
"Oh, my sweet songbird what have you been through," a sickening sweet yet familiar voice spoke.
Damian's head shot up in alarm, the tears still falling from his eyes glistening in the moonlight. His dark hair moved with the breeze while staring up at the figure who was so familiar yet the words they spoke a moment ago were off from his Jon. Damian just stared wide-eyed as everything seemed to be frozen in place. He was not prepared for what he saw.
It was Jon.
But definitely not his Jon, that sickening smile and the look in their eyes told Damian everything he needed to know. Yet all Damian could do was stare.
This other Jon flew down to Damian causing the latter to jump up only to hiss in pain from his ankle. "Who are you?" Damian demanded glaring daggers at the other.
"I'm Jon Lane Kent, Beloved," he floated inches away from Damian. "and I'm the Jon you need,". Jon pulled Damian up into the sky with him.
"But you may call me Laney while I'm here," he caresses Damian's cheek, smiling to himself seeing his lover's dazed eyes but most importantly, he smiled at his lover for being alive.
Damian for his part, head swirled with thoughts of what could be going on but it did not matter in the end when he noticed this Jon? Laney? Flying further away from the ground. "Wait-"