Chapter Text
Damian watched Laney leave his room and listened for a few minutes making sure the Kryptonian was gone before he collapsed on his bed. He covered his face feeling the heat on his cheeks “What is wrong with me?” he mumbled to himself. Damian lightly touched his lips still feeling the remembrance of the other's soft lips on his. He dared not to close his eyes or else he would be back in that moment and he would lose his resolve. Just why did Laney have to look so much like Jon? Damian turned to his side to look out the window, he watched as the rain continued to fall.
Damian has tried to get over Jon, he really has but for the life of him, he can’t move on. Jon has seen Damian at his worst, dealt with his antics yet still can smile at him. That’s the reason he can’t move on even as he watches Jon love another. He can’t help but feel the need to stay by his side and when he finally believed that maybe it will all be okay because Damian still is by Jon’s side just as his best friend. This person who looks so much like Jon has to come and declare his love for Damian. What kind of sick joke is that? What has he done to be mocked so heartlessly? Damian feels water hit his skin. “Damn it,” he wiped away the tears “When have I gone soft,” he chuckled softly to himself letting his hands rest in his lap.
Damian winced when sunlight hit his eyes. He turned to the window and what he saw was surreal. Damian could only watch in awe at the swirling thunderous clouds surrounding the manor split open with a single patch in the sky. The sun blazed between the cracks in the clouds, and with its golden light, it illuminated Damian's tan skin. The blue sky matched the eyes looking down at him. Damian knew who it was yet he could not stop himself. He pushed open the window allowing the wind to blow through his room and caress his body.
There before Damian was the very kryptonian he told to leave not even fifteen minutes ago. Laney floated just outside the window holding a small black kitten. Damian looked skeptical about the ordeal but seeing Laney’s guilty expression relieved Damian a little.
“I know you told me to leave but,” he looks down at the small bundle of fur in his arms “this little guy was meowing at me when I flew by and I just couldn’t leave him out in the rain…”.Damian tuned him out to stare at the cat. He slowly leaned forward taking the kitten from Laney who silenced himself in favor of watching Damian, who lightly pet the small animal. Laney smiled at the scene, he moved to sit on the windowsill. “Amil,”.
Damian’s eyes widened and turned to Laney “what?”
“Her name,” Laney pet the cat “It should be Amil,”
“Do you even know what that means?” Damian snarled
“Of course, habibi,” Laney hand moves towards Damian but retracts just as quickly as it came “I know to you it may seem like I’m just a stranger in a familiar body but,” Damian watched as pink dusted over Laney’s cheek and the other playing with their hand. He subconsciously put his own hands over Laney's, making the latter look up at him.
“I really do know you,”. Damian’s face turned sour quickly and he ripped his hands away from the other. He attempted to get up but Laney grabbed his arm and before Damian could yell at the other Laney continued.
“I know that you went to a death tournament when you were 14 and wanted to transform the island for a paradise for kids who were raised like you,” Damian stopped and looked at Laney in disbelief.
“How-”
“You ran away after Alfred's death because you criticized yourself for not listening to order, you blamed yourself when Nezha possessed you because you felt like a failure letting your emotions be the cause of your possession, when you met goliath you killed its whole family but couldn’t kill him because you saw yourself in him and you cried that day, ”
“stop it," emerald eyes were filled with tears "please, stop bringing up my failures,"
Laney took Damian's hand "they aren't failures," he gave Damian a smile that did not reach his eyes for the first time "And I know they hurt but I promise you, they are not failures," Laney let go of Damian's hand to brush away the tears from the eyes of the other. "You could never be a failure,".
Damian snickered "I'll admit you sure do know how to sweet talk,".
Laney chuckled at that "Only for you," Damian rolled his eyes. "Though I will admit I have met thousands of people when traveling, but you," Laney moved off the window sill "You are the most extraordinary person I know,".
Laney floated in front of the window "You are the blueprint for the wonders of the multiverse," he extended his arms out to his sides, embracing the sky. "Everything I have seen is for you, and I just want you to be happier,".
Damian stared at the sunlight reflecting off the Kryptonian, judging the expression to see if it is sincere or not. "How do you know I will be happier?"
"It does not feel right to me, in all the universes I have seen, there's a Jon and Damian yet here you are without one," Damian felt his heart sink in his chest at the implication that only he wasn't good enough for Jon but pushed the feeling down.
"Where's your then?" Damian saw Laney's eyes show a moment of sadness.
"I don't have one,"
"Do you mind me asking why you don't," Damian let the kitten go, letting it roam free in his room. He moved his body to face Laney, letting his legs hang out the window.
"If I'm honest I'm not sure why I don't have one," Laney responded floating closer to Damian, he wasn't sure if it was intentional or subconsciously but Laney was less than a foot away from him. "And I know I am not the Jon you want but maybe it's fate we both don't have our other half,".
"But my Jon is here," Damian pulled back slightly,
"I know that and it may be cruel taking you away from your supposed fated partner," Laney brushed a piece of Damian's hair back "But I can not watch you be hurt and I don't care if the rest of the multiverse hates me for taking you. As long as I am with you, I know everything will be okay."
"What if your fated partner appeared? Would you leave me?" Damian asked, leaning into Laney's touch.
"I will never leave you because you are my fated partner. Seeing you gave me life, I was just a time-traveling meta watching different versions of himself fall for someone I never had."
"You know I can't fully trust you,"
"I understand, all I am asking is for you to give me a chance."
Damian sighed and looked away from Laney who watched the former in anticipation.The scene was at a standstill with neither body moving. Damian could hear the new kitten moving in the background while Laney felt the wind brush against his hair. Everything seemed frozen yet fast at the same time and no one wanted to break the moment.
Damian turned away from the window when Amil rubbed against his arm. He brushed his hand against her back and smiled at her. "fine, but we are going slowly."
Laney beamed in joy and hugged Damian, "Thank you for giving me another chance," he said into Damian's ear.
Damian leaned into the hug before wrapping his arms around the other, "sure."
Laney pulled away still holding Damian by his shoulders and with a smile said "Thank you."
—--
Jon was not sure what to expect, he has been avoiding the house because of Laney. He had the excuse of making up with Jay and honestly he needed to see his boyfriend. He finally gained the courage to comfort Laney but what he saw was not what he expected at all.
Laney was on the couch with Damian next to him. Spy x Family was playing on the tv but Jon couldn't hear what was being said over the duo's conversation. Laney was smiling, moving his arm in an exaggerated motion toward the show. What really shocked Jon was how comfortable Damian seemed, he even had a small smile on his face.
"What the fuck,"
The pair turned to him and Damian waved at him "Jonathan." Jon saw the way Damian's eyes narrowed at him, he hoped it wasn't due to what happened a couple of days ago.
Jon stood dumbfounded for a moment and slowly put his bag down and walked to the side of the couch Damian was on. His eyes were focused on Laney who just leaned against the couch watching the spectacle. "why are you here?" Jon whispered to Damian who scoffed.
"I am here because Laney invited me here, or am I not welcomed?" Damian spat.
"No, of course, you are welcomed but I mean," Jon tilted his head towards Laney "why with him."
"I can hear you know," Laney declared waving his hand,
"Oh, I know you are here!" Jon exacerbated narrowing his eyes at Laney. He was not going to be scared of Laney today.
Damian watched unamused by the tension in the room and got up "If I must answer your question, I was him because he has a love for the arts much as I do," green eyes pierced into Jon's soul. "Come along, Laney, I do not think we are wanted here," with that Damian walked away. Laney followed after him but not before sticking his tongue out at Jon.
Jon sat there blinking for a moment "what the fuck."