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Jasper wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
Maybe it was impulse, or the adrenaline that was running through him—maybe something else entirely.
“Uh, stay at my house!” Jasper had blurted, nearly shoving Henry away, gesturing to himself.
Maybe it was in part of feeling a disconnect from Henry lately.
Despite officially being part of the team—even if that just meant mostly being a cashier for Junk-N-Stuff—somehow he’d never felt so far away. Instead of fighting for Henry’s affection from Charlotte or his monthly girlfriend, he was now fighting for it from them and Ray and Schwoz. Even the villain of the week seemed to see Henry more often.
“What-what are you doing?” Henry had asked, nearly whispered, his hands gently folded in front of him. Calm, a tinge of something else underneath.
But the words came out without meaning to. “I mean Noelle needs a place to stay, so!” Jasper said, but no part of himself meant it. He didn’t care about the girl standing in front of him whose name he barely retained. Not when Henry had made eye contact with him for the first time in a week, even if he was shooting daggers at him. Jasper would let himself get stabbed over and over if it meant he could be Henry’s world for even one moment.
It was like putting on a play, his eyes on the girl, but his stare was going right past her, and he had to restrain himself from keeping his gaze locked onto the boy that he was supposed to be fighting with.
When Henry pressed a finger to his chest, angry, accusatory, he knew he’d lost. When Henry looked at him that way-in any way–he’d always lose. Again and again.
Still, he couldn’t help but mourn the relationship that they were already slowly losing, a delicate flower that continued wilting and turning brown, petals that had fallen and disintegrated into the Earth–if Henry dated this girl, it would be over. They would be over.
He wasn’t about to give up now, not until he saw them with his two eyes, not until he could feel his heart breaking into two, until he was on his couch eating out of an ice cream tub watching Beauty and the Beast on repeat–the Celine Dion song always made him cry.
It was routine–Henry got a girlfriend, Jasper found a new movie to cry to.
Not this time.
He argued with Henry the entire way to the man cave, even while falling through the elevator–which he still wasn’t completely used to yet–his defenses still strong. Charlotte had trudged out of the elevator, she hadn’t chimed in much in their conversation, but even Jasper could tell she was fed up with it.
Jasper’s not sure how it got this far.
All the stupid banter, the amount of times they got in each other’s faces, refusing to back down, dancing around themselves, in their own bubble. It was supposed to stay that way.
“This Saturday night both my brother Henry and this guy Jasper both want to take you on a date.” Piper had so eloquently put, gesturing to the two in the middle of the living room.
“Oh my gosh that’s so–” The girl had said, smiling big, a blush rising to her cheeks.
Jasper had barely given her a glance.
“Yeah, yeah, pick one!” She exclaimed impatiently.
“Uh, I mean, this is a little awkward, but, I guess…” Jasper held his breath, glancing at Henry, whose gaze was locked on hers. “Jasper.”
His head spun, like he just got punched, the air getting knocked out of him. Jasper should’ve cheered, he should’ve rubbed it in Henry’s face like he always did when he won things. But he felt like he lost.
Jasper had spent so much time trying to get Henry to look at him, he got so lost into the argument, there was a point he had no idea what it was even about anymore. Even if he glared at him, at least they were spending time together.
“Oh,” he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows, but fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “Yeah, that’s-that’s awesome.” He said a little louder, excited–his smile hadn’t quite reached his eyes.
Henry had given him a look, but it was unclear if it was because he was disappointed or because he could see right through Jasper. There was a point in their relationship where it went from worrying about one another and texting everyday to worrying about their appearances and what girls thought of them–Jasper wasn’t sure if that was on his side of things or Henry’s.
Henry had pressed a hand to Jasper’s back, the touch had lit a firework inside of him, giving a tight-lipped smile. “Hope you guys have fun on the..” he paused, almost like he didn’t want to say the words that were about to come out of his mouth, “J-Train.”
Jasper had laughed, and they both choo-choo’ed in sync. But looking at Noelle again, the way she looked at him, tucking her hair behind her ears–Jasper couldn’t feel anything.
But he smiled anyway.
It felt wrong, like Jasper was lying, to Noelle, to Henry–to himself.
On Friday, Jasper stopped by Henry’s house, he shuffled up the steps without thinking about it, heading to his room and flopping down on his bed. Jasper knew that Henry was in the man cave, but he couldn’t bring himself to see everyone–not like this.
He’d gotten multiple calls from Charlotte and Ray to go work the cashier at Junk N Stuff, then ended up turning off his phone completely. Henry wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours, and it gave him time to sort through his thoughts while the remnants of Henry’s cologne clung to the pillows and sheets below him.
Jasper sighed, his stomach twisting itself into knots, glancing at the clock by Henry’s bed.
This is stupid, he thought, sitting up, his legs itching to get up and leave. Henry hadn’t talked to him in days, in part from Jasper avoiding him and in part from the fact he just hadn’t texted.
Jasper knew this petty argument would end badly, but not like this. Not back at where they started–one word texts every few days, see Henry in school or the man cave if Jasper was lucky.
Just as he’s about to leave, the door opens.
Henry steps through, still clutching his bag, his eyes trained to the floor as he closes the door behind him, a heavy sigh racks itself through his body–almost like he’d held it in all day. “Hey, are you okay?”
He whipped around, letting out a yelp, then lowered his voice, “what are you doing here?” He threw his bag to the ground, a knit in his brow, “why didn’t you come to work today? We all tried calling you.”
“I just..” Jasper wouldn’t even know where to start, but every part of him wants to lay himself out in the open, and he bites his tongue. “I just wasn’t feeling well.” He rubbed his hands on his pants, ignoring the sweat beginning to bead on his palms.
Henry’s expression softened, “you still should’ve told me–I–us,” he corrected, shaking his head, “are you okay now?”
“Yeah,” he smiled, and it was genuine, “mostly.”
“That’s good,” he mumbled, then a small smirk found its way on his face, “so, tomorrow’s your uh, big date, huh?” It didn’t sound teasing though, his heart wasn’t in it.
“Uh, yeah-yeah, I guess,” Jasper rubbed at the back of his neck, then sat back down on Henry’s bed, just at the edge of it, “I… I'm still kinda shocked she didn’t pick you.”
Henry joined him, sitting next to him, their knees bumping together, “yeah?” He laughed, almost bitterly.
“Yeah.” He mumbled, staring at his hands, “are you.. upset?”
“Upset?” Henry scoffed, “why would I be upset?”
“I know you like her, I just…” I don’t even really like her.
“It’s okay man, she chose you, I-I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“Right.” Jasper mumbled, she chose him and Henry’s okay with it, this is the best case scenario, he should be happy. “You sure you’ll be okay?”
Henry nodded, “yeah, of course.”
“Okay.” Jasper murmured, but he didn’t believe him. Maybe he didn’t want to.
Maybe Jasper wanted Henry to be upset that Jasper chose someone other than him, maybe he still wants to live in the delusion that he could have a chance. That after all these years things will be different, somehow. “I…” Jasper hesitated, anything to keep him there. “I still need help picking what to wear.”
Henry lit up, laughing, the sound rang in Jasper’s ears like bells, “yes you do.”
They’d be okay, he was sure of it.
Then came Saturday.
Jasper had burst into nervous sweats nearly 5 times already, and he hadn’t even changed yet. A part of him didn’t want to–all of him didn’t want to.
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing across his room and taking shaky breaths. It was just one date, it’s not like she had to be his girlfriend. Jasper could just tell Henry it didn’t work out, with any girl, it never did, not when it wasn’t Henry.
His fingers hover over Henry’s contact, he stares at it like it’s going to disappear, gripping his phone necessarily tight.
Fuck it.
He pressed the call button, holding it up to his ear, the longer the ringing went on, the more quick his breaths became, his pacing more intense. “Jasper? What’s up? Shouldn’t you be on your date by now?”
“I-no, not yet, I still have another hour,” he murmured, his voice sounded small to his own ears, unsure, “I just… wanted to hear your voice I guess.” The words get out before he could stop them, and he cringes.
“Awh, you’re nervous?” Henry practically coos, he could practically see Henry teasing him by making kissy faces at him, then he sighs, “you’ll be fine. Just… be yourself.”
Jasper resists the urge to scoff, he knows Henry’s just being comforting, but he doesn’t have a good track record of girls liking him for “himself”. Not that it really mattered, none of it did.
He looks at the outfit Henry picked out for him yesterday–”wear that one blue flannel, it makes you, uh, look-Noelle will love it”-splayed out on his bed. “What if that’s not enough?” Jasper whispers, managing to let out a small chuckle, but it sounds forced to his own ears.
“That’s not possible.” Henry said back, in an uncharacteristically soft voice. Then he clears his throat, “you’ll do great, don’t worry.”
“Thanks.” But the pit in his stomach doesn’t go away. The call drops, and he’s left feeling even emptier than before. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from Henry, not then, maybe for him to tell him not to go, to just go to the man cave, they could hang out like old times.
Somehow, despite everything, he finds himself at a restaurant that opened recently with Noelle. It was her idea, obviously, Jasper had barely responded to his phone, she had come up with the whole idea and even set the time. He had even completely forgotten to check the menu, see if there was even anything he liked.
But the moment he got there, something seemed… off.
For one, the place looked run down, like an old apartment complex that got shut down. The brick walls covered in graffiti and the entrances battered, it looked like it had been broken into. It lacked the life that most restaurants had. “Hey, Noelle…” He had mumbled under his breath, a bad feeling settling at the bottom of his stomach, turning around, “I don’t think–”
Then, everything went back.
It took a second to adjust to the blinding lights in the room, his vision spinning and his head throbbing. Jasper blinked, instinctively moving his arms–which were now taped down on a chair. The feeling came back, beginning to thrash against his restraints, the rope constricting him, uncomfortably tight against his chest.
It took him a second to realize he had woken up because of Piper’s screaming from next to him. Her lithe body writhing against her own restraints, vigorously moving helplessly. “What the..” Jasper whispered, his throat suddenly felt like he’d swallowed a million wasps.
He looked around. A lab, no surprise, except, instead of just one evil scientist, it was a bunch of old people, then a man with a purple mask and… Noelle.
Maybe he shouldn’t have been, but a part of him was relieved.
There were no feelings on either of their ends, it was merely because she needed him, something Jasper could relate to. This whole thing.. every step of the way, the only thing he thought about was Henry. This had nothing to do with them fighting over a girl of all things, it was them fighting for their friendship, the back and forth, the teasing, whatever it meant to Henry–meant tenfold for Jasper.
“Now, prepare to have your teeth removed!” The purple-masked man had said, pointing his long, drill finger at them.
It hit him then, as he was struggling in the ropes, an old lady prying his mouth open, that it was his fault. His selfish desire and need for Henry put him and Piper here, and he was going to leave with his gums bleeding, unable to talk, his feelings would be stuck in his throat.
He was the first victim, closest to the masked man, his fingers tangled in the back of Jasper’s curls, digging into his scalp, ungentle.
The drill spun, the sound grating against Jasper’s ears as they neared his gums, shaking against the chair, he held his breath, unable to break eye contact with the weapon. He screamed, finally shutting his eyes, trying to turn his head away, but it did nothing to stop it, his hot breath beginning to ghost over the metal.
Then, a crash.
The man pulled his hand away instinctively, everyone’s eyes darting to the door, two muffled voices coming through the thin walls. The door breaks, Jasper flinching at the break of the wood.
Henry, thrown through the wall by Captain Man, now laying on the floor, groaning, and attempting to glare at Ray.
He had inadvertently saved him–time and time again.
Ray clipped the drill from “Drill Finger” and led him out the door, holding him tightly at the wrists. Jasper breathed a sigh of relief as Henry started untying them, starting with Piper’s boyfriend, watching him scurry away.
As he reached Piper, he glanced at Jasper, “I’m sorry.” He mumbled, pulling at the ropes, avoiding his eye.
Jasper furrowed his brow, “for what?”
“I…I don’t know, I just, I feel like it’s my fault.” Henry mumbled, trying to keep Piper from overhearing their conversation as she finally slipped away. “I wanted to tell you–”
Bang!
An old man, who had come up behind him, whacked Kid Danger with a metal chair, effectively taking him by surprise, throwing him across the floor. He grunted, the rope barely loosening as he shifted uncomfortably, watching in awe as Henry fought them all off. Some with his fists, some with his wit, one of them with a cane he stole.
No matter how many times Jasper wanted to help Kid Danger, he knew he could handle it–Henry could handle anything. That’s just who he was.
Jasper utterly admired him, he always did, Henry didn’t need to be Kid Danger to amaze him.
Ray came back before Henry got too overwhelmed, taking the rest of the people outside until it was just Henry and Jasper.
Silence had enveloped the two, Henry taking his time at undoing the ropes. “I wanted to tell you that I lied.”
Jasper tilted his head, getting out of the chair, “about what?”
“About… being upset,” he answered, hooking his fingers on his belt, for the first time ever, Kid Danger looked.. nervous. “I was upset, I was upset that you were going out with Noelle.”
Oh. Of course. Jasper could’ve guessed that–he should’ve guessed that. He smiled, “yeah, I figured, I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean to go after, uh, someone you liked.”
“No, that’s–” Henry shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, “I mean, I was upset because I wanted to go out with you.”
For a second, Jasper thought he died.
He thought he really had gotten his teeth pulled, and he was currently passed out, in immense pain, bleeding out onto his chair and this would be the last good dream before his soul leaves his body.
But Henry’s looking at him expectantly, his expression slightly concealed under his mask, almost like, it’s real. “What?” Is the only thing Jasper can say.
“Yeah… I mean, I don’t know, it’s stupid, I just…” he shrugged, “there was a moment when something changed between us and I don’t know when, I don’t know how–” then he shook his head, “forget it, it’s so stupid.”
“Henry,” he said, before he could take it back, wincing at the way he hadn’t used Kid Danger’s name, but he didn’t seem to notice, or mind. “I’ve liked you for as long as I can remember, I don’t think I knew what it was at first, but now…”
Henry blinks, “what? But why did you–?” He gestures at the door.
“I went for Noelle because I didn’t want you going for anyone else but me,” he admitted, he felt small under his gaze, “I don’t know what i was thinking, I didn’t want it to get this far! Just.. play-fighting and arguing, I felt like we were kids again and-and nothing mattered except us.”
Then, Henry smiled, a genuine one, one that showed his teeth and made the corners of his eyes crinkle. He stepped closer, his hands hovering near Jasper’s body, like he was asking permission, still hesitant, tiptoeing against the thin line of where their friendship ended and where something else began.
When his hands landed on Jasper’s waist, it felt like a million jolts of electricity moving through him, his hands warm, roaming towards the small of his back. “Is this.. can I?” He asked, one hand coming up to cup Jasper’s cheek.
“Yeah, I, please.” Is all he could muster, nodding, his own hands coming up to Henry’s shoulders.
Then, Henry leaned in, their lips meeting in an argument of passion, a back and forth, like they’d been holding back for years, every unreleased emotion and touch breaking free.
Jasper had imagined this a million times, it had never really turned out like this, in an abandoned building, while Henry was still dressed up as Kid Danger, but it didn’t matter. Nothing else did, not when his lips were on Jasper’s.
Henry pulled back first, an unreadable expression on his face.
Before they could say another word, Ray’s voice cut in. “Kid Danger!”
Henry jolted, almost like he forgot what he was doing, what he was wearing. “Shit, I, uh, we’ll talk about this,” he gestured between them, “later.”
Jasper nodded. Whatever they were, whatever would happen, they would figure it out later.
Henry pressed a kiss to his cheek, his breath hot on Jasper’s ear. “I’ll see you later.”
Then, he was gone.