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“Sorry,” Jasper whispers in response to Henry's wince. He dabs Henry's injured arm with a towel he found in a drawer, taking care not to apply too much pressure. The fact that Ray insisted on dimming the lights in the Man Cave before he made a beeline for his room where he shouldn't even be able to notice the lights doesn't help. The low light only serves to make Jasper even sleepier than he'd usually be at one in the morning.
“Don't worry about it,” Henry half-yawns. He doesn't pull away when Jasper can't seem to remove his hands with the need to feel Henry’s warmth and the faint thrum of his heart underneath the thick fabric of his uniform. This is hardly the first time Henry’s been in danger, but sometimes the fear overtakes Jasper and tonight the eerie quietude of the Man Cave emboldens it to the point of making Jasper want to cradle Henry in his arms and protect him from the world.
The moment lasts a second too long and Jasper clears his throat and gets up to look for bandages. He makes quick work of wrapping Henry’s arm, ready to go home and leave the strange atmosphere that’s settled in the air behind. Henry, quite unexpectedly, stops him.
“Hold on a second,” he says, his eyes barely open.
“What?” Jasper asks. He can already feel his anxiety-induced nausea coming back. “Do you have any other injuries?”
Henry shakes his head with a touch - okay, a generous helping - of exasperation. “I’m fine. Just - come over here for a second.”
Jasper does what he’s asked (honestly, he doesn’t think there’s anything he would deny Henry) and Henry weakly pulls at his arm until he’s sitting next to him. There’s a soft smile on Henry’s face as he leans against Jasper, who is surprised but certainly not complaining. The Man Cave feels gentler all of a sudden, warmer, reduced to just the two of them in a sleepy haze.
“You’re really - hmm,” Henry says as he fiddles with his gloves, apparently deep in thought. Jasper chuckles.
“Thanks, I guess.”
“You’re welcome.”
And surely at this point, with Henry closing his eyes as he rests his head on Jasper’s shoulder, it’s alright for Jasper to swallow past the sudden and inexplicable lump in his throat and cover Henry’s hand with his own? And to softly grasp it when met only with Henry humming and smiling once more?
Jasper would be happy to stay like this forever. It feels like every second he holds Henry’s hand he’s expressing his love in a way more intimate than the flirtatious route he usually chooses (though currently he’s also discovering many more things to compliment Henry about, like the way his hand fits in Jasper’s and the adorable little hums he keeps emitting). Hence, Henry is the one to break the silence with a gentle murmur.
“Jasp, I really like you,” he professes while squeezing his hand. Jasper could jump with joy if it weren’t for the feeling of peace settling over him. They’ve been best friends for thirteen years, he knows Henry likes him, but to hear him say it out loud is soothing in a way he didn’t know he needed. Jasper wraps his arm around Henry’s shoulder (carefully - he wouldn’t want to jostle the wounded arm) and after a moment Henry all but nuzzles into him with another contented hum.
“You’re so-” Jasper begins, but he’s at a loss for words. Even more so when he entertains the possibility of Henry’s earlier unfinished sentence having been born from the same breathtaking burst of love that’s overwhelming Jasper.
“I’m so what?” Henry asks with a lopsided, tired smile.
“Handsome,” Jasper settles on with an attempt at a jokey tone. This, at least, is familiar. Complimenting Henry the way he always does is an easy way out when the intimacy and love of the moment hit him in full force. At least, that’s what he thought, because Henry’s smile brightens and he has the nerve to look pleased.
“I really like you, too,” Jasper tells him after a moment. As open as he is about his love for Henry and as easy as the words should be to say, he stumbles over them nonetheless.
“Really?” Henry says and Jasper thinks he’s trying to sound jokey too, but really it just sounds a little desperate and Jasper’s heart breaks for him.
“Really,” he promises. In response, Henry further nestles himself against Jasper’s side. It’s not eerie anymore, or strange. The darkness in the Man Cave is more pleasant than anything else now that it allows Henry’s eyes to droop closed and for him to finally get the rest he needs as his breathing steadies.
It occurs to Jasper that the Kid Danger uniform can’t be comfortable to sleep in and he nudges Henry back to wakefulness. “Gum,” he whispers. Henry’s brows crease for a second, making Jasper’s heart clench in his chest with fond adoration, but then he nods, gets his gum tube and blows a bubble. Jeans and a button-up shirt still don’t seem ideal, but at least Henry’s really Henry again. He looks even more vulnerable like this and Jasper can’t help but pull him closer. Henry smiles again and mumbles something unintelligible.
“What was that?”
“Oh, just - you’re my favourite person, Jasper. In the whole wide world.”
“I love you,” Jasper blurts out. Probably at least half of what he says to Henry comes down to this, but he doesn't think the words will ever lose their meaning. His love for Henry is a part of him, even if he doesn’t always get to express it quite like this. Really, there’s nothing like having Henry cuddled up to him - cuddling even closer right now, actually - and running a hand through his hair. It’s relaxed and natural in a way Henry normally isn’t when Jasper does anything even remotely romantic.
“You too,” Henry yawns. After one last hum as Jasper strokes his hair, his breathing steadies once more and Jasper isn’t planning to wake him up again. Henry is so very warm and a pleasant weight against him and really he should be getting him home, but he can’t bear the thought of leaving Henry’s side even for a moment and doubts he has the energy anyway. The last thing he remembers before falling asleep is pressing his lips to Henry’s forehead.
The next morning, Jasper wakes up in one of the many spare rooms in the Man Cave with Henry in his arms. Ray is unusually nice to him, but Henry’s half-awake, instinctive smile as he wakes up to find Jasper right there with him is unbeatable.