Chapter Text
Jett was sick, really damn sick.
For most others, this wouldn’t be much of a problem. They’d just have to lay back down, cozy up under a nice blanket, and have their loving family take care of them until they got better.
But Jett didn’t have a loving family, nor did he have the luxury of a bed that he could stay in all day long.
The homeless shelter kicks you out as soon as morning comes, regardless of circumstance. There’s too damn many people in there anyway, a result of the world dancing from one crisis to the other.
It sucks, but it’s way better than having to spend a single moment at the house Jett’s parents kicked him out of.
In hindsight, he probably could’ve asked if he could stay the day, given that he could barely walk two steps without stumbling over himself, and the fact that it felt like Mr. Freeze just injected ice down his veins.
But as always, Jett didn’t want to rely on someone else, nor did he want to ask for help. They let him stay the night for free, and that was enough.
So Jett picked up his stuff, summoned his best poker face, and walked out the doors, headed to who knows where. He certainly didn’t.
It took all of two minutes for him to collapse over a bench, shivering weakly.
It was so damn cold, and he had nothing else to wrap himself in.
He sat there for a while, catching his breath, trying to make his shivering and coughing as inconspicuous as possible to passers by.
A young man, carrying a suitcase and hustling to his office job like it’s the freakin 90’s. He doesn’t spare Jett glance.
A woman blasting music in her car drove by, not even noticing his existance.
A man and his daughter, exiting their house. The man held his daughter in his arms, she’s barely awake, snoozing without a care as her old man carries her to school.
They look so relaxed, so warm.
Jett eyed their house. The curtains were closed, so all he could do was imagine what it might be like inside.
‘Bet their house has great air conditioning. Bet it even has a heater,’ he muses to himself.
He could hear Cheshire Cat now.
“you’re just jaelous,” she’d say, adding onto the joke that he started about being homeless.
Ha.
She’d flip out if she knew the truth. All of his friends would, even Red Hood, as much of an asshole as he his. They’d offer to house him at their places, welcome him into their homes as one of their own without hesitation. That’s exactly why they can never find out.
Just being friends with them is all he needs. Jett couldn’t ask for more.
Jett will never ask for more.
He stood, nearly falling back down at how sudden it was, but steadied himself and dragged his body forward.
Jett looked at himself in the reflection of a window.
God he looks horrible.
Sweat frames his face like he’s peaking out of a pool. His shirt had begun to cling to his sweaty back uncomfortably. The bags under his eyes were starting to show, and his face was red all over.
He needed to find someplace safe, somewhere he could collapse for a few more hours.
Thankfully, he knew just the place.
It’s a bit out of the way, but there’s a short bridge that nobody ever goes to. He’s slept there before when he couldn’t get into the shelter. It’s the perfect spot for him to go.
The walk there was… painful.
Every step sent waves of ice up Jett’s legs. He knew that if he didn’t keep it together, that he’d pass out then and there. So he grit his teeth and kept putting one foot in front of the other.
When he finally arrived, it took Jett everything he had to climb into a crevice under the bridge, hidden away from the rest of the world. The chalk art he drew last time he was here are still there. Good thing he bought waterproof.
Jett collapsed in on himself once he was safely on flat ground, pressing his back against the wall and resting his head on his backpack. He curled into a ball and draped his jacket over himself, his body all too eager to let go the moment he did so.
…
…
Ping
Jett checked his phone. It’s been a few hours since he went back to sleep and his phone was getting blown up.
It was his friends. At the mere thought of them, he felt just a bit warmer, even if they were spamming his phone with messages.
cheshirecat: @wildcard WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU ITS FREAKING NOON
;
Ah crap. He forgot they had a meeting today.
cheshirecat: @wildcard
cheshirecat: @wildcard
cheshirecat: @wildcard
cheshirecat: @wildcard
cheshirecat: guys help me out here
proxy: @wildcard
fairplay: @wildcard
shazam: @wildcard
wildcard: wow
wildcard: i’m just so popular today aren’t I
cheshirecat: get over yourself. your late to the damn meeting.
wildcard: *you’re
cheshirecat: nvm you can stay home.
proxy: Jett are you still sleeping? this is serious! we’re about to scope stuff out and you’re still in bed!
wildcard: mfw he’s still in bed
proxy: Jett
wildcard: chill
wildcard: im sick rn so i cant come
cheshirecat: seriously!?
shazam: really now?
wildcard: im being deadass
wildcard: i have a pretty high fever rn. i can’t even get out of bed.
proxy: what’s ur temp?
wildcard: idfk i just feel like literal actual garbage
fairplay: you should get back to sleeping then, and don’t bundle up too much, even if you feel cold. that’ll only make the fever worse. take tylenol if you have it too.
wildcard: betttt
wildcard: Dr. Fairplay mandated bedrest. hell yeah.
wildcard: back to bed
wildcard: seeya
- @wildcard is currently offline -
fairplay: are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?
cheshirecat: can anyone think what you’re thinking?
proxy: i have Tele -KINESIS not Tele - PATHY
shazam: enlighten us
fairplay: since we’re down a member, do you guys wanna take today off and pay Jett a surprise visit?
shazam: but we don’t know where he lives?
fairplay: I can find out.
proxy: you’re gonna dox him!?
fairplay: I’m sure he wont mind, and even if he does we can bribe him with some food!
cheshirecat: there’s this place across the street that sells killer pho. it’s great for sick people.
fairplay: great idea! lets get him some!
proxy: alright then
Proxy put down his phone.
“You know, we could’ve just said that part instead of texting.”
The rest of the team put their phones down too, giggling.
***
Jett woke up in a cold sweat, as if he wasn’t already cold enough.
He had just dreamt about something absolutely incomprehensible and couldn’t remember a thing. All he was left with was a vague notion of melancholy.
Was he dreaming about home? Was he dreaming about having a roof over his head again? Was he still dreaming about what lead to him getting kicked out?
Jett toss and turned, unable to get comfortable on the cold hard concrete and unable to get warm with just his jacket to wrap himself in.
Who knows?
Who the hell knows if he’s still hung up on his parents?
The last thing he wants to do is think about those assholes!
Jett bundled himself under his jacket, tossing and turning, coughing and wheezing, trying to get comfortable.
He’ll sleep it off.
He’ll sleep everything off, just like he always does.
…
…
…
“Is this really the place?”
Ezra was a bit iffy on shirking superhero stuff to go visit Jett, but the thought of visiting his house brought on a whole other type of excitement… not in a weird way of course. He was just happy to bring his friend some nice food while he recovers from a high fever.
He’d been rehearsing to himself about what to say to Jett’s parents when he meets them.
Ezra obviously couldn’t mention the whole superhero stuff, or the fact that their son has been meeting up with internet people IRL.
So, he’d just tell them that they’re friends from school, or maybe even some people he met at the arcade or something. That’d get them off their backs.
They’d been walking for quite a while now, weaving through alleys and blocks, going deeper and deeper into areas that Ezra was taught to avoid.
“Yo, are you sure this is the right direction? This isn’t even a residential area anymore.” He called out to Jeffrey.
“I’m tracing his phone right now, and this is where it’s leading.” Jeffrey replied.
“Ugh, don’t tell me he lied about being sick so he could go wandering around the city.” Lian groaned.
Eugene interjected.
“Jett’s a jerk n’ all, but come on. You really think he’d pass up the opportunity for some action?”
“True, true,” Lian muttered, “but I gotta say, his house is really out of the way.”
“Ah!” Jeffrey exclaimed, “We’re… here?”
“Dude, that’s a bridge, not a house.”
Ezra’s brow furrowed, “Is this really the right place?”
“Uhh, yeah?” Jeffrey raised an eyebrow, “It’s pointing straight under that bridge… for some reason.”
…
“Is he… is he under the bridge?” Lian asked.
“One way to find out,” Ezra said, swallowing back the unease in his heart.
Was this really where Jett was? Why wasn’t he at home?
He pushed those thoughts aside, scaling the wall to reach the crevice where Jeffrey was pointing too.
As soon as he oriented himself, his heart stopped.
“Jett?” he said, voice trembling.
In the corner under the bridge, Jett lay curled under his own jacket. His whole body shook as he took painful, labored breaths. He was trembling so damn much.
“Holy shit! Jett!”
The others scrambled up the wall as quickly as they could hearing the trembling in his voice.
“Jett!?”
“The hell are you doing here?!”
“Holy crap is he ok?!”
Ezra rush to Jett’s side, putting a hand on his shoulder to turn him around and rest Jett’s head on his knees.
Jett failed to resist, his body too weak to do anything. His fever had gotten worse without a safe place to rest.
His friends crouched around him, panicking. His head was spinning, so was the world. He could barely make out anything from the terrified yelling.
Ezra put a hand to Jett’s forehead, immediately recoiling in surprise at how hot it was.
Jeffrey scanned Jett with his visor.
“Holy crap! 104 degrees! He’s one step away from hyperpyrexia! We gotta get him somewhere, stat!”
Ezra immediately lifted Jett up, draping him over his back. His spindly limbs draping over him awkwardly.
God, why’d he have to be so long!?
Ezra levitated himself out of the crevice and broke into a sprint, accommodating Jett with his powers.
“Come on! My place isn’t far from here!” He yelled to the others.
He paused for a moment before lifting up Eugene as well. They all needed to get to his house fast, and he wasn’t gonna let anyone slow them down.
Jeffrey followed suit, with Lian right behind him after she grabbed all of Jett’s stuff.
It was a mad dash to Ezra’s house, with him sprinting as fast as he could, even using his powers to speed up each step.
They arrived at his house in no time, and he kicked the door open. No one was home to complain about it anyway. He set Eugene down once they entered and rushed Jett up to his room.
Ezra carefully set him down on his bed and turned his fan on. Jett wheezed and weakly raised his hand to try and stop the fan, but Ezra put his hand on top of Jett’s, guiding it down.
He turned to run downstairs and grab an ice pack, but Jett suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Don’t,” he wheezed, voice trembling, “Don’t go. I… I-”
Jett burst into a coughing fit
“I don’t… I can’t… Ezra… I,” Jett sputtered.
His eyes began to flutter shut. He could do nothing but gasp for air though all the coughing.
Butterflies. His stomach was full of them. Just hearing him say his name... god.
Ezra let Jett’s hand guide him closer. He crouched over him, bringing his face closer to Jett’s.
He edged closer and closer, spurred on by Jett’s hand weakly pulling him in. Suddenly, his face was right above Jett’s.
It was hard not to look at Jett, being so close to him, his heart definetly did NOT skip a beat. But, Jett wanted him to be close right now and Ezra couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
Jett’s thick eyebrows, his long, pretty eyelashes. His… lips...
His lips were so close… His lips were so close to Jett’s forehead. Barely an inch away. He was so close he could… it would be so… he could finally…
THUD THUD THUD
“I’m - *huff - here!” Jeffrey said, bursting into the room alongside the others, Eugene holding the bag of ice Ezra was going to get and Lian wearing Jett’s backpack.
Ezra pulled away
“Stole some ice from your fridge. Is Jett ok?” Eugene asked, moving closer.
Ezra snatched the ice pack with his powers and pressed it under Jett’s arm.
“Could you guys get more ice, some towels, and a cold rag for his head?” He asked his friends.
“On it!” They responded in unison, scattering out of his room.
Ezra rifled through his drawer, taking out two pieces of Tylenol. He propped Jett up, supporting his back with his body, holding his head upright by the nape. His fingers burned where he touched Jett. He could feel his own face getting warmer too.
“Cmon, Jett. Open wide,” Ezra said, holding the pills in front of Jett’s mouth.
Jett groaned weakly, slightly opening his mouth. Ezra pressed the pills into it, fingers brushing against his sharp canines, following up with a water bottle to his mouth.
Jett drank sloppily, pushing away Ezra’s hand and coughing heavily. Thankfully, no pills came out of his mouth.
Jett dropped his head back, resting the back of his head on Ezra’s shoulder, breathing heavily into his ear, unable to even comprehend just how close they were.
Ezra brushed away the hair that was clinging to Jett’s forehead.
They were so freaking close. SO FREAKING CLOSE.
With Jett’s back to Ezra’s chest, he could feel the quick beating of Jett’s heart. He could feel the erratic rise and fall of his chest as he gasped for air.
Ezra’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t take it anymore. He just couldn’t.
He turned his face to Jett… and…
*chu
Ezra immediately turned away, full of shame.
Goddamn, he was absolute freaking scum.
He hurriedly set Jett back down, who let out a quick “oof” at the sudden drop.
Jeffrey came back with a towel, looking visibly guilty for going through Ezra’s house, and set it under Jett. Ezra took one end and wiped away the sweat on Jett’s back, unable to even look at him while doing so.
Next came Eugene, carrying a bunch of ice packs that they spread strategically around Jett’s body. To add the cherry on top, Lian arrived with a cold towel for his forehead and wiped down his neck.
Jett looked so weak, like he was going to wilt away and die. Everyone wanted to do more, but that was all they could do for now… aside from bringing him to the hospital. But they wouldn’t do that to him, not unless his life was truly in danger. They all knew how afraid he was of hospitals.
So they sat in silence, tense, worrying silence.
…
“So,” Ezra began, “Will he be ok, Jeffrey?”
“He will. We’ve done everything we need to. All he needs is rest.”
“Cool.”
…
“Ugh! Damn it!” Lian exclaimed, standing up from Ezra’s beanbag, “I’m just gonna say it. Is Jett freaking homeless?! Like, actually freaking homeless?!”
Everyone shuffled uncomfortably.
“It… would seem so,” Jeffrey hesitated, “My scanner showed signs of him staying there for extended periods of time. And… umm… he… uhhh….”
“What? C’mon. Spit it out.” Ezra urged.
“I checked the nearby footage and… Jett… he was spotted walking out of a homeless shelter.”
A chill went down Ezra’s spine.
Lian stumbled back and dropped herself back onto the beanbag, putting a hand up to her head.
“Damn,” she muttered, “This whole time I was… damn.”
Eugene stood up.
“Where’s the restroom?” He asked, his face indecipherable.
“First door on the right,” Ezra muttered, unable to take his eyes off Jett.
They’d met on the server months ago. They’d all chatted about their home lives and their struggles with having powers. Was he lying about his family this whole time? Was he lying about having a roof over his head this whole time?
It would make sense. During every meetup, Jett has always been wearing the same damn clothes. Ezra just assumed that it was his superhero costume, something he’d change into specifically to meet up with everyone.
All this time. All this damn time, Jett Blitz, his best friend, was homeless.
This would NOT stand. He knew what he was gonna do.
The moment Jett got better, he would force him to stay. Whether the asshole likes it or not, he was going to be living with him. End. Of. Story.
He was not going to let his best friend suffer out on the streets a second longer.
When Jett was finally in a condition to talk, he was sure as hell going to talk to him about his living arrangements.
But that’s all in the future.
For now? He needed to take care of him.