Tactile Tactics
By Snare-chan
Pairings: Klarion the Witch Boy/Kid Flash
Ratings: T
Category(ies): Humor/Romance
Warning(s): Sexual themes? I guess
Status: One-shot, complete
Summary: Kid Flash discovers that Klarion has an interesting weakness.
Notes: Hm, I'm surprised Klarion still can't be selected as a character under the YJ cartoon section on FFnet, but I guess he's not big enough a player in the series to constitute listing him just yet. Such a pity! This particular story was taken from a small part of a prompt: Klarion can physically feel whatever Teekl feels since Teekl's his link to the mortal plane. Cue Wally taking advantage of this by petting/hugging Teekl whenever possible. I ran with it – ran fast and far, but maybe someday I can come back and add to it. This fanfic was edited by Keppiehed – thanks again!
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice; wish I did like everybody else. They should put YJ in stock, then I'd buy it all!
They were at a stalemate: Klarion the Witch Boy had both hands poised to strike, a fireball in each hand, and Kid Flash had his cat.
He didn't know the specifics concerning what linked the animal and his opponent – since that mumbo-jumbo about 'familiars' had to be absolute crap – but he did know that the boy wouldn't risk harm coming to the creature. Kid Flash also didn't understand the true explanation behind Klarion's abilities, but it didn't take a genius to figure that fire would hurt, so he'd snatched up the cat in the blink of an eye and held it close to his chest like a shield. Klarion had stopped dead in his tracks.
"Okay, so, quit with the cheap parlor tricks or else-"
"As if you have the guts," Klarion interrupted, calling his bluff and increasing the flames in both hands, going from juggling them like small baseballs to pillars that raged from his fingertips.
He was right – no matter how desperate Kid Flash was, he couldn't come to harm an animal. Not like Nabu could. He clung a bit tighter, the feline squirming and digging its claws into his arms in protest; it went straight through the material of his uniform with no resistance. It was worth it, though. Klarion stilled in his advancement a second time, his pale face coloring in what Kid Flash hoped was indignation that he was wrong about him and experiencing doubt.
"You don't have the nerve, either," Kid Flash said. "Not as long as I have your pet."
"Don't be absurd!" his adversary groused, and Kid Flash was surprised at how horrible a liar he was. The pitch of his voice became shrill and the fire originating from his hands wavered, like it was buffeted by an unseen wind.
Klarion took a threatening step forward again and Kid Flash rapidly took ten backward, struggling to keep a watchful eye on the enemy while trying to calm the cat wrapped in his arms. He frantically rubbed a furry ear in hopes of appeasing it in the meantime.
Across from him, Klarion released a moan – one that had nothing to do with fighting casualties, and his hands clenched, dismissing the flames in an instant. He clamped both over his mouth; mortification was written across his features, and Kid Flash went motionless for the first time since he'd gained his powers, for the same reason. They stared at one another, Kid Flash bewildered and Klarion increasingly murderous.
"Did you just-"
"Release Teekl right now! Now, now, now, now, now, now!" Klarion yelled, sweeping both arms out. The ground rippled, then broke apart to rush toward Kid Flash like a tidal wave. The speedster yelped and fled.
He zigzagged to avoid mounds of dirt that shot up to try and trip him up, narrowly avoiding ramming face first into a few. Kid Flash ducked behind one of them to avoid a column of fire aimed at his head. His grip on the other boy's pet had to be reaffirmed in that moment, and he stroked behind its ears.
"Um, good kitty, please stop trying to saw off my arms. I need those," he muttered and was surprised when his efforts worked. Teekl began to purr when he rubbed a particularly soft spot along its neck.
Nearby, he heard Klarion drop like a dead weight, startling Kid Flash because he hadn't done anything in retaliation to elicit such a reaction from the witch-boy. Hesitant, in case it was a trap, he glanced around his makeshift hiding spot to see Klarion practically writhing on the ground.
"You low down, no good, terrible chea-aaaah!" he said, the bite in the words losing all their venomousness as Kid Flash gently tweaked one of Teekl's ears, the effect of which Klarion demonstrated.
This was so beyond weird that Kid Flash didn't even want to devise a scientific explanation for it. To define this level of freaky was to admit it was happening.
"Stop doing that!" Klarion demanded.
"I will if you leave. Peacefully."
"Yeah, right," he started, which was followed by a breathy moan. A hand instinctively scratched at the ground, leaving deep gouges in the surface before Klarion caught himself. Kid Flash had scratched Teekl under the chin, extracting another contented purr from the cat and a rather powerful response from its master.
"You were saying?"
"Nnngh, fine. Just…no more."
Kid Flash waited, gauging his honesty, and Klarion didn't appear capable of lying in his disheveled state. With a nod, he carefully unfolded his arms. Teekl was initially reluctant to go before remembering itself and bounding away. The cat stuck close to Klarion now, regarding Kid Flash with unblinking red eyes.
"Way to fight dirty, superhero," Klarion said, and Kid Flash was disturbed by…how almost complimentary that sounded, or so he convinced himself. The alternative being turned o-
Something else he dared not contemplate.
True to his word, Klarion vanished in a cloud of neon tendrils, floating up and away through the air. Kid Flash observed his leave-taking and made sure he was really gone, before bumping the heel of his hand forcefully against his temple.
Next time, he was only going to see if Klarion was ticklish by proxy instead of doing…that.
-Fin-