Jenni, Bart thinks, gives the best hugs in the world.
She has this way of scooping you up into her arms and squeezing you so tight around the middle it's a little hard to breathe, like she's hoping the full brunt of her love and affection will be transferred through osmosis or something, and Bart honestly wouldn't be surprised if she could accomplish such a thing because she's Jenni. On top of being his favorite person in the world, she's also a force of nature so yeah, nothing's out of the realm of possibility when she's involved. There's nothing he doesn't believe she can't do; she could move mountains if she set her mind to it and do it all with a smile big enough to split her face. And it must be working, the love-osmosis thing, because he's dizzy and delighted in her arms, and not because she's cutting off some of the oxygen to his brain. He doesn't mind; embraces it even, this slight feeling of disorientation, because Jenni's one of the rare people who is even capable of shaking him up, of taking his already off beat Bart Allen world and turning it even more off kilter just by being herself.
He squeezes back just as tightly, feeling a laugh bubble up in his throat when she swings him around in a circle. She eventually sets him back on his feet but they don't let go of each other just yet. He doesn't think he could if he tried. He clutches at her and grins, bright and exuberant, practically thrumming from the sheer force of his happiness.
Jenni, he thinks, but then realizes he doesn't have to settle for just thinking it. Because she's here, with him. So he says it out loud, just to delight in hearing her name pass through his lips and to see the way her eyes crinkle at the corners and how her nose scrunches up. Jenni doesn't just smile with her lips, she smiles with her whole face, and Bart loves how it gets all scrunchy looking when she's happy. He feels his own face scrunch up just looking at her.
Her cheek comes to rest on top of his head and Bart just knows she's grinning into his mop of hair, even without being able to see it with his eyes. My Jenni senses are tingling, he jokes to himself. She reaches up a hand from where her arms are locked around his waist to tousle it once playfully, giggling at the face Bart automatically pulls at the action. His own hands fly up to smooth down his hair and she steps away to beam at him.
Bart misses her when she goes but she's still standing in front of him so he can't be too upset, even if he would've preferred if their hug had gone on for an hour at least.
"Hiya, cuz," she says. "Your hair's as voluminous as ever!"
Bart couldn't help but preen a little in response. "Yeah, well, I have a reputation to uphold. I'm the speedster with the best head of hair. There are websites that say so and everything!"
"It's not like you have much competition though," Jenni points out. "And I bet Jesse could give you a run for your money. It's so long and thick! Plus she has more variety, rocking the curly waves and long sweeping ponytail. Yeah, as soft and silky as your hair is – what moisturizing products do you use by the way? It's so impressive for the 21st century! – I think I'm gonna go with Jesse on this one, cuz."
Bart looks at his cousin with wide, scandalized eyes before harrumphing and turning away.
"I so have hair variety," he pouts. "I shaved my entire head once! No hair at all is, like, the ultimate hair variety."
Jenni's in front of him in an instant, grinning and pinching his cheek.
"Awww, are you mad?" she coos, her smile only widening when Bart glowers at her. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you have the best hair out of all the guys!"
Bart refuses to be placated just yet. "Better than Wally?" he asks hopefully and feels his lips threaten to twitch into a smile when Jenni screws up her face playfully. He gives into the temptation upon hearing her next words.
"Please, Bart. You and I both know Wally isn't even a contender."
That she would say something like that just to make him feel better is the reason why Jenni's his absolute favorite person. He knows she isn't saying it to be mean; she doesn't hold a grudge against Wally the way he does, after all, but still. Warmth floods his chest and spreads from his fingers all the way to his toes. He thinks he could probably float off the feeling, not even needing a Legion ring like Jenni to do so.
"Heh, what about Max then?"
"You really didn't come all this way just so you could ask me about Max's hair, right?" Jenni asks with genuine curiosity, laughing when Bart frantically shakes his head. He really, really didn't; grife, talking about Max is the last thing he wants to do when Jenni is in the same space and time as him. "That's good! Though his white hair does make him look pretty dignified, don't you think? Really helps with the whole Zen master of speed thing he's got going on."
"Jenniiiiiiiii," Bart whines.
"You brought it up, not me, Bartholomew Allen!"
"Ugh," he says with a roll of his eyes, but reaches out a hand to her all the same. Jenni places her hand in his and he gives it a fond little squeeze. "You wanna get going then?"
"Yup," she says, popping the p.
Then they're off, faster than the eye can see, and there's something about the wind at his back and Jenni's hand in his that makes Bart feel invincible. Like they could take on anyone, anything, as long as they are together. He fully believes there's nothing in the world he can't face with Jenni at his side.
Bart suddenly flashes back to a dream Jenni holding him in her arms and asking him where he wants to go. He remembers closing his eyes and snuggling close and saying with complete sincerity anywhere with you.
It repeats in his head like a mantra and he wants to tell her how important she is all of a sudden, tell her just how much he loves and cherishes her. But her hand slips from his before he can even go about forming the words; she speeds in front of him, throwing a mischievous grin over her shoulder, and Bart abandons his previous thoughts as he races to catch up. His face is starting to hurt from all the smiling he's doing. But it's a good pain; the best there is. Jenni pain isn't really pain at all.
Twin streaks of light race out over the desert plains, their laughter ringing out joyfully behind them for a few precious seconds before the sound gets swallowed by the wind.
Eventually they come to a stop and Jenni throws up her arms in victory and does a little dance while Bart pouts off to the side.
"I totally won that time," she says proudly, whirling around to giggle at the put out expression on Bart's face. She stops dancing in favor of coming up beside him and slinging a companionable arm over his shoulder, squeezing him to her playfully. Bart fights to maintain his look of displeasure because nothing irritates him more than losing, even if it is to Jenni.
"No way!" he vehemently denies. "Besides, even if you did win - which you didn't because there's no way you're faster than me - you totally cheated by flying a little. Talk about unfair!"
"Only to get over that sinkhole that you fell into," she says. "You should pay closer attention to your surroundings, you know."
"I managed to phase out of it," Bart replies, grumbling at how Max-like she sounds right now. "And you still flied, something I can't do, remember? So your victory is rendered invalid."
A beat, "So you admit I won then?"
"Gah!" he exclaims, pulling at his hair in frustration while Jenni keels over in laughter.
When she straightens up again, she wipes a little tear from her eye. "Oh, your face," she says. "So priceless!"
"Take a picture, why don't you," he grumbles, only to stare in confusion when Jenni beams and clasps her hands together like he's said the greatest thing in the world.
"That's a great idea! Oh, we should definitely make a Holovid when we're back in my time." She shakes the bulky watch-looking thing on her wrist. "Too bad this Timetech doesn't come with a Holovid option. Now that'd be handy!" She says that last bit with an exaggerated wink.
Bart laughs despite himself because what human couldn't appreciate a good pun? Well, maybe Batman, he reflects after a moment. He probably gets sick of them, what with having both the Joker and the Riddler in his Rogues Gallery. Besides, Bart's not entirely convinced that Batman's all human anyway.
"Ha, handy," he says with a grin. "You've come a long way from See Spot Run."
Then her words dawn on him and he squints at the time machine apparently strapped to Jenni's wrist. He prods it gently with his finger. After a moment of examination, he draws away and sighs, "Jeez, is this it?"
"What's wrong with it?" Jenni asks defensively.
"Well, nothing, I guess. Just...I don't know, doesn't it look like what a comic book artist thinks a time machine would look like? It's so huge! How is anyone supposed to carry it around comfortably? Like this is 31st century technology; you'd think they make a portable time machine more inconspicuous looking."
Jenni just stares blankly at him throughout this little rant causing Bart to heave another sigh. "You have no idea what I'm talking about."
"Do you?" she asks and he scratches the back of his head.
"Not really," Bart admits sheepishly.
Jenni hums and he watches as she presses a few buttons on her Timetech. He can admit the name is catchy at least but he finds something about it is nagging at him, a vague familiarity that keeps eluding him for a couple seconds. A pang goes through him when he finally realizes where he's seen it before: His mom had travelled back from the 31st Century with the same technology.
A shadow crosses his face then but he's jerked from his depressing thoughts when Jenni places a hand on his shoulder; she's looking at him with a concerned expression and he can feel himself softening instantly.
"You okay?" she asks quietly.
Bart nods and covers her hand with his own. "Yeah," he says, and he's not lying at all. How could he not be, with Jenni here with him? A teasing smile flits over his face. "Let's see how this piece of junk works."
Jenni snorts. "Piece of junk, he says! This piece of junk is what's allowing me to come and visit you remember?"
"Yeah, yeah," he says dismissively. He starts bouncing on his feet in excitement. "So are we gonna take this show on the road or what?"
Jenni rolls her eyes but she's smiling a little too as she looks over the time-space coordinates one more time; she nods, apparently satisfied, and he holds onto her hand tightly as he and his cousin are sent hurtling through time.
"Woah," Bart breathes in awe, his eyes impossibly wide as he takes in the sight in front of him. Huge didn't do the place justice; he couldn't wrap his head around it being an ice cream place, of all things, when it looks more like a mall from his time. Jenni grins and nudges him in the side.
"I knew you'd like it!" she says gleefully. "It's one of the largest ice cream stores on the planet! Home to almost every flavor in existence too; lots of alien ones that are either good or terrible. They're always really fun to try."
"Do you come here a lot?" Bart asks as the glass doors slide open for them and they move to board the floating circular platforms. Bart notices a directory out of the corner of his eye that helpfully supplies which floor has flavors from which planet.
"Whenever I have time," she says. "But I really wanted to come here with you." Jenni looks down, smiling almost shyly. "I thought it'd be cool to experience one of my favorite places with my favorite cousin."
"I'm your only cousin," Bart can only think to reply. He looks away, blinking past the sudden wetness in his eyes, and takes in a shuddery little breath. He tugs on her hand to bring her to a stop and pulls Jenni into a hug, smiling when she lets out a tearful laugh. The sound is contagious; before long he's laughing too, and the aliens and humans walking by spare a weird glance at the two speedsters laughing and embracing each other.
"You're my favorite too," he says, squeezing her one last time. "Now c'mon! I wanna check out some of these flavors. What's your favorite?"
"Mint chocolate chip."
Bart rolls his eyes. "Bo-ring," he says. "This place has almost every flavor known to human-and-alien-kind and your favorite is mint chocolate chip?"
Jenni shrugs. "Hey, you try some of these alien ones before you knock my favorite! Like I said, they're either good or terrible."
Bart hums thoughtfully in response before whirling around in sudden realization. "Hey, when did we start speaking Interlac?"
"What, did you just notice?" she asks playfully, only to laugh when his face seemed to confirm this. "You did, didn't you? You really need to work on your observation skills, cuz."
"Are you channeling Max or something?" Bart accuses, feeling more than a little discomforted by this.
"His spirit lives in all of us," Jenni intones and Bart's nose scrunches in disgust.
"Eww, gross. Besides, he's still alive. Well, in my time anyway. I guess in your time he'd be dead. Ack, time travel," he says, clutching at his forehead.
Jenni laughs and starts leading him forward.
"I know what just won't help," she says.
"Your face is looking a little green," Jenni says worriedly ten minutes later.
Bart waves her away, scowling down at his cup full of interplanetary ice cream made of who knows what. He's the one who insisted that his stomach could handle what the surrounding signs boasted as being the most disgusting ice cream flavor in the universe. There was a surprisingly long line for it, consisting mostly of aliens and a few humans like him.
He looks curiously at a human nearby who is happily scooping the foreign substance into his mouth. He's got to be half-alien, he thinks.
Feeling determination rise in him again, he tries to swallow down some more, but has to put down his spoon when his stomach makes the most disturbing sound he's heard in his life. He looks across the table at Jenni, who is sitting with her cup full of mint chocolate chip.
"Yes?" she asks, and there's a teasing curve to her lips. Bart sighs and relinquishes his pride.
"You win," he says. "Mint chocolate chip sounds amazing right now."
Jenni cups a hand around her ear like she couldn't quite hear him. "I'm sorry, what was that? Did Bart Allen, possessor of the strongest taste buds in the galaxy, just say my boring old mint chocolate chip sounds good?"
"Amazing, actually," he corrects.
"Ahh, that's what I thought," Jenni says with great solemnity before finally pushing her ice cream across to him. Bart eagerly digs in.
"I want to take you somewhere too," Bart tells her. Empty cups of ice cream surround them and Bart's sitting with his chin in hand as Jenni lazily balances a spoon on her nose. "It's only fair."
Jenni blinks and tilts her head to the side, causing her to curse when the spoon falls off. "Grife," she swears, catching it before it falls to the ground, then directing her full attention towards him. "But you don't really know anywhere in this century."
Bart smiles slowly. "That's why we're going back to mine. You showed me a place you wanted to share with me; I want to do the same."
"Fun!" she beams. "That sounds like a nice way to wrap up the day."
Bart feels his face begin to fall at her words but forces his smile to stay in place. He's been through this with her before but saying goodbye to Jenni always breaks his heart a little bit. He resolves to just make the best of the rest of his time with her and to try to show her as good a time in the 21st Century as she did with him in the 31st.
"Oh, Bart," Jenni exclaims in delight. "This place is so vintage!"
Kids at the arcade games nearby give her a weird look so she smiles sheepishly and tries to keep down her voice. "These arcade games are so old," she whispers. "There's not even any Vidscreens or Holoimages."
"Terrible right?" he grins. Jenni shakes her head so fiercely that her ponytail accidentally hits someone in the face.
"No, wonderful!" she says. "This century is so interesting!" She wanders wide-eyed over to the Tekken machine and almost reverently runs her fingers over the emblazoned logo. "Wow, this is the first one and everything!"
"Which number are you on in the 31st Century?" he asks curiously and Jenni laughs.
"You don't want to know," she tells him. "They started using alien numbers after a while."
Normally it's a hassle and no fun at all for him to play video games at normal speed, but he finds with Jenni with him that the experience is anything but boring. He spends less time playing and more time standing back and grinning as she completely dominates at one game after the other. A group slowly begins to form around her; first out of curiosity, then a weird kind of reverence. Her name starts being chanted by the crowd and she takes a proud little bow, grinning smugly as her name flashes yet again at the top of the screen behind her.
They make their way to the Rock And Roll Music Museum. It's not something they decide upon out loud, but rather unconsciously; their feet just lead the way. And it makes a weird kind of sense, like coming full circle or something; there's so much of BartandJenni tied up in this place that it'd be almost wrong not to have their time come to an end here, he thinks.
He remembers standing in the exact place he is with her now; the first time watching her look around with barely concealed awe and pressing her face wonderingly against the glass full of instruments. He remembers trying to convince her how good it would be to stay and even though he knows better than to believe she would now, he finds the words still hovering on the tip of his tongue, just dying to be spoken out loud: Stay with me please. I never have as much fun as I do with you. I love you, don't you love me? If you did you wouldn't leave me alone.
Bart says none of those things. Maybe Max is right; maybe he's growing up, after all.
If he squints hard enough he can just make out the shape of the saxophone he had tucked his note to her into through the darkness. He finds himself suddenly grateful for the pitch black shrouding his face. If he cries, he thinks, at least she won't have to see.
When Jenni speaks her voice is quiet, like she's afraid of disrupting the silence.
"I wish I had remembered to make a Holovid," Jenni says. "I guess I forgot in all the excitement."
Bart leans his head on her shoulder; she's so much taller than him and it feels like the space between neck and shoulder was made with him in mind. He huffs out a soft laugh, fumbling for her hand and squeezing lightly when he finds it.
"There's always next time," he says.
He can feel Jenni nod; he knows she's smiling when she says, "Oh, definitely."
She doesn't leave him with a forehead kiss this time, but the moment is perfect for what it is. Bart stands for a long while after she's gone, with a stillness that would certainly make Max proud, before turning and heading home.
Next time, he thinks, and resolves to write down a list of places he wants to show her when that time comes.