Author's Note: Katie: I wrote this one-shot up after wondering how they come to call each other "hermano" while I was watching the latest episode. I would normally place this in Adventures in the Flash Family (My series of one-shots featuring the Flash Family) but I feel this is more Jaime-centric than Bart. Enjoy! (:
Disclaimer: I do not own any charactors. Nor do I own PJO :(
-Hermanito-
There was a soft wail emanating from Bart's room. It was almost silent, barely noticeable in the silent Mt. Justice. Jaime was passing by after getting a glass of water when he heard the wail.
"Bart, are you okay?" Jaime called out, knocking on the door.
The wail stopped at the sound of Jaime's voice. "Go away, I'm fine," Bart answered him timidly.
Jaime frowned. Something was obviously wrong with Bart. He slowly opened the door to see Bart hugging a pillow, looking like he was trying not to cry. His face was pale and lathered with sweat as he looked at Jaime in alarm. It was weird seeing Bart so afraid, like he thought Jaime might hurt him or something. The speedster he saw before him was a dark contrast to the cheerful, carefree one that he knew.
"I thought I told you that-that I was fine," Bart stammered, quivering at the sight of the older teenager.
"Si, but you don't sound fine," Jaime closed the door behind him and walked over to sit on Bart's bed, "Did you have a nightmare, hermano?" Jaime asked, the Spanish word for brother slipping out of his mouth.
Bart hesitantly nodded, clenching his teeth, trying not to cry from his nightmare.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"No, not really."
Seeing Bart fragile like this reminded Jaime that the futuristic speedster was still just a kid. Heck, all the younger members were just kids, trying to keep the world safe. Everyone had nightmares. Gar frequently had ones about his mother and Jaime couldn't count how many times he had nightmares of the scarab gaining complete control of him. Jaime wondered what type of nightmares that Bart could possibly have.
"You know, whenever I had nightmares, my mother would make chocolate milk for me and read me a story until I felt better. Would you like me to do that?" Jaime awkwardly suggested.
"Sure," Bart said with a sad smile, "My Aunt would tell me stories whenever I had a nightmare."
Then it hit Jaime. Bart must be homesick. Jaime would be too if he got stuck in the past with no way back.
Jaime started to leave to go make Bart some chocolate milk when Bart grabbed his arm.
"Promise you'll be back?" The speedster whispered.
Jaime smiled. "Of course, hermano."
Jaime was back in less than two minutes. He saw Bart waiting patiently with a book. Jaime handed him the glass of chocolate milk and in return, Bart handed him the book.
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief[1]," Jaime read the book's title out loud. He slightly raised an eyebrow.
Bart shrugged, "Kid Flash thought I'd like it, said it was one of his favorite series when he was my age. Haven't gotten a chance to read it though."
Jaime reclined against the pillows as Bart rested his head against the older teen's shoulder.
"'Chapter 1: I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher,'" Jaime began, clearing his throat as Bart giggled a little at the title.
*Page Break*
They were half-way through the book when Jaime noticed that Bart was asleep against his shoulder. Jaime smiled and bookmarked the book. He slowly got up and covered Bart with a blanket.
"Goodnight, hermano," Jaime murmured as he placed the book on Bart's bed stand.
The dark-haired teen was about to close the door when Bart sleepily spoke up, "Jaime, what does 'hermano' mean?"
Jaime hesitated. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he had been calling Bart that all night long. It had just slipped off his tongue like it was so natural to call Bart 'brother.' Maybe it was because Bart was the little brother that he never had. The one that would eat all his chicken whizees without asking and then use his puppy-dog eyes so he wouldn't get mad at him, the one who would prank him and then laugh at his situation. Bart was the only one on the team who truly sought out to be friends with him besides Cassie, and he appreciated that.
"It means 'brother,' hermano, because you are my brother," Jaime finally answered.
The big smile on Bart's sleepy face would make anyone's heart melt.
2054:
Bart stood rigid in fear as his father was being killed before his very eyes. His father valiantly tried to defeat the Blue Beetle but it was for a lost cause.
"Bart!" His father called out, "Run Bart! Run before they can catch you!" Something was shaking his shoulders, probing him to wake up from his nightmare.
Bart groaned as he opened his eyes, which widened in horror at the sight of Blue Beetle. The eleven-year-old shook with fear, holding back the tears from his nightmare. If only Aunt Dawn was still here. She would wake him up and comfort him with a silly story, something to get his mind off of it.
"Get up, kid, before I disintegrate you," The Blue Beetle growled, his orange eyes glowing in hatred, "Does it look like I'm going to tell any stories to make you feel better?"
"No sir," Bart hastily replied, quickly standing up. Never in a million years would Blue Beetle tell a story to make him feel better after a nightmare.
-KatieTheTroll-
Katie: [1] Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a real book series, I recomand checking it out. I'm only three books into the first series but I love it so far.
That reminds me, I'm planning to write a Percy Jackson fanfic soon, so be on the look-out for that if you're a Percy Jackson fan. For those reading Just Another Dimensional Accident, me and Rose are going to meet up again soon to write more chapters (we only got two-thirds of a chapter done last Friday). Rose's editting the next chapter of her story, A Girl Without Powers and it should be published soon. The second chapter of Murderous is done, but Rose needs to proof-read it before she puts up. Also, me and Rose have a co-written two-shot story featuring Bart and Cassie that should be put up any time soon. I'm also writing a Bat-family centric story entitled "Snow-Days" and the first part will be published soon. For those reading Caedes, I'm working on the next chapter right now but I don't know when I'll finish it. Sorry!
Thanks for much for reading, please review. I take construtive criticism but please, no flames.
Have a wonderful day!
-Katie