Falling - Chapter 2
WC: 7,247
Superboy stood with his arms crossed, using his telescopic vision to watch a clock tower two miles away. He was currently in Monterey, California, just after 11am PDT, standing on a sidewalk a few feet from a bus stop. There was a picnic basket at his feet along with a checkered blanket and an umbrella. He wore his usual cargo pants, black boots, and red S shield black t-shirt. He watched as the minute hand clicked into a position pointing at the Roman Numeral I on the clock face. A scowl came to Superboy's face as he tightly grabbed his bicep with his right hand.
Robin was late. By five minutes and four seconds to be exact. And Superboy hated waiting.
They had promised to meet in Monterey at 11am that day, due to it being a Saturday and an off day for the team. Robin had said it would be a good chance for them to go on a date to see if they were compatible as a couple. Superboy had gone to great lengths to prepare for this clay. He had done research, taken extensive notes. and had suffered through learning how to use a" smart phone" (a device he found paradoxically stupid), all so he would be ready. At the end of this day he wanted Robin to say they were boyfriends because that was what Superboy wanted more than anything else.
But now Robin was late and Superboy experienced the frustrating and uncomfortable feeling of being worried overcome him. He glanced at the picnic basket, his heart feeling a little heavy at the thought that he may have wasted his time.
"Hey Superboy," a voice called out and Superboy felt unnerved at how his heart happily fluttered at the sound. He had never realized the variety of things his heart could feel because of one person. Superboy turned his head, his previous scowl bleeding away as Robin jogged up to his side. His teammate was wearing similar clothes to him, a slimming t-shirt, some tight jeans and boots. The only difference was that Robin wore sunglasses while Superboy didn't. He didn't like them very much because they hid the pretty blue of Robin's eyes.
Robin was just getting off a bus, walking up to Superboy where he stood on the side walk, waiting. His teammate was grinning widely and Superboy couldn't help but react in kind. Robin's smile always made Superboy want to smile even though the action still felt a little foreign to him. He probably had the G-Gnomes to thank for that. Robin stopped in front of him, looking up at Superboy with an eager expression.
"So what are the plans for today Supey," Robin asked, eyes trailing down from his face to the blanket and basket at his feet. "Picnic?"
"Yes. That is our first order of business," Superboy replied, bending down to pick up the items to start walking into the park, searching for an open area where they could sit and eat. It was crowded though, being the weekend but Superboy was determined to find a spot. This picnic would be the first step in their date. It would set the tone for the rest of the day so it needed to be perfect.
"Business? You make this sound more like a mission than a date," Robin replied with a snicker, following him across the grass and between the blankets other people lounged on.
Superboy didn't reply, because in a way it was true. Superboy was treating this a bit like the missions they had gone on, because it was all he knew how to do. He just used strategies from their assignments and applied them to his first date. He had set stages and objectives for each stage, he had prepared himself with backup plans in case something changed (like the weather), and he had researched everything he needed to know for executing a successful date and impressing Robin. So Superboy kept his mouth shut and laid down their blanket when he found a spot, waiting for Robin to sit down.
Robin raised an eyebrow, looking around the area they were at before sitting down. Their blanket was on a bluff, looking down on a beach and the open ocean beyond. Superboy set the picnic basket down as he set up the umbrella to give them some shade. He also hoped it would encourage Robin to take off his sunglasses if he was in the shade. Superboy reached into one of the pockets on his pants, pulling out his new phone, provided to him by Red Tornado when he asked. He wanted to have something handy like this device, even if it's touch screen and small size annoyed him. Superboy pressed a few buttons, reading something before he put away his phone and joined Robin on the blanket. He sat close to his teammate as he reached into their basket and pulled out their lunch.
He hadn't been able to find a wicker basket, which seemed to be the traditional basket used for a picnic but he had found something that was close enough in appearance back at the kitchen in Mount Justice. Megan had even helped Superboy prepare the food and pack it, though he made sure to keep an eye on her so she didn't burn anything. She had looked a little sad though when he had left that morning and Superboy had made a mental note to ask Kaldur what he had done wrong this time. But he would worry about that later. Right now it was just him, Robin and their day together.
Robin watched him with an amused grin as he laid out their disposable plates and cups before laying out the food. He ticked off in his head each item, each of them favorites of Robin's. He sat back when he was done with the spread, looking at Robin for his reaction. His friend was smiling at him, grabbing an orange and starting to peel it.
"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble," Robin said, popping an orange slice into his mouth before offering one to Superboy.
"I wanted to," he replied as he took the offered fruit.
Robin's cheeks seemed a little redder than usual and Superboy wondered if he was feeling warm. It wasn't particularly hot that day, but since he didn't have human DNA Superboy was unsure of how the weather affected them differently. So he shifted the umbrella so there was more of its shade over Robin before he poured their drinks. It was something called a soda pop, from what Megan had said, and it seemed to be a drink Robin favored when he was at Mount Justice.
Superboy began placing food onto some plates, all an assortment of the young hero's favorites. He had noticed that while Robin ate almost entirely healthy things (Wally commenting that it was something called a 'diet' Batman forced Robin to have), his love interest had a secret fancy for other foods. He liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with extra peanut butter and only strawberry jam. Superboy found that was something easy to make. He also liked celery with peanut butter and raisins on top. Another simple food to gather ingredients for. Superboy also had a fruit salad with all of Robin's favorites (red apples, grapes, pears, peaches and pineapple) along with a small bag of something called 'fig newtons'.
But Superboy's favorite thing that Robin liked to eat was peanut butter cups. He had only seen his teammate eat them once, during an evening when everyone on the team spent the night together watching movies and telling stories. Kaldur had explained it was an earth custom called a 'sleep over.' Superboy had enjoyed it because he got to sleep in a sleeping-bag next to Robin. It was midway through that evening when Wally had dumped bags of junk food on the coffee table in the living room and told everyone to "eat till you puke, pass out, or both!"
Robin had subtly grabbed the peanut butter cups and had eaten one when no one else was looking. Robin seemed to have an affection for peanut butter, but since Superboy had read on the label that there were a lot of calories in it, Robin probably didn't eat it often due to his 'diet' thing. But when he had taken a bite of the dessert snack his face had flushed, his body had relaxed and he released the most beautiful sounding moan that Superboy had felt like he was sharing the blissful experience of eating that treat. Since that night Superboy has wanted Robin to eat those peanut butter cups again just so he might see his friend that happy again.
Once Superboy had a plate full of everything Robin liked he passed it to the boy beside him, face falling a bit at the frown turning down Robin's lips. Robin took the plate though, looking down at the food for just a brief moment before his attention turned back to him. Superboy frowned in worry. Had he mixed up Robin's favorite foods?
"Did you know that these are my favorite foods," Robin asked softly, picking up half a sandwich (cut down the middle just the way he liked).
Superboy nodded, picking up his own plate. He didn't say anything, worried maybe Robin wasn't happy. That didn't make much sense to him since people always seem happy when they get what they want. And he couldn't deny he liked the food too. He thought peanut butter was very yummy and he kept some in his room to eat in the middle of the night if he woke up from a nightmare about Cadmus.
Then Robin smiled, his cheeks getting red again and his teammate reached up to take off his sunglasses, revealing his lovely blue eyes. Superboy smiled brightly, a foreign feeling but he couldn't stop himself. It seemed his umbrella tactic had succeeded. Then Robin scooted closer, leaning close to Superboy's face. His smile fell a bit and he wondered what the boy beside him was doing. He closed his eyes when Robin's soft lips pressed to his cheek, leaving a lightly damp imprint before he pulled away.
Superboy opened his eyes, pressing the tips of his fingers to the spot. It felt warm and made him feel very happy. He quickly reached his other hand into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. Reading quickly he smiled big when he realized that Robin had kissed him. A sign of affection that can imply a romantic attachment. Things were going well. He looked over at Robin as he put away his phone, his bright smile matched by Robin's.
"Thanks Superboy," Robin said, blue eyes sparkling like the ocean before them as he took a bit of his sandwich. He hummed happily, eyes fluttering closed. "I love peanut butter."
"Me too," Superboy replied honestly as he ate his own sandwich. It was a very comforting food and it reminded him of Robin.
They ate in silence for a while. Superboy liked silence. It meant he didn't have to try and understand what was being said or figure out what he should say in return. Socialization was taking longer than he would have liked. Granted he had only been living in this world outside of his pod at Cadmus for a month and a half, so he couldn't expect to acclimate that quickly. Still, he wished he could go on a date like this without having to spend hours researching so he could do things correctly.
He watched the couples on the beach, studying their habits and actions, typing some things into his phone between bites of food. Robin sat contentedly beside him, the tangy sea air ruffling his hair as he popped a grape into his mouth. Superboy's heart fluttered and he mentally willed himself to calm. While being in love felt nice, he didn't like how chaotic his body felt as he experienced it.
Soon they finished the main part of their meal and Superboy felt a little giddy as he pulled out their dessert from the picnic basket. Some expensive and foreign peanut butter cups. M'gann told him that foreign chocolate tasted the best so Superboy figured he would get some just for Robin. She had looked upset again when Superboy had thanked her and left the room to get the chocolate and he felt frustrated. Girls were strange. Superboy much preferred the company of the boys of the team, he never got quite as frustrated around them unless Wally was talking. Of course he was most comfortable with Robin. There was something about the younger hero that drew Superboy in and made him relax and feel at peace.
Robin's eyes lit up when Superboy held out the food and he watched with bated breath as his love interest popped one of the culinary confections into his mouth. There it was, that blissful expression, the fluttering of his delightfully blue eyes and the release of a soft moan. Superboy swallowed thickly. This was even better than before.
Robin laughed quietly when he looked at Superboy, possibly at his expression, he wasn't sure. Robin then smirked and held up one of the cups to his mouth, pressing the chocolate shell lightly on his lips. For a moment Superboy froze, mind blank at what he was suppose to do, but then he opened his mouth and Robin grinned as he slipped the dessert between his lips. Superboy chewed slowly, humming happily at the taste. Megan was right, the foreign chocolate was the best.
Superboy returned the gesture Robin had just performed, holding one up to Robin's lips and watching happily as Robin ate from his hand. If he remembered correctly, feeding one another was another action only couples usually did. Superboy's heart beat fast at the implications. Things were definitely going well.
The feeding continued, Superboy giving more of the dessert to Robin since he knew how much the boy liked them. But then they ran out and Superboy frowned. He hadn't wanted that moment to end. He sighed, slowly packing up their picnic. Robin followed his lead and threw away their trash as Superboy folded up their umbrella and blanket. He placed all of the items together, pushing a button on the side of the basket and their picnic supplies instantly disappeared, transported back to Mt. Justice.
"Superboy!"
He frowned and looked up as Robin ran toward him from the trashcan he had thrown their garbage in, eyes wide in shock. "What's wrong?"
"What did you just do?"
"I teleported the picnic supplies back to the cave so we wouldn't have to carry them around for the rest of the day."
"Yeah I got that, and cool trick by the way. But you can't do that in broad daylight where anyone can see. We're supposed to be civilians right now. And civilians can't just teleport their things around."
Superboy frowned and looked around, noticing that many groups of people who had been eating their meals on their own blankets were looking at him in surprise and shock. He felt a little embarrassed at the attention and frowned deeply, desperately wanting to hit something. Robin tugged on his arm, leading Superboy away from the prying eyes before questions could be asked. When they were far enough away Robin released his arm and Superboy frowned at the loss of the warmth of his hand. His teammate glared up at him, putting his sunglasses back on, hiding his frustrated gaze.
"You've got to be more careful. We can't blow our cover," Robin berated him, hands on his slim hips.
Superboy looked down, clenching his hands into fists. He never seemed to be able to do anything right. Things had been going so well and now it was ruined because he didn't think. Now Robin will undoubtedly want to go home so they don't risk their cover anymore and their date would be over.
A light pressure on his shoulder had him looking up, seeing Robin's hand on his person and Superboy turned his gaze towards his friend. Robin smiled lightly at him, pushing his sunglasses up so they rested on the crown of his head. "Sorry Superboy," he said gently, patting his chest with his other hand. "It's okay. One little slip up. Most of those people will convince themselves it was a trick of the light and no one will believe anyone who says anything. Besides, we're in California, far away from our stomping grounds. Batman's made me super paranoid and anal about revealing secrets. So yeah, I'm sorry I snapped at you."
Superboy relaxed, his arms twitching to do something but he wasn't sure what. It was like he wanted to wrap his arms around the smaller boy in front of him but he wasn't sure if it was appropriate. So he settled for smiling and nodding in reply to Robin's words. The boy wonder grinned and patted his shoulder before pulling away. "So what's next on our order of business," he asked lightly, teasing smile on his lips.
Superboy wracked his brain, hand on his chin before he remembered. He decided not to say anything out loud. He had read from his research that surprises were good things on dates. So he just smiled again, feeling his face get more and more used to the action as he grabbed Robin's hand and lead him to a path that ran along the coast. Robin grinned but stayed quiet, letting Superboy lead him pass beach goers, runners, dog walkers and bikers.
As they walked Superboy adjusted his grip, lacing their fingers together in the way Robin had showed him a little over a week ago when his teammate had been recovering from his run in with Kobra. He liked the feeling of their fingers tangled together, how soft and small Robin's hand was compared to his own. He pulled out his phone and smiled at the screen, pressing a few buttons before putting it away. Yes, things were going according to his carefully laid plans.
Robin pressed his face against the glass of the fish tank he stood before, making faces at the creatures inside and laughing to himself. Superboy stood beside him, mimicking his actions before a puffer fish suddenly expanded in front of his face making the clone jump back in shock. Robin laughed harder, one hand holding his side as he watched a glare form on Superboy's face, looking like he wanted to take that fish on in a fight.
Right now they were in Monterey Bay Aquarium, their second stop after a picnic at Lover's Point (Robin of course got the message Superboy was sending with that one) and walking down the boardwalk to the aquarium. Superboy even had tickets purchased in advance so all they had to do was walk in side and explore.
Robin hadn't been to an aquarium in years and nothing in Gotham City could compare to this. It was magnificent, any and every kind of fish was there, on beautiful display. And so far they had been having a great time, talking about the fish they saw. Robin even got Superboy to join him in a game of picking out fish that represented their friends. The clownfish was of course Wally (orange, funny and liked living on the edge), the chinstrap penguin was Megan (awkward on land but graceful in her element), and the white tip reef shark was Artemis (someone not to be underestimated by size or speed). They couldn't decide which creature represented Kaldur since he was technically a fish himself. Superboy just said he was like all sea creatures and they left it at that.
Robin picked out the green sea turtle for Superboy (someone who started his life alone but found a home with others like him), while Superboy picked out the snowy plover for him (for both its size and attitude). Robin grumbled for a few minutes about having another person jab at his size but he didn't let the anger linger. His size was an asset nine times out of ten so he couldn't stay angry for long. Especially not after watching Superboy trip and leave a face imprint on a steel support beam. The big guy could be so clumsy sometimes.
They spent a few hours there, seeing different exhibits and displays before checking out the gift shop. Superboy got him a stuffed snowy plover and Robin retaliated with a stuffed turtle. He also added in a small clownfish keychain for Wally because he knew his best friend would bitch and moan about not getting a souvenir. Even though this was his first date ever he knew Wally would make him feel guilty for not getting the speedster anything, especially after going to California. Superboy frowned a bit at the purchase but didn't say anything.
It was when they were walking out that Robin finally acknowledged some annoying habits Superboy was having during their date. He spent an maddening amount of time on his phone, which frustrated Robin because 1) when in the world did Superboy get a phone and learn how to use it and 2) it was just plain rude to ignore the person you were on a date with to check your Facebook page or text or whatever. Robin may be a wiz at technology but he was not obsessed like everyone else in the world seemed to be. Maybe it was because he was so good that stuff like Facebook lacked the luster it had for other people. If he wanted to find out about someone he'd hack something, not look at a page where he couldn't trust what he was looking at. How many times had he had to shoot Wally down because he thought this 'super awesome babe' was his future wife and Robin revealed she was using a picture 30 years old or that 'she' was in fact a 'he'.
So as entertaining as it was for Robin to make fun of his best friend he did not find pleasure in it nor did he appreciate being ignored for a phone.
And another thing. Superboy was checking out other people. Men or women it didn't seem to matter, Superboy keep looking at them with this intense expression and narrow eyes when he should have had all his attention on Robin. It didn't even seem to matter to the clone if the person he was looking at was with someone else. In fact he seemed to prefer it because he was only looking at couples.
But the worst part, the worst part was just when Robin was ready to yell and stamp his feet in an immature but well deserved temper tantrum, Superboy would look at him and do something so adorable, so nice, so incredibly sweet that Robin forgot why he was reaching for his concealed batarang. Superboy would smile at him, or wrap an arm around his shoulder, or offer to buy something he had been eyeing or hold his hand and look so stupidly happy Robin inwardly 'aww'ed.
Then Superboy would look at his phone or someone else and Robin would be spiraling back into his anger.
Eventually they left the aquarium and got on a bus heading north to the other side of Monterey Bay. Robin sulked and stared out the window as Superboy played with his phone and ogled other couples on the bus.
Hadn't Superboy said he loved him, so why the heck wasn't he showing it?
He crossed his arms and pouted as the bus lumbered along. His anger frustratingly disappeared at random intervals when Superboy would place a hand on his thigh or hold his hand. The clone even kissed him once on the cheek and Robin knew he was as red as his suit when he did that. It made him so warm and gooey inside, such a foreign feeling for him but Robin savored it. That is until Superboy pulled out his phone again.
Robin was so thankful when they got off the bus almost an hour later, letting Superboy lead him to their third and final destination on their first date. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It was an amusement park right on the water and Robin felt his spirits lift again as Superboy bypassed the line with prepaid tickets and held his hand as they entered the boardwalk. It was crowded but that's what made it fun. With so many people it would be hard for them to be noticed for any reason, either him for being a billionaire's adopted son or Superboy for looking eerily like the man of steel. Everyone else was so wrapped up in their own fun that he and Superboy would be left alone for their date.
Now all Robin had to do was eliminate Superboy's ability to check out other people and to get rid of his teammate's cell phone. Preferably by throwing it into the sea and cackling like the Joker.
Motion caught his eye and Robin looked up, a smirk forming on his face. He knew how to eliminate the human element. By going on that ride, which was thankfully long, secluded, and most of the time far away from other people. Robin thrust out his arm and grabbed Superboy, attempting to drag the clone but they only started moving when his teammate followed him rather than standing still. Stupid super strength.
"Where are we going? I thought we could have dinner first," Superboy said, irritatingly looking at his phone again as he followed him.
Robin growled in his throat, glaring over his shoulder at Superboy as he lead them to the short line in front of the ride. "We'll get dinner after this. But I want to go on the Ferris Wheel. Right now!" Robin huffed, crossing his arms and turning his back to Superboy as they waited for their turn.
Superboy was very quiet and Robin could just see the confused frown on his lips. But he wasn't going to cave, not now. First he wanted to relatively seclude them before they talked. And they were going to talk. Because Robin needed to know if he was wasting his time falling in love with the boy behind him.
Robin climbed onto the small seat when it was their turn, sitting on the furthest side as Superboy sat beside him. The handle bar was locked in place over their laps and the ferris wheel started moving, continuing to pause as more people were let on. Robin sat silently fuming for a moment, trying to temper his anger so he could calmly ask the questions he wanted to. His head was bowed and his eyes closed as he took deep breaths.
Then he looked over.
"ARGH!" he shouted, reaching out and yanking the cell phone that sat in Superboy's hands, once again taking away his date's attention. He scowled at Superboy, ignoring the adorable frown the clone had on his face. Being cute was not going to calm him down now.
"Stop it," Robin all but growled out, ripping his sunglasses from his eyes so he could properly glare at the boy across from him. "Stop paying more attention to this stupid piece of crap instead of me. We're on a date, just you and me. But you keep looking at this stupid phone and making eyes at everyone but me. I thought you cared about me."
"I do," Superboy replied, his tone bewildered.
"You sure have a stupid way of showing it. What the hell is so important that you..."
Robin trailed off from his tirade, eyes taking in what he was looking at on the phone. The home page had a picture of him, in his hero costume, grinning happily. Superboy had a note taking application open and Robin skimmed through them, realizing what his companion had been looking at the entire night.
Superboy had note after note of things related to dating. What to say, what to do, how to behave and more. He even had everything planned for their own date and there were more notes for each stop, detailing important information. The more he read the more Robin realized how much time Superboy had put into planning this. He was meticulous, a trait Robin never knew the clone had but found oddly attractive. Then he stumbled on notes that focused solely on him. There were lists of things he liked, from food to movies. There were notes of things that made him smile and things that made him frown. And more than once Superboy made note of things he really liked about Robin.
His phone was a wealth of knowledge and it was all for Robin. Superboy kept looking at it to no doubt check that he was doing every things right, that he was doing everything he could to make Robin happy. A smile crept onto his face and he finally looked back at Superboy, wanting to ask questions but he couldn't find his voice.
Superboy looked embarrassed for the first time Robin could remember seeing. He was rubbing his hands together over his lap, biting his lip slightly. Their pod rocked a bit when the ferris wheel stopped abruptly, they were half way to the top. The motion seemed to jar Superboy into talking.
"I wanted everything to be perfect. But I wasn't sure if I could remember everything I needed to so Red Tornado got me that 'stupid' phone. I want to make sure everything is perfect because I want you to be happy...with me. And if you're happy then maybe you'd say we could be...boyfriends," Superboy said gruffly, words tense but genuine.
Robin felt all of the anger and frustration he had been feeling because he thought Superboy had been ignoring him fade away. It seemed he had no reason to be upset because Superboy had been paying attention to him the entire time. Except when he looked at those couples...but maybe, Robin felt hope flutter in his chest, maybe that had been a part of this too.
Superboy's eyes were looking upward, towards the seats above them. Robin followed his line of sight. A man and a woman sat facing each other, smiling and looking out deep into one another's eyes. The man reached out and gently brushed his fingers against the woman's face, tucking some of her loose hair behind her ear. The next moment Robin felt a hand on his cheek and his eyes turned to look at Superboy. His teammate had a look of intense concentration on his face as he softly stroked some of Robin's hair behind his ear. His eyes widened as realization dawned.
Superboy hadn't been ogling those couples, he had been studying them. Now that he thought about it every time he had caught Superboy looking at a couple and had gotten upset, his date would do something sweet like wrap an arm around him. And every single time, the action that had cheered Robin up had been the action the couple had been doing when Superboy had been watching them.
Superboy really had been thinking only of Robin today.
He smiled and reached up a hand and clasped it with Superboy's, pressing his cheek a little harder into the large, warm palm cupping his face. With his other hand he turned off Superboy's phone and handed it back to his companion. Superboy frowned at the powered down device.
"We won't be needing that anymore," Robin explained softly, closing his eyes as the ferris wheel started to spin freely now that everyone was on.
"Why not?" Superboy asked, a cute little confused frown wrinkling his brow.
"Because you and I both have enough structure and plans in our lives. I think we'll both have a little more fun if we're just spontaneous for the rest of the night."
Superboy huffed quietly but Robin saw him nod, leaning back in his seat. His hand left Robin's cheek but he kept their hands clasped in the space between them, turning to look out the window. The sun was starting to set on the water, painting everything gold and red. It was beautiful. Robin glanced over at Superboy and smiled.
This was definitely going to have to become a regular thing.
Superboy stood beside Robin as they leaned against a railing looking out at the ocean together. There was a puff of cotton candy between them that they both munched on as they watched the waves roll up on the beach and the moon rise higher into the sky. It was nearing closing time for the amusement park but Superboy didn't want to leave.
After their ferris wheel ride Robin had dragged him to a hot dog stand, buying nearly enough food to feed Kid Flash. He stopped looking at his phone and other couples to make sure he was doing things right, because that had made Robin upset. So instead he focused on his companion. It wasn't hard to do.
Robin happily dragged him around the amusement park, teaching Superboy about everything he saw and they did. He was starting to understand what 'having fun' was. It wasn't something planned or something built on rules. It was about being spontaneous. And while Superboy knew what that word meant, he had never experienced it. At least not until Robin showed him.
They played arcade games (well Robin did and Superboy watched because they both worried his sometimes lack of control over his strength would break something), they rode on roller coasters and other adrenaline rushing rides, and they played games like the ring toss. Superboy had a large bag at his feet with all of their winnings, most of which they planned to give to their teammates as souvenirs.
For the first time since Superboy had woken up and stepped out of his pod at Cadmus, he felt alive. He felt normal, he felt happy, and he felt like things made more sense. He still didn't have a name nor did he fully understand everything that came out of Kid Flash's mouth, but Superboy felt a little more whole. He no longer felt stagnated and like a weapon rather than a person. He felt like someone who existed.
Superboy glanced down at Robin as he took another bite of the cotton candy he held, his lips stained pink from the sugary confection. His dark blue eyes were alight in happiness and the smile on his lips hadn't left his face since they got off the ferris wheel. Superboy felt his chest warm as he reached out and wrapped an arm around Robin's petite shoulders, stepping closer so their sides touched.
He really liked feeling so close Robin. He liked holding his teammate's smaller body close and feeling his warmth. He liked seeing him smile and he really liked hearing his laugh. His genuine laugh, not the one he reserved for their missions. Superboy never wanted to leave Robin's side. He wanted them to always be together because he never felt half as normal with anyone else as he did with the boy beside him.
Superboy really liked this feeling called love. It made him feel special and happy with who he was. It didn't matter that he didn't have all of Superman's powers or that the man didn't speak to him or that most of the time he was confused by what people around him did. Being in love with Robin made all of that stuff superfluous. He could relax and feel content with his life, because he was sharing it with the boy beside him.
"Hey, Superboy?" Robin called softly, tossing away the empty paper cone that had held their cotton candy.
"Yes," he replied, watching as Robin looked up at him.
His teammate reached up and cupped his small hands against his face. They were smooth and sticky from the cotton candy, but felt really nice. Robin's face was red as he stood up on his toes, leaning closer to Superboy. The Boy Wonder's eyes fluttered closed as he pressed his mouth to Superboy's. He gasped a little at the action. This was a kiss, wasn't it? He wracked his brain to try and remember everything he knew about kissing.
The first thing he did was close his eyes, the next was to place his hands on Robin's narrow hips, and finally he titled his head a bit so their mouths came closer together, breathing through his nose. This was so much better than what he had read about. It was so soft and such a simple connection but it made Superboy's body feel warm and tingly. Robin made a soft little sound, like the ones he made when he ate peanut butter cups. His companion's arms slid around his neck and suddenly Robin's body was pressed flush against his own. Superboy let his arms react on instinct and he wrapped them around his teammate's waist, easily lifting his smaller body off the ground so the kiss was more comfortable.
Robin eventually leaned away from him, pressing a little kiss to the corner of his mouth. Superboy opened his eyes, holding the boy a little tighter against him. "Does this mean we're boyfriends," Superboy inquired quietly. He was sure you only kissed someone like that if it was romantic.
Robin laughed softly, wiggling in his arms until Superboy let him down on his own two feet. "You better believe it big guy," Robin replied with a confident smile. "I think I'm completely whelmed by you."
"So our date was...aster?"
"Seriously lacking the dis."
"And do you...feel the way I do?"
"Yeah...heavy on the mushy stuff."
"...Do you mean mushy like mashed potatoes?"
"No, I mean mushy like love."
Superboy felt a smile instantly stretch his mouth wide, completely uninhibited by his own thoughts. It was just a completely natural reaction to getting exactly what he wanted. Robin laughed happily, grabbing their bag of goodies in one hand and Superboy's hand in the other. He let himself be led from the park, feeling a euphoria fill his being as reality set in. Robin was his boyfriend.
Their date had been a complete success.
Kaldur turned the page of his book quietly as he sat alone in the Cave, everyone else having long gone to bed. It was nearing 3am on a Sunday morning and his body was buzzing with energy. It was a full moon that night and the tides were raging in response. His deep connection with the ocean had Kaldur feeling as restless and full of energy as the tides. He never got any sleep on nights with full moons so he just made sure he had a good book or something else entertaining to do since everyone else would be sleeping.
"Recognized: Robin, B-01. Superboy B-04."
Kaldur blinked in surprise and looked up from his book as the computer announced the arrival of two members of his team. He hadn't seen them all day but he had assumed they were in bed once Kaldur came into the living area after one o'clock in the morning to be more comfortable for his all-nighter. He hadn't realized they had still been gone.
He quietly set aside his book and approached the hallway, glancing out as the two young men entered the cave. Both were dressed casually even though Superboy's outfit was the same as the one he always wore. The clone carried a large bag with what looked like stuffed animals inside, his other arm wrapped tightly around Robin's shoulders. The boy wonder was giggling and pressed close to Superboy, whispering something to him that Kaldur couldn't hear.
They suddenly stopped and embraced, their lips meeting in a simple but very intimate kiss and Kaldur forced himself to look away from such a passionate display. It was not meant for his eyes. They broke apart and spoke quietly before Superboy reluctantly released his arms from Robin's waist. Kaldur watched as Robin took the bag from Superboy and skipped down the hall, his laugher echoing brightly in the empty halls. Superboy was looking after the boy with a foreign but very soft smile on his face, his cheeks lightly tinted.
Kaldur smiled to himself and approached his friend, his grin broadening when Superboy looked at him. "It seems things have gone well," Kaldur said softly, motioning towards the hallway Robin had disappeared down.
Superboy nodded his head, smile still in place. "He's my boyfriend. And he said that he loved me," his friend said quietly with a touch of shyness.
Kaldur placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder, giving it a squeeze in affection. "I'm so happy for you," he said genuinely, feeling his heart swell with pride at how Superboy looked. He looked whole.
"Thank you, Aqua...Kaldur. You have helped me so much. I don't think I can ever repay you."
"There is nothing to repay my friend. I just want to see you happy and feeling normal. I'm very pleased I could help you achieve that."
Superboy smiled, taking a step forward and then he seemed to hesitate. But then he just shook his head and grabbed him in a hug, holding him close for a moment before stepping back. Kaldur was shocked at the display of affection from his friend but reveled in it. It just seemed to enforce how important his relationship with Robin was if one day spent together could get Superboy to act like this.
They smiled at one another but then Kaldur thought of something he hadn't before and his lips dropped into a frown. "What are you going to tell the others, especially Batman?" he asked softly. Kaldur couldn't imagine the Dark Knight being happy that his protégé was in a relationship with an unstable clone.
Superboy frowned as well but nodded like he expected the question. "We talked about that," he responded quietly, looking down the hallway Robin had long since disappeared through. "We're going to keep it secret for now. He wants to figure out what Batman's reaction to the situation will be...and he also wants to fix my relationship with Superman."
Kaldur's eyes widened at the last statement. Superman had yet to approach or even acknowledge Superboy's presence. And while a part of him wondered if anyone could change Superman's mind, he had a feeling their clever little bird would do it. He had more wisdom and insight than any of them, especially with Superman since Robin had been a hero far longer than the rest of them.
"I hope things will work out," Kaldur said quietly.
Superboy was quiet for a moment before turning and smiling at Kaldur, a confidence in his eyes he had never seen before. "I know they will," Superboy said easily.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because he is sure."
Superboy said nothing more. He just patted Kaldur's shoulder before turning and heading towards his own room, a new lightness in his step. Kaldur stayed where he was for a few moments longer, digesting what he had been told. Then he smiled and shook his head, once again convinced that love was the greatest thing in this crazy world. He returned to his book, picking up where he left off as he felt the rush of the tides in his bloodstream and the pull of the moon on his mind.
Yes, things were sure to work out somehow.
AN: Oh no, what have I done? This thing is actually turning into something. Now I've got all these ideas floating around in my head for future chapters. I'm seeing big gasping reveals, Robin talking to Superman, Batman's right eye twitching, Megan being not so miss perfect, Wally being all fangirly, Artemis being well...Artemis, Kaldur being the only sane one, and yes, I'm seeing it...lemony goodness (well at least some limes). Eeek, I didn't plan this but now it's happening and I can't stop it.
I blame all of you wonderful people who reviewed, favorite-ed and even C2-ed my story. UGH! But hey, I figure might as well do something to satisfy my YJ fix since there won't be another episode until JUNE 3RD! AH! So yeah, expect to see more of this story, possibly my other long YJ fic (with an OC), and possibly a drabble-ish series so I can play with other couples/relationships without devoting myself to a whole new story. I have enough on my plate thank you very much.
So now a big, warm, snuggly thank you to everyone who reviewed. THANK YOU: swirlhearty23, Momma Lici, monkeydluffynaruto, Saikado Mai, LilithMorrigan, Aftonen, Epochal Eclipse, A2J, xx Geek Squad xx, iFanboy, Zuvios Gemini, Shizuku Tsukishima749, ben4kevin, Red Kasei, Skitter160, Chibis Unleashed, AnGeLgOtH94, and my two anonymous reviewers (randomreader and fanfic0reader). Thank you everyone so much, this response was almost overwhelming, but I'll settle with whelming XD. Sorry I did not respond to each of you in turn like you deserve, I hope this chapter makes up for my silence.
TTFN