A/N: This goes without saying but pretend anything they said on the show about Jasper's home life and/or parents etc. just didn't happen because I'm changing it eeehh(:
I do not own Henry Danger or any of its characters
enjoy!(:
The jingle of the aestheticly cliche bell on the door of Junk N' Stuff was followed by the ding of the elevator and the subsiding of shivers.
The mesh of blue, red, and silver flooded their eyes with safety and warmth. A familiar smell and a feeling of belonging was all that was needed to make a place a home, check and check.
Henry's hand landed softly on Charlottes waist leading her in first seemingly unconcious of his loving touch. He wore a navy blue woven sweater laying skinny on his slender tall form. Charlottes delicate long fingernails poked out of a soft form fitting tan beigey dress that painted over her hips down to her ankles meeting her high top dark brown sneakers. Small gold hoop earrings hid between her curls that fell by her ears from her clip untameably. Schwoz was yet to take off a sheep like sweater that was very soft and flooffy and he liked to say so every hour or so to remind everyone just how comfy he was. Ray's tight long sleeve forest green shirt sat under his dark coffee colored sweater. Jasper felt a little embarrassed having missed the memo of "dress like your in a family ad for Ralph Lauren day", or what he assumed people wore on nice winter days. Or maybe that's just what they wore. Looking down at his thin gray t-shirt under a dark blue zip up hoody layered beneath a denimy knockoff Carhart jacket, he thought he looked more like a construction worker off the job or a guy in Canada who owns a bar that only serves one type of beer. But what else could he do, sell his soul just to buy something nice and feel less like an outcast for one minute? He didn't dwell on it too long...but then again maybe he did.
The team was finally toasty and very content to stay that way for the foreseeable future, the mission they'd returned from becoming quite the blur.
"Open it up already I'm starving!", said Ray impatiently to Henry who held the Nacho Ball take out.
"Charlotte gave me the food because she knew I'd be careful with it and distribute it fairly and evenly so-", started Henry.
"Oh just open it!", said a very hungry Charlotte.
"Okay!", he said doing as she said.
"Yes ooh the number three special. Five types of cheeses and instead of chips it's baked tortilla to a beautiful golden crisp.", said Schwoz in his trademarked thickly unique accent.
"Isn't that what tortilla chips are?", added Jasper with a chuckle.
Schwoz shrugged as he shoved the delicious nachos in his mouth.
"Here's yours Jasper.", said Henry handing him his order with a smile.
"Thanks buddy.", said Jasper taking it with thankful eyes.
He'd probably heard his stomach growls echo off the mancave walls. Or maybe he was just a good friend. And that Henry really was, no one could deny that.
They sat and ate the steamy deliciousness over laughter and good conversation. Belly laughs were rare but in this group they came often and it was like a home cooked meal and a sunny blue sky all rolled into a ball of comforting nostalgia.
Jasper never wanted it to end. If it were up to him it never would, but as he checked his watch he knew it was getting colder outside by the minute.
"Alright guys I gotta get outta here. I'll see you tomorrow.", he said giving a pat to Henry's shoulder who was closest to him as he got up.
"What come on!", they said trying to get him to stay.
"No come on you guys it's getting cold out there I have to get home.".
"Come on I'll give you a ride later don't be a party pooper.", said Ray.
"If you leave that will be your new nick name for ever and ever.", said Charlotte with a cute smirk.
Jasper rolled his eyes with a smile of fake annoyance avoiding Ray's offer. "See you later guys!", he said over their protests as he stepped into the elevator.
"Why doesn't he ever want a ride?", asked Ray.
The group shrugged not knowing the answer.
"Maybe he's afraid you'll have a big creepy crush on his mom too.", said Henry as him and Schwoz looked at each other to snicker.
"Okay okay but seriously. You guys ever been to his house?", asked Ray.
Henry and Charlotte shook their heads.
"I went there once or twice when we were really young but after a while of him avoiding it we just left it alone.", said Henry.
"I've certainly never been there let alone met any of his family.", said Charlotte.
"Hmm. Never thought of Jasper as the secretive type.", said Ray.
"Hey look he left his pen.", said Schwoz as they all looked at him.
"How do you know that's even his. It's just a random pen.", said Charlotte.
"Okay well we clearly need to return this.", said Ray grabbing it and jumping over the table. The other guys got up following him.
"Come on we are not going to follow him! You guys!!", said Charlotte throwing her arms up as they headed for the elevator.
"Okay I guess we are.", she said not surprisingly out voted.
Now on the sidewalk they looked all ways to find Jasper.
"There he is.", said Henry pointing to where he just turned the corner.
They followed with a good distance but keeping with his pace. All he'd done so far besides walk was zip his jacket up to his neck, raising his shoulders with it in a tense cold. His hands found inadequate shelter in his pockets after placing an earbud in each ear, the wires falling to his pocket.
"Why doesn't he just get a warmer jacket?", whispered Schwoz rhetorically.
"You know you don't have to whisper Schwoz he's too far and he's got his headphones in. This guy's clearly never followed any one before.", said Ray pointing a thumb at Schwoz.
"Then why are you whispering Ray?", Charlotte said with a raised eyebrow.
Henry put an arm up to stop the group when he saw Jasper pause. Jasper turned 180 degrees to lean against the wall. He reached in a pocket on the inside of his jacket and pulled out two small items. A cigarette sat between his lips as he lit it, being jealous of it's hot embers. He closed his burdened eyes with a sigh letting his head touch the wall. The smoke almost visibly relaxed his apparently anxious insides as he ran a slightly shaky hand through his hair. You could tell somehow it wasn't a regular habit. Just something he did when he needed it. Now he must've needed it.
The group looked at each other with raised eyebrows, not a word available to convey their surprise.
Jasper continued on the sidewalk that seemed to get bluer. This part of town was barely considered Swellview. Rundown houses, broken fences and souls. Very few people around to put life in the dying neighborhood of regrets.
The sky was dim with dark blue snow clouds, a few white flakes making their silent descent. Jasper flicked the cigarette by his feet putting it out with the step of his sneaker.
It was getting colder quickly as Jaspers muscles tensed up and he held his arms that shivered. He slowed his pace as he started to turn. A small unit not big enough to call a house sat under blueish grey brick walls. Out of his jeans pocket came a small key that borrowed his stiff white fingers to twist the rusty lock. A little jiggle and hit from his shoulder opened the door. He went in with an audible sigh of relief at being indoors. A frosted window sat just low enough for them to peak inside. The place wasn't more than the size of Henrys living room but for a little bathroom. Everything seemed relatively tidy with the few belongings that inhabited the sad space. Jasper threw his things on the little round table with one chair near the "kitchen", aka a sink, a fridge, and a counter top below blue faded cupboards. His jacket and hoody went in the shallow closet as he inched his shirt up and off throwing it in a small basket. His body was molded with muscles paid for with labor and scars painted by struggle. A black tattoo on the left side of his lower back couldn't be made out though it didn't go unnoticed. The shock of its existence was overruled by curiosity of it's shape and meaning.
He bent over turning the nob of a chipped white radiator that didn't turn on. He took a screw driver off the counter where he twisted something on it and gave it a good kick before the little red light turned on.
He put the chair in front of the radiator with a pair of white long socks draped over the top and an outfit on the seat.
Jasper turned on the stove placing a small pot on the burner that he filled with water. He then went towards the small bathroom they couldn't see into as steam soon left through the open door.
As Jasper showered off the day the group was well deep into their thoughts of what they'd observed and still were seeing. Scanning the room deeper they saw little trinkets here and there. In the corner closest to them and the window was blankets and a bedspread laying neatly in the corner. This is where Charlotte felt tears start knocking at her chest, maybe she wasn't the only one. An old VHS tv sat near the door at the end of his makeshift "bed". The outlet it was plugged into didn't look that promising. A few photos were pinned to the right wall, one of a beautiful woman holding a toddler that they assumed was Jasper. Another of him and Henry. Confidentially that erupted a lot of emotion in Henry. He always thought of Jasper as his number one and right hand man, his best friend. Only now did he realize how much he was really family to him. Now he saw he might be the only family Jasper even had.
The steam tapered off as Jasper stepped out still drying his hair with the towel. Over fresh boxers went black pajama pants, his smartly warmed socks, a white t-shirt and a thick navy blue sweatshirt over top that he pulled to his knuckles. He rubbed his arms up and down a few times before reaching up in the somewhat empty cupboard for an olive green mug. In went a tea bag from a box on the counter as he poured the hot water from the pot on the stove into the mug. From the fridge he poured a spot of cream from a small container. He breathed hot air on his knuckles rubbing his hands together.
Jasper moved the chair back to the table as he picked up the worn book that sat there. He sipped his hot tea sighing at it's healing heat. His eyes went left to write as he escaped into the pages.
They couldn't read his eyes through it. They were weary but also seemed used to the routine. He seemed almost okay, but maybe that was because he had no frame of reference. That made them pretty much ache in guilt.
Suddenly the pot Schwoz stood on to see slipped and made an amazingly loud clatter rolling away. Jasper looked up to the window as they ducked quickly with twisted faces of regret. He got up carefully opening the door as he looked out. His eyes were wide when he found his fake smiling friends pressed against the wall outside his window.
"Hey there party pooper...you forgot your pen.", Ray said awkwardly but unable to avoid eye contact as he held up the pen.
Jasper looked at them for a moment more cold than embarrassed, he didn't quite know how he felt.
"Jasper I'm so sorry we just-", started Henry sincerely before Jasper interrupted.
"It's alright it's alright just come in out of the cold you guys.", he said waving them in.
The group looked at each other hesitatingly with surprise before going in.
"Okay well um I know you have questions and this is kinda awkward. Look uh what do you want to know.", he said in a soft voice genuinly as he sat against the window sill. The other boys leaned against the counter behind Charlotte who sat in the chair.
"Where are your parents, were you emancipated or something?", said Ray's paternal side.
"Uh well I never knew my dad and my mom passed away.", he put simply.
"Who did you live with?", asked Charlotte sweetly.
"My mom. She was sick for a while. She died just after I turned eighteen.", said Jasper looking down.
The group looked at each other with surprise for the fifteen thousandth time today. But this time it also held a heaping side of guilt and sadness. His birthday hadn't been all that long ago, half a year maybe. His mom just died leaving him alone and abandoned. No home or family. And they just didn't know.
"Why didn't you say anything Jasper?", asked Henry feeling a grief he couldn't explain.
Jasper shook his head. "I don't know. I don't like depending on other people for stuff."
"Well you're going to have to. That's what families do Jasper. I know that sounds cheesy but we've got a nice little thing here with the five of us and you're not the only one without family. But I figured out blood doesn't make a family.", said Ray.
"Wow that was really cheesy.", said Schwoz as they all chuckled.
"Hey Schwoz do we still have the hot tub that comes up through the floor in the man cave?", asked Ray casually.
"Yeah.".
"What! A hottub!", they said shocked.
"Ok come on it's way too cold to not be in that right now.", said Charlotte as they started out the door.
Henry and Jasper (who quickly slipped on his sneakers and locked the door), walked behind the group as their arms sat over each others shoulders.
"Love you buddy.", said Henry so grateful.
"Love you pal.", said Jasper with a pat.
"Hey do you know what gonzo glue is and if so do you know how to get it off?", said Henry.
Jasper laughed vapor into the suddenly warm winter air.
A/N: perhaps that ended rather abrupt, perhaps not. I don't know, I know there's a lot I left unresolved or unsaid but I like for you to use your imagination:-)