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Under Kon’s desk, his foot bounced. Silent, but as fast as a jackhammer. He really considered asking to go to the bathroom and then flying home— but if you never came back from the bathroom, the teacher counted it as ditching class. He was one strike away from Saturday detention and he just couldn’t risk it, especially not now that he had a boyfriend.
Instead he discreetly slipped his phone onto his lap.
Ideally he’d go straight to the source and text Ma— but by the time she remembered she had a cellphone and found her readers, it might be too late. Clark? No. No, no, no. Lois? Too weird. Jon? What could he do?
He pulled up his most recent conversation and typed.
Hey if ma calls you DON’T answer!!
“Mr. Kent,” said Mrs. Moreno, folding her arms and glaring right at him. Crap.
“Uh—” he glanced down at his notebook, as if that would help. “Sorry, what was the question?”
“There’s no question. I said, I will be confiscating your cell phone,” she said, expression pinched.
“I don’t have one,” he said quickly, trying to shove it back in his pocket. She marched over and held out her hand.
He could face off with Slade, but not Mrs. Moreno. He sighed and handed it over. Great. So awesome. Now he had no way to know if Tim got his message, or understood his urgency. Plus there was still 45 minutes of class. Could this day get worse?
Mrs. Moreno was back at his desk, this time with a yellow slip of paper.
“Saturday detention,” she said. He took the paper.
The final bell rang. Kon had to wait behind like two other kids who also got their stuff taken, but finally, he and his phone were reunited. He read his texts as he hurried out of class and down the hall.
?
That was all Tim said. A single question mark. He could’ve at least called, or found some way to communicate with him. Was it too much to ask for his genius boyfriend to scheme up a way to get him out of seventh period? He could’ve called the school pretending to be Pa. He could’ve pretended to be from the CDC and said Kon’s blood had magical properties and he needed to be rushed to a hospital to create a world-saving vaccine. Or something.
He called Tim, as he burst through the doors and finally got a breath of fresh air.
Tim picked up. “What’s wrong with your mom?”
“No— I mean, everything’s okay. But Ma canceled Bridge!” Kon hurried down the steps and cut across the grass to the student parking lot.
“And she’s going to call me?”
“I’m pretty sure she canceled because she wants to have you over for dinner instead. Which would suck. You know she’s like, completely freaked out by you, right?”
“Oh… No. I didn’t—”
“Not you-you, just like, the idea of you. Dating me.” He pushed his hair out of his face. “I’m not explaining it right. Can I come over?”
There was a rustle of fabric. “I’m still at school but—”
“Great,” Kon jumped into his truck and tried to start the engine. Then he tried again. “I’ll pick you up.” He tried again and this time— the car purred to life. Like an eighteen year old cat with asthma.
“Cool,” Tim said, sounding pleased. Kon smiled to himself, and backed out of his spot. “But meet me behind the locker room. Not the pool side. Are you— driving?!”
“Well, not to Gotham—”
“I can’t believe you’re driving that thing.”
“You can call it a car.”
“I’ve looked under the hood. That thing is held together with rubber bands and zip ties.”
“Hey,” Kon laughed, driving past the McDermott’s farm. “If it works, it works. But don’t worry, I can promise you a much smoother ride.”
The car died.
“Shit,” Kon said, trying to start the ignition again. It sputtered and died harder.
“Let me guess,” Tim said, smiling through the phone.
“The car is fine,” Kon said. “And I’ll be there in ten minutes. Less than ten minutes.”
“Maybe try duct tape.”
“Everything is fine, and I’ll see you in nine minutes,” Kon insisted and hung up, tossing his phone in his bag. He thought about TTKing his car home. Wouldn’t be the first time, but he’d only ever done it at night. What if it looked weird in broad daylight? With his luck, today’s the day some conspiracy nut would get a video of the floating car.
Before he could decided to risk it, Josiah McDermott pulled over next to him.
“Hey, man. Need a jump?”
Kon got out and helped. Sort of. Mostly, he popped the hood so Josiah could take care of it with cables and clamps. Kon nodded along like it all looked good to him.
“So,” Josiah said, after everything was sorted. “I heard Mrs. Kent canceled Bridge.”
Unbelievable. Kon leaned against the truck. “Yep.”
He always underestimated how fast gossip could travel in a town with two traffic lights. Even Jill asked him about it in sixth period. Jill was the daughter of Ma’s best friend, but Josiah? If he knew, everyone must know.
“I know my Ma’ll be disappointed,” Josiah said, with a shake of his head. “She already started the Buckeye Balls. More for me, I guess.”
That was disappointing. Kon loved that peanut-butter-y dessert. But he had bigger problems than Mrs. McDermott’s balls.
“Somethin’ funny?” Josiah asked.
Kon cleared his throat, and cleared his mind. “No, sorry, I was just thinking about something. Thanks for the jumpstart.”
“Anytime. Hey— I don’t think your ma mentioned why she had to cancel. I hope there’s no trouble at home.”
Kon opened the car door, sparing Josiah one last glance.
“There’s no trouble,” he said, a touch defensive. The last thing he wanted to do was contribute to the gossip mill— but did people think Ma and Pa were having relationship problems or something? It wasn’t true, but he didn’t even want people to speculate. After a slight hesitation, he decided to tell him the truth.
“She canceled because she’s hoping I’ll bring my boyfriend around.”
Josiah lit up. An explanation for canceled Bridge and a secret boyfriend? The ultimate gossip.
“I didn’t realize you and Nathan were—”
“It’s not Nathan,” Kon said. Nathan was the only other out gay kid, so. Sure. But no. “He’s from uh— New Jersey.”
“Jersey,” Josiah grinned. “Alright. You have to bring him to Summerlan’s.”
“I don’t know. The culture shock might actually kill him.”
Josiah laughed and they said their goodbyes. Kon drove home, drumming the steering wheel as he considered Monday. If Josiah knew, everyone would know. Probably in the next five minutes. But that was fine. He was used to it. He’d been a hot topic in Smallville since the moment he landed. Adopted? Clark’s? Combat boots? Nail polish?
He’d grown thicker skin years ago. There was just something about Tim. He didn’t like the idea of people knowing about him, or talking about him in their judge-y little cliques.
Not that Tim would even care. Tim didn’t give a fuck what the people of Smallville thought about him. Tim lived in another world, a million miles away.
Kon parked the truck and grabbed his backpack.
He swung by the kitchen, where Ma was rolling up some cookie dough.
Those were the cookies of a guilty conscious.
“I heard you canceled game night,” Kon said, dropping his backpack by the door.
Ma looked momentarily stunned. “Now how in the world… I just got off the phone with Janey.”
“Her daughter asked me about it. Josiah McDermott mentioned it, too. Does this have anything to do with our conversation last night?”
Ma placed the cookies evenly spaced on the tray.
“We agreed, honey. I can’t make you invite him.”
“You can’t invite him, either,” Kon insisted. “Seriously— we’ve been dating for like two months. It’s not that serious.”
She paused to give him a knowing look.
Kon cracked. “Okay, it’s serious— but it’s way, way too soon to meet each other’s family. Maybe that’s how it was when Clark was my age, but believe me, nobody does that anymore.”
“Maybe so,” she said, opening the oven and sliding in the tray. “But around here, we still believe in a little thing called manners. You’re seeing this boy, we’re having him over for dinner. That’s that. I don’t quite understand all the fuss. That sweet Cassie girl came around plenty.”
Kon dropped his hands from his face.
“Tim is different.”
Ma twisted the timer and looked upset.
“Because he’s a he?”
“No. It’s not about that. It’s just…” Kon hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “Tim never really did the whole family dinner thing. His parents, you know. Passed away. And it’s not like that with Batman, obviously.”
Ma pursed her lips.
“Maybe it should be.”
Kon stole some cookie dough, while trying to look serious.
“That’s none of my business. Or yours. I just think Tim would feel really uncomfortable if I made him come over here with you and Pa and God forbid Clark—”
“Conner,” she admonished.
“Gosh forbid,” he corrected.
“No, not that,” she said with a chuckle. Then, on a serious note, “Honey, I’m trying to say I wish you’d give Clark another chance.”
Kon ate a piece of cookie dough. He didn’t want to upset her, and Clark could be a sensitive subject. For both of them.
“I know you two have gone through rough patches. But he’s family.”
Kon didn’t meet her eyes. He couldn’t. But at least he didn’t laugh out loud.
“Anyone you’re serious about, you bring home to your family. Besides, I’ve wanted to have Tim over since he was just that friend I heard so much about. Now that you’re dating, there’s no way around it.”
Kon looked at her. Ma was smiling so warmly. She was happy for him. She loved him. Whether or not he was her son, he knew she loved him like he was. This little old lady in Kansas, who adopted aliens, and clones, and meddled her way into meeting their boyfriends. It did mean a lot to him. Even if the meddling needed to be stopped.
“It’s not like you’re never going to meet him.”
“And don’t you think otherwise. I’ll catch the next bus to Gotham city if I have to, do you hear me?” She gestured with the wooden spoon. He relented with a shrug. She rolled some more cookies. “But… I can appreciate where you’re coming from. Thinkin’ of Tim’s feelings.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m a pretty great boyfriend.”
“Sure thing,” she teased.
He helped her roll a few cookies, until the timer dinged, and he suddenly remembered.
“I forgot about Tim!” He grabbed his phone and sure enough— Tim texted him: hey is everything okay? Like twenty minutes ago.
He called Tim in the air.
“Are you—?” Tim started.
At the same time, Kon blurted, “I’m so sorry! I got totally distracted. Josiah jumped me and then Ma was making cookies—”
“You got jumped?”
Kon flew down to Tim’s school, hovering between the trees. Tim sat on a bench behind the locker rooms, phone to his ear, school uniform buttoned up and perfect. He looked cute when his brow was furrowed in concern. Kon flew in front of him and they both hung up.
“My car,” Kon explained, feet touching the grass. Tim stood, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.
“I’m an idiot,” said Kon.
“It’s fine. I got caught up on homework. Did your mom explain why she doesn’t like me?”
Kon scooped him up and Tim got comfortable. He flew above the clouds, which provided a nice cover even if it did kinda wreck the view.
“She likes you,” Kon said. Tim looked unconvinced. “She just thinks it’s 1950 and you need to come over to dinner to discuss, I don’t know, your intentions. Now that we’re going steady.”
“I could do that.”
Kon made a face. “Babe. No. Plus— she wants to invite Clark. I really don’t think Clark wants to meet my boyfriend. He didn’t even want to meet me. Ma just wants us to be this big happy family or something. And Clark would do anything for her— but it just sucks. Like I care what he thinks anyway.”
Tim’s arms were looped around his neck and he pulled himself closer.
“Fuck that.”
“Fuck that,” Kon easily agreed, feeling better already. Tim was the best.
They landed at Titans Tower. The second they stepped into Kon’s room, Tim was pulling him in for a kiss.
His first impression of Tim wasn’t exactly a good one. Nor was the second, or third, or fifteenth. But he’d always secretly admired the way he focused. He thought before he spoke— sometimes too much— and kept his concentration on exactly what was in front of him. That sort of sureness cut through everything else, like the eye of the storm personified.
But he kissed like dark grey clouds rolling in, until they broke open with rain, high speed winds, and claps of thunder before every lightning strike. Kon had felt sparks before, but compared to him, those were like static shocks from folding laundry. When Tim put his hands in his hair, when Kon tightened his grip. These weren’t laundry sparks. These were sparks that could burn the whole world down.
Tim mumbled something into his mouth.
Kon pulled back.
“What?” He asked, disoriented like he’d been doing summersaults through a hurricane.
“Maybe we should invite your parents to Gotham.”
Kon laughed. But stopped when he realized Tim wasn’t.
“No way. Clark won’t let them go to Wichita alone.”
“So we invite them on a day Clark is busy.”
Kon gave him an unconvinced look, so Tim added, “I can make something happen to make sure Clark is busy.”
Kon’s smile curled in amusement and he snuggled closer.
“I’m adding that to Supervillain Tim quotes.”
Tim— finally— huffed out a laugh.
Kon continued, “But, seriously, don’t worry about it. I told Ma it wasn’t going to happen, and she understood.”
“I don’t want her to think that I don’t want to meet her.”
Kon had a sinking suspicion they were done making out. It was one of his least favorite suspicions. He sat up.
“I told her you’re busy.”
Tim was horrified.
“Too busy for my boyfriend’s family?”
“I never should’ve said anything,” Kon said. “Just forget I brought it up. Everything is fine. Ma’s the one being crazy.” He held his face. “You one thousand percent don’t have to meet my family.”
He thought that would ease Tim’s anxieties. Instead, he looked super annoyed as he pulled his hands off him.
“You don’t want me to meet them?”
“I’m not saying that. Obviously, one day you will, but—”
“So why not now—?”
“We barely started dating. There’s no need to rush into the serious stuff.”
And with that, Tim shut down. To anyone else, it might’ve looked like he was just staring, calmly, completely unfazed, but by now Kon could tell when his blank expression was a disguise.
He was frustrated. Because this whole thing was a non-issue and now Tim was upset. Over nothing.
“Yeah. True,” Tim agreed but Kon could see right through him. He was pissed and hurt and there was no way he was actually letting this go.
“I…” Kon said, then hesitated.
The thing was, they hadn’t had a fight yet as a couple. He wanted to pick his words carefully.
“I didn’t mean it like we’re not serious. That’s why Ma wants to meet you so bad — because I told her I’m serious about you.”
Tim changed in an instant. His walls crumbled into dust as he smiled, small but genuine. Kon was so relieved he could kiss him, so he got a fist full of his shirt and kissed him like he never wanted to stop.
This. This was exactly why they were so great for each other. Sometimes Tim got in his own head and tried to hide up there, but Kon knew him too well for that. When Tim hid, Kon found him. Plus, they’d both had past— failed— relationships. Now they knew what it meant to be a good partner. Kon knew how to pick words, as opposed to fights.
He sighed into the next kiss, not even embarrassed. Tim was a force of nature. No one could blame him for getting swept off his feet.
Then Tim was pulling away again.
“So. You want to wait until we’re even more serious?” Tim said. He phrased it like he was being light-hearted and funny, but the way he searched Kon’s face was anything but.
“That’s all I’m saying,” Kon said, willing him to believe it. “You should be saying thank you, Superboy, for saving me from a night of awkward conversations and Clark’s bad jokes.”
“Thank you Superboy,” Tim said, quiet, sarcastic, so entirely him that Kon had to kiss him immediately about it. Tim kissed him back.
It was Saturday and he was at school. He wore dark jeans that were ripped from real life, which was way cooler than something store-bought. His dark green flannel had the sleeves rolled up— for looks, not necessity. Detention wasn’t exactly hard work. Basically, he just sat at a desk, making sure his homework lasted the whole time because if you finished early they made you write an essay.
Finally— he was free. He checked his phone, but his only texts were from Cassie, Bart— about a spider he saw— and his group chat with his highschool friends about Saturday night Summerlan plans.
He slung his backpack over one shoulder and texted Bart as he walked back to his car.
He was a little surprised Tim hadn’t texted him, since they had plans to get breakfast before Kon got himself detention. He figured they’d just hang out later instead— but if Tim hadn’t texted him, maybe he was busy or something. He pulled up their text thread but his thumb hovered. He wasn’t even sure what Tim did on a Saturday— Robin stuff, Young Justice stuff, but there was probably other stuff, too.
Kon was just about to reach his car, eyes were still on his phone, when the door opened.
He looked up.
Tim was in the driver’s seat.
“I thought surprising you was going to be a lot harder,” Tim said.
Kon rushed his boyfriend, grinning like an idiot.
“What are you doing here?”
“Breakfast,” he said. It was four in the afternoon, but he held up a white paper bag with the pink logo of their favorite bagel shop.
“Thanks, baby,” he took the bag with a smile.
Tim flushed when confronted with gratitude, and looked really cute doing it. He wanted to lick the pink off his cheeks. Instead he opened the bag and pulled out his usual— blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese.
Kon groaned around his first bite. Tim watched him. He went to the passenger seat, still chewing as Tim started the car. At least he tried to.
“I can’t believe you’re still driving this thing,” Tim said, twisting the ignition again and again until it finally purred to life. “Honestly— you should just fly. Or skateboard. Or walk.”
“You’re such a snob. She gets me where I need to go,” Kon said, caressing the dashboard. Tim shook his head, and Kon added, “Besides, you can’t make out on a skateboard.”
“I’m not doing anything in this tin can.” He eyed the chipped console and exposed bits.
Kon chuckled.
“Well, Cassie said they’re doing a Girls Night at the tower— but we could watch something on my laptop if—”
“Or,” Tim interrupted him, “I thought we could do something in Smallville.” He glanced at Kon, for half a second. “Not with your family— like a restaurant or something.”
Kon stared at Tim’s profile, as he kept his eyes glued on the road.
“Let’s just go to—”
“— Or you told me about that barbecue place. It sounds really good.”
“There’s barbecue in Gotham,” he said.
“Yeah,” Tim said, adjusting his grip on the wheel. “But you always come to me. We never hang out in Kansas.”
Unbelievable. Was this still about Ma? He thought they were past this. He didn’t want to be defensive, but he felt a lump of petty comments when he swallowed.
“I don’t want to hang out in Kansas.”
“Why?”
“There’s nothing to do here.”
This time, Tim looked at him incredulously. “You live here.”
“Yeah, so maybe you should listen to me.”
The car’s AC rattled like a can against a jail cell. Instead of cool air, the car filled with an awkward tension that Kon hated, even though he knew he was the cause.
It was just his luck that the one light they had to pass went from green to red.
Tim hit the breaks, as gently as he could, and the car rolled to a stop. They stewed in blazing afternoon sun.
“I’m sorry,” Tim said.
Kon was shocked.
Beyond shocked. Especially since Tim had been all sweet and bought him a bagel and Kon was the one who snapped. His friend Tim had apologized like one or two times over the years, but apparently his boyfriend Tim was quicker with the draw.
Tim was still staring at the road, even though they were going anywhere.
“I’m not trying to— trick you or something. I know you don’t want to do the family stuff, and I get it. Believe me. I get it. I guess… it just got me thinking. We always hang out at the tower. I’ve dated people before just as Robin or just as myself— and it never worked. And I really want this to work. Because… I really like you.”
He liked Tim for so many reasons— but dating brought out all these new sides to him that Kon had never seen before. Like this sweet, thoughtful side that made him blush. He definitely didn’t use to blush.
“Are you sure you don’t want to make out in this car?”
Tim could laugh and roll his eyes all he wanted. Kon knew the truth now. He wanted this to work because he really, really liked him. The confession filled the car with a new type of tension, one he definitely preferred.
The light turned green.
He surprisingly liked giving Tim an official tour. His high school. The community pool. The one movie theater. The steakhouse where everyone went when they wanted to be fancy. The church with the brick arches, where everyone took pictures before school dances.
He planned it so they’d be getting to Picnic Point just before sunset.
The grassy spot next to the pond was surrounded by willow trees. It was nice for a picnic during the day, but everyone in town knew what kind of crowd it attracted when the sun went down. Mostly stoners and couples. Sometimes even stoner couples.
He was about to explain all that to Tim, but his boyfriend had already seen through his genius scheme.
“The only thing fogging up these windows is gonna be the smoke from the engine.”
Kon filled with a rush of amusement. “You’d rather mess around outside? With the bugs?”
“Let’s just get dinner.”
“It’s five o’clock.”
“Then let’s go back to the movies.”
“Hooking up at picnic point is a major part of the Smallville experience.”
“You’ve hooked up with someone here?”
“Once or twice,” Kon replied, playing it cool. Tim looked at him. “Once,” Kon admitted.
“In this thing?” Tim asked, and Kon’s insides swooped in anticipation. He recognized that spark in his eyes. He was getting competitive. He loved when Tim got competitive. It usually lead to Tim getting horny.
“Hey. She had no complaints,” Kon smirked.
Tim unbuckled his seatbelt and Kon stopped himself from doing something stupid, like pumping a fist in the air.
“So, what? You made out a little?”
“Something underrated about old cars like this. Plenty of room in the passenger seat,” Kon said, as he spread his legs. Just to showoff exactly how much space there was. A Tim-sized space, really.
Tim pulled his legs up, facing him fully. Like any second he might crawl over the center console.
“Okay, next time, I’m picking you up in my car.”
Kon just grinned. Tim climbed onto his lap.
“And then we’ll never do anything in this piece of junk again.”
Kon pretended to pout.
“But we’re about to make so many beautiful memories.”
“Trust me. You’ll get laid in the Lexus.”
Kon started to laugh but the sound was muffled when Tim kissed him.