#Roxy Leech

[clambuoyance]

Roxy’s goodbye (clambuoyance’s version)

[toastsartcornerthesequel]

Save me Roxy Leech....save me..

[bluejaysandblackbats]

In The Soup

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Superfam

Summary: Jason Lives AU where he and Superboy become friends, despite Bruce's disapproval of Superboy. (ft. Jason's service dog, Gromit)

Chapters: 9/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Conner Kent, Roxy Leech, Rex Leech

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Conner Kent is Superboy, Good Friend Jason Todd, Protective Jason Todd, Overprotective Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Disabled Characters, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Get Along, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Developing Friendships, Sneaking Around, Disguise, Fluff and Humor, Secret Messages, Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Nine: Pho

Jason let his fingers dance through the mess of curls on his lap. Conner’s weight wasn’t suffocating like most things were. Conner woke up and lay in place. “Hey,” Jason whispered, “Hey…"

“Are you okay?” Conner murmured, almost purring at the sensation of fingers in his hair.

Jason made a soft noise. “My head hurts, but that’s normal. My dad’s gonna be pissed that I trashed my chair… But then again, he might not find out if I can replace it before he gets home,” Jason mumbled. “Oh crap, I’m—. Sorry, the pain medication always makes me weird. Why am I touching you?” Jason removed his hand from Conner’s hair as his face went red-hot.

Conner didn’t budge. “You don’t have to stop… It was nice,” Conner mumbled. Jason hesitated before returning to Conner’s hair. “Should you call your dad?”

“No… I don’t want Bruce to be worried. No use in both of us being worried about each other,” Jason answered without thinking.

“He’s your dad, though,” Conner whispered. Jason nodded.

“I know, but—. I don’t like to make him worry if it isn’t serious. I’ll heal… Probably before he gets home. He doesn’t have to know,” Jason half-pleaded. A knock on the door startled them both.

“Jason, can we come in?” Barbara asked. Conner sat up, and Jason told Barbara to enter. Gromit rushed to Jason’s side, and Jason giggled.

“Gromit. Hey buddy. Did you eat?” Jason asked as he leaned forward to receive an affectionate kiss on the cheek from Gromit. “Hi, sweet boy. I missed you too.”

“Jason, your left wrist is only sprained,” Barbara announced.

“I figured. You didn’t tell Bruce, did you?” Jason asked.

“No, but this is why I talked to you about the other thing yesterday—.”

“And I said okay,” Jason interrupted.

Jason reached out with his uninjured arm, and Barbara squeezed his hand. “I’m gonna sign you out. Get dressed, and I’ll wait for you. I’ll take both of you kids home,” Barbara whispered, “I brought you a change of clothes.” Barbara gave Jason a bag.

Jason removed the hospital gown and pulled his shirt out of the bag. Jason fastened the magnetic buttons with his uninjured hand. Conner sat with his face hidden in his arms. Jason figured it was out of respect for him while he got dressed. Jason pushed the blankets aside and finished getting dressed. “Conner, I’m done getting dressed. You can look now,” I replied.

“Okay… Sorry, I don’t—. You didn’t ask me to leave,” Conner stammered.

“I didn’t wanna be alone,” Jason explained. Gromit whined. “No offense, Gromit. I love you, but sometimes a guy needs a human friend to talk to.” Jason scratched under Gromit’s chin.

Jason put a foot down and shifted his weight. Gromit took his place at Jason’s side. Jason winced and clutched his ribs on one side. “Jason—.”

“I’m fine. I mean—. It could’ve been worse if you weren’t there,” Jason interrupted. He stood, wavering before grabbing the support handle attached to Gromit’s harness. Conner stood up, making sure Jason was okay. “It’s the medication… That’s all. I’m just dizzy.” Jason shut his eyes, breathing through his nose. “You can never get used to how the hospitals dope you up. Hungry? We could stop and get some pho on the way home.” Jason laughed.

“You still wanna hang out with me?” Conner asked.

“Yeah… Do you?” Jason questioned.

“Chicken or beef?” Conner smiled. Jason chuckled.

“Beef, definitely,” Jason chuckled. Conner held the door and followed him.

“Did you guys eat dinner last night?” Barbara asked as she led them to the car.

“Nope,” Jason replied before groaning. “My meds—.”

“Got you covered. Also, I have you covered on the chair too… But you owe Gromit a movie. He didn’t get to finish The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” Barbara interrupted.

“Gromit, that’s our movie,” Jason whined. Gromit kissed his cheek. “Oh, flattery will get you everywhere. I forgive you, sweet boy.” Conner chuckled.

“What do you guys wanna eat? We can eat anything as long as I don’t have to cook,” Barbara replied.

Jason lay back and shut his eyes. Conner answered Barbara’s question, and she took them to the restaurant. Jason leaned forward, breathing heavily, and Gromit lay over his lap to support him. “Is he asleep?” Barbara asked.

“Mhm,” Conner answered.

*

Jason slept most of the afternoon, waking to eat or tell Conner he felt fine. He lied. Gromit curled up beside him, keeping watch. “Gromit would tell us if something was wrong with him,” Barbara whispered. Conner nodded. “Are you alright?”

“I’m practically invulnerable—.”

“Emotionally, Conner. What’s going on up there?” Barbara asked.

Conner shrugged. “Don’t know… I guess it doesn’t matter because he’s okay now,” Conner replied.

“It matters,” Barbara interrupted.

Gromit tugged at Conner’s pants leg, and Conner followed him to the bedroom. Jason gasped for air, kicking and clawing at nothing. Conner listened to Jason’s heart and lungs and didn’t hear a disturbance, so he sat the sleeping boy up, allowing Jason to rest on his shoulder. Conner rubbed his back, gently humming so Jason could feel the vibration. He continued until Jason went limp in his arms, and he gently laid Jason back on his pillow. “It’s okay, Gromit,” Conner whispered. Jason curled into a ball, and Gromit took his place on the bed. Conner stayed behind, watching Jason until he fell asleep as well. Jason woke up, confused by Conner’s presence but not alarmed. He grabbed the back of Conner’s sweatshirt and pulled him away from the bed’s edge, wrapping his injured arm around his chest because he wasn’t strong enough to do it on his own. Gromit helped, and Conner rolled onto his back. Jason hesitated before letting go of Conner’s torso and scratched behind Gromit’s ears.

“I’m not lonely, Gromit,” Jason mumbled. Gromit’s ears perked up. “Oh, don’t do that. Whatever happened, you could’ve handled—.”

Conner sharply inhaled and stretched out. “Jason, I’m—.”

“Conner, it’s late. You can apologize all you want to, but—. I’m tired, and it’s cold,” Jason mumbled as he rolled toward the wall and let Conner climb under the blankets. Jason was ice cold next to him.

“Jason… Do you remember your nightmare?”Conner asked. Jason sighed. “I’m sorry if that was personal—.”

“I have nightmares about my claustrophobia,” Jason mumbled, “Always different scenarios… What did you do when you came in?”

“I sat you up and let you lay on me until your breathing slowed down,” Conner answered. Jason made a soft noise of acceptance and shut his eyes. Conner yawned and fell asleep shortly after Jason curled into him. Gromit lay on Jason’s other side, offering enough space for Jason to roll over when he needed to. That night, everyone slept peacefully.

[desperatecheesecubes]

I forgot how sweetly Kon was drawn in the beginning of his comic

[leninille]

my piece for @superboysuperzine! 🦸‍♂️✨

make sure to grab a copy at the leftovers sale that will be available from the 24th of July! 🎁

[lesbianology-xx]

roxy leech they could never make me hate you

[buniyaad]

i think the tragic thing about the whole 'roxy's in love with superboy' angle wasn't exactly that roxy was in love with him. we knew she was in love with him. she hadn't explicitly said anything, but during that first leg of the series, she was absolutely developing feelings she had to consistently squash because kon was in love with tana and knockout was making a mess of all their lives.

but after final night, there was nothing left for roxy to lose - except there was! she finally squandered her dignity, and all bc she thought the end of the world might let her get away with it, but it didn't. roxy's grief and jealousy are of her own making. she could lived out the rest of her life holding a torch for a guy who Did Not See Her That Way, but she chose to say something, and now it's all gone to shit.

no. the tragic thing about the whole 'roxy's in love with superboy' angle was that kon didn't realize it was an angle to begin with. bc kon had found a way to make his manager and his daughter into his family. he made roxy his sister.

even tho roxy was not! it's facinating bc kon accidentally nuclear family-izes his ragtag support group bc he doesn't know any better! dubby's the closest to a father figure he can get, bc aint nobody takin care of him, so even dubby's subpar care is a luxury. roxy is the older girl in his life that's looking out for him, so he thinks of her as a sister, but that's NOT what she wants to be! she's not tryna be his sister at all, but she gets pegged as such bc she fills a gap in kon's life.

was roxy a mess for indulging in her feelings to begin with? absolutely, but like kon, she also doesn't know any better. and in the same breath, was it kon's fault he saw her as a sister when she wasn't? nope, bc we know he doesn't actually understand what is and isn't normal sibling behavior.

the roxy/kon romantic angle was probably one of the starkest moments where we, as an audience, saw how much of kon's early relationships were all ways for him to 'live up' to an ideal he didn't really understand. a reporter girlfriend, a distant father figure, a shady business manager, a female friend who was older than him with more life experience. for kon, they were pieces that could conform to his idea of a 'family,' but ultimately they did not.

they COULD NOT, because kon himself was never really a person to them. he was superboy, the clone of superman, the rightful heir to the superman legacy. and it's so, so sad bc it showed just how his continued suffering was pretty much inevitable.

[superman86to99]

Super Titles Round-Up (May 1994)

This month: Superboy gets animated! Supergirl gets even! Steel gets that cool-ass Jon Bogdanove cover up there!

Superboy #4 (May 1994)

Superboy is pretty sick due to that pesky Clone Plague running through the Superman titles, so his friends try to cheer him up by showing him the pilot episode for Superboy: The Animated Series. The episode is about two villains called Lock 'n' Lode trying to kill Superboy's manager, Rex Leech, depicted as a handsome "philanthropist and adventurer" in the show (because he's the one who paid for it). Meanwhile, Dubbilex appears as Rex's "wacky telepathic D.N.Alien butler" and Roxy Leech as an "undulating mass of primordial slime," which neither of them appreciates.

The animated scenes are drawn by late Batman Adventures artist Mike Parobeck in that classic broad-chinned Bruce Timm style, so this issue serves as kind of a preview for the other animated-style DCU titles that would come later in the decade (I always thought it was funny that Superboy got an "animated" design before Superman himself did). Anyway, in the show, Lock 'n' Load are defeated thanks to Rex's cleverness, mastery of geometry, and flawless marksmanship, though Superboy helps too. We even get a happy ending for Roxy, as an accident in the "Super-Grotto" causes her to evolve into fungus.

Unfortunately, things are less cheerful in the real world, since the issue ends with Superboy collapsing in the kitchen and his friend Tana remarking that he's not breathing. TO BE CONTINUED!

Supergirl #4 (May 1994)

Final issue! After finding out that Lex Luthor Jr. has been playing her for a gosh-danged fool all these years, the all-new, all-edgy Supergirl goes around the world torching Lex's properties (after making sure all employees have evacuated them, because she's still a sweetheart deep down). Lex figures out what Supergirl is doing and sets an explosive trap in one of his properties that leaves her as a pool of protoplasmic goo on the ground.

But Supergirl was only playing dead, so she uses the fact that Lex thinks he killed her to surprise him at LexCorp Tower. However, once she reaches Lex's office, Supergirl finds out that the red-haired adonis she was expecting to see has been replaced with a frail bald guy in a floating wheelchair. The shock of seeing Lex like that makes Supergirl drop her guard for a moment, which is enough for him to try to kill her again. Lex crawls into his Team Luthor armor for protection, but an even-more-pissed-off Supergirl tears him out and actually throws him through a window to a certain death.

For better or worse, Superman shows up just in time to save Lex, even though he looks like he might drop dead any second anyway. Supergirl is shocked to learn that Lex wasn't lying about his sickness, especially because she would have gladly helped him if he'd just asked her instead of sneakily cloning her to try to make a cure. Supergirl morphs back into her old self as she flies away in tears.

In the epilogue, the Kents let Supergirl know she's very welcome to come live with them again, but she decides she wants to travel the world and grow as a person/sentient lump of protomatter. The miniseries ends a few months later, with Supergirl going to Paris to reunite with Lex's ex-wife Elizabeth Perske, who agrees to be her new mentor. Perske will appear in a few issues of Supergirl's solo series, but the more interesting part in this flash-forward is the mention that U.S. Congress has "passed a measure approving aid for strife-torn Metropolis." Look out for some strife in the main Superman comics, coming soon!

Steel #4 (May 1994)

Steel's evil former employers at Amertek want to get back at him for destroying their headquarters last issue, so they hit him at a place where they know he'll be: at the funeral for a kid who died during a gang fight due to their weapons. Did I mention they're evil? They send a shirtless dude hopped up on Tar, the drug that turns people into Rob Liefeld characters, to crash the funeral, and since John Henry doesn't have his armor on, he has to hit the attacker with church pews until the drug runs out. (Would have been cool if he'd built himself a new armor out of church pews on the spot.)

The attack intensifies the gang war going on in the tough streets of D.C., resulting in another little kid getting shot (an adorable boy named Paco who wanted to be a gang member when he grew up). Then, the issue ends with John's niece Natasha getting ran over by a gang member's car as she's going to the hospital to see Paco. I have a feeling this comic is trying to tell us something about gangs, but I'm not sure what it is.

Oh, yeah, this issue also features a cameo by Lois Lane: John calls her (at home, since she was just fired by the Daily Planet) to figure out what he can do with the CD full of incriminating evidence he got from Amertek's HQ. She hooks him with her college roommate, policewoman/hacker Shauna Beryl (the lady on the cover up there), who will become a recurring character in this comic.

The Ray #1 (May 1994)

In the first issue of his solo series, Ray "The Ray" Terrill takes a trip to Hawaii on the same day that a little troll creature prays to Darkseid next to a volcano, causing a giant lava monster called Brimstone to emerge (Darkseid created a previous incarnation of Brimstone during the Legends crossover). Superboy shows up to help fight Brimstone, but instead of working together, Ray spends most of the issue thinking about how much he hates this kid and calling him a cheap poser. Eventually, after Brimstone has been "defeated," Superboy has enough and punches Ray to finally get him to shut up.

By the way, this issue and the next one are supposed to take place between Superboy #3 and #4, meaning that Superboy was already seriously ill while fighting Brimstone, so I don't blame him for losing his patience with this hater. Ray then hits Superboy back with a big blast of energy and looks mighty smug for a moment... until he notices that Superboy isn't moving or breathing. Yes, that's two comics in one month that end with someone yelling that Superboy is apparently dead. Oh, and then Brimstone wakes up. TO BE CONTINUED, TOO!

Damage #1 (April 1994)

I missed this issue during the April '94 round-up (shout out to Neil in the comments for alerting me of its existence!), so here it goes. Our old pal Metallo is the main villain in the first issue of this series, which is about a wimpy kid called Grant Emerson who occasionally has bursts of explosive strength that allow him to total cars with his fists. Some mysterious villains broke Metallo out of Stryker's Island and gave him a new giant body just to send him to kill Grant at his school. The most interesting part for me is that this backstory is told in the same format as Metallo's backstory in John Byrne's Superman #1, with the green flashback panels at the end of every row.

Damage defeats Metallo, but also destroys his entire school in the process, and then other villains show up to capture him… but that has nothing to do with Superman, so it's none of our business.

NOTE: Our post about Adventures of Superman #512 went up earlier this week, check it here out if you missed it!

[tzigone]

Supporting casts I miss

Roxy and Dubbilex from the Hawaii years of Superboy. They were his family.

The entire crew from '90s Impulse. Carol and Preston, especially, but Rolly and Eddie, too. I'd even like to see Wade and Ayana and Mike again. And White Lightning. And for her to have a name.

Hank and Dawn's college buddies from the '80s Hawk and Dove. Though I admit to being unsure how to translate Donna's "1980s young republican" personality into today's world.

[vveakfish]

shes so gender

[awhitehead17]

Defying Expectations

TimKon, Lifeguard Kon, Civilian Tim, Humour, Friendships.

Summary: When Kon rescues a stranger from the water he was unprepared for how infatuated he would become with him. However it might not be just one way, because the stranger keeps on returning to the beach every time Kon happens to be on shift. Could that be a coincidence, Kon certainly hopes not. 

Enjoy! :D 

“That’s stupid and you know it.”

“No it’s not! It’s a completely reasonable excuse to use.”

“Who says? Reddit? You shouldn’t go seeking answers out from shady people on the internet.”

“I can do what I want.”

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. I look forward to telling you ‘I told you so’ when it all goes wrong.”

Kon huffs and shakes his head not replying. Instead he turns his attention away and looks out over the area of beach he’s patrolling. With the golden sand, clear blue skies and hot weather, the whole package encourages people from all over to come and enjoy the glorious weather on the coast.

Working as a lifeguard at one of the most popular beaches is certainly an interesting job. Without fail something new happens every day, just when he thinks he can’t be surprised anymore something comes and defies that expectation and creates a new one.

It’s not a job he ever expected to do, it’s something he fell into after learning his love for surfing. One day he had been out catching waves and someone in the water shouted for help, being close by Kon helped them until a professional came by, after that something awoke in Kon and he looked into lifeguarding and followed the training until he qualified and got hired. He hasn’t looked back since.

Currently he’s sat with his colleague and friend in a buggy on the sand overlooking the crowd and keeping an eye on everyone just in case something happens, either in the water or on the sand. He and Roxy were chatting while observing to pass the time, the woman is like a sister to him and isn’t afraid to tell him her thoughts, they had just been discussing what Kon had planned to use as an excuse to get out of a meeting with the higher ups. The meeting isn’t anything bad, Kon simply doesn’t want to attend it and is trying to get out of it.

“Hey so next weekend what are your-”

Roxy is cut off from speaking when the radio of their buggy beeps. Answering the call Kon picks it up and listens intently as their colleague Cassie informs them of a situation.

“There's a group of guys east to you, one of them has fallen off the sand bank and into a rip. He’s struggling, one of you need to get out there.”

As soon as Cassie says east the two of them are looking that way and out into the water. Immediately they can see what she’s on about. Not wasting a second Roxy starts the buggy and is driving that way while Kon prepares to go in.

Kon speaks into the radio, “Roger that, I’ll be going be in,” before placing it back and taking his shirt and sunglasses off.

As they approach the area they could hear the aforementioned group arguing and upon further sight Kon could spot them pushing and shoving one another. They’re adult males, tall and muscled, and there’s one child amongst them but it’s the two oldest that are currently arguing.

Kon doesn’t pay them any attention, they’re not in danger, they’re not the concern right now. His current priority is the male struggling to stay afloat in the water, his hand occasionally coming up in the sign for help before it disappears again underneath the waves crashing over him.

Once Roxy’s parked the buggy Kon is moving, he’s off the vehicle in a second and in the next has the lifeguard board in his hands. Kon sprints over the sand and into the water, not letting the change in terrain stop him from moving and as soon as he's deep enough he jumps onto the board and begins paddling out towards the drowning male.

Kon reaches the guy in good time and reaches into the water to pull him up and onto the board. Once his head is out of the water he's coughing and spluttering, Kon manoeuvres him around until he's lying down facing the front. He gives the guy a minute to catch his breath before forcing the board to turn in the water and begins to make his way back to shore.

As he reaches the sand bank Kon climbs off the board and helps the guy off and steadies him when he stumbles, together they trudge out of the shallow water and back onto the dry sand where the others are standing.

Kon stops the guy he saved with a gentle hand on his arm, his other currently carrying the lifeguard board at his side.

“Hey you okay?” He asks concerned. Just because the guy was walking and appeared okay didn’t mean that there wasn’t anything amiss.

The male turns to him and for the first time Kon gets a real good look at his features. He’s young, maybe around Kon’s age if he had to guess. He’s got chin length black hair which is currently wet and swept back off his face, there’s pale skin that’s currently a little red from what Kon could guess is the start of sun burn, and light blue eyes which capture all of his attention within one blink. His frame his muscular in a lithe way, the guy works out but isn’t broad.

He coughs to clear his throat and answers Kon sounding a little croaky. “Yeah. Thank you. I lost my balance in the water then immediately got swept out. I’m a good swimmer but that was…” he waves his hand in a vague gesture but Kon knows what he means.

The water is an unpredictable place no matter how good of a swimmer you are.

Kon grins at him. “You’re welcome. After all that’s why we’re here. Are you sure you’re okay, you didn’t inhale any water or anything?” At the shake of his head Kon continues, “well if you need anything else let us know alright.”

The two of them reach the group waiting for the guy he saved. The two older men Kon spotted earlier immediately crowd the guy while the kid hangs at the back looking bored as ever. Choosing to leave them now no one is in danger Kon walks back to the buggy where Roxy watched the whole thing unfold. She smirks at him as he approaches.

“Good job,” she comments deviously. Kon pauses from where he had started to put away the board back on the buggy and peers at her.

“Why did you say it like that for?”

She shrugs acting nonchalant, “oh, no reason,” the giggle she lets out very much contradicts her words.

“Rox.”

“At least you checked him out once you were out of the water. He really caught your eye huh darling.”

Kon scowls at her. “I did not check him out! I was making sure he was okay after nearly drowning, because y’know, that’s what we do… we stop people from drowning.”

“Sure, love, whatever you say.” Kon glares at her but before he could protest further she carries on speaking. “If it helps I overheard the men he’s with. They’re brothers, apparently the playful shoving between siblings got out of hand which led to him falling in the water. I did hear though, that they are on vacation here for the week.”

Kon tries to not let his thoughts get ahead of himself upon hearing that. Pretending how that fact doesn't excite him, he shakes his head and climbs into the buggy. “And you’re telling me this because...”

“Because… you may get to see him again.”

Snorting at the idea Kon shakes his head. “Sure. As if we don’t see thousands of tourists every day and speak to over a hundred of them each day.”

Roxy starts up the buggy and they head back to the central part of the beach to continue with their shifts. Kon will deny it ever happened but he couldn’t help glance at the guy he saved again as they drive away, he blinks in surprise when he finds him already staring back at him. Unconsciously Kon grins at him and the other smiles shyly before ducking his head looking away.

===========

Kon would rather go to hell than tell Roxy how she was right. He doesn’t need that looming over him.

It turns out Kon will see the guy he saved for the following three days after that. He doesn’t know what it is but there’s a magnet attached to him because as Kon scans the crowds, keeping an eye out for anyone that may be in trouble, his gaze always somehow lands on the stranger. Different times of the day, at different parts of the beach. Kon always manages to sees him. Sometimes the stranger is looking back and other times not. He would be either with his brothers like the first day or with a couple females, sometimes a mixture of them all.

From a distance Kon couldn’t work out what his relationship with the girls are, whether they’re friends, siblings or more. And doesn’t that make him seem like a creep… he doesn’t mean anything by it but after four days Kon can’t deny and say there isn’t any attraction there. He wants to know more about this guy, he’s caught Kon’s attention like no one else ever has.

An elbow to his side jerks Kon out of his thoughts. Blinking he turns his attention to where Cassie is lounging on a chair. They’re in the central tower of the beach overlooking everything through the large windows and their binoculars, if anything happens they’ll alert the others in the buggy’s on the sand below them.

“What?” He snaps at his friend.

She grins menacingly at him. “Your man is here.”

Kon hates the way his heart picks up at her words and he desperately tries to hide his eagerness to the news. Instead he scowls at her and pointedly looks away. “What? I don’t have ‘a man’.”

“Uh huh, sure.” She drawls out, not even bothering to hide the amusement from her voice. “He's coming down the ramp on the west end, with one of his brothers and the hot blonde.”

Kon fights the urge with all his might to not look in that direction.

“Wonder how long they have left here?” Cassie questions out loud, clearly riling Kon up. She must have been speaking with Roxy. The two girls are always up for making his life miserable. “Perhaps around two or three days left?”

Just as Kon’s about to lose his patience their radios crackle with an incoming call. Cassie sits up and answers it. It turns out it’s Roxy and she’s not calling because there’s an emergency.

“Have you spotted what I’ve spotted on the west side of the beach?” She sounds too smug for her own good.

“We have!” Cassie cheerfully replies. “Kon’s denying his existence.”

“You do realise these radios are for work, such as when someone is dying.” Kon growls out, not appreciating the teasing he’s having to put up with.

“C’mon Kon, don’t be like that. When’s the last time you had fun outside of work?” Roxy asks, sounding more sober than moments ago. She clearly knows the teasing is starting to go too far.

“It’s none of your business.” Kon grumbles. Both Roxy and Cassie know the answer to that, and the implications. Kon hasn’t been in a relationship for years and as for getting laid, well it’s been a long time.

“Why don’t you ask him out? What’s stopping you?” Cassie asks genuinely seeming curious to what his reply will be.

Kon rolls his eyes and finally gives into the urge to look at the man he’s developed a crush on despite knowing absolutely nothing about him. He and his group have made camp on the west side of the beach not too far from the ramp. They’ve laid out their towels and have put up an umbrella to provide shade from the hot sun. The stranger is currently dressed in a loose t-shirt and swim shorts, he’s sat up hunched over his phone, his companions are currently running a photoshoot. The girl striking different poses with the beach and ocean as her backdrop and the brother taking said photos on a phone.

He watches the group for a moment before turning back to Cassie glaring lightly at her. “For starters, he may not be single - ”

Cassie immediately cuts him off. “Oh he is.”

She says it with confidence that leaves Kon blinking at her puzzled. Apparently the question is written over his face because she explains.

“I spoke to the blonde the other day, she’s called Stephanie. They’re here on a family vacation. She told me he’s most definitely single. And before you say anything he’s bisexual. And, he has also been eyeing you up too since you rescued him at the start of the week.”

Kon gapes at her trying to absorb what she’s telling him. Questions fill his mind but his brain to mouth filter is currently offline making it difficult to speak. On the radio he hears Roxy cackling in the background.

After several beats Kon shuts his mouth and leans back in his chair. Cassie very effectively just shut down his other points at the same. He glances at his colleague before looking away again feeling somewhat apprehensive about the situation.

“Pray tell, what do I do then? I can’t just go strolling up to him, plaster on a flirtatious grin and ask him out.”

Cassie raises her eyebrows and spreads her hands out, silently saying why not?

“I’m not doing that!” Kon exclaims. He huffs, “isn’t there like a rule or something about dating someone you recused?”

There’s a pause before three voices speak out. “No.”

Kon startles and turns around at the third and unexpected voice. Another colleague and friend is in the tower with him and Cassie, Kon has no idea how long Bart has been there but he stares at the guy bewildered.

“Have you been listening this entire time?”

With a mouth full of food Bart nods and hums, he swallows and jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve been in the kitchen for the last twenty minutes. You’re currently talk of the entire team Kon. You need to go and ask this guy out, if you get rejected then at least you tried.”

Roxy’s voice comes over the radio again. “You have a break soon, do it then.”

“I’m not-” Kon starts protesting but cuts himself off, “why are you all ganging up on me? What have I done to deserve this?”

“You really want an answer to that?” Roxy replies with heavy sarcasm.

After that silence settles in the tower until a situation calls them in for action and it becomes a hectic half hour of rushing around and saving people in the water, thankfully all of whom make it and they have no casualties that day so far. Both Kon and Cassie got called into action while Bart directed from the central tower. When they get a chance to breathe Kon feels drained and he takes the quiet opportunity to cash in his break.

Roxy, who he’s at the buggy with on the sand, nudges him towards the tower. “Go grab your phone and then go get your man.”

Kon opens his mouth to protest but decides against it. Sighing in defeat Kon begins to trudge up the sand towards the tower. It seemed like Bart was still involved with the whole ordeal because he’s there at the bottom of the stairs to the tower when Kon arrives with Kon’s phone and towel in his hands.

Bart grins as he hands his stuff over. “Go get ‘em tiger.”

Kon shoves him hard in retaliation. Bracing himself for what he’s about to do he takes a breath and starts wondering over to the west side of the beach, towards the stranger he’s all but gravitated too this week.

It’s only when he’s several feet away from him that Kon realises he’s not wearing a shirt, having come straight from a rescue he didn’t even think about it until now. Oh well, he’ll have to make do, at least he knows he’s got a great physique and isn’t conscious at all. Constantly being shirtless to do ninety percent of his job will help with that.

As he nears the stranger Kon’s relieved to find he’s on his own, his siblings having disappeared somewhere. The guy is on his phone and not paying attention at all to anything around him. Kon shuffles awkwardly nearby debating on how to approach him, he curses himself because this has never been a problem before, in bars he finds it super easy to walk up to someone and show his interest but for some reason that same level of confidence isn’t making an appearance right now. In the end he tells himself to stop being pathetic and marches forward, choosing to approach the guy from the front in hopes to not startle him and Kon waits for his presence to be noticed before doing anything.

A few seconds later the stranger looks up and while he’s wearing sunglasses Kon can tell he’s got his full attention. With his cheeks goring red, and not because of the sun, the stranger smiles at Kon in recognition. “Hey.”

Kon grins back and feels his uneasiness fade away. “Hey. Not to sound creepy but I saw you here and I happen to be on my break, would you mind I joined you for a bit?”

The stranger shakes his head, his smile still prominent. “Uh, no, I don’t mind. By all means…” he waves to the free patch of sand next to him and Kon takes the invitation and expertly lays out his towel before settling down on it.

He leans over holding out a hand. “I’m Kon.”

“Pleasure.” The stranger replies, he takes Kon’s hand and shakes it, “I’m Tim.”

Kon does his hardest to ignore the thoughts that filter through his mind as they clasped hands. Tim’s hands are soft but there’s hints of roughness from callouses.

Before an awkward silence can fall between them Kon speaks up, glancing at Tim beside him. “So where are you from Tim? You sound American.”

There’s a beat before Tim replies back to him, at first Kon thought Tim hadn’t heard him but then Tim clears his throat in a way that makes him grin. Maybe ‘hadn’t heard’ was the wrong assumption but rather distracted would be more accurate.

“I, uh – I um.” He clears his throat again. “Yes I’m American, I’m from Gotham.”

Kon blinks having not expected that. “How long have you been marvelling at the blue sky for then?” He teases. “It’s not something you get to see every day.”

Tim snorts and shakes his head. “Okay, okay, Gotham may be dark and dreary, but there are good things about the city. I’m here on vacation with my family. In fact the assholes I call brothers is the reason you rescued me the other day.”

The blush on Tim’s cheeks deepens. Kon laughs at his comment and is glad Tim brought up the rescue himself, Kon had been tempted to comment about it but in case Tim felt too embarrassed by ordeal he opted to stay quiet about it. The fact Tim freely made the comment himself means it’s an open topic conversation.

“Brothers are assholes, big ones and little ones. Anyway that’s what I do here, I save people who find themselves in trouble.”

“Credit to you, you all do amazing jobs.” Tim says looking at him through his sunglasses. Smiling softly Kon shrugs at the compliment, it’s always nice to hear genuine gratitude.

Switching his gaze between Tim and the crowd on the beach he takes a deep breath and finally asks the question that’s lead him here. “Hey, I wanted to ask, and by all means you can say no, would you like to go out for drinks sometime?”

He refuses to look at Tim, nervous of what his answer is going to be. Kon’s surprised when all Tim does is laugh, he turns back to the guy gawking at him.

“No, no, I don’t mean it like that!” Tim quickly says between breaths. He giggles for a moment – which Kon finds absolutely adorable – and then takes a deep breath to calm himself down. He wipes his eyes underneath the glasses and speaks up again, this time more in control of himself. “I’m laughing because I was about to ask you the same question, and I viciously hoped that’s why you came here.”

Putting a hand on his chest over his pounding heart Kon breathes out. “Jesus man don’t do that. I genuinely felt my stomach drop.”

Tim snickers. “Sure. But yes, I would love to. However I’m only here for a few more nights, you free tonight?”

Kon sobers up at hearing the news but it’s not like he didn’t already know. “Well I guess we better make the most of it,” he grins at Tim and holds out his phone with the contacts app open, “I can message you later when I finish at seven. Then, as a local resident, I can show you the best spots on a night out.”

Tim takes his phone and enters his details. “Sounds good, I’m sure I can escape my hoard of siblings for the night.”

They grin at one another and Kon is more than surprised, and thankful, about how easy it seemed to be between them. They chat even further about all kinds of topics until Kon gets called off his break and with a reluctant goodbye they part ways as Kon heads back to work. However, he walks away beaming because there’s a new number in his contacts and he’s got a date that night.

He proudly declares this as he enters the tower meeting everyone’s expectant gazes. Where it goes from here Kon has no idea but he’s looking forward to whatever it may be.

[gretahayes]

Superboy (1994) #17

[bluejaysandblackbats]

In The Soup

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Superfam

Summary: Jason Lives AU where he and Superboy become friends, despite Bruce's disapproval of Superboy. (ft. Jason's service dog, Gromit)

Chapters: 6/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Conner Kent, Roxy Leech, Rex Leech

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Conner Kent is Superboy, Good Friend Jason Todd, Protective Jason Todd, Overprotective Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Disabled Characters, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Get Along, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Developing Friendships, Sneaking Around, Disguise, Fluff and Humor, Secret Messages, Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Six: Market Stepmommy

Conner waited for Barbara to let him past the security system, and he followed her directions to the kitchen, where Jason scrambled to make their sandwiches. “Hey, Jason?” Conner asked. Jason froze in place, staring up at Conner. “How hard did you fall?”

“Oh, not hard. I have nerve damage. Like today isn’t a bad pain day, but it’s a numbness day,” Jason explained, “It’s funny how a few hits to the head can do a lot to your body in the long run.”

“Sports?” Conner asked.

“Not exactly,” Jason replied as he finished making breakfast. “Gromit, here, buddy. Thanks for the pick me up this morning.” He fed Gromit two slices of bacon and washed his hands. Gromit brushed his face against Jason’s ankle. “I love you too, Gromit.”

“Food smells great,” Conner replied as Jason gave him his plate.

“Thanks… Barbara! Food’s done!” Jason hollered.

“Why are you yelling? Just use the intercom,” Barbara complained as she entered the room. “Hi, Baby Boy, watch out,” Barbara whispered as Gromit walked past her, proudly chewing his treat.

“Oh, Barbara. Conner thought you were my stepmom,” Jason chuckled.

“I would never date Bruce, though… That’d be gross, but I might start telling women at the grocery store that you’re my son. Do you think that works the same way it does for cute babies in sitcoms? How about it, Jason? Do you wanna help me find you a new stepmommy?” Barbara joked.

"I thought you were talking to that computer guy?" Jason asked.

"I can't have a backup plan? Besides, what if you don't like your future stepdad—?"

"Eww, okay. This joke is getting gross. Conner, she isn't my stepmom, she's a friend of the family. We wouldn't know what to do without her. Hey, Barbara, could you get Conner into school with me?" Jason asked as he took three pill bottles from Gromit's backpack. Conner watched as Jason washed his pills down with half a bottle of water.

"Mhm, I'll have him enrolled by Sunday night," Barbara answered.

Conner looked up from his sandwich. "Whoa, you guys were serious? That's—. Wow. Thank you," Conner smiled.

"It was easy. Don't worry about it. Do me a favor and make sure these two get outdoors,” Barbara requested, “And we’ll call it even.” Conner chuckled and nodded.

“Jason, where do you like to hang out?” Conner asked.

“I haven’t been to the museum in a while,” Jason replied, “Oh, and there’s this place called The Sewer, and they play live music sometimes. But it’s only cool at nighttime…” Jason looked at Barbara with wide eyes.

“I’ll watch Gromit while you hit the teen club tonight, but only because he’s great at keeping me company. How about it, Gromit? Do you want to work with Auntie Barbara tonight?” Barbara asked as she scratched under Gromit’s chin.

“Nothing too dangerous,” Jason warned her. Barbara nodded. “Does anybody want another sandwich? I’ve got a bunch of leftover bacon.”

“Please,” Barbara replied. Conner nodded along with her.

After breakfast, Jason let Conner go to his room with him while he got ready to go out. “Thanks for coming over. Are you gonna spend the night after The Sewer or—? Sorry, I haven’t been out and about a whole lot, so I’m excited to have somebody to hang out with—.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. I don’t have anyone normal like you to hang out with, so it’s nice to be able to chill with you,” Conner smiled. Jason threw on one of Bruce’s old beat-up flannels and pulled on his pants. Conner laid back and stretched out on Jason’s bed. “What’s it like living with Bruce Wayne? Is he like your dad or something?”

“Yeah, he is my dad. I love him a lot, but he’s got this weird vendetta against you because he thinks you’re gonna hurt Superman or something,” Jason confessed, “Which is why he can never know you’re Superboy. He’d flip his lid if he knew we were friends.”

Conner turned on his side and grinned at Jason. “So, we’re friends?” Conner asked.

Jason’s cheeks went rosy. “Shut up,” Jason giggled without meaning to. “We can do whatever you want between the museum and The Sewer tonight.”

“What is The Sewer exactly?” Conner questioned.

“It’s a nightclub for teens. After eight, it’s sixteen and up,” Jason replied, “I snuck in once when I was eleven… But I haven’t been able to get in since.”

Conner chuckled. “I’m sorry. I’m not—. Well, I kind of—. I imagined a tinier you in a nightclub moshing with teenagers,” Conner laughed. Jason snickered, and it built into a full-body laugh that left him doubled over.

“Oh, it was terrible,” Jason laughed, “I got tossed around like a ragdoll.” Conner and Jason laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks.

“I would’ve given anything to be a real kid,” Conner mumbled. Jason stopped laughing.

“You are a real kid,” Jason replied. Conner smiled and shook his head.

“I’m a science project being passed off as a kid,” Conner replied, “You don’t have to be nice about it. I know what I am—.”

“Clone or no clone, you’re a regular sixteen-year-old kid to me—. No, you’re better than most sixteen-year-old kids. You’re empathetic. You’re not judgmental. You’re funny. You’re friendly—. I mean—. I’m glad you were made in a lab because that’s what it took for me to get a friend like you,” Jason stated. Conner smiled.

“Thanks, Jason,” Conner whispered, “Hey, do you like fast cars?”

“Do ducks fly south for the winter?” Jason replied. Conner laughed.

“How ‘bout I take you flying on the way home tonight?” Conner suggested.

"Yeah, I'd love it, but my chair—."

"I can carry the chair too. Just fold it up. What do you say?" Conner asked. Jason nodded, his mouth open at the thought of flying. "It'll be fun. I promise."

Barbara knocked on the door. "No curfew tonight. It’s Saturday, and I think the chances of you two getting arrested are slim to none,” Barbara whispered.

Jason’s phone rang. “Oh! Hold on, it’s my dad. Mind if I take this?” Jason asked. Conner shook his head. “Hi, Bruce. Everything okay from abroad?”

“Mhm… I miss you,” Bruce whispered, “I don’t think I’ll be home this week, though… Jason, are you alright with Barbara until I get home?”

“Mhm… Are you gonna—? When are you and Alfred coming home? Do you have any idea?” Jason asked. A loud wind blew on Bruce’s end.

“It’ll be at least a week… Hopefully no more than a month, Jason—.”

“Is it dangerous?” Jason asked. Conner heard Jason’s pulse pick up speed.

“No more than the usual… I love you, Jason,” Bruce whispered.

“I love you too… Bruce? Um… If you’re in trouble—. Can you have Alfred write me or call me if something happens?” Jason asked.

“Uh-huh… Jason, are you alright?” Bruce questioned.

“Yeah… I just—. I’m hanging out with my friend tonight, so I might not answer my phone,” Jason replied.

“Okay… Be good, and feel free to call me if you need something,” Bruce whispered, “I gotta go.”

“Bye, D—. Bye, Bruce,” Jason whispered. He hung up and dropped his phone in his lap. “Okay. Ready to go?” Jason smiled, but there was no hiding his discomfort.

[desperatecheesecubes]

Sorry still crying about how baby Kon is at the start of his run

[argentoau]

thinking about cissie and kon parallels, thinking about rex leech and bonnie king parallels, also thinking about how roxy and cissie would probably get along

[is-this-fandom-who-knows]

Kon really regrets introducing Roxy, Serling, and Lori to each other.

Kon: Look, I consider myself a bit of a lady's man.

Kon: So under most circumstances I would be delighted to have a trio of beautiful blonde babes talking about me.

Kon: but must you three only recount my greatest flops?

Roxy, Serling, and Lori, in unison: Yes.