[ catchall for april/may ]

[supersweet]

who: Jonathan Kent, Communal Housing; Floor 6 + You
what: Fireflies, meeting the neighbours, other catchall events
when: Late April/Early May
where: Prompt-dependent
warnings: None. Prose is fine but I'll be responding in action brackets. Other prompts may be added later!


[ CLOSED to denizens of Floor Six ]

[ The Kents didn't have much in the way of neighbours. Hamilton was a quiet town and they preferred it that way. And while Jon enjoys Hamilton County, he often daydreams of having friends close by or even playing team sports together. Kathy was great (and it helped that she knew his secret and kept it for him), but it never felt like it was enough.

So having neighbours around was both terrifying and exhilarating. After settling himself, Jon decided to visit each of his floor mates with a large bag of sour candies. After all, it's not like he can buy beer (adults drink beer right??) for them. When he runs into someone, his grin is casual. ]

Hi! I'm Jon. I'm your neighbour. Person.

[ Around the city ]

[ Like his father, Jon's hearing was sensitive. Thankfully, the intensity of the sounds tends to waver from loud to the normal range of a human being. Clapping his hands on his ears as Jon heads back home, he wishes it would remain in the normal range a little longer. He was not used to living in the city and he had only made a few trips to Metropolis when he was younger, none of them long enough to be memorable or familiar to him.

And right now, the city was deafening.

He runs right into anyone standing in his way, bowling them over completely. His expression is unfocused and glazed before clarity sinks in. ]

S-Sorry.

[ Jon claps his hands back over his ears with a wince. ] I'm sorry!

[ Fireflies ]

[ Jon had wanted to see the fireflies, watching the colours weave in and out. He hadn't thought it merited telling anyone he had gone out. After all, it was only fireflies. But then they drifted closer and Jon started to feel nervous.

One yellow firefly stung him on his neck and a flood of repressed feelings come rushing to the surface. Of other realities and forgotten memories. Of fading away. Jon hurriedly wipes away the tears that were starting to spill from his face. He needed to — Where was his dad? Why hadn't he come? He promised Jon. He promised he wouldn't let go. With a hiccup, Jon sits down, trying to wipe away his fears and regain his composure. All the while, hearing the laughter of Mr. Mxyzptlk in the back of his mind. ]

[ Mission, CLOSED to Steve Rogers (MCU) ]

[ Normally, Jon isn't all that keen when it comes to hanging out with grownups. They're boring and they hang over him, trying to keep an eye on him and be responsible. It's no fun and it gets tiring very quickly. But Steve had been nice and had reminded him of his own dad back home. The idea of doing a mission, a real mission meant he could be a real hero.

Plus Steve offered ice-cream, a sure-fire way into Jon's heart. After checking with Miss Jones and his parents, Jon takes part of his allowance and heads over to the ice-cream shop where they were supposed to meet. He climbs onto the stool with a jump in his gait. ]

Hey Mr. Rogers!

Comments

mission!

[starspangled]

[steve doesn't have that much experience with kids, but he can already tell that he likes jon. he's young, too young to be on his own, but the way he talked about his parents and his own situation suggested a maturity beyond that of a ten year old boy.

when jonathan jumps up on that stool across from him, steve's reminded that he is, and he feels a fresh wave of concern that he hides behind a smile and a joke.]

Hey. I hope you didn't have your heart set on cookies 'n cream, because I've got my eye on it.

[even steve couldn't eat the whole thing of it. probably.]

[supersweet]

No way, I'm gotta get strawberry and whipped cream.

[ He waves his money at the counter. They take it kindly, serving it in a cup and spoon. With delight, Jon digs his spoon in. ]

Is cookies 'n cream your favourite?

[starspangled]

Smart thinking.

[strawberry ice cream probably has some strawberries in it, right? it could almost count as a serving of fruit.

okay, he knows better. it's just nice to see him enjoying it.]

It is. When I was a kid, we didn't really have that many flavors. Chocolate and vanilla were pretty much it. [he orders a cone with a scoop of it, thanking the waitress when she brings it back. steve takes a bite before continuing.] Having cookies and ice cream at the same time? I couldn't have dreamed it.

[supersweet]

[ Jon pauses, looking at Steve with wide eyes. ]

How old are you?

[starspangled]

Why, do I sound old?

[steve already knows the answer to that, from the second the words left his mouth. he sighs before looking up thoughtfully. when you have to do the math, you're old.]

Let's see, my birthday's in July so...98?

[supersweet]

You didn't have proper ice-cream.

[ That's like, ancient in kid years. Still though . . . ninety-eight. Jon may not be the best at understanding big words, but he knows math and basic history. ]

You were around the same time as Captain Storm. That's around the time of World War II.

[starspangled]

We didn't have a lot of things, but we got by okay.

[some things were better. other things...well, steve would admit that some things get better in the future, even if they're still not perfect by a long shot.]

Captain Storm?

[supersweet]

[ Look, it would blow any ten year old's mind. Jon licks the spoon as he digs back in. ]

He was a naval officer back in World War II. He worked in a team called the Losers. Even though he lost an eye and a leg, he kept fighting. He was pretty tough!

[starspangled]

He certainly sounds tough.

[that team name tho.]

You must be from an alternate universe. I'm sure I would've heard of him otherwise. [he's done too much reading on the subject himself not to.] Did you learn about him in school?

[supersweet]

Uhm, we're all from alternate universes.

[ Jon's look is completely flat. ]

We didn't learn about him in school though. My . . . dad told me about him.

[starspangled]

That's true. [steve smiles a bit.] But I meant you and I specifically. There are a few people here who are from the same one as me, but not many.

[and there are people who know the same places and events that steve knows, but with little twists. the devil in the details.]

Did your dad look up to him?

[supersweet]

[ There's a long pause as Jon tries to find the right answer. His father is Superman. Jon can't picture him looking up to anyone, even a captain like William Storm. Jon chews on his lip absently before answering. ]

My dad respects people who stand up for other people. I dunno who he looks up to.

[starspangled]

Well, if Captain Storm did that, he's got my respect too.

[his ice cream is starting to melt, and he has to turn his head to eat a bite of it before it starts to drip.]

I never met my dad, but he was that way too. He made me wanna be a soldier.

[supersweet]

[ Jon scoops a bit of his ice-cream on his spoon. A soldier. That possibility is closed to Jon and his father. They're too strong and it's unfair. ]

Isn't it hard? Being a soldier? Fighting all the time?

[starspangled]

[steve takes a moment to think about that, because he wants to answer him honestly, and that answer is complicated.]

Sometimes. You have to give up a lot of things, sometimes you get tired. [he smiles when he looks at jon.] But then you remember why you're doing it, that you're protecting people, saving lives. That makes it a lot harder to stop. Does that make sense?

[supersweet]

[ Jon nods somberly. To anyone else, it wouldn't. But Jon's family has done a lot in order to protect people. To protect Jon. As much as he hates the lying and the deception, he knows where it comes from. It's from a place that wishes him all the safety and security a child can get.

Which . . . isn't much in Jon's case. Sadly, his life will always be more active than most. ]

My dad would never stop. Neither would my mom. I know it's not my fault or anything to do with me, but it gets lonely.

[starspangled]

[it hurts steve to hear him say that. it's the very reason why a family and the whole white picket fence thing can never be for him. he doubts he could stop either, but would his family always be in second place because of that? it doesn't feel fair.]

Have you ever talked to them about it?

[supersweet]

[ Jon shrugs. ]

They know. We all know. And it's fine. I mean, I'm proud of them. And sometimes, we do hard things to be proud of who we are.

[starspangled]

You know, you're starting to make me feel like the kid here.

[especially with a melting ice cream cone in his hand. steve quickly reaches for some napkins.]

But it's been awhile since anyone's done that, so thanks. [he adds with a smile.] So, what do you want to do when you get older? Plan on following in your folks' footsteps?

[supersweet]

[ Jon pauses. He gets that question a lot but he never quite found the right answer. Not to mention, he can't talk about superhero-ing. ]

I dunno yet. My parents are journalists, but I'm not that smart.

[starspangled]

I don't believe that. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could be a journalist. Or anything else for that matter.

[he seems plenty clever to steve, not to mention eager and brave for a boy his age. There's that and the fact that steve has never put much stock in limitations. they said he'd never get in the army either.]

Speaking of, I think we've still got a mission to take on. You about ready to go?

[supersweet]

[ Jon pumps his fist in the air. A real mission! Hastily, he wipes off any signs of ice-cream on his face so he can look professional as he nods vigorously. ]

I'm ready! I'll be super useful, I promise!