Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kon doesn’t know how to feel about Jon Kent at first.

Maybe it’s because he’s still getting used to being considered part of the family, feeling off-kilter at Clark’s attempts to reconcile with him. Not that he doesn’t appreciate it, even if it leaves him wondering where he fits in. Ma and Pa Kent loved him since the beginning—Kon is pretty sure that’s where Clark’s about-face comes from—and staying at the farm has been good for him. Lois never really seemed to have anything against him; she was often just stuck running interference between him and Clark, so he can’t say he knows her all that well. He supposes that’s half the point of them all starting to have him around more often now.

Jon, though, had been enamored with the thought of Kon ever since he found out about him. He had been an only child for such a long time, and the idea of an older brother had been endlessly fascinating and exciting to him. Kon hadn’t realized how much of a role Jon had in mending their small family until Kon had met him for the first time, stars in his little blue eyes.

The kid had bounced up to him, mouth running at a mile a minute as he bombarded him with questions and complimented his clothes. He supposes he should've toned it down a bit for meeting Clark’s kid for the first time, but instead, the little guy just seemed enthralled by the spikes on his jacket. With the amount of energy the kid had, Kon was half worried he’d learn how to fly early through his enthusiasm alone. Jon was so amazed that even Clark looked fond and amused at their interaction, stunning him out of his normal, somewhat awkward demeanor that he had when being around Kon.

Kon was glad that Jon liked him, relief washing through his system as he met another member of his family without making them hate him. Kids usually imitate their parents, so he was kind of afraid that Jon would be weird around him, as Clark was. He supposes it’d be only fair; it’s not like he was actually Clark’s kid, just a weird thing pretending to be one, but he’s reassured when Jon seems oblivious to any tension in the room.

It’s only later that the worry rekindles. Sure, Jon loves him now, loves the idea of him, or having an older brother, but what if Kon messes it up? He doesn’t know how to interact with a child; he never was one. Look how easily Clark messed up with him—Clark, who was supposed to be his pseudo-brother/father/cousin or something. Kon doesn’t know how to be an older relative in return. What if he says something wrong or hurts him or—Oh, Rao. Should he pick up a parenting book?

Ma Kent had laughed when he brought his concerns to her later that day, after Clark, Lois, and Jon had returned to their Metropolis apartment. It wasn’t cruel or condescending, but rather she reassured him that everything would be fine. No one knows what they're doing when it comes to raising children; certainly she didn't, let alone a superpowered one at that. He would figure things out, and he would make mistakes, but it would be okay. He could always ask for help if he needed it.

So, despite Clark making an effort to be better, to be nicer, to set aside his opinions about Luthor and his actions, and to treat Kon like a separate, sentient being, Kon never really expected to be trusted with his child. He supposes that maybe that’s part of the growth, part of the proof that Clark’s opinion of him had changed, because Kon thinks that last year, Clark wouldn’t have let him within 10 feet of his child for fear of Kon hurting him. He certainly never would’ve expected to be babysitting him.

Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. Sure, Clark and Lois are gone, but they dropped Jon off at the farm to be watched by his grandparents. Kon just also happens to be there. Ma is at the store, and Pa is out in the field—Kon keeps offering to help, but Pa is stubborn, and Kon thinks that if he offers one more time, Pa won’t actually ask for help when he needs it because he’ll be trying to prove something. Huh. Sounds familiar.

So Ma and Pa are busy, and Clark and Lois are gone, which just leaves Jon and Kon in the house, which means that Kon is in charge of the kid’s safety and well-being. He’s pretending that doesn’t stress him out as much as it does, stuck between honored and terrified, and attempting to keep his emotions under wraps by scrolling through his phone on his couch. He’s not really looking at anything, his mind too frazzled to actually take in anything on the screen in front of him, which allows Jon the perfect opportunity to sneak up on him without really meaning to.

“Konnie?” Jon asks, and Kon tries to hide the way it makes him jump, super hearing be damned.

“Yeah, kid?”

“I’m hungry.” Jon pouts.

The part of Kon’s mind that is wondering what to do is immediately overshadowed by how cute the kid looks. Something deep down inside him rears its head at the sight of Jon looking sad in front of him, messy hair and big, blue eyes, and coos. It wants to snatch Jon up in its arms, hold him tight, and never let him go. He wants to give the kid anything he wants, burn the world down for him if he asks, and, well, he should probably push those intense types of feelings down into a little box and not look at them too closely, because that’s probably not normal and he needs to not go psycho killer when he’s trying to make nice with Clark’s his family.

“Do you like pancakes?” Kon asks, instead of doing something normal, like helping him get one of the snacks Ma probably has lying around.

The kid’s eyes light up. “Ones with chocolate chips and strawberries?”

“I can do that.” Kon confirms, pushing himself off the couch and making his way to the kitchen. Kon actually can cook fairly well and enjoys baking, so pancakes are an easy enough meal. Sure, it might be kind of odd to have at 2 pm, but Kon was never one for doing things by the book, and they’re fairly easy to make healthy. At least the kid already wants them with strawberries.

“Have you ever made pancakes before?” Kon asks, pulling out the necessary supplies and ingredients.

Jon shakes his head and eyes the sizzling pan with something like awe. “No, my mom says I’m not allowed to use the stove by myself until I’m older, even if I’m invulnerable.”

Kon eyes the kid. “Are you invulnerable?”

“Not yet,” Jon replies with a sheepish grin.

“Well then, it’s a good thing that you have me here to supervise. I’ll even let you scoop the batter into the pan if you promise to be careful.” He promises slyly, and Jon looks up at him with wide eyes, enthralled by the allure of getting to assist. “Now then,” Kon continues, looking around the small kitchen. “Let’s see if we can find you a step stool.”

Cooking goes well, Kon letting Jon throw in as many chocolate chips as he wants and distinctly not letting him cut up the strawberries. They’re finished by the time Ma gets home, Jon happily munching on the pancakes and Kon stealing the occasional strawberry.

“You boys having a mid-afternoon snack?” Ma asks, setting her groceries down on the counter.

Immediately, Kon feels guilty. He had forgotten that Ma was out shopping, probably picking up the things she needed to make dinner, and here he was, ruining the kid’s appetite. “Sorry,” Kon apologizes. “He was hungry.” He explains, and then immediately feels worse for throwing the kid under the bus.

Ma just laughs, putting her things away. “I could never keep up with a growing boy’s hunger. Clark could’ve cleared out an entire grocery store as a kid if we let him.” She jokes.

Kon relaxes a little, now that she doesn’t seem mad.

“You made them yourselves?” Ma asks, seeming impressed.

“It’s just pancakes.” Kon says, embarrassed.

“You should give some of those cooking skills to your father.” Ma continues, unbothered. “I still don’t think he knows how to take care of himself.”

Your father, Ma had said. Certainly, she was talking to Jon then, because there’s no way Clark views himself as Kon’s father.

Ma keeps talking, either oblivious to his distress or deliberately distracting from it. “I assume you boys won’t leave me with the mess?” She trails off, eyes scanning over the dishes and mess on the counter.

“I was going to clean it up.” Kon starts to explain.

“I promised I’d help him, but I was hungry.” Jon interrupts, sounding a little embarrassed.

Ma smiles at him softly. “Never feel bad for listening to your body. It’s okay if other things have to wait until a little later.” She reassures. “Just be sure you don’t forget about it when you’re done.”

“We won’t,” Jon promises and takes another huge bite of pancake.

“See, you’re doing just fine.” Ma says to Kon, running a hand through his curly hair, picking out pieces of flour.

“Yeah,” Kon says, looking over at Jon, “I hope so.” 

Chapter Text

Kon thinks that ten is too young for crime fighting.

Kon was years older when he started, if you ignore the fact that he started almost immediately out of his pod, and he thinks that might’ve been too young. There’s no way his little brother should be subjected to the horrors of the world and the general public this early.

He has given up on not calling Jon his brother, at least in his head, because Jon is persistently insistent, and the thing deep down inside of him purrs smugly when he does. He still doesn’t call him that in front of Clark, some lingering sense of self-preservation making the words die on his tongue. Despite the progress they’ve made, he’s not sure if he would mind, and Kon isn’t really interested in finding out.

So, sure, Jon patrols with Damian most of the time, but the 12-year-old has bat-like tendencies, which doesn’t really leave him feeling reassured. Kon doesn’t mind sharing Superboy with Jon, but it makes that weird thing deep down inside of him go ⁣MineMineMine. Not in a jealous way for the title, but in a way that revels in how it claims Jon as his.

He tries to ignore it.

He knows that dealing with Kryptonite is not an uncommon hazard, especially since they all fly around with a symbol on their chest that practically screams how much of a target they are for it. It’s just, despite the number of times he’s encountered it or watched it be used against Clark, he never really imagined someone using it against Jon.

How could they? His baby brother is the cutest, most adorable little brother in the world. He’s sweet and caring and just wants to help. He’s precious and innocent, and Kon should probably smush down those weird feelings some more because that little shit is going to give him a fucking heart attack.

It’s not his fault, except for the fact that he hangs around someone who enables him to do dangerous things, and Jon throws himself at said things like he has something to prove. They should really look into that.

That is what leads Kon to where he is now, watching some loser, villain wannabe hold his younger brother and his best friend captive, cackling on the broadcast about something he isn’t bothering to listen to. The loser, villain wannabe has knocked Damian unconscious, which Kon recognizes to be a formidable task, and probably drugged him with something, given the way he hasn’t gotten back up yet. He’s also keeping his baby brother down by trapping him in a small cage, which is lined with kryptonite. Watching his brother lay there limply, a pained look on his face, is starting to drive Kon insane.

He knows that they’re waiting for backup and that both he and Clark are considered down for this mission because of the kryptonite, but there’s this urge welling up from that weird thing deep down inside of him, itching under his skin. Tim waits anxiously next to him, worried about his own brother but also keeping an eye on Kon. He knows it makes sense to wait, that there’s no use in getting himself caught too, and that there are plenty of very qualified, non-Kryptonian heroes, but he can’t stand it any longer.

Those weird feelings, that odd thing that he keeps pushing down, squishing in his chest, are insistent. He’ll be fine. All he has to do is swoop in, break the bars, and pull Jon away from the kryptonite. He can defeat that poor imitation of a supervillain with a quick punch or stiff breeze, or maybe just by dropping him off a cliff. Then he can fly away and get his baby brother somewhere safe, where he can sit out in the light of the yellow sun and heal. Oh, and save Damian too, of course.

It’ll be easy. So quick and easy, he could probably do it before anyone notices that he’s gone. Except for the fact that he knows he’s also vulnerable to kryptonite, and Tim is standing next to him. But he knows he won’t feel better until he’s holding Jon in his arms, and that thing in his chest promises so alluringly that he could do it right now, instead of having to wait. It tugs at his brain and pulls his heart and whispers so temptingly until he can’t resist anymore.

“Rob,” he says, turning to Tim next to him. He thinks that maybe his eyes are starting to glow a bit from behind his glasses, based on the way Tim looks at him. “I think I’m about to do something stupid.” He says, because he figures he should at least warn someone. “So hold onto these for me, will you?” He asks, gently placing the glasses on top of Tim’s head, the arms of the glasses sliding behind his ears, and the lenses tangling in locks of hair. “I’ll be back for them.”

“Kon,” Tim starts, catching on to what he plans to do, but Kon is gone before he can even move his arm to try and stop him. Kon hears his frustrated cry as he calls after him.

He can’t think about that now; all he can think about is his baby brother. He wants to rip the kryptonite to shreds like one might with a piece of paper, even though he’s pretty sure that isn’t possible. He wants to stomp every last crystal ever made to dust, to grind it out of existence under his heel just so it never hurts Jon ever again. He wants to show every villain who thinks about using kryptonite ever again how much of a threat a Kryptonian can be.

He settles for punching the loser, villain wannabe in the face, knocking him out cold on the live broadcast.

He’d realize how anticlimactic and kind of pathetic it was if he was able to think about anything other than his baby brother right now, ripping through the metal bars of the cage Jon was in and gathering him in his arms. Jon lets out a small groan of pain and huddles closer as Kon cradles him to his chest.

“Konnie.” Jon manages, staring up at him with tired blue eyes.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” Kon reassures.

“Damian?” Jon questions next, because even irradiated with kryptonite, he can’t stop helping others.

“I’ve got him too.” Kon reassures, wrapping Jon’s baby assassin friend in his TTK, making sure to hold onto both of them securely. “Now, let's get you out of here.”

His brain is clearing a little as he flies away, the weird feelings in his chest becoming less overwhelming as he revels in having his baby brother safe again. He tries not to think about what he just did or how it all worked or how much trouble he’s going to be in, and just focuses on getting back to Tim. Tim’s smart. He’ll probably know. If not, they can ask Clark or Kara.

“Baby brother delivery.” Kon says as he lands in front of Tim.

Tim just stares at him, stunned even as he takes Damian from Kon, clutching his brother as Kon lowers him into his arms. “How did you—“ Tim starts, but Kon cuts him off.

“Hold on,” he says, hating that where they were standing was hidden from the sun. He latches onto both Tim and Damian with his TTK this time and flies them all to the roof. He lets go of them when they’ve safely landed and sits down on the roof, arranging Jon to be in the full light of the sun. “What were you saying?” He glances over at Tim, who has sat next to him, checking over Damian. “Oh, my glasses,” he says, catching a glimpse of them on Tim’s head and snatching them back, putting them on again.

“What the fuck just happened, Kon?” Tim asks, torn between bewildered and demanding.

“I don’t know,” Kon admits, deflating a little.

“You don’t know?” Tim repeats, stunned. “You just went and saved Jon from Kryptonite, you know, the thing that you are also susceptible to. I mean, I thought you were, but apparently not because you broke the bars of a kryptonite cage like it was nothing.”

“I am vulnerable to kryptonite. You’ve seen it.”

“Then what was that?”

“Like I said, I don’t know.” Kon huffs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He’s never had to put his weird feelings and that thing deep down inside him into words before. “I’m really protective of Jon, right? But it’s not even on purpose. Like, I do genuinely love and care about him, but also, there are these weird feelings and instincts, I guess, where I just want to hold him and keep him safe and do anything for him. And seeing him hurting in there was literally driving me insane. I don’t think I could’ve stopped myself if I wanted to. I was hesitant, of course, but something deep down inside of me knew I’d be fine, and I couldn’t sit around and wait for someone else to do something when I could just do it myself.”

They sit in silence for a moment as Tim processes what he’s trying to say. Kon checks on Jon, who has fallen asleep in his lap, soaking up the sun.

“So, you had the Kryptonian equivalent of the extreme adrenaline response mothers get when their baby is in danger?”

“What?” Kon yelps, feeling embarrassed. “No. I don’t know.” He buries his face in his hands. “I hope not. I don’t ever want to do that again.”

Tim just laughs and bumps their shoulders together. “We’ll figure it out. But let’s just enjoy the peace for now. Bruce and Clark are going to have so many questions for us.”

Kon groans in despair, and Tim laughs again. “On the bright side, I bet Jon will think it’s really cool.”

“Yeah,” Kon agrees with a grin, letting his dread fall to the wayside. “I bet he will.” 

Chapter Text

So, apparently it’s normal.

Or, at least, as normal as being half-Kryptonian can be. Clark says that Kara says it’s normal for strong bonds to form between members of Kryptonian families and for members to become protective of those they’ve bonded with. Clark had joked that he thought that was just what it felt like to be a parent, considering he feels that way about both Jon and Kon.

Kon definitely does not lie awake at night thinking about it.

Clark has this whole thing about making sure Kon knows that he thinks of him as his kid now, but it still makes Kon nervous. He hasn’t quite gotten comfortable with Clark yet, stuck in some sort of fight-or-flight. He’s still having trouble with acknowledging Clark doesn’t hate him, let alone that he feels those same weird feelings that he has about Jon, but with him.

But apparently they’re not weird feelings. They’re very normal Kryptonian instincts that will get easier to deal with in time and not something he should try to suppress, and something you should have mentioned a lot sooner, Kon. Kara says they’ll only develop as he grows closer to other Kryptonians, so he shouldn’t get weird about Lois or Tim or any other humans he’s close with. At least, she thinks. It’s not like she has really been around humans all that much. Though he supposes that if Clark hasn’t developed any Kryptonian instincts about Ma and Pa, then maybe humans are safe from it.

He’s not really sure what the difference between learning to control it and suppressing it is, so he still just tries to resist the urges whenever that thing deep down inside of him thinks Jon did something super adorable. Kara says that the whole cooing over his 10-year-old brother like he’s a newborn baby thing is probably because he hasn’t known Jon for all that long, so his instincts are treating him like he’s new. It’s also something that should lessen with time, even if it never quite goes away. Jon will always be younger than him, so there will always be an urge to protect him. Kon tries to stifle it the best he can. He can only imagine that being fawned over all the time as a growing, preteen boy would drive him insane.

On the plus side, none of this has made Jon think he’s any less cool.

The allure of having an older brother must still be going strong, and Kon wonders if there are some Kryptonian instincts that Jon has that help him out in that regard. If Kon’s weird feelings deep down inside think that Jon is the cutest little guy ever, does Jon’s weird feelings think Kon is the coolest ever? Jon had admitted that while seeing Kon rip through kryptonite like it was nothing was pretty awesome, the biggest thing he remembers from that day is how safe Kon had made him feel, holding him close like he was something worth protecting, even after he had screwed up. Kon had pulled his little brother into a hug and resolutely not teared up behind his sunglasses.

So maybe talking about all this and learning about what exactly was going on with that thing deep in his chest made all of this easier.

This being yet another lunatic with a “Kryptonians are evil” agenda, trying to prove to the general public that they should be afraid of Superman, not be fans of him. Except the guy is an idiot and is holding Kon captive instead. Well, he must not be that much of an idiot if he was able to capture Kon in the first place and inject him with some weird drug. Although a team of heroes is there to rescue him before much else can happen, so, yeah, the guy is an idiot.

“You will see,” the idiot villain crows to the other superheroes, “how much of a threat a Kryptonian can be. I’ve injected your super friend with something that reduces him to his primal instincts, and I will laugh as I watch you struggle to contain him as he destroys the city.”

That would explain why his head feels all fuzzy and those weird instincts are starting to rise up to the surface. Kon isn’t super worried, though; none of his instincts had been particularly violent. Sure, he kind of wants to punch this idiot in the face and burn the lab to the ground and throw every piece of kryptonite in the ocean, but that’s not particularly new. He’s never liked labs or doctors’ offices, given his bad experiences at Cadmus, so the only real thing he wants to do is get the fuck out of here.

Some of the heroes look nervous, glancing at each other and looking at Kon hesitantly, like he might actually be feral and attack them. Kon huffs in annoyance. Certainly, they don’t really believe this guy. He catches movement out of the corner of his eye and spots Tim talking with Jon. Oh, if they’re here, then certainly they can deal with this idiot villain with no problem. Jon nods at whatever Tim said—Kon can’t think well enough to tune his hearing right now—and allows himself to be gently shoved out of the group, standing in front of them by himself.

“We won’t let you get away with this!” Jon declares, and the idiot villain just laughs.

He says something else, probably something cliché like “I already have,” but Kon isn’t listening because that’s his baby brother. His baby brother is out there, alone and unprotected, trying to take down this idiot by himself. What is his baby brother doing here? In a lab? In the same place that Kon was forced to be with Kryptonite, and injected with an unknown drug. No, he can’t let that happen. He can’t let these evil doctors and idiot villains get their hands on his little brother to hurt him and torture him the way that he was.

Kon moves for the first time since waking up from the drug, his instincts cutting through any haziness in his brain. He darts over to Jon’s side, wrapping himself protectively around him, pulling Jon to lean back against his chest. Kon growls at the idiot villain of the week, the deep rumbling noise emitting from his chest, and Jon squirms a little as Kon lifts him off his feet, trying to get comfortable in his brother’s hold.

“See,” the villain says, misinterpreting the action and thinking he’s won, “already turning against his fellow heroes. How much longer before he kills him, hmm?’

Kon growls louder, glaring at the villain. He’s not going to let anyone hurt his little brother. In fact, he's not going to let his baby brother stay in this hostile environment for even a moment longer. He floats up into the air, tightening his hold on Jon, and escapes out through a nearby window. He hears people call after him and the villain’s stupid laugh, but he doesn’t care. He eventually settles on the rooftop of the Daily Planet, finding comfort in the familiar setting. He sets Jon down before scanning him over for injuries. He doesn’t appear to be hurt, but Jon is still looking at him worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” Kon manages to ask, his voice still thick with a growl and words hard to push past the panic in his throat. His baby brother has to be okay. He couldn’t live with himself if he let him get hurt.

“Are you okay? That guy's drug really did something to you. I don’t want him to have hurt you.”

“I’m fine.” Kon tries to reassure. He pulls Jon close again and purrs, hoping that will soothe him. “It will go away.”

Jon looks unconvinced.

“Here. Sit. Stay in the sun. It will get better.” He prods again, sitting on the roof and dragging Jon down with him. He settles Jon in his lap, wrapping his arms around him and purring contentedly once more.

Jon huffs, sounding put out. “You always take care of me. I want to take care of you.”

“Taking care of you is taking care of me.” Kon protests, nuzzling his little brother’s windswept hair. “I’m okay if you’re okay.”

“Fine,” he relents. “But one of these days I’m going to save you to even up the scoreboard.”

Rao, Kon hopes not. Kon might die a little bit on the inside if his baby brother risked his life just to save him. Jon was the one who was bright and full of life and happiness. He couldn’t bear to lose that, even if it meant saving his life.

“Purr back.” Kon demands instead. “Cousin says it promotes healing.”

Dutifully, Jon starts to purr, and Kon purrs in return, feeling relaxed. After a while, Jon’s purr starts to filter out, and Kon realizes that Jon has fallen asleep, tucked up against him. It makes sense, he supposes. He is still fairly young, and he’s sure that today took a lot out of him. Kon can’t resist making a cooing noise, his instincts still too high in his chest, the drug still lowering his ability to control himself. He runs a hand through Jon’s hair, attempting to tame his messy locks.

Has he mentioned how cute his little brother is?

Someone lands on the roof nearby, and Kon shifts to look at them, careful not to disturb Jon. He’s not going to give away their position yet, so he can sneak away if need be, but it’s just Tim. Kon relaxes, making a happy, chirping sound at the sight of his friend. He shakes his head a little and clears his throat, trying to summon words instead. They’ve been sitting there for a while, so the drug is somewhat gone from his system—enough for him to clear his head and feel embarrassed about the lingering instincts.

“Rob,” he says, a purr lining his voice. Tim turns towards him, cape swishing behind him as he makes his way over to them, settling himself on the roof next to them.

“How are you feeling, Clone Boy?” Tim asks.

“Weird. Better, but still weird.”

“I have an antidote if you want.” Tim offers, holding it up for Kon to see. “But I’m glad Jon was a sufficient enough distraction in the meantime.”

The weird feeling in his chest stirred again at the mention of Jon’s name, like it had forgotten the boy was curled up against him. “Isn’t he the sweetest, most adorable little guy?” Kon starts to ramble, the instincts taking over his brain before he gets a chance to think about the words coming out of his mouth. This was Tim, his friend; he needed to know all about Jon. He turns a little so Tim can see where Jon has tucked his face into his neck to block out the light while he slept. “We landed here, and Jon said that he wanted to take care of me and started purring and then promptly fell asleep.”

“Jon can purr?” Tim questions curiously. See, Kon knew Tim would get it. Of course, he wants to hear all about his bestest little brother.

“Yeah,” Kon demonstrates excitedly. “Like this.” He purrs a little, and Jon seems to melt against him even more. “He’s so cute.” Kon coos again. “Oh, Rao. I want to hug him and never let him go, and give him the world and do anything he wants if it makes him happy.”

Tim just smiles softly. “That’s good, Kon. He’s a sweet kid, and you’re a good brother.”

“The best.” He agrees. They sit in silence for a moment, and the weird feeling in his chest calms a bit, feeling satisfied that Tim agrees with him. As the feeling fades, he realizes what he said and starts to feel his face burn. “I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, feeling embarrassed. “I’ll take that antidote now.”

Tim laughs, not unkindly, handing it over. “It’s fine, Kon. It’s kind of what I expected when I shoved him your way in the first place. You don’t have to be ashamed of your instincts.”

“It’s weird, though,” he insists, handing the empty vial back over.

“Not really,” Tim shrugs, tucking it away. “If I had a baby brother as sweet as Jon, I’d be showing him off to everyone, too.”

“Right, isn’t he the best?” Kon agrees without thinking, “Wait, you have a younger brother though?”

“But he tried to kill me and would probably try again if I cooed over him like that.”

“I don’t know how Jon stands it. I think it’d drive me insane.”

“I think it’d be nice.” Tim disagrees. “It’s got to be reassuring to know you’re loved so thoroughly.”

“I hope so, because it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.”

Chapter Text

Kon isn’t sure why villains have such a propensity for giant, killer robots.

He supposes that it’s because they’re fairly effective, cause a lot of destruction, and take a whole team of heroes to take down. He just kind of wishes they’d come up with something original. But for now, he’s stuck fighting the cliché of all villain clichés alongside members of the Justice League, who had called in other heroes for backup. These towering pillars of property damage have been terrorizing the area for hours and seem nigh indestructible, to the point that even Kon is starting to get tired. Even more unsettling, it’s starting to hit late afternoon, which means soon, the sun will be going down. That doesn’t spell good news for anyone—Kryptonian or not.

They are getting low on heroes, some are scrambling to find the power source for the robots, and others are slowing from exhaustion, so younger heroes are starting to join the fight in an attempt to help out. It’s appreciated—Kon is starting to feel sluggish, exhaustion building in his bones—but that means Jon is out fighting. Look, Kon knows his brother is skilled and nearly invincible and has the same powers that he and Clark do, but that stupid thing in his chest stirs at the idea of his brother facing off against these massive killing machines. Worry starts to flood his system, leaving him distracted and overwhelmed, which means the next time the huge robot he’s fighting swings its arm, he doesn’t dodge.

The metal appendage backhands him with the force of a semi-truck hitting a fly, and Kon goes sailing towards the ground, embedding himself in a crater in the pavement. He blinks, trying to clear his slightly blurring vision, and wonders if Kryptonians can get concussions.

He doesn’t get up.

He wants to, he needs to, but the impact has knocked the breath from his lungs, and he’s just so tired. He was up most of the night before doing something inconsequential and was busy the day before that. Now he was just wishing he had taken a midday nap. But he hadn’t, so he’s lying here in a dent in the middle of the street, exhaustion sweeping over him.

Part of him, that instinctual part of him that has weird feelings and strong opinions, is insistent that they get back to the fight, because what if something happened to his little brother? He can’t see him, can’t keep an eye on him to ensure his safety, so he needs to get up, to go see, to be reassured. But Kon is just too tired. Normally, when Kon gets tired, that’s the time that those instincts become particularly influential because he doesn’t have the energy to resist.

Now he just doesn’t have the energy to listen.

Of course, he’s worried about his little brother. He’s worried about Jon the same way he’s worried about Tim and Damian and all the other heroes who are fighting, and even the way he’s worried about Clark, Rao damn it. He and Clark have been doing so much better recently. They’ve been able to talk without Kon feeling like he needs to escape through the nearest window, and Clark can hug him without it feeling weird or forced. Just the last time he saw him, Clark had ruffled his hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head in the same way he does for Jon, and Kon had definitely not gone up to his room and cried about it.

So, yeah, if some stupid robot invasion takes Clark from him, he’s going to be so pissed.

But he can’t even summon that anger to force himself into motion again; it’s like he can only summon up the hollow idea of what anger is like, exhaustion permeating every corner of his brain. Even his instincts have sunk back down into his chest, seemingly given up on him. He shakes himself out of his thoughts, vision clearing as he takes in the sky above him. Except that wasn’t him shaking himself out of his thoughts; that was the ground shaking around him, and Kon notices one of the huge robots moving towards him.

The shaking gets more intense, and the clunking of metal gets louder as it gets closer. He needs to move; he really needs to move, but the fatigue has woven itself through every cell of his body, weighing down his bones as if they were made of lead. He isn’t sure if he feels this tired even after being exposed to kryptonite. Well, he’s invulnerable, right? So even if the giant, metal robot steps on him, it probably won’t do much but squish him more into the ground. It probably won’t even hurt… that much. Maybe if he passes out before it lands on him, it won’t even be that bad.

But despite the weariness pulling at him, he doesn’t fall into unconsciousness, staring resolutely at his impending doom. The shadow of the foot looms over him, and the panic that floods his system causes him to twitch, but it’s not going to be enough. He’s starting to accept his fate, to brace himself for the impact when something red darts into his view, hovering over him. There’s a strangled cry, and Kon watches in somewhat dazed amazement as red lasers pierce through the robot’s foot, slicing it in half. The pieces fall harmlessly to either side of Kon as the robot starts to topple.

The blur zooms down to him, and Kon belatedly realizes it’s Jon, the flash of red being Superboy’s cape fluttering in the wind above him. Jon throws himself over Kon, shielding him from the robot as it smashes to the ground.

“Kon,” comes his little brother’s desperate voice, speaking over the crashing soundwave of the robot colliding with the ground. “Kon, are you okay? You weren’t getting up. Konnie, did it hurt you?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart.” Kon is quick to reassure. Speaking is easier than moving, and he needs to wipe the panic off his baby brother’s face. Kon is the one who should be fretting over Jon, not the other way around. “I’m just really tired.”

“Tired?” Jon asks, his voice lined with hysterical disbelief. “You were going to let a robot crush you because you were tired?” He continues, punching Kon in the shoulder. “You’re a stupidhead.”

Kon doesn’t know how to explain it in a way that would make sense to the kid. It’s not like he wanted to get squished.

“How could you do that?” Jon presses, his voice cracking a little, and collapses against Kon’s chest. “What if I hadn’t gotten to you in time?” He says, tears filling his eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he tries to comfort. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“Don’t ever do that again,” Jon says wetly, wrapping himself around Kon in a tight hug. Kon shifts slightly, managing to half-heartedly wrap an arm around his brother in return.

“Everything okay over here?” someone asks, and Kon glances over to see Green Lantern standing at the edge of the crater, his ring creating a small, green shield around them. Jon continues to sob quietly, ignoring their company.

“Yeah,” Kon says, not explaining anything. “You think you could get us somewhere with some sun?”

“Sure,” Green Lantern agrees easily, wrapping his green bubble around them and lifting them into the sky.

He places them down on the bridge over the nearby bay with a perfect view of the setting sun. The bridge, normally full of traffic, is empty as civilians have been evacuated from the fight. Kon settles himself to lean against one of the large beams of the railing, Jon still clinging to him.

“Thanks,” Kon says, already feeling a little better. Green Lantern nods and flies away. Kon really hopes that the fight is over, because he doesn’t think he can rally for a second round.

Jon sniffs, pulling away and wiping at his eyes. “Okay, my turn.”

Kon just glances down at him, confused, but Jon scowls, determined. He pushes himself out of Kon’s grasp and shoves Kon away from where he rests against the support beam. It doesn’t take much to move him, even as he whines at having to give up his relaxing spot. Jon settles himself where Kon just was and then pulls Kon close, tucking Kon under his chin, essentially reversing their position.

“You always do this for me, so now it’s my turn to do it for you,” Jon explains, like he needs to defend himself.

It’s a little awkward, given their differences in height, but Kon just huffs out a laugh and arranges himself to lean against Jon more comfortably.

“Thanks, Jon,” Kon says, as he begins to feel some of his energy return.

Jon starts to purr, the noise rumbling in his chest, and Kon allows himself to relax, still too tired to muster a purr in return. It doesn’t take long for him to fall asleep. 

He awakens a little while later to voices talking over his head, the sun painting the sky with a dimming golden hue. He yawns, pushing himself into an upright position, feeling much more rested and like himself.

“You back with us?” A voice asks. Kon’s sleep-addled brain takes a second to catch on, because that’s not Jon’s squeaky, preteen voice; that’s Clark.

Immediately, he sits up a little straighter in surprise, his eyes glancing over to where Clark is watching him with a fond look on his face. Regardless, Kon feels embarrassed, trying to fix his inevitably sleep-mussed hair and just hoping that he hadn’t ended up drooling.

“I think so,” Kon admits.

“Are you feeling better?” Jon presses, fidgeting nervously in place. Kon is almost surprised that he was able to fall asleep on the kid, given how much he has trouble sitting still.

“Much better. Sorry for scaring you, sweetheart.”

Jon narrows his eyes in consideration. “I’ll forgive you if you promise not to do it again.” He declares.

It makes Kon laugh a little. “It’s not an experience I plan on repeating.”

“Good.” Jon nods, his arms crossed.

Kon can’t take the poor kid seriously when he’s trying to be all tough. “C’mere, you little gremlin,” Kon says, dragging his baby brother closer and pressing his face into his hair. “No need to be all grumpy. It doesn’t suit you.” He continues, slightly digging his fingers into Jon’s sides.

Jon squirms, laughter bubbling up from inside him. “Kon, stop.” He laughs, and Kon relents, wrapping his arms fully around the kid to hold him tighter.

Two arms wrap around both of them, and Kon finds himself being dragged across the pavement and pulled into Clark’s lap, the two of them nestled up against his chest. It takes a second for Kon to realize that he doesn’t feel trapped, but instead he feels safe.

“We’re both glad you’re alright, Kon.” Clark’s voice rumbles in his ear, and Kon allows himself to relax, leaning back against Clark and dragging his brother along with him. “You did good out there today.”

“Sorry for ditching you guys early.” Kon feels the need to apologize. It’s not very team player-like of him.

“You don’t need to apologize.” Clark rebuts. “Jon, what’s our family philosophy about this?”

“Never feel bad for listening to your body.” Jon dutifully recites. “It’s okay if other things have to wait until a little later.”

Clark nods. “That’s right. It’s good that you took time to rest, even if Jon had to drag you out of the battle himself. From what he said, it sounded very scary. I don’t ever want you guys to get hurt because you feel like you need to prove yourself.”

“Okay.” Kon relents, shifting a bit to bury his face into Clark’s chest.

Clark presses a soft kiss to the top of his head. “I hate to move you, buddy, but it’s going to be dark soon, and they’re going to want their bridge back. Let’s see if we can get somewhere to hunker down for the night. We could all use some rest.” No one moves for a moment. “How about we stay at the farm? We could all probably use a break from the hustle and bustle of it all.” He tempts.

Jon throws himself to his feet, wiggling out of Kon’s arms. “Can we? Can we? It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to pet all their cows.” He says, already starting to float into the air in all his excitement.

Clark laughs, and Kon cracks a grin.

“What do you say?” Clark asks, nudging Kon a bit. “I can carry you if you want.”

This makes Kon shift, finally relenting. “Nah, I got some rest. I can make it to the farm, no problem.” He doesn’t remark on the fact that Clark probably hadn’t gotten any rest at all, and he had been fighting a lot longer than he had. No need to ruin the moment by pointing out Clark’s hypocrisy. He’ll just have to remember to keep an eye on him later.

“Alright, old man.” Kon teases, getting to his feet and offering a hand to Clark. “Race you there?”

Clark accepts his help, rising to his feet and staring at Kon teasingly. “On the count of 3. 1, 2…” and Clark takes off, Jon zooming shortly after him, yelling about being unfair.

Kon watches them for a moment, reveling in the warm feeling in his chest, before taking off after them. Ma was right; everything was going to be just fine.