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Jack wrung his hands together as he stared down at the floor, his right foot fastened on the floor as his leg bounced up and down in a rapid movement. He was waiting for Waylon, his only friend since he moved to Gotham, yet his mind couldn't be quiet– couldn't help trudge up the awful truth he realised only a few, scant days ago.
His heart had gone and fallen into careful, scaled hands so it could nestle against the one it ached for.
Jack knew Waylon wouldn't crush his fragile heart, the man was too kind to do something like that, but he knew he would be crushed if he couldn't tell Waylon how he felt. His yearning heart, not set off course by a rejection, would bundle every moment together lovingly before it overrides his critical thinking by blasting each moment at an inconvenient time until he gave in and did something stupid. It was an unfortunate pattern he recognised all too well, his heart latching onto others who would cradle it softly until it made him act irrationally.
He sighed as he consciously stopped his anxious movements to lean back into the couch he was sitting on, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling as dread threatened to consume him whole.
What would Waylon think? How would he react to such a sudden confession?
Jack could only imagine it now. Waylon walking into the sleepy café, a place Jack has dragged him to many times before, and spotting him sitting in their usual seats. He could imagine Waylon perking up slightly, as he often did when noticing Jack, before walking over with only a slight hunch of his shoulders showcasing his discomfort of being in public despite knowing it was a relatively safe place to be.
He imagined the way Waylon sat down, carefully trying not to sit on his tail, with a smile on his face.
“You look nervous,” he imagined Waylon would say as concern overtook his face, “Is everything okay?”
Jack could imagine himself stumbling over his words, a rush to placate Waylon while trying to calm his heart as love rushed through him and made him light headed, before blurting out the dreaded words he was unsure would be returned.
”I think I love you.”
A simple, clumsy declaration that would be met with an awkward smile as Waylon desperately tried to leave the café without hurting Jack's feelings. It would end with Jack alone, his heart hastily and harshly shoved back into his chest even as it wept, with no one but himself to blame.
Jack started to tap his left foot anxiously as he sat alone at the booth, snapping himself out of his thoughts as he reached for his caramel frappé, bringing it closer to him so he could grasp it and take a sip of the ice cold beverage. He sighed in relief at the rush of cold that battled the warmth of an incoming headache that was slowly inching closer.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a looming shadow slink into the seat across from him. He blinked, leaning back and straightening his spine only to register it was Waylon.
He shot a smile at the other man.
“Hey, sorry– I got here a little earlier than expected, but I got your hot chocolate,” Jack said as he nodded to the untouched mug in front of Waylon.
“Thanks, they usually serve it too hot anyway,” Waylon shot him a quick smile before picking up the warm beverage, humming as he drank it.
“Yeah,” Jack couldn't help but smile nervously, his heart beating dangerously in his chest as he tried to hide his anxious behaviour by taking another sip of his frappé. He winced at the sudden feeling of a brain freeze and startled at Waylon chuckling across from him.
“Brain freeze?” Waylon asked as he smiled softly at Jack before reaching out and placing a clawed hand on Jack's free hand, “Do you want a sip of my hot chocolate? Would that help?”
“No, no,” Jack shook his head as he placed his drink back onto the table, “I'm fine, plus drinking something hot after something cold always feels weird,” he tried to shrug nonchalantly.
“Alright,” Waylon nodded, gently squeezing Jack's hand before letting go and retracting his hand. “How have you been? I haven't seen you in a few days,” Waylon asked as he glanced below Jack's eyes, most likely at his darkened eyebags, before looking back into Jack's eyes.
“I'm fine, I've just been busy,” Jack bent the truth slightly. He has been busy, thinking about the way his heart sped up when he thought of Waylon, of Waylon's kind, green eyes that somehow shone more brightly than his yellow sclera when he was overjoyed. He was busy thinking of the way Waylon listens to anyone who needs it with an open mind and easy smile, of the way Waylon gives the best advice he can think of with the hope it helps them. He was busy consumed by the thoughts of glistening scales shimmering in the sunlight and of clawed hands gently holding him.
“Did one of your inventions start acting up again?” Waylon asked, concern lacing his tone.
“Uh, yeah,” Jack lied, “It turned out to be a wire problem, but it started a small fire so I had to rebuild it from scratch.” Lying to Waylon hurt, but he didn't want his fears to be proven through, that Waylon would leave him here and throw his heart back at him in his haste to leave.
“I hope it didn't cause any more damage,” Waylon blinked with a surprised look on his face, “Do you need any help? With cleaning or anything?”
“It's all fine now,” Jack shook his head, “There's no need to get involved.”
Jack thought he had saved the conversation and was planning to move the conversation to another topic, his mouth opened to say the words “So, what did you do lately?”
But, Waylon beat him to the punch with a heart breaking sentence.
“Is it something I did?” Waylon whispered, “You've been drawing back lately and I know you have your own life but if you don't want me around, you don't have to humour me.”
Silence. That was all Jack could hear as the world around him blurred, the chattering voices of other customers disappearing as he focused on Waylon.
Kind, beautiful Waylon who Jack had hurt because his heart kicked up a fuss in its determination to show Jack how much he loved Waylon.
“I-” Jack choked out, “No, that's not,” he struggled to find his words as his throat clogged up, making him force what few words he could think of through a molasses made of fear.
“It's fine, Jack,” Waylon sighed as he started to stand up, only to pause when Jack reached out and gently grasped Waylon's wrist.
“No, wait, I-” a noise of frustration tore itself out of Jack as he let go of Waylon's wrist, his eyes burning as tears started to fall down his cheek.
“Jack?” Waylon whispered, surprise on his face as he sat down again. “Jack? Are you okay?” Waylon asked as he reached out to Jack, most likely aiming for Jack's shoulder, but the movement was stopped in its tracks by Jack's hand snapping up and grasping Waylon's hand tightly.
“Sorry, sorry,” Jack struggled to breathe, salty tears entering his mouth, “Sorry, I'm so stupid.”
“You're not stupid, Jack,” Waylon reassured him as he gently squeezed Jack's hand.
“I– it's stupid,” Jack pushed through the thick molasses in his throat, “I'm– shit, I'm stupidly in love with you and I thought– I think you'll walk away, never coming back. Why would you? Never– never wanted to hurt you,” Jack said, gasping in-between words even as each breath felt like breathing in glass.
“Jack,” Waylon's eyes widened and filled with tears, “I'm not going to walk away, I'm going to sit next to you, okay?” Waylon said as he slowly sat up. He maneuvered as best as he could with Jack's tight grip laced with one of his hands, but eventually he was able to sit next to the panicking man.
“Jack,” Waylon rumbled, a soft bellow tearing from his body. “Jack, I love you too.”
The certainty in Waylon's voice startled Jack from his panic. He stared up at Waylon with watery eyes, searching– waiting.
“I’ve been interested in you for a while. I didn't want to say anything because… well, I didn't want to lose you, if you didn't feel the same,” Waylon admitted, “So, if you want to be with me Jack, I won't say no.”
Jack couldn't help the wet chuckle that escaped his lips as he reached up and cradled Waylon's face with his free hand.
“I just broke down in front of you because I thought you didn't think the same,” Jack pointed out, still chuckling slightly, “I think you're thinking too much, if that's your thoughts right now.”
“Well, we can think too much together now,” Waylon mused with slightly wet eyes, “If I'm not assuming too much… may I kiss you?”
Jack couldn't help the soft laugh that left him as he looked up at Waylon with a smile, beaming as he saw it was returned.
“Yes.”