I really like the idea of ‘[A] fell first, [B] fell harder’ stuff, but not in the way of one feels more love than the other, but more in a . The feelings realization hit one of them like a fucking TRUUUUCK and that’s very konbart to me.
I feel like Bart’s feelings towards Kon is something he just got aware of one day when figuring out what crushes really felt like (there was an issue about this in Impulse ‘95 iirc, it’s been a few months), and I love the idea that this manifesting with Bart as a few instances that I remember off the top of my head. One being that one Impulse issue where he was imagining doing various things to impress Kon, as well as a later YJ98 issue where he’s trying soso hard to hang out with Kon and get his attention (it doesn’t work. At all). I feel Bart would feel his love towards Kon in a way of: he doesn’t want anything to really change about their friendship. Like in the way of retaining the Bestie Vibe of the relationship, but you also kiss and shit (though, I do feel Bart would be the type to do these sorts of things in normal platonic friendships as well but my point stands)
I feel like Kon’s feelings realization for Bart would hit him like a fucking TRUCK. I like to think he realizes he likes Bart during the Our Worlds at War/Casualties of War arc. Bart dying and getting put into a coma shortly after, and Kon has his entire. Meltdown (to say the least) about it. The feelings realization after a death hits so fucking hard and I feel like that’s how it’d happen (especially with the entirety of issue 92 of Superboy, but I’d like to specifically call out the “Impulse is in a stupid coma, so he won’t— hold me? tell me the war never happened? pet my head?” line… If he didn’t realize in this arc/issue, it definitely started the domino effect into him realizing)
Anyway, Kon doesn’t really know how to handle it because he’s not only realizing he likes Bart, but also that he likes guys in general. Then things go back to ‘normal’ and Kon still doesn’t really know what to do with his feelings about it. Plus, there’s a ton of bullshit going on anyway + Bart leaving YJ so I feel both of their feelings just never really come up, especially because shortly after that is tt03 and that’s it’s own can of worms.
I like to imagine a scene years later down the line where Kon and Bart are hanging out and who knows what they’re talking about, but Kon ends up saying something along the lines of “you know, I used to like you haha” and he still does. He just feels it’s too late, it’s been so long, so much has happened, they aren’t kids anymore, and so he refers to his feelings in past tense. He doesn’t expect anything to come from this, it’s just a silly thing he thinks to mention that is maybe related to the convo they’re having.
And then Bart, all casual, goes “oh lol same”, and it’s something Kon wouldn’t be expecting. Bart never made a move, never made it known, and Kon isn’t used to the idea of that, considering his past. Kon asks why he never said anything about it, and Bart shrugs and says that he didn’t need anything to change. He didn’t need Kon to change or start acting like how he thought a boyfriend should act, he just wanted Kon, he didn’t want anything more from him. And that’s what he had, and that was enough.
Bart not wanting or needing anything to change in their relationship vs Kon who is so used to the exact opposite: used to having to change himself so he could be enough for his ‘partners’.
and as this conversation has them both realizing their feelings were lowkey reciprocated, and despite them pretending it was all in past tense, it all rises up again and they decide Fuck it! we still love each other, we aren’t over our feelings. and nothing big changes, because that’s not what either of them need.
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