Fandom: DC Comics, Young Justice, Flashfam, Superfam
Summary: Conner's been best friends with Bart ever since they met at the carnival when they were children. The problem is that Bart can't remember meeting Conner that night. But Thad does...
Chapters: 13/?
Characters: Clark Kent, Conner Kent, Lois Lane, Bart Allen, Thaddeus Thawne, Don Allen, Meloni Allen, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Martha Kent, Max Crandall
Relationships: KonBart, KonThad, Clois, MelonixDon, Ma/Pa Kent
Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Mistaken Identity, Possibly Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Twins, Lies, Stolen Moments, Unconventional Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Best Friends, Secret Crush, Autistic Bart Allen, Autistic Thad Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne Gets a Hug, Conner Kent-centric, Bisexual Conner Kent, Conner Kent Needs a Hug, Third Person POV, Hurt Clark Kent, Boys in Love, Friendship/Love, Farm/Ranch AU, Farmboy Conner Kent, Grandparents and Grandchildren, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Romance, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, Cyrano, Jewish Superfam
Chapter Thirteen: Sweet Dreams
Clark woke the boys up early, smiling at how peacefully they slept in Thad’s bed. “Hey, fellas. We’ve got a big day planned,” Clark whispered. Thad sat up and wiped his eyes with his palms. He glanced down at Conner and smiled. Conner rolled out of bed and hugged Clark before heading to the bathroom. Thad was relieved that Conner didn’t explain why he wasn’t in his bed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m alright now… I couldn’t sleep,” Thad confessed. Clark crouched beside the bed.
“Bart, I know it can be tough being this far from home. I’m not even from this country. Did you know that?” Clark asked. Thad shook his head. “I was born far away, but I was raised here by my Ma and Pa, and they taught me one very important thing. A house is a place but home is just a bit of you scattered in meaningful places. I hope you can make this place one of your homes this summer, Bart.”
Thad didn’t completely understand, but it stuck with him. “Mr. Kent?” Thad whispered. “Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Thank you for coming. Conner’s so happy to have you here,” Clark smiled, “Now, you should go and get ready.” Thad nodded.
**
Thad and Conner sat on top of the spider climber in the park, and Thad lost his balance and grabbed Conner’s arm. Conner held his hand, interlacing their fingers. “I’ve got you,” Conner whispered.
Thad puffed out his chest, holding his breath as he tried to figure out something tough to say, but he couldn’t find anything. So, he said something genuine instead. “I don’t know what I’m gonna be when I grow up… I don’t know why it scares me so much,” Thad confessed, “I wanted to live… But I don’t want to grow up. I’m scared of what will happen when I do.”
Conner frowned. “I think we’ll be friends when we’re grown up,” Conner whispered. And it took the weight off of Thad.
“How are we gonna get down?” Thad asked.
Conner giggled and let go of Thad’s hand. “Okay. I’m gonna go first, and you follow me,” Conner replied. He turned around and started climbing down. Thad waited until Conner was on the ground before he started climbing down after him. His foot slipped, and he yelped as he fell backward. Conner caught him and fell on his back. Clark and Lois rushed over, and Conner started laughing.
Thad rolled onto his hands and knees and started apologizing profusely. “Conner, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?” Thad asked. He helped Conner up and dusted the wood chips off.
“I’m okay. You’re not that heavy,” Conner reassured him.
Thad saw Conner’s scraped elbow and held back tears as he reached into his bag for his first aid kit. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he turned Conner’s arm over to get a better look. He sprayed Conner’s elbow with antiseptic and wrapped his arm. “Does it hurt?” Thad asked. Conner shook his head before hugging Thad.
“I’m okay, Bart. I’m okay,” Conner whispered.
**
Thad took a picture of Conner cutting apples at the table. “Feel better?” Conner asked. Thad nodded. “You sure?”
“I’m okay. Hey, I was thinking about what you said earlier. Do you really think you’d want to be friends with me when we grew up?” Thad asked. Conner drizzled lemon juice over the apples he cut and started on another apple.
“Sure. I wanna be friends with you forever. I think we’ll be friends forever,” Conner replied without looking up, “You’re my best friend in the whole world.”
Thad smiled, growing quiet as he snapped a picture of Clark while he used a cookie cutter to cut the dough into perfect circles. “You’re my best friend, too,” Thad whispered as he reached for the mood ring around his neck.
Thad set his camera to the side and washed his hands before helping design the boxes. “What’s the bake sale for?” Thad asked.
“Oh, it’s not a bake sale. We’ve got a booth at the fair,” Conner answered. He was so heavily focused on his task that he never looked up from his apples except to look at the boxes. “Where’d you learn to draw like that?”
“My dad’s an artist. I help him paint sometimes,” Thad replied.
“Do you think you’d want to do art when you grow up?” Conner asked.
“It’s not a fiscally responsible plan of action,” Thad recited, quoting his other grandfather of the same name.
Conner knit his brows together, grinning as he looked at Thad. “Bart, I don’t know what that means, but I think you should do what you like,” Conner replied. Thad shrugged. “Too many people live lives they don’t want thinking they’ll get to be happy later. Why not be happy the whole time?”
“He’s got a point, Bart. Journalism is a hard business to get into, but Clark and I struggled to be the best investigative journalists we could be. If we didn’t take chances on dreams that seemed impossible, nothing in the world would have…”
“Color,” Clark finished Lois’ sentence without looking up from his dough.
“Besides, you’re good at it already,” Conner added.
**
At the end of the day, Thad grew quiet while they cleaned up to get ready for bed. “Bart, can I tell you a secret? I’m so nervous about going to middle school. You’re not in middle school yet, huh? You’re only going to sixth grade. Aren’t you?” Conner asked.
“Oh… Um, my homeschool is K-through-twelve. So, I don’t have middle school or anything like that,” Thad answered.
Conner took off his glasses and squinted at Thad. “Do you ever get lonely?” Conner questioned.
“Not really… If I’m not with you, I like being by myself. It’s not so bad,” Thad whispered as he climbed into bed. He held his breath for a moment, wondering if he’d have to tell Conner he was still frightened to sleep on his own. That was the last thing he wanted to do.
Conner dropped his socks in the hamper and yawned. “When I was eight and you were seven, you got really sick… I asked if you remembered meeting me at the fair. You said no… Do you still not remember?” Conner asked.
That was the one white lie Thad told Bart. He didn’t want Bart to know he was pretending to be him that night at the fair, so he convinced Bart he was there and didn’t remember. “Uh-huh. You bought me a corndog and gave me this,” Thad whispered as he showed Conner the original mood ring from that night. Conner climbed into Thad’s bed. Thad sank into the pillows, finally able to relax. He squeezed the blanket in his fists.
“Do you mind if I sleep here?” Conner asked. Thad shook his head. “Do you eat scrambled eggs?”
“Uh-huh. I love scrambled eggs,” Thad whispered.
Conner closed his eyes and rolled close to Thad. “I’m gonna make you some eggs tomorrow… Do you miss your family saying they love you before bed?” Conner questioned.
“A little bit,” Thad whispered.
“I’ll say it until you go home, then… I love you, Bart,” Conner whispered.
Thad clutched his chest, wondering why he felt sad. “I love you too, Conner,” Thad whispered. He turned to look at Conner, but he looked like he was already fast asleep. “We love you too, Conner.”
Fandom: DC Comics, Young Justice, Flashfam, Superfam
Summary: Conner's been best friends with Bart ever since they met at the carnival when they were children. The problem is that Bart can't remember meeting Conner that night. But Thad does...
Chapters: 12/?
Characters: Clark Kent, Conner Kent, Lois Lane, Bart Allen, Thaddeus Thawne, Don Allen, Meloni Allen, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Martha Kent, Max Crandall
Relationships: KonBart, KonThad, Clois, MelonixDon, Ma/Pa Kent
Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Mistaken Identity, Possibly Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Twins, Lies, Stolen Moments, Unconventional Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Best Friends, Secret Crush, Autistic Bart Allen, Autistic Thad Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne Gets a Hug, Conner Kent-centric, Bisexual Conner Kent, Conner Kent Needs a Hug, Third Person POV, Hurt Clark Kent, Boys in Love, Friendship/Love, Farm/Ranch AU, Farmboy Conner Kent, Grandparents and Grandchildren, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Romance, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, Cyrano, Jewish Superfam
Chapter Twelve: CRAYDL
Conner looked around the airport until he saw Clark. “Dad!” Conner shouted. Clark ran to him, flashing the employee his ID. Clark embraced Conner and smoothed his hair back.
“Were you scared?” Clark asked as he looked Conner over.
“I cried a little bit when the plane went up in the air… But, it wasn’t so bad,” Conner answered sweetly, shrugging off the last remaining bits of anxiety. Clark crouched near Conner and held him tight before kissing Conner’s forehead.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You must be tuckered out,” Clark whispered. Conner nodded.
He held Clark’s hand and breathed through his nose. “Dad, where’s Mom?” Conner questioned.
“Picking up your surprise,” Clark answered, “Hungry?”
“Uh-huh… Wait… What surprise?” Conner questioned. Clark pointed to Lois holding a familiar little boy’s hand.
Conner looked up at Clark as if asking for permission. “His parents wouldn’t have sent him if it wasn’t okay. Go say hi to your friend,” Clark grinned. Conner released Clark’s hand, running to his friend at full force before picking him up.
“Bart, what are you doing here?” Conner questioned.
Thad swallowed hard as he wrapped his arms around Conner, squeezing him in an unusually intense embrace. “My mom and dad said I could stay with you for a few weeks,” Thad whispered, still unable to let go. Conner smiled, waiting until Thad was ready to let go. “I’ve never had a sleepover before. I’m so excited.”
Conner held Thad’s hand. “Now, we don’t have to stop talking early to log off. We could play until we fall asleep,” Conner beamed. Thad and Conner followed Lois and Clark to the car.
Thad looked out the window at everything. The buildings. The statues. The murals. It was so much on his senses, but he loved every moment of it. “Do you kids wanna get loaded fries and milkshakes?” Lois asked.
“At Do-Si’s?” Conner asked.
“You know it, sweetheart,” Lois answered. Thad chewed his lip as he turned to Conner, and he pulled something out of his bag.
“Can I take a picture?” Thad asked.
“Sure. And can I take one of you after?” Conner questioned in reply. Both boys giggled and made faces at the little camera.
**
At Clark and Lois’ apartment, Conner and Thad lay on the floor together watching TV and drawing pictures. Thad yawned. “Are you sleepy?” Conner asked. Thad shook his head. “Bart, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Thad replied.
“How’d you get better?” Conner questioned.
Thad sat up, politely crisscrossing his legs as he remembered the grueling process. “Someone donated their stem cells to me,” Thad replied. Conner cocked his head before sitting up to listen better.
“What’s that?” Conner asked. “Does it hurt?”
“Not really… Um, the person who gave me the stem cells had to get a shot every day for five days… And then, after they get their fifth shot, they go and get a needle put in them that takes their blood out and puts it back in, and it does that for a long time. Sometimes that’s uncomfortable. They can’t get up to go to the bathroom or anything the whole time… So, sometimes a nurse has to give them calcium through their blood in a bag, and it makes them feel better,” Thad explained, “But I had to stay in the hospital a little while longer to make sure it worked… And the other person had to stay away from a lot of people too, so they wouldn’t get sick.”
“How come?” Conner asked.
“‘Cause it weakens your immune system. If you don’t have healthy stem cells and someone gets you sick, you could be sick for a long time. And if you give stem cells to somebody else, your body has to take time to get strong again. But we’re both okay now,” Thad reassured Conner after seeing the distress in his eyes.
Conner took a shaky breath before kneeling forward to hug Thad. “I’m glad you’re better. I never forget to pray for you. So, I’m glad it worked. I don’t know what I would do without my best friend,” Conner whispered as he held a startled Thad in his warm embrace. Thad slowly reciprocated, overwhelmed by the amount of affection but not averse to it.
Thad wondered what it would’ve been like had he told the truth the first time. He wondered if Conner would’ve liked him the same. His lips twitched into a smile, but he wanted to cry. Conner released him and brushed his temple with his palm as if he’d forgotten something important. “Oh! Bart, I go to temple with my dad once a week, but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. Mom said she’d take you somewhere fun if you didn’t want to go,” Conner explained.
Thad listened to Conner describe temple shortly after that, and he smiled at Conner’s expression. “Can I come and see?” Thad questioned.
“Sure! I’ll tell my dad,” Conner smiled. Clark entered the room.
“Tell your dad what?” Clark teased as he sat down on the floor.
Conner kneeled and placed his hands on Clark’s shoulder before resting his chin there. “Can Bart come to temple?” Conner asked. Clark nodded. “Is it time to go to bed?”
“‘Fraid so… We’ve got a big day planned tomorrow. And we’re getting donuts first,” Clark whispered, “Brush your teeth, and I’ll be there to turn out the lights and say goodnight in a minute.”
**
Thad woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, and he reached into his bag, looking for his stuffed animal. “No… No, no, no—.” Thad started to panic once he realized Bart had his stuffie at summer camp when they decided to switch places.
Conner stirred, turning on his side as he watched Thad struggle for air, and he sat up once he was lucid enough to realize something was wrong. “Bart? Is something wrong?” Conner asked. Thad hugged his knees, hiding his face as he trembled and gasped for air. Conner climbed out of his bed and rubbed Thad’s back. “Do you feel sick? Is it your stomach?”
Thad shook his head. “It’s embarrassing,” Thad mumbled once he caught his breath.
“You can tell me. I won’t make fun of you. I promise,” Conner whispered. He stopped and squinted in the dark. “Did you wet the bed?”
“No,” Thad whimpered as he started to cry.
Conner climbed into the bed beside him, and he pulled him into a half-hug. “What’s wrong? I won’t laugh at you. I promise,” Conner reassured. Thad looked up at Conner as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“I didn’t bring CRAYDL with me,” Thad confessed.
“What’s a CRAYDL? Maybe my dad could find you another—.”
Thad shook his head. “CRAYDL is my stuffie,” Thad mumbled. Conner softened and nodded.
“I know it’s not the same, but I can sleep in your bed tonight,” Conner offered, “I’m sorry you’re scared.” Thad tried to calm down, so he wouldn’t hurt Conner’s feelings, and Conner climbed under the blankets.
“You won’t be mad to stay here all night?” Thad asked. Conner shook his head.
“It’s okay. Try to close your eyes. I’m not going anywhere, Bart. I promise,” Conner reassured him. He shut his eyes, and patted Thad’s knee until he scrunched down in bed and closed his eyes. Conner lay on his stomach, and Thad lay on his back, letting Conner reach over his chest with a gentle but heavy arm.
Fandom: DC Comics, Young Justice, Flashfam, Superfam
Summary: Conner's been best friends with Bart ever since they met at the carnival when they were children. The problem is that Bart can't remember meeting Conner that night. But Thad does...
Chapters: 1/?
Characters: Clark Kent, Conner Kent, Lois Lane, Bart Allen, Thaddeus Thawne, Don Allen, Meloni Allen, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Martha Kent, Max Crandall
Relationships: KonBart, KonThad, Clois, MelonixDon, Ma/Pa Kent
Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Mistaken Identity, Possibly Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Twins, Lies, Stolen Moments, Unconventional Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Best Friends, Secret Crush, Autistic Bart Allen, Autistic Thad Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne Gets a Hug, Conner Kent-centric, Bisexual Conner Kent, Conner Kent Needs a Hug, Third Person POV, Hurt Clark Kent, Boys in Love, Friendship/Love, Farm/Ranch AU, Farmboy Conner Kent, Grandparents and Grandchildren, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Romance, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers
Chapter One: Les Fleur
"You can hold my hand if you're scared," Conner whispered as he stretched his hand out to the crying boy. The small boy reached out and took Conner's hand, his eyes shut tight as he followed Conner out of the hall of mirrors. "I used to get scared in the hall of mirrors, too," Conner whispered, "I'll tell you when we're outside."
He nodded, squeezing Conner's hand tight. Conner couldn't let go even if he wanted to. And he didn't want to. The small boy wouldn't budge, so Conner took off his necklace and gave it to the boy to wear. "I'm not gonna let go. You can wear my ring around your neck until we get out. The cold air hit their faces as they stepped outside, and Conner kept walking until he got to a food stand. "Oh! You can open your eyes now... Are you hungry?" Conner asked. The boy nodded, still holding Conner's hand tight. "Two corndogs, please." Conner paid for their food, and the boys ate while Conner walked them to the help tent.
"Thank you," the little boy mumbled.
"No problem," Conner smiled, "I'm seven years old... How old are you?"
"Six." The little boy took a bite of his corndog and swung his feet as they sat on the bench. He'd finally managed to stop crying, and Conner waved the lady at the tent over.
"Hi, Conner! I saw your pa's watermelon. I hear he's gonna take a picture with the mayor tonight," she smiled.
"Uh-huh! And Ma's gonna win the blue ribbon for her apple pie tonight!" Conner exclaimed. "Wait... Mrs. Feeny, this kid's lost. He's six years old, and I found him in the hall of mirrors-." The little boy tugged his sleeve.
"Where are the bumper cars?" he whispered. "My daddy said to meet him there if I got lost... But I can't remember where that is."
"Oh, I can take you there... Sorry, Mrs. Feeny, I've got him," Conner smiled.
"What's your name?" the little boy questioned.
"I'm Conner. What's your name?" Conner asked. He looked at the little boy's face, but the little boy never looked back. Not directly, anyway.
He finished his corndog and stared down at his feet. "Bart," he answered.
"Nice to meet you, Bart," Conner replied. Bart glanced at him.
Conner led Bart through the crowd, and Bart kissed Conner on the cheek. "Thank you," Bart smiled before darting off. He leaped into his father's arms, and Conner backed away. His job was done. Besides, he was late meeting Ma. He ran toward the Blue Ribbon Baking Contest, and Ma waved at him.
He ran into her arms, and she sat down and bounced Conner on her knee. "You're late, sweetheart," Ma whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Not too bad, though."
"Sorry, Ma. Somebody got lost in the hall of mirrors," Conner explained. Ma took a bite of his corndog and grinned.
Conner sat on her lap for the rest of the contest, and he fell asleep. Ma held him close to her chest. That night, she won the blue ribbon for her excellent apple pie.
*
Conner's alarm went off, and he jumped out of bed. He searched the room for his coveralls. "Ma! Ma! Have you seen my coveralls?" Conner shouted. Someone knocked on his bedroom door, and he answered, startled by the presence of Clark Kent standing in the hallway. Conner rarely saw him in person, save for the occasional holiday. But he always watched Clark on the news. Clark was always much bigger in person. Frighteningly so. "Good morning, Clark." Conner looked up, swallowing hard as he extended a hand to Clark.
Clark crouched down and embraced him. It was unexpected, sweet, and jarring, but Conner hugged back. Clark didn't explain his presence. Instead, he plainly stated that Conner would be with him for the day. Conner never asked why. Instead, he nodded and searched his closet for something to wear. He dressed in jeans and a snap-button shirt before brushing his teeth and washing his face in the restroom.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but it was working hours for the summer, and Conner was well accustomed to the schedule. Clark took his hand and walked him to the car. "Where's Ma and Pa?" Conner asked. It dawned on him that he hadn't seen or heard from them.
"They had to go into town... But I was visiting anyway," Clark answered. Conner squeezed his hand. "How've you been?"
"I have a loose tooth," Conner whispered. Clark looked down, and Conner wiggled his tooth for him.
"That's a nice one. Maybe I'll help you pull it later," Clark replied. Conner nodded. Things had always been odd between the two. Conner knew that Clark was his father, but Ma and Pa only told him that recently. There was still a lot he didn't understand. Clark loved him, he knew that much, but they failed to connect to one another on a fundamental level. They were practically strangers.
"Clark, could we get breakfast?" Conner asked. Clark nodded.
"Did you have fun at the fair last night?" Clark asked. Conner nodded.
"I helped a boy find his dad... He got lost last night. I bought him a corndog and gave him my ring," Conner whispered.
Clark nodded. "We'll have to get you another one then. How about us two go to the antique shop together?" Clark offered. Conner grinned. "Excited for second grade?"
"No... I liked first grade. Pa says it can't be helped," Conner answered. Clark chuckled.
Conner pulled his boots on and slipped on a bolo tie. "Are Ma and Pa at the fair?" Conner questioned. Clark shook his head.
"Ma and Pa are looking for a missing neighbor," Clark answered. Clark put him in a car seat and swallowed hard. "Conner, I love you. Do you know that?"
"Are Ma and Pa okay?" Conner asked. Clark nodded.
"Ma and Pa are fine. They're worried about their friend, but they'll be home before dinner," Clark answered. Conner nodded, and Clark drove out to a twenty-four-hour diner. "Want some flapjacks?"
"Can I have cinnamon sugar on them?" Conner asked. Clark nodded. "Is Lois coming?"
"Mhm, you'll see her soon," Clark replied, "She's still asleep. We didn't get in until late."
Conner swung his feet. "Does Lois like me?" Conner asked. Clark chuckled.
"Lois loves you," Clark replied.
"She cries when she sees me," Conner mumbled as he wrung his hands.
"That's because she misses you," Clark explained. He reached across the table and squeezed Conner's knee. "Is this strange for you? Me being here?"
"Ma and Pa said I could go with you and Lois without asking-."
"No, Conner... I mean-. Do you feel comfortable around me?" Clark asked. Conner grew silent. "I promise one day this will all make sense, Conner. I hate that it doesn't right now. I love you more than you'll ever know."
"Did you not like me? Is that why you're not my daddy anymore?" Conner asked.
"That's not-. Conner, I was trapped out of the country. No one even knew if I was still alive. Lois thought I was dead, so she was too upset to be the mommy she wanted to be. When I returned, you thought Ma and Pa were your parents, so I decided we should let you grow up in the home you've always known," Clark explained.
Conner didn't say anything else about it. None of it made sense to him, but he didn't want to say something wrong and keep Clark from visiting again. "Can we go to the fair after breakfast? I promise I'll be good. I'll even hold your hand if you want," Conner promised.
The waitress smiled and put her hand on her hip. "How are my two favorite Kent boys?" she grinned.
"Hi, Miss Lisa. Clark said I could have cinnamon sugar on my flapjacks," Conner announced.
"We're doing alright. Can we have two orders of bacon and flapjacks? Orange juice for me and milk for Conner? And how are you, Miss Lisa?" Clark ordered.
"I'm doing good. Nice to see you, Clark," Miss Lisa smiled, "Oh, and thank you for those eggs, Conner. That was so sweet of you." She waved before walking off.
"What about eggs?" Clark asked.
"It was only a half dozen. I gave the eggs to Miss Lisa's grandson 'cause he's in my class," Conner answered. Clark smiled.
"You got taller since the last time I've seen you," Clark noted. Conner nodded. "You're gonna be bigger than me when you grow up. I can tell."
