Fic: Tune to my Heart Station
Author: DarkeyedResolve aka Tommy H
Title: Turn the Dial to My Heart Station
Pairing: Kon/Tim
Written for bradygirl12 Valentines Day challenge
Themes: Music, Hearts, Rings, Rose, etc
Note: Basically set in 52 only Kon lived, so that makes it a million times better. Also, the words in italics are song lyrics that go to the song, Heart Station by Utada Hikaru. The basic idea being that with those headphones Kon is not going to hear what people are saying, so he hears the song lyrics instead. I hope this idea works out, this is an experiment so let me know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPo7_25dS9I that will take to the song/video.
Disclaimer: Do not own, DC does, woe is me.
It was typical February day, cold and gray. The sky was an endless bleak curtain hanging over Gotham City, but the sky was mostly blocked out by towering structures. Buildings rose higher and higher, one out doing the other in height, size and ornamentation. The wind was bitter as it flooded through alleyways, causing trash to scatter and bums to curse. The hidden masses of Gotham drew closer to the dancing flames inside discarded metal drums. Scarves were caught in the same icy breeze but they flapped with joyous contentment.
It was not just a typical February day though; it was Valentines Day which was quite apparent if you looked around; much to Kon-el’s agitation. Couples were out everywhere, some holding gloved hands, some sharing the same scarf, and there were dozens of other affectionate displays going on. Every block seemed to have the same old woman in a ragged outfit selling the same red roses; each vender found untapped couples to spring the flowers on. They were used to bitter days and a few February chills were not going to stop them from getting money, money to get real food and shelter for the night.
Kon was dressed as warmly as needed, even though he could just use his tactile telekinesis to blunt any extreme cold. He had dressed in layers with his costume at the bottom in case of sudden emergencies. The boy had his hands stuck into the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt; the white color went well with the blue jacket he had pulled on over it. To further blot out society, large headphones had been pulled on over his ears. The song was on repeat; it had been on repeat his entire trip back from the Wayne Manor. Kon had taken to visiting with Alfred Pennyworth, at least being at the manor brought back some essence of Tim to his life.
The headphones were really exceptional; he couldn’t hear any of the normal sounds of Gotham. Off white, round but square like ear pieces rested firmly over his ears to deafen the calls of reality. The police sirens, the cursing of pissed off pedestrians or even the rare exchanging of hellos among strangers all went by without a notice from the boy of steel. The world, to Kon-el, was pulsing to the beat of the song in his head.
“Ai-Ai-Ai-Ai” A few girls in plaid uniforms and heavy coats were laughing about something as they quickly ran off to meet their boyfriends.
“Rainy Day that chills the skin.” Kon passed a man trying to convince his female companion to take his jacket.
“The two of us, not believing in this separation” The woman reassured him that she was warm enough and did not want him to catch a cold.
Something caught his eye when, a familiar shape that passed slowly enough for Kon to see his face. A boyish face that eyes much older than that his age, deep blue eyes. Superboy stopped to get a better look but he merely caught the back of person before the figure was lost within the moving crowd. The teenager was half tempted to investigate further but he was suddenly bumped into. It was one of those rose women, her figure morphed into a big formless mound of jackets and coats.
“The radio was playing inside the car” The haggard woman showing off the crimson red bounty in her arms.
“No, thank you.” Kon assumed she was just trying to peddle a rose off to him and was not interested.
“Saying good bye is meaningless” The woman with the round, wrinkled face tried to thrust one at him in order to get the dollar.
He quickly began to sprint off partly to get away from her, and partly not to miss the subway train. The rest of the trip to the station was a blur; the buildings and the people all became gray shadows to match the gray sky. Kon took the descending steps two at a time and bumped the shoulders of the people who were walking more orderly.
“If we’re able to meet again some day” A man stumbled against his escort with a shout.
“Don’t you think it will be a beautiful thing?” Two teenage boys growled and tried to grab at Kon-el as he dove by, but they settled with just flipping him off.
He didn’t take the time to return their hard stares with apologies, he just wanted to get to the subway and get to Metropolis then to his apartment. The platform was crowded with various people; some young and some old, some single and some together but they had a common destination. Superboy was panting softly as he walked to the back of the crowd, he couldn’t hear the cacophony of whispers but still saw the animated faces.
“Are you able to hear my voice” A young lady was talking on her bright pink cell phone; her free hand played and twirled a strand of blonde hair. She looked happy with her shiny pink sunglasses falling down a pert, upturned nose.
“At 1’o clock at night, on Heart Station” An elderly couple was talking to one another; the old man was wearing a tweed blazer, beige scarf and a lined smile.
“A dial that doesn’t need tuning” She was elegant with her snowy white hair pulled up and a rose fixed on the lapel of her coat, her hand touching the old gentleman’s face for a moment.
The constant reminders of love were not making this typical February day any better, he really needed something to drink. Kon rubbed his temples while walking over to the small convenience store, staffed only by depressed brunette girl. The little booth hadn’t escaped Valentines fervor with strings of paper hearts, purple and pink, hanging along the front of it and then above the attendant’s head. He gave her a smile and she returned with a half hearted one of her own, looks like his charms weren’t up to par…but he wasn’t trying really.
“Can I just have a bottle of water?” He pointed over to one of the many clear, curvy bottles that seemed to mimic a woman’s body more than a cylinder.
She reached over to her side and grabbed it as asked. The girl in a white polo set the clear bottle down on the counter and promptly held out her hand, “A Secret Frequency.”
Superboy had to glance over at the displayed to read green numerals on the register before handing her the change. He quickly turned back around; he looked surprised to see that the train had already pulled up. The heralding noise of it had gone unnoticed, lost to the more seductive music playing in his head. Kon was pleased about how well these headphones did their job, but he was more focused on how the water tasted going down his throat.
Though the mass of passengers, Tim Drake was walking into the train; Kon-el was stared at the back of the figure and quickly took off into a jog before his feet left the cold, cement floor. He couldn’t believe it wasn’t possible, Tim…here…walking on the same train. A determined hand just barely managed to grab the figure’s shoulder, and Superboy pulled him back.
“Tim?” Kon’s voice rose with his excitement and his confusion.
“Are you receiving the frequencies of my heart?” A sharp, angular face was yelling at him, it was not Tim after all. It was just a boy of the same age, same hair, but with dull green eyes and a sneering mouth.
“Sorry man, really…” Kon-el slunk back into the crowd that was surging to get on; his little stunt had interrupted their march. He felt the heat of stares all over his body; he watched words being whispered through muttered lips.
“Heart Station of sinners”
“A secret only God knows”
“I miss you.” The disappointed hero said when he finally walked on to the subway train and the curved doors closed behind.
An interior that was clean, almost sterile; it gleamed with a light better kept for hospitals and classrooms. Running along the sides of the train, the seats were bench like with plush blue cushions, with some curving out to break the chain near the doors. The train was somewhat empty, or maybe it seemed empty because most people were grouped into clusters rather than a typical sprawl.
Superboy has his pick of spots but plopped down on the first empty seat he found, his mind was busy with other issues than comfort. He was letting his emotions get the better of him, God and now he was seeing Tim and almost accosted a stranger over it.
‘Am I turning into one of those boyfriends?’ He really hoped not and was going to believe he wasn’t. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him; at least it was better than not seeing Tim at all.
It was stressful to become so used to someone that it was maddening to go a year without them. It was stressful not being able to call whenever he felt like, when he saw something funny or just wanted to hear Tim say his name. It was stressful to keep his feelings bottled up because the one who always listened was busy on some other continent.
Shifting his posture, Kon let his body slump into the firm cushion; his thoughts of loneness collide with the beat of music and roll of the tracks. The blue eyes were mostly hidden under lashes while the gazed about on all the other occupants. Most of them seem to be holding hands, or leaning close to one another as the train; it was a real fucking postcard. Superboy just shut his eyes and the entire scene went to black, this was much better.
“Ai-Ai-Ai-Ai Baby can you hear me? Just tell me one thing.”
“Ai-Ai-Ai-Ai If you can hear me, say something”
The teenager was abruptly awakened after being lulled to sleep by the sway of the silent subway train, his body rudely jerked forward when the brakes were applied. Sapphire inspired eyes fluttered and his hands rubbed along his smooth, boyish face to awaken his skin. He was home, or at least in Metropolis now. The song was still repeating in his ear, as it had done the entire day and entire trip, but he wasn’t bothered enough to fix it. The indistinguishable people began to file out of the train, some in hand and others not, and would disappear into the city.
Kon-el first noticed how much colder it was now, the gray sky was now a black sky flecked with white stars and white snow. Floating down and swaying side to side, the tiny snowflakes touched the uniformly cut slabs of sidewalk. When he first felt one brush his face, Superboy really missed Hawaii. The super powered youth was tempted just to pick up and fly off to the island paradise now, but he had promised to watch over Metropolis. Superman was really going to owe him for this; Kon was going to demand some long vacation time when the big guy came back.
The streets were rather busy for how cold it was, but every couple in the city had dates planned for the night. Bustling masses on the sidewalks and cars jammed up at the stop lights made the night seem warm. Whether it was an elegant five star restaurant with candles and wine or the simple carriage ride through the park, love was alive in Metropolis. Kon wanted to quickly get to his apartment and end this day, at least tomorrow would be better. In his haste, he didn’t even see the familiar round mass of rags standing in the street.
“The more I need to forget” The plump women in coats looked spooked as the boy veered around her with his feet hovering off the ground. The wide look of her eyes soon narrowed to show that the shock was gone, replaced with intense scrutiny.
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Kon-el bowed his head but didn’t bother taking off his headphones to hear her, he just wanted home…and his Tim. He was just about to walk off before her rough, wind beaten hand grabbed on to his arm.
“The more these thoughts remain.” She was proceeding to wave a red rose in his face, God they were in every city today.
“Fine, I give up!” The boy of steel thrust the dollar into her other hand, which was gloved in a ratty mitten instead of bare. The old women was delighted enough to let Kon go and now a dollar richer from her “selling”.
‘What am I going to do with this?’ He stared down at the flower in thought, the ruby petals catching a few falling snow flakes while the boy watched on.
Superboy was tempted to just toss on his way home, but it wasn’t the rose’s fault he was having the worst Valentines Day ever. With his fingers curling around the hard, green stem, the teenager decided to stick with it for a couple more blocks. It was some type of companion.
The rest of the walk to his apartment was not so action packed; he had at least avoided further battles with the Rose Vendors. A couple was standing on the stoop of his building and sharing a cup of hot chocolate between them. They were in the exact right place to make it impossible for him to get around without disturbing them
“Even if we are apart, you are right here.” The man with a square jaw line and lines around his dark eyes offered the paper cup of steaming fluid to his wife.
“In the middle of my heart” With flowing red hair and ivory scary, the woman drank from it but her eyes never left the man’s face. She let her fingers slide up and they held the little cup of hot chocolate together.
‘Guess I will take the scenic route.’ Kon-el didn’t feel like spoiling the moment for them, he wasn’t that grumpy yet. His feet touched off the cold cement as the wind rose to meet its new visitor.
Superboy swerved around the side of the looming, brick building and was inside the back alleyway. It wasn’t a romantic spot, it as devoid of life besides a few cats that prowled for food. Trash bags were pilling around the cans, which had also overflowed; it was a rather sobering scene. Kon only stopped because he thought he saw movement, bigger than feline movement. The teenage powerhouse was suspended in the air; the strings of his hoodie were floating from the ever present cold wind. Nothing else moved, nothing else stirred for him so his ascension continued on.
Even though he was going quickly, Kon’s eyes still caught the split seconds scenes of people in their rooms. The details were slightly blurred so he only caught a moment or two, but it was enough to remind him how special the day was. He was getting annoyed at people who didn’t close their blinds.
The pair of older men who were sitting at their table, the single piece of chocolate cake had been half eaten. They had smiles on their wrinkled faces and leaned in across the table to share some words of love.
“I thought I heard your voice.” They brushed their lips against each other’s cheek
“1’o clock at night, on Heart Station.” They laughed softly before going back to picking at the sweet concoction of chocolate and raspberry.
After several layers of red brick and gray mortar, the scene was now in the room of a teenaged girl. A boy was sitting on her bed with his hands nervously clenched together while she was fumbling with the buttons of her top. They looked at one another, then looked away, and then finally made eye contact again.
“Two pulses, always beating somewhere” Pushing up off the bed, the young man went to her side and encircled his arms about her.
“Are you receiving the frequencies of my heart?” She smiled slightly and their nervous demeanors began to melt away, they had come to an understanding.
Kon-el was quite thankful when he reached his own window, the latch being twisted by his TTK and the warm air touching what skin was left bare. Dark and untouched since the morning, Superboy floated inside of his little home and let the window fall back into place behind him. Minimal light came in from the outside to show the way but he knew this place inside and out; nothing was going to surprise him. The lightening inside the bedroom buzzed after his hand, with some groping along the wall, was turned on.
It was an efficient one bedroom, not glamorous, with had a cozy lived in charm now that Kon was here. The bed hadn’t been made well, sheets were tossed into place. Clothing was beginning to pile up in that solitary laundry basket; he hated going down to the basement to do it. Dishes were left from this morning; they would be neglected until tomorrow morning. Down time to clean was a luxury for a superhero.
With the heat blowing from the vents, Kon-el began to strip off the many layers of his clothing. Falling to the bed first, the rose would soon be covered by the articles of outwear. The jacket was tossed on the floor, the hooded sweatshirt fell on to his bed and finally the headphones came off. Before he could turn it off, there was a creek along the floor…a sudden application of weight. Kon tensed up with his eyes going to the dark hallway outside of his room, the headphones dropped on to the pile with the song softly audibly.
“Heart Station of Lovers”
The boy of steel slowly crept out of his bedroom, the light from his bedroom flowing into the rest of the apartment but it was still hard to see into the darken corners. With a frown on his face, Kon walked on out into his foreboding apartment and he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop on this day. He stopped and listened, he was starting to get a hand on this super hearing but it was hard to focus it.
“We are receiving a request again tonight.”
“I love you.”
With wide eyes and a shocked body, Kon-el had heard Tim’s voice…he heard his voice in this room. He slowly turned his head of his shoulder, while silently praying that he had not really lost it. Tim Drake was standing there by his bedroom door, standing there in a long sleeve thermal shirt and pair of dark jeans; he was smiling in his subtle manner.
“Tim” Kon just stared; he was not going to be duped by his head again.
“Kon” Tim said back and looked at him with a questioning expression, “You look uneasy, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing” Superboy flew over, quickly now that he knew this was not his imagination, and threw his arms around the shorter boy, “I just didn’t think it was you.”
Robin was confused but he was happy to have Kon close; to feel those arms around him and to put his arms around Kon, “I would like to think only I could sneak up on you this well.”
“It wasn’t that smooth, I did hear you.” The clone nuzzled against the cool, black hair for a moment before brushing his lips against Tim’s ear.
“Only because I let you, I was debating on how to approach.” Kissing against Kon’s neck, the boy wonder took in his scent and realized how he had missed it.
“Should I bother with asking how you convinced the Bat to get time off?” It had been so long, Superboy felt a chill go down his broad back at the touch. He dug his dingers into the shirt and was almost desperate to hold on to Tim.
“Complicated, so let’s not waste our time with that.” The dark haired teen leaned against his boyfriend; he felt this pang of guilt from this sense of loneliness he could feel in Kon’s grip.
“Are you able to hear my voice?”
“1’0 clock at night, on Heart Station.”
“Did you leave something on?” Tim asked after he caught sound of music coming from the bedroom, he tilted his head to find the source that was eluding him.
“Oh yea, I forgot to turn that off.” Kon continued to nuzzle his cheek against the other boy, he personally didn’t care…he was so used to the song now it was background noise.
Tim let his hands roam over the muscled figure, those wide shoulders that tapered down to a thin waist. He felt the tightness of spandex over round, supple curves of Kon’s body, “You were fighting crime today?”
“Oh, no this was just for emergencies because I was in Gotham.” The boy of steel began a slow back walk to his room, “The city might have needed a hand…not that I need to explain that to you.” Leaning in, they kissed.
“A secret frequency that still connects us”
The roughness of the day, the loneliness of months without, and Kon’s personal agitation with Valentines Day in the city; it was all forgotten in a kiss. Kon-el draped his arms over Tim’s shoulders with a few of his fingers tickling against the back of the boy wonder’s neck. Tim pulled the taller boy against his body with his hands firmly latched on to the spandex outfit. No more having to envy happy couples, no more having to block out the world over a holiday; they had all they needed. The kiss deepened, lips parting as the tongue danced for a hot moment and then the two boys came back into the word.
“Are you receiving the signals of my heart?”
“You gonna turn that off?” Tim tilted his head to glance over Kon’s shoulder; he could see the headphones sticking out in the pile of quickly discarded clothing.
“Oh yea, I just tune it out anymore.” He was blushing when he had his back to Robin and began to tug on the cord to find his way to the mp3 player itself. It was when he picked up the small, square box that he also found that begrudgingly bought rose. With a chance to show how romantic he is, Kon quickly spun around, “By the way, I have…”
Tim was standing there with a small box in handle, a small box with two small, silver rings in it. Those small rings gleamed with light and seemed to twinkle like stars, stars set against a velvet sky, “Hmm, a rose?” He looked just as surprised as Kon, though he regained his composure with a smile, “Thank you, Kon.”
“Heart Station of Sinners” The song went on with the mp3 player neglected.
“What...What are those?” Superboy didn’t remember when the rose was taken by Tim Drake since he was too busy figuring how to respond to a marriage proposal; they were both so young and there was this line of work and...and…
“Well this separation is not going to be easier on either one of us, so I thought these would remind us.” Having retrieved the rings from the box, Robin dropped the box and the rose on to the bed, “Whenever you or I become lonely, we just have to look down.” He took the surprisingly soft hand of his teammate and slipped the ring on the unresisting finger.
“Oh..Oh!” Kon’s eyes took on a glowing to their stunning blue color when they gazed over the band on his hand, “This is really amazing, Tim.” He was just staring at the band, which left Tim standing there waiting for his ring to be put on.
“A secret only God knows”
“Kon, are you okay with this?’ Tim Drake’s face tightened as he studied the boy of steel, “I mean you look…scared.” He had thought this would some way of easing the separation, maybe he had read his own boyfriend wrong.
“No, I like it.” Superboy was smiling when he wrapped Tim up in his arms; they kissed again in a slow, gentle way. With the use of tactile telekinesis, the ring drifted from Robin’s hold and slipped upon his finger, “I love you.” He whispered as they broke the kiss.
“I love you too.”
They intertwined their fingers; rings rubbed together as they pair tumbled on to the bed. The mattress bounced under their weight but they were already embracing once more, they had this night to enjoy before oceans parted their contact. The reflection of the silver rings were visible in the darkening room and when traveling through their respective masses of black hair.
“Ai, Ai, Ai, Ai, Heart Station.” The headphones proclaimed before a talented hand flicked the off switch.