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Jon lowered himself from the air and down onto the fire escape as gently as he could, the small clang of his footsteps echoing into the almost empty streets. He barely reacted, midnight wind rushing through his hair, pulling his cape behind him with a small flutter.
He ducked his head and leaned one hand on the windowsill, using the other to rap his knuckles softly on the glass, focusing to pull his strength back just enough to make a noise. He didn’t need to peek through the half-shut curtains, knowing he could look well past it and the wall itself to see inside, but he found himself craning his neck to get a glimpse at the apartment.
The lights were off as usual, the only light being the glow of computer monitors coming from the desk in the corner of the room. Behind Jon, the streetlamps cast his shadow against the wall, slipping in through the cracks in the curtain with a faint yellowish light.
He waited patiently, unbothered by the chill of the night or the wind that combed through his curls. Slowly, he crouched down until he was squatting right in front of the window, leaning his forearm against the sill, waiting like a puppy wanting to be let in.
Sure, he could have easily opened the window himself or found another way into the apartment. But that spoiled the fun of it all and the anticipation of being permitted inside. Besides, he didn’t want to overstep or invade any privacy that wasn’t his to invade. There had to be some sort of give and take between someone who could see through walls and someone who could walk right through them.
It took a minute or two, and another soft knock on the glass, but then Jon heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He saw Jay approach, lean down to hook his fingers underneath the lip of the window, and pull up to slide it open, a soft creak enunciating the movement. Jon perked up with a soft smile spreading across his face, his heart thudding in his chest in excitement.
“What are you doing out here?” Jay asked, his lips quirking up into a soft smile as he knelt down in front of the window, copying Jon’s position from the other side of the wall. He tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms in front of him, leaning his chin on his wrists.
Jay’s glasses reflected the light from the streetlamps below them, eyes darting back and forth across Jon’s face, almost as if he were silently checking him over for anything that might be wrong. His expression twitched slightly, although he must not have found anything because he just waited quietly for Jon to continue, his heart rate steady, slow, but normal.
“Waiting for you to notice,” Jon stretched his arms out, sticking them through the now open window and hooking his fingers around the inside edge of the windowsill. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Jay’s cheek, pulling himself out from his crouched position.
“You can just come in, you know,” Jay said, moving back from the window to allow Jon to climb through, his cape trailing after him as he all but stumbled inside. “Unless you’re secretly a vampire that needs to be invited in every time.” Jay shut the window behind Jon with a soft thud and locked it.
“Might be that one,” Jon smiled and slid his tongue over his teeth, “You never know.” He stood up and reached out to embrace Jay, his fingers curling around his thin shoulders to pull him closer.
“Hm,” Jay let out a small chuckle and walked right through Jon before he could be fully pulled into a hug, causing him to shiver and let out a startled whine, “I don’t know if I want to take any chances with that, actually.”
“Hey!” Jon insisted, whirling around to face Jay, who wore a tired, yet amused smile, his eyes catching Jon’s for a moment.
“I’m kidding,” Jay reached out and cupped Jon’s face in his hand, sliding his palm back to cover one ear, scrunching his fingers through Jon’s curls. He leaned in and gave him a kiss, allowing Jon to hold him there for a few seconds before pulling away. Jay’s hands were freezing, and he shivered when Jon put his arms around his shoulders, somehow managing to lean into the touch and shy away from it at the same time.
Then Jon’s hand went right through him again.
Jay pulled away suddenly and turned around so Jon couldn’t see his face. He moved back to the desk where he had been sitting previously, his arms wrapped around his torso, shoulders pulled up to his ears. He walked right through the chair to get to the other side of it.
That wasn’t a good sign.
“You okay?” Jon asked, following Jay further into the apartment, trailing after him while Jay lowered himself slowly into his desk chair, each movement practiced and calculated. Jay shivered, and Jon saw the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
“Fine, just…” Jay swallowed thickly and shook his head slightly, reaching up to take his glasses off. He dug the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. “Just cold…” There was something off about the tone of his voice. Something distant and not all there, like he was talking through a few layers of fog and cotton. He watched Jay’s hand go through the desk.
Jon walked over to him and leaned across the back of his chair, draping his arms around Jay’s shoulders while he tried to drop himself back into his work. Jay was freezing when Jon wrapped his arms around him, his skin like ice and his body shaking slightly. Jay let out a small sigh and relaxed into the contact. Jon pressed his face into the crook of his neck.
“What are you working on?” Jon asked casually, running a hand across Jay’s upper bicep, hoping the contact might warm him up a little bit.
“Editing,” Jay mumbled, putting his glasses back on with a sigh, “Got a new thing to put out tomorrow, I think you’ll like it.”
“I’m sure I will,” Jon promised, peppering small kisses to the side of Jay’s neck, not insinuating anything, but just to offer some affection. Jay shivered again, and if Jon felt him go intangible again, neither of them commented on it.
“What brings you over tonight?” Jay asked absently after a few moments of silence, not looking away from the computer as he rested his hands on the keyboard. Jon listened for the steady thrumming of his heartbeat, pressing his lips to the pulse point on his neck.
“Maybe I just missed you,” Jon admitted with a soft exhale of breath, “Haven’t seen you all day.”
“Been busy?”
“Yeah,” Jon sighed and sank further against where he was leaning on Jay, “You seem like you’ve kept busy.”
“Busy enough.”
Another vague answer. Another shiver.
Jay made a noise somewhere between a frustrated groan and a pained sigh. Jon kissed his neck again and rubbed his shoulders, trying to chase away the chill, bringing some feeling back into his skin.
“Wanna take a break?” Jon suggested, his tone not so much as questioning as it was full of concern. “You’re really cold.”
“I think people use the term ‘cool’ more often,” Jay tried, although the joke didn’t fully reach his voice. Jon made an annoyed noise from the back of his throat, and Jay just deflated. “Yeah…”
“C’mon, up we go,” Jon all but dragged Jay back up to his feet, catching him as another shiver rolled down his spine, his powers flickering unsteadily. He pulled Jay against his chest, feeling the cold radiate from him. He wrapped his arms around him, running his hands across his shoulders, while Jay tucked his head into the crook of Jon’s neck.
“Can you just like…” Jay paused and let out a breath, holding back another shiver, “Squeeze me as hard as you can?”
“I think I’ll break you if I do that,” Jon admitted, pressing his nose into Jay’s hair.
“Okay, maybe not as hard as you can… but just…” Jay tentatively reached around to curl his arms around Jon’s back in a shaky hug, “Tighter… Please…”
Jon obliged, squeezing Jay against his chest, careful to keep his strength in check so he didn’t accidentally hurt him. Jay made a pleased noise, something like a hum muffled in his shoulder. He fisted his hands into the back of Jon’s suit, slipping his arms underneath the cape to hold him even tighter, clinging to Jon with all his strength.
They stood like that for a minute, maybe two, and then Jay slipped through Jon’s arms again with a sudden gasp and a frustrated whine. Jay stumbled forward, now suddenly behind Jon, shivering as he dropped to his knees.
“Sorry—” Jay choked, curling his arms around himself, “Didn’t… Didn’t mean to do that.”
“That’s okay,” Jon turned easily and knelt next to Jay, unfortunately used to this happening, “It happens.” Jon figured it was just one of those nights. It was bound to happen with powers like Jay’s, especially powers he wasn’t born with.
Jay brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself, digging his nails into the sides of his thighs. He shook, although Jon wasn’t entirely sure it was from the cold anymore. He didn’t say anything, although Jon could hear each shallow breath that wheezed from his lips, his heart beating at an uneven rhythm.
Jon gave him a minute, sitting on the ground next to him, one hand rubbing soothing circles into his back. He waited for Jay to speak again, not wanting to rush him before he was ready and risking scaring him. At least the contact seemed to be helping a little bit as long as Jay could stay tangible to feel it.
“Cold…” Jay mumbled again, not even bothering to lift his face from where he had buried it into his knees.
“Wanna try again?” Jon offered, smoothing his fingers through Jay’s hair. Jay sighed and nodded faintly. “Maybe the couch this time?”
“Couch…” Jay agreed, voice still faded and far away.
Jon slipped one arm around Jay’s shoulder and the other underneath one arm to gently pull him up to his feet. Jay’s legs trembled, but they couldn’t give out on him when Jon was holding him up, almost carrying him over to the dingy old couch.
Jon dropped down first and let Jay climb on top of him, tucking his face into the crook of Jon’s neck, curling up against him. Jon curled his arms around him, encircling him in a tight, warm embrace, bringing his hand up and down the center of his spine. Jay shivered, and the breath that puffed against Jon’s neck was cold.
He squeezed Jay gently, applying what Jon hoped was a good amount of pressure. Jay just sighed in content every time Jon squeezed a little tighter, balling his hand up in a fist around Jon’s suit, the contact and pressure working to keep him at least somewhat steady and tangible.
They stayed that way, legs tangled together, and Jay tucked so deep in Jon’s arms it was like he was trying to merge into one. Jon didn’t mind. The contact was nice, and he would never say no to some late-night cuddles, especially after a long day. And especially when it seemed like Jay really needed this. Jon tilted his head down and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of Jay’s head. A small purr rumbled from the center of Jon’s chest, unable to help the pleased noise.
“Thanks…” Jay mumbled with a soft sigh, his voice just a bit clearer.
“‘Course,” Jon replied easily, focusing on the sound of Jay’s steady heartbeat. At least it seemed like some of Jon’s warmth was rubbing off on Jay, the other boy gradually settling, no longer shaking as bad as before.
Every once in a while, Jay clung to Jon a little tighter, a small wince or a whine bubbling from the back of his throat, and Jon squeezed him a bit further against his chest, holding him tight and strong until Jay settled again.
Jon settled further against the slightly lumpy couch, purring a little louder as he held Jay. Jay let out a sigh of contentment, and then took a slightly deeper breath and gave another sigh, this one with a little bit of rumble added to it from the back of his throat. It wasn’t a purr, but Jon could tell the attempt was made.
His eyes widened slightly, and he gave a soft little chirrup, pressing another kiss to the side of Jay’s head. Jay chuckled softly. He smiled and kissed Jon’s shoulder, letting his fists relax only slightly around his grip of Jon’s suit.
It didn’t take very long, but Jon could hear the way Jay’s breathing relaxed as he settled, his heart rate slowing down as he started to drift off. Jon let him, running his hand up and down his shoulders, knowing that he needed some sleep and someone to hold him and keep him warm. Good thing Jon was never one to say no to holding his boyfriend.
Jon shut his eyes, tuning out the rest of the world and focusing only on Jay tucked in his arms, relaxing to the sound of his heartbeat and the feeling of his breath puffing against his collar. He sighed, feeling like this was the first time he had been able to relax all day, the tension draining from his muscles the longer he lay there with Jay tucked against his chest.
In the dark quiet of the apartment, Jay may have fallen asleep first, but Jon wasn’t far behind to follow.