NOT SLASH!
Note: I can't freaking write ;w;
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Jaime couldn't believe how much the newest team member, the hyperactive teen speedster from the future, had seemed to enjoy being around him. It seemed whenever they were even in the same room together Bart would rush over to start talking to him. He didn't know why his new friend had liked him so much, he liked everybody on the team, but not near as much as him.

It wasn't anything extremely close, but it was close as two guys could get without being gay. That may sound strange, but it's pretty much the only way one could describe it.

Bart was always smiling when Jaime was around, he always talked to him when he could, he even sped over to his house a few times just to talk with him or show off their powers.

It had even gotten to the point where Bart seemed more comfortable near him than with anyone else. It was pretty strange when he thought about it. Blue Beetle was the one who had tortured him throughout his life, so why did he like him so much? He should be terrified, shouldnt he?

Jaime was thinking about this while sitting on the couch at his house with Bart, watching a movie that Wally had mentioned to him. It was around ten PM, the room dark and the TV being the only light. Bart seemed pretty absorbed in it, sitting next to Jaime with his legs curled up in front of him and his arms wrapped around them. Jaime had been looking at Bart for a little while now going through his thoughts of the young speedster, and Bart eventually caught him staring.

He broke his attention from the television, and looked back at Jaime with a curious tilt of his head. "Blue?" he said questioningly. "What's up?" Jaime immediately stopped his staring and looked away. Bart obviously knew something was up, and Jaime did not like the fact that he let himself stare while going through his confused thoughts, let alone getting caught.

Bart sat there in his little balled up position, him now being the one staring. Jaime could tell Bart was still looking at him with those big, curious green eyes of his, even though he was facing the opposite direction. After Jaime didn't respond for a while, Bart knew he was making him uncomfortable, so he looked back at the television and pretended nothing had happened.

Jaime was glad about this, but he felt like he owed Bart an explanation for his staring. Bart was the one who came out of his shell and told Jaime about his past, everyone else's future, anyway. This seemed a good time to repay him.

Jaime looked back at Bart, the speedster now once again completely enveloped in the movie. Jaime shifted awkwardly, not knowing how to ask Bart about all of his questions. He sat there, half facing Bart, half facing the television, pondering of how to start off the questions. Bart let out a heavy sigh and let his head fall back against the back of the couch, and reached out onto the table in front of him to grab the remote.

He paused the movie and limply dropped his arm back to his legs to wrap it around them. He tipped his head to his right to face Jaime. "That's it, what's up?" he asked while staring into Jaime's dark brown eyes. Jaime's eyes widened, not expecting Bart to suddenly come back to reality without him saying anything.

"You've been staring at me for the past ten minutes. It's kinda starting to bother me"
Jaime almost smacked himself in embarrassment. He had known he was staring the entire time? And it was that long? He'd lost track of time, engulfed his own thoughts.

"It's just that....Well.." Jaime fumbled through his words. Bart raised an eyebrow at this, the light from the television glinting off his bright green eyes. Jaime decided to just come out and say it. "Why do you like me so much?" is what he managed to get out.

Both of Bart's eyebrows shot up at this, the glint in his eyes bigger and brighter now. Jaime wanted to smack himself. THATS what he managed to say? He couldn't have asked that question in a worse way. He started to say it differently, but before he could even get out the first word, Bart responded. "Why do I like you so much?" Bart repeated. He positioned his chin in the small space left between his knees.

He pondered through his thoughts, looking very concentrated. "I guess... I guess it because you're just the first person I've ever really tried to get close to..." Jaime was surprised by this. Not only had Bart immediately responded to his odd question, but he was the only person he tried to get close to? "I'm what?" he questioned hesitantly. "Sure, it might have been sort of an act at first, but after a while...." Bart trailed off. "I guess I just sort of got attached..."

Attached? What does that mean?

"What do you mean 'attached'?" Jaime asked. Bart was silent at first, but then he responded shakily; "I never really knew anyone in my time... No one I could talk to when I had problems, no one I could ask for help... Nobody" Bart responded as he curled himself into a tighter ball. "You're the first person I could ever talk to.... Someone who could help me when I needed it.... Someone to help in return..."

Jaime couldn't believe it. Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle, the one who Bart should be the most terrified of, was his biggest source of comfort. "But... I thought you would be horrified by me.." he said quietly, clenching his fists. Bart lifted his head from his knees, Jaime's eyes meeting his once again.

"You're not him, you're not that monster I had to grow up with" he suddenly said confidently. "If there's anything I'm horrified of.." he continued as he let his face sink back into his knees. "It's losing you... I'm terrified that I'm going to lose you, in battle, The Reach getting ahold of you, them turning you into that... Thing" he clenched his fists. "I'd rather die than that happen"

Jaime's eyes widened. He would rather die? He would rather give up his own life then letting them take him? Jaime realized Bart's hands shaking, curled up as tight as he could make himself. He wanted to do something, something to make him come out of his horrid thoughts, but he couldn't think of anything.

It seems he didn't have to, because just then, Bart came out of his curled up position, shot his arms around Jaime's midsection, and hugged as tight as he could with his face buried into the older teen's chest. He was stunned for a moment, Bart just acting so suddenly, but he hesitantly hugged the shaking speedster back. They just sat there, arms wrapped around each other, and the younger of the two shaking uncontrollably. Jaime caught a shaky "Thank you.." from the speedster, muffled from his face being snuggled into Jaime's chest.

A smile started to form at the edges of Jaime's mouth. He was a great source of comfort to someone, someone broken and pained. He was grateful that he could be so important in someone's life, someone that he cared about. "Thanks for not giving up on me and coming back" he whispered to Bart. The young speedster's trembling immediately decreased.

After about a minute, Bart finally managed to pull away from the Hispanic teen's embrace, and sat back upright. There was an awkward pause, and Bart scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that.." he said sheepishly. "D-don't worry about it..." Jaime hesitantly responded.

Jaime really didn't really understand what just happened, all he knew was that Bart felt a lot better now, and he did too. "Just... I just.." Bart mumbled through his words. "I just want to thank you... For everything" he managed to get through his lips.

"I finally feel like I belong somewhere.. Like I have a purpose" Jaime smiled. "You've always had a purpose, hermano" Bart raised his slightly lowered head, his eyes meeting Jaime's. "You're purpose was come back, back into this time, and help everyone. Especially me" a large smile plastered itself onto Bart's face. "Yeah. I suppose it is"

"Should we get back to the movie now?" Jaime cheerfully asked. "Yep" Bart responded, still smiling wide. He reached back over to the table, grabbed the remote, and un-paused the movie.

They sat in silence as the movie played. Not an awkward silence, no, this was a comforting silence. The movie continued to go on, Bart getting drowsier the longer it went. After about forty minutes, Bart was almost asleep, his head constantly dipping up and down from Bart trying to stay awake.

He eventually couldn't do it any longer, his body limply falling to the side, his cheek resting on Jaime's shoulder. The older teen immediately looked over at the limp figure, snoring softly as he slept, leaned against his arm. He was actually kind of surprised that he fell asleep. He thought speedsters had more energy than a normal person would. Maybe he had done something really exhausting that day.

He couldn't move him, in fear of waking the dozing speedster. He sighed as he glanced around the couch, looking for some sort of cover for the younger teen. He couldn't leave his slumbering friend without some form of blanket.

He spotted an old quilt next to the couch. He grabbed it and carefully and slowly unfolded it, trying not to move his left arm so not to wake Bart. After he got it unfolded, he used his free arm to sling it over the dozing boy on the couch. He immediately snuggled into the blanket, and more toward Jaime, taking in the new found warmth.

Jaime let out a slight chuckle. Even though Bart was from the apocalyptic future and had come back to fix that, he was still only a kid. The light from the still going movie glinted off Bart's pale skin and auburn hair, causing him to look even more like a child.

Jaime heard a knock at the door, breaking him away from his thoughts. He carefully removed Bart's head from his shoulder, slowly placed it where he had been sitting, and quietly got up from the couch. He walked over to the door, not knowing who would possibly be knocking at this hour. He opened the door to find Bart's Grandfather, Barry, at the door. "Barry? What are you doing here?" he quietly asked.

"Is Bart here? Because-" Jaime cut him off, putting his finger to his lips, signaling to be quiet. Barry raised an eyebrow, and Jaime motioned over his shoulder to the sleeping speedster on the couch. Barry quietly sighed. "Sorry" he whispered. "Joan and Jay Thought he would be back by now. They asked me to come over and see if Bart was still here"

"He just fell asleep a few minutes ago, but he's been leaning towards dozing off for a while now" Jaime whispered back. "Do you need to take him home?" Barry nodded. "I better. The Garricks were pretty worried"

Jaime motioned for him to come in, and walked toward the couch. Barry followed, walking as quietly as he could. He quietly shut the door behind him and joined Jaime by the side of the couch. "Should I wake him up?" Jaime questioned. "No, you better not. Whenever he wakes up, he acts like he's afraid someones going to attack him or something, then he'll never get back to sleep"

Jaime blinked in surprise. He did this whenever he woke up? His memories of the future must still be haunting him. Jaime tried his best to shake it off. "So how do you get him back home?" Jaime asked. "Guess I'll have to give him piggy-back" he responded. Jaime watched as Barry carefully lifted Bart onto his back, doing his best not to wake him. Once he got him on his back, Jaime heard a hushed "Whoa.." from Barry.

"What?" Jaime asked. "He's way lighter than I expected. He seems really underweight" Barry responded sounding clearly astonished. Jaime was as surprised also, but not as much as Barry. Bart had to grow up a slave, malnourished, and worked to hard. He was unheathily thin, it figures he would be underweight.

"Well, I better get going" Barry sighed. He walked over to the door, holding onto Bart's legs and his hands drooping around his neck. Jaime opened the door for him, letting the two speedsters out into the dimly lit lawn. "Thanks, umm, Jay-mee, wasn't it?"

"It's Hie-mee actually, Mr. Allen" he responded. Barry nodded "I'll take note of that" The older speedster took off down the street carrying the younger one, and just like that, they were gone. Jaime sighed as he closed the door and made his way to the couch. He turned off the movie they were watching, balled up the blanket he covered Bart with, and crumpled up the empty bag of Chicken Whizzies to throw it away.

After cleaning up, he went up the stairs to his bedroom and got in bed. The thoughts of what Bart had said to him raced through his head as he dozed off.