Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A nice warm shower, extra sweetened coffee with caramel drizzled over, and jazz music. Three things Simon Paladino couldn’t resist even if his life depended on it. So there he is, in a warm shower with his mug of overly sugared coffee, listening to his vinyls, which definitely should not be in a humid bathroom. Simon hums along to the smooth, warm sound of his music and washes his feathers with his homemade pumpkin spice soap.

Simon usually doesn’t spend more than an hour getting ready for anything. Wasting three hours of your life putting 13 different products on your face and using 64 different soaps in the shower? Completely foreign to him. Today is different, though. Simon has been invited to a Thanksgiving party that was put together by the NSA. It’s the government's way of showing appreciation for the supers keeping the country safe. Simon knows the little party isn’t going to be anything big or important, but he still is excited to go and see his colleagues out of work.

After around 25 minutes, Simon hops out of the shower and starts drying off his wings and feathers. He smothers himself in perfume then throws on his favorite formal outfit. He looks in the mirror to fix any imperfections he finds. As he does a spin to check for impurities, he looks at his abdomen. His waist has a beautiful dip that the vest he's wearing accentuates and muscle that he has recently gained from all of his super work.

Simon stays staring at himself for four full minutes, fixing wrinkles and flicking off fuzz. He can’t help but imagine a nice hand or two grabbing his waist to pull him close. He yearned for the affection, for any romantic attention. Simon tried to deny it for years but deep down he knew what he wanted, he wanted to love someone and for them to reciprocate the feelings. Even the mere thought of someone grabbing his waist made him flustered. His mind can't help but drift to what else could happen if he had a partner that so desperately wanted him.

A ringing from the kitchen quickly broke him out of his trance of a daydream and went to pick up the phone. On the other end, he could hear the sly voice of an infuriatingly handsome fox.

“Hey, Lazer Eyes!”

Yup, that's definitely him.

“Hello, Jack. What do you need?”

He and Gammajack had been talking a bit more recently at work and they exchanged home phone numbers just in case they wanted to make plans outside of their job. Simon quickly realized that it was a mistake. Too many calls.

“What, am I not allowed to call ya anymore?”

“The phone number thing was specifically for making plans, Mr. Gamma.”

“Ew, bad nickname. Scrap it.”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won't."

“Anyways, I called to ask about the thanksgiving thing…”

“What about it?” Simon asked, obviously a bit confused. Jack was going, right?

“Yeah, uh, are you on your way yet?”

“No, why?”

“It starts in 20 minutes.”

Simon looks over at the clock.
3:10 pm.

“SHIT!”

Jack laughed as if he were a hyena that was just told a joke. And hung up. Simon lost track of time and started rushing everything else. Jack knew Simon lived over 25 minutes away from the NSA meeting spot. He called just to fuck with him!

Simon quickly brushed it off and got himself gathered then rushed to his car. He hopped in and started driving while trying to find a good radio station. He landed on a Christmas channel and let it be. It was probably the closest he could find to jazz right now anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon flung the car door open then quickly made his way into the building. He was roughly 15 minutes late, not bad but also not good. He grabs a drink and makes his way over to a group of supers. He saw Bob and Lucius so he knew he’d be fine. Simon was fairly new to the superhero life. He had been there 3 months at most!

He was greeted by a big “Hello!” from Bob and an introduction to the rest of the group. They continued to talk about their interests or what sports they're into. Simon didn't listen much. It didn’t really matter what they were talking about, he just wanted a group.

“Simon?” Blazestone questioned loudly, snapping Simon out of his thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” He asked while fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve.

“We were talking about partners. Are ya dating any special dolls?” She asks again, licking her paw and fixing her fur.

“Oh, no. No I am not. Now that I think about it, I haven't dated anyone ever.” Simon replies, obviously a bit embarrassed.

“I bet you’ll find someone soon! You’re a nice guy, any woman in her right mind would want you!” Thunderhead yelled, butting into the conversation, his big ears covered in gold fur flopped over his eyes.

The truth is, Simon never found any women attractive. He could admit that yes, dolls and dames can be pretty, but not romantically attractive. He would much rather look at a hunk of a man with the ability to pick him up and make him swoon. He didn't dare tell anyone that he liked men, it would ruin his entire career.

“Yeah, haha. I bet..” Simon says, less than enthusiastic that he has to hide his identity to everyone.

Everyone eventually heads over to the tables to eat and chat to one another. Simon took a seat near some nice fall decorations. Though it was hard for him to admit, he loved decorations and cute interior design. He appreciated the work put into it. The amazing aroma and scenery was making Simon so ecstatic, he didn’t even realize Gamma Jack sat down next to him.

“Hey, Beamer, what are ya looking at?”

Beamer? The fuck is that? Simon thought to himself as he looked at Jack, just now taking note of the suit he was in…

He’s really hot.

“I’m appreciating the scenery.”

“I don’t think the scenery is my abs. I get that they're beautiful but I don’t think I’d call them scenery.”

Simon didn’t even notice he was staring at Jack's torso until he said that. He felt his face flush, quickly covering it with his wing to act like he was coughing. He was not about to reveal any unwanted or unaccepted feelings.

“Well your abs could never compare to the beautiful magic that is the changing seasons!” He replied, half as a joke to annoy Jack, half actually true.

“Ya don't dig em’? I take full offense to that.” Jack says in a playful manner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hours pass and the sun soon sets. Every super at the party started to collect their belongings and leave. Gamma Jack got cocky and drank too many drinks trying to impress Simon, who is a light weight.

“Do you need a ride home, Jack?” Simon questions Jack. He himself hadn't had much to drink so his driving should be fine.

Jack didn't want to admit it but he definitely needed a ride home. He was not gonna be safe if he flew home himself and he knows it.

“Okay but don’t tell anyone. I could get home just fine without you!”

“Sure you could.” Simon says as he leads Jack out to his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Woah, hottie!” Jack exclaims when he sees Simon's car.

This caught Simon off guard. He had never been called anything like that before! He mutters out a small, quiet “Huh?” before looking at Gamma Jack.

“You didn't think I was calling you a hottie, did you? I was talking about your car! Look at her! She looks like a fast one too.” Gamma quickly says as he makes his way to the car.

The drive is a bit awkward but it doesn't bother Simon. It's mostly quiet except for questions from Jack’s drunken state. They were all goofy and out of place. Some weren't even questions, they were just straight confessions or statements.

“Are we there yet?”
“No.”

“Ya know, you’re a real dreamboat, anyone ever tell ya that?”
“I have never been told that.”

“Want to play some backseat bingo?”
“What?”
“Never mind.”

“I can’t believe THE Gazerbeam drives THIS nice of a car”
“It is nice, isn't it?”

After about 25 minutes of driving, the car started to break down. The car started shutting off fully and the gas was extremely low.

How did I let that happen? Simon thought.

They only had enough power to make it back to Simon’s house. Simon managed to make it home and helped Gamma out of the car and into the house, tripping over Jack's tail every so often. The chill in the air from the winter that was just around the corner had crept inside, making the whole house cold. Simon put a blanket over Jack, ensuring that he was not gonna freeze to death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later in the night, Simon was sitting in his living room chair, drinking bourbon from his favorite cup and eating peanut butter and chocolate cookies while watching whatever was on the T.V.. Jack waddles his way out of the room, still a little bit drunk, and makes his way over to Simon.
Simon starts feeling a little buzz in his head that lets him know that he should stop drinking for a little bit and just chill. He looks over at Jack and gestures for him to sit down. He walks right in front of Simon and grabs his chin, looking into his eyes. Simon darts his eyes away, making sure to not shoot lasers through Gamma.

“You're really…really…pretty” Jack says, moving his head closer to Simon’s.

“You…you are too.” Simon has his cheek feathers puffed up and red from this. He can’t tell if it is just his drunkenness but Jack looks even more hot in this lighting than he did before. His blonde fur glowing in the lamp light, his radiant eyes, the same abs Simon had stared at just hours before, it's all perfect.

With one paw cupping Simon’s face and the other holding his face close to his, Jack kissed Simon. Simon was taken aback for a second when Jack pulled away, looking a bit worried. Without thinking a second thought, Simon kissed Jack again, an even more passionate kiss than the last.

Why the fuck are you doing this?! What if GammaJack uses this against you? What if he tells everyone? Simon thought to himself. This would most definitely ruin his career. He let all of his worries slip away as soon as he felt Gamma reaching and tugging at his waistband.

Nothing else mattered now, he wanted this. He wanted this so bad.

Simon unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants faster than he thought was possible and took them off. Jack started kissing down the neck of the owl, making sure to bite and nip at it as he unbuttoned Simon’s shirt.

I want this so bad.

Chapter Text

Simon rolls over and groggily opens his eyes, immediately faced by sleeping Jack. He stays still and watches Jack’s ribs expand and deflate with his breath. The morning light peeked through the curtain, dousing the blonde fox in rays of sun to the point where he looks like he’s glowing. Usually, Simon didn’t like the silence he’s greeted with every morning but right now, right here, it's different.

Minutes pass and Simon has taken it upon himself to trace every part of Jack’s body, running his fingers all over the surface of his abdomen all the way to his pointed ears.

He's gorgeous.

Simon rubs his eyes and sits up. As his eyes adjust to the room around him, he looks down at GammaJack. He gets up to open a window and the breeze comes in and flips Jack’s fur up a bit. He notices all of the bruises down both his and Jack’s necks and stomachs. His feathers turn a light shade of pink when he remembers what they did. He had never done anything like this ever in his life. He always thought he’d lose his virginity to his lover after marriage, that is if he would ever get married.

Should I be ashamed of myself?

This was so new to him, he didn't know how to react. That's when it hit him, a throbbing headache

Simon stumbled his way into the kitchen, shielding his eyes from the other windows that were letting light in. He gets himself a glass of water and starts guzzling it down, holding himself up onto the counter. Never in a million years did Simon think we would find himself this sore from any type of romantic intimacy. He didn’t even know if this counted as ROMANTIC since it was just one night thing.

Was that just lust? What am I to him? Does he actually want me? Is this it?

That was more than just sex to Simon, It was a connection. It was a real, living connection, something Simon had craved for for years. Was this how he wanted his first experience to be, with someone for one night then going separate ways? That sounds horrible.

His thoughts were quickly silenced by Jack sneaking up behind him and hugging him, holding Simon like how Simon had fantasized the day prior. This made the owl heel over in surprise but also embarrassment. Simon wasn’t gonna let Jack see him turn red if all Jack wanted was a fuck buddy.

“Jack, I need to talk to you.”
“Shhh, I’m enjoying you.”

The two animals stood there in silence for a while. It wasn’t that big of a deal, they had the time. The NSA let all the supers spend a day at home unless there was an emergency.

“Jack…what am I to you?”

“Wai- what? Why do you ask?” The question had caught Jack off guard. In full truth, Jack didn’t know how to answer this. Simon was cute, good in bed and nice but he only really knew him for a few months. To Jack, one night stands were a normal thing but he never really thought about how the other person, usually a dame, would feel. Why does it feel like he should be more involved now that its Simon?

“I ask because I want to know. What you say is important to me.” Simon’s voice starts breaking more and more with every word he speaks. He wants to be more than just another number on his body count.

GammaJack lets go of Simon and backs up. Simon turns to look at him with tears in his eyes.

Please don't see me as a fuck buddy. Please say something good. I want to be more than something to please you.

“Look, Simon, you’re great and all but you gotta realize, I’m GammaJack! I’m for the dames, dolls, and betties. I think you're so kind and amazing in bed, but I can't be seen…with you. It's just not how the world works. No hard feelings though, right?” Jack finally spits out as he messes around with his fur.

But Jack did want to be with Simon. He wanted it bad. He’s scared of reputation.

Tears start streaming down and off Simon’s feathers. Jack watches as Simon turns, makes him a cup of tea, and walks away to his room. Well if Jack didn’t feel like shit before, he sure did now. He picks up the mug full of tea and stares at his reflection.

“Fuck I’m such a goddamn ass!” Jack quietly shouts at himself. He gets up and starts to make his way towards Simon’s room but as soon as he gets to the door, Simon comes out and hands Jack his clothes from last night.

“Hey, Simon, can we talk? Just for a second?”

“Just go home, Gamma.”

Jack looks at him longingly for a moment and retreats to the bathroom, then to leave. The second Jack shuts the door, he gets mad at himself. He starts flying himself home while yelling at himself for being so off lately.

“What the hell is up with you, Jackson? You’re here to save the country from villains while getting babes from all over swooning over you! You are not here to hook up with a stupid fa-!”

Jack was so into yelling at himself that he managed to slip up and fly right into a damn tree. All of this is killing him. He wants Simon, He really wants to love and date him, why did he push him away?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later and it's December. Jack and Simon have had minimal to no conversation at all. The most that they had said to each other within the week apart was a simple “Hello” to each other in passing.

Mr. Incredible gathered everyone in a big group to separate every super into a team of two. They needed to heavily patrol all around the city since crime tends to spike in December. He started listing off the super names and putting them into their groups. It finally came down to four animals left.

“Okay, Dynaguy and Everseer, you two are up north today.”

“Thanks, Bob!”

The two beings were left standing there in a deafening silence. Simon hated this type of silence. It was too different from the peaceful quiet he felt when he woke up next to Jack. This type of quiet was awkward and dripping in unresolved tension.

“And you two are together down near the library at the city boundaries.”

They both sighed. They knew that trying to retaliate against what Mr. Incredible wants would lead into a long lecture about how their powers work amazingly with each other so they sucked it up and went on their jolly way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made their way to the library and waited for something to happen, anything to happen. It was dead quiet and neither knew what to say. They had little to no relationship before and now they probably couldn't even be friends with how things ended up last time.

“You know, I was nervous.” Gammajack muttered to Gazerbeam.
“What do you mean?”

“Nervous about my reputation…getting too attached to you…possibly losing you.” GammaJack stated. He was scared of so many things. Two men together isn’t legal, two men together is rarely heard of.

“Did you mean what you said?” Simon needed to know. He couldn’t handle his thoughts consuming him saying that he was nothing without even knowing how Jack feels.

“Which part?”

“All of it”

“Well, truthfully, I have never found many dolls truly attractive. I just say I am for the dames since it's my signature, it's my trademark. Everything about you being cute, handsome and good in bed was true and the rest isn't” Jack said, hoping Simon would understand

“Well that's…unexpected. Wait..I’m good in bed-?”

Gazerbeam is cut off by gunshots and bullets flying towards him and GammaJack. In less than a second, Jack pushed Simon onto the ground and planked over the owl, using himself as a shield or a cover. All Simon can see is a sweating and panting Gammajack and god, was he attractive. If they weren't on patrol and getting shot at, Simon would’ve taken Jack by the collar and kissed him.

When the bullets stopped, Gammajack rushed Gazerbeam up off the ground and into the library. They got in through the back way and ended up near the bathrooms, in a secluded, dark part of the library. While Simon was trying to compose himself, Jack signaled to other supers to get their asses here now.

Simon is still recovering from almost getting shot, Jack pushes him up against the wall and starts kissing him. There's urgency and need in the kiss and Simon can’t get enough of it. They break the kiss for only a moment, they watch the strings of saliva connect their mouths and they kiss again. GammaJack takes a firm grasp of Gazerbeams feathery, soft ass and squeezes it, forcing a small whine out of Simon.

Jack breaks the kiss again to grab a pawfull of Simon’s head feathers and yanks it. This lets out yet another whimper from Simon.

“Please, Jack..”

“Please what?”
“Please kiss me.” Simon stammered.

Jesus Christ, Jack loved being able to do this. It’s not the power dynamic, it’s someone wanting him like this. All the other dames he’d ever slept with were there just to be able to say that they had slept with Handsome Jack, nothing more. None of them wanted him like how Simon does.

The two men stood there, making out for what seemed like forever until a flash from a camera went off. They both broke the kiss and turned to see what it was.

A reporter…Shit.

Both supers sprinted out the door and saw the rest of the heroes on duty arrest three criminals that looked pretty bruised up.

“Hey you two! Where have you been?” Bob rushed up to them, questioning.

“We were inside because we almost got shot.” Gazerbeam answered.

“Oh, damn! Are you two alright?”

“‘Tis is a scratch. We are okay.”

After chatting for a bit, GammaJack and Gazerbeam walked each other home. The day was fading into night as they talked on their merry way, light jazz playing in the distance. They both realized, after talking for so long, they both were nervous about relationships but took the anxiety out in different ways. Jack slept around to numb the feeling of never finding real love while Simon kept himself distanced from the romantic life.

They went to Simon’s place to hang out again. As the two stride through the driveway, passing the broken car, they held paw and wing until they got past the doors. When the doors closed, the rest of the night was theirs. Oh boy, did they act like nothing else existed but them.

In the morning, Simon makes them both extra sugary coffee and grabs the mail. He sifted through the mail but something caught his eye, his own face. He drops the rest of the mail and unravels the newspaper only to be greeted by a big picture of him held up against the wall by GammaJack, making out with him while Jack grabs his feathers.

“Jack, I need you in here now!” Simon shouted.

Jack came into the room to see Simon holding the picture out in front of him. The reporter must've brought this to the news!
“Shit.”

Chapter Text

News outlets have been asking questions left and right for the past week after Gamma Jack and Gazerbeam had been caught making out in that library. While very few civilians had sent letters telling the two men that they supported them, the majority was in flames. Two men together was next to unheard of, the people didn’t like the “pansies” protecting their city. In fact, people would stand outside the building for hours with signs that read,

“HEROES NOT HOMOS” “WE SAY NAY TO GAY” “SUPERS SHOULD NOT BE SEXUAL”

How could people be so hateful? Simon thought to himself, running his wing through his feathers. He was confused on how beauty that is living could be a controversial topic.

Simon sat in a chair, waiting for the next interview with reporters. This was by far the most publicity he has ever received, both as a lawyer and a super. As Simon sat in his own thoughts, Jack made his way into the room where Simon sat, pulling up a chair next to him. Jack noticed that Simon was worried. He gently placed a paw on Simon's leg, giving it a small squeeze.

“Si, It’ll all be okay” He said in a warm, comforting tone, “This will blow over soon, I know it.”

“It’s not us I’m worried about, it’s about the millions of other creatures that are out there in the world, hiding themselves, hiding who they really are. Is that a world I want to fight for, a world that’s unkind and cruel to beings like us?”

“Yes it’s a world you wanna fight for! Imagine what we can do to help animals like us, imagine how many creatures will see us and realize that love isn’t a thing to be scared or ashamed of!”

Jackson cups Simon’s facial disc and places a kiss on his beak, causing Simon to smile with his eyes and blush. He leans into Jack’s paw, melting into his touch.

“You two are needed. Now.” An intern says, quickly turning away and walking somewhere.

Jack stood up, ear flicking and holding a paw out for Simon. He took Jack’s paw and pulled himself up, giving Jack a little peck on the cheek when he gained his balance. The two didn’t let go of each other until they made it backstage of a talk show titled What's the Buzz?, famously known around the city for being run by the first Bee host. Jack and Simon were waiting for the bee to finish talking so they could go on and get the interview over with.

Simon’s vision started to blur as beads of sweat slid down his beak. He usually wasn’t afraid of cameras, he wasn’t usually afraid of an audience! Maybe it was the fact that his career was at stake, Dicker already told the two that there might have to be changes (which meant that he and Jack were prohibited from seeing each other). Just as Simon was about to start hyperventilating, Jack knocked Simon out of his thoughts, they were about to go on.

“Next in the hot-honey seats are well known heroes. They have saved this city, and country, multiple times. They’re in hot water, they’re definitely a team, give it up for Gamma Jack and Gazerbeam!”

The bee was filled with enthusiasm, most of it genuine, shockingly. The crowd gave a weak round of applause as the lights shone brighter for Jack and Simon’s entrance. Both took a deep breath and walked out. Unlike Simon, Jack was a natural when it came to interviews, considering he was a favorite of the ladies. Jack would wave and send kisses to the audience while Simon would anxiously sit down. After Jack finally settled into the orange-yellow seat, the host began to talk again.

“Zo az you two know, the tenzion between you and the public haz been amped up ever zince the picture of you two came out. How do you guyz feel about that?”

“Well, it’s definitely a hard topic to talk about, it shouldn’t be something that changes what everyone thinks we are! What we are is supers, here to protect all civilians no matter who they are. I feel we deserve similar treatment. Yous guys shouldn't act like we are criminals all because of who we love” Jack said, rather proud of himself.

Wait- love?

“I know it’s different, but out of anything, why should we choose to fear love? Why choose to fear attraction?”

Jack seemed to be passionate about this. Simon could see the glimmer in his eyes when he talked about this. Did the Gamma Jack actually love Simon?

“That’z the truth!” The bee exclaimed, pronouncing every ‘S’ as a ‘Z’, which slightly annoyed Simon. The host quickly asked another question, directing it at Gazerbeam.

“I know what it’z like to be the firzt at doing zomething new. Gazerbeam, can you explain your experience as the NSA’s firzt owl and how that's affected your relationzhip with Gamma Jack?”

“Well- uhgm..” Simon tripped over his words. He quickly attempted to compose himself as he proceeded, “Being the first owl super has definitely been a hassle. When I first joined, I was definitely intimidated by everyone, but over time I learned that the majority was really sweet. That's how I became close with Gamma Jack in the first place! Our relationship blossomed when he and I would make plans to spend time together.”

Simon started to loosen up and relax about everything. He learned that the host was actually a very kind bee, he would show empathy and understanding towards the two animals. Overall, the interview went well. Simon hoped that animals across the nation would see that and maybe change their minds. He didn’t need everyone to love him, he just wanted respect for him and millions of other gay animals.
Creatures from all over the city sat outside of the studio, waiting for Gazerbeam and Gamma Jack to come out. Some held signs, some held cameras, some held questions inside their heads, just in case they could ask them. As the owl and blonde fox made their way out of the building, they were met by the newfound winter chill and rapidly swarmed by the crowd. It flooded in flashing pictures, booing and cheering, and animals attempting to ask questions through the loud voices.

Overwhelmed, Gazerbeam starts hyperventilating and clinging onto Gamma Jack for balance. Jack is quick to notice and cranes his neck to whisper to Simon.

“Are you okay?” he softly questions.

“Overwhelmed, is all.” Simon replies.

Before Gazerbeam could think, Gamma Jack swiftly picks him up and flies above everyone, making a distance between the sound and them.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

Simon thanks him with a kiss, wrapping his wings around Jack’s neck. While some fan-girls squealed and had something awake in them, a majority of the crowd still booed. Cameras flashed to catch a new picture for newspapers, hoping they could make a quick buck off of it. Finally breaking the kiss, Jack flew away, still holding Simon in his arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they came closer to the NSA building, Jack got close to the ground, ready to land. A few supers gathered to where they were and congratulated and praised them for being so vulnerable on television. In a way, it was freeing. The two animals didn’t have to completely hide themselves anymore.

“I’m so proud of you two!” Elastagirl exclaimed as she hugged them.

“Both of you are incredibly brave.” Frozone pipes up, shaking Gazerbeam’s wing.

The rest of the day went on like usual, stopping a robber from stealing a purse, sitting in the office, a meeting or two until the clock finally struck 5:00 pm. Simon quickly packed his things and started to head to the door. Jack catches up with Simon, tugging on his sleeve.

“Hey, Si! Wanna go out tonight? Maybe we could go ice skating? That new place just open-”

“I would like to-” Simon cut him off, “-but I have work to do.”

“But Siiiii.” Jack whined.
“You could come over for dinner if you’d like. Maybe tomorrow evening we can ice skate.”

Well Jack certainly wasn’t gonna turn down that offer. Even though they were technically together now, that didn’t stop Jack from having his usual tendency of wanting to get in someone's pants. The only thing different here is that sex actually has meaning now. Having sex used to just be something Gamma Jack would do with a dame every now and again, but now it had a romantic aspect that he hadn’t seen before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two made their way to Simon's house. Wasn’t nearly as big as Jack’s penthouse but at least it was cozy and felt welcoming. As they made it inside, Jack hung up his coat and darted for the couch. Simon gave a light chuckle as he went to get changed and start making dinner.

Simon enters his closet and starts searching for his robe and pajama pants. He finally pulls out his blue, fluffy robe and striped pink pants. The robe was comfortable and kept Simon nice and warm. He tied the belt of the robe loosely and slipped on his choice of pants. He walked out of his room and made his way to the kitchen. Jack rose from his spot on the couch and followed behind Simon. While it didn’t mean much to Simon, Jack definitely cared that he tied the robe together, just loose enough to be able to see his stomach.

Simon was a relatively scrawny fellow. He had some muscles from occasional heavy lifting while on missions but other than that he was skin and bones. That’s why he was surprised when Jack snuck up behind him and slid his paws under Simon’s robe.

“Jack, I’m trying to get food so I can feed us!” Simon laughed while reaching for the fridge.

“I’m sorry, you’re just so soft and beautiful.” Jack says as he melts into Simon’s shoulder, enjoying the warmth he was radiating.

When Simon actually started cooking, Jack backed off and went to sit on the couch and watch T.V. again. Simon was making fettuccine alfredo, something created only about 30 years prior! When Simon was younger, his parents had brought him over here for a better life. They made a popular Italian restaurant, where Simon first learned how to cook authentic Italian dishes. This helped a lot when he finally went off to college. He was one of the very few who could cook and cook well.

When dinner was finished, Jack literally floated towards the table to get a plate. When both of them got their portion of food, they sat down across from each other. It was a very nice dinner, conversation flowed throughout the whole meal while a vanilla-gingerbread scented candle sat in the middle of the table, making the whole room smell good.

After dinner, Simon went to find pajamas for Jack and get his files to work on. He grabbed a red sweatshirt with his college logo on it and blue pajama pants. He picked up the files on his desk and went back out to the couch.

“Here’s this if you want to stay the night. If you do, I’ll finish up work quickly and make us hot chocolate.” Simon offered with a little bit of hope.

“Oh, Si-mon amour, I would love to stay the night!”

Simon made a happy screech, startling Jack.

“The fuck was that?” Jack exclaimed.

“I do it when I’m very happy. It's not very pleasant, I’m aware”

Jack just laughed and got up to get changed. He grabbed the clothes and went to Simon’s bathroom. Simon went to the kitchen and started making hot chocolate for the both of them. He made it a special way to make it extra yummy. He would boil milk a little bit and add chocolate into it, two pieces at a time until it was a mocha-brown, then he would add a small bit of butterscotch and stir. After it was made, we pulled out two tacky mugs and poured the drink into both mugs and topped them off with marshmallows.

When Jack came back out of the bathroom, he followed the smell of chocolate all the way to the kitchen.

“It smells good in here, Si.”

“Thank you, Jackie”

They shared a kiss as they both put a song on and walked to the couch with their hot chocolate. Simon sat down and started working intently, making sure to put all of his focus into it so he doesn’t get distracted. Jack sat comfortably next to Simon, taking big gulps of the hot chocolate.

Damn, no wonder he insists on making his own drinks all the time! Jack thought as he gulped down the last bit.

Simon stayed working on his file for another thirty minutes before the music ran out.

“Hey Jackie, put on another record, would you?” Simon asks, still locked in on his work.

“Okay!”

Jack got up and went to change the record. He used his socks to glide to the side table that held the record player. Jack knelt down to look at the records that Simon had.

Buddy Holly? No. Frank Sinatra? Maybe. Bill Haley & His Comets? No.
That's when Jack found it.

Top Romance Hits

Jack pulled the record out and put it on the turn table and let it play. The first song to play was Put Your Head on My Shoulder. Jack got on the couch and crawled on all fours towards Simon. He doesn’t even see Jack from how focused he is on his work. Jack crawled up on Simon and straddled him. This caught Simon off guard, causing him to drop his file. His face flushed when he saw Jack on top of him. Simon freezes up, scared. Jack notices and leans down to face level, almost touching his snout to Simon’s beak.

“Are you okay, Si?”

“Please…get off…I don’t want this right now” Simon cowers, trying to curl up.

Jack immediately gets off of him and sits down next to him. He moves a feather out of Simon’s face and brings his snout up to his face disc to plant a kiss on his beak.

“I’m…I’m sorry, I just can’t do that right now.” Simon muttered, a lump forming in his throat.

Jack understood and hugged him. Simon broke down in Jack's arms. He tried to prevent his tears but to no avail. Simon cried until he completely soaked the shirt Jack was wearing. After he finally calmed down, Simon opened up about how he was under a lot of stress because of the news about them lately and how he is stacking all these cases because he yearns to help the people. It was overwhelming and it has made him almost pass out. Jack kept holding Simon until he was ready to sit up.

“You know, you're gorgeous” Jack confesses, kissing Simon.

They kissed for a good minute before breaking it and laying down. Simon laid on Jack’s chest, listening to his heartbeat and memorizing the rhythm of his breath. The record still sang in the back, playing I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You. They both layed there for hours, little to no talking but that was okay, they could have a conversation without saying any words.

Both soon fell asleep, holding each other until morning.

I’d be content with curling up with you and falling asleep forever.

Chapter Text

Both of the animals woke up sweating from each other's body heat. Feathers and fur together is only a recipe for boiling hot oven on the sun, not for cuddling for 8 hours. As the two peeled apart, Simon stretched, letting out a big yawn. His bones popped a bit, relieving a bit of tension in Simon's lower back.

Jack had gotten up and started to stretch himself, hoisting his arms over his head, showing off abs. The sweatshirt, thrown off last night because of the heat, was on the floor, still slightly damp from sweat. Jack picked it up and instantly made a face, scrunching his snout.

“Si-mon amour, we need to wash everything that we were wearing last light.” Jack insisted, holding the sweatshirt away from himself.

“I think we need showers, too,” Simon answered as he chuckled a bit.

Simon pushes himself off the couch, yet again peeling himself up off of it. He switched last night's record with one that sang Christmas music, the first song being Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Simon makes his way to where Jack was standing, gliding his claws against the hard-wood floor. He puts his wings around Jack’s neck and kisses him.

“I’m going to go take a shower, want to join me?” Simon offers, cupping Jack’s face.

Jack’s face flushes as he hurriedly nods his head, making Simon laugh. Simon took his boyfriend by the paw and led him to his shower.

The bathroom was nonetheless beautiful.For the shower, orange tiles spread from the top of the tub all the way to the ceiling, reflecting orange onto the white paint in the bathroom. The tub itself was an orange square with a small ledge to hold bottles and sit on. The shower curtain was an off-white cream color made with cotton. The bathroom sinks were in the shape of shells, obviously worn because of the yellow-ish tint in the shells, but still had that comforting charm to them. His toilet had a cover that went from the top of the lid to the top of the tank. The tiled floor was colored a blue that was almost matching a summer’s sky. It was tacky and weird but somehow, that made it all the more dazzling.

Simon started the shower, letting the water turn warm. He started taking his clothes off and Jack soon followed. By the time Jack was finished getting undressed, he turned to see Simon. Feeling the gaze of Jack’s eyes on his back, Simon turned to look at him.

A strike of green jolted through Jack’s eyes.

“Wow…he’s gorgeous.” Jack thought to himself, starting to form a burning sensation all over his face.

“Hey, Beamer, you stare much longer and I’m gonna be split in half.” Jack jokes, smiling and walking closer to Simon.

“Sorry, you’re just very handsome.” Simon replies, averting his gaze elsewhere.

Jack chuckles and takes Simon by the hips, planting a kiss on his cheek, and taking Simon’s glasses off. Simon smiles with his eyes and gives Jack a real kiss then brings him to the shower. They both hop in under the warm water, occasionally nudging each other to try and get the water for longer.

“Hey, Jackie?”

“Yes?”

“Can you scrub soap on my back?” Simon asks, handing Jack a body wash that he had put cinnamon and nutmeg in for that fall smell.

“I can do that for ya!” Jack replies, squeezing soap into his paw.

Jack brought his soapy paw to Simon's back, reaching through the feathers to get to his real back. This was the first time Jack had really noticed how skinny Simon was. As he scrubbed the cinnamon soap into the owls back, he traced every curve and every prominent bone that stuck out. Jack tenderly took care of Simon, washing everywhere despite Simon saying he didn’t need to. To Jack, this is the most intimate he’s been in a non-sexual way. He even started to wonder if he enjoyed this more than actually having sex.

The rest of the shower was full of kisses, gentle moments, and blowing bubbles at each other. By the time they finished, it was already 9:37 A.M. They both started drying off. Jack chose to shake dry, while Simon preferred to run a towel through his feathers.

It took a minute to hit Simon, but it eventually did,

“Shit, I have patrol!” Simon exclaimed, darting for his closet to get changed.

Jack laughed at the fact he had forgotten he had work to do today, it wasn’t like Simon to just forget that. Jack can’t laugh too much, though. He didn’t have any work outside of hero work and even then he only had a few days a week where he was on patrol. Jack’s family was extremely wealthy, allowing Jack to live comfortably in a penthouse in the nice part of the city. The most work Jack had ever done was when he was in high school and made a device that would limit the amount of uranium in his fathers textile factory. This little device made his father give him a huge portion of the earnings in his company.

A phone rang and Jack heard the little click-clack of Simon's claws as he stumbled to grab the phone, supersuit falling down his leg causing Simon to trip. He pushed himself up off the floor and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” Simon answered, out of breath and pulling his suit up.
“Hey, Simon,” Ah, it's Dicker, “Just wanted to let you know that you’re not on patrol today. We’ve decided it’s best for you and Jack to spend time off work, at least until the news of you two dies down. Lay low and don’t do anything stupid.”

Dicker abruptly hung up, leaving Simon frustrated since he had just struggled to put it on.

“What was that?” Jack questioned, leaning in the door frame while grinning.

“Dicker just called, we got work off until further notice.”

“Ooh. That's fun!”

“I guess. I just don’t wanna be prevented from being super again.”

“Baby, we’re heroes, the public does need us to protect them from super villains!” Jack responded to Simon, walking closer.

Jack kisses Simon and runs his thumb paw-pad over his cheek, then cupping his facial crest.

“Now, can you make coffee?”

“Oh, can I?” Simon says, excited to show off his coffee-making skills.

Simon runs off to his closet, soon emerging in brown pants, cream colored shirt, and a maroon tie. Jack plops himself down on the couch and turns on the tv, flipping through the stations until it reaches a comedy channel. Simon gets into the kitchen and starts off with a french vanilla coffee. As it brews, he adds a few drops of vanilla extract and cinnamon into the coffee strainer. Simon wants to go the extra mile and make the caramel drizzle himself, the way he likes it. He reaches for a pot above the stove and grabs all of his ingredients. Simon put a nice helping of sugar and butter into the pot, then waited for it to get hotter to put in the cream, vanilla and butterscotch. He separated about ¾ of it into a bowl for him to turn into little candy pieces later. He added a bit more cream to the little bit left in the pot to make him have a better drizzle.

Simon took two mugs out of his cabinet and filled the both with coffee, adding almond milk for creamier taste. He drizzled the homemade caramel on top and put the bowl of extra caramel in the fridge. Simon picked up both mugs and walked over to the couch, setting one down on the coffee table in front of Jack.

“Drink up, buttercup. We’re going to go skating today, remember?” Simon reminds Jack warmly.

“I still gotta get dressed for that, don't I?” Jack laughs as he yawns, reaching for the freshly made coffee.

Jack brought the drink up to his lips, licking them in delight after taking a sip.

“Wow, you made this? This is amazing!” Jack shouted, guzzling more down.

Simon smiled as he sat next to Jack, taking a sip from his own coffee.

“Okay, I’m gonna go change. Do you have anything I can wear?” Jack asks.

“Yes I do! The top right drawer is shirts, bottom right drawer is pants, other drawers are socks or underwear. The rest of the clothing options are self explanatory.”

“Thank you, baby.” Jack gets up and places a kiss on Simon's soft forehead, then walks to Simon’s room.

Despite his better judgement, all Simon could think about while Jack was getting changed was his careful touch in the shower. Every sip of coffee he took would send a blast of warmth through his body, making him remember the warmth of Jackson's warm paws against his body. Just before it got overwhelming to think about, Jack walked out of the owl’s room.

“Hey, Beamer, do I look good?” He said

Jack wore a light blue, almost mint, colored top with a yellow tie, the shirt tucked into his brown, corduroy pants. He had a tan waistcoat with a dark brown coat over top. It fit Jack’s body perfectly, his tail out and flowing, his waist prominent and well shaped. Hell, even the parts of him that Simon usually saw were perfect. All the way from his fur to the point of his cinnamon-blonde ears.

“Absolutely gorgeous!” Simon exclaims, his face crest turning a light shade of pink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the two men were driving to the ice skating rink, they chatted about what they were going to do about them not going to super work for a while. Simon planned to do his lawyer work like usual, Jack planned to be with Simon while he did said lawyer work.

The chilly winter air managed to creep its way into the car, making Jack curl up into his jacket more. Simon, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by the cold. It was the feathers, Jack knew it, they just HAD to be. He knew that Italian animals had thicker fur, in Simon’s case that meant thicker feathers.

“Oh, are you cold?” Simon coos, obviously trying to annoy Jack.

“Oh, be quiet!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They rented skates and hopped on the ice….literally. Jack didn’t know that he shouldn't jump onto the ice and ended up falling on his tail. Simon couldn’t help but laugh, how could Jack not know to not do that?

“What are you laughing at?” Jack barks out in a playful tone.

“Oh, nothing!” Simon holds out wing for Jack and pulls him up.

They spent hours there, just skating. They rarely stopped for anything, only stopping when the ice had to be cleaned. Both of them were worn out by the end of it, sluggishly returning the skates and getting in the car. It had snowed a significant amount, making the car covered in snow and cold. Simon handed his jacket over to Jack, who was clearly freezing his ass off already.

“Do you wanna go get something to eat or should I make us food at home?” Simon asked with a wing around Jack.

“Just make food. I’m too cold to go anywhere.” Jack said through chattery teeth.

Usually, Jack would heat himself up with his radiation, he just didn’t want to melt Simon and the car. While unfortunate, the cold was worth it to keep Simon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack flew himself onto the couch and under a blanket cozying up to re-gain his body heat as Simon went to start up dinner. Simon quickly thought of an easy thing he could make.

With leftover dough, Simon made an authentic Italian pizza for Jackson and him to share.

The two animals sat at the table for hours, talking about childhood Christmases and favorite dishes to cook. They were up until late into the night just talking. This is the first time Jack has felt wanted for more than just his looks. He was actually loved.

As they sipped wine, the glimmer of the moon shone through the window, making Simon’s eyes gleam in a way they never had before, they were filled with hope. He soon averted his gaze to prevent melting Jack In half. Jack just smiled and kept looking at Simon. Tonight it was just them, two boys in love.

“I love you.”

Chapter Text

The void of Simon’s room was filled with eager moans and gasps and the aroma of sweat. Jack loomed over Simon, thrusting deeper into him with every movement. Both of them had spent so much time yearning for each other just months earlier, neither of them would’ve guessed they would be here now, fucking each other in the most romantic way they could.

One of Simon’s records played slow jazz as a candle that smelled of gingerbread glowed nearby. The instruments seemed to have influenced Jack’s pace, going slow and rough to please his owl. The way Simon’s feathers moved every thrust sent chills of arousal and want down his tail. Simon’s facial crest scrunched in pleasure every time Jack hit his prostate. Looking up at Jack with hooded eyes, Simon beckoned for a kiss through mumbles and moans, clicking his beak together to show he wanted a kiss. Jack leaned down and kissed Simon, bucking his hips up extra hard to make him whimper into his mouth.

As Jack broke the kiss, he looked down at Simon, glancing at his glasses that are too far down his cere and the sweat coming off of the feathers. He grinned and spread a spot of feathers, plunging his lips down and sucking on Simon’s bare skin. Starting to pick up the pace, Jack sunk his claws into Simon’s waist, desperately grabbing onto him as if he were to fly away. The sharp pain made Simon yelp and whine, causing him to squeeze around Jack’s cock.

“Fuck, Beamer, you’re so damn tight,” Jack grumbled through his closed teeth, guiding Simon’s hips up and down.

Just earlier they had said their first ‘I love you’ and now they were clinging to each other like they had been starved of each other their entire life. They were so entranced in each other, intertwined in their souls, they were ready and willing to risk their super life just to be together. They wanted to be together.

Simon’s moans started getting higher in octave, signaling Jack that he’s getting close. Jack kept the pace he was going at, just going a bit deeper and harder to encourage Simon’s orgasm. Within the next few thrusts, Simon came, pulsating on Jack’s member. Jack soon followed, bucking into Simon a few more times then pulling out, leaking his cum onto the sheets.

“You did so good, baby.” Jack muttered through soft pants.

“I love you,” Simon sighed and hugged him, pulling Jack down to lay on him.

“I love you most, Featherboy!”

“That's a new one.”

“I’m trying new nicknames, how do you feel about Cloaca Conqueror?”

Simon nudges Jack and sits up. As Simon stretches, Jack pokes both of his sides, making Simon’s back arch and forcing a yelp out of him.

“You cunt!” Simon exclaims as he turns and laughs at Jack.

They kiss, only breaking it when they smell each other.

“Oh you smell like ass!” Simon jokes.

“Get bent, soft-butt!!” Jack laughs as he gets up and heads to the shower.

A few minutes go by as Simon lays on his bed, thinking about everything that had just happened. Yes, they’d had sex before, but now it felt more…permanent? It was a weird feeling. How it felt like Simon wanted to stay with Jackson so they could grow old together. It warmed his heart to think about it. He noticed Jack’s cum was still on the sheets, starting to flow towards him. In one quick motion, Simon swooped himself off the bed and began to gather sheets.

Jack came out of the bathroom not too long after with a towel around his waist. He saw what Simon was doing and ran over to scoop him up.

“Hey, I gotta clean the sheets!”

“Nuh uh uh! You’re gonna go sit in the bath and I’ll take care of you.”

“But!-”

“Nope!”

Jack carries Simon to the bath he had just set up for him after he showered. He sets Simon down in the warm water, instantly making Simon relax. Jack grabs Simon’s favorite body wash and starts scrubbing it into his feathers, lathering Simon up. When Jack scrubs Simon's head, he leans into it as if he were melting. Simon was a sucker for physical touch and there was no denying it. The way he would always try to make a situation where he would be held or hugged made it extremely obvious.

“I’m kind of hungry.” Simon's stomach growled.

“What do ya want?”

“Fruit and leftover pizza.”

“Weird combo but okay, baby.”

Jack kissed Simon’s soapy head and got up to fulfill Simon’s request. He goes to the kitchen and heats up the pizza they had eaten just hours before and starts cutting up whatever fruit was in the fridge.

“Apple, watermelon, pineapple. Would he count tomatoes as a fruit? I don’t think he’d want that.”

Jack put all the food on a ceramic plate and set it on the counter. He decided that as a treat, he would make Simon and him hot chocolate. Jack tries his best to replicate the delicious hot chocolate Simon had made a couple days prior, even adding some of the homemade caramel to add more flavor. After he finally finishes making everything, he manages to fit everything in his paws and walks back to the bathroom.

After stopping once to switch out the record to Top Romance Hits, Jackson reaches the bathroom, setting the plate and mug on a big ledge when he gets to the bathtub. It seems that Simon had already washed himself up while Jack was in the kitchen getting food.

“I got ya food, Si!”

“Thank you, Jackie.” Simon smiles warmly.

Jackson watches as Simon begins to eat. He enjoys his food, savoring every part of it as if he was deprived of food for months. As he reaches for the hot chocolate, Jackson puts his paw on Simon’s shoulders.

“Be careful, it might suck.” Jack warns.

“I bet it will be lovely!”

Simon takes a sip and his eyes shoot open while gleaming. It tasted delicious, better than he himself could make it.

“You made this!? It’s amazing!” Simon says in complete and utter disbelief.

“Awh, shucks.” Jack says blushing and batting his eyes.

Simon soon finished his food and awfully good hot chocolate and started to get up out of the bath. Jack kissed him and walked to the kitchen with the dishes. He started to wash them and looked around Simon’s house. He was just now realizing that Simon didn’t have Christmas decorations up; No tree, no lights, no creepily red-cheeked Santa. It was shocking to Jack, Simon seemed like the type of guy to be all festive.

As Jack was over in his own world in the kitchen, Simon wrapped himself in his pink and white spotted bath robe. He cleaned off the lenses of his glasses and put them back on, starting to reach for the cabinet so he could grab his beak moisturizer. As he grabs it, he notices something sitting behind a few bottles. He picked it up and brought it out into the light.

“MY OLD PIPE?!”

Jack came rushing back in the second he heard screaming, hands sopping wet and hair swoop strung about.

“Are you okay!?”

Jack looked Simon up and down, scanning for injuries. His eyes eventually focused on the very obvious pipe that Simon was holding in his wing.

“YOU DID CRACK?!”

“No! I just smoked weed here and there a few years back when my anxiety was really bad. I completely thought I had gotten rid of it but I guess not.” Simon explained, looking back into the cabinet.

“And knowing me I probably still have few-year-old marijuana laying about this place somewhere.” Simon added while reaching into the cabinet again.

Jack’s Jaw was on the floor, his radiation starting to flare up and make him glow green. How did Simon not tell him? How long ago was this? Would Jack be able to smoke tonight? All questions racing about in his head. Simon pulled his wing back out with a small baggie filled 3/4ths of the way with old marijuana.

“I have no knowledge on if weed expires or not. I wonder if it's still good.”

“I mean I guess we could see,” Jack suggests, grabbing a towel to dry his paws off with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both of the animals sat on the couch, both completely locked in on the card game they were playing. The white of Jack’s eyes had gone pink from the lack of blinking, he was too focused to remember.

“Do you have…” Simon sifted through his cards, “8 of diamonds?”

“Oh get bent, dunderhead.” Jack reluctantly handed his card over, letting Simon win the game.

Simon grabbed the pipe, packed it with weed, he was too high to really decide how much he wanted to put in, and held his lighter up to the bowl. He brought the snout of it to his beak and inhaled. Simon looked over at Jack and kissed him, shotgunning the smoke into his mouth. Jack couldn’t help but blush. He’s smoked before but not with anyone, let alone his now boyfriend. This was new to him, it felt amazing.

“So, baby, what do you wanna do now?” Simon asked.

“Why do you have no Christmas decorations up?”

“What?”

“You don’t have a tree or anything!” Jackson exclaimed, slightly emotional about there not being a tree.

This left Simon thinking. The truth is, he didn’t know why he didn’t put anything up. Maybe it was the fact he had no one to share the holiday with. His family had cast him out after they found him making out with his high school best friend. They already didn’t like the fact that he was a super, so him being gay gave them even more reason to throw him out. Since then, he hadn’t really celebrated holidays. He had never made close enough friends with anyone to actually be able to celebrate with them.

“Hows about we go out in the morning and buy a tree and lights?” Simon suggests as he leans in and kisses Jack again.

“That sounds fun.” Jack yawned, his eyes sagging.

Simon brought his lighter to the bowl one last time for tonight and offered it to Jackson, who happily took it and repeated Simon. The two got up and headed towards the bedroom, putting on a new record for them to sleep to. They both cozied up in bed, kissing each other goodnight. Simon held Jackson, who was snuggling up into the fluff of his feathers.

For the next few minutes, as Jack fell asleep, Simon stayed still and counted Jack’s breaths. He took in Jack’s signature smell, extremely grateful that, at least this year, will be with him for a holiday.

Simon enjoyed the song and let it lull him to sleep, holding on tight to Jackson.

“You are an amazing fox, Jackson.”

Chapter Text

Weeks had passed and the news about the two animals just kept coming. News outlets and reporters had capitalized off of their absence from hero work, leaving them with more and more time off.

“SCANDALOUS SUPERS?” “SUPERS GONE FAIRY!” “GAY SUPERS SUSPECTED MISSING”

Headlines were strung about the city from newspapers, T.V.’s, and even (rarely) billboards. The two super’s faces were plastered right under each headliner, occasionally a picture of them interacting with each other, assumingly there to strike interest in fangirls.

The house was obnoxiously covered in Christmas decorations, all chosen by Jack. A big, bright tree, a cheeky red-cheeked santa, rainbow lights, the whole shabang.

Simon was wing-deep into work, constantly trying to find more to keep himself afloat in the city. Electricity, food, water, gas, soap, all other household essentials, it all adds up. Money, money, money. Simon was losing himself with every single call he got from the NSA saying that his break would last longer than expected. This wouldn’t usually bother him, time off work is good! Well, it’s good until it isn’t. He wasn’t getting paid time off. Simon wasn’t making the same amount of money he did just a month or two before, causing all of his fuck around money to go down the drain. It’s not like Simon didn’t have any money at all, he’s just losing a significant amount to this “scandal”.

Jack stretched as he walked into the living room, the cold afternoon sun reaching in and illuminating the blonde fox’s fur.

“Good morning Simmy!”

“It’s afternoon, Jack.” Simon said sternly, fixating his eyes onto his papers.

“Oh, come on! You can’t even look at me? You’ve been stuck to those papers like glue for the past week!”

He’s right. For the past few days, Simon has been closed off, refusing to stop his work no matter what. He smelled horrible, he had lost a few pounds, his eyes were droopy and tired. He wanted to stop but he couldn’t. Everything he had said previously about being ready to lose his job just to be with Jack? Preposterous! Simon wanted to be with Jack, he really did, but he couldn’t risk his super life bleed into and mess with his personal life.

Jack on the other hand was the most content he’s ever been. He had been staying at Simon’s every night, only leaving to get clothes from his house. He had watched Simon slowly lose his mind in such a short period of time. It was truly baffling. Just last week Simon had been fine! They sat in an awkward silence for a moment until Simon piped up.

“I’m sorry Jack, I just need to finish this and then I’ll be done.” He told Jack, eyes still focused on the paper.

“Baby, you might want to look away-”
“I’m fine!” Simon yelled out, accidentally shooting a red beam right through the counter, barely missing his paper.

The smell of a burning Laminate countertop filled the room with a sickening odor. Jack ran to throw a window open, only to be met with a blast of cold air piercing his eyes and lungs.

“GAH!”
Jack fell backwards due to the extreme whiplash of cold and foul smells, landing right onto the wooden floor with a thud. For the first time since last week, Simon got up from his melted spot and walked over to the fallen fox. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. In Jacks, Simon saw himself. He saw a reflection of what he had made of himself within the past few days, messy feathers, skinny, drowsy eyes, unplucked imperfections. He was a mess.

In Simon's eyes, Jack saw anxiety, he saw fear. Everything that had boiled up inside of Simon was still there and melting his mind into paranoid slop sloshing around in his skull. Jack saw an overworked, terrified, passionate owl. Jack felt his eyes start to heat up and dry. Simon quickly noticed the constant blinking from Jack and averted his gaze somewhere else. Jack couldn’t help it, he raised a paw up and caressed Simon’s facial crest, moving his thumb pad over Simon’s cheek.

“Let’s get you a shower.” Jack whispered warmly to Simon.

“But Jack, I have work-”

“No, I’m taking care of you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon lay on his bed, finally clean from all the gunk and build-up that had coated over him in his few stinky days. It felt almost ethereal being clean again, Simon liked it. With the help of Jack, they had fixed anything Simon deemed “imperfect”.

Jack was in the kitchen attempting to make mac n cheese and chicken for the both of them. Yes, a childish food, but it was the quickest and best thing Jack could make. At least it’s something! Simon hadn’t even thought of food for days, at this point anything sounds good.

The blonde stood in the kitchen in front of a cheese-filled pot, stirring while adding his seasonings for extra pizzaz. While Jack wasn’t the best cook, he sure knew his way around greasy, junky foods. He had a talent for guessing what certain things would taste good with different foods. He let his stomach lead the way.

“A little bit of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and three tablespoons of parmesan cheese.”

These words spun through his head as he stirred rhythmically, adding each ingredient generously. He soon finished up and got out a plate for the both of them. Jack knew he would end up doing the dishes anyways, he might as well make it one less dish. Jack pulled out the biggest plate Simon had and started to splat the mac n cheese onto it, sprinkling black pepper over the top as if it were a national delicacy served at a high-end restaurant. He pulled his chicken out of the oven and set it atop the stove for it to cool. The oven fried chicken smelled amazing.Mixed with the smell of the mac n cheese, he would’ve considered it a heaven, all it needed was his Simon.

Jack set up the plate, putting all of the food on it plus a small area for ketchup. He flew his way to the bedroom door, almost glowing his radiation green with how excited he was to show Simon the food. His paws pressed against the floor as he gently landed, opening the door.

Simon was on the bed with his pipe back out and in his wings. He inhaled deeply, letting the heat burn the back of his throat and curve and spiral through his lungs before blowing out. Jack walked closer to Simon, placing the plate on Simon's feathery lap.

“Are ya doing okay, Birdy?”

“I am doing quite well…..Foxy…” Simon replies, drawing out the last word, slightly unsure.

“I get a nickname now, too?” Jack laughs as he sits himself down next to Simon.

Simon smiled for the first time in a week and picked up a fork to try the mac n cheese, handing the pipe over to Jack. He held it in his paws as he watched Simon take a bite of the cheesy slop with chicken he had thrown together. Simon’s eyes lit up and continued to eat, praising Jack’s cooking abilities. He’d just blush and place a kiss on the owl’s beak.

Jack felt the sudden urge to try and impress Simon further. Fueled by the praise, Jack channeled radiation into his paw pads, heating the bowl of the pipe up and putting the neck of the pipe up to his snout. He inhaled, feeling the mix of radiation and smoke fill up his lungs and then blowing out, leaving a ticklish sensation in the back of his throat. The glass still glowed a neon green in Jack’s paw as it started to cool.

“What was that?”

“My radiation is very hot. Since I have the ability to control gamma radiation, I can channel it into my paws and heat up anything almost instantly! Gamma rays are the hottest and most deadly type of radiation actually.”

“Is my pipe going to give me cancer?”

“No, I can suck it back out! I just gotta let it cool first.”

Simon didn’t know how smart Jack really was. Yes, he knew that he was a star student when he was in high school, but he didn’t know he had more knowledge about radiation as a whole! Most high schools taught barely anything about radiation. Simon found Jack’s passion in different types of radiation amusing, even cute at times like this. He leaned in close to Jack and pressed his smooth beak onto his cheek. The phone rang suddenly from the other room. Jack launched himself up, floating in the air and gliding to the phone before Simon could retaliate.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hey Jack! Is GB there? We were going to ask him if he wanted to come over for game night. You can come too if you’d like!”

Lucius. He had barely called to check in on them, in fact, almost no one called to check on either of them! The two animals in the entire city who called to ask if they were doing fine were Elastagirl and Stormicide. Everyone else had just stayed quiet.

“I’ll go talk to him. He hasn’t been feeling the best lately so don’t be surprised if he doesn't wanna go.”

“Okay! If you two are coming over, it’s gonna be at Bob’s house. If you can't make it, don’t sweat”

Beep

Well it wasn’t his ideal idea for how tonight was gonna go. Jack thought he would spend the night either having sex with Simon or cuddling him, not playing board games with other supers who didn’t care about how they were doing. Jack composed himself and glided back to the room.

“What was that about, Jackie?”

“Lucius and Bob invited us over for game night.” Jack huffed out.

“We should go! I do need to get out and about after being isolated for a few days.”

Jack sighed and agreed. He didn’t want to go but he would do it for Simon. The two finished up Jack’s well made lunch/dinner and started to get ready. Jack wore a short sleeve white collared shirt with high waisted blue pants while Simon put on brown pants, blue tie, brown sweater vest, and a cream colored short sleeved shirt. They both looked dashing yet comfortable.

Jack was conflicted. His eyes kept drifting to the way the vest shaped Simon, the clean curves of Simon’s body being shown after being trapped under all of the feathers. He wanted to take Simon right then and there but he had to hold it in, he was going to learn to control his impulses and not immediately face fuck Simon right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drive to Bob’s house was full of music and happy chatter from the two men. Simon talked about some cases he had drowned himself in and how there was messy divorce upon messy divorce, too many unhappy animals.

They soon arrived, holding paw and wing as they did so. Helen answered the door and welcomed both of them in, offering snacks and drinks as they made their way to the living room where everyone else was.

“We both are fine, maybe a water if thats okay” Simon replied to Helen.

Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Elastagirl, Apogee, Downburst, Stormicide.

“Okay not too bad…” Jack thought to himself.

Everyone sat down and started playing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon had to haul Jack out of the house, he got too competitive and was swearing like a sailor. To no one's surprise, Simon had known this was going to happen. Jack had been competitive at almost every little activity that could be some sort of competition, whether it was washing a bathtub or picking up a phone. Simon had learned to let Jack win most of them so the competition doesn’t go on longer than needed.

Simon threw Jack into the passenger seat and climbed his way into the driver’s seat. He turned on the radio, switching to a Christmas station. The ride back home was mostly quiet, the air was tense. It was just games, why was Jack so angry?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack sat on the couch, brooding and fidgeting with his paws. Simon wanted to know what was wrong. He wasn’t just gonna let someone who keeps taking care of him be sad. Simon turns on some music and makes his way to the couch with his little click clack from his claws.
“What's wrong? You’ve been acting off since we left.” Simon questions tenderly.

“I can’t believe them.”

“What?”

“They didn’t check in on us at all! We could’ve been dead and they didn’t call or anything! Two out of six people in that room called to make sure we were doing fine.”

“It doesn’t matter that much to me, Jack.”

“Well it matters to me! If they were real friends then they would have called us up, ya know?”

“Jack, It is not that bad. This will blow over and we’ll be fine.”

“Maybe it’ll blow over for you because they actually like you! No one in the NSA likes me, they see me as a child. Everything is easier for you since you actually have real friends!”

“Easier, really? Easier?”

“Yeah, easier! You’ve never had the feeling of getting used only for your looks! You will never know how hard it is having no friends!” Jack barked out, unintentionally jerking tears out of Simon’s eyes

This left Simon at a loss of words. Jack didn’t mean to hit Simon right where it hurt, but he did. He hit Simon in his most vulnerable spot. Through teary eyes and stutters, Simon managed to choke out two words,

“Get out.”

It hit Jack that he had just shattered everything that he had helped Simon build in his heart. He looked at Simon's watery eyes and almost started sobbing right then and there. He fucked up bad.

“Wait, baby, I didn’t mean to-”

“I said get out.”

Chapter Text

It had already been a few days since Simon had ordered Jack to get out. He remembers the cold, shameful walk home as if it had just happened a few minutes ago. Jack picked up his glass of wine off his bedside table and tipped it into his mouth. He never really liked the taste of wine, he didn’t like any alcohol for that matter, but right now just felt right. He forced it down and quickly followed by him picking up a Ritz cracker with cheese and popping it into his mouth to drown out the putrid taste of the wine.

Jack’s bed lay center against the wall of his room, a dresser in front of him with a T.V. stacked on top of it. It played a random show like I Love Lucy while Jack drank away his sorrows. Jack reached for the bottle, ready to refill his cup when he noticed it was empty.

“Fuck.” Jack dragged out as he melted down the side of the bed and onto the floor, the bed heating up from radiation caused by his annoyance.

He floated his way into the kitchen, tail dragging back on the floor. He opened the top cabinet and grabbed the first bottle that was in his line of sight and popped the cork. Jack took a swig straight from the bottle, accidentally downing too much and coughing a lung out into the sink. Surprisingly, it didn’t phase him. After his coughing fit, he grabbed the neck of the bottle and slugged his way back to his annoyingly comfortable, but empty, room.

As Jack lays back down in bed, he notices he has fully lost the smell of Simon. The smell that Simon had left on Jack had completely been covered in the layers of grime and sweat that accumulated after not showering for days. He was doing exactly what Simon had done to himself a week prior, minus the work. Except this time, no one was there to help him, no one was there to comfort him. Jack was alone. For the first time in years, Jack was truly alone. No damsels, no friends, no Simon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack lays in the bath, still holding his glass as the water grows colder. He twirls his claw in the water as he watches the ripples float away. The water was stained with wine that Jack had accidentally spilt, deep, purple-red liquid swirling around and making shapes in the water. Jack lays fully on his back, allowing the water to keep him afloat and surround him. His golden fur flowed in the water while the ceiling light shone through, his ears starting to fill with water. Jack didn’t mind, he couldn’t have cared less. He deserved any ear infection he could potentially get anyways.

The sudden sound of a phone ringing made Jack jolt upwards, launching any water he had cupped in his ears straight into his ear canal and splashing water everywhere. He leaned out of the tub to grab the phone that sat atop the counter next to him, his fur dripping red-stained water everywhere. Jack’s heart was thumping in his chest as he picked up the phone and brought it up to his water-filled ear.

“Hello?” He asked through the phone, slightly wishing it was Simon.

“Hey Jack, It’s Helen. I was just checking in on you since you left game night pretty angry. Are you doing okay?”

Jack felt a lump form in his throat, he couldn’t hold his feelings back anymore. Tears came rushing down his cheeks in hot, salty waves.

“I lost Simon!” Jack shouted followed by sobs and sniffles from the disheveled fox.

“Woah, woah, woah, what?”

“I said he doesn’t know what it’s like to not have any real friends and, and, and-”

Jack cried out through a broken and anguished voice, stuffing his head into his paw and clawing at his skin. He proceeded to tell Helen everything that had gone down after they left, not mentioning how hard he cried when he got home. All Jack wanted was to apologize for everything and see Simon again. He wanted to spend his holiday with someone he had fallen in love with.

“Okay, okay, Jack. Listen, I got to go, but I can give you quick advice,” Helen offers.

“H-hm?” This was the only sound Jack could make through his snotty sobs.

“You’ve given him a break, right? Well I’d say it would be a good time to try and talk, ya know? Apologize.”

Jack thanked her and hung up.

“How did I not think of that? I should call him!” Jack said while trying to cover his despair in fake ego.

He got out of the bath, shook himself dry and put his yellow robe on. As he settled back into his bed, he ate the cheese and crackers from earlier, sniffing in the intoxicating smell of his bed that had held the unclean fox for days.

“Shit, I gotta clean this.”

Jack spent the next hour attempting to call Simon, each call either going to voicemail or immediately hung up. This is not good at all. If he wanted to work things out with Simon, he’d have to talk to him but clearly he didn’t want to talk. There's only 3 days left until Christmas and Jack’s not going to let this ruin Christmas for anyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day as Simon got ready, he was bombarded with calls from Jack. Like the day before, he just let it ring. He wasn’t mad at Jack, he was extremely hurt by what he said. How could someone immediately make assumptions about things like that, especially to Simon?

As a kid, Simon spent his early life migrating from Italy over to America so his family would have a better chance at life. His parents created an authentic restaurant that quickly took off and led Simon to get an extremely good education. He was sent to private schools throughout the state, made amazing grades, and always put his parents first.

Everything was good in his life. A few difficulties, though, included Simon being lonely and without any friends. He would watch other animals his age play with each other while he sat on the ground, running his wings through the grass, imagining little fairies living there. No one ever asked him to play except one kid, a blonde fox. It was a Friday in May, the last day of school for the 5th grade, a 4th grader had walked up to him and asked if he could sit next to him. For the next hour they sat and played with pretend creatures in the grass.

When the end of the day came around, they said their goodbyes and never saw each other again. Simon had moved to a different school and then the little fox had become just a memory, a reminder of a better time. Middle school went by fast and annoying, always keeping Simon busy. Highschool is when everything went to shit.

Late at night on a Saturday in October of his sophomore year, his parents caught him making out with his best friend in his room. For weeks after, they had brought him to church 3 days a week, baptized him a second time and only played church music.

As senior year rolled around, Simon’s power had started to bloom. He was an extremely late bloomer and never had shown signs previously of having any powers. All Simon can remember from the fight was his dad raving about how Simon’s mom had cheated on him with a “Super Freak” and when Simon tried to protect his mom from getting hit, he was kicked out, his dad’s last words to him being,

“No son of mine will ever be gay or a super.”

Simon had spent his last year in high school couch surfing until he could finally maintain a job and an apartment. After years of no friends and a toxic household, he was free. He got into an amazing college on scholarship and became one of the most well known lawyers in the city. He had only a few friends that he had made while on campus and he only told two about his powers, the two animals being Lucius and Bob.

Simon knew Jack didn’t mean to hurt him, but he needed time, he needed a reset. Another ring came in and Simon continued to ignore it and left to go to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Simon’s not answering and I don’t know what to do!” Jack cried into his pillow while calling Helen.

“Well, maybe he needs more time, Jack.”

“I can’t do this! Christmas is in 2 days and I’ll be damned if I spend it without him.”

Jack laid snout-down into his bed. His pillow had become noticeably more damp because of the extensive amount of tears and snot that it soaked up.

“Jack, you’re gonna be okay. It might not be ideal but if Simon needs more space, give him more space. Let him talk when he’s ready”

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, though. Who doesn’t want to spend Christmas Eve with their lover?”

“You are so thick-skulled!”

Helen hung up angrily, slamming the phone into the holder. Jack was left alone again, no Simon, no one to talk to.

“Thats just fucking fantastic.” Jack mumbles to himself as he goes to his kitchen. He misses how Simon’s kitchen looked. He missed the worn out pans, the silverware that had been kept neat and sorted in a drawer, the laughs that would come from it when Simon found something funny. He missed Simon.

Jack leaned up against his counter, resting his arms on the top and drooping his head. His unruly curls had fallen out of their signature swoop and the green sparks that used to clutter his eyes were now gone. Jack knew he was his own fox, but it felt greatly wrong to be separated from the animal that completes him. Tears began to gather on the front of his eyes, blurring his vision and making little dots as they fell onto his fur.

The tears stung like salt in a gaping wound. They were filled with guilt and fear. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was scared. Jack was so scared he would lose the first and only animal to ever love him, not as Gamma Jack, but Jackson. Simon knew the real, raw Jack. He knew the Jack that had just had his first time ever with a man, the Jack that could cook amazing mac n cheese, the Jack that threw himself out there, the Jack that had cried in his arms some nights for no reason. Simon was the only one to know Jack on a deeper level.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon sat alone at his dining room table, eating leftover mac n cheese that Jack had made. It was delicious even after a few days of it being in the fridge. Simon had heated it up in the microwave and took his seat to eat. The first bite alone had tugged Simon’s heart, causing tears to form. The food was warm and delicious, but something- no, someone, was missing. The heart and soul of the food was gone. Everything felt…empty. Everything was in its place, everything was tidy and normal, so why did it feel so empty and hollow?

It was Jack. Jackie was missing.

Simon hung his head in his wings and cried. He missed Jack so much, he just couldn't bring himself to see him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day went by in a blur for Jack. It seemed as if everything was going too fast, he felt like he was on autopilot. He debated the entire day, wondering if calling Simon was a good idea or not. Snow had started plummeting down from the sky, making the windows frosty and the city look like a town in the north pole. It was truly beautiful, except for one thing, Simon wasn't here.

For the first time today, Jack picked up the phone and dialed Simon’s number for the first and last time of the day, not expecting anything to happen.

He waited as the ringing filled the hollowness of the room. Just as Jack is about to hang up, he hears a click. Simon answered.

“Simon? Baby?” Jack stammered, his voice getting shakier with every breath.

“Merry Christmas, please…don’t call.”

*Click*