Aqualad One-Shots

Meeting Your Hero

Beast Boy meets the hero who's coveted poster hung in his bedroom back in Quarac

"Garfield, this is Aqualad." The boy had to be at least eight years of age, but M'gann cradled him in the sling of her arms like a toddler, his head resting against her shoulder tiredly. His skin was as green as his Martian blood-sister's, but that not his long green bangs didn't hide the bags under his reddened eyes.

M'gann tried to smile while she made introductions, trying to make everyone happy again, but her voice had lost it's typical pep, and the tragedy that had brought Garfield Logan to Mount Justice hung in the air like a nasty odor.

"Aqualad, this is Gar, the boy that we told you about."

Kaldur crouched down to what he expected the boy's height to be, hoping to look less imposing.

"It is nice to meet you, Garfield. Please, call me Kaldur."

Gar nodded, hiding his face in the shirt of M'gann's uniform.

"Do you want to say hi to him?" She encouraged. Wally had mentioned, in passing, that the boy had a poster of Aqualad hanging up in his room at the Logan Animal Sancutary, so when Miss Martian and Superboy called in that they were bringing Garfield with them, Black Canary insisted that Kaldur be the first one to meet him, to make him feel more welcome.

After a minute, Garfield nodded, and M'gann helped him down to the floor. He stayed next to M'gann for a moment, before cautiously taking a step or two towards Aqualad, his eyes glued to the floor.

Kaldur scooted a bit closer to the boy, but not to close. He didn't want Gar to be uncomfortable.

"M'gann and Connor tell me you love animals." Kaldur asked, smiling kindly at him, "which animal is your favorite?"

The boy mumbled something, and Kaldur crawled forward to hear more clearly. 

"I'm sorry?"

Garfield took a deep breath and spoke slightly louder. "I like T-Rexes." He said.

Kaldur looked to M'gann for help. In all his years on the surface world, he had never heard of an animal such as that. 

"It's a dinosaur, ask him to tell you about them," She said helpfully over the mindlink.

Kaldur stood up and held out his hand to Garfield. "I must admit, I have never heard of a "T-Rex" before."

For the first time, Garfield looked up, his green eyes wide and shining.

"You've never heard of the Tyrannosaurus Rex before!?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

Taken aback for only a moment, Kaldur chuckled at the reaction and shook his head. "I have not. Would you like to tell me about them?"

"Would I?" Garfield looked back at M'gann, who nodded encouragingly, and gave him a gentle push. 

Gar took Kaldur's hand, and the older boy walked him around the Cave, which echoed with the sounds of an excited child eagerly explaining dinosaurs to a clueless Atlantean, and just for a moment, forgetting the tragedy he'd been through.

I need more Beast Boy and Kaldur bonding.