Jonathan didn't know why he felt this way. But each morning made it harder and harder to climb out of bed.
He had plenty to be thankful for. He had a mother and father who were together. He went to a good school. And he saw his best friend Damian everyday at school and during his superhero job.
But as of late his father had been more occupied with his work than with his family. Late nights at the press and more criminal activity made it hard for the superhero to balance his time.
His mother had been stressing over dad coming home late. She usually stayed up for him, sitting a the round kitchen table waiting to hear the screen door close almost silently. Time after time he'd sneak down the stairs to see her in tears; worried sick about the man made of steel. As of late he'd stopped caring and went to bed.
The kids at school made fun of him on the regular. 'Hey skinny jeans! Tell your boyfriend to start wearing heels!' 'Oh excuse me, I didn't know this was a fag fest.' 'Short stack and skinny jeans kissin in a tree...' The taunting voices of the kids in his class poking fun when Damian would meet him after school would bounce around his head for hours as he lay in bed.
And lately Damian had been pushing him away. Usually he could deal with the bullying because Damian made it seem like nothing else mattered. It was true, he'd developed a crush on the overprotective elder boy he hung out with. But the other teen hadn't been there to do... anything. For the past week Damian hadn't even met Jon outside the school.
He started feeling, well, nothing. As silly as it sounded, the fire burning bright in the boy had gone out.
His smiles had become less frequent and he even found it hard to muster up the energy to put on his uniform and fight crime when needed.
If you'd even call it that. He wore jeans and a jacket with a cape down on the back for damn's sake. And needed? Robin at least did some good. All he did was good off.
He couldn't even be a superhero right.
Maybe Damian was right, maybe he wasn't cut out to be a hero.
Damian. Those green eyes could see right through him. He loved everything about the older boy.
But it was no use. He didn't feel the same. He never would. He'd fallen in love with a boy that didn't love him back. That couldn't love him back.
It hurt but the 13 year old was staying strong.
At least for now.
