"Gar? I'm a shapeshifter, in a way that you aren't. I learned long ago how to make it so that I'm always smiling. How to hide everything that hurts or scares me or anything like that. And... I know how hard it is to make those fake smiles get to your eyes."
Gar looks down and really most people didn't see through him. They saw his smile and his friendliness and his compassion and that's all they thought there was. Even Dick tends to only see what Gar shows on the outside and thinks he's fine and he's been anything but fine. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
Instead he feels his eyes burning and that's... the worst. "You make me happy," he finally says, he makes him happy more than anyone. "I'm just... sort of damaged otherwise," he mutters and maybe that's one of the most open things he's admitted to Teddy since they've met.
"You don't know what I've done, Teddy," Gar says and he regrets saying it, exhaling shakily against the other's chest. How does Teddy say I love you so easily? Gar had come around to saying it but it doesn't come out as often or easily even if he very much does love Teddy.
Gar doesn't completely believe that but Teddy doesn't ask and so he doesn't tell him. He swallows as he looks up at him feeling his hand warm on his jaw.
"I'll never let you get hurt," he promises, wrapping his arms around Gar and spreading wings again. It's a far shorter flight. He lands in the alley very quickly and then he's just Teddy again. And he offers his hand to Gar.
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"Can you stay for a while?"
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It comes with a relationship.
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And he has to deal with it.
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"Let's go to the tower?"
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The tower is far to go, he doesn't really want that. He doesn't want to lose the neutral ground here.
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"I'm always happy."
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Teddy frowns softly.
"I want to make it so your smiles are real."
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Instead he feels his eyes burning and that's... the worst. "You make me happy," he finally says, he makes him happy more than anyone. "I'm just... sort of damaged otherwise," he mutters and maybe that's one of the most open things he's admitted to Teddy since they've met.
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"I want you to be happier, Gar. I want those smiles to come from your heart being full of joy and love."
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"I love you," he finally says.
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"Well, that makes me happy. This smile? It's real. And only yours."
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"I kind of want you to spend the night and hold me."
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IT's, if nothing else, a peace offering.
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Teddy smiles as he kisses his boyfriend's brow.
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"We'll walk the rest of the way."
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"I'm good with that," he laughs and when they start walking. "Do you think Billy and Dawn were working together?"
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This might be a good ftb?