I Will, Hold On

A few more months in the past, but not many...

"So, what are the extent of your powers?"

Tim asks the question like it's something casual, and Jay whips around to stare at him.

"Tim!" he hisses, glancing over his shoulder. "You can't just ask that in public!"

"Because people definitely assume 'power' is related to superpowers. For all they know it could be related to your mystical ability to get dark circles regardless of the amount of sleep you get." Tim smirks at him and Jay shoves him away.

"Whatever," Jay mutters, but he can't help a smile from appearing on his face. He looks at a bag on a shelf--beef jerky, which Tim seems to like a whole ton, so he puts it in the cart--and shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't really know. I just know that I can fly."

"Well, yeah, I gathered that," Tim says, rolling his eyes. "I mean, what can you do with your flying powers? How high can you go? Can you make other things fly?"

"I don't fucking know. Do you think I shoot into the sky singing Disney songs every chance I get?"

"Have you?"

"No!" Jay blurts, exhausted. He kneads his fingers against his temple. "No, I've just never really experimented with them is all. Haven't got the time with all the... you know," he gestures, and Tim nods.

"Yeah, that's understandable."

Jay finally thinks he's going to drop it, and then they can get on with the boring task of picking out cheap food, when Tim asks, "So, can you show me how high you can fly right now?"

Jay grabs a box of macaroni and cheese and flings it at Tim's head. He ducks, as if he'd anticipated it, and looks behind him as the box clatters to the floor. He slowly cranes his head and stares at Jay, eyebrows raised.

"You're lucky I got the gist of what you were about to do from the image in your head, or I'd have ended up with a permanent rectangular indent on my forehead."

"Good," Jay jeers, trying to sound threatening, but he snorts and walks over to pick up the box. As he goes past him, Tim leans towards him and asks, "Show me back at the hotel, then, okay?"

---

"I put the food away for you. Now will you show me?" Tim sits on the edge of his bed, watching Jay with excited eyes as his friend checks the Marble Hornets Youtube channel. Jay sighs and spins in his chair to face him.

"It's really not impressive, honestly. Why don't we just call it a night and I'll show you some other time?"

"Come on, Jay. You promised."

"Saying that I might spare your life if you put the groceries away is not a promise to show you my pathetic excuse of a superpower."

"Just show me so you can say that you showed me and you'll never have to do it again. If you want." Tim stares at him, and Jay stares back, and finally Jay slumps forward, accepting defeat.

"Fine, but it's really boring."

"Don't care. Do it."

Jay stands up slowly, curling his hands into fists and releasing them. He inhales deeply, exhaling, inhaling, and he feels the signature buzz in his feet that signals he's about to fly and then--

"Watch it!" Tim shouts, but his warning is too late as Jay shoots upwards and slams into the ceiling, the breath being knocked out of him. He plummets and falls against the floor with a clunk. Tim shuffles over to him as Jay groans, trying to regain his composure.

"Are you okay?" Tim asks, reaching for him but pulling back like he doesn't want to hurt him.

"Urgh, yeah, I'm just... geez, do you ever get headaches from using your powers?"

"I used to," Tim admits, relieved that Jay is relatively okay. "But I've been practicing my whole life, so it went away after time."

"Oh," Jay says, and he lays on the ground waiting for his head to clear. "...can you teach me?"

"What?"

"Teach me. How to get used to all of this."

"In case you didn't know, I can't fly," Tim says.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know, I know." Tim looks at him and smiles. "I can try, but that'll mean you have to risk getting your head bonked on the ceiling a few more times."

"Lovely," Jay mutters.