Welcome to Maribat Calendar Events July event. July is dedicated to JASON TODD.
Do one prompt! Do them all! Do your own prompt! Any participation is great! They just serve as ways to encourage that creativity. No Pressure.
This year weâre adding an extra prompt week to encourage all your Marihood needs. Just like the month long prompts, do one, do more, do your own thing. Whatever inspires you!
Make sure you tag us so others can more easily see your work:
âYou are by far the most beautiful woman here.â
Marinette turned at the voice behind her. She didnât recognize the man who had joined her on the balcony. Her ice cubes clinked in the glass as she turned, glancing around, just in case he decided to be an ass.
âExcuse me,â she asked, thinking she must have misunderstood his clear come on.
He watched her over his drink. It felt like he was drinking her in more than the amber colored liquid in his glass.
âIf you are going to look like that, you should be more accustomed to compliments. Even the gorgeous sunset canât compete with you in that dress.â
She wondered if he had intentionally moved his path from directly in front of the door as he approached. She could easily move directly to it without being blocked. He was very large and even with his easy smile and charming words, he could be an imposing figure accidentally. Still, rather than reacting to his compliments about her, she latched on to the ones about the dress.
âThanks. I worked really hard to design the dress. I wanted to look really great tonight.â
He stood before her and looked at the sides and then down into her eyes before responding.
âMission accomplished. You look fantastic but you are out here all alone. Who is your friend; was he not impressed?â
âWho? Iâm not sure what you mean.â
She could feel the heat in her cheeks giving her away from the omitted part of her plan. Perhaps it was obvious why she had taken such care and everyone out there knew.
âMaybe it was her, but I like my odds better if it was a guy.â
His confident flirtation kept her blushing and she tipped back her drink to give herself more time to consider. Perhaps it gave her fewer inhibitions because she suddenly found herself telling the truth to a man when she didnât even know his name.
âHe didnât notice. That is the one thing that never changes.â
She looked away from him and played with the straw in her drink, unable to meet his gaze after her admission.
âI donât even care anymore. I got over him a long time ago, so why does it even matter.â
He reached out and took her hand. She looked back up at him in shock.
âDo you think he would notice if you left with the most handsome man here?â
âI donât even know your name.â
He smirked at her and she realized what she had agreed to before he even commented on it.
âSo you do think Iâm handsome,â he waited as she sputtered and tried to back track but he didnât push for further confirmation. âIâm Jason Todd.â
âMarinette Dupain Cheng,â she said as She reached for his hand.
âThe pleasure is all mine, but Iâm willing to share.â
He lifted her hand and met it halfway by leaning down to kiss it. She could see his smirk before his lips pressed against her skin. It was not the back of her hand. He had twisted it just enough to brush his lips near her wrist, not quite on the sensitive underside of it but just where it connected to her hand. If she had ever managed to get the burning from her face she would have started again but it definitely picked up after that. She managed to cover by not responding.
Jason seemed unconcerned. He kept hold of her hand and drew her closer to him before turning back and guiding her back inside.
âDance with me, Marinette.â
She turned to glance around but he reached out and caught her chin.
âDonât look for him. Dance with me because you want to. I guarantee that all eyes will be on you.â
She kept her eyes on his as he led her around the dance floor. He was a very good dancer and led her through several twirls as they talked about anything but the man who might be watching. She didnât even think of him as she relaxed against Jason and moved with the music. The first song was a faster tempo but the music slowed down and he held her closer. She could think of nothing but the way they swayed together and how he felt pressed against her. His hand at her back didnât stray, but her thoughts did.
âThe best option is to leave with me now,â he said. She could feel his voice in his chest as she was pressed against it.
âI donât even know you.â
He didnât answer. The song ended and he just stayed there with her pressed against him and he leaned down. She had barely a second to decide what to do. She could pull away so easily but she turned her head up to meet his kiss. His hand cupped her cheek and she wouldnât have been able to see if anyone saw if her eyes had been open. She clutched the front of his suit for their far too brief kiss. Then he whispered to her.
âIf you want to leave just like this I can take you anywhere. But I hope that we end up together tonight.â
She nodded and he tucked her against him with his arm wrapping around her back and holding on to her hip.
He led her to his motorcycle. She wasnât even surprised. He looked exactly like a guy who would ride a motorcycle. She climbed on behind him, pulling her dress dangerously high so the top of the slit, high on her thigh was the new bottom of the dress. Jason eyed her legs appreciatively and slid along her leg as he checked to be sure she was secure. She held onto his hips and pulled herself flush against him as he pushed off.
She turned back as she heard her name. She saw Adrien rushing out the front of the building.
âMarinette!â he yelled.
She turned back to look at him and gave a little wave as Jasonâs motorcycle roared away.
Marinette knew she shouldnât have chosen that seat. Okay, no, she hadnât known it then, but she did now. At the time, if she wanted food from the only place still serving food in the airport, it was the choice between a man who clearly did not want people near him, hunched over his food, arms bracketing his plate like he was expecting someone to steal it at any moment, eying people passing by suspiciously; and a man with an open posture and smile, making polite conversation with the person next to him. The choice was obvious really⌠obviously wrong. She was sure the Scary Guy would have been fine as long as she left him alone, which is what she wished this man would do for her.
Instead, he had been hitting on her shamelessly and tactlessly for the past ten minutes and if her food didnât arrive in the next ten seconds, she was going to scream. âHey, do you know anything about phones?â
Marinette blinked at him. That almost sounded innocent except for the devious glint in his eyes when he said it. âA bitâŚâ she said apprehensively. Sheâd fixed her parentsâ phones a few times when theyâd had problems and damn her, she still hated lying, or she would have just said no and left without her food.
âOh great!â he exclaimed and she knew at that moment she should have lied. âBecause I think thereâs something wrong with mine.â He slid his phone over to her, open to the contacts page. âIt doesnât have your phone number in it.â
The grin he was giving her clearly indicated he thought his comment was brilliant. Her eyebrows, however, could barely get any higher or her jaw any lower. It took a few seconds longer than she wanted to admit to close her mouth and start to formulate a response. âOhâŚâ she started but luckily, she was interrupted at just the perfect moment by the waiter bringing her food. âOh, thank you so much,â she rushed out. âIâm afraid of missing my flight, can I get the check, please?â
âOf course,â the waiter smiled and laid the receipt in front of her. Marinette reached for it, but the man picked it up first. âLet me get that for you,â he insisted with a hopeful smile.
âOh, no. Thatâs okay. I appreciate it, but I canâŚâ she started and reached for the receipt, but he quickly held it out of her reach and cut her off.
âI insist. Itâs the least I can do. Itâs not a problem at all. I can cover it,â he leaned in with a debonair grin, like he was sharing a secret with her.
Marinette let out a breath as she leaned away from him and pasted on a smile that she only kind of hoped didnât look as strained as it felt. âThank you. Thatâs really very⌠thoughtful of you,â she finished. âIâm sorry, I just have to⌠do⌠something before my flight,â she rushed out as she threw her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her food and drink. âIt was really⌠nice meeting you,â she threw out and instantly cringed. Did it count as a lie if it was just what you said in polite society?
He stood up to help her, but she already had everything so instead, he stood by her awkwardly. âYeah. It was really nice meeting you too. Maybe we can continue this conversation later?â
Marinette gave him a tight smile. âYeah, maybe. Now, sorry, I really have to go.â
âRight. Bye,â he waved at her back and sat back down watching her as she ducked into the womenâs bathroom.
The moment she rounded the corner, Marinette slunk down the wall, her bag dropped to the ground next to her with a slap that resonated throughout the bathroom. She let her head fall back against the wall with a long, heavy sigh. She could only pray that guy was not on her flight, because she did not want to have to spend another minute with him, either on the plane or in Star City.
The airport she could handle, she could just hide out in the bathroom until it was time to board. Not the bravest move sheâd ever made, but effective. It was just ten minutes to boarding and then if she waited until the last minute to get on board, her exposure was almost zero. It was a foolproof plan.
She crossed her legs on the floor and got her food out. Not the worst place sheâd eaten and definitely preferrable to eating with the guy whoâs name she couldnât remember to save her life.
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She had not thought this through. Or rather, she had, and her plan was successful. The task had been successfully failed. She had stayed in the bathroom until the final boarding for her flight and had not seen the man again. No, the problem was it was a no-win situation. There was no safe plan, so it didnât matter how much she thought it through. She was left exposed no matter what she would have done, because, despite her most ardent prayers and offering of her dessert to Tikki, the man was on her flight. Her completely full flight, with no assigned or empty seats, if the announcement she just heard was to be believed.
She was now the last person to get onto the plane and completely subject to the other passengersâ decisions, a realization that struck straight to her core as she watched the seats slowly fill up in front of her until there were only two seats left. In an eerie replay of her earlier scenario, the two seats left were next to Scary Guy and Smiley Guy from earlier.
Selfishly, she silently urged the person in front of her to make the same mistake she had made earlier and just as silently rejoiced when they did. She flitted by as quickly as possible saying another little prayer he wouldnât notice her now or at any point during the flight, and jumped into the seat next to Scary Guy with a loud sigh of relief before they could change their mind. The intimidating exterior that had worked against her earlier, played in her favor now, leaving the spot next to the man open. Maybe her luck was turning around, and sheâd be able to have a peaceful, quiet, flirt free flight. She said a silent prayer that was exactly what she got.
The thought quickly disappeared as she stood and looked for a place to put her bag, but all the overhead compartments were stuffed. She eyed the space under the seat in front of her assessing the size and comparing it to her bag. Her bag was smaller than a normal carryon, everything having gotten shoved into her bag on her way out the door in a rush to get to the airport at the last minute. It might be able to fit⌠She quirked her head to the side with a dissatisfied hum.
âThereâs more space under the seat in front of me, if youâd like to use it,â Scary Guy offered with a loud huff.
She blinked at him, the words not quite registering. âWhat?â
âYour bagâs never going to fit in that section. The aisle seats always have smaller areas under them. I just have my bag up there,â he motioned above them and shrugged. âIâm not using this space. Itâs no big deal for me.â
âOh that⌠are you sure? It takes away your legroom. This flight isnât short, and neither are you,â she rushed out uncertainly, rushed out before her mind was able to process what she wanted to say. Her cheeks heated up as soon as she realized what she said. âSorry, thatâŚâ
âWas funny,â he finished for her with a chuckle and a disarming smile that softened his whole face. âIt isnât and Iâm not, but I donât mind,â he shrugged.
Marinette looked back and forth between him and the space and even the person next to him a few times before looking back at him with a shrewd look. âHow about we switch seats instead? I can sit in the middle seat, and you can have the aisle, which should give you more leg room anyway.â He raised an eyebrow at her. âI didnât think you were with the person next to you, and I thought they might⌠um⌠appreciate some more space too,â she added nervously, offering an explanation he didnât ask for.
He huffed out a laugh and shook his head. âI can do that. If youâre sure you donât mind sitting in the middle. I know most people donât like it.â He waited until she nodded before standing.  Marinette barely contained her gasp at how, even hunched over to avoid the bulkhead and roof of the plane, he still towered over her.  He moved past her with an ease she would never have associated with someone his size, with only the barest of brushes against her arm as he moved. Her cheeks flushed at the contact and his apologetic smile. âSorry, not much room,â he mumbled.
âNo, thatâs⌠youâre okay,â she murmured back shyly. She quickly eased into the middle seat and turned away to keep from staring at him or from him seeing her cheeks. She pulled her tablet and phone out before shoving her bag under the seat, breathing a sigh of relief as her bag slid easily into place. âThank you so much again.â
âI should be thanking you. This is much better.â He stretched his legs out into the aisle as the plane taxied into position and let out a louder than necessary sigh. She giggled and turned on her tablet and Jaggedâs latest unreleased album, letting his guttural tones lull her into a creative daze.
She didnât know how long she stayed in the daze, but she had already sketched out two options for the cover, the current one her favorite by far, by the time she became aware of the area around her again, just in time to notice Scary Guy chuckling, vibrating the entire row of seats, which, she realized must have been what brought her out of her stupor. It was then she noticed to her mortification that sheâd been shimmying in her seat to the song and the more she thought about it, she realized she had also been mouthing the words to the song.
She clenched her eyes closed while her cheeks flushed yet again, much deeper that time, and let out a tiny whimper. Her eyes flew open when his voice sounded deep and resonating, close to her ear. âThatâs really cool looking,â he noted, leaning into her space slightly to get a better look. âWhatâs the inspiration?â He looked up questioningly but immediately backed up, the tension in his muscles increasing proportionally to the amount of space he put between them. âOh, sorry. I didnât mean to intrude.â
She covered the drawing slightly. âNo, itâs okay. Um, thanks. Itâs⌠Iâm⌠uhâŚâ she paused as she tried to figure out how to phrase it so she wasnât lying or being standoffish or divulging too much, which would nullify her contract with Jagged. Not that he would care, but Bob Ross would. In fact, she wouldnât put it past him to have sent a corporate spy to try to trick her, then steal her idea and use it himself. Not that she thought Scary Guy was a corporate spy, but it was still best to be safe.  âIâm listening to this album and getting inspired by it.â
His tension had eased away at her assurance. âWhatever the album is, it must be really inspiring.â He examined the image. âWhat is it⌠if you donât mind me asking.â
She studied his face intently for a few seconds trying to decide if sheâd been wrong and he really was a spy, but she saw nothing but earnest interest. âItâs Jagged Stone,â she said carefully.
âI love Jagged Stone!â he grinned, his whole face brightening, all vestiges of intimidation dropping with the appearance of dimples. âScary Guyâ didnât seem like an appropriate moniker when his face was lit up like that. âRock Giant was my favorite album.â
She grinned back. âI loved that one! But Iâm a bit partial.â
He cocked his head to the side, his smile never leaving his face. âWhy is that?â
Marinetteâs eyes widened minusculely and her smile strained. âHe made that one in Paris, which is where Iâm from. He also has a song about Ladybug, one of our heroes,â she answered quickly. It was all true, factually. Not the answer to his question, but true.
He nodded. âThat was a good one. One of my favorite songs and one of my favorite superheroes. She was a complete badass. Right up there with Wonder Woman.â
Marinette looked down to cover the vivid flush to her cheeks and bashful smile. She ran her hands over her arms to expel some of the energy that flushed her system at the compliment, without looking suspicious. And to be compared to Wonder Woman! It was possibly the best compliment sheâd ever received.
âI get chills talking about Ladybug and Wonder Woman too,â he teased.
Marinette snorted and shook her head. âThis trip was very last minute, like I didnât know about it an hour before, last minute. So, I packed at the last second and somehow forgot to pack a hoodie,â she explained. Again, it was factually correct, just not really related to the chills as heâd assumed. âWhich is absolutely ridiculous, because I always have something. Iâm always cold. My friends will be in shorts and sleeveless tops and Iâll be in slacks and a jacket. And usually, it wouldnât even be an issue, because Iâd just steal one of my friendsâ, but J⌠the person Iâm meeting never wears hoodies so Iâm going to have to buy one or something.â
Jason sighed dramatically. âThatâs one of the drawbacks of being⌠not short,â he grinned as he threw her words back at her. âI donât get to steal anyone elseâs hoodies, but my brothers all steal mine. Iâm always missing mine. I go to put one on and canât find any, then my brother will just waltz by in my hoodie. I have to tackle him to get it back.â
She barked out a laugh and immediately shrunk back when people around them shot her a look. She cleared her throat and continued much quieter. âAnd are you successful?â
âOf course,â he scoffed and puffed out his chest, throwing her a look as he did. âWhat do you take me for? The hoodie might get destroyed in the process, but I get it back. I wish it meant he learned not to steal my stuff, but it never does. Not even for a few days.â
âAhh, the joy of siblings. I always wanted some. I just have to settle for tormenting and stealing from my friends,â she laughed.
âYeah, you have the sibling experience then,â he chuckled, his eyes sparkling. âThey take everything! I have to hide my keys, keep my coffee in my hand the entire time, loom over my plate to keep them from stealing my food⌠I have to raid their rooms periodically to get my stuff back.â
âThey steal your coffee?â Marinette gasped louder than she meant to, again drawing attention from the people around them, this time unnoticed, and drew her hand to her chest theatrically. âIt should be illegal to mess with someoneâs caffeine.â
âOh God,â he whined as he threw his head back, eyes clenched dramatically. âYou sound like my brother. Next thing I know, youâre going to be stealing my hoodies.â
She pouted deeply enough to be clear she was teasing, but her eyes were a bit tense. âWell, that doesnât sound like a good thing. I might get tackled.â
âI promise youâre safe,â he offered, his own voice a bit tense. Â He only relaxed back into his seat when she smiled shyly.
âSo, what Iâm hearing is you have a hoodie I can steal and you wonât do anything about it,â she teased. Her shy smile widened when he snickered and shot her a roguish smile. He opened his mouth to respond but she cut in before he could. âOh no,â she muttered under her breath. She tried to meld into the background, a rather pointless endeavor on the very packed, small, confined plane, but she still attempted it. She was considerably smaller than Scary Guy, maybe she could hide behind him? She groaned realizing it was useless. Smiley Guy had already seen her. There was no hiding in the bathroom this time.
âYou okay?â Scary Guy asked just as quietly. Her futile attempt to hide having brought her close enough for him to speak in a whisper without having to move closer, but he did anyway. His eyes darted around and quickly settled on the man making his way toward them. âHe a problem?â
âJust fine,â she grumbled, bracing herself, âdidnât you know, weâre moments away from falling in love. At least according to him.â
He snickered at her tone. âAnd according to you?â
âIâve rarely been less in love with someone,â she drawled. âAnd Iâve met actual supervillains.â He snickered again but adjusted his position so he was blocking more of the access to her without looking obvious. She narrowed her eyes playfully at his enjoyment of her situation but took note of his move.
âThere you are, kitten,â Smiley Guy crooned, missing the way she bristled at the name. He leaned casually against the aisle seat of the row in front of her, taking up the entire aisle as he popped his legs out to cross them at the ankle. âThis must be fate bringing us together again.â
âThere is absolutely no way Iâve pissed fate off enough for that,â she muttered under her breath, low enough that only Scary Guy could hear her, smirking at her comment, but hiding his face from Smiley Guy. Though it appeared that she must have pissed someone off because each and every prayer so far had been ignored. She forced a curt smile for Smiley Guy. âHello again.â
His grin widened into something almost predatory. He flicked his eyes over to Jason for just a second before focusing back on Marinette. âHey, sport, we were having a conversation earlier that weâd like to continue. Do you mind switching seats with me?â
âActually,â Marinette answered for him, âHe and I,â she motioned between herself and Scary Guy, âwere having a very interesting conversation about music and families that I was hoping to continue.â
âSurely not as interesting as ours was. We had something,â he pouted slightly at her.
âYeah, a hostage situation,â Jason scoffed.
The manâs façade dropped instantly, replaced with a harsh glare at Jason. âI donât believe this involves you, skippy,â he sniped.
âIt involves me,â Marinette growled. Making her uncomfortable is one thing but Not so Scary Guy had done nothing to deserve his ire. She leaned forward to try to keep the entire plan from overhearing their conversation. âAnd I said I am satisfied with the seating arrangement as it is.â
He snapped his eyes to her, something flashed in his eyes and his grin faltered for just a second before he recovered it. âCome on, baby,â he cooed as he reached out to graze his finger along her hair.
She jerked back at the same time Not so Scary Guy stood, both moving before Smiley Guy could make contact. Not so Scary Guy rose with such speed Smiley Guy jumped back in surprise, falling into the passengers in the row behind him, causing a loud squawk of objection that attracted the flight attendantâs attention. Not so Scary Guy nodded to them quickly and returned his attention to Smiley Guy. âI believe she said she was satisfied where she was,â Scary Guy gritted out, fully reverting back to earning his moniker. He towered over the man, having to hunch over to keep from hitting the roof of the plane even after angling himself toward the highest point.
Smiley Guyâs face paled so rapidly; Marinette was worried he might pass out. He looked between the two of them a few times before scowling harshly. âSheâs not even worth it anyway,â he scoffed before beating a hasty retreat.
Scary Guy growled at his retreating form. He watched him until Smiley Guy sat back down in his seat, only then relaxing his frame and turning to open the overhead compartment. âThank you,â Marinette said loud enough for him to hear.
He grabbed something out of the compartment and sat back down with a shrug. âNo problem. I hate guys like that.â
She studied him carefully. âWere you really going to fight him? On the plane?â
He snickered, instantly returning to the Not so Scary Guy sheâd started to appreciate. âNo. I was just getting up to get this for you,â he said innocently as he handed her the object heâd grabbed. Marinette raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, accompanying a flat, unimpressed look. He shrugged as casually as he could manage, but his devilish smile eradicated any semblance of innocence. âI thought you could use it,â he explained craftily.
She hummed unconvinced but grudgingly dragged her eyes from him to the object. Her eyes widened immediately and shot to him questioningly. He eyed her cautiously for a few seconds. âYou said you were cold,â he explained, his tone and expression much softer. âAnd I thought you wouldnât have to steal it if I handed it over. It might be a bit big,â he added with a quiet smirk when she had unfolded his hoodie and held it up against her body.
âA bit?â she asked with a laugh. Her chuckle quickly turned into a pout at the snicker he unsuccessfully hid when she put on the hoodie and the sleeves hung long past her hands. She rolled her eyes and pushed up the sleeves.Â
âAnd, I wouldnât start a fight on a plane⌠well, not this kind anyway,â he added with a shrug. âIt wouldnât end well for anyone here, especially you. And Iâve found,â he leaned in closer like he was telling her a secret, âguys like that are all bark and no bite. You bark back and they back off.â
She hummed and tried not to breathe in too deeply or sheâd get distracted by his scent.  âIâve found that too. But Iâm a bit smaller than you,â she pursed her lips at seeing the way his body shook containing his laughter. She moved her hand to wave him off, but the excess fabric slung out and slapped him on the chest, which changed his silent laughter to full blown laughter. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to look upset, but her lips didnât receive the message, turning up at the corners.
The more she pouted, the more he laughed, which made her pout more, or at least attempt to, she still couldnât get her lips to cooperate, until they were both trying to contain their laughter to keep from disturbing the people around them. âNo, Iâm sorry. Iâm sorry. Please continue,â he finally gasped out.
She narrowed her eyes at him playfully but obliged. âAs I was saying,â she eyed him pointedly and ignored his smirk, âIâm smaller than you so I have to bark a bit louder.â
âI can imagine thatâs quite the frightening sight,â he nodded solemnly, the trace of a smirk still on his lips.
âIt is, thank you very much,â she agreed, jutting her chin into the air proudly.
He eased back into his seat with a chuckle, his fond gaze never leaving her, but suddenly sat forward. âJust donât try it in Star City, yeah? The rogues are all bite⌠except Pinball Wizard,â he added with a smirk. âHim you can bark at.â
He grinned at her incredulous look. âYeah. Shoots pinballs, you know those little balls from pinball machines? He shoots those at people. Not as sad as Rainbow Archer though,â he said it casually, but watched her from the corner of his eye to watch her reaction.
Marinette blinked at him. âRainbow⌠ArcherâŚâ she said slowly. âCome on, someone named Rainbow canât be sad or mean,â she claimed hopefully. âDoes he shoot rainbows? At them or produce them somehow? Or is he just very supportive of LGBT?â
âI donât think he supports anything but concussions,â he snorted, subconsciously rubbing his bicep. âNot really sure where the name came from, honestly.â
âI want to make fun of your villains, but we had Bubbler, and he was one of the better ones, soâŚâ she shrugged. She grimaced at the memory of Nino.
âNot mine,â he corrected. âIâm just visiting a friend. I visit a lot, itâs like a second home, but I make no claims to their rogues.â He gave her a knowing look.  âOur rogues in Gotham are much more serious.â
Marinette giggled and looked down shyly. She looked up to ask something else but before she could say anything, an announcement came over the speakers that they were making their descent. She smiled softly and him and sat back in her seat as they landed, all her courage suddenly leaving her.
She waited until they had landed and taxied to their gate before her courage found her again. âAny recommendations on things I should do in Star City?â she asked as the seats ahead of them started to empty. She anxiously pushed some hair behind her ear more to give her hands something to do than because it was bothering her. âOther than barking at minor rogues? Or are you only familiar with the criminals?â she teased.
He grinned brightly. âYeah, a few. I could take you around, if youâd like?â
âI would love that,â Marinette grinned. Her eyes suddenly widened. âOh,â she scrambled to get her phone back out. âHere,â she said as she handed it over. She watched as he put his name and number in, examining it even closer when he handed it back. âJason,â she said deliberately, letting the name roll in her mouth, enjoying the way it felt to say. âItâs nice to meet you, Jason. Iâm Marinette.â
âMarinette,â Jason repeated in the same tone, finding it just slightly difficult to fully articulate with a broad smile. âBeautiful name. It suits you,â he said quietly.
Marinetteâs cheeks flushed deeply, and she pulled her lower lip between her teeth, getting lost in his eyes until the person in the seat next to her cleared their throat, reminding them where they were. She chuckled self-consciously. âSorry about that,â she said to the person but returned her attention to Jason.
They continued to shoot each other sly, shy looks as they made their way up the jetway until they got into the airport and past security. They paused just before the doors, squeezing closer than they normally would to avoid the people bustling around them. âSo, tomorrow?â Jason asked. Marinette got slightly distracted by the way his fingers kept gripping and loosening around the strap of his bag, until someone bumped into her, pushing them even closer together, a fact Marinette didnât have as much of an issue with as she normally would.
She grinned at him and nodded, but her grin faltered slightly. âActually, maybe not tomorrow. I expect tomorrow is going to be really busy with⌠the person Iâm meeting.â He cocked his head slightly at the stutter. âThe day after?â she asked hopefully. She moved a step closer when she could feel someone standing a bit too close behind her.
He watched her for a second before nodding, for the first time appearing apprehensive about her. âYeah, if youâre suâŚâ he trailed off, his eyes catching on the person immediately behind Marinette, clearly listening in on their conversation. He narrowed his eyes at him.  âIs that⌠is Jagged Stone eavesdropping on our conversation?â he whisper hissed.
Marinette gasped and swung around, slapping the man in the chest, this time with her hand instead of the sleeve. âJagged! What are you doing?â She slapped him again and looked around for Penny. âWhat have I told you about this? Where is Penny? Why are you here?â
âPenny is talking to Bob in the car and I couldnât just not meet my little rocker!â he pouted dramatically.
âOh my God,â Jason mumbled. âThatâs why the album was special to you!â he exclaimed pointing at her.
Marinette grimaced and smiled sheepishly. âI may have a slightly closer relationship with Rock Giant than I indicated,â she admitted, not quite able to meet his eyes.
When she finally did, her muscles relaxed instantly at seeing the awe in his eyes. âYou did the cover art! That was brilliant! Youâre brilliant.â
Her smile widened, matching his. Their gazes met, getting lost in each other until they were interrupted by a loud, âOi! Iâm still here you know!â
Marinette tore her eyes away guiltily. âSorry, Jagged. Jagged, this is Jason. Jason, this is Jagged.â
Jagged held his hand out to shake Jasonâs but refused to let him go when they finished. Instead, he pulled him closer and looked him up and down uncharacteristically harshly before nodding and turning to Marinette. âSo tomorrow, Iâm thinking we should meet in the morning then,â his eyes flicked to Jason so quickly Marinette almost missed it, âyou should take a bit of time to explore the city, get some inspiration, get some food, get some kissesâŚâ
âJagged!â Marinette exclaimed, scandalized. âOh my God,â she muttered and hid her face in her sleeves. She shot Jason a timid smile as she shoved Jagged toward the exit. âTomorrow?â
He chuckled and nodded. âTomorrow,â he agreed. âText me when youâre done.â She shot him a smile and nodded. He shook his head as she passed through the doors, arguing with Jagged who was gesturing wildly, the entire way. He followed them out the door as well, shivering when the cool night air hit his skin. He started to reach for his hoodie before realization hit. He looked after the limo that was pulling away and shook his head incredulously with a laugh. That was one hoodie he didnât mind never getting back.
The invasion of the Leagueâs headquarters quickly made Raâs reconsider the security and loyalty of his men, Raâs quickly worked to fix that issueâŚeven if it meant killing every person who showed even the slightest bit of uncertainty.
As for Jason, after being dipped into the Lazarus Pit, he was put to work, being given his first solo mission in a long while.
âMeet Damian.â Talia introduced, Jason simply looking at the 7 year old boy staring back at him. Â
He had seen the boy a few times, having always been ushered away whenever Damian would want to use the library or training grounds for his own. He was never allowed to interact with the boyâŚnot that he would have cared if it werenât for the reactions the others would have around them.
He would hear the murmurs and whispers that would follow when instructors would look at Damian and then at him. Stares that judged and compared Jason to Raâs grandsonâŚ
Something was up, but he didnât dare to try and figure it out. After all, he didnât want to die again.
âI donât trust him.â Damian told his mother as he started to fumble with the handle of his newly gifted dagger.
âDamian.â Talia warned, turning back to Jason. âFor your next assignment, you are in charge of my sonâs safety.â
âSafety?â Jason dared to ask, earning a glare from Raâs.Â
âYou will be escorting him to his fatherâs place.â Talia finished, watching as Damian looked at her wide eyed.
His father?
âWe will be providing transport up until you get to Gotham.â At that name, Jason felt his mind muddle. âFrom there on, you will go to this address. That is where you will find Damianâs father.â
Jason accepted the package Talia handed him, which judging by its weight, was probably filled with a letter and some currency.Â
âUpon arriving there, you will keep a close eye on him until Talia or I come back to get him.â Raâs clarified.
âUnderstood.â Jason said, accepting the assignment with no further questions, knowing what would happen should he ask any other question.
âYou leave in an hour.â With that, Jason left to prepare to head to Gotham, with an odd feeling looming over his head and heart.
âCan you put your phone away, please?â Bruce chided Jason, his voice sounding slightly tinny over the coms. âItâs rude. At least pretend to pay attention to the gala and the people here.â
âThere is absolutely nothing going on in the gala thatâs worth paying attention to,â he grumbled without looking up to acknowledge him as he continued to type, not that there was anyone there to acknowledge anyway.
âAre you kidding me?â Stephanie trilled, excitement bursting through her tone and Jasonâs ear drum. âSelena and Vikki and Oliver are all here tonight. And none of them are the one Bruce brought.â Jason snorted and went back to typing with renewed vigor.
âI can hear you,â Bruce cut in. His exasperation even this early in the evening came through clearly.
âShe knows,â Tim answered for her. âShe just doesnât care.â
âOoohhh, is that Pixie?â she asked, trying to peek around Jasonâs shoulder to see what he was typing.
He raised his elbow quickly, almost clocking her on the chin as he did. She had to dodge hastily to avoid getting hit. âMaybe,â he grunted.
Instead of scowling at him, her smile widened. âSay âhiâ for me!â
âFuck off,â he scowled.
âYou didnât invite her to the gala?â Bruce asked.
âNo?â he scoffed. He desperately wanted to flip him off, but there were far too many people between the two of them and Alfred would be disappointed when he found out. And he would find out. He always did.
âWhy not? I thought we were going to get to meet her tonight,â Dick pouted. Jason could feel the hopeful look heâd worn at the mention of Pixie turn to a disheartened frown from across the room.
âBecause then youâd meet her tonight,â he responded flatly, giving his brother the deadest of deadpan looks to go with it.
âSo, when are we going to meet your girlfriend?â Dick asked. The hopeful edge appearing back in his gaze.
âNever if I have my choice,â he scoffed.
âProbably better that way,â Tim teased with a playful smirk. âLess likely to get attacked in our sleep by some insane assassin that way.â
âI wouldnât count on it,â Jason growled. He turned toward where he knew Tim was stationed with Kon and Cassie on the other side of the ballroom to glare at him. âMaybe this is exactly why I donât want you guys to meet her.â
âOkay, less chatter, more focus on the gala,â Bruce instructed sternly. âTim, stop antagonizing Jason. Everyone, keep an eye out for anything suspicious and announce it on the coms if you find anything, but donât forget this is for the Foundation. If tonight goes well, we might be able to open a new clinic, so be charming⌠Jason,â he added at the end pointedly.
âKeep your shorts on,â he scoffed. âIâm here arenât I? And not cursing out anyone⌠outside of the family.â
âAnd Iâm proud of you for that,â Bruce agreed. Jason almost flinched when his voice reached him in person instead of over the coms. âCome greet guests with me.â
Jason threw his head back with a deep groan. âWhy am I being punished for behaving?â
Bruce rolled his eyes. âYouâre not. Youâre being rewarded.â
âThis does not feel like a reward,â he scoffed, but followed behind him, plastering on a smile as he went.
âI think I see Marinette,â Bruce said consolingly. âYou like her well enough, donât you?â
Jason studied him for a second before shrugging noncommittally. âMaybe,â Jason huffed loudly, but his eyes darted around looking for her behind Bruceâs back, âsheâs okay.â
He spotted her just before Bruce called out for her. She looked stunning, which was no great surprise. She stood out so strikingly, he was shocked he had missed her until then. She was dressed in a floor-length red dress that skirted the line between sweet and sexy. But, it wasnât a bright, ladybug red. No, it was a deeper, bloodier, Red Hood red. Her silky hair cascaded down her exposed back, swaying slightly with each minute movement. But it was when she turned around that truly took his breath away. Her eyes glowed as reflections of the galaâs ambient lights flickered in them. Her smile seemed to make the carefully calculated lighting significantly brighter.
âM. Wayne,â she greeted him cheerily, a markedly different greeting than the serious or fake or sultry greetings other attendees had used. âThank you for inviting me.â
Bruce raised his eyebrow almost imperceptibly. To anyone not as familiar with him as Jason, or Marinette, they would have missed it and been taken in by the wide, fake smile. He took her hand and bowed slightly. âWe couldnât have a party without you. You make all of our events that much brighter by your smile,â he crooned so over the top, Marinette almost choked out a laugh. âWouldnât you agree, Jason?â
âMaybe,â Jason shrugged, but his eyes bored into Marinette.
Marinette raised an eyebrow at Jason but smiled for Bruce. âThank you, M. WayneâŚâ
âBruce please,â he chided. His charming persona on full blast. Jason was just about ready to slap his overly familiar hands that were still holding Marinetteâs hand like he might kiss her knuckles again, away from Marinette.
âBruce,â Marinette responded obligingly. âIt really is a beautiful event.â
âThank you,â he nodded slightly with an easy smile and finally let go of her hand. âNothing to do with me, I assure you. But a great networking opportunity for you soâŚâ he made a shooing motion toward the crowd.
Marinette chuckled and nodded back. âM⌠Bruce. Jason,â she acknowledged enchantingly and disappeared into the crowd.
Or at least she tried. Jasonâs eyes followed her around the room, never leaving her for too long. She was easy enough to find, her red dress standing out against the rest of the attendees, but even if it hadnât, he still would have been able to find her. He always could. He watched her walk from person to person, anxiety flickering in her eyes for a few moments before meeting each new person. But she would invariably square her shoulders and march into battle.
He looked away before she could catch him staring like one of the lecherous old men who had been ogling her since she walked into the room. Â It took several blinks and a shake of his head before he could focus. Â It took longer than he would care to admit to tune back into the conversation he was supposed to be having with whoever Bruce had brought him to speak with. Â His eyes found Marinette instead. Â He sneered when he laid eyes on yet another lecher leering at Marinette.
His sneer eased into an appreciative gaze as he watched her chat animatedly with Kon and Cassie. Her arms were flying out as she explained something, probably very simple, not remotely requiring so much expression, except that it was Marinette, so it would have been strange if she didnât explain like that. Cassie said something and Marinette threw her head back in a full body laugh that was so out of place in a high class, elegant gala, but was so very Marinette, that Jasonâs resolve completely melted.
He stopped pretending to pay attention to the conversation he was supposed to be in when Marinette waved goodbye to Cassie and Kon and made her way in his direction, pointedly not looking at Jason. Her hips swayed as she moved, not overtly, just enough to make his mind race, which, granted, didnât require much⌠or anything really when it came to her. Just seeing her eyes was enough. Or her smile. Or hearing her laugh. Or⌠anything really. And the occasional looks she would shoot him throughout the night, over her shoulder or under her lashes, only lasting a few milliseconds, nothing long enough for anyone else to notice, almost did him in.
He fought reacting when he felt a light touch brushing along his shoulder as a body passed behind him. It was even harder when her breath tickled his ear. âNot very subtle,â she cooed quietly enough only he could hear her words, but they hit him like a sledgehammer, driving the air out of his lungs.
A growl worked up from his chest and he spun quickly enough he was surprised his neck didnât crack. He shot his hand out to grab her arm before she could get away. âWould you do me the honor of a dance, Ms. Dupain Cheng,â he prompted louder than strictly necessary.
She raised an amused eyebrow at him and had to purse her lips to keep from smirking. âOf course.â
He wound through the crowd until they were in the middle of dance floor and pulled her closer than propriety allowed as the music started. They moved in sync, as though they were one entity. He relished the feeling of her against him; the heat against him, the way her soft body almost melded to his, the delicate tenderness of the bare skin of her back under his fingertips, the intoxicating fragrance of her perfume. He brushed his face along her hairline, his lips lingering against her skin.
Marinette couldnât help the small gasp that passed her lips. âCareful, M. Todd. Weâre in public.â
He looked around as if only just seeing the people filling the ballroom. His eyes widened in faux surprise. âOh! That explains all the people.â
Her eyes were rolling before she even realized it, but quickly settled into a flat look. âYour family is here.â
He made a show of looking around, without allowing his eyes to settle on anything. âI donât see them.â
She snorted inelegantly but covered it in his chest. She glanced around quickly before returning her curious gaze to him. âJason?â Her voice was soft, cautious. He hummed in response. âWhat are you doing?â
He traced the edge of her face lightly, his fingertips barely touching her skin, but still making enough contact to singe her, until his finger rested under her chin. âI would have thought that was rather obvious. I thought I was making it clear to the entire room.â
Her jaw dropped just enough for her lips to part slightly, drawing his eyes with so much force, he was incapable of looking away from her Red Hood colored lips. âYou sure about this?â she asked quietly.
He tightened his grip around her waist almost imperceptibly. âPositive,â he whispered as he leaned down to finally connect their lips in front of witnesses for the first time. They met in a soft kiss, that looked so intimate, so reverent, it felt like a sin to watch.
She stopped dancing to pull back and glance in his eyes. âWhat made you change your mind?â She whispered.
âMaybe Iâm tired of hiding,â he commented lightly and if she hadnât known him better, she might have fallen for the offhanded delivery as he started them moving again. âMaybe, I want to love you out in the open. Freely. In the light. Maybe Iâm done letting how other people will react affect how we love each other. Maybe I realized you were right and I want this unconditionally too.â He swept his hand over the back of her head and down her hair, letting the soft tendrils slip through his fingers. âMaybe Iâm done pretending and maybe you mean more to me. Maybe,â he took a breath and met her eyes with a soft but determined look, âmaybe I love you too much.â
He pushed her against himself so there was no space between them. The soft look in his eyes turned deeper as he licked his lips. âMaybe I want to kiss you anywhere, everywhere⌠public, private, on your bodyâŚâ
âWhat the fuck am I hearing right now?â Tim whisper hissed, drawing the attention of the people around him, negating the purpose of whispering in the first place. He offered them a tight smile and pulled Kon closer to him, trying to play it off as speaking to him.
âOh my God, sheâs Pixie!â Stephanie exclaimed excitedly, almost vibrating with excitement, not remotely caring about the stares she was garnering.
âFirst off, congratulations you two. Weâre very happy for you both,â Dick cut in loudly. âSecond, turn off your coms for conversations like this,â he begged.
âIgnore him, feel free to keep them on. Iâm invested now,â Stephanie cheered. âI just need popcorn.â
Dickâs frustrated groan could be heard over the coms, even louder than Marinetteâs embarrassed squeak. âThird, how the fuck long has this been going on?â
ââSheâs okay?ââ Bruce asked, repeating Jasonâs words from earlier, his voice mocking but light, an undertone of amusement clear.
âMaybe sheâs a bit better than okay,â Jason conceded with a sigh.
âMaybe?â Marinette asked, her eyebrow and lips raised in bemusement.
Jason gently ran his fingers through her hair again as though he were smoothing it down, but in reality, using the feeling to ground him. His touch was soft and light, almost reverent in his delicacy. âMaybe every time Iâve said âmaybeâ tonight I meant âdefinitelyâ,â he said softly.
Marinetteâs smile brightened so much, she seemed to emit light. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, almost incandescent in their beauty. âMaybe I love you too,â she whispered.
His lips widened into a sappy smirk. He leaned down until his lips were millimeters from hers. âMaybe?â
âDefinitely,â she amended, rising up to close the distance.
are these going to be dailyâŚfor now, yeah cuz, why not? :D
P. Tag: @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @elijahcrevan
Tag: @hammalammadamdam
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Jason burst through the office with bloodied knuckles, Raâs watching the child glare at him as if he had just murdered his best friendâŚwhich was not that far from it.
âWhereâs Marinette?â He growled, quickly turning to knock down another guard.
âMarinette?â Raâs asked back, testing the waters.Â
âYes, Marinette. Wang Fuâs-â
âAh yes, the guardian girl.âÂ
âWhere is she?â Jason growled, although he fully knew where she was.
But to know of her whereabouts while at the dining hall of all places? At breakfast, of all times? They were just together just a few hours ago!Â
They were talking about wanting to go to Paris together!
âI sent her on aâŚpersonal mission.â Raâs easily provided, showing Jason a file on his table. Upon picking it up and scanning the case, Jasonâs heart plummeted. âA simple retrieval miss-â
âMore like a suicide mission!â Jason slammed his hands on the desk. âYou know Savage canât be followed! He kills anyone who even dares to!
âAll she has to do is follow the man and take-â
âHe is going to kill her.â He gritted, crumbling the file as he curled his fists.
âOnly if she lets herself get caught by him.â Raâs calmly said. âUnlessâŚyou donât think sheâll make it out alive.â Jason let out a shuddering breath.
âThis isnât about whether or not she can. Itâs the fact-â
âJason.â Jason froze, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise. âI suggest you choose your next words wisely.â Jason felt as Raâs circled from around his desk to his side, feeling him awfully close to his ear. âAfter all, this is all your fault.â
âWhat do-â
âDid you really think I wouldnât find out about your little encounters with her? That I wouldnât know about every little thing that happens under my roof? Under my watch?â
Jason swore he felt his heart stop. âI told Marinette I was willing to turn a blind eye if she did this for me and as you can see, she took the deal. So if I were you,â Raâs made Jason turn to him by grabbing hold of his hair. âI wouldnât do anything rash until she came back.
After all, it would not take much to make this mission to be her cause of death.â
Jason almost hit the desk once Raâs let go of him, listening to his retreating footsteps and the slam of a door.Â
Jason slid to the floor, mustering the courage he needed to keep his tears in, which ended up in vain as one found itself falling, followed by various more a few seconds later.Â
P. Tag: @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @elijahcrevan
Tag: @hammalammadamdam
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A week passed since Wang Fu left his beloved pupil, Marinette, behind. A week where the girl, with the purest heart Jason had ever seen, had turned into a feral creature of pure hatred.
âAre you here to pity me as well?â Marinette growled, Jason simply staring at her as he closed her bedroom door behind him.
After Fu left, she didnât allow anyone to go near her except those who were there to treat her wounds from that spar days ago.Â
He shook his head.
âSo why are you here?â Jason gestured to the tray of food he had brought in.
âItâs lunch.â He placed it on her nightstand, only then noticing the picture frame that stood there. âAre theyâŚare they your parents?â He dared to ask as he looked at the happy couple that stared back at him. An asian mother and european fatherâŚshe greatly resembled them bothâŚ
Guess something happened to them that made Marinette end up with FuâŚnot like he had the guts to even ask her.
He watched as Marinette sprinted to the nightstand and held the picture frame close to her chest, glaring at Jason. âIâm guessing they areâŚmust have been nice to have caring parents like them.â He watched as her shoulders slightly lowered. âMy parentsâŚwell, letâs just say they werenât the bestâŚwhich is odd for me to remember them and not the person who cared for me afterwards.â
âAs in⌠Raâs?â Jason gave her a dry laugh.Â
âRaâsâŚRaâs brought me back to life.â Jason felt his nails dig into his palms. âBut he wasnât the one who cared for me after my parents died and left me on the streets of Gotham. The one who took me inâŚâ Jason sighed. âIâŚI donât remember what he looked like nor what he sounded like. All I knew was that he was like a father to meâŚmuch like Fu was family to you.â
Marinette lowered the photo frame, placing it gently back onto the nightstand.
âYou-you were there?â
âRaâs had sent me to check on his guests.â He easily lied. âWhen I got to the infirmary, I only managed to see Fu leaving the place, which I found odd. If I hadnât decided to walk in and check on youâŚâ
Marinette turned her head in shame, suppressing a wail. âWho else was there?â
âJust me.â Jason said, sitting on the edge of her bed. âAnd donât worry about- you knowâŚâ
âI donât think Iâll ever have the guts to do that again.â Marinette confessed, wiping away the tears that had managed to slip, trying her best to get rid of the memories flooding into her head.Â
The feeling of her throat narrowing onto itself⌠The way the chords felt around her neck as she kept pulling them tighterâŚ
âSo⌠whatâs your name?â She asked, hoping it would lead to a distraction from the scene playing on loop in her mind.Â
Of her attempt to leave this placeâŚpermanentlyâŚ
âMy name?âÂ
âWell, if Iâm going to stay here for the rest of my time, I might as well know the name of my first acquaintance.âÂ
âMaking friends here is dangerous.â Jason warned, though he couldnât help but feel hopeful at the thought of finally having a friend in this damned hell hole.Â
âBut youâre not like the rest, even when you beat me in front of the others.â
âI-â
âYou were pulling your punches.â Marinette cut off with a knowing smile.Â
âHow would you know?â
âEven if you ooze of the Lazarus Pit, thereâs still a bit of humanity in your soul. Purity if you would like to call it thatâŚfelt it in thereâŚâ
Jason stood there for a while, finally processing her words as she pointed towards his chest. Towards his heart.Â
âPurity? I like to call it justice.â Jason got closer to Marinette, stretching his hand out towards her. âThe nameâs Jason, by the way. What about you?â He asked, even if he already knew her name.Â
âMarinette.â She answered, shaking his hand. She heard something hum in the back of her head.
âThis is well overdue, but welcome to the League of Assassins, Marinette.â
âIâve already taught her everything she needs to know about the Miraculi.â Jason snapped his attention from his books to Raâs guestâs voice. When did they get here? âBut combatâŚI could only think of you to train herâŚBrother.â This was where Jason finally raised his head to look at the guests for the first time since he heard they had arrived.Â
Or at least, one of them.Â
The shorter of the two men had to be his mentorâs guest, if judging by the blue monk-like attire he had on under his red shawl.
Ever since Raâs announced some important guests coming to visit a week ago, the entire place was made to make the place presentable and moreâŚcomfortable.Â
More fauna was added around the place, more shrubbery and small nooks of rest scattered the place. Although Jason wasnât fond of the new flowers added to the barracks, he found out he quite enjoyed the little spot he found near his room.Â
A nice zen place with just a few shrubs and a boulder whose view was that of the ocean.Â
As for the odd choice of decor, Jason found himself hating the choice of reds and gold accenting the Leagueâs monochrome scheme. Not to mention the motif of the zodiac constantly present at the banquet hall and every hall he walked. Â
Aside from that, much didnât change in Jasonâs routine, though he didnât fail to notice the way Raâs began to act.Â
He was stricter with the League members, gave Talia more work to do, nitpicked at every little thing - it was starting to get on Jasonâs nerves.Â
Maybe it was because Raâs was constantly reminding him to be practically invisible once the guests came. Or rather, to never talk to their guests unless asked.Â
Marinette could proudly say she managed to stumble into the manorâs breakfast room without bumping into any walls on her journey. Just barely. There were several close calls, several stunted stops just before collision, but the important point is that there were no actual collisions along the long path from the bedroom wing. Even at that ungodly hour of the morning, she was deft enough to avoid large, sedentary objects, a feat she often had issues with when she was fully awake.
She rubbed her arms vigorously, or as vigorously as she could manage so early. Her tank top and sleep shorts were perfect for her apartment with a terrible AC that barely managed to keep the heat of the day away, but was nowhere near enough for the mansion. She definitely should have prepared better. She was going to have to keep a few warmer changes of clothing in the manor for her sporadic sleepovers after long missions. None of which helped her at that particular moment she grumbled to herself as she rubbed her arms harder before pushing her hair, still total disarray from sleep, out of her eyes.
She searched around for any evidence of something to wake her up; breakfast, tea, coffee, so focused on her mission, she missed Jason sauntering into the room and tripping on the rug as his eyes fell upon her. He snickered and moved further into the room had to fumble to keep the coffee in his cup from spilling over the sides. He stared at her for a few long seconds, letting his gaze take in her movements and atrocious bed head before he grinned at her. âMorning, Pixie.â ven before continuing. âYou look like a disgruntled kitten who got their fur brushed the wrong way.â
She glowered at him; the sharpness of her normally cutting glare dulled from exhaustion. âAt least youâre looking,â she finally yawned with a shrug as she collapsed into a seat at the table. The empty table. It was official, they were awake even before Alfred. It truly was a cursed hour.
âYouâre pretty hard to miss,â he admitted a bit too quietly for her to hear. âCome on, Pixie! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and we get to screw over a rich asshole whoâs hurting kids tonight. Itâs a great day.â
She stared at him incredulously, her eyes finally focusing just to allow it. âWho on Earth pictured you as a morning person. How did that happen? What is wrong with you? Youâre supposed to be a creature of the night. Night. Look at that,â she motioned toward the light streaming in through the open windows on the other side of the room. âItâs not night, you abomination of nature,â she snapped before dropping her head onto her folded arms on the table.
He snorted and grinned at her scowl with a shake of his head as he removed his hoodie. âYouâre just moody because itâs drafty as fuck in here. You spend the night at the manor, you gotta come prepared.â He dropped his hoodie around her shoulders and messed up her hair further before retrieving his coffee. She opened her mouth but before she could get out the scathing reaming he deserved, he presented the coffee immediately in front of her face. âAnd you need caffeine.â
She stared at the cup for a moment as if uncertain it was real. She looked between it and him a few times to make sure she was reading the situation correctly and it wasnât just her hopes making her think he was giving it to her. She grabbed it before he changed his mind, wrapping both hands around it and inhaling the scent. âYou are a miracle. The godsâ gift to mankind.â
âOr pixiekind at least,â he chuckled.
She took a large drink and let out a relieved sigh. Her face relaxed into a contented soft expression. âMy hero. You are invited to be around all my mornings. This is why youâre my favorite.â
He raised an eyebrow with a bemused smile. âI beat Steph?â
Marinetteâs eyes grew wide and after a beat she looked around for her best friend. âMy male favorite,â she added quickly.
He snorted but quickly schooled his expression to mock consideration. âSo⌠I beat Adrien,â he nodded.
She grinned and took another long sip. It was perfect. Exactly the blend she would have gotten for herself. It was like he got it specifically for her. It was like heaven. âYes. You can take that title⌠as long as you continue to provide sustenance and he isnât around.â
Jason huffed out a laugh and shook his head. âIâm just impressed you actually got up and you beat everyone else. That has to be some kind of sign of the apocalypse or something.â
She scowled with a huff. âUnnatural time to be up,â she glowered into her coffee. âI refuse to believe Mr. âI am the Nightâ is up at this hour of theâŚâ
âGood youâre up,â Bruce boomed as he strutted in. âWe have a lot to go over before tonight.â
âOh, come on!â she exclaimed. Her arms were thrown out in disbelief before she even realized it, almost spilling her coffee. She carefully set down her coffee and eyed Bruce analytically, taking note that as soon as he entered the room, Alfred magically appeared with a tray of food. âI refuse to believe this is normal.â
âItâs not,â Alfred assured her. âWaking him before the crack of eleven is a dangerous endeavor for anyone.â He set down the tray and served the food as he continued. âI believe that speaks to the import of tonightâs mission that he awoke so early.â
âThank you, Alfred,â Bruce acknowledged through pursed lips.  âWeâre just missing Tim and Stephanie. Marinette, do you know where Stephanie is?â
âStill sleeping,â she grumbled, jealousy clear in her voice if not in the way she aggressively speared her eggs.
âBitch,â Tim managed to grumble through a yawn as he stumbled into the room. He stopped to stare at the cup in front of Marinette and quickly searched the room for more. He managed to keep his panic in check to ask, âWhereâd you get the coffee?â
She looked around and noticed Alfred had brought in food and orange juice but no coffee. âJason,â she shrugged.
Tim looked at Jason expectantly. He rolled his eyes and looked away. âI only brought the one cup,â he grumbled.
Tim blinked. His eyes slid over to Marinette happily sipping her coffee and back to Jason. âYou only bought one cup?â he asked, a knowing, taunting edge to his voice.
âYes,â Jason gritted out through clenched teeth.
The shoulder check he delivered on his way to sit next to Marinette only caused Timâs smile to widen, all evidence of drowsiness in his eyes eradicated in favor of a delighted glint. âNo, no. Iâm just trying to figure out if you bought that planning to give it to her or if it was supposed to be for you, but you took one look at her and gave it up instantly.â
âShut it duck boy,â he hissed just loud enough for Tim to hear.
Tim tutted at him, his smile wider than when Damian accidentally smacked himself in the head with an escrima stick during practice. âStealing Harleyâs lines now, wow, youâre really in deep, huh?â
Jason turned on him with a warning glare but before he could whisper any threats, Bruce interrupted. âOkay, letâs get started without Stephanie. Jason, you can catch her up. Sheâll be on guard on the opposite side of the building from you. OkayâŚâ
><><><><><><><><Â
âI have control of the security feed and alarms, but they have a man stationed at the top of the stairs, blocking the way. He isnât paying close attention, but enough we canât get in,â Red Robin reported over the coms.
âWe need a distraction,â Bruce said quietly, moving his lips as little as possible in case anyone was watching. âAnyone got a plan?â
âOh God, I might blind myself if I have to witness Brucie tonight,â Red Hood groaned.
âI believe thatâs my cue,â Marinette chimed in.
âLet me know if you need help with that,â Red Hood offered. He was already searching for things he could blow up or set on fire.
âYou think I don't know how to make a scene?â she asked carefully. There was a sharp edge to her voice, a warning as much as an inquiry.
âWe need people to look at you instead of the office,â Red Hood elaborated, like explaining why you wash the dishes to a toddler.Â
Marinette froze and lifted her eyes up to where Jason was positioned, willing him to appear at the skylight so she could appropriately glare at him. âYou think I donât know how to make people look at me?â
âOoooohhhh,â Spoiler jeered. She shook her head and took her eyes from her post just enough to toss a pebble, the only projectile available other than her com, at Hood for his stupidity.
Hood whipped his head toward the source of the impact against his helmet and pointed threateningly at Spoiler. âIâm just saying a cute, sweet, little smile isnât exactly scene inducing,â he defended.
âOh,â Spoiler let out, unsure how to respond to that patronizing admission of interest.
âAwww, you think my smile is cute?â Marinette cooed condescendingly. The blasĂŠ, gala-ready smile morphing into a strained, determined uptick of her lips.
âHood, MarinetteâŚâ Bruce started in a warning tone.
âCalm down boys, because I know at least Spoiler has my back here,â Marinette cut in.
âDamn right,â Spoiler agreed.
âDespite what Hood thinks, I know how to make people look at me when I want to.â She continued slightly louder when Hood tried to cut in. ââŚand sweet was the furthest thing from the plan.â She looked around the room for the necessary ingredients to her plan, her eyes settling on a figure in the distance, his arm resting comfortably on a womanâs waist. She grinned as all the pieces slotted themselves into place.
âYou donât wear Versace to not get noticed.â She moved toward the couple with quick, determined steps, and more than a slight sway in her hips as she moved. Her eyes focused intently on her target, not allowing her to notice the way heads around her turned as she passed by. Hood, however, just barely stopped the growl that threatened to escape upon seeing the lecherous looks she was receiving from Gothamâs âeliteâ. âGet ready, Red, Iâm about to make a scene. Four minutes to Go Time,â she spoke lowly but clearly into the coms.
Spoiler followed her line of sight and cackled loudly into the com. âThis is going to be good. I should have brought popcorn.â
She stopped just behind the man, but in clear sight of the woman and firmly tapped the shoulder of the arm around the womanâs waist. âExcuse me, sir, Iâm such a huge fan of yours. Your music makes me feel things I canât describe.â Her voice was breathy and deep in a way the bat boys had heard from many a woman at galas and events, but never from her.  âWould you care to dance?â
âOh my God,â Red Robin whispered in horror when the man turned around.
The man looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow at her. He looked around as if considering his response, his eyes only flicking up to the skylight for a moment before returning to Marinette. His face split into a dangerous smile as he removed his arm from the woman who dropped her jaw in a way more characteristic of a soap opera than a high society gala. The man offered his hand to Marinette. âI would love to dance with someone as lovely as yourself.â
He took her hand and led her to the floor with little more than a huff and glare from the woman. âOoohhh, sorry Pixie, not the scene you were looking for,â Hood cooed in mock sympathy.
âUm⌠this is going to be a waltz,â Red Robin cut in uncertainly. âDo you even know how to dance a waltz?â
âLuckily, that wasnât the scene I was planning. Even luckier for me, waltz is the only ballroom dance I know,â Marinette hissed under her breath.
âYouâre going to distract them⌠with a waltz,â Hood asked. âI never learned ballroom dancing but isnât that like the most boring of all of them?â
âYes,â Red Robin answered instantly. âAnd even if you know it, how do you know he does?â
âIs the plan to bore them to death?â Hood snickered. âBold approach there, Pixie.â
âAre you sure about this, Marinette?â Bruce asked quietly.
âMaybe you boys need to shut the fuck up and have a bit of faith,â Spoiler cut in, her voice harsh and cold. âYou focus on your jobs and let Marinette focus on hers.â After a beat she groaned. âAnd now Iâm the responsible one. This is all your guysâ fault.â
Marinette chuckled and the hostility that had caused her frame to tense eased slightly at her best friendâs words. âMaybe you boys are just doing it wrong,â Marinette singsonged quietly. âOr maybe Iâm just that good.â She waited until she and the man had taken position at the middle of the floor before getting into proper waltz frame and turning her head from the man, the picture of the highly trained ballroom dancer she wasnât. âGet ready Red. Count down to 90 seconds until Iâve distracted them,â she said in barely more than a whisper.
Tim set his watch and watched her out of the corner of his eye for the right moment, still uncertain of her plan. Whatever Stephanie and Marinette said, he had nightmares of learning the waltz and watching it performed at functions throughout his childhood. It was by far one of the worst and most grating parts of his childhood. From what he could see, Marinette was not deviating from his memories. The dance was stiff, structured, and suffocating.
âYou call this a scene?â Hood scoffed after thirty seconds.
âYou call this a dance?â Marinette taunted at almost the same moment.
âMarinette, you cannot just insult Luka freaking Couffaine!â Tim chastised. If she ruined his chance of ever meeting Jagged Stone, his favorite artist and⌠Marinetteâs friend. He narrowed his eyes at the two for a few seconds then rolled them in realization. Heâd been too focused on the mission and up too early that morning to have put the pieces together earlier.
Spoiler chuckled. âShe already tried breaking up his engagement. Whatâs a little⌠provocation?â
âOh, you want to dance,â Luka smirked. A devilish glint shown in his eyes, a look Jason did not appreciate at all.
Marinette grinned fiendishly in response, the glint in her eyes matching his. âI believe thatâs what I asked for,â she agreed.
He slid his hand to the small of her back, splaying his fingers as he moved and jerked her against him. His arms were still rigid and in position, but now wrapped around her. His legs interlaced with hers, their movements almost synced to just miss each other by millimeters. They moved around the floor, twisting and turning quickly and with purpose. The audience split to give them more room both to see them better and to avoid getting hit when she spun.
He spun her out and pulled her back to him, pressing her tight against his body and continuing to spin her with him, moving and contorting as one as they did, but never allowing her space. He spun her within his embrace just enough for her back to be against his chest. They moved slowly as his hands traced her arms lightly but sensually.Â
âThatâs not proper waltz form. Youâre supposed to leave room for Jesus,â Hood growled loudly.
Marinette smirked just slightly before turning back to Luka. She wrapped an arm around his neck and lifted her leg to wrap it over his hip, her dress splitting along the slit to reveal her shapely leg almost up to her hip, allowing him to drag her with him as he walked backwards. His intense gaze never leaving hers as they moved.
Even from the roof, Jason could see the way his hands fisted into her hips and his eyes hungrily soaked her in. âHowâs your helmet doing, Hood,â Spoiler taunted.
He had to shake his head to remember where he was before he could respond. âFine. Why?â
âThought it might be steaming up,â she shrugged. Her voice dripping with perverse pleasure.
âMission accomplished,â Red Robin reported just as the music finished. âIâm out.â
âWrap this up,â Bruce said quietly. âLetâs get out of here before they discover theyâve been robbed. Hood, Spoiler, follow us out.â He made a show of spilling his drink on himself and made excuses to leave.
Marinette let her arms slowly drop to her sides but didnât take a step back from Luka. âThank you, M. Couffaine,â she said sweetly. âI appreciate the⌠personal attention.â
He nodded and traced her jaw lightly.  âAlways glad to appease a⌠fan,â he responded. His voice was thick and sinful.
Marinette brushed a long strand of hair over her shoulder, tapping off the com as she moved so he could see. He leaned closer setting his lips just short of her ear. âSee you at the wedding?â He whispered.
Marinetteâs smile turned genuine as she pulled away just enough to meet his eyes. âWell before, Iâm sure. I still need to do some fittings and plan Zoeâs bachelorette party.â
He sighed in defeat but made a show of grazing her side with his free hand. âNot too wild, please,â he begged.
She slid her hand up his chest slowly just openly enough to appear like she was trying to be secretive without actually being so. âCome on, Iâm not Alya,â she teased.
âAnd donât think I donât appreciate that,â he answered seriously.
âBut fair warning, Steph is helping me plan,â she added with a teasing tone.
He groaned loudly and dropped his forehead to hers. âWell, thanks for the warning anyway.â
She giggled and straightened his tie before meeting his eyes through her lashes. âOf course. And thank Zoe for playing the offended fiancĂŠ. Brilliant as always.â
âOh, I guarantee sheâll be laughing all night,â he snickered. âI think this made our month.â
Marinette nodded slightly and brushed her hair behind her ear again to tap on her com. âLater, M. Couffaine,â she said seductively but loudly enough to be heard by evesdroppers.
He nodded lightly before turning and disappearing into the crowd. âExiting now,â she said quietly. âOh, and Hood? Bet, I made you look,â she crowed before turning her com off.
Hood sputtered a few times, unable to find words for a retort until she had already left the building. âI was looking before,â he grumbled to himself. âAnd I was definitely lied to about the waltz.â
><><><><><><><><Â
Marinette made her way through the manor, freshly washed and back in her street clothes, which was ridiculous really since she was just going to go home and climb into bed after her extremely long day. Maybe not even change, because sheâd added Jasonâs hoodie before heading out the bedroom door and it was comfortable enough that she could happily sleep in it. The scent and warmth would actually help her sleep better than her regular pajamas, certainly better than she had the night before.
She almost screamed when a door opened just as she was passing it, but smiled when she met Jasonâs wide eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before chuckling awkwardly and continuing down the hallway. He fell in step with her, hands casually slung in his pockets. They had passed several more doors before he finally spoke up. âNot staying over tonight?â
âNo. Not tonight,â she shrugged. âIâm ready to get out of here.â
Jason nodded absently. âRight.â He walked silently with her for a few steps before speaking up again, as casually as he could manage. âNeed to get to your meeting?â
âMeeting?â she asked, her head quirked to the side and an eyebrow raised.
âWith M. Couffaine,â he elaborated. He tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone when he said that manâs name, but he wasnât entirely sure he was successful based on the side eye Marinette was giving him.
Both eyebrows raised almost to her hairline at his question. She had to fight desperately with herself not to fall on the floor cackling at his expression. She managed to limit it to just an amused smirk. âWith Luka? No, not tonight. I donât meet him until next weekâŚâ she paused to let that set in. She knew she shouldnât get as much enjoyment out of his dejected reaction as she did, but⌠she did. If he wasnât going to make a move, he really had no justification for being upset if someone else did. She let herself enjoy it for a moment before putting him out of his misery. Afterall, she hadnât made a move either. She met his eyes for just a moment when he glanced over at her and straight ahead again. â⌠for his fitting,â she finished.
Jason whipped his head back to look at her so hard, she was surprised he didnât pop any joints in his neck. âHis⌠fitting?â he asked, all bitterness gone from his tone and a bit of hope edging in.
âFor his wedding suit,â she smirked. âHowâs your neck?â
He rubbed his neck, his eyes still glued to hers. âFine. You know him?â
âOh, good. Thought it might have gotten hurt doing that double take,â she nodded indulgently and continued making her way toward the exit, looking as innocent as she could with a devilish smile. âFor almost a decade actually. We met when we were like 14. Both of them, him and Zoe, his fiancĂŠ. Iâm maid of honor at the wedding. I introduced them.â
He fell out of step with her, frozen in shock. She had played him, the entire room, like a master. She had made it almost out of the hallway before he finally barked out a laugh. He jogged to catch up with her and slung his arm over her shoulder. âCome on, Pixie. Iâll drive you home. Unless your buddy is giving you a ride.â
âIt was Steph, actually,â she corrected.
âSteph, really? Thatâs not safe,â he scoffed dramatically. âIâll take you,â he offered in seeming nonchalance. He preened when he noticed she had nuzzled further into his embrace seemingly without even noticing.
Marinette snorted. Â âIt wonât be safe for you when I tell her you said that,â she warned, but didnât make a move to head toward the kitchen to meet Stephanie like theyâd planned.
He gazed at her out of the side of his eye and tightened his grip on her. âOr maybe it isnât about your safety,â he admitted quietly. âMaybe you were right. Maybe I want to look a bit longer and you just make me want to look.â
Her heart rate jumped and her breath stuttered. This was quickly moving into uncharted territory. They flirted. They skirted the edges of serious, but theyâd never breeched the boundaries. She needed to get back into their normal territory before her heart imploded from anxiety. âEven with my ratty old hoodie on?â she quipped.
âMy hoodie,â he corrected. âAnd itâs worn in, not ârattyâ.â
Marinette was barely able to raise her eyes to meet his to tease him. âAgree to disagree.â
âI can take it back ifâŚâ he started to reach for the zipper.
Marinette dodged his hands and wrapped her arms around her waist to secure the hoodie to her body.  âRatty but warm.â She met his eyes as she walked backward, not noticing she was headed toward a wall until she hit it.
âUh huh.â He stalked slowly toward her. âFor the record, you always made me look; whether youâre dressed up in a dress that costs more than the entire Narrows combined, or in sweats working out, or taking out a rogue in one of your magic suits, or jeans and a tee sketching on the couch when youâre totally lost to everyone and everything, your eyes twinkling with inspiration.â
 He stopped a step away from her, so close she had to crane her neck to continue eye contact. âOr even when youâre in my hoodie.â He smoothed the fabric over her shoulders and down her arms and back up, his hands lingering at her hood, right by her neck, no longer pretending they were only there to adjust the hoodie.  âActually, especially in my hoodie. And you in my hoodie in the morning when your hairâs a mess and youâre completely unguarded? Itâs the hottest thing Iâve ever seâŚâ
His sentence was cut off by her soft lips colliding with his. He froze for less than a millisecond before his body reacted, acting before his mind caught up with what was happening. One hand wound around her neck to hold her lips in place while the other worked their way down to her hip and pulled her tight against him. His mind caught up just in time to hear her whimper quietly, driving his mind into hyperdrive and heightening every sensation.
He tightened his grip on her to feel more of her against him at the same time she pushed up to deepen the kiss, causing him to groan this time, which seemed to encourage her to let her hands roam his neck and chest, causing him to groan louder. The groan almost turned into a growl when she lowered down and broke contact, both breathing hard.
She took a moment to catch her breath before looking up to meet his eyes through her lashes. âI wasnât sure you were actually looking,â she said breathlessly. âI hoped, butâŚâ
âOh, Pixie,â he cupped her face and gently stroked her cheek, âIâve been watching since you stormed into the Justice League meeting room in the middle of one of Bâs speeches and started yelling at him to back the fuck off and stick to his own narrow-minded lane.â
Marinette buried a snort in his chest. âI donât think thatâs exactly what I said,â she muttered against his pectoral, not quite ready to show her face.
âNo, Iâm pretty sure it was,â he snickered. He pulled back from her and ducked slightly to meet her eyes. âHavenât been able to stop looking since. Iâm too afraid to look away, because everything with you is too important to miss.â
She grinned up at him. âThen maybe you should take a closer look,â she murmured as she guided his lips back to hers.
Marinette observed the people jostling around her and Emma in barely contained chaos. If this was the size of the crowd this early, then paying for early admission to the Magic Kingdom was definitely worth it. It might be a bit insane at the moment, but she couldnât imagine now much worse the chaos was going to get in half an hour.
A joyous cheer rose up through the crowd when they finally opened the gates and started scanning cards. Marinette giggled at the loud whoop Emma let out, not really sure why everyone was cheering, but excited to join in the ruckus. She kept a tight grasp on Emmaâs hand as they made their way through the gates and onto Mainstreet, which was rather unnecessary since Emma had a vice grip on her hand so she could drag them down the street toward Cinderellaâs castle.
Marinette heaved a bemused sigh as she focused on keeping them from either tripping or bumping into anyone, but she almost fell when Emma suddenly stopped and yanked her hand toward herself to get Marinetteâs attention. âMaman! Maman! Look! He has a Thomas OâMalley shirt, Maman. Maman, it matches ours!â
Marinette looked over in the direction Emma was pointing, toward the man leisurely strolling next to them, his hands resting casually in his pockets, clearly in no rush, unlike the people bustling around them. Her eyes caught on the shirt stretched across his chest. She had to force herself to focus on the cat design on the shirt rather than the way his arms and chest bulged under the fabric.
After an inappropriately long period of time, she lightly cleared her throat and turned back to Emma with a smile. âHe does. Good observation, kitten,â she praised and tried to encourage her to move forward, but Emma had other ideas.
Instead, she pulled Marinette toward the man and slowed down to match his pace. âHey Mister! I really like your shirt. It matches mine!â She held out her Marie shirt for him to see. âDo you like Aristocats too?â
He blinked in surprise but grinned down at her. âI do. It was the first Disney movie I ever saw. Did you know itâs based on a real family of cats in Paris that inherited a butt⌠uhhâŚâ he shot a Marinette an apologetic grimace, âbunch of money?â he recovered quickly.
Emma gasped, her eyes wide in wonder, missing Marinetteâs snort at his lapse. âIt is? Thatâs so cool. What happened to them? Can we visit them when we go home, Maman?â She jumped up and down in front of Marinette as she begged.
Marinette raised an eyebrow at her, but her lips quirked up in amusement. âNew York is our home now, kitten. Remember?â
Emma deflated instantly. âOh, right.â She looked down with a dramatic pout for just a second before looking back up, eyes bright again. âBut what about when we visit Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Alya and Uncle Nino andâŚâ
Marinette chuckled and ran her finger along her jaw affectionately before bopping her nose. âSorry, kitten. I donât think we can. That was a long time ago, before even Maman was born. I donât think we can visit them anymore.â
âOh,â Emma pouted to the ground for a few seconds but soon turned back to the man with wide eyes. âDo you watch it a lot? Itâs my favorite movie. Whoâs your favorite character?â
âOh, thatâs hard,â he crossed his arms over his chest and stroked his chin as he pretended to think about it. Marinette had to force her attention forward rather than the way that move accentuated his biceps.  ââŚbut I think I like Thomas OâMalley.â
âAbraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey,â Emma sang as loud as she could. âThomas OâMalley, OâMalley the alley cat.â
He chuckled and smiled warmly at her, keeping his focus entirely on her and Marinette even as he shoved another man with black hair and blue eyes, who had been drawn over by Emmaâs singing, ahead of them. âGood memory. Whoâs your favorite?â
âMarie,â she answered instantly as she motioned to her shirt again. âI want to get a Marie stuffie while Iâm here. Maman likes the mommy cat, see?â She pulled at Marinetteâs shirt.
The man looked Marinette up and down once, eyes lingering on the cat on her shirt before realizing he was staring at her chest. âSorry,â he chuckled and looked away quickly, a blush just dusting his cheeks. âSheâs a good character too. Strong and supportive. A good mom,â he looked over at her kindly.
She smiled back at him and opened her mouth but before she could respond she was cut off by someone calling toward them. âJaybird! Whereâd you go?â
The man groaned and shook his head. âSorry. My family. Big kids, the lot of them, except the kid, which is a problem actually.â He flashed them a brilliant smile. âHave fun, yeah?â
âCome on, Jay! We have to get to the Seven Dwarfs Mine ride before it gets too long!â one of them called.
He threw his head back with a groan. âMore than Iâm going to have.â
Marinette giggled and squeezed Emmaâs hand to get her to meet her eyes and laugh too. âGood luck. Maybe weâll see you around.â
He smiled back with a nod but before he could answer, another man grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him back toward the family with a small smile and nod to Marinette and Emma.
Marinette snorted out a laugh at the Aristocats fanâs expression but waved. She watched his back for just a moment before looking back at Emma with a grin. âReady, kitten?â
âYeah! Come on, Maman!â She had pulled Marinette just a few steps before she gasped loudly. âMaman! Maman! We need a picture in front of Cinderellaâs castle!â
âOkay. Okay, slow down,â she laughed despite doing nothing to slow Emma down in the slightest. They wove through the crowd until they found the perfect spot. They just had to wait a few minutes for the people in front of them, who also agreed it was the perfect spot, to get their pictures as well. The wait passed by quickly, with no complaining from Emma, which was a good sign for the rest of the day because this was likely the shortest wait they would have for the rest of the day.
It wasnât until the last people cleared the spot that she realized the error of her plan. She had nobody to take a picture of the two of them. She just started to look for someone when Emma solved the issue for them. âM. OâMalley! M. OâMalley! Can you take a picture of us?â
The man froze crossing in front of them like heâd been caught but relaxed when he saw who it was. âHey! Long time no see.â
Marinette smiled shyly at him. âWould you mind taking a picture of us? With the castle in the background?â She motioned toward the castle with her phone as if there were any question which castle she was referring to.
He shrugged. âSure.â He took her phone with a teasing grin. âTrust me with your phone? This relationship is progressing quickly.â
She snorted but grinned back as she got herself and Emma into position. âNo offense, I think we should slow this down. Maybe take a break for a bit to reevaluate.â
He snickered but quickly schooled his face. âItâs not you itâs me,â he agreed with a sage nod.
He barked out a laugh at the wicked grin she shot him and looked down with an exaggerated grimace. âNot the first time Iâve heard that.â He looked back up with a grin to let her know he was joking. âOkay, you two ready?â
Marinette and Emma met each otherâs eyes and nodded to each other then to him. âReady,â they said together.
âOkay. One, two, three. Smile!â He took several pictures. Some at different angles and different zooms. âThere you go,â he said as he handed the phone back to her. âLet me know if you want more or those donât work for you. I donât have a great eye, but they looked pretty perfect to me.â
Marinette smiled shyly again, her cheeks darkening slightly, and had to look away as she pocketed the phone. âThank you. Would you like a picture?â
He looks up at the castle as if considering it for the first time and turned back to meet her eyes. âSure. I guess I probably should since Iâm here,â he said with a shrug.
She looked at him expectantly for a few seconds, keeping eye contact as her eyebrows rose with each passing second until they were almost at her hairline. When he still hadnât moved, she snorted inelegantly, her face split into a brilliant grin. âDid you want a picture? With your phone orâŚâ
âOh! Right.â He looked down longer than strictly necessary when he grabbed his phone to let his cheeks cool down. By the time he looked up again, his cheeks were back to normal, or at least he was desperately hoping they had. Whatever progress he made by taking a breath was lost when their fingers brushed as he handed her his phone, the contact sending tingles through his fingers and up his arm.
She smiled softly at him for a second before it turned into a smirk. âNow weâre exchanging phones. This doesnât feel like itâs slowing down.â
He barked out another laugh at the comment, caught completely off-guard, throwing his head back as he laughed. She grinned up at him from his phone. âPerfect,â she said quietly. She started to hand back the phone but stopped and looked around instead. âDo you want your family with you for one?â
He grabbed the phone gently, careful not to brush their fingers this time, it wasnât good for his concentration. âNah. Theyâre already past the castle.â
âOh! Iâm so sorry,â she gasped.
His heart twinged at the guilty look in her eyes, which he obviously couldnât allow to stand. âOh, that has nothing to do with you,â he assured her. âI left them there. Now starts the hide and seek portion of the trip,â he grinned and waggled his eyebrows.
âOoohhh, I love hide and seek,â Emma popped up, bouncing in excitement at the idea. âCan we play too?â
âNo!â Marinette exclaimed loudly. She cleared her throat lightly and took a breath before pasting on a smile. âSweetie, remember what I said about walking around here?â
âStay close to you. Hold your hand if I can. And always stay in your line of sight,â Emma replied lifelessly, like it was a mantra sheâd had to repeat often.
Marinette got down on her knees and softly brushed Emmaâs hair over her shoulder before settling her hands on Emmaâs shoulders. âThatâs right. Great job remembering. Thereâs a lot of people here, kitten, and itâs easy to get lost for real.â
Emma pouted but nodded in understanding. âMaybe you can help me hide later if you see me,â the man offered with a sympathetic smile. âMy family is really good at hide and seek and I might need some help.â
âYeah!â Emma grinned. âThat sounds great. Iâm a great helper.â
He suddenly lurched toward them, just barely stopping himself from bowling them both over when someone bumped into him without bothering to apologize or even acknowledge the hit. âWow,â he grumbled, but quickly turned on a smile for Emma. âGuess theyâre in a rush,â he chuckled.
âMust be trying to get to one of the rides before the lines get too long,â Marinette agreed, her voice intentionally light. She pulled Emma a bit closer to herself as she watched the other man walk away.
âYeah, I guess I donât blame them. The lines can get pretty long,â Jason nodded with a sigh. âI should probably get going myself.â
Emmaâs eyes widened in excitement. âAre you going to get in line now?â
âYeah, Iâm doing TRON first,â he motioned vaguely toward the Tomorrowland portion of the park. âGet it out of the way before the line gets too long. Iâve been told it is extremely popular.â
âI wanted to do TRON first,â Emma pouted, exasperation clear in her voice, âbut Iâm not tall enough.â She huffed and roughly shoved the hair out of her face then crossed her arms over her chest for good measure.
âBut,â Marinette cut in brightly, âwe can check out the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before that line gets too long.â
âOoohhh. Let me know how it is,â he asked, matching Marinetteâs brightness. âThatâs on my list. Iâll be counting on you to know if itâs worth it.â
Emma immediately brightened and nodded solemnly. âI will.â
Marinette smiled proudly at her as she took her hand. Her smile softened as she looked up to meet his eyes. âEnjoy your day and thank you again.â
âAnytime,â he said warmly with a slow nod. He watched them as they walked away but called out to them just before they got too far away. âSee you around!â
Marinette turned around while still walking, now backwards. âThat appears to be a dangerous thing to say,â she warned with a giggle then turned with a nod and a wave.
He grinned at her back. âNot so dangerous,â he said quietly to himself.
><><><><><><><Â
âHey! Itâs Thomas OâMalley!â
Jason froze and a grin spread instantly on his lips as he looked around for the bubbly little girl, finally spotting her running toward him. He raised his eyes to find her mom trailing a bit behind her and couldnât help the pride in his chest when she relaxed at seeing him. âHey, Marie,â he chuckled. âHow was Thunder Mountain?â
âAmazing,â she gushed.  âAnd we did the Jungle Cruise! It was so fun. The driver was so funny!â
Marinette smiled. âIt really was worth it⌠Thunder Mountain, I mean. Actually, the Jungle Cruise was a lot of fun too, but in a different way.â  She shrugged and looked away, with a far away look in her eyes.  âBut then again, I have a very soft spot for puns, so I enjoyed the captain a lot. If theyâre not your thing, it might be a miss for you.â
He groaned dramatically but there was a sparkle in his eyes.  âI donât know if Iâd be able to handle it. My brother is a pun master. We canât get him to stop. It might give me flashbacks.â Jason shuddered for Emma then mussed her hair. âThanks for the review, kiddo. Iâm heading to Thunder Mountain now. I may have to stop by the Cruise too.â
âIâll tell you how Tom Seer Island is!â Emma chirped. âThatâs where weâre heading now.â
âTom Sawyer Island,â Marinette corrected with a chuckle.
Emma nodded sheepishly. âIâll tell you how Tom Sawyer Island is,â she corrected quietly.
His face shifted to a serious look, and he crouched down in front of her to meet her eyes. âI wasnât sure if I should go there so Iâm counting on your insight.â
Her face split into a brilliant grin and she nodded. âWill do.â They gave each other curt, determined nods.
Marinette chuckled and took Emmaâs hand. âIt was good to see you again. Enjoy the ride! We have to get back into line,â she rolled her eyes but smiled.
Jason met her eyes with a smile. âAnd you,â he nodded.
âSee you around,â she called over her shoulder with a wink.
Jason stared at her back for a few seconds. Finally, he chuckled to himself and shook his head before heading to the Big Thunder Mountain.
><><><><><><><Â
Jason looked around intently. Stephanie and Duke had just walked by and if they were there, the rest of the family was probably close by, he just wasnât sure if they were at the end of the line or in the middle of it. They couldnât have been leading, that was definitely Dick and Damian; Damian purely because Dick would be keeping him there.
He cautiously stood up and walked out from behind the display barrels and was almost knocked down when something attacked him. He held in the squawk of surprise until he saw who it was, then let it out louder than was realistic and fell over dramatically with her on top of him and his drink safely held to the side. âThomas OâMalley! Thomas Sawyer Island was amazing! You should definitely go!â Emma crowed.
Jason grinned as he sat up. âWell, now I have to go. I always did fancy myself a pirate. Seems like somewhere Iâd fit in.â
Marinette rushed up to him and immediately offered her hand to help him up, which made Jason chuckle internally. There was no way he wouldnât take her down if he actually let her take his full weight. He took the hand anyway but pushed himself up with his other arm, keeping his drink secured and straight. âIâm so sorry. Are you okay?â she asked as she dusted off his back stopping herself just in time to prevent getting the grass off his finely toned behind. She almost jumped back pulling her hands to herself.
Jason waved her off. âDonât worry about it. That was the nicest tackle Iâve gotten in a while.â He froze for a second then sent her a disarming smile. âBrothers,â he explained, partially truthfully. âTheyâre all a lot bigger⌠well, except for Damian.â He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. âSo, Tom Sawyer was fun?â he asked Emma.
She grimaced slightly. âIt was fun with a kid, but speaking of fitting in, it might be a bitâŚâ she motioned toward his shoulders and his height. âThereâs some more confined areas.â
âAh,â he nodded. âGot it.â He squatted down in front of Emma. âWell, you were right about Thunder Mountain. It was a lot of fun, so I trust you when you say it was great. For my part, I recommend these,â he held up a pineapple whip. âThey are amazing!â
Emma gasped and looked up at Marinette with wide, hopeful eyes. âCan we, Maman?â
Marinette rolled her eyes but nodded with a smile. âWe can get some before we wait in line for the princesses.â
âYay!â Emma yelled as she fist pumped.
Marinette chuckled. âThank you. And thank you for theâŚâ she motioned to the ground where heâd fallen. âThat was incredibly thoughtful. Actually, everything has been.â
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, his gaze drifting to the ground. âNo problem. Itâs been fun for me. Itâs what this place is supposed to be about, right?â
She nodded with a pleased smile. âAnd family. Speaking of which, how goes your game?â
He whipped his head around, eyes wide with panic. âFuuuu⌠Oh! Almost forgot,â he corrected quickly. Once assured they were not around, his shoulders relaxed, and he gave her an easy smile. âSo far so good. I saw a few of them just before you guys came over. Think Iâm safe as long as I head that way,â he motioned the direction they were going. âActually, thatâs where the whips were. I can show you where to get them before I move on,â he offered.
Marinette smiled sweetly at the offer and nodded. âThat sounds nice. Thank you.â
âCome on!â Emma urged. She grabbed both their hands and pulled them down the walkway, all of them laughing as they moved.
><><><><><><><Â
Marinette and Emma had just made it into Fairytale Hall when something collided with the wall next to them. Marinette pulled Emma behind her and eased into a defensive stance before she recognized the intruder, instantly relaxing her body. âM. OâMalley!â Emma cheered and gave him a hug while he was on the ground and therefore her height.
Marinette instantly checked through the stained-glass window for the source of his fleeing and spotted another black-haired, blue-eyed man searching the area. âMarie!â Jason cheered back. He quirked head to the side. âYou changed.â
Emma twirled for him, letting the skirt of her Cinderella dress flare up. Â âIâm a princess!â
He snickered. âYou certainly are. Duchess,â he nodded to Marinette with a charming smile.
She snorted but nodded back. âThomas.â She looked back through the glass and accidentally met the gaze of the man. She instantly shifted her focus to the mice in the stained-glass and pointed to them for Emma. âHey kitten, do you remember the names of the mice?â She lifted Emma up and pointed to the mice again. The man continued to watch them for just a few more seconds before continuing on.  She let out a breath as Emma named off Cinderellaâs mice. âGood job, kitten. You have such a good memory,â she praised as she set her down. âHeâs moved on.â
Jason stood cautiously, making sure to keep out of direct line of the clear portions of the windows as he checked for any more family. Seeing no signs of them, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Marinette, but his breath caught again. Her face was lit up by the light through the stained-glass, like the sun was shining just for her, like she was a prism, drawing in all the worldâs magic and refracting it back out in a shimmering, mesmerizing beauty.
âThanks for that,â he managed to get out breathlessly until a thought occurred to him. âMind if I hang out with you guys for a bit? That was Dick, the pun-lover. Heâll be at the head of the line. The others wonât be far behind. It would be a good idea to lay low for a while.â
Marinette snorted and shrugged. âSuit yourself but itâs likely at least another half an hour before we get to see the princesses.â
Jason slowly looked around and took in the line for the first time. âWow, thatâs dedication.â
âThatâs just for Cinderella. Thereâs another line thatâs just as long for Rapunzel,â she said quietly.
Jason turned his wide eyes to the line on the other side of the hall, tracing it from the front, which he couldnât see back to the opposite side from them. âAt least itâs not the same line.â He met her eyes with a grimace. âI may not wait with you for that one.â
Marinette snickered and bumped shoulders with him. âCanât say I blame you.â
He smiled sappily down at her until Emma bumped into his thigh with her shoulder to get his attention. âBut, that explains the costume change,â he said brightly.
âIâm wearing Cinderellaâs dress and sheâs going to be wearing Cinderellaâs dress, because sheâs Cinderella, so weâll match!â She spun again for him causing him to chuckle.
âThat makes sense,â he agreed and mussed up her hair again. âCouldnât get your mom into one too?â he asked, his eyes sliding to Marinette with a teasing gaze.
She narrowed her eyes at him. âNo.â
He snickered as they shuffled forward by a few feet. âSo, we have a bit of timeâŚâ
âMaman and I have been playing hand clapping games while we wait,â Emma cut in, jumping up in front of him. âI can teach you some! Theyâre in French though because thatâs what I learned them in.â
Jason nodded and mirrored her position. âAnd I can teach you an American one. My best friendâs daughter taught me one called Lemonade.â He looked up just before they started and caught Marinette watching them, a soft look in her eyes, and shot her a warm, charming smile.
><><><><><><><Â
Jason did not appreciate being as exposed as he was currently, but there was no way around it. The line for Itâs a Small World stretched along one of the main walkways and there was no hiding. He contented himself by shrinking down as low as he could without looking odd enough to attract attention. The downside was it made it harder for Marie and Duchess, he really needed to learn their names the next time they ran into each other, which he was fairly confident would be any time now⌠or at least hoped it would be.
As if on cue, he heard a small cry rapidly coming at him. âM. OâMalley!â  This time, he braced himself obviously, as if the forty-pound girl could move him since there was no room to fall over. He gave a loud âoofâ when she tackled his leg in a hug. He looked around quickly to make sure Duchess, he groaned internally again, he really needed to learn their names, knew where they were and relaxed when he saw her slowly making her way to them, a bemused smile on her lips.
âMarie!â he exclaimed patting her back while she still clung to his leg. âI know I say it's a small world, here, but this is ridiculous.â
Marinette stopped just short of him, on the other side of the chain for the line, with a groan, but Emma giggled hysterically. âThatâs such a dad joke,â she eked out between giggles.
âYes, definitely one Papa would have loved,â Marinette agreed quietly. She took a breath and smiled sweetly at him. âI swear weâre not following you.â
He smiled back at her for a few seconds until Emma tapped his arm. âYou okay?â she asked, looking over his face very seriously. âYou didnât answer. Itâs rude not to answer someone.â
He had to fight the smirk at her chastisement. âSorry. Got lost for a second. Thanks for checking on me.â He turned back to Marinette. âYou know, I think Iâd be okay with it if you were. Honestly, at this point, it seems like fate or magic or something.â
Marinette hummed and eyed her purse. âRight, or something,â she mumbled.
âYou need sunblock?â Emma offered. âMaman was spraying me when I saw you. If youâre having trouble focusing, it could be too much sun,â she noted sagely.
He snorted. âIâm pretty good. Thank you so much for watching out for me.â
Marinette quirked her head to the side studying his face. She reached out like she was going to feel his head but redirected her hand to smooth down Emmaâs hair instead. âShe might be right. I think you might be getting some sun. We have plenty of sunblock if you want some, but at least take this,â she insisted holding out a bottle of water to him. âWe havenât drunk from it at all yet, so itâs clean.â
âI donât want to take your water,â he objected weakly.
She waved him off. âItâs nothing. Canât have my ex passing out from dehydration. Itâs not a good look. The local vigilantes would come looking for me. It would ruin our entire vacation.â
He froze as he reached out for the water but covered it with an awkward chuckle. âLocal vigilantes?  Are there vigilantes around here?"
Marinette shrugged and looked around. âArenât there in all the American east coast cities?â
He shook his head with a snort. âNo, no there are not.â He opened his mouth to ask her about her assumption but was cut off by her sudden hiss âGet down!â
He ducked instantly, his eyes darting around. âThatâs one of your brothers, isnât it?â she asked quietly as she moved in front of him and started spraying Emma again. âThe one from this morning?â
Jason moved just slightly to peek between the two of them and spotted Tim. âIt is,â he confirmed and quickly ducked back out of sight, or at least as much as he could. He was far too exposed where he was and there was no wall to hide behind this time and he wouldnât be able to dive through the people in line without disrupting them and attracting attention. He let out a light groan, just about ready to give it up, when he coughed instead.
The air was suddenly saturated with something making his eyes water and his lungs burn.  He didnât have to look far to find the source; Marinette. He half-snickered, half-coughed as she filled the air around them with aerosol sunblock, causing people to avoid their area, giving them a wide berth to avoid the burn.
He waited until Tim had moved on, coughing and waving his hand in front of his face as he passed them, before he stood up again. He looked back at Marinette impressed with her quick thinking. âThat was brilliant!â he said in awe.
She grimaced and tucked the can away. âI donât think the others agree with you,â she muttered, eyeing the people around them in line, who were also eyeing her disapprovingly.
He glowered at the people but softened his expression when he turned back to her. âWell then they would be wrong, because that was amazing.â
She smiled brightly at his praise. âIâm just glad we were able to help you hide.â
Emma gasped. âWe helped you hide?â
âYou did,â he confirmed. âYou were terrific.â She beamed at his comment, looking up at her maman to make sure she heard and was proud too. Jason looked around to make sure there were no other family around then stared at the spot Tim had disappeared to. âFunny, I think thatâs the third time I saw my, like ten, family members but Iâm seeing you everywhere.â
Marinette blinked and looked down at her purse again. âYeah⌠funny. Sorry about that.â
âDonât be sorry!â he insisted. He waved his hands disarmingly and shot her a radiant smile. âItâs not a bad thing. Iâve looked forward to seeing you between rides.â He looked down at Emma. âAnd getting your recommendations.â
âOoohhh,â Emma perked up instantly, âM. OâMalley! You HAVE to do the Little Mermaid ride! It was amazing! It was so much fun!â Marinette shook her head behind Emma and mouthed âNo, it wasnâtâ. âWasnât it great, Maman?â
âYep,â Marinette chirped with a bright smile for Emma but as soon as she turned around, she shook her head for Jason again.
Jason snickered. âWell, that sounds like a ride a pirate should investigate.â
Emma gasped. âThatâs perfect! Because sheâs a mermaid and lives in the sea and pirates sail on the seas.â She quirked her head to the side. âBut you look more like Price Eric, not a pirate.â
Jason scoffed but puffed his chest slightly at Marinetteâs appraising look. âIâm no prince, I can assure you. Iâm more of a street rat.â
Emma furrowed her brow and shook her head. âNo, you definitely donât look like Aladdin.â
Marinette snorted but tried to hide it with a cough and waved her hand in front of her face as though it was a delayed reaction to the sunblock. Jason gasped dramatically before narrowing his eyes playfully.  âYou know, for a very short period, I had red hair soâŚâ he motioned toward his shirt, âmaybe I should have said street cat.â
Emma giggled hysterically for a minute. When she calmed down, she eyed him critically. âI donât know if that would be good for you.â
âEmma!â Marinette gasped. âThat was rude. You need to apologize right now.â
Emmaâs face immediately fell. âIâm sorry. I didnât mean to be rude.â
Jason knelt down in front of her with a soft smile. âItâs okay. You were right. Trust me, it wasnât a good time for anyone.â
He looked up and met Marinetteâs eyes, getting lost again until the sound of a throat clearing behind him interrupted. Marinette blinked and let out a breath. âCome on, kitten. M. OâMalley needs to get going. Weâre holding up the line.â
Jason let them get a step away before he stopped them and let the family go ahead of him in line. âItâs Jason. Jason Todd.â She turned back slightly startled but quickly smiled tenderly at him. âI figured you should probably start calling me by my real name at this point.â
Her smile widened and she stepped closer again. âMarinette Agreste and this is Emma.â
âNice to meet you,â Emma chirped. âWell, not meet you because weâve been talking all day, but it feels like meeting.â
âIt does, youâre right,â he agreed. He met Marinetteâs eyes as he spoke. âThose are beautiful names. Itâs nice to meet you both. You could⌠join me, if you wanted. I mean, if fateâs going to keep throwing us together, we might as well embrace it. No use fighting fate.â
Marinette smiled for a second before shaking her head. âNo, we couldnât impose like that. Iâm sure there are rides you want to go on that we canât.â
âNo, not really,â he assured her. âI think Tron is the only one Emma couldnât ride, and Iâve already done that one. And really, itâs more about the experience than anything else. Unless you donâtâŚâ
âCan we please Maman?â Emma begged, her eyes wide with hope.
Marinette pulled her lower lip between her teeth and shyly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. âIâd like that. I mean, we might as well. If youâre sure. We just had Space Mountain, the Buzz Lightyear ride, and visit Mickey and Minnie at the Town Square left on our list, then we were thinking about getting dinner somewhere, but if there were rides you wanted to go to or things you didnât want to go to, we can adjust. The only things we definitely need to do are get dinner and buy a Marie stuffie,â she babbled.
âNo, that sounds brilliant,â Jason interrupted with a smile and held up the chain for them. âIâd love to do all of that with you,â he continued as they stepped ahead of him in line.
Marinette smiled playfully and opened her mouth to respond but Emma bounced up between them. âLemonade!  Letâs do lemonade!â she cheered. Jason and Marinette chuckled at her enthusiasm, meeting eyes for a moment before he winked and got into position to play.
><><><><><><><Â
âThere you are, Jaybird!â Dick exclaimed. He ran up to him and threw his arm over his shoulders. âWe missed you all day! You missed so much fun.â
Jason grudgingly let Dick pull him closer but made a show of grumbling and scowling at him. âYeah, yeah. Iâm here. Just in time for the pool at the hotel or whatever.â
Dick grinned at him and clapped him on the back. âIâm going to hold you to that. We missed you all day. Iâm going to keep you extra close tomorrow.â
Bruce patted him on the shoulder as he passed him. âWe missed you today.â He looked around quickly and leaned in closer. âBut I get it and am a bit jealous.â He patted him again before catching up to Dick and Damian.
âSoooo,â Tim drawled coming up next to him. âThe woman go home then?â Jason froze, his eyes widened fractionally but he quickly schooled his expression. He opened his mouth but before he could ask what Tim was talking about, Tim continued. âI figure she must have if youâre back hanging out with us. The little girl did look pretty tired the last time I saw her. Adorable, but tired⌠which I assume is why you were carrying her,â he added. âOr so she could see the parade better. That spot on your shoulders was a pretty good vantage point.â His voice was smooth but his eyes were teasing and knowing, like he had something up on Jason.
Jason quickly eyed the other family members to see who else was giving them a knowing grin. âDonât worry,â Tim chuckled. He looked around quickly as well to ensure the othersâ attention was still elsewhere. âNobody else saw. I managed to redirect them whenever we got close. Some easier than others. Hanging out right along the walkway was not the most helpful.â
Jason turned toward him, eyes wide in shock. That was not something he expected. He studied Tim closely as if he could see what he was up to. After a few moments he nodded to himself and turned back toward the exit. âThank you,â he said quietly.
Tim nodded curtly, his eyes still on the shop windows around them. âYou going to see her again?â
Jason nodded. âThatâs the plan. Emma, thatâs the little girl, she wants to see âHarry Potter Worldâ tomorrow,â Jason smiled proudly as he thought of Emma telling him about the stories and quizzing him on different elements about the books and which house they would all be in. âMarinette really hates 3D rides and there are a bunch at Universal so I volunteered to go with them since Iâd be there tomorrow anyway.â
A bemused smile spread on his lips. âSheâs really upset she canât go on the Velocicoaster. Emma, that is, not Marinette. Though she is too. That kid LOVES rollercoasters. She made us go on Space Mountain three times.â
âMade you, huh?â Tim teased.
âYou havenât seen her eyes when sheâs begging⌠or Marinetteâs when sheâs happy. Itâs like a spell.â
âEmma sounds like a little daredevil,â Tim nodded.
Jason grinned proudly. âShe is. So is her mom. And brilliant too.â
âWow, youâve got it bad,â Tim scoffed and shot him a knowing glance and teasing smile. âSo, youâre going to completely rearrange your schedule so you can go with them tomorrow.â It was a statement rather than a question.
âYep.â Jasonâs voice was proud, refusing to be embarrassed by the teasing. âYouâd understand if youâd spent time with her.â
âWell, she was definitely beautiful,â Tim offered.
âBeautiful, funny, kind, smart, thoughtful,â Jason continued for him.
âWow. What are you going to do when she goes home?â Tim asked carefully. He watched Jason from the corner of his eye. Jason was a romantic. Everyone knew that about him. He let his heart lead him, sometimes into dangerous territory.
âIâll visit New York a lot more,â Jason answered without missing a beat. âItâs a short trip. Lots of work there.â Tim turned slowly to look at him, his eyes wide in shock. Dangerous and unverified territory apparently. âRelax,â Jason snorted. âIâm not going to move there next week⌠although I do have a safe house thereâŚâ he added slyly.
He watched Timâs eyes, which had just started to return to normal size, widen again. They rapidly narrowed upon hearing Jasonâs chuckle. âIâm just replacing our chill day, which letâs be honest was really a Steph and Dick shopping day, with something that will be objectively more fun.â He rolled his eyes at Timâs skeptical look. âItâs been one day. Iâm not going to rearrange my whole life after one day.â
âReally?â Tim asked suspiciously.
Jason huffed and rolled his eyes. It was like his family had no faith in him. âIâm not stupid. No.â He shrugged after a few steps. âI donât think she would let me even if I wanted to. She wouldnât shift her daughterâs world that much without being absolutely certain and I wouldnât want her to either.â
âBut sheâs okay with you rearranging your entire vacation schedule?â He fixed him with a pointed look.
âShe doesnât know, otherwise, yeah, she would have a problem with it,â Jason growled. Â He was used to getting questioned by his family, but he wasnât about to let them question a completely innocent and sweet woman who had done nothing to deserve it.
Tim studied him for a few moments before nodding and returning his attention ahead of them. âGood. Just⌠be careful, okay. For both of you.â
âAll three,â Jason corrected.
âAll three,â he amended easily.  They walked in silence until they were past the Main Street Station and Tim broke the silence with a sigh. âI swear Iâm not trying to be an ass. I just donât want you jumping in too quickly.â
Jason pursed his lips with a huff. Well that just made it impossible to be mad, didnât it? âIâll be careful, but sheâs magic, Timmy.â Timâs eyebrows jumped to his hairline. âNot like that!â Jason groaned quickly. âI just meantâŚâ
âYeah, yeah, Iâve done the whole love at first sight thing,â Tim waved him off, âI get it.â
Jason scoffed and pointedly refused to look at him, finding anything and everything else of interest. âLove,â he mocked. âNow whoâs moving too fast.â
âStill you,â Tim teased. He patted Jason on the back before rushing up to walk with Duke.
Jason glowered at his back but then caught sight of a stuffed Marie in one of the stores and smiled softly. âYeah,â he mused to himself. âStill me.â
A Firework In The Sky (Donât Worry Love You Are Mine)
For @girl-in-thechair
The bang of fireworks lit the sky for a split second, an explosion of golden sparkles sprinkled the air, decorating the black with shimmer light like stars, but they did not possess the ability to last like they did. It only lasted a moment but the memory lasted longer.
Marinette covered her ears as tears pricked her eyes. She took in ragged breaths, trying to get her heart to beat right. She stumbled away from the windows, tripping over a chair causing it to tip along with her causing quite the ruckus. Rather than getting up though, she curled into herself, eyes squeezed tightly shut as her ragged breathing became the only noise in the room.
"Marinette? That you? You ok?" A male voice called.
Marinette couldn't hear him though over the pounding of her own heart. Another bang rang through the air; the window allowing the light of the firework to shine through for the mere seconds it was alive in the air, but that was enough for Marinette to see it through her eyelids and curl tighter, whimpering.
Jason looked through the doorway at the sound and saw his girlfriend in a fetal position on the floor and immediately ran over, scooping her up against him, worry seeping off him in waves.
"Hey hey Mari?!? What's wrong?!?!?"
Marinette's eyes opened in shock at being picked up. As soon as her bluebells met his chocolate she buried her face into his neck. Right on time as another ball of dynamite blasted in the air to explode. She whimpered again and latched onto Jason tightly. His eyebrows creased together as he looked up at the window where the fireworks for the fourth of July were going on.
"Hey Mari," he gently stroked a hand through her hair as he stood up and began walking out of the kitchen, heading to the sound-proof basement, "It's ok, it's ok. You're not there. It's just fireworks. You're safe. Everyone is. He's gone."
Marinette kept her head buried in his neck. Jason pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder as he descended the stairs. He got to the bottom and walked over to the lounge area, gently setting her on the couch.
"It's ok doll, it's gone now," he told her softly, still holding her close as he stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled after a long while.
"Hey no apologies."
"ButâŚ"
"No, everyone has gone through shit. And with it comes trauma. You can't just flick a magical wand or wish in a well to get rid of it, Pix. You're not the first one to break and you certainly won't be the last. But there's no shame in that. Ok?"
Marinette nodded and leaned up, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips.
"I love you Jay."
He smiled softly looking down at his girlfriend, "Love you too Pixie."
They sat just cuddling up for a while before Jason checked his watch for the time.
"You don't have the fourth of July," It wasn't a question but Marinette shook her head anyhow, "Fireworks. They happen every year."
"They sound likeâŚ" she couldn't seem to finish that sentence as her eyes misted over.
"Hey, it's ok. I know. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, I forgot."
"It's not your fault."
Jason remained quiet, not agreeing nor disagreeing.
"JayâŚ"
"ItâŚ"
"Is not," she told him firmly.
Jason sighed and nodded reluctantly as a smirk sneaked onto his face, "Yeah yeah Pixie Pop. So bossy."
She stuck her tongue out at him childishly. He chuckled and captured her lips quickly in a kiss, pulling away with a smug grin and moving so his lips just barely grazed her ear, "Fireworks are over darling. Wanna go back upstairs and bake something?"
He pulled away with a cocky grin. She looked at him with a raised brow and a smirk once she collected herself once again, "Absolutely."
summary: "i didn't do it on purpose," he insisted, waving his hands wildly as he did when he was aggravated. "it just happened."
a/n: i had way too much fun writing this.
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part 1
i.Â
"So," Marinette said, suddenly sounding very agreeable. "What exactly are your plans?"
Jason, who was still rubbing his aching jawâbecause damn could that woman throw a punchâlooked at her with confusion. "What?"
Rolling her eyes now, Marinette turned to him fully, dagger from before nowhere in sight. That did nothing to comfort Jason, by the way. "What exactly are you going to do now?" Marinette asked again. "You're stuck in the 'mortal' world."
Oh. Right. In all the drama of finding the actual Guardian of the Miraculous and realising thatâto some extentâhe still had his godly powers, Jason had completely forgotten where and why he was where he was.Â
"Well," he said, ignoring his aching jaw for the moment because there were more pressing matters. "I do have a little apartment that I purchased about, hmm, say about four hundred years ago? I forget the dates, you know? I don't know if it's still standing, but I suppose I could go and check."
Now it was Marinette's turn to look at him, gobsmacked. "You have an apartment that's just been collecting dust for the last four centuries?"Â
Jason shrugged casually, internally smirking as he enjoyed the surprise on Marinette's face. "I mean, I assume it was four centuries. For all I know, it could be six."
There was silence for a few moments before Marinette found her voice again, slightly weak as she casually waved her hands aimlessly. "Lead the way."
ii.Â
It took Jason at least ten minutes to figure out where they were going, but once he figured out how the streets of Paris had changed in the last few centuries, it didn't take him long to find his apartment.Â
As he reached the abandoned and more-than-dusty building, Jason silently thanked his past self over and over again, inflating his ego even more.Â
"See?" he said proudly, showing off the 'apartment' to Marinette. "I told you it would still be here."
Marinette, who was looking at the building with wonder she was desperately trying to hide, snapped back at him immediately. "First of all," she said, crossing her arms. "That's not an 'apartment,' it's a literal mansion. And second, how is it still standing? There aren't any buildings like this in Paris and I've never seen one like it before."
Jason grinned widelyâand Marinette was struck by an eerie resemblance to the Cheshire Cat. "My past self," he said dramatically, shoving the rusty gates to his 'apartment' open. "Had foresight. He probably knew that BruâZeus was going to kick me out of Olympus one day, so he prepared. This was what we called an apartment in those days."
Marinette was beginning to despise the smug tone of his voice because she was very much aware it was at her expense. "You do realise that referring to yourself in third person is a sign of insanity, right?"Â
Smirking at her, Jason turned to Marinette suddenly, leaving barely a few inches between their bodies. His breath caressed Marinette's cheeks lightly, as the cold Parisian air solidified it. "You try living for a few million years and staying sane, darling."
The next second, he was gone, and Marinette snapped out of whatever trance he put her in. Striding forward to assert her control over the situation again, Marinette kicked the door to the mansion open.
"You first," she said with a tolerant smirk, eyes brightening as she caught a glimpse of Jason's unhappy look. "After all, it is your 'apartment.'"
iii.Â
The room before Jason was pitch black, no light from the moonlight filtering into the room. On any other regular day, Jason wouldn't have given a damnâin fact, he would have welcomed itâbut today wasn't a regular day.Â
He was a mortal which meant even the lightest of blows on his head could be the end of his immortal existence. Plus, his looks were worth too much to be destroyed cruelly.
Stepping carefully into the foyer before him, Jason had time to breathe in a small breath before layers and layers of dust just dumped onto his head.Â
"Shit," he swore loudly, and it echoed through the room along with Marinette's laughs at his misery.Â
"Oh my god," she gasped, practically doubling over. "That was hilarious."
"Gee thanks," Jason said sourly, brushing himself off as best as he could. He stumbled through the never-ending darkness, hands searching for curtains. Eventually, they landed on some and Jason pulled it harshly.
It was by pure luck the rod didn't fall on his head, but frankly, Jason wouldn't have cared less if it had, because the terrified scream Marinette let out made it worth it.Â
"Scared are we?" Jason asked, chuckling, perhaps, a little maliciously.Â
"What the hell was that?" Marinette asked, her eyes suddenly looking far too pretty in the onslaught of moonlight in the room.Â
Jason cleared his throat when he realised he had been silent for too long. "Well, I had been meaning to get around to fixing that the last time I visited here, but," he trailed off with a smirk. "I got busy with the lovely ladies of the century. And since then, I've just been occupied with my duties, you know?"
Marinette shot him a disgusted look. "You've had the last three centuries. How busy could you possibly be?"
"Remember the World Wars?" Jason asked, shuddering as he remembered the stress he was under. "I still have nightmares about those souls."
It was then he realised all the furniture in his house was missing.Â
iv.Â
Jason was fuming and Marinette was overjoyed. There was no other way to put it.
Last night, when he found out that not a single piece of furniture had been left behind in his so-called grand apartment, he threw a temper tantrum, not unlike the one three-year-old threw. Frankly, Marinette was wishing she had the foresight to record it, but alas, she had forgotten.Â
But at least now she was filming Jason haggling with the Louvre's curator of 17th (or was it 16th?) century artefacts.
"But those belong to mâmy family," Jason was saying loudly, waving his hands dramatically. "I have every right to take them back, especially when they were taken without my permission!"
"Sir," the curator was saying patiently, distinctly looking as if she wanted to slap Jason. Marinette could relate to her. "I'm afraid you're going to have to provide some legal documents if you wish to possess these artefacts again."
"Why?" Jason asked, his lips turning down into a pout. "They're mine. I should be getting them for free."
Marinette nearly dropped her phone when she realised the museum curator was actually considering it. Sure, Jason's pout was cuteâadorable even, not that she'd ever admit itâbut it wasn't enough to convince the curator, was it?
"I should be giving those artefacts for free," the curator murmured, eyes looking glassy and unfocused. Moving towards the glass case where they were held, the curator pulled out a heavy-looking key and began to slide it into the lock.Â
Abruptly, Marinette realised what was happening.Â
Jogging towards Jason, who was looking bewildered at the sudden change in the curator's attitude, Marinette gave the poor woman a sweet smile as she tugged on Jason's hand.Â
"Don't worry about my boyfriend," she said, the lie slipping easily from her lipsâalmost too easily. "He's just eager to get those back. We'll be back later with the legal documents, thank you for your help!"
By the time Marinette finished, she was already dragging Jason out of the museum. As soon as they were out of earshot, she turned to him with a dangerous look in her eyes. "What the hell was that?"
v.
Jason had no idea what he had just done. Honest!
How was he supposed to know what powers he possessed from when he was a god? It's not like Bruce had given him a handbook or something. He said as much to Marinette, but her slightly suspicious look was enough to tell Jason that she didn't believe him completely.Â
Now, Jason was pissed. Yes, he knew he didn't really have a reason to be mad, and yes, he knew Marinette wasn't obligated to trust him, but a little faith would have been nice.
"I didn't do it on purpose," he insisted, waving his hands wildly as he did when he was aggravated. "It just happened."
He was so annoyed that he didn't even realise the unusual swarm of people suddenly walking around them, hunger deep in their eyes.Â
Marinette did though, and when she did, she tapped him on the shoulder lightly. "Why are those people looking at us like that?"
Jason turned around, ready to dismiss her accusation immediately. But then, he saw what she was pointing at and the colour drained out of his face.Â
Swearing loudly, Jason took a hold of Marinette's hand as he dragged her out of the square and something more private. "Shit. We need to get out of here."
"What?" Marinette asked, digging her heels into the pavement below their feet. "Why?"
Jason rounded on her at once. "Because those people are monsters. Monsters that will kill us without hesitation. We need to get the hell out of here."
"Oooh, I don't think so," a new voice hissed, entering their conversation. "Ladies, I found lunch!"
Jason groaned loudly as he turned around, nudging Marinette lightly. He hoped she got the silent message to run.Â
"Empousa," he said, hoping to buy more time. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" the ugly Empousa repeated, looking delighted that he had asked. "I want you bothâgod and Guardianâfor lunch."
Once again, Jason really wished he had learned to fight beyond his abilities as a god.Â
The club was raging. Even for a weekend night, it was busy. They had exceeded capacity an hour ago, but people were still lined up down the street. Anyone who mattered in Gothamâs black underbelly, and even a good portion of the âlegitimateâ influencers, were there, yet Jasonâs eyes kept going back to the woman sitting at the bar, a woman who for all intents and purposes had no established influence in Gotham. And yet, he couldnât force his attention away from her.
He had no idea who she was, but the perfectly tailored, silky, green dress that clung to her curves in all the right places revealing a hint of her curves without exposing too much, suggested she had money or connections or both. By all appearances, she should be a player, but there was nobody in Gotham who mattered, illegitimate or not, that he didnât know, which meant either she was brand new to Gotham, or she was that rare specimen; a legitimate, hardworking, person who wasnât working an angle.
He tried to focus on the club, he really did. The club needed it with all the activity going on and competing factions present. But his eyes kept shifting unbidden to her spot at the bar, like a beacon of light in the dark night.  He would almost focus his attention back onto the rowdy crowd, after all she wasnât the first woman oozing sensuality in his club, though she might be the most effective, and he had a job to do, but then she would turn his direction, and he would catch sight of her radiant smile and her eyes sparkling with humor and innocence. Every time she would laugh, truly laugh, not just giggle, but truly laugh from her heart, she would throw her head back, her dark hair sweeping back in a mesmerizing cascade of movement that he was powerless to turn away from.
For the life of him, he couldnât figure out why she would be in the Iceberg Lounge, in his place. Despite what the crystalline exterior indicated, the club was a beacon to the dark and bitter. The exact opposite of everything she seemed to personify. She could not have been more out of place. He couldnât even blame it on her date⌠Partner? Acquaintance. Acquaintance sounded much better. He couldnât even blame it on her acquaintance, because his energy seemed to match hers; bright and light but his was cloyingly sweet.
Much to his dismay, he wasnât the only one who couldnât keep their eyes off her. He watched as person after person came over to her to strike up a conversation, all lingering a bit longer and a bit closer than he was comfortable with. Quite a few of them he wasnât comfortable with being in the same building as her let alone close enough to touch her.
Fortunately, he wasnât alone in his dislike of the attention. The man with her did not look at all happy about that turn of events, glaring daggers at the interlopers and more than once, physically removing them from their presence. But he seemed to be dealing with his fair share of unwanted attention as himself, but he was having none of it, refusing to divert his attention from her, much like Jason.
It was entirely due to that attention that Jason caught the move that set his skin on edge. The man had handed her a drink with a smile and a mischievous glint in his otherwise boyish gaze. Jason had been working with and against low-lives long enough to know that look indicated nothing good was about to follow. Something was about to happen, something the woman wouldnât particularly enjoy, if he didnât monitor the situation.
Unfortunately, nobody in the club was willing to allow him to do so. He almost bit his managerâs head off when she mentioned yet another crisis that demanded Jasonâs attention. It was like the entirety of Gotham was out to mess with him. He couldnât catch a break and just fucking breathe⌠while he intently watched the gorgeous woman whose name he didnât know.
But as soon as that crisis was averted, another inevitably popped up. Donât get him wrong, he had no issue with low-lives taking each other out, just not in his club. Doing it in his club left a lot of paperwork for him and it meant even more dealing with police, a task he avoided as much as possible. The endless crises were a constant frustration, one that was putting him more and more on edge until his staff was afraid to report to him.
It was getting late in the night, not quite early hours of the morning when he was finally able to take a moment to return to his observation post, seemingly just in time.  The man was intently watching the woman, the mischievous glint had turned diabolical. And the woman was noticeably less in control of her movements, sloppier in her laughs, wider in her smiles. Even without having watched her for most of the night, he would have known something was off.
âJorge!â he greeted casually, but his voice held a tell-tale tightness the bartender instantly recognized.
Jorge finished making his drink and collecting the money before making his way quickly but nonchalantly to his bossâ side. âHey, Mr. Todd. Whatâs going on?â
Rather than directly addressing him, Jason scanned the room as he spoke. âHow many has she had?â
âWho?â He looked up and down the bar quickly before his eyes settled on the popular, dark-haired woman at the end of the bar. âOh, her,â he chuckled. âOnly two, boss.â
Jason narrowed his eyes at an insignificant spot on the far wall. âAre you sure?â
âAbsolutely,â Jorge answered confidently. âShe was getting into an argument with her date there over it. He didnât want her to have any alcohol and then kept trying to talk her out of getting more.â
That made Jason pause. âHe was trying to talk her out of it?â he asked carefully.
âYes, sir. I know what youâre thinking, but if he was trying to get her sloshed to take advantage of her, wouldnât he be trying to get her drunk?â
Jason hummed in consideration. âMaybe. Or maybe the alcohol would interfere with the drugs heâs using.â He studied her again to catalog any indication of how far gone she was. But he didnât need to look so closely as in the same moment, she turned toward the man and almost fell into his lap, giggling raucously at the slip. âHave you ever seen anyone that drunk off of two drinks?â
âNo,â Jorge admitted begrudgingly. âNot without a bit of assistance.â
Jason nodded in agreement and was moving instantly with a discrete motion to his security when the man eased her up, encouraging her to lean into his embrace as he moved her toward the exit and away from witnesses. The security team had descended on the man, arms pinned to his side and mouth enveloped, before he had taken more than a handful of steps. âTake care of him, as a guest of our establishment,â Jason instructed one of his men, motioning toward the man.
âHow severely?â he asked as his men rapidly ushered him off of the floor.
âI donât have a read on the situation yet. Just hold him for now. Once I find out, Iâll text you.â He watched the woman as she looked around in a circle that she couldnât seem to break out of, almost stumbling off her heels as her body started to lean a bit too much to one side as she spun. Jason was at her side and supporting her with a hand on her elbow before gravity could take effect.
âI might want to handle it myself,â he growled almost to himself as he turned back to the woman, his scowl fading into a soft smile. âHey, sweetheart,â he had to fight the chuckle that built up in his chest when she looked up at him just to wrinkle her nose at the name, and he made a mental note not to use that again⌠unless he wanted to see the cute nose wrinkles again. âI think you should sit down.â
She looked around sloppily, her whole body moving with her head, causing her to stumble deeper into Jasonâs embrace, which was the only thing keeping her from falling. She looked back up at him, eyes wide. "Am I not?"
âNo, you are not, but you definitely should be.â He helped ease her back onto her seat before he continued. âLook, Iâm not going to mince wordsâŚâ
âWhy would you mince words?â she interrupted, her nose wrinkles making another appearance. âOh! Do you have mince pies here?â She looked up and down the bar expectantly. âIâd love a mince pie.â
âNo,â Jason started slowly. He waited for her to realize there were no mince pies but she continued to search the bar until she stood up on the rungs of the stool so she could lean over the bar, braced on her hands, for a better view. At least until she apparently forgot her hands were supporting her and sloppily shoved the hair that had swung into her face, behind her ear. Jason dove to stop her momentum, only breathing a sigh of relief when he wrapped his arm securely around her waist and yanked her back before she could topple ass over heels behind the bar.
She was right about one thing anyway, he grumbled mentally, she desperately needed something in her stomach to soak up the alcohol. He nodded to Jorge as he eased her back into her seat and waited until she began to eat one of the rolls Jorge placed in front of her before he continued. âWhat I meant to say was, I think you've been drugged.â
âWhat?â she gasped loudly, both her hands darting to her mouth a bit harder than she intended, one still holding a roll, but she didnât seem to notice. âOh no!â She scrunched her nose. âWith mince?â
âWith miâŚâ he exhaled deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose. âNo. Not with mince. With your drink.â
She eyed the glass in front of her suspiciously for so long Jason could have sworn sheâd forgotten what was going on. âNo, that doesnât sound right,â she shook her head slowly, eyes never leaving the glass. âI didnât have a lager and thatâs a lager glass.â
Jason stared at her for a beat before he could force himself to continue. She could get the glass type right but not follow the conversation. âNo,â he corrected patiently and pushed the glass away from her. âThat wasnât your drinkâŚâ He paused to allow her to fill in her name, but instead of responding, she continued to stare at the glass accusatorily. âWhatâs your name?â he prompted.
She turned her accusatory stare from the glass to him. âIâm not telling you my name. I donât know you and you called me âSweetheartâ,â she pouted dramatically even as she ripped a chunk of the roll with more aggression than necessary.
Jason grinned at the expression.  âSorry. Iâll find a better nickname in the future. Iâm Jason. Jason Todd.â
She grinned brightly and held out her hand for him. Her eyes were back to sparkling, lighting up this portion of the already well lit bar. âHi, Jason. Iâm Marinette.â
He couldnât stop the laugh this time as he shook her hand. âItâs a pleasure, Marinette.â He held her hand a few beats longer than necessary but dropped it quickly when he realized what he was doing. âOkay, Marinette, Iâd like to see what you were given then take you home.â
She gasped and her eyes lit up even brighter, so bright he swore they could light the way for him to wander through the darkness until he found his way to her. "You're taking me to your home? Ooohhh! Iâm so curious what your home looks like." He was about to correct her when she scrunched her nose again and he lost his train of thought. "It isn't all dark and broody like you, is it?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, but she had already looked away and was motioning toward Jorge, who started filling a glass for her. "I have a bet going with Adrien. I said I don't think there's blood stains." She happily took the glass from Jorge with a quick âthank youâ and an appreciative grin, which disappeared as soon as she took a sip of the clear liquid. âThis doesnât taste right.â
âNo, it does,â Jorge assured her.
âAre you sure?â she asked suspiciously.
âYep,â Jorge answered with a wink to Jason.
âWhere does he think there's blood stains?â Jason interrupted before she could continue.
Marinette took another drink before responding, humming happily at the cool liquid. âOh, he thinks they're everywhere.â
âI do not have blood stains in my home!â he objected.
âYay!â she cheered as she bounced in her seat⌠a little too hard, as it turned out. She didnât entirely miss the seat on her last bounce, just enough for her to tip off the seat and into Jason, who grabbed her just in time to stop her from landing face first in his lap, and returned her to her seat in one smooth movement.  âI win my bet! Adrien owes me a drink,â she continued without missing a beat.
âYeah, I think you've had quite enough to drink,â he chuckled, his heart still racing slightly from the almost fall even if hers wasnât.
âI've only had two,â she pouted indignantly and kept pointed eye contact with him as she lifted the glass to her lips.
âYes, I'm aware. Let's go.â He motioned toward his office.
âWhere are we going?" She gasped excitedly. "Are we going to dance?" She grabbed his arm and started to pull him toward the dance floor. âI always wanted to learn to tango.â
âNo,â he used her grip in him to direct her back to her chair. He settled his hands on her shoulders. âThat song definitely isnât a tango and you're going home.â
She gasped. âTo your home?" She furrowed her brow disapprovingly. "I'm not interested in having sex with you." She turned away to grab her purse, which Jason had to return to the rather distraught owner. "I mean I am, but not tonight. I don't know you. I need to wine and dine you first. Iâm more of a coffee shop AU kind of girl than a one-night stand girl anyway. This booty does not receive calls." She paused at the snort Jason let out and turned to him slowly, eyes wide, cheeks darkening. "What I meant to say..."
"Don't worry about it, Pixie,â he waved her off with a chuckle, âyou're..."
"âŚis Iâm more of a friends to lovers kind of girl. And you have to meet my friends before we can become lovers. They have to approve. âIf you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friendsâ,â she sang terribly off key and waved her fingers like conducting an orchestra, thrusting her arms far out wider than necessary and almost smacking the woman next to her.
He stared at her. "Right. Iâd love to do that. Are your friends nearby now? Can I talk to them?â
âI donât know why I just sang that song. I hate that song. Itâs so annoying,â she pouted as she popped a piece of bread in her mouth⌠or at least she tried to. The bread missed her mouth spectacularly, flying past her face and hitting the man behind her in the back of his head.
Jason managed to glare the man into submission, waiting until he walked away to return his attention to her, and nodded flippantly. âYeah, yeah. It worms its way into your brain like Scarecrowâs gas. So, are your friâŚâ
She turned to him; her expression serious. âI think there may be something in this drink. I canât taste the food anymore.â He opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut when her nose did the adorable scrunching thing as she returned her focus to her glass, holding it up to the light and examining the liquid suspiciously.
âWhy donât we get a new one,â he offered with a motion to Jorge. âNow, your friends?â
âMy friend was around here somewhere,â she trailed off as she looked around the room, her head whipped about uncoordinatedly and suddenly stilled. She scrunched her eyes closed with a groan, seemingly not noticing how her body was lilting to the side.
Jason just managed to get his arm between her and the bar before her body made contact. âOkay, you're going now."
"You're kicking me out?â she gasped, her head whipping toward him and her eyes immediately scrunching closed again with a groan. She grabbed her head, messing up her hairâs perfect Veronica Lake sleekness. âThat was a mistake,â she moaned. She slowly lowered her head to the bar and let it rest there for a few moments before taking a deep breath and sitting back up again, her eyes back on Jason, wide and pleading. âI've never been kicked out of anywhere! What did I do wrong?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," he assured her.
She shook her head, eyes starting to turn glassy. "But I must have if you're kicking me out."
"I'm not..." he let out a long, labored breath. "Itâs so I can test you for what drugs you were given."
Her eyes that had been glassy moments before were now wide with alarm. "Iâve been drugged?  Oh no!"
Jason pressed his lips together so tightly nothing could be seen but a thin white line both from exasperation and trying not to laugh. "Look kidâŚâ
Marinette let out an offended gasp and looked around hastily, attempting to rapidly catalog who was nearby, but quit and rested her head with a groan again almost immediately. Jason rested his chin on his fist and pushed her back into her seat with a weary sigh.  She leaned toward Jason to establish some secrecy.  âYou let kids in here?â she demanded in a slightly louder than normal voice to be heard over the music. âYou should be ashamed of yourself. I thought better of you.â
âWe do not letâŚÂ We have a strict policyâŚâ Jason sputtered.  âI meant you!â
She quirked her head to the side and watched him curiously. âYou thought I was a kid, and you still gave me alcohol?â
Jason opened and shut his mouth. âNo, I didnât.â
She stared at him analytically, eyes narrowing to help focus her attention. Finally, she seemed to accept his words as her expression softened. âYour eyes are the most unique shade of blue,â she noted breathlessly as if in awe.
Jason snorted and quickly looked away. Or she didnât accept his words so much as forgot what they were talking about. He turned back to her, eyes slightly narrowed as he considered her, watching attentively as she picked up the new glass of water Jorge set in front of her. âHow did you end up here?â he asked before he could stop himself. It was something heâd been wondering about all night and there was no better time to ask.
She grinned brightly. âI know what youâre thinking,â she chirped. âWhatâs a place like this doing in a girl like me.â
Jason had to focus on not steadying the drink in her hand as she waved it while she talked. âSomething like that,â he answered distractedly.
She settled the drink on the bar and leaned closer to Jason, excitement clear in her eyes. âWe wanted to celebrate. We wanted to go somewhere we could have fun and not be judged.â
âCertainly, there were better places to do that,â he insisted incredulously. His place was not the place sweet kids went to celebrate. âYou have to have known the reputation of this place.â
She scowled and leaned away from him, brow furrowed in disapproval, all signs of excitement gone. âJust because someone says someone else is bad doesnât mean they are. People can be assholes and usually it isnât the people with the worst reputations. Itâs almost always the people who are the loudest about it.â She rested her elbows on the bar to stabilize herself as she took another drink. âI like to make up my own mind, thank you very much. And Iâve been having a damn fine night. Nobody judging us⌠until now.â
She stared at him pointedly with her last statement, which honestly impressed him. He hadnât thought she was capable of it in her state. He might have even let her know how impressed he was but he was too distracted by her words.  âAnd,â he started slowly, âis there something to judge you about?â
She scoffed and looked back at her drink. âIâm Chinese, a woman, and an immigrant. Everything I do is judged. And Adrien isâŚâ she eyed Jason suspiciously. âDoesnât matter. I think I need another drink.â
Jason quirked his head to the side, placated for the moment. She didnât sound evil, though they never did, did they? She sounded like she just needed a break. Maybe this place was the prefect place for her after all⌠except for the drugged thing, which he still needed to resolve. âOkay, Pixie Pop, I'm gonna need you just stand up.â
Marinette looked around her slowly, trying to catalog all the details around them.  âAm I not?â she asked emptily. After a beat, she shook her head.  âNo, I'm not usually this tall when I sit down and I'm pretty tall right now so I must be standing.â  She grinned brightly at her brilliant use of logic.
âOkay, thatâs it,â Jason grumbled. âThis has gone on too long. Youâre about to be a lot taller.â He scooped her up and carried her to his office.
She squealed and clung tight to him, her head hidden tightly in the crook of his neck. They were halfway to his office before her grip loosened and her body relaxed. Her head popped up and bobbed around a bit as she observed the room. âOh, this is much taller,â she agreed.  She turned back to him, not noticing how close their faces were as she did.
Jason, however, had to focus on keeping his breath steady and not turning his head just the fraction of an inch it would take for his lips to brush against hers. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and let out a contented sigh as she snuggled in. âSo nice,â she hummed.
Jason just barely kept himself from tripping on the stairs to his office. She felt so natural in his arms, like she was meant to be there, like she fit perfectly⌠or he needed to sleep. That was more likely. Far more likely than that he was already falling for a woman who heâd only interacted with while she was intoxicated. What if she was always drunk? What if she was a junkie? He discretely checked her arms as he placed her on the couch. No track marks, but that didnât mean there werenât any. She could just be really good at hiding it.
She looked around slowly. He could have sworn nothing was registering until she looked back at him with a smile. âSee, no blood stains! I was right!â Her smile quickly turned into a frown. âNot very homey though. Do you feel relaxed here?â
Jason very consciously forced himself not to look at the rug, which definitely was not hiding several separate blood stains from several different occasions. âThis is my office, not my home. But yes, I do get to relax here.â
She eyed him skeptically then looked around again, her head lolling to the back of the couch as she did. âYou said you were taking me home,â she pouted.
âAfter I tested you to see what you were given,â he corrected, quickly making his way to a box on his shelf. He held up a little rectangle and a strip of paper. âThis is going to prick your finger,â he shook the rectangle, âso this,â he shook the paper, âcan collect your blood. Then that,â he motioned toward a machine next to the box, âwill tell me what youâve been given. State of the art. The best my ex-fatherâs money can buy.â
Marinette frowned. âThat sounds painful.â Her eyes suddenly lit up and she straightened up but moved a bit too far forward. She swayed backward to counteract her momentum but overcorrected and slammed back into the couch. She sat back up slowly with a glare at the couch as she moved until she was sitting up straight without swaying and threw Jason a hopeful smile. âOh! I should get another drink before you do it! To help with the pain.â
Jason snorted but knelt down in front of her to meet her eyes with a comforting look. âAbsolutely not. Itâll be okay.  It's just a little prick.  You'll barely feel it at all,â he promised.
Marinette snorted inelegantly falling over on the couch as giggles racked her body. âThat's⌠thatâs not usually⌠what men say to me,â she gasped out between laughs. âThey certainly never used it as a selling point, but you should get points for honesty.â
Jason huffed and rolled his eyes but couldnât keep the bemused tug on his lips.  âI'll keep that in mind.  But in this case the needle,â he emphasized the words heavily and shook it in front of her, âwon't hurt at all.â He waited for her to settle down and sit up straight again before he cleaned her finger and pricked it, quickly collecting the blood in the sample strip.
Marinette watched his actions intently. It wasnât until he had already put the strip into the machine that she yowled and stuffed her finger in her mouth. âYou lied!â she accused with a deep scowl that for the life of him, reminded him of an angry kitten.
He cocked his head and his lips quirked to the side as he considered his options given the behavior heâd noted over the last half hour or so.  He plopped onto the couch next to her. âLied about what?â he asked innocently. It was a gamble, but he felt it was a safe one.
She scrunched her brow even further then rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling as if trying to search her mind. Â âI don't remember,â she pouted, âbut I know you did.â
Jason's grin widened. âYou know I did what?â he asked slyly. He couldnât stop the smile from forming on his face, perhaps the first real one of the night. Hell, probably the first real one of the month.
She opened her mouth to respond but snapped it close correctly. Her scowl eased into a soft smile.  âYou have a really nice smile. Did you know that?  You should smile more. I love seeing your smile. Well, this smile.â She looked away, her head slightly wobbling about as a frown tugged her lips down. âIâve seen the smile you give some people. Those arenât nice smiles. Theyâre like the ones Adrien would give to executives he didnât like.â
She looked back up at him, her pout softening again as she looked into his eyes. âBut this one is pretty. It makes you look childlike and carefree. It makes me think you like to laugh and love.â She raised her hand to gently rest it on his cheek but accidentally slapped him instead. âItâs a good look on you.â
Jason got lost in her eyes, the sting from the slap quickly fading into a warmth that spread throughout his body. He wanted to nuzzle into her hand. He wanted to nuzzle into her hair and let her scent wash over him, which was stupid because he didnât know her. If his past had taught him anything, it taught him everyone has an angle and those that donât will let you down. There was nothing about this, about her, that would change that.
But the brightness in her eyes drew him in, beckoned him forward with promises of transparency and virtue. Everything about the way she had been acting, with inhibitions too lowered to pretend, indicated to him she was the last option heâd considered; a legitimate, hardworking person not working an angle. It was the most curious thing heâd seen in a while, maybe years. It was enough that he wanted to know her better, really get to know her, maybe in a situation where he gets to touch her and hold her close, because everything heâd seen so far had blown him away, but in a good way this time.
He opened his mouth to return the compliment but was interrupted by a ding from the machine. He let out a deep breath and gently removed her hand from his cheek, lightly returning it to her lap. This was the moment of truth. The moment he found out how angry he got to be with her acquaintance; how violent he got to be with him. He scanned over the report quickly but returned to the top to read it again more slowly⌠and again. That could not be right, but no matter how many times he reread the report, the results remained the same.
âOh my God!â he exclaimed with a laugh as he dropped down next to her again. âYou're not drugged, you're just drunk... off of two drinks!â
Marinette scoffed and waved him off with an uncoordinated wave. âDon't be ridiculous. I'm French.â
âWell, Mademoiselle Frenchie, you are Le Drunk.â He barked out another incredulous laugh. That pretty well assured him that she was not in fact a drunk, and likely not a junkie either, though he desperately wanted to take a hair sample to just verify, he managed to stop himself. If two drinks could have this effect on her, there was no chance she drank regularly. Hell, even one glass of wine a week should make her at least a bit more immune. âYou, Pixie should not drink.â
She glowered and dropped her head hard against the back of the couch. âI knoooow,â she groaned. âAdrien tried to talk me out of it, but I wanted to have a nice night. A carefree night. Iâm always so responsible. I wanted a night where I let loose.â
Jason nodded in understanding. That is what his club was supposed to offer people. âAdrien was the man you were with?â
She screwed up her eyes as if focusing very hard for a solid minute before nodding awkwardly.  âYes.  It was definitely Adrien and not Felix this time.  He's in London with Kagami and Evan.â Her eyes suddenly lit up and her whole face brightened as she straightened up and bounced in her spot, missing Jason tucking his phone back in his pocket.  âCan I tell you a secret?â  She stopped, her face morphing into a serious expression.  âYou don't know any of my friends, right?â
âUh... right,â Jason agreed, fairly confident in his response. He must have chosen correctly because Marinette grinned brightly in response.
âGreat, then I can tell you. But you still canât tell anyone.â She leaned closer to him, weaving a bit closer than he was sure she intended to. âAdrien is looking for an engagement ring!  He asked me to help design it.  Isn't that amazing!  I'm so excited!â She fell back against the back of the couch with a dreamy expression on her face, missing the way his body subconsciously followed her.  âAdrien so deserves to be happy.â
âAnd what about you?â he asked before he could stop himself.
âMe?â Â She scrunched her nose in confusion again. Â âI don't need to design an engagement ring for myself.â
âNo, I meant...â
âWhat would I even do with it?  Propose to myself?â  She giggled hysterically and lifted up her hand as if to examine an engagement ring on her finger.  âWho are you engaged to?  Myself. Could you imagine?  It would be hilarious. I should do it. Do you have paper and a pen?â She looked around on the couch, separating the cushions to look there, her body still shaking with laughter.
âSo, thereâs nobody else who wants to propose to you?â he clarified.
Her laughter died down immediately, her smile morphing into a deep pout. Â âNo, nobody who would want to marry me. Â Not even anyone who wants to kiss me. Â Everyone's getting kisses but me.â Â She met his eyes for a moment and brightened up. Â âHey, do you want to kiss me?â
Jason started for a second before answering.  For a long moment, he considered agreeing to it.  He was definitely interested. She was beautiful and funny and sweet, and she made him want to try. She was the first person in a long time to do so. The first one that sparked something in him, something heâd feared had been beaten out of him.  And she was drunk.
He sighed and shot her a wry smile. Â âI haven't gotten your friends' approvals yet. Â I don't think I'm allowed. Â Plus, we aren't friends yet. Â We have to be friends if we want to make the friends to lovers transition.â
She pouted again and slumped in her chair. Â âI hate slow burns.â
He snickered and gently brushed her hair behind her ear.  âYou don't have to be friends long before you make the change. We decide how long the burn is, right?â
She considered and nodded determinedly. Â âRight.â
He fought a snort and moved to meet her eyes, fixing her with an earnest look. âHow about you come back when you're sober and if you're still interested, we can go out on a friend date?â
âA friend date,â she repeated slowly.
âYeah, we get like dinner or something and talk. Â Become friends with no expectations. Â Then in a few weeks, if you're still interested, we can start the lovers part.â
She quirked her head to the side, accidentally knocking it into the back of the couch and rubbing her head absently. âDoesnât that mean we have expectations? And is it a date then or just hanging out?â
He bobbed his head to the side in agreement and opened his mouth to respond but a knock at the door stopped him before he could. Marinette looked around and stared at the large fish tank concernedly for a moment before her eyes widened. âYou have a secret room! That is so cool!â she gushed excitedly. âCan I go in it?â She was up and trying to make her way to the wall next to the fish tank faster than he thought she could move, which clearly he was right about because she started to fall forward.
Jason jumped up instantly, at first to intervene before she found the lever that opened the door to the secret room, marveling and a bit concerned over how she knew not only that there was a secret room behind the fish tank but also the exact right area to look for the lever. But ultimately, it meant he was there to grab her before she fell, scooping her up into his embrace again. âCome in,â he called once heâd set her firmly on the ground.
âMâlady!â Adrien called, instantly in front of her and pulling her into a tight hug. He glared over her shoulder at Jason, who merely shrugged at the glare. Honestly, a pretty good glare. Not up there with Batman or Alfred, but a solid contender and definitely deserved. Jason certainly hadnât responded well when heâd thought Adrien had plans to take advantage of her. He could only assume Adrien felt the same. âAre you okay? Did he do anything to you?â
Marinette quirked her head to the side. âNo?â She looked over at Jason with a pout. âHe wonât even kiss me.â
Adrien blinked a few times before nodding. âWell⌠thatâsâŚâ He looked over at Jason with significantly less hostility. âThank you for that.â
Jason shrugged. âNot my thing. And not allowed in my club. Itâs why I had you removed. Sorry about that. I suspected you may have drugged her. But in my defense, Iâd never seen anyone that drunk off two drinks.â
Adrien snickered and nodded in agreement. âIt is quite something. Very amusing⌠when you arenât out in public. She absolutely cannot handle champagne. Sorry she disrupted your night.â
Jason waved him off.  âShe really didnât. I very much enjoyed it actually.â
Adrien gave him a knowing look. âRight. Well, Iâm going to get her home. Thank you again for looking out for her.â With a final nod, he started walking toward the door.
âBye, Jason,â Marinette called to him.
Jason followed them out the door and watched them as they crossed the floor to the exit before responding, pretty confident he wouldnât see her again. âBye, Pixie,â he whispered.
><><><><><><><><><Â
It took six days for Marinette to work up the nerve to return to the Iceberg Lounge. The first day had been spent recovering from her hangover. The next few had been spent attempting to get over her embarrassment. And by then it was the last day of Adrienâs visit and she couldnât give that up to go check on some guy. Which was not a pathetic excuse, no matter what Adrien said. The next few days had been spent working up the courage to return.
And now here she stood, at the Lounge doors trying to convince the bouncer to let her in to see Jason. Honestly, she wasnât sure if she wanted to be successful or not, but regardless of her desires, the club manager appeared and immediately let her in with a smile that looked suspiciously grateful.
Marinette00 shook her hands to get rid of the nerves causing them to tremble as she made her way across the floor. It was ridiculous. Sheâd fought akumas. Sheâd fought monsters and literal nightmares. She could certainly speak with a man who, if she remembered correctly, which Tikki had assured her she did, had already assured her he was interested. And it wasnât like there was any pressure anyway. It was just a friend date. She loved meeting new friends. New sexy, respectful, smart friends that made Marinetteâs heart race and skin burn whenever he was near.
Jason was in the middle of giving instructions for the night, a considerably slower night than the weekend had been, slow enough that he might even be able to get out for a bit as Hood, when he noticed his staff looking over his shoulder with a mix of amusement and relief, which was a significant change from their behavior all week. They had been on edge and he knew it was his fault. Heâd been snapping at everything, even the most innocent things since Marinette left. When she didnât return the next night, or the night after, Jason was reassured of the accuracy of his assessment and it hit him harder than he had expected.
So, when they suddenly looked excited, he had to stop mid word to see what was causing the reaction. He was glad he was faced away from his staff so they couldnât witness the way his jaw dropped at the sight of her. Whereas before she had been the embodiment of Veronica Lake, oozing sensuality that almost seemed to conflict with the innocent look in her eyes, now she embraced it, appearing closer to the embodiment of Audrey Hepburn, exuding class and virtue with a demure sex appeal from which he couldnât tear his eyes away.
âHi,â she said shyly with a small wave.
âHi,â Jason grinned back. âDaphne, Iâm going to have to go now. Youâre in charge for the night.â He clapped her on the back and walked away without ever taking his eyes from Marinette. âLetâs get out of here,â he paused, suddenly losing the confidence in his eyes. âIf youâre still interested. If thatâs what you want.â
She grinned brightly and nodded, taking a step closer to him. âI am. It is. Iâd like to get to know you better and see what happens. I could use another friend in Gotham.â
Jason breathed out a sigh of relief. âIâm very friendly.â He ignored the incredulous looks from his staff he was sure were pointed at his back. âHow would you feel about a friendly plate of food⌠and no wine? Come on, Iâll drive.â
She rolled her eyes but chuckled nonetheless. âI can handle wine, just not champagne.â
He stared at her incredulously from the corner of his eye as they walked side by side toward the exit. âHow about we not test that tonight? You know what we should do though?â he asked as she passed by him as he held the door open for her, his voice betraying his childlike excitement at the idea, a feeling he hadnât felt in longer than he cared to examine. He stopped at the driverâs side door and looked at her expectantly.
âWhatâs that?â she asked suspiciously, her mouth quirked up betraying her amusement.
âTango lessons!â he grinned as he slid into the car.
She stared at the space he had just inhabited slack jawed for a few beats before she rolled her eyes and joined him in the car. âTango lessons,â she scoffed.
âTango lessons,â he confirmed with a bright grin.
The trip to Leslieâs clinic, regardless of being mercifully short, had been⌠stressful to say the least. The young woman heâd held had gone in and out of consciousness as Ash had sped through Gothamâs streets. Jason wasnât sure he wanted to know how many traffic laws theyâd broken. Although, the lack of sirens on their tail likely meant theyâd gone unnoticed.
Huh. Ash should be their regular driver if that were really the case. And she deserved a raise, Jason thought as he gazed down at the now-sleeping French woman on the bed before him. Theyâd made record time after all, not to mention Leslie had patched up his annoyance friend almost-acquaintance-who-had-begged-him-for-help with a knowingly raised brow and the assurance that, despite the amount of blood sheâd lost, it would only take a few weeks before Lady Noire was back to⌠what?  Normal? That⌠didnât really apply. Hatching hairbrained schemes to annoy both him and Black Mask?
The thought made him huff a laugh and he had to admit: however convoluted they might have been, Lady Noireâs plans were clever, effective. She always got what she was after, and he genuinely enjoyed bantering with her. She also never really threw off his own missions when they crossed paths. There was, dare he think it, an approving gleam in those electric blue eyes as he took down drug rings and sex traffickers.Â
âHey, Boss.â Ashâs voice interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly schooled his expression before turning to her, both eyebrows raised expectantly. âHaz was talkinâ to the street kids like you told âim to. One a the boys says he saw Miss Noire runninâ, well, sorta limpinâ outta a warehouse south a the Bowery. Haz thinks itâs still in your territory, Boss. Says Black Mask might be tryinâa move in on your space.â
Jasonâs eyebrows furrowed, even as he nodded his acknowledgement. It was bold, but Roman Sionis had never been accused of being shy.  He wondered what Lady Noire had been doing there, and how sheâd managed to get hurt as badly as she had. He tried to remember another time sheâd been injured since heâd known her and came up blank. Whatever her suit was made ofâmagic, his brain supplied, the image of the flash of light in his office as her suit disappeared sticking in his memoryâseemed to keep her safe from most threats. The implication was sheâd been injured in civvies, and it made him see red. Well. It made him see Green. Closing his eyes and breathing deep to control his emotions, he growled out a response.
âIâll make a plan. The False Face Society knows her now, she wonât be safe on her own. And I donât know who she is, so I wouldnât know where to take her anyway. Sheâll have to stay here for now. Iâll leave Haz and Larry with her. Theyâre usually good with comfortinâ the kids, it shouldnât be a big deal. And sheâll be out of it anywayâŚâ
He barely noticed as Ash backed away with a nod, recognizing that he was no longer speaking to her, but planning out loud. He did notice when a shadow moved in his peripheral vision. Silently, he drew a gun from the holster at his hip, but kept his finger off the trigger. Alfred would be proud to know his gun safety training had stayed with him, even after death. A voice reached his ears, or rather rang in his mind; he could only call the tone impish, and maybe a bit impressed.
âItâs nice to see someone care about Pigtails ahead of any other part of a plan for once. Even she doesnât do that, herself.â
Jason assumed the nickname referred to the sleeping Lady Noire before him. Somehow, knowing she put missions or people or anything else ahead of her own needs didnât surprise him.
âYou should know some things about her before you go on your big Revenge Trip, kid. The most important thing is she would hate either of us killing for her. Iâd get away with it because well⌠Iâm a god. Donât act so surprised, how dâyou think I got in your head? Not much she can do about it when sheâs out of commission and Iâm on my own. But, I know she wouldnât like it. You on the other hand, you got a touch of ⌠Madness about you. Youâre mostly in control, though, and if her opinion of you matters to you at all, avoid the killing this time. She doesnât believe sheâs worth it.â
Fair enough, Jason thought at the voice, and felt the presence melt awayâpresumably back into the shadows. Then, he sat down at the desk, with the bed in view and pulled out a map of his territory.
As the weapon crumbled into dust that slid between Black Maskâs fingers, Red Hood smirked openly at the other crime lord.
âLooks like you got on somebodyâs bad side.â
Black Mask scoffed, but it was decidedly unconvincing. The blatant fear in his eyes fed the beast in Red Hoodâs chest that was raging, slavering for retribution. It was just a taste really, an appetizer. But the promise of Roman Sionisâ destruction was sweet, and it calmed him. Marginally.
âWhoâs afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?â Black Mask spat, and Hood could admit he was impressed at the lack of tremor in the manâs voice.
The feeling vanished as, in the blink of an eye, the swirling darkness that had destroyed his enemyâs gun coalesced before them, finally taking a shape he could never have imagined. The being, which could only be the embodiment of the voice that had led him here, towered over everyone in the room. It was a thing of nightmares: a great creature with six, segmented, humanoid arms and two similarly formed legs; enormous wings, shaped like a batâs but separated in pairs on either side of its back like a dragonflyâs; and in the center of its chest, a perfectly circular, gaping hole. But the thing that filled Red Hood with pure, unadulterated terror was the toxic, acid green that glowed from the creatureâs eyes, from the joints at the segments of its appendages, and from the hollow in its chest: the same toxic, acid Green of the Lazarus Pit.
When the creature spoke, its voice was neither male nor female, and neither was it singular. Â Rather it was a dissonant cacophony of many voices.
Still not as bad as the Green, Hood thought before he focused on the beingâs words.
âBoo.â
The deadpan delivery made Hood snort, and he flung an arm around Black Mask, clamping down hard on his shoulder so the crime lord couldnât run. He swept his arm in front of him as though making a grand reveal.
âMister Sionis, allow me to introduce⌠The Big Bad Wolf.â
Silence. The creature bared sharp, gleaming white teeth in a vindictive grin.
âIâll huff, and Iâll puff, and Iâll blow your house in,â came its ominous reply.
Red Hood had a fraction of a second to worry he might be included in Black Maskâs âhouseâ before the creature dissolved once more into the swirling, black shadow. He neednât have worried: all around him, Black Maskâs men and their weapons disintegrated into nothing, dust that was collected by the shadow. Beside him, Black Mask shook with fear and tried to escape, but Red Hood held him firmly in place.
When the warehouse was empty, that same impish voice from his base rang in his head again.
âIâll leave the last one for you, kid. He hurt her on your turf, itâs up to you what happens to him. I know what I would do, but itâs ultimately your choice.â
It took just a moment of thought, but the answer was simple really. An eye for an eye. Or in this case: an abdomen for an abdomen. Hand still holding Roman Sionis in place, Red Hood slipped a large hunting knife from its sheath in his belt. The blade glinted in the glow of the commercial lighting of the warehouse. Hood stared at the knife, considering his words, then looked his rival square in the eye.
âYou hurt someone I care about, Roman,â he said carefully. âThat alone would be enough for me to kill you. But you did it on my turf, under my nose. You tried to move in on my territory and stabbed her in the process. So, I figure, fairâs fairâWhat you done to her, Iâll do to you.â
He let the implication hang between them, before plunging the blade into the other manâs stomach and pulling it out again. He watched impassively as Black Mask doubled over, wheezing, then crumpled to the ground. He continued to stare as he cleaned the blade and sheathed it once more. Then, without another word, he turned and left the former leader of the False Face Society groaning in pain among the ruins of his legacy.
Jason pushed out a harsh breath through puckered lips and sharply cocked his head to the side before pushing out another breath and cocking his head to the other side to crack his neck. Â His eyes never left his target, even as he bounced from foot to foot to get his blood pumping for the task at hand. Â He needed his focus. Â He needed to be on his game. Â He needed to have game, which was a problem whenever he spoke to Marinette. Â Or rather, whenever she spoke to him.
But he could do this. Â Heâd strategized. Â Heâd thought through what he was going to say when she responded to him. Â He was going to be cool. Â He was going to be smooth. Â He was not going to stutter or shut down or go into overdrive. Â Now he just needed to do it. Â Stop staring at his phone and use it. Â He pushed out another breath and selected Marinette from his contacts before he could overthink it.
It barely rang once before she answered. Â âAlya?â Marinetteâs voice burst through loud enough that he had to pull the phone away from his ear.
âEven better,â he crowed with a wide grin. Â She might not be able to see it, but it made him feel suave, confident. Â Heâd like to think she could feel it.
Marinette took a deep breath. Â âJason,â she greeted curtly. Â âWhat do you want?â Â He could certainly feel her pursed lips through the phone.
His smile faltered. Â This was not a response he had planned for. Â They bantered, things sometimes got heated, usually in a good way, but sometimes not. Â He needed to get the conversation back on course. Â âWell, good evening to you as well. Â Iâm doing great, thank you for asking,â he chirped. Â When she didnât respond after a few moments, he coughed awkwardly. Â âIâm looking for Tim,â he explained, desperately hoping it didnât sound like he was scrambling for an excuse as it felt in his head.
âThis isnât Timâs number,â she pointed out flatly.
