dc smau idea???? your first texts with them, like a ‘hey __ gave me your number, hope that’s okay” or “hey it was nice meeting you” DOES THAF MAKE SENSE I just want like some awkward super cute fluff of first texts. or maybe even like a comparison, first texts vs. established relationship texts. LOVE YOU BTW SMAUS ARE MY FAV
Nice to Know You
featuring: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Wally West, Clark Kent
warning: suggestive (MDNI!!), fluff!
A/N: omggggg wait this is literally such a great idea, thank you!!? Love you too and I hope you enjoy this<33
Or: Dick likes physical contact more than he hates the heat
Warnings: It does get a tiny little bit suggestive at the end but nothing too crazy tbh
Morph’s thoughts: I feel a little iffy with this one cause i feel like something is missing, but i’ve revisited a couple times and i think this is as good as it gets — in other news, i have access to my laptop and all again so next text au’s coming soon!!
It's blistering hot, the windows have been open since before the sun had risen and it had left the sky by now. The breeze that seeps in and makes the curtains sway not enough to fulfil its task of keeping the room cool. You're splayed out on the couch, just one of Dick's soft t-shirts and underwear on as you melt on the cushions. With nothing to entertain or cool yourself —the massive heat wave that had swept over Blüdhaven being the cause of the over-exceeding use of power and consequential outage— all you can do is wait for your boyfriend to end his vigilante shift and make his way back home.
Even when your eyes start to feel heavy, it's from the heat-induced lethargy rather than the chance to catch some sleep, the effort to read a book abandoned just a couple pages in with the way all words seem to fuse together. The hardcover getting relegated to a makeshift fan, the cardboard managing to move the air around, although it barely helps, thick with humidity as it is.
You don't even look up when the door clicks open, too busy trying to get even a little bit of relief to acknowledge Dick's arrival.
He still makes sure your attention lands right on him, though, because suddenly he's flopping down over you. Covering your body with his like a weighted and incredibly warm blanket, he nuzzles his clammy forehead into the crook of your neck. You can feel the little devious smile pull at his lips when a groan leaves you, struggling for all of two seconds before stopping because it makes the unbearable heat even worse.
"Get off meee," your whine only accomplishes opposite of what you hoped, his legs now tangled with yours as his arms only squeezing you tighter around you. "This is torture-"
The complaint dies off in your tongue, quickly being replaced by a mix of a scoff and a laugh when a raspberry is blown against your cheek. Mischief-filled eyes meet yours and, as soon as your lips part to form a new complaint, a kiss is pressed to them.
"You know what's real torture?" The question is clearly rhetorical, barely murmured close enough that his lips brush against yours with every breath. "Having to patrol at a billion degrees while knowing you're waiting here, looking good enough to eat."
A soft laugh leaves you, one that melts into another kiss. You ignore his muffled whine when you pull back, looking at Dick with a playful little pout that he can’t resist but press a soft little peck to. "Aw, my poor baby. Let me do something to make it better?"
The grin that forms on his face matches yours perfectly and everything about the heatwave is forgotten when he lets out a pleased «gladly» at the same time he sits up and takes his shirt off.
jason todd x fem!reader, smut? idk man, not edited
“Jason, please," you whine into your phone. It's connected to his comms. You can hear his heavy grunts and the bodies of goons slamming to the ground.
All that only made you wetter and more desperate.
Now you have needs. Needs that Jason can’t always take care of from miles away. That’s fine. You have your trusted pink vibrator. Expect this time it decided to give out in the middle of it all. You'd been thinking of Jason while you played around, thinking about how he'd whisper filthy things into your ear, all while somehow still being so sweet and careful. him trying not to crush you when all you needed was for him to do just that. it was all you could think about while you were on the phone with him, your body buzzing with need. You want your man to crush you.
"i need you," you beg, all sense of shame gone. Your fingers play around with your clit, but god, none of it—not even your beloved vibrator—had or will ever compare to your boyfriend.
He's panting on the other side. though, for completly diffrent reasons. "fuck, sweetheart, you know i cant—
"Then talk me through it," you argue.
"I'm fighting criminals, theres nothin' sexy about it." he grumbles. "Just a bit longer?" then, he lowers his voice. "please, baby?"
Nothing sexy his ass. As if any of that mattered when he has you talking to him so wonderfully.
"Fuck you, todd," you mutter, not really meaning it.
"Later," he says as he—you think—swings at someone becasue you hear a crack.
His fingers curl inside you all the while he starts vibrating them. Your hips jerk, and a tiny whine leaves you. "wally," you breathe out.
"Hmm? Can your toy do that, baby?" he say's all smug. You'd called him complaining about how your vibrator had died. Naturally he sped over to yoour place instantly.
"wals, faster," you beg, even with his super speed you wanted more—needed it, needed him.
"greedy girl," he mutters and kisses both your cheeks. Then, the bastard leans back, fingers leaving you, your pussy clenching around nothing.
Your head falls back. "First my vibrator beytrays me, and now my boyfriend," you groan patheticly.
Wally tilts his head, his hands lingering at the waistline of his boxers. "I mean I was gonna give you something better but…
You perk up. "I love you." you pause. "alot." you look up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"Love you too, babe," he mutters, leaning closer. He kisses you slowly before giving you what you've been waiting for.
masterlist
if your wondering why this is so badly written and short it’s cause i wrote this at a restaurant 💀and just posted it
content: hurt/comfort-ish, some allusions to being left out in jason’s, being sad in wally’s, not strictly fem!reader, but i wanted to be safe and not tag gn! if it didn’t fit
tags — 18+ minors dni | f!reader, dry humping, finger sucking, wally cums in his pants, pet names (babe & baby) (1k wc)
you had been at wally’s for nearly three hours, and in that entire time he had spoken maybe five words to you in total. it was honestly impressive. especially considering he was the one who called you over in the first place.
his voice had been low and rough through the phone, breathless beneath the sound of rushing wind as he said, “hey, you busy? come over. wanna see you.”
and naturally, like an idiot, you assumed that meant he wanted to let off some steam. maybe he wanted attention, maybe he wanted to kiss you stupid for an hour, maybe he wanted to fuck you and forget about his problems.
instead, wally sits hunched over his desk in grey sweatpants that hang low on his hips and a faded flash t-shirt that clings to his shoulders. his headset sits crooked over messy red hair while the glow of his monitor lit up half his face.
you try being patient, you really do, but irritation won out. you slide yourself directly into his lap, causing wally to grunt softly from the sudden weight. one of his arms automatically wraps around your waist on instinct to steady you, but instead of finally looking at you, wally simply leans to the side so he could see around your shoulder, eyes still glued to the monitor.
“babe,” he mumbles distractedly, voice low and absent. “move your head a little. can’t see.”
a huff escapes your lips and you fight back the urge to roll your eyes. shaking your head, you place your hands on his shoulders and slowly rock your hips against his. that seems to get a reaction out of him.
wally grunts low in his throat, his hand on your waist tightening, his long fingers pressing into your skin of your hip. his eyes flick down at you for a moment, taking in how you were only wearing one of his old t-shirts and some underwear.
then, he was back to his game, fingers flying across his mouse and keyboard, eyes glued to the screen, and ignoring you completely again. frowning, you move your hips again, watching the way his jaw twitched ever so slightly.
“come on, baby,” you whine into his ear. “pay attention to me.”
finally, finally, wally looks at you properly—his eyes slide over you, taking in your pouty lips and the frustrated set of your jaw. he sighs—a soft, tired sound—and lifts one hand to cup your jaw. his thumb grazes your cheekbone gently before he leans in… only to press a quick kiss on the corner of your mouth.
“just give me a minute,” he murmurs. “the game is almost finished—”
“you said that an hour ago,” you mumble, slowly grinding your hips down onto his.
wally tries to ignore the way your body rocks against his lap, but it’s difficult to keep his focus. despite his insistence in ignoring you, you could feel his cock twitch beneath you, growing harder with every movement.
it doesn’t take wally long until he's rock hard, pressing right against your thigh, the heat of him seeping through his sweatpants and the thin fabric of your underwear.
his calloused thumb brushes over your bottom lip before pushing inside your mouth. you hum around the digit, feeling him press down on your tongue. he groans, low and deep, as you suck and swallow around it—the action making his hips stutter and buck up against yours.
you’re soaked—the fabric of your panties clinging to your skin as you roll your hips against hin, the thick head of his cock dragging through your folds.
glancing down, your eyes catch sight of the damp little patch over his bulge—his cock leaking precum and mixing with your slick that seeped past the fabric of your panties and dripped down onto him.
wally slips his thumb out of your mouth—a string of saliva connecting your lips to him. his hand drops from your jaw and slowly sides up your back, beneath your shirt—fingers warm as they drag lightly against your skin.
“fuck, baby,” he groans, guiding your hips with firm hands.
his breathing grows heavier as his lips find yours—messy and wanting, teeth grazing your bottom lip. a soft moan escapes him when you shift again in just the right way. you felt his cock twitch and before you could even think, wally’s lips were all over you—the soft curve of your shoulder, down your neck, across your chest, under your jaw, the skin behind your ear, everywhere they can reach.
both your movements became desperate—each roll of his hips was deliberate, grinding up against you with a slow, tortuous rhythm that made the tension coil tighter in both of you. wally’s breath turns uneven—sharp little inhales through his nose as the friction builds.
every grind sends a pulse of pleasure straight to his core, and fuck, it feels amazing. wally buries his face in your neck, biting down gently to try and stop the quiet moan escaping his lips when you rolled your hips once again.
he rocked up against you again slowly—a deep grind that made him shudder. there was a subtle edge to his breathing now. a hint of tension that hadn’t been there before. like he was on the edge of unraveling and just needed one more push—one more thing to break that last thread of control.
wally’s breath came in shallow, uneven gasps. his body tenses—every muscle coiling tight. then it happened. with one final slow, deliberate roll of your hips against his—he shudders, whole body going rigid for a split second before melting into your arms.
his hips continue to rock against you weakly, his cock throbbing as he releases into his boxers. wally can barely think—his body a mess, thighs burning, skin sticky, but he doesn’t give a fuck.
“not interested in your game anymore?” you tease, gently scratching the nape of his neck.
“fuck the game,” wally huffs, standing up with you in his arms and walking over to his bed. “this is much, much better.”
froggi yaps -> i bombed my interview so badly today i really needed this comfort ;-; i feel like these kinda suck but this piece was kicking my butt so badly i just needed to get it out :p enjoy
Dick Grayson:
Dick’s sleeping when you text him, the incessant buzzing on his nightstand cutting into the sleep he desperately needs. It had been a long night last night and he didn’t make it home until seven in the morning, going to bed even later than that.
Still, he forces his eyes open and rolls over, grabbing the phone in his hand. He blinks away sleep when he sees the messages are from you, one after the other, each increasingly more panicked.
He’s on his feet in minutes when he reads them, tugging on the nearest clothes he can find and collecting his keys off his nightstand. Opening his phone to track your location, Dick’s on the road in minutes.
You’re sitting under a tree when he finds you, alone and overheating in the middle of a desolate trail just outside of Bludhaven. He calls your name before he approaches, shuffling carefully towards so as not to scare you.
“Dick?” You blink, exhausted from the heat.
He crouches at your side, pressing a hand to your forehead like you’re sick. He sighs, shaking his head and fighting the urge to hunt down your shitty boyfriend and give him a piece of his mind.
“Fuck, he just left you here like this? Do you even have water?”
You shake your head. “He had the backpack,” you explain. “Said I was too slow…”
Fuck, what an asshole. He never deserved you.
Dick helps you to your feet, keeping an arm around your waist to support you. Your steps are shaky, your breathing uneven—clear signs of dehydration.
It’s a long trip back to the car, ending with Dick carrying you on his back. You’re relieved when he finally sets you in the passenger seat, cranking the air conditioning for you.
He passes you a water bottle from his cupholder. “Here, have this.”
You drink half of it in one go, the water helping the dryness that has your throat swelling.
“How are you feeling?” He asks.
“Tired, sad.” You frown, “I feel dizzy.”
Dick puts the car in drive, peeling away from the parking lot and driving back to the city. “You probably will for a while, with how long you were in the heat.”
It’s silent for a while, the exhaustion setting into your bones and a new sort of tiredness weighing over you. You rest your head against the door of the car, letting your eyes flutter closed.
“Come hang out with me, yeah?” Dick finally breaks the silence. “Need to make sure you’re okay.”
You catch the undertone of it, the part that says: physically and emotionally.
You hum in agreement, letting yourself fall back asleep on the door of his car. Dick waits until he’s sure you’re out cold before leaning over and rubbing a thumb across your cheek.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he mumbles more to himself than anything, “I’ll take good care of you.”
Jason Todd:
Jason’s busy when you call, knee deep in a group of goons in the way of your boss. Still, it’s you calling him, and he doesn’t dare leave you waiting.
“Hello?”
You sniffle into the phone, the distant sounds of gunfire making you raise a brow. “Jay?”
He frowns, fighting his way through the men while talking to you like it’s the most casual thing in the world. “Are you crying?”
It’s a jumble of words that comes next, each one bleeding into the next and filled with sniffles. Jason strains to hear you through the comms piece in his helmet, the gunfire and sounds of violence almost enough to drown you out.
Still, he gets the gist of it. Fuck, he’s going to lose the target. But he can’t just leave you there.
He sighs, “I’ll be there in five.”
You’re pacing when Jason pulls up, soaking wet with the cold rain hiding the hot tears on your cheeks. If only the rain could hide the redness in your eyes and the way your lips have pulled into a pout.
It’s more than a twenty minute drive from where Jason was to the shitty, dingy bar your boyfriend abandoned you at. Jason made the drive in five, in the rain, on his motorcycle.
“T-thanks for coming,” you sniffle out.
Jason looks around, forcing himself to take deep breaths despite the anger surging in his chest. “You sure that ass—he’s not coming back?”
You shake your head. “He said we’re done.”
Jason shakes his head, showing off the fresh red mark under his chin. You frown, reaching up to run your thumb across the bruised skin beneath his stubble. He’s ditched his Red Hood getup, dressed only in his usual cargo pants and a t-shirt. Raindrops slick over his exposed biceps.
“Let me take you home, alright?”
You nod and then he’s ushering you towards his bike, thrusting his spare helmet into your arms. You buckle it over your head, Jason turning around and tugging the strap to make sure it’s tight.
You look at him through the open visor, blinking away the raindrops that cling to your skin. “Jay?”
“Hm?”
“Do you think you could…stay with me for a bit?”
And he knows he shouldn’t, that he has other things to do tonight, an obligation to himself and this city. “Yeah,” he says, “I can stay a while.”
It’s hours later that you’re asleep on Jason’s lap, head resting on the meat of his thighs. He should’ve left a while ago and yet, he can’t bring himself to go.
Still, watching you lay like this in his arms, warm and dry from the rain your boyfriend left you in, anger still swirls in his stomach. How dare he leave you like that? You could've gotten mugged or hurt or worse, and the very thought has Jason clenching his jaw.
Yeah, he’ll have to pay him a visit later.
Wally West:
Wally’s smile dies the minute he picks up the phone and hears you sniffling on the other end of the line. “Hey, what’s going on?”
It’s an unintelligible mess of words that follows, filled with choked sobs and occasional moments of silence. Somehow through it all, Wally manages to get the gist of it: you and your shitty boyfriend got into a fight on the way home, and he abandoned you at some gas station.
Alone. In the middle of the night. With nothing but your phone.
Hot rage sweeps through Wally and before he knows it, he’s running.
One minute, you’re staring at the screen of your phone, sobbing hysterically. The next, Wally West is at your side, looking just as outraged as he is concerned.
“He did what?”
Seeing your teary eyes and the pouty look on your face only makes him angrier. He clenches and unclenches his hands, forcing himself to breathe.
The anger melts away when you wrap your arms around him and bury your face in his chest, sobbing harder. “I don’t—I don’t know what I did wrong.”
Wally is careful to wrap his arms around you, pulling you flush with his body and kissing the top of your head. It’s been so long since he’s gotten to hold you like this, since he’s gotten to care for you, he selfishly drinks it in.
“Let’s get you home, hm?”
You sniffle, peeling your face back just enough to look at him. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“My place, then,” he flashes his best reassuring smile, “don’t worry, doll, I’ll take care of you.”
-
Two hours later and you’re settled on the couch at Wally’s, dressed in his sweatpants and one of his t-shirts. After an hour, he’d finally gotten you to stop crying and instead cuddle up with him on the couch.
Your boyfriend is yet to say anything, to even check in and make sure you didn’t get murdered. It leaves a bitter taste in Wally’s mouth but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little hopeful, too.
It’s when you fall asleep that Wally snaps a picture of the two of you, your head nuzzled into the crook of his arm. He grins as he types, trying his best not to laugh while he drafts the message to your boyfriend.
He reads it over once before hitting send, nodding in satisfaction.
Don’t worry, I’ll clean up your mess.
Roy Harper:
It’s late and Roy wishes he was asleep, and instead, he’s driving an hour away to some random highway where your boyfriend—hopefully soon to be ex—abandoned you on the side of the road.
His hands are clenched tight on the wheel, thoughts racing a mile a minute. His foot is pressed harshly into the gas, each minute that passes only increases his anxiety. He’d asked you to stay on the phone with him but that was before your phone died and your location stopped updating.
He can only hope you listened to him and stayed put, and that no one else comes across you before he does.
Luck is on his side when he spots you pacing back and forth on the side of the road. His foot is on the brake immediately, slowing the car down to a stop just a few meters ahead of you.
You make a break for the car, settling into his passenger seat like it’s somewhere you belong. And to Roy, it is.
He frowns when he sees the tears in your eyes and the way you’re shaking from the cold night. “You alright?”
You sniffle, “barely. I’m freezing my ass off.”
He nods, flicking on your heated seat. He moreso meant the whole being abandoned in the middle of the night thing, but given your closed off demeanour, decides not to push it.
“I don’t understand what I did wrong,” you say quietly.
Roy drops a hand from the wheel, gently squeezing your knee. “You did nothing wrong, that asshole just never deserved you.” Not like I do.
You blink. Maybe he has a point.
And now that he’s started, Roy’s not sure he can stop. “What kind of man just abandons you, alone, in the middle of the night? Don’t you think you deserve more than that?”
“Roy…”
“Seriously, babe,” the pet name slips out so easily that neither of you notice it, “don’t you want to be with someone who loves you properly?”
“Roy,” you say again, more warning than anything.
“God, I take much better care of you than he ever has.”
“Roy!”
He breathes heavily, the gravity of what he just said sinking in. The silence in the car is hot and tense, broken only by the crackling of the heat coming through his vents. Roy slows the car, pulling over to the side of the road.
For a moment, you’re worried he might leave you, too. But then he’s grabbing your chin and forcing you to look at him, touch equally scorching as it is delicate. He’s not even sure what he’s doing until he’s leaning in and brushing his lips over yours, the taste of your chapstick like an old friend.
“All I’m saying,” he says quietly, “is that you deserve someone who takes care of you. Okay?”
“O-okay.”
dc masterlist | navigation
thanks for reading & have a wonderful week /ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹♡
content: hurt/comfort-ish, some allusions to being left out in jason’s, being sad in wally’s, not strictly fem!reader, but i wanted to be safe and not tag gn! if it didn’t fit
what a match, i'm half doomed and you're semi-sweet !!
half doomed — popular!roy harper. certified ladies man, captain of the archery team, drummer, engineering major
semi-sweet — nerd!reader. never been kissed, dungeon master, never ending tbr, top of the class
1. chapter one: natural 20
roy harper — who has been crushing on you since forever — is finally brave enough to woo you. the problem? you have crippling anxiety and can't seem to understand why he wants to hang out with you so bad.
2. chapter two: don't delete the kisses
you’re feeling down. it’s roy’s duty to cheer you up — and really, what better way than a trip to the comic book store?
3. chapter three: red ultra-hot chilli peppers
you promised you'd spend more time with him — so today, you're accompanying him at his soundcheck and meeting his family.
4. chapter four: better off as lovers!
a moment of realization makes you distance yourself from roy, though your heart can't get rid of him that easily.
dividers by @/pixopix & @/animatedglittergraphics-n-more
one time my friend mentioned she was in gender studies and my brain autocorrected to ginger studies so i said “i wanna study a ginger” and thought lustfully about wally west
"Hey, hey, whoa. What's going on?" Jason is immediately in fix-it mode, serious as can be.
There are three things that Jason doesn't play about in his life. His work as Red Hood, Arlo, and you.
"Arlo, he- he's-"
"He's what, baby?" It comes out rushed as he hurries around his apartment to quickly slip on his boots and grab his jacket and keys.
what happens when the dog that you and jason coparent together goes missing
pairing: jason todd x f!reader
cw: no use of y/n, your dog has an established name, your dog is not Dog sorry :(, use of pet names (baby), you and jason are broken up, you share custody of the dog you adopted during your relationship, angst with a happy ending
wc: 2.7k
The rain that pelted down from the sky above was frigid, cold enough to turn to slush you were certain as it hit your face. It was dark and everything was wet as you ran down the sidewalk. Tears mixed with rain when you called out again,
"Arlo!"
With no sign from your dog.
"Arlo!" You call again before another roll of thunder shakes the sky above. "Come on boy, where are you?"
The storm was so bad that even the petty criminals had taken shelter inside. The sidewalk around you was completely bareen, only a few cars driving by on the dark road. Arlo, the dog you shared custody of with your ex Jason, had gotten scared by a roll of thunder and tore out of his leash as he ran off like a bat out of Hell. What was supposed to be a quick walk before bed had turned into a twenty minute search for the poor pup in the pouring rain in nothing but your sleep shorts, some shirt that you (refused to admit) stole from Jason, your slippers and a thin sweater.
"Arlo, baby!" You sniffle. Still no sign. "Please." Your voice cracks. You know there's only one thing left to do.
With your hand shaking, fingers icy cold, you bring your phone to your ear after hitting Jason's contact.
"Aw, miss me already?" Not even a hello from him.
"Jay-" His name comes out broken.
"Hey, hey, whoa. What's going on?" Jason is immediately in fix-it mode, serious as can be.
There are three things that Jason doesn't play about in his life. His work as Red Hood, Arlo, and you.
"Arlo, he- he's-"
"He's what, baby?" It comes out rushed as he hurries around his apartment to quickly slip on his boots and grab his jacket and keys.
"Breathe and focus, okay?" His voice is full of panic but he speaks so calmly and gently to you that it only amplifies the guilt bubbling deep in your stomach.
You take a deep, ragged breath before nodding. The sniffle you let out breaks Jason's heart.
"C'mon, talk to me." He says, shutting his apartment door behind him. You tell yourself to focus and sniffle one more time.
"He's gone, Jay. He- I was walking him, before bed. The thunder scared him and he ran off. I have no idea where he is." You explain, still looking around.
"Did you put his vest on him?" You can hear Jason getting in his car and turning the engine.
"No," you admit with a tremble of your bottom lip, ready to start crying all over again.
"He should-"
"Jason."
You already know a lecture is about to start. "He should always have his vest on if you're walking him alone. It keeps both of you safe, blah blah blah"
"Okay, I'm sorry." He sighs.
"It was just supposed to be a quick walk before bed." You explain as your voice threatens to crack again.
"I know, I know." Jason's trying to stay calm for the both of your sake. "I'm on my way right now."
You wrap your free arm around your stomach and it's then that you realize just how cold you are, now that you've calmed down knowing that Jason was on his way.
"Do you want me to send you-"
"Nope. I already got it." He doesn't let you finish, his voice gentle.
"How-?" You shake your head. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."
Because of course your vigilante-raised-by-Gotham's-greatest-detective ex boyfriend is still tracking you.
"Okay well, do you at least have a tracker on Arlo?" You ask. Because if he's tracking you surely he's-
"What? No, that's wrong." Jason answers.
You stop with a grimace on your face.
"What do you mean "that's wrong"?"
"He's a dog, he can't consent to me putting a tracker in him."
"We put a microchip in him!" You argue back.
"No, the vet put a microchip in him. Not us. Besides-"
"Did you put a microchip in me?!" You ask in horror.
The silence speaks volumes.
"So, anyway, I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Jason!"
True to his word Jason takes exactly ten minutes to get to your location, giving you plenty of time to spiral and - you're pretty sure - start to develop hypothermia under the cover of a business awning. He pulls his car to the curb and throws it into park, barely giving the car enough time to fully come to a stop before he's hurrying out and shrugging his jacket off.
"What are you doing out here in your pajamas?" Jason's doing his best not to scold you as he bundles you in his warm jacket.
Your fingers are cold as they brush his when you slip your arms into the sleeves. He doesn't comment on his stolen shirt that you're wearing. The jacket smells sickening familiar; the warmth and musk of his cologne, the cleanliness of his deodorant, and mint.
"Are you smoking again?" You ask in return, not answering his question.
Jason stops, hands still on your shoulders, and cocks his head.
"What?"
"You're chewing gum, you're smoking again aren't you?"
"I- that's not- you never said why you're in pajamas."
Smoking was a bad habit of his that he had before you started dating. He'd always chew gum after to help get rid of the smell that you always complained about.
"Because I was walking Arlo before bed." You respond quietly.
He sighs before answering your question.
"I might've smoked on the way over. Stressed about Arlo being out here…" Jason's hands move to your face when you catches your bottom lip wobble.
"Hey, it's okay," he murmurs. His palms are warm against your cold skin. "We'll find him."
He sounds so sure, like he knows for 100% fact you're going to find Arlo, that it starts to renew your dwindling confidence on the matter. So you sniff one more time and nod your head.
"Right. We'll find him." And though your voice comes out small and shaky, you feel better than you have all night.
"Good," Jason smiles. His thumb slowly trails the apple of your cheek before he quietly exhales through his nose and let's go. "Which way did he go?"
You and Jason spend hours waking up and down each side of the street calling out for Arlo. He keeps his arm wrapped around your shoulders even though the storm has died down. He makes you stand on the sidewalk while he checks every alley, looking behind dumpsters and around corners. And still…
"You should head home," Jason's starting to sound defeated and you hate it. "I'll keep looking and-"
"No," you stop on the sidewalk, eyebrows scrunching together as you look at him, "No way. I'm not leaving."
"You're freezing-"
"I don't care. I'm not going home until we find Arlo." You declare.
Jason looks at you and sees the resolution in your eyes. He debates on arguing with you, he knows that his jacket is doing little to protect you from the cold, but he also knows — from years of experience — that arguing with you when you're like this is pointless.
"Okay." He finally breathes out with a soft nod, pulling you closer to him before he starts walking again. "Then we keep going.
You're both soaked to the bone. Jason's hair is plastered to his face, his dark shirt almost see through, you think that if you have to spend another minute in the rain you might actually start to lose your mind.
"We've searched every block," Your teeth chatter when you speak up. "Do you think…?"
"What?" Jason cocks an eyebrow. It's obvious that he's not in the mood for your "worst case scenario".
"What if someone picked him up?"
"He's a menace, they'll drop his ass off at the shelter and they'll scan his microchip." He shrugs. You know he's trying to put you at ease.
"He's not a menace." You try to keep the smile off of your face, but it's hard when Jason looks over at you with a softness in eyes that speak more than his words ever could.
"He's definitely a menace." He says quietly as he squeezes you just that much closer.
"Only because he takes after his Dad." You respond teasingly.
"I take offense to that." Jason bites back. His lips twitch but he doesn't let himself smile.
"You take offense to everything." You remind him, smiling yourself.
"And now I'm taking offense to that." His tone holds mock indignation and it's hard to hold back your laugh.
It's almost too easy to fall back into a routine with him. Too easy to joke with him, send sarcastic quips his way, be held by him. So easy, in fact, that all of the fights and sleepless nights you spent arguing back and forth and countless tears shed for him are a distant memory.
You're close to going back on your word and calling it a night. You're so close to telling Jason you'll just try again in the morning and ask if you can spend the rest of the night begging for forgiveness. Your thoughts are spiraling, you're cold and exhausted and
"Do you hear that?" Jason suddenly asks.
The two of you stop walking so you can try to hear what he does.
"Hear what?" You whisper. You're on high alert, looking for any signs of danger or Arlo.
"That. Do you hear that?" He repeats. Again you hear nothing.
"No…" you answer. "You and your freaky super bat hearing, what is it?"
"It is not freaky-" he starts to defend himself before he stops. "Stay here, there's something down this alley."
When Jason disappears down the alley you wait at the mouth, trying to peer into the darkness. It's useless, you can't see anything - not even Jason anymore. And what's worse is that you can't hear anything either.
After a minute, which felt like hours, you can barely make out the soft tone of Jason's voice.
"C'mere buddy, s'okay." "That's here, come here." "Good boy. Good boy, Arlo."
You take a step further into the alley, and then another and another, until you're running into the darkness. You're ignoring all of Jason's previous warnings about staying out of them because none of that matters if he's found your baby.
"Look, buddy, there she is. There's Mama, huh?" Jason coos to Arlo who's a shivering wet mess in Jason's arms.
A small gasp leaves your lips when you see him. You kneel beside Jason and gravel bites into your skin but the pain doesn't matter. All that matters is that Arlo is safe and coming home. You wrap your arms around the wet pup and bury your face into his cold fur before letting out a cry. Jason sits there for just a second before putting a hand on the back of your head.
"Hey, it's okay. He's fine." He tells you quietly.
"No, it's not okay." You cry into Arlo's fur. Arlo wiggles in your hold, trying to get closer to you. "I lost him, Jason. Me. I did. He could have gotten hurt or-"
The pain in your voice has Jason pulling you closer to him. The three of you now huddled together in the middle of the alley.
"I know, baby, but it was an accident. Accidents happen. I'm sure it would have happened to me if-"
"But it didn't happen to you."
He's quiet again, exhaling slowly through his nose.
"I know it didn't. It happened to you and it shouldn't have." His fingers stroke through your hair before he let's go, "Come on. Let's get you guys home."
The ride back to your apartment is quiet and tense. Arlo is in the backseat of Jason's car curled up in a shivering ball. It breaks your heart. Jason, on the other hand, has been uncharacteristically quiet the entire time. After, of course, telling you a thousand and one times that it was fine if you got his car seats wet. That didn't stop the guilt from eating away at you.
But you were thankful to be home. Your apartment was warm and after rinsing off yourself and Arlo, with Jason's help of course, you were feeling better. Just a little bit. Arlo sleeping on the couch next to Jason who had changed into an old pair of sweats and a shirt you had "just lying around for no reason what so ever", you in fresh warm clothes. It almost felt normal again.
You're starting a fresh pot of coffee for Jason when he quietly gets up from the couch and pads over next to you in your kitchen. The same way he used to when you were together and he would come up behind you to wrap his arms around you and press a kiss to your temple.
Only this time he stops a few feet away from you and quietly asks, "Hey, can we talk?"
You stop as your stomach drops to your ass with anxiety and guilt. You're thinking of every worst possible scenario.
"About what?" You keep your voice steady.
"I want to make a deal with you."
"Please don't tell me you want to switch our custody agreement." You practically whimper. The thought alone makes your chest ache.
"What? No," Jason shakes his head with a huff of a laugh leaving him. "God, no, I wouldn't- I wouldn't do that to you. Or Arlo." He looks over at Arlo who's still asleep on the couch before turning back to you.
"Whenever it's raining I'll come over and walk Arlo for you. Or with you." He suggests.
You give yourself a second to think over the proposal, your arms wrapping around yourself. Not what you expected but at the same time you're not sure what to think.
"That's- that would be too much." It's your turn to shake your head. "It's too inconvenient. Besides, I can walk him myself. I just need to remember his vest next time."
Jason hums in thought before he nods again. He's trying to come up with any plan he can to be able to spend more time with you and he's hoping you won't see through his bullshit.
"Okay, what about I come over and help whenever there's a thunderstorm?"
"Jason-"
"What?" He plays nonchalant. "I just.. don't want either of you getting hurt. You know how I feel about you walking around at night."
You huff in irritation.
"You always do this, you know that?" You take a step closer to him. "I know how to handle myself."
The smirk that tugs at his mouth makes you want to smack him.
"Oh trust me, I know. So does the scar on my thigh-"
"That was an accident!" You defend yourself with a reluctant laugh and Jason starts to smile fully.
"An accident? You're still sticking to that story? Babe, you stabbed with a fork!"
"You scared me!" You laugh again. "Why would you even come up behind me like that anyway? It's your own fault."
"I did train you well." He remarks smugly before stepping closer.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." You wave him off with a shake of your head but his hand catches yours.
And when he steps even closer? When the air between you becomes tense and warm? When his thumb smooths across the palm of your hand? Your eyes widen and you breath catches and a quiet "Jason?" leaves your parted lips.
"Just let me help." He murmurs. "Let me…." He doesn't say "let me in again" like he wants to, but you can hear it when he adds on a soft "Please?".
And it probably goes against your better judgement when you easily nod in agreement.
"Yeah, okay…"
You don't think about the fights or the screaming or the storming out that plagued that your previous relationship when he wraps his arms around you. You don't think about all of the nasty things you said to each other in the heat of an argument when he presses his lips to the top of your head.
All you can think about is how right it feels when he holds you close and lets himself love you without fear or uncertainty.