#please ask before continuing

[worldly-diversity]

@skathmarked ○ 𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕩 ○

          ⤷  『  ❝ you didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? ❞  』

Huh, wonder how they'd gotten this gig on their radar and why he wasn't seeing Dick around yet despite everything. Was this the kiddie-safe mission? He had to laugh at the thought, rather amused that Dick figured going after him was safer than sending them out after who knows what. They need to sharpen their coordination anyway so that's fair enough.

He's so getting his kids together to rob the tower after this though, if you wanna use him as a practice target, turnabout's fair fuckin' play~ Oh he's going to have fun with this.

"What, you mean getting this?" He holds up the item he'd come here for, grinning playfully at her and all the bravado she was showing. Awh, she didn't think he'd go easy on them cause they were young or they'd helped each other out before, did she?

"Piece of cake, actually. I was hoping their security would be more challenging. Kinda pathetic if they need the Titans' help to defend their stock, right~?"

He's keeping an eye on his peripherals and he's patched into the security feed anyway, so he's well aware that Jason and Garfield are trying to circle around and surround him. Which would work if he wasn't stronger than they were.

Don't bet on your own strengths kiddos, always assume your opponent is stronger and go for their weaknesses or create some.

What was Dick teaching them~?

[worldly-diversity]

@skathmarked ○ 𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕩 ○

          ⤷  『  ❝ the more you move, the more this is gonna hurt. ❞  』

He hissed sharply as the girl cautioned him to just hold the fuck still, which… Fair. This was a whole mess that never should've happened in the first place. He knew the damn super gig was a death sentence but he'd been around and heard the racket since it had been close to his little safehouse, so after he made sure the few youths with him at the time were hidden away safe he'd gone to check it out.

Turns out some threats you can't just ignore once you see them and he'd ended up roped into the fight. Now he's not the kinda guy to just pick sides, but some people you can't ally with in good conscience anyway and he actually likes Dick, so he figured why the fuck not. The sooner that maniac was far away from his safehouse, the better.

Of course he hadn't counted on getting thrown into some steel tubing and getting one wedged through his side. Motherfuck that hurt.

"Quit yapping and help me get this thing out…" Is what he hisses through grit teeth. Perhaps not the best language to use when she was actually taking the time to help him instead of staying to support her team, which was probably the better move considering she was powerful for such a slip of a girl… But well, he's not gonna complain if the alternative is being useless and half dead on the tarmac.

"Don't fuss too much about me and just pull it out. We'll figure how to stop the bleeding after, but we can't stay here." Naturally, he has no fucking clue she can heal him. The point still stands though, and he figures Dick might just be tempted to save his life after all this is over since he did try and help and whatnot…

Looks like he picked up some pretty good kids to mentor, too… Good for him.

[worldly-diversity]

@titxxn ○ 𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕩 ○

          ⤷  『  blows a smooch at red x, before winking at him and flipping him off!  』

If he didn't know any better he'd be tempted to call Dick immature right then, despite only being what, five years older than him? He's well aware that Dick just happens to be an absolute little shit when the mood strikes him, however rare may happen to be these days.

"Is that an invitation~?" He smirks playfully at him, brow raised and really… He wouldn't say no. It's not that he's looking for a relationship or anything like that, and in his line of work having a relationship with anyone not as ruthless and dangerous as you are is more of a hazard than anything else. One night stands are the way to go, really.

Now, with Dick? That'd be interesting for a whole lot of reasons, their little rivalry being only one of them. From his history and fighting style he knows the guy's flexible, he's smart and sharp and wouldn't just be shoved down if it came down to it, and Red quite likes that kind of challenge. It wouldn't really mean anything and it's as close to safe as either of them would get with each other, frankly.

Maybe he shouldn't even be considering it, but it's a thought that's crossed his mind on occasion if he were to be honest about it. Dick's attractive after all, and they've been through similar shit, similar paths… Just that one of them stuck with the hero gig and the other ditched the scene early and ended up a thief for hire with a nose for tech.

What can ya do, right?

If anything, Red's pretty sure he's got the better deal. Sure the gig's against the law and what not but so is vigilantism. It's dangerous and it's wild but he can steer the fuck clear when it comes to the insane gigs like say when Deathstroke happens to be in town, or the Joker decides to go on another insane spree or whoever else with overpowered bullshit shows up to ruin the supers' day.

He's got nothing to do with that entire mess and quite frankly, he prefers it that way. That's not to say he doesn't occasionally kick the ass of some idiot harassing some of the youth under his own care, but he figures that doesn't count. He's also more than happy to ignore he followed in both the old bat and Dick's own footsteps in keeping an eye out for the brats causing a mess on the streets. Someone needed to look out for them and teach them how to stay safe after all…

Some of them are good kids too, he'd hate to see them dead.

[worldly-diversity]

@shaepshiftd ○ 𝕘𝕒𝕣𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕝𝕕 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝 ○

          ⤷  『  🌿  』

Rachel hadn't exactly been paying attention to all the mistletoe, especially since she knew damn well no one would force anything on her that she didn't want. Which was exactly why she hadn't expected to run into Gar returning from the kitchen with snacks, which was where she'd been headed for a drink.

His eyes flit up first, making hers follow before she realises that, oh right, there's some mistletoe here too. A slight tilt of her head is the only apparent reaction as she observes him. It's not that she minds, so that's not an issue, but she's curious about how he feels over this.

Poor Gar looks a little flustered honestly, and it makes a smile twitch at her lips. Cute. His arms are full too and it looks like he's a little tongue tied, so she takes the initiative. Stepping closer until she's right in front of him and her hands cupping his cheeks gently.

There's no real need to say anything, and in the next moment their lips have met. It's a sweet, gentle thing that she lets herself enjoy for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Enjoy your snacks~" She hums, a tiny bit of mischief in her tone and eyes as she slips past him to rummage the fridge for whatever drink she feels like in the moment. Who knew Gar could look so cute when flustered.

[worldly-diversity]

@shaepshiftd ○ 𝕘𝕒𝕣𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕝𝕕 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕛𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 ○

          ⤷  『  🌿  』

Alright, talk about the kind of challenge he hadn't been expecting when it came to wandering the tower bored out of his mind during Christmas season. He's honestly pretty sure Dick's the one who hung up all the mistletoe even though he can't prove it and the other sure as fuck wouldn't admit to anything.

Well, not that it really matters… What does matter is that it's provided him with ample entertainment when it comes to watching everyone run into each other under the stuff and end up awkward as hell and in some cases, actually kissing. Catching Dick and Dawn had been funny, he'd seen Rachel and Gar when he was about to cross the corner and spotted them before they saw him, and of course Hank was taking literally every opportunity to kiss Dawn.

As for him? Well, he's fine just watching, or so he tells himself.

Maybe he should've been more vigilant, because he had actually been consciously avoiding running into anyone under this stuff just in case, but the one damn time he wasn't paying attention he turned the corner towards his room and all but ran into Gar a bit more literally than was welcome.

"Shit, dude—" He snapped out with an annoyed huff, taking a quick step back to keep his balance. It only takes him a second to realise they're under one of the cursed doorways and his eyes widen briefly. Shit, he so hadn't planned for this…

Never mind he's pretty damn sure he doesn't actually like guys and why the hell was Gar wandering around like this anyway?! It's not any of his business, but he can't help letting the annoyance flare. It's about the only reason he manages not to look flustered right now.

"Fuck off, man." He huffs, deciding to just brush past him, bumping against the other's shoulder on purpose before he's caught right as he tries to pass by. Looks like Gar's more of a little shit than he'd expected, cause there's nothing innocent about the grin on the bastard's face. Oh, he's going to regret this come time for training— Jason'd show him.

"What, you want a kiss so bad? Fuck, fine." He growled softly, grabbing the front of the other's shirt and aggressively pulling him in, pushing his frustration and embarrassment into it and trying to fervently ignore any other sort of reaction he might be having as their lips touched…

A moment passed, then another and he shoves Gar away from him hurriedly. "Happy now?" Naturally, he's already storming down the hall to go lock himself in his room and process what the fuck just happened.

[worldly-diversity]

@jaesntdd ○ 𝕛𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝 ○

          ⤷  『  🌿  』

A quick glance between Jason and the mistletoe and she peered over crossed arms with an amused expression at the other. Someone had put up mistletoe almost everywhere the night before Christmas even and now this was what they all had to deal with. Not that she particularly minds, since she's well aware she can just turn the challenge or invitation down if she doesn't want to.

Still, there's surprise over the fact he hasn't yet to turn away and storm off in the other direction at the sight of her. She knows he's still mad about what happened during training though, so while Rachel's first inclination is actually to tease him, she has to wonder if doing so would be the right move or if it'd just make Jason hate her more.

Eventually she makes her move, before the other has the opportunity to escape. Soft lips press against the corner of his mouth, calm and steady and well aware of what she's doing and the potential risk she's taking in the process.

"I'm sorry about what happened during training." She murmurs from her position almost flush against him, lips still close enough to brush skin should he move just that little bit to close the gap once more. Rachel does meet his eyes as she says it, wanting to convey her honesty despite the rather risqué situation.

After a brief moment she pulls away, small smile playing at her lips as she slips past him.

"See you later."

She has to wonder if he'd catch her wrist before she's out of his range and stop her over this… Part of her can't seem to decide whether or not she'd like him to. She's not usually a thrill seeker after all, so it's an unexpected little niggling desire.

[worldly-diversity]

@jaesntdd ○ 𝕛𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕘𝕒𝕣𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕝𝕕 ○

          ⤷  『  🌿  』

They had Christmas back at Caulder house, of course, but mistletoe had never really been a part of that because of their various conditions and such. So while he's familiar with the tradition in a sense, he's never actually experienced it before.

Now if he'd run across Rachel in the hall with one of those plants over his head he wouldn't have hesitated much, but crossing the corner had left him face to face with Jason instead, and he freezes.

It's stupid, he's got no reason to, and the guy's gotten the both of them into their fair share of trouble before. By all logic he should just roll his eyes and brush past him, he should, really. And yet he's standing there much like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do with himself.

It's Jason teasing him as usual that snaps him out of that, a light blush settling on his cheeks as he watches the other for any signs that might indicate he's either about to get hit or that the other might hold this over his head later. He still might, admittedly, but he kind of doubts it when it comes to this.

So after a moment's hesitation longer he huffs out a soft "Fine…", and grabs Jason by the front of his shirt, pulling him into the kiss the damn plant promised to whoever passed under it. Despite his inexperience it's still a daring move, and not just a short shy peck either.

It lasts a second or two, first because he doesn't want to look like a coward and then because he's surprised by… how much he likes it. Granted he's got all of no experience with this kind of thing, but maybe that's exactly why he lingers for a moment, enjoying the feeling while it lasts before stumbling back, flustered once more.

"Uhh… See ya—" He's quick to escape past Jason and down the hall, hopefully so he can hide somewhere and process the fact his face feels like it's on fire and his lips are tingling with the ghost of feeling Jason's lips against his own.

Damn it!

[worldly-diversity]

@titxxn ○ 𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 ○

          ⤷  『  🌿  』

If he didn't know any better, he'd suspect Dick had planned for this. Mistletoe hanging by the doorway they all went through when going between the bedrooms and towards the computers? Yeah no, that's gotta have been on purpose to make everyone's life a little more difficult than necessary.

But really, he hadn't expected to run across Dick under one of these either. So far if he crossed any of the kids he just ruffled their hair. Dawn may be the kind to choose to kiss someone's cheek but he's not gonna bother. Also, she did tell him about the thing last night while they were watching movies, and he figures he owes the guy some payback right about now.

"Had fun last night, I hear." He offers, chin tilting up in challenge as he makes himself broad in the doorway, no passage here without paying a toll buddy, I don't make the rules. Well, he does, but that's beside the point really. Hank's still not exactly comfortable with the idea of Dick and Dawn under the mistletoe together, even though he knows full well it didn't mean anything and she'd reassured him plenty. And enthusiastically, but that's for them to know and no one else—

He listens to Dick prattling out some excuses, making sure not to let the other slip past him so easily. He's a man on a mission, y'know. He can't let an opportunity to make Dick squirm for a change pass him by, now can he? Mister unflappable team leader…

Well alright, that's not a fair assessment and he knows it, but damn if he doesn't want to see something else on his face for once that that damn stoic mask—

"Seems to me like you owe me, pal." Slowly he's begun crowding Dick against the wall, until he's outright caging him in even though they both know Dick can escape that whenever he wants. He appreciates that Dick hasn't, yet.

They're standing awfully close now, and though it's obvious where they are and what they're standing under, and thus what is about to happen… For some reason it hasn't occurred to Hank yet. He doesn't know what he's about to do and it doesn't register until suddenly he's pressed himself forward and warm lips are brushing his own.

It's like a spark, setting him off…

Kissing Dick is different from kissing Dawn in a myriad of ways, but none of them are uncomfortable the way he might have once thought had the thought of kissing him ever bothered to occur to him. Yet here they are, and the hard, smooth planes of Dick's body against his own aren't a turn-off like you'd expect.

Instead a second ticks by and he presses closer, using his height and bulk to his advantage and before he knows it the kiss has deepened, his head tilted at a slight angle and pushing demandingly against the other's lips, something of a haze occupying his mind, robbing him of any rational thought that might dissuade the fact he's slowly getting turned on from this, going so far as to brush his tongue against the other's lips for more.

What the hell is wrong with him…?