#!thedatejason

[ganseyth]

The Date Masterlist

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Summary: In hopes of showing your family you are doing fine after your last heartbreaking relationship; you hire Jason Todd to pose as your boyfriend for the holiday season.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine |Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 13

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.8k

Warnings: fluff towards the end

Note: thank you guys so much for being patient with me!! i started my third year of university yesterday so i have been super busy - but nevertheless i hope you love this chapter!! :)

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You still couldn't believe this was happening. 

You had half expected your sister to get cold feet and back out last minute but unfortunately, those hopes faded as you pulled up to the chapel. 

You were glad to be here for her though. Deep down you truly wanted her to be happy even if she married that idiot you now had to call brother-in-law. 

But you also knew there would always be a part of you in the back of your mind wondering when he was going to fail her. 

You just hoped you could put her back together. 

As you got out of the car you looked over at your sister one last time to make sure her appearance was wedding day material. 

Her dress was stunning and not a single wrinkle ruined the fabric despite it being worn in the car. 

Her hair had been let down with just a few pieces pinned up to frame her face and not a single strand was out of place. 

Her makeup was simple but had a flair only she could pull off. 

To put it simply... 

She was beautiful. 

You just hoped you looked the same. 

Your dress had gotten a little wrinkled in the car and the bun the hairdresser had done before you left had sunk a little. 

Your makeup was also done to match your sisters but you felt as if some of the colors she used weren't right for you. 

You just hoped Jason would like it. 

Your heart stumbled as the thought of him standing in the chapel crossed your mind. 

He would of course be wearing a form-fitting black suit that would be custom-made just for him. You just knew Bruce Wayne would spare no expense when it came to buying his son a suit. 

You pushed that thought away as your sister cleared her throat. 

"Do I look okay?" your sister asked, seeming a bit nervous as you made it to the closed doors that led to the wedding hall. 

"Absolutely stunning," you replied with a smile. 

Your sister gave you a big smile in return as the door to your left opened. 

"Shall we?"

You looked up at your ex in surprise as he closed the door behind him, arm extended. 

The question was left unanswered as you tried to get a grip on the fact that your ex was going to walk you down the aisle. 

With all the craziness of the wedding, you had forgotten about that little detail. 

Nodding, you slowly took his arm, letting yourself be dragged through the now-open church doors.

The first thing you noticed was Jason. 

You knew you should probably be looking at the front of the room but you couldn't help it. He looked beautiful.

His dark hair looked soft enough to run your fingers through it and the red tie he wore matched perfectly with the color of your dress.

His suit fit him flawlessly and you weren't surprised by the silver cufflinks at his wrists sporting the Wayne emblem. 

He looked professional but still your Jason. 

Your Jason. 

How in the world were you going to explain your feelings towards him? 

It would probably destroy you if he didn't feel the same. 

He seemed to notice your hesitant appearance and offered you an amused smirk before mouthing, "You look beautiful." 

The words sent chills down your spine.

He was going to be the death of you. 

Your ex, as if following your gaze squeezed your arm to get your attention back on the front of the chapel. 

It was only then you noticed the music. 

At some point during your trek down the aisle, they started playing a slow instrumental song that meant your sister was about to enter. 

"We better hurry up," your ex whispered into your ear before gently leading you to your position at the altar. 

His arm rested against yours a bit too long until he let go to take his place behind your sister's almost husband. 

Then the doors to the chapel opened and your sister made her way down the aisle on your dad's arm. 

You almost teared up at the look your dad had on his face.  You could tell he was happy to have his little girl get married. 

No matter who the groom was.

He was happy if she was happy. 

You hoped he could offer you the same courtesy someday. 

At that thought you looked back to Jason who was already looking at you. 

You smiled softly. 

He smiled back before mouthing the word "hi". 

You then decided to offer your own secret admiration, "You look very handsome". 

Jason's eyes widened slightly at the compliment but then shifted to your left where your sister was now standing. You followed his gaze. 

You smiled at the sight. Your sister was positively beaming and her almost husband to your surprise looked just as smitten. 

The officiant began to say his rehearsed lines and the couple in front of you said their vows. 

Then they exchanged rings.

Then finally the officiate announced they were officially man and wife which ended with them kissing longer than expected but everyone clapped nonetheless.

The ceremony itself was short but sweet, something you knew your sister appreciated as she was ready to start her honeymoon as soon as possible.

But before they could leave you knew your mom had planned a small reception in their honor. 

So with a nod from the officiant, you followed your sister and new brother-in-law down the aisle while the rest of the party followed behind. 

As the newlyweds walked through the chapel doors your parents announced they would drive the lovely couple and your ex home to start the party, leaving you and Jason to have a nice walk home to enjoy some time together. 

"Well, it looks like your parents gave us a wedding gift," Jason commented as he waved to your parents as their car pulled out of the entrance. 

"I wouldn't necessarily call it a gift," you laughed, "I think my mom forgot I was wearing heels." 

"Ah if only there was a strong boyfriend around to carry you," he teased before bending down to take off your shoes. 

As his fingers brushed your ankle you could have sworn you would have fallen over if his other hand wasn't wrapped securely around your calf. 

"Jason I can do that," you whined. 

His smirk told you exactly how much he didn't want you to do that.

 "Yeah I know but then I couldn't do this," he replied leaning forward to place a kiss just below your knee.

You let out a very unladylike noise. 

His eyebrows raised curiously as he looked up at you with a smug smile.

Your cheeks flared and to distract yourself you kicked his thigh with your now bare feet. 

"I thought you said you were going to carry me." 

"As you wish," he agreed smoothly before bending down to offer you his back.

As your arms wrapped around his neck you couldn’t help but notice how amazing he smelled. 

You inhaled deeply to try and calm your racing heart. 

Jason glanced sideways at you before asking, "Are you comfortable?"

"Never better," you managed to say before resting your face against his back. 

His very muscular back you might add. 

The two of you walked in silence, enjoying each other's company.

However, it occurred to you that this might be the only chance to be completely alone with him and openly express yourself.

You couldn't deny your heart fluttered at the thought.

"Jason?" you called, causing him to glance at you.

"Yes?"

"I've never met anyone like you..." you hesitated trying to work up the courage to speak the truth. 

You'd barely known him a week and you were sure this went against everything in the contract. 

Still, you figured you owed him honesty.

"and it's just...we've only known each other for a short period and I don't think I'm being completely fair to you if I don't say this."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Jason asked in confusion.

"I like you," you admitted quietly, praying that he wouldn't drop you and run away, "and I know it goes against your contract and I can pay you an extra fee if that's true... well I might have to go to the bank and..." 

But before you could say anything else Jason gently placed you on the ground dropping your shoes to the side.

He then moved so that you stood in front of him. 

"Sweetheart, please relax," Jason whispered, looking you straight in the eye. "I like you too." 

Your breath caught in your chest as he continued.

"And screw the contract."

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips. 

You blinked twice as your brain took a second to process what he just said.  As his kiss became more insistent you wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer to deepen it.

"I swear to the gods I will burn that piece of paper, just keep kissing me like that" Jason breathed once the kiss broke apart.

"I like the sound of that," you agreed with a laugh pulling him back down. 

This time when Jason kissed you, he didn't pull away, instead he ran his hands up and down your dress as he explored your mouth. 

When the need for air came, he reluctantly moved back, keeping one of his hands resting on your waist as you looked into his eyes.

"I like when your hair is down," he murmured before pulling out the pins that held your hair in place. 

He ran his fingers through the strands as they fell, framing your face. 

"And this color," he said, moving his hands to grasp the fabric resting against your butt pulling you closer to him. "You picked this just for me sweetheart." 

You laughed as he kissed your neck lightly.

"Maybe," you said as he added another kiss to the skin of your neck.

"Oh trust me," he said, "I know it was for me." 

You giggled again as his teeth nipped at your skin and he pulled away to look at you. 

"I probably shouldn't ravish you too much," he said, smiling brightly down at you, "we have a party to catch after all." 

"That we do," you answered as you moved to get on his back. 

Jason smirked.

"I think I can do better than a piggyback ride," he said, motioning you towards him. 

You shook your head as you moved toward him 

"Is this necessary?" you asked teasingly when he bent down to pick you up bridal style.

"Nope," he replied simply before sweeping you off your feet, "but it sure is fun." 

You laughed as you buried your face against his neck.

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[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 14

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.8k

Warnings: brief mentions of sex

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You were only fifteen minutes late for your sister's wedding reception. 

You would have only been five minutes late but Jason kept stopping to "fix" his shoe which ended up with the two of you kissing against the nearest tree before he swept you back off your feet and continued down the path. 

You didn't mind though, in fact, this was probably one of the best days of your life. 

Jason's a good guy. He's sweet, funny, intelligent, kind of nerdy, and attractive. What wasn't there to like about him? 

You just hoped he felt the same about you. 

As you made your way to the kitchen, the sight that greeted you was nothing short of breathtaking. Your mom had gone all out. 

Floral arrangements adorned every possible surface of your house, their vibrant colors popping against the elegant white decorations your mom had strung up.

The living room was alive with laughter and music, as your sister and her new husband were performing some sort of practiced dance in front of your parents and ex.

But amidst the laughter and celebration, your gaze fell back on Jason. 

You stole a glance at him as he watched the scene in front of you, his hand still holding yours. 

You couldn't help but wonder if he wanted something like this someday. Someone to come home to, a person who you could trust as your equal, someone who would be your everything. 

You knew you wanted it. 

As the two of you made your way to the living room, the music came to an end, making your arrival known. 

Your sister was the first to speak. 

"Did you get lost out there?" she said with a smile. "Or judging by your appearance I think your date might have gotten you lost on purpose." 

Your face reddened instantly. You forgot to make yourself presentable before walking in. There was no doubt your hair was all over the place and you were pretty sure some of your lipstick was smeared on the corner of Jason's mouth. 

"We got lost," Jason said, stepping into the conversation with a smirk on his face. His free arm wrapped around your waist. "But here we are, safe and sound."

You let out a sigh of relief as everyone seemed to smile at that. 

Your dad then reached over to start the music up again from the radio. It was nice to have the distraction.

It wasn't long before everyone started dancing again.  

You and Jason decided to grab a bite to eat before taking the floor. It only took a few minutes and several finger sandwiches for Jason to stand up from his place on the couch. 

"Do you want to dance?" Jason's voice cut through the loud music. 

You turned to look at him, his eyes gazing at you with anticipation. 

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within you as you contemplated his question. You wanted nothing more than to dance with him and hold him close. But you also feared the type of response your ex would have. 

Screw your ex. You had a smoking hot boyfriend in front of you wanting to dance. 

Taking a deep breath, you summoned the courage to respond. "Yes, I would love to dance with you, Jason."

A smile spread across Jason's face, his eyes lighting up as he took your hand. As the two of you stepped onto the floor, the world around you seemed to fade away. 

Jason placed a hand on your waist as you wrapped your arms around his tall frame. 

You moved in perfect harmony, your bodies swaying in perfect rhythm with each other. Jason began slowly moving his hand up and down from where it rested on your waist. 

His touch sent shivers down your spine, urging you to move closer to him for warmth. 

You wished you could stay like this forever. 

In that moment, surrounded by Jason you failed to notice your ex making his way over to your side. 

Jason's grip tightened around you, as he approached.

Summoning every ounce of composure, you offered a polite smile and nodded towards him. 

It was the least you could do on your sister's big day. 

However, your ex didn't seem to only want a polite nod. He mustered a half-hearted smile, attempting to hide the jealousy written all over his face. 

"Mind if I cut in." He asked, extending a hand toward you. 

"Yeah," Jason answered for you as he looked over at him, "I mind." 

You gave Jason an apologetic look as you shook your head and stepped aside to allow your ex to take Jason's place.

The last thing you needed was to cause a scene. 

"It's ok Jason," you said looking at your boyfriend with a smile, "it's just one dance."  

Jason shrugged and leaned in to kiss you. "It's fine, I'll go see if your mom wants a dance." 

The thought of Jason dancing with your mom made your heart swell. He was the perfect gentleman. 

Your eyes fell back on your ex who still had his hand outstretched for you to take. 

"One dance," you finally replied, accepting his hand and allowing him to lead you to the dancefloor, "That's all I want from you." 

Your ex snorted a laugh. "Yes ma'am." 

The two of you danced to the next song, your one hand placed on his shoulder and the other held in the air by his own. Surprisingly his other hand remained in an appropriate position on your shoulder. 

"I bet he's a great lay," your ex said as the tempo of the music increased. 

You frowned. "Excuse me?" 

"Oh you know," he continued, "if you're not in it for the money then it has to be the sex right?" 

Your jaw dropped. Was he talking about this right now? Your ex had always been known for his tactlessness, but this took it to a whole new level.

Suppressing the anger bubbling up inside you, you took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. 

"For your information, not that it's any of your concern, Jason and I have not slept together,” you ground out, “and I think it's best if we focus on the celebration of my sister and your best friend, don't you think?"

Your ex chuckled, not surprised in the slightest by your response. "Sure, sure. Just thought I'd ask since you never wanted to sleep with me."

You gripped his hand tighter, the urge to lash out burning within you. How dare he bring that up. 

As the music came to an end, you focused on not letting your emotions get the best of you. 

But even as the song ended and you walked towards the kitchen to grab a drink, your ex's words lingered in the back of your mind. 

You stole a glance at Jason across the room, gracefully dancing with your mother. The sight brought a bittersweet smile to your face. Jason would never pressure you into doing anything you didn't want to. Wouldn't he? 

You decided to put a pin in it and return to the loving arms of your boyfriend.

Walking back toward Jason, you could feel the weight of your ex's words slowly fading away. When you looked towards Jason you saw how different he was from your ex. 

As you reached Jason's side, he said his goodbyes to your mother before pulling you into a tender embrace. 

"I missed you," he said as you melted in his touch. 

"I'm glad to be back," you replied before pulling him down into a kiss. 

Jason sighed happily as you pulled away, resting his forehead against yours.

"Did he say anything to you?" Jason said as he pulled back to look at you. 

"He did," you said with a frown, your tone filled with hurt, "but -" 

Before you could say another word, your dad stopped the music and began tapping the side of his glass to get everyone's attention. 

"I'd like to thank everyone for being here!" He said, raising his glass in the air. "Even though most of you were here anyway."

Everyone laughed. 

"I know this was a surprise for everyone," he continued, "but I'd like to think it was a welcome one." 

He then looked towards your sister. 

"Honey I wish you the best and I hope your marriage brings you as much happiness as mine and your mothers brought to me." 

"Thank you, dad," she smiled, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. 

Your dad turned to face the rest of the room.

"Let's give this couple a happy send-off!" 

With that everyone started clapping as you watched the two of them make their way outside to their car. 

Once the two left, the house became quiet again as the clean-up process began. 

Not to anyone's surprise, your ex decided to take off to his hotel before helping to clean with only a nod of thanks to your parents. 

After the majority of the house was clean you decided to take a seat on the couch with Jason moving down right beside you. 

"Are you alright?" he asked, placing his arm behind you. 

The fact they cared for you so much warmed your heart.

"I'm good," you replied smiling up at him, "but I can't wait to get out of this dress and go to bed." 

Jason smiled and kissed you lightly.

"Well dears," your mom said as she made her way back from the foyer, "thank you so much for your help today."

Jason responded with a smile. 

"Anytime." 

Your mom gave him a smile in return before adding, "Now please go, the two of you look like you need some sleep." 

"Are you sure mom?" you asked, giving her a small smile. 

She returned your smile pointing upstairs. "Yes sweety it's ok." 

"Alright," Jason spoke, moving to stand up, "let's go." 

As you stood you were barely on your feet for a second before Jason threw you over his shoulder. 

"Jason!" You protested, trying to get out of his grip.

He merely smirked at you in amusement.

"Deal with it," he whispered mockingly as he carried you up the stairs, before placing you gently on your shared bed. 

"Why do I get the feeling that that's going to be a continuous thing?" you questioned, watching as he removed his jacket and shirt.

"That's because it is sweetheart," he replied as he moved to stand in front of you. 

You grinned up at him.

"Now what do you say to taking a bath together?"

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[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 12

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.8k

Warnings: none

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Jason’s POV

Jason nearly dropped the vase he was carrying to the chapel. 

He quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching before he zoomed in on the picture you had just sent him on his phone. 

His heart jumped into his throat as he stared at your beautiful figure wrapped in his color.

Red.

The thought of you picking it out because of him left a warm feeling in his stomach and maybe even a sent spark of heat down below. 

You looked gorgeous. The dress hugged you in all the right places and he couldn't wait to feel the satin fabric he was pretty sure would keep his hands occupied throughout the rest of the night. 

However, his eyes lingered on your face. More specifically the smile that graced it. 

He knew these past few days had not been the best and for that, he wished he could apologize. It was supposed to be his job to keep you happy but with everything going on it proved to be a harder task than he thought. 

His job.

There were many times this week when he had to remind himself that you were his client. 

 A job to pay for the many bills that he had racked up from his time as Red Hood before he found a balance. 

But then there was the way your eyes lit up with joy after he said something stupid or how you leaned into him the other night on the couch. 

How you were quick to take care of him despite him supposed to be looking out for you.

How the sound of your voice would fill him with a warmth he'd never experienced before. 

It took everything in him not to have you sit on his lap this morning at breakfast to make your ex crazy jealous and that kiss before you left this morning. That had been an excuse on his part to remind himself that you were his for the remainder of today and tomorrow. 

He tried to remind himself that this was just temporary and that he already had clients booked for after New Year's. He tried to remind himself that after this you would return to a semi-normal life whereas he was expected to go back to his life as Red Hood. 

It would never work between the two of you. 

But then he saw your smile in that photo and that's when it got so much more difficult.

His resolve crumbled, and his heart swelled.

Somehow out of the hundreds of clients he had dealt with over the past few years, you were the only one to break his resolve. You had wormed your way into his heart and he had a feeling he had done the same to you. 

And the truth is he didn’t want this to be over. No matter what happened over the next two days, he couldn’t imagine just walking away from you. 

He swallowed, trying to push those thoughts aside before they caused him to do something rash. 

"Jason!" 

He snapped his head towards where your ex was now running up to him. 

Your ex was smiling as he noticed Jason's phone in his hand. "Did she find a dress?"

Jason forced a smug grin onto his face, he was going to make the best of this opportunity. "Yep."

He didn't miss the look your ex gave you. "Can I see?"

If he could hit him without ruining your sister's wedding he would. "She wants to keep it a surprise," he found himself admitting, the smirk still resting on his face. 

Your ex grinned back at him but he could tell it was forced. "Ah, no worries." 

He patted Jason lightly on the shoulder before continuing his walk to the chapel carrying what looked like flowers for the vase Jason was currently carrying. 

"Are you coming man?"

He really wanted to punch him. "Yeah." 

"So how are things?" he asked as Jason closed the distance between the two of them. "Your relationship with her I mean."

Jason held in the urge to roll his eyes at him, "Everything's good."

He nodded, "Yeah, well I should tell you before things get too serious I mean..."

Jason sighed, "What?"

Your ex had the nerve to look concerned, "She seems to have a problem with intimacy."

The words made his blood run cold and if he wasn't mistaken, he had to be talking about the reason the two of you broke up.

"I don't need advice about my relationship," Jason growled through clenched teeth.

"I'm just saying!" Your ex cried out, holding his hands up defensively. "She freaked out on me when I said we should take our relationship to the next level." 

Jason scoffed, "I don't think asking your girlfriend to perform in front of you and a hundred other guys at the club is what she had in mind for the next level", he said defensively, his grip around the vase tightening.

Your ex looked surprised and Jason could see the wheels turning as he put it together that you must have told him why you broke up. “I guess I can understand why she might have told you that but it wasn't like that."

Jason glared. "I can guarantee my girlfriend would not lie to me." 

Your ex had the nerve to smile. "I know you think of her as your trusted innocent girlfriend Jason, but I wouldn't believe everything she's told you."

Jason was almost certain his expression darkened and he could feel your ex take the hint. 

"But you know... it's not my relationship so..." your ex continued. 

Jason shook his head, unable to hide his irritation. "Yeah, you're right. It's not your relationship so kindly piss off if that's all you want to talk about." 

Your ex's smile faded. "Hey come on bro-" 

However, Jason didn't stay around to hear whatever he was about to say next. With that, he started making his way to the chapel opening the large barn doors to reveal the beautiful ceremony hall. 

The wedding planner had outdone herself, sparing no expense. 

There was no way they would be able to hide this amount of money from Penguin. Jason swore right then and there that he would be keeping an eye on you even after your business transaction was completed. 

Business transaction. 

He wanted to gag at the thought. 

You were more than that. 

Hearing footsteps behind him he turned to see your mom approaching. 

Your mom walked towards him, arms extended for the vase which Jason gladly handed over. 

 "Thank you so much for your help," she said softly, gently patting him on the arm. "Did my daughter happen to send you a picture of her dress yet?"

Jason smiled as he remembered the red dress from the photo and how you looked breathtaking wrapped in its silk. 

"She's found the perfect one," he admitted, "I would show you a picture but I have a feeling she wants to surprise you." 

Your mom let out a laugh, shaking her head fondly. "Oh, that girl. She's a sweetheart that one." 

She smiled up at Jason which made him feel all warm inside. He never had a present mother figure in his life and in this moment he wished he did. Your mom was so nice to him despite only meeting him a few days ago and he could tell she meant a lot to you. 

He chuckled. "You've certainly done a great job raising her."

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh boy, you're going to make me blush!"

She laughed again. "Now I better get going so I can see my other sweetheart get married tonight." 

He nodded and watched her turn around and start heading toward the middle of the chapel.

The ceremony was supposed to happen around five-o-clock followed by a small reception with the family afterward. Since it would just be the family plus your ex and Jason, the wedding was supposed to be quick. 

That would be fine with him because it meant your new brother-in-law and sister would be leaving soon and your ex would take his leave tomorrow morning. Maybe you would find some comfort in being alone with just him and your parents. Maybe you could finally relax. 

 He hoped that was the case. For both of your sakes.

"Are we almost ready?" Your ex said as he made his way over to Jasons side once again.

Jason looked down at his phone to see the time, "Yeah the wedding is supposed to start in an hour and I believe we brought in the last of the decorations."

"Great," Your ex replied happily, clapping his hands together. "I guess we should all head back to the house to get ready then."

Thanks to the adoptive son of a billionaire persona Jason had adapted to over the years, he had brought a suit on the trip. He never knew when a client would expect him to attend something that demanded black-tie attire. 

 As everyone headed back towards the car and made their way to the house, Jason was notified that you and your sister would not join everyone until the ceremony started. Something about the groom not being able to see the bride in her wedding dress. 

That was perfectly fine with him because your dress deserved to be seen in action as you were going to be the first one to walk down the aisle. 

Then it hit him.

You weren't walking down alone.

How could he forget? 

The maid of honor always walked down the aisle on the arm of the best man.

Who happened to be your ex. 

The thought alone made him sick but he knew you could handle yourself and it would only be for a few minutes then you would take your separate leave on each side of the podium. 

He could handle a few minutes. 

Could he? 

He felt himself begin to panic as he tried desperately to stop thinking about you. 

You completely took over his mind and he found himself dreaming about your hands smoothing down his suit and straightening his tie before kissing him breathlessly. 

He may or may not have added a little more cologne to his neck imagining your face tucked against it as the two of you slow danced. 

He even styled his hair in a way that would still look great if you just so happened to run your fingers through it. 

He had a crush on you. 

No, the word crush was silly. 

He liked you. 

That thought alone left him quiet as your family made their way back to the chapel to start the ceremony.

_________________________________________________

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[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 10

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 2.0k

Warnings: none

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Your face fell. 

You had known this would happen eventually but you hadn't been expecting it to happen tomorrow. 

You weren’t even sure how to feel. It wasn’t like you didn’t want your sister to be happy but you had hoped that this thing with her fiancé would fizzle out before things got serious. 

But apparently, that hadn’t been the case. 

You sighed and looked at them. “How is that going to work? I mean planning a wedding is hard work." 

Your sister shrugged looking at her fiancé. "His work said they could cover the expenses and all the last-minute details!"

"And you think that's a good idea? To be in Penguin's debt?" You asked your brother-in-law. 

He raised an eyebrow at you then smiled. "I don't think it's any of your concern," he began, "don't you want your sister to have the wedding of her dreams?"

You opened your mouth to respond but stopped yourself. He was right and yet it still felt wrong. You knew her happiness was important but to be in Penguins debt was not something to take lightly. 

Before you could voice your concerns again Jason spoke up.  

"She's just looking out for you guys," he told them. "Penguin is not someone to mess with."

"Yeah, we know that," your sister said. "But don't worry, our little mutual friend is making sure Penguin doesn't notice the expenses." 

 Your eyes widened. Mutual friend? She didn't mean your ex did she? The thought alone made you feel sick. 

Jason as if reading your thoughts wrapped his arm around your stomach from where you leaned against him. "So I take it this mutual friend will be coming to the wedding?" 

Your brother-in-law turned back to you smiling. "Do you object to the idea?"

"No," you answered quickly, feeling awkward about all this. In truth the thought of him being anywhere near you made you want to scream. But you knew no matter what you said he would still be coming. 

"Good," your sister said, "because he'll be here first thing in the morning." 

"Oh great," you said, pulling away from Jason to stand. "Well then I guess we should all get ready for bed if we have to get up early to plan," you said motioning to Jason, "Ready?" 

He stood too, taking hold of your hand and squeezing it. "Yep." 

"Great," you said, turning toward the stairs, "goodnight everybody." 

"Hey," your sister called and you stopped turning back to look at her, "this is going to be so much fun."

You nodded smiling despite wanting nothing more than to run upstairs and hide until the wedding was over. 

You quickly made your way up the stairs and into your shared bedroom before Jason shut the door behind you. 

Once inside you sat down on the bed trying to process everything that just happened. After taking several deep breaths you forced yourself to look at Jason who had yet to say anything. 

"Do you think I'm a terrible sister?" you started cautiously, "I mean what kind of person doesn't want their sister to get married." 

"No." He shook his head. "I think you're a great sister for not wanting her to get married to that snake."

You blinked surprised by his words. "You do?"

"Yes," he replied, moving over to sit next to you on the bed. "The guy is a dick and his work will only bring about all kinds of trouble."

"And what am I going to do about my ex," you asked worriedly. Jason hadn't seemed to react to the news and you needed to know where he stood on the matter. 

He smiled gently, placing a reassuring hand on your arm. "Don't worry about him. If he tries anything I'll be right here to help you out. That is my job after all." 

How could you forget? You basically paid him for this exact situation. 

 He paused. "Besides I doubt the guy will try anything after taking one look at me."

He chuckled and you couldn't help giggling as well.

"Thank you," you told him sincerely. "I owe you big time." 

"Anytime," he said, squeezing your arm once more before getting off the bed to get ready to sleep. 

You watched in silence as he made his way back to the bed before going to get ready yourself. 

 As you made your way back to bed you watched as Jason slid himself into bed. You realized that his actions had become familiar to you. The way he kicked off the sheets before pulling the covers up to his waist and then turning around to adjust his pillows to lean against the headboard. You liked that you knew his routine. 

 It helped you relax.

He must have sensed you staring because he turned to look at you once more, smiling slightly. "You're staring." 

"Oh right," you whispered back, "sorry."  

You blushed embarrassed by your reaction. 

"Go to sleep," you added gesturing towards him with your hand.

He smirked at you before closing his eyes, still leaning against the headboard. "Ok."

You stared at him in disbelief. "What are you doing?" 

"Sleeping."

"Jay!” You exclaimed.

"Yes?" He replied, opening his eyes. 

"I meant to lay down and go to sleep," you protested. 

He raised an eyebrow at you, "I could tell you to do the same thing."

You groaned. "I won’t be able to sleep."

"I can help with that." He said, pushing himself upright. You looked at him with disbelief.

"How?" you questioned. 

He grinned at you before reaching forward to pull you down so you were lying underneath him. "Comfortable?" He asked. 

For a second you considered telling him no just to see what happened.  Then, remembering your current predicament you decided to look at his face, or more importantly his lips. 

As if knowing your eyes were on his mouth his smile widened as he leaned forward. 

"Go to bed." He whispered across your lips. 

Then he moved away from you, sliding back under the covers. A moment later he was turned on his side fast asleep. 

~ * ~

You woke to the sound of your mom making food downstairs. It felt like a normal Christmas morning as you smelt the sweet scent of cinnamon cocoa your mom always made on Christmas. Then you remembered the events of last night. 

Today was the day of the wedding. 

Your sister was getting married. 

Today. 

Your ex was coming. 

Your ex was going to meet Jason. 

You were going to see the one person you swore to never set eyes on again. 

Your hands gripped the comforter beneath you as you struggled with your emotions. You felt nauseous. 

You hated feeling so unsettled. It only proved that he still had some form of power over you. 

Sliding out of bed you made your way into the restroom to get ready. As you brushed your teeth you wondered what you would wear to the wedding. Your sister probably had some preference concerning color. 

You pulled your hair back into a ponytail and let your fingers run down your face as you chewed on your bottom lip anxiously.

You took a deep breath and exited the bathroom to find Jason sitting against the headboard. 

It was only then you remembered what had occurred between the two of you last night. It wasn't very fake boyfriend of him. 

"Sleep well?" you said, sending a knowing look to Jason. 

He glanced up at you smiling, not showing any remorse for his actions last night. "Like a babe." 

Now your cheeks grew red as you avoided his gaze. "I think we should ask Alfred to send that emergency jet he talked about on the phone," you suggested turning around to make your way to the closet.

You stopped in your tracks as Jason let out a laugh. 

"Did he really say that?"  He asked, grinning. 

You smiled. "Yes, and I'm very tempted to take him up on that offer."

"That sounds like him," he continued chuckling, "but we don't need to do that. Today will be fine." 

As he spoke you could feel yourself relax a little. Maybe today would be ok. At least you didn't have to take this on alone. 

With that last thought you pulled open the closet door and took a look at your clothing before turning back to Jason. 

"Can I wear one of your sweatshirts?" you asked innocently. "I think it would make today a whole lot better." 

"Sure." He laughed, shaking his head. "I'm all for making your ex jealous today."

Turning around you went in search of a hoodie. Once finding a nice red one you picked it up along with a pair of your favorite leggings. Before heading back to the bathroom to change, you shot one glance at Jason who was scrolling through his phone. 

You tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach as you thought about him seeing you in his sweatshirt. You hurriedly changed, feeling more confident as the warmth of his giant hoodie covered you. 

 When you walked back into the room he looked up. His eyes swept slowly over you and for a second you swore there was a hint of hunger in his eyes. 

"I like that color on you," he said. 

"Thanks." You replied shyly, hoping he didn't see the blush making its way up your face. 

Jason got off the bed and made his way to the closet to grab what you assumed was the other hoodie he brought and some sweatpants.  

Giving you another stomach-turning smile he then made his way into the bathroom to get ready. 

Once again you found yourself wondering how the day was going to go and what you were going to say to your ex when you saw him.  

What did you even say to someone you once promised to love forever?

You snapped out of your thoughts when Jason exited the bathroom. 

A small grin grew on your face as you realized Jason was wearing a hoodie identical to the one you had on. "Wow Jay, if I didn't know any better I'd think you wanted us to match on purpose."

His cheeks colored at your remark before moving to open the door. 

You followed close behind him and closed the door behind you as you made your way down the stairs. 

"Good morning you two!" your mother called as she came into view with her arms full of Christmas donuts. 

Jason grinned. "Merry Christmas! Do you need help with anything?"

She chuckled as she took in your matching appearances. "No dear, I'm just about done setting the table." 

She began to walk towards the dining room while you followed closely behind. Before you could take a step further your mom stopped you just out of earshot of who you assumed was the rest of your family. 

"He's in there," she said, looking between the two of you. “I just wanted to let you know so you didn't go in blind," she insisted before adding softly, "I'm sorry honey." She said with a small frown. 

Your eyes widened. "Don't be mom. It's all in the past."

She nodded sadly before offering you a smile. "It's a good thing Jason's here." 

"I know," you replied, glancing over at him. "My knight in shining armor."

She chuckled lightly at your comment before nodding. "Well, I'll give you two a second." She said before disappearing into the dining room. 

You waited until you heard your mom announce the two of you would arrive shortly before turning to face Jason. You were surprised to feel tears making their way onto your face. 

However, Jason quickly wiped them away before wrapping his arms tightly around you.

"It's going to be ok," he whispered into your hair. 

You returned the embrace squeezing tightly into him. "Thank you."

He squeezed your arm before pulling away from you and nodding towards the dining room. 

"Ready?" he asked. 

You managed a weak smile. "I guess so."

He took your hand gently pulling you into the room where the rest of your family was waiting. 

You felt confident as you entered the room with Jason standing in front of you. However, it soon dissolved into unease as the first person you spotted was your ex who was sitting where Jason had sat last night.

As soon as he saw you, you tried to look away. 

However, his piercing eyes locked onto yours, causing you to shiver slightly.

"Hey beautiful," he called to you, causing you to freeze. "I'm so happy to see you again."

_________________________________________________

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us @awolfofartemis @drwmatic @letmebebatmanpls @apizzacalledmel @theendofthematerialgworl @nirvanaaaonly @redsakura101

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST |

Part: 15

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.7k

Warnings: fluff (nothing crazy this time around)

Note: thank you so much for your patience with me! life has been absolutely crazy with school and my job - i hope this chapter makes up for it :))

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You didn't know what to say. 

His invitation hung in the air as you tried to form a response. 

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you thought about how fast you guys were moving. 

And the truth was you weren't scared. 

You enjoyed the playful banter between the two of you but this new side of Jason excited you. 

You nodded, unable to resist the offer. You had a crap weekend and you were sure Jason didn't have fun either. So why not? 

However, your mind flashed back to the conversation you had with your ex earlier. You assumed Jason would never pressure you into doing anything but you thought it'd be best to have that conversation anyway. 

It was the healthy thing to do. 

Set boundaries so no one gets hurt.

 Something you'd wish you had done with your ex. 

Noticing your silence Jason reached out to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. 

"Hey, I promise we don't have to do anything." He offered as if he could read your mind. "We can always just get into our pajamas and sleep. There's no pressure I promise." 

As you glanced up at Jason, you realized that he genuinely cared about your well-being. He wasn't like your ex, who had pushed and pressured you into things you weren't ready for. 

No, Jason was different.

Taking a deep breath, you mustered the courage to respond. "Jason, I want you to know that I appreciate your respect towards me. Especially after what happened with my ex." 

He nodded, urging you to continue. 

"I think if this is going to work out and become something more, " you paused, "it's important for us to have a conversation about boundaries. I want both of us to feel comfortable and safe in this relationship."

Jason's eyes softened, and he nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."

His words filled you with hope and reassurance. It was clear that Jason valued and wanted this to work as much as you did. 

With a deep breath, you continued, "I just want to make sure we're on the same page, Jason. I don't want you to think you owe me this and I need to make sure that this isn't something you do for everyone else."

He took your hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Sweetheart, believe me when I say I've never slept with a client and besides, I thought we agreed you were never considered a client in my eyes."

His honesty warmed your heart. You couldn't help but smile, feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders.

 "Thank you, Jason."

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "You mean a lot to me and I don't want to mess this up."

With a newfound confidence, you nodded, the smile on your lips growing wider.

 "I'd love to take a bath together, Jason. But I would prefer to keep some clothes on."

His face lit up with a grin, mirroring your excitement. "That's perfectly fine with me."

You felt a surge of happiness and relief flood through you, so this was what a healthy relationship felt like. 

"Let's go pretty boy," you said standing up from your place on the bed smiling as you extended your hand toward Jason.

He chuckled, accepting your hand and allowing you to pull him toward the bathroom. 

As you entered the bathroom, the warm glow of overhead light filled the space making you both feel instantly relaxed. 

You released his hand, allowing you to turn the faucet on.

As the water ran warm you turned to Jason who had already taken off the majority of his clothes back in the bedroom.

The only things left on him were his slacks, which seemed to fit his muscular legs like a glove.

Jason smirked as he noticed your attention. 

"You first darling."

You smiled. "What?"

"As much as I love that dress," he paused, "I'd much rather have it on the floor right now." 

You laughed as you quickly moved the thin straps off your shoulder shrugging the dress off completely.

Standing there in your strapless bra and underwear you began to feel stupid. 

But the look on Jason's face wiped the embarrassment away. He was positively entranced. 

"Well," you teased, "what are you waiting for then?"

He chuckled as he dropped his pants leaving him only in his underwear. 

Your eyes widened. 

You had seen him without a shirt multiple times this week but to see almost his entire body was something else. 

As stupid as it sounded, his chiseled body made your mouth water.

"Sweetheart," he said, "you're beautiful."

Heat flooded your face at the compliment. 

Sure you had been complimented on your appearance before but hearing those words from Jason sent shivers down your spine. 

The blush intensified as he moved closer.

His strong arms wrapped around your waist pulling you flush against his chest.

"You're beautiful too," you spoke into his chest. 

You felt a low chuckle from him. "Thank you." 

 He kissed the top of your head before releasing you and motioning to the tub. "Ladies first."

"Why thank you, kind sir," you joked as you stepped into the tub.

 As you sat down, Jason joined you on the opposite side of the tub. It was a tight fit but comfortable nonetheless. 

"So," he began, "do you have any plans for the New Year?" 

You shook your head as you figured out where this was going. "No, why?"

He grinned. "How do you feel about attending a family dinner at Wayne Manor?"

You smiled. "Is there food involved?"

Jason shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Alfred usually makes more than we can eat."

In the chaos of the past two days you had forgotten about the butler. You hoped he was doing okay and you wouldn't mind meeting him in person. 

"Sounds perfect."

He nodded, looking down at his hands. "There's something else."

Shifting so your legs were pulled to your chest you looked at him curiously. "What?"

His eyes met yours. "Would you be okay with meeting my entire family?"

For some reason his question made you laugh. The man had just met your entire family plus your ex, the least you could do was meet his family. 

"I'd love to," you replied.

His face brightened and he reached for your hand pulling you to him.

As you settled comfortably against his chest so the two of you sat on the same side of the tub you felt his fingers gently move through your hair.

"They'll be excited to meet you," he said, twirling a strand of hair around his finger. 

"Oh?" You asked. 

"Yeah," he paused, his hand pausing in its movements. "You're um... well you're the first person I would be bringing home to the manor." 

You felt your heart skip a beat. "Really?"

He nodded. "You're the first person I've felt comfortable enough around to bring home."

You tilted your head slightly to look up at him. "Thank you." 

He shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. You'll have to meet everyone first and then decide if you want to thank me."

Smiling, you fell back against his chest. "Oh, they can't be that bad." 

He shook his head. "Trust me, they are."

You decided to leave it at that since he wasn't going into much detail. 

Instead, you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to relax fully against him as his fingers continued to move through your hair.

This was the perfect way to end the night. 

However, that thought was interrupted as you remembered how much hairspray and makeup you had on you that needed to be washed away. 

"Jason?"  you whispered.

"Hmm?"

You paused questioning whether or not you wanted this to end. 

"Do you mind if we move to the shower?"

He smiled. "Not at all."

After carefully stepping out of the tub and moving over to the shower you turned the showerhead on to let it get warm. 

You couldn't help but let out a contented sigh, feeling the tension of the day melt away as the water cascaded over your body as you stepped into the shower. 

Jason stepped into the shower behind you allowing the water to make its way down his chest. 

You watched as the water droplets glistened on his skin, accentuating every muscle on his chest. 

You were so distracted by the man in front of you, that you failed to realize him reaching for the shampoo behind you. It wasn't until the lavender scent hit your nose that you realized what he was doing. 

Jason Todd was washing your hair. 

And he was doing a damn good job of it. 

It was so relaxing to be cared for. 

You felt his fingers gently move over your scalp and your knees almost gave way.

As he rinsed that last bit of shampoo from your hair and added conditioner, to only the ends you admired, you decided it was his turn to be cared for. 

Picking up the shampoo bottle from where Jason had set it down, you put a good amount of soap in your hand before reaching up to wash his hair. 

After some maneuvering on his end, you were able to quickly clean and rinse his hair before deciding to quickly wash the rest of yourselves. 

After stepping out of the shower and drying off you both headed back into the bedroom to grab your pajamas for the night.

Once you found Jason's shirt it didn't take much convincing for him to allow you to wear it to bed. 

You held it up to him.

"Please?" you questioned. 

He rolled his eyes affectionately. "You can wear my shirt whenever you want."

You giggled, walking back into the bathroom to change out of your wet undergarments and into the warm fabric of Jason's shirt and a pair of your softest underwear. 

After coming out of the bathroom you found him sitting down on the edge of his bed, wearing only a pair of black boxer briefs. 

"Ready?" he asked, patting the spot next to him.

You walked over to join him. 

As he shifted, pulling the covers over the both of you, you sighed contently as you snuggled close to him, enjoying the feeling of his warm presence. 

His arm came around you and held you close as he rested his chin on the top of your head.

You smiled as he kissed the top of your head before you fell into a deep comfortable sleep.

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tag list: @theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us @awolfofartemis @drwmatic @letmebebatmanpls @apizzacalledmel @theendofthematerialgworl @nirvanaaaonly @redsakura101 @mvchmp @whydoyoucare866 @theroyalmanatee @luvelyxp @mxgvmiii @rainycloud858 @kimberrrrr @asahisimpnation @gone-batty-fics @b-barnes04 @flamegirl @ghostindeath

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 11

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.8k

Warnings: none

Note: this chapter may be a bit boring as its more of a filler chapter but i hope you like it nonetheless - ALSO this next chapter will more than likely be in Jason's POV - once again thank you for all the love :)

_________________________________________________

You were going to throw up. 

 Or maybe cry. 

Either way, this was your own personal hell. 

If Jason wasn't holding your hand you would have already run upstairs to pack your bag and book it back to Gotham. 

Unfortunately, that wasn't happening. So instead you just let yourself be pulled towards your seat by Jason.

A fake smile resting on your face. 

The same one you planned on wearing for the rest of the day. 

"How are you?" you asked your ex-boyfriend, squeezing Jason's hand as he sat down next to you.

You didn't even want to acknowledge him but it was your sister's big day so you could be civil.

He shrugged in response, "Fine. Business is booming."

You forced yourself to smile and nod before responding, "Good for you." 

You couldn't believe that you just said that. If business was booming then that meant Gotham was becoming a more dangerous place for women. 

"How long do you plan on being here?" Jason asked suddenly, his hand never leaving yours. 

Your ex looked directly at you, making you swallow nervously. "Ah yes, your new boyfriend."

You could feel everyone's stares burning holes through you wondering what was going to happen next.

"You know it's polite to look someone in the eyes when they ask you a question," Jason responded calmly, his thumb brushing over the inside of your wrist as he spoke.

It was clear that Jason wasn't going to take it easy on him. 

"Apologies," your ex conceded, looking Jason in the eye. "I plan on staying for the rest of the night and leaving in the morning." He paused, "Unless you'd rather me go now."

There was no mistaking the tone of his voice, he was trying to play the victim.

Before you could answer, there was a laugh from your sister.

"Jeez guys!" she said looking between the three of you, "It's my special day and you guys are ruining all the fun!" 

She pointedly looked around, "Besides the wedding planner is coming in an hour and everyone needs to help out."

"Of course" your ex replied, giving her an award-winning smile. "I'm sure we will all be happy to help. Right, Jason?" 

Jason nodded, "Of course."

And then your father cut in, "Yes, well let's eat this amazing meal my wife made."

You smiled gratefully at him.

You could tell that your mother was happy being complimented. 

As breakfast continued the conversation stuck to wedding plans and what everyone would be tasked with.  

Your parents would help decorate the small chapel down the road while Jason, your ex, and your sister's fiancé would do all the heavy lifting. 

You were tasked with helping your sister get ready and help with any last-minute details.  

Your sister had been adamant that you were her maid of honor and therefore you had to get a new dress that your parents were more than happy to pay for. 

You were excited about finding something pretty but you were worried about leaving Jason alone with the other two. 

Especially considering that your ex had been glaring at him all morning. 

Jason, as if sensing the stress that was now radiating off of you, squeezed your hand gently before leaning over to whisper in your ear. 

"I'm a big boy," he said with a mischievous smirk, "I'll be able to handle myself." 

Relief flooded through you at the gesture and you gave him a small nod. 

Your dad sighed heavily from across the table. "Well, I believe if everyone is finished then we should probably get to work."

You nodded in agreement before getting up to help your mom with the dishes as everyone else helped clear the table.

 As soon as the last dish was put away you ran upstairs to grab your purse letting your sister know you'd be down in a second. 

Once you got downstairs, Jason was standing by the door waiting for you.

"Are you good?" he asked quietly.

You nodded, "Yeah. I'll send you a picture of my dress."

You made a grab for the door to meet your sister in her car outside but Jason stopped you. 

You froze in place as he grabbed your wrist pulling you closer to him. "Don't leave yet," he murmured. His breath ghosted over your lips making you shiver. Jason's hand slid up to rest against your cheek. "You have to kiss your boyfriend goodbye."

A smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you turned your face up to him. Jason leaned down, capturing your lips gently. The kiss was sweet and you were surprised how easy it was to kiss him since you had only kissed him on the lips once before. 

After a moment or so, Jason broke away and smiled down at you lovingly. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," you said, unable to keep a wide grin off of your face. 

You left the house walking towards your sister's car. Once you were sitting in the passenger seat she turned to you smiling brightly.

"I'm surprised that your boyfriend let you out of his sight?"

"Yes he..." You trailed off thinking about what to say. "He tends to be a bit clingy." 

You almost laughed as the image of Jason following you around like a puppy came to mind. 

"He loves you," your sister said, pulling out of the driveway and onto the main access road. "I can see it in the disgusting way he looks at you." 

You shook your head at her words, knowing full well that she was wrong. You had hired the man for heaven's sake. There was no way he thought of you as anything but a client. 

But could you say the same? Jason was the perfect boyfriend. He was attentive, caring, nice to your parents and he loved to read. 

What wasn't there to love? 

Love? 

Did you love Jason? 

You honestly didn't think so. Sure you wanted to spend time with him and hang out together. 

After this whole fake dating thing, you had hoped the two of you could become friends and occasionally go to the bookstore together laughing about the time you hired him for the holidays. 

But love? 

"I don't know," you finally whispered, breaking your thoughts. 

"Oh stop being so negative," your sister retorted, rolling her eyes at you. "I see the way you look at him and it's obvious you guys feel the same way about each other. I mean even your ex noticed it this morning at breakfast. I guess you're not after his money after all."  

You opened your mouth to object but the words caught in your throat. She was right. You did like him. Maybe not love but you didn't want your fake relationship to be over. You wanted it to be real and you most definitely weren't in it for the money.

"We're here," she said as she parked the car in front of a small dress store. 

As you both walked inside you noticed the store was filled with all kinds of dresses. 

You decided this was going to take longer than you thought. 

As your sister approached the woman at the cash register you followed closely behind. 

"Can I help you, sweetheart?" The lady at the counter asked with a warm smile.

"Oh yes ma'am," your sister said smiling sweetly, "I believe I have a dress put on hold. It should be under the name Penguin." 

The sales later stiffened at the name. She stared at you for a moment before turning back to look at your sister with a smile.

"Oh yes! We received it this morning."

"Excellent," your sister replied, flashing the woman a quick smile. "I'd like to try it on to show my sister." 

"Sure honey. Let me go get it while the two of you sit in the dressing area."

Your sister led you over to the changing room where you took a seat on the sofa. She started talking, explaining everything that she knew about the dress and how your ex was more than happy to get her anything she wanted. 

You smiled through it all, nodding along at every word she said as the sales lady made her way back with the dress on a rack. 

It was stunning. But it most definitely cost a fortune. A fortune that would come back to bite them.

"This one's gorgeous," the saleswoman said proudly, holding the white dress out for your sister to see. 

"I know right!" Your sister said happily.

"It's stunning." You said politely to your sister. "You'll be the prettiest bride." 

She gave you a warm smile and headed towards the dressing room to try it on. 

 You stayed where you were on the couch as you heard your phone chime in your bag beside you.

Quickly reaching into the bag you pulled out the phone and saw a text from Jason. 

Jason: Find a dress? 

You laughed at the text. Did he think dress shopping was that easy? 

You: We've only been here for 20 minutes! 

Jason: That seems like enough time. 

You: Men 

Jason: Don't "men" me :(

You: "Boys" ;)

You grinned as you waited for his reply. However, your phone was long forgotten when your sister stepped out of the dressing room. 

Looking at the beautiful white dress your sister wore, you couldn't help but gasp in awe. It was one thing to see the dress on a hanger but when your sister wore it, you thought it was specifically made for her and only her. 

"It's amazing isn't it?" your sister asked, taking notice of your reaction.

"Wow..." you breathed, trying to contain your amazement. "This dress was meant for you." 

Your sister chuckled softly, "I bet we could find you something just as pretty. But not too pretty."

You looked up into her eyes, "I don't think anything could upstage that."

Your sister shook her head slightly, "No I guess not." She paused briefly before waving the sales lady down to put the dress in its garment bag. 

Once that was all said and done and your sister was changed back into her normal clothes she turned toward you. 

"I'm thinking we get you a red dress," she mused looking at the red hoodie you were wearing, "I'm sure Jason would approve and didn’t you ex like the color red?" 

You blushed at the thought of dressing up for Jason but you froze at the thought of your ex. You wouldn’t be dressing for him. 

You thought back to Jason. What would his reaction be if you walked down the aisle wearing a red tight-fitting floor-length dress? 

It had to be red. 

"Red it is," you agreed.

Your sister smirked knowingly as she linked her arm with yours, leading you around the store.

It probably took around an hour and a half until you found what you were looking for. 

 After trying it on you decided it was the one. It was a dark red dress with a plunging but modest neckline and thin straps that fit snugly. You were a little nervous about the slit but when you showed your sister she swore you had to get it. 

Before exiting the dressing room you snapped a picture and sent it to Jason hoping he would like it. 

_________________________________________________

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[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 9

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 2.7k

Warnings: mention of stalking, minor swearing

basically everything jason says in this chapter about bruce and batman and his injury is all a lie to some degree - he’s just making it up as he goes to protect their secret identities- hope you enjoy!

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When you woke up, there was a steady hand moving up and down your back. You opened your eyes slowly, blinking up at Jason while he read what appeared to be Jane Eyre.

His hand stopped when he noticed you looking at him.

"How long was I out?" You asked pretending not to notice that his hand was still on your back.

He looked down at you with a grin, "About an hour."

You sat up and stretched, letting his hand fall from your body.

"How's your head?" you asked, sitting up to get a good look at him. He had dark circles underneath his eyes but other than that he seemed to be fine despite his injury.

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair, briefly touching the bump on his head. "It'll take more than a little head injury to take me down."

"How could I forget," you said poking him in his ribs, "you're invincible Mr. Bodyguard."

"Well, I wouldn't say that." He smiled.

"Are my parents home yet?" You asked, reaching for your phone to check the time.

It was only half past five. They were probably getting ready to make Christmas Eve Dinner.

He nodded. "Yeah. They got here about thirty minutes ago."

You hummed, glancing around the room. You really didn't want to get out of bed yet.

"Do you think my parents will get mad if we skip dinner…" you groaned, leaning back onto your pillow with your arms crossed against your chest.

Jason laughed. "I don't think they're going to enjoy being left alone with your sister and her fiancé," he answered.

You sighed again. "I wouldn't want to subject them to that kind of torture…" you mumbled.

"Speaking of your sisters' fiancé…" He replied, bumping his shoulder against yours. "Do you want to tell me what happened before I came downstairs this morning?"

You hesitated. "What do you mean?"

The smirk on his face told you everything you needed to know. "Don't act like you don't know."

You sighed again. "It was just an argument."

"About?"

"My ex and his…" you replied quietly. "Well just him being a creep."

"We already knew that though." He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What'd he say?"

Your lips twisted into a frown. "If I tell you then you'll have to tell me what your panic attack earlier was about."

You knew it was a low blow as that was his business, but two could play at this game. You had no intention of pushing the issue but if he happened to take the deal then it wouldn't matter because, in some twisted way, it was his decision to spill.

Jason considered it for a minute. "Deal," he said finally.

You took a deep breath.

"He's keeping tabs on me." You admitted thinking back to this morning. "My sister's fiancé is his little spy."

"That son of a bitch." His voice was quiet.

"And he-" Your voice broke off into silence. How could you tell him your ex had a target on his back? "He is keeping tabs on you as well. I'm so sorry-"

He cut you off. "Don't apologize, love," he said, taking your hands in his. "None of this is your fault. He's just some dumb prick with a stalking problem."

"But-"

He shook his head. "He can't touch me if that's what you're worried about."

"But-"

He shook his head again. "He doesn't scare me." There was a hint of anger in his tone. "I've dealt with worse than him."

You looked at his face and wondered how many times as a bodyguard he had gotten physical with his client's angry partners.

Still, his confidence gave you some hope.

"Okay, so what about you?" you asked tentatively, not wanting to push him too hard because it was his medical history after all.

He frowned. "It's a difficult story to tell so I'll just let you know the basics."

He paused and took a breath before continuing.

"Before Bruce took me in I was just some kid on the street looking for my next meal," he let out a small laugh, "I was in the wheels business as the kids like to call it."

You raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"A lot of kids try to steal tires off of any new cars in the area to earn a little bit of cash." He continued. "It wasn't much money but it helped when you had gone days without food."

Your stomach sank, you couldn't imagine a young starving Jason roaming the streets.

"I worked one job that looking at it now was just the pure spite of an eleven-year-old," he laughed, "oh man you should have seen the look on Batman's face when he realized a kid had stolen a tire off of the Batmobile."

You let out a shocked laugh. "No, you didn't!"

"Oh yeah," he snorted. "Even Bruce to this day swears Batman told him to keep his cars far away from me."

You smiled. "So I take it Batman left you in the care of Bruce?"

He smiled sadly. "Yeah. Can't say it was the best decision but it was nice to have a place to stay and a family to hang out with."

He paused again. "Four years after that night I had gotten in a pretty bad accident."

You gave him a sympathetic look. You hated it when kids got hurt, you had seen your fair share of injuries in the past few years from kids living in Gotham.

"Anyway, I had snuck out of the manor one night to go in search of my birth mom. It was a mistake. Turns out she wasn't who I thought she was and a gang of thugs picked me up."

Jason glanced over to you as you let out a gasp. "They beat the shit out of me and left me outside until Bruce tracked me down."

You reached for his hand, hoping to offer some comfort.

He squeezed your hand gently. "The doctors said that I had a pretty bad head injury and we found out that I would experience some pretty bad panic attacks as a result."

You nodded. "So earlier… when you hit your head you were sent back to that night?"

"Pretty much," he nodded. "But I've been able to snap out of it pretty fast."

"Oh Jason I'm so sorry," you didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry about it, love." He said with a shrug. "So what does your family usually do for Christmas Eve?"

You smiled slightly. "My mom is more than likely making a feast downstairs as we speak."

"Sounds amazing." He grinned gently patting his stomach. "I'm starving."

You felt guilty that you forgot to ask him if he was hungry earlier and you knew he was too nice to go wandering around the house looking for a snack.

"There's also going to be a gift exchange after dinner," you sighed thinking back to how you didn't get Jason anything, "it's sort of a tradition for couples to get each other something. I can't believe I forgot all about it."

"Don't worry." He said as he got up from the bed to walk towards his suitcase. "I picked myself out a little present on your behalf."

You smiled. "Thanks."

You watched as he pulled out a small gift with parchment paper wrapping. As he walked back across the room he handed you the package which you noticed was in the shape of a book. He leaned against the edge of the bed watching as you carefully removed the tape to see what was inside.

Your eyes widened as you looked down at what you'd opened in confusion. "You got yourself a book?"

"Not exactly."

You hummed softly as you examined the cover of the novel. You then realized it wasn't a novel at all but a leather journal.

"Wow," you breathed softly. "Jason this is stunning. Do you like to write?"

He smiled. "I consider myself to be an aspiring artist of sorts."

You turned to look at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I use them to write and draw whatever comes to me at a certain moment."

"Then this is the perfect gift," you smiled brightly. "I can't believe I got this for you. I must be some amazing girlfriend."

He chuckled. "It's almost like I picked it out myself."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "Wait then what did you get me?"

He shrugged. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Jason!" you whined.

"Sorry sweetheart but you'll just have to wait and see tonight."

You rolled your eyes as you turned back to the journal and started wrapping it up again. You couldn't help but feel curious as to what the mysterious gift Jason had got for you. I mean he didn't really know you so it had to be a gift card or maybe a gift basket of lotion that everyone seemed to get around the holidays.

As you finished wrapping the package you handed it back to Jason who placed it back on the bed.

"Do you think we should go downstairs?" you asked.

"I think that depends," he said with a smirk.

"On what?"

"Are you ready to go downstairs?" He pressed.

You hesitated. "If we have to."

Jason nodded as you stood up from bed grabbing the present to bring it downstairs to put under the tree. He followed suit and grabbed another smaller present from his bag. Before you could snoop any further he placed it in his pocket and headed towards the stairs.

You followed close behind with a smile on your face as your realized both of you were in your pajamas.

You made it downstairs and to the kitchen where your mom had just finished setting the table. She turned to look at the two of you curiously.

"Don't you two look cute!” She said excitedly. "And please go put those presents in the living room."

The both of you put your presents under the tree before taking your seats at the table. You noticed he didn't mention his injury so you decided to leave it alone. Your parents had been too busy at the time to notice why you left in a hurry.

You watched as your other family members quickly made it to the table ready to eat. Your mom had taken it upon herself to sit next to Jason which was a blessing in disguise and your dad took the seat across from her, your sister and her fiancé following suit so that your sister sat in front of you and her fiancé in front of Jason.

There was a quick glare sent from Jason to your future brother-in-law but you ignored it. Jason could scare him all he wanted and you were happy to let him.

Surprisingly enough it was quite a nice family meal even if your sister kept glancing at you and Jason with a smirk. You tried your best not to notice that she kept staring as Jason was talking and taking note of every time he nudged your knee under the table. It didn't take long for her to get caught when your mother commented on her plate still being very full despite having sat at the table for the past hour.

After the dinner was over you helped your dad clear the dishes from the table as your mom announced she would be starting a fire in the living room to help keep the house warm.

When the fire was lit and the table was clear Jason came up behind you and whispered into your ear. "Do you want to sit on my lap?"

You blushed lightly before nodding slowly, giving yourself a second to prepare for the PDA you were about to show in front of your family. As you both sat down on the couch he wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you to his chest. You leaned back into him resting your head on his shoulder.

As the two of you continued to cuddle together your mom announced that she would play Santa and went to grab the gifts everyone had placed under the tree. You raised your brow questioningly at your sister as you noticed she and her fiancé didn't have any gifts for each other.

She just smiled back in return.

You looked between them and frowned knowing whatever they had planned couldn't be good.

You felt a small chuckle behind you and glanced at Jason who was smiling. He leaned forward and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek.

"That can't be good."

Before your could answer your mother handed you the small box Jason had gotten you and the parchment-wrapped gift he had gotten for himself.

You glanced from the box to your mother who was now seated on the couch next to your dad.

She nodded towards your dad as he held a small box in his hands.

"You can go first, honey."

He slowly unwrapped the gift from your mom only to reveal a new mug for your dad to add to his collection. Your mom then in turn opened her gift from your dad to reveal a lovely crochet scarf. Once they shared a brief kiss which you had to admit was cute they gestured towards you to open your gifts.

"Open mine first Jason."

He smirked before opening the gift. He gasped slightly to add some dramatic flare and pulled out the journal he had secretly picked out for himself.

You couldn't help but laugh as he flipped through the pages pointing out to your mom all the specific details that went into its design. After he gave you a small kiss on your nose he nodded toward his gift sitting in your lap.

You opened it slowly trying not to seem too eager in figuring out what he had picked out before he met you.

Once you saw what was inside your eyes found his.

"Jason?"

"Yes sweetheart?" He said leaning back against the couch.

You shook your head and laughed softly. You couldn't believe what you were looking at. Inside the small box was the prettiest necklace you had ever seen. It was a small thin gold chain with a beautiful pearl resting in the middle. It had to have cost a small fortune and the craftmanship alone was breathtaking.

He smiled softly at you. "Do you want me to put it on you?"

"Yeah," you said breathlessly, still trying to find the words to express your gratitude.

Lifting your hair you allowed Jason to slip the necklace over your neck. You felt your heart pounding as the necklace rested perfectly against your throat. The feeling of something so extravagant around your neck was overwhelming, to say the least.

Once it was clasped you turned to face him.

"Thank you," you said softly.

He simply nodded in response before placing a small peck on your lips. You both turned to your family and took in their lovely expressions.

Your mom looked at Jason with so much love in her eyes you almost came close to coming clean about the whole situation.

"Jason it's beautiful," she breathed happily. "My daughter is so lucky to have someone like you in her life."

You found yourself agreeing with the statement as you leaned back against his chest. You smiled as he wrapped his arm around your waist and placed a small kiss on the top of your head.

"Ok our turn," you heard your sister say as she reached for the envelope you had seen earlier. She handed it to your parents before reaching for her fiancé's hand. "It's from the both of us!"

Your parents shared a look while reading the contents before turning back to your sister.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!" She answered enthusiastically.

They shared a smile before handing the envelope back to them.

"What is it?" You said, annoyed that they had yet to announce what was going on.

Your sister grinned at you and you could've sworn her fiancé smirked at Jason.

"We're getting married tomorrow!"

_________________________________________________

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us @awolfofartemis @drwmatic @letmebebatmanpls

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 8

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.8k

Warnings: injury, mention of blood

i apologize for the wait! i was out of town and it got too chaotic to find time to post - i appreciate all of your kind comments!

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You dialed the number and waited impatiently on the other end, trying not to think about how still Jason was. 

His eyes were now closed, and his breathing was even as you waited for Alfred to answer.

The line was picked up after three rings. 

"Master Todd?" 

Master? 

Not knowing how to respond to that, you said the first thing that came to mind. 

"Hi, Mr. Pennyworth," you said, leaning down so you could be heard over the phone. "Um... I'm Jason's friend and well... there was an accident." 

"Is he alright?" Alfred asked with a concerned tone.

"He hit his head pretty hard and," you said looking back down at his face. "He told me to call you before he um... well he passed out."

"Ma'am, where are you? I can send an emergency aircraft to your location."

"Oh, that's not necessary. He said you would be able to help.” You hesitated. “If it helps, I am in my second year of residency at Gotham University, so I know a thing or two about stabilizing him but this didn’t seem to be normal… It’s almost like he had a violent panic attack while asleep. " 

"I see. So ma'am you're going to need to lay him down so his muscles can relax." 

"Alright." With that, you carefully moved Jason's head off of your lap and onto a pillow from the bed. 

Once you were sure Jason was relaxed you asked Alfred to continue.  

"What's next?" 

"This is going to be the difficult part I'm afraid as Master Todd is heavy. You must slowly move him onto his side. Once he’s stable I’m going to need you to monitor his breathing and let me know if there are any abnormalities. Can you do that?" 

"Yes," you said, moving Jason in the way Alfred instructed. 

"Where did Master Jason happen to hit his head?" 

Gently touching the cut on his head you found that there was a small bump on the back of his head.

“There’s a small bump on the back of his head.” 

 “How small?” Alfred asked and you moved a damp cloth gently to remove the blood. Once most of the blood was cleared away you noticed that the bump was very shallow. “It doesn't feel very big, it looked a lot worse with all the blood from the cut." 

You looked at the wound again. “The cut should heal nicely. I'm more worried about the episode he had.”

“Don't worry ma'am he's sure to wake up soon. This isn't the first time Master Todd has had an episode after a head injury. For now, I need you to make sure he rests. If you can help keep him asleep for a while I'd be grateful.”

“Of course, But-” 

Alfred cut you off softly, “I'm afraid ma'am I cannot delve into Master Jason's medical history with a friend. This is something you are going to have to ask him about when he's awake and calm.”

With a sigh, you nodded your head in understanding. 

“All right,” you agreed, remembering that Alfred couldn't see you.  “I'll stay nearby and make sure to monitor him while he sleeps.”

“Good. I'll be sure to contact Master Todd through this number to stay updated." The man paused. "Good job ma'am. He is lucky to have a friend like you." 

 He hung up before you could reply, and you took a moment to compose yourself. You felt strange sitting patiently beside Jason, who was sleeping so still. 

He looked dead. 

No. 

You wouldn't think like that. 

Your heart clenched as your mind tried to process Jason in harm. You hadn't known him very long but that didn't mean you didn't care about him. 

You didn't know how long you sat there and stared. 

It wasn't until his eyelids fluttered that you finally felt relief.  The second his eyes opened you let out a relieved noise, only for him to look at you in confusion.

You leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Jason you’re ok!" 

Jason touched his forehead then blinked up at you, "What happened?."

"Well, you passed out and had some sort of episode," you explained, handing him his phone. “But your friend helped me.” 

His gaze traveled to the contact on the screen, and he smiled at it. "Alfred?"

“He was nice. Called you Master throughout the entire conversation," you said with a smirk. 

"Hmm," Jason said, the corners of his mouth turned upward. "I hope he doesn’t tell Bruce." 

You sighed and ran a hand through your hair. You didn’t think about how his father might react to the news of his son getting hurt.

Jason looked at you curiously before speaking.

"I'm sorry." 

You looked up at him. "What?"

He frowned. “I’m sorry you had to see that." 

"Oh." You laughed awkwardly. "It’s no big deal. I’m in med school, remember?"

"I remember but that doesn’t make it any less scary," Jason scooted closer so he could look directly into your face. He lifted his hand to the side of your cheek gently running his thumb over your skin. "You were amazing." 

Your cheeks reddened at the praise. Before you knew it you leaned in until his lips were just barely brushing yours. 

You felt a small thrill rush through your veins as he pressed back. 

The kiss was soft and slow and perfect.

When you finally pulled apart you rested your forehead against his chest. Then it hit you. 

This couldn't happen. You couldn’t possibly start having feelings for him. You were his client.

With that realization, you quickly stood up. 

"Uh, I'll be right back," you blurted out, rushing from the bedroom. "I'm going to get you some ice and some water for the pain meds." 

Once you closed the door you paced outside the room. 

What the hell were you supposed to do now?

You took a deep breath.

First, you had to get ice then you would talk. 

You quickly ran to the kitchen and filled a bag with ice and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. 

You hurried back into the bedroom, trying to think of what to say. 

You opened the door only to find Jason sitting on the bed with his eyes closed.

"Hey..." you walked across the room to stand next to him. "I’m sorry."

He opened his eyes and turned his attention towards you. 

He smiled. "What?"

You frowned. "I just kissed you without asking..."

"So?"

"So? Doesn’t that go against the many rules in your contract?"

He sat back. "Look, I trust you ok. I don't feel violated if that's what you're worried about. Plus we needed to at least have one kiss by now to help the act." 

You didn't know why his reply hurt so bad.

You clenched your fists then realizing you still had the ice and water in your hands you gave him the ice and water bottle. Jason accepted it with thanks. 

"So I take it Alfred is your butler?" 

Jason's expression softened as he listened to your words. "Yeah, I've told him a million times not to call me 'Master’ but my request falls on deaf ears."

“He seems to care about you a lot.” 

“Yeah,” he smiled. “He’s sort of my grandfather in some way.” 

You looked at him curiously and he continued. 

“When I was initially taken in by Bruce, I quickly realized his parenting skills were lacking. I mean, the man can barely handle his own laundry, let alone take care of two teenage boys.” 

You chuckled. “So, does Alfred still take care of your laundry?” 

He shot you a brief glare. “Not anymore.” 

You exchanged a knowing look with him. 

“Alright, fine! He still helps out when I visit. Are you satisfied now that you know a grown man has a butler do his laundry?” 

“Very,” you said with a smirk. 

He laughed softly. “Well I hate to cut our conversation short but I feel like I am in desperate need of a shower.” 

You nodded in understanding, the fatigue of your long day has hit you a while ago. “Of course, no problem. Do you want to take the first shower?” 

He stood up, stretching his arm and holding the bag of ice to the back of his head. “Sounds good.” 

As he made his way to the bathroom, you noticed the events of the day etched on his face. It was clear that he was exhausted. Which meant it was not the best time to bring up the conversation you had with your sister’s fiance or his little episode. 

The sound of running water soon filled the room but not from the shower. 

It sounded like Jason Todd was taking a bath. 

Time passed, and you found yourself lost in your mind until you heard the bathroom door click. He emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped around his very bare shoulders, and pajama pants low on his hips. 

“That was exactly what I needed,” he said with a smile. 

You stood up, making your way to the bathroom. “Well, I for one did not take you as a bath man Mr. Todd.” 

He chucked. “Make fun of me all you want but just know that that tub has magical healing powers.” 

With a small laugh, you stepped into the bathroom, turning on the shower. As you washed away all of the day's events you couldn’t help but think back to the kiss. 

How his lips felt pressed against yours. 

How the feeling of his hand against your cheek made the butterflies in your stomach flurry. 

How you needed to get yourself under control. You weren’t allowed to have feelings in a game like this. 

Turning off the water you dried yourself with a towel. You then turned off the lights and stepped out of the bathroom looking towards the bed Jason now took up almost completely. 

Your body ached and you were ready for sleep. You wanted nothing more than to sleep until the next morning. 

Sending a quick text to your parents saying you were both ok after your sudden departure and that you were going to stay in your room until dinner, you sat on the bed.  

For a moment you just stared at the wall. Then, sighing, you laid down and looked at Jason who was resting against the headboard. 

Your eyes traced over him, his chest rising and falling. 

"Jason?" You said softly. 

"Yeah?" He responded. A soft smile on his face. 

You rolled onto your side facing him. "You can take a nap if you want. I'll stay awake just in case you need anything."  

He shook his head. "It's fine. I can't sleep after an episode."

"Does that happen a lot?" you asked. 

He shrugged. “That's the first one I've had in a while."

"Oh." You frowned. "Sorry."

"No, don't be." He shifted so that he was looking down at you. "How about you get some rest?" 

You smiled lightly. "Ok."

He moved his arm so that his fingers gently moved through your hair.  You sighed contently, closing your eyes as the feeling relaxed you. 

It wasn't long before you drifted off.

_________________________________________________

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us @awolfofartemis @drwmatic @letmebebatmanpls

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 7

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 2.0k

Warnings: injury, mention of blood, mention of stalking

_________________________________________________

Once you had put on a warm outfit and tied your hair up into a ponytail, you turned toward Jason who was currently changing in the restroom to tell him you’d meet him outside. 

 He’d been acting strange since the conversation with your sister, and you were worried he wouldn't want to stay the rest of the trip. Heck, you weren't sure you wanted him to stay if it meant him getting harassed by your family. 

You sighed as you made your way down the stairs and into the living room to meet your parents. It looked like they weren’t ready so you sat yourself down on the couch to wait.  

You wondered what they thought about Jason's dad being Bruce Wayne. They had to know that he was rich from what your sister said, but even you didn’t know much else beyond that. You weren’t too worried as your parents weren't ones to be concerned with trivial things which was obvious because they let your sister get engaged to a monster. 

Hearing footsteps you put your thoughts on Bruce Wayne aside when your sister's fiancé stepped into the room.

He walked over to the unoccupied spot next to you on the couch and plopped down despite all the other available seats in the room.

 "You know he misses you right?" He said after a minute or two, staring at his phone. 

"What?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

He shook his head and looked up from his phone with a laugh. 

"You know who I'm talking about." 

You looked away from his gaze. The last thing you needed today was to talk about your ex with his best friend.

 "I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Why not?" His tone got more condescending, causing you to shiver. 

"He doesn't care about me if he asked me to do those things."

"Oh come on! He only did that because he wanted the extra cash to buy you something pretty. That's pretty messed up for you to think otherwise?"

"So, you're telling me," you hissed. "That he wanted me to do those things, with other people, for my benefit?" 

"Well, when you say it like that -"

"Tell him to leave me alone. I'm happy without him."

“Sure you are.” He rolled his eyes. "So, what exactly are you doing showing up here with Bruce Wayne’s son?"

You crossed your arms over your chest. 

 "I wasn't aware that that was any of your business."

"Honey, everything you do is my business." He said with a snicker. "Who else is going to tell him what's going on in your life?" 

"That's none of his business!" You yelled at him angrily standing to your feet. You didn't need someone keeping tabs on you. Especially not him.

"Alright, alright calm down." He said grabbing you rather harshly.

You recoiled from his grip and glared at him. "Don't touch me!"

He dropped his hand. "He knows about Jason."

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down before responding. "Please don't drag Jason into your mess he doesn't -" 

"He does though, and it's even better now knowing that his daddy has money."

"You need to leave him alone-"

"No one asked for your opinion!" He stood quickly, grabbing you again with surprising strength. You struggled against him, fighting the urge to scream. 

"Let her go."  

Your father spoke sternly from the doorway where he'd just arrived with your mother. 

He immediately released you, looking shocked. His hands moved back to rub the back of his head. 

"Uh sorry sir. I was just telling your daughter here that no one needs to go out into the snow" he smiled softly. 

"As much as I appreciate your concern," your dad said, stepping forward. "There is no need to grab her like that." He raised his voice slightly to add emphasis to his point, "Especially not in my house."

He nodded, and you watched as he took a step away from your dad. You took the opportunity to look at your mom who was giving you a questioning look.  

You waved her off before looking at your dad, "It's ok dad. I didn't mean to yell like that." 

He frowned and shook his head.

The silence stretched between the four of you until you heard a set of footsteps descending the stairs. 

When you turned around you saw Jason walking down towards you. He gave you a half grin. 

"Hey there beautiful." He said as he pulled you close to him. "Did something happen?" He gave you a concerned look. 

You shook your head. "Oh, it was nothing. Just a little argument!"

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking between your dad and soon-to-be brother-in-law. 

You nodded. "I'll tell you about it later."

Jason nodded and tightened his arm around your waist. "Okay."

"So kids, let's head on out," your father said, breaking the tension. 

To your relief, your sister and her fiancé seemed perfectly fine staying home so it would just be Jason and your parents tagging along. 

As you walked along the salted road to your neighbor's house you listened to the snow crunching beneath Jason's boots. You didn't know how you were supposed to tell him he now had a target on his back. 

If he didn't want to leave earlier then he definitely would want to leave now. How could you be so stupid to hire him in your situation? He would probably ask you for more money to cover up this mess and you definitely couldn't afford it. Hell, you should probably be paying him for helping with yard work. 

As if reading your thoughts, he reached up to tug on your ponytail.  

"Stop worrying. I'll make sure I do all the heavy lifting. Your parents will just be glorified supervisors."

You bit your lip looking to where your parents were several feet in front of you. "Thank you. But..."

"But what?"

"I feel like I should be paying you extra for this." 

His face broke out into a smile as he laughed.

"Thanks for the concern sweetheart but I've done harder things than moving stuff in the snow." 

He patted your head before leaning closer to you and whispering, "Besides, your Christmas gift to me tomorrow will make up for this."

You stared at him wide-eyed in disbelief. Were you supposed to get him a present? I mean of course you were because of course he's your boyfriend who is here with you over the holiday... So how did you forget? 

Noticing your expression he laughed again. "Relax sweetheart. You didn’t have to get me anything special. Besides, I brought something for you to give me."

"No Jason, that's not fair." 

"Yeah well," he shrugged as you both entered the yard leading to your neighbor’s house. "I thought you'd be too busy thinking about backing out of the whole escort thing so I took care of it."

You opened your mouth, about to respond, but your dad beat you to the punch.

"Well kids, it seems like this tree is a lot bigger than they described." 

You groaned quietly as you followed your dad's gaze to the tree lying in the driveway. 

Jason grinned as he followed suit, looking at the scene before you. 

"Ah, nothing I can't handle. I just hope you have a big enough fireplace to burn all of this stuff." 

"Oh dear, please be careful," your mom said as Jason walked towards the tree.

"Yes ma'am," he replied, picking the largest branch off the ground and carrying it to the side. "How about you guys go inside and have some tea with your neighbors while we take care of things out here." 

You looked at him curiously before looking at your parents. 

"I'd prefer if you guys didn't do anything that would put you at risk." 

Your father laughed. "Look honey, our daughter thinks we aren't capable-"

"It was my decision" Jason cut him off. "It would help the both of us feel at ease if you guys were to watch safely from inside." 

You couldn't help but smirk; there's no way they would object to Jason. 

"Oh well alright son," your dad started, "thank you." 

"Come on honey." Your mom gestured for him to follow her into the house before looking at you, "Be safe."

Once they disappeared into the house, Jason turned around to face you. 

"I can do all of this if you want." He asked. 

"No thank you."

"It's not a bother."

"It's not a bother to me either."

Jason sighed in defeat. 

"Fine then," he placed his hands on the branch, "but don't overexert yourself, and be careful." 

You chuckled lightly. "I am careful."

He raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. "Yeah ok."

You rolled your eyes, and without another word, you grabbed onto a smaller branch and brought it towards the other branch he had dropped to the side. 

The both of you slowly worked your way down the tree. Stopping occasionally to cut the larger pieces down so you could carry them to the pile. 

By the end of it, you had worked up a sweat, and looking towards Jason who had stripped down to his undershirt, he did too.

"See. I told you I was careful."

He scoffed. "Ok fine. Can’t blame a man for worrying about his girlfriend." 

You rolled your eyes, turning around to walk into the house to get your parents. But what you didn't realize was that underneath the now removed tree was a slick patch of ice. 

And when your foot landed on it you slipped, causing you to stumble backward.

Jason shouted and in a matter of seconds, he'd somehow wrapped his arms securely around your waist, catching you in time to keep you from hitting your head. 

"Are you okay?!" He asked attempting to sit up.

You nodded as you stood up to help him to his feet. 

Your cheeks turned red from embarrassment but quickly disappeared as you noticed a small trail of blood making its way down his face from his hairline. 

You gasped loudly at the sight of it dripping onto the ground. 

Jason flinched slightly as he touched his head.

"Woah, woah, hold on! Let me tell my dad we’re done and going back home," you said running to the front door.

A few seconds later, you came back to Jason using his shirt to stop the bleeding. 

"I called the emergency room but they said the roads are going to be shut down for hours." You explained hurriedly trying to calm yourself down. “Jason I’m so sorry.” 

He hesitated. 

"It's ok really. This isn't the first time this has happened, and I know who to call. You're just going to have to help me." 

You nodded.

After convincing your parents to spend more time with your neighbors the two of you made a hurried trip back to your house. 

Once inside you quickly rushed Jason to your room promising to fix everything. 

You helped him sit down on the bed before going through to the bathroom to grab a bottle of pain meds and a damp cloth.

"Jason, I have some pain meds and I want you to hold this to your head-"

Your eyes scanned where he was just sitting on the bed to where he was now lying on the floor with his phone in his hand. 

You quickly sat on the floor beside him propping his head on your thigh before reaching for his phone. 

"Let me see that."

He glanced up at you, slightly delirious.

"Jason, who do I need to call?" You said raising your voice a little. "Please."

Jason slowly handed his phone over to you mumbling something you couldn’t hear. 

You looked at the screen intently, wondering who he was looking for. 

The contact read: Alfred Pennyworth

“Jason who is-” 

It was at that moment Jason started thrashing around uncontrollably. 

His eyes were open and had a strange green tint to them. His mouth hung open slightly, contorted in an expression of pain. His breath was coming out in harsh exhales and his hands moved to cover his ears. 

 He let out a strangled cry before falling silent. 

With shaky hands, you hit the call button. 

---------------------------------------------------------

tag list: @theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 3

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.7k

Warnings: annoying family members, fluff

I appreciate all the love on parts one and two! I believe I tagged everyone who requested.

_________________________________________________

Jason, being the complete gentleman he was, ran around to open your door while offering his hand. You accepted it but didn't get out of the car right away.

As if noticing your hesitation he squeezed your hand gently.

"It's okay if you're worried," he said, voice quieting slightly, almost as if he were talking to a scared child. "Family reunions can be quite intense."

"But they're family," you replied, feeling slightly relieved but also annoyed with yourself for being a mess in front of him.

"Nobody has a perfect family sweetheart," Jason reassured you. "If this is too much for you, then we can take breaks when we need to."

You felt guilty about how considerate he was. You didn't deserve his kindness.

"No, it's fine. I want to do this."

Before he could reply, you gripped his hand and got out. Once you were on your feet, Jason moved to get the bags out of the car.

He had just managed to pull them all out when you heard the front door open and a squeal so loud it could only belong to your sister.

You sighed and directed your attention to the person currently running towards you.

Your sister jumped into your arms and knocked the breath out of you before letting go.

"Hey, sis. How was the drive?" she asked with a soft smile, taking one long look at the car you arrived in.

It was only then she noticed your date. She seemed momentarily confused and then her face lit up in a way that made you question whether or not you should have chosen the best of the best.

"Oh my gods! He is one sexy beast!" Her enthusiasm was so strong that you found yourself embarrassed for subjecting Jason to your sisters harassment.

"Jason, this is my sister…" you murmured, giving Jason an apologetic look.

His expression softened slightly, and then he smiled at your sister. "Thanks for having me. I'm Jason."

She ignored his greeting and instead hugged him tightly. You didn't know why but a spark of jealousy tore through you.

She pulled back slowly to examine him. "Oh, dad's going to have a fun time with him!"

Her comment put you on high alert but before either of you could say anything more your dad appeared in the doorway. His eyes instantly focused on you and his expression softened, only before his gaze shifted to the man standing next to you.

"And who is this young man?" your dad asked his voice light but laced with concern.

"Dad, this is Jason, I told you about him on the phone."

"And what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?" Your father kept his voice steady but there was no mistaking the severity behind his question.

You felt your cheeks heat up. "Dad!"

The smile that Jason flashed your way was enough to erase your worries.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Jason replied, holding out his arm to shake hands. Your father took it without hesitation and smiled as they nodded toward one another.

"That's a good grip you've got there son."

Jason chuckled softly and shook his head. "I'll have to tell my dad that his lessons are finally paying off."

Your dad released his hold and gestured to the entrance. "Please come inside. We'll introduce you to everybody."

"Of course."

Jason followed you inside along with his two bags and your duffel slung across his chest. You offered to help but he brushed it off saying that as your boyfriend he was the designated bag holder. You rolled your eyes but complied, deciding to place your purse on top of the duffel to which he only laughed.

"Hello dear!"

You turned around when you heard your mom. It wasn't until she wrapped you in a tight hug that your eyes started filling with tears.

"Mom," you choked out. "I missed you."

She let go and wiped away the few stray tears that slipped down your face.

"We've been thinking about you, sweetie. How has everything been in Gotham?"

"Good actually," you said, smiling.

She nodded approvingly. "And who's your friend?"

You blushed furiously, completely forgetting that Jason was standing right behind you. You noticed that he had placed your bags on the floor.

"This is Jason."

"Good evening ma'am. Thank you for having me."

She gave you a warm smile before reaching toward Jason to hug him. "It's wonderful to meet you, sweety."

"Thank you," he replied politely, returning her hug.

Before anyone else could say anything, a throat cleared behind you.

Your sister's fiancé had been hovering near the doorway of the kitchen and now stepped forward to greet you. You hadn't spoken to him since the engagement and you could tell from the look he had on his face that he hadn't taken it well.

You opened your mouth to apologize to him but he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, cutting you off.

"Well looky here," he expressed loudly, looking directly at Jason. "Looks like it didn't take you too long to find someone new."

You tensed. The last thing you needed was for him to embarrass you, especially in front of your fake boyfriend.

"Would you mind removing your hand from my girlfriend?" Jason said. His voice was calm and his demeanor professional. You felt the man beside you flinch.

"And what would happen if I didn't" he spat.

Jason leaned in even closer to him, causing him to take a step back, away from Jason. "You don't want to find out."

He quickly removed his arm from around you without another word and moved to stand beside your sister. You watched after him before turning back to Jason, trying to smile through your discomfort.

"Thank you," you whispered.

Jason smiled lightly, extending his arm to wrap around your waist. "Don't mention it, love."

You allowed yourself to lean against him, your hand subconsciously moving to rest on his.

"So mom, which rooms are we in?" you asked, hoping to avoid any more potential awkwardness.

"Oh right, dear. So it turns out that you two will have to share a room-" you could already feel your heart sink. "-there was a burst pipe in the room Jason was going to stay in," she concluded, smiling reassuringly at you.

"Great," you said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Behave yourselves," she said, winking.

You wished the floor would swallow you whole.

You didn't even consider sleeping in the same bed as Jason. He's probably slept in the same bed with most clients but that didn't exactly make you feel better.

You carefully removed yourself from Jason's grip and grabbed your things, heading towards the staircase leading upstairs. Before you made it to the top Jason called after you.

"Is everything alright?" he asked quietly.

"Everything's fine, don't worry."

He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything else just in case your family was still listening. You climbed up a few more steps before realizing that you didn't even ask him about how he felt sharing a bed.

You stopped and turned around. "Do you want to share a room?"

He shook his head. "I'm comfortable if you're comfortable."

You nodded and continued up the stairs. You weren't sure you liked that response.

It felt almost as though he was trying to convince you that his feelings didn't matter.

Once you reached the top you went into the bedroom down the hall and took in the room you'd be staying in.

It was a huge room with one king-size bed pushed against one wall. Next to it were two bedside tables with matching lamps and across the room was a nice walk-in closet.

You quickly moved on to the bathroom, which was also quite huge. The shower stall was big enough for two people to easily shower in and next to it was a bathtub that could fit two people comfortably if you squeezed together.

Not that you would be doing that.

When you looked up, you noticed Jason watching you intently as you stared at the tub.

"What?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, averting his gaze immediately.

You raised an eyebrow, wanting to question him some more but decided against it.

You walked into the bedroom and dropped yourself onto the bed. As soon as you did, you felt a dip in the mattress beside you. You glanced at Jason who had flopped down next to you, his legs dangling over the edge of the bed.

For some reason, you found the gesture comforting.

Jason turned towards you.

Your face heated up at his sudden attention. "You did great."

He grinned. "I try."

Silence lingered between us as you stared at each other.

"So what's the deal with your sister's fiancé?" he asked, breaking the silence.

A frown creased your brow as you tried to come up with an explanation.

"Well... I sort of dated his best friend."

Jason snorted in surprise, which caused you to glare at him.

"Don't laugh please."

His eyes widened and he reached out to move a strand of hair that had fallen in your face.

"I'm sorry, it's just...I didn't think you would date someone who's friends with that guy."

You bit your lip nervously. "They weren't friends originally." The words left your mouth before you could stop them. "My ex hated him at first. He complained he was a major creep and everything."'

He hummed in agreement. "But now that guy is engaged to your sister and your ex is his best friend?"

You nodded.

"What happened?"

"He just changed one day." You shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

Jason frowned. "Did he hurt you?"

You shook your head. "No, he wasn't like that."

"Then what happened? If you don’t mind me asking."

"He kind of..." you hesitated, trying to decide what to say next. "...lost interest in me."

A pained expression crossed his features but he recovered quickly.

"Why?"

"Because.." you sighed, feeling uncomfortable answering. "I just wasn't his type anymore."

You had never admitted it out loud and hearing it only made you feel worse.

"Wasn't his type?"

You looked up at him. "Yeah."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean 'wasn't his type'?"

You hesitated again, wondering how to explain that your ex no longer liked girls like you and preferred to go out with people like your sister.

Jason seemed to sense your hesitation and smoothed your hair out gently.

"Look. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter because you have me now.

You stared up at him.

"Thanks."

_________________________________________________

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 2

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.5k

Warnings: none

_________________________________________________

Jason led you out into the parking garage attached to his apartment building. He was currently carrying your giant duffle bag alongside his two carry-on bags. You were surprised when he offered and you were even more surprised when you approached an impressive-looking Maserati. 

It was a dark shade of black which only enhanced the car's red interior. The entire car radiated money so it had to be expensive.  

“Wow” you breathed. 

Jason smirked as he put the suitcases into the trunk while you continued to admire the car. He shut the door and turned back to look at you. 

 “You like it?” he asked.

You blinked and glanced up at him in surprise. “Yes, I love it” you admitted. 

Jason smiled at you as he opened the side door motioning for you to get in. The seats were made of leather and the dash looked like something out of a spy movie. The only thing out of place in the car was a little Batman keychain that hung from his rearview mirror.

"Are you a fan of Batman?" You questioned pointing at the keychain. 

Jason who had slipped into the driver's seat raised a brow in surprise. He flicked the keychain so that it swung back and forth. 

 “My idiot brother got it for me as a birthday gift,” he said.

“You have a brother?” you asked. 

Jason nodded. 

“Yeah, three of them actually, and two sisters” he added.

You gave Jason an amused glance. 

“Do all your siblings live in Gotham then?” you pressed.

Jason smiled as he pulled the car out of the parking garage. “Well my older brother Dick has a place out of town but the others live here. You could say they like to travel so our house isn't exactly full all year round."  

"They sound nice." You said mentally kicking yourself.

You weren't sure you were supposed to ask about his personal life.

"What's your family like?” Jason said turning onto the main road that led outside of Gotham. Your family had agreed to stay at your parent's lodge throughout the Christmas holiday and it would take about two hours to get there if traffic wasn't too bad. 

"Well, my dad is pretty easy going but don't expect him to be super upbeat the first time you meet him. He likes to try an intimidation tactic on people my sister and I bring home." 

Jason chuckled lightly. 

“Then there's my mom who's great” you explained, "she just tends to get a little carried away in her work sometimes so the holidays are the only time I get to see her." 

Jason nodded. “And your sister?”

You hesitated before answering.

“Um, well she's fun,"  you began, "but sometimes she can be a bit much. She can be very overwhelming." 

He nodded again. Jason was silent for a moment as he focused on driving.

“Then there's her fiancé," you mumbled, "you'll understand him better when you meet him." 

"So everyone's coupled up?" he inquired.

"Yeah, which doesn't make me, the newly single member of the family, feel very welcome." You paused a beat and thought about how to continue, "But I guess that's what you're here for." 

Gods you hoped that didn't sound pathetic. 

Jason shrugged, "Ok so let's talk about our backstory. Based on the Jane Austen novel you have in your purse, I think it's safe to say we share a love of literature. How about we happened to have run into each other at a bookstore and it was love at first sight."

You stared at him in disbelief. Jason looked back at you with an innocent smile on his face.

"Ok, I may have peaked in your bag when you were getting in" he admitted. 

You sighed in relief. “Well I appreciate a man who knows Pride and Prejudice,” you said smiling back at him. 

Jason smiled brightly at you, “It's my favorite." 

 He paused briefly, "So I guess that's a yes to the backstory idea?"

You nodded, "My parents will think it's classy. They love a man who reads." 

"Good to know I'll be on their good side," Jason said.

You hummed in agreement and watched the scenery pass by. It was nice talking to someone genuinely interested in the things you liked. It was a step up from your ex. 

"So how do you feel about PDA? I am open to whatever makes you feel comfortable. Most of my clients prefer hand-holding, hugs, touches, romantic banter, and the occasional kiss." 

His admission to kissing other clients felt like being doused in cold water. For a minute you forgot about the other people who hired him, that he was just yours for the holiday.

"PDA is fine, my sister and her fiancé usually have their hands all over each other so it's to be expected. As for the kissing..." you trailed off blushing, "um small pecks on the cheek and lips are ok, anything more than that will have to be talked about beforehand." 

"That works for me", he said nodding slowly. "Just so you know, I can be a very convincing actor but as per the contract, I don't sleep with clients." 

Your face got even redder. 

"Right," you squeaked out.

There was an awkward silence where both of you tried to find something else to say.

He smiled at you. “You're cute when you blush.”

You looked out the window trying to hide. 

"Hey don't hide out on me now," he said moving his hand to your thigh. "The romance only goes up from here, plus a man loves when he can make a girl blush." 

You continued to look out the window, pretending not to notice his long fingers moving in a pattern up and down your leg. All you had to do was pretend you were a character in a romance novel who just happened to have a nice boyfriend for the holidays. A really sexy boyfriend, who loved to read. 

Jason continued to talk during the majority of the car ride, which was nice. He told you how he was adopted and how his siblings were also all adopted besides one. He didn't mention who his dad was and only that their relationship was on neutral terms. He also mentioned that as a side job to being an escort, he was also a mechanic and when he wasn't in his shop he was most likely cooking something in his kitchen or hanging out with his older brother. 

You also traded stories with him about how you lived in a small apartment and spent most of your time working in a cafe while you attended Gotham University to become a pediatrician. You expressed your love for kids and how someday you hoped Gotham would become a better place so that every kid could walk the streets without fear. 

You hoped he didn't think you were crazy. Even if he did, he was forced to stay with you for the next few weeks. That though made you both happy and sad. 

"So why did you become an escort?" you asked hoping it wasn't a rude thing to say. 

Jason clenched his hands on the steering wheel. " Well to be completely honest the whole job started as a police investigation. It was more of a bodyguard type situation than an escort job." When you nodded he continued. "I worked with girls who feared their ex-husbands or lovers would come after them, providing them with a stable support system until they could be relocated." 

You tried to imagine risking your life to protect someone you barely knew. A person would have to be caring to try and form connections like that. 

"Sounds like it must have been kind of lonely" you replied honestly.

Jason shook his head. "No, it's ok. I enjoy seeing my clients become happy with themselves and ultimately live better lives because I was there to be able to support them." 

You were going to reply but the sign pointing to the outskirts of Gotham caught your attention. You had about thirty minutes before you would reach your family's cabin. As if sensing your attention Jason spoke up.

"So just out of curiosity. Why exactly did you hire me?" 

"Well there are going to be people at this reunion that expect things from me and I'm not at that point in my life where I can meet those expectations. So I guess you could say that you'll be my support." Your voice came out sadder than expected. 

He turned toward you. "Just remember I'm here for you." 

You smirked. "And the money I'm paying you with." 

He snorted. "Fair enough."

He kept his eyes on the road and you noticed he turned towards the sign signaling you were about to enter your parent's estate. You checked your appearance on your phone and sent a quick text to your parents to tell them you were almost there. 

As he approached the driveway you tried to sit up straighter to almost prove to yourself that you weren't a complete loser and that you did not hire someone to make this reunion go better for yourself. As Jason parked he looked over at you. 

"Are you still ok with this?" 

You closed your eyes for a brief second and took a deep breath. "Yes." 

He nodded. "Well sweetheart, it's showtime."

_________________________________________________

[ganseyth]

The Date

MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 1

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.0k

Warnings: none

In hopes of showing your family you are doing fine after your last heartbreaking relationship, you hire Jason to pose as your boyfriend for the holidays. This will be a multi-chapter fic so be on the lookout for more updates! :)

_________________________________________________

You didn't know why you were doing this. His apartment building was nicer than expected and the staff had been lovely to show you to his room once they had run a background check on your driver's license.

In all honesty, you had no idea why the whole thing surprised you. People in his line of work were real people too, and they must have some sort of protected living situation. But this was definitely over the top. You had expected some sort of apartment hidden in the back alley crawling with all kinds of creeps. It was Gotham after all. 

Swallowing hard and double-checking your phone to make sure you had the right address you pressed the ridiculously expensive-looking doorbell whose camera had been focused on you since you first approached the door. 

You prayed he was as cute as his description sounded online. Black hair, tan skin, green eyes, and muscles that had his customer satisfaction rate rising to the top of your suggestion box. Plus a man who lived alone and had such a classy place would be attractive. Not that he had to be attractive, he just had to be capable of helping you over the holidays. 

You heard footsteps behind the door and fixed your hair one last time as he slid what you assumed were the security locks on the door. At the noise of what seemed to be the final lock, you contemplated turning around and running back to your comfy apartment to drown your sorrows in a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. But you couldn't as you had already told your family you would be bringing him and they already expressed their joy in getting to meet your handsome new friend. 

You held your breath as the door opened. And then exhaled deeply when he smiled at you warmly which made all of your insides melt. He was, in fact, devilishly handsome. Tan skin. Pitch black hair with strands of white which blended in a way that made you want to run your fingers through it. Striking green eyes. Muscles that were very visible as his arms stretched the sleeves of the black shirt he wore. 

"You look nice," he exclaimed, his eyes slowly moving up and down to look at the outfit you had put on this morning. 

He held the door to his apartment open and welcomed you inside. 

Still stunned into silence at his giant build, you stood silently looking at the outfit he currently had on. 

"You uh... you look nice too." 

Nice was a bland way to put it. He looked like a Greek god getting ready to have his portrait painted. He also most definitely worked out. 

"Thank you, I aim to please." 

"Oh, right." 

"Well, I do believe if we are to stay true to the schedule you sent me that you might want to come inside."

He gestured for you to enter again, and you moved behind him as he closed the door. As he shut the door, he immediately went to grab a folder off of his kitchen counter and opened it up to reveal the paperwork you assumed contained a contract to sign. He was a professional escort after all. 

After finding the one you needed to sign, he handed it over with a pen. 

"This is just a physical copy of the contract you should have seen on my website. It's just a non-disclosure agreement to protect ourselves if anything were to happen." 

Your hand shook as you took the papers from him and laid them out to sign. 

"What do you mean if anything were to happen?"

He smiled. "Oh you know, basically if you fell madly in love with me and I had to break your heart that you wouldn't take legal action against me."

You paused for a moment before signing not wanting to tell him that a broken heart put you in this position to start with. You had no intention of falling in love any time soon. 

Once signed you passed it back to watch him sign his name underneath yours. 

Jason Todd

You smiled. "Jason?" 

"Hm?" 

"Do you want me to call you Jason or something else?" 

"Sweetheart, you can call me whatever you want. We are supposed to be dating." 

"Ok, how about Jay?" 

"That's perfect." He said with another insides melting smile. You were going to have to get used to that. 

"So how does this work exactly," you said, motioning between the two of you. "I mean what exactly is the story we are planning on telling my family?" 

"It's all pretend sweetheart," he said, placing the papers back into the folder, "we can say whatever we want." 

"Oh right." 

He turned towards you again but this time a shy smile crept on his face. "I hate to ask this as we are just meeting for the first time but, do you happen to have the first cash payment on you?" 

"Oh yes..." 

You said as you reached into your purse to grab the envelope full of cash as requested on his website. The price had been way out of your pay grade but you needed the best of the best even if it meant living off of noodles and tap water for a month. 

Handing it over he placed it on the table like it was nothing. 

"Aren't you going to count it?" You said rather boldly. 

"I trust you." 

He offered you another charming smile but it didn't calm your nerves as you stared at the envelope, hoping that the money you provided was the correct amount. You didn't want to mess this up. 

He cocked his head, studying your reaction, "Hey, relax." 

He reached for your shoulders, running his arms gently along yours.

"Remember you hired me because I'm the best of the best and that means I'm not going to do anything even if you are a few dollars short. I'm here to take the lead and show your family just how amazing I am at being your boyfriend." 

As if sensing your lingering doubt he grabbed your chin gently moving your face so you looked into his eyes. 

"Trust me, okay?" 

You nodded and felt your lips curve up into a tentative smile. Maybe this would work out for the best. Maybe for once in your life, everyone would wish they were you.

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 6

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.6k

Warnings: mild swearing

-------------------------------------------------------------

You woke up to the feeling of Jason's arm draped across your stomach. You could hear his light breathing brush against your hair.

You felt safe. 

And you had to pee.

You opened your eyes slowly, blinking away sleep and taking in his features. His face was relaxed as he slept, and you noticed a scar that brushed across the top of his lip. Your fingers reached out to trace the edge of it.

His eyelashes fluttered open and before you could pull away, his eyes found yours.

 "Hey," he said. His voice sounded husky. He sat up, and you found yourself untangling your legs from his.

You felt your cheeks flush. You hadn't noticed how close the two of you were. 

 "Sorry if I moved too much in my sleep," you offered.

He smiled sheepishly at you, scratching the back of his head with one hand.

"It's fine."  

You smiled back, trying to ignore how hot your cheeks were. 

"Can I ask you a personal question?" you blurted out. 

 Jason looked surprised. "Sure," he replied. You took in a deep breath.

You hoped you weren't overstepping. But you were curious.

"Do you usually sleep with clients like this..." Your words faded as you took in his expression. 

The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. You thought you saw a hint of a blush spreading up his face. 

"Well, I never really do trips with clients" he replied. 

You paused. "Then... why are you doing this with me?"

"Well..." He hesitated. "I guess your situation intrigued me." 

Your eyes widened. Intrigued him? What was that supposed to mean?

Did he only agree to this out of pity? Was your situation so sad and pathetic that he broke his no trips with client rule?

The heat returned to your face, and you tried to stop the tears from forming in your eyes. 

"Oh," you breathed out softly.

He watched you closely but before he could speak, you stood up, straightening your pajamas. 

"I'm going to run to the restroom," you said quietly. He frowned and opened his mouth, but you had already shut the bathroom door behind you.

 As soon as the latch clicked into place, the tears began rolling down your cheeks. You leaned against the door as the tears kept falling. 

You felt so stupid. 

Why did you hire an escort? And someone so frustratingly perfect? How could you forget that all his kindness was just for money? You didn’t want to be someone’s charity case.

You wiped your face with the sleeves of your pajama shirt. You should probably use the restroom before he got too suspicious. 

After washing your hands and releasing a shaky sigh, you grabbed the handle and made your way back into the bedroom. 

Jason was sitting at the edge of the bed. You cleared your throat and his eyes locked with yours. 

 There was concern in his gaze.

"Are you okay?"

You nodded silently and turned to go towards the closet to grab your clothes. Before you could get very far, though, you felt his hand grab yours from behind.

"Hey." He squeezed you lightly. "I didn't mean anything bad when I said your situation intrigued me." 

 He pulled you closer to him, letting go of your hand and pulling you into a hug. "It's just that my family is all sorts of messed up and I would want someone to help me out if I were in your situation." 

His breath tickled your cheek. "I don't pity you," he added, "in fact, I think what you're doing takes a lot of guts." 

You pulled away, sniffling.

"What?" 

 He stared at you with a genuine smile that made your heart skip a beat. 

"Bringing someone home to meet your family is a tricky situation, especially when that someone is not your boyfriend. So, you're a lot braver than me. I would be scared shitless to bring someone home to my family." 

You laughed weakly.

He grinned at you again. 

"I like when I make you laugh." 

You felt yourself blush.

"So, what does your family do for breakfast?" he replied easily. 

You sighed in relief, thankful to move on from your little episode. 

"Well it is Christmas Eve so mom's probably making a whole breakfast buffet downstairs," you replied. 

"That sounds perfect," he replied. "Are we allowed to eat in our pajamas?"

He winked playfully and you rolled your eyes.

"Of course, we can eat in our pajamas," you responded laughing.

"Okay then let's go."

 Before you could move, he lifted you and tossed you over his shoulder. 

"Jason!" you shrieked as you tried to work your way out of his grip.

"Enjoy the view sweetheart," he said laughing. You flushed red noticing where your eyes landed. Even in loose pajama pants, you had to admit his butt looked good. 

He carried you down the stairs, you kicking and squealing in protest.

"Put me down," you demanded one last time. 

 He placed you carefully onto the couch and you jumped to your feet.

"Nice ass," you commented. 

He smirked. "Good morning, everyone!"

 You felt your face burn as you turned to face your family who was standing in the kitchen, staring at the two of you. Your mother laughed, her eyes wide.

"Good morning, honey!" she chirped. "You two seem awfully energetic this morning." 

"Morning mom," you replied. 

 She looked between the both of you before shrugging.

"Breakfast is ready so feel free to help yourselves," she announced, pointing towards the kitchen island. You turned your attention back to Jason, who was still smirking at you. 

"Let's eat," you told him. 

You took the plate your mom handed you and he followed suit.  A couple of minutes later, you both found yourselves seated at the table with plates piled high with food. 

After eating in relative silence, your mother spoke up.

 "So Jason, is your family going to miss you this Christmas?"

Jason swallowed and looked at her, giving her a trademark smile. 

"Well, I talked to my dad last night and we're all set to get together over New Year's," he answered. "So he's ok with me missing out this year."

Your mom nodded. "So, I take it my daughter will be going with you on New Year's?"

You froze.

"I haven't asked her yet. But I think she'd say yes."  He looked over at you, winking.

You swallowed, your mind racing.

You had a million different responses but all that came out was, "Yes". 

He smiled widely.

"So, sis, what's Jason's family like?" your sister interrupted.

 You blinked, shocked. Her tone sounded teasing but there was a strange look in her eye.

"Uh," you started. "Well, I'll actually be meeting them for the first time this New Year."

You paused, thinking about what he said about his siblings.

"But from what I've heard they sound super nice." 

Her eyes were still watching you intently. Did she know something you didn't? You felt suddenly uneasy.

"So, you dating him has nothing to do with the fact that he's the son of Bruce Wayne?" 

You stared at her, dumbfounded. 

 "Wh-"

"Come on sis, I knew something was up when you brought a new guy to your family vacation only a few months after your breakup. It's his money, isn't it?"

You stared at her, waiting to see if she was joking or not.

When she didn't give away any hints, you looked at Jason. 

He sent you an apologetic look before turning towards your sister. 

"I don't appreciate you speaking to her like that," he hissed.

She rolled her eyes.

"And for the record, she didn't know anything about my father until this moment because it's not something I like to talk about."

Your stomach dropped. Jason's family was wealthy and powerful, heck they were the most powerful family in all of Gotham. So what was he doing working as an escort? 

"Anyway," he continued calmly as if nothing happened, "I would appreciate it if we dropped the subject." 

Your sister stared back at Jason and then looked at her fiancé. It seemed like they didn't get the reaction they had wanted.

"Fine." She picked up her fork and started eating. 

 You looked at Jason again and he returned your gaze with a sincere look on his face. 

 With an awkward nod, you looked toward your parents. They both sent you sympathetic glances which you were thankful for. 

"So, mom," you said awkwardly. "What did you have planned for us today?"

She smiled happily at you.  

"Well, your father and I were planning on visiting the neighbors. The storm caused a tree to fall in their driveway and they need some help moving it."

You thought about your parents trying to move something so heavy in the snow. They aren’t as young as they think they are and an accident was sure to happen if they went by themselves.

“Jason and I can join you and dad to lend a hand, " you offered, glancing at Jason for confirmation. 

Jason nodded in agreement, his expression calm despite the recent tension. “I’m always willing to lend a hand,” he said, his voice genuine. 

Your mother smiled appreciatively. “Well, aren't you a doll? Why don’t the two of you go upstairs and get ready,” she said, giving you an out. 

As you and Jason made your way upstairs, you noticed a distant look on his face.  

You gently touched his arm the second you stepped into the room.

“Is everything okay?” 

Jason’s gaze flickered toward yours, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah, everything is fine,” he assured you, but there was still a hint of uneasiness in his eyes. 

You studied his expression before speaking softly, “I’m sorry about my sister. She’s difficult.” 

He took a deep breath, his gaze fixing where your hand rested on his arm. “I’m sorry for not telling you about my dad.” 

You paused for a moment, “You know, you don’t owe me an explanation. Your life is your life and I’m just your client.” 

He took another breath before turning to face you, his eyes filled with kindness. “Thank you,” he said, clearing his throat. “So should we get ready?” 

You nodded before the two of you prepared to head out.

--------------------------------------------------------------

tag list: @theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys @escapism-r-us

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 5

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.3k

Warnings: fluff, mention of scars, past emotional abuse, past violence

--------------------------------------------------------------

The two of you climbed out of the car and made your way up the walkway behind your parents.  Your mother announced they were going to bed, and you agreed to do the same. 

You headed straight to your shared bedroom and collapsed on the bed as Jason closed the door behind you.  A minute or so later he joined you in bed. The both of you lay there silently staring at the ceiling.  It wasn’t until you let out your third yawn for the night that Jason spoke first. 

"Do you want to take the first shower?"  He asked, turning to face you.  

You shook your head. "It's ok, you can go first." You replied, trying to hide another yawn. 

He smiled down at you. "Are you sure?" 

You nodded and he climbed off the bed and into the bathroom.

As soon as you heard the water running, you rolled over, buried your face in the pillow, and groaned. You weren't sure what was wrong with you. How could you possibly survive three more days of this? More importantly, how were you going to survive Christmas morning? 

You continued to wallow in self-pity until you heard the click of the bathroom door. You turned over on the bed and looked up expectantly at the doorway. You watched him step out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. As he stood before you, you noticed for the first time just how huge he was. 

You tried to look away but couldn't. Your eyes roamed the length of him, taking in every line on his body. His stomach was perfectly sculpted, and his arms were large enough to hug a tree trunk. But what caught your eye were the many scars that littered his body. There were several large, jagged ones across his chest, and several smaller scars scattered across his stomach and hips.    

You swallowed hard and forced yourself to look away. Instead, you focused on his eyes which were now looking at you. 

His expression wasn't one of disgust or anger, rather it was one of curiosity. You could tell he wanted you to ask about them.  

You cleared your throat. "Did...did you get those at work?" You pointed at his scars. "The police job..."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes."

You nodded slowly.

 "Do they hurt?" You asked curiously, although it was an incredibly stupid question. They had to have healed by now. 

"No." Jason said, turning to grab his clothes from his suitcase, "Not anymore."

You frowned and decided not to press any further. 

He turned back around after placing his clothes on the bed. "Do you want to shower?"

 "Sure."

"Ok." He said as sat down. 

Your lips pressed together tightly, and you thought about what to say next. 

"Hey," you said with a pause, "I know I'm not your real girlfriend or anything but if you ever want to talk, just know I'm here for you." 

His eyes softened. "I believe that's my job sweetheart."

You laughed softly then gave him a quick smile before standing up and heading into the bathroom. After the bathroom door clicked shut, you started the shower and pretended like his naked body hadn't been in there just a few minutes earlier. 

After spending a good few minutes in the hot shower, you finally emerged wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Jason was sitting on the bed typing furiously on his phone. 

As soon as he saw you, he shot you a smile.  "All set?"

You nodded and reached for your pajamas. "Thanks again for helping me out on this trip. I don't know what I would've done without you. I mean it."

He shrugged and put down his phone. "Don't sweat it."

You quickly stepped back into the bathroom and pulled on your pajamas. Then you exited the bathroom, shutting the door carefully behind you.

"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?" He asked while he watched you make your way over to the bed. 

"Huh?" You looked at him confused.

He held his hands up defensively, "I mean I can sleep on the floor if you're uncomfortable." 

"Oh...you don't have to do that Jason. I'm fine. Really."

"But--"

"Please," you interrupted him, hitting him with your pillow, "if we sleep on the same bed, it'll make this feel more real." 

He nodded. "Alright."

You hopped onto the bed and pulled the covers up over you. As you lay back, you stared at the ceiling listening to the hum of the air conditioning.  You waited until he got comfortable before rolling over on your side and looking at him. 

 "So what do you know about the club my sister works at?" You inquired.

He frowned. "Penguin is not someone you want to get involved with."

"I thought so."

Silence fell between the two of you again.

You let out a sigh. "My ex works as a recruiter for the club."

He furrowed his brow. "Then it’s good that you broke up with him. He should never have gotten involved."

"Well," you explained, "the club pays him a lot of money for each girl he brings in and believe me… he needs the money. He even asked me while we were dating if I would be interested in working on stage there so he could make some quick cash." 

He raised his eyebrows. "That's degrading." 

You nodded. "Yeah, that's what I said." 

Silence filled the room once again.

"He tried to force me into working there after a while." You whispered after a long moment, breaking the silence between the two of you.

He didn't respond right away. "Did he hurt you?"

You opened your mouth to reply, "Not in any physical sense but there were a lot of threats involved." 

Jason nodded solemnly, understanding immediately.

You took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm getting at is I know not to mess around with anyone who works there." 

He nodded and then studied your face intently. "Do you want to hear about my scars?"

You smiled weakly. "You don't have to tell me unless you want to."

He chuckled. "I don't mind." He paused and took a deep breath. "Being a bodyguard isn't the safest thing in the world." 

You nodded. "I figured that."

Jason reached up to flick your nose. "Alright know it all." 

 He continued, "When I worked a job, I sometimes had run-ins with the people the clients hired me to protect them from. Let's just say the fights weren't pretty."

"You fight people?" You prodded.

"Of course. I'm a bodyguard, remember?" 

You laughed lightly. "True."  

He reached over to grab your hand.  "Sometimes things happen when I'm more focused on protecting the client than myself."

He moved your hand to a scar on his arm. "Some guy pulled a knife on me here."

You ran your fingers along it slowly. 

"I had just knocked out his friend and he pulled a fast one on me," He started. "I barely got my weapon out in time to defend myself."

You kept your eyes glued to his skin as you listened closely to his story.

"But lesson learned, now I always wear extra protective clothing when I work on patrol, and it never fails to keep me safe."

You smiled as you felt his thumb rub gentle circles on the back of your hand as you traced his scar one last time.  

"Thank you for telling me all of this."

His eyes searched yours. "Of course."

You dropped your gaze for a second to study his fingers. You wished this was real so you could pull him close. 

But it wasn't real, you reminded yourself. So instead you just lay there smiling stupidly.

Eventually, you broke the silence. "Well, I guess we better get some sleep."

"I suppose so."

You looked up at him and smiled.  "Good night Jason."

He nodded and smiled.

"Good night sweetheart." 

--------------------------------------------------------------

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys

[ganseyth]

The Date

PREVIOUS PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Part: 4

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female Reader

Length: 1.5k

Warnings: annoying family members

_________________________________________________

You didn't know how long the two of you lay there in bed silently enjoying each other's company. But you guess it had been a while since there was a sudden knock at the door. 

"Hey honey we are going to head out to dinner if you guys would like to join us," your mom announced from the other side of the door. 

You jumped up from the comfort of Jason's arms and walked towards the door. You opened it to find your mom smirking at you. 

"I hope I didn't disturb anything," she said innocently, eyes lingering on Jason sitting on the bed. It was only then you noticed he had a case of bedhead.

"Jason, I hope you're taking care of my little girl."

He blushed a little and nodded as your mother turned back to you.

"Well don't keep everyone waiting, dear. We want to head to the restaurant before the storm blows in tonight." She patted your arm before turning back to head down the stairs. 

After her footsteps faded away, you turned back to the bedroom where you saw Jason looking at you with a smirk. "Your bedhead is cute." 

You scoffed. "I can't say the same for yours." 

Which of course was a lie. 

He quickly reached up to brush his hair before motioning for you to move forward.  

"A good boyfriend would fix your hair for you but..." He winked mischievously. "It might be fun to see what kind of crazy stuff they think their little girl likes to do when left alone upstairs unsupervised."

You rolled your eyes before straightening your hair and grabbing your purse. 

 "Hurry up or we'll be late."

As you made your way down the steps, you heard your sister's fiancé laugh. 

"Who does she think she is," he said in a voice low enough that you couldn't quite hear but certainly could detect a hint of teasing.

You paused mid-step. Your heart began beating erratically. Was he talking about you bringing Jason? 

Before you could react, you felt a warm hand slip its way into yours. When you glanced back at Jason, he smiled as if he heard the same thing.

"He's just jealous," he said quietly. "I am quite the catch."

 "I'm one lucky girl."

You squeezed his hand. His fingers tightened around yours and you felt a surge of confidence move in your next steps down the stairs. 

Once you made it to the front hallway, you spotted your dad standing next to the car outside. Your mother was already seated inside, looking amused while your sister and her fiancé were talking enthusiastically as they walked to their own car.

When you walked up beside the car, you noticed your father glance at your intertwined hands. 

"You two seem chummy this evening." Your dad commented, raising an eyebrow.

You shrugged. "Do you want us to ride with you?"

He smiled. "That would be very polite, sweetheart. I think your sister and her fiancé planned on taking their car." 

Jason opened the car door and you climbed into the backseat.

 The ride to the restaurant was surprisingly short, despite your parents trying to play 20 questions with your fake boyfriend. You found yourself listening intently to their conversation, catching the details about Jason's life you hadn't heard of before. 

Jason noticed your attention and sent you an amused look. You turned away before he could see your blush. 

Once you parked outside the restaurant, you noticed your sister was already waiting inside requesting a table. The hostess led you to your family's usual spot, which was a rather large table located in the back corner away from most guests. 

Your family took their seats before the hostess disappeared to fetch your server. As soon as she left, your sister cleared her throat.

"So Jason," your sister drawled, leaning across the table. "What exactly did my sister do to snag a guy like you?" 

 She gave you a pointed look.

You tried not to flush. Was she trying to embarrass you? 

Your mother spoke before Jason could respond. "That's not a nice question dear," she chided fondly. 

You let out a sigh of relief. Apparently whatever your sister was going to say next was interrupted by the server who took your orders swiftly. 

After she left, your sister turned back to Jason with a smug smile. "So, tell me."

Jason only laughed.  "Well to be completely honest, I'm lucky that I was able to get her to go on a date with me."

Your face heated up as he continued. 

"I mean there I was at the bookstore minding my own business when she walked into the aisle. I just about melted right there and then."

Jason looked at you expectantly. "She had been looking for the new print cover of Pride and Prejudice, which I just so happened to have in my hands, so I just handed it to her without thinking much about it..." he trailed off sheepishly. 

"Right, well anyway, as soon as I passed it to her I didn't notice that my hand had knocked the coffee she was holding onto the floor. So I just froze in shock, staring at the mess I just made. Needless to say, I freaked out and asked if she wanted to grab a coffee with me."  He chuckled, his grin growing wider with each word. "To my surprise, she laughed and said yes and the rest is history."

You grinned at Jason, admiring him. That story sounded pretty romantic. You hoped your family believed it. 

Just then, the waitress arrived and set the food on the table. 

 While everyone began eating, you leaned over to your sister. 

"So how did you and him get together again?" You asked, nodding towards Jason. "I'm sure Jason would love to hear the story." 

Your sister smirked. "Oh, come on... who's the tease now." 

"No need to be embarrassed," Jason assured your sister. "I just admitted to being a huge klutz." He turned to you and gave you a small smile. "But she loves me anyway." 

You smiled back at him. 

Your sister continued. 

 "We met at my work, and he introduced himself. He was such a gentleman and I thought for sure that he was going to give me a huge tip. But no!" she huffed. "Instead of offering me his money, he gave me his business card." 

 She turned to her fiancé. "Do you happen to have one? I want to show Jason the design on the front!" She waited for him to find one and pointed to the logo on the card. 

"Isn't it cute?"

To your surprise, he seemed taken aback by the picture of a penguin.  He stared at her for a moment, then looked over at her fiancé.  

"You work for Penguin?" 

His fiancé nodded.  "Yeah, why? Do you know him?" 

The corner of Jason's mouth quirked up. "You could say that." 

 He turned his gaze back toward your sister. "So, you live in Gotham?"

Your sister nodded excitedly. "Yes! We have an apartment close to the club." 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to bring up your job during dinner?" Your father chastised, glaring at her.

She shrugged, continuing to talk to Jason. "Anyway. It's a nice place and makes it easier for walking home at night."

Both Jason and your father glanced at her. 

"You walk home at night?" Jason asked. 

She sighed. "Awe it's sweet that you care. But we have a bodyguard that takes all the girls home so no need to worry your pretty head." 

Your father shook his head. "I believe we should get going soon so let's dig in."

Everyone happily ate, the conversation flowing smoothly between your parents and sister. 

You and Jason watched them talk for a bit.

Eventually, as the conversation lulled Jason's hand moved to your knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You okay?" Jason questioned, glancing over at you. 

Your cheeks flushed slightly.  "Yeah, just enjoying watching my family be happy."

Jason grinned at you before giving your sister's fiancé a look. "So, I take it that your ex works at his club?" 

You nodded. "Yep. Do you think we could talk about this later?"

Jason hummed in understanding, giving your leg another squeeze.

Your father cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two of you.

"You guys ready to go?"

Jason nodded with a smile. "Ready if you are." 

Your family quickly paid for everything before exiting the restaurant, making their way to each car. As your father pulled away from the curb, you turned to Jason.

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't want to talk about my ex with his best friend possibly listening in on our conversation."

Jason reached for your hand and smiled. "No need to apologize. I shouldn't have asked." 

You returned his smile and leaned against him.  You closed your eyes and listened to his heartbeat until you pulled into the driveway.

_________________________________________________

tag list:

@theautisticduck @igotanidea @princessbl0ss0m @parkjammys