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gangrenados · 3 years

Note

A-z for vampire jason? Please

•Could you do all the AU!Vampire alphabet with Jason, please?

I wanted to use a more vampire-ish gif BUT I can't say no to a shirtless gif of this dude, sorry

Warning: blood, death and murder mentions

A - Accident - would they turn someone to save their life?

I don't think so, that person has to be really important to Jason for him to consider turning them into a vampire. Like you, one of his siblings (cuz batkids care about each other idgaf), Alfred or his close friends...maybe even Bruce but I'm not so sure about that one...

B - Bite - how do they bite? Sensually, aggressively? Do they make it hurt or try to be gentle?

When Jason bites you he tries to be gentle and not apply so much pressure. He doesn't want to hurt you too much, so he prefers to take things slow.

Of course, if he comes to bite you in privacy then he will do it in a sensual way, doing everything possible to give them hickeys since they like to see them afterwards.

Now, if he is feeding on someone unimportant then he doesn't care that much if it hurts or not. Of course, it all depends on who this person is, because if it is someone who made him angry then he could even tear the skin so that more blood comes out.

C - Control - do they take advantage of their powers?

Of course! He uses every one of his abilities when he has to fight, it would be very foolish if he didn't.

Besides, he uses them for extremely normal things, like not turning on the lights at night to go to eat something, using his cloaking ability to scare you a little and flying around when he feels very overwhelmed and wants to be alone for a while...

D - Dangerous - how scary they can get? How bad things can they do? What’s their ethics?

When Jason is mad it's better to stay away and let him deal with it. Anger is not an unknown emotion to him, but he truly prefers for you to not see him when he's about to rip someone's head.

His eyes turn blood red and his fangs come out, in this scenario his fully strength comes to light and he's not afraid to use it. Jason is an agile and stoic fighter, so you wouldn't know what happened before you're death.

He's capable of killing or injuring someone pretty fucking badly (or even dismembering if he's feeling playful)

E - Exchange - do they opt for blood bags or animal blood, if possible?

He prefers human blood as it is easier to get and tastes a little bit better as well. However, I think that in a life and death situation he wouldn't pay much attention to that detail.

F - First bite - on what occasion would they bite you for the first time?

Jason is really unsure weather biting you is a good thing or not, he doesn't want to put you in pain and he's really sure a small bite will lead to him sucking your blood. He tries really hard to avoid biting you.

The only way Jason will bite you if he's starving really bad. He would just go where you are and bite down on your arm without much care

Jason is too hungry to be polite and after you see part of his face covered in blood and a little grin because now he's not at the verge of dying, Jason will apologize for almost drying you.

G - Growl - are they more on the “civilized” side or do they enjoy hunting their prey down?

Jason absolutely loves haunting his prey, the thrill of the chase gives this man joy. He will do anything to make this situation enjoyable for himself, he doesn't care that much about the pray because, well, they're gonna die either way, right?

The only "prey" Jason is careful with is you. He still scares you in a joking way when he's about to suck your blood, but he doesn't torture you...

H - Hate - how do they feel about their kind? About themselves?

He feels like a monster in every way possible. It sickens him to the core the fact that he has to hurt you to be with you, he hates himself for all the horrible things he has done in the past.

It's an neverending torment, but Jason stills hope he can change.

I - Intimacy - how fast would they let you close to them? Would they want to share with you what they are?

It took you YEARS to get closer in an emotional level with this man and yet it's hard to understand him sometimes.

Jason is a complicated person, he believes that if someone gets close enough to him something bad will happen to them. That's the reason he tends to avoid you.

He told you the vampire part when you found him in a compromising position: Jason's entire face was covered in blood along side his hands.

He was standing next to a corpse, whipping away the blood from his chin as he licked it eagerly. It has been so long since he has eaten something, living with a human was surely a hard task.

"Oh shit..." he turned around at the sound of your voice, his panicked eyes meeting your scared ones. " Is that you J-jay?"

Jason took a few steps away from the corpse,spreading his arms fearfully."I can explain, babe..." he said slowly. This is the end, he fucked up and there's no way you can forgive him this time.

"Fuck!" He shouted when you fainted, speeding up to catch you. Jason's fingers brushed your face lightly, smearing blood on your skin." Damn, I fucked up..."

J - Joke - would they do pranks on other people with the use of their powers?

You can bet you life he would.

His family is used to dealing with Jason's stupid pranks, so are the Outlaws. In fact, everyone who has a decent relationship with him will be a victim of his pranks.

L - Life - do they wish they were human?

Yes, that thought tends to cross his mind every time he sees the simple life the humans have or when you're asleep on top of him.

He knows your life is a lot shorter than his and it scares him to know you one day will die and leave him. Jason wants to spend his life with you for the eternity, maybe he will need to use other methods to make his wish come true.

K - Key - what’s the way of making them open up to you?

Acceptance, love and a lot of patience.

Jason feels like a burden every time you put se effort in trying to connect with him, however, it warms his heart since it's always a surprise when someone is kind and sweet towards him.

M - Murder - would they kill someone while feeding? Have they ever done so?

Jason has murdered people before, so yeah, but he usually tries to avoid drinking blood from criminals because you don't know where this people have been.

That why he prefers to buy some clean blood or just ask one of the people he trusts for some of theirs. But if the thing gets extremely bad, Jason is not opposed to just feed off a random civilian...

If Jason feeds of normal people, then he tries to be gentle and not suck them dry, even when he's starving really bad.

He once accidentally killed a civilian while feeding on his early vampire years. Jason didn't even asked them if it was okay if he drank some of their blood, he was beyond hungry and too altered to be polite...he still feels guilty of it.

N - Nature - do they justify their doings? Do they consider them natural?

Of course he doesn't! Jason thinks he's a freak, as well as the rest of his kind but maybe his way of thinking has to do with the fact that he wasn't born a vampire.

This is his new life so he has to keep up if he still wants to live. But there's no way someone can convince him that drinking blood, having sharp fangs, the ability to fly, among other weird things like being able to camouflage.

O - Odd - do they have any specific hobbies or habits?

Jason wanted the whole vampire aesthetic, so he learned how to sleep upside down as well as levitating. It's weird having a normal human day and then finding your boyfriend taking a nap in the rooftop.

But Jason has been trying to convince you to buy a coffin.

" You said you're tired of the footprints in the rooftop, if we had a coffin you wouldn't have to worry about that!" He says so confident it makes you roll your eyes ." Besides it would look dope."

He also as deployed a love for bloody milkshakes with extra whipped cream (he has been speeding too much time with Dick lately)

P - Pain - are they sadistic? Do they enjoy what they do?

Jason is not sadistic with you, he hates the thought of inflicting your pain on purpose. But if you're on the freaky side then you can convince him to be a little mean with you during the nasty, and even then Jason will always ask how you doing and if you want him to stop.

Taking that apart, he can be sadistic with the people he doesn't like. During fights Jason will mock them as he crushes them without blinking, what if he's confronting someone who harmed you? Well, Jason is gonna make that person feel pain ,he wants their suffering to last.

R - Roles - do they enjoy pretending to be normal people? How do they feel about leaving their life behind to start a new one?

He had to leave his life behind even if he wanted to, coming back from death is not a normal thing to do and it gets even weirder when you find out you're blood sucking creature.

Jason tries his best to pretend to be a normal human when you go out, he doesn't want to draw too much attention. It annoys him and he doesn't want you to be exposed to be uncomfortable.

S - Scars - do they leave marks or try to make the wounds small and invisible?

Jason doesn't understand why, but it makes him so happy to see his bite marks on your skin, for him they're like hickeys in a twisted way.

He also like to leave the normal hickeys when you're doing the dirty.

T - Turned - how were they turned?

(This apply more with this Arkham Knight version cuz yeah)

Jason was turned after a few days after being locked in Arkham. He remembers vaguely what happened since his mind was still off in that time.

Jason just knows he was in one of the many cells with one or two goonies of the Joker and high pitched voice of Harly complaining about the Joker leaving her alone.

Then Jason felt a sharp pain on his neck, blood running down his cleavage and staining part of shirt and the weird thought of "why is this taking so long?" That filled his mind.

Next thing he knew was that he had to feed of blood for the rest of the eternity.

U - Universe - what’s their biggest wish that they can’t achieve as immortals?

A decent mental stability and a good relationship with his family.

Jason has been through many things that he does not wish on anyone, the negative things he thinks about himself are embedded in his brain and it is difficult for him to ignore them sometimes.

As hard as he works to overcome all his insecurities and traumas, he feels that he will never be able to escape these demons. Still, he tries to be better...

Now, we all know that batfam is somewhat complex and no matter how much they support each other, there is always that tension present. Jason looks like he doesn't care, but that's a lie.

He cares about them even if it is hard for him to show it, and he wishes that the relationship they have was more stable and not so chaotic.

V - Vampire - would they turn you?

Yes and without hesitation if you were at the verge of dying or after he had a crisis because he became suddenly aware of the short lifespan humans have.

Jason can't bare the fact of living without you, it sickens him to think about the day of your death...he just can't let you go.

He doesn't care if it's selfish, he will transform you into a vampire so the two of you can be together for the eternity. Jason is aware he might feel extremely awful after, but again, he dosen't give a fuck as long as you're alive.

W - War - would they engage in fighting their own kind for the humanity’s sake?

Well, he goes out every night to fight crime...I guess that's a yes, but it has to be a really serious fight for him to fight against his own kind.

Y - Yandere - would they become dangerous to you (their lover)?

Jason can be pretty obsessive and extremely protective, he just wants you to be safe and that's sweet, but he can get suffocating really fast.

Because of this Jason doesn't hesitate about killing those who harmed you in cold blood, as well as keeping you safe from the horrible things the world has to offer.

Jason would not abuse you by any means, but if he has to scare you to make you understand why you have to be careful, then he will. However, it takes a lot for him to do that.

Z - Zombie - are they on their way to losing sanity?

Jason has made a lot of progress since the pit days, but I don't think it takes much to make this man go insane.

It's not gonna be a cute thing if he loses his mind. Jason would turn into a cold hearted man with prominent sadistic tendencies and little to no care about other people's lives. However, the last point is just for criminals, Jason still has a soft spot for those who can't protect themselves...he doesn't cross that line.

If he reach this point there's a big chance Jason will try to make you leave, since he doesn't want you to get in trouble OR in the other hand, he will basically make you stay with him even if you don't want to cuz he truly believes he's the only one in this world that can protect you.

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#vampire! Jason todd #vampire au #jason todd x reader #Jason todd imagine #jason Todd headcanon #jason todd #dc imagine #red Hood imagine #red Hood x reader

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duketectivecomics · 4 years

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You might've answered this already and I just didn't find it, but one thing that always perplexed me about Duke was how old he was in comparison to the other Batkids. It's obvious he's younger than Dick and Babs, and I pretty sure he's younger than Jason and Cass, and older than Damian, but I cannot tell if he's meant to be Tim and Steph's ages, younger, or older. Could you help me?

You’re all kinds of good here, anon!!! I answered a similar ask abt the Order of Adoption but didn’t dive into specific ages on that post BECAUSE well they didn’t ask lmaooo but ALSO:

Comic ages are very fluid usually! While Years™️ might pass in the canon proper, or while time seems to slow to a crawl, having a character’s age outright stated is something that occurs very rarely for most characters, if at all!

Because it’s always much easier to have a floating age range to work and play around in! It’s easier to keep a character Perpetually 12 or 16 or 25 or mid-40s or- you get the idea. SO, with that in mind. Let’s do our Best to Break Down What Age Duke Might Be Currently A N D how it might interact with the Other Batkids!

(Warning for a Very Long Post, lots of issue citations, and a LOT of comics terminology regarding specific runs/events/continunity. I’m gonna try to keep it as clear/concise as possible ofc but plz keep these things in mind! If you’re not at least marginally familiar with Bat-Comics, you might find yourself feeling a little lost here!)

So from the Zero Year arc we see a common Trend that plays out pretty consistently with Batfam comics: a Life-Changing Event Occuring while the protag is Young™️.

(Batman (2011) #30)

With how Duke is drawn in these particular issues, and given the trends of the past, I’d place him in the 8-12 range. The historic precedent being ofc that that is the same range that canon usually places both Bruce and Dick at for their Tragedies™; the more benign reason being that he... just very much Looks to be drawn in that Range. He’s very clearly an Older/Prepubescent child here.

Fast Forward to his Next Appearance in the Endgame arc and-

(Batman (2011) #37)

He’s definitely older! He’s wiser! And he’s giving Batman a fistbump lmao. Again, no strict age given here BUT, since they condensed each Robin to a Year or Two tops with Bruce (its n52 and its fucked up is what it is), we can assume it’s been at least 4-5 since Zero Year (which would mean if we go off the age range I proposed for that year, then theoretically he could be anywhere from 12-16 here, and I think that tracks pretty well. Not Perfectly and Certainly Not so well with Pre52 continuity ofc, but I’ll talk about that later!)

In We Are Robin, while its not stated Directly In The Text, it IS given as an Informational Tidbit that Duke is 16 (specifically this can be found at the end of issue #4)! (Sweet sweet canon confirmation FINALLY)

We know that WAR takes place Fairly Soon after Endgame (almost immediately, give or take a month or two given that Duke’s been placed in a few foster homes at this point and has racked up Quite A File) now, again id like to remind y’all that while this is a NICE starting point to have, keep in mind that comics are fluid and this may be retconned slightly/ignored in later stories bc Keeping Duke 16-ish is in DC’s Best Interest at the moment. (Having Relatable Teen Characters afterall is a Good Marketing strategy™️. And the longer they can Keep them Young, the Better)

With that in mind let’s take a moment to Highlight the fact that Duke and Damian have crossed paths at this point AND the storylines that have occurred during this year that were meant to be in conjunction with one another!

Because Prior to Endgame, Damian had Died! And just a year (in real, meat-space time) before We Are Robin, he was resurrected and had begun his “Year of Atonement” in the Robin: Son of Batman maxiseries. Midway through both this series and WAR (and, we can assume, midway thru this “Year” for Damian) the Robin War begins/ends and we see at least one major Moment between these two boys who will soon call one another brothers:

(Robin War #2)

Given that R:SoB is followed up VERY quickly by Teen Titans Rebirth (in which Damian celebrates his 13th birthday), we can conclude that Damian would be 12 during this time (well, 12 and 1/2 to play it safe lmao). That being said, this Confirms about a 4yr gap between Duke and Damian! (One Batkid down at least! but he’s the key to the others so put a pin in him!)

As We Are Robin draws to its conclusion, DC was releasing another arc that would eventually flow into the Rebirth Era, by the end of which, Bruce would approach Duke with an Idea (which involves Bruce becoming Dukes temporary guardian & as he states Many Times “Trying Something New” with Duke).

And thus the Rebirth Era begins, and Duke began his Year of training (most directly encapsulated by the Cursed Wheel arc in the All-Star Batman run:

(All-Star Batman #1 (back-up story))

Bruce introduces Duke to a training regimen that Alfred has named “the Cursed Wheel”. It encompasses all the training Bruce and the other bats have undergone and condenses it down into color-coordinated segments that will take Duke a Year to Complete.

It can be assumed that by the End of this Year Duke will somehow miraculously still be 16, despite, again, an entire ass year passing.

There’s one story that takes place mid-year in All-Star Batman, and the Cursed Wheel is meant to be capped off by Duke’s first Official Day as the Signal (in the titular Batman & the Signal ofc) BUT, near as I can tell after this story, Dukes age is not brought up again. So until they DO bring it up either in Batman & the Outsiders or whatever future run Duke becomes involved in, we can assume DC will be working with the idea that he’s meant to be in that 16-18 range from here on out (ie still a minor).

But, dear anon, you might be saying “okay, that’s cool, but how does that relate to my question abt how he falls in with the other Bats?” You’ll have to be a little patient with me here, but I think I may have cracked the code!

Keep in mind I’m gonna be addressing both the Post-Crisis to Flashpoint Continuity (ie mid-80s to 2010 in comics history) and the N52-slash-Rebirth Era (2010-Today). Its generally agreed by fandom and DC alike that these points of rebooting &/or Major Events constitute the era of “Modern” comics, and that everything from the 80s-on might more or less be canon on some level, even if not All of it is.

(Plus, most of fandom usually likes to borrow elements from both eras and much more rarely from stories before it, SO-)

Lets do a quick rundown of how everyone who’s Closer to Duke’s Age, Relates to each other first, age-wise:

Given that Jason was 15 when he died, in A Lonely Place of Dying its established that Bruce had become increasingly reckless since his death, and by the end of the story, Tim has stepped in to fill Robin’s shoes (he states that he’s 13 during this story btw). Pretty soon after, Stephanie Brown is introduced & established to be about a year older than Tim (wish I could pin-point a specific issue BUT, i unfortunately haven’t read any Tim OR Steph-involved comics that predate No Man’s Land... Besides the aforementioned Lonely Place and Young Justice technically, but im working on remedying that soon!)

NOW, during the No Man’s Land event, Cassandra is introduced, and pretty soon into her Batgirl run, its revealed that she’s around the same age as Jason (or at least how old he Would Have Been, had he not died.) Now, given that Jay has an August bday and Cass has a January one, fandom sometimes likes to play around with the idea of one being older than the other (OR even speculating/placing them in an AU as twins/siblings, given that Lady Shiva (Cass’ mom) was a Possible Candidate to be Jason’s biological mother but that’s a Whole Other Thing i wont get into here.)

The point being, Cass, in this era of comics, IS slightly older than Tim and Steph. At Tim’s start as Robin, their ages could either line up like: Tim-13, Steph-14, Cass-15 (being a few months ‘behind’ Jay), then Jason at 15/16 (depending on how soon Tim filled the role after Jay died in April) OR Jason-15/16, Cass-16/17 (in this case she’d be a few months ‘ahead’ now instead)

So brief detour to talk New 52, however! Because Tim, Steph & Cass all got switched around from where DC originally left them prior to the reboot! Now I haven’t read much of them in this era, other than Batman & Robin: Eternal, so my Understanding of their current ages is Spotty at Best. The general consensus seems to be that while before N52, Stephanie had been attending her first year of College (& doing VERY WELL i might add), with the reboot she was set back a few years alongside Tim to a vague Late-Teen state (so 16-18-ish, instead of a Very Clearly Established 18/19). Cass is probably the worst off for this reboot, given that B&R:E basically constitutes her new origin for the new continuity, and does nothing to confirm her age (all I really know is that she’s a Vague Late-Teen too... Probably? Maybe?), given how much they infantilize her, and subsequently how fandom in turn has taken to infantilizing her too, theres a semi-popular fanon that places her Younger that Tim and Steph. And I, for one, propose that we ignore that bc its Weak Sauce my dudes.

Some fans chose to ignore N52 continuity due to this vagueness, and will stick to the ages established before the N52/Rebirth reboots. But its something to keep in mind regardless bc we’re all obviously going to pull from what’s most familiar to us!

But WHERE could we place Duke with regards to them, then? Because them being “Late Teens” is certainly much too vague to work with!

This is Where Damian is the key!

Because Damian is one of those rare exceptions to the Reboot Rule. His story flowed almost seamlessly over from before to after. While he was made a Robin at the age of 10, he continued to grow and learn even after the universe was being rewritten to suit the whims of DC editorial.

If we choose to ignore how everyone else’s ages and origins were swapped around, and stick with the growth that was presented before the reboot, then we can draw some interesting conclusions!

Firstly, though Stephanie also had Died and subsequently Returned, she hadn’t lost much, if any time, from the Ordeal. At the start of her Batgirl run, she is enrolled at a Gotham university and making headway with a more firm foot in the Batfamily (even to the point that she and Damian spend a few issues bonding. At this point in time, Damian is definitely 11, and again, Steph can be assumed to be 18/19 during the course of her run. We’ll assume 18 for clarity’s sake.)

So, then when Damian is 11, now our line up is as Follows:

Dami - 11, Steph - 18, Tim - 17, Cass 19-21 (the range depending again, if you subscribe to Cass being either older/younger than Jason).

WHICH MEANS, If during Robin War Damian is 12 (and a half) THEN We’ve got an age line-up that Potentially looks Like This:

Dami -12(and 1/2), Duke - 16, Tim - 18, Steph - 19, Cass - 20-22 (And Obvsly Jason, Babs & Dick at their varying Older Ages than everyone here)

and im just now realizing i Didnt include Harper in this line-up, but thats bc she’d also throw a big wrench in all this. I’d personally throw her in with being Steph’s age, but I’m pretty sure she was supposed to be either that, or between Steph and Cass (again, since its N52, i believe Cass was/is assumed to be Younger than Steph, but that contradicts the assumed following of pre52 canon that we have for the above line-up, obvsly, and so we ignore that lmao)

All this to say, however, that canon and fandom is what you make of it, and if you want to wiggle these ages around a little, you’re more than allowed! God Knows i usually like to skew the Tim-Steph-Cass age group to be a tad older than this in my own fic writing, and I like to have Duke start as a Robin at 14/15 instead of 16, but that’s just bc I like the dynamic potential it could bring with them being Definitively Older that him, and thus in a more secure place to be Mentoring him right alongside Bruce & the others.

But you might see these age ranges and want to do something Different (say, making Tim, Steph, Cass, & Duke all the Same Age at 17 instead! And that very well tracks with how current comics kinda looks right now!) and you’re absolutely valid to do so! Because again, comic character’s ages are meant to be fluid, not fixed!

And at the end of the day, its all about wanting to see these teen heroes kick serious ass haha

#duke thomas #guest starring:#batfamily #damian wayne #tim drake #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #randywrites #randys meta #meta #asked and answered #anonymous asks #this was A LOT and i tried to throw some humor where i could #but uhhhh yeah!!! i hope this helps anon!!!#also just realizing its TWO AM WHERE DID THE TIME GO #ah well. Worth It

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forlornmelody · 4 years

Text

Three Robins Rose Has Kissed And The One Who Kissed Back

Rating: Explicit (there’s smut, and lots of swearing, and some implied drug use.)

Fandom(s): DC Comics

Ship: JayRose (Jason Todd/Rose Wilson)

AO3 Link: Here

Summary: Rose Wilson has a type and it is former protégés of Batman.

Note: For the sake of this story, I'm assuming both the events of the Crisis continuity, and the New 52, happened. (But we're just gonna pretend DC didn't nerf Rose for daddy-fodder, kay? Kay.)

-*-*-

“Rose.” Nightwing stares down at her, narrowing his eyes, but his grin betrays him. “Something tells me you’re doing this on purpose.”

“What makes you say that?” The mat presses up against Rose’s back.

“That’s the third time today I’ve swept you off your feet.” Dick’s got her in a full nelson, one of his escrima sticks pointed at her throat. He’s not actually going to bust her, though. Nightwing, the former Boy Wonder, is too good for that sort of thing. It frustrates her to no end.

“Maybe I need more practice.” Rose can’t help the playful lilt creeping into her voice. The blue and black look good on him--better because they hug his body in all the right places. All she has to do is tilt her hips--there. One flip and Rose leans over him, pressing both his wrists against the mat.

“You? You’re better than this.” Somehow it sounds like Dick is commenting on more than her training room flirting tactics, and the smile slips from her face. Like he hasn’t hit on half his opponents already. Hypocrite. She’ll show him.

Time slows as Rose closes in, so close she can hear Dick’s heart speeding up. Just as her lips are about to brush against his--Dick turns his head and her kiss lands on his cheek. “Oh come on.” Just like that--Dick’s on his feet, launching Rose off him.

“Focus, Rose.”

Their sparring session continues, and Dick never once brings up the kiss. He drives her crazy, in more ways than one, but she seems to have him off-balance for now. Rose presses her advantage, and she pins Dick face-first against the Robin costume on display. Freezing, Dick sucks in a breath. Before Rose can ask what’s wrong, he shoves his elbow into her sternum, pushing her away.

“Dick?”

“Not now.” He doesn’t even look at her as he slams the door behind him.

What’s his hang-up with his old costume, anyway?

-----

Rose’s only on this team because of Dick, because even though he doesn’t lead the Titans anymore, what he says goes. Even when the Titans hate his decision. Even when they hate their newest member with a passion. Even though she tried to kill them before.

But Rose knows more than just martial arts. And she knows just how to get under Tim’s skin. Or on top of it, rather.

Click. Tim’s got her pressed face-first against the mattress and her hands cuffed behind her back. Somehow Rose suspects this isn’t a bondage thing. Too bad. She really liked the feel of Tim’s lips against hers.

“Hot damn.” Eddie stares at them through the open door and Rose can literally see steam coming out of his ears. That might be normal for him. Rose hasn’t been paying attention, at least not before now.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Tim says quickly.

“Yes it is,” Rose says even quicker. Sometimes Rose’s visions don’t help much. People’s choices determine the future and people can be oh so finicky. It drives her nuts. Fights are one thing--people either want to kill her or they don’t--the rest they have ingrained through practice or the lack thereof. Knowing whether someone wanted to get in her pants--well. Apparently, she hasn’t quite figured that one out.

Tim pulls her cuffs off, extracting himself from the bed and putting some distance between them. “Put some clothes on.” Damn. She’s 0-2.

But with the way Eddie’s eyes linger on her as she slides her armor on? Maybe it’s not a total loss.

----

First Stephanie giggles, and Rose can hear it echo across Gotham’s rooftops. “What are you doing?” Then her smile slips, and the silence is deafening.

Rose leans in closer, both their asses teetering on the edge. “You and Tim are on a break, right?” Her lips part, and she can smell the lavender in Spoiler’s shampoo. Their breaths intermingle and she’s so close to--

“Rose, I’m straight.”

“Seriously??”

----

Honestly, Rose had given up trying at this point. Jason Todd--Gotham’s best, or perhaps worst bad boy--should have been an easy target. Except he wasn’t Rose’s target, not this time. Her employer wanted Roy Harper out of the picture--Jason was just in her way. And he rarely left his best friend out of his sight. And Rose thought Koriand’r would’ve been more of a problem. And with her out of town--possibly out of planet--this should have been a piece of cake. Just get off The Red Hood’s radar by getting into his pants. How hard could it be?

Way harder than Rose ever imagined.

But the price on Roy’s head? Too high to pass up. With that kind of money, Rose would be set for life. No more relying on her dear dad to help with bills every so often. Or his car. Or his safehouses. She could even get her brother the care and protection money to keep him away from all those bent government agencies and mad scientists who wanted to dissect his brain, or worse, use him for their own ends.

So, Rose stayed. Even after Jason turned her down, more than once.

The first time, it’s on a mission in Hong Kong, where Rose just so happens to be going after the same target. The Jade Dragon--Kingpin and Slum Lord who owned half the Indian Ocean. Roy waits for them on the roof with their getaway ride, and Rose joins Jason in the elevator. Halfway up it just so happens to stall. She really outdoes herself.

Jason’s blue eyes stare not at her, but at the emergency hatch. The back-up lights cast a soft glow on his skin as Rose closes in. “It’s probably a power failure. No way they don’t have backup generators in this place.”

“Yeah. But they don’t run the elevator when the power goes out--in case of a fire.”

Jason swears under his breath, eyeballing the distance from his feet to the ceiling. “So what. We’ve got about ten, maybe twenty minutes before they fix it?”

“Something like that.” Rose touches his shoulder. “Relax. Where’s your slumlord going to go? The roof?” The stairs don’t go to his penthouse. She checked. Something about a security risk. Rich wackos like him like to be airlifted out in case of emergency.

Pressing his lips together, Jason lets out the breath he’s being holding for two minutes. “You’re right.” He slumps against the back of the elevator, staring at buttons like they’ve personally wronged him. “I just hate waiting.”

Rose slouches next to him, not quite touching him, but close enough to where they can feel each other’s heat. “I know how we can pass the time.”

Jason blinks, finally giving Rose more than a passing glance. “...You’re kidding, right?” He laughs softly, and it’s the softest she’s ever seen his expression. “We just met.”

The batkid who got hired for jacking the Batmobile’s hubcaps, who had a reputation of going just a little too far when beating up bad guys, who actually killed more than one villain who got under his skin. Jason Todd--the guy on ten international watch lists--a prude. Who knew?

----

Except Jason isn’t really a prude, now is he? Nah. Rose’s caught him stealing glances at Kori more than once--always looking the other way when Kori’s boytoy Roy stands nearby. Hell, the way Jason and Roy fool around sometimes—Rose’s not completely convinced of the joke. She’s even found some saucy text messages in his phone, and more than one picture of a gorgeous flight attendant. An old flame--Rose guesses.

But he doesn’t spare her a second glance.

And it’s not like Rose doesn’t know what she’s doing. Infiltration isn’t her favorite--she’d much rather blow up The Starfire with a heavy payload. Simple. Quick. A big, beautiful explosion to light some fire in her eyes. But the fucking employer wants Roy’s head as proof. Says he and his friends tend to walk away from this sort of thing. Her employer seemingly has all the time and money in the world--so long as Rose completes the job. She’s starting to wonder what Roy did to piss him off. But she knows how to get under a guy’s skin--the right clothes, the right words, simple gestures to lure him in.

The second time it’s after the mission, when they’re celebrating with drinks--with sparkling cider instead of alcohol (what is it with these guys?) Rose dons a bikini with his favorite colors--red and black and lounges on the deck chair next to Jason. Roy and Kori have the right idea--already having forgotten their bubbly beverages--drinking instead from each other’s lips. And Jason’s staring up at the stars.

Rose kind of envies him in that moment, floating on the water with nothing but wonder on his face. She swan dives at the opposite end, swimming her way toward him. The splash does stir his floaty, and Jason turns over to glance her way. Maybe, just maybe she has a chance.

“Nice moves out there today. You dad teach you that?”

Rose shrugs. “My mom taught me a few things, too.” Mostly how to draw in close without her mark noticing. But nothing seems to slip Jason’s attention.

Jason eyes her as her arms brace themselves on his thigh. “You really want me, don’t you.”

“Can’t fault a girl for trying.” And damn her, he’s gorgeous, and cut like a rock. Was it all his years in the batcave or his time with the All-Caste?

But that’s not want hooks Rose the most. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not like that.” It’s the softness in his eyes. She’s only seen it a couple of times in the past few days, but each time he looks at his friends like that Rose swears she’s being let in on a big secret.

“Do not tell me you’re gay.”

Jason laughs, laughs, and Rose immediately knows she’s in too deep. “Gay? Straight? Labels. Who needs ‘em?” He stretches out on the pool mattress, and he lets the leg Rose’s leaning on slip into the water. “They’re just more rules.”

“Then why…?” Rose doesn’t say it. Doesn’t voice the rejection sinking into her brain. Admitting it out loud would mean admitting failure, and Rose Wilson does not fail.

Shrugging, Jason murmurs. “Don’t know you well enough, yet.”

----

Rose should’ve given up at this point. Gone for the easier kill, damn the consequences. Just snapped Roy’s neck while Kori was in the shower. And why hasn’t she? She hasn’t the foggiest idea. But if she’s honest with herself--Rose knows exactly why.

Roy is Jason’s best friend.

Jason would never forgive her if he found out.

And why does it matter if Jason hates her?

Damnit, Rose.

This was exactly the kind of fucked up shit her dad warned her about. Don’t stick around too long. Don’t make friends. Don’t let your mark get under your skin. And what did Rose do? Exactly that.

Her employer doesn’t care if she seduces Jason Todd or not, so why does Rose?

Damn it all to fucking hell.

Rose beats the hell out of the punching bag, shaking the chain it hangs from with every strike. Each punch she lands inspires a new idea. Slip some arsenic in his drink. Stab him from behind. Throw him off the roof of the ship. Press a pillow into his face. Snap his neck. Snap his fucking--

“Rose?”

Her fist freezes midair, and she pants, not bothering to turn around. “Yeah?”

“It’s Roy. Something’s happened.”

Fuck. “Is he dead?”

Jason’s eyes tighten as he shakes his head. “We need to find him. Fast.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

----

Rose should be happy. Roy did all her hard work for her. Someone found him while he was on a bender, tied him up, and has been carving up his skin as if the answers themselves will bleed right out.

Amateurs. A professional knows only to interrogate a sober target. Establish a baseline of what the hostage knows and then break them down with intoxication if need be. Break them slowly, only as much as needed. Dead hostages can’t answer questions.

“Arsenal?” Jason whispers, tilting up Roy’s chin. He doesn’t respond, and his head flops down, heavy against his chest.

Kory shoots the nearest window, a low growl escaping from her throat as glass shards rain down the side of the building. Rose jumps a little, despite herself. She doesn’t want to imagine being on the receiving end of one of those star bolts.

“C’mon, Roy. Answer me.” Rose never thought she’d hear Jason beg, not like that. She can’t stand it.

Walking over, Rose check��s Roy’s pulse and sighs in relief. It’s sluggish, almost too faint to feel. Rose could put him out of his misery right here and now and his friends would have no idea who killed him. Just slip her knife in to hit his artery and bam. Problem solved. Her fingers slip toward the knife on her belt, but Jason’s pleading gaze stops her cold.

“Is he…?” Oh fuck. Jason has tears welling in his eyes.

“Alive.” Rose can just see the barrel of the gun her employer will use to tie up loose ends. “Not for long, though.”

Between the three of them, Jason, Rose, and Kory carry Roy back to the ship where they can apply first aid, and the ship’s alien technology can perform a synthetic blood transfusion. Roy’s pulse slowly returns to something recognizable, and Rose sinks in her seat. She’s deciding between her safe houses when Jason’s fingers graze her jaw.

Rose jumps out of her seat, using everything in her power not to deck him in the face. “The fuck…?”

“Hey.” Oh. Jason’s nose is so close to hers that she can feel his breath on her face. She can smell the mint he just put in his mouth. Never once did Rose imagine Jason could be such a sap. The heat of his fingers sears her skin, but she doesn’t pull away. Rose dares a glance down his lips and when she looks back up Jason’s already tilting his head to meet hers.

His kiss is softer than she expects, lightly brushing his lips over hers, holding her jaw just enough so she can slip away if she wants to. Rose freezes, never expecting this after all this time, all those refusals. Jason starts to pull back before her brain finally stops dividing by zero, and she grabs the back of his neck, crushing her lips against his. Swearing softly, Jason meets her tit for tat, and they stumble out of the med bay and into the hall.

Rose presses him against the wall, slipping her hands inside the opening of his favorite jacket, feeling the heat rising off his chest and the rush of his heartbeat. Part of her still expect to wake up from this dream in her bed alone, heart hammering, skin flushed, thighs damp with need. She mouths a silent prayer into his lips, to the god she never bothers to answer to, pleading to make the dream real, just this once.

Jason’s hands wander across her shoulders, down her arms, and around her hips to her back. Rose steps between his legs, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. Breaking for air, Jason’s words come out ragged. “We...we should pick a room. Yours or mine?”

Instead of answering him with words, Rose guides him to his door and shoves him inside, tossing his jacket to the floor. Jason stares at her breathlessly, and she hesitates. “Too much?”

“Never.” His fingers wind in her hair, pulling her back into another kiss.

Rose drinks him in like she’s parched for thirst, scratching the edge of his hairline from the tips of his ears to the base of his skull. Jason sucks in a breath and Rose grins into his mouth. She tastes him, gasping softly as his fingers twist in her curls, pulling at her hair just enough. HIs other hand wanders just south of her waist and he freezes. Stepping back, Rose loosens her hold, looking him over from head to toe.

Jason pants, taking her in too. “...Are we…?”

Leaning against the closed door, Rose folds her arms. “Are we what, Jason?”

“Is this a onetime thing or…” Jason’s eyes trail back in the direction of the hospital room and suddenly the tension between him and the other Outlaws make a lot more sense.

Damnit. “I’m a merc, Jason.” Really, she should be happy with the kiss, more than the kiss, but this--former Robin proves hard to let go of. “I’ve stayed here too long as it is.”

Jason’s eyes narrow ever so slightly and Rose plasters on her poker face, hoping he hasn’t found her out tonight of all nights. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Push me away.” His voice wavers as he speaks, and Rose’s heart plummets to her stomach. Damn him.

“What do you want from me?” And damn her too, that waver is apparently contagious.

Jason steps closer, sliding his hand in to cup her jaw, the edge of his thumb grazing the bottom of her cheek. “I don’t want to just fuck, Rose.” His eyes close, and he brushes his nose against hers. “I want to--” He clamps his mouth shut, trembling slightly in his touch.

The word teeters on the edge of his tongue, but it doesn’t come out, so Rose pulls it out with a snarl. “Loving me will get you killed, Jason.”

A sloppy grin forms on his face, and Jason nods at her. “Death isn’t as final as you think.”

“So what. You’re immortal now?” She’s grinning too, and she knows she’s fallen too far to get back up.

Jason brushes his lips against hers. “I sure feel like I am when I’m around you.” His next kiss probes deeper, and one hand tugs on her elbow. “Stay. After this is over.”

Her answer is right there, just inside her mouth, but Rose says something else instead. “Oh? You’re that sure I’m a good fuck?”

His lips smack against hers. “I’m not here to fuck you.”

“Jason--”

He silences her with a finger, and then he traces the edge of her lips with his fingertip. Rose resists the urge to pull it into her mouth and suck on it. She’s doomed. “I’m here to make love to you.”

Rose swallows, freezing on the spot. “I can’t promise you anything.”

His smile slips, and she desperately wants to put it back on his face. Rose doesn’t want to break his heart, not anymore. “Rose--”

“No one can.” Tracing the space where his heart hammers in his chest, Rose whispers softly. “Someone could break in ten minutes from now and shoot me in the head.” Standing up on her tiptoes, she kisses his forehead. “Nothing’s guaranteed.” Then she kisses the back of his hand. “Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it while it lasts.”

Jason watches her, his face inscrutable as ever.

Shit. Did I make things worse? Rose opens her mouth to murmur another apology but Jason kisses her before she can say a word. He pulls her close, his hands seemingly everywhere at once, and yet she craves more of him. Daring to slide her hand up Jason’s shirt, she grins into his lips as he leans heavily into her touch, a groan escaping from his lips despite himself. She grazes the lines of his abdomen with her nails. “Oh,” Rose says softly.

Jason Todd. Blushing. As he watches her. “Like what you see?” he says just as soft.

“I haven’t seen anything yet.” She ducks down, pushing up his shirt and following its path with her mouth.

“Fuck.” One of his wandering hands finds its way back to her hair, holding her head as she breathes against his stomach. “Rose.”

Rose stands up, grinning against his collarbone. “Getting there.” She finds the hollow where his neck meets his shoulder and lavishes her attention there, charged by the tightening of his grip.

Jason pushes her to arm’s length, taking a ragged breath. He drags down the zipper of her jacket, taking in the sight of her skin inch by inch. Rose presses into his touch, admittedly reddening a bit herself. His lips part with hunger, but it's the wonder in his eyes that stops her in place—like he sees the stars flickering across her skin. With his fingers he traces the scar on her shoulder and the ones that line her arms. Sucking in a breath, he circles the mark of a bullet on her chest. “That must’ve hurt.”

“Like hell.” Rose mutters, only to gasp when Jason presses his lips against it. “Jason.”

“Shh,” he says softly, breathing in her scent as he edges his fingers beneath her bra and the plastron it holds. He traces a path up her neck and across her throat until he makes it to her ear. “Let me take care of you.”

Why does the thought of him being gentle make her heart beat faster? Part of her wants him to have his way, and take his time exploring her body. Another, much louder part wants to rile him until he takes her fast and hard. Rose grabs the edge of his shirt, looking up at Jason. He nods, and she bites her lips as she pulls it over his head.

Holy shit.

Rose thought she had a lot of scars. Jason has so many she doesn’t even know where to start. There are the bullet marks, the punctures, the rhythmic signs of torture, the line going up the side of his neck and into his hairline where a crowbar must’ve bashed his head in. It’s not until Jason tilts her chin up that Rose realizes she’s been holding her breath. “I’m still here,” he whispers, pulling her into another kiss. She wonders how many times he’s kissed Death on the lips, only to pull back when it wanted him most.

“Soon, you’ll in bed.” She grins against his lips, finding the latch on his belt. “Booby traps? Really?”

He laughs once, running a hand down her breast, feeling the softness of her skin there. “Safety first.” When he gets to the lines of her abdomen, he swallows, drawing a grin from Rose’s mouth.

Stepping back, Rose eyes the latch, her brain already processing the potential catastrophes, and the configurations that would enable them. “Gotcha.” The belt clicks open, without a single explosion or poison released.

Jason blinks at her as she sets the belt aside. “I can’t decide if that’s hot or terrifying.”

Rose stands up on her tiptoes, whispering in his ear. “Why not both?” She punctuates her question with a bite on his ear lobe. The rumble of his groan stirs her chest, sending shockwaves between her legs. Hooking her thumbs in his belt loops, Rose pulls him closer, grinding up against him.

“Rose--” He says, in pleading or in warning, Rose isn’t quite sure.

“What do you want, Jay?” She runs the tip of her tongue up the ridge, shivering at the way his ragged breaths stir her hair.

“Bed,” he says hoarsely, “now.” He pulls her with him, and they tumble into the sheets, boots still on.

It’s a race, then, to see who can get the other’s off the fastest. Four thunks, laughs, and tangled sheets later, Rose climbs up his body, guiding his hands to her belt. Jason’s removed plenty of belts, that Rose is sure, but it’s like he deliberately fumbles his hands against her skin, just so he has an excuse to graze his knuckles there. And damn him, her skin jumps every time. Fine. She’ll make him lose track for real. Rose plants a wet kiss against his lips, running her hands down his shoulders and his arms, guiding his fingers until her belt clangs against his bookshelf before sliding to the floor. “Better,” she murmurs.

Jason runs his fingertips along the edge of her jeans, drawing his touch up and down her spine. “I could stare at you for hours, you know that?”

Rose snorts. “I can think of better ways to spend your time.”

Tilting his chin in challenge, Jason sits back. “Oh? Like what?”

Biting her bottom lip, Rose catches his wandering hand, and takes it to the button of her jeans. “Lemme show you.”

Jason holds his breath, unbuttoning her jeans and drawing the zipper down. He’s so quiet Rose starts to doubt what her late-night visions have been telling her for months. Maybe they weren’t her precognition talking. Maybe they’re just the wet dreams so many guys and girls have had ever since Jason donned a mask. Searching his eyes, Rose says, “We can stop--”

Holding her gaze, Jason replies, “I don’t want to.” HIs fingers follow hers inside her jeans and inside her underwear, and he sucks in a breath. “Shit, you’re wet.”

Rose blushes, despite herself. “You really all that surprised?” She presses his fingers in slow, small circles, holding onto the headboard behind him for balance. Then she moves his touch faster, harder, gasping against his shoulder. “Nn, fuck.”

“Breathe.” Jason chuckles softly, pressing a kiss into her shoulder. He moves his fingers more independently now while she’s distracted. And Rose breathes him in, awash in gunpowder and amber, and that salty scent he bears after a fight. Always so uniquely Jason Todd that the smell of it sends Rose right over the edge. He shakes them both with his laughter. “And our pants aren’t even off yet.”

“Shut up.” Rose pulls back to look at him.

He smirks. “Make me.”

Jason doesn’t need to say it twice. Rose assaults his lips with hers, pushing him down into the mattress. Making quick work of his jeans, she pulls them down as he shimmies out of them. Boxers briefs, huh? They’re just a simple grey with a black waist band--for some reason she’d expected some sort of smart-alecy words printed on them. Sliding down, she runs the tip of her nose up the line of his bulge, grinning as he writhes beneath her. While she sits up, Rose edges her fingers inside, feeling along his length, breathing in Jason’s unsteady gasps. Always so coy and cocky, and now he can’t form a single word. “Cat got your tongue?” she murmurs against his ear.

Jason turns his head, kissing her long and deep, rolling them over. Rose lifts her hips so he can get her jeans off, and he kisses just south of her belly button. “Mm.” Glancing up at her, Jason grins, kissing harder against that spot, lavishing his tongue until she squirms beneath him. But she doesn’t beg, not yet. The lines in his back are coiled tight, so tight his body might burst at the seams, but Jason takes his time, kissing down her hips, her thighs, her calves. Swallowing her whine, Rose reaches for his shoulder, but Jason takes her hands, placing them back at her sides.

“Patience, Rose.” He silences her protests with a kiss, diving back between her legs, edging them apart so that he has room. His lips find her ankle, the back of her knee, and Rose heart pounds as he gets closer and closer to her underwear. There’s no hiding her need for him now, with the way it soaks the front of her boyshorts. Jason samples the taste of her through the fabric, giving her one long lick.

“Oh fuck.” Rose gasps and twists, and Jason has to hold her down with one arm slung across her abs. He peels her underwear off, testing her with different pressures and strokes. Every so often, she catches him looking up at her, assuring himself he’d doing it just the way she likes. Her insides clench, and she twists in bliss, but Jason doesn’t stop, only pausing briefly to come up for air. Even then, his fingers fill in while he wipes his mouth.

“Shh.” He whispers against her mouth, reaching over into his bedside drawer for a condom. Did she say something?

“Yeah?” Rose asks, and her voice comes out hoarse. Fuck, she must’ve been screaming. While he slides on the condom, she’s reaching over for a bottle of water, downing half of it without giving a fuck to whom drank from it last.

Jason returns to her, surprisingly shy when they’re so close to merging their bodies. He gives her one chaste kiss, then another, letting her lead the pace. She winds one hand around the back of his neck, scratching the skin at the base of his skull. The other she uses to thumb the scar next to his eyebrow, the sharp line of his jaw, the sheen of sweat running down his neck to his collarbone, and that delicious line that runs down to the thatch between his legs. Guiding him inside her, Rose closes her eyes, letting his groan wash over her shoulder.

Rose traces circles across his back as he thrusts in and out, only to grip his shoulder when he picks up the pace. Jason grins against her mouth, sliding his hand between them, and Rose jolts, clinging to him as she whimpers into his neck. “It’s okay,” he murmurs against her mouth. “You can let go.” His tone meanders between loving and teasing, and maybe for Jason there is no line between them.

She doesn’t want to, not again before he does. But then Jason has to fucking whisper sweet nothings in her ear.

“You’re so beautiful when you let go,” he says softly, and her world flashes white, much like it does on the cusp of a vision. Her body coils like a spring, and Rose hooks her ankles around his hips, drawing him deeper inside as she clenches around him.

Jason’s eyes pinch shut as he loses his tightly held control, and Rose rolls her hips until he falls to her side. “Holy hell,” he gasps softly, muffled by his pillow.

“Yeah.” Rose shouldn’t, but she can’t help but kiss his left temple, tucking them in and tossing the spent condom aside.

She spends the night committing every line of his body to memory. And it helps soothe her in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

---

The next morning, Rose rolls to get closer to him, only to find his side of the bed empty. In his place, Jason left a small, folded piece of paper, and Rose takes her time undoing all the creases.

Rose,

You’ve no idea how amazing you are. I hope last night isn’t the end of it, but I understand if it is.

--Jason.

Beneath his name, Jason’s inscribed his number, and though Rose memorizes it within seconds, she always keeps the note close, in her utility belt or between her bra and her plastron, next to her beating heart.

#dc comics #jayrose #jason todd #rose wilson #demisexual jason todd #bisexual rose wilson #actually everyone in this fic is bi unless stated otherwise #melody writes #enemies to lovers #friends to lovers #and they were teammates #lemme know what you think!

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candy-corps · 6 years

Text

Cat Person

Jaal belongs to @mygardenofmuses!

"I'm baack!" Damien announced as he closed the front door behind him, holding on to his big travel bag that he rested on his back. Seeing as it was afternoon, his dad may be asleep, but he wasn't the only one living here and there was an off-chance that he was up after all. Jaal, as the diurnal creature he was, was awake and working. He was drawing plants when he heard a voice which he had heard before, but hadn't had a chance to match with a face just yet. Maybe this was a good chance to meet this new person. He came out, his expression a little shy. "Hello... Who might you be?" Damien looked at Jaal with a frown and then back to the door that he came through. Did he mistake the floor or something? "Damien" he introduced himself, looking at the other again, studying him. "I ... live ... here ... " he added, clearly doubting. Jaal looked away, then back to Damien. "Me too. Since two days ago..." He looked down, a little hesitant. "My name is Jaal Ama Darav." Damien blinked slowly. Well, thanks for that info, dad, he thought. Damien stepped forward, simply because his room was in that direction and he would have to pass the other anyways. "Have you seen my father, Jaal A ... " He didn't catch that last part. "You can call me just Jaal." The purple alien joined his hands and stepped back, letting Damien room to move. "If your father is a batperson called Bruce, yes. He's resting right now. Want me to wake him up?" "No" Damien assured. "Let him sleep. It's not his time." He figured there was a chance he was sleeping, so that wasn't bad, but him being alone with a person he didn't know was ... kinda. Damien passed Jaal, carrying the heavy bag and trying to make it look like it was no effort. He kept his eye on Jaal for a while, but let it go then and just went to his room. Jaal feel tempted to go after him, but he wasn't sure if he should. This batkid seemed less talkative for some reason. Still... He'd miss a good chance to learn things from a new source. Maybe... "Damien... Want some help with that bag?" "Yeahhh ... no." Damien rarely accepted some help, but offering some did win Jaal some points. His room wasn't far - the first to the left, so he opened the door, let it open and started unpacking. "What brings you here?" he asked then, not unfriendly, really. "My spaceship crashed in the beach a few days ago. Bruce rescued me and healed my wounds..." He fell silent, wondering how old was Damien. He didn't know if he could talk openly about what happened. Among his people, children learned sexual education pretty early. But, what about batpeople? Better to play it safe for now. "Some things happened afterwards... one thing led to another, and...." "And ... - ?" Damien asked Jaal, just meaning to seem interested. He kept unpacking his, considering his age, very tidy bag; making piles on his bed with different things to put them to their place later. "...we are together. As roommates... and partners. If you know what I mean." Smooth. At least, that's what Jaal thought. Sure Bruce could explain him better, but... there was nothing wrong with telling Damien the good news, right? "He has a partner" Damien replied, unaffected looking as he turned around to Jaal. "He had one. We talked about him." Jaal nodded, leaning against the wall. "Losing him hurt Bruce so much. I just hope I can help him to heal, if just a little. Bruce is a truly noble soul. He didn't deserve to go through so much pain." Waait a second. "Did he hear about him?" Damien stood up straight, alerted now and minding to hide. "No. Bruce hasn't heard anything new about him." Jaal answered, wondering if Damien was afraid of that guy, given his reaction. Phew. For a second, he thought he was dead. "Then he's not lost" Damien found, a little angry now. The new one shouldn't refer to Zagam as if he was past. The topic wasn't closed, at least for him. Damien unpacked more clothes, using less care than before. "What do you mean?" Jaal cocked his head, noticing certain anger in the kid's voice. Did he say something he shouldn't have? "I mean", Damien started, turning around again and giving up to unpack for now, "He can still come back. Anytime. So stop it with the ... - Urgh!" Hands balled to fists, he rushed to the door. "Gone for three days!" he blurt out, speaking more to himself. "... I'm sorry." Jaal felt that an apology was the best course of action here. " This must be hard for you too. Maybe I should have waited for your father to tell you." Damien actually looked back around the corner again, just to glare at Jaal. Then, he went to Bruce' room, meaning to have a say with his father. Without knocking, he opened the door; surprised to find the curtains open and the room flooded with light. No wonder he was still sleeping. "Damien, please..." Jaal walked after him. It would be wrong to leave Bruce alone to face the storm about to fall over him. "Whatever you want to tell him... Maybe doing it in the heat of the moment isn't the best course of action. You could say things you could regret later. I know. Believe me, I've been there." "Yeahh ... lets just say he knows me longer than for two days" Damien answered, closing the curtains. It didn't leave the room pitch black exactly, but it would be enough. "Daad -" Damien didn't care much that Jaal was right there. He walked up to his fathers side, who didn't look like he was gonna wake up soon. He clung to a pillow, curled up and half hidden under his wing. Jaal bit his bottom lip, wondering what he should do next. Bruce was tired, but Damien clearly needed to talk with him now. And kids need their parents. Yes, helping him would be the best. He sat on the edge of the bed and touched Bruce gently. "Bruce, Damien is here. He needs to talk to you." "Don't - " Too late. Bruce turned to Jaal and held on to him instead, purring after a while. Damien sighed. "Don't touch him. While he's sleepy" Damien warned, a little too late. "Dad, could you wake up?" Damien asked, leaning over the bed, too, but in a safe distance, other than Jaal. Bruce yawned nearly right away, and nuzzled Jaal. Jaal let out a soft, affectionate noise that only could be described as a smile in sound form. He patted gently Bruce's back and pressed one side of his head to Bruce's. "I know it's way too early for you, Bruce. But Damien is here. He really needs to talk with you..." The tip of Bruce' tail moved over the sheets, from the right to the left and back again. He was happy. There wasn't only Jaal, there was Damien too to wake up to. "Hi" Bruce greeted the two. Guessing he was safe now that his dad clung to Jaal already and was somewhat awake, Damien sat on the other side of the bed with arms crossed. "There something you wanted to tell me?" he asked. Bruce just made 'mmm' and kept nuzzling Jaal. Maybe there was something he wanted to tell him. "You given up on Zagam?" This answer was more of a 'nnnh' kind of sound. Damien could let that count as 'no'. "Good." "So that's the name of that guy." Jaal caressed Bruce's back, as he entertained the thought of making the guy dance and scream under several shoots of his laser gun. Of course he wouldn't hunt down the guy, but it was one fun thought still. Some of his siblings would do that stuff, but not him. It wasn't in his nature. He chuckled and shook his head a little. He might be already dead anyway., he thought. Letting out a sigh, Jaal left a kiss on Bruce's cheek. "It's all good, don't worry." "When were you going to tell me about this one" Damien kept asking, no mercy however tired his dad was right now. But Bruce was just purring. The 'putting a baby bat to sleep' purr. "Whatever." Good talk. Damien rolled his eyes and got up. He had to finish unpacking and then punch something in the face. "Hum, Bruce... What kind of purr is that...?" Jaal was a bit flustered. He still couldn't tell apart the two types of purring, at least, not yet. However, he got distracted when Damien got up. "Wait, Damien...!" he called out. "He's still sleepy, but... if you want, I can ask him for you whatever you need to know!" Damien ignored Jaal and simply left. Bruce didn't register much of this. He just enjoyed Jaal's warmth. Jaal sighed, feeling bad for Damien. "I didn't mean to offend him when I told him about us..." he mumbled, letting himself sink into Bruce's warm embrace. Oh, finally! Bruce pet Jaal and kept waving his tail. "You offended him?" Bruce asked, hoping he could help. "I think I did. I didn't mean to, though." Jaal mumbled, wrapping his arms around Bruce. "We were just talking. I told him we're partners, and then... he seemed annoyed. But I'm not sure if he was annoyed at me, at you, or at both of us. I couldn't tell." "I talk to him" Bruce promised, sighing happy with his eyes still closed. He could think of worse problems than that. Besides: "You shut the blinds before you woke me" he noticed proudly. That was so much better. "Actually... it was Damien who did it. I tried to talk him into letting you sleep more." Jaal was honest. He wouldn't apply to himself a good thing Damien had done. "He's a good kid. I like him." "Like him, too" Bruce said, long not done yet nuzzling Jaal, but threw in some occasional kisses as well. "You're here." He was so happy about this simple thing. Jaal smiled softly at his words. He held Bruce closer and pressed a kiss on his lips. "And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." he purred softly, nuzzling his neck. Good. Bruce sighed content now. "It's why I didn't tell him" he said quiet. "I tried to have faith that there's no need to rush." Bruce pet over the back of Jaal's head, enjoying all these touches. "I kinda... couldn't resist. I feel so happy around you, that I wanted to tell someone. Though Damien perhaps wasn't a wise choice." His voice sounded apologetic. He let out a pleased hum. "Mmmh, I like that those touches..." "Then I keep foing that." Bruce smiled and continued, brushing and petting Jaal to make him feel appreciated. "No worries. At least you told him. He's gonna be angry at me. For good reason ... He really liked him." Zagam, as the tone of Bruce voice gave away. Sigh. He'd have to have a heart-to-heart with Damien later today. Jaal let out a hum of pleasure. His neck holes released a gentle breeze, showing how much he appreciated this. "Thank you. This feels so nice..." The purple alien fell quiet for a moment, processing that information. If losing that Zagam had been tough for Bruce, he couldn't imagine how hard it would be for Damien. He reached for one of Bruce's hands and squeezed it a little. "If you talk with him... I'd like to be there with you. I want to help as much as I can." "You're part" Bruce made clear, continuing caressing Jaal. "But he still gotta get used to that. I talk to him. It won't take long ... " Bruce promised, remembered though that he said these words not too long ago before. Jaal didn't like to be left by himself... Bruce took a look at him to check if he was sad. Jaal was no longer sad. If anything, a little worried, but not sad anymore. "Alright. We can do together, or I can wait for you here. What do you think it would be better?" he inquired, leaning into his touch with ease. "You come with me. You let me do the talking, but ... you learn" Bruce suggested. "That good?" Bruce pet Jaals back now instead. "Okay. I want to learn. I'll go with you." Jaal nodded. He let out a low, pleased purr. "Mmh. I really like how you touch me..." Bruce chuckled. "Five more minutes" he allowed, covering Jaal in addition to caressing him. "How long have you been up, all alone, missing me?" he asked. Jaal was dressed, so he must have been up for a while. "I'd say five hours and forty-five minutes. I felt tempted to wake you up, but after everything we did last night, I assumed you needed some rest." Jaal nuzzled Bruce's chest, then left a kiss over his heart. "I missed you though. So I made something for you." Aww. "You know, Jaal. I get the impression you like me." He just tried to be open. It was so nice, though. He felt a bit bad leaving Jaal alone for so long. He was well-rested now, true, and most of the time he and Jaal were in bed, they rarely did activities that had anything to do with sleeping... Bruce pet Jaal with his wing now as well. He'd make these 5 minutes count. "I..." Well, he hadn't stopped to put his feelings into words, but... What he said felt true to his heart. "... You're right. I do like you." He admitted, snuggling up to Bruce. "You're always so nice to me. And you... You like me too, don't you?" A playful smile showed on his face. "My secret ... " Bruce joked, taking a short break from petting to hug his mate instead. He should tell him. "My heart beats the same as yours does. That's how I know" he told Jaal, kissing him gently afterwards. Jaal hugged him back and kissed him slowly, letting his mind melt in bliss. This felt so right. Just Bruce and him, sharing the same heartbeat. When he parted for air, a goofy grin lit up his face. "You have some amazing sense of hearing. I can't hear it well. Then again, I have no ears. My neck holes are the closest thing I have." He gave another kiss. "But that's ok. I'm so happy knowing we are such in sync." "Me, too." Bruce knew it took two to get to this state. He returned the kisses gently, but without any heat - he wanted to talk with Damien soon and when he gave in to his desires, they'd certainly not leave the bed within the 5 minutes. "I got the hearing. You got the good looks. And... " He should say it before he forgot it over and over and over again, " - you don't fall asleep when it's too bright around you. You gotta close the curtains or I'm not gonna wake up, baby. Sorry. I forgot." Bruce continued to pet Jaal as part of his apology. Jaal enjoyed very much kisses like this. Of course, sex and biting were great... but he liked a lot quiet moments like this, were they just cuddled and enjoyed each other's presence. He nuzzled Bruce gently. "Alright, dear one. Lemme lower the custains completely." He got up, kinda reluctanly so (who would ever want to leave such a warm spot by Bruce's side?), and returned to him to get some extra pets. That was pretty nice, too. "Is this better for you? You feel more awake now?" He just called him 'dear one'. Bruce lay on hid side, the tip of his tail waving happily. "I'm good" he assured smiling, "Thank you ~ " "You're welcome." Jaal snuggled up to him again, then kissed his forehead. "I've been absorbing a lot of sunlight today, so I'm feeling pretty good too. Should we go check on Damien?" "M-hm." They should be doing that. As hard as Jaal made it, being so comfy and warm and nice, Bruce had a feeling the five minutes were up. "Alright. Let's go." Jaal straightened his position and offered his hand to Bruce. He liked walking hand in hand with him. Bruce, of course, took Jaal's whole arm, seeing that as invitation. "I gotta get dressed ... " he reminded him. just an undershirt would do for now. "Oh, right." Lately he had grown so used to the view of Bruce's bare body that he forgot that yes, he still used some clothes after all. He looked down to himself. Just pants. "I better put on my cape, too." Bruce wasn't all happy that him getting dressed meant that also Jaal would get dressed. He noted that for the future, took his new partner's arm eventually and dragged him to where Damien was, as, turns out, was in the living room, watching tv but really, texting somebody. "Hey Damien" Bruce greeted. Damien should know that he approached, but didn't move a muscle - ignoring him. Okay. Second try. Bruce let go of Jaal and leaned over the couch's backrest, trying to get into Damien's field of vision. "I'm glad you're back. Did you like it at Blue's place?" More silence. Jaal wasn't sure if he should interfere. Back home, all his moms and dads pretty much got on his face when there was conflicts. As in, they wouldn't leave him alone until they talked things out. But he had a feeling that doing that would be too much for Damien. Still... adressing issues right away was part of his nature. "I didn't mean to offend you. It was just my opinion on the matter and a few facts, nothing else. I'm sorry." Wait a second. Damien looked up, finally, looking expressionless from one to the other. Bruce looked at Jaal, gritting his teeth. "Jaal ... " He was not supposed to talk! They talked about that - "It wasn't me you offended" Damien said, cutting the silence. "It was Zagam, who's still part of ... whatever ... " he pointed between the three of them, " - union we have going on." Jaal let out a huffing noise through his neck holes. He felt so very tempted to argue back, but he didn't want to say something he'd regret. Still, he crossed his arms with a expression of disbelief. "Some union...." When he left both of you and hasn't called back in a year. He finished it in his mind, suspecting that Damien would snap if he dared to truly speak his mind. "Look. He isn't here." he simply sighed, then he went to sit by Bruce's side. "But I am. And I want to make your father happy. Isn't that a good thing?" "Isn't that totally - " "Damien" Bruce intervened, raising his hand and silencing his son, who was done looking unaffected, now. Bruce could hear he was getting upset. "You know that's not true. He's part, he stays that way. For ... " Bruce turned to Jaal then, " - ever" he finished. No wonder Damien's been so off. "I thought that was clear." This was on him, wasn't it. Bruce sighed, and withdrew from the couch, his hands brushing his ears back in frustration. "Then it was a misunderstanding on my part. I thought you felt ready to move on." Jaal didn't feel really guilty of feeling that way. And given the way Bruce had behaved since they met, it was pretty easy to assume he was available for a new relationship. But maybe he had got his hopes up way too soon. He got up and took Bruce's hand into his. "I do like you, Bruce. A lot. But now I feel like I shouldn't be here. Not if you don't feel really ready for it..." Immediately Bruce held on to Jaal's hand so hard, he'd have to first surgically remove it before he could go. Jaal wasn't the only one feeling bad. Damien felt pity for his father. He did want him to be happy. He'd just have to find someone who fit ... - Bruce spoke. "We're not monogamous." "No?" Jaal blinked in surprise. Well, that... changed things a lot. And explained Bruce's reluctance to let go, even if the relationship with that Zagam wasn't that healthy. Though this opened a new line of questions. "In that case - do you have other partners I should know of?" He squeezed Bruce's hand, hoping that if there were others, at least they were good people. "Just Feathers. Zagam" Bruce explained, calming a little with how Jaal held his hand. "It's not official with the others. There is a few I ... liiike ... though ... " - Why was Damien looking at him with his eyes wide as dishes? Bruce let himself get distracted by that, but looked back at Jaal soon. "And some I did like. And don't want any harm to happen to." "Three days" he heard Damien mumble as he got off the couch and sneaked off to his room. He had a feeling it was better to give Bruce and Jaal some privacy. For them and for his own mental health. Jaal smiled quietly. The change from pet name to proper name kinda confirmed his suspicions: deep down, Bruce knew Zagam probably wouldn't return, and he just needed time to be able to move on. He felt proud of Bruce for trying. He knew how hard it could be. Hell, he had years to overcome the loss of Ryder. Bruce only had one. But all that effort was amazing. And then Damien left. Should they chase him again? Maybe yes, but... not now. Clearly the boy needed time to diggest those revelations. "Well, I'm glad we're talking this now, because I thought you were an "one-and-only-person", being raised by humans and all." Jaal took both of Bruce's hands into his and pressed his forehead against his. "Looks like Angaran and batpeople aren't so different after all. I was only monogamous because my wife used to be monogamous, too. But I'm open to experiment with several partners. Who are the people you like? Maybe I can help. The three of us could be together. Or four, or five. Or whatever they are." He chuckled. "I just want us to be happy." "Me, too" Bruce replied. He was relieved Jaal felt this way. So far, he's only had one partner that wasn't okay with it, but it was enough to make him worry. "It was never supposed to be just me and Feathers" Bruce said, inching up so he could lean against Jaal and hold him close. "We always wanted more. We just didn't have the time. He'd be so proud that I found you." Yeah, he was sure of it. "I gotta admit I don't like Zagam much right now. But that is only because he hurt your feelings and you were feeling sad and lonely all this time without him." Jaal hugged him and let out a sigh. "You know... I meant to travel home after I recovered from my wounds. But then I met you and everything changed. I don't want to leave. I want to keep you safe and happy. I'd like us to be happy together. And I would love to meet the people you like. Maybe all of us could be together. Like a family." It was great Jaal wanted to stay, because Bruce for sure didn't want to let him go again. Being left alone so long, it did leave some scars. But he swore he was not going to be in this situation again. For his family's sake. For Jaal's sake. His own. Bruce nodded and wrapped Jaal up in his wings - another precaution to prevent him from leaving. "We still have to win them over. I don't know if - I don't think they like me back. But there's more to me than me now. Again" he added happily, looking up at Jaal, slightly smiling. "Well, if they don't, it will be such a pity. Because how not to love such a handsome batman like you?" Jaal nuzzled him affectionately and raised his hands, caressing his cheeks. "You have sweet eyes. Soft cheeks. Cute ears." He caressed them too. Then he left a peck on his nose. "A nice nose, and..." He left a kiss on his lips. "The most lovely smile I've ever seen." Jaal just made sure that that smile would stay for a while. Bruce did like to hear that. "Thank you" he replied; really touched. Jaal knew about his failings and yet he just called him lovable.

#RP #Bruce RP #Bruce and Jaal RP #Jaal

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