Chapter Text
In the following days, you managed to feel lighter, so to speak. Jason had been very attentive without you saying anything about it; he was the one who suggested going for a ride together or cooking something delicious for dinner. Mrs. Mary spent time with you in the afternoons but left you alone for long stretches. She was extremely happy that things between you were starting to move faster.
Although there were still many moments when you felt very bad, these days had managed to cheer you up a lot; the pressure in your chest seemed to lessen. You knew that at any moment the sadness would return with greater force, but you wanted to try to enjoy these good days.
Stephanie had also become much closer to you, she kept bothering Jason whenever he was with you when he came to pick you up from university and from what you had managed to hear, his brothers had also joined in to joke about it.
You hadn't seen Red Hood again and you had to admit you were somewhat curious to know how he was doing; you were actually considering peeking out into the fires in the early morning to try and catch a glimpse of him.
But anyway, the topic now was that Jason had invited you and Mary to dinner at his apartment.
Mary said it wasn't something usual, that if he were inviting you to dinner there it was because he really wanted to let them into his life. So while you were getting ready to go, Jason was organizing his apartment like his life depended on it.
My God, the guy even bought decorations to make his apartment look more comfortable. Mary had visited him a couple of times before and would surely notice the difference, but he didn't care.
All he cared about was that you felt comfortable in his home. He had taken the time to choose decorations that suited his personality; he had gotten curtains, new cushions for his armchair, some nicer shelves, and even bought some plants!
Jason no longer knew what to do about his attraction to you, and it was driving him crazy.
During those days, he got to see you laugh more freely, to get you to talk about your tastes without worrying so much and without cutting yourself off mid-conversation. It was lovely to see you so comfortable with him, and he wanted to see that more often.
He wasn't a good person; he was dangerous, bad, irresponsible, and much more. But he had managed to make you smile... and perhaps the idea of getting closer wasn't so bad, but first he had to let you see more of himself, let you get to know him better before trying anything.
He wanted you to decide for yourself if he was worth your time, and he was going to work hard to deserve it.
So yes, he wanted to impress you somehow. He knew things could get more complicated when he got to the topic of being a vigilante, but at some point he'd have to explain it to you—if you ever developed any kind of relationship.
And the whole dying and coming back to life thing… That would be another point to discuss.
After tidying his apartment for the fifteenth time, he put on some music at a low volume on an old record player he'd received from Alfred some holiday. He knew Mary would like the music and that it would help you relax—just like him.
The boy took a deep breath, sinking back into his armchair for a few minutes to wait for you to arrive. He closed his eyes momentarily, several thoughts flooding his mind.
His brothers had undoubtedly joked about him being so attentive to someone, especially a girl. Jason buying things and directly trying to make someone feel good? The guy must have been smitten with you. Jason usually tried to help unconsciously, so much so that he didn't even realize he was doing it, but with you, he was trying to do it in any way he could, making plans and finding solutions however.
Even so, when the jokes and banter passed, he ended up having a chat with Dick—he didn't want to, but his older brother managed to get him—and among the many twists and turns their conversation took, it helped him become more convinced that maybe it wasn't a bad idea to try to get closer for something more than friendship.
The nights he helped you study, and the times you both ended up asleep on the living room floor with your books open, had been taking their toll on him. The warmth of your body next to his, and the fact that you'd now taken to stroking his hair—you were driving him crazy, and you didn't seem to realize it.
And of course he didn't notice, but you were going crazy too. He kept calling you such sweet nicknames and using such a soft voice that you ended up feeling incredibly shy, and your cheeks turned a light red. You didn't want to get your hopes up because you firmly believed you were just misinterpreting his intentions due to your hunger for affection. But it was impossible not to imagine scenarios where he really did it with ulterior motives.
And maybe - just maybe - you wrote a couple of short stories where the characters were the two of you.
Jason was too sweet to you! Nobody could blame you.
That's why, when you were in front of his door, you felt like your heart was going to jump out of your chest. You smiled nervously when the boy opened his door.
“Hey…” You greeted him in a low tone, his eyes fixed on you, almost forgetting that Mrs. Wright was with you until he felt his cheeks squeezed by a pair of tenderly wrinkled hands.
“Hi. Please come on in.” He smiled somewhat sheepishly as he stepped aside to let the two of you in, closing the door shortly after.
Your eyes wandered around the room, smiling slightly as you noticed the various books on the shelves. Over time, you'd learned that he really enjoyed classic literature. The apartment was lit with neutral light but had a couple of warm lamps. The curtains were drawn, letting in the cool night air, and on the sofa, you noticed the cushions and a couple of blankets—you didn't know it yet, but the blankets were especially for you. He knew you liked to snuggle up even when it wasn't very cold.
The small plants decorating some of the tables gave the place a rather nice touch. The presence of an electric guitar in the corner next to the TV caught your attention, but you could ask about it later. There wasn't much on the walls, just a clock and a photo of what appeared to be his family—Jason just hoped he wouldn't have any unexpected visitors. He didn't want them to see that.
"Your apartment is very cute, Jay."
“Jay” He really loves when you call him that. It's just a nickname but he felt good when it was you who said it.
"It's not a big deal... I was thinking of decorating a little more, but I don't know." He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. You had no idea how much of a weight you'd just lifted from his shoulders with that simple comment. "You can come anytime."
As soon as his eyes met Mrs. Mary's, he instantly looked away. Mrs. Mary had a smile on her lips; she knew very well what was happening there.
"Why don't you take a seat? I'll serve you dinner," he said, gesturing to the kitchen counter. You both sat down shortly after.
Dinner passed with lighthearted banter and a few stories from Mrs. Wright. Gradually, your nervousness dissipated, and you both returned to the tranquility that appeared when you were together.
When you finished, you offered to help him wash the dishes, Jason didn't seem very convinced so you just ended up helping him dry them while he washed them.
"Did you like the cream I made? I wasn't entirely sure if it had enough salt." You nodded immediately; you could tell Jason's cooking rivaled your parents'—and they were excellent cooks.
"A lot. Actually, I liked everything, you have good seasoning." Neither of you realized it, but always spoke in whispers when you were together, as if everything was something more intimate between you.
Mary just looked at you with a smile on her lips; you reminded her so much of her husband and herself when they were young.
She waited just a little longer before exaggerating a yawn. "Oh, children. I'm so sorry I have to retire like this, but I can't stay up as late as I used to." The woman slowly got up, giving you a smile. "I'm going to rest, but don't worry, sweetie. You can stay with Jason, just make sure you don't come back too late and that he comes with you. It doesn't matter if it's next door, it's always better to be safe than sorry."
"Oh, are you sure? I can come back to you right now if you want," you said, putting the plate you had just dried back down. You looked at the woman with curious eyes. She shook her head gently.
"Very sure, darling. Enjoy yourselves a little longer, watch a movie or read something. You're young and it's Friday, have some fun." She waved her hand before heading for the door, stopping abruptly before looking at the two of you and pointing her finger. "But not too much, I don't want any trouble with your parents."
You could only let out a small, embarrassed laugh as you nodded. Jason walked her to the door and stayed there until he saw her enter her apartment and heard her lock all the doors.
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked as he went back inside, closing the door behind him. "We could read together for a while, or watch that series you mentioned a few days ago."
"We can watch the series, if it turns out to be too boring we can read for a while... I still have to send you what I wrote last week, I'll do it when I'm in my room." He nodded with a smile, knowing that you felt comfortable enough to share your writing made him very happy.
You both stood in the middle of the room for a couple of seconds, neither saying anything, but soon both let out a couple of giggles.
It only took a few minutes for you and Jason to be settled on his sofa, you covered with a blanket and a cushion between your arms. He had his arm around you, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. You could feel the gentle caresses he was giving your hair. Being like this felt good.
[...]
“I'm telling you, he likes you!" Stephanie's voice sounded excited, gently shaking you, her two hands on your shoulders. She didn't know what else to do to make you believe her.
"He's just being nice, that's all," you denied while laughing. She had known him before, she was probably right but you really found it hard to believe.
"Who likes whom?" a boy with black hair and icy-blue eyes asked, approaching the table where you two were sitting. You had ordered your Batburger of the day, and Steph had mentioned that a friend of hers would be joining you. You assumed it was him.
“Jason likes her, you know it, I know it, we all know it, and she insists he doesn't." Stephanie almost whimpered as she shook her head. At this point, she'd have to put up a sign for Jason in big red letters that said, "I like my neighbor's niece."
“Oh, you're Jason's neighbor? Yes, he definitely likes you." The boy stated without hesitation, taking a seat across from you. "I'm Tim, by the way. Jason is my older brother… Or well, something like that.”
Jason rarely spoke about his brothers—he had barely begun to open up to you about it—but he usually commented on good things about them. He certainly admitted that many times they drove him crazy, but there were other things he couldn't deny.
"Oh, I remember. He's mentioned you a couple of times." you affirmed with a small smile, overlooking the way the boy's lips curved slightly; he was holding back a smile.
"Really? Because he's mentioned you a lot of times... Even though he doesn't realize it, it's funny how clueless he acts when it comes to you." Your cheeks flushed slightly at that, tilting your head a little. Did Jason talk about you with his brothers? "Lately, when we see him, he's always muttering about what he could cook for you or reviewing some topic you have a test on."
"That's right! I forgot to tell you that." The blonde chuckled softly as she turned her gaze back to you. "Every now and then he asks me if we have any exams coming up. He likes helping you study and tries to find information in advance. He's totally smitten with you, girl."
You closed your eyes, stifling a laugh, denying it again. They weren't helping you avoid getting your hopes up. "If you say so."
"Seriously, you have to believe me. He— Oh”, she stopped when she saw your phone screen light up, Jason's name appearing in large letters. "Speaking of the devil."
"He calls you?!" His brother asked, almost offended. "Do you know how many calls he hung up on me ?" He let out a disbelieving laugh, staring at Stephanie with wide eyes. "This goes beyond everything."
"He calls regularly..." you murmured, somewhat confused. In the last few days, he'd been calling you during your lunch and break times to ask how everything was going, and sometimes he'd even dropped you off with a snack. Finally, you answered the call.
"Hi, doll. Have you eaten anything with Steph yet, or would you like me to bring you something light?" His soft voice greeted you instantly. A small smile appeared on your face.
"I'm with her and your brother waiting for some hamburgers at our usual place," you commented calmly, however, all the alarms went off in Jason's head.
"Which brother?" he asked almost cautiously; you couldn't see him, but he was already getting ready to go there in a jiffy.
"Uh... Tim," you replied, frowning slightly. You could only hear a heavy sigh from the other end of the line.
"Is it okay if I come with you? I need to... talk to him about something." It was a lie, he just wanted to try to shut him up while he was near you, that kid was capable of bringing up his deepest secrets as if it were just something to talk about on a Tuesday afternoon.
“Yeah, sure. Do you want me to order you something to eat?” you asked while playing with one of the napkins on the table.
"No, don't worry. I ate a little while ago, doll. I'll be there in a few minutes."
“Okie, drive safe.” You said goodbye with a slightly wider smile; you really liked hearing that nickname - and it excited you a little to see him.