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Jason didn’t like High School Musical, but he had to admit the movie made some good points. Namely, that there were certain status quos students typically adhered to, and one of those was “stick to your group.”
Which meant that under no circumstances should Jason Todd have a crush on Dick Grayson.
For one, Jason’s entire wardrobe was monochrome (black was the new black, obviously), and Dick’s biggest fashion icon was Elton John (resulting in a positively obscene amount of feathers. He didn’t mind the mesh, though). Dick was also objectively popular (and beautiful and smart), while Jason, on the other hand, was friends with a couple theater kids, a couple stoners, and none of them belonged to the in-crowd.
These rules weren’t really iron-clad like they were in the movies. No one actually cared who you were friends with, and for the most part, the popular kids weren’t mean (Helena Bertinelli was an exception to that rule, but Jason found her biting humor refreshing).
So yeah, Jason could technically talk to Dick any time he wanted without becoming a social pariah and getting publicly shamed. But he had no way to interact with him, unless staring wistfully at lunch and being mocked mercilessly for it by his friends counted. It didn’t, in Jason’s book.
However, all of this meant he was completely unprepared for when Dick transferred into his 4th period chemistry class. And for when, wonder of wonders, the teacher assigned him to be Jason’s new lab partner.
Yeah, he almost stopped breathing that day.
Because now Dick waved at him during lunch and asked to study together after school, and he was so much fucking better than Jason had even dreamed up in his head. He was goofy and adorable, but he was also whip smart and knew how to counter Jason’s dark humor quip for quip.
He’d never been told to quiet down so many times in one class. Jason was usually a pretty attentive student, but when he was with Dick, he couldn’t help himself.
Dick was just as kind as Jason had imagined and twice as beautiful, but he also had a bit of a temper, which was unexpected. And god, Jason wished he didn’t know that, because it made him want to push just enough to see the look on Dick’s face that meant he was about to make somebody’s life a living hell. Jason was a bit in love with that look.
Truly, the only thing hotter than a pissed off Dick Grayson was a smiling one, looking directly at him and calling his name.
Like he was right now. Like he did every day, walking into 4th period.
“Jay!” Dick exclaimed as he slid into his seat, loud enough that a couple other students glanced over. Well, they also could have been looking at the shine from Dick’s ridiculously bedazzled (and unnecessarily gold) gogo boots. Yes, gogo boots. “Please tell me you don’t have plans this weekend.”
“Umm,” Jason forced himself to stop fidgeting with his pencil. “I don’t have plans this weekend?”
“Perfect! Cause Garth is throwing a party at his place, and you totally have to come.”
A party with Dick and a bunch of people Jason didn’t really know? Sounded like a great way to get ignored for a couple of hours and probably scarred for life by drunk, horny teenagers. Thanks, but no thanks.
“That’s not really my scene, Dick. You know me, I’m not exactly a party person.”
Dick’s full lips turned pouty, and Jason knew, he just knew he was doomed. “Roy’s coming, and so is Raven. Please Jay, I’d really love it if you could be there.”
He searched those baby blue eyes, and yeah, saying no was absolutely impossible. So he sighed and said the words he knew he would end up regretting later. “Okay, Dick. I’ll be there.”
“Yay! You’re the best, little wing. I’ll text you the details!”
…
“I already regret this,” Jason complained as Roy dragged him through the door of Garth’s lake house.
It was a school night, it was already after 10 pm, and Roy had forced him into a pair of his way too scrawny jeans so that ‘those thigh muscles will really pop.’ Jason felt the seams creak a little more, and prayed to every deity out there that nothing actually popped this evening, please god.
“We’re only here because you told Mr. Sunshine you’d go.”
“You’re such a shit liar, Harper. I know you’re into somebody here, you can stop pretending I forced you to come.”
Roy rolled his eyes, but the way his lips twitched indicated that maybe he wasn’t just into someone. Maybe he was seeing someone. Huh.
“Don’t change the subject. It’s time for you to get the balls to actually do something about your super embarrassing crush on Dick Grayson.” At Jason’s annoyed look, he clarified. “Something besides pining from afar.”
“I do not pine,” Jason scowled, knowing full well it was a lie. He couldn’t help it, though. Dick was… he was…
Jason’s brain filled in a bunch of options. Student council president, mathlete, homecoming king. Voted friendliest in their class two years in a row. Jason’s favorite person in the entirety of Gotham Academy, and maybe the whole world. Most importantly, though, he was out of Jason’s league.
But Jason was here anyway. Because he was absolutely fucking whipped.
But he would be damned before admitting that to Roy.
“Come on, let’s go talk to Donna.” Roy dragged Jason off by the arm, and they started making the rounds.
After what felt like talking to 500 people, Jason checked his phone, convinced at least two hours had past.
Thirty minutes?! Okay it was official. Parties sucked.
“I don’t know how they do it.”
Jason looked up in alarm. He hadn’t even noticed he'd been standing next to Raven for who knew how long. She was watching Dick and Garth attempting to beat Kori in ping pong with a private smile on her face. Well, that was probably reserved for Kori.
“What’s it like, dating the most extroverted girl in school?” Jason asked.
“Honesty? It’s a lot like this most weekends. But when it’s just the two of us,” she shrugged, “it’s worth it. Besides, I don’t always come to these things. It’s nice to have some time to myself too, and Star understands. But enough about me.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ve never shown before. What gives?”
“Dick invited me.”
A hint of surprise flickered across her face before it settled back into it’s typical neutral. “And you actually came.”
It wasn’t a question, but Jason felt defensive anyway. “It’s not like that.”
“Honestly Jason, it’s none of my business.”
He thought that was going to be it, but as Raven walked off, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “But it took him two weeks to work up the courage to invite you.”
…
“There you are!” Dick beamed, having immediately abandoned his friends the second he first caught sight of Jason. When they made eye contact, his face lit up like he’s just won the lottery, and Jason felt his heart give a traitorous thump. “I thought you might have been held up.”
Jason glanced around for something to save him from Dick’s beautiful, open expression, but there was nothing. Just Dick and his silver sequin top that made tinkling noises when he moved, like an honest to god fairy. Jason was pretty sure he was wearing silver eyeshadow as well, but he was just dim enough that he wasn’t certain. “I got here at around ten.”
“Ten!” Dick’s mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t you come say hi?”
Because you were surrounded by people I only sort of know. Because I feel awkward here, and I suck at making conversation. Because I like getting to look at you, happy and carefree, without making a fool of myself when your eyes are on me. “You seemed… busy.”
“Never too busy for you.” And then Jason was drowning again, lost in the honesty on Dick’s face.
He was saved from responding by Kori’s voice, announcing some sort of game that he was too distracted to pay attention to.
“C‘non, let’s sit together.” Dick tugged Jason by the arm and pulled him down until they were on the floor, side by side in a circle.
“Since I brought the alcohol, I get to go first!” Kori announced. She set her empty beer bottle on the ground and twirled it, gasping when the narrow end pointed at Raven. “Take that, bitches!” She grinned, then grabbed Raven by the front of the shirt and pulled her into a messy, open-mouthed kiss.
Jason startled at the sight, then it hit him.
They were playing spin the bottle.
He was playing spin the bottle with Dick. There was no way this was going to end well. He discreetly (read: frantically) looked around the room, but there was no way to escape without being glaringly obvious or feigning illness.
“Ugh, seriously?!” They had already moved on to the next person, and Wally was groaning as the bottle slowed down and stopped on Roy. “We aren’t allowed any redos?”
“Nope.”
Wally growled at the smug look on Roy’s face, but marched over anyway to pull him into a quick but hard kiss.
Jason leaned over and whispered in Dick’s ear. “Ginger on ginger crime.”
Pride swelled in his chest as Dick burst into laughter, barely remembering to muffle it as Wally stalked back his seat, glaring at Dick and Roy and everyone.
“Just take it,” he huffed as he shoved the bottle into Donna’s waiting hands.
She gave him a sympathetic pat, then took her turn. As the bottle spun, Jason’s breathing picked up as it got closer and closer to him… then landed on Dick.
Jason thought his heart might have stopped. He’d been so focused on who he might have to be kiss that he didn’t even think about what it meant to play this game with Dick. That Dick might have to kiss someone, or maybe even multiple someones, right in front of him.
Jason knew it wasn’t fair of him to be jealous. They weren’t in a relationship, and Dick had surely kissed people before. But looking between him and Donna, he couldn’t help but think how beautiful they both were. How strong and independent and kind. They probably deserved each other. Jason felt his gut twist, and he wondered if he was going to be sick.
He wanted to look away as Donna reached for Dick and took his face into her hands, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t stop watching as she got closer and closer, her dark hair shining in the yellow light. He couldn’t stop watching as she leaned in… and kissed Dick on the cheek.
What?
She didn’t… but everyone else had…?
His brain was still trying to process what just happened as Garth, Raven, and Kaldur all took their turns. He didn’t notice how long he’d been out of it until Dick placed a warm hand on his arm.
“Hey, you doing okay?”
Jason looked over at him, at the concern shining in his eyes, and gave him a small smile. “Never better, Dickie.”
Dick’s face softened at the nickname, but as he opened his mouth to respond, Cassie placed the bottle into his hands with a wink and the moment was broken.
It was Dick’s turn.
Dick set the bottle down, twisted sharply, and everyone watched it spin. As Jason held his breath in anticipation, he steeled himself to watch Dick kiss someone. It was fine, it was just a game. It didn’t mean anything.
But his stupid heart had trust issues apparently and was finding that hard to believe.
But then the bottle stopped, and it was pointing at… it was pointing at Jason. Was that even possible? Was that allowed? Surely someone would tell Dick to spin again and get someone else.
But then Dick was taking his hand, and Jason couldn’t focus, couldn’t even think. Everyone was staring at them. They were all looking at him, just staring and waiting, and he couldn’t breathe.
Until Dick said his name.
“Jason.”
His attention snapped to Dick’s face, and then he was right there, looking at Jason like there was no one else in the room but the two of them.
Jason wasn’t sure this was really happening, even as Dick leaned towards him, blurring at the edges when he was inches away and-
Oh. He’d always wondered what Dick’s lips felt like, and now he knew. Satin, like Dick had a very strict skin care regiment that included lip exfoliation. A little slick with that stupid shimmery lipgloss that Jason hated with a passion. It always made it so hard to focus on anything, highlighting the natural curve of Dick’s lips, but now it made the slide easier.
He tasted just a bit like that bright blue punch Garth was serving, as strong as it was sickeningly sweet. But he also tasted like a breath mint or one of those listerine strips.
Dick’s hair smelled like coconut, and it was so silky as Jason ran his fingers through it with both hands. He was surprised by how thick it was and how much he wanted to just hold on for dear life and let Dick ravage his mouth.
Dick didn’t seem to be on the same wavelength though, because he wasn’t ravaging Jason’s mouth. No, he was kissing him firmly but gently, the way you might kiss a date when you’re parked in front of their house. Their mom is expecting them inside any minute, but she isn't close enough to see inside the car, and you want a few more minutes with them, just a few more minutes.
Dick kissed him like that.
Jason didn’t know which one of them pulled away first, just that he opened his eyes when he felt the separation. Dick was beautiful like this, cheeks flushed, mouth slightly parted and shiny with the last traces of his lip gloss. His hair was mussed, like someone had been running their hands through it. Wait, Jason had been running his hands through it. In fact, he still had his hands in Dick’s hair, tangled up and holding on. He removed them, and then felt the weight of all the eyes on them.
He just kissed Dick. Oh god, he just kissed Dick in front of all these people and now they knew. That wasn’t the way you kissed someone for spin the bottle. That was the way you kissed someone when you were stone cold in love. They knew, and Dick probably knew too. Who was he kidding? Dick definitely knew. Jason spent the whole kiss clinging to him, opening his mouth a little wider as an invitation for Dick to take all he wanted from him. There was no way he didn't know.
“Jason?” Dick’s brow was furrowed, and Jason couldn’t take it anymore. He shot up and bolted, running straight through the house until he was outside, heaving great big gasping breaths of the cool September air.
Jason collapsed on the curb, put his head in his hands, and thought about what a colossal fuck up he was. Everyone else had been totally fine with kissing other people; it was just a stupid game. But he’d acted out of instinct and had not only embarrassed himself in front of an entire room full of people but also ruined any chance he had of being with Dick.
Even if the needy way he'd kissed him hadn’t freaked Dick out, the running definitely would.
He knew coming here had been a mistake.
After about a minute or two, Jason heard footsteps behind him. “I don’t really wanna talk right now, Roy.”
“That’s okay, we don’t have to talk. Um, I’m not Roy though.”
Jason whipped his head around as Dick lowered himself to sit next to him on the curb.
His humiliation burned in his throat, and for a second, he thought it might actually choke him. Before he could figure out what to say, Dick beat him to it.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” Jason’s eyes widened in shock. Dick was apologizing? He’d done nothing wrong. He’d been perfect, absolutely perfect.
“I shouldn’t have assumed spin the bottle was something you were comfortable with, and I should have asked if it was okay to kiss you. I know I can come on a little strong, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
“Dick no, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn’t freak me out.”
“No? So you came out here because you were completely comfortable?” His lips twitched up in a wry smile, and Jason realized he didn’t know Dick Grayson as well as he thought he did. But heaven help him, he wanted to.
“The kiss wasn’t the problem.” It was embarrassing to say, but Dick needed to hear it. He needed to hear that he hadn’t done anything wrong. “The kiss was… nice.”
Dick’s nose scrunched up in a subconscious motion. “Nice.”
“Better than nice. It was great! Absolutely and totally mind-blowing. But that might be just because it was you... And now I’m rambling and totally embarrassing myself. Well,” Jason heaved himself off the curb and glanced around to find Roy’s car. “This has been fun, but I have to flee the country now so-”
“Wait!” Dick grabbed his arm, and Jason stared at the point of contact. Dick had large, ostentatious rings on each finger, and Jason loved it. Loved Dick’s kookie sense of style and peppy Beach Boys playlist and his way of gathering people around him like moths to a flame. “Can I tell you something?”
Jason nodded, then Dick took a breath, as if to calm his nerves. “I may or may not have planned this party for the sole purpose of playing spin the bottle with you.” Jason’s eyes snapped up, but Dick kept talking. “The thing is, you’re kind of intimidating, with your sexy goddamn eyeliner and your I have an entire harem of people willing to give me blow jobs at any given moment cheekbones-"
“My what?”
“-so I thought this would be the best way to show you I’m interested. Instead of just… telling you I’m interested. I realize it’s a dumb idea now,” he rushed to say, “but at the time, it seemed like the best course of action.”
Dick’s grin was sheepish, and Jason half wanted to deck him, half wanted to pull him in for another kiss.
“So let me get this straight, you want to date me? Like, for real?”
“That’s actually not straight at all, and absolutely.”
“Even after I embarrassed you in front of your friends?” Jason had to look away at that part.
“You didn’t embarrass me, Jason. If anything, I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.”
Jason cleared his throat and then decided to take a risk. “Um, you could put me on the spot again. If you wanted to.”
“Right now?” Dick’s eyes narrowed.
“If you want.”
“Oh I want.” And then he was reeling Jason in by the waist and they were kissing again, Jason’s arms looped around Dick’s neck like he was in the Princess Diaries or something. Hell, if it was what Mia Thermopolis felt like when kissing Chris Pine, no wonder she did the foot pop.
And that’s exactly how Roy found them, twisted around each other like the fade to black scene of a PG-13 Disney movie, but with a little more tongue.
“Ugh, come on guys. Not in front of my car!”
But Dick just used that as an excuse to kiss Jason harder, laughter muffled against his lips. And even though Dick’s sequined top was biting into the skin of his arm and it was just on the cold side of chilly, Jason, for once, had absolutely zero complaints.