Chapter Text
In the dark of night under an even darker alley, Red Hood is currently beating up a couple of perps obviously dressed for a robbery when he suddenly gets a call.
“You got Hood.” He grunted as he punched one of the perps.
“Hey you,” Steph’s cheery voice came in on the line. “Duke got a date tonight.”
A duck to the left and hard punch on the side of the second perp, Jason recalled what Dick shared at the groupchat. “The Ana girl, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Stephanie confirmed. There’s an obvious rustling sound on her side. “I know you only gave me your safe house address for emergencies and all but-”
A particularly hard punch landed on the third perp’s face. A part of him knows he’s going to regret asking, “Where are you?”
Steph clicked her tongue at the recognition that he already knows exactly where she is and cooed. “You know me so well.”
“I hope you made sure you weren’t tailed, blondie.” His tone was stern, but there’s no real threat behind it. A couple of days after the arm flex-off, Steph insisted on keeping that name, he had decided that a little company from time to time won’t be so bad. He’s in good terms with Bruce, but he can’t find it in himself to fully move back in at the manor. So Jason stays in his safe house, sometimes inviting Steph over.
Helping her maneuver a particular kick that she finds difficult to do – or just a general alternative place to practice fighting when they get bored at the cave. A quick stop to change clothes at if the manor is too far when she’s suddenly needed to get back to uni. When she wants to stay over for some company on lonely nights when her mom can’t come home due to her shifts.
It was nice having someone over. On top of that, her company is always welcomed.
“Yeah, yeah,” and he can picture her waving him off. “Anyways,” she steered off, “I need to borrow some of your stuff, I’m putting up a disguise.”
“And you thought my place will be the best source?”
“Why not?”
Here’s the thing: her company is always welcomed… when he is around. It’s not that he doesn’t trust her. She’s been around enough times to know where a quarter of his hidden weapons are located (and that’s saying something because he has a lot of weapons on display already). But that doesn’t mean he’s not a bit worried that she’s alone at his place.
“I promise I’m not snooping,” as if she read his mind. “But you have three conveniently placed boxes at the corner of your living room that has back-ups, disguise, and extra disguise labelled on them.”
Jason took a mental note that he has to put those boxes away under his bed and just fold up the decent ones to include in his closet. That could be his agenda tonight: arranging his extra set of neglected clothes.
He landed a punch on the last perp’s face and kneed them on the stomach causing them to fall. He sighed. “Alright, I’ll allow it. But only two items.”
“Four.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“You don’t need four items from there, blondie. Trust me.”
“Three?” she offered hopefully. At this point he’s kneeling to tie up the perps he has just beaten up.
“Fine.” He mumbled under his breath and tugged on his work to make sure the four are securely tied up. There was a quiet yes from Steph, and he can picture her little fist bump in the air gesture that she mostly certainly did.
“I got one of your shirts right now,” she said and there’s more shuffling on her end. “Now, which one of these shades are you least attached to? I’m seeing a lot of nice shades here and I don’t wanna accidentally borrow one of your favorites.”
He thought about it and replied, “I got two pairs of red shades there, just pick which one you like better.”
“Gotcha.”
“Last item, blondie.” He reminded her, his tone is almost comparable to a giddy host when their players are on the last seconds of completing a task.
She chuckled. “I know, big guy.”
“Moustache!” she exclaimed.
And now Jason laughs, “Oh boy, I think that thing has seen better days if I’m gonna be honest.”
It’s true. He hasn’t used that partially itchy thing for… he can’t tell for certain but well he’s pretty sure it’s been a couple of months already.
“I can work with it,” Steph confidently let out. “It’s a bit scruffy, but I can twirl it enough so it won’t be itchy.”
Jason doesn’t really care about the fake ‘stache. And he lets her know she can dispose of it after using it.
“What color is the shirt you’re planning to borrow?”
“The blue one with a collar and buttons,” she answered. “Why?”
Jason did his best to suppress his laugh at the memory of one Mr. Malone. She’s a black vest and red tie away from recreating the look. “Nothing.”
Steph hummed in suspicion but didn’t press it, “I expect to be provided with details in the future.”
He contentedly sighed, “No promises, blondie.”
“I’m done here,” she announced, and with the moving of stuff against the floor he’s sure that she’s fixing it all up. “Thanks for letting me borrow your stuff in the last minute.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good luck, blondie.”
“And Jason?” she called out to him quietly. “I’m sorry if you felt uncomfortable that I dropped in unannounced without you around. I swear that’s not my intention.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. She technically didn’t need to apologize; he did make it clear she was welcomed. But nonetheless, he appreciates the apology. Cause she cared enough to apologize about the situation. “No worries, blondie.”
A couple seconds of boxes being moved and stacked together later. “Alright, boxes are fixed back to how they were. I’m off to meet up with Tim and Damian now.”
Jason was a bit short of breath in his amazement, “You got the kid to tag along?”
Steph didn’t miss a beat, “Yup.”
“So let me get this. You tell me that Duke is on a date tonight, and you borrow some of my stuff for your disguise.”
“Uh-huh.”
“To which I assume you’ll be wearing to spy on the said date.”
“Correcto mundo.” She almost sounds proud.
“I understand Tim getting involved, but Damian,” he trailed a bit. “Didn’t expect he’ll get on with it.”
There was an audible click that indicated Stephanie locked the back door. “I doubt he’ll come in with a disguise.” Steph shared. And yeah, now that sounds like Damian.
“But Tim and I are definitely still going to do it for the essence of it.”
Jason lightly chuckled at her dedication, “Well tell me how it goes, blondie. Good luck.”