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Stand there like a ghost/ Shaking from the rain, rain/ She’ll open up the door and say, “Are you insane”/ Say it’s been a long six months/ And you were too afraid to tell her what you want…
The drizzling grey clouds hadn’t let up all week. Well, this was Gotham, what were you expecting? Sunshine and rainbows? That’s Metropolis!
The tall young man stood on the porch, his hand poised to knock, his other hand stuffed tightly in his warm jeans pocket.
The door swung open. “Jason Todd, you’ve been standing there for ten minutes. Come in and tell me just why you’re going to catch a cold and die from your insanity,” the short black-haired woman said exasperatedly.
“Hi, Marinette.”
She laughed sharply to hide her hurt. “‘ Hi, Marinette ?’ Jason, it’s been six months .”
“They’ve never been longer for me.” He took a step forward. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. All I’ve been thinking about is you and how stupid I was.”
She crossed her arms and snorted. “At least we agree on something.”
“I’m sure it’s not enough time for you to forgive me, but…I’ll wait for as long as it takes. I’m so sorry for hurting you like that.”
…And that’s how it works/ That’s how you get the girl/ And then you say/ I want you for worse or for better/ I would wait forever and ever/ Broke your heart, I'll put it back together/ I would wait forever and ever…
“Jason, I forgave you ages ago. You know I forgive easily. Was there a reason you came, besides apologizing? You want closure or something?”
“Nonono, I…want…to go back, not leave you like that. Not leave you at all.” He pulled several worn, creased photos out of his hoodie pocket and handed them to her.
She flipped slowly through them. They’d taken them in the photo booth after he asked her to be his girlfriend. In one they were beaming happily, their arms around each other. The second was a goofy face, the third…he’d surprised her and kissed her cheek. She didn’t need to see the fourth to know she had a look of surprise and adoration as they gazed at each other.
…Remind her how it used to be/ With pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks/ Tell her how you must have lost your mind/ When you left her all alone/ and never told her why/ And that’s how it works/ That’s how you lost the girl…
She shook her head and looked up at him. “Why…why did you show me these?”
“We were so happy then. I’ve never felt as happy as when I’m around you since…I want to tell you why I left. I thought I was protecting you, but Alfred made me see some sense. I can protect you better from outside dangers if I’m with you, and…it’s up to you to decide if you want to be protected from me.”
“Why do I need to be protected by or from you?”
“Because I’m a Wayne. Babs got shot by the Joker just for being associated with us. I have a fair amount of enemies for the reason I can protect you, too. I’m…the Red Hood.”
“The anti-hero who didn’t work with the Bats but now wears a big red bat on his chest and that horrible red not-Hood?!”
“...That’s the one!” Jason grinned nervously.
Marinette sighed.
“Just my luck. I’m surrounded by heroes wherever I go."
“I’m not a hero. I’m a vigilante at best.”
“Okay, okay. Vigilante. Ugh!” She flopped in a chair, running her hands through her hair. “If you’d just told me we could have avoided this…this fiasco! But I get the whole ‘secret ID must be kept a secret’ thing. Y’know how Paris had heroes? I was Ladybug.”
“Stupid masks,” he muttered, shoving the pictures back in his pocket. “Wait, didn’t she die?”
“Kinda. I was in a coma. Almost everyone thought I was dead, so they had a funeral, and then I used my magic to wake up and pop out of the grave.”
“Ohhh…”
Jason suddenly knew what it was like to hear someone you cared about talk about their own death and resurrection so cavalierly, and a stab of guilt hit his already-working-overtime conscience.
“So uh…zombie buddies, huh?”
“So Red Hood was the second robin!” cried Marinette triumphantly.
“Yep, that was me….So…so you…”
“Yes, I forgive you, and yes, I’ll give you a second chance. If you get me some more of Alfred’s cookies…I’ve really missed them.”
“Wow, cookies rank higher than me, huh? Don’t worry, I have his number on speed dial.”
“Good. Would you like to meet my kwami?”
“Your what now?”
~Two years later~
And then you say/ 'Cause I want you for worse or for better (Worse or for better)/ I would wait forever and ever (Ever and ever)/ Broke your heart, I'll put it back together/ I would wait forever and ever (I want you forever and ever)/That's how it works/ That's how you got the girl.
“I, Jason Peter Todd-Wayne, take you, Marinette Xia Dupain-Cheng, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honour you all the days of my life."
“May I present Mr. and Mrs. Jason Todd-Wayne!”