Work Text:
Present
Marinette’s phone rang sharply, jolting her awake.
“Uh,” she answered, not awake enough for anything coherent.
“Miss Marinette?” a cultured British voice asked.
“Felix? It’s one-thirty in the morning, you clown.”
“I apologize for the early call, but I am not Felix. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler. Master Jason told me about you, and I thought you should know that he is currently unconscious after a mishap on a case he was working on,” Alfred said soberly.
Marinette was now much more awake. “Jason’s hurt?! I’m assuming it’s bad or you wouldn’t call. Can I come visit?”
“Of course, Miss Marinette. I shall prepare Master Jason’s room for you, although I imagine most of your time will be spent with him. My apologies for waking you so early with such unfortunate news.”
“No, thank you for calling me. I’ll call you back at this number when I have my flight details, if that's alright?”
“Certainly. Good day.”
“‘Bye.”
Marinette hung up and flopped back in her bed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Now, more than ever, she wished she hadn’t given up the Miraculous. She could have portaled over and attempted to heal Jason, no waiting needed. But here she was, across the country and her plans to move to Gotham thirteen days ahead of schedule.
Focus, Marinette! She scolded herself, making herself get up and begin to pack for her flight. Chloe would probably let her take her family’s jet, but she’d question why and be hurt that Marinette hadn’t confided in her…no, flying public was best. She pulled up the schedule and bought the ticket, glad her returned inspiration had replenished her bank account. Last-minute tickets from LA to New York weren’t cheap.
~~~~~
Five months ago
The doors to the glittering ballroom released a burst of noise. Undulating conversation patterns, glasses clinking, bursts of laughter, and exuberant greetings hit the newcomers’ ears.
Little groups of people gathered around round tables, socializing and sipping from tall flutes of champagne or other drinks.
The newcomer approached a table situated close to the middle of the room, the fabric of their gown swishing in gentle steps as they moved.
“Mari! You made it!” a vivacious blonde jumped up to hug the newcomer. “And you managed to drag Luka out, too!”
Laughing, the brunette untangled herself from the embrace. “As if I wouldn’t make sure he arrived, presentably, to an event he’s won an award at! It’s good to see you, Chloe.”
She moved to greet the other occupants of the table, leaving Luka and Chloe to rib each other.
The evening went on, speeches made, awards received, drinks swallowed, and jokes exchanged.
“And of course, our Mari is responsible and ‘focusing on herself’,” needled Chloe.
“You mean, ‘focusing on depriving us of things to tease her about’,” corrected Adrien.
Mari smiled into her flute and took another sip. “The media is bored with my personal life, just as it should be. I only bring one of you as a plus-one and they know we’re all strictly friends. You should try it sometime, Playboy from Paris .” She narrowed her eyes at the blond across the table teasingly.
“Nah, it’s too boring. And having no consistent date keeps them from digging further. I’m a genius, myself; you’re not the only one in this group.”
“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” sniffed Chloe.
A little while later, Marinette said her goodbyes and excused herself to continue her work on her new line, which was her first in a couple years. Inspiration had finally flown, gushed, even, and she wanted to take full advantage of it when she could.
~~~~~
Present, 8 Hours After the Call
Alfred was waiting for her with a car and a sign with her name on it when she disembarked from her five-hour flight.
He looked tired and worn but welcomed her warmly.
“Jason always seemed happier when he talked about you,” Alfred confided, pulling into NY traffic with ease. “He only spoke of you to me, however, so the rest of the family do not know about you. They will be confused and likely suspicious of you, but I will handle them.”
“What happened?” she barely dared to ask, but she needed to know.
“He was on a stakeout with Batman, Red Robin, and Nightwing. They decided to act and engaged the criminals. Master Jason was the last to leave the building, as he had found an unconscious civilian under the influence of some drug. He gave them his helmet to filter the air, which was sprayed with some gas. He had a rebreather and was almost out when the building exploded. The criminals had rigged it on a timer, as it was their final time using it when Batman apprehended them.”
Marinette sucked in a horrified gasp, knowing what had happened the last time Jason was in an explosion.
“Do you know…how badly he was hurt?”
“He is currently being kept sedated in the Batcave. He has second-degree burns, a closed head injury, bruised ribs, and
several abrasions, contusions, and lacerations. He also inhaled some smoke, dust, and drugs while he was unconscious before Batman and Nightwing rescued him, but his rebreather prevented the worst.”
The remainder of the ride was quiet.
~~~~~
Five Months Ago
The taxi pulled up to Marinette’s apartment building.
She pushed the button in the elevator and waited patiently for the doors to open; with a quiet ding , she was alerted to her arrival on the floor she’d chosen.
She stepped out quickly, heading determinedly to the black car waiting underground, and slipped into the backseat.
She smiled brightly at the other occupant of the backseat and opened her arms. “Miss me?”
Jason hugged her tightly. “So much.”
A giggle squeezed out of her lungs. “It’s been less than an hour."
“And that’s less than an hour too long, Pixie.” He hoisted her onto his lap and cupped her face in his large, warm hands.
Marinette returned the gesture. “Who taught you to be so smooth?”
“You just bring it out, Pix,” he grinned at her.
She leaned down to smooch him, but he caught her lip between his teeth and tugged gently.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“...nowhere.”
“Darn right.” His mouth covered hers and no more words were exchanged during the ride.
~~~~~
Present, 10 Hours After the Call
Alfred took Marinette’s bags up to Jason’s room, then led her to the clock and down the secret passage to the Batcave.
Marinette spied Jason on the bed in the infirmary corner and beelined for him, ignoring the surprised Bats sprinkled around the cave that Alfred warned off with a stern glare.
Tubes and wires connected Jason to various machines, the white light harshly emphasized the paleness of his skin, and the monotone beeping made Marinette tear up.
She wiped them away and moved to take Jason’s hand in hers. It lay in her grasp cool and limp, unlike his usual warm grasp and the three squeezes he gave her when she took it.
She rested her forehead on his forearm, heartbroken by seeing him lying there so still and pale and bandaged.
Even when he was in her hands, he wasn’t there.
“I miss you,” she whispered.
This aching loneliness was even worse than the first night, when he wasn’t there…
~~~~~
Five Months Ago
“Want something to drink?” Jason held the door open for her like a gentleman, as if he hadn’t been very un-gentlemanly pawing at her fewer than five minutes ago in the back of the limo.
She kicked off her heels and sighed in relief. “Mm, just some water, thanks.”
She followed him to the kitchen and took the glass he handed her gratefully, swallowing the water in three gulps, which he watched in mild admiration and horror.
“How’d you get away from your family so soon?” she asked, refilling her glass (but sipping slower this time).
“Usual excuse-I’m tired of their company and I’m going to work out.”
Marinette grinned at him. “So no excuse, just a delicate rephrasing of your thoughts, huh?”
He smirked at her. “Of course. Heaven forbid I taint some little ol’ lady’s innocent ears–as if li’l ol’ ladies aren’t the most devious people I know.”
“Nonna Gina,” they said in unison, grinning at the remembrance of their first meeting, which was a setup, of course.
Humming a few lines of music that had been playing earlier that evening, Mari began to sway her hips and twirl around the kitchen. She advanced on Jason, who was leaning against the counter, watching her with a mix of emotions in his eyes. She didn’t want to analyze them, so she adjusted her plans slightly; she set her glass in the sink, leaning behind him to reach. As she brought her arm around him again, she tickled him in the only ticklish spot he had (that he reacted to, at least), and immediately backed away, grinning.
Jason’s hulking form came after her with incredible speed, making her shriek with laughter and run away, attempting to evade him.
She headed for the hallway, calling on all her regular workouts and smaller frame to make her quicker than him. She burst into the bedroom and was tackled to the bed by his flying lunge at her, his hands pinning hers above her head and resting his body weight on her.
They both breathed heavily, which was suddenly not from their impromptu game of cat-and-mouse. She stared defiantly up at him, tipping her head back to see his complex expressions.
His eyes darkened and he leaned down to kiss her fiercely.
~~~~~~
Two Months Ago
The dial tone hit Marinette’s ears.
This number is currently not in service.
She hung up and curled around a pillow, feeling unbearably lonely and missing Jason fiercely.
~~~~~
Yesterday
Marinette’s phone rang, breaking her attention from her friends’ conversation. She checked the caller ID and excused herself.
“MDC speaking,” she answered professionally, knowing her friends were half eavesdropping before she moved out of overhearing range.
“Pixie, do you know how much I miss you?” whispered Jason. “These annoyances are driving me to do stupid things like call you in front of them just so I don’t blow us all up and alert the people we’re watching to our location!”
“Aw, poor Jay,” she commiserated. “You need some reminders to keep you from eliminating your siblings?”
“Please.” His exasperated tone in that one word told her volumes.
“You’ll be in your family’s bad books if you do that, which means they’ll keep an even closer eye on you, which means you can’t see me without alerting them to my existence in your life.”
Jason exhaled sharply. “Thank you, Pix. I shall restrain myself. Two more weeks.”
“Two more weeks,” she echoed happily.
She returned to her friends’ chatter around her kitchen island as they gossiped and caught up on the happenings in their lives.
Chloe headed to the refrigerator to refill her water glass. “That’s a cute pic of you, ‘Bug.”
“Thanks!” Mari said casually, hoping Chloe wouldn’t consider the fact that there was a picture of Mari, meaning someone else had to have taken it, or the note in marker on the bottom of the Polaroid, a little heart and infinity symbol Jason had drawn.
Two more weeks , she thought happily.
~~~~~
Present, 19 Hours After the Call
Alfred gently tapped Marinette’s shoulder.
She straightened and rubbed her eyes, taking the tray he offered her. “You need to eat,” Alfred nodded at her. She smiled hollowly back at him and nodded, taking a spoonful of chicken soup.
Once Alfred was satisfied that she’d eaten enough, he took the tray back and suggested she might want to wash up.
With a final glance at the still form on the bed, she followed him up the stairs and into the Manor, then to Jason’s– and now hers, she supposed– room.
The ensuite was stocked with Marinette’s favourite skincare and hygiene products. She looked questioningly at Alfred, who was showing her how the faucet and handles worked in the shower.
His lips tipped up. “Master Jason spent a good deal of time in the store aisle, searching if they had your favourite products here. He was quite excited about your upcoming move.”
Marinette angrily brushed the tears that had welled up away. Why couldn’t she stop crying?
Alfred patted her shoulder and left her to cry in private.
After showering and changing into sweats and Jason’s Gotham Knights hoodie, she unpacked her things and then set off to thank Alfred for the food and meet Jason’s family, who she was sure was unbearably curious about her.
Dick and Damian were in the kitchen with Alfred, also partaking in the soup.
She smiled shyly and waved a sweater paw in greeting.
“Hi, I’m Marinette, Jason’s fiancee.”
Dick choked on his soup and Damian solemnly slapped his back several times.
Alfred gave the males a pointed look from his position at the sink.
Dick wiped his hands on his napkin and stood, extending his hand. “Dick Grayson. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Damian Wayne,” said the spiky-haired boy on the stool, notedly not extending his hand. He nodded at her and resumed his meal, but Marinette noticed he kept his ear tilted towards them.
Bruce and Tim arrived, herded by Babs, Steph, and an older woman Marinette didn’t know.
They paused, seeing Marinette in the doorway.
She extended her hand. “Marinette, Jason’s fiancee. It’s nice to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Bruce opened his mouth, saw Alfred’s glare, shut it, and took her hand gracefully. “Likewise.”
Tim nodded at her and headed straight for the coffee maker, but the women took her hand and smiled at her when they introduced themselves. The unknown woman was Leslie Thompkins, the doctor primarily in charge of Jason, which made Marinette feel better, knowing an up-to-date trained medical professional was looking after him.
Once the introductions were over, she slipped back down to the Cave to sit beside Jason.
~~~~~
Six Months Ago
Marinette stepped onto the porch, surveying the lush lawn and the small figures running around on it.
Fei Wu’s twin toddlers were being chased by Jason, who pretended to run slightly slower than the toddlers, letting them escape his long arms and legs.
Sabine came out and stood beside Marinette and Fei Wu. “He’s good with children. You picked well, qian jin .”
“Nonna picked us for each other,” said Marinette absentmindedly as she watched Jason finally catch Zhen and hoist him in the air, making him squeal in laughter. He was good with kids and so gentle. It was such a contrast from his violent vigilante persona, but Marinette knew both were a part of him.
The warm sunshine beating down on the three forms collapsed on each other, sprawled lazily in the grass, painted a picture Marinette wanted to keep with her always.
She studied Jason’s peaceful face as he tilted his head more towards the light, sunbeams dancing across his features.
I love him.
Oh no.
I love him.
~~~~~
Present, 55 Hours After the Call
Jason’s eyes fluttered open and his hand twitched in her grasp, waking her from her half-asleep state.
Figuring that he would want water, she held the straw up to his mouth, letting him sip slowly.
“Mari? How are you here?” his voice was scratchy from the smoke and not speaking for a few days, but he was speaking and coherent. Marinette realized she was unintentionally squeezing his hand harder and relaxed her grip.
“Alfred called me. How are you feeling?” she brushed the curls out of his eyes and left her hand on his head.
“I’ve felt better,” he admitted. “But I’ve also felt worse, so overall…”
She frowned disapprovingly at his humour. “Not the time, mon amour.”
“S’rry.”
“It’s fine. I’m so glad you’re awake. You were sedated for two and a half days. It’s May 17th and-” she checked her phone- "May 18 th, and 12:14 am.”
“How’s civvy?”
“They were taken to the hospital and released yesterday. They’re fine, thanks to you.”
Jason closed his eyes. “Good. ‘M sorry, but I’m kind of tired…”
“Have a good sleep.” She kissed his forehead and stood to collect a paper to record the incident for his health file.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Present, Four Days After the Call
Jason moved slowly across the room to Marinette. She was watching Cass and Steph train on the mats and didn’t hear him shuffling closer.
She glanced up when his shadow hit her. “You’re up!”
“Yep. Doc cleared it, don’t worry.”
“Are you cleared to head back into the Manor?”
“If I take the elevator up.”
Alfred was overjoyed to prepare a snack for Jason and Marinette and they talked quietly in the breakfast nook while they ate, glad to be alone and not have one of his family members hanging around obnoxiously close to them.
“I finally called them and let them know what’s happening,” Marinette referenced her friends. “They were mad I hadn’t told them everything sooner, but they’re finishing packing up my stuff and will ship it over. I expect at least half of them to come with it, of course.”
“Of course,” Jason agreed, familiar with her friends from all the stories she’d told him.
“The apartment is taken care of, so we can move in whenever, and I let Audrey know I’d be back in New York for the foreseeable future, and she and Chloe were able to make sure my space there was kept and ready.”
“You were sure busy, Pix.”
“Didn’t want to think,” she murmured.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I knew what I was getting into. And none of it was in your power, anyways. I’m not mad, just…I really missed you. It was worse than the first night I knew we were pregnant and couldn’t tell you ‘cause you were off-world.” She wrapped her arms around Jason, careful not to aggravate any injuries.
They held each other for a long time, too wrapped up in each other to notice Alfred shooing away any potential interrupters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jason recovered quickly, thanks to the Lazarus Pit enhancement, and soon was back to full capabilities.
He and Marinette moved into their new apartment, helped by Chloe, Adrien, and Luka, who’d come along to babysit the blondes.
The Bats soon warmed up to her, especially when they knew she had also once been a hero. The fact that she was pregnant with the first nephew/niece/grandchild probably also had something to do with it.
The next May, seven months after Wren’s birth, Jason and Marinette were happily wed and celebrated by their families.