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Jason didn’t have to wait long for you. Your store had long shut off its lights, only the emergency lights left on. The front doors and windows were shuttered. He waited nearby on his bike, counting the seconds until you appeared outside.
He returned home several hours ago, finding an empty apartment. It was a Thursday, so it would be a busy day for you at work. He waited until it was time to pick you up, mindlessly cleaning and cooking. He kept his hands busy until the clock finally struck 8:45.
He was quick to get on his bike and race through the streets to your workplace. You had no idea he was back home. He had disappeared for longer than a week, but not quite two.
It was during those times that Jason missed you, but the risk of further involving you stopped him from impulsively reaching out. You were involved enough just by being with him, so he took the necessary precautions to keep you safe.
Jason stayed in his rundown hideout as he investigated in the day and fought in the night. He’d make his rounds around the city, making sure to keep an eye on the tracker he gave you some time ago. He memorized your routes a long time ago and knew to spring into action if something was off. So far, everything was normal. Exactly how he’d like it to be.
Time always slowed down during those times when he was alone with his thoughts. The time spent with you on the other hand, always seemed to slip through his hand like sand.
The side door creaked open, a screaming sound that grated Jason’s nerves when it was opened. You and a few other of your coworkers came pouring out, everyone leaving together in a group. That was Jason’s cue to sit up and turn the key in the ignition. The engine of his prized bike came alive, roaring in the night.
You, who had been busy talking to your coworkers, snapped your head to the sound of his bike’s engine. He saw your wide-eyed gaze and parted mouth, your expression the perfect picture of shock before it melted into a smile. You turned your head back to your coworkers, excitedly speaking to them before waving goodbye. Jason should’ve scolded you for not looking both ways before you crossed the street, but your hand reaching for his gloved hand made the stern words die in the back of his throat.
“Hey there, stranger.” You said after flipping his visor up.
“Hey.” Jason replied, his eyes crinkling at the corner from how wide his smile had become underneath the helmet. “Ya want a ride home?”
You laughed, a sweet sound he wished he could record and play on loop. “Sure, just don’t kill us.”
Jason flipped his visor back down and reached behind him, handing you your helmet. “Hop on.”
You slipped the helmet on, carefully sliding behind him. Once he felt the gentle slaps of your hands on his stomach, he took off. He could feel how tense you became as soon as the bike started moving. You never did quite conquer your fear of motorcycles.
Despite this, you insisted on going on his bike, brushing off his concerns. Jason couldn’t complain though. He liked how you fiddled with his jacket and tapped the beat of a song he wasn’t familiar with on his stomach.
Once you and him arrived back at the apartment, the two of you walked side by side up the stairs. The elevator had been broken for months now, but Jason had a talk with the landlord to get it fixed by the end of the month. The landlord still had time before he made good on his promise to return. You remained completely oblivious to this entire interaction, only hoping the elevator would be fixed soon.
Your hand bumped into his, fingers grazing against his. Jason reached back, holding your hand in his. No words needed to be spoken, just this. He saw you smile out of the corner of his eye, a pleased expression on your face.
Jason stood behind you as you unlocked the door, looking around the empty hallway before following you inside.
As soon as the door was shut, Jason was quick to remove your jacket and shoes. It was something of a routine when it came to picking you up. He pushed your hands away when you tried to remove it yourself. So, you let it happen, gazing so lovingly down to him. Just as your jacket was hung up and your shoes were left at the door, he removed his own, leaving them besides yours.
Finally, he stood at full height and removed his gloves. He tossed them to the side, immediately reaching out to put his hands on your waist. You let him pull you in, arms hanging limply at your sides. Jason placed a kiss on your temple, your eyes fluttering closed at the affection. Damn, Jason thought to himself. I missed doing that.
Almost as if you read his thoughts, you opened your eyes and gave him that wonderful smile again. He’s never going to get sick of it, by the way.
“I missed you,” You muttered.
“‘m missed ya too.” He whispered, his voice low and raspy from how little he’d spoken all day.
You nudged your head into his shoulder, almost like a dog nudging its head into his hand. You hugged him, hands resting at his shoulder blades. Jason wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you further into him. The stale smell of your workplace still clung to your clothes, but the underlying scent of you was buried underneath all of that. It was a mix of the soap and lotion you used.
He maneuvered you to be able to shove his face in the crook of your neck, taking deep and long breaths. He’d been deprived of it, his clothes lacking the smell of you after the first week. Jason hated leaving for long periods of time and he loved coming back to have moments like this with you. You win some, you lose some.
You rubbed the hard muscles of his back, his body instinctively shuddering from the gentle attention. He wasn’t going to lie and say he didn’t miss that either. He remembered a time when the feeling was too overwhelming, too much for his mind to handle. It was torturous to yearn for something his mind and body abhorred. The beginning of this was difficult for the two of you, yet your persistence never faltered. He admired you for that, finding it oddly awe-inspiring.
“When’d you come back home?” You eventually asked, breaking the silence.
“Earlier today,” He said, his voice muffled as he spoke against your skin. “Made dinner if ya want to sit down and eat.”
“Nah,” You said, shaking your head. “Let’s just stand here for a second.”
“Alright.”
Eventually, the two of you let go of the other person. The dimly lit doorway somehow did wonders to make you seem otherworldly. It was a crappy lightbulb he never got around to changing. He made the mental note to change it when he had the chance.
Jason often liked staring at you, even when you had no idea he was looking. At home, he’d find himself staring at you. Jason found you fascinating. There was something about you that made his brain turn off and go quiet. His brain hadn’t been so quiet in a long time. He liked to watch you do normal day-to-day things. Whether it was making food, doing laundry, or watching a crappy film, he spent more time looking at you more than anything or anyone else.
Lost in his thoughts of you, he didn’t realize you stepped away completely until you held your hands up, fingers in the shape of an uneven square.
“What’re ya doing sweetheart?”
You stuck your tongue out, moving your carefully positioned hands close and away from your face. “Taking a picture of you.” You ended up saying, peeking at him through the square. You made a clicking sound, mimicking the sound of a camera shutter going off.
Jason’s eyebrows rose while his lips twitched at the corner, amused. “With your fingers?”
You shook your head, letting your hands fall away. You tapped the side of your head, near your temples and said, “With my mind. Wanna remember this later.”
Jason chuckled, shaking his own head. You always did somehow manage to come up with things like this, and every time, he turned into putty. He pulled you by your belt loop and led to the kitchen. “C’mon, let’s go eat.”
“Yes, dear.”