Work Text:
Barbara was an easy going person. A laid back person if you will.
If you asked her anyway, if you asked anyone else they’d tell you she was a stickler for rules, regulations, and recycling.
The three Rs of Barbara's life. Her dad had really implemented that last one into her life though and as such she took it upon herself to force everyone else in her life to recycle.
Tim had taken it upon himself to turn it into some huge fucking challenge with a trophy as a prize for who went out of their way to recycle the most.
Bastard almost won by trying to hack into Barbara's score card and edit his to have the most.
That cut throat bitch would’ve gotten away with it too, as he often told everyone else in the fall out, if Barbara was anyone but Barbara. She turned his impressive 150 into a resounding zero with an evil cackle and dark glint to her glasses.
Informing the Batchat about his quick and hilarious disqualification was met with resounding cheers and jabs. Which were responded to in kind by Tim.
Crafty spleenless bastard.
Damien ended up winning the trophy. It was an overwhelming defeat for everyone else involved.
Damien had huffed about it being childish but he preened when everyone congratulated him for winning and commending his hard work. Barbara wonders if he took to the recycling so quickly because of how pollution harmed animals..
Regardless, Barbara was a laid back and totally normal person.
So, as one of her regulars to the library had walked up with another ginormous stack of photos Barbara huffed a small laugh.
She turned away from the conversation she’d been having with Dick, Damien, Steph, Tim, and Cass without a second of hesitation.
She liked Peter and didn’t want to miss the chance to get a glimpse at some of his work up close again.
She knew everything about the guy in front of her. Her glasses reflected the light from the ceiling as she thought about everything she knew about Peter.
Distantly, she was aware that Tim and co had shivered when her glasses glinted. She paid them no mind.
His full legal name, blood type, instagram account, which hospital he was born in, and where the guy worked. Oh! And his birthday.
Like any normal laidback person would.
Has she ever had an actual conversation about anything besides how much he'd printed, what was in color, how much it cost, or goodbye? Not once. That wasn't going to stop her though.
She was actually quite fond of the guy's photography. She had saved different cityscape photos he'd posted to his instagram as her background on all her devices. He was good at what he did. She was even planning to send a commission request to him soon.
Her dads birthday was coming up and a beautiful photo of Gotham, the city he helped protect, would make a perfect gift.
“Lots of prints! Wow.” Barbara huffs a laugh as he places a comically large stack of photos in front of her. He shouldered off his headphones in the practiced motion he tended to use and diligently, the headphones wrapped around his neck.
Barbara found it sweet he’d take the headphones off when speaking to her.
“Ah. Yeah.” Peter Benjamin Parker replied. Birthday August 10, 2000. Blood type O. Parents deceased, Mary and Richard parker. He was twenty-five years old.
The guy never spoke more than he needed to around her. It must be because of all the work he seemed to drown himself in while he was in her library. She herself found it rather difficult to converse with others after hours of working.
Dick called it Zombie Barbara hours.
No, she did not find that hilarious.
She hummed. Peeking at a gorgeous print of the Gotham cityscape. The city was red and pink, a rare sunset glow softened Gothams harsh features.
The guy was a true artist.
“How many things did you print?” She never charged him the correct amount for what he did print. Sue her, she was a fan .
“I printed eighty-five pictures.” Came the soft reply. She was even fond of the guy's soft voice. Too bad he never spoke more than like twelve words to her. He was wearing a cute navy blue hoodie today and the signature black headphones he wore. If he ever opened up to her, she’d try to introduce him to everyone.
Maybe not Jason or Damien though. Jason was too intense for someone as gentle looking as Peter. And Damien meant well, however, he was just as intense as Jason could be. She didn’t want to risk putting him off more than he already seemed to be around her.
She made a small vow to keep Peter far away from Jason and Damien.
She’d already had Cass observe the guy. He got an A++ from her.
Maybe she’d start with Steph and Dick. Tim would be the test to see if he could handle Damien and then if he could handle Damien she’d introduce him to Jason.
It was her genius plan.
“How many did you print in color?” She asked in her gentle librarian voice.
“All eighty-four.” Peter replied.
“Excellent! Your total is thirty dollars.” She beamed at him. More like seventy-five dollars but hey, who was gonna know?
Damien tutted and was about to say something when she, still beaming at Peter, who had been reaching into his wallet for the cash, grabbed a pencil from the mason jar on her desk and launched it at the wall right beside Damien. The embedded pencil a hint to shut up.
He got the hint.
Peter paid and offered her a small smile and wave goodbye. Barbara beamed at him and waved back.
Then his headphones were slipped back on and his beautiful photos were in his arms and off he went.
She was about to turn back to her entourage of Bats and Birds when she watched in horror as Peter crashed right into Jason, the last person she wanted Peter to bump into, his beautiful photos flying into the air and onto the floor.
She watched in abject horror as two different bastards stepped on Peter's beautiful photos.
Her glasses tinted darkly as she remembered their names, Katherine Forbes and Ethan Van Wright. Mother fuckers were going to pay .
Totally laid back. Too laid back even.
After angrily typing their names to inconvenience their lives at a later date, maybe she’d cancel their library cards, she turned to watch Peter and Jason swiftly pick up the papers.
And then in the blink of an eye her genius plan crashed and burned.
Because what the fuck?
The two had reached to pick up the last photo at the same time, Jason snickering to himself at one of Peter’s photos, she wanted to see damn it, and not paying attention when their hands touched.
What the fuck ?
She watched in horror as the two seemed absolutely taken by one another.
She’d never once seen Jason like this, like he was smitten , and she’d certainly never seen Peter display an emotion that wasn’t a grimace!
As she watched the two of them take one another in like there was no one else in the universe, she felt a small inclination that she was looking at something very very personal. If she were anyone but herself she might’ve felt some shame at watching this unfold.
She felt her entourage move closer to her.
“What the fuck? Is this some Rom Com?” Tim muttered to himself. Barbara couldn’t have said it better herself as she watched the two rush to stand while still holding hands.
She was almost aware of the fact that Dick was recording with a shit eating grin on his face. She was glad she didn't have any older siblings. Damien watched for about two seconds before tutting and walking into Barbara's break room, seemingly uninterested.
“Why is it never me?” Steph grumbled. Cass shot her a look. Steph immediately hugged her girlfriend from behind and apologized, smooching her on the cheek. Cass huffed and turned her attention back to the movie happening in front of their eyes.
Barbara watched in awe, and some jealousy, as she heard Peter laugh .
What the fuck?
She’d never heard him laugh before. She felt a bit irritated that Jason managed to get the steel trap to laugh ! Well, she hummed. Looks like Jason won’t be needing those dating websites after all.
Good for him. Good for him. Her frustration now melting away she allowed herself to enjoy with rapt interest the movie moment hopeless romantics like Jason and Dick dream about, that they yearn for.
When Jason trips and winds up closer to Peter, she hears Steph and Dick squeal quietly. She can’t even blame them. This is the sweetest shit she’d ever had the misfortune of seeing. Tim seemed to share the sentiment as he huffed quietly.
She caught Tim's eyes and the two solemnly nodded.
They were going to get cavities for fucks sake.
She squinted at Jason and Peter talking quietly between each other.
Were those…were those flowers blooming around them? Were teeny tiny hearts floating above their heads?
She sighed. Well, at least she’d get to know Peter as Jason's boyfriend then.
Speaking of, Jason stumbled dumbly over to them still glancing at the door Peter had left from like a lovesick puppy.
She squinted.
Those were definitely tiny hearts popping above Jason's head.
Jason didn’t even pretend to listen as Barbara explained and went over the files.
____________
At around two in the morning Barbara woke up to her phone buzzing loudly against her side table. The wood buzzing loudly with every insistent buzz the phone let out.
“This better be important Jason. I was just fucking slee-” Barbara growled into her phone, fury evident.
“Babs. I didn't get his name.” Came Jason's desperate voice.
If she laughed so hard she peed a little that was between her and god.
She was
never
going to let Jason live this down. If the two ended up getting married down the line, she’d be sure to tell this story at the wedding.