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The apartment was warm, lit by soft string lights Penny had insisted they needed “for ambiance, Jason.” A playlist of pop anthems — the kind with contagious beats and questionable lyrics — thumped gently through the living room.
Penny sat cross-legged on the couch wearing pink fuzzy pyjamas and an even fuzzier robe, hair in a messy bun with a few rebellious strands falling across her cheek.
Across from her sat Jason Todd.
Red Hood.
Ex-Robin.
Gotham’s grumpiest resurrected vigilante.
…in matching pyjamas.
And matching fuzzy robe.
... With a cucumber slice sliding slowly down one cheek from the face mask she had slathered onto him moments ago.
Jason sighed dramatically, readjusting the slipping cucumber slice, leaning further back into the throw pillows Penny refused to stop buying.
“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”
Penny didn’t look up from where she was painting his nails a shimmering shade of sapphire, her tongue peeking out between her lips as she concentrated.
“Talked you into it? Babe, you agreed. Enthusiastically.”
“I was… misled.”
“You were hydrated and fed,” Penny corrected. “A well-fed Jason is very agreeable.”
Jason huffed. “I am not—”
“You literally said — and I quote — ‘I’ll do anything you want, honey, just give me another bite of that lasagne.’”
Jason scowled. “That lasagne was dangerously good. I was compromised.”
“And now you’re a pretty princess.” Penny cooed, adding another coat of polish with a flourish. “Hold still or it smudges.”
He went stock-still, glowering, but not moving a muscle.
Penny grinned at his reaction. “My big scary vigilante husband, brought to his knees by nail polish.”
Jason muttered something under his breath.
“What was that?” she chirped.
“…I said this colour better be bulletproof.”
“It’s glitter,” she corrected. “So it’s better than bulletproof.”
Jason groaned in defeat and let his head fall back against the couch. Penny took the opportunity to drop a fresh cucumber slice onto his forehead.
“There,” she said happily. “Now you’re radiant.”
“I’m ridiculous,” Jason corrected.
“You’re radiant,” she repeated, flicking his knee.
Jason cracked a small smile. “Yeah, well… you look radiant too.”
“Obviously,” Penny said without shame.
She leaned back beside him, settling her head on his shoulder while her own face mask dried. Jason stared at their reflections in the darkened TV screen — two chaotic idiots in matching fuzzy robes and clay masks, one with glittery nails and the other humming the chorus to a girl group anthem like it was oxygen.
And somehow, Jason felt more at peace than he had all month.
Penny nudged him. “Hey. You good?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Just… this is nice.”
Penny snorted. “Of course it is. Girls’ nights are the pinnacle of humanity.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted this because you were ‘emotionally exhausted from the week’?”
“Correct,” Penny said, sipping her wine. “And also because I like pampering you.”
Jason turned faintly pink under the clay mask. “…Pampering me?”
Penny shrugged. “Yeah. Gotham beats us up, so I figured one night a week, we should do something soft. Something dumb. Something normal.”
Jason leaned into her side. “And you thought face masks and glitter would do that?”
She tapped his now perfectly manicured hand. “You love it.”
Jason scoffed — but didn’t pull his hand away. “…Actually… I kinda do.”
Penny squealed, delighted. “Ha! I knew it! I’ve converted you!”
“I wouldn’t say converted—”
“You’re one matching fuzzy slipper away from full enrolment.”
Jason wriggled his toes. He already wore fuzzy slippers. Blue ones. With little stars.
He glared at her. “You planned this.”
“You think I don’t know my husband?” Penny smirked. “You like soft things. And storms. And coffee. And me.” She poked his mask-covered cheek. “Especially me.”
Jason rolled his eyes but pulled her closer with an arm around her waist. “Yeah, well. You’re hard not to like.”
Her eyes softened. “Flirt.”
“You started it, princess.”
A comfortable silence filled the room, broken only by the playlist switching to another pop anthem. Jason groaned when the chorus hit.
“Is this… is this a ‘dance like nobody’s watching’ song?”
Penny gasped. “You bet it is.” She jumped to her feet, dragging him up with her. “Come on!”
Jason stumbled, nearly toppling backward. “Penny—!”
She grabbed both his hands, swaying side to side dramatically.
He sighed, resigned, then began to sway with her.
They half-danced, half-shuffled in the living room, slippers squeaking on hardwood, wine glasses clinking occasionally as they moved. Penny laughed brightly. Jason smiled helplessly at the sound.
“This is the dumbest thing we’ve ever done,” Jason said.
“No,” Penny corrected. “The dumbest thing you’ve ever done was thinking you could outdrink Steph during karaoke night.”
Jason grimaced. “Okay… that’s fair.”
Penny leaned her forehead against his. “See? I’m always right.”
Jason pressed a small kiss to her nose. “About most things, yeah.”
She beamed.
After a few more minutes of shuffling, Penny tugged him back to the couch. He sat down, letting her curl into his lap, tangling their legs under a blanket.
Jason brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, admiring the glow of her mask and the sparkle of his nails beside hers.
Penny sighed contentedly. “I like this.”
“Me too,” Jason murmured. “We should do it again.”
She froze dramatically. “Did Jason Todd just voluntarily request another girls’ night?”
“Shut up,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m trying to have a moment.”
Penny giggled and nuzzled into his chest. “Girls’ night. Every month.”
“Every month,” he agreed softly, kissing the top of her head.
And there, wrapped in matching robes and wine-fuelled warmth, Jason realised this might be his favourite night in the world — not because of the face masks, not because of the glitter, but because Penny never looked more at peace than she did like this.
And because she trusted him with the softest parts of her life.