Christmas Fire

Description: Pokemon AU. Red X has a lot of things he needs to work out, and Jinx seems to agree, at least a little. Coffee and Mario Kart tends to make things better, but when a certain Boy Wonder comes by, Red X has to admit that he's had worse Christmases.

A/N: A Christmas thing? I dunno, guys. I live for the ultimate OT3, don't look at me, I'm Robin/Red X/Jinx trash and I know it.

Winter in Jump City was an awful affair for a certain thief that day, who'd been hoping that California would actually do it's job and be warm during the winter months. But no, instead a herd of Avalugg just HAD to migrate the wrong way and make the West Coast cold as heck. Red X loathed the cold, as most people in Jump City did, considering everyone had wardrobes built specifically for the warm months of summer and not a Michigan winter. Red shivered outside of his costume, angry internally that he couldn't wear the heat-tight suit while out and about as a civilian. But he needed to keep up an appearance as a regular kid, even if he was just a nobody.

His Sneasel, despite being a snow dwelling Pokemon, seemed to agree with Red that the snowfall in Jump was awful, and had it's claws dug into Red's coat while clutching to his chest like a baby koala. Red didn't mind, in fact, he was amused by the Pokemon's shenanigans. It wasn't often that he was cared for, and his Pokemon never seemed to let him down. He breathed out, hating the way the chilly air swirled down his throat with the next intake, pricking at his throat and making him want to bleed just to feel the warm blood trickle down his arms and stain the snow crimson. Red figured he should see a therapist one of these days.

While trying to stay warm, Red looked himself over with a curiously raised eyebrow. He usually dressed himself to look a lot younger, something Jinx never let him forget, leading to Red X wearing a brown bear hat (With the tail and ears to boot), blue jeans, a black coat with red 'X's on it, and black biker boots. He looked like a junior high school kid, not that Red minded if he looked like a thug, he kinda was one during the nighttime. Impatient as always, Red pulled out his phone, giving his screen another unamused glare as he saw the same exact thing still blaring back at him in cold, unforgiving black text.

[NO NEW MESSAGES]

Red groaned aloud, catching a young woman's attention, but she didn't comment, too busy walking her Furfrou. Just as Red X was beginning to consider going home, he spotted her across the street. Jinx was dressed in a long, heavy pink trench coat, with furry cufflinks and a furry collar. Her boots were the same pink, with the fur too. Her hair was done up in a ponytail, making her look older, a bit more mature even. Red almost forgot to look both ways before he ran across the street, almost getting hit by a taxi, the driver honking loudly at him and flipping him off. As Red finally approached Jinx, she laughed at him, playfully adjusting his bear hat as he stood before her.

"Nice moves, slick." Jinx teased, her Munna giggling in agreement as it floated by her side. "You got a death wish or something?"

"Dunno yet," Red admitted, giving Munna a lighthearted glare. "Quit your laughing, puffball. Anyways, how's it been, Nicole?"

"Fine. How 'bout you, Bay? No one's seen you lately, heard that even the Titans are worried about you." Jinx told the thief, leading him to sit with her at a park bench a few minutes away.

"Aw, they're really worried? That's almost cute." Red muttered, sitting down beside his friend, Sneasel letting go of his jacket to sit on his lap. "I've been going around, not doing much out of the ordinary. Not planning on any heists until after Christmas."

"Don't wanna steal from family's? I swear, you're better off as a superhero, Bay." Jinx mused, giving Red a playful look. "You wanna get outta here? Maybe get some coffee?"

"Not in the mood," Red confessed, running his gloved hands over his Sneasel's head as an affectionate mannerism. "Wanna just head to my place, play a few games? I dunno, man. I'm just... tired. And cold."

"Coffee would help," Jinx pressed on, but upon earning an angry glare from Red X, she deflated a bit, knowing she'd lost. "Fine, fine. We'll go to your crap apartment and play Mario Party or something!"

Red X hopped to his feet, a gleeful smile on his freckled face. "Aw, I knew you'd cave!" He teased, pressing a kiss to the pink-haired girl's forehead. "Come on, if we hurry, I can turn my heat back on before it gets cold!"

The apartment was a mess, it having never been cleaned before if Jinx was correct, and she usually was. The floor was littered with dirty clothes, Chinese take-out boxes, newspaper clippings, and discarded mail envelopes (Mainly bills). Red paid the mess no mind, along with his Sneasel, who seemed quite comfortable in the disaster area, squirming their way into one of Red's older and more torn hoodies. Jinx, in the meantime, took a seat on her best friend's couch, hating the way it felt under her weight. The pink-haired teenager tugged off her coat, throwing it haphazardly over her shoulder, hearing an audible 'thunk' as it hit the wall and slid to lie still on the wooden flooring.

Red X made Jinx her coffee, clicking on his coffee maker with a loud, sad sigh. He'd truly been busy over the last few months, trying desperately to get by, not to mention how hard he'd been working to catch another Pokemon for his team. Sneasel was always a great help, and Zorua was truly getting better, but he knew he needed another partner, preferably a Fire type. If Red X got his hands on a Fire type, he'd finally be able to crush Beast Boy's Ivysaur, not to mention defeat Cyborg's freaking Steelix (He hated that thing). And to make it all the sweeter with a cherry on top, Red would finally have a Pokemon to keep him warm during the awful winter months. Oh, that would be lovely!

However, Red X just couldn't find the right Pokemon! He had been complaining about it all over Jump, leading to a bit of assistance from various members of the Hive 5, but nothing worked out quite right. Hell, Slade had gotten so sick of his whining that he'd offered to breed Red X a Houndour, but Red didn't want a Houndour. Really, all he wanted was a Growlith. As a little kid, he'd seen famous Pokemon trainers on TV with Growlith's, or celebrities in Gotham and Jump walking around with the pooches on leashes. Oh, how Red wanted a Growlith, but alas, Growlith's were crazy rare in the USA, and not to mention expensive! It seemed luck was not on Red's side in his situation...

"Hey, Bay!" Jinx called, turning on Red X's TV in the living room. "You done with that coffee or what?"

"Uh, yeah, one sec!" Red replied, pulling out the coffee pot to pour the hot liquid into a Wooper themed mug from his cupboard. As an afterthought, he poured himself some coffee as well in a Pikachu themed mug, just in-case he wanted some later on.

"What took you so long?" Jinx asked once Red returned to sit with her, turning on his Wii as he grabbed a Wii remote for both himself and Jinx. "You feeling alright? Rumors are going around about you."

"I'm fine, Nicky. Just... not feeling it lately. Thinking. I dunno, I'm being lame, let's play." Red X turned on Mario Kart, hoping it would be a good distraction from his head and Jinx's intense questioning.

It worked well at first, both Jinx and Red X too distracted by the first two laps to really say much more than childish insults, but by the third lap of the first race, Jinx was back to questioning Red X. "You know, when you called me earlier, I didn't think you'd want to see me, especially on Christmas Eve."

Red X wanted to pretend he hadn't heard her, but he hated be ignored himself, so it made him feel guilty to do so to his best friend. "I don't see why I shouldn't invite my best buddy over, not like I got any plans, and I know you sure as Hell don't."

"You're right there," Jinx admitted, grinning as she rushed past Red X in their game as Princess Peach, earning a few grumbled curses from the thief beside her. "But to be fair, I expected you to at least be visiting your younger sister."

"Her pop hates my guts," Red reminded Jinx, glaring at his character (Bowser) as he dragged behind, which worried Jinx a little. Red almost always did better than last place in Mario Kart. "'Sides, not like she misses me or nothin'... I should keep my distance, I'm just making her more attached to me."

"Her dad tell you that bullshit?" Jinx asked, not caring if she lost anymore as she turned to glare at Red X, tired of being treated like she didn't care about him. "He's a piece of shit, Bay. You have every right to know your baby sister."

"She's not even my real sister, and her dad said he'd kill me if he ever sees me near her again." Red spat out, tossing his controller to the floor as he finished the race in last place. "I don't wanna talk about this, okay? She's happier over in Metropolis anyhow, she's safer there!"

Jinx was about to respond, but a tapping on the window caught her attention, making her look over, eyes going wide. "Holy shit! Robin!? Is that you!?"

Red X shot up, staring at the window with a horror-struck expression. Aw dang it, he did NOT need to deal with the Boy Wonder, not today of all days! "Um... mind if I come in?" Robin asked from outside, perched on Red X's windowsill, his Eevee on his shoulder. "It's kinda cold out here, and I didn't even bring any weapons to attack you guys with!"

Red X, eventually, went over to the window and opened it, grabbing Robin by the front of his shirt and throwing him to the living room floor, Eevee easily tucking and rolling as to avoid getting hurt. As Robin had said, he was without his usual array of weapons, and even without his uniform, the only reason Jinx having recognized him being his mask. Robin wore a dark blue, zipper-less hoodie, along with long black jeans. His hair was still spiked up, specks of white proving that it had started snowing on the way over. He wore a Catbug backpack, much to Jinx's amusement, and a belt that held seven Pokeball's, the seventh with a red, green, and yellow bow stuck on it.

The Boy Wonder stood up, rubbing his arm with a hiss. "Geez, thanks a lot, Red. Way to greet your gue-" He never finished, Red X grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall, holding him off the floor. "Ah! Hey, watch it, let me talk already!"

"The heck are you doing here? How'd you follow me!?" Red X yelled, glaring at the younger boy with actual rage in his eyes. If Robin had found him, then God only knows how long it would be before he found his baby sister.

"Relax, please! And you know I'm the most uptight guy you know, so that's saying something!" Robin announced, squirming in the thief's strong hold. "Look, just let me explain myself, alright?"

"... Okay." Red finally answered, letting go of Robin, though he still stayed directly in front of him, leaving him no room to make a run for it. Not to mention, Sneasel had Eevee held down behind him, meaning no surprises if he was lucky. "Talk. Why are you here?"

"Well... it's Christmas Eve." Robin explained rather simply, shrugging at the thief. "To be honest, I didn't think I'd see you before Christmas, so when I heard you'd been spotted, I took my chance. Look, I'm not here to pick a fight or start something... I just- I- um... I heard you wanted one of these." He held out the decorated Pokeball, giving Red X a sheepish smile. "I promise it won't bite... probably."

Red X stared at the Pokeball, before dutifully opening it, eyes going wide as the orange and black dog popped out, barking happily at him. "A Growlith!?" He practically squeaked, all the anger gone in an instant, replaced by his usual cheery nature. "Oh my God, how'd you know?"

Robin rolled his eyes, shrugging. "Slade told me. I had to bribe him, but that's not nearly as hard as one might think." He told the older teenager, arms going behind his back as he relaxed, glad to find the tension dissipating. "We cool, or are you gonna tackle me again?"

"Dude, I think I'm gonna marry you!" Red yelled, turning his attention to his newly gifted Growlith. "Holy crap, I've always wanted one! He's so cool, I'm gonna call him Birdie!"

"Do not." Robin replied, his own more serious nature returning, as it should when he's around Red X of all people. "Hey, is that Mario Kart?" He asked, looking at the TV screen curiously.

"Yeah, wanna play?" Jinx asked, knowing Red X would be busy for at least another three hours. "And thanks, by the way."

"For what?" Robin couldn't help but ask, taking a seat on Red's couch with Jinx, picking up Red's old controller as Jinx reset the race.

"For making him happy again." Jinx answered, smiling as she got the game set-up. "Rainbow Road?" She questioned, smirking at her opponent.

"You're on, Jinx." Robin promised, a smirk growing on his face as he chose Dry Bones, cracking his knuckles as the race began.

In the end, Jinx won the Mario Kart race, much to Robin's anger, but all in all, the day could've gone alot worse. Red X did end up naming the Growlith Birdie, even though Robin thought it was a terrible name for a dog, and even Jinx agreed that it was a stupid name. The snow still swirled and fell outside, and that night, all involved had a much better Christmas then they ever imagined they would. It was decided that night, that despite their differences, Robin, Jinx, and Red X were strangely compatible, and it was also decided that every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all three would meet in secret in Red X's apartment. It was an odd little arrangement, but one none of them would be regretting it anytime soon.

FIN

A/N: It's really lame, but it's a start, right? I'd love it if you all reviewed, it would really make my day! Also, I won't put this as a cross-over for a bit until I think enough people have seen it, hope that won't bother you all.

-Winter