A/N: For Standard-Ang3l. She needed a mood-lifter one night, and this was it. Enjoy!

Happy reading!

angellwings

Bad Moods & Bad Jokes

by angellwings

Jason couldn't help but stare at Caitlyn as she sat all alone in the mess hall. She'd been determined to be by herself all day, and he didn't think she was mad at anyone really he just thought she didn't feel very sociable. Which was fine and dandy…for a whle.

But it was dinnertime and the day was almost over. He was starting to get worried.

"Dude, if you stare any harder you'll burn a hole straight through her," Shane said with a smirk.

"I'm not staring," Jason said. But he didn't look away.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Jase, I have perfected inconspicuous staring and believe me what you're doing…isn't it."

"I just—don't you think this is getting ridiculous?" Jason asked them. "She hasn't eaten a meal with the group all day let alone talk to us."

Nate shrugged. "I prefer it when Caitlyn doesn't talk to me. I suffer less abuse that way."

"If you're so worried, Jase, then go over there and talk to her," Shane said as he nodded in Caitlyn's direction. "She won't hit you. She likes you too much."

"What do you mean by that?" Jason asked in confusion.

"I mean that you're like a puppy to her. Too adorable to kick," Shane said with a grin. "You're safe. Trust me."

"A puppy?" Jason asked. "Is that a good thing?"

"When it comes to Caitlyn?" Nate asked. "Yes. Definitely. It's better than being me. I'm the snail she likes to pour salt on."

"What are you?" Jason asked Shane.

"I'm…an ant that lives in the ant hill she continually kicks over," Shane said thoughtfully. "She likes to sabotage me for her own evil entertainment."

Jason quirked a brow at them. "You make Caitlyn sound so mean."

"She is. You're just too in love with her to see it," Shane said with a chuckle.

"I don't believe that," Jason said with a shake of his head. "And I'm not in love with her."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Yes you are."

"Whatever, I'm going to go talk to her," Jason said with a huff. "Because I'm not scared of her."

"Yes you are," Nate repeated knowingly.

"Shut up," Jason said. "I am not."

"Yes you are," Nate said again.

Jason glared at Nate in frustration before he growled and walked away. Once he was out of earshot he sighed hopelessly and muttered to himself, "I totally am."

He gulped as he came closer to the table where Caitlyn was sitting alone. He bit his bottom lip before he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"H-hey, Caity," He said softly.

Caitlyn sighed before she looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Hey, Jase."

"Are you okay?" Jason asked.

"Nothing's wrong, really. I'm just…in a mood. I guess," Caitlyn told him.

"A mood?" Jason asked in confusion.

"I'm sulking, Jase," Caitlyn clarified.

Jason nodded and his eyes widened. "Oh, I see. Do you mind if I join you?"

"You sulk?" Caitlyn asked with a tiny amused grin.

"You might find it hard to believe, Caity, but I do experience the full range of human emotion," Jason told her with a smile.

"I didn't mean—I just meant that I couldn't picture you lingering over unpleasant thoughts. That's all," Caitlyn said with a guilty expression.

Jason nodded and sat down next to her. He nudged her shoulder and grinned. "I knew what you meant."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm just…such a bitch," Caitlyn said with a huff. "I mean, I can be downright mean sometimes, you know?"

"You're never mean to me," Jason told her. "That's something."

"No one could be mean to you, Jase," Caitlyn told him. "You're too sweet."

"You'd be surprised," Jason muttered. "So is that why you're sulking? You think you're mean?"

"Well, aren't I?" Caitlyn asked.

"You can be, I guess," Jason said fearfully. "But I don't think you really mean it."

"What do you mean?" Caitlyn asked.

"Don't take offense to this metaphor, okay?" Jason said before he continued. "I think your bark is worse than your bite. You say mean things, but I think it's just your default defense setting. Just until you feel like you can trust someone."

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip and nodded. Jason tried not to groan as an awkward silence settled between them. He hated awkward silences and he especially hated it when Caitlyn didn't talk. She was normally a very talkative person, to him at least.

Jason cleared his throat. "How does Batman's mother call him to dinner?"

Caitlyn's brow furrowed. "Um, she doesn't, Jason. She's dead."

Jason gave her a bored look. "Caitlyn, humor me."

She sighed. "Fine, how?"

Jason smirked. "Dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner, BATMAN!"

Caitlyn smiled slowly just before she burst out laughing. Her laughter slowed down and she turned to talk to Jason through the laughter. "Oh God, Jase. That was bad. So bad that it was kind of hilarious."

"That's what I was hoping for," Jason said with a bright smile.

"Where did you learn that joke?" Caitlyn asked.

"Read it in a joke book in elementary school. Thought it was kind of funny so I memorized it," Jason said sheepishly. "I knew it would come in handy someday. Did it help?"

Caitlyn smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, it did."

"Good," Jason said with a nod. "Do you wanna get out of here? Maybe take a walk?"

"Just you and me?" Caitlyn asked hopefully.

Jason smiled shyly. "If that's what you want, Caity."

She smiled and nodded. "That's what I want."

He grinned and stood up quickly.

"Then your wish is my command, Lady Caity," Jason said as he offered her his hand. "Ready?"

She bit her bottom lip and stared at his hand for a moment before she hesitantly reached up and laced her fingers with his. "Ready."

Jason paused in the mess hall door and turned to Caitlyn. "What's brown and sticky?"

Caitlyn chuckled. "oh lord, Jase. Another joke?"

"You're supposed to ask what," Jason told her with a grin.

Caitlyn smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. "What?"

"A stick."

Caitlyn laughed and dragged Jason out the door. "That was worse than the last one."