First Steps, a young justice fanfic

GOTHAM STATE UNIVERSITY, LECTURE HALL C
WEDNESDAY, 9:00 AM, EDT

She was beautiful.

Her hair was cascading past her shoulders, bouncing softly and almost shimmering in the light. Her eyes sparkled and her beautiful white teeth spread into an equally beautiful smile when she caught sight of her friends. Her soft laugh echoed melodically through the room.

Jaime Reyes sighed contently as he slid further down his seat, the head resting in the palm of his hand sinking further as he continued to lose himself in the masterpiece that was Norah Owens.

Your infatuation with this ordinary girl is pathetic. You have better things to focus on.

"Shut up." He muttered softly.

"Totally didn't say anything." His best friend, Bart Allen replied, while noisily munching away on yet another pack of his chicken whizees. "But – I am totally seeing you ogling Norah again."

Jaime sat up abruptly and opened his textbook, pretending to read the chapter he was supposed to read before today's lecture. "I'm not ogling, I just so happened to be looking in her direction."

Bart guffawed and playfully slapped his friend's back. "Ha, right! And I'm not a super speedster from the future."

Jaime narrowed his eyes at Bart, "You really shouldn't be saying that aloud, ese."

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting this whole secret identity thing." Bart continued chewing thoughtfully before speaking again, a small trail of chicken whizees crumbs falling out of his mouth. "You really need to get out of the mode and ask her out!"

Jaime brushed away the stray crumbs that landed on his shoulder before replying, "No way. It's only, like, three weeks into the semester, and I've barely talked to her! She probably doesn't even know I exist."

"Well then make her know you exist, amigo!" Bart clapped his friend jovially on the back before leaning in and whispering, "You're the Blue Beetle, the big BB, savior of the world, superhero extraordinaire!"

Jaime frowned, "Yeah, if only I were able to tell her that. That would be one heck of a pickup line…"

The Kid Flash is correct. If you wish to be known to this female, you must make yourself known somehow. Wishful thinking and daydreaming will get you nowhere.

"I thought you said it was pathetic…"

Fantasizing and doing nothing is pathetic.

Jaime grumbled and pulled out his notebook as the professor started with the lecture.

It was hard for Jaime to concentrate all class. His eyes kept trailing back to the few rows in front of him at the head of luscious black hair and fast hands of Norah as she vigorously wrote down notes. It frustrated him to no end; he usually never got so caught up with girls, and never had he ever felt so shy and nervous to talk to them. He talked to Cassie and Barbara just fine when he'd first met them, and they were two ridiculously pretty girls. Especially Cassie…Besides, he hadn't had a girlfriend in years. Going on covert missions as a meta-human and helping saved the world really took time out of doing other activities.

'Come on, Jaime Reyes, what is going on with you? What is so special about this girl?'

Absolutely nothing. This female which has you distracted is average, if best. Objectively speaking, her appearance is ordinary. It would be prudent to forget about her and focus on your academics, since you choose not to act upon these arbitrary feelings.

Jaime ignored Scarab and continued staring the back of Norah's head. He didn't realize how long it had been till the professor dismissed everyone and people were quickly shuffling out of the lecture hall.

"Dude, you were totally zoned out for like the past half hour! Good luck catching up on your notes!" Bart laughed.

Jaime sat up abruptly, looking ahead in confusion before turning to the speedster, "Wha-? I missed like, all my notes!" Jaime looked at Bart pleadingly.

Bart merely grinned as he stuffed his backpack with blinding speed. "Sorry, amigo, you're on your own. Gotta run!"

Jaime frantically stood up, "C'mon, hermano! I need those notes!"

"I'm sure you can fine some way to get those notes. Crash the mode, dude!" And with that, Bart sped out of the classroom. Even though he wasn't using his superpower, he was still impossibly fast and it made Jaime grit his teeth in frustration.

Jaime looked around, and whereas there were still a few students packing up their things, it was Norah who drew his attention.

Norah was by herself as she was slowly putting her things away and Jaime figured this the perfect opportunity. With a deep breath, Jaime picked up his bag and casually walked over to her.

'Be calm, Jaime, be calm. You actually need the notes, and why not ask her? Just be casual and cool and don't seem desperate…'

"Hey," He said casually, with Norah's back turned to him.

Norah turned around and gave a small smile upon seeing him, "Uh, hey."

Jaime had to remind himself not to stare too much, but her striking blue eyes made that a difficult task. The bright blue eyes contrasted beautifully with her midnight black hair and tanned skin and Jaime was having a hard time remembering anything at all…

"Uh, yeah, um, Jaime," He stuck his hand out awkwardly, "I'm Jaime. Reyes. Jaime Reyes." 'Wow, totally smooth, ese.'

"Hi, Jaime," Norah reached out to shake his outstretched hand, "Norah Owens. It's, uh, nice to meet you."

He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, I know this may be kind of weird, but do you think I can borrow your notes from today's class? I kinda… fell asleep…and my friend kinda jet off before I could ask for his…"

Norah's forehead crinkled in confusion, "And…you can't ask him tomorrow or something?"

'Crap! I didn't think this through! Now she thinks I'm a weirdo, or something!'

Clearly your social skills need honing, Jaime Reyes.

"Um…Uh…I…I think…" Jaime stuttered.

Norah chuckled lightly, "It's cool. Here," She reached into her book bag and pulled out a notebook. "You can borrow it till next week's lecture."

Jaime took the notebook from her, "You're okay with not having your work till next week?"

Norah shrugged, "I'll manage."

"Well maybe…Maybe I could give it back to you earlier?" Jaime looked at the ground and swallowed nervously before looking back up. "And maybe we could study together then as well?"

Jaime tried to stay clam and not fidget, but his mind was swimming as he realized what he asked her.

The erratic beating the heart indicates that you are nervous. It is absurd to get nervous over such a trivial situation.

'Clearly you've had no experience with girls before.'

Norah gave Jaime a suspicious look and smirked playfully, "Jaime Reyes, are you asking me out on a date?"

Jaime's eyes widened and his heart started beating harder, "What?! Not at all! No!" Jaime stopped and cleared his throat, "I mean, not a date exactly, just studying…"

Norah stared at him before smiling, "Yeah, studying…sounds good. Maybe Friday? Around noon-ish? If you don't have another class that is…"

Jaime was surprised; he didn't expect her to agree, and so quickly too. But he still smiled as his heart fluttered slightly. "Yeah, Friday sounds good."

The two walked out of the lecture hall together, before stopping were the halls diverted.

Jaime turned to Norah and smiled. His face was beginning to hurt. "So, I'll meet you at the library then, on Friday?"

Norah smiled shyly before nodding.

Jaime's smile turned into a grin, "Awesome. I'll…I'll see you then."

"Yeah. Bye." With a final, beautiful smile and a small wave of her hand, Norah walked off, leaving Jaime in a daze.

GOTHAM STATE UNIVERSITY, CAMPUS APARTMENTS
4:00 PM, EDT

"Dude, that is so totally crash!" Bart sped to him and clapped him on the back excitedly. "I can't believe you actually scored a date with her! Albeit in a lame, try-too-hard kinda way, but still!"

Jaime rolled his eyes, "It's not a date. We're just going to study."

Bart laughed, "Sure, sure. That's what you say now." He winked slyly.

"Don't go getting any ideas, hermano. It's just studying." Jaime rolled his chair around to face his desk and opened up Norah's notebook to begin copying down the notes, "And…maybe a date later on…" He quickly added, under his breath.

"Aha! Of course, good friend. That was the whole point of this, right?" Bart flopped on Jaime's bed and opened a bag of freeze-dried chicken whizees.

Jaime sighed, annoyed, "Don't you have anything better to do instead of annoying me and eating all my food? Like studying, maybe?"

"Nope! That's the beauty of being a speedster; photographic memory and fast learning! Already fulfilled my studying quota for the day." Bart continued chewing loudly. "Plus, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't annoy you about girls and eat your food? That's why I'm here in the first place." He said playfully.

Jaime shook his head in defeat but still gave a small smile. True, Bart could be a little overbearing at times, but he could not be more grateful to have him as a friend, especially in University. It almost made him glad that Bart was pretty much a genius and skipped enough grades to be in the same year as he was. Almost. But it was still nice to have someone around, especially since Gotham City wasn't his hometown. Sure, there was Tim, Dick, and Barbara, and Bruce, to some degree, but Tim was still in high school, and Dick and Barbara were usually at their day jobs at Wayne Enterprises or working up in The Watchtower. And Bruce was, well, Bruce. It was nice to be around friends when you weren't on missions and endangering your lives.

"So," Bart said, interrupting the silence that wasn't his obnoxious chewing, "Are you gonna kiss her?"

"Dude!"

GOTHAM STATE UNIVERSITY, CAMPUS LIBRARY
FRIDAY, 12:30 PM, EDT

Jaime didn't understand why he was so nervous. I mean, he did understand, but he didn't like it.

It was hard enough to work up the courage to talk to her, and even harder to hold a less than 10 minute conversation with her without wanting to faint. He had no idea how he was going to get through a whole afternoon with her.

This state of unease you are experiencing is quite absurd, Jaime Reyes. She is a simple human, not a celestial being.

'Yeah, says you.'

You are a 19, almost 20, year old male, far into the age of maturity, yet you are acting like a child.

"Shut up!" Jaime muttered under his breath angrily, "I am not acting like a child. And I am not uneasy!"

Your overacting sweat glands, increased hormone levels, and rapid heartbeat indicate otherwise.

Jaime grumbled, frustrated. He wasn't sure how long he would last with Norah with Scarab's constant badgering.

At that moment, he saw Norah walk through the doors of the library, and Jaime had to remind himself not to stare like some creep. But she made that a difficult task.

She didn't look particularly spectacular. Her clothes were simple; a loose white tank top with a denim button-up over top, and black jeans and black combat boots. Her hair was loose and falling over her shoulders, and her face looked bright and happy. She made the simplicity so much more beautiful. Jaime couldn't help the smile on his face and he walked over to greet her.

"Hey." She greeted warmly.

"Hi. How…how are you?" Jaime asked nervously.

She smiled at him and his heart almost melted. "Good, pretty good. Ready to study?"

"Y-yeah, totally." 'Calm down, Jaime Reyes! Just…be normal. Don't think about things so much, just go with it.'

The pair went to the fourth floor of the library and settled down at a small table in the corner. Norah immediately pulled out her textbook and pens while Jaime grabbed both his and Norah's notebook.

"Wow, you actually bought the textbook," Jaime said with a chuckle.

Norah smiled, "Well, yeah. Why? Were you just going to rely on other people's notes?" She asked teasingly.

Jaime laughed nervously but didn't reply.

"So," Norah started, setting down her pencils and resting her chin on her hands, "Why did you really ask for my notes? And why did you ask to study with me?"

Jaime was caught off guard. He knew Wednesday after class wasn't exactly his most smooth and subtle moment when it came to asking a girl out, but he didn't expect her to jump right to it.

"W-well," He stuttered, trying to find words that wouldn't completely creep her out, "I…I wanted to talk to you, and that seemed like the easiest way."

Norah gave him a knowing smile, but didn't say anything. She was staring at Jaime with those incredible eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"Ah," Jaime nervously rubbed the back of his head, "You just seemed like a really cool person. And…I wanted to get to know you, I guess."

"Well, Jaime," Norah said as she opened up her textbook, "You seem like a really cool person too. And I also think you're very cute." She winked playfully at him.

Jaime blushed furiously and tried to hide it with a nervous chuckle.

And with that they began their long stretch of studying and reading over notes.

Jaime didn't know how long it had been, but it felt like hours. Blissful, productive, and actually fun hours. Biological psychology wasn't his cup of tea, aside from the biology part, so he was dreading having to actually spend time on it. But Norah made the task much, much more bearable.

Despite not knowing her for that long, Jaime was completely taken with Norah, almost to the point of painting unrealistic expectations of her. But Norah was refreshingly…normal. She was very down-to-earth and cheerful, and she actually helped him understand the course material.

You do not understand the course material because you do not pay attention to the lectures. Because you are too busy gawking at the girl.

'And you know what, ese, I found the perfect solution to both those problems. Now, be quiet!'

Jaime threw his head back and let out a tired groan. "Ugh! I am so sick of this. If I have to read one more word about the neurotransmitters, I think I'll actually puke."

Norah laughed, "I'm guessing this is an elective for you? You don't seem all that interested in BioPsych."

Jaime nodded, "Yeah, but I figured I would still do something bio related."

"What's your major?"

"BioMedicine."

"Ah, makes sense."

"How about you? You seem to know this stuff pretty well."

Norah chuckled, "Yeah, well it's my major. Or—at least a required course for my major; I'm in Psychology."

"Ah, very cool. Well, I don't know about you," Jaime stretched his arms above his head, "But I'm pretty sure all my psychologies will be messed up if I continue studying." Jaime heard his scarab sigh in defeat and he cringed at his lame attempt at a joke.

Norah seemed unphased as she laughed pleasantly, "I agree. Say, could you eat? There's a small place on campus that has amazing fries."

Jaime smiled, "Oh yeah, I could totally go for some fries."

Norah returned his smile as they both packed up and headed out.

Jaime wasn't sure if this part would be considered a date. I mean, they were just getting some food after a long stretch of studying. There were no romantic notions involved, just strictly platonic. But he and Norah were getting along very well; they cracked jokes and playful sarcastic remarks with each other easily and Norah even threw in some good-natured flirting. But it wasn't weird or awkward. They both got along very well and Jaime could definitely see their relationship go further. Jaime smiled at the thought as the waiter came to their table with their two orders of cheese fries.

"So, Jaime," Norah started as began to dig into her food. "Tell me more about yourself."

Jaime, too, began to eat his food. He gave a small shrug, "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Hm…well, let's start with the basics."

Jaime nodded as he chewed through his food, "Okay, well, I'm a second year BioMed student, and consequently this is also my second year in Gotham City. I'm actually from El Paso, Texas."

Norah looked surprised, "Oh, wow. That's quite a ways away. Why Gotham State?"

"It…was a good school I guess." 'Also easy access to several zeta tubes, several of my superhero friends are here, easy access to Batman if need be…' "And…I got the Wayne Foundation scholarship, so that was a big factor…"

Norah's eyes widened, "Oh. You're a scholarship kid. That's—I mean, that's awesome. That's a really tough and competitive scholarship to get. How many kids did you have to beat up to get it?" She smirked playfully before plopping another fry in her mouth.

Jaime chortled, "Only a few."

Norah smiled. Gods, he loved that smile.

"No, but actually, that's really awesome. It really helps, huh? The scholarship money, I mean." She added.

Jaime nodded slowly, "Yeah. And again, that's a big reason I decided to come here. It's a great university with a good sciences program, and I wouldn't have to burden my parents to pay for the expenses."

Norah nodded in understanding, "It must be hard to be so far away from them." She added quietly.

Jaime gave a sad smile, "Yeah, I miss them a lot. But they were really supportive. And plus, I have friends here in Gotham, so I'm not completely alone."

"That's good. And now you have me." Norah chuckled and stole one of Jaime's fries.

Jaime laughed with her, "Si, that I do."

"So why BioMedicine?"

Things were starting to get personal, but Jaime felt oddly at ease. He felt he could trust her, despite only knowing her for so little.

Jaime Reyes, I urge you to exercise caution. You must not reveal too much about your personal life.

'Yes, yes, I know, but don't worry. I'm not going to tell her my life story quite yet.'

Quite yet? You must never tell her your life story. Revealing too much could endanger yourself and your colleagues.

Jaime ignored Scarab's last remark and looked at Norah, "I…I want to be a dentist. More than anything."

"Wow, Mr. Smartypants."

Jaime chuckled, "Hey, I try." He fiddled with a fry in his hand before continuing. "I want to give back to my family. They've done everything for me, you know? I…I want to pay off my parents' mortgage and pay for my little sister's college tuition."

Norah's eyes softened, "You're a kind guy, Jaime. Most kids are often too preoccupied with themselves to even think about their family…"

"I know…But my family means everything to me. And even though becoming a dentist is my dream, it's also my dream to give back to them."

Norah looked up at him and smiled, but said nothing more as she continued eating her fries.

"So, what about you?" Jaime picked a fry and stared at her expectantly.

Norah hesitated and looked up and him. The smile she gave was nervous, and Jaime noted to ask questions cautiously.

"Well…" She cleared her throat, "My life is fairly uninteresting. I'm a second year Psych major, and it, too, is my second year in Gotham City. I'm from Portland."

"Oh, you're far from home too."

"Yeah. My…parents encouraged me to come here. Gotham State is known for its Psychology department, so I figured why not. I, unfortunately, am not here on scholarship though." She chuckled.

Jaime Reyes, urge extra caution. Something seems off about this female.

'Something is always off with every girl I'm with.' Jaime grimaced.

"Is…everything okay?" Norah asked hesitantly.

It took a couple of years, but Jaime was finally able to communicate with Scarab without talking aloud, even though sometimes he would slip up. Yet he still couldn't help the odd facial expressions that came with talking to him, especially when conversations got a little frustrating, which happened more often than not. Jaime and Scarab were on great terms, but Scarab's unease towards almost everything made it a little hard to coexist sometimes.

"Uh, yeah! Sorry." Jaime chuckled nervously and looked up at her innocently. "Anyway, please continue."

Norah stared a little, "Uh…yeah. Anyway…" She paused, seemingly unsure on how to continue. "I want to be a counselor."

"Why a counselor?" Jaime inquired.

Norah shrugged, "I like helping people, I guess. I want to give the help that I never did…"

Jaime stared at her, speechless. "Um..."

Norah looked up, startled, "Oh, wow! That got mighty personal." She let out a soft, nervous laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that…"

Jaime smiled reassuringly, "It's okay, don't worry about it. I guess it's a little early to be sharing personal details."

Norah glanced at him nervously before turning her attention to her fries. "Yeah…"

Jaime looked at her sympathetically. She was obviously dealing with some personal issues in regards to her last comment, but he wasn't going to touch on it. She was uncomfortable, and that was the last thing Jaime wanted her to feel.

Jaime Reyes, I have been reading into this girl's biofeedback and something is not right. The Norah Owens is hiding things.

'Well obviously, ese. She doesn't want to share details of her personal life. This is, like, only the first day that we've known each other.'

No, it is not that. She is very suspicious and I am getting unstable readings from her.

'Why can't I ever be with a girl without you being so hyper vigilant?'

I am doing this for your own good, Jaime Reyes. It is important to be wary of the people you surround yourself with. Especially in The Gotham City. Everyone is suspicious.

'!Dios mio! You are being so NOT crash right now!'

You are starting to sound like The Kid Flash.

'And whose fault is that?!'

Yours. You spend too much time in his company.

Jaime inwardly groaned and turned his attention back to Norah, who was staring into her now almost empty plate of fries.

He cleared his throat, "Uh, I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have prodded."

Norah looked up, "Oh, no! It's not your fault. I'm just…weird." She laughed nervously.

Jaime laughed along with her, uneasily. He felt bad for the conversation taking an awkward turn, but it was soon picked up when they went on to talk about their BioPsych professor and his weird penchant for animal analogies. The atmosphere soon lightened up again, despite Scarab's constant badgering and growing unrest. Jaime brushed it off as mere protectiveness.

After a conversation about their other classes, they paid their bills and left the diner.

"So, my place is this way." Norah said, casually pointing north.

"Do you, uh, want me to walk you home?" Jaime asked nervously.

Norah smiled. "Oh, no thanks. It's not that late and it's not too long of a walk."

Jaime nodded, "Okay, if you're sure."

They both looked at each other, smiling softly, before they both laughed and glanced at their feet bashfully.

"I guess I'll see you Wednesday then? At class?" Jaime asked.

Norah smiled, "Yeah. And thanks, Jaime, for asking to study. I had a really great time."

Jaime grinned, "Yeah, of course! And thanks for introducing me to those fries."

Norah giggled, "Of course, of course."

Jaime parted from Norah with a grin that felt like it could break his face. It took every ounce in his body not to skip home.

Jaime…

'Yes, I know. Be wary, yada yada. But she's pretty perfect, right?'

Scarab didn't reply. His silence all the way home was unusual, but Jaime once again brushed it off.

Jaime's grin didn't falter until he flopped on his bed and fell asleep.

THE NEXT WEEK
GOTHAM STATE UNIVERSITY, LECTURE HALL C
WEDNESDAY, 9:00 AM, EDT

"Dude, I totally still have a bruise from that head-on collision with Conner." Bart said as he sat down in his usual seat beside Jaime, rubbing softly at his forehead.

"That's totally your fault, hermano. When M'gann said go right, she meant right, not left."

Bart stared at him, un-amused, and Jaime replied with a cheeky grin.

"So," Bart drawled, ignoring Jaime, "Excited to see Norah~ again?"

"Dude, you have no idea." Jaime sat up straight in his seat, constantly glancing at the door, "You have no idea how perfect she is! And did you know that the GSU diner has the most amazing fries?"

Bart laughed, "Of course, of course! That's all I heard from you this weekend during our mission. Except about the fries…"

Jaime sighed contently, "I honestly think we're going to become really good friends."

Bart grinned, "Maybe more than that? Hm?" He elbowed Jaime playfully.

Jaime smiled, "Maybe."

"Haha, that's the way, amigo!" Bart patted Jaime on the shoulder, "You know it's a good thing we have different tastes in girls. I mean, Norah is pretty and all, but totally not my type. I mean, honestly she's pretty average. The eye color and skin color contrast is nice though; unusual, but nice. But it's a good thing we have different tastes because there's no way in hell you could compete with my dashing good looks…"

Jaime tuned Bart out half way through his 1000mph speech when he spotted Norah entering the lecture hall. He caught her sight and waved to her.

Norah smiled and waved back before she started up the stairs to where he and Bart were seated.

"And I mean, you're a good looking guy too, Jaime, but there's no competition with me and—hey isn't that Norah? Is she coming up here? To sit with us? Dude," Bart turned to Jaime with a sly grin, "She totally digs you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Jaime muttered quietly, "Now be more quiet! And normal."

"Hey, Jaime!" Norah greeted brightly. "May I sit…?"

Jaime nodded and motioned to the empty seat beside him, "Yeah, of course! Hi!"

Bart nudged him softly and Jaime cleared his throat.

"Uh, Norah, this is my best friend Bart," Jaime motioned to the excited speedster beside him, "And Bart, this is Norah."

Bart leaned over and saluted her, "Heya! Pleased to meet you!" He gave a toothy grin.

Norah chuckled, "Hey, good to meet you too, Bart." Norah looked at Jaime, "So, did you have time to look over the notes we took?" She grinned playfully.

Jaime laughed nervously, "Ah, no, unfortunately. I was busy with…other work."

Norah simply smiled.

The rest of the lecture went by blissfully as he and Norah exchanged playful jibes and chattered quietly amongst themselves. Bart interrupted here and there towards Jaime with playful smiles and suggestive nudges, and Jaime did his best to ignore them. Scarab interjected once in a while, continuing on with his wary warnings and suspicions, but Jaime tuned him out eventually.

The lecture wrapped up and Norah and Jaime began to pack up their things.

"So," Norah started, "Are we going to study again on Friday?"

Jaime looked at her and smiled softly, "Maybe…not studying? How about dinner instead?"

He heard Bart mutter a quiet, 'Smooth playa!' under his breath and Jaime tried not to grimace.

Jaime continued, "You introduced me to that diner and those amazing fries, so I think it's my turn now. There's a really good Mexican restaurant across the athletic center, and their chicken enchiladas are to die for!"

"It's true!" Bart interjected, happily playing the role of wingman.

Norah grinned, "Sounds great!"

Jaime grinned back, "So, Friday? 7:00PM?"

Norah nodded, "It's a date."

Jaime didn't argue at all. And it took him too much effort not to encase himself in Beetle's armor and fly out the room singing songs of joy. Scarab was not amused.

Norah parted ways with the two boys, and then Bart clapped Jaime on the back and laughed excitedly.

"Way to crash the mode, amigo! I knew you had it in you."

Jaime grinned.

Jaime Reyes, I—

'Ese, I know. You're very suspicious of her. But she's totally cool!'

I am wary of this Norah Owens because she has negative readings surrounding her.

'Are you reading any signs of hostile intent?'

No, but that does not mean she is not a hostile person.

'No, it just means you're too paranoid. Relax, hermano, everything's fine. Be happy for me! I don't think I'm going to be single much longer!'

Scarab didn't reply.

GOTHAM CITY
FRIDAY, 9:30 PM, EDT

Norah once again laughed at another one of Jaime's jokes. Or rather, attempts at jokes. But Jaime was okay with that. She was enjoying herself, and so was he. The night went even better than he expected.

Dinner was great. The food was great, and the company was even greater. There were no awkward turns in the conversation, and they laughed and made jokes and complained about their professors the entire time; it was great.

Conversation steered fairly clear from intimate details, but Jaime learned a bit more about the girl he was so taken with.

Norah was a trained gymnast and enjoyed martial arts and archery. She loved reading and cooking and was a fan of the show Hello Megan. Jaime grinned, knowing she would very well get along with a certain green-skinned Martian he knew. She also, apparently, did not support The Reach when they made their unwelcomed visit to Earth over 3 years ago. Jaime made sure that conversation stayed in a very vague direction.

Norah had an older brother, whom she was very close with. And judging by the way she talked about him, and about family in general, it seemed that she was not on the greatest of terms with her parents. Details were vague, but Jaime knew not to press farther. Even though they knew each other much better now than before, Jaime could feel that Norah was still very guarded about the information she gave out, and Jaime accepted that understandably; it was still fairly early in the relationship and she was perhaps not yet comfortable sharing such personal details.

And it wasn't like Jaime wasn't guarded either; he had one pretty big secret that he very much intended to keep.

Scarab's concern got even worse as dinner progressed. It was like he was a broken record player, repeating the same suspicions over and over again. Jaime almost burst from annoyance several times throughout the night, but he managed to keep himself at bay. It didn't stop Scarab, though, and that was the only one aspect of the night that made everything sour.

They were walking back to Norah's place, and it took 3 minutes of an internal battle between Jaime and himself to get the courage to hold Norah's hand, and when he did she didn't pull away. In fact, she leaned in closer. Jaime fought the blush creeping onto his cheek, but he welcomed the warmth that Norah brought.

"So, is Friday date night going to be a regular thing now, or what?" Norah asked amusingly.

Jaime chuckled, "It can be, if you want."

Norah looked up at him and smiled sweetly. No response was needed; Jaime knew the answer, and it made him smile and swell up on the inside with glee.

They leisurely walked up a set of stairs to Norah's small apartment and stopped in front of her door, facing each other.

"Thanks for tonight, Jaime." Norah looked up at him warmly and smiled.

Jaime's hand, still holding onto Norah's, squeezed affectionately as he traced circles on it with his thumb. "No problem. I had a great time."

They stared at each other, not awkwardly, but unsure on what to do next.

The look on Norah's face was expectant, and Jaime took that as his cue. He leaned in slowly, and when she didn't pull away, he leaned in even further. Jaime was still a little hesitant at the pace of their relationship, so he slowed it down, and placed his lips gently on her cheek for a sweet, lingering peck. When he pulled away, Norah's cheeks were tinged with the slightest hint of pink.

He smiled and let go of her hand, "I'll text you."

Norah nodded shyly, "Yeah. See you later."

Jaime smiled and turned around to take his leave. He could feel Norah's eyes on his back, and he turned around to give one final wave before heading back down the stairs. He smiled a wide, gleeful smile as he headed back to his place. The night was truly perfect; perfect food with the perfect girl. Jaime felt many things falling into place.

It is imperative you be cautious around this girl. Do not get overly attached and let your guard down.

'Yeah, yeah, Mr. Paranoid. Don't ruin my moment.'

It is not I that will be ruining this moment. You do not wish to heed my cautions, so I am merely telling you to be careful. The aura surrounding her is not pleasant.

'YOUR aura is not pleasant, when you're being annoyingly persistent like this, I mean. Her aura is bright and warm. Like the sun.' Jaime thought dreamily.

Now I am urging you to exercise even greater caution. This female is turning you into a babbling, nonsensical fool.

'I'm okay with that.'

Norah's face was starting to hurt from all the smiling she had being doing all night. Everything was just…good.

She was very happy that Jaime had decided to approach her last week. His company was pleasant and she felt happy around him. He was very down-to-earth, funny, sweet; just refreshingly normal. Norah smiled at the prospects of their relationship turning into something more.

Norah's smile melted into a scowl the moment she stepped into her apartment. Of course her happiness was meant to be short-lived; he was here.

Norah locked her door before walking into her kitchen/living-room. She placed her purse gently on the kitchen table before taking off her sweater, ignoring the man sitting on her couch, slightly illuminated by the lamp lit beside him.

She sighed, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"Where were you?" The deep voice asked, ignoring Norah's question.

"Out."

"Who was that boy?"

She turned to him, her face stoic. "A friend."

The man stood up. The light gleamed onto his orange-red and black armor and gave his snow-white hair some color. "He didn't seem like just a friend."

"Well he was." Norah replied curtly through gritted teeth.

"Do you have feelings for this boy?"

"No." She lied.

"I told you before to keep relationships at a distance. Getting close to people is a detriment to your job."

Norah sighed, "I'm being as normal as I can be. I'm a college student, too. I'm not going to subject myself to being a recluse just because you think it's a detriment, or whatever."

He started to walk closer, indicated by the sword strapped to his back clinking against his armor. Norah could make out his mask-covered face staring at her, his one visible eye narrow and steely.

"Norah." He warned with a hardness etched in his voice.

"Deathstroke."

"Your insolence is not appreciated. I suggest keeping your attitude in check."

Norah sighed, eyes closing and hands balling into fists. She took deep breath to calm herself before opening her eyes to look back at him.

"What do you want?" She asked again, more calm this time.

"Monday, 9:00PM sharp." He said, with no explanation.

Norah narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "And what if I'm not free?"

Deathstroke looked her sternly in the eye, "Then you will cancel your plans and make yourself free." He said with finality, before gently tossing a manila folder filled with papers onto the table in front of her.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Monday, 9:00PM. Your next mission."

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot. The idea just kinda casually came to me one one day, very randomly actually. I decided to write it for funsies and I ended up liking what I had, as simple as it may be. Also, I love Young Justice and Jaime Reyes is amazing, and season 3 needs to happen. Like, badly.

I realize that ending this on a cliffhanger is kinda mean haha. I did it because this story very much has the potential to be turned into a full-fledged fic. I'm just not too sure at the moment. I definitely have some ideas cooked up, I would just need to flesh out a proper plot and work on some details. I suppose if this one-shot garners enough attention then a full fic can happen, but again I'm not too sure. It's a big maybe right now. Laziness is my primary villain, and that paired with the dwindling days of summer and other obligations, particular my Bleach fic, might make it a little hard to spend a good amount of time planning and writing. So, again, maybe.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Be sure to let me know your thoughts and whatnot. I would very much appreciate it. Thanks again!

-Anzu