HEY! HEY LISTEN: This is "M" for a reason, and it starts out right outta the gate. I'm giving you fair warning, friends.

No Vacancy
Chapter One

-o-

Truthfully, Jason had always assumed that Raven was a Grade-A prude. A super prude. The kind of prude that reminded of him of the strictest nuns who wore nothing but long sleeves and long skirts and a chastity belt (for all he knew). Not that he had any real, hard proof that she was a prude, but he could at least make a somewhat educated assumption based on what little he knew about her. She kept her emotions and mind so closed off that it was impossible to tell anything about her, good or bad or otherwise, and so Jason obviously inferred that she was as sexually distinct as an amoeba. Besides, she wore a long cloak, she barely showed any skin, she never responded to any of the flirting he liked to tease her with… to him, she was the definition of "prude" to a T - no questions asked.

And yet… here she was. Standing outside of the XXX shop, staring at the brightly colored neon signs advertising "Toys for Solo Play" with a sort of confused, almost wistful look on her face. It was as if she knew exactly what she wanted, but didn't know how to ask for it, and so she just stayed within the chains of her imagination and own reservations.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Raven wasn't a prude. Maybe she was just secretly kinky, and that was a fascinating thought.

Jason leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her, utterly fascinated. Of all the places he'd expected to see Raven outside of the tower or far away from a battle, this horrible, depraved, disgusting dump of a store didn't even make the list. Maybe the creepy apothecary down the street, but not the sex toy store. He had to blink a few times to make sure it really was her and not an illusion. She stayed put, unaware of his presence.

He really shouldn't tease her… but this sight was just too much fun for him to just ignore.

She sighed and reached for the door, determination and resolve sewn across her lips as her fingers touched the steel handle.

"Well, well… didn't think I'd ever see you here."

She snatched her hand back, cradling it to her chest as if she'd been burned by the door, and her eyes darted around to the dark shadows sliding over the street. A pink tongue escaped and wet her lips, and Jason found himself fascinated with the movement, as if it were the first time he was really looking at her. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes widened as she finally turned her head and looked over at him, lurking in the shadows.

"So…" Jason chuckled and pushed himself from the wall into the flickering neon light. "...need help finding a dildo, Princess? I hear their selection here is supposed to be top of the line."

She stilled and Jason watched as her face turned about six shades darker, turning to stare at him. He was still clothed in his Red X uniform, mask pulled tightly over his face as he approached her. She looked frightened for a moment, like she was about to run, but her lips pressed into a thin line as she collected her thoughts slowly. If she was going down, she would be going down with a fight.

A few, heavy seconds skipped by before she managed to gather her wits enough to glare at him. "Well, X, I didn't know you'd fallen so low that you'd have to hit up a seedy sex toy shop… although, you could be a patron. I hear they sell a really good pill that's supposed to make you grow and I'm sure you need it." Her eyes flicked to below his belt before glancing back up into his face. "You know, after all the times Robin has put you in your place, I'm surprised you have any manhood left."

Jason set his lips and glared at her from behind the mask, feeling a growl bubble up into his throat. That bitch. It was a low blow to insult the size of his dick and she knew it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a step toward her. "Well, at least I'm not the one clamboring for a new dildo because I can't get a boy to find me attractive and I have no idea how to be social." He rubbed his fists over his mask, making the mocking motion of crying. "Wah wah, I'm weird and creepy and antisocial and no one loves me."

Jason winced. Okay, that was a little too low, even for him.

"Cock."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Whiny goth witch."

Raven's lips curled up into a snarl and she leaned forward a bit, poking her finger into his chest as her anger flared up, sparking brightly between them. It was as if her powers snapped and clashed around them, creating a flame neither of them could put out. They were testing each other, trying to see how long the other one would last before they lost control. Raven's magic spread out over his chest, burning him just enough so that Jason took a step back and rubbed at his sternum. She really could pack a punch if he wasn't careful. He was playing with fire and he needed to back off… but teasing her was so much fun.

She barked out a low, humorless laugh and glared at him. "Well, you know what? Maybe I do suck at getting a boy to like me, but at least I'm not the one pining after an alien redhead because she doesn't like him." Her eyes turned dark and she smirked. "And man, it must suck know that big brother Dick gets all the girls. Right, Jason?"

His heart fell into the pit of his stomach and he stared at her, breaking heavily through the mask. Her words hit their intended mark, and he took another step back, trying to think. She knew? How in the world did she find out? He was certain that no one else could have possibly known who he was, but somehow she had known, and yet didn't tell anyone? It didn't make sense, but then again, there wasn't a lot about her that made sense to him anyway.

Jason slowly peeled off the mask and looked down at her, his . "You knew?"

"I've always known." Reaching up, she flicked his forehead with her thumb and forefinger, a huff of breath escaping her lips. "Your mental signature is so disgustingly strong, who else would be parading around in Robin's suit acting so utterly foolish?" She huffed and started down the street, ignoring the sex toy shop as if it had never been there. "You are so blatantly obvious sometimes that I'm amazed that Dick hasn't figured out it's you yet… although, I chalk that up to his suddenly strong fascination with Starfire - but I'm sure you knew all about that, didn't you?"

His jaw clicked into place with annoyance and he glared at her. "You think I have the hots for an alien babe?"

Well, truthfully, he did, but that was none of Raven's damn business, and he'd never admit to it anyway.

"Oh, Jason." Raven looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "I know you're pining after her like a thirsty man pines for water. Even if I wasn't an empath, I'm still not blind. You're only moments away from banging on your chest like a neanderthal and whisking her away to your cave."

"I am not so base, Raven." His voice was low and dangerous, but it sounded more like he was arguing with her. How in the world did she manage to get under his skin to easily? She was like a sliver trapped under his nail and he wanted nothing more than to pull her out. "I have some tact."

"That's what you say, but I have yet to see it."

Jason rolled his eyes and slinked alongside her, following her into an alley. The darkness overwhelmed them both, blocking out the lights of the seedy district down the road. Above them, a window was open and the almost pornographic sounds of fucking could be heard from an illegal brothel above the sex toy shop. Raven closed her eyes and listened, as if she had done this a dozen times before - simply listened to the disgusting sounds of sex.

Jason stared at her, that calm look on her face, as if she was serene with the world around her, and tasting emotions she didn't have a chance to experience yet. He had the brief image of her leaning back against the brick wall behind them, fingers between her legs as she touched herself to the noises being made just out of her reach. Had she stood in this exact spot and masturbated before, letting the sounds take her far away from her own world?

He snorted incredulously. Maybe he was completely wrong about her. Maybe she wasn't even close to being a prude.

"I don't pine after her," he murmured weakly.

"Oh come on, Jason. It's just me here, and who am I going to tell?" Her eyes opened and she tilted her head towards him, expression unreadable. "You think I'm going to run right home to my team and tell them all about the fact that I ran into Red X - who is incidentally Jason Todd - outside of a sex toy stop that happens to run an illegal brothel? You honestly think that I'm going to admit that to anyone?" She snorted, glancing away from him. "You're stupider than I thought."

"You're bitchier than I thought."

Raven shrugged, unaffected by his pathetic insult.

He wasn't quite sure what was keeping him attached to her side, he should have ran. She knew who he was and what he was capable of, and she could have told Robin at any moment just who Red X really was, but she didn't. No, instead she turned away from him and walked to an alley, standing under open windows and listening to sex. And here he was, a complete idiot, following her into the alleyway and arguing with her as she insulted him. This whole situation was weird, without a shadow of a doubt.

"So, what, Raven? You know who I am, and I know that you're going to shove a dildo up your pussy… or ass, look I don't claim to know what kind of kink you're into." He turned and leaned against the wall, his eyes flicking up to the third floor. "Not like it's my place to judge anyway. The point is, I don't give a fuck."

"You do."

He glanced down at her, watching her cheeks flush again as a low moan broke through the small alleyway from the open window. Shifting, he looked down at her and he let go of a soft, low sigh. "You think I care about…?"

"Whether or not I say something. I'm not going to say anything, but… you still care. You want to know what Starfire's reaction would be when I tell her that you were going to go find a hooker who wears green contacts and a red wig." Raven tapped her fingers on her thigh and her eyes flicked back up to the windows, her lips peeling back in a cruel smile. "After all, there's only one reason you'd come all this way across the city."

His eyes narrowed, but he couldn't find it in his mind to disagree with her. She was right - unfortunately. That's why he'd been outside the shop in the first place - to get a hit of his fantasy. Jason's fingers subconsciously reached for the bills folded in his belt. He'd never paid for sex before in his life, but sometimes the need ran too deep. He had a disgusting, little infatuation with someone he could never have, and if there was one thing that Jason knew for certain, it was that he would never have a chance with Starfire - not in a million years.

So… here he was.

"Your silence speaks volumes."

"Yeah?" He snarled at her and inched away, shifting his weight just a little. "You knew there was a whore house here, and yet you still came. So, why don't you tell me what you were doing here then? I mean, you couldn't have been looking for just a dildo, Princess of Darkness."

Her lips twitched at the annoying nickname, and there was a long silence before she spoke again. "I was going to go up there today."

Jason looked down at her, watching her fingers tap along her thigh. He never thought she'd admit to it outright, and yet he was proven wrong again. He licked his lips and raised an eyebrow. "Up there? To the brothel?"

"Mm… they have one… escort that bares a striking resemblance to Robin." She smirked and looked over at him, her eyes still darkly playful as if she was holding onto a secret. "And one that looks a lot like Starfire. Isn't that why you're here after all, Jason? To get your rocks off with a little bit of play time with a hooker in a red wig."

"You've got an awful mouth on you." His jaw clicked into place with a glare and he looked away. "I should wash it out with soap."

"Mm… I'm sure that's not the only thing you've thought about doing with my mouth."

A shiver ran down his spine at the implication and his lips pulled back in a snarl Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at her again, pretending that her words didn't affect him. "So what, Raven? You're here for him? Wanna take some time and lie under a stranger wearing a mask and green panties just to pretend for a few minutes that he might have paid attention to you? You're just as pathetic as me."

"Maybe you're right, but let's not forget that you're here too." Raven's eyes flicked up to his own, her lips slipping into a thin, wane expression, almost as if she was tired of his bullshit. "Don't go calling the pot black, kettle. We both want something neither one of us can have. You want her. I want him. They have each other and we're left with this aching, empty feeling inside up that we can never fill."

"Now, you sound like you're having an existential crisis… or you're proposing something, Raven."

"Mm… perhaps I am." Her fingers stopped tapping against her thigh and she took a slow breath, her expression still unreadable. "Perhaps I might be suggesting an alternative for the two jilted lovers stuck outside a brothel thinking about how much this emptiness hurts."

His eyes turned dark as he realized what she was getting at. This was why she came here, why she was slowly working up the courage to go into the shop. She wanted a fuck. Nothing romantic, nothing filled with connection and attachment, she simply wanted a moment to release the primal need that was growing inside her. She wanted to feel a connection that masturbation couldn't offer, and she here she was, standing in the middle of screams and moans and skin against skin, looking up at him with those almost black eyes. A shiver slipped down his spine and pooled low in his gut, feeling icy and hot at the same time. His mind buzzed and he let go of a burst of breath as he considered her 'alternative'.

"You want a fuck."

She said nothing, her tongue coming out to lick her lips again.

He leaned closer, his breath heavy. "You're asking me to fuck you."

"I'm asking for you to give us what we both need."

"Any Robin will do, won't it?"

"Please," Raven snorted and waved him off, holding her anger in check just enough to respond. "You haven't been a Robin in years. Robin is barely Robin anymore. Don't insult me with such a petty observation, Jason."

His lips twitched and he looked back up at the open windows, listening to the sounds filling the alleyway. He set his jaw and took a long, slow deep breath before choosing to respond. "You know that I don't like you Raven, and that this means absolutely nothing, right?"

"I'm hoping it means nothing." She picked at her nails for a moment before glancing back up at him. "I don't ever want to be associated with feeling anything other than pure and utter contempt for you."

"Nothing."

"Absolutely nothing."

Jason closed his eyes and took in the sound of the sex still resounding around him. It only added fuel to the fire, and before he knew it, his hands were curling under her chin, bringing her face closer to his own. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still watching her face with a deep fascination he couldn't place. "I hate you, you know."

She snorted, and he could feel her heat as she leaned in closer, lips brushing up against his own. A low chuckle escaped her throat, sounding more like a dark curse than anything else. "Trust me, Jason… the feeling is mutual."

Hey! I wrote these as prompts on Tumblr, so it's 90% completed (there's like two more pieces I need to put together), so I'm hoping to have this all completed by the end of the month in some sort of fashion. Kind of like "The Other Line" (if you've read it). It's not the dirtiest thing I've ever written (that's all on AO3), but it's definitely not the cleanest, and it's not gonna be nice to your emotions. You've been warned.

Enjoy, friends. Thanks for being awesome.