[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. This plot point was suggested by XxPhoenix FlightxX, by the way. Also, the clothes in this are supposed to resemble/are based off of Harley Quinn's Insurgent design in Injustice: Gods Among Us.]
It'd been about three weeks since Joseph had first started living with Jason, and things had progressed quickly. Jason had taken to calling the blonde 'Joey' instead of 'Joseph' all the time, and Joseph was slowly learning to neglect things he could possibly use as a weapon.
Jason also learned that Joey was a terrible, terrible cook. This was something Jason planned on changing.
Jason would often make pancakes or some elaborate pasta in the kitchen, Joey always either sitting across from him or sitting on top of the counter as he babbled on about god knows what.
"Okay...next I need… Uh, hand me that if you would." Jason said pointing over to where a bag of grated cheese sat on the counter, closer to Joseph than it was Jason.
Next to the bag sat a very sharp, glinting knife.
Joseph reached his hand out, his eyes widening as he pulled his hand back just a centimeter before he quickly snatched the bag and handed it to Jason. Jason took the bag from Joseph, smiling warmly at the boy.
"...What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Joseph asked with a tilt of his head.
"No reason." Jason said as he ran a hand through Joseph's still messy hair.
There was silence between the two for a moment as Jason continued cooking and Joseph thought long and hard about what he was about to say.
"...Jay, I want to go into the city." Joseph said finally, a determined, fierce look in his eyes as he looked up at a now surprised Jason. Jason ran a hand through his hair, sighing sadly before he answered.
"...Joey, you know I can't let you do that. You're...you're not ready for people yet." Jason said sadly as he avoided Joseph's fallen gaze.
"I promise I can handle it! I've come so far! Please, Jay? I'll wear a leash!" Joseph begged as Jason spluttered for a moment, choking on the water he was previously drinking.
"N-N-N-No! No, no, no, no. That's - that's okay." Jason said in response.
"...Me and Johnny are going to the mall today to pick up some stuff." Jason said with his head in one of his hands, admitting defeat after he'd caved to the pleading look in Joseph's eyes.
"Yes!" Joseph cheered to himself quietly, squealing like a child.
"I'll let you pick out some clothes while we're there. I take it you don't like the ones I've been getting you considering you've been wearing mine lately." Jason said with a smile as Joey laughed in embarrassment.
"But you can't talk to anyone, and you have to hold my hand the entire time so I can make sure you don't run off or attack anyone. Deal?" Jason asked as he held out his hand for the blonde to take. Joseph smiled wide and happy as he took Jason's hand with ease.
"Ugh, Red, you said we were here to pick up the Package from our supplier, not go shopping for school supplies with a twelve year old." Johnny whined as he sat next to a disguised Red-X in a generic clothing store.
"He's not twelve." Jason said with a glare shot his companion's way, not very at ease with the thought of him crushing on someone that young.
"He's seventeen, and we've gone over this already. He only acts like he does because he's kind of...stuck, in a way. God, you really could bitch about anything." Jason elaborated with his still ever present glare.
Before Johnny could complain further, Joseph suddenly appeared in front of them wearing black skinny jeans, a pair of shades, a beanie, and a jacket and shirt that matched Jason's. Joseph slid toward them, snapping double finger guns at the two.
"Am I cool yet?" He asked, obviously trying to mimic Jason's voice.
Johnny just about exploded in horrendously loud laughter, doubling over and crying actual tears at how funny the whole thing was. Jason's face bloomed three different colors as he huffed and snatched the beanie off of Joseph, pushing him back in the direction of the clothes.
"Go find some real clothes!" Jason said after he got done grumbling at the display. Finally, Johnny stood up from his bout of painful laughter, wiping a few tears away in the process.
"Oh God, I take everything back Jase - you have to keep this kid, he's a riot!" Johnny commented, falling into another bout of chuckles as he steadied himself on his boss' shoulder. Jason rolled his eyes dramatically as he hit Johnny over the head with the back of his hand, causing a very loud and sharp 'snap' to echo.
"How about this?" Joseph said as he returned to the two.
Joseph was decked in black and red skinny jeans that, even though Jason tried to tell himself they didn't, showed off Joseph's figure nicely. He wore a black leather jacket and a white shirt with a spray painted cupcake on it. He also donned large black combat boots and a belt that hung loosely over his figure. Jason sat and stared for a while, his mouth hanging open before Johnny reached over and used his finger to close it for the gaping boy.
"Uhm...y-you're sure?" Jason said finally, now noticing the color pallet similarities between his and Harley Quinn's outfits.
"Definitely!" Joseph said excitedly as he bounced up and down on his heels.
"...Okay, okay fine." Jason said with a sigh as he approached the counter where they would pay.
"...You look...cute." Jason said finally, avoiding Joseph's gaze and hiding his own flushed face.
"...I know." Joseph said simply with a teasing smile as he grabbed ahold of Jason's hand like he'd promised he would.
Joseph had the most fun he'd had in awhile while he was with Johnny and Red at the store. At the next store they'd stopped at, he repeated his previous joke but this time making fun of Johnny's clothing, if only to help Jason get his revenge. Of course, he neglected to alert neither Johnny nor Red to how the urges kept coming, or how the voices screamed at him every time someone looked him in the face.
When he was with Jason though, the voices all faded out so that he could provide his full attention to the other boy. All of the urges were qualmed by the feeling of Jason's hand cradling his.
Joseph didn't recall smiling so much in one day out of his own free will for a very long time before this.
[Read and review! Again, the outfit I tried to mimic is the Insurgent Harley Quinn outfit in the first Injustice.]
