[I do not own Teen Titans or any characters mentioned in this story. /Cries because I have so much that I want to write and so little time to do so/. Also, here's a fun game: can you spot just how many jabs at Superman I was able to fit into one chapter?]
"You let the serial killer...get a job?" Johnny said slowly as he tried to process all of the information his boss was giving him as they drove up to a building decked in disguises.
"...A job at Wayne Corps?" Johnny continued, completely outdone with what Jason had let happen as their car came to a stop in front of the pristine building.
"C'mon Johnny, give the kid a break. He isn't so much of a serial killer anymore. The voices have stopped, his first instinct when people tap him on the shoulder isn't to turn around and snarl, and he even had me buy some nice clothes for the interview." Jason said as he tried to best to look inconspicuous behind his shades while entering the very business that wanted him dead the most.
"...and by that you mean he outright told you that if you didn't let him get a job, he'd start crying. Correct?" Johnny said knowingly as Jason sweated under his friend's glare.
As the two walked in through the double doors of the enormous skyscraper, they were taken aback by the sheer cleanliness of the area. The two actually had thoughts about turning back while they were ahead to stay out of trouble, but Jason never got so far as Joseph suddenly started excitedly waving him down. Jason sighed as he grabbed a still trying to escape Johnny by the arm and headed toward the eager blonde boy behind the large desk that seemed to be symmetrically perfect in the middle of everything.
"How cool is this? I feel like a real civilian!" Joey whisper yelled as if he were undercover, bouncing up and down from where he was seated behind a very complicated looking computer.
"Joey, you are a real civilian. Remember?" Jason said as he tried to get Joseph to remember their earlier disagreement. Joseph seemed to be convinced that since he was once a criminal, he'd always be a criminal, and that he was 'hiding out' among other normal civilians at his job.
"Yeah okay, okay." Joseph said as he tried to change the subject while rolling his eyes.
"So...what are you, a tax accountant?" Johnny asked as he gestured towards Joseph's clothing distastefully.
Joseph looked offended for a split second, considering he spent almost a full hour trying to find an outfit that looked normal enough to work in and not freak people out.
He wore a blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, just barely hiding one of his many diamond tattooes and showing off his 'reason' tattoo proudly. He also wore black skinny jeans and black combat boots, much too emotionally invested in them to part with the objects. He'd even gone and bought himself fake glasses, if only because he'd once heard Jason say that everyone who worked at Wayne Corps was either secretly a demon or a nerd. It really was amazing how many people could be fooled by just a pair of glasses and a change in wardrobe.
"I am a secretary, thank you very much, oh goth rip off of a 90s Rolling Stone magazine." Joseph shot back as he returned Johnny's distasteful look.
"...You still have that dumb necklace on?" Jason said with a sigh as he pointed at the black choker with the comic book esque red X hanging from it.
Joseph raised a hand to caress the X on his neck very softly, as if touching it would cause it to break. He looked down for a moment, avoiding Jason's gaze before he looked back up and moved a stray lock of blonde hair out of his face.
"...One of the reasons I'm so...not violent when I'm with you is because you make me feel safe. I can trust you, and I know you'll always protect me no matter what." Joseph explained as he once again looked out of the corner of his eyes to ignore Jason's heated gaze.
"...Wearing this reminds me that even when you aren't here to make me feel safe, you are. If that makes any sense. Wearing the X around me reminds me that even if I'm not with you right then, I always have someone and somewhere to go back to and feel safe when things go wrong." Joseph finished, finally looking into Jason's face and not even realizing how easily Jason could fall into Joseph's emerald eyes.
"...So when's the marrai-GAH!" Johnny began jokingly before Jason promptly kicked him as hard as possible in the shin.
Jason turned back around to Joey to see Joey looking up at him with a hopeful expression, like he'd been working really hard to earn something from Jason. The older boy chuckled at Joseph's wide, childish grin.
"...I'm very proud of you, Joseph. You did all of this all by yourself, without any help from me at all." Jason said as he ruffled Joseph's hair. Joseph looked down and blushed the smallest bit before smiling up at Jason again like a puppy that'd just been given a treat.
"So," Jason began as he started feeling himself losing his edge, growing softer since he'd first taken Joseph in.
"What exactly is it you do, anyway?" Jason asked rhetorically, knowing that if he didn't ask now Joseph would just go on and on about it that night before bed.
"Oh - you won't believe how many things Wayne Corps produces and sells! It's my job to log everything and take care of anyone that comes through the double doors. Oh-" Joseph began before leaning toward Jason, cupping a hand on the side of his mouth and whispering something like a secret.
"-And Mr. Wayne pays me extra to keep people out of his office. I usually just tell them he's sick or at lunch, it works. Sometimes." Joseph whispered as Jason chuckled at his behavior.
"And I get to handle the phone line too! There's this dorky reporter guy that always calls up here demanding to talk to Mr. Wayne, and I get to turn him down. Is it bad that that's the best part of this job? Because it's super fun! His name's Clark Kent, and he calls up here like the grand master, as if Mr. Wayne is required to talk to him! He's a real prick." Joseph babbled excitedly, trying to get Jason as excited about his job as he was.
"Mr. Wayne pays me an extra ten bucks every time the Kent guy calls up here and I get him to leave Mr. Wayne alone." Joseph commented as Jason shook his head and Johnny chuckled.
"Most of the people that work here are all real douchebags. Y'know, suit and tie kind of people. But I met someone!" Joseph said, unknowing to how Jason's heart stopped at 'I met someone'. Did Joseph really get over Jason that fast? Was there really nothing going on between them? These thoughts buzzed through Jason's head at breakneck speed before he heard Joseph actually finish his thought.
"His name's Mr. Jones. He's this super nice old guy that has like a thousand grandkids, and he's been helping me get the hang of everything! Isn't he just super nice?" Joseph finished as Jason let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.
"Oh man, Jase. You better watch out, you got some real competition now." Johnny said teasingly as Jason blushed a bit and kicked Johnny in the shin for the second time that day.
"Well," Jason said as he tried to escape both the conversation and the large skyscraper.
"I'm very glad you were able to find a job you like. This...suits you." Jason said as he patted Joseph's head once again.
Joseph had a job, he had a stable state of mind, and he now had a set of peers that weren't gangsters. Jason's plan was almost complete, but he didn't know if he had it in him to let go of Joseph now. Joseph was a weakness for him, a soft spot, a drug he couldn't get rid of.
Jason knew that for Joseph to have a normal life, Jason would have to leave him. But in the same way Joseph needed Jason to keep his life together when they'd first met, the tables seemed to have turned dramatically.
[Read and review! Can you tell how much I like the idea of Bruce Wayne just wanting a break from his 'leader' for ten seconds? Also, concept: Bruce actually knowing who Joey is and giving him the job because he knows he used to be a good kid.]
