"Are you sure this is fine?" Jason groaned at the question, not like he hadn't heard it fifty fucking times in the last twenty minutes. His head thunked onto the wall in front of him and he hits his forehead a few times before blinking and standing up straight again.
"Ashley, you ask me that one more fuck-in' time and I'm gonna show you how fucking good you look..." He grumbles, smirk appearing on his lips as he looks over at her. Her back turned to him as she stands in front of his full length mirror on the door to his bedroom.
Her hair was neatly straightened and hung down her back and shoulders, ends reaching towards the curves of her lower spine. A deep green sweater dress clung to her from the shoulders down to her upper thighs, grey leggings tight on her flesh and her feet in three inch heels in metallic black. She looked good, every piece of cloth clung to her and he knew, knew, Dickiebird was going to give her at least one once over during the night.
"I can't help being nervous Jason, Bruce intimidates the shit out of me and Damian scares me senseless." She sighs and shakes her head, tugging up and off the sweater , kicking the heels off and going back to her pile of clothes laying on the bed. Jason idly thinks about letting her go clothes shopping one day with Kori. "Besides, all of your brothers are going to be there, I'd rather not look like a tramp." She grumbles, hands shifting through her clothes.
Jason rolled his eyes and moved to her back, his hands sliding down her sides to grip her hips and pull her back against his chest. "Breath." She hadn't even noticed she'd started to wheeze in her anxious state. Hell she'd had sex with Jason and that hadn't gotten her breathing this worked up. Jason grabs something in a dark red color and hands it to her. "Put this on, the green flats, you'll be golden." Pecking her cheek he pulls away and reajusts his pants. "The car will be here soon."
Ashley tugged on the red garment, realizing it was another sweater dress but one with a wide scarf like collar that covered her healing neck, smart, and clung to her frame till it just above her knees. She looked at her reflection and sighed, nodded with how she looked and pulled on the deep green flats. She didn't have any jewelry on her and that was okay for most days, but this was a Christmas even get together. Oh well.
Making her way back to the main room Jason had a dark bundle in his fist and was waiting in the middle of the room. "Com'ere." Furrowing a brow she did and Jason motioned for her to open her arms a bit. He was sliding thick black cloth over her arms, warmth enveloped her hands as the inside material slid over her skin. Jason stood back and fiddled with the zipper and then the buttons that clasped the coat over her. "Perfect fit."
"Jason, this is awesome!" She felt the outside material, a crushed leather feel hit her senses and she could feel how warm it was already. Jason lifted the hood and looked at her for moment. Ashley felt engulfed in warmth in it, and it covered clear down to her thighs for extra heat coverage.
"We'll return Tim's, this is yours." He pulls the hood back off and goes to the lift, tugging on his brown leather jacket that never seemed to leave his person. The downstairs door buzzed and Jason grabbed the handles of several brown paper shopping bags as they got in the lift. Presents, though if his track record with his brother's was anything to go by they may not even get that far.
The lift took them down, Ashley still entranced by the coat and Jason smirked. Thank the gods for next day delivery. He didn't want to see Tim's coat on her, no matter how good it had looked on her frame. The brown leather was a nice color on her, but he liked the black. The darkness of it made her have a little more color to her cheeks. Her tan was receding though in the bitter cold winter of Gotham, he should probably ask her of she used tanning salons to get that bronze.
A sleek town car was waiting by the curb, exhaust steaming from the pipe as it ran and waited for them. The drivers popped out, took the bags from Jason and opened the back door for them to get inside. Ashley tripping slightly on the icy path, Jason catching her elbow and helping her into the car and then getting in himself. It was weird, not having Alfred driving, but the butler was most likely caught up in dinner prep.
Ashley chewed on her bottom lip, tapped her nails on the seat beside her. "Why are you so nervous? It's just Bruce and my brothers. It's not like I'm taking you home for the first time or anything."
"And Diana prince and Barbara Gordon and oh god... I just... I really don't want to make a fool of myself. I don't want to mess this up." Jason took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze but he didn't let go.
"We both know you're not one to make a fool of yourself, so why are you really nervous." Ashley sighed, glanced toward the window but Jason reached out and grabbed her jaw, making sure she looked back at him and he wasn't letting up his grip. "Ashley."
"I don't want to give them a single reason to go back on the deal. What if I let something slip? What if I say something I didn't mention while the League questioned me?" Jason shushed her, more for the fact that he wanted to make sure the driver couldn't hear them.
"Listen, okay. I'm not gonna let that happen, there's nothing they can do right now. If they go back on their deal without any solid proof, it'll look bad on them and they'd lose face. Don't worry, okay?" She finally nods and Jason pecks his lips, careful of her lip gloss. "Chill out Dodge, you look gorgeous and you're sweet. They'll all like you." Jason grins at her eye roll but doesn't let go of his hand the rest of the car ride through Gotham.
When they pull up to the manor Jason can tell Barbara and Dick are here, Diana's car isn't yet in the drive. Taking a deep breath Jason waits for the car to be opened by the driver so he can get out and then help Ashley up the salted steps. The driver takes the bags and hands them to another servant and Ashley wonders where all these people come from. When she was here she never saw anyone other then Alfred. The steps are cleared and easy to walk up, and Alfred opens the front door with a happy smile on his face.
"Master Jason! And Miss Ashley, so good to see you my dear. How are you? Is Jason treating you well? Would you like some tea? Coffee?" Alfred speaking all through helping Ashley out of her new coat to hang on one of the racks inside the door.
Ashley laughs softly and smiles. "Yes, Alfred I'm great. Jason's been a wonderful host, and I would love some of that mint tea you made me?" Alfred nods and guides them to the library where the large tree is sat.
"Make yourself at home. Would you like anything Master Jason?"
"No thanks Al, I'm good for now. Maybe a whiskey later though?" Alfred rolled his eyes good naturedly and then vanishes down another hallway. Jason gently touched her lower back and led her into the large room.
Her steps paused but he kept the pressure and she kept going, letting him guide her as they made their way further in. Damian was slumped into a corner of one of the couches, looking bored and wishing the day were over. Tim smiled and waved to them as they came in, which prompted Dick, Barbara and a dark haired woman to glance up from their small talk on another couch.
Ashley balked and if it weren't for Jason's hand on her back she might have fainted. Blue almost violet eyes looked back at her, jet black hair flowing down her shoulders in a sheen so dark it looked purple. "Raven.." Ashley hadn't even realized she'd whispered it out until the woman's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Dick and then Jason to Ashley's side. A blush lighted under her skin and she wrapped her arms around her middle embarrassed. Raven was one of those characters she always understood. She understood the power, the pain everything. So seeing her in the flesh was... shocking.
Richard saved her from further embarrassment, rising and coming over to them. "You must be Ashley, it's nice to meet you. I'm Richard, but please call me Dick." She took his hand and shook it, couldn't quite find her voice from the entrancing shine in his eyes. Raven came up to them and shook Ashley's hand as well.
"Rachel." Ashley nodded, she heard the silent question. Please, no code names here. Raven gave her a kind smile and a raised eyebrow and Ashley knew she'd be cornered by her at some point tonight. Yay.
Barbara came next, the soft clinking of her leg braces on the floor. But she stood tall and welcomed Ashley instead with a tight hug. "I don't care what your name is, Jason hasn't come to Christmas in ages. We're in your debt!"
"I..I didn't really.." Ashley blushed and stammered out to try and reply. It wasn't her doing, she hadn't even asked Jason he'd just said they were going. She'd just assumed he always came to holidays. Her gaze flicked to Jason and he was very blatantly glaring at them all for giving that away for some reason.
Barbara gave in and led Ashley away from Jason and to the couch she had been on, sitting her down beside Rachel, Dick on the chair to the side of them. For the next half hour they chatted about mundane things, a little about their work. Mostly about Dick's promotion from officer to detective in Bludhaven police department. Rachel made a comment about getting a new book ready for the spring and that caused Ashley to come more out of her shell, asking about Rachel's small trilogy of fantasy novels.
Richard moved to the couch Jason had flopped down on and stretched his elbows on the back of it. The both of them watching Ashley become more animated and smiling more as the nerves faded from her the more she talked. "She's pretty." Jason smacked the back of his head and he grunted, smirking.
"She's fucking gorgeous, Dick and you know it." Jason grumbled but moved his arms again to shift so he could see his older brother more beside him. "How are you and Ray?"
"Great, really great." Dick has this lost goofy grin on his face and Jason's eyes narrow.
"Are you gonna ask her yet? It's been what, three-four years now?" Dick whipped his head around and glared at Jason who only winked and smirked. Knowing it would get him riled up, anything got Dick riled up actually, it made it more fun to tease him.
"I was, but.." His face fell and Jason tensed.
"Aw man don't tell me she said no?" Jason sat up more, worry encroaching his face as he looked at his brother.
Dick smiled and held up his left hand instead. "Actually, she asked me." Jason blinked and then laughed, he laughed so hard his side started to hurt and everyone was now looking at him strangely, Dick more so than anyone.
"Congrats birdies!" He somehow cried out as he tried to calm down. The fact that Raven asked Dick to marry him was hilarious. Because Raven was a woman's woman and she did things normal men were too scared shitless to do. Raven caught his eye from across the room and smirked in that small way she does. Ashley was sort of left out of the loop until Barbara asked Rachel too see the ring and she figured it out.
Bruce strolled in just then, Diana politely holding his arm as he escorted them to the library. Damian sighed and moved to a couch closer to Tim and the youngest brothers talked softly about adults being weird. "Ashley, dear child how are you!?" Diana rushed over to the blonde, the amazon's strength easily picking her up and hugging her close. Shocking the girl for a long moment before she hugged Diana back.
"I'm great Miss Prince." Ashley never forgot her manners when around others and Jason thought it was adorable, he knew full well every single person in this room could out cuss a sailor at any given moment. But Bruce liked manners.
"Please, it's Diana." Ashley nodded as the amazon put her back down on her feet and brushed back her hair. She grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her to a free couch, sitting down beside her. "Now, how are things? Is Jason treating you well?" She touched Ashley's cheek. "You look thin, are you eating enough?"
"Diana please, give her a moment to answer." Bruce chuckled softly, Ashley's eyes widened at the sound and sight and she glanced to Jason, he only shrugged himself.
"I've only been staying with him a few days Diana, he's treating me just fine. I haven't been put on a street corner or offered any drugs so I guess that's a plus?" She said jokingly and Dick belted out a cawing laugh at that.
"Jason wouldn't do that to a girl as pretty as you." Dick smiled when Rachel gave his head a small smack. "What? He wouldn't!" Dick would know, out of all the brothers, Dick and Jason were the closest and knew the most about each other. Jason wouldn't force a woman into a life like that unless she wanted it and Ashley was too pretty. The really pretty ones were usually the first to get marked up, scarred and beaten. He wouldn't let that happen.
Bruce didn't care for the turn the conversation had gone, instead raising an eyebrow as Tim and Damian had somehow started to wrestle and were now toppling over the back of the couch they had been on. The thumping bringing everyone's attention and Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "Boys, please. You'll break something." They did finally stop but only with promises to continue alter in the training room, where they couldn't break anything.
Rachel and Diana had small words together before they joined Barbara on the couch and left Ashley to herself for a moment. She just watched, observed. Bruce watched his sons with adoration and love, a little bit of apprehension when they started to raise their voices or throw playful wings. Diana, Rachel and Barbara all chatted animatedly about something, she never would have guessed the three would be friends. However her relationship with Richard, that was expected. Starfire, or Kori, and Dick never made a good match. Redhead's always stick with red heads. Her gaze turned to Jason, he was still sat on a chair, Dick's elbows on the back of it as the eldest Wayne leant onto it to whisper back and forth to Jason. The both of them kept glancing at her and then toward the other women, particularly Rachel. She raised an eyebrow at Jason when she caught his eye but he only winked and quirked the corner of his lips.
Alfred came to the doorway. "Dinner is served." Everyone slowly congregated toward the dinning room. Jason offering his arm to Ashley, Jason smirking when Tim did the same to Barbara and the red head kissed the younger teens cheek. Jason pulled out her chair and dick muttered, loudly, about how well trained he could act at times. Which got a dinner roll thrown at him from Jason and Bruce just sighed while Diana laughed at their antics. Ashley liked Diana.
Damian sat across from her and Ashley could feel the nerves flow into her again, the youngest Wayne scared her. There was no denying that. But she had to remind herself the people in her comics weren't exactly like the ones around her right now. There were differences that were small and large. She had to stop assuming things. Except when Damian cuts into his Christmas ham and glares at her while holding a semi sharp knife, she gets a little queasy.
"So Ashley, do you have any Christmas traditions?" She looked up to Tim and swallowed her mouthful of red wine. Thinking for a moment.
"My best friend and I never had much money after classes, so we always pool together with our roommates. We'd get the saddest looking tree the night before Christmas, decorate it with battery powered lights and we'd take it somewhere like a nursing home, youth shelter or an animal shelter, and put it on the steps with clothes we didn't need or we'd bake a lot of sweets and wrap them up." All eyes were on her and she blushed.
"I'm not a saint or anything, it's just there are people who are forgotten out there, and no one calls them up or sends them anything. We're young, we've got our whole lives to get what we want out of life, a couple days baking my ass off and cleaning out my closet won't kill me." She sips at her wine to clear her throat, everyone was still very quiet for a moment.
"Well damn, she's too nice for you Jason. How have you not strangled her yet?" Dick spoke and everyone started to laugh, Jason rolling his eyes while Ashley tried to hide behind her hand, blushing red.
"That's very kind of you to do something like that." Tim responded and smiled at her from across and down the table. "Bruce, why don't we do anything like that?"
"Because Tim, the last time you boys wanted to do something akin to charity I had to bust three of you out of jail for stealing a box truck, going to every animal shelter and stealing all the puppies and then spray painting all over the pet shops to stop supporting puppy mills. And one of you tried to keep all fifty-eight dogs." He glared a little at Damian who just shrugged.
"We closed down ten puppy mills and now it's a city law to spay or neutur an animal."
"You were almost thrown into juvenile hall, Jason and Dick got into a fist fight with a felon while in holding and Tim was drunk. How did Tim even get drunk while you lot were stealing puppies?" Bruce asked and finally Ashley bust into giggles, her hands over her mouth as she gasped for breath, cheeks pink.
Richard and Jason were smirking to each other like it was some sort of accomplishment to themselves, Tim was widening his eyes and saying, oh yeah. And Damian just scoffed, a tiny smirk on his lips because it had ended with what they wanted, the Wayne's publicaly hating animal cruelty and now it was a very guarded set of laws in the city. Mission accomplished. "Oh my god, I can't breath!" Ashley is still laughing to herself and even Bruce chuckles for a moment at the memory he fondly thinks of now. At the time, not so much.
"You guys didn't seriously steal puppies did you?" She's catching her breath, sipping wine to calm herself down.
"We found all but Damian the next morning, in a stolen truck on the back of the property, asleep with all the dogs." Barbara whispered to her from the side and Ashley started laughing heavily again, coughing on her drink of wine.
'"This is gold. Oh my god..." She's calming, humming gently and the smirk won't get off her lips. "I guess that's one way to get something done, I never had the balls to actually you know, steal puppies or anything."
"Oh if you want to hear about big balls, you should know about the time Dick was on the tennis team at the academy and this guy.." A dinner roll was tossed at Barbara and landed on her shoulder to fall into her lap. "What!? It's hilarious!"
"Bab's please! Not that one!" Dick groans and reel his arm back to throw another roll. Ashley sees from the corner of her eyes that Jason has slowly been hording them in his lap all night and grabs one in his hand to throw at Dick. Ashley presses herself back into her seat because Tim now tosses one at Barbara and then hell breaks loose.
Ashley scoots down in her chair to hide under the edge of the table, watching over the egde as rolls are now pelted in every direction. She sees even Diana joining in on the fun for a moment when one hits Bruce's shoulder, Ashley barks out a laugh at his face of annoyance. Alfred is the one to stop the food fight as he comes into the dining room followed by three servants with silver serving tables on wheels filled with deserts.
A hand lands on her shoulder and Ashley peeks from the table to see everyone laughing softly and rushing off the crumbs. Luckily it was only the rolls that seemed to be thrown and Ashley wonders, if that's why there were so many baskets of them on the table. To make them all from throwing actual food that could stain or get messy. This had to be a regular occurance.
"Desert anyone?"