Ch. 4 The Date
"Yeah, yeah, Babs, I know. You still want me off duty for the next week. Tell Damian not to have too much fun without me," I chirped as I ended my call with Barbara.
It's been a few weeks since Jason rescued me. As soon as I got settled at home, I made a trip to Firewall to let Wendy and Barbara know that I was all right. Both of them were frantic, using their computer skills to try to track my suit, however the damage to my Batsuit disrupted the tracker. They were surprised to see me casually strolling into the room with my suit in a duffel bag, torn and bloody. I told them about the fight with the thugs, but I didn't mention Jason. I didn't want to raise suspicion just because he saved me. After the fight, I told them that one of the bar patrons saw what happened, rescued me and was able to get me to his apartment. I told Wendy and Barbara that my apparent savior was a retired doctor. I was treated and cared for but my identity wasn't compromised. I had saved his granddaughter a while back, and he wanted to return the favor. Though they didn't seem completely convinced, Babs and Wendy seemingly accepted my explanation and dropped the subject. However, Babs did chew me out for not being careful, wrecking my suit and for keeping radio silence throughout the night. Wendy didn't tell Babs about me running after Tim, which was cool of her.
I then took a trip to Wayne Manor where Dick and Damian were waiting. I offered them the same excuse I gave Babs and Wendy. Dick was simply happy that I was okay. Damian, however, didn't seem convinced. Bruce was on Batman Inc. duties at the time, so he couldn't hear about my adventure. I was lucky because I did not want to suffer from one of Bruce's "always be prepared" lectures. After Alfred took a look at me and redressed my wound, he recommended that I took some time off so that my shoulder could properly heal.
My mom took a little more convincing. When she finally returned home from her shift on Tuesday evening, she almost blew her top. At first she thought that I just left for classes early on Monday morning. But when I didn't come home that evening, she knew something was up. She even asked some of my friends to see if I was with them. I couldn't tell her that I was with a doctor because that would have raised way too many questions. So I told her that I was with a guy. I wasn't lying. That just opened a whole new issue. She was worried I was going to make a mistake and get pregnant again. I reassured her that there was nothing crazy going on. She was disappointed, but she trusted me. I got lucky that she didn't ground me.
Tim's been super protective lately, especially with me taking the time off. When I finally tracked him down and told him about what happened, he immediately told me not to worry about any of my duties until I was better. Maybe it's because he believes that it was his fault I ran off and had gotten hurt. He would drop by my house every evening before he went out for patrol, usually bringing a snack that we'd share. It almost seemed like we were back to what we once had. We would talk about our day and joke around. I'd rest my head against his chest, and he'd wrap his arm around me. I'd feel his heartbeat as my head would rise and fall with each breath he'd take. We wouldn't talk about his current conquests though. He knew that it was too soon for us to hash out the whole Lynx situation again.
It's been nice having some time off. I've been able to actually get my homework done and study a little for my classes. Plus instead of going to work out and training, I could finally sleep in. However, staying at home and taking it easy started to get boring. I haven't really been out other than to go to class and to do some other chores. The only real time I've had meaningful, social interaction has been when Tim visits.
I heard a knock on the door and thought it was Tim, since he usually came to visit around this time. When I opened the door I gasped as I saw Jason Todd standing on the other side.
"Hey," Jason smirked as he flashed his perfect teeth. He was wearing a black V-neck with jeans and a pair of boots. His forearm was leaning against the doorframe, giving me the perfect view of his defined arms and broad shoulders. His shirt rose up just a little so I could see some skin. His hair looked messy, like he just got out of a shower. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, so I could tame his unruly locks. I stared for a minute as I allowed his figure to sink in.
"Um, hey, what are you doing here?" I tried not to sound flustered, but Jason was not helping the situation.
"Well, you do have some of my clothes, remember?" Jason retorted.
"Oh, yeah well, gimmie a second. I'll get them," I muttered as I let Jason in. I motioned for him to take a seat on the couch while I went up to my room to retrieve the clothes he lent me. My room's been a mess for the last week, so I had to scavenge through piles of clothes and some schoolwork before I could find what I was looking for.
Once I gathered Jason's clothes I went downstairs to find Jason with his chin resting on his knuckles, looking at a few pictures around the living room. He looked as if he was posing for a piece of art.
"Here they are," I mumbled as I handed Jason his belongings. He stood up and walked over to accept them.
"Thanks. So it's Sunday evening. Why are you staying home? Don't tell me that you're studying," Jason teased.
"No! I'm just taking it easy for a while. I'm still recovering from the traumatic experience I had at your place," I spat back. A smile splashed onto Jason's face.
"Oh really? You had such a bad time while you kept checking me out?" Jason smirked. I can't believe he noticed!
I almost blushed, "I was just making sure that you weren't trying to kill me you lunatic!"
"Ooooh low blow, blondie," Jason feigned a hurt expression as he put his hand to his forehead. "And here I was offering to take you out tonight."
"Well sorry to break it to you, but I actually have plans." Tim definitely would not be happy if he found out Jason was in my house, let alone asking me out on a date.
"Oh really? Where is Tim anyway? He's a little late by my watch," Jason asked while checking his bare wrist. I stared at him with the same confusion and intrigue when we first talked at his place.
"What are you stalking me or something?" I interrogated. Jason should not know this much about my social life. What does he do all day?
"I just wanted to make sure it was safe for me to come over and ask you out. I wouldn't wanna upset lil Red Robin, now would I?" Jason shrugged. "Aren't you wondering where he is right now?"
"Well I guess you're going to tell me," I said as I rolled my eyes. Tim and I aren't dating. He didn't have to come over every night to hang with me. Although, it is strange that he wasn't here. He's never late, and he would have told me if there was a change of plans.
"I saw him in costume on a rooftop with some chick. She had a blue and red costume, and she had a cat mask in her hand. It was getting pretty heated when I saw them," Jason reported. Lynx. Tim went to see Lynx over me.
The betrayal and jealousy stabbed at my core. I thought that the time we were spending together could have reminded Tim of what we had. I had hoped that he'd realize what I needed from him. It seemed that Tim would rather be with Lynx. What was it about her? Does Tim like her because she seems dangerous? Well two can play at that game.
Jason simply stood silently as I contemplated the news he'd just given me. It took me a few minutes before I made my decision.
"Fine, I'll go out with you," I finally declared.
I told Jason to wait while I changed out of my house clothes. My mom had the night shift all this week, so I didn't have to worry about her running into Jason. Since it was a cool night in Gotham, I decided to wear simple skinny jeans that hugged my hips perfectly, a purple sweater and sneakers. I looked okay, nothing too special. It's not like I was interested in Jason. But if Tim had other plans this evening, I wasn't going to wait up for him. I stuffed some cash into my pocket and went downstairs to meet Jason. What could happen?
Jason led me to his car and we drove toward the city. He took me to the park and suggested that we take a walk along the trail. We talked about what I was studying in school and how much I hated some of my professors. I then asked what he did all day. He didn't give me a real answer, just something about people watching and sleeping. Well, people watching explains how he knows so much about me… what a stalker. We stopped by a hot dog stand and grabbed a bite to eat. Jason was kind enough to treat. While I was putting mustard onto my pretzel, I saw a familiar face running towards me.
"Steph!" a bubbly blonde screamed as she ran up to me.
"Kara, hey!" I yelled back. I laid down my pretzel and grabbed my best friend in a tight embrace. "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the area, and I thought I'd stop by. But no one was home, so I went around to look for you!" Kara smiled. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress with a white cardigan and sandals. Her happiness was so infectious that you couldn't help but crack a smile while she's around.
"Oh, sorry! You should have told me you were coming through," I replied. I noticed that Jason finished paying for our snacks and was putting his condiments on his two hot dogs. It seemed that he was giving me space to talk to Kara.
"So, are you on a date? Who's the hottie?" Kara blurted a little too loudly. I heard Jason chuckle.
"Shhhh! That's Jason Todd. He kinda convinced me to go out with him tonight," I replied. Kara's smile slowly turned into a confused look as she realized whom Jason really was.
"Wait, isn't he the Red Hood? Tim told me about him. Bad dude," Kara whispered so that Jason couldn't hear her.
"Yeah he is, but he saved my life a few weeks ago, so I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt," I confessed, tightening that she mentioned Tim. Kara raised her eyebrow and sighed.
"Well okay, just be careful. I'll talk to you later?" Kara questioned. I brought her into an embrace, not realizing how much I missed seeing her.
"Definitely, stop by soon and we can hang out. Oh, and Kara, please don't tell Tim about this?" I pleaded. I did not want Tim to find out about my little date with Jason.
"Sure. Bye, Steph!" Kara promised as she winked, running off into the crowd.
Jason noticed that Kara had left, and walked over nudging my shoulder. I smiled and we continued our walk, eating our food and talking about random stuff. I was actually enjoying the time I was spending with Jason. He listened to everything I said like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He always looked into my eyes when I spoke, giving me his undivided attention. He didn't treat me like an outsider or a nuisance. For the longest time the other members of Batman's organization would keep me at arms length, never believing in my abilities. Since I've become Batgirl, I've earned everyone's trust and respect. But there was always a suspicion that some of my colleagues may not completely believe in me.
"So, you ever play laser tag?" Jason asked, breaking my train of thought. He didn't even bother asking about Kara, which I guess was a good thing. Maybe he didn't realize I was talking to Supergirl?
"Ummm, no I haven't…" I admitted. My answer seemed to be all the permission Jason needed. He grabbed my hand and led me to the Gotham video arcade.
I felt pretty awkward since we were the oldest people there. Most of the players were kids that looked like they were still in elementary school. But Jason seemed to be pretty excited to play. We received the equipment that consisted of a heavy sensor vest that covered most of my chest and back. The laser gun was attached. I shook my shoulders so I could get used to the weight and feel of the vest. Luckily my gunshot wound didn't hurt as much anymore, only a little discomfort here and there. Alfred is a miracle worker. Jason seemed to feel comfortable with his equipment. There were a couple of adults that helped the kids put on the vests that were obviously too big for them.
A buzzer rang signaling the start of the game. I sprinted away from the group to gain some distance, hiding behind a pillar. I heard the ping of lasers connecting with vest sensors. The littler kids were screaming and laughing while they ran away from each other. I looked over so I could cover the corner of my hiding place, enabling me to view the entire arena. Then I saw it. Jason was running from the kids, pretending to be captured and feigning injury. His acting made the kids laugh some more. I smiled, realizing how cute it was that Jason was playing with the kids. I didn't even realize that Jason was looking at me too. I was so distracted with the eye contact that I hadn't noticed that Jason's laser gun was pointed at my chest. I heard a ping, and I knew it was a declaration of war! I ran from my hiding place and joined the fray.
After an hour of playing laser tag, I was exhausted. I had to admit that Jason's idea was really fun. We returned our gear, and Jason suggested that we go out for dinner. I had no objections due to the fact that laser tag was the most strenuous form of exercise I had all week. We walked over to a local pizza shop not too far from the arcade. We decided to sit and eat outside since it was rare to get a really good look at the stars.
"So, did you know that all those kids were gunna be there?" I asked as I bit into my slice of pizza.
"Yeah, those kids are from a local orphanage. The adults with them are employees that work at the orphanage. I found out that they get a certain amount of free time during the weekend to go out and explore the city. So sometimes I go and play laser tag with them," Jason admitted.
Jason's answer took me by surprise. I never expected him to have a soft spot for kids until today. But the fact that he takes the time to go and play with the kids was one of the cutest things I've heard. I smiled and continued to eat my pizza. During our meal, I could have sworn that I saw a flash of green and red disappear into the shadows of a nearby rooftop, but I shrugged it off. Why would he be keeping tabs on me? We finished and I brought up the fact that I haven't paid for anything all night.
"So you do know that I'm capable of paying for myself, right?" I challenged.
"But what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that?" Jason retorted.
"Oh, so you think you're a gentleman?" I teased. Jason shoved me aside and started to run. I chased him down the block through a crowd of people who gave us weird looks. I saw that Jason turned a corner into an alley, and I thought that I had him trapped. But when I made the turn I couldn't find him. I looked around the dark alleyway, but I couldn't see anything but a dumpster. What the…?
"RAHH!" Jason yelled as he jumped out from the shadows. His sudden movement and yelling caused me to nearly have a heart attack. I smacked his shoulder as I clutched my chest, trying to stabilize myself. Holy crap!
"What the hell, Jason! You almost scared me to death!" I screamed.
"Haha, stop being such a baby," Jason smirked. I was about to hit him again when I noticed his icy blue eyes, shining in the moonlight. I was mesmerized, seeing the pain behind those beautiful blue orbs. A moment passed and Jason returned my gaze as he raised his hand, his knuckles grazing my cheek. I let my face meet his hand, conforming to his touch. What am I doing?
Jason started to inch closer. I didn't move. Thousands of thoughts were running through my mind, but I was paralyzed. I didn't know what to do. I felt a shiver run down my spine as his hand moved from my cheek to grasp the back of my neck, lightly massaging the tension away. Aw, what the hell? I was about to meet Jason's lips when I felt my phone vibrate. Dammit. I stepped back and took my phone out to read the text message I just received.
Hey where are you? – Tim
I read the message, and I was suddenly brought back to reality. Tim must have been looking for me, and I wouldn't want to cause suspicion by staying out too late while I'm supposed to be taking it easy. Sometimes Tim can be too overprotective. Jason noticed my change in attitude and withdrew his hand. I muttered that I should go home, and Jason made no objections.
The car ride was surprisingly lighthearted and enjoyable. Jason made fun of how slow I was because I got tagged by so many of the kids in the arcade. I countered with the fact that he almost tripped on a couple of the kids when he was chasing me. We kept recalling the evening's events until he reached my house. Jason got out first and opened my door and walked me to my doorstep. I fiddled with my keys as I attempted to unlock my door. I noticed Jason's shadow move closer to me as I felt his breath on the back of my neck causing goose bumps to ripple across my skin. I turned toward Jason. He kept his eyes on me and bit his lip, placing a hand on the doorframe as he leaned towards me. I instinctively retreated, stopping when my back hit my door. His free hand then cupped my cheek as our eyes locked. Jason looked at me with such need, the loneliness present behind his eyes. His hand then moved back to its spot at the base of my neck, cupping the back of my head and getting a handful of my hair. My heartbeat started to flutter as my breath quickened. Jason took my reaction as an invitation, pulling me into a kiss. After the initial shock, I began to kiss back. Jason's other hand then traveled down my back, resting on my right hip, pulling me closer towards him. I moved my hands and rested them on Jason's chest, feeling the definition beneath his V-neck. Seconds felt like hours. I didn't know how long we were standing outside, locked in a simple but powerful kiss. To my disappointment, Jason pulled away, bringing both hands to my face.
"G'night," Jason whispered as he gave my lips a quick peck before he turned and made his way to his car. I walked through my door as Jason drove away, leaning against it. I brought my fingers to touch my lips. That was amazing.
I kicked off my shoes and skipped upstairs to my room. I navigated through the minefield and opened a window. I need some air. I walked back to lie down on my bed when I heard a thud. I turned around to see an unexpected guest.
"Brown," Damian greeted. He was in his Robin costume and did not look particularly happy.
"Hey Damian, what's up?" I answered. We recently got on better terms, but Damian was still on edge whenever he spoke to me.
"I saw you with Todd this evening. Now I don't know why you two were together but just know that I'll be watching you," he spat. Damian then turned to leave. He looked at me once again before jumping out of my window.
Crap.