A/N: thank you all for the reviews, sorry for the delay but I had my first day back of classes yesterday. Thankfully I have some time this morning before I have to worry about class or seeing my landlord. sigh why does university have to get in the way of my fun? pouts anyway, on with the fic!
Kid Flash sat with his back against his bed, he would have sat against the door but he was somewhat afraid that mammoth would accuse him of eavesdropping and beat him. Normally he wouldn't have been scared of mammoth but the way he had looked when he was with Jinx. Kid Flash shuddered; he had the very certain feeling that Mammoth would actually KILL him if he felt the need, which was unusual for villains their age. He knew that none of the HIVE five were likely to kill him, torture maybe, hand over to the brotherhood of evil, more than likely. But they weren't killing types. Mammoth on the other hand…
"He's going to tell her it's all a horrible mistake, and take her away from me." Kid Flash moaned resting his head on his knees. He frowned, what did he mean away from him? Mammoth would take Jinx away from her chance to be a hero, to change her life. Not from him, he didn't matter.
Mammoth kept his eyes on Jinx; this made Jinx uncomfortable and made her explain herself.
"I don't think I'm a hero, I've no burning urge to don spandex and run around." Jinx said trying to fill the silence. Mammoth gave her a look that said clearly that Jinx's fashion tastes were not what he was here to talk about.
"Okay, I just… maybe I moved those people and the taco stand to save them. I didn't think about it Mammoth, I just… did it." Jinx added frowning.
"Heroes don't think about it neither." Mammoth said gruffly.
"I know I know." Jinx muttered, "It's not like I have a whole lot of choice is it? The HIVE five wouldn't let me back, not including you of course." Jinx corrected herself; she stared up at the silent Mammoth, why did he always do this? He just stayed silent and Jinx always felt the overwhelming urge to justify herself to him, just to do anything to fill that gaping silence.
"So are you going to say anything? You're the one who tells me if I'm doing something crazy, you're the big picture man." Jinx demanded stamping a foot almost childishly, Mammoth looked at her, unimpressed by her behaviour and sulking and shouting might have worked with the other HIVE members but never with him.
"HIVE will come after you." He said blankly.
"And you?" Jinx asked carefully, Mammoth shook his head.
"I'll keep them away from you." He replied and headed for the door.
"Wait! What about me? Don't you think this is out of character for me?! I sure as hell do!" Jinx snapped following after him. Mammoth turned to her with a gentle smile.
"Jinx growing up, Jinx have to make her own choices." He said kissing the top of her head and ruffling her hair like a protective big brother.
"But…" Jinx mumbled feeling somewhat abandoned.
"If you need me…" Mammoth said holding up his HIVE communicator, Jinx nodded and Mammoth left the flat, ducking through the archway of the door and pulling the once again detached door back in place.
Kid Flash cocked his ear, he couldn't hear any noise anymore, and he could have sworn he heard a door close. Panic filled his chest, had Mammoth taken Jinx? He jumped up and opened his bedroom door and poked his head around it, he smiled, Jinx was on his sofa. He walked up to her, she looked small and lost.
"You're still here." He said not being able to hide the smile on his face, Jinx glared at him.
"This is all YOUR fault!" She shouted hurling a pillow at him which Kid Flash dodged with ease.
"What?! What's my fault?" Kid Flash squeaked ducking another pillow.
"This is all your fault! You whispering in my ear all the time about how I could be good if I wanted, how I was a good person!" She snapped angrily, Kid Flash's eyes widened, was she talking about him being in her room at night?
"You, you and your stupid roses! Your stupid… telling me I could do better… I hate you." Jinx muttered turning her back on him.
"But I'm right; you can do better than them." Kid Flash said quietly.
"What? You? Is that what you wanted? Am I just some project of yours? Well I guess you won, now who are you going to convert next?" Jinx snarled at him as she whirled around to face him, her eyes glowing menacingly.
"You're not a project… I just… I wanted to help you." Kid Flash insisted.
"Well you've been a great help, I'm friendless, homeless and penniless. Is this how you help everyone?" Jinx demanded angrily.
"You're not homeless, or friendless… you've got me, you can stay here as long as you want." Kid Flash pointed out feeling hurt.
"I don't rely on charity." Jinx shot back, Kid Flash twitched, that was it.
"This ISN'T charity Jinx!" He shouted surprising even himself, "Do you KNOW what the other heroes would do to me if they knew I had you here? If they knew that I talked to you and didn't arrest you? Let alone let you stay with me? God, if Robin knew that whilst protecting his city I was harbouring known criminals he'd… I'm risking EVERYTHING for you Jinx, do you know that?" He muttered realising how much danger he was putting himself in.
"Well why? What makes you so sure that I'm not just going to commit solo crimes now? That I won't expose you for the villain shelterer you are?" Jinx huffed annoyed at being shouted at.
"Because… because you're a good person and I trust you." Kid Flash sighed flopping down on his sofa, Jinx looked at him steadily.
"When have I ever given you reason to trust me?" Jinx said flatly, Kid Flash looked up at her from the sofa, he looked sad. A small part of Jinx niggled her with guilt.
"I suppose you haven't. But you saved people, and you freed me from Madame Rouge, and you've not tried to kill me yet. But I'm a good judge of character and you're a good person, you've never given me much reason not to trust you." Kid Flash sighed closing his eyes wearily.
"I tried to turn you over to the brotherhood of evil!" Jinx pointed out.
"Tried and changed your mind." Kid Flash replied pulling his beeping communicator off of his belt, he looked at it and sighed.
"I have to go." He muttered disappearing in a blur and returning in his uniform, he looked at Jinx. "Please stay… even if you decide to leave at least wait until tonight to think about it." He said hopefully.
"Fine." Jinx sighed, Kid Flash's face cracked into his usual smile.
"Thank you!" He said happily and vanished out the door, Jinx could swear he'd landed a hyper-speed kiss on her cheek, much to her annoyance she blushed.
Jinx laid back on the sofa throughout the day and thought to herself. Did she want to be good? She'd never felt any inclination to be so before, but Kid Flash seemed to disagree with her argument of her bad luck powers leaving her no choice but evil. But the world had turned its back on her, she had no family and no home, crime had been her only choice back then, and after that it had just stuck really.
Jinx frowned, it really was too late for her anyway, even if she was to turn good the Titans would never forgive her and the police wouldn't just let her record slide, she'd end up in jail. But Kid Flash was putting himself on the line for her, would he do that if there was no way for her to reform without having to be put in jail? Probably not. But then again boys, in her experience, were generally not the brightest creatures around; maybe he had no plan at all.
She smacked her head against the arm of the sofa annoyed, how did he think he knew her so well anyway? It seemed he knew the heroic tendencies in her before she did, or had he sowed those seeds of heroism in her? Him and his stupid charming words and beautiful roses. It wasn't fair how was a girl supposed to resist something like that?
She sighed, was she just doing this because Kid Flash had charmed her off of her feet? Because he actually listened to her? Because he had those penetrating blue eyes that made her feel like he could see her soul? Because of a cute smattering of freckles? Was she really so weak as to change her life for a pair of pretty blue eyes? She shook her head, that wasn't it, though she couldn't deny that her motives were entirely romance free.
"Do I even want to be a hero?" She sighed, she paused for thought, it was now late in the afternoon.
"I suppose, it would be nice not to have people run away from me." Jinx conceded to herself.
"If you become a hero they might be as happy to see you as I am." A soft voice from by her ear whispered, Jinx yelped and jumped away seeing Kid Flash standing at the back of the sofa, the front door clicked shut, he was just too damn fast.
"Jesus don't DO that!" Jinx yelped clutching her heart.
"Sorry, I'm happy to see you though; I was worried you might have gone." Kid Flash smiled warmly at her, Jinx noticed for the first time that he had huge overflowing grocery bags in each arm, he noticed her looking and smiled slightly embarrassed.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I bought a bit of everything. I figured you'd be hungry by now if you were still here." Kid Flash explained putting the groceries on the table, "so, what do you like then?"
"Whatever comes out of the microwave." Jinx shrugged noncommittally.
"You just eat microwave food?" Kid Flash asked surprised halfway to the fridge.
"Not because I want to! With my powers it's not exactly safe for me to be around an oven is it? After nearly burning down the HIVE base several times I learnt my lesson." Jinx pointed out irritated, honestly who LIKED microwave food anyway.
"And I suppose the rest of the HIVE five didn't help you out and cook for you?" Kid Flash snorted already knowing the answer.
"What do you think?" Jinx asked rolling her eyes.
"Well, I'll cook something for you. How about Italian? Everyone likes that. Just… let me have a shower and change." He added realising how soaked with sweat and dirt his suit was.
Kid Flash, now back in civilian clothing looked at Jinx over his considerably large plate full of carbonara, she seemed to be enjoying her food at least a little, he made an effort to not just inhale his food like he usually would.
"I wouldn't have put you down as the cooking type." Jinx said after a moment, hoping to embarrass him about it like he'd done with her and her unicorns.
"I have to; with my metabolism I eat a lot." Kid Flash laughed embarrassed.
"I can see that." Jinx said wryly as she looked as his huge pile of pasta, Kid Flash's face, bare of any mask reddened with embarrassment, he mumbled something and stared down at his food. Jinx grinned, she enjoyed not being the uncomfortable one, and added to that Kid Flash looked remarkably cute when he blushed, it was unusual for his over confident nature and she relished it.
"H-have you thought about what I said? About staying and trying your hand at being a hero?" Kid Flash asked after a while and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Yes." Jinx replied twirling her fork in some pasta, she had to admit, this was good stuff.
"Yes what? Yes you thought about it or yes you'll give it a try?" Kid Flash asked staring at her.
"Just yes, I thought about it." Jinx shrugged and swallowed her pasta.
"And…?" He prompted.
"And I thought about it." She smiled standing up, "And I decided on having a shower." She added walking off to the bathroom delighting in the frustrated scream from the kitchen. Torturing Kid Flash was FUN.