#why isn’t Jayrose in this

[snottertooder]

I swear this chart has been in my nightmares before. It’s the fact that all of these (minus JayKyle) is a Proship in one way or another and NONEE of his canon ships are on this chart.

The Normalization of INCEST and Sexualization (ESP Dick and Jason) of the Batfam needs to be studied

I lowkey(highkey) wish Jason just stayed dead at the end of Utrh so instead of feeling pure agony whenever I check out the #Jasontodd tag, I just feel a tiny bit sad about how red hood had so much potential (he still does) and we never got to see his redemption arc with Bruce (we still haven’t seen that)

[forlornmelody]

Bury A Friend: Chapter 2 -- Say it, spit it out, what is it exactly?

Rating: Explicit (previous and future chapters have smut)

Ship: Jayrose, Roseroy, eventual poly dynamics.

AO3 Link: Here

Summary:  As Rose's employers tighten the net around them, she has a harder and harder time hiding her feelings for Roy from Jason.

Note: Aaaah, one of the scenes for this fic was DIRECTLY inspired from the fic's namesake, and was one of the first scenes I wrote for this fic. In my head, anyway. So excited to finally share it with y'all.

---

Two days after the first kidnapping, Rose’s in the same room, but this time her captors didn’t bother with the bag. No, a blunt-force knock out proved much more efficient. Someone else might have died. Rose, on the other hand, has a killer headache. On the bright side, she isn’t going to have a headache for much longer.

“I’m disappointed in you, Wilson.” Why do they always have to monologue? “So much potential gone to waste.” Seriously, Rose has a fucking supervillain for a father. She’s suffered enough monologues to last her a lifetime. 

Rose breathes in and out, focusing on her breath the way Joey taught her to meditate, staring down the barrel of the gun as if there’s a light at the end of it. 

BANG!

Rose blinks, watching as the woman in front of her, her former employer, flops face first onto the table, blood spilling from her forehead across the steel surface. She blinks again as Jason opens the door from the other side of the two-way mirror, Roy right on his heels. 

“You really thought we were gonna let them kill you?” Roy says as Jason slashes through the zip tie holding her wrists. 

“Maybe you should have.”

“Maybe they should have made the glass bulletproof,” Jason mutters as Roy helps her up.

—

None of them return to the safe house, as it’s no longer safe. Rather than take any of their vehicles, or those belonging to Bruce Wayne–too many chances of being tracked–they decide to hotwire a generic chimo van. Roy wins rock paper scissors, and so he breaks in with a trick arrow, and hotwires the ignition with both Jason and Rose watching over his shoulder. 

“Really-Roy-toy? You’re making a huge mess.”

“We’re only using it once, Jaybird.”

Rose’s head knocks back against her headrest. “Ugh. I could’ve done it faster.”

Roy wipes his brow. She wonders what it would be like to watch it drip down his chest. “Not all of us are blessed with visions, Rose.”

“You mean cursed.” 

Jason shoots him a look. Gritting his teeth, Roy says nothing at first, then sighs. “Sorry. Could I get some space here?”

“C’mon. Ginger Snaps needs more room to work his magic.” Jason and Rose snicker together as they exit the van in search of tacos. It’s Tuesday, after all. 

There’s a taco truck around the corner. There’s also a line ten people deep.

“Fuck. Maybe we can order delivery?” Rose spins on her heels, but Jason grasps her shoulder, stopping her. 

He leans over, his whisper stirring her hair, and making her shiver. “And how would we explain Roy hotwiring a van to the driver?”

“He lost the keys. And we don’t want to pay for a locksmith.”

“Delivery would also take longer.”

“Fine.”

“I know how we can pass the time.” Rose waggles her eyebrows playfully, leaning her head on Jason’s shoulder. 

Jason runs his hands through his hair, and it makes her want to mess it up even more. Pull on it until he hisses with pleasure. His shirt pulls up with the motion, exposing a delicious sliver of skin. Rose traces it with her finger and he bats her hand away. “Rose.” 

“C’mon.” She grins, giving him a lingering kiss. “No “we almost died so we’re gonna fuck in an alley” sex?”

He matches her grin, despite himself. “Not yet.” He pushes her to arm’s length. “If we’re gonna keep doing this, you have to promise me something.”

“Mm, weird way to ask for a safe word, but okay. I’m game.”

“No,” he snorts. “No more secrets.”

“Jason,”

“Rose. Please. Promise me.” He takes both her hands in his own, kissing them like they’re in some historical drama. The sop.

But it gets under her skin regardless. “Okay. I promise.” 

Just when Rose starts to squirm, her phone buzzes with a text message. 

Van’s ready. I want carnitas with extra guac. 

—

Y’know. Maybe this whole running from death thing is overrated. Maybe Rose is going to save her ex-employers the trouble of taking her out. Anything to avoid this. 

The hotel is full of people–good, yes. More crowds to disappear into. More guests for the staff to pay attention to. More noise to mask the sound of their voices. Only one problem, really.

There’s only one room left in this entire hotel. And it’s a fucking honeymoon suite. Only one king-sized bed for the three of them. Oh, an entire kitchenette and a fully stocked fridge. But only one fucking bed. Rose is going to murder someone.

“I could sleep on the couch,” Roy volunteers.

“Absolutely not,” Jason and Rose snap. 

The room is too hot to sleep in, even with the AC. These stupid fucking synthetic sheets that feel so luxurious until you’re fucking baking like a cake beneath them. And so, Rose spends the night sandwiched between two very hot guys (in both senses of the word) and she can’t do a thing about it. Facing Jason to ignore Roy and his Old Spice aroma does nothing. And her fucking boyfriend falls right asleep. 

She must’ve passed out sometime before dawn, because Rose wakes wrapped in Roy’s arms. If only Rose can extricate herself before Jason wakes–and that’s when she smells french toast. Rose looks up just in time to meet Jason’s eyes, watching her. Does it bother him? She can’t tell. Jason and his fucking poker face. “Hungry?” he asks.

In more ways than you know. Fuck. Does she wake Roy up? Does she let him get his beauty sleep? (Like the fucker needs it.) Rose is almost about to move regardless when his murmur stirs the nape on her neck. Roy tightens his hold, as if she’s a full-size teddy bear.

“Might as well wake him up, unless you want to spend the entire morning in bed.” Jason says neutrally over the sizzle of the frying pan. Is he suggesting—?

Rose stammers, “I swear I woke up like this. I didn’t–” She pries Roy’s arm off her middle and slips out of bed like she’s bypassing security. 

A ghost of a smile appears on Jason’s face as he focuses on the french toast. “Roy’s a total cuddle bug. You look cute together.”

Her heart hammers in her chest, and her cheeks flush. Really? She mouths, too afraid to avoid the question out loud. You think so? Instead, she darts to the kitchen and pulls Jason into a kiss, breakfast be damned. 

“Mm,” Jason kisses back, briefly, before pulling back. “You’re in a good mood. Something happen in your dreams?”

Rose searches for a suitable answer, but Roy breaks the silence first.

“Huh? What’d I miss? Mm…you cookin’, Jaybird? Save s’me f’rme.” Roy twists in the sheets, tangling himself up further. 

Rose is in the middle of coming up with a convincing lie when the vision hits her. Sighting lasers. The countertop peppered with bullets. Jason’s head knocked back by a bullet in the forehead. Red circles blooming on the sheets covering Roy’s body. “Get down!” she shrieks. 

Both Jason and Roy duck. They know better than to hesitate when Rose uses that tone. She sees the lasers a second time–in real time, and the sound of the bullets hitting and cracking the granite above their heads. The ping of bullets going through the pots and the frying pans. “Should we call security?” Roy yells over the din, still in his boxers. 

“Don’t bother. They would have been called by now.” If hotel security was on their side. Which it isn’t. 

“Shut the fuck up, both of you.” Rose needs to concentrate. Lean into her adrenaline rush. Her dad once said she had a brain like a computer. She just needed to use it. 

Use it. 

Rose waits for a break in the covering fire, grabbing the bag of ice they stuck in the freezer, dumping it on the frying pan. Sorry, Jason. The ice cubes crack and hiss, filling the room with steam, the grease spilling over and catching fire, following the steam with smoke. She needs the phone. But not for a phone call. She pitches the phone at one goon’s head, shattering his visor and knocking him back. The base she rips out of the wall and strangles the next guard with the cord. 

C’mon, c’mon. Always living three seconds in the future means she’s always waiting. Waiting. Waiting. 

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. Jason found his pistols. Twang. And the hiss of a smoke-bomb arrow. But it doesn’t hit its target in time. Rose hears the SMACK of a body hitting the kitchen floor. She doesn’t wait. She lunges, grabbing the last goon and ramming him against the counter. Jason stops firing, and the smoke slowly clears.

Roy’s on the ground, and he’s not moving. Shit. Rose should have seen it coming. She should have blocked it. At least she heals on her own. There’s blood trailing down the side of his temple.  C’mon, c’mon. Pressing her fingers against his neck, Rose bites her lip as she waits for his heartbeat. It’s faint, but it’s there. “Jason, get some cold water.”

The moment the water hits him, Roy shoots back up with a gasp, and Rose has to hold his shoulders down to keep him from rising too fast. “Easy. You got hit pretty hard.”

Blinking several times, Roy slurs “Rose? Why’re there three’f you?” 

Fuck, she could cry night now. “Shut up.” And then she’s kissing him. Maybe it’s the fact he could’ve died. Maybe it’s the way he’s sloppily kissing back. Or maybe it’s those energy drinks he’s always pounding–Roy tastes so sweet. 

And then he pulls back, bumping his head on the floor. “Ow.” He opens his eyes, looking up at her. “We shouldn’” Roy’s blue eyes pop against his flushed cheeks, and they slide to the right, drawing Rose’s attention to the man watching this entire exchange. Her boyfriend. Shit. Fuck. Fuck.

“Jason,” Rose says quicky. 

He holds up his hand. “Can we talk? In private?”

The air leaves her lungs. Rose manages to nod, stuffing her hoodie under Roy’s head. “Stay.” She mutters, dragging herself out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Jason shuts the door behind them.

“Jason, I wasn’t thinking. I was just happy he’s okay.”

He watches her with his goddamn poker face. Why couldn’t he just be angry? Like a normal person? “Was that all?” 

“I swear.”

Jason shakes his head. “Rose, you promised. No more secrets.”

“I’m not keeping any! I told you about my employer–my ex-employer.”

“I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about Roy.”

“There’s nothing about Roy!”

Jason’s face finally breaks–his eyebrows crinkle and his eyes waver, but otherwise he keeps that perfect Wayne composure. “Rose. Please.” He swallows. “I know this isn’t the first time.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She can’t lose him. Not like this. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Releasing the breath he was holding, Jason runs his hand through his hair. “Rose. Listen. Please. Do what you want with Roy. Just don’t hurt him.”

“But–” I love you, she finishes in her head. “I want to stay with you.” Yeah. Safer to say that instead. 

His eyes light up as he brushes his thumb across her cheek. “Why does it have to be one or the other?”

“Huh?” Rose’s brain short circuits. 

Jason reaches for her hand, squeezing it. “Who says you have to choose between us?” He falters before she can answer. “Well, Roy might.” Licking his lips nervously, he adds softly, “but I won’t.”

“You mean it?” Rose squeezes his hand, and Jason opens his mouth to answer her.

“Guys?” Roy calls out groggily from the living room.

“Shit, Roy!” They tumble back into the living room together.

[dailyjasontodd]

Are we allowed to ask why Titans has a bad portrayal of Jason? I’ve never gotten to see the show and I swear I’m not tryna start drama but I am 👀 curious

we got two of the same asks so each admin did their own thoughts BUT jules went into a lot more detail then me so here’s a lil sparknotes vers. 

He’s portrayed as an angry Robin; now if you’ve ever read any of Jason’s Robin runs, he’s a sweet kid who loves school and isn’t the little brat people try to sell him off as, especially not without reason

The club scene in the “Jason Todd” episode of s1 was hilariously out of character but considering THAT was a lot of people’s first exposure to robin!jason it’s kinda depressing

And though we all had a laugh about Jason beating up the cops in s1, him being violent (as Robin) and w/e isn’t true to comics soooo lol

The jayrose was??? Weird?? like what was the reason.gif 

I’m sure most of us have also seen the rumblings about the next season of Titans including Red Hood!Jason which is. Certainly Something considering it’ll most likely be happening with none of the backstory/context from the comics. Also I highly doubt they’ll be including Talia in his RH backstory/context/etc. which takes a LOT away from the emotional impact of the story, as well...kinda dumb that they wanna use Jason and his infamy but don’t want to cut him his cheque lol

And as the proverbial cherry on top! The actor who plays Jason on Titans liked a bunch of Trump tweets n stuff on Twitter so. 

[stvlti]

Jason or kori for the character thing? 🥺🤲🏽

Give me a character and I’ll answer

i’m supposed to get going but fuck it i’m doing this in hard mode. Jason AND Kori, let’s go:

Jason Todd

do I like them:

Yes!!! v much ^_^ he’s the perfect son - i mean, it’s literally in his name (Bruce Wayne dni)

5 good qualities:

always fights for what’s right and helps people, even at the expense of his own wellbeing (see: helping Joker’s Daughter (RH/A); RHATO Bow of Ra’s quest in the country where he was killed -- yep, these are both examples connected to his Joker trauma, but he still pushed through it, what a champ)

ride or die, almost to a fault (he just keeps giving second chances to Bruce smh)

actually a huge dork who makes lots of nerdy references

killed a Nazi once. idk like he actually walks the walk you know. remember Titans!Jason said fuck the police

his body, i guess (this one goes out to all my thirsty mutuals. you get a Jason thigh! you get a Jason tit! you get a Jason ass! everybody gets a sexy Jason!)

3 bad qualities:

not being able to be honest about and attend to his own emotional needs

his choice in headgear (please no more mouth helmet 😭😭 no more dildo helmet 😭 and his helmet in GCG is questionable too...why)

inexplicably looking like a 30+ year old in every other series (ok this one’s not on him but come on DC, how am i supposed to look at that wrinkly ass mouth and accept that’s a young 20-something I’m looking at. Gotham Knights i’m looking at you) 

favourite episode/etc:

hm. ok gotta be honest, the UTRH storyline is still my favourite Jason story

otp:

i’m a multi-shipper when it comes to most DC characters and Jason is no exception. i like JayRoy but i like JayRoman, SladeJay and JayRose just as much. (maybe even more, depends on who’s writing the fic.) they’re just spicier options you know 👀 and JoeyJay’s probably my favourite rarepair.

brotp:

man idek. Dick & Jason? i guess? they’re actually brothers tho. 

there’s also Jason & Steph for mlm/wlw solidarity which I think is a godtier concept

ot3:

i guess i’m obligated to say Joyfire (Jason/Roy/Kori)?

I also like the idea of Jason, Roy, and Dick in a trio. Roy dating both Robins and giving Bruce an aneurysm asldfkjasldfs

notp:

Joker/Jason, no thank you

best quote:

“It's a load of bull to think of friendship and romance as being different. They're not. They're just variations of the same love. Variations of the same desire to be close.”

from RHATO (2011) #6

head canon:

you know why i highlighted that quote in particular, right? yeah give me an aro and/or ace-spec Jason any day 

Koriand’r

do I like them:

Yeah! she used to rank middle to lower middle on my list of favourite Titans because I didn’t really vibe with her portrayal in the 2003 TT cartoon (which was my first exposure to her character), but damn Titansverse Kori is hot. her NTT version is also pretty cool. 

5 good qualities:

v in touch with her emotions; when she loves she loves fiercely!

i like that she’s not a goody two shoes and is willing to get lethal when the situation calls for it. (i guess this one’s subjective tho)

being the bigger woman and taking on her diplomatic responsibilities even when she could’ve just stayed hiding on Earth

addendum to that - her taking on these duties even though she is still coping with the trauma of being enslaved for all her childhood... this really speaks volumes about her resilience. she is so strong, not just physically / in her powers but also mentally.

she’s hot, duh (and i’m not referring to her solar-related powers here alsdkjasd)

3 bad qualities:

honestly i don’t know her well enough to list her bad qualities. let me get back to you when i’m done with the NTT comics 😅 

favourite episode/etc:

the Starfire/Raven body swap episode in the 2003 cartoon’s pretty cool

otp:

DonnaKory!! (and they were roommates hhrgh)

brotp:

i like Kori’s friendship with Gar quite a lot! 

the few non-sexually charged moments Kori had with Jason in N52 was cool too. her knowing Jason through Dick at first and being a pseudo big sister to Jay ^_^

ot3:

Joyfire’s good :) 

notp:

i don’t think i have one for Kori?

best quote:

I don’t really have a fave quote yet, again I’ll get back to you when I’m done with NTT 😅

head canon:

she’s pan. also she’s poly. (but honestly isn’t this canon though? *thinks about the marriage arc*)

[scandalsavagefanfic]

For the prompt thingy, please! JayDick is my jam but we all know Jay’s our bisexual icon so my hope is for JayKara OR JayRose, the idea being the Batfamily and the SO’s fam finds out about the relationship/RECENT MARRIAGE via a group text. ;)

HI! I bet you guys all thought I’d moved on and wasn’t going to finish!

I have not!

So welcome back to the 50 Fics/500 Folowers Celebratory Prompt-A-Thon fills!

It was very hard to choose between Rose and Kara but I have another prompt for the one so...

Pearl - Read on Ao3

Words: 1015

Rating: G

—————————————————————

Don't forget to take off your ring.

Seven little innocent, innocuous words.

And they’ve ruined Jason’s life.

Bruce and Clark are arguing in hushed tones off in the corner. Fingers jab in angry, red faces and they both look like they’re three seconds away from trying to take the other’s head off.

Meanwhile, Jason’s left to fend of the flock of birds and their annoying partners.

By himself.

He’s going to kill her when she finally shows her stupid, gorgeous face.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.” Dick is all but pouting.

“Of course he didn’t mention it,” Damian says like he knows everything. “Father is furious. But I’m much more interested in why she would debase herself with the likes of you, Todd.”

Jason rolls his eyes.

Tim, who has put himself bodily in Conner’s way for all the good it will do if the irate clone wants to come at Jason, just raises his eyebrows.

“What made you—“

“What was it like?” Jon interrupts Tim, vibrating like a coked up puppy. “Was it romantic? Were there candles? What did you dance to? Oh! Oh! Did she wear a white dress?! DO YOU HAVE PICTURES OF IT?”

Jason just blinks at the kid, rapid fire questions making it hard to figure out where to start.

Except that everyone is staring at him now. Even Conner’s expression has gone curious. Bruce and Clark have paused their conversation and inched closer.

Mentally, Jason cycles back through the questions, trying to find the one everyone has fixated on.

Uh oh. It’s gonna be hard to answer without getting others in trouble.

“Um... yes?” Jason responds then kicks himself. Stupid honest answers, being put on the spot like that.

“Wait a minute,” Clark says, moving back toward the group, Bruce following close. “She did? You had... like a real ceremony?”

“Just the two of you?” Bruce growls.

Christ. Jason knows he looks like a deer caught in the headlights. He gulps.

“No,” Tim answers for him, eyes full of a humor no one else seems to feel. “You have to have witnesses.”

That comment prompts an outburst of indignant and offended exclamations and accusations. They’ve all turned toward each other as everyone tries to figure out who knew and didn’t snitch.

He shakes his head at them.

Then, without a hint of warning, a soft voice whispers in his ear, “What’s going on?”

The only reason Jason doesn’t jump is because he’s used to it.

Instead he huffs and refuses to look at her. “You sent that text to the group,” he explains, watching the continued chaos, waiting for them to notice the newcomer.

“Which text? I’ve sent a bunch in the last couple hours.”

Now he does give her his attention. It’s still hard to stay focused; she still takes his breath away. Damian’s words float across his mind and Jason finds it difficult to argue with his logic when he’s looking up into soft, sky blue eyes that hover above him.

Why is Kara with him? What does fucking Supergirl see in Jason Todd?

Why on Earth or Krypton did she marry him?

“The reminder to take off my ring.”

She stares at him for a second. Then snorts. “Whoops.”

Jason can’t help it. Her amusement is contagious and he finds himself grinning back.

“Hey!”

Everyone is staring at them again. They look far less amused than Jason and Kara.

“Well?” Dick asks.

Jason and Kara exchange a look.

“Well what?” She says, putting her hands on her hips.

“Who was at your wedding?” Bruce all but snarls. His tone earns him an angry look from Clark.

“And do you have pictures?” Jon adds, still overly excited and not put off by everyone else’s horror. “I want to see how beautiful you looked!”

“Oh,” Kara says, like she was expecting something harder. “Ma and Pa were there.”

Clark’s eyes go wide and his jaw drops. He looks utterly scandalized and betrayed. Jason almost laughs. But Kara chooses that moment to elbow him in the side.

“Right. Uh, Alfred was there too.”

The silence that descends is oppressive. Bruce’s face is carefully blank. Dick’s expression mirrors Clark’s. Damian looks upset and Tim has frozen.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Clark finally asks. He sounds... hurt.

Literally every single head turns toward Bruce.

The man looks at each of them. Then grunts a hrm, strides to a shelf in the corner, and returns.

“Congratulations,” he says, infuriating smirk playing on his lips as he thrusts a small box—meticulously wrapped in white and silver paper with a professional looking silver ribbon—into Jason’s arms.

Jason scowls. “I fucking told you,” he snaps at Kara.

She just smiles and shrugs. “Open it.”

Once it’s open, Jason’s throat immediately goes tight and he’s gritting his teeth to keep the water welling in his eyes from falling. He knows what it is, the significance. He doesn’t have to ask.

But Kara hears his pulse ratchet up. “Jason?”

“I... Bruce, I—“

“When I found out, I had a set made for all of you,” Bruce explains taking the paper so the others can see the pearl cufflinks flanking a platinum necklace with a single pearl.

“Bruce... are those your mother’s pearls?” Dick asks quietly, reverently.

The older man nods, eyes fixed on Jason’s. “My father gave them to my mother to celebrate their love. It’s time to let go of their dark history; to give them a chance at a second life.”

They stare at each other, the implications of Bruce’s words hanging so thick in the air there’s no way anyone missed Bruce’s unspoken meaning.

That the pearls aren’t the only thing getting a real second chance in Bruce’s book. He’s finally going to make an effort with Jason too.

An elbow digs into Jason’s side making him hiss.

“For god’s sake, hug the man,” Kara mutters, voice a little thicker than usual.

At least Jason isn’t the only one affected.

Bruce smiles at him and holds out his arms for what feels like the first time since Jason was 15.

[m00nslippers]

Titans S2E1, a review kinda.

I’m lazy so I’m gonna bullet point this stuff and just dump it in a haphazard order but I had some Thoughts™ about the episode that I felt like expressing.

Spoilers abound, I am withholding nothing.

I get why they held back this episode. If you look at the run time, a lot of the best stuff was actually stuff with the new characters/cast members (Slade and Bruce), and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have any of that cast at that time--at the least the news certainly came out in the interim between seasons. It seemed like the old episode might have cut off when everyone was exchanging cars but holding it back we got a lot more and I think it splits up the episodes better. So I’m okay with how they held it back.

Love the Trigon actor, not a fan of the CGI. I think the actor for Trigon was excellent, amazing. He feels so cold and malevolent but also persuasive. He’s great, I really feel his menace, he’s a great villain. The CGI when he transformed though? Mm, I think it was never going to work on the budget this show has. Personally I think they should have just alluded to his demon form with him having a Trigon-shaped shadow with the multiple glowing red eyes and then maybe we see the full Trigon figure just for a split second when Rachel is banishing him. I think it would have been a better use of the CGI to avoid it looking cheap/tacky.

Jason. You know I gotta talk about my boy Jason. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a perfect Jason but there’s potential here. I’ve seen a lot of people say "He’s a jerk! How can anyone like him, he’s not like comic-Jason!” But I mean, none of the characters here are 100% their canon counterparts, they are all changed a little to fit the story and situation. For the most part I enjoy this show and these versions of the character for what they are in the context presented. And Jason isn’t actually a jerk, he just has a lot of teenage bravado that comes off as obnoxious and I think that’s on purpose. It’s really obvious to me that he is trying so damn hard to look cool in front of Dick and his friends, and it’s kind of just not working because they’ve been set up not to like him because he took Dick’s vigilante identity. Watch the show and you’ll realize that literally everyone he talks to is hostile to him before he even opens his mouth because he has Dick’s costume. He’s not actually a jerk, like Bruce said, he just has rough edges, in his heart he just wants to be acknowledged. Look how quick he was to say he wanted to help Dick. He really looks up to him, even if his way of showing it isn’t always the best, but he’s not going to let Dick walk all over him, either. I just hope we get a little bit more development in the season to show he’s smart and kind of nerdy. Like Dick walks into his room and is surprised he has so many books everywhere. And like sees Jason studying or something. That would make me really happy. I also am really hoping the stuff with Hawk and Jason continues because considering the character similarities (posturing bad boys with trauma and anger problems) it’s something that makes sense. Also in the comics Hank kind of goes murdery like Jason does so it’s kind of foreshadowing to place these two together.

Deathstroke was awesome. He barely had any words, but I feel like the actor’s delivery and the writing was on point. He looks the part, too (could be taller, but I’m not fussed about it). I’m looking forward to more of him. Also his password was JOEY, I saw that on someone else’s post and it made me ‘!!!’. Yeah, there’s that heart of fools’ gold that may or may not have actual gold deep down in there somewhere that I know and love! I’m really excited to see more of him. Tangentially related is Wintergreen, who has been race bent, he’s black now. And he’s a lot younger than Slade and more dressed up, not British, either. We haven’t seen much of him yet, but I really did get a long-suffering manager/friend who is torn between being-over-Slade’s-shit but also giving-too-much-of-a-shit-so-he’ll-never-really-leave feel. Yeah I read that much into his like twenty seconds of screen time. I think I’m going to like him.

Brendan Thwaites continues to be excellent as Dick. I LOVED that he went full dad-mode/big bro-mode at the end. Making his stupid jokes. He really does feel like Nightwing. He’s great. And I thought his talk with Bruce was excellent. It really stops a batfam-fan’s heart when you see these characters interact in a healthy way.

Dad Bruce Wayne is a treasure. I think I get it. I think I understand why they cast Ian Glenn. Yeah I think his looks aren’t quite right. I think they should have had him dye his hair dark at the very least, and he’s a bit old. But to me, he really sold that Bruceness, the sort of wry humor, the way he powers through any interaction with anyone on sheer force of personality but underneath it all he doesn't have a clue what the fuck he’s doing, especially with his kids. Oh my god, he’s got Batdad down so good. When Dick said his anger had stopped him from seeing all the positive ways Bruce had helped him and Bruce leaned back and tried to play it cool and was casually like, “I’d like to hear about that,” and seemed really disappointed when Dick was like, “Next time.” DUDE. He was so surprised he’d managed to make any positive impact! He was fishing so hard for tips! Like he was so clearly thinking, “Holy shit I somehow managed to do something right under all my fuck-ups? I need to know these things for Jason!” And that’s obviously his motivation for sending Jason with Dick. He’s like, clearly Dick is better at this shit than me and knows stuff I don’t, so I need to get his help on this for Jay. But of course he’ll never just say that because he’s Bruce Wayne. Classic. Oh my god, I love them so much.

All the returning cast was great as usual. I love Teagan’s new look as Raven, her hair looks great. I kind of wish her gem didn’t just look stuck on but, eh, it’s not a deal-breaker. I also continued to love Anna Diop as Starfire and her interactions with Donna. I chuckled when Donna was like, “This is Kori, she’s an alien,” and Kori was tiffed and Donna’s like, “What, you are!” and Kori is like, “You coulda put some love into it!” or something. That was hilarious. Also I think this season is going to keep leading into RaeGar and probably more DicKori and I hope we get some JayRose too.

So overall I enjoyed this episode. Honestly all the best stuff was at the end, IMO and I’m really looking forward to more. My only disappointment is that we didn’t get a scene where Bruce calls Jason into the security room and is like, “Can you explain this?”, and there’s the footage of Jason eating shit on his motorcycle on the upstairs banister. And Jason’s guilty, like “Oh fuck.” Yeah we needed that scene.

[animalpetcel]

Jason Todd and Ships & My feelings on them

(Because a friend dared me to)

JayRoy: I used to ship it, but then I read up on Roy’s post reboot personality and history and I felt too weird about it to continue (But DickRoy looks nicer now)

JayKyle: I read their Search for Ray Palmer series with Donna. The potential is there, but they never interacted beyond that so I don’t have strong feeling for it (Also I love ConnorKyle more)

JayEddie: The two are supposed to be friends & penpals, but beyond that one crossover story they had in Blue Devil #19 & Eddie’s comments in Teen Titans (2003) #42, they haven’t talked about each other or interacted at all. Since DC doesn’t care enough about Eddie to develop his relationships with Blue Devil, Rose Wilson and Jason, this ship remains a rarepair, though if DC decided to use Eddie instead of Roy for New52 RHATO, JayEddie would have eclipsed JayRoy & JayKyle in terms of popularity

Batcest ships: Disgusting. Adopted families are real families.

JayTalia: Also disgusting, she’s his mentor figure, the mother of one of his brothers and is around Bruce’s age. It was a bad idea all around.

JayHelena: Huntress has been stated to like gentler men and is working harder to be a better, non-murdery hero so people who say that they have a lot in common are ignoring Helena’s development and personality to turn her into the “girlfriend heals boyfriend” cliche (which I hate)

JayHarley: Bad idea. Not only does Harley have Ivy, but the only thing those two have in common is the Joker. I seriously can’t even imagine how this would even work

JayBabs: Again, the only thing they share is the Joker connection, and if people hated New52 RHATO because they felt that Lobdell was trying to turn Jason into Dick, JayBabs being canon would just make things worse

Jaysabel: While I have nothing against Isabel Ardila, I have to agree with others when they say that she’s a nothing character. Other than being a reference to Death in the Family, Lobdell has done little to make her stand out against other popular civilian love interest (ex:Linda Park, Iris West & Lois Lane) or even convince the audience that we should support their relationship. I even forgot that she was present in the Alien arc of New52 RHATO and she hasn’t done anything noteworthy in Rebirth RHATO. If Lobdell leaves and DC decides to continue RHATO with a different writer, unless some miracle happens, I have no doubt that Isabel will be forgotten.

Jaytemis: At the time I’m writing this, Jason x Artemis is still a rather new ship, maybe a little over a year or two since we learned that they’re even into each other. I again don’t think that Lobdell did a good job at setting up this relationship, as many RHATO fans before the kiss believed that the were strong friends, and afterwards, I’ve only seen a handful of RHATO & Jason fans support the idea of their romantic relationship, and many (me included) would rather they remain strong friends. It feels like Lobdell is coasting off of Wonderbats fans to support this ship instead of really working on making a believable romance, and I’m not positive that the relationship will start to pick up more traction even after Artemis & Bizarro return. However, while I’m not hopeful that Jaytemis will become a mainstay in Jason’s canon like Dickori, Dickbabs, Timsteph or *cough* Timkon *cough* there is a chance that if another writer wants to continue it after he’s finished, that it could become another mainstay Batship

Update: Upon learning that Jaytemis is Editorial mandate and Lobdell doesn’t actually care for it, I know understand why it feels so forced to me. Yeah, I have no idea if they’ll keep trying to make it happen after Lobdell leaves, but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it.

JayKara: with almost every prominent Batfam member having their own alien (often Kryptonian) friend. (Dick & Kori, Tim & Connor, Damian & Jon and Babs & Kara again) it was only a matter of time until something like this happened. However, I prefer Kara’s more friendly interactions with Barbara, and as of Rebirth, Jay’s kryptonian is (at least for now) a Bizarro clone named (?) Bizz by fans, though who knows if this (at the time of this post) current RHATO team of the Dark Trinity will become a mainstay for Jason’s life outside of the Batfam

JayKorr: Jason x Rankorr (Jack Moore). Mirroring JayKyle, but Rankorr’s philoshphy as a Red Lantern, as well as his storyline revolving around controlling his own rage and need for vengeance, these two can have interesting interactions if they were ever allowed to seriously interact. Jack Moore could be Jason’s boyfriend & reluctant superhero, since Moore does have a desire to be “normal”

JayAugust: If you’ve seen my Twitter, you’d know that I’m one if the many Godspeed fans who want him to crossover with Jason. Often called the “Red Hood of the Flashfam”, August’s belief that killing is a valid option when dealing with criminals, need for revenge since his brother’s murder, and troubled relationship with Barry given a different in the two’s morals (and Barry’s unwillingness to let August go on a Black Hole massacre/August believing that Barry isn’t using his speedster abilities to their fullest and would rather Barry step out of the way to let August do his job), draws some nice parallels between him and Jason, especially when it comes to their troubled history with the mentor figures. And given that every former Robin has their own speedster (Dick=Wally, Tim=Bart, Damien=Wallace), giving Jason one that fits his morals and way of going after criminals (at least pre-New52) would make the most sense.

Honorable mentions go to:

JayBunker: I’ve only seen two people ship this, but if Lobdell was finally allowed to expand the Outlaws (in a podcast interview he mentioned that Bat Editorial has rejected all of his attempts, which is why Rebirth RHATO is full of temporary team-up & why the Creeper is considered to be an Outlaw despite not showing up often and refusing their offer) and decides to make Miguel a more permanent member (and age him up a teensy bit) than I can see it

JayRose: Some believe that this would be the best canon option for Jason, but they haven’t interacted enough for me to be convinced that they’d be the best fit for one another. They’d be really close friends though if not lovers

Bizzjay: This makes me uncomfortable because canon has stated multiple times that Bizz is mostly inexperienced with the mentality of child (before he temporarily became more intelligent, and who knows if that inspires a change in their dynamic until Bizz & Artemis return is issue 40)

Redcrux: After reading Jasontod’s post, I can imagine it clearly and it sound really soft, funny, energetic and cute, the exact way that I like my ships. If RHATO was ever to reintroduce Crux as a full-time Outlaw (and maybe have a retcon were it was another alien like Lobo instead of Starfire indirectly responsible for the crash), I’d love to see him and Jason get closer

[titanswriter]

Yasssss Jericho, drag your daddy! You see past his BS; he trusted him and he Jericho down. He has forgiven Dick before his “friends” did and still trusts in him. This is why he is baby.

Knew it, knew it. Except it wasn’t in his head. He really attacked the coffee shop and now Gar is going to be let loose at the carinval. I swear, if we have to wait until next season to resolve this, I will push over a table. I can’t wait a year to know my Tiger Boy is safe.

So all they did was talk to this dude and... where did they go? And then talked about Hank and no more? I am assuming they went back to San Francisco.

Mama Kory and Baby Goth had a fight and talked it out, awe. “Those aren’t your best qualities.” Yes, mama, it’s true! Seeing an unruly Kory is refreshing. They are the cutest. “We are partners.” Fuck yeah. Ride or Die mama and daughter team! And see, Rachel didn’t forget about Gar and now they are back on their way to get him. She just needed to realize Dick would be alright. And see, no one has even got to him yet so he’s in the same place he was before.

Damn, that hurt. Like I don’t like JayRose, but like that stuff hurt. And while I don’t support Rose, I do felt bad for her. She’s just a misunderstood kid who trusted in her dad and got played by him too. But... I like seeing them apart, not together. Jason crying? It felt weird, but Curran did such a good job

Dick and Jericho mama talk was good. It answered so much that their last encounter missed. Glad to see she isn’t blind to Slade and wants Dick to take him down. And hopefully he can bring Jericho home.

The shoe shop disguised as a superhero suit factory. That pretty cool, I like it. I hope we get more scenes of this when **coughcoughStarfire,BeastBoy,andRavengettheirsuitscoughcough**Ha! He got upset that Dick destroyed the suit! “Drama queen” “that’s in the past now.”

Hank did a lot of screwing and a lot of thinking. Hopefully he gets ahold of himself and goes back home. He needs to.

Not going to lie.... it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was expecting worse. But at this point, the episodes can’t be since, hmmm, the last one is in a week

[eggsyprice]

Do you think Jayrose will be a thing in season 3 or was 2x11 supposed to be the end of it? I love them but that fight felt kind of final to me and you're the Jayrose fandom expert. Rose hopefully is a full member now which is amazing :) but there are people who think Jason won't be in season 3 at all because he left but I don't think that's true since the Titans are always leaving and coming back skdkjldfkljdf.

I’MMMMMM not sure really. i think jason will be in s3 but my theory is that he isn’t going to die and he’s going to become red hood to spite the titans (idk why he’ll choose red hood if the joker has nothing to do w it but... that’s my theory) and i don’t think jayrose will get back together in s3 at all. if i had it my way, red hood wld be a minor villain that dick and bruce are kind of working on as a side project away from the titans, but if jason doesn’t have beef with the joker / hates the titans then he might torment the titans which kind of forces rose to be a part of it. i wld like it if they didn’t figure out his identity right away and it took them a WHILE but jason as red hood wld talk to rose and say things that only he wld know and she’d have that “......jason?” moment but not tell dick about it etc. but i think it’ll be a bitter exes situation which honestly, in that context, is perfectly fine with me. especially since that how their relationship seemed to be in the new 52........

TLDR: i think they wont get back together but jason will be there and they’ll interact

[bluboothalassophile]

Hi Blu, I know you said you were going on a break, and I can wait for the answer until you're ready or have time, but what are your OTPs in DC and why?

Hello,

That’s going to be a lot of Ships, not a whole hell of a lot of reasons though if you don’t mind. I mostly ship on chemistry or how I feel the pair would compliment each other in a relationship, usually pulling them apart psycologically and history wise to see if they might fit well together. Shipping on chemistry just makes life easier.

OTPs

JayRae, I hope that it’s obvious. Crack ship it may be, but it’s my love.

BatCat, July, I just have to make it to July then they are hitched and no more painful dramas of this on again-off again thing.

Clois, they are my Disney Prince and Princess, don’t fuck with it. And I’m not talking some whimpy love story prince and princess, where the prince doesn’t go after his girl, I’m talking true love, once upon a dream shit with Clark and Lois, I fucking adore them, so do not fuck with it.

Harley/Ivy, I shipped them together before I even understood what lesbians were! 

WonderTrev, again, do not fuck with it, they are the most precious example of equals, and true meeting of minds, hearts, and love, whilst maintaining their individual identities in a strong relationship that means a lot to both. It’s deep, meaningful, and just wonderful, simply wonderful, in the eternal love that is displayed between Steve and Diana. It also broke the mold, for the era that it was published in, for a traditional relationship and just so delightful in expressing love whilst not taking power from the girl or forcing her to be submissive. Again, Do Not Fuck With It.

MultiShips

DickKori, as eternal love, not young love. 

DickBabs, as young love not eternal love. I’m all for their friendship, just not their romance, I think their romance fizzles out a lot of the time, or brings out the worst in each other, while their friendship brings out the best they have to offer.

DickZatanna, interesting, blame YJ

TimSteph

TimKon

TimCass, Don’t Shoot Me! I shipped them before Cass was B’s kid!

BartJaime

DamiJon

DamIrey

DamiMar’i; I really, really, really shouldn’t, but Gods I can’t help it.

Mar’iJon, I shouldn’t, but they’re cute.

Mar’iLian

LianHelena

LianTerry

Cassandra Cain/Emiko Queen, I think Cass is probably pan-sexual, so her relationships could be very interesting

CassHarper

Cassandra Cain/Conner Kent

Kaldur’ahm/Wally II (Don’t ask, just don’t, I don’t even know why I ship them together I just do)

MidnighterApollo, they are awesome!

BarryIris, one of my true love couples, again, but I just never got super into the Flash comics so I’m not die hard for them to stay together. The show has made them rather mundane and not all that unique, but still, they’re cute.

SnowBarry; I blame the first season of Flash for that! I like it, I enjoy it, but I don’t see them as anything but the rebounds for each other.

Olicity; I blame Arrow for that! Before Arrow I stood firmly on the belief that no other would work for Oliver aside from Dinah. However, Felicity is awesome and she and Oliver are a good couple

Oliver/Dinah, they’re kick ass together

Lucas Fox/Babara Gordon, for the .00025 seconds it was happening I thought it would be fucking amazing and actually do some good for Babs, because God knows she and Dick are a wreck 99.5% of the time when together, outside of sex

MeraDiana, guilty pleasure IF Steve and Arthur are dead or not in the picture

Shyra Hol/John Stewart, JL cartoon ruined me for them before I even knew what shipping was

Wally West/Artemis Crock, I’ve NEVER liked Linda Park for Wally, never

TerryMax, again, TV, not comics influenced that love

BartJaime, do not fuck with it, they’re awesome

RoyThea

RoyDonna

GarthDolphin

Zatanna/Artemis, guilty pleasure

GarRose, that is all Xaphrin, Garfield Logan and Rose just click in her works, I almost wish she wrote more of them

BumbleBee/Cyborg, They were my goo-goo Titans couple as a kid, I adored them

BBTerra, yeah, yeah, I know this isn’t what people like, but they WORKED!

PenguinRiddler, and that was BEFORE Gotham started, it was just a quirky thought as a kid

Constantine/Zed

Constantine/Epiphany

Constantine/Chas

Constantine/Zatanna; IF it’s written well I think it’s interesting, if written poorly, I’d rather NOT read it. Bombshells is an Excellent Example! of ConstantineZatanna being written Well.

Captain Marvel/Stargirl

Arthur Curry/Mera

JeriRae; guilty pleasure if it’s written well

JayRose; guilty pleasure if it’s written well

BBWally II, again, just don’t ask

Wally I/Jinx

JayRoy, okay, if it is written WELL I enjoy the romance, if not, I’m all for their friendship, they have the best bromance ever! Like seriously, even if they aren’t a couple I’m all for their bromance. It’s WAY better than DickWally’s BFF bromance thing, JayRoy are just fucking AWESOME!

KaraBabs, obvious I think. And I think Babs has a better romance with Kara than Dick, which is sad given all the fucking effort DC goes through to shove DickBabs on us, and BabsKara, whilst friends, appear to have a better romance potential than DickBabs.

NOTPs

SuperWonder, No. Just No. On so many levels, NO. That’s Too Much Power, also Morals Will Clash. Just NO.

BatJoker, Nope. Uh-uh, No. Reasons should be obvious.

BBRae, No, On So MANY LEVELS, NO! I respect people who enjoy it, but I despise it, I think it’s a prime example of a very bad, bordering on abusive romance, it’s worse than comics DickRae! Just No.

COMICS DickRae, reasons should be obvious if you’ve read the comics.

DickBabs past anything but young love

TimBabs, WTF!? Cradle robber much!**

JayBabs, who ever thought that one up deserves to be smacked, after all the shit Babs has been known to do to Jay (not that he doesn’t deserve some of it), and all the shit he dishes back, not to mention it’s like making Babs the Bat Slut… NO.**

JayKori, Can We PLEASE Stop Giving Jason Dick’s Hand-Me-Downs In the Love Department!? Does he Not deserve his OWN, Original Love Life!? Not the one littered with Dick’s string of broken hearted exes! What’s next!? ShawnJay!? TarantulaJay!? I don’t mind multiships, and having crossing interests, but seriously DC put SOME Thought into these ships. Just a Little! 

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Jason; Again DC!? Please put SOME Thought into these ships! Artemis, according to history and valid reasons, is not a fan of men and has always been shown to prefer women, I doubt that it changes because she’s on Jay’s team and he’s not that bad of a guy. I also sincerely doubt after losing her best friend/possible girlfriend/possible lover that she’d leap into a relationship with a GUY of all people. I respect people who ship JayArty together, I just don’t see it, and I feel they don’t have any real chemistry

BruceBabs, I’ll be honest, Batman the Animated series infuriated me as a kid because of the B/Babs thing, and she was dating Dick at one point of that and pregnant with B’s kid! GROSS! It has taken me A LOT of years and objective reading after that stunt to even RESPECT Babs and B in the same light! No Ship There. NO.**

**I’m not saying that Babs shouldn’t be treated as her own woman, and be free to sleep with whoever the hell she wants, I say go for it, but I also am disgusted at the thought of her leaping from one Bat’s bed to the next, it’s degrading to her character and the Bats. She’s not their whore, nor are they her harem. She is a self-respecting character and woman, and I find it insulting writers have reduced her to being nothing but a Bat love interest at times when stories run dry for the writers regardless of what she’s capable of. And I’m not even overly fond of Babs and saying this. 

Things I NEVER ship:

I Don’t Ship Incest, EVER.

I Don’t Ship Pedophilia. No.

I Will Never Ship An Abusive Relationship

I also don’t ship a pair if I don’t feel they have the chemistry, sorry, but this last reason ought to be easy to understand and relateable.

[aerascreamer]

I SWEAR THE NUMBER OF TUMBLR USER WHO ARE PROSHIP THAT I HAD TO BLOCK

And I’m gonna rant about each ship here because I’m feeling like it so just scroll past if you don’t want to read ramblings and rants

I want to preface first by saying that Jason is considered an untrustworthy criminal/ex-criminal by many heroes. They can allow team ups for the sake of the mission, but faith isn’t there. He isn’t safe from a hero lying about Jason breaking rules and turning the rest of the community against him.

-

Jason and Dick: It’s incest and Dick knew Jason when he was a minor + there’s a 5 years age gap between them, on top of Dick having more power and status within the super hero community (longest associate of Batman, Titan Leader, JLA affiliated etc.)

Jason and Tim: Also incest and similar to Dick, has more power and status (Young Justice leader and Titan affiliated)

Jason and Roy: I’ll admit I initially shipped them. But the more I learn about the Arrows and the less it was comfortable: Roy knew Jason as a minor and has a bigger age gape than Dick’s because Roy is supposed to be older than Dick. Also, I heard RH and the Outlaws really butchered Roy’s character (as well as Jason’s).

Jason and Slade: Slade probably met Jason as a minor, is DECADES OLDER, and (I need confirmation on this but) Slade wasn’t originally supposed to be a pedophile ? It’s weird writers ruining a character like they did for Talia. Speaking of whom, WHY TF WOULD SOMEONE WRITE AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE WOULD DRAW TALIA KISSING JASON!???!

Jason and Damian: Do I need to explain myself? DAMIAN HASN’T EVEN REACH 15!!!!!

Jason and Marinette : I never watched Miraculous Ladybug but if I’m correct, she’s 14-15? Which is basically the same situation as Damian.

Jason and Stephanie: it is a less problematic ship since they’re around the same age, met when they were older and although she is a Bat, Steph isn’t a Wayne. (Or else TimSteph would be problematic too). But… She already dated Tim and StephCass is a popular ship. Steph’s character has already been trashed so much and reduced to her love stories with the Bats. It’s not fair to her to be “passed” around.

Edit now that I think about it:

Jason and Steph are not a good ship especially for Steph’s character. From her point of view, before she gets to know him and establish friendship/sibling link, Jason is a criminal. He is violent, angry, stubborn and hard to reason with… all traits her father has. Shipping her with Jason would be a disservice to her character and everything she fought against. If she dates him with the goal to make him better, then it’s falling back on the “I can fix him” girl trope. It isn’t her job to make Jason better. It isn’t healthy for her to put her mental health in peril for someone else. Steph and Jason can’t be a good ship because they fundamentally different world views. Their relationship is interesting to explore, given their background as poorer kid than the rest of the fam, but just not in a romantic way.

Jason and Kyle:

I don’t know much either but I suppose they’re the same age and met when they were older. But I heard their team up were toxic ? I haven’t read the story arc where it happened (and there’s still the power imbalance).

Thinking about it but… very little ship with Jason are unproblematic. I can think of JayRose and Jay/Artemis but I don’t enough about both women to make an opinion.

I swear this chart has been in my nightmares before. It’s the fact that all of these (minus JayKyle) is a Proship in one way or another and NONEE of his canon ships are on this chart.

The Normalization of INCEST and Sexualization (ESP Dick and Jason) of the Batfam needs to be studied

I lowkey(highkey) wish Jason just stayed dead at the end of Utrh so instead of feeling pure agony whenever I check out the #Jasontodd tag, I just feel a tiny bit sad about how red hood had so much potential (he still does) and we never got to see his redemption arc with Bruce (we still haven’t seen that)

[forlornmelody]

Resurrection Day

Rating: M (just a lot of angst, really. Character death, some graphic violence, and an afterglow moment)

Fandom(s): DC Comics

Ship: Jayrose, RedArse, 

Linkage: Ao3

Summary:   The Outlaws have always had a funny relationship with death, but when one of their own dies, they try to rise from their mistakes.

Note:  Idk if this is a fic, or more my headcanons strung together. Enjoy? 

-*-*

“Do you ever regret it?” 

Jason only half-hears her, his eyelids heavy, and his body so relaxed with release that he might never move again. “Mm?” he mumbles, pulling his body through quicksand so he can lay on his side and face her. 

Rose’s skin still glistens in the evening light, her hair mussed, and her face flushed. Her voice still throaty from moaning and screaming that Jason’s too busy reliving those last straining moments he almost doesn’t hear her again. “Do you ever regret...coming back?”

Pushing himself onto his elbows, Jason gazes down at her with a crooked grin. “To Gotham? Only when Bruce breathes down my neck.”

Snorting, Rose stretches one arm above her head, and her chest rises towards him in a way that makes him suck in his breath. Focus. She won’t meet his eyes, and her lips keep forming words she doesn't speak. “No, I mean. Do you regret being brought back?” The warmth in Jason’s belly turns to ice. 

It’s all too easy to remember that god-awful laugh, and the red haze in his vision, and the blood in his eyes. The searing pain of each blow, and the ache every time he tries to breathe. The numbness that settles in when he reaches the door and finds it locked--when he hears the egg timer on Joker’s signature bomb. 

Remembering what came after is harder. Running out of air. So much water, but it’s thicker than water, and he can’t get to the surface fast enough. Screaming. So much screaming. Is he screaming? Everyone’s trying to kill him. He can’t get out. He can’t get out. He can’t.

“Jason?” Rose only says his name when she’s worried. She squeezes his shoulder, digging her nails into his skin until his vision clears. “Shit. Sorry.” Sighing in frustration, she looks away. “Didn’t mean to bring all that back.”

Leaning his forehead against hers, Jason tries to get his breathing under control like his shrink taught him, but it’s easier said than done, and he fears the moment lost by the time he does. He tries to turn it into a joke, to lighten the mood. “That’s like asking if I regret being alive.” Jason huffs a laugh, but it falls flat. 

Rose bites her lip so hard Jason half-expects it to bleed. She looks up at him as if she’s confessing to murder. Sorry, Asshole, I fucked up again. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “I was there, you know.”

Jason’s eyes widen. “At the Lazarus Pit?” And there he is, again. Drowning. 

“Yeah.” She swallows, and the next part comes out thick. “I was the one who told Ra’s Al Ghul where to find your body. He let me watch, as a thank you.”

Nowhere in that haze of memory does Jason recall seeing Rose, and that it is a whole new betrayal. “Where?” He sucks in a breath. “When?”

“Guess you weren’t happy to see me.” She snorts. “You tried to kill me. Well. Everyone, really. But you were fixated on me.” Rose looks at him, finally. “Thaila had to pull you off me before I stopped self-healing altogether.”

“And then you...left?” He’s angry, as if he has any right to be. Jason probably would’ve done the same given the circumstances. 

Rose nods. “And the All-Caste offered to take you in, fix you right up. Guess it worked.” A small smile sneaks onto her lips. But it doesn’t reach her eyes. 

One of Jason’s first clear memories of that time--a lonely night in his cell in The Chamber of All. Wondering what happened to her. If she had died right along with him and hadn’t been brought back. Being so angry when he got back to Gotham and she apparently had a life of her own. His memories of her, after, are a little less clear. But the distant look in her eyes tells him all he needs to know. 

----

“Dude, don’t be so hard on her.” Roy polishes off yet another hot dog, licking his fingers. 

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Jason kicks his heels against the edge of the rooftop. He reaches for one of the polish sausages, but his stomach gurgles in protest. Maybe not, then. 

“You’ve no idea what she went through to get you back.” He turns to look at him, with those hazel eyes lingering on Jason in a way that always leaves him feeling, well, naked. Which shouldn’t be an issue right? Roy’s seen him naked plenty of times after a mission. There’s only one shower, and that apartment has one tiny ass water heater. Showering together only makes sense? At least there’s room for the both of them, just barely. It often turns into a game of Twister mixed with hot yoga. And like, there’s never been any problem, yeah? 

But sometimes the way Jason catches Roy staring at him. Makes him wonder. 

If he wants to stare back.

Just every once in a while. 

“Like what?” They really shouldn’t have bought the entire foodcart’s stock so the Old Man Gerasimos “Jerry” Angelos could head home early. This is way too much food, even with Roy’s bottomless stomach. 

“Maybe you should ask her sometime.” 

“Nah, I’m good.” Jason licks his fingers. “It’s easier to not talk about it at all.”

Roy laughs. “Ah, just like how you don’t talk about stuff with anyone else?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jason gives him a playful look, but the look on Roy’s face stops him short. 

Roy doesn’t answer. He reaches over instead, wiping the mustard that got caught on the side of his mouth. His fingers are so unbelievably warm, like he’s made of fire and not skin. And Jason aches when he pulls away abruptly. 

“I uh, I just remembered that my laundry’s sitting in the washer. Probably stinks already.” Roy rushes off, not even bothering to wipe his fingers on a napkin. 

“It always stinks, Harper!” Jason roars after him, but his friend has already shut the door. 

Roy dies two days later.

------

“Would you be angry if I--we brought Roy back?” They’re on a rooftop, They’ve been waiting here for hours for Valentino’s men to show, and still nothing. Not all the Tuesday tacos in the world can make the night any less stale. Rose is on her fifth one when she gets philosophical.

Jason snorts. “You say that like it’s possible.”

Rose doesn’t say anything, and that’s what scares him.

“It’s not,” he says, louder.

“Why not?” She wipes quac from the corner of her mouth, staring at the rooftop across the street as if Roy’s gonna pop out of the skylight any second. “We brought you back.”

She can’t be serious. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t know what it’s like, Rose.”

Rose deadpans at him, her lips tight and firm. “I don’t?”

Jason thinks back to the first time he found her. Her right arm bent backward, her left cradling a wound that had bled out next to her. How her eyes stared out at nothing. Someone had pressed the mute button on the universe, except for the thud of his own heart. He should call someone. Bruce, 911, anyone, but his hands won’t move.  “Right, sorry.” 

It’s a terrible idea, they both know that, but the thought keeps eating away at him. Every time Jason lets his mind wander, it wanders to Roy--his crooked smile, his careless lean--the clumsiness that shouldn’t belong to a world-class archer, but it does. The headquarters seems so empty without Roy in it--so cavernous yet so claustrophobic like it’s going to eat Jason alive. 

-----

Three days later Rose is roundhouse kicking a punching bag when Jason finds her. “We can’t use the Lazarus Pit.”

 Rose stumbles, missing the bag completely and tumbling to the floor. “The fuck, Jason!” For someone who sees the future, Rose certainly didn’t hear this coming. 

Jason helps her up. “We can’t use the Lazarus Pit. I don’t want Roy going through what I did.” He meets her eyes. “What we did.” 

Rose nods, still breathless and annoyed in a way that makes him want to smother her with kisses. “You got another idea?” Jason swallows, squeezing the hand he’s still holding. “Jason?”

“You wouldn’t happen to know your HLA markers, would you?”

“My what?”

----

 Rose hates going to the doctor. It’s rarely a problem--her regeneration usually prevents her from getting sick, and her injuries hardly last long enough. But she’s been around enough mad scientists that she practically glares holes into the nurse when he brings out the needle. 

“Don’t kill him and maybe I’ll give you a lollipop afterward.” Jason elbows her other arm.

“A lollipop is not what I want to be sucking right now,” Rose fires back, looking at him instead of the needle. She relaxes slightly, and Jason kisses her, brushing her hair behind her ear.

The nurse coughs. “Alright. Easy in--and done.”

Rose swallows, taking in a deep breath. “Finally.” She closes her eyes, then stands up, rushing for the door.

Jason pauses in the doorframe, looking back at the nurse. “Uh, keep us posted.”

“We’ll call.”

----

It’s a stupid idea. The morgue doesn’t even understand why Jason Todd, adopted son of Billionaire Bruce Wayne wants to keep Roy Harper’s body in their freezer, especially when Oliver Queen seems to want it cremated as soon as possible. Bribing the owner doesn’t even work--not with Queen’s fortune also in play. So, Rose concocts some dumbass story about Harper’s biological family coming in from out of town. It’s so crazy that both Queen and the mortician fall for it. 

Both Jason and Rose hold their breath when his phone rings. And Rose, and her fucking precognition, hugs him tight and fucking squeals before the nurse even says it “It’s a match.”

---

“Nervous?” Jason sits next to her, squeezing her hand as the scientist hooks the catheter tube to a vein in Roy’s chest. Jason has a hard time looking at his body, so he focuses on Rose instead. 

“Fucking terrified.” Rose laughs humorously. 

“Trust me, if they try anything I’ll shoot them myself.”

“You know I can hear you, right?”

-----

Rose isn’t sure what’s more surprising, the gleam in Roy’s eyes like he just woke up from a nap, or the desperate kiss Jason gives him when he takes his first breath. Or maybe it’s not surprising at all. She should have known from the way Roy always seemed to be in Jason’s thoughts--he always had a convincing lie, and maybe Rose wanted to believe him. Maybe she should feel angry--betrayed, even, but all she feels is relief.

Finally, Jason remembers they’re not alone, and he breaks off from sucking Roy’s face, his face as red as Roy’s hair. 

Roy, on other hand, is not surprised at all. “Missed me that much, huh?”

[scandalsavagefanfic]

Could you pretty please spare your knowledge of the last episode of Titans to us on board the JayRose train who can only watch Titans via 2 minute youtube clips? Can you tell us in what order the scenes happen? The theater scene, the lounging on the bed by the water scene and the scene where Rose calls Slade? Which order are they in? Thank You!

Absolutely!! 

⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠MAJOR EPISODE SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠

The lounging by the poolside scene is first. Jason and Rose broke into a wealthy person’s house “outside of Gotham” (I’m gonna go with the Drakes until Titans tells me otherwise ;) ). They are absolutely fucking. They spent the prior evening busting drug rings, Rose complains that he won’t even take her to the manor, he says that’s not the real him, Rose wants to see the real Jason Todd, and he agrees to show her if she tells him about the real Rose.

That leads to the theater scene. It’s not Jason’s school. He says it’s his home. Talks about his dad being jerk who got himself killed, his mom being an addict who died, he did foster care, juvie, streets. Then he found the school and slept in the rafters, watching the theater kids do their thing. Rose says “Explains why you’re so dramatic” which is just chef’s kiss because that comes at least partially from Bruce :D  Titans gives us JayRose and theater nerd Jason and I can’t even remember what happened in the rest of the episode lol. Rose says something mean, Jason calls her on her bullshit because he recognizes it, he’s always pushed people away too. Jason, being the big fucking sappy nerd that he is, romantically quotes a song from West Side Story and Rose joins in because she’s into theater too. 

Which finally leads to the last scene with them. Jason isn’t around and his phone goes off. Rose picks it up, sees the photo he took of them earlier that she asked him not to post–he didn’t post it, but he has it as his background–and deletes a text from Donna, asking if they’re alright. Then she goes out by the pool, calls Slade and says she’s out. She quits. She’s not helping him anymore because she loves Jason and YAY! this must be the Judas contract subversion the creators were talking about! Then she chucks her phone in the pool and she and Jason live happily ever after until Slade kills Jason for, as Adeline so eloquently put it to Dick about Joey, seducing his kid.

[forlornmelody]

Three Robins Rose Has Kissed And The One Who Kissed Back

Rating: Explicit (there’s smut, and lots of swearing, and some implied drug use.)

Fandom(s): DC Comics

Ship: JayRose (Jason Todd/Rose Wilson)

AO3 Link: Here

Summary: Rose Wilson has a type and it is former protégés of Batman.

Note:  For the sake of this story, I'm assuming both the events of the Crisis continuity, and the New 52, happened. (But we're just gonna pretend DC didn't nerf Rose for daddy-fodder, kay? Kay.)

-*-*-

“Rose.” Nightwing stares down at her, narrowing his eyes, but his grin betrays him. “Something tells me you’re doing this on purpose.”

“What makes you say that?” The mat presses up against Rose’s back.

“That’s the third time today I’ve swept you off your feet.” Dick’s got her in a full nelson, one of his escrima sticks pointed at her throat. He’s not actually going to bust her, though. Nightwing, the former Boy Wonder, is too good for that sort of thing. It frustrates her to no end. 

“Maybe I need more practice.” Rose can’t help the playful lilt creeping into her voice. The blue and black look good on him--better because they hug his body in all the right places. All she has to do is tilt her hips--there. One flip and Rose leans over him, pressing both his wrists against the mat. 

“You? You’re better than this.” Somehow it sounds like Dick is commenting on more than her training room flirting tactics, and the smile slips from her face. Like he hasn’t hit on half his opponents already. Hypocrite. She’ll show him. 

Time slows as Rose closes in, so close she can hear Dick’s heart speeding up. Just as her lips are about to brush against his--Dick turns his head and her kiss lands on his cheek. “Oh come on.” Just like that--Dick’s on his feet, launching Rose off him.

“Focus, Rose.” 

Their sparring session continues, and Dick never once brings up the kiss. He drives her crazy, in more ways than one, but she seems to have him off-balance for now. Rose presses her advantage, and she pins Dick face-first against the Robin costume on display. Freezing, Dick sucks in a breath. Before Rose can ask what’s wrong, he shoves his elbow into her sternum, pushing her away. 

“Dick?” 

“Not now.” He doesn’t even look at her as he slams the door behind him. 

What’s his hang-up with his old costume, anyway? 

-----

Rose’s only on this team because of Dick, because even though he doesn’t lead the Titans anymore, what he says goes. Even when the Titans hate his decision. Even when they hate their newest member with a passion. Even though she tried to kill them before. 

But Rose knows more than just martial arts. And she knows just how to get under Tim’s skin. Or on top of it, rather. 

Click. Tim’s got her pressed face-first against the mattress and her hands cuffed behind her back. Somehow Rose suspects this isn’t a bondage thing. Too bad. She really liked the feel of Tim’s lips against hers. 

“Hot damn.” Eddie stares at them through the open door and Rose can literally see steam coming out of his ears. That might be normal for him. Rose hasn’t been paying attention, at least not before now. 

“It’s not what it looks like,” Tim says quickly.

“Yes it is,” Rose says even quicker. Sometimes Rose’s visions don’t help much. People’s choices determine the future and people can be oh so finicky. It drives her nuts. Fights are one thing--people either want to kill her or they don’t--the rest they have ingrained through practice or the lack thereof. Knowing whether someone wanted to get in her pants--well. Apparently, she hasn’t quite figured that one out. 

Tim pulls her cuffs off, extracting himself from the bed and putting some distance between them. “Put some clothes on.” Damn. She’s 0-2.

But with the way Eddie’s eyes linger on her as she slides her armor on? Maybe it’s not a total loss. 

----

First Stephanie giggles, and Rose can hear it echo across Gotham’s rooftops. “What are you doing?” Then her smile slips, and the silence is deafening. 

Rose leans in closer, both their asses teetering on the edge. “You and Tim are on a break, right?” Her lips part, and she can smell the lavender in Spoiler’s shampoo. Their breaths intermingle and she’s so close to--

“Rose, I’m straight.”

“Seriously??”

----

Honestly, Rose had given up trying at this point. Jason Todd--Gotham’s best, or perhaps worst bad boy--should have been an easy target. Except he wasn’t Rose’s target, not this time. Her employer wanted Roy Harper out of the picture--Jason was just in her way. And he rarely left his best friend out of his sight. And Rose thought Koriand’r would’ve been more of a problem. And with her out of town--possibly out of planet--this should have been a piece of cake. Just get off The Red Hood’s radar by getting into his pants. How hard could it be?

Way harder than Rose ever imagined. 

But the price on Roy’s head? Too high to pass up. With that kind of money, Rose would be set for life. No more relying on her dear dad to help with bills every so often. Or his car. Or his safehouses. She could even get her brother the care and protection money to keep him away from all those bent government agencies and mad scientists who wanted to dissect his brain, or worse, use him for their own ends. 

So, Rose stayed. Even after Jason turned her down, more than once. 

The first time, it’s on a mission in Hong Kong, where Rose just so happens to be going after the same target. The Jade Dragon--Kingpin and Slum Lord who owned half the Indian Ocean. Roy waits for them on the roof with their getaway ride, and Rose joins Jason in the elevator. Halfway up it just so happens to stall. She really outdoes herself. 

Jason’s blue eyes stare not at her, but at the emergency hatch. The back-up lights cast a soft glow on his skin as Rose closes in. “It’s probably a power failure. No way they don’t have backup generators in this place.”

“Yeah. But they don’t run the elevator when the power goes out--in case of a fire.”

Jason swears under his breath, eyeballing the distance from his feet to the ceiling. “So what. We’ve got about ten, maybe twenty minutes before they fix it?”

“Something like that.” Rose touches his shoulder. “Relax. Where’s your slumlord going to go? The roof?” The stairs don’t go to his penthouse. She checked. Something about a security risk. Rich wackos like him like to be airlifted out in case of emergency. 

Pressing his lips together, Jason lets out the breath he’s being holding for two minutes. “You’re right.” He slumps against the back of the elevator, staring at buttons like they’ve personally wronged him. “I just hate waiting.”

Rose slouches next to him, not quite touching him, but close enough to where they can feel each other’s heat. “I know how we can pass the time.”

Jason blinks, finally giving Rose more than a passing glance. “...You’re kidding, right?” He laughs softly, and it’s the softest she’s ever seen his expression. “We just met.”

The batkid who got hired for jacking the Batmobile’s hubcaps, who had a reputation of going just a little too far when beating up bad guys, who actually killed more than one villain who got under his skin. Jason Todd--the guy on ten international watch lists--a prude. Who knew? 

----

Except Jason isn’t really a prude, now is he? Nah. Rose’s caught him stealing glances at Kori more than once--always looking the other way when Kori’s boytoy Roy stands nearby. Hell, the way Jason and Roy fool around sometimes—Rose’s not completely convinced of the joke. She’s even found some saucy text messages in his phone, and more than one picture of a gorgeous flight attendant. An old flame--Rose guesses. 

But he doesn’t spare her a second glance. 

And it’s not like Rose doesn’t know what she’s doing. Infiltration isn’t her favorite--she’d much rather blow up The Starfire with a heavy payload. Simple. Quick. A big, beautiful explosion to light some fire in her eyes. But the fucking employer wants Roy’s head as proof. Says he and his friends tend to walk away from this sort of thing. Her employer seemingly has all the time and money in the world--so long as Rose completes the job. She’s starting to wonder what Roy did to piss him off. But she knows how to get under a guy’s skin--the right clothes, the right words, simple gestures to lure him in. 

The second time it’s after the mission, when they’re celebrating with drinks--with sparkling cider instead of alcohol (what is it with these guys?) Rose dons a bikini with his favorite colors--red and black and lounges on the deck chair next to Jason. Roy and Kori have the right idea--already having forgotten their bubbly beverages--drinking instead from each other’s lips. And Jason’s staring up at the stars. 

 Rose kind of envies him in that moment, floating on the water with nothing but wonder on his face. She swan dives at the opposite end, swimming her way toward him. The splash does stir his floaty, and Jason turns over to glance her way. Maybe, just maybe she has a chance. 

“Nice moves out there today. You dad teach you that?”

Rose shrugs. “My mom taught me a few things, too.” Mostly how to draw in close without her mark noticing. But nothing seems to slip Jason’s attention. 

Jason eyes her as her arms brace themselves on his thigh. “You really want me, don’t you.”

“Can’t fault a girl for trying.” And damn her, he’s gorgeous, and cut like a rock. Was it all his years in the batcave or his time with the All-Caste? 

But that’s not want hooks Rose the most. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not like that.” It’s the softness in his eyes. She’s only seen it a couple of times in the past few days, but each time he looks at his friends like that Rose swears she’s being let in on a big secret. 

“Do not tell me you’re gay.”

Jason laughs, laughs, and Rose immediately knows she���s in too deep. “Gay? Straight? Labels. Who needs ‘em?” He stretches out on the pool mattress, and he lets the leg Rose’s leaning on slip into the water. “They’re just more rules.” 

“Then why…?” Rose doesn’t say it. Doesn’t voice the rejection sinking into her brain. Admitting it out loud would mean admitting failure, and Rose Wilson does not fail. 

Shrugging, Jason murmurs. “Don’t know you well enough, yet.”

----

Rose should’ve given up at this point. Gone for the easier kill, damn the consequences. Just snapped Roy’s neck while Kori was in the shower. And why hasn’t she? She hasn’t the foggiest idea. But if she’s honest with herself--Rose knows exactly why. 

Roy is Jason’s best friend. 

Jason would never forgive her if he found out. 

And why does it matter if Jason hates her? 

Damnit, Rose. 

This was exactly the kind of fucked up shit her dad warned her about. Don’t stick around too long. Don’t make friends. Don’t let your mark get under your skin. And what did Rose do? Exactly that.

Her employer doesn’t care if she seduces Jason Todd or not, so why does Rose? 

Damn it all to fucking hell. 

Rose beats the hell out of the punching bag, shaking the chain it hangs from with every strike. Each punch she lands inspires a new idea. Slip some arsenic in his drink. Stab him from behind. Throw him off the roof of the ship. Press a pillow into his face. Snap his neck. Snap his fucking--

“Rose?”

Her fist freezes midair, and she pants, not bothering to turn around. “Yeah?”

“It’s Roy. Something’s happened.”

Fuck. “Is he dead?”

Jason’s eyes tighten as he shakes his head. “We need to find him. Fast.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

----

Rose should be happy. Roy did all her hard work for her. Someone found him while he was on a bender, tied him up, and has been carving up his skin as if the answers themselves will bleed right out. 

Amateurs. A professional knows only to interrogate a sober target. Establish a baseline of what the hostage knows and then break them down with intoxication if need be. Break them slowly, only as much as needed. Dead hostages can’t answer questions. 

“Arsenal?” Jason whispers, tilting up Roy’s chin. He doesn’t respond, and his head flops down, heavy against his chest. 

Kory shoots the nearest window, a low growl escaping from her throat as glass shards rain down the side of the building. Rose jumps a little, despite herself. She doesn’t want to imagine being on the receiving end of one of those star bolts. 

“C’mon, Roy. Answer me.” Rose never thought she’d hear Jason beg, not like that. She can’t stand it. 

Walking over, Rose check’s Roy’s pulse and sighs in relief. It’s sluggish, almost too faint to feel. Rose could put him out of his misery right here and now and his friends would have no idea who killed him. Just slip her knife in to hit his artery and bam. Problem solved. Her fingers slip toward the knife on her belt, but Jason’s pleading gaze stops her cold. 

“Is he…?” Oh fuck. Jason has tears welling in his eyes. 

“Alive.” Rose can just see the barrel of the gun her employer will use to tie up loose ends. “Not for long, though.”

Between the three of them, Jason, Rose, and Kory carry Roy back to the ship where they can apply first aid, and the ship’s alien technology can perform a synthetic blood transfusion. Roy’s pulse slowly returns to something recognizable, and Rose sinks in her seat. She’s deciding between her safe houses when Jason’s fingers graze her jaw. 

Rose jumps out of her seat, using everything in her power not to deck him in the face. “The fuck…?”

“Hey.” Oh. Jason’s nose is so close to hers that she can feel his breath on her face. She can smell the mint he just put in his mouth. Never once did Rose imagine Jason could be such a sap. The heat of his fingers sears her skin, but she doesn’t pull away. Rose dares a glance down his lips and when she looks back up Jason’s already tilting his head to meet hers. 

His kiss is softer than she expects, lightly brushing his lips over hers, holding her jaw just enough so she can slip away if she wants to. Rose freezes, never expecting this after all this time, all those refusals. Jason starts to pull back before her brain finally stops dividing by zero, and she grabs the back of his neck, crushing her lips against his. Swearing softly, Jason meets her tit for tat, and they stumble out of the med bay and into the hall. 

Rose presses him against the wall, slipping her hands inside the opening of his favorite jacket, feeling the heat rising off his chest and the rush of his heartbeat. Part of her still expect to wake up from this dream in her bed alone, heart hammering, skin flushed, thighs damp with need. She mouths a silent prayer into his lips, to the god she never bothers to answer to, pleading to make the dream real, just this once. 

Jason’s hands wander across her shoulders, down her arms, and around her hips to her back. Rose steps between his legs, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. Breaking for air, Jason’s words come out ragged. “We...we should pick a room. Yours or mine?”

Instead of answering him with words, Rose guides him to his door and shoves him inside, tossing his jacket to the floor. Jason stares at her breathlessly, and she hesitates. “Too much?”

“Never.” His fingers wind in her hair, pulling her back into another kiss.

Rose drinks him in like she’s parched for thirst, scratching the edge of his hairline from the tips of his ears to the base of his skull. Jason sucks in a breath and Rose grins into his mouth. She tastes him, gasping softly as his fingers twist in her curls, pulling at her hair just enough. HIs other hand wanders just south of her waist and he freezes. Stepping back, Rose loosens her hold, looking him over from head to toe. 

Jason pants, taking her in too. “...Are we…?”

Leaning against the closed door, Rose folds her arms. “Are we what, Jason?”

“Is this a onetime thing or…” Jason’s eyes trail back in the direction of the hospital room and suddenly the tension between him and the other Outlaws make a lot more sense. 

Damnit. “I’m a merc, Jason.” Really, she should be happy with the kiss, more than the kiss, but this--former Robin proves hard to let go of. “I’ve stayed here too long as it is.”

Jason’s eyes narrow ever so slightly and Rose plasters on her poker face, hoping he hasn’t found her out tonight of all nights. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Push me away.” His voice wavers as he speaks, and Rose’s heart plummets to her stomach. Damn him. 

“What do you want from me?” And damn her too, that waver is apparently contagious. 

Jason steps closer, sliding his hand in to cup her jaw, the edge of his thumb grazing the bottom of her cheek. “I don’t want to just fuck, Rose.” His eyes close, and he brushes his nose against hers. “I want to--” He clamps his mouth shut, trembling slightly in his touch. 

The word teeters on the edge of his tongue, but it doesn’t come out, so Rose pulls it out with a snarl. “Loving me will get you killed, Jason.”

A sloppy grin forms on his face, and Jason nods at her. “Death isn’t as final as you think.”

“So what. You’re immortal now?” She’s grinning too, and she knows she’s fallen too far to get back up.

Jason brushes his lips against hers. “I sure feel like I am when I’m around you.” His next kiss probes deeper, and one hand tugs on her elbow. “Stay. After this is over.”

Her answer is right there, just inside her mouth, but Rose says something else instead. “Oh? You’re that sure I’m a good fuck?”

His lips smack against hers. “I’m not here to fuck you.”

“Jason--”

He silences her with a finger, and then he traces the edge of her lips with his fingertip. Rose resists the urge to pull it into her mouth and suck on it. She’s doomed. “I’m here to make love to you.”

Rose swallows, freezing on the spot. “I can’t promise you anything.”

His smile slips, and she desperately wants to put it back on his face. Rose doesn’t want to break his heart, not anymore. “Rose--”

“No one can.” Tracing the space where his heart hammers in his chest, Rose whispers softly. “Someone could break in ten minutes from now and shoot me in the head.” Standing up on her tiptoes, she kisses his forehead. “Nothing’s guaranteed.” Then she kisses the back of his hand. “Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it while it lasts.”

Jason watches her, his face inscrutable as ever. 

Shit. Did I make things worse? Rose opens her mouth to murmur another apology but Jason kisses her before she can say a word. He pulls her close, his hands seemingly everywhere at once, and yet she craves more of him. Daring to slide her hand up Jason’s shirt, she grins into his lips as he leans heavily into her touch, a groan escaping from his lips despite himself. She grazes the lines of his abdomen with her nails. “Oh,” Rose says softly. 

Jason Todd. Blushing. As he watches her. “Like what you see?” he says just as soft. 

“I haven’t seen anything yet.” She ducks down, pushing up his shirt and following its path with her mouth. 

“Fuck.” One of his wandering hands finds its way back to her hair, holding her head as she breathes against his stomach. “Rose.”

Rose stands up, grinning against his collarbone. “Getting there.” She finds the hollow where his neck meets his shoulder and lavishes her attention there, charged by the tightening of his grip. 

Jason pushes her to arm’s length, taking a ragged breath. He drags down the zipper of her jacket, taking in the sight of her skin inch by inch. Rose presses into his touch, admittedly reddening a bit herself. His lips part with hunger, but it's the wonder in his eyes that stops her in place—like he sees the stars flickering across her skin.  With his fingers he traces the scar on her shoulder and the ones that line her arms. Sucking in a breath, he circles the mark of a bullet on her chest. “That must’ve hurt.”

“Like hell.” Rose mutters, only to gasp when Jason presses his lips against it. “Jason.”

“Shh,” he says softly, breathing in her scent as he edges his fingers beneath her bra and the plastron it holds. He traces a path up her neck and across her throat until he makes it to her ear. “Let me take care of you.”

Why does the thought of him being gentle make her heart beat faster?  Part of her wants him to have his way, and take his time exploring her body. Another, much louder part wants to rile him until he takes her fast and hard. Rose grabs the edge of his shirt, looking up at Jason. He nods, and she bites her lips as she pulls it over his head. 

Holy shit. 

Rose thought she had a lot of scars. Jason has so many she doesn’t even know where to start. There are the bullet marks, the punctures, the rhythmic signs of torture, the line going up the side of his neck and into his hairline where a crowbar must’ve bashed his head in. It’s not until Jason tilts her chin up that Rose realizes she’s been holding her breath. “I’m still here,” he whispers, pulling her into another kiss. She wonders how many times he’s kissed Death on the lips, only to pull back when it wanted him most. 

“Soon, you’ll in bed.” She grins against his lips, finding the latch on his belt. “Booby traps? Really?”

He laughs once, running a hand down her breast, feeling the softness of her skin there. “Safety first.” When he gets to the lines of her abdomen, he swallows, drawing a grin from Rose’s mouth. 

Stepping back, Rose eyes the latch, her brain already processing the potential catastrophes, and the configurations that would enable them. “Gotcha.” The belt clicks open, without a single explosion or poison released. 

Jason blinks at her as she sets the belt aside. “I can’t decide if that’s hot or terrifying.”

Rose stands up on her tiptoes, whispering in his ear. “Why not both?” She punctuates her question with a bite on his ear lobe. The rumble of his groan stirs her chest, sending shockwaves between her legs. Hooking her thumbs in his belt loops, Rose pulls him closer, grinding up against him. 

“Rose--” He says, in pleading or in warning, Rose isn’t quite sure.

“What do you want, Jay?” She runs the tip of her tongue up the ridge, shivering at the way his ragged breaths stir her hair. 

“Bed,” he says hoarsely, “now.” He pulls her with him, and they tumble into the sheets, boots still on. 

It’s a race, then, to see who can get the other’s off the fastest. Four thunks, laughs, and tangled sheets later, Rose climbs up his body, guiding his hands to her belt. Jason’s removed plenty of belts, that Rose is sure, but it’s like he deliberately fumbles his hands against her skin, just so he has an excuse to graze his knuckles there. And damn him, her skin jumps every time. Fine. She’ll make him lose track for real. Rose plants a wet kiss against his lips, running her hands down his shoulders and his arms, guiding his fingers until her belt clangs against his bookshelf before sliding to the floor. “Better,” she murmurs. 

Jason runs his fingertips along the edge of her jeans, drawing his touch up and down her spine. “I could stare at you for hours, you know that?”

Rose snorts. “I can think of better ways to spend your time.”

Tilting his chin in challenge, Jason sits back. “Oh? Like what?”

Biting her bottom lip, Rose catches his wandering hand, and takes it to the button of her jeans. “Lemme show you.”

Jason holds his breath, unbuttoning her jeans and drawing the zipper down. He’s so quiet Rose starts to doubt what her late-night visions have been telling her for months. Maybe they weren’t her precognition talking. Maybe they’re just the wet dreams so many guys and girls have had ever since Jason donned a mask. Searching his eyes, Rose says, “We can stop--”

Holding her gaze, Jason replies, “I don’t want to.” HIs fingers follow hers inside her jeans and inside her underwear, and he sucks in a breath. “Shit, you’re wet.”

Rose blushes, despite herself. “You really all that surprised?” She presses his fingers in slow, small circles, holding onto the headboard behind him for balance. Then she moves his touch faster, harder, gasping against his shoulder. “Nn, fuck.” 

“Breathe.” Jason chuckles softly, pressing a kiss into her shoulder. He moves his fingers more independently now while she’s distracted. And Rose breathes him in, awash in gunpowder and amber, and that salty scent he bears after a fight. Always so uniquely Jason Todd that the smell of it sends Rose right over the edge. He shakes them both with his laughter. “And our pants aren’t even off yet.”

“Shut up.” Rose pulls back to look at him.

He smirks. “Make me.”

Jason doesn’t need to say it twice. Rose assaults his lips with hers, pushing him down into the mattress. Making quick work of his jeans, she pulls them down as he shimmies out of them. Boxers briefs, huh? They’re just a simple grey with a black waist band--for some reason she’d expected some sort of smart-alecy words printed on them.  Sliding down, she runs the tip of her nose up the line of his bulge, grinning as he writhes beneath her. While she sits up, Rose edges her fingers inside, feeling along his length, breathing in Jason’s unsteady gasps. Always so coy and cocky, and now he can’t form a single word. “Cat got your tongue?” she murmurs against his ear. 

Jason turns his head, kissing her long and deep, rolling them over. Rose lifts her hips so he can get her jeans off, and he kisses just south of her belly button. “Mm.” Glancing up at her, Jason grins, kissing harder against that spot, lavishing his tongue until she squirms beneath him. But she doesn’t beg, not yet. The lines in his back are coiled tight, so tight his body might burst at the seams, but Jason takes his time, kissing down her hips, her thighs, her calves. Swallowing her whine, Rose reaches for his shoulder, but Jason takes her hands, placing them back at her sides. 

“Patience, Rose.” He silences her protests with a kiss, diving back between her legs, edging them apart so that he has room. His lips find her ankle, the back of her knee, and Rose heart pounds as he gets closer and closer to her underwear. There’s no hiding her need for him now, with the way it soaks the front of her boyshorts. Jason samples the taste of her through the fabric, giving her one long lick. 

“Oh fuck.” Rose gasps and twists, and Jason has to hold her down with one arm slung across her abs. He peels her underwear off, testing her with different pressures and strokes. Every so often, she catches him looking up at her, assuring himself he’d doing it just the way she likes. Her insides clench, and she twists in bliss, but Jason doesn’t stop, only pausing briefly to come up for air. Even then, his fingers fill in while he wipes his mouth.

“Shh.” He whispers against her mouth, reaching over into his bedside drawer for a condom. Did she say something? 

“Yeah?” Rose asks, and her voice comes out hoarse. Fuck, she must’ve been screaming. While he slides on the condom, she’s reaching over for a bottle of water, downing half of it without giving a fuck to whom drank from it last.

Jason returns to her, surprisingly shy when they’re so close to merging their bodies. He gives her one chaste kiss, then another, letting her lead the pace. She winds one hand around the back of his neck, scratching the skin at the base of his skull. The other she uses to thumb the scar next to his eyebrow, the sharp line of his jaw, the sheen of sweat running down his neck to his collarbone, and that delicious line that runs down to the thatch between his legs. Guiding him inside her, Rose closes her eyes, letting his groan wash over her shoulder. 

Rose traces circles across his back as he thrusts in and out, only to grip his shoulder when he picks up the pace. Jason grins against her mouth, sliding his hand between them, and Rose jolts, clinging to him as she whimpers into his neck. “It’s okay,” he murmurs against her mouth. “You can let go.” His tone meanders between loving and teasing, and maybe for Jason there is no line between them. 

She doesn’t want to, not again before he does. But then Jason has to fucking whisper sweet nothings in her ear. 

“You’re so beautiful when you let go,” he says softly, and her world flashes white, much like it does on the cusp of a vision. Her body coils like a spring, and Rose hooks her ankles around his hips, drawing him deeper inside as she clenches around him. 

Jason’s eyes pinch shut as he loses his tightly held control, and Rose rolls her hips until he falls to her side. “Holy hell,” he gasps softly, muffled by his pillow. 

“Yeah.” Rose shouldn’t, but she can’t help but kiss his left temple, tucking them in and tossing the spent condom aside. 

She spends the night committing every line of his body to memory. And it helps soothe her in the weeks, months, and years ahead. 

---

The next morning, Rose rolls to get closer to him, only to find his side of the bed empty. In his place, Jason left a small, folded piece of paper, and Rose takes her time undoing all the creases. 

Rose,

You’ve no idea how amazing you are. I hope last night isn’t the end of it, but I understand if it is.

--Jason.

Beneath his name, Jason’s inscribed his number, and though Rose memorizes it within seconds, she always keeps the note close, in her utility belt or between her bra and her plastron, next to her beating heart. 

[forlornmelody]

Kord Center Mall: Rose Takes Cassie for a Drive

Rating: E (smut with some plot, for flavor)

Fandom(s): DC Comics, (some mentions of Mass Effect characters but this is very crossover-lite.)

Ship: Rose Wilson/Cassie Sandsmark (mentions of JayRose)

Linkage: Ao3

Summary:  Rose Wilson is Cassie Sandsmark's most obnoxious coworker. She can hardly stand sharing a desk with her, most days. But when Rose proposes a little after-hours experiment, Cassie can't help but accept.

Note: This is a cross over, mall-verse AU concocted by @scifi-ginger and myself. You’ve been warned.

-->-->

Rose sits on the counter, her feet resting on either side of Cass’s keyboard. “So, are you into girls at all?”

“What?” Cass glances at her briefly, and then glues her eyes to her computer screen, which just so happens to sit between Rose’s legs.

“I can’t get a read on you. You were a star pitcher, and no one in softball is straight...but as far as I know you haven’t fucked anyone since Conner took that football scholarship at USC.”

“Who I do and do not screw is none of your business, Rose.” 

“That’s not a no.”

Cass takes a deep breath through her nose. “Why are you so interested in my sexuality all of a sudden?”

Rose quirks one of her eyebrows, leaning until her elbows rest on her knees. “Isn’t it obvious?” Her tank top dips low in a way that makes Cass roll her eyes. 

“You hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. I just...find you really fucking annoying.” Rose sits back up. “But if you’re too scared to kiss a girl I get it.” She starts to climb off the desk.

“Wait.” Rose stops, eyeing her with a smile that looks a little too much like Cass’s cat when she’s caught a mouse underneath her paw. “Are we just talking about a kiss?”

Rose’s grin widens. “However much you want, blondie.” She kicks her heels, managing to not hit Cass in the process. “But if you want more you’ll have to ask.”

Cass brushes her out of the way of the screen and gestures to Rose’s empty chair--which her desk partner hasn’t used since lunch. “Where is this going to happen? And don’t say the showers. Cause I’m pretty sure Ash and her new client have already claimed that spot.”

“Damn. That was fast.” 

“Jealous?”

“NO.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

Rose settles next to Cass, chewing one of her sticks of gum. “Dunno. Pretty sure someone will catch us in the corridor--” She eyes Cass once over. “--Unless you’re into that.”

Cass meets her eyes. “Absolutely not.”

“You’re no fun.” Rose takes one of Cass’s pens, clicking the spring repeatedly. “Maybe that new store front coming in?”

“And get thrown out for trespassing? No thanks.”

“Caass,” Rose whines.

“Do you want to kiss me or not?”

“Fine.” Rose pulls Cass’s keyboard away from her, tapping the f key repeatedly. Cass throws her hands up, settling for watching her think. “My car’s too small.” She groans, banging her head into the keys, only to snap her head back up. “Wait. I got it.”

“Where?”

“Meet me in the transit garage after your shift.” Rose stands, heading towards the exit.

“Where’re you going?”

Rose turns, winking at her. “Catch you later, blondie.”

“Hey! Your shift isn’t over for another hour!”

“Byyyyyee.”

Cass is going to kill her. First, she’s going to kiss her. Then she’s going to kill her. 

-->-->

Cass waits at the elevator, watching commuters leave the train, hop into their cars and take off. The garage has nearly emptied by the time Rose taps her on the shoulder. She guides her to a Tesla sitting at the charging station. She opens the door for Cass, who then stares at her in disbelief. 

“Hey. I can be nice. When I want to be.”

“When you want something,” Cass wryly, getting in the passenger side. “Where’re we going?”

Rose grins at her, pushing to start the engine. The radio starts blaring “Voodoo Child.” “You’ll see.” She takes off with a peel, and Cass finds herself gripping the handle next to her head. Panic bar indeed. 

“You know...I never took you for a Hendrix fan.”

“I’m not. This is Joey’s car.”

“Seriously?”

“Did you want to go for a ride in my beater?” Cass rolls her eyes. “Didn’t think so.”

The drive takes them up one of the windiest roads Cass has ever seen. She isn’t one to get carsick, but she might have to make an exception. 

“Do not throw up in my brother’s car,” Rose says sternly

“Then stop driving like my grandma.”

“Your grandma drives like this?”

“Why do you think they took her license away?”

The car pulls to a stop. “Well, we’re here.” Rose puts it into park, but she leaves the radio on. 

Cass whistles. She can see at least three snowcapped mountains looming over the city’s skyline. The sun setting behind them casts a pink glow over everything it touches. “Dang. Where are we?” Even Rose’s silver hair turns gold this time of day. 

“Highest point in town, blondie.” Rose puts the driver’s seat down. “Now put your seat down.”

“Wait. We’re making out in your car?”

“My brother’s car, yeah.” When Cass doesn’t move, Rose snorts. “Do you really want to get arrested?”

“Whatever.” Cass does as asked. 

Rose watches her, fiddling with the fringe of her scarf. “Better. Now sit up.” 

Cass complies, her heart hammering in her ears. God, she feels like she’s sixteen again. Rose leans over, tugging one of the shoestrings on Cass’s hoodie. Swallowing, she dares to brush her fingers down Rose’s cheek, reveling in the feeling of her. Goosebumps bristle across their skin despite the warmth of Joey’s car in the sun. Taking a breath, Rose closes in, and they both close their eyes.

“If you’re going to kiss me, you better start using my actual name.” Cass sits back, grinning at Rose’s groan.

Rose wets the bottom of her lip. “Alright then.” She whispers her name as she tilts her head. “Cassandra.” 

Cass finds Rose’s lips surprisingly soft. Rose presses in before seemingly remembering herself. She pulls back, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. Her eyes search Cass’s shyly. This is a side of her coworker she’s never seen before. “Well?”

“Well what?”

Rose licks her lips again, swallowing. “Did you want to head back or…?”

Cass blinks. “Now? We just got here.”

The younger Wilson dares to smile. “Yeah.” She turns up the stereo. “But if you want more than a kiss, you’re going to have to ask me.” And just like that Rose’s mask is back on. Cassie resolves to remove that mask by any means necessary--the thought sends a thrill down her spine. Holy crap, is she--are they really doing this?

“Okay.” Cass says, and then whatever witty thing she had planned on saying falls right off her tongue as Rose lounges back on her seat, letting the hem or tank top ride up. In all her years of being an athlete, Cass has seen plenty of cut abs, but never as she seen them displayed quite like this. “You look really nice.” She whispers almost reverently.

Rose blinks at her, then smirks. “That...wasn’t a question.”

Crap. Cass swallows. “Y’know...you’re making it really hard for me to think straight.”

“Uh, Cass. I’m pretty sure you’re not straight.”

“Har. Har.” Cass takes her hand, running her thumb across Rose’s fingers. She squeezes her hand, willing the words out. Here we go. “Wanna make out with me?” Really, she wants to ask for more, but all of this is so new, and she’s scared of screwing it up.

“Hell yeah.” Rose surges over the console dividing them, nearly crushing Cass with the force of her kiss.

The car has trouble containing them as they explore each other’s mouths with their tongues--elbows, knees, and fists continually bumping into the windows, the door, the seat. Somehow Rose ends up in Cass’s lap, and her fingers in Cass’s hair. She’s definitely not complaining. Cass drags her nails down Rose’s neck, answering her strength in kind--she’s going to take those same nails down Rose’s abs later. 

A moan slips out of Rose’s mouth. “Shit, Cass.” 

Drinking her in, Cass does it again, surprised at her own yearning. She’s thought about girls, sure. Kissed a couple on a dare. But this? Does this mean she’s--

Rose lips clamp down on her neck, silencing her questions with the sound of her own moan. “God, Rose.”

She pulls back with a pop, panting a little breathlessly. “Mm. Too fast?” Cass shakes her head. “Too hard?”

Cass swallows. “No. Uh...I just…. oh geeze.” Her hair is as red as her hoodie. 

Rose smirks, but says nothing, running her thumb across Cassie’s hand. What is it about her that makes Cassie question everything? 

“You’re great. Amazing.” Her eyes keep wandering to the patch of skin peeking out from beneath Rose’s shirt. “I think I want you.” She manages to say out loud.

Laughing, Rose mutters something about uncooked spaghetti as she closes in for another kiss. 

“Wait, what?”

“Nothing.” Rose snickers, sliding her hand up Cassie's shirt, skimming the skin of her throat with her teeth. She’s putty in her hands as Rose’s fingers toy with the lace in her bra. Cass has never been that sensitive there, but the way Rose watches her as she pulls her nipple into her mouth makes Cass gasp for air. 

Cass feels like she’s back on the field, going up against the player with the best batting average. She hasn’t been this intimidated by another girl in years. Running her hand down Rose’s front, she finds the bottom of her shirt, and that delicious stretch of muscle underneath. “Now I see why you’re always at the gym.”

Rose snickers, fingering the hem of Cass’s shirt. She shakes her head, letting go of her shirt and sliding a single finger down to the waistband of her jeans. Her eyes smolder into Cass’s as she asks, “Can I?”

“Yes,” Cass answers breathlessly, pulling her in for another kiss. She trails her lips down Rose’s neck, tracing every muscle on her torso. How can Rose be so hard and soft at the same time? “I love the way you feel,” she whispers reverently into her skin.

“You’ll be loving the way I make you feel here in a minute.” Rose pops open Cass’s jeans like it’s the lid of a soda can, smirking as her underwear peeks out from underneath. “Polka dots, huh? I always thought of you more like a stripes kind of girl.”

“Laundry day.” They both laugh, softer as Rose drags her zipper down. “Mm.” Cass presses her lips together, squirming a little under her touch.

“Shit, you’re wet.” Rose swallows hard, sitting up so she can shuck Cass’s jeans off her hips. There’s only one problem. “Ow.” She groans as her head collides with the ceiling.

Cass blinks. “You okay?”

“This was way sexier in my head.” Rose mutters, rubbing her scalp.

“Shh.” Cass silences her with a finger. “This is great.” She pulls Rose into a hungry kiss, shivering at the way she melts into her touch. Rose holds her a little bit tighter and a little bit longer, and Cass can’t help but notice that carefully constructed facade coming loose again. Undoing Rose’s jeans, she lets her finger just inside, following the waistband around her hips until she reaches that dip just above her--

“Oh.” Rose whispers breathlessly as Cass cups her ass and squeezes.

Cass shivers, whispering into her ear. “I can tell you put a lot of thought into this.” She traces the lace of her boyshort with her finger and thumb. “That is really sexy.”

Rose hesitates ever so slightly as her hands wander across Cass’s bare thighs. She’s gathering her defences for another witty remark, but Cass is determined. Using those same fingers, she brushes that lace against Rose’s clit in a way that makes Rose gulp. “I…” Her words drown in her moan as Cass presses deeper. “Fuck.”

“I think you’re beautiful, Rose.” She shivers as Rose’s finger fumble against her underwear. Cass draws languid circles across her soaked skin, feeling her nerves settle into place. It feels good and right and Cass wonders why she never tried it before. 

“Nng. Cass...I--” Rose rolls her hips involuntarily, her skin bathed in gold.

“Shh.” The angle is different, the feedback not so instantaneous, but the method’s not all that different from what she does in her down time. “Just enjoy it.” Cass tugs on her ear lobe with her teeth as digs faster, tighter, even as Rose shudders under her touch. 

Finally, Rose tugs her hand away. “Jesus fucking Christ, Cassie. Why you gotta be so perfect?” She licks her lips breathlessly as her fingers slide against her slick. “You’re making me look bad.”

Cassie laughs. “You just want everyone to think you’re--” Her words are gone, lost in the feel over Rose’s fingers moving across her with precision. Swallowing a moan, Cass feels her stomach flip as she realizes Rose may have been paying closer attention than she thought. Cause she’s moving her fingers in the exact same w-- “Oh.” 

Rose snickers. “Think I’m what, Cass?” Her finger slips in a circle around her entrance. “Can I?”

“Please,” Cass begs, clutching her arms as Rose’s finger slides inside quick and easy, curling and twisting in a way that makes her squirm.

“You like that?” Rose whispers against her ear. Cass moans her reply, helplessly sensitive to her touch. “You want more?” Her thumb circles her clit in calculated move that sends Cass’s head knocking against the back of her seat. “Yeah?” She adds a second finger, driving and squeezing and the entire car washes over with heat and light.

Cassie settles next to her, languid and warm. The two of them don’t really fit on the seat, so they press together side by side. “So... why me? Why now?”

“Mm?” Rose stretches, and Cassie watches her with a pull in her gut. 

“Ugh, how do I put this...you’ve never been interested in me before. Why now?”

Rose shrugs. “I figured now was as good a time as any.” She traces circles on Cassie’s hip.

Cassie doesn’t buy it. Her late-night texts with Cissie and Greta flash across her brain. “Is this about Jason?”

Rose’s fingers freeze in place. “No.”

“That’s not Cissie sa--”

“Oh shut up. This is why you’re annoying.” Her finger leaves Cassie’s skin bare, jabbing her tummy. “You and your It Girl Club.”

Cassie grabs that finger and pulls it into her mouth. “You’re in love with him.”

“Fuck off, Cassie.” Rose climbs back into the driver’s seat.

“And it scares you.”

“I said fuck off.” She yanks her jeans back on, swearing as they struggle in her hands.

“Relax. I’m not going to tell.” Cassie pulls her jeans on too, even though she doesn’t want to quite yet. 

“Like hell you aren’t.” Rose starts the engine and Cassie sighs into the window. Really, she should have expected things to go back to where they had been before, but part of her doesn’t want it to. And why should it?

“If you’re not going tell him, I will.”                                                 

Rose jerks the car to a stop. Thank goodness they were in a quiet neighborhood and not downtown. “You wouldn’t dare.”

I’m not disposable, Rose, Cassie’s mind screams at her, but she keeps it buried under a cool smile--a trick she perfected in school. “Wouldn’t I?” Rose isn’t the only one who can put on a mask.