tired era let's goooo

“I’m not,” Danny said. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to a number of the kids, greeting them each by name.

“Yes you are,” Jason insisted when the greetings were done.

“No I’m not,” Danny said back, words sing-song like. “I’m wearing your helmet. I may not know exactly what’s under it, but I’m pretty sure that the helmet comes off.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Nope. Industrial accident; it fused with my skin.”

“Cool!” Most of the kids chirped.

“Don’t listen to him,” Danny said with a roll of his eyes and a little smile.

“I’m totally worth listening to,” Red Hood said. “Like what was I just teaching you?”

“If you see a freaking cop, get out of the area,” a few of the little voices chimed out together.

“And then tell someone you trust!” One little girl added at the end.

“Well, I was wrong. You absolutely should listen to some of what Red Hood says,” Danny said. He brushed his fingers through the hair of a grinning kid. His green nails were bright in the dark hair. “You should also listen when he tells you get out of an area or to hide somewhere safe or to get low.”

“Like under a dumpster!” A gap toothed kid said. “It might be stinky, but at least you’re alive!”

“Exactly!” Danny said with a wide grin. “Now, is it alright if I steal Mr. Red Hood for a bit?”

There were chirps of yes from the horde and one very loud, “Have fun on your date Mx. Minx!”

Jason could feel himself blushing under his helmet.

“Children, they can be precocious, can’t they?” Danny asked, a little smirk on his face.

Jason’s first thought was about kissing it away—a thought that lodged itself peskily in the back of Jason’s mind as he tried to move past it. “Yes, sure can.”

Danny just hummed.

It didn’t help Jason’s urge to kiss him. “Not that I wasn’t done with the horde of ankle biters, but what did you need me for?”

“Oh,” Danny said like it was just occurring to him even though he asked for Red Hood’s company, which isn’t something that people just did. “I wanted to ask you over for dinner and while you didn’t have an issue with what I cooked the other week, I thought I might as well ask you what sort of things you do enjoy.”

“You what?” Jason asked after a long pause where Jason’s mind struggled to comprehend what Danny had just said.

“Wanted to ask you over for dinner,” Danny repeated. “Preferable without and wounds or bleeding about the place.”

“I—why?” People just didn’t ask Red Hood around for things—at least not unless they wanted bleeding about the place.

“Because food is better shared. I am bored of eating alone and you’re interesting.”

Jason gave a short. Interesting was one way of putting it. “Sure. Thanks?”

“Thanks as in you’ll come over for dinner?”

“Yeah. Thanks as in I’ll come over for dinner.”

The way Danny’s face lit up with a smile honestly made Jason’s knees go weak. If he smiled like that every time that Jason agreed to dinner, Jason might never refuse. “Great! Is there anything you’re craving? I like to try new recipes when I have a reason to.”

Jason tilted his head. “How do you feel about Middle Eastern food?”

“Woefully inexperienced, but that hasn’t stopped me in much of anything so far!” Danny said, laughter underlying his words. “I’ve learned a lot from that, including just how flexible I can be.”

Once again, Jason was grateful for the helmet hiding his face. “I’m sure. What day do you want me?”

“Oh, well now Mr. Red Hood, don’t offer things you won’t give,” Danny purred. “But as far as dinner, would Wednesday work for you? Or I could do Thursday in a pinch.”

“Wednesday works.”

“Then say about seven?”

“Seven works.”

“Good. See you Wednesday, Hood,” Danny said, and then in one smooth move leaned up enough to press a kiss to the red helmet and then swept on his way.