The sun is blazing hot above the three of you, and despite that— and the added weight of three heavy bags and a beach umbrella— Jason doesn’t break a sweat.

On his left arm; a bright pink bag packed with tinfoil-wrapped sandwiches and cold cans with perspiration clinging to the metal. Next to the pink, is a blue one with the towels, and the last is your white tote-bag (also on his left arm), where you carry all of your stuff. On his right arm, he carries the umbrella.

You had tried to grab something, but Jason just took it back without a struggle while you pulled and tugged. He just raised his brow like are you really trying?

You obviously let him win.

Damian is walking further ahead, inspecting the beach with sharp eyes. He’s dressed in a bright green swimsuit you bought him and a white shirt. Jason is practically the same, except his swimsuit is a boring dark red and his shirt is sleeveless.

The wooden pier feels hot under you, despite wearing flip flops. And pesky grains of sand are stuck to the soles of your feet and slowly rising up your ankles. But you don’t mind, it all fades away the second the scent of sea salt hits your nostrils.

You eye Jason’s bulging biceps and moisten your lips. He flexes them once, rearranging the weight of the food bag. You’re positive you’re going to faint— and not because of the heat.

You quickly set up camp near the shore, and you’re grateful that it’s practically empty. While Jason has gotten more comfortable about his scars around you (and Damian), he’s not exactly ready to parade them around.

Damian crosses his arms and stares at the beach umbrella, a blue-and-white striped thing you bought for only ten bucks.

“You set it up quite poorly, Todd.”

He huffs. “Then why don’t you do it yourself?”

“I would.” He sniffs. “But I’m going into the water.”

You bend over and begin rummaging through the white bag while the other two bicker. You straighten up with a smile.

Both of their faces fall when they see what you have in your hands.

“Please no,” Damian says.

Jason pats his back. “You can’t fight her, kid.”

“But surely—”

Jason slowly shakes his head.

Damian sighs and looks down at the sand. “Fine. But if it gets into my eyes I’m reporting you to Father.”

You grin and click the bottle open. The younger boy looks positively terrified.

It takes two eternally long minutes, according to Damian, to soap him up with white sunscreen. His taut back, his arms, white streaks on the smooth apples of his cheeks, and more gentle touches wherever scars are. He grumbles something and rushes off toward the water.

You and Jason watch him dive in headfirst. Slowly, you turn to him. “You’re not escaping, mister.”

You get rid of your shirt and shorts, standing only in your bikini.

Jason’s jaw drops slightly, but he catches himself almost instantly.

“Well,” he says after a beat, “that hardly seems fair.”

You raise an eyebrow. “To who?”

“To me, obviously.”

He turns around and you squirt a fat dollop of cream onto your palm, applying it directly to the middle of his back. Then you start rubbing it in with slow, soothing motions as your fingers coat the scars and place a kiss under his ear— where the cream hasn’t reached yet.

He goes still for a moment. You pretend not to notice.

Jason turns around again, and you have to go slightly onto your tiptoes to reach his shoulders and arms. You take your sweet time with his biceps, rubbing and admiring them.

Jason snorts. “I’m going to start charging you for staring.”

You roll your eyes. “You're enjoying this.”

“Maybe a little.”

His laughter dims a little when your attention drifts lower, lingering over old scars and hard muscle alike. The quiet is comfortable, with only the soft sand of lapping waves crashing against the shore and the occasional squawk of a seagull.

But then comes his face, and his smile slips away when you tell him to crouch down.

You’re far more careful here, using only the pads of your fingers to spread the sunscreen without risking getting any in his eyes, nose, or mouth. You’re so focused that you don’t notice where his eyes have strayed.

To be completely fair, Jason really tried not to look. He stared at the thin strings of your bikini, but his gaze followed the red downward...

And yeah. Oh.

“That’s it!” You smile proudly.

Jason realizes he’s somehow fallen onto his knees. The burning sand scratches at them, and his skin feels slightly sticky and warm with sunscreen. He’s only half-aware.

“Jason?” You gently lift his chin. “What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong? The sun is right behind your head, a halo of gold crowning you. You’re looking at him with those eyes and wearing that bikini. And he knows it’s not a coincidence that it’s the same shade of red as his suit and swim trunks.

“Oh,” he says. His wide green eyes staring up at you, loose strands of hair falling on his forehead.

Your smile widens. “Oh?”

“You planned this.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.”

“Liar.”

You sink to your knees right in front of him, and link your hands behind his neck. “I knew you’d love this bikini.”

Jason shakes his head once and kisses you anyway. It’s slow and hungry, like eating a juicy peach and trying to get all of the flavour right against your taste buds.

Your lips are sun-chapped but taste like those artificial strawberries— probably from the ice cream you and Damian got at the pier earlier. Sweet, his sweet girl.

He groans and his hands fall to your waist. Big, rough hands that rub against your soft skin, brushing away the scratching sand. You lean further into him.

“This is disgusting.”

It’s practically impressive how quickly you and Jason separate.

Still panting on your knees, coated in hot sand and streaks of Jason’s sunscreen smeared across your chest and thighs.

Damian is drenched, looking like a very angry cat. “Are you two finished being embarrassing?”

Jason smirks. “No promises.”

Damian looks personally offended. “Unbelievable.”

You smile apologetically. “Sorry?”

He huffs. “I may forgive you if you come into the water with me.”

You get up, briefly clutching Jason’s shoulder so you don’t lose your balance. He smirks again.

“You stay.”

Jason snaps his eyes toward Damian.

“Stay here and take care of the fort.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “That's your job, Robin.”

“I'm delegating.”

“Pretty sure that's not how that works.”

“Father delegates constantly.”

Jason opens his mouth, pauses, then sighs. “Fair point.”

You smile Jason goodbye and grab Damian by the hand, running so the soles of your feet don’t burn as you jump into the crystalline water.

That’s when Jason sees it. And his brain, traitor that it is, briefly stops functioning.

Red Hood’s symbol is printed on the back of your bikini bottoms in a brighter shade of red.

Jason closes his eyes. “You're unbelievable.” And insane, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He watches you splash Damian, while Damian loudly insists he isn't having fun. The lie becomes significantly less convincing, when Damian starts splashing back.

Your hand rises above the water, gesturing for Jason to join you.

His smile widens and rushes in.

You end up on Jason’s shoulders, chasing Damian. Slowly, of course— the water is dense, but Jason is strong and Damian allows himself to be chased around.