Quanto Lysandre olhava para ela, o melhor jeito de se controlar era falando atĂŠ a sua lĂngua inchar.
Aqueles olhos dĂspares cravaram-se nos seus e ela imaginou como seria delicioso vĂŞ-los desfoques, apertados em uma espiral de prazer enquanto seu nome sairia daqueles suaves e pequenos lĂĄbios masculinos. O ĂĄlcool estava subindo mais rĂĄpido do que o esperado se ela estava pensando algo como isso tĂŁo abertamente enquanto eles supostamente deveriam estar conversando.
- O quĂŞ? â Ela reclamou, seu rosto indiferente enquanto seu corpo se aquecia sozinho; rapidamente desviou o olhar para a taça de vinho em sua mĂŁo e quando nĂŁo podia mais olhar para o lĂquido escuro, virou para a vista da ofensivamente grande varanda do novo apartamento de seu amigo de infância.
Ela podia facilmente sentir seu olhar queimar na altura de seus ombros. Institivamente descobriu seu pescoço a ele, puxando seus cabelos para o lado contrĂĄrio e passando-os sobre seu ombro direito â foi menos de segundos antes de ela sentir como o olhar dele vagou para seu rosto e entĂŁo virou para olhar a mesma vista que ela. Agora, bem, na opiniĂŁo dela, isso era o mais vergonhoso de se estar apaixonada hĂĄ tanto tempo por seu melhor amigo.
ApĂłs tanto tempo de amizade, nĂŁo havia nada de sensualidade que vocĂŞ pudesse usar.
E nĂŁo ĂŠ que elas nĂŁo funcionassem, ele, simplesmente, nĂŁo estĂĄ interessado. Ele nĂŁo lhe vĂŞ do mesmo jeito.
Por isso, enquanto ela fez o melhor de sua feminilidade para muito calmamente recolher as madeixas escuras e deixar aquela grande quantidade de pele clara da curva atrativamente feminina de seu pescoço, tudo o que ele havia sentido foi uma incômoda vontade de desviar o olhar, ou talvez ainda pior, não tenha nem mesmo dado atenção ao ato ou processado qualquer indicio de sua tentativa de ser sexy.
Sim, decididamente, nĂŁo poderia haver nada pior em estar tanto tempo perdidamente apaixonada pelo seu amigo de infância. ApĂłs isso, apenas faltaria o dia onde ela apareceria nua em seu apartamento numa tentativa desesperada de atenção e receberia um olhar indiferente â e possivelmente preocupado com sua sanidade mental â junto com um par de boxers e alguma blusa surrada do Winged Skull que Castiel provavelmente teria deixado por lĂĄ. E Lys seria considerativo o bastante de nĂŁo perguntar porquĂŞs e lhe oferecer uma carona para casa, mesmo que odiasse dirigir e, agora, seu novo apartamento fosse o mais longe dos dormitĂłrios do Campus que qualquer outro condomĂnio na cidade.
Ela virou a taça de vinho em um gole.
Lysandre encarou-a e seus olhos perfuraram os seus - varrendo a sĂşbita coloração vermelha que aparecia em suas bochechas â enviando uma Ăłbvia mensagem de que ele nĂŁo concordava com a sua mais nova maneira de beber vinho ou talvez com o fato de que ela nĂŁo falasse nada. Mesmo assim ele foi dentro do apartamento, provavelmente buscar a garrafa â porque ele ĂŠ um cavalheiro, e ela pode respirar fundo pelo primeiro momento desde que ele veio Ă varanda tambĂŠm.
Arrependeu-se amargamente.
O perfume dele entrou em seus pulmĂľes, agarrou suas terminaçþes nervosas e deu curto-circuito no que restava de seu senso crĂtico; era uma sensual fragrância almiscarada; masculina e marcante, mas, sendo carregada pela brisa da noite que varria a varanda, era incrivelmente suave.
Ela podia ouvir o bater de portas na cozinha que indicava que ele estava em seu caminho de volta. Um arrepio desceu por sua espinha com o vento frio que soprou de repente e entĂŁo pelos passos que se aproximavam. Quando a brisa voltou a soprar, nĂŁo havia mais nada de suave. Â
Foi um puro massacre de tudo que a prendia a razĂŁo, total aniquilação da prudĂŞncia e cautela que eram os pilares de sua relação com Lysandre. Oh deus, por quĂŞ? Porque precisava se decidir em deixar sua amizade com Lysandre ruir neste momento? Enquanto tudo que tinha em sua cabeça eram imagens aquecidas daquele rosto adorĂĄvel contorcido em um prazer divino e o vinho, voando a seu cĂŠrebro com sua circulação acelerada, dizendo que estava tudo bem que o fizesse, que deixasse tudo aquilo que sempre teve como tĂŁo valioso desmoronar em ruĂnas?
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Work Update: For You Thereâs Nothing I Wouldnât Do
Hello! Long time no see to all of you who might enjoy this little story of mine. I thought I might post here to let you know there has been a change of plans with this fic.
Some days ago I found out my original draft for chapter 5 had been abandoned offline in my laptop instead of google docs, which meant I found an entire draft for part 5 that was, well, a lot better than what I ended up publishing. I had been delaying chapter 6 because I wasn't entirely comfortable with the way the end had turned out and I didn't know why. I finally know what the problem was.
I know it might be a waste of time to rewrite the entire chapter but I decided I will use that old draft and weave it into the newest one to hopefully produce an ending I am satisfied with, before moving on to chapter 6.
I appreciate every single one of the comments I still get every now and then, I read them all and I am so thankful that someone enjoys the story I wrote, which makes me want it to be perfect. I will put all of my efforts into getting it right this time and I hope you understand why I'm doing this.
I will delete this note once both new chapters are up and I will make sure to add a disclaimer before chapter 6 just in case.
Take care, and see you soon.
- Lis
Here it is finally! The first part of the Jasonette fake dating AU I had promised. Iâm working on the following parts already as I will have a couple of weeks with a lot of free time. Iâm so sorry for disappearing. Enjoy!
Ao3 - Masterlist
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âYouâve officially lost your mind, Jay, I swear to God.â
When Marinette had agreed to get up early on a Sunday morning because Jason had asked her to hang out, she didnât think sheâd regret it five seconds into meeting her best friend at their favorite restaurant. And she hadnât yet, but it was very close.
âNette, please, Iâm begging you right now. Do you want me to kneel and plead? Because I will, donât try me.â His blue eyes had always been her weakness and the puppy face he was making at her right now almost made her agree on the spot to whatever insane plan he had come up with. The keyword being almost.
âAlright, let me just reiterate to make sure Iâm understanding. Your father is hosting a gala in a month and you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?â Marinette tried to keep her face as straight and serious as possible but it was proving hard since the words she had just said sounded utterly ridiculous.
âPretty much, yeah. So, will you? I swear Iâll pay you if I have to, I just need you to help me out with this.â He had started to look hopeful since she had yet to outright deny him his request. âYou know I love you Bug, and youâre the only one I can trust with something like this.â
Damn, he was good at telling her exactly what she liked to hear, and Mari was just not strong enough to say no to him, though she did plan to at least make him sweat a bit more for it. âOh really? And what if I asked you for, I donât know, a new car?â
Her forced attempt at being difficult hadnât flown under Jasonâs radar as he seemed to pick up on it and smirked. âWe both know you would never ask for that since you refuse to let me pay for anything every time we go out, but if you did ask for that, know that Iâm ready to do whatever you wish me to do. Do you maybe want an apartment? You did mention wanting to stop paying rent⌠â
Despite the teasing tone in his voice paired with the sly smirk on his face Marinette knew he was dead serious which, even if it flattered her that her friend would even think about doing such a thing for her, made her backtrack on being difficult immediately.
âNo! Argh, youâre impossible. Fine, Iâll follow along to whatever your brilliant plan is, but donât you dare buy me an apartment, you crazy knobhead.â The look she shot at him tried to be venomous but seemed to be ineffective when the brightest grin took over Jasonâs face as he moved to sit by her side to squish the living daylights out of the tiny woman.
âI swear I donât know what I did to deserve you Nette, I love you.â
That earned him a playful smack on the arm as Marinette gave in and chuckled at his antics. âI love you too, you goofball. Now, get off of me and finish your breakfast.â
The man sat across her once again looking like the cat that got the canary, Cheshire grin in place. âYouâre the best."
She pretended not to notice the way her heart paused for a beat when she saw the way Jason was looking at her, with caring eyes as if she was incredibly precious. Instead, the woman hid her face behind her mug of coffee.
"W-why do you need me to do this anyway? What do you need a fake girlfriend for?â
Jasonâs demeanor instantly changed, his shoulders squared up and he frowned. âThe annual gala my father holds for the companyâs investors and partners is always full of old men who are full of themselves-â
âDoesnât that remind me of someone?â
âOh shut up, I at least have a good reason for it. Theyâre nothing more than a bunch of old hags who like to brag 24/7, and since this gala is in their "honorâ they can bring guests with them. If I have to go by another year hearing them pitch their daughters and grand-daughters to me hoping Iâll date one of them, Iâll simply kill one of them. Some of the girls over the years have been nice but for every decent one you can actually talk to, you have at least 9 others doing the most ridiculous things to try and get your attention. I assume itâs what they are asked to do but I swear⌠And everyone else gets out of it too. Dick is already married to Kor'i, Tim is forever married to his job and Damian is not old enough for most of them. So that leaves me, the handsome Jason Todd, to carry the familyâs weight on my shoulders.â
She snorted at the theatrical sigh he let out before laying his head on the table, immediately regretting it as he looked up at her with a glint in his eyes. "Thatâs where you, my dear Miss Dupain-Cheng come in. If I have a girlfriend, those girls will have to effectively back off of me as well, and I wonât have to restrain myself from being incredibly rude to them.â
âAs if you could actually restrain yourself from being rude.â
Whether he didnât hear her or just decided to ignore her comment Mari didnât know, but once the monologue had been delivered, he leaned back on his seat with his signature smirk. âIâm a genius, I know.â
It took a whole lot from Marinette not to smack her dumbass of a friend again, but even she had to admit no one deserved to have their space invaded as she knew Jason had had in some of the other events his father organized, and if he was being truthful with her, then this gala was shaping to be even worse in that regard. If she could help her friend it would be enough for her, but in doing this she would also have an opportunity to design a gown to wear and hopefully get some people interested in her designs. Maybe she didnât regret agreeing to this that much anymore.
âYouâre one hell of a crazy person, Jay. Youâre lucky youâre my best friend.â She rolled her eyes and nudged his leg with hers under the table with a smile. âWeâll have to do some planning this month and you better be ready. Iâm not meeting your family for the first time as your fake girlfriend without running through each and every way this could catastrophically end.â
His shoulders relaxed as he nudged her leg back, relief flooding his face seeing her so committed. âDonât worry Bug, they will love you, and Iâll explain everything to them after this is over, but if they are in on it from the start I just know one of my brothers will screw it up. I think we can pull it off though, and you know Iâm always up for a challenge.â
The already familiar confidence rush that ran through Marinette whenever Jason reassured her that everything would be fine made an appearance once more, and at that moment she completely trusted themselves to be able to make do with this crazy-ass plan. After all, Jay was stubborn and always ready to jump in head-first into the weirdest situations.
Newsflash. This time he wasnât.
Jason had known it was risky to ask his best friend to play pretend so he could get rid of the sticky girls from the gala.
Not because he thought she would refuse, but because of his own feelings.
Truth is, he was in love with Marinette and had been ever since five months into their friendship they encountered two thugs trying to rob a teenager on their way to school. Jason had put one of them down but, before he could go for the second one, Marinette already had knocked him out.
Her breathing was just a bit labored from throwing the man over her shoulder and one of her pigtails had come off from where the robber had grabbed it, but then she turned to wink at him with a smile before going to see if the teen was alright. Red Hood could only feel the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.
Knowing Marinette was potentially able to kick his ass at any given moment had made him feel all kinds of things, and he was already a goner by the time she was back by his side.
That same night, and back in his bed, Jason was mulling over the earlier events. Read: thinking about Marinette. He had never felt so flustered around the tiny woman and it had proven to be a hard task to get her out of his head even when she had left for her own house several hours ago.
One thing led to another and soon he found himself reminiscing about the past months spent in Marinetteâs company. How she always seemed to brighten up any room she walked into, making him feel like he should look away but being unable to. Her caring nature taking over whenever someone in need of help was in the vicinity, the tenderness with which she treated peopleâs injuries, be it physical or emotional.
Jason remembered the first time he had been at the receiving end of it. It had been the time when his identity as Red Hood was also revealed to her.
In his defense, he hadnât expected Marinette to arrive early to his flat for their movie night only to find him trying to get the cuts all over his abdomen and arms to stop bleeding. Time seemed to freeze as they stared at each other, one sitting on a barstool at the kitchen isle, the other standing at the door with a bag of snacks in her arms. Marinette, being the quick-witted and resourceful person she was, recovered astoundingly quickly from her stupor and started chastising him while tending to the cuts herself while he could only look at her in awe.
Later, when he explained where he got injured, she didnât seem fazed by discovering his identity. If anything she seemedâŚsmug?
âWhatâs with that face? I expected more of a reaction:â
Her smile only grew at that as she put on the last bandage around his arm. âIâm glad you finally told me, but I kind ofâŚalready knew? I mean, I had my suspicions. You two had roughly the same measurements as far as I could tell, you also happened to go MIA whenever there was an emergency a time too many for it to feel like a coincidence. Also the little stunt you pulled the other day talking to me in the mask? You shouldâve at least tried to fake your voice or something.â  Once she was done she patted his head with a wink and left him to process everything while she prepared the popcorn.
That wink had been so cheeky it left him swooning, heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Wait. That had felt familiar.
Oh.
Oh.
Jason was brought back to the present with such force he thought someone had slapped him. Laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling at 3 am he couldnât tiptoe around the issue anymore. He wondered how he hadnât reached this conclusion much earlier.
He was in love with Marinette.
He was in love with his best friend.
Dear God, he was so fucked.
That had been the moment he accepted he was so utterly in love with Marinette, and even though Jason had hoped that what he thought was a very one-sided love would subside eventually, with each passing day where he got to know her better and better he only fell harder for her.
Why was he even thinking about all of this? Oh right. He had asked Mari to play pretend as his girlfriend that same afternoon.
What could possibly go wrong?
Marinette had taken it upon her to have their lie be as believable as possible, which meant she wanted them to at least plan out what theyâd do if certain situations arose while they were navigating the gala. What this meant was that the following month they had spent a whole lot of time together, maybe too much for Jasonâs sanity to remain as stable as it could.
Even if he was used to meeting her at least twice a week and spending their weekly movie night together, Mari practically lived in his apartment now. And he wasnât complaining at all, but by the gods, if it wasnât so damn distracting to have her around. She would often keep him company while asking questions about the people who would attend the gala, working on her dress for it, or simply walking around the house jokingly complaining about how Jason tasteless choice of furniture and decorations made the living room look like a yard sale.
Oh, and there was also all the teasing. There had been a consistent amount of it between them before, but now it had turned into a constant stream of cheeky comments, smirk exchanges and usually a smack or two from Mari.
All in all, Jason had lived through both the most blissful yet most frustrating month of his life and the worst of it had yet to arrive, though time did pass by way faster than he wouldâve hoped for.
And just like that, the big night was upon them.
-
And thatâs it! Hope you liked this little thing and look forward to the next parts! Thank you a lot for reading <3
It is finally here! I hope you guys like it and that the wait was worth it. Thanks a lot to @thestressmademedoit and @mandy984 for helping me beta-read this, you were really helpful. Iâll put this chapter under a cut since itâs so long I donât want to clutter anyoneâs dashboard/blog. Now, enjoy!
Ao3 - Masterlist
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The previous day, Marinette had said she needed quite a lot of time and had âso much stuff it would be a hassle to carry it all to your houseâ to get ready, so they agreed on Jason picking her up from her apartment before driving them both to the gala.
Jason Todd prided himself on being able to remain stoic and emotionless no matter the situation at hand. Fighting numerous villains in what was probably the most crime-ridden city in the world did wonders for learning how to handle pressing situations. Right now, however, his sweaty hands and churning stomach seemed to go against all of that.
As much as he wouldâve liked to blame it on the strangeness of the situation, he knew what the true source of his nerves were the moment Mari stepped out of her front door clad in the most beautiful dress Jason had ever seen.
Marinette had refused to even let him have a glimpse of her sketches for it before it was ready. The one detail she had let him know was the color: red, and that was only because she had taken him shopping for fabric for both their outfits for the night.Â
Despite being dressed by MDC herself in a gorgeous classic black tuxedo with a matching red tie, the man felt highly underdressed next to what he was sure was an angel, descended from the heavens in a mission to enchant all of humankind. And, apparently, Jason was her first target.
The sweetheart-necked bodice hugged her torso. Lining the seams and scattered on the fabric was a myriad of miniature crystals that wouldâve gone by unnoticed had they not reflected the light in a way that made the fabric look like a red sea of stars. The same crystals bled into the below-knee skirt, and the handiwork could be appreciated in full as Marinette walked, revealing different colors of the same crystals in between the creases of the fabric sewn in beautiful patterns.
Jason was completely frozen in place as he drank in her appearance, however, Mari didnât give him time to recover before approaching him with that brilliant smile of hers.
âI never thought Iâd see the day youâd be early for anything Jay. I had just finished getting ready:â Her playful chuckle finally brought him back to the present as she complimented him. âYou look incredibly handsome. I wonder who made you that suit? Itâs incredibly well done.â
All right, teasing. He could do that. It was just Marinette, his very good friend who he definitely wasnât in love with, looking like a siren trying to lure him to jump into shark-infested waters.Â
âOh, this? Just some designer...MCS, if Iâm not wrong. Theyâre pretty ok.â Putting on his best mask of cockiness and being a prat like he usually is would have to work.
The woman did her very best to try and pretend she wasnât holding in her laughter but failed in the end, making the both of them collapse laughing onto their seats. âMCS? Doesnât ring a bell, Iâll have to look into them.â
âYou should. Theyâre quite talented, you would probably get on well with them.â Regaining his natural confidence, Jason turned on the engine and started the fairly short ride to the hotel where his father was hosting the gala. âBy the way, you look absolutely beautiful Nette. You always manage to outdo yourself.âÂ
A stolen glance at her told him she was rapidly turning the color of her dress as she sputtered trying to find a suitable answer. âThank you, I wasnât sure how well the color would suit me but I wanted to give it a try and I think it turned out nicely.â She took a deep breath before she could let herself fall into rant mode, a habit she had been trying to break for years now. âYou look dashing too, and Iâm not saying that because I made the outfit. Iâm sure youâll be turning some heads tonight.â
Now the both of them had been rendered two blushing messes right as they arrived at their destination.Â
âI suppose youâre right, but thatâs why youâre here. Right, ma minette? To keep me safe from those headsâ Jason chuckled. âWe have to face the cameras now, are you ready?âÂ
He really hoped Marinette would feel comfortable walking the red carpet and vowed to do his best to make it happen. They waited inside the car for a minute as his fake girlfriend took a couple of deep breaths before looking him in the eye with determination. âReady.â
The following minutes went by in a blur to Mari. No longer than a millisecond after Jason had opened the door for her and she had latched onto his arm ready to play her part had the press appointed to cover the event started firing question after question towards the pair. Her partner for the evening answered most of them, with her chiming in occasionally to provide a detail or two. It wasnât an unpleasant experience but, as she wasnât used to being the center of attention, it was a rather draining one.Â
Once they managed to escape the press Jason pulled them aside to get something to drink before someone recognized him and tried to engage in conversation, which was sure to be unpleasant for the pair in 99% of cases.Â
Marinette was fretting with her dress, her eyes darting around the room like she was expecting someone to jump and accuse them of faking their relationship, thus ruining their plan. She couldnât even think about letting an entire monthâs worth of work go to waste because she wasnât being careful enough. Just as the spiraling had started, a champagne flute was shoved into her face by Jason, and the confusion was enough to snap her out of her train of thought.
âYouâll need this if you want to be ready to deal with the vultures hiding under the fake politeness, dear.â He said this in such a sickeningly sweet tone of voice Marinette almost snorted into her drink, which was a good sign. Jason could see her shoulders relax slightly and that made him feel quite daring for a moment.
âOh, will I now, my birdie?â If Marinette noticed his hand cradling her waist as they shared the champagne, she didnât mention it. However, much to his amusement, she had now started fidgeting around with his suit trying to fix whatever flaws she saw, even if Jason knew there probably werenât any. Her work was flawless.
âWill you stop that Nette? Everythingâs perfect, you made it.â
To that she finally looked up at him with narrowed eyes, making him want to instinctively duck. âI thought you had said it had been that so-called MCSâ she pretended to gasp. âWere you lying to me, Jay? I canât believe it...I should consider breaking up with you.â
Their seriousness lasted for about 0.1 more seconds before the both of them dissolved in a fit of giggles attracting several judging stares from people from around the room, not that either of them noticed that, lost in each otherâs eyes as they were. Although the noise did cause someone to notice them.
âJason? Jason Todd? Iâve been looking for you!â
If Jasonâs face had been full of joy moments prior, there were no traces left of it as he heard the high-pitched voice. His grip on Marinetteâs waist tightened as he leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
âHereâs the first challenge. And it's a hard one.â Putting on a forced smile he turned towards the newcomer still holding onto Mari for dear life. âLena, hey.â
âI was wondering whether you had disappeared again since you werenât answering my texts. You look wonderful as always!"Â
The smile she sent his way made Marinette want to turn tail and get them both out of there as quickly as possible. It was so sickly sweet, and paired with the batting of her eyelashes made it so only someone who was completely oblivious could miss the fact that she was trying to be flirty.Â
Jason had already recovered from his surprised state, giving way to a barely concealed annoyed expression. As this Lena girl moved to grab a hold of his arm he moved out of the way, making her stumble into a waiter.
The collision was nearly a disaster, salvaged only because Dick had spotted them and had arrived just in time to hold the tray full of drinks before it could crash to the ground. The young waiter apologized profusely seeing just who he couldâve covered in champagne, a terrified expression settling on his face.
âIâm so so sorry Mr. Grayson!â
âDonât worry, nothing happened!â The older man smiled at him trying his best to reassure the poor guy but seemed to be ineffective as he scurried away as quickly as he could.
Lena took this moment to attempt once more to get Jasonâs attention by whining so loud about her splashed dress Marinette started thinking about the most efficient way to sew her lips together with the emergency sewing kit she had in her clutch.Â
Maybe she had spent way too much time with her friend this past month.
Thankfully, she was saved from having to execute her plan by Dick apologizing to Lena for the incident and offering to call a waiter to help with her dress.Â
Even if his face and voice denoted nothing but politeness, Mari could tell he was at least a little bit annoyed at the brunette, which made her feel better about her own feelings towards the other girl.Â
Lena tried once again to get Jason's attention but, once she saw he wasn't going to move a single finger for her, she had no choice but to accept the help. At that, Dick signaled to one of the staff walking around the room to stop for a moment and instructed them to help the woman out with the stains on her clothes.Â
She was reluctant to leave at first, but a sweet smile that had a dangerous undertone to it from the oldest Wayne had her scattering in no time.Â
Dick's bright smile vanished the second she was finally out of sight and turned to his brother. "Well that was unpleasant. I didn't think she was invited Jason, I would've warned you otherwise."
"No worries, I should've expected her to somehow manage to get herself in. At least she didn't cause much trouble."
"Barely. But anyway, where have you been? Everyone's been looking for you and you know you can only avoid us for so long" he chuckled. "Let's go."
As they started walking, she could feel the looks Jayâs older brother was throwing their way, and even if she knew he was the most harmless out of all of his siblings (according to what Jason had told her but completely crashing with her first impression of him), she couldnât help but feel nervous about finally meeting his family.
Despite how close the two were, Marinette had never met the Waynes. Of course, she knew of them because of Jasonâs constant complaints about their daily shenanigans, but she had never been invited over to the manor.
She sometimes wondered about the reasoning behind his decision to not get her to meet his family, but quickly stopped because the only things that came to mind were less than desirable. Mari knew deep in her heart Jason wasnât embarrassed by her or anything, but her mind couldnât help but assume it was probably something of the like that made him so reluctant to introduce her.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the man next to her wrapping an arm around her waist. âIf youâre going to ask something just fucking ask it already Richard. Youâre making her uncomfortable looking at us like youâre a gossipy old woman.â
He had the decency to look ashamed at that and chuckled. âEasy there, I wanted to wait until we were with the others. You know theyâll all be as curious as I am, as well as wondering why you suddenly decided to not come with us only to appear with a mystery girl. Iâd rather you not have to repeat yourself.â He then turned to Marinette with a gentle smile and offered his hand. âAnd Iâm sorry for making you uncomfortable. Iâm Richard Grayson, but everyone calls me Dick, and Iâm this dumbassâ older brother.â
âMarinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Itâs nice to meet you.â Channeling her inner Ladybug, she found the confidence to smile back and shake Dickâs hand, to which he appeared to be delighted.
âA pleasure! Are you French? That accent-â He cut off himself after Jason cleared his throat. âRight, letâs get moving. Iâm sure everyone will be so excited to meet you!âÂ
He started maneuvering around people as he guided them towards the back of the room where there was a double glass door to the balcony. Jason leaned close to her to mention into her ear, since there was a lot of noise around them, that his father liked to have a private space for the family where they could rest if the socializing became too much, mostly thinking about Tim and Damian.Â
Mari, however, got only half of that because, when she turned to look at him, she got distracted by the feel of his lips grazing her ear, as well as the hold he still had on her waist. Had Jasonâs eyelashes always been that long? Had his eyes always been so blue?
Wait. What.
âEarth to Nette? Are you there?â
âAh, yes! S-sorry, I was thinking about something. What did you say?â Jasonâs chuckling made her blush and swat at his arm playfully. âOh shut up and just tell me.â
âI was saying that Iâm pretty sure everyone is in there right now, and if youâre not ready we can just walk around some more before I introduce you to them. They can be...a lot to deal with.â
âAnd go back to dealing with the whining vulture we met earlier? Donât underestimate me, Jay.â She smirked at him and patted his cheek. âI can do this, and so can you. We didnât work our asses off for a month to back off at the last minute, did we now?â
Now it was him whose brain stopped working for a moment as he considered just kissing Marinette senseless right then and there for being incredibly amazing. As far as he was concerned, he could probably take on anything as long as he had her by his side, and thus he resigned himself to accept the fact that this was going to be a very long night.
It was Marinette who finally took the first step into the balcony, Jason following closely behind. For a blissful moment, no one other than Dick noticed them, and it gave her the opportunity to assess the situation.
The oldest brother was standing next to a beautiful dark-skinned woman who Mari recognized to be Korâi, his wife. They were both chatting with a lanky teenager and a short-haired woman, Tim, Jasonâs second youngest brother, and Cassandra if she wasnât wrong.
Moving on to the bar, the two women appointed there must have been Barbara and Stephanie, though she couldnât particularly remember which was which they both looked stunning in their cocktail dresses. She tried to recall what their relationships to Jason were but it had been so long ago the details had faded from her memory.
Lastly, at least one of the two teens sitting over in the couches who were busy stuffing their faces with food and chatting mustâve been Damian, the youngest brother. She came up with a blank for the other boyâs name, though.
There was no trace of Bruce Wayne or their butler anywhere which immediately made Marinette relax a fair bit. She doubted any of them would object to her âdatingâ Jason, but the possibility was still there, and even if Bruceâs opinion wasnât that important for her friend (or at least thatâs what he had said), Alfredâs definitely was, and she wanted to leave the best first impression on him.Â
âJason! There you are!â
âWhy didnât you come with us today?â
âIs it true what Dick said?â
While Mari was lost in thought yet again, Barbara and Stephanie had spotted them and started bombarding Jason with questions after approaching the pair. They caused quite the ruckus, which meant everyone else was quick to join them. Sensing his fake girlfriendâs growing discomfort, Jason made sure to put some breathing space between them and the swarm of his siblings before answering the barrage of questions coming from all directions.
âJeez, chill out. Did you guys really miss me that much? I was gone for like, three hours tops.â
âWell, excuse us for wondering why you suddenly werenât whining like a little bitch about having to come. And then Dickie here said you were coming with someone and-â Stephâs eyes were drawn to Marinette as the latter giggled because of the banter and gasped. âIs it you? Youâre so cute! Whatâs your name?â
Now feeling a bit more comfortable and confident as she held onto Jasonâs arm, she easily replied to the other girl. âIâm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Iâm Jasonâs girlfriend.â She immediately looked up searching for his eyes, not expecting, however, to already have them on her.Â
Her earlier questionings came back to mind as both pairs of blue eyes met, Jasonâs sporting a mischievous spark as well as such tenderness that couldâve made her kiss him had they been actually dating. He mustâve been a good actor if she fell for it so easily, even knowing the true circumstances of their ârelationshipâ.
âI canât believe this is happening, Todd got a girlfriend? Is the world ending or something?â
âDamian!â
The spell that held them there suddenly vanished, broken by Barbaraâs scolding. Marinette thought she saw a hint of sadness or regret cross Jayâs face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, making her think she had imagined it. Though she did have to resist the urge to laugh when she heard him let out an exasperated sigh.
âWhat? Thatâs exactly what you all are thinking! Donât chastise me for saying it out loud! He always-â
Whatever Damian was planning to say next was cut off by a yelp. Next everyone knew, the other boy had grabbed his arm and was dragging him away while waving at them with an overtly excited smile on his face.Â
âIâm so sorry about him, heâs just being dumb right now. Itâs nice to meet you Marinette! Iâm Jon Kent, Damianâs best friend. Hope to see you again sometime, bye!â
Chuckles were heard from several members of the family as Damian seemed to be fighting Jon to let him go and move the hand he was holding against his mouth. Though the young boy was trying with all his might, his friend refused to budge and managed to get him back inside in record time much to Marinetteâs surprise.
Once they were out of sight, Tim was the one to speak up while everyone else was still laughing at their younger brother. âI hope you can forgive Damian, heâs still a bit rough around the edges when it comes to people-â
âYou can say that again.â No one but Mari seemed to hear Jasonâs comment. Still, it earned him a pinch on the arm for being rude, and if anyone did notice him flinch slightly, they didnât mention it.
âBut Iâm sure he doesnât hold anything against you. Iâm Tim Drake, by the way, the second youngest.â He finished by flashing an easy smile and offering his hand.
âA pleasure to meet you, Jason told me a lot about all of you. I couldnât wait to meet everyone.â
Tim seemed surprised by her words as his eyes widened and he looked at Jason with something akin to a smirk. âDid he now? Thatâs interesting.â
Next to her, Jason snorted and wrapped an arm around the bluenetteâs shoulders. He had lost his early inhibitions about being too close to Marinette (in case his real feelings sold their secret out)Â when Lena first approached them, and he was now embracing the dating part of fake dating.
In essence, he was going to at least enjoy this one night where he could pretend he wasnât a coward and that the woman he loved, loved him back. And so he started a little game with himself to see how long he could last without letting go of Marinette, starting by playing with the stray hairs that had fallen out of her bun before answering to his brother.
âTimmy, Timmy, Timmy. Do you really think I wouldâve brought her here without giving her a disclaimer about my crazy family first? Tolerating all of you is no small feat and I love her way too much to let her be scared away by any of you.â
Only after sensing Marinette tightening the grip on his waist did Jason understand exactly what he had said, and the worst part was that he didnât find it in himself to regret it at all for it was nothing more than the truth. Given, no one knew it and Mari probably thought he was just very committed to their lie, but it felt good to say it regardless.
He got caught by surprise, however, as immediately after his declaration, Marinette was ripped away from his arms by the three girls who took her to the couches on the other side of the balcony gushing about God knows what.Â
That was probably the worst he'd ever performed in any kind of game.Â
Before he could protest, though, a laughing Dick passed him a glass with something that smelled quite like whiskey.
âLet them be, theyâll give her back soon enough. Now, why donât you tell us how you ended up so smitten?â
A glance at the four women was enough to see them all already laughing and chatting amicably with each other, and Marinette looked like she was actually enjoying herself. He didnât want to disturb whatever little moment they were having, so he had no choice but to give in and occupy the barstool in between his brothers.
They had decided to keep their story as close to the truth as they could in order to make it more difficult for either of them to have a slip up that could expose them, so they had finally settled on telling the real story about them being best friends⌠only in the story they actually ended up confessing to each other and dating.
Jason liked to believe the universe was somehow mocking him or something, but he forewent that detail while telling his brothers how he ended up dating his âgirlfriendâ. Both Dick and Tim were extremely happy to learn he had finally decided to settle down after his âplayboyâ reputation had been tailing him for the better part of the last 7 years.
âI still donât understand why thatâs still a thing. I mean, you did sleep around some years ago but it was for like, a year at most, right? And you were 18, it was...understandable?â
The questioning tone with which Dick finished speaking made the three of them break down in laughter as they reminisced about the times when Jason had made it his life mission to misbehave as much as he possibly could. Bruce thought ignoring his shenanigans would make him eventually stop, but he couldnât have been more wrong. He only stopped once he found channeling all of his chaotic energy into his role as Red Hood was a lot more conducive to getting things done.Â
âIâd rather not remember that. Iâm still wondering why I decided it was a good idea.âÂ
âWho knows? Anyway, we have something more important to talk about.â Dick smirked. âYou were giving Marinette some whipped looks back there, how did that happen?â
Jason somehow knew they wouldnât be happy with a half-assed answer, they would poke and prod until they got what they wanted, and since his brothers were some of the best detectives in the world their rummaging was sure to end up in unwanted revelations.Â
Thus, instead of doing the smart thing and coming up with a real and believable answer, he decided to test his luck and play dumb.
âHow did what happen?â
He really shouldnât have been even the least surprised about the skeptical looks they both shot his way. Tim snorted and passed him another glass.
âCome on, are you going to make us beg for it?â
âWould it annoy you?â
âA whole lot.â
âThen yes please.â
Jason masked his triumphant smile under an innocent one as Tim sighed in defeat. Giving in and taking pity on their younger brother, Dick chimed into the conversation.
âWhat do you like about her? Weâre not even going to ask if you like her because even a blind person could see youâre head over heels for her. So go on and tell us, what did she do to tame the oh so great Jason Todd?â
âFlattery will take you nowhere, Grayson. But if you must know, sheâs just⌠amazing.âÂ
If the softening of his voice wasnât telling enough, the way his face automatically relaxed as a soft smile settled on his lips when he thought about what was that made Marinette great wouldâve been even more of a giveaway. Dick had unknowingly unleashed something deep within him, giving him the freedom to talk about his best friend in a way he had never allowed himself to do before.
âMarinette is incredibly caring, always worrying and taking care of everyone before herself. She has such a generous soul but she takes no shit from anyone, myself included. Thereâs no way to get bored if sheâs around, and her talent rivals that of the best fashion designers in the world. She even made our outfits for tonight.â
âNo way! You made them?!â
Apparently, the girls had finished their little chat and had approached the bar without any of the Wayne sons noticing until then. The exclamation had come from Stephanie, who immediately turned back and started examining Marinetteâs dress. Cass, however, seemed wary.
âDidnât you say your dress was an original MDC?â
Jason looked in alarm towards Mari, not noticing in his panic that her cheeks were dusted pink from hearing his little speech earlier. He was under the impression she wanted people to recognize her work so she hadnât planned to refer this dress to her alter ego but apparently, she had, and he had just exposed her.
âI- Um...Yeah, it is.â
Tim, being quick-witted as he was (and probably the best detective in the world), was the first to connect the dots. âMDC⌠Marinette Dupain-Cheng?! Oh God, Iâm your biggest fan and Iâve tried to commission you for so long! Why didnât you tell me before!?â
Though this last bit was indignantly directed at his older brother, it was Marinette who moved to stand next to Jason as if to shield him from Timâs wrath and answered the question. âMy secret identity as MDC is something highly valuable to me and I guard it very carefully so he was just following my wishes. I want to remain as anonymous as possible so, now that you know, if you could help me keep it I would gladly make a space for you, all of you, in my commission list.â
The way she had spoken (in her Ladybug voice) commanded respect, and not even one of the people present at the moment even thought about doing anything but what she had asked of them. They had only known her for a limited amount of time but were already pretty fond of the petite woman.
âYou donât need to do that. As far as weâre concerned, youâre now part of the family. And we would never betray our family, with or without reward.â
Dick managed to make Marinette relax, and she smiled at them before leaning into Jasonâs side who was still silent next to her. A moment later, however, Tim raised his hand shyly while looking at her.
âCould I still get added to that commission list, please? Iâll pay you however much you want for an original piece.â
Everyone laughed at that, knowing him to be a really big fan of the designer, and how could Mari say no when the teenager looked so hopeful?
âOf course, Tim. Youâll get an MDC original, completely free of charge though. Weâre family now after all, right?â
The happy squeal he let out looked out of place coming from someone who was supposed to be the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world but it made everyone smile.
Jason, however, seemed to be a bit out of it, so Marinette excused them before leading him towards the balcony doors. Hoping to find a quiet place to talk, they wandered around the venue hand in hand until they found an isolated corridor near the kitchens where she finally faced him with worry in her eyes.
âJay? Is everything okay?â
That seemed to bring him out of his stupor as he looked at her, the guilt clear in his eyes. âNo, Iâm so sorry Nette. I didnât think-... I outed you in front of my family, Iâm sorry.âÂ
He had expected her to be disappointed, angry, but he really shouldâve known better. This was Marinette, the girl who could find the best in every person no matter how bad they were, and right now she was hugging him with all her might.
âDonât be ridiculous. You couldnât have known, you dummy. And it was actually a nice surprise that your brother seems to like my designs so much, I would love to make him something.â
âIâm sure he would appreciate it, heâs always rambling about your designs. I didnât tell you because you were always so busy with your work I didnât want you to feel like you had to fit something else in because he is my brother.â
Even though she really wanted to tell him off for thinking like that, she was also kind of...endeared? Jason thinking about her wellbeing was nothing new, what with the very large amount of times he had brought her food and coffee while she worked her ass off finishing commissions.Â
However, it seemed like he was affecting her differently tonight, and his words made her blush once again. She had been doing that quite a lot this evening, hadnât she?
âPenny for your thoughts, ma chĂŠrie?âÂ
Jasonâs soft smile didnât help her inner dilemma, and she couldnât help but lean into the hand with which he had gently cupped her face, even if what she wanted was to run somewhere where his intoxicating presence couldnât affect her as much. What was wrong with her?
He wasnât doing much better inside his head either. So much Marinette, so much tenderness from her was melting him, and he wouldâve given anything to make their lie real for at least a single moment.
They had only started to let themselves get lost in each other once again when they were yet again interrupted. But this time it wasnât Damian or Stephanie or Tim. Marinetteâs eyes darted in the direction of the ballroom.
âWere those-?â
Jasonâs nod made a chill ran down her spine.
âGunshots.â
-
And that's it, folks! Hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry about that cliffhanger <3 You can come scream at me on my inbox. I love receiving asks, and if you have questions about the story I'll be happy to answer them! - Lis
12 -Â âStop complaining at least you only broke one leg?â âYOU BROKE MY LEG!â âI said I was sorry.â
This is very Jasonette if Iâm being honest. Hope you like it! - Lis
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âI thought you were more careful than this Nette. Itâs the second time youâve made me bump against a wall in three meters!â
Marinette knew he was just teasing but she couldnât help but want to let him drop to the floor from where he was leaning on her. However, she kept on trying to haul his heavy ass to his room at the end of the hall.Â
âJason Todd if I hear you complain one more time Iâll let you fend for yourself. If your mouth works this well Iâm sure you can manage to make the rest of your body do so as well.â
She felt more than heard the laughing as he patted her head. âMari, Mari, Mari. You love me too much to do that and we both know it, besides⌠Whose fault is this?â
Unfortunately for him they had already arrived at his room and, although thoughtfully and trying not to hurt him more, Marinette unceremoniously dropped him on the bed, making him grimace and pout at her immediately after.Â
âOh, woe is me! I give you nothing but love and care and you treat me like this. Iâm heartbroken, ma chĂŠrie.â
His now mischievous grin made it so Mari couldnât even pretend to be mad at him, he was too cute for his own good, but she might as well try.Â
âStop complaining! Itâs not that bad. I mean.. At least it was just one of themâŚ?â She didnât sound very convinced while she tried to make him comfortable against the pillows.Â
âYou broke my leg! I would qualify that as very bad!â
He was chuckling so she knew there was no bite behind his words. Actually, Jason had taken pretty well to not being able to walk properly for some time, said he appreciated the chance to be on holiday.Â
âI already said Iâm sorry, birdie. What else do you want me to do?â
âOh donât give me that pout, you know I canât ever go up against it.âÂ
Jason was so weak to his girlfriendâs adorable face he couldnât help but pull her to sit next to him so he could cuddle her.Â
"But if youâre offering⌠A kiss might make it better.â
Marinetteâs laugh was probably his favorite sound in the world and, as she leaned in to press her lips to his, he thought he wouldnât mind breaking the other leg if it meant heâd have his love to take care of him.Â
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I got inspired by this, itâs a great prompt and I had fun trying my hand at Dickinette for the first time! Hope you enjoy it! - Lis
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A loud knocking on her bedroom window woke Marinette up from the deep slumber she had fallen into after an exhausting day of work. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she turned to the window and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
She had got pretty used to Nightwing dropping in through her window, but it usually was whenever she was awake and expecting him after patrol. If he had come at this hour to ask if she wanted to watch a movie or go somewhere, no matter how much she loved her goofball of a boyfriend, she was going to kick his ass right back out the window.
In her lethargy, Dickâs knocking had become more insistent, finally getting her to get out of bed with a groan and turn on her bedside lamp.
âIâm going...Iâm going, jeez.â She opened the window and stepped back to let him jump through. âItâs 2 in the morning, Dick. What are you doing here?â
She had expected him to look at her with puppy eyes and give her a very good excuse for why she should let him stay over the night. What she definitely didnât expect was her bedroom floor to get stained red by the blood dripping from where he was holding his side.
That erased any trace of tiredness Marinette felt at the moment, but before she could do anything, the black-haired man shot her one of his charming smiles, as if trying to reassure her.
âItâs not as bad as it looks, I promise. I think itâs superficial so donât worry.â
A deafening silence stretched between them as Mari stared at him in disbelief.
âSo you drop into my apartment at 2am, dripping blood everywhere, and you ask me to not worry!? I thought you were supposed to be smarter than that.â
Waiting for no response she took him into the bathroom and made him sit and take off his suit before she started rummaging her cabinets for supplies.Â
âAre you going to tell me where you got that? And exactly why youâre here and not in a hospital? You know thereâs only so much I can do.â Her tone mightâve appeared harsh to anyone else but Dick knew it was just masking the worry and anxiousness under it.
âI already told you itâs nothing serious Minette, just a cut. Plus, getting to the hospital as either of my alter egos wouldâve been quite problematic, I donât want to expose my identity, and they wouldâve asked how I got this.â
He winced at the feeling of the antiseptic touching his marred skin but, being used to hurting himself many times before due to his vigilante work, he stood still so Marinette could clean the cut and bandage it.
âAnd what about how you got this?â
He could see the furrow in her brow as she made sure the bleeding had mostly stopped before wrapping it, and the slight tension on her shoulders. âA robbery gone wrong, I never saw the other guy behind me. I managed to turn before he could stab me but the knife still got me.â
Mari hummed at that and relaxed her posture a bit as she had almost finished. Once she was done with the bandages, she grabbed his suit and dropped it in the laundry bin unceremoniously before washing her hands. âIâll wash and fix that in the morning. How do you feel?â
Dick stood up and touched the injury to test it. When he didnât feel as much pain anymore he smiled at his girlfriend. âGood as new, though it feels a bit sore. Thank you for this.â He moved to hug her but stopped in his tracks when she chuckled and jumped backward.
âYou should probably wash your hands and arms first, Iâd rather not get blood all over my pajamas. Take one of the pills in the purple jar for the soreness and, when youâre done, why donât you come join me?â
With a kiss to his cheek, she walked back to her room, leaving him to finish fixing himself. Five minutes of scrubbing dried up blood off his skin later, he was slipping into bed to cuddle his favorite person in the world.
Feeling the tiny woman snuggle closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her brought a soft smile to his face.Â
âIâm sorry for waking you up, my petite flower:â
She gave a soft laugh and leaned against his chest. âGive me a kiss and youâre forgiven.â
At this point, she seemed to have regained all her tiredness back as her words were nothing more than a mumble against him. He happily obliged and planted a kiss on top of her head. Next he knew, her breathing had evened out and she had once again fallen deeply asleep in his arms.
With one last look at her serene face, Dick turned off the bedside lamp and closed his eyes as well. Heâd have to make it up to her in the morning but, for now, the least he could do for his angel was to let her sleep in peace.
I ended up beta reading this myself, which only means I made it angstier and longer so..yeh. Coronavirus social distancing going great over here, hope youâre all safe! Enjoy!
Ao3 - Masterlist
First - Previous - Next
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Old habits kicked in hard as Marinette slipped into Ladybug mode and turned to Jason with a determined look in her eyes he knew very well despite not having seen it for some time now. She sometimes showed an expression resembling it in her daily life, but it never quite felt the same as when she had first gone out on patrol with him.
The young woman had renounced the Miraculous in favor of keeping them safe, but he could tell she sometimes missed the feeling of freedom they brought. So one night he dropped through her window in the middle of the night, way after the bats had ended their nightly rounds, and offered to take her out.
That was the first time they had soared together over the ceilings of Gotham and the sight of her bright smile only made it so Jason fell even harder for her.
Their outings had to be few and far between, since Marinette refused to let the presence of the Miraculous be known, which meant they had to be extra careful before heading out. It became a thing they rarely got to share but, at the same time, it only made them relish it even more.
The man loved seeing her laughing happily while jumping from roof to roof, even if it distracted him a whole lot. He could still feel the ache in his bones from that one time he was too busy admiring her he didnât see the chimney in front of him. Marinette loved teasing him about that...
"Iâll see if I can help get some people out while you go change Jay.â
All of his fantasizing was shattered by those words as he saw his best friend about to bolt towards danger. She would have left him there with no response had he not grabbed her hand in a desperate attempt to knock some sense into her.
âNette, wait. You donât have a Miraculous and we donât know whatâs going on, how many people are there, or who even is attacking. I know you want to help but you should remain unseen, or just escape. Weâll handle it.â
He shouldâve known his belle wouldnât listen to his pleads to remain out of dangerâs way, that wouldnât have been her. If there was someone that needed saving, she would do everything in her hand to help, and Jason could never ask her to ignore that part of herself. Still, he could at least try to convince her not to do anything utterly reckless to the best of his abilities.
The bluenette held in a sigh and was ready to start an argument they really shouldnât be having in a moment like this. âJay-â
âMarinette, please . Weâll take care of this, thereâs no need for you to endanger yourself more than necessary.â She still didnât seem convinced enough and in a somewhat panicked effort to get through her he blurted out âWhat if itâs the Joker? I know you can handle yourself but I still worry. I donât want to lose you.â
Her eyes softened at the pleading tone of his voice, and next thing Jason knew he was being squeezed to death in another hug. His arms instinctively held her close as if she would disappear if he let go, which he wasnât sure wouldnât actually happen.
"That's a bit hypocritical of you if we're being fair, isn't it? I have to see you put yourself on the line to fight crime all the time too.â That made the man feel slightly guilty and blush, she was right. Wasnât she the one always left behind when he was called to a commotion, wondering whether heâd be back or not?
Thankfully, she didnât seem to be complaining about it as much as trying to get him to ease his worries, her soft voice mumbling reassuring words while her hand didnât seem to want to leave its place over his heart.
âI'll be as careful as I can Jay, I promise to avoid unnecessary risks. Now let's go, we can't waste more time."
Giving him one last quick smile she then finally took off, leaving Jason to push his feelings to the back of his mind with a sigh, longing after her warmth. He didnât allow himself to sulk, though, there were people in danger, and the fastest this was solved the earlier he could get home and watch movies in their pajamas with Mari.
Knowing the high number of rich and powerful people in attendance was very likely to attract some of Gotham's best-known villains like a moth to a flame, Bruce had adopted the habit of reserving a designated room in whatever venue he was organizing an event where the bats could safely change into superhero attire if there ever was a need. Jason wouldâve liked to say they hadnât had the need to use it that often but that was simply not true. Villain break-ins happened more often than not.
Having memorized the blueprints of the building as part of the protocol, he had no trouble finding his way to where his siblings were already getting ready. Barbara and Tim had set up an operations center earlier in the day so they could stay close to monitor the situation and were handing out the intercoms.
Jason immediately started changing while Dick tried to get input on what was happening on the lower floor. âWhat do we have on our hands this time?â
Tim, who had just put up the surveillance footage from the main hall cameras on the several monitors in front of him, was the one to answer. âThe Penguin and about 20 other people stormed the hotel, Â all of them armed and if I had to say, probably here for the auction pieces. Around 200 civilians still remain inside, the rest managed to escape before they closed off all the entrances. The balcony and main doors are heavily guarded inside and out but there are still a couple of safe access points through the windows and ceiling. They shouldnât spot you until itâs too late.â
By the time the report was finished everyone was ready to head into battle. Bruce established disarming the attackers as a priority but, should the opportunity show itself to allow more people to escape, they should focus on that. Quick last-minute directions were given before they were all off, knowing perfectly well every second wasted meant a higher chance of anyone getting hurt.
While this was happening, Marinette had barely managed to make it back to the ballroom doors. People were screaming and in such a haste to get as far from the chaos as possible they were shoving each other out of the way, which meant going in the opposite direction with a puffy gown proved to be incredibly hard.
Once she reached the main entrance, though, the petite woman came to a halt before hiding behind a wall. It had been blocked and a minion stood before it with a rifle in his hands. Just great. She doubted she could get inside without being spotted now, and that made her feel utterly useless.
Despite knowing his friend and his family would be here soon to make quick work of the situation, the urge to help people had been embedded deep within her after so many years battling Hawkmoth and wielding a Miraculous, and she despised having to watch from the sidelines.
Unfortunately, as if some kind of higher power had heard her thoughts, she got pulled out of them by a very loud yelp some meters away from her. The guard had spotted a couple coming back from one of the many minor hallways of the hotel, seemingly oblivious to the transpiring events. His gun was now pointed at them and the man had a wicked grin in his face.
âOh my my my, what have we got here? Get inside!â
He moved towards them with every intent to push them inside the room, more hostages to be used to bargain with the vigilantes. What he didnât expect, however, was that turning his back to Marinetteâs hiding spot would give her an opening to grab a nearby vase and crack it on his head from behind, knocking him out.
The scared couple thanked her in a rush as she directed them towards the hotel doors, urging them to run. She was relieved they listened since a moment later another minion that heard the commotion had approached her with a rage-filled scream when he saw his partner bleeding on the floor.
Marinetteâs training was still useful even if she wasnât transformed and helped her evade the attacks that were being directed at her body. The man had forgone his gun in favor of trying to mess her up with a deadly-looking knife, thinking she would be somewhat of an easy target.
Fighting unarmed against an armed opponent, especially while wearing a dress and heels, was bound to go wrong though. He managed to land a couple of hits on her in her arms and shoulder, the stinging and extra weight of her dress starting to make her falter. However, before he could take advantage of this and land a deadly blow, Red Hood had already punched him so hard his body landed on the floor, unmoving.
âWorry not Princess, your knight in shining leather is here to save the day!â
Always a lover of the dramatic, Jason bowed with a chuckle before being shoved by Marinette behind the same wall she was hiding earlier, the bullet grazing him on the side.
âCareful!â
More and more attackers were approaching from their positions guarding the entrances because of the ruckus, and they didnât seem keen in being merciful to the duo. Her mind was running at a thousand miles per hour, coming up with plans to get them both out of this in the easiest way and with the least amount of injuries possible.
Jason, though, didnât give her the chance to ponder this for long before he reached to cup her face, told her to run, and jumped in to square up against all the goons by himself, trying to give her an easy escape route. Truth be told, he would have probably been able to take on those guys enough for one of his siblings to show up and help him out. She did hear him call for help into his intercom after all.
But she also saw how at the minimum display of struggle a guy landed a shot to his head that, even if it merely cracked his helmet, had Marinetteâs heart racing and her throat tightening. This was still her best friend in that suit, and sheâd be damned if she would play bystander while he was endangering himself.
Utilizing the shadows as cover, she hurried to pick up the guns and knife from the fallen men near her and gulped at the implications of it. It weighed in her hand and mind, what she was about to do. However, she didnât allow herself to dwell on it. Those men could live without a hand, or a foot, but she could never imagine a life without Jason.
Thanking the heavens that she had accepted his offer to teach her how to shoot, the bluenette first went for the ones on the sidelines holding the guns. The sound of the weapon going off was deafening in her ears, her arms were bloody and her hands were sweaty, but steady.
Five shots were all she needed before the only noises left were the ones coming from the men brawling. It seemed that the sounds of gunshots were enough to attract their attention to her, making one of them point his own weapon at her.
Paralyzed in place, Marinette witnessed Red Hood knocking out the two men holding him back before going for the one focusing on her. She was extremely relieved seeing the last threat come down crumbling to the floor as Jason breathed heavily standing in the middle of the mess.
Marinette wanted to rush to his side and see for herself if he was okay, but as she tried to move she started to feel just how heavy her limbs were. Drowning in the sound of her blood in her ears, her head felt light and dizzy.
Looking down, she wondered when she had added sleeves to her dress, her entire arms coated in a beautiful crimson. Her eyes then glazed over the bullet wound on her shoulder, wondering how she hadnât noticed it yet, before turning to Jason.
If Marinette tried really hard, she could hear him calling for her in agony. He was going to be so mad at her for not turning tail when he told her to. She hoped he could forgive her.
The image of her best friend running to her and catching her before her body could hit the floor was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.
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As always, thank you so much for reading! I hope to maybe update the 4th part at some point but donât quote me on that, I try my best but Iâm not always in the mood to write.
