#ttt2022

“About?” Marinette encouraged curtly.

“Me,” he growled.

“What about you?” she snapped.  She was too tired to play games.  If Jason wanted to talk, he needed to talk.  She couldn’t spend all night drawing it out of him.  She wouldn’t last more than another few minutes.

“They were talking about partners.”

“Like Roy?”

“Romantic.”  He spat the word out like a curse.  “They were betting on who would get married next.  The order they decided on was Cass and Steph, Tim, Barbara, Dick, Duke, Damian, Bruce!” he exclaimed Bruce’s name loud enough to echo through the apartment, “and me never.”

Marinette bobbed her head to the side to see him better.  She stared at him for a few seconds as if to check if he was serious. “What the fuck?  Rude.  But why do you care?  It’s just Tim and Dick.  Who cares what they think?  They’re idiots.”

“Fucking Bruce even got listed before me.  What the fucking fuck,” he exclaimed to nobody.  He pulled one of the bottles of beer out of the bag and jerked the bottle down against the counter, popping the lid off.

“They didn’t say why they were ranking the way they did, why they put you last?” she asked.  She wouldn’t put Jason first either, Cass and Steph were certainly on their way toward something, but she definitely wouldn’t put him last either.  Jason was the romantic of the group.  Definitely the most likely to find someone and propose on a whim and go through with it before anyone could convince him otherwise.

“They think you don’t want to get married?”  She shook her head when he offered her a beer as well.  The last thing she needed just then was another reason to be delirious.  She had enough of a reason already.  

“Definitely not, but even if I did, they don’t think I’d be able to find someone who would want to marry me.”  His voice came out bitter despite being slightly slurred.  “And the worst part is they’re probably right.  What woman is going to want to marry me.  I’m a fucking mess.”

Marinette gasped, suddenly very awake…ish.  She shot up straight and rigid.  Sympathetic indignation flowed through her.   “Fuck that!  You are a catch, Jason Todd.  Any woman will be lucky to have you.  I don’t know about how much you would want to marry someone, but the problem would be finding indeed a woman who deserves you.”

Jason blinked at her standing up straight as well, though swaying slightly as he did.  “That's right!  I am a fucking catch!”

“Yes, you are!” Marinette agreed with a decisive nod.

“And so are you,” he said looking at Marinette, all the bitterness seemingly gone, replaced with wonder.  “You are a Goddamned goddess.  You’re hot, smart, funny, sweet.  You’re the whole damned package.”

“Damn right I am,” she agreed, grabbing a beer and trying to jerk it against the countertop like Jason had done but just succeeded in wracking her knuckles against the counter.  She hissed and shook her hand for a moment before returning her attention to him, fixing him with a firm look.  “But this is about you.  Ignore those idiots.  They don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.  They’ll never have your charisma and naked sex appeal!”

“Me? What about you!  You’re the sexiest thing I’ve seen ever,” he insisted forcefully. He pushed into her space to convince her, or maybe himself, or maybe just because he could.  “I wouldn't have to look far to find somebody who deserves me.” He sloppily cupped her jaw.  “Problem is I don't deserve you.”

“How dare you!  I would marry you today!”  She pushed forward until her face was just a hair’s breadth from his.  His eyes darted down to her lips and back up to her eyes surprisingly quickly for someone as drunk as he was.  He just made up his mind to go through with what he’d been wanting to do for months when Marinette reared back with a gasp.

“Oh my God!  That's what we should do!”  She jumped back and forth on her toes, practically vibrating in excitement.  “We should get married!  They thought you wouldn't get married at all?  Well fuck them, you'll be the first.”  She suddenly froze and for a fleeting moment Jason thought maybe she’d changed her mind but instead, her eyes widened and grin brightened.

“Ooohhh!  Zoe just got ordained a few months ago so she could marry Juleka and Rose, you remember that wedding I made those dresses for?”

“The ones you were freaking out about for weeks, thinking they weren’t good enough when they were fucking gorgeous?” he snorted.

“Yes,” she snapped before sticking her tongue out at him.  “Anyway, she can be here in about an hour.  That gives us just enough time to change before the ceremony and then we can get married and then I can sleep for a week.”  She squealed in excitement and rushed to pull out her phone, activating it and pulling up Zoe’s number in a flash.

He slapped his hand down on her phone.  “You want to get actually married?  You don’t want to just… fake it?”

Marinette pulled her phone away and dialed, staring at him like it was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard, and she’d just left Jagged saying he wanted a jacket inspired by a kiwi.  She wasn’t sure if he meant the bird, the fruit, or a New Zealand trend and honestly, she was terrified to ask.  “You think your family wouldn’t be able to figure out it was fake in 0.1 seconds flat? It has to be real or there’s no reason to do it in the first place.”

Her eyes widened suddenly, but unlike the times before, this time it wasn’t out of excitement.  “Well, I mean… not real real.  We wouldn’t have to… um… to consummate it," she stuttered the word out, “or… or anything. We would just play pretend but for real…” she quirked her lips to the side and scrunched her face.  Even delirious, she knew that didn’t sound right.

“Yeah, okay that makes sense,” he nodded as his hazy mind slowly pieced the words together into a rough, ill-fitting picture.  The only thing he was getting out of it currently was that he got to marry Marinette, but not sleep with her… which didn’t sound right.  “But… uh… why do we need to change?”

“I’m not getting married in rumpled capris, to a man in a beer-stained shirt” she deadpanned.

Jason’s head whipped down to check his shirt, just then finally noticing the several stains on his chest and running down his abs.  He nodded dumbly.  “Yeah, that makes sense.  Will sell the story too.”

“Only if there’s pictures.  Oh!  We should roll the date on the camera back a few days so if we send the digital copy to them the date shows it was before their conversation.  Oooohhhh!” her eyes lit up even brighter.  “We should edit the pictures at first, you know just to enhance them and send them the enhanced pictures, which will have edits on them and send them those pictures so it shows an edited date of tomorrow and edits to the pictures so they get all ‘these pictures are fakes’ and then boom!  We hit them with the real pictures that have the date for like last week.”

Jason grinned.  “Evil genius. I love it.  I’m so glad I’m marrying you… I mean for the thing… the thing we’re… you know,” he stuttered.

Marinette grinned back.  “You should be.  I’ll be an amazing wife.  And help torture your family…” she paused as what she’d just said caught up with her. “Those things are only tangentially related.  There are lots of reasons I’ll make a great wife.”

Jason’s grin softened into a sappy smile.  “I have no doubt.”

Marinette smiled back, getting lost in his eyes for a few moments until the sound of Zoe picking up snapped her out of it.  “Zoe!  Oh my God, I have the most amazing plan… Two no three days maybe...  Why?”  She paused for a moment to listen.  “No, this is genius.  But I need your help.”  She paused for a second then turned to Jason with a beaming grin and a nod.  They were on.

><><><><><><>< 

An incessant beeping tore Marinette out of her peaceful sleep.  She looked around in complete confusion, her eyes barely registering the scene around her, everything blurring together in a haze of muted dark colors.  Her eyes finally zeroed on her phone, purely because it was the only source of light in the room, acting like a beacon.  She managed to pick it up after a few failed, flailed attempts, but had to blink her eyes clear enough to read the message.

Even after managing to make the words make sense, she still had to reread it a few times before deciding her inability to decipher the words weren’t because she was reading them incorrectly.  “She woke me up for this?” she grumbled sloppily.

“Who woke you up for what?” Jason’s gravely, sleep laden voice cut in.

Marinette blinked at him a few times, hoping his presence would make sense, but no matter how long she stared, it didn’t become clearer.  She opened her mouth but closed it immediately.  She was far too tired to deal with the implications of his presence in her bed.  She looked around quickly.  Or… her presence in his bed, as the case may be.  “Zoe said she filed my paperwork first thing this morning.  But I have no idea what she’s talking about.”

There was a long pause before Jason spoke up.  “You don’t remember?”

Marinette turned over to face him, pulling the sheet up to cover herself.  “You sound like you do.”

Jason snorted.  “It’s an incredibly long story,” he started.  It wasn’t, but he didn’t want to get into it before she slept.  “I know you have questions, but you should sleep, Pixie.  You really haven’t gotten enough sleep this week and you definitely haven’t caught up yet.”

He pushed her onto her back gently.  “Now sleep. We’ll talk after you’ve gotten a few more hours.  But I can promise you we didn’t do any… consummating last night.”  He just barely stopped himself from running his hands along her jaw.   “And maybe you should turn off your phone, so you don’t get any more interruptions.”

Marinette nodded blankly, unsure if that was good news or bad news, but the idea of sleep sounded awfully appealing.  “Good idea. So lucky I married you.”  She turned over and was sleep in a few seconds.

Jason stared at her trying to figure out if she realized what she said, but she slept undisturbed.  It had to mean she remembered on some level… right?  That she hadn’t just done it because she was too out of it to make logical decisions.  He watched her sleep peacefully, just enough light filtering in from the living room down the hall to highlight her face.  He traced the lines with his eyes, wishing he could figure out a way to make the marriage real.  

Waking up with Marinette in his bed, wearing his shirt, an idea she came up with in case his family burst in on them, was one of the best mornings of his life even with his hangover.  Feeling her next to him made him feel like he was home in a way he hadn’t felt in years, warm and comforted and… happy.

He tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t force himself to.  He laid looking at her until his stomach started grumbling.  If his stomach was grumbling, he was sure hers would be soon as well and he had nothing for her to eat.  He quirked his head to the side.  Even if Zoe had filed the paperwork, it would likely still take a few hours at least for it to get into the system… that gave him enough time to get some food.  Maybe he could even make her something for dinner, if she woke up before then.

He was in the middle of making dinner when it all came to a head.  He grinned excitedly as he heard a pounding at his door. He quickly made his way to the door before they woke up Marinette. It may be pretend, but if they kept pounding on the door, they would wake Marinette up for real.  He took a breath before opening the door.  “Dick, Tim.”  He looked back and forth between them.  “So, she finally filed the paperwork then,” he chuckled, pretending like he hadn’t heard the news himself hours before.

“What do you mean finally!” Dick exclaimed, his voice breaking as he did.

“I mean we got married a bit ago.  We were just waiting on her to file the paperwork.”  He leaned closer conspiratorially, as if he was passing on insider knowledge acquired through long hours spent as a couple with Marinette’s friends.  “Friend of Pixie’s.  Sweet girl but a bit scattered.”

He suddenly straightened up, his body tense and his expression firm.  “And keep your voice down.  Mari’s been up all week finishing a project.  Now that she’s done, she needs to catch up on her sleep.”

“You mean she’s here?” Tim whisper yelled.  He looked around quickly like he would be able to see her.

Jason had to fight to hide the smirk that pulled insistently on his lips, suddenly very grateful that Mari had convinced him she should stay at his place for the next few nights.  “Of course, she’s here.  Where did you think my wife would sleep?”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dick asked, betrayal clear in his voice.

“It was all pretty rushed,” Jason shrugged.  He returned his attention to the dinner he was working on for Marinette. “We decided to get married, called her friend over to do it and it was done.  Then Mari had stuff she couldn’t put off so we couldn’t come over and make a big announcement.”

“Do you at least have pictures?” Tim asked overly innocently.

Jason frowned slightly, but enough that he knew they would be able to pick up on it and get their hopes up.  “I mean, a few…”

“Lemme see!  Lemme see!” Dick demanded making grabby hands towards Jason.

“Okay, okay, hold on.”  He grabbed Marinette’s bag off the couch and rooted through it for the camera as if he didn’t know exactly where it was because they’d put it there purposefully. “Here.  The last ten or so pictures.  I wouldn’t go much beyond that, if I were you.”  He waggled his eyebrows at Tim.

“Ew,” Tim stuck his tongue out in disgust, but he started navigating through the pictures very tentatively.

“These pictures are dated last week!” Tim exclaimed holding out the camera for Dick to look at.

“Yeah?”  Jason motioned for him to elaborate.  “That’s when we got married.  I would expect the dates to match.”

“You’ve been married for a week?” Tim asked indignantly.

“Yeah, I told you, she’s been really bu…”

“Is that Jagged Stone!” Dick yelled.  He motioned aggressively toward the camera.  “You couldn’t be bothered to call us but you managed to ask Jagged freaking Stone to be there?”

“We didn’t ask him,” Jason answered calmly with a roll of his eyes, adding a some chopped vegetables to the pan, “Zoe is his daughter in law.  When he heard what she was doing, he insisted on being there. She couldn’t get rid of him.  If you go back a few pics, you’ll see him serenading us.”

“What the fuck…” Dick breathed.

“And keep your voice down,” he hissed.  “Marinette needs her sleep, and I will not have you two assholes waking her up because you can’t control your emotions.”

“Who’s an asshole?” Marinette’s tired voice cut in.

Jason glared at the two but turned to Marinette with a bright smile.  “It’s okay, Pixie, go back to sleep.  These two were just leaving.”

Marinette looked past him to Tim and Dick.  “Oh, hey guys.  Didn’t mean to interrupt.”  Her wave was cut short by a loud yawn.  Tim waved back but his eyes widened when he noticed her clothing.

“They were interrupting us.  Don’t apologize to them,” Jason grunted.  “I’m almost done with dinner if you’re hungry.  You can eat, then go back to bed if you want.”

Marinette hummed in consideration.  “I think I’ve slept enough for a bit.  I’d like to eat but I’m sure I’ll still go to bed early tonight.”

“We just wanted to say congratulations on your marriage,” Dick offered with a bittersweet smile.

Marinette blinked at him a few times causing Jason’s heart to stutter.  She hadn’t remembered earlier, and he wasn’t sure if she would now.  “Thank you?” She looked over at Jason who was trying to communicate something to her with his eyes, she was sure, she just didn’t know what it was.  But she was banking on it being to go with whatever he said.  She shook her head.  “Sorry, yeah.  Still tired. Didn’t know you guys knew yet.”

“We just found out,” Tim offered tentatively.

“And not from you guys,” Dick admonished lightly.

“Yeah… sorry.  I’ve been really busy at work, only getting a few hours sleep this past week.  We didn’t want to announce it while I was out of it,” Marinette tried.  She looked over to Jason through the corner of her eyes.  Based on the way Jason was nodding vigorously, she guessed she was saying the right things.  “We were planning on telling you soon.”

“But some nosy ass…” Jason growled.

“So how did it come about,” Dick cut in loudly with a sweet smile.

“Come about?” Marinette yawned.  She blinked blankly at them a few times, still trying to get her mind set firmly in the present when all she really wanted to do was go back to bed… Jason’s bed apparently, and she wasn’t quite sure how that happened, but she was positive they hadn’t had sex so there was that.  Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn’t quite sure about, and she was too tired to work through it just yet.

“Your wedding,” he elaborated, his voice encouraging and almost innocent sounding, prodding but not forceful, a balance Dick specialized in.  “We didn’t even know you were dating.”

The tone immediately put Marinette on edge.  She glanced over to Jason who also tensed almost imperceptibly, confirming her own assessment of the question.  Marinette might not know what was going on, but she knew she was perfectly fine with deceiving Dick as long as he used that tone with her.  Her mind raced to try to come up with a plan. Dick wouldn’t be too difficult to fool. She barely ever saw him.  She didn’t see Tim much more, but she had hung out with him a few times and she knew he was extremely observant.  He would be harder to sell.

She hummed non-committally and moved to snuggle against Jason.  If they were going to sell this marriage thing, they were going to sell this marriage thing and not give Tim even the tiniest of reasons to doubt.  Which shouldn’t be too hard for her.  She just had to treat Jason like she wanted to but had never let herself.  “Don’t know.  It wasn’t like we were trying to hide our relationship.”

Jason instantly wrapped his arms around her and rocked slightly with a kiss to her crown.  He tried not to react when she relaxed further into him, seeming to meld herself against his body like it belonged there.  “Well, she wasn’t,” he snorted.

Marinette leaned her head back just enough to look up at him lovingly.  “I love Jason and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him by my side.”

Jason looked down at her, his heart pounding in his chest.  He loved hearing her say those words, but wished more than anything she meant them.  “I finally convinced her and wasn’t about to let her change her mind.”

“The pictures looked amazing,” Dick commented.  “I’d like to get a copy of them, if you don’t mind.”

Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but she wasn’t sure what to say about pictures that she knew nothing about.  She thought it was all a joke by Jason on his brothers, but there were pictures. Pictures!  Pictures that were at least convincing enough to convince Dick and Tim, so she had to have participated in them, but she for the life of her could not remember it.  How much of the story was fake?  Or was it all real?  Oh God! Did she finally admit her feelings to Jason?  Did he have them back?

“Are you pregnant?” Tim asked after staring at her for stomach while the others had been talking.  Dick groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Marinette gasped and patted her stomach.  “Do I look pregnant?” she demanded.

“No,” Jason assured her instantly with a glare at Tim, who at least had the decency to look abashed.  “You don’t. He’s just a suspicious asshole who needs to leave now.”

“If I don’t look pregnant, then he thinks the only reason you’d want to marry me is because I was pregnant?” Marinette demanded intentionally making her voice sound slightly hysterical.

“No!” Tim answered quickly.  He rushed toward her, his eyes guilt-ridden and panicked.  “No that isn’t…”

“I think it’s time to leave,” Jason cut in again.  He cradled Marinette’s head into his chest so they couldn’t see her face, which he was pretty sure held a smirk, which would have instantly given them away.

“I think he’s right,” Dick agreed, pulling Tim toward the door.  “Sorry for the intrusion.  Congratulations on the marriage.”

“Let’s get you back to bed, baby,” he said loudly before they could reach the door. “I can think of a few ways to help you forget those assholes.  Maybe we can make Tim’s comment prophetic.”

Tim groaned.  “We’re going. You don’t need to drive us out.” He quickly opened the door and ran into a body on the other side.

“Whoa,” Roy chuckled.  “What’s the rush?”

“Did you know about this?” Dick demanded.

Roy stared at him for a few moments, waiting for Dick to elaborate.  “I’m going to need more than that.”

Dick huffed and pushed past him, dragging Tim with him.  “Ask him,” he motioned toward Jason with his chin before slamming the door shut behind him.

Roy looked over at Jason expectantly.  “What was that about?”  His voice was light, and he started to chuckle until he saw Jason’s arms around Marinette, at which point his smile widened into an incandescent beam. “So, you finally admitted your feelings,” Roy nodded in approval.  “Good for you.”

Jason whirled on him with wide eyes.  Roy’s smile dropped as he tried to figure out the cause for the reaction.

“His what?” Marinette screeched.

“His feelings,” Roy repeated uncertainly.  “He’s been in love with you for…”

She was unable to find out the duration due to Jason tackling Roy, not that the information would have registered.  She was staring blankly at the spot Roy had inhabited a few moments before, the information he let slip swirling around in her head.  “Wow… so that’s what it feels like from this side.  I’ve never been on this side of this conversation before.  This is a much better side to be on,” she commented to nobody.

She continued to stare at nothing until a loud sound pulled her out of her stupor.  She looked over just in time to see Jason shoving Roy’s head back with one hand, his other arm wrapped around Roy’s arm, holding him in place while Roy’s free arm was pushing against Jason’s head as well.  “Oh!” she rushed over to pull Jason off Roy.  “Oh, me too.  I… I like you too,” she yelled.

Jason’s fist paused inches from Roy’s face, his other hand fisted in Roy’s shirt the only thing keeping Roy from falling on his ass. His head turned slowly to look over at Marinette.  “What?”

“I said…”  Marinette smiled brilliantly and took a daring step closer toward the brawl. “I love you too.”

Roy looked back and forth between the two of them. “The fuck is happening right now?”

“We got married to prove something to his brothers. He was drunk.  I was tired.  It made sense at the time,” she explained without looking away from Jason.  “At least I think that’s what happened.  I don’t really remember.  But I do love you, Jason.  Everything I said, I meant.”

Jason’s face split into a brilliant smile. “Yeah?”  He stepped over Roy toward Marinette, ignoring Roy’s grunt as he hit the floor when Jason let go of him.

“I have been for a while, Jason,” she continued.  She cupped his face as soon as he was close enough and tried to ignore the thrill that shot through her when his hands settled on her hips and pulled her against him.  “How could I not?  You’re so sweet and thoughtful…” she ignored both the scoff from Roy at her words and his grunt from Jason’s kick.  “…you’re always there to make me laugh or smile, listen to me when I’m wailing about my frustrations.  You have become one of the people I trust most in the world and I have wanted to do this for so, so long.”

She whispered the last part as she pulled his face to hers.  Pressing her lips to his with a desperate passion that Jason returned with equal fervor. She wound her hands behind his neck and into his dark hair, pulling him closer to her until there was no space between them.  His hands settled on her hips, his fingers digging into her skin.

“I have too,” he whispered against her lips. “I’ve thought about this, dreamed about this, since we met.  And every day since, every bit of you I’ve discovered, has only make me want it more. I don’t know when I fell in love with you, it’s impossible to tell when it shifted from love at first sight to actual love, but I know it’s been for a really long time.”

Marinette’s already brilliant smile turned adoring.  She followed his lead as he pulled her against him to capture her lips in another kiss, this one softer, more affectionate, exploring.

“Right… I’m just going to…” Roy grumbled awkwardly. He looked back for a moment as he opened the door, but Marinette and Jason didn’t look over to acknowledge him or his words.  “Unbelievable,” he grumbled, but his lips pulled up at the corners watching his best friend finally happy with the woman he loved.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Todd,” he chuckled at Marinette’s wrinkled nose, “will you go on a date with me?”

Marinette only groaned from somewhere under the blankets. Why oh, why did she do this to herself? 

Let’s take it back a notch. 

When Marinette first met the Red Hood, he stood for everything she didn’t. He was loud and obnoxious and oh so cocky. Sure, he looked good doing what he did but then he had to open his mouth. And there was the fact that he used guns. Guns that he kept strapped to his impressive thighs that Marinette definitely hadn’t noticed. Just like that ass that gave Nightwing a run for his money. Nope she hadn’t looked at all.

Jason Todd was no different. He was drop dead gorgeous. Could put Greek gods to shame. With all those muscles rippling under his tight t-shirt not to mention those grey sweatpants he liked to train in. Blue eyes you could get lost in. Oh, and that smile of his did things to Marinette that made her cheeks flush. The term pantie dropper was very appropriate for him, not that she would tell him that. Nope, her panties would be staying firmly where they should be, thank you. 

He irritated Marinette like no other. He called her Pixie Pop and enjoyed reminding her of how small she was. So, when Marinette put him on his ass multiple times in training, she couldn’t help but smirk at the surprised look on the self-righteous asshats face. 

It didn’t take her long to work out Jason Todd aka Red Hood was the same damn person, go figure. So, she’d spent the last year trying to avoid missions with him. To be honest she was angry at her body. The way it reacted around him was a dangerous distraction. One she didn’t want to admit to.

No. Nope. Not gonna happen. Or so she thought till last night. She had done so well at avoiding him, but it was Dick’s birthday and he’d practically begged her to come. In true Dick style it was at a karaoke bar in the nicer part of the city. Most of the Justice League would be there so it promised to be an interesting night.

A few drinks couldn’t hurt. Huh, famous last words. 

Marinette could sing, like really sing but it wasn’t something most people knew about her. Over the years her confidence had grown, and she was so far removed from the stuttering teenager she once was. That didn’t mean she was about to sing in front of people, especially the Justice league. No, she reserved it for the shower, car trips and when she had her shared apartment to herself. 

That said Chloe and Alya knew. As her long-time besties and roommates, they knew everything there was to know about Marinette. Even things she hadn’t worked out herself yet. Like how she was crushing bad for one of the bat boys. They also knew some songs were Marinette’s kryptonite, especially drunk Marinette. 

In their defence they weren’t to know how it would go down after several shots and who knows how many long island iced teas. Poor Marinette. Who knew long island iced tea had no tea in it. 

So, the stage was set, Alya had requested Beyoncé’s new song ‘summer renaissance’. Nino who was in charge of the karaoke machine who else would it be queued the song and Chloe dragged Marinette onto the stage after they downed another shot. 

The song started and Marinette, with microphone in hand, didn’t even miss a beat. Her eyes landed on Jason who had conveniently been seated at the table right infront of the stage. 

Marinette’s eyes ran over him, drinking in how good he looked in tight jeans and his leather jacket. He returned the favour, and when his eyes finally met hers, he seductively licked his lip and winked at her. The smug fucker then smirked at her. That damn pantie dropping kinda smirk that tipped Marinette over the edge. If he wanted to play, then she was going to come out on top. In more ways than one. 

As she started to sing, she held his glaze and walked to the front of the stage. 

“I wanna house you and make you take my name.

I’m gonna spouse you and make you touch a ring.”

Then she gracefully used the waiter that was passing as a steppingstone. Her healed foot left his shoulder before he even knew what was happening. She gracefully stepped onto Jason’s table somehow avoiding all the drinks without taking her eyes off of him. 

“I’m gonna take you all the way, baby can I take you all the way?”

At this point Jason’s smirk had turned into a full-blown smile that showed his dimples. He slyly adjusted himself, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Marinette. She dropped to her knees and bought her face close to Jason’s.

“You sexy motherfucker, boy, you growin’ on me.

I just wanna thug you, the category is bae”

You gangsta motherfucker, boy, you growin’ on me.”

Jason ran his fingers over her jaw then dragged them down her neck as she slid onto his lap. His hands rested on her hips as she started to dance on his lap.

“I just wanna touch you, I can feel, feel those jeans.

Ah, ah,, ah, oh, woo

Boy you never had a chance.”

At this point Marinette will not admit to grinding against the growing bulge in his pants. It was tasteful dancing thank you. Cough, cough bullshit.

“If you make my body talk, I’m leave you in a trance.

Got you walking with a limb, with this body make it dance.

Dance, dance, dance.” 

Jason had his hands all over her body and his lips met her neck as she all but purred the next line.”

“It’s so good, it’s so good, it’s so good.”

Someone called out ‘get a room’ so Jason stood up still holding on to Marinette’s waist. He gave her a moment to protest but she wrapped her legs around his waist and sang the next line, “It’s so good, it’s so good, it’s so good,” before dramatically dropping the mic. The crowd cheered and hollered as the two exited the bar with Marinette still wrapped around Jason and his lips all over her neck. 

Jason carried her to a room behind the bar, slammed the door and locked it behind him. She grabbed his face and slammed her lips into his. His skilled tongue caressed hers and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like somewhere else. He backed her up against the nearest wall, grabbed her ass with one hand and her throat with the other. 

“You sure you want this Pix?” He all but growled. 

She bit her lip and nodded. Marinette may have been drunk out there but everything about this had sobered her up. His body against hers had sparked something primal in her. She needed Jason to ease the ache between her legs like she needed air to breath. 

“Use your words, Pix. I need to hear you say it.” He demanded while he ran his nose behind her ear, breathing in her scent and making her nipples harden against her bra. 

“I want you, Jason. Please.” She begged rolling her hips against his arousal.

“Good girl.” He growled against her lips as he lifted her top off.  

His lips burned her sensitive skin as he nipped and licked down her throat till he reached her lacey bra. He roughly pulled it down and took her nipple between his teeth as she threw her head back and moaned. 

“You know this doesn’t mean I like you, right?” Marinette mewed as she took her turn to rid him of his jacket and shirt. 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less Pixie.” He laughed against her lips.

>.<

“Food bitches.” Chloe’s voice rang through the apartment stirring Marinette from her thoughts of Jason. 

God, she didn’t regret the amazing sex. It was more about the show she’d put on for everyone and the fact that they all knew exactly what they’d done after. How the hell was she going to face them all and what was she going to say to Jason next time she had to see him?

Deciding she wasn’t ready to face Chloe yet either she headed for the shower in hopes to clear her mind. Twenty minutes later with freshly washed hair and dressed in her favourite hoodie and jeans, she slumped down in the chair across from Chloe and a handful of kwamis.

“Okay that was just plan rude.” Chloe grumbled as she got a plate out of the oven and placed it infront of Marinette.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Chlo but what the hell?” Marinette frowned and crossed her arms. “I see what you were trying to do, and I also see the funny side of it but holy shit what the hell am I meant to do on Monday when I have to report to the League?!” 

Chloe choked on her orange juice as she tried her hardest to supress her laughter. “I was just trying to get you laid. The lap dance was all you baby. But might I say a very nice added bonus. You should’ve seen Bruce’s face.” She lost it at that. 

Marinette grumbled “thanks” then threw a piece of bacon at the blonde. 

“So do I lead with, hey Batman, sorry for publicly giving your son a lap dance at your other son’s party but shit was it worth it. Jason sure knows how to use his mouth when he’s not talking shit. You should be real proud. And the multiple O factor mmhmm a girl could get use to that.” Marinette ended with a chefs kiss then rested her elbows on the table and giggled at Chloe who was howling with laughter. 

“Yes! That, say that I dare you. But girl I need all the details. Spill.” 

Two hours later Marinette found herself heading to her studio to work on a last-minute commission. She was lost in her head and didn’t see the person in front of her. It was like running into a brick wall and she would have landed on her ass if it wasn’t for the strong arms that wrapped around her.

“Hey Pixie. Fallin’ for me already.” 

Marinette looked up to find Jason smiling down at her. He smelt amazing and memories of last night came flooding back. “You wish.”

“What if I do?” Jason asked as he brushed a lose strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her jaw. 

Marinette’s brain still hadn’t caught up and she mumbled “You don’t live here.” 

“Sure don’t, but I hear there’s a crazy talented designer on this side of the city.” 

“Real smooth Casanova.”

“You seemed to think so last night.”

“What can I say you’re not as annoying when you’re not talking.”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t get off on being called a good girl.” He growled in her ear.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at him. There was no way she was going to let him know just what those two words did to her panties. “What are you doing here anyway?” She snapped crossing her arms.

“You want the truth Pix? I was on my way to buy some flowers for you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. 

It was the first time Marinette had seen Jason look nervous and it left her speechless. Something that didn’t happen often. “Oh.”

“Look I don’t regret anything that happened last night, but I wanted to ask you out on a date and flowers just seemed right. You know, do things the right way round. Maybe I got the wrong impression about last night.”  

Jason took a step back and Marinette instantly missed the warmth he radiated. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him back to her. “You talk too much.”

“Like you can…” His words were lost when Marinette kissed him hard on the mouth. It only took him a second to catch up. He wrapped one of his hands around her ponytail, gentle pulling her head back so he could deepen the kiss. His other hand rested on her hip under her hoodie. 

一

It was a sunny afternoon in Gotham. The rain from the morning was mostly gone, but there were still small puddles on the sidewalk. Students from Gotham Academy had just been dismissed and could be seen walking home with their friends. They all sported the uniform of the school.

Marinette cheerfully skipped down the steps of the school. When she reached the gates, her ride was waiting for her.

“What’s up, kid?”

Her adoptive brother, Jason, stood on the sidewalk leaning against his motorcycle. He had his red helmet tucked under one arm and her pink one under the other. A gaggle of girls from her school was fawning over him from the side. She rolled her eyes at them.

“The sky, duh!”

Jason handed Marinette her helmet and laughed. “You always say that!”

She put her helmet on and made sure it was secure. At the same time, Jason put on his.

“Of course I do,” Marinette huffed. “When is the sky not up?”

“Touché,”

The two got on Jason’s motorcycle, Jason in front and Marinette behind. She’d been looking forward to this the whole day! Marinette couldn’t hold in her excitement.

“Hurry up! If you’re going to be this slow, the ice cream shop will be closed by the time we get there!”

“Okay! Okay! I’m going! I didn’t know you liked ice cream that much,”

“It’s not just because of the ice cream,”

-----

Marinette had been adopted by Mr. Wayne a few months ago. Her family had been on vacation in Gotham and were caught up in a Rogue attack. Her maman and papa protected her from the Rogues until Batman and Robin showed up. But by then, it was too late for the two of them. Her parents requested Batman find someone to take care of her. That was the last time they said they loved her.

It was hard for Marinette to live without her parents. The first few weeks with Mr. Wayne were spent crying in her room. Even now, it was hard for her to cope. According to Mr. Wayne, the pain would never go away, but it would become more bearable over time.

Living with Mr. Wayne was different. The Manor was more spacious than the bakery and made Marinette feel lonely sometimes. The bakery had never been quiet. It was always filled with warmth and laughter. Mr. Wayne was kind and all, but he seemed distant. And he always disappeared at night! No matter where she looked in the Manor, Marinette couldn’t find him. She had heard that Mr. Wayne was a playboy. Did he go out and meet people at night when she was (supposed to be) asleep?

Alfred also seemed very warm, but Marinette always felt she shouldn’t distract him from doing his job. He looked like the type of person who didn’t tolerate any nonsense. Before, Marinette wanted to ask him if she could use the kitchen and bake something because she missed her maman and papa’s food. However, whenever she approached him, something always came up! Marinette gave up after the 10th attempt.

And apparently, Mr. Wayne had adopted two sons before her, but they were never around. The first one, Dick, lived in Blüdhaven and was a police officer. He and Mr. Wayne had a tense relationship. Dick didn’t visit much. No one really talked about the second son. Marinette had to find out about him on her own. That’s how she figured out why they never mentioned him. Apart from them, a kid named Tim came around sometimes. He was a little older than her, and Marinette thought she recognized him from school. They didn’t talk much, either.

She really couldn’t understand them. What kind of family didn’t communicate with each other? They barely spent time together! Marinette had been even more confused when she met Jason for the first time. From what she read, he was supposed to be dead! Jason never answered her questions regarding that.

On their first meeting, Marinette had been walking out the gates of Gotham Academy, like today. Some random guy (Jason) came up to her and said he would drive her home. Neither Mr. Wayne nor Alfred had told her about this, but Marinette went with him. He looked a little scary the first time he approached her and introduced himself as Jason. Then he took her out for ice cream before sending her home.

That was pretty nice of him. Mr. Wayne and Alfred must’ve asked Jason to take care of her. After that, Jason continued to pick her up from school. They didn’t get ice cream every day, but they did go a couple times a week.

The thing with Jason still bothered her, though. Marinette understood why they wouldn’t mention Jason if he were dead. But he was actually alive! So why did they never talk about him? In the end, Marinette figured it wasn’t her place to judge them on their family dynamics. Mr. Wayne was already generous enough to take her in.

-----

“If you say so, kiddo,” Jason replied.

“I’m being serious, though!”

Part of the reason Marinette wanted Jason to hurry was so she could hang out with him. Jason was friendly and easier to approach than the rest of the family. They had lots of fun conversations together while eating ice cream. He also knew the answer to almost everything she asked him. Sometimes, he would help her with her homework.

Jason started driving the familiar path to the ice cream shop. They had to stop at a traffic light, and when it turned green, they went left. They took a few more turns before arriving. After all, the shop was pretty close to Gotham Academy.

Her adoptive brother parked his motorcycle, and when they fully came to a stop, Marinette took her helmet off. Jason did the same. She dashed to the door and opened it for Jason to come inside. Once he did, Marinette went in, too.

The inside of the shop was the same as always. The paint on the walls was faded, while the tiles on the floor had chips and cracks. There was a teenage girl at the counter, and she looked utterly bored out of her mind.

“Welcome. What can I get for you today?”

“Let’s see,” Marinette paused for a second to look at the menu. “Can I get two scoops of cookies and cream in a waffle cone, please?”

“And I’ll have two scoops of black raspberry in a waffle cone, please,”

“Okay,” the girl replied. “Please insert or swipe your card here,”

Jason paid for their orders, and they took a seat near the window.

“So, how was school today?” He asked.

Marinette shrugged. “School is school. It was okay, I guess.”

“Are you still having trouble understanding what the teachers are saying?”

“No, not as much anymore,”

When Marinette started at Gotham Academy, she had a hard time, given that English wasn’t her first language. But over time, she slowly began to pick up the language, making things easier for Marinette. She still struggled at times, but that happened less and less.

They continued talking until the girl said their orders for ready. Then Jason and Marinette took their cones and sat back down.

She took a bite of her cookies and cream. Her ice cream was so delicious! It was the perfect way to cool down after a long school day. Marinette closed her eyes and let the ice cream melt away on her tongue.

“Ahem,” Jason cleared his throat.

Opening her eyes again, Marinette saw Jason staring at her, and he looked amused. The corners of his lips were turned up.

“Yes? Oh, dearest brother of mine?”

He chuckled. “Earlier, didn’t you say the reason you wanted me to hurry up wasn’t only because of the ice cream? Well, you sure look like you’re enjoying yourself right now,”

“Hmph!” Marinette crossed her arms and looked away from Jason. “I’m allowed to enjoy ice cream, you know! And since you’re that interested in my enjoyment of ice cream, why don’t you give me yours, too?”

“What? No thanks! I’m enjoying my ice cream very much,”

“See?”

“Sure I do, kid. No one can beat your logic!”

Marinette puffed up when Jason said that. “Of course, they can’t! My logic is sound!”

“Yes, all hail Marinette, the Queen of Logic! Thank you for gracing me with your presence!”

Jason pretended to bow to her, and Marinette couldn’t help giggling. “You’re always so dramatic,”

“Please, you love me because I’m dramatic!”

“Keep telling yourself that,”

He made offended noises when she said that. “Hey!”

Bzzt-bzzt! Bzzt-bzzt!

Her phone started ringing all of a sudden. Marinette looked at the Caller ID, and it was Mr. Wayne!

“Sorry, Jason, Mr. Wayne is calling me,”

Marinette picked up the call. “Hello, Mr. Wayne!”

“Hi Marinette, I was wondering where you are right now since school has already ended, and you haven’t come back to the Manor yet,”

“Oh, I’m with Jason right now! We’re eating ice cream.”

“Jason? You’re with him?”

Mr. Wayne’s voice turned tense, and Marinette realized her mistake. She wasn’t supposed to mention him! There was nothing Marinette could do about it now.

“Y-yeah,” she continued. “I thought you knew. Didn’t you ask him to pick me up from school every day?”

“I… did? I mean, yes, I did. I just forgot momentarily. Do you mind letting me speak to him for a moment?”

“Sure,”

“Jason, Mr. Wayne wants to speak to you,”

She handed her phone to him, and Jason began talking to Mr. Wayne. His face looked tense, just like how Mr. Wayne’s voice sounded. For a few minutes, Jason’s expression became angry. The two were speaking in low voices, so Marinette couldn’t hear them clearly. Though, she wondered what they were saying to make Jason look like that.

After a few more minutes, Jason returned her phone. He looked unhappy.

“Marinette?” Mr. Wayne asked.

“Yes?”

“Alfred will pick you up in a few minutes. Jason has something he needs to do, so he can’t send you home. I hope that’s alright with you,”

“Yeah, that’s okay!”

They exchanged goodbyes before hanging up.

Once Marinette put her phone away, she glanced over at Jason. “Are you… okay?”

In an instant, the upset on Jason’s face washed away. He turned and smiled at her. “Of course! No need to worry! I’m doing fine. Your ice cream, on the other hand…”

“Noooo! My ice cream!!”

It had melted and was dripping on the table a little. Marinette tried her best to clean the mess up and salvage what was left of her ice cream. By the time she did that, Alfred had arrived.

Jason took her out of the shop to greet him.

“Master Jason, Miss Marinette,”

“Hello!”

“Hey, Alfred,”

Alfred and Jason were locked in an intense staring contest until Jason finally looked away. Then Marinette got in the car with Alfred.

“Bye, Jason!” She waved. “I had fun today!”

“See you later, kid,”

-----

“Alfred, did you know about this?”

“Know about what? I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific, Master Bruce. I know many things, but I am not sure what you want me to tell you,”

“...”

“Silence doesn’t tell me what you are talking about. Forgive me for being old and unable to speak with you using telepathy.”

“...did you know about Jason meeting Marinette every day after school?”

“There! How wonderful. Isn’t it much nicer when we use our words to communicate our thoughts? And to answer your question, I didn’t know. It was quite a surprise for me, too,”

“What if Jason harmed her? I should’ve been more aware of who she was meeting! Did you notice anything off about him when you met him?”

“Well, I suppose the dear boy has grown taller. I didn’t notice anything else different about him. And Master Bruce, you should know Master Jason enough to know he wouldn’t harm Miss Marinette! She’s just a child,”

“But he-”

“I’m terribly sorry, Master Bruce, but I’m going to have to cut you off. Master Jason hasn’t harmed Miss Marinette, and I doubt he would in the future. Miss Marinette looked happy when she was with him. You aren’t going to deny Miss Marinette her happiness, are you?”

“...”

He stopped short of the doors to fix her with a mock glare.  “There is nothing wrong with wanting to go to bed with my girlfriend.”

Marinette’s smile split into a beaming grin.  “I love when you call me that.”  It had only been a few weeks since they decided to make it official but then the info on this mission popped up suddenly, taking most of Marinette’s focus, so they hadn’t gotten the chance to really bask in the new phase yet.

He pulled her fully in front of him so he could look into her eyes and cup her face gently.  “And I can’t wait to keep calling you that.  I haven’t gotten to call you that enough yet.”

“No, you haven’t,” she agreed as she nuzzled into his hand.  He started to lean down but she stopped him short with a finger to his chest.  His face scrunched slightly in confusion, but Marinette smirked at him.  “Doc tor.” She enunciated each syllable slowly and gently prodded him to turn toward the infirmary doors.

He groaned but acquiesced, as he usually did when she was involved.  Not only because she was usually right, but because of the brilliant smile it resulted in whenever he did.  Not as brilliant as the smiles he got when she caught him watching her from across the room, but beautiful just the same.  A smile like the one on her face when he agreed this time too.  He studied her face for a moment before finally letting her pull him through the doors.

But before they could cross the threshold, the doors slid open, and a large mass of muscle blocked their way.  Marinette looked up in confusion for a moment before recognizing the figure in front of them.

“Dick.”  Her voice was cold and impersonal, certainly not a tone befitting team members who had just fought a difficult battle side by side.  She stared at him expectantly for a few moments before huffing and moving to push past him.  “Do you mind? I’m trying to get Roy to the doctor, too.”  She looked him up and down quickly, her eyes zeroing in on his full arm cast.  “That looks like it hurt.”

“Could be worse,” he said with a small smile and a shrug, but the smile turned to a wince as the pain from his shoulder shot through him. His eyes shot to Roy when he scoffed and immediately down to the ground.  He knew exactly what the scoff was meant to convey.  ‘It would have been worse if Marinette hadn’t been there to save him.’

He looked back up at Marinette through his lashes. “I was hoping we could talk,” Dick said quietly, vulnerability clear in his voice and in his eyes.  His frame seemed to carry more tension than it had during their fight.

Marinette blinked at him.  It was not a tone she was used to hearing from him, at least not around her.  She was used to cold, harsh, judgmental words from him.  Words that dismissed her from a conversation or mission.  This was something new.  “Okay,” she agreed uncertainly.  She didn’t think it was a trap, Dick was usually more straightforward than that.

The tension in Dick’s body eased slightly at her words and an easy, hopeful smile made its way to his lips.  He motioned to a spot just a few steps away.  “Now?”

Roy’s arms tightened around Marinette automatically, but Marinette squeezed his arm reassuringly before nodding to Dick.  He moved over to the spot to wait for her, fidgeting anxiously while he waited.  “Roy, do you think you can wait on your own for a few minutes?” Marinette asked, looking in his eyes for any sign of discomfort.

“I'm staying right here,” he said firmly, his pointed stare never leaving Dick.  He attempted to stand up straighter as he stared Dick down.

“Red Arrow, you’re up next.  Get on the bed so I can take a look at your injuries,” the doctor cut in with a wide smile for Roy that pursed at seeing Marinette.

Roy opened his mouth to object, but Marinette interrupted him, her voice quiet but firm.  “I can handle Dick. It's fine.  There’s nothing he can say that he hasn’t before.”

He looked at her unconvinced, his lips pressed together tightly in disapproval.  “Fine.  I'll be staying right there.”  He motioned to the bed the doctor had just ordered him to. “Let me know what he says so I can decide if I’m going to deck him or not.”

“Do not beat up your best friend over me,” she chided tiredly.  It wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion.  She would bet it wouldn’t be the last.  “You promised me,” she reminded him.  She heard his next words in her head before he spoke them, having heard them enough times to have memorized them.

“I promised I wouldn’t attack him over you,” he corrected. “I made no such promise over him being an asshole.  The way he treats you isn’t deserved, and his behavior wouldn’t be okay even if it was. You’re an asset to the team, on or off the field.”

Marinette sighed but nodded.  “Got it.  I’m amazing. Now go get checked out… on!  Get checked on,” she corrected quickly.

Roy cocked his head to the side with a cocky grin. “Well…”

She looked over his shoulder and eyed the doctor suspiciously.  “Probably out as well…”

Roy chuckled and pulled her closer, his arms settling on her hips.  “He can look, he just can’t touch…” he paused to consider his words.  “Well, I guess he does have to touch, but not like touch touch.  Only you get to do that.”  He leaned down his smirk centimeters from her pout but stopped when his ribs reminded him that he was more injured than he wanted Marinette to know about.  He gulped down his yelp but couldn’t force himself to get any closer to Marinette and she was going to get suspicious any second now.

He was saved from admitting how badly he was hurt by Dick clearing his throat.  Roy glared up at him, both at the interruption and at his traitorous mind for feeling gratitude for it.  He wasn’t supposed to feel gratitude toward Dick right now.  “And don’t forget, I’ll back you if you decide to deck him yourself,” he added loud enough for Dick to hear.

Dick met his eyes with a serious look of his own but didn’t argue.  “Red Arrow!” the doctor warned sternly.

Roy huffed but turned to follow him.  He tried to crane his neck to watch Marinette and Dick, just to make sure she would be okay, but the door closed between them, cutting off his view, which was just as well.  His ribs reminded him of their status every time he turned his head and craning his neck was wrenching them painfully enough to make him want to throw up. But it didn’t stop him from turning toward the door at every sound, regardless of where it originated from.

Roy’s head whipped around when the med bay doors slip open with a loud woosh.  Tension he hadn’t realized he was holding eased out of his muscles when he saw Marinette walk in with a smile despite the sharp pain shooting through him.  While it wasn’t one of her brilliant smiles, it was unforced and natural, completely different than any of the smiles she’d pasted on after past interactions with Dick.

His eyes flicked over her shoulder to Dick.  He waved at Roy with a meek smile and gave him a thumbs up before turning to walk away.  Roy blinked at Dick’s back unsure how to react.  They hadn’t exchanged smiles or even been friendly in months. They worked together now.  That was it.  And not well.  Whatever grudge Dick had manufactured against Marinette from the first moment they met had assured that.

He had decided Marinette shouldn’t be a hero from the moment he met her because she didn’t understand an order he had shouted at her, an order his team understood intuitively, but she, as an outsider, had no way of knowing what it meant.  Added to that, she’d resolved the mission almost single handedly when the rest of them had gotten caught, a feat Dick wrote off as luck.  Objectively, he wasn’t wrong.  But luck was kind of her thing.  It was her weapon and she wielded it like he did his eskrima sticks.

But most offensively of all, she didn’t resolve it in the way Dick would have resolved it.  She didn’t approach anything the way Dick would approach it.  She was not his idea of a hero, and he made sure she knew how he felt every single time they interacted whether it be for a mission or as civilians.  And nothing Marinette did changed his mind or his attitude.  And Roy was the one to pick her back up after each cutting remark, each undeserved criticism, as she tried to pretend like it didn’t hurt, like a part of her didn’t think maybe he was right.

He looked back at Marinette and quickly pasted on a teasing smile.  “Took you a while.”

Marinette snorted and rolled her eyes.  “I thought I would buy some flowers for you while I was out,” she quipped back without missing a beat.

He made a show of trying to look behind her.  His eyes settled back on hers with a dramatically suspicious look.  “No flowers.”

Her eyes widened in surprise.  “I was shocked to discover the Watchtower does not, in fact, have a flower shop.”  She shrugged. “Unbelievable oversight.”

“A travesty,” he agreed with a grin.

“Absolutely,” she nodded definitively.  “We should do something about that.”

“Naturally,” he nodded along.  “What do you need from me to make it happen?”

She screwed her face up in thought.  “I’m going to need a couple thousand gallons of water, a couple million seeds, a couple tons of dirt, and to clear out the great hall so I can use it as my plot.”

“Or,” he offered instead, “you could just buy some flowers from somewhere else and bring them up.”

Marinette scrunched her face in disapproval.  “If you want to go the easy way out.”

Roy chuckled lightly and pulled her closer.  “How did it go?

She twined her fingers with his and took a beat focusing on the way they wrapped around each other before looking up.  “Pretty good, I think.”

He waited a few moments for her to elaborate before encouraging her to continue.  “What happened?”

“He apologized.  Admitted he was wrong about me.  Well, actually, he said he thinks he may have been wrong about me.” She smiled at the words, more than she might have otherwise, in an ineffective effort to get Roy to smile as well.  “But I’m counting it.  He thanked me for saving him today, and you.”

“And everyone,” Roy added.

“It was a team effort,” she corrected.  “We saved each other.”

“Some more than others,” he noted pointedly.

Marinette opened her mouth to continue arguing but snapped it shut.  It wasn’t an argument she wanted to get into.  Instead, she decided to focus on the potential positive outcome from the conversation.  “He said he wanted to start over.  Try to be friends and stop undermining me with the team.”

Roy grinned.  “Good.  It’s about time he got his head out of his ass.”

“Roy!” she exclaimed, trying to appear scandalized but her lips quirked up at the sides in barely restrained giggles.  She slapped his good shoulder.

“If you should refrain from assaulting my patients, I would greatly appreciate it,” the doctor spoke up, walking into their area.  He scowled at her.  “He doesn’t need more injuries.”

“How bad are his injuries?”  Marinette asked wide eyed.

The doctor looked her up and down critically.  He looked over at Roy with a questioning gaze, but Marinette looked at him at the same time, so he nodded his approval to share. “In addition to the gash in his arm, which will need its dressing changed twice a day for the next few days at least, there’s some bruising on his hips and thighs, a few minor lacerations around his chest, and two broken ribs and three more fractured.  He should stay on bed rest for a few days and shouldn’t sit up without assistance.  Definitely no,” he gazed at Marinette with a slight scowl, “strenuous activity for a few weeks.”

She turned to look at Roy just in time to see him shaking his head at the doctor.  When he noticed her gaze, he offered a wide, innocent smile.  “Did you know about this?” she screeched.  “How badly you’re hurt before you agreed to go with me to return the miraculous?  You should have come here immediately!”

“I may have suspected,” he trailed off as if the final conclusion was still news to him.  “But the strenuous activity part is a bit severe.  Surely just a few days.”

“Roy!” Marinette exclaimed again exasperated.  She reached out to slap his shoulder again, but stopped just short, looking at the doctor sheepishly.

“I’ll be fine,” Roy assured her, his voice calm and soothing.  He pulled her closer until she was seated on the bed next to him and he could reach his good arm up to cup her face reassuringly.  “I’ve had worse.  I would have had worse if it weren’t for you.”

“I’m going to wrap up his ribs, give him something for the pain, and he will be free to go,” the doctor interrupted.  “He should take more every 6 to 8 hours until the pain goes away, probably won’t be for another couple days.  I’ll have my nurse bag some up for you if you want to pick them up from the medicine closet.”

Marinette nodded and pecked Roy’s lips quickly before turning around and marching out the door.

“You’re just going to kiss me and then run away?” Roy called after her indignantly.

She spun back to look at him just after passing through the doors, holding up her phone for him to see. “I’m going to get you your medicine, you idiot, and order some food so we can pick it up on our way back to your place so you can eat and then go to sleep.”

“With you,” he added pointedly.

Marinette beamed back at him. “Of course.  I’m going to nurse the hell out of you.  You won’t know what hit you.”  Her smile dropped and her eyes widened at the glare the doctor gave her. “Not hit,” she corrected quickly. “How you got so lucky,” she offered instead, her voice rising at the end as if in a question.  “You won’t know how you got so lucky.”

Roy snorted but smiled at her.  That was definitely a good way to describe how he felt.  Even with his ribs screeching at him for breathing, his arm throbbing, and his leg giving a constant dull ache, he still felt like he was the luckiest person alive.  “I’m already there, Fire Flower.”

The adoring, dazzling smile she shot back before she turned away and the doors closed, melted him into a puddle until a sharp pain shot through him at the new pressure on his ribs.  “Easy there, Lover Boy.  Let’s focus on getting better first.”

Roy let out a long, pained breath.  “Right,” he nodded in agreement.  After all, the faster he got healthy, the faster he could get back to those strenuous activities.