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Entity B-38 Ladybug
Ladybug strolled out of the tube and shook off the weird feeling of her atoms being spaced and put back together again. Even in a magically created suit, she couldn't get away from the feeling. It was just easier to shake off.
She found her target 30 minutes later after getting turned around in the sparring wing. She had only come to the tower twice before and both times she had a guide so sue her.
A mischievous grin spread across her face as she noticed that he was facing away from her, snarking at Nightwing. She put a finger up to her lips as she noticed Nightwings head tilt in her direction. It was really really hard for Ladybug not to snicker as the man in black and blue grinned and said something that caused her target to flail his arms in outrage and shout.
“…uncivilized swine….slander…i swear…”
Now, Ladybug was still getting to know most of the young justice players but she had a feeling she knew what Dick said and she had to purse her lips again because she knew that it was the prankster man's go-to for riling his little brother up.
Now within arms reach the young woman in red crouched like a pouncing lion and waited for the arms to settle a bit before pouncing. She was quick to pull her prey with her to the floor ignoring the slight pain that came with the move as she managed to wiggle herself into an arm bar on the larger male.
Red Hood struggled to escape her hold but her sneak advantage meant she had gotten a firm grip with her arms as well as enough of a decent squeeze over his guns so he couldn't pull them though he tried. She felt his growl before he tapped out on the tile floor.
Her body released the tightness quickly as she rolled backward and back to her feet. She pumped her hands as she danced in place at her victory.
“Yes! I finally did it! I made you tap out, Helmet Head!!”
“Hood,” came his standard and annoyed response as he sat up and rubbed his neck where she had squeezed. “And sneaking up doesn't count.”
“Au contraire handsome, you told me last time we spared to use what I've got and to use my brain. Well, I did. You are too strong generally to go head to head with as my many bruises will attest. I simply scouted the situation and made the best plan for it.”
She couldn't see his face with his helmet pulled back down properly in place but she assumed he was scowling as he grumbled about time and place. Then his head spun to look at Nightwing who was just stopping the video he had secretly begun as she was sneaking up.
“You knew she was there and didn't say anything? The betrayal! The absolute betrayal. I have no family who loves me after all!” He wailed dramatically, falling back down to the floor before hissing as he was painfully reminded they were on a tile floor.
Ladybug rolled her eyes and took one step over his prone body before yelping as her leg was pulled out from under her. Within moments she was on her back, arms captured as Hood sat above her pinning her gently with his weight.
“Just where do you think you’re going, Doll?” Purred the altered voice from above her. Ladybug rolled her eyes at him unphased that he had her so completely pinned. After all it wasn't the first time and knowing him it wouldn't be the last time. He was always quick to show off his strength in their sparring sessions and while she enjoyed the view it grew old after a while that he counted on it so fully.
That's where Tim came in. She had been getting lessons in secret from her caffeine addiction buddy for the last few weeks. She was looking forward to the day she could pull off some of the moves Red Robin had been teaching her.
“Ha ha, very funny. I'm not your doll. In fact, I'm not anyone's doll and I never will be!” She hissed at his use of the nickname. She had heard him use it with others jokingly, but after almost becoming a puppet for Monarch at the end…well you see the problem here.
Hood was quick to release her and held up his hands in surrender as he stood up. He could hear the bitterness and hatred in her voice. Even knowing it wasn't directed at him per se he still didn't want to cause her face to scowl like that again.
“My bad, Spots. If it's a sore spot I'll leave it alone. I get that some words can trigger us all, hell Dick over there was pushing some of mine simply because he is bored.”
Dick protested that it was playful banter, but Ladybug tuned out their bickering. The heroine stood up and dusted the imaginary dust off the suit that did not collect dirt anyway. Taking a deep breath she turned to Hood again and caught his attention.
“Sorry, Hood, I didn't mean to snap at you. It just…brought up some bitter memories. Don't use that name with me please.”
She snorted when both men blinked at her as if someone apologizing was a myth.
“Not everyone is emotionally repressed, boys. I thought you would have figured that out by now.”
Ladybug reached up and knocked a knuckle against Red Hood's helmet as she passed and grinned at his shout of complaint. She lifted two fingers to her forehead and gave a mock salute before she rounded the corner and back out into the hallway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marinette was feeling particularly pleased with herself for her win against hood even skewed in her favor as it was and found herself humming as she worked on her latest design during a slow point at the tea cafe she worked at.
She heard the bell go off over the door and reluctantly slid her book under the counter to greet the customer.
“Welcome to your tea—Jason?”
Jason Todd-Wayne raised an eyebrow at her shock before rolling his eyes at her. He unzipped his leather jacket as the warmth of the cafe began to overheat his system a bit.
“You act like I don't come in multiple times during the week, Mare.”
Marinette huffed before she walked over to the tea station to get his usual order ready. She most certainly was not trying to cover her blush over how amazing Jason looked with his red shirt and suspenders peeking out from under the jacket. She totally was but shh.
“Well yeah, but I thought you had…. that thing to do today. I wasn't expecting you.”
She turned around face calm again to find Jason grasping at his heart and looking stricken. She paused mid-stride as she took in his dramatics and tried not to spill his tea from laughing.
“Ouch! It sounds like you don't want me here. Say it isn't so, Mare!”
She set his cup on the counter before him and a few giggles slipped out. She had a bit of whiplash though when he suddenly leaned suavely against the counter with a smug smirk on his face.
“You can't seriously tell me you don't enjoy seeing me here. That my very presence doesn't light up your day as your beauty lights up mine.”
Marinette sputtered a bit at that. Jason had teased and flirted with her before sure but something felt different today and she could not stop the heat that rushed to her cheeks. Or the fact that words seemed to abandon her in the face of his full-on charm.
“I… you…wha…noooooo way, that's not…I mean…ugh just, just take your tea and go read or something already.”
She could feel his grin grow against her palm as she pushed his face away. She couldn't think when he was staring at her like that. The mischievous twinkle in his teal-green eyes sparked something in her. She sighed in relief as he pulled away from her hand. The relief didn't last long as her hand was caught before she could pull it back completely.
Marinette watched with wide eyes as he pulled her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles as he stared into her eyes with a look she refused to believe could be there. After all, she had thought she had made her interest known fairly early on and he had pulled away from her advances then. She had accepted it and grown to treasure their friendship, even as she couldn't shake her attraction to him.
“When I fall in love, it will be forever.” She murmured remembering a line Jason had read from one of his favorite books a few days ago when she had asked what he was reading.
Jason paused in the middle of picking up his tea. He glanced at the raven-haired woman still frozen behind the counter in surprise. He had called off the stakeout today so that he could find out if what Tim had said was true. He certainly did not expect her to react so positively to his advances. It made some of the earlier days of their encounters take a whole new meaning.
But to hear her quote Austen, and not only Austen but a love quote, even if he wasn't meant to hear it, made his own feelings for her so much clearer. He watched with something akin to awe as she flushed bright red and startled back as she realized what she had said. His grin grew as she stammered again and asked clumsily if that was what he was reading to cover up her accidental admission.
Jason was convinced that was what that quote was no matter what she said about it now. The red on her cheeks and the embarrassed and slightly panicked way she avoided his eyes told him as much. He sent a silent thank you to Talia for honing his body language skills.
A quick look around the cafe showed that they were alone and he was once again glad he had called off the stakeout so early in the day.
“Marinette,” he called softly, catching one of her flailing hands to pause her rambling and smiling at her softly and hopefully. “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
He watched her blue screen briefly before she blinked rapidly and to his confusion pulled away from him.
“A-another quote.” She said neutrally as she grabbed a rag and wiped the counter before them as if there was a persistent blood stain upon it. “Pride and prejudice this time I see. I recognize that quote. Felix, Adrien’s cousin, used to mock me with it when I was still stupidly crushing on Adrien. Is that a favorite line of yours then?”
The tightly veiled hurt in her voice squeezed at his chest until she finished and he understood her tense body language and overly neutral tone for what it was.
“Oh. Oh no, Mare, that wasn't my intention!” Jason quickly reached out and covered her hand with his own, startling her into looking at him and the unshed tears in her sky-blue eyes ate at him. “Yes it was a quote from one of my favorite books but…'' He took a quick breath and steadied himself before plunging in. “I meant it. I mean every word. I love you and I hadn't allowed myself to realize it until recently.”
He cringed then and pulled away to rub the back of his head in embarrassment. Missing the way Marinette stared at him intensely and with so much hope.
“What changed?” She asked him quietly as she leaned onto the counter toward him and tilted her head trying to see his face as he turned to the side.
Jason grimaced. He had hoped she wouldn't ask him that. He supposed that it was a fair question, especially with all his mixed signals recently as he fought himself over his feelings. He chuckled humorously before turning back to her to ensure there would be no misunderstandings between them.
“I, uh, had a chat with another birdy who might have hit me over the head with my obliviousness and ability to jump to self-deprecating answers.”
Marinette frowned as she mulled over his words before he saw something click on her face and she looked at him incredulously.
“You thought I wasn't serious?!”
“Yes, well no. I…well I thought you were going out with Tim and I wasn't about to interfere with his relationship, even if you were hot and seemed to be hitting on me.”
Marinette's face lit up in amusement then and he was glad she didn't outright laugh at him even if he could see the laughter in her eyes.
“I literally said ‘Hey handsome how about we go somewhere quieter to get to know each other? Maybe you can teach me some new moves.’ No wonder you took me to your home gym to train me. I thought that was just your way to turn me down gently!”
“Well excuse me for having crap role models when it comes to love lives.” Jason grumped as he picked up his tea to sip.
“Oh, so Ms.Austen is not the great writer you made me believe?” Marinette countered teasingly as she held up his Pride and Prejudice book she had grabbed from his pocket.
Jason gasped in outrage. “You take that back, woman!”
Marinette nodded mockingly as she flipped a few pages. Before glancing back at him with a smirk.
“You're right, even she wrote about how stupid men can be when love is considered.”
“Says the woman who couldn't get out a coherent sentence earlier. Pot meets kettle.”
Marinette opened her mouth to fight back but closed it as the words flew from her mind. A blush raced to her face as he leaned toward her with a smug smirk.
“So my adorable little Pot what say you to dinner and a movie later?”
“Pfftt. Well, Kettle, I think you are several months late on your offer.”
~~~~~
Marinette was known to be patient whether in suit or not. You wouldn't be able to tell that at the moment, however, as she bounced her leg and stared at the door or the clock.
Jason and she had been going out for 6 months now and she was eager to celebrate their mid-year anniversary. Yes, she was being sappy and yes she knew despite the complaints Jason would give he was just as sappy about these things. Even if he didn't know that's why she called him over so urgently. Or how that had anything to do with him needing to come suited up.
Which meant it was perfect to surprise him with her little game!!
Thump-ump
Go time.
Marinette bounced up from the chair she was restlessly shifting in with a wide grin before twirling as she called out to the Kwami.
“Barkk, Let's Fetch!”
Tan light swirls around her before dissipating, showing Marinette decked out in a white dress with tan leggings and boots. The outfit is completed with a tan long-sleeve hoodie with floppy dog ears that rest on either side of her head.
It only takes a minute after the thumps that signaled Red Hood's arrival for Marinette to be suited up and skipping to the door, special sling bag in hand.
“I got here as soon as I could! What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Hood frantically checked her over while also scanning her apartment for any sign of trouble. Marinette only grinned and caught his hand in hers to pause his frantic inspection.
“I'm fine Mon Couer. Really. I just didn't want to spoil the surprise.”
There was silence for long enough that the grin slipped from her face, and her lip found its way between her teeth as she chewed it nervously.
“You aren’t mad at me are you?” She asked in a timid voice. She hadn't really stopped to consider how crazy concerned he could get. It was easy to forget sometimes how traumatic Jason’s life had been and how worried he got for his loved ones because of it.
She heard a sigh before he pulled his hand gently from her hold so that he could remove his helmet. Her blue eyes traced over his face taking in the relief warring with frustration.
All of a sudden a game didn't sound so good, all she could feel was guilt for worrying him so much.
“I'm so sorry Jay I—“
Gloved fingers pressed against her mouth to stop the tidal wave of guilt from continuing to gush out of her. She looked back over to his face to see a wry smile and fond eyes.
“I know you didn’t mean any harm, Mare. It’s not your fault I’m always waiting for the shoe to drop and take this bit of happiness away from me too.”
Marinette couldn’t help the tears that pricked her eyes before silently creating tracks down her cheeks. She didn’t hesitate to pull Jason into a bear hug. In fact, Jason felt like she was trying to merge with him the way she tightened her hold and nuzzled into his chest.
“I should have known better. I do know better. I took precautions with our game tonight but didn’t stop to consider…to understand how you may think or feel about my request…I am so so sorry, my love.”
She felt Jay trying to pull away from her and refused to let him comfort her when he was the one that needed it. Jason was stubborn though and he was quick to change tactics.
Arms wrapped around her and pulled her close before she was lifted bodily and brought back into her apartment. The bag of clues dropped from her hands as soon as she had engulfed him in a hug. She couldn’t find it in herself to care if they blew away right now. All that mattered was assuring Jason that she was ok and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone take her from him.
“Jay? You know I would sooner kill the Joker than let him hurt you again right? There is no shoe to drop this time ok? We are partners, we are in this together. Hell, you trained me after all Mr. muscles.”
She nudged him then as she sat back with a grin. Marinette found that she loved it when he rolled his eyes at her like that. She could feel the fondness and playfulness in the action. Without thinking further she reached a hand up and cupped his angular face before leaning in and giving him a short but sweet kiss.
Jason’s heartbeat finally calmed down as his brain finally accepted there was no danger to his beloved. He knew that she could be spontaneous and run forward without fully thinking things through when she was excited. It was one of the things he loved about her. The simple and fun chaos she reeked without even trying, called to him in a way normal activities usually did not.
Then her warm hand was holding his cheek and her soft lips met his. Jason was more than happy to celebrate the fact that she was ok and not in danger with one of his favorite activities with his girlfriend. He followed her when she pulled back far too soon for his liking and pulled her into a more passionate kiss as poured all his love and relief into it.
They both came away panting from that one with sappy smiles and Jason could care less about anything else in the world at that moment than the love that filled the space between them.
“Jason! We are here what happened where is– oh, hey Bean. Glad to see you're ok. I see I was not needed after all. Got any coffee?”
Red Robin popped into the kitchen after his one-sided conversation to find her supply of chocolate-covered coffee beans she always kept on hand for him just in case he stopped by. She also had Jason’s favorite tea, Dick’s favorite cereal, and eggos on standby for Stephanie. The others rarely stopped by her apartment so she didn't need their favorite on hand.
Jason groaned and dropped his head into Marinette’s shoulder. He had forgotten in his fear and concern he had called the only sibling he knew for sure would and could get here quickly. Marinette snorted in amusement and understanding as she ran her hands through his hair as she watched Tim walk back out and struggle to open the plastic bag she had wrapped them in.
“Tim? How long has it been since you slept last? You know I understand the focus and drive but if you can’t open a sandwich bag even I am concerned.”
Tim glared at her and then at the baggie before pulling out a Batarang and slicing it open.
I’m fine see,” He responded as he cheerfully showed her the caffeinated beans. “I can still solve problems, I'll be fine.”
Marinette narrowed her eyes at him before nudging Jason.
“Jaaayyy tell your brother he needs to go home and sleep now.”
Jason lifted his head eagerly and set a stern look Tim’s way.
“Timber go home. Majority rules. You came and helped me. Now it’s time for you to shoo so I can spend time with my girlfriend.”
Tim gagged seeing Jason lean over and kiss a surprised Marinette to punctuate the point and made a quick retreat back out into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You mentioned a game when I got here, what game did your creative mind scheme up this time.”
Jason teased several hours later and after a wonderful Meatloaf dinner and a dinner of brownie bites and Earl Grey tea. Marinette blushed and set down the cup she had been drying.
“Oh, that? Just a hunt across the rooftops. Your family has probably already found the eggs by now so no biggie. It will be funny to see what they have to say about them, haha.”
Jason hummed and then walked out onto the balcony and Marinette turned to put the last dishes into the cabinet.
“Look to the sea, and there you will find me…” Jason chuckled suddenly from behind her. The heroine jumped and squeaked as the sound startled her from her thoughts. Looking over she saw tanned hands flipping through her clue cards from the rooftop egg hunt she had set up earlier during the day. The sling bag rested casually over one of his shoulders as his grin grew as her riddled clues got more and more ridiculous.
“Look! I thought it would be a fun date for our six-month anniversary with Easter coming up later in the month. They are supposed to be silly.”
Jason didn’t have to say anything for her to hear the ‘oh really?’ from his posture and raised eyebrow. Ugh, stupid handsome, intelligent, vigilante-trained boyfriend being able to read through her feeble lies. If she had a better reason than keeping her dignity she might consider asking someone to teach her how to lie better.
“You don’t have to believe me but It doesn’t matter anyway it's probably much too late to find them anyway.”
She turned so Jason wouldn’t see her mood fall. He hadn’t known and she hadn’t thought it all through so it's her own fault they didn’t get to follow through with the idea. That didn’t stop her from being a little disappointed they didn’t get to have some fun in costume.
“Says who?” Jason challenged as he came up and hugged her from behind. “Even if some of the eggs have been found there is no saying they are all found and regardless it's about having fun together. I think I can find the eggs even if my family has grabbed them.”
Marinette giggled at his confident declaration and found she liked the idea of not knowing which eggs were still in place or not. She turned in his arms and smiled up at him brightly trying not to bounce on her toes as the excitement came rushing back to her.
“You have to show me all the secret entrances to the cave and teach me all your tricks to getting in!”
Jason laughed and spun her around before pushing her gently toward the door.
“Sounds like the best date Pixie. Go get suited up then.”
“Barkk, Let's Go Fetch!” She giggled joyfully before racing out the door. “Bet you can’t catch me!
“You’re on!” Jason shouted, throwing his helmet back on and racing after her.