𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏, jasonette

i. 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝

Jason sighed tiredly as he walked into his apartment. Another night of fighting criminals.

He froze when he saw his girlfriend sitting on the table with a half-eaten dinner. Marinette stood up and glared at him. "This is the third time. The third goddamn time you've missed a date."

"I-uh..." he stuttered.

"What?" Marinette said. "Forgot about it? Fell asleep? Had a job to do? How long does that take. I've been waiting for 2 hours, Jason."

Shit.

"Or did you forget I'm going back to Paris today?" she asked, laughing humorlessly. Jason was starting to panic.

She scoffed sarcastically. "Of course, you did. It's not like you haven't forgotten everything else."

Marinette stood up determinedly. "We're done, Jason. Done."

That snapped Jason out of his stupor. "Marinette, no. Please. I swear it won't happen again. I promise."

She continued walking to the door. "That's what you said the last time."

Shit. How badly did he screw up? How long had she taken his 'forgetfulness' with a smile? How was he going to fix this?

"Marinette please. I love you." Said Jason, desperately. He knew the only reason Marinette was living in Gotham was because of him. If he let her go now, he may as well never see her again.

Suddenly, she turned around. Jason stupidly hoped that she had changed her mind. That she would stay. That she wouldn't leave him. When this was over, he was telling Bruce he could find someone else to fight criminals. "When was the last time you meant it?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

Jason felt his heart shattering. She thought...she thought he didn't...love her? "I do mean it." He insisted. "I always have. Please, if you just let me explain, we could work everything out-"

He was interrupted when Marinette rolled her still tearful eyes and opened the door. She turned to him and said quietly, "Jason, if you trusted me, you would have told me before when you missed our sixth date. You couldn't do that, so clearly you don't trust me. I'm sorry, but I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me."

Jason unwillingly tried to remember how many dates he had missed. The number broke his heart all over again. 13.

"I'm sorry." She repeated and turned to leave.

Jason knew she wasn't going to come back no matter what he did. So, he did the one thing she deserved from him. "I'm sorry too," he said. "I should have told you whatever it was before."

Marinette nodded slightly in assent and walked out. Walked out of the door. Walked out of the door symbolizing the moment she walked out of his life.

Jason banged his head against the door and let the tears fall.

***

Hours later, Jason lay down slumped on the sofa watching the news without actually registering anything. His ears pricked up when they heard Marinette's flight number being said.

"-has crashed due to the heavy rainfalls," said the reporter somberly. Jason sat up, alertly. One question hurtling around: Was Marinette alive?

The reported took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, from the plane crash, no survivors have been found. It is unlikely that anyone has survived according to officials."

No survivors have been found. No survivors have been found. Nosurvivorshavebeenfound. Nosurvivorshavebeenfound.

The words repeated themselves in Jason's head, eventually blurring together. He stared blankly at the screen as the reported listed off the names of the passengers on the flight.

"-Columbo," she was saying, the man's photo showing up on the screen, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Julia-"

Marinette's smiling photo showed up on the TV screen, haunting Jason's thoughts. The same owner of the smile that could light up anyone's day, the smile that brought him back from the brink of insanity, the smile of his dead girlfriend. Dead ex-girlfriend.

She was dead.

And the last word's she ever said to him were 'I'm sorry, but I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me.'

Ignoring his phone lighting up with worried and sympathetic messages from his friends (I'm sorry, Jason; Have you seen the news, Jason; Jason, are you okay; I'm coming over.), Jason let the tears fall again as he wrecked his house for a bottle of beer.

It was all his fault. All his fault.

That was how Dick found him, once he broke down the door when Jason wouldn't open it.

Sobbing uncontrollably while choking on his drink, broken plates and furniture opening cuts on his younger brother's body.

Crying for his lost girlfriend.

It was six months after Marinette's funeral when Jason finally visited her grave. He broke down then and there.

A/N: My contribution to Jasonette July 2021: Saturday Challenge - Hurt No Comfort

this is my first time writing angst, so feedback would be appreciated

(CROSSPOSTED ON AO3 & TUMBLR)

Find me on tumblr:

https://maribat4ever.tumblr.com/