NEW FLESH, jason todd

11.

Venus froze with her hands frozen by her sides. Heart pounding in her ears, she blinked uncertainly, unable to move. She felt as though her eyes were deceiving her, or that she was perhaps hallucinating.

He sat on her dark green sofa, legs casually propped on the coffee table with his piercing eyes on hers. He wore grey sweatpants with a black sweatshirt; his old that clothes Venus kept. He looked exactly the same as he did two years ago, save for the streaks of white dangling by his forehead, greatly contrasting against his dark hair. But despite his unchanging appearance, he seemed older, like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

It was almost too good to be true. In all his glory, Jason Todd was there, finally, in arms reach.

Venus forced herself to calm down, for her heart to settle. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she breathed slowly. Her mouth formed an 'O,' but her voice wouldn't work. She knew he was alive for quite some time, but actually seeing him was almost unbelievable.

Jason seemed to understand. He swung his feet to the ground and stood, walking towards Venus cautiously. He stopped about a foot away from her and they stood in silence, each taking the other in.

It was surreal, living in the moment Venus has dreamt about for years. She felt faint and she could feel herself going pale; it's been a long couple of days, she's allowed to feel unstable, right?

Perhaps he noticed the lack of color in her cheeks, or maybe he grew tired of standing. Jason held his hand out palm up, silently offering it to Venus. After a beat, she placed her hand in his, their hands intertwining for the first time in years. He led her gently to the sofa, clutching it rather tightly. She didn't have it in her to tell him to loosen his grip; Venus suspected that she too, had him in an iron vise.

They sank into the cushions on her sofa and Venus shook her hand away, placing both her hands on Jason's arms. She had to make sure he was real. Her hands moved up to his shoulders and Venus exhaled; he really is here. Her hands moved up, two fingers lingering on his throat, ensuring he had a heartbeat. She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled quietly, amused. Moving up to his face, she finally looked him in the eyes again.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and Venus was relieved to see that his forest-green eyes were exactly how she remembered. Yes, he changed. She could tell by the roughness of his hands and the tension in his shoulders. But in the end he is still Jason Todd, and Venus will be by his side. No matter what.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled softly, her hands on his cheeks. "Hi."

"Hi," Venus breathed, color returning to her face.

He clasped her wrists and brought them down to her lap, lacing their fingers together once more. They sat in silence for a few moments before Venus spoke, her voice strained.

"Why are you here?"

Jason grinned, pulling her closer. "I needed a change of clothes, of course."

Venus narrowed her eyes, refusing to laugh. "And how do you know where I live? Breaking and entering is still illegal."

"You're so funny, Vea. I know everything," He winked. "And you really ought to thank me for saving your life."

She rolled her eyes as she stood, pushing him away softly. His arrogance certainly did not die with him. "Hilarious. Coffee?"

He followed her to the kitchen and stood closely behind her, leaning against the counter. "Sure. No sobbing about how much you missed me? I was hoping for a few tears."