Fill My Lungs | J. Todd ✔

[29] City Of Gargoyles

The weekend came much sooner and Valerie was in her room, packing her bag as she had to go with Jason to Gotham. Her friend Sarah was helping her pack her stuff accompanied by a lot of lectures on keeping herself safe as she was going to the fairly known city of crime.

Sarah made her pack a bottle of pepper spray and a taser as well for use in case of emergency. At that, Valerie had playfully remarked that Jason himself was enough to handle any emergencies that might arise.

"I know your boyfriend is scary as hell and no one would dare hurt you as long as he's around," Sarah resumed in the serious tone that she used whenever she was trying to make Valerie understand, "but you've had quite the record for being a trouble magnet so you better keep the spray and taser with you all the time."

"Aw come on, Jason is not scary as hell."

"Not to you, he isn't. But he's terrifying when he's angry," she remarked, recalling the time she and Jason had gotten into a heated argument when Valerie had been hurt by her cousin Garrett.

"He apologized to you for that already," Valerie added.

"I know and I'm not holding it against him. I'm just saying that he's scary when angered, generally speaking."

"Okay I get it," she gave in, a light smile creasing her features as she stepped forward to hug her, "thanks for helping me pack, Sarah."

"Don't mention it. Just don't get into a mess while you're away, that's all I ask."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

Jason was going to pick her up shortly so she checked all her stuff again and then when the familiar horn of his car sounded, she bade her friend goodbye and hugged her before leaving.

"Take care and call me when you reach there," Sarah reminded her.

"Of course, and it's not like I am going forever," Valerie hugged her tightly then let go, "I will be back before you know it."

"You better. Marc also said he'll call you later as he has a shift right now so don't forget your phone in the car or somewhere else, okay?"

"Okay, Mom, may I go now?"

"Yeah..." She smiled, coming with her to the door. 

Jason was already there to take Valerie's bag and he nodded his head in greeting toward Sarah as well.

"All ready to go?" He asked Valerie who looked both excited and slightly nervous.

"Yup. Bye Sarah, I will call you as soon as I reach."

"And I will remind her if she forgets," Jason added and waved goodbye to Sarah as well.

Shortly after, they were in the car and driving off to the motorway that led to Gotham. Valerie had clasped her hands tightly in her lap and Jason could sense that she had done that out of nervousness.

Keeping his eyes focused on the road, he gently reached out toward her and took her hand in his, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Don't be so tensed, everything is going to turn out just fine," he told her, placing her hand on the gear with his own broad palm covering her knuckles gently, "if anything, I should be the one worrying how my family's going to behave because they are a bunch of dysfunctional idiots."

She probably didn't believe that statement, "all of them?"

"All except Alfred and Barbara. Yeah, those two are the only sane people I can think of."

She smiled, turning to look at him, "you all must have gotten into a lot of chaos over the years then."

"Just chaos? We all have seen and done things far more chaotic than a normal person should," he remarked, "that's why I am perfectly certain that you have nothing to worry about. I can bet they will be more surprised by the fact that such a charming and beautiful woman as you have chosen to date a disaster."

"You're not a disaster," she tried to contradict his statement but he laughed as if what she had said was quite funny. "Okay fine but a very beautiful disaster then."

"I appreciate the compliment very much."

***

"A hundred bucks say he's not coming," Tim remarked, throwing his cards up front as he was playing a game of Hearts with Steph, Cass, and Damian. The latter seemed bored enough to be stuck in a card game with a bunch of amateurs as he was constantly reminding them that he would leave after the next turn if they didn't play decently.

"Nope, he'll definitely come. Look at Dickiebird, he's jumping in excitement," Steph replied, taking her turn next.

"Look at your cards, Brown, you're losing terribly," Damian huffed, taking his turn after her.

"Oh come on, gremlin, live a little. Let us talk while we play," Tim added but that earned him a cushion on the face thrown by their youngest sibling.

"Damian no," Cass rebuked him and he made an annoyed face.

"Cain, you can't throw that card out, it's against the rules!"

While Damian began to tell Cassandra the rules all over again, Tim and Steph conveniently resumed talking about Jason and his unexpected plus one.

"I can't believe he's dating," Steph spoke up, "I was so surprised when I heard he's bringing his girlfriend over that I didn't believe it and thought Dickie was pulling our leg."

"I know right? I also thought it was a hoax so I ran a background check," Tim remarked but then seeing her disapproving expression, he quickly added, "oh come on, it's not like I did something illegal! I just checked whether she existed or not. Nothing more, nothing less. I swear!"

"You, Timothy, are incorrigible..."

"Guys, why are you all still here?" Richard's voice shook them out of their separate conversations and they looked up to see their eldest brother in full Mom mode, "I told you not to hog up the living room like that. We need to keep this place tidy."

"Look at you, acting as if some princess of a state is coming over," Steph laughed along with Tim but they stood up nevertheless, gathering their cards.

"You should be content that at least nothing is on fire... Yet," Tim remarked, looking around to check once again that his statement was true and neither of them had accidentally caused a fire.

"Gotham already has a bad enough reputation and I don't want you guys to scare Valerie off so you better behave yourselves," Richard resumed, picking up the cushion that Damian had thrown at Tim earlier.

"Yeah we are not gargoyles that would end up scaring her off, take a chill pill," Tim chuckled, joining him in clearing up the mess they had created in the living room, "she'll adore us, guaranteed."

"Keep me out of this," Dami remarked, leaving the group as he went upstairs to his room.

They had managed to clear up the living room in time because shortly after, the bell rang and Alfred went to check. Jason and his girlfriend had arrived.

"Not gonna lie, I am excited to meet her," Steph whispered to Tim who was also looking at the door to see the entrants, "I kinda wanna see who would get our hotheaded bro to consider a relationship."

"In that case, you're wrong. Jay has been in relationships before her too, it's just that..."

But Tim's voice drifted off as Richard made him shut up by clamping his hand on his mouth in a warning.

"I said behave," he warned Tim, "don't bring up anything that's unnecessary, or else Jay will skin you alive and even I won't be able to save you from him."

"Yup, I get it. We're not the gargoyles, Jason is," Tim couldn't help but add a last-minute remark.

***