The Red Ghoul {The Red Good Series: Book Zero}

ARC II: PART VII

Jason was sprawled in his favorite armchair at home in Fawcett City, grading papers from the latest finals. It felt like the semester had flown by. The quiet of the room was interrupted by the front door creaking open. Roy was back from his Titans mission.

Jason set aside his papers and watched Roy as he came in, starting his post-mission routine. Roy carefully hung up his bow and blades on the rack Jason had made, placed his quiver and patrol gear neatly, and set his boots on a spell-charmed tray.

Roy, now down to just his comfy underclothes, padded over to Jason. He planted a soft kiss on Jason's forehead and settled into his lap. Jason took in Roy's relaxed look, appreciating the contrast between the fierce archer he knew and this more tender version. Roy, in his thin black shirt and bare feet, seemed miles away from his heroic persona.

The only sounds in the room were the crackling of the fire and the occasional rustle of papers as Jason continued grading. Roy wrapped his arms around Jason's shoulders in a loose hug, and Jason let out a contented hum as Roy snuggled into him, his breath warm on Jason's neck. With Roy draped over him, Jason felt a mix of comfort and distraction.

Jason kept grading, occasionally interrupted by Roy's soft kisses—one on his neck, another on his ear. Roy had clearly drifted off, his arms tightening around Jason as he settled in for an unexpected nap. Jason's attention to the papers faded as he enjoyed the cozy, intimate moment.

"Hey," Jason said softly, turning his head to kiss Roy's cheek. "You made it back in one piece. How was the mission?"

"Eh, nothing too wild. Bad guy's behind bars, and we're all fine. The usual," Roy mumbled, still half-asleep. "How are the kids?"

"Oh, they're great," Jason said with a smile. "Damian and Billy nailed their midterms—straight Outstandings. And Lian aced her English with an A+."

"Yeah, my little geniuses. Damian's probably already plotting world domination," Roy chuckled. "Lian's got your knack for English. Should've seen that coming, Prof."

"Well, it runs in the family," Jason said, leaning into Roy's embrace. "Thanks for asking. What about you? Any epic archery moments today?"

"Just the usual incredible, death-defying stuff. You know, Tuesday things." Roy smirked, but then his face clouded over. "Dick was pretty out of it. He's worried about Batman..."

"He's only been out of the timestream for a couple of weeks. Time magic is tricky and dangerous, which is why not many people mess with it. The number of warlocks and witches who get it right is even smaller," Jason huffed.

"They don't get magic like you do, so they're stressing and asking a million questions," Roy said, trying to soothe him. He sounded tired but understanding. "They don't mean anything by it..."

"I know," Jason sighed, putting his papers away. "I know they're worried and want answers, but rushing me won't help. They need to be patient."

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The holographic conference table in the Watch Tower flickered on, casting a soft glow in the dim room. The Justice League members were clearly feeling the weight of their latest blunder. Wonder Woman started things off, looking frustrated. "How did we let Darkseid pull one over on us like this? Batman's lost in the timestream, and we didn't even notice the fake body."

"I can't believe we didn't catch that it wasn't really Bruce," The Flash added, clearly annoyed.

Green Lantern, his ring glowing nervously, said, "Even when he was dead, Darkseid played us. We should've seen through his tricks."