Gotham Mouse, Paris Bug

Chapter 18

Kim nudged him, eyes playful but with a small edge of caution in them. “So when did you realize you were in love with Marie?”

And that certainly took Jason by surprise. Because Marie just happened to be literally in the next room. Luka was helping her replace the strings on her black and pink guitar since she hasn’t seen him in a while. Kim had just asked him to make the hot chocolate with him, Max following cautiously behind. Were they really gonna give him the shovel talk? “Um, probably somewhere between the third and fifth time she chucked me off a rooftop?” He hesitated a moment, reconsidering. “Or maybe it was when she made me help her put glow-stars on her ceiling.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Max nodded.

“How’d ya figure I have feelings for her anyway?”

“Everyone falls for Marinette, if you haven’t then you’re either gay, aromatic, or Agreste-level stupid.”

Jason couldn’t help but take Max’s side on that statement. He actually didn’t know anyone he could think of who didn’t fit in that list and didn’t have feelings for Marie. Kim didn’t count as he was a pseudo-brother. “Well yeah.”

Kim just rolled his eyes, standing to lean on Max’s shoulder. His body language was calm and relaxed, but there was an edge of static in his eyes, a promised storm for anyone who would ever hurt Marie. “We’re not really here to give you the shovel talk. I’m not here to ask what your intentions are with her either. Just acknowledging that you probably have those feelings, I know that you know that we have her back.”

“I mean yeah, you’re right obviously. Marie is a damn treasure, and yeah I got feelings for her. But it’s just,” He shrugged easily, knowing Max and Kim were fearsome but that they did like him. And they were only looking out for Marie, which he could defiantly get behind. “I’m good with what we have now. And there’s no rush or future planned out. We’re still figuring ourselves out, and trying to cram a relationship with higher expectations on top of everything else just isn't something I think either of us are interested in.

Romantic relationships are stressful and hard work, no matter how much we ‘click’ or how close we are.”

Max reached out to tap his shoulder considerably. “You are much wiser than people give you credit for, Jason.”

With that, Max turned to leave, sparing Kim a glance before heading back. Kim seemed a little torn, and it made sense objectively. No matter how much he trusted Jason in and out of the suit, he was still concerned. “Just don’t fuck it up, Jason. I like having you around.”

Jason grinned a little at that, knowing that he had no intention of losing this.

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“Can I cash in a favor?”

Tim paused at that, knowing that while Jason would occasionally ask for favors, or demand help- he rarely ever tried to provide any reason fr Tim to help him. Just by saying it was something Tim might owe him, he was accidentally acknowledging that this was more important then Jason was comfortable admitting.

He knew Jason like that, he wasn’t the most predictable person at times. But Jason wasn’t mad- not completely anyways. He was clever and resourceful, and he knew how to bargain. Jason had lived on the streets, after all, he could take care of himself- and would fight to the death for people he cared about.