DANGEROUS ⇛ Jason Todd [ currently on hiatus ]

11.

Weeks Later

I stared at Jason, his body lazily flung over my couch and his eyes shut as his light snores ring through my ears.

Jason and I had become surprisingly closer over the past few weeks, his cocky and egotistical persona soon wearing off as I had gotten to know him. Stephanie thought it was beyond weird that Jason and I had become so close. Apparently, Jason wasn't one to stick around. And honestly, I believe her.

To be truthful, it did take me a while to get used to Jason but at that specific time I hadn't realised how difficult it was for Jason to open up even only the slightest bit.

After a long week of my pestering, Jason had finally agreed to help Stephanie teach me how to fight. None of it lasted very long--them only having taught me basic self-defense before I was the on to have had enough of it. The only reason that I had chosen to learn how to fight was because of Black Mask and we've not heard any news of him since Jason failed to locate him correctly.

So, now I'm just Jason's personal first aid help whenever he needs it. Even though we both know it's an excuse for the both of us to keep each other company after a long night of patrol for him or a long day of university or work for me.

"I can feel you watching me." Jason mumbles, his eyes still shut and his position unmoving. The corners of his lips raise in a teasing smirk.

"Are you alright? You were pretty badly beat last night and--"

"I'm fine, Danielle. See?" Jason lifts his shirt, showing me the same wound that I had stitched up for him last night. It was barely visible anymore. How was that even possible? I blush, my eyes quickly diverting to Jason's blue iris'. His lips are still turned upwards in a stupid smirk. I nod awkwardly, signifying that I understand.

I move towards the couch, waiting for a few seconds as Jason moves his feet so that I can sit. My fingers lace through each other on my lap and my eyes watch them blankly.

"Jason?" I ask, not bothering to look over at him. It's been three weeks since we had any lead on Roman Sionis and I was beginning to grow restless. Stephanie and Jason? Not so much. Of course, Jason had other things to attend to that may or may not be bigger than kicking Sionis' butt for murdering my sister. My sister's death isn't the only problem that he needs to deal with. Gotham City is such a place where there's always going to be something that needs Jason's vigilant attention.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we'll ever find the Black Mask? I mean, it's been almost a month."

"We will, eventually. I can promise you that, yeah?" He mumbles, sitting up straight. Jason wraps an arm around my shoulder, his touch making each small hair on my body stand up. "There's no need to rush, either. I know it's contradictory to what I had said at the start but he'll be back in Gotham sooner or later, that's for sure. And when he is, then I'll make sure he regrets what he did to your sister."

"Thank you, Jason." I blurt. Jason looks down to meet my gaze, his eyes questioning my statement. "I never really got to thank you-um, properly, for doing this for my sister. I know, I was a pain to deal with at the start and I'm sorry for that but I'm glad you're here."

"You don't need to thank me, Dani. I'm doing this because I want to, no longer because I feel like I have to."

Jason sat so close to me that I could feel the vibrations of his voice on my skin.