ILLUSION || Jason Todd

EIGHTEEN

❝I KNOW I WON'T FEEL THIS WAY COME TOMORROW❞

FRAWLEY, HARD BOY

With the sun fully set and the night crept in, Lorelei sat comfortably in the passenger seat as Dick parked the car. They had arrived in Milwaukee two hours ago, the drive taking the expected ninety minute drive and the trio opting for a food break. Well, calling it a break was being ambitious.

Dick had spent the entire time in Detective mode, finding everything and anything he could about Clayton Williams and the life he held. It had taken Lorelei a good ten minutes of persuasion for the former Robin to finally order himself something to eat.

The food itself was delicious. Far, far better than breakfast.

Dick and Jason were somewhat getting along, something that added to the deliciousness of the food. They were not friends, just temporary allies as Lorelei had previously put it sternly. But it was something, better than nothing and most certainly better than the tensions and fighting. It was awkward, nobody could deny that but it was breathable. Lorelei could manage that.

And now, the golden hour had merely passed with its soft glow becoming a contrast to the night sky and hidden stars. It was fitting, as the trio promptly left the car once it was safe to do so. The streets were busy, drunk people stumbling around with laughter following them as they exited buildings that screamed music. The nightlife of cities came with the rise of the moon; dangers and carefree actions alike.

"This place is called Corvo, it's some kind of speakeasy." Dick shared, explaining where they were from Lorelei's previous question once he began to park the car. The three Batman sidekicks climbed out of the car, forming a row on the pavement as Dick took the lead. "Landlord said he bounces the late shift."

"That's too bad, bouncers are assholes." Jason said, putting hands into his pockets as another question arises in Lorelei's mind - how old was Jason? He couldn't have been too much older than Lorelei, maybe one or two years older; if his appearance was any indicator.

But even then, that would only make him nineteen or twenty. Either Jason had a fake ID, a youthful appearance - now that Lorelei was considering it, maybe him being twenty-one was too far fetched -, or had seen some shit in Gotham. Either one was entirely possible.

"Clay's not." Dick replied, gears turning in his head before asking the question Lorelei was curious about. "And how would you know anyway?"

"Uncle Ray would take me to bars with him all the time when I was little, everyone thought it was cute. 'Til it wasn't." Jason shared, occasionally glancing at Lorelei before shying away from her stare. Seeing some shit in Gotham, it was. "He was a fun drunk, then he'd get stupid, then he'd start throwing punches, then the bouncers would kick our asses out."

Lorelei hadn't meant to stare so intensely as the young boy shared his experiences, at least not initially. She couldn't help it, she itched to know whatever she could about Jason. It was a curiosity she needed fed, a hunger she hadn't experienced until she met him.

The pitying and teasing had been dropped since Dick banned flirting around him and with every passing second that Lorelei got glances into Jason - the real Jason - without having to use her abilities the young mage wanted to know more.

Then, when Lorelei realised Jason couldn't keep his eyes on her with that stare, she couldn't help but bite back a grin and continue to make him squirm. And maybe, just maybe, Dick would have classified that as flirting but damn, it was fun.