Love Under the Hood - A Jason Todd X OC Story

Chapter 16: One of Us

"Jason!" Scarlett shouted down the hallway, a strand of hair pressed within a straightening iron. "Can you please take the casserole out of the fridge? I'm almost ready!"

From his place on the living room couch, Jason set his phone down on the coffee table with a sigh. "Damn...and there I was thinking we weren't gonna make it! I was almost getting my hopes up!"

"In your dreams!" 

Scarlett could hear Jason laughing to himself in the other room, which only made her smile grow. 

It had been six months since Talia's reign of terror ended. Just as Jason predicted, she managed to escape her holding cell at GCPD before the Blackgate Prison convoy arrived. Thankfully, they hadn't heard a word from her since, and no more symbols were reported around the city. 

It took another few days for Scarlett to fully regain her strength after waking up, but her scratches and bruises healed completely thanks to Alfred's handiwork. The only thing left to remind her of the ordeal was the white strand of hair next to her face, which she quickly grew to love. The Wayne family was very attentive to her during her stay at the manor, especially Jason. The two spent a lot of time sitting in her bedroom talking about his life as a vigilante and what their future would look like together. 

When the time came for Scarlett to go home, Jason was anxious when she asked to see her apartment. Nothing had been done since the League of Assasins destroyed it during her attack. It was precisely the way Jason had found it that fateful afternoon. As it turned out, several of Scarlett's neighbors filed noise complaints during her abduction, but nothing was done until building maintenance noticed the broken windows over a week later. The building management attempted to sue her for damages, but Bruce was able to smooth over the situation and cover the cost of repairs. 

In the meantime, Jason convinced Scarlett to stay with him at his apartment in the East End. It wasn't the nicest place, but Scarlett didn't mind. Her trained eye for beauty and style made the dingy studio into a comfortable home in no time. When Scarlett's apartment manager called a month later to say she could move back in, it was an easy decision to cancel her lease instead. The two had been living together ever since.

Scarlett emerged from the bedroom wearing a fitted red sweater dress, knee-high black boots, and candy cane earrings. 

Jason leaned against the fridge, looking her up and down with a lustful grin. "Ho, ho, ho..." 

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Excuse me! Is that any way to talk to your girlfriend?"

"Depends on what mood she's in."

She rolled her eyes in amusement as he pulled her in by the waist and started kissing down the side of her neck. 

After a moment, he looked around the kitchen and nodded to the pan of food Scarlett had made. "I don't know why you went to so much trouble. Alfred cooks enough at Christmas to feed an entire village."

"Jason, your family is an entire village," she remarked. "But it's okay...I wanted to do it as a thank you for all the help Alfred's given me."

In reality, a casserole wasn't enough to thank Alfred for all his support. After her recovery, Scarlett decided it would be smart to learn basic first aid. Based on what Jason told her about his nightly patrol accidents, she knew she had to be prepared for the worst. She wanted to help his family in their war against crime in any way she could, and after they risked their lives to save her, it felt like the least she could do.