RP with Jason Todd

[gravity_grrl]

[A few days after the depressing text messaging Roxy had with Jason she gets a call from one of the girls she knows from work who tells her that they've been offered to dance for a private after party at the club.

"It's good money Rox, these guys are big tippers to all the girls. Not just the ones up on stage." She tells her, "C'mon it might be fun."

Fun. Sure.
It's something she could use right now, having spent the last two days in a depressive slump over the situation with Jason, so after some consideration she agrees. She loves dancing so it might help break her out of her mood and she definitely could use the cash seeing how she just had to use a good chunk of her savings to buy a new cellphone, but most of all she says yes because there's a part of her that wants to look sexy as fuck and have guys check her out just to spite Jason. He won't be there, seeing how he's not 21, but that doesn't matter. It's the vibe, that badass bitch vibe that she needs right now.
Because otherwise she's just going to sink deeper into heartbreak.

And so, on Saturday night Roxy selects an outfit from her costume closet that she knows is a "fan favorite", throws it and some heels into a bag and heads down to 'The Penthouse' strip club located in downtown Gotham.]

Comments

[gravity_grrl]

[She can feel his whole body, which is probably already tired from the fight last night and now with all this worry probably feels like it's approaching exhaustion, sag against her. She brings her hands up, one to rub his back and the other to hold the base of his skull.]

No sweetheart. Not at all.

[Her voice is soft and kind.]

I understand why it has to be a secret, you're talking to a girl who was on the run from the government remember? It's okay.

[theotherobin]

[ He nods against her neck, hugging her tighter. He does remember that she's on the run from the government, but they've never talked about why. So maybe she does get it, and that's a relief, just as much as the fact that she isn't angry at him. ]

The other day... I freaked out. You were so upset- disgusted with what you saw and I thought... I thought you'd fucking hate me if you knew. You were so against it and it means so much to me, I just thought I'd end up fucking it up in the end either way.

I didn't know you'd be at that club last night.

[ But he would have had to go anyway, and this all would have been unavoidable. He was stupid to start anything up with Roxy in the first place- to get so close to someone that they'd find him out- but he doesn't regret it. He cares about her so fucking much. ]

I'm sorry, Roxy.

[gravity_grrl]

Oh Jason, darlin...

[He sounds so dejected and upset that it hurts her heart, but it's good that he's talking about it. That he can finally explain his side of things fully without having to lie or act like everything is fine when they aren't.]

I'm sorry too, and I don't hate you for what you did Jason I just....

[She sighs, still rubbing his back.]

The reasons why I acted like that are...complicated. I can explain them to you if you want but for right now please know that it wasn't because I was disgusted with you. I was upset and confused with myself. Not you.

[theotherobin]

[ He knows he absolutely shouldn't feel this way just yet, but it feels like a weight has lifted off his shoulders, with being able to talk about it, to explain it to her. He hated having to lie to her.

He knows this is still really fucked up, and if Bruce finds out that she knows, it'll be the end of Robin, but right now, in this moment, arms curled around Roxy, he can find some relief. ]

You were upset and confused because you said you hated that you felt good that they got hurt.

[ He remembers that part, and wondering why that wasn't okay. Why should they feel bad for the scum of the earth getting the living shit kicked out of them. ]

But that's how I feel too. And every night when I go out and kick more of their asses as Robin, I feel better and better about everything. I just didn't want you to hate me for it.

[ he lifts his head, wiping at his eyes. ]

You're okay with me being Robin?

[gravity_grrl]

[When he lifts his head, wiping at his eyes, she can see the young boy that he used to be. A young boy who was lost for so long and hurt in so many ways.]

I don't hate you.

[She looks up at him, putting a hand on the side of his face where she sees a fresh bruise on his cheekbone.]

I'm fine with you being Robin because it's just another part of you that I get to know.

[theotherobin]

[ He doesn't mean to be this raw and vulnerable, but it is what it is, and... it's Roxy. It just flows out of him now without hesitation. It's even harder for him to hold it all back now than before, and he knows it's because she knows more of him now. Maybe not his deepest, darkest secrets, but pretty damn close.

He looks down, nodding into her hand.]

You were right. I've missed you. A whole fucking lot.

[ He finally looks at her, moving a hand to her neck, sliding a thumb across her skin. ]

Are you really alright?

[gravity_grrl]

[Her heart swells so much she could cry when he finally says that he's missed her, it feels like it's been months since they talked this openly even though it's only been about a week. And once again Roxy realizes the strength of the connection they've made, it's something that could either tear them both apart completely or help make them better.

When he touches her neck she smiles softly, knowing how angry the bruises look. She uses the hand on his cheek to direct his eyes to hers.]

Yes, thanks to you. My hero.

[theotherobin]

[ Is this the right thing to do? He's still not sure, but he knows that he doesn't really want to be without her. And now that she knows... maybe it'll be easier in some ways. Harder in others, but at least he won't have to lie to her anymore.

He gives her a small smile when she calls him her hero. He doesn't feel like a hero right now, but he knows he did some good. He saved her life and he made all the bastards pay who touched her and hurt her. Not all, he knows that too, but at least the ones he knows about. Maybe that's good enough for now. ]

I wanted to go back to make sure you were alright, but I couldn't. Roxy... Bruce can't find out about this. If he does, he'll... I know he won't let me be Robin anymore. He'll know I fucked up.

[gravity_grrl]

Shhh, it's okay. I know you couldn't stick around, you had work to do. I made sure the other girls got home safe and everything. I called all of them this morning and they're all doing okay, shook up, but okay.

[She says, rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone softly.]

As for Bruce...I'm not going to tell anyone about him. The only person who might suspect that I know about all of this is Alfred but maybe not. When I called him this morning to beg for his help I told him it was because you wouldn't return my texts, so he might just chalk this up to a lovers quarrel.

[theotherobin]

We've got eyes on them. Just to make sure they'll be alright.

[ There are eyes on Roxy too, but he's pretty sure she'll figure that out, if she knows there are eyes on the other girls too. Will she be upset about that? Maybe. Probably. Everything feels like push and pull right now.

He leans his face into her touch, moving his other hand back to her waist. He really just wants to be close to her right now. The past few days have been shit without her.]

He doesn't know. Not even Alfred would be okay with this.

[ Jason's pretty sure, anyway. Because in the grand scheme of things, Jason is new, and all the rest of this has been going on for ages. He's new enough that they'd toss him out before risking it all. He's pretty sure of that too.]

Can't believe the two of you went behind my back for this, though.

[ he gives her the smallest smile so she knows he isn't mad about it. he'd be more amused if so much wasn't hanging in the balance. ]

Hey, you wanna... wanna grab our breakfast and go to my room? We can talk more there.

[gravity_grrl]

[His remark about having eyes on them, she knows what it means and nods. You don't live with an ex-government agent for four years and not pick up on the lingo. She doesn't mind so long as it's his or Bruce's and not the cops or the government, she's had enough of that to last a lifetime.

When he mentions Alfred she smiles and shrugs.]

You told me that he liked me and I know he cares about you...so I figured he'd be open to helping us talk things out.

[She nods when he mentions moving their conversation to his room, out of all the rooms in Wayne Manor it's her favorite one. It feels the most comfortable and safest which is kind of ironic now that she knows who else lives here.]

I'd really like that.

[theotherobin]

[ Jason doesn't want to freak her out by having her think that someone is watching her, but they'd never use someone they didn't trust for something like that, and never the government. She doesn't seem upset about it though, so that's a relief.

He thought this would go so much shittier than it actually is. Then again... it's Roxy. Maybe he should have known better, but it's hard for him to trust that anything will actually go right. ]

Guess you were right. And he does. He likes you. And I think he figured something was up. I've kinda been a moody bitch the past few days.

[ Alfred will ask about it later. And now? Now he's gonna have to lie to Alfred too, but an omission of the truth is different, right? And anyway, he wouldn't be lying about them working things out with each other.

Before they part, Jason slides his fingers through her hair and leans in, but stops, because he's not really sure if has the right just yet. he pretty much broke things off with Roxy and he knows they're making up right now, but still.]

Can I kiss you?

[gravity_grrl]

[She chuckles and lifts an eyebrow up at him in a sardonic arch]

You? Be a moody bitch? Noooooo....I don't believe it.

[When he stops short of kissing her she has to smile, he projects such a bad boy attitude most of the time and yet he's been nothing but respectful about her boundaries. It's an interesting and alluring dynamic and she reaches up to brush his bottom lip lightly with her thumb, her eyes meeting his and holding them for a long moment before smiling.]

You fucking better.

[theotherobin]

Hey, are you saying I'm always a moody bitch?? Cause... you're probably right about eighty percent of the time.

[ he can breathe now, and he doesn't feel like he's dying. his heart is back to beating normal, and his stomach isn't trying to evacuate itself. maybe this will all be alright. they'll have to talk and figure some shit out, but it isn't the end of the world. he can trust her.

Jason might seem like a conundrum in a lot of ways, but he knows what it's like when people push, when they hurt, when they don't respect boundaries and when they try to beat you down to nothing. most of his bad boy attitude is a cover anyway, for a thousand and one insecurities that he doesn't know the first clue about dealing with.

what he does know is that he cares about Roxy a lot though, and maybe this really is stupid, and it'll be difficult, but it'll also be worth it.

he smiles when she says he better kiss her, eyes locked with hers too, until he closes them to lean in and kiss her, much deeper than the quick one last night.]

[gravity_grrl]

Well....maybe not always...

[When locks eyes with her and smiles she feels something large move inside her and her mind whispers softly, 'He could stop my heart with that smile'. But then his lips are against hers and she doesn't bother thinking anymore, she just kisses him deeply and thoroughly. He hands moving up and around his waist, pulling herself tightly against him.]

[theotherobin]

[ Fuck, he's missed this. That spark from last night, that spark from before. It's always here no matter how many times they kiss, and Jason knows he could never deny it, even if he tried.

He doesn't want to deny it though. Not anymore. He wants to lean into it more and more, arm wrapping around her waist to pull her tighter against him and keep her there.

It feels like he's making up for days without her kisses, and he wants to make it up to her too. He keeps kissing her until he needs to pull back and take a breath, resting his forehead against hers. ]

Missed this. Missed you. Sorry for being such a shithead.

[gravity_grrl]

[She lets out a breathless little sigh when he breaks the kiss, grateful for both the pause and his apology.]

Fuck I missed you.

[She reaches up to run her hands through his wild, bed-head hair.]

It's okay, at least understand now why you were acting so cold. But if you pull that with me again I will have to kick your ass.

[theotherobin]

[ He can't promise her that he won't be a shithead again, because he knows that's impossible, but he doesn't want to act cold and push her away again either. There's really no reason for it now, unless it's to keep her safe- but at least he can tell her the reason now and she won't be left in the dark wondering what the hell happened. ]

I won't pull that shit with you again.

[ he gives her another brief kiss, then starts tugging her back towards the counter, arms still wrapped around her tightly as they hobble walk. he only lets go when he goes to grab their plates, reluctantly pulling away even more. ]

Grab the coffee mugs and then we'll head up. We can hang out there as long as you want. Don't have anything till later.

[gravity_grrl]

Thank you.

[She kisses him back and then follows him to the counter, going to grab the coffee cups but before she does she spies a little pad of paper on the fridge. It's probably where Alfred writes down notes and grocery lists, she quickly bops over to it and writes a thank you note for him. With that done she comes back over, tops up their coffee cups and motions for Jason to lead the way upstairs.]

So I'm assuming you have 'work' later? Oh, which reminds me....uh... Any word on if it's safe for me and the girls to go back to that club?

[theotherobin]

[ He gives a small smile when Roxy writes Alfred a note. Jason will have to thank him later as well. He knows he was annoyed at first, but it really worked out and maybe Alfred knew that. It's still kind of frustrating that he'll have to keep a secret from them now too, but it'll be different from all the lies he's had to tell Roxy.

He leads them up the stairs, heading for the privacy of his room. Maybe they should have gone up there to begin with, but he knows Bruce isn't monitoring the sound in each room. He's sure Alfred went to distract him anyway. ]

Yeah. Work.

[ He gives Roxy a crooked grin. It still twists in his stomach for a moment that she knows, but that relief is there too now. The rest of it has him frowning though, glancing at her. ]

That club was a part of their underground operations, Roxy. They were snatching girls, working out of the basement. Don't think it's going to be up and running for a while.

[gravity_grrl]

[Balancing the coffees in one hand she helps open the door to his bedroom, motioning for him to go inside first and once they are both in his room she hip checks the door shut. She falters when he mentions the shit that was going on under the club, almost spilling coffee on herself. She swears and sets the cups down, sighing unhappily.

This was awful for a number of reasons and it made her feel sick to her stomach to know that every time she was at work there could have been girls below her, being hurt and killed.]

Fuck. I...didn't know. Jason I feel awful.

[She looks at him, her brows knitted together in concern.]

How many have gone missing?

[theotherobin]

[ He sets their plates down on a side table and tosses things off of his bed, yanking the comforter up. He wasn't expecting Roxy to be in his room today.

But then he stops, coming over to her. ]

There was no way you could know. We were investigated them for weeks until our findings led back to that club.

[ Should he be telling her all of this? Probably not. Just because she knows about Batman and Robin, she shouldn't be getting the rest of the details as well, especially if it might put her in danger. ]

Six. Hopefully no more. That was the main ring we shut down last night, we found three girls, and we'll find the rest. I really shouldn't be telling you any more than that.

[gravity_grrl]

[One of her hands drifts up to her neck, unconsciously rubbing at the spot where she had been choked last night as she digests the information Jason is giving her.]

Oh god.

[Her stomach clenches uncomfortably as it finally hits home that if she wasn't who she was, if she didn't have her powers or the years of training that Mr.Lynch had given her she could have been one of those women. She could have been taken next. She swears under her breath, feeling a low throb of anger at all the men who were the cause of this.]

I hope you find the other three soon.

[She sighs and sits down on his bed, trying to shake off the awful guilt and anger that wants to take hold right now. Hopefully it will turn out okay, she knows Jason isn't lying to her about his dedication to finding the others. It's a small thing but at least she knows someone is looking for them instead of just ignoring the issue or leaving them to die.]

Guess this means I'll have to find a new job...

[theotherobin]

[ He reaches out, sliding a hand over hers on her neck, moving in closer to her. He knows it's a lot to take in all at once, especially after everything that happened last night, but at least he can be here for her now. ]

We will. We'll find them. We've got... we've got ways.

[ Recognition scans across the city that he doesn't know if he should tell her about. Not the details anyway. He's already pulled her into all of this way too much.

He moves to sit down next to her, placing a hand gently on her leg. ]

I know a couple places that are safe. I can put in a good word if you want.

[gravity_grrl]

I'm glad. I'm glad you two are out there, doing something. Helping people.

[She's grateful for his touch, it soothes her and she moves closer to him. Leaning her head on his shoulder.]

That would be nice, thank you.

[She pauses, biting her lower lip.]

Urm so, are you okay with me doing that for work?