The Nowhere Girl

46. I'm Pretty Sure Bruce Wayne is a Cow-Abducting Alien

[Jason Todd]

Jason tugs at his tie and remembers just how much he hates tuxes. For Alfred's cookies, he reminds himself. He reminds himself that Bluey will be in a dress. There will be dancing, which means holding her close. Does she know how to dance? It doesn't matter, he doesn't care if she stands on his toes.

Maybe she'll get food on the corner of her lip, a little whipped-cream or something, and he can brush it off with his thumb. Maybe he'll let it linger there and hold the soft curve of her chin, and he'll lean in, and she will too. Maybe he'll get to kiss her right there in front of everyone. Maybe she'll wear some red lipstick that'll drive him crazy. Maybe they could sneak away and go home early-

He knocks on their shared door. Kori hasn't let him in the whole afternoon. "You two done in there?"

Maybe he should let them be. He wouldn't mind being late.

"Give us a minute!" Kori calls. He hears disgruntled noises and assumes that's his girlfriend. Jason thinks Blue's secretly excited for the party, but after the dress incident, she worried for her life.

They haven't talked about it. Just another way they're alike, but Jason knows if somethings really wrong, she'll come to him. They both know the whole bat-family will be there, and it wouldn't surprise Jason if some of Bruce's friends from work are there, too. He wonders if Clark Kent will have beef with her because of her variant work for LexCorp. Anyway, the Wayne Halloween Masquerade Ball is probably the safest place in Gotham tonight.

"Jaybird!" Roy pats him on the back. "C'mon dude, snap out. Whenever you start getting all spacy like that... it freaks me out."

"I'm gonna throw you out the window if you don't shut up," he says.

Jason's sure Roy is a stage three clinger at this point.

"Jason!" Kori scolds, but she's smiling. One that could rival the shines like the sun.

Then... Bluey comes to the doorway.

Jason practically goes into cardiac arrest.

Jason's never seen her like this before. Normally, it's plaid, shaggy hair in a mop around her face, and bare feet around the safe house. Refined beauty takes the backseat as she drives headfirst into whatever's easiest.

Now, she a fucking angel. His kind angel. A leather jacket is draped over her shoulder, the dress hugs her torso and falls to her ankles where she's wearing Doc Martins. And she's wearing red. She lied to him. It's red. It compliments her olive skin. She's dyed her hair brown. Strands of hair, curled, frame her face; in an almost 40s style. He preferred her natural colour, because when the sun shone on it, it lights up like fire. Red lips draw him in.

Jason curses the blush that rises to his cheeks. Is this what it feels like to take your girlfriend to prom? Is this what the teenage dream feels like?

Kori not-so-subtly stomps on his foot, tilting her head towards Blue.

"You look beautiful, Gita." He's proud he didn't stutter. A light blush tints her cheeks pink, and Jason smirks.

Compliments. Compliments are her kryptonite. Under her hard shell, she still innocent.

"Thanks. You don't look like you crawled out of a dumpster, either," she says. She runs a finger down his tie and presses a soft kiss against his lips.

What would her lipstick look like smudged across her mouth? Jason puffs out his chest, regaining a sense of his being. He looks hot in a tux, and he knows it. Bluey also it, by the way she admires him with wayward glances.