𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 | jason todd

x. lust or disgust

CHAPTER TEN
( lust or disgust )

❛ knock knock it's the devil in disguise ❜

THE ONLY EXCUSE ATHENA COULD come up with as to why she was running back to the tavern in such a hurry was that she was so incredibly keen to milk the fact that she had found yet another lead on the case before Jason had even found one. She couldn't really explain the feelings going through her exactly. They were almost uplifting, one that failed to wipe the smirk off her face. She couldn't decide what she was looking forward to most; finally getting out of the tavern and physically doing something productive, or bestowing the news that would shatter Jason's day entirely. 

          She was sweating by the time she entered rushed into the tavern where she slowed her sprint into a quickened pace. A quick assessment of the downstairs bar told her that it was only around 2 pm; there was the dry mid-day buzz slowly intoxicating the room. The brunette bartender was wiping glasses with a towel and sighing at the clock, preparing herself for the rush of men that will parade through the doors come 5.

          Taking the steps two at a time, she appeared outside her room in less than 30 seconds. In a sweaty heap, she twists the handle, enters the room and nearly stumbles over her own feet at her immediate halt. She notices the crumpled sheets first. Well, technically, she notices the floor that the crumple sheets lay upon. Her eyes rake up to the bed, where the quilt covers the bottom half of a body and the bare back of a girl meets her glare.  Her small figure is belittled by the amount of dark hair that spilt down her shoulder blades. It looked like spilt ink on paper, her skin as flawless and smooth as silk. Athena couldn't help the twist in her gut at the sight of it. Not because of its sheer beauty, but the lack of beauty she possessed in her own skin. Her hand reached for her stomach, subconsciously tracing the line that the scar followed underneath her clothing. She shook her head and dropped her hand immediately. Ridiculous. The girl's perfection was broken up only by the two tanned hands that gripped either side of her waist, peppered with tiny scars that glittered in the sunlight.

          Athena hardened her stare and cleared her throat. Loudly.

          Jason, who had obviously heard her enter but refused to acknowledge her because he was otherwise 'preoccupied', shifted his head to the side and peered at her over the quilt. A smirk soon appeared on his lips as he lifted one of his hands in a mock greeting. The girl twisted her head and met Athena's stare, uninterested. She looked around their age, older perhaps, but certainly tenfold more mature than Jason could ever hope to be. She reminded Athena of Snow White. The girl pouted and turned back to Jason.

          "You didn't tell me you were inviting another into your bed, Jason," she spoke, her words smooth. Athena didn't have to see her eyes to know that the girl was "Especially one that looks like that." The venom laced in the last word confirmed that it was not meant to be taken as a compliment. Athena was wrong. The woman was more Red-Belly Black snake than a Princess.

          "Don't be ridiculous," Athena dismissed, refusing the urge to pat her hair down and make herself look less dishevelled. She didn't have to prove herself to anyone. Let alone this wench. "I would never let my standards drop that low."

         If she had to say one impressive quality about her, Athena would say that this girl could make a quality assassin. Not only was she sly, but concealing her feelings seemed to be her specialty. Any rookie would have missed the slight reddening at her ears or the flare of her nostrils, but not Athena. And Athena certainly wasn't ashamed to let her smugness show through her snicker and cocky swagger she opted for as she crossed the room to where the girl's clothes were shoved in a messy heap at the foot of the bed. From the looks of the black and white blouse and apron, she was the tavern's maid. Athena scooped the clothes up and threw them at her. "Get out."

          The girl scoffed, rolled her eyes and looked at Jason, hoping for some sort of consolation. Athena probably wouldn't have felt anywhere near as enraged if it wasn't for the fact that Jason had an irritatingly smug smile plastered on his face and that his eyes were on her, highly entertained by the two girls fawning over him. After meeting her stare and the glint in his eye heightened, Jason rolled his eyes back to the girl straddling him and shrugged. "Well, you heard the missus. I think it would be best if you leave."

          The girl, now flabbergasted and humiliated much to Athena's utmost amusement, snatched the clothes out of Athena's hands and scrambled off Jason. She held the clothing against herself, covering areas of skin that Jason's eyes pried at. She scurried to the bathroom to which Jason interrupted; "That's the wrong door, love." His eyes brows were cocked, eyes following the girl's rear and the corner of his mouth was pulled upwards; he knew that she was going to the bathroom to change. As much as Athena was despising this girl, that was just cruel. The girl, in return, muttered a colourful curse at him and then moved to the opposite door and exited. He truly was a fucking ass.

          "Are you serious?" Athena growled, the amusement now absent from her features.

          Jason's eyes lingered on the door before slowly sliding back to hers. "What?"

          "What the fuck have you been doing all day?"

           Jason shrugged. "Her?"

           "It's been five hours."

           "What can I say?" He propped himself up onto his elbows and yawned; "A man's gotta see to his needs." The sheets covered up to his waist and before she noticed, she had dipped her eyes lower and followed the prominent V-lines that stretched under the sheets leading to---. She shook her head in the tiniest moment, small enough that she prayed Jason didn't notice but enough to snatch her thoughts away. She hated to admit, but shirtless Jason wasn't exactly the worst thing to look at. "If you're that jealous though, I'm always up for round two."

           Athena's glare turned to daggers, once to which Jason seemed to completely dismiss. She was the sharpest blade but he was a body of water. "You're disgusting."

           "I've been called worse."

           "Shocker." She replied. "Do you even know her name?"

          "Anne. No, Annie." He tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes as if limiting his vision would help him remember.  "No. No--wait, Angel. No, I lied. Definitely Claire."

          Athena didn't even bother commenting on his incompetence. Instead; "I have news for you." Jason cocked raised his eyebrows, pushed off his elbows and onto his hands, raising himself up so he was sitting facing her. "We're going out tonight. I got some intel and Scarecrow to make an appearance at a club tonight. Someplace called Red Square. We're going to stop it."

            Jason sighed and tilt his head back, cracking it. He lifted his arms up above his head in a stretch that caused a shift in sheets to slowly drape lower and lower and lower and lower. Athena looked away. Jason sighed again. "Can I at least sleep first?"

             "No."