Jason Meets Babs
It wasn't exactly a surprise trip. At least, not meant entirely for Dick. Barbara had been in the city on business (both civilian and Bat related) and figured that it would be silly to pass up the chance to check in on Dick and see how he was doing. She was, quite frankly, still skeptical of his ability to live on his own, given that he'd grown up...not coddled by Alfred, but certainly missing certain life skills. Like cooking. Last she'd checked, Dick had been quite unable to cook. So, checking up on him seemed like a good idea. His house proved easy enough to find, thanks to the magic of the internet. Babs parked on the street and wandered up the front walk of a freakishly normal looking suburban house, marveling that Dick could actually live in a place like this. Standing on the front step, Babs rung the doorbell and rocked back on her heels a bit, waiting for Dick to answer. Hopefully he was home - he'd said his shift was usually graveyard, so he should be...
Jason thought he was going to spend the afternoon with Dick, but work had called, leaving Jason alone in the house. Nothing new for him, so he decided to work out until dinner, then make some food and leave some for Dick to make sure he ate. That thought made Jason cringe at being too domestic as he did his stretches then went into a simple routine that Dick had taught him. Just when he flipped down from the bars and landed, doorbell rang. Jason's brows furrowed, since almost no one came to the door, and Dick never forgot his keys. Plus, it was too early for him to be home. Grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat from his brow, Jason headed to open the door. He put the towel around his shoulders that were starting to finally fill out a bit and answered the door to find a pretty red-head at the door. He blinked for a moment. "Uh, hi?" he greeted awkwardly.
A pretty red-head indeed. Babs was taller than Jason, but only by a few inches, and she seemed...well, she seemed even taller than she was. It was the way she carried herself - confident and self-assured, like nothing in the world scared her. The muscle on her arms - obvious, but no overly so - suggested that anything that might scare her would have a fight on its hands. "Hi. Do I have the wrong house? I was looking for Dick Greyson," she explained.
Jason was really wishing his growth spurt would come soon. Even some chick that just showed up at the door is taller than him. It was rather embarrassing. "Uh, no, you don't, but he's not home," Jason stated, looking Babs up and down. "And you would be? Dick didn't say that he was expecting anyone." Especially not some gorgeous red-head that could probably toss Jason across the room if she wanted to. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know now.
"I didn't tell him I was coming. I'm Barbara Gordon." She held out her hand, smiling at Jason. "Dick and I are old friends. I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I'd stop buy. Is he going to be home soon? I'll wait, if he is." A pause, and then she quickly added: "If you don't mind, that is."
Jason took her hand, shaking it, but still wary. "He just left a while ago for an extra shift," he said as he let go of her hand. When she said they were old friends, an idea formed in Jason's head as he moved from the door, giving Babs room to enter. "Sure, I've never met any of Dick's friends. Starting to believe he didn't have any," Jason joked, hoping that maybe she could get some information about Dick's past before Bludhaven out of Babs. It was goal for the afternoon now as he closed the front door behind her.
Babs laughed at that. "He doesn't - they all ran away," she joked as she strode inside and glanced around. The place was surprisingly nice for a bachelor pad. Dick had never been a particularly messy guy, but she'd not expected this either. Well, good for him. It seemed like leaving Gotham, and Batman's admittedly rather totalitarian rule of the city, had been good for Dick. However, the presense of a young boy in the house was a bit perplexing to her and she intended to get to the bottom of that mystery before the night was out. "So, I didn't catch your name earlier," she said, turning back to Jason.
Jason grinned. "I knew it!" he announced, joking back as he walked into the living room. She noticed her looking around, and he wasn't completely sure how to hendle this situation, but he'd just wing it. Hopefully it'd be okay. "I'm Jason Todd," he answered as he gestured to the couch. "Uh, you can sit down if you like? I can get us something drink?" God, he was horrible at this polite and hospitable crap. Even though he wanted to know more about Dick from Babs, he really wanted Dick to come home now to deal with this.
"Nice to meet you, Jason." It was easy to see that Jason wasn't exactly comfortable entertaining guests, but Babs really wouldn't have expected anything else from a teenage boy. It wasn't as if she particularly cared about having someone play host for her anyway, so she just roled with it, acting perfectly natural and comfortable. That was the best way to make people relax, she'd found -just act like everything was normal and eventually they would too. "Sure, could I have a glass of water?" she asked as she plopped down on the couch. For this outing she'd gone with the 'good little librarian' look - a slightly past knee-length brown skirt, button-down shirt, and a light weight sweater in dark blue. Mary janes and white socks, along with a blue head-band, completed the look.
Jason nodded as he headed for the kitchen. He pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. He grabbed a glass from the cabinets, poured her water bottle in the glad then headed back to the living room her glass and his bottle in hand. "Here," he said as he handed her the glass before opening his bottle and taking a gulp of it. He was still a little sweaty from his interrupted work out. He sat next to Babs, leaving a bit of space between them. "So, how do you know Dick?" he asked curiously.
It was a little bit funny watching the small things Jason did on her behalf. Babs noticed things like that - it was Bruce's doing, of course, forcing her to notice little details, no matter where she was or who she was with. "Aww, you're sweet. I didn't need a glass," she said after taking a sip of the water. "I'm really not as girly as I look right now." Not by a long shot, but sometimes looking girly was useful. She took another sip of water before answering Jason's question. "Well, I've known him for a while. We met in high school and we used to date for a little while..."
Jason shrugged. "I can tell. You definitely look like you work out a bit," he stated. Okay, probably not a bit. Jason had a feeling she was probably a vigilante too. She held herself the same way Dick did. Once you know it, it's a bit obivous, or maybe that was Jason's take on things. "Oh, you dated?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound to off. Great, he thought that fact that Dick didn't really talk about anyone from Gotham meant he didn't keep in contact with exes. Jason thought that meant he wouldn't have to deal with an ex that might want him back or something. He knew a teenage boy wouldn't be able to stack up against a chick like Babs.
The hitch in his voice was obvious and Babs picked up on it, but the meaning of it wasn't immediately clear to her. She didn't let it show that she'd noticed though, carrying on as if it were a perfectly normal conversation. "A while ago, when we were in college," she said blithely, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. "It never really worked out, he's too married to his work."
Okay, college fling. That was good right? Jason was still caught off guard by this, but he hid it best he could, which was a bit better than when he first met Dick. "Yeah, I've noticed that. Hasn't bothered me," Jason stated, though he did wish he had his own thing to do other than training when Dick was out. Well, training and getting up to courage to ask if Dick would let him out with him during his night 'job.' He was getting better, really.
Well, that was an interesting way to phrase it. Babs didn't even so much as glance over at Jason, but the phrase was carefully stored away. Who exactly was this boy? And she was prettty sure he was fairly young - he looked it. But on the other hand, he'd obviously been working out when she showed up, which meant that he was...fairly familiar with the house. Enough to be here while Dick was out. What exaclty was Dick doing? Definitely worth asking about later, if she could get some time alone with the wayward Bat-son. "So, how do you know Dick? Last I talked to him, he said he hadn't really made friends with anyone on the force." Not that Jason looked like a police officer, but it left open a neat little space for Jason to supply his actual job and reason for being here.
Crap, how to explain that? Jason wasn't completely sure what to say since he had met Dick as Nightwing and trying to lift the tires on his motorcycle. Actually, Jason was pretty positive that wouldn't go down well, so he was going to gloss over that completely. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she knew about Dick's secret identity. He was pretty sure she did, but that wasn't completely sure, and Jason wouldn't risk it. He needed a cover story and quick. "I met him one night almost half a year ago. We hung out a bit, then he figured out I had no where to stay, so he offered me a place to stay," Jason explained easily. That was mostly true, so Jason said it easily enough. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to explain anymore.
That did get a brief, arched brow from Babs, but she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he's a big softy like that," she said with a laugh. "Well, it's probably good that you're here. He doesn't spend enough time around other human beings."
Jason knew she saw right through that, but if she wasn't going to say anything, Jason wasn't going to stop her. "He is," he said fondly before laughing. "He really doesn't. Maybe it explains why he sucks at birthday gifts?" Maybe he phrased that wrong, but she didn't know what happened after he got his presents, and he wasn't going to tell her. That was Dick's job to tell his ex that he was dating a guy now.
And that got a very genuine guffaw of amusement out of Babs. "Oh my GOD, yes he does. Do you have any idea how much body wash I have sitting under my bathroom sink? You'd think he was raised by a Sears Catalogue." She shook her head and gave a dismissive wave of her hands. "He's utterly hopeless, always has been. You'll get used to it."
Jason genuinely laughed at that, finally relaxing a bit. "Yeah, he gave me this book he said his mentor made him read. Really heavy reading isn't really my thing," he said with a shrug. "He got me two gifts, so the second one was infinitely better."
"Oh, he's finally learning to hedge his bets, eh?" She gave a little snicker and took a sip of water. "What'd he make you read?" she asked a second later. "The Prince? Art of War? Five Rings? Ugh, I hated Five Rings - biggest pile of crap I ever read." She leaned down to set her glass on the floor next to the couch, since Dick was apparently not so civilized as to have a coffe table or end tables in the living room. Although, granted, she doubted he spent much time in here.
Jason chuckled before taking a gulp from his water bottle. "Yeah, I think he's probably going to get more than one present from now on, so he'll have better luck." He paused with another sip of water before closing the bottle. "I think it'll probably backfire on him when Christmas comes." When Babs asked about the book, Jason had to think about it. The book had probably ended up where it'll start collecting dust. "Uh, The Art of War, I think. I got distracted after opening the presents, so I don't quite remember." Distracted was the understatement of the century.
No arched brow visible this time, but Babs was definitely arching an internal brow. Got distracted, eh? It wouldn't be the first time Dick had switched teams. She remembered Ricky from college, shortly after their relationship had fallen apart. She'd called them, collectively, the Ickies, and had spent a lot of time teasing Dick mercilessly. "Ah, the Art of War isn't so bad. It's a quick read and actually kind of interesting...well, if you're a nerd like me."
Jason tilted his head curiously. "You don't really seem like a nerd to me," he said, though her clothes were reserved. She definitely looked like she wasn't really a nerd, or maybe that was just Jason's suspicions that she was a vigilante. Nerd and vigilante don't really mesh in Jason's head. "I'll get around to reading it. Other than training in the gym, I don't have much else to do when Dick's at work."
"Oh, you don't go to school?" asked Babs curiously. Maybe he wasn't as young as she'd thought. Or he was a drop-out, though he seemed bright enough.
"Haven't been able to," he said quietly and uncomfortably. "Uh, my dad's been dead for a while, and my mom passed away over a year and a half ago..." God, he hadn't thought about his mom in a while. Should he feel horrible about that? He didn't really give a damn about what happened to his dad, since he hadn't been there when his mom was dying. Jason had no reason to care about him anymore. "So, going to school would have put me into the system, and well, no thanks." He does miss school, but Jason wasn't sure he could really relate to those kids anymore anyway.
Babs nodded, looking surprisingly understanding. She'd encountered kids like him before - they all had, in their line of 'work' - and she knew how often the system failed them. It was better than nothing, but it was far from perfect. "You should consider getting your GED," she suggested. "I'm sure Dick would help you with that and it would make it easier to get a job - which would in turn give you something to do. Otherwise," she gave a slightly impish grin, "...there's lots of local charity organizations that would probably love to have some your time. Or your local library." A look of pure innocence there. Nope, totally not the words of a librarian...
Jason hadn't really thought about getting his GED. So much had happened so quickly: meeting Nightwing, getting him information and becoming friends, getting shot and recupurating, and after all that, becoming lovers. Well, Jason had been rather distracted. "That's a good idea. I hadn't really thought about it," he told her. "I'll be 18 next year, so I can take it then with no worries about social services." He smiled at her. "Thanks," he thanked sincerely before pausing. "Definitely pushing the library thing. I'm guessing you like to read?"
A rueful little grin. "I'm a librarian, actually. So, yeah, I like to read. It's a bit of a hobby of mine." She leaned back on the couch and stretched, the muscles of her arms flexing lightly as she moved. The "good girl" exterior only held up so well, if you looked closer there were more than a few clues to her true nature. That had always annoyed her - the boys could get away with being fit very easily, but she had to be sure not to bulk up too much, knowing that it would draw attention to her. Not that she wanted to get all that muscular anyhow, but it was the principle of the thing.
"A librarian? Wow," he stated. That sounded incredibly dull compared to the night life Dick led. Maybe that was a reason for the vigilantism? He was almost positive she was one of them. The muscles weren't totally obvious, but he could tell she worked out. "That's not all you do, is it?" he asked. Well, that sounded kind of sketchy, but hey, he had been living with Dick for a half a year. Things rub off when you live and sleep with someone long enough.
Yeah, no way Babs was giving up her cover that easily. "Well, I'm working on my graduate degree at the moment.," she supplied, without a hint of guile in her expression. "I'd like to get my doctorate eventually. 'Dr. Gordon' has nice ring to it, don't you think?" She grinned and cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. "See, I told you I was a nerd!"
Jason didn't figure it would be so easy, but he had to try. This would probably be easier if he knew Gothm vigilantes better. All he really knew was Batman and Robin. "Dr. Gordon? It does have a nice ring," Jason said with a smile, just glad she didn't want to be Mrs. Grayson or something. Okay, he was pretty much sure she wasn't here to get Dick back, but Jason was still insecure about this. Babs was nice, but he really wanted Dick to come home soon. "Yeah, I can definitely tell now. Total nerd," he teased.
"I've accepted my lot in life," she declared happily, quite unperturbed by his teasing. She was rather wishing the same thing as Jason, that Dick would show up soon, so that she could see him, see how he was doing, and find out what the hell was going on with this house guest. It was like Dick to take care of way-ward strays - he really was a softy - but actually bringing one into his house seemed...risky, to say the least. There were secrets that had to be kept and she had to wonder if Jason knew about Dick's double life. If he was living with the man, he almost had to, didn't he?
Jason thought he was going to spend the afternoon with Dick, but work had called, leaving Jason alone in the house. Nothing new for him, so he decided to work out until dinner, then make some food and leave some for Dick to make sure he ate. That thought made Jason cringe at being too domestic as he did his stretches then went into a simple routine that Dick had taught him. Just when he flipped down from the bars and landed, doorbell rang. Jason's brows furrowed, since almost no one came to the door, and Dick never forgot his keys. Plus, it was too early for him to be home. Grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat from his brow, Jason headed to open the door. He put the towel around his shoulders that were starting to finally fill out a bit and answered the door to find a pretty red-head at the door. He blinked for a moment. "Uh, hi?" he greeted awkwardly.
A pretty red-head indeed. Babs was taller than Jason, but only by a few inches, and she seemed...well, she seemed even taller than she was. It was the way she carried herself - confident and self-assured, like nothing in the world scared her. The muscle on her arms - obvious, but no overly so - suggested that anything that might scare her would have a fight on its hands. "Hi. Do I have the wrong house? I was looking for Dick Greyson," she explained.
Jason was really wishing his growth spurt would come soon. Even some chick that just showed up at the door is taller than him. It was rather embarrassing. "Uh, no, you don't, but he's not home," Jason stated, looking Babs up and down. "And you would be? Dick didn't say that he was expecting anyone." Especially not some gorgeous red-head that could probably toss Jason across the room if she wanted to. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know now.
"I didn't tell him I was coming. I'm Barbara Gordon." She held out her hand, smiling at Jason. "Dick and I are old friends. I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I'd stop buy. Is he going to be home soon? I'll wait, if he is." A pause, and then she quickly added: "If you don't mind, that is."
Jason took her hand, shaking it, but still wary. "He just left a while ago for an extra shift," he said as he let go of her hand. When she said they were old friends, an idea formed in Jason's head as he moved from the door, giving Babs room to enter. "Sure, I've never met any of Dick's friends. Starting to believe he didn't have any," Jason joked, hoping that maybe she could get some information about Dick's past before Bludhaven out of Babs. It was goal for the afternoon now as he closed the front door behind her.
Babs laughed at that. "He doesn't - they all ran away," she joked as she strode inside and glanced around. The place was surprisingly nice for a bachelor pad. Dick had never been a particularly messy guy, but she'd not expected this either. Well, good for him. It seemed like leaving Gotham, and Batman's admittedly rather totalitarian rule of the city, had been good for Dick. However, the presense of a young boy in the house was a bit perplexing to her and she intended to get to the bottom of that mystery before the night was out. "So, I didn't catch your name earlier," she said, turning back to Jason.
Jason grinned. "I knew it!" he announced, joking back as he walked into the living room. She noticed her looking around, and he wasn't completely sure how to hendle this situation, but he'd just wing it. Hopefully it'd be okay. "I'm Jason Todd," he answered as he gestured to the couch. "Uh, you can sit down if you like? I can get us something drink?" God, he was horrible at this polite and hospitable crap. Even though he wanted to know more about Dick from Babs, he really wanted Dick to come home now to deal with this.
"Nice to meet you, Jason." It was easy to see that Jason wasn't exactly comfortable entertaining guests, but Babs really wouldn't have expected anything else from a teenage boy. It wasn't as if she particularly cared about having someone play host for her anyway, so she just roled with it, acting perfectly natural and comfortable. That was the best way to make people relax, she'd found -just act like everything was normal and eventually they would too. "Sure, could I have a glass of water?" she asked as she plopped down on the couch. For this outing she'd gone with the 'good little librarian' look - a slightly past knee-length brown skirt, button-down shirt, and a light weight sweater in dark blue. Mary janes and white socks, along with a blue head-band, completed the look.
Jason nodded as he headed for the kitchen. He pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. He grabbed a glass from the cabinets, poured her water bottle in the glad then headed back to the living room her glass and his bottle in hand. "Here," he said as he handed her the glass before opening his bottle and taking a gulp of it. He was still a little sweaty from his interrupted work out. He sat next to Babs, leaving a bit of space between them. "So, how do you know Dick?" he asked curiously.
It was a little bit funny watching the small things Jason did on her behalf. Babs noticed things like that - it was Bruce's doing, of course, forcing her to notice little details, no matter where she was or who she was with. "Aww, you're sweet. I didn't need a glass," she said after taking a sip of the water. "I'm really not as girly as I look right now." Not by a long shot, but sometimes looking girly was useful. She took another sip of water before answering Jason's question. "Well, I've known him for a while. We met in high school and we used to date for a little while..."
Jason shrugged. "I can tell. You definitely look like you work out a bit," he stated. Okay, probably not a bit. Jason had a feeling she was probably a vigilante too. She held herself the same way Dick did. Once you know it, it's a bit obivous, or maybe that was Jason's take on things. "Oh, you dated?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound to off. Great, he thought that fact that Dick didn't really talk about anyone from Gotham meant he didn't keep in contact with exes. Jason thought that meant he wouldn't have to deal with an ex that might want him back or something. He knew a teenage boy wouldn't be able to stack up against a chick like Babs.
The hitch in his voice was obvious and Babs picked up on it, but the meaning of it wasn't immediately clear to her. She didn't let it show that she'd noticed though, carrying on as if it were a perfectly normal conversation. "A while ago, when we were in college," she said blithely, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. "It never really worked out, he's too married to his work."
Okay, college fling. That was good right? Jason was still caught off guard by this, but he hid it best he could, which was a bit better than when he first met Dick. "Yeah, I've noticed that. Hasn't bothered me," Jason stated, though he did wish he had his own thing to do other than training when Dick was out. Well, training and getting up to courage to ask if Dick would let him out with him during his night 'job.' He was getting better, really.
Well, that was an interesting way to phrase it. Babs didn't even so much as glance over at Jason, but the phrase was carefully stored away. Who exactly was this boy? And she was prettty sure he was fairly young - he looked it. But on the other hand, he'd obviously been working out when she showed up, which meant that he was...fairly familiar with the house. Enough to be here while Dick was out. What exaclty was Dick doing? Definitely worth asking about later, if she could get some time alone with the wayward Bat-son. "So, how do you know Dick? Last I talked to him, he said he hadn't really made friends with anyone on the force." Not that Jason looked like a police officer, but it left open a neat little space for Jason to supply his actual job and reason for being here.
Crap, how to explain that? Jason wasn't completely sure what to say since he had met Dick as Nightwing and trying to lift the tires on his motorcycle. Actually, Jason was pretty positive that wouldn't go down well, so he was going to gloss over that completely. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she knew about Dick's secret identity. He was pretty sure she did, but that wasn't completely sure, and Jason wouldn't risk it. He needed a cover story and quick. "I met him one night almost half a year ago. We hung out a bit, then he figured out I had no where to stay, so he offered me a place to stay," Jason explained easily. That was mostly true, so Jason said it easily enough. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to explain anymore.
That did get a brief, arched brow from Babs, but she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he's a big softy like that," she said with a laugh. "Well, it's probably good that you're here. He doesn't spend enough time around other human beings."
Jason knew she saw right through that, but if she wasn't going to say anything, Jason wasn't going to stop her. "He is," he said fondly before laughing. "He really doesn't. Maybe it explains why he sucks at birthday gifts?" Maybe he phrased that wrong, but she didn't know what happened after he got his presents, and he wasn't going to tell her. That was Dick's job to tell his ex that he was dating a guy now.
And that got a very genuine guffaw of amusement out of Babs. "Oh my GOD, yes he does. Do you have any idea how much body wash I have sitting under my bathroom sink? You'd think he was raised by a Sears Catalogue." She shook her head and gave a dismissive wave of her hands. "He's utterly hopeless, always has been. You'll get used to it."
Jason genuinely laughed at that, finally relaxing a bit. "Yeah, he gave me this book he said his mentor made him read. Really heavy reading isn't really my thing," he said with a shrug. "He got me two gifts, so the second one was infinitely better."
"Oh, he's finally learning to hedge his bets, eh?" She gave a little snicker and took a sip of water. "What'd he make you read?" she asked a second later. "The Prince? Art of War? Five Rings? Ugh, I hated Five Rings - biggest pile of crap I ever read." She leaned down to set her glass on the floor next to the couch, since Dick was apparently not so civilized as to have a coffe table or end tables in the living room. Although, granted, she doubted he spent much time in here.
Jason chuckled before taking a gulp from his water bottle. "Yeah, I think he's probably going to get more than one present from now on, so he'll have better luck." He paused with another sip of water before closing the bottle. "I think it'll probably backfire on him when Christmas comes." When Babs asked about the book, Jason had to think about it. The book had probably ended up where it'll start collecting dust. "Uh, The Art of War, I think. I got distracted after opening the presents, so I don't quite remember." Distracted was the understatement of the century.
No arched brow visible this time, but Babs was definitely arching an internal brow. Got distracted, eh? It wouldn't be the first time Dick had switched teams. She remembered Ricky from college, shortly after their relationship had fallen apart. She'd called them, collectively, the Ickies, and had spent a lot of time teasing Dick mercilessly. "Ah, the Art of War isn't so bad. It's a quick read and actually kind of interesting...well, if you're a nerd like me."
Jason tilted his head curiously. "You don't really seem like a nerd to me," he said, though her clothes were reserved. She definitely looked like she wasn't really a nerd, or maybe that was just Jason's suspicions that she was a vigilante. Nerd and vigilante don't really mesh in Jason's head. "I'll get around to reading it. Other than training in the gym, I don't have much else to do when Dick's at work."
"Oh, you don't go to school?" asked Babs curiously. Maybe he wasn't as young as she'd thought. Or he was a drop-out, though he seemed bright enough.
"Haven't been able to," he said quietly and uncomfortably. "Uh, my dad's been dead for a while, and my mom passed away over a year and a half ago..." God, he hadn't thought about his mom in a while. Should he feel horrible about that? He didn't really give a damn about what happened to his dad, since he hadn't been there when his mom was dying. Jason had no reason to care about him anymore. "So, going to school would have put me into the system, and well, no thanks." He does miss school, but Jason wasn't sure he could really relate to those kids anymore anyway.
Babs nodded, looking surprisingly understanding. She'd encountered kids like him before - they all had, in their line of 'work' - and she knew how often the system failed them. It was better than nothing, but it was far from perfect. "You should consider getting your GED," she suggested. "I'm sure Dick would help you with that and it would make it easier to get a job - which would in turn give you something to do. Otherwise," she gave a slightly impish grin, "...there's lots of local charity organizations that would probably love to have some your time. Or your local library." A look of pure innocence there. Nope, totally not the words of a librarian...
Jason hadn't really thought about getting his GED. So much had happened so quickly: meeting Nightwing, getting him information and becoming friends, getting shot and recupurating, and after all that, becoming lovers. Well, Jason had been rather distracted. "That's a good idea. I hadn't really thought about it," he told her. "I'll be 18 next year, so I can take it then with no worries about social services." He smiled at her. "Thanks," he thanked sincerely before pausing. "Definitely pushing the library thing. I'm guessing you like to read?"
A rueful little grin. "I'm a librarian, actually. So, yeah, I like to read. It's a bit of a hobby of mine." She leaned back on the couch and stretched, the muscles of her arms flexing lightly as she moved. The "good girl" exterior only held up so well, if you looked closer there were more than a few clues to her true nature. That had always annoyed her - the boys could get away with being fit very easily, but she had to be sure not to bulk up too much, knowing that it would draw attention to her. Not that she wanted to get all that muscular anyhow, but it was the principle of the thing.
"A librarian? Wow," he stated. That sounded incredibly dull compared to the night life Dick led. Maybe that was a reason for the vigilantism? He was almost positive she was one of them. The muscles weren't totally obvious, but he could tell she worked out. "That's not all you do, is it?" he asked. Well, that sounded kind of sketchy, but hey, he had been living with Dick for a half a year. Things rub off when you live and sleep with someone long enough.
Yeah, no way Babs was giving up her cover that easily. "Well, I'm working on my graduate degree at the moment.," she supplied, without a hint of guile in her expression. "I'd like to get my doctorate eventually. 'Dr. Gordon' has nice ring to it, don't you think?" She grinned and cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. "See, I told you I was a nerd!"
Jason didn't figure it would be so easy, but he had to try. This would probably be easier if he knew Gothm vigilantes better. All he really knew was Batman and Robin. "Dr. Gordon? It does have a nice ring," Jason said with a smile, just glad she didn't want to be Mrs. Grayson or something. Okay, he was pretty much sure she wasn't here to get Dick back, but Jason was still insecure about this. Babs was nice, but he really wanted Dick to come home soon. "Yeah, I can definitely tell now. Total nerd," he teased.
"I've accepted my lot in life," she declared happily, quite unperturbed by his teasing. She was rather wishing the same thing as Jason, that Dick would show up soon, so that she could see him, see how he was doing, and find out what the hell was going on with this house guest. It was like Dick to take care of way-ward strays - he really was a softy - but actually bringing one into his house seemed...risky, to say the least. There were secrets that had to be kept and she had to wonder if Jason knew about Dick's double life. If he was living with the man, he almost had to, didn't he?