Peter has been with the Waynes for a little more than a month now and it has been very…interesting. Kidnappings, secrets exposed, crushes forming…as he said, it has been eventful. Luckily, with everything settling down, life started to get back to normal, or as normal as it can get when you live in a billionaire’s manor with vigilantes. Peter pulled back from all the excitement but stayed on call in case they needed backup, which they never needed. Instead, he filled his days with helping Alfred with chores and helping with homework or consulting on cases. All in all, it was nice, the only thing? Peter and Jason still hadn’t been on their date.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. Jason already had the date planned out, but they couldn’t find any time. Peter was pulled away to finalize the rehabilitation program while Jason spent more time in Crime Ally, trying to track down anyone who kidnapped a meta. When they weren’t doing either of those, Jason was on patrol and Peter was helping Alfred. Alfred and Brcue insisted that everyone ate dinner together for the next week or two, so they weren’t able to get out of that. With their days busy, they didn’t have time to set a time. That’s why it was so surprising when Peter saw Jason standing by the Zeta Tubes as he and Bruce entered the cave. Jason and Bruce nodded each other as Bruce went to the Batcomputers to update files and look into some cold cases. Jason then walked up to Peter with a satisfied smile on his face.
“What are you doing this Friday?” Jason leaned closer to Peter with his hands behind his back, a smile still on his face. Peter could tell that Jason was excited about whatever he was planning. Hopefully their date.
“Nothing that I know of. We don’t have another meeting for a week or two. Other than that, I’ll just be helping Alfred. Why?” Peter tilted his head to the side, looking Jason in the eyes. The man leaned back as his face turned red, however, the smile still stayed.
“I already talked to Alfred, he said he’ll be fine by himself this Friday. Me and you have a date to go on.” That made Peter smile. It was about damn time.
“That sounds perfect. Does that mean I get to know what the date entails?” Peter raised an eyebrow, slightly smirking. His question made Jason shake his head back and forth.
“Nu-uh. It’s a surprise.” Peter huffed at this and Jason only responded with a wide smile.
“Fine, keep your secrets. Can you at least tell me if I need to bring anything?”
“You don’t need to bring anything at all, just make sure to dress comfortably. Oh! We are leaving right after lunch.”
“So it’s an activity that starts requires us to leave early. I don’t imagine us going too far away from Gotham this soon so the event itself probably takes a while. It’s also not a meal because we’re leaving after we eat–”
“Hey! No solving the date, it’s supposed to be a surprise!” Jason pouted at him and gave him a glare with no real bite behind it.
“You act just like Dick.” Jason’s jaw dropped as Peter laughed.
“Take that back! I am nothing like that–” Peter cut him off with a kiss on the cheek, swiftly moving past him with the excuse of needing to help Alfred. There was silence as Peter walked up the stairs, which Bruce broke by chuckling and Jason telling the man to shut up. Peter shook his head but had a fond smile on his face. Time to help Alfred with dinner.
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Three days had passed and it was finally Friday. The school had been canceled because of a recent rouge attack and Bruce had managed to get the day off. Everyone had just finished lunch and started to clean up. Damian had been rambling animal facts to Tim and Dick, while Steph, Cass, and Duke gossiped. Peter and Bruce had talked about a few cases and Jason wasn’t here today. When Peter asked Alfred about it, he assured him that Jason had asked for permission to miss this day's lunch. By the butler’s knowing smile, it was most likely date-related.
As Peter was gathering up the dishes to put into the sink, Steph took the plates and silverware away from him as Dick guided him to the door. The acrobat had a bounce in his step as he walked backward to talk to Peter.
“So, a little birdy told me that today is date night. I like that outfit by the way.” Peter just rolled his eyes playful. Peter looked down at his light-washed jeans and thin, dark blue hoodie with a Japanese painting on it. Since it was breezy today, Steph forced him to wear another thin, black jacket over it. She also threw a chain on him, Peter thinks it looks nice.
“Was it the same birdy that asked Steph to help pick out an outfit?”
“In his defense, he just wanted to make sure you wore the right kind of clothing. He still doesn’t know what you’re wearing if that makes you feel better.” Dick ended the statement with a wink, causing Peter to nudge him lightly. Dick lost balance for a second before righting himself back up.
“Well, at least I know it’s not something specialized like scuba diving or rock climbing.” Dick blinked at him, walking forward again.
“Jay was not kidding when he said you were trying to figure out where you guys are going.” Peter shrugged in response.
“It’s a habit.” Dick chuckled at this.
“Fair.” They both stopped by the front door.
“So,” Peter started, turning to face Dick, “why did you follow me to the front door? Planning on giving me the shovel talk already?”
“Nah, you could kick my ass,” They both laughed at that as Peter put on his shoes. “Just, let yourself have fun, okay? He likes you, you like him, so just relax.”
“Thanks, Dick, truly. I’ll make sure to tell you how it goes.” Peter walked out of the house and immediately saw Jason leaning on his bike.
Jason hadn’t noticed him yet, using his foot to scruff the ground. Peter could tell he was nervous, his heart was sped up and he was fidgeting with the bracelets around his wrist. Jason was dressed in black jeans and a white sweater. His hair was in its usual style, but Peter could tell he put a little more care into it. Just the thought of Jason wanting to impress Peter made his heart speed up. Is this what’s it like to like someone?
“You look nice.” Jason perked up at his voice and quickly straightened himself out while clearing his throat.
“Hey gorgeous, you ready to head out?”
“Gorgeous? You took advice from Dick?” Peter laughed softly, getting close to the man and his motorcycle.
“B, actually. He said it works well at galas so I thought I’d give it a shot. It probably sounded lame, huh?” Jason looked to the side embarrassed.
“It was cute. Now, tell me where we’re going?” Peter asked hopefully. Jason just tossed him a helmet and smirked.
“Not yet, get on the bike and enjoy the ride.”
“I would enjoy it more if you tell me where we’re going.”
“It’s a surprise,” Jason stated mechanically, as if he rehearsed it. Peter put on his helmet and sat behind Jason. /he then wrapped his arms around the man’s waist and slowly leaned his head on his back.
“I don’t like surprises.”
“Maybe this will change your mind.” Though he said it as a statement, Peter could hear the uncertainty. Taking a deep breath, Peter decided to ignore his instincts, telling him to demand the location of the date.
“Maybe it will.” Peter squeezed his arms tighter as they went off to only Jason knows where. And probably Bruce, who was most likely tracking them. Everything would be fine.
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Everything is not fine Peter thought as he stared at the brightly colored amusement park. Rollercoasters went up into the sky, there were rides that swung you back and forth, and Peter could see some of the slower rides, most likely for kids and adults who don’t like the bigger ones. But the rides weren’t the problem. Everything else was. Peter could feel his headache forming as the smell of hot dogs, cotton candy, and trash started to clog up his nose, forcing him to breathe through his mouth. If that wasn’t enough, the screams and laughter coming from kids and adults alike were shattering his skull. And they weren’t even in the park yet.
Peter has only been to an amusement park twice in his life and both of them were for missions–who would suspect a little kid of poisoning a government official on his day off, you know? Both of them ended with his ears bleeding. Overall, not a fun experience. He took off his helmet and turned to Jason to tell him that he couldn’t go in there. It was too much and a disaster waiting to happen.
But when he looked at Jason, he saw pure joy on his face, with a hint of nervousness. That’s when he knew, they couldn’t leave. Not after seeing how excited Jason was. Maybe they could stay for a few hours, then Peter could say he was getting overwhelmed and they could leave. Yeah, that works.
“So, what do you think? If you don’t like it, we can always leave and do something else.” It was a tempting offer, a very tempting offer, but Peter saw the disappointment flash on his face when he suggested leaving and Jason deserved to have fun on this date too.
“This is great, I’m very surprised.” Jason puffed out his chest in pride, making Peter laugh. Jason pouted at that but Peter kissed his cheek and pulled him off the bike.
“Come on, let’s go you teddy bear.”
“I am not a teddy bear. I’m a big scary bear.”
“So scary.” Peter rolled his eyes and continued to drag the man. The things he does for him.
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They were about two hours into their date, and Jason was having a blast. Peter would be too if there wasn’t a group of screaming kids at all times. It wasn’t all bad. He and Jason had a few moments where they just stared at each other and the whole world drifted away…until a mom started telling her kid off for running away, making Peter face the world around them. And some of the games were fun to play.
Peter tried so hard to tune out everything. He focused on Jason’s heartbeat, but his concentration got knocked off whenever someone bumped into him. Whenever they were on a ride, Peter would try to focus on the gears of the machine and not the smell of the person behind him. Over time, it started to get worse. Peter started to feel the seams of his clothes rubbing against him in the wrong ways. Usually, it was one of those things his subconscious blocked out, but it started to become apparent in the last fifteen minutes.
Now, he and Jason were sitting on a bench, surrounded by food stalls. The smells were a lot for him, but he squeezed the panda plushie Jason won him during one of the games. They had won more but decided to pass them to kids walking around. They both kept one each. Peter kept the panda one, since Jason was insistent on it, and Jason kept a fox plushie.
Jason had sat down, pulling Peter out of his thoughts, with two things of nachos and two chili cheese dogs. It wasn’t until then did Peter realized how hungry he was. The two of them made small talk and jokes as they ate. Jason flirted a little and got flustered when Peter flirted back. There were a few times were Peter thought Jason was leaning in to kiss him, but the man was either moving his hair or wiping chili off his face. It made Peter realize how much he wanted to kiss him. So Peter called his name, forcing Jason to look at him. He leaned in closer, noticing Jason doing the same when a loud gasp went off next to him. He leaned back and turned to his left, expecting a homophobic comment or a reference to Jesus. Instead, he saw a lady who looked genuinely concerned.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” She asked, grabbing a few napkins from her purse, “Your ear is bleeding!” Shocked, Peter placed a hand on his left ear and felt something wet. Looking at his hand, it was blood. He grabbed the napkin that was offered to him and wiped off his finger.
“Your right ear too,” Jason added, touching his right ear and pulling back with blood on his thumb.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Peter told the women, “that just happens sometimes. We should probably head out. Thank you for the concern.”
“Of course, hon, make sure to get that looked at!”
“Yes ma’am.” Peter and Jason both stood up and headed towards the entrance of the park. Peter had wiped the blood off of Jason’s thumb as they walked. He also wiped the area around his ears, luckily the bleeding was slow.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jason asked him for the fifth time as they approached his bike.
“I promise you I’m fine. I knew it was a risk to go in there with my senses but went in anyway. It’s not the first time my ears bled, and with my luck, not the last either.” Jason’s face scrunched up at that, he almost hid the look of hurt that was on his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me this would happen? If I had known we would’ve gone somewhere else.” That made Peter look down as he was handed his helmet.
“I was going to, but you looked excited. I wanted you to have fun too.” Jason gently grabbed his chin and forced him to look up at him. Jason had a serious look in his eyes.
“Peter, no amount of fun is worth hurting you. Plus, I would’ve had fun no matter where we went, because I would’ve been with you, and you’re always fun to be around. Next time, tell me if something I have planned may end up hurting you, okay?” Peter nodded at him and put on the helmet before anything else could be said. By Jason’s snicker, he wasn’t quick enough to hide his blush. “We didn’t finish our food and I know we both need to eat. Wanna grab a second lunch?”
“Yeah, that sounds good to me.”
“Awesome, there is a place I want you to try.”
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Jason and Peter found themselves in a charming restaurant near downtown Gotham. Peter was happy that it was nearly empty when they got there, it gave his ears a break. With his healing, his ears were almost healed all the way, but it helped to get away from all of the noise.
Apparently, Jason has been here a few times before and loved their sandwiches and baked potatoes. There was a small incident where Peter had asked Jason to order for him while he went to the bathroom. When he got back, he noticed a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a mix of roasted vegetables. The smell alone made his mouth water, and the meatloaf tasted heavenly, but Peter’s neck started to itch when he went to try the mashed potatoes. Blinking, he looked to Jason who was blinking back in confusion.
“What’s in these?” Peter asked, tilting his head. Jason shrugged and flagged down a waiter, repeating Peter’s question.
“Oh, this is one of the most popular side dishes we have. Other than potatoes, it has garlic, oil, butter, and heavy cream. Is everything okay with it? It doesn’t taste funny, right?” That’s a fair question when you happen to live in Gotham.
“No, I just smelt something off. I’m actually allergic to garlic.” It was a relief when he realized that he hadn’t eaten anything touching the potatoes either. The waiter seemed shocked and Jason looked horrified.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” Jason tailed off, looking like someone had killed their dog in front of him.
“Jason, it’s our first date, I didn’t expect you to know” he included that in case the waiter thought Jason was trying to kill him. Anything is possible when you live in Gotham. “Plus, garlic allergies are rare, most people don’t think of it.”
“Well,” the waitress grabbed his plate, “I’m glad you seem to have a keen sense of smell. I’m going to get you a new dish, this time without any garlic.”
“Thank you,” Peter smiled at the waiter. They nodded and left his plate.
“Again, I’m so sor–”
“Nu-uh. You didn’t know, I caught it in time, everything is fine. I promise.” Jason relaxed at that and they continued talking.
At some point, the waiter came back with his food and when Peter’s senses didn’t go off, he knew the food was safe. They were talking and eating for the next half hour when they decided to get dessert. Jason got a slice of fudge cake while Peter got a classic cheesecake. They talked for a little longer before Jason sat up and leaned forward.
“So…how much longer are we going to ignore this?” He asked in a whisper.
“I was going to give it fifteen more minutes or wait for you to make the next move, whichever came first,” Peter answered back just as quietly. Jason smirked at him before shaking his head and laughing softly.
“How long?”
“Since I went to the bathroom.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to see how long it would take for you to catch on.”
“Sneaky spider” Peter winked at him and Jason leaned back, looking to his left. Jason spoke up a little, “gig is up, dumbasses.” Peter smirked as he heard groans coming from that direction.
One by one, Dick, Tim, Steph, and Damian stood up and went by their table. Each other of them looked unashamed of their actions, like they were completely justified. Dick looked excited, he was practical bouncing on the tips of his toes and Steph wasn’t much better. Tim looked between the two of them smugly. Knowing them, they probably bet on something and Tim won. Damian looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, mostly out of embarrassment for being caught. According to them, the others had obligations that couldn’t be skipped, but they said hello.
“Wow, didn’t even try to disguise yourselves. Do you think we’re that bad?” Jason asked them, looking quite amused at the situation.
“We’d figure Peter’s danger sense would get us, so we didn’t bother,” Steph explained, grabbing Jason’s fork and eating a bite of his dessert.
“My danger sense doesn’t consider you guys dangerous.”
“They looked at him, wait really?” Dick and Tim asked together. It was kind of creepy.
“Yeah. Basically, my danger sense picks up on the little things that my conscious mind doesn’t notice. For example, when Bruce threw a Batarang at me,” the kids flinched at the mention of that, “My sense picked up on the little things, like his change of body language, the change in airflow around the room, the smell of metal starting to get close, etcetera, etcetera. Since you guys haven’t shown any signs of hostility or attacking, my sense doesn’t alert me of you guys.”
“What about sneaky attacks?” Damian asked, sliding next to Peter. They were lucky to be sat in a booth because the rest of the siblings took that as a cue to sit down as well.
“Subtle changes like extra heartbeats, sounds of soft breathing, change in atmosphere or vibe, things like that.”
That’s how the rest of the night went. The siblings ask questions about Peter’s abilities and Peter answered what he could. They also went around and talked about each other more. Peter’s been there for a month, but a lot has happened and they didn't really get to hang out without Bruce or Alfred around. But here, without adult supervision–Dick, Jason, and Peter barely count–they talked about the missions the Young JL use to go on and the shenanigans that Tim and his team went through. Steph talked about her brief time as Robin and Damian shared some animal facts. Peter looked at Jason and smiled, the man smiled back at him. He may not have gotten his kiss, but this seemed like a good way to end their date.
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“So, why haven’t you guys kissed yet?” Dick asked.
“Cause of you idiots,” Jason responded.