Spilled Coffee

Series note: This is the third act of the Red Bird, Blue Bird series. Each story can be read alone, but contains references to the other parts in this series. This occurs shortly after The Escaped and the next in the series is Madder Than a Hatter Bat. Thank you and enjoy!

*Story note: To bypass the OC and skip straight to the boys, feel free to scroll down and start reading at the indicated line (["Jayjay!"], trust me, you can't miss it); any necessary information will be summarized there and at the end. No worries. You're welcome.

He'd been tossing and turning in his bed for hours, the mid-morning sun slowly turning into an afternoon glare pouring through the paper thin curtain on his window. Last night's patrol was frustratingly lacking in clown sightings and it was rubbing him the wrong way that he hadn't caught a scent yet. Just the idea of that maniac running free in Gotham set Jason's stomach in knots and, apparently, interrupted his already shit sleep schedule. Grumbling, he kicked the blankets off himself and pulled on a pair of jeans. He marched into his kitchen and yanked open a cabinet door; then slammed it shut again at the complete absence of anything caffeine related inside, which just pissed him off more. Of course he was out of coffee. Then again, he hadn't been grocery shopping in . . . He frowned, too long apparently, since he couldn't remember. Jason paced around his apartment for a few minutes more before the need for caffeine won out and he was forced to admit defeat. He shoved on his boots, grabbed his keys, and slammed his front door on his way out.

The streets of Gotham were packed with people, and he melded into the crowd with practiced ease as he set off towards the nearest good coffee shop. The Java Lava was a few miles out, a small 40's style place on a busy street, but it was clean, friendly, and served strong coffee. The aroma of roasted beans drew him in and he instantly felt more human with the first sip. He left the coffee shop, steaming cup O'Joe in hand, but as soon as he turned the corner, he ran into someone.

"Dammit! Why can't you watch where you're going?" Shouted an angry female voice from in front of him. The brunette looked down at her maroon button up.

Realizing he had spilled his coffee all over the woman's shirt, he apologized. "Shit, I am so sorry!"

She looked up at him glaring, her green eyes penetrating his. "Ugh! It's fine, I don't have time to go home and change my shirt," she complained, wiping uselessly at the drenched fabric.

"Let me buy you a new one for ruining this one," he tried to make things better.

"No, I have to be at work in. . ." she looked down at her phone. "Damn, right now!" She shoved past Jason to try and hurry to get to work.

"Where do you work? I can go buy you one and bring it to you?" Jason suggested, catching up to her.

"No, no. It's fine, I'll just work like this," she replied, walking as fast as she could to what looked like the direction of . . . the newspaper building down the street?

"I insist. What size shirt do you wear? What style do you prefer?" Jason asked. He really had no idea about anything female . . . but for some reason he found himself very attracted to her. Her green eyes mesmerized him, her long brown wavy hair, her full lips, and that she wasn't your average toothpick skinny girl... she actually had some meat on her bones, but still beautiful. He wanted to make up for spilling coffee all over her.

She stopped, "No, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Dammit, Miss, I'm trying to make up for spilling coffee on your shirt! Can't you see that? For once in my life I am trying to be nice to someone," Jason stated, starting to get mad at this woman who was a complete stranger to him.

"Fine, if it gets you to leave me alone," she grumbled. "I work at the newspaper. Just get me a Gotham Knights t-shirt and we'll call it even, okay? I'm a sports journalist at the Gotham Gazette."

Jason was suddenly star-struck, "You're Alialee Zaren?"

She looked at him surprised, "Yeah. . ."

"I've read every single one of your articles." At that, she started walking towards the Gotham Gazette. "I'm not joking."

"I can see that. Especially since you know my name and I don't know yours."

"I'm Jason Todd-Wayne," Jason said as he kept pace with her.

"Oh! You're one of Bruce Wayne's adopted sons. I've heard about you," she said. "I thought you were the one that died a few years ago?"

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated" he winked. That information had been scrubbed from all databases thanks to Oracle's handiwork. "Uhm, what else have you heard about me?"

"Natalia says you are attractive. . . I just can't see it." Alialee said with a smirk, "I've also heard that you are rude and a complete smart-ass."

"The smart-ass, yes. . . Rude? Only to people I don't like. For example, my little brother Damian."

"Right, the youngest of the Wayne family." She nodded her head. "Aren't you supposed to be buying me a shirt?"

Jason smirked. "Oh, so now that you know I come from a family with money, you are very willing to get gifts from me," he mocked.

"That's not it at all. I figured the faster I got a shirt, the faster I don't have to deal with you anymore." Jason really liked this girl now, she was a smart-ass like him, enjoyed sports – well hell, she wrote about them!

"Well, I figured I should walk you to work, just to make sure nothing else happens to you," he said with a grin on his face.

The rest of the walk was in silence, which gave Jason time to think of a plan to get this girl to go out on a date with him. She was already letting him walk her to work; maybe there was some way to get her to give him her phone number.

She stopped once she reached the front doors to the Gotham Gazette. "Well, thanks for walking me. You really didn't have to." She didn't sound like she was pissed off anymore, which, to Jason, that was a good thing.

"You're welcome. I will be here in about twenty minutes or so with a new shirt for you."

"Honestly, you really don't have to, but thank you anyway," she said getting ready to walk inside.

"I will be back, I promise." He smiled at her.

She nodded and walked inside. Jason hurried to the nearest store he could find with Gotham Knights jerseys. He grabbed a shirt that looked to be her size. As soon as he paid for it, he was sprinting back to the newspaper. He walked inside and immediately had people staring at him, though only a few were actually trying to hide it. There was a Children's Home re-grand opening being hosted by Bruce Wayne coming up . . . and if Jason didn't show up willingly, then Dick or Tim were gonna drag him to it like they'd done before. Jason shook his head and walked up to the front desk. The lady at the desk was openly staring at him as he approached. "Hi, I'm here to give Alialee Zaren something I owe her."

The lady shook herself out of it, "R-right, I'll show you to her." She got up from the desk and had him follow her to Alialee's office. "She's right in there, just knock."

Jason knocked, waiting for an answer.

"Come in." He smiled, opening the door.

"Hey there. I brought you that shirt I promised." Alialee's office, had different awards and trophies on shelves, a couple pictures on her desk he couldn't make out, posters of sports teams here and there and papers all over her desk she had been sorting through.

Jason hadn't noticed another woman in the office with Alialee until she pointed her out to him.

"Oh, hi, Jason. This is Natalia, gossip journalist here at GG." Jason nodded at the blonde in acknowledgement, and she blushed in return.

"So, I was wondering on my way over here, uh . . . would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Jason bit his lip waiting for an answer.

"No . . . the Knights have a game tomorrow that I have to be at," She said with a straight face. Natalia just gaped at her friend in disbelief.

"Can I have your number then?" Jason asked starting to lose hope. This was the first time he'd felt something for anyone in . . . well, almost ever. He didn't want to pass up this chance.

"Oh no. Alialee, I am not gonna stand to see you miss out on a date with Jason Todd!" Natalia said standing up. Alialee looked bewildered. Jason wasn't too far from being bewildered himself; he quickly changed his expression into a smirk. At least someone was on his side.

"Natalia, no one can cover for me at the game tomorrow. I can't go on a date!" She protested.

"Then give him your number and go some other time!" Natalia retorted back.

"No. . ."

"Why not?"

"I don't know him!"

Jason stood in silence as the girls spoke. "That's the point of a date! To go out, get to know someone! If it doesn't go well, then y'all don't have to talk ever again!" Jason didn't notice Natalia's southern accent 'til then.

"No. He's rude! He's a smart-ass!"

"And you're not? If it were up to me, y'all make the perfect couple. If you don't give him your number, then I will." Natalia had a triumphant smirk on her face, knowing she had the upper hand.

Alialee stood up and slammed down the notebook she was holding. "Don't you dare!"

"Oh, I will." The smirk still on Natalia's face, she looked down and grabbed a post-it and wrote Alialee's number down. "You don't give it to him willingly, trust me, I'm just gonna give it to him myself."

Jason stepped closer to Alialee's desk. "I can be very persistent when I want something. But it looks like your friend here is willing to help me." He smirked.

Alialee sighed; to Jason it looked to be like she was contemplating something for a few seconds. "Just give him my number." Natalia squealed and clapped, handing Jason Alialee's phone number.

Jason shoved Alialee's number into his pocket, winked at Natalia and saluted, with a smirk, at Alialee. Jason walked out of the Gotham Gazette and onto the streets; he had a grin on his face as he made his way back down the street towards the coffee shop.

.

.

.

"Jayjay!"

Dammit! Jason recognized that voice easily, grin morphing into a scowl. Now I remember why I don't come here. It was none other than his older brother, Dick Grayson. He turned to face his brother, Jason's good mood completely switched to annoyance. "What do you want, Dick?"

"On my way to get some heaven in a cup-" Dick pointed a thumb towards the coffee shop, Java Lava; Dick's favorite coffee shop, Jason suddenly recalled with a mental face-palm. He's the one that told me this place was good. "-when I spotted you. I was just wondering why I saw you walk out of the GG?"

"I owed a woman a shirt for bumping into her and dumping coffee on her. . ." He trailed off, questioning why was he telling Dick, of all people.

Too late. Dick did not disappoint. "You couldn't be more subtle and just ask for her number?" he teased.

Jason rolled his eyes and continued walking down the street, the annoyant following beside him. "I did get her number." The mumbled defense just made Dick more persistent.

"Oh did you then?" Dick smirked, matching pace with his brother. "What's her name?"

"Alialee Zaren. . ." Jason said, somewhat reluctantly. Again, why?

"The big shot sports writer?"

Dick seemed impressed and Jason wasn't sure how to feel about that. He responded with a simple, "Yup."

"Good on you, putting yourself out there." Dick bumped his shoulder, a gentle half-smile on his brother's face that warmed his own. "So when's the date?" [Jason is demisexual and no one can tell me otherwise, fight me.]

"I said I had her number, not a date. She's busy tomorrow, so we'll have to see." Jason shrugged and changed the subject. "I need a new cup of coffee though." He walked into the coffee shop, Dick close on his heels.

"Let me buy it for you," Dick offered.

"I don't need your money, Dick," Jason said.

"I know. My treat, Jayjay."

Stepping up to the counter, Dick ordered two coffees. While he paid and waited for their order, he chatted with the barista, a pretty blonde in her early twenties who was clearly trying to flirt with him. Jason watched in amusement as Dick easily deflected the girl's advances while still charming the pants off her. Dropping a few dollars into the tip jar for the show, Jason barely suppressed a laugh when Dick handed him his second cup of coffee.

"What's so funny?" Dick asked Jason, taking a sip of his cup as the two made their way out the door.

"That poor girl."

He glanced over his shoulder at the closed door then back at Jason in confusion. "What?"

"She was flirting with you and you didn't even notice!"

"I noticed, she's just not my type," Dick shrugged sitting down outside at one of the tables.

"Thanks for the coffee, by the way." Jason raised the cardboard cup up in appreciation, and sat down across from his older brother.

"So, do you think you'll bring her to the grand re-opening party Dad's throwing in a couple weeks?"

"I dunno yet, Dickiebird." Jason shrugged. "Plus I dunno if I want her to meet the family so soon. Don't you think that's moving a bit too fast?"

"Nope! We are a fantastic family!" Dick grinned.

Jason shook his head. "Yeah, Bruce the over-protective dictator; you, the prying annoyance who never shuts up; Tim the know-it-all with a sleep deficiency; and Damian the Hell Spawn half-pint. Not to mention the other weirdos we got." Jason took another drink of his coffee before continuing. "We are the greatest family in the world, Dick." His voice practically dripped with sarcasm.

"Hey! I'm not annoying!" Dick protested; Jason just snorted in response. "I'm not annoying," he insisted with a grumble, "I just love my brothers."

Jason ignored the warm feeling in his chest that the easy comment had made. "Have you met you? You wanna know everything that's going on with all of us."

"Yeah, because I'm the big brother. I'm just making sure you all are doing good and not getting into trouble. Well, more trouble than usual."

Jason snorted again, "Yeah, you just like being annoying. Besides, you're the one that gets in more trouble than anyone else."

A moment passed as they both sipped at their drinks before Dick leaned his chair back on two legs and gave Jason a slow smile. "You know, I'm gonna help you win this girl."

"Oh, no, no, no, no! Don't even think about it! I can do this on my own." Jason shook his head, waving his hands to ward off the curse of the overbearing matchmaker that was his brother.

"Why not, Jayjay?"

"Because I have a feeling you're gonna try and embarrass me in some way."

"I wouldn't do that." He smiled innocently, blue eyes wide and pleading.

"Yeah, right."

"No, Jayjay, I'm just gonna send her a few little gifts, and then a few days before the grand re-opening, ask her to go with you."

"I dunno, Dick."

"Trust me, Jay. The gifts will all be under your name."

"If anything goes wrong, I am gonna blame you."

"That's fine."

Jason chuckled a bit. "Well, I'm gonna head home and get ready for patrol tonight, maybe I'll see you then." Jason got up and headed home.

Jason woke up that afternoon feeling so much better than he had the previous day. He grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand; there was a text from Dick and Tim. He sighed and opened the messages.

Dick: Good night, Jayjay. Sleep well.

Tim: Don't forget the charity event in two weeks. Bruce told me to remind you.

Jason to Tim: Yeah, yeah, I know. You guys are gonna force me to go anyway.

He sent the message and went to the bathroom to hop in the shower. After showering, he looked at his phone debating whether or not to text Alialee. Rolling his eyes at his own thoughts, he sent it anyway.

Jason: Hey it's Jason Todd. I know you have the football game tonight but what about tomorrow? Dinner?

A few minutes passed.

Alialee: Sorry Jason, but Natalia and I have plans.

Jason: Why don't you pick a day then?

Alialee: I'm booked this whole week. Thx for the flowers BTW.

For a second Jason forgot about the flowers that Dick said he would send today.

Jason: You're welcome. Have you picked a day yet?

Alialee: IDK, Jason. We'll see. GTG.

Jason sighed, putting his phone down on the kitchen counter. He felt like a thirteen year old seeking attention from his schoolyard crush. Dragging a hand over his face, he let himself wonder what to do with his day off. He could always make an appearance at the auto shop anyway; or maybe see what Harper was up to lately, the asshole owed him forty bucks.

There was a knock at his front door. Opening the door, Jason came face to face with his older brother.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Jason said, letting his brother in.

"Naw, day off today." Dick smiled as he shut the door.

"Then what do you want?"

"I can't spend time with my little brother?"

"You have three; can't you pick one of the others?"

"I see them more than I do you." He plopped himself down on Jason's couch, mostly uninvited and entirely unconcerned about that fact.

Jason sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I guess. Is there anything else you wanted?"

"I wanted to know if Alialee got and liked the flowers 'you' sent her?"

"She got them, said thanks, dunno if she liked them or not." Jason shrugged.

"I see. . . Well, I'm sending her a box of chocolates, not tomorrow but the day after."

"You're making me sound like some mushy, sensitive guy."

"That's the point, Jayjay. You can't be a bad-ass all the time."

"But I am a bad-ass." Jason smirked.

Dick shook his head. "Well, did you get any rest last night?"

"Yeah, I am much better today."

"Good, 'cause me and you are patrolling together tonight, Daddy Bats' orders." Dick shrugged, Jason knew Dick probably had more to do with it than Bruce did, but didn't push the subject.

"Well, we've got a couple hours to kill before then, so do you wanna go see the Knights kick some ass tonight?" Jason asked as a smile spread across his face.

"Works for me. Oh, and Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday."

The end.

*Edited for content and quality: I gave up halfway through, but still made it so much better. The grave has been dug, just lie in it. 11/28/17

Story summary: While on a coffee run, Jason literally runs into a woman named Alialee Zaren, a sports writer for the Gotham Gazette (apparently Jason is a fan of hers). He buys her a jersey to replace the blouse he spilled coffee (roll credits) on and she reluctantly gives him her phone number with a tentative agreement to go out with him. Jason then (not so literally) runs into Dick, who – after some brotherly teasing – states his intention to help Jason win over the girl. Dick arrives at Jason's apartment the next day for a quiet and personal celebration of (surprise) Jason's 24th birthday. Bonding fluff ensues. The end.