‹ Prequel: Smile for Me
Status: Ongoing
Smile With Me
Buffy
Vague nightmares cause me to wake up, look blearily around myself. The Hood is asleep sitting up, his head thrown back. I’ve got my feet in his lap now, one of his hands curled possessively around my ankle. Figures he’d be touchy in his sleep. I can’t move without waking him, so I don’t. I can feel myself slipping back to sleep anyway, and his skin is warm. The TV got turned off at some point, and it blurs before me as my eyes slip closed.
When I wake up again it’s dark, and Red Hood is gone. He’s put a blanket over me, a gesture I wasn’t expecting from someone like him. He’s even left a note. “Food in the fridge. Painkillers on table. I’ll be back before light.-Hood” That seems a little more like him-brisk and to the point.
I’m tempted to fall back asleep, but my ribs are really beginning to hurt, and without painkillers it’ll just get worse. So I grab a bottle of orange juice and drink the pills down. One of the phones starts ringing and I jump, swallowing wrong and coughing as I grab for the phone. “Hello?”
“Jay, I…” It’s a woman, her voice turning suspicious. “Where’s Jay? Who are you?” she barks, and I wince.
“I’m, uh, Quinn. Who’s Jay?”
She sighs heavily. “Look, uh, I get the feeling that you’re another one of Jay’s nameless one night stands, clearly not important if he hasn’t even told you his name, so would you please get out of his apartment?”
She sounds tired, like she’s done this before. “Uh, when you say Jay, do you mean Red Hood?”
There’s a long pause. “Who are you?”
“I’m Quinn Meredith.” There’s another long pause.
“Hm. I heard you were back from Haiti, but I didn’t know you were…living…with Red Hood.”
“We’re going to catch the Joker,” I say quietly.
“He’s using you as bait, then?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Catching the Joker is more important?”
“Yes.” I don’t tell her that we’re planning on killing, not catching, the Joker.
“Tell Red Hood to call Oracle when he gets back, okay?”
“Yeah, um. Of course.” She hands up without a goodbye, and I drink more orange juice, thoughtful. So, Red Hood’s name is Jay. Alright.
When I wake up again it’s dark, and Red Hood is gone. He’s put a blanket over me, a gesture I wasn’t expecting from someone like him. He’s even left a note. “Food in the fridge. Painkillers on table. I’ll be back before light.-Hood” That seems a little more like him-brisk and to the point.
I’m tempted to fall back asleep, but my ribs are really beginning to hurt, and without painkillers it’ll just get worse. So I grab a bottle of orange juice and drink the pills down. One of the phones starts ringing and I jump, swallowing wrong and coughing as I grab for the phone. “Hello?”
“Jay, I…” It’s a woman, her voice turning suspicious. “Where’s Jay? Who are you?” she barks, and I wince.
“I’m, uh, Quinn. Who’s Jay?”
She sighs heavily. “Look, uh, I get the feeling that you’re another one of Jay’s nameless one night stands, clearly not important if he hasn’t even told you his name, so would you please get out of his apartment?”
She sounds tired, like she’s done this before. “Uh, when you say Jay, do you mean Red Hood?”
There’s a long pause. “Who are you?”
“I’m Quinn Meredith.” There’s another long pause.
“Hm. I heard you were back from Haiti, but I didn’t know you were…living…with Red Hood.”
“We’re going to catch the Joker,” I say quietly.
“He’s using you as bait, then?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Catching the Joker is more important?”
“Yes.” I don’t tell her that we’re planning on killing, not catching, the Joker.
“Tell Red Hood to call Oracle when he gets back, okay?”
“Yeah, um. Of course.” She hands up without a goodbye, and I drink more orange juice, thoughtful. So, Red Hood’s name is Jay. Alright.
♠ ♠ ♠
The Joker: Joker's back from the grave! The Penguin: Yeah, a lot of that going around.