( the blue glow is something neither of them can afford in this kind of public space, jason is well-aware of the risk that come with skin contact. he's learned to weaponize their empathy bonds, has used it far more than he ever thought he would be comfortable with. jason--doesn't do touching. or feelings. combining them both is just asking for trouble.
sometimes a little trouble's what you need to get by, however. and he's more than aware of that. )
I'll go whichever way suits me best. ( sometimes that is in the opposite direction he's told. sometimes it's towards where he's directed. depends on the day, who he's talking to, what he feels like. because jason todd is all instinct and passion, all the time. and he has absolutely no intention of changing that. even if his emotions do get him into shit he shouldn't be in 90% of the time. ) You say left and left looks nice? I'll go left. If right seems better. .
( fingers sifting idly though short hair, before they move down to frame fitz' jawline. run a thumb over his chin. lets the skeevy grin fade into a half smile. it's softer, at least. )
Give me another week, I'll be back in the rings. ( not time he needs necessarily but time he should take. with everything else going on, jason can use a little caution. only thing it hurts is his pride, and that was decimated years ago. ) But I'm a guy of many talents. Could have a knack for playing with bots, never know. ( could he figure it out? probably. would he bother trying? why. that's tim's job? where is their team tiny nerd when he's needed. )
Maybe I'll show you a thing or two while I'm at it. ( whether he means robotics or toying around in the ring jason intentionally leaves unclear, but he says that loud enough to be overheard. it's not something that needs to be hidden between two dudes staring lovingly into each other's eyes, is it? brows wiggle suggestively as he lets the hand drop away from fitz's face, slouches back into his seat. )
[ there's a self-awareness to jason that fitz hadn't expected. he can appreciate that — alongside a healthy dose of self-interest and personal judgment, meaning he's capable of making a call on the fly (even questionable ones). only jason pushes the boundaries of this game not by being blatant or skeevy, but by softening. a light card through fitz's hair makes him more uneasy than anything else, so he doesn't escalate it, loosening his grip on jason's jacket instead and ducking his head to avoid that slight smile. ]
Good. [ that he'll be back in the ring soon, well enough to be of use. a beat before fitz fully recovers, returning to his drink and offering a contemplative tilt of his head. ] But it might be that others are less nuanced than yourself, you know.
[ a genuine counter, despite the sarky tone. there are several mechanic, robotic, and hacker types around, just in need of a nudge in the right direction. there are fewer folks capable of taking a beating — a number that further narrows when fitz considers who he wouldn't worry over in the ring, from both a practical and personal perspective.
again, he considers how dick would be disappointed by this conversation and all it entails. when he'd asked fitz not to babysit his brothers, he probably didn't imagine his new friend would have a hand in helping one step out of line instead. ]
( jason realizes that. a glance around the safehouse was enough to establish that there aren't too many people around who are bigger than him. there's thor, massive fucking piece of muscle he is, and a couple others about on jason's level--the rest of team robin's still around, too. but, aside from damian, they're built for dishing out damage, for avoiding getting hit. dick can take hits, sure. but he's gone out of his way for lean muscle build. for flips and shit. jason's the one who went out of his way to build himself up like a fucking tank.
so he gets fitz's point. )
Am I the only one you've been sweet talking into fights and rowdy gangs?
( more so he knows who to look out for than anything else. if fitz has information regarding the structure of the underground's families, he's almost positive he's got a good idea of who is doing what down there. )
Or do I have competition I should keep an eye out for?
[ he pauses, the silence punctuated by a sip of his drink. ]
Would you believe me if I said you were my first?
[ with the gangs at least, an impromptu test-run brought on by jason's own needling rather than fitz identifying him as a useful mark. lucky. ]
But I'm cultivating another lead, yes. [ waving a hand. ] Early days yet. [ unlikely to beat jason to the punch, so to speak. ] If they're inclined toward a particular group, I'll update you. [ his shoulders rise in a lazy shrug. ] No sense in doubling up.
[ anonymised for now, though he's open to sharing in future. ]
( so fitz is moving pieces. he's clever enough to keep a few on lead, smart enough to gain dick grayson's attention, and doesn't open his mouth and blab on unnecessary details. wow. consider jason intrigued and (mildly) attached. someone who has the balls to start directing others where they're useful and playflirt along the way, that's jason's kind of dude.
he doesn't need the leadership, but fuck does he appreciate it right now. jason's always a mess when he's playing his own game, especially without any real high goal to reach at the end of it. fitz is, at least, giving him something to go off of. )
A'right. Sounds good to me.
( another moment, and he pushes himself up from the bar stool. makes a quick transfer via implant to transfer over credits to cover the drinks. )
Well, this was nice. You'd better call me for a second date.
[ if this were SHIELD — if he’d recruited someone or been assigned to handle them — there’d be protocol to walk through. rules, emergency procedures, a breakdown about what fitz can offer him in a crisis. he still recalls his first meeting with coulson, freshly resurrected and standing in the doorway of his academy dorm — encouraging, complimentary, cautious — only fitz contrasts that warmth with later horror from his mentor. that wasn’t your call to make, fitz. it was. it absolutely is. if no one else will take the lead, if they won’t decide who’s worth recruiting, risking and protecting, he can. he will.
an encounter both haphazard and uneasy has become an opportunity to grasp a useful piece, charting a path suddenly opened up ahead. fitz doesn’t trust jason — but he believes he won attention, if not respect, today. and that jason will pursue one of his suggestions, at least in the short-term. the lad’s tough, dedicated to finding answers to the point of vivisection. better than half the agents fitz has guided into danger ‘cause he was mid-leap already. this chat only refines his trajectory. ]
I’ll ring when it suits. [ when it’s useful for him to do so, likely once he scrutinises jason in the ring. fitz hardly has any time left to waste, working for three here in NA, and feeling the hairline fracture in his mind crack ever wider. ] And expect the same in return.
[ at least with anything significant enough to alter his broader plans. one corner of his mouth hooks upward, not quite a smile, as he raises his glass. cheers for the drinks, matches malone. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
sometimes a little trouble's what you need to get by, however. and he's more than aware of that. )
I'll go whichever way suits me best. ( sometimes that is in the opposite direction he's told. sometimes it's towards where he's directed. depends on the day, who he's talking to, what he feels like. because jason todd is all instinct and passion, all the time. and he has absolutely no intention of changing that. even if his emotions do get him into shit he shouldn't be in 90% of the time. ) You say left and left looks nice? I'll go left. If right seems better. .
( fingers sifting idly though short hair, before they move down to frame fitz' jawline. run a thumb over his chin. lets the skeevy grin fade into a half smile. it's softer, at least. )
Give me another week, I'll be back in the rings. ( not time he needs necessarily but time he should take. with everything else going on, jason can use a little caution. only thing it hurts is his pride, and that was decimated years ago. ) But I'm a guy of many talents. Could have a knack for playing with bots, never know. ( could he figure it out? probably. would he bother trying? why. that's tim's job? where is their team tiny nerd when he's needed. )
Maybe I'll show you a thing or two while I'm at it. ( whether he means robotics or toying around in the ring jason intentionally leaves unclear, but he says that loud enough to be overheard. it's not something that needs to be hidden between two dudes staring lovingly into each other's eyes, is it? brows wiggle suggestively as he lets the hand drop away from fitz's face, slouches back into his seat. )
Brute force isn't the only thing I'm good for.
no subject
Good. [ that he'll be back in the ring soon, well enough to be of use. a beat before fitz fully recovers, returning to his drink and offering a contemplative tilt of his head. ] But it might be that others are less nuanced than yourself, you know.
[ a genuine counter, despite the sarky tone. there are several mechanic, robotic, and hacker types around, just in need of a nudge in the right direction. there are fewer folks capable of taking a beating — a number that further narrows when fitz considers who he wouldn't worry over in the ring, from both a practical and personal perspective.
again, he considers how dick would be disappointed by this conversation and all it entails. when he'd asked fitz not to babysit his brothers, he probably didn't imagine his new friend would have a hand in helping one step out of line instead. ]
no subject
so he gets fitz's point. )
Am I the only one you've been sweet talking into fights and rowdy gangs?
( more so he knows who to look out for than anything else. if fitz has information regarding the structure of the underground's families, he's almost positive he's got a good idea of who is doing what down there. )
Or do I have competition I should keep an eye out for?
no subject
Would you believe me if I said you were my first?
[ with the gangs at least, an impromptu test-run brought on by jason's own needling rather than fitz identifying him as a useful mark. lucky. ]
But I'm cultivating another lead, yes. [ waving a hand. ] Early days yet. [ unlikely to beat jason to the punch, so to speak. ] If they're inclined toward a particular group, I'll update you. [ his shoulders rise in a lazy shrug. ] No sense in doubling up.
[ anonymised for now, though he's open to sharing in future. ]
no subject
he doesn't need the leadership, but fuck does he appreciate it right now. jason's always a mess when he's playing his own game, especially without any real high goal to reach at the end of it. fitz is, at least, giving him something to go off of. )
A'right. Sounds good to me.
( another moment, and he pushes himself up from the bar stool. makes a quick transfer via implant to transfer over credits to cover the drinks. )
Well, this was nice. You'd better call me for a second date.
no subject
an encounter both haphazard and uneasy has become an opportunity to grasp a useful piece, charting a path suddenly opened up ahead. fitz doesn’t trust jason — but he believes he won attention, if not respect, today. and that jason will pursue one of his suggestions, at least in the short-term. the lad’s tough, dedicated to finding answers to the point of vivisection. better than half the agents fitz has guided into danger ‘cause he was mid-leap already. this chat only refines his trajectory. ]
I’ll ring when it suits. [ when it’s useful for him to do so, likely once he scrutinises jason in the ring. fitz hardly has any time left to waste, working for three here in NA, and feeling the hairline fracture in his mind crack ever wider. ] And expect the same in return.
[ at least with anything significant enough to alter his broader plans. one corner of his mouth hooks upward, not quite a smile, as he raises his glass. cheers for the drinks, matches malone. ]