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In retrospect, agreeing to a snowball fight with the Wayne family when you know all of their secret identities was a really, really stupid idea. It had sounded fun and maybe even a bit romantic at first, but then, you'd let your desire for intimacy cloud your knowledge of just how brutal the siblings can get when they play literally any sort of game.
It had started out simple enough, fifteen minutes to pick teams and build up walls and stockpiles of snowballs in the yard. There'd been a small argument over whose team you were on, which was flattering considering you're definitely the least athletic of the group involved. Jason and Dick had almost begun to scuffle over it when Damian appeared at your side and simply led you to where Duke was standing a ways away, completing his team. Once you were out of earshot of the others, he grinned that dangerous grin and said, "Neither Grayson or Todd will attack you full on. Having you on our team gives an interesting advantage."
You watch as the other teams form, Steph and Cass paired up from the start, Tim joining them soon after. This leaves Dick and Jay standing together awkwardly as they realize you've already been snagged. The two frown deeply at each other until Dick extends a hand for Jay to shake. With the handshake done, they get down to business fortifying their section of the yard.
Eventually you end up hunkered down behind a wall of snow with Damian and Duke. You and Duke chat casually as you build up a stock of snowballs, but it's clear Damian is taking things far more seriously than either of you, planning a full battle strategy. You just hope he won't get too mad if you can't keep up. The cold is already seeping into your fingers through your gloves, and you regret buying such a cheap pair. In your defense, you hadn't expected to have any snowball fights when you got them.
Across the yard, the 15-minute timer goes off on Steph's phone, signaling the end of preparations and the start of the battle. You peek out over the top of your bunker to see what sort of fortifications the two other teams have made and immediately get a mouth full of snow as Cass gets a direct hit with the first snowball of the match. You hunch back down and scrub your face with the end of your scarf before looking to Damian.
"So what's our plan?"
"You're going to distract Grayson and Todd," he says firmly, giving you no room to argue. "While they are distracted, everyone will converge on their location."
"Okay, wait, back up. Distract how? And when you say everyone, that's... just you and Duke. Isn't the point of this to engage both other teams in the fight from a distance?"
The grin Damian gives in response is almost feral, and he pulls out his phone to show you a group chat containing everyone except Jason and Dick, where the entire scenario has already been planned. It was never an all-out snowball fight. Steph, Cass, and Tim are your allies, and everyone is going to bury the two oldest brothers in snow.
"Both of them like you a great deal. Say you want to switch teams, and they will believe you. You may pretend I have been saying rude things to you about your skills in combat. When you are ready, throw a snowball towards our fort. It won't go as far, so we will know it is you. Then restrain either Todd or Grayson, whichever one you think you can handle."
"This better work," you mutter, readying yourself to charge across the yard. You practice your best pleading face, and Duke laughs when he sees. "You all owe me some fancy snacks after this. If this goes wrong, I'm the one who's gonna get a face full of snow again."
"You'll do great," Duke promises. "Don't worry, we'll provide cover fire, but nobody should hit you too hard while you run. Hopefully..."
"Tell that to Cass," you laugh, not actually mad. Before he can respond, you take off, ducking as low as you can as you scurry across the yard to Dick and Jason's wall. It's taller than the one your team had built, which makes sense considering who's behind it. Both men look startled and raise snowballs to throw at you, but you raise your hands to show you're unarmed as you slide around the wall and onto your knees beside them.
"Wait, wait, I just wanted to switch teams!" you say quickly, and Dick blinks in surprise.
"Why? And is that even allowed?" He looks at you with mixed suspicion and tamped-down joy, wanting to believe you but not sure if he should.
"Duke said he understood if I wanted to. Ever since I started to help build up the wall and our snowball stash, Damian's been a little jerk talking about how I'm the worst fighter out here. He was the one that picked me for his team, but he said he only did it because he thought you guys wouldn't go all out against me. I figured I'd have more fun if I joined your team, and if I'm lucky I might be able to hit him as well."
Your answer seems to satisfy them, and you tuck yourself in the warm spot between them. Jason runs colder than Dick, but his body still provides a nice barrier from the wind. You bide your time building more snowballs for them until they let their guard down, laughing as someone from Steph, Tim, and Cass's direction manages to hit the top of Dick's head.
Once you think enough time has passed for suspicion to drop, you lob a snowball towards your former team's base. The chaos begins seconds later as you turn towards Jason and wrap him in a tight embrace that stops him in his tracks. Dick turns to ask what you're doing, but before he can get the words out there's the rapid sound of muffled footsteps in snow, and the rest of the family is upon you.
Jason realizes what's going on and throws you off of him, depositing you harmlessly into the snow off to one side as Cass and Duke hail a fury of snowballs down on him.
Damian and Tim are doing the same to Dick, but Steph is nowhere to be seen. You sit up and look around for her, but find yourself hauled up by strong arms and held against a familiar chest. Jason is using you as a human shield, you realize, his back pressed to the wall of snow he and Dick created. You squirm and try to break his hold, but Jay is much stronger than you, and you huff out a cloudy breath.
"Oh, so you can cling to me, but I can't cling to you?" he asks, voice rich and deep in your ear. A shiver runs through you that has nothing to do with the cold, and Jason chuckles behind you. You struggle harder in his grip, not wanting your crush to be evident in front of the entire family, but Jason simply pulls you tighter against him.
"I can't believe you betrayed me and Dick like this! I thought we were your best friends," he cries out, voice theatrical and full of feigned heartbreak. "You have broken my heart, but I will have my revenge!" Suddenly there is a gap between your bodies, and you think it's your chance to escape, but then there's a cold hand forcing even colder snow down the back of your shirt and you yelp like you've been shot.
Your cry alerts the others from where they've been dogpiling on Dick to bury him in snow, and although late, your rescue does come, complete with full hostage negotiations and the promise of cocoa.
By the time you all call it quits, your nose and fingers are numb and your back is entirely too cold from where the snow melted after Jason shoved it down your shirt.
Once everyone has stripped off their outerwear, you all file into the kitchen, following the smell of hot cocoa and cider. Alfred gives you all an amused look as you fill mugs and small groups break off to different rooms.
You end up curled up on the couch with Jason and Dick to marathon the Lord of the Rings trilogy, although another argument almost breaks out when Dick says he prefers The Hobbit movies. The only reason Jason doesn't launch himself across the couch is because he has his feet shoved under you to warm his toes. Since his death, he runs cold, and although it's not the most comfortable sitting position, it's one you allow because you are nothing if not soft for him.
Every time you glance at Dick he just gives you a knowing look, and you swear before the movie marathon is through you're going to have to kill him, because there's no way Jason isn't seeing it too.
Midway through The Two Towers, Dick says he's going to take a shower because he's still cold from being buried in snow. It's absolute bullshit, because you're sitting close enough to feel that he's a human furnace like always. It's a deliberate ploy to leave you and Jason alone together, and all three of you know it.
The atmosphere of the room shifts almost as soon as he's gone. You're still sitting on Jason's feet with him facing you, his knees brought up to his chest and one arm thrown across the back of the couch. He shifts to sit up and face the television, pulling a blanket off the back of the couch and holding it up with a grin.
"No snow down the back of your shirt this time, just cuddles," he promises. You give a small nod and shuffle closer until you're sitting hip to hip, thigh to thigh. Jason drapes the blanket across both of your laps and very slowly wraps his arm around you, glancing at you repeatedly out of the corner of his eye to see if you protest or look uncomfortable. You smile back, your heart drumming so loud in your chest that you're sure he can hear it as you settle your head on his shoulder.
You go back to watching the movie, just pressed into each others' sides. It's nearly an hour later that you see Dick hovering just outside the door, hair completely dry and still wearing the same clothes as before. He did not take a shower. He never intended to. You are going to murder him if he does not walk away right now.
Jason apparently has the same thought, because when you sneak a glance at him he's glaring daggers at Dick. Your eyes meet, and you have to stifle a laugh because the situation is so, so stupid. You're both feeling the same thing, both hesitating to make a move, and both thinking about killing Dick Grayson if he doesn't stop being so damn nosy.
Dick walks away, grinning victoriously, and you groan as you press your face further into Jason's shoulder. "He's going to be insufferable after this. At least we weren't making out when he came back to check on us."
Jay's brows shoot up at that, and he grins at you. "I dunno, I think the enjoyment of making out with you might win out over my frustration with Dick." You go to give him a playful shove, but you end up with your hand pressed to his chest, just feeling the rapid pounding of his heart, and you realize it's less a joke and more wishful thinking.
Your eyes meet and for a moment there's nothing but the sound of your pulse in your ears and your breathing, too heavy for having done nothing but cuddle up with your crush for a few hours. The movie is entirely forgotten as you turn to face Jason fully, movements slow and cautious as if you might scare him off.
Quick as a blink, his lips are on yours and his arms have tugged you into his lap. The kiss is gentle, but Jay is acting like he can't get enough contact with you, like he can't be close enough, as if he wants you to melt into him completely. So you do. You anchor him to you with one hand at the back of his head and the other at his lower back, hot as a brand against his chilled skin. You kiss him with all the pent up feelings from months of pining, and he returns it ounce for ounce.
You groan when Jason's tongue swipes against your lips, opening for him eagerly so he can lick into your mouth. From then, it's just learning the taste of each other and what little actions earn big reactions. You find that Jason likes it when you nip at his bottom lip. He finds he can make you shiver by pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin behind your ear.
You only pull apart when you hear Tim's voice as he enters the room. "Hey, I heard you guys were watchi-- oh holy shit, nope, never mind, bye."
After that the mood is ruined, and you simply slump in Jason's lap, your face buried against his chest even though the position is awful for your back and hips. He chuckles and runs a soothing hand in circles across your back.
"So I assume between Dick and Tim your whole family's going to know we're together before dinner," you say, your words muffled by the fabric of Jason's sweater.
His face lights up as he looks down at you, and his palms against your cheeks lift your face to look at him. "We're together?" he asks, voice reverent and full of wonder, as if he's just received the best gift of his life.
"I mean, I thought-- Since we've both been crushing on each other pretty hard, I figured..." you're losing your nerve, even though he seems delighted at the idea. "Do you want to be? Together, I mean."
"Yes," he answers, quick and with a certainty that sets your heart fluttering again. And neither of you speak again for a while, because his lips are back on yours.