Red Rain [Jason Todd]

.54

"Merry Christmas, everybody!" Izzy sings as she skips back into the living room where everyone sits, all of us wearing their hideous sweaters.

We were spending Christmas with our friends, and we're over Dick's place this time, his Christmas tree lit brightly in front of his large windows with the curtains closed.

"Merry Christmas, Izzy." Everyone answers back and she sits down on the floor across from Roy who was sitting in front of me.

Jason comes back from the bathroom as Izzy claps her hands, "When are we opening the gifts?!"

"Not yet," Dick smiles, "We will, don't worry."

Jason comes and sits beside me and leans to kiss me but I turn my head farther away and put my hand up towards him.

He only sighs as Kori raises her eyebrow.

"That was different for you two." She claims and everyone looks at us.

"She's mad at me." Jason replies in another light sigh and Dick's eyebrow raises as well.

"Why?"

"Don't answer-" I demand, but Jason answers anyway.

"New Years." He says and Roy looks away awkwardly.

"Why, what's happening New Years?" Izzy asks, her eyes looking over at me, "You love New Years—"

"Izzy," I look at her and then I shake my head and look at the floor, directing towards Jason again, "And do not answer that."

"I'm going on a mission." He again answers anyway and I roll my eyes and stand up, throwing my hands in the air.

"I'm going to make some hot cocoa." I announce before quickly stepping over Roy and walking to the kitchen.

I start looking through the cabinets to find either packets or raw ingredients to make the hot cocoa from scratch.

"The cocoa and sugar are in the pantry." Dick's familiar voice informs from behind me. I glimpse back at him, "Thanks."

"Mhm." He nods with his arms crossed, stepping into the kitchen and leaning his back against the counter.

I take the cocoa powder and sugar out the pantry and sit them on the counter, going with hot coco from scratch which I think is personally the best.

"You okay?" He asks as I gather the rest of the ingredients from the fridge.

"Why do you have to know?" I snap and he chuckles lightly.

"Because you're rampaging through my kitchen, I think I deserve at least an answer." He replies knowingly and I stop moving and grip the edge of the counter, looking down at it before closing my eyes.

"Bribri, we haven't had an one-on-one in a long time. And I think it's overdue—"

"Look, this isn't the first time Jason and I have argued, Dick. I'm fine." I interrupt.

"But it's about New Years—"

"And last time it was Thanksgiving," I look back at him, "What is your point?"

"Izzy and I know you love New Years much more than Thanksgiving. And this...grudge is ruining your Christmas spirit."

"When have you known me to have a Christmas spirit?" I ask and he makes a psssht noise with his puckered lips, brows pushed heavily together, shoulders rising and eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?!" He grins, then he points at me, "You remember when me, you, and Izzy spent Christmas together with your parents and you kept singing all the holiday songs and even got my dad to start singing with you?"