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It's a small, rundown diner, stuck in the corner of a strip mall. It opens late at night, around 1 am, and closes early morning, around 11 am, and is almost always full of customers. Regulars, truckers, seasonal workers, even a few heroes or villains stop in, the place being a neutral ground of sorts. The red vinyl booth seats with white tables flecked with black, the circular brown barstools that line the counters, the smells of coffee, hot chocolate, and food being fried up on the griddle, and the blue vinyl seats at the regular tables are all warm and inviting. There's a couple old quarter candy dispensers that constantly have runtz refilled in them, and if you nicely ask Old Man Joe, who kicks up his cowboy boots on a stool at the very end of the counter, he'll give you two or three quarters for the machine.
There are old truckstop signs, and silly little mottos written on a chalkboard on the walls, a few celebrity photos on another wall, and the third wall is a line of rubber spatulas that have names signed on them, of customers, not celebrities, because, and Jason knows this from experience, if you start acting a fool, you get a spatula to your rear or your hand, then you have to sign it, and be put on the wall of shame. There are motifs painted on the bathroom walls, and there's gray false tile floors, and behind the counter there's a cook on the griddle, and an older woman with curly red hair, and enough sass to shame a cat, named Barbara, though everyone calls her Barb.
Then there's the youngest worker there, a sweet as apple pie on a hot summer's day girl, who has a smile for everyone, and just as much sass as Barb. She's sweet and clumsy, and everyone knows she's a looker, Jason is at the top of that list especially. As late night Vigilantes, the Batfam are often in the diner one or two of them, or all of them, treating themselves to greasy treat, Jason being there almost every night, often being teased about "is it the heaping piles of food for cheap, or the little waitress that nearly spilled it all in your lap, your first go around?" by the others. Jason doesn't keep it a secret though. He's in deep.
"Hiya Hood!" Marinette calls cheerfully as she smacks a order onto the peg, walking over to where he pops a squat on the counter, sending him a cheeky smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes today.
"Long day, Pixie? You seem tired." He asks as she pulls out a root beer, popping the top of the glass bottle for him, plopping it onto an old cork coaster with a faded restaurant logo on it.
"Yeah, uh, I got some news today. Need to head back home soon, and sort some stuff out.
"Sorry to hear that, Pixie." She purses her lips, propping a hand on her hip.
"We've been over this, I'm not a Pixie."
"You're short, spicy, and basically can only processes one emotion at a time, like Tinkerbell." He chuckles. "You're a Pixie."
"Tinkerbell was a Fairy."
"That lived in Pixie Hollow, and used Pixie dust." She shakes her head, deciding to change the subject.
"What ahout you? How goes the huntin?"
"Same old." Hood replies, popping the latches of his helmet to set aside as she shakes her head, grabbing her pen from behind her ear, poking it with him, cheekily.
"What can I get ya tonight?"
"Scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage, and a steak."
"Changing from ham to sausage tonight, I see."
"Mm, I thought I'd mix it up. See if your sausage really is the wurst." Hood answers, making her laugh softly, eyes glimmering in laughter as she shakes her head.
"Is that a pun? We're doing puns now?"
"Anything to see a real smile on that pretty face." He says, reaching out to lightly trace his thumb over her hand as she blushes all pretty pink- is she on fire? She has to be on fire, right?- her heart skips a beat as she rips the order from her notepad, and sticks it on the peg, before moving to one of the many truckers that are beckoning for coffee refills. As she moves through the diner, she can feel Hood's gaze on her, making her blush worsen, egging on some of the regulars' teasing as she takes orders and fills them.
"Alrighty!" Marinette announces, plopping another open root beer down on the coaster, binning the empty bottle, before placing his tray of food down, removing the plates one at a time. "Two birds, scrambled, with a side of bangers, on cow, still mooing. Need any sauce?" She asks.
"Ketchup?" She's already setting the glass bottle on the counter before he even says the first letter, followed by the steak sauce, making Hood chuckle, giving her a crooked beam. "When're you gonna marry me?"
"After she marries me!" One of the regular truckers says from nearby.
"Now, what would your wife think about that, Tom?" Marinette giggles, resting her tray by her side, before turning her eye on Hood. "And how about you ask me on a date first, and see where that goes?" She teases as Hood bites into his steak with a hum.
"No, marriage first. Three kids, a dog, and a bike." He mutters around his mouthful of food.
"No talking with your mouthful!" Barb calls from the other end of the diner.
"Yes ma'am!" Hood says after he swallows.
"A bike?" Marinette inquires, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I like staying healthy."
"Uh-huh." She grabs a basket of biscuits from the griddle, plopping them down beside him.
"Can I get some-" She moves the container of jam and jelly packets to sit in front of him.
"I'm beginning to predict your requests." Marinette chirps cheerfully, and Hood smirks, watching her move to the next customer, weaving in and out of tables and the counter, delivering orders to everyone with the grace of a clumsy ballerina, occasionally tripping over a chair leg, but never dropping a plate. Hood takes his time eating, watching her fondly as the late crowd slowly shuffles out, and the early crowd meanders in, and he knows he won't be the old admirer of the young woman as they door, making a twisting sensation appear in his gut.
"So," Hood inquires as Marinette replaces his root beer, coming to rest against the counter, leaning into him a bit. "When do you leave?"
"Two weeks." Red Hood frowns, brow furrowing as he leans back a bit.
"That's so soon." He murmurs, and she nods.
"And, I'm not sure when, or if, I'll be back, to be totally honest." She admits. "I may have to look for a permanent position there, just until things clear up."
"Isn't there a financial crisis going on on Paris, after the shit with that terrorist guy?"
"Yeah, unfortunately." She sighs, carding her fingers through her hair, rocking side to side a bit.
"Can I convince you to stay?" Marinette blinks up at him, blush returning to her face.
"Maybe not stay, but I could be persuaded to return." She says with a hopeful tone to her voice, and Red Hood smirks, leaning into her as well.
"Well, maybe I'll have to come up with a reason for you to come back."
"Maybe you will."
"Just kiss already!" Harley Quinn calls from nearby, ignoring Ivy's light swat as Marinette's blush returns full force, and Hood chuckles, nodding his head towards the rogues.
"You heard the lady."
"I did, but it's supposed to be you, convincing me." Hood chuckles once again, and leans in to steal her lips sweetly, making people around them cheer.
"Finally!"