Chapter Text
“It's always been you,” Jason declares.
Slade smirks at him. “This sounds like a proposal.”
“Maybe it is, you asshole. And maybe you're fucking ruining it.”
Slade blinks over at him from the other side of the couch. “This is a crap proposal.”
Jason splutters. He hadn’t been proposing, but what if he had ? “ Excuse me ? What gives you the authority to grade me on my proposal?”
“There’s not even flowers.” Slade waves his arm, gesturing to their apartment and the lack of flowers anywhere around them. “I can’t believe you’re proposing to me without flowers. If you would have just waited for me to do it, I would’ve brought you flowers.”
Jason feels like maybe he misstepped somewhere. “Wait … what?”
Slade lifts himself off the couch and strides into their bedroom. “You didn’t even get down on one knee for me,” he gripes. “I thought you were supposed to be romantic. Nothing about this is romantic.” When he comes back into the living room he throws something at Jason.
Jason catches it, and that is … a ring box. And when he opens it, yes, that is a ring. It’s a thick black band. And, holy shit, it has their initials etched inside of it. He kind of wants to ignore the warmth in his chest and make fun of it. Tell Slade that he missed etching their initials into a heart, like all the other high school girls did. But all he can actually manage to say is, “Oh. Shit.”
Slade freezes, suddenly looking terrified. “Were you … not actually proposing?”
Jason shakes his head, still staring down at the ring. And, hey, Jason will be the first to admit he's new at this, but he's pretty certain they’ve skipped at least a couple of steps. One of which, he’s been very much waiting on. “Slade you … You haven’t even told me you love me yet.”
“Yes, I have,” Slade replies, full of confidence.
Jason’s eyes snap up to meet his. He shakes his head again. “I promise you haven’t.”
“I must have.”
“You most definitely have not.” And Slade looks so terrified that Jason can’t help but laugh. “You’re kind of an idiot,” he helpfully points out.
Slade glares. “Well, it’s not like you’ve ever said it to me!”
“I didn’t want to pressure you into saying it back,” Jason replies, rolling his eyes. He traces over the ring with his forefinger. “I was trying to be considerate.”
“Oh.” Slade sits back down on the couch. “Okay. So … will you?”
“Will I what ? Will I marry you?” Jason sputters. He snaps the ring box shut and throws it back to Slade. “You still haven’t told me you love me, dumbass!”
“I love you.”
And Jason knew he was going to say it, but it still makes his breath hitch and his skin feel hot. And it’s not even like it’s a surprise. They’ve been doing this thing for over a year, and Slade is a man of action. He shows his love, rather than wax poetic. And Jason prefers that, really. But hearing it … It still feels really good to hear it. Better than he had expected it would. “Good. Okay,” he says, gaining control back over his own body. “I love you too. Even though you’re a dumbass.”
“Was that the only stipulation?” Slade asks. Jason’s never seen Slade fidget before, but he absolutely is now: rotating the ring box from hand to hand.
“No,” Jason huffs. Slade’s shoulders fall. “As someone I love very much recently pointed out, if I’m going to be proposed to then I need flowers.” He glares at Slade. “And you need to get down on one knee. I demand romance, Slade.”
“Okay,” Slade replies, nodding. And Jason was kidding, but Slade looks serious. Like he’s ready to run out and buy flowers if it means Jason says yes. “Any other stipulations?”
Jason breathes. He's not really sure they're ready to talk about this, but he also can't afford to skip the conversation if Slade’s serious about this. “I maybe want to adopt.”
“Oh. Okay,” Slade frowns. “I really hate babies.”
If anyone else heard it, they'd probably think Slade was shutting them down, but it's not a ‘no’. And Jason hadn't been thinking about babies anyway; babies always got adopted. “I was thinking toddler? Or … older maybe.”
“I'd rather avoid the terrible twos, if we can. But, yes, if you want a kid … kids … we can do that.” Slade rolls his eyes. “Even though Rose is going to give me a ton of shit for it.” He rubs his temple. "I hear the Grandpa-Daddy jokes already."
Jason grins. “She gets that from you.”
“Any other bombs you'd like to drop on me before you say ‘yes’?” And Slade is back to looking serious, like he's willing to talk through whatever hang-ups Jason might have with their future marriage. And, holy shit, he was actually proposing.
But, no, Jason doesn't actually have any more hang-ups. He can think of a couple stipulations though. “I want it to be a small wedding. Family and close friends only,” Jason says, quieter now.
Slade grins. “Perfect: I hate people.” He scoots closer to him on the couch, so their thighs are touching. “What else?”
“I want German chocolate cake.” That's mostly a tease, given that Slade detests it. But, if asked, Slade doesn't like any desserts and enjoys not liking desserts, so the man refuses to offer alternatives.
“Hate it. Done. Anything else?”
Jason bites his lip. “We gotta make sure the paparazzi never find out.” He absolutely hates the media spectacle that anything Wayne-related creates.
Slade leans into his space and grins down at him. “Kill everyone who owns a camera. I can do that. Next?”
Jason laughs. “You’ve gotta eventually learn how to fold laundry, but I guess that can wait until after we’re married. I do consider myself a realist.”
Slade pushes the ring box back into his hands. “If I get down on my knee right now, can I put an I.O.U. on the rest of it?”
Jason grabs his shirt, pulls him down, and kisses him. “Show me what else you can do on your knees besides propose, and I’ll consider it.”
Slade leans down and kisses him again through a smile. “I take it that’s a ‘yes’, dear?”
Jason rolls his eyes. “That’s a ‘yes, dear’.”
END