Work Text:
Jack was getting desperate. He needed to win this bet.
That stupid girl Selina thought she could beat him? What a joke that was.
Three weeks. The deal was three weeks. Whoever Bruce noticed first would win the bet. But it wasn’t just about winning, though winning was pretty important too. It was about getting Bruce Wayne – the dark, mysterious, but horribly handsome sixth year Ravenclaw. In his six years at Hogwarts, Bruce had never once look at anyone in any way that was beyond acquaintances. Acquaintances! The boy didn’t even have friends!
He often spent his free time reading in his room, or running laps around the Quidditch pitch, or swimming across the length of the Great Lake. He rarely talked to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. His marks were perfect, and everything he did was perfect.
No one knew exactly where he went during the summer. Some say he is secretly Muggleborn, but Jack doesn’t believe that. The older boy was obviously much to skilled in magic to come from a family that knows nothing about magic beyond the idiotic card tricks.
It had started with Selina bragging in the Slytherin common rooms. She had a large crowd around her, listening to her stories. As a prefect and a popular sixth year, many looked up to her. She was loud, outgoing, pretty and smart. Starting early, in third year, she had started building what would one day be a very long list of conquests. Every week or so, she had a new “escort”. A new boy that would be tripping over her charms, her pretty laugh and witty remarks.
Jack had to admit, he could see what was to like, but he didn’t think it was that much of a deal. She certainly wasn’t the prettiest girl in the school. That title belonged to Diana Prince, a sweet Gryffindor seventh year.
That evening, Selina had been talking about how she had gone through all the eligible boys in the school at least once now, and none of them were any good. Jack had been doing his homework a couple chairs over, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. However, he didn’t say anything.
“Wow, really? But who’s your favorite?” Harleen, a second year, asked, her eyes wide in wonder. She was absently twirling a strand of hair in her hands.
Selina laughed loudly. “Well, I don’t want to choose sides or anything, but Jordan is pretty good.”
“Didn’t he graduate last year?” Pamela questioned, her eyes almost as wide as her best friend’s.
“And I heard that he was dating someone at that time,” Damian Wayne, first year, snorted from behind his thick book. He let the book fall to the table with a loud slam. “No one cares about who you’re cheating on, Kyle.”
Selina narrowed her eyes at him. She slowly drew herself up into a more upright position. The boy matched her glare.
“And who are you? Some stupid little first year?” Selina snarled. “Think you guys own the school don’t you? Well, learn to respect your elders, shorty.”
Damian opened his mouth to retort, but then, the door to the common room opened and Damian’s older brother poked his head in.
“Damian,” Bruce said, his face a mask void of any emotion. “I need to talk to you.”
Damian shot Selina another glare before walking towards his brother. The two disappeared and the door closed again.
“Who was that?” Harleen asked in a hushed voice.
“Bruce Wayne,” Pamela told her. “It’s Damian’s older brother. He’s, like, a legend at this school. Really smart, even for a Ravenclaw.”
Harleen looked up at Selina, scooting closer and resting her chin on the seat of the couch. “Is he any good, Selina?”
Selina scowled. She didn’t answer for a while. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice tight.
“What do you mean?” Pamela asked.
Jack had finally gotten tired of their chatter at that moment. “It means, she’s not good enough for Bruce to notice her,” he said, not looking up from his essay.
Selina growled at him. “What the hell do you know? I haven’t ever seen you with a date, Napier.”
Jack just shrugged. “I’m just stating the truth. Don’t let it hurt you. No one’s been with Bruce.”
Harleen gasped. “Selina! You must be the first then! Imagine what a legend you’ll be!”
Selina grinned slowly, her lips stretching into a sinister smile. “Well, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Yes, I think I will. I promise, by the end of this term, Bruce Wayne will be mine.”
Jack snorted, finally turning towards them. “You really think that you’ll be able to crack him? Do you know how many girls have tried before you?”
Selina glared at him. “Well, none of them were me, were they?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I honestly don’t see what’s so different between you and them.”
Selina scoffed. “Just because I don’t have green hair from a potion accident doesn’t mean I can’t get his attention.”
Jack’s pale skin heated up. His hair was a sensitive topic. Potions were usually one of his strong points, but Jack had been having a bad day, and someone had pushed him into the table and the potion had exploded in his face, coloring his hair into permanent neon green.
“But I also don’t need to flirt my way into anyone’s good graces either,” Jack snapped back.
Selina stood up then. She slid over, and even her angry stalking could be categorized as sensual. “Alright, Napier. You think you can out do me? Fine. We’ll make it a bet. Three weeks. Whoever becomes closest to Bruce Wayne wins. If I win,” she smirked, looking him over. “You be my slave for a week.”
“And if I win?” Jack asked. The Slytherin in him could not back down from a challenge.
“Well, I wasn’t planning on you winning, but it’s your call.”
“If I win,” Jack said. “I want you to shave your head. And it has to grow back naturally. No magic.”
Selina narrowed her eyes at him, her lips thinning into a grim line. “Fine,” she said shortly, holding her hand out for them to shake.
Jack gripped her hand and he felt the magic course through the air, crackling between them, sealing the bet.
That was two weeks ago. And he has only one week left. And so far, Bruce had not said anything to him aside from a “sorry” after Jack purposefully ran into him in the library. Jack also realized that he was a great disadvantage because Selina had classes with Bruce all day, but Jack, being only a fifth year, did not.
He had seen Selina chatting with Bruce on the way to dinner a couple days ago, and while they were probably talking about school work, at least they were talking.
Jack had to win, for his pride at least. He finally decided on his last resort.
Amortentia.
It was just a small vial, but Jack carried the vial in his pocket for three days before he gathered the courage to use it. It was just a tiny dab on the insides of his wrists on the first day.
On his way to breakfast, three girls had come up to him, asking questions about classes, complimenting his hair, and straight up sniffing.
Harleen and her friend Pamela had walked past, giggling and peeking at him. Even Damian had stalked over to him, narrowing his eyes at the fifth year.
“You smell funny today,” Damian stated. “Really weird.”
Jack’s throat was dry. He didn’t doubt that Damian could figure it out if he thought hard enough. But he was more afraid that Damian would suddenly become infatuated with him. He didn’t want to get on Bruce’s bad side.
“You smell like… wet dog, and fresh hay, and… chocolate chip cookies?” Damian narrowed his eyes further. “Why do you smell like cookies? There aren’t even chocolate chip cookies at Hogwarts! Or hay! Why do I even know what fresh hay smells like?” The slightly distressed and confused boy stalked away, shaking his head.
Jack entered the Great Hall, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He walked past the Ravenclaw table, by where Bruce was sitting, showing Selina his essay for Transfiguration.
Everyone around him, even Selina, had looked up, but Bruce just kept on talking.
Selina gave him odd looks all throughout the rest of the day. A couple teachers also gave him strange looks, though nothing too much out of the ordinary.
It was Thursday, so Bruce would be in the library during dinner, and the rest of the library would be empty. Jack decided this had to be his chance. He applied a bit more Amortentia, his own senses completely blinded by the strange smell of gasoline, pavement after a rainstorm, and iron.
He managed to make it down to the library without looking too suspicious. He pretended to browse the shelves as he worked his way towards Bruce’s usual hideout.
He turned the corner, and what he saw made him drop the two books he had been carrying. Bruce had his back pressed against the shelves, his hands on Selina’s waist. She had a leg hooked around his legs and her hands were wound through his now messy black hair. Bruce’s mouth was smeared with lipstick, and they were busy snogging.
At the sound of his books hitting the ground, the couple parted. Selina smirked at him, while Bruce’s eyes widened.
“Jack!”
Selina’s grin turned wider. “Yes, hello, Jack. May we help you? Did you need a book? Sorry about that. C’mon Brucie, let’s get out of the way and let Jack get his books.”
Selina reached out to take his hand and pull him away, but he pushed her hand off. “Stop it!” he snapped. “What is your problem? You’ve been clinging to me all week, and it’s honestly bothering me! And then you corner me in the library and jump on me?! You are ridiculous, Selina. If you come near me again, I promise you, you won’t like the consequences.”
Jack decided that he liked the look of Bruce’s eyes when they were narrowed and fueled by something more than mild boredom. The anger gave him a dangerous look, much like his younger brother.
Selina’s mouth dropped open, and she quickly closed it. She glared at Bruce, then at Jack, before stomping away.
Bruce watched her go before he bent down and picked up Jack’s books. “Sorry you had to see that,” he said quietly. Jack took his books back in a daze.
“Um, it’s- it’s okay,” he said.
Bruce smiled a little. “201 Uses of Dragon Dung in Healing Balms?” Bruce chuckled. “What are you reading?”
Jack blushed a little. He had grabbed a couple books as a guise. “I wasn’t- I wasn’t actually reading that,” he said. “I think I might have grabbed the wrong book.”
He watched, a bit distracted, as Bruce wiped his lips, grimacing as the lipstick left stains on his robes. Then he smiled hugely at Jack. “Is there anymore anywhere?” he asked.
“There’s some on your teeth.”
Bruce groaned before scrubbing furiously at his teeth. He turned back to Jack again. “Did I get it?”
Jack laughed. “No, you just smeared it more.”
Bruce scrubbed at his pearly white teeth again. “Lipstick is honestly so annoying. I don’t understand why girls wear it. It’s also tastes disgusting.”
Jack hummed, unsure of what to say.
“So are you headed to dinner?” Bruce asked him.
Jack opened his mouth to make up any excuse. But then he decided against it. “Yeah, actually.”
Bruce smiled. “Cool. I’ll walk with you, then.”
They headed towards the exit and Jack placed his books on a table. They walked in silence for a while, only their footsteps echoing through the empty halls.
“I’m Bruce, by the way,” Bruce said after a while.
Jack chuckled lightly. “I know. You’re Damian’s older brother, Ravenclaw extraordinaire.”
Bruce smiled. “Is that what you Slytherins know me as?”
Jack shook his head. “I think the whole school knows you as that. But not many people really know you, that is.” There was a short moment of silence. “I’m Jack.”
“I know.” Bruce’s answer was so quiet Jack almost didn’t hear it.”
“You do?” Jack asked, honestly surprised. “Does Damian complain about me a lot? I mean, I don’t talk to him much, I don’t think. And I’ve never really gotten on his bad side any more than anyone else.”
Bruce shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that. I just… heard about you from around school.”
Jack’s heart sank. “I see. I should’ve expected it. The green hair is hard to miss, after all.”
If Jack had been looking, he would have seen Bruce’s horrified expression. “I’m really sorry about that.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Jack said with a humorless chuckle. “Some idiot wasn’t watching where he was going, and bumped into me. It’s not like you could’ve stopped it.”
Bruce swallowed hard. “No… I’m sorry because it was me. I wasn’t looking and I ran into you, and you had to deal with the consequences of my stupidity.”
Jack stopped walking and blinked at him. “Wait… that was you?”
Bruce wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“I’m not mad,” Jack said. “I don’t hate the green hair,” he assured. “I think it’s kind of special.”
Bruce looked at him tentatively. “So you don’t want to smack me?”
Jack made a face. “Why would I want to smack you? It was an accident. Sure, I was a bit upset for a while after, but I’m okay with it now. I forgive you.”
Bruce nodded. “Okay.”
Then, a thought popped into Jack’s head. Bruce hadn’t acted very differently around Jack. He was friendly and polite, unlike the other run-ins with fellow students earlier. Bruce couldn’t possibly be immune to Amortentia, could he?
“Hey, do you smell that?” Jack asked, pretending to sniff the air.
Bruce looked around. “Smell what?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said slowly, hoping to bait Bruce into telling him what the Amortentia smelled like. “It’s… odd, but I kind of like it? Do you smell it?”
Bruce shook his head. “No, not really. Is it me?”
Jack smiled, a bit strained. “No, I don’t think so. I-I must just be hungry. Heh, let’s just go to the Great Hall.”
Jack started walking against, but he didn’t even get two steps away before he was shoved against the wall, rather hard. He squeezed his eyes shut upon impact, grunting lightly. He looked at Bruce, who was smiling that dangerous smile again.
“Wh-“
“You honestly couldn’t have expected me to fall for that, did you?” Bruce asked, his voice low and teasing. “Amortentia? Ravenclaw extraordinaire, remember? I must have brewed Amortentia at some point before. I know what it smells like to me. And I’ve built a slight immunity to it, Jack. You want to know what my Amortentia smells like?”
Jack gulped, shrinking back against the wall, his shoulder throbbing slightly where Bruce had him pinned against the wall.
“It smells like your too sweet jasmine shampoo. It smells like paint and lipstick, but not like Selina’s lipstick. It’s different from hers. It smells like the air on a winter’s night, Jack. It smells like you. And with you wearing Amortentia,” Bruce chuckled weakly. He leaned forward, his hair falling in front of his face as he towered over Jack. The tips of the black strands brushed against Jack’s forehead. “Even with immunity, it’s so hard to resist,” he whispered.
Jack’s breath caught in his throat. He looked up, meeting Bruce’s half-lidded eyes. They were dark blue, and so, so close. Almost without thinking, Jack reached up and caressed the side of Bruce’s face. Bruce smiled ever so slightly and leaned in a little more.
“I’m going to stop resisting now,” he whispered against Jack’s lips.
“Okay,” Jack whispered back.
The kiss was searing. Jack didn’t know if it was hot or cold, but it was searing. Before, everything had smelled like wet pavement, gasoline and blood, but now Jack could taste it. It wasn’t a particularly good taste, but it was something that was special to Bruce and Bruce alone. Jack found his hands curling around Bruce’s neck, pulling himself away from the wall and pushing closer into Bruce.
Bruce’s arms snaked around his waist, holding him impossibly close.
Jack could feel Bruce’s heartbeat in time with his own through layer of robes that he wished were just gone—
“-damn it, Tim!”
Joker blinked, the cool blue light of the Batcave shining in his eyes. A slow grin stretched across his face and he giggled.
“Morning, Batsy! Miss me? I had a great dream, you know. It was just getting to the good part, but you had to wake me up. It was about you, ya know?” Joker giggled again, trying to sit up, but the restraints held him back.
Batman strode over, his mouth twisted down in a frown. “How did you do that?” he asked in a flat voice.
“Do what?” Joker asked innocently. “I didn’t do anything, Batsy! I’m the one whose being held down here against his will.” He pouted up at the big bad bat.
Batman did not look amused. “Joker,” he warned.
“Oh, you mean, how did I hack into your little simulation without even moving?” Joker grinned wickedly. “Now, I if I told you, my dreams would end up much less pleasant, don’t you think?”
“The simulation is a part of your treatment, Joker. If you don’t cooperate, you’ll be shipped right back to Arkham.”
Joker rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Jeez, you’re about as fun as a pile of dragon dung.”
Batman visibly stiffened at that.
“Oh, so you were watching,” Joker grinned wider. “You weren’t letting the innocent young minds watch, though, were you?”
Batman just sighed. He started undoing Joker’s restraints. He pulled the clown up but the front of his straight jacket and shoved him into the wheelchair.
“Time to go already?” Joker asked, pretending to pout. “But I just woke up!”
As Batman pushed him out of the cave, he ordered Red Robin, “Leave the simulation system. I’ll come back and take a closer look later. I’m going to stay in tonight. You and Robin take over for me.”
“Ooh, ditching on patrol?” Joker called as he was pushed away from the main part of the cave.
Once they were out of earshot, Joker leaned back and grinned up at Batman.
“My dear dark knight, you can’t fool me.” Joker laughed. “Yes, I hacked into your little system rather easily, but I don’t doubt that you could have easily stopped me. But you didn’t, did you, Batsy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do,” Joker grinned. “I really hope you enjoyed the show. Maybe I’ll give you a little sample sometime.”
Batman pushed the wheelchair into the cell and undid the straightjacket before pushing the chair out again. Through the thick glass doors, he turned back to Joker.
“Maybe if you start listening.”