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[star-born-mars]

Standing on a Ledge, Standing on a Precipice

Instead of Dick, you find Jason on the ledge. It starts to uncover something you would rather it didn't.

TW: suicidal thoughts and actions (I mean the entire scene is literally him ready to pitch himself off the edge), discussions of suicidal thoughts and actions, probably some unhealthy codependency, and probably some unhealthy coping mechanisms

Please let me know if you want me to add more.

A/N: I couldn't get that scene out of my head, of Jason standing there. This is probably so bad, I'm sorry. I'll probably write a sequel to this, ngl.

"Jason," you asked, crossing your arms on the ledge he was standing on, "how long have we been friends?"

"A long fuckin' time," he told you, sniffling.

"We were- what, 10- when we met?" you inquired, looking over the city as it bustled by, ignorant to the boy ready to pitch himself off the roof at any moment.

"Yeah."

"Almost a decade then. Think about that, Jay. We've known each other nearly half of our lives. In another decade, it'll be two thirds."

"Doll, I probably won't make it another decade," Jason replied, looking down at the people who were strolling by down below.

"Why are you up here, Jay?"

"C'mon, you know me, doll. I'm poison, whatever I touch I destroy."

"That's not true, Jay. You wanna know how I know?"

Jason was clearly just humoring you when he asked, "How?"

"Because who is the one person that you touch the most? The person who's had the most contact with you in your life?"

"You," he reluctantly admitted.

"And who's still alive and kicking despite the universe's best efforts otherwise?"

"You."

"Jason, look at me," you implored, turning towards him. "Please?"

"You're not playin' fair, doll. You know I can't say no to that face," he complained, turning to look at you.

"All's fair in love and war," you reminded him. "C'mon Jay, you're my best friend. Don't you think if you were the problem that something would've happened to me already?"

Jason couldn't argue with that and you knew it.

He knew it too, based on the way he was scowling now instead of crying.

"Jay, they have no fucking clue who you are," you said, reaching up to take his hand in yours. "And as cliche as it sounds, they don't know you like I do. I know you didn't do any of the shit that they're accusing you of."

"How'd you know?"

"For one thing, it's not really your style," you said with a smirk, watching as Jason gave you an unimpressed look. "But mostly, I just know you. It just... it doesn't fit."

You shrugged, daring to tug lightly on Jason's hand, urging him back towards safety.

"Jason, you know you don't have to stay here, right?" you asked, threading your fingers through his, sliding your palms together. "Clearly they don't really care whether you stay or go, except maybe Gar and Conner. You can go wherever you want."

Jason didn't say anything for a moment, and he waited long enough that you thought perhaps he wasn't going to say anything at all in response to what you'd told him, but then he asked, "If I wanted to go somewhere they didn't know who we were, would you go with me?"

"What?"

"If I wanted to get out of Gotham, leave the Titans, find some random town on a map and disappear, would you come with me?"

"You'd never leave Gotham like that, but if you wanted to run away, we could. I mean, we've done it before right? We both have all the necessary documentation to go to college, we both graduated high school, we can work pretty much any minimum experience job we want. Is that what you want to do? Disappear for a few years? Maybe a lifetime?"

Jason actually thought about it for a moment. You could tell because of the way his brows furrowed, the way he his mouth turned down into something more absentminded than a scowl.

"No. You're right, I could never leave Gotham like that. But it's a nice thought," Jason admitted softly, hopping down from the ledge to wrap his arms around you, disentangling your hands so he could rub a line up and down your spine. You slid your hands into his hair in response, grinning when he melted against you, like he was trying to burrow into you. "You'd really run away with me?"

"I've done it before," you reminded him. "I mean, I think we're codependent enough that even if you ran away without me, I'd still find you. But I can see us in our own place, away from Bruce and the Manor. You going to class to get an education degree or something. Volunteering at the theatre on your time off. Drama coach maybe."

"You've thought about it?" Jason asked quietly, hands stilling.

There was something in his tone that had you tensing. It wasn't something you heard often, given Jason's usual allergy to feelings and discussing them, even with you sometimes, but this sounded similar. It was a tone he adopted when he had been told something he didn't quite know what to do with, something he didn't quite know how to feel about.

"I mean, you haven't? We're practically ancient, Jason," you tried, attempting humor as an out.

Jason didn't take it.

"You've seriously thought about us like that?" he asked, pulling away just enough to see your face.

Something akin to terror crawled up your throat at his phrasing. Something rose like a tidal wave, threatening to drag you under.

You had to get the situation back under control. You had to do something to divert his attention.

Despite what Jason seemed to think, it was rather easy to love him. Yes, he was brash, impulsive, rather allergic to authority in most forms, and he was as stubborn as a mule, but his heart was in the right place most of the time. He was just another kid who'd been fucked over the people in his life, the system, and just the universe in general.

Having known him since you were kids was a huge advantage when it came to getting past Jason's defenses, but that didn't mean that you incapable of stepping on a land mine.

Jason let you do a lot of things others could only dream about. Touching him as freely as you could was a gift, being able to tease and poke fun was delightful and carefully regulated to when there was no one else around.

But admitting that you had feelings for him that weren't entirely platonic was the equivalent of throwing your relationship with him over the ledge he'd just been standing on.

It had been pretty easy, the last few years, to hide it. At first, there had been a phase where, no matter what was going on, even the thought of Jason had you grinning. Then there had been the warm cheeks and the upset stomach. Those things had settled into a low contentment.

It didn't matter that there was no way in hell he returned your feelings. It didn't matter that there was no way in hell you were going to get half of the things that you wanted. It was okay. Because having him as a friend was a thousand times better than losing him.

Giving him the support that he needed and getting his friendship in return was more than enough.

Besides, he had made his type very clear, and it wasn't you.

You chuckled awkwardly as Jason continued to stare at you. "I mean, Jay, c'mon, do you really think you and Bruce could live in the same house- even one as big as the Manor- forever? I mean, I know we wouldn't live together forever either though. You're gonna get a partner at some point and I'll either move out or you will."

You tried to back up, to put some space between you, like that would lessen the intensity of the stare he was giving you, but Jason clung tighter.

He wasn't letting you go, then.

"No, I don't think that's what you meant," he said, resolving settling into his voice as he somehow managed to pull you closer. "That's not what it sounded like."

"What did it sound like?" slipped out without your permission, and you had the sudden, intense urge to throw yourself off the ledge, just to save yourself the embarrassment.

This also didn't seem like the kind of conversation that you should have been having with the friend who had been contemplating pitching themselves off the roof of a building just a few minutes ago.

"Doll," Jason started, but you panicked.

"Look, Jay, a lot of people think shit like that about their friends. Well, normal people anyway. It doesn't have to be a weird thing. Please don't make it a weird thing."

You watched as his face went through about fifty different emotions before he hesitantly nodded.

"Good, then we should probably head back inside. Tell me tomorrow what the plan is," you said, pushing yourself out of his arms and backing towards the exit.

You paused by the door, just to make sure that he was following you in. You were desperate, not stupid.

Hopefully, this would be one of the things that Jason let go. One could hope anyway.

[star-born-mars]

iwaizumi: *likes/reblogs/follows/queues 100 more reblogs*

[star-born-mars]

I always have to smile at myself when I read a fanfic in which Bruce immediately catches Jason after he hits with his tire iron.

I get why fanfic writers do it, so they can move the plot along without having to write the chase after Jason or the scene when they do talk in the condemned building that Jason sleeps in. I get it.

But I always have to think about canon then.

Because not only did Jason manage to run away from Batman.

He also called him a 'big boob'.

I repeat. He gets caught jacking the tires. Tries to deny it. Hits Batman with a tire iron, runs away and insults him.

This 12-year old did something that every rogue would never even dream of.

[star-born-mars]

The bats have an entire group chat dedicated to keeping Tim from becoming a super villain.

At first they weren’t too concerned. Sure Tim was a little questionable, but he seemed normal enough, despite his sociopathic tendencies.

The issue originally started as a joke. Jason was complaining about how hard it was to take over and manage a majority of Gotham’s underworld. Tim had laughed and said he could probably catch up to Jason in about 2 week, probably less.

The entire family bet on it. And surprise surprise, Tim won…by a landslide. Did everything and more in a week. When asked how Tim just laughed.

“Please. I know everything about everyone in this city. Nothing happens here without me knowing.”

And hold up? Did Tim already have a control of the underworld before this because that’s cheating? No he didn’t but the Bat’s learned that Tim has built and maintained a massive informant system that spans across everything in the city and some outside.

When asked why he just shrugged. “Bruce locked me out of the bat cave one too many times when I was Robin so I had to find my own way to get information.”

Later they learn that Drake industries did not go bankrupt. Well it did, but Tim bought it for Pennie’s on the dime and it now goes by Jackson Industries and has been systematically funding and buying rights to a number of medical practices/studies/etc to then redistribute at affordable rates. The reason every civilian in Gotham has a rebreather is because of Jackson Industries.

Also apparently Tim is a majority share holder with LexCorp. Again when asked Tim shrugged and said something about one to many attacks on Konn and being ready to sweep the rug from Luther’s feet at any given moment left the man a lot more paranoid and a lot more careful.

That’s not even touching on Young Justice. The bats found footage of their early missions and realize that they’re def a ride or die group and they would 100% follow Tim before they stop him.

So yeah. They have a chat dedicated to making sure Tim doesn’t tip over the very thin line to villainy because honest to god, they’re not convinced they could stop him.

[star-born-mars]

You know what would be funny?

Baby Stalker Tim being seen as a omen.

There are goons that believe that he is a spirit haunting batman. That he is a child that the bat had lost before he became the dark knight.

He isn't, but people will still turn around whenever they see him lurking

[star-born-mars]

Tim gets deaged, and it's horrible. Horrible and extremely funny.

He is 12 again, the age he started being Robin and he takes one long look at Damian and Jason and decides that those are his Tamagotchi now. Dick only gets out of it because Tim is still a bit mad at him for not becoming Robin again and Duke and Cass are the ones he entlists in his strive to parent Damian and Jason.

(They find the situation extremely funny. Jason and Damian do not)

Damian actually found it easier to accept Drakes „Babying“ after Alfred explained to him that he did the same to Bruce after Jason died. This send Jason spiraling

[star-born-mars]

An AU where Bruce is a Meta, but his power lets him see a persons potential for becoming a villain. So no, this man is not just collecting children he is collecting children with the highest potential of burning the world to the ground successfully. He never tells anyone this, and while he can’t always curb there more…feral intentions, his kids respect him enough to not break most of his bigs rules.

It is a miracle among miracles that when Bruce got lost in the time stream the only one who really went off the rails was Tim. When Bruce returns he sits down with Tim and asks about his six months. What happened. I want to know what all you did to rescue me because you are my son and I love you but you shouldn’t have had to suffer alone.

Reluctantly Tim admits to teaming up with the LoA but also that he systematically demolished it from the inside out and garnered enough unintentional support due to his own normal charisma that half the remaining assassins jumped ship and settled under his leadership. He doesn’t really have plans for them outside of establishing a more thorough global information network.

Tim uses the empty shell of Drake industries to create a support network for the ninja’s under his care. He doesn’t know what they were paid before but if they’re working for Tim he’s giving them benifits and a paycheck. It helps that everyone thinks Drake Industries went under. What doesn’t help is that during his cataloging of company assets after his parents pass he learns his parents found a heaping chunk of kryptonite and now Luthor is trying to buy the company.

Dick is the one who actually does something about it after Lex sent one too many assassins after his little brother. He doesn’t kill Lex, but he and Barbra team up cause so much chaos to his company that he can’t focus on little Timmy at all or else he’ll fall to chaos. Yes some labs were blown up (Dicks work and probably some family bonding time with Damian or Jason). Barbra leaks all of their secrets to the web. It’s a PR nightmare.

Duke low key kinda ran a cult, which is a concern of its own, and Bruce is trying to make sure Duke and his totally not cult buddies have healthy normal teenager outlets to do stuff.

Steph while not officially part of the family is still on the radar because she spiked Bruces meter and also her dads a rogue. Like obviously Steph hates her dad but Bruce isn’t gonna let her stick around on the off chance Cluemaster see’s Steph as an asset and uses some chemical to make her comply. If Steph falls, Tim will probably fall and if Tim falls the dick will likely follow, and if Dick falls Damian will be right by his side.

Jason’s meter chilled out somehow when he came back, despite how angry he was when he came back, but there was still a healthy risk. So Bruce let’s him keep free reign of crime alley and makes him switch to rubber bullets and provides the support he can.

Damian was probably the lowest on the scale. At his core he’s a Soldier. Skilled yes, but he follows orders. He’s prideful, yes, but once given the opportunity to be a kid (and an outlet for the training he was raised with) that meter kinda just mellows out. Not to say Damian wasn’t pinging Bruces Radar, he just wasn’t pinging it as much as Dick and Tim always do.

[star-born-mars]

considering the manor is completely massive and the only person who spends more than a few consecutive hours there at a time is probably Alfred, i think it would be funny if after the pit, Jason decides after everything he's been through that he can't be bothered to do the whole revenge thing, or sort out safe houses or get an apartment and instead just decides to kill the joker himself and just... secretly go home.

like, as long as he kept an ear out to make sure he wasn't eating in the dining room when Bruce comes down, he could probably get away with walking around without ever being caught. Alfred would find out, i assume, but i think knowing how complicated Jasons emotions towards Bruce are right now, he'd keep it quiet and just be happy that the one other person he trusts to leave alone in the kitchen is finally back. And then, of course, there's the kids.

Damian knew from the beginning. Not because he's especially observant, but because this is his big brother from the league and the first night he spent at the manor Jason crawled through his window in full Red Hood gear and told him not to snitch. Considering that in the league Jason once snuck up behind Ra's and shaved a strip of hair off the back of his head, Damian decides there's far stupider shit the guy could be doing and leaves it be.

Tim finds out next. admittedly, the only reason he finds out is because Jason thought he knew and just stopped attempting to avoid him. in reality, what happened was Tim, having not slept for three days and living off nothing but spite and coffee, accidentally walked in on Jason cooking in the middle of the night, and immediately wrote it off as a hallucination. Jason, seeing Tim find him in the manor and not react badly, decided that 'oh, the replacement must just be chill i guess' and mentally pencilled him in as another person in the building that he can be seen by. it came to a head when a few days later Damian was forced by Jason to invite Tim out with them on their weekly 'eat junk food and talk shit about the rest of the family' outings, since he was a part of the group now. Tim cries.

Dick only finds out because Tim and Damian keep forgetting that Jason isn't supposed to be talked about in public. there comes a point where Tim rips Dick's favourite sweater and when Dick confronts him about it, Tim panics and blurts out 'it wasn't me, must have been jason!', and upon seeing Dick's face, Damian smacks him and grumbles 'good job Drake, now we have to show him Todd or he'll cry again.'. Jason is not overly happy when he sneaks through his bedroom window after going out as Red Hood and finds a sobbing Dick sat on his bed, Tim staring at the ground looking very ashamed while Damian straight face points at Tim to make it clear that this was Not His Fault.

after realising literally everyone in the house sans Bruce knows he's there, Jason decides to just. stop hiding. the fact is that he wasn't trying that hard in the first place, and Bruce still didn't have a clue, so he kinda wants to see how long it takes the 'world's greatest detective' to realise his dead kid is just. back.

so he stops hiding. starts showing up for family meals, starts being more friendly with the bats as Red Hood, and they all wait to see what finally tips Bruce off.

they forget how fucking stupid this man can be.

because if Jason had gone up to Bruce and done some sort of dramatic or emotional reveal then sure, Bruce would be shocked. he'd freak out. but the fact is that Bruce has both Batman and Brucie Wayne to keep up with. He's barely paying attention to his own feet while walking, let alone the people around him.

so when Jason starts showing up and acting like nothings changed, and literally nobody else in the house acts like anything's different either? Bruce straight up forgets that Jason's supposed to be dead. His mind just registers 'oh there are his kids, fighting like usual', and forgets to take in whether or not those kids are SUPPOSED to be ALIVE.

the kids find it fucking fascinating. Jason can actually have conversations with Bruce at the dinner table, and Bruce doesn't even realise that this is a wild fucking thing to be happening. Tim starts laughing at him and Bruce gets confused, only making the poor kid laugh harder. Jason just can't believe he actually bothered putting effort into hiding when he first came back. Damian's respect for his father diminishes every day.

it becomes a game, to see how far it will go. at one point Dick straight up asks who was better as Robin, him or Jason, in an attempt to jog his memory, and Bruce without looking up from the batcomputer goes 'you were both equally good, stop trying to start competitions with your brother'. Dick throws his hands up in the air and Jason, who has been sat on top of his own fucking memorial case to watch this shit show for the past 20 minutes, slow claps.

it's only after like a month of this that half way through a casual family breakfast, Damian asks Jason to pass him the orange juice or something, and Bruce finally has the fucking moment of

he never lives it down.

[star-born-mars]

they're absolutely nasty, i don't take criticism

[star-born-mars]

I think it’d be funny if Dick and Jason, due to wearing bright yellow capes on the job for years, are capable of stealth to a frankly unhinged degree. They barely have to try anymore it’s so second nature. Dick can just completely disappear while in the loudest neon clothes imaginable. Jason is constantly startling people who don’t understand how they missed a guy the size of a fridge standing right there. Bruce is extremely grateful for his unbreakable poker face because they have both startled him by accident and would never ever let him live it down if they knew.

[star-born-mars]

Broke: adopt a child

Woke: borrow your boyfriend's

[star-born-mars]

Worst case of youngest child privilege I have ever seen

[star-born-mars]

the funniest part of any Robin meeting the JL is that every Robin is so distinctly different from the previous one in terms of personality and vibes that the league literally gets backlash. and like, I don't blame them. not to mention that they are non-meta children that dress as a traffic light and fight crime alongside batman in gotham on a nightly basis. i'd also be a bit concerned. Batman, literally The Night of Gotham personified in the League's eyes, coming into a JL meeting: This is Robin, my crime-fighting partner. 11-year-old Dick Grayson, dressed in the brightest primary colours possible, vaguely hidden murder behind those eyes, never stops moving even for a moment: Hi! Superman: That's a child. That's-- Bats that is a child. You let a child--? Batman, deadpan: You try to stop him. Would you rather he try and murder a grown man with a wire?

Batman: This is Robin. 12-year-old Jason Todd, with the biggest grin on his face, about 3 books in his hand, stars in his eyes and a distinct street-kid drawl: Hey!!! Green Lantern: That's ... that's a different child. What?? Jason: I stole his tires :) Batman: Tried to. Jason, stage whispering to the League: basically did. Green Lantern: that is a different kid, right?? I'm not seeing shit??

Batman: This is Robin. 14-year-old Tim Drake, bo staff clutched in his hand, a wary and tired expression on his face, more on the quiet side, the literal walking definition of don't judge a book by it's cover: hello Flash: Where do you even find these-- Tim: I found myself.

Batman: This is Robin. 17-year-old Stephanie Brown, literally blonde, with a shit-eating grin, eyes full of nothing but mischief and the most explosive personality you've ever seen: hiya!! Superman: I give up. Stephanie: I know, I have that amazing effect on people.

Batman: This is Robin. 13-year-old Damian Wayne, a literal wet cat that will hiss at you, has a sword, the most judgemental stare you'll get from a teenager, ready to jump anyone there: Green Lantern: WHY DOES HE HAVE A SWORD?! Batman: ... he came with the sword.

[star-born-mars]

[star-born-mars]

Jason keeps him humble

[star-born-mars]

little brother duo supremacy

edit: sorry to disappoint yall but this isnt dick or virgil 😭😭 its duke in a nightwing sweater,,,,

[star-born-mars]

literally just a guy!!