#and dick's habits set him apart from roy as well

[hood-ex]

Does anyone else find it difficult to write Dick, Roy, and Wally in the same scene without giving them the same voice? Because fuuuck me. The three of them start to blend together in my brain and it's very hard for me to make them sound more distinct from one another.

[river-bottom-nightmare]

Dick and Wally together are sports culture.

Different tennis shoes littering the hallway, worn out and held together by duct tape. Traded shoelaces, so they both have a piece of each other wherever they go. Different patterned leg warmers as Christmas gifts. Early morning stretching, just the two of them sitting on the floor of their apartment, Dick leading and Wally following, working the soreness out of their muscles. Random equipment for sports they don’t even play in the closet. Cold and refreshing showers. Eating so much food, both relatively healthy stuff and pure junk. A Flash water bottle with a Nightwing keychain. A Nightwing water bottle with a Flash keychain. Using the doorframe as a pull-ups bar. Washing the sheets every other day, not because of all the sex (though the sex is often) but because one of them will come home, all sweaty from a workout, and just collapse on the bed for a couple minutes before taking a shower. Daring each other to show off parkour skills in civvies. Jumping into a pickup basketball game with a bunch of strangers, ending the game with a group of new friends. Buying deodorant whenever the go to the store bc you can never have too much deodorant. Trailing off sentences and just staring because holy shit those are some nice back muscles and biceps. Actually decent sleep schedules. 

Jason and Roy together are peak casual academia.

Everyone knows Jason spends his free time reading literary classics. And everyone knows the grease on Roy’s fingers won’t ever wash out. Bookshelves crammed full of old paperbacks, everything from Wuthering Heights to The Optimist’s Daughter to The Importance of Being Earnest. Goggles shoved over green eyes and a freckled nose as an invention sparks to life in rough hands. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy is a guilty pleasure of both of theirs. Thousands of pens littering an apartment for scribbling down notes whenever they strike. Jason poking plot holes and other criticisms faster than a bullet, character analyzations sharper than his jawline, a lecture about the problem with many contemporary and modern novels longer than his dick. Excited rambles way too early in the morning about some new polymer Roy can work into his arrows. Jason tutoring students in both Lit and Spanish at the public library. NPR playing on the radio. Being in a bent over position for so long they sigh in relief when the other offers them a back massage after smirking when they let out a pained groan. Never throwing anything away because you never know what could be useful. 

Tim and Kon together are skate culture.

Tim wraps his boards with tape because, even though he has to replace it every couple of weeks, he likes the designs. Kon sets some time aside every couple of nights to make sure his rollerblades are doing okay, unscrewing and rescrewing the wheels becoming a habit. Tim’s jeans are ripped to hell, but he still wears them over and over again, saying “I’ve got kneepads it’s fine.” Kon wears his round red sunglasses with increasing frequency; Tim says it makes him look like a dork but Kon knows he secretly likes it. Tim likes taking aesthetic photographs of Kon while skating, and since he’s a damn good photographer, the pictures turn out beautiful. Kon likes taking pictures of Tim, but he’s not as good and he uses a blurry iphone camera. Even so, they’re in-the-moment and raw and Tim loves them anyway. Kon loves practicing tricks: skating backwards on his in-lines has become a smooth, practiced motion for him, his misfits are vicious, his savannahs make spectators terrified he’s stumble and fall. He does them all, with a rakish grin, and comes to a stop with his head held high for applause. Tim, on the other hand, just skates. he’ll roam the streets and sidewalks of Gotham, mindlessly pushing his skateboard, going over pits and bumps with practiced ease. The constant, repetitive motion is a form of meditation for him, but still active enough to keep his mind alive. Every week Kon changes his nail polish color, and usually it’s Tim painting his nails for him. Tim’s wardrobe consists entirely of 6 or 7 oversized sweatshirts and sweaters, and when he’s not cycling through those same clothes over and over again, he wears Kon’s shirts. They hang loose on his frame, but that makes him love them even more. Kon rarely ever takes his fingerless gloves off. In contrast, Tim’s knuckles are constantly busted up to hell. Ton’s got a bold undercut that would look stupid and try-hard on anyone else, but somehow, it works really well for him. Tim’s hair is always just a little overdue for a haircut. The two of them have so many socks, like a huge drawer full of them. They’re patterned and textured, long and short, and they’re constantly in use. Tim collects stickers to overlay the bottom of his board with. Kon gets around the city as a pedestrian wearing roller blades more often than actual shoes. The kids frequenting the skate park are a second family.

Damian and Jon are art culture.

Charcoal and marker ink staining Damian’s hands. Callouses littering Jon’s fingertips, because he never pulls up his invulnerability when playing. Blank canvases that rarely get used in the closet. Screenshotted and printed out sheet music never in the folder they’re supposed to be in. Damian hiding spray paint cans from Bruce. Humming at all hours of the day. Homemade paper lanterns as decorations. Pencils in a leather pencil case. Pencils in a two dollar plastic case. Pencils on the sheets of the bed and in a cup near the sink and on top of the coffee table. A guitar pick collection that never gets used. Refusing to buy new sketchbooks, arguing in vain that they’re reusable. Jon bsentmindedly playing out a melody on the piano when he’s thinking. Paint splattered jeans. A painted denim jacket. Tuning a violin regularly but always forgetting to rosen until it becomes a necessity. Damian drawing all over Jon’s arms. Falling in love with the stranger ones of the old composers. Beautiful handmade cards for every required occasion. Drawings and paintings based off a piece Jon played. Sweeping and emotional music pieces based off something Damian created. Half finished sketches of Jon littering every sketchbook Damian ever gets. Days of playing the same chords over and over again before being struck by an idea for a song. “I made this for you.”

yes i am aware roy’s characterization in this is based off rhato which is a terrible characterization to begin with. no i do not care. look at how fucking long tim and kon’s is i’m not sorry

tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @anothertimdrakestan @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @pricetagofficial @catxsnow @bikoncon @dangerduckjpeg 

[birdy-bat-writes]

Headcanon- Falling sleep on the couch with The Batboys+ Bruce

Bruce Wayne

-       Bruce is a cuddler. Specifically, he likes to spoon.

-       Most nights he prefers to be the big spoon, but on particularly tiring days or nights, he doesn’t mind being held.

-       The night before, Bruce had endured a particularly grueling patrol. He came in late and got four stitches.

-       Bruce barely slept through night and had to be woken up early for a meeting at WE.

-       Needless to say, he was not happy.

-       You helped him hide the dark circles and get him to look somewhat presentable before you tied his tie for him.

-       You knew he was exhausted when you saw him leave and just felt really sympathetic for the poor guy.

-       You texted him that he should come home and have a nap, but he never responded.

-       You worked on your computer on the couch in the living room for a few hours, until you heard Bruce’s voice over the sound in your headphones

-       You were about to get up when this man full-on FLOPPED on the couch. He looked like he was in no shape to do anything but sleep.

-       “How did the meeting go?”

-       He just mumbled incoherently but you didn’t bother asking again. You just tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

-       When he raised his head, you placed a cushion on your lap and motioned for him to lay down.

-       But he would rather sleep with your arms around him than with his head on your lap, so he sits up and pulls you into his embrace.

-       He rearranges the blanket that used to be draped over your legs to cover both of you and lays down on the couch with you in his arms.

-       Today was one of those extra-rough days so you give him a light kiss on the cheek and put your arms around him, hugging him tightly.

-       He slept like a baby. You took this time to admire how relaxed his face looked as he slept. No scowling or frowning and no cowl to hide his handsome features.

-       Hearing his heartbeat, you also found yourself dozing off.

-       When you woke up, it was 4:00 pm, and Bruce was still fast asleep. In fact, he was drooling ever so slightly, which made you laugh.

-       Deciding you still had work to do, you tried to remove your arms from his torso and tried to get off of the couch as quietly and as gently as you could.

-       But unfortunately, the man you were trying to slip away from was Batman, and even in his sleep, he seemed to pick up on your movements.

-       While trying to leave, you had felt a hand reach out and hold your wrist, and you turned to meet a sleepy, slightly grumpy but mostly baby-like Bruce.

-       “Don’t go yet.” He grumbled.

-       “Sweetie, I have to finish some work.”

-       “You can do it later,” before you tried to reason with him any further, he added a “please?” in the most loving, asking tone. *Sigh* He knows you can’t say no to him when he’s like this.

-       Defeatedly, you step closer to the couch, and find yourself being pulled into his chest, this time a little less gently.

-       As soon as you were in his arms, he wrapped them tight around you, as if he was holding onto you for dear life. He buried his head into the crook of your neck and breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of your shampoo and the perfume he got you for your birthday. He breathed out into your skin, making you giggle lightly at the sensation.

-       “Bruce...! That tickles.”

-       “I love you.”

-       “I love you too.” And with that, you nuzzled into his chest and closed your eyes once more, not caring much that you most likely would not fall asleep. You just liked being in his embrace.

-       Days like these never began well, but you loved them anyway, and if Bruce was being honest, he did too, because they would often end with sloppy love confessions and sleepy mumbles, and always with you beside him.

Dick Grayson

-       “We are not watching Avengers.”

-       “You’re only saying that because you cry every time you see Agent Coulson die.”

-       “No! I’m saying that because every time we watch it, you stare at Captain America’s butt!”

-       “Oh, come on! That’s America’s ass!” You managed through a fit of laughter.

-       He looked away and grumbled, “Mine’s better.”

-       “Aw, don’t be jealous,” you moved over the pillows scattered around to wrap your arms around his shoulders. “You and I both know yours is better.” You punctuated your sentence with a quick kiss to his temple.

-       With a smug look on his face, he put an arm around you. “Ok we can watch Avengers if you want but hear me out, Harry Potter.”

-       Your day had been positively awful. Someone spilled coffee on your clothes shortly before your boss walked in to give you three new assignments... with a one-week deadline. Ughhh!

-       You cleared your mind and made your way to a board meeting that ran longer than it should have, causing you to miss your lunch break.

-       You thought the pain was finally over when you headed toward your car, ready to go home, but unluckily for you, bad things happen to good people. Your car wouldn’t start.

-       When you popped the hood to see what was wrong, it began to drizzle. Ok, so things are looking pretty bleak, but I can work with this. You took out the jumper cables from your trunk and called a friend from the other end of the parking lot to help jumpstart the car.

-       You had texted dick that were experiencing car troubles and were going to be late. He offered to pick you up, but you declined saying it wasn’t anything too serious.

-       After thanking your friend, you drove home.

-       Upon entering your shared apartment with your boyfriend, you were welcomed by the scent of candles and what you thought was spaghetti sauce. Your eyes lit up at the sight of your boyfriend walking out of the kitchen with his iconic, lovable smile.

-       “You made dinner?”

-       “Mhmm.”

-       “Thank you!” You threw your arms around him in a fashion that nearly toppled the man over.

-       You were pleasantly surprised but also touched. You felt so lucky to have someone this amazing in your life. He always reminded you of everything good in the world and you figured your day could still turn up.

-       “Don’t thank me yet.” You looked at him questioningly.

-       With a cheeky grin, he turned you toward the living room. Oh, my goodness, it was so cute.

-       The living room couch was adorned with decorative cushions and blankets, right behind a center table set with candles, plates and cutlery.

-       “Did you really do all of this?”, you cried,

-       You could have cried right then and there, but instead turned to your boyfriend and said, “You are the sweetest, most amazing boyfriend in the whole world, and I love you so much!”

-       “I know I am.” You chucklled in response. “Why don’t you have a shower while I finish cooking, and then we can eat and watch a movie.”

-       “Sounds like a plan.” You replied and hopped in the shower.

-       You eventually decided on Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets. You finished dinner in the first twenty minutes and set your plates down on the table.

-       In between important scenes, you discussed each other’s days. His went pretty well, which you were happy to hear, but he looked nothing but sympathetic when he heard about yours. This made it a lot better though, and he knew from the way you were smiling and talking that you were feeling much better.

-       Dick had his arm around you, while you were leaning your head against his shoulder.

-       He could tell you were getting tired when you started to hug his waist and pull him closer to you. You had a habit of sleeping with an arm over his chest. It was practically instinctive at this point.

-       Dick looked over at you. Adorable, he thought. He could see you watched the screen so intently through closing eyes. Your head was slowly tilting down and resting itself on his chest.

-       Without a word, he pulled your shared blanket up to cover you both from the shoulders down. A sweet gesture.

-       “I don’t care how bad my day goes, if it ends like this.”

-       “I’m glad I could make your day better.”

-       “Sweetheart, you make every day better. I love you, Dick.”

-       “I love you too, Baby.”

-       You both surely fell asleep before the movie ended, but neither of you minded much. Falling asleep in each-other’s arms was far more than perfect.

Jason Todd

-       Jason Todd is a gentleman. One of few reminders that chivalry isn’t dead.

-       He was confident, and headstrong, but he was also compassionate. That’s what made you fall for him.

-       You were a member of the Outlaws and a good friend of Starfire’s.

-       After working with them on several occasions, you were invited to join the Outlaws and graciously accepted.

-       You got along with everyone on the team really well. You were best friends with Starfire, and Roy loved you like a sister.

-       Jason on the other hand, took some time to open up to you. When you first met, he was kind and funny but never close. Once you got to know him you understood why.

-       You shared your secrets with him, some laughter and soon enough, he did the same. You trusted each other a lot.

-       The late-night talks often led to you falling asleep tangled up on the floor or couch-and once, your bed- which Kori and Roy happily teased you both about.

-       You found yourself catching feelings, and you mistakenly thought you were the only one. Roy, however, caught onto Jason’s crush. More teasing ensued, more frequently and often in front of you, sometimes directed at you.

-       Jason realized there was no point in hiding his feelings anymore. He cared about you and when he was with you, he felt free. He felt a type of happiness he hadn’t felt in years.

-       You reminded him of every reason to be happy. So, he confessed.

-       You should have seen the smile on his face when you told him you liked him too.

-       Tonight was your first date and you were grinning from ear-to-ear. Jason was going to take you to a restaurant downtown and you were beyond excited!

-       He was too. For the first time in his life, he had to call Dick for... fashion advice.

-       “What’s the special occasion, Jaybird?”

-       “I’m going on a date. Stop ‘ooh-ing’, now what type of jacket do you wear to nice restaurant?”

-       He knocked on your door at 7:00 pm sharp. As much as you actually wanted to squeal and hop to the door, you breathed in and out and strolled over to the door after checking your reflection one last time.

-       “Hi.”

-       “Hi- wow. You look beautiful.”

-       “Thank you. You look really nice too.” You were hoping he wouldn’t notice the blush dancing across your face.

-       After dinner, Jason drove you home.

-       Your conversation in the car included a rant about capes being overrated and how Big hero 6 was outrageously underrated.

- You entered the apartment you shared with Roy and Kori.

-       “I don’t want this night to end yet.” You said.

-       “Maybe it doesn’t have to. Feel like ice cream?”

-       “Ice cream sounds great! I’ll just change first.”

-       You changed into a hoodie and pajamas and walked out into the living room to find Jason in sweatpants and a t-shirt, with a tub of ice cream and two spoons.

-       “You like strawberry, right?” you nodded and planted yourself next to him.

-       “Hey, Jay? You like Star Wars?”

-       “Yeah,” he managed through a mouth full of ice cream. “why?”

-       “Star Wars marathon is on HBO right now.”

-       “Let’s put it on!”

-       By the time you were watching the A New Hope, the tub of strawberry ice cream was nearly over.

-       At some point, Jason pulled a blanket over the two of you, and unknowingly, you huddled closer to him. You only realized how close you were when you felt his heartbeat against your own body.

-       “You want the last bite?” you asked.

-       “I’m good. You take it.”

-       “Thanks.” You finished the last of the ice cream and set the tub aside with the spoons. You turned back to face the screen and heard a breathy laugh from beside you. “What?”

-       “Nothing, doll,” his hand traveled to your face. “you just have a bit of ice cream right here.” He leaned ever so slightly and wiped the ice cream off of your lip and chin.

-       He looked up slightly and met your eyes. Neither of you moved or looked away. You were so close, and when he saw your eyes dart down at his lips and back up, he closed the remaining space between you and brushed his lips against yours.

-       The kiss was gentle and soft, yet passionate. You expected sparks but instead felt a warmth course through you. Like feeling the sun on your skin after a cold night.

-       When you pulled apart, the atmosphere was calm and tender. You smiled at him and he smiled back, putting arm around you and pulling you closer. You laid your head on his shoulder.

-       As the night went on, you felt your eyes flutter shut. Sleep overtook you somewhere along Return of The Jedi, and Jason, not wanting to disturb you, turned down the volume.

-       He admired the features of your sleeping face. He discovered that the way your face flushed while you slept was his favorite sight, and let his head fall back against the cushion.

-       With a quick kiss to your forehead, he drifted off with you in his arms.

-       BONUS:

-       “They actually look quite cute.” Kori stated cheerily.

-       “Is he drooling on her head?”

-       “Roy!”

-       “Kori, it is 9:00 am. I am hungry, and its Jason’s turn to make breakfast.”

-       “Alright, I’ll wake him but just one second.” She snapped a photo of you two on her phone and pocketed it. “Lovebirds, wakey, wakey...!”

-       “Yeah! It’s your turn to make eggs and bakey. Up!”

Tim Drake

-       It was 7:30 pm, Wednesday evening. That meant you had roughly 37 hours and a half before your exam. You know, the one that had you stressed out for a week?

-       You had done nothing but study in between your vigilante activities, skipping proper meals and pretty much running on coffee. You knew it wasn’t healthy, but you didn’t really know what else to do.

-       You hadn’t slept through the night in days and it was beginning to get to your boyfriend, Tim.

-       He didn’t mind having to delay dates here and there due to your schedule, however, he did mind seeing his girlfriend lose sleep and sanity over an exam he knew she would ace.

-       He knew you would get nervous when studying for this particular subject (let’s say it’s your least favorite subject) and happily volunteered to tutor you. It broke his heart to see you much you doubted yourself. You second-guessed everything you wrote down.

-       How can she not see how smart she is? He thought to himself. He saw your work and it was almost always correct.

-       He would shower you with positive affirmations and reassure you when he saw you hesitate.

-       One of the many things he loved about you was your astounding intellect. Unknowingly, you were a great problem solver with some of the best analytical thinking skills.

-       You made progress over the study session you had with him, yet you couldn’t help but worry. Anxiety began to eat at you.

-       That Wednesday evening, Tim had texted to ask you if you guys were still going to meet up for ice-cream, but you declined, stating that you were busy.

-       Not long after, you heard a knock at your door. That’s odd. I’m not expecting anyone.

-       Through the peephole, you saw Tim standing with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

-       You opened the door. “Tim, what are you doing here?” you asked, genuinely confused.

-       He wore a deadpan expression. “I came to check on you. What are you up to?”, he said as he welcomed himself in.

-       “I texted you.”

-       “Yeah but, ‘Sorry. Can’t. I’m a bit busy.’ is not very descriptive. Not that I didn’t know what you were ‘busy’ doing.”

-       “I’m studying-”

-       “No, you’re working yourself to a burnout because you think you’re going to fail your test.” Tim knew you well enough, for long enough to see right through you.

-       “How is it wrong to not want to fail?” Your voice was shaky. He was right. You knew this was overkill but how else were you supposed to pass?

-       “You’re not going to fail, Y/N.”

-       “I will if I don’t study.”

-       “You won’t fail.”

-       “I’m not smart enough to get an A.”

-       “Yes, you are.” Tim insisted. He had an authoritative air about him, but somehow, the most soothing and gentle voice. He spoke as if he was comforting you, which was his intention as soon as he got you away from this mess of pens and paper.

-       “You’re just contradicting everything I’m saying with no reasoni- Ahh! What are you doing?!”

-       Tim threw you over his shoulder and began walking out towards the futon in your dorm.

-       “We’re taking a study break.”

-       “Tim! Put me down!” Despite your protests, he did not put you down.

-       Tim sat down and placed you on his lap facing him. His hands were on your waist and the small of your back.

-       You sat there, arms crossed, looking defeated and angry about it. Tim didn’t seem to mind though. As serious as the situation was, he couldn’t help but find your mannerisms endearing.

-       “Y/N honey?”

-       You didn’t respond.

-       “Please look at me.” His fingers reached out and lightly grazed your cheek. Then, you looked at him.

-       “You don’t understand, Tim. I- I’m not as good as anyone else in that class.” Your voice was breaking, the words came out breathy. “I don’t understand the work as quickly as everyone else. If I want to keep up with them, I have to do this.”

-       Tim saw your eyes gloss over and cupped your cheek in comfort. “Y/N, you don’t have to be as quick as everyone else to be smart.” Looking lovingly into your eyes, he continued, “You are one of the cleverest people I’ve met. I mean, how many of your classmates can strategize a battleplan while hopping from rooftop to rooftop?”

-       He wiped a tear away with his thumb and noticed the slight makings of a smile on your face. “You are also kind, insightful, understanding, strong, beautiful, and the best girlfriend anyone could ever have. Sweetheart, you’re so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

-       With the full makings of a smile on your face, you leaned into his body and laid you arms over his chest and shoulder. “Timmy, I’m still scared...”

-       “Of what?”

-       “I don’t know, I just really want to do well.”

-       “I don’t know what you’re afraid of. I’ve checked all of your work. It’s all correct.  You’re doing better than well.”

-       “Really?”

-       “Yeah, I told you were doing great a few days ago when we studied together. Remember? All of your work was right, even the stuff on your desk.”

-       He felt your sigh of relief against his skin and felt your body relax against his own. “Baby, when was the last time you slept?”

-       “I slept last night.”

-       “Not well, I see.” He chided. “You need to rest before anything else.”

-       “Funny how you of all people are lecturing me about sleep.” That elicited a scoff from him, and you chuckled lightly.

-       “Yeah, whatever. Time for bed, young lady.” He motioned for you to stand up. He got up alongside you and unfolded the futon, laying the pillows down at the top.

-       “After you.”

-       “Why, thank you.” You sat down, followed by Tim, who arrived with a blanket. He laid it down on you and slipped under it right after.

-       You reached out for him and hugged him. “Thank you. You’re really the best boyfriend ever.”

-       Hugging you back, he replied, “Well that’s because, you make me a better man every day.”

-       A few minutes had passed, and you felt your eyelids grow heavy. The warmth of Tim’s embrace helped too.

-       “You know I love you right?”

-       “Of course, I do. You know I love you too, right?”

-       “I do. I was just checking.” He stated.

-       He moved even closer to you and held you close as you both fell into a blissful sleep.

-       And a good thing too, because you both really needed it.

Damian Wayne

-       Damian is a total sweetheart. He cares very much about your feelings and is always there for you when you need him.

-       He’s not necessarily fond of spooning but he still loves to cuddle. When he sleeps, he wants you close to him or laying your head on his chest.

-       This guy loves to be your arm pillow.

-       Bruce had trained you since you were fourteen. He had you trained with Dick, Jason, Tim, and though he hesitated to, Damian.

-       Over the years of training with him, you grew close to each other. Now, he was your sparring buddy and boyfriend.

-       A few nights ago, you had taken a shallow stab wound around your side while on patrol. Although it was just a flesh wound, Bruce demanded you stay home for a few days to let the stitches heal.

-       You decided on manning the Batcomputer while the rest of the team patrolled the city and updating criminal files, just because you hated feeling useless.

-       One particular night, some work piled up. You had to update the files on the Rogues Gallery and narrow down suspects on a current case. You resorted to working in the manor library.

-       You were making steady progress, but it was now 12:30 am and you still had four files to update and every possible suspect for the current case had a solid alibi or didn’t seem to match with the evidence.

-       You were determined to get your work done but it was beyond difficult this time.

-       Unbeknownst to you, someone was walking down the west staircase. Their footsteps were light as a feather.

-       Damian was expecting you to be in your room when he went in there to wish you goodnight, but he found an empty bed and figured- for the third night in a row- you must have been working on a case. He decided to find you and take you up to bed.

-       He sees the lights on in the library and walks in to see you looking slightly disgruntled with papers fanned around the table and a laptop in front of you.

-       There’s no way I’m getting her to bed now, he thought. One of things he loved about you was your drive to succeed and your unyielding determination- which sometimes manifested as a stubbornness that could rival his own.

-       He knows asking you to go to sleep won’t work so he rationalizes that if he helps you finish this case sooner, you’ll get to bed. And heaven knows you need it.

-       “Hey,”

-       “Hi, I’m sorry, did I wake you?” you asked sincerely.

-       “No, but you weren’t in your room when I went to kiss you goodnight.” You looked at him apologetically but before you could explain, he continued, “I figured you’d be working late, so I’m here to help you.”

-       “You don’t have to, really. I don’t want to keep you up.” He just looked at you like you were crazy, and you took that as the only answer you would get. Still, you thought it was really sweet of him to come down here.

-       He takes some of your papers and sits on the couch next to the table. He takes little glances at you and corners of his mouth can’t help but curve up at your focused expression.

-       Later on, you move next to him on the couch to share the documents and find yourself getting more and more tired.

-       While Damian was reading through the information you had gathered, he felt something on his shoulder. He turns to the side to see you drifting off against his body, papers still in hand. He holds your head against his shoulder with one hand while taking the papers from yours with the other. “Y/N, I think you should rest for a while. We can pick where we left off when you wake up.” His tone was soft and clement.

-       The only response he got out of you was a sudden jump and a gasp.

-       Out of nowhere, the name of the culprit hits you like an epiphany and you jolted up. It all made sense! She’s the only one with the connections to Arkham and she went off the radar pretty recently.

-       After hurriedly filling in the culprit’s connections to the gathered evidence, you closed your laptop and set it aside along with the papers, and while you wanted to stand up and dance in victory, the best you could do was smile and lay back against the sofa.

-       You let all your weight fall back onto the cushions, effectively causing the couch to move back an inch, but you couldn’t care at the moment. You just breathed out, reveling in the joy of closing a case and finally being done with all of your work.

-       Damian simply chuckled at your antics and shook his head. “Case closed. Time for bed?” You nodded with your eyes closed.

-       Knowing you had no energy to walk up to you room, Damian moved the remaining papers onto the floor and gently pulled you up into his chest laid you down on top of him. You shifted slightly to a more comfortable position; Damian slept with his head rested on a cushion with one arm around you, while you lay your head in between his shoulder and chest. Your arms were wrapped around his torso and both of your legs tangled together clumsily.

-       For the first time in days, you felt truly relaxed. You didn’t have millions of thoughts roaming through your head, just one; how lucky you were to have this man by your side.

-       You tilted your head up and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. He lovingly kissed your forehead. Happy to finally get his goodnight kiss, he laid back, ready to sleep.

-       “Goodnight, Y/N.

-       “Goodnight... Hey, Dami?”

-       “Hm?”

-       “Thanks for helping me.”

-       “You’re welcome, Love.”

-       “I love you.”

-       “I love you too.”

Tag list: @anothertimdrakestan

[dickgrayson80sremixmp3]

batboys h.c. #1 - hair

dick

- dick uses custom shampoo and conditioner because he is a vain bitch who never grew out of his trust fund baby ways (i’m picturing like the function of one here purely bc that’s what i have #notanad)

- he enjoys choosing the different colours and experimenting with fragrances; currently he has pear and apple which he likes but his heart lies with vanilla milkshake (soft)

- he’s an early bird (ha) and always works out in the mornings so he showers and washes his hair then

- he finishes his showers with a blast of cold water (one of a few reasons his s/o refuses to share showers with him) - he claims it’s to wake him up but it’s really bc he heard it would make his hair shiny and dick is very willing to suffer for Beauty

- dick mastered the towel turban at a very young age

- but nowadays he has a special microfibre turban to reduce frizz

- picture dick grayson standing in his kitchen eating cereal and making a gross green smoothie wearing nothing but the tightest black boxers and a towel turban

- never say i don’t do anything for you

- when it comes to styling dick is all about volume

- when he takes his hair out of the turban he works a huge blob of mousse into it and then spends up to twenty minutes scrunching it until it looks perfectly tousled

- he likes to walk around while he does this so he has mirrors all over the apartment sure that’s the only reason

- he has a habit of running his hand through his hair though so however neatly styled it starts out it always becomes a messy heap within a couple of hours

- still v charming tho

jason

- jason is working his way down the curly hair aisle of his local beauty supply store. he picks up a different shampoo and conditioner set every time

- he’s friendly with the puerto rican women who own the store and sometimes asks them for advice

- they’ve recommended that he try a co-wash but he’s secretly worried it won’t be tough enough to clean blood and gotham harbour water out of his hair on a regular basis

- his actual routine is v basic though

- step 1: he showers when he comes in from patrol around 4/5am and washes his hair

- step 2: uses a ton of conditioner every time

- step 3: puts a towel over his pillowcase and goes the fuck to sleep

- naturally he wakes up with a mess

- drags himself to the bathroom sink, wets his hands, and rakes his fingers through his hair until his hair is at least more evenly distributed over his head

- it usually sorts itself out to some extent eventually and he spends so much time with a helmet on that he’s not too fussed about how it looks

- boom

- thatse it

- he does have a secret self care ritual - it’s not regular but every couple of weeks or so he covers his hair in a deep conditioning mask and tucks it into an old shower cap he found under the sink. next the face mask goes on, he gets a smoothie/glass of wine/elaborate cocktail depending on his mood, fluffy robe, and settles onto his sofa with a book for a couple hours

- he only does this when he’s sure to be alone and interrupting this ritual is liable to get you shot (ostensibly a warning shot but he’s not particular about where he aims said warning shot)

tim

- listen i love tim to death but the truth is he forgets to shower on an upsettingly regular basis and his hair gets greasy easily :(

- luckily all it usually takes is an ‘ew snape’ and he’s off to the bathroom at a light jog

- a freshly shampooed tim drake however is the most beautiful thing in the world

- somehow manages to have nineties boy floppy curtains in the year of our lord 2020 and not look like a prick

- this boy is a serial shampoo thief and it is not uncommon for him to walk into a room, someone to sniff the air, and promptly beat him up for hair product theft

- will he learn from this? absolutely not

- when his bangs get long enough he tucks them back behind his ears (it’s adorable)

- even more adorable is when his s/o starts leaving hair accessories lying about

- timothy drake-wayne sitting in the batcave looking sternly over his case notes with glittery butterfly clips holding his hair back

- he does not use a single styling product on his hair it just does that

- perfectly straight and shiny every time, no cowlicks, no frizz

- it’s infuriating

- after a disastrous experiment with bleach in his early teens tim resorted to a buzzcut rather than let it grow out

- the effect was,,,,interesting

- he’s constantly threatening to shave it again but everyone knows he won’t go through with it bc he heard a barista at his favourite coffee shop swooning over his hair once and now he brings it up every time someone criticises him

- ‘oh yeah well if i’m such a waste of space how come i have “““ the prettiest hair in the world ohmygod it looks so soft don’t you just wanna touch it”””, damian’

- no that’s not the reason it’s his favourite shop what are you talking about

duke

- used to have it all figured out but a recent change in career path has left him high and dry

- before becoming the signal duke’s hair was the best on his street - he favoured twist braids but he was considering locs

- wearing a helmet has kinda limited his options, so his hair is in cornrows for now to make sure his helmet fits properly but he’s not mad keen and he’s trying to figure out how to broach the subject with his barber without compromising his secret identity

- speaking of his barber there’s only one guy at one shop who duke trusts with his fade

- the shop is in south gotham

- as in the other goddamn end of the city

- it’s a fuck ass long drive from the manor

- every time he goes he looks wistfully at his old street as they pass (a fifteen minute walk from his shop)

- his stash of products at the manor are the only ones safe from tim

- it’s not that tim respected his boundaries or anything but the one time he used one of duke’s deep conditioners without checking he came out of the shower with oilier hair than he went in

- duke brought his own satin pillowcases to the manor bc he guessed (correctly) that bruce would never think of it

- they make jason snigger bc he thinks it’s like a sexy thing (ooOOoo SiLk ShEeTs)

- duke just looks over jason’s hair with a judgemental stare and tells him maybe his curl definition wouldn’t be so poor if he got satin pillowcases of his own

- (dick and tim: OOOOOOOOO)

- ((roy, somewhere in star city: OOOOO, artemis: wtf are you doing ? roy: didn’t you feel it? the burn?))

- this one got out of hand rip

damian

- when he was with his mother and the league he never concerned himself with the toiletries provided for him he just used them

- it’s only when he comes to america and is presented with fake apple scented goo that he misses what he had

- the issue is that he doesn’t even know how to start looking for his old products, and it’s not like he can just call talia up and ask her which shampoo she used on him as a child

- he does consider it though

- mostly he just sulks until dick takes pity and tries to help him figure it out

- it is not successful and damian is now somehow mad ???

- as a distraction and filled with regret dick buys him a shampoo bar, the decision primarily based on proximity and novelty value - he hopes the time it takes damian to figure it out will give him time to get away

- this is more like it - damian appreciates the more sophisticated sandalwood scent and also its environmental credentials

- the downside to the bar is that it’s somewhat drying

- damian solves this issue with the only product he can remember his mother using - moroccan argan oil

- as a result his hair is now smooth, shiny, and ethical as fuck

- it also smells nice, which is the only thing tim can think of while damian is furiously challenging him to a duel, the top of his head directly under tim’s nose

- as a young ‘un damian likes to gel his hair into a part swoopy, part spiked quiff, which both highlights the thickness and lustre of his hair and also adds a crucial few inches to his height

- as an adult though just keeping it swept back neatly away from his face is enough

(a/n i rlly wanted to include duke in these headcanons bc he gets left out a lot but idk much about afro hair so if any obvious mistakes jump out to anyone drop me an ask and i’ll edit!! will also be uploading a batgals post next)

[red-winters]

*Batfam fic-recs

*Some are Tim Drake Centric

**Some links are not working in mobile (and ONLY mobile) for some reason? And some titles that were bolded in the original post are ALSO not displaying on mobile correctly. Idk what to do about that, but you can still look up the fic, I guess.

The Bat’s Crest - livierambles

Note: I will always keep recommending this fic. It’s epic, thrilling, and hilarious and sometimes angsty. Also, everyone is confused, including the ones doing the confusing. Maybe especially the ones doing the confusing. Also, some Tim and Damian bonding, which is always nice.

Summary: Tragedy strikes the hero community when Bruce Wayne commits a crime so heinous even the best start asking for blood. However, as the heroes try to recover from the hit and carry out justice for their friends, a random assortment of people start acting oddly, including the current Speedy Tim Drake, a child hostage in Gotham, and a young man from an unremarkable circus amongst others. All of them seem intent on saving Bruce Wayne from the grasp of the Justice League for no apparent reason, going as far as betraying their previous allegiances.

Unknown to the Justice League, these people are equally confused. Clearly they're stuck in another dimension, but how do they get back? How did they even get here? Who else is stuck in this world? And how long will Tim's patience last? Back home, the Bat was a planetary symbol that struck fear in the hearts of criminals. In this new world, it has no meaning, save for the handful of stranded souls.

In the Shadows - Kieron_ODuibhir

(shortened) Summary:

“I’m not like you.”

The cowl still looked like something he was wearing, but Clark knew it was not. It flexed like skin when Batman narrowed his blank white eyes and said, “I can see you know that.” 

Chirp - AmariT

Summary: Every piece of the signal Tim unlocked revealed more locks, and by the time he broke through the last one, he was already mentally rehearsing his many upcoming talk show appearances. 'Yes,' he told the interviewer, 'it was difficult for me, a ten-year-old genius, to break open the worldwide alien conspiracy. That's why it took a whole hour.'

When the crackling audio started, he expected some weird alien language. Maybe squawks and high-pitched squeals mixed with musical woofs. Maybe they wouldn't talk at all, and images would beam directly into his mind. Maybe they'd talk in practiced English with a Midwestern drawl like their other resident alien.

Instead he heard a low, guttural voice growling out of his computer speakers. "Robin," it said. "Are you in position?"

A Better Cage - Mangaluva

Note: I was absolutely DELIGHTED to see a Young Justice Crossover with the Justice Lords (Earth-50) from the animated Justice League series, which is near and dear to my heart. I admit I haven’t really had much time to hunker down and read this, but even skimming, it’s an intriguing piece of work. Also, Justice Lords.

Summary: Wally's grateful to have woken up at all, really. He just doesn't know what to make of the world he's woken up in. At least they want to find a way to his world as much as he does, if not exactly for the same reasons...

Common People - AmariT

Note: The Bat boys are all Bruce’s blood sons, but it still feels very much like a found family. I haven’t really read everything in this series, but I feel the author has an amazing grip on all the characters. Lovely and heartwarming.

Summary: His whole life, Jason’s mom had told him his dad was Bruce Wayne, but he’d never been dumb enough to actually believe it. They lived in a rundown, one-room apartment in the worst part of town, and in every single picture he’d ever seen of that rich bastard he was wearing a suit or sipping champagne worth more than everything they’d ever owned.

But if he wasn’t Bruce Wayne’s kid, then what the hell was he doing sitting outside the man’s office in Wayne Towers?

Red Robin and the Hood - momoejaku

Note: Haven’t read this in a while, but it made an impression. Though it’s a fic set during the Red Robin arc, it very much is about both Tim and Jason. Plus, it fleshes out the Pru and Z a bit more, too.

Summary: Bruce Wayne is dead. Superman brought back his body, and the family mourned him, holding a quiet funeral in secret so that the legacy of Batman could live on. But not everyone has been able to put him to rest.

Reeling from the loss of Bruce, his identity as Robin and his trust in his family, Tim Drake sets out on a personal quest that will take him across the world to prove what he knows in his heart: that Bruce Wayne is alive.

Though intending to make his way alone, Tim reluctantly accepts help from his predecessor, Jason Todd, who knows from personal experience that death is not always as final as it seems.

Together, they are Red Robin and the Hood.

Liminal Spaces - Calamityjim

Note: Skimmed this only since I’ve been busy, BUT it does look well-written, and I’m always a sucker for alternate dimension/dimension travel intervention-type of fix-its. It’s a very specific trope.

Summary:

Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension.

Or

When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

Little Bird’s Vengeance - KatHarkness-Katara

Note: Crossover with Avengers. Awesome fic with Tim and Jason and some Outsider POV (via the Avengers) of these dimensional stragglers. I think Tim’s team shows up in the later chapters, too. If you’re reading on mobile, it’s still very much worth reading despite FF.net’s horrible format and abundance of advertisements in the mobile version.

Summary: Why is life never simple? Red Robin's ended up worlds away from home once again, and now what's he to do? What do the Avengers want from him; do SHIELD have another agenda; and is there any way back? Pre-New 52. No slash. Rated for inevitable language/violent themes.

A Displaced Red Robin - dragonprincess1988

Note: Worth reading despite FF.net’s horrible format and abundance of advertisements in the mobile version. Well-written fic! EMOTIONS! I love them. Younger Dick Grayson is adorable, Tim is a competent fixer-upper for other people but not so much himself. He’s kind of angsty and making YJ Dick want to keep him (and YJ Bruce, too, if you read between the lines). On the plus side, seems like he’s making good friends with Young Justice Roy. This fic was written before certain episodes of YJ came out, though, and the fic reflects/will continue to reflect that. Still, I give it five stars.

Author’s Summary: Tim gets transported to the cartoon Young Justice world, and he's not sure he knows how to deal with it. Attention: If you want to know about Artemis or people from Tim's world the final note on my profile is for you. Also, a special thank you to angel-gidget over at Tumblr, who made the wonderful cover art for this story.

The Till-then From the Ever Since - Keiron O_Duibhir

Note: Fandom classic. Definitely a must-read for Batfam fans, in my humble opinion.

Summary: It began, or seemed to begin, with Jason.

Usually that would have meant something in the order of fire and explosion and probably at least one gunshot wound, but for once (as Tim said, sourly), it wasn't actually Jason's fault.

The Wayne Family Ghost - pupeez4eva

Note: Please read this. Especially if you’re sad or anxious or just have time. I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s my go-to cheer-up fic. Absolutely hysterical.

Summary: In which Bruce realizes that having a legally dead son, who regularly hangs around the family, might be slightly problematic. 

Bloodline - chibi_nightowl

Note: Complicated family dynamics, this time centering around Tim, Selina, Bruce and, surprisingly, Damian. Jason and Dick make an appearance as supportive big bros, too. It works. Take a read, it isn’t that long.

Summary:

“Mr. Drake, I can’t think of a better way to say this, so I’ll just be blunt. This file is for your first adoption. By the Drakes.”

Tim blinked. “My what?”

“You were adopted as a newborn by Jack and Janet Drake.”

“Excuse me, but what the fuck are you talking about?”

Talon!Tim AU Series by keeptogethernow

Note: Found family, from a different angle. Cool fic and well-written.

Summary of Tso’ape Mumbichi, first in the series: Ten years ago, two people made a deal with the devil--unlimited funds in exchange for their child. And now it's time to pay up. But there's no way to ensure that the child will cooperate.

Shutterbug Series by goldkirk

Note: Exactly what it says on the tin! Found family.

Summary:

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird next door neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

Thursday’s Child - anthalogia

Note: Well-written and has found family and Tiny!Tim? Automatic win.

Summary:

He’s not the first child with nowhere else to go that Bruce Wayne has taken in. Dick Grayson was the first and the most high-profile – because no one would have thought Bruce Wayne was interested in ever raising a child, let alone the orphaned son of circus performers – but Jason was maybe just as much of a shock to society for being a street kid who came out of seemingly nowhere. Tim Drake is ordinary by comparison – his parents died in a plane accident. He can’t think of anything very special about him except that he met Bruce a few times when his parents hosted parties to keep in touch with Gotham society.

Or, tiny Tim Drake is adopted by the Waynes a little earlier than scheduled.

We’re Not Driving (How did we get here?) - TimTheToaster

Note: Short and sweet, a little angsty, and then very sweet.

Summary:

Tim stared at his phone, as if that would change what was on the screen.

Dick Grayson @FlyingDGrayson

It took some doing, and in some cases a little blackmail, but we've finally got the whole family together for a movie night! #WayneManor #movienight #familytime #schedulingisanightmare

15 minutes ago

Take It Back Now Y’all - TimTheToaster

Note: And Tiny!Jason has made his appearance. Also, Tim, I am begging you to please take care of yourself—ah, Bruce has made his appearance. Interesting. Also, I gotta say this author is good.

Summary:

There was absolutely no way this sunshine was from Gotham in April.

Not possible.

Which meant, Tim was no longer in Gotham, in April.

(In which Tim finds himself in the past, and tries to do the right thing. It's more complicated than he'd like.)

Takes a Little Time, Takes a Lotta Twine (To Get Us Back Together) - TimTheToaster

Note: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, beginning of reconciliation, and brotherhood. A satisfying, cathartic moment during the Red Robin arc to soothe your heart.

Summary:

Tim was in Gotham.

Tim had pretty specifically been avoiding thinking about Dick as much as possible for the last few weeks.

For the last year, really. No need to open that can of carnivorous worms.

Dick had other plans.

Everybody’s Heard (Bird is the Word) - TimTheToaster

Red Robin Era ANGST, but like, deliciously well-written. Also, protective Dad Bruce is always epic. Light bashing of Green Arrow and BC, though. But considering the situation (in this fic), kind of warranted.

Summary:

5 times Batman heard other heroes talking about his wayward brother,

And 1 time they were talking about his son.

A Choice to Make - scorbusfics

Note: fresh and interesting premise! Cool world building, too.

Summary: They have to choose. Dick and Bruce have to choose one person each to save, and one to disappear through the door.

“Send one of us,” Dick says fiercely, not for the first time. His face is dark and angry and desperate, eyes flicking from brother to brother. “Send one of us instead. I won’t choose.”

“Neither will I,” Bruce says.

But Tim knows.

Secret Places - RenaRoo

It’s ANGST, but the author knows how to use it well. Also, Jason’s line at the end killed me. Damn.

Summary: Tim Drake goes missing. The search to find him begins.

[redhoodieone]

But We’re Your Family!

A/N: Okay, I’m back! Yes, I wanted to end this little series with a happy ending. Let me know what you think! 

Warnings: Language, mentions of sex, and just cute and adorable Damian Wayne.

“This is going to be so fucking awkward,” Jason complains, as we walk up to the front door at Wayne Manor. “I haven’t been here in a long time.”

Yes, after our little anniversary sexy time last night, Jason and I had come to an agreement to celebrate with his family tonight. Despite our anxious nerves, we feared what could happen.

Jason fixes his black tie as we wait for Alfred to answer the door. We dressed up knowing Bruce would want this to be special occasion. There stood my tall boyfriend, wearing a nice black suit that compliments his muscular fit frame. I decided on a short black dress that displays my womanly curves.

And I proudly wear the golden chain necklace with the ‘J’ pendent rearing in front of my chest.

Alfred answers and smiles at us. “Ah, good evening Master Todd and Lady Y/N, come on in. Dinner is about to be served.”

Alfred lets us in, and we follow him to the dining room. The old gentleman has always been pleasant and friendly to me, and I wonder if he’s been like this with all of Jason’s past girlfriends.

Passing by the beautiful, expensive portraits, Jason links his arm to mine to hold.

 What a gentleman. He must have learned after Bruce and Alfred.

 “Perfect timing then, huh? I’m starving,” I joke.

 “Of course,” Alfred says kindly, before eyeing me up and down. He hums to himself and continues walking.

 I raise a questioning eyebrow at Jason. “What was that? Did I say or do something rude?” I whisper to him.

 “No. Maybe he’s just a little on edge since I’m back...in the family and all,” Jason whispers back, his tone revealing how nervous he is being here. “After everything...you know?”

 “You really need to give yourself a break, Jay. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone fucks up,” I insist quietly.

 “No one has fucked up the way I have, doll.”

 Just hearing Jason’s voice filled with guilt, disappointment, and anxiety, I feel horrible dragging him back here to the place he hasn’t called home since his falling out with Bruce. Even though Bruce apologized to Jason for beating the shit out of him, Jason’s always been apprehensive and on guard around his family members.

 I suddenly feel like maybe we should leave. If I can’t get him to relax, then leaving would probably be best.

 “If you want to, we can leave right now. I’ll understand,” I say softly. With my other hand, I rub his arm that is encircled with my arm. “I’ll tell them we had to leave because Roy needs help or something.”

 “No,” Jason interrupts but quickly regrets saying it loud to me. “We’re here together, and... I need to face them and get it over with. I love you so fucking much, and I need them to know how I feel about you and why you’re so important to me. We’re endgame, Y/N. This is it for me.”

 Jason halts, and I stop alongside him since our arms are wrapped together. Alfred continues walking, not even noticing we stopped.

 “Endgame? This is it for you?” I ask him seriously. “I don’t understand.”

“Yes, I’m fucking serious doll. You’re the only one I want. You’re the only one I want to be with. If I had to fucking grow up and say what I want for my future, I can honestly say you’re my future and it doesn’t scare me one bit. I mean, Y/N, you’ve changed my life. You’ve changed me...for the better,” Jason continues, feeling his chest tighten with his secret confessions. He lets go of my arm and holds my hands while he stares down at me. Those blue eyes shine with tear drops. “I sure as hell don’t jump into a fight without a plan anymore. Because I gotta stay alive and be smart just so I can get back home to you now. I stopped drinking and smoking so much, because I know it makes you uncomfortable as fuck because of your parents’ bad habits when you were little. I even...talk about my feelings with you because I know I can’t be a closed book if we’re together. You see, Y/N? I’ve never been so serious before in my life, and now all I want is you forever.”

 I smile and kiss his cheek; stunning him, since he believed I would have kissed his lips. “And after everything that’s happened to you, you deserve this. You deserve happiness, Jay,” I reply honestly.

 “Then all I need is you to be happy,” Jason accepts my answer, and sighs as he looks at the dining room near us. “Now let’s go eat dinner with my insane family or we’ll never hear the end of it.”

 “As long as we’re together we can handle your family,” I say.

 Jason exhales again and holds my arm as he leads us into the dining room. The long wooden dining table seems as big as my apartment living room. Bruce is seated at the end, while Dick, Barbara, Tim, and Damian are seated nearby; dressed up as us, too.

 While Dick, Barbara, and Tim offer friendly smiles to us, Bruce looks just as nervous as Jason while Damian scowls at us.

 Bruce stands to greet us. “Jason, Y/N,” Bruce greets us as he pats Jason’s back gently and kisses my hand. “Pleasure to have you here.”

 I blush and giggle from the politeness of Bruce Wayne, while Jason rolls his eyes and scoffs at his father.

 “Come and have a seat,” Bruce says, and guides us to the table. I notice Bruce motions me to sit next to him, but I end up sneaking by Jason, so he could. I could tell they’re both extremely uncomfortable and nervous around each other.

 Jason reluctantly takes a seat beside Bruce, while I sit on the other side of Jason. I immediately frown when Damian makes Tim switch seats with him so Damian could sit next to me for some unknown reason.

 Dressed in identical suits, Dick and Tim almost resemble twins with their dair hair slicked back and those intriguing blue eyes. Damian looks like he could pass off as Jason’s clone; both boys didn’t even bother slicking their hair back as they opted to keep their hair messy and spiked in some parts. Dick and Tim whisper something to each other and then smile at me. Bruce glares at them and gives me a relaxing grin.

 “I think it’s so amazing that you guys just celebrated your two-year anniversary! Do you guys have anything planned for the weekend?” Barbara asks, resting her chin on her hands, as she gazes at us. “Where are you taking Y/N?”

 “Yes, and no, I’m not telling anyone because it’s a surprise,” Jason growls through his teeth at her.

 I didn’t even know Jason planned something for us this weekend. He really must not want anyone to know.

 “Jason did give me this,” I say, pointing to my necklace.

 “That is so beautiful!” Barbara says excitedly.

 “Well, yeah because we all were there when Jason bought it, remember?” Dick reminds her.

 “I’m surprised he didn’t get her a cheap 50 cent ring from the grocery store,” Tim jokes.

 “And once again, fuck you replacement!” Jason says, smirking at Tim.

 “Alright, Jason you let us help you with the anniversary gift but why won’t you tell us what you have planned?” Barbara asks.

 “A weekend trip away sounds very nice. I think Paris is the best choice since it’s a romantic landmark to most,” Tim suggests.

 “I’ve actually never been to Pairs before,” I admit. From the looks of it, the family around me has been there once or many times since they’re all smiling and look lost in thought.

 “You should take her!” Dick cries out dramatically. “It’s so beautiful and romantic!”

 “Dick...” Bruce warns.

 “What?!” Dick whines.

 “T-t.” Damian scoffs.

 Alfred sets down a delicious smelling cooked brisket, with garlic mashed potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and side salads that look like they came from Olive Garden. My mouth waters at the sight of the food.

 “What’s wrong with Paris?” Tim asks Bruce.

 “Nothing is wrong with Paris, but I guess Jason’s too good to take Y/N to Paris!” Dick joins in.

 “Or maybe he has something else planned,” Barbara tries to reason with Dick.

 “It doesn’t seem like he has a plan at all!” Tim argues.

 “You all need to stop. Now.” Bruce threatens.

 “Tell us your plan! I want to know!” Dick demands.

 “Like I said before, we already have plans!” Jason answers annoyed. “And I’m not telling anyone!”

 I’m about to turn to Jason and ask why he’s so angry about being asked about the weekend, but Damian clears his throat and it stops the arguing as all eyes focus on the blood son.

 “Are we going to ignore the fact that Todd had sexual intercourse with Y/LN and we all watched last night? Are we going to address Y/LN’s role in our family now?” Damian asks curiously.

 It’s silent between all of us. My cheeks burn with embarrassment and I glance over at Jason who’s face, and body has frozen with fear.

 And I’ve never seen Jason afraid until now.

 “Yeah...let’s talk about that. So, I gotta ask! What’s the sex like?” Dick asks, giggling like a child. He looks at Jason and then me repeatedly. He must be very curious to know. “Is he too selfish? Do I need to talk to him and give him pointers? Is there anything I can personally do for you, Y/N?”

 “Dick!” Barbara shouts. She looks humiliated!

 “Oh my God,” I mumble shyly.

 “That’s none of your fucking business, dickhead!” Jason snaps angrily. He stands up to glare at his older brother. “I fucking treat my Y/N like a queen. I fucking love to eat her out, make her cum every time, and hold her after because I know cuddling is a big deal for her when she’s weak and tired. I fucking worship her body, her curves, and her thick thighs because honestly she’s too good for me and I’m even lucky enough to see her naked. I fucking love her and I’m always going to please her. So, the answer to all your questions is: fuck you dickface!”

 Dick stares at Jason with an open mouth and shocked face. Bruce sighs, and rubs his eyes. Tim and Barbara shrug at each other. Damian continues to watch me while Alfred exhales stressfully at everyone.

 I decide I need to fix this before things get worse.

 “Okay, I’m going to answer every question and try to explain things better so everyone understands, is that okay? Damian, yes, Jason and I do have sex. You see, we have sex because we are...” I pause, trying to think clearly where to take his since Damian’s 14-years-old, and wouldn’t want descriptive details. Bruce nods his head in my direction to go on. “We have sex because we’re sexually attracted to each other. It feels good. It feels so good, I mean, REALLY good. We love each other so much that having sex is something couples do when they want to help each other feel good. What you saw last night was exactly that. We were celebrating our two-year anniversary and we didn’t think anyone would see. So, I’m really sorry about that. I can only imagine that watching us could have been a frightening and embarrassing moment for you, but I think when you get older, you’d find it perfectly natural and normal to do.”

 Damian raises an eyebrow. “I wasn’t exactly frightened nor embarrassed, Y/LN. My questions are merely about why you and Todd have sexual intercourse like animals. Todd was on top of you like a lion gets on top of a lioness in the jungle, except he did not penetrate you from behind. You were awfully loud too, as if you were going to cry. And besides your specific choice of sexual positions is also questionable. You allowed Todd to dominate you. But my main concern is if you are using birth control. Because If I know Todd and I unfortunately do, I can honestly say he would try to impregnate you to keep you for himself. Now tell me, Y/LN, you’re not against having children, are you? And if not, are you both using all types of protection during sexual intercourse?” Damian asks with complete fascination.

 Whether he’s genuinely curious or if he’s trying to start more trouble, I can tell Damian is clearly naive about relationships.

 Jason spits out his drink. He chokes and hits his chest to clear his throat.

 “WHAT?!” Jason shouts.

 “I am merely asking because I want a nephew. I have already seen you two engage in animalistic sex, and everyone with a brilliant mind knows sex is purely for procreation. Now, when shall I receive my nephew?” Damian asks me. “Nine months, correct? I hope I don’t have to wait until next year for you two to start reproducing.”

 I can feel the sweat running down my back. All eyes are on me, and I can tell we’re all uncomfortable with Damian’s questions.

 “I-I... uh...you see, Damian...” I trail off unsurely.

 “Do you want children, Y/LN?” Damian asks.

 “Uh, of course I do. I just-” I ramble on until Jason touches my hand on the table to tell me I can stop talking.

 “We’re waiting for kids, demon spawn,” Jason finally answers. His hands clench into fists on the table, and I can see his strong jawline tightening. Jason finally is able to pull off the Bat glare because Dick, Tim, and Barbara are forced to look away from him.

 “Well, why the hell would you wait, Todd?! Y/LN is clearly out of your league, and if you cannot give her what she wants, then you have no business being with her,” Damian argues back.

 “Damian!” Bruce yells.

 “What? I’m just asking what everyone else is obsessing about!” Damian defends himself.

Alfred clears his throat. We all look at him and notice he’s not pleased with us. “If I must say, I believe Master Todd and Lady Y/N will discuss their future plans when they are ready to. And I have always been correct when it comes to you children so let me put your uneasy minds at rest: they will get married and have children. And do you know how I know that? Well, I believe after every tragedy or hardships a person must go through, there is a positive light at the end of the darkness for them. You see, darkness and pain are what makes us stronger, and when we become stronger, we are then gifted with the people we love. It’s as if it’s life’s way of paying us back, and I believe Master Todd is being given a second chance at life and he deserves it so. I believe you all deserve it as well. But I believe Lady Y/N is Jason’s gift from life, and I sure hope he doesn’t bloody well screw it up!” Alfred explains.

 Jason glances at me smiling. “I’d like to believe she’s my gift from life,” Jason admits.

 “You know Jason, we may have had our problems in the past, but I know for a fact she is your gift from life. Just follow your heart and be happy. That’s all I want for you and your brothers,” Bruce says kindly.

 “Thanks Bruce,” Jason says gratefully.

 Jason swiftly stands up as Bruce, and the two hug each other. Everyone smiles and tells them it’s about time they made up. Dick quickly grabs Tim and Damian, so they join in the family hug, as well as Alfred. Barbara and I laugh but stay seated since it’s a Batboy thing.

 “I’m sorry about talking about mine and Jason’s sex life,” I apologize to Barbara. “I just didn’t think we had animalistic sex, though.”

 “You know Y/N, if it makes you feel any better, Dick is definitely a mime in bed,” Barbara confesses laughing. “He’s just as dramatic in bed as he is with people.”

 “Hey! I am not a mime!” Dick shouts. He’s clearly offended, as he pulls away from the Batboy hug. “I just…make things interesting!”

 The men and boys return to the table to sit and serve themselves dinner, finally.

 “Sometimes there are no words or facial expressions,” Barbara continues to tease Dick.

 “That’s really creepy, Dick,” Tim admits.

 “I’m not a mime!” Dick protests.

 Even Bruce and Alfred get into it.

 “Try to say a few words and make some facial expressions, Dick,” Bruce chuckles.

 “Yes, Master Grayson. Do not frighten Lady Barbara anymore,” Alfred adds.

 As the rest of them continue to embarrass Dick, Damian scoffs and looks back at me. “Now Y/LN, shall I start seeing you as a sister-in-law, since it’s clear Todd is never going to let you go?” he asks.

 “I think you can,” I answer. I gasp when Jason kisses my cheek and holds me.

 “You definitely can, demon spawn.”

 Just when we are eating and enjoying each other’s company, Damian slowly looks up at everyone and smiles.

 “I would still like to know when I’ll receive a nephew since I would like to volunteer to train him and be the best Robin when I become Batman one day,” Damian confesses, and turns to Jason and me specifically. “Perhaps you should be impregnated soon, Y/LN. So that way my nephew will be born in spring; the significant birth date as a baby Robin being born in the season of beginning life.”

 “I like that idea a lot,” Bruce admits.

 “Can we just get through this dinner first?” I ask nervously.

 “Just give us a hint! A clue!” Dick and Barbara shout out.

 “No!” Jason yells.

 Alfred, Bruce, Dick, Barbara, Tim, and Damian all shout: “But we’re your family!”

 After dinner, I was graciously welcomed into the family. As Jason and I walk back to his car, he stops me. “What’s wrong?” I ask. Did we forget something?

 Jason kisses me. The way our lips fit, and touch makes us both breathless.

 “Nothing is wrong. I’m just appreciating and being thankful for life giving you to me,” Jason whispers.

 “Me too Jason.”

 “And I think when we get home, we should start practicing for…you know,” Jason chuckles and kisses my cheek. “I mean, if we’re going to have a baby in spring, it’s gonna take a lot of dirty fun to make it happen.”

“Oh Jason,” I sigh, and roll my eyes.

“Remember doll, life gave me you,” Jason reminds me. “I’m never letting you go, Y/N.”

“And life gave you to me, and I would never let you go.”

Never.

[dcuniverse-fanatic]

What They’re Like When They’re Sleeping.

A/n: Look at sara go!! Sorry i haven’t written anything this year. so..... here’s 1.6k of blurbs i’ve collected in a months time because i’m bad at delegating. Thank you for being patient lol. It’s gender neutral. Enjoy!

Dick Grayson:

- He takes all of your blankets.

- All. Of. Them. (he refuses to admit his sins) It makes for some.....unfavorable cuddling when he’d used the blankets to burrito himself up like that. He’s not opposed to morning snuggles though, when he’d turned and tossed the blankets off of him during the night.

- He has you facing him, one arm draped over your waist and the other caressing your cheek, touches barely grazing your skin, careful not to wake you up

- You since have learned to carry an extra blanket with you when you sleepover, seeing as he will take all of the duvet anyways, leaving you in the frozen tundra that he likes to keep his room as.

- He’s a pretty good sleeping partner otherwise, actually. Doesn’t snore, isn’t too, too warm, doesn’t take up most of the bed. He kinda sleeps like a cat, curling in on himself, occasionally flopping around when the temperature is slightly less than ideal for him.(68 degrees).

- Dick does get nightmares often, and more than he’s willing to admit. Most of them aren’t too bad, only about one or two that he’s woken up from, gasping for air.

- He won’t wake you up for comfort, though ( he’s too embarrassed, the circus accident happened ages ago) but you’re a light sleeper anyways, and have stayed up with him, nose pressed flush onto your sternum and your hands lost in his hair, whispering to him that it wasn’t his fault, over and over until he’d fallen asleep again.

- He doesn’t fully talk in his sleep ( another thing he won’t admit to) he kind of just mouths and murmurs words that aren’t very well strung together, forming incoherent sentences that even you can’t explain sometimes, chalking it up to sleep deprivation or something.

- It’s usually right before he’s about to wake up, or when he’s having a very...um, enthusiastic dream. He doesn’t tend to believe you when you tell him about the endeavors he was mumbling about, but it’s overall very endearing.

Jason Todd:

- He was very hesitant to sleep in the same room as you, let alone the same bed as you, seeing as even on a good night, roy quoted him as an “aggressive sleeper”(????)

- But did that stop you? absolutely not. Because at the end of the night, it’s not like he’ll knock you out of the bed, right? (why are you making that face roy?) Jason is very particular about his sleep habits, what with the hellish, skin clawing nightmares, he’s got to be.

- He has a set recorded amount of time he can sleep before R.E.M kicks in, and it’s no mans land from there. This keeps on for the majority of his night and he’s done it so much his body set it’s own timer, sleeping in 90 minute intervals.

- Jason regularly sleeps with a gun nearby, always within sight, but never close enough and with the safety always on, so that he won’t accidentally load one on you while you’re coming back to bed in the middle of the night.

- ( The quick reflexes and the paranoia don’t make the prettiest of potions). He’s otherwise pretty quiet throughout the night, a grunt here and there when he repositions, nothing big.

- Poor boy runs like a heater. Very hot. Think radioactive radiator hot, like opening an oven on a summer day hot. which makes it hard to share a bed with him without wanting to crack open all of your apartments windows.

- He still chooses to go to bed donning a shirt and heavy, thick sweatpants. But waking up to sweat slicked baby hairs and damp pillows and finding discarded items on the floor (yours) from your frenzy to find coolness in this much proximity is not what you had in mind for when he slept over at your place.

- You assume it’s the Lazarus pit that’s got him pumping out this much heat, but then again, he’s here with you and instead of six feet under, so hey, you’ll take it.

- He is very into physical contact, you find out.(Is that what roy meant by aggressive? if so, how’d he find out?) Even in your king sized bed you feel like there’s not enough room for what he wants to do. He’s a very big man. In all his 6’4 glory he just....swallows you whole when you spoon.

- He has one arm slithered under your neck and bent over your chin, grabbing your opposite shoulder, the other holding your stomach taut to him. Your legs are just there, there’s no room for you to move your neck, you cannot see past Jason’s forearm.

- But you don’t mind being this close( so long as 3 industrial grade fans are blowing your direction) and if that’s what it takes for him to sleep in the same bed as you, then so be it.

Tim Drake:

- When he invites you to sleepover at his place for the first time, you expected a couple of things to happen. first of which, he’d have to get into bed with you( we’re not off to a good start here.) he’d have to stay in bed with you, and actually, you know, sleep in said bed with you.

- But when you change into your well worn pair of pajamas and go to get in the covers, he’s brewing.....a cup of coffee. When he peeks his head back into the room, he just casually asks you how you like yours. Your reply wasn’t anything short of an estranged and defeated expression.

-Like, thanks, yep i’ll just, drink coffee before i get into bed like a normal person Tim, to hell with a healthy sleep schedule and all.

- He shifts a lot when he sleeps and it’s probably because you’re here, not letting him do stuff at 3 am. You figure he’s trying his best, which is sweet, but very awkward because he shifts so much the blankets bunch at the top and your pants pull up and it’s all messy and tangled.

- You half want to tie him down and leave him there.( you think about it for too long)

- He starts to wind down half an hour into it, and when you look over he’s face down with arms on either sides of his head. He does lightly snore and gravitates toward your hand in his sleep, but he’s very calm otherwise.

- The bar was very low anyways.

- Tim does like to spoon, or some odd version of it once he’s completely knocked out. His hands are awkwardly splayed on your ribs and he keeps your legs between his, somehow.

- He doesn’t like it too quiet when he sleeps so he keeps a small white noise machine on his nightstand, but keeps forgetting to turn it on as it gets lost in the midst of his other electronics next to his bed.

- His nightmares aren’t too bad, he gets them once in a blue moon and he usually can get back to sleep pretty easily, or he’ll work on something in the meanwhile, and you’ll let him, because often times he doesn’t feel like talking about it anyways.

-Conclusion: soft boi so tired, but sleep bad.

Damian Wayne:

- You aren’t that surprised when he doesn’t understand the need for you to spend the night at his place. You have your own place, right? You’re not homeless? Please tell me you didn’t lose your residence this early on in life?

- Yeah, it took a minute or two for you to explain that you wanted to spend more time with him, as an act of intimacy, a show of closeness. Reluctance hung in the air regardless, and you could feel the nervousness in his actions, yet he manages to hide them under several layers of ego, pride and arrogance. Whatever.

-It is impossible to see through that man, but here you are anyways.

- He prefers to sleep shirtless( something that isn’t good for your health or sanity) which is something you brought up many times before, trying to play it off as a study you read one time about the dangers of sleeping shirtless, and he continues to humor you about it, a twinge of playfulness in his tone.

- He sleeps on his back, and even though he refuses to display acts of affection in public( otherwise just knows as PDA) he doesn’t mind cuddling when it comes to you. Not really a big spooner, but you just tuck into his side nicely, while he continues to either a).Brood or b). Sleep.

- Damian wakes up at 5 am everyday to just....go about his business, i guess? Compared to him you’re a wild gremlin who wakes at no time before noon. whew.

- His sleep patterns are rather strange now that you think about it, coming from patrol at off hours during the late night, bridging the early morning and still maintaining a very strict schedule that has been ingrained into him since early boyhood.

- It takes you so much effort everyday just to convince him to stay in bed just a while longer, while he mumbles about carpe something or another.

- His nightmares aren’t the kind of bad that he gets lost about them during the day bad, but they’re not the best. He won’t scramble upright to find his footing, so to speak, he’s gotten pretty good at keeping his composure.

- You’ll notice his grip tighten around you and he’ll lean into the crook of your neck for a while. He’ll also just stay up until he has to get up for the morning, and he won’t typically speak about it first thing, not unless you bother him about it for a while, but over all he’ll come talk about it if you give him time.

[ibroughtanarsenal]

FLASHBACK: FIRST MEETING

WHEN: November 2019

WHERE: Life Recovery Center

WHY: Jason goes to see Roy for the first time in three years.

WHO: @thatsjasonfkntodd @ibroughtanarsenal

Jason: Jason had kept himself busy since practically the second he’d broken things off with Roy, whether it was the day after, a week later, or two years. He’d given neither of them so much as a moment to second guess it. Roy hadn’t had a chance to stop him and, as always, Jason did not allow himself to stop it or take it back. So when it was done it was done.

He’d heard through the grapevine of things that Roy had gone to Gotham, which Jason had avoided like the plague for a whole host of reasons. Roy being there had just been one more to add to the list. By the time he had gone back, Dick and Roy were already in Star City, so then he’d avoided that for awhile, too. A gun to his head wouldn’t have made him admit the reason in so many words. He would’ve said he went where the work was, and that was even partially true. His family and Roy in the same place had been more than enough to keep him away, though.

A few months ticked by. Whether it was purposeful or not, Dick dropped the info that Roy was a counselor in a rehab center. Even Jason struggled to tell when his rambling was only rambling and when he meant for someone to get something from it. It was an incredibly irritating technique. Either way, he still sat on the knowledge for a few months. Bruce dropping the bottom out of everything by revealing his identity had been a distraction, but that had partially worn off by the holidays.

Whether it was coincidence or his mind trailing back to it subconsciously, Jason found himself standing in front of the little rehab center late one night. He’d gone half his usual route as Red Hood and come up empty handed enough to get bored. He couldn’t turned over some stones or spent the night fucking with NOVA, but...he walked in the front door of the center instead. He’d dumped his gear and his mask already, so it was just Jason, a pair of jeans, and a hoodie pulled up around his face. Roy: Roy wasn’t the type to dwell. He never thought he was, anyway, even though the past had a nasty habit of catching up to him when he least expected it. That was what repression was all about, right? All those god damn buzzwords were always in his brain. Sometimes he hated adopting the vernacular that sounded rehearsed coming from the wrong people. That was part of what attracted him to this job. He could relate to the kids and wayward adults who saw through the bullshit. Most of them were just over it.

The news that Jason was in Star City hit him hard. He didn’t let it show, not with Dick staring at him like he was waiting to fetch some smelling salts, and he made an offhand, sarcastic comment he couldn’t even remember now. They hadn’t talked about it since. He pushed the conversation from his mind and tried to forget about it completely. He didn’t know why Dick had to tell him in the first place, or what good it would do, and the memory came to him inconveniently throughout the day or - sometimes - in the middle of the night. He didn’t know exactly how he felt about it, but whatever the feeling was left him sitting on his fire escape nursing vodka hidden in a Dasani bottle just in case Dick or Bruce were lurking on a nearby rooftop.

At least he had his job. He liked it, for the most part, even though he was always the first one out the door when it was time to leave. Not that he had anywhere to be, but by the time his day was over he was sick of hearing people talk. He wanted silence. He wanted his quiet apartment with its peeling paint and the bolted door. There were demons there, but they were safe ones. He could handle them.

Today was different. He got wrapped up in a session - and afterward, he couldn’t get the kid out of his head. Once he started researching his background, he ended up in a veritable rabbit hole. There was too much information to wade through and he was fascinated by all of it. When he finally stopped to look at the clock, he was shocked to see that it was almost seven.

Sighing, he reluctantly turned off his computer and picked up his jacket, fishing his keys out of the pocket as he made his way to the front of the building. It was quiet; he had a vague recollection of Nancy (Norma?) telling him he would have to lock up.

He didn’t even see Jason at first, preoccupied with figuring out which key locked the door (because fuck, who chose to work late when they didn’t have to?) and by the time Roy looked up and saw him, he started so violently that the keys practically flew from his hand and slid across the floor. “Jesus Christ! …Jay? What the fuck? I thought I was about to get mugged.”

Jason: He hadn’t checked the hours of the place. There had been a light on and he hadn’t had to break in to get inside, so if it was out of the norm for Roy (or anyone) to be there, he didn’t notice. The reaction he got did make him smirk, though, and as soon as the keys hit the floor he caught the corner of one with his boot and flipped the set up into the air to catch them.

With his free hand, he reached up to pull his hood down. The shock of white hair right in the front of all the black was still there. “When’d you get so jumpy? If I was mugging you, did you think squealing would stop me?” Roy: “You’re an ass.” Roy snatched the keys from Jason’s hand and gestured at the hood, as if that were enough to explain his reaction. “But I'm afraid we don’t offer rehabilitation for that.” He was kidding, sort of. It was easier than letting the reality of the situation sink in. Even though Jason had been on his mind frequently, he didn’t expect to see him standing there, right in front of him, and it shook him up more than he cared to admit. He hated how obvious it was.

Exhaling softly, he leaned past him to bolt the door so they were locked in. The center closed an hour ago. Norma (it wasn’t Nancy, he was pretty sure of it now) would be pissed if she knew he didn’t close on time. “Didn’t expect to see you any time soon.”

Jason: “First step to recovery is admitting you’ve got a problem, and I don’t recall confessing to any of that.” It would’ve been easy enough to just stage some kind of stupid run in on the street, probably in broad daylight. Roy was far from stupid, but he didn’t tail people like Jason (or anyone who’d ever worked with Batman) did. He could’ve followed him and made it look natural. That had seemed more dumb and contrived than just giving in and walking into the rehab center.

Jason shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans like he was creating some invisible bubble of space around himself that he both wouldn’t leave and wouldn’t invite anyone else into. “Any time soon? Did I get hit in the head again or has it not been almost three years?” He got the feeling that Roy didn’t need reminding of that anymore than he did.

Roy: Roy chuckled dryly and leaned against the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, here’s your chance and I’m your priest. That’s why people come to places like this.” Not that the steps ever worked for him. He had to figure out his own combination of therapy and medication. Even that was still a work in progress. On the outside he was a hell of a lot better than he’d ever been, but he wasn’t cured.

Three years. Had it been that long? Frowning, he shook his head slightly, but then stopped himself as he thought about the series of events that followed their separation. Time passed differently before he got back into rehab. He lost months of his life. There was a whole summer he couldn’t remember, other blank spots in his memory, and the alarming thing was that it wasn’t alarming. “Yeah,” he finally said. “Funny. Doesn’t seem like that long to me.”

Jason: “Father Harper. That creeps me out even as a joke. Black never was a good look for you anyway.” Now that he was there in front of him, he wasn’t sure why. If Roy asked him, did he have an explanation? If it was only to know that he was alright, he could’ve asked Dick. Hell, he could’ve just followed him long enough to see.

Jason moved to lean his back against the cool wall. The place smelled like some kind of cheap cleaner someone had used on the floors. “Yeah...me either,” he admitted. Probably because he hadn’t stopped for the entirety of it.

Roy: “Don’t… don’t ever say that again.” The banter made it easy for Roy to put off the inevitable question, even though he did want to know why Jason was there. He assumed it was to check in on him, some sort of misplaced guilt or obligation, maybe to make sure the result of his tough love hadn’t crippled him or something. Not that he would expect Jason to admit he was there because he was worried about him or anything.

And maybe in the past he would have given him that space, avoided putting him on the spot or making him uncomfortable, but he wasn’t going to stand here and guess what Jason’s motivations were. He would probably be wrong anyway. “Why are you here? Why now? Dick told me months ago you were in town."

Jason: “Of course he did. Dick can’t keep his mouth shut about anything ever.” Except pretending to be dead. He’d been real hush hush about that. Either way, Dick was of course the reason he’d known that Roy was there, too, and exactly how to find him. He was more sure by the second that was on purpose.

Jason turned his head and looked back out the glass part of the door. The street in front of it was dead and didn’t offer one single distraction. “I was in the neighborhood.”

Roy: “You were not.” Roy wasn’t an idiot. He knew Jason knew he wasn’t an idiot. He also knew Jason better than to think his nonchalant attitude was 100% genuine 100% of the time. It didn’t mean he was going to get a straight answer, though, and he kicked his heel against the doorframe, gripping his keys in the palm of his hand.

It wasn’t right that Jason could waltz in like this and here he was, like some lost puppy dog, hanging on his every word. “Why do you gotta be so…” He trailed, gritting his teeth.

Jason: “Charming? Talented? Disarmingly handsome?” An asshole. Roy was trying to ask him why he had to be such an asshole, he was sure. If Jason had an answer for that buried somewhere in his head, he didn’t reach for it. Instead, he pulled his hands out of the pockets of his jeans and lifted them both briefly into the air before letting them drop. “It’s been three years, man. You can tell me to get out if you want to. I just wanted to see you.” He wouldn’t have even taken it that far for many people. Hell, even his family wouldn’t have got that straight of an answer most of the time. Jason didn’t want to be told to leave.

Roy: The words were disarmingly close to the actual words in his head that Roy had to laugh. “Exactly. So first off, fuck you for that. I didn’t even brush my hair this morning. I probably look like a muppet.” He wasn’t going to tell him to leave. There was a reason he was leaning against the door, subconscious as it was, and the fact that Jason had given him an answer at all was enough for him to relax and release some of the tension he didn’t even know he was holding onto. It was simple, but it was enough. “I’m not going to kick you out, dude. I missed you. I wanted to see you, I just didn’t know what to say. You made a choice and I was trying to respect it, you know? That’s something they taught me about. Respecting boundaries and all that.” Jason: “You’ve got that Elmo look going on.” Despite Jason’s continued insistence that he needed no one, not family, not friends, not partners, he always seemed to find them. Or they found him. Either way, Jason Todd, loner extraordinaire, was rarely anymore alone than Bruce was. A lot of that had been on Roy, who had adamantly refused to let him be. He’d been fucking annoying about it, even, until Jason had relented. For awhile he’d been better for it, but he hadn’t been selfish enough to put that first.

“I didn’t set the boundaries for me.” And, frankly, he hadn’t wanted Roy to come find him and talk to him first, because it would’ve meant that it hadn’t worked. Roy: It took every ounce of self control for Roy not to reach up to fix his hair. He could already imagine what it looked like. He threw on his clothes that morning in under ten minutes. If he knew this would be a day much different from all the other days that just bled together, he would have gone about it differently. It didn’t help that he slept through his lunch break to catch up on a restless night, either. Shitty break. Jason’s timing was never on point.

“Maybe not. But it wasn’t good for you either, being around me while I was like that, so…” Roy spread his hands, then realized he was still holding the keys and he slipped them into his pocket with a sigh. “It was the right thing.” Jason: Jason hadn’t needed the validation, necessarily. He’d remained sure that breaking things off with Roy in both a personal and ‘professional’ sense had been the right call. It had sent him running to Dick, apparently, and Dick was...better suited for it. Taking care of people. His path, Bruce’s path, wasn’t the one for Jason. It never would be. But just because he’d made that decision didn’t mean he’d intended to drag Roy down even further than he’d already been naturally inclined to go. Drugs and drinking were one thing, but killing? Jason’s brand of justice? That was a different ballgame.

“It did something. You’re here,” Jason nodded down the empty hall. “Helping people. I assume.” Roy: Even though Roy wondered about what Jason was doing from time to time, it wasn’t as if either of them led conventional lives. They couldn’t exactly stalk each other on Facebook or get information through mutual friends. Dick was the closest thing to that and Roy knew his relationship with Jason was complicated.

But he also didn’t want to know. Moving out to Star City was an effort to start fresh, a new life, and carve out a path of his own. For now he wasn’t bound to the Justice League even though Dick had already approached the subject once or twice. Roy missed working with a team, but he also didn’t trust himself not to get someone killed. The stakes seemed too high this time.

“Yeah. I try, anyway. Every city needs a place like this.” Whether or not he was successful was another story. “What about you? You’re here, too.” Jason: “Looks like I am. I hadn’t planned on sticking around this long, but I wasn’t planning on Bruce blowing the cover he kept for fucking ever, either.” And for Joker. Of course that’s how it had happened. It made it that much worse.

He swept a hand back through his hair and stood up straight in a restless kind of way. Now that he was there and talking to him, he had no idea what he wanted out of Roy. They couldn’t just slip back into something. He’d wanted to know that he was alright, that he was...what? Moved on? That didn’t seem like it, exactly. “So this is what you’re doing now? Talk therapy?” Roy: Bruce’s identity becoming public was definitely a surprise. It changed the dynamics of the Justice League. Dick’s identity was pretty much public knowledge, along with the rest of the Robins (Jason's included), and it was something to take into account going forward. He had no idea what Bruce had planned and he didn’t think to ask. Ollie hadn’t made an appearance in Star City; Roy had no idea what Ollie was doing or where he was, actually, and he had no real need to reach out. He knew better than to rely on anyone as a support system. Even Dick, supportive as he’d been, couldn’t shoulder that burden for him. He had to rely on himself. It was something he was still learning how to do. Maybe that was part of the whole solo thing.

“Yep. What can I say? I need a day job.” He did his own thing at night. Sometimes he crossed paths with the others, but he mainly kept to himself. It was easier that way. When he didn’t feel like going out he had no obligations to fulfill and no one to disappoint. “Pretty dull, compared to what you’ve got going on. Work. Home. Bed. Patrol, when I feel like it. Does that put you at ease?” Jason: The last part of the answer surprised him. He’d assumed, maybe naively, that Roy had hung up Arsenal with the ban. Jason didn’t know if the Titans were still active, but if they were Dick hadn’t been running with them and he figured Roy hadn’t either. But he also hadn’t asked. “You’re going on patrol?” He didn’t answer Roy’s question. Roy: Roy shrugged. “Here and there.” It felt wrong to do nothing. To watch and to nothing. It was one thing to help at the rehabilitation center, but it was only one side of a much larger problem. “Solo,” he added, as if it were an afterthought. “I’m not with the Titans or the Justice League. I know they’re reforming.” He hadn’t decided how much he wanted to be involved yet, if he wanted this to be his life again, or if it would be better for him to walk away. It was hard to imagine doing the latter now that he was face to face with Jason - knowing that Jason wouldn’t be leaving Star City despite his association (or lack thereof) with his family. Jason: “I guess we’ve not been covering the same ground.” Jason didn’t deal with the same kinds of things he figured Roy did, though. Red Hood was still Red Hood. He had some nights of making life hell for NOVA, but mostly he focused on other things. A trafficking ring had been what brought him to the city, after all. “You must be keeping your hands pretty clean.” Roy: “Guess not. I’ve been discreet.” That is, Roy had been careful. Before they separated, he was heading down a dark path. He didn’t want to think about where it was leading him or what could have happened had he stayed on that trajectory. Going back on patrol with a clear head and with a new set of priorities made him much more levelheaded and logical about how he handled situations. He wasn’t violent unless there there was no other option. He grinned, but there was a humorless quality to it. “You probably won’t even notice I’m there.” He took the keys from his pocket and finally unlocked the door, kicking it open with the side of his sneaker, but he didn’t move out of the way. Jason: Jason wasn’t sure whether he was meant to take that as a time to go or what Roy intended for him to do. But he’d got what he came for, right? He’d seen him. He knew what he was up to, kind of. Roy, in kind, knew he was there in a more tangible way than just hearing Dick say so. He turned his back on the empty hall and walked over toward the door. “I dunno about that.” Roy: “Please. Everyone knows when Red Hood’s in the neighborhood. Can’t go into a bar and not hear about it. You got ‘em all hiding out like you’re their personal executioner.” Roy’s foot was in the door, holding it open a few inches, but he was still standing against it. He smirked faintly and shifted his stance as Jason approached the door, as if he realized he was blocking his way out, but the move allowed only the barest minimum of space possible for him to inch past. “Your head’s gonna get too big for your helmet, Jaybird.” Jason: “Depending on the situation, maybe I am.” Jason didn’t hand out death certificates every single time. Every job he took didn’t end in a pile of bodies. But if somebody deserved to die, if the world would be better off if they weren’t in it anymore, he took care of it. If anyone was stupid enough to really try to stop him, he sent his target off with some company.

Jason started to move past Roy and out the door, but he stopped himself when he was right in front of him. There was an intensity that he always had that, while different, almost matched Bruce’s but sat somewhere else on the spectrum. He had it as he looked at Roy right then. “If I wanted to find you again, is this the place to do it?” Roy: The no killing rule was an unspoken understanding between the Titans and on the Justice League. It never had to be communicated. They were the good guys and good guys didn’t kill. Roy always considered Jason a good guy, even when he broke the rules - but at this point in his life he knew that not even the strongest held beliefs could hold fast in certain circumstances. He didn’t regret what he did despite what followed and the trouble it brought him. It was justice. Maybe that was what kept him from jumping at the chance to be on a team. He wasn’t sure if he could adhere to the strong principles that held them together. There was always the possibility there, at least. He knew what he was capable of.

“Here?” Roy raised his eyebrows, his fingers curling over the doorknob as he forced himself to stay put even when Jason fixed him with that stare of his. It almost made him mad that so much time could pass (supposedly - he’d have to take his word for it), but he could still be transfixed by something so simple, something that everyone in that family seemed to possess in some broody form. “In an open doorway? I doubt it. But hey, maybe you’ll get lucky.” Jason: Roy didn’t owe him a straight answer. Roy didn’t owe him fuck all, actually, and if he’d been the kind of person that Jason was (which he never had been) he would’ve told him to get out as soon as he saw him that night. “You wanna tell me a specific doorway?” Roy: Even though Roy had always been a straight shooter, he had his own reasons for being guarded. Jason already walked away from him once. He didn’t hold it against him and things were different now, but that didn’t mean Jason wanted things to go back to what they were before. “Mine. I’m off Eighth and Park, at the Cascades. Apartment 708. Believe it or not, I don’t like to hang out at work.” Jason: “Still like Thai food?” Whether it was a product of all that time with Bruce or just that his mind had refused to dump the information, Jason still remembered what Roy used to order. Roy: “Yeah.” The mention jarred a memory and Roy frowned, but it wasn’t actually a bad one. There was something comforting about it. Familiar. Not much about his life felt like that when he looked back. “Yeah. That sounds good.” Jason: Jason slipped past him the rest out the door and stood in the fresh air for a second. He seemed to be considering whether or not to say something else, but after a beat he just settled on, “See you around.” Roy: Roy finally let the door close once Jason was outside. He locked it, nodding. “Yeah. See you.” He still had to lock the side door, so he gave a casual over-the-shoulder wave, as if the certainty of their next meeting weren’t even in question.

[dickgreyson]

You say you want to stay by my side (darling your heads not right)

Dick is stupid and reckless on a mission, whats new, and Roy deals with the fallout

Pairing: dickroy

AO3

For @tayaart, who was my secret Valentine for the @thearrowheadnet gift exchange!!

I hope it's ok, it was written in a coffee shop after like 2 hours of sleep, and is not beta'd in any way shape or form!!

The bickering from down the hall was unmistakable, and marked the end of Roy’s peaceful day with Lian. He walked to the door and waited for a knock, watching Lian colour, quietly and peacefully.

“You were stupid and reckless.”

“No more than usual-“

“That’s my point.” Roy braced himself as he opened the door to a worse for wear Dick, and a fuming Donna. It was rare for her to get this angry, and Roy felt his hackles raise.

“I’ve got it from here, Donna.” He said, as he reached to take Dick’s arm from around her shoulder. “Thanks for getting him here in one piece.”

“Yeah, despite his best efforts.” She snapped, but he could tell she was cooling down. Dick didn’t seem to be able to stand by himself very well, which wasn’t a great sign.

“I’ll sort him out.” Roy promised, giving Dick a once-over. Donna had the good sense to throw one of her hoodies over his Nightwing costume, but his arm didn’t look quite right, clutched at his chest, and nasty bruises were starting to bloom across his chin and cheek. Even in this state, he was stubborn, and stared resolutely at the floor. Roy sighed again, as he lead him inside, tossing a “Just a second,” over his shoulder.

He walked him over to the couch, the short trip taking longer than usual. Making sure to be gentle, he laid Dick down, and winced at the groan that elicited.

“We’re going to talk about this.” He said quietly, carding his hand through dark hair. Dick still wouldn’t look at him. This wasn’t going to be fun.

“Lian, honey, could you grab an ice pack for uncle Nightwing? I need to talk to auntie Donna quickly.”

He watched as she dutifully dropped her crayons, and rushed for the kitchen. He’d be safe in her tiny, caring hands, Roy knew that much. He glanced at Dick one last time – still angry – before going to meet Donna in the hall.

The door clicked closed behind him, “So what-“

“He fell. He was stupid, and he fell, Roy.” She ran her hands through her hair in frustration, “It was Slade again, he called me to help, and things got out of hand,”

“I can see that”

She raised her eyebrows and barked out a laugh, “He’s an idiot. He jumped to push me out of the way, Roy! I’m damn near indestructible, can you believe that?”

He shrugged, “Yeah.”

She shook her head as she walked away, looking smaller than usual.

-

“God, Dick.” Roy muttered under his breath as he re-entered the apartment. He knew those two fought from time to time, but he refused to get involved. They’d patch it up in a few days, they always did, but he had more pressing issues to attend to. Like that wrist, bent at a funny angle.

At least Dick was starting to melt a little, with Lian working her magic on him. She’d grabbed as many ice packs as she could hold, and put them on in all the wrong spots, but she held Dick’s hand and chattered about her day, which was probably more important anyway. No one could resist her charm.

He ushered her out of the living room, and into his own, where he could set her up in front of the tv to keep her quiet like a good parent. When he returned, he saw that Lian had tucked her blankie around Dick’s shoulders. He took a moment to appreciate how lucky he was to have her – every parent thought they had the best kid, but they were wrong. It didn’t last, because Dick appeared to be dozing, setting alarm bells off in Roy’s head.

He rushed forward and knelt at the couch, “Hey, babe, you’ve got to stay awake.” He was careful not to be too loud, well aware of how bad concussions hurt. Dick’s eyes fluttered open, though his eyes were blown and unfocussed.

“I think Donna’s mad at me,” Dick frowned at Roy’s involuntary laugh, “hey, don’t be mean to me.” He fought his way into a sitting position, icepacks cascading onto the floor, and glared down at the cackling readhead.

“I don’t think you know how much trouble you’re in, love. Truly.”

“I have a pretty good idea.” His words were a little slurred, but he was regaining consciousness quickly. Only a mild concussion, he surmised. Lucky.

“No, you don’t.” he shook his head, and looked around for the med kit he kept stashed near by, for exactly this reason.

Roy trusted Dick, and he was by no means defenceless. A fierce fighter, unparalleled at hand to hand, fast as hell, and smarter than anyone Roy had ever met. But – like Donna said – he was reckless. Stupidly so. And it was at times like these that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dick would die before his time. He let himself stare for a moment – messy black curls, a stubbornly set jaw, and startlingly blue eyes, glassy but still breathtaking.

-

Once Roy was satisfied with his patch job, Dick had showered and taken the legal amount of ibuprofen, and Lian was tucked in bed for the night, he decided it was time. He gathered his courage, and walked into the living room to yell at the battered-bat-brat on his couch.

Dick, to his credit, had the decency to look sheepish. He was avoiding eye contact again, but he shifted over on the couch, and patted the spot next to him for Roy.

“I’m going to remain standing for this, if you don’t mind.” He planted his feet, and crossed his arms.

“Yep.”

“What. Were you thinking.”

“I was-“

Roy cut him off sharply, “Trick question, because you weren’t.” He raised his eyebrows as Dick opened his mouth to retort something in defiance, before huffing, and looking away again, intransigent.

“Dick, it isn’t just you anymore.” He implored, not that it ever was. Dick has always been surrounded by more love than he knew what to do with. But he’s an adult now, and he has to learn some time. “How would Donna feel. You know she’d blame herself.”

“I know.” He buried his head in his good hand, the other strapped safely across his chest. They’d need to go and get it x-rayed in the next few days, but for now it was enough.

“And what would I tell Lian.” Roy didn’t think it was possible, but Dick’s shoulders slumped even further. “It’s not fair when you do this, Rob.” He plead, slipping back into the habit of old nicknames. He hated these conversations, both on the giving and receiving end.

“I was just trying to protect her.” The brunette snapped, clearly before he could think better of it. God, he was always like this. Impulsive and steadfast. His eyes were guarded, and Roy knew that he was a matter of seconds away from shutting down.

“Donna can handle herself.” But Roy wasn’t going to let that happen, they were going to hash this out, damn it.

Dick screwed up his face, running his hand through his hair, “I know that.” He huffed, looking about ready to bolt, fist clenched, and eyes fixed anywhere but Roy.

“Rob, the whole world doesn’t need to be on your shoulders.” He said, and watched the other deflate a little. Good, he seemed to be getting through that thick scull. Figuring the worst of the chewing-out was over, he treaded forward and knelt on the couch beside Dick, careful not to jostle him. He reached to take his hand, smoothing his fingers out and stroking at the dug-in crescents.

“It’s just because she cares. We all do.” He brought Dick’s hand to his lips and brushed kisses across his knuckles. “You can’t just leave us, Damian would revolt, you know we can’t handle him.”

“He’s not that bad”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Dick brought his knees up onto the couch, and turned to look at Roy finally, cupping his face with his hand, and staring deep into his eyes. “I’ll- I’ll think more next time. I’ll be more careful.”

“You just terrify me.” He smiled tiredly, and rested his hand atop Dick’s. They’d had this conversation so many times, starting as hot-head kids, throwing punches, hurling insults, and using kisses as weapons. Neither of them had the energy for that anymore, battered and bruised deep down in their souls. It had been too many years, now. They were both reckless and stupid, but he had Lian to watch out for now, and Dick had Damian to mentor, and he just wanted just wanted to shake him until he understood.

“We all need you, Rob. I don’t know what I’d do-” he couldn’t finish that. It was a dark place in his psyche that he wandered through late at night when sleep wouldn’t come. What would he do when he finally heard the news he feared most. Death wasn’t a stranger to them, in this game. They’d both seen its ravages first hand, the changes it wrought in both Jason and Damian, the terrible, unflinching grief they had felt for Donna, and the scars that remained years on from Dick’s time as Batman. He couldn’t go through that again. He was weary down to his bones.

“I’m sorry,” Dick burst out, and it was earnest. Roy let him collapse into his chest, only drawing him closer. He buried his face in damp, black curls, and dropped kisses at the crown of his head.

They sat in silence, and let the moment wash over them. It was nice to be together again, after weeks of clashing schedules and bullshit two minute catch-ups. Roy let his anger subside, and contemplated on the life he’d built for himself. A big, tidy apartment (excepting Lian’s toys, scattered across the room) in Manhattan, a close group of friends, an amazing relationship (stressful as it may be), and Lian, his pride and joy. He let himself be at peace for now. They weren’t done, but they both needed this. They both needed to just breathe.

“You’re gonna need to call Donna, first thing tomorrow.” Roy mumbled into his hair, and ran his fingers down his back, just because he could. “She’s scary. You’re on your own there, buddy.”

Dick laughed for the first time that evening, and shifted so he could press kisses of his own where Roy’s shoulder met his neck. “She’ll be fine once she cools off.”

“You’re awfully confident. Did you miss her dropping you at my door step and storming off?” he made sure there was no bite in his words – or as little as he could manage.

“I’ll make it up to her.” He said, resolutely. “And I’ll make it up to you too – thank you.”

Roy smiled and let his eyes fall shut, feeling comfortable and complete in the moment. “You know I’m always here for you. Ride or die.”

He felt Dick shake against him as he laughed, “God, you’re so lame. I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”

“Your dad say you can’t hang out with me?”

“Yeah, he says you’re a bad influence.” They were both laughing now, Their banter was easy, after almost two decades of friendship, and a ten years of something else. Unnamed, but by no means any less real. He loved Dick, and he knew Dick loved him back. Unconditionally.

-

The next morning, Roy woke to Lian clambering into the bed, and flopping down on top of him. Dick stirred, but didn’t wake - he wasn’t a morning person. Usually Roy would bug him, kissing anywhere he could reach, and prodding him until he was too awake to fall back asleep. Today, however, Dick needed rest. In the morning light, the black and blue bruising seemed more alarming, more real. But it wasn’t anything they hadn’t both dealt with before.

Roy pressed a gentle kiss to Dick’s cheek, watching him smile as he dozed, before scooping Lian up, and taking her with him to make breakfast.

“Pancakes.” She stated, and he knew there was no room for negotiation.

He set her up on the kitchen bench, handed her one of her books, and set to fixing them. Roy was almost certain they were out of flour, but failure wasn’t an option.

Some time later, when Lian had lost interest in stirring the batter, and was singing nonsense, mashed up, nursery rhymes, Dick appeared from the bedroom. He was sleep rumpled, and looked soft in Roy’s too-big sweats that he had commandeered long ago.

“Good morning, princess!” he made a bee-line for Lian, first, letting her pat his face and pull his hair. Roy felt his heart melt all over again, as Dick peppered her chubby, baby cheeks with kisses and raspberries, and she laughed. He watched on from the stove, careful not to let Lian’s pancake burn. She was very particular, and wouldn’t hesitate to tell him if he did it wrong. He was surrounded by nothing but stubborn people.

Finally, Dick drew away from Lian and crossed the kitchen to greet Roy with a kiss that made his knees weak. He thought he could get used to this.

“Good morning,” he smiled against Dick’s lips, quickly turning the stove down, before wrapping the brunet up in his arms, and kissing down his neck, in as PG-13 a way he possibly could. Dick just laughed and held on, keeping some distance for his wrists sake.

“Daddy it’s burning!” Lian shrieked and hopped down from the bench, running to shove her father for his attention. It worked, and they both snapped reluctantly from the moment.

Dick stepped away, letting Roy pick Lian up and balance her on his hip, returning to the task at hand.

“It looks like you’ve got your hands full here,” he started towards the window by the fire escape, pulling out his phone as he went. “Save one for me!”

Roy watched for a moment as Dick started climbing for the roof. All bats were the same, and seemed to do their best thinking at higher altitudes. He just hoped that Donna was in a forgiving mood.

-

Almost an hour later Dick wandered into Lian’s room, where Roy was helping her get dressed for the day. She was insisting on a spiderman shirt paired with a pink tutu, and it all clashed horribly. Maybe she spent too much time around uncle Nightwing, and his garish fashion sense was rubbing off on her.

Dick seemed lighter, as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He dropped down to Lian’s level with Roy, and started working on untangling her hair. They worked well as a team, shocker, and she was ready to face the day in record time.

“What do you want to do today, princess?” Dick asked, scooping her up and nuzzling her cheeks, and Roy marvelled at the family he’d built himself.

-

They ended up spending most of the day in the ER, waiting to get Dick’s wrist scanned. They bickered – Dick refused namedrop that he was a Wayne, even though it would get them through triage faster, and Roy didn’t like Dick taking Lian to the vending machine for chips. It was hardly a day for the memory bank, but they were happy. And in this game, that was more than enough.

[flashhwing]

daylights and midnights and cups of coffee

pairing: DonnaKory summary: Donna, a down-on-her-luck photographer, is looking for a new roommate; Kory, a popular model, is looking for a place to live.  It's a match made in heaven, right? please check the notes for ao3 link

Donna was going to need a new roommate.  Which was a shame, really.  She was starting to truly enjoy her newfound freedom after finally kicking Kyle out of the apartment (a whole month after they broke up, too; it was about time), but.  Well.  Two bedroom, two storey walk-ups in lower Manhattan didn’t exactly come on a bartender’s paycheck.

Stupid artist Kyle and his need for a whole-ass bedroom for “studio space.”  He could’ve just set up his easel in the living room.  They could’ve saved so much on rent.  But no, he just had to insist.  And now he’s fucked off and saddled Donna with this extra room.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of an extra room must be in want of a roommate.

(Okay, maybe she could get a new apartment, but she quite liked this one.  It had granite countertops, and good water pressure, and four cabinets in the kitchen.  That was three cabinets more than her friend Roy had in his East Village studio.)

“Roy only has one cabinet?”

“That’s beside the point!  I need a roommate, and I really don’t wanna look on Craigslist.”

“Hmm.”  Dick sat on the customer side of the bar, wearing a thoughtful expression and brandishing an almost-full pint of Sam Adams in one hand.  Donna didn’t like where that was going.  Dick’s ‘thoughtful looks’ usually ended in spectacularly bad plans and possible bodily harm, and if he spilled that beer it’d be hers to clean up.  Unfair.  The bar wasn’t even open yet.

“Don’t give me that ‘hmm.’  What are you thinking?”  Please don’t let her regret asking.

“Well.  You’re in want of a roommate, right?” Dick raised one eyebrow.  “I happen to know a fantastic lady in want of a room.”

How weirdly and coincidentally helpful of him.

“Sounds perfect,” said Donna.  “What’s wrong with her?”

“What’s … wrong with her?”

“Yeah.”  Donna shrugged.  “What’s wrong with her?  Why doesn’t she have a place to live?”

“Uhh, nothing?  She’s new in town, just moved from LA.”

“Ohhh, so she’s one of your celebrity friends?”  Dick had a habit of befriending celebrity-adjacent people.  He was Rich (with a capital R), and hung out with models and musicians and people who worked on movies.  People on magazine covers.  He had VIP passes to most of the clubs in Midtown because he knew the owners of most of the clubs in Midtown.  

Really, some of Dick’s acquaintances weren’t the sort of people who’d give a down-on-her-luck bartender the time of day.

Dick rolled his eyes.  “I guess you could say that.  She’s great though: she’s fun, she’s down to Earth, she’s stylish – just your type!”

“My type?”

“Of friend!  She’s your type of friend.”

Donna didn’t sigh, but it was a close call.  “That’s great, but it doesn’t tell me anything.  Is she clean?  Is she loud?  Sounds like money’s not an issue, but is she responsible?”

“Yes to all of that.”

“Loud isn’t a good thing, Dick.”

“Okay fine.”  Dick shrugged and leaned back.  “If you can’t accept that one flaw, I guess you’ll have to just find some schmuck off Craigslist.”

“No, it’s.”  Donna groaned.  “It’s fine. What’s her name?”

“Kory.”

She’d heard that name.

“Kory.  You don’t mean your ex, Kory?”

“Is that a problem?”

Donna pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Why are you trying to set me up with your ex?”

“Hey, not all exes are created equal!” Dick said, maybe a little too quickly.  “I know you’re still reeling from Kyle, but Kory’s not some slack-off jerk-face like him.  Promise.”

“Well, if you promise.”

Dick tilted his head pointedly.  “Oh, come on.  We broke up like two years ago and I’m still friends with her.  That should be recommendation enough.”

“That doesn’t mean much.  You’re friends with all your exes.  Roy … Babs …”

“Yeah, coz I don’t date assholes.”

Donna narrowed her eyes.  What happened that patented Dick Grayson charm?  Or was that reserved for strangers and reporters, old friends be damned?

He must’ve seen the look on her face, because he quickly tacked on, “Too soon?”

All he got in response was a small hmph.

“Sorry.  But seriously, why are you being so resistant?”

Why was she being resistant?  This was good, technically.  She’d spent the last two weeks asking around for friends of friends of friends who were possibly looking for a place to live, with no luck.  And here Dick was, suggesting someone who definitely (probably?  How much did models make?) had enough money that rent wouldn’t be a problem.  Someone he knew and held in high regard – and as much as Donna liked to tease him, Dick was a good judge of character.  Kory should be, more or less, a perfect roommate.  So, what was Donna’s problem?

Maybe it was that she’d met Kory once and could say, without exaggeration, that she was the most intimidatingly beautiful woman Donna had ever seen.

Not that she could say that to Dick.

“I’m not … I’m not being resistant,” Donna said.  “Go ahead and give her my number.  Have her call me if she’s interested.  And either drink that beer or get out, we’re opening.”

Dick slid his glass across the bar and hopped off his stool with a mock salute.  “Knew you’d give in.  See ya tomorrow, Troy?”

“Later, Dick.”

Kory moved in two days later, on a Friday.

It wasn’t like Donna hadn’t met Kory before.  She had, once, during her senior year of college.  It was at some Wayne Enterprises banquet she had to attend for her scholarship.  Dick had introduced them, and Kory had told some story about her sister and an angry pelican, and Donna had walked away from the encounter with a general feeling of holy shit.

But that was two years ago, and even the memory of holy shit wasn’t enough to prepare Donna for the sight of Kory Anders, popular instagram model, standing in her living room with two suitcases and a hairless cat.

She just seemed so … out of place.  Donna’s apartment wasn’t bare by any means; there was a couch, a tv, curtains on the windows, and even some of Donna’s prints framed on the wall.  She had a rug on the floor and a blanket thrown over the couch.  It was all very tasteful – and of course it was, having housed pair of artists for nearly two years.

The apartment could be a Renaissance painting, all soft light and muted colors.  And there Kory stood, with her dyed pink hair and flagrantly purple, sleeveless blouse.  Like one bold, bright stroke of paint right down the center of the canvas.

And wow, Donna really needed to get Kyle out of her head.  She was a photographer, not a painter, dammit!

“Your home is lovely,” Kory said with a small smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes.

“Thank you,” Donna replied.  “Here, let me grab one of your bags.”  They were both lime green, but otherwise mismatched.  One was a large, hard-shelled roller, the other a half-sized canvas duffel bag.

Most of Donna’s accessories were black (or at least very dark jewel-tones).  Black was practical.  It went with everything, didn’t stand out, never looked dirty … an all-around useful color, really.  

But all of thirty seconds in Kory’s presence, and Donna thought she could stand for more greens or purples or pinks in her life.

Best not read too much into that...

She led Kory to the spare room and gestured around.  “So this’ll be your room.”

Kory looked around, humming appraisingly.  She let the cat jump out of her arms, and Donna gave it a wary eye.  The apartment was pet-friendly, and Kory had assured her that Silkie (seriously, the cat’s name was Silkie) was house-trained, but Donna had never lived with a cat before.  She was more of a dog person, herself.

Plus his wrinkly, pink skin was a little off-putting.  Still, she supposed he was cute in his own sort of disgusting way.

“What are those?”  Kory gestured with her chin towards the ceiling.

Donna looked up and grimaced.  “Yeah, those.  This was Kyle’s studio and he wanted, uh, glowy stars?  For some reason?  I haven’t been able to get them down, sorry.”

“That’s fine.”  Kory said airily.  “It adds a bit of whimsy.”

Donna thought Kory probably knew a lot about whimsy.  Amazingly, the thought wasn’t in her judgemental voice.

“I don’t have a bed or any furniture for you,” Donna said, eyeing the two (only two?) bags Kory had packed.  “Do you …?”

“I’ll have to purchase them,” Kory said.  “I left everything in LA and only brought what I need.”

“Sounds expensive.”

“You can always find cheap furniture,” Kory said as if it was the simplest fact of life.  “I find it easier to replace things than to try and carry them everywhere.”

“Not me, sister,” Donna said, leading Kory back out to the living area.  “That couch is staying with me ‘till the day I die.”

Kory looked at the couch with an inquisitive eye as Donna ducked under the counter separating the living room from the kitchen.  The couch wasn’t anything special, Donna knew – not even a full set.  Just a loveseat and an armchair, both a deep red color.  They weren’t overstuffed, but they weren’t threadbare either.  Overall, it was an exceedingly average couch.

“Does it have some sentimental value?”

“Nope.”  Donna emerged with a three-quarters full bottle of Chianti.  She popped the cork and poured two generous glasses.  “I just like the color red.”

Kory smiled.  It pulled one corner of her mouth higher than the other and made her eyes soft.  Donna smiled in kind and handed her a glass.

“To new roomies,” Donna said, raising her glass.

“To new roomies,” Kory repeated, clinking her glass against Donna’s.  As she took a sip, Donna couldn’t help but notice the wine matched Kory’s lipstick.

A thought occurred to her.

“Hold up.”  Kory stopped, glass still held to her lips.  Donna put up her thumb and forefinger, framing Kory’s face between them  “Stay right there,” she added with a grin.

Kory seemed to catch on as Donna ran to her room for her camera.  Dick must’ve told her Donna was a photographer.  

It wasn’t like she was a professional or anything.  Well, technically she was, had a degree and a practice and all, but mostly she did shoots for senior photos or family portraits or whatever.  She’d tried to do freelance for some magazines, but apparently nobody was interested in pictures from some no-name bartender in New York.  Something about them being a dime-a-dozen.  Even attaching her name to Dick’s (he offered) hadn’t done the trick.

Not that she was giving up.  She still sent out her portfolio and did interviews every chance she got.  She had an instagram with a decent following.  It just … wasn’t enough to live on.

Hence the bartending.

“So where do you want me?”  Kory was perched on one of the kitchen stools when Donna came back out.  Her legs were crossed and she held her wine glass delicately in the air, elbow resting on the counter.

“Right there, actually.”  Donna grinned.  She hadn’t worked with a subject who actually knew what they were doing since college.  This was going to be fun.  “You don’t mind, do you?” she added as she flitted around the room, adjusting the lights to be soft and flattering.

“Oh, not at all,” Kory replied.  “I was actually going to ask how much you charge.”

“How much –”  Donna stopped in her tracks.  A popular model wanted to pay her for her services?  Usually she had random strangers trying to get her to work for free.  “Well, I was gonna give you the friends and family discount.”

“And how much is that?”

“Free.”

Kory’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.  “Free?  Donna, do not undersell yourself.  Everyone else will.”

Donna snorted.  “Ain’t that the truth.  But no, this is just for fun.  Call it a bonding exercise or something.  Besides, I’m not gonna charge you when you haven’t hired me.  You don’t even know how good I am.”

“Dick showed me your instagram.  I may be just a model, but I know good art when I see it,” Kory said with a wink.

“Oh, Miss Anders.”  Don’t blush, don’t fucking blush.  “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Will it now?”

“You know it.”  It wasn’t what Donna wanted to say, but she didn’t want to scare Kory off ten minutes after meeting her.  “Alright so … look at the door.”

“What’s my mood?”

Donna considered for a moment.  “You’re on a blind date set up by your best friend, and it’s going great.”

Kory’s demeanor barely changed.  Her posture straightened, her fingers curled a little looser around her glass, and her eyes seemed almost imperceptibly brighter.

“Are they funny?” she asked.

“Mm … they’re witty.”  Donna snapped three shots in quick succession.  “You’re vibing pretty hard.”

“Are they pretty?”

“Just your type.”

Two more shots.  Kory sucked in her lips in what might’ve been the most adorable expression Donna’d ever seen a person bear.  She took three more shots.

“Are we coming back to my place after?”

“Uh … you might wanna buy a bed first.”

Kory threw back her head and laughed.  There.  That was the energy Donna wanted.  She took five shots before Kory turned to look at the camera.

“I think we’re gonna get along splendidly, Miss Troy.”

Donna didn’t bother holding back the grin spreading across her face.

“I think you’re right, Miss Anders.”

[gobydana]

Leaving Part 6

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part 6, Part 7,

Y/N was able to find a job at a diner near the townhouse. They got to work on decorating Rose’s room in the princess theme she wanted.. The two soon found themselves settling into a routine. Rose was excited to have both her parents around.

Jason went back to patrolling. He would sometimes be gone for awhile on a mission with Roy or Kori, but they didn’t last as long as before. Bruce noticed he was less reckless. If he got too tussled up at night, he would head to the cave or another siblings place to patch up. He didn’t want his daughter waking up to see her dad bleeding out. Someone would always make sure to let Y/N know he was okay.

One night after a rough patrol, Jason came home to finding Y/N waiting up for him. She was still in her work uniform. Cass had been watching Rose in the short time between her getting off and Jason leaving for patrol.

He had stopped a few thugs bugging some street girls. Right as he was heading out, he noticed two kids hiding behind a dumpster. His heart ached as it reminded him of when he and Y/N were young. He went to grab them food. They took it and ran, no doubt trying to leave before the police came to get the thugs.

The kids stuck with him the rest of the night He just kept seeing Y/N and him. He remember one time he stole some food and two candles. It was meant to light up the creepy room. They made jokes about it being a fancy date, after all he managed to get hot sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Now here they were with a kid and he never took her out.

Coming home to her waiting up just made him feel even worse. He was nothing but shit to her before and yet she is willing to give him  a second chance. He thought it was time to prove that he had change.

“How was patrol.” She asked while setting down her book.

“Let’s go on  a date.”

“Okay that is random.”

“Why. I was thinking, we have known each other for a long time. Hell we have a kid together, yet never went on a date. Anyone of my siblings will watch Rose and the bat himself would as well. You complain that you wanted an excuse to dress up anyways.” He said. Part of him was scared she would turn him down. After all, they had been tip toeing around their feelings since coming back to Gotham.

“What would I wear. I own no dresses.”

Jason couldn’t contain his excitement and went to hug her while lifting her up. She started laughing as he finally put her down.

“I am sure either Stephanie or Cass might have a dress you can borrow.” He said.

They spent the rest of the night talking. Jason wouldn’t give any hints on where he wanted to take her. SHe had fun trying to get him to give some hint away. That night she fell asleep on his shoulder. Rose came running in that morning demanding pancakes.

To no one’s surprise, the whole family offered to watched Rose on the night scheduled for their date. Y/N thought for sure she was going to have to break up a fight. In the end she  suggested they do a movie night at the manor. Dick immediately got on board and insisted it be a Disney Marathon. Despite the groans from the rest of the family, they all came.

Bruce swung by after work, which he got out of early, to come pick Rose up. She insisted upon Jason packing her Cinderella pjs. Alfred had plenty of spare clothes for her there, but she wanted those pjs. Y/N laughed as Rose explained to Jason why she needed Cinderella pjs for watching Disney movies. Jason had yet to figure that there was no winning against a now four year old child.

After Rose left with Bruce, Jason went to work on some case items while Y/N went to get dress. For her it was hard to keep calm. She had been trying so hard to keep her feelings at bay. He had changed from back when she left him. Maybe fate was finally making up for lost time and allowing her happiness.

She finally came out of the room over an hour later. The dress was deep red and hung onto every curve. Her hair was down up and makeup on point. Jason turned to ask if she was finally read only to have his jaw drop. The dress had to have come from Stephanie and the 3 inch heels added to the look.

“You look amazing.” He said while drinking her in.

“Thank you. Nice to see you cleaned up too.” She remarked.

Jason had changed into dark jeans, a button down shirt, and traded the normal boots in for dark shoes. The black jacket hung next to the couch but helped to complete the look. His hair was still messy and to Y/N he looked sexy as can be. Her heat couldn’t stop beating frantically.

“Let’s go.” He finally managed to say.

The two decided to take the car. While Jason loved his bike, it wouldn’t work with Y/N’s dress. As they pulled out of the drive, he couldn’t help but laugh. He was dressed up and driving a car with a carseat in the back. It was a reminder at how far they came.

Alfred got them reservations at a fancy restaurant. No doubt Bruce had something set up so they wouldn’t be paying the bill. Despite the nice place, they couldn’t help old habits. Both were making comments on people around them. Giving gossip they heard or information Jason knew from Batman cases. For instance, the man over there was a mob boss. Y/N saw Jason sneak a text to Bruce letting him know the bosses location.

“Please tell me I am not the only one feeling out of place.” Y/N remarked.

“No trust me I am too, but Alfred said if I took you for the first date to a dive bar he was going to kill me. Not even Bruce’s no killing rule could help that.” Jason replied.

“I am thankful for being able to get dressed up. Though a sports bar would be nice during a Gotham Knights game.” Y/N said after taking a sip of wine.

“I’ve notice Rose already has a Gotham Knights shirt. Does she yell at the TV too.” He laughed.

“Not yet but there is hope. Kate offered to take us to a game.”

The rest of the night went smoothly. Jason would be lying if he didn’t say his heart felt like he just ran across Gotham. Never in his life had he been this nervous. On the drive home he was still debating on dropping her off and going to the manor or sleeping on the couch like he normally did.

Walking into the apartment, Jason was still running through a thousand scenarios in his head. He was so busy thinking that he didn’t notice Y/N getting closer. It was until he felt her kiss him that he took noticed. Quickly he kissed her back right as she turned to walk away.

“Goodnight cutie.” She hollered while going to shut her bedroom door. She turned back to give him a wave before shutting the door.

Life soon fell into a pattern for them. Y/N got into nursing college. Jason started taking some nights off from Red Hood. Luckily, since he worked at nights they didn’t need to worry about daycare cost anymore. Rose had started preschool as well. She loved the school she was in.

Jason’s family was very active in Rose’s life. One of his siblings always volunteering to watch her. It was good when they wanted to go on dates or get a night to themselves. Rose loved going over to the manor. Damian was teaching her Arabic too and would often read her children stories.

Around six months later, Jason was getting off the phone with Roy. The Outlaws needed to go on a mission that was bound to last a while. He really didn’t want to leave but wouldn’t turn Roy down. Plus there was something he needed to take care anyways. He got off the phone and headed towards Y/N’s room to tell her the news.

He opened the door to see her reading a book with a blanket over her lap. A cup of peppermint tea was on the nightstand. It was the same position she would be in after he came in from patrol. The sight always made him fall in love with her all over again.

“How is Roy?” She asked while going to put a bookmark in her book. It was one Jason had been bugging her to read.

“He is good. Umm need to go for a bit.” He said while scratching his head. “Most likely a month or longer.”

“Promise you will call when you can.” She said.

“Always.”

“When do you leave?” She asked.

“Tomorrow. I will let my family know so they can watch Rose when needed.” He said while going to give her a kiss.

“Stay with me tonight?” She said.

Jason crawled into bed holding her tight. He was going to miss her and Rose while gone, but it would be worth it when he came home.

Jason POV

The mission sucked but luckily he was able to call home often. He would try to hit before bedtime so that he could talk to Rose. While he was there he told Roy his plan. When they got back home, he was going to ask Y/N to marry him. They were even able to get a ring during a stakeout. Luckily the mission wrapped up early, so he planned to surprise her the night he got home.

Y/N POV

Y/N hated when Jason left because she was always afraid he wouldn’t come back. Taking care of Rose and school kept her busy enough not to think about it. It was at night when she was alone in bed that the fears would come back.

She also suspected he asked the family to check on her. Often she would come home to someone waiting. Alfred always brought food which was a blessing. After school all day it was a welcome sight. The family also cheered Rose up. She hated it when her dad was gone. If he called, she would run to the phone and talk non-stop until Y/N said she had to go to bed.

Tim had volunteered to watch Rose during her night classes on Thursdays. Her friend B/F/N would drive her since she didn’t like driving in Gotham at night. That night though she had to leave the lecture early due to being sick. Y/N swore she would be alright. The bus stop was not far from her place anyways.

The rain was coming down heavier than usual that night. Somehow she missed the stop and ended up a few miles from her place. Thinking she would be okay, she started walking home. Hopefully none of the bats see or there would be a long ass lecture coming her way.

The thought of getting home and away from the cold rain distracted her from paying attention. It wasn’t until she got grabbed that she noticed someone was following her. She tried fighting back but they were stronger than her.

“Put the girl down.” A robotic voice from around the corner said. A voice that Y/N would recognized anywhere.

Instead of letting go, the thug shot her and ran. It was a vain attempt to keep the Red Hood from killing himself.

Y/N’s hearing went fuzzy but she heard something about Batman going after the thug. Jason was talking but all she could was the panic in his voice. Her blood was going cold and her vision starting to fade. Fighting off the incoming blackness, she searched for Jason.

He ran towards her and held her. One arm was pressed against the bullet wound in her stomach, trying to stop the blood loss. Y/N reached her hand up towards his helmet trying to find the button, wanting to see his face one last time. He took it off for her and looked at her face, scared of what might happen.

“Jason” her voice came out raspy.

“Y/N save your energy. The medics are on the way. I need you to hang on until they get here, please.” Jason said, the please coming out almost as if begging her to stay alive.

“I love you Jason, but I think fate decided it was my turn to leave.”  She said slowly before her eyes closed.

Jason cried out trying to get her to wake back up. His body covered in her blood that would not stop. The sounds of sirens in the distance grew louder and the ring in his pocket mocked him.

The End? Don’t worry I am not that mean, well maybe. You see I want to end here but also need closure. So I am going to pull a 1988 DC move here and you decide the fate. Reader living or dying? I have both written but only one is going up.  You have until the night of my birthday, October 12, 11pm EST United States (or maybe the next morning cause well it's my birthday night.). So send me a message, an ask, or comment below. I will then tally it all and post the story the next day, most likely in the afternoon.

Tagging: @superwhoteen @spunky-89

[coolgirl]

Fic recs masterpost

ok so i used to have a lot of fics masterposts on my old blog and people keep asking for recs + i wont be able to upddate them or anything anymore so i decided to just move them all to this blog

under the cut: AUS / arkham knight / jaykyle / jayroy / robin!jason / gen / angst fics 

*: last added (april 4) //   for some reason the links arent working so go to jasontodd.tumblr.com/ficrecs for the links, sorry!

AUS

The Virtue of Revenge | young justice au with jason as red x making his own team with roy, starfire, raven, and others. i love it, even if it has shaky moments and stuff pls give it a chance.

crystal silence creeping down | young justice/lost days au

Flicker from View | another young justice au

Live to Rise | yes. you guessed it. young justice au.

Collide &  Convergence | au where post crisis jason goes to the young justice universe

The Changeling Sequence | series where jason meets damian before he went to gotham. The last part is a wip that i doubt will ever get updated again, so uh be careful. read only the first or second part and forget about the third.

The Drag of Fate | au where jason is lady shiva’s son as well. Part of a series, which i also highly recommend but idk if they would be au as well

heavy on the heart | another jason and cass are bio siblings. A+.

Didymous | cass and jason are twins.

repairing the world | i dont know how to explain this series.. its an au and really really good. Jason doesn’t appear in all the pieces.

just go  | jayroy, wings au

In the Shadows (of Who We Used to Be) | jayroy, black widow & hawkeye au

The Family (or how Jason Todd was adopted by the Avengers) | marvel crossover

bad boys bad boys (whatcha gonna dooo) ♫ | jason is damian’s batman. iconic fic imo.

Rise (And Try Not to Fall) | star wars au

A Bird in Morning | bruce finds jason when he’s at the hospital after crawling out of his grave

Moment Between | ghost jason & ghost martha and thomas wayne

We’re not in Crime Alley Anymore | au where jason was younger when bruce took him (and he didnt become robin)

Perhaps The World Ends Here | marvel crossover, future jaykyle

Batten Down the Hatches | a few different aus here. young justice + helena wayne

My Brother's Keeper | jason & damian knew each other from before + damian arrives to gotham just for jason

When the Moon Found the Sun | main story is clark/bruce but it’s preetty cute. soulmates au.

Between the Light and the Dark* | damian & jason uuhm i cant remember what this one was about per se bc im reading like 5487 similar fics but yeah

Two Dead Birds  | time travel stuff

Red Blood, Blue Blood | jason (and the rest of the batkids) are bruce’s biological kids, yeah i wasnt a big fan of the premise at first either but its gud

Rebirth | talia & jason, mind the warnings

you belong among the wildflowers | kate n renee adopt jason instead of bruce

We're the warriors of tomorrow |  Cass, Jason and Damian meet while with the League of Shadows

Can You Hear Me?  | ghost jason

to death's other kingdom I will not go  | bruce makes it on time au

The Ties That Bind  |  The pit restores Jason's body but not his mind, Ra's makes him one of his assassins and Talia adopts him as her own.

death’s outlet song of life* | the gordons find jason before the events of lost days

reflections on shattered mirrors.* | talia & jason stuff

Come Alive* | young justice s3 based

A Path Upon The Ground* | au from lost days, eddie and jason meet again

ARKHAM VERSE

If He Had Come & the sequel  Desiderium | au where bruce rescued jason before he could become the arkham knight.

the roads we know

this gun needs no bullets

JASON & BRUCE CENTRIC (not romantic)

Quack | this one is so crackish but so so cute i love it, robin jason

If He Had Come & sequel Desiderium  | arkham knight verse and its so good and has a lot of bruce & jason feels

Neverland /  Keep Lying To Me | deaged/ little jason from another universe.. sad and cute

Icarus and Bubble Gum | fluff, robin jason

Knock On Death’s Door | bit of both but not so so so angst, red hood jason

dead and dying things | au

In Memoriam | angst, trying to fix their relationship, red hood jason

If the Fates Allow | angst, red hood jason

The D-Word | fluff kind of.. red hood jason

This Place We Built With Grace and Guilt | angst angst angst, red hood jason

I Love You | robin jason, fluff

Wayward Birds | fluff and angst, robin jason

yesterday’s gone, yeah it went away (i’ve been lost but i’m here today) | another trying to fix their relationship fic, its cute and sad

We’re not in Crime Alley Anymore | au where jason was younger when bruce took him (and he didnt become robin)

Little Absences | sad, robin & red hood

Schrödinger's Honest Man | sad, drugs tw, absolute fave

White Christmas | bruce & robin!jason

Frozen History | de-age

Stargazer | jason n bruce patching their relationship.. its iconic

Unconventional Family Reunions | bvs setting

Prompt: Trapped | mind the warnings

Safe In My Arms 

The Failures of Reverse Engineering  | ghhm not really bruce & jason maybe?

to death's other kingdom I will not go | bruce saves jason au

points of impact  | glass case get fucked

is it my fault? (we've been missing each other)*

waiting for you. *

The Little Things*

World's Finest* | my uwus my uwus have fallen everywhere

JAYKYLE (all iconic)

In Which Kyle Confesses The Same Thing Six Times

milk and honey

Batman vs Space Bureaucracy

deadlock

attention to detail

tempest in a teapot

violet tendencies

no love, no glory (no hero in his skies)

keep the door open for me

waffles and war 

The Art of Subtlety (jason lives au)

Perhaps The World Ends Here | marvel crossover, future jaykyle

Riding in Batcars with Boys

boy, you fill my lungs with sweetness

no chance, no way, i won't say it (no, no)  

a change in the atmosphere

invitation to commitment

Overexposed 

i deserve that, don't i, some sort of blazing love that i can live with 

i won't say 

The water is always warmest at dawn

JAYROY (all iconic too)

sleepless 

Countdown

just go (wings au)

Unspoken

(for thy love is) better than wine (E)

Rooftops

Dick Wolf is a Really Funny Name

A headache isn’t always a bad thing

sad eyes, bad guys, mouth full of white lies [high school au]

kairosclerosis 

The Night They Met 

march down an empty street (like a ship into the storm) *

Archange de la mort (rallume ton flambeau) * | hic warning lol

this time, the loser wins | steph & jason centric though

So Baby Come Light Me Up *

Little Talks *

All the light is never ending, much like you and I; *

Don't let me go, for I feel I may fall * | soulmates au

Something Reckless * 

OTHERS

how to make a home. * | some eddie/jason if you squint, rose/eddie/jason team up

This Car Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us* | could be read as jayconnor :3

Robin/young!Jason

The Art of Subtlety | jason lives au, jaykyle

Little Absences | sad, robin & red hood

I Love You | robin jason, fluff

Wayward Birds | fluff and angst, robin jason

Icarus and Bubble Gum | fluff, robin jason

Quack | this one is so crackish but so so cute i love it, robin jason

we were not tragedies | jason & babs, read warnings

Heavy Home | gen, alfred & jason

Good News (No One Mourns the Wicked) | Jason & steph & damian. harold they’re dead (kinda robin!jason??)

Love Yourself (So No One Has To) | good amazing au with some selina & jason (not really.. robin but it starts as robin!jason i guess?)

Moment Between | ghost jason & ghost martha and thomas wayne

We’re not in Crime Alley Anymore | au where jason was younger when bruce took him (and he didnt become robin)

Tired &  Laundry | kinda au, read tw!

Smoke | jason & jim gordon

White Christmas | bruce & robin!jason

is it my fault? (we've been missing each other)* | mix of present and past jason

Sidekick* 

waiting for you.* | technically baby jason

The Little Things*

World's Finest* | oh this one.. my uwus

GEN

hold on to what  we are, hold on to your heart | gen, Barbara & Jason friendship. Some dinahbabs & jayroy

gotta give the boy points | gen, absolute fave

Strangers in Nothing but Name | marvel crossover, side steve/bucky

If He Had Come |  Desiderium | Arkham Verse, gen

I can’t  think up a good  name for this | young justice verse, gen apart from canon relationships

A Better Thesis | gen, p short but i loved it

The  F-Word | gen, batboys being batboys

until i’m in my grave | gen, wip 

Robins United | gen, batkids bonding, except for cass, thats my only complaint

Free of Dogma | gen, canon divergence, marvel crossover w Jason & Bucky

bad boys bad boys (whatcha gonna dooo) ♫ | au where damian is jasons robin and not dick’s, obviously damian & jason brotp. 

Heavy Home | gen, alfred & jason

In the  Shadow of Two Gunmen | gen, Marvel crossover

Flicker from View | side Barbara/Dick, young justice verse

I Love You | gen, Bruce & Jason

how to  hide a stray resurrected superhero from your parents/parental figure | au, jason & tim friendship kinda

One For The Road | Jason/Roy/Koriand’r but its SO cute

Baby,  It’s Cold Outside | gen, Dick & Jason

The  (Family) Doctor’s  Appointment | gen, batboys bonding

The Family (or how Jason Todd was adopted by the Avengers) | marvel crossover, gen

Reason | wip, gen, canon divergence

Soliloquy | gen, tim & Jason brotp,  and really cute batfam moments

Red As The Shadow Of Death | gen, young justice/under the red hood verse

Give Yourself a Chance | gen, duke & Jason & leslie brotpish

homecoming | outlaws brotp fic, could be considered shippy if you want to

And I Said What About Breakfast at Tiffany’s | jason & steph

Of Bats and the Forsaken | jason & all the batkids, side steph/cass and jay/roy if you squint

this is a long drive (for three robins who don’t agree on much) | no capes au, steph & jason & damian, background tim/tam

The Dying of the Light | marvel crossover, bucky & jason, canon divergence

Cat | selina &  jason, catlad au

Killing for Love | cass & jason, au  where jason was lady shivas son  

Keep Lying To Me | de-aged au, just heartbreaking imo, cursed fic

The Social Habits of Robin | gen, batboys. Where_is_cass.jpg tho

Steph and Jay’s Excellent Adventures | series, Steph & Jason

Neverland | jason & batkids, young!jay travels to the future. sad asad sad

on a thin chain of moments and something like faith | gen, jason & cass & steph mostly. really good

Good News (No One Mourns the Wicked) | Jason & steph & damian. harold they’re dead

In a Parallel Life | batboys focused, it has amazing dialogue, dynamics, and characterization. It’s only missing Cass and the rest of the girls.

repairing the world | series, not everything is about the batfam.

Born to Run (Born to Rise) | Jason & Talia having a mother/son relationship reblog if you agree

Live to Rise | it updated again p recently so yay! young justice verse

To Save a Dying City  | jason + other people

Let’s Have Some Fun This Beat Is Sick | mostly damian centric

Movie Night: The Mummy  | read trigger warnings, batboys

The Trading Chain  | not jason centric, but it has cass being older than jason and calling him “little brother” so noice

we sure know how to run free  | jason & cass

Yesterday’s Voices | bruce loses his memory au

Nests and Cages series | read trigger warnings

Roots | barbara centric, really good plot and characterization

Love Yourself (So No One Has To) | good amazing au with selina & jason

Retrograde Motion | de aged jason au

Provenance | mostly roy centric, bruce fucks oliver’s life for what he did to roy. iconic

Schrödinger's Honest Man | sad, drugs tw, absolute fave 

Batten Down the Hatches | a few different aus here. young justice + helena wayne

My Brother's Keeper | jason & damian knew each other from before + damian arrives to gotham just for jason

White Christmas | bruce & robin!jason

until i'm in my grave v2 | this one is already mentioned in this post BUUUT the writer started rewriting it so!

Frozen History | de-age

Stargazer | jason n bruce patching their relationship.. its iconic

show me yesterday, for i can’t find today | time travel au

Warm Enough | alfred & jay fluff

Parallels | mia & jason team up

Legacy | reverse robins, not jason centric but hes there alright.. i think.. i cant remember :D

What are the words I'm forbidden to say?* | damian & jay fluff

Cracked Foundation| jason n damian

Cat's Cradle  | more jason n damian

spaces in between  | damian & jason again

When the lights go out  | damian & jason, theres a pattern here

in my head, i do everything right | some jason & steph

is it my fault? (we've been missing each other)* | past & future jason

life, if well lived* | jason travels back in time and meets martha & thomas wayne

In Charge * | babie jason

Pyrrhic victory* | jason & damian stuff

Twists and Turns* | more jason & damian bonding

Of Brothers and Batcows* | guess what.. yes! more jason & damian

This Car Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us* | jason & connor.. say no more!

First Gear* | back to jason & damian please read this.. damian tries to teach jason to drive

changing, falling, fading (please watch over me)* | jason bonds with damian & steph

ANGST

Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death [read the trigger warnings!!]

in the repairing the world series there are a lot of fics dealing with jason, tho Warm Enough ugh not all are centered around him. I would say read  Escalation | Coup de Grâce |  Interlude for the rh!jason arc, and  Tired &  Laundry for robin!jason. [also read trigger warnings]

Countdown | jason/roy]

those six days [trigger warnings again!!!]

Call | angst

the tune without the words  | kind of character study from jim gordon’s pov

Unspoken | jason/roy, really angsty if you remember how red hood arsenal ended

If He Had Come & Desiderium | arkham knight verse, read trigger warnings!

Reason | on hiatus :/

hold on to what we are, hold on to your heart   | this is my favorite ever.. read trigger warnings

Heavy Home | alfred & jason

until i’m in my grave [trigger warnings!]

Keeping Broken Pieces Together

Monsters | marvel crossover

gotta give the boy points | this one please!!!! another fav. read trigger warnings

The weight of it [trigger warnings!]

Live to Rise | young justice verse

Neverland | THIS ONE IS PURE ANGST!!! please its so sad..

Keep Lying To Me | this one has some angsty scenes too im sad emoji

hangman is coming down from the gallows  | some angst

Movie Night: The Mummy  | read trigger warnings, batboys

Love Yourself (So No One Has To)

All in the Blood [read trigger warnings]

Little Absences

Stargazer | jason n bruce patching their relationship.. its iconic

Rebirth * | mind the warnings and its really. sad.

The Failures of Reverse Engineering *

Eternal Soliloquy * | sad sad

throw me a lifeline (I might even catch it) *

changing, falling, fading (please watch over me) * | jason & steph & dami angst

[jaydier-blog1]

headcanon time! (please do not reblog this!)

jason is the go-to person for bruce-is-an-asshole-and-if-i-have-to-see-his-face-for-one-more-second-im-going-to-scream and it’s the worst kept open secret in the batfam

nobody really likes to straight up acknowledge it, but jason’s apartment is a safehaven from bruce. jason keeps the window unlocked when he’s out of the city/country because sometimes people just need a getaway.

and everyone has their own little ways of asking jason if they can come over (the answer’s always yes, but it’s better not to surprise the red hood. lessons were learned the hard way).

damian will text jason and ask for his xbox live password (knowing full well that it’s been arsenalroxursox69 ever since roy set up xbox live for jason in the first place)

tim sends jason a text asking him to pretty please put a coffee maker in his safehouse. jason refuses, but tells tim the french press is in the third cupboard to the right of the stove, knowing his replacement will be looking for it within the next ten minutes

stephanie has a habit of announcing herself with a handful of glitter (a la ‘prove it!’), which makes jason bitch about getting it out of the carpet. the carpet is still sparkly. jason pretends it annoys him. they both know better

cass sends jason about twenty different emojis which make absolutely no sense, which is cass-speak for i’m ready to smack a bitch, so jason just reminds her where the punching bag is and that he has popcorn and disney movies when she’s worked through her frustration

barbara insists she’s only here to upgrade his security, but she tends to linger and raid his fridge and doesn’t really touch his security at all, even though she knows she’s one of two people jason trusts with it

dick leaves jason a voicemail going on a long-winded explanation about how they haven’t had quality brother-bonding time in a while and he’s bringing over a six pack of beer and an order of take-out from the thai place in midtown that jason would kill a man over. even when jason’s not in the country, when he comes home there’s a couple cans and some leftovers still in the fridge

[spoiled-batgirl]

Alice in Gunpowder chapter 2

Fandom: Red Hood/Batman, DC comics Au: Alice in wonderland, dad!Jason Warnings: child PTSD, mental illness, violence, strong language Word count: 2459 Father Hood After two years Alice had gone into the witness protection program. Bruce helped put them on the list, but honestly, little girls with the attention of an entire Gotham gang? It took a day and a half to get the process finished. Jason's adoptive father was very helpful in making sure it was the best of the best care because gods help the man that let Bruce Wayne's first grandchild get hurt, adopted with hatred of him or not. Being someone's dad changed Jason so quick that Roy and Dick had started calling him Father Hood on patrol. Something that gave them black eyes but they seemed to think the pun was worth it. Alice depended on him, loved him, and respected and trusted him like no one else ever had. She fixed his relationship with Bruce because he didn't sleep for a week because holy shit how do you take care of a child with PTSD and homicidal tendencies? Well, that is Bruce Wayne's speciality. He gave him a stack of single father parenting books, children psychology books, and a bunch of books on how to deal with monster children that he must have gotten when Damian came to live with him. He laughed until he cried, Bruce trying to defend his son until he caved in and laughed too. Jason felt like he did when he first came to the manor and got his hands on the library. Bruce was surprised and pleased and them and Alfred would spend hours talking about Shakespeare. He felt like he had a dad again. Even if he hadn't avenged him, Dick and Alfred have said he came damn close to killing the joker. But that's just what the sick bastard wanted. So he locked him up to let the Joker's own mind torture him, and Jason came to understand that man seeks death. He seeks it every time he puts others in pain, to make them want to end his in return. Jason was happy the bastard was being torn apart by his own mind in Arkham, he would keep his sanity. Alice had started therapy once the protection system was secured. She had seen some really nasty shit no child should ever have to see. Jason had just been alone from day one, but like Bruce and Dick, Alice had seen her own family killed. That helped with her therapy, Dick quickly becoming her favorite uncle. He remembered his older brother becoming very quickly attached. "You know, the first brother should have kids first." Dick had said, as they watched Alice run around an aquarium. "What are you saying? You want her?" Jason said, surprised at the seriousness in Dick's tone. "She faced something much more violent when her parents died, but like me she saw her parents die. Maybe it'd be good for her." Dick said, sympathy in his voice. "She can't stay with Bruce, not with Damian there. He's too territorial." "And she hates them. Well, she's warming up to Bruce, but she still doesn't like Damian. Damian loves you though, wouldn't he feel betrayed?" Jason asked, Dick looking back to him. Jason looked at his brother, "Dick, thanks, but no thanks. Alice grew up in a violent environment and I can relate to that. Mob member's daughter is a far cry from street urchin but were still of the same kind." "Why don't we ask her?" Dick asked, his eyebrows knit in his anxiety. Jason nodded and his stomach knotted. He didn't want to lose the kid, but Dick would be the perfect Dad. Jason was just the one who found her. "Alice, sweetie, I wanna ask you something." Dick said once Alice had returned to tell them she had seen Nemo. "What is it?" She asked, Dick kneeling in front of her. "Do you want to come live with me?" He asked. She stared at him in shocked confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked, her seriousness too strong for a nine-year old. "I mean you can move to my ho--" "No!" Alice cried, flinging herself into Jason's arms. "No!" She started sobbing, which was rare for Alice. It shocked Dick into rejected silence. Jason stroked her hair and hushed her, families giving them odd looks. He glared back at the judgmental mothers and spoke to Alice, "baby, I'm not trying to get rid of you. But you and uncle Dick went through similar experiences and his job is safer. We thought maybe you wanted to." Alice hugged him tight. "No. I don't care, I know what you do, daddy, I know what grandpa and uncle Dick do. I'm not stupid. I don't care, I'm proud of you. And you keep me safe and your fun and I love uncle Dick but I love you more." She whispered softly. Jason smiled and dug a tissue out of his jacket pocket. Another thing he started doing after Alice came along; tissues, wet cloths, hand sanitizer and band-aids in his jacket pockets. One time he put a band-aid on killer croc after a job out of habit. KC sent him a basket of muffins later, the poor guy had zero social experience and had no idea what to do. Roy and Dick found it hilarious. Jason was just kinda sad n they asked him if he was going to go all "father hood" on KC too. They still laughed with bruised jaws. He wiped Alice's nose and face and soothed her as they headed to the exit. Dick bought her a stuffed otter and kneeled again to apologize. She hugged him. "It's okay, uncle D, I still love you but you'd have to live with me and daddy because I'm not leaving. Also I don't wanna deal with Damian." She said. They laughed. "You're going to have to get used to him, sweetie." Dick chuckled. "Yeah, I'm used to him being a rude poopyhead." Alice said as they walked out the store, her new toy in her arms. Dick surrendered with a chuckle. Today is Alice's tenth birthday. They were at the manor, the little blonde girl trotting after Bruce who, after therapy, gifts, and rides in the batmobile, Alice thought was like a real life king. Bruce, still guilty over being connected to her parents death and completely in love with his first grandchild, didn't mind her company at all. Unfortunately, that lead to Damian becoming jealous of the girl stealing his father's attention, and the unfair treatment between them. After all, grandchildren get spoiled and the children don't. What made it unfair was Damian was her uncle but only two years older than her. But Bruce made him be mature anyways. Jason found a rare instinct to defend his little brother, Alice didn't need to be spoiled or training was going to be too hard for her. Alice, Damian and Bruce could be seen in the garden from the kitchen. Bruce and Alice were sitting with a picture book, trying to identify the flowers while Damian was playing with Titus and bat-cow. Alfred and Jason watched from inside as the man got the off chance to relax with everyone else outside. "Oh, it appears master Damian has made a singing flowers joke," Alfred said as Alice tossed her book and jumped over Bruce in a back handspring move, using her grandpa's shoulder to do it. They cracked the window. "Looks like her gymnastics lessons are paying off." Jason said. Alice landed on her feet and elbowed Damian in the neck, kicking his knees out. Bruce picked her up kicking and screaming as Damian smirked. "I'll shove you down a rabbit hole, jerkface! Make another wonderland joke!" She yelled at the twelve year old. "I would but you're so mad it wouldn't HATTER." He said. She broke out of Bruce's hold and punched Damian in the nose. He clutched his face and swore in Arabic. Bruce scolded them and and dragged them inside. "It's not correct to say but I'm impressed with Alice's spirit, master Jason." Alfred said, getting up to get the first aid kit. Jason chuckled, "Thanks, Al." Bruce and the kids made it to the kitchen, Alice silently crying and Damian wordlessly going to get his nose treated by Alfred. She hugged Jason and he gathered her onto his lap, checking her hand. "Does it hurt?" He asked, soothing her. She shook her head, "thumb was out, my knuckles are fine. if it hurt the jerk would have a broken nose." Jason hugged her and wiped her tears. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I hate him," she said, monotone. "Damian?" He asked. "No, the mad hatter." She whispered. Jason nodded. Alice wiped her face and hugged Jason again, "thank you for getting me away from him." "Of course, baby," he stroked her blonde fluffy curls. The Hatter was in a high security prison. He sent Alice letters and gifts that were Alice in wonderland related for weeks after Jason adopted her. They had him arrested within a month, but things related to the story still triggered violence in Alice. Damian walked in sulking with a tissue in his nose to stop the bleeding and a small bandaid covering a cut from the punch on the bridge of his nose. "I apologize for joking about something that reminds you of a difficult time." He said, stiffly. Alice burrowed her face into Jason's neck. "At least you're trying to joke like a human, Demon. It's okay, but don't think I won't punch you again if you talk about it." She said looking at Damian, her voice strong. Jason swelled with pride at his little badass girl. Damian nodded, "That's fair.. Alice." He locked eyes with Bruce. Damian rarely used people's last names. He picked on Alice. Which meant Damian has a crush on his adopted niece. Jason hoped Damian's puppy love wouldn't lead to anything awkward. He begrudgingly let Alice leave the room with him as Alfred announced he was ready to start setting up for her birthday party. Alice followed Damian out of the kitchen, Alfred the cat walking by her as he purred. She cooed at the cat as they headed to the entertainment room. They sat with Alfred the cat and Titus on the floor. She decided to put what Damian said behind her and hold him to his word to not joke about wonderland anymore. Alfred the cat curled up in her lap. She looked up at the portraits, Wayne men and women, recognizing her dad and uncles and aunts and grandpa and great-grandpa in the paintings and photos. She looked at a portrait with herself in it, as it was the biggest and centered portrait. Grandpapa Alfred was in the center, Alice and Damian on either side as Grandpa and Dad stood by him. Her dad was behind her, uncle Tim by him. Damian was in front of Grandpa Bruce and uncle Dick by him. Aunt Steph stood in front of Uncle Tim, Aunt Babs in front of uncle Dick and Aunt Cass in front of Alfred. Alice wore a pretty pink dress with black ankle boots. Her blonde hair was stark against the dark clothes of the people around her. "You stand out," Damian said, apparently looking at the picture too. "Do you think I'll ever fit in?" She asked. He laughed, "once you got on a bat symbol? Easily." Alice smiled at him wide, "Thanks, Dami," He flustered to her confusion and she shrugged and played with the cat on her lap. As people started to roll in, Alice left Damian's side on the floor. She sat with her aunt Steph and Cass and Uncle Tim. Damian sat with uncle Dick and Aunt babs on the other couch. She talked with Cass about how her Ballet lessons were going. "You're turning the big double digits, Ali, know what that means?" Uncle Tim said. "I start officially training!" Alice squealed. "You're probably working with Jason, I doubt he'd let you be a Robin. I wonder what you'll be, sweetie." Uncle Dick said. Alice shrugged. "Pink hood?" They laughed and migrated to the dining room for Alice's party. Everything was pink and yellow. Alice squealed, the table had bouquets of yellow and pink roses down a lace soft pink table cloth. Pastel yellow and pink balloons tied to the chair at the end. Alice ran and hugged her grandpapa Alfie, thanking him for everything. She hugged and thanked her Dad and grandpa Bruce too. She sat in the balloon decorated chair and smiled excitedly, kicking her feet in the air. They ate dinner and opened gifts. An outfit and book from Aunt and Uncle Steph and Tim, A teddy bear ballerina from Aunt Cass, a tool kit and iron knuckled fingerless gloves from Aunt and Uncle Babs and Dick, a golden locket from grandpa bruce that had her parents and Jason in it. She put it on right away, wiping away a tear and hugging her grandpa. "Thank you so much," she whispered. "Anything, honey," he whispered holding his grandchild tight. They heard a bark and turned to see Damian walking in with a large box. Jason came to them and smiled as Damian opened up the box. Alice gasped at the sight of an Australian Sheppard puppy sitting in the box with a pastel pink ribbon tied around her neck. She picked up the puppy and cuddled her. "Thank you!" She squealed. Damian kissed her cheek and stood away with his hands behind his back in a flustered manor. "No problem," he said his ears flushing. Alice smiled cluelessly. "What're you going to name her, baby?" Her dad asked. She hummed and looked at the multi-colored puppy. "Aurora," she smiled at Jason. He nodded. He picked Alice and Aurora up and sat down in her ballon decorated seat. Alfred lit the candles and Alice looked down at the cake. "Starling," she said. Her dad hugged her and put another box on the table. She opened it to see a black and dark blue suit, a bat in silver on a short sleeved shirt with black pants with a dark blue stripe on the sides. It was made of flexible fabric and a black leather jacket that matched the gloves uncle dick had given her. Black boots with silver stars and a simple domino mask. Two silver pistols laid in dark blue over the shoulders holsters. She put the suit down and hugged her dad. "Thank you, daddy!" She grinned. He gave a solemn look to the rest of the family who looked melancholy. But what choice did a daughter of an ex-mafia have? She already was killer with guns. "No problem, baby."

[itispossibleihaveissues]

This Night Chapter 7

TITLE: This Night AUTHOR: Mikimoo RECIPIENT: tristen84 PAIRING: JayDick RATING: Mature

WARNINGS: Off screen Non-Con, murder of innocent young people, violence

SUMMARY: The Red Hood and Officer Grayson are on the same case. A small misstep has far reaching consequences for them both.

Thank you to burkesl17 for the beta!

Chapter 1, 2 3 4 5 6

“No!” Jason said, as firmly as he could without yelling. He waved Dick's discharge papers at him for emphasis. “You're not going back there, you are going the fuck home to recover!”

“I can't leave this unfinished, Jason!” Dick had his most obstinate face on, and was using Jason's full name which always meant trouble.

“You're on leave, dammit. You'll be met at the airport for a full debrief with the FBI agents taking over the case, and then you will be flown back to the Haven or Gotham where you will be further debriefed and put on leave until you are fully recovered!” So maybe Jason was not doing so great at the not yelling.

“Fine,” Dick said, the jut of his jaw hadn't lessened even a fraction and the stubborn anger in his gaze was still going at full throttle.

“That doesn't mean you can come back as Nightwing either, Dick.” Jason growled, he could already see he was going to have to stake out the bullheaded jackasses apartment to prevent it. “If you even think about it, I'll tell Bruce you're not fit.” He waved a hand as betrayal flooded Dick's face. “Not the specifics, but enough that he'll bench you.”

“You think he can? I'm a grown man, I work with him now, not for him.”

“Do you? Do you really, Dick? If he says jump you'll jump and we both know it.”

Dick huffed loudly, like a surly teenager. “You know me so well, Jason?”

“Stop being such an ass about this, give yourself a break.”  

Dick looked like he was gearing up to really let rip, and Jason didn't honestly think he could handle it, so he made an effort to rein in his own temper. “Look, Just take a bit of time, then we will go in together, okay? I'll even play by your rules.” And he would. Mostly because he suspected Wilson was going to be pretty damn thorough with wiping out the Santa Prisca portion of  ZK12. That left the American and European parts – Jason was planning to have a hand in some of that take down, he just had to bide his time.

Dick rubbed his hands over his face then looked at Jason with slightly wild eyes. “I can't sit around and do nothing, Jay. I can't, I'll lose it.” He ran a hand back through his hair, tugging on it sharply. He was acting like a caged animal.

“I'm not saying don't do anything useful, Dick. I'm just saying that heading back to the Santa Prisca strong-hold is not going to be productive – if we send someone there it shouldn't be us, not now at least.”

“Why? We're the best qualified,” Dick insisted.

Jason took a calming breath. He wanted to go too, but he didn't want Dick to go. That meant he had to play a little dirty. “We're too emotionally involved, we nearly died.”

“Nearly dying is basically every other day for us, so don't give me that bullshit.”

“Yeah, it is, but what happened to you terrified me!” Jason burst out, unable to contain himself. “I thought you were dead multiple times and I don't want to fucking deal with it yet, okay? I know if I go, I won’t be fully on the ball and I am not going to give those fuckers the satisfaction of getting one over on me again!” He took a calming breath. “When I go after ZK12, I'm going to be prepared and I'm going to get them all.”

Dick looked guilty now, which wasn't want Jason had been aiming for with his sudden honesty. This whole conversation was exhausting him. “Dick,  just take a step back, what if our positions were reversed? What if, God forbid, it was Roy or Cassandra or Tim who had just been through what you have? How would you feel about them going back?”

“I would be afraid,” Dick admitted, after a moment clearly battling with himself. “I'd suggest they sat out until they were recovered.”

“Right. And then you would hare off and do it yourself. I get that. But I'm not asking you to stop trying to bring these fucks down, just leave the fighting part to others until you are back to full functionality. There is a shit ton of research to do – we need to get the entire organization, and we know very little about their operations in Europe. Let's do this smart, okay?”

Amazingly, Dick nodded and hobbled forward to snatch the discharge forms out of Jason's grip. “Since when did you get all sensible and shit?” he asked, signing the papers with a slightly shaky hand.

Jason was even more sure he was doing the right thing by preventing Dick from throwing himself back into this particular fight. He was still sick and emotionally wounded, getting him to take care of himself was going to be a challenge and Jason suspected it was going to be up to him. Whoopee.

“I've always been sensible, you people are the ones with dust for brains,” Jason said with a dismissive sniff.

“Oh, don't give me that, little brother,  I can list a bunch of times you've been an idiot or just gone completely loco. I mean, the whole Murder!Batman shtick was pretty bonkers, and that one time you blew a hole in the GCPD to get at a guy in the lock up, then murdered him in front of the damn cops.”

“I'll give you the times when I was actually out of my mind, big deal. And that guy abused four children that we know of so he deserved it. Other than those very specific occasions, I've been very sensible.”

“You set fire to a nun,” Dick said, smugly, as he took off towards the door with a wobbly gait.

Jason followed behind him, waving his arms in indignation. “I did not!” he said, hotly. “I set fire to some textbooks, the nun was accidental collateral damage, and it was just her habit that got a bit singed – no real harm done.”

“That makes it okay then.”

“Well, they never sent me back to that group home that's for sure,” Jason grumbled.  “How did you even find out about that?” It must have been from Bruce, the fucking traitor, although saying that – Bruce had been pretty forthcoming about the trouble Dick had gotten himself into during his years at the manor – the list of unfortunate incidents had been surprisingly expansive. He grinned.  “If it's a competition between us, I can remind you of a fair few occasions where you have my indiscretions beat.”

“Like what?” Dick handed over his papers at the front desk and leaned heavily on the wall, trying to pretend he wasn't exhausted from the short walk.

That didn't mean Jason was going to take pity on him. “When you were fifteen, you and Roy got drunk at a Wayne Charity Gala, and you pissed off a balcony and onto the guests having a smoke round back.”

“That was Roy's fault!” Dick had gone a very fetching shade of pink.

“As I heard it, from Bruce, you knew exactly what you were doing. You managed to get a direct hit on Mr. Slate, the man responsible for signing the papers that had given the CPS permission to take you away from the circus and then for placing you in Juvie instead of  proper foster care. So, tell me again how it was an accident?”

Dick looked sheepish, “I was was angry and drunk enough I probably would have done worse if Roy hadn't talked me down.”

“Harper being the voice of reason? Wonders will never cease.”

“Sort of reason, I did still piss on a bunch of people.”

“Sounds like something I would have done, to be honest,” Jason didn't bother to hide his admiration.

“You didn't have the monopoly on teenage angst and problems with rage, Jason. I was just lucky enough to survive mine.” Dick winced at his own words and a frown began to form on his face again.

Jason wanted to reach out to him. He wished he had known that younger Dick, really known him rather than what passed for their relationship a few years later. They probably would have burnt the manor to cinders or razed the city to the ground, but it would have been cathartic - misery loved company after all.

“Well,” he said, ignoring the shadowed look on Dick's face. “Your worst offence by far was when you crashed Bruce's 1954 Bentley when you were twelve and he grounded you for life. You should still be grounded.”

“I thought because it was old he wouldn't miss it as much!”

“A classic Bentley, Dick, practically vintage! And you murdered it, that's sacrilege in car terms.”

“Who did Grayson murder?” Ruiz joined them, still bruised but looking much better than the last time they had seen her.

“Bruce Wayne's car, a beautiful, beautiful car,” Jason told her as Dick stepped forward to give her a tight hug.

“Don't be such a sap, Grayson,” Ruiz said, her eyes suspiciously bright. “We have a long road ahead of us.”

“Yeah. What are you going to do? You can't return to work while this is on going, it's too dangerous.” Dick told her, repeating the exact thing Jason had just spent forty minutes arguing with him about. The man was clearly born to drive him crazy.

“I don't know,” she admitted. “My family have gone to stay with my mother, so they are safe for the moment. I can't allow them to be at risk, but I don't want to give up this fight either. My superiors want me in witness protection, but we don't know if even that is going to be safe, they have people in the force.”

“I know,” Dick said, unhappily. “Look, maybe I can pull some strings, get you out the country for a few months. Both the FBI and Interpol have an interest in this case and keeping you alive to testify is going to be crucial for them.”

“And how will you do that, Grayson?” Ruiz asked, sharply.

“Bruce Wayne has a lot of influence and a lot of cash. And he is going to be grateful you rescued his son,” Jason told her.

“Which son?” she shot back and Dick's eyebrows climbed so high they disappeared under the ridiculous fall of his hair.

“What's this?” he asked.

“I told some bad guys I was Bruce's illegitimate son in order to stop them shooting me.” Jason shrugged “I'm not, by the way,” he told Ruiz.

“Hmm,” Ruiz said, clearly unconvinced. “You're something to him though, and to each other. You don't risk the things you risked just for an acquaintance.”

“He would,” Jason jerked a thumb at Dick, who scoffed at him and made a face.

“So would you, you  hadn't even met Ruiz and you helped me go back for her. At least I have the excuse that it's my job.”

“It's mine too, In a manner of speaking.”

“You're both idiots, is what you’re telling me?” Ruiz said, with a wry grin.

“Basically,” Dick agreed with an easy smile that was mostly real.

“And you both know each other from Bludhaven?”

“You are a relentless woman,” Jason sighed. “Yes, we know each other, have done for awhile – I guess you could say I'm a PI, like Dick said, so our paths have crossed professionally. But we also know each other via-” he scrunched up his nose trying to think of a good description. “Mutual family,” he finished at last.

Ruiz looked perplexed. “Okay, I'm not sure if that makes sense or not, but I’ll take what I'm given, for now.”

They headed towards the hospital entrance, where men in suits were waiting to take them to the airport. Jason really hoped the cover identity he and Dick had cobbled together for him held up under scrutiny. The internet connection had not been the best, or the most secure. Luckily they had access to some emergency pre-prepared electronic paperwork, provided for all of them by Alfred and Babs, to use when caught on the fly. Hopefully it was good enough to at least get them back to American soil.

 They landed back in Gotham International at mid morning a few days later. All the debriefing had been grueling, but their story had held up. Neither they nor Ruiz had spoken much about the torture, just about the drugs and vague descriptions of beatings. They had agreed to keep Wilson's name out of it, just described him as some sort of private contractor fighting against the cartel who had helped them in the hopes of gaining information and cash. The story overall had been a little shaky, and there were some agents who clearly knew they were leaving stuff out, but the three of them held firm and stuck to their story.

Now it was time to go home and start recovering a little. That and put things into motion to get Ruiz to safety. She had balked at coming to America, but Jason figured they could negotiate with her to stay for a few months, or go somewhere else – Mexico or South America perhaps. Either way, they would make sure they had people to keep an eye on her wherever she ended up.

They stepped off the small private plane that had been provided for them to find Alfred waiting by one of Bruce's big grey cars, the winter sunlight hitting the bonnet like fireworks. Jason was torn between relief at being home and trepidation of having to face his family, even if it was just Alf.

He hesitated, he didn't want to keep his feet moving towards the car. either did Dick it seemed, he was tense and practically vibrating with anxiety as their boots hit the tarmac. And Jason couldn't leave him.

His warped sense of guilt and his over-protective instincts were going to fuck him up. But there was no way around it that he could see. His need to be there for Dick in some undefined way was going to take him right back into the jaws of his past, which was the last place he wanted to be after the few weeks they had just had.

“Hey, Alf,” Dick said, with a tight and unconvincing grin. “Thanks for picking us up.”

It was clear the fake cheer wasn't missed, as Alfred nodded a greeting. “Master Dick, I'm glad to see you home in one piece. Master Jason, a rare pleasure.”

Jason flushed and raised a hand in a half-hearted wave. He had not been prepared for this, he should have been. But he wasn't.

If he thought that was bad, sliding into the warm interior of the car and coming face to face with Bruce was like a nightmare come to life. For years he had dreamed of bumping into him while in his underwear or other awkward situations. This was way, way worse.

He froze, staring at Bruce's impassive face. Dick followed him into the car, still exchanging platitudes with Alfred. He had clearly expected Jason to have moved further inside and sat practically on his lap, making them both jump in surprise. Dick tumbled back out onto the tarmac.  Jason remained where he was, eyes no doubt comically wide.

Bruce looked utterly mystified, or at least there was a confused furrow in his brow which conveyed as much.

“Dick?” he asked, “are you alright?”

The deep rumble of his voice, so totally different from Wilson's smug tones, made feeling crash into Jason like high tide against the rocks. He was usually so much more fortified for any meetings with Bruce – but now he was so raw from everything that had happened, he felt like just being in the man's presence could break him apart.

Dick's head appeared in the doorway, he was slightly pink from embarrassment. “Hey, Bruce,” He said, not meeting his eyes – always a fatal mistake. Instead he looked at Jason “What the hell, Jay? Move up.”

Jason moved. Which left him facing Bruce in the broad interior of the car. He wished it was Batman there to greet them instead. He knew how he felt about Batman, wasn't so conflicted and full of doubt.

Dick slid in beside him and shut the door, taking a moment to fiddle with his seat belt, perhaps attempting to collect himself, as Jason was also desperately trying to do. He hadn't expected this either.

Bruce was impassive, but he was watching Dick carefully. He may not be showing anything on his face, but he was clearly cataloging Dick's slightly odd behavior.  Jason in turn, watched him for any sign he was going to do anything to upset Dick. Bruce often struggled to express his concern in a helpful or constructive way, and instead went for bluntness, irritation or flinty silence. Jason was aware that in this, he and the old man were very much alike, and he hated it.

“To what do we owe this honor?” Jason said into the awkward pause, forcing the words out and trying his level best to keep his voice nice and even.

“You fell off the grid for a week. First Dick takes off for work,” said with a surprising edge of scorn, "then I get the BPD knocking at my door saying he has been kidnapped, and to wait on a ransom that never came. I was concerned, ZK12 rarely return kidnap victims in good shape.” He didn't sound concerned, he sounded like he was placing an order in the World’s most mediocre restaurant. A clear sign he had probably been climbing the walls with worry.  

“Why didn't you come rescue him then?” Jason snapped in spite of himself.

“Because I discovered you had also gone to Santa Prisca, and I decided the two of you together could probably take care of things, or at least let me know if that wasn't the case. At the time I believed no news was good news and you were both undercover. Was I wrong?”

And wow, to be giving that kind of trust, even in such a backhanded way, was so huge, so intense that Jason wouldn't know what to do with it on a good day. This however was not a good day. He had completely and utterly failed to do anything Bruce had put his faith in him doing.

He was surprised to find there were still new ways to feel completely crushed.

He sat mute and wide eyed staring at Bruce with his mouth slightly open, like a landed fish. What the fuck could he say? Could he say anything without having a complete emotional meltdown? He honestly wasn't sure.

“No, you weren't wrong,” Dick said, his voice was thick, and he cleared his throat loudly. “I was careless and got caught, Jason rescued me. If he hadn't I might never have got out. They used a drug on me I'm unfamiliar with. We did have a look at the properties of it – Jason ran tests in the field to prevent side effects when he gave me antibiotics. We have all the data, if we run it through the computer in the cave I bet we can find trace hits in that people trafficking case from Gotham North last month – I wager that's what they were hitting the victims with and it wouldn't have shown up in any of the regular tests.”

And with that, Bruce allowed himself to be distracted. But Jason suspected it was only superficial, he was still watching them both very carefully. Dick was now making a good show of acting normal, but it had been a shaky enough start that Bruce was clearly suspicious. And Jason was acting far from normal too despite his best efforts, he was usually so full of piss and vinegar whenever they had contact that his silence was probably an even bigger warning sign than Dick's awkwardness. At least Dick could pass his off at embarrassment for his 'stupidity' in getting caught.

Taking the blame for what had happened was such a typical Dick thing. A month ago Jason would have sneered at it, mocked and berated him for his dumb-ass martyr complex. But now, he was covering for Jason's mistakes and not only that, he was blatantly forgiving them.

It was intolerable.

Suddenly Jason's skin felt itchy, like there were insects made of doubt and shame crawling all over him. He couldn't breathe in the damn car, he had to get out.

As they drew towards the intersection at 23rd and 12th Jason unbuckled his belt. Dick shot him a wide eyed glance, but before he could say anything, they stopped at the lights and Jason threw open the door, practically falling onto the sidewalk in his haste to escape. He heard Dick calling his name but he ignored it and took off as fast as his throbbing ankle could carry him.

He was running on instinct, down familiar alleys and side streets, vaulting the fence at old Martins place and twisting through the doorway of the abandoned grocery shop on the corner. When he finally came to a halt, close to one of his shabbier safe houses, all he could do was sink to the floor and try to breathe. He honestly couldn't deal with this, with any of it.

Fuck, Dick was taking things better than him. He needed a drink, but failing that, he needed to hit the streets and beat the fear and confusion out of himself.

 Evening found him pacing his safe house like a trapped beast. He was feeling terrible for abandoning Dick, and for the questions he had probably had to field on Jason's behalf. But the prospect of having to go to the manor to see him was not bearable, and unnecessary anyway. If he was there then he was safe and someone would be making sure he was looking after himself, but what was the probability of that actually being the case? It was far more likely he had gone home to Bludhaven like the annoying self sacrificing prick he was. And that meant that at best he would be moping and at worst, Nightwing would be preparing to hit the streets in an hour or so. And that was a recipe for disaster.

“Fuck!” Jason chucked his half empty can of beer in the direction of the sink. It wasn't helping anyway, and any more and he wouldn't be able to suit up and hit the roof tops, let alone drive to the Haven. Which appeared to be what he was doing, judging by the fact he was already out of the door, keys to his bike in his hand.

He justified it to himself as he drove, if Dick was there, he would need watching because he was a moron. If he wasn't in the Haven, then his patch was undefended and Jason would be more use there than Gotham, which tended to be rather saturated with vigilantes these days.

It was a completely logical course of action.

He decided to scope out Dick's shitty apartment from the roof of the chicken shop across the way rather than knock on the door. Most of the apartment seemed dark, except for the hallway and bathroom lights. He was fairly sure even Dick would have remembered to switch his lights off before going away on a long term mission. Probably.

He would just wait for a bit, and then head out, that way he could cover all his bases. Jason flipped out his binoculars and settled back to watch.

“Papa Bat teach you those manners? Spying is pretty invasive, you know,” Dick said, from somewhere behind him, making Jason  jump and cuss colorfully before spinning round to face him.

Dick was dressed in ratty sneakers, leggings and a big warm sweater. He looked like he belonged on the rooftop as much as Nightwing did, like he owned it. But he also looked like a slob, and leggings? Really?  Jason was surprised at the rush of warmth that overtook the embarrassment at having been caught stalking him.

“The fuck you wearing, Dick?” he asked, with as much of a sneer as he could put in his voice.

Dick looked down at himself. “What these? Running tights. They're warmer than slacks or sweats and  better for clambering on rooftops.”

“Uh huh.”

“Whatever, at least I'm not hanging around on freezing cold buildings and spying on people.”  

“How'd you know?” Jason asked.

Dick's lips twitched. “Lucky guess. Although if I'm honest, this is the second spot I checked.” He shrugged. “I figured you might want to check up on me, you've been bizarrely attentive since we got to the hospital.”

“Yeah, well,” Jason said, pointlessly. It was unnerving that he had been so transparent, even more so that he hadn't really noticed himself doing it. But he supposed all the hand holding and sappy shit had been a bit out of character.

“I have food inside, enough for two.” Dick pushed off the building he was leaning against and started towards the fire escape.

Jason was slightly perturbed he had apparently been such a sure thing Dick had even planned to feed him. He got up stiffly and followed. “You didn't cook it though, right?” He asked as he swung down after Dick, who was scaling down the building effortlessly, despite his bad leg. “I've heard tales of your cooking, none were complimentary.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dick said, “those stories have been greatly exaggerated. I'll have you know I'm a wizard with the microwave these days.”

Food was actually spaghetti bolognese, and although the sauce was mostly from a bottle, it was a  satisfying meal with the addition of mince and some frozen veg. The silence while they ate was companionable, and Jason felt at ease for the first time in far too long.

After dinner, Dick shoved the dishes into the sink and waved off Jason's offer to clean them, instead he ushered him through to the living room and sat on the big comfy chair, dislodging a small pile of dirty laundry and take-out menus.

Jason chose the sofa, which was relatively free of debris, he did find one of Dick's escrima sticks wedged behind the cushion, but that was the only offensive item. Dick flicked the TV on wordlessly, hunting thought he channels with a quiet determination. It was clear he didn't want to talk and Jason decided to give him his space.

“What horrifying show are you going to subject me to?”  he asked, as Dick failed to settle on a channel.

Dick looked relieved, like he had been expecting Jason to insist on talking about things. Like he would.

“Dunno,” he said, “maybe this documentary about mermaids?”

“Why the fuck would I want to watch that?”

“Because mermaids, Jason. Who doesn't love mermaids?”

Jason hid a grin and leaned back in his seat, shoving aside a stack of messy note pads with his socked foot so he could rest it on the small coffee table. Dick didn't seem to care about the abuse of his furniture and swung his own legs over the arm of the chair. Curling into his ridiculous sweater and twitching his feet like he couldn't keep still.

It occurred to Jason that although Dick had made a good argument for the leggings, the true reason for his choice of attire might be a little more complicated. They were the closest thing to his Nightwing suit in terms of strong figure hugging material he could possibly get away with. The suit was more than just a costume, it was wrapped up with so much self. A shield, a comfort, it represented strength and safety.

It was the same reason Jason was wearing his old battered body armor under his shirt.

Both of them were still struggling to deal with all that had happened and all that was to come, and Jason was genuinely concerned about what lay ahead for Dick, who followed in the family footsteps and tended to deal with the bad shit by ignoring it or self flagellating.

It was going to be a hard road, but right now there was a scene of calm, and Jason found himself enjoying the easy silence as Dick sniggered at the TV and jiggled his legs around annoyingly.

There would be time to deal with the crap tomorrow, or the next day. For now he was just glad they were both home safe.

----

And that's it for now! (sequels, prequels etc are in the works.)

Thank you for your patience, tristen84, I hope you enjoyed it! (only 4 months late this time!)

And thank you all for reading and for all the wonderful comments and kudos!