#cowboy!jason todd | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shattersstar · 11 months

Text

faith.

pairing: cowboy!jason todd x reader

prompt: ain’t no sunshine by bill withers

a/n: 3/3 enjoy y’all <3

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It was dark, the moon only a sliver amongst the endless black of the sky. It was that kind of boundless darkness, almost crushing in its weight save the stars that sparkled and told stories of their own. Jason remembered those myths well, all the different stories about the same clusters, along with ones made up by his once young mind. Once carefree and unclouded by the pain that now lived deep in his bones. The pain that made Jason who he was, a runaway lover with blood staining his hands. But that was a lifetime ago, he had gained some semblance of peace, found in you as your presence alone soothed his fractured soul.

Despite the distance between the two of you, he still felt that call of calm for him. A beacon that hummed a few towns over. You had left the farm, venturing out to gather what you needed before you and Jason ventured into the mountains. He wanted to work chopping trees and you couldn’t be bothered to stay on your grandparents farm any longer. You knew a path easy to travel, to build a secluded life away from the dry stretching plains, and acres of farmland you been bound to far too long.

You wanted quiet and easy work, a log cabin and a big kitchen. And rain, you had wanted storm clouds and rainy days. Jason had left the cold of the east for a reason, but obliged with cooler climates for you. He obliged to tend the farm alongside you and your grandparents while he stayed, and took over your duties when you left. And then he was left in charge of the entire land as your grandparents were called away for the birth of yet another grandchild.

Jason supposed he should have been flattered with the trust from not only you, but your family. They knew of what was to come when you returned, they’d lose two farmhands sure, but the kid they had raised into an adult was now in love and ready to venture into the unknown. And your grandparents had let Jason stay in their own home despite knowing he was whisking you away, and doubled down their trust by leaving their entire home in his care until you or they returned.

It all washed over him as he sat a top his horse amongst the tall grassy fields that stretched along the back of the property before dipping into marshy lands and a noisy creak. He could hear the water babbling along now, with the constant buzzing of cicadas and hum of those nightly creatures that stalked the edge of the lands. The guard dogs were silent, and his worry moved away from himself to you. The winds were picking up, harsher by the minute and he prayed you were asleep safely in a bed with your horse in a stable. He could hear the way the wind whistled through the dryer plains beyond the front of the house, howling along with the coyotes. It made his heart beat unsteadily in his chest—please not tonight—he found himself begging to no one in particular. Jason wasn’t one to worry, he never let himself get carried away with emotions like this, and he knew you were beyond capable, it just made his sweat run cold.

Something about the air tonight was not kind enough for the likes of you, someone so beautiful and warm in a sea of ugly. You were the arms he fell into, covered in blood and regretting the choices that brought this life to you. You were the voice that begged him to stay awake and the hands that tended his wounds with such love to die felt like a sin in and of itself. To cause you that pain, that sorrow and grief would eat swallow him whole—dead or alive. And now you were focused on leaving, yes by choice, but not entirely your own. The pain Jason had ran away from came knocking with a vengeance and while you two had time, someone was bound to recognize the infamous Red Hood; the outlaw, killer, vigilante—you never cared for such titles—so you resolved to leave.

To wash the blood from your door step and burn your ruined clothes while he rested. You devised your entire plan within those unconscious hours, presenting it to him after lying to your grandparents on his behalf and already having their approval to go. Jason had mentioned liking when he worked in lumber before, and now spent hours chopping wood to clear his head. There was a bountiful amount of firewood at this point, your grandma kept trying to tell him to stop, but Jason was never great at listening.

Yet he listened as you explained the closest mountain range, where you two could settle, what you needed and how you would survive a lot more secluded before. And while Jason had spent most of his formative years alone at this point, he had never really lived like this. He had camped in valleys and hidden out in ghost towns, but he would sacrifice more than adjusting to living off the grid for you. You were asking nothing compared to what he was asking you. To runaway with a man who was wanted, to love a man who killed and be with him alone. Jason could never ask that of you, and yet you offered your answer freely. He knew the weight of your decision, knew you didn’t take nor make it lightly, and wished you were here more than anything.

He had finally healed enough to start working again, keeping himself busy day and night while awaiting your return. He was out in the fields checking the damaged fences, making sure nothing got in and with all the barnyard animals secure, he shouldn’t have to worry about anything getting out. He wasn’t sure how long he was out there, lost in thought and worry, but when he glanced back towards the house, a light that hadn’t been there before flickered in one of the back windows.

Upstairs.

His room?

He tried to gauge if it was his room, but urged his horse towards the house nonetheless. Jason’s horse hadn’t even come to a full stop before Jason was hopping off. He lazily strung his reigns over the back porch and didn’t even bother with his boots as he yanked the back screen door open. He made his way through the kitchen and past the dining room. He tried to see if your boots were at the front door, but was only squinting at formless objects in the dark before taking the stairs two and three steps at a time. Jason was practically skipping up them, not entirely sure what he was going to find, but he found himself hopeful despite it all. An intruder was likely, but as he pushed open his own bedroom door, he found you shedding your jacket to the floor in front of his mirror. The door creaked as he nudged it open, you had barely turned around fully before Jason crossed the space.

His chest collided with yours hard enough to knock you off balance, before his arms wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you close. You barely managed to wind your arms around his waist, taking in the scent of wet grass and dirt that was caked into Jason’s clothes. He didn’t even realize his cowboy hat was still on, the weathered black hat tumbling off his head and brushing your shoulder as it fell.

“Hi cowboy.” You hummed into his chest, feeling Jason hold you a little tighter.

“Fuck I’ve missed your voice angel” He mumbled in response, both of you surprise by his candour omission, and yet Jason was unable to stop himself. “You smell so good—God—missed everything about you.”

You laughed lightly at that, you thought you reeked of sweat, riding for too long and hard to get back to Jason. But to him, it was the scent of hot, sun soaked leather and skin, the summer smell where the warmth of the star seemed to radiate from your body. You smelled real and like yourself. It was what Jason needed, to let you envelope his senses and bring that calm you only knew how to provide. It was a wave of reassurance that scared him. He had never found peace in any place or anyone like you. There were a few he cared for, even less he loved, but you were something beyond that entirely. You were contact with the real world that Jason once thought was out of reach. Something intangible suddenly in his arms and Jason couldn’t find anymore words to convey that.

“I’ve missed you t—wait how are you feeling?” You pushed yourself out of Jason’s arms, much to his dismay, taking him in properly for the first time. He let you push his jacket off his shoulders, landing on the ground with a loud thud. You wasted no time untucking his flannel, earning a crooked grin you pointedly ignored. You undid the few done up buttons before letting it join the floor with both your jackets. Jason was only in his pants and a tattered undershirt he had obviously ripped the once long sleeves off of at some point. Your hands smoothed over the once torn skin you could see, your eyes flicking up to his and watching his face as your hands wandered blindly down his clothed torso. Jason knew there was no point in stopping you, it would be quicker to let you assess his injuries instead of trying to explain he was fine only for you to check anyways. He only swallowed when your fingers prodded his side, your attention immediately turning to that spot. The stitches you thought you had administered rather clumsily were raw, and tender, but healing nonetheless.

“You better bandage that back up so—“

“I will.” He relented easily for perhaps the first time ever. Jason would do whatever he needed in order to get you into his arms fastest. All the bruises had vanished, and his split lip was almost fully healed. He looked good—like himself, and it was all you wanted. “I’m good baby. Ain’t nothing wrong no more.” You gave in, hands settling on his abdomen and you let your chin rest on his chest. You looked up at him with a small smile and Jason’s own hands found their way to your hips.

“Nothings wrong? Not a single thing?” You teased, exhaustion creeping into your face.

“Not a single thing I give a shit about.” Jason replied with that same air of teasing. Your eyes fell closed as you laughed, opening again when he pressed a kiss to your forehead. “You sleeping in here tonight?”

“My grandparents are gone?”

“Yeah, ‘nother grandkid.”

“I think great grandkid.” Jason stayed quiet at that, regardless of the logistics you were able to spend the night freely with him. While he had approached you for work, Jason hadn’t moved in with the intent of being with you. He was given his own room for that reason, and when your grandparents caught on to what was happening, they were fine with your relationship, but only a married couple shared a bed. You had nearly rolled off the couch when they sat you down to explain that, luckily Jason wasn’t home at the time. Though you know he got some version of this conversation. And while you understood the sentiment, you had spent your childhood learning now to sneak around your grandparents farmhouse, and considering Jason’s past, you weren’t entirely surprised he was great at it too. It allowed you two to spent plenty of nights together, sometimes on the roof or riding in the open plains beyond your front door. Or just in each other’s beds, spending the night silent, but together. Despite that, it was nice to spend a night together without a worry.

“Alright, help me out of these goddamn boots then we can go to bed. I’m worn baby.” You yawned into your shoulder as you spoke.

“Go sit.” Jason nodded towards his bed as you untangled yourselves, you flopped down, laying across the bottom while he slipped off your boots. He took off his own after, turning to his closet while you kicked off your pants and climbed underneath the covers. “I was gonna give you something to wear.”

“Don’t care, c’mere. I’m so tired.” Your voice was strung out, exhausted and pleading. It struck something in him, Jason took pity on you instantly, noting your heavy eyelids and slow breaths. He left his wardrobe like he was beckoned by some unseeable force, summoned to you with his own tired strides.

You let your eyes fall closed as Jason made his way over, his mattress suddenly the most comfortable thing you had ever laid upon. Your attention regained for a second when the sound of his belt clattering to the floor hit your ears—eyes shooting open with a blazing curiosity—but Jason snuffed out the candle you lit on his desk and crossed the space before you could process anything. He didn’t even bother walking around to the other side, just let himself press his knees to either side of your legs, arms resting beside your head as he took you in with natures intended lighting. The sliver of the moon still shone bright enough to make his room aglow in white grey lustre, the crystal sun catcher hanging from his window twinkled like starlight against the walls as it spun. You had given it to him, well put it up in his room and hoped he liked it.

He had, it reminded him of the oceans he had once seen, how the water played with light like nothing else. Both sun and moon transformed by the waves that felt so far off. He take you one day, when your home in the mountains is built and you were both settled. He’d take the money you didn’t know he had and spend a summer on the beach with no one around.

“Easy cowboy, don’t let your mind go runnin’ off on me.” It was like you could hear his thoughts, sense the gears turning and crowding his mind. Jason let his gaze fall back into focus, taking you in underneath him properly this time. The white of your dirty shift seemed to shimmer, the gold chain you always wore sparkled as it rested upon your collarbones in its own snake like formation. But your eyes truly drew him in, lashes sweeping with each sleepy blink, lips upturned into a small smile, all while you looked at him like no other. One of your hands cupped his jaw, fingers pressing softly into him, urging a response out of him.

He pressed his forehead into yours and murmured, “Couldn’t run away from you if I tried darling.”

You breathed out a laugh, your other hand finding the side of his face. “You better not try.” You warned jokingly, Jason’s nose brushing down yours before he placed a kiss on the tip.

“Got it boss.” Jason’s voice fell into the honey shaded tone, deep and sweet, slow and pulling you in. He could see it in the antsy way your eyes flickered from his gaze to his mouth, lips just hovering above yours. And Jason wasn’t trying to tease, or taunt, but wanted to burn this image into his mind. Wanted to remember every detail in perfect clarity till the end of time, he wanted the last thing he saw before his final death to be you, in this moment, underneath him after returning to home with the intent of leaving behind your life for him. It was beyond love, and the celestial bodies that illuminated the space, and the stories forever tied to them. What he felt for you was grander than that, and would transcend all of that. And Jason knew those words would never be able to pass his lips so he gave in, let his mouth meet yours for the first time in weeks.

It wouldn’t be enough, nothing Jason could give would ever be. But it was what you wanted right now, and Jason would spend the rest of his life at your feet, obliging with whatever you desired happily because if he was unable to give you the life you deserved, Jason would give himself to you in his entirety. There was nothing more he could ask of you, nothing more he could want that you hadn’t already given, all Jason could do was hope you’d take everything he had to give.

#mini disclaimer this is not apart of my facing the gun series #just a stand alone cowboy story 😌#jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #red hood x reader #red hood imagine #writing #dc x reader #dc imagine

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