#bruce might seem annoyed but deep down he's always glad jason is doing well and takes it as a sign that Jason just wants to see them

[fanaticalthings]

Jason only resorts to his emergency signal when he's 0.1 seconds away from death and only when he's 100% reaching raw desperation levels of survival

BUT he also uses it when he's faced with the most mild of inconveniences, so the batfam are always stressed when they get his panic signal because is he about to fucking die or was he just locked out of the family Netflix account?

And obviously they can't take ANY chances, so it's always a 50/50 on whether the night ends with the fam huddled in the medbay of the cave, or whether all of them are fully costumed, weapons sharpened and ready to throw hands in Jason's apartment and Jason's just casually lounging on his couch like "Oh hey guys, I'm out of flour, can one of you run to get some?" with the most annoying shit-eating grin you've ever seen.

#imagine being a gothamite and watching each and every one of the batfamily single file entering and exiting a random flat #and batman's just fucking lugging 5 bags of flour like the world's fate is dependent on the delivery of those 5 bags of flour #ofc he only pulls the joke emergency signal when he KNOWS the fam have their own plans at that exact moment. #just to mildy annoy them #tim: i had a DATE and i dropped EVERYTHING to save your ass #and ur tellin me u just wanted someone to hold a flashlight while you repair your SINK?? #jason: so what im hearin is that your date is more important than your poor dead brother? i see how it is. #this is just jason's way of spending time with his family because he's too shy to just ask upfront #bruce might seem annoyed but deep down he's always glad jason is doing well and takes it as a sign that Jason just wants to see them #jason todd #red hood #batman #bruce wayne #batfam #batfamily #batkids #batbros #dc #crack #fanatical posting

[itsmeevie01]

A Moment in Time-Ch 5

I'm back! lots of things to come, and a slightly longer, Tim centered, chapter! and...the build-up to the Timari subplot! 

Yay!

 I know that is what everyone is actually here for lol.

Tim was tired of looking for Jason.

He wasn’t at any of his normal safe houses, and none of his usual contacts had heard from him in the last few weeks. Three weeks after the ridiculous scandal had broken, the press had all but forgotten Tim for the time being. As he ducked through alleyways, the teen couldn’t help but be thankful as he climbed back on his bike and sped back towards Wayne Manor.

He was done waiting for his brother to show up. There was something sketchy going on in their city, and if Jason wasn’t going to show up, then it was no longer his concern.

When he got home, Tim found Bruce waiting for him in the study looking over the side gardens. The older C.E.O.’s face was grim.

When Tim approached the desk, Bruce handed him a stack of papers. As Tim started to page through them, he had a flashback to when Jared Stone had brought the pile of tabloids.

As he flipped through the new stack, Tim realized that it was Jason’s credit card statement. And-was that…? “did he buy a ticket for Paris? Why didn’t we get notified about his passport passing through customs? Why is Jason in France of all places?” when he looks back at his adoptive father, the man’s face was grim.

“I don’t know, Tim. But we sure as hell are going to find out. Go to his apartment. I know you have a key. We need to see if he left anything out from before he left.” Bruce paused before adding, “he’s been gone for two weeks. There has to be a reason.” Tim nodded as he moved to stride from the room before Alfred spoke, shocking both Bruce and Tim.

“Maser Bruce, did you by chance call Master Jason? Last I remember, his cell phone was still working.” The father and son froze, before turning to the family Butler, slack-jawed.

“We really are stupid.”

 Damian didn’t see anything wrong with Todd being gone. It was quieter around the Manor and it meant that the 13-year-old was allowed to patrol through Crime Alley by himself, something none of his predecessors had been able to do at his age.

As the young teen flew over the city, his mind raced. He found this the most relaxing part of his time with his father.

At the manor, there was always something going on and there was always someone looking over his shoulder. Here, as he went rooftop to rooftop, arching over this city, the boy was able to finally find some peace.

A sound over his earpiece broke Robin from his quiet elation. “Robin, how are you doing? Is everything clear?” oracle’s voice filtered through, bringing him to relax. Oracle he could handle.

“it’s a regular night, Oracle. A few of the regulars. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“perfect. Finish up and head back, B wants you back before 2 because you have school tomorrow.”

The annoyed “Tch” that came down the line made the redhead laugh from where she sat at the computer.

 Tim had texted Jason before he had left for patrol. When he got back, there was a response waiting for him.

Jason: in Paris. I’ll be back soonish

Tim: Jay, what’s soonish?

Tim: there’s a situation we need your help with.

Jason: kid, I'll be back when I can.

Jason: if B cares, tell him Gina kidnapped me. I’m staying with her right now.

Jason: otherwise, just wait. It's personal business.

Tim: Jay, we are your family. Doesn’t that make it our business too?

Jason: in this case, no. fuck off, replacement

Tim: See you when you get back Jay

 The teen sighed. It was just like Jason to try and handle everything himself. This time, Tim couldn’t play interference either, he was stuck across an ocean. He just hoped this Gina person wasn’t as impulsive as his older brother. If she was, they would all be in trouble.

 As he made his way to his room, having showered and gotten himself ready for the next day, Tim paused by his desk.

He had taken the time to compile a file on the girl from a few weeks ago but hadn’t read it yet. He knew that if he was to read it, it would be violating her privacy, but he did that every day, so was this any different? To Tim, the only difference was that this girl wasn’t someone to watch or take in. she was just a normal girl with a normal life, who had run into him for a split second.

It wasn’t like he was going to meet her, right?

The teen shook his head and flopped onto his bed. It wasn’t worth it tonight. He could have the moral debate with himself when he was properly rested.

 Maybe he should have called in sick. Tim was definitely finding a way to leave early, as he looked at the list of meetings that he had been scheduled for.

Why had he agreed to this again? He could have sworn that he had told his assistant that Wednesday was his day to go home and work on his college classes. Instead, Tim had a feeling that he was going to be at the office late.

On his off night too.

 Partway through the day, he noticed an email that he didn’t recognize in his personal inbox. The inbox that he probably shouldn’t have been checking on the company computer but…

After a moment of hesitation, the young C.E.O. had clicked on the new email and blinked at what pulled up.

  From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Mr. Drake,

My name is Marinette Dupain Cheng. I believe that we ran into each other quite literally a month and a half ago, approximately. As I am sure that you have at least seen the fictitious stories floating through the media, I assume that you are aware of the interaction that I am referring to.

Originally, I had no intention of reaching out, but a friend of mine encouraged me to reach out. (had actually was the one to give me your email. Does the name Jason Todd ring a bell?) I do hope that this whole press fiasco hasn’t hindered you too terribly.

Kindest Regards,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

 Tim blinked once before rereading the short email that the girl had sent. No. no way. She knew Jason? And what did she mean, Jason was the one to encourage her to reach out? Opening up a new draft, Tim hesitated before flicking his wrists to rid himself of tension and trying his reply.

 From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Miss Dupain Cheng,

I was surprised to receive your email, but it seems that it came at a fortunate time. Yes, I do know Jason Todd. I know him quite well, actually. He and I were adopted by the same man, Bruce Wayne. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you meet my brother?

I must apologize, for the whole scandal from last month. I know that neither of us were directly responsible, but I do feel bad for any trouble it may have caused you. If it is not too much of an intrusion, I might also ask, how were you able to respond so quickly? The only reason I knew about the incident was Bruce’s old friend Jared. The man came into my office in a fit about the nerve of the photographer.

(if you ever meet the man, you will understand what I mean when I say that he never does things halfway. He had picked up a copy of every magazine or tabloid that ran a story about it. When he came in, he actually brought his crocodile as well. Fang scared the lobby staff more than anything has for the past bit, I believe.)

I hope this finds you well,

Timothy Drake Wayne

 After reading through his email one more time to make sure it sounded professional enough, Tim hit the send button and let out a deep breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that this was the start of something important.

Suddenly, Tim was very glad he hadn’t read the girl’s file.

 As he was preparing to head to yet another meeting later that afternoon, Tim glanced at his personal email again. To his surprise, the teen was met with another email from the French girl.

 From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Mr. Drake (or is it Drake Wayne?)

Jason was sitting next to me when I opened your last email. Imagine my surprise when he panicked. Apparently, he had decided against informing any of his family of his departure. I must say, his reaction was quite entertaining.

Onto your question from your email, Penny Rolling, a good friend of mine, dropped off a box full of the tabloid trash that her husband, Jagged had shipped to her as soon as she got it. After my initial reaction, the two of us got a good laugh out of the whole situation. Especially when we heard that Jagged tried to bring Fang into your office! I guess to you, he would be Jared, but to me, he will always be my Uncle Jagged.

In other news, I thought it would be polite to pass on that Jason will be returning in the next few days. He has been fretting over a family emergency, not that he will tell me what it is but, there is only so much I can do. However, I thought it might be prudent to forewarn you that he will be bringing my grandmother back with him. Nona said it was something to do with one of his ‘side hustles’. Knowing those two, however, makes me think that Jason has gotten himself into something significantly illegal this time.

No need to apologize for something that neither of us could control! You did not ask for the photographer to take that ridiculous photo, nor did you ask for the fiction writers who work for the tabloids to write a piece of the photo. That said, I do feel that it has opened many new avenues. I know that Jason and I reconnected because of the photo, and it has given my lawyers something to focus on while we wait on proceedings for other matters.

Have a good day,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

 Jason was coming home sooner than he planned. It seemed like Tim’s text had actually gotten through to his older brother.

With a sigh, he marked the email as important so that he would remember to respond to it before he started on his homework.

The teen C.E.O. snagged his thermos of coffee on the way out the door, he had a meeting to go to.

And...there it is! this week I'm going to try and work out my posting schedule. what did everyone think of the emails?

  i know that there are a lot more people in the Wayne/bat family, so I'm going to work them in a little bit at a time. as far as Dick Grayson is concerned, btw he knows about the scandal but not about Jason's sister or that he's not in Gotham.

MasterPost

Tag List

@moonlitceleste @redscarlet95 @ultimatetornshipper @mochegato @liquid-luck-00 @maskedpainter 

@trippingovermyfeet @nathleigh @m0chick0furan @susiej1118@t1dwarrior-of-earth

#a moment in time fic #miraculous ladybug #ml x dc #mlb #timari #timinette #sibling!jasonette #Cat!marinette

[ladyanput]

Seeing Green Ch.6

    Wayne Manor had been much larger than what Marinette had been expecting. As she stepped out of the town car Damian’s father had sent to pick her up, she was struck by how huge the place was, it almost reminded her of a castle. But she didn’t dare say that aloud as she made her way up the front steps.

    “You look like you’re about to dart back down the driveway and never come back.” Marinette glanced back at Eva, who gave her an amused smile. 

When Mari had told her about being invited to meet Damian’s family, the TA had put her foot down in Marinette going alone. If her student was going to anyone’s house, she was going to meet the parents of the man her student was so infatuated with. Besides, if they were going to be doing some weird cult sacrifice, Eva could go and save Marinette before things got freaky. 

    “I’m just really nervous. Damian is great, but what if his family doesn’t like me? What if they think I’m only after Damian for his money? What if they decide I’m not worthy of him and they ban him from ever seeing me again and we can’t give this relationship a real shot? I might end up all alone, just like Lila said!” Marinette felt herself going into a panic attack, her breathing hitching. She felt herself calm down as soon as Eva gripped her shoulders and stared hard into her eyes. “What if I screw up, Eva?”

    “Now you stop that, they’d be lucky to be in your presence, and if they dare insult you, I’ll shove my boot so high up their ass, they’ll need to get it surgically removed.” Eva whispered, and Marinette laughed, feeling herself relax. “Besides, I’ve heard they’re good people, though they could be posing for the public. Let’s hope the articles are right.”

    “I certainly hope they are.” Both women jumped and turned towards the front door, not realizing that it had been opened. A kind - looking elderly man stood there, smiling at them. He bowed, then guided them inside. “I am glad you ladies have arrived safely. My name is Alfred, I have been working for Master Wayne for many years. When I heard Master Damian had a fancy for a young lady, I was excited to see him smiling much more than he used to. He speaks highly of you, Miss Marinette.”

    “D-does he really?” Marinette felt her heart skip a beat at Alfred’s words. The butler took her and Eva’s coats, before taking them to a living room. Marinette instantly felt her blood pressure spike at the sight of so many people in the room, and her palms suddenly felt clammy.

"Master Bruce, your guests have arrived." Alfred's voice broke through the chatter, and instantly all eyes were on Marinette, making her tremble. She could feel them all judging her, analyzing her… Trying to see what kind of person she was. She made herself smile, though she knew it didn't look quite right. She was just so nervous! "Dinner shall be ready in an hour's time."

When Alfred left, it took everything in Marinette not to bolt. What was she thinking, pursuing a Wayne? They probably thought she was only after him for his money! They must think she's a tramp, a shameless girl, a-

"I'm glad you made it, Angel." Damian stepped forward, and took her hands in his. At the gesture, Mari felt herself relax and her smile turned genuine. He leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. It felt so intimate, that it made her heart flutter. "My family hasn't shut up since I told them you'd be joining us tonight. I hope you are prepared to be swarmed."

"I'm sure I can handle it, I've been through tougher situations." Marinette joked as she spotted Dick striding up to them, a woman with vibrant red hair, and green eyes. Green that seemed to take up the entire eye. "Oh, hello Dick. I hope this meeting isn't as dramatic as last time."

"Well those classmates of yours aren't around, so the evening shouldn't be full of defamation about our family." Dick gave her a joking smile, before gesturing to the woman beside him. "Marinette, this is my wife Kory."

"It is most wonderful to meet the girl who has captured Damian's heart. I was truly afraid that he would never find love." Kory instantly wrapped Marinette into a hug, causing her to blush vividly. "Oh, and I love your outfit! Cass, Babs, look at this! She's just adorable!"

"Kory, you're going to break her if you hug her like that." One of the women stepped forward, her dark eyes meeting Marinette's. She was tall, slim, with short black hair that framed a pretty face. She held out a slim hand. "I'm Cassandra. It's nice to meet you, Marinette. Welcome to the crazy Wayne family."

"I'm Barbara, but you can call me Babs." A redhead in a wheelchair pushed herself forward, smiling and shook Marinette's hand after Cass had.

"I- I'm happy to meet you all too. Wow, I've never seen such a big family before." Marinette let out a shaky laugh, feeling a little overwhelmed. The atmosphere had changed. It was warm, inviting, and everyone was smiling now.

"So you're Demon Spawn's 'Angel'. Huh, I guess even demons have weaknesses." A tall man stepped up, pulling Marinette into a bear hug. He was handsome, with a spiky head of black hair with a shock of white at his right temple, and startlingly blue eyes. His grin was playful, before he set down the girl. "But by God, you're so small! Like a pixie."

"Jason, don't scare her." Marinette turned her gaze to the Bruce Wayne as he strode up, taking her hand and smiling warmly. "Welcome to Wayne Manor, Marinette. I am sorry about my children, they can be a handful."

"That's an understatement." Tim spoke up, a dry smile on his face. He nudged Dick when he saw Marinette beaming at everyone, bright like sunshine. It was almost refreshing.

"You're all swarming her, give her some space." Damian snapped out, wrapping an arm around Marinette and made her squeak when he dragged her close. He smiled apologetically to her. "I'm sorry, Angel, I should have prepared you better."

"I like them." Marinette spoke up quickly, taking his hand and giving it a light squeeze. She got onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, causing his face to go crimson. "As long as they don't think I'm a gold digger, I'm happy."

"Right, if you're a gold digger, I'm Rena Rouge." All eyes went to Evangeline, who was still standing in the doorway. She gave a wry smile as she winked at Marinette. "Don't worry, sugar cookie, they'd have to be crazy to think you're bad news."

It wasn't hard to hear the faint threat in Eva's voice, the entire Bat family heard it loud and clear. Damian rose a brow, his grip tightening slightly in Marinette's waist.

"Don't worry. I'd never let anyone think that of Marinette, they'd be facing my blade if they did." He commented casually, watching his brothers from the corner of his eye. He noticed that Jason looked almost nervous. 

"I think she's a real treat." Cass chimed it, grabbing Marinette's hand and pulling her free from Damian's possessive grasp. "Finally, some girl that the Demon Spawn can't scare off."

"Give it a few days." Tim piped up, and the family chuckled amongst themselves. Marinette felt her heart warm and her body relaxed. She was dragged over to the group of girls, all of them showering her with questions, so many that she could barely keep track of them all.

"Marinette, do you have any interests?" Bruce's voice cut through the mess of voices, and all eyes were soon trained on the patriarch of the Wayne family. His kind smile made Marinette's nerves get shot again.

"Um.. Well, I design." She stuttered out, tugging gently at the sweater she was wearing. Her cheeks burned as she felt the eyes again, judging her… "I actually made this sweater. And Evangeline's dress, though I think high heels in winter time is ridiculous."

Eva merely shrugged at the grumbled comment and smiled.

"But I hope to start my own brand someday." Marinette continued, everyone seeing that spark of passion in her eyes as she went on to explain her dreams of making clothes that can make any man or woman feel beautiful inside. She just wanted their self confidence to blossom and to see them smile.

It melted Bruce's heart a little, seeing her want to spread so much happiness, a rare trait in Gotham.

As soon as Marinette realized she was rambling, she flinched and went crimson."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." She whispered, hugging herself once again.

"Dinner is ready." Alfred appeared in the doorway, cutting off any comments that were going to be made.

Damian carefully took Marinette's hand and guided her towards the dining room, planting a small kiss on her temple.

"They're loving you." At his whispered assurance, she seemed to relax once again. This roller coaster of emotions was starting to make her feel a bit tired. She just… Didn't know if she could fully trust them, or if they trust her.

She realized the whole Lila mess had certainly messed up her sense of trust, didn't it?She took a deep breath, and sat with the family for a meal.And the meal was delicious, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Everyone spoke of their day, of things that had annoyed them at work, there was playful banter, most of the teasing being thrown towards Damian, who in return made heated threats about slicing his brothers up and hiding the bodies. 

"What about your family?" Bruce spoke up, his kind eyes settling on Marinette once again. "You live in Paris, what is it like there?"

"Oh, I live with my parents. They're bakers, they are the best parents anyone could ask for, always helping me, supporting my dreams. I couldn't ask for better." Marinette admitted, feeling a faint tug at her heart, feeling desperately homesick for them. She really wanted her parents here, to meet Damian, to meet his family. They were always more careful that her and her trusting heart. "I'm currently in my last year at lycée, then I'm applying for internships at any fashion brand that I can."

"Marinette, I have a small question." Dick crossed his arms, tilting his head ever so slightly, as if he were pondering something. "That class of yours… Do they usually act in such a rambunctious way?"

"N- no, not usually.." Well, Marinette knew they hadn't been like that, not until Lila came around. Ever since Lila became the center of everything, the class had gotten more bold in many things, suddenly thinking nothing could touch them, no one could tell them no. Their attitudes at Wayne Enterprises had been abhorrent, to say the least. They hadn't listened to a single thing Dick had had to say, they had only hung only Lila's every word. 

It still hurt.

"That Lila puts a bad taste in my mouth." Damian muttered, poking at his food with his fork. He glanced over at his father, a pained look on his face. "She keeps going around, saying I'm her fiancé. And that class of hers laps it up."

"Not all of them!" Marinette's spine stiffened as the words in defense of her class rose in her mouth, but she swallowed them back down. No, the entirety of them did not deserve her kind words. "Alix and a few others don't believe that. But she's just such a force to be reckoned with, you can't really speak up against her…"

"She ruins lives, nearly makes people lose their jobs." Evangeline spoke up, shadows in her eyes. 

"But her lies are so obvious, from what Dick told us." Kory spoke up, her brows drawing together in confusion. "Why do they believe such obvious lies?"

"Because they're idiots who don't even share a single brain cell." Damian stood up abruptly, taking Marinette's hand. He felt her trembling, saw the glassiness of her eyes. "Thank you for dinner, Alfred, it was delicious. I'm going to go show Marinette around our home now."

The family stared after the couple, plans already beginning to form in their minds.

---

"They must think I'm a freak." Marinette leaned into Damian was they walked along the long halls of Wayne Manor. It was such an old architecture, yet kept in such good condition, she desperately wished she had brought her sketch book.

"They love you. They wouldn't talk to you if they didn't love you." Damian assured her softly, kissing the top of her head.But did they really? 

They could be faking, just to please Damian… They are probably talking behind her back now, saying how pathetic she was..

"Angel, you have that look on your face." Damian kissed her furrowed brow, causing her to blink. "That class of yours really hurt you, didn't they? Did they hurt you so badly, that you think no one likes you?"

When Marinette teared up, he hugged her close, and let her silently weep into his shoulder, slowly stroking her back as he did. All the while, he was plotting on how to destroy that class of hers.

Once her tears were shed, Marinette pulled back, wiping her cheeks, embarrassed."I'm sorry." She whispered, but Damian merely shook his head and softly kissed her cheek.

"I'm always here for you, Angel. Always."

Little did they know, Tim, Cass, and Alfred were listening in on the conversation, a bit confused at where this suave, gentleman had come from and where their uptight Damian went.

"This is gonna give me so much ammo to tease him." Tim snickered, only to help when Cass hit him upside the head.

---

When the car pulled up in front of the hotel, Damian quickly got out of the car, to let the two ladies out. 

"I have to say, Mr. Wayne, your father and siblings reassured me that you won't do anything bad to Marinette, so I suppose you get a pass this once." Evangeline smirked at Damian, giving him a playful wink before she headed inside.

"I hope she doesn't scare you off." Marinette gripped Damian's hand tightly as he helped her out of the car, only to tightly embrace him. "I loved meeting your family, they're really great."

"I'm glad you came, Angel. Maybe I can meet your parents soon, we wouldn't want to keep them in the dark about this? I'd lose brownie points that way." Damian joked, before cupping her face in his hands, leaning close. "Good night, and make sure to lock your window, alright?"

"..." Marinette's brows drew together slightly in confusion, but she nodded. "Good night, Dami. I'll call you in the morning."

He kissed her cheek before heading back to the car, giving her a small wave as he drove off.Marinette collapsed into bed, a dopey smile on her face as she hugged her pillow to her chest, her cheeks rosy from her thoughts of Damian.

"Tikki.." Marinette glanced over at the kwami that floated up beside her, her face going even more red now. "I've only known him for a few days, but… Would it be silly to fall in love with a guy in a few days?"

Tikki seemed to ponder her words before smiling to herself.

"It's very possible, Marinette. I've seen people fall in love in a single day, then later on get married for life, having a happy life together. But, to be safe, I wouldn't rush into anything too serious, just in case." Tikki nuzzled Marinette gently.

"I know, I kinda already came to that conclusion too, but I thought I was in love with Adrien soon after I met him as well." Hot tears welled up in Marinette's eyes as she hugged the pillow tighter. "I don't know what I'm going to do if I make another mistake, Tikki. I don't want to hurt again…"

Taglist:

@realrandomposts @interobanginyourmom @ladybug-182 @ladylb @zalladane @mochinek0 @poshplumcot @urbanpineapplefarmer @vixen-uchiha @angelofmusickaterinapetrova @thewheezingbubbledragon @northernbluetongue @violatiger8 @thequestionablyhuman @ginamarie1512 @maude-zarella @2sunchild2 @saphiraazure2708 @ayuchan07 @virgil-is-a-cutie @thepeacetea

#Seeing Green #maribat #daminette

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

Title: from dust, arisen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne (also ft. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake) Summary: When Jason is fifteen, he almost dies. Now, he grapples with the life he still has. (Jason Lives AU) (ao3)

I...got tired of opening this periodically from my incomplete Google docs over the past two years so...here we go. Will (maybe, hopefully) turn into a series of vignettes. Timeline is intended to make as much sense as possible but...comics. 

When Jason is fifteen, he almost dies. It takes half a year to recover fully, his breath rattling against broken ribs and raw throat. He was protected, mostly, from the blast and has only minor burns, but his right arm is broken and so is his left leg, his shoulder dislocated, he needs stitches in multiple places, and he’s covered in bruises. He has a concussion, too, but he’s alive, and he almost wasn’t.

He’s confined to his bed for weeks. Bruce and Alfred hover. Dick’s there sometimes too. He feels suffocated, near the end, but mostly he’s too exhausted to care.

When he starts getting bored and antsy, Dick brings over video games and movies and little 5lb weights.

“I can only use my one arm,” Jason tells him mournfully. “The right one is already smaller. I can feel it.”

Dick makes a face at him as he wiggles the fingers on his left hand. Says, “Well it’ll just have some catching up to do when you get that cast off.”

“And 5lbs are for babies,” Jason adds.

“Guess you’re a baby,” Dick says and sticks his tongue out him.

Neither mention he’s still sore enough that he can’t lift even the 5lb weight for very long.

But he can handle a control with his cast, so Dick tosses him one and they race cars and beat up bad guys and aliens and shoot terrorists. Dick even, Jason swears to God, brings him over some dumb as shit Harvest Moon game.

“For when I’m not here,” Dick tells him. Because when he’s not here Jason reads a lot, but there’s only so much you can read, and he alternates between being restless, bored beyond imagining, and, well, kind of depressed.

(Jason beats it and saves his damn stupid farm three times before his bed rest is over; his cows love him.)

Mostly Jason is just glad Dick isn’t looking at him like he might still drop dead at any minute, all furrowed eyebrows and blank faced like Bruce or downturned, concerned lips like Alfred. Dick laughs and jostles Jason’s shoulder, gentler than he would ordinarily, but at least he knows Jason isn’t going to fucking break.

Jason gathers that Dick is staying at the Manor again but he’s still fighting with Bruce. They rarely visit Jason at the same time, and when one comes in, the other gets all tight and excuses himself after a few minutes. Jason suspects they’re fighting about him.

He doesn’t ask. Dick doesn’t say anything.

They don’t talk about what happened.

********

Jason begs Bruce to let him back in the field for a month. He gives it some time, after he’s up and about, goes to his physical therapy when his casts come off, but Bruce still says no. No. Flat. That’s it.

Jason trains harder. He knows he’s not 100%. He knows he’s chubbier, slower, that he’s out of practice.

He knows Bruce doesn’t trust him anymore.  Not after…

It only takes a month for him to get fed up with being left behind. He sits in the Cave as Batman leaves, pretending to look at the notes of the case Bruce has left him. A consolation prize, he rolls his eyes. Something shiny to distract him.

He waits a half an hour, and then gets ready. He realizes, quickly, that he doesn’t actually have a Robin suit anymore. He flinches, thinking about fabric being ripped from deep wounds, from its tattered remains Bruce didn’t know he’d seen.

He shakes his head and regroups. There’s always one of Dick’s old costumes. Jason’s…not sure he’ll fit in any. His weight has fluctuated so much over the past several months, as he weaned himself off pain meds, got his appetite back, sat around unable to do anything, threw himself back into his work-outs as soon as he could, got told off for working too hard when he was still in recovery.

Besides, Dick has always been slender. At fifteen, Jason isn’t done growing, but he’s already almost as tall as Dick and a little broader.

He could always go out in his civvies and a mask, but—

--the Joker can’t take Robin from him.

Batman actually falters when he sees Robin. Almost gets hit in the jaw for it, but recovers in time to duck. Jason jumps. They’re only some low level thugs. Small fry. He could have been helping all along.

He tells Batman so. Batman just looks at him for a long time. Long enough Jason wants to fidget, but he doesn’t. He holds his head up, clenches his jaw. Defiant. He can wait out Bruce.

Batman turns and walks away. But he doesn’t tell Jason to go home. Jason follows.

He guesses it’s a start.

********

“He’s stuck in that moment where he almost didn’t get to you in time,” Dick tells him seriously.

He’s come to Dick’s apartment because Batman is suffocating him. He swoops in when Robin doesn’t need him to, nearly breaks the jaws of thugs who so much as say the wrong thing to Robin, follows him too closely. Jason’s going to go insane.

He’s turning sixteen tomorrow. He almost didn’t make it.

Dick shakes his head. “You know how he doesn’t let go of things. I think part of him is going to live in that moment forever.”

Jason’s learned about watershed events. He wonders if Ethiopia is theirs. His and Bruce’s.

“Why are you packing?” he asks abruptly, because he’s interrupted Dick. “Are you moving back home?”

Dick looks guilty, fiddles with the shirt he’s holding bunched up in his hands. “Not exactly. I’m going back to New York.”

To the Titans.

“Why?”

Dick shrugs. “It’s time,” he says. “And I’m failing anyway. Waste of time to stick it out.”

“You’re smart,” Jason snaps. “Fuck, Dick, you’re a detective. How are you failing?”

Dick gives Jason a look. A little surprised at his venom. Jason is too. Finally, he says, “Not all of us our cut out for the college life, kid. Maybe I’m squandering an opportunity I’m lucky to have. But I can’t sit in class all day and not focus on a case I’m working. Or fall asleep because I was out late the night before and was only able to half-ass my homework in an all-nighter.”

Jason doesn’t say anything, but he won’t look at Dick either.

Dick adds, “Anyway, Bruce is driving me crazy, too. Need some space.”

“You didn’t have to come back,” Jason says hotly. His face feels hot, too, and tight.

Dick reaches out and touches his shoulder. “You know,” he says, thoughtfully, when Jason looks up at him. “It’s not really the Titans if there isn’t a Robin on the team.”

********

Jason turns sixteen and Alfred bakes a cake and Dick comes over because he hasn’t left yet (because he maybe kind of sort of hasn’t told Bruce he’s dropping out yet either) and Bruce is looking at Jason in a way that he never has before (at least not where Jason can see) and Jason feels warm for the first time since Ethiopia.

********

He has to repeat tenth grade. Alfred suggests, gently, homeschooling for the year, but Jason’s missed enough time.

******** “I didn’t die, Bruce!” They’re on opposite sides of the living room from each other and Jason is yelling, his fists clenched, his face splotchy red. 

They’ve been going at it for a while, the room hot and Jason hot, when he finally says it.

Bruce draws up short, and the room chills, and Jason suddenly feels deflated. He clenches his fists, adds quieter, “Stop acting like it.”

Jason doesn’t give him a chance to walk away first. He storms up the stairs to his room. He packs a backpack and leaves through the window. He takes the motorcycle and makes it to New York before morning.

Dick doesn’t ask, but his mouth tightens. He feeds Jason leftover pizza and lets him sleep in his bed. Jason snags a few hours, but he wakes to Dick’s hushed, tense voice speaking into a phone.

“No I don’t—obviously—well, I--,”

He gets up and pads over to where Dick’s hunched over on the couch, throws himself on the ground, leans back on his hands and looks up. Laughs a little to himself at Bruce being the one to do enough talking that Dick can barely get a word in edgewise.

Dick looks up and gives him a stressed little half smile. Mouths Bruce, as if Jason doesn’t know. Jason rolls his eyes to tell him obviously. Dick holds out the phone questioningly, and Jason shakes his head. He doesn’t feel as angry and restless as he did earlier, but he’s not ready to talk to Bruce just yet.

“Sorry, B, he’s still asleep. Yeah, we’ll just hit the City some tomorrow. He’s fine, I promise,” Dick sounds a little annoyed. “Go to bed, I’ll call later.”

Jason kicks Dick’s ankle in thanks and feels a little bad about how exhausted he looks. No one else is here, not even Kory, and Jason wonders if he really interrupted Dick in anything important. A local case or something.

Dick just raises his eyebrows at him. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Fuck, no,” Jason says because he knows Dick won’t reprimand him for his language, like Alfred. And also because he really, really doesn’t.

Dick shrugs. “I’m going to bed then,” he says. He stands up and stretches.  Adds, “You should get some more sleep. I’ll take Kory’s room.”

Dick’s as good as his word to Bruce, and he takes Jason sightseeing in New York. They do the standard tourist things—see the Rockerfeller, the Plaza Hotel, the Brooklyn Bridge. They rent bikes and ride around Central Park. They sit on a bench and eat ice cream and look out at across the water at the Statue of Liberty.

(Jason turns down going to Ellis Island. He’s had enough family history to last a lifetime.)

Dick buys him bagels and pizza and soda and presses cash into the hands of the homeless they pass. He stops and talks sometimes, and Jason watches him. Envies how charming he is, how easy it all seems to come to him. Jason’s sixteen, and he’s not uncool, but he’ll never be Dick Grayson.

They go out into the city that night, as Nightwing and Robin.

The New York skyline is different from Gotham. It’s not their city.

Jason goes back to the Tower early. “So,” Dick says, mid-morning Sunday, over breakfast. Jason’s actually a little impressed with his scrambled eggs; they’re not Alfred level, but they’re pretty decent. “So,” Jason says back because he feels like Dick is evaluating him. Searching him for something. “So,” Dick repeats, rolling his eyes. “You can stay here as long as you want, you know--,” “But,” Jason prompts. “But,” Dick agrees, “I think you should give Bruce a call.” “I’m gonna go back today,” Jason says. He pushes his empty plate away, runs a hand through his hair. “I just needed some space.” Dick smiles sympathetically. “I get it,” he says, Jason tries not to let himself get pissed off because he knows Dick does, knows he and Bruce have spent too many years fighting for Dick to not get it but- -but he didn’t almost die. Because he’s fucking perfect. He didn’t screw up like Jason did. He doesn’t have Bruce breathing down his neck because he can’t trust him. Jason doesn’t say any of that, but somehow, Dick reads it on his face. He leans forward and Jason resists the urge to lean back. “Remember what I said before?” he asks. “About letting go?” Jason nods. Dick’s not helping. “Sometimes, and I know I’m a hypocrite for saying this, but sometimes, you do too.” Jason gets home after Bruce has gone on patrol. He lets Alfred feed him dinner, does a few rounds with a punching bag, showers, and goes to sleep. He wakes up in the dark, red numbers on his clock flashing 4am, a hand brushing the hair out of his face. He almost flinches away, but some part of his brain recognizes that it’s just Bruce and he relaxes. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” Bruce says, his voice a rough whisper. “’Sokay,” Jason says. He shifts, sits up a little, blinks blearily at Bruce. The fight from Friday lays between them. Bruce doesn’t apologize, but he pulls Jason into a  hug, holds him close. Jason doesn’t apologize, but he snakes his arms around Bruce and squeezes back.

********

He notices the Drake kid tailing Batman and Robin, snapping pictures of them, before Bruce does. He doesn’t see the kid every night, but when he does, he makes sure to do an extra special kick or flip just right or pause a little longer. It’s not posing exactly, but it’s nice to be appreciated. (And Jason won’t lie, he likes the attention.) Also  he’s a little curious to see how long it’ll take Batman to notice. Wonders if he already does and is ignoring it for some reason. It’s not like the kid ever lingers for long or isn’t as sneaky as possible, but Batman is, well, Batman. Jason finally gets a chance to talk to him about a month after he first starts noticing him. Jason’s by himself because, after their fight, he and Bruce are trying this new thing where Bruce lets him go off solo. At least a little bit. Because Jason’s sixteen now and not a kid and he’s not going to— The kid is startled when Robin drops down in front of him. He stumbles and Jason has to reach out to keep him from falling. “So what?” Jason asks. “Journalism class? You the next photographer for the Gazette?” The kid flushes and says “Oh my God” and “I’m sorry” and “Do you think he’ll be mad?” He’s stuttering over his words, and Jason finally takes pity. Says, “Chill out, I don’t care.” He sits down, swings his legs over the edge of the building, leans back on his hands and looks up at the kid. “Your parents know you’re out here?” He hesitates, then admits, “They’re out of town.” “Oh,” Jason says. He gets it. “Just for work,” the kid adds defensively. “They’ll be back.” Jason digs around in his belt and offers the kid a granola bar. He hesitates then takes it. After another moment, he sits down too, away from the edge. Jason leans back on his hands and looks at him, appreciates his mask lets him study without coming off as creepy. Kid’s scrawny, shivering in an overpriced jacket, can’t be older than 13, a giant ass camera hanging around his neck. He breaks the granola bar in half and offers the bigger one to Jason, who takes it. “What’s your name?” Jason asks finally. “Tim,” he says back. Glances up quickly, then back down. Back up again and blurts, “I’m glad you’re back. I wasn’t sure you would be.” Jason doesn’t say me too or me neither, but he wants to.   “You look familiar,” Jason says. “Have we saved you before or something? That why you president of the fan club?” “No,” Tim says absently. “But I’ve been to some galas at Wayne Manor.” There’s a pause where Tim’s eyes widen and Jason stiffens. Then Tim scrambles to his feet saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and Jason leaps up and grabs his arm, demanding, “Who are you and what do you know?” They both still and Tim draws in a deep breath. He lets it out and Jason notices he doesn’t look scared. Nervous, maybe, a little, but not scared. He says, “I figured it out. Who Batman is. A few years back. Well,” he backtracks, “I figured out who the first Robin was and then…everything fell into place.” Jason doesn’t admit he’s a little impressed. He lets go of Tim, sure he isn’t a threat and won’t run. Asks, still a little suspicious, “How’d you do that?” Tim gets this little half-smile on his face and he says, “The quadruple somersault.” “Yeah?” Jason asks. “How’d you make the connection?” “I watched two of the only three people who could do it die,” Tim says. Jason does some quick mental math and says, “No way in hell you remember that.” Tim huffs. “Well, I do,” he snaps. “It was one of the best days of my life. I was with my parents and they managed to let me meet up with the Flying Graysons before the show. They took a picture with me. I didn’t forget.” They’re quiet for a long moment. The moon is almost directly overhead, bright and full. “Are you going to tell him?” Tim asks finally. He slides a glance sideways at Jason, who doesn’t know if he means Bruce or Dick. Jason shakes his head. “Not yet, at least.” “I should go home,” Tim says, but he’s looking down, scuffing his toe across the roof, so Jason says, “Yeah, me too.” They start to part ways, but Tim turn again. “I really am glad you’re back,” he tells Jason. “He was…different without you. It was kinda scary. Batman needs Robin.”

******** Jason can’t get that out of his head. “He was different…it was kinda scary.”  He turns the words around in his head over and over again, until he can’t sleep, thinking about it. He asks Alfred about it, after two days of thinking. Sidles up to him while he’s making sandwiches and soup for lunch. Bruce has to go in for a WE Board meeting (“On a Saturday?” Jason asked horrified and Bruce shrugged. “Guess it’s important. And I maybe missed it on Wednesday.” He winked and was gone.) He takes the knife without a word and starts to cut the sandwiches so Alfred can stir the soup. Tomato basil. “How was Bruce,” he asks abruptly, keeping his eyes focused on the sandwiches, “when I was hurt?” Jason hears the spoon stop stirring, can feel Alfred still next to him. A moment later, the spoon picks up again, slowly. It’s another moment before Alfred clears his throat and says, “He took it very hard. We all did.” “Oh,” Jason says. He keeps looking at the sandwiches even though he’s finished cutting them. He looks up when he feels Alfred’s hand on his shoulder. Alfred is looking at him with fondness and sadness and something else Jason doesn’t know what to call but it fills him up so much he feels tears pricking at his eyes. Alfred cups his face and his hands are warm and wrinkled and soft despite all the labor he’s put into this house over the decades. He says, his voice low with purpose, “You are very dear to him. To me. To Master Richard. I hope you know that.” Jason nods and Alfred lets his hand drop. Gives Jason’s shoulder a pat and says briskly, “Now let’s see about lunch.” He doesn’t ask Dick because he thinks Alfred has sugarcoated or lied to him. It’s only that, he has said very little and he loves Bruce differently than Jason does, the same way he loves Jason—they’re not blind spots, per se, but there’s some sense of duty, some sense of needing to protect. Dick is quiet for a long time when Jason asks over the phone. Jason starts to get antsy, wishing he had gone in person to see Dick, to ask. Finally, Dick answers, almost reluctantly, “He was furious. I’ve never seen him like that before. I thought—for sure, I thought he’d—you know.” Jason does know, but it makes him furious Dick won’t even say the Joker’s name, won’t say what Bruce wouldn’t do. “He would have deserved it,” Jason says savagely and is surprised out of his anger when Dick agrees, quietly, “Yeah. He would have.” There’s a long pause and then Dick adds, “But it wasn’t just him. B was…it was to everybody. A petty thief same as the Big Bads. It was like—it was like he really did. Lose you. And I didn’t—I wasn’t enough, then.” “Oh,” Jason says.

********

Jason doesn’t see Tim again for a while, worries he scared the kid off. He stays true to word, doesn’t tell Dick or Bruce, but he does keep an eye out for him.

When he doesn’t see him as Robin, Jason starts looking for Tim in school. He isn’t actually sure they go to the same one, it can’t hurt to keep an eye out. He doesn’t see him around the high school classes, and, remembering how tiny the kid is, Jason slips into Gotham Academy’s lower school during lunch and spots him right away.

Tim flushes when he notices Jason zero in on him, but he keeps walking with his nerd friend, determinedly ignoring Jason. Jason doesn’t like being ignored. He saunters over and slings an arm around the kid’s shoulder.

Tim’s flush deepens, but he says, almost valiantly, “Uh, hi?” He waves his friend off when he looks concerned and then shoves his hands in his pocket, like he’s trying to make his tiny self even smaller. “Can I help you?”

“Just haven’t seen ya around in a while,” Jason says. He tugs Tim outside with him and adds, “Let’s have lunch.”

********

“Why are you spending so much time with the Drake boy?” Bruce asks one night. They’re in the Cave, still in tuxes from some charity thing Bruce has thrown. Alfred will be mad if he knows, but he’s upstairs, cleaning.

Jason shrugs. “Just a friend. He goes to my school. ‘Sides, everyone else at those things is boring.”

“Not me,” Bruce says and Jason yawns extravagantly. “Especially you.”

********

He wants to tell Dick first about Tim because it’s Dick who helped Tim figure it all out. When he calls to see if he can come up for a weekend visit, though, Dick is distracted, sounds off.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jason finally demands and Dick sighs. Says, “I’m leaving the Titans. I guess I’m moving back to Gotham for a bit.”

It’s good timing, Jason thinks, and immediately feels guilty. He tries not to feel giddy about Dick being back. Tries not to worry about Nightwing, who’s lost teammates and just sounds tired lately.

“To the Manor?” he asks and Dick says, “God no. At least, not permanently. I just…need some time.”

“I have a secret to tell you,” Jason says. “When you get back.”

“I don’t know if I like the sounds of that,” Dick says and actually laughs.

******** Dick takes to Tim right away and Jason tries to squash down any jealousy boiling up in him. It’s not Tim’s fault they’ve come into Dick’s life at different places.

******** Bruce finds out with Dick and Jason both playing mediator, but he seems more impressed than angry, a concerned furrow etching into his brow.

“His parents aren’t home a lot,” Jason tells him, as if Bruce hasn’t noticed the kid sitting in his kitchen, doing homework and eating Alfred’s cookies on a near-daily basis.

******** He watches Tim spar and they way he pores over notes Bruce leaves for him when Batman and Robin go out, and he calls Dick the next day. Asks, “How did you know?” He’s woken Dick up and all he gets is a muffled, “Whu?” “How did you know?” He repeats, more insistently. “How did you know when it was time to move on?” “From what?” Dick asks and Jason lets out a frustrated sigh. “From Robin, asshole,” he snaps. “How did you know?” “Oh,” Dick is quiet for a minute. Then, he says, “I think if you’re asking, you already know.”

********

Jason was fifteen when he almost died. He was fifteen when he took back Robin, sixteen when he and Bruce started figuring each other out again.

Jason is seventeen today, poised on the edge of growing up. He’s seventeen and he is giving Robin away. Tim’s hands tremble when he takes the proffered uniform.

“But it’s your birthday,” he blurts, and then, “Are you sure?”

Jason glances at Bruce, suddenly glad he’s run it by him the night before instead of letting it be a surprise. Bruce doesn’t smile exactly, but there’s something encouraging in his eyes, reassuring, and Jason says, “Sure I’m sure. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You’re ready.” I’m ready.

“What will you do next?” Tim asks, voice softer, almost reverent as he gathers the Robin uniform close to himself.

Jason shrugs, but he’s grinning. “I have a few ideas.”

He does, too, scribbled down, sketched in a notebook. Because he is seventeen and he did not die and the world is open before him and he is ready for the world.

#jason todd #bruce wayne #batfam #dick grayson #tim drake #batman #robin #fanfic tag #my fic #hi here is 13 type written pages i actually have more already in this series lmao #katie's adventures in writing #tumblr formatting sucks lmao

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

Less Than - fic

Characters: Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne Summary: Jason didn’t mean to find Damian in the middle of a breakdown. He also doesn’t know why he was surprised to find that it was Tim’s fault. A/N: I recently read the Night of the Monster Men crossover, and it annoyed me how much everyone talked about Tim being dead. Like, I get this is right after it happened, but...it just seemed excessive. And I began to ponder how it would affect the boys who had been dead themselves before. I decided it wouldn’t affect them well, for a multitude of reasons. Basically, this is just Damian letting his own grief and insecurities finally get to him. He apologizes at the end because he feels guilty that the family found out and he made them feel bad/worry. He cries because of that and also his grief. Jason finally hands him over to Dick when they get home, and Dick holds him like a lil baby the rest of the night. Damian probably falls asleep in his arms let’s be real. This is basically just word jumble.

~~

He found him lying on a skyscraper rooftop. On the middle of a helipad. Cape spread out beneath him, arms flung out, legs spread.

He didn’t have his mask on. That laid next to his head. His communicator laid next to that.

And Jason didn’t say anything. He wasn’t looking for the kid, and as far as he knew he wasn’t off the family’s radar either, but – he just had a feeling.

So he just took off his helmet and walked across the roof. Laid down by Damian’s head, so his own head was next to his little brother’s, and mimicked his pose.

The sky was clear tonight. And the stars were beautiful.

“…Do you think Father cares?” Damian asked, after only a few moments of silence. “Do you think any of them care?”

“About?”

“The fact that I died.” Damian whispered. “The fact that you died.”

And it looked like his feeling was correct.

“All they talk about is Drake.” Damian continued sorrowfully. “How Drake isn’t here, how they have to live up to Drake’s standard, honor Drake’s memory – Drake, Drake, Drake.”

Damian took a deep breath, let out a deeper exhale.

“Do you think they talked about us like that? Or cared about our deaths as much as they do his?” Damian asked. “Do you think they even really knew Drake at all? I mean, at this point I think I knew Drake better. Because he wouldn’t want this. He wouldn’t want to be held up as some kind of martyr. Or cried over. Or whatever.”

“I know they did for you.” Jason was quick to confirm. “I remember what a mess they were over you. Dick about became an alcoholic. Bruce went insane. I…well, I was dead, so I don’t know what they said about me.”

“You’re the only reason Drake was in this family at all. He wanted to live up to the example you set.” Damian whispered. “But…I feel like this is different.”

“Oh?”

“They didn’t use us as ways to get better. Be better.” Damian continued, and Jason could hear him on the edge. He was going to crack. He was going to fall into a pit of emotions, and he was trying so hard not to. “They mourned us, that’s all. They mourned us. They’re still mourning us, and we came back.”

A tense pause.

“…Do you think they even know we came back? Or are we ghosts?” Damian whispered. “Are we still ghosts, Todd?”

Jason’s instinct was to say ‘Yes we are, and that’s all we’re ever going to be now. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to overcome that. For them, for yourself, for everyone.’ But he didn’t. He waited a moment, thought through his words. Sighed.

“You’re not a ghost to me, Damian.” Jason returned gently. “Am I a ghost to you?”

“No.” Damian said quickly. Almost sounded like he was blubbering, like he was a real ten year old.  With feelings and emotions and healthy outlets of how to show them. “I just. I don’t know. I feel like Drake’s death is more important than ours. They’re sadder with him gone than us.”

And Jason had to admit – it was a good thing Damian was still using pronouns like ‘we’ and ‘us.’ Hadn’t slipped into ‘me’ and ‘I.’ That meant he wasn’t internalizing. Wasn’t blaming himself and hating himself and distancing himself.

At least – not yet.

“They don’t love us as much as they love Drake.” Damian surmised. “I’m sure of it.”

“I’m not.” Jason tried. “Remember – we stole tech, kidnapped Cyborg and jumped to an alien planet for you. That’s no small feat. Dick tried to kill the Joker for me, and you beat him with a crowbar. Have they done any of those things for Tim?”

“…No.” Damian admitted. “But-”

“Grief does different things to people.” Jason sighed, barely believing the old adage himself. “And Tim was a weirdo, so. They loved him differently than us. Not more, or less, but…differently.” He stopped as something came to mind. “And…he was always there, through every tragedy they – or even we – went through. He popped up in Bruce’s life when I was dead. Was there when Bruce died, and even you, and was there when Dick pretended to be. Even for you, and don’t think I didn’t see you two reading encyclopedias together in the manor library during Dick’s spy phase.”

“They weren’t encyclopedias, they were collections. He found a volume of Arthur Conan Doyle’s vampire stories.” Damian corrected.

“…But now, suddenly he’s the one gone, and no one has a backbone to hold them up emotionally anymore. Not even you, apparently.” Jason waved his arm in the air. “Because, Damian, you realize you’re way too young to be having an existential crisis, right?”

Damian hummed defiantly. Then: “…Maybe they’d be happier if I were able to take Drake’s place.”

There it was.

“I mean, if you all found me, then I can find him.” Damian continued, even as Jason sat up. Began to turn himself around to face Damian. Damian didn’t move. “Surely I can make a deal with a deity, or find magic to switch our souls, or, you know-”

“Nope.” Jason cut off. “Stop right there, squirt.”

Damian paused, then tilted his head back, looking up at Jason. “I just mean-”

“I don’t care what you mean.” Suddenly Jason lashed out, reaching under Damian’s arms and dragging the boy towards him. Damian let out a noise of surprise, blinked, and instantly found him cocooned in Jason’s arms. Trapped in a circle of his legs and underneath his chin. Being held tightly, safely. “You’re going to stop talking like that right now.”

“…Todd?” Damian whispered.

“You matter, okay? You matter as much as Tim did. Does. Don’t ever think otherwise.” Jason began to ramble. He found himself suddenly rocking slightly, but didn’t have the heart to try and stop. “And even if you think – wrongly – that the others don’t feel that, know that I do, okay?”

Damian just slumped against him.

“I…” And it was still impossible to say a simple thing like ‘I love you,’ even to this child, the one who probably needed to hear it the most. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re still here. I’m glad you came back. I think about it every day.”

He didn’t realize how he emotional he was getting, until he felt Damian reach up and wipe a stray tear away.

“Tim…isn’t more important than you. Just like Dick isn’t more important than the rest of us, no matter how much we still sometimes think it.” Jason whispered, shifting if only to hold Damian tighter. “And I know I’m not the brother to get all…sentimental about the rest of you, but. Just. Just don’t talk like that, okay? Please, just don’t talk like that.”

“Todd…”

“If not just because you trading yourself for Tim would still leave this family missing pieces and broken,” Jason cut off. “But because if you let yourself think those kinds of things, then you’re letting that darkness win.”

He sniffed, shifted back so he could look into Damian’s eyes, and carefully lifted his hand to hold his face.

“You know that darkness I’m talking about, right? That darkness that sticks around after you come back to life.” Damian nodded silently. “You’re better than that shit, man. I know you are.”

“So are you.” Damian added quickly, before Jason could continue. “You’re better than that too, despite your attempts to act otherwise.”

Jason smiled, leaning his forehead against Damian’s. “…You feeling better, kid?”

Damian paused, but then shrugged. That was good of an affirmative as he was going to get for now, Jason knew.

“…Next time you start feeling like this, don’t come hide on a rooftop.” Jason whispered. “I want you to call me instead, okay?”

Because Jason didn’t want to think about what stupid thing Damian might’ve done if Jason hadn’t come across him. And he didn’t want to think about what stupid plan his little brother might think up the next time he got in this funk too.

“Promise me you’ll call me.” Jason ordered, even as Damian stared up at him with big doe eyes. “Like, blood oath kind of promise.”

Damian quirked his lips, but slowly nodded.

“Good boy.” Jason hummed, pulling Damian back against his chest. “And if you break that promise, I swear to you I will kick your puny little ass.”

Damian scoffed, but curled into Jason’s embrace all the same.

“…You matter.” Jason reiterated. “You’re more than your death. We are more than our death.”

“And we love you.” Jason and Damian both jumped. Found Bruce, Dick and Cassandra all standing on the ledge. It was Dick who had spoken, and before Jason could ask, Dick pointed to his own ear. “More than basically anything.”

…That’s right. Jason had never taken out or turned off his own communicator. Which means this whole conversation happened on an open channel, for the whole family to hear.

Oops.

Surprisingly, though, it was Bruce moving first, hopping off the ledge and gliding towards them like a man on a mission.

“I wish you’d told us that this is how you felt, Damian.” Dick continued, as he and Cassandra slowly followed Batman. Batman, who was dropping down next to them, and gathering both sons up into his arms. Damian didn’t react, even as Dick and Cassandra crouched around them too, Cassandra taking Jason’s hand in hers, and Dick carefully rubbing Damian’s curved spine. “I wish you would have let us help you.”

Damian shrugged. Hid his face against Jason’s throat.

“You’re not a ghost.” Dick whispered. “Neither of you are. And all of us…thank our lucky stars for that every single day.”

“You’re here. With me.” Bruce mumbled, and Jason glanced at him. Watched as Batman carefully ran his hand over the back of Damian’s head. “And I’m going to make sure you stay here with me, for as long as I can.”

“Tim’s death doesn’t mean any more or less than either of yours.” Dick added. “And it…breaks my heart that you thought that, for even a second.”

“I’m sorry.” Damian murmured. Cassandra silently shook her head.

“No, Damian, it’s not. You don’t have to-” Dick tried, but couldn’t find the words, so he sighed. “Don’t apologize, Damian. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It is valid.” Cassandra tried. “These feelings.”

“Completely.” Dick agreed. And when he said it, he glanced knowingly up at Jason too, who smiled sadly.

“I love you.” Bruce said simply, holding Damian and Jason tighter. “I love you all more than anything in the universe.”

And this time, when Damian spoke, there were tears in his voice. Jason could feel them on his neck. “I’m sorry.”

Dick kept rubbing Damian’s back. “…How about we call it a night and head home.”

Bruce nodded, and Dick held out his hands for Damian, the fact that he would not be walking on his own, able or not, unspoken between all of them.

“No, I-” Jason shifted his arms around Damian. Damian, in turn, let him, wrapping his arms around Jason’s neck in return. “Lead the way, ‘Wing. I’ve got him.”

Dick smiled and ruffled his hair, before leaning down and leaving a kiss to Damian’s temple. Reluctantly, it seemed, Bruce let his sons go, standing as Dick and Cassandra did.

“Take them to the manor, Dick.” Bruce hummed. “Cassandra and I will finish the patrol, and follow behind shortly.”

“An hour or less, or I’m coming back out here after the both of you.” Dick scolded, even as he began, almost ridiculously, to tuck Jason under his arm. Jason didn’t react to the gesture, just kept his focus on Damian. Cassandra gave a thumbs up, staring pointedly up at Bruce, who nodded eagerly. “Good. See you soon.”

He didn’t watch Batman and Black Bat race back into the city. Just kept his arm around Jason as he spun him and Damian around, and headed for home.

#Damian Wayne #Jason Todd #dick grayson #cassandra cain #bruce wayne

[multifandom-damnation]

I’m Here pt 1- Jason finds out.

“Y’know Jason,” Roy’s voice said from the other end of the phone. “There are these things that people leave when they go out -maybe you know them- called notes. People put them in places when they want to leave a message that says things like ‘I’m going out, don’t worry’ or ‘I’ve gone to this place and I’ll be back at this time’. That’s what people do when they leave, so that way their friends don’t panic and think you’ve been kidnapped and start tracking your cell and your helmet chip, WHICH you left here by the way.”

“Sorry,” Jason said monotone as he stared at the huge double doors. “I didn’t know I was going to go out. I was out for a walk and just decided I’m just going to go out.”

“That’s fine and all” Roy’s voice was full of static from the bad reception “But where are you anyway? Kori said you were talking about seeing someone?” A clang followed by a string of curses indicated that Roy was in his workshop. He probably dropped a wrench on his foot. Again.

“Where do you think he is Roy?” The very quiet and far away voice of Kori could be heard. “Who do you think he would have gone and seen?”

“I don’t know, if I knew would I be asking? Just tell me, then I wouldn’t have to think.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Hey, I don’t do thinking. My thinking capacity revolves around tools, weapons, arrows and Lian. ‘Would have thought you had known that, Princess.”

“The Joker?” Kori’s exasperated and annoyed voice rang out, coming closer to the phone. “Tim? Don’t you think he would have gone to the manor to see Tim?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, even the near-constant sounds Roy made when he fiddled with an arrow head or a bolt had momentarily stopped. “Oh. Oh man, I thought you said we were all going to go over together? You sure you’re ok with this Jaybird?”

I don’t know was what Jason wanted to say at he gazed up at the drab greys and browns of Wayne Manor, with its swooping portico roofs, its wide windows dark and lifeless and its front porch with its many steps and its huge double doors.

A week ago, Tim Drake, Red Robin Tim, replacement Tim, had been taken by the Joker, “kidnapped”, as though he wasn’t lured into a trap using a crying child and had instead been plucked off of the street and shoved in the back of a van. He had been missing for 5 days and Jason had only heard about it yesterday.

Yes-ter-day.

Jason clenched his fists at his sides.

This was the Jokers way of getting back at Batman because the broken robin had come back, why not take the next best thing? Who knows what happened to Tim while he was taken? Who knows what else would have happened if he was there for any longer? What if the reason Alfred had only called Jason yesterday, not Bruce or Dick, was because Tim blamed him and didn’t want to see him? What if-

“Jason?” Roy’s incessant voice knocked him out of his thoughts.  “Jay, you ok man? You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. We can all go together, or we can write things down, or- “

“What am I going to say?” Jason asked quietly. “Alf said that he hasn’t come out of his room for days, hasn’t eaten anything, is barely sleeping, isn’t talking. What am I supposed to say to help him? I don’t know what the Joker did to him. I died, what happened to me was different, I can’t level with him about having the same experiences, can I? What do I say?”

Roy was silent on the other end of the phone, which was not a Roy that Jason was used to. “Yes, you can.”

“Can what?”

“Level with him. Sure you died and he didn’t. You were hurt physically; Tim was probably hurt mentally. Joker gas and all. You’re the brawn, he’s the brains. But when you crawled out of your grave-sorry- the thing you were looking for was comfort, yeah? Someone to be there for you, to care about you and make you feel like people wanted to help, right?

“Yeah and?”

“Tim probably wants the same thing. He is living with Bruce Wayne, remember? Batman? How much affection do you think that boy is going to get? And Damian? You think he is going to be any help? But you know how he feels, how you felt, so give him now what you wish you had gotten then.”

Jason was silent. “Wow.” He said after a moment. “That was actually really intellectual of you Harper.”

“Thanks, I try.”

And with a click, the call had ended, and Roy was gone. Jason was now forced to make a decision out of a cross road: go and knock on the doors, wait outside in the coldness of Gotham, or turn around and walk away. After a while of arguing with himself, he decided on the answer of what Tim would do for him if the positions were switched.

He walked up those steps and knocked on the doors.

It was no surprise when Alfred answered, although it was a surprise when he realised that Alfred was not carrying his trademark silver tray, but instead was carting around a small walky-talky type of alarm. Like a high-tech baby monitor (which Jason had seen plenty of, having Lian live with them a lot recently) that was hooked up directly into Tim’s room. It looked like Tim had caught on to the camera, and had placed a strip of coloured sticky tape to the lens. But he could still be seen through a blue film, hunched over his laptop with his hair in his face.

“Ah, Master Jason,” Alfred greeted him looking somewhat relieved. “I assume you are here to see Master Tim. You know where his room is, please wipe your shoes on the mat before you come in.” Jason smiled at him as he went around the corner into the kitchen.

As Jason had bent down to start unbuckling the clasps on his shoes because he would rather take them off altogether than wipe them, Alfred poked his head back around the corner.

“Jason.” He started, then shook his head and looked down before he continued. “I’m glad you came over after all. He is listening to neither I nor Master Bruce, Master Richard is out of town and has not yet been informed, and you know how young Master Damian gets… I was hoping you might try.”

“I’ll see what I can do Alf.”

“That is all I have ever asked for Master Jason.”

Hasn’t Dickie been told? Jason thought as he made his way up the stairway, sliding his hand along the bannister. Why hasn’t B told him yet? I thought he would have been the first to know. I thought he would have been the one to find him. What’s he going to say when he finds out Bruce didn’t tell him again? I am so going to call him when I get back.

When he got to Tim’s door, he found Bruce leaning on the bannister, crossed armed and cross-legged, face deep in thought.

Jason reached his hand in front of his face and clicked his fingers together, making Bruce look up and at Jason as if seeing him for the first time. “Jason.” He stated confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Alfred called me.” He told him as he stretched his arms and leant against the wall opposite Bruce, next to Tim’s door. “By the way, thanks for not letting me know until the last minute, and what do you think Dick is going to say when he finds out?

“Richard doesn’t need to be told.”

Ah. “Had another falling out did we?”

“It’s not important,” Bruce grumbled and looked down at the floor. ‘What’s important is- “

“Tim, yeah I know. I get it. Let me have a chat with him.”

Bruce looked back at him then, doubt written on his face. “What makes you think that you can get through to him?”

Jason would have been offended at the accusatory “you” thrown into that sentence but right then he got a text from Roy.

Remember: Give him what he needs, not what he wants. No matter how much he tells you he does, he doesn’t.

And as confusing as that sounded, Jason got it perfectly.

“What have you tried so far?” Jason asked Bruce looking back up from his phone.

“We’ve asked him what he wants from us. He says he wants us to leave him alone, he won’t even take medication or food. We can’t give him anything.”

Jason thought for a minute, thinking that somehow Roy Harper, his stupid best friend, had somehow managed to deduce something before the world’s greatest detective. Well played Harper.

“Do you know what happened to him?” He asked pushing himself off of the wall

Bruce pulled out his phone and opened up an app Barbra- sorry Oracle- had installed that connected directly to the bat-computer down in the bat-cave. He opened up Tim’s file and handed it to Jason.

Vast amounts of fear toxin, slight electrocution, went without food for several days, joker gas strain administered- not very effective (didn’t have laughing properties), burn marks, scars and lacerations.

“Hmm.” Jason hummed as he read it, thinking what did I want when I crawled out?

“Is Damian here?” he asked finally, looking up at Bruce who had not taken his eyes off of Tim’s door. “I want to have a quick word with him.”

“Yes, he’s in his room.” As Jason turned to walk towards his room, he felt Bruce’s hand on his arm. “He is… trying, you know. Damian. At first, he didn’t know what to do, was trying to insult him so he could come out of his room and start yelling at him. Then he started writing letters and slipping them under his door. The last thing he did before he gave up was put one of his swords in the laundry shoot and sent it to his room, with a note that said: “For protection, if you need it.”

Nodding, Jason turned away again and walked towards Damian’s room. Knocking, he was greeted with a single “enter”.  

Still as stuck up as always.

When he went in, Damian was at his desk reading, the light casting shadows across his tired face. He looked up as the door opened, and seemed surprised to find Jason. “Todd,” He said marking his page and standing. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Tim.”

“It may not be of any use.” He said looking down. “None of us have managed to get through to him, not even Brown or Cain.”

“Damian, I know. But I need you to do me a favour ok?”

He looked up again then, clearly intrigued, so Jason continued. “Would you be able to make- or ask Alfred to make - that drink Tim used to have? A cross between a coffee and a hot chocolate? I would make it myself but I don’t know how to make it.”

Damian thought for a moment before nodding. “I will make it. I won’t be too long, don’t go anywhere.”

As he quickly hurried out of the room and down the staircase, Jason went to the cupboard next to the stairs and grabbed the biggest and warmest blanket he could find. It was a navy blue, soft and fluffy. Something Tim would like. As he heard the kettle start to boil and jars being opened, Jason went to his old room, which was just as he had left it, and went looking for the books. He had hidden them under his bed, the old books he didn’t want to put in the family library because they meant to much to him, the ones he had brought with him when he was living on the streets before he was taken in by Bruce. He selected one of his favourites, “To Kill a Mockingbird” and went back to Damian’s room, closing the door behind him.

He entered Damian’s room just as he came stomping up the staircase. “It’s done.” He said proudly showing Jason the cup. It was full of whipped cream and chocolate flakes and marshmallows, with no doubt heaps of sugar and probably too much coffee. “Thank you, Damian,” Jason told him as he took the mug out of his hands. “I’ll be sure to let Tim know you made it for him.”

As Jason made his way to Tim’s room, Bruce gave him a look. “Do you actually think that he will open the door for you?”

“No, but unlike you, I’m not afraid to break the door down if he doesn’t.”

He was, he just didn’t want Bruce to know he cared. This was his replacement after all.

Jason took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

He heard a sigh from the other side of the door. “Bruce!” Tim shouted, obviously annoyed, “How many times have I told you to stop knocking on my door? What part of “I want to be alone” does the great detective not understand?”

“It’s not Bruce, and I’m slightly offended that you thought I was. I’m not that old and grumpy am I?” Jason said through the door, hoping the snarky humour would give it away that it was him.

There was silence on the other end of the door. “Jason?”

“In the flesh. Can I come in? I think I left something in there the last time I was here” Jason closed his eyes and hoped to every lord listening that that would work and that Tim would let him in.

The gods must have been listening, as Tim sounded confused but said “uh, s-sure. Come in.” And with a click, his door was unlocked, probably with that electronic remote thing, and Jason was permitted access.

Bruce pushed himself off from the bannister he was leaning on and made his way towards the door, but Jason turned to him and gave him a look. “Don’t,” He said to him, “I told you I was going to talk to him. Not you, you had your chance. You gave him what he wanted. To be left alone.”

“Well, what are you going to give him?”

Jason thought of Roys advice as he turned back to the door and turned the handle, struggling with his full hands. “What he needs.”

He pushed through the door and quickly shut it once he was through, locking it with his elbow. He really should have brought one of Alfred’s trays.

Tim didn’t look at him as he walked up. He had his head bent, his long hair dangling in front of his face like vines and his eyes staring at his computer screen. He was wearing his civvies, but they looked old and worn. The room was slightly muskier, and there were scrunched up tissues under the bed. He was sitting on top of the covers and his eyes were red-rimmed.

Jason walked towards the bed and placed the blanket and the book on the floor. He made room on Tim’s bedside table and placed the cup on it. He knelt down on his knees in front of Tim’s bed and picked up his computer, moving it to the other side of the bed. He turned Tim’s hips around so he was facing him.

Tim still wouldn’t look a Jason, and that made his heart break.

“Hey, Timbo,” Jason said quietly. “Damian made you that drink you like. You know, the one with the coffee and the chocolate and the whipped cream? I’ve got that here. And a book, I thought maybe we could read something.”

Tim still didn’t answer so Jason placed his hands on his face and pushed outwards, so he moved his hair out of his face. Tim looked tired, and he kept his eyes in his lap.

“Timmy” Jason whispered and dragged him off of the bed and onto the floor with him, placing the blanket around his shoulders.

Jason gently placed a finger under Tim’s chin and lifted it so he could see his face and cup it. His eyes were bloodshot and there were tears brimming, close to tumbling out and falling down his face like raindrops in a storm. One did, and Jason raised a finger and whipped it away.

“Timbo,” Jason whispered one more time, “What do you need?”

And then suddenly, like a dam breaking the tears came flooding out and Tim collapsed into Jason’s arms. Sob after heart-wrenching sob wracked through Tim’s small frame as he clutched tightly to Jason, burying his face into his chest and crying. He was shaking, and he was mumbling into Jason, saying he was sorry, so sorry, and Jason just held him through it all.

This is what he needs. Jason thought as he listened to Tim weep, this is what I needed, but he needs it more.

Jason didn’t know how long they were sitting there for, but around dinner time Tim’s sobs started to slow until they turned to hiccups and sniffles. Jason’s top was drenched, but he didn’t mind. Tim looked at Jason with wide eyes then and whispered a small “thank you”

“Any time Timbo,” Jason said to him as he grabbed a tissue from the near empty box and dried Tim’s eyes. “It’s what you would have done for me. Now, do you want to tell me what the Joker did to you so I can find him and break him for it, or are you going to make me break every bone in his body until he tells me?”

Tim smiled a little at that, knowing someone would always be there to help him. “I’ll tell you.” He said quietly in-between hiccups. “Just, don’t do a Bruce ok?”

“I promise I will not do a Bruce.”

“Thanks,” Tim said, rubbing his eyes. And he meant it. “I needed this.”

“I know,” Jason said as he wrapped the blanket tighter around his younger brother.

“Promise you won’t leave?”

That was something Jason was not prepared for, especially not from Tim.

“Yeah, Timmy. I can promise you that,” Jason said looking into Tim’s eyes, someone who needed him for once.

“I ain’t going anywhere.”

Soooooo… thank you to the beautiful @whore4batfam for taking time out of her time off to read this for me. I really appreciate it. I hope it makes sense and it isn’t too long, but either way, it’s done!! I’m really enjoying writing these things.

Bye!

#jason todd #koriand'r #roy harper #bruce wayne #dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #barbra gordon #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #my writing #im actually proud of this #batfam #red hood and the outlaws