#HOOD SHOT
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sasstrash · 4 months ago
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Yeah
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varpusvaras · 4 months ago
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Titans: ...what do you have there, Roy?
Roy: oh! This is my daughter, Lian! Say hi Lian!
Titans: She doesn't much look like you...
Roy: oh yeah she takes after her mom more
Titans: and who is she?
Roy: Chessire
Titans: ......the assassin who has tried to kill us so many times?
Roy: Yep!
Titans: ......okay, warn us next time when you get into a relationship, please-
-
Roy: Hey! I know it's been a while, but I thought I should tell you, I'm dating someone!
Titans: oh, we're happy for you! Who is it?
Roy: Red Hood
Titans:
Roy:
Titans:
Roy:
Titans: .....the same Red Hood who cut off people's heads and put them in a bag, attacked the Tower and has tried to kill or maim Batman and everybody else in Gotham multiple times?
Roy: Yep! 🥰
Titans: .......we are sensing a pattern here and it's a worrying one-
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frownyalfred · 2 months ago
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something something about Bruce being anti-gun and anti-killing but when Jason needs him in the middle of a firefight (aliens, or something else Bruce lets him shoot) he's there and bracing Jason's gun barrel with his shoulder when he needs to take a tricky shot. he takes out distractions in Jason's field of vision so he can use his scope without worrying about getting hit. he knows how to fight around guns, how to support a teammate who uses a gun. but he won't with Jason, normally.
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tiger-grace · 3 months ago
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Bruce: Okay, Damian. You need to promise to be good for the Doctor, they’re not an enemy in disguise trying to administer poison. We’ve known her for years.
Damian: The clinic is by crime alley! She most certainly owns several firearms that she could use as soon as I’m incapacitated!
Jason, raising his pistol: Firearms?
Bruce: No, Jason, no guns. We’ve spoken about this.
Damian: Anyone could be a part of a test from my grandfather! We need to be prepared!
Bruce: It’s just a vaccine shot!
Jason, very slowly raising his pistol: ..Shot?
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blumineck · 2 years ago
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For when you just need to get rid of as many arrows as possible...
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fanaticalthings · 8 months ago
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Give me crime lord!Jason who's actually on good terms with the batfam. Not only would it actually be helpful when it comes to missions surrounding underground/illegal operations (Jason would be able to retrieve way more insider knowledge) but also I think having a supervillain family member that you're chill with is just untapped comedic potential that needs to be taken advantage of.
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Damian gets into a petty fight with Bruce, and the next day, instead of waiting for Bruce to pick him up from school, he calls Jason, who shows up in full Red Hood regalia and just rides off with Damian.
Of course everyone at school sees that Wayne's son just got snatched by Gotham's most notorious crime lord, so ofc when Bruce gets there, sees Damian missing, and hears a series of panicked whispers about a gun slinging, criminal biker riding off with a prince of Gotham, Bruce immediately knows what's up and just sighs, already anticipating the many publication companies he's gonna have to bribe to stay silent.
---
Sometimes, they need Jason's help with intercepting certain illegal trades within the underworld of, not just Gotham, but just common areas where shady businesses are most prevalent. And when Bruce requests that Jason brings evidence of said illegal shipments to the cave, Jason will smugly respond with "I can, but it'll cost ya"
And Bruce is all exasperated like, "Jason, please, this mission's been going on for a month, I just want to get it over with."
And Jason's just looking down at the crate of smuggled materials, recognizes that it's highly sought after by many rogues (maybe it's machinery parts or rare chemical substances, etc) and ofc Jason's about to be petty as hell when responding to Bruce:
Jason: I don't think you have any idea how valuable the stuff I have is. If I sold this myself in my part of the underground, I'd make a fortune!
Bruce: Jason
Jason: Butttt, if you're not willing to pay me for this, y'know, despite being a billionaire, I guess I could just auction this off to another willing client
Bruce: Jason
Jason: I hear Lex Luthor's been cookin' up something new for Superman. I wonder if he'd be interested?
Bruce: Son, please.
Jason:
Bruce:
Jason: I'll give you a family discount.
And it's just a back and forth of this EVERYTIME. And Jason only does it when he's collaborating with Bruce. None of the other bats have to deal with Jason demanding money.
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There was one time, during a Wayne gala where practically ALL the kids (except Jason, dude's still legally dead), had to show up. And around halfway through, the Red Hood just crashes through the skylight and then just fucking kidnaps Bruce Wayne, in front of everyone. And of course the gala has to be cut short.
Meanwhile, Bruce, in Jason's custody: I CANNOT believe you, son. WHY of all times would you do this? You are GROUNDED, I don't care if you don't live with me anymore, this is just UNACCEPTABLE-
Jason, completely ignoring him, holding up a tablet with news article headlines about this incident: Bruce, look at this shot they got of me crashing through the ceiling, I look fuckin' badass
And then when the fam (in costume) come to "save" Bruce, in a blink and you'll miss it moment, Bruce catches Cass and Jason whispering something to eachother in the corner and them fist bumping before Jason books it out of there. He can already feel a headache brewing.
And generally speaking, I feel like the batfam could be way more efficient with this arrangement. You got the regular team of bats, investigating from above, as well as being able to infiltrate socialite environments as Waynes. Then you got Jason, who can keep an eye on all the lesser exposed and lucrative activities whilst he keeps the underground businesses under his control. I feel like it would be a win win situation that would be hella interesting to see explored.
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hvnyrt · 2 months ago
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Get What You Ask For
JASON TODD X FEM READER
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SUMMARY: You and Jason go for a joy ride on his bike, to which you get bold and he put you in your place
WARNINGS: Fem! Reader, Jason being mean, punishment, choking, fem!oral receiving, p in v sex, spanking, tied up, fingering, overstimulation, 18+, minors DO NOT INTERACT.
WC: 3.1K
You and Jason didn't go out much. Neither of you liked to be in the limelight, didn't like the camera flashes when you were with Jason.  Jason kept you close to him always. He made sure you felt loved when the two of you were together. He would cook for you, hold you, read to you, and sometimes even sing to you. But that was Jason.
Tonight was different, you were with Red Hood. Of course it was Jason underneath the helmet, but God, that helmet did things to the both of you. You had your arms wrapped around his chest, holding him tightly as the motorbike he steered sped through the city. This was his idea of a date, picking you up late from work after he was done patrolling, enjoying the breeze and lights of the city. The two of you had been riding for about twenty minutes, Jason wants to just enjoy your arms around him, ride his bike through his city, with his girl wrapped around him. You had different plans though.
You had been itching for some relief all day now. Rocking back and forth in your chair when you were in meetings, trying to get something. You finally had your lover in your arms, and you knew exactly what he could give you, and you knew exactly how to get it. 
You had your arms wrapped tightly around his chest, holding tightly as to make sure you didn't fall off. You slowly ran your hands down his chest, making sure to apply pressure as you did so. You leaned harder into him, pushing your chest into his back. You ran your hands down, running down to his rough pants, his thighs spread gloriously as he pressed on the gas pedal. You finally reached his thighs, running your hands inwards, closer to his zipper.
“Doll” He started, a low growl in his voice. “If you know what’s good for you you’ll wait.” You could tell by the tone of his voice, his lip was twitched, his teeth baring.
“What?” You replied sweetly, a small smile on your face. You pressed your hands further, applied pressure onto his length, feeling his size through his pants. “I'm not doing anything.”
Jason quickly grabbed your wrists, pulling them back up to his chest as he pinned them there, wrapping your arms around him again. He turned over just slightly, giving you a look over his shoulder. Even through the helmet, you could feel his glare. “Keep ‘em there.” He stated firmly, the rumble in his chest reverberating onto you.
You hummed, ignoring his words, and running your hands right back down to where they were. You began to palm him through his jeans, feeling his growing erection growing stronger. You let out a low whine, leaning further into him. “I've been craving you all day,” You said with a gloomy sigh, a pleading look underneath your helmet. 
“Then you’ll wait.” Jason said again, a firm conviction in his voice. He once again brought your wrists back to his chest, not letting them go this time. He pressed his foot on the pedal harder, the bike eliciting a low whistle as it boosted. You yelped as you leaned further into Jason, the wind of the Gotham night air blowing over the two of you.
After about five, long, tantalizing minutes, Jason pulled the bike into a low-lit area. He parked the bike, jumping off. Before you could even think about moving, Jason grabbed you upper arm, yanking you off the bike. You stumbled off, tripping over your feet behind him. He made sure to pause for you to catch yourself, even though he was being rough, he still cared about you.
He dragged you through the fire escape of his apartment, pushing you through the door once you arrived. You huffed as he dragged you to your shared bedroom. Pushing you down onto the bed once you arrived.
You groaned as he pushed you down, using your hands to push yourself up and move your now tangled hair out of your face. You sat up on your elbows, eyeing Jason as he paced around the bed, watching you like a predator stalking its prey. You stared at him back with the same conviction, your cheeks flushed as you felt the energy in the room shift to a lustful one. You felt your inner core throb with need as Jason eyed you, slowly taking off his helmet.
“You know.” He started slowly, his hair wild from being trapped in his helmet, “I expect you to listen when you're told to do something.” He taunted, dipping onto the bed with his knee, as he stalked closer to you.
You instinctively crawled back, holding yourself with your arms as you started back into hips deep green eyes, a look of lust and fear sprawled on your face. “ I just thought-” 
Jason cut you off with one large hand covering your neck. He applied pressure, choking you as he pushed you against the headboard. “‘You just thought what? That you were in control?” Jason mocked, tilting his head as he watched you struggle to breathe. He let go just a bit, allowing air to come through, yet still applying pressure.
You swallowed, catching your breath as you looked up at him. “I just needed you,” You whined.
Jason let out a low chuckle, letting go of your neck as he placed both hands around your head, blocking you in. He bent down, beginning to place sloppy wet kisses along your neck. You let out a low whine, as he sucked on your most sensitive spots, leaving bite marks and purple bruises. You brought your hands up, going to run them through his mess of black hair, before he caught both of your hands in one. “You lost the privilege to touch me a long time ago, doll.”
You whined loudly at that, pouting. All day all you had been wanting was to touch him, to feel him, and now he took that from you. “But I need you, Jay,” You plead.
Jason laughs, sitting up on his knees as he began to unbuckle his belt, as he was still fully dressed in his patrol gear. “Should've thought about that before you started touching all over me huh?’’ He taunted, taking his belt fully off. He grabbed your wrists again, to which you fought. You wriggled and whined against him, before he growled, and placed a hard slap on the side of your thigh, a warning. You immediately went limp, whines still leaving your lips. Jason laughed once again at your response, as he began to tie your wrists together and above your head with his belt.
“There’s my good girl,” Jason smiled as he placed a soft kiss to your forehead, kissing down to your neck and to your chest. Jsson grabbed your wrists and pulled you up, yanking the sweatshirt you were wearing off in a swipe. You gasped at the cold air against you before Jason began to quickly kiss all over your chest teasing you over your bra.
You arched up, pressing your hips into his as you craved more, needed more. “Jay, please”
“Use your words. What do you want?” He replied in an instant, his tough demeanor not faltering whatsoever.
You whined as you turned your head, watching as Jason kissed along your chest, his green eyes still staring into yours. “I, I need you to make me feel good. Need you fuck me,” You begged, you voice trembling with a whimper.
Jason just smiled against you, as he took your bra off with a click of your clasp. “Well you should've just said so baby,” He said before bringing one of your nipples into his mouth, the other being abused with his calloused hand.
You moaned loudly as your body responded to him. You could feel your heat building up, your panties sticking to you, your jeans suddenly getting way too hot. You wriggled underneath him, punching your jailed wrists into the mattress, as you wanted nothing more than to touch him. Jason then switched breasts, his mouth now attending the opposite one, his now free hand running down your body, as he unbuttoned your jeans, jamming his hand into your panties. He let out a low moan as he touched your folds, his face contorting into one of pleasure. “Fuck you’re soaked, gonna drown in you baby,” He muttered, leaving you now reddened nipple as he began to kiss your stomach.
You moaned and cried underneath him, your body moving and begging for him. “All for you, please Jay, it's all for you,” You whined, throwing your head back and you arched your back.
Jaosn hummed, placing a kiss right below your belly button. He looked up at you through his eyelashes, the moonlight coming right through your window and shining into his eyes. “How kind of you,” He mocked, before yanking your jeans down, your panties with them. You gasped as the cold air hit you once more, as Jason disgustingly inhaled your scent, setting his head right on  your inner thigh, teasing you as the feel of his hot breath on your core drove you insane. Jason hummed, before placing a kiss right on your clit, a moan escaping you in response. “You're right,” He started, looking up at you one last time, “This is all for me.” He confirmed, before he dove right into your pussy, eating you from the inside out. You yelled in glory as he ate you like his final meal. Arching and thrashing underneath him, Jason slopped all over you, disgusting noises filling the room, as he used his nose to brush against your clit as he attacked your hole with his tongue. You clenched around nothing. Pulsing as he now sucked on your clit, staring daggers into your eyes as he ate you whole. 
You whined and groaned, wanting to touch him, to feel him inside of you, but God, you were already close, his mouth doing dangerous things to you. Your whines and pants came out in shorter and faster strides, alerting Jason of your peak coming soon. He continued to eat you as he spoke against you, “Damn, you were needy.” Jason mocked, before you let out a scream, as you gushed all over his face, falling back into the bed as you panted, and screamed Jason's name.
Jason made sure to lap up all your juices, making sure not to leave a drop to be soaked up by the sheets. He loved the way you tasted, and he was greedy for it all, yet there was one person he would share with. He sat back upright again, sitting on his knees, his now full erection begging to break free from his jeans. He watched as you came down from your high, rubbing your sides to comfort you. Once you were back, staring in his eyes, he spoke, “You wanna taste yourself? It's five stars, baby," he joked.
You smiled up at him, nodding. “Mhm, gotta make sure it's good,” You giggled back.
Jason chuckled, leaning down to capture your lips in a kiss. He claimed your mouth as his, taking control of your tongue and exploring its environment. He slowly reached up, before letting your wrists free, throwing the belt on the floor. With your hand now free, you rushed them to his hairs, pulling on his and rubbing his head as he kissed you. You let your hands roam over his neck, pushing off his leather jacket, now left in just his body armor and jeans. His clothed state juxtaposed with your fully naked one. You brought your hands back to his front, clawing at his zipper once more. He broke the kiss, eyeing you. “Behave.” He simply stated firmly, “You'll get what you want.” He said, going back to kiss you as he brought your hands up to wrap around his neck. He brought one hand down, beginning to prep you for his entrance. He pushed through your folds, sticking two large, rough fingers inside of you as he began to thrust them inside of you. You wrapped your hands around his neck, whining and pulling him closer as he began to finger you. He placed his thumb on your clit, rubbing it as he fingered you, talking you through it the whole time.
“This what you wanted? Wanted me to make you feel good like this? Haven't even given you my cock yet and you're already getting close to cumming again on my fingers, I can feel it. You wanna cum on my fingers, wanna prove to me how badly you need my cock?”
You groaned and clawed at the back of Jason’s neck pulling him closer as you began to move your hips against his fingers. You nodded rapidly, panting as your second climax began to hit you again. “Fuck, fuck yes Jay I wanna cum all over you, want you to feel how badly I need you, you make me feel so good,” You blabbered, choking on your words as you rode his fingers through your second orgasm.
Jason watched as you hit your climax again, his fingers slowing but never stopping as he pushed you through your second orgasm. Once you were through it, Jason stared at you, pulling his fingers out, as he licked him clean, making sure to clean them up. 
Your mouth fell agape at the sudden removal of his fingers, but you moaned as you watched him lick his fingers, like it's the last thing he’ll ever try.
Jason stared at you, pulling off his body armor, and yanking his jeans off after. You never got sick of his body, and you love every part of his, You loved to kiss his scars, make him feel loved, and loved to worship the body he worked oh so hard for. You watched as he pumped his cock a few times, his tip red and swollen from being trapped for so long. You went to sit up reaching for his cock, before Jason pushed you back down, clicking his tongue at you. 
“No, you're just gonna lay there and take what I give you. You keep your hands to yourself and do not touch below my abs. If you had been good earlier, you'd get what you want, you did this to yourself.” He scolded, still pumping his cock, his body stuttering slightly as precum dripped from his tip.
You whined but listened, leaning back and keeping your legs spread, pouting as you looked at him, begging with your eyes.
Jason smiled, leaning down to capture your lips in a kiss, as he positioned himself at your entrance. “Good girl,” He praised, before sinking into you. As many times as the two of you fucked, neither of you would ever get used tot he initial sting. His girthy cock splitting and stretching you open, your fluffy walls hugging him each time he entered, it was a physical bliss for the both of you. The two of you both let your deep moans, harmonizing with each other,  You shuffled underneath him, getting adjusted, as he slowly began to pump. He bottomed out and filled you up each time, watching your face contort as you took him.
“F-Faster Jay,” You stuttered out, gripping his shoulders as you bit your lip.
Jason didn’t need to be told twice, he quickly grabbed your hips, and began to rock you against him, controlling the way your body moved as he filled you. He began to speed up, wet sounds and slaps filling the space of the room. You whined, clawing at his back. “More, more, fuck more please,” You spat, drooling over your words. Jason picked you up, turning you around. He shoved your face into the mattress, holding the back of your neck as your ass was arched in the air. With no warning, he slammed into you from behind, hitting you G-Spot as he fucked you in doggy. Jason slaps your ass a few times, pinching it and watching it get red from his hits. You drooled and groaned all over the mattress, nails clawing at the sheets below you. Jason bent behind you, getting closer to you ear, as he other hand came around to abuse your slit once more. 
“This what you need? Need me to fuck you like your mine, make you cum over and over again, till you remember I’m the one in control?” Jason whispered in your ear between grunts and moans. His pace never faltered, and his hand continued to roll over your swollen bud.
Your eyes roll to the back of your head, as all you can do is nod and moan and babble, as Jason splits you open with his cock. You nod relentlessly, letting him use and mark you. You claw at the sheets, trying to sit up as Jason keeps you pinned to the mattress, yet you feel another orgasm approaching you. “Gonna, gonna cum again- fuck, fuck I’m cumming!” You scream under him, clenching around him. Jason continues to pump, his hand leaving your clit, as he picks you up again, positioning with him on his back, you now straddling him.
You nod and drool as Jason holds your arms down at your sides, him doing all the work as he pumps from under you, using his hips and arms to bounce you up and down. You looked down at his cock bouncing in and out of you, it was glistening with your slick but he still hadn’t cum yet.
You whine, rolling your head as you're covered in sweat, spit, and your cum. You’re over-stimulated, clenching around him, and still feeling like your orgasming. “Jay, fuck it’s just so much.” You whined
Jason stopped, leaving you just sitting on his cock, dick-drunk in a haze. He laughed, grabbing your face so you looked at him. “Oh, if you think that's all you're getting, you've got a long night ahead of you baby..I’m not done yet.” He taunted, before starting his assault on your pussy once again.
Jason thinks that people who reblog/like the fics they enjoy deserve a good time too ;)
also comment if you want a p.2 with fluff and aftercare!
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meziniart · 4 months ago
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wanted to give a try on Juni Ba's Jason, so I did a quick panel redraw :}
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olailamajnoon · 20 days ago
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Jason: So you know that religion paper I gave last week?
Bruce: (struggling to remember) ...yes?
Jason: I was asked about the theory of Calvin about predestination and grace.
Bruce: Fun.
Jason: Yeah, well. I had a whiskey headache, and I was hungover.
Bruce: (disapproving) Jason. What did you do.
Jason: I wrote what was essentially a 1000 word essay on the theology of one 'Calvin Hobbes'.
Bruce: *puts head in hands*
Bruce: And you were supposed to be the smart one.
Jason: wait, what? I thought—wasn't that Tim?
Bruce: Tim drank Batarang sanitizer from a coffee mug last week. No, I had pinned my hopes on you.
Jason: So you're saying...I let you down? I disappointed you?
Bruce: Well...
Jason, pumping his fists: Praise be!
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twisted-broth · 2 months ago
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A Human's Touch
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Mr Gap x Reader
(Anything in bold is other world language)
It had been a while now since you had returned to the other world. It was hard to tell time here, but at least you knew that this was where you belonged. It was almost laughable to think that you once tried to leave this place.
You would never admit it, but you really owed a lot to the shit eating grin that always manages to pop up whenever you need him. Even now, with you life no longer in constant peril, he pops up somewhere nearby quite often. It could be from the crack of your closet, inside your bag, or a random hole in the wall that you swear wasn't there before. As annoying as Mr Gap was, he was probably the closest thing you had to a friend. He would even bring you things from the human world if you asked. For a price, of course.
You sigh as your "friend" holds one of your favorite books from the human world just out of reach. He was playing his favorite game again.
"Give leg." He demanded.
"Give foot." Was your counter offer. Most of your body parts would grow back, but it takes longer for bigger parts and more complex organs. Luckily there didn't seem to be a word in their language for liver or spinal column.
His expression twists for a moment, but the smile quickly returns. "Yes." He agrees.
The pain that radiates from your ankle would have made you pass out a few months ago, but now it only elicits a stifled grunt. You snatch the book from Mr. Gap's hand as he smiles at the newfound treasure that appears in his grasp. You sigh once more and put the book to the side before pressing an already bloodied towel to your ankle.
With the bleeding successfully stopped, there was nothing else for you to do but lie in bed while you waited for it to grow back. You spared a glance towards your new book, but couldn't muster the energy to read it. The isolation of this world had been wearing on you. You had been spending time with Mr Silvair and Mr Chopped lately, but there was another recent earthquake that blocked off your path to them. You had yet to find the time to search for a new one.
With an arm draped over your eyes, you fell back against your threadbare pillow. The covers rustled around you, giving away the presence of another with you.
"Why sad?" You opened one eye to look down at your covers. The face of Mr Gap blended in with the darkness above your legs. If he had a body, he would be nearly lying on top of you. The part of your brain that was still human couldn't help but think that some actual physical touch would be nice.
"I one. Sad. Friend not here." Elaborating on the concept of loneliness using a lexicon of 100 words wasn't really a task you wanted to undertake at the moment.
You had thought Mr Gap would either leave or laugh at you, but to your surprise he looked confused. "I here." He responded.
Now it was your turn to be confused. If you weren't mistaken, he seemed almost offended that you hadn't called him a friend.
"You friend?"
"Yes." If this language had some equivalent of 'duh', you imagined that would be what he would say instead.
All you can do in response is blink at him. You really never imagined that Mr Gap would hang around you because he considered you a friend. If anything, you thought he just saw you as a an endless stream of various body parts. "Thank you. I like friend."
Hesitantly, you lifted a hand to reach up and stroke his head. He looked mildly disgusted (which was often his expression anyway), but didn't react otherwise. His hair wasn't exactly pleasant to touch- it was greasy and weirdly damp in places- but at least it was something of what you had been missing. He continued to humor you, but you decided not to push your luck on how long he would allow you to continue touching him.
"Why touch?" He asked when you were done.
"Human like touch. Make sad go away." It wasn't exactly what you wanted to say, but you figured it would get the point across.
Hesitantly, one of his arms reaches out from beneath your covers. Your current working theory was that his arms just appeared whenever he needed them, but you haven't gotten around to asking him yet. Your positioning is a bit awkward, so he can't reach your head to return your pats. Instead, he pats you on the shoulder for a few seconds. His hands are cold and clammy, but those few seconds of touch are something you've been missing for a while.
You smile. Mr Gap could be annoying at best and cruel at worst, but it would seem that he does have a sweet side to him after all. You distantly wonder if some semblance of a normal relationship would be possible here. Unlikely, but it may not be as out of reach as you once thought.
"Thank you. You good friend." You said after a beat of silence. For a moment it appears like he isn't quite sure how to feel about your declaration. You don't imagine it's something people tell him often. After a second of thought, he returns your smile.
"Me good friend. You give heart?"
Well, you can work on that.
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siddyyyyyyyy · 2 months ago
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Unhinged
Jason Todd x Reader
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MDNI wc: 0.7K summary: your roommate finds your messages you send your friend about him. warnings: suggestive themes, no y/n used, actually kind of cringe a/n: my dear friend accidently gave me this idea while spamming me with delicious Red Hood edits (@dollyure), evidence will be shared at the end. enjoy!!
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You never thought this could happen. You were so careful to leave your own thoughts to yourself and never let Jason see the things you tell your friend. But of course, nothing really goes your way for some reason.
It took one thing for you to end up in this situation. One thing. And that was leaving your phone unattented on the sofa for a minute. Unlocked.
It was a typical evening as any other, just getting to relax and wind down at the end of the week on your favourite spot at the couch with your roommate. Jason was always pretty quiet but respectful of the shared space, a good friend if you want to wind down together. You rarely get to see him in the evenings but on days like this, when he stays in, it feels like a small reward for you.
Of course he doesn‘t know about any of this. Doesn‘t know anything about what your silly texts between you and your friends. You keep it a secret pretty well, so he won‘t think you are a complete weirdo.
Well, until that evening. Setting your phone quickly aside to get to your boiling tea kettle, you forgot to lock it. Jason sits at the other end of the fluffy couch and watches how you scurry away to get the boiling water to a stop. With an amused grin he gets back to his book but keeps getting distracted by the bright phonescreen just a little away from him. Glancing over, he sees the outlines of text bubbles but he can‘t see what‘s written in there yet.
He isn‘t trying to pry or get into your privacy, but the way the other person spams you non-stop is making him more curious. Whatever this conversation is about, he wants to know if it‘s a conflict or some sort of gossip.
Jason checks if you are still in the kitchen and sees you preparing your tea and some sweets. He technically has enough time to snatch your phone while it‘s still open and gets to have a look over the texts. Who knows, maybe he will find out some interesting things on there. So, with these weak excuses, he grabs your phone and starts reading through them.
UNTIL YOUR TONGUE FADES COLOUR??? I mean every word I say. Wow. Just…
His brows furrow. What does this even mean? Are tongues even capable of fading colour? With a quick glance to the kitchen, he scrolls up, reading through the older messages.
From the couch, to the shower, to the bed, from the wall to the floor from missionary to cowgirl, straddled on top JUST LET ME HITTT
His jaw drops. Jason quickly composes himself and sits up, clearing his throat. He is sure he will need extra therapy after this. Ignoring the unfamiliar, warm feeling in his lower abdomen, he continues to read through them. Unsurprisingly, he finds a picture of himself in the chat. His profile picture, some random pictures he didn‘t even you had in the first place.
Until my throat memorises every vein.
That‘s the last message he sees from you before you appear in his sight again. Tea in hand, some cookies in the other. But most importantly, your flushed cheeks and regretful expression. His hand drops your phone and his cheeks also flush.
You can‘t look into his eyes anymore. This is the next worst thing that‘s ever happened to you so far. There is no way you can talk yourself out of this situation at all. He knows basically everything now. From the fact that you crush on him to the fact that you literally want to devour him whole.
Silently, he sets your phone back to its original spot and gets off the couch to stand up. Again, he clears his throat and speaks up first.
»I‘m gonna pretend I didn‘t see all this...«
And before you could apologise or say something to your defense, he is gone, retreating himself into his own room. Maybe even for the better, you can‘t imagine how awkward it would‘ve been if you were to sit next to him for the next few hours.
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here is the so called evidence ( from my friends perspective)
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and this was the final message that made me do this:
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hope you enjoyed it somehow(★‿★)
part two
←MASTERLIST
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help-itrappedmyself · 11 months ago
Text
Dead on Main AU
Masterpost
Guys, I'm so sorry. But here's this!
~~~~
Danny blinks and he is somewhere else. He’s sitting at a dining room table, surrounded. There are so many people here. They’re all talking over each other, some yelling, some laughing. This scene comes as a great surprise to him, who -one blink ago- was trying and failing to do his homework at home in his room. Danny shoots up, his chair making a horrible noise as he pushes it away so fast it tumbles over. Everyone in the room turns to look over at him like he’s insane. 
“Oh my god, who are you people?” Danny did not mean to say this out loud, but at the sound of his voice he startles. Danny takes a moment to assess, and then, “Oh my god who am I?”  He is tall, and big, and this is certainly not his body, what is he wearing.
The boy sitting to the right of Danny, a little shorter than he is, with black hair and blue eyes (though now that he’s paying attention that does describe most people in the room),  starts chuckling lightly. “Uh, Jason? Are you good?” 
Danny turns to stare him right in the eyes. “What day is it?”
And he can tell the concern around the table is just ratcheting up every time he opens his stupid mouth.
“Did you hit your head on patrol?” The voice comes from the only blond and one of the only girls in the room, who's to the left of the person across from him. The person across from him is another boy with black hair and blue eyes who is studying Danny in a way that makes him uncomfortable, that under-a-microscope look that makes you feel like you’re failing at something.
“I have no idea if Jason hit his head.” Danny says. “I was just trying to remember if it was my birthday.”
And if he thought the room was busy when he first arrived here it is absolute pandemonium now. Everyone starts shouting and asking questions that he can’t even hear over the shouting. Someone with white hair in a suit just came through a door he didn’t even see earlier to stand by the only person not shouting, who -Danny would guess- is the only other adult in this room, witting at the head of the table. He also has black hair and blue eyes, and where almost everyone else’s reaction was panic, he froze instead. The person across from Danny also isn’t shouting, but the person next to Danny on his right has now fully stood up and looks like he might actually jump across the table to win the argument he ended up in. 
“Are you Jason’s soulmate?” is the main gist of the shouting that Danny can interpret but he’s more concerned with actual Jason at the moment. If they switched bodies... Then Jason might be in trouble…
“Hey, I forget, how long is this body swap supposed to last again?” Danny asks.
“Until you and Jason have physical contact. You have to actually meet.” The boy sitting across from him explains. He seems like one of the only ones that heard Danny talk, everyone else was still shouting. 
“Oh, that just seems terrible. What if we’re in different countries or something?” Danny complained. “Everyone in the world is just supposed to be able to drop everything and afford to fly across the world. The universe is really trying to screw people over now. Honestly, am I in a different country? Where even are we right now?”
“You’re in Gotham.” This voice was new, coming from the head of the table to Danny’s right. 
“Oh no. Nope.” Danny started backing away from the table, almost tripping on his overturned chair. “Absolutely not, no, how do I get out of here?” He starts earnestly looking for a door to get out of this place, but there are three doors he can see and he has no idea where any of them go, and doesn’t this room have any windows? What kind of a room doesn’t have any windows? Do they like to eat in a basement?
“Jason- not Jason. Uh, you need to calm down, everything will be fine alright, We’ll get you and Jason introduced no problem.” Danny swivels to track the voice and it’s the one who was sitting next to him, he’s walking towards him with his hands up and out in front of him. 
“I have to get home.” Danny breathes. 
“We can get you there, promise. Now, I’m Dick, can you tell me your name?”
“Your name is Dick? Who named you Dick?” Danny is so confused he’s stopped panicking. “How old are you for you to go by the name Dick?”
“Okay, rude.” Dick sounds like a petulant child so Danny’s estimations for his age are continuously dropping. “I’m 24.”
Danny snorts. “Okay.” The blond girl starts laughing over at the table. “I’m uh, I’m Danny.”
“Nice to meet you. Sort of. I’m Tim.” The guy from across from him had made it over to stand next to Dick. “There’s a lot of us here today so the one laughing like a hyena is Steph. That one there is Duke.” African-American, still with black hair but he has brown eyes and waves once introduced. “Damian is the short one next to him, and Cass was sitting across from Dick earlier. Our dad, Jason’s dad-” 
“Not my dad!” Steph interrupted. Tim waves her off.
“Everyone but Steph's dad, is over there, Bruce. Alfred, our butler is the one next to him.” Alfred gives a slight nod to his head. Bruce is just staring at him.
“So, names out of the way. You said you wanted to go home, where do you live?”
“Amity Park.”
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threestarsinline · 4 months ago
Text
The Gala
Jason Todd x reader one-shot
Summary: It was supposed to be simple. Just accompany Jason to the party. It was also supposed to be quick. Just go in, talk to a few people, and out. But then, you find yourself meeting your boyfriend's family.
Word Count: 9.3K
Category: Fluff (established relationship) and a tiny, tiny little bit of angst
Warnings: Rich people?? Bahahsjsjs Mentions of alcohol
Author’s note: My Wayne gala fic debut (with a super original title, I know jskdks), hope you like it!
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You look at yourself once again in the mirror. The truth is that you love the image that looks back at you. You feel comfortable and true to yourself, as well as beautiful. The dress that you’re wearing playing a big part in it. Your fingers slowly trace the hem of the bright red of the soft fabric.
You close your eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves. You know that the dress probably won’t live up to the standard of the women that will be at the place but for you, it’s beautiful and elegant, making you feel like a seven year old girl wearing her favorite princess dress and giving you the confidence that you will need tonight.
Even if the style of the dress is not as chic or as sophisticated as others, you’re sure that the red will stand out. The thought increases your nerves. You don’t usually wear red but when you saw this dress you knew that you had to buy it, you could easily see yourself in it. And also, you couldn’t wait to see Jason’s reaction.
You knew that he would love it, or so you hoped. He always liked it when you wore red, or anything for that matter. No matter how you looked he always looked at you with the same silly smile and caring eyes. But there was something in wanting to see him swoon all over you. You smile thinking of him. Even if the night ends in a disaster, you both will be at each other's side.
Just as you do a little spin to see the movement of your skirt just a bit up your knees, the doorbell rings. When you open the door Jason is looking around stressfully, breathing heavily, his hands alternating on running through his hair as if trying to fix it and adjusting his tie. He doesn’t seem to notice that you have opened the door.
“Hey,” you say softly. He turns to you.
“Hi,” he says breathlessly in return, and by the way that he’s taking you in, you can tell that it isn’t for the same reason as before. You look down shyly and put a loose strand of hair behind your ear. You then take him in, and to say that you’re not ready for the full sight in front of you is an understatement. Jason was already handsome but to see him in a suit… Your insides are doing crazy things.
“Y/N, you look… incredible.”
“Thank you.” You take a small step and on your toes you give him a kiss on the cheek. “I have to say that you look great. I think that I could get used to seeing you in a suit.” He smiles warmly but suddenly he seems to come out of his daze.
“Listen, I’m so sorry I’m late and that I kept you waiting. I got caught up before and then this stupid tie wouldn’t work with me and…” You shush him softly with a kiss and then shake your head.
“Don’t worry, I just got finished too.”
He sighs in relief, and then, with a life of their own, before you can help yourself, your hands lift to fix his hair to give it his usual style but less messy, although as always, the white streak stays as rebel as ever. Your hands slide down his neck to the lapels of his jacket and then adjust his tie that was crooked to the left.
“You know how to do that?” he says, referring to the tie.
“Not really. I have just always wanted to do that. You know, like in movies and so.” You can’t help but giggle a bit while you say that.
“Well, that makes two of us.” He takes your hands and places a kiss on them. You sigh happily, the soft gesture making you melt. You’re sure that this man is going to be the death of you. The care and affection with which he always touches and looks at you was both deadly and invigorating. “Ready?”
“I think so.”
“Because if not, you know that I wouldn’t mind one bit to stay here and take a more careful look at this gorgeous dress.” His hands find your waist and after a peck on your lips, his own meet your neck.
“I know. And that’s why we have to get going, we’re already late.” You put a hand in his chest to place some distance with the temptation of his lips, that now are pouting.
“‘A queen is never late, everyone else is simply early,’” he deadpans.
A laugh threatens to escape from your throat. “You just did not.”
“What?” he says feigning innocence, but the smirk on his lips gives him away.
“You just did not quote the queen of Genovia,” you say amused.
“Okay, first, Julie Andrews is always right. And second, you were the one that showed me that masterpiece so, you should have seen it coming.” He’s grinning from ear to ear. You wish that you could always see him like this. So happy and carefree.
“Can't say that you’re not right,” you reply while hugging him, resting your head on his chest and letting his calming scent surround you.
He then takes your face in his hands and with your noses touching he whispers, “I love you.” 
Your smile at those words never faltered. “I love you too.”
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When you two reach the manor Jason drives past the main gate and goes directly to the secondary one that leads to the back entrance of the manor in order to avoid all the fancy cars and limos that litter the road of the main one.
Even from outside you can tell that the party is already in full swing, the windows of the main living room that in these cases often transforms into a dance hall, the only ones with light in them and cluttered with people.
Jason parks the car but his hands do not leave the steering wheel. His grip tightens and untightens around it as he takes a deep breath and looks towards the back door of the manor. You know well how even though the manor is a home to Jason, in events like this it almost feels like a cage.
“Hey,” you whisper softly while you take his hands into yours. Immediately, Jason’s eyes leave the manor and turn towards you. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m here. And it’ll be quick, we just have to show face for a little while, just like we talked about. And then as fast as we’re in, we’ll be out,” you reassure him while softly rubbing the back of his hands with your thumbs.
Jason gulps and nods, trying to will the nerves away, though his hands have stopped flexing and now lay relaxed in your grip ever since you touched them.
“Or we can leave right now. Forget all this. Spend the evening alone, just you and me. Maybe even some Batburger?” you tease with a smile, letting him know that he always has an out with you. Your calming words seem to work as a small chuckle leaves him and he lifts your hands to kiss them once again.
He shakes his head.
You tilt yours. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I just needed a moment. Besides, if I don’t go in I’ll never hear the end of it. Also, if we get this out of the way now, we won’t have to come to another one for a long while. And like you said, it’ll be quick.”
You nod and give his hands an encouraging squeeze. “Exactly. And remember, if you want to leave early, you just tell me.” 
He nods, a lot more sure of himself than just a moment ago. “Let’s go.”
“Let’s go,” you echo.
Jason gets out of the car and you know better than to try and get out yourself, having learned in the very early stages of your relationship that if Jason can help it, you will never have to open a door again. And like always, your door opens and he extends a hand to help you out.
Despite the temperature dropping slightly during the night with the summer reaching its end, it’s a very nice evening. A soft breeze grazes your arms and the cut of your dress but it’s not enough to make you feel cold, mainly due to the warm hand that settles on your lower back. In the sky, the stars that would be impossible to see downtown accompany the moon in illuminating the night.
You two make your way through the gravel path that leads to the back door hand in hand, giving each other courage for the night that awaits ahead.
Once inside, it’s like entering another world entirely. Chatter and glass clinks fill the air and you’re just glad that at least this way your entrance to the party won’t make that much of a fuss as you would have done if you had used the main door.
“I was starting to think that you weren’t going to appear, Master Jason.”
At the sound of the voice both you and Jason stop dead in your tracks near the kitchen, almost like two kids getting caught trying to sneak out instead of sneaking in.
“Alfred!” Jason greets him exaggeratedly, trying to distract from the fact that you two have been caught arriving late. The British man can’t help but mirror Jason’s big smile, even as it breaks his teasing smirk. You smile as you watch them hug and then Alfred turns to you.
“Oh, and you’ve brought Miss Y/N as well! So great to see you again, dear,” he says as he also gives you a quick hug.
“You too, Alfred,” you reply with a smile. “Though it’s just Y/N, please.”
“You know I’m not going to do that, Miss Y/N.” The crinkles of the butler’s smile reminding you that trying to argue with him was a futile attempt.
You had only met him once before but that had been enough to get to know each other quite well and to already care for each other.
You had met him some weeks before, when Jason took you to the manor for the very first time one weekend as a kind of romantic getaway, as it had been left deserted and empty by Alfred and Bruce due to a business/Batman trip and Tim and Damian were away with their respective friends. It was an opportunity like no other.
It had been a wonderful long summery weekend, spent cooking together, lounging in the pool while sharing lazy kisses in the water with your arms and legs wrapped around him, his hands holding you as the sun set behind you, and watching movies in the home theater. You had never felt more at peace or relaxed.
And then, Alfred had come back a couple of days early. You and Jason had been cooking lunch (well, Jason had been cooking while you admired him perched on the counter), when Alfred entered, surprised to see anyone in the manor. After the initial surprise, friendly introductions had been made since from all of the members of his family, Alfred was the only one that Jason wasn’t wary of you meeting.
Jason could only thank whatever was out there that it had been Alfred who had come back early and not Bruce. He wasn’t ready to handle that yet.
Alfred joined you two for lunch and even though you were slightly nervous at the beginning at meeting a member of Jason’s family, you were glad that it was Alfred since he instantly made you feel welcome and at ease. Jason had watched your conversations with a small smile, glad to see and not surprised at all that you got along so well.
After lunch, Alfred left you two be to enjoy the rest of the day as well as the next day since it was your last in the manor. However, he still insisted on making you two breakfast the next day and you got to try Alfred’s famous pancakes. There was no doubt from where Jason had gotten his excellent culinary skills.
You still crossed paths with Alfred a couple more times but they hadn’t been awkward at all. During that short time of seeing you and Jason interact, Alfred saw just how happy you two made and loved each other. He could clearly see the certainty of your relationship and he couldn’t be happier for the young boy that had once been the second Robin. He totally deserved the happiness that you brought him.
And as Alfred insists on calling you Miss Y/N, with the sounds of the party drifting into the kitchen, just like he had done the first time that he met you, the same thought crosses his mind.
That the only way in which he would ever call you something other than that would be when you became Mrs. Todd. Something that he was certain would happen from the very first moment that he saw you laugh with Jason before he had made his presence known that summer afternoon. A truth as plain as the sun.
Now, seeing that the British man isn’t giving up upon your insistence on calling you just by your first name, you sigh defeatedly. “Alright.”
At that, Alfred smiles and turns back to Jason. “Your brothers will be glad to see you’ve been able to make it.”
Jason rolls his eyes. “Sure.”
You smile at his antics and squeeze his hand. The thing was that at each Wayne gala, as it was to be expected, a few members of the family should be present. But considering the fact that all, literally all, the Waynes hated the galas, having Waynes at a gala had long been a recurring problem.
No one still talks about the time that at one of them, not a single Wayne had appeared. The press had had a field day with it and it took the Waynes months to repair the damage.
For a rich family in Gotham that lead a double life as vigilantes, they sure hated the appearances and masks that came with having to entertain the socialites. You have always found the fact extremely entertaining.
And so, in order to avoid the great gala disaster, as Jason had explained to you, they had come up with a system. Taking turns attending the galas and doing so in different groups as they all knew that no one, absolutely no one should have to suffer through a gala alone (except Bruce, who sometimes had to go alone, downsides of being the face of the company).
For example, a group could be Bruce, Dick and Damian (who, lucky for him, has never had to experience the torture of going to one alone, still being a kid and all), or Jason and Dick, but never just Jason and Tim alone, the two always looking to make an escape and neither of them keeping the other in check. However, if they were accompanied by someone else it was manageable. The pairings and different groupings going on and on.
But tonight, however, it was the turn for all four of the batboys to be there, Bruce out on a mission. And so here you were, having offered to accompany your boyfriend when he told you that he had to go to the gala. Jason had said that it wasn’t necessary but you could see the relief in his eyes when you assured him that you wanted to go with him, knowing how hard these things could be sometimes.
Though not liking large crowds either, you were no better. What a pair did you two make. But you knew that together, you could face this night. Now, apart from the overall challenge of enduring the night, came the very real possibility of finally meeting Jason’s brothers. It wasn’t that Jason was trying to keep you away from them or hiding you, they did know about you, it’s just that it was a delicate issue that he wanted to handle at his own time and when he was ready.
You understood that and of course never pushed him on the topic. You knew that if it were for Jason, he would scream that you two were together a hundred times a day, he had no problem holding your hand in public nor kissing you until you felt dizzy in the middle of the street.
Either way, when you two realized that you could meet them, Jason came to the conclusion that it wasn’t so bad. That way they’ll stop pestering him about meeting you and you would do it in a more relaxed ambience than what a formal dinner with all of his family, including Bruce, could be, with all of their eyes fixed on you and asking you millions of questions. At least this way, with the gala, distractions were easy to come by if a quick escape was necessary.
So, if you met them, good. If you didn’t, good as well.
Though still, the nerves persisted.
After exchanging a couple of phrases more with Alfred, he returned to his duties at the party and with your arm looped through Jason’s, you stepped into the space that had been turned into a ballroom of sorts, all of Gotham’s elite there. Either to donate to a Wayne fundraiser (sadly, the least likely of them all), invest in Wayne Enterprises (more likely), drink (very likely), or to snoop around the mysterious Wayne manor and find out more about the peculiar family (the most likely of them all).
You have to say that you're impressed with what has been done with the space. Added chandeliers and carefully placed lamps give the room a golden glow, highlighting all the luxury of the attendees, from expensive watches, to even more expensive necklaces, and making all the glasses of champagne around the room sparkle.
On one side, a bar has been set up, on the other, on a small stage, musicians play for the dancing couples on the dance floor that has been put up in the center. And scattered around the room, high tables where people place their drinks and gather for conversations.
The lack of chairs does not go unnoticed, just a couple every few tables and the stools that surround the bar. The lack no doubt made deliberately, that way, no one would settle for long, either forcing them to mingle and spend some money on the gala or directly leave. The Waynes really do not like to have people in their house. You have to stifle a laugh at the thought, you could relate to that.
Though it makes perfect sense, given that no one wants too many people on the floor above the headquarters for Gotham’s vigilantes for long. You also know that in whatever way they can, they always try to have the galas either at Wayne Tower or at any other place, but sometimes, having one at the manor once in a while was inevitable.
You can’t help but tense up as you notice more and more people start to look towards you two. You don’t even notice that your anxious nature has gotten the better of you and that your grip on Jason’s arm has tightened until his other hand covers yours, the touch immediately grounding and soothing you. You look up at him and take a deep breath as his green eyes look at you encouragingly and gratefully, telling you that you can do this and that he’s thankful that you’re here with him.
You smile before squeezing his arm back and then you two plunge into battle. Showtime.
You make small talk with a few of the guests before approaching the bar to get something to drink. As you wait for your drinks you feel Jason lean down to whisper in your ear.
“I’m going to the bathroom real quick, I’ll be right back. You okay?”
You nod with a smile, telling him that it’s okay before he gives a quick kiss to your temple and then disappears into the crowd.
Your eyes scan the room as you take the refreshment that has been placed in front of you and take a sip, trying not to draw too much attention upon yourself while you wait. You’re no vigilante but as a person that prefers alone time, assessing the room before making any social interaction goes without saying. You’re even thinking of seeking Alfred and asking him if he needs help with anything when your eyes clock Jason again on the other side of the room, cornered by a bunch of socialites.
He has a pleasing smile on his face as he listens to what they’re telling him. To any other person, it might seem like he’s genuinely interested, but you can read him like a book. The corners of his smile are tense, apart from the fact that it doesn't reach his eyes, and his too constant nodding tells you how he is feigning the interest. His eyes find yours for a moment before returning to the lady speaking to him and in that split millisecond you can see how his smile turns real for you, before becoming fake once again.
You leave your glass on the counter of the bar to make your way to him and save him from the people crowding him when suddenly-
“Care for a dance?” a smooth voice says at your side.
You turn to decline when you’re met with eyes of a vibrant shade of blue, a boyish youth and mischief in them, but also slightly hardened with years of experience dealing with the worst of Gotham. His black hair is perfectly styled, a winning and charming smile on his lips and clad in a black suit with a bow tie that highlights all of his features. You can see how he’s a handsome man but still to you, he doesn’t hold a candle to Jason.
Of course you know who he is.
Gotham’s golden boy.
“Dick Grayson.”
“Y/N Y/L/N.” His smile widens and you realize that this is happening whether you want it or not. You’re meeting one of Jason’s brothers. Your eyes flick back to Jason but he’s no longer surrounded by the socialites. In fact, he’s nowhere to be found. He must’ve managed to escape somehow. Looks like you’re going to have to face this alone. You had even been starting to think that this moment wouldn’t come since you hadn’t seen any of Jason’s brothers since you arrived.
You turn back to Dick and he’s still in the exact same position, leaning with one arm on the bar, carefully watching you with a knowing smile. Everything in his demeanor open, easy.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,“ he says, extending his hand.
Your force your body to release the small tension that it has accumulated and with a small smile you shake his hand. “You too.”
“Glad to see that Jason hasn’t made you up. We were starting to doubt that you really existed,” he comments playfully.
You know that he isn’t intimidating you or trying to scare you, merely wanting to meet you, know more about Jason’s life, see the reason why he’s the happiest that they have ever seen him.
“I’m very real, yes.”
“So, how about that dance?”
You pause for a second. “I’m not the best dancer.”
“Come on, please. How am I supposed to get to know my new sister-in-law otherwise?”
“By just talking?”
He chuckles. “Alright, fair enough. How about this, how am I supposed to get to know my sister-in-law without gossiping rich people interrupting us over and over again?” Dick nods to the side and you see how a few of the guests are looking towards you two, no doubt about to walk up to you and force you to establish conversation.
“Lead the way,” you end up saying and Dick’s smile beams even more, his joyous nature and openness making you feel at ease. You feel like he’s trying to make this easy for you, knowing how awkward meeting your boyfriend’s family could be.
He then offers you his arm to guide you to the dance floor and in no time you’re joining all the couples waltzing around it.
“So… Y/N, tell me. What are your intentions with our dear Jaybird?” he jokes in mock seriousness while arching an eyebrow.
“Jaybird?” you ask, never having heard the nickname before but already liking it.
“Oh, Y/N, I have so many anecdotes to tell you. We’re going to have so much fun.”
You smile at the prospect of hearing stories about Jason. “Can’t wait. But to answer your question, my intentions are to just be with him. For as long as he wants me.”
Dick nods, as if you just confirmed something that he already knew. “I feel like that’s going to be a long time.” You feel your cheeks warm at his words. You really hope that it is too. Forever, if you can help it. “Though are you sure that you want to put up with him for so long? He can be insufferable,” he adds, and you chuckle.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Afterwards, he asks you about your job and your family, and you ask him about life in Blüdhaven. You’re glad for his easygoingness, allowing you to feel comfortable and a sense of camaraderie and friendship already between you. You’re also glad that you’re dancing since you’re sure that if you weren’t, conversation wouldn’t have flowed as easily without the privacy that it has given you.
“My turn, Grayson,” a voice suddenly speaks.
You two stop dancing and turn your heads to the side, and then slightly down to find a young boy. His dark combed back hair and his straight posture making him a shadow of his father, his green eyes looking up at you expectantly and his tan skin inherited from his mother. Talia al Ghul.
“No, it isn’t,” Dick replies. 
“Yes, it is,” Damian retorts, holding Dick’s gaze. It’s like they are challenging one another while also having a mental conversation.
Finally, Dick sighs. “Fine. But only if Y/N is okay with that."
“It’s alright,” you say softly.
“See?” Damian insists and Dick rolls his eyes. You smile at their interaction and then Dick turns back to you.
“Thanks for dancing with me, Y/N. It’s been really nice finally getting to talk to you.”
“Likewise.”
Dick squeezes your hands in goodbye before letting go, Damian taking his spot to dance with you. “See you around.” Dick says and you nod and watch as he takes his leave, until a throat clears in front of you and you begin dancing once again.
“You’re Todd’s girlfriend then? Y/L/N?”
“That’s me. You must be Damian. It’s nice to meet you.” Damian nods solemnly before staring intensely at you, as if deciphering you. His movements are graceful and elegant, even more purposeful than Dick’s even. You suppose that all the grace must have something to do with growing up with ninjas and practically being raised like royalty.
Not one to back out, you hold his gaze and stare back at him. He’s shorter than you but you have no doubt that in no time he’ll be taller than you.
“You’re a great dancer, Damian,” you finally say and you can see how something in him changes, no longer putting up the intimidating facade, allowing himself to relax slightly.
“Thanks. Mother taught me.”
“That’s nice. I hope I’m not making you look too much like a fool.”
Damian shrugs. “You’re alright.”
You smile, taking his version of a compliment as a win. Then you take another look around the room, wondering where Jason could be. Maybe Alfred has asked for his help on something. You turn back to Damian, who looks around the space uninterested.
“I’m guessing you don’t like these galas much,” you say, trying to get him to open up a bit more.
“They are… a responsibility.”
“Yeah, well, I’d much rather prefer doing something else. Like going to the aquarium or the museum.” Damian’s eyes shot back to yours like a flash, a small sparkle in them.
Bingo.
You try to contain your triumphant smile. “Have you seen the new art exhibit? Jason told me that you like drawing,” you continue.
And just like that, whatever it was that Damian was wary of disappears as you two make conversation, discussing different painters, Damian’s art and your own hobbies. Then, for a second, Damian pauses in thought, like a jury about to deliver their decision, making you wonder what he’s about to say. 
“You’re cool. Todd was right about you,” he finally says as the current song ends and you two come to a stop.
You smile softly in thanks. “Glad to hear that.”
“Though I’m not yet quite sure what you could be seeing in Todd. You’re clearly way cooler than him.”
That makes you chuckle and you don’t miss how a smile twitches on Damian’s face.
“Thanks, I guess? Though he’s not that bad. Not at all.”
Damian just shrugs at your statement but you have the feeling that behind all the picking, there’s fondness and a brotherly bond between him and Jason.
“Anyway, I have to go feed my animals. It was nice meeting you, Y/N.” Your jaw almost drops, but you manage to avoid it before your lips twist into a wide smile.
Damian’s calling you by your first name. When Jason has told you that he never does that with anyone. Not even Dick.
“You too, Damian.”
He nods in goodbye before going towards the exit of the ballroom. You leave the dance floor and take a deep breath. Well, that wasn’t so bad. It was fun, actually.
You decide that you need some air in order to take all of the recent events in and head towards the open patio door that looks out to the gardens. Even though you can still hear the party, as the door is still open, the change of ambience is very much welcomed. You inhale the fresh air before releasing a content sigh at having a moment for yourself.
You lean on the railing surrounding the few steps that separate you from the grass as you gaze up at the clear sky, the moon illuminating the patio and the late summer evening breeze creating ripples along the surface of the pool. It’s a nice break from the scorching nights that Gotham can have along the summer. You can’t wait for the fall.
As you let yourself relax in the quiet evening, you think back to what has just happened. You just met two of Jason’s brothers. And everything went well. You still can’t believe it. You let out a soft chuckle at the thought that your social skills haven’t failed you this time. Despite usually needing a lot of time with a person to open up and build trust, you’re surprised at how easy it came to you with Dick and Damian, already getting along and having the feeling that you’re going to become good friends. Family, someday.
Maybe it’s due to Dick’s easygoing personality or the things that you have in common with Damian but you feel like it’s more than that. The knowledge that these kind of connections don’t come easy for them either, given all the secrets that they have to keep and the fact that they don’t have to tiptoe around you. The fact that you all love Jason Todd dearly.
You’re just glad that you click with them as well as you did all that time ago with Jason. Who, by the way, is still MIA. It’s been a good while since you saw him. Where could he be?
“Do you want some?” a voice suddenly says, interrupting your thoughts and making you turn towards its source.
Well, looks like the meeting-your-boyfriend’s-family night isn’t over.
Tim Drake stands on the doorway, holding two glasses of champagne. He’s wearing a suit as well but his appearance isn’t as neat as Dick’s or Damian’s. His hair is slightly tousled and his tie is loosened around his neck. His blue eyes, a shade lighter than Dick’s, look kindly at you.
“Sure, thanks,” you say as you take the glass that he offers you. The truth was that you weren’t a big drinker, only having a few sips on scattered special occasions during the year, like champagne on New Year’s Day or the rare instances in which you found yourself in glamorous parties like this.
You take a small sip of the sparkly drink as Tim comes to stand next to you.
“So, what do you think of the gala? Having fun?”
“It’s alright. You all do know how to throw a party,” you answer.
“What can I say? If there’s one thing we’re good at is appearances,” Tim says jokingly.
You nod with a smile while taking another sip, though this time you can’t help the grimace that you make at the growing bitter taste of alcohol in your mouth.
“Not a fan?”
“Not really,” you respond honestly, deciding to leave the glass on the outdoor table for now.
“Me neither, actually.”
And then, your eyes widen when, just like nothing, Tim literally throws the content of his glass, his untouched and what you’re sure of is a very, very, expensive champagne towards the grass and leaves his now empty glass next to yours.
Seriously, what was wrong with rich people?
You shake the thought as you and Tim start making friendly conversation. He’s telling you a story in which Jason faceplanted once during training, when it strikes you that it really is amazing how all the Robins somehow actually physically look like family despite not being blood-related. And it’s not just the coincidence that all of them have clear colored eyes and dark hair, but rather the way in which they hold themselves, something in their stance and attitude giving them a similar aura. An aura of shared hardships and experiences.
“I’m sorry that it took so long for us to meet,” Tim says after a small moment of peaceful silence. You shake your head and you can feel the shift in the air as his expression turns more serious and continues talking before you can say anything.
“I know that we can be a lot, and you haven’t even met all of us.” You tilt your head, listening, waiting to see where he’s going with this. “Things between us and Jason are good, though of course, like with any family, there are some rough patches.” He pauses for a second, leaning with his hip on the metal railing while crossing his arms. “We really wanted to meet you and we feared that something that we hadn’t realized had been going on with Jason and that he was retreating again by refusing to introduce you to us.”
You shake your head again. “It’s not that at all, Tim, I promise. Things are good. He just gets doubtful sometimes and needs to take things at his own time.”
Tim nods, letting you know that he understands. “I’m just sorry that we boarded you like this, we thought it might be easier taking the pressure out of it. Instead of having a formal family dinner or something, just meet you today in case that Jason decided to bring you. All in all, I’m glad we did, we probably wouldn’t have met you for a lot longer, probably until it was strictly necessary, if we hadn’t intervened.”
You’re processing all the information when before you can reply, you finally hear Jason’s voice again.
“Y/N!” he calls as he approaches you after spotting you outside. “I’m so, so sorry for leaving you alone. I was ambushed by the guests before going to the bathroom, then Alfred asked me to go help him with something in the kitchen and then Dick couldn’t fucking wait to ask me something about a case. It was just one thing after the other, I’m so sorry,” he rambles, a hand running through his hair in distress, knowing how you hate this kind of events as much as him.
Just as he finishes his rant, he finally reaches you and as he takes your hands in his, you can visibly see how his distressed state morphs into a relieved one just by being next to you. It’s like during your unexpected time apart Jason had been underwater the whole time and has just been finally allowed to come up for air to the surface and fill his lungs just by seeing you and being near you again.
You just shake your head and gently bring a hand to the nape of his neck to press your foreheads together so that he can ground himself and focus on you, showing him that you’re okay. You just know he’s feeling guilty for leaving you on your own when you two promised to be together to face the night.
“It’s okay,” you say softly in a low voice, trying to calm him.
And then, after connecting the dots between what Tim and Jason have just said, everything clicks. It’s not a coincidence that you’ve met Jason’s brothers one right after the other and that Jason just so conveniently had been missing from your side to prevent that from happening. You can’t help the small smile that pulls at your lips upon realizing what has happened, finding the Waynes’ antics and dramaticness quite entertaining.
“And don’t worry, I had company,” you add.
And just as you say that, you can see how Jason feels movement to his right and turns his head like a hawk to find Tim shifting on his feet. Jason hadn’t seen him earlier since you were the only one visible through the open door and once outside, Tim’s side of the terrace was covered in shadows.
You see the exact moment in which Jason’s gaze hardens staring at Tim, realizing just exactly what had actually happened, all of his family plotting to distract him so that they could meet you. You know that Jason isn’t actually angry, just slightly annoyed from the ruse and from being kept away from you, and now he’s channeling all of that towards Tim, making it seem bigger than what it actually is.
“Tim…” Jason says through gritted teeth in a threatening tone as he separates himself from you and starts stomping towards Tim. It’s almost comically funny how Tim immediately scrambles and bolts to the other side of the terrace, putting the outdoor table between him and Jason, extending his arms in front of him to protect himself as if he was some defenseless animal and not a well-trained vigilante.
You almost have to stifle a laugh.
Sibling dynamics at its finest.
“Listen, Jason, I-” Tim starts to plead his case but before Jason gets too far away from you, you grab his hand again. And it’s incredible the way in which Jason turns towards you and immediately his posture softens. Tim doesn’t waste the opportunity and escapes into the gala again, leaving you and Jason alone.
“It’s alright, they just wanted to meet me,” you say and Jason sighs, deciding to let the matter go and just come back to your arms, his hands on your waist, giving a small subconscious squeeze.
“Yes, but they had no right to play with us,” he answers, pressing your foreheads together once again.
“I know. But, hey,” you lift your hand to push some hair away from his forehead, “nothing bad happened. I’m still here.”
Jason nods and his gaze softens before closing his eyes, relishing in your touch. You close your eyes as well and you two stay in your embrace for a moment. Letting the night envelop you, surrounding yourselves with the evening sounds of the faded chatter from the party, the breeze rustling the bushes, the water in the pool, the night time insects and an owl in the distance.
“I think it’s time for us to leave,” Jason finally says, looking at you once again, having had enough of the social night.
“Yes,” you wholeheartedly agree, wanting to have your boyfriend all for yourself.
With that said, Jason nods, kisses your forehead and takes your hand firmly in his in order to not lose you again and you two make your way out of the gala. You don’t even bother to say goodbye to anybody. As you two leave, on the side of the ballroom, Dick, Tim, Damian and Alfred all stand in line, watching you fondly, glad to finally have met you and seen how happy Jason is with you. Before disappearing from view you give them a small wave and they smile.
You still have to meet Bruce, but that’s a problem for another day.
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When you finally get home and Jason closes the door behind you, the two of you having already decided that he would spend the night at your apartment, you feel a weight lift off your shoulders. Finally home. You take a deep breath, shedding your social armor. Jason feels relief too at having finally left the manor, because even though the place will always be a home to him, the very definition of the word changed when he met you.
Jason watches you mesmerized as you leave your purse on a table and then move to the kitchen to drink a cold glass of water. He stands idly in your living room following your every move, a cast spell on him.
You’re beautiful.
Even though your hair isn’t as perfectly done as it was at the beginning of the evening and there’s a tired drag to your feet, you are. You always are.
He still can’t believe that you’re with him.
The way that you move around him as comfortably as you’d do if you were alone amazes him. It amazes him that you feel safe enough with him to just be yourself, not putting on any mask like you did in the gala with the attendees. He’s just so immensely grateful that you let him see you like this, open and being so undoubtedly yourself.
You’re saying something about cooking something quick or maybe ordering takeout when you brace yourself with a hand on the back of a chair to take off your heels with the other. But before you can take off your shoe, Jason softly grabs your hand, stopping you mid-rant.
He pulls you to follow him and you don’t put any kind of resistance, letting a comfortable silence fall upon you two. The only sounds the passing cars on the street and the steps of your heels on the floor. Once you reach the couch Jason makes you sit on it and you watch as he kneels in front of you and then, with a care and gentleness that no one would expect from the man known as Red Hood, he begins to undo the straps of your heels.
And there’s just something in the sight in front of you that makes your heart flip in your chest. How someone as big as him gets down on his knees before you, for once him being the one looking up at you instead of the other way around, almost as if worshiping the ground you walk on, as if you were the one that brought him back to life and not some mystical pit.
Now it’s you the one that watches him enchanted, wondering how you were so lucky as to have him love you. He takes one of your heels off, his eyes never leaving yours for a second, and then gives your free foot a slight massage to help the soreness out of it and you sigh in relief.
How is he even real?
And then, just before slipping the other heel off, with one of his warm hands on your lower calf, you watch with your heart in your throat how he kisses the inside of your knee.
You let out a small gasp and it’s crazy how much your heart is racing because you just know that he did it just for the heck of it, an act so loving, so simple, with no major intention rather than the selfish feeling of wanting to feel your skin against his lips.
But what raises goosebumps all throughout your body is not the action in itself, but rather the dark sparkle that crosses his eyes upon hearing your gasp, promising you something for later, for when he’s drawing shapes all across your body, as if tracing a map signaling a treasure. Except that the map itself is the treasure and he’s just taking his time exploring it, enjoying it, admiring it, worshiping it.
Jason then finally takes off your other heel and gives your foot the same quick massage treatment as the other one. When he’s done he gets back up on his feet and offers you a hand.
You take it and he pulls you to your feet again. And then, in the same silent comfort that has settled over you, with the same care and gentleness that Jason has treated you with, you slowly undo his tie, your gaze still fixed on his, saying a million different things that do not need to be said out loud. Most of them having to do with how much you love him.
After you discard the tie somewhere on the couch, you undo the first couple of buttons of his shirt, releasing him from the uptightness that comes with them and you feel his muscles relax even further under your hands. Next, you slip his jacket from his shoulders and he helps you take it off of him while he looks at you with the same intensity that you regard him with, reveling in how you take care of him.
Then, Jason rolls his sleeves up a bit his forearms before taking one of your hands in his and then, with his other arm around your waist, pulls you flush against his chest, practically fusing you two together, as if he could never pull you close enough, needing you as physically closer as possible, just as much as he needed oxygen, if not more.
“We didn’t have a chance to dance,” he whispers then with your faces inches from each other, still not disturbing the peaceful silence.
You hum in agreement and before you know it, you’re already swaying softly together in the living room, both of you with your eyes closed, your head resting on the crook of his neck and his on your hair. There’s no music but it doesn’t need to be, you feel so at peace and content, none of the opulent galas in the world could compare to a quiet evening with Jason.
You have no idea how much time you’ve spent there, barefoot and wrapped in Jason’s arms, swaying to the sounds of Gotham’s nightlife and your own heartbeats, only knowing that you would gladly spend forever like this.
“Thank you.”
You lift your head to find that Jason’s already looking at you.
“For what?” you ask in the same soft tone as him, a lilt of confusion in your voice.
“For coming today.” Before you can respond he keeps talking. “For sticking around. For putting up with my family.” A pause. His eyes leave yours to look to the side. He shrugs. “Just… for being with me, I guess.”
Your gaze softens and you feel a pang in your chest as you see Jason’s insecurities eating away at him. You stop your swaying and bring your hands to Jason’s face to make him focus on you, his hands moving instinctively to hold your waist. But Jason’s still avoiding your gaze and you hate the doubt that you see creeping in your favorite shade of green.
“I’m always going to be here. I’m right where I want to be. I love you. And I’m not putting up with anything, I want you. I want to be part of all the parts in your life,” you say, softly caressing his cheek with your thumb, having the suspicion that these doubts have something to do with meeting his brothers tonight.
“I know. I just…” Jason takes a deep breath closing his eyes, taking a moment to organize his thoughts before looking at you again. “I just can’t believe that you’re still here. I have this… this feeling that one way or another I’m going to screw up and lose you.”
You open your mouth to refute him but Jason shakes his head, presses his forehead to yours, closes his eyes to concentrate on what he wants to say, and continues before you can say anything. “And I know, trust me, I know that you love me and that you’re not going to leave. You show me every single day. I was just afraid that if neither myself nor me being Red Hood hadn’t driven you away, my family surely would.”
When Jason finishes he doesn’t move, his forehead still against yours and his eyes still closed, as if he doesn’t want to face what may come next, and his hands on your waist in the same position, if anything, holding onto you even tighter.
Holding onto you as if it were the last time, as if his confession would finally be the thing that would drive you away. You close your eyes as well for a second and take a deep breath.
How can you even begin to express how much you love this man?
Your heart is bursting with how much you feel for him. The love that you hold for him begins in the depth of it and as your heart pumps blood through your body, it also pumps that love through every single vein, nerve and cell in it. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes. It’s something that lies beneath every single movement and action that you make, to the point where you’re not sure if what sustains you are your bones or your love for him.
And that love of course, is interlaced with the pain that comes from watching the one you love hurt. You know that Jason is telling you the truth, that he knows that you’re not going anywhere and that you love him. But there’s this underlying fear in him, an instinct acquired from having lost all the good things in his life, things that he loved, from both his mothers to wearing the Robin mantle, that makes him subconsciously always expect the worst.
That’s why he prolonged you meeting his family for so long.
Without knowing, he’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the moment in which the rug will be pulled from under him and he’ll fall into the void. He survived all the previous things, more or less, but he isn’t sure that he would if you were to leave his life.
Because now everything, every single piece of him is rooted in you, like the earth orbiting the sun, the very thing that allows life on the planet in the first place. And that’s what you are to him, a source of warmth, comfort and life. And he’s sure that if he didn’t have that he would crumble. He might technically survive it but he wouldn’t be the same.
But the thing is that just as much as he's rooted in you, you’re rooted to him. He’s the anchor to your boat lost in a storm, the earth to your forever spinning moon. He’s your anchor, your earth, your sun, your everything.
You know that the doubts and insecurities aren’t going to disappear overnight but maybe, together, you two can make them lessen.
“Jason. Look at me,” you say when you open your eyes once again, pulling back slightly so that you can look him square in the eyes. Jason sighs, not wanting the quiet moment, the infinite second in which he can just be in your embrace and forget everything else to end. But then he slowly opens his eyes, showing you his troubled thoughts.
“I love you. So much that I can feel it in every single part of my body. It’s like you’re part of my DNA. And nothing, absolutely nothing, can make me want to leave you. And you’re not going to screw up anything. Call me selfish but I want to be near the things that make me feel strong, like I can achieve anything I want. The things that comfort me when I need it most, that are always there for me, even when I’m not at my best and I feel like a burden.”
Now Jason is the one that shakes his head and wants to refute you but you move your thumb from his cheek to his lips to shush him. “The things that make me feel loved. And you’re the only thing that makes me feel all of that. God knows I have my baggage too and it still amazes me that you understand me, that you want to carry it with me, that you’re proud to do so.”
You take a deep breath. “So no, I’m not leaving. Ever. I’m always going to be here. And I’m very glad that I met Dick, Tim and Damian tonight. They’re nice and they have allowed me to see more of you. And if there's something that I can’t get enough of is you. Okay?”
Jason nods as he leans into the touch of your hand, his eyes bright with love and admiration for you. And then he closes the small distance between you and kisses you, gripping your waist tightly, one hand coming up to hold your face and deepen the kiss. Your hands drop to his shoulders and you don’t waste a single second to kiss him back as fervently as he does. He hasn’t answered to your reassuring words but you don’t need him to. He’s telling you everything you need to know in that kiss.
When his lips first came in contact with yours, he said, Okay.
Where his hands are grabbing your body so tightly but oh so gently, he’s saying, You’re what I treasure most in this world.
And as you stand there in the middle of the living room, being kissed like nothing else exists except you two in this very moment, he’s saying, I love you.
You could have been like that just a couple of minutes or a couple of centuries for all you know, always forgetting the outside world when he kisses you. And when you finally part to catch your breaths, foreheads against each other, your hand softly caressing the hair at the back of his head, the shine in his eyes tells you everything that his lips have just said and more.
Still, he wants to make sure that you’re aware that he isn’t going to let his thoughts eat away at him and so he finally whispers, “Okay.”
“Good,” you whisper back, your hand finding his cheek and caressing it once again. And then you find his lips again, because if there’s one thing that you could spend doing forever without ever growing tired of is kissing him.
And without speaking, your lips tell him something too. Something that he feels as certain as the sun, the moon and the stars. 
I love you. I love you. I love you.
Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!
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jamiethebeeart · 4 months ago
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“But it’s not gay if he’s dead.” Danny’s head whipped around to stare down the street at two guys walking on the other side. He thought he was free of hearing that phrase ever again. Heart thudding in his ears, he crossed the street to tail these two guys. There was no way? Right? I mean Danny was something like 1,000 miles away from his hometown. There was no way two random guys in the big city of Gotham would’ve ever heard of –
“I don’t know man, it’s never been confirmed whether or not the “big guy” was actually… ya know?”
Danny seethed in frustration at the vague conversation. He stepped around a group of kids as he barely made the end of the crosswalk countdown.
“Nah, Red makes too many uncomfortable jokes about death to not have died.”
Danny sped up, weaving in between people to catch up before he lost the conversation in the din.
“It’s Gotham, we all make jokes about death.”
“Ya, but not like him. He seems to revel in them, like he actually kicked the bucket, permanent-like, not like those people who – I don’t know – cardiac arrest and are technically dead for a couple minutes until the EMTs get to them or whatever.”
A car puttered down the road – releasing a huge plume of exhaust in between Danny and the guys. Danny sighed, fully intending to return to his original path with the reassurance that they weren’t talking about Phantom. Then the next damned sentence came out of one of their mouths.
“Ok sure let’s say you’re right. Is it necrophilia if his body started decaying before coming back?”
‘Fuck it’ Danny thought as he turned back around. He had to see how this conversation ended – definitely not because the answer to that question kept him up night. Absolutely not. Call him a cat because he was just curious and not all at invested in the answer.
“Oh! Dude, shut the fuck up! Why would you – that’s disgusting! Are you kidding me!”
“Answer the question Mr. It’s Not Gay if He’s Dead – necrophiliac: yes or no?”
“No? Have you seen Red’s body? No way a dead guy could have muscles like that – I mean you gotta have working bodily functions right? To build muscles or whatever the fuck? Like have you seen his abs? Or, shit, just his arms - I mean swoon worthy, what I wouldn’t give to have him hold -”
“…….”
“- me…. What are ya looking at me like that for?”
“When, exactly, have you seen his abs.”
“Aaaah - that’s not the point –“
“Sure as hell hope that’s the point.” Red Hood stepped out of an alleyway they were walking past. Even with a helmet on, Danny swore the guy stared straight at him. He was so fucked getting caught listening in to this conversation – could he play it cool? Danny was cool right? Yeah, he could totally pull this off, act totally normal and keep walking. Hunching his shoulders some and turning his body away from the three men, he walked past. Or tried to. Red Hood caught the back of his shirt, stopping him from getting away. Unless Danny was willing to expose his powers to get out this situation, the best he could do was play dumb and hope Hood let him go without too much hassle.
“Boss!”
“Hey Boss – you didn’t happen to only hear the second half of that, did you?”
Red Hood growled, “the part about necrophilia or the part about my abs?”
Danny twisted his head back to see Goon #1 turn pale. “Uuuh – uh- um,” met Red Hood’s question.
A choreographed roll of the eyes, “Better question, why are you talking shit out on the streets and not paying attention to your little stalker,” Hood gestured to Danny.
“I’m not a stalker!” Danny huffed. His eyes widened. All three guys looked over at him. ‘SHIT’ Danny thought. He did not want to catch anyone’s attention more than he had, much less all three.
Goon No. 2 looked at him, as he resumed his squirming in Red Hood’s grasp, “So who are you?”
Danny glanced up to see Red Hood staring down at him. Today just wasn’t his day. “Hood,” Danny blurted out.
Silence. The tips of Danny’s ears turned bright red
“Uhm, I mean, a tourist?” “In Crime Alley, kid?”
"I'm not a kid," Danny muttered.
Hood shook Danny’s shirt hard enough to also shake Danny himself. “Try again. I’ve seen you around often enough to know that’s a lie.”
“It’s true!” Danny lied. “I was visiting the city, my wallet got pickpocketed with most of my money, so now I’m… kind of…. Stuck here? Indefinitely?”
Goon No. 1 laughed at him, “do ya think we’re dumb? You have a cellie right? No way you’re ‘stuck here’.”
“Exactly, so who do you work for? Penguin?” A jab towards Danny’s face. “Riddler?” Another jab and a step towards Danny. “Is it Two Face?” Another, even closer jab. Danny went cross-eyed looking at the finger in front of his nose.
“Back off,” Hood said. Danny breathed a sigh of relief at being given some space. And then the next words came out of Red Hood’s mouth, “Get lost you two – and stop gossiping on the street. And you-“ Hood turned back to Danny, “ – you’re coming with me.” Danny gulped. Today was going down as another shit day in the books for sure.
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bixels · 9 months ago
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The idea that uni protesters are "elitist ivy-league rich kids larping as revolutionaries" on Twitter and Reddit and even here is so fucking funny to me if you actually know anything about the student bodies at these unis. Take it from someone who's going to one of the biggest private unis in the US, 80% of the peers I know are either from the suburbs or an apartment somewhere in America, children of immigrants, or here on a student visa. I've heard about one-percenter students, but I've never met one in person. Like, don't get me wrong, the institution as a whole is still very privileged and white. I've talked with friends and classmates about feeling weird or dissonant being here and coming from such a different background. But in my art program, I see BIPOC, disabled, queer, lower-income students and faculty trying to deconstruct and tear that down and make space every day. So to take a cursory glance at a crowd of student protesters in coalitions that are led by BIPOC & 1st/2nd-gen immigrant students and HQ'd in ethnic housings and student organizations and say, "ah. children of the elite." Get real.
#also idk how to tell you this but even if it were true. wealthy children potentially sacrificing their educational careers to protest is#a good thing actually. idk how to tell you that caring about people from other nations is good#personal#“this war has nothing to do with most students cuz nobody's getting drafted” idk how to explain to you that we should be angry#that our tuitions of 10s of thousands of dollars that we pay every year for an education is being used to fund a genocidal campaign#also the implication that if you go to a uni institution you are automatically privileged by participation no matter your bg#i didn't /want/ to go to this school. i was supposed to go to a school with an art/animation program. but i realized my immigrant#parents have been working their whole lives to get me here. and turning the opportunity down would be a disservice to their sacrifice#this is getting into convos of “what 2nd gen kids owe their parents” which is different for everyone but. yeah#i just get pissed off at seeing people misrepresenting student bodies as “wealthy” and “privileged” and “elite” when it's such a blatant li#i remember a year ago a friend told me they can't fly home to hong kong for winter break because the plane tickets are too expensive#so they have to find temporary housing around the area#last quarter for a film doc class my film partner made a doc on a small group of marxist grad students from india discussing praxis#during a rally a few months ago in response to police presence the coalition invited palestinian students to speak about their experiences#and lead songs and read poems they wrote. these are STUDENTS. are they elitist too?#this is not to disregard my own personal privilege either.#this whole narrative's just to rationalize a lack of empathy to me. seeing a 19yo student get shot by a rubber bullet and your first#reaction is “HAW! HAW! bet richy rich didn't see THAT coming when she put on her terrorist hood!”#newsflash. these big uni campuses are HAUNTED by the violence of past protests and revolutions and police brutality. we know.#why do you think these coalitions have been making reinforced barricades at record speed
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thargelalia · 1 month ago
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Love at first shot - pt. 1
jason todd x fem!reader
adulting is hard, especially when you need to deal with Gotham's misadventures and its crazy ass vigilantes
or alternatively, this is how you meet Red Hood for the first time
-> +5k words
-> slight dark content, mild angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, strangers to lovers
-> warnings: violence; guns; blood; lots of swearing; mentions of drug dealing, and organized crime; poor attempt at humor; reader is unhinged, don't mess with her; jason looks like could kill you, and he could, but he's also a cinnamon roll <3
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The hospital’s fluorescent lights contrast sharply with the dim orange glow of Gotham’s street lamps as you step outside. The cold autumn air nips at your face, a welcome break from the stuffy, sterile environment of the hospital. You’re exhausted but find a small sense of accomplishment as you reflect on your day. 
Dr. Joshi had pulled you aside earlier to express her satisfaction with your work performance so far, and you couldn’t be happier. She did warn you, though, to ‘take it easy’ because professor Chinwe apparently had a chat with her about your tendency to forgo any sense of self-care in order to achieve perfect results. 
Or whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.
There was no sleeping on a scholarship before, and there’s certainly no sleeping on a residency now. No time for slacking off. You’re not going back to counting pennies to buy subway tickets again. Or choosing between having lunch or dinner because you can only afford one. Or mending shoes countless times until the soles effectively fall off and there’s nothing else to be done. Sure, you’re still not rich. But you’ve managed to successfully move from the dorms into a small apartment in Burnley. That’s a hell of an accomplishment already.
These are some of the thoughts that accompany you home during the bus ride home.
Desperate for a hot shower and yesterday’s leftovers, you climb the stairs leading to the second floor with what energy is left in your body. A yawn escapes your lips as you trudge through the corridor, feet stopping at the mat saying make yourself at home (but remember you’re not there). 
Much to your horror, the door to your apartment is ajar. 
Light escapes through the crack. 
Muffled sounds of struggle and stuff breaking are coming from the inside. 
Also, another thing.
You live alone. 
Shit.
Now, a reasonable person would probably back away slowly and hide, immediately calling the police. 
A reasonable person would be desperate and frightened to the core. 
But you’re not exactly a reasonable person. 
You’re a first year medical resident that spent the day busting your ass off only to come home and find… your cousin fighting – or better, trying to survive – the Red Hood in the middle of your living room.
“What the fuck is going on here?!” You eye the mess of broken vases, dirt spread on the floor, chairs thrown across the room, fallen paintings and shards of glass everywhere, until it stops on both figures at the center of the chaos. Red Hood’s hulking frame is hunched over your cousin, grasping his collar. His other hand freezes mid punch in the air. “Ezra???”
Ezra, your cousin, muttered a weak response akin to your name and a plea for help. Black eye swollen shut and multiple contusions of equal color all over his slender body. You’re surprised he’s not passed out yet. He’s close, though. 
Red Hood drops your cousin to the floor, straightening his posture. He looks twice as big now – if that’s even possible. Dark suit, accents of red on his chest and helmet, looms over you. You’d certainly be intimidated had it not been for the fact that you were fuming. 
These motherfuckers thrashed your entire place.
“This fucking dirtbag is dealing stolen meds and guns through my turf. To kids. He’s lucky I’m not dumping him in the harbor.” A deep modulated voice speaks menacingly.
Oh, yeah. Right. Your family’s aware of Ezra’s illicit activities. Just not the true extent of it. As it’s well known, whoever looks for trouble in Gotham, finds it fast. Or even if you don’t go looking. Like you at the moment. In any case, everyone had already tried to put some sense into Ezra’s head several times, but ultimately he’s a grown man. Dropped out of high school, told everyone to fuck off and said he was now going to do his own thing. 
Sometimes you felt guilty for not trying harder but over the years you realized it’s impossible to help someone who doesn’t want help.
“I can’t even—” you try to process his words, only for your lips to draw back in a snarl. “And what the hell makes you think you’re entitled to kick his ass at my place?!”
“I only followed his tracks here.” Red Hood has the audacity to shrug. “Got the drop on him before he could steal your shit. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Not much to steal now, huh? Is this your way of stopping house robbery?” you’re seething, gesturing wildly around like a madwoman. “Can’t steal what’s broken into pieces, jackass!”
“Your boyfriend told you that?”
“Go to hell!”
“Already did.”
A moan of pain snags your attention to the floor. Damn. You’d forgotten about Ezra. Red Hood approaches him again, seemingly wanting to finish the job.
“Wait!” You hold your hands out to stop him. “Don’t do this. Let me handle him.”
“Nobody fucks with me and lives to tell the story, doc.”
You choose to believe he knows your profession only because he’s seen the graduation pics before getting into action with Ezra. And not because he already had intel on you. Or had stalked you before due to Ezra’s stupidity. 
“Oh, yeah? And how about me? You fucked with me!” Whole face is now burning as you practically yell. “You’ve no idea how long it took me to finally be able to rent a place and buy my own shit! You self-righteous vigilantes need to get off your fucking high horses and actually see the amount of damage you cause under the excuse of ‘helping’! So do me a fucking favor and fuck off!”
You’re out of breath by the end of your outburst. There’s a beat of silence before Ezra starts contorting himself on the floor while coughing out blood. Red Hood looks between you and him, seemingly contemplating his next move.
“As you wish, then. He’s your fucking problem now. But if this son of a bitch shows his weasel face near my turf again, I’ll get him clipped.” You crouch down next to Ezra as the vigilante backs away and swings one leg over the windowsill. “One more thing, doc.”
You snap your head to him. “Play it smart with your words next time. Not everyone will be nice like me.”
Unfortunately, he’s out the window before you have a chance to flip him the middle finger.
“Shit. What am I gonna do with you now?” You heave a sigh, beginning to assess the damage in your cousin’s body. 
There’s a brief moment in which you consider just leaving him there like that and deal with everything in the morning. After all, you’re exhausted and it’s not your fault he got what he went looking for. 
The only thing left to do is to patch Ezra up and get him off the floor and onto the couch as he’s completely out now. His heartbeat and breathing are slow but steady despite everything, so he’ll live. Probably going to need a trip to the hospital to check for internal bleeding tomorrow, though. That is if he wants to, which you doubt. And also if you don’t decide to dump him in the river yourself until then. 
Grabbing a broom, a trash bag, disinfectants,  and other products, you clean what you can from the mess strewn across the place, not forgetting to scrub the small pool of blood off the floor. Good news is apparently Red Hood managed to catch him in the living room and kept the destruction there. Sadly, you’ll have to replace your brand new TV, three of your poor plants, an armchair, a few portraits and chairs. 
Tidying everything up as much as possible, you left to go straight into the shower; falling into bed face first afterwards, not even bothering with blankets. 
Walking into the living room the next morning and discovering you hadn’t dreamed at all about last night shattered your inner peace, anger rushing back in tidal waves. You were supposed to be getting ready for work now but instead you’re calling Dr. Joshi, bargaining to work an entire night shift in order to deal with family business this morning.  
After that, you’re dumping a whole bucket of cold water on Ezra for him to “wake the fuck up, bitch”.
You give him several pieces of your mind, threatening to bestow his face with another black eye to match the other one when he dares to intervene. The only reason why you won’t press charges against him is solely to prevent your aunt and uncle from having a heart attack. 
When you’re done, Ezra only provides a half-assed apology about things going out of his control, arguing that Red Hood is a “deranged psycho on steroids”, and that you should be more understanding of the situation as a family. But when he actively calls you selfish, saying you always got it easy as a student and now as a doctor, and thus have no right to be bitching about money, you lose it completely. 
The feral scream that comes from the depths of your soul is enough to make him bolt out the door without looking back, injuries be damned and all, as you let yourself drop into the wet couch cushions with a sniff.
–//–
It’s the middle of the evening on another day off when your apartment is yet again invaded. 
This time by an enforcer claiming that Ezra listed your name as someone who could pay his trafficking debts. Wonderful. He gave this gang both your home and work address. 
The criminal barged in with a kick to the front door. Not even a peep heard from your neighbors. Not then, not now. 
Rather you than me. It’s the Gothamites way of life. 
You had just finished cleansing and moisturizing your face inside the bathroom when you heard the noise of wood splintering. Not fast enough to hide, the enforcer soon found you, pulling roughly on your upper arm and shoving you into the living room with even less care. 
So, yeah, now there’s a gun to your face. 
Despite your heart beating faster than a hummingbird wings, the knees wobbling, and sweat starting to coat your back, you try not to let desperation completely cloud your judgement. 
The criminal was demanding the cash, threatening to shoot in case you don’t hand it to him, stating he knows you got it, so there’d be no way out of this. Meanwhile, your brain tries to come up with a solution. 
Think. Think. Think. Think. 
Skimming through several mental philes in a flash.
Ah. 
Krav Maga. 
This one might work.
If it doesn’t, then… well. 
Let’s just say it was nice sticking around long enough to watch Beyoncé’s Coachella performance.
Through Delilah’s 144p resolution FaceTime call. But still.
“Oh, my God!” Looking past the guy, you exclaim. Mouth wide open. “Batman?!”
Instant terror cascades his features, eyes bulging out of their sockets, as he snaps his head to look behind him.
In a rush of adrenaline, you act quickly to disarm him by twisting the barrel away with one hand while the other simultaneously pushes his wrist down. You slide back swiftly as the criminal cries out in pain — thumb got caught in the trigger, most likely being broken now. Good. 
“You bitch.” Hand cradled to his chest, he glowers at you in fury from a hunched position. “Got the guts to shoot me now, huh? Aren’t you supposed to save lives?” 
“You know what I do but you don’t know me.” Mustering your best sinister smile, you try to keep a steady grip on the weapon, adding another hand to its bottom. “Hands up behind your neck, asshole. Slowly.”
Doing as told, he winces, trying to plead through gritted teeth. “Put down that gun, sweet cheeks. You don’t wanna do this.” 
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” you start, cocking the pistol. Eyes never leaving him. “You are getting lost. Now. And if you, or any other piece of shit, ever come back, you will pay.” 
“You’ll regret this.” 
“Not as much as you.” A click of another gun. 
Red Hood. 
You’ve no idea how he got here unnoticed but instant relief floods your system. Not that you’ll ever admit it.
Two guns point at the enforcer who’s now positively shaking and sweating buckets. Looking like a helpless sheep cornered by two hungry wolves.  
Oh, how the tables have turned. 
“C’mon, guys… Two against one? Not fair.” A nervous laughter reveals his yellow teeth. “I was just following orders, I swear! Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say.” 
“Just shut the fuck up.” In a swift motion Red Hood swings his gun upward, the solid metal butt striking the enforcer’s forehead, sending him sprawling to the ground. Then he turns. “You okay?”
Unable to come up with words, you simply nod. Lowering trembling hands, trying to take deep breaths as Red Hoods watches on.
“I’ll deal with this bastard outside.” He informs and you nod once again, extending your hand as a silent invitation for him to take the criminal’s glock. 
Tucking it into one of his holsters, he then picks up the unconscious body, throws it over the shoulder like a sack of rice and leaves through the window.
You waste no time in scrambling to the bedroom to find your phone. 
Delilah picks up after a few rings and you feel bad for waking your best friend up as her tired voice sounds through the speaker. 
“Hon, you okay?”
“I-can I..can I crash at your place?”
“Of course… What happened?? You’re scaring me.”
You fill her into all the crazy shit you’ve been dealing with, thanks to your stupid ass cousin, while leaving the details for later. She’s absolutely horrified as expected. Since you’ve both been super busy recently, there hasn’t been a chance to talk about all this. A text seemed inappropriate. 
Delilah asks how you’ll get to her apartment since she’s taken her car in for a revision, and you just tell her not to worry, promising to be there shortly. Ending the call, you hurriedly grab your stuff and throw everything necessary for a couple of days inside a backpack. 
Stepping out onto the sidewalk, you pay no mind to the chilling wind, intending to run as fast as possible to Delilah’s block. 
Out of a sudden, a prickling sensation spreads through your arms, making all the hairs stand up. 
Somebody’s watching you.
As you turn around, you jump when spotting a familiar figure leaning on their shoulder, arms and legs crossed, almost fully concealed by shadows. “The hell you’re still doing here?!” 
“Just tryna scare you. Good to see it worked.” Before you can open your mouth to curse him, his entire bloodline, every vigilante in Gotham city and their predecessors, Red Hood continues on a more serious note, “That son of a bitch won’t be a problem anymore.”
The enforcer. Right. 
“D-did you kill him?” You hate the way your voice wavers. 
“Sure you wanna know?” He leans away from the brick wall and saunters in your direction, causing you to instantly take a step back.
“Seriously, why are you still here?”
He ignores your question, pointing at the backpack strapped on your back. “Where you’re going?”
“Fuck off. That’s none of your business.”
“I just made it my business.”
“I’ll knee you in the groin.” 
At that, his modulated voice makes a weird strangled noise that almost sounds like… 
Wait. Is he laughing at you?
“Tough words for someone wearing a sleeping cap and Snoopy pajamas.” Yep. He’s definitely laughing at you. “There’s more holes in your shirt than in the assholes I...”
You drown out his last sentence, focusing on your lower body. Old white cotton pants and a long sleeved shirt with Snoopy prints adorned your frame. Clearly, in your haste to get away, changing clothes was the furthest thing to mind. 
That means you faced the criminal that broke into your house like this, too.
Placing a hand on your head, you also feel a smooth fabric there.
Immediately, you rip it off.
“I-Fuck. Listen, these actually—” A pause. “You know what? I don’t have to explain myself to you. Fuck off!”
“Pretty sure you already said that.”
“And I’ll keep saying it until–stop staring!” 
His amused chuckle fills the air.
“How do you know I’m staring?” There’s a 99% chance he’s smiling behind that helmet and you just wish you could slap it off his face.
Instead, you huff and walk away, leaving him standing there. More out of frustration and sheer annoyance than to actually ditch him as this would be impossible. Indeed, he manages to catch up easily with his long legs. 
Then, turning on heels briskly, you brandish the pink satin fabric in front of his face. “By the way, this is called a bonnet.” 
“Duly noted, Snoopy.” He’s closer now. Not too much to make it uncomfortable, but enough to fully enclose a large gloved hand around yours. Somehow, he manages to soften the modulated voice. “I know you’re scared. But lashing out at me isn’t the answer, alright? I’m only here to make sure you get to your friend’s place in one piece.”
“I’m not–Wait. Never told you where I was going.” 
“Mmm, you did.” 
“I didn’t.” A gasp of realization leaves your lips. “You were spying on me!”
“My hearing is just sharp.”  
“Unlike your brain, apparently.” 
“Hilarious.” Judging by the flat tone, he must’ve rolled his eyes. “But seriously, let me walk you there. The streets are dangerous at this hour.”
Much to your dismay, he’s actually right. Being out in Gotham by yourself as a woman in the middle of the night is a terrible business. Best not to take any chances. 
“Fine…” You tug your hand back and start walking again, mumbling sarcastically, “what a gentleman.”
“Nope. Not even close,” he drawls, falling into step behind you. 
You don’t say anything back and neither does he. To his credit, he actually keeps a respectful distance. Even when the cold is too much and you halt to produce a jacket from the bag. Only the sound of your backpack rustling echo in the empty streets. Not a single soul in sight. 
This whole predicament is just so uncanny to you. Only a month ago your only knowledge of vigilantes came from sensationalist news outlets or frequent whispers and gossip at work whenever criminals were admitted to the ICU in a coma. 
Like most people, you’ve also seen the bat-signal reflected in the night sky multiple times.
But you’ve never actually seen one of them right in front of your eyes. Twice now. 
You chance a furtive glance behind. 
Thumbs hooked in his utility belt, Red Hood has his attention to the passing houses, leisurely putting one foot after the other as if he’s taking a stroll at the park. 
One would even think he’s distracted. But you know better.  
Feeling watched, he tilts his head in question, prompting you to immediately avert your eyes to the front. 
At some point, he offers to carry your backpack, but gets impatiently dismissed. 
The rest of the walk to Delilah’s block is silent.
“This is it.” You announce when you reach the familiar beige stone building. He patiently waits as you climb the first two steps of the entrance and turn to him, standing eye to eye. “I appreciate your help tonight but I hope we won’t ever see each other again.”
“Ouch.” He clutches his chest in feigned hurt, wiping an invisible tear off the glowing white eyes. “How will I survive?”
“I don’t trust you, Red Hood.” You narrow your eyes, voice coming out more stern than intended. 
Silence. 
“You’re smart.” His tone is neutral. 
“Of course I am.” 
Again, silence.  
He lifts his fingers. 
And flicks. 
He flicks your forehead, completely catching you off guard.
Aside from your pride, nothing hurts, though. 
Then, he’s gesturing to your worn out pajamas. 
“You know, too bad I don’t have my wallet on me right now or I’d give you twenty bucks to replace those rags. Seriously, not even the homeless in Crime Alley—” 
“YOU—”
“I know, I know. I’ll gladly fuck off this time.” He cuts in, leaving the range of your clenched fists by gracefully sliding back. Hands up in mock surrender.  “Take care, Snoopy.”
–//–
After the entire ordeal of being held at gunpoint, nearly robbed, having your place broken in and thrashed, you decided to move to the other end of the neighborhood. A more busy but still fairly calm street. 
That doesn’t stop you from investing in sturdy locks for the windows and front door. 
No uninvited — and highly dangerous — guests this time.
Delilah let you stay with her for the days necessary to pull everything together. Despite the close ties you share, however, you really don’t like feeling like an intrusion. Not that she’s ever been unkind, quite the contrary actually. She loves having people over. The thing is once you get used to having your own space, it’s hard to live around others again.
Amidst the chaos of packing stuff and moving, you managed to take some time to visit your aunt and uncle. According to them, Ezra’s been arrested for drug trafficking, theft, and extortion. They were obviously crushed but understanding that there was nothing else to be done. You tried to show your support while hiding the relief of having one less problem to worry about. 
It’s a Tuesday night when you decide to get cozy on the sofa after an ordinary shift at the hospital. 
You’re tired, but not entirely exhausted. Just an ache in your bones. 
After a relaxing shower, you make some hot cocoa, pick up a book and dim the lights a little until sleep comes to find you. 
Contrary to your expectations, something else does. 
Trouble. 
In the shape of a black suit with a red bat insignia. 
A frantic knock on the glass window scares you into dropping your book to the floor. Scowling as you identify the source of disturbance. 
“Seriously, dude? What happened to fucking off for good?”
You reluctantly slide the windows open before he manages to crack them with his knuckles. He ducks his head in and drops unceremoniously to the ground, arms spread open.
“How did you even find me??” 
Noticing his chest heaving, you cross your arms and wait for him to catch his breath. 
“Need... a.. minute.” It’s all he manages to get out. 
Huffing in disbelief, you close the window and get comfortable on the couch again. No one’s keeping you from enjoying the little free time you haven’t had in a while. 
There’s a sound of careful footsteps. “I swear to God, if you dirty my house with those boots I’ll—” 
“Shhhh.” He lifts a finger to where his lips are, behind the helmet. “Don’t worry, Snoopy. I’ll leave soon.” 
“Still haven’t told me what you’re doing or how you found me.” 
He looks around and points at your armrest. “Mind if I sit?”
Tsking, you shut your book and drop it on the coffee table. “Go ahead. Not like I can stop you anyway.”
A deep sigh comes out as he flops down onto the soft cushions. He adjusts himself on the seat, legs widely spread, evidencing chunky meaty thighs. That’s definitely not a bad sight. Not that you’ll ever reveal this to him or anybody else whatsoever. 
“I know you’re not happy to see me again. But I actually needed to ditch someone. Some people. If you can actually consider them people.”
You lift an eyebrow as he says the last sentence almost inaudibly. 
“Why not just gun them down?” Your question drips with sarcasm. 
He hesitates. “They’re.. fast.”
At that, you shoot up from the couch. “And you risked bringing them here?? What the fuck?!”  
“What? No. No. Easy.” He tries to sound gentle and not make any sudden moves. As if dealing with a hostile cat. “I made sure they lost my tracks on the other side of town.” 
“How can you be so sure??”
“Trust me. I’d never endanger you like that.” 
You fall back onto the couch. Head stuck between hands. Can’t believe you’re in this mess again.
“As for how I found you,” he goes on, thinking as he says, “uuh.. let’s say I asked around.”
“Asked around?” You eye him suspiciously, getting a vigorous nod in return. “To whom?”
“Mmm, I’ve my sources. The same that also let me know your jackass cousin went to jail.” 
“Yeah, that’s right.” A sigh leaves your lips at the reminder. “But being privy to my life without consent is called stalking, you know?”
“I understand. But, hey, I needed to know if you were alright so I could sleep at night.” You can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not. “Felt bad for destroying your things the other day.”
“Well, if you really want to compensate for the damage, start by getting me a new TV.” He laughs and stops when he sees you’re not following along. “I’m serious.”
He clears his throat. “Any preferences?”
“No less than a sixty-five inch screen. 4K resolution. Feel free to choose the brand.”
“Got it.” You’re not sure he actually means it. “Does that mean I get an invitation to visit you again?”
“Ha! Unbelievable. Just order it online or have someone else deliver it at my door.” 
“Why do you even need that big of a TV anyway? The previous one you had was fifty inches.” 
That’s shockingly accurate. How does he remember that? Why did he pay enough attention to that when invading your place to whoop your cousin’s ass? So many questions pop up inside your head but you decide to let them go for now. 
“Okay, creep. You don’t get to call the shots here. I’m the one being compensated, remember?” 
“Fine.” He sighs in defeat, dropping the back of his head against the armchair. Then, he’s looking at you, or rather, your clothes. “I see you finally got new pajamas. Snoopy will be missed. RIP.”
Unlike the long sleeved Snoopy one, this set is composed of light blue polka dot shorts and shirt.  
“For your information, that wasn’t my only pair.” A flush creeps up your cheeks as you grab a throw pillow and place it on your lap, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I own a lot of pajamas.”
“So you willingly choose to dress like an apocalypse survivor?” 
“You’re not really in a position to critique my fashion choices.”  
“Hey, what’s wrong with my suit?”  
“The person behind it.”
He tuts, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “You’re a really irascible lady, huh?” 
“You learned that word today?”
“Yesterday, actually.” His attention is drawn to the book you were reading. He grabs it and examines the pages curiously before closing them. Moving on to the cover, he reads the title out loud. “A Scandal of Bohemia. Sherlock Holmes? You like mystery books? Should I call you Scooby Doo instead of Snoopy?”
“I’m surprised you can even read.” Your eyes roll at his foolishness. “And stop calling me cartoon dogs names!”
“Can’t you just play nice for once?” He puts the book down and reclines, arms braced on the armchair. “Yes, for your information, not only can I read as I actually enjoy doing it very much.”
Contemplating his words, you decide to indulge yourself him by asking, “Well, what do you like to read?”
“Finally curious about me?” The smugness in his voice earns him a dirty look. “Careful. One might even think you’re starting to like me.”
Maybe you are, in fact, irascible. 
“I take it back.” 
“I read pretty much anything as long as it’s interesting to me.” He reveals honestly, not wanting to waste the opportunity of having a civilized conversation with you for once. “Most of it is fiction. Classic, Gothic, Horror…” He stops listing on his fingers to make a dramatic pause. “Romance…”
You blink in surprise. “What?”
“What what?” 
“You said Romance.”
“Yeah, I did. Why?” Jutting his chin out, he crosses his strong arms in a playful attempt to intimidate you. “Got a problem?”
“Nope. It’s just… hmm, unexpected?” You offer with a shrug. “I’m not much of a Romance reader myself, to be honest.”
“I can tell.”
Something about the way he says it so earnestly elicits what could be considered a witch cackle from you. Red Hood watches this whole display in stunned silence until you’re wiping a tear off the corner of your eyes. 
“Oh, wow. Didn’t know you were capable of that.” 
“Laughing?”
“Being human.”
Just like that, your expression closes up again. “Ha-ha. Don’t get used to it.” 
“Right. Back to cranky default, I see.” His words are colored with amusement as he cranes his neck to look at the wall clock near the kitchen entrance. A gasp leaves his lips and he’s suddenly up on his feet. “Shit. Didn’t mean to stay this long. I gotta go now.”
“Oh, okay.” You stand up and check the time as well. It’s almost midnight. 
“Thanks for everything, Snoopy. See you around.”
“See you.” A strange feeling of disappointment settles into your chest after his departure. 
You enjoyed his company tonight more than you’re willing to admit. 
—//—
Not even a week later, you arrive home to see him there again. 
Now, installing a new television in your living room. 
Seventy inches screen. 4k and all that. Just like you requested.
“Honestly. I’m not even surprised anymore.” You say while taking off your coat and hanging it on the wall hooks. “Don’t know why I bothered with getting better locks in the first place.” 
Despite the jab, your voice lacks its usual bite. Only a teasing lilt present in them. It’s nice to see he listened to your demands. 
“No, you did the right thing. The locks are actually great.” He comments absentmindedly, engrossed in the task at hand. 
“Not enough to keep you out, obviously.”
You take in the scene in front of you. There’s a cardboard box and some plastic wraps placed in the corner. At the center of the living room, Red Hood is assembling the TV to its mount on the wall, deeply concentrated. It’s a big heavy object that to anyone, would be awkward to lift alone. Not to him, though. He holds it almost like a freaking tablet. 
That also begs the question as to how the hell he managed to climb up to the third floor and pass through your window while carrying a seventy inch television. 
A lighthearted chuckle diverts you from your thoughts. 
“I’ll leave if you want, though. Almost done here.”
“Oh, no, please be my guest.” You wave him off, going into the kitchen for a glass of water. Then, coming back to watch him work. “You know, I’d offer you something to drink but… the helmet, right?”
“Sorry, Snoopy.” He’s fishing for the TV remote inside the box now. “Secret identity and all that shit.” 
“No, yeah. Absolutely. ” The bitterness within your words seems impossible to be contained. “It’s not like you know my home and work address, my occupation, my family and friends relations, my routine…”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” He winces, fiddling with the remote in his hands. It’s the first time he appears awkward standing in your apartment. “For what it's worth, I’m really sorry.”
After making sure the TV is working properly, he makes his way to the window. 
“Thank you.” You say suddenly, causing him to freeze. 
He turns his head slightly and gives a curt nod. 
“Anytime.” 
Then, he’s gone.
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A/N: in case anyone's wondering how Jason managed to get the big ass TV through a window on the third floor, he asked Dick for help. No questions asked.
remember to reblog and let me know your thoughts if you like this!
pt. 2 will be posted soon!
thanks for reading <3
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