#the kinkers stowaway fic

[bluejaysandblackbats]

The Kinker's Stowaway

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: The Graysons take in a young stowaway (Jason Todd) during the Prohibition era and he falls in love with the circus.

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Dick Grayson, John Grayson, Mary Grayson, Jason Todd, Original Character(s)

Relationship(s): John Grayson/Mary Grayson

Additional Tags: John and Mary Grayson Live, No Capes AU, Circus AU, Haly's Circus, Fluff, Dick Grayson's POV, Jason Todd Leaves Gotham City

Chapter One: The Rails

In the fall on the East Coast, the train cars got so cold you’d have to bundle up in two pairs of pajamas over your long johns. So most tramps that hopped onto our box cars didn’t make it through the night. It was our last month before we called it quits, so everyone was tired and worn down. Myself included. The train chugged along, lulling us to sleep, shaking to a stop, and waking us up as we approached our second-to-last city. I walked from my room to my parents’, knocking on the side and they opened their door. “Good morning, Dick,” Mom smiled, “You’re in good spirits today.” 

“Buying a book before rehearsal. Do you want anything?” I asked. I always ventured into town when we started in a new place. Especially since I turned eighteen, it gave me a chance to meet people and get a feel for the city before things got hectic. And I’d meet a pretty girl here and there. We left Gotham a few days ago. We stopped lingering there when we ran into trouble with an extortionist when I was twelve. The police dealt with him at the request of a socialite who witnessed everything, but we got in and out just to be safe. 

Dad yawned and stretched. “Aftershave and oranges for me, Dick,” Dad replied. I nodded, looking at the new tinges of grey in his brows. Mom tapped her chin. 

“Oh, Dick! Bring me five yards of tweed and five yards of silk,” Mom replied. 

“What color?” I asked. 

“Whatever colors you want for you and your father’s new suit jackets. Two and a half yards for you. Two and a half for him… And Dick. Pick something nice. We’re taking pictures in Florida at the end of the month,” Mom replied. I smiled and nodded. 

“Aftershave, oranges, five yards tweed, and five yards silk. Got it,” I repeated. Mom hugged me, stopping to cradle my face with her persistent worries written all over her doll-like face. “Mom, I love you. I’ll be alright.” 

“I know… I know but don’t stay gone too long,” Mom replied. I nodded. 

Dad patted my face. “I love you, Dick. Behave yourself out there,” Dad warned me. It was a fair warning. I’d garnered a reputation for being a bit hotheaded. Mom never saw it that way. In her eyes, I could do no wrong. Dad knew better. I lived for thrills, but I wasn’t malicious. Not always . 

“Love you, Dad,” I replied as I slipped away to wash up and get dressed. I buttoned my coat and Mom gave me the money to run errands for her. I started toward town, walking down to the last car and around the corner when I heard one of the bullhands hassling a little boy. 

“Let go ‘a me!” he shouted. 

I stopped and pounded the side of the cargo car. “Hey, Chuckie. Let him go. He’s just a kid. What’s he gonna do?” I asked. 

“I caught this dip snooping around the cars. I think he followed us here from Gotham City,” Chuckie replied. I grinned and took the kid off Chuckie’s hands, grabbing him by his collar when he turned tail to run. 

“Easy. I’m not gonna hurt you,” I reassured him. He was a skinny, scrappy little thing. Dirty face, torn coat, baggy pants, and one heck of a goog. “Who hit you?” 

“None of your—!” I shook him up a little. 

“I’m trying to help you out. Answer my questions, and I’ll buy you something to eat. I’m sure you could use a meal,” I offered, “Wanna tell me where you come from?”

“Gotham City,” he answered, “What do you want with me?”

“Nothing… Where are your folks?” I asked. “Mine are in the third car up front.”

“My folks are dead,” he spat. I frowned, and I think that took him off guard because he softened up. “I wasn’t gonna steal anything more than a few meals. I would’ve been gone without bothering anybody—.” 

I released his collar and gestured with a quick tilt of my neck for him to come along. “Hurry up. I’ve gotta run a few errands for my parents… And don’t worry about Chuckie. He’s just doing his job,” I smiled, “I’m Dick. Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons.” 

“Jason Todd,” he answered as he reached to shake my hand. Polite . “Nice to meet you… Sorry that I was short with you.” 

“It’s alright. I’m short with most people,” I gently answered. Jason followed me six miles into town, and we stopped at a little restaurant. It opened as the sun came up. We sat at the counter, and I grabbed him a menu. I dipped a napkin in water before washing Jason’s face. He struggled at first, but he eventually accepted the gesture. “You look like a decent kid under all that grease and dirt.” 

“I’ll be out of your hair soon,” Jason promised. 

“Why?” I asked. He blinked hard, but the waitress took our order before he could reply. Jason got a bowl of hot cereal and milk. I got half a grapefruit and a cup of coffee. Jason ate fast, only stopping when I smoothed his hair down. “If you’re still hungry I’ll get you some coffee cake.” He chewed his lip and swallowed hard. 

“What’re you being so nice to me for?” Jason asked. 

“I don’t know. Why wouldn’t I be nice to you? You haven’t done anything wrong to me,” I answered. My parents would’ve done more if it had been them. “Eat your oatmeal.” 

He obeyed, quietly eating until he finished, and turned to me with his big blue eyes, showing me his empty bowl. “Still hungry?” Jason didn’t answer, so I answered for him. I bought two coffee cakes, and we took them with us. 

He smiled as he ate, looking up to thank me. I walked with him until we found a department store. I got my mom’s fabric and my dad’s aftershave there. “What’s your mom like?” Jason asked. 

“She’s nice. Mom loves children. She’s been in the circus most of her life… So has Dad… You’d like my dad. He loves a good joke. I’m not doing them any justice with this description… You’ll have to meet them,” I replied. Jason shrank, raising his shoulders to his ears. “No one’s gonna bother you…” I don’t know why, but I wanted him to stick around. 

Jason took my hand after he finished eating. I squeezed his little hand after I ran my parents’ errands, and we went to the nearest bookstore. “Do you want a book, too?” I asked. 

“I can’t pay you back. I don’t even—.” 

“We’re friends… Aren’t we? What’s a gift between two pals?” I interrupted. Jason smiled. 

We left with two books each and walked back toward the train. He helped me carry the bags. “Jason? How old are you?” I asked. 

“Twelve. I’ll be thirteen in August,” Jason answered, “How old are you?” 

“Eighteen… Did you go to school in Gotham?” I questioned. He nodded. “What’s that like? You’re in junior high… Aren’t you?” 

“Mhm. I can’t imagine you’d find something like school exciting. Your family flies for a living,” Jason replied, “I like school… Don’t get me wrong, but your life seems a lot more fun.” 

I nodded. “It’s fun, but it’s work. Sometimes it hurts… And it takes trust to do what we do,” I explained, “It’s dangerous, Jason.” 

“I bet. Which place was your favorite? Is it always the same?” Jason asked.

“Probably San Francisco. You’d like it there. Maybe you’d like it, too,” I suggested. 

“I’ll never get that far—.” 

I shot him a look. “Don’t say that. You’ll go wherever you like,” I interrupted, “Besides, you might get to come with us if you stick around.” I wanted him to stick around. Some things you just get a feeling about.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

The Kinker's Stowaway

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: The Graysons take in a young stowaway (Jason Todd) during the Prohibition era and he falls in love with the circus.

Chapters: 2/?

Characters: Dick Grayson, John Grayson, Mary Grayson, Jason Todd, Original Character(s)

Relationship(s): John Grayson/Mary Grayson

Additional Tags: John and Mary Grayson Live, No Capes AU, Circus AU, Haly's Circus, Fluff, Dick Grayson's POV, Jason Todd Leaves Gotham City

Chapter Two: The Family

Jason hid behind me when we arrived at my parents’ box car. “Mom, my friend helped carry bags. Can he come in and say hello?” I questioned. 

“Of course! Is it someone I know?” Mom asked. 

“I don’t think so,” I replied as I led Jason inside. My mom took one look at him, and she crouched in front of him with an outstretched hand. He turned her hand over and kissed it. 

“How do you do, Mrs. Grayson? My name is Jason Todd,” he introduced himself. 

She looked up at me, her eyes almost shut as she smiled at me. “I’m well. How do you do, Jason Todd?” Mom whispered. 

“I’m well. I’d like to apologize for keeping your son so long. He was quite the friend in a pinch earlier,” Jason replied. My eyes widened, and I reclined in my dad’s chair. He was the perfect gentleman. That scrappy, scrawny little kid was a prince among princes when it came to manners. 

My mom reached into her coin purse and gave him a half dollar for his troubles. “It’s mighty early to be out alone. Where are your folks, young man?” Mom asked. 

“They’re long dead, I’m afraid. I’ll be fine, though. I just have to go south. Once I get far enough south, I might find some work—.” 

“Oh, no… That won’t do. Why don’t you stay with us? I’ll talk it over with my husband during rehearsal. It’d be good to have another little boy around the house. Wouldn’t it, Dick?” Mom questioned. 

“I was thinking the exact same thing, Mom,” I answered. 

“I’m gonna see if Samson can carry out the wash tub, so he can have a proper bath… And Dick, how much fabric did you get?” Mom questioned. I got a little extra because I know Mom would’ve sent me back to get more if I didn’t. 

“Fifteen yards, Mom. Do you need any fabric for your dress?” I asked. She shook her head.

“No, I’ll get my own, sweetheart. Will you keep Jason company in here while I grab Samson? Your father’ll be back any minute. Let me explain everything,” Mom commanded. She kissed my cheek on the way out. 

“What do you think about staying? We’ll be in Florida for the colder months… Then we’ll kick things back off in spring. Florida’s nice this time of year,” I suggested. Jason rubbed his forearm. “You’re a nice kid. We’d be more than happy to have you around.”

“I don’t wanna be a bother. I know times are tough right now, and—.”

“It’s not a bother,” I interrupted, “How about it?” Jason nodded, and he stiffened up when my dad came in. 

Dad looked at me, and I smiled awkwardly. He nodded. “Nice to meet you, young man. I’m Dick’s father, John Grayson,” Dad introduced himself. Jason shook his hand.

“Jason Todd… How do you do?” Jason asked. 

“All silk for now,” Dad replied, “But I’ve got one question… Did Chuckie or Joey do that?” Jason shook his head. “Alright. I’m not one to pry. Want an orange?” 

“No, thank you, sir. Dick bought me breakfast earlier. I’d like a chance to pay you all back for your—.”

“None of that. Stop it. We’re more than happy to help. I just ask that you make yourself comfortable,” Dad replied as he reached into one of the bags and grabbed an orange before sitting in the doorway peeling his orange. “Here comes Samson and Mary with the tub. I hope you’re almost ready for a bath. Dolly’s always got a kettle going, so your bath will be ready in a short while.” 

**

I read my book while Jason took his bath, and he talked to me from the other side of the makeshift curtain. “Your folks seem nice,” Jason whispered. 

“Yeah, they’re great. I hope that I become more like them when I’m older,” I replied. 

“This is the biggest tub I’ve ever been in. You folks must be rich,” Jason stated. I chuckled. 

“Nope. Just regular old circus performers,” I answered, “Wash behind your ears. Mom’ll make you get right back in if she doesn’t think you’re clean enough.” 

Jason scrubbed behind his ears and held his breath before going underwater. He came up for air and pushed his bangs out of his face. “Mom, did you find anything for him to wear yet?” I shouted.

“Not yet, Dick! No one has pants that’ll fit him, so I sent one of the girls to buy him a pair of trousers and some—!” Mom ran over and stood on the other side of the curtain. “Some unmentionables…” 

“Okay. Well, he’s probably gonna need another kettle of hot water in the tub,” I suggested. 

**

Jason got dressed and put his shoes on before meeting me at my parents’ car. Dad grinned and Mom almost started crying when she saw him. She lifted him off the ground. “You look like a shiny new penny,” I complimented. 

“Yeah, Jason. You look like a proper young man,” Dad smiled. Mom put him down, and his face was beet red as he stared at his shoes. He clutched the sides of his jeans, and we all froze. 

“Thank you all for being so nice to me,” Jason mumbled through his teeth. Then, I saw the tears. Mom crouched and cradled his face in her hands. 

“Jason, thank you for being such a sweet young man,” Mom whispered, “It’s okay to cry. Come here.” He practically fell into her arms, and she showered him in kisses. I don’t know what he came from, but it had to have been tough. He cried so hard I thought he’d make himself sick, but he eventually calmed down. 

I let him ride on my back to rehearsal after they finished setting up. “You ever seen us fly?” I asked. Jason shook his head. “You’re in for a show then.” We went under the tent, and I put him down. 

We wore our warm up clothes under our outside clothes, so we stripped off the outer layers and started warming up. Jason watched quietly. 

And then we did a runthrough of static moves. Sitting, full beats, knee beats, catcher’s locks, bird’s nests, angels, mermaids. Then we practiced a few of our moves from the routine. Mom and Dad’s piggyback was rough the last time we rehearsed, so they did that one a few times before working our way up to my quadruple somersault. Birdie’s. Five-forties. We ran through everything until we were sure it was perfect… And… The slack rope act needed the space. So, we ate lunch. Mom, Dad, Jason, and me 

“You guys don’t get scared up there?” Jason asked in between bites of his sandwich. 

Mom giggled. “Of course, we do. But, we trust each other. That’s the most important part,” Mom answered. 

“And I know that if I fall, someone will catch me,” I added. 

“Who needs a net when you have people that love you up there?” Dad chuckled. 

Jason grinned. “That’s a better philosophy than the one where I’m from… When you fall in Gotham, you never get back up,” Jason replied. Mom softened and fixed a stray curl, tucking it behind his ear. 

“Well, you’re with us now… You won’t have to worry about falling because your feet will never touch the ground again,” Mom whispered. And just like that, I wasn’t her only baby anymore. I didn’t mind it. Mom loved me so much that it drove me crazy sometimes, and I knew there was more than enough love to go around in my family. Dad liked Jason, but I knew it’d take time for Dad to get used to him. He’d have to wake up to him and spend time with him for a while. Everything was gradual with Dad. He had a big heart, though. Don’t get me wrong. Once someone was in Dad’s heart, they lived there forever. His love was tougher than most, but it was tender at times, too. And completely unconditional.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Fic Masterpost

UPDATED: 31 January 2025 3:01 p.m.

(Organized by: Title, Chapters Posted, Chapters Written, And Progress/Completion)

11.3k km (7 chapters posted; 7 written; In progress) batfam

Almost There (3 chapters posted; 4 written; In progress) flashfam

Ango (Dwelling in Peace) (4 chapters posted; 4 written; In progress) arrowfam

An Oyster's Pearl (14 chapters posted; 14 written; In progress)

A Stone's Throw (2 chapters posted; 6 written; In progress) batfam

A Yellow Ribbon (12 chapters posted; 12 written; In progress) flashfam/superfam/yj98

blood on your altar (4 chapters posted; 5 written; In progress) arrowfam/titans/aquafam

Bloody Valentines (11 chapters posted; 11 written; In progress) batfam/titans/titans west/gl corps/flashfam/losh/new gods/shadowpact/superfam

Blue Ribbon Birdie (Oneshot; Completed) batfam

Bruised Figure (6 chapters posted; 6 written; In progress) batfam

Catch and Release (18 chapters posted; 18 written; In progress) batfam

Central City Lemonade Stand (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) flashfam

Daily Planet Classifieds (14 chapters posted; 14 written; In progress) superfam/yj 98/titans

Eyes and Ears (44 chapters posted; 44 written; In progress) batfam

Five Little Ducks (13 chapters posted; 13 written; Complete) batfam

Five Stages of Mamma Mia (20 chapters posted; 20 written; In progress) batfam

Frozen in Time (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) jli/gl corps

Hair Trigger (25 chapters posted; 25 written; In progress) batfam

Harvest Moon (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) flashfam

Heels Over Head (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) flashfam

Honor in Crisis (9 chapters posted; 9 written; In progress) batfam/titans/ntt/jli/gl corps/arrowfam

Human Cannery Co. (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) yj98/superfam/flashfam

If There's Nothing Missing In My Life... (16 chapters posted; 16 written; In progress) superfam

In The Soup (10 chapters posted; 10 written; In progress) batfam/superfam

into the silent land (9 chapters posted; 9 written; In progress) batfam

It Takes A Village (13 chapters posted; 13 written; In progress) yj98/flashfam

Keepsafes (31 chapters posted; 43 written; In progress) batfam

Kitten Heel (7 chapters posted; 7 written; In progress) arrowfam/titans

Library of Ashes (6 chapters posted; 6 written; In progress) batfam

Lily of the Valley (32 chapters posted; 32 written; In progress) batfam

Lost Boys (16 chapters posted; 16 written; In progress) batfam/superfam/titans

Midnight Swan (5 chapters posted; 5 written; In progress) batfam

Moon Rocks (10 chapters posted; 10 written; In progress) batfam

Ocean View (10 chapters posted; 12 written; In progress) superfam/batfam

One in the Chamber (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) batfam

Oracle of Jersey (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) bop/batfam

Phantom Grin (18 chapters posted; 18 written; In progress) batfam

robin's egg blue (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) batfam

Sea Glass (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) batfam

silence of your song (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) flashfam

Space Oddity (9 chapters posted; 9 written; In progress) titans (fab five)/aquafam

Sweet Honey Bee (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) flashfam

Tangerines (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) batfam/yj98

The Brother Trap (16 chapters posted; 16 written; In progress) flashfam

The Flames That Burn The Brightest (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) titans/arrowfam

The Juice Box Jubilee (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) batfam/yj98/titans

The Kinker's Stowaway (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) batfam

the mother i know (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress)

The Spin Out (14 chapters posted; 14 written; In progress) batfam

The Stowaway (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) flashfam

Thicker Than Blood (0 chapters posted; 1 written; In progress) arrowfam

Titans Academy (8 chapters posted; 8 written; In progress) titans/arrowfam

To Touch Fate (26 chapters posted; 26 written; In progress) batfam/batman beyond

Traveler's Guide to Yesterday (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) flashfam (rogue's gallery)

Where There's Smoke (1 chapter posted; 1 written; In progress) jsa/flashfam

Wild Eyes (3 chapters posted; 3 written; In progress) batfam/batfam (rogue's gallery)

Views From the Mountain (2 chapters posted; 2 written; In progress) flashfam/titans (fab five)

You're Just Like Quicksand (15 chapters posted; 15 written; In progress) batfam/batman beyond

[bluejaysandblackbats]

The Strawberry Pop Society: Joan Garrick invites Alan Scott to join her book club.

One in the Chamber: AU where Jason dies under different circumstances, and it changes Bruce's life forever.

The Kinker's Stowaway: 20s AU where the Flying Graysons take in stowaway Jason Todd and let him join Haly's Circus.

Like Moths To A Flame: Ted Grant follows Alan Scott to a nightclub in this 1940s AU.