Delight Me | Jason Todd x OFC
Characters: Jason Todd x OFC
Tags: Heavy angst, childhood friends to lovers, celebrity!OFC, batfamily, eventual smut, happy ending, fight for what you love, fluff right now, major character death, Daisy will smile again, heavy depression, heavy grief.
"You were brilliant, charismatic, and funny. I was fortunate to experience your passion for books, movies, and art. Everything you loved, you took care of so beautifully, and I was one of those things. I’ll miss you every minute of every day; there won’t be a second where I won’t think of your smile or your laugh. I can’t comprehend how I’m supposed to wake up and just be. I hope you knew how much we all loved and appreciated you, and the profound impact you had on everyone's lives. I will miss you for the rest of my existence, and I will continue to look for you in everyone I meet. I love you, Jason. I will never stop loving you."
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Jason Todd is dead.
Daisy Wayne has no idea how to adapt to this new world without him. Bruce, in an attempt to save his adopted daughter's life, gets her into therapy and music classes. The years pass, and Daisy finds a way to busy herself with her music, her friends, and her family. All while trying to fill the void Jason left behind.
That all comes to a halting stop when they meet face to face at her best friend's wedding nearly six years later.
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6 months before the kidnapping
Daisy lay on the reclining chair, a blanket draped over her lap, and her favorite book in her lap. A hot mug of tea resting on a coaster was cooling while she skimmed the previous chapter to remind her of what had just occurred.
She’d just finished hours of school work while Jason, Barbara, Dick, and Bruce were on the field. They’d been gone for a few hours now, it was nearly 2 AM, but she couldn’t sleep a wink. Too worried about them, especially Jason. These last few weeks had been rough on them, with their midterms wrapping up and Bruce increasing their training sessions, leaving Jason with little time to decompress. She wanted to plan something special for him. Their anniversary was in a few days, and while they were only fourteen, she knew deep in her bones Jason was her future. He made her feel like the couples in her books, like she was floating on clouds.
He was the anchor she needed. Swinging blindly for so long when they lived in the dumps, this current life felt like a dream. A figment of her imagination. Oftentimes, she wondered if she was dissociating so badly that she had fragmented a fake world to find peace. Yet she knew this was real; Jason was very real.
Daisy got through a few chapters before she heard footsteps in the hall heading in her direction. She closed her book after saving her spot and walked out into the hall. Jason and Bruce appeared, having changed into their regular clothes, and looking unscathed. Jason offered her a soft smile before walking over to her.
“Why’re you awake?” He laughed before kissing her forehead.
She smiled at him, “I couldn’t fall asleep, so I made some tea and read for a while.”
Bruce came around to hug her before grunting a goodnight to his children. He faded upstairs quickly, clearly exhausted after a long night.
Jason intertwined their fingers before pulling her into the living room, towards the reclining chair, and picked up her book.
“I thought you said this one wasn’t up to your taste?” He turned the book to read the synopsis with a raised brow.
“It’s okay, the main character just gets on my nerves a little. I do find the story to be interesting.” She played with his fingers before pulling him down onto the chair. She draped her legs over his lap before he set the blanket over them. He turned the book over in his hand again, admiring the cover and how much progress she had made.
“It does sound interesting. Why’re you so into mysteries lately?”
She chuckled, “Your line of work sounds fascinating through books. Speaking of, how did it go tonight?”
He set the book down on her lap before laying his head against the headrest, “Long and stupid. Those thugs out there have no capacity to think for themselves. We questioned one guy about why they were ransacking a bank, and all he had to say was that he was told to do so. Like, what are you talking about? This is your job?” He laughed quietly in shock.
“Anybody give you any trouble?” She murmured deep in thought.
Often, she felt incredibly mature for her age. She knew her childhood had forced her to grow in ways no child should. She ran away from home with Jason for good reason, yet when she was at school and overheard some of the conversations her classmates had, it made her feel like an outcast. She wondered what it was like to feel so loose in life. To talk about TV shows, artists, boys, and something dumb their siblings had gotten up to. She thought sometimes she was too traumatized to make real friends. Was she too messed up to blend in?
“Daisy,” Jason smoothed her eyebrows, “What’re you thinking about?”
She sighed deeply, “Don’t you think we’re almost too mature for our age? We’re talking about you beating people up at night. You’re a whole vigilante, and I had, well, you know my situation at home.” She shrugged before continuing, “I just overheard some conversations today at school, and they seemed so normal. It makes me feel a type of way.”
Jason scanned her face before kissing her fingertips, “I know the feeling, but Bruce, Dick, Alfred, they make me feel at peace here. We’re all slightly traumatized in our own ways.” he hesitated, “We’ve also experienced shit no one our age should. Our brains are wired differently. It’s only normal for us to feel like we don’t belong in places.”
“You feel like that, too?” She whispered.
He nodded with furrowed eyebrows, “I hate school. I love learning, but then you add in all these people who believe they have an opinion on things they don’t know anything about. It frustrates me.”
Daisy was quiet for a moment before admitting, “I think we’re in a dream sometimes, like we’re going to wake up and I’ll be on the couch back at my parents' home. Some junkies passed out around the house, and you sneaking in through the window to get me out.”
His expression hardened as he cupped her chin, “You will never experience that again. I swear. I will continue to protect you from all of that.”
Tears clouded her vision, “I know. I never question it, but after that was our lives for so long, it feels like all of this,” She waved her arm around the room, “feels like a figment of my imagination. Like it will disappear if I close my eyes.”
He wiped away a tear, “Is that why you can’t sleep?”
She nodded, “And being worried you won’t come back to me.”
That seemed to hit him deeply as he took a long moment to respond, lifting his hand with his pinky extended. “I promise to always come home to you.”
She wrapped her pinky around his and said, “I promise to always wait for you.”
Daisy twirled in front of her mirror before patting her hands down her dress. It was a beautiful baby blue strapless maxi dress paired with white kitten heels and some gold accessories to complete the look. Her honey brown curls were loose around her shoulders, two clips used to keep her wispy bangs in place.
It was their anniversary, eleven months together, but also her birthday was in a few days. Jason had promised something special, and Bruce had let him off patrol tonight. Alfred had denied her entry to the backyard, stating that some repairs were being made to the deck and she was not allowed to enter. She’d decided to allow herself to be surprised.
A soft knock on her door had her rolling her shoulders back before she reached the handle. Jason stood there, a big smile on his face and a bouquet of lilies in his hands. He was wearing a white button-down shirt, tucked into black dress pants, and his hair was pushed back. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe, how to speak. He was so stupidly handsome. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he took her in.
“You are so beautiful.” He whispered as he handed her the lillies.
She took them, smelling them with a soft smile, “You look very handsome tonight, Mr. Todd.”
They laughed as he took her free hand in his and guided her to the stairs after closing her bedroom door. Alfred had found something to do, she realized when the house appeared to be deathly quiet. She followed, their hands clasped together, to the patio, where he had decorated the space with lights and more lilies. A table off to the side hosted a few gifts he had wrapped himself, and in the center of the space sat their food on a cloth-covered table, accompanied by sparkling juice and a beautiful view of the night sky. For a moment, maybe just tonight, Gotham allowed the stars to shine and cast its moonlight over them so perfectly it took her breath away.
Daisy’s breath caught in her throat at the sight and the effort. His smile was so brilliant under the moonlight, his eyes seemed to sparkle. She was overwhelmingly in love with this boy, she realized. The heaviness of her emotions overwhelmed her for a moment while he pulled her toward the table with the food.
“Food first, then presents.” He chuckled as he pulled out her seat.
“You got me so many gifts,” She sighed, “I didn’t get you nearly as many.”
“You didn’t need to get me anything. This is enough.”
They dug into the food eagerly. Alfred had cooked up their favorite dish along with her favorite vegetables and dessert. They made conversation while they ate, taking time to tease each other, but ensuring they avoided talking about work or school. There would be time for small talk, right now, all they had was each other.
Hours later, they sat together on the ground while she unwrapped her birthday presents. This one was thinner than the rest, she smirked in his direction. “Is this what I think it is?”
He laughed, “You tell me!”
She peeled back the wrapping to reveal a music book filled with classical music that she often played in the background while working on her homework. She let out a small gasp, “No way.”
Jason played with his thumbs, “A few months ago, you’d mentioned wanting to learn one of the pieces in here. I found the one you wanted, as well as some similar options. We haven’t had the greatest time with hobbies. I wanted to fund your first one.”
She was crying, Daisy soon realized. She was watching with tears sliding down her face at the pure gratitude. She wrapped her arms around him before pulling them both down to lie on their sides. He trailed his fingers up her arms as he laughed, “So, you liked it?”
“I love it,” She whispered, “and I love you.”
Jason stopped breathing for a moment. Just pulled her head back to stare into her eyes for a long time. She realized he was feeling all of these heavy and strong emotions, potentially stronger than her, as he whispered, “I love you too.”
She laughed in joy. How lucky was she to have found her life partner so young? They had their entire lives to discover each other, to grow, and to become different versions of themselves than they were at the moment. She sat up and pulled him with her. Daisy guided him towards one of the paths of the garden that led to the gazebo.
There sat a gift wrapped with a bow on top. They approached the gift with quiet footsteps, her kitten heels clicking softly on the pavement. She pointed at the gift with an open palm, “For you!”
Jason chuckled as he approached, “When did you get this here? I told Alfred not to let you pass.”
“I asked him to drop it off since I was banned from exiting to the garden today.”
Jason unwrapped the box gently. Inside it held a variety of vinyl records and four new books. Ranging from Frankenstein to some old romance classics he’d eyed at the bookstore on their last visit. Claiming he had no time to read these days, but the clear hope in his eyes had made Daisy return the next day to purchase them.
He was quiet for a moment as he read the back of the books before softly lifting the vinyls with deep care and examining them, before chuckling at the collection. He’d quickly realized Daisy paid an equal amount of attention to his wants.
Jason stood to pull her into a tight embrace, kissing her cheeks, forehead, and lips as he went. “Thank you, Sugar. I love them.”
The pitter of rain sounded around them as he pulled back from the embrace to cup her face. “I’m grateful for you. I hope this was a good experience.”
Her smile nearly broke her cheeks, “It was everything and more. Thank you for such a fun night, but there is one more thing I’d like to experience.”
His eyebrows furrowed, “Which is what?”
He swallowed his nerves. They hadn’t done anything intimate besides kissing and some heavy petting. He was too afraid to force her into anything she wasn’t ready for after… well, after everything she’d experienced in that house. He wanted it to be perfect, wanted her to feel special, and wanted her to feel good. Was that what she wanted to experience?
Her eyes looked toward the entrance of the gazebo, where the light rain was turning heavier. “I want to dance in the rain.”
Jason exhaled sharply, releasing the tension from his body, which made her laugh. “You have a dirty mind, Mr. Todd.”
He laughed with her, “I was just nervous. I- I don’t want to rush you, and we hadn’t talked about it.”
Daisy caressed his face and neck. “You’re very sweet. I’ll let you know when I’m ready. I promise, but for now, will you dance with me under the rain?”
Jason smiled brightly. “It would be my pleasure, My Lady.” He bent his knees to scoop her in his arms. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. He walked into the rain before he twirled her and set her down. Leaning down, he offered her a hand, which she took with no hesitation.
Jason pulled her close, a hand around her palm, the other on her lower back. Daisy placed her free hand on his shoulder and caressed her thumb along his knuckles while they spun around in the rain. Laughing, kissing, teasing. The world seemed to stop for a moment, and it was just his deep green eyes on her for a long time.
Alfred and Bruce watched from inside the house. Her gifts sat open on the dining table, away from the rain and secured under their watchful presence. Alfred smiled as he whispered, “Young and in love. It’s good to see them smile after what they’ve been through.”
“Indeed,” Bruce swallowed the ball in his throat. “Indeed, it is.”
There was a ball of dread in her chest, anxiety making her fingers tremble, and a slight ache deep in her legs that made walking slightly difficult. Daisy had no idea why she felt like this as she sat on Jason’s bed and watched him pack for their overseas trip. They would be gone for a few days max. Yet, as she watched him pack, there was this horrible feeling brewing.
“Sugar, you okay over there? You’re looking pale.” Jason furrowed his eyebrows and walked around the bed. He cupped her face and tilted her chin up, “What’s going on?”
She sighed, “I don’t know.” She rubbed her chest with her right hand. She used her left hand to feel his sweater. “I have some anxiety for some reason. Probably just that you guys will be going overseas. We haven’t been separated for this long in a while.”
Not to mention, midterms were kicking her ass once again. She’d made a friend, though, a sweet girl who had been her lab partner for their chemistry class. They’d clicked instantly. Tomorrow she had a girls' day planned with her. First, they would meet for lunch to go over their notes before some much-needed shopping.
Jason kissed her softly, pulling her bottom lip between his, forcing a soft exhale from her. He pushed her back on the bed, covering her body with his as they kissed. Her hands trailed up his biceps and into his hair. They kissed for a long time, and her heart seemed to settle, if only slightly. When he pulled back, he kissed her neck, forehead, and nose.
“Everything will be okay, baby. You’ll meet up with Em. You’ll pass the chemistry test with the highest grade imaginable, and we’ll be back before you know it.”
Daisy smiled, “You’ll keep your promise?”
Jason kissed her again, trailing his hands down her legs to wrap them around his waist, before trailing them up her hips, waist, and skimming her breasts before dropping back to her ribs. In the months since their anniversary and her birthday dinner, they’d gotten more comfortable. She even realized she was getting closer and closer to saying yes to that final act of intimacy.
“I’ll keep my promise because not even death can keep me away from you.” Jason trailed his lips along her jaw and neck.
She sighed in content, “Not even death, huh?”
He lifted his head to drop a kiss on her forehead before he whispered, “Death wouldn’t stop me from returning to you. No matter how long it would take, I would come back with a vengeance that would scare anyone. Now,” He sat back and trailed his hands down her hips where her low-rise jeans sat, “let me ease my girl’s worries.”
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Emily finished her frap with a loud slurp of her straw that had Daisy raising an eyebrow. Emily laughed as she waved her off, “Sorry, the caramel syrup was really good. Anyways, you said Jason and your dad were going out of town? For what?”
Daisy closed her calendar, “To visit an old friend of my dad’s. Jason wants to get more acquainted with the family business, so he tagged along. They’ll be back in a few days.”
Emily’s sparkling grey eyes squinted as she watched Daisy, “You’re worried, though.” It was a statement rather than a question.
Daisy messed with the straw of her iced chai latte, “There’s just this horrible anxiety in my chest that I woke up with and can’t shake off. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Her friend smiled, “I’m sure everything will be alright. I know you said you guys haven’t been apart like this before. He’ll be back in no time to spoil you and buy us both chocolates from the school’s store.”
Daisy chuckled, “You just like him because he buys you candy.”
Emily shrugged, “He’s funny sometimes when he’s not arguing with the teachers in English class.”
The day resumed as usual, with them going over their notes before heading to the mall to walk around for a few hours. They shopped for some new clothes; Daisy was looking for a particular new pair of boots to go with her wide-legged jeans, which she’d recently found at a thrift store. Rummaging through the belts, she heard the familiar raspy, male voice of Logan Willis, the annoying guy in their English class who often argued with Jason about anything and everything. Logan hated Jason for some reason.
“No bodyguard, Daisy?” Logan chuckled, taking the belt that was in her hand.
Daisy sighed before taking it back. “Can I help you, Logan?”
He shrugged, “Just didn’t see a looming presence over you on this sunny day. Isn’t he usually breathing down your neck?”
She looked him up and down, “Kind of like you’re doing right now? Can’t you bother anyone else?”
“I wanted to come talk to you.”
“I wouldn’t call this talking, more like annoying me. You talk shit about my boyfriend because you feel brave he isn’t here. Why don’t you run along with your band of losers and leave me alone?”
Logan huffed before turning his back to her and murmuring, “Perfect for each other.”
Daisy looked at the belts again, then shook her head. Emily emerged from behind a rack of clothes, carrying a cart filled with skirts, dresses, and loose tanks. “Fitting room?”
Waving the annoyance away, Daisy nodded, “Let’s go.”
They made a few more trips afterwards before heading to Emily’s place to hang out. They watched a movie while they did their nails. Emily’s mom came to help when they decided they wanted to curl their hair for fun. Daisy checked her phone periodically for updates from Jason, but he seemed to take the no-contact rule that Bruce had implemented seriously. She kept attempting to distract herself by allowing Emily’s mom to touch and style her hair. She was particular about certain things. Her hair, being one of them, had been used against her many times in the past.
When Alfred came a few hours later to pick her up, he also offered no updates. She sat in the passenger seat, drumming her fingers on her lap, the quietness of the car overwhelming her. “You really don’t know anything?”
Alfred sighed, “I haven’t heard anything either.” His voice caught slightly, and that’s when she realized he was as anxious as she had been all day.
“You feel it too, then? This horrible anxiety?”
He hesitated before he nodded, “I do, but I choose to put my trust in Master Bruce. I believe you should do the same.”
Daisy crossed her arms and burrowed herself further in the seat. Choosing to stare out the window at the rain and darkness of Gotham. When they arrived at the Manor, Dick stood near the entrance with his arms crossed and a solemn look.
She jumped out of the car before Alfred set it to park. She sprinted to her adopted older brother. Gods, the dread in her chest nearly forced her to crumble to her knees as she asked, “What happened?”
Dick looked over her shoulder at Alfred, who seemed to walk at the world's slowest pace; his jaw trembled as he exhaled deeply. He pulled her into an embrace. She could hear his heart pounding in his chest as she asked again, “What happened?”
He pulled back, “I need you to hold it together as best you can, D. Okay?”
Her chin trembled, “What. Happened. Dick?”
Dick’s eyes held so much sorrow as he watched her fall apart when he spoke. “We can’t find Jason.”
She knew it. Fuck, she knew it. She knew something wasn’t right. She should’ve said more. Should’ve told Jason to stay back.
“You can’t find him? What does that even mean?” Her legs were numb, as was her soul. She couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t think straight. What were words? What was comprehending what her brother was saying?
“We lost communication with him last night after he met with his mother. He got word she was in town and went to meet with her. We don’t know what happened, but when Bruce went to pick him up, the apartment was completely trashed, and his mother was dead. Jason’s tracker broken beyond repair. No ransom note, nothing left for Bruce to use.”
Dick reached forward to hold her shoulders, “We’ll find him, D. We’ll find him and everything will work out, but I need you to breathe. Please. Try to calm your nerves.”
She was completely shattered.
“I knew this would happen,” She blabbered as the tears came, “I knew it. I knew it. I fucking knew this would happen!” She pushed herself away from Dick to collapse on her knees and wrap her arms around her shoulders as if trying to keep herself from literally falling apart.
“I can’t. I can’t do this.” Dick tried to catch her as she fell on her side. For a moment, he and Alfred washed her lose her sense of self, and they looked at each other with no idea how to begin to help her.
“We will find him, Ms. Daisy.” Alfred kneeled to rub her back. His voice was so soothing; he hid the despair in his heart so well.
“I can’t lose him,” She whimpered, “I can’t lose someone else I care about. Please, not again.”
Dick bent to scoop her in his arms to take her inside. He kissed her forehead as they walked through the doors, “We’re going to find him, D. Everything is going to work out.”
She wanted to believe him. Gods, she wanted nothing more than to believe him, but the dreaded sensation had only worsened. In her heart, she knew her life was about to change forever.
3 weeks since the kidnapping
Bruce took a sideways glance at his teenage daughter, slumped from exhaustion in the chair beside him in the Batcave. Her dried tears staining her face, her eyes were beyond swollen from the amount of crying she’d done after the news that Jason was missing. He wasn’t sure how to comfort her, how to let her know it would all work out in the end.
He couldn’t because a part of him didn’t believe he could find Jason. That realization alone made him feel like a fraud and a failed father, forcing him to question who he was. He blamed many things from that day, but mostly himself for not thinking twice about Jason’s random meeting with his mother. He should’ve known better. Should’ve listened more when Jason spoke of his mother.
Bruce sighed deeply when he heard soft footsteps coming in their direction. Alfred and Dick had been making their rounds, checking on them both, but especially Daisy. She wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping, and he couldn’t recall the last time she’d spoken more than a few words. Her spark had vanished the second she received the news.
“She’s sleeping?” Dick whispered, rounding her chair with wide eyes.
Bruce shrugged, “I wouldn’t call it sleeping. Rather, her body gave out on her. She hasn’t moved besides going to the restroom.”
Dick sighed deeply, scanning her body with a look of deep sorrow in his eyes. She’d lost so much weight it worried him severely. He tore his gaze away and towards the monitors above them. They’d been tracking Joker for a while, but with no clean leads, they were nowhere close to finding Jason. If anything, they were closer to losing the young lovers simultaneously.
“Barbara has been working with Commissioner Gordon, with their help, I’m sure we’ll find something.” Dick looked equally as desperate. He needed answers; he and Jason didn’t have the greatest relationship, but he still cared for the little fucker. He needed him to be alive.
Bruce leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply before pushing his hair back. The feeling in his chest settled so profoundly that it became difficult to breathe. He stole another glance at Daisy before getting back to work.
They’d found the warehouse.
Bruce, Barbara, and Dick jumped into their gear as Daisy came running down the stairs. She wore Jason’s hoodie, which three weeks ago hadn’t appeared as oversized as it did now, along with some sweats and tennis shoes. Her hair thrown into a ponytail, no makeup, and her deep, sunken eyes had a shred of hope that nearly killed Bruce.
“I’m coming with you.” She barely had enough energy to form the words. The words were nothing but a whisper.
“Daisy,” Barbara was the first to speak. With deep care and concern, she said, “We cannot guarantee he’s alive.”
Daisy dropped her chin once, “I know. I still need to see him.”
“We need to hurry then.” Barbara sighed, “You’re with me. I’ll get you a helmet.”
Dick finished prepping his gear, avoiding a glance at his ghost of a sister, before straddling his bike. In this moment, looking at her, having a faint idea of what they were walking into hurt too much.
“Are you sure?” It wasn’t Batman who spoke to her, but rather her exhausted father.
They sped the entire way there. Every single second seemed to count. Daisy seemed to hold her breath the whole way, preparing herself for the worst-case scenario. These had been the worst three weeks of her entire life. Worse than when she lived with her biological parents, those did not hold a candle to the emotional turmoil she was going through.
She just wanted to know, was he alive? Was he dead? Could she handle the truth?
All she wanted was to hug him again, to feel his warm body holding her in his embrace, kissing her, and whispering how much he loved her. She needed him, needed to feel how much he loved her.
She needs to see his beautiful, green eyes once again.
She needed more than she needed air.
They were a mile away when a ginormous explosion nearly pushed them off their bikes.
“Fuck,” Barbara growled and sped up. Daisy felt like the world was shrinking around her, encapsulating her in a small bubble of despair.
Bruce beat them there; he was looking through all the debris with desperation. “JASON!” He screamed. “JASON! JASON, WHERE ARE YOU?”
There was no earthly way he survived that explosion, but there was hope. He was Bruce’s son. If anyone had a chance, it was him.
Daisy pushed off Barbara’s bike and into the rubble. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest as she scanned the broken pieces of metal. “Jay, where are you?” She whispered before she spotted the yellow cape. It stuck under a block of metal. She walked toward it slowly before screaming, “DAD! HE’S HERE! HELP ME!”
Bruce and Dick appeared, lifting the metal off Jason. After a glance, Dick pushed Daisy away, blocking her sight from seeing his body. “You shouldn’t see him like this, D.”
She pushed back, “I need to see him. Get out of the way, Dick!” He wouldn’t budge while Barbara and Bruce began to attempt CPR. Jason’s body was bruised and battered, and his suit was caked in his blood. Barbara had tears streaming down her face as she counted under her breath.
Bruce scanned for vitals, but there was nothing. They were too late. He was too late.
His exhale was shaky as he placed a hand on Barbara’s shoulders, “He’s gone.”
That’s when Daisy screamed. One that rattled their bones and embedded itself into their memory so deeply they would never forget the sound of it. She kept screaming as Dick let her through. Falling on her knees beside him, her hands trembled as she cupped his bruised face.
The sobs that escaped her forced her entire body to tremble. “What did they do to you?” She whimpered. “Why? Why would someone do this to you?”
They didn’t attempt to move her when she rested her body on his, pulling his cold body into a tight embrace as she cried into his shoulder. The metal was digging into her skin, but she didn’t care. She just cried and cried and cried.
Bruce exhaled as he looked up to the sky. How would they move on? How could this world be so fucking cruel? How could it tear them apart like this?
Dick kneeled on the opposite side of Daisy before reaching to rub her head. He had no words, nothing to say for once in his life. He had been reduced to a ball of pain. Barbara sat beside him as she cried into her hands. No one had the right words.
Eventually, Daisy did stop crying, but she stopped responding altogether. She had this distant and foggy look in her eyes that scared Bruce more than any villain he had ever encountered. He’d made a mental note to look up later if anyone could die from heartbreak.
“Sweetheart,” Bruce whispered, “We need to move his body.”
Daisy flinched, “He promised.”
Bruce swallowed as he stole a glance at Dick and Barbara, “What did he promise?”
Daisy hugged Jason’s body tighter, but his body did not smell like him anymore. It smelled like a dusty warehouse and smoke. “He promised he’d come back to me. He wasn’t supposed to leave me.” Her voice trembled, “We were supposed to grow old together and get married. Argue about taxes. Argue about which modern author had the best literature. We were supposed to be together forever.”
Dick covered his face as the tears escaped. This was so cruel.
“Alfred’s almost here. We’ll clean him up and plan a proper burial for him,” Bruce whispered because he couldn’t respond to what she had just told him. “We’ll send him away in a proper way, but not like this.”
“He’s gone,” Daisy’s eyes were clouded with tears, “He’s gone, and he’s not coming back. I couldn’t save him.”
Bruce swallowed as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her, “No, no, no, no. I’m not ready, please, put me back. I’m not ready.” He held tighter as she squirmed in his arms. Dick grabbed Jason’s body as Alfred pulled closer in his car.
“We’re just moving him somewhere more comfortable.” Bruce whispered, “We need to clean him up.”
A moment of silence before she asked, “Do you think he was scared?”
More tears came, “What do you think was his last thought before the bomb exploded?”
Alfred opened the back seat for Bruce to lay her down. “I think you were the only thing he thought of, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead before pulling back and closing the door behind him.
Daisy zipped up her black dress in silence.
Barbara helped curl her hair, while Starfire, Dick’s girlfriend, assisted with her makeup. Both girls understood that Daisy was in no place to speak or be spoken to.
They weren’t sure what they would tell the public when the time came, but their primary concern revolved around the teenager who refused to eat or sleep. She hadn’t spoken more than a few words since they’d returned home.
Daisy was a shell. A ghost. A wraith.
She had requested to give a eulogy at his private funeral. She’d been working on it since they’d gotten home. She wanted nothing more than for him to be remembered in a soft light. The podium was opened for her. Daisy looked out into the crowd of her family and friends. His family hadn’t bothered showing up. They never truly cared about him.
Daisy pushed her hair behind her ears before taking a deep inhale and speaking, which required energy. Everything seems to require too much energy these days. Walking, talking, getting out of bed, and showering.
Waking up in the mornings felt like too much effort.
“Hello, everyone,” Her voice was raspy. “My name is Daisy Wayne, and I was the girlfriend of Jason Todd. I never thought I’d be up here, especially this young.” Her hands were trembling, as was her chin. “I met Jason when he saved my life at seven years old. I was caught up in a serious situation, but he um…he chased the bad men away. We became inseparable afterwards. Always together on the streets of Gotham. Always looking for ways to get in trouble. It wasn’t until Bruce adopted Jason and me off the streets that everything seemed to be okay again.
We had a stable home, and we were going to school. Jason soon became Robin, fighting the very men who often gave us issues when we were on the streets. I looked up to Jason. I felt incredibly lucky that he was in my life, not only as my partner in crime but also as my friend. I’ve experienced some dark shit before, but he was always the light at the end of the tunnel.”
She stopped for a moment, like the words were finally catching up to her, to what she was doing. The tears soon came in waves, and she let them, tasting them as she continued speaking.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there on your last moment. I’m sorry you were probably so afraid and alone. Every minute I’m awake, I feel like I’m suffocating with the thoughts of you dying alone. You are so bright,” She caught herself after another sob, “You were so bright. You were brilliant, charismatic, and funny. You could charm people in ways that always left me so confused. I was fortunate to experience your passion for books, movies, and art. Everything you loved, you took care of so beautifully, and I was one of those things. I’ll miss you every minute of every day; there won’t be a second where I won’t think of your smile or your laugh. I genuinely don’t understand how to live in a world where you’re not a part of it. I can’t comprehend how I’m supposed to wake up and be. I’m so angry. I’m so so angry. I hope you knew how much we all loved and appreciated you, and the kind of impact you left on everyone's lives. I will miss you for the rest of my existence, and I will continue to look for you in everyone I meet. I love you, Jason. I will never stop loving you.
I hope you are resting peacefully. I hope you watch over us. I hope you watch over me while I discover this world without you.”
She swallowed tightly before stepping away from the podium and towards the steps, where Bruce waited for her with open arms. He pulled her into a tight embrace as she sobbed in his arms.
End of Pt. 1
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