aka jason wildly preferring you over everyone else
4 in 1 blurbs
warnings: standard batfam arguing etc.
You sit curled up embarrassingly close to Jason on the couch, head on his shoulder. The team is still in their gear as they filter into the living room, masks and helmets discarded in scattered locations between here and the cave. The mission had been fairly simple and with all of them together it only took a couple hours to finish up.
As you waited, Alfred had kept your mind busy in the kitchen while he taught you how he makes his famous ice cream from scratch.
The clamor of the heroic partyās return had made itself known sooner than later, and you think your face must have displayed your emotions nicely because Alfred nodded you away with a small smile and no second thought.
Youād walked into the living room, weaving through the mess of siblings until a hand snuck out on your left and grabbed your wrist. You barely had time to look at him before Jason pulled you down to sit next him on the sofa. He wrapped an arm over your shoulder, pulling you in and leaving virtually no space between you. His armor sits heavy against you, but a welcome weight on your shoulders.
Tim plops down on the couch across from you and you can just make out a bit of blood on the side of his head, aptly accompanied by an irritated look sprawled across his face. Itās not enough blood to be concerned aboutānot for themābut you can venture a guess that whatever they were up to shouldnāt have called for any injuries and his pique is likely directly related to that.
Though Dickās goading aura might have something to do with it too, as he comes crashing down next to him a second later, partially sitting on Timās cape and pulling him into an awkward angle.Ā
Nightwing doesnāt seem too perturbed by the younger vigilanteās agitation and curt manner of pushing him off.
The others are too caught up in chatter to pay much attention to you, and you can be certain thatās why Jason takes that moment to press a kiss to the side of your head. He lets his lips linger there for just a second as you lean into him.
Alfredās own entrance is the only thing able to subside the flurry of conversations skirting around the room.
āA job well done,ā he commends with a nod. āA selection of ice creams awaits you in the kitchen.ā
He gives you a sly wink before retreating back through the swinging door, leaving Stephanie and Cass to practically trip over themselves trying to beat each other to the kitchen. Robin follows after unhurried, mask still on, with his hands behind his back.
Jason kneads your thigh before pushing himself up to stand. He turns back, looking down to you. āWhat do you want?ā he asks softly.
You hum, "Just strawberry's good."
Tim sits up, "Can Iāā
"No, you've got legs,ā Jason grumbles, stalking off to the kitchen.
Dick barks out a laugh and you bite back a smile.
Tim looks absolutely aghast.Ā
āThatās such bullshit. You know, he used to be nice.ā
āNo he didnāt,ā Dick laughs, shaking his head. āNot since youāve known him.ā
Stephanie stumbles out of the kitchen then, the door hitting her back on the way, as she mutters a curse behind her. You can vaguely makeout Jason grunting something back before she rolls her eyes.
Steph looks at you, shaking her head as she returns to her seat, āYou live like this?ā
You shrug, āHeās nice to me.ā
āYeah, I bet,ā Tim grumbles.
Jason returns after Cass a minute later with a bowl of strawberry ice cream and two spoons. He expertly ignores Timās unwavering glare as he resituates himself beside you.
He scoops your legs up over his lap and positions the bowl in between you, wrapping the sleeve of his jacket around it so that the cold porcelain doesnāt make contact with your skin.
The others have set themselves up so that the four of them are stuffed up against each other on the sofa adjacent to you, very obviously examining you both.Ā
And while youāre willing to acknowledge the amused stares and singular glare, Jason only sighs heavily, rolling his eyes as he glares at the coffee table.
Only a few seconds of this are allowed to go by before he pulls over a throw pillow and sets it over your knees, so that it rests atop your heads like a mini-fort, successfully blocking out his siblings' view of the two of you.
You smile and press a light kiss to his shoulder as he simmers.
Regrettably, you miss the way Damian side-eyes the pillow above you as he re-enters the room, perching himself atop the back of the couch behind the others.
āThis is so nice,ā Dick preens. āHe used to just leave the room when too many of us gathered in one place. Now he has to stay.ā
Stephanie watches the makeshift fort with wary eyes, scooping ice cream into her mouth. āYeahā¦I donāt wanna freak you guys out but, uhā¦ā
Itās quiet for a moment and you guess Cass is speaking.Ā
Youāre proven right when Stephanie starts up again, āMy thoughts exactly.ā Her voice drops into a raspy whisper that isnāt really meant to go unheard, āI donāt know who the hell that is, but it is not Jason.āĀ
āThis is unprecedented,ā Damian mumbles, dipping into his own chocolate cup.
āDo they always talk about you like youāre not here?ā you ask Jason quietly.Ā
āYes,ā he grumbles with a scornful look directed at the bowl.
A low hiss can be heard immediately after, āIāve never heard him whisper before, what the fuck?ā
You canāt hide your laugh as well as you mean to, but you know Jasonās light swat to your thigh is nothing more than a rib.
Mumbles continue along the other couch, mostly going unacknowledged, until Tim busts out, āHe doesnāt even like strawberry!ā
Jason snaps the pillow out of the way, āThe fuck do you know about what I like?ā
Tim resets his posture with one hell of an attitude, snarking, āWell I can name one thing you really seem to fuckingāā
Jason grabs the pillow harshly and chucks it at Tims head which connects with a loud thwack.
Damian swats it away before it can knock him off balance, though his scowl is only half worth what Timās is.Ā
āYouāre unbelievable,ā he says with a sneer. āThis is why you donāt get invited to movie night anymore.ā
Jason doubles back at him, āSorry, is this not your own fucking house?ā
Tim huffs, āYes, which iāā
āThen get your own goddamn ice cream!ā
Tim huffs as he stands, sending Jason a pointed look. āIām going because I want to.ā
Jason barely gives him a sardonic nod as he stomps off.
āGet me some too!ā Dick calls back, only for the back of his head to be met with a sideways grimace from Tim.
As he leaves, the focus of the room seems to shift towards Damian dripping chocolate onto his cape and it fades away from there.
You turn to Jason, lowering your voice to just below a whisper, āIf you donāt like strawberryāā
āI like it,ā he tells you, leaving no room to argue as he takes a bite.
Voicemail.Ā
Voicemail.
Voicemail.Ā
Voicemail.
Declined.
Voicemail.
Declined.
Declined.Ā
āI swear to God, he better be dead,ā Stephanie mutters to herself.
She shuts her phone off and tosses it into the passenger seat with a huff. Her fingers drum against the steering wheel as she scans the sidewalk across from her car.
The night before the majority of the team had been involved in a less-than-successful plan, which some have called āa display of complete idiocy and inability to circumspect.ā
Then Tim had to go and make a joke about that word choice in what was apparently a bad moment. This gave way to a harsher punishment of the team being forced to clean the batcave foot by square footānotably, an impossible task.
So naturally, they had to retaliate.
The plan was to dismantle the batmobile piece by piece and leave it a collection of parts for Bruce to find. Problem being, the group as it stood didnāt possess the capability to do so without doing a great deal of damage to the parts. Damage, that the family was not willing to face extra retribution for.
Fortunately, they knew just the man for the job.Ā
Unfortunately, said man has devoted his life to ignoring their messages, favoring to live peacefully and distantly from them. And because that peace and distance does come with an add-on of borderline complete secrecy from his family, no one had any idea where to look for him.
So, Stephanie decided to do the next most rational thing and track down your location. Sheād hoped he would be with you like he always is, but for seemingly the first time in the last yearāheās nowhere to be found.
Now, was revenge for a minor-slight by Bruce so important that it required Stephanie to take all of these steps to get a hold of Jason? No, absolutely not. Sheās pretty sure that the others have already given up on it by now and started cleaning. But itās about the principal. And also, she does not want to clean the floors of a cave.
She jumps up in her seat when she spots you exiting a store, scurrying to unbuckle and pry the car door open.
Sheās across the street in half a second, running directly into your line of sight. It actually wouldāve been very difficult for her to miss your line of sight, considering sheād landed only a good six inches in front of your face. āHey!āĀ Ā Ā
āOh, fuckāā you jump, grabbing your chest. You take a breath when you realize who it is, less surprised now by the theatrics of the introduction. āHey Steph.ā
āHey,ā she smiles casually, like she didnāt do what she just did. āSo Jasonās been ignoring us and I need to get a hold of him,ā she tells you.
You nod, still collecting yourself. āOh. I donāt know where he isāā
She shakes her head, āThatās fine. Can I use your phone to call him?ā
You frown, āIs something wrong?ā
āWith him, yeah,ā she snarks. āI called him, Tim called him, Dick called him, Cass called him, Damian called him, we used Bruceās phone to call himāthat was a bit of a long shot, but still. This is our last option. Well, not our last option, if this doesnāt work I could get really invasive, butāā She shakes the thought from her head, āNevermind.ā
You nod blankly, taking in the mountain of information sheād just handed you. āHowād you know I was here?ā
She scans your eyes back and forth for a second before her own widen in realization and sheās shaking her head. āNo, no, donāt worry weāre not tracking you! I just hacked into the traffic cameras to find you.ā
āOh!ā you exclaim, nodding some more. āOkay.ā
You hand her your phone without any further questionsāfor your own sakeāand she happily accepts.Ā
āYou know I texted him 115 times?ā she tells you as she scrolls through your contacts.
You furrow your eyebrows, watching her click his name and press the phone to her ear. āDid you count?ā
āWell, I had the time, diāyou son of a bitch! One ring?ā Stephanie scorns into the phone.
You can hear Jason groan on the other end of the line.Ā
He says something to Stephanie that she follows up with a firm shake of her head.
āNo,ā she says defiantly. āShe let me use it.ā
Stephanie rolls her eyes, not pleased with his response. āWhat if it was an emergency?ā
She listens for a second, skeptical look on her face.
She gasps suddenly, āI am not overstepping, we thought you were dead!ā
Over the course of about ten seconds the shock on her face drops into just-been-caught guilt. āWell, I mean we considered it.ā
You imagine Jasonās telling her to give you your phone back as she stands her ground, pushing, āIf you promise to text me back.ā
A short response on his end.
āPromise to text me back!ā
Thereās a brief lull before sheās giving a self-satisfied nod and jostling your phone back into your hands. āHere ya go. Thanks, babe!ā She smiles wide at you before jogging back across the street, not waiting for the cars.
You smile as you watch her go, putting the phone up to your ear, āHey Jay.ā
You can hear the relief on the other end of the line. āHey sweetheart. You know if you see Steph in public, you can just walk away?ā
āIām not going to walk away from your family.ā You look again across the street, āAlso I donāt think that was an option for me this time.ā
Tim eyes the way Salem traipses around his feet, yellow eyes staring up at him. āWhyās it even here?ā
Jason rolls his eyes, continuing to scroll on his phone. āHeās hers. Deal with it.ā
Tim scrunches up his mouth. āShe knows I hate it. And she, unlike you, wouldnāt subject me to this just for the hell of it. So again I ask: why is it here?ā
Jason huffs, looking up from his phone. āWhat do you want me to say? He wants to be.ā
Tim scoffs at that, āāIt wants to beā? Youāre the one who put it in the car.ā
āNo, I didnāt,ā Jason says factually.
Tim looks at him sideways as Salem leaps onto Jasonās lap and nudges his hand up. Jason follows along as requested, petting the top of Salemās head with an open palm.Ā
Tim squirms to the other side of the couch with a look of disgust on his face. Salem watches him the whole time.Ā Ā
A smile adorns Cassā face as she signs, āShe says he can read peopleās energy.ā
Tim huffs, resting his head against his fist. āWhat does that even mean?ā
The conversation is cut off by the clatter of you and Dick stumbling into the room, carrying a freshly painted headboard. Blue paint coats both of your hands and has no doubt stained your clothes.
Youāre clearly struggling a bit to keep your grip on your end, the weight of the wooden frame dragging your arms down.
Jason stands and Salem flows along with his movements easily, leaping down onto the hardwood. He comes over and helps you lift your end of the frame with a stupid amount of ease, to the point that youāre not even holding any of the weight up anymore. The three of youāless so youāmove the headboard and lean it up against the wall. After it's set down Jason steps back and looks over it gingerly.
āIt looks good,ā he murmurs to you, quiet enough to not give his brother the satisfaction of his approval.
Dick had asked you over to help him paint Damianās bed frame as a surprise for him for not getting in any āaltercationsā at school this semester. Youād decided on coating it with his favorite color first and then fill it in with a collection of what Dick has āon good authorityā are his favorite animals. Itās a fairly random assortment that youāre not sure adds to or disproves Dickās credibility. Youād spent the better half of the afternoon googling animals youād never heard of just to make sure you projected their likenesses accurately. Dick had been very clear that you had to be precise on the details because Damian would know if he was really looking at a komodo dragon painting or if it was āsome common lizard.ā
You sigh, āI hope he likes it. Iām worried we did it too childish for him.ā
āHe is a child,ā Jason says plainly.
āBut he is not childish,ā you counter. And he sure isnāt. Youād had a hard enough time convincing Damian to watch cartoons, adding a colorful animal mural to his bedroom might be one step too far. Youāre still trying to figure him out.
āHeāll like it,ā he says firmly.
You smile, slipping around under his arm and tucking yourself into his side.
Not a moment later, Dick slings an arm around Jason's shoulder, grinning as he pulls his brother in close.
Jasonās immediately louring. "No, get away from me."
Dick, unfazed and still smiling, removes his arm and takes a big step to the right. You do the same, figuring he needs his space, but you get caught by the wrist before you can do more than sway to the side.Ā
āNot you.āĀ
He pulls you back under his arm, wrapping it around the front of your shoulders. You hook your fingers around his forearm, letting your hand hang.
You hear a double-clap from the other side of the room that has you both turning around to face Cass.Ā
She signs something to Jason with a fond smile on her face.Ā
You look back and forth between them as Jason waves her off. āWhat?ā
He shakes his head, āItās nothing. She saidāshe said weāre cute.ā
You smile up at him and he deflectsānot so subtlyāand starts nudging you back towards where the group is gathered, now all standing.Ā
Dickās quick to start bragging off to the room about how great of a job the two of you did and how really complex and daunting it actually is painting animals for a child.
As he talks, your eyes find Jason, whoās definitely about to roll his eyes any second now. A bit subconsciously, your hand comes up to brush Jasonās white streak of hair back, away from tickling his forehead.Ā
On the other side of Jason, Tim does the same, sweeping Jasonās hair back in a much more mocking manner.Ā
This gives way to Jason smacking his hand away, harder than he needed to.
"WhaāYou let her do it!" Tim protests, overplaying how much the slap hurt.
Jason scowls, "She can do whatever she wants."
Tim drops his shoulders, looking at Jason as if heād been scandalized. āOh but I canāt?ā
āNot if it involves touching me,ā Jason grumbles.
Tim steps closer, putting a finger to Jasonās chest. āYouāre such aāā
From the floor, Salem hisses up at Tim, successfully startling the teenager. āAuahhāā
He stumbles backwards, grimacing at the cat.Ā
āFucking demon,ā he hisses, walking away.
When Timās far enough away and Salemās seemingly satisfied, he brushes up against your leg, purring.Ā
You peer down at him with a furrowed brow.Ā
āWhatās Salem doing here?ā
āIām not doing this shit with you.ā
āNo, come on, 9 out of 10 times is what you said. How ābout just once? Beat me one time at anything, Jaybird.ā
āAnything?ā Jason asks like he knows damn well Dick canāt swear on that word.
Rightly so, Dick backtracks. āSomething agreed upon.ā
Jason throws his hands up, partially in exasperation, partially relenting.
Dick smoothly turns his back to him, announcing, āOpening up the room for ideas.ā
Damianās eye roll is almost audible from the corner armchair, where his attention is unmoved from intently sharpening a blade heād recently come into possession of.
Bruce similarly remains unbothered in his seat, trying to read despite the distractions.Ā
āOoh, okay. Okay.ā Stephanie wiggles up a little on the couch. āYou could race!ā
Dick shakes his head negatively, āI literally just busted my knee up two days ago, Steph.ā
āConvenient,ā Jason mumbles.
āYou were there!ā Dick exclaims with an open mouth.
Steph continues, āUmā¦ā
Cass waves to the room from her position upside down on the couch, head hanging down next to Stephanieās legs. Attention successfully acquired, she signs, āStaring contest.ā
Jason grimaces, āThat sounds like a nightmare.ā
Dick gives him a faux-smile.
āYou should play chicken,ā Damian chimes in, holding up his knife.
āNo,ā Bruce drones monotonously as he flips a page.Ā
āTic tac toe?ā Steph suggests.
Cass is already shaking her head as she scrunches up her mouth in thought.Ā Ā
Jason rolls his eyes, āWhat are we, five?ā
Dick nods, cracking his knuckles as he thinks. āNo, we need something that really proves our worth.ā
Bruce looks up from his book, staring numbly through his brow, but remains silent.
āYou could arm wrestle,ā Steph suggests.
The elder brother twitches at that, āUh, no.ā
Cass moves past that before a joke has the chance to be made. āHandstand contest?ā she suggests.
Jason shrugs, āYeah, sure.ā
The elder brother looks at him incredulously. āYouāll do a handstand contest with me?ā
āThatās what I just said.ā
Dick scoffs, āJaybird, Iām an acrobat, youāre just some guy.ā
Jason, not giving him the courtesy of eye contact, pulls his sweatshirt off from his back. āWell, youāre a lot of things, arenāt you?ā
Dick throws his head back with a squint.
Jason fishes his phone out of his pocket and Dick follows suit, offended stare maintaining all the while.Ā
No exchange is required as they both toss their phones across the room, landing together with a rough clatter on Damianās lap. Damianās resulting glare is borderline disgusted.
Dick starts them off, āAlright, go. Oneā¦twoā¦ā
Both men push up onto their hands, muscles flexing as they find their balance. Dickās form is better, of course, but Jason looks to have a stronger foundation.Ā Ā Ā
They both hold strong as several minutes go by with the brothers only maintaining the attention of some of the room, and the interest of none of it.
Stephanie huffs and tilts her head, thoroughly unentertained with the consistency theyāre both managing.Ā
āStarting to wish theyād picked something that moved along a little faster,ā she murmurs to Cass.
Dick glances over at the younger brother, clearly displeased with his lack of trouble keeping up with him. He shuffles closer one hand at a time, using the decreased distance to poke at Jason with his foot, trying to knock him over.
Jason kicks him back harder, āHey! Donāt be a dickāā
āVery funny,ā Dick leers.
They both end up finding a struggle to keep balance and are forced to mind their own.Ā Ā
A chime rings out from the corner that has heads turning briefly in his direction before coming back to the competition.Ā
āWhose was that?ā Dick calls out.
Damian leans over and inspects the screens with disinterest. āToddās.ā
Jason adjusts his position, āWho is it?ā
Damian responds with your name.Ā
āAnd?ā
He picks up the phone shrugging like he couldnāt care less, āShe wants to know if you want to go see some movie.ā
Thereās a brief silence before Jason drops out of the handstand, standing up.Ā
Dickās blood-flushed face peers up at him, bewildered. āWait, what?ā
The family watches with wide eyes as Jason picks his sweatshirt up off the floor and tugs it back on.
Stephanie gawks, bordering on laughing. āAre you serious?ā
āYeah,ā he says simply.
Dick lets himself fall into a kneeling position with a huff, āYou would rather go to some movie you donāt even know the name of than win a bet?ā
Jason moues at him, āUh, yeah.ā
He tosses a twenty at Dick, and plucks his phone from Damianās hand as he strolls past him, typing out a reply.
Cass sits up a bit and signs up to Stephanie, āDoes he even like movies?āĀ
Bruce, now attention now fully removed from his book, watches Jason exit with the slightest hint of a smile. Dick sits dumbly on the floor, staring after him with an open-mouth.Ā
Damian twists the knife in his hands around contemplatively before rising to stand.Ā
āI will go,ā he announces, dropping his blade onto the seat of the chair. Jason grumbles a no but Damian follows after him just the same.
you know what happened to the last guy that didnāt reblog? ā¦ šŖš§Øš„šµā°ļøšŖ¦
In which you're just the graveyard shift employee at Circle K bombarded by vigilantes.
full summary: Working at a convenience store in Gotham City is a thankless and often dangerous job. Especially if you are working the graveyard shift.
You quite liked your brief stint at the Circle K in Keystone City, if only because the Flash could be found taking care of crime before they even happened. Plus, your store was the one he frequented the most for snacks and drinks to replenish his energy.
Even if your friends, Steph and Tim, donāt actually believe that he visited you and in fact said you two were friends. (No, seriously, he did!)
But a surprise visit from him with Red Robin in tow, a pointed insult to the Batsā general hostility and unwelcoming nature, and suddenly, you have a revolving door of vigilantes at odd hours of the night.
Your most frequent visitor and the one that bothers you for a reason you canāt articulate since it also coincides with Tim Drakeās sudden avoidance of you?
Red Robin.
But itās probably nothing, right?
contains: canon-typical violence, friends to lovers, mutual pining, angst, not actually unrequited love, eventual happy ending
ao3 | fic playlist | story tag
šŖ chapter index; completed!
chapter one... on my way to circle k
chapter two... it's getting late
chapter three... this doesnāt feel right
chapter four... walking slow (all alone)
chapter five... i am found on the ground
chapter six... hear the sound of your heart breaking
chapter seven... just get me through the night
chapter eight... where did i go wrong?
chapter nine... i want to make it right
chapter ten... thereās no way to hide it (i know what youāre fighting)
your most recent jason fic has me in a bit of a chokehold and its bc you do so well with the dialogue and the banter!!
HONEYLOVE???#?*Ć& i need to be physically restrained (i appreciate your fics respectfully)
anyways, the fic has me thinking: imagine it's the same reader, but they know Jason's alive and they're back to being friends again (skipping over the drama of "YOU'RE ALIVE?!?" "yea lmao sorry ily tho") but there's this tension now. and since Jason's not working with a mask anymore (and he's slightly more vulnerable with r), it's him who gets flustered and it's r who does the flirting playful banter. maybe it ends with a kiss (Ė Ā³Ė) ?
i'm such a sucker for a flustered Jason and there's something that tells me he gets really weak in the knees for someone he adores >:) anyways, you can always choose to write this or not but a very big, fat thank you if you do
the reaction pics are SO FUNNY i'm glad you enjoy this au <3
jason todd x gn!nocturne!reader. pt 3 of vigilante reader. this is basically reader just being feral over jason :> they speak for all of us, really. love confessions, tension, somewhat flustered jason, more sparring lols.
pt 1 / pt 2
****
Jason Todd is alive. Jason Todd is sitting two feet away, talking about a case.
You can't quite believe it. You went home two days ago and expected to wake up to the whole thing being a dream or the result of a Poison Ivy hallucinogen.
You can't stop staring at him. It's weird. You're being weird. But you can't help it.
Every time you see Jason, you want to look at him for as long as possible. You don't want to forget his face. This new face. Scarred and hardened, but still good. Still loved.
And, well. It's not like Jason's bad looking. Sure, you thought he was cute when you were teenagers. Resurrection makes the heart grow fonder, et cetera.
But now? Now, Jason makes your heart stupid. You can barely contain your desire. It's been two weeks since he revealed himself, and every time you see him, you have to dig your nails into your palms to keep yourself from showing him what he does to you.
Sometimes you think he sees right through you, but if he does, he never acts on it.
"ālistening. Yo. Ground control to Major Tom. Are you with me?"
Jason waves a hand in front of you. You blink.
He's unmasked and in a Fleetwood Mac t-shirt and dark jeansāthe most comfortable you've seen him, actually. His hair is still wet from his shower.
"Sorry," you say, suddenly zeroed in on the three droplets of water sliding down his neck. "I'm listening. Just looking at you."
"'Cause I'm so pretty?" Jason asks, batting his lashes.
You reach over without thinking. He freezes when you wipe the water off of his neck. Then you tuck a curl behind his ear.
"You should let me blow-dry your hair," you say, taking your time in dropping your hand. "It'll take ages to dry in this humidity."
Jason's eyes have gone wide. Pink splotches bloom on the apples of his cheeks.
"Uh." He swallows. You watch his throat bob. "Thanks. Maybe... next time."
"I'll steal Dick's. He's got the fancy sixteen setting one."
That makes Jason smile. "Hm. Some things never change."
His eyes crinkle at the corners. Fondness swells swiftly in your chest.
You stay like that for a moment, caught in each other's orbit.
Jason breaks it first, leaning away. "Right. You should probably get back to the Manor. Brāthe others'll probably think I kidnapped ya."
You shrug. "I quit."
"What?"
"Bruce was getting on my last nerve. I can't work with someone like that."
Jason snorts. "Join the club. Look, I can't say I'm not thrilled that you're stickin' it to the old man. But if this is 'cause of me... I wouldn't be mad if you kept workin' with him. Honest. If that's what you wanna do, don't let me stop you."
"Jason." You rest your hand atop his. "I joined this life because of you. To honor you. You taught me how to help people, not Bruce. You taught me what it meant to be kind, to be a part of something bigger than myself."
To love, you don't say.
"I..." He shakes his head. "You became Nocturne for me?"
You close your eyes, then open them. You've cried so many times. You don't want to stay in your grief any longer. Not when he's right in front of you.
"When you died, I..." You take a deep breath. "Nocturne was something to ground me. I think Bruce recognized that. I think he knew how much you meant to me. He didn't have to take a chance on me, and I appreciate that he did. But I've realized that he doesn't know everything. Can't see what's right in front of him sometimes."
You squeeze Jason's wrist. He sighs.
"God, I'm sorry," he says.
"What're you sorry for, Jay? You came back. That's all I ever wanted."
Jason chews his cheek for a moment. Then he stands, chair scraping the floor.
"C'mon," he says.
You follow him to the living room. He moves the armchair, the couch, and rolls up the rug. He disappears down the hall and returns with two thick mats. He tosses them onto the floor.
"Uh..." you say. "What're youā"
"'M gonna show you what y'did wrong that night on the roof."
"Wow. Can't believe you're still single. Being reminded of my shitty combat skills gets me so hot."
Jason rolls his eyes. "Alright, smartass. Just 'cause you quit the Bats doesn't mean you won't go out there and keep helping people. I know you. The least I can do is pick up where Dickface left off in your training."
"The least you can do, huh? I think you just wanna pin me against the floor again," you say, smirking.
He clears his throat. "Thatāno."
"No?" You step closer and look at him through your lashes. You're so close, you're touching his chest. "What happened to tying me up 'cause I was out when I shouldn't have been? Isn't that another educational technique?"
Jason's throat bobs. "That wasn'tāI was just saying things."
"Hm. That's too bad."
You skip right past him, onto the mat, and hold out your arms.
"Okay. Put the moves on me, J.P."
It takes Jason a moment to craft his usual poker face. When he does, he groans. "'M not an evil Gilded Age financier. Still don't like 'J.P.'"
"But you like me-ee," you sing-song.
He shrugs. "Sometimes. Until you give me a heart attack and run into a burning building."
"Wish I could've seen your face for that one," you say as you steel your shoulders and secure your feet.
"Better you didn't. I'm sure there was a vein or two popping outta my forehead." Jason cracks his neck. "Ready?"
"Lay it on me, big guy."
"You first. Attack me like you normally would."
So you do. You step forward and throw a punch similar to the one from your rooftop spar. Jason catches it, of course. But this time, he locks you in a hold. One leg is between yours, and your arms are twisted behind your back with one hand. Humiliating.
"Dude!" You wiggle. Jason doesn't yield. "Jay, come on. No petty criminal is gonna know how to do all that."
"I know. The point of this is for you to know how to use someone's size against them."
Jason presses his cheek against yours. You tamp down your shiver. You can hear his heartbeat.
"Take a breath," he murmurs.
You close your eyes and breathe. Jason's grip doesn't hurt, but you're frustrated by how predictable you are. How he knows your body. A part of you is missing in not knowing him the way he knows you.
"Alright," he says. "Think. What part of me is exposed?"
"Not the important parts, I hope."
You can feel his eyeroll.
"You're hilarious. C'mon, focus. What can you attack?"
"Um... your legs. You trapped my arms, but my and your legs are free."
"Good." The praise warms you. Being this close to Jason will never get old. "What else?"
"What else? Do you have a tail I don't know about?"
"Sucha wiseass," he says, mouth close to your ear. "Your head. You're still able to move your head, and you're close to my face."
"Yeah, I'm not headbutting you. Out of the kindness of my heart."
"I appreciate that, sweets. Sweep my leg."
So you do. Jason goes down easier than he normally would for your benefit.
"'Kay," he says, once again underneath you. Now you have his hands pinned. "Good. Remember what went wrong last time?"
"You bucked me off like a Clydesdale."
He smiles. "Yeah, okay. So what'll you do different?"
"I'm not in my suit," you say. "I don't have extra weight in my boots."
"No, but you don't need it if you keep my legs apart."
"So that was your plan all along, huh? Perv."
Jason coughs. "Ah-hum... Iāc'mon, lock my legs."
You grin and spread Jason's legs, using your knees to keep him immobile.
And then you just stare. This time, it's not because you're thinking about the miracle of resurrection (though what a miracle it is). No, you're just thinking, once again, about how your best friend got really, stupidly pretty.
And how you really, stupidly wanna kiss him.
Jason still looks young, but his jaw is now defined. He's got a five o'clock shadow coming on. His lips are full and pink. Freckles dot his cheeks and nose. The nose that still has a bump from when he broke it during a fight with Riddler.
You remember how he played it off for weeks. Bruce said that didn't even cry. But when you asked if it hurt, Jason had said yes.
You wonder when the last time Jason cried was. You wonder how much pain he's suffered since.
You wonder if he knows he's got your heart in the palm of his hand.
"Hey," Jason says. His voice is soft. Shy. "I lose ya again?"
You shake your head. "No. Never."
"There somethin' on my face?"
"You're a lot to look at," you say. "Pretty, pretty boy."
That gets an undeniable reaction. Jason Todd has never been able to take a compliment. You've been exploiting that all day.
Perhaps you know him better than you thought.
He exhales sharply, like you've sucker-punched him. His eyes dart to you. Waiting.
"Your eyes are green," you say. "Like, mixed. Blue and green."
Jason nods. "Iāyeah. The Pit. Changed 'em. Changed me."
You lean in. His gaze flicks to your mouth. You watch his Adam's apple bob in a hard swallow.
"They're still pretty," you say. "Always had pretty eyes, Jaybird."
"Heh, right. Even with this shit?" He points to the scar that crosses over his right eye, stopping at his lip.
You let go of his wristsānot that you were holding them that tightly anyway. If this were a real fight, you would've lost ten times over already. Considering how much of you is touching Jason, you happen to be winning hard.
You trace the puckered white flesh with your thumb. Jason flinches but doesn't pull away.
"Your face could never turn me away," you say. "Never."
He closes his eyes and shudders. "Y'too nice to me. Always so nice t'me. Even when we were fighting. Why're ya so good?"
Your lips are a hair from his now. "I don't know how to make it more obvious, Jaybird. I'm absolutely insane about you."
Jason's eyes fly open. He sees your mouth and his breathing increases. You smile.
"Yeah, want you bad. No place I wouldn't follow you. Do anything for you."
Jason makes a strangled noise in his throat. You grin.
"C'mon, big guy. I'm right here. Come have me, Jay. I'm yours."
Jason soars up and kisses you. Swallows you, really. His hands hold your waist for dear life. You wrap one leg around his.
You nip his lip. Jason whines softly. Delicious.
You grab his face, fingers tangling in his curls. Jason sits up, slotting you against him. One hand supports you on your back, the other on your side.
"Godā" He breaks away, just barely. "You're way too good for me. Had sucha... sucha crush on ya when we were kids. Y'so sweet."
You blindly find his throat and bite, hard enough to leave a mark. Jason makes a guh sound. You lick the bite to soothe it.
"Missed you," you say into his skin. "Missed you so goddamn bad, Jason."
"Yeah. Yeah, yeah," he babbles, clinging to you as you kiss up his neck. "Yeah, missed you too."
"Not letting you go," you say, almost snarling. You're angry with want, angry at the world for keeping this from you for so many years. "It's you and me now, Jay, mkay? Gonna be mine?"
"Always been yours," he says, panting. Jason finds your lips again. The kiss is messy, uncoordinated. Full of love. "No one but you."
jason todd x gn!reader. r and robin!jay were friends, r doesn't know jason is alive/red hood but jason knows r is a vigilante. r's alias is 'nocturne' (if that's already in use oh well lmao). fighting/sparring, jason is mega in love with you as usual!!
all fics at @sanguinelibrary
****
"Still blindly following the Bat, huh?"
You land in a crouch on the rooftop, just like how Nightwing taught you. The Red Hood doesn't look at you, digging through two duffel bags. He doesn't even draw his gun, like you've seen him do with virtually every other vigilante in Gotham.
You wait, ready to spring into action. But Hood doesn't stop what he's doing. Slowly, you rise.
"What... do you mean?" you ask.
"I mean, why are you traipsing around Gotham as a bat-adjacent? Who are you s'posed to be anyway? Goth Bat? Alternative Scene Bat?"
"I'm Nocturne," you say, shoulders rising to your ears. Rude. You thought the chunky boots and star over your suit's eye mask were inspired.
Red Hood lifts a hand. "Don't get me wrong, I dig the threads. I'm just surprised B didn't have an aneurysm over the sequins. Then again, Discowing did do it first..."
Your first two meetings with the infamous Red Hood have been similar in that he's never very concerned about you stopping him (ouch), but he also isn't callous or cruel with you like he is with the other vigilantes.
Case in point: the last person who cornered Hood on a roof was Red Robin. Hood shot him in the shoulder before he could land.
In short, he's perplexing as hell.
Batman's forbidden the rest of the team to confront Hood without backup. And you're technically not supposed to be on patrol tonight. But if you can intercept Hood, that'll be a huge win.
Hood keeps on packing the duffels. You hesitate, then step forward.
"Get away from the bags," you say. "I won't ask twice."
Hood looks at you. "Nocturne's a pretty cool name, I'll admit. And I like the boots. But I still think you oughta call it quits."
He zips up the bags, stands, and kicks them to the corner of the roof.
"Because you're just that unstoppable?" you ask, hands curling into fists.
"Yeah. But mostly 'cause I know you're made for so much more than this, sweetheart."
And that is the third and perhaps most bewildering thing about your encounters with Red Hood: you've gotten the creeping feeling that he... likes you.
Which is ridiculous, and if you ever breathed a word of that to anybody, Batman would probably check you into Arkham.
You take another careful step forward. Hood leans against the railing and folds his arms.
"This the part where you apprehend and hogtie me for innocently packing a duffel bag?" he asks.
You glare. "Innocent? I know you're making a weapons delivery because I know you've been waiting for Batman to be off-planet to make it."
"Clever. Told ya you're too good for this," Hood says. "Should be in college with those smarts, not playing maid for Batman."
"Are you lecturing me?"
"I'm advising you as your friendly neighborhood drug lord. Lecturing makes me sound like a guy who's got too much money and too big of a savior complex to understand that the way he fights injustice is fundamentally flawed."
"Sounds personal."
Hood laughs. "Honey, you have no idea."
You strike.
Hood parries your first attack easily, which you expect. The truth is that whoever trained Hood cut no corners and you're still relatively new at vigilantism. It's only by the grace of God that Hood hasn't left you to bleed out on a roof.
You kick his shin, but Hood turns on the instep and blocks. You go for his shoulder, where his armor separates to give him more movement. But Hood's ready for that too, and he catches your arm.
"Gotta keep that right arm up," he says. "Surprised no one's trained that outta you yet."
You elbow Hood in the throat. He coughs and lets go.
"Like that?" you ask, muscles tense with adrenaline.
Hood makes a sound that might be a laugh, still choked from your hit. "Just like that, honeylove. Good job."
"I don't need feedback," you snap, immediately going back in for another hit.
"Sorry. I'll make this quick then. I do have a delivery."
On the next strike, you advance, using a technique Nightwing drilled into your head for bigger opponents. Hood goes down and you land atop him.
"Oh, that's a Nightwing takedown if I've ever seen one," Hood says beneath you.
You're close enough that you can hear his breathing through the decoder. Pride swells in you at taking him down. Not even Batman has managed such a thing.
Hood is warm and big. His shoulder span alone dwarfs you. When you'd seen him from afar, fighting Batman or Nightwing, you'd been terrified.
But now, perhaps stupidly, you feel comfortable. Annoyed, but safe. Something about him reminds you of home. Makes your stomach flip in a good way.
Which is terrifying.
"You're coming with me," you say, reaching for your cuffs.
"If only. Unfortunately, you've forgotten a teensy weensy detail, dearest."
Hood bucks you off, legs first. Your feet fly into the air, which allows him to flip your positions. You wince, preparing for a concussion upon impact as you go down. But Hood cushions your fall and neatly rolls you over. Your back is pressed into the concrete, hands locked over your head. Hood's weight holds down your hips and legs.
He looms over you, easily holding you down. Your face grows hot.
"How didā" You squirm in his grip. "I had you!"
"Weight distribution, sweets. Tell Alāone of the Bats to add weight to your boots. They keep you light on your feet, but you were depending on them too much to hold me down, and we ain't evenly matched there."
You thrash in his grip. "Hood, I swear to fuckingā"
"Easy. Don't sweat it, sweetheart. You haven't been doing this for very long. That was a good takedown, regardless. I'm impressed."
"Screw you."
He hums. You can tell he's smiling under the helmet. "Sorry, I forgot. You don't like feedback."
Hood strokes the inside of your wrist. You aren't sure he's aware he's doing it. His grip is firm but light. He's not trying to hurt you. Your pulse is in your throat.
For a moment, you're both still. Hood seems caught in a trance, like even Superman couldn't tear him away from this moment. From you. And it's not that you're afraid, you're just... you're...
"How do you know so much about me?" you blurt, because it's puzzled the whole team. "You been spying on me?"
"'Course not. Unlike your boss, I respect privacy. No, I did research. I recognized you from when you'd hang around that second Robin. Shrimpy little guy. What'd ya even see in him?"
The grief overtakes you before you can control your mouth.
"You don't know anything about me or him," you spit. "Don't fucking talk about him. He had more skill and goodness in his pinkie than you'll have in a lifetime. And you could learn a thing from him about changing a city. He'd tell you that fear alone never works."
Hood is quiet for a long moment. Then he speaks.
"Where's your distress signal?"
"Why would I tellā"
Hood shifts over you, cutting off your reply. He pulls a ziptie around your wrists. They're not even a little tight. You could probably slip out of them if you had five minutes.
"I know you're not s'posed to be out tonight," he whispers in your ear. "'S not your patrol night. Good thing you're my favorite."
You nearly swallow your tongue. "How do youāI don'tā"
"Uh-huh. So you be good from now on, yeah? Wouldn't wanna have to keep tying you up like this."
You lift your chin. "We'll switch positions soon enough."
Hood snorts. "Okay, I know you heard how that sounā"
"I heard it," you say grumpily. "Just get on with it. Jerk."
"As you wish. Distress signal?"
"Collar."
Hood presses the button under your collar. Your breath hitches as his gloved fingers graze your neck.
"Oh? Does somebody like getting pinned down?"
"In your dreams."
Hood laughs. He zipties your ankles last, then sits you upright against the railing.
"Not too tight, are they?" he asks. "I know you've got a circulation problem."
You squint. "You seem to know a lot about me. Not fair that I don't know much about you, Hood."
"'S just business, honeylove," he says, scooping up his duffel. "Now I don't wanna see you in a suit anymore, comprende?"
"Or you'll what? Shoot me?"
Hood pauses, eerily still. He turns those glowing white eyes upon you. Your heart picks up.
"No," he says, so serious it startles you. "But someone else might. And I don't want you to face the same fate as your good friend Robin."
He vaults over the railing before you can respond. Your head thunks lightly as you lean back and wonder if you're really just business to the Red Hood.
thank you mark, for all your hard work as a dreamie these past two years! youāve been a great leader, a loving brother, an understanding friend, and so much more to the members of nct dream. we love you so much for all the efforts and dedication youāve shown us, nobody couldāve done a better job than you. happy graduation, nct dreamās mark lee! ā”