It’s a few minutes past midnight, the city is quieter than usual. Gotham somehow holding its breath.
You’re sitting at your windowsill, legs dangling out, hoodie pulled up around you even though it’s not cold. There's a strange ache in your chest: a mixture of growing up, nostalgia, loneliness. You should be celebrating, right? But all you feel is the weight of time, heavy and slow.
And then — there’s a familiar sound against the fire escape.
A low thunk. The creak of boots on metal. You glance down and there he is.
Jason Todd, standing on your fire escape, looking up at you like you’re the most important thing in the universe. His helmet is off tonight. His hair is a mess, like he drove way too fast to get here. His leather jacket is half-zipped and he’s holding a paper bag — no ribbons, no fancy wrapping, just pure Jason.
"Hey, birthday girl," he says, voice low, warm. His smile is real. Soft at the edges.
You roll your eyes, pulling your hoodie tighter around yourself.
"Don't remind me," you mutter, voice half-buried under the weight of turning twenty.
Jason laughs — a real, low laugh that rumbles in his chest — and drops the bag onto your bed.
"Yeah, well," he says, "too bad. You made it another year. Gotta celebrate that.”
To save you from answering, Jason leans forward and holds out the bag smiling, like a kid showing off a treasure. Inside you find:
Your favorite kind of candy (because of course he remembers)— the one that’s always hard to find but somehow, somehow, he managed to hunt down.
A LEGO set — small, a little chaotic looking, definitely something he'd think would be "fun as hell to build together at 3 a.m."
And a book — worn, dog-eared at the corners. It’s one you mentioned months ago in a throwaway comment he clearly didn’t forget.
"Figured you'd need something for tonight and something for… when shit gets heavy," he says, scratching the back of his neck like he’s embarrassed.
You look up at him; the most dangerous man in Gotham, standing awkwardly in your bedroom with gifts like some rogue guardian angel.
Jason shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, giving a small, crooked smile. "And before you ask, yeah, I got the LEGO 'cause I wanted to build it too. No shame."
He flops down next to you, so close you can feel the heat radiating off him, he smells like leather and soap and cold air — grounding and safe.
You sit there together in the soft glow of the city lights, surrounded by candy, LEGO pieces, and the quiet promise of a better year ahead.
Hello, I just stumbled on your tumblr and wanted to say I love your writing, your stories, and have for years, really. I know you probably get these messages all the time and I doubt I'm more eloquent than the ones before or after, but still - thought you should know that you have made such a positive impact on my life. I started reading JTLH (the ending, omgggg) back in 2013, and then you carried me to Marvel, and now you're writing my fave ship ever <3 (Harry/Hermione).
oh my WORD.
You are an OG. A literal original. First of all, I’m so sorry I subjected you to my terrible writing back in the day LOL
Second of all. BROOOO i’m SOoOOOO EXCITED YOU HAVE FOLLOWED ME THIS LONG. LIKE TO THE HP FANDOM TOO? You’re a Harmony shipper?! You have taste, my friend. I could absolutely kiss you rn.
You’re getting the best of both worlds once I come back to marvel too LOL
I have to ask though, how are you finding Lifetimes of July right now? Good? Bad? Could be better? I need to know from an og reader.
So hi I don’t have a iPad anymore, nor do I have most of my drawings anymore, so everything I draw will either be made on my computer or my phone, so I apologize for all that
