You can't be Jason, I am Jason!
Jason Todd × Single Mother!Reader
Wc: 2.6K
Jason meets your teenage son, who, comically, has the same name.
Content and warnings: Single mother!Reader, Widow!Reader, Jason has two shops, They are in their late twenties/early thirties, kind of angst (just a bit I think), Mention the death of Reader's husband, murder, Reader had her son in her teens. Jason and Reader met while volunteering; your son is upset with life, but it's not personal. If I forgot to mention anything, please let me know.
Second chapt.
"What do you want with my mom?" the teenager spoke as soon as he opened the door, his brow furrowed and his curly black hair falling slightly across his face. The boy seemed angry at everything, even the air. But this time it was mainly at the man in front of him.
Your fifteen-year-old son, Jason, stood face to face with the man who had been courting you for the past couple of months—Jason Peter Todd.
The image was quite funny; your son had barely grown, his voice still cracked when he spoke, but he had been trying hard to look older than he was, solely so he could take care of you. You didn't live in the best neighborhood, and since childhood he had seen many people try to take advantage of you; he had grown up with the mission of protecting you as much as possible.
Standing before him was a man much larger than him, full of muscle, broad shoulders, large hands and with a permanently furrowed brow. Your son wouldn't stand a chance against him if he had to face him.
But even so, there he was, standing up for you. He had to make sure it wasn't some kind of crazy person who wanted to gain your trust only to destroy everything later.
"I assume you're Jason, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Jason." Your… almost something? He introduced himself seriously, extending his hand towards the boy, but your son completely ignored him.
"I asked you a question." The boy's tenacity almost made Jason smile, pressing his lips together to stop himself. He could see himself in his eyes, in the rage he carried within.
"I want to get to know her better, and for her to get to know me as well. I'd like to be her partner at some point, and I'd really like to get to know you too. That's why I'm here." Jason lowered his hand, making sure the boy wasn't going to shake it.
The boy's eyes remained fixed on Jason's for several seconds, trying to detect even the slightest hint of deceit. He was about to speak when your voice interrupted him. "Jace, honey, who's at the door?"
"Nobody." He closed the door in Jason's face, coming closer to hug you for a few seconds. "Just some weird guy, you shouldn't go out."
"A strange man?" Your brow furrowed with concern. The only person who should be there was the man you'd been meeting; it was the time you'd arranged, and he was always very punctual. "With a white streak in his hair?"
"Uh... I don't know, I don't remember." He shrugged, looking away. That was enough for you to know it was Todd.
With a sigh, you went to the door. When you opened it, you found him, a mocking smile plastered on his face. "I'm so sorry, Jason. I was supposed to greet you, but I got caught up in the kitchen," you said, stepping aside to let him in. You didn't want their first interaction to be so awkward.
"Don't worry, the kid's got guts," he whispered with a small laugh, going deeper into the place.
"And that's why he's gotten into more trouble than I'd like," you admitted, shaking your head gently.
Your son was too... volatile with people on the street. You had tried very hard to keep him away from those things, but it was complicated in a place like Park Row.
Don't get me wrong, the boy is very polite when he needs to be, but he always goes through life with a frown and a sharp tongue, always on the verge of fights unless it was necessary to punch someone to bring them down a peg.
Many whispered that you were raising him badly since his father died, that you gave him too much freedom and that he would end up dead in an alley for being so rabid.
And that only filled you with anger and frustration. You'd spent years doing everything alone, making sure to raise him well, to create a good man, and you were certain he wouldn't be like the scum who did drugs in dark alleys and harassed passersby.
You knew this because you'd seen him many times trying to help those in need along his path.
But in Crime Alley, a kind person didn't survive just by having a pretty smile and dreamy eyes. Your son learned that the hard way; you knew it when his eyes seemed to darken the moment he stepped outside the apartment, when his stares at strangers began to sharpen. And you confirmed it when, on a rainy night, he ended up punching a guy in the face who had been following you.
He wasn't a violent dog, but if he felt cornered, he would bite.
And you hated yourself for not being able to protect him from those things.
"My love, go wash your hands and take a seat at the dining room," you said to your son, his eyes piercing Jason ever since he entered. He hesitated a moment before walking away to do what you asked.
"He's... a little difficult with strangers, it's nothing personal," you explained in a whisper, leading Jason to the table; you already had everything prepared and served.
"Don't worry, I understand." He shook his head gently before taking a seat. Once your son returned to the table, he kept frowning.
"Where do you know my mom from?" he asked directly, ignoring that you were saying his name in a warning.
The fact that they both had the same name enraged him even more.
"I met her while volunteering at the community sports field," he replied simply, thanking you for the food once you started eating.
"Do you remember the first time I volunteered as a recreation leader? There." you commented with a small smile; your son had accompanied you for a few minutes before leaving.
"And what was he doing there?" he asked without touching his food yet.
"I also worked as a recreation leader, but with a group of teenagers." Your son just frowned more. Jason added, "I'm teaching them self-defense; we already have a separate group and we have classes on Thursdays."
"If you'd like, we could sign you up, honey. The money raised will go towards continuing to fund recreational activities," you said, looking at your son with a small smile.
"I already know self-defense," he murmured before starting to eat.
You pressed your lips together, alternating your gaze between them; you couldn't expect them to get along from the start, but it was complicated.
"Did you already know she has a son?" He asked shortly after.
"I knew it from the beginning, I saw you when you were with her there." Jason stated without hesitation.
"I assume you know she was married." You weren't liking where the conversation was going, but Jason already knew everything that had happened with your ex-husband.
"She told me shortly afterward during one of our dates. I also know they didn't get divorced." The man wasn't trying to replace his biological father in any way; he knew it was a position that had been forcibly left vacant, and from what you had told him, your husband had given his all from the very beginning.
You two were very young when you had your child, yet your boyfriend—at that time—had done his best to give you a good life. He had taken on two jobs to keep everything running smoothly in your small apartment.
When you were the right age, you got married. It was a small but very beautiful wedding. By the time your child was 8, your husband had gotten a job at a restaurant; he was paid well enough that he didn't have to worry so much.
You would never have expected that job to lead to his death.
The place was frequented by several criminal gangs. On what seemed like a fairly quiet night, two rival gangs ended up in a shootout. Your husband was one of those killed that night.
He always stayed out of it all, never wanting to get involved with that kind of thing to avoid ending up dead, but in the end, one way or another, a bullet got him.
You ended up a widow at twenty-two.
"My dad always treated her properly." His voice remained low; he wasn't entirely happy about you being with him. "You seem like a troublemaker."
"Jason-" Your eyes widened, and you dropped your cutlery.
"And you look just like me, but I'm trying to get to know you before I judge you, kid." Your man—if you could even call him that—seemed completely unconcerned.
"Are you calling me problematic?"
"I'm saying you look just as problematic as I do, not that you are."
If you thought about it a little and looked at both of them in detail... they did seem problematic.
Your son already had that "look at me two more seconds and I'll punch you in the face" face, and the man you'd been dating had the same expression. Jason—the older one—had told you a little about his childhood in Crime Alley; you could understand that it was a pretty common expression among kids who grew up there.
Jason had a grumpy face, but he was a sweetheart with his loved ones. You hoped your son would be similar. He, too, would end up snapping at anyone who tried to bother him on the street.
Although, given his physique, almost no one bothered him.
"Well, why don't we talk about something else? Jace started working at an auto shop a few weeks ago." You smiled, trying to change the subject.
"Oh yeah? That's good, it never hurts to know about it." Your son shook his head a little when he heard it, like a so-so.
"I wanted to help Mom with the expenses." It had been a complicated conversation, but in the end you had agreed to let him get a job. Since he had started earning some money, some things around the house were going more smoothly.
"It's understandable, when I was a little younger than you I also tried to help my mother," Jason commented in a soft tone.
"And did it go well?"
"She died due to an overdose that year," he replied simply; it wasn't a simple subject for him, but he didn't intend to delve into such things the first time he spoke with your son. "I did what I could, but it wasn't enough."
That had taken your child by surprise; he hadn't expected that turn of events... And he couldn't imagine being without you from such a young age.
"So take advantage of the fact that your mom is doing very well and is healthy. Don't overexert yourself so that you can both enjoy your time together."
Your son remained silent for the rest of the dinner, only answering a few questions that you or Jason asked.
He hadn't stopped to consider that possibility. He always tried to spend as much time as possible with you when he was free from school or work, but he hadn't considered that things could change in an instant—just like what happened with his father. He couldn't take it for granted that you'd be in the living room waiting for him that night. Anything could happen at your job or on your way home. Something could even happen to him, but he had promised himself he would never leave you alone; he couldn't leave before you. He would always reach you one way or another.
Once dinner was over, you took you aside to wash everything; the older one had offered to do it, but you insisted he didn't, giving them some time alone.
"Kid, I don't want you to be scared by what I said. I'm only mentioning it because... I've been in your shoes and I know how much you want to repay your mother for everything she's given you, but don't let that blind you to spending quality time with her, or with anyone you care about." The man tried to explain himself better. "Sometimes we focus so much on getting something to bring home that we forget that those who need us also need our presence.”
Your son remained silent for a few seconds, nodding lightly at his words.
"Why haven't you made anything official with my mom? That volunteering was months ago," he asked, frowning slightly; his voice was softer now.
"She wanted me to meet you first and I respected that. You're the only family she has." You always seemed relaxed when you were out of the house, but with every loud noise or whisper that a boy had been found dead, your body tensed, fearing it could be your son.
You asked him to meet your son first before anything more serious. Entering the life of a widow with a teenage son wasn't something to take lightly; you wanted him to see the situation for himself before rushing into anything and risking things not working out.
At almost thirty, you had several responsibilities, both at work and with your home and your son. You knew that other mothers might neglect their children when they found a partner, but that idea would never have crossed your mind.
For almost eight years, it had been just the two of you against the cruelty of the world, and even if that weren't the case and you were living comfortably elsewhere, you could never leave your child behind. He was a glimmer of light in your life, and you in his.
Your son came first, and your relationship came second. Jason understood that perfectly.
"I know you're not going to trust me overnight, and I'm not asking you to. But I'm going to make sure I live up to your mother's expectations; I'm going to do my best to be worthy."
Todd knew that mere words meant nothing to someone who had already seen how insignificant they could be, which is precisely why he was going to show your son with actions how much he wanted to be a part of your life, how much he wanted to get to know him. Maybe not as a father figure, but he wanted to be there for him if he ever needed him.
He was aware of what those streets could do to a teenager with the best intentions and he didn't want that for your child.
"Jason! I need you to get the couch ready for the movies."
"Yes, ma'am." they both replied in unison; the issue of their names would be a problem.
Even so, Jason—the older one—could see the boy holding back a smile. That kind of misunderstanding was going to be funny.
"Let's see if you can give your boyfriend a different name, Mom. I came first to your life." He spoke in a tone of mock annoyance, heading to the sofa to arrange the cushions.
"Well, his middle name is Peter... I'll have to consider it," you murmured thoughtfully, leaning against the kitchen counter while you waited for the popcorn to be ready.
"Peter?" your son asked, letting out a low laugh. "Do you also own an auto parts store?"
"Actually, he does," you murmured without actually seeing them. "and a book one"
"Don't give him any more reasons to make fun of me, darling." Your partner shook his head with a slight smile, walking towards you to kiss your forehead.
“But he asked." you replied, somewhat confused.
"I was making fun of him."
"He was making fun of me."
“Oh.”
A/n: I'm thinking of making this a series. Little moments of the two Jasons gradually fitting into a family dynamic.
