#variant writing

[variant-nightwing16]

“If I die again….I want you to cremate me and bury my urn with my parents.”

Jason paused in eating his burger, he slowly turned towards Dick, who was staring blankly ahead. Jason had to process that one for a second before he startled. “The hell do you mean again?! You- you ain’t neva died!” He exclaimed, Jason knows that, knows the whole Spyral shit was fake…right?

Dick just give him a sad look and Jason felt his burger start to come back up, His hand was grabbed and Jason wanted to yank it back, Dick’s hand was cold.

They sat like that on the rooftop, food long forgotten. Jason couldn’t bring himself to eat anymore.

Jason felt like so sick, he had accused Dick of faking it, neva tried to defend himself. Hell he didn’t even stop Jason from punching him, Dick just stood there and took it. Jason was pulled out of his thoughts by Dick curling up to him and falling asleep, Jason didn’t bother moving him or shoving him off like he’s done for the past few weeks.

Jason would found out what really happened that day, he needed to know so he could better prepare for what he knew was coming.

[variant-nightwing16]

Dick came back different.

That was the only thing the titans could think of right now, he was moody and angry when he left and now he’s all smiles, loud laughter and very…touchy. Dick didn’t do touchy nor did his smiles light up a room, something had happened and the titans knew was responsible for it.

The new kid, Jason Todd, was definitely the cause of Dick’s sudden change in personality. The younger boy had come waddling in behind Dick with a large metal case holding a Robin suit, he had beamed up at their leader and the man had practically melted. Rachel was absolutely sure Jason used magic or something, why else would Dick easily give up Robin and announce he was going by Nightwing now?

Hank and Dawn thought it was some mind control device and Kori and Donna thought it was some chemical Jason got from Gotham. The only person who didn’t think Jason was evil was Gar, he was actually happy Dick wasn’t so guarded or angry anymore.

Gar sat there and watched them grow more unhinged with every weird crazy plan they came up with, he was seriously debating whether or not to call a therapist.

———————————————————————————

Dick hummed softly as he pulled out a fresh batch of cookies, he smiled as the sweet scent filled the kitchen. His little wing was sitting on the island counter, munching on a cookie while swinging his legs.

“The titans are acting weird again, I can hear them planning” Jason said, he had finished his baked good. Dick placed the tray down on the counter. “Ah ignore them sweetheart.” Dick says, he didn’t really care what they were doing, Jason was all that mattered in the moment, he’d deal with them later.

“Alright!” Jason smiled at him and Dick couldn’t help but melt at the affection, heart warming at the love his little wing was shooting him. He was so glad Jason managed to break that cursed watch he was wearing, who knows what he’d be missing out on if he hadn’t?

[variant-nightwing16]

Jason didn’t want to be here in this musty cave, surrounded by a bunch of people in dark and colorful costumes. Two of those people had found him practically swimming in clothes and when Jason tried running said clothes tripped him up.

The gentle blue one had caught him before his face hit the concrete, clawed hands easily wrapping around his bony body, Jason didn’t know what to think when blue looked at him like he was someone precious, someone worth such gentle hands.

He knew he should have tried fighting so he wouldn’t be trafficked or killed but the hug blue gave him reminded him so much of both his moms that he didn’t even try when blue brought him to his super cool car.

So here Jason was, sitting on the lap of blue while everyone argued about what to do with him. Robin was arguing with restaurant boy about keeping him because he made blue happy. “You really don’t get it do you? Todd is staying and nothing you say will change that drake” Robin hissed at the other guy.

restaurant boy threw his hands up in frustration. “We don’t even know if that’s actually Jason! Sure the clothes were there but someone could have easily planted them!” Jason didn’t like him, his voice was shrill and annoying like those rich boys that would throw stale bread at him when they wanted entertainment.

Blue tightened his hold on Jason, running his claws through his curls, Jason wondered if they were real claws or something apart of his gloves. “This is Jason, I would recognize his eyes and those heart shaped bangs anywhere” he said and Jason felt his heart skip a beat, he looked up at blue who smiled softly at him.

Blue kissed his forehead before saying something that made Robin smug and restaurant boy glare with such intense hatred and jealousy. “I know that this is my little Robin, I would recognize my baby anywhere, anytime.” Jason sucked in a breath, his mama and mom had said the same thing, that they would always recognize him no matter how old he got.

Jason turned around and hugged blue, hiding his tears in blue’s costume. He had another person who loved him and now he couldn’t leave, didn’t want to leave. He’d fight restaurant boy himself if he had too, nobody was taking him away from his new parent.

[variant-nightwing16]

“Do ya think the boss has a praise kink?”

The hoods freeze at liu’s words, Mike slowly turns to them, his green eyes staring at his sibling in disbelief “what the fuck liu?”

They panic for a second, waving their prosthetic arms around. “Not like that! I don’t mean sexually or anything. I mean in….general? You all saw boss almost slip off the roof when his wife called him a good boy” they said and Mike has to resist punching them in the arm.

First of all, wife? The only person on that roof with the boss that day was Nightwing and Nightwing ain’t no woman. Second, if the boss finds out they be talking about this they’ll be as good as dead. So Mike slaps his sibling upside the head “just- get back to work liu”

Neither one of them noticed Red Hood and Nightwing in the shadows, their boss leaning away from a very flustered Nightwing.

[variant-nightwing16]

“Do you have a stick up your ass?”

Jason startles a bit, turning around to find Dick behind him. Jason rolled his eyes at his predecessor and went back to taking his suit off “no, now leave me alone”

All Dick did was hum, taking off his gauntlet and putting it in the case along with his boots, chest plate, and under-armor. “Seems like it, because from what my memory tells me I was good to you and yet you still act like a little bitch”

Jason almost drops his own gauntlet and Tim chokes on his spit beside him. Jason snarls and throws the gauntlet at Dick, only for his predecessor to catch the damn thing.

Dick’s other arm shoots out and grabs Jason by the face, dragging him close “word of advice, take that stick out fast or I’ll do it for you” he stared down Jason, blue eyes almost glowing under the shadow of his bangs, he then let go and walked out of the locker room like nothing happened.

Tim turned to Jason to try and comfort the boy, only to cringe back slightly at the look on Jason’s face.

Either Tim’s been watching too much anime or Jason looked like when of those tough mean girls who finally get beat by the main protagonist, heart eyes and everything.

[variant-nightwing16]

Joker is monologuing as usual, he’s talking about the same thing he does every day since he came to be and Dick can see a young boy no older than 19 staring at the clown with pure hatred in his eyes, standing in the alleyway alone. Dick knows deep down what that kid is thinking, knows what he’s about to do because Dick can see only one of his hands is free, the other is shoved in the pocket of his hoodie.

Dick stands still as the boy makes his way towards Joker’s cackling form, he feels Jason stiffen beside and see Bruce about to move, the joker starts laughing at the boy and that only seems to piss him off more.

“-and who are you? Some do goodie who wants to play hero?” Joker taunts, smiling that ugly ass smile he has. The kid pulls his hood down and Dick can’t help the way his breath hitches, that boy looks like him.

Everyone watches with awe and terror as the boy pulls out a gun and aims it at the Joker’s head. “My name is Richard Williams and you killed my brother Jason, neva again” He pulls the trigger and the bang echoes everywhere, they watch as Richard empties the whole clip into Joker’s dead body.

Dick tunes everything out after that, turning slowly to see Jason’s reaction, his little brother’s helmet is in the way but Dick knows him better than anyone and knows what this will do to him, the question is…can Dick help him through it?

[variant-nightwing16]

Maybe just one more dance

Wally stood next to Dick, both of them watching the other Robin play with Conner and Wolf. He turned his gaze to Dick, seeing a soft smile on his best friend’s lips. “Well someone’s all smiles now, I thought you were upset about him?” Wally asked, raising a brow.

Dick just chuckled. “I was but he and I talked and Walls…I gave him my name, I gave him something so incredibly important and that boy has cherished it, I’m not upset because I know now that I picked him” he answered and Wally began smiling too, he knew all about Dick’s past and knew how important Robin was, that was his mother’s name and if Dick passed it down it meant Robin 2 was important.

“I’m glad. it’s nice to know you chose him instead of, I don’t know, Batman taking your name” Wally said, sipping his soda while Dick laughed beside him, Robin 2 snapped his gaze towards Dick but that seemed to be a mistake on his part because he was immediately tackled by Wolf.

“Can you imagine? B taking my name and giving it away to someone I didn’t know without my permission?” Dick asked, the mere thought of Bruce betraying Dick like that was ridiculous, he would never. They both turned back to watch the others have fun, it seemed M'gann, Artemis, and Kaldur had decided to join in.

Robin 2 waved them over, Dick stretched before taking a running start and launching himself at Wolf, cackling along the way, Wally was glad his friend was able to talk with the kid, it meant he got to see his smile. A pillow hit his face and Wally turned to see Artemis grinning at him. “Oh it is so on!” He laughed as he joined them.

[variant-nightwing16]

“Hey Dick? Can I…tell you about something?” Jasmine asked, she was standing in front of the couch her boyfriend was sitting on, it was a nice soft purple that matched well with the other furniture Dick had brought over when they started actually living together.

She watched him turn the tv off and face her, cerulean eyes focused only on her, Jasmine felt her stomach flip at that, she will never get used to all the attention and pure devotion. “What’s up beautiful” *he says and Jasmine feels her face heat up.

This is supposed to be a serious conversation right now, Dick seems to catch something in her eyes and straighten up. “Jay? Is everything okay with you?” His tone is laced with concern and it makes her feel better knowing he picked up on her distress so quickly. Jasmine sat down beside him and took a deep breath, here goes nothing.

“I’m…trans, I’m a girl and I wanna be known as Jasmine” She doesn’t look at him, *can’t* look quite yet, she’s felt this kind of fear before, this drowning suffocating feeling that builds in her gut, she doesn’t wanna look and potential see disgust or discomfort or disappointment.

A hand is grabbing her chin and Jasmine is being turned, Dick is smiling softly at her. “Baby, I already know” she freezes, what did that mean? He continues “I’ve known for a while actually, since you were young and wanted to add a skirt to the Robin suit”

Jasmine felt like crying, he knew? “If you knew why didn’t you ever say anything” she needed to know, Jasmine needed to know why he never said anything about her being a girl.

“Because I waited for you to trust me enough to tell me, there’s a reason why I refer you to as my partner to my friends instead of my boyfriend.” He answered honestly and Jasmine knew without a doubt he was telling the truth, Dick leaned forward and kissed her softly, smiling against her lips. “Thank you for telling me Princess”

Jasmine wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him closer, burying her face in his neck. She was so happy he accepted her years before she came out, she was so lucky.