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dc-and-arfrona · 10 months

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Trapped

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Nightwing x GN!Reader

Type: Fluff

Word Count: 1.1k+

Masterlist

Summary: You guys meet when you’re trapped in an elevator.

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The night was crisp, and the city's skyline shimmered with the vibrant glow of streetlights and distant signs. I patrolled the rooftops of Gotham as Nightwing, keeping a vigilant eye on the city I had sworn to protect. Little did I know that fate had a different plan in store for me that evening.

As I leaped across the rooftops, my senses sharpened. A distress call echoed through the night, indicating an emergency at an office building downtown. Without hesitation, I raced towards the location, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Arriving at the scene, I discovered that a group of criminals had triggered a power outage, leaving the building in darkness. Panic filled the air as people scrambled, searching for a way out. I knew time was of the essence.

With calculated precision, I subdued the criminals, disarming them one by one. But as I moved deeper into the building, I found myself stepping into an elevator, its doors closing behind me. In the blink of an eye, the confined space became my temporary prison.

I tapped on the control panel, attempting to regain control of the elevator, but it was unresponsive. I sighed, realizing that I was trapped with no way to contact the outside world. This was not how I envisioned my night playing out.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a soft voice. "Um, excuse me? Are you Nightwing?"

I turned my attention towards the stranger beside me—a captivating individual who exuded a unique blend of confidence and vulnerability. They had a warmth in their eyes that immediately drew me in.

"Yes, that's right," I replied, my voice calm despite the circumstances. "And who might you be?"

A small smile graced their lips. "Just a regular person in need of a little rescuing right now. I never thought I'd find myself in an elevator with a superhero."

We exchanged a brief chuckle, the tension within the confined space dissipating. There was something about their presence that put me at ease.

As time stretched on, conversation flowed freely between us. We shared stories, hopes, and dreams—finding solace in each other's company. In that dimly lit elevator, we formed a connection, a bond forged in the face of uncertainty.

Hours passed, and the silence settled upon us, punctuated only by the occasional muffled sound from outside. It was during one of these lulls that I felt a shift in the air—a gentle vulnerability emanating from the stranger beside me.

"I never expected to meet someone like you," they confessed, their voice barely above a whisper. "Someone who fights for justice and inspires hope. It's... it's truly extraordinary."

I met their gaze, captivated by their sincerity. "It takes more than just a mask and a cape to make a difference. It takes courage, compassion, and the belief that even in the darkest of nights, there's always a glimmer of light."

They nodded, their eyes shimmering with admiration. "You're right. And in this moment, you've given me hope, Nightwing. You've shown me that even when we're trapped, there's still a chance for connection and resilience."

As the words hung in the air, a flicker of understanding passed between us. The confines of the elevator had become a space for transformation—a testament to the power of human connection.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the elevator jolted back to life, its doors sliding open to reveal the world outside. The chaos of the night greeted us, but we faced it together—strangers turned allies, inspired by the shared experience of being trapped and finding solace in each other's presence.

With a final nod and a grateful smile, we stepped out of the elevator, each going our separate ways. But the memory of that night, of the connection formed in the face of adversity, would forever remain etched in our hearts.

Months had passed since that fateful night in the elevator, but the memory of the stranger I had met remained vivid in my mind. Their warmth, their laughter, and the genuine connection we had shared continued to linger, even as I continued my duties as Nightwing, protecting the city.

It was an unusually quiet night, and I found myself patrolling the streets of Gotham. As I turned a corner, my eyes locked with a familiar figure—a figure that stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me. It was them—the person I had met in the elevator all those months ago.

A mixture of surprise and delight washed over their face as our eyes met. "Nightwing? Is that really you?"

I couldn't help but smile, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of them. "Yes, it's me. What are the chances of running into each other again?"

They stepped closer, their gaze filled with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. "I've thought about that night so many times. It feels like a lifetime ago. How have you been?"

I paused for a moment, feeling a rush of emotions welling up within me. I had to be honest—I couldn't keep my thoughts and feelings hidden any longer. "To be honest, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. In the midst of everything I do, you've always been in the back of my mind."

Their eyes widened, surprise and intrigue dancing within them. "You... you think of me?"

I nodded, the weight of my confession lifting off my shoulders. "Yes, more than you can imagine. Our encounter in that elevator was brief, but it left a lasting impact on me. You showed me the power of connection and reminded me that even in the darkest of times, there's always a glimmer of hope."

A soft smile spread across their face, their eyes shining with a mix of joy and affection. "I've thought about you too, Nightwing. Meeting you that night made me realize that there's so much more to the world than just the struggles and hardships. You gave me hope and showed me that superheroes exist not just in comics, but in real life too."

In that moment, the distance between us seemed to disappear, replaced by an undeniable pull of attraction and shared experiences. The months apart had only served to deepen the connection we had forged that night.

As we stood there, basking in the serendipity of our reunion, I couldn't help but reach out and gently take their hand in mine. "I know our paths are different, and our lives are complicated, but I can't deny the way you've made me feel. I haven't been able to think of anyone else but you."

Their fingers intertwined with mine, their touch grounding me in the present moment. "Nightwing, I feel the same way. The connection we share—it's undeniable. Let's see where it takes us."

With a renewed sense of hope and the knowledge that our paths had converged once again, we embarked on a new chapter—a chapter that would test our resilience, deepen our bond, and prove that even in a city consumed by darkness, love could be found in the most unexpected places.

#nightwing x reader #nightwing x you #dick grayson x you #reader x nightwing #nightwing #dc #dc imagines #dc universe #dick grayson #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson x y/n #dick grayson imagines #nightwing imagines #robin imagines #robin x reader #robin x y/n #nightwing x y/n

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fleur-de-violette · 13 days

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Of caves, poisonous arrows, and futures

AO3

Word count : 5168

Summary:

“I saw this poison at work. He will be dead in a matter of hours, and there is nothing we can do.” This wasn’t how Dick had planned his night to go. This wasn’t how he had planned his future to go. (But at least Jason is there, so he’s not alone.)

Note:

So, this is a fic I started writing when I just got into Batfam and I decided to finish it now. I hope the style and characterization aren’t too inconsistent considering 4 years passed between the moment I started and finished it. Enjoy!

Dick blinks. There is something hard and cold pressing on his back. The smell in the air and the lack of light is very characteristic. He’s in a cave. It’s not the cave though, the one that fells like home and long nights and relief. This one just feels cold and empty. How many caves are there in Gotham anyway? Too many, that’s it.

He’s not alone. There is someone here, very close, talking. He can’t really understand what the other person is saying, but the voice doesn’t sound very happy. It also sounds inhuman. Synthetic, his mind supplies, artificial or modified voice. Ally or enemy? He blinks again, willing his eyes to adapt to the dim light, his brain to understand what’s going on. Finally, he makes out the known features of a red helmet. Ally then. His days as enemy with Red Hood are long gone, replaced with something else. He can’t say they’re brothers now, because in a way, they’ve always been, even in the darkest times, when none of them wanted to. But friends doesn’t exactly cut it either. Allies, depending on the day, might be the closest thing. He still doesn’t really get what Jason is saying, but his attention focusses on something else. There is a third person.

His shoulder hurts and then everything comes back.

He took a fucking arrow in the shoulder. No, that doesn’t make sense. An arrow wound wouldn’t make him that confused. There is something else. Well. He’s gonna have to let Jason understand this one because he’s tired. It’s about time for the kid to do some detective work anyway.

A gloved hand slaps him in the face and that’s rude. Jay should be nicer because he’s hurt and it’s not fair. This wasn’t even his fault. Not even in a self-sacrificing way. It was an accident. He really thought he could get both himself and the civilian out of the way of the arrow. Wait, no. Not a civilian. Well, not exactly a civilian. Matthew Munch is a low-grade thief that had decided to steal from a bigger fish than he could handle. Bigger fish decided to shoot him a poisoned arrow (because that was probably what had happened right? Poison) while Nightwing and Red Hood were apprehending him, both of them more interested in the big fish in question, a new organization. And Dick had just jumped. Like an idiot. Which led to a temporary alliance between two vigilantes and a thief. Oh, Jason is probably loving this.

“I saw this poison in action. He’s as good as dead.”

Oh, and Matthew Munch is also the local ray of sunshine apparently. Trust his hearing to recover just so he could hear that.

“You shut the fuck up.”

Well, actually understanding his brother is nice. Even if he could do without the helmet. He always hated it. Like he hates the cowl that mask half of Bruce’s face. Seriously. Dominos are way better. At least Damian still have just a domino mask. He wonders if and when his youngest brother will outgrow it.

Another slap across his face takes him back to the reality of being slumped in the cold, unfamiliar cave.

“Wing, are you with me?”

Dick blinks again. Matthew says something he doesn’t listen to. Instead, he closes his eyes and nod frenetically.

“Yeah. I’m with you”

Oh, he can talk. That feels good. Even better is the sigh of relief that escape the helmet. But it also means Jason was worried, so maybe not that much of a good sign.

“Ok. That’s great. Do you think you can walk?”

He hears a “obviously he can’t” from behind his brother, and it’s sheer spite and stubbornness that have him gather his legs under him and his arms around Jason’s shoulders.

“I can. Help me up.”

Sheer spite and stubbornness got him far. He’s proud to say that sheer spite and stubbornness got him to climb on supposedly unclimbable things, to perform stunts that no children could possibly do, to solve cases the Batman himself was struggling with, to create a team of “way too young” badass superheroes and to become a badass solo superhero himself while being “way too young” and “not ready.” Come to think of it, he was way too young and absolutely not ready when he first became Nightwing. But. That’s beside the point. The point is: spite and stubbornness got him far.

In this case, spite and stubbornness get him approximately fifteen foots from his starting point before he collapses back onto the cave’s floor. Jason curses and slow down his decent but they still end up in the exact same position they were five minutes ago. Matthew makes a distressed noise, which is new. Wasn’t the guy very neutral about Nightwing’s death just a few moments ago?

“The hitman is gonna be back! We don’t have time!”

Oh, so this wasn’t about him falling. This was about him slowing them down. Well, Matthew will have to deal with it because Dick doesn’t think he’s getting up on his own anytime soon. The only thing keeping him sitting more or less upright is Jason’s hands on him. Jason, who seems determined to ignore Matthew as he pats his face again and force him to open his eyes.

“Wing, look at me. I’m gonna get you out of here even if it means carrying you all the way, okay?”

It might very well mean that. Jason sounds worried, even with the voice modifier. This isn’t good. A worried Jason is usually one step away from an angry Red Hood, and he doesn’t have the energy to deal with that right now. He coughs, tastes blood, the hands around him are getting tighter and…

“We should move!”

… and he can practically feel the moment where worried Jason is gone, and angry Red Hood takes over.

“Look, I want to get out of here as much as you do, but right now he…”

“Like I said. He’s as good as dead.”

It takes Dick one second to understand the implication. It takes Jason less than that, because the hands on him are gone, and even with his eyes closed, he can imagine that Matthew is facing the barrel of a gun. He should really prevent Jay from killing anybody, especially the guy he just got hurt protecting, but his whole body is heavy.

“You peace of shit! Nightwing jumped in front of a poisoned arrow for you. And you’re just suggesting we leave him here to agonize alone?”

“I’m not saying we should let him agonize here.”

There is a beat of silence for a second or two that informs Dick he’s not the only one who doesn’t quite understand.

“Look. There is no saving him. You have guns. It’s mercy at this point.”

Something cold washes over him. It has nothing to do with the poison.

I’m making an executive decision Catwoman, I’m saving our lives…

No, not going there. Not thinking of that. Not right now. Jason is not gonna kill him. No one is gonna kill him. Jason is not gonna kill anyone. He won’t let him.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

The mechanical voice is barely a whisper at this point, so Matthew really should start thinking carefully about what he will say next.

“Just give me the gun. I know you Bats don’t like to get your hands dirty.”

Wrong thing to say.

“Oh, I can get my hand dirty all right. In fact, the only reason I’m not getting my hands dirty right here, right now with your fucking little brain is-”

“Hood.”

He can’t do much more than calling out, and cough a little more, but that seems to do the trick. Angry Red Hood is gone, and worried Jason is back. For the time being at least.

“Okay. Fuck. Come on. On by back.”

Dick feels himself being lifted and does his best to hold on to Jason’s neck. Despite the situation, he giggles weakly, “Yay. Piggyback ride.”

Jason snorts. It’s a little distorted, both by the mask and the exertion. The Red Hood is a mountain of pure muscles but, despite being smaller and thinner, Dick knows he isn’t exactly light.

“Don’t get used to it.”

“The hitman will be back. You can’t fight like this.”

Matthew Munch, official killjoy.

“You…” Jason sounds like he’s having a hard time not yelling, which he probably is. “You make yourself useful and find a way out of here.”

Matthew doesn’t seem to be willing to move, which is weird for someone who was so adamant about getting out of the cave earlier. Dick wishes he would get his mind into it, because he feels like he should be in a cot in the Batcave like yesterday. Or in his bed in the manor. Or his apartment. He’s not picky. He just doesn’t want to stay any longer than he has to do on Jason’s back in an unknown cave with a probably lethal poison cursing through his veins.

“You can’t leave me like that! I’m unarmed! At least give me one of your guns or something!”

The guy is definitely overestimating both his luck and Dick’s performance at keeping Jason murder free.

“Oh, I absolutely can. And you just threatened to take my brother out like a dog, so don’t think I’m letting you anywhere near a weapon anytime soon. Now go, or the hitman will be the least of your problems!”

That seems to do the trick. Something in Dick’s chest warm up at the world brother, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. Because Jason starts walking and his whole body hurts with the movement. He’s pretty sure he let out a pained gasp.

“Hang in there, Dickface.”

“Names” he breath out. He hears an exasperated sigh.

“He’s far away. Can’t hear us.”

“You let the thief get away?”

He’s glad. At least his little brother won’t be killing anybody today.

“I put a tracker on him. He’s not going anywhere but in prison.”

Dick breath in, breath out. He’s not sure how he feels about Matthew going to prison. There is something about the guy. He feels like he knows him. He doesn’t exactly recall from where and he doesn’t have the energy to think about it.

“That’s smart. You’re smart.”

He feels like he should say it. He feels like there is a lot of things he should say to Jason, just in case. Didn’t Matthew said the poison was killing in minutes or something? Dick knows he’s been trained to resist most poisons, but that still might not be enough. The arrow wound is in his left shoulder. How close to the heart is too close? He’s glad no one put him out, but the idea of his little brother walking out of the cave with his dead body on his back is somehow worse. Bruce is gonna hate this. He’s probably going to yell, and Jason is gonna yell back. Dick doesn’t want them to fight. He always hated it. Well, not always. When he was a teenager, a stupid, selfish teenager, when Jason was Robin, before…before. He loved when Bruce was lecturing Jason then. It saw it as some kind of weak proof that the kid wasn’t better than him. That he couldn’t totally replace him.

“You’re awfully quiet up there. Everything okay?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re not that heavy.”

They both know he’s not talking about that.

“No, for being an ass… when… before…”

He slips, and is jostled maybe a bit too much when his brother stabilizes him on his back, but Jason’s voice is neutral as he says, “We’ve talked about this. Now is not the time.”

And that’s right, they’ve talked about it. But it was always like this - when one of them was close to death or having a nervous breakdown. They never sit down and talk things like a normal family. It is what normal families do, isn’t it? Dick doesn’t remember. Back in the circus, he was shielded from the big problems, up until the big problems were too high, with no net and a broken rope. But this isn’t the time to think about that. If everything goes right, he will meet his parents soon. No. Not if everything goes right. No dying. That’s the plan. He still has to tell Jason why he’s sorry though. To confess his sin.

“Back then… one day. We had a huge fight. B and I. And you were such a smug brat, I…”

He hears a laugh.

“Yeah, sound like me.”

“Anyway, I stormed back to Titan Tower, and I don’t really know why, I mean we were all teens at that point, I don’t really know why we had so much alcohol.”

He hears Jason snort. Talking hurts, but now that he started, he’s not ready to stop. He takes a breath that feels like a sob.

“And I’d already been drunk a few times, B had us build alcohol tolerance, right? So, I knew the effects and all, but I decided to screw safety. I was just… I just wanted to stop thinking for a while.”

His brother makes an understanding noise. They’d all been there.

“And I said… God, I didn’t think, I didn’t mean it, I was hurting, I was wasted, but that’s no excuses. I just… I said I just wished you would…”

He feels the shoulders under him go stiff, but Jason keeps walking in silence.

He had been an asshole to Roy to, that day. The archer had been so careful with him, taking away the booze, giving him a glass of water and a bucket. But at some point, he slipped, called him the wrong name.

Come on Rob, you’ve had enough, let’s get you to bed.

And Dick, like the hurting little bastard he was, had yelled at him. Told him not to call him that, never call him that, that there was no more Robin, that Robin died the day Jocker put a bullet in his shoulder.

Robin is dead. The Joker killed him.

The irony isn’t lost on him. The exact same words had his whole world collapsing on him not even a year later.

Robin is dead. The Joker killed him.

What a big brother he was. Didn’t even go to the funeral.

“Enough. You didn’t know.”

Dick realizes that Jason talks like Bruce before he realizes he was talking out loud. Tim got the detective skills, Damian the quiet way of showing he cares and the stubbornness, Steph the unbreakable will, but Jason. Of all the Robins, he’s the one whose leadership is the closest to Batman. Once he realizes he has the ability to make people shut up and order him without pointing a gun at them, just by using this tone, he will be next to unstoppable. So, Dick obeys. He doesn’t really have a choice; this is a Batman tone, and he’s been trained, he’s been conditioned to obey that tone. But if he says that to Jason, he will be angry.

So, he forces himself to stop thinking about the three words - Robin is dead - that have his mind supplying Jason’s grave and Damian’s body. He focuses on physical sensation instead. This, he can deal with.

His left shoulder hurts, which isn’t exactly news, but it’s still there. Nothing but his mouth seems to be ready to move at his commend, his muscles painfully spasming sometimes. That’s the poison. The poison also apparently has him hurt with each breath, but he’s not wheezing, at least not yet, so he counts that as a win. There is something that feels suspiciously like blood running from his nose and between his lips, down his face, on Jason’s jacket.

And it hits him.

He’s bleeding all over Jason. Jason has his blood on him. No one should have a family member blood on them.

His parents died close to him, so close he still wondered on his loneliest nights if he could have caught them, but none of their blood actually went on him at first. It was only when he ran to them. In retrospect, no one should have let an eight-year-old kid run toward his parents’ bodies. It was only when he ran to them that the mixture of sand and blood found its way to his bare feet.

He doesn’t remember exactly when the blood was washed away. He has a memory of Alfred helping him wash his ankles with a washcloth during his first days with them, but it couldn’t be then, right? He‘d spent too much time in juvie for the blood to still be on him when he first came to the manor. But then again, he didn’t exactly had the luxury or the energy to care about personal hygiene there, and his memories from that time were pretty messy. But there is one thing he knows. He doesn’t want Jason to have his blood on him. Suddenly, Jason not having his blood on him became the most important thing.

“What are you wearing?”

It occurs to him at the same time he ears the confused “What?” that they went straight from a conversation about Jason’s death to asking about his clothes, but coherence is unimportant right now. Right now, what matters the most is his little brother not having blood touching his skin.

“Your shoes. What are you wearing?”

He coughs. There’s more blood going to Jason’s jacket, and it will probably be impossible to wash out, but it doesn’t matter as much as him not feeling the warmth of a family member blood directly on his skin.

“Combat boots,” Jason humors him. “Why the fuck are you asking that?”

Ok, that’s good. Combats boots are good. But he still needs to check for himself, so he opens his eyes.

Woah.

The ground is very, very far away. He knows this is probably the poison messing with his equilibrium and depth perception, but the ground seems very, very far away as Jason walks. He sees the combats boots, good, and then close his eyes. He waits until the nausea passes to talk again. Jason didn’t say anything about the blood on his jacket, but Dick is pretty sure he won’t appreciate vomit.

“You’re so tall,” he says.

Jason snorts, but there is no humor. “Well. I grew up, against all odds.”

They are both aware the odds he’s talking about aren’t his short size as a kid. Dick didn’t think he would have the chance to see Jason grow up. He didn’t think he would have the chance to see Damian grow up. How much can destiny gift someone the return of their loved ones from the dead until it’s had enough?

“Damian became so tall, too” he says instead of asking the question. It’s true. He dreads the day where he won’t be able to pick Damian up to bother him anymore.

“Given his parents, he will become even taller. And you’ll see him grow up.”

Dick doesn’t say anything to that. Jason’s voice sounds a little too desperate and it makes him wonder how much blood he’s actually coughing all over his brother’s jacket.

“You should have seen him, when he came back, and you weren’t there. He just- I’m not doing that again.”

“You guys were fine,” Dick says, half trying to convince himself. He’s still dealing with the guilt of the whole Spyral thing. Maybe he could have fought harder with Bruce. Maybe he could have gone against orders and still told the others. “You will be just fine.”

Jason sounds like he’s going to say something, but Dick adds, “If she wants it, Steph can be Nightwing. Tell her I would be honored.”

Jason stabilizes him, jostling him maybe a little too much. “You tell her yourself, I’m not your errand boy.”

Dick let his head loll on Jason’s shoulder. “Yeah,” he says, “Yeah, I will.”

He doesn’t know how long he drifts for before he hears Jason ask, “Talk to me.”

He opens his mouth and feels more blood coming out from his throat. “What do you want me to talk about?” he croaks with difficulties.

“I don’t know, the future. What do you have planned?”

Despite the situation, Dick finds himself laughing. “Not… Not this.”

“No, come on. Humor me. What do you want to do? Not even as Nightwing. What does Dick Grayson plan to do?”

Dick would choke if he still had enough breath to. “Since when do you care about what Dick Grayson wants to do?”

“Since now.”

“Well I-” he coughs. Closes his eyes. This sucks. “I kinda did a job interview last week.”

“For what kind of job?” Jason replies immediately.

“Gym instructor. In Blüdhaven youth detention center. First, but maybe it will expend to adults if it goes well. They have… they don’t have a lot of equipment. They told me I should just make them run, but I was thinking… maybe soccer, or even yoga. I can teach them to juggle, equilibrium, or…”

He trails off when his breath runs short. “Circus art,” Jason finishes for him.

Dick nods in his shoulder. “Yeah.”

“You’ll be good at it.”

“I’m not hired yet.” He’s not out of this cave yet.

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll be good at it.”

Dick wonders about that. Would his short time in juvie give him enough knowledge to actually understand what these kids are going through?

It suddenly hits him. “I know where I know him from.”

“Who?”

“Matthew Munch. I know where I know him from. He was in juvie with me.” It occurs to him that he never told Jason that he knew Matthew Munch, but Jason doesn’t call him out on it.

“Well,” he says. “Your friend turned into a looser.”

“He wasn’t my friend,” Dick corrects him. He was one of his bullies, actually. “And not everyone is lucky enough to become Bruce Wayne’s ward.”

Jason let out a sound that makes Dick think he has some reservation on the lucky part of their fate, but again, he doesn’t say anything. This, more than anything, makes Dick feel dizzy. If Jason isn’t going to fight with him, or at least complain, about that, then it might very much mean he thinks they’re in their last moments together.

“Not everyone is you,” Jason finally says after a time. “But these kids will have the chance to have you, I’ll make sure of it.”

Jason is a little out of breath, too. He’s walking fast, and Dick isn’t light. But there something comforting, something warm about the statement. Dick felt it when Jason was defending him against Matthew earlier, too.

He grew up. He grew up so fast, and Dick wasn’t there for it. But still, he came back to them. And he became so strong. Dick is sure he will grow up so much more, still.

And he might not be there to see it.

“And you?”

“Hm?”

“What does Jason Todd plan to do?”

“Names.”

Dick opens his eyes. Did Jason just names-ed him? Really? Really? After they used nothing but their real names for the last… he’d lost the notion of time, and maybe that should be worrying him, but now he’s more outraged at the face that Jason just names-ed him.

Jason must see the outrage on his face because he laughs, and the vibration of his lugs reverberate in Dick’s painful body. It hurts, but he’s not unhappy about it. “Jason Todd plans to get out of this cave.”

Dick sighs dramatically. It’s painful, but the amused look on Jason’s face is worth it.

“Come on. Humor me here, I’m…” he trails off. Saying I’m dying will not help lighten the mood, even if none of them can really forget it. The fact hangs in the conversation like a thick fog.

“I didn’t exactly get the chance to act on the growing up plan I wrote in sixth grade, in case you didn’t notice.”

This, too, his hanging around them like thick fog. Jason died. Dick is dying. There is no going around it. But still.

“But you grew up, still. You’re here now. You have a future. You should make plans.”

Jason stays silent for what seems like a long time and Dick wonders if this is it. If he’s going to close himself off and ends the conversation there. “I have plans,” he finally says.

Dick blinks. “So? Tell me.”

“I will tell you. Once we’re out of this cave, I’ll tell you.”

And that’s a promise. That’s a plan, a short-term plan, but a plan nonetheless. Something for Dick to hold on into like a drowning man hanging to a rope. Except the sea is angry and the rope is starting to unravel.

He’s not sure he will know, after all. He’s not sure he will get to know what Jason’s plans are. But he’s glad they exist.

He closes his eyes one second, and the next they’re out of the cave.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Jason tells him and maybe it’s a little too late for that. But Dick doesn’t tell him that. He doesn’t think he can talk anymore, anyway.

But Jason isn’t paying attention to him much anyway. He’s yelling at someone – a comm? “Yeah, no, I don’t care about that guy, I need a car, like, yesterday. No, I don’t need-” On cue, the sound of tires screeching covers his voice. A car is here. Despite everything, after everything, the sound of the Batmobile still brings comfort to Dick.

There is some silence Dick can only interpret as a staring battle between Jason and Bruce, before Batman says, “Get him to the cave.”

“I didn’t need your permission,” is Jason’s immediate answer.

Batman doesn’t rise to the provocation. “Robin, go with them; Black Bat, you’re with me, we’re getting into that cave; Red Robin, go assist Batgirl-”

“Wait, no,” Jason interrupts. “We need someone who is more used to the cave new antidote system than Robin and I. Red Robin comes with us, Robin go assist Batgirl on whatever it is she’s doing, and yes Blondie, you are babysitting.”

From where he’s on Jason’s shoulder, Dick can hear Steph reply that she didn’t say anything. No one else contests the order, not even Batman. Dick knows Jason doesn’t want to hear it, and he won’t be able to say it anyway, but in that instant, he’s a good leader. That shouldn’t really surprise Dick; Jason had his own men at some point, perhaps still does. He always had his doubts but now, Dick is sure of it: if things have been different, Jason could have been the successor of Batman.

There is some movement, and he’s not exactly proud of it, but he whines when he feels the warmth of Jason’s shoulder moving away.

“I’m not far… you’re so needy,” he hears Jason says from what he finally registers is the driving seat of the Batmobile.

There is a hand shaking his shoulder. “Don’t fall asleep,” Jason says again. Dick wants to reply something, he really does, but he blinks, the world tilts, and the next thing he knows, he’s no longer in the Batmobile.

He groans. There is an immediate shuffle next to him. “Oh, hey, hey, are you awake?”

That’s Tim. He blinks, or he think he does. Tim falls back into the chair next to the cot. “I can’t believe it worked.”

“What happened to ‘trust me, I’m sure it will work’, pretender?”

Tim shrugs. “I had to say something, didn’t I? Confidence is key.”

Dick isn’t sure of that, and he wants to tell Jason to not call Tim that, but figures are moving, he feels dizzy. He blinks, and…

“Are you really awake this time?”

Tim is no longer on the chair anymore, Jason is.

“Is everyone ok?” Dick asks, and he’s satisfied when his voice, if a bit shaky, comes out as intended.

Jason stares for a second. “Yeah, everyone is ok. Bats had them go upstairs.”

“But you’re here.”

“Since when am I obliged to follow his orders?”

Dick is surprised. He had expected Jason to leave as soon as he was out of the woods, maybe to continue the case.

“Matthew Munch?” he asks.

Jason stares again, before sighing. “You’re unbelievable,” he says, but there is no heat behind the words. “Yeah, he’s fine, he’s in custody of the GCPD, which might be where he’s the safest.”

Dick doesn’t say anything to that. A part of him wants to ask Jason why he’s still in the cave, but another is scared it will make him angry or make him leave.

Jason seems to understand the unsaid question anyway, because he laughs. “I have something to say to you, don’t I?” And then, much lower, very fast, he says. “I’m training to get an EMT certification.”

Dick blinks. What? “You already know field aid.” And he’s better than any starting EMT, too.

Jason seems to look everywhere but at him. “Yeah, well, if I want the job, I need the certification.”

He suddenly recalls their conversation in the cave, the other cave, not that long ago. “So that’s what Jason Todds plans to do. That’s great. You’ll be good at it.”

Jason looks everywhere but at him. “Yeah, well. No one could save that kid, all these years ago, but maybe if I save someone else… I don’t know. It just feels like the right thing to do.”

“It is,” Dick says. “I’m so proud of you.” And he’s scared maybe that will be it, that will be what makes Jason run away, but it isn’t. Jason just sits there in silence.

“You look tired,” Dick tells him, because it’s true.

Jason laughs. “Well, you should look in the mirror.”

“Not fair,” Dick replies. “I got poisoned. But you saved me. You’re good at this, saving people, you’ll be good. I’m sure of it.”

Jason clears his throat. “You too, I guess,” he says, even if Dick doesn’t remember actually saving anybody tonight. “You phone rang this morning, by the way. I didn’t answer, but the caller first name was Tina and her family name entered was ‘Gym teacher job’. That sounds probably good, right?”

Dick hmms. He will have to call her later, but Jason is right. This is good. Calling back, instead of an email or nothing, is usually a good sign.

There is some noise upstairs, and Jason stands. “And, that’s my cue to go.” He waves his hand. “Feel better, I guess.”

Dick blinks and Jason is on the other side of the cave. “Wait, Jay.” He needs to tell him something.

Jason stops. “Good luck, for the EMT certification.”

Jason doesn’t say anything to that, just takes his bike and goes.

Dick closes his eyes. They survived. And maybe they do have a future.

Note:

I hope you liked the story, many thanks to @ohmytoddhewitt for beta reading!

#dc #batfam #fanfiction #dick grayson #jaso #hurt #hurt/comfort #my writing #batman

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heavenboy09 · 1 month

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85 Years Ago Today

On March 30th, 1939

DC COMICS PRESENTS THE WORLD 🌎

WITH THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE 🕵️‍♂️ OF ALL TIMES

In The Dark Nights 🌙 In The Bustling Depths Of The Streets Of Gotham City

Crime Runs Rampart Frequently

The Police 🚔 Of Gotham are Overwhelmed & Some Forces are Easily Corrupted.

The Citizens Are No More Safer At Night Then They are during the Day.

With Crime & Violence Plaguing The Streets Of This Once Fair & Proud City.

Who Will Put A Stop To The Evil That Ceases To End Here.

There Is But One

One Man Stands Alone In The Crime Wave Of RAVAGED CHAOS

One Man Skilled In The Many Ways & Forms Of Martial Arts Throught The World 🌎 to Hone His Physical Strength & Stamina against The Evil & The Corrupted. As His Body Is Now Honed to be A Ultimate Weapon Of Fighting.

One Man Devoted To Researching Many Techniques Of Detective Work & Criminal Psychology to Bring Down The Most Criminally Insane Of Every Form Of Villany.

One Man Armed With An Arsenal Of High Tech Array Of Gadgets & An Incredible Combatant Vehicle of Ultimate Non Lethal Weaponry

One Man With A Dark Past and Ruined Childhood That Was Robbed Of & To Make Amends On The Criminals Who Took Away The Only People This Man Has Ever Loved at a Young Age.

This 1 Man Will Devote His Life To Ridden The City He Was Born In. Of Crime & Evil.

Through Justice In His Own Hands.

This 1 Man Is The Son Of Gotham & Now He is Their Last Hope.

In The Darkest Hours Of Gotham City, He Will Be The Light That Shines Through.

DC COMICS PRESENTS

I AM VENGEANCE... 😠

I AM THE NIGHT... 🌙

I AM

BATMAN 🦇

HAPPY 85TH ANNIVERSARY TO DC COMICS

BATMAN 🦇

BECOME THE KNIGHT 🦇

#Batman #BruceWayne #Alfred #DickGrayson #Robin #BarbaraGordon #Batgirl #Nightwing #RedHood #ComissionerGordon #TheJoker #TwoFace #ThePenguin #TheRiddler #Catwoman #GothamCity #TheDarkKnight #DCComics #Batman85

#Batman #DC COMICS #Gotham City #The Dark Knight #Batman 85 #Spotify

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 5 months

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Hope is a Thing With Feathers

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QOFyV47 by Civilized_muppets When Mother had come into Damian's room and told his catatonic bodyguard to come with her, Damian was young enough and had enough faith in his mother not to question her. When Mother returned with his no longer catatonic bodyguard who now sported Lazarus eyes and told Damian that this was Jason, his elder brother who had lost his memory recently, Damian still did not question her. Jason was his brother, was an Al Ghul and a prince, Mother said so. Years later, just before Mother sent him to Father, she told him the truth about Jason. He had been murdered by a clown and mysteriously resurrected. She had bathed him in the Pit to heal his mind and he had lost his memory of before in the process. She asked him not to say anything about Jason to Father, told him he would be protecting his brother with his silence, and Damian, only nine years old and proud that he would be the protecter for once, had obliged. * When Damian told the rest of the Bats that he knew someone who could aid them in Gotham's darkest hour, none of them were expecting him to lead them to a very alive, very amnesiac Jason Todd-Wayne, and Jason Al Ghul's world crumbles around him as he realizes all he knows may just be a lie. Words: 2904, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Talia al Ghul, Alfred Pennyworth Relationships: Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Jason Todd and Damian Wayne Meet in the League of Assassins, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne are Siblings, Bad Parent Talia al Ghul, Manipulative Talia al Ghul, Protective Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, They all need hugs, they all get them, Jason Todd is Not Red Hood, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Damian Wayne is Robin, Jason Todd is an al Ghul, Amnesia, Temporary Amnesia, Amnesiac Jason Todd read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QOFyV47

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the caped crusader #the dark knight #dcu #ao3 #ao3feed

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stoptellinglieslois · 10 months

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Principal of pleasure part 1

Hello part 1 of the prelude is up now. So Dick and Clark meet up on new years eve at a small cafe in Bluhaven To talk, Clark is nervous and Dick is anxious as they discuss what transpired during Christmas A slow moving affair between the two.

The pairing is Superman x Nightwing

Clark

I sit here waiting for Dick he’s half hour late as I look around the busy cafe. We decided to meet here we we’re both not free to meet today. I had to pull it’s like pulling teeth just to get a day off and this is the most hectic time of the year for Dick and me him being a cop at this time of year is very chaotic.

I turned off my cell I didn’t want any distraction I sit by the window watching the snow fall. this city had the same aura as Gotham dark and old cold.

The people are the same elements in Gotham as well fast paced and hostile.

I already ordered my coffee and the waitress came back for the second time for another refill as I bit my nails as I waited for him. I gave myself a pep talk as to myself in a very low voice looking out the window.

That this is exactly what I want that no one would ever know whatever I did this is a good that this can’t ever go wrong.

Dick made me feel good he could even brighten this murky dark city of Bludhaven I could only light up in his presence.

A hard tap on the window jolted me from my nerves and thought, Dick who was tapping the window waved at me wearing his police uniform. I watched him as he entered the cafe I blush I liked him in his uniform he is so attractive in it.

“Hey.”

“Hey Dick.” He came and sat down in the booth across from me his cap on his head shielding his eyes a bit.

We sat in silences it was long and awkward I didn’t know where to start this conversation.

“I’m sorry I’m late... “

“It’s fine I’m glad you are here.”

“I’m glad to.” Right there was a hint of a promise I don’t care how I analyse it I knew there was something for me to hold on to with him.

“Are you sure you’re happy Dick because I want you to be happy.... I want nothing but the best for you I want you to feel..”

“Clark let’s not dance.” Dick stopped me from babbling he put his hand and covered my hand to stop me from carrying on.

“I don’t think I’m dancing Dick what I’m doing is far more then dancing. I’m stepping out.” I say in a hush voice he pulled his hand away and he sat there he didn’t order anything yet.

“Can I get you anything.”

“No not right now anyway I know you're not dancing either. You gave me something that I thought I could never have in a million years. You want me the way that I want you.” People pass as he said that we we’re talking kinda of low so no one could over hear us it was so busy for new years eve people talking loud a group of woman making a fuss about there plans tonight.

“I would never let you know that I wanted you because I didn’t know you wanted me this way to. And as far as I know I had to keep my feelings about you a secret.” I said I knew we we’re ducking and hiding we didn’t want to be notice even if we are far from our homes I could sense we just wanted no smoke from anyone.

“I felt this about you all my life Clark I’ve been in love with you for so long that I am to ashamed to admit, I thought I could hide from you but when I saw last week I don’t know I just felt like something was there and I couldn’t express it with words.” Dick eyes hiding from underneath his cop cap.

Eyes that shine even in the darkest places. “Tell me how long you have felt this way about me.”

“Do’s it matter.”

“Yes.”

“A good ten plus years I had feeling for you Clark but in my world it’s been forever.” He said watching me The booth is a light sunny yellow tone and has been renovated since the eighty’s if it was not for new year eve would this place be really busy I’m not sure.

“That ‘s a long time Dick Grayson what do we do now I’m a little unsure how to go on at this point do we stay here or do we I don’t know go somewhere else what do think.” If we would go anywhere else would it be pushing it I don’t need to push anything I’m actually here with Dick that was a leap of faith not a push.

“I know you��re nervous I’m actually kinda of going through some emotions myself about this but we don’t need to go anywhere we could just stay here and talk, We don’t have to do anything we could just stay and admit we have something for each other.” Dick said which made me very relaxed about what we are actually doing here.

“I should order something.”

“Great let me order for you.”

“No Clark let me order for myself.” Dick said and looked at the menu and called the waitress over she came and left quickly.

“Have you been here before Dick.”

“No.” He said simply and cracked his knuckles it is a clear sign we are both anxious and nervous we kept looking around dodging looks from strangers. I all ways saw him smiling he didn’t have one on his face today he is pensive.

And then that’s when I saw the gold band around his finger I stared at it and he notice what I was looking at.

Dick hid his hands from my sight and put his hands underneath the table.

I took my ring off and placed it in my coat pocket he went still when I did that and bit his lip we we’re both thinking but not saying anything at that moment.

The waitress came with Dick’s order he had a black coffee and a apple fritter donuts the waitress also refilled my coffee for the third time. He and I ate in silence the tension between us didn’t brake something was in the air but I didn’t know what.

Dick finishes his donuts and coffee and we sat in silence for awhile. “it feels like we don’t know each other we are acting like strangers.” I looked at him quickly is that what this felt like this unknown thing in the air I’m picking up.

“We are not strangers but we have not ventured to this type of road before we are friends.” I said to him he studied me. his expression is quite and thoughtful.

“We never thought of each other as friends when feeling in the way.” Dick looked at me now with no reservation he was honest and he is right.

“No Dick I never looked at you like a friend to be honest and yes I always wanted more.” As we sat here we did a lot of small talk.

That’s when I got up I had to go someone needed my help. I had to leave and I had to leave him like this and I didn’t want to leave him I was very conflicted right now leaving incomplete like this I felt like I couldn’t think the screams got louder in my ear I lost my head I took off my glasses he held out his hand.

“What are you doing put those back on when you get somewhere safe go Clark I’ll see again will talk soon.” I left him at the cafe and I went into an alley way disrobed and took off into the sky as I heard him murmuring.

“I will wait.”

End of part 1 part 2 is next

Thank you for reading.

#nightwing x superman parings #Clark x Dick #clark kent #dick grayson #superman #nightwing #robin dc #Fanfic #fanfic smut #fanfiction #fanfic stuff #fanfic readers #fandom theme #fandom thoughts #fandom things #fandom #cafe #comics #new year eve

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aarongoldenwrites · 3 years

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During the Jewish holiday of Passover, there’s a tradition of taking a piece of matzah, breaking it in half and hiding half of it, and then having the kids look for it. This hidden piece of matzah is called the Afikomen. It’s a typically harmless bit of fun that helps break up an hours-long dinner service, but I’m just imagining how wrong it would go at stately Wayne Manor.

It starts with Bruce, at 9 years old, asking Alfred to really try and hide the Afikomen. Alfred humors young Bruce but Bruce gets irritable and demands Alfred do a better job. So Alfred does, and by age 11 Bruce keeps trying (and failing!) to find where Alfred has hidden the damn thing. He starts trailing Alfred through the day, trying to figure out where or how Alfred is hiding the Afikomen, but he never figures it out: Alfred always has to show him where it is, and Bruce spends weeks puzzling out how Alfred must have hidden it (Alfred never reveals his secrets).

When Bruce goes to high school and then college the tradition sort of falls by the wayside. They have the Kanes over for the Seder, and Bruce invites Harleen Quinzel over once in college when she can’t get home to her family, but by-and-large it turns into a sober affair.

And then Dick Grayson comes home with Bruce and everything changes.

Dick didn’t grow up Jewish - in his mind, this is some sort of training exercise, and he never really stops believing that. Alfred starts hiding the Afikomen again and says he’ll keep using the same spot until someone finds it. Dick never does. He eventually ropes Barbara into the game and she can’t find it, either. It drives both of them nuts.

Eventually, after Dick’s gone and become Nightwing, he asks Jason if Bruce has him doing the annual matzah hunt, and Jason demands to do the thing Dick did.

Jason literally tears through the walls looking for the Afikomen. He dies the first time without finding it. Bruce doesn’t think to ask Alfred where it was hidden, but he does catch Alfred putting the Afikomen away.

Tim transitions in the house and is settling in when Dick mentions the Afikomen thing to him, and Tim is curious as to why Bruce hasn’t had him do the thing during the long tedious dinner. He brings over Steph one year and the two of them spend a lovely evening sleuthing through the house, unable to find wherever Alfred has hidden the Afikomen.

They go to Bruce for hints and Bruce just shrugs (he still does not know where or how Alfred is hiding the Afikomen this time).

This goes on for years.

Babs brings Cass and Steph into the game. Cass silently stalks the hallways, her eyes narrowed as she stares into a darkness that offers no answers. Damien follows her and then Steph and then Tim, figuring one of them must know something. None of them do. Dick jumps from railing to chandelier and back again, finding nothing. Jason is still putting holes in the walls, mostly to annoy Bruce. Tim is using drones and they give him no answers.

Selina, once she’s brought in, spends an evening searching but pretending not to and then, later, corners Bruce.

“Bat,” she says, “You don’t actually know where Alfred put it, do you?”

“Cat,” he answers, “You will not tell that to anyone else.”

He adds a please about a minute later. She nods; they already keep all one another’s darkest secrets.

Kate thinks this is all hilarious and gleefully says that if they can’t do next year in Jerusalem, Wayne Manor will do (she wouldn’t dream of robbing Bruce of this). They can’t go to Jerusalem without the Afikomen.

Damien thinks she’s serious and redoubles his efforts, but still: nothing.

(For those wondering: Bruce runs a pretty decent service and always brings out the good wine. He growls his way through Dayneu. The Specter pops in to drink the cup set aside for Eliyahu.)

When Thomas Wayne switches realities into this one, he finds out that the Afikomen is a thing and challenges Bruce to find it.

“The real Batman would know where the Afikomen is,” he says.

“Uh-huh,” says Bruce.

“The real Batman would be able to solve such a simple mystery.”

“You’ve found it, then?”

“Obviously, son. I am better than you in every way.”

“Neat,” Bruce says, looking his not-father in the eye. “Where is it?”

And Bruce can see, for just a moment, the hours that Thomas has spent scouring the house. He can see the evenings spent tracking Alfred’s patterns, threatening Alfred with torture, pleading with Alfred to tell him where the Afikomen is, and Bruce knows.

It is the first time Bruce feels a kinship with this man.

“You can’t find it either.”

Thomas screams in fury.

The first year Alfred is dead, Bruce and his kids hold the Seder at the Kane residence. Joseph is terrible at leading, however, and Kate leads a chorus of “Next year in Wayne Manor!”

About half way through the Seder, the kids all start to get up.

“Where are you going?” Bruce asks.

“It’s out there, father,” Damien says.

“We have to find it,” Jason growls.

Selina waits a moment, then stands and pulls Bruce out of his chair, the kids all looking at him expectantly.

Bruce nods.

“Okay,” Bruce says, “We’ll take a half-hour and see if we can find where dad left it.” Nobody mentions that Bruce called Alfred ‘dad.’ They just get to searching.

And for one night a year, the Bat Family get together and searches for something they will never find, and that mystery brings them closer together.

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when-worlds-dangers-collide · 8 months

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The M rated story set in When Worlds and Dangers Collide. Mentions the events of Nightwing's trauma and the events of Teen Titans the Judas Contract as well.

#when worlds and dangers collide #facing the past #the new batman adventures #batman the animated series #nightwing #nightwing's darkest hour #dick grayson #catalina flores #tarantula #barbara gordon #oracle #april gordon #kshin hai #jason todd #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #lj kewabe #lothar kewabe junior #tim drake

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berriusagi · 3 years

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Stomach Bug Ch4

Afternoon Date

It has been a minute, hasn’t it? Sorry for making you guys wait for the next chapter I hope you like this one too. Love the support and the kind comments.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Marinette and Damian were lucky when it came to their schedules as their classes ended roughly around the same time; making it easier for them to plan their dates during the week so they could get as much time together as possible. The following days after the announcement at Wayne manor the teens spent as much time around each other as they could. Though they did have to sneak around the family for privacy and keep a low profile to not raise any suspicion from the media.

The perks of having a well-known designer as your significant other made it incredibly easy for them to be able to hide in plain sight. Only proven by the fact both were sitting in a small coffee shop enjoying some pastries and hot chocolate as everyone around them was none the wiser of just who was in their presence.

“I’ll never understand how you do it.” Damian chuckled softly as he sipped on his drink looking around the coffee shop as Marinette just giggled.

“You have a very specific style. It's how people pick you out, change the style and they’ll be none the wiser.” she smiled before leaning in to whisper, “average people aren’t that perceptive that’s how heroes like Superman and the Green Arrow can blend in so easily outside of the costume. They don’t see faces, they see the clothing or anything ‘off’ about them.”

“Makes sense,” he nodded relaxing back in the booth wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she settled in sipping on her hot chocolate, “Is that how you figured me out so quickly? You looked at the face, not the clothes?” he hummed rubbing her arm.

“Actually for the first three months all I did was look at the clothes because they are an affront to fashion.” she giggled, “I get that its tradition but did it have to be so garish? Did you have to use the brightest colors for the darkest and gothic city in America? It’s like you want to get shot,” she said rolling her eyes.

“I think it had more to do with Batman wanting to keep track of a small child in dark alleyways, bright colors stand out more.” Damian chuckled.

Marinette hummed seeming to accept that answer as she finished her pastry and hot chocolate. They fell into a comfortable silence just enjoying each other’s company cuddling together. “It’s getting close to the holidays. Is there anything you or your family want?” she asked.

Damian thought about it for a moment trying to think of anything his family mentioned wanting in the past few weeks. “Hmm, I remember Todd saying something about his leather jacket getting too worn, I think Drake could use a new sweater too. It's looking a bit threadbare. Grayson hasn’t complained about anything specific and since he doesn’t live in the Manor I can’t exactly look through all his clothes. Father and Pennyworth I’m not too sure on.” he said after a long stretch of silence.

“What about you? Anything special you want?” she smiled looking up at him.

“I’ll be happy with whatever it is you choose to give me.” he smiled leaning down to kiss her gently on the forehead, “You’re already giving me the best present,” he added, placing a gentle hand over her belly.

Marinette giggled a soft blush settling across her cheeks; “I would have never pegged you as a sappy dad.” she smiled holding his hand over her belly, “It’s so unlike you.”

He shrugged a soft pink dusting his face, “I’m just excited.” he mumbled.

She smiled softly leaning up to kiss his cheek, “I know you are, how about we head out and can go window shopping at a few stores to get an idea of what all we’ll need.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” he nodded, getting out of the booth taking her hand to help her stand. Once she was on her feet he wrapped an arm loosely around her waist and guided her out of the shop and onto the busy street. They steered clear of any overpopulated areas not wanting to risk anyone recognizing Damian, as well as any alleyways not wanting to mugged or jumped.

They took their time making their way to the shopping district talking quietly to each other about their plans for the following weeks. Marinette was slowly losing her mind with her commissions that seemed to get more and more complicated with less and less time between each to finish. Damian was adamant to claim his brothers were driving him up the wall now that they knew about Marinette making his desire to stab them all that stronger. Though he’d never admit he liked that his family welcomed Marinette so readily.

“What are you hoping for?” Marinette asked as they looked in the shop window at some baby clothes. There were an array of items from over the top frilly dresses full of ruffles and lace to make it obvious to anyone that the child wearing it was meant to be a little princess. While on the other side were little onesies with cheesy sayings and cute art printed on them causing the people passing by to coo and laugh at the phrases pointing them out to their friends and partners.

“A healthy child,” Damian said, hugging her gently to his side, “I don’t care about the gender so long as they are healthy and I have you by my side,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her gently on her cheek.

Marinette blushed though and was smiling brightly as she buried her face into his chest breathing deeply as she soaked up all the warmth and love he was showering her in. “I feel the same,” she mumbled before pulling him away from the clothing store to head into a shop to look at other supplies and furniture they’d need.

They lost hours in the department store as they looked over different strollers, beds, changing tables, anything and everything marketed for a baby. They took their time looking it over and comparing the items until they had a solid idea of just what it was they needed. “I want everything to be neutral in color,” she mumbled as they were looking at some toys.

“Hm?” Damian asked, holding up a green rabbit plush testing how soft it was.

“I don’t want anything too gender-specific you know I don’t want everything pink, as much as I love the color or blue. I think it should be a neutral color or a variety of colors so we’re not forcing our kid in just one color.” She said picking up some blankets gently running her fingers over the soft fleece.

“We could always get everything in robin colors.” Damian joked.

“I will divorce you.” Marinette deadpanned looking up at him.

“Ouch okay no robin colors.” he chuckled, setting the toy rabbit down and hugged her, “we have plenty of time to decide on the colors, but I do agree we won’t use pink or blue it’s been overdone quite a bit.” he nodded.

She nodded as they left the baby aisle and started to head towards the front. Once they were back out on the street the sky was beginning to darken quite a bit. “It’s getting late. I should head home and pack, Mum said she’d bring me by the manor after dinner.”

“I’ll walk you home and make sure the room Pennyworth set up is suitable for you.” he nodded guiding her down the street. “Will you be bringing any of your projects along?” he asked as he helped her cross the street.

“I’ll probably bring the quilt I’m working on and the jacket Uncle Jagged commissioned.” she hummed as they made their way towards her apartment. “I’m almost done with the jacket and I want to get a few more squares done on the quilt before Monday,” she added.

He nodded as they fell into a comfortable silence and continued to walk, keeping close to each other so as not to get separated in the crowds. Once they reached Marinette’s apartment building she pulled away and smiled up at Damian, “I’ll see you after dinner have a safe trip home.” she said getting up on her tippy toes to kiss him.

“You have a nice dinner and pack some warm pajamas. The manor can get a bit drafty at night,” he warned, kissing her back. He smiled and waited until she was inside the building and in the elevator to take her to her floor before he turned on his heels and began to head home.

He was only able to pass a few blocks before ducking into an alleyway and crossed his arms waiting as someone landed behind him. “Really? You tailed us the whole time we were out?” he deadpanned turning to face Nightwing.

Nightwing just crossed his arms looking away with a slight pout, “I just wanted to make sure she was okay.” he said, “you were walking around in broad daylight anyone could have seen you two.”

“You’re lucky she didn’t notice you, how would I have explained why a vigilante was following us? When the sun is up leave us alone if she’s out after dark feel free to tail her if she’s not with me.” he said glaring at him, “She doesn’t need the added stress and doesn’t need to be looking over her shoulder every few blocks because she saw someone following her.”

Nightwing sighed rolling his head, “Fine I won’t but I can’t say anything for the others.” he said before sending up a grapple and whisking himself away.

Damian sighed, rubbing his temples, “They’re going to scare her off I just know it.” he muttered heading out of the alleyway and continued his trek home.

~.~.~.~

“Marigold are you ready?” Ivy asked after cleaning up the kitchen from their dinner. She knocked on the door before opening it slowly as she peered in to see Marinette attempting to shove her sewing machine into her bag. “Marigold I think the sewing machine can stay here.” she chuckled walking in grabbing the machine from her hands and set it back on the table.

“I have projects I need to finish though.” Marinette groaned looking at the fabric squares for the quilt and jacket she had packed in another bag.

“You and I both know all that’s left for the jacket is minor touch-ups. You can hand sew it and you’d been hand sewing that quilt all week so you don’t need the machine.” Ivy said leaning on the desk, “Besides you’re going to be with the Wayne’s for the weekend instead of working on your projects why don’t you take a break and get to know them?”

“I just want to finish Uncle Jagged’s jacket. I already closed down the site and won’t be reopening it until new years. I’ll take a break when all my projects are done and have been shipped out.” she said trying to get around Ivy to get the sewing machine.

“Marigold I said no sewing machine.” Ivy said blocking her, “you shouldn’t be carrying it back and forth anyways. I’m sure you just mentioned in passing you needed a sewing machine while in that manor you’ll have one before the end of the day.”

“Mum! That would be manipulative!” Marinette gasped appalled at her mother’s suggestion.

Ivy sighed, gently taking hold of Marinette’s face and leaned down to be eye level with her, “it’s not manipulative. You could just ask Bruce or Damian if they had one if not and you don’t want to use their money then convince Damian to join you to buy yourself a sewing machine that can stay at the manor.” She said gently, kissing her forehead.

Marinette pouted, bowing her head, “so no sewing machine?” she said eyeing the trusty machine she brought from Paris when she moved.

“‘Fraid, not kiddo now finish packing up Harls will be back from walking Bud and Lou any moment then we’re heading over to the manor to drop you off.” Ivy chuckled patting her back as she left the room to let Marinette finish packing for the weekend.

~.~.~.~

The Wayne Manor was in a state of chaos as the occupants prepared for the arrival of their weekend guest. Bruce watched on with a type of exhausted fondness that only a single parent possesses as they watch their children make complete fools of themselves. Beside him was Tim his second youngest who was nursing yet another large mug of coffee the bags under his eyes deeper and darker than the waters of the Mariana Trench. “At least they’re excited?” Bruce muttered watching on as Jason and Dick continued to argue about what they’d learned about Marinette in the last week through means of tailing her and digging up her past.

“They’re going to scare her off.” Damian deadpanned standing beside Bruce on the other side of him watching the two eldest argue looking as if they were going to physically fight.

“No offense but if she didn’t run for the hills after meeting you I think she’ll be able to handle them.” Tim yawned as he took a long drink from his coffee as there was a soft knocking at the door.

Alfred easily walked past the fighting siblings and went right for the front door opening it to reveal the Isley-Quinzels, “Pleasure to see you again Miss. Marinette.” Alfred nodded stepping aside to allow her to enter carrying with her two large bags.

“Sorry to intrude,” Marinette said as Damian rushed overtaking one of her bags off her arm.

“Nonsense you’re always welcome here.” Alfred smiled and looked at the two women, “would you like to come in?”

“Nah we got plans we’ll be back Sunday to pick you up, Marigold.” Harley smiled hugging Marinette, giving her a big kiss on her cheek as Ivy stepped in to give her a kiss and hug goodbye.

“Try to relax this weekend,” Ivy said patting her back, “You lot treat her well or I’ll make you into fertilizer.”

“She’s in good hands Ivy you two have a nice weekend,” Bruce said, nodding his head to the women. Harley and Ivy nodded and blew Marinette a few more kisses before they made their leave after Alfred closed the door.

“I’ll show you to your room Habibti,” Damian said, taking her bags and making a point to ignore his family watching him as he guided Marinette away and up the stairs to the room Alfred prepared for her.

Once they were out of earshot of the rest of the family Marinette looked up at Damian with a raised eyebrow, “You’re not putting me in the room Alfred prepared are you?” she asked following him.

“No, you’ll be in my room so I can keep an eye on you.” He said leaning down to kiss her as he pushed open his bedroom door and carried her bags in. “You need to sleep a reasonable amount and I know you sleep better when you’re warm and this way I can make sure you’re warm.”

“Just say you want to cuddle.” Marinette giggled sitting on his bed as he went about putting her clothes away and setting her sewing projects on his desk. She smiled watching him move with such familiarity as if this was a daily occurrence for them. As she relaxed on the bed a comforting weight settled across her lap. Looking down she saw a tuxedo cat lounging across her legs purring loudly and quite content.

Marinette smiled reaching down and gently started to run her fingers through the fur, “You must be Alfred.” She smiled gently scratching behind the cat's ears. She was so occupied with petting the cat on her lap she barely noticed the weight of another animal climbing onto the bed and curled up behind her. She turned and looked smiling at the large Great Dane she leaned back resting her head on the dog’s side reaching up and started petting him with her free hand, “You must be Titus.” She giggled as Alfred the Cat crawled up to rest on her chest.

Marinette was content to relax on the bed cuddling with the animals when she felt another weight settle on her lap and looked down to see a turkey perched on her legs watching her. “Hello, Jerry.” She giggled, stopping her petting of the cat and dog to reach down and begin gently stroking the turkey’s feathers. She alternated between the three animals trying not to make any feel left out as she pet them soon dozing off from all the warmth and comfort the animals provided.

Damian found her passed out on his bed, one hand resting on Jerry’s back and the other reaching back to scratch Titus’ ears. He huffed out a soft laugh looking over the scene before pulling his phone out quickly taking a picture before shooing Jerry and Alfred off her so he could get her in bed and into a more comfortable position. “Good job everyone,” he whispered to his pets as he took her boots off and gently took her hair out of her pigtails before tucking her into bed.

Once she was comfortably curled up under the blankets he pulled back and laid out some pajamas on the nightstand closest to Marinette in case she woke up long enough to change and set about getting into his pajamas and turned off all the lights before climbing into bed and pulled her to his chest relaxing back. “Good night habibti.” He mumbled, kissing her forehead.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

@myazael @beautiful-disasters-sunshine @moonlightstar64 @moonlitceleste @stainedglassm @casual-darkness @mochegato @ultimatetornshipper @heemsanddamemes @nathleigh @qualitypeacepainter @raven-frost-21 @maskedpainter @demonicbusiness @dood-space @trippingovermyfeet @emimar7 @indecisive-mess-named-me @changelinggarden @zerotosiki @alysrose-starchild @s-and-n @wolf2118 @athena452 @jjmjjktth

#daminette #damianette #damidad #mominette #maribat #maridami #ml x dc #teen pregnancy #stomach bug

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theodorecanaryhood · 3 years

Text

Dark days

Requested by anonymous... this really is the darkest and saddest fic I've written.

Jason Todd and his wife (reader) have two children and when Joker breaks loose again. He targets the new Robin, your son.

Jason Todd x female reader x Batman

Warning ⚠️ have a hanky on the go for some parts. Has a happy ending though.

The day you met Jason you knew he would turn your life over and out. He was the best and the worst thing at the same time.

You had been together for what felt like a lifetime now, you had beautiful twins Nathan and Delilah. They were now so much like their Father.

Nathan was really into the whole 'nighttime' thing Jason and his family did. He may have been the youngest Robin ever, but he was good for it.

Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, Batgirl and you the Crow. A flock to be messed with was deadly. But something much deadlier was at bay.

'Where is my son?' You shouted to Bruce who was sitting across from you in the Batcave, he was brooding as usual. He wasn't answering your questions.

'Y/n I' Bruce tried to speak but the look on your face, made it hard for him to tell you.

'He was supposed to be safe, where is he?' You said, Bruce just started welling up. You looked at him, the look on his face, in his eyes.

'Y/n?' Dick said calmly, you turned around to find Jason carrying Nathan in his arms. Still in his Robin suit.

'No' you screamed, falling on the floor in tears as you realised. Your son, your Nathan was dead.

Jason just stood holding his son in his arms, not moving or speaking. Just crying. Dick wrapped his arms around you, holding you while you cried, him also crying.

'I'm so sorry, I'm sorry' Dick whispered to you as he kissed your head. Jason then dropped to his knees, looking at Bruce.

'Old man, he is gonna pay' was all he said in a dark voice.

...

It had been a month by now and Nathan's funeral was beautiful. His twin sister Delilah looked lost lately, you were miserable all the time. And Jason, he was just angry, determined to get the Joker. He blamed Bruce for so long for not killing the Joker after he was himself murdered, the fact Joker walked free to do it again to his son was the final straw. Jason was beyond pissed, beyond angry. He was so full of hate.

Jason sat at the dining room table drinking, again. You walked in, rolled your eyes and sighed.

'Drinking isn't going to solve anything Jason' you said, Jason didn't look at you.

'I'm trying to drink him alive would you like me to stop? Have a drink everytime you feel like hitting something' Jason spoke monotone.

'Can we talk?' You asked, choking a little. You'd been thinking for about a week or so now it's best to have space from Jason. Delilah needs as much attention as she can get. She isn't getting it from him.

'About what? What is there to even talk about now? It's done, our son is dead' Jason spat at you, he was looking at you now, but he looked so angry, so evil. You hated him now.

'Fuck you, Jason' you spat back, shocking Jason. 'Yeah, our son is dead. Our marriage is dead. But our Daughter isn't, she needs us now more than ever' you started to cry, Jason just sat looking at you, 'I know you're angry, I know you feel guilty and I know you're in pain. But we need to communicate if we're going to get through this'.

Jason said nothing, he finished the rest of his drink and walked out the back door. You stood crying in the doorway.

...

'Y/n?' Jason called out as he walked in a few hours later, 'I wanna talk now, you home?' He called again. Jason's phone started ringing.

'Hello?' He said, he didn't recognise the voice on the other end.

'Yeah this Jason Todd, who is this?' He spoke again, his blood ran cold, his face turned white. He went hot, he went cold. He dropped his phone, fell to his knees and let out a gut wrenching, blood curdling scream.

'No' he said to himself, he was crying so hard now. He was broken beyond repair. His son, his wife, his little girl Delilah. All dead.

When Jason left you earlier you took Delilah out in the car. Not knowing where to go you just drove. That's when a drunk driver hit you.

Jason was so cold now he couldn't move, he just curled in a ball and cried to himself.

...

'Any news?' Bruce asked as he walked into the batcave, Tim didn't look away from the screen.

'It's bad B, really bad' Tim turned to look at his Father.

'Tell me'

'It's Jason, he's gone rogue since y/n and the twins. He's broken Joker out of Arkham' Tim said.

'Where are they?' Bruce asked, Tim didn't speak but pointed to a place on the map. Then edge of town by the cliffs.

'Hurry, before he does something he'll regret' Tim says sincere, with sadness in his voice.

...

They had driven for about an hour now, in silence. Joker knew what was about to happen to him. He knew.

'Get out' Jason growled as he ripped Joker from the car. Pushing him towards the end of the cliffs, holding his gun up.

'That's my boy' Joker laughed his usual maniac laugh. Jason held the gun to Joker's head,

'Any last words?' Jason growled again, Joker just laughed hysterically as Batman appeared behind Jason.

'Stand down son' Bruce said calmly, Jason turned his head to look at Batman.

'Go away old man, this piece of shit needs to die' Jason speaks,

'Think of y/n' Batman says softly, Jason roars.

'I am...you can't tell me you weren't tempted to do this. You didn't think about it' Jason boomed.

'He'll kill again' Jason almost whispers. Batman turns his back to Jason, not looking.

'Robin' Joker said, almost serious, Jason looked at Joker with black eyes.

'Make it count' Joker finished as he smiled, Jason pulled the trigger, shooting Joker in the head. Killing him. Jason started to cry, he felt nothing. No revenge for his own death. No revenge for his son's. Nothing.

...

It was late, at least 3am by now or maybe later but Jason didn't care. He was a man on a mission. He knew exactly what to do.

He dug up Nathan's grave, took yours and Delilah's bodies from the morgue and took you to the one place he knew he could have you all again.

Bruce knew what Jason was doing, but he didn't stop him. He let him do what he wanted as Jason said it was this, or Jason dies again. Either option he gets you back. All of you.

The sun came up strong today, Jason knew it was going to be a better day than the ones before. The waters were bubbling, the water was moving. Then he knew it had worked. The Lazarus pit had given him a third chance at life. It had given him his wife and twins back.

You grabbed hold of your daughter, then you grabbed hold of your son.

'Oh my God, my boy. My little boy. My little girl' you cried with happiness, Jason stood and cried with joy as he ran over to you.

'Baby' he said to you shyly, you smiled as you stood. Your twins hugging you, then their Father. Jason cried again, so happy to have you all back.

'I'll never let you go again' Jason says, looking at all three if you.

'Joker?' You said, Jason shook his head.

'Gone' he smiled, you kissed Jason hard as you took his hand.

'Let's go home' you said. Walking out holding hands, holding your children. Better days.

#red hood #red hood fanfiction #red hood x reader #red hood x you #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd x reader #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #gotham #jason todd

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