their hearts don't beat like ours
rating: T
relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Eddie Bloomberg & Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd
additional tags: Trans Female Character, transfem Jason Todd, Self-Discovery, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Tim Drake is a Good Brother, Dick Grayson is Trying, Jason Todd is Bad at Feelings, so is everyone else, background jayroy, will be more apparent on future chapters, Eddie Bloomberg & Jason Todd are childhood best friends, Tim is Jason's favorite agenda, Good Friend Roy Harper, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, he fails, but he tries, Gender Dysphoria, Lazarus Pit Madness (DCU), Rated T For Jason Todd, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, no beta we die like Jason Todd's self-esteem, the outlaws have a groupchat, eddie is an outlaw in my heart, a liiitle bit of texting, batcest DNI, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
summary:
"Except now he was standing in the kitchen of a shitty safehouse that doesn’t even have a heater, making himself instant coffee and drowning in five layers of clothing, and he can’t stop thinking about it. He liked being compared to Helga. He didn’t know why. Jason didn’t like not knowing things, call it bat-induced paranoia.
So, as any sane and normal person would, he turned his phone back on, ignored all the notifications from Dick trying to be his brother for once and Roy and Artemis arguing about archery on the Outlaws group chat (named Red Hood’s side hoes, thirst emoji for emphasis for some fucking reason), and watched the goddamn Atlantis movie again. Three times in a row. Because, you know, he’s normal."
Or, in which Jason Todd understands her own identity, Roy Harper discovers he has a girlfriend, and Tim Drake earns his favorite sibling award. Not necessarily in that order.
Also, Eddie is the real MVP.
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Roy's Little Experiment
It had been a loooong day. Then again, that could be said for every day in Gotham. Robberies, muggings, drug deals-- Jason had seen everything short of murder.
Perhaps that made it a successful day.
Even so, he was exhausted. It was such a relief when the bunker he currently shared with Roy came into view. (Technically, they also shared it with Kori, but she was off-planet at the moment.) Either way, Jason was just happy to be home, however temporary or empty it may be.
The lights were mostly off, which was likely for the best; he could feel a headache coming on. The moment he was inside, he pulled off his helmet, shaking out his hair and running a hand through it. He tossed the helmet and his jacket onto the old couch they'd fished from the dump, before making his way towards the only room emitting a faint glow.
It was relatively small, with a single frosted-glass window high up in the wall, leading out into an alleyway above. The bunker was underground; better to remain undetected. The walls themselves were solid concrete, though riddled with cracks. The ceiling leaked when it rained, so there were a few buckets or bowls scattered beneath the heavy stains. Everything in the room had to be strategically placed in order to remain dry.
Despite the rundown, ramshackle foundation, this was their work room. Tools and spare parts were carelessly left about; finished and half-finished projects were stored in stacked boxes away from the leaks; everything was disorganized in an orderly fashion.
And there in the middle of everything, sitting at a long table and tinkering with some kind of gadget, was the reason Jason had gone to that room in the first place.
Roy was hunched over, his brow furrowed in concentration. His eyes shined as he worked, fascination and determination emanating from him.
Jason rested against the doorframe for a moment, affectionately watching him deep in his current fixation. A small smile slipped onto his face; he's so beautiful, he thought to himself.
Roy finally caught notice of him out of the corner of his eye. Turning in his swivel chair, he grinned brightly at the man in the doorway.
"Heya, Jaybird," he greeted, setting down a screwdriver. Upon taking in Jason's visible exhaustion, he opened his arms invitingly. "C'mere, you."
Gratefully, Jason wandered over and sat by Roy's feet, laying his head on his lap. His thighs were warm and soft, comfortable like the best pillow Jason had ever rested on in his life. Although, that wasn't the only part he was looking forward to.
As Roy resumed working, one of his hands played with Jason's hair, gently carressing his scalp. Jason sighed contentedly, relaxing into his soft touch. Roy's nails lightly scratched behind his ears, chasing away that initial headache.
This was one of the few moments when Jason could let his guard down. His mind fogged over, devoid of any stressful thought, focused only on the gentle tingles awarded to him by Roy's hands. It was bliss; free, unburdened bliss.
Jason wrapped his arms around Roy's torso, pulling himself slightly closer, melting into him. His warmth sent a wave of calm over the undead outlaw, the strong scent of whiskey and motor oil filling his nose. He felt light as air right here, like putty in Roy's hands; nothing could ever harm him again, so long as he remained.
A low, contented rumble in his throat prompted an affectionate laugh from the archer.
"Did you just purr?" He chuckled, running his thumb over Jason's jaw.
"Mmph," he grunted in response, too bleary to form words. Roy laughed again, an angelic melody to Jason's ears.
"Someone had a long day, huh," he teased. He lightly traced his nails over Jason's neck, inducing a shiver through his spine. "At least this means you'll have no trouble sleeping tonight."
"...'s alright, now that 'm with you."
Pink dusted Roy's cheeks as he registered the uncharacteristically sweet words; he really was tired. A fond smile tugged at his lips as he gazed at the dark-haired man in his lap. He's so beautiful, Roy thought.
As he dragged his fingers slowly back up Jason's neck, he felt a light trembling. It took him a second to realize that it was not the ground shaking, but Jason. A twinge of concern sparked in his mind, though the shaking stopped once his fingers reached Jason's hair again.
That was... interesting.
Peering at what he could see of Jason's face, he repeated the motion. Jason's shoulders tensed ever so slightly, shaking beneath his touch. His ears burned red, and a reluctant smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
Out of curiosity, Roy continued to trace his neck, watching his reactions closely. When he'd stop, so would Jason's trembling shoulders. Conversely, when he continued...
A puff of laughter escaped the typically-stoic man, his shoulders hunching to protect his sensitive skin.
Aha. A slow grin overtook Roy's face, gleeful at this realization. He's ticklish.
Somehow, for as long as the red-head had known Jason, he'd never once considered it, much less tested or asked. Even while at the manor, none of his several siblings had ever tickled Jason in Roy's presence.
That didn't matter at the moment; no, for the moment, Roy had him right where he wanted him.
"Jason~" His voice had a sing-songy cadence to it. The man tensed as Roy freed up his other hand, then started gently kneading into the knots in his shoulders. "Are you hiding something from me?"
To his amusement, Jason squirmed a little, though didn't move away. With just the tips of his fingers, Roy traced shapes into his back. Lightly, he clawed his nails up Jason's spine, watching in satisfaction as he started shaking again, cracking a rare smile.
"Gosh, you're so tense," Roy teased, now gently tapping his fingers one at a time out towards Jason's shoulder blades. The latter tightened his grip around Roy's waist, hiding his face deeper into the mechanic's thighs. "You should really relax a little."
Roy experimentally skittered his fingers under Jason's arms. They immediately clamped down, pinning his hands there. A small smirk spread across the red-head's face as he continued to lightly wriggle his fingers in the space.
This time, he got another breath of laughter as Jason tensed against him. He squirmed up, away from Roy's lingering hands, but they only fell to tweak his ribs.
Finally, Jason had to pull back, letting go of Roy and leaning away. "Quit beheing a dihick," he warned, nervous giggles slipping into his words.
Roy only moved out of his chair to push Jason in response, making him lose his balance. The second his back hit the floor, Roy straddled his pelvis, a devious grin adorning his features.
"You haven’t seen me be a dick, yet," he replied, hovering his fingers over Jason's stomach. The red-faced man below hugged himself protectively, more nervous giggles spilling over his lips. Roy cocked his head. "I'm not even touching you."
"Shuhut up," Jason retorted, hiding his face in his hands. That unintentionally left his torso open and defenseless. Roy took advantage of the opportunity, fluttering his fingers over his stomach.
Jason's hands shot down to grab Roy's wrists, though it did little to halt the fingers from digging into his hips.
Roy couldn't help but laugh along as Jason threw his head back and arched his spine. His cheeks puffed, and he squeezed his eyes shut to keep in his own laughter. The blush had spread over his ears too, now, only making him cuter in Roy's humble opinion.
"I can't believe you would hide this from me, Jaybird," he teased, pinching his way up Jason's sides. Clearly, the grip on his wrists tried to hold him at bay, but every little poke drained the strength from Jason's arms. "I mean, look at your face! You're so cute~"
"Stohohohop thahat!" Jason protested, shaking his head defiantly. "Ihihi am nohohohot!!"
"Aw, don't say that about yourself, Jay." Roy tugged his shirt loose from where it was tucked into his pants, slipping his fingers beneath the cloth. A startled yelp escaped Jason as he tried to push his wrists away (unsuccessfully). "You're absolutely adorable."
His fingers traced over Jason's defined abs, drawing out those giggles from before. He enjoyed how Jason jerked and trembled when he continuously poked up and down his sides.
"Ahahack!!" Jason squeaked, hunching his shoulders. "Quihihit being so mehehean!"
"I can't believe how ticklish you are, seriously." Roy ignored his plea, dancing his fingers over Jason's belly button and hips. "You're almost as red as your helmet right now! Oh my gosh, this is amazing."
With a sudden burst of strength, Jason surged forward. He bucked his hips to throw Roy off balance before grabbing his shoulders and rolling him over, switching their positions. Pinning Roy's wrists on either side of his head, he grinned devilishly down at the startled red-head.
"What about you, huh?" Jason's husky voice sent a shudder through Roy's body, and he stared wide-eyed up into his determined grey irises.
"U-uhm, I- what a-about me?" Roy swallowed hard, breaking away from Jason's intense gaze.
The dark-haired man's grin widened, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "How ticklish are you, Speedy? Why don’t we find out, hm?"
"Wahait, wait, I'm sorr-EEEEE!!!" Roy screeched as Jason's hands darted down to his underarms, digging into the soft skin. "Jahahay, plehehehease!!"
"What's the problem?" Jason teased, leaning his face closer to the squirming mechanic beneath him. "Can't take what you dish out?"
"Nohoho!!" Roy shook his head frantically, trying to wriggle out from under Jason's weight to no avail. "St-*hic*- stohohohop ihihit!!"
"Aww," Jason cooed, moving his hands down to Roy's hips. His thumbs kneaded into the crevices of his pelvis, eliciting a squeal quickly followed by hiccup-riddled giggles. "Who's red now, you little shit? Huh? Who's red now?"
"I haHAte yohohou!!" Roy's voice cracked as he pathetically batted at Jason's hands, which were now quickly traveling up his sides.
"Feeling's mutual, punk." There was a new glint in Jason's eyes as he plunged his fingers back into Roy's underarms. The red-head squirmed and thrashed beneath him, desperately kicking his legs. He threw his head back against the floor, gritting his teeth as he tried to retain some semblance of dignity.
With his neck now exposed, Jason seized the opportunity. He took a deep breath, then buried his face in the crook of Roy's neck, blowing a loud rasberry into it. The volume of that was nothing compared to the volume of Roy's shriek, which reverberated off of the exposed water pipe attached to the ceiling.
"NAHAhahoho!!" He writhed under Jason's touch, nuzzling against his cheek to try and push his head away. Jason didn't budge, peppering little kisses over his neck and jaw before once again blowing into the crook of his neck. "Dihick!! Yohohou're such a dihihihick!!"
"You started it," Jason retorted against his skin, now nibbling at his ear. His hands slipped out of Roy's underarms and down his ribs, dancing in the little crevices between each bone. "I'm simply returning the favor."
"Jahahay, plehehehease!!" He begged, pushing against his chest. "Cahan’t breheheheathe!!"
"Alright, alright," Jason sighed, sitting back and crossing his arms. Roy hugged himself, still giggling uncontrollably. "Now, what have we learned?"
Roy regained his breath, the giggles slowly puttering out. "Fuck around and find out?"
Jason planted a kiss on his forehead before unstraddling him and rising to his feet. "Pretty much," he shrugged, offering a hand. Roy took it, pulling himself up. Jason tugged him closer, wrapping a hand around his waist.
Roy rested his hand behind Jason's neck, tipping his head to lean his forehead again his own. "You're cute," he teased.
Jason slipped Roy's hand out from behind his neck and kissed the palm, closing his eyes. "And you're a little fucker who doesn't know when to quit."
The red-head laughed, rolling his eyes. "Right, the stubborn one here is me."
"What's this, an attitude?" Jason taunted, opening his eyes to peer at Roy. "Try me, Speedy; see where it gets you; I can go for round two."
He tweaked his hip, and Roy jumped away. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he grinned, catching Jason's wrist.
"Uhuh, I'm sure.”
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