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tickletastic · 4 months

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Okay, But Who Do You Main in Mario Kart?

Fandom: DC

Ship: JayRoy, Birdflash

Summary: Dick just wants to play Coin Runners, and Jason knows not to fight when Dick has that look on his face. Based on my belief that I could guess who someone mains in Mario Kart based on their personality, and this incredibly clever and big-brain anon. (ps, Dick would totally main Cat Peach)

“I fucking hate Coin Runners,” Jason sighs, watching his older brother choose the next game for them to play, “can we just do another race, dickhead?”

“No,” Dick whines, “I love Coin Runners and we haven’t even played once.”

“Yeah,” Jason groans, “because it sucks.” He looks towards Roy in hopes that he’ll choose a side, but is just met with an apathetic expression.

“I’m staying out of this,” Roy shrugs, “but your team kind of sucks at mini games, Dick. Why don’t we go back to the races?”

“Hey!” Wally gasps, sending a scandalized look in Roy’s direction, “half of our team sucks, that’s an important distinction.”

Dick’s jaw drops, pausing his character selection to gape at his boyfriend. “It’s not my fault you decided to take the opportunity to try out new characters!”

“Well it was either choose a new character and have an excuse for losing, or have to admit that my boyfriend absolutely sucks at Mario Kart!” Wally exclaims, gesturing vaguely towards the screen.

Just as they fall into a rhythm of back-and-forth bickering, the front door opens down the hall, the chattering of Steph, Mia, Cass, and Donna floating through the foyer. Quick, quiet footsteps dash towards the living room, and Steph pokes her head in, looking warily towards the couch. “We brought Dunkin.”

“Fuck yes,” Jason exclaims, rising from the couch to grab a coffee, Roy trailing behind.

Wally and Dick stay on the couch, customizing their cars as they wait for Roy and Jason, that is, until Donna’s head is suddenly popping into the room, “doughnuts too!” They’re in the kitchen, quite literally, in the blink of an eye, raiding the box of doughnuts while Mia, Cass, and Jason talk about what they’ve been reading. Mia is only interested in talking about Tennessee Williams, ‘going through a phase’ as Roy describes it, and Cass divulges that she’s been in a reading slump. Jason could only suggest Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the only book he’s read in the last two weeks, courtesy of a special request from Lian.

Dick and Wally get wrapped up talking to Donna about some off-world issue that Diana, Clark, and Hal had been tending to, and whether Dick should bring back the discowing costume. The opinion is a hard, resounding no, but Dick still argues for giving it a new life, now that they’re in a 70s resurgence. By the time Wally and Dick return to the living room, Jason and Roy have already resettled, Cass and Mia also now in the room, sitting on one of the far couches while contemplating joining the game.

When Dick finally sits on the couch, he notices that the game has been changed; Coin Runners was ended prematurely, and Jason and Roy are in the character selection for a 200cc race. They have already chosen their characters, Wario and Dry Bones, and are waiting for Dick and Wally to select their own. Dick glares Jason’s way, ignoring the impatience on his younger brother’s face.

“Just choose Cat Peach so we can play already,” Jason chides, jokingly grabbing for Dick’s controller on the coffee table. Dick intercepts him, attempting to shoo him away by poking him in the ribs. Jason shies away with a grunt, quickly recoiling out of reach. When he’s upright and no longer as vulnerable, he locks eyes with Dick, eyes squinted.

Dick grins back, mischievous and lightly malicious, quite Chesire cat. Jason knows exactly what the look means, and before Dick can even move a finger he’s catapulting himself over the back of the couch, making a mad dash down the hall. “Oh fuck no.”

Dick makes chase, giggling maniacally and frantically as he follows Jason’s loud footsteps out of the living room.

“Leave me the fuck alone!” Jason yells as he’s backed into a corner, seriously considering whether it’s worth it to scale the wall next to the stairs to get to the second floor. He decides that it is, throwing himself as high as he can get, hoping to grab onto the railing. He falls back down with a thud when Dick grabs him around the ankle, tackling him to the ground. “Fucking ow, dickhead.”

“This is all on you, Jaybird. We could’ve just played Coin Runners,” Dick teases, trying to grab Jason’s wrists as Jason bucks wildly. “Hey, Wally?” Dick calls down the hall, back towards the living room.

“Yeah, babe?” Wally responds.

“I need your help!”

Wally is next to him before he even finishes the sentence, grinning down at Jason and Dick grappling. Jason grunts when Dick manages to gain the upperhand for a moment, stradling Jason, and Dick is quick to tell Wally to grab Jason’s hands.

“Fuck, no, West, I will kill you,” Jason threatens with a glare. He considers, for a fraction of a second, calling Roy, but that would be admitting defeat. He continues to fight until Wally shoots a slowly vibrating finger towards Jason’s ribs, Jason squealing and tensing enough for Wally to scoop both wrists into his hands. “You’re so dead, you’re not living to see tomorrow, West.”

Wally pales, but plays it cool, “you know, I’m not too worried. You don’t look all too threatening right now.”

“I promise, it will be slow and-” Jason clamps his mouth shut, biting hard on his bottom lip. Dick had brought his hands up to dig into Jason’s sides, going from slow, teasing circles to spidering in with his fingertips, switching at random intervals.

“C’mon, Jaybird, I know you wanna giggle. I see the smile peeking out,” Dick teases with that disgustingly endeared voice he does when he’s pulling the Big Brother card.

Just as Jason gets used to Dick’s maddening pattern, Dick reaches a hand back and squeezes Jason’s hip, and Jason snorts loud enough to be heard all the way down the hall, the dam finally breaking.

“You forget,” Dick grins, “I am your older brother, I know exactly how to get you to break.”

“Fuc- fuhuhucking- no,” Jason cackles, throwing his head back with another snort when Dick continues to squeeze. He makes a show of pulling at his arms, but Wally can tell its nowhere close to Jason’s full strength, something Dick knows all too well.

When he’s satisfied with how many snorts he’s produced from Jason, and satisfied with Jason’s embarrassment about his uncontrollable snorting, Dick’s fingers move to Jason’s stomach, pinching the skin on both sides of his belly button. Jason squeals, bucking up and down as he starts to giggle, uncontrollably. Jason would have taken this to his grave if it weren’t for Dick, if it weren’t for his older brother analytically conjuring the most embarrassing reactions he can from him.

“You know, if I didn’t value my life, I would say that this is almost cute,” Wally chirps, and Jason squeals out a string of curses and threats. Wally thinks he can make out something about time travel, and something about Barry and space, but it’s not as scary when Jason is red in the face, giggling uncontrollably as his older brother tickles his tummy.

When Jason feels his shirt move up, seeing the evil glint in Dick’s eyes, he absolutely screams, bucking as hard as he can, desperately squirming to get away from his brother’s rapidly descending face. “Dihihick, no! Yohou’re so dead! I sw-” Jason cuts himself off with a screech, trying to melt into the floor to get his stomach away from Dick’s lips. Dick just laughs along, giving him a few more before relenting.

“I’m not done just yet,” Dick teases, “one more spot, Jaybird.” Dick looks up from his brother for a minute and notices Roy leaning against the wall, trying to hide his endeared grin at the state his boyfriend is in on the ground. Dick starts to rub soft, ticklish circles under Jason’s belly button, grinning when his brother starts to giggle again. “Oh look, we even have an audience.”

Jason hadn’t realized his eyes had been screwed shut, but he opens them quickly, looking up at Roy, mortified. “Dihihick, you’re going to die.”

“Well, yeah, we all are,” Dick says in a sing-song tone, “but you first.” With that, his fingers dart up to Jason’s armpits, and his younger brother shrieks, trying to jacknife away from too all-too-knowing fingers. “Good to know this is still your worst spot!”

Jason tries to dispute it, tries to continue to threaten his brother, but it all tickles so much, and his body feels like a live wire. Something about Dick tickling him always made it so much worse, it made everything tickle so much more, and he always felt completely helpless up against Dick’s Big Brother Skills™ and Big Brother Tactics™.

Wally suddenly lets go of Jason’s hands, and Jason manages to wrestle Dick away from him, rolling onto his stomach and giggling into his arms.

“You broke my boyfriend, Dickie,” Roy says, jokingly upset.

“Nah, he’s just fine,” Dick waves off with a grin, “he’ll sit there and giggle for a few minutes, and blush for the rest of the day, but he’ll survive.”

Jason groans, something so incredibly embarrassing about how Dick cannot only precisely predict Jason’s reactions, but also the aftermath of his attacks. He tries to sit up, but just continues to giggle, proving Dick’s point as he brings his hands up to cover his face.

Dick ruffles Jason’s hair, standing next to Wally, “hurry up, we’re playing Coin Runners.”

Jason just groans, flipping him off as Dick and Wally walk back towards the living room. Roy moves closer to Jason, kneeling down so he can see his face. He puts a single finger under his chin and leans in, placing a kiss just on the corner of Jason’s mouth. “That was really cute.”

Jason’s blush grows hotter, glaring at Roy. “Don’t think you’re safe, West is the top of my hit-list, but you’re not too far down.”

#lee!jason #ticklish!jason #ler!dick #dick grayson #roy harper #jason todd #wally west #mia dearden #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #donna troy #dc #dc comics #batfam #batfamily #jayroy #birdflash

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yeetus-feetus · 3 months

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tangled au (WIP)

Inspired by this ↓ post

Created by this ↓ account

@dragonpyre (I hope this is okay, you just really inspired me is all)

So here:

Jason, second heir to the throne of Gotham, was a happy little boy with a very loud personality. A former street kid, he was adopted into royalty at the age of 3 following his mother’s death, much like his older brother Richard, by the current King of Darkness. Make no mistake by the title he holds, Bruce Wayne is a very Just king though he cloaks himself in the fine fabrics of midnight and gold emblems that glitter like the stars.

But the young prince Jason was a ball of energy with a smart mouth and a baby as he were, often got on the wrong people's nerves. There was one man in particular, the Jester of the court– who was perhaps something more than a simple Jester to the King, maybe even a friend– had joined the Royal staff after a terrible accident that disfigured him many moons before Jason himself was even born.

On this day, Jason was only five when he trod on the odd man’s toes. He can’t remember what he’s said to the man, but it was something with loud youthful ignorance behind it, maybe something about his permanent smile and moon-pale skin. It wasn’t anything nice, to say the least, but who can blame a child of such brutal, unthinking honesty without the better knowledge on how such things were hurtful.

Maybe a man with a soft heart, and the belief he could give everyone in his Kingdom a better life and a second chance, should be blamed on keeping criminals and the insane in his company. Maybe a toddler in bright mocking colours shouldn’t have been left unattended to in the palace halls after a silly disagreement regarding his mother.

The wicked Jester did not return to the King’s court after that night.

Nor did the young Prince Jason. The boy was found in a puddle of his own bastard blood in a storeroom downstairs by the cellar, in teeny tiny shackles with his small bones shattered, tear streaks still wet on his cheeks as he lay limp on the cold cement floor.

The King had wept, cradling his broken body close to him, wailed and begged for the boy to come back to him, pleading for forgiveness from a child who was no more. The King of Darkness caressed the soft face of a lifeless shell, and that was when the shadows spoke.

A deep eerie voice had filled his ears from all directions, reminding him of a tale he had believed to be only myth. The story of the moon when she wept for her own son once very long ago …

A single tear of moonlight had fallen from the heavens, and from this small drop of sorrow bloomed a magic, glowing flower. It had the ability to heal the sick and injured– and in extremely rare cases, even raise the dead if the moon wished it so.

“However, the Flower of Lazarus is protected by a Demon whom hoards it for its youth restoring power”, the low voice warned. “And you have only until the fourth day, beginning when the sun breaks over your Kingdom at dawn, to retrieve it. For when the sun sets on that day, the boy will remain in a tomb forever.”

Bruce, because he is no King down here with a dead son in his arms, remains speechless and confused. Before he could gather his thoughts and interrogate the validity of this supernatural voice, a flock of bats screeched and swarmed and then the voice was gone.

And a man was left in a cold empty room with his beaten bloody son, fear and determination filling his heavy heart. A hope that in four days time, his son will be returned to the earth and fill the Palace with his laughter once more.

⧫

The quest carried out by the King’s Guard had proved successful, and the magic of the Lazarus Flower, brewed into a glowing green liquid potion heals the dead Prince’s body on the morning of the fourth day. A new tale of rebirth bringing the kingdom together as the King launched a floating lantern into the darkness of the night sky, a symbol of prevailing hope and new life, to celebrate the return of his beloved young son.

For that one moment, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended.

A cloaked woman had entered young Jason’s room that very night by way of the balcony, silently creeping towards the boy’s bed where he slept soundly, unknowing to the threat of her presence. The woman pulls back her hood and strokes a deadly gentle hand up over his face until she reaches his soft baby curls as she sings in hushed tones.

“Flower gleam and glow”

And glow the child’s hair did, a bright green hue filling the room. She pulled a long lock of the glowing hair taught between calloused fingers, reaching into the deep green of her garments for the jewelled hilt of a small sharp knife as she continued.

“Let your powers shine”

The blade glinted in the unnatural light as the woman’s tan hand brought the sharpened knife up…

“Make the clock re–”

But as the knife sliced through the strands of hair it turned lifeless and lost its colour, turning moon-white and powerless. The shock and confusion was clear on the woman’s face, a frown carving its way into her beautiful features as she realised what she must do in order to fulfil her father’s wishes.

Just like that, Jason was stolen. Gone.

The Kingdom searched and searched, but their attempts at recovering the small boy proved nothing but futile and the King lost all his hope. They could not find the Prince of Gotham.

For deep within the forest, in a tall hidden tower, far away from his home, the woman– Talia Al Ghul– raised the child as her own.

#tangled au #jason todd #jason peter todd #jayroy #bruce wayne #alternate universe #batman

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albatmobile · 4 months

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I need another fic where jayroy x reader is in the league for… reasons 🫣

I also now need this 😫

the other fic (x)

a conundrum of redheaded proportions

next: [2] || ao3

𓅪 Rated: E | 4k includes: misunderstandings, confessions, selectively mute!reader, blow jobs, vaginal sex, deep throating, praise kink, spitroasting, begging, lots of smut y'all ur welcome, voyeurism, jealousy, Justice league AU

𓅪 previous hookup fem!reader x jason todd, eventual fem!reader x roy harper, eventual fem!reader x jason todd x roy harper

my Hero OC! Cardinal comes from this series: tumblr [1] [2] | ao3

It's a well-known fact amongst The League that you like redheads.

From your first fling with Wally, drunken kiss with Kori, to your summer romance with Kate and that one-time thing with Jason back when his locks were more fiery than his personality, you’ve always seemed to gravitate towards red.

Hell, he’d even heard rumors that you’d been in a threesome with Babs and Artemis on your mission to Themyscira a summer or so ago.

What Roy can’t figure out is why you’ve never even talked to him let alone looked at him.

Is he a defective redhead or something?

Just approach her, they said.

Just introduce yourself, they said.

Well, he’s fucking tried.

You aren’t one to talk in uniform and only the redheads in the league, excluding Roy, know what you look like underneath your infamous, skin-tight burgundy vinyl.

And then, there you are.

Right in front of him.

Roy doesn’t realize his breath’s stopped until his head begins to feel faint and he’s forced to gulp in air desperately like Spongebob in that one episode.

And then you’re walking toward him.

Jason shifts beside him, but Roy’s more focused on you.

Your hips sway hypnotically with each purposeful step you take closer, pulling Roy deeper into your unforgiving trance.

Your hand makes a tiny wave, so tiny Roy’s sure if he blinked he’d miss it, right at him.

No fucking way.

Roy’s hand shoots up with a nervous wave back that stills as soon as you shoot him a questioning head tilt. He hears the leather of Jason’s jacket shift from behind him and looks just in time to see his friend finish waving at you.

Roy isn’t salty.

“There’s no way she’s hot under that shit,” He mutters lowly to his friend once you’ve passed by.

Roy’s salty.

“I fucked her,” Jason says the statement like it’s an actual response and not just a blatant brag.

“Yeah,” Roy huffs, focusing back on packing up his gym bag, “so?”

“So,” Jason quirks a knowing brow. “You dissing my taste in women?”

“No!” Roy cries out, then slumps back against the locker room bench with a groan. “Is there something wrong with me, Jay? Am I the ugly one?”

“What does your mug being a mess have to do with her?”

Jason’s never had a quiet voice. His baritone growl always demanded attention whether he meant it to or not. Unfortunately for Roy, this time it seems to have attracted your attention because your usual confident gate stutters just slightly enough for Roy to take notice.

As soon as you’re out of sight, Roy smacks Jason in the arm, yelping slightly when he retaliates with full force.

“Jesus, dude. You tryin’ to kill me, or something?” Roy groans.

“You tryin’ to offend me, or something?” Jason mocks him.

Roy finishes zipping up his bag with a dramatic zip and huff. “Course not. Sorry, Jaybird.”

Another quick hit to Roy’s already undoubtedly bruised arm.

“Not here,” Jason’s nose wrinkles easily at the offending nickname.

Roy watches as he looks towards all the hidden cameras in the room, something they’d both mapped out within the first few days of being welcomed aboard the Watchtower.

“For sure,” Roy nods distractedly as he catches a glimpse of Barry’s outfit and briefly mistakes it for you. “Sorry, I‘m just out of it today.”

“So I see,” Jason raises an easy brow.

“Nothing gets passed you now, eh?” Roy tries to joke but Jason only returns him with a knowing, read: asshole-ish, look like he’s already figured Roy out and, hell, he probably has. He catches a whiff of his uniform and winces, picking distastefully at the fabric on the chest of his sweaty Arsenal getup. “Fuck off, man. Let’s just eat so we can get the fuck out of these monkey suits.”

𓅪𓅪

The cafeteria is nearly empty at this hour, Roy notes with a pleased hum. He quickly becomes distracted, however, by the heavenly smells coming from the kitchen.

Algie and Rita are behind the counter again tonight, so Roy knows the food’s going to be fire.

“Ladies,” Roy wriggles his brows at the elderly women playfully. As a result, they award him with an extra scoop of mashed potatoes.

Jason greets them politely before following behind Roy to the closest table.

It’s always quiet around this hour, though it doesn’t mean heroes are necessarily holed up asleep in their rooms. Mission stragglers, graveyard shift Watchtower workers and heroes zeta-tubing in for their debriefs are constantly ongoing.

In quiet moments like this, though, Roy really does feel like it’s just him and Jay in space.

“So, you going to tell me what’s been bugging you tonight?” Jason asks though Roy thinks he already knows.

Roy glances around the empty cafeteria, save for a single table taken in the way back, before leaning in to whisper anyway. “It’s that chick.”

He shoots Roy an unimpressed look, “Chick, seriously?”

Roy sighs, pushing around the mashed potatoes on his tray, “I’m not gonna say her name when you already know.”

Jason simply hums in response as he unlocks and removes his helmet to eat.

Roy has never been quiet when it comes to the people he’s interested in and, sure, that’s how it started off with you, but you’re different.

No, literally, you don’t speak.

Not that you can’t, per se, just selectively and never to Roy.

Except one time. Your first mission alone with him.

Roy was usually unable to understand your movements, signals and signs outside the costume (not that you were ever caught dead on the Watchtower out of costume). After all the years of battling side by side on missions, Roy knows your battlefield code like the back of his hand.

Slight shift of your head to the right: back you up, shift to the left: back up, all the way down to your cute little hand movements that call out battle strategy.

Quiet but mighty. Never one to mess with.

Roy knows firsthand.

The one thing he’d never known until that one time, though? Your voice.

It was during the midst of a battle with Enchantress and Gorilla Grodd. You and Roy had been put in charge of reconnaissance for team Alpha when a henchman strayed way too close to the tree Roy was stationed behind.

You’d clicked your comm button three times to alert Roy, but it was already too late.

The guard startled and went for his radio, forcing Roy to draw an arrow. Though the hit itself was quiet, the thud of the man’s armored body was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the general vicinity.

Cutely enough, you turned to Roy, watching as he drew his bow and nodded to you as you got into a defensive position.

He then proceeded to watch you take on tens of henchmen at a time, disarming their guns before they could even aim them. It was a shame that Roy’d been so preoccupied with your safety, no, namely distracted by the way the shiny material of your suit stretched across your huge ass, to focus on protecting himself.

Up until that point, everything had been going smoothly. That is, until-.

“ROY!”

You weren’t supposed to use names other than alias’ out of the field, but your slip-up had seemed so unintentional he didn’t need to see underneath the mask to know you were panicking. He could hear your regret in your loud silence for allowing your voice to slip through and leak into the chilly night air.

Your body crashed into his with such a ferocious force, that he had no choice but to shift out of the way. He hit the ground and you landed on top of him just in time for him to avoid the deadly ray of Enchantress’ incantation.

You, however? Not so much.

By jumping in front of Roy, you’d taken the brunt of the attack practically head-on.

The shock of hearing his name from you lasted mere milliseconds before you were on the ground, screaming bloody murder under the intense pain from the spell you’d just saved Roy from. He’d never thanked you for taking a proverbial bullet of kinds for him, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t at least tried. You’d been conveniently absent from the post-mission debrief and, after checking out the empty med bay, Roy hung around outside the women’s locker room long enough to get booted by a wary Supes.

Eventually, Roy gave up trying to catch you and, thus, his ‘thank you’ went unsaid.

And now, here you are. Again.

Seeing you twice in one night, Roy feels like he’s hit the jackpot.

Jason, being the asshole he is, waves you over as soon as his eyes catch yours.

Your thick thighs move languidly, shifting from side to side with each tantalizing sway of your perfect figure.

You’re stunning.

Roy clears his throat, coming back down to the present moment just in time for Jason to… introduce the two of you to each other. Huh?

Jason and Roy are the only ones in the cafeteria, Algie and Rita having reverted back to stirring pots in the back kitchen.

It’d be weird if they made you sit alone, right?

Right?

That has to be why Jason is doing all of this.

Your flashy red stops right in front of him before he has a chance to think further on the topic.

At this point, you’re close enough that your enchanting perfume has slowly started to invade his senses. Your scent quickly takes complete hold over him, making you the only thing he can focus on.

At Roy’s silent staring, Jason clears his throat, ”Roy, meet Cardinal. Cardinal, Roy.”

Even behind the security of his domino mask, Roy can practically see the mirth in the outlaw’s emerald eyes.

Roy’s completely lost for words.

Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be an issue with you very much being in the same boat.

He watches your every minute movement diligently so as not to miss this crucial moment. His eyes openly flick over your curves while your attention is diverted toward the raven-haired man next to you.

It’s been years since Roy’s been this close to you and he can’t help but greedily drink your hypnotizing presence down to the last drop like a fucking dog. If Elastic Man and Booster Gold hadn’t been occupying the only other table in the cafeteria, Roy would take you right here and now, Jason’s voyeur-ass be damned.

Roy watches as you huff slightly and shoulder his best friend’s arm lightly. Jason laughs easily at the cute contact, leaving Roy to wish he knew you well enough to be in on the joke too.

Well, to be honest, he just wishes he knew you period.

Roy clears his throat, going along with unnecessary niceties by extending his hand out to you with a false confidence he definitely wasn’t feeling. “What’s up, babe?”

Your head continues to face him head-on. He’s pretty sure if he could see anything under the mask you’d be wearing a deadpan stare.

You two have known of each other for years, working alongside each other the entire time- why are you being introduced to Roy and why is he acting like a douche?

He watches you turn to Jason and point at yourself then your head then Roy and Jason seems to understand immediately.

“Yeah, well I figured I’d just properly introduce you guys,” He runs a sheepish hand through his grey streak. “I don’t know,” He trails off with a sexy laugh that has even Roy fawning over him.

Roy really doesn’t stand a chance with Jason here.

Fuck.

Roy supposes you shoot him another deadpan glare because Jason, honest to god, giggles.

Fuck.

How is Roy supposed to compete with Jay’s rugged attractiveness when Roy’s shorter with half the game?

What happened to the awkward Jason Roy’d met all those years prior?

No, seriously-

Jason had always been an awkward fuck, but for some reason, it seemed to work for him. Roy, on the other hand, was spontaneous, loud, over-the-top and seemed to drive off every promising prospect in sight, namely you.

You give Roy a timid wave that has Jason raising a brow, but Roy just responds earnestly. “Big fan of your work, Cardinal.” Roy leans in across the table to get closer to you before he can stop himself, “Even bigger fan of that suit, beautiful.”

He watches as your arms subconsciously move to cover your stomach and instantly backs off when Jason pushes him back into his seat. “You’ll have to excuse my friend. He hasn’t gotten laid since he’s been sober.”

He hears your tiny ‘oh’ whispered into the quiet of the cafeteria and nearly loses it.

He wants you.

He needs you.

“It’s true. I’m pathetic.” Is what he ends up choking out.

Your head tilts at him with your hand floating to where your mouth is hidden under your vinyl confines. You look Jason’s way again before Roy hears your melodic giggle. He swears the gates of heaven have opened, he can practically hear the harps now, as he watches the little shakes in your shoulders move in time with the angelic noise.

Saint Peter, Roy pleads with whatever fuckers are out there, please call my fucking name. Preferably soon… No, preferably now while you’re still amused by his obnoxious, whore-like behavior.

“Would you want to sit?” Jason motions to the chair you’re standing behind which sits right between Jason and Roy. You glance down at your tray which has a grab-n-go sandwich on it from one of the fridges right next to the food counter then back up at Roy. “It’s cool if not. I know idiot over here can be a lot.”

“Hey, I resent that.”

“I’m sure you do, buddy,” Jason says, picking lightly at his chicken before finally taking a bite.

Jason always said the food here was good, but Roy knows it’s nothing compared to Alfred’s cooking back home.

Your giggling cuts off their old-married couple banter just like that. In fact, your laughter draws the attention of both men at the table so instantaneously, that neither has time to cover up their reactions to the unfamiliar sound they’ve been lucky enough to hear twice now tonight.

Jason’s fork freezes momentarily on the way to his mouth before he quickly moves as if it’d never happened. Roy, on the other hand, remains completely stupefied by your captivating, seemingly effortless charm.

He knows deep down that there’s no way you’ll actually stay, though it doesn’t stop him from fantasizing about you ripping off your mask for him to take in what’s been forbidden for all these years.

Part of him still holds out hope that, because it’s just him and Jason, you’ll actually do it, that you’ll actually give in and stay. Maybe the ripping off the mask is a bit too extreme, Roy mentally berates himself. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll lift the mask up past your nose and, at the very least, maybe you’ll just stay.

He watches with bated breath as you glance down at the seat only to have his stomach sink seconds later when you shake your head. You pick up your sandwich and motion with your head toward the exit.

Your continued lack of verbal response further proves there’s no way you’d ever even think about lifting up your mask to eat with Roy here.

He is defective.

“No worries,” Roy waves you off with a jerky, then overly casual nature.

Holy fuck, why can’t he just act normal around you?

“We’re usually in here around this hour if you ever do want to meet up,” Jason adds helpfully. Roy’ll be sure to thank him later for it. That is, right after he finishes kicking his ass for putting him through this embarrassment. “It’s usually just us down here at this hour anyway, it’d be nice to catch up.”

You nod eagerly at both of them, leaving Jason to laugh.

Roy watches you rub anxiously at your forearm only to spur into action when your tray nearly goes tumbling because of it. You catch the sandwich easily and Roy catches the tray before it can even get close to the ground, but that doesn’t stop you from bending down too.

At the sight of the tray safe in his hand, you, still bent over, look up, causing your noses to bump.

“I can take care of you,” Roy’s grave voice is nearly a whisper in the quiet of the large room. You gasp slightly and startle backward, causing Roy to backtrack in a slightly higher-pitched voice. “They tray, I mean.” He clears his throat until his voice reaches its normal timbre, “I can take care of the tray for you.”

You seem to be momentarily frozen much to Roy’s surprise, though it doesn’t last for long. Soon, you’re nodding distractedly, backing away from their table all the while.

With your wrapped sandwich in one hand, you use the other to give a hasty thumbs up.

Roy waves you off with a defeated smile, bidding you a cursory goodnight.

Then you’re turning on your heel, speeding for the exit at a pace even Wally wouldn’t be able to keep up with.

He fucked up.

Neither he nor Jason can pull their eyes off you as you saunter away.

Roy bites down harder on his chapped, bottom lip with each stomp of your heels as it jiggles your infamous cheeks in the process. Damn, what Roy wouldn’t do to get his hands on as much of your ass as he could manage. He knows there’s no way your ass would fit in the palms of his hands but, damn, if the thought alone doesn’t leave him drooling.

He doesn’t even notice the tent forming in his lap until Jason shoots him an unimpressed stare.

“You’ve got it bad, bro,” Jason mutters into his water glass.

𓅪𓅪

Roy does have it bad.

So bad that he makes his best friend take care of the raging boner you’d left him with.

Jason wasn’t lying when he said Roy hadn’t been laid since he’d sobered up around two years ago, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t jacking it almost every night. He’s found that the showers between the hours of four and five am are a safe haven for him to quickly get off, but tonight he needs something more.

Tonight’s different.

Roy presses Jason against the tiled wall and fucks into his tight ass all while imagining your wet pussy and fucked-out face. Roy comes embarrassingly fast, something Jason doesn’t let slide. He puts Roy to work, forcing his dick down his throat with a rough hand gripping his fiery hair until he comes all over Roy’s freckled face with a grunt.

It’s good and fine and whatever… Jason’s extremely attractive- that’s not the issue.

The issue is he’s not you.

Jason takes one look at Roy’s constipated face and sighs, wiping gently at the remaining beads of come on the tip of his cock with Roy’s discarded boxers.

“Just talk to her,“ He says before leaving Roy to drown under the stream of his post-nut misery.

𓅪𓅪

He’s rounding the corner to his dorm room in his towel when he runs right smack into you and you’re…

“Holy shit,” Roy can’t help the airy moan that escapes at the sight of you in a loosely tied silk robe- only a silk robe.

You’re breathtaking.

Your billowing hair, gleaming eyes and, overall, sinful features leave Roy’s mouth hanging open. Speaking of mouths, your supple, pouty lips are screaming at Roy to slip his dick between them and choke you with his length until he sees tears in the corners of your sex-doll eyes.

Even in the fluorescent lights of the Watchtower hallways, your skin softly glows, radiating deep down into Roy’s bones.

He needs to get his hands on you.

Your features all meld together perfectly in a way that makes sense and he wonders how he ever could’ve imagined you to look any other way.

You tilt your head at him but don’t make to pass. It’s like you’re captivated by his captivation and, if anything, it only serves to captivate Roy further.

You seem somewhat startled, though it’s obvious you’re trying to hide it. Roy wishes he could control his reaction, he really does, but you don’t know what you’re doing to him. Your startled face steadily shifts, leaving Roy to wonder if maybe you do. Maybe you know exactly what kind of effect you’re having on him.

The teasing glint in your eyes seems to point to the latter and it’s making Roy weak in his already wobbly knees.

The sight of your costumed-self in the past has been enough to render him speechless. Now you’re here, standing in front of Roy’s rabid form with your robe steadily slipping from your silky shoulder and further down your bicep.

Needless to say, the one-on-one contact with you is dizzying. It’s as if he’s drowning in the thick syrup of your honey-sweet figure without you ever having uttered a word other than his name.

A succubus of sorts, for sure.

You’re hypnotizing and Roy knows he’s yet to pick his jaw up off the floor but can’t bring himself to stop.

A steady breeze tickles at his mid-drift and it’s then he realizes he’s also forgotten to pick up his fucking towel in the process.

While Roy’s been completely stupefied by your ethereal features, you’ve been staring at his half-mast cock with an unreadable look. Roy inwardly groans when he realizes that Jason would probably know what it meant, but erases the thought as soon as it pops into his head.

Roy looks down at his freckled, pink-tipped dick then back up at you; then back down again and back up.

“Jeez,” He scrambles to drop to the floor for the Justice League embroidered towels they supplied in the locker rooms. “Sorry,” His voice is thick with want as he squeezes his words out from behind a lump in his throat you’ve conveniently caused. “Didn’t see you there,” He says once he’s popped back up and secured his towel. “You alright?”

Your eyes flick down to his now completely erect cock that’s covered once again by his towel, then back up to his emerald eyes. He follows the motion self-consciously, eagerly awaiting your next move.

You’re a wild card to him. He can truly say you’re one of the few people he’s unable to read and one of the only people that he never knows what you’re going to do next.

You’re a captivating mystery; an enigma for Roy’s puzzle-loving brain to tirelessly work at. And here you are, revealing almost everything to him, while still revealing absolutely nothing.

You nod and he watches as a magnificent blush coats your cheeks, though not the ones he’s been carnally craving.

“Sorry,” Roy sputters again as you continue past him like nothing had even happened. Like Roy hadn’t been staring at you for two minutes straight.

You shake your head easily as if to say you don’t care, but Roy hopes you do.

You continue past him with your usual confident stride, leaving Roy to wonder how you can possibly expect him to move at all with the trance you’ve put on him. His wobbly knees struggle to remain upright as your silent padding grows more and more distant.

Your scent lingers in the air around him like a cruel reminder of what could’ve been.

When he’s finally able, he turns around to watch your ass jiggle further and further down the hall with a heavy heart and even heavier blue balls. His heart nearly stops when you actually turn around to see if he’s still there, only to blush and duck your head back around on account of his blatant staring.

And so, the chase continues.

A/N: i’ve fully fallen in love w my characterization of roy and i’m absolutely WRECKED about it ok? i hope u feel the same and let me know if u do! ALSO ok I wrote this back in March (before I broke my pinky lol) but I did edit recently, but if it sounds a bit off from my current stuff that’s why :,P

Important: Cardinal is not usually mute, I take a lot of her hero design from Black Bat and thought it would be cool to include another aspect of Cassandra's character, hence this!

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#answered #albatmobile prompts #albatmobile oc!cardinal #reader x roy harper #reader x jason todd x roy harper #jason todd x reader #reader x jason todd #x reader #my fic: redheaded conundrum

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do-not-careissa · 2 years

Text

JayRoy fake marriage but not really start

"We should get married."

The statement comes out of nowhere, and the way Roy says it, with that lilt to his voice that always made it hard for Jason to tell if he was being serious or not, doesn't help. The fact he's saying it as they're finishing up a case, tying up the lose ends and the unconscious scumbags they'd taken down, isn't helping matters either.

"Excuse me?" Jason manages to say, his voice just as caught off guard as he was. It's a good thing his helmet is still on, the voice modulator masking the strange croaky squeak he let out. Fuck, does Roy know? He doesn't know, there's no way he can know, Jason's been so careful, for the love of God he can't.

"Married Jaybird," Roy repeats, drawing out the first syllable in what Jason would normally call a tease. But this is Roy, and he's Jason, Roy might joke with him and tease him, but he'd never do it like that.

Jason stares, unable to do much more in a face of such utter confusion. "Who put you up to this?" he half growls half grumbles as he forces himself to return to the task at hand. These criminals certainly aren't going to tie themselves up, and he and Roy need to be out of the building by the time the cops arrive. This is no time for a break. "It was Dick wasn't it? The bastard."

Roy chuckles, low and deep in that way that always sends shivers up Jason's spine. "No, no, Dick's got nothing to do with it."

Jason does everything in his power to hold back the mental imagery that hits at those words, the thought of "I'm a man, you're a man, you wanna get married but also expect dicks not to be involved, how?" hitting him like a ton of bricks. Just breathe Todd, just breathe. Everything will be alright, you just need to make it out of this warehouse.

"Kori then," Jason states as he finishes the last of them.

"Nah," Roy grins, sliding up to his side and throwing an arm over Jason's shoulders. It takes all of Jason's self control not to flinch or jump or shiver at the physical contact.

"Then who?"

"Would you believe me if I said no one?"

"Absolutely not."

Roy feigns offense, throwing his free hand to his forehead as he put more of his weight on Jason. "Oh how cruel, he can't even believe his betrothed in his moment of honesty."

"You're damn right." Jason rolls his shoulders, managing to remove Roy's arm in the process. He caught what Roy said, what he had called himself, but he can't bring himself to acknowledge it. "Then why?"

Roy shrugs. "Tax benefits?"

Jason huffs, shakes his head, and leaves the warehouse. He has half a mind to burn the place to the ground.

As it turns out, there was a reason after all.

Disappearances at a couple's resort had drawn Roy's attention, and once he'd seen the sheer quantity of them he'd made his decision. It was easy enough to convince Jason once he knew the marriage proposal wasn't real, that it'd just been Roy being Roy.

He still isn't sure if he should feel relieved or upset at the newfound understanding.

#jayroy #fic snippet #fic ideas #i completely forgot i wrote this #why do i do this to myself

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that1emowitch · 8 months

Text

Fire #7 (Jason Todd & Child!OC)

Summary:

One whole chapter dedicated to comfort, Jason finally realises that maybe, just maybe, he's not alone. ALSO JAYROY.

Rating: Teen & Up Audiences (there might be some swears and graphic descriptions of violence)

Word Count: 5915

A/N:

I got kinda carried away while writing this and ended up writing 6000 words instead of 3000 but~~ THE MORE THE MERRIER

Chapter 7: Family

"Please, Jason… I can't lose you like this." Roy’s words hung heavy in the air, carrying with them all the unsaid feelings he had held close for so long. "Man, there's so much I haven't told you. I need you to wake up... I need to tell you how much I love you."

A choked sob caught in his throat as the weight of his emotions became too much to bear. Tear-filled eyes remained fixed on Jason's still form, as if willing his friend to hear, to respond. "I love you so much, Jay... Please..."

The truth hung in the air, his admission raw and unfiltered. He wasn't sure if Jason could hear him, but he needed to say it, to let the words out into the universe. In the midst of his despair, Roy's grip on Jason's hand tightened even further, a physical manifestation of his anguish, of his plea for life to return to his beloved.

Suddenly, Roy felt his hand being squeezed back. His head snapped up as he rushed even closer to the bed. “Jason?”

“R—Roy?” Jason’s voice was scratchy and weak as his eyes struggled to focus on the redhead in front of him. “You—”

A flood of emotions surged within Roy as he leaned in, his gaze fixed on Jason's struggling form. The sight before him felt miraculous, a confirmation that his words had reached through the void. His heart overflowed with relief, love, and a yearning for the return of the man who had become an irreplaceable part of his life. "Jason," he breathed, his voice filled with emotion.

Jason's voice, though weak and raspy, was a lifeline. “You—”

Before he could finish, Roy enveloped him in a gentle hug, mindful of the injuries that marred Jason's body. "Jay…" His voice quivered with emotion, a mixture of relief and profound tenderness.

In the midst of his vulnerability, Jason's plea resonated with an underlying need. “C—Can you say it again…” His words held a hint of uncertainty, a vulnerable yearning for reassurance. He thought Roy had said it… Or maybe my stupid mind just made it up…

A rush of warmth flooded Roy's heart as he met Jason's gaze, realising that Jason had heard his confession. He hasn’t pushed me away yet. Tears welled in his eyes, a mixture of emotions dancing within them. “Jason, I love you…”

Jason's defences crumbled, tears escaping his eyes as he allowed his emotions to surface. His own vulnerability echoed Roy's, a shared moment of catharsis. “I— Y—” His voice faltered, the weight of his emotions proving difficult to articulate. Why would he love me? I’m just a fucking mess…

Roy's tender touch against Jason's cheek drew a shaky breath from him. “Jay, baby, I love you so much… Please, for fuck’s sake, don’t do something like that again, okay? You scared me… I thought I’d lose you…”

The walls around Jason's heart finally gave way, and he sobbed, releasing the pent-up pain and fear that had plagued him. Roy gently pulled him into his lap, caressing his face, letting him know it was okay to cry. Jason buried his face into his best friend’s neck. Best friend. That’s all I’ll ever be to him, won’t I?

A sudden impulse surged through Jason, compelling him to lift his head, his gaze locking onto Roy's captivating green eyes. Without overthinking, he pressed his lips against Roy's in a kiss that was both tender and passionate. He drank in the taste of his beloved's lips, each sensation an intoxicating rush that momentarily pushed away his worries. Roy's response, the reciprocation of the kiss, sent an electric jolt through him, flooding his senses with euphoria, a moment of pure and undiluted happiness.

But as swiftly as it began, the kiss was interrupted as Roy pulled away, leaving Jason disoriented and craving more. "What—" The confusion in Roy's voice matched the tumult of emotions that swirled in his eyes, reflecting a mix of surprise, curiosity, and perhaps a hint of something more.

Jason's heart raced, his cheeks flushing as he struggled to find the words to explain his actions. He wasn't used to acting on impulse, especially when it came to matters of the heart. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. Tears threatened to spill again. "I— I'm so sorry— I didn't—"

“You still like me?” Roy's piercing question cut through Jason's stammering, the raw vulnerability in the redhead's voice hitting him with the force of a punch.

The question hung in the air, the weight of their history colouring every word. It was a question that held years of unspoken conversations, of buried emotions, and heartaches. Jason swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, as he met Roy's gaze head-on.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, the turmoil within him giving way to the truth he had always known but never quite said aloud. "Roy, you know it's more than just 'like', right?" His voice trembled slightly, every syllable carrying the weight of his feelings. "I've never stopped loving you."

Roy's eyes widened, his surprise evident, and Jason hurried to elaborate. "I know we agreed to stay best friends after what happened between us, and I respect that. But that doesn't mean those feelings vanished. I just— I felt like I couldn’t compare to Jade Nguyen… I knew you still loved her… I mean, she’s Lian’s mom, why wouldn’t you? I…" He trailed off, a mixture of emotions swirling in his eyes. "It hurt, Roy. It hurt more than I thought it would."

A conflicted expression clouded Roy's features, his emotions evident as he tried to process Jason's words. "Jason," he began, his voice laden with sincerity. "Why didn’t you tell me before? I didn't... I didn't mean for you to get hurt. My relationship and my feelings for Jade faded long before we even considered being together."

Jason looked down, his heart aching as he felt the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "I know that now," he whispered, his voice heavy with regret. "But back then... I felt like I was just your rebound, like I was disposable."

Roy's fingers reached out, gently tilting Jason's chin to meet his gaze. "You were never disposable, Jay." His voice held an earnestness that resonated deeply with Jason. "And I'm sorry for making you feel that way."

“It— It’s not just that…” Jason looked away, his gaze fixed on a distant point as he struggled to articulate the turmoil that had been brewing inside him. "I can't be what you need, Roy. I'm broken, and I've got all these scars, both inside and out." He could feel the painful lump forming in his throat, the words coming out in a rush. "And with the Pit and all… I can't risk hurting you, using you as a way to fix myself."

Roy's expression shifted from confusion to realisation, and Jason felt a pang in his chest at the understanding in Roy's eyes. "But I need you," Roy said softly, his voice laced with a mix of sadness and empathy.

Jason nodded, his throat tight as he struggled to hold back the emotions threatening to spill over. "Me too. But I can't do that to you, Roy. I—I can't let you be dragged into my mess. You keep having to do so much for me, I don’t deserve that…"

Roy's hand gently cupped Jason's chin, guiding his gaze back to him. "Jason, listen to me," he said, his voice unwavering. "You're not worthless, and you're certainly not a rebound." His thumb brushed against Jason's cheek, his touch tender. "You're the person I care about, the person I love. And I don't care about your scars or your past. I care about you, for who you are. We’re both complete messes, but we can help each other get better."

Tears welled up in Jason's eyes, and he felt a mixture of relief and fear coursing through him. "I'm just scared, Roy," he admitted, his voice cracking. "Scared of hurting you, of letting you down."

Roy's fingers wiped away a tear that had escaped Jason's eye. "Jason, we all have our fears, our insecurities. But that doesn't mean we let them define us or dictate our actions."

Jason swallowed hard, the emotions he had suppressed for so long finally breaking free. "I love you, Roy. That's why I can't do this, why I can't let myself drag you into my mess."

Roy's eyes softened, his gaze unwavering. "And I love you, Jason. Your scars, your past, they're a part of you, but they're not all of you. We face things together, Jay. That's what love is about."

Jason felt a glimmer of hope amidst the turmoil inside him. "So, you're saying... you're willing to face my mess with me?"

Roy smiled, his fingers tracing a gentle path on Jason's cheek. "I'm saying I'm willing to face anything with you, Jay."

A small smile found its way to Jason’s face. “When did you get so wise, Harper?”

A chuckle slipped through Roy’s lips, a mixture of amusement and affection evident in his eyes. “You broke up with me because you thought I didn’t actually like you, then proceeded to say we’d be better off as best friends… bro, you literally friendzoned yourself!”

Jason's lips curved into a playful grin, his gaze holding a hint of mischief. But then, without warning, he closed the gap between them and kissed Roy fiercely, a surge of newfound confidence coursing through him. It was a kiss filled with desire, a silent proclamation of emotions that had been suppressed for far too long. As he pulled away, he brushed his lips against Roy’s jaw, his eyes darkened, lust-blown with longing. “I’m not your bro.”

Roy's smirk grew wider, his heart racing as Jason's actions sent sparks of electricity through his veins. He relished in the sensation of Jason's gentle nibbles along his jawline, their closeness igniting a fiery passion between them. The intensity of their connection was undeniable, and he found himself lost in the moment, entwined with the man he had always cared for so deeply.

However, the spell was abruptly broken by an unexpected interruption. A voice pierced through the charged atmosphere, shattering their intimate cocoon and bringing them back to reality.

"Uh, if you two are done, could you come upstairs for a bit?" Tim's voice sounded from the doorway of the med bay, his tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. He cast a pointed glance at Jason's bandaged torso before adding, "And maybe wear a shirt. Nile doesn’t need to see her dad being hurt."

Roy's eyes shifted from Jason to Tim, his expression transforming to surprise. He arched an eyebrow, a silent question in his gaze. Jason's eyes widened in realisation, the truth hitting him that he hadn't yet informed Roy about adopting Nile.

"Right, uh— See, I was going to tell you, but then all this happened, and—" He stopped himself before he rambled on too long and gathered his breath. “I found a little girl, she was all alone with no one to care for her, and she’d somehow got caught up in a meta-children trafficking business, so I adopted her so no one could hurt her again.”

A chuckle escaped Roy's lips as he gently touched Jason's cheek, his tone affectionate. "Guess we've got more than a few things to catch up on. God, we really need to work on communication."

Jason nodded, a soft smile gracing his features. "Yeah, I guess so."

Tim ascended the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the quiet of the house, leading him to Cass's room, where she and Steph sat playing with Nile. The little angel had immediately taken a liking to Cass, and had warmed up to Steph in just minutes. That wasn’t very hard, both of them were some of the most awesome people he knew, his big sister and his best friend. Plus, Nile seemed to be a glowing ball of sunshine with never-ending love to share with the world. He couldn't help but smile as he observed the trio reading a colourful picture book together.

The faint rustling behind him signalled the arrival of Jason and Roy. Tim's senses sharpened, a remnant of wariness still lingering from their past encounters. Although it’d been two years since Jason last tried to kill him, the unease hadn't entirely dissipated, even with the progress they had made.

Shrugging off the hesitation, Tim entered the room, making way for Jason and Roy to follow. He noted the subtle shifts in their dynamic; their connection seemed more profound, their emotions more openly displayed. Everyone knew they loved each other before, but now… it felt like they knew it too. I’m glad Jason found someone, even though it happens to be Dick’s ex. It was like him and Kon. He’d been such a mess before Kon came into his life. To be fair, I’m still a mess, but now we have each other.

As Jason stepped into the room, his body tensed involuntarily. The collective gaze of his companions, a mixture of concern and empathy, fixed upon him, their worry like an unspoken weight in the air. His instinctual response was to meet their gaze with a flash of anger, a protective barrier against the sympathy he perceived. They don’t need to feel sorry for me. He didn't want anyone's pity. Not now, not ever.

"Nile," his voice emerged firm and commanding, a directive that held an undercurrent of frustration. He needed to take control of the situation, to seize a semblance of autonomy amidst the chaos of his emotions. "We need to go." His gaze flickered to the young girl, who looked at him with big, innocent eyes. He didn't want her to witness his vulnerability, his moments of weakness. "We won't be any more trouble," he added, a hint of defiance colouring his words.

The room seemed to hold its breath for a moment, the tension palpable. Jason's stance was resolute, his body language a shield against the well-intentioned concern that surrounded him. He couldn't let them see him like this, couldn't bear their well-meaning but suffocating expressions.

Cass launched herself into Jason's arms, her petite form wrapping around him in a warm, affectionate embrace. Her presence felt like a sudden burst of light in the midst of his emotional turmoil. His gaze fell to her, his little sister, the one who had managed to find her place in his fractured world. Her eyes, so expressive despite her silence, fixed on his heart as she pointed to it with a sense of clarity. Her wordless declaration resonated deeply within him.

"Brother," she stated, pointing to him. "We love you," her message was short but crystal clear. Her sincerity radiated from her, a beacon of pure affection that cut through the layers of doubt and walls he had built. It was a simple affirmation, yet it bore immense weight, the weight of family, of acceptance, of belonging.

When he’d made peace with the Bats, all of them had still been extremely wary around him. I don’t blame them, honestly. But Cass… she’d always accepted him as he was. She was the only one he knew he could trust. She only likes me because she never actually saw how fucked up I am.

Jason's initial stiffness began to melt away, replaced by a hesitant but genuine response. He raised his arms, his embrace enveloping Cass in a protective cocoon. The emotions that swelled within him were almost overwhelming, a mixture of surprise, vulnerability, and a growing sense of warmth.

He wanted this. He wanted to be part of their family so bad. But some part of him just wouldn’t let him accept this. Torn between the yearning to belong and the harsh grip of his self-imposed isolation, a tempest of emotions raged within Jason's heart. His mind was a battlefield of doubt, uncertainty, and the haunting ghosts of his own mistakes.

The warmth of Cass's embrace juxtaposed against the cold walls he had built around himself. He felt the tug of her affection, a longing to surrender to the familial connection she offered, to embrace the love he so deeply desired.

But there was a stubborn resistance, a lingering belief that his presence would only bring chaos, pain, and more scars. I’d only end up hurting everyone around me. He couldn’t risk any more people getting trauma because of his stupid Pit Terrors. He blinked back hot tears, desperate to keep up his tough exterior. He swallowed the lump in his throat, choking back the turmoil threatening to overcome him.

Blinking rapidly, he tried to quell the burning tears that welled in his eyes, refusing to let them fall. He had spent years honing his facade, crafting an image of defiance and strength, and he wasn't about to let it crumble now. The dichotomy of his inner battle played across his features, a storm of emotions flickering across his face as he struggled to maintain control. Why am I getting so emotional all of a sudden? This never used to happen before…

His gaze shifted, drawn to the scene before him. Nile, his precious daughter, laughed and played with his ‘siblings’. They surrounded her with a protective shield of camaraderie and affection. He felt a bittersweet pang in his chest, a mixture of longing and resignation.

She deserves better than me, he thought, his self-deprecation an old refrain that still echoed loudly. His vision started tinting green again. She’s better off with them… They can keep her safe… I— I’ll just end up hurting her like I hurt everyone else.

"Jason," a familiar voice sliced through the whirlwind of his thoughts, jerking him back to the present. His connection with Cass loosened as he turned, eyes locking onto the figure in the doorway. Dick Grayson stood there, a mixture of concern and relief etched onto his features. Jason's breath caught in his throat, his heart doing a strange dance between anxiety and something he couldn't quite name.

Before he could react, Dick enveloped him in an embrace, wrapping his arms around Jason as if he could shield him from the storms that had been brewing inside. The hug was unexpected, an intrusion upon the walls Jason had so painstakingly erected. He stood stiffly, his body tense within Dick's embrace. "We were so worried!" Dick's voice was a mix of genuine concern and exasperation, a blend of emotions that left Jason grappling with his own response.

As the hug persisted, Jason's inner turmoil surged anew. He had become accustomed to isolation, to fending for himself, and this gesture felt alien, foreign in its vulnerability. He shifted slightly, his mind a tempest of conflicting emotions. The embrace was comforting yet uncomfortable, reminding him of the complexities of his relationships with this family he couldn't seem to extricate himself from.

With a sudden motion, he pulled away from Dick's hold, the abruptness a testament to his inner turmoil. His eyes bore into Dick's, a storm of emotions swirling within his gaze. Confusion, anger, and a hint of vulnerability mingled in the depths of his irises. "I don't need your sympathy, Dick," he retorted, his voice laced with defensiveness.

The hurt that flickered across Dick's expression was palpable. Jason watched as his words landed, the impact stark in the wounded look that clouded Dick's eyes. He immediately regretted his harsh tone, the sharpness of his words. The reality of the situation hung heavily between them, an unspoken history laden with pain and longing. Wait, why do I feel sorry? He’s treated me this way for years!

The room seemed to hold its breath as the silence lingered, the tension between them almost tangible. And then, Dick's lips twitched into a wry smile, a glint of mischief and hurt mingling in his gaze. "Well, you didn't have to say 'Dick' in that way," he countered, his voice tinged with a mix of humour and self-deprecation.

"We were actually worried, you know?" Tim's voice carried a quiet sincerity, a testament to the genuine concern that had been lingering in the air. He approached Jason with a softness that stood in stark contrast to the usual brashness the young man exhibited. "Look, we get it. You're hurting. Just let us help!"

Jason's steely gaze met Tim's, an unspoken challenge evident in his stance. He clung to the armour of his façade, as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered to some semblance of control. But a voice, a relentless whisper in the back of his mind, insisted otherwise.

Lies, it hissed, each word a sharp reminder of his doubts and insecurities. They're just being nice. None of them actually want you here.

His glare remained unwavering, a defence mechanism that had served him well over the years. He didn't want their pity, their sympathy. He didn't need it. He grunted dismissively, his gaze shifting to his daughter, Nile, who had been caught in the crossfire of his inner battle. "C'mon, Nile. Let's go," he urged, his tone carrying an undercurrent of urgency.

Nile's innocent gaze met his, those wide eyes filled with both curiosity and a hint of disappointment. "But Jayyy, I wanna play with Auntie Cassie!" she protested, her voice a chorus of puppy-like enthusiasm.

"We're leaving, now," he responded, the sharpness of his words betraying his inner turmoil. The faint edges of his vision seemed to ripple with a green tinge, a reminder of the unsettling chaos that often accompanied his emotions.

Yet, just as he moved to lead Nile away, a soft, gentle voice cut through the haze of his thoughts, pulling him back from the brink. "Jay, baby…" Roy's voice was a soothing balm, a whisper that echoed with care and understanding. A warm hand settled onto his back, the touch grounding him in the midst of his inner tempest. "Let's stay here for a while? Nile seems to like it here, and I wanna get to know her better…"

Jason's resolve wavered as Roy's touch and words worked their way through his defences. His glare softened, replaced by a conflicted expression. Roy's steadfast presence was like a lifeline, a reminder that not everything was as black and white as he often perceived it to be. "We can go to my apartment. You can talk there," he countered, his voice a mixture of stubbornness and vulnerability.

Roy's next words, gentle yet laden with an underlying plea, struck a chord within him. "Please, Jaybird… For me?" The redhead's eyes held a vulnerability of their own, a silent plea that bypassed the walls Jason had built around himself.

A resigned huff escaped Jason's lips as he felt the layers of his resistance slowly giving way. He couldn't resist that adorable look, those puppy eyes that held a power over him like nothing else. "Fine," he conceded, a hint of reluctant affection in his voice. He met Roy's gaze, allowing himself to linger in that gaze for a moment longer before turning his attention back to Nile. "We'll stay for one day."

As Jason's words hung in the air, he couldn't help but notice the way the room seemed to brighten, as if his simple declaration had ignited a spark of joy in each person present. He watched the array of expressions on their faces, each a testament to their genuine happiness. A flicker of wonder crept into his mind. Why are they so happy? Could it be… because they actually wanted me to stay?

But like an unwelcome shadow, the voice, that relentless whisper of doubt and fear, resurfaced with its familiar poison. Of course they didn't, it hissed with a venomous edge. They're just glad you didn't take the girl away from them. It was a reminder that his past experiences had ingrained in him — a scepticism that had become a defence mechanism.

Yet, this time, an unexpected shift occurred within him. An almost stubborn determination bloomed, and he pushed back against that voice with all his might. He silenced it, refusing to let it dampen this fragile moment of connection. For the first time in days, he shut out the voice, as fast and as firmly as he could. He consciously ignored its persistent whisper, choosing to grasp onto the possibilities that were unfolding before him.

Call him selfish, but he found himself yearning for this warmth, for this sense of belonging that he had kept at arm's length for so long. The tenderness in their eyes, the genuine concern they had shown him, it had managed to chip away at the walls he had built. For now, he wanted to bask in this newfound camaraderie, to allow himself to believe, if only for a moment, that he could be a part of something more, that he was deserving of their care.

"Yay!" Dick's joyful squeal echoed through the room, his excitement contagious. "Roy and Nile can stay with you in your own room if you want. I think Alfie's making lasagna tonight! We can have a family bonding night, make pillow forts, and—"

Tim's pragmatic interruption cut through the exuberance. "Woah. We still need to investigate about—" He lowered his voice, ensuring Nile couldn't overhear. "—Falcone."

Jason's eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and concern flickering across his features. "Wait, what?"

Dick stepped in to provide the necessary context. "Someone hired Falcone to find her."

That information hit Jason like a punch to the gut, a visceral reaction that ignited a blaze of anger deep within him. It must be the work of that Ma’am that Nile was so scared of. The mere thought of someone attempting to hurt the innocent child he had grown to love fueled a potent fury within him, so intense it nearly overshadowed his surroundings.

As his fists clenched at his sides, he felt the urge to lash out, to seek retribution for the harm done to Nile, to himself, and to all those who had been put in harm's way. He could feel the Pit’s presence growing stronger in the back of his mind.

“I’m hunting that bastard down,” Jason decided, turning to leave.

"No," Cass's soft voice interjected, her gesture towards his bandaged torso speaking volumes. "Hurt. We'll go."

His frustrated exhale mingled with a reluctant nod, acknowledging her wisdom. He turned his gaze to Nile, whose innocent eyes held both uncertainty and trust. He would protect her, no matter what. As his anger simmered, he found a renewed determination. The promise he mentally made to his daughter was a vow etched in his heart. "I won't let them hurt you, Nile," he affirmed silently, his fierce devotion lending strength to his resolve.

Jason tenderly lifted his daughter into his arms, her cheerful voice ringing out with a heartwarming "HI JAY!" The sound ignited a warmth deep within him, but he masked it with a quiet response, not wanting to reveal the extent of his emotions in front of the Bats. With a half-smile, he nodded a goodbye to Cass and his 'brothers' before leading the way to his old room, signalling for Roy to follow.

As the door closed behind them, a tangible sense of relief settled over Jason, his tense shoulders finally finding some respite. With a gentle nuzzle, he let his affection for Nile shine through, then carefully set her down on the bed. Roy joined them, taking a seat beside Jason and the little girl. Nile's inquisitive gaze met Roy's uncertain one, and a silent exchange of curiosity passed between them.

"Um, right," Jason began, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Nile, this is my—uh—boyfriend, Roy. Babe, this is Nile."

Roy offered a somewhat awkward wave, a small smile gracing his features. Nile's bright eyes widened with understanding, and then she beamed a smile back at Roy. "HI ROY!"

With enthusiasm, she clambered onto Roy's lap, and he helped her up with a careful hand. Her innocent question hung in the air, pulling a soft chuckle from both adults. "What's a boyfriend?" she asked, her curiosity prompting a shared glance between the two men.

"Ah, well," Roy started, his fingers idly brushing a strand of Nile's hair behind her ear. "A boyfriend is like a really good friend, but someone you care about a whole lot more. Someone you like spending time with and doing fun things together."

Nile's eyes sparkled with interest as she processed Roy's explanation. "Like when Jay and I go to the ice cream?" she asked, her gaze shifting between the two men.

Jason nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "Ice cream shop. But exactly, sweetheart. It's like having a special person you want to share your adventures and happy moments with."

Roy chimed in with a grin. "And also someone who will be there to help and support you whenever you need it."

Nile's face lit up. "Like when Jay helps me tie my shoes?"

"That's right," Roy confirmed with a warm smile. "Just like that."

The room seemed to fill with a sense of ease as the three of them sat together on the bed, the concept of a 'boyfriend' being gently explained to the young girl. For Jason, watching the interaction between Roy and Nile brought a swell of warmth to his chest. It was a moment he hadn't imagined himself having, not so long ago when he had been drowning in his own troubles.

He really is my boyfriend again. For real this time. I just need to make sure I don’t fuck this up again.

Jason's eyes shifted to the clock on the nightstand, the red digits glaring back at him. “Holy—” he began, only to catch himself before uttering a swear word in front of Nile. “It’s 3 in the morning! You should be asleep by now!”

Nile's adorable pout was accompanied by a whine. “But I don’t wanna!”

Jason paused, thinking of how to get her to sleep without making a fuss. He didn’t want to speak too harshly and risk triggering any trauma she had from her time with her kidnappers. He searched for the right words, a delicate balance between firmness and understanding. “Nile, sweetheart, it's really important to get enough sleep. We have a big day tomorrow, and you need to be well-rested.”

Just as he was mentally preparing for a potential standoff, Roy intervened with his characteristic charm. “Hey, how about this?” he proposed, his voice warm and inviting. “I'll read you a bedtime story, and then Jay-Jay here can sing you your favourite song. Trust me, he's got an amazing voice.”

Nile's young mind seemed to process this proposal carefully, a hint of intrigue in her eyes. “Okay!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

With a soft smile, Roy retrieved a picture book from Cass’s room and began to read, his voice melodic and soothing. Jason watched with a mixture of amusement and affection as Nile's eyelids drooped, her small body gradually succumbing to sleep.

As the story concluded and Roy gently closed the book, the room seemed to sigh into a tranquil hush, the stillness broken only by Nile's soft breathing. Jason's gaze shifted from Nile to Roy, the gratitude he felt for this man weighing heavy on his heart.

Breaking the comfortable silence, Jason ventured, “You must have quite a bit of experience with this kind of thing, huh?”

Roy chuckled softly. “Yeah, Lian can be quite a handful sometimes.”

The mention of Roy's daughter brought a momentary shadow to Jason's features. “You left her alone to come help me… You shouldn’t have to do that.”

Roy's brow furrowed, his expression sincere. “Baby, I love you. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. And don't worry about Lian; Dinah's looking after her right now."

In that moment, Jason felt a tangle of emotions. He nodded, his gaze softening. "I know you will be. Thanks, Roy."

Roy's smile held the promise of unwavering support. "Anytime, Jaybird."

Jason's heart ached with a mix of gratitude and guilt, a swirling blend of emotions that had become all too familiar. His fingers absentmindedly stroked Nile's hair as he gazed down at her peaceful face, his mind racing with thoughts that had plagued him for days. Jason's gaze met Roy's, a mixture of feelings passing between them. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to convey, but the stupid voices in his head kept holding him back.

Roy's gentle smile seemed to understand all the unspoken words. "You're doing great with her, you know," he whispered, his fingers tracing Nile's tiny hand.

A bittersweet smile tugged at Jason's lips. "I'm trying. But I'm still figuring things out."

"That's okay," Roy reassured him, his voice filled with warmth. "You don't have to do it alone."

Jason's throat tightened, and he nodded, unable to find the words to express the gratitude he felt. His gaze returned to Nile, watching her sleep peacefully, a feeling of protectiveness settling over him. He wasn't sure what the future held, but in that moment, surrounded by the people who cared about him, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could find some semblance of peace and happiness once again.

Roy shifted closer to Jason, his heart racing in his chest. He had rehearsed these words countless times in his head, but now that he was actually facing Jason, his confidence wavered. He had to remind himself: be honest, be sincere. This was Jason, the man he loved, and he needed to express his feelings. It’s now or never. Don’t fuck it up.

With a deep breath, he reached out and took Jason's hand, fingers intertwining. “Look, Jay, there’s… there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time…”

Jason's curious eyes met Roy's emerald green gaze, and in that moment, Roy felt a rush of reassurance. He pressed on, his voice steady despite the fluttering in his chest. “I—” He stumbled over his words, the weight of vulnerability heavy in the air. “Do— Do you wanna move in together?”

The silence that followed seemed to stretch, hanging between them like an unspoken question. Roy's anxiety crept higher, gnawing at his confidence. The seconds dragged on, each one a heartbeat that echoed loudly in his ears.

“Like—” Roy's voice rushed out, his words tumbling over each other as he tried to articulate his thoughts. “Maybe— We could rent a house— like— somewhere in between Gotham and Star City— and— uh— Lian and Nile could grow up together— with us—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jason's lips were on his, gentle and soft. The kiss caught Roy by surprise, but he quickly melted into it, feeling the warmth of Jason's affection, the answer he had been hoping for.

Breaking the kiss, Jason's voice was a quiet affirmation, a whisper of acceptance that held a world of emotions. “Of course,” he breathed, his eyes reflecting his surprise and something more. "I've never wanted anything more."

The weight of those words hung in the air, a declaration of commitment and love. Roy's heart swelled with gratitude, and he brushed his thumb over the back of Jason's hand. "I'm so lucky to have you, Jay."

Jason's lips curled into a small, genuine smile. “I'm the lucky one," he murmured, his eyes locked onto Roy's. What did I do to deserve you?

A/N

finally some comfort, for my sanity and yours.

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allineedisonedream · 7 months

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Hi!! So I saw(and loved) your tangled AU and it got me thinking about how tangled and Frozen are part of the same universe… HEAR ME OUT PLS

I don’t know how familiar you are with Joyfire, or jayroy? But I was think of an au where Jason runs away from Bruce and Alfred for some reason? Maybe he was looking for his real mum like In canon? And stumbles into Kori, who freaks out and injures him with her “powers” (lasers I guess but it could be adapted for the sake of the au) and he recovers, but looses his memory of Bruce and Alfred and his brother, so Kori’s parents adopt him as well. Of course he now has the White hair streak from the injury because. Yeah.

And it would probably be open for interpretation on whether Kori and Jay would be together…

But I’m picturing similar events where the parents die, kori becomes queen and runs away, and Jason goes out to looks for her, when he discovers Roy, (after the events of the tangled au) whose trying to find his childhood friend (Jay) because when he and dick and Wally returned dick home, dick found out about Jason being missing( I don’t know how old you headcanoned dick to be when he was taken but for the sake of me let’s say about 10) and wanted to find him so Roy went looking.

But as we all know, Jason changes a lot in those years away from home, and Roy doesn’t recognise him? So they team up to find Kori and Jay(who is really there all along but… maybe Roy only ever calls him Jaybird? And Jason has been going by Robin or Hood since he lost his memory so neither make the connection

And then I think Jason would slowly get more and more confused? Because sometimes Roy will mention something and He’ll recognise the scenario but have no idea why

That’s as far as I’ve gotten, might draw something for it later if you don’t mind? And I hope you don’t mind the hijacking I was just in love with your idea

(This was not proofread so pls excuse anything that I missed)

Aww, that's a really cute idea. I've kinda thought about this too, like giving every family member a side story that's just another fairytale.

But then I saw the Tangled series and was kinda inspired. I would have probably given Jason Cassandra's storyline, and Tim would follow Varian's story a little bit, but then I lost motivation and never finished it.

Now that I'm reworking the story, I'm kinda not sure if I have the patience to give everyone a side story, I'm probably just mostly gonna finish/redraw my old sketches and concentrate on Roy, Wally, and Dick.

And I totally wouldn’t mind you drawing something for it. I would love to see it^^

#ask me anything

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icarusistires · 8 months

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I so badly want to write a Young Justice fic about Jason coming back- I have so many ideas- it would kinda follow UtRH-

Only issue is my mind is so fixated on Jason and Dick's relationship- so most of it would be focused on them being brothers

and jayroy because i love the idea of them bonding over having been gone for years only to suddenly return to a completely different world and going into how that would affect them-

#jason todd #dc comics #young justice #batfamily #dick grayson

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laufire · 2 months

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writing woes: february

I’m doing an online course that it's eating a lot of my writing time, sadly :/

in general

I continue with my habit pledge of writing at least 180 days in 2024 for the get your words out event in dreamwidth. last month I wrote 19 days and this one just 15, but overall I wrote less, but I'm still on top of my goal, overall.

original fiction

I advanced a little on the first act of "Underground Elysium", though less than I wanted to (and I ended up discarding a bunch of what I wrote lol). Reminder that you can read a little (5k) teaser for it here.

I did advance more on the rewrite of "Petal Decay", a short story I drafted a while ago, though it's not quite finished.

I'm going to press pause on these until the course I mentioned is over (March 25th), and then I'll go after them with a vengeance. A final draft for Petal Decay will probably be my low-effort goal for April's Camp NaNo, actually.

fanfic

I wrote and posted "empty spaces" an angst-filled one-shot for one of the monthly challenges in get your words out. It's more a character study than anything, and predictably, set in the universe of detective comics comics. It shows a moment of Bruce during the anniversary of Jason's death (pre-return).

I didn't advance much in the other WIPs I set out to write this month :/. For March, I intend to finish with the immortal jason wip, and to continue with my long young justice!jason project. That one is for the long run, and I don't want to start publishing it until all the chapters are done, so I predict that will wait until the end of the year.

I did write a lot of disconnected scenes from other projects as inspiration hit lol. Some new earth!Jayroy dialogue based on this post, some scenes that I'll eventually fit into the journalist dick wip (featuring Dick-Steph backstory, Dick-Red Hood secret identity shenanigans, Dick-Tarantula angst/horror, and the inclusion of BTAS!Summer Gleeson as Dick's boss!), and some... nsfw (but not at all titilating...) scenes for my Damon and Elena, Marriage of Doom wip 😬😬😬

Crossing my fingers for March!

#talking to the void #my thoughts #writing woes #writing woes monthly #dc #marriage of doom wip #dc comics #jayroy wip #young justice wip #journalist dick wip #original works #me me me #my wips

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lynn-reads-and-writes · 1 year

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if god spoke

DCU | TEEN | KONTIM, JAYROY | 1/? |

“Of course. They’ll be returned after we contact Booster Gold and Dr. Fate. Between you and the Lanterns’ reports, it’s clear something’s going on.” Clark sighs and rubs at his face. “You’ve done good work, Tim. We’ll take it from here.”

We’ll take it from here.

Tim fights the urge to scream.

“I’ll want to see him,” he says edgily (and he kicks himself for it. He has to be better than that. Smarter.) “When you bring him back, I mean. I’ll want to see him.” And he keeps his voice milder this time. Less demanding.

“Well, Tim, we still don’t know what we’re gonna find,” Clark says, and Tim fights the urge to lunge at him.

It wouldn’t get him anywhere.

-or-

They can’t ignore everything that went on while Bruce was lost in time forever.

Back with another entry to the bio!au! So glad to see so many repeat names in the comments! Buckle up guys! It's gonna be a fun one!

#lynn writes #bio!au #tim drake #bruce wayne #bio!dad bruce wayne #kontim #batfam #conner kent

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tickletastic · 3 months

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Fear Toxin, Love, and Other Sh*tty Drugs

Fandom: DC

Ship: JayRoy

Warnings: canon typical violence, panic attacks (sort of- after effects of fear toxin?)

Summary: Jason and Roy have a rough night out on patrol in Gotham, nothing goes as planned, and an Arkham breakout is just the cherry on top. (not a whole lot of tickling, i got carried away, cross posted to my AO3 bc I planned a second, non-tickly chapter)

The streets of Gotham had not been kind last night.

The previous night started just as expected, a crime syndicate carelessly offloading giant tin shipping containers of the world’s most dangerous weapons, a plan in the works for them to leave them in crime alley, to leave them with the most desperate people in the city and watch Gotham crumble. It was a kid that had tipped Jason off, just some kid with a shitbag dad who thought Jason could save them, thought Jason could save anyone. Jason found out the rest from some of his undercover contacts, who sounded nearly afraid when discussing the kinds of weapons that would soon reach Gotham’s streets.

Jason was now waiting, impatient and annoyed, on the corner of a tall building, waiting for the right time to jump into action. The building used to have some mom and pop restaurant on the main floor, one that Jason would frequent after long nights of patrol, when he couldn’t drag his body any further. Apartments were above, but they had been condemned at some point after the restaurant closed down. Now, Jason has a safehouse set up in one of the old rooms, and, though he’d never admit it, he uses Wayne funds to stock the old restaurant with frozen pizzas, chips, mac n cheese, and other snacks for the kids that wander by, hoping that they’ll find food somewhere like this.

Roy is at his back, eating greasy chips from a tupperware container. Jason had insisted that Roy didn’t need a patrol snack, but, after caving in, he made sure, at least, that the snack wouldn’t be so loud. If it weren’t for Roy, Jason would’ve lunged into the action by now, not caring if the syndicate dealt him a broken leg or a dislocated jaw while he took down enough of them to get the weapons somewhere far from here. Roy had always been the patient one, and he manages to keep Jason’s irritability at a low by talking about some book he wanted to read.

The crimes are cresting, the final load now on Gotham’s dock, a sound of trucks in the distance. Now would be the best time, Roy can see every opportunity laid out in front of him, but then Oracle’s voice is ringing out over the comms, panicked and urgent, announcing that tonight, some random fucking night that was just supposed to involve stopping petty robberies and killing a syndicate boss, was the seemingly biannual Arkham breakout.

Roy and Jason are caught in a heated, whispered debate, Jason thinking they should strike before some goofy D list villain can come interrupt them, but Roy thinks it’s too unpredictable now, that they should return the following week, when Jason knows the syndicate planned to do inventory of their new stash. Jason stands up, Roy grabbing him by the leg of his pants, just as Oracle makes another announcement, the silence between Roy and Jason so tense that it could be broken in half. Roy’s heart started to beat faster, his palms suddenly sweaty where he gripped his bow, the world around them suddenly a cacophony of noise. In spite of the precautions, the two-foot thick concrete walls, and the fucking manual entry external lock system for the cell, he had gotten out too.

Jason tensed, but otherwise showed no emotion towards the situation– no reaction to the fact that the man who killed him is roaming the same Gotham streets that he is. It was always like this when it came to the Joker, Jason always tensed up and pushed people away, claiming he’s okay until the second he’s not.

Bruce had a protocol for this exact situation– Jason would be moved to Star City, or JL Tower, or Central City, or even the Amazons– just as far as Bruce could get him as quickly as possible. Then, Tim would find Bruce, Duke, or Steph, and stick to them like glue. Damian was expected to find Dick and stick by his side, but that was more of a formality of the plan, since Damian was usually glued to Dick’s side on patrol anyways.

Jason had never been aware of the plan, too stubborn to ever leave in the face of danger, too eager to throw himself back into fear. Sometimes, Wally would come, taking Jason back to Dick’s apartment in Bludhaven despite Jason’s displeasure and squirming. Sometimes, it would be Diana, or “Aunt Di,” as the Robins had always called her, and Jason couldn’t help but agree to whatever she asked, still awestruck by her presence. One, it was even Hal and Barry, Barry gushing about having gone back in time and seeing a Shakespeare play at the Globe. Usually, though, it was Roy calling Jason, coaxing him back to Star City by faking some non-emergent emergency or begging for Jason to help Lian with a spelling test. Usually it was Roy, but Roy was in Gotham tonight. Roy was in Gotham and he would have to physically pry Jason from the roof to get him to give up the sting he had been planning, and there would be nothing that would convince him that his life, his sanity, might be more important for the time being.

Nothing except for Oracle’s frantic voice, followed by Nightwing’s– Red Robin hasn’t reported, and nobody’s seen him for at least half an hour, caught up in the noise of the Arkham breakout. They have no clue where he is, and, before Oracle can formulate a plan, or even examine the situation with his non-functioning tracker, Jason is hastily grappling from building to building, searching the database in his helmet for a list of every abandoned warehouse in Gotham.

The communications system is entirely silent, creeping on as each of the bats scramble to understand where Red Robin would have gone, how they had managed to lose track of him for so long. Roy gives panting, out-of-breath updates periodically, telling of the buildings Jason has checked, falling behind as Jason throws himself from rooftop to rooftop.

Oracle’s gasp rings out over the speakers, hollow and practically shouting, “we have CCTV! The car manufacturing place on the East Side, the corner of 2nd and Church– Hood is the closest!”

“No!” Bruce shouts over the comms, the worried ebb in his voice coming out more like Bruce than Batman, “Signal and I are not much further, we’re on our way.”

“Absolutely not, 30 minutes is more than enough time for the clown. I’m not letting another fucking Robin die tonight,” Jason grits, hauling ass towards the building as soon as he can see it, the car company’s logo practically decaying, peeling off the building’s facade.

“Arsenal, do not let Red Hood enter,” Bruce grits over the line, a hardened command, before his voice softens, “please, don’t let him go in.”

Bruce sounds the most scared Roy has ever heard him, and Roy is terrified. He’s desperately trying to keep up with Jason, throwing himself recklessly over the edges of roofs and down rusty fire escapes, but the distance keeps growing.

“Jay, I can’t keep up,” Roy shouts, a desperate tone, almost a plea, “Jason Peter Todd, you better not go in without me, you better fuckin’ not.”

“It’s him or me,” Jason grunts, “it’s him or me, and I’m not letting him kill another fucking kid.”

Jason disappears from Roy’s vision, dropping from the sky, and Roy curses, desperately trying to catch up. When he finally drops from the roofs himself, Jason isn’t there, and the door to the warehouse is wide open, dented where a heavy boot kicked it in. Roy rushes in, zeroing in on the direction of the noises he’s hearing– loud clanging and snotty begging– but there’s another door in the way, another door between him, Jason, Tim, and the monster.

“Fuck- fuck! Jason, let me in!” He screams, throwing his body against the door, desperately trying to make a dent as he bangs and kicks and yells. Over the comms, his own voice, shaky and desperate, shouts to the bats, “he’s in there! He’s fucking in there and I can’t get in, I don’t know what’s happening!”

Roy isn’t calm enough to hear any of the responses, breathing heavily, fighting the encroaching panic. He takes one of his explosive arrows, backing up until he thinks he’ll be able to take the door off its hinges with his shot. He lines it up, shaking in spite of all the practice he’s had, all the years he’s spent protecting himself, protecting Jason. There’s a thick thud heard from the other side of the door, and a staticky buzzing playing out in the building, and Roy sees plumes of smoke seep out from the door’s cracks, he hears maniacal laughter announcing itself, the sound of metal dragging on concrete.

“Jason, if you can hear me, tell me if there’s someone on the other side of this door,” Roy tries to sound commanding, supportive, but his voice is betraying him, hoarse as he shouts, “Jason, I’m going to blow this thing to shreds, I need you to fucking answer me!”

There’s crashing on the other side of the door, noises that sound pained, gasps and shouts and pleas. Roy starts screaming Jason’s name again and again, desperately hoping he has clearance to blow the door to pieces. He finally backs up, aiming again at the rusted, bolted door, when it swings open, Roy hearing the voice over his comms and in person simultaneously.

“We’ve got them,” Nightwing announces, and he emerges with Tim over his shoulder, gas masks on both of their faces. Despite the masks, Tim looks less than conscious, slack where he hangs over his older brother’s shoulder.

“Where the fuck is Jason?” Roy asks, shaky and scared, caught somewhere between vomiting or hyperventilating, “please, Dick, please don’t tell me-”

Bruce emerges, the sweat on his face visible between the cowl and his own air mask, one arm under Jason’s knees and the other under his back. Unlike Tim, Jason’s eyes are wide open, frantic, while he shakes violently in Bruce’s grip, muttering horrified under his breath.

“Why isn’t he wearing a mask? Dick, why isn’t Jason wearing a mask?” Roy shouts, hysterical, “Jason, Jace, are you okay? What the fuck happened?”

When Roy approaches, Jason flinches away with a piercing scream, fighting desperately to get out of Bruce’s grip, seemingly terrified.

“It was fear toxin, Arsenal,” Bruce responds with a grunt, working hard to keep Jason in his grasp, “Jason was given a direct dose, the mask wouldn’t have helped.”

“What the fuck will help? He looks terrified, what is he seeing? What did that fucker do to him? Where the fuck is he?”

Dick takes a second to turn around, having begun making his way to the front door, “Arsenal, the Joker’s dead.”

Roy just gapes, obediently following Bruce and Dick out the door, hoping to god that the bat won’t use this as another opportunity to ice Jason out, hoping the bats have some hidden remedy to Jason’s current paranoia.

The Batmobile awaits them outside when they get out, the Gotham streets feeling quieter than they had when Roy entered, his heart beating in his ears. The Batmobile is small on the best of days, but Roy ends up taking Damian back to the docks and equipping him with enough padding for a skydiving mission, strapping him securely to the back of Jason’s motorcycle before climbing on. Jason would never forgive him if he left the bike in crime alley anyways, knowing a bit too much about crime alley kids and their penchant for stealing expensive tires.

By the time the two are back at the manor, Tim and Jason are in separate medical rooms, Tim out cold, hooked up to machines galore, and Jason fighting with everything left in him to escape the room. He still has the same terrified look in his eyes, and he’s begging, over and over, not to die, crying for help as if he’s back in Ethiopia.

Roy can hear Bruce trying to shush him, saying comforting, paternal things in Jason’s ear in spite of the physical force he’s using to keep Jason in the room. “You’re not there, Jay. You’re home, you’re with your dad.”

In spite of the comfort, Jason keeps thrashing, tears freely streaming down his face. Roy looks on from outside for a moment, scared that he’ll make it all worse for Jason if he tries to intervene.

Roy visibly jumps when a voice sounds from next to him, turning to see Dick, discowled but otherwise still in his costume, his brow furrowed, “we gave him the antidote, but it’s going to take a couple hours. The Joker gave him three times what Scarecrow would have, and strapped the mask to his face so he’d have to breathe it all in.”

“Fuck,” Roy sighs, rubbing over his face with one of his hands, “there’s nothing we can do until then? We can’t just let him go through this.”

Dick sighs, mirroring Roy’s tense expression, “Bruce is trying, I’ve tried, you can give it a shot? Maybe you’ll be able to remind him he’s older than he was back then, that might break the illusion, at least a little bit.”

“Okay, yeah,” Roy says, dropping his hands to his sides, “yeah, I’ll try.”

Dick gives him a reassuring pat on the back before entering the room, dropping his voice to say something hushed to Bruce. Bruce nods, turning to glance at Roy, exhaustion written all over his face. He motions for Roy to enter, and, once he’s sure Roy could hold his own, exits with Dick.

“Hey, Jay,” Roy says, just above a whisper, “Jay, it’s Roy.”

Jason is silent now, entire body shaking violently, entire face painted with terror. He’s got a thousand yard stare, seemingly aware that someone is in the room, but looking past Roy.

“I’m going to come closer, Jason,” Roy announces, stepping towards Jason as if he were some scared animal, because, in some way, he is.

Roy is afraid to touch Jason, afraid that it would trigger him to fight off whatever the hallucinations are making Roy look like. What does he do when Lian’s scared? How does he get her back to sleep when she thinks there’s something lurking in the darkness of the bedroom?

Roy tries to touch Jason as little as possible, maneuvering him so he’s at least close to the edge of the bed. He then rounds the bed to the other side, dropping the weird hospital handle softly so it doesn’t block his way, lying down on one side. He laughs a bit to himself under his breath, trying to shed the shyness from the possibility that one of the other nosy bats could walk in at any time.

Softly, just loud enough to break the room’s silence, Roy starts to sing Total Eclipse of the Heart, melodic and sweet, like he would sing to Lian when she got scared and crawled between him and Jason in their bed. Roy gets through three quarters of the song before he notices Jason’s shoulders are no longer tensed, that he’s leaning against the bed voluntarily.

Just as Roy is about to start his lullaby rendition of Faithfully, Jason slumps, turning his head. His face is still covered in nervous sweat, and Roy still gets a sense that Jason is not really seeing him, but Jason tries for a hoarse whisper, “R-roy?”

Roy reaches out carefully, easing Jason so his back is on the bed, so he can maneuver them so Roy is holding him, Jason’s head listening to Roy’s heartbeat. “It’s me, Jaybird. Just close your eyes, it’ll all be over soon.”

Roy feels the spot Jason occupies on his chest getting damp, and starts to run a hand up and down Jason’s back. “I c-can’t stop seeing him. He’s here, he’s g-going to kill me.”

Roy shakes his head, though Jason doesn’t see it, “he can’t hurt you, Jay. He’s gone, and I’d never let him.”

Roy is not entirely sure if Jason believes him, not sure if Jason even knows where he is, but he keeps singing until Jason is shaking a little less, until his breathing has evened out and the spot on his shirt starts to dry.

When Jason wakes up the next morning, feeling like he has the worst hangover of his life, he coughs hard and long until he’s being manhandled upright, a glass brought to his lips. Dick is helping him drink before passing him a handful of pills. Jason has no clue what any of them are, just that he’ll swallow all of them dry if it means he won’t have to deal with the headache and the nausea anymore. Instead, he feels almost instant drowsiness, and he falls asleep yet again.

The next time he wakes up, the pain is mostly gone, though there’s something foggy in how he’s perceiving everything around him. He hoists himself up so that he can see the entire room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Sitting with his legs open on the floor, facing the bed, is Roy, reading Jason’s well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice.

“Didn’t know you knew how to read,” Jason tries to joke, but his voice doesn’t work the way he wanted it to, coming out garbled and hoarse. “What the fuck happened to me?”

Roy looks up, a soft smile on his lips when he sees how different Jason is from last night, “you don’t remember?”

“Ran into a warehouse,” Jason shrugs.

“And after that?”

“Not a lick.”

To Jason, Roy has a weird glint in his eye, a slight strain in his brow, “I honestly think that’s for the best, Jaybird.”

Jason rolls his eyes, sore as he picks himself up from the bed. He goes to where Roy is sitting and plops himself in between his boyfriend’s legs, his back to Roy’s chest. “You know, it’s pretty fucked up not to tell me what I experienced first-hand.”

It's Roy’s turn, now, to roll his eyes. He sighs, putting Jason’s book off to the side and hugging Jason tight, his chin on Jason’s shoulder, “it was fear toxin. Fear toxin, you, Tim, and the Joker.”

“Fuck,” Jason sighs, “of fucking course it was.”

“You’re fine, Tim’s fine, everything is alright,” Roy says, running soft fingers through Jason’s hair, curly and unruly from his sleep.

Jason turns his head to the side, making quick, anxious eye contact with Roy, “I think I’ll take your word for it.”

“You better.” Roy has a mischievous smile on his face, one that Jason can’t see, but he senses the shift in tone, feels Roy’s fingers migrating down to his tummy. He’d rather huff fear toxin for a second, even third time than admit it, but sometimes, when he feels the fear thrumming in his veins, feels like if he’s not touching Roy then he’ll disappear, that he’ll be underground at 15 again, he yearns for Roy’s soft fingers, his teasing touch that ebbs all the fear from Jason’s system.

When the fingers start to move, Jason doesn’t even try to hold back, giggling freely into the sleeve of the old Gotham Academy hoodie he’d been put into sometime last night. Roy’s fingers tickle in teasing circles around his belly button, clawing at the skin.

“C’mon,” Roy says, his voice dripping with the sickeningly sweet softness he always showed Jason at times like this, times when Jason would just accept it rather than prickling away from it, “I want to hear you.”

Jason blushes a light pink, his face heating up, but he moves his hands from his face in favour of lightly grasping Roy’s wrists. “Yohou’re a dick!”

“Oh am I?” Roy’s voice rumbles in Jason’s ear and Jason squeaks, throwing his head back. Roy is grinning so hard it almost hurts, and he kisses the top of Jason’s forehead. Jason scrunches his nose, shaking his head back and forth.

Roy leaves soft kisses down Jason’s neck, his hands moving up to draw soft shapes over Jason’s sides. Jason’s giggles are bubbly and uninhibited, letting Roy explore. He starts to squirm when Roy’s fingers nearly reach his ribs, scratching just below and eliciting a snort and an embarrassed whine.

Jason leaves his neck wide open, and Roy takes the opportunity to give him a raspberry, Jason kicking his legs out with a squeal, on the verge of real laughter. Roy makes sure his fingers stay just soft enough, his lips just teasing enough, to have Jason giggling himself silly, happily leaning in to the redhead.

Roy’s fingers slow a bit, wanting Jason to hear everything he’s about to whisper, “you don’t even know how fuckin’ glad I am that you’re alright.”

Jason’s blush grows hotter, feeling another wave of shyness creeping up. He moves his head to give Roy a kiss on the cheek, his boyfriend’s blush almost matching his, just to even the playing field and all. “I’m soho glad you’re hehere.”

Roy smiles before leaning in for a proper kiss, his fingers just barely grazing over Jason’s sensitive spots. When they both pull away, breathless and awestruck, they’re wearing matching goofy grins, Jason still giggling under his breath.

Jason spots his book again and uses the very tips of his fingers to pull it close enough for him to pick up. He places it into one of Roy’s hands, smiling mischievously at Roy’s confusion. “Nohow read to mehe, asshole!”

#jason todd #roy harper #arsenal #red hood #dick grayson #nightwing #bruce wayne #batman #dc #batfam #lee!jason #angst out the wazoo #angst #hurt/comfort #fear toxin #the joker fucking sucks #jayroy

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