Chapter Text
No one was around. It was just you. You stood alone in the Batcave, having sneaked down when no one was paying attention. You pulled back the cloth covering the tall glass cabinet, revealing Jason’s bloodied Robin uniform.
Your hand came to your mouth as you took in the sight, seeing the extensive blood, and you bit back tears as you gazed over the length of it. He would have been so young, just a boy. Damian couldn’t have been much older than him.
Your hand reached forward, brushing against some long dusty and forgotten button.
“Batman archives, loading up…” A deep voice said, Batman’s voice. “Jason… Jason Todd, Robin.” The voice caught in its throat, choking back tears. “Is dead.” There was a long pause. “I recovered his uniform what was left of it.” There was a harsh sob and another long pause. “There were no signs of a body. I don’t want to imagine what that bastard did with it, with him. End report.”
You searched the container for more buttons, your hand brushed over another and the voice came on again. Batman once more.
“Jason Todd, Robin, he’s, he’s not dead? Diary entry 6359, right, for the archives. But He’s alive. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But the Joker, that bastard, that… that monster kept him alive? For a year… a year… a whole year and I… I didn’t know.” There was the sound of a fist smashing on a table. “They call me the world’s best detective. I couldn’t find my own son. And I accepted it without his corpse, without his body. I should have kept looking. Those things the Joker did to trick him into going to that warehouse, that, that place…” Another long pause, faint sniffling could be heard. “End… end archive.”
Your hands were shaking, tears flowing freely down your face as you took in the bloodied and battered uniform, the despair Bruce was speaking of.
Then another began. “Archive entry, 6360. Red Hood.” Another long pause, as so many before had been. “I don’t know what to say. He’s Jason. But he’s not. He’s alive. Thank God he’s alive, or whatever force is out there. But… it’s not him. Not really. He’s come around since our encounter. He seems to accept that Tim wasn’t a replacement. Note, keep a closer eye on Tim, Jason… he isn’t himself. He’s so angry. I understand, I know what the Joker does to people. Not on his level, I know. I know, I know. Nothing like being killed and coming back from the abyss. But this…”
Bruce’s voice was interrupted.
“Master Bruce, I think you should leave this for another time.” Alfred’s voice came over the speaker.
Bruce must’ve shaken his head for there was silence before he said, “I have to do this. I have to.”
The conversation garbled out and you sank to your knees, arms wrapped around yourself in a tight hug. Roman Sionis, Black Mask, had kidnapped you. But never for a moment did you think, did you fear, the depths of what could have happened. You knew, in your heart, Jason would be there. And the others.
Jason didn’t have that luxury.
“Hey, babe, where are you?” Jason called from somewhere nearby.
You spun around, scrambling to stand but failing. Your eyes were puffy from freshly shed tears.
Jason reached you before you could even attempt to hide the uniform. To cover up the secrets once more. His eyes hardened as he looked up at it, before softening when he saw you, tears evident on your wet cheeks.
“Hey.” He said softly, murmuring your name as he knelt down.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” You breathed, choking back a sob.
Jason looked up. “I thought I did.” He shook his head and reached to pull the cover back over the cabinet.
“No. Not like that. You said you died. You didn’t…” You trailed off. You didn’t want to accuse him of keeping secrets, not like this. Some things might be better left unsaid.
Jason rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly.
You threw your arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance as you hugged him as tight as you could. “Jay. Jason.” You murmured his name over and over, burying your face in his chest.
Jason managed a weak smile. “That was years ago…”
You looked up at him incredulously.
Jason sighed. “How much did you hear?”
“More than enough.”
“Good. You don’t need to hear anymore.”
“Jay… You… I knew you would be there, I knew I’d be safe. I…” You searched for words. Finally you pulled back and bowed your head. “I knew you’d be there. I knew I was never in any real danger.”
Jason nodded mutely. “You don’t have to pity me,” he added sheepishly.
“I do not pity you.” You shook your head, vehemently. “I admire your strength, your resolve, your courage, your ability to recover.” You felt pangs in your heart as you looked up at him. “I should’ve said this from the moment I knew it.”
Jason’s voice was husky when he responded. “Don’t. You don’t have to say anything.”
A long silence passed as you tried to steady your breathing. At long last, you broke it, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”
Jason raised his eyebrows.
“I shouldn’t have snooped. I just…”
“You wanted to know more about me? You could’ve asked, you know.”
“Would you have told me all of that?”
Jason swallowed hard, his eyes flickering away from you. “Probably not as in detail.”
“Jason.”
He turned back to you.
“When I said I wanted to be here, with you, all of you. I meant it. Every part, even the stuff you’re not ready to talk about yet.”
“Yea? What about you?” He didn’t seem angry with you, it was hard to read his expression.
You bowed your head, feeling more tears stinging your eyes. “I’m an open book.” You said, shaking your head and looking back up at him.
Jason swallowed hard and nodded, running his fingers through his hair.
“Say something, please.”
Jay managed a weak smile. “I could never be upset with you. Not really.”
“You have every right to be, I snooped into your life without your permission. Accidentally, admittedly, but still.”
Both of you were standing now. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “I should expect this from you, you don’t get to be a vigilante in Gotham without some degree of snooping.”
“Jay,” you started softly.
He tilted his head, looking down at you.
You reached up and grabbed the back of his head, angling it down so you could press a kiss to the crown of his head.
“Soft.” He breathed, sending involuntary shivers down your spine as his breath wafted over your bare neck.
You pulled back, keeping your hands wrapped loosely around his neck as you stared up at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever cared about anyone like I do you.”
“Me too, babe, me too. C’mon though, let’s leave these nasty memories to rot and start building some new ones. Alright?”
You wrapped your arm around his waist and nodded, leaning into him as the two of you made your way back to the manor.