Description: In the beginning, there had been Robin and Batgirl. Jason Todd and Y/N L/N. Only the subtext of their actions can tell their ending.

Words: 4900

Notes: ... deep breaths... deep breaths everyone; GUESS WHAT I EFFING FOUND ON THE GOOGLE DOCS VERSION HISTORY!?!?!?? I FOUND IT. I FOUND THE STORY. OUR STORY. MY SWEET BABY JASON IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER, BITCHES. COME SCREAM WITH ME. IT'S THE ENTIRE THING I AM SCREAMING AND FLAILING IN MY DESK CHAIIIRRRR

_

You end the call with a sigh, a trio of bats shrieking somewhere far off in the Batcave. Bruce looks at you expectantly waiting for information, and you give it as you don your jacket,"Jay needs me to come pick him up. It's no big deal. I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Taking the keys from your pocket, you deliver a kiss to Tim's cheek and another to Bruce's, bidding Alfred goodbye with a half-hug. They deliver varying responses with varying degrees of care. Tim notices their not your keys, but Jason's.

Putting the key into the ignition, you start his bike and take off down the street. Streetlights pass in circles along the stretch of Gotham's roads, which get thinner and thinner as you enter downtown Gotham. Worry beats softly in your chest, the intensity of your concentration taken by the wind biting at your exposed skin and the path before you. It takes little to no time to get Jason, and the drive goes by too fast for your liking; the only adequate bike-riding gear you had is in the lockbox on Jason's motorcycle, and it's one of his leather jackets. The old faded leather smells so much like him your belly quivered pleasantly. It's almost like he's with you.

You kick out the kickstand, leveling the bike with your other foot as you look for him amongst the late-nighters of Gotham's cruddier crowd. He's drunk off his ass, and beaming at smiling at you all dopey."Jason," You greet, amused at his expression and sudden clinginess. He embraces you, nearly clearing you from the ground as he does,"Hey, babe! Thanks for coming to pick me up!" He giggles, settling your feet back onto the concrete. Jason doesn't take his arms from your waist just yet, gaze suddenly hooded and lips cocked into a smirk,"You look really hot riding my bike."

Smiling and blushing, you shake your head. He's a bold drunk. Either way, Jason's pretty bold sober and he's always been incredibly blunt; he calls you babe even if you're not dating, and comments like the latter aren't exactly uncommon. Deciding he most likely won't remember anything happening between the two of you currently, you let your blush show instead of threatening him—your usual response to his flirtations.

"C'mon, jackass, get on the bike." You instruct, and Jason does so without complaint but... with difficulty. He nuzzled into your neck from behind,"You smell good. Is that... (favorite fruit)?" He guesses casually. You nod, rolling your eyes as you put a helmet on him. He wraps his arms around you for more than one reason. Before you start the bike, you pointedly look at him through your own helmet as you take his hands and move them further up your torso. Jason giggles,"Sorry, babe. Can't keep my hands from wanderin' when I'm with you."

With a final playful look meaning "keep your hands above the waist, Jason", you murmur,"You're lucky you're charming, red." Before taking off. Jason keeps his hands folded comfortably over your rib cage.

By the time you're rising the steps to his apartment, Jason's half passed out. He's lucky you're strong, otherwise the flight up seven floors would have been more of a hike up Mount Everest."Jason, give me your key," You demand, having given him the keys to his bike. Jason giggles tiredly,"Search me, officer." He jokes, raising his arms in the proper manner. You realize he's serious when he doesn't move to grab them.

With an exasperated sigh, you pat him down, his giggles echoing down the hallway. Even if you're trying to come off as uncaring as emotionless, it's hard when he's smiling and making flirty comments. When you pull the jingling bunch from his back pocket, he smiles,"At least buy me dinner first."

You pull Jason inside, making him shed his shoes. He can't keep his eyes off your form. But it's not like that's anything new, you think. There's a chance he'll do something in this state, so you take the chance to remind yourself that he's just a natural flirt and he's not into you. This chance comes in the form of a question,"Meet any pretty girls tonight?" Usually, Jason would flaunt it and say things like,"oh, yeah, tons. I have at least three new numbers in my phone" or,"if I wasn't drunk off my ass I'd have one in bed by now" and you'd die a little on the inside. Assuming he'll answer in the same way, you question him to torture yourself.

He refrains from this, watching your every move with his slim feline-esque eyes, the greened-blue now black in the moonlight. But his gaze is not predatory or even mildly threatening. It's lovesick and adoring and dreamy. As you wondered what doll made him act like this, you childishly hope that one day you'll be in her shoes.

"A few," Jason yawns,"But none as pretty as you, dove."

You hate how your heart beats stupidly in your chest. Stupidly in love. All the nicknames are starting to get to you. Maybe if you pulled the Bruce card and acted like you hated them, he'd stop hugging you to his side and calling you "dove" or "babe". It's bad enough his voice, in general, makes you lose your train of thought, you don't need nicknames meant for a significant other thrown at you in such a manner. Only Jason and Damian called you dove, and Damian always meant it tauntingly, usually to tease you for your crush on the Redhood.

"C'mon, dove, let's get outta here." Jason nods to the door, hanging his jacket over his shoulder by two hooked fingers. You begin to follow wordlessly, just a step behind. Damian tutts,"TT." This makes you glare back at him with only half the commitment of a full threat. Damian mimics Jay's tone, puffing up his chest and copying Jason's body language perfectly,"See you later, dove." He snickers into his breakfast as you walk away, ears and face steaming.

"I don't wanna change, Y/N! I won't look cool if I take off the jacket..." He whined. "Arms up." You command. Jason raises his arms like a child anyway, chest puffed up to seem intimidating as he pouted beside his dresser. You slip his shirt over his head, smiling playfully,"And I will always think you're cool, even without the jacket." When Jason's face surfaces from the fabric, he's smiling sleepily, rubbing his fists into his eyes and looking at you like you're the sun—no, the moon. His moon.

"Will you stay with me?" He whispers. You nod without thinking. And even if means you have to wait three hours for him to fall into unconsciousness, you're going to stay. Jason slips off his jeans and his socks, collapsing into his bed. You pull a thin sheet over his form, sitting beside his legs.

Jason sighs through his nose, gesturing for you to come closer to his upper half. This brought back memories of sleepless nights. When Dick became Nightwing (and wore that ridiculous circus getup, with the feathers and the collar), you and Jason were Batgirl and Robin. Each of the Robins had a Batgirl as each of the Batgirls had a Robin, but for Damian and Cassandra. Tim had Stephanie, Dick had Barbara, Jason had you. It's how things work and were made to be.

There would be nights when just you and him went out on patrol (with Bruce warning you of Jason's recklessness, oblivious of your own jump-into-danger motto). That was really when you first started to fall in love with him. There was always something there, rippling between the two of you as you swung through the air. An unvoiced connection, an unshared energy never before sensed. That was when you knew he loved you as you loved him. When he'd look at you as you turned away, and where you'd catch him and giggle.

That connection had severed when Jason died. And to make matters worse, he remembered when he was brought back. He still looked at you, and you pretended you didn't know he was staring. He'd perk up when you'd gaze at him across the room, only act like you were staring at something else. He pretends he doesn't have nightmares about you being the one to die instead.

"You have helmet hair," You whisper, tentatively raising your hand to ruffle the locks, your fingers catching on the tangles of black and white. Jason leans into your hand, yawning again and sliding his hand over yours,"It's all wavy. Do you like it, babe?" Jason wonders quietly. Swiftly retracing your hand from his, you play with them in your lap, murmuring an unsteady,"Yeah."

The rest of the night goes without incident. Jason wraps an arm around your waist in his sleep, resting at an awkward angle what with you sitting. He won't let you move the limb, so you end up pinned to the bed and staring at every niche on his dresser, kicking yourself mentally for always doing this. Dick would and could have just as easily gotten Jason, and it might have even been easier since Dick was closer to the area. But no, you have to be so loyal, so committed to Jason. You urge for his attention and do little things for him, even though you know he won't return the favor romantically. The late-night romance had never been a romance, but a friendship you had read into too quickly because Jason's eyes simply went too deep.

Jason wakes up the following afternoon, head pounding. His headache is relieved by some pain medication and a glass of water placed strategically on his nightstand, to which a note is taped to.

Hope you slept well, Jaybird - Dove

Jason grins, hating himself as he falls deeper.

_

"Thank god you're okay," Jason moans, carefully tilting your face in his hands as he views the bruise. The purple bruise on your jaw made moving your lips painful, so you opted for a flustered silence as Jason holds your face. He still doesn't drop his hands when Bruce says,"You'll have to stay at the manor for the time being, Y/N. That way we can protect you if they come back again."

"No, no, it's fine." You say, trying not to move your jaw much,"I'm sure they won't try breaking in again, and after today I'll be more careful—" Jason cuts you off evenly, without flinching, without hesitation,"She'll stay with me." Dick, Bruce, and Alfred carry out a silent conversation/argument with their eyes, which Dick seemingly wins as he gestures to you and Jason; Jason runs his hand over your jaw, slipping his thumb over your lip and clenching his teeth. You settle him by putting a hand on his arm. Bruce and Alfred exchange a glance, and Alfred nods. You'd be safest with Jason, because he'd die to protect you.

"Jason, that's sweet of you, but I'll be fine. You guys are freaking out over a bruise. I've been stabbed before and have been flipping over buildings like I didn't have seven stitches keeping me together." You argue. You'd be more threatening if you stand, but you can't with Jason in your way and there's no way you're leaving his silk hold. Staying seated on the medical table, you grip its edge and glare at the other boys,"I get it, you love me and you want me to be safe, but it's just one guy. Bruce, if I can kick your ass, then this is nothing."

Bruce pauses, either to make his next statement more serious or for dramatic effect, before turning around and walking to the Batcomputer,"You'll stay with Jason until the threat is taken care of."

You pout, rolling your eyes and jumping off the table when Jason steps away,"Bruce...!" You shout in protest, but the sound fades timidly and he doesn't turn around. Crossing your arms over yourself defensively, you shake your head,"If it was Dick instead of me that got attacked by a stupid assassin, then no one would be freaking out."

"Yeah, but it's because we love you more than Dick." Jason jokes (or is he being serious?), stepping forward to be at your side. You snort, which turns into subtle laughter as Dick slaps Jason on the arm,"Oh shut up, you love me!" Dick defends. Jason huff's, ignoring the first Robin and turning back to you with a bit of a glint in his eye. He tosses his arm over your shoulder and begins to guide you out of the cave,"What I mean is, no one messes with my girl." He smirks. You rest your head against Jason as you smile to yourself.

"Don't you mean "our" girl? As the in the entire family's?" You wonder.

Jason shakes his head, closing his eyes briefly so you can't see the blatant love within his gaze,"Nope," He guides you up the steps to the exit of the cave, his voice echoing around the walls and the trophies as he assures you,"My girl."

_

"I mean, sure, I think all of us would if things were different." Dick admitted. Damian made a face, leaving Cassandra, Tim, Stephanie, and Barbara to agree with him through a shrug,"I mean, yeah. Y/N's pretty." Barbara says. Dick pointedly looks at Damian,"See, I'm not crazy."

Damian throws his hands up in disbelief,"Y/N has enough men on her tail as it is! She has Todd shadowing her like a lost puppy, not to mention every officer on the Gotham police force whistling at her! I have beat up three of her exes, and I do not need you to be one of them."

You and Damian high-five as he finishes the statement, just as Jason scoffs,"I don't follow her around, demon-spawn. Nevermind like a lost puppy..." He defends, distracting Dick from the fact Damian sucker-punched each of your previous significant others. Tim raises an eyebrow,"Then how come you're here?"

"Because Y/N brought me!" Jason yells without thinking, digging his own grave a little deeper. Stephanie points at Jason with her fork,"You just proved his point." She laughs through her food. Jason rolls his eyes as the group joins her in various volumes, smile quirking as you run your hand through his hair and coo,"Oh, leave him alone. I gave him permission to follow me like a puppy."

"When?" Barbara questions in confusion, facial expression overcome with skepticism. You and Jason look at each other and you blush. Jason seems to have given up being shy."When we first started going out on patrol together. I'd go in and face whoever we were fighting, with Jason following me in and jumping out of nowhere. It was our battle strategy." You lied. Tim saw through it, but only voiced his suspicion with a low,"Mhmm." As he bit into his toast.

In reality, it was your words whispered and carried over Gotham by the wind, after an ex (your present boyfriend at the time) had accused Jason of liking you romantically. You both knew it was true, and you both knew that you loved him and he loved you.

"He's right. I do follow you around, I do look at you in ways I shouldn't, I do—... we're too close." Jason drops his head,"I'm sorry, Y/N..."

"Jason." You lift his chin, steadying your hands against his shoulders. Jason looks away from you, anything to avoid your gaze. And yet your demand for attention is too strong, and he forces himself to look at you. You smile crookedly at him,"I like it when you do those things. I like that we're too close. It's not too close, it's our close. I want to stay that close, I want you to keep following me and looking at me." You correct.

Jason mirrors your smile nervously,"You know I'll always be behind you, right?" He mutters.

You can only squeeze his hand as it collects yours,"I want you behind me, Jason. I want you."

Your gaze drops from his as you both remember, face suddenly boiling,"Now can we stop talking about how everyone has a crush on me? Everyone has a crush on Dick, too, but we don't focus on that." You joke desperately. They all drop the subject with knowing looks. Behind them, Jason's hand falls on your lower back. But he isn't done embarrassing the two of you, and returns to it,"What I'm interested in is your sudden interest in my woman, Grayson." He says daringly.

"Your woman?" Dick echoes teasingly, raising his brows. With a glance at you, Jason confirms again,"My woman."

"I didn't know you two were..." Dick smirks, trailing off and leaning in as if it would help him gather more information. Dick waits for your answer rather than Jason's, interrupting your silent pleas for help directed at the others not taking part in the conversation. You cross your arms, laying them over the counter of the kitchen island,"It's..." You trace Jason's profile with your eyes, still turned on Dick in challenge,"... complicated." You admitted quietly.

At this Jason looks at you, eyes alight with something that might be anger and might also be him giving up. Biting his lip, he summons all his courage, twists so he's facing you fully and bluntly says,"You call kissing me on a rooftop after telling me you want me, "complicated"?" He questions.

Damian shoots up, slamming his fists on the counter and furiously facing you and Todd,"What?!" He shrieks. Dick begins to laugh heartily as the others respond, blurring the room with shouting and laughter. Stephanie begins to shake Tim, while they both scream about how he "was right"and how they "knew it all along". Barbara is trying to keep in laughter, stifling it by holding her fist to her mouth. Cassandra alone remains quiet, eating her cereal and watching the scene play out around a spoonful of Lucky Charms, an amused smile on her face.

Your blush deepens, expression flickering from one emotion to the next with every ensuing reaction. Jason's angry at himself, at everything, as he tends to overreact and he does just that now. He always imagined after he'd been dead and gone for so long that you'd forgotten him, forgotten what he felt like above you and how much you loved him. Even after life and even after death, Jason remembered how the adoration poured out of him like an infinite mess of emotions and gracelessness. But no, how could you ever forget Jason Todd?

"Yeah," You murmur, watching his eyes blink down at yours like your the whole world and he has to save you,"... Complicated."

_

The cliche-ness of it all is truly astounding, but Jason is too preoccupied with your figure to relate to every man in his situation. You saunter towards them—at least, it looks like a saunter, or maybe a sashay. Either way, you approach him and smile,"I know I said you can stare at me Jason, but buy a girl dinner first." You joked, making his heart capsize and his knees plan to buckle. His mind begins to wander as do his eyes over your dress.

"I just might, babe." Jason smirks in response, grappling for the suave composure you usually instill in him as he adjusts his tie. You swat his hands away and fix it properly, pressing it down while simultaneously running your fingers down his chest. It's been too long since you've returned his affections in such an obvious way. Jason feels a frisson roll through him, urging him to scoop your hand in his and raise your knuckles to his lips.

He keeps eye contact as he leans down, the kiss against your skin lasting longer than it should. You lick your lips absent-mindedly, face flushing as you fold your arms. How did one look make you feel so self-conscious? He reminds you of your shared status as the best friend with the comment,"You'll hide by the buffet with me, right? So I don't have to talk to any of Bruce's fancy friends?"

You step towards