LIFE’S A BITCH, NOW SO AM I

you're out with jason todd, either decided to go to the mall or out for walk together, and the moment you walk past a bookstore you notice his gaze automatically locking on the books on display and his steps slowing down to better inspect them, trying to be subtle about it but accidentally tugging on your hand that he was holding his by doing so. noticing his obvious interest, you suggest going in.

you stand next to him while he browses the books once inside the store, attentively staring at them and walking very slowly—if anything at all. you also pick up certain books that catch your attention or focus on specific sections that you like, but he seems to intend to check every aisle on the store.

you see his eyes widening as he goes "oh, look what they have" and picks up a book, with a smile showing on his face. he inspects the cover and the back of the book and goes through the pages a few times before turning to you. he tells you about how he's been meaning to read it, what he knows about the book and why he thinks it's interesting, that he's familiar with the author and loves their work and also explains why it is that he likes it so much. he looks adorable rambling to you, his face lighting up as he remembers the details and gesturing with his hands while he explains them to you, it's like all he cares about is talking to you about it rather than the book itself.

it's the same as he keeps going through the rest of the books. he tells you about the books he's read and liked the most and what makes them so good, facts about the making of certain book that he finds interesting, why he hates a specific book or how certain saga fell off after certain book. he makes two steps, stops, picks up a book, remembers all the things he has to tell you about it, keeps walking and then does it again. he gets excited when he sees a new edition of a book he's never seen before or one that he's been looking for, and tells you about the one he owns or which other one he'd like to buy. he picks up a book with a silly drawing on the cover, laughs at it and then he's immediately turning it to you so you can see it and laugh too before putting it back where he found it.

everything that catches his attention at the store, he just has to let you know about. he doesn't need to do it, he could be silent while going through the books, he doesn't have to tell you about his decision to buy certain book or not to, or to tell you anecdotes that seeing a specific book reminded him of, but he'd been meaning to talk about these things with someone, he'd been waiting for the opportunity to show up and it finally has now that he's found someone he trusts enough to tell all these silly things to.

at certain point you stopped paying too much attention to the books for yourself, conforming with walking behind jason and listening to what he has to say instead, but then you hear him saying "look, they have the book you wanted to get", holding it up for you with a soft smile on his face. it seems like the whole time you spent at the bookstore was just a constant reminder of what makes you love jason so much.

you end up walking out of the store with a new book for you, two more for jason and too many feelings for the man who randomly decided to open up to you on a bookstore.

he’s left you with no shoes, no coat, no money. you’re certain you’ll freeze to death with the muddy snow at your feet before you try making it to the nearest police station. the cops brush you off a strung out junkie when you come in half dressed and barefoot crying about how bruce wayne kidnapped you and that he’s really the batman in disguise. you’re told to beat it before they throw you out. you try to make it downtown, somewhere safer where the cops don’t take three business days to respond to a call, but you can’t feel your feet anymore and its a miracle no one’s mistaken you for a hooker.

the horror of realizing that, unfortunately, your safest option is to call bruce and beg him to come get you, chills you down to the bone in a way that the snow could never. it’ll be different next time, you’ll be more prepared. you’re snatched out of the payphone booth before you can even realize what’s happening and shoved into a darkened alleyway. taking broken glass to the foot and bloody scrapes from the brick walls leave you wailing and sobbing for him. the man throws you to the ground and makes you soaked from the dirty snow, pushing your gown up with the sole of his boot between your shaking legs. his name is echoing off the walls as you scream for him.

it’s blur when bruce swoops in out of the shadows and throws the masked man out into the street. he shushes your wails softly when he wraps you in his cape and tells you its alright now. it’s just like he told you, isn’t it? the streets of gotham are too rough for you, too chilling. nothing can hurt you while you’re in his arms. it’s better if you just stay put.