summary . you should’ve taken more photos
Your graduation cap weighed heavy on your head. Your neck ached from looking down at what you held in your trembling hand.
With wrinkles and droplet stains all over the photograph, you could barely make out the two small figures—young vigilantes posing for a picture. No, vigilantes aren’t supposed to be photographed, much less be taking selfies of themselves. But what Batman didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
The red suit of the boy in the polaroid bled out to near white. You couldn’t see his smile anymore either; just the outline of a black ‘R’ where his heart was.
Your quieter figure was almost as faded as his once bright one, but you could still make out the joy in your eyes.
You wished you could see his eyes instead.
Not the dull, foggy blue that haunts your nightmares, but the bright sapphire that was your light of day. You wanted to see the eyes that could tell you everything; whether he was feeling guilty about his new found wealth or proud that he was helping others.
But his eyes were closed in the picture, for his smile was too big to keep them open.
He was bright and warm like the sun, and you were just the moon.
And without the sun, the moon can’t shine.
Someone called out your name from afar. You didn’t move from your position under the bleachers.
Families cheered above you, and graduates celebrated from the field; it was almost deafening.
You stayed quiet, hoping to skip the whole day without being noticed. You shouldn’t have been there anyways. You flunked half of your sophomore year and nearly all of your junior year.
You didn’t understand why you weren’t expelled or at least held back. Maybe admin just felt bad. Or maybe they just wanted to wash their hands of you.
You heard footsteps approaching and tucked the photo into your gown before anyone could see it.
“Not gonna walk the stage?”
You didn’t lift your head. “It’s just a piece of paper.”
The gravel crunched as he sat beside you.
“I’m sure your mom still wants to see it.”
It was quiet. The parents and graduates went silent as the valedictorian delivered her speech. You managed to hear the echo of her voice. Not that you wanted to hear her, though.
“-to be here before you all. I couldn’t have done it without my family, friends, and teachers that pushed me to keep going,” she paused.
You felt him shift beside you but neither of you said a word.
“As you may have noticed, a few chairs have only a cap and gown draped over them. We felt our graduating class wouldn’t be complete without those we have lo-”
You stopped paying attention when his voice vibrated through your head. “It’s kind of cold today.”
You nodded in agreement. “Maybe it’s a freak cold front.”
“Then it’s probably Dr. Freeze,” he nudged you teasingly. You shivered at the contact. The long toga draped over your shoulders wasn’t enough to shield you from the cold that consumed you when you felt his touch. “Sorry. Maybe it’s me,” he apologized quickly. He tried scooting away.
“It’s okay,” you replied, looping your arm with his and resting your head on his shoulder before he could move any further. You caught a glimpse of the familiar ‘R’ on his chest.
He said your name, but it sounded wrong on his lips that time. Almost like a gurgle. Like he was loosing his breath. Choking.
Your eyes trailed up from his chest to his face.
Or at least what was left of it.
You froze, nausea hitting you like a train. His skin was bruised and bleeding, his flesh exposed from severe burns, and there was a jagged ‘J’ cut across his cheek.
Jason Peter Tood looked the same as he did the last time you saw him, including the foggy eyes that weren’t the right shade of blue.
You couldn’t remember what he looked like before Batman pulled the limp body of your best friend from the rubble.
A voice called out your name. A jolt went through your body when you feel a hand on your shoulder.
Bruce Wayne infiltrated your senses. His expensive cologne covered the smoke and burning flesh you smelled a moment ago.
The empty space beside you didn’t feel as cold. A handkerchief wiped the hot tears from your face. Tears you hadn’t noticed were falling.
“Your mother asked me if I knew where you were.”
You took the handkerchief from his hand against your cheek. Bruce removed his other hand from your shoulder. Turning away, you finished wiping your tears, disregarding the mess you were making of the billionaire’s belonging.
There was a heavy silence between the two of you. It was like the world stopped to listen to the words of two broken hearts.
“They had a seat for him. A few others too.” Bruce tried to keep his voice steady, but you heard the slightest waver. He cleared his throat.
The billionaire then reached his hand into the inside of his coat and pulled out a sleek leather diploma cover. “It’s just honorary,” he opened it and showed you the name printed onto the diploma, “but I’m glad they thought of him and the others.”
“In honor of Jason Peter Todd,
forever remembered by Gotham Academy
The words didn’t bring you comfort. They just made you miss him more. You should’ve been able to share that moment with him.
“He would’ve wanted you up the-“
“I’m tired of hearing that.” You interrupted. Bruce gently closed the cover and tucked it away.
You stood up, not wanting to give him another chance to speak. When you dusted yourself off, the picture slipped out of your gown before you could secure it.
Bruce reached down to pick up the worn polaroid. You held your breath but instead of blowing up, Bruce smiled. “Jason’s copy is still framed in his room.”
You blinked, not sure of what to say.
He pressed the picture onto your palm. “It’s less worn. I think he has a few other photographs of you two in his drawers.”
Bruce seemed to hesitate, then he cleared his throat once again. “If you’d like to see them someday, the doors of the manor are always open for you.”
You couldn’t hold it in any longer. You crashed into Bruce’s arms. The heavy cap slipped off your head and fell down to the ground. Bruce slowly wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered. You buried your face into his chest, letting his attire muffle your sobs.
“I should’ve taken more photos,” was all you could mumble back.
an . inspired by my recent grad! congrats to class of 2026 <3
snowghoul
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