Silk&Ink

Jason Todd x reader

Hiii! Silken once again appearing after MONTHS of inactivity lol. College—and life, ngl— has been hard, but I finally got over my writer's block :)

I really missed writing about Jason, so this is a quick one-shot I just wrote, so I hope you like it! If you do, please reblog, like and comment, k? Luv y'all!

A/N: English is NOT my first language, so I'm really sorry if something's wrong, misspelled or incoherent (?. Thx.

WORDS: 882. TAGS: fluff, Jason Todd, short, one-shot, gender neutral reader.

You knew Jason grew up touch-deprived. After all, Crime Alley wasn't exactly a cozy, warm and loving place for a kid. Then, well… Bruce 'adopted' him, all the Robin stuff happened, and on top of that, the Lazarus Pit and the Red Hood part didn't make it easier.

Even knowing that, it didn't stop the butterflies in your stomach the first time his cheeks flushed beneath your fingertips.

The two of you had been in a kind of situationship. Nothing formal, no labels yet, but something was definitely happening between you two, and everyone around you could notice that. The way he searched for you with his eyes when he entered a room, his hand on the curve of your back when you two walked in a crowded space, even the fact that he used to walk on the outer side of the walkway to keep you 'safe' made it pretty obvious, but not in a loud, suffocating way. It was more like a subtle, gentle reassurance of his presence, kind of saying 'I know you're okay. Just know I'm here if you need me', and honestly, that made your chest tighten in a way you couldn't explain.

That day, he had just returned from patrol. You were working on your laptop, hair in a messy ponytail, glasses on and definitely not waiting for guests, when you heard the sound of the window opening and closing silently, and almost instantly recognized the sound of Jason's steps on the wooden floor—a skill Gotham had practically forced you to learn.

Silently, you moved out of the bedroom, stepping into the living room, your eyes landing on his slumped figure on the couch. Of course he felt your presence, so he turned to look at you over his shoulder as soon as he took the red helmet off, giving you a tired, crooked smile.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No. I was just working on some stuff," you said, moving closer to the furniture. Your eyes widened as soon as you noticed the reddened spot under his eye, evident even in the dim moonlight coming through the window.

This wasn't the first time you had seen him all bruised and hurt—because lately he had crashed at your place more than he was able to admit—, and even if this time it was just a bruise, it still made your heart sink, and he noticed.

Of course he did.

"I'm okay, don't worry. This' nothin'. You should've seen how that jerk ended up." Jason murmured, scrunching his nose slightly as he chuckled lightly. "Just need to rest for a while."

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you moved barefoot to the kitchen. You grabbed the first-aid kit from the cabinet, and came back to sit on the couch, next to him. Jason opened his eyes right when you moved closer, watching as your fingers scooped up a small amount of the homemade ointment your family always kept around. He moved away slightly, just enough to look at it, eyes squinting.

"Stay still," you murmured, trying to reach his cheek while he moved even farther.

"What you doin'?" He grabbed your wrist firmly, yet carefully, still studying the mixture in your digits. "What is that?"

"Just some ointment," you tried to explain while moving closer, his hand relaxing on your wrist, but still not letting it go. The warmth seeped into your skin, making you shiver slightly. Then, with a softer tone, you murmured, "My mom used to put this on me when I was a kid."

A smile formed on your lips as your fingers finally touched his cheekbone so gently it was almost overwhelmingly intimate.

"I spent half of my childhood on the ground thanks to my roller skates," you chuckled quietly, eyes fixed on the way your fingers spread the cream on his skin.

As you kept working, you noticed how warm his skin was, maybe because of the bruise or the sudden change in the room temperature. Your fingers moved against his cheek ever so softly, making him shiver, both consumed by the sounds of each other's breathing and the rush of your heartbeat in your own chest.

Accidentally, you pressed a little too much, making him pant gently, and it was then that you realized you were mere inches away from his face, and that the reddened spot had moved from his cheekbone to his whole cheeks and ears.

"I'm so sorry," your eyes widened as you met his gaze and realized he had been watching you just as intently, but the slight, sharp pain managed to get him back to reality.

In a blink of an eye, he was already standing from the couch, a bit dizzy, with the helmet back on.

"I gotta go," he just murmured, and before you could say anything, Jason was already gone, leaving you alone with your thoughts and a hundred butterflies in your stomach, the way he looked a few moments ago still burning in your memory.

And the text that came up to your phone twenty minutes after he left? Yeah, didn't help either.

The night shift at the hospital was always two-faced: either hushed like a chapel—where you could easily fall asleep—or, on the other hand, chaotic, like a battlefield. You never got bored either way, which is why you loved your work. Tonight was no exception. People in pain were flooding the nursery, colleagues running from one bed to another, just like you.

“It's okay. All done.” you said to the GCPD cop you were tending, giving him a reassuring smile. He just nodded back at you, returning a small smile.

That’s when you heard a familiar voice—irritated and low—arguing with a nurse.

“You’re not my nurse,” he hissed, clutching his chest in pain.

“But—” The nurse stopped herself huffing, and didn't even try to argue. She just gave Jason a forced smile and left, clearly offended.

You sighed, glancing at your older colleague as she shook her head. “All yours.”

This wasn’t the first time you’d tended him, and you were pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last—not because you wanted to, but because you simply couldn’t ignore Jason’s persistent demands for attention.

For your attention.

Giving her a nervous smile, you approached the last bed in the room, sighing before stepping closer. As soon as you stood in front of him, you felt his shoulders relax slightly, and you had to bite your lip to hold back the faint curl that threatened to appear. Opening the medical kit, you turned to look at him—and found his gaze already fixed on you, his usual smirk tugging at his lips.

“Took ya’ long enough.”

You fought the instinct to roll your eyes at him and let out only a soft huff as you smiled. Your eyes quickly found the wound beneath his shirt—the bloodstain in the fabric making it painfully clear—and you couldn’t help but wonder how he was sitting on the bed as if it were nothing."

“Take your shirt off, please,” you said, turning around to dampen the cotton with some alcohol.

He laughed softly, the sound sending goosebumps down your skin, as he began to take off his jacket with slow, twitching movements, then his shirt.

“Straight to the point. I like it,” he said, winking at you, his smile helping him play it cool despite the obvious pain."

You turned to look at him again, cotton pads in hand, noting the wound—probably made by a knife, judging by the clean slice through the skin.

Jason noticed the way you were studying the deep cut and couldn’t help but shiver under your gaze, suddenly feeling exposed. “Maybe you wanna make this quick before I die from blood loss… or boredom,” he chuckled.

“It may sting a little. Try not to move,” you warned, before starting to clean his injury with practiced precision. You could feel his muscles tense under your touch, a few grunts escaping his throat from the sharp pain. “I’m almost done. Just a little more,” you murmured, trying to distract him from the ache. “By the way, really, how do you always manage to get hurt this badly, Jason?”

“Part of the job, sweetheart,” he tried to smile, but you noticed the way his hands gripped the edge of the bed so tightly his knuckles almost went white. And the pain in his voice? Yeah, it was pretty evident. Jason exhaled sharply when you pressed the pad a little too hard against the raw, reddened skin of his chest.

“I need you to stay still,” you murmured, continuing to work on him, your fingers moving carefully so as not to hurt him any more. “You know there are plenty of nurses who can help you, right? I’m not the only one capable of cleaning your wounds every time you show up.”

Jason let out a soft chuckle, his voice still strained. “Oh, I’m aware of that. But honestly, no one even compares to you, y’know? Besides, I’d much rather get patched up by a pretty face than a grumpy old hag any day.”

You pressed the cotton pad harder this time, completely on purpose, making him grit his teeth as he shot a glare at you.

“Sorry, my bad,” you whispered, trying to feign innocence, though the slight curl on your lips completely betrayed you.

"You enjoy torturing me…” Despite the discomfort, he still managed to smirk at you.

The next moments passed in complete silence before you spoke again.

“Done.” You moved to grab a bandage, returning to wrap it around his chest. Jason’s eyes lingered on your focused face, so close to him, unable to hold back the smile forming on his lips."

“You always do this part better than anyone else,” he muttered, mostly to himself, grinning. For the briefest moment, you swore that if you hadn’t been so focused on his cut, you might have seen a flicker of softness in his eyes. “Like if you actually cared about me—which, let’s be real, you do.”

“I care for all my patients, Jason,” you chuckled softly, looking up at him with that sweet smile—the one that always seemed to leave him breathless.

“Goodness…” He closed his eyes, one hand moving to his now-bandaged chest, dramatically. “I’ll keep getting hurt if it means I get to come see you.”

Please don’t.” You smiled even more, turning to grab a lollipop from the desk as he carefully got dressed again, offering it to him. “There you go. For being a good boy.” His eyes followed your hand, his smile widening as he huffed softly and rolled his eyes, reaching for the candy."

"“You’re such a nurse.” He took the candy into his mouth, the curl of his lips softening. “Thanks… for always taking care of me,” Jason whispered. Before you knew it, he was already standing from the bed, his jacket slung over his shoulder. “Next time, maybe two lollipops. You know, for the pain.”

“Please, try not to be here a next time.” You shook your head lightly, a hint of genuine worry showing beneath your smile."

The smirk on his face faltered for just a moment at the concern in your voice—not long, but long enough for you to notice. Jason cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. “Oh, c’mon.” His scoff was low, almost warm, and it made your heart skip a beat. “You’d be pretty bored without me here making a fuss, and you know it.”

A soft huff slipped from your lips as you watched him head for the door, his broad back sagging slightly with each step, before you finally spoke. “I’d prefer that over watching you get hurt.”

Your sudden words made Jason freeze, the impact landing squarely on his bandaged chest for a brief instant. “Whatever.” He snorted quietly, not turning to look back this time, continuing his pace toward the exit. But before stepping through the door, he paused. He didn’t turn around—just muttered so low that you thought if you breathed, you’d miss it. “…I’ll try.”

I just wanna say I just listened it, and I’m shocked.

A/N.: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your support and love on the first part of this au. It really makes my heart flutter.

Thank youuuu! <3

Pt. 1 here *:･ﾟ✧

That was the last time you ran into each other.

It was like he just vanished from this realm.

Well, not that dramatic.

Jason completely switched from his usual spot in the library. Not because he didn’t like it anymore, or because he stopped actually going, but because staying in that same place made his mind run wild with the memory of you accidentally bumping into him. The mere thought of his hand in your waist, preventing you from falling, while he catched a few of your books in his own arm made his mind swirl with fake scenarios of the two of you–which he hated, because Jason Todd hated hope. He hadn’t any. He couldn’t have any.

Not when it comes to you.

“So… Now you’re hiding?” The voice of best friend startled him, Pride and Prejudice almost falling from his hands.

“Gosh, Roy! I hate when you do that!” He hissed, his widened eyes looking at how he plopped on the couch next to him. “And… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Roy would’ve laughed hard at the sight of Jason suddenly leaving the book next to him only to give his bottle of water a big long sip, clearly pissed and flustered, knowing exactly what that meant, but only limited himself to scoff.

“You should talk to her.” That single line was enough to make Jason almost drown, coughing audibly and dramatically, grabbing the attention of a few people in the same room.

“Would you–?!”

“Shhh!” An old lady shushed, interrupting him, clearly starting to get annoyed, embarrassing Jason while Roy covered his mouth with a hand, holding back a big laugh.

Jason sighed.

“Would you stop?” His voice dropped to a whisper, returning to his book. “You know what I think about her.”

“Oh, c’mon, man! You’re not telling me you don't think she’s at least pretty.”

“Of course she is. She’s pretty, kind, intelligent, skilled, athletic, and I can think of a thousand more adjectives that describe her perfectly. That’s the problem. She’s all of those things and I’m… You know, just me.” Jason looked down at his hands holding the book tightly, feeling the denial as his coping mechanism, kicking in once more, making him feel tormented.

Everyone else around him at any point of the story left. Why would it be different this time?

“Jason–”

“Roy, stop. Really. Just… stop” He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes, his best friend next to him already studying every single one of his movements. He could sense Jason getting tired of the conversation. “Of all of the guys in this place, why would she look at me?” Jason turned to look at him, something deep in his eyes, almost like weariness, making the other guy realize how bad things were going in his mind.

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” Roy exhaled softly, standing from the couch and starting to walk away from him. He was gonna give up, until something else popped up in his mind. A last resource. “She’s not as perfect as you think, tho. She’s driving me crazy saying that same story of how you saved her from falling over and over again.” He tried to sound bothered, the smirk on his face widening as he left the place quickly.

“What..? Wa–Wait!”

“Mr. Todd, if you can't keep your mouth shut, I’ll ask you to leave.” The same old lady snarled, making Jason shiver.

Geez, why were all women this terrifying?

“Sorry.” He excused himself, placing all of his belongings on his bag, running after Roy as fast as he could, almost crashing towards the door.

Jason cursed under his breath as he stopped outside the library, finding Roy happily chatting with you, his innocent smile turning evil as he turned to look at Jason.

A/N.: Hi, guys! This is my first ever post, and English’s not my first language, so I really hope you enjoy! ♡

Pt. 2 here *:･ﾟ✧

Jason used to spend his whole evenings at the library. That was his space, and you knew it. Where he could just be… well, him.

Loved everything about it. The silence of the place, the smell of the books, and specially the fact that everyone else was in their own little world.

For you, it was strangely amusing. He was amusing. Worst part? You didn’t know why.

“He has potential!” You used to say to your friends when you talked about him with them, smiling shyly and blushing softly. “Think about it. He’s tall, green eyes, and have you seen his arms?” Your friends just allowed themselves to roll their eyes, smiling at your weird statements. “He’s a good guy.” Jason’s friend, Roy — who conveniently was your friend too — said to you, bumping his elbow on your arm, suggestive.

Of course you never talked to him. At least not until you almost fall from the stairs of the library when you were trying to carry a lot of books, for your school investigation.

“You good?” He asked, grabbing the pile of books from your hands, looking down at you.

You blushed instantly, being so close to him making you realize how tall he really was.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.” And just like that, your extrovert self vanished, leaving you all nervous and shy for the first time. You were so used—no, loved being the center of attention. Why now, all of a sudden, you felt so small and helpless? You hated it.