#dianajay

............just one?

Within the batfam, I'm gonna go for BruJay. They're such a doomed couple. Bruce desperately wants to love Jason, Jason desperately wants to be loved, but their love languages don't match so they keep hurting each other. They can't give the other what the other needs/wants. The only language they share is violence.

Plus Jason's instinctual reaction to somewhat trying to get close to him is to push back furiously. Boy can't handle people trying to climb his walls and immediately gets fight or flight reactions, but he always choses fight for it. As for Bruce, he just tries to build bigger and bigger walls, but ultimately fails at it. They're two characters who love too much but have been hurt too much too. Bruce manages to compartmentalize. Jay? Not so much.

Also there's the whole nostalgia thing with them. Bruce still mourning the person Jason used to be, Jason probably having a hard time himself settling in his new identity because he wasn't allowed to grow progressively. But also wanting Bruce to acknowledge who he is NOW and stop mourning when he's right in front of him. It's the whole "I came back. / You came back wrong." thing, and none of them has any control over it.

They're both desperately trying and they just can't get anywhere because they just don't match. They're father and son, they're doomed lovers, they're bitter enemies, they're each other's best and worst memories.

It's so damn doomed and tragic. I can't not love it.

Also I love JayTim and DickJayTim but I don't feel like writing a whole essay about them lol.

And TimSteph. Shame writers couldn't handle their sheer power.

For a ship that features at least one member of the batfam, I'll go for SladeJay or DianaJay. (Yes I love Jay I love his ships shush). ((Roy/Kory/Jay is also an excellent ship))

Jay just pairs so well with older partners who can absolutely destroy him. I think it's part of my headcanon that he always feels tinier/younger than he truly is (dismorphia ftw I'll never let go of that hc) because he wasn't allowed to grow organically. Forced to mature/grow before he was ready to, you know? And not just because of the Lazarus Pit, that's a kid who had to take responsibilities with his parents, then when he was alone in the streets, then when he became Robin, etc etc.

So being able to be "the little one" when he's forced to be the bigger person in the room, being taken care of when he's usually the one in charge, I think it'd do him good. Let him give control to someone else, let him be a brat, let him just enjoy being little spooned. Stuff like that.

For the prompt: Everyone Loves Jason