ĖĖĖ Special Package ĖĖĖ
~ What if the bat boys are in an LDR series~
1.6k words, established relationship, slight angst, fluff, Jason has mastered the art of yearning, Dick being the best eldest brother
I have decided to make this into a series after I had fun writing the one for Dick and thought of continuing with Jason. Hopefully by then, I'd have the motivation to finish up my current draft about Tim for this series. (˶ᵠᵠįµĖ¶)
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Long distance had always seemed impossible to Jasonāsomething flimsy, doomed, not meant for someone like him. Until he didnāt have a choice.
Jason Todd was many things, but being good at expressing emotion through words was not one of them. Steph liked to tease him for it, called him a broody little yearner with a grin, and she wasnāt wrong. Text messages felt inadequate, too exposed. He never knew how to translate everything he felt into something that fit inside a screen.
So instead, he sent pieces of himself.
Once a month, without fail, F/n would receive a packageācarefully packed, deliberately chosen. A hoodie that smelled faintly like his cologne. A book heād underlined passages in. Snacks he remembered her liking. Small things that reminded him of her, or that he hoped would make her feel closer to him.
And every time, sheād send him an unboxing video.
Jason would watch them alone, usually late at night. Heād see her eyes light up the moment she realized it was from him, that familiar sparkle he used to see when she was standing right in front of him. Sometimes sheād laugh, sometimes sheād ramble, holding things up to the camera like she was showing him in person.
Sometimesāthose were the hardestāsheād cry.
Not from sadness exactly, but from being overwhelmed. From missing him. From feeling loved in a way that snuck up on her. Sheād wipe at her eyes, laugh a little at herself, and say thank you over and over, her voice soft and sincere.
Jason never replied with anything long. Just a quiet Iām glad you liked it or You deserve it.
But he replayed those videos more times than heād ever admit.
By the end of the month, Jason was already expecting it.
He checked his phone more than he meant to, thumb hovering over the screen like he could will the notification into existence. Usually, by now, thereād be a video waiting for himāF/n sitting on her bed or the living room floor, smiling at the camera before she even opened the box.
But this time, there was nothing.
He told himself it was fine. Packages got delayed all the time. Maybe sheād been busy. Maybe she hadnāt had the chance to pick it up yet. All reasonable explanationsāones heād accept from anyone else without a second thought.
Still, the quiet sat wrong in his chest.
Jason didnāt say anything. He never did. Instead, he watched the calendar tick forward, days slipping by with no message, no video, no familiar sparkle on his screen. He reread old texts, replayed past unboxings, convincing himself he was overthinking it.
At least, thatās what he told himself.
By the next day, Jason had retreated to the rooftop.
The city stretched out beneath him, all steel and glass and distant noise, but up there it was quieter. The wind tugged at his jacket, cool against his skin as he leaned against the ledge, helmet resting beside him. He focused on breathing, on letting the noise in his head fade into the background.
His thoughts kept circling backātoo long, somethingās wrong, you shouldāve heard something by nowāuntil the worry felt sharp enough to cut.
Inside the manor, Dickās phone buzzed.
He glanced down at the screen and immediately smiled, recognition softening his features. His thumbs moved quickly over the keyboard as he typed a reply, light and reassuring. When he finished, he looked up toward the roof through the tall windows, spotting Jasonās familiar silhouette against the sky.
Dickās smile turned fond, knowing.
"Jason, " Dick called out to him. " I need to check your room for something."
Jason stiffened at the sound of Dickās voice, his back still turned toward the edge of the rooftop.
āIāwhat?ā he muttered, trying to keep his tone even, though the edge of defensiveness crept in.
Dickās voice softened, patient but firm. āJust need to check your room for something. Donāt worry, itās nothing crazy. Iāll be quick.ā
Jason hesitated, thumb tracing the rim of the ledge. Green eyes narrowed slightly, conflicted. He didnāt like being watched, didnāt like the thought of someone rifling through his spaceābut something about Dickās tone made it harder to say no.
āFine,ā Jason finally muttered, pushing himself upright. āBut make it quick.ā
Dickās smile, just visible even from this distance, was easy and knowing. āAlways,ā he called back, already heading toward the stairs.
Jason watched him go for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh, the weight of worry in his chest feeling just a little lighter.
Dickās footsteps were careful as he led F/n through the quiet halls of the manor. At the top of the stairs, he paused, glancing at her with an amused smirk.
āAre you sure you want to surprise him like this?ā he whispered, gently pushing the door open.
F/n peeked inside Jasonās room, eyes softening at the familiar clutter and the little signs of him everywhere. She nodded, a bright smile spreading across her face. āYeah,ā she whispered back, excitement bubbling beneath her calm. āHeās been surprising me every month⦠itās my turn.ā
Dick chuckled quietly, stepping aside to let her in. āAlright then. Just⦠donāt let him see you yet. Heās broody enough without you adding to it.ā
F/n stifled a laugh, taking a careful step forward. Her heart thumped in her chestānot just from the thrill of the surprise, but from the thought of seeing Jasonās reaction. She then settled onto his bed, sinking into the familiar comfort of his room and exhaling softly. She shot Dick a quick thumbs up, her smile bright with anticipation.
Dick grinned in response, closing the door quietly behind him. From the hallway, he called out in his best exaggerated panic, āJason! Uh⦠I think I⦠accidentally broke one of your guns!ā
Jasonās head shot up immediately, a mix of alarm and irritation tightening his features. āWhat?!ā he barked, already moving toward the stairs, green eyes blazing.
F/n bit back a laugh, hiding behind the bed as she watched him storm in, unaware of the real surprise waiting for him.
Jasonās hands clenched at his sides, ready to confront the supposed disasterābut the moment he spotted her sitting there, the anger faltered, replaced by something softer, stunned, and completely unguarded.
Dick had his phone out, stealthily recording everything from the hallway.
When Jason opened the door and saw F/n sitting on his bed, he froze. His green eyes widened, chest tightening as the reality hit him.
Slowly, almost unthinkingly, he closed the door behind him, backing away as tears began to swell unbidden in his eyes. Sheās here. F/n is here.
A few heartbeats passed before he shook himself, boots clicking against the wooden floor as he walked back to the room.
F/n let out a soft, nervous laugh, her fingers twisting in the hem of her sweater. āHey,ā she whispered. āIām sorry ifāā
But Jason didnāt let her finish. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face against her shoulder. His hands gripped her like he might never let go, heart pounding, tears slipping freely now.
āI missed you,ā he murmured into her hair, voice rough and unsteady.
F/nās arms wrapped around him in return, her own relief and emotion spilling over. āI missed you too,ā she whispered back, letting him hold her as long as he needed.
F/n then exhaled softly, patting Jasonās back as he buried his face into her shoulder.
āWas this⦠too sudden?ā she asked quietly, her voice gentle, almost teasing.
Jason lifted his head just enough to glance at her, green eyes still glistening with unshed tears. For a long moment, he didnāt speakājust shook his head slowly, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
āToo sudden? Maybe,ā he admitted, voice rough. āBut⦠Iāve waited long enough.ā
F/n smiled, pressing her forehead to his. āMe too,ā she whispered. āI guess⦠some surprises are worth the wait.ā
Jason let out a shaky laugh, resting his chin on her head. āYeah,ā he murmured, voice soft. āThe best ones.ā
Downstairs, the manor was buzzing quietlyāDick and Steph sitting on the couch, Alfred somewhere nearby, and the others drifting through for their morning routines.
Stephās eyes widened as she caught sight of F/n, suddenly realizing what had happened. āWait⦠sheās here?ā she exclaimed, bouncing slightly in her seat.
Dickās grin widened, phone already in hand. āYep. And I may or may not have captured the entire moment.ā
Steph snatched the phone from him, eyes scanning the screen as the video played. Her mouth fell open, then curved into a wide, mischievous grin. āOhhh⦠he totally froze! And the tears⦠he was so close to crying!ā
Alfred, ever perceptive, raised an eyebrow from across the room. āI daresay, Master Jason looks⦠well, very much himself, but considerably more vulnerable than usual.ā
Tim peeked over Stephās shoulder, smirking. āWow. So he finally gets surprised instead of doing the surprising. About time.ā
Damian, arms crossed, scowled at the display. āHe is⦠ridiculously sentimental.ā
But behind the teasing and laughter, there was warmth in the roomāa shared understanding of what the reunion meant.
Steph turned back to Dick, still grinning. āYou really are the best big brother, you know that?ā
Dick chuckled, tucking the phone away. āNah, the credit goes to her. But yeah⦠this oneās definitely one for the family archives.ā
And somewhere upstairs, Jason and F/n didnāt need to knowāthey had their moment, and the Batfamily, quietly or not, was perfectly happy to celebrate it from afar.