#surprises

It surprised me when, instead of Crystal dropping in and fracturing Charles and Edwin's thirty years of friendship, they went with Crystal sinking into the fold of Charles and Edwin's friendship and becoming an important and unique addition to the group.

It surprised me when, instead of Gay Boy Pining Over Straight Best Friend, they went with Gay Boy Realises Feelings For Straight Best Friend And Confesses Almost Immediately with a bonus of Straight Boy Accepts Confession With Surprising Grace And Nothing Changes, Not Really.

It surprised me when, instead of making the female characters repetitive and semi-rational and ultimately less powerful, they went with characters who are smart and selfish and kind and cruel and strong and flawed and oh, they happen to be female too.

It surprised me when Charles liking Crystal did not affect one bit of how much he loved Edwin.

It surprised me when Jenny talked about spinsters with cats and Niko did not bat an eye.

It surprised me with Edwin and Niko. It surprised me with, we have forever to figure the rest out. It surprised me with Crystal's kindness, Jenny's empathy, the casual and absolute, the good you do will come back around.

...I was searching for those one-day-at-a-time travel boxes for prescription medications, right? And this came up.

Jason Todd × F!reader

~ 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

Author's Notes:

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. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

────୨ৎ────

Long distance had always seemed impossible to Jason—something flimsy, doomed, not meant for someone like him. Until he didn’t 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 wasn’t 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 package—carefully packed, deliberately chosen. A hoodie that smelled faintly like his cologne. A book he’d 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, she’d send him an unboxing video.

Jason would watch them alone, usually late at night. He’d 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 she’d laugh, sometimes she’d ramble, holding things up to the camera like she was showing him in person.

Sometimes—those were the hardest—she’d cry.

Not from sadness exactly, but from being overwhelmed. From missing him. From feeling loved in a way that snuck up on her. She’d 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 I’m glad you liked it or You deserve it.

But he replayed those videos more times than he’d 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, there’d be a video waiting for him—F/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 she’d been busy. Maybe she hadn’t had the chance to pick it up yet. All reasonable explanations—ones he’d accept from anyone else without a second thought.

Still, the quiet sat wrong in his chest.

Jason didn’t 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.

He wasn’t worried.

At least, that’s 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.

It didn’t work.

His thoughts kept circling back—too long, something’s wrong, you should’ve heard something by now—until the worry felt sharp enough to cut.

Inside the manor, Dick’s 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 Jason’s familiar silhouette against the sky.

Dick’s smile turned fond, knowing.

"Jason, " Dick called out to him. " I need to check your room for something."

Jason stiffened at the sound of Dick’s voice, his back still turned toward the edge of the rooftop.

“I—what?” he muttered, trying to keep his tone even, though the edge of defensiveness crept in.

Dick’s voice softened, patient but firm. “Just need to check your room for something. Don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy. I’ll be quick.”

Jason hesitated, thumb tracing the rim of the ledge. Green eyes narrowed slightly, conflicted. He didn’t like being watched, didn’t like the thought of someone rifling through his space—but something about Dick’s tone made it harder to say no.

“Fine,” Jason finally muttered, pushing himself upright. “But make it quick.”

Dick’s smile, just visible even from this distance, was easy and knowing. “Always,” 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.

~~~

Dick’s 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.

“Are you sure you want to surprise him like this?” he whispered, gently pushing the door open.

F/n peeked inside Jason’s room, eyes softening at the familiar clutter and the little signs of him everywhere. She nodded, a bright smile spreading across her face. “Yeah,” she whispered back, excitement bubbling beneath her calm. “He’s been surprising me every month… it’s my turn.”

Dick chuckled quietly, stepping aside to let her in. “Alright then. Just… don’t let him see you yet. He’s broody enough without you adding to it.”

F/n stifled a laugh, taking a careful step forward. Her heart thumped in her chest—not just from the thrill of the surprise, but from the thought of seeing Jason’s 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, “Jason! Uh… I think I… accidentally broke one of your guns!”

Jason’s head shot up immediately, a mix of alarm and irritation tightening his features. “What?!” 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.

Jason’s hands clenched at his sides, ready to confront the supposed disaster—but 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. She’s 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. “Hey,” she whispered. “I’m sorry if—”

But Jason didn’t 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.

“I missed you,” he murmured into her hair, voice rough and unsteady.

F/n’s arms wrapped around him in return, her own relief and emotion spilling over. “I missed you too,” she whispered back, letting him hold her as long as he needed.

F/n then exhaled softly, patting Jason’s back as he buried his face into her shoulder.

“Was this… too sudden?” 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 didn’t speak—just shook his head slowly, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

“Too sudden? Maybe,” he admitted, voice rough. “But… I’ve waited long enough.”

F/n smiled, pressing her forehead to his. “Me too,” she whispered. “I guess… some surprises are worth the wait.”

Jason let out a shaky laugh, resting his chin on her head. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice soft. “The best ones.”

~~~

Downstairs, the manor was buzzing quietly—Dick and Steph sitting on the couch, Alfred somewhere nearby, and the others drifting through for their morning routines.

Steph’s eyes widened as she caught sight of F/n, suddenly realizing what had happened. “Wait… she’s here?” she exclaimed, bouncing slightly in her seat.

Dick’s grin widened, phone already in hand. “Yep. And I may or may not have captured the entire moment.”

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. “Ohhh… he totally froze! And the tears… he was so close to crying!”

Alfred, ever perceptive, raised an eyebrow from across the room. “I daresay, Master Jason looks… well, very much himself, but considerably more vulnerable than usual.”

Tim peeked over Steph’s shoulder, smirking. “Wow. So he finally gets surprised instead of doing the surprising. About time.”

Damian, arms crossed, scowled at the display. “He is… ridiculously sentimental.”

But behind the teasing and laughter, there was warmth in the room—a shared understanding of what the reunion meant.

Steph turned back to Dick, still grinning. “You really are the best big brother, you know that?”

Dick chuckled, tucking the phone away. “Nah, the credit goes to her. But yeah… this one’s definitely one for the family archives.”

And somewhere upstairs, Jason and F/n didn’t need to know—they had their moment, and the Batfamily, quietly or not, was perfectly happy to celebrate it from afar.

Taurus Moon isn't known to like surprises honestly, usually reacting with frustration, by building up stress instead of expressing or relieving it, and if possible with avoidance. A positive surprise may be appreciated as long as a lot of thought went into it.

Gemini Moons roll with the punches when they encounter a surprise, many times they are the surprise or cause of it.

Cancer Moons can be adaptable with negative surprises but may be cautious about positive surprises.

Leo Moons hate when things don't go their way, but they are good at turning a surprise event in their favor.

Virgo Moons usually ruin surprises for themselves by prodding too much or figuring things out. A negative surprise can send them into a spiral.

Libra Moons tend to have a open mind towards a surprise event/happening. Their adaptability carrying them through.

Scorpio Moons usually try to root out unpredictability and uncontrollable things and events from their life. A surprise might not always be greeted with appreciation, happiness, or curiosity.

Sagittarius Moons love a good surprise and can honestly find the humor, good, or growth in negative ones.

Capricorn Moons are always prepared for the worst, they may see something as a disaster before things have fully unfolded. A positive surprise usually REALLY surprises them.

Aquarius Moons themselves are unpredictable forces of chaos - surprises usually don't phase them too much.

Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels, which, as I see it, is the only good reason for not staying at home.

-- Alan Watts