I'll Write It Myself

You gasp in mock offense then unhook your legs and flip to the floor. 

“Your words wound me!” 

“You’ll recover,” Damian says dryly. 

“I thought you would approve of me making a more comprehensive training.”

“You were hanging upside down from the rafters. How is that more comprehensive?” Damian questions.

“Because I don’t always get the pretty shot with the perfect set up in the field!” You argue. “Sometimes, I’m making the shot while hanging upside down with a broken toe!” 

Damian pauses, his eyes flickering to your feet. 

“Is your toe broken?” He asks.

He almost sounds concerned. It’s kind of sweet. 

“No,” You admit. “But what if it was?” 

He blinks. The concern is gone. 

“You spend too much time with Roy and Jason.” 

“Well, Roy is basically raising me at this point, so yeah, kind of,” You point out. 

Damian rolls his eyes. 

“Mission briefing.” 

“Aw, you came all the way here to tell me yourself,” You tease Damian, aware of the various intercoms around the Tower.

He scowls at you, but doesn’t dampen your good mood. 

“I was the closest to the range. It made the most sense for me to come tell you.” 

“No need to make excuses,” You shrug. “I get it, I’m amazing and you can’t resist being around me.” 

“You’re insufferable.” 

“You know, that line didn’t fool me when we were 12 and it’s still not fooling me now.” 

Damian’s scowl deepens. 

“Mission briefing, now.” Then he walks off before you can make another smart ass comment. 

Sometimes, Damian makes it too easy. You hit the switch to pull the targets back in, figuring you’ll get your arrows later. 

You’ve been an official Teen Titan for a few months now. After Roy talked you into tagging along with the team for a mission, you were hooked. The rest of the team agreed to extend an invite to you, which you happily accepted. You love the team, including Damian. Despite your constant bickering, you and Damian work well together in the field, enhancing each other’s skills. 

In all honesty, you really enjoy being around Damian. While he’s a bit uptight, when he relaxes, he’s fun to be around. You’ve enjoyed getting to see the more relaxed side of Damian. Besides, it's fun to have someone who keeps up with every sarcastic remark you make, even if it includes him calling you insufferable. It’s a bit of a long shot, but you know Damian likes you more than he makes it seem he does. 

You head to the main conference room of the tower and settle in for a long presentation. While the briefings are long, and rather boring, they’re in depth. You have to give Damian credit, even when things go wrong on missions, his extensive briefings prepare your team for almost every possibility and help make adaptations to the plan on the fly. 

You fiddle with a pen, unscrewing it, laying out the pieces then put it back together as Damian talks. As you get more fidgety the longer the meeting goes on, Damian wordlessly slides a new pen over to you with a slightly different composition. You smile at him and busy your hands with taking part the new pen. Damian’s cheeks darken slightly, but before anyone can notice, he’s back in leader mode. 

Damian pulls up the blueprint, running through everyone’s role and position for the mission.

“And Black Falcon, you’re with me, handling guards on the roof and additional security measures.”

“The dream team,” You grin with a wink.

Damian rolls his eyes and ignores your remark. Instead, he fields any questions then dismisses the team. You glance down at the file briefing in front of you then remember one last question for Damian. As a few Titans clear out, you wander to the front of the room where Damian is studying the blueprint from the presentation. 

“Hey, boss man,” You wave your file at him. “This building is using the Kingsley Security system. What are your thoughts about debuting the new hacking arrows?” 

Damian frowns, flipping to the page with the schematics concerning the security system. 

“How effective is the firewall on the arrows?” 

“If you’re worried about them tracking back to us, the arrows’ firewall should be strong enough to erase our trail.” 

“Should be?” Damian raised an eyebrow. 

“They’ll be fine, but I don’t like to make guarantees.” 

“And why is that?” 

“Because sometimes, shit happens.” 

“I don’t like variables.” 

“Well, Dames, I’ve got bad news for you about how life works.” 

You cross your arms, leaning your hip against the table. 

“I don’t like variables on my missions when lives are on the line,” Damian says, scanning over the Kingsley credentials. 

“We’re connected to a computer with the highest level of security to currently exist. Even if they manage to trace back the arrows, they won’t get far.” 

Jon and Colin watch you two bicker about arrows and security.

“He likes having someone to argue with way too much,” Colin mutters to Jon. 

Jon nods along. 

“You’re telling me. He’s not going to do anything about it though.” 

Colin cracks a grin. 

“He’s just gonna roll his eyes and tell her she’s insufferable.” 

Jon and Colin snicker, catching Damian’s attention. He narrows his eyes at the two who sit innocently. 

“Listen,” You bring Damian’s attention back to you. “It’s your mission and I’ll respect whatever you want to do, but the only way for me to improve the arrows design is to test them.” 

“I’ll consider it,” Damian says. 

His phone lights up with notification on the table. Your eyes dart toward the light and your eyebrows go up. Damian catches your eye and snatches his phone off the table with red cheeks.

“Am I your lock screen?” You ask with a small grin. 

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Damian shoves his phone in his back pocket. 

“Really?” Your grin grows as your eyebrows move higher. 

Jon and Colin watch with shit eating grins. 

“Grayson set it,” Damian growls. “I haven’t bothered to change it.” 

“Sure, he did,” You nod. “It’s a cute picture.” 

The picture is after Damian and Bruce got into a huge argument, bad enough that Damian called Dick to get him out of the Manor. Dick figured it would be a good day to give Damian a childhood experience he missed out on and decided to take Damian to a theme park. Knowing you were in town with Jason while Roy was handling some business in Gotham, he talked Jason into bringing you. While at the park, Dick insisted you and Damian needed to try a funnel cake since neither of you had ever had one. 

You and Damian decided to split one since Dick warned you they were pretty sweet. When you and Damian tried your first bites, Damian’s face instantly scrunched up which made you laugh and Dick managed to catch the moment on camera. 

Damian scowls at you while you just grin. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone and ruin your reputation,” You laugh, leaving the room. 

Damian scowls at you as you leave and returns his attention to collecting his files. 

“Ah Dames, get that look off your face, we all know how you feel,” Jon teases. 

Damian turns, scowling at Jon. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Sure you don’t,” Colin rolls his eyes. “We can all tell you like Y/N.” 

“She’s--”

“Insufferable,” Jon finishes. “Yeah, we know. You know, just because you keep saying it, doesn’t mean it’s actually true.” 

“And you know, we get it, you’re a condensing, uptight dick--” Colin starts to rattle off. 

“Why does everyone assume the worst of me?” Damian scowls at Colin. 

“It saves time,” He grins at his friend. “But, despite those things, you can be charming when you want to be. And if you actually acted on that charm, Y/N would agree to a date with you.” 

Jon stares at Colin for a minute, looking unimpressed then turns to Damian. 

“My advice is much more subtle. Stop being an ass.” 

“I didn’t ask for advice,” Damian growls. 

“We are aware and we also are aware that you never will,” Colin nods. 

“Why not let yourself be happy, Dames?” Jon asks. 

“I am happy,” Damian glares at the two of them then walks out of the room, tired of hearing their advice. 

“Think he’ll listen?” Colin asks. 

Jon shrugs. 

“Who knows.” 

. . . 

Your back hits the ground but you roll to the balls of your feet, breathing hard. You tighten your grip on your bo staff, ready to lunge for another hit when you notice Damian walk into the training room. As he walks toward you, you straighten up and grab your water, figuring it’s time for a break. Damian raises his eyebrows at your bo staff. 

“That’s not your normal choice in weapons,” He observes. 

You shrug, taking a swing of water and ignoring your cheeks heating up. While you wanted to expand your training, you’ve seen Damian using a bo staff a lot. He seems to like them so you figured you’d give them a shot. Besides, Tim has given you a few pointers. 

“Decided to try something new,” You say casually. 

Damian quirks an eyebrow, but says nothing else. 

“I’ve been thinking--” He starts. 

“A dangerous pastime,” You nod solemnly. 

Damian glares at you but continues, as if he didn’t hear your sarcastic comment. 

“We have a strong enough firewall on the computer in the Tower that if your arrows malfunctioned, we could detect and fight a security breach.” 

“So, I can bring them on the mission?” You finish. 

“Yes.” 

“Sweet!” You grin, pumping your fist. 

Damian rolls his eyes again at your celebration, but you can see him trying not to smile. He turns to leave, but you look back at the bo staff you were training with. 

“Wait! Damian!” You call. 

He turns, looking at you with raised eyebrows. 

“You’re better with a bo staff than I am,” You admit. “Wanna help me out?” 

Damian’s eyes flicker between you and the bo staff. You see a small smile fighting its way onto his face. 

“I’ll change into something more suiting for training.” 

You grin, spinning the staff around you then go into a mock solute. 

“Yes, commander.” 

Damian rolls his eyes again, but leaves to change. 

. . . 

You swing your staff up hard, but Damian blocks it and swipes at your legs with a low kick. Grinning as he falls into the expected move, you flip your staff around and hit Damian’s side. He grunts and moves again, this time, landing a hard blow to your arm. You grimace at the force, but swing your staff around again and manage to knock Damian’s legs out from under him with a move he showed you. 

Damian hits the ground hard with a grunt, but instead of rolling to his feet for another hit, he lays on the ground, looking a little dazed. 

“I got it!” You cheered as Damian sits up, watching you with a small smile. 

“Drive your hips more so the power doesn’t come from your arms as much,” He instructs. 

“You know, with all the archery I do,” You flex a muscular arm. “I’m pretty sure my arms are stronger than my hips at this point.” 

Damian rolls his eyes as he pushes himself to his feet. You swear you sees his eyes lingering on your flexed arm. 

“Basic anatomy,” He claims. 

“Right, your definition of “basic” and a normal person’s is pretty different.” 

Damian raises an eyebrow at you. 

“How do you mean?” 

You narrow your eyes. 

“You know what I mean.” 

“I don’t,” But the slow start of a shit eating grin on his face tells you Damian knows how you meant that statement. 

You groan, throwing your hands up. 

“Okay, fine, Wayne. I’ll give it to you, you’re pretty smart.” 

“Am I now?” Damian full on grins, making your heart flutter. 

You roll your eyes again, despite your raised heart rate. 

“I’m not going to say it again.” 

“I didn’t think you would. It doesn’t change the truth.” 

You sigh, shaking your head. 

“Why do I still like you, knowing you’re a total asshole?” You question as you walk toward your water. 

Damian freezes for a moment, your words slowly mulling over in his head. Before he can say anything else, his watch beeps. Damian looks down at it with a scowl.

“Duty calls?” You ask, handing Damian his water. 

He looks up from the notification and nods. 

“Get dressed, we leave in ten minutes.”

. . . 

Following your normal post mission tradition, you relax on the roof with a few boxes of take out. You dig into your box of fried rice, enjoying the view as your legs dangle over the edge of the huge tower. The roof access door opens and someone sits next to you but you don’t have to turn to see who. Wordlessly, you hold out Damian’s vegetarian Lo Mein which you took the courtesy to grab while he showered after the mission. 

“Your arrows worked,” Damian comments, accepting the box from you and digging in with his own chopsticks. 

“Mmhm,” You hum with a smirk. “Told you.” 

Damian rolls his eyes. 

“Of course you wouldn’t be able to resist making a childish remark.” 

You grin, nudging Damian’s shoulder. 

“You knew I already knew the arrows worked. You just wanted to hear me say it.” 

“I absolutely did not.” 

“Sure you didn’t. I’m irresistible.” 

“You’re insufferable,” Damian corrects. 

“I still don’t believe that line.” 

“Your belief does not change the truth.” 

You laugh, leaning against Damian as you both continue eating, enjoying the view and each other’s company. After the first time Damian joined you on the roof, it became both of your traditions to enjoy your post mission meals together. Later, you would rejoin the team for game night or movie night, but for now, you two enjoy your quiet meals and unwind peacefully. 

Once your meals are finished and the boxes are discarded to the side, you scoot closer to Damian, resting your head on his shoulder. He slowly places a hand on your knee, seeming a bit uncertain. You smile to yourself and squeeze his arm, scooting a little closer to encourage him. He leans into you, seeming more relaxed by the affection. 

“You know,” You finally say after a few minutes of silently watching the sun set. “I turned out liking you a lot more than I originally planned.” 

“How much did you intend to like me?” Damian asks.

You feel him starting to go stiff. 

“Well, given you insulted me when I first met you,” You point out with a shrug. “I didn’t expect to like you very much.” 

“And now?” Damian asks hesitantly. 

You lift your head from Damian’s shoulder to look at him, your noses inches away.

“Now, you’re pretty alright,” You tease, admiring his pretty green eyes. 

Damian rolls his eyes with a small laugh. 

“Just alright?” He asks, squeezing your knee lightly. 

“Well,” You shrug again, feeling your heart pound. “Maybe a little more than alright.” 

You stare at each other for a long moment until Damian’s eyes flicker to your lips. Here goes nothing. Before you can bring yourself to regret, you close the small distance between each other and press your lips to his. He’s hesitant for a moment, stiff against you. Before you can pull away, Damian’s fingers sink into your hair, pulling you closer as he kisses you back. 

You melt into the kiss and grip his shirt tightly. As he shifts his head to deepen the kiss, a voice yells from behind you: 

“It’s about time!” 

You and Damian jump apart, still holding a hand on each other to see Jon standing by the roof access door. Damian scowls at him while Jon grins like he’s just won the lottery. 

“You have no idea how annoying it was so watch you two pretend like you don’t like each other,” Jon rolls his eyes. “Come on, we’re starting game night.” 

He disappears back through the door as you look back at Damian. 

“Well, duty calls,” You joke, sliding off the ledge. 

Damian turns, catches your wrist, and tugs you back to him.

“They can wait,” He mutters to you, kissing you again. 

You happily melt into the kiss, your hands on Damian’s chest as his hands slide to your hips. 

“Am I still insufferable?” You tease against Damian’s lips. 

He smirks, standing to his feet and pulling you close by your waist. 

“Yes,” He kisses you again. 

“You’ve never been known for your subtly!”

A bag of chips flies out and hits Tim in the head.

"Ten seconds, asshole!”

Tim checks the cams on his phone, the cameras fixed on the ballroom doors.

“Oh shit,” Tim curses. “Bogey spotted! Headed our way!”

Jason emerges from the pantry with an arm load of everyone’s favorite snacks.

“Location,” He barks at Tim.

“North hall, by the east wing staircase.”

“Back door will wrap us around, we can get to the west staircase,” Jason rattles off.

“The window on the second-floor bathroom in the west wing is missing the screen, we can take the roof,” Duke adds, loosening his tie, preparing to climb.

“Red bathroom,” Cass notes, gracefully flipped from the fridge to the floor.

“Let’s go—”

A sharp voice cuts in.

“Boys,” Alfred stands in the kitchen doorway, a single eyebrow raised.

Everyone freezes for a moment until Jason chucks various snacks at everyone and yells:

“Scatter!”

They all take off in different directions, Duke running for the door leading to the West Wing, followed closely by Jason. Tim and Damian sprint toward the side door leading to one of the dining rooms. Cass flips over Alfred and grabs Dick, yanking him toward the East Wing staircase. None of them need to be in the room long enough to hear Alfred’s disappointed sigh.

Later that night, once the guests have finally left the manor, Bruce makes his way up stairs to the bonus room. As he opens the door, he is unsurprised to find all his children pilled together on the large sofa, various snacks and blankets spread across them while watching The Road to El Dorado on the projector. Ties, dress shoes, jackets and Cass’s flats are scatter across the floor.

Bruce leans in the doorway and quirks an eyebrow at his children, silently waiting for a reaction.

“You guys really had to ditch me, huh?” He asks, loosening his tie.

“Come on, Bruce,” Jason tosses more popcorn in his mouth. “Those galas blow, and you know it.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve been going to those galas long before any of you were born, I am well aware.”

“We get it, you’re old,” Dick rolls his eyes. “You coming, or not?”

Cass lifts the blanket, displaying an empty space for Bruce to slot in the middle of them. Bruce grins, kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket to the side. He happily crawls under the blankets, shifting his arms over his children. Cass and Tim use Bruce as a pillow as Jason passes him his favorite caramel popcorn.

“The Road to El Dorado, huh?”

“We’re watching Indian Jones next,” Duke informs him.

Bruce smiles, kissing the top of Cass and Tim’s heads and relaxes, enjoying the movie after a long evening of dealing with upper class Gothamites. He can finally slip off the Brucie Wayne persona, but not be pushed into his Batman persona. Instead, he gets to be Bruce.

It turns out, Jason volunteers at local orphanages doing the same thing he was doing for Eli, so it was familiar territory for him. The longer you two chatted, the more smitten you found yourself. As five-year-olds do, Eli got bored again, so you needed to take him home, but you managed to get Jason’s number. Two years later, you two are now happily dating and raising Eli together. 

Things didn’t necessarily end badly with Eli’s other biological parent. They weren’t ready for parenthood, and Eli wasn’t planned. So you stepped up, became Eli’s primary guardian, and your partner signed over their parental rights. You split on relatively friendly terms, but it’s all in the past at this point. 

Current day, Jason has been such a huge blessing in your life. He makes you happy, and he’s fantastic with Eli, although he does tend to spoil him a little too much. 

“Please,” Eli begs, hanging on your leg as you chop vegetables for dinner. “Just one more!” 

“I said no, Eli,” You tell him, not even bothering to look down at his puppy dog eyes. 

“But I promise I’ll eat all my spinach!” He tries to bargain. “I just want one more! That’s it, I swear!” 

You roll your eyes and glance up at the bag of truffles, purposefully put out of Eli’s reach. You gave him one after school as a treat, and a few hours later, Eli got hungry again. Instead of any of the other snack options you offered, Eli decided he wanted another truffle. You told him no more until after dinner, but that went in one ear and out the other. 

“One more what, you little bugger?” Another voice cuts in, then suddenly Eli is being pulled off your leg. 

You look over to see Jason, who just got home, tossing a shrieking and laughing Eli over his shoulder. 

“One more truffle!” He exclaims, shrieking when Jason blows a raspberry on his stomach. 

“One more what?” Jason asks again, flipping him upside down. 

“Truffle!” Eli exclaims, happily swinging his arms as Jason holds him up by his ankles. 

“Truffle?” Jason asked. “Well, that’s gonna cost you something. Gimme all your lunch money, kid!” 

He shakes Eli a little as if he were a bully shaking down a cowering kid for money. It makes Eli laugh even more while he holds his shirt up so his whole chest isn’t exposed. 

“I don’t have any!” He insists through giggles. 

“You don’t have any?!” Jason questions. “You don’t have any money, but you want truffles?” 

Jason slowly lowers Eli to the ground headfirst until Eli is lying on the kitchen floor. 

“Please?” He asks, making his eyes big in a way that he has learned is Jason’s weakness. 

Jason glances at you, looking a little pleadingly. 

“Don’t you dare look him in the eye,” You tell him quietly, knowing Jason’s weakness for Eli’s puppy dog eyes. “I already told him no more truffles until after dinner,” You say loudly, looking down at Eli pointedly. 

“But that’s so far away!” Eli whines. 

“Ah, yes, a whole hour away,” You deadpan. 

“I just want one!” He begs, then sits up and grabs Jason’s leg, looking up at him pleadingly. “Please, Jason?” 

Jason looks down at Eli, his hand stroking Eli’s hair, then he glances at you, giving him a pointed look. 

“Not just one?” Jason asks. 

“Oh my gosh, you are such a sucker!” You laugh. “It’s those puppy dog eyes!” 

“I mean, will one more truffle really spoil his dinner?” Jason points out, not even bothering to try to dispute your claim. 

You look up at Jason. 

“No,” You tell him, then kiss his nose. 

Jason sighs and looks back down at Eli. 

“Sorry, buddy, the boss said no.” 

“Aww,” Eli exclaims loudly as he slumps dramatically onto the floor. 

“I know, your life is so hard,” You tell him, smiling at his antics. 

Eli doesn’t throw tantrums, so you know his act right now is him trying to be cute and make you laugh. (And it’s working). 

“Ah, come on, you drama queen,” Jason scoops Eli off the floor into standing position. “Why don’t we help with dinner. What are we making?” He asks you. 

“Parmsean chicken fingers.” 

“Chicken fingers!” Eli’s whole face lights up. 

Jason laughs, kissing the top of Eli’s head. 

“Alright, bud, go wash your hands, and you can help me bread the chicken.” 

“Okay!” Eli sprints off to the bathroom to wash his hand. 

“With soap!” Jason calls after him.

Eli shouts an acknowledgment back, giving you and Jason a moment of alone time. 

“Hi,” He greets, pulling you into a sweet kiss. 

“Hi,” You whisper back against his lips. “You’re such a softie,” You tease. 

“Yeah, he gets those puppy dog eyes from you,” Jason insists, pulling you against him. 

“Mmhmm, I’m sure,” You roll your eyes. 

Jason grins and leans down, kissing you again. As you’re about to deepen the kiss, Eli scampers back into the room. 

“Gross!” He exclaims at the sight of you two kissing. 

Jason breaks away with a grin, kissing your nose. 

“Gross?” He asks, stepping around you to scoop up Eli again, who squeals with delight. “Gross?” He exclaims again, blowing another raspberry on Eli’s neck, which makes Eli laugh loudly. “I’ll tell you what’s gross, not washing your hands with soap!” 

“I did!” Eli insists as Jason shifts him to cradle him like a baby. He holds his wet hands in Jason’s face. “See?” 

“You promise?” Jason asks.

Eli nods vigorously. 

“Alright, well, now that your hands are clean, let’s get them messy.” 

You smile fondly, watching Jason direct Eli in how to bread the chicken fingers. Eli loves the egg wash and in his excitement, he manages to spill it all over the counter.  Jason patiently teases him as has Eli help him wipe it up. 

As you continue getting dinner ready with Jason and Eli’s help, Jason leans over Eli’s head to sneak you kisses, each one met with loud exclamations by Eli. You and Jason just laugh, usually flicking something onto Eli to distract him from the grossness of his parents kissing. 

Your life hasn’t exactly gone to plan, but you’re okay with that. You have an amazing son and an incredible boyfriend. What else could you ask for? 

When you started dating Jason, you were very upfront with him about what dating you entailed because it wasn’t just you. As a single parent, re-entering the dating scene is daunting to say the less. You’re not only finding someone you’re compatible with but someone who also works with your 7-year-old son, Eli. While whoever you date could be the greatest person in the world, if they didn’t work with Eli, you’d kick them to the curb because your son is the priority. 

Many failed dating apps passed by because people didn’t want to be involved with someone who already has a kid. At first, it bothered you, but honestly, you get it. Committing yourself to someone else and their kid, it’s a lot to ask for. 

Ironically enough, when you met Jason, you weren’t looking to date. You’d figure you’d put the dating thing on hold for a while when starting a new job and getting Eli situated at his new school. Really, you met Jason by chance in the grocery store and only have Eli to thank. 

Eli had wandered away from you, as bored five-year-olds in the grocery store do. You eventually found him sitting in the skimpy book aisle, listening to a handsome, rugged man read The Giver to him. At first, you were a bit embarrassed by the unintentional babysitting, but the man smiled and introduced himself as Jason (and promised he wasn’t a creep). 

It turns out, Jason volunteers at local orphanages doing the same thing he was doing for Eli, so it was familiar territory for him. The longer you two chatted, the more smitten you found yourself. As five-year-olds do, Eli got bored again, so you needed to take him home, but you managed to get Jason’s number. Two years later, you two are now happily dating and raising Eli together. 

Things didn’t necessarily end badly with Eli’s other biological parent. They weren’t ready for parenthood, and Eli wasn’t planned. So you stepped up, became Eli’s primary guardian, and your partner signed over their parental rights. You split on relatively friendly terms, but it’s all in the past at this point. 

Current day, Jason has been such a huge blessing in your life. He makes you happy, and he’s fantastic with Eli, although he does tend to spoil him a little too much. 

“Please,” Eli begs, hanging on your leg as you chop vegetables for dinner. “Just one more!” 

“I said no, Eli,” You tell him, not even bothering to look down at his puppy dog eyes. 

“But I promise I’ll eat all my spinach!” He tries to bargain. “I just want one more! That’s it, I swear!” 

You roll your eyes and glance up at the bag of truffles, purposefully put out of Eli’s reach. You gave him one after school as a treat, and a few hours later, Eli got hungry again. Instead of any of the other snack options you offered, Eli decided he wanted another truffle. You told him no more until after dinner, but that went in one ear and out the other. 

“One more what, you little bugger?” Another voice cuts in, then suddenly Eli is being pulled off your leg. 

You look over to see Jason, who just got home, tossing a shrieking and laughing Eli over his shoulder. 

“One more truffle!” He exclaims, shrieking when Jason blows a raspberry on his stomach. 

“One more what?” Jason asks again, flipping him upside down. 

“Truffle!” Eli exclaims, happily swinging his arms as Jason holds him up by his ankles. 

“Truffle?” Jason asked. “Well, that’s gonna cost you something. Gimme all your lunch money, kid!” 

He shakes Eli a little as if he were a bully shaking down a cowering kid for money. It makes Eli laugh even more while he holds his shirt up so his whole chest isn’t exposed. 

“I don’t have any!” He insists through giggles. 

“You don’t have any?!” Jason questions. “You don’t have any money, but you want truffles?” 

Jason slowly lowers Eli to the ground headfirst until Eli is lying on the kitchen floor. 

“Please?” He asks, making his eyes big in a way that he has learned is Jason’s weakness. 

Jason glances at you, looking a little pleadingly. 

“Don’t you dare look him in the eye,” You tell him quietly, knowing Jason’s weakness for Eli’s puppy dog eyes. “I already told him no more truffles until after dinner,” You say loudly, looking down at Eli pointedly. 

“But that’s so far away!” Eli whines. 

“Ah, yes, a whole hour away,” You deadpan. 

“I just want one!” He begs, then sits up and grabs Jason’s leg, looking up at him pleadingly. “Please, Jason?” 

Jason looks down at Eli, his hand stroking Eli’s hair, then he glances at you, giving him a pointed look. 

“Not just one?” Jason asks. 

“Oh my gosh, you are such a sucker!” You laugh. “It’s those puppy dog eyes!” 

“I mean, will one more truffle really spoil his dinner?” Jason points out, not even bothering to try to dispute your claim. 

You look up at Jason. 

“No,” You tell him, then kiss his nose. 

Jason sighs and looks back down at Eli. 

“Sorry, buddy, the boss said no.” 

“Aww,” Eli exclaims loudly as he slumps dramatically onto the floor. 

“I know, your life is so hard,” You tell him, smiling at his antics. 

Eli doesn’t throw tantrums, so you know his act right now is him trying to be cute and make you laugh. (And it’s working). 

“Ah, come on, you drama queen,” Jason scoops Eli off the floor into standing position. “Why don’t we help with dinner. What are we making?” He asks you. 

“Parmesan chicken fingers.” 

“Chicken fingers!” Eli’s whole face lights up. 

Jason laughs, kissing the top of Eli’s head. 

“Alright, bud, go wash your hands, and you can help me bread the chicken.” 

“Okay!” Eli sprints off to the bathroom to wash his hand. 

“With soap!” Jason calls after him.

Eli shouts an acknowledgment back, giving you and Jason a moment of alone time. 

“Hi,” He greets, pulling you into a sweet kiss. 

“Hi,” You whisper back against his lips. “You’re such a softie,” You tease. 

“Yeah, he gets those puppy dog eyes from you,” Jason insists, pulling you against him. 

“Mmhmm, I’m sure,” You roll your eyes. 

Jason grins and leans down, kissing you again. As you’re about to deepen the kiss, Eli scampers back into the room. 

“Gross!” He exclaims at the sight of you two kissing. 

Jason breaks away with a grin, kissing your nose. 

“Gross?” He asks, stepping around you to scoop up Eli again, who squeals with delight. “Gross?” He exclaims again, blowing another raspberry on Eli’s neck, which makes Eli laugh loudly. “I’ll tell you what’s gross, not washing your hands with soap!” 

“I did!” Eli insists as Jason shifts him to cradle him like a baby. He holds his wet hands in Jason’s face. “See?” 

“You promise?” Jason asks.

Eli nods vigorously. 

“Alright, well, now that your hands are clean, let’s get them messy.” 

You smile fondly, watching Jason direct Eli in how to bread the chicken fingers. Eli loves the egg wash and in his excitement, he manages to spill it all over the counter.  Jason patiently teases him as has Eli help him wipe it up. 

As you continue getting dinner ready with Jason and Eli’s help, Jason leans over Eli’s head to sneak you kisses, each one met with loud exclamations by Eli. You and Jason just laugh, usually flicking something onto Eli to distract him from the grossness of his parents kissing. 

Your life hasn’t exactly gone to plan, but you’re okay with that. You have an amazing son and an incredible boyfriend. What else could you ask for? 

You turn to see Red Robin of all people, standing a few feet away and looking as non-threatening as possible. You shrug and gesture to the ledge. 

“Plenty of ledge here for the both of us. Besides, I’m sure you could teach me a few things about perching on tall buildings.” 

Red Robin chuckles and moves to the edge of the building. He tosses his legs over the side, sitting a foot away from you, and stares out on the city. You wonder what he sees when he looks on the city. He, Batman, Robin, and Red Hood protect Gotham for whatever reason. You’re not sure this cesspool deserves it, but apparently, they see something in it. 

“I wasn’t going to jump,” You tell him. 

“I didn’t think you were,” He responds simply. 

“I’m not suicidal,” You plow ahead. “I don’t want to die, but I kept spiraling the longer I laid in bed.” 

Red Robin nods along, like he gets it, like he understands. And maybe he does. You suppose despite all the rumors about the Bats, they probably are normal humans under those cowls and masks. Humans with a deathwish, but at this point, who isn’t? 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offers quietly. 

“With you?” You raise an eyebrow. 

Red Robin pretends to look around the empty rooftop. 

“Well, unless you’re seeing someone that I’m not, then yeah, with me.” 

He chuckles at his own joke, and silence falls between you two again. 

“I know it’s weird,” Red Robin admits. “To talk about something that’s probably really personal with a total stranger, but I’d figure I’d offer. Talking… It helps. So if you don’t talk to me, you should think about talking to someone.” 

You pause, mulling over his words. You don’t know Red Robin. You’re pretty sure Red Robin doesn’t know you. But why would he want to listen to some pity party at 3 am on some random apartment rooftop? Surely, he has better things to do. 

But he sat down. He offered. He’s making an effort. 

That’s more than some people can say. 

You sigh heavily, your shoulders slumping. 

“It’s my dad,” You finally admit. “We’ve always had a… complicated relationship. It’s not that he doesn’t love me-- he very clearly does. He’s always been a very affectionate man, but… it feels like he was never really interested in my life. Not in a malicious way, but in an oblivious way. And when it was happening before my eyes, I was a kid, so I didn’t see it, but now being older… It’s more obvious. It’s so clear that he doesn’t know me… And it stings.” 

Red Robin listens patiently, nodding along with your words. He says nothing, letting you speak. 

“And in my head, I keep bringing up things that happened years ago that still bother me so much, but it was so many years ago. He probably doesn’t remember because he doesn’t think they’re significant moments, you know? It’s things he said in passing that he doesn’t think of as hurtful that left… Much deeper marks than I’m willing to admit.”

You sigh, scrubbing your face in frustration at the burning in your eyes. You don’t want to cry. You don’t like crying. You don’t care if you need to cry-- you cried earlier, and now, you’re not going to cry in front of Red Robin about your damn daddy issues (okay, maybe they are daddy issues, but you’re sure as hell not going to be calling anyone “daddy” in the bedroom). 

“I just… I’m tired. I’m tired of trying to put effort into a relationship that he doesn’t seem to want to put effort into. And the thing is, I doubt he even realizes that he’s doing it! If I talked to him, I’m sure we could figure something out, but… I’m not sure I want to… I love my dad very much, and I know he loves me… But I don’t think I like him.” 

Right as the words pass your lips, you feel instant regret seize your chest. 

“Oh, God, does that make me a bad person?” You bury your face in your hands, fighting back the watering in your eyes. “He’s such a loving man. He’s a damn bleeding heart, and I know if he heard me say that, it would break his heart!” 

The thought alone sends tears spilling over onto your cheeks. You love your dad, you don’t want to see him heartbroken, but it’s getting harder to ignore your own bruises. 

Red Robin scoots closer to you, rubbing your back soothingly. 

“No, it doesn’t make you a bad person,” He tells you softly. “It sounds like you’re really hurt. While we can love our family, it’s hard to like someone who’s brought you so much pain.” 

“But he… He’s so sweet,” You sob, taking a stuttering breath. “He’s one of the most loving people I’ve ever met.” 

“But that doesn’t mean he can’t hurt you,” Red Robin tells you gently. 

The tears well up in your eyes again, and you give up trying to make any sense of your thoughts. Instead, you let the tears fall. Red Robin pulls in arm around your shoulders, rubbing your arm as you lean against him and silently cry. 

You two sit there in silence for what must be an hour before you finally sit up and rub your face. 

“Well, that’s certainly not how I expected this to go,” You admit sheepishly, wiping your face. “Sorry for making you listen to my dumb sob story.” 

“I’ve been there,” Red Robin offers a tissue that he produced from somewhere on his suit. “It’s not dumb. Having someone who will listen makes all the difference.” 

“Thanks,” You say softly, offering a watery smile as you blow your nose and finish wiping your face off. 

“Are you hungry?” He offers. 

“Hungry?” 

Red Robin shrugs. 

“Crying takes it out of you. And it sounds like you’ve had a long night. How about some 4 am breakfast?” 

“But I don’t have my wallet,” You dumbly state as if not having a wallet is the only issue with his proposal. 

Red Robin waves you off. 

“It’s my treat.” 

You look down at your clothes: sneakers, mismatching socks, stained sweatpants, an old sleep shirt, and the first jacket you could find in your room, which was a jean jacket. 

“You look fine,” He assures you. “Besides, it’s 4 am. If anything, you fit the vibe more than I do.” 

You giggle at that, grimacing at how tight your face feels from the crying and the snot dripping from your nose. Wiping your nose with your sleeve, you glance around the rooftop. 

“How are we going to get there? I don’t have a car.” 

Red Robin pulls what looks to be a grappling hook from his side. 

“I have an idea. But I have one important question before we proceed.” 

You look at him warily. 

“Do you trust me?” He asks. 

And considering you just cried on his shoulder for the past hour and info dumped a small piece of your tragic backstory, you suppose you kind of do.

“Yeah,” You tell him. 

“Great,” He smiles. “That wasn’t the important question, but that was needed information. Get on my back.” 

You blink at him. 

“Um. What?” 

“Get on my back,” Red Robin repeats like it’s the most simple thing in the world. “I’m going to swing us to a breakfast place,” He waves his grappling hook.

“Um.” 

“You said you trust me,” Red Robin reminds you. 

And you suppose you did say that, didn’t you? He does this just about every night, he can keep you safe… Hopefully. 

Red Robin bends down so you can hop onto his back. Once he’s sure you’re securely situated with your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist, Red Robin climbs up on the ledge of the apartment. Your grip tightens as he stands dangerously close to the edge. 

“Wait,” You say before he jumps. 

Red Robin turns his head in acknowledgment. 

“What was the important question?” 

He grins at you. 

“Waffles or pancakes?” 

“What?” 

“Waffles or pancakes?” Red Robin repeats like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“That was your important question?” You shake your head in disbelief. 

“It is an important question,” He insists. 

You pause for a moment, pondering your answer. 

“Pancakes,” You say decisively. 

“Good answer,” Red Robin grins, then steps off the building. 

For a moment, your breath is stuck in your throat as everything tenses, bracing for impact. Then, there’s a tugging—something dragging you away from the ground in a long arch. You tear your eyes away from the ground to see Red Robin almost effortlessly swinging with his grappling hook. Every shot is perfectly timed and calculated. It looks like second nature at this point, and it makes you wonder how long Red Robin has been doing this. Who is Red Robin under the cowl?

Eventually, you land in front of a mom and pop dinner which advertises 24/7 breakfast. 

“It doesn’t look like much, but this place has the best pancakes,” Red Robin promises as you slide off his back. 

You shrug, looking up at the old sign and well-loved booths inside. 

“Like you said, it fits the vibe.” 

Red Robin grins and opens the door for you. He directs you to a booth in the back. An older waitress comes by your table holding two mugs and a pot of coffee.

“Hey, Red,” She greets, looking tired but friendly. “Who’s your friend?” 

Red Robin glances over at you with a small smile. 

“A fellow pancake lover.” 

The waitress chuckles as she pours him a cup of coffee. 

“Coffee?” She offers you. 

“Uh, sure,” You’re doubtful that you’ll drink it since pulling an all-nighter sounds less than ideal but holding something warm sounds nice. 

“So, a stack of pancakes for both of you then?” The waitress asks, not bothering to write down the simple order. 

“That sounds great, Brooke,” Red Robin smiles. 

“Sure thing,” Brooke heads back to the kitchen to place the order, leaving you at the table with Red Robin. 

You blow on your hot coffee and wrap your fingers around the mug, enjoying the heat. 

“Alright, another important question for you,” Red Robin begins as he adds sugar and cream to his coffee. 

You smile, ready for this all-important question with rapt attention. 

“Acceptable toppings on pancakes?” 

Midway through your heated debate about which fruits are acceptable to top pancakes with (“Oh, so pineapple can go on pizza, but it can’t go on pancakes?!”), Brooke drops off two stacks of fluffy, golden brown pancakes. While Red Robin is wrong about pancake toppings, he wasn’t lying about these pancakes being delicious.

“Okay,” You say through a mouthful of heavenly pancake. “These pancakes are delicious, but I cannot fathom the thought of you ruining them with Miracle Whip.” 

“It sounds weird, I know,” Red Robin admits, opting to dunk his pancakes in syrup only, thank God. “But trust me.” 

“Miracle Whip,” You repeat. “Like the substitute for mayonnaise.” 

“It’s sweeter than mayo!” Red Robin argues. “It’s like a sweet cream on pancakes.” 

“I think you’ve had one too many concussions.” 

“Oh, really?” You’re sure that Red Robin is raising his eyebrows at you under his cowl, judging by the look on his face. “So, what’s your excuse for orange juice and chocolate chip cookies?” 

“Okay listen,” You point your fork at him. “I never said it was my idea. A friend made me try it, and it wasn’t the worst thing in the world!” 

“How can you question my judgment about Miracle Whip on pancakes when you eat orange juice with your cookies?!” 

“It’s not that different from drinking a glass of orange juice while eating a chocolate chip pancake!” 

“Yes, it absolutely is!” 

By the time you two have your fill of pancakes, coffee, and arguing, it’s close to five am. Red Robin drops you off on your apartment rooftop. 

“Thanks for the pancakes,” You smile, sliding off his back. “You’re right. I did need that.” 

“Helping is what we do,” He shrugs with a small smile. 

“If only someone could help your taste buds.” 

Red Robin laughs then shakes his head. 

“If you think mine are bad, you should see some of the things my siblings eat.” 

“There’s more of you?” You toss your head back dramatically. “What kind of cursed bloodline do you come from?!” 

Red Robin grins. 

“A diverse one,” He answers vaguely. 

“Seriously,” You tell him, sobering up. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime. If you ever need someone to talk to, go to the roof. I’ll be there,” Red Robin promises. 

“Thanks,” You say softly, then you kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you around, Red.” 

He’s frozen for a moment, then a smile stretches across his face. 

“See you around,” He solutes, then disappears into the night like the bat he is. 

You smile to yourself and walk back to your apartment. Some sleep sounds pretty good now…

Jason tilts your chin up, pulling you into a long kiss. You open your mouth, letting his tongue slip inside as he hitches your leg up, over his hip. His hand rubs your leg then slides to your hip, pulling you flush against him. You grind against his hardening member, feeling his cock slip against you. Jason groans into your mouth, his nails digging to your hips as he thrust against you. One of your hands slips off his shoulder, down to his cock, slowly stroking.

Jason pulls away from the kiss and rests his forehead against yours, his eyes screwed shut in bliss as you slowly jerk him off. He lets out a quiet moan as his face screws up again, the sound sending heat shooting straight to your core.

You grin, moving your hand faster. Jason's breath hitches and he forces his eyes open, allowing you to see his beautiful teal eyes. He thrusts into your hand then hitches your leg up higher, and rubs his fingers against your clit.

Your hips jerk, your hand stuttering for a moment. Jason grins and whispers huskily to you:

"What's the matter, baby? You get a little distracted there?"

You giggle in response and continue moving your hand then lean in for another kiss while Jason keeps stroking your clit.

"Something like that," You mumble against his lips with a grin.

Jason chuckles and pulls you closer to him with another sweet kiss then slips a finger inside you, instantly crooking it to hit your g-spot. You gasp into the kiss, your hand on his cock stopping again while your nails dig into his shoulder.

Jason kisses down your neck while your eyes squeeze shut and you let out a quiet moan.

"Right there, baby?" Jason mumbles against your neck, adding a second finger.

You moan again, thrusting your hips against Jason's hand then remember your hand, holding his very hard cock and start stroking again, setting a fast pace. Jason's fingers stutter against you and he bites against your neck, mumbling curses into your skin.

"Just like that, baby?" You tease, relishing in every sound Jason makes.

He laughs against your neck then tilts his head back up, capturing your lips into a long, sensual kiss. Jason slips his fingers out of you then pulls your hips forward and slides into you in one smooth motion.

Your nails dig into his shoulders again, taking a moment to adjust to his size. Jason presses kisses along your neck and chest.

"You feel so good, baby," He murmurs with a shallow thrust.

You groan, your eyes slipping shut for a moment then you rock your hips forward. Jason matches your pace, hitching your leg up higher, and continuing to thrust into you. You knot your fingers into his hair, tugging then start mouthing at his jaw.

Jason shutters against you, tilting his head up to give you more access to the sensitive skin at his jaw and pulls your hips down sharply. You shove his shoulders back, forcing Jason's back onto the bed and his cock slipping out of you. He stares up at you for a moment then you swing your leg over his hips and sink fully down into him.

Jason moans as you settle on his hips, his hands squeezing your thighs. You give him a moment to breathe then start bouncing.

"Fuck," He curses, thrusting into every upstroke then slides his hands under your shirt and cups your breasts.

You sigh breathily at the attention, arching your back to give a different angle. Jason's hands slide down to your hips, helping you bounce on him. His grip begins tightening and you grin victoriously to yourself.

"Getting close, baby?" You ask.

"Yes," Jason moans. "Fuck, don't stop."

You clench around him, moving faster then Jason sits up, wrapping his arms around your back and thrust into you hard once, twice, then you feel him cum inside you.

Jason groans, his body shuttering for a moment while you milk him through his orgasm, running your fingers through his hair. He kisses your shoulder, lightly running his nails over your back then lays back again.

You take that as your cue to slip off of him then lay on the bed next to him.

"Holy shit," Jason chuckles. "You never fail to blow my mind," He grins, rolling over to kiss you. "But, now it's my turn," Then he pushes himself to hover over you, giving you a long kiss.

You grin into the kiss, sinking your fingers into his thick, dark locks, while Jason pulls your shirt up. He moves to kiss under your jaw, and sucks at your neck, no doubt leaving hickeys.

He moves down your chest, blowing a raspberry on your collarbone, making you giggle. Jason looks up with a grin, his eyes fond.

"You're a goof," You tell him, running your fingers through his hair.

"Yeah," His eyes sparkle. "But I'm your goof."

You grin down at your husband.

"Yeah, you are."

Jason grins again, leaning up to kiss you sweetly then licks your nose.

"Ew!" You protest, scrunching your nose.

Jason laughs, kissing the tip of your nose instead while you push his face away.

"I take it back! You're just gross!" You protest while Jason just laughs.

"Why can't I be both?" He asks innocently.

You roll your eyes.

"Go make me cum," You order.

Jason smirks.

"Yes, ma’am."

He shimmies down the bed until he's settled between your legs then pulls your thighs over his shoulders. Without warning, he pushes two fingers into you, forcing his cum back into you as he crooks fingers to hit your g-spot.

You gasp, your fingers quickly tangling in his hair as he sets a quick pace then he leans down, pressing gentle kisses to your clit. Each touch of his lips make your hips jolt out of sensitivity then finally, Jason flattens his tongue and licks against your clit.

"Oh Jay," You moan, tilting your hips up.

Jason speeds up his fingers, making you moan again then closes his lips around your clit, and sucks. You gasp loudly, the sound quickly dissolving to a moan as you feel a coil springing up inside you.

"Fuck, Jase," You mumble, squeezing your eyes shut.

Jason hums against you, making small vibrations then sucks harder. He moves his free hand to press down, just below your stomach. You have no idea how Jason discovered pressing down against you, but your toes curl as his fingers rub relentlessly against your g-spot.

 The coil in you snaps, and your back arches off the bed.

"Jason," You moan shakily, coming on his fingers. 

Jason works you through your orgasm then slowly removes his fingers and gently licks anything else left behind. He kisses your clit again, making your legs shake then shimmies back up the bed and pulls you onto his chest.

"Not bad?" He asks with a teasing grin, running his fingers through your hair.

You laugh, kissing his chest and curl your head under his chin.

"Not bad," You grin.

Jason kisses the top of your head then runs his fingers down your back, absentmindedly tracing shapes into your skin.

“What do you have going on today?” He asks.

“Errands mostly,” You tell him. “Gotta fix my gear after getting stabbed the other night.” 

“How inconvenient,” Jason drawls. 

“I know right,” You chuckle. “Freaking muggers trying to stab me.” 

“Doesn’t sound like they were trying.” 

You huff, smacking his chest. Jason laughs and kisses the top of your head sweetly. 

“Yeah, well jokes on him, he still got arrested. Are you still going to go by the Manor?”

Jason groans, his hand pausing to spawl out on your back. You roll your eyes. 

“Come on, babe. You need Bruce’s notes for Zsasz. He’s not a small-time villain.” 

“I know,” Jason groans. “I just hate going to him for shit because then he’s going to ask questions.” 

“The horror,” You deadpan. 

“Shut up,” Jason mumbles as he nuzzles the top of your head. “I don’t want to talk to Bruce, it’s like talking to a damn brick wall.” 

“Weird,” You turn to shoot Jason a shit-eating grin. “I don’t know anyone like that.” 

Jason rolls his eyes. 

“Hardy har. I know you think I’m going to be a crotchety old man.” 

“You are already a crotchety old man,” You tease. 

“Really?” Jason raises his eyebrows. “You didn’t seem to think so a few minutes ago.” 

“I’ll give you that, Todd, you’re good in bed.” 

“Oh, now we’re back to last names?” 

“Hey, it’s my last name too!” 

Jason grins, his fingers trailing down to your left hand, intertwining your fingers. 

“Yeah, it is,” He smiles, warmth bubbling in your chest. 

Jason kisses you again. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too,” You kiss him against then toss the blankets back and roll off of Jason. 

Jason groans at the loss of your warmth. 

“I don’t love you anymore,” He calls dramatically, but you just laugh. 

“Come on, babe. We need a shower.” 

“We?” He glances over at you, standing in the doorway of the bathroom, his eyes raking down your body. 

“We gotta save water,” You grin with a wink. 

You’ve never seen Jason move faster. 

You blink, your eyes adjusting. 

“Y/N!” Jason exclaims with an easy grin that is quickly replaced with guilt. “Wait, did I wake you up?” 

You raise your eyebrows at Jason. 

“Kinda,” You admit groggily. 

“Shit, I’m sorry, babe.” 

“You uh…” You gesture to the bar stool Jason is tangled in. “You having some problems there?” 

Jason giggles, looking a little sheepish. 

“I went to sit down but then tipped backward.” 

Your eyebrows raise even higher. Jason is almost never this giggly and he’s definitely coordinated enough to sit in the bar stools without tipping them over. A small laugh escapes as you connect the dots. 

A night out with friends. 

Poorly spelled texts. 

Very loud. 

Giggling. 

.

.

.

Jason is drunk.

Watching you laugh seems to make Jason laugh even if he doesn’t know what you’re laughing at. 

“You’re a goof,” You tell him, stepping over to help Jason upright. 

Jason grins, wraps an arm around your shoulder and kisses your head

“Yeah, but I’m your goof.” 

You smile, helping Jason into a bar stool that’s not on the ground. You run your fingers through his hair, warmth bubbling up in your chest as Jason leans against your hand happily. 

“Yeah, you are.” 

Jason’s grin widens at your words. You kiss the top of his head and walk into the kitchen to get him a glass of water. 

“Fun night?” You ask. 

Jason giggles, his face red. He slouches in the bar stool to lean heavily against the kitchen island. 

“Yeah, it was. I’ve missed Roy.” 

“I bet you have,” You slide the glass across the bar to him. 

“What’s this?” He asks, staring down into the liquid. 

“Water,” You tell him. “You need to drink it.” 

“But I don’t want to drink it.” 

“You’ll wish you drank it in the morning.” 

“But it’s not the morning yet,” Jason astutely points out. 

You glance at the clock on your oven which reads 2:43 AM. 

“Yeah, it is,” You point at the clock with a raised eyebrow. 

“That doesn’t count,” Jason waves his hand. “I haven’t slept yet, so it’s not morning.” 

You laugh, rolling your eyes at Jason’s logic. 

“I will be sure to inform the world that the morning doesn’t start until you wake up.” 

“That’s right,” Jason says proudly with a dopey grin. “See to it that the world knows.” 

“But you should still drink the water.” 

“But I don’t want to drink the water.” 

“Will you please drink the water? For me?” 

Jason looks at you suspiciously. 

“Just one glass,” You barter. 

“Just one?” He raises an eyebrow. 

“One,” You promise. “And I’ll make you a sandwich.” 

His eyes light up. 

“Oh, with tomatoes!” 

“With tomatoes,” You agree, walking over to the fridge. “And the works. But, you have to drink that glass of water first.” 

Jason pouts but takes a few big gulps of the water which satisfies you enough to pull out all the ingredients from the fridge and start making his sandwich. 

“I love you,” He says randomly. 

You look up from cutting a tomato to see Jason leaning on his arm, his eyes fond. 

“I love you too,” You tell him, leaning across the bar on your toes to kiss his nose. 

Jason grins, leaning down to get a proper, but brief kiss from you. As you spread the condiments onto the bread with a knife, Jason clambers down from his chair to round the kitchen island and hug you from behind, leaning heavily against you. He lays his chin on your shoulder, watching you make the sandwich. 

“You’re more than I deserve,” He murmurs against your head. 

You finish putting everything on the sandwich and turn in Jason’s grasp, letting him rest his forehead against yours. 

“What makes you say that?” You ask. 

“Someone who has done as much fucked up shit as I have doesn’t get to be this happy,” He tells you as he kisses you. 

You reach up and cup his face, feeling a few thin scars along his jaw. 

“I think someone who has been through as much as you have deserves to be happy.” 

He grins, kissing you again. 

“Well, you make me ridiculously happy.” 

You smile. 

“I love you,” He softly whispers to you. 

“I love you too,” You respond easily, kissing his head. “Also your sandwich is done, but you have to drink your water first.” 

Jason groans. 

“I don’t need water,” He insists as you slip out of his grip. 

“Yes, you do,” You tell him, pulling him toward the chair. 

He stumbles, walking heavily as he pushes you against the bar again, his hands sliding up your thighs. 

“This my shirt?” He asks, playing with the bottom of it.

“Maybe,” You shrug. 

Jason grins, kissing you again as his hands slide under the shirt. 

“I like it when you wear my clothes.” 

“I know,” You smirk, kissing him back. “Come on, eat your sandwich and drink your water.” 

“But I see something else I’d much rather eat,” Jason growls in your ear, pulling you flush against him. 

You laugh, smacking his chest lightly. 

“Easy there, tiger. You can barely hold yourself up right now.” 

“That’s okay, I don’t need to,” Jason grins, nibbling on your earlobe. “You can just ride me.” 

You roll your eyes, running your hands up his arms as his hands squeeze your sides. 

“I want to go to bed,” You tell him. 

“Funny, I do too,” Jason purrs. 

You put a hand on his chest, pushing him away from your ear. He smiles down at you, resting his forehead against yours as he sways slightly. 

“To sleep,” You clarify. 

“What fun are you?” Jason teases. 

“I’d be a whole lot more fun if it wasn’t 2:30 in the morning,” You snark back, pecking his lips. 

Jason laughs, wrapping his arms around you for a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” He mutters into your hair. 

“You can make it up to me by finishing your water and eating that sandwich I just made you.” 

Jason sighs dramatically. 

“I suppose I can!” He announces loudly then stumbles toward the bar stool, barely missing a collision with the floor.

You snicker, holding the back of the stool to ensure it doesn’t tip again as Jason as he enjoys his sandwich and drinks his water. 

“Next time, I’ll get drunk with you then we can have drunk sex,” You promise as Jason finishes the last of his water. 

“Really?” Jason asks eagerly. 

You roll your eyes at his eagerness. 

“Babe, you act like we didn’t have sex this morning.” 

“But that was so long ago,” Jason whines. 

You laugh, helping Jason out of the chair. 

“You are so dramatic.” 

“I am a man with needs!” Jason exclaims as you walk him back to your bedroom. 

“You’re an idiot.” 

“Again,” Jason slings his arm around your shoulder, kissing your head. “Your idiot.” 

“Your brother may have been onto something, warning me,” You tease. 

“You know,” Jason admits. “I think Damian is starting to grow on me.” 

“Starting to grow on you?” You shake your head with a sputtering laugh. “He’s been around for six years!”

“He’s not the easiest person to get along with!” 

“And I’m sure your brothers would say the same thing about you,” You tease, kissing Jason’s cheek. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason stumbles, leaning heavily on you for a moment. 

He collapses onto the bed face down, kicking his shoes off. You lean in the doorway, watching him, amused. 

“You comfortable there, Jay?” 

He grumbles something into the pillow. You roll your eyes fondly and help Jason pull off his jeans. 

“Oh, babe, I thought you said no sex?” Jason grins, running his hands up your legs. 

“That still stands,” You tell him. “I don’t want to be woken up by you whining about being uncomfortable because you fell asleep in jeans.” 

“I love it when you talk dirty,” Jason teases, kissing you. 

“Uh-huh, shut up, you dork,” You smile, kissing him back. 

You shut off the lights then crawl into bed with Jason. He immediately pulls you against his chest, burying his face into your hair. 

“Good night,” He mumbles to you. 

You smile fondly against his chest. 

“Good night, Jaybird.” 

Jason blinks, his face blank. 

“You’re uh….” He swallows, blinking again in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “You’re what?” 

You reach for his hand, placing it on your still flat stomach. 

“I’m pregnant,” You repeat, enunciating the two words slowly. 

“You’re… Pregnant…” Jason echoes back. Hearing himself say the words seems to break through the shock as a small smile works its way onto his face. “Holy shit!” He curses with an excited grin, his eyes lighting up. “You’re pregnant!” He exclaims, his eyes flicking from his hand to your face, his smile growing larger by the second. 

“I’m pregnant!” You confirm, your voice cracking as you nod your head. Tears of joy well up in your eyes. 

“We’re going to have a baby,” Jason’s eyes well up as well, as he pulls you into a tight hug, burying his face into your shoulder. 

You hug him back, squeezing with all your strength as a few tears slip, overwhelmed by how perfect this moment feels. 

You didn’t mean to be secretive and worry Jason, but you two have been trying to have a child for a little over a year, so you wanted to be sure before you got his hopes up. 

It’s hard to believe how far your relationship with Jason has come. What started as an unwilling arranged marriage has developed into a healthy, loving relationship. You were terrified of him, only knowing him through brutal battle stories in which his triumphs were bloody and his mercy was unheard of. The thought of marrying him terrified you straight to your core and made your insides burn with anger, but Jason has proved you wrong every step of the way. 

He’s shown you his passion for his kingdom, his heart which is incapable of half-ass love, and his deep respect for everyone around him. Jason is full of passion, fire, and snark. While you two have your bad days and your tempers create blow out fights, you always find your way back to each other because at the end of the day, he’s the love of your life. 

Jason pulls back from the hug, cupping your face with his hands, his thumbs wiping your tears. You can’t help but to giggle at the unshed tears brimming in his eyes. Jason huffs with a watery laugh too, leaning in and kissing you sweetly. 

You frown, and pull back, your nose wrinkling. 

“I just finished throwing up,” You remind him. 

“Yeah, I could taste it,” Jason admits with a chuckle. 

He rests his forehead against your, the excited grin never leaving his face as he runs his large hands across your stomach. 

“We’re going to have a baby,” Jason murmurs to you in amazement, as if he can barely believe the words himself. 

You place your hands over his. 

“Yeah, we are,” You grin. 

Jason kisses your forehead sweetly, pulling you close to him. 

Long gone are the days of feeling pressured by advisors to make an heir, tense, fearful sex, and awkward conversations. You’re going to be parents and you can’t imagine embarking on this crazy journey with anyone else. 

. . . 

A week later, you and Jason are sitting in the kingdom doctor’s office. Jason nervously bounces his foot while Dr. Thompskin spreads cold gel across your stomach. 

“It’s a little cold,” You giggle, feeling a chill run up your spine as you look toward your husband who smiles back tightly. Sighing, you reach out to Jason. “You have too much nervous energy.” 

Jason takes your hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it and chuckles. 

“Yeah, I guess I do…” 

“Aren’t I supposed to be the nervous one?” You tease, squeezing his hand reassuringly. 

“I don’t even know why I am so nervous…” Jason admits. “I mean, they’re in your body, you should be the nervous one, not me. I don’t even know if it’s really nerves, or if it’s just excitement. I mean, I’ve clearly been around pregnant people, but it’s different because it’s… you,” Jason rambles, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of your hand. 

“Jay, it’s okay,” You tell him, moving your hand to cup his cheek. “It’s okay to be nervous, I’m nervous too,” You smile gently. “But that’s why we’re here, to make sure everything is okay.” 

“Speaking of which,” Dr. Thompskin interrupts, moving the wand around your stomach, and points at the screen. “There is your baby, looking very healthy.” 

Your eyes dart to the screen as you and Jason stare in awe at the tiny pea sized dot hidden in the fuzzy black and white image. Usually, you don’t understand the hype around early ultrasounds-- you can hardly see the baby-- but staring at your baby, your heart soars with excitement. Faintly, under the sound of your heartbeat through the monitor, you hear another sound, thudding at a faster pace than your heart. 

“Is that…” You feel your eyes fill with tears as a smile breaks out across your face, listening more intently for the steady, thudding sound. “Is that their heartbeat?” 

“It sure is,” Dr. Thompskin smiles. 

You laugh, your grin hurting your face. A few tears slip down your face and you look over to Jason who is smiling with glossy eyes. 

“This is actually happening,” You whisper to him. 

“Yeah,” He grins, looking toward you. He gently squeezes your hand and turns his attention back to the monitor. “It is.” 

. . . 

“We need to hang some calendars,” You announce as you walk into Jason’s office, holding lunch on a tray. 

Jason stands and takes the tray from you, kissing you on the cheek. Despite only being three months pregnant, Jason barely lets you lift a finger. 

“Why is that?” He chuckles, pulling your seat out then moving to sit behind his desk once you are settled. 

“Because the advisors don’t seem to know how long a month is,” You roll your eyes.

Ever since you and Jason proudly announced the pregnancy, the advisors have practically been frothing at the mouth at the prospect of a male heir. While a female heir would be fine, she would be more likely to marry into another kingdom as opposed to expanding your kingdom like a male heir would. Of course, you and Jason don’t care; however, the advisors will not stop bothering you about the gender of the baby, which you don’t know yet. 

“How many times do I have to tell them I won’t know the gender for another month?!” You rant. “It’s ridiculous!”

The guard posted at Jason’s door snickers at your rant. You turn with a grin. 

“Something funny, Quill?” You ask. 

“Nothing, your Highness,” Peter stands at attention like the trained knight that he is. “But I think you’re overestimating the advisors abilities to read a calendar.” 

Jason starts cracking up while you sigh in exaggeration. 

“Shit, you’re right!” You exclaim, resting a hand on your stomach. “You know what will be worse? When we find out the gender, they’re going to “suggest” names.” 

“You know they’re going to suggest old names after past kings,” Jason rolls his eyes. “Like Olaf.” 

“Olaf?” You repeat back with raised eyebrows. “Yeah, let’s name our kid after the snowman in a kid’s movie,” You roll your eyes. 

“You could give them a really intense name,” Peter suggests. “Like Slade or something.” 

You pause for a moment, knowing that name is familiar. 

“Slade like the mercenary that recently assassinated the King of Cintra?” You ask. 

“Oh…yeah… maybe not,” Peter says quietly while Jason just grins. 

“So, I’m guessing we’re not going to go with outside suggestions for names?” Jason asks with a knowing smile.

“Probably not,” You snort, resting a hand on your still flat stomach, considering various names. 

. . . 

“And it’s…” Dr. Thompskin moves the wand slowly. “A boy!” She announces. 

“Oh man,” You glance over at Jason, who’s holding your hand, his eyes fixated on the monitor. “The advisors are so not going to leave us alone now.” 

“Fuck them,” Jason breathes, dismissing the idea of letting the advisors ruin this moment for you too. He kisses you sweetly, moving his other hand to your growing stomach. “We’re going to have a little boy,” He whispers.

You grin, pulling Jason in for another kiss then look back at the monitor, feeling tears of joy well up. You can’t wait for him to get here.

. . . 

“Your Majesty,” A lady curtseys while her lord husband bows. “We want to congratulate you!” 

“Thank you,” You smile politely, resting a hand on your now present baby bump, while the other rests on your aching lower back. 

“We heard it is a boy!” The lady grins then rushes forward, placing her hand on your stomach. “Boys always kick the hardest!” She winks. 

You blink, resisting the urge to shove the woman’s hands off you, but instead stiffly smile. 

“Yes, it is. He hasn’t started kicking yet, but I’m sure he will soon,” You tell her through clenched teeth as she rubs your stomach.

“Excuse me,” Jason’s voice smoothly cuts in. 

“Your Highness,” The lord bows and the lady curtseys, removing her hands from your stomach thankfully. 

“My queen is needed elsewhere,” Jason says assertively, pulling a protective arm around your waist to put distance between you and the noble couple. 

“Of course, your Majesty,” The couple bows again and Jason guides you back to the head table, his hand rubbing your sore lower back. 

Banquets are an annoying necessity to royalty, especially when they are a king’s coronation banquet to an ally kingdom. When you were younger, you didn’t enjoy them much since your parents often bartered you out to dance with handsy princes, but since marrying Jason, you’ve come to enjoy them more. 

Any lord or prince who would hope to dance with you is sent away cowering after one look from your husband. Instead, you are given an excuse to dance with Jason all night; however, being pregnant at a banquet brought its own set of headaches. 

At five months pregnant, you’ve developed a noticeable baby bump through your dresses. Despite being the queen of the kingdom, your subjects seem to take your pregnancy as an invitation to touch your stomach without permission, give advice and tips (or weird old wives tales), and share as many opinions as they can. Although you are appreciative of your loyal subjects, you also tire faster and you have to pee all the fucking time, so your nerves get quickly shot at banquets. 

“How are you doing?” Jason asks, turning you away from any prying eyes by shielding you with his body. 

“Oh, you know, tired of people touching my stomach,” You roll your eyes. 

Jason frowns. 

“We’ve been here long enough, I’ll talk to Dick so we can leave--” 

You stop listening to Jason when you feel feel a strange fluttering in your stomach, almost like bubbles. It flutters for a moment then stops. What was that?  It didn’t feel painful, just a little strange. You look down at your stomach, questioning your unborn son then it does it again--

Your eyes widen with realization and you snatch Jason’s hand up, placing it where you feel the fluttering. 

“What are you--” The fluttering happens again, cutting off Jason’s sentence. His eyes lock with yours, looking for confirmation. “Is that…?” He trails off quietly. 

“He’s kicking,” You grin, feeling tears bubble in your eyes. 

You can’t help but tear up, this pregnancy making you so emotional that it feels as though you’ll cry at anything.

“Oh my gosh,” Jason grins, moving to place both hands on your stomach as your son kicks again. “Hey, little guy,” Jason whispers. 

“He’s definitely in there,” You smile. You giggle as you feel him kick harder at the sound of your voice. “I hate to admit it, but that woman was right, little boys do kick hard.” 

Jason laughs, rests his forehead against yours, both of you enjoying the feeling of your son kicking at your hands. 

“Everything okay guys?” Dick walks over, oblivious to the moment you two are having. “I saw another person touching Y/N’s stomach and you looked ready to bite their head off--” 

You and Jason glance over at Dick with huge grins. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Dick raises his eyebrows. 

“He’s kicking,” Jason says proudly, looking down at your bump. 

Dick’s face lights up. 

“Really?” He exclaims. His eyes dart down to your stomach for a moment, his hand raising in excitement but he hesitates, knowing how annoyed you’ve gotten with people touching you without permission. 

You roll your eyes-- Dick is not some random stranger trying to touch you. You certainly don’t mind if he wants to feel the baby. You grab his hand and place it on your stomach, his face lighting up with excitement. He waits then there’s another flutter. 

“That is so cool!” Dick grins, shifting his hand to feel the baby kick again. “You guys haven’t picked a name, have you?” 

“Not yet,” You tell him. 

“Well, I personally think Dick Jr. would be a great name.” 

“Well, I personally think you’re wrong,” Jason tells him bluntly. 

Dick squawks indignantly, making you laugh. 

“Come on, Jay, you said something about leaving?” You ask. 

Jason glances at Dick. 

“Cover for us?” 

“Of course,” Dick grins. “But just consider Dick Jr,” He winks playfully. 

Jason chuckles, shaking his head in amusement as he loops his arm in yours. 

“Dick, I can think about it until the day the baby is born, but it will never happen,” Jason promises. 

Dick mumbles something about Jason being unfair, but waves you two away. 

“Come on, your Highness,” Jason teases, escorting you from the banquet. 

. . . 

A few weeks later, you’re relaxing in bed, reading the latest book Jason gave you, Catcher and the Rye, while he gets ready for bed. You feel your son kick, his kicks getting stronger with each day. You smile to yourself, placing your hand where you can feel his feet kicking you and continue reading. 

The bathroom door opens, revealing your shirtless husband who crawls across the bed, his head laying next to your hip while his hands rub your stomach. 

“He’s kicking tonight,”You tell him. 

Jason lights up. 

“Really?” He asks. 

“Mmhm,” You shift his hands to where he last kicked and watch Jason grin at the feeling of tiny feet kicking. 

“You know, we are going to need to come up with a name,” Jason says, leaning down to kiss your stomach. “This guy will be here in a few more months.” He kisses your stomach again then crawls up the bed to lay back against the pillows, pulling you against his chest. Jason kisses the top of your head, leaning over to read the page you’re on. 

“I know…” You tell him. 

You and Jason had been tossing around baby names, but nothing was sticking. Neither of you wanted to name your son after anyone in your family and no one had yet to offer a name both of you liked. Naming a person is hard. 

“Have you thought of anything else?” You ask, abandoning your book to cuddle with your husband instead. 

“How about Liam?” Jason offers, taking a hold of your hand and playing with your fingers.

You wrinkle your nose. 

“I knew a Liam in school who was a little shit.” 

Jason chuckles, kissing the side of your head. 

“Okay, not Liam.” 

Neither of you wanted an extremely common name, but you didn’t want to do a strange name either. Finding the middle ground was difficult. 

“How about Nathaniel?” You offer. 

“Well, that would depend,” Jason starts. “I like that name, but it’s kind of a mouthful, so rather he or his friends… or my brothers would give him a nickname,” Jason rolls his eyes, probably thinking of Dick’s fondness of nicknames. “It would likely be Nathan or Daniel… or Nate. Do you like any of those names?” 

“They’re fine names, but I’d prefer those as middle names,” You admit. 

“I agree… How about Taylor?” Jason offers. 

“Taylor Todd?” You repeat. 

Jason giggles behind you. 

“If you say it fast enough, it sounds like tater tot.” 

“Taylor Todd, Taylor Todd, Taylortodd, Tayortodd, Taytortot,” You start laughing. “It kind of does!” 

“So, not that one,” Jason decides. “We suck at this,” He admits. 

You chuckle, leaning into him, your copy of Catcher and the Rye catching your eye on the nightstand. 

“How about Holden?” You ask. 

Jason looks down at you for a moment and follows your eyes to the book, pondering the name. 

“Holden?” He repeats. “Holden Todd. I actually like that a lot.” 

“It would be suiting for us to name our kid after a book,” You chuckle, recalling how you and Jason finally connected with each other years ago. 

Jason grins, wrapping his arms around you and kissing your temple. 

“Yeah, it would,” He places his hands on your stomach. “Hey, Holden.” 

Holden kicks again, making tears bubble in your eyes. 

. . . 

Your pregnancy hasn’t been the worst. Sure, you had some morning sickness and been more emotional than you’re used to, but you haven’t gotten any strange cravings, your mood swings aren’t too severe, and you haven’t been overly bloated. 

Despite the relatively smooth pregnancy, at month eight of the pregnancy, you’re ready for Holden to be here. Your back and feet are sore, you're exhausted all the time, and you’re tired of not being able to see your toes. Also, you now have the bladder of a squirrel. A squirrel. You just want to meet your son. 

You’re tired of going to banquets when you’re pregnant. The elaborate dresses you have to wear to the banquets are already a lot, but peeing in said dresses every thirty minutes? Yeah, you’re tired of being pregnant. 

Just like all the other banquets, you know random people are going to touch you and your stomach, ask invasive questions, and try to tell you what to name your baby. You’re probably going to get overwhelmed by all the smells and people then get very irritable, but this is the last banquet you and Jason have to attend for a while, so you’ll put on your kind queen face and behave. 

As servers bring in another round of food, you head swims from all the smells. You grimace, trying to ignore the overwhelming smells while listening to whichever lord ramble to you and Jason. Jason wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you close. Instead of focusing on the varied food smells melding together, you try to focus on how Jason smells. 

Focusing on the fresh scent helps some, but soon, even Jason’s familiar smell blends to the cocktail of food around you, making your head spin even more. 

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” You tell him quietly, rubbing a hand over your swollen stomach. 

“I can come with you,” Jason offers, taking your hand as he goes to follow you. 

“No, stay and socialize. I’ll be okay,” You promise. 

Jason looks reluctant, but agrees. You kiss his cheek and excuse yourself from your company then slip onto a side balcony. The instant fresh air eases your headache, making you sigh with relief as you lean against the large, stone railing. You kick off your shoes, toeing them to the side and out from under your long dress. Holden kicks, making you chuckle. 

“Nothing smelled good in there, huh bud?” You ask, fondly rubbing your stomach. 

You’re so excited for Holden to be born. You can’t wait to see what he looks like, to hold him, and know that he’s really here. 

You’re excited to be a parent and you’re even more excited to watch your husband become a parent. Jason’s relationship with his birth father was terrible to say the least. Meeting Bruce was one of the first strokes of luck Jason came across in his life, even if it was in the form of King Bruce Wayne catching twelve year old Jason stealing wheels from the royal carriage. 

While Jason is also excited to meet Holden, his anxiety about becoming a father is no secret to you. Despite being nothing like his father, Jason is still afraid of becoming him. You know Jason will never be like his father. Jason is going to be a fantastic dad who is going to love Holden so well. 

While daydreaming about the day your son will finally be born, you didn’t notice the balcony door open. 

“Well, what do we have here?” That voice sends chills down your spine. 

You spin around to come face to face with Roman Sionis. Roman was one of the few people you were unfortunately very familiar with prior to your marriage with Jason. His kingdom strong armed your parents' kingdom into an alliance, meaning Roman often made appearances at your family’s banquets. He’s always made you incredibly uncomfortable, even when you were little. 

“The Queen, knocked up with no King to protect her,” He hisses, taking a step toward you.

You feel your chest tighten. Jason’s war with Roman was no small ordeal. He nearly destroyed Roman’s kingdom, forcing the man to rebuild from the ground up. You hadn’t heard from Roman in so long that you’d figured his kingdom was destroyed, but if he’s at a banquet at the Russo kingdom, then that doesn’t mean anything good either. 

“So, what are we going to do?” Roman asks, staring at you menacingly. 

He takes another step. You step backwards but your back hits the railing. Roman steps closer. Your hand quickly covers your stomach, protectively. 

“King Jason has left his poor, defenseless wife out here alone with me,” Roman steps into your space, forcing you to lean back against the railing. “And,” His hand lays on your stomach, making your skin crawl. “She’s pregnant with the precious heir to the throne,” He hisses. 

Your heart races as you try to figure out your options. Roman has backed you into a corner. While you have training, unfortunately, that training doesn’t account for all the extra weight in your stomach. Your center of gravity is completely thrown right now. Any hit you try to land will be uncoordinated and likely easily blocked by Roman. 

“Well, I guess I need to teach the King a lesson about taking better care of his things,” Roman slips a dagger from his pants and your eyes widen. 

“Stop--” You say, finally finding your voice but Roman pushes a hand against your mouth forcing you back farther.

He presses the tip of the dagger into your stomach. Thankfully your dress is thick enough that the blade doesn’t puncture the fabric, but it’s not armor. If Roman puts any pressure, he’ll stab Holden.

Your arms shake against the banister, your whole body pinned by Roman’s. A layer of tears sting in your eyes.

“Sh, don’t worry,” His face hardens. “It’ll only hurt for a second. Maybe your precious King will learn a thing or two about what it’s like to lose something precious.” 

You feel him press the blade harder against you, your heart pounding in your chest. Holden kicks the hand you're holding tightly against your stomach, snapping you out of your stupor.  

No. He’s not going to hurt your baby. You refuse to let him. 

You shove Roman back as hard as you can, then throw all your body weight into a hard punch to his face. Your hand instantly screams in pain and you nearly fall over, not prepared for your extra weight to fling you forward. 

“You bitch!” Roman yells, wiping blood from his nose. 

He runs toward you, but there’s someone else tackling him to the ground before he comes close to you. Relief floods your system when you realize Jason is on top of Roman, beating his face to a bloody pulp. 

“Stay,” Jason punches him between each word. “The. Fuck. Away. From. My. Wife!” He screams. 

Roman collapses backwards, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as his face bleeds profusely. Jason stumbles to his feet then quickly rushes toward you. 

“Are you hurt?” He demands, cradling your face. 

Tears spill over but you shake your head, your brain catching up with the terrifying event. Jason pulls close, holding you tight as you sob against his shoulder, so relieved that Holden isn’t hurt. 

“Come on,” Jason whispers to you, kissing your head. “Let’s go home.” 

Despite the gentleness in his voice, you can feel him trembling with anger. 

That night, you curl up against Jason, his strong arms wrapped tightly around you. He reaches one hand down, rubbing his thumb over your stomach. 

“Thank you,” You murmur to him, not specifying what you’re thanking him for. 

The way Jason’s arm momentarily tightens let’s you know that he knows what you’re referring to. 

“Nothing is going to happen to either one of you while I’m around,” Jason promises, pressing a kiss to your head. 

You smile, curling against Jason’s chest, knowing he will do anything to protect you and Holden. 

. . . 

A month later, you’re looking over the early draft for new kingdom policy in Jason’s office when you feel a gush of water. 

“Jason…” You say quietly then a contraction hits, one much harder than the smaller ones you’ve been experiencing all day. 

You're bent over, holding your stomach, your other hand gripping the side of his desk. Jason is instantly on his feet squatting in front of you, not sure how to help. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” He asks, helping you lower into a chair. 

Another contraction makes you grab your stomach, your eyes squeezing shut for a moment as you take a breath.  

“My water broke,” You manage, feeling another smaller contraction. 

Jason’s eyes widen at the implication, but springs into action. 

. . . 

Ten hours of labor later and you’re collapsed on the bed, your back pressed to Jason’s chest as you hold Holden close to your chest. He’s sleeping peacefully, his eyelids fluttering. You press another kiss to the top of his head, already covered in dark hair. 

“He has your eyes,” You quietly tell Jason, stroking your fingers over Holden’s nose. “And your head, full of hair.” 

Jason grins, gently rubbing a hand down Holden’s back. 

“He’s got your nose,” Jason points out. “And eye shape.” 

You smile fondly at your son, your chest brimming with love and affection.

“We made a pretty cute kid,” Jason grins. 

You turn to look at Jason, kissing him softly. 

“Yeah we did.” 

Welcome to the world, Holden Daniel Todd, you think to yourself. It’s a scary place, but nothing is going to happen to you, not while your dad and I are around. 

You press another kiss to the top of Holden’s head and feel Jason’s arms tighten around you. 

“I love you,” He whispers into your hair. 

You turn, kissing him again. 

“I love you too,” Then lay your head back against Jason’s chest. 

Jason shifts so he’s holding you more closely against him and one hand lays on Holden’s back. You’ve never felt more loved and safe in your life. As another bout of happiness warms your chest, you fall asleep to the sound of your husband’s heartbeat and the feeling of your baby breathing against your chest.