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Chapter 1 - Chicken Soup for the Soul
Roy was in hell.
He forgot how gross kids were. Lian started daycare, and though she loved it, she kept getting sick. Roy prided himself on being a good father, so he was taking care of her until she got better. Unfortunately, he got sick. All that tea, all those vegetables, that flu shot… none of it did much.
Because Damian and Jon were the best, they agreed to take Lian for the week so Roy could wallow without worrying about his kid. Plus, Damian really had a soft spot for kids. Lian was definitely getting spoiled, with silk sheets, trips to the zoo and aquarium, and getting flown around by Jon.
Roy was still on call, so when Artemis needed a bit of help with a mission, he shoved tissues in his nose, popped a few DayQuil, and left his apartment. Jason was kind enough to send him with a thermos of herbal tea, telling him to be home by dinner.
It was cute, how domestic Jason could be. Like a good wife, like he loved Roy.
Yikes. That was definitely the DayQuil talking.
Still, he made it back by dinner. He lost a few more arrows than usual, but the mission still was completed and Artemis was happy. Taking his boots off in the hall, he went into their apartment, sighing into the warm air.
“Jaybird?” Roy called, setting his bow and quiver against the closet door, shrugging his jacket off.
“In the kitchen!”
Roy picked up a few tissues on his way. After blowing his nose, he smelled something rich with spices. And was that bread? Once he stepped foot in the kitchen, he saw Jason at the stove, stirring a pot. There was bread, fresh baked and cooling on a cotton cloth.
“Wow, Jason. I thought you didn’t like to cook after the Pit?” Roy whistled, going for the bread.
Jason smacked his hand away with the wood spoon.
“You’re sick, I wanted to do something nice. Alfred always made this for us when we had the flu. Plus… chopping the vegetables is kind of therapeutic.”
If this wasn’t love, Roy didn’t want to know.
He pulled Jason close, so his chest was pressed against Jason’s back. Roy rested his head on the black and white mess of hair, breathing in the steam from the soup. Chicken noodle, it looked like.
While Jason was distracted, Roy tore off a chunk of bread.
He got hit with the spoon again.
Chapter 2 - Warm My Bed (Literally)
Roy was not expecting both Batman and Superman to break through his apartment window at three in the morning, Clark laden with Kryptonite bullets that needed picking out and Bruce full of shrapnel (both from their mission and breaking Roy’s window). He just kept thanking whatever deity watching over him that Lian was with Oliver; trying to explain why Grandpa Bruce and Pa Clark were bleeding all over his living room carpet would be incredibly difficult.
“We are so sorry to do this. You were the closest place, and Clark really needs help.”
“Hard to fly us back to the cave when I can barely breathe,” Superman joked, with a slight wheeze.
Jason sighed and got their first-aid kit, letting Roy clean and stitch Bruce while he dug out Clark’s Kryptonite. Jason cleaned the broken glass while Bruce and Clark showered off. Roy went to get clean clothes for everyone (likely a tight fit for Clark, a loose fit for Bruce) and change the sheets on Lian’s small twin bed so one could have the bed. The other would need the couch, but at least they’d have access to the TV.
“You can take the bed, Bruce. I like background noise while I sleep anyways.”
“No. You need the rest.”
Clark smiled and let Bruce tuck him in. Roy set a glass of water by Clark’s bedside while Jason fought the cord on their old UV light. It wouldn’t be as powerful as the real thing, or whatever Bruce had in the cave, but it was something. And by morning, Clark should be healed. It was leading into an almost peaceful rest of the night, until Superman opened his mouth.
“Wait. If Lian takes this room, and it’s a two bedroom apartment… where does Jason sleep?”
Bruce likely sprained his neck with the rate at which he whipped his head between Clark, Jason, and Roy. The archer was blushing, freckles hidden beneath the redness of his cheeks. Jason yawned.
“Roy and I share a room.”
“With two beds?” Bruce asked, smoothing hair from Clark’s forehead.
“...No? Do you need to know the threadcount of our sheets, too, Batsy?” Jason snorted.
“I think it’s four hundred,” Roy said, trying to get Bruce’s eyes off of him.
“I’m just surprised is all—”
“You and Clark share. What’s the big deal?” Jason interrupted.
Bruce ended up shaking his head, earning a satisfied huff from Jason. While Roy filled a glass of water for Bruce (his hands were not shaking at all), Jason went to bed. Batman laid on his back, arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Roy set the remote for the TV and the glass of water on the coffee table, bidding him a good night.
“Roy,” he said, “I’m happy for you and Jason. I’m glad he has you.”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks?” Roy said, a bit confused. He was probably just tired, and injured. Who knows how many hours at this point Bruce has been awake.
So Roy left him on the couch, channel surfing, his ears likely attuned to Clark’s snoring. Jason was in the middle of the bed, sheets tangled around him, somehow using both his and Roy’s pillow. With a smile, Roy adjusted Jason to his side of the bed, and slipped under the covers. His space didn’t last long, because within minutes, Jason had himself sprawled out half on top of Roy.
Turns out, Bruce and Clark really had no room to talk; when Roy woke up the next morning, untangled himself from Jason, and snuck into the kitchen to start coffee, he saw an empty couch. When he peeked into Lian’s room, Clark was stretched out on the twin bed, arms wrapped around Bruce, who was completely laying on top of him. The pink princess comforter was not doing much to cover both men. Roy grinned to himself.
Seems like Bruce is a clinger like Jason.
So much for Superman’s injuries.
And so much for the reputation of the big, bad, Batman.
Chapter 3 - BYOB (Bring Your Own Book)
When Jason came back from the dead, he had a very hard time reconnecting with his family. Instead, he was content to spend his days with Roy, and then eventually Lian. But Roy realized he missed them, and Dick was constantly asking Roy how his little brother was, so he set up a BYOB to get the bats reacquainted.
Bring Your Own Book club!
It was held at Roy’s apartment, so he could rightfully boot the bats out if things were too overwhelming for Jason. He would make the little snacks for the group, find someone to watch Lian for the day, and even plan the discussion questions.
Roy didn’t even like to read, but he found himself at the library weekly to look for fun books and write out discussion questions so Jason could enjoy himself. Roy really got into reading, surprisingly. Eventually, the group stopped meeting as Dick and Wally got married and Nightwing basically turned into Batman. Then, Tim became the new CEO of Wayne Enterprises and moved out with Kon. Damian tried to stick around, but he ended up split between Metropolis and Gotham with Jon. So, it was just Roy and Jason.
On a specific book club day, Jason had shoved an Amazon box into his hands before the two could talk about Dante’s Inferno.
“What’s this, Jaybird?” Roy asked, reaching for a little letter opener Jason kept on the living room table.
“Just… something that makes sharing our books a bit easier.”
Roy opened the box. Inside was a Kindle Paperwhite, unopened, and the case and screen protectors for it. There was even a little holder to stick on the back, with a red arrow on it, so he could prop the reader up or hold it more comfortably in his hands.
“Wow, Jason. This is great! It will save me some library trips in the cold winter.”
Jason rubbed the back of his neck, a pleased smile on his face.
“Well, this way you have access to my library. So you can see what I read, I can see what you read, all that,” Jason said, cheeks red, waving his hand like it was no big deal.
Roy beamed. Jason stomped off and called him stupid, rummaging the kitchen for the snacks the archer prepared earlier, mumbling under his breath.
Jason liked him. Like-liked him. He never shared his special Kindle library with anyone else!
Chapter 4 - Fleeting Touches
Jason hated being touched.
Everyone respected that.
Wally and Dick were huggers, but would always settle for a wave when they saw Jason.
Kon and Tim (and Jon, too) liked to hold hands, but settled for resting their palms close to Jason’s instead.
Damian and Jason were very alike in this aspect. Damian did not like being hugged, did not like holding hands, did not like shoulder claps or back thumps. Except from one specific Kryptonian. Roy constantly saw Jon holding Damian’s hand, or sitting with his hand on Damian’s thigh at dinner, or embracing him tightly after patrol. Damian was no better. If Jon was in reaching distance, Damian had his hand on him somehow.
So, it was no surprise that Jason had one specific red head he liked to coddle (and be coddled by): Roy Harper.
Their first patrol together, ending with fast food on top of a random roof, Roy sat close to Jason and tried to apologize when their legs bumped. Jason grunted and hooked his ankle around Roy’s pulling him closer. When Lian would demand a movie night, Roy would sit in their armchair, Jason would prop himself on Roy’s lap, and Lian would sit on Jason. Sometimes, when the two were just standing, whether it be at the market, on patrol, or in line for something, Jason would grab Roy’s hand. Roy thought it was another dudes-being-dudes kind of thing, until the other bats complained about it.
“It’s not fair,” Dick whined, wrapping his arms around one of Wally’s and leaning on his shoulder, “Jason never hugs me.”
Wally reached to try and pry Red Hood from Arsenal, but Jason hissed from behind Roy, arms wrapping tighter around his waist, face buried in between Roy’s shoulders.
The next time, it was Tim, pouting at Jason’s fingers intertwined with Roy’s.
“How come you hold Roy’s calloused arrow hand, but not my nice, soft hand? Don’t I deserve brotherly love after you tried to kill me?” He asked.
Jason pretended to think.
“No.”
Kon barked out a laugh and Tim wailed dramatically into his chest.
Damian was more subtle.
Jason had pulled Roy’s head into his lap while Bruce droned on about some new toxin of Scarecrow’s. The only person listening was Clark, head perched in his hands, literal hearts in his eyes as Bruce talked on. If the man had a tail, it would be wagging.
“So, you found your exception,” Damian drawled, pointing to his lap, where Jon was dozing.
Jason ran his fingers through Roy’s hair.
“Yep.”
Chapter 5 - Patterns On Your Skin
Jason has a bit of a thing for Roy’s freckles.
One boring night at a fast food restaurant resulted in Lian and Jason drawing constellations with Roy’s freckles using the cheap markers that came with her kid’s meal. Lian had drawn a few freckles together, then her attention was turned to the little game on the back of her paper bag. Jason was really into it; by the time they left, Roy had constellations all over his arms and the back of his neck.
A few weeks after that, Roy took an extremely deep cut across his chest during a mission. Red Hood rushed Roy to the batcave, basically throwing him in front of Bruce, Alfred, and Clark to be patched up. While he was in the uncomfortable bed in the small medical bay, absolutely gone off of pain killers, he felt Jason’s finger trace constellations with the freckles on his chest and abdomen.
“Jaybird,” Roy huffed, “kinda tickles.”
“This one is called Draco. It’s a dragon,” Jason smiled, drawing imaginary lines with his freckles.
“I only know the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper,” Roy murmured, eyes drooping.
“Those are here, and down here,” Jason said, like he was cataloging the nightsky, drawing the shapes on Roy’s left pectoral and above his right hip.
“Do I have any on my face?” Roy asked, barely conscious.
Jason’s feather-light touches moved slow across his cheeks.
“All of my favorites are up here.”
A few months later, Roy shook Jason awake when he was on the verge of screaming in his sleep during a nightmare. After a glass of water, a lap around their bedroom, and freshly-fluffed pillows, the two went back to bed. Roy even turned on the night light stolen from Lian that Jason insisted he didn’t need, but secretly needed to go back to bed after nightmares.
Roy was on that weird verge of falling asleep but still being wide awake. He was getting the beginnings of dreams, but was aware of every breath and sigh Jason was making. He felt Red Hood roll over and gently tug the comforter down, so Roy’s back was exposed. Before Arsenal could comment something like, “at least take me to dinner first,” or, “need something, Jaybird,” Jason started tracing little constellations again with the freckles on his back.
It was likely just something to calm him down, something he’s been doing a lot lately. Roy drifted into his dreams with Jason’s finger on his back, his low whispers saying the constellations as he drew them, and woke up with Jason’s hand flat on his back and a smile on his face.
Epilogue - Jason Harper
Another mission completed.
Roy tucked the rest of his arrows into the quiver slung behind his back, mentally making a tally of the ones he’d need to replace. Jason was adjusting his helmet from the bullet that bounced off of it earlier that night, mumbling under his breath.
“We’re going to head to that bar on Fifth, if anyone wants to come,” Wally said, slipping into a more comfortable pair of socks and shoes, rolling out his ankles. Dick tucked their gear in the back of the Batmobile, courtesy of Bruce having his kids take on more patrols so he and Clark can have more alone time.
“Jonathan is expecting me. We may meet you later for a drink,” Damian said, swinging a leg over his bike and kicking up the kickstand.
“Can Kon come?” Tim asked, dabbing a shallow cut on his cheek with an alcohol wipe. He was balancing a small batcomputer in the other arm, running samples of whatever the new drug they found was.
“Roy doesn’t do bars, we’ll pass.”
Arsenal smiled, waving his hand with indifference.
“Nah, you guys should all go ahead if you want. I can order a pizza.”
“I’d rather have milkshakes with you instead of holding Dick’s hair back when he retches,” Jason hummed.
That was the end of the discussion. The group split, bidding farewells, heading to get cleaned up in whatever safehouse or apartment was nearest so they could get a bite to eat. Roy and Jason took showers and packed their gear away with military efficiency, then took Jason’s bike to their typical late-night diner.
Red Hood ordered his usual milkshake-burger-fry trio, while Roy settled for coffee and pancakes. They didn’t talk much about anything, instead eavesdropping on the couples around them and shooting little reactions across the table. There was a specific look, all wide eyes and curved lips, when there was a topic overheard they would laugh about later. The check came and Roy quickly grabbed it; he always paid their tab.
“Oh, shit. I forgot my wallet in my tac pants,” Roy said, fishing for a debit card that wasn’t there.
Jason didn’t look up from his milkshake, tossing his leather wallet into Roy’s hands.
“Just use mine. You always pay, anyhow.”
Roy dug through one of the pockets and fished out a debit card. A custom one, with bookshelves on the front. Roy set it facedown on the bill, with a thanks to Jason, and took two more sugars for his coffee. Before he could comment on how strong the diner’s blend was, something on the debit card caught his eye.
Jason Harper.
“Jaybird?” The archer asked, tapping the name.
Red Hood slurped his milkshake, head tilting in confusion at Roy’s blushing cheeks.
“I did that years ago, remember? To chaperone Lian’s zoo field trip, you had to be a legal guardian. You literally signed the marriage papers.”
Roy choked on his coffee.
“Marriage papers?”
How did he not notice that at the time?!
While Roy was fighting for his life, and his sanity, Jason smiled at the waitress when she took his empty milkshake cup and gave him a fresh one, a perfectly red cherry on top. Jason picked it off and wordlessly held it out to Roy, who opened his mouth and tugged it off the stem while still reeling from the fact he was married to Jason.
Legally married to Jason.
He licked the bit of whipped cream from his lips, chewed the cherry, and thought. He does remember signing the papers– he thought it was a permission slip and signed his name without reading, turning his attention back to the bow he was restringing.
Well, they were basically married already, with how they took care of Lian together, slept in the same bed, even looked after each other. Jason hated cooking, as it reminded him of life before the Pit, but most nights, there was a home-cooked meal for Roy and Lian. Roy even added him to his bank account so when Jason was low on money, he didn’t need to rely on Bruce. Plus, there were worse people to be married to. Hell, he just ate a cherry out of Jason’s hand without a second thought.
Jason raised his eyebrows at Roy, and the archer gave him a big smile.
“Married, huh? Well, why don’t we start looking for a house, then? Get out of that crummy apartment.”
Red Hood thought over his next spoonful of strawberry milkshake.
“It needs an extra room for all of my novels. And a big garage, so you can get your gear out of the bedroom.”
Bonus -Roy’s Frantic Texts
Roy Harper: How’s my girl??
Dami Wayne: Wonderful.
Dami Wayne: We had pancakes for breakfast. Then we went to the zoo. Jon and I took her flying over the ocean. Now we are playing dress up.
Roy Harper: Cute!!! I can come get her before dinner if you want.
Dami Wayne: Hardly necessary. Jon and I decided to keep her.
Roy Harper: UM?!
Roy Harper: NO?????
☆
Arse-nal: Attachment: 1 image.
Arse-nal: Look who’s curled up on Li’s bed…
Red Robin (yum): OMG
Red Robin (yum): Bruce probs couldn’t sleep without Clarky
Nightwinger: LOVE!!!! Hanging this on the wall. Right by Jon and Dami’s sleeping pic.
Rockin Robin: I will cut your hands off. But do hang Father’s photo.
Dead Hood: Gross.
Dead Hood: To think Bruce was shocked Roy and I share a bed.
Red Robin (yum): WHAT???????
Rockin Robin: …………………..
Nightwinger: ………. Jason come again
Nightwinger: Jason
☆
Jaybird: Roy.
Jaybird: Why are you reading vampire smut on your Kindle?
Arrow boy: Oh, my god.
Arrow boy: WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT THAT?!?!
Jaybird: How could I not? The cover is… hard not to look at.
Arrow boy: I want my own Kindle account. Never look me in the eyes again.