Summary: Snippets of a blossoming romance between Jason Tood/Red Hood and an original character (named Ima), with other DC characters in supporting roles. Jason falls for a waitress at a diner he frequents with his best friend, Roy Harper. When she is caught in the crossfire between him and Black Mask, he is determined to protect her at all costs. What he does not expect is her falling for him, too. And how much she becomes a part of his – and the Batfamily’s – life.
** Not strictly canon. Romance + fluff + minor angst. A lot of Batfamily feels. Title from the Coldplay song. Currently 8 chapters long, each one to be posted separately due to length. Editing may occur, depending on inspiration. 🙂 **
Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight
Six
As the last drops of cold water seeped into the shower drain, Jason felt the soreness of his muscles go with them. He had gotten into a scuffle with a few teenagers from the Jokerz gang during last night’s patrol. They had hit him with their crowbars. He had scoffed before swiftly incapacitating all five of them, but also felt sorry that such young, impressionable minds chose to follow in the Joker’s footsteps. He stepped out of the shower, taking one last look at the mirror before heading out. Today, he just wanted to clear his head.
Ima had been patiently waiting for him by the kitchen island, Gone With the Wind open on one hand, its pages yellowed and tattered. He must have loved this book. She looked up to smile at him; he gave a small one back. He sat across from her, picking at her omelet with his fingers. “Hey!” she said, swatting at his thieving hand, “Yours is by the stove, Mr. Robbin’ Robin.” He laughed at her wordplay. “But I like yours. I like anything of yours.” If it were not for her chocolate skin, he would have seen the furious blush that crept up her face. Their giggling died down, taken over by an awkward silence. He cleared his throat, and she followed suit, each avoiding the gaze of the other.
Then she leaned over and gently tugged at his white streak of hair. “Hey!” he said mockingly, playfully evading her reach. “Who’s a ‘Robbin’ Robin’ now?” But she did not laugh. Instead, she looked at him with childlike curiosity. She was so beautiful in that moment that it took all of his willpower not to go over to her side, lift her off the chair, and… No.
“Where did this come from?” Her question caught him off guard. His mind scrambled to find a way to divert her attention, but he knew she would not let up unless he answered her. At first he hesitated to tell her the truth, then realized that if he truly wanted to get to know her, she also had to get to know the real him. So, after taking a deep breath, he began telling her the story of his life. He spared no important detail, from his days as an orphan to his life as Robin and beyond. To his surprise, she did not wince when he came to the supernatural parts or his violent and vengeful past. Instead, she looked at him with sympathy, wiping away a few stray tears he was not aware he was shedding.
She, in turn, told him about how her mother died from a drug overdose and how her father followed shortly, having drowned his sorrows in whiskey bottles. At thirteen, she was left to fend for her nine-year-old brother. They grew so close that she almost treated him like a son. When she had caught the mistress at an orphanage slapping Kai, she escaped with him, vowing to protect him at all costs. They lived off the streets, until she found work at the diner. She once dreamed of becoming a journalist, but neither she nor her brother could afford to finish schooling. She smiled sadly at the memory of Kai and her lost dream.
It had been cathartic for both of them. And as the sun set, the conversation got lighter. Shared interests. Favorite TV shows. Previous relationships. Future dreams.
If only he could tell her that she was his.
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