Chapter Text
Jason Peter Todd was the Red Hood. A crime-boss, vigilante, anti-hero of sorts that managed a criminal enterprise, beat up supervillains and saved innocents (mostly). Jason Todd had been Robin. He had been shot at, punched, kicked. He had died.
He’s been tortured, stabbed, blown up, thrown off buildings and listened to Dick Grayson ramble about the complex intricacies of undercover work for three hours.
None of that could have prepared him for parent teacher conferences.
What even was his life?
In his defence, he didn’t even mean for it to happen.
It’s Sunday morning, and Jason’s sitting in a newly purchased Seattle apartment sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee as he skims over the morning paper. Sue him, he’s old school.
Jett sat down across from him, helping himself to the toast and butter left out on the table that Jason had made for him. They sit in a comfortable silence for a while, Jett munching at his toast while Jason reads up on whatever bullshit is going on in Gotham now that he’s off in Seattle.
Then, Jett digs into his pocket and takes out a slip of paper, sliding it across to Jason.
“What’s this?” he queries
“Information for my parent teacher meeting.” replies Jett through a mouthful of food, so really it sounded more like :‘Inpouraton four i arent eatcher mee- ing’
Jason nearly spat out his coffee.
“What?”
“A parent teacher conference? You know, when the parent meets the kids teachers and the teachers are like: ‘Your kids doing blah blah-’”
“I know what a parent teacher conference is, dipshit.”
“Then why the ask?” snarks Jett, reaching for another slice of bread. Jeez, he really needs to feed this kid more.
“Because I’m confused..?”
“About?”
“About why the hell are you asking me to go?”
Jett gives him a deadpan look
“Does it look like I have any other options? Besides, you’re basically my parent.”
Jason feels his face burn, sudden realisation hitting him. Oh. I mean, guess he is. It never really clicked for him that he had become a parental figure for this kid at some point.
He rubs his temples slowly.
“Please don’t say shit like that so casually.” is what he ends up saying. It’s too early for this, he decides.
“Why?” asks Jett, cocking his head in a way that reminded Jason of a particularly curious parrot. A pink haired parrot.
“Because.” is his eloquent answer
“That’s not a proper reply!” squawks Jett
“Yes it is.” says Jason, rubbing a hand down his face
“So? Will you go?” pivots Jett
“Yeah. I’ll be there.”
Jett grins, and Jason goes back to reading the paper peacefully.
Parent-teacher conference huh? How hard can it be?
Jason is standing outside Jett’s school a week later at 6:30 in the evening. The city is a hum of noise in the background as Jason looks up at the building, then back down to the sheet of paper in his hand.
‘PARENT/GUARDIAN CONFERENCE NIGHT’
He considers turning around and leaving.
He could leave. Maybe. Probably.
Jett would understand.
Jason sighs, “Nope.”
He walks inside, albeit hesitantly.
The first thing Jason notices when he walks inside, is that the school is immensely normal. There’s bright fluorescent lights, posters hung on walls about college applications, a trophy case with awards for every imaginal sport possible, a bulletin board covered with photos of smiling students.
It’s almost unsettling how normal it is. Jason is used to either the schmucky walls of Ma Gunns school for crime, or the stuck up fancy polished floors of Gotham Academy. Essentially, a crime scene or places Damian has somehow managed to get suspended .
He follows the sign towards the gymnasium, where he can hear the sound of faint chatter.
A women at a folding table greets him
“Parent-teacher conferences?” she asks
Jason nods, “Yep.”
“Alright, student’s name?”
“Jett Blitz.” he replies swiftly
She glances down at her clipboard, ticking something off with her pen.
“Oh!” her smile changes, chipping down
Jason immediately becomes suspicious.
“What?” he questions
“Nothing!” squeaks the lady
“That wasn’t a ‘nothing’ oh.” he snorts
“He’s just a very… memorable student.”
Jason sighs deeply, closing his eyes.
Of course he is. Why is he surprised?
“Where do I sign?” he asks instead
The woman hands him a sheet. Jason scribbles his name, then stares at the paper.
Under ‘Relationship to Student’ someone has written ‘Guardian’
The woman catches him staring, and looks over.
“Is that incorrect?”
Jason looks back at the word, then back up to the lady. He shakes his head
“No.” He looks back at the word.
He signs it, handing the sheet back to the lady.
The first teacher he sits down with is Jett’s English teacher.
She’s a bright eyed woman, sporting a cosy looking sweater and brown hair bundled up in a bun atop her head. She looks like, well, an English teacher. Jason can’t tell if she’s strict or not purely from appearance, but he’s sure if she’s smiling while here to discuss Jett, it can’t be that bad.
She sits across from him, hands folded.
“Mr Todd, it’s lovely to meet you this evening.”
“Jason is fine.” he smiles
“Jason, then.” she smiles back warmly, “Firstly, I want to let it be known that Jett is a very bright student.”
Jason nods. He knows this.
“He’s creative. Quick witted. Gets along somewhat with most of his classmates.”
Jason smiles along with each word. But..?
“However..”
Ah. There it is.
“He has a tendency to finish assignments at the last possible second.”
“That sounds about right.” he says solemnly
“And sometimes he doesn’t finish them at all.” she adds
Jason's brow furrows.
“Really?” he queries
“Really.” the teacher says, shooting him a look. She slides a slip of paper across the desk to him.
He scans the page. Five missing assignments.
God damnit Jett.
“I’ll talk to him.” he resigns
“Please do.”
By the time Jason makes it to Jett’s last teacher, his homeroom teacher, he’s beginning to understand why Jett had told him to go alone.
The boys science teacher had called him “sometimes too curious” and let him know that he wasn’t always on task.
His math teacher, a grumpy, stubby man, spoke about Jett’s inability to stay still and that he would often get up and walk around. Jason politely let the man know that Jett was ADHD, and discriminating against him could be lead to some suing. The man then abruptly shut his mouth.
Jason sits down across from the homeroom teacher, shaking the mans hand as he does so.
The teacher looks down at the paperwork, then back up at Jason. Jason waits.
“So,” he starts “Your Jetts guardian?"
“Apparently.” he chuckles
The man quirks a brow
“Apparently?”
Jason waves his hand nonchalantly
“It’s a long story.” is what he offers
“Fair enough.” says the other man, pulling out a folder
“Jett’s doing well,” he states “Mostly C’s. A in PE. Couple B’s here and there.”
Jason hums acknowledgingly
“He’s made a lot of progress recently. More engaged. More open.” continues the teacher
Jason’s attention sharpens
“How so?”
“Mainly talking about little things. Complaints about his friends stealing his food. The latest video game. A crow he saw on the way to school.”
Jason can’t help but smile, leaning back in his seat as he laughs lightly.
“He also talks about you.” the teacher adds
Jason pauses, his laughter dies.
“Oh?”
“Quite a lot, actually.” the teacher supplies
“What does he say?”
The teacher hesitates before speaking
“That you’re funny.” they admit
Jason snorts, moving to cover his mouth with his hand.
“That’s a lie. He would never admit that.”
The other man shakes their head, a smile on their face.
“He does. He also says you’re protective.”
Jason stops laughing, a warm sort of feeling bubbling inside of him
“He says you listen to him.”
Jason doesn’t answer
“And he says you make him feel safe.”
Aw shucks kid.
When he gets home, he’s gonna tackle this kid into a massive hug.
Jason looks down at his hands. For once, he doesn’t have a funny joke or a sarcastic reply, just that uncomfortable warmth spreading throughout his chest.
The silence speaks for itself, and Jason is sure the expression on his face is laughable.
The teacher smiles softly.
“I think you’re doing a good job.” he offers
Jason clears his throat
“Yeah.” He looks towards the clock.
“I mean-” he shrugs “I’m trying.”
Jett’s homeroom teacher looks him in the eye, as he speaks:
“I think that’s what matters.”
When he gets home, Jett is waiting for him.
The boy is sat on the couch, lazily typing on his phone. The minute Jason steps through the door, the pink headed hair snaps towards him. Jett perks up instantly, brightening at the sight of the man.
Jason's heart swells.
“How bad?” Jett asks
Jason stares at him
“Five missing assignments.”
“Oh. My bad.” shrugs Jett
Jason mentally facepalms.
“Five Jett, Five.”
“I can explain!” exclaims Jett
Jason gives him a pointed look, something that read as ‘so explain then’
“Okay so some of them were intentional.” admits Jett
Jason's exasperated glare intensifies
“That does not make me feel better.”
“It makes it more understandable!” protests Jett, talking with his hands
“It absolutely does not.” counters Jason.
Jett grins, wide and eyes sparkling. Jason can feel his frown cracking.
He sighs, “You’re doing your homework.”
Jett nods, eyes rolling.
“And not arguing with your teachers.” he adds
“Define, arguing.”
“Jett.” groans Jason
“Okay, okay!” laughs Jett, holding his hands up by his head in defeat.
Jason moves to sit beside the boy on the couch, flopping down with a pleased sigh as the weight is moved off his feet.
“Other than that, you’re teachers said that you’re smart. That you’re doing a lot better.”
Jett shrugs.
“I guess.” he says
“They said you’re a good kid.” Jason continues talking
Jett beams, “Of course.” he smiles.
Jason rolls his eyes at his shenanigans.
“Your homeroom teacher also said that you talk about me.”
Jett stiffens beside him. Jason continues to talk.
“Apparantly I’m funny.” he grins
Jett groans. “Oh my god. I did not say that.”
“That’s not what Mr Brown said!” retorts Jason “You also said I’m protective.”
Jett nods. “Okay, that ones true.”
Jason lower his voice, “And that I make you feel safe.” he adds
For a moment, neither of them say anything.
Then, Jett is reaching over and burying himself into the man, arms encircling him. Jason smiles, hugging the boy back.
“I meant it.” says Jett quietly
Jason moves his arm to ruffle the kids hair. He doesn’t know what to say. Luckily, Jett seems to have the words now.
“Love you unc.”
Jason freezes.
“Love you too, you little delinquent.” he whispers back.