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Jason Todd: Year 6
Jason was sitting on their old couch, reading the book Willis got for him the day before. It was fun. His dad took him out and showed him how to mess around with cars. What to do to make the car work. What to do to make it don't work. He said that it's important for Jason to learn such things, so he'll be able to always provide for himself. That if something happened to him, Jason can make some money by changing someone's tires or repairing their engine. Or to fill the motor oil. Or to turn it on without the keys. Or...
Jason understood, because even if he had his parents who cared for him, Ally from school sometimes had to go out to get food when their dad didn't come back from work for a few days. When they came back, his mom wasn't happy with how they spent their time together, that they were working instead of playing, but let it go, seeing as Jason was so excited to show her what he menaged get. The book was a prize for the good job he did. His mom always said he was a fast learner, a smart boy, and he could see it then. He was only six, but he was good with tire iron and repairing some easier mechanisms, and he was even getting a hold on lockpicking. Althought the last one was a secret between him and his dad. And god. That's what dad said. And even if Catherine wasn't content with taking his childhood away, Jason loved lessons with his dad. She couldn't possibly take it away.
So, as it was, she was smiling at Jason, more alive than most days. Finally, the boy got tired of waitinging for an anster to her unusualy good mood, so he started a conversation.
"Mom?"
She gave him a rare, brilliant smile. "Yes, sunshine?"
He squinted his eyes suspiciously. "You're more happy today."
"Of course I am," She moved to sit next to him and took the boy in her arms. "Today is a special day. They didn't tell you about valentines in school?"
Jason coriously tilted hs head and tried to remember anything of that sort, but nothing came to mind. "I don't think so."
Catherine laughed and nuzzled him claser. "Today is the day of love! Your dad will bring me flowers, and I have a little something for you."
He perked up, excited by the vision of a gift from his mom, but deflated only a moment later. "I don't have anything for you."
"You exist, and that's all I need. I love you the most in the entire world!" She smoothed his frown with a gentle finger. "But if you want t,o the best gift you could get me is a big hug," The last two words were stretched as much as she could menage.
Jason giggled. "Then I'll give you a million hugs!"
Willis gave Catherine Flowers. Jason got a little valentine card, that she made by herself.
Juson Todd: Year 8
Catherine laid on the couch, freshly on drug high, watching Jason moving around their little appartment with hazy eyes. When the boy realised she was awake, he quickly approached her.
"Hi, mom. Are you feeling better?" He asked, worry clear on his young face.
"Jay, sunshine," She smiled at him, not really there, but lovingly none the less. "I'm feeling good. The medicine is working."
He smiled at that, even if it was a little tense. He was aware that the heroine was as far from the medicine she really needed as it could get. "It's Valentines today, mom. I have something for you."
Catherine's eyes sparked. "That's wonderful! Today, Willis will bring me flowers."
Joson's body ticked a little, but he didn't say anything. He didn't have a heart to remind her that Willis was in prison for the last few months and was definitely not going to give her a buquet, like he did every year before.
With little nod and a smile at her words, he ganded her an incrumpled envelope. With slightly shaking hands, she opened it and took out a pretty, self-made card. Her grin brightened. "Sunshine! It's beautiful. Thank you, baby. You can't even imagine how much I love you," She stretched her hand and gently tucked him down so she could give him a kass to the forhead.
"I love you too," He murmured.
This year, Jason didn't get anything, but his mom was happy and pain-free. It was really all that he could ask for.
Catherine passed away two months later.
Jason Todd: Year 10
There was no one that Jason could make a valentine for. It was better that way. It wasn't like he had any nice paper to make them.
Jason Todd: Year 12
Jason howered nervously at the entrance to the kitchen. Alfred was busy making lunch and didn't notice him until the boy let out an indignified yelp, as Bruce suddenly appeared behind him, and set a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, Jaylad. I didn't want to suprise you," Bruce said as Jason turned to him, eyes wide.
"Master Bruce, master Jason, don't stand in the entrance," Alfred scolded them. Jason blinked, and his eyes shot back to the old butter.
"You look worried, champ. Is everything alright?" Bruce asked as they sat at the table.
The boy looked sideway and started fidgeting with the papers he was holding. Bruce glanced at them but decided not to comment.
"Yeah, I... I'm fine, it's just that..." He took a deep breath and looked both of the older men in the eyes. "My mom and I had a Valentines Day tradition. I always made her cards, and she had something for me. And then, on the streets, I hadn't had anyone, and now you took me in, and you care about me, and I wanted to thank you for that."
Bruce looked surprised at that but took the self-made card that the boy handed him. Alfred's eyes got a little glossy when he got one, too.
"Thank you, master Jason. It's a lovely gift," He said, his composure coming back.
Jason glanced nervously at Bruce, who still didn't say anything but stopped in his tracks as he took in the smile on man's face. It was already four months since the boy started living in the manor, but the first time, he acted so openly and vonrable around the other home residents. "It's amazing, Jaylad." He smiled at his son, even if the boy didn't yet see him as a father, and open his arms in offer of a hug.
Jason gave crooked, but brilliand grin, and launched himself in the man's embraces.
Jason Todd year 14
When Alfred came to pick him up from school, he had a scarf that Jason left neatly packed on the kitchen counter earlier this day. It wasn't easy to make it, and in reality, it was supposed to be a christmas present, but it wasn't ready at the time.
Jason thought it was a perfect Valentines Day present, as he was too old to make valentines cards (even if Bruce told him otherwise).
Back at the manor, Dick caught him at the entrance and spun him around, laughing. He liked cookies Jason made for him.
Bruce came back from work a couple of hours later and found Jason doing his homework in the library. The boy looked at him from above his papers with tense expression. He was scared of Bruce's reaction for his gift. Objectivty, he knew the worst that could happen was Bruce not liking it, but he was a little self-concious the whole day. Catching his eyes on him, a smile appeared on Bruce's lips.
"Jaylad. I found your gift," He said softly. Jason relaxed at his tone of voice. Full of love and happiness.
"Hi B," He answered, grinning brightly. "Hope you like it."
"Of course. It's amazing," He moved toward Jason. "It's the best gift I ever got. Thank you."
The boy jumped off of his chair and threw himself at Bruce. A small photo album laid on the table in the living room. Inside, there were pictures of Robin and Batman, and Jason and Bruce. Both their lifes, in both as a family. There was also a little inscription.
'Dad
Thank you for everything
I love you'
Jason Todd: year 16
It was on February 14'th, when Jason was done with his sniping teacher.
Besides her job as a mercinary, on the side, she ran a brothel. Which would be fine with Jason, because a job is a job, but her "employees" were enslaved children of her targets, and some street kids she snatched up, and it wasn't something he could accept.
She died slowly. He made sure of that.
Jason Todd year 18
It was a Valentines Day. Jason sat on his shitty couch in his shitty safehouse and was looking at the snow behind his shitty window.
He always hated snow. Snow meant it was cold, and his family rearly could afford clothes of a good quality, and when he was on the streets, snow meant death, fear, and hunger. And even when he lived at the manor, snow in Gotham was as ugly as everything else in that cursed city. Snowflakes were hardly white, most of the time gray, or piss yellow.
He sighed and got up, reaching for his hood. The weather was shitty, but it's just Gotham for you. Crime never stopped there.
The roofs were slippery, and even with his specialised boots and excellent balance, he had to be careful.
That's why he was a little startled at the sight of a child hiding from the wind behind an air shaft.
The boy looked around ten and was glaring at him with only a slightest hint of fear.
"Hey, kid, watcha doin' here?" Jason asked, staying at a safe distance.
The boy bristled and grimaced at him, then spat out. "None of your fucking bussiness."
A smile tugged at his lips. That was a Crime Alley attitude in full display.
"Relax, cowboy, I won't do anything to you. I'm Red Hood. You?"
The kid stiffened. "Why would I ever told you that? Because, again, it's none of your fucking bussiness."
"I dunno kid. I think it is my business when I find a child on the roof in the middle of the winter."
He narrowed his eyes. "Well, I'm fine, so you can fuck off."
Jason ignored him. "Ya live on the streets?"
"Well I wouldn't be here if I had a home, would I," The boy said rolling his eyes. Jason honestly hoped that the kid somehow locked himself on the roof, which yeah, was stupid, but still.
"It's not a good place to hide from the cold."
Another eyeroll. "Wow. You are truly a genius, aren't you."
"My mom always sad so" Jason retorted, which granted him a poorly hidden smile. "Look. Iwon't give you away to cops-"
"Obviously," He trimed in. "Everybody knows you hate pigs."
Huh.
"Anyway. I won't give you to CPS either. And I don't want kids on streets in winter."
"So what do you want from me?"
"Firstly, I still don't know your name."
The boy eyed him and after a moment of hesitation answered. "Kenny."
"So, Kenny. I have a deal for you," Jason wasn't stupid. Street kids wouldn't trust free help. He, when he was homeless, wouldn't trust it either. "I've got a garage a few blocks over. You can stay there, bring some others if you want."
Kenny's interest was picked, but his body language closed off even more, untrustful of somehing seemingly so good. "And what do you wan't in exchange?"
"You'll be informing me on what's going on on streets. Some big moves being made, working girls are in trouble, gangs are being too cocky, I wanna know," Maybe Jason's priority was getting this kid to safety, but he could really use some more intel, and street rats had to know their way around to survive. It was a fair trade.
Kenny had to think that too, because he shook his hand. "Deal."
Something good emerged from this day after all.
Jason Todd: year 20
There was a little package on his countertop, when Jason came back from grocery shopping.
He tensed. Someone menaged to break into one of his safehouses. He quickly grabbed his gun, and searched the whole apartment through, but the intrudor already left. He cearfully approached the source of his stress, but he grand to a standstill at the sight of a post-it with his name on it. His name written is very familiar handwriting. He rellaxed slightely and took it from where it laid.
"I can't deal with ut sober," He sighed and grabbed a bottle of vodka from one of the cabinets.
After a few good slugs, he crashed on the sofa. Jason loked at the package like he wanted it to dissapear, or burst in flames. With another mouthful of alicohol he ripped the brown paper it was wrapped in.
It was a book. A very familiar one. The first edition of Makbet Bruce got him for his fifteenth birthday. Inside there was a slip of paper. Jason snorted at what was written on it.
"Damn you, old man."
'Jason,
you'll always be my son. You're welcome at the manor whenever you want.
The rest of your books wait for you on your rack in the library.'