Work Text:
I stare at the book Jason’s reading: The Werewolf Principle. I’d ask what it’s about, but he’d ignore me if I did. I smile to myself at the thought. Jason doesn’t think anything he does is funny, but I beg to differ.
“What are you looking at?” he questions when he notices my staring, pretending that he’s still reading. I know he probably won’t answer, but I point at his book and ask anyway, “What’s the book about?” He turns it over to read the back, but I stop him, “I wanna hear you tell me what it’s about.”
He tries holding back a thin smile, but fails. “Demanding, aren’t we?” he teases, but continues, “The book is about A. Blake, who’s some guy unlucky ‘nough to be encapsulated in a space capsule for 200 years. He finds himself forgotten by the world he once knew.”
My eyebrows furrow and I lean forward, listening with full focus. Jason continues, “He remembers nothing, so he forms a new identity. Apparently, something-or somethings-are inside of him.”
He pauses, examining my expression. I comment, “That was unnecessarily long.” He rolls his eyes at me, shutting his book. “You asked, dipshit,” he counters. I grin, heading to the kitchen.
Jason relates to that book. That’s why he’s reading it, I know it. He’ll never admit it, but the book is similar to his life. The being left behind by the world, forging a new identity, (some) memory loss… Blake is Jason.
I throw 3 packs of ramen noodles into a huge pot. I nearly forget the water, adding it last minute. I hum GO! by Santigold and Karen O as I stir.
I have no clue what’s changed, but Jason must be feeling talkative because he leans over the couch and suddenly rants about his favorite book as a little kid. Unexpected, but never unwelcome.
“Mom sometimes read it to me! She’s the best!” he exclaims, barely breathing in-between words, messing with his fingers. God, he is exactly like a little kid right now.
“That’s awesome, J!” I respond, pouring the ramen noodles into 2 bowls. With how giddy Jason is right now, I hand him a plastic one. “Fanks!” he tells me, his mouth full and voice muffled. “Shh, talk after eating,” I remind him like I do with Lian.
“Bu’ that takes too long.”
“Jason.”
“Okayyy…”
I ruffle his hair. “Good job, Kiddo.”
I didn’t mean to call him “kiddo”, it just slipped out. I expect him to say something snarky, but he only squeaks-which is nothing short of adorable-and doesn’t complain.
After he finishes, I grab the bowls and place them in the sink. I have a suspicion as to why Jason’s acting so childlike, but it’s hard to ask. “So…are you feeling okay?” I inquire as I sit back down with 2 cups of water.
“Duh, Roy!”
“I’m just asking, Kiddo.”
“I said ‘duh’!”
“Look, it’s just…do you regress?”
When I see Jason’s eyes widening I add, “Because, I’m not mad. I just wanna know how to care for you-”
He crosses his arms and pulls his knees close to his chest, facing the other direction. I hesitate, but eventually run my fingers through his hair.
My heart twists when I hear him sniffle.
“Do you trust me to take care of you?” I ask, genuine. He thinks it over before quietly answering, quieter than I’ve ever heard him, “You take good care of Lian, why not me?” I smile, hugging him.
“I’ll always take care of you, Kid.”
“Harper, let go!”
“Absolutely not.”
“Harper!”
“Oh, shush. Quit being a grumpy gus.”
Surprisingly, he oblidges, curling up to me. Albeit, he’s curled up awkwardly, his hands in fists and pressed tightly to his chest.
Artemis (4 hours later):
“Guys, I need- oh.” I stand over where they lay on the couch. Red Hood is leaning on Arrow’s lap, uncharacteristically…peaceful.
Slightly weird.
I sit down, turning on the TV, rolling my eyes as I turn the volume off. I rest a hand in Roy’s hair.
“Night.”