Chapter Text
It was a…choice…for Jason not to be reintroduced into the Wayne family, mostly just the confusion that could come with explaining why your dead son was suddenly back. And also because Jason was barely apart of the family. He’d come around every so often, mostly just when he knew Talia was in town or if he felt he needed to for a mission, or for Alfred’s cooking, but aside from that he would much rather spend his time at the docks.
“Lad, get back to work, it ain’t that nice of a view,” one of his coworkers scolded Jason, elbowing his shoulder as he snapped out of his little stupor.
“Right, my fault.” The ravenette gave the older Scottish man an apologetic nod, putting his gloves back on and returning to the cutting station next to his other coworker. Beginning to slice today’s catch to sell when it hit noon, occasionally glancing out the window to stare at the raging ocean.
It smelled like dead fish and salt water all the time, not to mention the water all around and the ice to keep the fish cold made him layer up, but it was more just something to do during the day, more than a relief considering his nights were consumed by killing Gotham’s criminal underbelly.
The petty mobsters and crime bosses Batman just didn’t have the time for chasing after other assholes he was too much of a pussy to kill. But even so, getting to lift heavy boxes of fish and slicing them open was surprisingly stress relieving. All the lifting offered a pleasant work out, and aside from the satisfaction of cutting fish it gave him a chance to subtly hone in his knife skills. And there was Sammi.
“So, uh,” Jason started, glancing at the woman beside him as she expertly cut the Snappers she was assigned. Watching her black eyes flit over to him making him feel like he was on some kind of stage. “You doing anything fun this weekend?” God just kill him now.
“Oh,” her eyebrows raised, “not really…I have a few appointments I gotta go to, but aside from that not much.” She shrugged, struggling to divide her focus between her coworker and her job. Briefly biting the inside of her cheek as she took in a breath that for some reason felt a lot harder to do around him, “what about you?”
“Me?” He chuckled nervously, glancing away as he looked down at his Snapper. Cutting its stomach and reaching inside, trying not to be too rough as he removed the organs they couldn’t sell, resisting the urge to squash them in a vain hope of relieving the tension this conversation he brought upon himself gave. “Kinda the same, just hanging out getting what I gotta get done, done.”
“Good for you.” Sammi smiled, using all her willpower not to collapse or implode. Millions of ways to continue this conversation, make it less awkward, bring it into something flirty, literally anyway to salvage this, but it never came out her mouth. Licking her lips as she looked back down, making Jason briefly wish it was his tongue against those lips.
“Yeah, good for me.” He repeated, his green eyes drinking in her every feature. From the curve of her round cheeks and the shape of her jaw, the way her brown hair fell in front of her ears, the way her glasses sat on her crooked nose. He felt like he was fifteen again, right before Joker ruined his life when his biggest worries were if Batman like his new costume and what Alfred was gonna make for lunch. When he would ride his bike through the tamer parts of Gotham so he could talk to the other kids and admire the girls on comic book posters.
“Is something on my face?” The brunette asked worriedly, feeling his gaze burning into her cheek as he flustered at getting caught.
“Shit, sorry, zoned out.” He nodded, turning away quickly as he focused back on the Snapper, hoping nobody else noticed and that he would get the first half of his quota for the day despite the…distractions.
Snapper after Snapper passed his station, each of them getting gutted and made ready for sale at noon. His knife cutting through them as he tried not to imagine the throats of Black Mask or Joker in place of the red fish. Zoning out as he moved almost robotically, his muscles having already readjusted themselves for this job enough to make him feel proud, even if that Scotsman easily had him beat.
The buzzer went off, signaling not only that prep time was up, but also that their 30-minute break before they went to sell had started. A sigh of relief escaping him as he cleaned his bloody knife, offering the towel over to Sammi with as close to a charming smile as he could pull off.
“Do you wanna break with me? We could-“ *buzz buzz buzz*, FUCK, every fucking time he finally tries to shoot his shot that old man calls him.
“Is that your phone?”
“Yeah, sorry, never mind, talk to you later?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m on the roaster to set up shop and break after anyhow.” The two gave one another apologetic looks, both cursing out whatever God there was for continuously ruining their chances with one another.
Once Sammi turned her back Jason grabbed his phone and stormed off, tearing off his gloves as he made his way to the back of the building and slipping outside as he picked up the phone. His annoyance evident as he spoke.
“What the hell do you want Bruce?” He demanded, trying to resist going off on him. The old man always had to intrude on his life at every turn didn’t he?
“Jason, I would like you to come to Wayne manor tonight, there’s something important I need to discuss with you. It’s imperative.” Bruce’s voice came a bit grainy over the phone’s speaker, but he understood the urgency in Bruce’s tone.
“Why?” He huffed, running an exhausted hand through his hair, just wanting to hang up and go about his day.
“Just come over please,” he sighed in exasperation, reaching for straws to try and convince his son to come over. “You’ll understand when you come over.”
“Fine. Just stop calling me at work.” He relented, just wanting the conversation over with as he put his phone away, digging into his pockets for his cigarette pack. “Shit.” He muttered, realizing he left them in his coat last night. Smacking his forehead with the side of his fist before making the pathetic walk back inside, knowing working with a bunch of burly fishmongers in Gotham of all places, one of them would be bound to have a cigarette for him.
“Angus,” Jason called to the ginger, the Scotsman looking up from his paper, a fat cigar hanging from his mouth. “You got any cigarettes? I forgot mine at home.”
“No lad, but Sammi might.” He shrugged, pointing to the woman’s back as she and a few others set up shop. Smiling at one another as they set up, Jason feeling his stomach twisting at having to face Sammi again.
Before he could even get the confidence, one of the other guys called out to him, “I got a ciggie!” Joseph smiled with crooked teeth, holding it up in offering as Jason both relaxed and tensed.
“Thanks man,” he sighed, taking the offer and lighting the cig, taking a puff and blowing it out as his eyes longingly searched for the brunette.
“Don’t mention it,” Joseph chuckled, “hey, while we’re talking, what’s with the white streak?”
Jason froze, trying to remember whatever cover story he had for it, “premature greying,” he lied quickly. It made Joseph hum, tilting his head to try and get a better look at the other man’s hair.
“Really? What’s got you so stressed boy?”
“Leave the lad alone Joseph, he don’t gotta tell you nothin’” Angus scolded, smacking the other with his newspaper.
“Thank you, Angus, but it’s fine. It’s just…bad genetics.” Jason lied, looking away from the two as he drowned out their bickering, staring at Sammi as he wished his conversations with her could go as smoothly as they did with the guys. Finishing his smoke break babbling with the other two men and stomping out his cigarette when the buzzer went off again. Watching longingly as Sammi walked past him to go to the break room. Wanting to follow her like the lost pup he was but knowing better.
Walking to the company’s stall and sending a subtle glare to all the other fish companies, putting his gloves back on as he summoned what little charm he had. His first costumers coming in as he began to go through the motions of why Gotham’s Neptune was worth trying even though deep down it was all just fish.
A few more times during the shift he got to see Sammi, even getting to speak with her a few times, but it only lasted a few minutes at best before they’d both go back to work. His yearning for her feeling endless at times as he scolded himself for getting so attached to a woman that deep down, he doesn’t truly know. The only motivation to get through the day being the chance when he goes over to the manor Alfred might make his favorite.
Night falling over Gotham as he dragged himself home, changing out of his waders and multiple layers of clothes, all caked in sweat from hauling around fish and the general heat that comes with wearing at least three layers anywhere but inside the ice box where they kept the fish. Changing into something more casual as he made his way to the manor, already regretting his decision as he walked in, the manor unsettling quiet.
“Master Jason, welcome home,” Alfred greeted, the butler smiling politely but it didn’t reach his eyes. Betraying the obvious that something was very wrong. “Master Bruce and the rest of the family are awaiting for you in the main dining hall, and we have some guests with us so be prepared to greet them.”
Jason hoped that guest was Talia, wanting any chance to see his mother figure as he made his way through the manor. Familiar still with the layout even after all this time. Walking into the hall as he saw Talia sitting next to Bruce, about to smile and greet her before he was who sat opposite of her.
“Sammi?”