Work Text:
BOOM!
Jason flinched despite his best efforts cursing under his breath as he tried to stop shaking. He was curled up in the corner of the bedroom pressed against the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest. The lights were off, the curtains were drawn, his traps were set. He’d meant to take something to knock himself out so he’d sleep through the night, but with how tired he’d been from patrols the past few nights he’d stupidly thought he wouldn’t need them. Now he was awake and had his noise canceling headphones on but they weren’t doing shit against the-
BOOM! BOOM!
He squeezed his eyes shut trying to banish the imagery from his memory threatening to creep up and pull him back to the day he died. He was not in the warehouse. He was not there. He was not trapped with him. He was home. He was safe. He was-
“Jaybird?” He flinched at the sound of another voice, not realizing anyone else had entered the room. “Shit, are you okay?”
He tried to nod. Tried to say “yes, I’m fine”. Tried to do anything, but his throat was dry and his breathing was messed up like his lungs suddenly forgot how their entire purpose and his chest felt heavy as though someone had set a weight on it.
“Whoa, whoa, okay, let’s take a deep breath, yeah? Can you open your eyes for me?” The voice was closer now. Right in front of him. Whoever it was must have crouched down. He could almost place the voice…
BOOM!
He shook his head. No, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to open his eyes and find out he was there. To open his eyes and be met with a crowbar to the jaw.
“Jaybaby, please,” the voice was pleading now. His brain seemed to kick online at the pet name. The Joker never called him that. No one called him that except…
Jason opened his eyes and was met with a familiar pair of green ones staring at him filled with worry.
“You back with me,” Roy asked him. He made a noncommittal noise not trusting his voice. His breathing was still erratic, his chest feeling as though it was starting to cave in on itself with how heavy it felt. Panic was still in the driver’s seat.
BOOM!
He flinched back into the wall hard enough that he vaguely registered a pain in his arm where it connected. Nothing too bad he was sure, but Roy winced all the same.
“It’s fireworks, Jay, I promise. Fuck, I’m sorry I wish they’d crack down on it and make them illegal already.” Roy was carefully mapping his movements so that Jason could pull away if he wanted.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Jason all but threw himself into Roy’s arms shaking like a leaf and clinging to him arms scrabbling for the best hold. Roy adjusted so he was sitting down with Jason in his lap, arms wrapped around him tightly in return.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart, it’s okay.” His voice was calm as he took deep breaths, slowly encouraging Jason to do the same. He slipped the useless noise canceling headphones off his head and ran his fingers through Jason’s curls.
The booms and whizzes outside continued on outside. Jason flinched at the particularly loud ones, but it was more manageable with Roy here to ground him.
“I’ve got you. You’re home. You’re safe.” Roy murmured over and over gently rocking him and pressing kisses to his forehead, his cheeks, the side of his face.
“I’m sorry,” he managed to croak out after a while, pulling away slightly as he loosened his death grip on Roy’s shirt. He had no idea how long they sat there on the floor of their bedroom, Roy holding him close so he wouldn’t fall apart.
“None of that,” his boyfriend told him wiping a few stray tears off his cheeks with a small, sad smile. Jason hadn’t even realized he was crying. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?”
He gave a little nod knowing they’d talk more in the morning. Roy scooped him up easily and brought him to bed, laying down next to him almost immediately and pulling him close. Jason immediately moved his head to lay on his boyfriend’s chest listening to the steady thud of his heartbeat.
With Roy next to him him, his hand running up and down his back in soothing strokes, he could feel himself begin to relax. I’m home. I’m safe. Roy’s here. He has me. The reassurances replayed in his head like a mantra keeping him grounded as he slowly let go, his body giving in to some much needed sleep.