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Bruce wouldn’t say that he was a stupid man. Far from it, if he was so bold to say, he was probably one of the smartest men in the room. With a nightly habit like his, he had to be. Mistakes were not tolerated by Gotham’s night life, so Bruce learned to sharpen his mind to a needle point. Mysteries rarely remained so under his watchful eye.
Still, perhaps his cover as lovable himbo, complete dumbass yet somehow successful business man Brucie Wayne was starting to leak into his daily life.
“Jason?” His second eldest’s name rolled off his tongue, despite all evidence pointing to the young teenager in front of him not being his moody, not-so-recently revived from the dead son. Still, the resemblance sent a shiver down Bruce’s spine. As the boy turned to look at Bruce, he could see that familiar rebellious spark in icy blue eyes. The boy’s black hair to his broad nose, even the shape of his chin reminded Bruce of a younger Jason. If he claimed to be Jason hit by some de-aging ray, Bruce might even be tempted to believe him.
Still, the boy smiled politely and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry, sir. I think you have the wrong person.”
Bruce smiled back, though his mind was running through the probability of this boy being a harmless doppelganger rather than something more sinister. “Of course, I’m so sorry about that. You see you really—”
“Ah, Brucie Wayne! It is so wonderful to see you again!”
With the appearance of a familiar silver haired, business man, Bruce’s fumbling billionaire persona went all the way back up. “Vladdie! It’s been far too long! How have you been?” Bruce didn’t actually want to hug Vlad Masters, but he suffered through it in order to keep up the act as blissfully ignorant and personable. Bruce thanked his luck that at the very least they were on the main gala floor, so he wasn’t alone with Masters.
He never wanted to be alone in a room with Masters.
Masters’ smile was equally fake as he clapped a hand on the young man. “I’m doing just fine, I see you’ve met my son, Daniel Masters.”
Daniel flinched under Masters’ touch and glared up at the older man. “It’s Danny Fenton. I’m not your son, I’m your godson.”
“Come now, Daniel.” Masters squeezed tighter, ignoring the way his charge winced. “I understand that you are still in shock, but you must accept that we are family now.”
“Actually, I don’t.” Despite the physical signs of anxiety, Danny still found it in himself to snark at his guardian. “You still haven’t gotten approved to adopt me, so you’re only fostering me until they find a better placement. My parents never put you getting guardianship of me in the will, so you don’t have any legal claim to me.”
Bruce blinked at the veritable minefield he’d unwittingly stepped into. The whole conversation had set off alarm bells in Bruce. Whoever Danny was, he clearly seemed uncomfortable with his current guardian. With the mention of a will, his parents must have passed away. Bruce knew he was going to get so much shit when he looked up Danny’s case back home, but something was off and he needed to investigate further.
For now, he settled on keeping them talking. “Oh you’re adopting?” Bruce’s smile grew sappy, and he ignored the eye roll Danny sent him. “That’s wonderful! You know, most of my children are adopted. I was actually telling Danny here that he reminded me of my second oldest, Jason. They have that same fire in their eyes.”
Masters’ smile plastered itself back on his face. “Ah yes, unfortunately Daniel’s parents and older sister passed away a couple weeks ago. There was an explosion at one of their local fast food restaurants. Nobody survived.”
Bruce was right then. He gave Danny a sympathetic frown. “Ah gosh… that’s gotta be tough. How are you holding up?”
Danny shrugged, but Masters swooped in before Danny could actually speak. “It’s been rough for him, as you can see. I’ve been friends with his parents since we were in college together. It’s still hard to believe that they’re really gone.” Masters wiped at his eye, though Bruce saw no tears. “I’m just thankful that Daniel and I have each other as support through this trying time.”
“Right, that’s great. Support like that can be absolutely crucial, especially in the first few weeks. Though, I can understand how you feel, Danny,” Bruce said, “I also lost my parents when I was young. It must hurt, huh?”
Once again, Danny shrugged, though this time he shrunk into himself a bit. “It’s fine,” he muttered, staring deeply at his shoes, “it hurts but it’s not the first time my parents died. I’m used to it.”
“Daniel!” Masters scolded.
Bruce waved his hand. “It’s alright, Vladdie. He’s grieving. Though, what do you mean that this isn’t the first time?”
Danny bit his lip, looking off to the side. Masters answered for him, something that Danny seemed to have come to expect. “Ah, yes, he’s been adopted before. His biological family are all dead, so he has no living relatives to take him in. Hence, why I was chosen as the first choice to house him.”
Nodding, Bruce filed that nugget of information away for later. “I see, well I am deeply sorry for your loss.” He set a hand on Danny’s shoulder while handing him a business card. “If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, then please feel free to contact me. I promise to do my best to help you.” Bruce squeezed once before letting go. “Otherwise it was a pleasure to meet you, Danny. I hope I get to see you at more galas in the future.”
Danny gave Bruce a small smile in return. “With all due respect, Mr. Wayne, I hope I never see you again.”
For once, Bruce’s laugh was genuine as Masters shot Danny a scandalized look. Before the man could reprimand Danny, Bruce waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Vladdie. He’s fine. Either way, it was great to see you again. Enjoy the rest of the gala.”
Vlad sent Bruce an attempt at an exasperated smile. “Of course. It was lovely seeing you as always. I hope we can meet up again to potentially share parenting tips.”
Ha. As if Bruce would ever let himself be anywhere with Masters without a third party present. Still, he gave the duo a wave as he slipped off. Twirling the black hair he’d managed to swipe from Danny’s suit jacket, Bruce began to text Alfred to have the batcomputer’s DNA scanner set up by the time he got home.
Whatever secrets Danny had, Bruce was determined to figure them all out.
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Jason didn’t bother warning the rest of the family before he rode into the batcave. Bruce had been bitching about getting the batmobile a tune-up, and Jason just wanted Bruce to stop bitching over the comms. He absolutely did not come here to do something nice for his adoptive father and hopefully get his praise. No, Jason was better than that.
Still, he had expected an empty cave considering the lull in cases the bats were dealing with. Instead, he found Bruce himself, hunched over himself as a myriad of files were pulled up on the batcomputer. Flipping his kickstand and pulling off his helmet, Jason strode towards Bruce.
“Hey old man, what’s got your panties in a twist this time?” He leaned over Bruce’s shoulder, glancing through the files. Nothing about them seemed particularly interesting—mostly notes from case workers and health records of some kid. Had Bruce already found another one? Jason opened his mouth to comment on Bruce’s terminal adoption problem when he found the picture.
“Where the fuck did you find this?” Jason didn’t mean to growl, but he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The kid was older, much older than the boy in Jason’s fuzzy memories, but he still had that constellation of freckles all over his face. The kid was smiling in the photo, and Jason recognized the dimples he’d poked at whenever they’d had a particularly hard day. Feelings he’d long since shoved down and hidden resurfaced, threatening to drown him like the Pit often did.
In all of Bruce’s lack of tact and inability to deal with any of his children’s emotions, he kept typing away as he answered Jason. “I met Danny at a gala last night. He was with Vlad Masters, and clearly they had an antagonist relationship. Before he left with Masters, I managed to snag a DNA sample. Something must have corrupted it because our scanner couldn’t make heads or tails of it. So I’ve been searching for his records. I’m having trouble finding his original birth certificate and biological parents.”
Jason could hear the desk chair’s leather creak under his grip. “Search Daniella Josephine Todd.” His voice felt rough, desperate as he stared up at the boy on the screen.
Bruce frowned, but did as Jason said. Photos and files popped up, and there was the little boy Jason remembered loving with his entire being. Fuzzy memories grew clearer at the smiling picture of the little boy in pigtails. Jason’s heart panged in his chest, longing to scoop that boy up and hold him tight. Still, he needed more information. He couldn’t just go running off to see Danny just yet.
Thankfully, as dense as Bruce could be, he wasn’t called the World’s Greatest Detective for nothing. “So he’s your…” Bruce trailed off.
“My baby brother, yeah.” Jason couldn’t keep his eyes off of Danny’s most recent picture, desperate to compare the differences, to see just how much of his baby brother’s life he had missed. “Mom died when he was 2, so I raised him while we were on the streets. Selling car parts could get most of his baby stuff, so we figured it out. CPS managed to snatch him while I was out. He was five.” He’d been looking for him ever since, desperate to get him back. Unfortunately he hadn’t had any luck.
At least, not until today.
Bruce frowned, brow scrunched as he turned from the monitor to Jason. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped you find him sooner.”
Jason scoffed. “I don’t need your fucking help.”
Besides, after getting dipped in the pit, Jason hadn’t wanted to reunite. Danny probably had a new home, one where he had forgotten all about “Jay-Jay”. He didn’t need to be pulled into the shitshow that had become Jason’s life. At that point, finding Danny had become more about making sure the kid was safe and loved rather than any sort of desire to bring him back into Jason’s life.
Even if Jason had desperately wanted him back.
“Why the hell was he with Vlad Masters of all people?” Jason asked, switching the direction of the conversation before it could devolve into another fight.
Pursing his lips, Bruce clearly wanted to go ack to Jason’s previous words but let it slide. “Apparently Masters is Danny’s current foster father. His previous adoptive parents died in an explosion—a freak accident at a local fast food chain restaurant.” Bruce pulled up an article showing pictures of the deceased next to a photo of the accident site. Jason caught a blur that looked vaguely like Danny being pulled away from the flames. Jason winced. “I originally wasn’t going to look into him, but he seemed extremely uncomfortable in Masters’ presence, and the conversation they had in front of me, despite how short it was, raised too many red flags for comfort. I’m worried that Danny is currently in an unsafe home.”
Green began to creep into Jason’s vision. Vladimir Masters, the oily fucking snake, was possibly putting his baby brother in danger? Jason made a note to reserve a bullet with Vlad’s name on it. “Send me the files,” he said instead of the millions of curses and insults he wanted to throw Masters’ way.
“Why?”
Jason rolled his eyes. For how smart Bruce was, he asked the dumbest questions. “I want custody.”
Bruce stared at Jason. “Jason, you can’t be serious.”
Hackles raised, Jason crossed his arms. “Why wouldn’t I be? He’s my little brother. I’m the last living relative he’s got. Therefore, he’s coming with me.”
Sighing, Bruce rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Jason wanted to punch him so fucking badly. “Jay, he’s not a pet. You can’t just decide to take him in.”
Oh this motherfucker. Fine. If Bruce wanted a fight, Jason could play. “And I raised that kid from when he was a fetus up ‘til CPS took him. I know better than anyone how to take care of that kid. Besides, like you’re one to talk. You adopt every fucking kid with a sob story that crosses your path!”
That got Bruce’s own hackles raising. Good. “I put a ton of thought into every single one of your adoptions,” Bruce hissed, anger contorting his features, “I understand you’re worried for Danny, but I can provide him a stable home. You’re living on Park Row and bounce between safe houses every other week. Clearly he’s gone through some immensely traumatizing events recently. He needs someone who can provide a foundation for him to grow. I know how to help him.”
Jason scoffed. “Right, because dressing up every traumatized kid you see in a Robin uniform and sending them out to beat up Gotham’s worst criminals has worked so well in the past.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Bruce! You should know that better than fucking anyone! I’m not gonna let Danny get sucked into the ‘family business’.”
Bruce stood up from the desk. Jason refused to be cowed by Bruce towering over him. Not on something this important. “You would be going up against Masters if you fight for custody. Even if you’re his older brother, they’re going to see all of the resources he’s able to provide Danny and the clear desire he has in raising Danny. Even if Danny showed a preference for staying with you, the judge still has the final say.”
“So I show them I can provide just as much support without being a potentially abusive fuck,” Jason said, “I’m not gonna give up on him just because you think you’d have a better chance. Besides, you just said there’s a chance that Vlad’s not providing a safe home for Danny. If it’s a matter between an abusive home and a loving home, even if Vlad could buy him fucking Pluto, they’d still give him to me.”
The argument fizzled into a stare off. Bruce searched Jason’s face for something (for defeat, submission, whatever the fuck else he wanted out of this argument). Jason just glared back. Bruce could try and logic his way out of this all he wanted. Jason refused to give up on Danny so easily.
Their staring contest lasted for a few minutes. Finally, Bruce broke first and flopped back into his seat, sighing. “Fine. I’ll support you.” That was too easy. There had to be something else. “If!” Ah, there it was. Jason raised his eyebrow as he waited for Bruce’s conditions.
Bruce held up a finger. “First, you have to contact Danny and see if he is even interested in the possibility of living with you. I will not help you with this, and you cannot use the batcomputer to find his number.” Damn it. There went Jason’s first plan.
Bruce held up a second finger. “Second, you have to prove that you can support Danny not just emotionally but financially. I want a budget of all of his needs and a report of exactly how you’re going to pay for everything.”
Oh that was easy enough. In between his vigilante work, Jason had retained the title of “crime boss” for a reason. He had enough odd jobs lined up that he could set up a separate account for Danny’s expenses and start a college/just starting independence fund while he was at it.
“Third.” Bruce held up a third finger. “I’m gonna send someone to inspect your apartment. If you’re gonna take Danny in then your apartment needs to pass the same level of inspection you’d experience from Danny’s social worker. If you can’t prove that you’re able to provide a loving, stable home for Danny then I won’t help you in the custody case.”
“So if I just do those three things, you’ll let me take custody?” Bruce was going to regret ever challenging Jason like this.
Looking tired and older than he actually was, Bruce nodded. “I’ll even let you borrow my lawyers to help your case.”
Bruce dropping out of the running and access to his “get kids now” lawyers? Jason let a sharp grin spread across his face. He held a hand out. “You’ve got a deal.”
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Getting the budget figured out was the easiest part. It only took a few hours and a couple excel spreadsheets, and Jason had a pristine budget containing all of the basics he knew Danny would need paid for. His apartment was already pretty nice for Crime Alley standards. He’d need to find a way to hide his vigilante stuff and get some locks to keep it hidden, but that’d be an easy weekend project.
No, the hard part was contacting Danny himself.
A basic search had yielded nothing. When Jason turned to some of his less savory contacts, they had managed to find what was supposed to be Danny’s phone number, but had been put out of service this past week. No matter where he turned, Jason wasn’t having any luck finding a way to contact Danny.
So, swallowing his pride as best as he could, he looked to his siblings for help.
“Yo, Replacement.” He hopped over the couch, flopping next to Tim as the younger was button mashing his way through Hollow Knight. “I need a favor.”
Tim paused and turned to Jason. “I’m pretty sure you already owe me several return favors. What do you need so badly that you wanna dig yourself further into my debt?”
Jason winced. “Ooh, harsh. Can’t you just help me out because I’m your brother and you love me?”
“I’ll start helping you out for free when I’m sure you’re not gonna try and kill me again.”
Oh ouch, Tim really was going straight for Jason’s jugular. He threw his arms over the edge of the couch dramatically. “Come on, Timmers, I haven’t tried to kill you in at least a year! I’ve gotten past that angsty bullshit, give me some credit.”
Tim rolled his eyes and returned to his game. “I said what I said. You owe me another favor or I’m not doing anything.”
Damn it, how many did Jason already owe the brat? Danny better be appreciative when they reunited. Sighing, Jason pulled his arms back. “Fine, fine. I’ll owe you another favor. I need you to find a phone number for me.”
“I’m not helping you get a date’s phone number,” Tim said immediately, not even bothering to tear his gaze away from the screen.
Jason’s nose scrunched in disgust. “First of all, fuck you I can get any hottie’s phone number without your stupid fucking help. Second, it’s not for a date. I’m trying to get in contact with my brother.”
Tim slammed the pause button and turned back around. “What do you mean, your brother? You already have all of our numbers. Unless you forgot because you broke your phone on patrol again.”
“Fuck you, my phone’s doing just fine. I meant my bio brother.”
“You have a biological brother?” Tim frowned, though his eyes got that glint most of the bats got when they found a juicy piece of info.
Huffing, Jason crossed his arms. “Yes, I do. He got taken by CPS a couple years before B took me in. I’ve been trying to find him since. I just got his new legal name and papers, but his foster fuck changed his phone number. I need you to find the new one.”
Instead of responding, Tim just stared at Jason for a few moments. The gaze felt heavy, uncomfortable. Jason shuffled in his seat before biting out, “What are you staring at, Replacement?”
Tim stayed frustratingly quiet for a moment before smiling. “Fine. I’ll help you find your brother’s phone number. You owe me at least three favors AND I get to be the first one to meet the kid after you find him.”
He drove a hard bargain. Sighing, Jason held a hand out. “You got yourself a deal.”
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Jason squinted at his phone’s too-bright screen. The text field remained frustratingly empty, the text cursor mocking him for his indecisiveness. Tim had managed to get and confirm the kid’s number pretty easy, so all Jason needed to do now was just send the first text.
Ha. As if it was ever that easy.
What the fuck was he supposed to say to the kid? Hey, it’s Jason. Sorry about your dead foster parents, wanna live with me in objectively the worst part of Gotham? No, Jason may be brash but he wasn’t fucking stupid. Danny was probably going through a shitload of different emotions right now. The last thing he needed was Jason barging in like an idiot.
For a moment, he wished Roy were there to offer some advice. Then he remembered that the asshat would probably just make fun of Jason for being too scared to text a fourteen year old. Fucking smug bastard.
His fingers moved, typing away and hitting send before he could torture himself over it anymore.
Hey kid, it’s Jason. :me
Great. Wonderful start. Jason groaned as he debated throwing his phone into a pit. However, before he could destroy his phone, a small ding caught his attention.
Danny: Who are you and how did you get this number
Ah. Right. As much as Jason knew who Danny was, there was no way Danny could tell that this random number was his big brother. At least the kid responded right away, lighting a small spark of hope in Jason’s chest. He’d have to ask why the kid was up at 3:37 AM later.
Ah, sorry, it’s Jason Todd :me
Your brother :me
Remember me? :me
Danny: My brother’s dead
Ouch! Danny really had to hit Jason where it hurt.
Danny: Again, who are you and how did you get this number
It’s really me, Jason :me
I promise I’m not dead :me
Danny: I read his obituary
Danny: I went to his funeral
Danny: Who the hell are you
Danny went to his funeral? How the hell did the kid swing that? Bruce hadn’t known that Danny was his younger brother, so how the fuck did Danny manage to get to the funeral of Bruce Wayne’s son? Either way, he must not have caught Jason’s miraculous return from the dead yet.
I’m the real Jason, I promise :me
I can prove it to you :me
Danny: How
I can tell you stuff only the real Jason would know? :me
Danny: Like what
Like how when you were a baby you had this blanket :me
It was baby blue with stars and moons all over it :me
You loved the fuck out of that thing :me
Danny: Most people have baby blankets
Danny: That doesn’t prove anything
You didn’t let me finish :me
You used to cry every time I had to wash it :me
When CPS took you, they forgot the blanket :me
I still have it :me
Danny: Prove it
Danny: Send me a picture
No time to waste then. Jason rolled himself out of his bed, blindly searching for his lamp. With a pull of the cord it clicked on, and he had to blink past the temporary blindness that came with suddenly turning the lights on. It was easy finding the box he kept all of Danny’s old stuff, cracking the floorboard open with an easy shift.
Pulling out the blanket, Jason noticed that it was starting to smell like mothballs and clothes stored for far too long. He’d have to wash it before the kid came to live with him. Still, for now he held the blanket up to his chest before snapping a quick selfie. It couldn’t hurt to send a picture of himself along with it, right? Jason knew he looked pretty different from his younger pictures, but maybe Danny could still pick out the similarities, just as Jason had when seeing Danny’s picture.
After he sent the picture, he found himself stuck in the three dot hell. Danny would type something, and then the dots would disappear. He’d start typing again, only to stop again. Jason was tempted to just call the boy when the text finally came in.
Danny: Jay-jay?
Something warm and gooey melted inside Jason’s chest. He could practically hear the hesitancy in the text, the tentative hope that came with finding a loved one long lost.
Yeah bud, it’s me :me
I’m sorry it took so long to find you :me
Danny: I thought you were dead
Danny: I saw your corpse
Ah yeah, that bit :me
Unfortunately, death didn’t really stick :me
I’m better now though :me
Danny: I can’t believe you’re real
You don’t have to :me
I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving it if you need me to :me
Danny: Are you still in Gotham?
Yep, still living in Gotham :me
Danny: I’m staying in Gotham with my foster parent for the next month
Danny: Could we meet up?
Jason’s smile could have split his face. Danny was here! In Gotham! He wanted to meet! Jason tapped up his response.
Of course, kiddo :me
How about we meet for coffee? :me
There’s a really great place just downtown :me
We could meet noon tomorrow, if you have the time? :me
Danny: I’d like that
Danny: I’ll see you tomorrow, Jay-Jay
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Jason ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his jacket. The autumn wind nipped at the passersby, but most didn’t give Jason a second look. His heart beat loudly, as if trying to escape the tightness growing in his chest. He checked his phone. 11:47. Good. He was going to get there ten minutes early, just like he planned.
The overcast skies left everything with a cool tint, clouds full and dark. It smelled like it was going to rain soon. Thank God Jason had suggested a coffee shop instead of a park. He didn’t want Danny getting caught in the storm and getting a cold.
As he turned the corner, he spotted a flop of black hair amongst the sea of Gothamites standing in front of the coffee shop. Damn, it seemed the kid had beat Jason to the punch. He felt in his jacket pocket for the baby blanket. At least he remembered to bring it.
Taking a deep breath, he called out, “Danny!”
The flop of black hair turned, and those baby blues were suddenly staring back at him. Danny’s grin spread across his face and Jason wanted to pinch those damn dimples. “Jay-Jay!” Danny ran, barreling straight towards Jason.
Knowing he was about to get an armful of 14 year old teenager, Jason planted his feet and held out his arms. Danny crashed into Jason, and the older used that momentum to lift Danny off of the ground, spinning him just so he could hear that tinkling laugh that sounded so much like starlight. When Jason set Danny down, the younger still clung on tight.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe you’re real,” Danny breathed into Jason’s chest, gripping Jason’s jacket like he’d disappear if he loosened his grip just a smidge.
Jason smiled down, hugging Danny back just as hard. “I’m as real as you are, kiddo.”
Danny sniffed before scrunching his nose. “Did you roll around in a dumpster before you came here? You smell like shit.”
Oh, this kid! “Hey! Did you want to meet me just to tell me I stink? You little brat—” Jason reached up, noogying Danny until the kid was begging for mercy in between peals of laughter. “That’ll teach you to insult your long lost brother.” With a glance, Jason began to usher Danny into the coffee shop. “Come on, we don’t wanna be standing out here like a couple of assholes when it starts pouring.”
As they hopped in the line and ordered, Jason found Danny couldn’t keep his eyes off of him. The kid was staring at Jason like he’d just found the last bit of hope in the world. Shit, maybe he had if Bruce’s hunch was right. Jason wondered how Dick dealt with the pressure of having someone look at you as if you hung the moon. Maybe he’d have to hit Dick up for a bit of brotherly advice, even if Jason hated the idea of asking Dick for anything.
Still, the more Jason observed Danny, the more concerned he got. His dark circles were bruise dark, like Tim’s got after a 72 hour research bender. The amount of espresso shots he added to his order concerned Jason, and he worried what would happen if Danny and Tim ever found out about each other’s coffee habits. At the very least the kid had ordered a ham and cheese panini when Jason prompted him to grab a snack. Danny was thin, concerningly so. Whenever his shirt shifted, Jason thought he caught a sight of a bruise.
Masters better steer clear of Gotham’s streets at night.
Jason grabbed them a booth near the corner but still near a window. Once they settled, Jason grabbed the blanket from his pocket. “Here, I figured you wouldn’t want to wait for the real reunion.”
Danny gasped. “Star blanky!” He snatched the blanket up, immediately holding it to his cheek like he would when he was a toddler. Jason’s heart ached for the years he’d missed with Danny. “I never thought I’d see it again! You really kept it this whole time?”
“Yep. In a little box with your first pacifier and your birth certificate.” Jason leaned a bit forward, hands wrapped around his far too sugary sweet drink. “Now, I’m pretty sure we’ve got some serious fucking catching up to do. Tell me what I missed.”
Despite living in a supposedly “quiet town in the middle of Nowhere, Illinois”, Danny spent the next two hours regaling Jason all about his life with the Fentons. They didn’t sound like the most nurturing parents, often getting distracted with their work and forgetting to care for some of Danny and his older sister’s needs, but clearly they had loved their children. Jason shushed the little voice in the back of his head that whispered about neglect. Danny had a not perfect childhood so far, but Jason was here now. He'd make sure Danny got everything he needed.
The majority of his stories surrounded himself, his two best friends Sam and Tucker, and his older sister Jazz. Apparently for the past year, ghosts had been infecting Amity Park.
“Ghosts? Really?” Jason wanted to believe his baby brother, but even he had limits.
Danny’s smile grew sheepish. “I know it’s not the most believable, but when they interrupt lunch for the fifth time that week you start to put things like disbelief aside.” Danny bit into his third panini. As thin as the kid was, he sure could pack food away. Jason would have to readjust his budget to accommodate Danny’s ravenous diet. “The worst one was the ghost who pretended to be the school counselor. She literally ate people’s positivity.”
“Shit, kid. How the hell did you survive your freshman year?” Jason had meant the question to be something lighthearted, an out for Danny to brag about himself or make a joke.
Jason felt his heart plummet as Danny looked him dead in the eyes. His face fell into a calculated blank stare. Whatever spark he’d managed to find in Danny’s eye fled. Without missing a beat, Danny said, “I didn’t.”
The world slowed down for a moment. Jason stared at his younger brother, questions and worries catching themselves in his throat. What the fuck did Danny mean by that? The kid had to be joking, but everything about him screamed the opposite. As much as Jason wanted to just brush the statement off, his time as Robin and Red Hood told him he couldn’t just leave it. Something was off here.
As if sensing Jason’s spiraling thoughts, Danny kicked Jason’s foot. “I’m joking. Clearly I survived just fine. My grades are shit, but I’m still kicking. At least I’m doing better than the rest of my family.”
Jason winced. “It sounds like you really loved them.”
Danny shrugged. “I mean, yeah. They were pretty good parents. Even if Jazz had to pick up the slack. The only thing I would have changed is adding you.”
Shit. Jason’s heart shouldn’t be capable of melting like this. The others were going to make fun of him so bad when they met Danny. “How’s your current foster treating you? I heard you managed to get a billionaire to take pity on you. Must be a family trait.”
Danny snorted, so Jason considered the joke a success. “The sooner I get out of Vlad’s creepy castle the better.”
“That bad?”
“He’s the worst.” Danny tore into his panini, continue to speak with his mouth half-full. “He’s a fucking fruit-loop who was obsessed with marrying my mom and making me his son. Since he can’t marry Mom now, he’s settling on getting his grubby claws on me.”
Jason nodded, chewing on the information Danny had just supplied. Clearly, any option seemed better to him than this Vlad. If Danny wanted out, then Jason was more than ready to give him that out.
“Hey, if you had the chance, what would you think about living with me?”
Danny paused and put the last bit of his food down. “You’re not serious.”
“Dead serious.” Jason smiled. “I can’t guarantee anything, but if you wanted, I can petition to take custody of you. I don’t have any of the fancy shit Vlad probably has, but I make a steady living and have a pretty good apartment. Plus, as your last living relative that’ll give me a couple extra points in our favor. Of course, you don’t have to—”
“Are you kidding? Of course I want to stay with you! This is like, one of my wildest fucking dreams coming true. Holy shit, I can’t believe you wanna take custody of me!”
Jason reached over, ruffling Danny’s hair. “Of course I want custody, you nerd! We Todds gotta stick together.”
Danny laughed, swatting Jason’s hand away. “Right… you’re right. Danny J Todd and Jason P Todd, reunited at last.”
“You kept the J?” Jason raised a brow. “Don’t tell me you’re Danny Josephina Todd?”
Scrunching his nose, Danny kicked Jason’s shin. For a twig, the kid could give a mean kick. “Of course not. I’d never live it down.”
“Okay, so what did you pick?” Jason’s interest only increased when Danny’s face flushed.
“I’m not telling.”
“Why not?” Jason leaned forward, grin growing at how Danny stuffed the last of his food in his mouth. “Are you embarrassed?”
“I am not!”
“Then just tell me!”
“No! It’s not important!”
“I’m gonna find out anyway when I get your paperwork.” Jason nudged Danny. “Do you want me to find out when I read the paperwork or do you wanna just tell me now and get it over with?”
Danny pouted hard enough to rival Damian’s pouts. With a huff, he mumbled something as he stared out the window.
“Sorry? I didn’t catch that.”
“Daniel J mun muh muh,” Danny muttered, still looking out the window.
“Still can’t hear you, bud.”
“I said, Daniel Jason Todd.” Danny’s ears were beet red as he glared at Jason. “I changed my name to Daniel Jason, happy?”
Oh.
Oh.
Jason’s eyes burned as he stared down at his brother. His baby brother who he was so sure would never remember him. His baby brother who had gone to his funeral, had mourned him. If the Pit Rage was Jason’s punishment for giving the finger to death, then maybe this was his reward for dealing with the rest of his shitty life.
Danny’s eyes widened in panic. “Are you crying?!”
“No,” Jason immediately denied, rubbing at his eyes, “I just got some fucking pepper in my eyes. Get your ass over here before I do something even sappier.”
Danny obeyed, sliding over to Jason’s side of the booth and slotting himself easily into Jason’s hug. Jason buried his face in Danny’s hair, soaking in the scent of head and shoulders shampoo. “If you ever need anything, you call me right away, got it?”
“Course, Jay-Jay,” Danny said, voice muffled as he snuggled deeper into Jason’s hold, “I missed you.”
Jason took a shaky breath. “I missed you too, bud.”
❅⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄❅⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄❅
The doorbell rang as Jason was just pulling dinner out of the oven.
“Be there in a minute!” he called. Strange, he wasn’t expecting anyone. Especially not at 6 pm in the alley. If people were going to bother him then usually they chose less appropriate times. Still, Jason set his lasagna on the stove top and shed his oven mitts. Peeking through the peep hole, Jason blinked as he opened the door to his surprise visitor.
“Hey Alfie,” he greeted the butler, raising an eyebrow at the clipboard Alfred held in his hands. “What’s up?”
Alfred smiled. “Good evening, Master Jason. I am here to conduct the mandatory house inspection to ensure that your abode is safe and satisfactory for Young Master Daniel’s care.”
Before Jason could respond to that, Danny’s voice floated over from the bathroom. “Jay-Jay, where’d you put my testosterone?”
“In the medicine cabinet!” Jason called back. He gave Alfred a smile before moving aside. “Well come on in. Danny and I were just about to have dinner.”
Nodding Alfred stepped primly into Jason’s apartment, slipping off his shoes as he went. “I did not realize that Master Daniel was staying with you.”
Jason half-heartedly shrugged. “He needed some time away from Masters. I offered to let him stay for the weekend. Already got permission from Masters to have him be here.” Granted they didn’t tell Vlad specifically who Danny was with. All the bastard knew was that Danny was staying with a “new friend in Gotham”.
Alfred smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but Danny interrupted once more. “Jay-Jay, I still can’t find it!”
Jason sighed. “Give me a minute, I’ll be right there!” Turning back to Alfred, he gave his best apologetic smile. “Sorry Alfie. Duty calls.”
“Of course, Master Jason. I will begin my inspection while you tend to Master Daniel.” Oh great. Jason didn’t love the idea of Alfred scoping out his apartment without him, but he knew that he’d have to let a stranger in to check things out if he went through with gaining custody over Danny. He’d just treat it as practice.
Swinging into the apartment bathroom, he found Danny frowning in a t-shirt and boxers. The medicine cabinet was open, stock full of everything Jason couldn’t fit into his various first-aide kits. Okay, so maybe keeping Danny’s t in the clusterfuck of his bathroom cabinet wasn’t a great idea.
Thankfully, after a few moments Jason found the tiny bottle. “There it is.” Snatching it up, he handed the bottle over to Danny. As Danny loaded the needle, Jason leaned against the counter. “Do you want help?”
Danny paused. Jason could see him swallowing down the ‘I can do it by myself’ that was most likely on his tongue. Taking a breath, he nodded. “Jazz used to do the shots for me. It’s easier if someone else does it.”
Nodding, Jason took the needle from Danny. “Well, lucky for you, but I happen to have the gentlest injecting hands this side of Gotham. Roll up your boxers, I need access to your thigh.”
Danny rolled up his boxer leg without protest. Jason knelt down as Danny sat on the toilet. For a moment, Jason wondered if this might have been a ritual they would have developed if they had been allowed to grow up together. Would Jason help a younger Danny through his t shots? Would Danny have cried at first, rather than biting his lip and clenching his fist like he was now? Baby Danny had always been a bit of a crybaby. Jason would have ribbed him for it, sure, but each successful shot would have come with something sweet for Danny to chew on.
Slowly removing the needle, a bit of blood beaded at the injection site. Jason reached over, grabbing a cotton ball from the cabinet under his sink and keeping pressure on the wound. He dropped the needle into his “potential biohazard” box and smiled up at Danny.
“There ya go. Feel more like a man, now?”
Danny scrunched his nose. “Shut up, you’re being corny.”
“Hey! I’m allowed to be corny, I’m your big brother.” Jason removed the cotton ball, smiling at the small scab already forming. “You better put some pants on before you go back out. We’ve got a guest over.”
“We have a guest?” Danny frowned as he unrolled his boxer leg, grabbing his shorts from the sink countertop. “I thought you said people don’t visit you often?”
“That’s still true, but I’ve got a whole bet going on with Bruce and Alfred’s here to help judge things.” Jason stood back up, heading back toward the hall. “Oh by the way, after dinner you need to take your binder off.”
Danny frowned. “Why? I haven’t been wearing it that long.”
“I know for a fact that you put that thing on as soon as you wake up. You’re already close to pushing 8 hours.” Jason poked Danny’s chest. “I get it, but I’m not dealing with your cracked ribs just because you refused to practice binder safety.”
Rolling his eyes, Danny finished putting his shorts back on. “Fine, dad. I’ll be responsible for once. Now get out, I gotta piss.”
Jason rolled his eyes as he left the bathroom. Was he that snarky as a teenager? To be fair, half of his teenage years had been spent under the haze of the pit rage. Jason supposed he was an outlier in teenage angst considering he’d literally died at 15 years old.
Stepping back into the living room, he found Alfred sitting on his couch and writing something down on his clipboard. The old butler looked up at Jason’s footsteps and smiled. “Ah, Master Jason. I was just finishing up my report.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “You already finished inspecting the place?”
Alfred nodded. “There was not much to make note of. You have put a great deal of care into renovating your abode to be more child friendly.”
“Ah, I mean, yeah. Couldn’t have Danny randomly coming across things related to the family business.” Jason rubbed his neck, avoiding looking Alfred in the eye. “It took a bit to refigure everything out, but thankfully a lot of stuff I could just move to a nearby safehouse for storage. Plus I’d just been using the extra bedroom as a storage room, so it was pretty easy turning it into a bedroom for Danny.”
“You truly wish to take him in, don’t you, Master Jason?”
Jason blinked at Alfred’s question. “Of course I do.” Sure, Bruce could have provided a decent home for Danny that allowed Jason to continue his cavalier lifestyle. However, Jason knew that he would have regretted it every time he went to visit. If Danny ever decided he wanted to live with someone else, then Jason would kill whoever he needed to kill to make it happen. However, something deep in his chest yearned to keep his brother close.
He'd lost Danny once. He didn’t want to lose him again.
Alfred looked Jason up and down, something like a proud smile spreading across his face. “You’ve grown into quite the young man, Master Jason.” With a click of his pen, Alfred finished whatever he had been writing on his clipboard. “I will let Master Bruce know that he should send his lawyers over to you posthaste. If you require any extra assistance in gaining custody over Master Daniel then please do not hesitate to reach out to either myself or Master Bruce. We both have a fairly extensive knowledge of custody laws, and may be able to provide some advice.”
Jason couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That was it? He’d passed. He stood with Alfred, following him to the door. “You’re not gonna stay for dinner? We’ve got enough for another plate.”
“Unfortunately I am running behind on making dinner for the residents of the manor so I must take a rain check on that, Master Jason.” Alfred slipped his shoes back on, dusting off his trousers. “Congratulations on passing all of Master Bruce’s tests, Master Jason. I wish you the best luck in the custody case.” With a nod of his head, Alfred left.
For a moment, Jason could only stare at the closed door. He was doing this. He was going to get custody over Danny. Sure, it wasn’t a sure thing yet, but Bruce’s lawyers were known to get results. Jason pinched himself, wincing as the world around him didn’t dissolve into a dream. This was real. He was going to have Danny back.
Smiling, Jason moved to the kitchen, dishing out their dinner and making sure they had enough for seconds and thirds. Now that he had found Danny and gotten Bruce’s approval, there was no way he was letting his brother go.
Vlad wouldn’t know what hit him.