copsormasks | etraya inbox.

( he wants to say it really wasn't that bad — that he's endured far worse than a dislocated shoulder, but. it's not necessarily about that. it's about a certain sort of fear jason has within him about such a thing happening and he can... relate to that. painfully so.

his one hand holds tight to the back of jason's head, while the other gently rests against the small of jason's back, careful in the way he moves that arm. he keeps jason there. quiet. watching as the elevator slowly arrives behind them. )

I got you.

( words soft, spoken into the dark strands of jason's hair. )

I got you, Jason.

[Jason shakes his head. It’s not about Bruce having him, it’s not about Jason’a insecurity.]

What am I supposed to do if you die?

[Jason’s shoulders shake at the thought, of Bruce with his back broken in an alley.]

( that's the thing. he's not afraid of dying. but others— people he cares about dying... that's what gets him. that's what angers him and upsets him and paralyzes him in fear. what he strives to never have happen again. to think that someone might feel so strongly about that with him... it's not new, given alfred being in his life, but. it's not anything he can claim to really think about much. or that he simply forgets is even a possibility.

so he holds jason a little tighter there — lets his gaze drift down in thought for a moment before he sighs gently and lets his eyes fall shut. )

I'm not going to die. Not anytime soon anyways.

( never mind that people apparently come back to life when they die here in etraya. it's not the point. )

[Jason can understand the reckless lack of fear of death. He’s stood on a roof with the explicit intent to die. Never mind the cast that is a very present reninder of a brush with death.]

Stop, then. Stop jumping. Or I’ll be up there with you.

( those words make his chest tighten. make his brows furrow and his throat go dry. jason's been through enough as it is. he doesn't need to drown in his own darkness with him. which, of course, makes him wonder if he's even capable of being what jason not only needs but deserves. )

I won't. Jump. I'm right here.

I mean it. [Jason pulls back to stare Bruce in the eye.] You go, I go.

[His good hand clenches the fabric of Bruce’s shirt.]

( in his mind, that's not an option for jason.

hand still resting gently on the small of jason's back, he other hand drops away from the back of the boy's head and he holds the side of his face instead as he stares right back at him. )

Then we stay here together.

[Jason’s eyes are rimmed with red and pink, glossed with tears. He nods and swallows.]

I’ll hold you to that, y’know.

I know.

( he would be surprised if he didn't, honestly. at that, however, he gives a nod to the elevator behind them. )

Let's get upstairs.

[Jason nods and presses the button to call the elevator. He keeps a finger tucked in Bruce’s shirt, just in case.]

Okay.

( if jason wants to hold onto him, he lets him, tipping his head back some as he looks up to the elevator. )

What were you doing before?

Not having a panic attack.

[Jason levels his gaze at Bruce.]

Other than that, reading.

( it's fine. he'll take that. )

Didn't find the stash of books I brought back, did you?

Am I not supposed to? [Jason hasn’t but that doesn’t mean he won’t pry.]

( he shrugs his good shoulder gently at that. )

Wasn't sure if I should save them for Christmas or not.

( to which he pulls the gate open with that good arm and lets jason step into the elevator first before he joins him to go back up to the penthouse. )

[Jason doesn’t step into the elevator. Instead he stares at Bruce, incredulous.]

Christmas as in?

[Jason’s chest hollows out as he asks,]

Christmas gifts? For me?

( he stands there with him, almost confused by the question. )

Yeah. I know you like to read, so I brought back what I could from that other Earth mission.

( you know. whatever could fit in the batmobile. )

[Jason goes quiet and his brows furrow.]

I’ve never gotten a Christmas present before.

[His parents only had money enough for drugs and his Bruce was always too busy for sentimentalities like Christmas.]

Bruce was always in London or Shanghai or wherever.

Well, I'll be here for it.

( like he was last year, which. hard to believe this will be his second christmas here. )

Just a thought.

[Jason doesn’t know what a traditional Christmas looks like. He knows what his Bruce’s Christmas looked like.]

Could we decorate?

If you want.

( he's not against it. christmases back in his gotham after his parents death had been... different. not as they once had been. )

Yeah, I do. [Jason finally steps on the elevator. He’ll need to come up with cash for gifts, but he’ll have access to his arm in a week.

He can do this.]

( he steps in with jason — closes the gate, pushes the button to take them up and stands there near him as they do. )

Then we'll decorate. Get a tree. Put it... somewhere.

Isn’t there room in the living room? I’ll pick up all the movies.

[A smile starts to pique Jason’s lips.]

But I want you and me to decorate, not some service.

Pretty sure the only service here are the bots.

( no hired help here by any means. )

Do you want to invite your friend over to help?

( chrissy, he means. )

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cw: mention of previous si

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