Chapter Text
The steady sound of freezing rain pelting the roof fills the room. Wind howls at the cracks in the wall and at the window. The storm drowns out most of the other typical Gotham noises: the roar of car engines, the honking horns, and wailing sirens.
Kneeling in the corner of the room, Jason nails a piece of heavy plastic-coated cardboard over one of the cracks in the wall that he had found. Using the butt of his gun as a hammer, he drives in the tacks. He sits back on his heels, assessing his work. The wind’s howl is more muted, and the draft of cold air doesn't seep in nearly as bad.
Satisfied, Jason pushes himself to his feet and checks the canvas tarp that is covering the singular window in the tiny studio apartment. Thankfully the tarp is still in place, doing its job of keeping out the worst of the elements.
Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes fall on his nest filled with pups. In the dim illumination of the half working strand of fairy-lights, Mara is propped up reading, with a quilt wrapped around her shoulders. Damian and Athanasia are both curled up together asleep under multiple layers of blankets. Tiny little Peter (Jason refuses to call him Respawn) is wrapped up snuggly and tucked against Mara’s side.
A warring mix of pride and guilt swirl in Jason’s heart. He is so proud of his pups, they are so strong, and smart and they never complain. But he is ashamed of how badly he is providing for them. His omega instincts cry for him to find a cleaner, warmer, safer place to nest with his litter. It breaks his heart, seeing his pups cold, underweight, and stressed.
Flicking off the overhead light, Jason pads over to the nest, the cold of the vinyl floor seeping through the holes in his socks. He adjusts the space heater, so it is aiming at the part of the nest the kids are in. Carefully he climbs onto the queen-sized mattress, making sure not to mess up the outer barrier of blankets and pillows that he had constructed to try to help keep the cold out and the heat in. The nest was still much too cold to be comfortable for such little pups. Jason determines that next time he is out he will find something to make the nest better.
Carefully he picks up Peter and tucks the 1-year-old against his chest as he lays down on his side. Peter’s one little hand worms its way out of his blanket burrito and latches onto Jason’s shirt. An amused purr stutters to life in Jason’s chest, as he pets the puppy’s blond hair. An adorable yawn pushes Peter’s mouth open, revealing a little pink tongue, and four sharp incisor teeth and the barest glance of canines coming in.
Peter had been chewing on everything lately. Everything. Nothing was safe. Especially Jason. The little ankle biter seemed to think the Omega was a perfect chew toy. It hurt Jason not physically but emotionally, because he knew the puppy was just in pain, and Jason couldn’t really afford to get him teething toys, or baby pain medication. So, for now Jason would just stick a damp washcloth in the freezer till it was stiff and let the little guy gnaw on that.
“You need to go to sleep, Mara.” Jason keeps his voice soft so as to not wake up the others.
“I’m almost done with this chapter.” Mara doesn’t even look up.
Jason knows he should probably get on to her for ignoring her omega’s request, but he couldn’t blame the girl. He himself would never stop reading in the middle of a chapter, so he wasn’t going to make her do it either.
Closing his eyes, he listens to the cozy mix of the freezing rain, the hum of the space heater and the soft breathing of his four pups. Just a few minutes later, he can hear Mara close her book and set it aside, before wiggling down under the blankets on the other side of Athanasia and Damian.
With all his pups safe and warm in his nest, Jason lets himself drift off to sleep.