Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Jason was four years old, his mom kicked him out of their apartment for the day. He can remember her exact words to this day, “Jason, go play or whatever the hell it is that you kids do nowadays.”, as she pushed him outside so she could get high without being interrupted. Jason also remembers the young girl that he bumped into, the same girl that would become his best friend, his soulmate. Aurora was one of the Crime Alley kids that didn’t have a last name, she just went by ‘Aurora’. Jason was one of the lucky ones who got a last name, got an apartment to live in, a parent that was at least sometimes there.

From that day on, Jason and Aurora were inseparable, one was always seen with the other. They were always seen doing everything together, playing in the Alley, stealing snacks from the small convenience store, always doing anything and everything together. It didn’t come as a surprise when the duo was caught at nine years old stealing the tires off of the Batmobile, but it did come as a surprise when only Jason accepted his offer to move into the Manor with him, to start a new life outside of the Alley.

This doesn’t stop Jason from convincing Bruce to allow Aurora to visit him at the Manor, and every weekend, the two young children are heard yelling and running through the Manor’s halls, much to the amusement of Bruce and Alfred. The years trail on, as the two children turn into tweens, and the faithful day comes when thirteen year old Jason is offered the opportunity of a lifetime…becoming the second Robin. Of course, Jason says ‘yes’, excited to work hard to give Aurora a better life in a safer Gotham, outside of the horrors of the Alley.

Aurora was the first person to know the truth, to hold this sacred secret to her chest, as she gets to watch her best friend become a better person for himself and for her. Jason makes his first promise as Robin to her…that he would get her out of the Alley, to make a better life for her. Aurora remembers smiling at this, as she gave Jason a small kiss on his cheek, which, to the thirteen year old boy, was a big achievement. A year into his work as Robin, Jason comes to Aurora one night in the Alley, dressed in his Robin costume, to ask her one big thing.

Jason asked Aurora to move into the Manor, to live there with him and Bruce, to provide a sense of comfort, of safety, to the young teenage girl. Of course Aurora agreed, the chance to live outside of the Alley, in a real home, with her best friend? Why would she say no? Aurora moves her few belongings in the next day, and she is ecstatic to learn about her new home. She gets her own room, a huge, private library, all the food and warmth she could want, everything a Crime Alley kid could ever want.

As the years go on, and the two tweens become young adults, their relationship grows into something further than their friendship. Aurora was the first to notice this, as she corners Jason in the Batcave one night and kisses him, definitely not noticing Bruce, and Dick who’s visiting from Bludhaven, watching them. Jason is surprised, but not turned away by it, as he smiles at her and kisses her back, only stopping when Dick draws their attention to their small audience with a sly comment.

The two seventeen year old's develop their relationship, spending time with each other during the day, and Jason fighting crime at night, to protect Aurora and their city. Jason loves being able to call Aurora ‘his girlfriend’, and not just his best friend. Bruce and Dick now make it a game to see how far they can go with their teasing before Jason either throws something at them or Aurora butts in. Jason can’t help but smile at their antics, Jason hasn’t felt this free since he was a child, since he first met Aurora.

…Then came Bosnia…and the explosion…and Jason coming home in a sealed, wooden box. Bruce apologized time and time again for something he couldn’t control, like he could know that the Joker had rigged the building to explode, like he had known that the Joker wanted Jason dead. This doesn’t stop Aurora from completely shutting down, not eating…not sleeping…not smiling…not being her. Bruce and Dick tried for weeks to bring her back to her old self, but it took a surprise no one could have expected to bring her out of her slump.

On a dreary fall day, as Aurora watched the love of her life being buried into the ground, she places a shaking hand over her stomach. That morning, she had gotten sick again, even though she hadn’t been eating the past few days due to her grief. Dick and Barbara, who had came home for the funeral, noticed her constant morning illness and suggested something Aurora hadn’t thought possible in her young, seventeen years on Earth…she may be pregnant.

Barbara had gotten her a test that she kept stashed in one of the Manor’s bathrooms, and five minutes later, Aurora was clutching the positive test in her hand, as she sobbed into Dick’s chest. Aurora cried for many reasons that day, losing the love of her life so violently, learning she was pregnant with his baby, realizing she was going to have to do this all by herself at only seventeen years old.

Aurora, of course, told Bruce, expecting the man she learned to love as a father figure to kick her out. She was surprised when the man not only let her stay, but also said he’d support her the whole way. Aurora cried even more that day than she did on the day of the funeral, as she let Bruce hold her tightly, not caring that her tears were ruining his thousand dollar suit.

Nine months pass too quickly, and on February 4th, Peter Todd was born in the early morning hours. Named after his father, Aurora clutches her son to her chest, the eighteen year old smiling at her son. That day, Aurora promises to protect her son, to never let him live without knowing who his father was, and all that he did for her.

Five years pass, and the young twenty-two year old mom is walking home one night, exhausted after a day out shopping for her son. As she crosses the street, deciding to use an alley as a shortcut, Aurora is suddenly shoved against a wall, a would-be mugger attempting to take her purse from her. Aurora starts to scream, hoping that Bruce, Tim, the newest Robin, or Dick who’s been visiting Gotham lately, is nearby and hears her screams.

Aurora is saved by a vigilante, but not one she’s grown up knowing, the man that drops down in front of her and the robber is dressed in Kevlar and a red helmet. Aurora freezes, so does the robber, as the masked vigilante quickly rips the robber away from her, tossing him against a dumpster. Aurora screams as the masked vigilante pulls out a gun, but he doesn't shoot the guy, he uses the butt of the small handgun to knock the guy out, before he turns and makes sure Aurora is okay. As she shakenly stands up, the masked vigilante appears to want to say something, but Aurora’s phone rings, she see’s Dick’s contact, and quickly picks up the phone.

Aurora can hear her son whining on the other side of the phone, as Dick explains that Peter has suddenly woke up from his nap with a fever. Aurora, worried for her young son, turns to explain to the masked vigilante but when she turns, she is alone in the alley. When she arrives home, she is greeted not only by her sick son, but also by a distraught Bruce and Dick. When Aurora asks what happened, Bruce and Dick hesitate to answer, but when they do, Bruce explains that they had run into the Red Hood the night before.

Aurora is shocked by this, the Red Hood was a new anti-hero that had seemingly taken control of the local drug dealers and small-time gangs in Gotham. When Aurora asks what happened during the encounter, Dick mentions that the Hood was able to cut through Bruce’s wire before it went taunt, something only someone trained like a Robin would know how to do. Aurora is confused, as Bruce hands her a tablet displaying the results of a blood test. Aurora, thinking this is one Bruce did for Peter, starts to thank him, but Dick stops her and explains that the blood was taken after the fight with Red Hood.

Dick scrolls to the bottom of the page and shows her the DNA results…which are a 99.9% match to Jason…her Jason…her dead and buried Jason. Furious, Aurora starts to berate them for playing such a cruel prank on her, but as Dick calms her down and explains that this isn’t a joke, that the results are real. Aurora, still thinking this is a joke, starts to cry, yelling at Dick and Bruce, before Bruce shows her a video he had collected during the battle, a video in which she can hear Jason’s voice taunting Bruce.

This is all the proof Aurora needs, as she finally believes them…her Jason is alive…and she had already seen him…her Jason was the Red Hood…the man who has saved her from the robber that night.

Chapter Text

“Go outside, Jason, go play or whatever the hell it is that you kids do nowadays.”, Jason’s mom, Catherine, says, practically pushing him out of the door. Jason knows she doesn’t really want him to go play, she just wants him to leave her alone so she can get high without him bugging her. The four year old rolls his eyes, stepping off the steps of his rundown apartment building in the Alley, not noticing the young girl his age running down the Alley. Jason bumps into her, about to angrily say something to her, when he turns and actually looks at her. Her dirty blonde hair, the ocean blue eyes, the small dimple on the side of her mouth as she smirks at him.

“See something you like?”, Aurora giggles, as she helps Jason stand up. Jason is speechless, something the young boy hasn’t been since he learned how to talk. “Ya mute or something?”, Aurora giggles again, as she leans against the wall behind her. Jason finally realizes she’s talking to him, as he shakes his head, “N-no, I ain’t mute, just…”. Aurora raises an eyebrow, something no normal four year old does, “Just?” Jason thinks for a second before replying, “Just surprised, never seen you around the Alley before.” Aurora smirks again, “Ain’t that the point? To not be seen, or heard?”, Aurora says.

Jason chuckles at this, a smirk crossing his face in return. “True, what’s your name?”, he finally asks. “Aurora, and you are?”, the young girl replies, stepping closer to Jason. “Jason Todd, nice to meet ya.”, the four year old sticks out a hand. Aurora, eyeing his gesture, giggles for a second before she shakes his hand, “Nice to meet ya too.” Jason and Aurora smile at each other, knowing that this singular handshake, this singular moment, just intertwined their lives, and now deity could separate them now.

From that day on, Jason wasn’t seen without Aurora at his side, and vice versa. The new duo was always causing chaos together, be it messing with the older kids in Crime Alley, stealing snacks and drinks from the local convenience store at the corner of the Alley, or just hiding from everything on some random roof. Aurora was the one who introduced Jason to stargazing when they were six years old, and on his ninth birthday, the two found themselves on the rooftop of Jason’s apartment building at midnight. “Happy birthday, Jay!”, Aurora says, handing him a small, badly wrapped present.

“I know it’s not much but-”, Aurora starts, but Jason cuts her off, “Anything from you is great, Aurora.” Jason whispers, already opening the small gift, revealing a small, homemade chain bracelet. “...It was my dad’s, whoever he was, I had one of the pawn shop owners size it down to fit your wrist.” Aurora whispers, helping Jason put the bracelet on. Jason smiles as she explains the gift and helps him put it on, wrapping an arm around her shoulders after. “It’s perfect, Aurora, thank you, really.” Jason whispers against her temple, leaving a small kiss on the side of her head.

Aurora giggles at the kiss, as the nine year olds lay back against the rooftop, pointing out constellations and telling each other the stories behind them. The two school age kids can feel themselves relaxed as they enjoy the mid-August night sky, their small hands intertwined with each other. “...Jay?” Aurora whispers, turning her head towards Jason, biting her lip, a nervous habit. “Yeah, ‘Rora?” Jason replies, facing Aurora, gently tugging her lip out from in between her teeth.

Aurora takes a deep breath before responding, “...Do you think…that we’ll be friends forever?” Jason is surprised by the question, before he chuckles, nodding his head. “Yeah, Aurora, we’ll be friends forever, I promise.” The young boy says, holding up his pinky finger, a silly tradition that Aurora started with him. Aurora feels herself smiling wide, before she wraps her pinky around Jason’s, “I promise.” Aurora whispers back, sealing their promise.

Her whispered promise makes Jason smile again, as they both return their gaze to the sky full of stars, a rare view in Gotham city. Aurora had brought a small comforter and basket of treats for the two to share, making the two nine year olds drowsy, as the night transitions into the early morning. As the sun starts to rise, Jason starts to stir, noticing a small weight on his chest. He gazes down and sees Aurora sleeping on his chest.

Jason carefully plays with her hair, not wanting to wake her up just yet. He knows how difficult it is for Aurora to truly relax and let herself sleep around other people, even Jason. So knowing that she allowed herself to relax enough to not only sleep next to him, but to be comfortable enough to lay on him, Jason counted it as a win in his book. He continued to play with her dark hair, gently wrapping a curl around his finger. Aurora loved to joke that Jason would use her curls as a fidget, a claim that Jason has yet to deny.

August turns into September, which turns into October, November, and then December, Aurora’s favorite month. Jason had been spending the past few weeks looking for the perfect gift for his best friend, but just when he thought he had found the right thing, something else even better would catch his eye. It’s two days before Christmas Eve, and Jason still hadn’t found a gift, dismayed, Jason was walking through the Alley, peering into the many small shop windows. Suddenly, he spots the perfect gift for Aurora, a bright smile on his face, he enters the store and quickly pays for the dish.

Now, the two young friends are meeting each other on the rooftop of Jason’s apartment building, just like they did on Jason’s birthday, though this time they’re bundled up in their winter clothes. “Merry Christmas!”, the two tell each other, holding out their gifts for one another. Aurora giggles as she takes her gift from Jason, eager to open the wrapped present. Jason also chuckles, accepting his gift from Aurora, “Go ahead, open it, ‘Rora.” Jason says, noticing the eager look on her face.

Aurora shrieks in excitement, she always did love receiving gifts from Jason, as she quickly tears the wrapping paper off the small gift box. She bounces on her feet as she opens the gift box, gasping as she looks inside. “...Is this…”, Aurora whispers, pulling out a first edition copy of her favorite book. She had lost the original book when her ‘families’ apartment flooded a few months back, so seeing that Jason had somehow managed to find her another copy, Aurora could feel the tears building in her eyes. “Heh, don’t cry, sweets.” Jason whispers, brushing his thumbs under her eyes.

Aurora lets out a watery chuckle, “How did you find this?” She asks, lifting her head to look at Jason, who was smiling proudly. “Would you believe me when I say I found it in a local pawn store for a few dollars?” Aurora shakes her head with a small laugh, making Jason laugh as well. “Want me to read some to you?” Aurora offers, already flipping through the book. Jason nods his head, before he remembers his gift in his hands. “Let me open this first, then you can read a bit to me.” Aurora nods, excited to see Jason’s reaction to his gift.

By this point, they have both sat down on the rooftop, allowing Jason to carefully open his small gift box. Jason chuckles as he peers inside the box, pulling out a dark red and black hoodie. “You mentioned that your other one was getting too small, so I found you another one at a local thrift store. Don’t worry, I already washed it, so you can put it on if you want!” Aurora excitedly explains, hoping Jason likes his gift. Jason smiles at her, before doing something unexpected, he takes the hoodie and puts it on over Aurora’s jacket.

“...you’re right, it does fit nice.” Jason chuckles, as Aurora blushes at his actions. “Wha-Jason! This is your gift!” She says loudly, making Jason laugh louder. “I know, but I also know that in about two weeks, that hoodie will ‘disappear’ and you’ll ‘find’ it and keep it.” He explains, making fun of Aurora’s habit of stealing Jason’s clothes. “...I hate you sometimes.” Aurora whispers, a deep blush on her face. “No you don’t.” Jason chuckles again, making Aurora swat his chest.

Jason laughs even louder at this, wrestling with Aurora for a minute, before pulling her onto his lap. “I believe you promised to read to me.” he whispers against her hair. “Only because we have nothing else to do.” Aurora mumbles, opening the book, “...In the beginning…” The two spend hours reading the book, making it halfway through the story before the Gotham cold becomes too much and they escape inside for hot chocolate and cookies, courtesy of Jason’s kind, older neighbor who treats the two as her unofficial grandchildren.

Winter finally gives away into early Spring in mid-March, as the snow and sleet finally melt away. This allows the two young friends to finally exchange their hangout spot from the apartment building for the local park. Aurora is laughing loudly as Jason pushes her on the swings, the fresh air and warmer weather making everyone spend the day outside instead of locked up in their homes. Jason and Aurora had spent the day outside since the sun rose, having breakfast at a local diner that gives them free pancakes, before packing a bag of snacks and spending the day at a local park.

“Higher, Jay, higher!”Aurora shrieks, her curls flying in the air with each push. Jason smiles at her, pushing her higher. “You’re gonna be in the clouds if I push any higher!” Jason jokes, laughing with her. Aurora doesn’t care, she’s just enjoying the day with Jason, being able to just be kids. The two spend the day chasing each other around the park, playing a mix of Hide and Seek and Tag, eating all the junk food they brought, and as the sun sets, chasing fireflies through the trees.

As the stars start to emerge, Jason starts to lead Aurora home, they notice something parked outside the Alley. “...is that…” Aurora whispers, pointing at the well known vehicle. “...It’s the Batmobile.” Jason mumbles in awe, as Aurora carefully runs her hand over the vehicle. “...Hey Jay? I got an idea.” Aurora whispers, a mischievous look in her eyes. Jason smirks, “Already ahead of you, ‘Rora.” He replies, tossing her a lug wrench. Aurora catches the wrench and they both start to rob the Batmobile of its tires.

The two are too busy giggling as they work to notice the massive shadow behind them until the shadow clears its throat. Aurora and Jason both jump, before slowly turning their heads and facing the shadow. “...Jay, that’s-” “Batman, yeah.” Jason replies, stepping closer to Aurora, standing in front of her almost protectively. “...did you two just rob me of my tires?” Batman asks in a gruff whisper, making Aurora flinch, which doesn’t go unnoticed by the two males. “So what?” Jason asks, not afraid to face the feared Bat.

“Huh…that’s new.” the Batman mumbles, smirking as he steps closer. “What do I gotta do to get them back?” Batman genuinely asks, surprising the two young children. “...What should we say, Jay?” Aurora whispers just loud enough for him to hear. “Let me deal with it, okay? Just stay behind me…and don’t drop the wrench.” Jason whispers back, stepping closer to Batman.

“...we want out of the Alley.” Jason bravely says, stepping closer to the Bat. This makes Batman raise an eyebrow, “You’re both Alley kids?” he asks, surprised. Jason and Aurora nod their heads, as they both stand close to each other. Batman thinks this over for a second, before nodding his head. “Okay, I’ll get you out, I have a…friend, he can take care of you guys.” he explains, making them both smile a bit. “Jay! You’re gonna get out!” Aurora excitedly says, shaking Jason slightly.

Jason chuckles at her excitement, before he realizes what Aurora said, “Wait, what do you mean? Aurora, do…do you not want to come with me?” Jason whispers, turning to face her. Aurora has a soft smile on her face, as she gently cups Jason’s face, “...I’m not meant for life outside the Alley, Jay. You are though, you can go and live a better life, for both of us.” Jason shakes his head, gently wrapping his hands around her wrists. “No, no way, I’m not leaving without you!” Jason says, tears building in his eyes.

Aurora carefully wipes away his tears with her thumbs, kissing his cheek softly, “Go live for us, Jay.” she whispers, looking back at Batman. Jason shakes his head again, his tears falling faster, “N-no, I can’t, can’t just leave you! I need you, Aurora!” Jason shouts, wrapping his arms around her. Aurora gasps at his sudden hug, before she wraps her arms around him in return. “Jay, it’s okay. You could always come visit me, or I can come visit you.” Aurora whispers against his hair, gently scratching his back.

Jason’s tears start to lessen, as he nods his head against her shoulder. “...you promise?” Jason whispers, holding up his pinky. Aurora giggles, before she wraps her pinky around his, “Promise.” she whispers back. The two unwrap from around each other a few minutes later, Aurora cleaning Jason’s face, before leading him to Batman. “I promise that you two will see each other again soon.” he says, and the two young friends can hear the honesty in his voice. “...Be safe, oaky?” Jason whispers to Aurora, “Only if you do the same.” she replies, hugging him one more time. Jason nods his head, before climbing into the Batmobile with Batman, he must have put the tires back on while Jason and Aurora were having their moment.

As the Batmobile roars to life, Aurora stands to the side, waving at Jason until the Batmobile is out of sight. “...I love you, Jay, be safe.” Aurora whispers into the night sky, before she walks away into the Alley.