Young Justice One-Shots (Book #2)

Take Me From You #2 (Jason Todd)

[Art is not mine! Credit to M00n_Slippers]

Request By: Myself

Keys:
Y/N - Your Name
L/N - Last Name

Word Count: 1,376

Warning and/or Pre-notes:
- Definitely isn't as good as the first part
- Funeral
- Mentions of death

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The old manor is filled to the brim with people, all dressed in black. I've quickly learned to hate the color. Black is so dark, so threatening, so... empty. The feeling of the black fabric rubbing against me makes my skin crawl. I would have given Mr. Wayne anything in the world if he would have excused me from wearing the awful color today.
Cameras flash as I start walking down the marble staircase. The same staircase Jason rushed me up a week ago. The same staircase that leads to the same bedroom Jason sleeps - slept - in.
The posters were still hanging on his door when I walked past it. Alfred urged me to change in Jason's room saying that I'd be more comfortable in it. Saying that it would help me with my grief. I choose not to change in my boyfriend's old room. It would hurt too much. Seeing all his things, his scent filling my nose, feeling the warmth that always washes over me when I know he's close.
"Miss L/N! How are you dealing with your grief? Is Bruce Wayne still going to be in your life after the burial of your long term boyfriend? How do you feel toward the joker for killing Jason Todd? Did Mr. Todd leave anything to you?" Questions come from all directions as I slowly descend down the stairway. Unlike last week I can't hear the pitter patter of my shoes hitting the material.
When I step off the last step the room explodes into a lightning storm of camera flashes. Every news crew and paper reporter has shown up today to see how the famous Bruce Wayne will grieve for his lost son and because of my connection to Mr. Wayne through that lost son, I'm stuck dealing with the same publicity. I will say I am grateful that most of that attention will be aimed towards Bruce and Richard.
Richard gently waved me over to stand next to him. Bruce stands tall in between Alfred and Richard, refusing to let the public see him fall apart, even at Jason's funeral. I brush off Richard's signal and decide to walk around the grown men and take a firm standing next to Alfred. Alfred, the only god damn person in this aging house that actually loved Jason. Richard leans back, shielding his face from the people in front of us. I can feel him glaring at the side of my head but I ignore it.
"Miss L/N!" Comes the voice of all the people in front of me. I stand firm in my spot, my eyes focusing forward as I try to blink the tears away. "How do you plan to move on in your life now that Jason Todd is dead?" A voice comes from the crowd.
I'm not exactly sure who asked the question, so I do my best to look in the direction of the question. As I open my mouth the room goes silent. "I'm not sure," I answer truthfully, finally letting a tear slide down my face. "I never imagined my life without Jason and I never wanted to. Jason was - and alway will be - my soulmate. No matter how well a partner later on in my life treats me, I'll always compare them to Jason because..." I take a moment to steady my breathing and blink away the welling of tears that are making it hard to see. "Because Jason really did love me and I'll always love him."
The room explodes from my answer. A hundred more questions are asked and a thousand more photos are taken. Richard and Bruce take over the discussion with the paprizza, occasionally throwing a question or leaving an opening for a memory that they want me to fill in.
When Bruce has finally had enough questions he excuses us, waving for security to clear a pathway to the door so we can leave. Security does as they're told and soon enough we're all tucked away in the limo with Alfred behind the wheel.
"That was a good answer...for the paparazzi," Richard says, following it with an awkward cough.
"It wasn't a scripted answer, it was the truth," I hiss at Bruce's beneficiary before turning my head towards the window. I start gnawing at the inside of my cheek, hoping the men in front of me will leave the car ride silent. They don't.
"You look nice in your dress," Bruce tries carefully.
"Thanks, I didn't plan on wearing it to my boyfriend's funeral but seems you had other plans," I spill out, hatred laced in my words as I send Mr. Wayne a sarcastic smile.
"Alright," Richard says to try and cut the tension. It doesn't work. The rest of the ride to the cemetery is silent, at least until we pull into the driveway. "We do appreciate you coming," Richard says as I swing open the car door.
I stop in my tracks, the door hangs open and one leg out of the door. "I didn't go for you guys. If I would have missed Jay's funeral I wouldn't be able to live with myself," I correct Richard, finishing to climb out of the door.
I make sure to slam the door hard and right in Bruce's face before I walk towards the graveyard. I'm about two steps into the wet grass when I decide to slide off my heels and leave them on the aging road. For the first time today the men do something right. They both stand outside the car, leaving me to walk up to say goodbye alone.
I make sure not to waste my time, taking quick steps towards Jason's coffin. Right as my hand slides over the shiny wood of his coffin a camera flash goes off. "The paperize are here, Babe," I whisper towards the coffin. The wood feels smooth and waxy under my touch. "I'm going to miss you," I mumble, laying my head on the coffin and closing my eyes.
I stay like that, laying with Jason one less time, until Alfred walks up and touches my shoulder. "It's time Miss Y/N," He says gently, wrapping his arms around mine and gently pulling me away.
"Alfred, I-" I whisper, my eyes starting to get foggy.
"I'm going to miss him too," The old man says, cutting me off so I don't have to say the words. A flood of tears wash down my face as I turn around and hug Alfred, my head buried in his chest. Alfred runs his hand through my hair and softly hums to me. We stay like this through the memorial and the lowering of his coffin.
Alfred doesn't let go of me until it's time to start covering the coffin. Richard waves me up first, and this time I listen. I take small steps forward, feeling the grass flatten under my weight. The dirt is damp and crumbly when I reach my hand into the pile and scoop up a handful. I make sure to take longer than needed as I walk over to the hole that my soulmate will be buried in until the end of time. The dirt feels heavy in my hand as I let it slip through my fingers and cover Jason's eternal bed.
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The car ride home is silent other than Richard's anxious shuffling. Bruce is stone cold as he looks forward into the one way glass. They both leave me to think as I look outside the car window.
The sky is clear for the first time in months. Not a single rain cloud is anywhere to be seen. The sky is beautiful with different dancing colors. Blues and pinks twirl around each other towards the top of the sky. A dark red and submissive orange dance under them.
"You make a beautiful sunset, Jay," I mumble, pressing my fingerprints against the cold glass. "Please come visit me again soon," I plead with the sky as it slowly rotates, starting to hide away the light colors with the unforgivable red. A dark red cardinal flies past the car, giving me my answer. Yes I can almost hear Jason say as the bird disappears from my sight.