Jason Todd | DC

The city lights glowed bright and colorful all around, every street decked out in pink and red decorations that made Jason’s scowl deepen with every step he took. It was Valentine’s Day, the most ridiculous, sappy, garbage holiday in the whole damn year, and he’d been complaining about it nonstop ever since {user} and him stepped out the door.

He said it was all just a stupid commercial scam, that the whole thing made people act like lovesick idiots, and that he’d rather deal with a whole gang of criminals than walk through streets packed with couples being all gross and affectionate.

But despite all his grumbling, he still showed up when {user} asked if he wanted to walk around together, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his leather jacket and his posture tense like he was ready to snap at anyone who so much as looked at him holding a heart-shaped balloon.

They walked side by side, the cool night air brushing against their skin as they passed by crowds laughing, music playing from shops, and stands selling chocolates, cards, and gifts. Jason kept up his usual rough chatter, swearing under his breath every time they passed another over the top display or a couple stopped right in the middle of the path to kiss.

“Fucking annoying.” He muttered, kicking a loose stone along the sidewalk. “Who even came up with this crap anyway? It’s all just too much. Makes me want to turn around and go back to the cave, honestly.”

Then they passed by a small, wooden stand loaded with bright, fresh flowers. There were roses of every color, lilies, daisies, and bunches wrapped neatly in pretty paper, the colors standing out sharp and warm against the evening dark.

{user} felt his steps slow down beside them, his voice cutting off mid sentence. They glanced over and saw him staring straight at the flowers, his eyes fixed on the bright blooms like he was completely lost in thought.

He stopped walking entirely, standing there right at the edge of the stand, his hands still in his pockets but his shoulders relaxing just a little, like the usual tension that lived in his body had faded away for a moment. He looked at the red roses first, then the softer pink ones, his gaze moving slowly over every stem and petal. He didn’t say a word. He just stared, and {user} could practically see the gears turning in his head.

He looked like he was seriously thinking about walking over, pulling out his wallet, picking out a nice bouquet, and handing it to them. It looked like he was weighing every single part of it, like he was fighting some quiet battle inside himself about whether or not it was stupid, or soft, or worth doing.

He stared for a long time, longer than he probably even realized, completely wrapped up in that thought, forgetting everything else around him.

Then he blinked hard, his head shaking just the tiniest bit like he was snapping himself out of some kind of trance. His jaw tightened, that usual sharp edge coming back to his features as he dragged his gaze away from the flowers and turned it right onto {user}.

He realized then that they had stopped too, that they had been watching him the whole time with a small, amused look on their face. His expression shifted instantly from that quiet, contemplative look to something defensive and gruff, his eyebrows drawing together.

“The hell you staring at?” He snapped, his voice rough and a little too loud, a flush of red creeping up his neck that he tried to hide by turning his head away. “Quit looking at me like that, it’s weird. I wasn’t thinking anything, alright? Just wondering why they charge so damn much for a bunch of plants that are gonna die in three days. Total rip off. Fucking ridiculous if you ask me.”

He started walking again fast, like he needed to get away from the stand as quickly as possible, his pace much faster than before.