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It's been snowing. Jason Todd, sporting his winter Robin costume, skids to a halt on top of the rooftop, kicking up snow which bursts over the roof's edge. He straightens up, panting as he looks over the street below.
"No fair, Robin," comes a ragged voice from behind him, followed by sharp breaths. "You do this, like, every night with Batman."
Chuckling, Jason turns around to pat Eddie on the shoulder, who is crumpled forward, bracing his hands on his knees. Ginger curls have fought their way from under his suit: they now sit plastered to his forehead. "I'm freezing, man," Eddie says, "and, I'm Californian. We're like a different breed when it comes to winter."
"Sure," Jason says, chuckling. "Got any more excuses?" Jason walks to the edge of the roof, overlooking the dim street below. He can hear the noises of the city, with each car horn, siren and car engine rumbling throughout the roads. Eddie stands beside him, stuffing his hair back under his hood.
"How long did you say you were in Gotham for?" Jason asks.
"For as long as Dan wants us here, I guess," answers Eddie, shrugging.
Jason nods. Wisps of steam leave both their mouths with each pant, swirling in the icy night air. Jason looks up, and notes, with a grin stretching across his face, that snowflakes are beginning to fall once more. "Look! It's starting to snow again." He exclaims, watching the snow drift towards him. "How cool is that?"
"Hot damn. The whole city's gonna be covered," Eddie says with delight, his eyes gleaming as they overlook the glowing city. He snorts, laughing.
The two stand there, shoulders brushing against each other, and feel the tiny patters of snow coating the tops of the heads. Jason loves winter: the snow, the crisp air, the hot chocolate Alfred makes, accompanied by marshmallows and cookies. And the snow in Gotham? It seems to blanket the whole bustle of the city.
"My hands are freezing." Eddie hisses, rubbing his red gloves together. "I'm not going to be happy if I leave Gotham with frostbite."
"It's not that bad," Jason says, readjusting his own pair of bright green gloves. "You'll get used to it after a while."
With each gust of wind, Jason can feel Eddie's shoulder skimming his own. Slowly, Jason turns his head to peer at him: they are almost the same height, with Eddie only being slightly taller. Eddie's eyelashes, thick and long, have been dusted at the ends by white sprinkles. Jason could - if he wanted to - lean forward, ever so slightly, and gently blow each of them off. Instead, he holds his breath, before looking away.
"I hope you get to come here more often," says Jason, decidedly staring at the orange lamppost below them. It flickers every so often, emitting a low buzzing sound.
"Yeah, me too." Eddie agrees. Out the corner of his eye, Jason can see Eddie fiddling with the fabric of his costume. "Atleast we have the letters."
Jason nods. "Course." Jason and Eddie have only met a small number of times in person. The vast majority of their conversations have happened over letters, for about the past year or so.
Several moments pass. Then. Gently, Jason feels Eddie's knuckles twitch against the back of his hand. He doesn't react, keeping his eyes fixated on the light. The breeze picks up; Eddie's fingers brush against Jason's gloves. A giddy, warm sensation is spreading in Jason's chest, despite the crisp, winter air in his lungs. He tries to ignore it. Eddie slowly, slowly twists his hand against the curve of Jason's, then he interlocks their fingers. Jason is suddenly grateful for the darkness of the rooftop. His mind races with variations of, Am I blushing? Fuck, I hope he can't see me blushing.
The lamppost flickers again. "You're holding my hand," says Jason softly.
Eddie wets his lips, exhaling deeply. "Yeah," he replies. "It seemed empty."
Gingerly tightening his grip around Eddie's hand, Jason ignores the fast beat of his heart hammering in his chest. Jason doesn't know that Eddie's own heartbeat is also quickening steadily in his own chest, whilst he fights against the gleeful smile tugging at his lips. Or that Eddie will be leaving in two days, flying back to San Francisco. He also doesn't know that in exactly four months time, Jason Todd will be dead.
For now, Jason can't care for anything that isn't the weight of Eddie Bloomberg's hand clasped in his own.
They're on a roof top when they meet again. There's no snow yet this time, but Jason still feels the cold as if there was. It has been that way for months now, ever since...
Jason's helmet is off, and he's holding it with one arm against his side. The sun is setting to the right of them, painting the sky with yellow hues; heavy, dark clouds descend from above.
"You're alive." The demon says. Jason blinks - the resemblance is there: the tone of his voice, the gap between his front teeth, the freckles cluttered across his nose. But he has red skin. It's Eddie, the boy he used to have a crush on, but now he has red skin, white hair, yellow, glowing eyes - and a tail.
He had done his research before agreeing to meet with the Red Devil. Still, seeing Eddie again, especially like this, leaves with him a sharp twang of nostalgia.
"Is that you, Eddie?" Jason asks nonetheless, tilting his head. He hates the sound of his heart thudding (almost smugly) in his chest, and tries to suppress the feeling that it's trying to crawl it's way up his throat. With some difficulty, Jason focuses on the chill in his bones and the ache of his muscles. It is all he can do to try to steady his breathing.
Eddie glances down at this body, at the steam rising off of his red skin. "Yeah. It's me."
Jason doesn't (can't) look at his face. He sets his jaw, confusion and guilt and sadness beseiging his mind from all angles. He frowns: "What - what happened?"
Awkwardly, Eddie scratches at his forearm. "I, kind of, made a deal with a demon. And then, this all happened."
Jason exhales deeply, (hopes Eddie doesn't notice) and gulps.
"It really isn't all that bad," Eddie clarifies. "I can like, breath fire. And stuff."
"Cool," Jason offers. Why is this so awkward? Jason wonders, before remembering that he has been dead for several years. And his childhood friend is now a demon. It's because you want to hug him. It's because you've missed him. It's because you've been so lonely and it seems like Eddie isn't disappointed to see you. It seems like, maybe, he's missed you too.
"You know, I really couldn't believe it." Eddie says. "When I heard the news."
Jason isn't sure whether Eddie is talking about his death or his resurrection.
"And you're like, the Red Hood now," Eddie continues. He flicks a strand of white hair from out of his yellow eyes."And you shoot people."
They've both changed so much, haven't they?
"Yeah, not so much anymore." Jason admits. He smiles lightly. "I wasn't exactly welcome at the family dinners when I did that.
Eddie purses his lips, taking a few steps forward. "I'm really sorry about what happened."
Looking away, Jason regards the sunset. "That was a long time ago," he replies. An ugly beat passes. He needs to leave, before Eddie gets any closer. "It was good seeing you."
"What? You're leaving?"
"Yeah, the sun's getting low," says Jason, looking down at his helmet. "Got shit to do. Crime to fight."
"Y'know, I was part of the Teen Titans for a while." Eddie informs him, but Jason already knew this. He stuffs his hands into his pockets. "I've gotten a lot better at fighting. Especially with all the demon powers and fire breathing. I'm like, badass now."
Jason's pulse begins to quicken. Don't ask to come with me, he silently begs, because I dont think I'll be able to say no.
"I could join you, if you want. Hang out like old times, right?"
Jason puts his helmet on. "Sure," he nods. "Red Devil and Red Hood, huh?"
Eddie walks to stand closer to Jason, grinning. "Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, but I'm pretty sure you copied me with that."
"Okay, Kid Devil."
Then, it starts to snow. The snowflakes are fat and heavy, landing with wet slaps on the roof's slabs. It most likely won't settle, and will all be melted away by tomorrow morning. Still, both Eddie and Jason glance upwards as they move to under some paneling for shelter, with Jason smiling beneath his helmet.
"Have you gotten used to the cold yet?" Jason asks Eddie, watching the snowflakes melt as soon as they land on his skin.
"Nah, I'm literally just a walking hot water bottle," Eddie snorts. "I fried an egg on my arm once."
"Of course you did," Jason laughs, ducking his head to hide his smile. The snow is beginning to increase in intensity, falling more like sleet now. Jason looks down at his hands, almost gray, and flexes. Prominent, dark blue veins stretch their way across his bruised knuckles. "I haven't been able to get warm ever since I came back," he confesses. There's a bitter taste in his mouth, and he isn't sure why he's telling Eddie this.
Eddie snorts, then reaches out his arm. "I guess I'll have to be your hand warmer now."
Jason glances at Eddie's hand, and is brought back to being Robin on that rooftop, with excitement and glee still in his lungs.
Greedily, Jason grasps Eddie's hand with both of his. He does so quickly, before he can convince himself not to. He rests his fingers along Eddie's wrist, feeling the surge of heat spread over his palms. Jason can feel that same heat bloom across his cheeks: again, he is grateful that Eddie can't see that he's blushing, over such a silly thing.
"Pretty neat, right?" asks Eddie, tipping his chin up with pride. He places his other hand over Jason's enveloping them with a soft heat.
Jason doesn't speak, out of fear he'll ruin this.
Eddie smiles lightly. Jason watches the faint freckles on Eddie's face. They're harder to see now, with the red pigment of his skin, but they are still there. Dotted across his nose, and circling his eyes.
"You're holding my hand," Eddie comments, his smile widening to a grin.
Jason laughs. "It seemed empty." He says. Glancing to the side, Jason watches the fat drops of snow plummet into the roof. He still likes winter in Gotham, evidently. He still likes Alfred's hot chocolate. But most importantly, he still likes Eddie Bloomberg.
Things have not changed that much.