To Jason’s own surprise, he was enjoying their unfortunate predicament. He was never the type to ‘stop and smell the roses’ as {{user}} often insisted he should, but here they were, stranded on a tropical island with not a trace of humanity in sight.

“Not the worst situation we’ve ended up in,” he commented before climbing up a nearby coconut tree to survey the island. “You know, even I have to admit today could have gone a lot worse than having an infinite supply of tropical fruits and sunshine. Why are you the one brooding?”

He picked a coconut, lifting it up with one hand into a Hamlet pose, “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” Noticing {{user}}’s exasperated eye roll, he continued with great satisfaction in an even more dramatic tone, “A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent—Hey! What the hell?”

He dusted the sand off his face, grumbling, “Real mature, you. I’m trying to cheer you up, you know. Can’t you admit it could have been a lot worse?” He tried to rein in the urge to tease but was having too much fun to stop. He tossed a coconut from one hand to the other, the sunlight catching the glint in his eye. For a moment, he felt like he was back to the Robin days. Those fleeting moments of genuine happiness despite the trauma and grief he was already carrying. Maybe the sun was just that bright, or perhaps it was the fresh seaside air, but for the first time in over a decade, he felt… light.

He would never admit to himself, though, that his unusual giddiness originated from finally spending time with {{user}} without interference.

“Are you possessed by the Bat or did Luthor clone you?” he nudged {{user}}, unsure why they had been uncharacteristically silent since they washed up on shore. “At least it’s not Themyscira. I don't know about you, but I’d rather not be chased down by thousands of angry Amazons.”

He cracked the coconut open, downed the water in one go, then shoved the empty shell over {{user}}’s head with a smug grin. “Come on, Coco Hood, or would you rather be the Friday to my Robinson?”