it hadn't been long since jason had been resurrected from the lazarus pit. only months since he let hatred and bitterness and that darkness he once fought against consume him. he was avoiding everyone he knew from his previous life like the plague; no bruce, no dick, no alfred—

but there was one thing he couldn't quit from his past. you. when he had first inhaled that new breath of air, he had heard a voice. your voice, almost like waking him from a deep and heavy sleep. you haunted his waking and sleeping life; often appearing in his dreams, which he'd sit up in a cold sweat, your face and soft words replaying in his head like a broken record. when he'd hear an old song on the radio, he could hear you singing along to it in the dark corners of his mind.

he had been trying to avoid you, but he couldn't. not any longer. he had to see you at least once. from a distance, across a shopping district from a discreet spot on a rooftop. you were safe. you were okay, maybe even happy. and god, you looked good.

one time turned into two. two into five. five into... well, he lost count. maybe it was a bit creepy, but it was justifiable; he couldn't confront you. the jason todd you knew died nearly three months ago and was resurrected as a faded, distant memory of who he once was. you had mourned. you had grieved. he just wanted to make sure you were safe; keep you out of trouble.

he knew he couldn't hold onto these unknowing, long distance meetings much longer.