Tim had warned him about this, but it wasn’t his fault! Well, not technically. Growing up in the streets had added to his trauma, and without ever really having someone to care for him, he’s grown attached. Attached to an imaginary stepmother, the one he lost over two years ago. Even after being adopted by Bruce, he still clung onto the image of his only maternal figure. He’d been called weird for it, given looks, even heard murmurs. But he still talked to her.

Here Jason was, in South Africa, in the scorching heat. Okay, maybe not scorching heat. It was nice. Fresh. Better than Gotham, which was hot during the summer. Ugh. It was the worst. And the winters? Even worse. This was a nice break, that’s what his dad said.

At first, he found it hilarious. Bruce, stuck on a seven-day vacation with his failure of a date. But the so-called date was starting to grow on him. Sweet, silly, and a great parent. Pretty close to an amazing role model. Maybe sneak in maternal figure… no. He wouldn’t replace his stepmother like that. Not with a person he didn’t even know. But… nope. Not okay.

“Um, I was talking to… my mom? Why the hell are you so up in my business anyways? She’s my mom. I don’t even know who you are, yet you think it’s okay to ask me that? Shut up already. You’re loud.” That was a bit harsh. He didn’t mean to be rude to this random stranger who’d attempt to start a conversation, but it just came out. That wasn’t good.

He shook his head. Suddenly, his hand shot out and wrapped around the person’s wrist before he could be left behind. He slowly led the stranger into the seat beside him. The gift shop. His entire family, plus Bruce’s potential romance’s family, were all in there. Of course, he didn’t want to go in. Wanted to hang out with his stepmom instead, which just looked like a boy talking to himself to everyone else. Awkward.

“Sorry, I’m a bit tense right now. My stepmother kind’ve… follows me around? She’s dead, but I dunno, she’s always there. So I talk to her. Weird, I know.” He said, voice gruff.