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Like every year since he had clutched you close to his chest and asked you to be his, Jason began his Christmas shopping early so he could beat the inane shopping crowds who meandered in and out of his path. In any setting Jason always planned his particular route through the building — what shop to stop at when, which aisle has his wanted item, which counter is fastest to check out at — and with the holiday crowds he found his five-step plan constantly cut off by a gaggle of teenagers, too many stressed out mothers holding crying children, or meandering old people. That’s when Jason decided to begin his Christmas shopping at the very beginning of November, right as the Halloween decorations started to fall, and people were already bemoaning having to spend their time off playing family politics at Thanksgiving dinner.
When it was just him flitting around various shops at the mall or visiting special stores found off the beaten path, the matter was over and done with efficiently. Since having your daughters, however, Jason found the process to be a lot less streamlined. But despite the fact his daughters will find themselves at many times distracted by whatever child friendly attraction sits outside a store, Jason couldn’t help enjoying the day spent with his girls as they shopped around for gifts for their mother.
The morning of a particularly mild fall day, with you gone off to have a spa day with a friend, Jason lines up the girls at the front door tying shoes and zipping coats. Lined up from Jane the oldest to Catherine the youngest strapped to his chest, Jason places himself with an air of leadership before his followers.
“Does everyone know the game plan?”
“To buy presents!”
“Get mom gifts!”
“Food court lunch?”
Jason raises his eyes at the last one, giving Eliza a questioning look. She just shrugs and asks: “please?”
A sigh leaves his mouth, a hand coming down to rest over the curly strands of her head. “Elizabeth,” he begins. “Of course we’re going to the food court, what’s the point of hanging out with dad if we can’t get mall kebab?”
The girls around him cheer as he leads the charge outside to the minivan, sorting all of the girls into their booster seats — except for Jane who recently graduated to sitting in the front seat independently, and now plays DJ with skipping songs on whichever CD is being played.
For this ride, Jason’s thankful Jane has chosen to play an album by Hall and Oates, humming and tapping his fingers against the wheel as he drives them to the mall.
Parking his monstrosity of a car goes smoothly, and once unloaded from the car, the Todd’s finally enter the mall with Catherine strapped to his chest, Marie clutching onto his jeans, and Jane and Elizabeth arguing over some cartoon logic in front.
That morning over breakfast, Jason and the girls had brainstormed what gifts they wanted to get for you. He steered them away from wanting to buy household items or clothes, and had come up with a decent list of items to look for.
With his posse, Jason begins at one end of the mall and works his way across. Marie had mentioned wanting to buy you a book, so they walk into the book store first, the free roaming children — except Marie — immediately becoming more interested in the children’s section. With a guiding hand, Jason leads Marie over to a shelf filled with classics and points out the copies that don’t already find refuge in your home bookcases. Listening closely for the voices of his daughters — Eliza now arguing her earlier point about cartoons with Jane — Jason watches as his daughter chooses out three different books, turning and ask which one she should get.
“Why not all of them, huh? I think mom would like that.” Marie gifts him a wide smile, clutching the books tightly to her chest as they go to the service line. Jason calls to his other girls as one hand strokes over Catherine’s head, her consistent babbling into his chest making him thankful she was in such a good mood so far.
With the books bought and checked off the list, Jason carefully stores them in his backpack (which with the baby harness honestly makes him look like a pack mule), and lets Elizabeth lead the charge as he holds Jane’s hand in his left and Marie’s in his right. Elizabeth leads them straight to the games store, knowing her mother has a penchant for video games with many family nights spent on the Wii. As Jane and Marie take to patting various Pokémon plushies on the head, Elizabeth peruses the selection of games and merchandise. Jason is unsure what she’s looking for until she stops in front of a shelf of PS5 games and picks up a copy of Spyro. “This one!”
Jason grins down at her, shaking his head. “This is a PlayStation game Eliza, we don’t have a PlayStation.”
Eliza’s eyebrows furrow, the hand holding the case drooping. “Oh… want do we have?”
“We have a Wii, but we already have all the good games for it.”
Dejectedly, Elizabeth puts the copy of Spyro back. “I’ll look for something else, then.”
Jason crouches down as best he can with Catherine dozing against his chest. “Hey, how about this, why don’t we get a PlayStation, and a couple games? How does that sound.”
Instantly, Eliza’s demeanour changes, a wide grin taking over her face as she awkwardly wraps a hug around her dad’s shoulders (and in turn including her younger sister in the hug). Jason rubs a hand over her back with a smile. He can’t say no to anything his girls suggest, he’s weak like that. You had mentioned once having so many girls must be some divine intervention made as a punishment to bleed his wallet dry, but honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Why else does he make money if not to spend it superfluously on his wife and daughters.
Along with the PS5 and copy of Spyro, Jason throws in a couple of other games he knew you were interested in as well as buying small plushie keychains each that Jane and Marie had been eyeing up. After leaving the PS5 to be picked up when he leaves the mall later, and after securing the keychains to available loops on their clothing, they go off again, this time following Jane.
They enter a body cosmetics store, different strong scents of soaps and bath products almost making Jason’s eyes water. Jane leads them to different shelves, knowing you have a penchant for using different bars of soaps and body scrubs in your wash routine. She picks out two bars of soap and a scrub easily, looking at her father expectantly. He grins at her and reaches a hand out to pat softly over her braided hair, flyaways acting like a dark halo around her face. Out of all his girls, Jane knows she doesn’t even need to ask. Additionally, Jason grabs a gel wash he likes the scent of for you to use and pays for the items at the counter.
Having achieved half of their mission, the Todd’s walk in a neat formation, ducking and weaving meandering people as they make their way to the food court, ready to have lunch. Jason situates them at a table he can keep his eyes on at all times, and orders their usual from a kebab place.
Waiting for the food as he eyes his daughters playing some sort of hand game at their table, he leans down and gives Catherine a soft kiss on her downy hair, her baby babble into his chest soothing a part inside him that always softens around his daughters.
The food arrives quickly, Jason carrying it to the table and parcelling it out. As his girls eat he lifts Catherine from her chains and settles her on his lap, bringing out a container of solids to spoon to her in between bites of his own food. As he does this, the girls converse with each other through mouthfuls of food. It’s comical really, Jason Todd surrounded by chittering little girls and enjoying every moment of it with a serene smile on his face.
He hadn’t know just how much you would change his world when he meet you all those years ago. A certain look in your eye that immediately spelled out danger to Jason. A look that showed you knew the soft vulnerable parts of him which he usually kept hidden away. And he’s glad he didn’t run, allowing you to snatch him up in your snares and never let him go.
Once lunch is done and a food haze has taken over his daughters, Jason rounds them up for a final bathroom trip before traversing back to the car, picking up the PS5 on the way. The car ride is silent compared to the ride in, with Jane only silently swapping the previous CD for a slower, more lulling artist. Jason still plans to go back and buy you more Christmas gifts, but that will be for another day.
He alerts the dozing girls as he pulls up the driveway, giving Jane his keys to unlock the door as he hauls the gifts inside. You’re still away, so after laying Catherine in her crib he takes the opportunity to hide the gifts away in a tall cupboard space to wrap at a later date.
Bones feeling heavy despite today being far from the most physically demanding that’s been asked of him, he slumps down on the couch. The girls are quick to swamp him, Marie settling in his lap as Jane and Eliza cuddle up to his sides. As a last thought, Jason turns the T.V. on to play some 90’s Disney animated film and with a final look at the baby monitor to make sure it’s on, Jason dozes off on the couch with his head fallen back on the couch, both arms wrapped around his girls.
——
It’s the afternoon when you get back from your spa day, feeling utterly relaxed from your head to your toes. Unlocking the door, you walk your way into an uncharacteristically quiet house. You creep your way through, wondering if anyone’s home when you walk into the den to find your little girls wrapped around your darling husband.
Jason’s face is slack, drool running down his chin. Marie is snuggled into his chest, and Jane and Elizabeth lay with their limbs at odd angles despite Jason’s arms wrapped around their shoulders. Their quiet breathes fill the air, overshadowed by your laughs which you try to keep in, not wanting to wake them. You go up behind the back of the couch and lean over your husband’s face tracing the faint lines and stubble he recently decided to grow out. Placing a small chaste kiss on his forehead, unfocused blue eyes greet you when you lean back.
“Hey darling.” Jason croaks, his voice gravelly with sleep and eyes filled with adoration as he stares up at you.
“Hi Jay, have a busy day?”
He hums, eyelids blinking heavily.
“Thank you for watching the girls, I had a wonderful time.”
Jason reaches one hand up — much to the subconscious dismay of Jane when he lifts it off her — to reach up and stroke the side of your face. You lean into it, kissing his palm as he says “I love you, and I love our girls, you never have to thank me for getting the honor to spend the day with them.”
“I love you, too,” leaning down again you give him a kiss on the lips this time, his nose digging into your chin. “I’ll go check on Catherine, stay here and rest some more, I can start dinner.”
Jason gives you a dazzling smile, his arm returning to Jane’s shoulders before his eyelids droop once more.