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Title: Daddy Dearest
Summary: Jason and Toni discuss their dads.
Rating: T

Genre: Angst/Romance

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Dark eyes stared at her own reflection in a puddle, dark ashalt framing her against a background of gray skies. It wasn't raining, that would be way too cliche for the young hero. It was the aftermath of a rainstorm, the scent of cleansed earth mingling with the ever-present fumes of gasoline and exhaust. It was still a city, after all, she reflected.

It was common for him to be the one to find her, but she was the one to find him this time. He'd opened his door, out of his suit and into a pair of boxers and old T-shirt, bewildered to find, of all people, Argent, on his doorstep. Bewildered, in a sense not lacking pleasure, but lacking reason. He'd let her inside almost without hesitation--Argent asked to come into his home? It wasn't what he'd thought, but the companionship wasn't unaccepted.

Setting his breakfast before the two of them, he took one for himself, taking a bite of it without any form of condiment. His interests lay with Toni right now, rather than, say, cream cheese. "It's now six in the morning. Do you know where your superhero is?" He smiled a little at her, earning himself one in return.

"I'm just having problems with my dad," She admitted. "No one's arround to talk to...Jinx is off with Kid Flash, and Issiah left yesterday." She took a bagel, after a moment of thoughtful hesitation. She seemed almost reluctant in a fashion, like she was just eating due to some unknown obligation. Issiah? I think she assumes I know these people. He didn't protest, she seemed upset enough. "When I was little, I was always 'Daddy's little girl'." She leaned back against the couch, closing her eyes and letting multicolored locks fall across the fabric. "After he found out I wasn't really his kid, he still acted the same way he used to, but it wasn't the same. He looked at me like..." Her voice seemed to give out with her pain. "Like I was a freak. Or he'd say things and smile, but not with his eyes."

He nodded a little, tearing off another hunk of bagel. "My dad ditched when I was little. I never really found out where he went." There was sorrow playing across her face now.

"I'm sorry...which always sounds so fake, but it's true." He glanced back at her. She was one of the ones that didn't pretend that they understood you, or try to put you on their level, one of those 'I'm suffering too' types. Then again, Argent probably never would be. "Do you miss him?" She added, nibbling on her bagel.

"In a way," He replied. He'd found out his dad was dead, but didn't want to go through the whole pity-me routine. "I was young, though, and I always had to worry about my mother." He peered down at Argent, hoping that wasn't a bad thing to say. All those hero types were always family-less. "Wait...do you have a mother?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she's in New Zealand. She stopped returning my calls after Dad was arrested, so I haven't talked to her recently." Jason stopped chewing to look back at her, before swallowing the lump of bread.

"Arrested?" He looked down at her, with those gorgeous blue eyes. Nyahhh, she was such a sucker for those eyes. Despite herself, she wished he'd take off the mask more.

"He started dealing drugs, and I had to turn him in," She whispered. "Now he hates me. He won't even let me talk to him. And I think my mum's mad at me too. I just feel like such a screw up, you know? And the Titans know each other, for the most part. I don't know where I belong."

"Guess that all started with Daddy Dearest..."

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A/N: This one turned out to be really, really long.

Huh.