#and ives knowing tim is lying to him and has been lying to him for YEARS actually has an impact on their relationship. unlike some comics--

[mamawasatesttube]

it shouldve been ives........... man.......

[gerryrigged]

wait wdym dc didn't stick with Red Robin for Tim [and the de-aging thing?] what are they calling him if not RR?

He's been Robin again since 2019 😬 it's a bit more complicated but that's the gist of it.

Okay so Tim became Red Robin in the 2009-2011 series of the same name, back in the post-Crisis timeline. He was supposedly 17 at the time, by official records, and I believe he was still supposed to be 17 when the universe was rebooted with Flashpoint in 2011? (Although this doesn't really make any sense with respect to jamming the huge number of events that happened while he was Robin into like four years, if he was supposed to have become Robin at 13; he should probably at least be 18 if not 19-20).

The Flashpoint reboot took us into the New 52 (much beloathed), where nearly everyone was de-aged to some extent to keep Bruce Wayne and his generation from getting ~too old~, and also Tim Drake was mangled into a completely different character who had never been "Robin"; he'd been "Red Robin" right from the start of his vigilante career. He was de-aged to 16 for the New 52 Teen Titans series.

Teen Titans (2011) #0; as you can see, this version of Red Robin kept a version of the bandoliers and gave Tim a fancy new functional wing cape that he could fly around with.

Next, Rebirth in 2016 was a partial reboot that brought back some aspects of the post-Crisis timeline; tbh I'm not an expert on this period. What I do know is that Tim mainly appears in James Tynion IV's run of Detective Comics that ran from 2016 to 2018. During this period Tim was still called Red Robin, but he'd basically reverted to a Robin costume, with only the silly doubled "RR" symbol identifying him as not ~actually~ Robin winkwink nudgenudge, and as I understand it he was mostly back to functioning as Bruce's partner.

Tynion's run ends in Detective Comics #981 with Tim telling Bruce that he's going off to Ivy University. (He's totally lying, as Tim Drake does; Alfred notices that his tracker is going off in the opposite direction of the university, but Bruce is like "I trust him" and turns the tracker off. Yay, I guess?)

Anyway the important bit is this revealing that Tim is 'going-off-to-college' age. Which could still reasonably be anywhere from 17-19, and DC being DC, they ~refuse to confirm~

Tim as Red Robin on the cover of Detective Comics #934 (2016); as you can see, he's pretty much Robin again lol

Detective Comics #968 (2018); another shot of his "basically Robin" Red Robin costume

In 2019 we got the actual return of Tim as Robin (no "Red") in Brian Michael Bendis's Young Justice run, re-uniting the Core Four from YJ 1998.

Young Justice (2019) #1

As you can see, he no longer has the doubled 'RR', and he confirms that he's Robin - "Well, one of them!" I think he's supposed to be filling in as the Gotham Robin while Damian is running around the world having adventures and presumably getting into trouble, as Robins do? idk.

Tim also chases down his erased post-Crisis past at the beginning of this arc, having Zatanna magically restore (most of) his memories of the previous timeline, and, crucially, his forgotten best friend Kon, kickstarting some plot.

Tim, and all of the Young Justice crew, are notably young-looking for almost the entirety of this run. It varies based on the artist, but uh, yeah for the most part they are really damn baby-faced. This is a trend that continues with Tim and his generation of friends from this point onward, so fans have basically thrown up their hands like "is he 17 forever???? is he Edward Cullen from Twilight???? is he aging backward????"

We Just Don't Know

In any case, Bendis makes DC's next attempt to give Tim his own identity in short order, giving us the hilarious, ill-fated, and rightfully short-lived "Drake" identity.

Young Justice (2019) #10

He's back to being Robin by issue #18, hilariously switching costumes from one page to the next, although some time has apparently passed during the scene transition.

Young Justice (2019) #18; Jinny: "Is Drake back to being Robin?" Kon: "I think Batman and Spoiler made him go back to Robin. Don't bring it up. And say thank you because we didn't have to have the Drake intervention we were planning."

And as of the current date (July 13, 2023), Tim is still in the Robin identity, sharing it with Damian ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ God knows how old he's supposed to be right now. I certainly don't.

Batman (2016) #136; the most recent issue out to date, with Tim suiting up as Robin while filling Bruce in after diving into a bunch of parallel dimensions to bring Bruce home.

As you can see, it's a Mess. The Tim Drake's Vigilante Identity question is of course a hotbed of wank and infighting, as people are torn between (a) wanting him to continue as Robin and (b) wanting him to move on and "grow up" into his own identity again (and, importantly, leave Damian as the sole Robin again, lol).

It feels like most people are for option (b), but then nobody can agree on what his next identity and costume should be. Red Robin again?? Some other bird-based identity that doesn't share a name with a major restaurant chain?? Something else entirely??

God only knows what DC is going to come up with, especially after the Drake fiasco.

And there you have it, Anon! Hope that was helpful.

[lovebunnie]

“make it easy for me,” tim pleads.

and the thing about it is that hawk knows he has done nothing for tim in the past but make things hard. he told him to lie and cheat and steal, he told him how deep the corruption of washington went and when tim dared to ask for more, hawk shut him out. the tim he picked up off the shower floor felt so far from his skippy and hawk knows tim was infected long before the AIDS got to him. loving hawkins fuller is terminal.

all tim had ever wanted was to make things in the world better and hawk never had any interest in that. not even his wife or children, not even the love of his life.

tim wants to fight, and hawk has no chance but to let him be the soldier he did not raise him to be.

he looks at him with wet eyes that brim from pain, be it from the sickness or the situation. he has that flame in him once again, the same one hawk smothered in the past to prevent him from taking washington head on. hawk doesnt think hes been more sorry in his life than in the moment he laid the paperweight next to tim’s sleeping form.

hawk once thought he was doing that to save tims life. now he wonders if his lying is so good he could convince even himself of falsehoods.

hawk can’t take back the years tim promises he doesnt regret. every decision they made (or hawk made for tim, sorry, sorry, sorry) has led them to now. the words hawk wants to say pile up in his throat, about lucy and about his job and about how much he wants to kiss tim again.

he doesn’t say anything like that. he asks tim not to write, meaning don’t forget i love you, don’t go a second longer without knowing i loved you the moment i saw you, don’t look back for me, don’t stop fighting. don’t wonder about where ive gone, don’t waste a minute of your time thinking about me. don’t look back. i love you, please dont let me say it.

tim smiles and says, “i won’t.” and then he’s gone.

[celaenaeiln]

ive been enjoying so many metas that youve written for the past few days about bruce & dick’s dynamic (thank you anons for sending them to cl and thank you for answering them cl 🙏) but i think we need yo balance the tip: lets talk about how important bruce is to dick, and how bruce is a ‘specter’ a ghost a shadow that is ever present in every other dick’s relationships (newest case in point: wftt #5 issue; went as far as dick’s shadow being drawn as batman)

Thank you and thank you anons 💞

Let's!

At first I was like, I got this! But then I was so used to Bruce showing how much he needs Dick, that I completely blanked on remembering Dick showing how much he needs Bruce!

World's Finest: Teen Titans Issue #5

Bruce quite literally haunts Dick. His presence is felt in everything Dick does and the Titans in particular get pissed off by it because they want Dick's undivided attention and loyalty to them. I love how it's Roy again in this comic that brings about Bruce because it's always Roy's biggest contention with Dick. It's like a staple in their relationship for them to fight about how much of an influence Bruce has over Dick.

One of the clearest examples and why the Titans hate Bruce so much is because Dick would do anything for Bruce.

Batman (1940) Issue #500

He says it again too

Batman and Robin (2011) Issue #34

Dick hates being Batman, but for Bruce? Anything. Anything for him.

What I value most about Dick and Bruce is their unconditional loyalty to each other. Whatever crisis Bruce is going through, Dick right there by his side with a hand on his shoulder.

Batman (2016) Issue #54

Nothing makes me cry except their love for each other.

"Bruce, man. It's cool. I know you're fine. Just know I'm here if you don't want to be fine."

Dick will get down on his hands and knees and throw everything he hates away if it makes Bruce feel happy. Between the two of them, it's a kind of religious devotion the way they feel.

The way Dick feels about Bruce carries over into all his relationships. The Titans are obvious because their dislike of Bruce and Dick's relationship is in every Titans comic, but it affects Dick's relationship with the Justice League and the batfamily too.

When the Justice League and Batman fight and they separate, the JL (John and Ollie) go to Dick to ask him to be on their side but Dick chooses neutrality. However Dick drops by the Batcave later to let Bruce know because that's how much bruce means to him.

When Bruce is deemed a killer but it turns out he's not, there's tension between the family and Bruce. Dick tells Tim that Bruce's had a stressful time to which Tim replies, "We've all been through a lot, Big Brother."

Gotham Knights Issue #33

But the conflict doesn't end there because Tim is still pissed off about Bruce lying to all of them.

Gotham Knights Issue #33

To which Bruce clarifies Tim's anger and gently reprimands him.

His relationship with Bruce is the reason why Dick is the mediator between the JL and Batman, the Titans and Batman, the Outsiders and Batman, and the Batfamily and Batman. Because what he has towards Bruce, what he feels, it isn't blind loyalty - it's unconditional loyalty.

Over and over again, Dick tells Bruce how he saved him that night his parents fell. What he sees in bruce is a pure, blinding goodness of character that he loves and Bruce in turn feels blessed and shook by Dick's utter faith in him.

Dick once told Roy that Bruce is probably the most important person in the world to him. And he means it.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 6/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd-centric, POV Jason Todd, POV First Person, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth Knows, Stalker Tim Drake, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unlikely Friends, Injury Recovery, Emotional Baggage, Rage, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating

Chapter Six: Visiting Hours

I woke up from an antidepressant-induced sleep to Bruce setting my schoolwork on the desk. "Sorry, I didn't mean—."

I pushed my palms into my eyelids to keep from crying. "It's okay... I'm okay," I lied.

"I can stay home tonight if you want," Bruce offered. I shook my head.

"You're good," I mumbled. I wanted Bruce to stay, but I knew he couldn't. Bruce offered only to see if I'd permit him to leave. I could've been honest about my pain and made him stay, but I let him go. There was no way for him to know that I was lying. He didn't think to ask twice. I lay awake until I could drift back to sleep.

As soon as I fell asleep, I woke up with a jolt to a tap, tap, tapping on my window. I wasn't easily startled, but the thing was, there were no trees near my window. I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed a pen from my nightstand before approaching my window. I parted my curtains just enough to see if someone was out there, and sure enough, there Tim was. He'd climbed up the trellis to get to my window. I opened my window and pulled him in, despite every nerve in my body attacking me all at once. "Tim, what are you doing here?" I asked as I slid down to the floor. Tim didn't weigh much, but I was in so much pain getting out of bed took half my strength. He smiled and sat next to me. "You know I think you're insane, right?"

"I know... But I was worried you got in trouble for being out so late last night, so I decided to come and check on you," Tim whispered. Pulling him in the window sent my back into spasms which meant I couldn't stand, even if I wanted to.

"Tim, you didn't have to do all that. I didn't get in any trouble... I just—. I'm not feeling well," I explained. Gross understatement.

"You can't get up, can you?" Tim asked. He was so coolheaded about it I couldn't move myself to lie. I nodded. "I know you don't want any help, but I'm pretty sure I can't leave you on the floor like that."

I begrudgingly reached out for him, and he pulled me up. I winced, and he profusely apologized as he helped me to bed. "My dad threw his back out last summer and got stuck at home with me for a whole week... It was pleasant," Tim whispered as he pulled my blankets over me. I thought that would be it, but he pulled up a chair and dug in his backpack for something.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Hanging out with you... Unless you want to be alone—."

"I definitely don't want that... But do your parents know you're here? It's pitch black out there," I said out of concern for his safety.

"My mom and dad left the morning after they got back. They don't stay home for long," Tim answered. I frowned. At least I saw Bruce every day. He plugged up a projector and asked me if I could see okay from that angle. I nodded.

He set everything up and put the movie on. He sat on the floor, and I looked over at him. "Tim, there's a folding bed and blankets in my closet if you wanna spend the night... And I've got pajamas in my bottom drawer that might fit you," I offered. Tim thanked me and asked if he could use my shower. I nodded. The movie was some 90's sci-fi thing, but I didn't mind.

I fell asleep before he came back, but it wasn't such a deep sleep that I didn't feel him pull my blankets up. I faintly heard the creaking of the fold-out bed and Tim's gentle series of sighs. I think he was asleep too. Things were fuzzy after the movie. I was in a deep sleep by that time, only waking to the sound of Alfred bringing in breakfast. I turned on my side to see if Tim was there. His limbs hung limply toward the floor as he slept on his stomach, mouth agape. "Alfred, I can-."

"No worries, Master Jason. I'll bring up a second tray shortly," Alfred smiled. Alfred was good at keeping secrets. I winced as I pulled myself up to a reclining position and ate breakfast, waiting for Tim to wake up.

Tim took a sharp inhale and turned toward me. "Feeling better?" Tim asked. I nodded. It wasn't a complete lie. At least I was able to sit up. "Thanks for letting me spend the night."

"Thanks for being a good friend," I whispered, "Stay for breakfast. Alfred's on his way up with a tray for you." Tim nodded.

"Mind if I come back tonight?" Tim asked. I nodded.

I could tell he had something on his mind. "Did your parents say goodbye before they left?" I questioned.

"Mhm... Mom woke me up and sat with me for a few minutes, and Dad said his goodbyes on the way out the door," Tim whispered. He seemed detached from it all. I know how I felt when Bruce went away, but Tim didn't feel anything. If he did, he kept it under wraps. He changed into some of my clothes, and I chuckled.

"This must be what it's like to have a little brother," I laughed without thinking. Tim lit up like a Christmas tree. I don't think I've ever seen him so excited about anything. He stayed for breakfast as promised, and Alfred took him to school, leaving me alone in the manor.

I hated being alone. It was terrifying. So terrifying it forced me to call Dick. I hated being afraid. Anger was a much simpler emotion to piece together. I called Dick in the middle of a panic attack. "Hello?" Dick answered the phone.

"Do you remember when I met your friends?" I asked. It was all I could manage to say without sounding panicked.

"Jason, do you want to FaceTime?" Dick asked. I made a soft noise, and he initiated the call. I answered and took a breath as I looked at his face. "Hey," Dick smiled as he whispered in a horse-taming voice. "Stuck in bed?"

I nodded. I couldn't look at Dick and speak at the same time. He'd seen me like that a few times, but I think it calmed him to see me feel something other than anger. He always knew how to pull me out of it. "Alfred's out?" Dick asked. I nodded. "Ohh... Okay, I see. Alfred's coming back. He always does... Until then, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just making a grilled cheese sandwich and avoiding my responsibilities. I heard you've been coming home from school later and later... Girlfriend?"

I shook my head. "Boyfriend?" Dick questioned.

"No," I mumbled. Dick grinned. He managed to distract me long enough to get me to talk. Dick might have asked a hundred questions if that's what it took to get me to relax.

"I like the secrecy of it all," Dick chuckled, "But I hope you're not doing anything dangerous. Can you promise me that you haven't done anything dangerous?"

I nodded. "I promise. I've been doing homework every day after school," I answered, "Most dangerous thing I've done is take a cab home every night."

"Dangerous for you or the taxi driver?" Dick laughed. I smiled and shut my eyes. "Want me to stay while you sleep?"

I nodded and sank into the pillows. I could hear Dick fiddling with plates and shaking a bag of chips in the background. I fell asleep and awakened to the feeling of someone taking my phone off my chest. My eyes shot open, and I grabbed their wrist. To my shock, I realized it was Bruce. "It's alright. Your phone's dying," Bruce reassured me. I wondered how long I'd been asleep. I looked around the room for a clock, and Bruce pushed my hair back.

"You've been asleep for hours," Bruce whispered, "Want me to stay tonight?" I shook my head.

"Bring back ice cream? Doesn't matter what flavor," I whispered. Bruce smiled and nodded.

"Okay... It's not that late yet, though. We've got a few hours. I wanna talk to you," Bruce whispered. He sat on my bed next to me, and I tensed up because I knew he knew something. "You talked to Dick today... Right?"

I frowned. "Yeah, Alfred had to go run errands, and I—. Bruce, I'm okay. I lost my grip for a second. Only a second," I whispered.

"I know... Jason, remember how we talked about the dangers of you telling all you know to a psychiatrist?" Bruce questioned. I nodded.

I thought psychiatrists were off the table. They were a liability that neither of our alter egos could risk. "What if you told bits and pieces? Do you think it would help?" Bruce asked.

"Can't I just talk to you?" I questioned. Bruce went slack-jawed, and he looked me in the eyes. I think we were both terrified. "Bruce, please."

"Jason, I love you, but—." He stood up and left me alone. Bruce abandoned me.

[turquoisephoenix]

Character Bios for Gallowmere's Merry Band of Doomed-By-The-Narrative Losers

This was going to be under this picture right here, but this got kinda long. Just want to reiterate that these are all just headcanons.

-------

Sir Daniel Wigginbottom Fortesque IV

Daniel is many things. He's the eldest son but youngest child of Lord Cedric Fortesque. He comes from a long line of knights and noblemen dating back centuries. His lineage can be traced back to 10 different European countries. And he just so happened to lose the genetic lottery in so many different ways with his awkward, gangly proportions, gargantuan height, and various "brain deficiencies" (aka ADHD and autism centuries before their discovery) that led several people in the courts to call him fae-touched or a changeling behind his back. The bad teeth is a Fortesque trait though, so at least Cedric knows that he's his son.

In a time of peace, Daniel didn't really have any pressure to make something of himself by his family and has spent most of his life jumping from job to job - from stablehand to scribe to pigeonry - in a vague attempt to appear useful. Despite having a very high education and being able to read and write, people tend to write him off as a simpleton because he has zero skill in reading social cues, especially in the courts. Many a banquet have been ruined because Daniel panicked.

He means well, but I'd be lying if I said he couldn't be bratty at times. Easy to please, but also easy to irritate. Can easily fall in love and be a loyal partner, can also easily hold a grudge and has several enemies in the court. Has a passion for storytelling and accidentally buys into his own hype because he knows enough about stories to pick up on Themes and CLEARLY he's meant for something...

Canny Tim

Once part of a relatively minor noble house that resided in the castle town of Gallowmere, Tim ran away from home to go live in a relatively non-enchanted part of the forest to work as a King's forester, rejecting both his house and his name. He has a passion for archery, and he will admit that he's partially motivated by spite after his father told him that arrows were not a pastime fitting for a lady.

To most of Gallowmere, Canny Tim seemingly popped into existence during the 49th Gallowmere Games and got top prize in all the archery categories. Sir Daniel has known him for a lot longer since they had some of the same tutors and has said that actually, Canny Tim is just so good at his job as a elite archer that he blended into the crowds and has no public records listed under a different name please don't ask me anymore questions bye.

Once went on a merry quest one summer to hunt down rare mushrooms in the Enchanted Forest for a pumpkin witch's brew to "redistribute fat in the chest area", so don't worry about him going to the Hall of Heroes in a binder, goodness no.

Wartilda, Daughter of Wartilda of the Pumpkin Gorge

As the daughter of the previous Pumpkin Witch of Pumpkin Gorge, Wartilda pretty much knew what she was going to do from the moment she was able to grow a fine gourd in the corner of her room at the tender age of two and she's quite fine with that. Pumpkins are a very agreeable population and most people tend to get on her nerves.

The witches of Pumpkin Gorge tend to marry shepherds or pig farmers, so no one knows how Wartilda managed to lure in the only son of a noble Gallowmere family such as Cedric Fortesque's son, who had to be saved after he and his horse got lost in the woods, nearly got eaten by a giant spider after bullied by a pack of fairies, and had to consume an entire pumpkin pie to calm himself down. A connection was made that day as this gangly idiot realized that he could be Himself around her away from the judging eyes of the courts AND eat steaming pumpkin pie at the same time. She thinks he's cute.

Like Dan, Wartilda has known Canny Tim for longer than the records have shown a Canny Tim living in Gallowmere. She's the one that brews his potions of masculinity, even if it means that she has to put up with Canny Tim's lame gourd-themed dick and balls jokes in the process.

Wartilda has an older sister, who has very low opinions of Dan, didn't like the fact that the two of them were seriously talking about marriage, and often says things like "he's uglier than a horse's butt" and "that loser's gonna die in the Battle of Gallowmere". They were meant in jest but that second one caused Wartilda to have a screaming match with her at Dan's funeral and it's said their relationship never fully recovered...

[dnahelix]

jays reasoning to attack tim during entry 75 only makes sense if you look at it from jays pov, because otherwise its a little silly. jay obviously by this point in the series has grown mistrusting and extremely cautious around other people due to the amount of bs hes put through + the fact that his (used to be) friend has attempted to kill him and these two guys (masky and hoodie) has been a threat to him (in his mind at least. masky has attacked him multiple times, though never actually getting close to killing him, and obviously if you see somebody whos teamed up/working with the person who you KNOW has attacked you before, assumptions assumptions) up til tim teamed up with jay. now, the one person who jay has trusted, who hes been traveling around with and gotten sort of close with, the ONLY person jay has, is now blantly lying to his face when he realizes tim has the tape in his pocket. being so mistrusting of others and now having your trust in the only person you thought you could depend on break because theyre obviously lying to you, jay was probably thinking smth like "what do i do, this guy ive entrusted my life with is now lying to me, what is on that tape, what if hes going to hurt me like he did before?" etc etc. even in the entry you can see how he gets colder and more distant from tim, responding in a incredibly monotone "yeah." whenever tim asked him something. now that his flight or fight response is prob activated, he fights, because honestly what else do you do?

thus, he creates the gayest fucking scene in all of mh and i cannot stop giggling at that part but jay is desperate need of therapy.

[dairy-farmer]

Heyy, i hope you’re doing good so far

Ive been thinking about what happens afterwards in mistaken identity, like after the gala i kinda want bruce to confront tim about what happened (maybe to apologize) while tim avoids him, then later on, tim finds out he’s pregnant from that night and tells bruce about it cuz he wants to keep the baby and would like to retire from vigilante life to focus on his baby (i want them to eventually get together tho)

Thanks!!! -C

hello!! yes im doing well!!

bruce i feel would definitely be having FEELINGS about the gala. because after it happened he just wandered around in a bit of a daze, catching his breath and trying to keep a dumb grin off his face like he was a teenager. bruce has had sex in risky places before, he's had sex in risky places with selina before too.

but what happened in the coat closet felt different. it felt brand new and it felt incredible and he was eager for a repeat until he realized that it was TIM that he'd fucked. bruce definitely tries to backtrack everything he thought and felt even though literally no one but him knows what happened. bruce is trying to ignore, scrub away, and just completely destroy the thought he'd had about how much he'd enjoyed it- how much he'd like to do it again.

bruce knows the right thing to do it is admit what he's done. he knows that's what's right and he's going to do it because he can't let tim go through his life forever wondering about the man that accosted him in a gala, dragged him into a closet, fucked him like an animal and then left him. he can't do that. it's just not right.

it keeps bruce up at night. the longer he goes without telling tim. him and selina breaking up is a no brainer. they'd been heading that way anyway. they'd probably start something up again in 3 to 6 months anyway but bruce had a feeling it would be even longer because part of him couldn't help but blame her. and that wasn't fair- it wasn't even logical but he couldn't help it. he could help thinking about the fact that IF she'd been there, it wouldn't have happened. if she'd been there like she was supposed to rather than skipping out on him again it wouldn't have happened and bruce wouldn't have fucked his own child!

but it wasn't her fault that he'd fucked tim in her place. but it's just hard to come to terms with the fact that bruce had done that.

tim is a hard person to catch. bruce isn't even sure what he's going to say aside from apologizing. but no apology can really make up for what he's done.

in the end bruce doesn't need to keep seeking tim out. a month and a half after the gala- tim comes to him. his face is devoid of color and he looks sickly white, but there's a stubborn tilt to his jaw. the fact that bruce was already sitting down is the only thing that saves him from falling to his knees when tim tells him he's pregnant.

the panic and fear that flows through bruce is unlike anything he's ever felt.

he'd used a condom.

that's all that repeats in his mind as tim bites down on his lip, swallows and tells bruce that he's keeping the baby. he's keeping the baby and quitting being red robin.

bruce used a condom. he knows he used a condom. but...had he checked it?

tim had been so tight and bruce had fucked him so hard... the friction could've caused the thin latex to tear a bit. bruce had tied it off and slipped it in his pocket but he hadn't checked it.

when he'd returned to the manor his suit pocket had been a creamy, semen-filled mess. he'd assumed the condom had just come undone and he'd thrown it out in his bathroom trashcan before going to bed and lying awake with the memory and thoughts of what he'd done.

fuck.

the condom had broken.

the condom had broken and bruce hadn't known.

if it were selina they'd have been saved by the fact that she had an iud but tim? tim wasn't on any birth control because tim didn't have sex.

which is why bruce is absolutely certain only he can be the father.

father of the child that's growing in his son's womb.

tim is saying lots of things while trembling in front of bruce. he's talking about how he can't be red robin anymore, how he won't be red robin anymore. he won't let his baby feel like they'll come second to his work, he doesn't want his baby to ever feel like he did when he was a kid. that tim's already made his decision and he's coming to bruce to tell him because he respects him but that there's nothing that he can say that will talk tim out of doing this.

tim is young. not even 18. he's dropped out of highschool, he's not in a relationship. he's unmarried. plenty of people are all of those things but most people aren't in the public eye like tim is.

the media will tear him to shreds for what bruce did to him.

bruce does not think about how he's going to get out of this. about how he's going to convince or shame tim into getting an abortion. it'd probably be the better option. it'd probably make things easier on him and his conscience. it'd make it easier on tim who was getting into something he didn't truly understand with having a child. a child that would be a lifelong commitment. a child that bound tim and bruce together forever in ways tim didn't know.

bruce could not ignore this.

....

but he'd already taken so much from tim.

he supports him.

he is (much to his surprise) one of the few that does. the popular opinion is that tim is far too young to be a parent.

dick tries gently talking to tim. going through the health risks, the fact that a baby was a big personal responsibility. it was a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of work and while they'd help (of course they would timmy!!!)_- tim would also be, largely, on his own.

jason and damian are both taking a bit too much joy in it. teen pregnancy is still a massive stigma even among gotham folk where it's as common as the color green on st patrick's day. they view it as a failure of tim's character. that finally the perfect son shows his flaws. it's a victory to them. proof that tim isn't as infallible as he liked to pretend. to them tim's been 'knocked off' his 'high horse' and they couldn't be happier.

at first it was equal mix of strained congratulations, worry, glee, and hesitance.

but then tim said he'd be retiring.

dick expressed surprise, jason and damian both fell quiet. barbara similarly stayed quiet but had a look in her eye like she didn't quite believe it. stephanie was disappointed, vocalizing about how she felt about tim giving up his vigilante career for a kid.

the rest of tim's friends were all initially hesitant but it transformed to support once hearing about their aunt and uncle roles (or in superboy's case: godfather).

tim does not receive such mixed reviews as the months pass and he gets bigger.

being a teen parent isn't easy. but it's made worse with the media watching and critiquing tim's every move, decision, and life.

bruce is there to fend off the worst of it. he's on the phone with PR and lawyers every other day, he has alfred intercept the morning newspaper, and asks babs to filter out articles from the search results of devices in the manor.

half way into tim's pregnancy bruce doesn't even realize that he's accidentally muted selina. when he opens his messages he's met with a flood of the usual flirty messages that tapered off when he didn't respond.

for some reason bruce doesn't feel like it's much of a loss.

bruce is so frantic with ensuring tim has the best...everything he doesn't even notice the eyes on him.

tim watching him as he assembles the hand carved crib imported from italy. watching as bruce bends over backward for his every need, accompanies him to the doctor, shopping, on errands. how he rubs tim's sore feet and aching back. how he makes sure tim never sees the cruel words of a judgemental world. how he makes sure tim eats plenty and rests more.

tim had been so prepared for rejection and excommunication. he knows how bruce is.

but he wasn't. he was met with....more support than bruce had ever shown him his whole life.

tim had been prepared to pack his bags and resettle somewhere new. he'd been prepared to do everything himself.

maybe it's the pregnancy hormones or something is scrambling his brain but tim can't help but feel his heart skips a beat whenever bruce comes in close and asks in a low voice if tim needs anything.

the weight of his warm hands, the brush of his lips, the distant smell of his vanilla cologne. it felt...familiar. like tim had experienced it before and it tugs on something in the back of his mind. but it's the pregnancy brain fog, if tim weren't growing his child he was certain he'd have been able to place the familiarity but he just couldn't for the moment.

it could just be that bruce was the closest man that's been consistently nice to him and maybe part of tim wants his baby to have some kind of other parental figures in their life...

but when bruce's hands start to linger the bigger tim grows he can't help but...desire more of that attention.

so when tim sees a message from selina pop up on bruce's phone one afternoon while he's using it, after months of her being out of gotham...maybe tim's wrong to do it. but he can't find it in him to regret muting her number so the texts she starts to send don't catch bruce's attention. tim does it quickly before he can think on it too deeply and then just as quickly offers bruce his phone back.

tim would tell him what he did. one day. after all it wasn't like bruce didn't keep secrets from him

[want2belikegracekelly]

The Diddler and other stories

I'm back dah-lings

It's mid September and alot of things have happened and so I shall begin with the arrest by the (actual) Feds of Brother Love. Wow it get's better the ninja just got denied bail. Even after he diabolically offered a 50 M bond. how much evil money does this guy have. it's quiet all over celebrity land as the indictment was unsealed and the government confirmed there was videos. So DIddy Evil or Sean Johnson n' Johnson (1000 bottles of baby oil is beyond narsty sir!! its fcken diabolical)

is wearing the orange jumpsuit in fed jail awaiting his next court hearing. I know all them attendees of the "freak offs" needing IV transfusions coz the sessions be so back-to-back are all wondering am I next on the meet the Feds? I feel that this mans need to be under the jail. For all those caught up in his evil web may your freedom be soon and may your peace be abundant.

I will never be able to articulate the fact that black women survivors are rarely believed and that a video of an egregious act had to surface for y'all to believe that brother Love was a monster. May he get all the years

Onto other stories, so this couple of weeks have been hard for the women who have been putting trust in ninjas. all I have to say to you is you have got to listen to the prophetic message of sister Khia when the she said Don't Trust No Niggaz

It all began when everybody was shocked when Dave Grohl had a baby on his wife after 21 years of marriage. Gworls were crying, vomiting, losing their damn breath but since i have been on the words of Khia I knew "you put your trust in a nigga? Stupid ho, how you figure He won't fuck your best friend and your sister? lie to ya, a-then screw ya" so 21 years hasn't changed who he is inside

the were still trusting in some British podcaster whose platform is mainly black women and they went to a white very racist podcasters show in USof A to keke with him. Shucking and jiving to derogatory stereotypes of black women, Nigerians and Muslims. My brothers just sat there and got dog walked on a podcast laughing at themselves. that white boy played you like a fiddle and laughed at you. we knew you were for the snow but to just sit there and take it like that, bruh STAND the FUCK UP!!!

but to say fight or flight in your apology. both you dudes was bigger than that guy and could have made his ass uncomfortable with just a "What do you mean by that?" make everybody uncomfortable.

but now you know Khia wasn't lying!!!

(also to say you didn't find a hot babe in ATL we know you fucking lying!)

so, before you go forgiving them coz of that weak ass apology remember Khia's words " Oh, you forgave him, ho? Dumb, silly ho That nigga don't mean you no good"

What I'm trying to put across to all you ladies with list of "non-problematic " men including Chosen running mate Tim you had better decenter these men from your lives, free yourself, stay knowing it could all blow up in your face coz good men also be benefiting from the systems of oppression. Hope for the best on your list sis but anything can change

Finally, I remember wondering how extremely racist DT campaign was going to be and I must say, final boss racist statements were not on my bingo card. to have the audacity to say immigrants are eating pets. Wow! Turns out some Karen in Ohio wrote this in her Facebook post and the thing caught traction. Now schools be closing early in Ohio due to death threats all on the backdrop of white woman lies! JD I fuck couches guy even has the gall to say they will make up lies to get people to listen. The brown woman who bore your kids must be one of them self-hating ones. this also applies to all the black and brown people descendants of immigrants voting for this man. you gotta hate yourself alot to think racist whitpypo will be salvation!

I can't help you see the truth but imma just leave it at how long will they play in your face before you stop licking them boots. As for the whites riding with this madness, under the banner of God's chosen or saving America, I never fucked with you, never will and stay losing forever!!

It will always be black women, believe black women, black women are beautiful up in here

[somanyfuckedupiftruebooks]

Losing it over the implications of this. Ive always imagined Michael basically living inside of the corridors and only emerging from his domain to fuck around with people. But does he just... wander around running Normal Guy Errands? Buying hinself flowers and coffee and visiting the fucking post office??

The way Sasha laughed about everything being too expensive!! 🥰 She has a favourite cafe where she gets her coffee each morning 🥰 She thinks the Institute's building is beautiful 🥰

I wonder if the architecture of the Institute was something that she and Tim initially bonded over?

Check out this nerd!!!

Jon every time Tim tries to talk to him about Robert Smirke:

Bad Sasha for laughing at Martin's trauma! But then good Sasha for sticking up for Martin.

Jon, you're in timeout until you learn to play nice.

Jon!!! This is the now the second time one of your assistants has deliberately walked into a potentially dangerous supernatural situation because they wanted for evidence for you!!! This is why you're in timeout!!!

Sasha, how dare you deride Martin's self-preservation instincts and then go to coffee with the distorted reflection monster that been following you.

You know what, go sit with Jon in timeout.

No wait, you'll probably make each worse by encouraging the desire to charge headfirst into dangerous situations in order to feed the Eye. Seperate timeouts.

Man he really did sit there for eight hours waiting for her, didn't he? Freak behaviour.

Love the way he tests her, goading her into asking questions and leading the conversation so he can get a grasp on how well-developed her powers are and how much she knows. Of course Michael knows how to deal with servents of the Eye.

And finally, ending on a banger. 'How would a melody describe itself when asked?' What an incredible line!! Right from the beginning, Michael is telling us that he considers himself to be more of a sensory experience than a person.

Finally! Michael counter: 7. For anyone keeping track, Johns and Michaels are now tied. Who will reign supreme? Stay turned for the next 174 episodes to find out.

Anyway, love that Sasha is having none of this. One line of cryptic shit and she's hitting the bricks.

Her reactions to Michael are also interesting. She approaches and engages with it despite beliving it to be a monster. Then when confronted with the fact that something she considers to be fundamentally inhuman has such a normal name, she immediately assumes that it's lying and switches from using he/him pronouns to it/its.

Mag 26

Return of the queen! Can't wait to hear all about your fucked up little adventure Sasha.

Also notable that both she and Martin expressed a desire to record a statement immediately after a traumatic incident. That's definitely the Eye's influence.

Sasha in Jon's office like:

Also new fanfic idea: Martin's holiday in the office.

Okay, I'm shifting into Defend Martin Mode, I'll have to stop and take some deep breaths. The fucking gall of Sasha to criticise Martin's self-preservation instincts after the shit she's been up to!! AHHHH. He outlived you!!!

The way she discounts Jane Prentiss as a threat just because Martin survived makes me want to scream. He's only alive because Jane kept him alive on purpose to mess with him!! As if Sasha could have done any better!! AHHHHHH!

Deep breaths didn't help me. Must move on.

I pulled this quote for one word: colonisation. It's so grim. Death by colonisation. I hate it.

This is a very rational response to the situation from Sasha. She doesn't know she's living in a horror story! Of course it would make sense that the woman who's suffering from some kind of parasite would be getting weaker and sicker the more time passes. Unfortunately, Sasha is living in a horror story, so monsters only get stronger and more dangerous the longer they survive.

But I'm not sure that downplaying Jane as a threat follows Sasha's logic. The threat of Prentiss isn't physical assault, it's colonisation. That's like saying a plague victim is less infectious the closer they get to their deathbed.

And finally, another instance of the narrative outright telling us that Jon is an unreliable narrator. He's been seeing worms outside and didn't tell us! That makes sense for the framing device, obviously. These tapes are still 'research materials' and not his personal journals, so there's no reason for Jon to mention the worms outside while recording a statement. But it's good to be reminded that there is a lot going on in the archives that we aren't hearing about.

My headcanon for why Michael approached Sasha rather than Tim used to be that she had some sort of either natural inclination towards or family history of mentall illness (something that would leave her vulnerable to the Spiral). But this detail has made me reconsider. Now I think Michael approached her because she had these cool distortion windows that allowed him to make a dramatic entrance.

This is such an endearing little insight into Sasha's life (she does quirky things to add fun into her daily routine!), but I'm also going to call it out as Eye behaviour.

Urgh, his hands are the same size as his torso?? I thought he just had long spirally fingers! This is yuck. I get why the fandom started calling him Michael Fuckhands.

She's not exactly the bravest person in the world 🥺🥺🥺 She generally avoids horror 🥺🥺🥺

Eternally interested in scepticism among paranormal researchers. Sasha says that working at the Institute made her more skeptical, despite the fact that we know she transferred out of Artefact Storage because she couldn't stand being around the cursed items all the time. I think the fact that our only insight into the Institute is through the lens of genuine paranormal manifestations really distorts our view. The vast majority of what they deal with aren't actual accounts, and most of their work is disproving the fake stuff. The actual statments are outliers, so maybe it does make sense to become more sceptical the longer you spend working on all the other statements.

Still, the moment Sasha is confronted with a genuine manifestation, she understands and accepts what she's seeing. It's wild that she's not afraid, but at least she's not in denial.

[redrobin-detective]

one single thread of gold tied me to you

It was strangely easy for Sebastian Ives to settle into the new reality where heroes were your coworkers, neighbors or even your best friends. Tim’s been back at Gotham Heights for 3 weeks and he’s both the same and totally different. He told the same bad jokes, throws his hands around when he’s excited talking and infuriatingly determined that he has all the right opinions. 

But he held himself differently, made bolder and more confrontational comments and Seb had brushed up against him enough times to know he was packing serious gear underneath his baggy clothes. But for all the changes that had happened it was strange how normal Tim acted. 

The first week was rough. Between the awkward hero worship with it’s probing questions to the jerks out looking for a fight at any opportunity to those who thought that Tim was some sort of disease who ought to be kept away from the rest of them. Tim handled with his usual easy charm but sometimes he gripped the straps of his backpack way too hard or disappeared somewhere before mysteriously reappearing. Sebastian wished he could do more but though he, Callie and Hudson tried, it was pretty hard to relate or help Tim through his very unique troubles.

“I heard the Teen Titans reassembled last week,” Callie stated, skipping any delicate pretenses and bulldozing ahead as usual. “Are you gonna join back up?”

“Robin is benched,” Tim lied with uncomfortable easiness for someone who had a split lip from his illegal vigilante activity. The idiot had simply blinked innocently at them when he said he’d tripped on an undone shoelace. Callie had tried to press him once and had gotten a sharp, grim headshake in return. Obviously Tim’s current home life, caught in the awkward parental triangle between his dad and Wayne, still wasn’t going well. At least he had the assurance that Mr. Drake probably couldn’t hurt a kid who suplexed bad guys on the reg. “I wish them well, they’re good people, good heroes. They’ll continue to help a lot of people.”

“Kinda cold,” Hudson grumbled, poking listlessly at his mystery meat. “Aren’t they your friends or something?” Huds was still bitter over the whole secrets and lying thing. As much as Seb hated seeing his friends at odds, the guy did kind of have a point.

“They are, just like you are,” Tim sniped back. “The situation is complicated,” he lowered his eyes and looked away. “Since I’m done being Robin, we don’t really have anything in common anymore. We went through some stuff, insane and traumatic things I can’t even begin to describe, but until I get my wings back there’s not much I can do.”

“Can’t you just, like, talk to them? Does it have to be hero related?” Callie questioned.

“I mean, I guess not,” Tim sighed. “It’s just hard, separating the mask and the person. Superboy, KF, and Wonder Girl always felt the same in and out of costume yet Robin always feels miles away from Tim Drake. I guess I don’t want to see their disappointment when I don’t measure up without the cape and gear.”

“Bro,” Seb said softly before Tim abruptly stood up and walked off before anything else could be said.

“I’ll see you guys later. I’m heading to class now, you know, to beat the crowds.” The rest of lunch was a quiet, tense affair. He didn’t have any other classes with Tim until the last, World History II. Now it wasn’t Seb’s favorite class, that would be Computer Science and Physics, but their teacher was one of the few who didn’t treat Tim any differently After. They’re midway through the lesson when Mrs. Conway’s phone buzzed. She checked it with a smile.

“-and we’ll end there for the day because our special guest lecturers have arrived. I would be remiss in our discussion of history to be totally blind to current events. When the Teen Titans volunteered to come to our class and discuss their roles in heroic society, I simply couldn’t turn them down.”

Next to him, Tim snapped the pencil he’d been writing with in two. His body was tense and he had actual murder in his eyes. Everyone surrounding the teen hero’s desk leaned away at the sudden shift in atmosphere.

“No,” Tim said suddenly as he reached into his bag and pulled out a solid black flip phone and dialed a number while making eye contact with their startled teacher. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Conway but that’s not going to happen.” 

“Tim, what’s wrong? I’m on my-”

“B, it’s fine I’m safe but you need to shut down the Titan’s lecture at my school,” Tim’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And their budget too. I know you don’t fund everything but it’ll make them think twice before screwing with me when all they can afford is off-brand cup noodles.”

“Tim,” the voice sighed, who Sebastian recognized as Bruce Wayne aka The Goddammed Batman. Only he didn’t sound like that, just a tired dad with a troublesome kid. “This is the emergency phone, only to be used for emergencies.”

“The Titans are conspiring to ruin my life, that counts as an emergency,” Tim hissed into the phone. “Make sure this farce doesn’t happen. I’m gonna scrap the phone now.” He hung up and then proceeded to break the phone in half before tucking it back into his bag. 

Tim seemed remarkably unconcerned that everyone was gaping at him as he got himself a new pencil. “Alright, sorry for the interruption, can we go back to the lesson? I had a question about-”

Seb, and most of the class jumped when the classroom door kicked open. A boy with absolutely wild brown hair and gold eyes poked his head in and grinned upon seeing Tim.

“Hey guys I found him, you can stop bothering the other classes!” Tim was muttering some quite terrifying threats under his breath when several other teens walked into the classroom.

“Hello normal Gotham citizens who we have never seen before,” a dark haired boy in a Superboy tshirt who was... probably actually Superboy holy shit, grinned while making eye contact with Tim. “We’re,” the kids all struck wild poses like they were in some weird anime, “the Teen Titans!” Tim looked like he was about to stroke out, Seb was starting to get concerned.

“Gar, Vic,” Tim ground out, “Et tu Brute?”

“Sorry man, you weren’t answering your phone,” the robot guy who was absolutely Cyborg- Seb was NOT freaking out over that okay maybe a little- said with a straight face as he held Beast Boy like a ballerina. 

“Sorry Timbo, I voted to give you space but your buds are determined,” Beast Boy shrugged from his dramatic pose in Cyborg’s arms. “Also Starfire said that Bats are like Blorbnos, whatever those are, and need to be socially enriched whether they want it or not.”

“Cy, BB, don’t waste time talking to the peasants,” Wonder Girl said with a flap of her hand, showing off her bright red identification band. She was wearing jean shorts overtop ripped tights and a cropped white tshirt with a banana on it.

 “We’re here to educate the children of Gotham about important life lessons such as teamwork, communication and being a good friend.” She smiled and it was all teeth. Tim leaned forward in his desk and returned the terrifying smile. Sebastian felt very out of his depth. The whole class had been caught in the middle of an awkward lovers quarrel. Only the lovers in this case were your superhero buds you’d been ghosting.

“We used to have a leader but that bird flew the coop, you know, without any warning or even a note,” Superboy said through gritted teeth as he crossed his arms. “So we went with a new system where we change who’s in charge depending on the day of the week, just to keep things interesting. Today is Kid Flash’s turn.” Tim was grinding his teeth to dust in the seat next to Seb. 

“Hooray!” Kid Flash said jumping up at down at supersonic speed. “My first order of business as the official leader is to talk about crime.” He sped off for a second- literally by the time Seb had blinked he’d gone and returned with a large map tapped to the chalkboard. It looked to be a map of Gotham, it was covered in red dots. 

“According to this,” he slapped the map. “There is so much crime in Gotham, no one should live here.” He waggled his eyebrows at Tim who looked like he was trying to manifest heat vision in return. “By contrast, San Francisco is warm, happy, has way less crazy clowns and has us!” Seb blinked again and the guy was sitting in Tim’s lap. Tim must be used to this sort of behavior because he just adjusted how he was sitting to accommodate the sudden lap full of teenage speedster. “When are you coming home, Dad?” Kid asked with big puppy dog eyes. “Mom misses you.”

“I told you, KF, I’m not the mom of the group!” Superboy shouted and, on that note, the final bell rang.

“Class, dismissed?” Mrs. Conway said with trepidation, clearly not sure what to make of the absolute mess her well intentioned lecture had turned into. It turned out to be an important lesson though, superheroes are just as crazy as regular people. No one got up to leave, whether it’s because they were scared of the situation or wanted some sweet gossip was up for debate.

“Some privacy would be appreciated,” Tim growled in a voice that Seb had never heard from him before but it sent shivers down his spine. The rest of the class scattered at that leaving just their little group; even the older Titans made their excuses and left the room. Seb was silently trying to get his things together and skedaddle with everyone else when Kid craned his head back from where he’d been nuzzled into Tim’s shoulder to blink those big eyes at him.

“Hey you’re Ives, aren’t ya?” He grinned and wiggled so he was right side up and leaned into Seb’s personal space. “Oh man, Tim’s told us all about you guys! You guys are so rad! This whole mess has been,” he blew a raspberry, “but the chance to meet you is so worth it!”

“Bart,” Tim groaned in annoyance.

“Ok, whatever, enough pretense. Tim, why the hell did you just bail on us like that?” Superboy demanded even as Kid Flash - Bart?- continued to talk to Seb about something or other? He was talking kind of fast so it was hard to understand also Hudson was muttering stuff behind him in amazement while Superboy and Tim went at it.

“Most of our devices got trashed, I’m sure B mentioned we were lying low. I was told you guys were doing fine, especially since you got the team back together.” Tim said evenly as Superboy stomped forward, slamming his hands on Tim’s desk. 

“We were worried,” Superboy emphasized. “That’s what friends do when their entire life goes to shit. I know you’re like, allergic to emotion or whatever but that wasn’t cool, dude.”

“B said he told you-”

“I didn’t want to hear it from Bats, I wanted to hear it from you!” Superboy shouted, getting right into Tim’s face until their noses were almost touching. Tim didn’t so much as blink. “I needed to hear from you, my best friend in your own words that you were okay.” It was a very intense stare down.

“I’m not Robin anymore,” Tim frowned, turning his eyes down. Superboy gently tilted his chin up until they were making eye contact again.

“I didn’t skip my last two classes, fly halfway across the country, potentially risk the wrath of the government, the League and Ma, for Robin. I don’t care what stupid outfit you wear, you’re my best friend,” Superboy said gently. Tim smiled shyly in return.

“Uh do you guys need a room?” Callie asked from her seat way in the back, breaking the tension.

“No!” Tim and the super said at the same time Wonder Girl and Kid Flash said “Yes.” The two boys pulled back with a blush. 

“Look, I’m sorry okay,” Tim huffed, looking out the window. “I didn’t know what to say and you guys were going through your own stuff and, well, your mentors are letting you keep your jobs. My dad is... not really happy about everything. Even talking about it gets him pretty upset.”

“Cool!” Wonder Girl chirped, “next field trip is to beat up Tim’s obnoxious dad!”

“Yeah!” Kid Flash shouted, overbalancing a bit before clinging onto Tim like a baby koala. “I never liked him, he let baby Tim run around Gotham with nothing but a camera and his plucky sense of adventure. It’s totally his fault Bats called dibs on the little bird.” He kissed Tim’s cheek then cuddled closer. “But if Tim wasn’t Batnapped then we would all be a lonely, chaotic mess without our Robin.”

“You guys are the worst,” Tim sighed but he didn’t look too upset. Not with an overgrown kid lying on top of him or Superboy yelling at him or Wonder Girl threatening his dad. He looked tougher and sharper and more confident than Seb knew him as but he was still Tim. This was just Tim at an angle he wasn’t used to seeing. He bet to the Titans, Robin looked kind of off to them too. 

“So what are we going to do moving forward?” Wonder Girl asked, hands on her hips.

“Keep you up to date on how I’m doing,” Tim parroted back with an eye roll.

“And convince your super lame dad, both of them, to let you go back out into the field because fighting bad guys just isn’t the same without you,” Superboy nodded.

“Actually, we’re pretty sure Tim’s sneaking out at night to fight crime, just not as Robin,” Hudson said, looking surprised himself that he’d spoken. He shrunk back as everyone turned to look at him, the heroes gleeful and Tim sullen.

“That’s my boy!” Kid Flash laughed into his shoulder. Tim relaxed and sunk into the contact.

“That’s our boy,” Wonder Girl said softly. She blinked before dipping into an awkward curtsey. “Oh man this is kind of embarrassing, we just stormed in and started dumping some personal shi- uh stuff on you guys. I’m Cassie, you can see Bart getting cozy and that’s Kon, Tim’s future boyfriend.” 

“They do appear to have good chemistry,” Callie mused even as Tim and Kon protested, maybe a bit too much. 

“Wanna show us the best place to get food around here? We’ll swap Robin stories for your Tim stories. My personal favorite is the time Rob was riding his skateboard -oh sorry The Redboard- and his cape got caught in the wheel and he ended up face planting right onto the board so it flipped up then hit him again.”

“Cassie, oh my god, is nothing sacred any more!” Tim moaned.

“Oh!” Seb laughed, joining in. “What about when Tim fell asleep turning the econ test -you remember that Callie? and Mr. Jacobson woke him up by slamming a book on his desk so Tim woke up in a panic and punched him in the gut?”

“All of you are the worst,” Tim groaned into his hand as they laughed at his expense. But it was all in good fun, maybe not everything about the situation was bad. Maybe Sebastian would get some new friends himself.

[janekfan]

Oooo for prompts how about: season 2 or 3 Jon's got terrible stomach pains and ends up having to ask Tim for a lift to the hospital, but Tim cuts him off bc Tim is aaaangry that he's asking for a favour. And maybe he says some horrible stuff that discourages Jon from asking anyone else for help. But then oh dear a couple days later Tim finds him collapsed bc Jon had appendicitis and bc he couldn't get to the hospital it ruptureddddd. If it's up your alley!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27406324

It’s like you were reading my mind!

“T’Tim?” Looking up from his phone screen, he scowled at the sight. Jon was hanging off the door to his office with a white knuckle grip, panting open mouthed and pale. Seemed he’d come down with whatever flu took Sasha and Martin out. They’d been home sick since before yesterday and abandoned him here alone with their boss, who for all he promised to change, to be honest with them, was still insufferable. “Tim--”

“What?” Jon flinched, ducking his chin to his chest and dropping one arm to wrap around his middle.

“Sorry, I. I’m not f’feeling very well.” Rolling his eyes, Tim went back to scrolling with a scoff.

“Probably the flu.” Stubbornly, Jon had yet to move. Tim wasn’t quite sure he was able to the way he’d begun shaking.

“D’doesn’t. It doesn’t--” He cut him off, angry at being interrupted. Angry at Jon making himself Tim’s problem, like he didn’t already have enough of them.

“Have you eaten?” Trembling fingers slipped, tightened, clutching at the molding.

“No, no. I’m. I think--”

“Then eat something. Get some sleep. Do all the normal things people do to take care of themselves. You’re not a child, Jon!”

“I kn’know. Think. I th’think I need…ah.”

“Don’t go bothering Martin about this either. I’m serious, Jon.” He fixed him with a firm glare. “He needs to rest. Go home. Drink water. Eat food. Stop making yourself our mess.” Somehow, he made himself even smaller, hunched into himself and barely upright.

“Y’you’re right. M’sorry.”

“Yeah.” Tim hefted his bag from where he’d stowed it under his desk. “You always are, aren’t you?” He avoided glancing behind him where he was certain he’d find Jon’s eyes wide and sad and lined with shadow.

“Mm.”

“Right. I’m going home.”

“Night, Tim.”

Jon waited until he could no longer hear footsteps before allowing himself to fall the rest of the way to the floor, tucking his knees up and curling into himself on his side. The cement was cool against his cheek and even though he was completely alone in the Institute, Jon bit into his bottom lip to keep the pained whimpers scraping his throat raw from becoming too loud. Despite what Tim said, this didn’t feel like the flu. There was no way to escape the agony twisting up his insides with a spaghetti fork. Earlier that morning he thought it was just a bad stomachache but it worsened so quickly he’d been bent over his desk for the past few hours working up the wherewithal to move.

He didn’t want to go to hospital alone.

But, Tim. He’d thought.

Maybe.

Hot tears slipped over the bridge of his nose when he closed his eyes against the white hot fire poker digging around in his side. Tim was right, of course. He couldn’t be trusted to take care of himself. Always making his problems their problems. A spasm of misery swept over him leaving nausea in its wake and he groped blindly for the nearby bin, hunching over it only to end up with the echo of his own ragged breath in his ears.

“Nngh…” Fumbling in his pocket, Jon groped for his phone, intending to call 999 and bear the hospital on his own and finding, tragically, that he must have left it on his desk. “Damn…” There was no way of getting to it now, the thought of moving in the slightest causing more stinging tears. What he’d give for Martin. He’d never have left him here, even though he didn’t deserve his help or his kindness Martin would offer it freely and Jon would take advantage and take from Martin and take and take and take until there was nothing left. His teeth clattered together as the fine sheen of sweat cooled in the chill air of the archives. It was freezing and he was hurting, folded up on the floor just inside his office and if he didn’t know he was completely alone already, he’d have thought someone was stabbing him over and over and over again but there was no one and he writhed, a worm stranded on the pavement after the rain. If Tim found him tomorrow, would he care? Would he just shut the door and pretend Jon wasn’t there?

Jon wouldn’t even blame him if he did.

Vision blurring in and out of focus, Jon fixed it on the glare of the emergency lights flooding over the cement, breath shallow and fast in an attempt to spare himself more pain. Any relief was wishful thinking and Jon let lead-lined lashes flutter shut, exhausted, curling tighter, hugging harder, choking on the pathetic noises and certain he was about to go mad.

Worse, and worse, and impossibly worse, and Jon once more attempted to reach his desk, extending an arm as far as possible before the knife buried in the very core of him twisted any further. Incandescent, the pain seemed to peak, stealing the air from his lungs, the sight from his eyes, any sound from his ears other than the blood rushing like lava through his veins, louder in crescendo, deafening.

And then nothing.

Tim shouldered open the door, briefly surprised when it was still dark, and figured Jon had listened to some advice for once in his life and gone home to recover. Thumbing through his feed, Tim dropped his bag and leaned back in his chair to put his feet up on the desk. As he reclined he noticed Jon’s office door yawning open in his peripheral vision, turning to look and wondering why the light was off. Jon never left his door open when he left, too suspicious to risk any of them getting a look at whatever he did all day. Tilting back too far, Tim nearly flipped the chair at the sight of a patent leather wingtip attached to a slender socked ankle, scrambling back to his feet to stumble to his knees at Jon’s side. When he touched the sleeve of his button down it was soaked with sweat; he was burning up under his hands and curled up so tight Tim couldn’t see his face, shivering violently with harsh chills and before he did anything else, he dialed 999.

They’d be here soon.

Eight minutes if the news could be believed.

And Jon would be fine.

Is this what he’d been trying to tell him last night? That he needed help?

“Jon, hey.” Even shifting aside the mess of curls escaping from their tie only revealed a flushed cheek and gently Tim began to pull him apart, trying to unwind his arms only for Jon’s bloodshot eyes to spring wide with a hoarse shout at the attempt.

“S’stop, stop…please...” Gasping, breathless, and to Tim’s horror, Jon began to cry, whimpering when he tugged at him once more.

“Jon!” He flinched as though he’d been struck, slamming his eyes shut and trying to comply and gagging on the next sob to claw its way out of him.

“Sorry...s’ssorry…” hiccupping between swallowing damp gulps of air. It stopped his whining, those awful noises he’d been making only because he was forcing back the tide because Tim yelled at him. He hadn’t meant to, he’d never seen him like this, face nearly grey with pain and streaked heavy with tears. “T’Tim, it, it hur’s.” Slurred apologies strung together on an awful garland of stifled groans and wretched mewling, teeth grit together so tight Tim thought he’d see them fracture.

“They’re coming. Just, just hang on.” Awkward silence broken only by Jon’s keening shattered further when the paramedics flooded into the space, shifting Tim out of the way and asking questions he had no answers to.

“How long has he been like this?”

“I don’t know.”

“How long has he been ill?”

“I don’t know. Last night he was, we’ve employees out with the flu, I thought...” trailing off Tim was embarrassed. Last night, he’d looked bad. Last night, he’d asked for help.

“Ah!”

“Jon!” Insistent hands were prying his arms away, uncurling him and touching him and Jon didn’t like to be touched by people he didn’t know and he was crying-- ”Stop, you’re hurting him!” And Jon’s weeping was so full of pain that Tim felt it in his own chest, squeezing his heart, constricting his lungs, and he took up his hand as it flopped limp over the edge of the gurney he was curled on top of, small and trembling, drenched in sweat, narrow back heaving in his effort to breathe. “Easy, Jon. It’s alright.” They slipped out, these familiar, comforting words he’d not said to the man before him in what seemed like over a lifetime.

“40.3.” Crammed in the back of the bus hurtling through congested London streets, paramedics shouted numbers, readings, words Tim didn’t understand between them, one slipping an IV catheter into a dusky blue vein and the other strapping an oxygen mask over his face while Tim kept hold of him in a careful grip as they tried and failed to get Jon’s attention.

“Hullo, sir, can you tell me your name?”

“It’s, uh, it’s Jon. Sims.” Tim supplied when it became clear he was too feverish to do so himself. 40.3. 40.3. 40.3. A neverending and continuous chant.

“Mr. Sims? Jon? Can you tell me where you are?” Unintelligible mumbling and nonsensical syllables punctuated Jon’s eyes rolling back beneath salt damp lashes.

“Wh’what’s wrong with him?”

“Burst appendix, looks like.”

“That’s bad.” Of course it was bad. Had he left him there before or after? A dozen hours lying on the floor, infection raging unchecked. It was a wonder he hadn’t just--

“It is. He’ll be in an operating theatre soon. You can wait for him if you’d like.” They lurched to a stop, Jon’s gurney rushed so quickly into the hospital it tore his hand away from Tim’s.

If they’d known more about their relationship, he doubted the doctors would have let him see Jon so soon but as it was, Tim, hands fisted in his jacket pockets, ducked past the curtain concealing the little bay in ICU from the rest of the world. Even drugged to the gills or perhaps because of it, Jon dredged up a proud and wobbly smile for Tim when he recognized him.

“Din’t call Martin.” And honestly, what was he supposed to say to that? Anger and irritation at Jon’s witless proclamation bubbled up, near blinding.

“No. You didn’t. Should have.” His boss looked so confused, upset, his expression twisting up and tears glossing his eyes.

“But.” Did he remember being in the back of the ambulance, Tim holding his hand, insensate, dying? “You said.”

“I know what I said!” A machine attached to Jon somewhere via a lead or line and hidden under an ugly hospital gown beeped a warning, for what he couldn’t know.

“Oh.” Moisture spilled over when he blinked, streaming down each cheek and getting lost somewhere in the wild tangle his nurses hadn’t had time to tame. “I. I’m sorry. I thought--”

“You didn’t.” It was cruel and mean and this was just stupid, fighting with Jon while he was barely out of majory surgery and clinging to the last instructions Tim gave him, proud that he’d followed them and looking for approval, raw emotions naked on his face. Why Jon would look to him for anything now. Hadn’t he learned? There was no going back to what they had before. There was no going back at all.

In the end, Tim called Martin. And when Jon woke next it would be to someone glad to see him, happy to fret over him. If nothing else, Tim could give him that.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Jon jumped at his desk, pressing a hand over his healing incision with a gasp. Martin had been by, if the pair of pills and still steaming cuppa were any indication. He’d likely be by again soon to make certain Jon took the antibiotics. He didn’t look well but he was being looked after.

“I did.” Rather than the irritation as was his wont, Jon merely sounded tired, resigned. “And then--”

“You should have tried harder!” And Jon matched his bitten off volume, neither one wishing to attract Martin’s attention.

“You made it pretty clear you didn’t want to know!” His palm was still laid over his stomach. Tim knew he’d refused the good painkillers so he could work after spending over a week doing little else besides sleeping in between Martin’s check ups. But the spark was back in his eyes, however drawn his features, and he looked prepared for a verbal sparring match. Deeper though, hidden under all pretense and mask, Tim recognized the hurt, the abandonment there in the cant of his mouth, the set of his shoulders. “Trust me, you needn’t worry about me asking again.” And just like that the spark was gone, replaced by the exhaustion ground into him by this place, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, swiped his eyes quick enough he probably thought Tim hadn’t noticed.

“Yeah, well. Next time tell Martin before it gets that bad. Or better yet, go to A&E--”

“Yes, yes, yes, so you don’t have to deal with me.” Jon turned away and back to his statements, a clear dismissal that Tim ignored, choosing instead to linger in the doorway and watch him pretend to read over the research notes. “Lesson learned.”

“Always did take you longer than most.” The barest hint of a smile crossed Jon’s face, tainted with melancholy, and Tim pretended not to hear him as he left.

“Thank you, Tim.”

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 9/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd-centric, POV Jason Todd, POV First Person, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth Knows, Stalker Tim Drake, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unlikely Friends, Injury Recovery, Emotional Baggage, Rage, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating

Chapter Nine: Phone Call Home

When I woke up, I wanted to talk to Tim, but I felt so sick I spent half an hour in the bathroom running cool water over my head. Once I felt well enough, I traveled down the hall, looking for Tim... And I stumbled upon his darkroom. Tim was weird. I understood, but I didn't expect to see pictures of me in and out of costume. I turned on the red light. I looked around until I found a peg board with photos of Dick, Bruce, and me. He had several notes written underneath the pictures, pinned to the board. He must've been following us for years. He even had news clippings. I stumbled back. He already knew. He knew things that even I didn't. I left the room and shut the door before finding Tim and yanking him out of bed. "Jason, what's-?"

I shushed him. "When were you gonna tell me that you-? Tim, come with me," I commanded gently.

I dragged Tim behind me and gestured for him to open the darkroom door. Tim shook his head. "Tim, open the door. I want to talk to you in that room right now," I whispered.

"Before we go in there, I have something to tell you-."

"Tim, don't stall," I warned him. Tim shook his head.

"I'm not-." Tim took a deep breath in the dark hallway and looked down at his feet. "I'm not stalling. Jason, you're my best friend... And you're about to see things that aren't representative-. I want to be friends. I didn't know we'd get along so well... So I need you to know it was never my intention to use you."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted to be mad at him, but he wasn't lying. "Tim, you knew this whole time?" I asked. Tim nodded.

"I wanted you to know the world-." Tim ushered me into the darkroom. "I needed you to know the world needed Robin... I had no idea that the world needs Jason too."

"Do you still think that I should be Robin?" I questioned.

Tim chewed his lip. "I believe you are Robin," Tim whispered. I wiped my tears away, and I embraced him.

I finally had someone in my life who believed in me. Tim froze up. "Tim, you are the only person that hasn't shut me down... Thank you," I whispered.

"Were you guys arguing about that?" Tim questioned. I nodded, and Tim pulled up two chairs. I told him everything. I told him how I felt and how desperate I was to return to my normal. I cried through most of it, but he listened. He cared, but he didn't pity me. He didn't even flinch when I asked him to destroy the evidence of our secret identities. "Can do. Jason, you can stay here as long as you want, and once you get your cast off... I wouldn't mind helping you with whatever you want to do."

That's when it started. My plan. After Tim went to bed, I sat up all night planning ―which made my headache even worse― but I came up with something so perfectly chaotic that it would only require half the student body at my high school. I showered and changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Then I returned to sleep. When I woke up, Ives was arguing with Tim in a soft whisper. I took my medication out of the duffel and opened the door. "Do you guys have anything I can eat? I'm not supposed to take these on an empty stomach," I requested. Tim nodded and ran downstairs, leaving Ives with me. Ives was a nice guy.

"You okay? I hope we weren't too weird or anything yesterday... We really were excited to have you there," Ives smiled.

"Uh-huh, I'm okay... I haven't had fun in a long time, and I hope I can join you guys again sometime," I replied. Ives smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be sick. I swore Hudson was gonna cry when you chose to stand by him in battle," Ives chuckled. I laughed too. Tim's friends were alright. Even Hudson. He was a bit of a knucklehead, though.

Tim returned with pizza, and we ate it cold, straight out of the box. I took my medication and checked the calendar on my phone to look at my appointments. Ives' mom came to pick him up after breakfast, but he gave me his number first.

After he left, I played video games with Tim in the living room. "Are we okay?" Tim asked.

"We're better than that. We're brothers now," I replied. Tim grinned.

"Cool," Tim replied.

My phone rang. I wouldn't have answered, but it was Alfred. "Hey, Tim. Pause. This is Alfred," I whispered. He obeyed, and I answered the phone.

"Master Jason, are you somewhere safe?" Alfred asked.

"Mhm, I'm at my friend's house. He said I could stay here for a while... And Alfred, I'm sorry about the porch," I apologized, "And don't tell Bruce where I am."

"I wouldn't think of doing such a thing. Stay out of trouble, and tell your friend I said hello," Alfred whispered before hanging up.

"Alfred says hi, Tim," I announced. Tim smiled.

"Jason, did you sleep last night?" Tim questioned.

"No, but I was thinking about the pictures on your wall... Do you actually think a high school kid hacked WayneTech earlier this year?" I asked. Tim nodded. "Do you think you can figure out who he is?"

"Probably... Why?" Tim asked.

"I want to piss off some very important people, and I think this hacker might have what we need," I replied.

"Jason, can I ask what you're-?"

I shook my head. "It's not that I don't trust you... It's-. This won't work unless you're in the dark for most of it... Also, I need to help you make a replica of my old costume because you're gonna have to be my Robin," I explained. I don't think Tim heard anything after that. He got up and started buzzing around his room, looking for his laptop. I felt sick again, so I went to his bathroom and stuck my head in the sink again. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I bumped my head on the faucet.

"Ouch! Jesus... Hello," I snapped as I answered the phone. I put it on speaker.

"Jason, you know I don't like to get involved in your stuff with Bruce-."

"Then don't," I replied. I had never talked to Barbara like that, but I was pissed.

"I get that you're mad and Bruce is being a complete bonehead... But you're acting like a child. If you want to prove him wrong, do that. Don't throw tantrums and run away from home. You're better than that," Barbara stated.

"You weren't there, Babs. I'd been swallowing my feelings on this for months. I'm sick of him. I've earned the right to flip out on him. How would you feel if he told you what he told me?" I asked.

"Jay, go home. Be pissed off if you wanna be. That's your right, but don't be childish-."

"I'm not being childish. I'm not going home because I don't feel at home there anymore. He told me that he couldn't handle being around me, that Gotham needed Batman, but do you know what he didn't say? The one thing that would've let me accept it all. He never once said he needed me or loved me. He didn't even say he wanted better for me. This is all about him and his ego. I'm his ghost, his failure, his fuel.

You have no idea how that feels. Bruce respects you. I'm barely even a person to him right now. Why would I give up my humanity to be someone's pathetic little rescue?" I interrupted.

"He could make you come home if he wanted to... But he hasn't. Bruce is trying. He sucks at it, but he's doing the best he can. If you can't control your temper or face him right now, at least let him know where you are," Barbara replied.

"Yeah, okay... You were probably gonna tell him where I am anyway. I'll text him, but I'm not going home. I'm staying put," I replied. Barbara didn't get it, but I couldn't fault her for it. I texted Bruce as I promised her, and I spit up in the sink.

"Jason? Are you alright?" Tim asked through the bathroom door.

"Yeah! I'm fine," I answered. The truth. I was only queasy from my migraine. I washed up and dried my hair before returning to Tim's room. He sat next to me on his bed, working on something on his computer, and the gentle click-clacking of his fingers on the keyboard lulled me to sleep.

[vikingpoteto]

middle children must unionize

read on ao3 ______________________

my contributior for @batfam-big-bang

Summary: Jason realizes no one is taking care of Tim - not even Tim himself. He decides to do something about it.

Notes: I can't stress enough how grateful I am for joining this event. First of all, stan the mods. Stan my beta reader team, @timmydrakewings, @stormleviosa and @sun-lit-roses. Stan my artist team @houser-of-stories, @reese-haleth and @anicomicqueen To all of these amazing talented people that, for whatever reason chose to help me with this story, I can't stress enough how grateful I am. ________________________

Jason doesn’t keep in touch with the Bats after Bruce’s gone.

Batwoman only trusts him as far as she can throw him. Dick is not easy to avoid, but Jason keeps their contact to a minimum nonetheless. Ninja girl doesn’t speak with him. Replacement… Well. Jason does have a weird professional relationship with the kid. As professional as you can get with someone you tried to kill. Barbara will probably never forgive him for making Dick cry so many times. Brat girl will probably never forgive him for trying to kill Replacement. The other one, whatever his name is, is low-key/high-key terrified of Jason. As for the gremlin... Well, he’s like 10? 11? Jason doesn’t hang out with children, not even assassin ones.

So yeah. Not on friendly terms with anyone in the Wayne family.

However he is an instigator at heart and, while whatever they’re doing in the Batcave is none of his business, he’ll be damned if he doesn’t finish one of his rare visits by stirring things up a bit.

Dick usually makes sure he doesn’t do anything too outrageous, but a distraction comes in the form of Gremlin, who shows up demanding to know why Dick is late for their training session or whatever. The brat sends Jason a scathing look but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. Dick only smiles patiently and waves Jason goodbye, leaving Replacement unsupervised. Before heading out, Jason approaches Replacement, who’s sitting by the batcomputer.

“So,” he starts. Jason notices when the kid flinches a little. Your regular guy wouldn’t, but Jason was once a bat too. “How does it feel to be replaced, Replacement?”

Replacement’s shoulders go stiff for half a second.

When he turns to face Jason, however, his expression is empty.

“Predictable,” he says.

Jason quirks an eyebrow up. “Meaning?”

“I was only a Robin because I was, how can I put this, a coworker?” Replacement turns his eyes back to the computer and starts typing. “It was a no-strings-attached sort of deal. Bound to end at some point.”

That’s… new.

“You’re legally adopted into the Wayne family,” Jason hears himself reminding him.

“Yeah, ain’t that a pickle,” Replacement laughs. “Can you guess who forced Bruce to do that? My money was on Dick, but now I think it was probably Babs or Alfred.”

Jason stares, unsure what to make of that. Before he decides, the kid stands up.

"I have always been a patch job, so being dismissed is to be expected. I'm just overstaying my welcome at this point."

“You can get dismissed? I thought this was an until-your-untimely-death sort of gig.”

That was not how Jason expected this conversation to go, like, at all. He had never seen Replacement looking so… worn out? Lifeless?

“I don’t know, man,” Tim frowns as though he made himself confused. “God, I’m sleepy. See you around, I guess.”

And Jason watches him leave the cave with his shoulders hunched and an empty stare. Dick and Gremlin are so preoccupied with their sparring session that they don’t seem to notice. Jason sticks around for a few more seconds, stunned, before he realizes what he’s doing. He goes home.

Jason can’t stop thinking about what the kid said.

It’s not that he didn’t think something of the sorts, especially when he was angriest at Bruce. He had thought about how Batman trained his children to be soldiers and, like soldiers, they could be easily replaced. After all, what was one more problem child joining their broken family? What’s another deadly brat being thrown at some creeps wearing literal clown costumes?

He did think of them as Bruce’s kids though.

Not that Batman had any expertise in healthy parenting techniques, but Jason didn’t have any healthy son experiences to compare so it didn’t matter much. They were Batkids for the better and mostly for the worse, and if something happened to them, well, the crusade must go on.

He never thought of Robin as someone that could be sent home out of the blue, like your average GC Pig. A disgrace to the family? Sure. See, kids, we don’t talk about cousin Jason. He got himself killed and came back all crooked. That’s what happens if you kill murderers or forget to brush your teeth. Still, the idea of being dismissed for no reason never occurred to Jason. It was absurd, because, as far as Jason knew, his replacement was the perfect little soldier. Why would he walk away?

Dick fought with Bruce. Jason… well. You know. Brat girl had to move cities or whatever? Or she died, but got better? Jason doesn’t really know anything about the chick. Either way, he knows she became Batgirl soon after. Tim, however, had nothing stopping him from staying masked. Why would Replacement talk about being Robin as if it was a summer job?

Does that mean that the wimpy kid Jason has been bullying was really that cold and detached?

He thinks about it until his head hurts and he starts remembering times with Bruce and Dick and Alfred and suddenly he doesn’t want to think about it anymore.

It’s a good thing Jason is good at compartmentalizing, because that’s what he does. He pushes thoughts of Batman and Robin to the depths of his mind and forgets about it.

He doesn’t find out until weeks later.

He’s not visiting the manor because he wants to. It’s just that there is this stupid encrypted information he needs for a case and he isn’t exactly tech savvy. He doesn’t think Barbara would do him a solid - she’s still ignoring him for… whatever. He doesn’t even know. Probably something about hurting Dick’s pwecious feewings or eating the last cookie Alfred made. Either way, Jason first tries contacting Replacement directly. Only when the kid doesn’t pick up he forces himself to go to the cult headquarters.

He needs that data, dammit, and whoever called programming logic, was out of their damn mind. If true, execute commands 1, 2 and IV, it said. If what was true? Jason read and read and still didn’t get what it was referring to. And why would someone name the commands regular numbers then just… throw a fucking roman number? Just to spice things up? Whoever wrote that damn code should get a bullet in the foot.

“Jay!” Dick grins at him, although he looks unamused by the fact that Jason is coming in through a window on the second floor. “You do remember that we have a door, don’t you?”

“I like to keep ‘em guessing,” Jason says. “Which room is the kid’s? I have a job for him.”

Dick tilts his head to the side, confused. “Damian is at school?”

And then there’s that. A lot to unpack. First, Jason is deeply offended that Dick thinks he would ever go there after Gremlin, the child that likes to criticize Jason's  skills despite the fact that a) Jason was trained by Damian's father and then b)Jason was trained by Damian's mother. Second, Damian Wayne. Going to Gotham Academy. Does he wear the uniform? Does he have homework or does he threaten the teachers with a sword until they quit? Did anyone explain to him the concept of playing tag before he murders a bunch of 9 year olds? Jason has so many questions. If only he had time.

“I said the kid . The human one, not the imp.”

“Oh.” Dick seems taken aback. “Oh, he... Jason, Tim isn’t in Gotham. You didn’t know?”

Jason groans. “Are you kidding me? You annoyed him into leaving the planet with his alien friends again, didn’t you?”

“No, he… I actually don’t know where he is now.”

Jason blinks in surprise. So Dick didn’t pick Bruce’s habit of microchipping his kids?

“What do you mean you don’t know? How do you lose a whole Robin? The uniform is basically a traffic cone.”

Dick sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Jason had seen Bruce do just that so many times he forgets for a moment whatever stupid joke he was about to make. When did his older brother become the dad?

“He left a while ago. He barely spent any time here at the manor after I gave Robin to Damian, so…”

Jason freezes. After I gave Robin to Damian, he says. Being dismissed is to be expected, the kid said weeks ago.

“Dick. What the fuck did you do?”

Dick looks surprised at the raw anger in Jason’s voice, even though he shouldn’t fucking be. Jason remembers the distant voice on that day. He did think that was oddly cold for Replacement, even if he was a calculating nerd. Except that wasn’t him being cold. That was him lying to himself.

Jason would know. He spent most of his childhood telling himself he didn’t need a loving father. A good part of his teenage years telling everyone that would hear that he didn’t care at all that Bruce kept holding him to the standards of the perfect son that went away. It’s a lot easier to pretend you didn’t care because it makes it hurt less when things are taken away. Jason was a fucking pro at that technique, so much he wonders how the hell he didn’t notice earlier.

“I did what I had to do,” Dick says, defensively. The way he does when he’s second guessing himself, but still in denial about it. “Tim’s a hero of his own right and he’s capable enough that…”

“That you fucking fired him?” Jason barks.

“Damian needs Robin, Jason! He’s just so lost and being Robin gave him a sense of purpose, allowed him to actually be a child.”

“No shit Gremlin is a child! What about Replacement? He’s, what, 15?”

“He’s 17, how do you not know your own brother’s age?”

“Whatever! He’s just a teen and you basically just told him to fuck off.”

Dick sighs. “Look, I tried to help Tim. Tim’s friends tried to help Tim. But he’s a mature person and he wanted some time for himself.”

Ain’t that a familiar song. A good dose of leave me the fuck alone while still wearing a goddamn bat on his chest and making sure to make enough noise to draw attention. He doesn’t like how close it hits to home, how Dick, who’s supposed to be the best of them, ends up being just as shit as recognizing emotions as any other Bat. Jason laughs without any humor.

Incensed, Dick’s jaw sets in challenge as he adds: “I trust Tim and I respected his choice to leave on his own mission, because he knows what’s right for him.”

“Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night,” Jason says. “You’re right. Give the demon what he needs. Replacement is a grown ass adult because you respect him so much .”

“Jason, I didn’t say that…”

“He was never a kid here, Dick, even I know that. You all keep throwing shit at him, messes for him to fix ‘cause it’s fine, it’s little Timmy, he’s so fucking capable, he can take it. Have you ever considered that he was always an adult because you all are the fucking children?”

I have always been a patch job sounds awfully similar to I’m here because he got lonely after you left.

But apparently Dick is done exercising his brotherly patience and Jason hit a nerve.

“What do you know about him? You never bothered to talk to him, to spend time with him. You don’t know shit about Tim.”

Jason scoffs. Dick’s face grows unevenly red.

“You don’t, Jason! You were busy trying to kill him. Remember that bonding experience? Must have been fun for him. Having the hero he grew up admiring trying to murder him?”

Jason throws the first punch. Dick easily dodges, the motherfucker, the damn superior Robin.

Screw it, Jason thinks as they start yet another classic Robin Brawl that would only end when Ninja Girl mysteriously dropped from the ceiling and kicked both of their asses.

Jason doesn’t hear from the cave for a while. His phone gets a weird virus, so he guesses Oracle heard he pushed Dick down the stairs. He just tosses the whole thing away and decides that screw his stupid case with the weird code, screw detective work. The biggest detectives aren’t around anymore. He'll just call Kory and convince her to help torch the place up and hopefully the new Batman and Robin will have to deal with the aftermath.

The next time Jason hears from his brothers, it’s a frantic call from Dick that makes Jason’s blood turn into ice: freaking Ra’s Al Ghul is in Gotham doing his whole Head of the Demon thing. He grabs his bike and he’s still on the comms with Dick as he heads to the manor because Alfred is in there.

“What did Gremlin do?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Dick answers and Jason can barely hear him over the wind. He’s probably swinging around Gotham as he speaks. “It was Tim. Tim’s back and Ra’s is after him and everyone he cares about.”

Fuck. This is the kid Dick trusted to go out alone on a self-discovery journey or whatever. Jason wonders what the hell he had been up to get that much unwanted attention.

In the end, everything works out, kind of. No one on their side dies, but Tim does get thrown out of a window. Of a very, very, veeery tall building. Jason still thinks he got off too easy. As smart as he is, Tim shouldn’t have survived a run in with Ra’s.

Jason is curious enough about it to stay in the cave after the fact. He and Dick sit near Tim’s bed while Leslie works her magic. Dick doesn’t take his eyes from his little brother’s pale face for even a second.

“We almost lost him,” he whispers at some point. “Again, we… I almost lost him.”

“But you didn’t,” Jason says, voice flat. “You saved him.”

Dick bites his lower lip hard enough to break the skin. Jason punches his shoulder to snap him out of it.

“Jay, about last time…”

“Ugh, don’t apologize, you freak. Why can’t you just bottle up your emotions and pretend nothing happened like the rest of this stupid family?”

That makes Dick give him a weak smile. If not for the bottling up part, for the part in which Jason admits they’re a family.

“You were… well, not right. I still think Tim shouldn’t be treated like a sidekick anymore,” Dick continues, despite Jason’s disgusted noises. “But he shouldn’t be left alone either. No one in this family should.”

Jason pretends to be gagging long enough that Dick gives up on trying to be a sensible adult and returns to silently watching over his brother.

After that, it’s a matter of stalling and by stalling he ends up watching the other Bats. He finds from Alfred that Ninja Girl isn’t looming over Tim’s bed because she’s in Hong Kong. Brat girl comes and goes the whole night and Jason doesn’t understand why she can’t simply sit down and wait as a pile of nerves like Dick is doing. At some point, she reads the morning newspaper and starts making so much fuss the one Jason doesn’t know the name - Dave? Dylan? - takes her upstairs to calm her down. Damian is nowhere to be found

In the end, Jason manages to be there when Replacement wakes up. Everyone is busy celebrating, too elated that Replacement is fine, so much they forget Jason is still lurking around. No one sees when his face goes pale and he feels like he’s going to puke.

“How did you know I was going to catch you?” Dick asks.

Tim gives him a tired smile. “You’re my brother, Dick. I knew you’d save me.”

Fuck.

Fuck. It’s like looking into a goddamn mirror, except Tim is so much better at this than Jason ever was. So much that he might even be fooling himself.

But he can’t fool Jason. Dick wants to believe in the best of them, he wants them all to be sane and safe and happy - as much as a Bat can be, at least - but Jason is more of a realist. He knows no one can plan that far ahead. He knows Tim went to a meeting with the Head of the Demon fully aware that he would most likely be carried out in a coffin. Considering Dick’s misstep from a couple months earlier and the fact that Tim had already assigned him and Damian a task, Batman was the last person Tim was expecting to show up.

Of course Dick would save him, any of them. Despite his issues with Bruce, Jason had his hero worship towards his brother restored pretty fast. Dick, the golden boy, the perfect son, loved him no matter what and Jason loved him back. Knew now that Dick had love enough to go around for all of them - all of them. But did Tim know that?

Tim finished his little mission, wrapped it all pretty with a bow, making sure no one kicked the bucket. Except for himself. Timothy Drake-Wayne was the contingency plan for Batman’s contingency plan, but he didn’t care enough to make a plan for himself.  

Bruce is gone. Dick is painfully blind. The Drakes are dead. Alfred has his hands full. The Behemoths or the Little League, or whatever the hell the super kids call themselves now, were just that. Kids. Jason curses to himself, because, if no one else will watch out for Replacement, it’s none of his fucking business.

It’s not.

However…

Jason doesn’t know how to put his not-plan in action. He can’t exactly walk up to Tim and say hey, I think we’re not so different, you and I, so I’m worried for your safety. I know I tried to kill you, but that like... two years ago, get over it. Let’s be friends.

Before he figures it out, he hears that Bruce is back. The real Bruce.

He doesn’t know how to feel about it, so he decides to put some distance between him and the family one more time as he takes some weeks to process. He goes out of town to hang out with his friends. He is done with Gotham bullshit for a while.

Unfortunately, Jason finds himself facing his worst enemy: the damn encrypted data.

He hates that dealers now do their thing through the internet. Who the fuck buys marijuana online? Where is the poetry in that? The class of being friends with the sketchy guy that lives around the corner and hangs out with you while you smoke? If they’re gonna sell oregano online to rich white kids, fine, but they’re selling heavy stuff to people that live in his territory and there is a thing bigger than just drugs, if Jason’s hunch is right. He could confirm it by cracking the numbers he stole from their stupidly unguarded computers.

Except the encryption is too complicated for him to access the files.

Well, isn’t that the perfect excuse to take a visit to the kid’s apartment.

Because that is the situation right now. The kid is emancipated, controlling Wayne Enterprises and living by his damn self. There is so much to unpack that Jason wants to throw away the whole suitcase.

He should probably do just that, or at least that’s what he thinks when he climbs to Tim’s balcony (in his head, he hears Dick’s voice going what do you hate about front doors, man?) and he is immediately pushed to the ground.

He is wearing his helmet, sure, but it doesn’t make it less painful when someone fucking stomps on his head, forcing his face against the floor.

“Fuck,” is all Jason thinks of saying.

He then kicks his assailant in the shin and is satisfied when they tumble backwards. Unfortunately for him, they - she - doesn’t fall over the railing, she just stays away long enough to give him time to stand.

A bald girl wearing a distasteful crop top glares daggers at him. She is already back on her fighting stance - one that looks way too familiar for Jason’s taste - ready to strike. And strike she does.

Her movements are similar to Jason’s - fast, strong, unpredictable, unfair - but she has the advantage of being more slender and having more freedom of movement in the small space. All Jason can do is defend himself and not get tossed over the edge. Who the fuck is this girl? Why is she attacking him? Doesn’t she know he is the freaking Red Hood? He just wanted the damn-

“What on Earth are you guys doing on my balcony?”

The girl freezes. Jason does not. He lands a punch straight on her nose and she falls backwards, her mouth opening in pain even if no sound comes out.

“What the hell, Hood!”

Tim rushes to the girl’s side.

“What the hell Hood?” Jason parrots, indignant. “I just got here and she attacked me!”

Tim frowns and turns to the girl. “Is that true?”

Instead of answering, the girl holds her bloody nose and glares at him. She uses her free hand to show Tim four fingers. Tim sighs.

“I know it’s the fourth time you’ve had your nose broken,” Tim gives her a wry smile. “But the three other times you had it coming. And maybe even this time. Why did you attack Red Hood?”

She makes the gesture of someone walking with two fingers then points at Tim’s balcony door. Jason doesn’t know a lot of ASL, but those don’t seem to be the same signs Cassandra uses.

“She attacked me because she thought I was trying to break in?” He asks. “You have a bodyguard now?”

Tim stands and holds out his hand to the girl. She begrudgingly takes it and lets him pull her to her feet. “Why don’t we all go inside before someone notices the Red Hood on my balcony?”

Jason grumbles in annoyance but does make his way in. Tim is right behind him and Jason can’t help but think he’s acting as a shield in case the girl wants revenge for her nose.

“Come here, Pru, I’ll get something cold for your nose.”

Jason takes a look around. As they cross the living room, he notices it looks like a shiny rich person apartment you’d see in a magazine. Jason wasn’t sure what he expected of Tim’s new crib, and he knows the kid just moved in, but the fact that the place looks like a hospital’s reception makes him feel some sort of way.

Fortunately, the kitchen is a bit better. Not much, but it’s something. There are papers spread across the table, dirty glasses in the sink, a mug full of black steaming tea, Tim’s laptop open on top of a pile of books, and there are pictures on the fridge. Jason remembers vaguely Dick mentioning that one of the kids had a thing for photography and another liked drawing. He has to assume Tim is the photographer as he takes a good look at them: one of Brat girl’s grinning face with a big heart magnet, one of Tim and Cassandra sharing the same reading chair, one of Bruce in one of those fancy sweaters he used to wear at home, one of Dick and Cassandra doing handstands, one of a red head kid, behind him Tim, a muscular girl and an even more muscular guy. Jason doesn’t need to be a detective to figure those, even without the uniforms, are Impulse, Wonder Girl and Superboy.

“So,” Tim starts. He hands the girl a pack of frozen peas and shrugs at her dirty look. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Without ceremony, the girl takes a seat by the table and tries to steal a glance at Tim’s laptop. He casually closes it and smiles at her. She scoffs.

“First, you explain the bodyguard,” Jason says, gesturing to the girl.

“Right. Where are my manners? Pru, this is Red Hood. Hood, this is Prudence.”

He doesn’t turn to her so she can read his lips or use gestures to speak, so Jason figures she isn’t deaf, only mute. Maybe it’s something like Cassandra?

“Really? Prudence? That’s ironic. ”

She shows Jason her middle finger. Definitely not deaf then.

Unlike Prudence, Jason doesn’t make himself at home. When he crosses his arms and doesn’t say anything for a minute more, Tim reads his silence correctly and adds, “We’re working together for a while and there are a lot of people that want us dead, so you’ll have to forgive her. She saw a suspicious guy trying to get into my place and she assumed the worst.”

Jason quirks an eyebrow. Tim can’t see his expression behind the helmet, but he sighs nonetheless.

“Come on. She couldn’t know I sometimes work with the Red Hood too.”

I sometimes work with. Ouch. Jason supposes that’s fair, though. Tim hasn’t exactly been informed of Jason’s newfound empathy or his protective streak.

“How did you know where I live, by the way?” Tim asks.

“Alfred told me you moved,” Jason says. “I got your address from Cassandra.”

Tim’s brows disappear under his messy fringe. “Really?”

Jason nods. “Took a lot of convincing before she believed I didn’t want to kill you in your sleep.”

At that, Tim snorts. He’s still grinning when he asks, “What did you want it for then?”

“Tech support,” he says as he fishes a small flash drive from his pocket. “I was hoping you could crack some files for me.”

Tim takes it and nods. “I’ll check it out. I’ll send the results to you as soon as I have them. Anything else?”

Again… ouch. Apparently imprudent girl is welcome to kick back and hang out, but Jason is just a fellow associate that came to hand in an assignment and promptly piss off.

Then Jason realizes that that was exactly what their relationship was like before Tim went around the world to fight Ra’s al Ghul. Damn.

Well. It’s not like he can take off his helmet and stick around when there is a stranger in there, especially when Tim carefully introduced him as the Red Hood instead of good ol’ Jason Todd. He just wanted to check on the kid and he did. No need to get all clingy. That’s Dick’s thing, not his.

It isn’t until much later that Jason realizes how pointless the visit was. He wanted to see if the kid was okay. He suspected he wasn’t, but it wasn’t like he had any idea of what to do about it.

Lucky for him, Tim looked a lot better than last time. Less dead eyed, more like he has some sort of purpose. The fact that Dick is included in his little photo collection must mean they made amends. Whether it was because Jason’s whooping Dick’s ass or in spite of it he’ll never know. Based on what he knows about Tim, the kid might have just worked everything out by himself and forgiven Dick on his own terms.

Despite his decision to take care of Tim from then on, Jason is definitely not great at it. He doesn't think he lost the rights to admonish Dick for not talking to his brother. The fact is Jason isn't great with words. He wants to help Tim through actions.

Still the question remains: how?

(And Tim emails him the files he needed 8 hours later and Jason worries that the kid didn’t sleep, which… great. This is just great.)

Less than two nights later, someone gets into Jason's frequency. He's about to head out for patrol when a creaking sound inside his helmet precedes a familiar voice slightly twisted by static.

"Red Hood, this is Red Robin. Do you copy?"

Right. He goes by Red Robin now.

"What you want, rep… kid?" Jason inwardly winces at his misstep.

There is a moment of confused silence before Tim mercifully decides not to ask what that was. "I'm pursuing a lead in your territory."

Jason hums. "What's it? I'll handle it."

"No!" Tim says too fast. "I mean… it's my case. I just thought you could take the night off? Please?"

This is supposed to be the smart Robin, right? He does know that Jason isn’t a complete moron, right?

“What’s in it for me?” Jason asks.

If this was Damian, he’d get a colorful death threat. If this was Dick, a winded speech on how brothers are supposed to have each other’s backs and he's just asking for a tiny favor, Jason, don’t make me make my ex-girlfriend hack into your phone and block Netflix again. Tim, however, knows that everything has a price and has an answer ready.

“You owe me for those files I decoded for you.”

Straight to the point. No bullshit. Jason is starting to really like this kid.

“Fair enough. You go follow your lead and I won’t murder you for being in my territory.”

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, Hood.”

Jason didn’t say anything about taking the night off, though.

Jason knows that, if he was working alone, Tim wouldn’t ask for permission. He would let himself in and out of Jason's territory assuming Jason wouldn’t even notice - he’d done it before as Robin, and Jason did notice but pretended not to. He can’t track Red Robin as easily, but the fact that he doesn’t want Red Hood around means there is something or someone he can’t control tagging along… and who’s the one person even Tim Drake can never control?

“Brat girl,” Jason mutters to himself, a cocky grin spreading on his face. One of his informants just confirmed he saw Batgirl driving whatever the fuck that is that capsule vehicle into an empty building just south of Jason’s place.

Oracle is probably out of town again, otherwise she wouldn’t allow her precious not-daughter to be messing around with Tim in Jason’s territory. But then, if most of the rumors are correct, even Barbara can’t quite control the new Batgirl.

He wonders what the duo are up to as he lets himself into the abandoned place through a hole in the ceiling. Red Hood walks on the rafters in the dark until he can hear familiar voices. He stops on his tracks when he notices that Red Robin and Batgirl aren’t alone. Wonder Girl and Impulse stick out like bright red sore thumbs against Gotham’s darkness.

Red Hood hears enough to know they’re planning on saving someone - one of Impulse’s friends? - from a local group connected to Black Mask. Their plan is solid, but it’s hardly a task herculean enough to warrant the presence of a speedster and an amazon. Red Robin makes it sound like it’s absolutely necessary nonetheless, assigning each of them a role that fits their powers and going over every little detail. It’s the first time Hood sees the kid in a position of leadership and he thinks it suits him. He seems extremely at ease.

Actually… that’s not quite it. He’s not as wary of the world as he is when he’s with the Batfamily. Not Batman’s perfect mini-detective, not Nightwing’s model little brother, not WE CEO. He’s still very much a hero, a Robin, but it’s possible to see he’s seventeen under the cowl. Even his posture changes, his shoulders relax and he allows himself to be… God, himself. That must be the first time Jason sees Tim completely in his element, no tension, no (metaphorical) masks.

Real Red Robin stays close to his friends. Very close. Hell, Impulse is almost sitting on his lap, his arm firmly wrapped around Red Robin’s waist as he points at some sort of map his wrist pad is showing. Batgirl is clinging to his other side, her chin resting on his shoulder using the excuse to see better what he’s showing. Hadn’t those two broken up?

Then Red Robin says something so softly not even Hood picks up. The other three teens get tense. Impulse nods and disappears in a gust of wind as his friends wait in silence.

Half a second later, something hits Hood’s back at a very alarming speed because of course Red Robin noticed someone listening and sent his speedster friend to get him. He curses while he falls, barely managing to roll fast enough to avoid serious knee damage when he lands.

“Jason!” Red Robin whines not unlike an embarrassed child crying out mom, not in front of my friends!

“Maybe check who’s spying on you before sending a child bullet careening into their back, will ya?” Jason complains.

Wonder Girl frowns. “Is that…”

“The Red Hood,” Batgirl confirms in a flat voice. “Yup.”

“Isn’t he a criminal?” Impulse asks, genuine curiosity in his voice.

A facepalming Red Robin groans. “He doesn’t do crime anymore.” Under Batgirl’s skeptical glare, he corrects, “He doesn’t do bad crimes anymore. What are you doing here, Hood? You said you were taking the night off!”

“I said I wouldn’t shoot you for being in my territory,” Hood corrects. “But I didn’t say anything about your super friends, because I didn’t think you’d be breaking so many rules in so little time. Really? Bringing metas to Gotham?”

Red Robin simply shrugs. “What Batman can’t see doesn’t hurt him.”

Batgirl snickers and Hood grins a little under his helmet.

“Little Timmy,” he gasps, resting his hand on his chest in mock shock.

“Shut up, why are you here?”

“What, you can’t tell me there is a case and expect me not to follow up.”

The other three kids look from Red Hood to Red Robin. It’s obvious that whatever Tim’s verdict is, they’re going to accept it. Even Stephanie. And she knows Jason (sort of).

“Fine,” Red Robin groans. “But no shooting anyone.”

“No promises.”

Wonder Girl and Impulse are obviously wondering whether they’re joking or not. Knowing they’re completely serious, Batgirl makes a face and pokes Red Robin’s cheek. He frowns at her and the two of them seem to have a conversation consisting of weird mouths and head shakes for a moment. Jason would know. He and Dick used to do that all the time. Finally, whatever face Red Robin is making convinces her and she lets out a defeated sigh.

“Well then, ladies,” Batgirl deadpans, “let’s get this bread.”

Despite Dick’s best efforts, Jason never quite fit in with the Titans. With Tim and Stephanie, however, he can work.

Breaking into one of Black Mask’s hideouts is a piece of cake, if not outright fun. He has to hand it to Stephanie. She is not as cunning as Barbara or as deadly as Cassandra, but the girl can blow up a marijuana deposit like no one else.

Sure, the smoke makes them at least 30% high—all of them except Impulse, whose metabolism won’t let him get intoxicated, to which… Just R.I.P. you funky little man, Jason really feels for him.

Even with the little diversion, there were still plenty of crooks to fight. Wonder Girl takes care of most of them on her own— amazons, man —and soon enough Impulse comes running, carrying a dark-skinned boy wearing power-dampening cuffs who keeps yelling at them in Spanish. At that, Red Robin announces they’re retreating.

Tim looks a lot more comfortable with his peers than he is with the Bats. Part of Jason wonders if he could’ve been like that. If he would have ended up differently if he had actually stayed with the Titans and made friends like Tim had. He tells himself not to go down that path, because he is who he is, he certainly doesn’t make friends in that teen sitcom way and you can’t change the past.

He is genuinely glad that Tim has those friends, though. He’s glad that he can feel that way despite the hint of jealousy.

As they leave a ruined hideout behind, Wonder Girl and Impulse are drowning Red Robin in hugs and cheering so loud one would forget they’re still in Gotham. Their friend laughs with them even with the stress of being so rambunctiously rescued. Batgirl slaps her arm around Hood’s shoulder and admires the Titans being loud as if congratulating themselves on the job done.

If all of them— all of them—are still smiling themselves silly as they leave, it’s only 50% because of the marijuana.

Jason quickly learns that Tim doesn’t like owing people. When Jason asked Tim to crack some encrypted documents, he just needed the damn files. He didn’t expect the kid to show up to tear down the place when Jason decided he had enough reason to dismantle the operation.

“What, you can’t tell me there is a case and expect me not to follow up,” Red Robin quips as he nudges a goon with his foot. The man groans, but doesn’t get up. Seemingly satisfied, Red Robin crouches down and starts cuffing the man to another by his side.

“Remind me to never ask for your help again,” Red Hood says.

Red Robin glowers. “I saved your ass from getting stabbed about three times.”

“I shot the kneecaps of four guys trying to murder you, so don’t expect me to thank you.”

They hear sirens. Red Robin stands. “Well, guess our job here is done.”

Hood nods. It’s been a while since he fought side by side with a fellow Bat, just him and another Robin and... it was nice. Roy and Kori are great partners and all, but they don’t have the same training a Robin does. They don’t get the specific maneuvers and the subtle secret signs. The fact that it had been so fun fighting side by side with Red Robin makes Jason feel like his not-plan of taking care of the kid was finally going somewhere.

Then Red Robin stretches his arm to grapple his way out of there and gasps.

“Red?”

“Uh…” He is now pressing his hand to his side.

“Is… is that blood?”

“Uhhhh…”

“Did you get stabbed and didn’t notice, you freaking idiot?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groans, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes over the cowl. “Why me?”

Red Hood sighs. “Relax, kid, it doesn’t look that deep.”

“I’m gonna have to call Batman,” Red Robin whines. “A’s gonna kill me.”

“Over a tiny stab wound? Don’t be a pussy, I’m sure you can stitch that yourself.”

“The stitches aren’t the problem, it’s just the medicine…” Red Robin says, making vague hand gestures. “I have no spleen.”

And then there’s that.

“I’m sorry. You what?”

Red Robin pulls a guilty face visible even under the cowl. Jason wouldn’t blame Alfred for killing him. He has no spleen and he just… decided it was a good idea to bring a staff to a gunfight at one of the grimiest places of Gotham.

Tim Drake-Wayne, everyone, smartest Robin to date.

Jason, however, decides not to kill Tim for his stupidity. He recognizes that particular frown. It’s the I-messed-up-and-I-don’t-want-dad-to-find-out face.

The GCPD sirens are getting closer.

“I’ve got a big collection of antibiotics back at one of my safehouses,” he mentions casually. “I could patch you up so A doesn’t have to.”

Tim’s wide eyes are evident. Jason wonders if this is him being able to read the kid too well or if Tim straight up sucks at hiding his emotions. It’s probably a bit of both.  

“You know. As thanks for helping me.”

“I thought you wouldn’t thank me.”

“Don’t push it, kid.”

By now, they can see the red and blue police lights.

“Lead the way.”

He rolls his eyes and drags the kid to his bike. He really hopes the pigs didn’t see them, because it’s bad enough that a hero showed up to Red Hood’s bust, he doesn’t need any cops thinking that he kidnapped Red Robin or any shit like that.

“Are we going to the one behind the new theater or the one around crime alley?” Tim casually asks.

Jason freezes halfway through mounting his bike. “How the fuck do you know about those?”

“I know the location of all of your safehouses,” Tim admits.

“Batman knows about my safehouses?”

Tim quirks an eyebrow. “Last time I checked, I’m not Batman.”

...oh.

That’s… nice. Kind of. A confirmation that he can trust the kid to have his back.

“Smug nerd,” Jason mumbles.

Tim only chuckles in response. They set off to Jason’s place.

The rest of the night is peaceful. At least for a Bat’s standards. Jason helps Tim disinfect his wound and stitch it closed while Tim raids Jason’s medicine stash until he finds the ones he needs. Jason promises to hook him up with his supplier so he doesn’t have to rely so much on the cave. By the time they’re done, Tim’s lips are permanently curled upwards.

When he starts shuffling awkwardly as if looking for a way to say goodbye, Jason nonchalantly announces where he can find clean towels and clothes, as if this is a thing they do everyday. Tim seems baffled, but thankfully he doesn’t call Jason’s bullshit and obediently heads to the bathroom. By the time he’s done, Jason is fixing a meal for the two of them and some stupid movie is on TV—never the news, god, Jason hates watching the news.

Like a skittish stray, Tim is unsure of what to do with himself at first, but he catches the cue fast enough. He sits on the couch all stiff and restless until something on the screen grabs his attention.

“You like Wendy the Werewolf Stalker?” Tim asks, eyes wide.

“Do I like fucking what?”

Jason just needed the background noise to avoid freaking out about  how weird he’s being right now. Apparently, that was the wrong answer. Tim launches a rant on how amazing Wendy is and half of it goes over Jason’s head. He just gets that apparently Tim and Superboy both have a crush on this werewolf hunting chick and they used to spend hours watching her instead of doing actual work at Titans Tower.

He also manages to actually eat the food Jason made, which is a win in Jason’s book.

It’s a nice night, overall.

It becomes, not a habit, but a thing. Tim sometimes shows up to one of Jason’s safehouses needing a stitch job or medicine. Jason doesn’t know how he nails which one Jason is at currently or if he just goes to every single one still bleeding until he finds Jason. Or even if he just lets himself in and takes care of his wounds without any help. If so, Jason wouldn’t blame him. He’d choose his crappy hideouts over Tim’s soulless apartment any day.

On the third time it happens, Tim isn’t hurt at all. He just wants to bitch about Vicki Vale stalking him and his supposed ex-fiancée that he's actually trying to date. Jason feeds him real food, as usual, and listens to what he has to say, as unusual. They end up on the couch watching A Nightmare on Elm Street, which, oddly enough, has Tim getting overly enthusiastic about going to bed because he’s curious about the magic behind Freddy Krueger. Jason tells him to let him know if any dream demons show up when he leaves Tim dozing off on the couch.

Tim starts texting Jason. At first, it’s all very professional. Messages like 1 of the stupid crooks in your territory almost killed robin yesterday do smth abt it followed by I don’t care that he’s a demon in a kevlar vest Hood you didn’t have to deal with nightwing crying afterwards!!! Then they slowly shift into something more casual on the lines of is dis u? An d attached a picture of Elizabeth Bennet wearing the red Power Ranger helmet which… What sort of context led to that meme being created?

Jason pretends not to care, but he preens with pride when Tim laughs at his dark jokes. Stupid gallows humor that would have made Bruce call an expensive therapist and Dick squirm in discomfort have the kid snorting coffee out of his nose.

It’s like they’re friends.

Part of him sometimes toys with the idea of them being normal kids —or as normal as you can be in Gotham—and he realizes that he would’ve made friends with Tim so fucking fast. Dick is the golden child and all of them would end up worshiping him and respecting him as their older brother, of course. Tim would be added to their family and Jason, not-murdered, regular problem-child Jason, would resist him at first, but he would soon see that he wasn't just an annoying nerd. He was a fun, annoying nerd. They would gang up on Dick, as younger brothers ought to do, and Jason would protect Tim from bullies and Tim would use his good son credit to get Jason out of trouble with Bruce.

This, however, may be as good as it gets for people with their fucked up upbringing. Jason already knew Tim wasn’t your regular spoiled rich boy and they bond over having shit childhoods even if they don’t talk about it.

All in all it feels nice to be looked up to. To have the kid come to him when he’s in trouble. To have someone looking at him with a shine in his eyes like the one Jason has when he looks at Dick. It makes Jason feel like he’s worth something. He sees Tim get comfortable with him after weeks of acting like a stray cat and he knows the kid feels the same. It’s a new feeling for both of them.

It’s like they’re really brothers.

Being part of the Red Robin fan club, Jason finds out, gives him good credit with the Bats.

Bruce and Dick are always going to be concerned about Jason’s slightly loose moral compass. Gremlin is always going to hate him because he’s a Gremlin. Barbara tolerates him at best.

Stephanie, however, shows up unannounced to one of Red Hood’s busts and laughs it off when he complains about Batgirl ruining his rep. She then invites Jason to watch a movie with her since they finished early. He thinks that’d be very weird, so he refuses. Unbothered, she says an airy “Maybe next time” before leaving.

He thinks a shadow once told him to come by the manor more often, almost giving him a heart attack. He thought Cassandra was in Hong Kong, for fuck’s sake; when did she come back?

One time he texts Tim for tech support and no one but the Signal shows up at Jason’s doorstep with a codebreaker and a list of instructions from Red Robin. Duke doesn’t look as wary of Jason as he once was and the two quickly fall into friendly banter, complaining about Tim’s nerdiness.

Jason knows if he asked Steph about it, he would never hear the end of it. Cass isn’t the easiest person to hold a conversation with. He guesses Duke is decent enough not to dwell on it, so he asks,

“Why are y’all suddenly okay with me?”

Duke quirks an eyebrow at him. Fortunately, he’s smart enough that Jason doesn’t need to explain further. “Tim trusts you,” he says simply. “Tim is the holder of the one brain cell of this family, so long we follow his cues, we’re golden.”

Jason doesn’t know what to say to that.

“Why, you don’t want us around?”

He mumbles something about it not being a big deal. Duke shrugs it off and changes the subject. Jason knows he’s doing it for his sake, because Duke might be the kindest person in their whole messed up family. Jason feels bad for refusing to learn his name for so long.

So it seems like two-thirds of the Batgirls and Signal were always less worried about Jason’s past than they were about his rivalry with Robin III.

And, fine, Jason does get a little jealous of that but he’s mature-ish enough to take what he can get. Plus Stephanie is funny as shit and it’s always fun to annoy Barbara by getting Batgirl involved in his fights, especially when Red Robin is around to back him up.

Everything is sort of nice now.

Sometimes, however, Jason wakes up in a cold sweat with the taste of copper in his mouth and a nightmare gunshot still ringing in his ears. He tried to kill Tim. He could’ve killed his little brother. He’s thankful for the times the nightmares come when Tim is sleeping over, because he can walk to the living room and check on the kid. Remind himself that Tim is alive and breathing under the old blankets and that he’s forgiven Jason. When he isn’t around, Jason is absolutely not above calling him in the middle of the night, making up a stupid case he needs Tim’s help with. For all his smarts, Tim never seems to realize Jason’s true motives.

Now that he thinks about it, he notices that Tim is on good terms with a lot of people that tried to kill him. Jason. Damian. That Prudence girl. He doesn’t find out the details, but he does hear something about Stephanie fucking him up and she’s now his best friend. Jason is more than a little concerned about that forgiving side of his.

Red Hood hates a lot of things. If he were to make a list, it’d take days to write it all down. He knows for sure that on the top of that list would be clowns. There is nothing he hates more than clowns.

Scarecrows are a close second, though.

Definitely close to a tie as he watches Red Robin stumble. “I think…” he mutters. “I think my rebreather is broken.”

“ Shit.”

Red Hood has to think fast. Fear gas is every-fucking-where and he lost sight of Scarecrow three canon-fodder crooks ago. He doesn’t have an extra rebreather, because he’s wearing his helmet and that does the job. He’s used to fighting alone. Not that having another rebreather would do them any good now that Red Robin has already breathed the nasty toxins.

In the end, Hood decides to take the defeat for what it is: a defeat. He throws a smoke bomb on the ground and grabs Red Robin by the waist, ignoring the startled squeak the boy lets out. They need to get out before Scarecrow’s goons realize what they’re doing.

“Stay with me,” Red Hood hisses. “Whatever you’re hearing or seeing, it’s not real.”

They’re five minutes away from his nearest safehouse. It’d be faster to take one of their bikes, but he can’t risk it in case Tim starts hallucinating halfway there. They can make it there swinging, he can keep his brother out of danger.

“I’m fine,” Red Robin says. The way he’s limp in Hood’s hold, says otherwise.  “We’re going home. We’re safe.”

“We’re going home. Close your eyes. Focus on my voice.”

He does it.

“It’s just us now,” Hood reassures him. “We’re on the way to a safehouse where no one can find us and you can rest until the toxin is out of your system. Safe, easy.”

“Steph is fine, Bart is fine, Cassie is fine,” he chants, “Cass is fine, Alfred is fine, Dick is fine, Tam is fine, Pru is fine.”

He keeps listing people that are fine, because of course his fears are all about his friends being hurt. Surprisingly, Hood recognizes all of them. He’s heard Tim talking about all of them repeatedly and he knows their names and personalities, even if he doesn’t have all the faces to match. He isn’t surprised that his friends come first then their family.

“That’s right, kiddo,” Jason encourages. “Who else?”

“Dad..” Tim’s eyes shoot open. “Dad’s gonna kill me. Dad, Dad will know I’m Robin, he’s- He’s gonna take Robin away from me, I can’t- This is the first time I’m being useful.”

Fuck.

“Your dad isn’t here. And you’re not Robin, kid, you’re Red Robin,” Jason reminds him.

“That’s… that’s right. I failed him. I failed Dick, so…”

Double fuck.

“That’s bullshit,” Jason says, but it’s hard to keep the conversation going while he’s carrying Tim’s weight.

They’re two minutes away from safety before Tim starts struggling to get away from Jason. He doesn’t say anything else, which may be more concerning, he just grunts with the effort and squirms. Jason really hopes no one was paying attention enough to notice what looks like Red Hood kidnapping a terrified Red Robin.

“Shit- Stay put, Red, we’re almost home,” Jason says.

Tim’s breath catches and returns, erratic, and Jason can’t bear to look at his horrified face, he hates to see the utter fear that has his brother’s already pale complexion turn ashen, his lips pressed into a line so tight it has got to hurt. Jason starts listing the names of the people that are supposedly fine and that catches Tim’s attention long enough that Jason can swing straight to the fire escape of the abandoned building where he set his hideout.

He sets Tim on the dusty mattress on the corner in a hurry and tosses his helmet aside. He starts undoing Tim’s safety measures so he can remove his cowl. Unlike Jason, he doesn’t wear a domino mask beneath it and Jason makes a mental note of talking to Tim about that later.

“Almost there, Timbers,” Jason says. He rips off his own domino without caring about the sting, hoping a familiar face will help. “I’m here. Now, where do you keep your fear gas antidote? I know you carry some around.”

Tim unconsciously reaches for a particular capsule on his bandolier. That’s enough of an answer for Jason, who pushes his hand away not as gently as he should and reaches for the small vial inside.

“Jay,” Tim whines. “Jay, you’re okay, right?”

Jason blinks, confused. “Of course I’m okay, Timbers. I’m right here.”

And as he rushes to grab the first aid kit under the sink, Jason starts to freak out. This gas isn’t causing hallucinations as much as it’s making Tim feel paranoid, it seems. What if it’s a new formula? What if the antidote doesn’t work? What if Tim keeps having anxious thought after anxious thought, until his heart gives in and-

“Jay!” Tim calls, desperate. “Jay, we have to get Kon! He’s- He’s in danger.” He starts getting up.

“Nope!” Jason pushes him right back into the mattress. “Kon is fine, he’s invulnerable, remember? He’s probably doing superdouche stuff in Metropolis.”

“He’s not, he’s- He’s gonna kill himself, Jay!” There are tears welling up in his eyes and Jason feels like someone just punched him in the gut. After all the shit they went through, he had never seen Tim cry. “He’s gonna sacrifice himself to save everyone, I can’t lose him, please, I’ll do it instead. He’s- No! Please, don’t do it!”

There we go. There are the hallucinations they all know and hate. Tim stretches out his hand as if he’s reaching for an invisible Superboy, so Jason takes the opportunity to start rolling up his sleeve and cleaning the inside of his elbow. Lucky for him, he always has a sanitized syringe. Now he just needs Tim to stay still.

What if it doesn’t work? What if I make it worse?

“Kon El, no,” Tim gasps. “KON EL! CONNER!”

Jason had never seen Impulse going full speed. But he did meet Barry Allen back when he was Robin and he never forgot the deafening noise of someone breaking the barrier of sound. More familiar is the noise of his freaking wall exploding. Before Jason realizes, he’s being ripped away from his screaming brother. He hacks and struggles, but there isn’t a lot he can do when a kryptonian steel arm presses against his throat, effectively pinning him to the wall.

“Give me one reason not to kill you,” Superboy growls, his eyes already glowing red.

Jason would be impressed with the boy’s ability to look murderous if he wasn’t about to have his head melted. He struggles a little more. Superboy doesn’t even seem to notice. Jason then pathetically raises the syringe in his hand and manages to choke out:

“A-antidote.”

Superboy blinks once. His eyes return to the regular shade of blue. He blinks twice. His expression shows only confusion when he releases Jason, that promptly falls on his knees. Jason coughs, touching his throat as if to make sure it’s still intact. Damn clone.

“What happened to him?” Superboy demands.

Tim isn’t trying to get up anymore, but rather convulsing on the same spot, screaming wordlessly in horror, tears streaming freely down his pale cheeks.

Jason coughs some more before he’s able to say something. “A-ask that first next time, will you? It’s… it’s fear gas.”

“And, what, am I supposed to believe you were helping him?” Superboy snarls.

Jason groans. He doesn’t have time for this. Tim has his eyes firmly shut and every scream, every time his voice breaks, it feels like someone is slashing at Jason’s chest, robbing him of air almost as effectively as Superboy did.

“I was about to do that before you interrupted,” Jason shows him the syringe again. “What do you think?”

Superboy squints at him, unhappy with his response.

“We don’t have time for that,” Jason snarls. “At this point, he’s gonna have a heart attack. I need you to hold him still.”

Superboy bites his lip in hesitation but Tim screams his name again and he winces as if the sound is kryptonite for his ears. Finally, he nods and crouches down by the mattress.

“It’s okay, Rob,” he says. “I’m here now. I’ve got you.”

At that, Tim miraculously relaxes for a second. Jason kneels by his side again and holds the outstretched arm Superboy is keeping still.

“Don’t hurt him,” Jason warns. Judging by the look Superboy gives him, the only reason he’s not getting the laser eye treatment is because he’s the only one around capable of helping Tim.

“No,” Tim whines. “Not Jason…”

Jason freezes. Superboy’s eyes start to glow again.

“Not Jason, not again,” Tim continues, delirious, his expression twisting in pain. “Please, please, don’t, help him, HELP HIM!”

Jason stabs the needle into his pale skin and it’s a miracle that he does it right, because he is shaking. Fuck this. Fuck Scarecrow. It’s wrong, it’s horrible to hear Red Robin begging like that. He hates the way the kid startles with the needle. He’s thankful that Superboy makes sure Tim stays put, because he doesn’t think his trembling hands could do that now.

“It’s okay, Timbers,” Jason hears himself saying, “it’s over now.”

“Please,” Tim sobs again, “I- I’m gonna solve this.”

God. Jason grabs his hand. “You did enough, baby bird. You solved enough already.”

Tim whimpers, but finally starts relaxing. It seems like the antidote is working its magic and the boy falls right asleep.

Superboy refuses to leave, much to Jason’s chagrin. It doesn’t surprise him, though. Conner is Tim’s favorite conversation subject when he’s in a good mood and apparently the clone is ready to just fly to Gotham if he hears Tim’s voice.

“You know, metas aren’t allowed here,” Jason reminds him.

Superboy has been stomping back and forth around Tim’s mattress. He's so angry that Jason is worried he’ll break the floor any minute now, but he stops to give Jason the biggest, meanest glower of the night. He doesn’t look anything like the mental picture Tim painted of him. Even with his ripped skinny jeans and 90’s leather jacket and dumb earrings, Superboy looks absolutely murderous.

“I’m not going anywhere until I see that Tim’s fine,” he says.

Jason sighs.

“Why are we here?” Superboy snaps. “Why didn’t you call Alfred or… or Batman or…”

“Because we don’t do that,” Jason cuts him. “Red Robin is not Batman's sidekick. If we can solve shit without involving Batman, we don’t involve Batman.”

It’s their unspoken rule, Jason knows that since the first time they fought side by side - the first time they had a sleepover - and he brought Tim home to patch him up. They don’t call dad or their older bro if they’re in trouble, because that’ll lead to them being in more trouble. They simply watch out for each other as much as they can.

Superboy isn’t happy with that explanation, but, before he can murder Jason for real, Tim stirs.

Jason and Superboy are kneeling by his side at the same time, which says something, since Jason doesn't have superspeed.

“Timbers?” Jason calls.

“Jay…?” Tim mumbles and his voice is still a little raw from all the screaming. He blinks and his eyes set on his best friend. “Conner? What are you doing here?”

“You called,” Superboy says simply. “I told you all you had to do was call my name.”

“How’s the head?” Jason asks. “You're still smart, right? You can’t afford to lose your brain cells, Timbers, with your ugly face they’re all you have.”

Tim snorts. Then groans. “Fuck off, Jason, don’t make me laugh.”

Jason smiles at him and he doesn’t notice the weird look Superboy is giving them.

“Rob? Do you remember what happened?”

Tim starts to sit up and Superboy is faster than Jason in wrapping an arm around his shoulders to steady him. He helps Tim rest his back against the wall and the grateful look Tim gives him makes Jason frown a bit because he feels there is something there he’s missing.

“Hmmm… We were fighting Scarecrow,” Tim says. “Fear gas, broken rebreather...” He looks at Jason as if seeking for confirmation. When Jason nods, he continues, “Jay got me out of there and the rest is… Wait. Where is Scarecrow? Did he escape?”

“That should be the last of your worries, Timothy, you almost died of fear,” Superboy scolds.

Tim sighs. “Oh, to be a young vigilante in the XXI century… passing away of fright.”

Superboy doesn’t get it, judging by his expression, but Jason does and he laughs out loud. He doesn’t miss the way Tim’s lip quirk up.

“See, baby bird, this is why I wear a helmet and so should you,” Jason says.

“Okay, but have you considered that we’d look stupid if we were all the man in the iron mask?”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “God forbid a whole family fighting criminals in leather fursuits look stupid. We wouldn’t fucking want that.”

Tim laughs, even if his voice is still a little hoarse, and Jason is relieved.

He is so relieved to see his brother fine that he doesn’t pay attention to the fact that Superboy still has his arm around Tim’s shoulders. That Superboy’s eyes get all soft when Tim laughs. That Superboy looks a little hurt when he offers to fly Tim home, but Tim refuses, saying that he’d rather spend the rest of the night here.

“I mean, if that’s fine…?” He glances at Jason, reminding him of those first sleepovers, when he was still unsure whether he’d be welcome or not.

Jason is so done feeling or letting his brother feel like an outsider. “The mattress is big enough for both of us, I don’t see why you’d go back to your own apartment when you can just sleep on a perfectly good mattress on the floor.”

“Hm. Cool then,” Superboy says, but instead of flying out through the giant hole he made on the wall, he shifts his weight from one foot to another awkwardly, clearly stalling.

Both brothers notice it. Neither has a problem interpreting Superboy’s fidgeting. Jason finds it annoying, but Tim gives him a pleading look. Jason sighs.

“You can stay too, big guy, but you gonna have to sleep on the floor.”

Superboy’s face lights up and he definitely doesn’t look like he wanted to melt Jason’s head just a couple of minutes ago. He rambles that it’s all good, he just needs to text Ma Kent to let her know where he is and he’s used to sleeping on the floor of the barn with Krypto and the cows (Jason would find that more upsetting if he didn’t know there is a cow somewhere in the Wayne manor too and Damian sleeps in the cave with it all the time).

In the end, Tim bullies Jason into giving Superboy the thickest blanket he has around. He tries suggesting he should sleep in the blanket and let Jason and Superboy share the mattress, but shuts up mid sentence under their glares.

It’s probably the most awkward sleepover so far, but Tim grins at Jason, grateful, and turns his back to him to be able to talk to Superboy in hushed whispers.

Jason tunes out their conversation and focuses on the fact that he did it. He saved Tim. It doesn’t make up for the times he fucked up in the past, but it sure makes him feel better about the present. He’s also thankful that Tim stayed instead of going to his own place. Hearing your little brother scream in fear for your life isn’t something enjoyable and Jason is sure he would have nightmares about if it wasn’t for the fact that Tim was laying right there in front of him. It’s the sound of his brother’s muffled laughter, mixed with Superboy’s, that lulls him to sleep.

Jason should have noticed then. But he didn’t.

For an intelligent guy, Jason can be really stupid sometimes.

The thing is… Jason is smart. He’s not Tim Drake smart, but he’s still a good detective. He’s also fairly sociable. Or at least he used to be, before he, you know, died and went through all the trauma, etc. He is no Dick Grayson, but he can hold a good conversation, pick up the right social cues, all that crap.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t mess up sometimes.

You see, months go by. Red Hood and Red Robin don’t often go on the field together, after all it’d do a number to both of their reputations, but, when they do, one of them always ends up injured and the other carries him home. It’s like a curse, the universe telling them to stick to their off-patrol partnership. Then a couple of weeks go by and they miss the feeling of fighting side-by-side and there they go again.

Tim keeps showing up at Jason’s place whenever he feels like it and he even hangs around Jason’s visiting friends sometimes. Kori adores Tim from the first time she puts her eyes on him. Roy takes a little longer to warm up, but even he can’t resist the kid. Jason likes it. He likes having his brother around. He likes that they get on like a house on fire.

So much he forgets Tim is a master of hiding shit.

On the week nearing Tim’s 19th birthday, Jason goes to his apartment. He doesn’t realize until he’s halfway there that he hadn’t been to Tim’s place since the night he met Prudence, which is odd, because it’d been basically a year and a half. Still, Tim goes over to Jason’s place all the time. The fact that Jason doesn’t repay the favor has everything to do with the fact that Jason hates Tim’s magazine apartment and nothing else.

Right?

Instead of going for the door, Jason uses his signature move and just swings to the balcony. The door is unlocked - Jason really has to have a talk with Tim about security, they’re in Gotham, for fuck’s sake - and he lets himself in.

To Tim’s credit, the place looks more well lived in now. There are mismatched pillows on the couch, a forgotten mug and a couple of books on the coffee table. Jason recognizes his copy of The Count of Monte Cristo and makes an annoyed sound noticing Tim’s bookmarker is still somewhere in the middle of the book even if it’s been weeks since Jason let him borrow it.

“Tim?” Jason calls. It’s half past nine, a little early for vigilante standards, but…

He hears the sound of someone sputtering and coughing from the kitchen. There he is.

Jason heads there and finds Tim desperately grabbing paper towels to clean coffee he apparently just spilled on his bare chest.

“J-Jason!”

“Jumpy aren’t we?” Jason comments. “What’s up, baby bird?”

It’s clear that Tim had just woken up, judging by his messy hair and the fact that he’s wearing nothing but red sweatpants with Superman’s symbol all over. His mildly terrified expression is weird, though. Tim is usually slow in the morning, but not that easy to startle.

“What are you doing here?” Tim whispers, clearly panicking.

The fact that Jason never visits Tim’s place suddenly comes to his mind. The possibility of him not being welcome hits him and it’s surprisingly painful. He thought they were doing well, that the kid liked him. All this time, was he being arrogant?

As his brain scrambles for something to say, something to think, he notices a sound that he hadn’t registered before: the shower.

Suddenly Tim’s rapidly reddening cheeks and doe wide eyes gain a new meaning. Jason forgets the hurt and a sly smile stretches on his face.

“Oh my god. Oh god, this is priceless. Baby bird, do you have a lady guest from last night?”

Tim makes a weird choking sound and this is too good, Jason is too delighted, look at little Timmy go, already getting it. (Jason would’ve chosen different pants for the morning after, but alas.)

Then a voice calls out: “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

A male voice.

Tim’s face becomes three shades darker, now perfectly matching his pants. Jason’s grin is now frozen on his face, his eyes wide with the realization.

The shower stops.

“Tim?” The voice calls again.

“I’m fine, Kon!” Tim responds and his voice is surprisingly even, considering he looks like he’s having an aneurysm.

That’s a bat for you. Master of hiding their emotions.

Sort of.

Kon, Tim said. Jason realizes that Tim isn’t wearing Superman merch. The sweatpants are Superboy themed.

Jason still remembers Superboy’s protective streak all those months ago and the fact that he woke up to the two of them holding hands - at the time, he thought nothing of it, because it had been a stressful night and he didn’t blame either boy for wanting to make sure the other was okay - and he thinks of all the subsequent times Tim went on and on about Conner and how a couple of weeks ago Tim just stopped mentioning Conner altogether.

God, Jason is the worst detective ever.

Tim pushes Jason out of the kitchen and towards the living room, presumably farther from the bathroom where his boyfriend with super hearing was showering.

“Fuck,” Tim mutters, “ fuckfuckfuck… ”

And he looks and sounds so distraught that Jason loses all the eagerness to tease him, concern quickly replacing any initial surprise he might have been feeling.

“Look,” Tim murmurs, looking anywhere but at Jason’s eyes, “it’s not… we’re just…”

Tim scrambles for words and this is so unlike him - Tim always has a plan, always knows what to say - it takes a moment for Jason to catch up on why he’s a stuttering mess. Jason had been so excited to find out his little brother had a boyfriend he forgot he lived in a world where homophobia was a thing.

“Timbers, chill out.” Jason grabs Tim’s hands from where they’re still resting on his shoulders. “It’s just me.”

Tim dares raise his gaze to meet Jason’s and it hurts a bit to see still a little fear in his blue eyes. Jason gives him an encouraging grin.

“I can’t believe you officially bagged a kryptonian. Way to go, kid.”

His shoulders slouch in utter relief right before he starts blushing again. What a cute kid.

“You keep calling me kid. You’re not that older. And don’t say it like that,” Tim mumbles.

“Like what? Like you’re snogging Superboy?” Tim punches him on the shoulder and Jason laughs. “Now I know why you were in such a hurry to leave the manor, you wanted your own place to bring your boyfriend over…”

“That’s not why I left and who said anything about a boyfriend? Maybe this was just a one night stand.”

Jason gives him a condescending look. “Timbers, I might have not realized you’re gay, but I do know you. You’re a boyfriend kinda guy.”

Tim rolls his eyes and mumbles something about assuming shit. “I’m bi,” he says.

“Cool,” Jason says, a shit-eating grin never leaving his face.

“Fuck,” Tim groans and lets himself fall on the couch. “How do you de-escalate an emotional situation so fast?”

“It’s a Bat thing, and you know how to do it too. All of us are trained to avoid emotions like the plague.”

“I was not prepared to come out when I got up this morning,” Tim admits.

Humming, Jason finally realizes that Tim doesn’t want to skip the emotions for this one. He sighs. The things he does for his brothers.

“It’s not a big deal, though,” he says. “I mean, you’re happy right?”

“I’m never happy.”

“Don’t quote Zuko. You started the real talk. You don’t get to bat your way out of it now.”

A sigh. “I’m happy. Conner is… the best.”

Jason nods. “Then it’s all good. I’m sure all the others would say the same.”

“You can't tell them!” Tim snaps, his eyes suddenly wide with panic again. “Seriously, Jay, you can’t-”

“Calm down, kid,” Jason cuts him off. “When did I make a habit of spilling your secrets to the B-man? It's none of their business.” Tim visibly relaxes and Jason adds: “Actually… Want me to make your house Dick-proof?”

“...what?”

“I mean, not kryptonian dick, you’re clearly into that,” and he ignores it when Tim pops him on the back of the head. “I mean Dick Dick, our brother. I could set up a better security system so you don’t have to worry about one of your siblings walking into something scarring, especially the clingy one.”

“No security system can stop Dick’s clinginess.”

“How do you think I keep him off my place?”

That’s when their little pow wow gets interrupted by more kryptonian skin than Jason ever wanted to see as Conner walks in with nothing but the smallest of the towels wrapped around his waist.

“Babe, what is--” He notices Jason and slips on literally nothing, barely catching himself before falling on his ass. “ Shit- I mean, nothing, I mean, we were just binging Wendy!”

Jason doesn’t say anything, but he does give Tim a look that says it all. He wasn't judging earlier, but he is now. Tim gives him a look that definitely means shut up.

In the end, Jason stays for breakfast.

It’s only mildly awkward, because he and Tim fill the silence talking about the latest case Jason’s working on while Conner makes them pancakes. Judging by the fact that he’s getting the ingredients from a bunch of plastic bags, he must have brought all the food with him. If anything, Jason is grateful that he and Alfred are no longer the only people trying to get Tim to eat actual food.

When Tim turns to Conner for his opinion, leaving Jason to enjoy his coffee, Jason looks around and notices that there are new pictures on the fridge. There are some of those disgustingly cute pictures of Tim and Conner, their cheeks pressed together as they make weird faces for the camera. There is a picture of Conner by himself and, again disgustingly, he is smiling at the camera as though the most precious person in the world is behind it. Both pictures are held by a sun magnet. There is a new candid shot of Cassandra, one of Alfred-Alfred holding cat Alfred, a new one of Dick and even Damian is in there.

And, his heart stops for a second, because now there are pictures of Jason as well.

They’re carefully placed far from each other, but there are three different pictures. There is one of Jason wearing his Lord of the Rings shirt, eating cereal on the couch, a confused expression on his face. He remembers when Tim took that picture, because Tim waited until Jason had his mouth full before calling hey Jay? and snapping the picture right as Jason looked at him, his cheeks like a chipmunk's. The second picture is a candid of him smiling, leaning against the rail of some safehouse balcony. The shot was carefully framed to not show anything distinct of the surroundings, just Jason and Gotham’s sky.

The third one is a selfie. In it, Jason is asleep, his lips parted and face relaxed, his head resting on Tim’s shoulder. Tim has a shit eating grin on his lips as if there is nothing funnier to him than his giant older brother falling asleep on him in the middle of movie night. Tim had the decency of drawing a mustache on Jason’s face to decrease sappiness, but that effect is ruined by the fact that the picture is held by a magnet that was clearly Iron Man but Tim had painted it red to look like Jason’s hood.

Jason had sworn off killing, at least for a little while.

But he would gladly kill again for his little brother.

As he gets ready to leave, he turns to Conner and deadpans, “I don’t have to tell you that I can and I will make kryptonite bullets, do I?”

“Jason!” Tim scolds.

“What? I’m the first of the family to find out. Least I can do is taje care of the shovel talk.”

“Stop threatening my boyfriend.”

Conner blushes profusely and mouths the word boyfriend with marvel and ugh. Just… ugh . Jason is happy that Tim is happy, but he and Conner are apparently that kind of couple and Jason wants to have none of it.

“So, first we kill Damian,” Jason starts.

“No,” Tim says.

“Aw, come on, you didn’t even consider it!”

Cassandra waits until they decide their plan of action (it’s probably going to be Tim’s) and keeps her expression carefully neutral as not to show which one of them she agrees with (Tim).

The thing, Jason realized, is that all of them have favorites in their family and knowing that makes it easier to tear them down. Dick can fuck off with his I love you all equally bullshit, because he clearly always favors Damian. Damian swings between Batdad’s little boy and Nightwing’s murder baby. Tim will easily lose focus whenever Steph is involved. Steph is oddly protective of Duke, for some reason. Cassandra is mostly neutral. She’s everyone’s favorite, including Bruce’s, but she’s also the deadliest of them all so she is no one’s weakness. She does, however, have a soft spot for Tim over any of her brothers. Since Jason became close friends with Tim, he entered Cassandra’s selective protection bubble and he’s now, by all definitions, untouchable.

Or at least that’s how he felt when she chose him for her team right after Tim.

“We kill Dick first,” Tim knocks down the little Nightwing action figure on the carpet. “Cass, you’re the only one who can take him down. Jay and I distract the others while you do the job. Damian will get personally offended by that and will grow reckless.” He knocks down the little imp figurine. “I can take care of him then. Steph will be hiding somewhere ready to strike. She is best in close range combat. Jay, I need you to take her down before she gets too close.” He pushes down the Barbie doll someone dressed as Batgirl, because apparently they couldn’t find blonde Batgirl merch and they were very offended. “Then we win.”

He may sound impressive, but the whole time he’s speaking he has his head resting on Cass’ lap and she is carding her fingers through his hair as a villain would do to their evil pet cat.

“Can’t I murder the demon brat?” Jason complains.

Tim glares at him - again, not very intimidating while he’s basically lying on his sister’s lap.

“You know Steph would wipe the floor with me. You’re the only one I can trust to get her.”

“Unless…” Jason turns around. “Du-”

“No.”

“Come on, I’ll give you ten bucks.”

“Jason, we’re all rich, you can’t buy me.” Duke doesn’t even raise his eyes from his book. “Plus last time I let y’all drag me into this shit, Steph knocked off one of my teeth with Tim’s staff.”

“If you hadn’t killed me, then she wouldn’t have taken revenge,” Tim argues.

“And yet you’re planning to kill Dick counting on the fact that Damian will try to avenge him.”

“Wet blanket,” Cassandra says.

Tim and Jason go into a giggling fit as Duke sputters, too indignant to put his thoughts into words.

In the end, Duke still doesn’t join them.

As they expected, the enemy was listening to their plan - Jason is sure Dick was against it, but Stephanie and Damian are definitely not above spying - nonetheless they still played their parts as expected: Steph and Damian tried protecting Dick first and foremost, but not even the two of them combined could take Cassandra. Not with Jason and Tim backing her up.

Cassandra knocks Dick down and sits on his back. The large yellow paint splash on his chest proves that he’s dead. Rather than being upset, Dick starts doing push ups with his sister there as the rest of his siblings and Steph fight to death.

Unfortunately, Damian wasn’t as angered by Dick’s demise as they expected and is still a good match for Tim. Until Tim gasps and goes Titus, don’t eat that! It was an obvious ploy, but still got Damian to let down his guard and whip his head around looking for his precious dog. Tim shoots him without hesitation and Damian goes on a rage soliloquy.

Jason would appreciate it if he wasn’t having such a hard time with Stephanie. Apparently Barbara has been feeding her steroids, because the girl is now as quick as a ninja. She hits Jason in the kneecaps with Tim’s staff - they’re not even in the same team this time, how the fuck did she get Tim’s staff??? - and shoots him point blank in the chest. And damn, that shit hurts. He bets it’s purple under his shirt too.

Steph is mid celebration when her victory whoop turns into a pained groan. Twin splotches of red and yellow bloom on her back as Cassandra and Tim lower their guns.

“Fuck,” Jason complains. “Couldn’t’ve done that before she killed me?”

“We win,” Cassandra says.

“Shouldn’t you be fighting to the death now?” Dick asks. Now that Cass is off his back, he’s lying on the side like one of your French girls. Jason wishes Cass would shoot him again.

“I would never betray Cass,” Tim says.

“We rule together.” She walks to him and stands on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead.

Tim grins a wicked grin because he knows he is Cassandra’s favorite and everyone can die mad about it.

Steph and Damian start shouting their complaints at the same time while Dick laughs his ass off. From his lawn chair, Duke is glaring at them as if he can’t believe he’s legally related to any of these weirdos.

His gaze meets Dick’s and his older brother looks absolutely elated with pride even though all of their siblings are yelling about paintball.

Jason simply smiles back.

[schrijverr]

Reunited

Tim and Bertie had fallen in love with Jonny on the moon, but when Bertie died Tim had left Jonny behind. He realizes how much he regrets it when he’s getting mechanized. After he finds out Jonny is alive, he vows to make it up to him and does his best to mend their relationship again.

On AO3.

Ships: Gunpowder Tim x Jonny d’Ville

Warnings: grieving and working through some issues. Tell me if I missed anything or if you want me to tag something!!

~~~~~~~~~

It was dark when Tim woke up.

He didn’t think he would wake up again when he had confronted the Moon Kaiser, so the fact that he was alive in the darkness was strange. He tried to move, but found his hands and feet were tied down to the surface he was lying on.

“Stop wiggling.” a voice said.

Tim did not know who the voice belonged to, but his head swiveled in the direction it had come from in an attempt to see who it was.

The person snorted and said: “I don’t think that will help, since I’m currently making you a pair of eyes. I’m Doc Carmilla, by the way, a pleasure.”

“What happened? What do you want from me.” Tim now really started to struggle against his bindings as he tried to get away.

“You were in an explosion.” the voice, Doc Carmilla apparently, told him gently, “You lost your eyes and I’m making you new ones. All I ask is cooperation.”

The fury from before was reignited in his veins as he continued to struggle fiercely. He wasn’t about to become an experiment of the Moon Kaiser or anyone else. He was Gunpowder Tim and if he’d had enough righteous anger to cut through thousands of Lunar Men, he would have enough to break out of here.

Doc Carmilla sighed and Tim felt a prick in his neck. As he started to loose his grip on the world, he heard her say: “Only people who cooperate get progress.”

When he woke up again a few days had passed, not that Tim would know since he’d lost his sense of time in the darkness. He startled, but before he could do anything Doc Carmilla spoke: “Don’t struggle again, it’s already been slow going since my help was emotionally compromised and I can’t work on your face if you struggle.”

“I don’t even know what you’re doing to me.” Tim protested.

“I’m giving you a second chance at life, away from everything that has brought you such misery. A new family to call your own that will be there forever. Don’t you want that, Timothy? Don’t you want that new beginning away from there?” she asked.

Tim thought about that. He didn’t really know the answer, he hadn’t thought about a future since he’d lost Bertie. His only focus had been to kill the Kaiser or die trying, no matter the price. What was he going to do now that it was over?

“It’s alright if you need time to think.” Doc Carmilla told him, “You’ll get plenty of time to think anyway.”

Then she started to work and most of the pain from getting metal shoved into still healing wounds took over for coherency.

But it came back to him when she left him, apparently done for the day. He pondered how he had avenged Bertie, how he could heal now, but the more he thought about it, the more he had failed him.

While they might’ve already been in love before they arrived on the moon and had known each other since they were little, it hadn’t been just the two of them, not anymore. There had been a fierce soldier, who really shouldn’t have been enjoying himself that much, that they had loved as well. His name had been Jonny, Jonny d’Ville. And Tim couldn't help but feel like he had abandoned him.

Jonny might have been manic from time to time with too much bloodlust for his tiny body, but he had also been soft and insecure.

Tim could remember the nights, where they had held Jonny between them as they whispered reassurances to him, while he was overwhelmed with the unfamiliar praise and affection that they heaped onto him.

But then Bertie had died and Tim hadn’t been able to see through his own grief. He’d gone on a rampage, leaving Jonny to fend for himself without a shoulder to lean on.

It felt like a punch to the gut and a bucket of cold water over his head. He had allowed himself to loose someone he cared about, someone he loved. He still had someone left and he hadn’t cherished the love he could have had.

Bertie would have killed him if he knew. The other man had taken to Jonny so quickly that Tim would have become jealous if he hadn’t trusted Bertie so much. Bertie took joy in figuring out what made Jonny blush or smile softly, just like he’d done for Tim so many years ago.

Tim missed that, missed Bertie, missed the three of them in a heap next to the campfire while Jonny softly sang of worlds far away.

Jonny never told them how he knew those songs and he would only sing them for Tim and Bertie in those quiet peaceful moments. Tim had learned to look forward to them and hold them near to his heart, but it seemed he had forgotten this lesson and now he would never hear Jonny sing again.

It was only then that it hit him that he might have been the one who killed Jonny. If he was here and did his duty then the moon was gone, along with everyone on it.

He had not only abandoned Jonny, he had murdered him as well.

That was what he thought about for the days that followed. Doc Carmilla would come in and work on him and he’d just lay there, mind somewhere else. He had failed both his lovers and he would do anything to make it up to them, but it was too late. He’d never be able to make it up to them again and that hurt deep to his core; the fact that he would never get to say sorry.

Then Doc Carmilla stopped coming and Tim was all on his own in the darkness once more.

Tim didn’t know how long he’d laid there before he heard a noise in the chamber he was in. He turned his head towards it, even though he couldn’t see and called out: “Who’s there?”

“Hmm, she’s farther along than I thought.” a heavily accented and slightly disappointed voice said.

“Who are you? What are you doing?” Tim was getting slightly nervous.

“Sadly, I have to fix you up.” the voice said coolly.

“Uhm, why?” this person obviously didn’t seem pleased of that and he was scared and confused in this never-ending darkness.

“Carmilla had to depart.” the voice answered, picking each word carefully “And I would have someone hound me if I didn’t and they found out, so here I am.”

“You don’t sound so happy about that.” Tim was getting worried the person would hurt him and he would be stuck and helpless here.

“I’m not, but you’re one of us now.” the voice sighed, “I’m Nastya, the engineer.”

“Oh, I’m Tim, Gunpowder Tim.” Tim replied.

“I know.” Nastya told him and after that she was silent, the only noises that of whatever project she was working on and the dripping of the IV keeping up his strength.

Tim tried to think of what he could have done to earn her anger, but none came to mind. What she told him also didn’t make sense, because who here knew him? He was still pondering that when she left, with a curt goodbye.

This awkward existing in the same space went on for another three days, before Nastya announced: “They’re ready. This is going to hurt, but then it’s over.”

He nodded and braced himself. For a second nothing happened, then something connected and his eyes started to burn. He screamed as his vision flashed white, a sharp contrast with the darkness from the past weeks, before his world went dark again as he passed out.

When he awoke this time, it was to a metal lab with contraptions and experiments everywhere. He was no longer bound and sat up in surprise. His eyes saw everything so clearly and it was hard just to take stuff in, but after a few moments he got used to it enough to walk.

Slowly he got onto his feet, still unused to walking after so long, and set out to find anyone who might want to tell him more about what was happening.

Tim was about to just start yelling when he heard voices further down the hall. He made his way to a doorway into a room with a few couches where five people were sitting and talking. He didn’t know who the metal man was, nor the red-haired woman, nor the other person, but his eye did fall on The Toy Soldier. It could be TS, who Nastya had referred to even if it didn’t like to be a someone. He was about to call out to it when the last persons face was revealed.

Jonny.

It couldn't be anyone else, even if Tim thought his brain was tricking him. It was the same face that would grin at him in the trenches or smile up at Bertie while laying in his lap. The same face. Jonny had lived, there was a chance Tim could make it up to him.

“Darling, you’re alive!” he yelled, racing forward to envelop a startled Jonny into a hug.

He squeezed him tight, before cradling his face in his hand and checking him over. Jonny looked completely unharmed, if Tim still had tear ducts he would have cried, instead he hugged Jonny again and said: “God, I was so worried about you, love, I’m so so sorry for leaving you, you didn’t deserve that I’m so sorry. How can I ever make it up to you, angel?”

In his arms Jonny looked very surprised, he’d gone still when Tim hugged him and now just sat there quite shocked. Then he softly asked: “You still like me?”

Tims heart broke, it got shattered in a thousand pieces that lodged themselves into his insides and tore through him. He assured him: “Of course I still do, I love you, I’m sorry I made you feel anything different, cupcake.”

Jonny sagged into his touch and Tim could feel his shoulders shake as his clothes got soaked in tears and nails dug into his back as Jonny clutched his coat tightly.

“Tim, Ol’ Sport, It’s You! I Did Not Know You Had Made It.” The Toy Soldier exclaimed, finally recognizing the familiar face.

“Tim, as in broke Jonnys heart Tim? Left him crying for days Tim? That Tim?” one of the people he did not know asked.

A stab of guilt went through Tims heart and he held Jonny closer as he kissed his temple and whispered: “I’m so sorry, bean, so so sorry.”

Jonnys grip only tightened in return, while in the background TS answered: “That Seems Like The Description Of Tim, Mx. O’Reily.”

“Who ordered you to call me that, go back to just Ashes.” the person, apparently Ashes, said then their look turned dangerous, “So, how do we know we can trust him to not do that again?”

“Hold on, Ashes, maybe let him explain first, we can threaten him later.” the metal man told them, he then smiled at Tim and introduced himself: “Hi, I’m Drumbot Brian, most call me Brian and I am the Pilot of this ship. Nastya did talk about finishing something, but she hadn’t mentioned what, has she explained what happened?”

“I don’t think she expected me to wake up yet.” Tim told him, not letting go of Jonny for a second, “She wasn’t there when I woke up and she’s mostly been giving me the cold shoulder.”

“That’s to be expected, with how we found Jonny over you.” the woman with the red hair said, “I’m Ivy Alexandria, pleasure.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m Tim, Gunpowder Tim, but most just call me Tim.” he didn’t extend a hand, too focused on the warmth of Jonny safe in his arms.

“Can we go back to focusing on what’s really important?” Ashes asked loudly, “Namely making sure this guy here doesn’t break Jonnys heart again.”

“I’m right here you know.” Jonny mumbled, “And he didn’t break my heart.”

Ashes raised a brow at him and said: “You cried for the first time in centuries and blubbered on about him enough for the Doc to not even tell you she picked him up. Not to mention this current limpet show.”

A flush overtook his features and he was about to let go, much to Tims dismay, when Brian stopped him and gently explained: “They didn’t mean it like that, Jonny, stay put, it’s obviously helping. They’re just pulling the overprotective card, let them do their shovel talk, then we’ll leave you guys alone to talk.”

Jonny kept holding on, relief clear as day, while Ashes pouted: “It’s not a shovel talk, Brian, it’s a proper intimidation act.”

Ashes turned to Tim and crossed their arms, from their standing position they looked down on Tim with disdain as they began: “If you hurt him ever again, I will cut you to pieces and make you watch as I burn those pieces to ash. I will kill you repeatedly in many increasingly painful ways and I will not stop until you beg, beg, me to please make it permanent and then I will kill you a few more times again, before I defy everything you are and murder you, before feeding you to the octokittens. Are we clear?”

Tim swallowed thickly and he could feel Jonny tighten his grip, before he softly whispered: “Don’t leave me, I’ll make sure to protect you from them, please stay.”

“Of course I’ll stay, baby.” Tim assured him with a kiss to his temple, before meeting Ashes gaze, “Nothing will make me leave or hurt you again, no matter how hard they try, I promise.”

Ashes scanned his face, but seemed content with what they found. They nodded approvingly, before ushering the others out while saying: “Come on, lets let these two catch up.”

With them gone Tim focused on what was most important, Jonny. Those others were obviously his family, so he’d felt the need to impress them, but now that was over and he had a cuddling lover to take care of.

Jonny was still crying a bit, although it seemed the heaving sobs from before had ceased. It was clear that Tims departure after Berties death had had more impact on Jonny than he could handle and Tim felt so incredibly guilty over ever leaving him. He’d known how much Jonny could doubt himself and their affection and still he’d left him in the middle of a war zone, alone, to cope with the fact that one of his lovers was dead and the other had apparently left him.

It seemed impossible, but Tim hugged Jonny closer, pulling him into his lap. He rocked him back a forth as he hummed softly.

After a while Jonny sagged even more into his touch, so TIm softly said: “I know we probably still need to talk about a lot, but right now I would love nothing more than to cuddle and sleep, if you’re agreeable, marshmallow.”

“Yeah,” Jonny mumbled into his neck, “I’d like that.”

“Good.” Tim told him, before scooping him up into his arms, half concerned and half glad he was still able to do that, as he asked: “What way, princess?”

A recognizable blush spread over Jonnys face as he pointed into a direction and Tim smiled to himself, some things never changed. Tim started walking while keeping up a constant stream of soft chatter, only pausing to ask for more directions that Jonny provided silently.

The room they arrived at was clearly Jonnys, the messy décor reminding Tim of his equally disorganized pack, while the belt and guns scattered around screamed Jonny.

Against the wall stood a big bed with a ton of pillows piled on it and Tim filed the soft nest away in his mind with new things to learn about Jonny in this new setting, as he gently put Jonny down between the blankets and other plush on his bed.

When Tim put him down Jonny whimpered slightly and Tim whispered: “I’m just taking off my shoes and outer layer, it’s a bit dirty and I want your bed to stay clean. That alright, sweet pea? Want your boots off too?”

Jonny nodded and Tim set to work. He kicked off his own shoes uncaringly and shrugged off his coat and trousers easily, but when he got to Jonnys boots he knelt down and softly undid the laces, before sliding the boots off gently.

He looked up and smiled at a now completely red Jonny and asked: “Do you want the belts off too, dove?”

After biting his lip, Jonny nodded and Tim undid his belts and slid them off, being mindful of keeping the same gentleness throughout the entire progress.

As Tim climbed onto the bed Jonny wiggled out of his own trousers as well and shrugged off his waistcoat. Then he rested his head on Tims chest, who instantly wrapped two arms around him and held him closely as he drifted off, the entire day finally catching up to him.

It took Tim a bit longer to find sleep. He didn’t know if it was because he’d woken up just over an hour ago or because he was still reeling over the fact that Jonny was still alive. It was frankly a miracle, but now that he thought of it, he should have seen this coming.

Back on the moon Jonny used to make a lot of immortality jokes, but he would get rather defensive if anyone called them that or didn’t believe him. Bertie and Tim just humored him and tried to keep an eye out, but The Toy Soldier always seemed 100% agreeable over it, which made sense after seeing it here. So the logical conclusion was that all those jokes along with the forever family comment from Doc Carmilla meant that Jonny really was immortal and after Ashes’ shovel talk it wouldn’t surprise Tim if he was now too.

That was quite a lot to take in, but Tim didn’t really have time for an existential crisis, he had to focus on Jonny and making things right between them. Apparently they were going to have forever and he needed to be his best for his beloved right now, so compartmentalizing it was.

It took a while, but Tim fell asleep too, listening to the soft breaths coming from the small figure in his arms. He’d studied Jonnys face closely, it was still as lovely as he remembered, even with ruined eyeliner covering it.

When he awoke it was Jonny who was studying him. He had been hovering over him when he’d opened his new eyes and had startled back when he’d realized Tim was awake. He said: “Oh, hi, good morning, Tim.”

“Good morning, sunshine.” Tim smiled, “How did you sleep?”

“Great, fine, better.” Jonny mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed, “It was nice to have you here.”

He had always been a terrible sleeper and Tim knew his and Berties presence had made it easier for him to sleep and it was nice to know that it still did. Tim smiled: “That’s good to hear.”

Jonny bit his lip, started to say something and then stopped. He looked at Tim again and Tim grabbed his hand, lightly squeezing to silently let him know that he was there and that it was okay. Jonny softly asked: “You are here, right? This is not just in my head?”

“Yeah, I’m really here.” Tim looked Jonny in the eye, but Jonny adverted his gaze, so he gently took Jonnys cheeks between his hands and said: “I mean it, Jonny, I’m going to do everything in my power to make you realize that I will never leave you again. What I did after-” a deep breath, “after Bertie died was stupid and hurtful and I have to live with the fact that I did that to you when you didn’t deserve it. I love you, Jonny, you’re my everything, and I will stay by your side and tell you that as much a possible for as long as you’ll have me.”

Jonny was crying again, Tim didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad one, but he held him nonetheless, whispering sweet nothings into his hairline and leaving soft kisses along it.

“I’d- I’d like that.” Jonnys voice cracked, but he sounded so relieved and all Tim could do was squeeze him tightly and hope Jonny would understand.

They sat there for a very long time, Tims stomach was rioting, but he didn’t dare disturb the peaceful air around them. Jonny was playing with his fingers while Tim rubbed his back. After making one of his fingers crack, Jonny seemed startled for a moment, then he asked: “Have you gotten a tour of the ship yet?”

“What?”

“A tour, of Aurora, the- the ship?”

“Oh, no. I just woke up and wondered around a bit.”

“Then I’ll give you one, get dressed.”

Jonny was out of the bed and pulling on clothes, suddenly bustling with activity as he fluttered around the room. He turned and looked expectantly at Tim, who smiled softly and said: “I don’t have clean clothes, poppet.”

“Oh, of course.” Jonnys face got an understanding look on it as he began to dig through his closet, “I think I have one of Brians sweaters here from when I stole it and I must have a pair of sweatpants that can fit you. It will be too short, but it will have to do. And we have to ask Ashes to make sure they’ll get you some new clothes when we land some place habitable.”

The clothes thrown over his shoulder hit Tim, who took them and put them on. The sweatpants were indeed too short, but the sweater was oversized. It reminded him of Berties sweaters that he used to steal.

“Are you alright?” he asked, unsure what brought on the sudden need to move after Jonny had seemed perfectly content to just sit on the bed for the entire day not even a minute ago.

“You need to know where you’re going to stay, right? I mean, you can’t be expected to be with me the entire time, so I need to show you.” Jonny explained.

It sounded like watertight reasoning, but Tim couldn't shake the feeling that Jonny just didn’t want to come across as clingy, which had always been a fear of him. Tim put his arm around Jonnys waist and said: “I think I’m not going to leave your side anytime soon, but I do love to hear you talk, chipmunk, and a sense of direction would be nice. So lead the way!”

He saw a small smile flit over Jonnys face and couldn't help, but pat himself on his back for the excellent reply he had given.

They walked through the halls as Jonny rambled on about the different places behind closed doors, sometimes opening them to show Tim. He was not a very good guide, his talking was chaotic and all over the place and the route never really became clear. But Jonny seemed happy to talk and Tim was perfectly content to listen.

Jonny opened another door as he said: “So this is the kitchen, me and Brian mostly cook, because Ashes tends to burn anything and Nastya and Ivy can’t cook to save their life, you know, so we make the best of it and- oh, hi Nastya.”

“Hello, Jonny,” Nastya crossed her arms and gave Tim a judgmental one over, “Tim.”

“Hi, you must be Nastya.” Tim stepped forward and held out his hand, “We kind of did meet, but, you know, a face to the name.”

Nastya didn’t shake his hand and Tim dropped it. He could feel the nervous energy radiating of Jonny, from what the others had mentioned they must be close and it pained Tim that Nastyas anger at him had this impact on Jonny.

“I know you don’t like me.” he sighed, “I get it, I really do, I feel terrible about leaving Jonny too and I wish I could go back and slap me for it, but I did what I did, okay? I can’t change that and it seems like we’re stuck here together for forever, so you being mad isn’t going to make things better. I’m trying to make it up to Jonny, please, please, give me a chance.”

He didn’t see how Jonny made pleading eyes at her behind his back. He needed Nastya to be okay with Tim, he needed her to give him a chance and he needed her to be there and still like him if it went wrong.

Her shoulders sagged and she warned: “If I ever, and I mean ever, see Jonny cry over you again, I will cut off you genitalia and throw you in Aurora’s engine.”

“Nastyaaa.” Jonny whined, she raised a brow at him: “What, Jonny? It’s not like he won’t deserve it then.”

“I agree with Nastya, dear, full responsibility and accountability.” Tim said.

Jonny rolled his eyes and groaned: “Why is everyone suddenly so overprotective off me. I’m the crazy one and the oldest, I am the protector, not some damsel in distress.”

“Which is exactly why.” Tim and Nastya said in unison, they both looked at each other and Tim felt a slight victory at Nastyas small smile.

“Whatever, I still need to show Tim the couch room.” Jonny started to walk away, before Tim could follow Nastya stopped him and said: “Jonny isn’t the best guide, if you ever need to find anything, just ask Aurora.”

“The starship?”

“Yes.”

And with that Nastya walked away, while Jonny called out to him from where he had walked off in the other direction. Tim quickly walked over and they continued the tour.

Dinner that evening was provided by Brian and quite an awkward affair. Tim tried to get to know the others, but it seemed they had all decided to see if he proved himself worthy, before they accepted him. Brian did offer polite conversation, but that bled dry rather quickly.

In the end he just gave up and ate his dinner in silence, Jonny fiddling anxiously besides him.

The next few days went on quite similarly. He spent most of them with Jonny, who would alternate between too much energy and silent and sullen. Tim tried to keep up with him, but he was starting to get concerned about it and the stares at dinner, which was still violently silent, weren’t helping at all.

So, when they were lying in Jonnys bed, he still hadn’t gotten around to asking Ashes for his own (not that he wanted that), he asked: “What’s going on in that head of yours, munchkin?”

“What- what do you mean?” Jonny asked and Tim could hear the vulnerable defensiveness in his voice.

“I’m just concerned for you. You never want to talk and in some moments you bounce around and in others it seems the world could burn and you won’t move. I just want you to be alright, okay? I want you to talk to me, so that I can try and help.” Tim said, sounding a bit desperate, “I love you, sweetheart, I don’t want to see you upset.”

“Well, I don’t need your concern, I’ve been doing just fine without you.” Jonny spat.

Tim should have seen the outburst coming. He knew he couldn't just walk in and have everything be alright again, but it still hurt. He bit his lip, trying to keep a sharp retort in, but failed: “And I’ve really been seeing that independence lately.”

He knew it was a low blow, but Jonny was already replying before he could take it back and apologize: “Maybe if you weren’t smothering me so much, you would.”

“I- Me? Have I been smothering you?” inside Tim screamed at himself that this was just what Jonny did, he pushed people away and got defensive as if to prove to himself that they wouldn't stay if they saw him. But Tims already fierce soul had turned snappish and angry in the war and he couldn't help, but let false venom spill from his lips.

“Yes,” Jonny crossed his arms, sitting up, “you’re always around, a guy needs his space. I’m not some fragile child that will break the moment you leave me. I survived you leaving me already, I survived a lot without you before that. I don’t need you, but maybe you should think about how much you’re clinging to me.”

The words were a punch to Tims gut, he was trying so hard to be better, to stay, but the hurt was still there in Jonnys mind and that wouldn’t just disappear with Tim here. Maybe Tim deserved to be pushed away.

He got up out of the bed and stated: “Alright, if I’m smothering you that much, then I’ll give you some space.”

And with that he walked out the room. If he had bothered to turn around, he would have seen how Jonnys face crumbled as he curled into a ball on the bed, contemplating if he should call out, but the door was already closed.

Outside Tim realized he had nowhere to go. He still didn’t really know the way and no one aboard Aurora liked him enough to help. Fuck, he really did need Jonny. Why was he so stupid? Why did he let his anger get the best of him?

He suddenly had no energy to do anything and just collapsed on the floor outside of Jonnys room and leaned against the door. He wanted nothing more than to go back in and apologize, but he still wasn’t sure if Jonny was serious about the smothering and he didn’t want to risk angering him even more.

Maybe if he was nice and stayed out of the way tonight, Jonny would want to talk to him again next morning and then he could apologize.

Tim felt like such a dumbass, sitting against the door in his nightshirt. He probably ruined all he did so far. Jonny didn’t need him, not really. Here he had a family that loved him and would die for him, even if they did come back, but Tim still wanted to be the one to tell him how much he was worth and how much he loved him.

It might be selfish, but Tim wanted to be the one to make Jonny blush and smile. He wanted to be there when his brain got the better of him and he needed someone to hold him and tell him it was alright. Tim wanted to be the one who made him happy, just like before.

But now he might have ruined that, just because he snapped back at Jonny even if he already knew Jonny didn’t mean it, that he probably did it out of an insecurity that Tim only fed into instead of banished.

Like an idiot.

He never thought he would miss crying, but now he wanted to do nothing more than give himself over to heaving sobs and hope strong arms would hold him, that Bertie was still here and would make it all better again.

Yes, Bertie would have known what to do and what to say. Bertie was always better about these sort of things, about Jonny. As much as Jonny had him wrapped around his little finger, Bertie could get Jonny to do what he wanted just as easily. Always the right words and smiles ready.

Tim sighed and slumped further against the door and tried to get comfortable on the metal floor, Bertie wasn’t here and the hole in his heart felt deeper than when he was with Jonny. He needed to make it up to the other, but he didn’t know how.

What would Bertie do?

He pondered the question. Bertie would respect Jonny, not be stupid and push him when he was already upset, but if it did go wrong, he would catch him the next day. So that’s what Tim would do now. Tomorrow he promised to himself and Bertie, tomorrow he was going to apologize, grovel if he needed to, now he would just give Jonny space, just in case.

When he woke up, it was because he felt like he was falling. How he had managed to fall asleep, he did not know. He groaned and looked, only to find that it hadn’t been just a feeling, but that Jonny had opened the door he had been leaning against, causing him to fall backwards.

Jonny was looking down on him, a surprised look on his face, red rims around his eyes. He frowned: “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, well, you see, I, uhm,” Tim think of what Bertie would say, but he was not Bertie, he would never be that, so he just had to be himself as he confessed: “I had nowhere to go and I felt really bad about snapping at you, but then I thought that maybe I was smothering you, so I didn’t want to bother you, so I decided to apologize in the morning, because I am really fucking sorry and- are you crying, pumpkin?”

“You- you stayed.” Jonny sniffled, “I got really mad at you, but you still stayed here and tried to listen even if I’ve been really mean to you and you still tried to be nice and I don’t even know why I did that.”

Jonnys knees buckled and he collapsed next to Tim, who quickly sat up to wrap his arms around him. He rocked them slightly back and forth and whispered: “I promised to myself that I would make it up to you, honey. I’m never making the mistake of leaving you ever again.”

After a while Jonny said: “I’m sorry for getting mad at you.”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you, I know you didn’t mean it.” Tim replied, “I just worry about you and I got frustrated, but I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. I never was the one who was good at that and I just didn’t think.”

Jonny was silent for a moment, then he whispered: “I miss him.”

“Me too.” Tim squeezed Jonny tightly, to reassure him and to remind himself that he was still there and not alone.

“I feel bad, because you’re here and that is already a miracle, but I still miss him.” Jonny was crying and Tim would be concerned about how often he’d seen Jonny cry these past few days, if his own eyes didn’t ache to join him.

All he could do was hold on and say: “It’s alright, well, it’s not, he should be here and I fucking wish nothing more than to have him here with us, but you’re allowed to grieve, dear, just let it all out.”

“Just- Why him?” Jonnys voice cracked, “Why did he have to die? I should have- should have protected him, but I was too late and it’s all so fucking unfair.”

“It is unfair.” Tim agreed, “It’s so unfair, but it’s not your fault, Jonny, it’s not. He would never blame you and neither do I.”

“I hate it, I just hate it.” Jonny pouted, cheeks and eyes wet, but his eyes full of rage, “I fucking hate it.”

“Yeah, I do too, teacup, just don’t hate it so much that it will ruin you, because he wouldn't want that for you.” Tim hated telling Jonny not to let the anger consume him after he had abandoned everything for his own rage.

“You got that perspective now?” Jonny asked, quirking a brow at him, a bit of a sharp edge to his voice.

“I know, it’s too late. Lying on a table in the dark gives you time to think, suddenly realized how pointless it all was and how badly I treated you and how much I wished I could make it better, to just be able hold you again and apologize.” Tim said.

The anger drained out of Jonny and he sighed: “You’re right, of course, you’re fucking right, I just wish anger or violence could be the answer that’s what I do. I can’t- I don’t- Not this. I’m not made for this.”

He sounded so frustrated and broken at the end and Tim just wanted to take all the anger, all the frustration and hurt from him, but he knew he couldn’t. Instead he kissed his forehead and sadly smiled: “No one is made for this, precious. I wasn’t, I’m still not.”

Jonny thought about that. Then he kissed Tim, it was soft and desperate and not really what Tim was used to, but he welcomed it nonetheless. When Jonny pulled back he asked: “What was that about?”

“You’re just so good for me and I know you feel guilty about what happened after B- you know? But you don’t have to feel guilty about it.” Jonny said, it was clear that he’d thought about it for a while, “It hurt, of course it fucking hurt, but I get it, I get it and I can’t be mad at you for it, as much as I want to blame you, I can’t.”

“Jonny-”

“No, let me talk please, because I don’t know if I can say all this again.” Jonny cut him off, “When I went- when I got here, no, before I got here, I- I was angry at my home and I burned it to the ground and it felt good to be angry and do that even if it was pointless, so I get it.”

“But can you forgive me?” Tim asked, scared of the answer, but needing to know.

“Someday, yeah, I can, just- just not now, not yet.” Jonny told him, “But we’re getting there and I still love you.”

The doubt that had been gnawing on him, disappeared with that. It was the first time Jonny told him that he loved him since he’d gotten here and he had been scared that the other didn’t anymore, that he had been too late. He breathed out in relief: “I love you too, starling.”

Jonny let out a small giggle, breaking the sad tension that had hung over them. He smiled: “You with your silly pet names.”

Tim laughed too and promised: “I got a whole lot more, Jonny-boy, don’t you worry.”

“Well, I’d like to hear them.”

“I will try my best, m’lady, but first breakfast!” Tim said, a weight off his shoulder as he pulled Jonny up. This conversation had been what they needed, a bit of clearing the air so that they could move forward and be sure where they stood even if a fight had brought it on.

They walked to breakfast hand in hand. The past few days they had been close, but the barrier of uncertainty was gone now and the contact now felt more natural. A happy bubble floated up in Tims chest as Jonny chattered on about a stupid dream he’d had.

Entering the dining room everyones gaze fell on them. Ashes stood up, butter knife in hand, and asked: “Has Jonny been crying? What did you do to him?”

Where before he would sit silent and say nothing, just send them pleading glances to keep their mouth shut, Jonny now snapped: “Don’t do this, Ashes. If he could, he would have been crying too. It was good crying, now shut the fuck up before I shoot you.”

“Are you sure?” Ashes asked. Tim noticed Nastya had stood up as well, hand at her holster.

“Yes, I’m sure. You could all be a bit nicer to Tim, it’s not like he doesn’t belong here. He is family too now, it would do you good to get to know him at least.”

Ashes looked a bit unsure at that, but they did sit down again and so did Nastya. With that done, Jonny seemed a bit more awkward, thorn between Tim and his other family. Tim just dragged him to his chair and said: “Come on, eat something. You get cranky when you’re hungry.”

“I do not.” Jonny replied indignantly.

Tim rolled his eyes playfully and smirked: “So that time you forgot to eat and then complained about the soil for two hours and threatened to shoot me over telling you to calm down, was just you being happily full, eh, bubbles?”

Jonny blushed a bright scarlet and mumbled something that was drowned out by Ashes chocking loudly. They now registered the pet names that they had missed in the surprise back when Tim had first arrived and exclaimed: “Bubbles?”

The flush got darker and Jonny gritted out: “Shut up.”

Some of the others laughed as well and Tim felt kind of bad for the embarrassment he was causing Jonny, but it really wasn’t his fault. He’d tried to keep the pet names on the down low with everyone hating him, but, with the more relaxed atmosphere between him and Jonny, it had just slipped out.

Tim had been about to save Jonny when The Toy Soldier asked: “What Is So Weird About Tim Calling Jonny Bubbles? He Always Uses Strange Names That Aren’t Jonny To Refer To Him.”

Multiple people at the table began to grin as Jonny tried to disappear into thin air with no success. Interested Nastya asked: “Really, TS? What sort of names then?”

“Well, I Remember Dearie, Gorgeous, Sweetie, Jellybean-” The Toy Soldier was cut off by Jonny, who shot it before glaring at everyone and saying: “Not a goddamn word.”

“Ahw, are you embarrassed about me, missy?” Tim teased, knowing the last time he’d used that particular moniker Jonny had spluttered for a full minute or two.

The effect was the same. The already prominent blush spread further and further as Jonny waved his gun haphazardly around and gaped like a fish. There was more laughter and in the end he just dramatically draped himself over Tim as he exclaimed: “Why do you hate me?”

Carding a hand through his hair Tim said: “I could never. Here, I’ll even make you coffee.”

“‘M gonna need something stronger than coffee,” Jonny pouted, still hiding his face, “but you’re making a strong argument.”

Tim decided he liked the new vibe in the room with the others, as it allowed Jonny to be softer and him to be more himself as well. He gently reminded Jonny: “I thought we had all agreed first coffee then something else, cuddle bug. Remember?”

With his face still hidden Jonny couldn't see the others biting their lips at the pet name. All wanted to see if Jonny would actually do it. They of course didn’t know how Bertie had made the most convincing puppy dog eyes as he played up the concerned boyfriend act when they made the agreement.

“Alright, but I’m drinking something stronger right after.” apparently Jonny was going to honor the agreement, even if the other party wasn’t there anymore.

With a smile Tim got up and went to make coffee after he had gently pushed Jonny off of himself. While he was away, Brian leaned over and softly said: “He seems nice. You look happier, Jonny. That’s good. I’m glad for you.”

Nastya and Ashes nodded. Jonny couldn't help but smile at that, he’d been so worried when everyone had seemed mad at Tim. He didn’t like to see his family members fighting and a part of him had feared that the animosity would never fade.

The moment was ruined by Ashes who asked: “How many times will you kill me if I ever refer to you as bubbles or cuddle bug or missy? And how mad will you get when I tell him you used to be a cowboy?”

They were answered by a shot through their head, however it was too late, because Tim had entered just in time to witness the murder. He raised his brow and asked: “I’ve gathered the immortality thing, but is this a regular occurrence?”

“Sadly, yes, there is 67% chance that someone will not survive the day when everyone is in a good mood, this rises to 91.5% when someone isn’t.” Ivy told him.

“Great.” Tim said, handing Jonny his coffee, which he took gratefully, before making himself a bowl of cereal as well as one for Tim.

Ashes and TS didn’t wake up during breakfast and Tim had a pleasant chat with Brian about string instruments, apparently the other played banjo. Meanwhile Jonny and Nastya seemed to be having an in depth conversation about whether Ashes would be mad if Jonny stole their tongue.

When the last spoonful was in gone, Tim got up and stated: “I want to see this observation deck that I’ve heard about. Come on, cowboy, lead the way.”

“Oh no, you heard that?” Jonny groaned, but he got up anyway to show Tim.

“I almost get the feeling that you’re ashamed of my pet names.” Tim told him, then more dramatically he went on, “The light of my life, my own little gremlin and cutie pie, ashamed of little humble me.”

“Oh come on, you dork. That’s enough teasing material to last them a few centuries, the vultures.” despite his words Jonny had a smile on his lips and Tim hadn’t seen him happier in a very long while.

He ceased his pet names onslaught and just let Jonny drag him away from the others to the observation deck where they both sat down to watch the stars.

Tim had wrapped his arm around Jonny, who leaned into him gratefully. It was oddly domestic after most of their experiences together being in the middle of a war, but Tim found that he quite liked this opportunity for a new them.

There was still a lot to do, a lot to work through and talk about. Tim had to adjust to an immortal life and fully win over the others, even if he was already on the way. He’d have to get used to living again, for the first time actually function without Bertie there. There was also Jonny, whose forgiveness and trust he still had to earn, despite the love he already had. It all seemed very daunting, but with Jonny under his arm, safely tucked into his side, it didn’t seem so bad anymore.

“I love you, nugget.” he told Jonny softly, planting a kiss on the top of his head.

“I love you too, Tim.” Jonny replied, shifting to make himself even more comfortable next to Tim.

Yeah, this wasn’t so bad. Tim could get used to this.

[badacts]

Idk much about batman (batfam??) but my friend likes them and they seem like peak annoying sibling dynamics if that counts as a prompt? I think I saw something about one of them having secret old photos or something which sounds funny? Idk but your writing is always awesome

Bruce wakes slowly, and for a long moment he has no idea where he is. Not a hospital, it’s too dark. Not the cave, because nothing in the cave is this uncomfortable to lie on, including the floor.

Every muscle in his body hurts. So do quite a few of his bones. He has an IV in his arm that pulls when he shifts, and bandaging around his torso, and his mouth is as dry as a desert. 

It’s coming back to him now. Incursion in Metropolis. So big they’d pulled in every active League member, and then every other team Clark could think of, and still even Bruce hadn’t been able to justify sending his birds back to Gotham when they’d shown up, because if they didn’t stop this, there wouldn’t be a Gotham to go back to. And now he’s - in a hotel room?

He pushes himself up a bit, and then swings his legs over the side of the bed. His feet hit something soft.

“Owfuck,” the soft thing says, and then another voice says, “Hey,” and then someone groans broadly.

“Nice job, Bats, they just shut up,” a much more awake voice says from the window, and then the room is lit green.

Hal Jordan is perched on the windowsill, looking out over the city. Bruce’s feet are on Jason’s stomach. He removes them fairly quickly. “Sorry Jay.”

“That’s fine,” Jason wheezes. “I didn’t need my left lung anyway.”

“Why’re you on the floor,” Bruce rasps. Jason isn’t the only one down there. Steph is next to him, wrapped in her cape. Her eyes are open and just barely visible over top of it. They look baleful. Tim is shifting from a sprawl into a ball, seemingly uncaring that he’s rolling half over Cass to do it. She seems to still be asleep, as is Duke.

“Injured get the bed,” Hal answers for Jason, who has now rolled over and appears to be wrestling Steph like an errant oversized teddy bear. “No, don’t stand up. Your insides will fall out.”

“It’s been how many years, and you still know nothing about medical care or the human body,” Bruce says. It sounds like he’s been gargling rocks. He doesn’t need to look to know he’s full of stitches, but that they aren’t deep enough to do more than scar.

“Yeah, funny how getting injuries doesn’t equate to knowing how to fix them for normal people,” Hal replies. “At least let me unhook you.” Then there are deft hands unhooking the IV line from his forearm, belying those words. He leaves the catheter in place. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Whose?”

“Some really grumpy dude. Could have been a dentist.”

“A trauma surgeon from Metropolis Gen,” Tim pipes up, muffled into Cass’s stomach. “Con...borrowed him for a minute.”

“Hm,” Bruce replies, and then awkwardly maneuvers so he’s facing the other side of the bed while ignoring the hand Hal sneaks under his elbow. Where he’d been on top of the ugly hotel bedspread, Dick and Damian are underneath it. Dick has a black eye, swollen and painful, and is asleep. Damian is disturbingly grey in Lantern’s greenish light, but awake, his head cupped in Dick’s shoulder.

Bruce traces a hand over his cheek, and feels his forehead. Warm, but not overly so. 

“Robin has second-degree burns on his left thigh, and Nightwing sustained a cut to the radial artery which has been repaired,” Tim reports in a monotone.

“Shut up,” Duke grumbles. The only response he gets is a snore.

“I am fine,” Damian says, his voice brittle enough to make it a lie. Bruce strokes him again. It’s not pain - his pupils are blown out. Just fear. A harder disease to treat. 

“I gotta splinter,” Jason says, “If you care.”

“He doesn’t,” Steph replies, and then squeaks. 

“Also, the world got saved,” Hal volunteers. “Just realised no one mentioned that.” 

“I figured as much,” Bruce says. “The others?”

“In the same number of pieces they were at the beginning of today, for the most part,” Hal replies, and then prods him back into lying down. “Go on. Nap. I’ll hang out until your scary butler comes to pick you up.”

“Scary?”

“Yeah, everyone in your house is scary, get with the program.” 

The light from the ring fades to nothing as Hal returns to the window. There’s a little light from there now, like dawn might be breaking soon. No streetlights - power must be out. Bruce’s mind is a long list of things that he needs to do, but his body doesn’t care about that. He’s exhausted.

There’s a shift on the mattress next to him, and a little body fits itself to his side, warm and heavy with sharp elbows. Bruce hooks an arm over him and holds him close.

It’s peaceful. The others have settled back down into their pile, breathing deep and even. If they aren’t sleeping already, they will be soon.

Bruce is most of the way back to sleep himself when Dick says loudly, “Waffles, B.” From floor level, there’s the sound of several people startling awake.

“What?” Bruce asks, heart racing.

“Gotta use the lemons,” Dick replies, before sighing and smacking his lips. “Mm, bye.” 

He rolls over, still clearly asleep, and throws an arm over Bruce and Damian both. Bruce catches the hand before the wild flail can hurt any of them.

The others at least have the grace to snicker quietly.