#tbh that's eveyfic of mine yeah i'm unoriginal

[emotionalcello-makefanfics]

Summary:

“When did the mark show?” Jason asked.

“I got it when I was born, they must’ve been older than me.” “That must be.” “Do you want to have a soul mark too one day?” Jason doesn’t hesitate, “No.”

or, Tim has a soul mark, Jason doesn't.

Click the title to read on AO3, and click Keep Reading to read here~

Chapter 2

Chapter 1 

Word Count : 4k

As a 12-year-old boy, Jason should’ve been in bed by now. But being a 12-year-old boy on the poor side of Gotham, rules like that don’t apply to him.

Meeting fellow kids roaming these streets doing suspicious things is common, but none of those kids actually fortunate enough to have a camera that pristine looking. That’s when Jason spots a little boy, can’t be older than 10, snooping between the alleys. Clothes too tidy and smelling too nice to be a kid from around here.

On the little boy’s sight is –holly mackerel- a batmobile!

“Hey, you’re gonna swipe that?” Jason says to the boy, who jumps a foot back right away, holding his camera protectively.

“I can’t give you this camera!” the boy stammers.

“I don’t steal from other kids, I was talking about that,” Jason nods to the fancy car’s direction.

The kid looks at the fancy car, then at Jason, then at the car again then at Jason with even a more twisted look like Jason’s crazy.

“You’re about to steal the batmobile???”

“Nah, just the tires.”

“Wha—No!”

“Well, I gotta eat, and you can’t stop me.”

“Wait! It’s armed, you could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Hm, armed huh? If it’s a vigilante’s car, then at least it got motion sensors.”

“Yo-You’re right, it’s about around two-meter radius,” he informed.

Jason looks at the little pip-squeak in a smirk, “Now you’re helping me?”

The kid is just as surprised, then he mulls over it before shrugging.

“It’s not deadly, it’ll just send a signal to Batman. Plus, I bet he must have a lot of spare tires. So, get that bread,” the kid nods, then smiling mischievously, “If you can.”

Jason scoffed, “Oh, it’s on.”

Jason grabbed his box of tools and walks in, moving his feet quickly and stops, then another feet then stops, mimicking the movement of a mouse, and Jason knows exactly how those nightmare rodents move. The sensors can’t possibly alert every movement, not in this part of the city where small creatures and rodents are an epidemic.

When he finally reaches the car, no alarm triggered and alive. He quickly works with the tires and takes it off in record time. He walks back to the little alley with the heavy and sweet tire on his shoulder. He drops it beside the kid’s face who has a hanging jaw. Jason bows and waves his hand.

“Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here next week!”

“Will you?” the kid asked excitedly.

Something about the little kid’s cute face, his face is clear and pale, making the blush on his face pops out... that it makes Jason smile.

“Of course, since it’s my turf, but first, you’re gonna tell me why a rich toddler like you doing in this part of town.”

“Toddl- wha- I’m 12! I’m no toddler!”

Jason is perplexed to hear that too, “There’s no way a small kid like you is the same age as me!”

The kid lands a punch on Jason’s arms, and it only felt like a flutter more than a punch. His cheeks puffed angrily and Jason feels like he could squee, the kid looks like a little hamster.

“I’m twelve!” the kid declared again, now in fury.

“Alright alright, you’re twelve,” Jason raise his hands in surrender, “Still, you’re not from around here, are you? I don’t think you should be here.”

Because with that cute itty bitty face, soft-looking hair and big blue eyes, predators or human traffickers or pedophiles would kidnap him in a flash.

Not that Jason never brushed against the risk, not that he feigns ignorance from the disappearing of fellow pickpockets around his age.

“Well, you can’t stop me! I’ve been going here since I was 9! And I’m fine,” the kid counters with puffed chest and confidence.

Jason doesn’t hide his mortified awe for the little kid. Nine fucking years old around these parts, alone, in the middle of the night, and still alive. That is idiotic and suicidal, but he’d be lying if he doesn’t admit that this kid is a mad lad with balls of steel.

Other privileged kids wouldn’t even walk these roads in daylight just by the sight of the hobos, prostitutes, drug dealers, drug users passed out on the streets, and the smell of something that just died.

“Stop you?” Jason chuckled, “Nah, if you been doing this since you’re 9, you earn my respect.”

He put an arm around the small frame, his fresh smell of baby powder feels comforting and a stark difference from the stench around him.

“Now, you gonna tell me what you’ve been doing and how you’ve been doing it, because I don’t believe in miracles that you survive here that long.”

++++++

The kid’s name is Tim, Tim Drake, that Tim Drake as in the millionaire. A millionaire kid going to the most crime-infested part of town. If he had met someone other than Jason, man, Tim with that cute face would’ve been kidnapped as soon as a predator sets eye on him.

It’s not that Jason cared, but he told Tim that Jason should accompany him when he’s out on crime alley... To steal more tires, of course for the tires, in case Tim ever bumped into the fancy car again.

Somehow that’s not the most shocking thing about Tim.

Oh god, Tim was not the badass rebellious prince from the city of lights that Jason had originally thought. Because why else a Drake would go wandering about at night at the most dangerous place of the most dangerous city? Jason admired Tim because he was a goddamn rebel despite that cute little innocent face and his privileged background.

Turns out the kid is just a furry fanatic.

“Batman is not a furry!” Tim screamed, bet he wakes up the whole neighborhood with that shrill voice.

“He dresses up a part animal and part man, that’s anthropomorphic enough to be considered a furry!”

Jason likes to mess with Tim, likes to see him flustered like this. All pouty and blushing. When he smiles, it’s like looking at a baby giggle. Soft, round and dangerously adorable that’ll make any person melt.

Tim takes off his jacket suddenly, for whatever reason it was. Maybe the exhaust from the air conditioner’s condenser on the rooftop they’re hanging out on is too warm for him.

A strange mark on his shoulder peeking through the neckline of his shirt, and Jason feels his heart hammered against his ribs.

“You... You have a soul mark??”

“Oh, this,” Tim looks over his shoulder, “Yeah, I do, you?”

Jason shakes his head. He looks at Tim meekly, “Can I see it?”

Tim looks taken back, and it makes Jason wants to retract his request, but then Tim pulls his neckline sideways till the base of his shoulder. The mark on Tim’s shoulder is a red outline of a diamond and a bird silhouette on the inside. It’s pretty big for a soul mark, almost as wide as a clenched fist.

A soul mark means that you have someone that’s destined for you and suppose to be perfect for you. That someone has the same soul mark in the same position as yours. Not everyone has them, but sometimes you don’t have them because they’re not born yet, or they had died.

“When did the mark show?” Jason asked.

“I got it when I was born, they must’ve been older than me.”

“That must be.”

“Do you want to have a soul mark too one day?”

Jason doesn’t hesitate, “No.”

+++++++++

Jason looks up to the sky that night, waiting for someone. The stench of oil still stuck on his body and mostly his hand even though he washes them clean. A vigilante drops to the ground in front of him. Dressed in a black and red bodysuit, and ‘R’ logo on his left chest, and a fluttering black cape. His black domino mask covered the eye area, perfectly following the silhouette of his face, it’s the new Robin.

“You’re not fooling anyone,” Jason said amusedly, and see the masked vigilante flash a cheeky smile.

“I suppose not.”

He’s still so little, but look at him go. With that smug smile, cart-wheeling like a champion gymnast, parkouring from building to building without fear and beating crimelords twice his size. Jason knew Tim was a badass the moment they met.

“You ready to go?” Tim asked.

“In your costume? Is your boss gonna like that?”

“Fuck Batman,” Tim suddenly snapped.

“Whoa, Timmy you good?”

“I’m fine!” Then two seconds passed, “I’m not,” he said softer this time.

Jason pressed his lips and frowned thoughtfully.                              

“You don’t have to tell me anything, let’s just eat?”

Tim lights up right away. He knows Tim is just as happy as him to hang out again. It’s been months since they see each other. They haven’t met for a while after Tim said he needed to be Robin.

They bought sloppy joes from Jason’s favosite stand because the vendor sells it dirt cheap. Tim, with all the new strength on his lanky arms, wrap Jason’s torso and lifts both of them up with a grapple to the top of the roof. Tim smiled smugly when Jason was surprised, amazed, and incredibly in disbelieve how Tim can just lift Jason up.

Jason is a bit bigger than Tim, though undoubtedly Tim must’ve gained strenght from the intense training, Jason is still heavier.

After sharing Jason’s awe to Tim and letting Tim boast about it, they sat by the edge of the roof. It takes Jason back to sit on the roof with Tim.

“I was worried about you,” Jason stated between bites, and it makes Tim stop and darts a look at Jason, “Scared the shit out of me the entire time you’re gone after you’re off to be... that.” Jason nods Tim’s way, looking at the entire suit.

“You? Scared? I never would’ve thought, you’re a pretty ballsy kid too,” Tim bites in the sloppy joe, and the filling spilled over to the side. “You didn’t look scared when I told you back then.”

“Because I know it’s pointless to try to stop you. You’re so dead set on it. Besides, you’re free to do whatever you want. Your life, your decisions, who am I to stop you?”

Jason muses to the time when Tim told him he wanted to be Robin because Batman is not ‘stable’ after the first one become Nightwing, whatever that means. Jason doesn't know why Tim should care about stuff like that, but Tim did, and that’s basically all there is to it for Jason to know.

Ever since Tim said he needed to be Robin, Jason was worried but mostly doubtful. But Jason has seen the glint in Tim’s eyes, filled with determination and resolve. Saying anything against it would’ve hurt Tim. So, Jason pretends that he’s not bothered by it.

“That’s the first time I heard that,” Tim said.

“Heard what?”

“Someone telling me to do whatever I want.”

Jason then hit by a realization that only struck now, becoming Robin must’ve been the one thing he wanted to do. Jason knew about his parents being strict about the family business and all, and how they often not in the house. Leaving little Tim alone in that big fancy house.

Well, technically Tim is not that little Tim he met the first time anymore. They’re grown up a little.

“Batman’s gotta be more chill though, right?”

“Ugh, he has even more rules for me to follow.”

“What? The rule-breaker himself? What a joke,” Jason playfully scorned.

“He said it’s for my own safety, but I don’t know, sometimes I think he’s just doesn’t trust me, or maybe I’m not as good as the first Robin and—Eek!”

Jason quickly gets a hold of Tim’s arm before his friend can finish that sentence. He’s glaring, but not at Tim nor is he the cause of it.

“You are, the most badass little brat I had ever met, and you’re scary smart and also a fast learner. If anything, maybe he’s afraid you’ll outsmart him!” Jason doesn’t mean to compliment, love him or hate him, he’s spitting facts.

“Yeah right,” Tim dismissed it, but his sheepish smile and the pink tint on his cheeks means that Jason’s words serve its purpose.

“Just give it time, Tim. You’re one strong-ass fucker,” Tim chocked on his bread and spits out a chunk from his mouth, but Jason continued, “And I bet he’ll see that soon, and he’ll be wrong to ever handicap you.”

Tim clears his throat. Now his face is all red, almost like his suit, “Wow, I didn’t know that’s how you see me.” Tim cracked a smile and bumps his shoulders with Jason’s

“Just saying the truth.” Jason glance away, chomping down on his joes.

“I think you’re cool too, Jay.”

Jason feels his ears burn at the nickname, it’s really been too long since they have met. Jason never forgets that name, but he never knew that he missed being called that name, how familiar it sounds with Tim’s voice, like a friendly call home. Nostalgic, safe, and so dear to him.

The night feels warm.

“Oh, I’m cool huh?” Jason accepts it, he knows he’s pretty cool.

“Mhm, at first I wanted to ask you to be Robin.”

“Me?” Jason says incredulously, “No way.”

“But it would’ve suit you so well! You’re strong, you’re street smart too.”

“Then why didn’t you ever ask me?”

“Because it’s not just a whim. It would’ve meant asking you to be a vigilante, risking your identity and adapting into a different life entirely. And it’s dangerous, and life-threatening, I don’t want to ask you to sacrifice yourself because of my wish, so, I did it myself.”

Tim puts it out simply, flatly, like a friggin’ walk in the park. But not to Jason, it hits him like tons of bricks from the fiftieth story that’s he should’ve seen coming. What Tim does is dangerous. Those supervillains won't see him as a kid, but an enemy. As strong and agile as Tim is, those monsters can easily snap Tim in two.

A shudder runs down his spine.

“If it’s that dangerous, then I should’ve stopped you too,” Jason beats himself over it.

“C’ mon, don’t say that now, you were so supportive a minute ago,” Tim joked.

But Jason snaps, “But you could’ve died! You could’ve gotten an injury and then...”

Stupid. Jason is so stupid sometimes. Why bother with that now? Why even say those things to Tim? Of course Tim knew the risk before taking that damned mantel.

Jason looks at Tim, his face is so young but his resolve and stubbornness of his choice makes him look way more mature than his age should’ve allowed. It’s not fair.

There’s nothing Jason could’ve done. This is the path that Tim chooses, along with many others that he will take. It’s a path different from where Jason is walking. It feels like that one day they’ll walk even further apart until they can’t see each other across the road anymore.

But what can Jason do?

“You better not die, or I will dig your grave, revive you, and then kill you myself.” Jason is joking, but mostly serious. His hands feel cold and clammy at the possibility of finding Tim’s death on TV.

Tim wraps his shoulders with a strong arm and a firm squeeze.

Tim doesn’t say anything, he’s just there. His pretty little head perched on his shoulder. His raven black hair is damp and smell of sweat, but there’s the faint smell of baby powder, and Jason feels calm because of it. They lean on each other until the night is too cold and Tim had to leave.

That itself speaks volumes.

Again, Jason couldn’t do anything to what Tim has chosen for himself, even though it will inevitability mean that they’ll be walking separate ways.

++++++++++++

“Boss, need anything else from me before I go?” Jason pulls his head from the car’s hood and closed it, seeing his boss just walked out of her office.

“No, you go ahead boy, I know it’s Friday,” she giggled knowingly.

The owner of the car repairs is a friendly old woman that looks like she would bake you cookies with milk while hearing your stories and give good advice. Mrs. Knope is not that at all.

She’s a capable mechanic with magical hands that can revive any vehicle there is. Jason learned a lot from her, also indebted to her a lot for giving him a place to stay and a place to work for the last two years and counting. She also can’t cook for shit, so Jason’s cooking might’ve earned him the job and place more than his skill.

Jason nods in gratitude her way and runs upstairs to his room to change into something cleaner.

Every Friday, he would meet with Tim, whether it’s as Red Robin or Tim Drake-Wayne, doesn’t matter to Jason, Tim is Tim no matter the alias and last name.

Tim bailed on him for a month now because of a case. Today is different though, Jason has to meet him today. It’s Tim’s birthday. Jason got a present for him that he’s been keeping for a while.

They met mostly at nights, maybe it’s a force of habits to do so.

But Jason doesn’t mind. He gets a bonus of Red Robin sometimes, and the night is quiet, fewer people would recognize the famous Drake-Wayne. They got their time for themselves.

“Hello stranger,” Tim snoops behind him when Jason is on the way to their usual diner. He’s getting good at quietly snooping around quietly.

“Hello yourself stranger.”

The diner is quiet at this hour. It opens 24 hours and it’s their favorite place to eat breakfast food at night because they serve breakfast lunch and dinner no matter when you order them.

Jason ordered a burger, Tim ordered pancakes with coffee.

Tim is usually very tired when they meet, hence the habit of always ordering coffee. But he’s been awfully gleeful since they walk in here.

“Okay, spill it out,” Jason said, rolling his eyes.

“No! You first,” Tim rejected, and his doe eyes open wide in anticipation.

What face is Jason making now that Tim said that? Well, not that he minded.

“Happy birthday, Timmy,” Jason pulls out a flat rectangle from the inside pocket of his jacket and slide it in front of Tim.

Jason thought Tim knew about his birthday, thought it was the reason why Tim is all giddy. But he froze in surprise to see the blue striped box laying on his part of the table.

He turns those clear blue eyes at Jason, who feels nervous now.

“Oh, damn, it is my birthday, I forgot!” Tim cheered and tears the wrappers to pieces.

Jason’s heart thumps when Tim finally sees inside the box, bracing for any reactions at all. Any.

Tim takes it out of the box. Those powerful fists that had cracked some bones unclench and lifts what’s inside and hold it out preciously.

It’s an old comic book. An old series that’s long discontinued. Tim had all the volumes, except one.

“Volume 16 Yu Yu Hakusho...” Tim whispered under his breath, and opened it not too wide, careful not to crease the area near the binding. Tim’s face went from disbelieving to a tearful smile.

Jason doesn’t understand what’s about the manga that Tim likes so much. It’s about a middle school student who died and came back to life and became a supernatural detective. Okay, he understands why Tim likes it, but not to a point to obsess over it enough to make his eyes all glassy in tears.

“How?” Tim says in overdramatic mirth, “How did you get this? I went far and wide and auction to auction but never got it.”

“Coincidence. I moved into my boss’ place, his grandson used to come over for the summer and left a bunch of stuff. I was tidying things up when I found that thing pressed between neglected homeworks. I asked my boss about it, and I bought it from the grandson.

“Oh man,” Tim hugs the comic book to his chest, “Thank you, this is awesome.”

Tim gave him the happiest gummy smile. It’s been a while since Jason gets to see Tim that way. He’s been drinking too much coffee and getting too wrapped up in his nightlife. Jason got a little heart attack whenever there’s a villain on the loose or an alien attack and see Red Robin pops in with young justice.

It’s no easy feat being a vigilante, Jason knew, but Tim’s a perfectionist, and that’s what Jason worries the most. He keeps his grades up, and somehow, now at 17 years old, he’s working at Wayne Inc. And then have a night job protecting people of a city with one of the highest crime rates? Unbelievable.

Tim is amazing, but Jason knows Tim is spreading himself too thin.

“You know...” Tim says, finally looking away from his comic, “My birthday is tomorrow actually.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t get to meet you tomorrow.”

“Why is that though?”

Oh yeah, why is that? Huh.

“Let's meet tomorrow and hang out then! Meet when the sun is out once in a while, sounds good?”

“Just the two of us?” is the air conditioner working? It suddenly feels warmer, damn global warming.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun!”

Jason didn’t plan this, but his mind is already listing places he wants to take Tim tomorrow. He can’t help the smile creeping upon his face.

“Cool,” Jason says uncoolly.

“So, where do--” “About my--”

They said and stop simultaneously.

“Your turn, what about your news?” Jason rests his face on his hand, enjoying the blushing Tim all excited. His blue eyes twinkle like sunlight on the sea waves. Smiling carelessly with excitement showing his perfectly tidy teeth. Tim looks as happy as if he’s twelve again. Before the vigilante life, before adulthood, before his parents died. It makes Jason happy to see Tim happy.

Tim bites his lips and leans forward, putting his palm on the side of his lips like he’s about to say the biggest secret he has.

“I found my soulmate!” Tim cheered in a secretive whisper.

“Oh, dude that’s awesome! When?”

“Like a few weeks ago on this mission I just finished, it’s... but you have to keep it a secret okay?”

“I’m no tattletale, I’m bringing this to my grave, c’ mon spill so I can judge this person.”

Tim smiled offendedly at Jason’s joke, and leans forward even closer across the table and whisper to Jason’s ear.

“It’s Superboy.”

“That’s... You mean th-!”

“Sssh! Keep quiet,” Tim giggled like a lovestruck teen, wait, he is.

“How did you find out?”

“When we’re fighting a pack of robots, and his shirt torn open. And I was... gosh I think I froze for a second. We’ve been partners for years, we also had met at a gala when Bruce adopted me, multiple times! I practically knew him forever. I confessed right away. Bruce doesn’t like it for some reason, but whatever.”

“You took my advice huh?”

“Yup! I can do whatever I want. I like Superboy, he’s cool, and we get along well, and we’ve been dating for a few days now. And... he’s just really great.” Tim’s face melts into a blushing soft smile.

Jason smiles too.

“You look happy, Tim.”

Tim looks at Jason with his sincere blue eyes, with that bright smile directed at him, but not for him, “I am.”

They chat some more until Tim has to go home.

Then they walk to separate ways. Tim towards the city, and Jason to the dark alleys.

Jason waits for two hours. Text Tim that he can’t meet him because his boss needs him to work tomorrow urgently. Says his apologies. Says one more happy birthday. Says simple best wishes.

Then Jason lay on his bed. For a long time, he doesn’t fall asleep. Despite how tired he is, his mind cruelly up all night long, thinking of things he can’t change.