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ragingbookdragon · 3 years

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If All Of The Kings Had Their Queens On The Throne

Batsis x Ghost-Maker One-Shot

Word Count: 4K Warnings: Explicit Language, Slight Angst, Mature Themes

Author's Note: This is a direct continuation of the previous fic! Enjoy! -Thorne

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When the door to The Haunt didn’t immediately open, she frowned and clicked the button. “Hey! Lemme in!”

For a moment, there was nothing, then she heard, “Apologies Miss Wayne. Ghost-Maker is busy training. Shall I alert him?”

She sighed. “Nah, just let me in and I’ll get him.”

“Of course.”

The doors split open, and she walked into the base, immediately rolling her eyes at the colors, or better yet the lack of color at all. She had no idea what spurred him to pick white as one of the main colors in everything he wore and used, but God if it didn’t make him look like a psychopath. A snort passed her lips at her little joke, and she wandered around the desk setup and through one of the curtained areas until she heard boxing gloves meeting a punching bag.

Gently tugging the curtain aside, she paused, leaning against the doorway, and watched his back. He was shirtless and had headphones in, as he usually was and did when he trained alone, and his muscles rippled each time he threw a powerful strike. She couldn’t help but watch him; he’d always been so diligent when it came to his training, and if she hadn’t known him better than she did, she would’ve assumed all he did was train. She was very fond of it though. Very fond of him.

“You going to stand there or are you going to get a set of gloves and spar with me?”

She shook herself from her thoughts to see him rounding the bag, throwing a devastating kick; she snorted. “No thanks, Ghost. I just got over having a cracked skull.” Walking over, she neared the space, but stayed just far enough that she wouldn’t get struck.

“I’m actually here to invite you over to the manor tonight.” She said, watching as his eyes flitted to hers behind the mask. “I take it you know.”

“About the little pool party Bruce throws for everyone? Yes. I keep hearing about it over the Ghost-Net.”

She smiled. “It’s a lot of fun, Ghost. You’d have fun.”

He scoffed. “What? Being surrounded by every single hero this side of the galaxy? No thank you, (Y/N). I’d rather not.”

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the punching bag and held it, looking at him. “You’re not going to make any friends if you spend all your time cooped up in here.”

“I’m not looking to make friends,” he retorted, throwing another punch that sent shock-waves through her arms to her core. “I’m here to clean up Gotham.”

(Y/N) gazed at him. “Sure I can’t persuade you?”

“Positive.”

She shrugged. “Then you leave me no choice.” Leveling him with a strong expression, she warned, “As the newest member of the Batfamily, you have to attend the pool party. It’s tradition and anyone who doesn’t, has to take patrol routes for everyone for a month straight.”

Ghost-Maker stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her. “You’re lying.”

(Y/N) sucked in a breath dramatically, “Ghost, I never lie.” She looked to the ceiling. “Icon, run the conversations from my phone named, ‘Bat-Chat’ and tell him I’m not lying.”

After a moment, the AI’s voice came over, clear and positive. “Miss Wayne is correct, sir. Record texts have shown that those who do not attend the parties thrown by the family for the other superheroes are subject to various torture techniques.”

“What!” (Y/N) shouted. “No, we don’t!”

“You said on June eighth that your brother Timothy Jackson Drake was going to be swirlied for missing the party.”

She sputtered. “I was joking! We don’t swirly each other. We just force our patrol routes on each other.” (Y/N) glanced at Ghost-Maker. “If you don’t come, you’re going to take patrol from me, Dick, Jason, Tim, Cass, Steph, Duke, and Damian. You really wanna patrol all month by yourself? All that territory? Think of the time and energy it’ll take, Ghost.”

Ghost-Maker stared her down for a minute, mulling over his choices, then he finally sighed, resigned to his fate. “Fine. I’ll come over tonight.”

(Y/N) grinned. “Nope, you gotta get ready now. We’re arriving together.”

“You annoy me.” He griped, bypassing her to the doorway, and she followed him towards the stairs and to his bedroom where he entered the bathroom and got in the shower. She waited on the bed, gazing around his room while he showered.

“Who all is attending this party? That you know for sure.”

(Y/N) blinked, taking a moment to think. “Uh, all of the Justice League, the Titans and Teen Titans, the Outlaws, a few Green Lanterns…and probably a few anti-heroes but we’ll see.” She shrugged. “So pretty much everyone we interact with on a normal basis.”

“I heard Harley is coming too.”

“Yeah, she’s technically part of the family at this point.” (Y/N) said. “She’d be upset if we didn’t invite her over.”

Ghost-Maker stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and she stood from the bed, wandering in behind him as he lathered his face in shaving cream.

“Trying to show out in front of everyone, Ghost?” she joked, leaving back against the door-frame of the small cabinet behind them.

“Bruce doesn’t keep himself kempt all the time. I do,” he remarked, flicking out the straight razor; he raised it to his jaw, and she hummed warningly, causing his brown eyes to meet hers in the mirror. “What?”

(Y/N) shook her head. “I’m just worried you’ll cut yourself.”

“I’ve been shaving my face since I was fifteen, (Y/N).”

“So that scar on your cheekbone isn’t from cutting yourself?”

He gazed at her. “You know why I have that scar.”

“I do.” She answered, then leaned away from the wall, shifting until she was sitting on the bathroom counter in front of him. Taking the razor, she tilted his chin up and carefully, scraped it down his cheek before rinsing it. “I gave it to you when you called me a coward.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to hit me that hard.” Ghost-Maker replied, coffee eyes focused on her face; she felt exposed under his knowing gaze.

She chuckled. “I think that was the first time I really surprised you that I wasn’t just my brother’s twin sister following him around to make sure he was safe.”

“You can’t blame me for thinking you were. You never joined in the training.”

“I learned better watching then doing.” (Y/N) rinsed the razor and tipped his head back as she drug the instrument down the exposed skin of his throat. “Most people are fearful when someone holds a razor to their neck,” she murmured, carefully shaving his Adam’s apple.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

Her hands stilled ever so slightly as she gaped at him. Normally he would’ve said, “I don’t feel fear” but now he said he wasn’t afraid of her. She wanted to hope it was because of what had occurred the last month, her confessing her feelings, him replying that he couldn’t love her like she did him—he’d not totally ruled out caring for her, at least that’s what she saw his words being. They’d not talked about it more than that night, merely going back to work, but she could tell that Ghost-Maker’s demeanor towards her had changed a minute amount. He watched her more. Was…softer with her.

(Y/N) smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” She rinsed the razor and looked over his face for a moment, then she grabbed the towel and wet it, gently brushing over the shaving cream still on his face. Patting his face dry, she nodded. “Looks good. No nicks.”

“Thank you,” he approved, but didn’t move, keeping his eyes on her and she couldn’t help but look down, suddenly nervous under his gaze.

Her eyes widened when she saw the expanse of his chest though and she reached up, fingers delicately tracing a jagged and raised scar in the middle of his chest. Even healed it looked angry and a bolt of sadness hit her in the heart.

“You’re sad.” He noted. For a psychopath who didn’t feel empathy, he was actually good at discerning when people felt sad—or maybe it was just because he’d known her so long.

(Y/N) nodded, whispering, “There aren’t many scars on mine and Bruce’s bodies that look like this one.” Her fingers moved to one on the right side of his ribs and she frowned. “We’ve always had someone to stitch us up, or we did it for one another. But I can’t help but wonder…” her eyes met his. “Who did it for you? Who stitched the ones you couldn’t reach and do yourself?”

Her chest hurt. “Who was there for you when I wasn’t?” she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to the center of his chest. He was so warm, and she sighed, willing herself to not tear up. “I’m sorry, K.”

“For what?” he questioned, a hand coming up behind her, palm resting against the back of her neck.

“For leaving you behind,” (Y/N) answered, deciding then to wrap her arms around his waist, turning her face so her cheek rested to his chest. “I should’ve stayed with you.”

Ghost-Maker made a noise in his throat, and she wasn’t sure if it was agreement or bitterness. “And if you had, you wouldn’t have raised your family.”

She sighed. “Yeah…I know…but even during that time I couldn’t help but wonder how your journey was going. How you and your tech were evolving throughout the years.” (Y/N) pulled back slightly and looked at him. “I used to imagine what it’d be like to be there with you. To fight beside you. To live out your dream with you.”

His hand shifted from the back of her neck to cup her cheek and he tilted her head up, leaning down to kiss her. She closed her eyes, arms shifting from around his waist to wrap around his neck and his free hand gripped her waist, pulling her against him. Ghost-Maker shifted, pressing his lips to the underside of her jaw as his fingers dipped under her thigh, pulling it up until (Y/N) got the hint to cock it around his hip.

“K,” she breathed as he sunk his teeth into her neck, biting hard enough that it had her inhaling sharply, fingers twisting in the dark hair at the nape of his neck. She felt him smile against her skin.

“What do you want?” he asked, pressing surprisingly gentle kisses to where he’d bit as the hand that was on her cheek lowered to push up the blouse that stopped at her waist. His fingers dipped underneath, rubbing against her skin and he asked again, this time firmer, “(Y/N), what do you want?”

Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she could barely think, could barely form words. “I—”

A shrill beeping startled the two of them, well, her more than him, and she finally got herself to breathe. “That’s Bruce calling.” She uncurled one of her hands from his neck to reach for the phone in her pocket, but he caught it.

“Call him back.” Ghost-Maker said, grabbing a fistful of her blouse, starting to pull up.

(Y/N) shrugged his hand off. “If Bruce’s calling, it means he needs my help.” He pulled away and giving her a look, one she met firmly. “I need to take it.”

They gazed at each other for a moment and then he harrumphed, pulling away from her, and walked from the bathroom to his closest.

She sighed and pulled out her phone, answering it. “Hello?”

Are you on your way yet? The party’s already started and everyone’s asking where you both are.

Clearing her throat, she replied, “Yeah, he’s getting his swim trunks.” She glanced out the doorway. “You own trunks, don’t you, Ghost?”

“Do I somehow give you the impression that I’m incompetent?” he shot back, and she rolled her eyes.

“Ass.” She put the phone back to her ear. “We’ll be there in fifteen.”

Be careful. Love you.

“We will. And I love you too.” She ended the call and hopped off the bathroom counter, flicking off the lights as she walked out, seeing him throwing a bag over his shoulder.

“I��m ready to be bored out of my mind.” He grunted and she rolled her eyes again.

“Oh, shut up. You’re going to have a great time. I promise.”

Ghost-Maker glared at her as he pulled the white and black mask over his eyes and nose. “And how do you know?”

(Y/N) grinned, shoving him in the stomach as she walked past him. “Because I’m going to be there all night.”

***

“See!” she chirped as he sunk into the hot tub. “This isn’t so bad.” She handed him a drink. “Free drinks, laughter, and swimming. Fun, huh?”

He grunted, sipping the margarita she’d given him. “Your family and their friends are loud.”

(Y/N) looked over his head towards the other pool, grinning as her eldest nephew threw her youngest into the pool, then turned and threw his best friend. Laughter peeled from the entire group in the pool.

“Yeah…but that’s how you know they’re having a good time.” Her eyes drifted to Bruce who was fondly watching Jason and Roy grill, occasionally laughing as one of them told a joke. “Feelin’ good, Bruce?”

He took a sip of his brandy, sinking until his shoulders were covered by the running hot water. “Feeling great, (Y/N).” he held out his drink. “Put some ice in there? Please?”

She smiled and pulled her legs out of the hot tub, and really, it wasn’t exactly a hot tub because most were above ground, but Bruce being who he was, had redesigned it so that it and the pool were both in ground and connected.

Taking his glass, she rose and wandered over to the bar where a few of her friends were pouring drinks and chatting. “Hey Clark. Diana. How are you both tonight?”

Diana smiled and raised her wine glass. “I am well, (Y/N). How are you?”

“Can’t complain.” She said. “Clark, put an ice cube in here, would you?”

He did as she asked and dropped one in with the tongs. “I’m still surprised you got Ghost-Maker here. I assumed he wasn’t going to come.”

Her eyes flicked back over to the hot tub, and she watched Bruce tip his head back as he laughed, Ghost-Maker chuckling too; she smiled. “He’d never admit it, but he’s glad he came tonight. Anti-social as he usually is, he likes being included in things.” (Y/N) smiled at them and winked, walking back over.

She took her seat back on the side in the middle between Bruce and Ghost-Maker, handing her brother his brandy. “Clark licked all over the rim of your glass, Bruce. Just letting you know.” Feeling particularly childish, Bruce raised the glass to his lips and licked all around the glass. “You’re a child.” She remarked, then glanced to her side, seeing one of the Green Lanterns coming down the way.

“Kyle!” she greeted. “Join the fray!”

The artist smiled, then looked at the men in the hot tub. “I don’t want to intrude,” he said, and Bruce waved.

“Come on in.”

(Y/N) patted the wall between her legs and Kyle walked down the steps, shifting until his back pressed against the wall and she dropped her legs over his shoulders, fingers carding in his hair. “How’s it been going on Oa?”

He shrugged, sipping his beer. “It’s good. Can’t complain too much about saving the universe.”

She smirked. “Uh huh…and what’s this about you and Soranik?”

Kyle choked a bit on his beer, coughing slightly as she giggled. “It’s uh—complicated.” He tipped his head back, resting on her thighs so he could look up at her. “What about you? How’ve you been?”

(Y/N) sighed wistfully, combing back his hair. “Ain’t nothing changin’ but the weather…and the usual telling off the men in front of you for continually betting each other who can do the more stupid shit.”

At that, Kyle’s head tipped up and he first looked at Bruce, then to Ghost-Maker who merely drank from his margarita. “Uh…who’s that?” he asked quietly, and she snorted.

“Kyle, this is Ghost-Maker. Ghost, this is Kyle Rayner, the torch bearing Green Lantern.” She smushed his cheeks. “Isn’t he adorable?”

Ghost-Maker gave her an amused puff. “He is handsome, I’ll give you that.”

Kyle was glad the water had already flushed his skin because the way the man had flirted had made his cheeks warm. “Thank you.” He glanced back at her. “Is his name…?”

She nodded. “Yeah, he takes anonymity to a whole new level.” She tugged at a strand of his hair. “Did you know that only me, Bruce, and a few others know what he looks like and what his entire name is?”

He blinked in response. “That’s…hardcore secret identity, right there.”

“That’s because he doesn’t have any friends.” (Y/N) shot Ghost-Maker a grin. “But you can call him Ghost for short. It’s easier than the mouthful of Ghost-Maker.” The vigilante in return merely rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. “So, Kyle, have any new graphic novels in the works?”

“I do actually. Haven’t written them down but here’s an idea.” He brought up his hand out of the water and a green flash appeared in everyone’s vision. “See how you like it so far?”

(Y/N) huffed a laugh in disbelief. “This is so cool.” She grabbed the construct comic book and flipped through it. “Who’s the main?”

“Haven’t named her yet. But she’s a transgender, pansexual Native American who solves crimes as a superhero.” His cheeks flushed. “I know it’s ironic because we’re superheroes, but I couldn’t help it, you know?”

She nodded, seemingly impressed. “Figured out which tribe yet?”

“I was thinking possibly Cherokee. Or Mohawk.”

“I’ve got a MTF Kanienʼkehá꞉ka friend who lives in Quebec.” She said. “I’ll give her a call about working with you on this.”

Kyle lit up like the morning sun. “Really, (Y/N)? You’d do that?”

She looked down at him and shifted her thighs a bit, bumping his head. “Of course. You’re one of my best friends.”

“I love you, (Y/N).” he grinned, and she chuckled.

“I love you too, loser.”

Suddenly the speakers thumped, and her head shot up, looking towards Tim and Bart who were giggling. She pointed at them. “HEY! THIS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE SONG!”

They merely giggled more and suddenly everyone was singing along to the raunchy song, well, the teens and young adults were but not her and the older people.

(Y/N) shoved Kyle off as she got up and ran towards the speakers. “WAP IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE SONG TO PLAY AT A POOL PARTY! THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT! TIMOTHY JACKSON, YOU GET BACK HERE WITH THAT IPHONE! TURN IT OFF!”

***

She smiled sweetly at her family and friends passed out in the living room, pillows and blankets thrown everywhere, arms slung over bodies, heads on stomachs and backs. It was nice to see them all so comfortable with each other, so tightly knit; it reminded her of a better time.

Most of the adults had gone home though some had stayed in extra rooms. She was sure that her brother and him had gone down to the cave to have it out just for the hell of it, but she was rather tired and decided to call it a night—though it was actually one am.

Closing the door behind her, she didn’t bother to go shower, planning to do it in the morning as she started stripping. First went the swimsuit cover, then the top and bottoms. She kicked her flip-flops off into the corner of the room and stretched her arms above her head, a quiet groan passing her lips as her joints and bones popped.

As she lowered her hands, a hand clamped around her mouth and another wound around her waist, tugging her back and she gasped against their palm, starting to struggle when she heard them chuckle. The sound, combined with the familiar smell of sandalwood wafting up her nose told her who it was, and they smiled against her ear. “Worried?”

She reached up and yanked his hand from her mouth, hissing, “You’re lucky I didn’t turn around and punch the shit out of you, K.”

“Promises, promises,” he murmured, pressing a kiss behind her ear and she shivered against his chest.

“What are you doing in here? I thought you and Bruce went to go spar?”

Ghost-Maker hummed, the hand around her waist starting to squeeze the flesh of her side. “We did. He said he was tired and went to bed.”

“And you didn’t go home?” her voice kicked up a notch when his other hand slipped from her grip and slid down her front.

“I didn’t want to go home.” He pressed his front against her rear and she gasped, one of her hands coming back to grab at his thigh, digging her nails in to keep him there. He smirked as she ground back against him. “Seems like you don’t want me going home either.”

(Y/N) swallowed thickly. “Something’s up with you tonight. You’re being a lot more…passionate than usual.”

He nipped at her neck, fingers delicately dancing over her abdomen. “I don’t like that Green Lantern friend of yours.”

“Who? Kyle?” she questioned confusedly. “Why?”

“He’s very free with himself towards you.”

At that, it was crystal clear, and she spun in his arms, looking at him, though she had to strain to see his face. “Are you jealous?”

“No.” He griped, though the way his jaw set, told her the truth.

“You are!” she laughed. “You’re jealous that I’m close with other men. That’s adorable.”

Ghost-Maker stared at her for a split moment, then he bent down and grabbed her legs, throwing her over his shoulder. (Y/N)’s gasp turned into a laugh as he marched towards the bed and tossed her onto it, watching as she rolled onto her back and laughed some more at him.

“God, you’re green, K.” she giggled, watching with hooded eyes as he shucked the swim trunks down to his feet and crawled onto the bed.

“I’m not envious of a glow-stick who’s never gotten this far with you.” He countered, grabbing her ankles; he yanked her down the bed and underneath him and she gazed up at him.

“Do you wanna know how many men have gotten this far with me?” (Y/N) challenged and Ghost-Maker stared into her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter how many because once I’m done with you, you won’t remember anyone but me.” He lowered his head, pressing open-mouthed kisses to her stomach, trailing downwards and she panted in anticipation when,

CRASH!

They started, and this time, he did too, both turning to the door, then to each other.

“What the hell—”

“OH SHIT! SOMEONE PUT OUT THE FIRE!”

(Y/N) grunted. “Oh my God, what did they do?”

“DON’T JUST STAND THERE! OH MY GOD SOMEONE CALL NINE-ONE-ONE! OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!”

“AUNT (Y/N)! DAD!”

She rolled out from underneath Ghost-Maker, ignoring his grabbing for her and she hurried to her door, yanking the bathrobe from the hook on the back. Slinging it on, she turned and pointed at the man. “Once I’m done out here, I’m coming back and you’re not going anywhere for a few hours.”

He smirked as he collapsed onto his back, taking himself in his hand. She almost burst into flames at the sight, and he purred, “You might wish to hurry, (Y/N). Wouldn’t want to miss anything.” His words tipped into a groan as his hand shifted along himself, and she scowled at him as she pulled the door open, his erotic frame illuminating in the hall light.

“You’d better watch it, K. We both know how mean I can get when I miss out.”

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my-one-love-is-music · 6 years

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Worth Living For

Summary: Jason never expected to be brought back to life and given a second chance. But what he expected even less was to be placed as the protector of Tim Drake. He thought things would be quiet and he'd be able to get back to his old life, but when supernatural creatures start showing up, Jason realizes he got more than he bargained for, in both the creatures he has to fight and from Tim as a person.

A/N: My last fic for jaytimweek! I'm super excited for this one and so happy to share it with all of you. I couldn’t resist mixing both the blood oath and urban fantasy prompts so I hope you enjoy it!

Also on AO3!

Darkness surrounded him. Jason searched for some form of light. Something to tell him what was going on. The pain had finally ended. His body didn’t feel like it was on fire anymore and now there was an absence of everything. He wasn’t numb exactly, there was just nothing. Nothing inside of him and nothing outside of him.

He blinked, thinking there was something he could find in the darkness around him. He squinted his eyes, thinking there was a small circle of light in the distance, but he couldn’t tell if it was something he was imagining or if it was real.

The circle got brighter and what he thought was originally white light was actually green as it came closer and closer. Pain returned to his limbs, but it was different from the kind of pain that had forced him under first. This pain felt like he was growing, forced apart or forced inside something too small at the same time.

Jason burst out of a green pool and gasped, drawing in air from his deprived lungs. Arms wrapped around his body as he struggled to orient himself, feeling weak. His legs wobbled even as the water lightened his weight and his arms didn’t want to help keep him afloat.

“Where am I?” he slurred. “What happened?”

“Shh,” a rough voice said. “We dug you out from the pits of the dead.”

Jason swallowed and coughed, blinking his eyes as he looked around. Walls of rock surrounded a deep pool of green. Torches lined the wall and added to the eerie glow of the pool. He stumbled as he was walked to the edge of the pool and up the steps. The grip around him tightened.

“Where am I?” Jason asked again, starting to come back to himself. “Who are you? What am I doing here?”

He turned and faced the person holding him, coming face to face with a skeleton mask. There were black robes around him and even though Jason knew he’d just come out of the pit of green liquid, his clothes were dry.

“You were chosen,” a raspy voice spoke from behind the mask.

Jason backed up a step, pulling free from the grasp. His back hit the stone wall. “Chosen? Chosen for what?”

“You were chosen to be a protector.”

“What the hell is that?”

“You remember your death, don’t you?” it asked.

“Yes,” Jason said.

“You have a chance at another life as long as you agree to act as a protector.”

“What is that? What would I have to do?”

“You would be tasked with protecting a single individual above all else. You would be allowed to live to keep someone else alive.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Jason said. “If it meant I would get to live again.”

“There is one condition. A strict one.”

“What is it?” Jason asked.

“If you fail to fulfill your role as a protector, you will immediately die. Do you accept your role, or will you return to the beyond?”

“If it means getting another chance at life, I’ll gladly become a fucking protector,” Jason said, rolling his eyes.

The figure pulled out a dagger. “Then you must complete the blood oath that binds you to your role. Your hand, please.”

Jason reluctantly extended his hand. The grip around his fingers was icy cold to the touch. As the blade came to rest on his palm, A rune on the side of the blade began to glow.

“Jason Peter Todd,” it spoke. “You have been chosen to be the protector of Timothy Jackson Drake. Do you accept your role to do everything in your power to preserve his life on pain of death?”

“Yes, I accept,” Jason said.

He hissed as the blade cut into his skin, the rune glowing brighter. The figure curled his hand into a fist before it was turned to the side, squeezing his hand enough until several drops of blood fell from his hand to the floor.

“You will keep the scar as a reminder of what you are tasked with. Now you must be off and begin your duties.”

“How am I supposed to know who I’m going to protect?”

“We have left nothing to chance. Trust that you will know,” the figure rasped. It raised its hand and snapped its fingers. Bright light shimmered around Jason and he squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn’t noticed the temperature of the cavern he’d been in, but now he felt cold.

Jason pried open his eyes and found himself on a sidewalk in the middle of a dark city. A few lampposts were offering dim yellow light on the cracked streets and a few drops of rain were falling from the sky. He looked around himself, glancing down to find clothes he’d never seen before covering his body. He ran his hands over the shirt and jacket and pulled it closer around him, hoping to drive away the chill that was starting to sink into him.

He wasn’t annoyed or upset about it. It was a relief to feel something again. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d missed the feeling of anything while he was dead. He looked up at the buildings around him and found small apartment complexes along both sides of the streets. He caught sight of a hooded figure walking down the street.

The palm of Jason’s hand turned warm and he lifted it, finding the cut glowing on his palm. He curled his fingers over his palm and looked back across the street. The figure turned and jogged up the steps of one of the buildings, sticking a key in the lock before pushing inside.

“Is that who I’m supposed to protect?” he whispered to himself.

“Yesss,” a voice hissed in the back of his mind. “You’ll find your room inside. Check your pocket to find the way.”

Jason jolted and shoved his hands into his pants pockets, finding a set of keys and a wallet inside. He turned the keys over in his hand and hurried across the street to the building the figure had gone into. He flipped through the keys, picking out a gold one and slid it into the lock, turning it so he could shove inside.

The temperature inside the building was another shock compared to the chill outside. He never would’ve imagined that coming back to life could offer so many extremes after being devoid of all feeling for however long he’d been gone. He turned the keyring in his fingers and found a tag that placed his room on the fourth floor.

Jason took to the stairs and climbed up the narrow steps, passing the doors to each new floor until he’d made it to his. He pulled the gray door open to reveal worn down carpet and bright lights set into the center of the ceiling. He trudged down the hallway, looking at the numbers on the doors until he’d gotten halfway down the hallway.

He gripped a silver key tightly between his fingers and stuck it into the lock, turning it until he heard the lock click open. He turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The lights were off, and he fumbled for the light switch on the wall, flicking it on. The harsh light over his head illuminated the foyer and a bit further inside the living room.

From what he could see, the apartment was already fully furnished. A worn couch sat in the middle of the room with a coffee table in front of it. There was an older looking T.V. resting on a table against the wall and Jason could see a few movie cases and books stacked on top of each other. The small kitchen didn’t have much on the counters other than a toaster plugged into the wall.

He walked down the hallway and found the bathroom. A white shower curtain hung in the tub and a few toiletries crowded around the edges of the sink. Jason ducked back into the hall and continued through the open bedroom door. There was a messy and unmade bed in the center and a small dresser shoved against the wall. The closet door wasn’t completely closed, and he walked over to inspect it, finding nothing but clothes stuffed inside.

“I guess this is where I’m going to be living now,” he sighed. “I don’t suppose you have a job lined up for me too?”

“The only job you need concern yourself with is acting as protector. All other expenses are taken care of and need not be worried about.”

“Fine, fine,” Jason said. He tossed the keyring onto the dresser and kicked off his shoes. “I really hope this bed is clean,” he muttered before dropping down onto it and letting sleep take him, feeling oddly exhausted from the short day that he’d had back in the land of the living.

Jason blinked his eyes open, squinting against the sunlight that streamed through the slats in the blinds. He groaned and rolled onto his back, feeling the grossness that came with a night of sleep without brushing his teeth and sleeping in his clothes.

He pulled himself from the bed and stretched his arms over his head. Now that there was light coming through the window, he had a better sense of what his surroundings looked like. The room was messy. A laundry basket overflowed with clothes in the corner. He pulled the drawers of the dresser open, finding them stuffed with as much as could possibly be put inside.

There were more books stacked on top of the dresser and the bedside table. He dug through the drawer in the nightstand and found a few chargers and a phone stuck inside. He wrapped his hand around the phone and pressed the home button. It lit up right away and he slid his thumb across the screen, finding no passcode keeping it locked.

There weren’t any apps loaded onto the phone and he opened the contacts, finding nothing inside. The mailbox showed there was one unread email and he hesitantly clicked the icon. The subject of the message said “Welcome.” Jason swallowed and clicked it.

Jason,

I hope you find the apartment to be to your liking. The charge you’ve been assigned to protect lives in the room to the right of you. Do remember that he is there and you face the punishment of death if you fail in your duties.

The clothes at your disposal should all be your size and fit. You might want to wash the sheets before you sleep in the bed, I’m not sure when they were last taken care of.

Jason made a face and looked back at the bed. That was the first thing he was going to do as soon as he figured things out.

This phone belongs to you and you have every liberty to store what you need on it and log any form of contact you might need.

In the main room of the apartment, you will find another wallet. This has an ID card for you that you can use for self-identification purposes. You also have a bank card with access to funds to support yourself. It is not a large sum of money so please take care in how you spend it and it is designed for you to purchase food and other necessities.

You do not currently have access to a car, but if you find that you need one in order to properly protect your charge, we can have it arranged so you have access to one.

The kitchen is already fully stocked with food, but you will need to conduct future trips to the grocery yourself.

We will get in touch if we find you are in need of additional information to ensure that you are properly fulfilling your duties.

Jason closed the email and pressed the button on the top of the phone to make the screen go black. He shoved the phone into his pocket and walked out into the living room, hoping to better inspect the apartment than he’d been able to the night before.

The couch was worn, and a thin layer of dust covered the front of the T.V. and the books and movie cases piled around it. There was one bookshelf overflowing with books, but not much else in the way of personal possessions or decorations. The kitchen looked fairly clean and there weren’t any dirty dishes in the sink that needed to be washed. The trash can was empty too and he knew he wouldn’t have been able to stay the night in the place if there was rotting food and flies filling it to the brim.

He opened the outdated wooden cabinets, finding enough cooking utensils for one person to manage their life. The pantry was filled with food and other dried goods and the fridge was stocked with vegetables, fruits, and meat to offer enough for several meals.

Jason nodded and turned away from the kitchen, feeling a little lost as to what he was supposed to do now that he was thrust into a new apartment and needed to protect his neighbor.

“I guess the first thing I can do is get a shower,” he muttered under his breath.

He walked back to the bathroom, finding it clean and well-maintained for the small apartment. He turned the knob in the shower and was pleased when water spewed from the showerhead. He pulled off his old, sleep-rumpled clothes and stepped around the shower curtain, sighing at the warmth of the water.

Jason rubbed a hand over his forehead. He’d cleaned most of the apartment and had sorted his laundry to take to the laundry room in the basement. He was happy to find that whoever had stocked the apartment had remembered laundry detergent. He grabbed his keys and awkwardly balanced the basket against his side.

He pulled his apartment door open and managed to get through the door without dropping his keys or his laundry. He locked the door one-handed behind him and turned to find sharp blue eyes watching him from the next door down.

“Uh, hi,” Jason said.

He blinked. “Hi. Sorry I didn’t mean to stare I just...didn’t think anyone lived in the apartment next door.”

A flash of warmth spread over the palm of Jason’s hand where the cut for the blood oath had been made.

“I actually just moved in yesterday. I’m trying to get everything in order, hence the laundry,” he said, lifting the basket slightly.

“Right, right. Well, nice to meet you,” he said, raising a hand. “The name’s Tim.”

“Jason,” he offered with a nod. They regarded each other for a moment. Jason cleared his throat. “I should get down and take of this.”

“Right, yes,” Tim said, sticking his key into the lock on his door. “I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

“Yeah,” Jason said skirting past him for the stairs. He paused at the top of the stairs and glanced over his shoulder at the door that shut behind Tim. He tightened his grip on the laundry basket and continued down the stairs.

Jason grunted when he finally managed to shut the last drawer to his dresser. He’d gone through the drawers after finishing his laundry and did his best to organize everything enough to make it fit inside the limited space he had. He’d had similar success with the closet in stuffing his clothes inside in a way that wasn’t horribly appalling.

He walked back into the living room and headed for the kitchen to finally satisfy his hunger after not eating anything since lunch. The sky had long gone dark and he felt accomplished for his first day back in the world of the living.

A sharp spark of warmth heated his palm and Jason looked down at his hand. The scar across his palm was shimmering slightly.

“Shit,” Jason said. He rushed to the front door and shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers. He barely remembered to grab his keys before he charged out of his front door. He frantically knocked on Tim’s door but didn’t hear any response or sound inside.

“Fuck, where is he?” he said, heading for the stairs. “Yo, weird magic voice in my head who brought me back to life, any chance you know where I can find my charge?”

It stayed silent and he cursed under his breath, pushing through the front door to the apartment building. He hit the pavement and looked around, hearing muffled protests coming from the alleyway between the apartment buildings.

Jason charged around the corner and found someone with a hand over Tim’s mouth.

“Hey!” Jason shouted, running forward.

The eyes widened of the person holding Tim. Jason couldn’t see a weapon on him and hurried forward. He squeaked and stumbled backwards as Jason closed the distance between them. He pushed Tim away from himself and Jason caught Tim, the attacker skirting around them for the mouth of the alley.

Jason sneered at his back but let him go, more worried about keeping Tim in sight so he couldn’t stumble into more danger. “You okay?” he asked, looking down at Tim.

Tim stared at him and nodded slowly. “Yeah, thanks.” He straightened, pulling out of Jason’s hold and wrapped his arms around himself. “How did you know I was back here?”

“Oh, um…”Jason trailed off and scratched the back of his head. “I was just coming back and was passing the alleyway and saw someone struggling and decided to help.

“Oh, thanks,” Tim said. “I really owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I could help. Were you…were you going back inside?” Jason asked, hiking a thumb over his shoulder.

Tim nodded. “Yeah.”

“After you,” Jason said, holding out a hand.

Tim smiled and shuffled towards the sidewalk. Jason walked alongside him, and he could see Tim glance around the street before stepping back out onto the sidewalk. Jason pulled out his keys as they climbed the steps and unlocked the door, letting Tim step in first.

Tim shivered next to him, his wide eyes still focused on the floor in front of his feet.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Jason asked as they climbed the stairs.

“I don’t…I dunno,” he whispered.

“Look, this may seem kind of weird since you just got attacked on the street and you barely know me, but could I make you some tea or something to calm down?”

Tim stared at him as they slowed to a stop in front of Jason’s apartment door.

“I’m normally more of a coffee person, but I think I’ll take you up on that offer. The thought of being alone in my apartment right now is not very appealing,” he said with a hollow laugh.

“Yeah,” Jason said, he stuck his key into the lock only to realize he hadn’t locked it when he’d left. He turned it, hoping Tim wouldn’t notice the lack of a click before he pushed through the door. Tim stepped in after him and shut the door.

Jason dropped his keys into the bowl next to the door and walked into the kitchen, afraid to take off his shoes and let Tim see that he wasn’t wearing socks. It was bad enough there was already a light on.

“You can have a seat at the table,” he offered.

Tim pulled back the wooden chair, the legs squeaking across the floor. Jason grabbed the box of chamomile tea from the cabinet and the two mugs he miraculously had. He put the kettle on the stove and placed a teabag in each of the mugs.

“Would you like milk or sugar with your tea?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

Tim jolted in his seat, head whipping around to face him. “Um, sugar, please,” he mumbled and blushed.

Jason nodded and grabbed the container of sugar, putting two scoops in each of their cups. He drummed his fingers against the counter as he waited for the kettle to boil. The sound of the water shifting was the only sound between them.

He practically sighed in relief when it started to whistle softly and pulled it form the stove, turning off the heat before he filled both mugs with water and carried them over to the table. He slid one across to Tim who cradled it between his hands, soaking up the warmth from the water as the tea slowly began to steep.

Jason glanced at Tim’s hands which were shaking slightly against the side of the cup.

“You’re name’s Tim, right?” Jason asked, breaking the silence between them.

Tim glanced up at him through his eyelashes. “Yeah and you’re…Jason?”

He nodded. “Yup.”

“You seem to have settled nicely into your apartment,” he continued, shifting in his seat.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Is that really what you want to talk about, Tim?”

Tim sagged back in his seat and pulled his hands from the mug, forming fists against the table. “I just…feel so weak and helpless. Like, I couldn’t even protect myself from a lowly mugger on the street…if that was all he was going to do,” he muttered.

“You couldn’t have known that was going to happen today,” Jason said. “It was unexpected and scary, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it rule your life. Have you thought about carrying pepper spray to protect yourself?”

Tim shrugged. “I haven’t given much thought to it before now, but it might not be such a bad idea considering what just happened. Just…thanks. For being there and helping me. I owe you so much for what you did.”

Jason shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I just hope you’re okay after this. Don’t let it keep you down, Tim.”

Tim sighed. “Thanks.” He reached for his tea and took a careful sip. “But is there any way I can make it up to you? I feel like I should give you something for helping me.”

Jason shrugged, feeling self-conscious. “I don’t really need anything. I’m just happy you’re safe.”

“How about I take you out for dinner? I’m not the best cook so I won’t offer to cook for you and possibly poison you, but I could buy you dinner?” he asked hopefully.

Jason took a sip of his tea. He could tell Tim wasn’t about to give up until he did something for him. “I guess that would be okay,” he hedged. “But if you were wanting homecooked, I could cook.”

Tim groaned. “That’s the exact opposite of what needs to happen. I’m trying to repay you. It’s not exactly me repaying you for saving me if you’re doing the cooking.”

“Okay,” Jason offered. “We can go out for dinner and if it will make you feel even better, we can have dessert, too.”

Tim sighed. “Thank you. Is there a day that works best for you or is Friday okay?”

Jason nodded. “Friday works…”

Tim smiled, finally looking like he was relaxing and coming back to himself after the stress of the night. Jason swallowed and busied himself with drinking his tea. He’d hoped to keep a low profile and off Tim’s radar for as long as possible, but it looked like things weren’t exactly going to be working in his favor.

Jason fidgeted with his shirt in the mirror. Tim had said to look nice and the nicest thing he’d found among the piles of clothes that were left in the apartment were some black, form-fitting jeans and a deep red button-up. He ran his hands over the wrinkle-free shirt and hoped that he wasn’t too casual for wherever they were going. He didn’t exactly have a dinner jacket.

A knock sounded on his door and he sighed, flicking off the light to his bathroom as he headed for the door. His phone and wallet were already in his pockets and he grabbed his keys before pulling the door open.

Tim smiled at him when he opened the door. He was wearing black pants that might’ve been dress pants, but Jason couldn’t be sure. He also wore a sky-blue button-up and Jason blinked at how vibrant it made his eyes look.

“You ready?” Tim asked, flashing a smile.

Jason swallowed. It was such a change from what he’d seen from Tim so many nights ago when he was on edge and unnerved by being grabbed and pulled into an alley. He looked…good. Which sounded really lame, but Jason didn’t know how else to put it. He just thought Tim could benefit from being able to relax and be happy all the time.

“Of course,” Jason said, hoping he didn’t take too long in answering. He stepped into the hallway and pulled his door shut behind him, locking it securely before they headed for the stairs.

“I hope you don’t mind walking,” Tim offered. “The place we’re going isn’t too far away and it’s a nice night so it shouldn’t be too bad. It’s not raining, and you might actually be able to see the moon which is kind of a shock considering this is Gotham.”

Jason chuckled. “What’s happening to Gotham when the smog isn’t overbearing and making everything darker and bleaker than it has a right to be?”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Tim said, bumping against him. “If you went around helping people all the time, I think the crime rate would be cut in half.”

“Nah…” Jason said.

“Well, you’re my hero at least,” Tim murmured softly.

Jason and Tim both cleared their throats and glanced away from each other. Jason scratched his cheek and glanced around the street. There were a few other groups of people clustered on the sidewalks as they headed out to enjoy their Friday night. A few tired people were walking in the opposite direction, obviously looking forward to getting home after a long and tiring week of work.

“So…what’s this place we’re going to?” Jason asked when the silence had stretched on long enough.

“It’s a surprise,” Tim said with a grin.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “A surprise? How old are you?”

“What, you don’t like surprises?” Tim asked.

“No, I’m just wondering if you picked a place with a kid’s menu since you’ll obviously need it. Are you going to get a balloon, too?”

Tim rolled his eyes. “The only place I would want to get a balloon from is a carnival, but since that’s not for a few more months, I’m going to have to wait.”

“I never would’ve taken you for the carnival type,” Jason said with a nod.

Tim shrugged. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. The only thing you know for certain is that I am not the best when it comes to fending off muggers.”

Jason nodded. “This is true.”

“Oh, there’s the place,” Tim said, pointing ahead.

Jason caught sight of a black canopy hanging over large, curved windows. Light shone from within and there was a wooden sign handing above the door that had the name of the restaurant in white cursive letters.

“Looks, nice,” Jason said. “Rustic.”

Tim grinned. “You haven’t seen the inside yet.”

They pushed through the wooden doors and were met with a wooden podium that guarded the seating host.

“Evening,” Tim said, stepping up to the podium and Jason saw the change from the everyday, Tim Drake he’d known for a short time into someone professional and commanding.

“How may I help you, sir?” the man greeted.

“I have a reservation for two under the name Timothy Drake.”

Jason swallowed. Even the sound of Tim’s voice had changed with his presence.

The host pressed something on the screen in front of him. “Ah, yes,” he said with a smile. “We have a table set up for you. Garrett can take you to your table,” he said, gesturing to the man who stepped up next to him.

“Thank you,” Tim said as he followed Garrett deeper into the restaurant.

The small, wood-paneled entryway opened into a much larger room. The walls were painted black, with a brick border that covered the bottom half of the wall. Edison lights hung from the ceiling and illuminated the tables covered with white cloths. Garrett pulled out Tim’s chair, giving him a seat while Jason seated himself.

Their menus and napkin rolled cutlery were already carefully placed on the table.

“Nice place,” Jason commented, flipping over the menu. He froze at seeing the ridiculous prices for the appetizers alone.

“Yeah,” Tim said, flipping through his own menu. “I’ve only been here once before, but I really enjoyed it.”

Jason flipped to the entrees and thought he was going to have a heart attack at how much everything cost. “Tim,” he said weakly, “I really don’t think I can let you buy me dinner here. It’s too much.”

Tim looked up. “Jason, it’s fine. You can order whatever you want. It’s me returning the favor for what you did the other night. It’s really not a problem.”

“Christ, how much do you make where you can afford to eat like this,” he muttered under his breath.

Tim laughed, and Jason glanced up at him. His blue eyes reflected the sparkles of the Edison lights. “If you really care that much, I work in the research and development department of a major technology company. I get paid enough where I could easily afford a large apartment in downtown Gotham if I wanted to, so believe me when I say that’s it really not an issue for me paying for dinner.”

Jason sighed. “Okay, but if you could live down there, why do you stay in the apartment you have?”

Tim shrugged. “I like it. The people are nice and it’s small. I don’t really need something big and fancy when I’m living on my own. I think it would get lonely.”

“Ever thought about getting a cat?” he said, skimming the food items for something he liked that wouldn’t cost too much.

“If I got a cat it would probably end up dead unless it knew how to care for itself.”

Jason shrugged. “Fair enough.”

“Good evening, gentlemen,” a woman said, stepping up next to their table. “My name is Natalia and I’ll be your server for the evening. Is there anything I can get you to drink before you order?”

“Water for me,” Tim said, glancing up with a smile.

Natalia turned to Jason.

“The same, thank you.”

She nodded and walked off. Jason finally decided on a relatively inexpensive pasta dish and flipped the menu closed.

“What about you?” Tim asked. “Ever thought about any pets?”

Jason shrugged. “I’ve thought about it, but I’ve already got my hands pretty full, so I don’t think I could take care of anything else.”

Tim nodded and reached for the glass of water that magically appeared in front of him. Jason looked in front of his plate and found a glass waiting for him, too. He was definitely in over his head.

“Are the two of you ready to order?” Natalia asked, reappearing at the side of the table.

Tim looked to him and he nodded, reciting his order as he prepared for what he knew was going to be an unusual meal.

“Thanks for dinner,” Jason said as they hovered in the space between their two apartment doors.

“Thanks for letting me buy you dinner,” Tim shot back with a grin.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you around then?” Jason asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Tim said. “For sure.”

They both hesitated and Jason awkwardly raised his hand before stepping over to his door and unlocking it. Tim did they same and they slipped into their own apartments, shutting their doors behind them. Jason smiled and locked his door, leaning back against it for a moment.

Dinner with Tim hadn’t been bad after the initial awkwardness of the fancy restaurant. The food was amazing, and he was pleased with the portion sizes. And Tim had been great to talk to. Even though he only knew him because he was supposed to protect him from whatever might hurt him, he was someone Jason could imagine being friends with and sharing coffee every now and then.

He pushed off his door and started to undo the buttons of his shirt as he walked towards his bedroom. A spark of warmth lit up his palm and Jason looked down at where it was shining dimly.

“Shit,” he cursed.

He turned on his heel and rushed to his door, throwing it open. He darted next door to Tim’s apartment and pounded his fist against the door.

“Tim? Tim are you okay?” he called.

He was greeted with silence, but his palm burned again.

“Fuck.” He backed up a step and looked at the door. He raised his foot, lining it up next to the handle before he gave it a hard kick. The door flung open and slammed into the wall. He could hear the sounds of a struggle inside. He rushed inside and found Tim pinned against the floor, looking more than a little terrified and desperate.

There was a hooded figure crouched over him and had a pale hand wrapped around his throat. Its head tilted back, and Jason knew if he could see its eyes, it would be looking right at him.

“Let him go!”

The pitch of Tim’s gasps changed, and Jason could see him struggle to tilt his head back to get a look at him. The creature stood and used its grip on Tim’s neck to pull him to his feet. Tim’s hands wrapped around its arm and he struggled to try and free himself as he was lifted off his feet. The creature took a step back and Jason’s eyes widened.

The window behind it was blown through and Jason could almost tell it was going to make a run for it and take Tim along for the ride. A ride he probably wouldn’t come back from.

The line across his palm heated further, but Jason ignored it, rushing forward instead. The creature shifted, and Jason lunged, wrapping his arms around its stomach to knock it back. They slammed into the wall and he heard Tim gasp as the hand released his throat.

Jason didn’t even think, just followed the urge to protect that was running through him. The creature struggled against him, but Jason managed to get to his feet before it. He used his grip to slam it against the wall, the shocks wracking its body. Jason didn’t know if it felt pain or not. He didn’t much care when his only goal was to get it as far from Tim as he could.

He tightened his grip on it and spotted the shattered window. Without thinking, he used his weight to shove them both forward. The creature struggled again, and Jason’s leg caught on the wall, but he ignored it and the scratches that raked over his hand. He shoved the creature forward and it hissed as it hung halfway out the window.

Jason shoved at it again and it hissed as it tipped over the edge. Jason barely managed to grip the edge of the window when the creature struggled to hold onto his shirt and pull him with him. He grunted when a piece of broken glass sliced against his palm. He braced his legs against the wall and used his free hand to tug at the claw on his shirt. That, combined with the gravity pulling on the creature, caused its’ claws to dig into the shirt and rip the fabric enough that it was pulled free and plummeted to the ground.

Jason’s chest heaved as he struggled to draw in breath. He looked down at the drop and where the creature had landed against the pavement. He stared at it, not wanting to take his eyes away unless it decided to move or do something else that the monsters in horror movies always seemed to do.

“What the fuck?”

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Jason agreed, still staring at the figure below.

“No, I mean…who the fuck are you?”

“What?” Jason asked, looking over his shoulder at Tim who was watching him with wide eyes. He’d moved back, putting several feet of space between them.

“You knew I was in trouble. How the hell did you know I was in trouble?” Tim asked.

Jason’s brain froze. “Well, you see I-“

“The first time wasn’t an accident either, was it?” Tim asked, eyes not quite seeing him anymore. “You knew I was in trouble then, too. You weren’t just coming back to the apartment building or whatever the hell your excuse was.”

Jason sighed and finally pulled his hand away from the window frame, wincing at the injury on the palm of his hand. He cradled his wrist in his uninjured hand as blood ran across his palm.

“You’re right,” Jason said. “I didn’t show up by accident. I knew you were in trouble.”

“What the hell?!”

“We have a lot to talk about, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to get my hand cleaned up first.”

Tim stared at him and Jason almost thought he was going to do anything, but he pointed to the kitchen. “You go and have a seat and I’ll get the first aid kit.”

He disappeared into his apartment and Jason perched on one of the stools at the kitchen island. Tim returned and set the box on the counter, clambering onto the stool next to him.

“Get talking,” he said as he pulled out antiseptic and rolls of gauze and disinfecting wipes.

“You may find this hard to believe, but I was sent here to protect you.”

Tim raised an eyebrow but ripped open one of the wipes and started dabbing up the blood. Jason ignored the sting on his palm.

“I was brought back to life by someone and was told I could have another chance at life if I watched over you and took a blood oath to protect you. Because of the oath, I know when you’re in danger. That’s how I found you in the alley last week and rushed over here tonight even though I couldn’t hear anything in my apartment.”

“That’s the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard,” Tim muttered.

“I know you may not want to believe it’s true-“

“I don’t want to believe it,” Tim snapped. He unscrewed the lid on the antiseptic and quickly soaked a layer of gauze before slamming it back down on the table. “But after some freaky thing came and attacked me in my apartment, I’m more inclined to believe your crackpot story that you’re my personal savior or some shit.”

He pressed the gauze against his hand and made Jason hiss. Tim picked up the roll of gauze and started to wrap it around his hand to keep the pad in place.

“Is there anything else I should know about you?” he asked when he’d tied off the bandage.

“My name is actually Jason Todd,” he said with a crooked grin.

Tim rolled his eyes and started to pack up the first aid kit.

“I can’t believe this is actually real,” he finally mumbled.

“Trust me,” Jason said. “If I hadn’t lived through being brought back to life, I wouldn’t have believed it either.”

“So, what happens now?” Tim asked. “My window’s busted and there’s officially a bunch of freaky things after me if whatever that was is anything to go by.”

Jason shrugged. “Fix the window I guess. Go on with your life? I know what I have to do, but that doesn’t mean you have to be weighed down by that knowledge.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? That I have some weird, undead guardian angel? How am I supposed to go on like normal? There could be someone or something hiding behind every corner I turn or something else that’s ready to kill me. And just because you’ve been tasked with keeping me safe, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be there every time something happens. What if you’re too far away and you can’t get to me in time? What if I’m thrown out of a window or hit by a truck? What if something breaks into my house again and kills me in my sleep or in the shower?”

“If something breaks in, I’m right next door…” Jason started.

“But what if you can’t get inside?” Tim continued, voice getting desperate. “Christ, I didn’t even think about you busting my door open. Now, I’m going to need to get those locks replaced too and I’m sure the guys are going to want to make it more secure so that’s less of a chance that you could actually get in if you use your weird protective sense to come save me.”

“You could give me a key?” Jason hedged.

“God, this is such a shitshow,” Tim muttered, rubbing the palms of his hands against his eyes.

“Look,” Jason sighed. “I really don’t know what I can say to put you at ease. The only realistic solution you seem to be for is being locked up inside my apartment, so I can guard you every second of the day. But you can’t let yourself live in fear of what’s going to happen. You could easily die from something else as you could from one of those creatures, just like I could end up getting hit by a car the next time I step out on the sidewalk. There’s no guarantee so you shouldn’t spend so long worrying about something you don’t have that much control over.”

“Wait, that’s it,” Tim said, dropping his hands to his lap.

Jason let out a breath. “I’m glad to see you’re finally starting to get it.”

“No, shut up, that’s not what I meant,” he said. He looked up at Jason. “You’ll have better chances of guarding me if I’m in your apartment.”

“So, what?” Jason asked. “You want to move into my apartment? No offence, Tim, but I think that’s moving pretty fast wouldn’t you say?”

“My apartment’s already been broken into once which means they obviously know where I live. It probably wouldn’t be perfect, and I know your apartment is just next door, but it might throw off the next attacker if they don’t know where to find me right away.”

Jason shrugged. “Fine, but don’t expect me to give up my bed.”

Tim shook his head. “I’m fine with the couch.”

“Then you better get packing.”

Tim nodded. “I’ll be right back,” he said, sliding off the stool. He took a step and paused. “Actually, would you mind coming with me? I know it’s crazy and my room is literally right there, but it would make me feel better if you were closer.”

“Sure,” Jason said, following him. “It’s no big deal.”

He hadn’t given much thought as to what Tim’s bedroom would look like, but the messy bed and overflowing laundry basket was and wasn’t what he was expecting.

“I’ll have to come back and do laundry, but that can wait,” Tim muttered as he pulled a small duffle bag from the shelf of his closet. He tossed it onto his bed. “You can have a seat if you want. This shouldn’t take me too long, but you don’t need to stand around while I move around and grab stuff.”

Jason shrugged and plopped down on the bed. He watched as Tim filled his bag with some more casual clothes, absentmindedly stuffing dress pants and dress shirts inside. He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with his toiletries.

Jason was ready to get up when Tim had zipped his duffle shut, but he grabbed a backpack and pulled that open, throwing what looked like three different chargers inside before he shoved a laptop and phone inside.

“I think that should be it,” he said, turning in a circle to quickly check the space around him.

“If it’s not, you’re just going to be next door,” Jason said. “You’ve got everything for tonight?”

Tim nodded.

“Then let’s go,” Jason said, grabbing the straps of the duffle.

“You don’t need to do that,” Tim protested.

“It’s fine,” Jason said. “We’re just going next door anyway so it’s not a big deal.”

Tim sighed and slipped his arms through the straps of his backpack, following Jason out of his bedroom.

Jason stared up at the ceiling above his head. He’d fixed up the couch with a blanket and pillow to give Tim something to sleep on and he’d easily taken it, sitting down with his legs crossed as Jason changed into something more comfortable to sleep in.

When he’d walked out of the bathroom, he’d caught sight of Tim on the couch, knees pulled up to his chest as he chewed on his fingernail and stared at the window. He couldn’t blame him for being on edge. Jason was a little unnerved himself. The crazy supernatural creatures weren’t something he thought would be part of the bargain when he took his oath.

He sighed and closed his eyes, not feeling tired at all, but wishing he could finally rest. Something creaked and his eyes shot open. He sat up, nerves on high alert after the encounter a couple hours earlier.

A knock sounded on his door. “Jason?”

He let out his breath at the sound of Tim’s voice and threw off the blankets. He climbed out of the bed and pulled open the door to find Tim standing there with his head bowed. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Tim looked up at him. “I just…I feel too exposed out there by myself. Like the second I close my eyes, there’s going to be something else busting through the window to try and kill me.”

Jason sighed. “Would you like to stay in here instead? I know I said I wasn’t going to give up my bed, but I can easily take the couch.”

Tim shrugged and peered into the room, eyes immediately going to the window. “I don’t know if that’s exactly going to help. I think I’d still be worried that someone is going to come crashing through the window.”

Jason ran a hand through his hair, trying to come up with some sort of solution. He didn’t have a chair or recliner he could pull into the bedroom since his apartment was minimally decorated. And he couldn’t exactly offer to sit on the couch with Tim when they both needed the sleep.

“This might seem a bit weird,” he said, scratching his cheek. “But, I know we both need the sleep and I don’t have anything I can drag in here, so…would you be grossed out by the idea of sharing the bed?”

Tim bit his lip and shook his head. “No, I…I think that’s the only way I’m going to get some sleep and I don’t want you to be kept up because of me. Thanks.”

Jason nodded. “Go and grab your pillow. Do you have a specific side you like sleeping on?”

Tim shook his head. “I’m fine with either.”

Jason let him go and turned back to the bed. He pulled his pillow over onto the left side before rethinking the idea and moving it to the right side. If anything came through the window it would have to get through him first, meaning Tim would have a better chance of running. He could only hope that anything that came through the living room would be loud enough to wake one of them so they wouldn’t be caught unawares.

Tim shut the door behind him as he walked back inside and stiffly crawled into bed, curling on his side with his back to Jason.

“Night,” Jason whispered into the darkness.

Tim was quiet for a minute. “Night,” he murmured softly.

Jason closed his eyes, finally feeling himself start to drift off.

Jason groaned, squeezing his eyes shut tighter when he felt a hand pushing against his shoulder.

“Come on, Jason.”

His eyes flew open at the voice and he found Tim struggling against the arm that was draped over him.

“Sorry,” Jason said, pulling his arm back.

“It’s fine,” Tim sighed. “I just need to get up and use the bathroom.

“Right,” Jason said, rolling onto his back.

If he hadn’t woken up with an armful of Tim, he almost would’ve thought the night before had been a dream, but it looked to be anything but and now he had someone else to handle. Jason sighed and threw off the blankets, climbing out of the bed. The least he could do would be to make breakfast or coffee.

He run a hand through his hair and shuffled down the hall to the kitchen. He grabbed the small container of coffee grounds and measure them into his coffee maker, setting it up to brew when he heard the toilet flush.

“Jason?” Tim called.

“I’m in here. Are you hungry for breakfast?” he asked as he heard Tim’s feet move across the floor.

“Yeah, whatever you have is fine.”

“I’m making coffee, too. How do you take yours?”

“With a little milk and sugar. I can fix it myself.”

“Okay,” Jason said. He pulled out a carton of eggs and a frying pan. “Eggs and toast good?”

“Yup,” Tim said.

Jason cracked an egg into the pan as the coffee pot started to grumble, signaling it was done brewing. Jason reached over to it even as he tried to pay attention to the egg in the pan.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” Tim said, stepping around him. He shut of the coffee maker. “Where are your mugs and the sugar?”

“Mugs are in the cabinet to the left of the sink and sugar is in the cabinet next to the fridge.

Tim nodded, pulling down two mugs for them and filling them most of the way full. He grabbed the sugar and milk and spooned what he wanted into his own cup. Jason paused his cooking to prep his own mug and took a sip.

He briefly thought that their situation felt too domestic for two strangers that just started living together.

The weekend passed with no problems, but by the time Monday morning rolled around, Tim was pacing around the apartment and refused breakfast and coffee.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” Jason asked.

Tim paused and fidgeted. “It’s just that…”

“Are you nervous about going to work?”

Tim bit his lip and nodded. “The weekend was fine since you were with me the whole time and there weren’t anymore incidents, but when I’m alone on my walk to the office and during the day…”

“I can walk with you to work,” Jason offered.

“Really?” Tim asked. “You wouldn’t mind?”

Jason shrugged. “It’s part of my contract and better that I’m with you in case anything happens since we can’t exactly predict when an attack is going to happen.”

Tim nodded. “Thanks. I usually get done at 4:30 in the afternoon. It’s not too far.”

“Okay,” Jason said. He shoved his feet into a pair of ratty sneakers and grabbed his keys and phone. “You ready?”

Tim nodded, and Jason pulled the apartment door open. Tim walked out ahead of him and waited while Jason locked the door behind them. Jason shoved his hands into his pockets as they made their way down the stairs.

Jason kept his eyes on the people around them as they walked down the sidewalk. He glanced into the alleyways and kept between Tim and the road in case any wayward cars came towards them. He stared at the people on the street who gave them a curious look. He belatedly realized they must look like a mismatched pair since he was in ratty jeans and a tee shirt and Tim was dressed in nice suit pants and a dress shirt. But when the other pedestrians took notice of Jason watching them, they ducked their heads and hurried away.

“Well here we are,” Tim sighed.

Jason startled, gaze pulled from his vigil of the people and buildings around them. He looked up at the building and back down the street behind him towards where he could see the row their apartment building was part of.

“Wow it really isn’t that far,” he said.

“Nope. That’s why I picked that apartment to live in,” Tim said.

“Right,” Jason said. He cleared his throat. “Well, have a good day at work, I guess. I’ll pick you up this afternoon. Is there anything you want for dinner?”

Tim shrugged and took a step back towards the door. “Whatever you make I’m sure will be fine. I’m not a picky eater.”

Jason nodded, and Tim turned and pushed through the door to the building. Jason watched his back through the glass doors before he pulled his gaze away and started back down the street. He wasn’t sure how he was going to pass his day, but he would figure something out.

“Are you okay?” Jason asked as soon as Tim walked through the double doors of his office building. He looked uneasy, cutting glances around him.

“Yeah, I just…got to thinking during the day, might’ve gotten a little paranoid actually, but I got to thinking that if I notice something before you would be…informed I guess about my safety, that I don’t have any way to contact you. So, if I was on the run or suspicious of something…”

“I can give you my phone number,” Jason offered.

“Really?” Tim asked, glancing up at him and sounding more than a little relieved.

Jason nodded. “Sure.”

“Thanks,” Tim sighed.

“Are you sure you’re okay, though?” Jason asked.

“Yeah,” Tim said. “Let’s just get back.”

Tim stuck close to him as they walked down the sidewalk. Jason watched the people around them and saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He wrapped an arm around Tim’s shoulders and yanked him against his side as a child ran past them, laughing with his friends.

“Sorry,” Jason said, relaxing his hold.

Tim caught his hand as he started to move it. “No, it’s okay. Makes me feel better that you’re watching.”

Jason cleared his throat. “Right,” he said and moved forward again. Tim stuck close to his side, stepping closer as they passed the alley where Jason had first saved him so many nights ago. Jason tightened his hold and pulled out his keys as they started up the steps.

He struggled to flip through them with one hand and Tim took them, sliding the right key into the lock and pushing the door open. They both relaxed when it shut behind them.

“Thanks for walking me back,” Tim said as they hit the stairs.

“No problem,” Jason said. “I can get started on dinner if you want to take a shower,” he said as Tim unlocked the apartment door.

“Yeah, thanks.”

They broke off awkwardly, going in different directions as he finally pulled his arm from Tim’s shoulders. Jason scratched the back of his head as he stared at the cabinets and countertops. He heard the bathroom door close and the water turn on. He sighed and started pulling random ingredients from the fridge until he started getting an idea of what he could make.

He kept an ear on the rest of the apartment and for when the showerhead turned off while he focused on the rhythm of chopping bell peppers and onions. He left them in a small pile on the side of his cutting board and grabbed an egg and the soy sauce from the fridge.

He placed a pan on the stovetop and poured a small bit of oil into it to heat. The shower turned off and he grabbed a bowl, glancing over his shoulder as he heard the door open. Tim’s back was to him as he walked down the hallway, clad only in a towel that was wrapped around his waist.

Jason shook himself and cracked the egg into a bowl, whisking it with a fork as he waited. He dumped the bell peppers and onion in the oil to heat up and focused on cooking. He heard Tim’s footsteps behind him.

“Smells good,” he said.

Jason nodded. “Fried rice, hope you like it.”

Tim hummed. “If you’ve got your phone handy I can give you my number.”

He pulled it out of his back pocket and held it out, not looking at where Tim was. Slim fingers brushed against his palm as Tim took the phone and Jason swallowed. He dumped the rice into the pan, making it sizzle, and continued to cook.

“You don’t even have this locked?” Tim asked.

Jason shrugged. “As far as I know, there isn’t much valuable information on that thing that people are going to want to be after. And if it gets stolen, I can just buy a new one.”

“Oh,” Tim said. There was a moment of silence. “There, all done.”

“Cool,” Jason said. He mixed the rice one last time, checking to make sure all the egg was cooked. He turned off the heat and lifted the pan, dividing it between two bowls. He turned with the bowls and walked over to the table where Tim was already sitting. He passed one to Tim, taking the seat next to him as they began to eat.

Tim: Hey, this might be a little weird, but are you free for lunch?

Jason stared down at the text, feeling slightly bewildered. He was standing in the middle of his apartment and had walked Tim to work a couple hours ago. He typed out a message, hoping to get some sort of clarification when he got a response.

Jason: Yeah, did you need something?

Tim: I wanted to know if you wanted to go out. I can pay, but there’s this great restaurant nearby that you might like.

Jason relaxed and moved over to his couch, taking a seat as he propped his feet up on the coffee table.

Jason: Is it fancy?

Tim: No, I’m actually going to be overdressed.

Jason smiled.

Jason: I could pull out the fanciest thing I own and we could look out of place together

Tim: Haha, but plenty of business guys go there so they’re going to be used to the suit.

Jason: Doesn’t mean we couldn’t have some fun with it anyway. When should I pick you up?

Tim: I usually take my lunch at noon.

Jason: Sure, I’ll see you then.

Jason locked his phone--actually locked it since Tim had convinced him to create a password--and left it on the arm of the couch. He bit the end of his thumbnail even as his lips pulled into a grin. He reached forward and grabbed the book he’d left on the coffee table, flipping open to where he’d left off.

His eyes kept trailing from the page over to where his phone sat silent next to him.

“Hey.”

Jason looked down from where he was staring at the sky above him to find Tim had come up next to him.

“Hey,” he said, pushing off the side of the building. “After you.”

Tim smiled and stepped past him.

“So how was work this morning?” Jason asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. His eyes swiveled past the people around them, keeping track of any out of place movement.

“Oh, you know, not too exciting. Just had to take care of a few business things, phone calls…”

Jason’s eyes widened when a spark of pain flashed across his palm. He looked up in time to see a car swerve towards the sidewalk. He reached for Tim, wrapping his arms around his waist to jerk him back the way they’d come.

“Jason!” Tim protested. “What are you-“

The car screeched across the sidewalk where they’d just been, ramming into the side of the building. Jason tripped and twisted his body, holding Tim against his chest as he slammed into the sidewalk, bricks and dust falling down around them.

Someone screamed. Jason stared up at the sky, trying to catch his breath and find his equilibrium again.

“Jason? Jason!”

Tim wiggled in his grasp, his face coming into view.

“Are you okay?” he asked, cradling his face.

Jason nodded, sitting up abruptly. “Tim are you-“ He clutched his head when a wave of dizziness washed over him.

“Careful,” Tim said, grasping his shoulders and laying him back down. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, you got me out of the way in time.”

Jason nodded. “You sure you’re okay?”

Tim’s expression softened, and he nodded.

A siren sounded as cop cars pulled up, an ambulance slowing down behind them. The cops rushed to the car and the paramedics came over to Jason and Tim.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Tim said when they tried to care for him. “He fell back on the sidewalk,” he said, pointing to Jason.

Jason crushed the urge to shove the paramedics away as they crowded around him. He kept his eyes on Tim who watched him from his spot a few feet away. A police officer approached Tim and began to question him. Tim crossed his arms and answered his questions as Jason suffered through the medical team’s questions.

They helped him sit up and he felt decidedly less dizzy than the first time he’d tried to get up. He sipped at a cup of water they handed to him.

“Sir, we’re going to need to take you to the hospital to take an MRI of your head,” one of the responders said.

“What? Why?” Jason asked.

“We think you might have hit your head in the fall and want to make sure everything is okay and there’s no swelling or other injury we aren’t able to detect.”

Jason’s gaze went to Tim who was watching him.

The man holding one of Jason’s arms cleared his throat. “Your um…your partner can come as well.”

Jason looked at him and back at Tim. “If that’s not a problem,” he said.

“Not at all,” he said, helping Jason up into the back of the ambulance. He turned and waved Tim over, holding out a hand to help him step up.

Tim sat down next to Jason, hands clutched tightly in his lap. Jason glanced down at them and saw them shaking slightly. One of the paramedics climbed into the back with them while the other got in the front of the ambulance. Jason reached over and placed his hands over Tim’s. He laced their fingers together and gave his hand a squeeze.

Tim squeezed back, holding onto his hand tightly. Jason glanced at him and found his head was bowed, his shoulders finally losing some of their tension. He smiled and when he looked up he saw the other paramedic smiling at them before looking away.

Jason was impatient when he was brought back for his MRI. Every second he had to spend away from Tim left him anxious and worried that some hospital accident was going to happen. He was almost waiting for his palm to light up with fire to let him know he needed to jump from the room and race to where he’d left him.

But nothing came, and Jason was let out without a problem and with instructions to rest easy because of the fall. He nodded, hardly hearing what they told him when he caught sight of Tim’s hunched form in the waiting room. His head was bowed, and his hands were clasped tightly in his lap, exactly the same as when he’d sat in the ambulance at his side.

Jason hurried over to him and he looked up, standing from his chair.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Jason nodded. “Yeah. No problems or complications.”

“Do you have a follow up scheduled or anything else?”

Jason shook his head. “Just to rest easy, which I think we could both use tonight after what happened.”

Tim nodded. Jason threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him against his side for a hug. Tim turned into the hug and wrapped his arms around Jason’s waist, squeezing him tightly.

“Let’s catch a cab and get home,” Jason murmured.

Tim nodded.

They walked out of the waiting room and found a couple of cabs waiting at the curb. They climbed into the first one, Jason rattled off the address and they pulled away from the hospital.

Tim stayed pressed against his side during the ride and Jason gazed out the windows, checking for a sign of any threat, but he hoped that one was enough for the day and they wouldn’t have anymore close encounters. He didn’t want to visit the hospital again so soon. Especially if it would start raising questions.

The drive was quick and Jason passed the cash to the driver for their fare before climbing out of the car with Tim right behind him. They climbed the steps to the building without saying a word. Tim unlocked the door while Jason kept close behind him, eyes darting to the side.

They sighed when they were safely behind the door of Jason’s apartment.

“So, I’m not really feeling up to cooking tonight,” Jason started. “Are you good with pizza?”

Tim gave a relieved nod. “Please. The more normal we can get, the better.”

“Any preferences?” Jason asked, kicking his shoes off in the entry.

Tim shook his head. “Whatever you want. I’m going to take a shower.”

Jason nodded and watched him go. He pulled out his phone and dialed the pizzeria down the street, placing an order for their dinner. He heard the bathroom door close and the water turn on and he shuffled past for the bedroom.

He shoved his jeans down around his ankles and stepped out of them, grabbing a pair of sweatpants to pull on in their place. He dropped his jeans in the hamper and walked back to the living room. He sorted through the DVDs on his shelves, looking for something to watch and settled on some sort of sci-fi film. He set it on the coffee table for later.

He walked into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. He pulled out two cans of soda and carried them into the living room. While he waited, he grabbed a pair of plates for when the pizza came.

The water in the bathroom shut off and Tim walked out in a towel. Jason stared at his back, leaning over the arm of the couch until Tim disappeared in the room. Jason shook himself and sat back against the cushion, blinking at the space in front of him. He swallowed and nearly jumped when the buzzer rang.

He hurried from the couch and pressed the buzzer. He grabbed his wallet and pulled out a few bills, rolling them in his hands as he waited for the knock on his door.

“Pizza here?” Tim asked behind him.

Jason nodded. “Yeah, just waiting for-“

A knock interrupted him.

“That,” he said and pulled open the door to find a pizza man standing there.

“Delivery for Jason Todd,” he said in a bored monotone.

“Yup,” Jason said.

He pulled out the two pizza boxes and passed them over as Jason gave him the bills. He counted them before nodding.

“Thanks,” he said and turned away.

“See ya,” Jason said, letting the door fall shut. “I picked out a movie if you want to watch it,” he said, setting the pizzas on the coffee table and gesturing to the case.

Tim picked it up as he retrieved the plates from the kitchen. “Sure,” Tim said, opening the case with a snap. He passed Jason the disc and took his seat on the couch while Jason put it in the player and grabbed the remote. He sat down next to Tim and turned on the tv, bringing up the loading screen.

Tim took a bite of pizza and opened his can of soda, taking a long sip. Jason loaded his plate with two slices and leaned back, bracing his feet against the edge of the table. He hit play on the remote and the screen faded to black before sound filled the spaces around them.

Jason felt relaxed, like the stress of the day was finally seeping out of him. He was glad to be home. He felt safe now that he was back inside his four walls. He felt Tim was safe now that they were back inside his apartment. He looked over at Tim who was watched the screen.

Jason scooted over a little bit and pressed their arms together. Tim glanced at him before leaning against his side, drawing his legs up next to him on the couch as he continued to eat his pizza.

The days following the accident were rough. Tim stayed close to Jason on the walk to and from his work and hadn’t offered to go out to lunch again. Jason always walked between Tim and the road, wanting to keep that barrier in case anything happened.

A car whizzed by and Tim jumped, grabbing his hand and squeezing tightly. Jason gripped his hand back.

“Sorry,” Tim muttered.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Jason said. “It’s understandable after what happened.” He looked down at Tim and gave him a smile. Tim tried to return it, but it was more than a little strained.

Jason pulled his hand from Tim’s and threw and arm around his shoulders, pressing him against his side. Tim’s arm settled around his waist and they continued down the sidewalk like that. A few people gave them curious looks, but Jason stared them down until they flushed and looked away.

Keeping Tim safe from supernatural creatures and weird accidents was one thing, but he wasn’t going to let him be ridiculed by idiots who had no business questioning how Tim lived his life.

“You gonna be okay?” Jason asked when they reached the front of his building.

“Yeah,” Tim said, looking up at the building in front of them. “As long as everything goes on as normal,” he added with a weak smile.

Jason pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him tight. Tim hugged him back, grip tight.

“I’ll be back to pick you up this afternoon,” he mumbled into Tim’s hair. “No lunch dates,” he said when they separated.

Tim chuckled, shoulders relaxing as he smiled up at Jason, warmth sparkling in his eyes. “You got it. No more lunch dates for me.”

He turned and pushed through the double doors. Jason watched him before the glare of the glass obscured his vision. He sighed and turned on his heel, heading back to his apartment. He hoped Tim would be able to relax a little bit during the day, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to.

It was starting to feel strange to be apart from Tim. Almost like as soon as he was out of sight, something bad was bound to happen. Jason’s stomach tightened. He wanted to go back to the night after the near accident when they were sitting pressed together on the couch with pizza. They’d both been relaxed and even though Tim was shaken by everything that happened, they were together. They were safe.

Jason was starting to think he’d taken on more than he bargained for when he agreed to take the blood oath. This wasn’t just about protecting some nobody anymore. This was about protecting Tim.

Tim grinned as soon as he walked out of his building and he found Jason waiting for him. He hurried over and sagged against him. Jason wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smiled.

“Rough day?” he asked.

“You have no idea,” Tim said. “But it was all normal and there weren’t any weird threats hanging around. I’m ready to get home with you and do nothing for the rest of the night.”

Jason chuckled and pulled him down the street. His stomach fluttered at Tim calling his apartment home and tried to tell himself Tim didn’t mean it like that, but he was still talking about his apartment.

“Well I hope you’re hungry because I’m making tacos for dinner.”

Tim hummed. “Can I help?”

“Really?” Jason asked with a grin.

Tim chuckled and smiled back. “Yeah! If you don’t mind.”

“You’re not a disaster in the kitchen, are you?” he asked.

Tim hummed. “Maybe a little bit. But if you tell me what to do, I swear I won’t burn anything.”

“You’re not inspiring too much confidence in me,” Jason said as he pulled out his keys. They pushed through the front door of their building and headed up the stairs.

Tim smiled. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“If you break anything, you’re paying for it.”

Tim scoffed. “Why me? You’re the one who practically has an unlimited supply of money.”

“That’s not what I said,” Jason said, pushing Tim through the door to their apartment. “I said that I had money to spend within reason. That doesn’t include having to renovate an entire apartment if you set something on fire.”

“I’m not going to set anything on fire!” Tim protested.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason said, pushing him towards the bedroom. “Go get changed and then you can come help me.”

He grinned as he walked into the kitchen. He picked up the remote to the stereo and hit play, upbeat instrumental filling the apartment. Jason pulled the ground beef from the fridge. He hummed as he placed the skillet on the stove and poured some oil inside.

“What is this?” Tim asked behind him as Jason pulled the plastic off the beef and dumped it into the pan.

“What’s what?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

“The music,” Tim asked, looking up at him as he started to break apart the ground beef.

He shrugged. “I thought we could liven things up a bit.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. “What can I do to help?”

“Here,” Jason said. He placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder and directed him to stand where he was in front of the stove. “Break up the ground beef and stir it to get it to brown. I’m going to get the spices we need for it.”

“Roger,” Tim said, taking the spoon from his fingers.

Jason grinned and squeezed his shoulder. He pulled open the cabinet doors, keeping an eye on Tim out of the corner of his eye to make sure Tim was cooking the meat properly. He pulled down three different spice jars and set them on the counter. He dug in the fridge, pulling out an onion, shredded lettuce, cheese, tortillas, and an avocado.

He leaned over to look at the pan before he started cutting veggies. “That’s looking good. See if you can turn those pieces over that are still red on top.”

Tim tried to follow his instructions, the meat slipping off the spoon. He stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated on cooking. Jason watched him with a smile. Tim grinned when he got the meat turned over and Jason cleared his throat, quickly cutting the onion into small chunks.

When he was finished with the onion, he sliced the avocado into thin strips they could use to put on their tacos, too. Maybe some other time he’d make guacamole for them.

“Here, let me see,” Jason said, taking the spoon from Tim’s fingers. He stirred the meat around and nodded. “Looks, good. We can add the spices now.”

Jason filled a small cup with water and set it to the side. He popped the caps on his different spices and started shaking them into the pan. After picking what he wanted, he poured some of the water into the pan. It sizzled loudly, and Jason stirred the beef, making sure to mix the spices around so they covered all the pieces. He added a little more water to even it out.

“Go ahead and keep stirring until some of that water evaporates and then we can eat,” he said, giving the spoon back to Tim. He moved around Tim, resting a hand on his lower back as he reached for another skillet.

He set it on the stove and let it heat up as he ripped open the package of tortillas, pulling out two. He let his hand hover over the skillet and nodded when he felt the heat rise from it. He set one of the tortillas on it to crisp.

“Is this good?” Tim asked.

Jason looked over his shoulder. “Yup. Go ahead and turn the heat off. The first tortilla’s done so if you grab a plate from that cabinet you can start making your taco.”

Tim held out a plate to him and Jason dumped the crispy tortilla onto it. He set the next one to brown and grabbed a second plate while Tim spooned meat onto his. Jason watched him toss cheese and lettuce onto it before adding a little onion and two slices of avocado.

He rolled it up to look like a burrito and Jason watched as he took a bite while still standing at the counter. He looked at Jason with wide eyes.

“Well?” Jason asked, grinning.

“This is delicious!”

Jason pulled his tortilla from the skillet and set it on his plate. He started prepping his own food. “I guess we’ll have to make tacos more often then,” he said, rolling his taco up like Tim had.

“Uh, yeah!” Tim said.

Jason chuckled, biting into his taco as they stood around his kitchen eating.

Tim finished his taco before he did. “You want to show me how to do this?” he asked, pulling a new tortilla from the bag.

Jason brushed his hands against each other to wipe off any lingering crumbs. “Gladly,” he said, stepping up next to Tim to watch him work. And if he placed a hand on his lower back for no reason other than his own comfort, then that was no one’s business except his own.

Jason stared at the ceiling above him. It was dark and the clock in the corner of the room proclaimed it was three in the morning. Tim was curled into his side, long asleep. Jason swallowed. The warmth of Tim against him was almost addictive. He didn’t know if it was because it was Tim or because he’d felt so cold for so long, even before he’d died.

He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, sliding his arm gently around Tim’s back so it curled around him. He bit his lip as Tim shifted closer to him in his sleep, fingers curling into his shirt. He relaxed when Tim didn’t wake up, almost feeling like he was sinking straight through the mattress.

Jason smiled, thinking he might be able to get some sleep after all.

The window in the living room shattered and Jason shot up in bed, forcing Tim off his chest.

He groaned. “Jason? What’re you doing?”

“Stay here,” he said, vaulting from the bed to rush through the doorway.

Something--Jason wasn’t sure what--long, scaly, and dark green stood inside the window. Strips of fabric hung from its form and it raised a hand towards Jason.

“Give it to me,” he hissed.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re looking for, but you’re not getting anything from me,” he growled, raising his fists.

“You fool!” it exclaimed, sucking in a ragged breath. “None of this will stop unless you surrender it or death comes.”

“How about we take the third option?” he asked. Jason grabbed one of the heavier books on the table and threw it at the creature. It caught it in its hand and whipped it back at Jason. Jason barely managed to duck before it slammed into the wall behind him with a deafening crack. Bits of plaster fell over his head.

“Jason?!” Tim called, voice rising in pitch.

The creature looked towards the door at Tim’s voice. Jason grit his teeth as the thing started moving towards them. Jason pulled the bedroom door shut behind him and rushed at the creature. He didn’t know what he was going to do, maybe he was hoping to tackle it or take it to the floor, but before anything could happen, an arm swept out and flung him to the side.

He crashed into the kitchen table, the legs snapping and crumbling under his weight. He groaned and watched as the creature approached the bedroom door, wrapping its long fingers around the knob.

Jason looked behind him, frantic for some sort of weapon. He spotted the knife block and grabbed the biggest blade he had. He rushed back towards the creature that was pushing open the door.

“Jason?!” Tim shouted from inside.

Jason rushed forward, pushing his legs to move as quickly as possible as the creature started to turn towards him. It wasn’t fast enough to fully turn and Jason managed to sink the knife into its shoulder. It shrieked and hissed, slamming back against the wall and forcing Jason to the floor. It writhed, trying to reach for the handle to pull it out.

Jason jumped up, wincing when one of the claws caught his arms and drew a long, but shallow, gash. He forced his shoulder against the creature’s back and pushed him up against the wall, twisting the blade of the knife as silver liquid started to come from the wound.

Jason grunted as it continued to squirm and buck. He shoved the blade in deeper, the screams becoming louder and louder. He sucked in a breath, trying to tighten his grip on the now slick blade. He pulled the blade free only far enough to get enough momentum to slash it back down, this time through the creature’s neck and into the wall.

The screech it let out was deafening and Jason staggered back, covering his ears from the sound. More silver liquid flooded from the wound, covering the neck and the fabric its body was swathed in.

The screech died before the movements did and Jason staggered backwards against the opposite wall as he watched its movements slow before it stilled. He wrapped his arm over the cut on his arm that was bleeding freely and fought to straighten. He stepped through the door to the bedroom and found Tim pressed back into the corner of the room.

He sagged when he saw Jason and rushed forward, taking Jason’s injured arm in his.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he murmured.

Jason nodded tiredly and let himself be led from the room. Tim sucked in a breath at the creature and Jason pushed him along. Tim grabbed the first aid kid from the bathroom and they sat on the couch.

“Are you okay?” Jason asked as Tim focused on cleaning the blood from the wound.

“I think I should be asking you that,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry.”

Tim paused, glancing up at him before he poured the saline solution on a cotton pad and pressed it over the cut.

“What are you sorry for?” he asked, wrapping gauze around Jason’s forearm.

“That you saw that I guess.”

Tim shrugged, shoulders stiff. “It’s not something you could’ve controlled.”

“I know, but still…I’m sorry.”

“Okay,” Tim whispered, tying off the ends of the gauze. “Can we go back to bed now?”

Jason nodded. “As soon as I change and take care of-oh.”

He looked over and found the body had disintegrated into a pile of ash on the floor, the knife still sticking out of the wall.

“I’ll sweep it up and you change,” Tim said, tossing everything back in the first aid kit.

Jason nodded and walked back to the bedroom, stepping over the ashes to avoid spreading them. He heard the sound of a broom as he changed, and he carried his dirty clothes into the hallway, determined to throw them in the trash.

“Here,” Tim said, holding open a plastic bag that held the creature’s ashes. Jason tossed his clothes inside and Tim tied off the bag. He walked over to the broken window and tossed it out, letting it fall to the alley below.

Jason groaned and retrieved a pair of garbage bags and some duct tape. They were just big enough to cover the window. “I’ll call and get that fixed tomorrow.”

Tim nodded and grabbed his uninjured arm, pulling him back to the bedroom. He locked the door behind them and they crawled into bed. Tim curled against him and Jason wrapped his arms around Tim’s form, holding him tightly against his chest as he buried his face in his clean shirt.

Neither of them were able to sleep for the rest of the night.

Tim blearily stumbled into the kitchen. He’d managed to shower and get dressed in his suit for work. Jason had just thrown on some jeans and a loose tee. He was busy making coffee when Tim sagged against him.

“Is it done yet?” he mumbled into his back.

“Just need to pour it in a cup,” he said, reaching into the cabinet above his head. He pulled down two cups and filled both almost to the brim. “Okay,” he said, reaching behind him to pull Tim against his side so he was standing and could take one of the mugs.

Tim leaned against his shoulder and sipped at his coffee. Jason did the same, neither of them having enough energy to move over to the table.

Tim finished his coffee and moved to refill his mug again when Jason stopped him. He pouted up at him.

“You can’t stand here all morning and drink coffee,” he said, taking the mug from Tim’s fingers. “Let me at least give you a travel mug so I can walk you to work.”

Tim grinned, leaning more heavily against him. “God, I love you.”

Jason bit his lip, feeling something twinge in his chest. He grabbed the travel mug at the back of the cabinet and screwed off the lid, filling it with almost the rest of the pot. He put the lid on tightly, so Tim could avoid spilling it all over himself and passed it back. He poured the rest of the pot into his mug which only filled it halfway.

He chugged the rest of it and slammed his mug down. “Ready to go?” he asked, feeling a little more awake now that the coffee was in his stomach and he knew energy would be dumping into his blood soon enough.

“Yeah,” Tim sighed, taking a sip from his mug.

Jason shoved his feet into a pair of ratty sneakers and held the door for Tim who walked through. Tim was still a little wobbly on his feet and Jason threw an arm around his shoulders to keep him steady.

The sun was shining outside, and a light breeze ruffled their hair as they walked. It looked like it was going to be a peaceful day, a stark contrast to what had happened to them the night before.

“I wish the world could stay like this all the time,” Tim sighed, taking a sip of his coffee.

Jason tightened his hold. “I’ll try to keep it that way for you, okay?”

Tim looked up at him and smiled. “Okay.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Jason reluctantly pulled his arm from around Tim’s shoulders, not wanting to let him go. And it wasn’t because of the chance he could be attacked at work.

“See you in the afternoon?” Tim asked.

Jason smiled. “Of course! I’ll be out here waiting for you and hopefully by the time you get back, the window’s going to be fixed.”

Tim smiled. “I hope so. I don’t really want to have a breeze blowing through the apartment.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll get all fixed,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Tim stepped towards the door, pausing to look over his shoulder at Jason. He ducked his head and pushed through the door, disappearing inside.

Jason sighed, staring at his reflection in the window before he turned on his heel and headed back towards the apartment. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number of the landlord, intent on giving Tim what he’d promised.

Jason stifled a yawn as he sat on the couch. The repairmen were scheduled to come up later that afternoon and would hopefully be done by the time he got back with Tim. He reached for his phone to check the time and it started ringing in his hand.

He frowned when he saw it was Tim calling him and answered it. Tim’s voice flooded through the speaker before he could say ‘hello.’

“Jason!” Tim screamed.

Jason’s blood ran cold. He could hear the sounds of crashes and breaking glass in the background. He jumped to his feet, already rushing towards the door.

“Tim, what is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, shoving his feet into his sneakers.

“There’s a creature. Huge, I don’t even know,” he said, voice shaky and scared. “It got inside and it’s rampaging the office.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, throwing the door open and sprinting for the stairs. “Can you get away from it?”

“I’m trying,” Tim said. His breaths were tight and short, and Jason was worried he might be on the verge of a panic attack.

“Where are you?” Jason asked, hitting the pavement. He could hear screams and people running towards him to get away from the disaster zone. Part of the Tim’s building had blasted outward, a gaping hole in the side of the structure.

“I’m in the stairwell,” he answered. “I’m trying to get to the ground floor. Jason…”

“It’s going to be okay,” Jason said. “I’m almost there. I’m going to get you and save you. How close are you to the bottom floor?”

“I…I just passed the fifth floor.”

“Good,” Jason said. “Keep going. You can make it, Tim. You’re going to be okay.”

“Okay,” Tim whimpered.

Jason’s throat tightened. A flash of white hot warmth seared across his palm. It wasn’t painful, but it was more noticeable than past instances which worried him. Whatever he was going to face was going to be big.

Another wave of glass shattered out of the building and Jason pushed himself faster, willing his legs to fly. For a fleeting moment, he wished the supernatural shit extended to him and he could grow wings and fly to Tim.

“I’m almost to the bottom,” Tim said, coming through the line again.

“Good, good,” Jason said. “I’m less than a block away. As soon as you get out, I want you to sprint out the doors toward the apartment. Put as much space between you and this creature as you can.”

“Okay,” he said, sounding uncertain.

Several more people rushed past Jason and he kept glancing at the double doors, willing Tim to burst through them.

“I’m in the lobby,” Tim said.

“Okay, okay,” Jason said.

Several agonizing moments passed before the doors opened and Tim came rushing out. Jason felt a moment of relief despite the horrific setting around them. Jason shoved his phone into his pocket and reached for Tim as he jumped towards him.

Jason caught him in his arms and buried his face in his hair.

The sound of metal crunching broke their moment and Jason looked up, finding a large monster crawling down the side of the building.

“Go, go, go,” Jason said, pushing Tim behind him back down the sidewalk.

The creature jumped down to the sidewalk, making the earth shake underneath their feet. Jason stumbled as Tim tried to pull him along. It roared, sounding like a mixture between a bear and a bird. It was smaller than Jason would’ve thought, but still the size of a tank and closing fast.

Jason looked around frantically for a weapon. Finding nothing, he wrapped an arm around Tim and sprinted to the side out of the path of the rampaging creature. It hurried past, unable to slow down fast enough because of its mass.

“Stay in here,” Jason said, tucking Tim into the alley and out of sight. He heard another roar behind him and searched for something to use. He grabbed the lid of a metal trash can. “See if you can find something better,” he told Tim.

“O-okay,” he said.

Jason turned and sprinted out of the alley. The creature turned towards him, roaring in his direction. Jason swallowed, holding the lid in front of him. Its tail whipped to the side, slamming into one of the buildings. The floor above its tail crumbled as brick fell to the sidewalk.

He let out a shaky breath at the sight and the sheer power radiating from the creature. He ran forward and gripped the edges of the lid, slamming it across the face of the monster. Its head swung to the side before it refocused and turned back to Jason, letting out a roar. It surged forward, aiming to bite off Jason’s head, but he held up the lid, lodging it in between its jaws.

One of its teeth caught on Jason’s arm and cut deeply. Jason hissed and reared back, clutching at the bleeding wound. The creature wagged its head back and forth, fighting to dislodge the lid between its jaws.

Sirens sounded behind Jason.

“I need a weapon,” he hissed.

“Jason!”

He turned to the side and watched as Tim threw a bent and mangled golf club towards him. He sighed and caught it in his hand. It was better than nothing. He raised the golf club over his head, ignoring the stinging from the wound in his arm and brought it down on the head of the creature.

The first blow landed on its open snout. The second landed on its eye. A pained roar echoed from deep in its throat. It reared back, front legs coming up off the ground before it slammed back down, causing tremors under Jason’s feet.

Jason stumbled back, eyes dropping to the ground as he fought to keep his balance. Something slammed into his side, sending him reeling as the breath left him in a rush. He grunted as his back hit the side of a building and he collapsed to the ground.

“Fuck,” he hissed, pain radiating through his body as he fought to sit up. He saw cop cars turn the corner of the street where Tim’s office building was. They covered the lanes as the cops scrambled to get out of their cruisers and ready their weapons. The creature took no notice of them, keeping its gaze on Jason.

Jason tightened his grip on the golf club and struggled to his feet. His side throbbed and Jason figured he’d probably have to go to the hospital after this. The creature’s jaws crunched down and it spat the crumpled metal lid from its jaw.

It roared at Jason and he lifted his golf club--that was slightly more bent now--and rushed forward. He evaded the snapping jaws and brought the club down on its eye again, causing it to swell and bleed as it roared. Its head swung to the side, catching Jason on the side and throwing him down the street.

Jason rolled harshly against the pavement, the club wrenched painfully from his hands.

“Jason!”

Jason’s ears rang, muffling Tim’s scream, but it still came through. He heard the creature roar again and the sound of multiple guns firing.

Jason grunted and got his hands underneath him. He pushed up on the ground and managed to stagger to his feet. He caught sight of Tim peeking out of the alley, watching him with worried and concerned eyes. The creature had turned towards him and Jason fought to wave his hand and signal him to get back.

The creature started forward.

“No!” Jason shouted. A surge of adrenaline moved through his veins and he hurried forward, ignoring the unbearable pain he was in. He grabbed the golf club and rushed forward, getting in between Tim and the creature. He swung the club, striking the creature on the nose.

It raised a hand and swiped at Jason, flinging him to the side. He screamed as something in his body broke and he landed heavily on his back. The wind was knocked out of him, his mouth moving as he fought to try and suck in a breath of air.

Jason looked to the side and found the creature bearing down on Tim as he back further into the alley. Jason groaned, and rolled over, screaming as he rolled onto his broken arm. He pushed himself up with his good arm and grabbed the golf club, limping towards the creature. He wacked it on the side.

“Leave him alone you fucker!” he screamed.

“Civilian, step out of the way!” someone called over a loudspeaker behind him.

The creature turned towards him and roared in his face, spit flying over Jason, but he didn’t let up.

“I won’t let you hurt him!” Jason screamed, punctuating it with a deliberate hit.

The creature turned towards him, each foot falling heavily into the asphalt. He roared again. Jason expected another claw to swipe out at him and didn’t notice as its tail whipped around and slammed into him, sending him flying into one of the brick buildings.

Jason coughed, blood dribbling from his lips. He watched through bleary eyes as a loud whistling sounded in the air. Something, a missile maybe, hit the side of the creature and it reared back down the street, turning to face the new threat.

Another missile launched and hit the side of the creature in a ball of flames. The creature screamed and writhed and started to retreat as the armed force chased after it.

“Jason? Jason!”

Tim’s voice came to him slowly as his face filled his vision.

“Tim…you’re safe,” he said, coughing up more blood.

“Shh, shh,” he said, pulling Jason into his arms as he groaned. “It’s going to be okay, you’re going to be okay.”

Jason watched as Tim’s eyes filled with tears. He raised a bloody hand to his cheek, feeling his strength draining. He knew this was the end. This was what he’d been given an extra life for and now it was done. His only regret was that now he had something he wanted to live for.

“This is the end for me, Tim.”

Tim shook his head. “No! No, don’t say that! You’re supposed to live. You’re supposed to be fine. You were going to get the window fixed and we were going to stay safe in your apartment.” Tim choked on a sob and Jason offered him a bloody smile.

“I’m sorry, Tim. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay around longer. I love you, Tim. I’m sorry, but I love you.”

“No, no,” Tim said. “Don’t fucking apologize. Don’t-“ he cut himself off and ducked his head to press a kiss to Jason’s lips.

Jason kissed back weakly before he stilled, his hand falling from Tim’s cheek, leaving a streak of blood behind.

Tim pulled back as the tears spilled over. He shook Jason’s limp body in his arms. “No, Jason! You can’t do this! You can’t leave me. You can’t just say that and leave, you bastard!” he screamed. He choked on a sob as a swarm of people surrounded him. Paramedics pulled Jason from his arms and another pair started to check him for any injuries but their questions fell on deaf ears.

Tim couldn’t take his eyes off Jason’s form even though he knew he wasn’t coming back.

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