=Bugosphere=

Good news, we can finally be bees,

this isn't your world but we can be bees

You can be a bee

You'll live like a bee

Good news, we can finally be bees,

this isn't your world but we can be bees

Sure, he wasn't in his right mind during the Tower incident, not entirely, but he was in his right mind when he was planning it. The Pit could only take over for so long.

So maybe, when things start to get better between him and the bats, he takes up a case with Robin.

It's an easy case, but he's still impressed by how quickly Robin solves it.

Maybe Tim smiles when he solves the case and Jason ruffles his hair and tells him he did a good job--because god, Tim's just a kid; how could he not?

And maybe Tim keeps coming back after that.

Maybe Tim keeps solving all of Red Hood's cases before Jason can. Maybe Tim keeps taking over for Jason and maybe Jason starts to feel less guilty and more pissed off because he knows that he never fully thought things through as Robin and he knows that Bruce took on Tim as Robin because he did. He knows Tim is the smart Robin, but Tim has neither the right nor reason to rub it in his face, so maybe he snaps at Tim--tells him to get the fuck out of sight, tells him that he might not be the smartest person in the room but he's not some fucking idiot, tells him that he knows what he's doing and he doesn't need some fucking kid just going around solving his cases for him. Maybe, Jason tells Tim that he's not needed.

And maybe the guilt comes back when Tim leaves with tears in his eyes.

But, Jason thinks, all the guilt in the world isn't enough to override the anger and let Tim back in, not after he called Jason an idiot with everything but his words.

And then, maybe Jason is working a case and it expands past his territory and he finds himself in the cave, working with Batman. Maybe neither of them can solve it and Tim walks in, excitedly talking to Dick about something. (Jason isn't listening too closely.)

Maybe Bruce calls Tim over and Jason flinches--he didn't remember Bruce ever being that harsh when he was Robin.

Maybe Tim solves the case and Bruce turns back to Jason and starts planning their next step without so much as a thank you.

Maybe it's odd, to Jason, how Bruce and Tim don't act like a Batman and Robin to each other, and that thought sticks with him, bugging him whenever he has a quiet moment, so maybe a week or two passes before he asks Dick about it.

Maybe Dick's smile is sad when he explains how they've always been like that. Tim, always striving for attention, Bruce never giving it. Maybe Bruce's standards rose above what was physically possible in the wake of Jason's death and maybe Dick sobs himself to sleep every once in a while because that hasn't stopped tim from trying.

Maybe Tim was okay for a bit whenever Dick was in town because he could help Dick on cases and Dick would smile and applaud every little thing he did, but Dick lived in a different city, so Tim couldn't help as much with Dick's cases as he could with Bruce's.

Maybe, Dick says something under his breath--a passing comment about how surprised he is that Tim didn't come to Jason and try to solve all his cases just for a kind word or two, hoping that maybe the Red Hood's love of kids and their happiness would extend to him.

Maybe Jason feels his stomach drop as the final piece of the puzzle clicks in place--how at first, Tim came with cases every so often, smiled and leaned in whenever Jason said a kind word to him, and how, when Jason started thinking that Tim was doing this to spite Jason was when he stopped giving that praise to Tim, which had the boy solving more and more cases for him, working harder and harder without being asked just so that maybe--maybe Jason would tell him he did a good job. Jason wondered just how far Tim would go if someone promised him a smile.

Maybe the guilt is too much for him and he pushed it down, only saying, "I don't think he'd risk it--not after the Tower."

Maybe Dick has something sad in his eyes when he says, "He's done more for less."

Maybe Jason tries again to bring Tim into his cases, but Tim refuses, promises not to intrude, promises he learned his lesson, and maybe Jason cries because Tim has never asked for an apology after Titan's Tower, but one hint that he's overstepped and Tim begs forgiveness.

Maybe Jason focuses a little too much on how to bring Tim closer--make him feel loved again and make it clear that Jason just didn't understand what Tim that Tim was trying to help--make sure Tim knew he was welcome.

But maybe Tim refused.

And maybe, Jason got so focused on Tim that he stopped focusing on patrol and got over his head. Maybe, just on pure happenstance, Tim was nearby that night and he couldn't let anything happen to his Robin.

Maybe Tim swooped in to save the day and Jason grabbed onto his wrist when he tried to leave.

Maybe Tim apologized but Jason just pulled him in and hugged him--a full hug, one arm around Tim's back, the other, tucking Tim's head into his chest, and maybe Jason said, "Thank you so much, Robin. I needed you to save me."

Maybe Tim cried when it happened. Maybe, under his mask, Jason was crying as well. Maybe, they got closer after that, Jason, needing to be trusted to care for something and Tim just needing to be cared for.

And it takes time, but maybe there comes a day when Jason looks Tim in the eye and tells him that he's important and valuable and incredibly loved regardless of whether or not he's needed. Maybe it take a few years before Tim believes him, and when he does, he hugs Jason and cries into his arms, but it's okay because Jason knew it would happen sooner or later, and it's okay, it's okay, he has tissues.

Maybe Jason apologizes for what happened at the Tower and Tim admits that he forgave him for that a while ago.

Maybe.

Maybe.

Imagine a situation where they are at a gala and there is an attack. They are all more than trained and accustomed to reacting not as heroes, but as civilians.

But, idk, think about Dick having a broken rib from an incident the night before where there was a complication in the raid. He's fine despite that, a little drugged with painkillers during the gala, but all in all, fine.

Bruce is not.

Bruce is the one who is most accustomed to these attacks, he is the one who best knows what to do and how to help without losing his facade of a clumsy rich boy in front of the cameras... But he has in mind that his son is hurt.

And he doesn't even think when he lifts Dick, who although not as big as him or Jason, is still a relatively tall adult man and a muscle mass that definitely does not make him light... And he picks him up as if he were as light as when he was still an eight-year-old boy, and carries him away from the commotion.

All of his children are between shocked, upset that if they did that they would be scolded to the point of exhaustion about appearances, and holding a fit of laughter; especially since the panic on Bruce's face was so genuine over something so simple, and because Dick couldn't even react and just stood there like a cat.

Like Bruce passes the kitchen on the way up to his room and at first he thinks it's Tim or perhaps Dick came over at some point, but then something in his tired brain clicks and he's like "Wait.." And then rushes back to the kitchen doorway.

Lo and behold, there is his son, his precious baby boy he thought was gone forever, tears start to build in his eyes as he gazes at the child he watched die in his arms, his little boy looks so different but he's still that boy from all those years ago, Bruce can tell, a father can always tell. And as mascara runs down Bruce's face, Jason opens his mouth to speak, the first words Bruce will hear from his son in years..

He had a plan. A vengeful plan. Full of plot twists and venom and pain (for him, for Bruce, for Dick, for the Joker, for everyone goddammit!). But after Talia set him up in Gotham he just... Felt tired. After gallivanting all around the world, training, doing missions for the LoA, learning, saving the world... Suddenly, he had no more energy. No motivation. No anger. No pain. No joy. No nothing. Not even green.

He spent his first two weeks back in Gotham lying on a dirty mattress on the floor of a run down warehouse, wasting away, before Talia called him. Because of course she knew he was just rotting on the floor, she was probably spying on him. She tried asking him many things, about the place he was staying at, his plans for revenge, if he wanted to take over the underworld... eventually, when he didn't have anything at all, she told him of her plan to bring Damian to Gotham. To Bruce. She told him his little brother missed him and that he should get out of bed in order to meet him as he deserved.

(There is little Talia al Ghul wouldn't do for her sons. If she can't convince Jason to live for himself, she is not above using emotional manipulation. She'd do anything to keep her son from passive suicide. Whatever he wants to live for, it doesn't matter, as long as he chooses to live. Vengeance, duty, love. Who cares. As long as he keeps on going. Purpose will come later, he just needs time... She is sure of it.)

And after that call... Jason. Felt. Tired.

But.

He also felt hungry. He had no more rations here, not even water. And he had no money, or maybe he did, he doesn't remember. Surely he must, Talia wouldn't have left him without money. But he doesn't feel like looking for it, and honestly, this place sucks and he kinda felt like having the imported cereal Dick likes (he's been thinking a lot about Dick... about brothers) but Bludhaven is so far...

That's how he ends up in the Manor. He is rummaging through the fridge, looking for milk, when he hears someone coming into the kitchen. It's Bruce. His Dad. And Jason is still so tired. But his dad looks kind of funny, standing there just gaping like a fish, tears and snot and mascara tracks, and Jason doesn't know what to say so he says the first thing he was thinking, which was...

"You're out of milk"

"What?"

"Is Alfred sick? Why are you out of milk?"

"... Jaylad?"

"You didn't fire Alfie, did you Dad? Is he sick?"

"Alfred is not sick, chum. There was a gas attack, he couldn't go grocery shopping."

"Ah. You're out of Dickie's cereal too... I kinda had a craving."

"... Dick surely has some in his apartment. I'll tell him to bring you some right now."

"Tell him to bring milk too. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have gone to Blud directly."

"Jay?"

"Yes, Dad?"

"Are you really here?"

"Yeah, Dad. I'm really here"

"Ok... Can I-can I have a hug?"

"I'm mad at you right now though" Bruce's hands are trembling, he is gently swaying in place, as if he would lose his balance any moment. That's funny. Batman, losing his balance. Being anything short of perfect. Jason is tired. His Dad looks seconds away from wailing on the kitchen floor, and Jason is tired.

"Well, ok. Sure. Let's hug." Hands reach for him almost immediately, and they don't hold him tenderly. The fingers dig into his muscles deep, the arms constrict him, hold him in place. He feels... Safe.

"What happened, son? How are you back? Since when? Why now? Why here?"

"I'm tired." Jason gently rests his head on his father's shoulder. He let's himself be hugged more than doing the hugging, but he is tired. He really is. And the story is too long and too painful and he has said it many times, and there are many gaps in his memory...

Soon, Alfred will find them in the kitchen. He will call Dick, who will come running. He won't have the milk nor cereal with him, but he will have an octopus hug and a shit ton of kisses and sorrys and I love yous and pleaseberealdontbeahallucinationohgodplease's. And then Tim will arrive, surprised, and Jason will feel something again (fear, pain, betrayal, hatred, sympathy, FEAR). And he will scream and cry and rage, and then, when the song of madness tinted in green reaches its peak, the doorbell will ring, and Damian al Ghul Wayne will be there. He will regard everyone with a level of disdain and introduce himself as The Blood Son and Ibn Al Xu'ffasch, and while everyone has a conniption (scared of Damian's implications and Jason's emotions), Jason will take one look at Damian and deflate. Because Damian is looking at him with pride and certainty, because in his mind Jason is there for him. Of course his older brother will be home to meet him. And Jason will feel a different brand new sort of tired.

A healing sort of tired.

But he will smile to his little brother, and welcome him home. He is already here, after all, and sure nothing is even remotely alright, and he is still hungry AND tired, but... Dick is still holding onto his hand, and Bruce keeps looking at him as if making sure he is still there, and Alfred is smiling with tears in his eyes and even Tim is looking at him with awe... And Damian is here right now, safe, away from Ra's... (And once Jason reaches the Lazarus pit part of his story, and the fact that Talia hid not only Damian but Jason as well comes up... Well, Damian doesn't take insults to his mother lightly, and neither does Jason, so it's better to have a united front).