we are a powder keg

“You going to let him know where you are?” She drawled, stretching out further on his bed and Dick just grinned at her. “One day he’s going to get his revenge for all the shit you’ve put him through over the years.”

Shrugging a shoulder, Dick turned and leaned against the dresser as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been saying that for ten years and yet here we are.” She gave him a knowing look before a clatter sounded outside his door and it flew open. Looking away from Donna, Dick took in a redhead that was not his redhead crowding his doorway. “Hi,” he said slowly, looking over the guy ladened down with bags.

“Hey,” the guy said as he stepped in and dropped all his stuff on the unoccupied bed. “I’m Roy.”

Dick glanced over at Donna, who shrugged before standing from the bed. “I’m Dick. Is there something I can help you with?” As far as he knew he wasn’t supposed to have a roommate. Though, that had been true as of a week ago when the school had given him his dorm assignment. They had said there was a chance it might change, but they’d let him know.

“I got a few more bags down on the curb if you wanna help?” Dick just stared at the guy. The more silence that passed between them, the stormier the man looked. Dick was still waiting for him to explain what exactly he was doing in the room, but nothing came. Exchanging a look with Donna, Dick went to ask but Roy beat him to it. “What the fuck is your problem?”

“There you are!” A jubilant voice shouted from the doorway. Dick didn’t bother looking over at Wally and just held up his hands to pacify Roy.

“Nothing, man. I just wasn’t aware that I had a roommate,” he explained, hoping that the man wasn’t about to start their semester off with hating him. Roy kept his eyes narrowed on Dick for a moment before slowly, ever so slowly, his expression turned back into one that was more neutral. “I’ll help you with those bags,” he offered, hoping to pacify the situation further. “Oh,” he glanced at his two friends, “this is Donna and Wally, by the way. Don’t mind him-” he tried to warn Roy before Wally threw his arms around Roy and gave the other redhead a tight hug. “He has no idea what boundaries are,” Dick said flatly, giving Wally a stare that told him to stop.

Donna chuckled and held out a hand to Roy, which he shook with a small smile, before she grabbed the collar of Wally’s shirt. “We’ll see you down at the café in an hour, Dick. I’m sure this idiot has neglected to meet his own roommate. And Tim said he wanted to have lunch with you after you got unpacked. I’ll call him.” Wally let out a loud squawk in complaint as Donna practically manhandled Wally out of the room and left him and Roy alone in their door. “One hour,” Donna’s head popped back it with narrowed eyes on Dick. “Bring Roy,” she smiled at the man again before vanishing for good.

“Sorry about that,” Dick shrugged. “Wally is basically harmless, and Donna is…” he pressed his lips together and tried to think of a good way to put it but came up short. There was no real way to describe his best friend since childhood. She had been a force to be reckoned with when they were toddlers and she only got worse when they hit puberty. He pitied the person who tried to go toe-to-toe with her.

“She’s a snake in the grass?”

“I’d never say that to her face. She’ll think you’re flirting with her,” Dick laughed, and Roy raised a brow. “She’s not the girl next door. She has made grown men cry and I pity the person who thinks they might be able to tame her.” Dick knew he wasn’t doing the woman justice, but it was better to scare of any guys who might think she’s fair game. Or that they might have a chance. He’d seen it too many times. “Plus, men are just tools to get her what she wants.”

“I have a girlfriend.”

Dick raised his brows and nodded. “Cool,” he said, gesturing to the door so they could get the bags Roy had said were still down on the curb. But he stopped short when he went to follow and found Roy had stopped in the doorway.

“Thanks man!” Roy’s voice had turned from the suspicious neutral tone to something much more friendly and warm, causing Dick to take a step back and try to figure out what the hell had just happened. He sounded like a completely different person, and he needed to know who it was that could elicit such a change. Pushing up on his toes, Dick tried to see the person on the other side of Roy, but his new roommate was large enough to block the majority of the doorway. So he waited for Roy to turn, bags in hand and come back into the room.

Then Dick saw him.

Dark curls with a streak of white front and center, sat in a mop on top sun kissed and freckled skin that held turquoise eyes and full lips that had pulled into a friendly smile for Roy. A strong neck gave way to a wide set of shoulders, a broad chest, and slim waist. But that was nothing when compared to the thick thighs incased in a pair of joggers, short circuiting Dick’s brain completely. His mind immediately filled with images of himself seated on those thighs, arms wrapped around the man’s shoulders, sweat trickling down both their backs, moans breathed into each other’s mouths.

“Oh,” the man’s deep baritone said, gaze finally catching on Dick standing there like an idiot.

“Hi,” Dick breathed, unable to articulate anything more.

“Seriously?” Roy’s voice broke through Dick’s haze, and he glanced over at the man who now looked annoyed, but also amused. “You’re a dick chaser with a name like Dick?”

Dick’s mouth opened and he blinked, glancing at the newcomer briefly. “I don’t actually discriminate,” he admitted. The man let out a snort and Dick looked over at him in time to see his eyes working its way back up his body. Dick tried not to preen under the appreciative gaze. He knew he was a good-looking man. He had a very extensive workout routine that toned and sculpted him in all the best ways.

“Whatever, Jay likes dick anyway,” Roy waved a hand at his friend. Jay, apparently. “Jason this is Dick, my roommate. Dick, this is Jason, my idiot best friend.” Holding a hand out, Dick tried not to react when the warm palm slid into his and gripped his hand tightly in a firm shake. He tried to force his mind to push out what that hand would feel like squeezing other parts of him. And the flush on Jason’s cheeks told him he was likely having the same thoughts.

Dick cleared his throat and pulled his hand out of Jason’s grip, walking over to his bed and dropping down on top of it. “So where are you two from?” He asked curiously.

“I’m from Star City,” Roy said as he opened his bags on his own bed and began shoving things into drawers. “Jay’s from Gotham.” Dick raised a brow at that revelation. “Let me guess, you’re born and bred LA?”

Dick opened his mouth to speak but Jason cut him off. “Don’t be a jackass, Roy,” the man said. Dick could hear the Gotham accent bleed through, a street accent and it made Dick want to listen to him for hours.

“Actually, I didn’t have a home city until about four years ago when my brother and I did actually settle here in LA,” Dick offered, shoulder shrugging. He didn’t bother getting into why that was, mostly because he hated talking about the loss of his parents, but he also didn’t want these virtual strangers to pity him.

“Orphan?” Jason’s voice broke through his thoughts. Dick looked him, something familiar in his eyes. With a silent nod, Dick answered him. “Yeah, me too. Not as recent, but when I was eight.” Dick wasn’t really sure what to say to that, not wanting Jason to think he felt sorry for the other man. Mostly because he hated it when people felt sorry for him because of what happened to his parents, but also because he didn’t enjoy kinship in this situation. He didn’t want to connect to a man he was so obviously attracted to because of their tragic pasts.

“Most orphans aren’t as lucky as Jay though,” Roy broke into the conversation. “He was adopted by the all-powerful Bruce Wayne.” Eying Roy, Dick tried to figure out if the man was pulling his leg or not. With a flick of his eyes, he looked back to Jason who just shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Enough about Jay though. I want to know how you didn’t have a home city growing up?”

Heaving a sigh, Dick readied himself for an onslaught of questions. “My parents, brother, and I were part of a traveling circus act. Trapeze artist,” he explained. “We traveled with Haly’s Circus until an…accident,” he said, trying to make it clear he didn’t want to talk about that, “and then Tim and I went through all the legal hoops to get him custody of me and settled here in LA.”

“Wait,” Jason took a step toward him and squinted at the posted Dick had framed and already hanging above his bed. “You used to come to Gotham. Bruce took Damian and I to see the circus a few times. I remember you all. The Flying Graysons,” he gestured to the poster. Dick just nodded. “I was twelve the last time I saw you but you four were amazing. You were supposed to come back a few years later but…” Something seemed to click in Jason’s memory and Dick steeled himself for the revelation. “Damn.”

There was silence and Dick didn’t bother saying anything.

“Damn what?” Roy looked between the two of them before settling on Jason. “What?”

But Jason just shook his head and looked at Roy. “Nothing, man. Let’s go get some food, I’m starved. You want to come, Dick?”

“I’m actually supposed to meet my brother and friends. They invited Roy to come along if you want to join us instead?” Dick offered as his phone let out a trill, alerting him to a text that was likely from Donna or Tim. “They’re at the café just down the block.” He looked at Jason and Roy, who exchanged some kind of silent conversation before Jason looked back to Dick and smiled.

“Yeah, man. That’d be great.”

Dick looked at his phone, typed out a quick reply to Tim saying he was on his way and that he had two people coming with him, before jumping up from his bed.

~**~

Dick put his feet up on the dashboard of Tim’s car as Jason drove them down the highway toward San Diego where they were spending the long weekend on the beach with Donna, Wally, and Roy. He knew his brother would throw a fit if he saw Dick’s feet up there, but since Tim wasn’t there Dick did it.

“Get your feet off the dash,” Jason scolded, sending him a narrow eyed look. Dick just laughed and let his feet drop. “So disrespectful. I don’t know Tim very well, but you can’t convince me he’d allow that.”

“There’d be vague threats about cutting off my feet at the ankles,” Dick smiled brightly at Jason before turning his eyes out the widow next o him. “I can’t believe you convinced him to let you drive this car. It went into storage when my parents adopted him and he left it there until two years ago when Connor begged to fix it up. Now he rarely lets anyone drive it.”

“I can’t believe he had a classic Ferrari stored away. This is a thing of beauty and should be worshiped.”

Dick rolled his eyes.

“I will forever worship your brother for allowing me to drive it.”

“You’re a dork, you know that right? It’s a car.”

Jason snorted. “And that is why he has never allowed you to drive it. You don’t have any appreciation for this machine. You put your goddamn feet on the dash.”

“Actually,” Dick smirked, “I’m not allowed because I don’t have a driver’s license.” Jason jerked, eyes wide glancing at him as he tried to keep his focus on the road at the same time. “What? I don’t have a car and I don’t plan on getting one. It’s better for the environment when people take public transport.”

The car was quiet except for the music coming through the surprisingly modern radio that Conner had put in. Dick knew people judged him for not knowing how to drive, but he honestly didn’t see the need for it. He didn’t have a car, so what would the purpose of it be?

“You never wanted to just hop in a car and get away from everything?”

Dick thought about the idea and shrugged. “I think that our lives have been very similar but very different. I’ve never had the pressures you must have with who your dad is. For me, getting away from Tim would be devastating. He’s who I go to when I need to get away from things. He’s my best friend.”

“Don’t tell Wally that.”

“Wally thinks he’s second fiddle to Donna and she’s not dense enough to believe she comes before my brother.” Jason nodded. “Is Damian not your best friend aside from Roy?”

Jason was quiet and Dick watched his profile while he drove, wondering what was going through his head right then. The thoughts he was sorting before he answered Dick. He was so beautiful when he was thoughtful. How many times had he caught himself staring at the man over the past two months, wondering what was going on in his brain? How many times had he just come to an absolute halt of thought by his smile? Dick couldn’t say. All he knew was that he wanted to stare at him all the time. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of it.

Now if only he could figure out if Jason felt the same way.

“Damian and I have a complicated relationship. Not a bad one,” he quickly explained. “It’s just not what you and Tim have. We didn’t have to solely depend on each other the way you two did. And he left for college right when I was being adopted. It put a bit of a cloud over our heads, I guess you could say.” Dick frowned. He couldn’t image not being close to Tim. Even before their parents had died, Tim had been his best friend. “I love my brother and I always will, but we are very different.”

Dick kept his eyes on Jason’s profile as he tossed the words around in his head. He considered the small glimpses he had gotten from Roy and Jason in regard to Damian Wayne. He thought about what Google had shown him when he had looked up the entire Wayne family one night, weeks ago, curiosity getting the better of him. Damian was said to be a very stoic person, focused and driven, but not particularly friendly. The press knew he was serious and very good at business, but terrible with the public. He wondered if that was the reason Jason seemed to be much better with people than what the press said about Damian. Had Bruce Wayne made it a point to groom Jason to be better for PR?

“Fuck,” Jason muttered, eyes narrowing at the road. Dick sat up straight and looked forward to see what had caught Jason’s attention as he felt the car slow down to a stop. Brake lights. Frowning, Dick pulled out his phone and checked maps to see what was going on. “What does it say?”

“Nothing good,” Dick sighed. Dialing Donna, he put the phone on speaker.

“What’s up Dickie? You two almost here?”

“No, we’re about twenty miles out and the road is closed. We don’t even have a detour road.”

“I’m pulling up the map now.” There was a pause and Dick moved around the map to see the closest side road or anything that would get them to the Air BnB they had rented. Nothing. All that was showing up between here and the off ramp they should be taking was a hotel. “Fuck. The reports are saying they won’t reopen until tomorrow. Something damaged the road itself.”

Dick looked at Jason who was already looking at him. The man shrugged, brows raised as if to as ‘what do we do?’ and Dick shook his head.

“Looks like you’re not far from a hotel. I’ll call them and get you a room. You guys can come out when they reopen the road tomorrow.”

“But now I’m gonna miss Wally’s BBQ,” Dick whined, dropping his head back onto the headrest of the car. “He only does it on special occasions,” he explained to Jason when he made a questioning sound. “It’s better than sex.” He smirked when Jason choked on his own spit.

“Jesus Dick,” Donna laughed. “Don’t kill your driver.”

Dick just snickered and looked out at the road.

“Looks like they’re turning around the cars not willing to just park it for the night,” Jason changed the subject back to the situation at hand. Dick just smiled. “Put it under my name, Donna. I’ll have Dick send you a picture of my card to put it down on.”

“Daddy Wayne’s money comes in handy, huh?” Jason laughed and Dick watched him lean to the side to pull out his wallet from his back pocket. Taking the offered object, Dick opened it up and stared.

“You have like seven cards in here. Which one?”

“The black one,” Jason huffed, looking a bit uncomfortable. It wasn’t until Dick’s fingers touched the cool metal of the card that he understood. But instead of making it worse, Dick simply pulled it out and sent the pictures off to Donna.

He looked at Jason, not surprised to find him watching Dick warily, as he handed the wallet back. Dick just gave him a small smile without saying anything. Jason’s gaze turned grateful and Dick felt that warm feeling in his chest bloom even more.

“I’ll get it booked and let you know. Drive safe.”

“Thanks Donna,” Jason called out.

“Yeah, thanks Wonder Girl.”

“Behave, Boy Wonder.” Dick’s eyes rolled as he ended the call and leaned back, looking back over to Jason.

“What?”

“Why do you two call each other that?” Pursing his lips, Dick tried to think of when they first called each other by those terms of endearment but he was struggling to come up with a date. Or general time. “Do you not remember?”

“I don’t,” Dick admitted. “I’ve known Donna since before my parents died. Her aunt, Diana, knew my mom from childhood. So when she came to live with Diana, Donna and I naturally got to know each other. Each year, when the circus came through their town, we would stay with them. I don’t remember the first time she called me Boy Wonder, but she was first. I do remember that.”

“And Wally? You both call him Kid Flash.”

Dick snorted. “Because he used to shovel his food in faster than the speed of light.” Dick remembered the first time Donna had introduced him to the skinny redhead. He had immediately liked Wally. And when Donna had told him about the kid’s homelife, Dick had liked him even more. If he could still be carefree and happy with a dad like that, then he was all right in Dick’s books.

“You and your friends are weird.”

“They’re your friends now too, buddy.”

Jason huffed, “Don’t remind me.” Dick just laughed.

~**~

By the time they finally made it to the hotel, Dick had polished off their road snacks and was complaining that this place better have food. Jason found himself agreeing, although a lot less vocally, as they pulled into the parking lot and sighed. The sun was just starting to set over the ocean they could see in the distance and Jason was tired. Who knew sitting in traffic could be exhausting.

The pair of them grabbed their bags and headed inside so Jason could get them checked in. Dick was his usual friendly self with the staff, chatting as Jason handed over his card and signed the papers needed. He watched the man with a bit of awe on how he could be so good with people. Jason knew he had skills with the public, knew how to be social and impress people, but Dick was on a whole other level. He walked into a room and the charm he bled into the air around him attracted all kinds of attention.

Some of that attention good. Some of it questionable. Like the look the desk agent was giving him as Dick prattled on about Wally’s BBQ, of all things. The woman looked like she would strip down right then and there if he asked.

Fuck’s sake.

“Are we good?” Jason asked, voice gruff and annoyed. He couldn’t watch this anymore. Dick turned wide eyes on him and Jason felt a little bad for sounding like he was in a terrible mood. He wasn’t, he just didn’t like having to watch this woman drool over the man he wanted. The man he had wanted since he saw him standing in Roy’s room on move in day.

“Oh, yes! Here are your keys,” the woman said sweetly, handing them to Dick and ignoring Jason. “If you need anything at all, please call down. My name is Callie.” Dick smiled, thanked her, and took the keys before turning to Jason.

The moment they had turned to head to the elevator, Dick wrapped his arm around Jason’s and moved in as close as possible. “Get me away from her, for the love of god,” Dick whispered, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief. It was an act.

“I’ll save you, Boy Wonder,” Jason said quietly, tilting his head down to Dick’s. He could see Callie watching them out of the corner of his eye and was satisfied to find her scowling. So to drive the point home that Dick was not interested, Jason pulled his arm free from Dick’s and wrapped it around the other man’s shoulders instead. He tensed for just a moment when Dick responded by wrapping his arm around Jason’s waist and slipping his hand into the back pocket of his jeans, fingers pressing in a delicious pressure.

They stood like that, waiting for the elevator, and Jason couldn’t help but think about how much he wished the fabric separating Dick’s hand from his ass was gone.

He shook that thought out of his mind the moment the elevator dinged, and they stepped on. He sent a smirk to the still scowling Callie as he pressed the button to take them to their floor.

“You’re incorrigible,” Dick laughed when the door shut and they moved to put some space between them. Jason leaned against the wall of the elevator, watching Dick look out the glass window to the unmarred view of the ocean beyond the hotel grounds. “It’s so beautiful. I hope we get this view.” Jason glanced out the window and had to agree. The sun turning the sky orange and pink over the sparkling water was quite breathtaking. But it wasn’t as breathtaking as seeing Dick bathed in that same light.

“You’re beautiful,” Jason felt the words slip from his mouth before he had the chance to contain them. He wasn’t sure what made him say it, but the look on Dick’s face told him it was the right thing to say. Golden cheeks flushed prettily, and Jason wanted to reach out and touch them, see if they were as warm as they looked.

He wanted to kiss Dick Grayson. He had never wanted anything more.

“Jay…”

Dick gave him that smile, the small soft one that Jason had only ever seen in private when he had said or done something just for Dick, and Jason knew he was a goner. Forever. There was no way that anyone else in the entire world could make him feel this way. So completely and utterly lost in them. Jason wanted to lose himself to this man.

The ding of their floor arrival jolted both of them and Jason blinked, turning to the opening doors. He smiled at the elderly couple waiting to get one and stood aside so Dick could exit first, following him immediately. He walked closely behind Dick as he headed for their room at the end of the hallway. Stood as close as he could manage as Dick unlocked the door and pushed it open. Smiled down at Dick when he looked over his shoulder before stepping into the room that was probably costing Bruce a pretty penny, given the size and luxury.

The door clicked shut behind him and Jason let his eyes scan the room.

“Oh,” Dick said softly. Jason looked over at him and paused, noticing what had caught his attention. “Guess we’re sharing tonight.”

Jason felt his entire body light up.

He didn’t care about anything else right then. He dropped his bag to the floor and closed the distance between them, throwing all caution to the wind as he cradled Dick’s face in his hands and finally gave into his desire to kiss him.

Nothing had ever felt as right as this moment. He had planned to find the chance to tell Dick how he felt at some point this weekend, knowing he would chicken out if they were back on campus, and this had seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Dick’s quiet moan and hands gripping Jason’s shirt told him all he needed to know about whether it was the right choice. Their bodies slotted together more perfectly than anything Jason had ever experienced. He had kissed his fair share of boys over the years, but none of them felt like this. None of them made him feel like his core had become molten lava and would burn him from the inside out. None of them had fit so perfectly against him that it just stroked his desire even more.

Without bothering to question himself, Jason walked Dick backward to the waiting bed. He bent, keeping their lips and tongues moving together as Dick fell into a seated position on the bed. Jason’s hand moved from Dick’s face to press into the plush mattress on either side of Dick’s hips, slipping between his legs as they opened for him.

His mind raced with all the things he wanted to do in that very moment and was just about to reach for Dick’s shirt when the annoying sound of Dick’s phone ringing filled the space. Jason pulled back, considering telling Dick to ignore it, but he knew that ringtone.

“Hey Don,” Dick said breathlessly, making Jason smile slow and wicked. Instead of moving away, Jason slid his lips down Dick’s cheek and latched onto the skin of his neck. He took pride in the sharp gasp Dick let out when his teeth sunk into the skin he had just been sucking on. “What? Sorry Don, I…” Dick panted as Jason pushed him back into the mattress and slipped his hands under his tank top. “I gotta go. No, I-fuck,” he moaned when Jason pinched a nipple to try and get him to end the call.

“Get it, Boy Wonder,” Jason heard Donna’s laughing voice over the line as the hand holding Dick’s phone dropped to the bed and he released it to grab at the comforter. “He likes tongue!” Came one last shout before the line dropped and Jason just pushed the phone off the bed.

“Tongue, huh?” Jason muttered against Dick’s throat. He let his run down to the exposed collar bone, nipping at the bone before pulling back just enough to push Dick’s shirt up the rest of the way, whipping it over his head and tossing it somewhere behind him. Jason’s eyes were immediately drawn to the way Dick’s chest expanded and compressed with each panting breath. Skin dusted in gold and the occasional freckle and mole. It made his mouth water with the desire to claim every inch of skin. He wanted to leave marks all over Dick, so no one would ever look at him and think they stood a chance. “Dick, fuck. I’ve wanted this since I first saw you. But I need to make sure this isn’t just a fuck. I want you. All of you.”

Dick’s sapphire eyes opened, and he held Jason’s gaze, eyes speaking volumes. But it wasn’t enough, Jason needed to hear it. He needed Dick to say it. “I want all of you. This is…it isn’t just a fuck.” Dick pushed up on his elbows and Jason’s gaze slipped to his full lips for a moment before looking back to those eyes that drew him in like a moth to the flame. “I want you to fuck me, let me make that clear. I want that. But I want this too,” he spoke quietly, lifting a hand to press it right over Jason’s pounding heart.

And Jason felt his heart rate increase at the gentle press of Dick’s hand.

“You have it,” Jason whispered, covering Dick’s hand with his own.

~**~

“Hey just a heads up, my brother…he’s,” Jason sighed and pulled Dick to a stop to try and think of the right way to describe Damian. He knew his brother was a lot to handle for a lot of people, but Jason also knew Dick wasn’t exactly most people. He seemed to have a natural talent for making people fall in love with him. Maybe not the same way Jason had fallen, but in their own ways they always fell. He wasn’t sure if Damian would be the same story, he never fell for anyone, but if anyone could do it Dick was the one. “He’s just a little old fashioned and stuffy, I guess. He’s kind of like the opposite of Tim.”

Dick’s head tilted to the side in a motion that made Jason want to grip his face and fuse their lips together for the next hour, but instead he just waited and clung to Dick’s hand. “I’m Mr. Charming,” Dick said, smile brilliant. “I’m sure I can handle him.”

“I’m sure you can too, just wanted to give a warning.”

Dick just laughed and linked their arms before tugging him forward to continue their walk to the restaurant where Damian was undoubtedly waiting. The man had probably shown up thirty minutes early. Jason himself had insisted that he and Dick show up fifteen minutes just because his brother was such a stickler for being early to everything. And he desperately wanted Dick to make a good first impression. Which was why he had asked Donna to have a say in what the man wore. Though he had been surprised when she sent the text that said Dick had picked everything out himself after Jason had picked him up, finding him in a pair of dark jeans, lilac button up, and black blazer. It was proper, but it was still very much Dick’s style.

Jason loved him a little more for it.

“Jason,” a deep voice greeted him as they stepped into the bistro downtown that Damian had decided on for this meeting. It was classy enough for the Wayne exec but casual enough for someone like Dick who attracted wealth but didn’t enjoy it.

“Damian,” Jason smiled at his brother, releasing Dick so he could give the man a hug. “Thanks for coming,” he said quietly so just Damian could hear, before releasing him and turning to face Dick. “This is Dick Grayson, my boyfriend. Dick, this is Damian my older brother.” He had explained to Dick already how Damian was Bruce’s actual son and that Jason had been adopted when Damian was a teenager getting ready to go to university. It had been an issue between the two when they had been younger, Damian feeling as though Jason had been a replacement, until he realized that that was just Damian’s insecurities showing.

It had taken a while for them to really become brothers after that, but Jason could say with certainty that there was no one who loved as fiercely as his brother did. Once you were under his umbrella, there was very little you could do to get out from under it. He hoped Dick found himself there as well.

Dick, with a broad smile, deflected Damian’s hand and wrapped the man in a hug that Jason had known was coming and felt no need to warn his brother about. Because seeing stiff-nosed Damian undone by someone like Dick Grayson was something Jason had been dreaming of for years.

“It’s so great to meet you, Damian!” Dick released the man and grinned over at Jason before looking back to Damian. “Jay has told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you. Tell me all the embarrassing stories you have about your brother.”

And there it was.

Damian turned amused eyes on Jason, and he, in turn, gave his brother a warning glare.  

“Let me tell you about the time Jason decided to become a beekeeper in his junior year of high school…” Jason groaned as Damian launched into the story while they were led to their private table in the back.

By the time they were leaving the restaurant, Dick had Damian listening intently to a story of when Dick’s parents had still been alive, and they were part of the circus act. Jason didn’t think he had ever seen his brother so involved in a conversation before. But Dick had pulled the man in with both hands and now Damian was just as lost to his charm as every single person in Dick’s orbit. He had watched just ordinary people fall for it all before, but he knew his brother and to watch this happen? Jason was convinced Dick had some kind of superhuman ability.

“Are you heading back to Gotham today?” Dick asked as the three of them stepped into the sun of the mid-afternoon hour. “Or do you go back tomorrow?”

“I’m afraid I have a flight this evening.” Dick frowned and Jason wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I had a wonderful time, Richard. I am very glad someone as bright as you has found his way into my ruffian little brother’s life.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “How old are you?” He teased, smirking at Damian’s glare. “Call when you land?”

“Certainly,” Damian confirmed before Dick had him wrapped up in another hug. And to Jason’s surprise, Damian’s arms came around and returned the embrace. He wasn’t sure he had seen Damian hug anyone that wasn’t their father, Alfred, or Jason ever. He knew Dick had made a good impression, but he hadn’t expected it to be this good.

“Have a safe flight! Hopefully next time you can plan for a bit of a longer stay.” Dick pulled back and went back into Jason’s arms, Damian smiling at the pair with a nod. The three of them were distracted when a sleek black car pulled up along side them and parked before the driver stepped out and greeted Damian.

“Call Father, Jason. You don’t call him enough.”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” he sighed, stepping forward to give his brother a brief hug before the man gave them one last nod and slipped into the opened backseat of the car. He and Dick stood in their spot until the car had pulled away and headed down the street. “That was amazing,” Jason said, turning to look down at Dick.

Dick’s brow raised. “What was?”

“The way you charmed my brother! I’ve never seen him hug someone who wasn’t family before! He doesn’t even hug his…Jon where I can see.” Dick just shrugged a shoulder and grabbed Jason’s hand.

“I liked him. He was very posh and proper,” Dick said, tugging Jason to walk with him. “But he was very interesting. And he had some great stories.” Dick’s smile turned playful with a hint of evil and Jason narrowed his eyes. “Donna is going to die hearing some of those.”

“Don’t you dare!” Jason yelled as Dick released his hand and shot off toward campus. Dick let out a squeal of laughter as he darted out of reach and ran faster.

~**~

Dick was just stepping out of the guest room bathroom, a towel wrapped firmly around his waist and another rubbing as much water out of his hair as possible, when he found himself being pushed back against the counter. He had enough time to let out a confused sound when Jason’s mouth covered his own. The towel for his hair was soon forgotten and the one around his waist parted easily as Jason lifted him by his hips so he was seated on the marble, legs separating so Jason could slot himself between them.

“Jay wha-” Dick tried to ask before it broke off into a moan when Jason’s teeth sunk into the flesh on his throat and his head fell back to open up the area for more of Jason’s attention. He clung to Jason, at his mercy as the man continued to suck, bite, and lick his way over Dick’s throat. They hadn’t had a moment where they felt safe enough to do this since coming to spend the week after they had finished for the summer with Tim and his husband, but apparently Jason had gotten tired of refraining.

But then Dick remembered why they had been holding off.

Pushing at Jason, panting and trying to adjust the towel to cover himself, he caught Jason’s eye. “Tim is home,” he breathed, chest heaving as he hoped to remind Jason of the thin walls and lack of lock on the door. Jason shook his head and Dick frowned. “What?”

“Date night. Conner got off work early and picked him up ten minutes ago, saying they wouldn’t be home until after midnight.” Dick’s eyes went wide with the implication of that. They were alone. Truly alone for hours. “Now stop pushing me away and let me fuck you. Been teasing me with all that fucking skin on display in this LA heat,” Jason muttered against Dick’s lips, pulling his towel open with a firm tug.

Dick sucked in a sharp breath, whether from the blast of cool air or Jason’s fingers wrapping around his half hard cock, he couldn’t really say. He could say that he didn’t really care either way. Not when Jason tugged on him in that way he knew got Dick teetering on the edge way too quickly. Not when Jason’s other hand was sliding along his back, dipping fingertips into the crease of his ass hinting what was to come.

They finally made their way to the kitchen to figure out some food after two hours of making up for all the lost time from the first five days of their trip. Dick pulled himself up on the kitchen counter by the sink as Jason dug through the fridge in hopes of something to throw together. When he let out a frustrated sigh, Dick nudged the drawer under him open and pulled out a handful of takeout menus.

“How did you know those were there?” Jason asked as he took them and flipped through the options.

“Timmy and I weren’t good in the kitchen at first,” Dick admitted. Jason looked up at him and Dick knew he was curious since Dick didn’t really talk about the time at home after their parents had died. Just little hints here and there. But there was something about being home with Tim again that made him want to tell Jason about it. The good and the bad. “We ate a lot of takeout in the first year or so, until I started watching videos and making meals along side them. Then Tim tried too. After that it was rare for us to order food, but the habit remained. Stack of menus, in the drawer closest to the sink.”

Jason put the menus down next to Dick’s hip and stood between his legs. “Your parents didn’t teach you?”

Dick shook his head. “In the circus, we had a cook who prepared group meals. Ma would make us her special lemon cake for each of our birthdays that was a Romani tradition, but other than that neither of them ever had to cook,” he explained. He smiled down at Jason, feeling that familiar ache in his chest at the mention of his parents. But Jason seemed to know and just took up one of his hands, kissing it softly.

“Wait,” Jason frowned. “The lemon cake you make me?” Dick nodded. “Why didn’t you ever say that was a family custom?”

He shrugged, frowning. “Does it matter? It was just a little something. Nothing big.”

“Of course it matters, Dickie. That’s really big. Does Tim know you do that?”

“Sure, but it’s not a big deal. It’s just a lemon cake.”

“But you don’t make it for Donna or Wally.”

“I love them both like they’re family, but it’s a different kind of family,” Dick explained. “Tim makes it for Conner.” He wasn’t quite ready to admit that it was a custom with his family to make it for someone who you wanted to keep in your heart forever. Partners in everything. He and Jason had been together for over two years, but they were still young. He didn’t want to push something like forever on Jason when they still had so much of their lives ahead of them.

But Jason seemed to know because warm hands pressed into his cheeks and Dick was staring into turquoise eyes that held nothing but silent understanding. He didn’t need to tell Jason because he already knew, and he accepted it.

Leaning forward, Dick pressed his forehead into Jason’s and closed his eyes. They were in his home with Tim, but being right there with Jason was his true home. The same warmth that he felt when he laid in Tim’s bed, watching crap movies and laughing with his brother. The same warmth he had felt in his parents arms before they died. That was the warmth he felt with Jason. This headstrong, overprotective, gentle man that had just appeared in his doorway with yet another redhead for Dick to add to his life was the epitome of what Dick thought home should be.

~**~

Sliding up behind Dick as he rinsed their dishes, Jason wrapped his arms around his waist. When Dick had proposed the idea of spending their summer together and splitting it half with Tim in LA and half in Gotham, Jason had immediately said yes. The previous summer had sucked, the distance between them taking all of the fun out of the entire break. He hadn’t wanted to go through that again and was so glad Dick had come up with the solution he had managed to overlook. His dad had seemed a little annoyed that Jason wouldn’t be home the entire break, but with the help of Damian he had accepted that at least he was getting his son for some of the break. The only downside was Alfred would be gone for the time he was home, visiting family back in the UK.

“I love you,” he muttered, lips pressed into the skin of Dick’s neck. He felt the soft release of breath through the movement of Dick’s back at the words and tightened his arms around the other man’s waist. The water shut off and Jason didn’t bother lifting his head from Dick’s neck as the man tugged of the rubber gloves he used while washing this dishes, even though Jason had teased him immediately for it.

He didn’t move until Dick twisted in his arms and faced him. He looked down at the man in his arms, wondering how the hell he had managed to get so lucky. He must have been a great person in a past life to be given to a man as wonderful as Dick Grayson. He would do it a million times over if it would allow him to keep him too.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Jason smiled. “Because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so thankful to whoever it was that set you in my path.” Dick smiled that special smile for him and slid his hands up Jason’s arms, wrapping them around his neck.

They stood there swaying slightly to the song coming out of the speakers set up throughout the entire house, a slower melody that Jason couldn’t name if you held a gun to his head. But he didn’t care. He just wanted to bask in his time with Dick. He just wanted to be there with him.

“You’re a cheeseball, you know that right?” Jason chuckled and Dick just grinned. The song changed. “Dance with me,” he said, releasing Jason and grabbing his hand to move to the more upbeat song that now played.

Jason shook his head in amusement, but let Dick move them around the kitchen to the beat of the song. He pulled Dick’s back to his chest, hand slipping into the waistband of his low slung sweats, as they moved together.

“Jason Todd, you rascal,” Dick chided him, a smile in his voice.

“What can I say? You are entirely too temping and earlier wasn’t nearly enough to fully satisfy my cravings for you,” he whispered into Dick’s ear.

Suddenly Dick was out of his arms and rushing down the hallway, calling over his shoulder, “Then come take your fill!”

Jason didn’t hesitate to chase him down the hallway.

~**~

Jason had been sitting at his desk typing up the last few pages of his final paper for his business communications class when the text had come through. He had even ignored it at first to finish the paragraph he had been writing. But when three more alerts pinged, he figured whoever it was didn’t want to be ignored any longer.

So he clicked save and opened his phone to see why Roy was suddenly bombarding him.

Tell Dick I said congrats!

I assume he’s with you.

You better not be ignoring me to celebrate his job offer.

Bastard.

Job offer.

Jason had no idea what he was supposed to do with that information. He hadn’t known Dick was even going through an interview process, but he apparently had because he was getting offers. He scanned his memory to see if he had just missed it because that was a big deal. Graduation was just a month away and he should have been thinking about what that would mean for Dick’s career.

For him, it was simple. There was a job waiting for him at Wayne Enterprises and he was looking forward to heading the charity department. Bruce had been holding that role for him the past four years, filling in while Jason got his degree so people couldn’t say he had done no work to get the job. But it had always been his plan and he had never been quite about it. So why hadn’t he even thought about what Dick would do once they graduated. Had he just assumed the other man would follow him to Gotham?

But he didn’t think he had.

But he also hadn’t talked to Dick about it either. So maybe he subconsciously had made that assumption. Especially since Dick had never brought it up. At least not that he could remember. The last year had been a bit of a blur between both of their classes consuming more and more of their time. Dick’s internship with Google taking up even more of it. They had been busy and Jason honestly was struggling to come up with a time that they’ve sat down and talked about anything serious the past six months.

A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts and he robotically got up to pull it open.

He wasn’t surprised to find Dick there.

He was surprised to find an uncertain look on his face.

“Dickie,” Jason smiled, reaching for the other man’s waist and tugging him into the room before shutting the door. He leaned down for a kiss but found his lips hitting Dick’s cheek instead of his mouth like Jason had planned. “You okay?”

Dick just nodded and skirted around him to move further into the room. Every movement was setting off alarm bells in his mind and Jason felt a cold fist of worry squeeze his heart in that moment. Something was wrong. Either Dick had done something he knew Jason wouldn’t like or he was worried to tell him about the job offer. Jason wasn’t sure which one he would rather it be. Because if Dick was worried about sharing the news then that meant he was worried how Jason would react.

“Dick?” He tried again to get his boyfriend to look at him. “Is this about the job? Roy said something about you getting an offer.” Dick’s sapphire eyes widened and looked at Jason almost as if he were a deer and Jason had caught him in his headlights. The chill increased.

He watched Dick’s mouth open and close a few times before the man went back to not looking at him.

“You’re starting to worry me, Dick. What’s going on? I didn’t even know you had been interviewing.”

“I wasn’t,” he finally spoke, voice quieter than Jason had ever heard it.

Jason furrowed his brows, confused. “You weren’t? So this job offer just fell in your lap?”

Dick shook his head. “No, not in the way you’re thinking.” But that made no sense. People didn’t just offer jobs to people who they didn’t know. They didn’t give jobs to people without knowing them, talking to them, and seeing what kind of work they could do.

But that was it. There was only one place where Dick could work without interviewing. One place he had been showing his skills and knowledge to over the past year or so.

Jason dropped onto the edge of his bed. “Google?” Dick winced. “But that means…” he couldn’t bring himself to say what that would mean. Google had two locations. LA and Mountain View in the Bay Area. Both of those options were the exact opposite of the part of the country where Jason would be after graduation.

“I haven’t accepted, but Jay,” he paused, sitting on the chair Jason had been sitting in just moments ago, “how can I say no? This job is a dream. I love the company and Public Relations is my strong suit.” It was true. Dick was made for the public. He was good with people, they could make him the face of the company and people would drop to their knees for him. He could talk his way into any kind of deal and make someone give him the world, the whole time convincing them it was their idea. He wasn’t manipulative, just convincing. People just wanted to please him. They wanted to impress him.

“And what about me?”

Dick looked pained and Jason clenched his jaw.

“We could try long distance. There’s been talk about expanding to the east coast. If they do that, I can push for Gotham. I could try and get posted there.”

Jason shook his head. “But they’ve been talking about that expansion for years. Who knows when that would happen and I’m just supposed to sit back and accept something that could maybe one day happen as good enough?” He could feel himself starting to get angry and he hated it. It was rare for him and Dick to really fight over anything. They had had spats over the years but nothing serious. And never had Jason felt anger toward Dick. Annoyance and disappointment. Never anger. “Do I even have a voice here? Or is it just Dick Grayson deciding what’s best for the both of us, my opinion be damned?”

“That’s not fair,” Dick snapped. Good. Jason wanted him to get angry. He wanted a fight. He wanted some sign that maybe this wasn’t as simple as Dick seemed to be making it. “Why should I have to be the one to sacrifice my career goals just because your career has been waiting for you since before you left for college? Not all of us have our daddy to give us a cushy desk job in his family company.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed on the man. Dick knew Bruce and his money was a soft spot for Jason, despite having been a Wayne since he was eight. He still struggled with wanting to feel as though he earned his keep and wasn’t just handed everything on a silver platter. Not that Bruce or Damian would allow for anything less than hard work. But he knew what the world thought. He knew what the employees at the company thought. That’s why getting the degree had been so vital to him. He had to prove he could put in the work and earn his title.

“Some of us have to make our own way after we lost everything.”

“I work my ass off to prove myself every single day. You throw a smile at someone and they’re worshiping at your feet,” Jason threw back. He knew they needed to stop, they needed to back away and take a breath. He had seen Dick’s temper before and he knew the man would fight dirty if he had to. But the fire blazing would not be tempered, and Jason didn’t know how to stop this before it got worse. “I never once lied about what my plans were for after college. I made it clear from that very first lunch where I would end up. Did you even try to find something else? Or did you just think of yourself?”

“Of course I tried to find something else,” Dick exploded, jumping to his feet and glaring at Jason. “I applied to every position I possibly could in Gotham! I even applied to WE. But I have a stack of emails saying I’m not qualified or ‘sorry we’ll keep your resume on file for the future though’. I have spent weeks trying to bring this up to you, to talk to you about all of this, but you were always too focused on anything else. ‘Sorry Dickie, I have a paper due tomorrow’ or ‘Sorry Dickie, pulled an all nighter so I’m gonna crash’.” Jason cringed because it was true. He had been pushing Dick to the side recently because he had been so focused on school that he had let other things slip. “I have been asked so many times if I was okay by Donna or Wally. Hell, even Roy noticed something was wrong. But my own boyfriend couldn’t look away from his damn laptop long enough to see that I was fucking drowning trying to find a solution to a problem you won’t even negotiate on!”

It was true and Jason hated himself because of that. But he wouldn’t let Dick know that. He couldn’t. He was too angry to admit that Dick was probably right. He hadn’t even tried to compromise. He had just assumed that Dick would find a way to come with him. He didn’t even think about the fact that Dick would have to leave behind the home he and Tim had struggled to create for themselves after their parents died.

“Have you even thought about what would happen after we graduate? Have you even considered how I would feel leaving my only living family because of this?” Dick’s voice was strained and Jason could see the tears building in his eyes, the hurt radiating off of him. Jason felt frozen. He had been selfish. But part of his whispered that Dick had never said anything. How was he supposed to know Dick was unhappy if he never said? “Do you have anything to say? Or is this another battle I’m having to fight on my own?”

“You wouldn’t have had to fight it on your own if you had just said something Dick!” Jason spat out his name, anger and defensiveness making it sound like an insult instead of his name. And by the way Dick jerked back, he had taken it as one. But Jason wouldn’t take it back. He wouldn’t sit here and let Dick lay all the blame on him. He couldn’t. “I can’t read your fucking mind. How am I supposed to know you’re unhappy if you don’t use your big boy words and tell me?”

Dick’s eyes narrowed and a shadow passed over his eyes. And in that moment Jason knew something had changed. He watched his boyfriend slowly stand to his feet, staring at him with those furious eyes and saying nothing more as he made his way to the door.

“Dick,” Jason said as he opened the door, standing to try and stop whatever this was Dick was doing.

“Don’t worry about having to try and read my mind anymore. I’m no longer your problem,” Dick said, back to Jason, before he walked out into the hallway and shut the door behind him.

Jason stood there, frozen, staring at the closed door.

Dick had just broken up with him and all he could do was stand there, knowing they couldn’t come back from this.

Three Years Later

“Is there no chance they’ll be delivered on time?” Jason asked into the phone as he spun in his chair and looked out the wall of windows in his office, watching the rain pound against the glass and onto everything outside. It had been raining almost nonstop for two day and while he had always enjoyed rainy days, he didn’t enjoy when they coincided with an event he had been planning for months. Especially an event focused on raising funds for impoverished children in Gotham. He had wanted this event to run smoothly, for everything to be perfect, but the universe seemed to have other ideas as she released this downpour on them all.

“Sorry, Mr. Todd-Wayne. The flights from New York have all been cancelled,” the woman from the business he had ordered the decorations from said. “Even if the rain stops in the next hour, I don’t think we would be able to get it on a flight before tomorrow.”

Jason sighed and rubbed the crease between his brows, trying to find a solution for this problem. “What if I hired a truck to drive them?”

There was a pause, some typing, and a whispered request. “Would it give you enough time to get set up? With the rain, the truck would likely arrive in the morning if it got out of the city by late-afternoon today.” Jason did some quick calculating, listing off all the other things that would need to be done after the ballroom was decorated. Could he pull it off? “What if we sent a few extra hands with the decorations? Our people would already know how to set everything up, they would just need to know where.”

“And the cost?”

“Consider it an apology for the situation. Our company loves working with Wayne Enterprises, we don’t want this to blemish our relationship.”

“Camille, the weather is not your fault. We could never blame you for that.” Jason shook his head and turned his chair back around, refreshing his computer to look at how much wiggle room he had in his budget. He did a quick run on the calculator next to his computer, “I can pay three people $25 an hour if you send them.”

“Mr. Todd-Wayne-”

“I won’t have them working for free.”

“We would pay our own people.”

“Give them this as a bonus then. It’s a big ask.”

He heard Camille sigh and he knew he had won. “Let me know when the truck is due to arrive, and I’ll have everything ready to load. Small covered is fine. We have everything packed. I’ll find a few people who can help me out.”

“Thank you, Camille,” Jason smiled into the phone. “I appreciate the extra mile. I’ll call shortly.” There was a goodbye on the other end before Jason hung up his phone and immediately began pulling up truck companies in New York City. He worked quickly to find someone with the right kind of transport and then relayed the information to Camille. By the time he had finished everything, he found he had worked through lunch and a knock on his door told him someone had noticed.

“Jason,” Damian said as he walked into the office. His black suit looked pristine as always, but the green tie he had on had been loosened and Jason frowned at the sight. It was rare for Damian to look anything less than put together when he was in the office. Not even at the end of the day had Jason ever seen his brother without every single hair in place.

“Dames?” He questioned, looking his brother over for some kind of sign that told him what was wrong. “What’s happening?”

Damian frowned back at him before taking a seat on one of the chairs situated on the opposite side of his desk. “I saw the guest list for the gala tomorrow evening.” Jason raised a brow. “Why didn’t you mention Google was sending Richard?”

“Because it doesn’t matter.” Damian raised a brow of his own. “What is going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your tie,” Jason pointed out. Damian looked down and frowned at the loosened knot of his tie before fixing it quickly, perfectly. And just like that, his brother looked exactly as he always did. Polished and fashionable. He looked like the WE CEO that he was raised to be. And if Jason hadn’t seen it happen, he never would have believed Damian’s tie had ever been touched. But he also didn’t know how to really ask his brother without pushing him into a corner that he knew his brother hated. Emotions and Damian didn’t really mix. There were only two people Jason had ever seen his brother able to fully express himself with and that was his Jon and…well, Dick Grayson. “Damian, is it an issue that Dick will be there tomorrow?”

Damian’s green eyes went a little wide and he seemed to freeze in his spot. Almost as if he hadn’t been expecting to be asked that when he had come to Jason’s office to question him about it. And Jason just found himself so confused over what was happening right then. What had his brother been expecting in all of this? Why had his tie fallen askew? Grabbing his cellphone, he shot off a quick text to Jon to ask if the man knew what was going on with his brother.

“There is no issue with his presence,” Damian offered, eyes looking past Jason to the windows behind him. “I just wanted to be sure you would be okay.”

Jason snorted. “Dick and I may have ended our relationship three years ago, but we’re not strangers to each other anymore Dames. Three years is a long time and we’re both adults.”

“But neither of you has moved on from the other.”

Jason didn’t point out that Damian wasn’t exactly an expert on relationships given he didn’t have that inclination. But his heckles rose and begged him to. He hated people pointing out the fallacies in his love life. That he was handsome, successful, and a good man and that meant he shouldn’t be single. It made his temper want to flare hot and rabid. He ignored it and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I can’t speak for Dick, but I’ve been busy.”

Damian looked at him, his eyes narrowed and the all too familiar considering look on his face. Jason hated that look. It only came out when Jason, or anyone, was doing something Damian didn’t understand and didn’t ultimately approve of either. He knew he was in for some kind of lecture. But he was given a distraction when his phone dinged, and he looked down to find a response from Jon.

He’s nervous.

Jason’s brows raised and he looked back to his brother. “Why are you nervous to see Dick?”

“What?” Damian sputtered, brows pinching. “I never said I was nervous. Who are you talking to? Is that Jon?!”

Jason turned off the screen on his phone and looked at his older brother, unimpressed. “Damian.”

“I-” Jason watched Damian shift in his seat, the nervousness he could see clearly now going up a few more notches. Jason wasn’t sure he had ever seen Damian nervous like this. Maybe years ago, when he introduced Jon to him, Bruce, and Alfred. But even then, this was different. “You two were very important to each other while in university. I got used to the idea of him joining our family. Then, very suddenly, he was gone.” The fight that had ended their relationship had taken all of them by surprise, even Jason and Dick. He knew Damian had been confused as to what exactly had happened and until Jason had snapped that there wasn’t going to be a reconciliation, hadn’t believed it was really over. And though Damian had been so upset about the loss, Jason had never really bothered to figure out why.

But he was maybe starting to understand.

“You know I never would have begrudged you if you had wanted to remain in contact with him,” Jason said quietly. He might have been a little annoyed because Damian was his brother after all, but he knew Dick had been one of the very few people Damian found himself really loving.

“I was told that would be…bad form,” Damian told him, and Jason laughed. “Others insisted that it was not done. That it would make it seem as though I was on Richard’s side. Or something along those lines. I didn’t really understand it. Jon told me to talk to you, but that seemed insensitive.”

Jason’s laugh gave way to a chuckle, and he shook his head. “For most people out there, yeah probably. But Dames, you’re not just some random guy. You look at the world very differently than many people. I get that. I wouldn’t care.” It had been difficult to understand, when he had been a teenager, that his older brother didn’t experience the same sexual and romantic attraction to people the way he did. When Damian had introduced them to Jon, they had all thought Jon was his boyfriend. But then Damian had come out as aro ace and Jason had been stunned. He hadn’t known people could feel that way, but he had just shrugged and accepted it because even though he and Damian weren’t close at that point he still cared about his brother.

It wasn’t until later, after he had done all the research he possibly could, that he really began to understand. How Damian’s disdain for him in the very beginning likely stemmed from the insecurity he felt about his own identity and not from Jason being an orphan. Comments about Jason being a better model made more sense and helped Jason understand his brother a lot more. So he tried to put himself in Damian’s shoes and understand how he saw the world. After that, there had been no going back. Even if he had wanted to. His brother was “different” according to society. Jason saw him as a man who loved so completely in a platonic sense that there was just no need to love any other way. He wasn’t defective or broken, he was complete just how he was.

“Damian,” Jason sighed and let his eyes fall on the polaroid photo that he had tucked into a frame holding a picture of Damian, Bruce, and him on his desk. He stared at the smiling faces of him and Dick. The other man had been trying to snap a selfie of them with it, but Jason had tripped and they had crashed down to the sand. The camera had captured their laughing faces close up. Just their profiles taking up the entire frame, eyes closed in laughter, and smiles wide and crinkling the corners of their eyes. Dick had given it to him for their anniversary later that year. He had written on it in his sloppy handwriting All roads lead back to you. “You should restore that friendship if that is what you really want. I won’t blame you in the least,” he finally said to his brother, eyes still trained on the photo he had no idea why he still kept displayed like this.

Or he did actually know why, he just didn’t want to admit how much he still missed Dick Grayson.

~**~

When his boss had asked him to accept the invitation by Wayne Enterprises for a charity gala, Dick had hesitated. He knew from his connection with Roy that Jason was the one who was usually in charge of any kind of charity related event. And he was always in attendance for them. Which meant if Dick went, he would certainly run into him at some point during the evening.

And Dick wasn’t sure he could handle that.

But his boss had given him the spiel to tow the company line. That public relations was his domain and that no one else did it better than him. That he was the person who people would always turn to when it came to having a face out in the public. Not only did he have a good face for the public, but his personality only enhanced it. People couldn’t help but listen and follow him. He was an icon, or so they always told him. Dick had always just felt a connection to people in general. It never had anything to do with the attention he received. It had everything to do with being surrounded by people.

So he had reluctantly agreed to go to the gala, having his assistant, Jonesy, book the two of them flights and getting himself fitted for the proper tux for the event. He had allowed for a salon appointment to be booked for him to get his nails freshened up and his hair artfully styled to look almost like he hadn’t bothered styling it at all. He tried not to be annoyed that he could have easily styled it this exact way himself and just let his assistant have their fun getting him all the appointments they would have had to get just about any other member of the Google high up enough to go to an event like this.

“The donation has already been made, we just really need your face to be there for the press and to rub elbows with other businesspeople. We’re negotiating that new office in Gotham right now and the people want to see what we bring to the table,” Dick had the head of his department on speaker as he rode in the back of the town car they had rented to bring him to Wayne Manor. He didn’t bother paying attention to what he was being told because it was nothing he hadn’t heard before for other events. Instead, he let his eyes take in the grandeur of the house Jason and Damian had grown up in as they approached. “Dick, are you even listening to me? This is important.”

“I know how important it is, Dave. How many times have you sent me to do this sort of thing? And not just stateside,” he reminded. There was a huff of amusement on the other end and Dick smiled at Jonesy, who was rolling their eyes next to him. “I have Jonsey here, trust them to keep an eye on me if you need to, but you did send me on purpose.”

There was silence before Dave agreed and told him to try and have some fun, but not too much fun. Dick looked at Jonsey and they reached over to click the ‘end call’ option on the iphone in his hand before leaning back into their seat.

“Should I have told Dave to ask someone else to do this?” Dick looked back out the window and sighed. They were about seven cars back in the line of people getting out in front of the manor. The hoards of press lined up, taking video and picture of the attendees, went mostly ignored by Dick as he scanned the windows of the beautiful house. “Dick?”

He hummed but didn’t look over at them.

“Dick are you okay with this? Dave didn’t know about the relationship between you and Mr. Todd. Not that it would have changed his desire for you to be the one here today, but…” But it might have garnered some understanding on why he was not his usual self in regard to this particular event. “We can go in, make a round, and leave quickly if you need.

Dick looked back to them and shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “What Jason and I had was life changing. I’m always going to love him. But we’re adults and it isn’t as if we haven’t seen year other over the years since we broke up.” Jonsey gave him a look and Dick shrugged, straightening and smoothing a hand down the front of his tux. They were next in line to get out and Dick was ready. He could go into this home and be his usual charming self and get them the connections they needed in order to get this office in Gotham. “The show must go on,” he whispered to Jonsey, who gave him an unusually sympathetic look before they opened the door and slipped out of the limo and stood with the door open for him.

Allowing himself one last deep breath, Dick nodded to himself again before he too slipped out of the limo, buttoning his jacket as he went. Immediately, he was accosted with flashing lights and calls of his name. So he let a slow smile spread across his lips and raised a hand to wave in the general direction of the calls of his name. He had a general policy that he didn’t speak to the press unless it was part of the event. Tonight’s event was not a press related one and with a glance behind him to make sure Jonsey was following, he made his way up the stairs and toward the open door of the manor.

“Mr. Grayson,” a warm, British voice greeted him, and Dick paused at the sight of Alfred. He had never met the man in person, but Jason had talked about the grandfather-like figure in his life enough for it to feel as though they had met.

“Alfred,” Dick replied, his smile melting into something more genuine and warm. Holding out a hand, Dick shook the man’s hand before gesturing to Jonsey. “This is Jonsey, they’re my assistant.” Alfred greeted them with a nod and handshake before gesturing for them both to head inside.

“I should like to exchange candor with you later, Mr. Grayson.” Dick paused at Alfred’s words before agreeing and continuing to make his way inside.

The inside of the manor was just as grand at the outside, not that Dick was surprised. Bruce Wayne and his family had been wealthy for generations. This family home was old and well cared for. He had loved it the first time he had set foot in it and he would forever love it.

Even if he felt like a stranger in it now.

“Richard.” Dick looked to his left at the sound of his formal name and froze at the sight that greeted him.

Damian Wayne in all his formal glory, glass of what looked like whiskey in hand.

Dick didn’t even pause to think about his actions before he was reaching forward and wrapping his arms around the taller, broader man’s shoulders. “Damian,” he breathed, eyes falling closed for just a moment. He felt something loose in his chest when Damian’s free hand settled on his back in a return embrace. Pulling back, Dick let one of his hands remain on Damian’s upper arm as he smiled at the older man. They stood there like that for a moment before the clearing of a throat drew Dick’s attention away from Damian and to a man taller than Damian, brown hair and bright blue eyes. “You must be Jon.” Dick moved his hand from Damian’s arm to hold out to shake the other man’s hand.

“It is good to finally meet you, Dick,” Jon smiled brightly, shaking Dick’s hand firmly. Dick watched the brief glance between Jon and Damian, but Dick found he was too shocked to have Damian even here to decipher what it could mean. “I was surprised when Damian mentioned you would be in attendance tonight. He was as well, though he’d never admit it,” Jon chuckled, and Dick smiled at Damian.

“I wasn’t aware Google was sending any one on their behalf, was all.” With a tilt of his head, Dick just watched Damian attempt to save face.

“I’ve missed you too,” Dick offered, a deep breath and steeled backbone later. But it wasn’t a lie. He had loved Damian in his life. Outside of his relationship with Jason, Dick had enjoyed having a friend in Damian. Almost another brother. “I have watched news of WE to keep up to date on as much of your life as I could. I wanted…” He paused, glancing at Jon for a moment before looking back to Damian. “I had wanted to call, but I didn’t want to cause trouble.” 

Damian’s features took on a pained look and Jon leaned over to whisper something in the man’s ear before sending a smile to Dick and slipping away. Dick looked from Jon’s retreating back to Damian, confused. “I, too, had wanted to reach out. I do not understand societal standards on remaining in contact with a sibling’s failed relationship, but well-meaning people had told me it would look like I was taking sides.” Dick’s shoulders slumped slightly, and he nodded. That was exactly why he hadn’t reached out. “But my brother has recently informed me he would not have taken it that way, that he would have understood.”

That caused Dick to pause. Damian and Jason had talked about him? A full conversation where Jason had told his brother that he could be friends with Dick despite their status as exes. Dropping Damian’s gaze, Dick looked away and considered what that meant. That Jason could handle Dick being in his orbit for the sake of his brother. That stupid, selfless man cared more about his brother’s relationships and friendships than he cared about his own comfort. Because surely, Jason would know that Dick and Damian remaining friends would mean eventually Jason would encounter Dick in person. And while the two of them had seen each other a handful of times over the years, that had only been at a distance. They had never actually had a real conversation since that fateful night.

“Richard?”

Blinking, Dick looked back to Damian with his smile firmly in place. “I’m sorry. I suppose I’m just…surprised Jason felt that way. Though, I probably shouldn’t be. He’s a good man.” Damian nodded. “I would very much like to keep in contact this time.”

“As would I.”

“Dames, have you seen…” A voice cut Dick off from speaking again, a familiar warmth rising in him as that person came up behind him. Turning, Dick saw exactly who he knew would be right there. But he wasn’t prepared for the emotion that struck him square in the chest at the sight of the broad shoulders and chiseled jawline. Nor was he prepared for what it did to see those turquoise eyes so close again. “Dick.”

His name falling from those lips had always been enough to undo him. For years, it had sounded like a prayer when Jason would say his name. The last time Dick had heard Jason say his name, it had sounded like a curse and it had stuck with him. This time though? It fell somewhere between and what weight had lifted with Damian’s presence seemed to settle back in with Jason’s.

“Jason,” he responded, taking a step back to put a bit more distance between them.

Silence remained between them after that and Dick could see Damian glancing between the two of them out of the corner of his eyes, but he couldn’t look away from Jason’s gaze. And Jason didn’t seem to want to look away either.

“Was there something you needed, Jason?” Damian finally broke the silence.

Jason remained fixated on Dick for a moment before he blinked and the spell was broken. “Uh yeah, sorry. I was looking for Dad and you. It’s almost time for speeches.” Dick took a deep breath as Jason looked away from him to his brother, letting it out slowly as possible to try and center himself. He was so focused on the action that he didn’t feel someone come up behind him and place a hand between his shoulder blades, causing him to jump.

“Oh,” he sighed when he turned to find Jonsey there looking concerned. “Jonsey, I didn’t know it was you.” They gave a small smile, eyes flicking over to Jason and Damian before going back to Dick’s eyes and raising a brow. “Oh, um. Damian, Jason, this is my assistant Jonsey. Jason, you’ve probably already spoken to them when we accepted the invite.”

Jason held out a hand and shook Jonsey’s. “Yes, I do remember speaking with you. Thank you for coming.” Jonsey remained silent as they shook hands and then took Damian’s offered hand with a smile and a nod. “I do need to steal my brother away so we can get the speeches in order. I’m sure he’ll find you later Dick. Excuse us,” Jason offered a smile to both of them before leading Damian away, who offered Dick a smile over his shoulder as he followed his brother.

“Are you okay?”

“I need a drink.”

“You sure?”

“Fuck no, but I have rounds I need to make, and I am not going to survive them without a drink.” Dick heard Jonsey sigh before a hand was on his elbow, leading him toward the bar. He gave one last glance in the direction that Jason and Damian had gone in before forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. The job he was being paid to perform.

The air was crisp when Dick stepped out onto an empty balcony a few hallways away from the main part of the gala. It wasn’t like him to have the need to step away from a social event, but even he had his emotional limits. And being in the same room as Jason Todd had definitely helped him reach them. That smile, the way his eyes crinkled around the corners, the expanse of his shoulders and the way the tux he wore did nothing but accentuate all the parts of him that Dick had found mouth wateringly tempting, it had pushed him to the point where he needed to find a spot to breathe. One where he would likely not be bothered. Because he needed to gather his senses about him again and get his head back on straight.

Holding conversations about charities and conservation efforts that Google was involved in and how they planned to move forward with those efforts needed focus. He didn’t have that focus right then. He only had eyes for turquoise eyes and thick thighs.

“Fuck,” a breathy voice said from behind him. Dick’s eyes closed and he let his chin fall to his chest for a moment before he turned, knowing that voice anywhere. “I didn’t think anyone would venture this far into the manor.”

Glancing to the room behind Jason, who stood in the doorway of the balcony, he wondered what the odds were that he had managed to pick a spot Jason regularly escaped to. “I was hoping the same thing,” he admitted, looking back toward Jason. The other man pulled his brows together and took a step onto the balcony, door falling shut behind him with a soft snick of the latch.

“Never thought I would see the day where Dick Grayson couldn’t handle a social engagement.”

Dick chuckled. “Even I have my limits.”

Jason only hummed as he walked over to the opposite side of the railing, leaning his arms on the concrete structure, looking out over the gardens below. Dick’s eyes immediately fell to the man’s ass, more out of habit than anything. But for a brief moment he could practically feel the curve of it under his hand, nails digging into firm flesh. His heart did something strange in his chest before he forced himself out of that vision and back to the present. He found Jason still looking away from him and released a breath for not being caught ogling the man.

“This event is really grand,” Dick spoke up, wanting to break the quiet that felt like it could strangle him if he let it remain. “You seem to have quite the knack for the work. Bruce must be proud. I know Damian is.”

Without turning his head, Jason glanced at Dick out of the corner of his eye and Dick held his breath in anticipation. Three years, it had been three years since they had held a conversation that hadn’t been them yelling at each other or a hello in passing. He didn’t know how to talk to the man he had once been able to tell anything to. He didn’t know if this man was the same as the past version of him. He certainly wasn’t the same as he had been back then. But there was so much he wanted to say. To the point that his chest ached with the words that wanted to escape.

He couldn’t say them though.

They had fallen apart for a reason and Dick knew they were good reasons. And they were things that hadn’t changed. His career was still in California and Jason’s was still in New Jersey. There was no denying that they were both incredibly good at what they did. It would be too big of an ask for one of them to leave their whole life behind just so they could find what once was.

“Dick,” Jason’s voice was quiet and Dick had no choice but to look his way. A moth to the flame, his eyes found Jason’s as the other man straightened and turned to face him fully. “I don’t know what to say to you anymore.”

Dick’s lips parted as Jason spoke the words that were his own truth as well. He swallowed hard, begging his mind and his heart to settle on something to say in return. “I miss you,” was what finally tumbled out of his mouth, and not at all what he had expected. But the look that flashed through Jason’s eyes told him it was the right thing to say. Longing. Unbridled longing. The physical manifestation of what Dick felt in his core.

“But nothing has changed,” Jason whispered, coming closer. It wasn’t an accusation because it was true. For both of them. “The problem still remains. And I’m not,” he trailed off, stopping a few paces away and looking toward the doors that would take them back inside. “I’m not that Jason anymore.”

“I don’t want to be a stranger anymore,” Dick admitted. He thought about what he had said to Damian earlier and sighed. “You were everything to me and then suddenly you were nothing.” He had walked around for months feeling as though his chest had been torn open and his heart carved away. “But you’re right. Your life is here and mine is in California. That was the roadblock then and it’s still there now.” Jason’s face was pained and Dick wanted to reach for him, but he held firm. If he gave in and touched Jason, his heart wouldn’t survive. Not again.

But that left them right in the place they have been for the past three years.

“Ah, Master Jason,” a familiar, elderly voice called from inside the manor and Dick blinked, looking out into the night to avoid looking at Alfred. He took a few deep breaths to get himself back under control. He felt raw, torn open again. “Oh, I was not aware you had company. Your father and brother are looking for you and I knew you had likely come here for a moment.”

“Sorry, Alf,” Jason offered. “I just needed a moment. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.” Dick turned to look at Jason and Alfred, who were standing by the balcony doors looking him.

“Too warm, too loud, and one too many drinks,” Dick laughed, slipping easily into the social mask he often wore at these events. “I should probably get back inside as well. Jonsey tends to fuss.” And thank god they did because it had saved Dick from some pretty shifty situations since they had been hired as his assistant.

“Dick,” Jason started when Dick began heading back into the manor, but Dick shook his head.

“I really do need to get back in, but,” he paused and glanced at Alfred, who was watching him closely with a blank expression, before looking back to Jason. “I’m glad we could talk.” He gave the taller man a small, private smile before pushing inside and headed back into the bustle of the party.

He made it about two steps into the crowd when Jonsey appeared, eyes wide and concerned. Maybe his mask wasn’t as firmly in place as he thought. “Are you okay?” He glanced over the top of their head to the faces milling about the room, his breaths quickening slightly. “Dick.”

“I need to leave.”

“Richard?” His eyes fell shut at the sound of Damian’s voice behind him. He did not want Damian to see his cracks. “Are you well? You look a little pale.” The man appeared in front of him and Dick looked at Jonsey before looking back to Jason’s brother.

“I’m feeling a little poorly. I was just telling Jonsey we should probably head back to our hotel.” Damian’s brows furrowed and he watched Dick with those observant eyes, unsettling him even more. “Our flight leaves tomorrow evening, can we have lunch?”

“I will call you in the morning.” Dick just nodded and gave a tight smile. He didn’t say anything more as he allowed Jonsey to take his elbow and lead him toward the exit. He managed to hold himself together long enough to get into the waiting car before the cracks gave way and he was left with an exposed heart and shallow breaths.

~**~

Lifting his finger to his earbud as he crossed the street in San Francisco, Jason accepted the call that was coming through distractedly. “This is Todd,” he said, waving thanks to a driver who stopped just short of hitting him as he rushed across the busy street. It was a fucking nightmare in this city. He had never seen pedestrians think they owned the road and drivers not care for a moment that they might hit someone. It was pure madness and Jason missed the regulation of the streets of Gotham.

“Jason,” a smooth voice sounded, and it was like a balm had covered his anxiety.

“Dickie.” He stopped in the middle of the crowded sidewalk and took a deep breath, allowing the small comfort Dick’s voice brought. Then he swore when someone shouldered past him and told him to get off the sidewalk if he was going to stand there like a ‘fucking idiot’.

Dick laughed, obviously hearing the comment. “Where are you? Gotham streets sounding more like San Francisco today.”

Jason frowned as he moved to stand next to the building he had stopped by.

“I’m not in Gotham.” He didn’t want to tell Dick he was actually in San Francisco since he hadn’t figured out a good reason why he would be there just yet.

“Oh.”

There was something off about the way Dick said that and alarm bells started going off in his mind. The disappointment was heavy in that single word and Jason leaned back against the building, eyes closing as realization hit. “But you are, aren’t you?”

“I’m checking out the new building for Google. They sent me last minute on a redeye. I got in at like 8am.” Jason tried not to laugh. Given his own flight was a redeye, they likely would have landed around the same time on opposite sides of the country. How fucking perfect.

“I flew out last night too. A meeting that popped up last minute. I’m sorry, Dickie,” Jason sighed. “You should call Damian though. He’s got meetings most of today, but he’ll want to see you.” Quickly pulling up Damian’s contact on his phone, he shot off a message to his brother and told him Dick was in town and knew that Jason wasn’t but didn’t know where so not to tell him. Damian was the only person who had known the purpose of this trip and while he trusted his brother to keep it a secret from the company, he knew his brother loved Dick too much to not have a loose tongue.

I just received a text from him. I will meet him for dinner with Jon, but will refrain from saying what your trip was about. I will tell Jon to do the same.

Jason sent off a thanks before closing out of that thread.

“I sent him a text. When do you come back?”

“I have another redeye tonight.”

Dick sighed. “Same.”

Jason scrambled for something to say to perk Dick back up, but he was coming up short. Then he thought of something, a small something. “Has Jonsey told you about the Spring Gala yet?” Jason had sent the invite specifically to Jonsey over Google in general just so Dick would be the one to come.

“No?”

“WE’s spring fundraiser is in March,” he explained, pushing off the wall and continuing back in the direction of his interview in an hour. “I sent the invite right to Jonsey instead of the PR department. They should have received it this morning, but I suppose it’s still fairly early.”

“Or they’re hiding it from me. They can be a bit…protective.” Jason frowned. They wanted to protect Dick from him? What? “They’re the only one outside of Tim and Donna who know everything. I told them a few weeks after they started working with me. A few too many martinis at a work thing and a guy who got a little too handsy.” Jason almost stopped walking in the middle of the street he was crossing at that revelation. But he picked up his pace and kept walking, letting his mind race through those facts.

“Dick?” He questioned without actually questioning. Dick was silent on the other end and Jason glanced at his phone to make sure they were still connected. They were. “You don’t have to tell me what happened,” he offered instead. But he desperately wanted to know because when it came to Dick Grayson, his imagination always ran wild.

“Nothing happened, Jay.” Dick’s voice was quiet, like wherever he was wasn’t someplace to talk about this. “I’ll tell you about it someday. Just not today.”

Jason didn’t say anything as he reached the building where his interview was taking place. He took in the tall building and frowned. It looked like WE’s building but being in this city felt wrong. It wasn’t home. He didn’t want to be here. But he knew that if he wanted to work this out with Dick, then he needed to try. He hadn’t before and that had been the problem. He had been the problem. He wouldn’t be the problem this time.

“Did I lose you?”

“Huh?” Jason snapped back to the conversation. “Oh no, sorry Dick. I just got to my meeting, so I need go,” he explained. “I’m bummed I missed your visit to Gotham. But we’ll figure out a different time to see each other, okay?”

Dick hummed. “Yeah, okay. Good luck with your meeting.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Have a good dinner with Damian, okay?” Then Jason remembered that Dick never actually said Damian had responded and he had just revealed that Damian and him had discussed it already.

“Wait, how did you know we’re doing dinner?”

“Uh, gotta go!”

“Jason Todd!”

“Bye, Dickie.”

~**~

Dick had just settled down at the table of the small café in Gotham when his phone rang. He didn’t bother to check the caller id since he was expecting a call from a potential job interview. Instead, he simply accepted the call and said, “This is Dick Grayson.”

“Thank god for that since that’s exactly who I was attempting to call,” an amused voice answered, and Dick’s chest filled with a familiar warmth. How perfect it was that Jason would call him when he had no idea that Dick could literally see WE’s building from where he was sitting, getting lunch.

“Jason,” Dick greeted, a smile spreading easily across his lips. “Shouldn’t you be working right now?”

Jason’s chuckle sounded and Dick settled into the feeling that the sound always filled him with. How easy it had been to fall back into this friendship after those few awkward phone calls. “That’s actually why I’m calling. I was wondering when you get a break for lunch? I’m in Mountain View for a meeting.” Dick straightened in his chair and blinked. It took a moment for him to process this.

“You’re in California?”

“I am.” There was a pause before Jason sighed. “You’re not.”

“Fuck Jay,” Dick leaned an elbow on the table, resting his forehead in his hand. “I would have rescheduled this trip if I had known.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he grumbled over the line and Dick couldn’t help but smile.

He silently signaled to the server who had come over to take his order to give him a few more minutes before he focused back on the phone call. “I still love the thought,” he told Jason. “I would have dropped anything I was doing to have lunch with you.”

“If you were here.”

Dick sighed. “Yeah, if I were there.” He thought about how just weeks earlier this exact situation had happened when Dick had called Jason for lunch while being in Gotham for a different interview and to check on the new Google offices. How could this have happened twice? He didn’t want to consider this a bad omen for what they were trying to navigate here, but it felt like it could be. It felt like they would always be in this terrible dance, never able to actually come together in the middle. “I miss you,” he admitted softly, giving himself a moment to let the waves of sadness crash over him.

“Me too, Dickie,” Jason’s voice was quiet, filled with the same sadness that Dick’s carried. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

“Will we?”

“Yes,” Jason insisted. “I have to believe that. I need to believe that. Don’t you?”

Dick nodded. “Yeah, yeah me too.” Looking down at the table top, Dick shook his head. “Well, at least the Spring Gala is in two weeks. We’ll definitely see each other then.” He tried to sound enthusiastic, but he just felt defeated, and he was sure it bled through.

“And you’ll stay for a few days?”

“I will. Do I need a hotel?”

“No, I want you in my bed. I’m milking those days for all they’re worth. Every second I can spend with you.”

Because who knew when they would get another chance? That thought slammed into Dick like a ton of bricks and immediately he knew what he needed to do. He knew what choice to make.

“Hey Jay, I need to go. But call me later?”

“Yeah, okay. Love you.” Dick’s heart strained. They had started saying it again a week ago and it still startled him each time.

“Love you, too,” he said quietly before hanging up the phone. Glancing up at the server who peeked their head back out to check on him, he smiled. After placing his order, he dialed his boss’ number and leaned back in his chair. “Dave, we need to talk.”

~**~

Dick stepped off the elevator that took him to Jason’s penthouse, adjusting the garment bag that hung over his arm as he pulled his suitcase along behind him. He hadn’t told Jason what time he was landing because he had wanted the chance to get himself into the right state of mind for what he was about to reveal to his boyfriend. He had been a nervous wreck the entire flight from California and Jonsey had told him to calm down more than once, but it had been pointless.

This was a big deal and he was nervous.

Knocking on the door that was just a few paces away from the elevator, Dick waited for Jason to answer. He allowed himself two more deep breaths before he smiled as the door swung open to reveal a tousled Jason.

The man stood there, wide eyed and mouth open. His hair and the creases marring his cheeks told Dick all he needed to know about what Jason had been doing just before he knocked.

“Dick,” Jason breathed, reaching forward and pulling him into his home. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today? I would have…” Dick stopped him by pressing their mouths together, cutting off the speech he had known would come. Releasing the handle of his suitcase, Dick let his garment bag hang over the bag without bothering to remove his lips from Jason’s. Jason just hummed into the kiss and pulled Dick against his sleep warm body. And Dick just wrapped his now free arms around Jason’s waist, relishing in being this close to the other man after months of separation and missing each other. “I have to be still dreaming,” Jason muttered against his mouth as Dick slowed the kiss.

“Not a dream,” Dick told him.

“Lie.” Pulling back, Dick looked at Jason with raised brows. “You’re always my dream.” Dick couldn’t have contained his smile even if he had wanted to. “A dream come true.” Jason leaned forward and pressed their mouths together again. And though Dick had come here with intention of telling Jason what was happening, he let himself have this moment for a little longer.

Eventually they slowed down and Dick was able to keep a little space between them as Jason offered to make some coffee and Dick groaned in appreciation, having missed out on sleep thanks to nerves. Thankfully, he didn’t have plans for the day and could just crash. Hopefully in Jason’s bed with Jason, but he would settle just for the bed if he had to.

“Are you hungry? I could make breakfast,” Jason offered as he typed into his phone. There was a ping just moments later that he replied to. Dick raised a brow when he finally looked up. Jason smiled. “I just told Damian I’ll be working from home today. He’s not happy to have to have my team handle everything but they’re more than capable of getting the last minute things into place.”

“Breakfast would be great.” Dick could remember the amazing food Jason always managed to whip up when they were in a place with a kitchen. And Jason had always seemed to like cooking over ordering in.

Jason gave a nod before he pulled out ingredients for what looked like blueberry pancakes. Dick approved.

“So, why didn’t you tell me you were coming in today?”

Dick took another sip of his coffee and allowed himself a moment before he spoke. He had no reason to be nervous, but he was. “I have something to talk to you about.”

Jason glanced over his shoulder, frowning at Dick. “Should I be around the stove while you say this?”

“Uhhh,” Dick looked at the pan and then back to Jason. “I just think we need to talk about the distance.” Jason froze for a moment before reaching over and turning off the stove top. “I guess that answers that.”

“No,” Jason shook his head. “I want to give you my full attention for this. Because I have something to say about that too. But you brought it up, so you go first.”

Dick blinked. “Okay,” he said slowly. He gave it another moment of watching Jason curiously before he steeled himself. “The past three months I have been making inquiries and have had a few interviews at various companies here in Gotham. I’m tired of being apart and I know I had said that it wasn’t fair that it be put on me to move, but I don’t care anymore.” He took a deep breath and looked at Jason, who was looking at him with wide eyes again. “I just want to be with you. I don’t care if that means I have to uproot.”

Jason didn’t move as he finished, still looking too stunned to form words and Dick smiled at that.

“What about Tim?” Jason asked finally.

Oh. Dick hadn’t realized he had never ended up telling Jason about his brother. “He and Connor moved to Metropolis a little over a month ago. When he heard what I was trying to do, he told Connor he wanted to go since Connor had been asking for years.”

“So you got a job here? In Gotham? What about Google?”

“I told Dave I planned to accept one of the job offers I had gotten and he told me not to. He didn’t want to lose me, so he talked to his boss about moving me from Mountain View to the new offices in Gotham.” Dick smiled. “There weren’t supposed to be PR personnel here, but even the CEO didn’t want me to go so they made an exception. I’ll still have to travel and have to go back to California for a few days each months but-” Dick was cut off when Jason quickly moved forward and pressed their mouths together with a laugh.

Dick let him kiss him for a moment before pulling back just enough to ask, “What is so funny?”

Jason smiled brightly and cupped Dick’s face with his hands. “I have two offers for jobs in the Bay Area that I was going to tell you about.”

It was Dick’s turn to be stunned.

“But…” He didn’t even know what he wanted to say.

“You were right, back then. I wasn’t willing to compromise, and it nearly ruined us forever. I didn’t want that to happen again. I didn’t want history to repeat itself just because I was unwilling to do everything it took to keep you,” Jason told him. “I didn’t want you to think it always had to be you coming to meet me. That I didn’t love you enough to go to you.”

Tears filled Dick’s eyes on their own accord, and he surged forward, wrapping his arms around Jason’s shoulders tightly. “I fucking love you, you know that? I would give up everything to be with you. None of it matters,” he whispered. “Even if Tim hadn’t moved, I would have come.” Jason’s arms were a vice around his ribs and Dick buried his face in his neck. “Don’t leave Gotham. I already packed my office up to move out here.”

Jason laughed into Dick’s hair, and everything felt like it clicked into place in that moment.

“I’ll stay in Gotham as long as you’re sure about moving here.”

His green eyes followed the quick movements of the teen, the twists and turns he made as he employed his acrobatic background to get himself through the fight. He watched Richard try over and over and over again, giving his absolute best to try and accomplish his end goal. But Damian knew the issue was likely due to the fact that the staff was taller than he was. If he had been a few inches taller, he would probably be formidable with the weapon. Much like Drake was currently. Damian could easily picture Richard giving the older man a run for his money with his weapon of choice. It was something Damian would love to see.

If it didn’t mean that it would likely only happen if his father knew where Richard was.

The thought chilled him worse than he wanted to admit. Everything he had done over the past couple of years had been to avoid that specific scenario and yet here he was thinking about what it would be like in the future if Drake and Richard were to spar against one another.

“Again,” the harsh voice called out again and Damian decided it was enough.

When he went to take a step to stop things, a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

He didn’t have to look to know his mother was behind him.

She was always there when he was about to do something she would disapprove of. Something that she would say would be grounds for her to renege on their deal. The deal that kept them out of the grasp of his father, or really out of Batman’s grasp.

He shrugged her hand off his shoulder but didn’t take that step like he had been planning. Instead, he forced his eyes to remain on Richard as he was knocked down over and over again. He kept his body relaxed and his hands loose, resisting the urge to tense and clench his hands each time Richard hit the mat with a grunt. Only Richard could stop things, even if Damian wanted to, so very desperately. This situation was the exact reason why he had taken Richard and run from Gotham, from Batman and his undying need for vengeance and justice. But they had still managed to land right where Richard was being trained and Damian was helpless to stop it. But Richard could because Damian had made sure he had that power. He had made sure that his mother, his grandfather had agreed to the terms that he would return to the League and Richard would be trained by them so long as Richard was allowed to say when he had had enough. To put an end to training when it pushed a line he was not comfortable with.

He had yet to do that.

And part of Damian died each time Richard came into their shared rooms bruised and trickling blood. Part of him wished he had the strength, or courage, to grab Richard and run again. But he couldn’t leave the real reason they had ended up under the thumb of Ra’s Al Guhl. He couldn’t leave Jason and he was in no state to leave with them if they ran that night. Or even in a few weeks.

Though there had been some improvement over the last six months in the blood lust of the man who had emerged from the Pit, the Pit Madness still lingered, and Jason struggled daily to push away the urge to slaughter all of them. All of them, except Richard. His mother and grandfather had discussed it over multiple meals and they both thought it was because the boy was young. Damian knew it was because Richard and Jason had been close, closer than Jason had been with anyone outside of Alfred. There was a purity to Richard that even the Madness couldn’t taint or take away. He knew when Jason saw Richard, he saw love and caring.

It had frightened him nearly out of his skin when Jason had emerged from the Pit, growling and glowing green with the magical waters. He had lunged for the first footman he could reach, killing him in seconds before he started trying to make his way through the others coming to restrain him. His grandfather had been content to sit back and watch his new monster kill as many of his soldiers as he could, his mother had been a little more annoyed at the loss at the young man’s hands. But it had all ceased when Jason looked toward the spot he and Richard had been standing. He had drawn his sword, shoved Richard behind his legs, and stood ready to fight off the man so the teen could get away. But Jason had just stopped.

And when they realized it wasn’t because he had recognized Damian, but because he had recognized Richard, everything stopped. Especially Jason. He had just frozen and stared at Richard as if caught in some kind of spell. It had been just what they needed to snap the restraints on him.

It had also been enough to catch Richard’s attention and for him to spring out from behind Damian, hurrying toward the resurrected teen. He had called out to Richard to stop, but the teen had ignored him and instead stopped a few feet in front of Jason.

“Dickie,” the teen had whispered in a hoarse imitation of the voice Damian had remembered, blinking slowly as he rocked forward slightly toward the teen.

Damian had inched closer, trying to remain undetected by Jason but wanting Richard close enough to grab so he could protect him. Richard had just stared at Jason, his shoulders relaxed and his breathing giving nothing away.

“Jay.”

The whole situation had been so strange. His grandfather had mused that he had never seen someone react to the Pit in such a violent way, despite Damian reminding him that they had never put someone who had been so brutally murdered into the waters before. And his mother had commented that it was so strange for Jason to have such a physically and emotionally strong reaction to Richard. Damian had just scowled and told them they better not expect Richard to put his life in danger just because he had some kind of hold over Todd. His grandfather had narrowed his eyes on Damian, likely about to tell him that he had no right to make statements like that while they lived under his protection, but his mother had stepped in and reminded them both that they were all after the same thing.

Todd’s recovery and Richard’s training.

“Again.”

“I actually believe that is enough for today,” his mother’s voice interrupted the lesson. And Damian was so thankful because Richard had asked him to stay to give him pointers on what he was doing wrong, but he had been moments from storming out of that room and never looking back. “Richard, we would like you to go see Jason if you are willing.”

Damian turned narrowed green eyes onto his mother and tried to decipher what exactly she was after right then. They rarely asked the teen to go see Todd, allowing him to go whenever he felt the urge or decide to go when Todd actually asked for him.

“Is he okay?” The teen asked, turning to face Talia with suspicion on his face. Damian was glad that despite being given no reason not to trust her, Richard still didn’t trust her. “Or did he ask for me?”

Talia waved a hand to the weapons master, who bowed and took Richard’s staff before walking to put the weapon away and leave the three of them alone in the room. “Jason is quite well, actually.” Damian felt a jolt of something run through him. Todd was never labeled as ‘well’ by his mother. “He did ask for you, but he’s been very calm and coherent today. We wanted to see what it was he wanted of you, but I’m afraid he wouldn’t tell us.”

Richard slid his eyes from Talia to Damian and Damian held his gaze, silently telling him it was his decision to make. Damian had told him he would never take away Richard’s right to choose what to do. That Richard always had a say. But every once in a while, the teen would seek his guidance and Damian gave his opinion as neutrally as he could. Even if it physically pained him to allow Richard to make choices that he later had to clean and dress to avoid infection. But decisions involving Todd had never led to injury, so he felt no concern allowing the teen to see him.

“Should we go now? Or can I clean up first?”

Talia glanced over his plain black training gear, white tape around his hands to protect his palms and allow him to keep a good grip on the staff, black soft sole shoes to ensure good footing. She shrugged a shoulder. “If you would like to change, that is up to you. Jason is in his rooms for the remainder of the day. But I would like to be present when you go see him.”

Richard seemed to consider the idea for a moment before shrugging himself. “We can go now. Dami can come with, right?”

His mother looked over at him and Damian silently dared her to say he couldn’t join them. She smirked at him before looking back to Richard. “Of course he can, my little snake.” Damian hated that nickname, something his grandfather had called Richard the first week they had been there because Richard had proven he could be silent as death in his movements.

Silent like a snake in the brush, his grandfather had said. His mother had latched onto it and refused to let it go. Richard never seemed to mind, but Damian still hated it. He her demon and Richard her snake. What a pair the two of them made. He wondered what Todd would be to her once she was finished sinking her claws into him.

Damian clasped his hands behind his back as the three of them walked, his mother and Richard side by side in front of him, through the halls toward the wing where Todd’s rooms were. He hadn’t been surprised to find them in the furthest wing from his grandfather and mother’s rooms, but was surprised when they were just a few halls away from where he and Richard resided. It had led to more than a few sleepless nights for Damian when Todd had a particularly bad day and Damian couldn’t relax enough to trust Richard’s safety to the footmen outside their rooms.

“Master Zadkiel tells me that your bow staff training is not going as smoothly as your training with the katana. Is there something about the staff that you find challenging?” His mother questioned as they made their way through the hall. Damian pressed his lips together, holding in the remark about how when he had struggled with a weapon, he was placed on the whipping post until he got the determination to properly train. But Damian would be dead and buried before Richard experienced the same kind of cruelty he had as a child.

Richard shrugged, hands loose at his sides. Damian could see the tension in his shoulders though. “It is much taller than I am. I can’t seem to find the balance between my own height and the height of the staff. I’ll find it soon.” He glanced over at Talia, who kept her eyes forward. “I know what’s expected of me.”

Damian’s hands tightened around each other.

“Indeed,” was all Talia said in response as they came to a stop in front of Todd’s rooms. She gave a firm knock before stepping back to stand next to Damian, leaving Richard closest to the door.

There was a growled, “what?” from the other side of the door and Damian glanced at his mother who didn’t change her expression.

“It’s me,” Richard called out in response. “And Damian and Talia,” he added, likely to avoid an angry Todd at unexpected visitors. The door was promptly pulled open, revealing Todd in his ever-increasing bulk. It had been least surprising thing that the Pit had taken away the lasting results of childhood hunger and malnourishment that Todd had suffered at the hand of his parents and turned him into the physical specimen he would have been without that childhood illness. Damian knew Todd would rival his own physique once he was done growing. They might even be matched in height, Todd possibly passing him in weight due to the broader expanse of his shoulders. Damian looked forward to that day, to see what kind of man Todd would grow into.

“I said I wanted to see Dickie, not you and the Demon.” Todd growled the words at Talia, his eyes narrowed but clear.

Damian stopped himself from speaking, instead he really looked at Todd. The green haze that was always in his gaze since the Pit was missing. His eyes were still slightly greener in color than they had been before his death, but they weren’t glowing. And that was an improvement. His body looked relaxed and his tone wasn’t angry, it was annoyed. It sounded just like Todd always had when Batman had told his partner he was benched.

“Jay, come on,” Richard spoke up, pressing a hand to Jason’s chest and pushing him so they could enter the room. Jason gave a grunt and did as Richard requested, moving away from the door to slump into one of two armchairs near the fire that was roaring in the fireplace. “How was today?” Richard asked, voice light and friendly as he dropped into the other chair.

Damian shut the door behind him but didn’t move further into the room the way his mother did. He watched her walk a circle around the large sitting room before coming to a stop by the fireplace, turning to watch Richard and Todd. He didn’t know what the point of her being here was, but it left him uneasy and on the defensive. Like so much she did these days.

“It was fine,” Todd grumbled, eyes bouncing from Damian to Talia a few times before looking back to Richard. “Tell me about training.”

Richard’s face scrunched a bit and Todd gave a laugh, causing Damian to drop his hands from behind his back to his sides. It was the first time he had heard Todd laugh since before his death. The last time he had heard it had been the day before he had run off to search for his birth mother. The teen had called him and Damian had made some comment about Batman that he couldn’t remember. Todd had laughed in response and Damian had smiled on the other end of the line. It was the last time he and Todd had spoken, really spoken.

“The staff is hard, but I’ll figure it out.”

“Of course you will,” Todd nodded. “Too bad Timmy isn’t here too. He’s the best with the staff. Bet he could get you swinging that thing like a pro.” The air in the room seemed to have vanished at those words. As far as Damian knew, Jason had never mentioned anything regarding home. Regarding Gotham. He had only spoken about things involving Richard and Damian, never mentioning any of the others. It had made him feel like Todd was a stranger they were getting to know for the first time. This comment was the first time Damian felt like the Todd he remembered was there in the room with them.

And the glance he took in Richard’s direction showed the same wonder etched on his face that Damian felt in his chest. It didn’t take a confirmation from anyone else that this was a turning point. Todd was sure to have moments of struggles in the coming weeks, months, and maybe even years, but he would continually improve.

It felt like hope and that felt dangerous.

It became common practice for Todd to join Damian as he watched Richard’s training from that point on. The teachers and doctors began to trust the teen more and more with freedom and Damian found that the presence of his younger adopted brother was more comforting than he had thought before the teen’s death.

“Why did you take him away from Bruce just to bring him here for Ra’s and his assassins to train him?” Todd asked as he and Damian sat under one of the trees on the grounds. Damian frowned, looking at him in confusion. Hadn’t he told Todd what had transpired before he had been placed in the Pit? After his death?

Letting out a huff of air, Damian looked back to Richard who was punching one of the punching bags hanging from the rafters. “Because I didn’t want Father to get him killed the way he got you killed,” Damian admitted. “And I didn’t bring him to Nanda Parbat, we were brought here.”

“Why?”

“Todd, we had this talk already. Do you not remember?”

“Oh,” the teen said, getting a faraway look on his face. “I guess not…”

Damian sighed. He knew this was just another side effect of the pit, but the forgetting was getting less and less so he had been told not to worry. “We were living in one of the villages at the bottom of the mountain. Mother came to us and said if we came to Nanda Parbat, she wouldn’t tell Father where we were. I didn’t trust that we could escape her eye or reach if we ran again, so I agreed.”

“That’s not everything.”

“No,” he shook his head, “it isn’t.” He looked at Todd and waited for the teen to look back to him. “She showed me you, before the Pit. You were…alive but not alive. And she told me of her plan to put you in the Pit. I tried to stop her because you were so angry when you died and the way you died--” Damian cut himself off from saying it when Jason paled a little. “It’s not a good combination for the magic of the Pit.”

Jason snorted. “That’s obvious. I came out a raging monster.”

“You came out angry because life was ripped from you violently,” Damian corrected him. Even though it had been quite the scene, he wouldn’t stand for Todd talking down on himself for something he had no control over. “You weren’t a monster, just under the thrall of the Pit.”  Damian would never forget how easily Todd had taken down the footmen who had trained for years to be that close to Ra’s and Talia, to be trusted enough to be near those waters. He hadn’t even struggled to cut them down and Damian still dreamt about what would have happened if Richard hadn’t been there and Todd hadn’t stopped at the sight of him. “I asked her not to do it, but she was going to do it no matter what. And I just couldn’t not be there to step in if she did something…I don’t even know what I expected her to do. I just wanted to protect you from her grasp because I know how she can be. I know how they all can be.”

There was silence from Todd and Damian frowned, looking back to Richard as he landed a hard kick to the bag before spinning and landing another. His form was becoming so much better as he began to trust himself and his natural talents. Since Ra’s had installed the gymnastics equipment in the training hall for him to get back to his roots. It had been an almost instant change. Damian had never seen someone improve so quickly before. All because his grandfather had shown a kindness.

“But why is he training?”

“To become stronger.” Damian parroted his mother’s words, words heavy with the anger they made him feel. “We made an agreement. Nothing would happen to you without my knowledge and Richard would train, but with the caveat that if he said enough then it would stop.”

“Talia wants to send us to the All Caste.” Damian sighed. He knew this. His mother had been mentioning it to him for weeks and Damian had denied her each and every time. He might not have authority over what happened with Todd the same way he did with Richard, but he still made his disagreement known. He also knew that if Todd was sent there without Richard, the young teen would follow with or without Damian’s blessing. “Damian?”

“I know what she wishes. I am the reason it hasn’t happened yet.”

“But they’re good.” Damian huffed. “Aren’t they?”

Turning to look at the teen, Damian frowned. “They stand on the right side, yes. But I have no power there. I cannot step in if something happens that I do not approve of. Richard will no longer have the small amount of control he has now. You would be completely at their mercy.”

“But training with them would likely be better than training with your grandfather’s goons.”

“Perhaps.”

Todd didn’t say anything further, but Damian could tell there was something else he desperately needed to get out. The longer they went on in the heavy silence the more it grated on Damian’s nerves. Though it had been over half a year since Todd had emerged from the Pit, Damian still found himself struggling with this version of the teen. This was obviously not the same person who had gone into the grave, Damian had known that would be the case. But he didn’t know this version. He didn’t know what to expect, wasn’t good with just letting things happen as they were meant to. He watched Richard just open his arms and accept the elder just as he was and acted as though no time had passed between them, but Damian just couldn’t seem to manage that.  

“What is it, Todd?” He asked, forcing himself to keep his voice even and not reveal his irritation.

Jason shrugged. “Maybe they would negotiate with you,” he said quietly. Damian looked at him, brows merging. “They’re not going to negotiate with someone like Talia al Ghul, right?” Damian nodded. “Well, they’d likely negotiate with someone like Batman’s blood born son.”

Damian scowled at that title, hating having it thrown back at him the same way he had thrown it at Tim when the other man had joined the family. He had worn it as a title to be proud of. Now he hid that fact from anyone who might let it get back to Batman just where Damian had found himself after over two years of hiding.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you want to go to the Chamber or All.”

“I don’t trust your mother with Dick. I trust your grandfather less with both of you.” His lips parted at the words, surprised that the teen concerned himself over anything to do with Damian. “You can hold your own against your mother, but Ra’s…” Todd let out a harsh breath through his nose. The teen shook his head and looked out toward where Richard had begun unwrapping his knuckles, breaths heaving from the workout. “He’ll ruin him. More than Bruce ever would have.”

Green eyes turned from the older teen to the younger one Damian had sacrificed everything in order to protect. Every day in the village he had been vigilant in order to keep Richard safe. He had done everything he could to make sure they flew under the radar. He had tried to keep both of them invisible and yet they had been found by Drake and then by his mother and grandfather. He had failed to protect Richard and in a moment of weakness for his family, he had given in to her demands in order to try and protect Todd too.

The thought of sending Todd and Richard to the Chamber of All to train with Ducra frightened him because it was a variable he, yet again, didn’t know. He had been honest when he told Todd he couldn’t control what happened if they went to the Caste. He had no influence and would be completely at their mercy. Todd and Richard could suffer because of that and Damian didn’t know what he would do if they were harmed in any way and he was powerless to do anything.

“I could,” he started, frowning as the idea formed, “go to the Chamber of All and see if they would grant me certain authority over your training. If going there is something you are absolutely certain you want.” He looked at Todd and found the teen watching him. Todd didn’t speak, only gave a firm nod and Damian returned it. “I’ll make the arrangements. I’ll have to go alone and while I am gone, I would like Richard to be released to your protection. Todd,” he clenched his jaw, “Jason, trusting him to anyone is a lot to ask of me after these years. You are the only person I will do that with. Do you understand?”

“I do. With my life, Damian. For him? Always.”

Damian wasn’t surprised to see the green glow ignite around Jason’s eyes

Damian stepped out of the temple and looked around at the darkening sky, breathing in the spicy scents all around him. He had been pleasantly surprised that he actually liked the environment of the Chamber of All. He liked the members of the Caste and though Ducra was a hardass, he liked her as well. He could see both Jason and Richard thriving in their training under the members here. And that worried him.

He had expressed his concerns with Ducra and why he had not allowed his mother to bring the two teens to them earlier and the woman had waved him off. She had been so dismissive of his worries that both would be taken advantage of and that Richard especially would be turned into a weapon he should not be. He admitted all his concerns and the woman had told him that wasn’t what they did. They trained individuals to be their very best, but they did not corrupt the way the League and his grandfather did. That, he couldn’t argue with.

So, he had agreed to bring the two to train under Ducra and out from under the thumb of his grandfather and mother.

Beep.

Damian frowned, reaching into his pocket to grab the phone he had with him always after Drake had given it to him the day he had shown up at Amala’s home in the village at the base of the mountain where Nanda Parbat sat. The angry red blinking informed him there was a message on the phone.

“Damian! Where the hell are you?! Pick up the damn phone!” Damian glared at the phone before opening the missed calls and noticed that he had missed 17 calls from the other man. Quickly flipping through the voice messages, he opened the most recent and listened. “Bruce is headed to Nanda Parbat! I’m with him, but damnit get out of there! He found out about Jason and is going to talk to Talia and Ra’s about it. Damnit Damian,” the man growled before the message clicked off yet again.

Damian felt frozen.

This was the nightmare he never could manage to prepare for. He had known it was just a matter of time before his father made his way to Nanda Parbat, but how could he prepare for something he didn’t know when it would happen? Or even how? And now he was hours away and who knew how close they had been when Drake had left that message. The time stamp said it was three hours prior, but without their location at the time of the call he had no way of knowing.

“Demon Heir,” an aged voice said behind him. Turning he found Durca standing there at the entrance of the temple. “I have way to bid you passage quickly. Seems you have need.”

Damian didn’t say anything about eavesdropping busybodies and instead nodded and stepped closer to her as she waved him over. He followed her back into the temple and tried not give into the panic that was filling his chest. He took even, measured breaths to keep himself under wraps as he watched Durca chant something with closed eyes, hands outstretched. And in a respectful amazement, Damian watched as a simmering wall appeared before her.

“Where-” He took a step forward and stared at the portal, stunned. He had read about this kind of magic but had never witnessed it. This was so far beyond what he had expected. “Where will it drop me?”

“Where you desire it to. Focus on that location and walk forward. Do not falter, Demon Heir.”

Damian’s jaw clenched and he gave the woman a nod. “I owe you.” The woman waved him off before giving the portal a pointed look. Damian stared at her for a moment longer than he had to spare, but then was stepping into the portal. The cool, wet feeling that rushed over him was a surprise and stole the breath out of him. The air around him felt like a misty winter morning at the peak of the Himalayas and what surrounded him reminded him an awful lot like an old television set unable to get a clear picture. It made his head fuzzy, the strange change from being on the actual Himalayas to being in this poor reception of them. And for a moment he lost the focus on his rooms in Nanda Parbat and his footing slipped, but before he could fall into an unknown, he clenched his fists and pictured the room he had grown up in and now shared with Richard.

“Dami!”

He fell to the floor, panting as the world came back to him. He hadn’t noticed the complete vacuum of sound in the portal until Richard’s voice called to him. The loud snap of a log on the fire made him flinch as he remained hands and knees pressed to the floor; head bowed as he tried to catch his breath. There was another person in the room with Richard and it forced him to raise his head, eyes locking on Jason’s form with sword drawn.

Damian’s nod had the teen sheathing the sword as Richard knelt next to him and helped him up.

“What happened?” Richard asked, voice edging panic. “One minute it was just Jay and I, the next you were on the floor. How did you get here?”

“Ducra,” he breathed, looking between Richard and Jason. “I’ll explain later. Get you bag.” He sent a look to Jason that made the teen’s features darken and rush from the room.

“Wait!” Richard called out to him, but Jason didn’t look back and simply did as Damian had told. “Dami, what is happening?”

Pushing up to his feet, Damian glanced around before moving to the bed and pushing it aside weakly. The trip through the portal had seemed to sap him of his energy and he didn’t have time to think about what that could mean if he had to face his father and Drake right then. Instead, he focused on prying up the floorboard he had stashed go-bags under for him and Richard. He tossed the young teen his bag before he shouldered his own. Quickly, he moved the floorboard and bed back into place before looking over Richard and said a silent thanks to whatever god was listening that the teen already had proper attire and shoes on.

“Come,” he instructed Richard to follow him as he went to the door. He paused only for a moment to grab both of their swords, slipping his own over his head and handing Richard his own. He waited as the teen pulled his on, but his eye caught something shimmering in the background. In the exact spot he had landed in the room not long before this moment.

The portal was still active.

A knock on the door alerted them that Jason had returned, and a plan formed in Damian’s mind as he considered the decision he was being faced with. “We have to go, I already heard the plane was preparing to land,” Jason said as he slipped inside.

Damian clenched his jaw. “Yes, you have to go. Both of you, through the portal.”

“What do you mean by that? What do you mean the both of us? What about you, Dami?” Richard asked, moving to stand right in front of him, tiny hand gripping the cloth of his shirt. Instead of looking down at him, Damian looked to Jason. And he found the teen standing there with a cool resolve on his face. He understood exactly what Damian was going to do. He understood what Damian was going to ask of him. And he accepted it. “Jay?”

“With my life,” Jason promised, fist pressed over his chest as he gave a deep bow. “But how do I know where this will take us?”

“Think about the Chamber of All, think of nothing else.” Jason looked at the shimmer in the air of the center of the room before looking back to Damian and nodding. Damian stared at him for a moment before blinking and looking down at Richard, who looked almost panicked. “You have to go with Jason, Richard. I can distract Father long enough for you two to go to the Chamber of All. Ducra will grant you sanctuary and Father will never be able to find you.”

“But what about you?” Richard’s voice was small, his face revealing the emotions swirling around inside him as if Damian were reading them in a book. “I won’t leave you.”

Damian shook his head and looked at the portal again. “You have to, Richard. I need to know you are safe and I can trust Jason to do that.” Richard’s hands tightened and Damian felt the material of his shirt strain. “I will come to you, once it is safe. I will come to you.” He looked back down at the teen. “But I need you to be safe. And I need you away from here. We will never make it off the mountain without him knowing. Not even with Drake’s assistance. I won’t let him take you from me.” He would have been more careful about the desperation that seeped into his tone with anyone other than Richard around, but he knew it would just be fuel for Jason to keep him safe.

And it seemed to be enough for Richard to really understand because he released Damian’s shirt before wrapping his arms around the older man tightly. Damian held onto him just as tightly for a moment before releasing him and looked back to Jason.

“Chamber of All. Do not think of anything else and do not release his hand.”

Jason gave a nod.

“I will send word when I can.” He pressed the phone Drake had given him into Jason’s hand. Another nod. “Keep each other safe.”

“Always,” Jason promised, and Richard echoed the sentiment.

And Damian believed it. So he took a step back and watched as Jason reached out for Richard’s hand, who was now looking at Damian from over his shoulder as their hands clasped tightly to the other. He gave Richard a small smile, trying to reassure him that everything would be okay. And Damian felt something ease slightly in his chest at the smile he received in return just as the pair of them stepped into the shimmering wall and vanished from his sight.

He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should just follow them through, before the shimmer seemed to fade from sight and Damian was left standing there alone. He took one more moment of deep breathing before he burst into action.

Quickly, he stripped out of his daily wear and pulled on the uniform of the Demon Heir that his mother had proudly gifted him when he and Richard had come to stay in his rooms. He pulled each strap of fabric into place before he tugged on the armor and the coat. He strapped his sword back on his back and made sure everything was in place.

He was just finishing stepping into his boots when a firm knock sounded on his door.

“Enter,” he called out, voice flat. He wasn’t surprised when his mother walked into the room with two guards flanking her. He stood tall, single eyebrow raised as he watched her look around for Richard.

“How did you know to hide him away?”

“You aren’t the only one with sources, Mother,” he told her. “I got them both out.”

Fury lit her features and Damian knew it was the right choice to send Jason away. She had planned to use Jason to rile Batman up and Damian had taken that chip out of her bag of tricks. “You had no right.”

“I had every right,” he responded. His voice went low, cold. His eyes narrowed on her as she stalked forward and stood in front of him. “They are mine to protect. I will never let you or him ruin them. They aren’t yours anymore.”

“We’ll see about that.” She paused, the fury bleeding away to the familiar cold demeanor he was used to. “At least you had enough sense to dress accordingly. Let us go greet your father.” She turned and headed back out of his room, the two guards waiting for him to follow before they left as well.

He remained silent as he walked a step behind his mother through the halls of the fortress. There were more footmen stationed here and there with the presence of Batman, but the halls were deserted otherwise. He took the walk to fortify himself against what he was about to face. He hadn’t seen his father since before he and Richard had left. He had barely spoken to Drake over the time from when the other man had found them and now. He knew it would be a shock to his system as much as it would be to theirs. But he had spent his childhood training to shut that side down. A few years with Richard had done his empathy good, but he was still the product of his childhood.

So he put up his walls and closed down the wells of emotions he had allowed to open in the presence of his son.

He became the Demon Heir.

“Ah Grandson,” his grandfather greeted from his chair in the room where he met all the guests that were not attacked the instant they came to Nanda Parbat. “I see you had the foresight to protect yours.” Damian said nothing as he stopped to stand in front of the man, looking up at him from the bottom of the dais. “I wish I could say I was surprised, but alas I am not. You will stand to my left,” he gestured to the left side of the throne.

The enforcers side.

He looked at his mother, who looked at her father with narrowed eyes, before he ascended the stairs and took up his spot. He could play the part. He could do this if it meant keeping Richard and Jason safe. He would do this because he would do anything to ensure their survival.

“How long have you planned this?” His grandfather quested when he came to a stop and turned to face the double doors that would eventually open to reveal their guests. “From the beginning.”

“I will always be prepared to keep them safe.”

“From me or him, I wonder.”

Damian blinked but didn’t outwardly show his answer. “Why not both?”

“Damian,” his mother hissed. He turned and looked at her over his grandfather’s head, standing to the right of the man. He didn’t reveal anything on his face but he let his eyes burn as he looked into hers.

He didn’t get the chance to say anything more as the sound of the large stone doors were pushed open and a group of footmen entered, followed by a familiar figured dressed in black and another in red and gold. There was a third figure behind them, a black suit Damian didn’t recognize, that drew his attention more than the visceral reaction Batman was having at the sight of Damian standing there.

“Damian!” His father shouted, drawing his eyes from the stranger to the man in the Batman suit.

“Father,” he said flatly. Batman stopped short and looked over at Red Robin, who stood a step behind and was staring at Damian.

Ra’s chose that moment to laugh and draw Batman’s gaze back to the front of the room. “Are the pieces falling into place, Detective?” Damian’s jaw clenched at the idea of his father realizing that Drake had known about them being here. But instead of focusing on that, his gaze went back to the stranger in the bat suit behind the two men. It looked similar to his father’s but instead of the cowl, the stranger was completely covered. If not for their distinct figure, he wouldn’t have known if the person was male or female. Or neither.

But he did know this stranger was dangerous.

The way they moved reminded him so much of a shadow and he wondered if his father had intentionally found someone who could take over his oldest child’s persona literally. They didn’t seemed to walk with the same force as their companions, but instead tip toed almost on air. No one else seemed to pay attention to them as they drifted back and stood in the darkness of the room, a place where the light could never touch.

“Where is my son?” Batman growled, eyes narrowed in his direction. Damian looked from the shadow to his father and stared. “Where is he?”

“And which son is it you refer to, Detective? The one stolen by death or stolen by blood?” Ra’s seemed entirely too amused by the situation. And Damian let him. He allowed his father’s temper to simmer and his grandfather to taunt him. Because his focus was going back to the shadow lurking in the room. The shadow that was slowly moving to slip out of the room.

“You will never find them here,” he called out at last, eyes on the shadow of a person and not on his Father. The stranger stopped and though Damian couldn’t see their eyes, he could tell they were looking right at him. So he stared back for a moment before looking at his father with narrowed eyes. “You will never find them.”

He was somewhat surprised to see the shadow remain where they were and not continue their exit from the room. Either this person knew him and knew he had no reason to lie, or they were good at reading people and could tell he was being honest. Whatever the reason, he allowed his focus to turn back to his father and brother.

“He was not yours to take,” his father growled, and Damian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. But instead, he kept his face blank and said nothing. “Give them both to me now or I will tear this place apart to find them.”

Damian tilted his head. “You could try,” he countered. “And you would fail.”

“I would do more damage than you would want to incur.”

“You will fail because our son,” his mother finally spoke up, “sent them both away to a place only he is aware of.” She cut a look to Damian that he saw out of the corner of his eye but didn’t bother glancing over at her. He kept his gaze on his father and Drake, the latter who seemed to relax just slightly at the revelation. “So perhaps your latest addition of Lady Shiva’s daughter could join us up here instead of lurking in our shadows.”

That caused Damian to blink. He had heard whispers of this girl, of this wraith. Taught to be silent as the darkness that was always inevitable. She was skilled and formidable. Someone he would not want to go one-on-one with because he knew he would lose. He was good, had been trained by some of the best, but she was better.

Had Drake trusted her with Damian’s secret? Did she know why he had taken Richard in the dark of the night and never looked back? Did she understand?

Looking to brother, Damian stared at the white lenses of his mask and wished he could speak to the man alone. Even for just a moment. But Drake had his part to play and Damian would not risk Batman knowing of his partner’s involvement in Damian’s actions.

“Damian, son,” his father pleaded.

But Damian shook his head. “I will die before I let you near either of them ever again.”

“They are my sons!”

“And you are responsible for one of them dying at the hands of a madman who should have been put down like a rabid dog long ago,” he finally allowed his anger to bleed into his voice. He took a step forward and looked down at Batman from the top of the dais, hoping his presence was as intimidating as most always told him it was. “You train children to be soldiers and then replace them when they are too old to be the distraction you would want them to be. You send us to our deaths with little consideration for the other people in our lives and what it would mean for them to be left behind. I watched, too often, how you put Drake in danger to keep yourself out of it. I watched as we buried Todd and you looked to Richard to see if he would be a worthy replacement. I would die a thousand deaths before I allowed you anywhere near him.”

Damian descended the steps and came to a stop in front of his father, eye to eye and nose to nose. “He is my son. He will never be yours again.” His father let out a sharp breath from his nose and Damian just let his anger guide his actions. “I saw the mindless teen that Todd was before he was put in the waters. I watched as Todd was lowered into the Lazarus Pit and come out blind with rage and bloodlust. I was here when he killed man after man only to stop the moment he saw Richard. I was here every step of the way as he worked through that haze. I. Was. Here.” He narrowed his eyes on his father and took satisfaction as the man clenched his jaw. “You weren’t even there when he died. Why should you be here when he’s alive again?”

“He is mine,” Batman whispered, and Damian shook his head.

“No,” Damian backed up a step. “No. Neither of them will ever be yours ever again.”

He stood there, staring at his father and waiting for the man’s next move. He let his anger burn through his veins and knew that if it came down to a fight, it would be difficult but he could win against his father. He could win against Drake. He would not win against the stranger, but he had no quarrel with her, so he hoped she kept her distance. A fight is not how he wanted this to end, but to protect those two teens he would do whatever he had to.

He would always do whatever he had to.

“B,” Drake finally spoke up. “They aren’t here, there’s no reason for them to lie about that. Let’s just go.” But Batman was shaking his head and Damian was taking another step back, hand lifting to grip the sword strapped to his back. “Do you really want to fight your own son?” The voice of reason. But Damian knew how his father could be and even Drake could not always pull him back.

“He’s the Demon Heir, he is no son of mine.” The words stung but Damian was glad he had fortified himself before he saw his father. He had prepared for this situation to happen one day. He had been prepared to be cast aside by the man whose blood ran through his veins.

Ra’s’ laugh sounded, and Damian removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. “You are so blinded to the truth, Detective.”

“How am I blinded? Damian is here with you. He brought my son he stole away and brought him here. I’m not stupid enough to think you would allow them shelter without something in return. So what did you promise?” Batman looked to Damian again. “Did you promise to be his heir again? Did you give him Dick? Did you sell your soul to keep him safe from me?”

Damian looked at Drake, who had his hand on Batman’s shoulder and felt the request to remain silent. To just let the other man take care of it. To let his grandfather and mother take care of it. Silent was one thing he could do. Glancing back to his grandfather, who looked more amused than anything, and his mother, who looked bored, he let the chips fall where they pleased. He could bide his time and step in only where he was needed.

“My grandson is not my heir. He has not come here to take his birth right,” Ra’s explained. Damian pressed his lips together. “We found him and his young prodigy at the base of our mountain, living as commoners,” the word was said with such disgust that Damian felt his lip curl a bit. They had not lived in luxury, but they had been safe and happy. “We were content to let them remain as long as they did not hinder us any. Then Talia stumbled across the strangest thing. She found a familiar face wandering around the streets of Gotham. But he did not recognize anyone or anything. He said nothing, just followed basic instructions. So she brought him here and presented him to me.

“It was another six months before we finally decided to call upon my grandson in hopes that seeing him would bring forth the teen he once was,” Ra’s continued. Damian listened as he told about how Jason never reacted to anything until he was placed into the Pit and came out raging. Having experienced it in person, he let his grandfather’s words fade out. He didn’t want to know the embellishments the man put on the story to make it see more horrific or as though he had done a great charity by doing that to Jason.

Damian knew there had been a selfish reason. There was always a selfish one when it came to his grandfather and mother. He knew them well enough to know they always did things for their own benefit and never out of the kindness of their hearts.

“Why is Damian still here then?”

“Because I tried to stop them from putting Jason in the Pit,” Damian snapped back into the conversation. “But they were going to do it with or without me present. So I made a deal. I would remain in Nanda Parbat as long as Jason did. I would allow them to protect Richard and myself from your ever watchful eye and in return I would watch over Jason and Richard would train under my old masters.”

Batman’s face gave nothing away but Damian didn’t need to see it to know what was coming. “You are no better than what you accuse me of,” the words were cold, void of all emotion. “You would subject him to what you had endured?”

“No,” Damian shook his head. “No. I made sure Richard had a voice here. He made the decision. I told him what was offered and he chose to be near Jason. He had the facts laid out before him and he made his own decision. Just as I did before we left Gotham, I let him decide based on the facts.”

“And what facts were those?”

“That I had my childhood stolen by both my parents. That Drake tried so hard to please you that he has lost the boy he was when he first figured out you were Batman. That Jason died because he needed Bruce Wayne but got Batman instead. Those are the facts that I presented.” He knew his father couldn’t deny the truth in what he had said. There was no lie there.

“You can’t tell me that you didn’t sway him in leaving,” his father said. “He was happy in Gotham.”

With brows furrowed, Damian looked to Drake before looking back to his father. “Happy? He had just lost a brother! Jason had been in the ground for just a few months before you were looking to train him to replace the sibling he had been closest to. Do you have any idea how many nights I would find him crying in his room when I got home from patrol? Do you have any idea what his teachers were saying at the academy about his lack of focus and possible depression?”

Batman looked from Damian to Drake and then back again.

“You were so blinded by your own issues that you didn’t pause for a moment to see that you weren’t the only person who had lost Jason.” Damian took a deep breath and control the anger rising up in him again. This fight wasn’t worth it. Not anymore. “He’s not yours anymore, Father. If he ever was. He was given a choice and he made it. I simply stood behind him, ready to catch him if he stumbled.”

Silence fell over the group of them and Damian silently begged his father to understand. To look past his hurt pride and anger to see that he had made mistakes. That he couldn’t be allowed to continue the cycle of children being hurt. And Damian got it, he understood that Batman was what Bruce Wayne had needed in order to deal with the loss of his parents. It had been exactly what Bruce had needed. But they weren’t him. None of them were. And none of them needed their vigilante personas the way he did. Richard didn’t need one at all. And Damian hoped that Jason wouldn’t need one any longer either.

“B,” Drake tried again, voice soft.

“Where did you send them?”

“I won’t ever tell you. And the people they are with will protect them in ways that I never could.”

“And if they decide, one day, they want to return to Gotham?”

Damian swallowed. “Then I will follow them home again. But it will be their decision. Not mine. And never yours.”

He waited, for what he wasn’t sure. But he waited for his father to do or say something in return. He waited for the man to try and make another argument in his favor, but it never came. Instead he turned, cape flaring around him, and stormed back the way he came. The stranger followed him without a backward glance, but Drake remained in his spot.

Without permission from his mother or grandfather, Damian walked over to the other man. He stopped a foot away and watched Drake take a deep breath before reaching out and placing a hand on Damian’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Damian offered, giving a small smile. “I appreciate the warning. I almost didn’t get it in time. But they are safe because of you.”

“No,” Drake shook his head. “They’re safe because of you.” He paused and looked past Damian to where his grandfather and mother remained. “Are you?”

“I am.”

Drake nodded and gave his shoulder a squeeze before dropping it. “I have to go. I’ll be in contact.”

Damian said nothing as Drake turned and followed the path the other two had taken. He watched the doorway until the last of Drake’s red and gold had vanished from view before turning to look at his grandfather and mother.

“Now, where did you send them?” Ra’s asked, eyebrow raised.

Damian looked over to his mother and raised both his brows. He was curious if she would figure it out. She had known where he had gone earlier in the day. She had known what he had wanted to accomplish with the visit to Ducra. The moment she realized, Damian saw it in her eyes.

“Well played, Damian.” Was all she said.

Ra’s looked between them with narrowed eyes and Damian blinked slowly. “I sent them exactly where Mother has been wanting to send them.” There was a pause before understanding. “The All Caste agreed to my terms earlier and when I received the messages from Red Robin regarding Batman coming here, Ducra allowed me to portal to my rooms. I simply had the two of them walk back through it before it vanished.”

He fell silent as his grandfather considered his words and actions. He knew the man would likely be proud of his cunning, but irritated that he had done it without asking permission. Ra’s likely thought of Jason as his personal property and Damian had stolen from him. But in Damian’s mind, Jason was his just as much as Richard was. Perhaps not in the same respect, but his to protect.

“And you are meant to follow now? Or will you stay here and put that cunning into good use as my heir once again?”

Damian looked to his mother again before going back to his grandfather. “I will never be your heir. I will never be a pawn in yours or my father’s plots and plans ever again.”

“Then your wards will no longer be under my protection.”

“So be it.” Something darkened in his grandfather’s features and Damian straightened a bit more.

By the time Damian made it out of Nanda Parbat and down to the village where his mother had approached him before everything, he bleeding and only slightly bruised. With a gentle knock, he kept his hood pulled down over his brow and waited for the familiar face to answer the door. The moment Amala recognized him, she was pulling him into the shelter of her small house and shutting the door firmly behind him.

“Where is he? What happened to you?” She spoke quickly as she pulled his hood down and looked over the trail of blood down the side of his face from a cut near his brow.

Damian waved off her hands as she tried to examine him for more injuries and slumped into a chair at the table. “I need to get a message out but I do not know who to trust.”

Amala frowned deeply and looked at him, a now wet towel in hand to wipe away the blood on his face. “You trust me. That is who you trust.”

“I do, Amala. That is why I’m here. But I need to find someone who can transport me to somewhere very secret.” He winced as she pressed the cloth to his cut and then held it as she gestured for him to do. He watched her move about the room, grabbing a paper and a pen.

“You write what you need. I will get someone to send the fire message.” Damian thought about it. Fire messages were sent to individuals but he didn’t know if one could get through the wards at the Chamber of All. It was worth a try.

So he took the paper and scribbled on it in French. He told Richard to have Ducra open a portal for him to Amala’s home and to come to him. He stared at the note for a moment before folding it and handing it back to Amala.

“For Richard.” She gave a bow of her head and hurried out of her house, leaving Damian in the silence. He sat there for a moment, taking mental stock of his physical condition before deeming the bruises minimal and no broken bones. The footmen had been ordered to attack but none of them had gone as hard as they could have. He knew that his grandfather had only done it because Damian’s refusal was a hit to his pride and he couldn’t allow it to go unpunished. But he could have easily ordered Damian’s capture and Damian could have tried to fight his way out, but he wouldn’t likely have succeeded. He was strong, but he was only one man. But instead of that route, his grandfather had left him with a headache and some bruises.

Letting the hand holding the towel fall into his lap, Damian slouched forward and closed his eyes. He was tired. Emotionally and physically. And it was times like these that he missed Alfred. He missed the comfort foods he would make for Damian before sending up to bed to rest. He missed being cared for instead of always providing the care. He missed Jon. Hell, he even missed his father. Not Batman, never Batman. But there were memories of Bruce Wayne from his childhood that were fond memories. When they weren’t fighting crime. When they were family.

“Dami!” Looking up, Damian felt a heaviness ease at the sight of Richard and Jason storming through the portal that now sat in the middle of Amala’s home. “What happened? You’re bleeding!” The teen rushed forward and grabbed at Damian’s head, turning it to look at the cut.

“It is nothing,” Damian waved it off. “Grandfather was insulted in his home by my actions and had to do something. It’s a fraction of what he would have done to anyone else.”

Jason stared at him, eyes hard but knowing. “What of Bruce?”

Damian stared back at him for a moment. “I don’t think he’s given up, but he’s at least aware now. I made it very clear that neither of you were his to take.” He looked from Jason to Richard, who had begun chewing on his lip. “You’re mine. I will protect you from any threat, including him. Both of you,” he looked back to Jason.

“I don’t need your protection,” Jason scoffed, but Damian could see he appreciated it. He saw it in his eyes and the hard swallow of his throat. “Do Ra’s and Talia know where we went?”

Damian gave a nod. “After Father had left, I allowed them to figure it out. It was what Mother had wanted anyway. Perhaps not the way she had wanted, but that is not our problem. We’ll be safe there.”

Glancing toward the door when it opened, Damian gave Amala a nod of thanks when she took in Jason and Richard standing in front of him and the shimmering portal in the middle of her home. Richard wasted no time in rushing over to her and embracing her. They spoke in low tones and Damian watched for a moment before looking back to Jason.

“How bad are you hurt?”

“Just a few bruises. It really was the least harm he could have inflicted. It was a mercy and I am certain he will not allow me to forget it.” Jason’s face darkened and Damian didn’t bother to hide the warning look. They were among civilians. It took a few deep breaths, but Jason got it under control before Richard walked over with Amala to introduce her to Jason.

He watched the three of them and sighed, allowing himself to feel an ounce of relief at the fact that they were still together despite the earlier events. It was all he could have hoped for. It was better than he had ever allowed himself to hope for.