“Don’t look at me like that.”

Jason startled, his helmet-clad head snapping up. “You can’t even see how I’m looking at you.”

Tim sighed. “I know how you’re looking at me. You’re blaming yourself for getting me into this.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Well this wouldn’t have happened to you if you hadn’t gotten close to me.”

Tim looked down at the bandages that now covered the cuts on his arms. He glanced over at Kevin who was being treated by Alfred. He already had a large bandage over the cut on his cheek.

“I think you should give Tim more credit, Jason,” Kevin said softly.

Jason jerked and looked over at him.

Kevin smiled. “Everything’s starting to make sense now. The clingy visits while you were in uniform and the few times you came into the coffee shop out of uniform with Tim. I might not have caught on earlier but I get it now. Even if it wasn’t until Tim said your name. And you really don’t need to blame yourself for this. We’ve all tried adapting as things changed these past couple months and it just happened that everything we did wasn’t enough. The only thing we can do now is to move on and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Jason sighed and undid the latches from his helmet. He pulled it off and set it on the table next to the medical table Tim was perched on.

“Now that the two of you have been cared for,” Alfred said. “How would you like some cookies?”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Tim said. “That would be great.”

He nodded and walked to the other side of the Cave where the stairs were located, disappearing up them and into the shadows.

“You sure you’re okay?” Jason whispered, standing in front of Tim.

“Yes,” he insisted, cupping Jason’s cheek. “I’m here and I’m alive and I know that you’re always going to find me if I need you.”

Jason ducked his head and pressed their lips together.

“I’ll always come for you,” he whispered when they broke apart.

Tim snickered. “You’re such a dork.”

“Hey! You’re the one who suggested it.”

Tim’s gaze softened. “I know. But you’re still a dork for saying the words. Thank you though.”

A screech of tires sounded and caught their attention. Nightwing burst through the tunnel on a bike and came to a halt. He shoved the kickstand down and climbed off his bike, rushing over to the medical setup.

“Are you okay?” Nightwing asked, grasping Kevin’s shoulders.

Kevin blinked up at him, eyes wide from his sudden appearance and desperation.

“I-uh-um-yes?” he stammered.

Nightwing huffed before he wrapped his fingers around the back of Kevin’s neck, tugging him forward to smash their lips together.

Kevin made a sound in the back of his throat, hands scrabbling at Nightwing’s arms to get a grip and ground himself.

Tim’s eyes went wide as he watched.

“God, don’t scare me like that,” Nightwing insisted when he pulled back.

Kevin’s face was an impressive shade of red and he pursed his lips together. He nodded. “I still don’t know who you are though,” he mumbled.

Nightwing sighed. He released his hold on Kevin and stepped back, his fingers going to the edges of his mask. He worked it away from his skin, careful of the adhesive that kept it stuck to his face.

“My name’s Dick Grayson.” he said, lowering the mask to reveal piercing blue eyes.

Tim gasped and smacked Jason against the chest, barely managing to drag his eyes away from the two of them to meet Jason’s eyes.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” he asked.

Jason cringed and nodded.

“Holy shit,” Tim and Kevin whispered at the same time.

Kevin scrambled backwards on the table, putting space between himself and Dick.

“But what would...why would you...how could someone like you have an interest in me?” Kevin asked, panic seeping into his voice.

Dick blinked at him and smiled, walking slowly around the side of the table to close the distance between them again.

“Because,” he said easily, cupping the uninjured side of Kevin’s face and brushing his thumb over the dirt streaked skin, “you’re kind and loyal and have a great sense of humor. You’re cute and a hard worker and you’re always reading something interesting when I come into the shop. I think the real question is how could I not have an interest in you.”

Kevin stared at him, opening and closing his mouth several times, making Dick chuckle as he tried to form words. He ducked his head and pressed their lips together in another kiss that had Kevin relaxing into.

“Jason, I really don’t want Bruce to do me a favor by offering me this job,” Tim huffed when Jason sat down next to him in one of the lawn chairs arranged haphazardly in the Manor’s backyard.

“He’s not,” Jason said, easily. “I gave him your resume and he went through your qualifications and the openings in the company. You went and had an interview with the hiring director and everything.”

“Yeah, but I still feel like that was just for show so no one got mad that the boyfriend of one of Bruce Wayne’s adopted sons was being given special treatment.”

“Trust me,” Jason said, linking their fingers together as he took a sip from the chilled can of Coke in his hand. “He wouldn’t have offered you a job if he didn’t think you were capable enough to fill the roll. People can bitch and moan all they want but you got that job because of who you are, not because of your relation to me. And I wouldn’t have let that happen anyway.”

Some of the uncertainty and anxiety that had been plaguing Tim since he was brought in unexpectedly for the interview fell away. He knew there was always going to be that doubt in the back of his head that Jason had some influence over what happened, but he could easily change jobs after a few months if it still bothered him.

After he and Kevin had gotten kidnapped, the owner had finally decided to stop staffing the coffee shop after hours. Kevin had gone back to the day shift and Tim had tried it, but found he didn’t have the skills to handle the customers after working nights for so long.

The vigilantes had mourned the loss of their midnight coffee runs, but everyone felt better now that Kevin and Tim had safer working conditions.

“I am going to miss working with Kevin though,” Tim mused, nodding towards where he was being held tightly by Dick, their combined weight somehow not having broken the fabric lining of the lawn chair they were sharing.

“You’re friends now though. You’ll see each other plenty of times and Dick’s been bringing Kevin here practically every time he’s in the house so you’re still going to see him.”

Tim chuckled. “Then things are going well between them?”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Jason groaned. “Dickie never lets Kevin too far out of reach. He’s always touching him, or holding him, or kissing him. And even though it still embarrasses Kevin like you wouldn’t believe, he gets this sappy smile on his face that gives away how pleased he is.”

“You mean like how you are with me?” Tim teased, leaning across the arm of his chair.

Jason rolled his eyes and closed the distance, pressing his lips to Tim’s in a kiss. “You wish,” he whispered, pulling back.

“I’m honestly surprised that Dick hasn’t proposed yet,” Tim whispered.

Jason snorted. “I’m like, 95% sure he already has a ring but I don’t think he wants to seem too eager. He’s a little worried about scaring Kevin off but considering I’ve caught him kissing Kevin goodbye before patrol on the fire escape outside his apartment, I don’t think he needs to worry about scaring him off.”

“They’ll get there,” Tim agreed. “It might just take a little bit.”

Jason was silent for a moment, the birds chirping in the distance on an unusually sunny day for Gotham.

“What about you?” Jason finally asked.

“What about me?”

“Do you think you’re ever going to get married?”

Tim swallowed. “I don’t know. That depends.”

“Oh?” Jason asked, turning to look at him.

Tim met his gaze, his breath catching in his throat at the love shining in his eyes.

“What does it depend on?” he added when Tim didn’t answer.

“You,” Tim said, voice low and heavy.

Jason blinked at him before his lips pulled into a slow and mesmerizing grin. “Well then,” Jason said. “Why don’t we get married, Tim?”

“You’re joking,” he shot back immediately.

Jason shook his head. “I’ve already taken on more of Gotham’s criminals for you than I have for anyone else in the world. I don’t think there’s a bigger show of love or dedication I can offer.”

Tim chuckled, laughter on the edge of hysterical with the unexpected turn their conversation had taken.

“Is that a yes?”

Tim nodded and pushed forward, gripping the back of Jason’s neck to pull him into a kiss. Jason steadied him with a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling out of his chair.

“Get a room, Todd!” Damian yelled from across the yard.

“Shut it,” Jason shot back, breaking the kiss.

Tim chuckled low and breathy, eyes sparkling with happiness. Jason’s irritation at Damian immediately fell away, his eyes sliding back to Tim.

Jason pulled him in for another kiss.

Jason felt the first simmering of anger coil low in his gut when he reached the warehouse district. He was starting to get tired of the small gangs that kept kidnapping Tim and was ready to sweep through Gotham’s underbelly if it meant taking out every single one of them.

The alert was still buzzing over the comms and Jason knew the other capes were centering in on Tim’s trail too. The more of them who showed up to strike fear into these idiots’ souls, the better.

“Fucking finally,” he muttered when he landed on the roof of the warehouse where Tim was blipping on the GPS. He walked over to the skylight to get a look at who he was dealing with. He hoped that Tim had at least punched one of the guys in the face before being taken. That would give him his own sense of satisfaction at having trained Tim.

They should now that Tim’s not someone to be messed with.

Jason froze when he reached the skylight, his mind threatening to cloud every one of his senses with a wash of panic and traumatic memories. He took several deep breaths and blinked, digging his fingers into the palms of his hands to try and ground himself.

His anger rose and crashed over itself once the initial panic began to ebb. His own trauma and history with the Joker was one thing, but Tim had no business being involved with that. He didn’t deserve to be. And neither did Kevin.

Jason growled and lifted his boot, smashing the skylight with his heel and leaving the glass to rain down on the concrete below. He shot his grapple into the roof and jumped through the opening, barely slowing his descent to land without breaking any of his own bones.

The Joker whirled around and Jason saw the blade of his knife already coated with streams of blood.

“Oh goody,” he cried. “The big, bad Red Hood has finally come to play. Do you like what I’ve done with your playthings? It’s such an improvement ri-heuck.”

Jason wrapped his fingers around the Joker’s throat and pulled him away from Tim. He saw Tim trembling, blood running from several cuts on his body. Kevin looked a little better, but hadn’t come out completely unscathed.

“Don’t you ever think about laying a hand on them again or I’ll bring you back just to put you in the ground again,” Jason snarled.

“You have to kill me first before you can bring me back,” he said with a peal of laughter.

“Thanks for pointing that out,” Jason ground out.

He smacked the knife from his hand and drew back a fist, forcing it into his stomach. The Joker grunted and fought to catch his breath around Jason’s fingers pressing on his throat, but Jason was only getting started. He aimed for the face next, feeling Joker’s nose break under his fingers. Blood gushed down over his mouth and clothes.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he asked.

Jason growled and threw him to the side, watching as he rolled several times before coming to a stop. He didn’t give him time to get to his feet. Once the Joker had his hands planted on the floor to push himself up, Jason kicked him in the stomach with the toe of his boot.

“You’re going to regret everything you’ve ever done in life,” Jason continued, kicking him across the floor. “I’ll make sure of it.”

He gasped around laughter, eyes shining in the dim light.

“Do it,” he cried. “Kill me.” He struggled to his knees and grasped Jason’s jacket.

“Gladly,” Jason said, kneeing him in the face.

The Joker fell onto his back, staring up at him. Jason pulled one of his guns from his thigh holster and clicked off the safety.

“Red Hood, stop!”

“No,” he snapped, readying the barrel between the Joker’s eyes.

Hands wrapped around his arm and pulled his gun away, the bullet he managed to discharge flying off into the distance.

“Don’t interfere,” he snarled, rounding on Dick who still held tightly to his arm.

“This is over.”

Jason’s anger burned hotter. He whirled around to face Bruce.

“What the fuck do you know?”

“I know that you need to take the hostages back to the Cave and get them medical attention. They need help,” Bruce said, voice even. “I’ll take care of the Joker.”

“You can’t seriously think that after all of this I’m going to let you cart him off to Arkham only to be broken out again?!” Jason roared.

“Jason.”

He froze and looked past Bruce to where Tim was still chained up.

“Please,” he whispered. “Let’s go.”

Jason swallowed and fought to push down his anger.

A hand landed on his shoulder and Jason looked at Nightwing.

“Let’s get them back,” he said, voice soft and understanding.

Jason relented and nodded, holstering his gun to focus on freeing Tim from the chains holding him in place. He pulled the hook down and got the chains undone, leaving them to fall to the floor.

He wrapped an arm around Tim’s shoulders. His legs and hands shook and blood continued to slide out of the cuts covering his skin, dripping with sickening clarity onto the concrete floor.

Dick took hold of Kevin and together they moved as fast as they could for the double doors leading out of the warehouse. Grappling would’ve been quicker but would’ve only served to aggravate their injuries.

Jason pursed his lips together as a dangerous swirl of emotions took over his chest. The strongest was the crushing guilt pressing down on him. He knew he’d never be able to make up for getting Tim into any of this.

“So,” Jason said, dipping a tortilla in the bowl of guacamole sitting between him and Tim on the kitchen island of Tim’s apartment. “I was thinking...”

“A dangerous thing for you to do,” Tim said, knocking his hand out of the way to scoop up a bit of guac on his own chip. He shoved it in his mouth, chomping loudly between them.

“Shut up,” he muttered. “I was thinking, if you’re okay with it, that we could install a panic button on your phone.”

Tim stilled. “A panic button?” he asked.

Jason nodded and sighed, abandoning his chip to the guac as he crossed his arms on the table in front of him. Tim snatched up the chip and shoved it into his mouth.

“Yeah...I was thinking we could put something on your phone so that if anyone ever comes by the coffee shop you’d just have to press it and any of us vigilantes would come running. We could probably intercept whoever was shaking down the coffee shop and get to you before you were taken. It would probably ease Kevin’s mind a little bit too.”

Tim stared at Jason who shifted uncomfortably.

“I get if you don’t want to do it because of privacy reasons, but I know I’d feel a lot better knowing you had a way to contact us and we could use your phone’s GPS to track you so there’s no chance of losing you. It’s just a suggestion, so don’t feel like you have to-”

Jason cut off his rambling when Tim slipped around the counter and wrapped his arms around Jason’s shoulders, practically choking him.

“Tim?” he asked.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Tim said, voice soft as he pulled back to meet Jason’s eyes. “Considering I don’t have another job and I can’t stop going to work...I think Kevin and I would both feel a lot safer having that on our sides.”

Jason smiled, obviously relieved as he relaxed in his seat. “I’m glad you’re okay with the idea.”

“How soon can you get it installed?”

Jason hummed. “By tonight probably. It shouldn’t take too long. All the vigilantes have panic buttons on our own phones in case things go haywire so I know how the process works.”

“Great,” Tim sighed. He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Jason’s lips. “Now I have a question for you,” he said, glancing to the side to avoid Jason’s gaze.

Jason turned in his seat to fully face Tim and pulled him between his legs, keeping his hands firmly on Tim’s hips. “What is it?” he asked.

Tim bit his lip and Jason rubbed soothing circles into Tim’s sides to ease some of the tension there.

“Do you think you might be able to teach me to fight? Or some self-defense moves? So that if anyone does try to come in and take me I can hold them off until you get there?”

Jason nodded. “Definitely. But there are also some guys you should never fight ever.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. “Like who?” he asked, curiosity seeping into his town.

“Basically any of the big name villains who’ve been locked up in Arkham. The local gangs should be fine as long as you’re careful around the guns and anyone else who tries to rob the place. But with the more dangerous of Gotham’s villains, it’s best to keep your head down and do what they tell you.”

Tim smiled. “Noted. But I highly doubt that any of those guys are going to come looking for me.”

Jason chuckled and wrapped his arms around Tim’s back, pulling him closer. “They don’t have any reason to. And a small time coffee shop like where you work wouldn’t draw a lot of attention.”

“So...panic button?” Tim asked.

Jason nodded. “Grab the chips and dip. I’ll get my stuff.”

Tim stepped away and Jason slid off his stool, walking over to the duffel bag he used to carry his uniform and gear whenever he was around Tim’s before patrol, which was becoming more and more often as of late.

“You brought the tools with you?” Tim asked.

Jason shifted, holding the tools close to his chest. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, okay?”

Tim chuckled and moved their snack to the coffee table. “Come on, then,” he said, taking a seat on the couch.

Jason shuffled over to him, setting his tools on the table. “Phone,” he said, holding out his hand.

Tim passed over his phone and watched as Jason immediately got to work. Tim wrapped his arm around Jason’s waist and leaned against his shoulder, watching his skilled hands move and open the case of the phone to work on the circuitry.

Jason pressed a kiss to the top of Tim’s head as he worked, attaching the wiring of the new piece. He snaked it over to the side of the phone and cut a new indent into the casing, inserting the button through it before he put everything back together.

“Good as new,” he said, handing the phone over.

Tim turned it over in his hands. It looked almost exactly the same except for the addition on the side. He brushed his thumb over it, but didn’t press it.

“Does it work?” he asked.

Jason pulled out one of his gauntlets, the thicker one he wore on his left hand. “Let’s try it.”

Tim pressed the button and almost immediately Jason’s wrist computer lit up, a red screen popping up with an emergency alert. Tim’s name and location scrolled across the screen.

“Now press it again,” Jason said.

Tim did and the alert shut off.

“See?” Jason asked. “Works perfectly.”

Tim smiled and leaned his head against Jason’s shoulder. “Thanks, Jay.”

“Anything for you babe,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Tim’s head. “Anything for you,” he breathed against the top of his head.

Tim swiped the back of his hand across his forehead, trying to catch the sweat that was pouring down his face. He sucked in desperate breaths, trying to keep his breathing under control.

Jason grinned from where he was standing on the opposite side of Tim’s living room. They’d moved the couch and coffee table out of the way to give them more space to move, but it still wasn’t ideal. Tim briefly wondered if they should’ve gone to a gym to use actual mats and keep from possibly worrying his neighbors downstairs.

He wasn’t sure if he preferred the idea that they might think he was upstairs having sex. That was a better alternative than having them call the cops and initiating a very awkward conversation.

“Just one more time, Tim,” Jason said, waving him forward to make the first move.

Tim sighed. He was going to end up flat on his ass again and there wouldn’t be anything he could do about it.

He rushed forward, trying to distract Jason with a punch. Jason caught his fist easily and when he tried to swing his leg around in a roundhouse to hit Jason on the side, Jason forced him around, drawing his arm up his back.

Tim squirmed in the hold, trying to break the unrelenting grip. He didn’t even get Jason to budge since he was so exhausted.

He sagged back against him, arm pressed awkwardly between his back and Jason’s chest.

“Giving up already?” Jason asked, chuckling. He let Tim’s arm go, fingers kneading into the muscle as he wrapped his other arm around Tim’s waist to keep them pressed together.

“I’m exhausted and will probably ache for the next three days,” Tim grumbled. “You’ve been fighting for who knows how long so cut me some slack.”

“You’re doing great though,” he murmured, tightening his hold on Tim. “You’ve improved a lot already.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

Jason chuckled and pressed a kiss to his damp hair. “Go take a shower and get ready for work. We can’t let you be late.”

Tim heaved a sigh but straightened. He didn’t make it a step before Jason’s fingers caught his wrist and pulled him back in, pressing a kiss to his lips that had Tim smiling.

~~

Tim rubbed at his sore muscles, groaning as he rolled his neck.

“What’s up with you?” Kevin asked, pouring himself another cup of coffee.

At this point Tim wasn’t sure if he was drinking from nerves or if he was really that tired tonight that he needed that much coffee.

“I’ve been taking some self-defense lessons,” Tim said. “After what happened last time and all I thought it might help.”

Kevin blinked. “Wow, that’s...that’s actually really smart. I hadn’t even thought of that.”

Tim nodded and turned to lean his hip against the counter. He crossed his arms and fought down a yawn. “Yeah. I’m sore everywhere, but I think I might be able to hold my own if I need too.”

Kevin nodded, gaze dropping to the cup of coffee in his hand. “I’m glad you’re doing alright. I really...I really don’t want anything like the other night to happen again.”

Tim smiled. “Me neither. And I really think we’ll be okay.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked with a frown.

Tim cleared his throat, trying to fight down the smile that pulled at his lips. “Red Hood gave me a panic button.”

“A...panic button?”

Tim nodded. “If anything bad happens, it’ll alert Gotham’s vigilantes that we need help.”

Kevin’s eyebrows shot up his forehead, disappearing under his fringe of curls. “Wow, that’s...”

The door jingled behind them and Tim tensed. His hand already going to his phone when he turned around. He froze, letting out a shaky breath as Jason stepped through the door in his uniform, Nightwing bounding in behind to rush over to the counter.

“How are my two favorite baristas doing tonight?” Nightwing asked, leaning over the counter towards Kevin.

“I-uh-well...” Kevin stammered, face flushing as he hastily took a sip of coffee. Nightwing grinned at him, teeth glinting in the lights of the coffee shop.

Tim slowly retracted his hand from his pocket, leaving his phone alone. “The usual?” he asked as Jason approached the counter.

More barista!Tim and @jaytimsecretsanta Christmas in July day 10: Exotic Vacation (that actually isn’t that exotic)

Tim smiled, not even paying attention to what was playing on the t.v. in his apartment. Jason’s arms were wrapped around him and they were laying on his couch, his head pillowed on Jason’s chest.

After their first date, they’d spent more time with each other away from Tim’s work and Jason’s night job. Even if they didn’t go out often, Tim was more than happy to spend a night in on his couch with Jason at his side.

The shot of the movie they were watching changed, panning out from a palm tree and waves crashing on a beach. Tim sighed.

“I could use a vacation in a place like that,” he muttered.

“So let’s go,” Jason mumbled into his hair as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Tim raised an eyebrow and sat up, bracing an arm against Jason’s chest so he could look him in the eye.

“What?” Jason asked.

“What do you mean, let’s go?” he asked.

“I mean, let’s go. You want to go on a vacation so let’s go on vacation. Let’s go to the beach. I could probably steal one of Batman’s planes and we could go to a private island,” he said with a smirk.

“We can’t just go on a vacation,” Tim said.

“Why not? You want to go.”

“Yeah, but I have work and you have work. We can’t just up and leave whenever we want. My boss would kill me.”

Jason sighed. “You obviously want to go, though.”

Tim shrugged and laid his head back down on Jason’s chest. “I know I want to go, but we can’t. Maybe some other time.”

Jason tightened his grip around him and looked back at the movie they were watching.

~~

Tim was humming along to the music playing over the speakers and wiping down the counters when the door was pushed open behind him. He turned with a smile, his greeting dying on his lips when he looked over the three masked men holding guns.

He swallowed. “Can I...can I help you?” he asked.

The one in front leveled the barrel of his gun at Tim. “You’re coming with us.”

“What?” he asked, gripping the towel tighter in his hands.

“You deaf?” the one behind the leader asked. “He said, you’re coming with us.”

“Don’t think about struggling,” the leader continued. “Boss said we can mess you up as much as we like as long as it’s not fatal.”

Tim set the towel down, balling his hands into fists to hide the shaking. As scared as he was, he wasn’t going to let it show.

“Let’s go,” the second one who’d spoken snapped, stalking over to him. He grabbed Tim by the collar and pulled him out from behind the counter.

The one who hadn’t said anything, stepped forward. He grabbed Tim’s wrists and looped rope around them, tying it off sharply. A sack was thrown over his head and Tim sucked in a harsh breath.

Tim stumbled when he was pushed forward and he tried to keep his breathing under control. He didn’t need to start hyperventilating or have a panic attack when he was surrounded by men with guns and couldn’t see anything. The air was hot and stuffy under the sack. He fought to relax and breath, but his anxiety wasn’t abated when he was thrown into the back of a van.

He felt it move underneath him and sat up, drawing his knees to his chest. Wherever he was going, he hoped Jason would still be able to find him.

After what felt like forever, and many falls because of how sharply the driver was taking the turns, they finally came to a stop. Tim looked around even though he couldn’t see anything from underneath the sack.

Rough hands pulled him from the back of the van. They dragged him by his shirt collar and he fought to keep up with their quick strides. Metal squeaked and he was shoved through a door, the floor changing underneath his feet and nearly making him trip again.

He was turned and pulled backwards, landing harshly in a metal chair. The sack was pulled from his head and Tim looked around. A larger group of men with guns stood around him and a man wearing a cheap, gaudy suit and smoking a cigar stood in front of him.

“So this is the pretty boy Red Hood has his mitts all over,” he said in a smoke roughened voice as he knocked the ashes from the end of his cigar. “Those idiots better be right about him caring about you as much as he does. I’d hate to splatter your brains all over the place because he couldn’t be bothered to make an appearance.”

Tim stared at him, his heart beating quickly in his chest. This was different from the time he’d been robbed at gunpoint. Tim could tell that killing wasn’t a problem for this guy and it wouldn’t matter what he said if Jason didn’t show up.

“You’re quiet,” he continued. “I like that. You won’t get on my nerves.” He turned to face the front entrance. “Red Hood better not keep me waiting long.”

Tim kept his eyes forward as the minutes ticked by. He didn’t want to look at the men surrounding him. They shifted on their feet often and Tim was worried if he looked the wrong way, they were bored enough to start hurting him. He tracked the amount of time that passed by how much the boss smoked of the cigar. It was almost down to the bud and there wasn’t any sign that Jason was nearby.

“Well,” the boss said, flicking his cigar to the floor. “I guess he’s not gonna show. It’s a-”

The door clanged open and Tim swallowed, heart jumping into his throat. A broad figure stood there before he started forward. The men around Tim pointed their weapons at him and the boss started to chuckle, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Looks like you finally showed up. I thought you weren’t gonna make it. Was worried my boys were wrong about your little toy.”

“He’s not my toy,” Jason growled. Tim swallowed. He’d never heard so much anger in his voice before. “But that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to touch him.” He stopped a few feet from the boss, hands clenched at his sides. “Are you hurt, Tim?”

“N-no,” he said. He swallowed his voice sounding shaky and small to his own ears. “But this isn’t what I meant by wanting an exotic vacation.”

Jason chuckled. “If you can still make jokes like that then you’re going to be just fine. Maybe next time you’ll listen when I say I want to take you away. Don’t worry, I’ll have you out of here in five minutes.”

The boss growled. “Think again, you’re not getting out of here ali-oof!”

Tim blinked. Jason had moved without anyone noticing and punched the boss, sending him sprawling to the floor. Most of the gunmen stared before they realized they were holding weapons in their hands. By the time they started shooting, Jason had his own guns out and shot the first two in the legs.

He weaved and dodged as pained screams filled the air. Tim watched, enraptured as the men rushed past him, leaving him mostly unguarded. He looked around, hoping to escape their notice since he hadn’t been tied to the chair.

He stood, ready to run, when someone grabbed the back of his shirt. He choked when he was pulled backwards and felt cold metal press to the side of his head.

“Stop right there, Hood.”

The boss had recovered and slipped around the rest of the group without Jason noticing. Jason shot the man he was grappling with in the leg before shoving him to the floor by the throat.

“One more step and your pretty boy gets it,” he hissed.

“Don’t you dare,” Jason hissed, voice filled with wrath and anger. He raised his gun and pointed it at the boss. Tim squeezed his eyes shut, worried the next shot was going to go straight into his brain. “Open your eyes, Tim,” Jason said, gently.

He blinked reluctantly and looked at Jason’s helmet, wishing he could see his eyes. The eyes he’d gotten so familiar with.

“Duck,” Jason said. A shot rang through the air and Tim dropped his weight without thinking. Another shot exploded over his head and he twisted back to find the barrel that had been pressed against his head had discharged. The boss’s eyes were wide. He staggered back and looked down, pressing a hand to his chest. It came away bloody and he looked up at Jason before falling to the ground.

“Come on,” Jason murmured as he walked over to Tim. He pulled Tim to his feet and Tim threw his arms over Jason’s head since his wrists were still tied. He squeezed tightly as his whole body started to shake. “Let’s get you home,” Jason murmured.

More Barista!Tim!

Tim pulled the sleeves of his hoodie down over his hands. He had a book under his arm and he was wanting to head up to the roof of his building now that he had some time off from work. Normally he wasn’t the type of person who just sat on the top of his apartment building to read a book, but he was hoping that Red Hood would decide to stop by since he had the uncanny ability of pretty much always knowing where he was going to be.

He sighed and pushed his window open, making sure the snack he was bringing with him was still tucked safely away in the pouch of his hoodie. He shut his window behind him and climbed up the metal stairs. They rang out softly beneath his feet as he hurried up them.

There was a breeze blowing over the rooftops and it ruffled his hair lightly. If this was going to become a thing he did often, he’d have to bring a chair up with him so he wouldn’t have to sit on the unforgiving concrete ledge of the rooftop.

Tim managed to sit cross-legged on the edge and opened his book, fiddling with the pages before he convinced himself to start reading. He kept getting distracted by the buildings and lights around him, curious as to what the other people of Gotham were up to this late at night. He sighed and looked down at the words, making it through one or two sentences before his mind started to wander again.

He huffed and let the cover of his book fall shut, setting it next to his hip.

“Need something more interesting to read?”

Tim smiled at the sound of Hood’s voice. “Let’s just say I’m not much of a book person. It takes a lot to capture my attention.”

He looked over his shoulder and found Red Hood standing behind him, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. And helmet obscuring the soft lips that Tim had been obsessed over for weeks.

“Oh?” he asked, stepping closer. “And what’s captured your attention lately?”

Tim hummed. “I dunno if I should tell you. You might use that information against me.”

He chuckled. “Aw Timmy you can trust me. I’m the hero, not the villain.”

Tim huffed a laugh and turned to face the city again. Red Hood stepped up behind him and Tim could feel his body heat. The contrast made him shiver even through he was already wearing his favorite hoodie. He wrapped his arms around Tim from behind and Tim leaned back against him, seeking more of his warmth.

“I’m surprised you found me,” Tim murmured. “Actually...no I’m not.”

Red Hood tightened his grip around him. “I’ll always find you.”

Tim ducked his head. “Really?” he asked.

“Really,” he said.

Tim squirmed in his hold until he could turn around and face Hood. His grip around him left him reluctantly and his hands hovered around his shoulders now that his back was to the drop to the sidewalk so many stories below.

Tim smiled up at him. “Sorry I couldn’t be around to give you your nightly coffee,” he said.

He shrugged. “I think it can be forgiven. This little meeting is a lot better than what we could get in the coffee shop. I can monopolize your time without feeling guilty.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. “So now you’re going to monopolize my time? Do I get anything out of this?”

“I think I can offer something,” he said.

Tim watched as he reached up for his helmet. It sent Tim’s heart hammering through his chest and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be the moment when he was going to see his face for the first time. Hood’s process of disabling the latches on the helmet was an eternity and Tim wasn’t even sure if he was breathing.

When the helmet came free, disappointment curled in Tim’s stomach. Even underneath the helmet, Hood had a mask covering his eyes.

“Don’t look so disappointed,” Hood said, rubbing his gloved thumb over Tim’s chin.

He honestly couldn’t be when he got a closer look at Hood’s features. He had a strong jawline and his hair was long except for the white streak that sprouted from the center of his forehead.

“Can’t help it, I thought I was finally going to see your eyes,” Tim mused with a sigh.

“Maybe one day,” Hood said.

He leaned down and Tim’s lips tingled before Hood’s even pressed against his. His lips were soft and Tim leaned into him, his arms wrapped around his back to pull him close. Tim’s fingers snaked into his hair and held tightly to the strands.

Hood was firm against him and he tasted a little like mint, almost as though he’d had an Altoid on his way over. Tim didn’t even notice the burning in his lungs until Hood pulled away and sucked in deep breaths.

“Fuck, you’re gonna end up killing me with those kisses, baby,” Hood said.

Tim froze at the name, swallowing harshly around a breath of air. He coughed, trying to clear the spit from his throat.

“Sorry,” Hood said, patting him on the back. “Too much? You okay?”

“Fine,” Tim said around a cough.

“I guess that’s kind of weird that I called you that. Sorry, I’ll stop,” Hood said, rubbing his end up and down his spine.

Tim waved his hands. “No, no, just caught me off guard is all. It’s fine, really,” he explained, feeling his cheeks warm at the admission.

Hood ducked his head and pressed another kiss to Tim’s lips that was anything but short.

“I should be getting back to patrol, sadly,” he sighed, pulling away again.

“I think your breaks are starting to get longer and longer,” Tim mused, pushing Hood’s hair back from his forehead.

Hood grinned. “Good thing I’m not getting paid or I’d be getting fired for slacking on the job.”

“Go on,” Tim said, pushing him away. “You need to get back to the streets and help the people who actually need it.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. He stepped back up to Tim and stole one more kiss before stepping back and sticking his helmet back on his head. He sighed again as he turned to leave, shoulders sagging. “I’m going to be thinking about those kisses for the rest of the night.”

“Well,” Tim said, clearing his throat. “You know where to find them.”

Hood chuckled. “That I do.”

Tim waved him off as he ran to the other side of the building and jumped from the rooftop, swinging to the next building. Tim bit his lip as he watched him go, a small giggle slipping out.

He was giddy. Happy. And just like Hood, he could stay on the roof with him all night. He turned back around and faced the other buildings of Gotham, giving himself a moment to soak it all in and enjoy the night before the next day would come.

Tim’s lack of shoes was starting to give him a chill. He almost debated putting his coffee stained socks back on. Almost. But he killed that thought before he could even seriously consider the possibility. He made a cup of tea and cradled that in his hands to try and keep warm, his toes curling and uncurling against the rung of the stool.

The end of their shift was approaching and Tim knew Jason would be coming back to bring him clean shoes and that’s mainly what kept him going. His other choice was to fill a bucket with hot water and soak his feet, but he wasn’t willing to let himself be that unsanitary.

Tim could see the sky starting to lighten outside and was getting antsy as the end of his shift approached. Kevin was the same way, and since there wasn’t much clean up for them to take care of, he finished those tasks within minutes and was left to stand around and wait for their replacement to show up.

The door jingled and they both looked up, a little disappointed to see an older looking gentleman standing in the doorway. Tim plastered on a smile as he walked over to the counter, hoping to divert attention away from the stool he was sitting on and his bare feet.

“Morning, what can I get for you?” Tim asked.

“A cup of camomile tea, please,” he said. Tim tried not to show his surprise at his English accent and busied himself with putting in the total on the register.

“That’ll be $2.55,” he said, accepting the three singles that were handed to him.

Kevin passed the cup of tea to the man who took it with a nod.

“You are Timothy, I presume,” he asked, peering at Tim over the rim of his cup.

Tim blinked, feeling unease curl in his stomach. “How do you know that?”

He smiled. “I am a close friend of Jason’s,” he said, immediately making Tim relax.

“Oh,” Tim said. “It’s nice to meet you, then,” he said, holding out his hand.

He shook it with a smile. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth, I helped take care of Jason when he was younger.”

Tim grinned. “I’m sure he must’ve been a handful.”

Alfred chuckled. “You have no idea. He was quite the troublemaker, but his heart is always in the right place. And he cares about you greatly.”

Tim flushed and ducked his head, trying to hide the pleased smile that pulled at his lips.

“I am hoping that he will bring you to meet the family soon. He’s been a little sparse on the details and they’ve become rather...curious with regards to your person.”

Tim blinked as he slowly put the pieces together and gaped.

Alfred chuckled. “I see that you’re a smart one. I will have to remember that when I share details. But sadly, I can’t linger much longer. I need to return to the home and prepare things for the morning and I’ll take the chance to evade Master Jason this morning.”

Tim nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Pennyworth.”

“Alfred, please,” he said.

“Alright. It was nice to meet you, Alfred,’ he amended.

“And you as well,” he said before leaving the store behind.

“These nights just keep getting weirder and weirder,” Kevin grumbled.

“That’s Gotham for you,” Tim sighed.

The door was pushed open again as one of the morning workers stepped inside, stifling a yawn.

“Do me a favor and pour me a cup,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Tim filled a cup as the door was pushed open for the third time. He looked over his shoulder and found Jason standing inside the doorway.

“Brought those shoes you asked for,” he said, holding up a pair of flip flops.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Tim said with a grin, handing off the cup of coffee before he quickly clocked out and grabbed his dirty shoes and socks. Jason dropped the shoes at his feet and he slipped them on, linking his fingers with Jason’s as he pulled him from the coffee shop.