#write 365

Jason was a little surprised by the sheer amount of people he saw before they even stepped foot inside the art gallery. Once they crossed the threshold he instinctively took Tim’s hand, lacing their fingers together. 

“So, what’s the usual procedure for one of these things? B never took me to any of ‘em when I was a kid.” 

Tim grinned up at him and he swallowed, trying to convince himself the only reason his smile was so bright was because of the florescent lights beating down on them. 

“Well typically there are three main components to a gallery showing. The first is to drink. Similar to a gala there is lots of alcohol and even some refreshments. Second, and what’s supposed to be the main reason for coming to this, we look at the art and make vague comments about the style or the ‘deeper meaning behind it.’  And third, we make up some bullshit to impress the other guests.” 

Jason tilted his head to the side. “Is the bullshit about our own personal lives or about the art?” 

“Yes.” 

“Great,” he snorted. “Please tell me they at least have something better than champagne.” 

“They typically have wine, too...” he trailed off, standing on his tip-toes to try and see over the crowd. 

Jason spotted a uniformed worker holding a tray of glasses and tugged on Tim’s hand, pointing him in the right direction when he looked at him. They shuffled through the crowd and Jason nearly cheered when he saw the red liquid in the glasses. 

“Thank god it’s not champagne,” Jason muttered as he took a sip. 

Tim snickered as the server walked away to offer drinks to the other guests. “Oh am I going to see what you get like when you get wine drunk today?” 

“Oh my, Tim Drake is that you?” a high-pitched voice called. 

Tim turned and came face-to-face with an elderly woman clutching her purse against her side and cradling a wine glass in a hand covered with so many rings Jason was surprised she could hold it up. 

“Good afternoon Mrs. Geraldine, how are you doing today?” Tim asked, slapping on the smile he used when talking to all of the wealthy snobs. 

“I’m doing wonderful dear,” she said, her eyes sliding past Tim to Jason. “And who is this with you? I do believe I saw the two of you together at the last Gala Mr. Wayne hosted.” 

Tim nodded. “Yes, this is my boyfriend, Jason. I thought it might be nice to show him some of the art by one of Gotham’s local artists.” 

“Well it’s lovely to meet you,” she said, nodding at Jason. “We were all so surprised when you arrived with a date since you normally come to such events on your own. You really should’ve introduced him sooner.” 

Jason watched as more women wandered over, eavesdropping on the conversation. He could tell it wouldn’t be long before they started asking their own questions as well. 

“Well I didn’t want to overwhelm him with too many galas or fancy events. You know how stuffy they can be sometimes.” 

She chuckled. “How did the two of you meet anyway? It must be quite the story if he managed to capture your heart.” 

“We’ve known each other for years-” 

“So you’re childhood friends?” one of the women who’d been eavesdropping asked. 

Tim looked a little surprised at her question. “Um, no not exactly-” 

“Did you go to school together then? University?” a third woman asked, joining the circle forming around. 

Jason kept his eyes on Tim, but he still seemed relaxed despite the extra attention. He was a little surprised he was so easily talking about their supposed relationship. Especially after he was stressing about what their story would be. 

“Our families know each other and through a series of social events we got to talking, started spending more time together, and things just went from there.” 

The three woman cooed. 

“Does this mean there’s a possible engagement in your future?” Mrs. Geraldine asked, gaze sliding to Jason. 

Tim flushed. “No-I mean, not in the immediate future. I don’t think either of us are quite ready for that yet. We haven’t been dating that long even though we’ve known each other longer.” 

The three women didn’t do much to hide their disappointment and Jason could see they were gearing up for another round of questions. Even though Tim’s smile was still in place, Jason could see the weariness tightening his features. 

“If you don’t mind,” he said, flashing his most charming smile at the women. “I think the two of us are overdo for a look at the artwork on display. I’m sure we’ll have more time to chat later.” 

Before they could stop them, Jason pulled Tim into the crowd and put some distance between them. 

Tim sighed and leaned against him. “Thanks.” 

Jason smiled and squeezed his hand. “Now, I was promised some artwork, so how about we find out what the big deal is for this event?” 

“Sounds great.” 

~~

“Is that really supposed to be Gotham?” 

“Jason!” 

“Can you blame me? It looks like the leftovers of a very unfortunate dinner.” 

~~

“How unfortunate. A crayon was murdered. It was so young and had so much potential.” 

“Jason,” Tim hissed. 

“There were so many trees it didn’t get to color in,” he huffed, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

~~

“911, what’s your emergency?” 

“Jay-” 

“It’s terrible, my child ate my blueberry pie and suddenly turned into a balloon! When I tried to lasso him, my foot got stuck!” 

~~

“Really, they aren’t even trying with this one!” 

Tim squeezed his hand, trying not to laugh. 

“They literally drew a pile of shit. I’m surprised flies aren’t hovering around the canvas because that is just...wow.” 

Tim pressed his face against Jason’s arm, trying to muffle his giggles from the rest of the guests. 

Jason grinned triumphantly, glad that Tim’s exhaustion had long since faded and he was able to keep him laughing. Compared to some of the other stuff they got roped into, these gallery showings weren’t half bad. 

“Come on,” he said, nudging Tim’s shoulders. “Let’s go look at that one next.” 

Tim grinned, cheeks flushed. “Okay!” 

Content warning for this update: Tim vomits during the section. I don’t go into a whole lot of detail but it does happen. 

~~

The smell of the old mac and cheese still covering the floor was starting to make Tim nauseous. He was almost wishing Jason would come back and bring him some water to try and settle his stomach. But he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to talk to him again. 

Not after his last tantrum. 

He might have been embarrassed for exploding the way he did if he wasn’t dealing with someone who refused to give him any kind of information. 

There had to be another way out of this situation. He just needed to be patient and figure things out. There was a slim chance the precinct would be able to track him down if they cared enough. His notes were still on his desk and they pointed to the location of Jason’s warehouse. 

Assuming he hadn’t been moved while he was unconscious. 

Uneasiness mixed with his nausea and Tim swallowed, fighting to keep the contents of his stomach from coming up. 

The lock on the door clicked and Tim braced himself. He wasn’t prepared for how much brighter the light outside his room seemed after being stuck in the dark for so long. 

His stomach roiled and Tim desperately fought to keep it under control. He could tell the person coming in wasn’t Jason. 

“I’m just here to clean-” 

Tim gagged. 

“Hey, what’s-” 

He was grateful he hadn’t eaten anything for several hours. His gags turned to dry heaves which quickly became stomach fluid forcing it’s way out of his mouth. 

He was vaguely aware of the guy who’d come inside shouting something. 

“Someone get the boss! I need some help in here!” 

Tim ducked his head, trying to suck in precious breaths as he continued to heave. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he was home and curled up in his bed. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay.” 

Tim nodded, hoping that by agreeing to whatever was being said it would make this discomfort go away that much sooner. 

“Tim? Tim!” 

Someone grabbed his chin and pulled his head upright. Tim blinked, fighting to focus on the face inches from his. 

“Ja-son?” 

Jason cursed and turned to the people surrounding him to bark orders. They hastily complied and Tim felt the bindings around his legs loosen. His wrists were lighter once the weight of the shackles disappeared. 

He groaned when the world tilted and he grabbed the shirt of whoever was carrying him before twisting around to dry heave once again, not having anything else in his stomach. 

Tim screwed his eyes shut and took careful breaths. He felt himself being moved, but didn’t want to risk dry heaving again to try and figure out where he was being taken. He just wanted sweet, sweet relief. 

He heard a loud bang beside him and seconds later he was being carefully maneuvered onto something soft. He rolled over, burying his face in the cloud under his head. 

“Don’t fall asleep on me yet, I need to get you out of these dirty clothes.” 

Tim nearly sobbed when he started getting manhandled and was kept from sleeping. He tried to shove the hands away, but he was either weak from whatever sickness decided to rear its ugly head or the person pulling off his pants and shirt was unbelievably strong. 

Thankfully they didn’t go much farther than his outer garments and a blanket was draped over his shivering form. 

The last thing Tim felt before he drifted off were fingers running through the sweaty strands of hair tangled on top of his head. 

Tim shut the door behind him and let out a long breath, sagging against the wood. Part of him wanted to collapse in the entry, but he knew that would just lead to a stiff neck and sore muscles. He pulled off his shoes and shuffled into the living room, throwing himself onto the couch to sink into the cushions. 

He buried his face into a throw pillow with a groan, squirming against the cushions. He couldn’t believe he’d spent three hours pressed against Jason. He couldn’t believe that he’d rested his hand on Jason’s thigh. That wasn’t necessary to keep up their facade. No one would’ve judged him for not doing it and just staying pressed against Jason’s side like a sane person would. 

He knows there are going to be pictures of them all over the internet. There’s no way their presence didn’t do unnoticed and part of him was dreading having to see the two of them everywhere because he was sure the pictures were going to make him wish it was real and they weren’t just pretending. 

Things were only going to get worse when they went to that baseball game the next weekend. 

Tim huffed. And he’d made a comment that it would be a date. He shouldn’t have said that. He really shouldn’t have said that. Jason wouldn’t think any more of it he was sure, but now his mind would be filled with possibilities if it really was a date. 

They could share food and drinks. He could steal Jason’s hat. Maybe the kiss cam would be on them and they’d shyly share a kiss for the whole crowd. But none of that was going to happen. 

It was going to be a normal game and they’d probably act like regular friends watching a game together. And he would hate himself the entire time for letting this get blown out of proportion. 

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. It was supposed to be easy. They were just supposed to hang around each other at galas and some of the other shit that Tim was often roped into. But now he was getting attached. Now he was desperate for the little touches and glances Jason shared with him. 

He knew Jason didn’t mean any of it. He’d been the one to suggest it and wouldn’t have if there was any risk of it going terribly. He should stop. He knew he should stop. 

He just needed to get a little bit of distance and forget about this. A week or two without going on a public date with Jason wouldn’t be so strange. They could be busy or maybe they had some quieter dates. He could give any number of reasons if people were curious. 

As long as they didn’t ask him how he felt about Jason. 

~~

Jason grinned up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He was riding high after the tennis match which was something he never thought he would think in his entire life. 

He’d spent hours with Tim under his arm, his palm resting on his thigh and it had felt so right. The sane part of his mind told him that he shouldn’t be so happy about this when admitting his budding attraction would only lead to trouble later on. 

But he’d never really been that sane since he came out of a glowing green pit and it would be too much trouble to get that side of him under control now. 

And they were going to a baseball game next weekend. He’d have Tim all to himself for another several hours. He could wrap his arm around his shoulders and buy all kinds of food. 

When Tim said it would be a date he knew he didn’t really mean it like that, but the insane part of his mind was overjoyed that this was a date. It was a date and he was going to make it as great as possible. 

If this was the last thing they ever got to do while pretending to be boyfriends, he was going to cherish every second of it. 

Tim was shocked Jason let him make it all the way back to his apartment before he confronted him. A part of him was expecting him to be ambushed while walked through the shadows between one street light and the next, but he was largely left alone despite being followed. 

Tim loosened his tie as soon as he was inside and threw his jacket across the back of the couch, not bothering to turn on the lights as he made his way to his kitchen. 

He grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the tap, taking a long drink as he felt a cool breeze hit the back of his neck. 

Tim set his glass down on the counter and turned, taking in the sight of Jason standing in the open door of his balcony, the curtains billowing around the imposing figure of the Red Hood. 

He mulled over what he wanted his first words to be. He had no intention of playing the ignorant damsel in distress, but he couldn’t just come out and say he knew who Jason was. 

Perhaps a knowledgeable middle ground was best. 

“I was wondering when you were going to finally show up,” Tim said, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter behind him. 

Jason stayed silent for a moment, no doubt trying to strike fear within him. But Tim wasn’t afraid. If Jason tried to hurt him he knew how to defend himself. He didn’t want to fight, not with Jason. Not when they were connected on a deeper level than Jason knew. 

“And you still willingly isolated yourself?” Jason scoffed. 

Tim raised an eyebrow. “You’d only kill me if you had a good reason to. And if you wanted me dead you could’ve put a bullet in my head long before I even reached my front door. So, care to tell me why you decided to pay me a visit?” 

“I want to know why you’re buying up all of Black Mask’s stocks. What do you intend to do with his companies?” 

“I thought that might be what you’re after,” Tim said with a nod. He sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. He pushed off the counter and walked around the kitchen table into the living room, closing some of the distance between them, but not getting close enough for Jason to reach out and touch him. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning on getting in your way if that’s what you’re worried about. His businesses are disgustingly corrupt and I want to fix them. He has some valuable resources that could help the people of Gotham and I want to ensure they’re used properly.” 

“And if I don’t believe you?” 

Tim shrugged, trying not to shiver when a burst of chilled air rolled over his skin. The colder months would be coming sooner rather than later and he wasn’t looking forward to it. 

“You came here to ask my reason and that is my reason. Whether I’m lying or not is something you’re going to have find out.” he said, allowing himself a little smirk. 

Tim gasped when Jason moved between one blink and the next, grabbing the front of his shirt and forcing him back a step. He wasn’t able to stop the spike of fear that ran through him, sending his heart racing in his chest. 

He swallowed, trying to get his emotions under control. He’d let his guard down, finding comfort in his connection with Jason. The only problem was that Jason had no idea they were soulmates. There was still nothing stopping him from leaving him for dead if he really wanted to. He’d only know the consequences of his actions afterwards. 

“Listen closely, I’ll do you a favor and let you make it through tonight alive, but the second I catch wind of you doing anything dirty, don’t expect to last another five minutes in that comfy office of yours. You claim that you want to make these companies better and help the people of Gotham, but you business types are always looking out for your gain,” Jason hissed. 

Tim knew he was probably baring his teeth, but his angry expression was hidden behind his helmet. He swallowed, fighting to keep his emotions in check. 

“Then I guess I’ll just have to show you that I’m different from the rest.” 

Jason released his shirt, but didn’t step back. “Don’t get too comfortable, Tim Drake. I’ll be keeping an eye on you to make sure you do as you say.” 

Tim nodded, holding his breath until Jason finally pulled away and stalked over to his balcony, disappearing over the edge. 

He took a moment to catch his breath, trying to calm his rapid heart beat and his fight or flight instincts that were on high alert. He rubbed his chest and walked over to the open door, shutting and locking it. 

He staggered over to the couch and landed heavily on the edge, dropping his head into his hands. He was a little worried he’d just thrown himself into the deepest depths of the ocean completely unprepared. 

“So,” Jason drawled when he landed next to Tim on top of one of Gotham’s skyscrapers. “How are things going after last night? Did you get the concerned Dad talk from B?” 

Tim chuckled and knocked their shoulders together, unable to hide his grin. “Of course I did. He wanted to make sure we were absolutely sure of what we were doing and was very adamant that as long as this was going on I wouldn’t be able to date anyone for real.” 

Jason snorted. “Not like you could anyway.” 

“Exactly,” he huffed. “But other than Bruce, most people who scour the local tabloids seem to be buying it. There are just a few who have given me a bit of an idea about how we can make this a little more realistic for our fans.” 

“We have fans now? Are you kidding?” 

Tim grinned. “I’m completely serious. If you thought you were going to get out of this without a cult following then I have news for you.” 

Jason groaned. “I really hope this doesn’t mean I’m going to be followed randomly down the street.” 

“There’s a good chance. Just be glad you don’t have any social media accounts or they would be blowing up. And try to keep your apartment a secret. I’d hate for you to be on the receiving end of death threats.” 

Tim kept his face blank even as Jason’s helmet stared him down. He wasn’t going to laugh. He wasn’t going to break. He wouldn’t. 

“Okay, now I know you’re fucking with me,” Jason muttered. 

Tim shook his head, pursing his lips. 

“You are, I can fucking tell you are, you little shit.” 

Tim grinned and laughed, enjoying Jason’s fake sense of frustration. 

“You’re lucky I don’t hate you.” 

“Love you too, Jay,” Tim sang. “But anyway, what I was going to say before we got off track, is that we should probably go on a couple of more informal dates in addition to the fancier public appearances. A lot of people were wondering why we were suddenly making ourselves known now when there’d been no word of us being seen together before. I’m not afraid to admit they have a point since bringing someone to a gala on a first date would definitely be pretty high stress.” 

Jason crossed his arms. “That’s not actually a terrible idea. What did you have in mind?” 

“We have the art showing coming up pretty soon, so I was thinking we could have lunch beforehand.” 

“So, a pre-date date.” 

Tim shrugged. “Basically, yeah.” 

“Sure. I’ve got no problem with it. As long as you’re paying of course.” 

Tim waved a hand at him. “It’s no problem. I can cover the bill. This time at least. I’ve already got a place picked out and everything. Make sure you come pick me up at noon before the event.” 

Jason gave him a thumbs-up and rolled his shoulders. “Easy enough. Now, should we get this night started or what?” 

Tim rolled his eyes and slapped Jason on the arm before he sprinted across the rooftop and dove over the edge, laughter lost to the wind while Jason scrambled after him. 

~~

Tim glanced up when he heard a knock on his door. He finished tying his shoes and straightened, grabbing his phone and wallet before he pulled the door open. 

“Right on time,” he said with a grin, taking in Jason before him. He was wearing a cardigan over a plain tee and a nicer pair of jeans. “And you don’t look too bad either.” 

“Please, I’ll have you know that more than a couple of women stopped and gave me a look on my way here. If you’re not careful, everyone at the showing is going to fall in love with me and you’ll have some new competition.” 

Tim chuckled and locked his door. “Oh, I need to be careful? The whole reason we set this up was so I wouldn’t be bombarded by available socialites anymore. Don’t think your competition has disappeared so easily, Todd.” 

“Then I’ll just bare my teeth and growl a little bit. That should be enough to scare them off.” 

“Looks like your manners need some work, too,” Tim sighed, leading Jason down the street. “I’ll have to get you in shape or everyone is going to think I’m dating such a brute.” 

“Status isn’t important when you’re in love. Isn’t that right, baby?” Jason asked, throwing an arm around his shoulders and making a kissy face at him. 

Tim rolled his eyes and pushed his head away, but didn’t do anything about Jason’s arm, leaving it in place. 

Before long they reached a small cafe and were given a table on the patio, the umbrella shading them from the sun. It had been a while since he’d done something that wasn’t a planned event and found that he’d missed having the chance to get lunch with someone that was easy to be around and who he didn’t have to met certain standards for. 

He was starting to think that pretending to date Jason was going to have some unexpected perks if he could wrangle him into meeting up for lunch more often. He wouldn’t mind paying if it gave him a chance to relax in public. 

Tim sighed after his first sip of coffee. He had a fresh pot ready to go and he was mentally preparing himself for the damage after the gala the night before. Even though they hadn’t explicitly said they were dating, he was sure their behavior and the amount of time they spent with each other hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

He opened up Google and did a quick search of his name, finding a number of results and pictures from the night before. The amount of content focused on him was a little shocking and considering how many headlines mentioned dating and mystery men, he was starting to think he was on a level that would rival Bruce and his playboy persona. 

Most of the stories were the same, mentioning this was the same man he’d been seen talking to the week before at the previous gala. Since they hadn’t been asked any questions it was largely just a retelling of everything they did with more speculation since this was the second time they’d been seen together, the only difference being their actions showed more intimacy than before. 

Tim was a little surprised by the enormous amount of pictures each tabloid posted. He knew he was anxious and unsettled the night before since it was their first night consciously playing this new game--whatever it was--but he really did look like he was in a happy, loving relationship. 

In most of the pictures Jason had an arm around his shoulders or waist and Tim was smiling up at him. If he did look annoyed or exasperate, his expression was still fond like he was enjoying himself and whatever conversation they were having. 

He paused when he found the pictures of him and Jason dancing. His head was resting on Jason’s shoulder, his eyes nearly closed as he smiled, looking completely relaxed and at ease, almost as though he wasn’t in the middle of a gala. Jason was looking down at him, expression fond as he held Tim close, unaware of the crowds of people around them. 

“Well he’s a better actor than I thought,” Tim muttered, scrolling to the end of the page where the comments section had already blown up with people’s thoughts and opinions. 

I never thought Tim Drake would end up being gay. It’s a surprise, but at least he looks happy. 

They must have been dating for a while if they decided to come to such a public function together. 

I really hope we get an interview from Tim soon. I’d like to know more about his relationship. 

You can’t deny these two are in love. They look so happy and carefree together. 

They’re definitely in their own little world. 

^^^ And they didn’t think twice about leaving the gala together. 

^^^^^^ That’s what you call having no shame. 

^^^^^^^^^ Who needs shame when you have money?

Tim grimaced and shook his head, scrolling down to the next thread to hopefully avoid any accusations that Jason might be a gold digger after his money. 

Are you sure they’re together though? I mean, besides the photos that were taken of them last week, we haven’t seen them together anywhere? 

You’d think they’d at least have gone out for a few public dates before doing something like this. 

I agree, where’s the proof? 

Unless the tabloids just haven’t been good enough to get a shot of him. 

^^^ Even if the tabloids didn’t, that doesn’t mean someone who caught them wouldn’t tweet about it. 

Tim paused and sat back in his chair, taking a long sip from his mug. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, they did have a point. Their plan wouldn’t work if the only thing they were doing was going to public functions together. 

If he was comfortable with that, there had to at least be one instance where he was caught on a regular date if their standing was going to hold. He’d have to see if Jason was up for getting lunch in the next week or two. 

But then again...why was it such a big deal what people thought of their relationship? He just needed this to work so he would have someone at his side for public events. As long as they were together at most of them, that would hopefully keep other people from approaching him whenever Jason couldn’t make it. 

Tim sighed. This was starting to become more complicated than he wanted it to be. 

His phone rang, breaking the silence and he rolled his eyes when he caught Bruce’s name on the screen. 

“Hey Bruce,” he said, taking another sip of coffee. 

“Morning Tim. I was hoping to talk to you about something.” 

He hummed and propped his feet up on the chair opposite him at the table. “I’m guessing this has something to do with me and Jason at the gala last night?” 

Bruce paused. “Yes,” he admitted like he was hoping Tim hadn’t figured out the motivations behind his concerns. 

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. Jason and I are pretending to date for the paparazzi so that I don’t get swarmed by socialites wanting me to marry their daughters at every event I go to.” 

“That’s really it?” he asked after a brief pause. 

“Yup,” Tim said, popping the ‘p.’ “There’s nothing else to it.” 

Bruce was silent for a moment. 

“You do realize that as long as you keep this up, you won’t be able to date anyone for real. You understand that, right?” 

Tim scoffed. “It’s not like I would be able to date anyone anyway. Not with the lives we lead. The amount of secrets that would need would make it too complicated.” 

Bruce hummed. “As long as you’re sure about this.” 

Tim nodded even though Bruce couldn’t see him. “Jason and I spent a lot of time talking about this.” It wasn’t the total truth but Bruce didn’t need to know that and there was no way he was going to reach out to Jason to talk about it, so there would be no one to contradict him. “We’re both sure of this and it’s a mutually beneficial situation.” 

 “I’ll trust you know what you’re doing then. Talk to you later.” 

“Sure.” 

Tim ended the call and set his phone back on the table. He took a long sip of his coffee and stared at the photo of him and Jason taking up a majority of his computer screen. 

They’d laid the foundation. Now they just had to wait and see how the rest of it would develop. 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

~~

Ollie opened his eyes when Derek shut the door to the bedroom as he left. The touch on his shoulder had been gentle and part of him hoped that Derek would stay and give up on whatever he was planning to do. He didn’t even know what he was going out for, Ollie had tried stopping him and then he’d brought up his uncle and what happened to him. 

Ollie swallowed and sighed, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. It wasn’t long before he heard the rev of a motorcycle and knew Derek was well and truly gone. 

He pushed himself upright and moved around until he was leaning against the headboard, the hard wood cushioned by one of Derek’s pillows. 

He’d been doing well handling the reality of his situation. Or he thought he was anyway. He didn’t have anything to compare this to and now that he had some distance, he didn’t feel like he was going to fall apart at the faintest touch. 

Until tonight, Derek hadn’t pushed. He’d let him exist in his space without asking questions about what happened before he came or what he was planning on doing. He’d welcomed him like he was just another part of his life which was strange. 

They’d never spent much time together outside of their nightly activities unless they somehow ended up as discussion partners in the one class they shared at school. Yet, being in Derek’s space and being around him felt normal. And easy. 

If he didn’t know any better, they could be friends hanging out together or he was a new roommate that Derek decided to bring in to add a little more life to the house. 

Ollie sighed and dropped his head into his hands. 

But the tentative space they’d created wouldn’t be able to last forever. He couldn’t run forever. As much as he didn’t want to think too much about what happened to him, it wasn’t going to go away and unless he dealt with it, it would only lead to more problems. 

And he couldn’t stay at Derek’s house just to ignore it. He was imposing enough as it was and acting the part of the freeloader wouldn’t do either of them any good. 

Then there was the duty he had to the city. He’d been gone for two nights already. Things were obviously managed since nothing had been leveled by some new nutcase with a knowledge of technology, but eventually someone would notice his absence and take advantage of that. 

Derek had already called him out on his reluctance to suit up and go out on the town and he knew that avoiding his house wasn’t going to do any good either. 

His professors were probably already worried that he hadn’t shown up or even told them he was going to be missing class. He sighed and scrubbed at his face. He could at least do the decent thing and make up some excuse that he’d been really sick and apologize that he wasn’t able to reach out to them before class about his absence. 

Ollie curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his stomach. 

He didn’t feel at home in his body anymore. He wasn’t comfortable with himself. He didn’t want to look in the mirror, afraid that his new scars were covering every inch of him and the whole world would know what happened to him. 

As horrifying as it was to admit to himself, it felt like his body belonged to his uncle after what he did. He’d managed to gain control of it and was holding it hostage from him, proving that he no longer held any worth or independence. 

As insistent as Derek was that he could still go out and fight crime, he hadn’t even tried using his powers since he ran from his uncle. Part of him thought they wouldn’t even work if he tried, one of the most unique things about him having been taken away too. 

Ollie’s thoughts blurred together as the minutes slipped by and the hour crept later and later. 

He was thankful when his brain became an incessant buzzing that didn’t focus on any one thing, giving him a sense of peace that was eventually broken by the sound of Derek’s motorcycle. 

Ollie shifted to the opposite side of the bed and pulled the covers over himself, keeping his back to the door. He knew he was tense and fought to breathe deeply, letting every exhale take a little bit of tension from his muscles. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on his breathing as he heard Derek climbing the stairs. The door to the bedroom opened, letting in light from the hallway. The dresser drawers opened and closed softly before Derek walked out, pulling the door to, but not shutting it all the way. 

He heard another door shut and the faint sound of the shower turning on. 

Despite his emotional exhaustion, Ollie found that he couldn’t fall asleep. He fidgeted, trying to keep himself from tossing and turning to see if another position would be more comfortable. He didn’t want Derek to come back and think he was still awake. 

He didn’t want to talk about what happened again. Not yet. 

Ollie stared at the clock on the bedside table, watching as the minutes continued to pile on top of each other until almost an hour had passed when the shower turned off. 

He held his breath as he strained to hear any sounds Derek might be making. The bathroom door opened and the light in the hallway was shut off. Ollie almost thought Derek had gone back downstairs when the bed dipped behind him. 

He kept still, wanting to look over his shoulder, but he refused to give himself away. 

Several more minutes passed before Derek’s weight shifted and he laid down on the bed. Ollie felt a soft grip on the back of his shirt before Derek sighed and let go, rolling over to face the other way. 

Ollie swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. 

Maybe it would be better if he left in the morning. He couldn’t stay with Derek forever. There was obviously something going on between them that he wasn’t so sure about and the last thing he wanted was more of a complicated situation. 

At least one of his friends had to have an empty couch that he could crash on for one more day while he worked out what he was going to do. But even as he thought that was the most responsible course of action, a small part of him ached knowing he would have to leave. 

Continuation of this. 

~~

Tim sighed and hid behind one of the large pillars in the lobby of the museum. He’d done a fairly decent job at avoiding too much close interaction with the rest of the guests, but he always felt the reporters watching him, their cameras poised at the ready. 

He was thankful their last story had died down pretty quickly, much like the rest of the gossip they tried to spread to make things interesting and his own life hell. 

Jason was supposed to be at the gala but Tim hadn’t caught sight of him yet despite checking every corner he could think of and looking behind all the potted plants. 

Tim glanced at the guests nearby, making sure they weren’t paying much attention to his general direction. He flitted between the pillars, getting closer to the refreshments at the back of the hall. If anything, he could lie in wait near the food and use it as a distraction to keep people from trying to talk to him. 

If he was really desperate, he knew he could hide under the table, but he wasn’t sure he was willing to stoop to that level. He was an adult now, if it was something he definitely couldn’t put up with then he’d just leave. 

Tim skirted around the back of the table, snatching a little plate with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. He grinned when he finally saw Jason leaning against the wall a few feet from the table, watching the crowd with a bored look on his face as he ate the food on his own plate. 

He glanced at Tim as he approached. 

“Hey,” Tim said, leaning against the wall next to him. 

“Hey,” Jason said. “Need a break?” 

Tim snorted. “I haven’t even talked to anyone. Not except for a few pleasantries in passing. I’ve been too busy dodging reporters and eager guests while looking for you.” 

Jason snorted and took a sip from his champagne glass, making a face at the taste. “Should I be flattered?” 

Tim chuckled. “Probably not. I told you that I was going to use your resting murder face to my advantage.” 

“Well you found me. I don’t know about you, but the only thing I’m planning on doing is devouring half of the table over there.” 

“If it means I don’t have to talk to anyone else all night, I’ll be happy to watch.” 

“If I have to actually eat half the table, then every time one of the wait staff offers me a glass of champagne, you have to drink it.” 

Tim mulled it over. Considering how much the rest of the guests avoided him and the fact they weren’t close to the main group of people, he didn’t expect too many servers to make their way over to them unless they called them over. 

“It’s a deal,” he said with a grin. 

Jason huffed a laugh, offering up his first smile of the night. “Then you can start by finishing off this while I go get another plateful of food,” he said, handing him his half-drunk glass. 

“Cheers,” Tim said, lifting it towards Jason’s back as he walked away and knocked it back quickly enough. 

The champagne was warm as it hit his stomach and he sighed. This was going to be such an easy night. 

~~

“But Jason,” Tim grumbled, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “They’re finally playing some good music, the least you can do is dance with me.” 

“I didn’t agree to any dancing,” Jason said, looking down at him. 

Tim pouted and Jason rolled his eyes. 

“Besides, I’m sure the first time I try and spin you around you’re probably going to blow chunks.” 

“Will not,” he grumbled. 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You’re really not helping your case here.” 

“It’s your fault. You must’ve done something to get so many servers with champagne over here.” 

“I did nothing,” Jason scoffed. “We made a deal and those servers offered champagne to us. Don’t be mad just because you had to drink more than expected.” 

Tim huffed and let his arms fall away from Jason’s shoulders. His cheek pressed against Jason’s shoulder as he slumped against him, not realizing his was starting to slide down to the floor until Jason wrapped an arm around his waist and propped him against the wall. 

“Anyway, this is better than having to talk to everyone else, right?” 

Tim mumbled under his breath and Jason bit his lip, trying not to laugh at his shallow indignation. He glanced up and found Bruce watching them. Jason hiked a thumb over his shoulder towards the hallway they were next to and Bruce nodded, giving them permission to leave before Tim did anything excruciatingly embarrassing in front of the cameras.