Chapter Text
Okay, so Jason's having a good time. It's been a couple weeks since he left (he did not runaway, running away is what kids do and Jason is not a kid) and living with Steve and Bucky has definitely been good for him.
For one thing Steve makes sure he eats three square meals a day, even though sometimes two of those meals end up being take out. Still, Jason appreciates it, he knows what it feels like to be hungry and he'd rather not experience that ever again so having someone reminding him to eat is definitely welcomed.
Then there's Bucky and Jason honestly isn't sure how he's gotten by without him for so long. Bucky makes him laugh in a way he doesn't ever remember laughing before, even in his days as Robin, and this is going to sound kind of stupid, but Jason sort of feels like he's home? Like, sure when he went back to his family they were welcoming and kind but sometimes there were slips, little comments, scathing insults and Jason felt the harsh reminder that for a while he was an enemy. But here? It's nice.
Jason gets privacy for once and nobody badgers him to talk about his feelings, which sort of encourages him to actually do it, as weird as that sounds.
He actually does tell Steve about what happened to his face one night when he's helping with the dishes.
“Your face has healed nicely” Steve remarked, not really trying to get at anything, just trying to make conversation.
“Uh, yeah” Jason nodded. “Never seen him hit that hard before”
Steve just nods. He looked like he was clenching his jaw but didn't ask and Jason knew he wanted Jason to tell him.
“My dad” Jason said before he could change his mind. “I - I've done some bad things and my dad didn't think I could change” Jason didn't look back up but he could hear Steve breathing heavy. It was a little discomforting if Jason's honest.
“What did he say?” Steve asked quietly.
“Oh, yknow, like, I did do bad stuff, he wasn't wrong but I dunno, something happened and he blamed me straight away then he said that I was still that bad person but-” Steve cut off his babbling with a raise of his hand.
“Jason” he said, firmly planting his big, strong hands on Jason’s shoulders. “Look at me”
Jason bit his lip and reluctantly looked up, feeling like a child about to get a scolding.
“You are not a bad person” Steve stated. “I know I haven't known you long, but dammit, I just know, okay? You are a good person and every good person has done bad things in their lives, but the fact that you know it's bad and that you tried to move past it is what makes you a good person”
It felt like Steve was staring right into Jason’s soul.
“And if your dad can't see that” he shrugs his own beefy shoulders. “Then he's a tool and you don't need him”.
And, that was that.
Jason doesn't know if Steve told Bucky, he assumes he did considering they tell each other everything but Jason doesn't really care that much. He's not thinking about it anymore, he doesn't have to.
Steve doesn't treat him any different, he still cuffs him over the head after he makes a vulgar comment and he still sends him on late night pineapple runs just because he feels like eating pineapple.
It's actually on one of those runs that Jason finds himself cornered.
He's in the fruit section, just browsing the pineapples and even contemplating getting some plumbs when someone taps his shoulder.
He turns around, pineapple in one hand, two plumbs in the other and drops them all when he sees who's there.
“Hey, don't throw fruit at me” Tim exclaims. But Jason isn't listening, instead he's backing up, not taking his eyes off Tim.
“Jay, hey?” Tim waves in his face but Jason keeps stepping back and back until, until he backs into a cart of watermelons that collapses and sends watermelons rolling down the aisle.
“Now look what you've done” Tim laughs and that shakes Jason out of his trance.
“That was your fault dumbass” he snaps.
“No it wasn't, you're the one that walked into them!”
“Only because you were cornering me!”
“How did I corner you? We're in the middle of an aisle! There are no corners!”
“Fuck you! Leave me alone!”
“Jason” Tim sounds calmer now. “Jason I just wanted to talk.”
“I'm not coming back”
“I'm not asking you to. I just wanted to make sure, y’know, that you're alive. You did completely disappear for the last month and a half.” Jason frowns and looks down at his shoes.
“Didn't disappear” he mumbles.
“Uh, yeah you disappeared.” Tim insists. “You turned off all your trackers, all your safe houses were empty, you weren't even in Gotham! We've been searching everywhere for you since the minute you left. It's been a nightmare, Dick’s legs are ready to give out at any minute considering he's not sat down since you left and Damian is snarling a lot more than usual, even Bruce-”
“Don't” Jason cuts him off. “I don't want to hear about Bruce.”
“Fine, whatever, that's not the point anyway. The point is that we're worried about you”
Jason's a little embarrassed there and he feels like a bit of a dick. A message or something would've been fine, he could've let everyone know he was safe. But he wasn't thinking, of course he wasn't and he'd set everyone into a frenzy because he was irresponsible. What else is new.
“I'm sorry” he says. “But I'm fine, I'm safe. I've got somewhere to live and I'm eating properly so…”
Tim stares at him, that strong calculating look he gives everyone when he isn't sure what to think.
“Fine” he decides. “Okay, you're good. I just wanted to be sure.”
“Yeah, yeah whatever” Jason shrugs. “How'd you find me anyway?”
“Well Bruce might have the title of world’s greatest detective but he definitely doesn't deserve it” Jason nods again. That makes sense, Tim is way smarter than everyone else, if anyone was going to find him, it would be Tim.
“I'm not coming back” He repeats, just to be clear.
“And I'm not trying to make you, I just wanted to know you're alive. We can all get back to our lives now”
“You're the only one who knows, yeah?”
Tim purses his lips.
“At the moment. But if someone asks I'm not going to lie.” There's a scowl creeping onto Jason's face but he nods anyway.
“If you ever do want to come back you know where we’ll be” Tim adds softly.
“Yeah, I know”
Tim rolls his eyes and bends down to pick up the pineapple and plumbs.
“Here” He pushes them back into Jason's hands. “Enjoy your fruit, I'll see you later, yeah?”
“Sure, whatever” Jason says but he smiles at Tim, a proper one.
Later, when he stumbles through the front door Steve asks what took him so long.
“I, uh, knocked a cart of watermelons over”
“You what?” Steve’s eyes are as wide as dinner plates. “Did you help pick them up?” Jason just shakes his head, which appears to be the wrong thing to do as Steve’s eyes grow to the size of fucking flying saucers. “You didn't help?! Did you even apologise?” Again Jason shakes his head and he can hear Bucky laughing in the other room. Steve lets out an exasperated sigh and grabs his jacket.
“C’mon” he says. “We're going back”
And Jason doesn't even question it. This is just his life now. He just hopes Tim wasn't lingering around the Ralphs long enough to catch him picking up watermelons with Captain America.