Archive of Our Own

“You need us to do what?” Jason asked, baffled.

Tim stared at Bruce, Jason having taken the words right out of his mouth.

“We’re concerned that Gotham’s esteemed dating show is selling off the contestants as slave labor. We have minor evidence but we need someone on the inside to make this work,” Bruce explained again.

“And you want Jason and I to go on the show so we can get the evidence needed to shut them down?” Tim added.

“Yes.”

Tim and Jason shared a look.

“So…” Jason said. “What’s our plan then? If we’re doing this.”

“Tim will be slated as Gotham’s eligible bachelor. He has the social standing and esteem needed to get on the show without waiting. Jason you’ll go undercover as one of the contestants, but it’s imperative you stay in the running. Unless circumstances require otherwise and the only way we can get answers is by sending you off the show.”

“So we’re basically just rigging the show,” Jason said, crossing his arms. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Not exactly,” Bruce sighed. “If you know anything about the show it’s centered around drama and romance which means you’ll need to make it look convincing as to why you’re there. Goofing off and Tim keeping on every week is going to be suspicious. Even if suspicions wouldn’t arise from the producers at the off character behavior, the audiences would cause a riot if they even suspected there wasn’t a real interest between the two of you. You think you can handle it?”

Tim didn’t even have to look to know Jason was narrowing his eyes at the challenge. “Of course,” he scoffed. “What do you take us for?”

The edge of Bruce’s lips ticked up. “Good.” He turned and looked back at the computer in the Cave. “Go get packed. Tim, you’re meeting with the producers tomorrow to get everything settled. Jason, you’ll be collected by them the day after when filming commences and Tim supposedly meets his matches for the first time. You’re going to have limited contact with me and keeping any discussion you have about the mission as discreet as possible is a must. There’s little room for error in this.”

“There’s never any room for error when we’re working for you,” Jason grumbled under his breath.

Tim had to suppress a smile because Jason had never said anything so true.

“Well,” Tim said turning to him. “Let’s make it good.”

Jason smirked and leaned over him, trying to look intimidating, but just making Tim raise an eyebrow.

“We’ll have viewers eating out of the palms of our hands.”

Tim matched his smirk. “We’ll give them one hell of a show.”

“Just go pack,” Bruce said, pulling up a new window on the Computer.

Tim chuckled and turned on his heel. In addition to packing he was going to need to do a little research. He knew nothing about Gotham’s dating show. If he was going to be the eligible bachelor he couldn’t afford to go in blind.

~~

Tim gripped the handle of his suitcase tightly in his hand and plastered on the most well-meaning smile he could muster as he approached the producer and the film crew standing behind her.

“Mr. Drake, welcome,” she said, extending her hand. “I hope your ride wasn’t too tiring?”

“Not at all,” he said, taking her hand. “I appreciate you going out of your way to provide transportation.”

“Of course, it was really no bother. We do it for all of the contestants on the show.”

Tim made a mental note that it was probably to keep any outside parties from knowing where they were located. Luckily, Tim had several GPS devices stowed in his things and on his person to keep track of him. He wasn’t sure if they would actually search his things, but he wasn’t about to take any risks if they found something they wanted to confiscate.

“Regardless,” Tim said, “you have my thanks.”

She smiled. “Shall we begin the tour and go over our procedures for the show?”

Tim nodded and followed her across the brick drive towards the front door of an expansive ranch house.

“We always consider filming to be more appropriate on the outskirts of Gotham to keep unwanted parties at bay and ensure privacy from the city which can be loud and raucous at times.” She pushed through the double doors and walked inside. “Through there is the living room where you will have the ability to spend time with the whole group. Champagne and other drinks are provided during mediated time. On the opposite side are some of the rooms the contestants will be staying in. They’ll be here and on the second and third floors.”

Tim nodded as he looked up the spiraling staircase.

“Down this hallway is the kitchen,” she said walking forward, Tim followed, pulling his suitcase behind him. “We have personal chefs who come in to serve all of you, but you are welcome to use the facilities as you like at any time.” Tim raised an eyebrow at the expansive kitchen. It was almost as impressive as the one at the Manor and had a large open space with floor to ceiling windows that let in more light than Tim thought was possible with Gotham so close.

“You will be staying in a separate house in the back,” she said, leading him through the rear doors. He caught sight of the house across the grass and followed the brick pathway to the front door. The producer smiled and pulled a key from her pocket, unlocking the door and letting him inside. “You can leave your suitcase in here and you have your own living area, a smaller kitchen and your bedroom and bath. You are more than welcome to join the contestants in the house for meals or cook for yourself here. Is there anything you would like to have stocked for you?”

“Coffee, please,” Tim said, looking around at the furnishings and the paintings. “I enjoy having a cup with my breakfast.”

“Of course,” she said, making a note on the tablet in her hands. “You have free access to the rest of the yard and gardens and the pool. The fence marks off where our property ends. For the moment you are free to explore the grounds and the house the contestants are staying in or unpack your things here. The contestants will arrive later tonight, but we’ll give you a couple hours warning so you can get cleaned up and into a nice suit for their arrival. If you need anything feel free to come to me.”

“Thank you I appreciate it, Ms…?”

“Oh right,” she said, laughing lightly. “Shelly. You can call me Shelly.”

“Thank you, Shelly.”

She smiled. “Thank you for reaching out to be on our show this season. We’re looking forward to it and we hope we can help you find love.”

Tim smiled. “As do I,” he said with a little bow.

“One more thing.” She held out the key. “This will allow you to lock your space when you’re out for the group talks or on your dates. You’re the only one who is allowed this privilege because you’re living away from the house. And we’d advise you to keep from bringing any of the contestants back here. Physical relations are frowned upon during filming.”

“Right,” Tim nodded, wrapping his fingers around the key. “I understand completely.”

Shelly smiled and turned on her heel, leaving him alone in what would become his new home. Tim let out a breath and looked around, finding the silence kind of eerie. His eyes went to the corners of the rooms and found cameras tucked in the corners of the living room. He grabbed his suitcase and rolled it through the space, searching for the door that would lead him to his room.

There was another camera in the bedroom and he would need to remember to change out of sight of that which also reinforced the fact he wouldn’t be able to bring any guests back here. Not that he was planning on that. The only person he would search for some form of privacy with would be Jason so they could share details, but if what Shelly had said was true, he’d have access to the rest of the grounds and might be able to get away from anything that could record their conversation.

Tim slipped into the bathroom and was glad to find an absence of cameras and bugs. He was more surprised to find a large shower and bath tucked away inside. He wouldn’t have thought they would’ve been able to fit those things inside the small house, but if the show was supposed to cater to bachelors and make them the stars of the show, it would be best to keep them happy.

He left his bedroom behind and made his way to the kitchen. It had a small table, but was still a good size by anyone’s standards and fully stocked with anything he might need to use to cook which wasn’t going to be much considering his culinary skills.

~~

A knock sounded on his door. “Mr. Drake? Are you ready to meet the contestants?”

Tim took a deep breath and smoothed down his suit jacket. He’d had all day to prepare himself for what was coming, but it was still on a different level of weird that he was going to be pretending to be interested in the contestants on the show and above all, Jason. He plastered on a grin and turned towards the door.

“Of course,” he said cheerfully, pulling it open to face Shelly and the camera crew behind her.

She smiled at him and stepped to the side. “Come this way please. Our first guest will be arriving shortly.”

Tim almost wanted to ask her when Jason was going to show up, but he couldn’t exactly do that when they weren’t supposed to know each other. He just hoped there wouldn’t be too many new faces. He wasn’t sure how much he could handle all of the people vying after him for his status. It was a bloodbath waiting to happen.

Shelly pulled him around to the drive and placed him in front of the fountain that broke up the driveway. She adjusted the collar of his jacket and Tim had to fight not to pull away from her grip.

“You’ll have a few minutes to get introduced to each of the contestants as they pull up. Don’t worry about remembering all of their names because we have files that you can look through later to jumpstart your memory and get to know a few things about them all.”

“Phew,” Tim said, faking relief. “I was worried I’d be stumbling around for days trying to remember who was who.”

Shelly smiled and patted him on the chest. “Don’t worry, Mr. Drake, we’ve considered all of the hiccups that could occur and have taken great strides to keep them from disrupting things too much.”

A distant car horn sounded and Shelly’s grin widened.

“Our first guest has arrived,” she said, stepping away behind the camera. “Let’s get started.”

Tim watched as a stretch limo appeared and came to a stop. He halfway expected Jason to be the first one to step out, but was met with a startlingly blond man who pushed the back door open. He smiled as he approached and stuck out his hand.

“I’m Nathan,” he said.

Tim returned his smile. “Tim,” he offered.

“Oh I know exactly who you are,” he said, squeezing Tim’s hands in both of his.

“Right, of course,” Tim said as he was released and Nathan walked past him to the house. He fought to keep the smile on his face because if everyone else was going to have the same attitude as him, he was going to be exhausted before the introductions were over.

~~

Tim’s brain was overwhelmed by the amount of Nicks, Nathans, Jacks, Jakes, Marks, Tylers, Ryans, Brads, and Evans he’d met. Some of them had been okay like the first meeting, but other times the guys were trying way too hard for his attention and going over the top with what they were wearing or trying to feel him up, which was not what he agreed to at all. And the more limos that showed up and had someone step out who was not Jason was leaving him more and more nervous because he really needed the solidarity and familiarity that came with him even if the cameras couldn’t pick up on it.

“Okay, Tim you’ve been doing great so far,” Shelly interrupted, letting him get a much needed drink of water. “You only have one contestant left to meet and then you’ll get the chance to talk to everyone as a group.”

Tim nodded and handed the water bottle back to one of the assistants as they moved back behind the cameras. He could hear muffled laughter coming from the house and expected everyone else was already getting to indulge in the champagne and other drinks. At least with this last limo he knew exactly who was going to step out.

A distant roaring broke through his thoughts and he blinked, having to stifle a grin because of course Jason would get the sway to ride a motorcycle in when everyone else had to come by limo. The rumble got louder before Jason rounded the corner and Tim did let himself indulge in a smile because it was a bit of a show.

He crossed his arms over his chest as Jason came to a stop and cut the engine, climbing off, he pulled off his helmet and shook out his hair. Tim was pleased to see him dressed in his usual leather jacket, but he’d gone for a nicer pair of pants and a button down. He grinned at Tim as he approached and Tim raised an eyebrow before carefully holding out his hand.

“And you are…?” he asked.

Jason looked down at his hand, glancing up at him through his eyelashes and Tim’s stomach immediately dropped, knowing Jason was going to do something crazy. He gasped when Jason took his arm and spun him around, pulling him into his embrace before dipping him and claiming a quick kiss.

Tim’s eyes widened and he heard the muffled exclamations coming from the house that signaled they’d been seen.

“The name’s Jason,” he said, giving him a grin and letting Tim back to his feet.

Tim nodded dumbly, knowing his shock was more than a little evident on his face. Jason winked at him before shoving his hands into his pockets and heading towards the house.

“Well,” Shelly said, breaking through his thoughts and sounding like someone who’d just stumbled upon the fortune of a lifetime. “If you’re alright we can head inside, Mr. Drake, but if you need a minute?”

He shook his head. “Um, no. No I’m fine. Let’s just, let’s get started I guess.”

She nodded. “If you’re sure. Now the rest of the night is going to be informal for you. Start by opening with a little speech about getting to know everyone and what you hope to find in love and then you’re free to mingle with the contestants as you like.”

“Sure.”

“Wonderful, have at it,” she said, pulling the door open for him.

He squared his shoulders and walked in with the camera crew following close behind him. He felt like he was walking into a Lions’ Den, but he had one lion on his side and he knew the two of them could fight their way out if they had to.

As soon as he stepped through the arch into the living area filled with couches. Jason was leaned back against one of the walls with his arms crossed, watching. Someone, Tim thought his name might be Nick, handed him a glass of champagne with a flourish.

“Thank you,” he offered with a small nod. “Everyone, I’m…not quite sure how to phrase this so I’ll do my best.” Laughter rumbled around him and Tim wanted to wince at how fake it all sounded. “I will try to be brief in any case, I would like to thank you all for being part of this with me and I hope I can find the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with among you.” He raised his glass and everyone mimicked him, taking sips even as their gazes turned sharp and smiles turned sly.

Tim stepped into the room intent on getting to know everyone at once. He only made it a handful of steps before someone was grabbing his hand and pulling him from the room. He was walked through the front door and out into the still warm night air. They sat down on the brick side of the fountain and Tim had to force himself not to move away when there was barely any space put between their bodies.

“Nathan, right?” Tim asked.

He nodded, grin pulling at his lips. Tim imagined he was going to brag to everyone else about this later.

“So, what do you do for a living?” he started, washing the question back with more champagne.

“Well,” Nathan started, cradling the stem of his glass between his fingers. “I work at a coffee shop downtown which pays pretty well, but what I really like to do is the volunteer work in a kid’s center after my shifts.”

“You work with kids? What do you like about the center?”

“It’s a great way to help youth who come from more disadvantaged backgrounds. I got into it in high school and stuck with it after I graduated.”

Tim nodded. “Are you interested in working with them in a more professional manner?”

Nathan shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said with a little giggle. “I always had this dream of settling down with a nice guy and taking care of the house while he worked.”

“I see,” Tim said. His brain helpfully categorized Nathan as a gold-digger. He almost expected a lot of these people would be. “How-“

“Do you mind if I interrupt?”

Tim turned and found who he thought was one of the Jakes. Or Jacks.

“I’ll see you later okay, Nathan?” He barely caught the frown when he turned to give Nathan a reassuring look.

“Okay. Thanks, Tim,” he got up and gave a little wave as he went back to the house.

Jake or Jack held out his hand and Tim took it, letting himself get pulled around the side of the house to where one of the benches was tucked away.

~~

Tim had been pulled every which way around the immediate yard and even to the upstairs balcony and was ready to bang his head against a wall if it only meant a moment of reprieve, but they still had to go through the whole first ceremony where the first person was sent home. He was not looking forward to that. He wasn’t even sure who he was supposed to pick.

And how he was going to pick if it meant sending someone to certain death. That was one aspect he hadn’t considered. Tim closed his eyes and rubbed a finger against his temple.

“Long night?”

He sighed, tension immediately bleeding out of his limbs. “Am I that obvious?” he asked, looking up. “Jason?”

He shrugged, hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket. “I’m glad you remembered my name.”

Tim chuckled and stood from where he was seated. “Kind of hard with the entrance you made.”

Jason’s grin was lopsided.

“How do you feel about a walk around the yard?” Tim offered. “I think I’ve been dragged everywhere but there.”

“Sounds good to me. And the chance to ravish you behind some bushes? I’ll take it.”

“Calm down,” he shot back, taking the lead around the back of the house to the longer expanse of grass. “Can’t let things get too wild on the first night. Besides, I’m not allowed to bring anyone back to my special abode anyway.”

“I’ll be sure to spread the word. Not that anyone is going to listen to me. I’m sure someone is intent on getting you alone long enough to get what they’re really after.”

Tim snorted. “Such romantic conversation on our first date.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Oh is that what this is?”

“Sorry, have I wrongly assumed?” Tim shot back.

He was relaxed. Relieved. This was the easy kind of banter he could get behind. Even if they were only supposed to be faking a sense of chemistry between them it was great to be with someone who wasn’t trying to get in his pants or go after his fortune or something else.

Jason sighed. “I suppose not. Considering with the context of the show and all that.”

They shared a chuckle in the warm evening air.

“So, how’d you manage to convince them to let you come roaring in on a motorcycle?”

“Desperate for my secrets are we?” Jason asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“You could say that. Or I’m trying to convince you to run away on it with me. Escape the rest of this craziness and take off. Lose ourselves to the road.”

“Aren’t you here to find love? What’s all this running off business?”

Tim grinned. “Maybe I’m just looking for a little adventure in life. So spill.”

“Well…” Jason started, glancing around to make sure no one was watching despite the camera crew that was following them and taking in their conversation. “Let’s just say I got to pull a few strings.”

“How mysterious,” Tim mused.

Jason winked at him and Tim ducked his head, biting his lip. He could almost hear the screams of the viewers now.

“Mr. Drake!”

Tim sighed at the sound of Shelly’s voice and looked up to see her hurrying across the yard to them.

“Sorry to cut your time short, but we really must take care of the first elimination round. I’ll give you a few minutes to collect your thoughts and decide who you’d like to send home. Mr. Todd, please come with me to return to the contestants.”

“Sure,” he said, good humor from his conversation with Tim dropping out of his voice.

Tim watched them go, feeling the positive energy drain out of him. Jason looked back over his shoulder and sent him a wink. Tim returned a smile and rocked back on his heels once. He mentally thought over everyone he’d talked to. He only had to pick one person which couldn’t be so hard.

If it was up to him, he’d narrow it down a lot more, but his earlier thoughts about what was going to happen to who he sent off turned over uncomfortably at the back of his mind. He just hoped their process wasn’t to ship out their “cargo” as soon as possible.

It was as much for his own conscience as the people involved.

~~

Tim huffed and fell back onto his bed. He’d had to console a weeping and emotional contestant when he’d finally gotten down to the last rose. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to repeating, but he knew this was only the beginning. His mind was already going over the possibilities of what was going to happen to him and where he was being taken.

Remembering the security cameras in the room he pushed himself out of bed and slipped into the bathroom, just barely snatching a change of clothes to take with him so he wouldn’t have to change in front of the cameras.

He started the water in the tub and left it to run and fill the bath. He stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the bathwater that was quickly rising, letting himself sit down and enjoy the warm water that was already inside.

He tried to force all of his thoughts and feelings from himself in an effort to exist without worrying about anything else. He and Jason had a long road ahead of them and he dimly wondered if they were going to be able to have any other contact out of what was sanctioned by the show. He made a mental note to check the perimeter of his house to see what kind of cameras might be put up around the edges and if his bathroom window was located in a blind spot they might actually have a chance at communicating and getting this thing solved before it was too late.

With all of his trackers he’d brought with him, he might be able to slip one onto one of the contestants getting sent home so their location could be kept on the radar. If he was lucky, Bruce would be able to stay with it and find where they’re holding everyone.

Tim shut off the water now that the tub was filled and sagged against the side, closing his eyes. He let himself dip under for a moment to wet his hair and muffle everything. The pressing silence of the water allowed him to forget about all the pressure and people riding on him and Jason and how quickly they needed to crack this case. None of that mattered until he was forced to resurface and draw in air again.

~~

Tim wrapped his hands around the mug of steaming coffee and inhaled the smell of hazelnut. He sighed, letting a smile tug at his lips when a knock sounded on the door. His good mood quickly fell away as his obligations once again reared their heads. He carried his mug over to the door and answered it to find a smiling Shelly waiting for him. Thankfully without the cameras.

“Good morning, Mr. Drake. How was your first night?”

“Not too bad,” he said, moving aside to let her inside.

“I’m glad to hear you’ve settled in all right.”

Tim raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything, wondering how she’d made that leap in logic.

“I’d just like to go over a few things for today. We got some audience responses from last night’s episode.”

Tim blinked, not realizing they moved so quickly when it came to airing the events that occurred. He would’ve thought they would’ve wanted a longer timeline, especially due to the nature of what happened to the contestants when they were sent off.

“We’ve had a good deal of positive responses to what’s gone on between you and the contestants and many people have already developed a fan favorite.”

“Oh?” Tim prodded.

“Yes, it seems that you and Jason Todd were the talk of the internet.”

Tim made a valiant effort not to choke on his coffee and instead paused and cleared his throat before taking another sip to clear anything still stuck in his throat.

“That’s…surprising,” he offered.

“Is it?” she asked, cocking her head. “The two of you seemed to get along spectacularly. Are you less interested in him?”

Sensing danger, he quickly backpedaled. “That’s not what I meant. I think we made a great connection. I was just surprised that so many viewers could see it, too.”

Shelly smiled and crossed her legs, looking a bit too smug. “Well, I’m interested to see how your initial interest is going to play out. Now, onto what we have planned for today. You have your first event with all of the contestants. It’ll give you time to spend time with them and make deeper connections.”

“What is it?” Tim asked, hesitant.

“We’ve created a large scale obstacle course. It’s a chance to let loose and have some fun and get a bit dirty.”

Tim swallowed. “Um. Okay.”

Shelly stood from her seat. “I’ll let the rest of the contestants know what’s on the schedule. Take some time to get something to eat and get ready. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting muddy.”

Tim nodded and watched her go, sagging back into the couch after she closed the door behind her. He buried his face in his hands. The viewers liked him and Jason. At least it would be popular to keep him around. But he wasn’t sure how easy this was going to be after all.

~~

Tim watched as the rest of the guys filed onto the field from the limos they’d been carted over in. They were all wearing some form of well-worn clothes or workout gear. Tim’s eyes immediately zeroed in on Jason who was wearing basketball shorts and a technical tee that was stretched across his chest.

Jason’s eyes met his and the corner of his mouth ticked up in a half smile. Tim ducked his head as his own lips pulled into a smile. He glanced up and saw the other contestants looking around, obviously trying to figure out who he was smiling at.

“Welcome to your first group date,” their host said, stepping up next to Tim. “Today we have a fun little obstacle course set up for you so I hope you all enjoy getting down and dirty.”

Amused chuckles and interested sounds echoed from the guys and Tim scratched the back of his neck.

“Now, now,” their host said, interrupting them. “How this is going to work is you are each going to pair up with someone and run the course. The winner of each pair will move on and we’ll work through all of the contestants until the last two are left.”

One of the guys, Jack, Tim’s brain supplied, raised his hand.

“Yes, Jack?”

“What does the winner get?” he asked, rocking back on his heels.

“I’m glad you asked. The winner gets to have the first solo date with Tim.”

Shocked gasps rose up from the group and Tim swallowed, feeling a not so subtle burst of panic. His eyes snapped up to meet Jason’s who was watching the host. Tim saw the shift in his posture to something more determined. He looked like he was getting ready to go into a fight.

“We’ve already paired all of you off. Up first is Kyle and Nathan,” the host said, getting them back on track. “Come and take your marks. You’ll run across this expanse, jump over the low beams, scale the wall and descend the rope net on the other side, swing from the ropes over the pond, run through the row of tires, and finally army crawl through the mud pit under the net before sprinting to the finish.”

Neither Kyle nor Nathan looked particularly happy about any aspect of the obstacle course, but they dutifully waited for the gun to go off. Tim wasn’t sure how physically fit everyone here was, but he knew how far determination could get a person.

A buzzer sounded and they took off across the field. They made better progress than he would’ve thought, but there were a lot of contestants to go and Tim was also one of them.

~~

Tim felt breathless and giddy after his run of the obstacle course. He was glad he hadn’t been paired up against Jason because if both of them were fighting through the other contestants, there would be less of a chance Tim was stuck with someone he didn’t like. He could tell the adrenaline was affecting Jason the same way because his posture was more relaxed than it had been at the start despite the competition.

Every person who lost to Jason looked pissed while everyone who lost to Tim stared at the mud coating his shirt and arms. Unsurprisingly, at least to Jason and Tim, they ended up being the last two in the race.

“What happens if I win?” Tim asked, jokingly.

“Well,” their host looked more confused that he’d made it so far than anything. “I guess you get to pick who you go on your solo date with.”

Tim smirked and jokingly let his eyes rove up and down Jason’s dirty body.

“Or you could throw it,” Jason whispered as they took their spots next to each other.”

“Please,” Tim huffed. “Now where would the fun be in that?”

Jason huffed a laugh. “Indeed. Although I don’t think the rest of the guys see the fun in the two of us racing each other.”

“Well,” Tim said, eyes shining, “we better give them one hell of a show.”

“Like we already aren’t?”

Jason smirked as the gun went off and they both sprinted forward, keeping even as they approached the low beams. They both used one hand to brace themselves as they kicked their legs over, repeating the motion until they made it across. Jason made it to the wall a second before Tim did, but Tim used the height of his jump and his legs to keep pace with Jason as they climbed up.

Tim winced as gravity pulled him on the rope net a little too harshly. Jason swung a little wildly and Tim took the advantage, working down the net as fast as he could. He jumped the last couple of feet, coming to a squat before he was sprinting across the lawn. He heard Jason curse behind him and he grinned.

He hurried up the ramp and jumped, grabbing onto the first rope and swinging wildly back and forth over the pond. He used the momentum to move to the second one and chanced a look over his shoulder as he heard heavy steps on the wooden ramp. Jason didn’t hesitate, crossing from one rope to the next in a single swing and getting ahead of Tim.

Tim hurried to keep up with Jason’s rhythm, but wasn’t able to catch up, struggling to get through the last of the ropes while Jason jumped back down to solid ground and hurried towards the tires. Tim scrambled after him, fighting to close the distance, but Jason kept the lead.

Tim practically dived into the mud underneath the low net to army crawl. He spit as mud flew across his face.

“Having trouble keeping up, Timmy?” Jason chuckled ahead of him.

“Yeah right,” he shot back, fighting against the pull of the mud as it weighed down his clothes. He felt like he was swimming in place, but Jason wasn’t doing much better. They came head to head at the end of the pit and both fought to get to their feet.

Tim wasn’t sure if they made it up at the same time or if there were milliseconds separating them, but they fumbled into a messy run towards the finish. Tim threw out his chest, hoping to get that much more of an advantage, but Jason crossed just ahead of him.

They both flailed to a stop, bracing their hands against their knees in an effort to catch their breath. Tim met Jason’s eyes and he grinned. They shared a breathy chuckle. Tim straightened, placing a hand against his side. He knew he was going to have to stretch that out later.

“And we have a winner,” their host said, hurrying over with the other contestants. “Jason Todd is going to be lucky enough to go on the first solo date with Tim!”

The other contestants politely clapped, but their disappointment was obvious.

“I hope you all had as much fun as I did,” Tim said, addressing the rest of them with a smile. “This was a great way to spend the afternoon.”

A few of them softened at his happiness, but Tim knew there was going to be a lot of gossip while they were gone.

“You have a few minutes to talk and chat while we wait for the limos to arrive, but from there it’s back to the house where you can get cleaned up. Jason, Tim, when you two are ready, you’ll be taken to the location of your solo date.”

“Alright,” Jason said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Sounds good,” Tim offered.

~~

Tim was more than happy to jump in the shower after the mud started drying on his ride back. He dumped his crusty clothes into the bathtub and let the water run over those as he turned on the shower. He twisted and turned to look at himself in the mirror and try to figure out how so much mud had actually gotten on him because he didn’t really think it was possible.

Shaking his head, Tim stepped under the warm spray and watched the worst of the dirt and grime wash down the drain before pulling his shampoo from the shelf. He scrubbed at his hair, forced to watch the white foam on his hands turn a nasty gray before he could wash it out. He made a face when the same thing happened while he was running a soap-covered wash cloth over his skin, but he was happier to see his natural skin tone return than anything else.

Refreshed after his shower, Tim wrapped a towel around his waist and bent over the tub where his clothes were still soaking. He drained the water and rinsed them out as best he could before leaving them to soak further while he got dressed. He ducked back into his room and grabbed a change of clothes before slipping back into the bathroom. He wasn’t about to be caught by the hidden cameras. Not on day two. Or any other day for that matter.

He heard a knock on his door as he pulled his shirt on and frowned, throwing the towel over his head to dry his hair as he walked through the house. He pulled the door open and found Shelly standing there with a smile on her face.

“I’m glad to see you’re all cleaned up. Are you ready for solo date or do you need some more time?” she asked brightly.

“Let me go throw on some shoes and I’ll be ready to go,” he said, turning on his heel to pad back to his room and leaving the door open behind him. He tossed his towel over the shower door to dry and slipped on his shoes.

Shelly was still standing in the doorway when he got back and she brightened when he reappeared. “Jason’s already waiting in the car for you.”

He nodded and locked the door behind them before they crossed the lawn towards the front of the house. The car turned out to be a limo, not that Tim should’ve been surprised by that. The driver was holding the back door open and Tim could see Jason’s shoulder through the opening.

“The camera crew and I will be following you in a separate van, but there will be a small camera set up in the car to tape any interactions you might have. Everything for your date is already set up for your arrival,” Shelly explained as they came to as top next to the limo.

He nodded before sliding onto the seat next to Jason. The door shut softly behind him and he sank back into the leather. Jason offered him a smile as they pulled away from the curb and he gave him one of his own.

He wasn’t expecting much, but he really hoped they would be able to find a moment without the cameras or someone listening in on their time together. He needed a break from the persona he was forced to enact.

~~

“Now for your first solo date, we decided to keep things simple,” Shelly explained. “Especially after that exciting obstacle course you had this morning. There are several different types of wine you’re free to drink and sample and you are welcome to roam the vineyard as you please. Enjoy yourselves, please.”

Tim and Jason followed the worker towards a small area that was set up under a tent. There were a few different wine bottles set on the table and two glasses for them to drink out of. Jason reached for the first bottle and pulled the cork from the top since it had already been opened for them. He filled both of their rather large glasses halfway full and handed one to Tim before sliding the cork back in.

Tim took a sip and hummed at the taste.

“Care to go for a walk?” Jason asked.

Tim nodded. “Of course.”

They meandered down the path, taking sips of their wine as the camera crew followed along behind them.

“So Jason,” Tim started. “What do you do for a living?”

He hummed. “I’m a bit of a freelancer. Small entrepreneur, that kind of thing.”

Tim suppressed a smile. “Oh, really? What kind of work do you like to do?”

Jason tilted his head to one side. “I guess you could say I’m interested in community building programs. Getting the people of Gotham involved and improving their access to resources.”

Tim hid his smile behind his glass when he really wanted to laugh. “I never would’ve taken you for such a community oriented person.”

“I get that a lot. It’s the-“

“Leather jacket and motorcycle?” Tim offered.

Jason chuckled. “Yeah.”

Tim was really aware of the cameras behind them and he cleared his throat. He was not in the mood to have to keep drinking in order to find something to do. This was not the kind of conversation he was interested in having either. Even if they couldn’t discuss the case if they ditched the cameras, it would be better than forcing the small talk expected of them.  

“Since you like bikes so much, you do anything else with them?”

“Nah, I really just take care of my own bike. I’ve helped some other people with their mechanic stuff.”

“Maybe we should go for a ride sometime,” Tim offered.

Jason grinned. “You want to go riding with me?”

“Why not?” Tim asked. “I think it would be fun. A thrill if you will.”

“Tell me Tim,” Jason said, swirling the wine in his glass. “You ever been on a bike?”

Tim stared into his eyes and shook his head. “Never,” he lied.

Jason’s grin widened. “Then it will be my pleasure to be your first.”

Tim laughed and he saw Jason glance behind them at the cameras. He looked back at Tim and raised an eyebrow, eyes sliding to the side towards where the path continued in front of them. Tim nodded once to answer his question. He grinned when Jason grabbed his hand and pulled him down the path away from the cameras. The shouts were loud behind them, but they ignored them, more content to gain a moment of freedom.

After successfully zigzagging their way through the grape vines, the shouts faded into the background and they collapsed in the dirt, laughing breathlessly as they each clutched their sides. Tim’s face hurt from smiling so much. Jason let out a breath and crossed his legs.

“Finally, a moment of freedom,” he said.

“I know,” Tim agreed. “I don’t know how people can do this voluntarily.”

Jason shook his head. “Me neither. God, you should hear what some of the guys have been saying. So many of them are whining about not getting enough time alone with you and wondering what you’re like in bed. Jesus.”

Tim made a face. “Ugh. I honestly don’t think I would’ve been able to handle going on a solo date with any of them. It would’ve been so uncomfortable.”

“They probably would’ve tried to kiss you.”

“I’m so not looking forward to that. I might punch the first person who tries,” he murmured against the rim of his glass as he took a sip.

“You didn’t punch me,” he pointed out. “And don’t go blowing your cover. Bruce would have a fit.”

Tim chuckled. “He would. How are things on your end anyway? I’m thinking when I send the next person home I’ll put a tracker on them. Bruce can trace them and find a location.”

Jason nodded. “That would give us the best lead. None of the contestants know what’s going on and they’re all trying to figure out how to get everyone else sent home. I’m probably going to be at the top of their lists now that I’m here.”

“You can handle it.”

“That I can,” Jason agreed. “The obstacle course was fun this afternoon.”

“I haven’t had that much fun in a long time,” Tim said, looking over the bushes around them. “We should set one up at home and run trials through it. Bruce would probably be annoyed.”

Soft rustling and voices broke through the silence. Jason and Tim looked at each other before scrambling backwards under the bushes. Jason grabbed Tim’s arm and pulled him along until someone broke through the bushes. They both reeled back and Jason pulled Tim into his side.

“There you are,” Shelly said, voice tight. “Please refrain from running off again. We understand how invasive the cameras can be, but it’s imperative we’re able to capture as much about the development of your relationship as possible.”

“Sorry,” Tim mumbled.

Jason’s grip tightened on his arm.

“Now,” Shelly sighed. “Let’s get back to your wine tasting, shall we?”

Jason tangled their fingers together and Tim gave his hand a grateful squeeze as the cameras followed after them back along the path. Tim hadn’t realized how far they’d actually gotten, but it took a long time to weave their way back across the vineyard to where their tent had been set up. A pair of chairs had been set up since they’d left and a pitcher of water put out as well.

Jason poured them each a glass of water and Tim took his, chugging half of it. Being out in the sun and drinking wine didn’t exactly mix.

“You have another hour to enjoy yourself, but you’re restricted to this immediate area because of your shenanigans,” Shelly explained. “Now, don’t feel the need to hide anything from the cameras. Have the deep conversations you normally would with someone you date. Kissing is filmed every season if you’d rather do that, but we do need you to do something with each other. This is a date after all.”

Tim and Jason shared a look with each other before Jason was reaching for the second bottle of wine to fill their glasses. Tim chugged half of his. This was going to get a lot more complicated than he originally thought.

~~

The conversation on the rest of their date had been stilted at first, but once Tim got Jason talking about books, he’d pretty much driven the conversation and kept things on safe ground. In the back of Tim’s mind, the comment Shelly had made about kissing had stuck with him. He hadn’t given it much consideration, but the audience would judge them if they didn’t kiss at some point beyond what had already happened if they were supposed to have the most chemistry.

Tim tightened his grip in Jason’s hand in the limo where it had been safely resting for most of the afternoon. It was the closest they could get to solitary comfort without saying anything around everyone else.

Jason and Tim parted ways with a hug, Jason going back into the house while Tim walked around to the back to his place. It didn’t escape his notice that some of the curtains on the upper floors fluttered which meant the other contestants were waiting for their return. He wondered if they were curious about them kissing. They obviously knew more about this whole process than Tim did despite the research he’d done.

Tim slipped into his small house and kicked off his shoes. He almost let himself fall back onto the bed, but then thought better of it. He didn’t want the cameras to watch him as he sat and thought things over. He pulled his clothes from the bathtub and hung them over the towel rack to dry. He wiped the bottom of the bathtub dry and climbed in, leaning back against the side to stare at the ceiling.

As soon as Shelly had mentioned it, Tim had known what was going to happen. He knew he was going to have to kiss Jason and he knew Jason knew it too.

“Fuck,” Tim sighed and threw his arms over his face. This was supposed to be an easy mission, but he was already being tested at every curve.

~~

Tim’s smile was tight and he was worried if his grip on his glass got any tighter it was going to shatter in his hand. Which, wasn’t exactly a bad way to go if it got him away from Jake. He was staring at him and hadn’t stopped talking for the past five minutes and Tim was starting to think he really had no idea what personal space was.

“Mind if I interrupt?”

Tim had to stop himself from outright sighing and flinging himself into Jason’s arms at his arrival. Jake pouted and Tim reached out, giving his hand a squeeze.

“We can talk again later, okay?”

Jake looked slightly less disappointed before he got up and went back into the house. Jason pulled him to his feet and away from the front door.

“How are you doing?” Jason asked, with more meaning than he should’ve had in front of the cameras.

“I’m good,” Tim answered cheerfully even as his soul screamed inside. “I’m enjoying the night, the weather’s nice.”

Jason nodded and gave his hand a squeeze as they walked around the side of the house towards where the bushes were the thickest and offered the most privacy from prying eyes.

“So this afternoon was fun,” Jason offered, pulling Tim next to him as he leaned against the still warm bricks of the house.

Tim chuckled softly. “I think that’s a bit of an understatement. I had a lot of fun. Especially when we got to…explore the vineyard a bit.”

Jason huffed a laugh and took a sip from his glass. His eyes somehow still managed to shine in the low lighting. Tim swallowed, wondering if it was just the atmosphere that was making him see things, but he felt a pull towards Jason that hadn’t been there that afternoon.

Tim wasn’t sure who moved first or maybe if they moved at the same time. But he’d moved in and Jason’s arm wrapped around his back, pulling him against him. Jason’s lips were soft against his and he tasted like alcohol. Tim’s fingers tangled in Jason’s hair, gripping the strands tightly.

Everything around them fell away and Tim forgot they weren’t alone until he heard something rustle. They broke apart, Jason’s hand settling protectively on his waist, only to find a cameraman moving to get a closer shot.

Jason glared at the guy and Tim felt his face heat up at the reminder they didn’t actually have any privacy.

“Hey,” Jason murmured.

Tim struggled to meet his eyes, but when he did, Jason pressed their foreheads together and stared into his eyes. Jason smiled, soft and sweet in a way that rarely anyone got to see anymore. Tim smiled back and Jason caught his hand, giving it a squeeze. Tim squeezed back.

Another rustling sound caught their attention and Jason rolled his eyes, making Tim laugh before they looked up to find one of the other contestants waiting on them.

“Mind if I interrupt?” Jackson asked, trying and failing to look seductive and sexy.

Jason gave his hand another squeeze before he stepped away. “I’ll see you later.”

Tim nodded and watched him go, holding back a sigh at having to go back to playing like he was interested in anyone there.

~~

As he’d expected, the man he was sending off was ridiculously upset at not having the chance to further a relationship with him. Tim willingly offered him a hug before he left and slipped a tracker on him, hoping it would be enough to start a trail as to where they were being taken or hidden away. It was a strange feeling to be doing recon work, but not having any control on what was being investigated more largely.

Tim hid his phone in the folds of his pajamas when he went into the bathroom to change. He opened his encrypted line and typed out an update for Bruce that there was now an active tracker on one of the contestants who was leaving.

He waited for a response while he changed, sitting down on the edge of the tub when he was in something more comfortable.

His irritation grew the longer he went without hearing anything back and Tim closed out of the connection. Having minimal resources was one thing, but complete radio silence wasn’t something he’d accept. He debated sending something to Jason who’d have the encryption on his phone, too. But he worried about him being caught by the other contestants and any cameras that might be staged around the house. Neither of them needed Jason getting booted off for breaking the rules.

Finally, Tim pulled himself from the bathroom and settled down, wrapped in the blankets on his bed. He was weirdly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep for a day.

~~

A persistent knocking pulled Tim from sleep and he groaned, rubbing at his eyes. He struggled to extricate himself from the blankets and shuffled across the floor, making his way to the front door. He pulled it open and came face to face with Shelly who was smiling brightly.

“I hope you had a relaxing night because we have a fun day planned for you,” she said breezing past him into the house.

“Sure,” he mumbled, shutting the door behind her. “What are we doing?”

“We’ve got a nice group picnic planned for you and all of the contestants.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. “All of the contestants?”

“Yup!” she crowed. “It’s going to be a fully-catered barbecue and will give you plenty of time to socialize with everyone since things were a little more constrained yesterday with the obstacle course and your solo date. We thought it would also give you a chance to see how you connect with everyone outside of the evenings.”

Tim nodded. “Okay. Is that all that we’re doing today?”

“It is, so get dressed and freshen up. We’ll be leaving in the next hour. The contestants are very excited so be sure to give them something good to look at.”

Tim had to suppress a smile at the thought of Jason getting as excited as the rest of them. He couldn’t exactly picture him jumping up and down and clapping his hands or meticulously picking out what he was going to wear for a picnic.

“I’ll be sure to wear my picnic best,” he said, directing Shelly back to the door so he could have some privacy to change out of his sleep clothes.

She grinned before bouncing back off towards the house. Tim shook his head and closed the door. He hurried back to his room and starting looking through his suitcase. He settled on a pair of jeans and a light blue tee. It wasn’t as dressy as he could go for, but wouldn’t be stifling in the weather.

He slipped into the bathroom to change before deciding on taking a quick shower, too. He turned on the water and pulled his shirt over his head, hands dropping to the waistband of his pants before a sound caught his attention.

He narrowed his eyes and carefully pulled open the bathroom door, listening. He heard the sound of a lock clicking and slipped out of the bathroom, keeping close to the wall as he got around behind the door so if anyone came through he wouldn’t immediately be seen.

Whoever had decided to drop by wasn’t good at concealing their footsteps, the scratch of rubber soles unmistakable on the flooring. Whoever had come in obviously knew where he would be because they were getting closer.

Tim held his breath when they paused outside the door. As soon as their shoe was across the threshold and in his line of sight, Tim pushed against the door, making it swing inward and hit whoever it was. There was a loud cry, but Tim didn’t hesitate to take them to the ground and lock their arm behind their back.

“I didn’t know you like things rough,” he panted.

Tim groaned and fell back. “You’re not supposed to be here, Nathan.”

Nathan smiled and turned to face him on all fours. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Tim shot to his feet and backed up, putting space between them. Nathan’s eyes dropped to his chest and Tim swallowed before hurrying back to the bathroom to retrieve his shirt to cover up the scars.

“Come with me,” he said, grabbing his phone and walking to the living room. He dropped onto the couch, scrolling through his contacts. “Have a seat,” he said before hitting Shelly’s number.

Nathan sat down next to him and Tim immediately rocked up to his feet, pacing around to the other side of the coffee table, ignoring Nathan’s disappointed expression.

“This is Shelly!” she answered happily.

“Hi Shelly, it’s Tim,” he started. “We’ve got a bit of a situation. Do you mind coming back to the house?”

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” she said, voice turning serious.

“Thanks,” Tim said before hanging up.

Tim crossed his arms and leaned against the bureau underneath the T.V. mounted on the wall while he waited. He kept his eyes on Nathan who was watching him, a small grin pulling at his lips. Tim practically sighed when a knock sounded on the door and he hurried over to answer it, bringing Shelly inside.

She looked between the two of them, confusion on her face. “Care to explain what happened, Tim?” she asked.

Tim held out a hand and gestured to Nathan. “He thought it would be a good idea to sneak in here and surprise me. I heard him before he got close and ended up subduing him,” he explained quickly. “I was getting ready to shower so I have no doubt what his intentions were.”

Shelly frowned, gaze hardening in a way that Tim never thought he’d see from her. “Nathan, you and the rest of the contestants were well aware of our policies with fraternizing outside of designated time. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I just wanted to spend some more time with Tim. The rest of us have each other to lean on, but I can only imagine how lonely it must get in this house all alone. Besides, we all have needs that we need satisfying.” Nathan threw a pointed look at Tim when he said his last comment and Tim had to repress a shiver. The thought of Nathan getting that close to him in a sexual capacity made his skin crawl.

Shelly sighed. “Well, considering you were aware of the rules and this was something done entirely by your design, I’m afraid there’s only one solution. You’re being kicked off the show.”

“No!” he exclaimed, jumping from the couch. “I have as much a right to be here as the rest of the contestants.”

Shelly shook her head. “You did until you broke the rules of the show. It’s listed in your contract that if there’s a disciplinary issue, we have the right to kick you off the show. Unless for some reason Tim would like you to stay?”

Nathan turned to him, face desperate. Tim felt his stomach sink because he was already sending someone else to a horrible fate until he could be saved. But the likelihood Nathan would try the same stunt again or something similar was too great and he didn’t want to deal with anyone else trying something. Not when he had more important things to be doing, which were getting evidence to Bruce so they could bust the operation.

He turned to Shelly and shook his head. “I’d feel much more comfortable if he was sent home.”

“Tim!” Nathan screeched. He rushed over to Tim and tried to grab the collar of his shirt. “I thought we had a connection?! I thought you cared about me?”

Tim felt an unfamiliar spike of panic set his heart in motion as he struggled to keep space between them. Between one moment and the next, Nathan was up in his face, eyes wild and voice ringing in his ears, and the next he was being pulled away by two security guards.

Tim struggled to catch his breath as Nathan was forced from the house as his screams echoed across the lawn.

“Mr. Drake?”

He swallowed and looked at Shelly who wore an expression of sympathy.

“Would you like to have this afternoon off in order to collect yourself? I understand how traumatizing this must’ve been.”

His immediate reaction was to agree and take the time for himself, but he hesitated, knowing if he was forced to stay in the house by himself, he’d be nothing but paranoid. It would be better to be with the rest of the contestants, find more data and evidence, and pretend everything was okay. He shook his head.

“No, I’d rather still go on the picnic. I think I might just need a bit more time to get ready if that’s alright?”

Shelly nodded. “Of course, Mr. Drake. I’ll inform the other contestants that we’re pushing our departure time back. Take all the time you need.”

She hurried past him and pulled the door shut behind her as she left. Tim took a minute to calm himself further before locking the door and returning to his shower. This was the last time he was ever going on a dating show.

~~

Tim still felt a little shaky by the time he left his house and was shepherded into a limo to be taken to the park where the cookout was happening. The contestants were there already when his limo pulled up and they rushed over to greet him. Tim could see Jason standing at the back of the pack, but he could still see the tension around his lips and eyes.

He waved off the excited greetings from everyone as he moved back toward the array of blankets and tables, the group moving to surround him as they walked.

“We heard something happened this morning, is everything okay?”

“We were so shocked when Nathan got sent home, what happened?”

“Were you really cornered in your house by gunpoint?”

“I’m fine,” he explained. “Everything’s fine. I’m just aiming to put this morning behind me and spend some time with the rest of you. Do you really want to talk about him when I could be learning more about all of you?” he asked, putting on his best gala smile.

Excited laughter broke out and he got several grins in return. Tim’s eyes strayed to Jason who didn’t look convinced and Tim was sure as soon as they got a moment alone he was going to be questioned over what happened.

“Now, what did I miss while making all of you wait?”

Motion erupted around him as they went to collect drinks and small snacks that had already been set out. Tim did his best to keep up with the conversation and entertain everyone around him, but he was still feeling off about that morning.

Several of the contestants pulled him to the side to have individual conversations which made him feel better outside of the group setting, but he kept wondering if the next guy was planning to try the same thing as Nathan had. He was more than a little relieved when Jason pulled him to the side for some one on one.

“Hey,” he said, getting him to a more secluded place. “What happened this morning?”

Tim plastered on a smile. “Is that really what you want to be talking about right now?” he asked in the same false cheer he’d used with everyone else.

Jason quirked an eyebrow and the smile fell from his face. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Tim glanced to the side, making sure they were away from the other members. The camera guys were focused on them looking over the snacks, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before their attention became directed at him and Jason.

He let out a shaky breath. “For the most part I’m okay, a bit unsettled that someone was willing to barge into my house and try to come after me while I was in the shower. I took him down easily and he didn’t want anything more than to get in my bed so it’s no big deal.”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” Jason insisted. “That’s supposed to be your safe space and the producers obviously fucked that up.”

“I should’ve locked the door,” Tim hurried to explain.

“You know that’s not the point Tim,” Jason said. “It’s the fact he decided to go after you.”

“Just do me a favor?” he asked.

“Anything,” Jason said, eyes glancing to the side where the camera crew looked to be finishing up with the contestants.

“If anyone else starts talking about doing that, shoot it down?”

Jason shook his head. “You don’t even need to ask me to do that. It’s done.”

Tim smiled, feeling more relaxed than he had since that morning. “Thanks, Jay.”

Jason pulled him into a hug and Tim sagged against his chest, reveling in the feeling of safety that he’d been missing. Ideally, he would’ve been able to have Jason stay in the house with him, but that wasn’t an option when they were on two different sides of this.

“Tim!”

They pulled apart at his name being called. He could see the disappointment on some of their faces and other guys were trying to hide their emotions at seeing the hug between them.

“Food’s ready!”

“Great,” he said, pulling away from Jason who strolled after him. “I’m starving.”

Jackson was already holding out a plate and gesturing to what had been served on the platters. Tim smiled and picked out what he wanted. The least he could do for now would be to keep everyone else happy.

~~

Tim practically collapsed on the couch as soon as he got back. (Only after locking the door, though.) He was exhausted and ready to take a nap before he had to socialize any more with the contestants. He’d felt Jason’s gaze on him all afternoon and knew he was reading into every movement he made. Tim had tried to stop himself from pulling away from the touches or the press of people against him, but he knew he wasn’t always successful.

He kicked off his shoes and pulled his phone out of his pocket, angling the screen away from any cameras to open the secure line he had. He sighed when there weren’t any messages from Bruce, but he was surprised to find a message from Jason. He clicked on it and furrowed his brow, wondering when he’d been able to send him a text.

Jason: I know you’re still on edge from this morning. Take a bath or take a nap. If I could, I’d barge in there myself to make sure you relax, but you’d probably land me flat on my ass after this morning.

Tim smiled because he probably would. And Jason would end up looking worse than Nathan had.

Tim: Yeah you might want to stay away. Unless your goal is to get thrown off the show so you know where the contestants are being taken.

He set his phone on his stomach and leaned back, feeling a little more at ease and calm despite everything that had happened. He lifted an eyebrow when his phone vibrated on his stomach. He frowned when he saw he had a new message through the line.

Jason: That’s not part of the plan, babe. Heard anything from Bruce?

Tim: How the hell are you getting messages to me without anyone noticing?

Jason: It’s called being in the bathroom. I’ve got the shower running so I figure I can milk it as long as I want. Now answer the question.

Tim rolled his eyes.

Tim: Nothing. Complete radio silence like that’s a surprise.

Jason: The ass

Tim snorted and smiled.

Tim: What else did you expect? He threw us into this the day before the mission started. He’s never been forthcoming with his information or knowledge.

Jason: Ain’t that the truth

Tim: How much longer you think we have for this mission?

Jason: Hopefully not long. I don’t know how much longer I can keep from punching these guys.

Tim: Don’t land anyone in the hospital.

Jason: No promises

Tim: Jason!

He could almost hear Jason laughing from the house.

Jason: I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Now I need to actually take a shower before we get back to playing in love tonight. I can only keep the rest of these guys out of the bathroom for so long.

Tim: Don’t punch anyone.

He locked his phone and laid down on the couch. Tim bit his lip, trying to fight back the smile that was overtaking him. He chuckled lightly, feeling giddy. He’d forgotten how easy it could be around Jason when they didn’t have to pretend to know nothing about each other. Maybe when this was all over, they could take on a few more cases together. Ones that didn’t need them to go undercover.

~~

“Mr. Drake, we have a nice evening tonight. You’ll have plenty of time to socialize with the contestants and the fans are very much in favor of you and Mr. Todd,” Shelly rambled as they walked towards the house.

“Aren’t I supposed to be picking who I like?” Tim asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

She sniffed and gave him a smile. “I’m simply informing you of how the ratings are doing. But on to tonight. There’s a special aspect of the show on the table for the first time and that’s immunity for the elimination. You have the option to pick someone who will make it through before elimination starts.”

Tim had to check a groan. Everyone was going to be super anxious and uptight which meant he was going to be herded back and forth between everyone. He already knew who he’d prefer to give immunity to because Jason was the only person he saw worth keeping around, but he wasn’t sure if that would be the best choice to make.

He knew the fans would be happy, but tensions could rise in the house…

“Well,” Shelly said as they came to a stop in front of the door. “I hope you enjoy your evening.”

Tim nodded and pushed through the door. The sounds of chatter inside immediately stopped at the creak of the door.

“Hi Tim!” most of them greeted.

He nodded and took the glass someone held out for him.

“Thank you,” he said, politely. “I hope all of you had an enjoyable time this afternoon. I know I did and ate a little too much food, but it was great to be out for a picnic. I’m looking forward to the time we have tonight,” he finished, raising his glass.

As he took a sip, his eyes strayed to Jason who was leaning against the back wall away from the group. Jason’s eyes were on him and he was swirling a glass of whisky. Tim’s gaze was pulled away by someone asking him a question, which he easily answered. As he tried to move past through the crowd, more and more people stopped him, wanting to talk to him and have his attention, and then he was pulled away and back through the front door.

He did his best to entertain each new man who kept him from returning to the group, but he was finding himself becoming less and less accommodating. He was starting to want nothing more than to return to his little house where he could be alone since he figured Jason wouldn’t come to find him anytime soon.

It wasn’t until Tim had been through half the contestants and drunk more than he needed that Jason finally showed. Tim stumbled when Jason pulled him to his feet.

“Woah, there, Tim. How much have you had?” he asked, pulling him close to steady him.

Tim clutched at his shoulders. “Too much probably. It’s the only way I can get through this.”

Jason took the empty glass from his hand and left it on the porch. “Let’s take a walk and get you sobered up. I’d offer you some water, but I’d rather not leave you alone or take you back inside.”

Tim nodded. “Maybe bring me a glass later.”

“Come on.” Jason pulled him against his side and kept a firm hand around his waist as they took the path around the house. Tim leaned into Jason, feeling a little drowsy.

“I want nothing more than to go to bed,” he mumbled.

“Gotta get through the night first,” Jason said as they rounded the corner and found a secluded bench. Jason pulled Tim down next to him and Tim sighed, leaning his head against Jason’s shoulder.

“Why am I doing this?” he mumbled.

“Because you’re desperate to find your soulmate,” Jason said, trying not to laugh.

Tim groaned and rolled his head to the side, looking up at Jason whose eyes were shining in the low light coming from the lamps. Tim glanced down at Jason’s pink lips, eyelids drooping.

“Tim…” Jason said, licking his lips.

Tim’s own parted, suddenly wanting to taste. He tangled his hand in the hairs at the nape of Jason’s neck. Jason’s hold on him tightened and he pulled him closer.

“Are you sure about this?” Jason asked, closing the gap between them.

Tim nodded, meeting Jason’s lips in a kiss. The first brush of lips was hesitant, testing the waters. Tim parted his lips slightly and pressed forward against Jason, accepting his tongue when it pushed past his lips. One of Jason’s hands dropped to his hip, fingers digging into his side.

Tim groaned and wrapped his arms around Jason’s shoulders. The mixture of alcohol and Jason against him made him dizzy. And more than a little desperate. Jason pulled at him, tugging to get him closer and Tim swung a leg over Jason’s lap, pressing against his chest. The taste on Jason’s tongue was a little bitter from the whisky he’d had to drink earlier.

“Tim,” Jason whispered between kisses as they sucked in air. “Tim…”

“Jason…” he sighed. “Jason.”

The sound of a footfall on the stone path and gentle humming caught their attention. They broke apart, a string of spit, splitting between them. Tim wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and slipped off Jason’s lap, the air cool and sobering against his cheeks. Jason grabbed his hand and linked their fingers together, giving him a squeeze.

“Tim?” Jackson asked, smiling as he rounded the corner with two glasses in his hands.

“Jackson, hi,” Tim offered, already dreading what else he was going to have to go through.

“I brought you another drink,” he offered.

Tim grimaced. “I think I’ve had enough for tonight.”

“Oh,” he said, looking disappointed.

“I’ll go get you a water,” Jason said, standing from the bench and letting Tim’s hand go. “Don’t worry, I won’t interrupt your time together,” he added, almost to reassure Jackson.

“Want to have a seat?” Tim asked.

Jackson nodded and eagerly took the spot Jason had vacated. Tim forced a smile and counted the minutes as they slowly passed until he’d be done for the night.

~~

Tim fiddled with his phone that night as he lay in bed. He was reluctant to see if he was going to have a message from Bruce since his thoughts were still on the man he’d had to send home. It seemed so easy to forget about all of that and the consequences that came with what they were doing when it was a flurry of dates and what was supposed to be fun, but more and more of the contestants were being sent off and it wasn’t going to stop. Not until Bruce got everything he needed and if he didn’t tell him and Jason what they needed to do, they were flying blind.

This would be a good time for them to have the power of echolocation. Maybe they could sound out where the prisoners were and put an end to all of this without putting anyone else in danger. But Bruce was the one dressed as a bat.

He sighed and opened up his messages. He blinked when he saw he had a notification from Bruce. His relief immediately disappeared as soon as he read what was inside.

B: The bugs you’ve planted on the eliminated contestants go quiet as soon as they’re within a specific geographic location. We’ve tried scouring the area where they go out, but we’ve found nothing. We need something more.

Tim felt his stomach sink. The only thing he had that was stronger than one of the beacons he’d brought was a distress signal and there was no guarantee that would work. And he couldn’t exactly put together a new piece of tech when he didn’t have any resources and couldn’t afford to look suspicious to the showrunners.

Tim scrubbed a hand over his face before typing out a reply.

Tim: I don’t have anything stronger to plant on a contestant, but I’ll gladly take suggestions on how to handle this. I’d rather not have to send any more helpless victims into the clutches of this operation.

He switched tabs to his conversation with Jason and typed out a quick explanation of what was going on. He doubted it would give him something more than someone to complain to about all of this, but it would be worth something.

What he wasn’t expecting was such a quick reply.

Jason: What does B expect us to do out here? It’s not like we can go all Nancy Drew and start doing detective work.

Tim smiled, feeling a little better despite what they were talking about.

Tim: I don’t know. The only thing I could think of that might work is a distress signal, but that’s not a guarantee it will work.

Jason: And we have no way of testing that.

Tim sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes.

Tim: Exactly

Jason: Well, not really much for us to worry about. B will think of some plan that both of us will either completely agree with or hate so no use worrying about it now.

Tim smiled.

Tim: Right. Instead, we should be worried about getting some sleep before being put through whatever thing they have planned for us tomorrow.

Jason: Agreed. Night, Tim.

Tim: Night, Jason.

He locked his phone and rolled over to set it on the night table before pulling the covers tighter around him. He ran his index finger over the soft fabric in the dark, drawing nonsensical patterns and swirls. He knew he was smiling into the darkness, but he couldn’t find it in himself to stop.

Tim bit his lip and flattened his palm against the covers. He didn’t know what was going on between them, but he found he liked it more than he probably should. Especially when it would make things that much more complicated as soon as they finished this mission. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought that wouldn’t be so bad.

~~

By the time Tim walked into the gym where they were having their group date for the day, he could easily read the tension in Jason’s shoulders and the minute muscle twitch around his eye.

“I hope all of you are excited for today,” Shelly said before Tim could even think of going to him. “We have another fun filled day of physical feats for you. Although, I think this might be a bit more enjoyable than the obstacle course for some of you. Definitely less dirty.”

A few of the contestants were grinning or swaying their hips from side-to-side.

“As you can see, you’re standing in the middle of a performance school which means you’re going to learn all kinds of different techniques today from dancing, gymnastics, acrobatics, anything you want to try really,” Shelly said. “The instructors are here to help all of you and they’re going to go through small demonstrations of all the activities you can try. Now have at it and have fun!”

Tim immediately turned to the acrobatics area. It looked like they had some similar stuff to the Cave, but it was everything Dick would go crazy for with hoops and silks and a trapeze. More than a few of the contestants eagerly followed after him, which he tried not to pay too much attention to.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jason turn on his heel and head in the opposite direction to the expansive mats that stretched across the floor in front of a set of mirrors. Jack stepped up next to him and Tim forced his attention away from Jason and to the conversation, knowing he couldn’t be distracted if he wanted to keep his cover intact.

~~

After making his way around to the different stations set up, Tim finally made it to the dance mats where Jason hadn’t moved. Every now and then he heard some soft music playing and would look over and see Jason dancing alone or with the instructor. No one else had really worked up the courage to join in and when Tim saw the open smile on his face, it made his heart beat a little faster.

“I see you finally made your way over here,” Jason said as he crossed the mat and kicked off his shoes.

“Just saving the best for last,” Tim answered easily, flashing a grin. “Now, show me what you got.”

Jason raised an eyebrow and snaked an arm around Tim, pulling him against his chest. He took his other hand in his and didn’t give Tim much of a chance to collect himself before he started moving them around the mat in an easy slow dance all the Robins had had to do at the galas Bruce threw.

Tim settled his free hand on Jason’s shoulder and let himself be guided around the mat. It was nice to give up control for once and not have to think too much about what he was doing. Until he stopped paying enough attention and miss-stepped and crashed down to the mat.

Jason laughed and offered a hand, pulling him back to his feet even as he huffed.

“Care to try again?” he asked, between chuckles, holding out his hand.

Tim pouted, but took it, letting himself get spun around the mat once more. Jason slowed them down until they were doing more of a gentle sway than anything else. Tim rested his head against Jason’s chest and closed his eyes, trusting Jason to keep him upright.

“There are quite a few people staring daggers at me right now. I’m pretty sure if they had access to a gun I’d be bleeding out on the mat,” Jason murmured softly.

Tim smiled. “They’re jealous they didn’t think of this first.”

Jason scoffed. “They wouldn’t know how to dance with you.”

Tim huffed a laugh. “You’re right. I doubt any of them know how to slow dance. Luckily we had our training.”

“Lucks got nothing to do with it.”

Tim tilted his head back and looked up at Jason.

He raised an eyebrow. “Not all of us are rhythmically impaired like you.”

“I’m offended.”

“Oh really,” Jason said, stepping back. “Then let’s see what you got. Samantha, mind putting on something a little more upbeat? Maybe street style?”

“You got it,” she said, scrolling through an iPod.

A sharp beat emitted from the speakers and Tim quirked an eyebrow. He wasn’t left wondering what was going on for long when Jason started improvising a hip-hop routine. He actually felt his jaw drop as he watched Jason move around the floor. Jason grinned at him, catching sight of his expression.

As Jason continued to dance, Tim threw up his hands in mock exasperation and turned to pretend to stalk off. Jason’s arm snaked around his waist and lifted him off his feet, spinning him around. Tim chuckled and felt a little too breathless when they finally stopped.

Tim could see the annoyed looks from the rest of the contestants where they’d stopped what they were doing to watch the two of them. Tim couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed or worried about what they would think. After worrying about everything and having someone sneak into his house, it was nice to get a moment to relax where he could pretend less because Jason knew who he was.

Almost like he knew what he was thinking, Jason squeezed him closer and Tim was reminded of what had happened the night before between them and the kiss they’d shared.

With every day that passed it seemed like the mission was slipping further and further from the forefront of their minds and it was becoming replaced by something else. Something that Tim would normally be wary about and want to ignore, but this time he was finding the possibility of jumping in headfirst more attractive than anything else. Even if it meant Jason would dump him as soon as this was all over.

“Alright boys,” Shelly said, clapping her hands and catching their attention. “That’s enough. It’s about time to wrap things up and head out.”

Jason huffed and straightened, dragging his hands away from Tim’s stomach. Tim walked over to the shelves, ignoring the gazes that followed him and pulled his shoes free, stuffing his feet back into them. Several of the contestants swarmed around him to retrieve their shoes and tried to start a conversation, but he was never able to pay much attention to them, gaze drifting over their heads to where Jason was standing away from the group watching him.

~~

Tim had just opened his messages with Bruce when he somehow heard the shouting coming from the house. He ignored it in favor of the new message.

Bruce: We’re going to need to take some drastic measures to shut this operation down. I think the best course of action is to get Jason off the show. If he’s taken to the location of the other prisoners, we might be able to find him and rescue the rest of them.

Tim felt his stomach drop.

“You fucker!”

His stomach dropped even further when he recognized Jason’s voice echoing over the lawn to his house. He dropped his phone on his bed and sprinted from his house where he’d been trying to get ready for that night.

One of the contestants was laid out on the grass, clutching the side of his face. Jason towered over him, his hands balled into fists at his sides and his expression fierce: teeth bared as his chest heaved. The other contestants were grouped together behind Jason, watching what had happened with open expressions of shock.

Tim felt his heart sink. Because if Nathan sneaking into his house had been enough to get him kicked off the show, this was going to send Jason off. And if Jason got sent off that would mean he was being taken to where the other prisoners were being kept and Tim wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. He would have to sit back and wait to hear something from Bruce or for the cops to show up and break up the operation and get the contestants back home.

“What the hell?” Jack hissed from where he was curled in on himself on the ground. “What’s wrong with you?”

“You need to learn some decency, that’s what,” Jason snarled.

“What is going on here?” Shelly screeched, rounding the corner to where they were all gathered. She froze as she caught sight of Jason, but caught herself, mask of professionalism falling over her face as she pursed her lips.

Tim tried to school his expression and hide the desperation he knew was shining on his face, but he couldn’t find it in himself to control it. Something about Jason being at risk was unsettling. He didn’t want Jason to leave. He was his rock and was keeping him sane during this huge fiasco.

“I’m sorry, Jason,” Shelly started. “But fighting isn’t allowed on our show. I’m afraid you’re going to be disqualified for your behavior. It’s a shame really since you’d been so welcomed during this competition.”

Jason’s eyes strayed to Tim and he could see the apology in them. Tim bit his lip, needing to stop himself from doing something he’d regret. He didn’t know if he’d be able to explain away rushing to his side and kissing him before he got dragged away from him.

One of the security guards placed a heavy hand on his shoulder and turned Jason towards the front of the house where he’d no doubt be shoved into a limo and taken to where the rest of the contestants were being held. Jason offered one last look over his shoulder at him and Tim felt his heart shatter in his chest.

Bruce was going to need to get him back fast or Tim would end up going on a rampage in search of him. He wasn’t going to leave Jason locked up and at the hands of whoever was crazy enough to lead something like this.

~~

Tim had barely been able to put on a happy face during the social that night and everyone knew it. The atmosphere was far more subdued and even though Tim knew most of the contestants were happy to see Jason go, the circumstances surrounding it were more than a little upsetting. Jack had tried getting sympathy out of everyone because he’d been punched, but few people could find the right attitude to play along.

Tim let the door to his house shut behind him. He froze and narrowed his eyes. It was quiet and he felt like he wasn’t alone. A darker feeling than when Nathan had broken in.

He kept his steps light as he moved through the house towards his bedroom. The rest of the house was too exposed and whoever was inside wouldn’t take the chance to be seen by him when he had a better opportunity to escape.

Tim skirted around the wall when he reached his bedroom door and peered inside. There was no sign of movement or a tipoff of someone waiting inside. He could see his bathroom door was open from where he’d left it earlier and he pursed his lips, betting that was where his guest would be.

He slipped into his bedroom and pressed himself against the wall, taking silent steps across the carpet as he approached the open door. He kept his breathing shallow and forced himself to stay relaxed so his heartrate wouldn’t pick up and he wouldn’t feel the need to breathe faster. He paused for a moment at the side of the doorway and collected himself. He had to assume the disadvantage going in and that his opponent would use anything to his advantage and would have the tools to subdue him. He would’ve killed, or seriously maimed, to have his bo staff with him. He could use an opportunity to let out some of his frustrations.

Tim whipped around the corner, fists raised and froze, blinking as he took in Bruce, dressed as Batman, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, shocked.

“I’m here to get you,” he said, dropping a bag to the floor at Tim’s feet. “We have a location on where the contestants are being kept. Jason’s distress beacon has gotten through whatever’s been dampening your tech. I’ve got Nightwing and Robin waiting in the jet. Get changed. We have an operation to bust.”

Tim blinked at him, finally feeling some sense of certainty and control return to him. He nodded and knelt to unzip the bag. He pulled out his uniform with a full utility belt. He turned from Bruce and started stripping out of his clothes more relieved to get suited up than he had been in a long time.

~~

“What’s wrong with you Drake?”

Tim startled and turned to look at Damian who was scowling at him. “What?” he asked.

“Are you finished tapping your foot and staring out the side of the jet?”

Tim blinked at him, gaze moving between where he’d been facing, but hadn’t been seeing anything, and Damian. He looked past Damian to where Dick and Bruce were flying the plane.

“I’m fine,” he argued. “I’m just ready to get this case wrapped up so I don’t have to deal with anymore privileged contestants on that stupid dating show.”

Damian scoffed and turned away. Tim scowled at his back and let out a sigh, trying to release the tension in his body. He slowly swung his head back to the window, catching his reflection in the dark glass. He blinked at himself, kind of surprised by how unforgiving and determined he looked. He couldn’t remember being this involved in a mission in a while.

But he also hadn’t had as much personal stock in a mission in even longer.

“Five minutes until we reach destination,” Bruce announced.

Tim watched his lips pull to the side and knew that this was going to be one of the most intense experiences of his life. He tore his gaze from the window and double-checked his utility belt, making sure he had everything he needed. He wrapped his hand securely around his collapsed bo staff, ready to give this fight everything he had because he wasn’t going to walk out of there without Jason.

And if anyone had hurt him, they wouldn’t be walking out of there at all.

“Two minutes,” Bruce confirmed. “Perimeter sensors are down, but the number of guards will raise the alarm quickly if we’re slow moving in.”

Tim pulled his bo from his belt and extended it with a flick of his wrist. He moved to the rear of the plane where the door would open and set them free. Damian stepped up next to him, katana drawn and pointed to the ground at his side.

“Care for a little competition?” Tim asked as the jet made the final bank as they approached their landing sight.

“You’ll lose,” Damian said easily, but Tim could tell he was interested.

“No I won’t.”

Damian scoffed. “What are your terms?”

Tim’s eyes locked on the ramp as it started to open with their descent to the ground. “Highest number of guards you can cripple.”

“Boys,” Bruce’s warning was low in their ears through the comms, but it fell on deaf ears as Tim and Damian jumped the last few feet from the jet and sprinted across the lawn. They got the jump on the first couple of guards who got in the way of their path, but soon enough pained and startled shouts were attracting more attention and groups were sprinting across the yard from the compound to meet them.

By that time, Bruce and Dick had made it out of the jet and were helping take down the guards. When Tim knocked his most recent opponent down and one didn’t immediately replace him, he took his chance, running towards the compound.

It wasn’t incredibly large and was obviously designed for short-term storage. A middle point for the people who were being trafficked. It gave them enough time to make the changeover: new clothes, new identity, before they were shipped off to their fate. And Tim was going to get each one of them out.

He busted through the door, whacking the first person he met on the back of the head, sending them crumpling to the floor. The compound was one level and the walls were a disgusting white that made it obvious this is where dreams came to die.

Tim pulled up the sensory tracker on his wrist computer and found Jason blipping strong in his range. He took off down the hallway, keeping an eye out for any other guards who might get in his way. He sucked in a breath when someone turned the corner. They startled back in surprise at his appearance and Tim swung his staff up, knocking them to the floor.

They made a noise in the back of their throat and tried to get a foot underneath them, but Tim landed a kick to their chest and sent them flying backwards into the wall. He swooped down on them and pressed a nerve strike against their neck, leaving them to sag against the wall.

Tim got back on his path and kept an eye on where Jason was located, every turn of his bringing him closer and closer to where he needed to be. He heard boots pounding down the hallway ahead of him and pulled a smoke bomb from his belt. He threw it as soon as he caught sight of the first pair of boots.

He weaved around the group as they struggled to reorient themselves and swept their feet out from underneath them with his staff. They fell into a heap and Tim hit each of them on the side of the head, barely taking any time before he was hurrying down the hallway. He watched as the distance between his tracker and Jason’s closed and pushed himself faster. He was going to break down the door if it meant getting Jason out that much sooner.

He swept around the last corner, aiming for the last door on the right. He braced his shoulder and rammed into the door, forcing it open. The door slammed against the wall, rebounding slightly. Jason was sitting against the far wall, watching the door. Tim could see the shackle around his ankle that was keeping him chained to the wall.

He grinned at Tim. “It’s about time you showed up. I was starting to get bored.”

Tim scoffed in a way that was eerily similar to Damian. He stalked across the floor and grabbed Jason by the front of his shirt. He pulled him to his feet, making Jason raise an eyebrow.

“You’re an idiot,” Tim spat.

“It got you to find their base didn’t it?” Jason asked.

Tim’s grip tightened in Jason’s shirt and he allowed himself a scowl for a moment before he yanked Jason down and pressed their lips together. Jason gasped into the kiss, but Tim broke it off before much more could happen. Instead, he dropped to his knees and pulled out his lock picking kit, undoing the shackle around his ankle and freeing him from confinement.

“Help me get the rest of these guys out of here,” Tim said, turning away. He slipped back into the hallway and got to work on the other doors, picking their locks instead of forcing the doors open. Jason raised a foot and kicked in the door next to him.

Tim rolled his eyes, turning the last tumbler in the lock and letting the door swing open. He hurried over to the man who was chained. He looked startled to see him.

“I’m here to get you out of here,” Tim offered. “You’re going to be safe now.”

“Th-thank you so much,” he stammered, holding his arms close to his body and shivering.

“There,” Tim said, letting the shackle fall free. He held out a hand. “Can you walk?”

“I-I think so,” he said, grasping Tim’s hand. Tim pulled him to his feet and he staggered once before regaining his feeling.

“Follow me,” Tim said, turning on his heel and heading back out to the hallway. Jason had made great progress and most of the doors had been kicked open. Tim opened his comm link and heard a few muttered sentences from Bruce and Dick. “Batman, Nightwing,” he said. “I’ve located the prisoners and am working to get them out. We’re at the rear of the building.”

“Understood, Red Robin,” Bruce said, voice tight.

Tim knew he was probably going to get an earful later, but it wasn’t something he was going to worry about anytime soon. He started working on the shackles, slowly freeing each prisoner and increasing the group in the hallway until he was finished.

“Do any of you know how to fight?” he asked.

“I took a few classes,” Jason said with a smirk, raising his hand.

Tim rolled his eyes for the second time. “You any good with a staff?” he asked.

“My skills could use some work.”

Tim pulled the spare bo from his belt and tossed it to Jason who flicked it open easily.

“I’m going to get you out of here. I need you to stay calm and follow me through the compound and if anyone starts shooting, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction, understood?” Tim asked, looking around at all of them.

He got a few hesitant nods in return and knew that was the best he was going to get. Tim spun on his heel and broke into a light jog, listening as everyone fell into step beside him. Jason obviously had no qualms about hiding his abilities and fell into step beside him.

“You have much trouble getting in?” he asked, voice low.

“Not too much. Your tracker came through easily enough and I left N and B to deal with the swarm of guards, much to their annoyance I’m sure.”

“If it gets us out of here faster,” Jason shot back, keeping his eyes trained on the hallway in front of them.

“The compound isn’t that large so we-“ he cut himself off as a group rounded the corner. Tim and Jason moved around each other, wielding the staffs expertly as they took the guards off their feet and knocked them out with carefully placed nerve strikes.

“Needs a little work, huh?” Tim asked.

Jason smirked and held out a hand, waving at the hallway in front of them. “Lead the way, our savior in spandex."

Tim sighed and shook his head, taking the lead again as they moved through the halls to the other end of the compound. They didn’t encounter any other groups and Tim suspected they’d either missed the other guards or they were too preoccupied on the lawn with Bruce and Dick.

Tim paused at the open doorway he’d run through, hearing the sounds of pained grunts and fighting. He peeked around the edge and found the lawn littered with unconscious bodies while Bruce and Dick fought off the last few people who were still on their feet. The path to the plane was easy enough and they’d be able to make it with little trouble.

“We’ve got a jet on the other side of the lawn,” Tim explained to the people behind him. “There are only a few guards still on their feet and Batman and Nightwing should have no problem taking them out. I’ll watch the rest of you as you get to safety. No need to worry about stealth, just get across as fast as you can.”

The group nodded at him and he took the invitation to move through the door. Jason kept close next to him but as soon as the other prisoners were free of the building, they had no qualms about taking off across the lawn to where they could see the plane. Tim’s eyes roved over the field before scanning the outside and rooftop of the compound. He was glad when there wasn’t any movement.

Two shouts of pain reached his ears and he turned to find Bruce and Dick had finally finished their fights and were standing among the bodies.

“I’ve notified the authorities,” Bruce said as he hurried over to where Tim was standing in front of the shivering group of captives.

Tim nodded. “I’ve gotten everyone out of the compound. I encountered a few guards inside, but most of them had come out to engage in the fighting. I’m not sure what the condition is going to be with the other contestants. We should get someone there to keep the situation calm until we can get more police officers out there to make some arrests.”

“Nightwing, you take the jet and go back. We need to make sure the guest bachelor is secure,” he said pointedly.

Tim bit back a curse and nodded when Bruce looked in his direction. He followed Dick back towards the plane.

“Batman is going to watch over you until the authorities arrive and you’ll be questioned. You’re in good hands,” Tim offered as he passed. He could tell several people wanted to reach out to him and keep him close since he’d been their saving grace when they thought they’d been left for good. He offered them a smile and could tell Jason wanted to go with them, but he was stuck playing the part of the unfortunate captive.

Tim took the co-pilot seat as Dick started the engines. The ramp slowly rose until they were once again cut off from the outside world. Their plane rose into the air, turning to face the way they’d come and took off across the trees towards the main house. Below them, a group of police cars tore down the road, lights blaring and sirens echoing strangely along the road.

The world blurred underneath them and in a matter of minutes they slowed on their approach to the estate. Everything looked calm, some of the lights in the main house were still on and Dick dropped Tim off at the perimeter of his house so he could climb inside and change.

Once he was inside the window he watched Dick land the plane in the middle of the field with more flourish than their initial approach. Tim stripped out of his suit quickly and put his clothes from earlier back on, stuffing his suit in the duffle and stashed it under the sink, not that anyone was going to be searching his room.

Once he was dressed he hurried from the bedroom and out the front door. Dick was striding across the lawn and a few of the contestants were looking out the windows. The camera crew had already come out to the lawn. Tim heard the squeal of tires and stepped around his house, finding a pair of black cars had come to a stop at the front of the house.

Shelly jumped out of the back of one of the cars and hurried around the house. She looked angrier than Tim had ever seen her and he suspected it was because she could finally drop the nice host act that she’d had to front for the past few days.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” she hissed, striding towards Dick. “This is private property.”

“Not so private anymore,” Dick said. “Not when you’ve been using your reality show to front human trafficking for years. You’re being shut down so I’d suggest you keep quiet until the cops arrive.”

“You can’t do this,” she growled.

Tim was sure Dick was rolling his eyes behind his mask.

“That’s what they all say,” he sighed, spinning her around and zip-tying her hands behind her back before she could even think to protest. “You might want to stop filming,” he said to the camera crew. “Not sure how good this is going to be for the ratings.”

The crew guys looked at each other before lowering their tech.

“Good choice. Now are you going to sit quietly or do I need to tie you up too?”

They all shook their heads and Shelly spat a curse in their direction. Dick stepped back and put his hands on his hips, looking up at the contestants who’d pushed the windows open.

“Will all of you come outside? I’d rather have you out of the building so I know you’re safe.”

There were a few murmurs between them before they collectively nodded and moved away from the windows.

By the time all of the contestants had filed out of the house and huddled in a group on the lawn, the first cop cars were pulling into the drive at the front of the house. Dick met the officers and Tim hung to the side, not wanting to get sucked into the conversations with the contestants because the only person on his mind was Jason and he knew he wouldn’t see him again for a while yet.

~~

Tim rubbed at his forehead, trying to fight off the tension and the headache that had long ago developed because of the relentless questioning from the officers who were trying to gather evidence and testimonials for the case. He trudged down the stairs into the Cave, hoping that everyone else would be back and they could get the debriefing over with and he could sleep. Or see Jason. He wasn’t sure which he wanted more. He just knew he wanted this whole thing to be over.

He was surprised that Dick and Bruce weren’t in the middle of the Cave going over details and everything else. What he did see was Jason being tended to by Alfred on a medical cot.

Tim’s breath stuck in his throat and his earlier exhaustions fell away, replaced by the need to close the space between them to find out exactly what had happened to him. He rushed over to him, both Alfred and Jason looked up at his approach, Jason’s lips stretching into a soft smile that didn’t erase the exhaustion that no doubt would linger around his eyes for a while.

Where a normal person would stop at the edge of the cot and ask how he was doing, Tim had no patience for such niceties. He wedged himself between Alfred and Jason, Alfred stepping back to give them space. Tim grabbed Jason’s face between his hands and smashed their lips together. It was messy and desperate and nothing like the other kisses they’d shared, but it was what he needed.

Jason was still against him for only a moment before he wrapped his arms around Tim’s waist and pulled him against him, pressing their bodies together in a way that was everything but sensual. It was driven by a need to feel each other, yearning for them both to be safe and okay and that they’d made it through without too many problems.

Once the initial desperation had faded and they were both driven by a need to breath, Tim pulled back and pressed their foreheads together, keeping his eyes shut to quell everything that threatened to overwhelm him.

“Sorry,” Tim said. “Guess I should’ve asked first.”

Jason shook his head, making Tim’s head move too. “Don’t apologize. I’d been hoping that the acting had stopped somewhere on the show, but I wasn’t sure until I saw the look on your face when I was being kicked off the show. You looked heartbroken and I’d hated that I’d done that, but…”

“But the mission,” Tim murmured. “I’m not sure I can forgive you for that yet. You made my whole world tilt. I wasn’t ready for that kind of thing. Not when we hadn’t talked about it.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason said.

Tim finally opened his eyes and found Jason’s blue-green eyes boring into his. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Jason’s hand rubbed up and down Tim’s back, offering comfort.

“Hey, Tim?” Jason asked.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we can go out on an actual date?”

Tim smirked. “You mean we haven’t already?”

Jason rolled his eyes, but his smile was fond. “I mean one where we didn’t have to do it under the pretense of acting for the mission. And without any other annoying people getting in the way. Dinner or a movie or chilling on a couch with a box of pizza.”

“All of those sound great,” Tim breathed, feeling something finally settle back in his chest where it belonged.