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Jason hated patrolling in the rain.
It was what -6am? The early workers were already rushing about their daily business on the ground below Jason's feet. He'd taken up a perch amongst a cluster of Gotham's highest buildings, swinging his legs from the flat roof of whatever important building he was sitting on.
God, he hoped nobody decided to rob it. Jason's back ached enough as it was.
His mind briefly wandered back to the other month, to the last he had seen Dick. Well, it wasn't really the last time. He'd observed the Boy Wonder flying across Gotham's rooftops every other day or so. Nightwing's black and blue uniform blended into the night sky so that the civilians below wouldn't see him. But Jason saw him every damn time.
Sometimes it was not just Nightwing. Other days he flew with the BatBrat, or the Replacement. If Jason was quick, he occasionally caught glimpses of Steph or Cassandra on Dick's heels. On even rarer occasions, Jason's eyes caught the Bat. He never stayed long on those nights. He wasn't exactly on Bruce's Christmas list.
Jason looked down at his hands, caught sight of the cigarette slowly making its way to his lips. He scowled down at it, struggling to convince himself of the reasons he was trying to quit.
Ah, screw it.
The nicotine smoke drifted through Gotham's dirty air, mixing with the other unpleasant mists as Jason pulled the cigarette from his lips and breathed. As much as he loved the fight, and holy shit he loved it, he also liked these moments. Where he could just breathe, taking in the sites of his Mother-City. Gotham in all her awful glory.
A hot dog dropped into his lap.
Jason blinked, head whipped around to where Dick Grayson was perched, smiling happily as his mouth stretched around his own hot dog. The imagery made Jason's mouth water. It probably was not the type of hunger Dick had been expecting.
"Thought you looked lonely," Dick said. His hair was slicked back and soaking wet. Within seconds, his hot dog was gone. Jason watched Dick's throat as he swallowed, tore his eyes away after it became too much to view.
"I like being lonely," Jason retorted, flicking his cigarette over the side of the roof. Dick's full lips flattened to a line, but he said nothing.
Jason picked up the hot dog, debated throwing it after the cigarette. His rumbling stomach crackled like thunder and put his plan in the grinder. His scowl deepened as he accepted his body's admission and bit into the hot dog.
Dick crossed his legs. "Nobody likes being lonely. You just like being alone."
"It's the same thing," Jason replied through a mouthful of food.
"No, it's not."
Jason glanced at Dick. He was looking at Jason like he was a circus freak. Jason held himself back from making a joke.
Suddenly, Dick stood up, breathing like he had been denied oxygen.
"Where are you going?" Jason hated the desperation that was laced in his voice. It made him sound needy. He'd just said he liked being alone, dammit.
Dick's face lit up. Though Jason could not see the man's eyes, he just knew they were glittering with hope. Hope that Jason was willing to play nice and become a member of the family again.
"It's nearly light," Dick replied. He was carefully pulling his grappling hook from his belt with his fingertips. There was a softness to his movements, an elegance Jason's bulkier frame could never achieve. "I was going to go for a quick run across Gotham before I got back."
Jason stood up, leaving the hot dog half-eaten on the edge of the roof. The words "can I join?" slipped from his lips before he could stop them.
Dick flashed pearly white teeth, lips pulled back in the widest smile Jason had seen since the Boy Wonder had been bleeding out on his sofa. Was it sad? Yes. Did Jason care?
Quite the opposite.
Dick was running in an instant. His nimble body was more than capable of somersaulting across Gotham's skyline, making almost no noise when he landed. Jason was several steps behind him, feeling the wind whip his jacket, his hair. His body hit the ground much harder than Dick's.
No matter how fast he ran, or how quickly he anticipated the next jump, he never caught up with Dick. The Boy Wonder was much faster, much better at running without slipping on tiles and skylights. Jason hated the rain.
But Dick was made for this. Every so often, just when Jason thought he had finally caught him, Dick would twist around, flash that mischievous grin of his, and then flip onto another building. His grappling hook barely left his side, only coming into play when they were crossing longer distances.
Dick was a master of the skies. Jason's ability to keep up was helped by the fact that he knew Gotham better. This was his streets, his city. He'd been raised in its cold heart, breathed in its toxic fumes the moment he arrived in the world. All of that, and yet he could not deny that Dick would always be one step ahead of him when they ran like this.
That is, until Dick made a mistake. His right foot landed too far towards the edge. Nightwing tumbled, slipping over the edge of the roof.
Jason lunged forwards, gloved hand outstretched. As if on instinct, Dick flailed for him, gripping Jason's wrist so tightly that he was sure it would break. Jason braced, feet wide apart against the roof.
Dick looked up from where he was hanging, suspended above the city lights, and sighed. "Whoops."
"Whoops?" Jason repeated. He was glad the lenses of his domino mask hid the panic in his eyes. "you nearly became a pavement patty, Big Bird."
"I'm fine," Dick brushed his near-death encounter off like it happened all the time. Knowing Dick, it did. "I've got my knight in shining armour to save me anyway."
Jason's cheeks became red hot, despite the cold rain lashing down on them. His grip on Dick tightened.
The Boy Wonder swung his legs, pushing them into the wall, and then pushing off. With Jason's help, he climbed back onto the roof, where he lay down.
"Uh... Nightwing?"
"Gimme a minute," Dick replied. He pushed his sopping hair from his face.
Jason considered leaving him there. The bastard had interrupted Jason's quiet time and nearly gotten himself killed.
But then his legs gave out, and he found his back pressed against the tiles of yet another Gotham rooftop.
He spied Dick's smile from the corner of his eye.
"Its cold." Jason noted, hoping Dick would get the idea and then get the hell up.
The other man took no notice. He bent his leg at the knee and placed an arm behind his back, like he was relaxing at a resort in Hawaii instead of sitting in the pouring rain in the worst city in America.
Jason hated this. He could handle Dick when the man was injured and in need of help. Jason felt less pressure to talk in those instances.
This. This was personal and uncomfortable. He felt a need to make small talk about Dick's life or his job or anything.
"So, uh, how's Bludhaven?" was he really blushing right now? Shit. He hoped nobody saw them. The last thing Jason needed was the thugs of Gotham to get word of Red Hood and Nightwing hanging out. How unprofessional.
Dick let out a sharp peel of laughter. "When do you care about Bludhaven?"
Jason winced.
"Look, I'm trying to play nice here. That's what you wanted, right?"
Dick's smile dropped off the face of the earth. "Sorry. Not used to questions, not from you at least."
How had Dick ever earned the reputation as the dumb Robin? True, he lacked the intelligence of Tim, the street smarts of Jason, or Damien's unwavering responsibility. But Dick knows people. He's observant, and it makes it dangerous for Jason to be even a little bit vulnerable around him. Dick will hold on to even a thread of information, pulling until Jason is completely unravelled.
Jason wondered if he should respond. If it was even worth trying to talk with Dick. His body was warm, even the rain couldn't take that away. He was becoming incredibly aware of how close Dick's body was to his own.
Dick's comm crackled to life. Jason leaned in close enough to Dick's ear to see his misty breath touch Boy Wonder's cheek.
Dick shivered as Oracle's voice broke the silence of their night.
"Nightwing, come in. B wants you back at the Cave pronto."
So it was urgent. Jason couldn't stop curiosity from bubbling to the forefront of his mind. Or the stabbing jealousy. He'd give anything to have a direct link to Dick at the touch of a button. Then he could keep Dick safe. Not that Dick needed saving of course.
"Nightwing, come in?" Oracle asked again. Jason could imagine Barbara's impatient face on the other side of the call, her eyebrows rising above the rim of her glasses. He wasn't aware of how happy the idea made him until now.
Dick finally snapped out of it. "Nightwing here. I'll be back like the flash."
Simultaneously, Jason and Oracle groaned. Dick and his stupid puns.
"Is someone else there?" Oracle asked sharply. Jason forced his hand away from slapping himself in the forehead. What an idiot he was.
Dick scrambled to his feet, their rainy stargazing session ended. "Nope- completely alone here. Probably just traffic. Early bird shifts, y'know."
If Oracle thought he was lying, she said nothing. The crackle of the comm ended.
Dick turned his head towards Jason. Even with his mask, he looked apologetic. "I gotta get back."
"Yeah... yeah, okay."
"See you around, Hood."
Dick reached the edge of the rooftop, exactly where he had nearly fallen to his death earlier. He paused, turning to Jason. His fingers reached under his mask, lifting it off his face for a moment. Jason watched as Dick looked him in the eyes- and winked. Then flipped himself off the edge of the building and was gone.
The rain continued to fall as Jason came to a realisation he already knew.
He was in love with Dick Grayson.