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"Hood, its me."
Jason almost yelped in surprise as Steph's voice echoed throughout his helmet. "How did you-"
"Oracle. She heard you over the comms last week."
Jason cursed. He should have known that Barbara would see through Dick's flimsy lie. She was the daughter of the Commissioner, for Christ's sake. Nothing flew over that girl's head. He was starting to understand what Dick had seen in her all those years ago.
Jealousy raised its ugly head and sucker-punched Jason right in the stomach. Even thinking about Dick with another person was too much now.
"What does she want?" Jason growled. He heard Steph take a sharp intake of breath, then the rustling of paper.
"Its about Friday."
"Friday?"
"Dick's birthday."
Jason slapped his left hand against his forehead. Or at least, he tried to. Instead, his palm bounced off his helmet, causing a dull ache to slither its way through his head. This was why the Replacement was called the Smart Robin.
How had he forgotten Dick's birthday?
Well, Jason had been very busy, for a start. Every since his game of chase with Dick, he'd been neck deep in gangs and drug lords. Sionis and Cobblepot's men had clashed, leaving Jason an ugly mess to clean up. One that involved no killing. He hated playing by the Bat's rules, but if it kept him out of prison- or worse, Arkham- then Jason was fine to load up on rubber bullets for the foreseeable future.
Jason had forgotten that Steph was still hijacking his comm system until he heard her sigh deeply. "Uh, what about it?"
"Have you gotten his present yet?"
Jason snorted. "Does putting criminals in Arkham count?"
"No, I tried that last year. Turns out he prefers something gift wrapped."
Jason couldn't help but laugh. Of all the people in Batman's elite social circle, Stephanie was one of the ones he could talk to with ease. Like Jason, she had gone through the traumatic process of 'dying' (although hers had turned out to be faked). Jason often joked that the only members of the so-called Bat Family who had a sense of humour were Steph, Dick, and himself.
And sometimes Selina, depending on whether she and Bruce were a thing or not. Jason was not exactly up to date with Gotham's Gossip Mill.
He holstered his guns, staring down at the unconscious body sprawled out on the docks. There was a bruise forming on his left cheek, a telltale sign of the rubber bullet that had forced its way from Jason's weapons.
What exactly was he meant to buy for Dick? What did the eldest Robin like?
Panic gripped at Jason's chest, filled his lungs like the waters of the Lazarus Pit. The idea of birthdays brought back bad memories. Of all the ones he had missed, or forgotten about during his torturous stay in Nanda Parbat.
Birthdays didn't really matter to a man who was legally dead.
When Steph spoke again, she was soft and sympathetic. "Dick won't care about gifts, Hood. But he will be pissed if you don't show up for his party at the Manor."
And suddenly he was 15 again.
"No,"
"Hood-"
"No. I can't- I can't," And then Jason was running. Away from the docks, an attempt to run from this conversation. It didn't work, not when he was wearing the helmet.
"Just one day, Hood. One day, and you never have to come back." Steph pleaded.
That was such a goddamn lie. It was a whisper he'd been gifted many times. When Stephanie died, when Damian first came to Gotham, and many more times that Jason always came to regret. It ended the same every time; him and Batman coming to blows, whether it was physically or verbally. Their moral outlooks were matches, burning bridges and pushing Jason away from the others each time.
He hated himself for replying "Fine, I'll be there."
And Steph was suddenly yelling, her voice ricocheted around Jason's helmet like a stray bullet. He yelped, clasping a strong, gloved hand to the side of his head. Beneath him, the unconscious criminal began to stir. Shit.
"Oh, thank you, thank you Jason! I promise, we'll make sure Bruce doesn't argue with you and I'll even get Cass to threaten Damian to behave."
"Calm down, Steph," Jason huffed, reloading his gun. "I'm not staying for hours."
"Okay," Steph had the gall to sound unconvinced.
The comm line went dead, just as the little guy beneath Jason's feet sat up, eyes unfocused and misty. An egg-sized lump had formed on his head.
"Uh...," The man looked up as the barrel of Jason's gun came DOWN. He aimed at the center of the poor bloke's chest, and fired. The man collapsed back onto the floor.
A couple zip-ties later and a quick call to the GPD, the guy was as good as in prison. Jason bristled as he walked away. Leaving the guy alive was against Jason's code. Within a few months he'd likely be back on the streets, in someone else's gang.
Jason shook his head. He had bigger priorities at the moment.
Like whatever he was buying Dickie for his birthday. The biggest mystery Jason would ever have to solve.
~
Jason had died before. He could recollect fragments of the night. The crowbar, the gun, the Joker.
He couldn't ever remember being as nervous as he was right now.
The door to Wayne Manor was larger than necessary. He remembered walking through its door for the first time, a bundle of nerves and trembling.
So, pretty much like he was now.
The door handle turned. Jason felt his stomach do the same.
Someone old and dressed in a suit answered the door. Alfred. Jason breathed a sigh of relief. If it had been Bruce, he honestly didn't think he could have walked through the door.
"Master Jason," Alfred's voice was like a crackling fire, drawing Jason in with promises of warmth and comfort. All of Jason's best memories of the Manor involved the old butler. "I'm glad you came. Master Richard and the others are inside. You're the last to arrive, I believe."
Great. That meant everyone would see him come in. Was it too late to run?
Alfred stepped aside, allowing Jason to walk past him into the hall. By hall, he meant a giant room complete with an enormous set of stairs and a full chandelier. Jason couldn't believe Bruce and Alfred had once had this entire house to themselves. His boots echoed across the marble floors.
Jason had become very self-conscious. Steph had never mentioned if there was a dress code for Dick's birthday. Suddenly, it felt like his outfit- black jeans and long sleeved shirt with boots and his leather jacket- was too casual for such a grand place. Nevermind that it used to be Jason's home.
"Jason!" A familiar voice cried. Jason turned as Steph barreled into him, pulling him into a crushing hug. She was tiny compared to Jason's giant frame. He wondered if this was how Bane felt when surrounded by his smaller, much weaker minions. "I'm so happy you actually came."
"How could I miss this?" Jason asked. In truth, he had debated even showing up. Moment before knocking on the door, he had seriously considered running back to his apartment. Maybe leave the little box he had painstakingly wrapped on the doorstep.
"Dick's gonna be so happy to see you!"
Jason narrowed his eyes. The way Steph had said that...
"Steph..."
Steph had the nerve to straighten up, her face suddenly pulled blank. "Yes, Jason?"
"Does Dick know I'm coming today?"
Her lips curved into a knowing smile. Jason bit his tongue, looked at the mischievous glint in her eyes, one he had seen in Dick many times.
"I might have kept it a little secret." she finally confessed.
"Why?" It dawned on Jason before he had even finished asking. "am I your birthday present for Dick?"
"Surprise?"
"Miss Stephanie!" Alfred admonished her. Despite the shock in his voice, there was a knowledge in his eyes that hinted he knew more about it than he would be letting on anytime soon. Nothing went on in this ghost of a house without Alfred knowing. He was far more than just the butler.
Steph rounded on Jason again. "Just... stay right here, okay? I'm going to get Dick." she disappeared through the large doors again, leaving Jason alone with Alfred.
The butler cleared his throat. "It really is good to see you against, Master Jason. We've missed you."
"I see some of the others all the time." Jason insisted.
Alfred smiled. "It's not the same, Master Jason."
Jason turned away, his dark hair falling in his eyes, marred by that one white streak. This was exactly what he didn't want. The emotional confrontation. Their words would scar him more than any gunshot, any knife.
The door opened again. The first person through the door was a tall man, thought short than Jason. He was wearing a dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. There was a pair of hands covering his eyes, eyes that Jason knew too well. They made his heart flutter without needing to be seen.
"Steph, lemme see!" Dick whined. The small blonde guiding him was laughing.
"You ready, Dickie?" she teased.
Jason felt ill. Would Dick be pleased? Shocked? Angry?
Jason braced himself, shoulders tensed.
Slowly, Steph removed her hands from Dick's eyes.
If it was possible for Dick's eyes to be any bluer, then they did. His whole face lit up, a smile so big the Joker would be jealous.
Jason was glad he had braced himself, because Dick hugged him like a truck ramming into a wall. The older man's face was buried in the crook of Jason's neck, his arms looped around his waist as he clutched at him. Jason's own arms wrapped around Dick, locking around his shoulders like they were made for it. Dick was warm. He smelled like strawberries and another sweet scene Jason could not decipher.
Dick finally pulled away, still gripping Jason's shoulders. "I can't believe you're here."
"I can't believe I'm Steph's birthday present for you," Jason replied, eyeing Steph with a steely gaze. She grinned back cheekily.
Dick's hands released Jason. Just as the feeling returned to his body, he felt a warm hand grab his own, and pull him in the direction of the party. Once again, Jason's stomach started free falling. And not from excitement for the party.
He sucked in a breath as Dick pulled him through the doors. Head down, he still felt the others' eyes burning into his head.
"What is Todd doing here?" A small, high voice snapped. Jason looked up, saw Damian just as his face turned as red as the Robin costume.
He scanned the crowd. Damian and Tim. Barbara and her father. Cassandra was perched by the window, nose deep in a book.
And Bruce. Holding a champagne flute and looking just as surprised as everyone else.
"Uh..." Jason waved awkwardly. "hi?"
Dick broke the tension. "What's that?" he pointed at the box in Jason's hand.
Jason felt that panic crawl back into his throat. "I got you a present." he held the box out to Dick's outstretched hands.
The rest of the party went back to their activities of cake and mingling. Talking with the others was not in Jason's plans. Cake, on the other hand...
Dick ripped the paper and hastily tied ribbons apart with his hands, opening the box inside.
He pulled out Jason's present; a necklace with a blue bird dangling from the chain. Jason searched Dick's face for a sign, something to go off of. His throat was already closing up, body ready for whatever rejection Dick had coming.
"Oh, Jay," Dick breathed. "it's amazing."
And Jason's heart soared.
Dick grabbed him again, pulled him into a breathtaking hug. His lips brushed Jason's cheek as he pulled away.
Cheek hot to the touch and tingling, Jason caught Dick just as he was moving away. Lips chapped and dry, he whispered,
"Happy Birthday, Dick."