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Chapter Text

Stuffing a pack of cigarettes into his back pocket, Jason moved swiftly out of his room. Of course, considering the late hour and that Tim was still jumper than the first Ventriloquist, Jason was extra careful closing his door quietly.

With the door secure, he headed across the dimly lit living room. His gaze briefly met Alfred’s. The older man was seated on the couch with a tea cup in hand, a book resting in his lap, and Stephanie at his side. Her engrossed gaze was solely locked on the television, which from what he heard was one of the many ridiculous music wannabe shows on lately.

When one of Alfred’s eyebrows rose up his forehead, Jason knew Alfred wasn’t going to just let him pass without a word.

“Back before three, sir?” Alfred asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jason stopped half way to the kitchen hallway that led to the front door. His shoulders clenched. A grumble rumbled in his throat.

“Is that a yes?” Alfred said, not sounding even a bit angry but still just as firm as always.

Reluctantly, Jason muttered, “Yes.”

“Good,” Alfred replied, returning his gaze to his page in the book.

With a relieved sigh, Jason continued to the front door hallway.

Just as he rounded the corner, Alfred commented, “You and Master Richard have a good time, Master Jason.”

Jason’s brow wrinkled at the comment. “Dick? What the…?” Even as the words tumbled out, he found his answer standing before him.

There, leaning against the front door, was Dick. His Gotham Knights coat rested over one arm and his phone in the other hand. He was dressed far more casual than Jason had seen him in a very long time.

Jason’s mouth hung open as he took in the electric blue, deep cut V-neck shirt that seemed more like a second skin than actual clothes. Of course, it didn’t even come all the way to the black, low-riding jeans. There were a good two inches of his hip visible and not a sign of underpants or boxers in sight.

As his throat tightened, Jason forced his gaze away from the skin-kissed, peek-a-boo flesh. He took note of how focused Dick was on his new touch-pad cellphone. There was a good minute before Dick glanced up from it to notice Jason.

“Ready to go?” Dick chirped as he hit a button and pocketed the phone in his back pocket.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Jason spat, glaring down at his older brother. Being a few inches taller had its advantages. “Shouldn’t you be playing overbearing nursemaid or something to Timmy?”

There was the briefest flicker of distress in Dick’s eyes as he fingered his back pocket.
“No,” he said simply at first, looking at some point past Jason for a moment. Then, he swallowed. With a shake of his head, he met Jason’s gaze again “You know how out of it Tim is after taking his meds, and the others said they’d watch him, while we’re out. We are going out, right?” asked Dick with wide, inquisitive eyes.

Jason raised a single eyebrow in response.

Dick made a slight gesture over his shoulder at the door. “Like I suggested a few days ago. Remember? When Damian was beating your ass at the Justice League Champions’ video game.”
Jason gaze dipped. He recalled the event and the clear cheating by the youngest Robin. He was sure cheat codes were involved, probably thanks to Oracle.

Furrowing his brow, Jason had a brief flicker of recall involving Dick. He had been more back and forth between the living room and Tim’s room that day. He had seemed kind of antsy, even more than usual.

Then, Jason recalled Dick’s comment about feeling cooped up and wanting to get out. Jason might have commented that Dick should just go out, if he so wanted. Still, Jason hadn’t specifically said “with him.”

Another thought crossed Jason’s fuming thoughts. He recalled Alfred wasn’t that far out of earshot. Raising an eyebrow, Jason glanced back to the living room. “Did Alfred put you up to this, Dickie-boy? ‘Cause you can tell Alfie, I don’t need a babysitter. I’m just…”

With a chuckle from Dick, Jason’s gaze snapped back to the oldest Robin. “No. No. It’s just me. As I said… I thought we could hang out.”

“Hang out, huh?” drily said Jason, crossing his arms. “Isn’t that all we do… as a band?”

Dick’s head dipped with a chuckle. “Oh, that’s different. I mean, getting out just the two of us. As I said, I’ve been feeling really cooped up. Just need… I don’t know … to reconnect… with others.”

Jason knew what Dick’s idea of going out usually was. Dick was the social butterfly of the family. He lived to socialize. That was as far from Jason as possible. Even as a drinker, Jason preferred to do it alone. He didn’t want the chatty voices, bubbly laughter, or thumping music to enhance the experience.

And yet, when Dick laughed, the small skeptical voice, which sounded an awful lot like Bruce, told Jason that more was going on here. Something just wasn’t right about Dick. Besides being annoyingly antsy, he seemed to always be wearing uncharacteristic Dick' expressions. In so many, small aspects, Jason saw Dick could barely sit still for more than a couple of minutes. That was especially so when Tim wasn’t in the room.

Last Thursday wasn’t even the first time, Jason had noticed this. It was just one of the first times Dick mentioned wanting to get out. He had talked to Jason about it on no less than six different occasions this week. Each time, Tim was not within earshot. Sometimes, Jason swore Dick wasn’t asking so much as pleading with his eyes.

Briefly brushing off the Bruce voice’s concerns, Jason chuckled. “What? Trying to improve your brotherly standing from horrible to annoying.”

Dick laughed too, except it sounded dry and forced. His lips drew into a very tight smile.

Jason pressed on with his sarcastic comment. “Or have you finally driven Tim to bar you from your guys’ bed with your incessant yammering. Could drive a guy mad, you and your…”

Even as the words flew freely from his lips, Jason felt a punch in the gut. Dick’s gaze had shifted to the floor along with his smile. There was moisture forming in those deep, blue eyes. It was the same look Dick wore since they brought the broken and traumatized Tim back from Ra’s al Ghul.

Swallowing, Dick bit his lower lip. “Nah,” he said with a quiver to his voice. Jason felt another punch in the gut. “Just needed to get out.” Dick shifted his grasp on his jacket as he struggled to meet Jason’s gaze. “…but… I… I understand… maybe…”

With a very heavy sigh, Jason uncrossed his arms. “Look, it is fine. We’ll go out, just don’t expect me to babysit you, okay?”

When Dick finally met Jason’s gaze, much to his credit, only the subtlest of wetness remained his eyes. “Really, Jason? You’re…”

“Sure. Sure,” Jason said dismissively. “Just…” His voice faded off, while his gaze diverted away. He sought anything else to look at that wasn’t the glowing face of Dick. When he gaze fell upon Dick’s Gotham Knight’s jacket, a new thought crossed his mind. “Just… let me wear your GK jacket tonight.” The request was more an excuse to distract Dick and ease the tension he felt throughout his body.

When Jason finally met Dick’s gaze, there was a huge grin bursting forth. It should have been illegal. He doubted there was a person alive that couldn’t be swayed by it. He certainly couldn’t. He actually felt flushed under the beaming radiance.

“That’s great!” Dick said, handing the jacket over. “And yes! Please feel free.”

Jason hesitated for a moment. His gaze flickered back and forth between the offered jacket and Dick. He hadn’t really thought Dick would be so willing to share it. He was protective of the first gift Tim gave him since leaving Gotham. Tim was even more so.

The voice that sounded like Bruce nudged at Jason’s brain again. This was yet another example of Dick acting differently, out of character. He wouldn’t just hand it over nor should he. Jason shoved the voice to the back of his mind.

Instead, he snagged the jacket with a smug expression. As Jason shouldered it on, he heard Dick cough, drawing Jason’s attention. “Just be careful. I don’t want to be the one to explain to Tim if you lose it or damage it.”

“Tt,” dismissively said Jason, shouldering on the oversized, even on him, sports jacket. Some things never changed.

Jason remembered being enveloped in the Dick’s first Gotham Knights jacket. At fourteen, Jason in the GK jacket looked like Damian had been in his hooded, Robin cape. He could still remember the coarse feel of the dyed wool exterior and silky inner lining. It was as vivid as the jacket’s warm, spicy smell.

Even when Bruce bought one for him, as he had bought that one for Dick, it wasn’t the same. He fumed, hoping Dick would leave his behind on one of his few visits, but he never did. It went with him to each new place – from Gotham to New York, and eventually back. When they were finally forced to leave Gotham behind, the jacket was lost along with Bruce.

An old ache tickled at the back of Jason's throat. He fought it down as the familiar caress of the inner lining brushed over his bare arms. Only the grasp of Dick’s warm hand on his arm finally brought him back to the present.

“And better yet, Little Wing,” Dick said with his stereotypical jubilant chirp. “I know of this great place to hit up. Highly recommended by Roy… and Kyle. It’s called Paradiso.”

Again, Jason raised a questioning eyebrow. “It isn’t some dance club?”

Dick just beamed a smile and dragged Jason out of the penthouse. This was not going to be a normal night, Jason could already tell.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Paradiso… was a dance club.

Jason had physically cringed, despite himself. He cursed under his breath, almost openly chewing out Dick. Only Dick’s puppy dog look stopped him. Well, that and the very well stocked bar along the darkest side of the establishment. There were plenty of dark corners he could hide from the rapidly flashing strobe of lights that lit the dance floor.

Jason threw a soured expression at the three-level dance floor. Even from across the room, he could pick out his brother in the mass of undulating bodies on the first floor. He never stayed still for long, spending time on each of the three levels or being dragged about by yet another dance partner.

Currently, the golden boy was directly under the kaleidoscope of the center strobe light on the first floor. With each wiggle and shake, every sharp angle of his broad chest and shoulders, and every smooth curve of his rear were accented perfectly. He was fucking perfection on legs.

With eyes tightly closed, Dick was so lost in the music. His tongue peeked out between sharply drawn lips. A bead of sweat slid down the curve of his lip to greet the pink tip right before Dick threw back his head. Jason’s eyes were immediately drawn to the taunt muscle of his exposed neck. Warmth immediately pooled at Jason’s center.

He had to force himself to breath and focus on anything else for a moment. However, he couldn’t keep his eyes off Dick for too long. The second his gaze returned, he stopped several beads of sweat rolling down the swoop of Dickie’s neck. They played along the shell of his ears, before darkening the V-neck collar. All of it just added to Dick’s desirability.

Clearly, others thought so, since many of those dancers had been at his side for most of his night out ont he dance floor. Each and every one of them pressed in close enough to be breathing in the same hot, Dick-scented air. How they kept up with Dick near frenzied movements from one side of the dance floor to another, Jason didn’t know. Still, they were.

One guy in particular caught his attention. He wasn’t strange in his actions, unless humping Dick’s leg on the dance floor counted. Under normal circumstances on the street, Jason probably would have barely given the guy a second look. He wasn’t that good-looking: pointed face and too slim of a body in charcoal colored dress suit. His hair was another thing all together – sleeked back black with streaks of white. From this distance, Jason wasn’t sure if the white was due to age or some lack of style. Either way, Jason didn’t like the predatory look the man kept giving to Dick’s ass.

If Jason knew that Dick wouldn’t chew him out afterwards, Jason probably would have marched over there by now and punched the guy flat on his back. Instead, Jason held his tongue and threw back the last of his drink.

Jason would never admit to being jealous of the groping and pawing admirers that got to press that closely to his brother. He just thought dancing should require more space between partners. Then again, Dick was doing more than just dancing in the dictionary definition of the word; he was blatantly flaunting and flirting.

With a grumble, Jason turned back to face the dimly lit bar. When he lifted his glass of beer, he recalled it was empty. Slamming the glass down on the bar, he threw a sour look in the direction of the bartender.

“Another!” he said loudly, vaguely gesturing toward the empty glass.

“Yeah, just wait your turn, pal,” the bartender said, setting down a set of four drinks for a group who didn’t look that much older than Tim. As they moved away, the stout, tattooed bartender shifted his attention to a pair of twin blondes. His smile was much wider for them as he leaned in close to talk to them. From this distance in the low lighting, it was hard to say what he was saying. However, looking at the girls and how they giggled, he was fairly certain the bartender was flirting.

Jason was way too frustrated to be patient. “Hey! How about a little service?”

The bartender gave him a silencing look. When Jason physically held up his glass, the bartender turned to the two girls. “Be right back, girls.” Then, he turned, giving Jason a quick, spite-filled look. “I suppose you want the same, bud.”

Slapping down ten dollars, Jason snorted, “What do you think?”

The man snorted before turning to fill another glass of beer. Jason returned it, before letting his attention briefly drift back to his brother. The only good thing so far was the fact that it was just Dick he had to worry about. If he was lucky, Dick would be getting tired about by now and head more. That would leave Jason to get as drunk as he wanted, and if he was lucky, bloody some jerk.
Just thinking about that brought a smile to his face.

Then a familiar voice interrupted the moment of happiness.

“Is… isn’t it ex…exhil...er…ating, Lil’ Wig?” stammered Dick, practically crashing against the bar beside Jason.
Jason frowned, but didn’t look at Dick. Grumbling under his breath, he heard the unmistakable scrapping of the stool being moved next to him.

“Yeah…” Dick breathed through several heavy breaths. “Yeah…” He chuckled as if some private joke. “Thank… Thank…. you.”
Jason ignored him. Instead, he focused on the approaching bartender with one large, pure intoxicating excuse to do so. As the bartender put it down, quickly snatching up the ten dollars. “You sure you’re okay with more?”

Jason raised a threatening eyebrow as he took a large gulp of drink. “You sure those two blondes are 21?”

“You have no idea, bud,” the bartender barked. “And don’t get no ideas having flirting with them, got that?”

Jason flashed a wicked smirk. “Fear the competition?”

There was snort from the man as he turned away to wipe the bar area. “If only you knew…” he muttered under his breath.” Jason missed the tail end of his statement

“What’s that?” Jason more yelled than asked.

The bartender sighed, turning sharply back to face Jason. “Look, pal! I don’t want any dumb drunks getting reckless leaving here tonight. I run a clean establishment. ”You better have a ride home for you and your friend here.”
Jason puffed out a chuckle of disbelief. He flashed a look at the two blonds who whispered to one another.

“Neither you nor your friend here,” the bartender went on, “look in any condition to drive.”

Jason snorted, flashing a sneer at the man. “Shows you! Dickie here has had only one drink. Takes more than…”

“To…to…two,’ Dick stammered, correcting him.

Jason turned, looking at this brother for the first time, since he sat down. Dick’s hair looked to be in even more disarray than it looked from the dance floor and his shirt was soaked with sweat. The hand gesturing the number of drinks shook slightly before Dick and his eyes quivered as if struggling to see the two moving fingers.

“When?” asked Jason with a bark to his voice. “You’ve been dancing almost the entire time we’ve been here.”

“Le…Les,” Dick said with a far off look in his overly dilated eyes. His gaze grew serious as it drifted back in the direction of the dance floor.

“Oooh,” said the bartender as he turned and left Jason and Dick. “Sure… makes perfect sense now.”

“Go… got me one. Not big…” Dick said, struggling to adjust his gesture from showing a number to the actual size of the supposed drink. He scrutinized the new hand, before looking back at Jason. “A shot. I think.” His brow furrowed.

Jason’s brow furrowed too. He gave his brother’s disheveled state a long look over. For a guy who had a glass of beer and a shot of something, he certainly looked more inebriated than that.

“You sure that’s all, Dickie?” Jason said, reaching out to stable his brother as he began to sway on the stool.

“Yeah,” he breathed, lowering his head for a moment. He drew in several long breaths, even squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment. Jason heard the softest of whimpers, before Dick’s gaze shot back up with wide-eyed gaze. “Of course! I good… great!” Then, his gaze narrowed on Jason. In a far softer voice, Dick asked, “Why?”

“Just that…well,” Jason said, leaning back slightly to give his brother a once over look. “You look a little…”

Jason stopped short when he noticed Dick’s gaze drift off again. The older man’s brow furrowed as if deep in thought. Gradually, his eyelids closed as if he was falling asleep. Jason reached out to touch his shoulder. “Dick?”

In an exhausted voice, Dick said, “I for… forgot… something. Some… something… im…import…” With a whimper, Dick dipped his head again, covering his face with his hands.

“Dick?” Jason said worriedly, giving dick’s shoulder a hard squeeze.

A grumble from the bar told Jason that their conversation wasn’t so private. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the bartender watching them.

When Jason snapped a glare, he saw the man giving him and Dick a once overlook from a few feet away. “Go back to your high school cheerleaders!”

“Tt!” the bartender stated, backing away. “No offense, pal. Just friendly concern. Your friend’s either seriously drunk or high off something.”

“Yeah right,” Jason said sarcastically. Dick was too clean, never touched the stuff. He was a regular McGruff wannabe. Not only had he been the one to confront Roy about his drug issues, he always got on Jason’s case about the dangers of smoking. After all, Dick was the boy scout of the family.

Still, something itched at the back of Jason’s mind. The way Dick was acting; he looked all worn out, went from one extreme emotion to the other at random, and was acting forgetful. Looking behind Dick, spotted a shot glass, he didn’t’ recall being there before.
Picking it up, Jason sniffed it. The smell of some fruity hard liquid mix stung his nose. It didn’t smell out of the ordinary, but most dangerous ones never did.

“Jason,” whimpered Dick, gripping the lapels of the GK jacket. Jason returned his attention to him. “I…I do… n’t feel gewd.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jason commented, “No doubt. If I’m right, and I hope…how do you feel?”

Through half closed eyes, Dick stared at him for a moment as if trying to process what Jason was saying. After a few breath filled seconds, he replied, “Too hawt!” He yanked at the wide neck of his shirt, pulling it away from his sweaty chest. “An…roooommmm keep…sp…spinng.”

Jason couldn’t help the panic that suddenly bloomed in his mind. “Yeah,” he said as he tried to gain some control over his shaking body. “I can imagine.” Standing in front of Dick, he rubbed his brother shoulders. “Look, Dickie, I think you might have been drugged with something… maybe Rohypnol… or something like.”

Dick just continued to stare at him with half opened eyes. After a moment, he said simply, “Oooo,” before his gaze drifted away from Jason again.

“Dick!” Jason said forcefully. He grabbed Dick’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “This is serious!”

“I knooo,” Dick spat as his words became even more slurred. “Mmmi throt dry! Cca I hve sum ur drnk?”

“I think you’ve had enough for tonight,” Jason told him rubbing his brother’s shoulders to reassure Dick as much as himself. “Look, I’m going to go over there to call Alfred to pick you up. But…” He stopped glance to the area on the other side of the bar, where the bathrooms were located. “… I don’t think I can hear from here.”

“I don’t want to…”

“No… and I doubt you could walk over there without falling over,” Jason said with a sarcastic tone. “And I don’t feel like balancing you and my cell. So I’m going to need you to wait here.” He pointed at the stool Dick was sitting in. “Right here. You have to promise me you’ll stay right here at the bar…”

“Ca… can hav ur drnk?” Dick tried to ask again as his brow furrowed. He sniffled slightly, looking up at Jason with the worst puppy dog look to grace his face. “Peeeeeas?”

With a heavy sigh, Jason passed him the beer. “Fine. Just stay here.”

Dick slowly nodded as he clasped the glass with both hands as if it might fly away if he didn’t. “Sta…stay hair.”

Jason just sighed and hurried to the restroom hallway.

As he thought, he was much quieter in the restroom hallway. Pulling out his cellphone, he hit speed dial for Alfred. Unconsciously, he tapped the bathroom door as he heard the phone ring a few times. He quickly spied over to the bar.

Not that he thought Dick would slip away back on to the dance floor, even in his state. Still, Jason felt antsy. Someone had spiked a drink and given it to Dick; some jerk named Les. Despite Dick slipping away from this jerk, Jason wasn’t sure whether Les might try to drag Dick away. And in his current state, whether Dick would resist.

Finally, after five rings, Jason heard Alfred pick up. “Hello, Master Jason. I hope everything is well and you aren’t calling from another jail cell.”

Jason could almost laugh. “No. Nothing like that, but it might just be as bad.”

The tone of worry quickly filled Alfred’s voice as he inquired.

Glancing once more at the bar, he noticed it had become busy with a crowd of people; he couldn’t see Dick anymore. His panic returned. Cutting off Alfred’s inquires, he said, “Look, I can’t go into it now. I just need you to pick up us up at the Paradiso Nightclub off of 49th and Spade Street. ASAP. I’ll explain when you get here!”

Jason barely heard the confirmation from Alfred before he hung up and dashed across the space between the restrooms and the bar. He shoved past the now busy bar-goers and toward the spot he left Dick. For a moment, he was overjoyed at seeing Dick. That was until he saw someone sitting in his seat next to Dick.

Jason immediately recognized the guy with streaked hair from the dance floor. Now, in normal lighting, he could make out that the man was in fact a hell of a lot older than Dick. He practically looked the age Bruce would have been today. His hair was black and sleek, but the streaks now were clearly platinum blond not white. It made him look like the skunk he clearly was. With one arm wrapped around Dick’s waist and the other hand firmly gripping one of Dick’s arm, this man was trying to get Dick to rise to his feet.

“No. No… Les,” Dick protested with several slow shakes of his head. “I pro… promis mi bro… bro...”

The skinny skunk chuckled, giving an even stronger tuck and managing to get Dick on to his shaky legs. “But, Richie, you promised to dance with me. Promised me a ‘private performance” of your ‘moves.’”

Dick made a pained whimpering sound. When his brother lifted his gaze, Jason saw Dick’s eyes were wide and full of panic. His eyes widened when he saw Jason. Almost as if a new burst of energy filled him, Dick yanked himself free from the skinny skunk and stumbled toward Jason.

Jason had to reach out to catch Dick who fell against Jason’s chest. “Jay. Go hoomm. Peeeeass!” He gripped Jason’s arms, pulling himself up enough to bury his face in Jason’s neck. “Oooow!”

Despite wrapping his arms protectively around Dick, Jason kept his cold gaze locked on the skinny skunk. The man stared right back at Jason with a hard-set frown showing off the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth.

“Oh!” Les said, plastering a clearly fake smile on his face. “So you’re Richie’s brother. “ The skinny skunk puffed out his chest, lifted his chin, and took two long strides. Still, he remained just out of reach of Jason.

Shame, Jason would have liked to wipe that smug smile off Les’ sharply drawn face. Then again, with the amount of weight Dick was putting on Jason, he probably wouldn’t be able to do that without dropping Dick in the process. “Yeah,” hissed Jason, keeping his gaze trained on Les. “And you’re the skunk who spiked my brother’s drink.”

Leslie’s response was a sharp laugh. It was drawn out as he threw his head back a bit. “Oh, you are a funny one. Must be the comedian of the family.”

Jason wasn’t an idiot. He could clearly see this guy was buying for time. Something tinkled at the back of his neck. The sound of two pairs of heavy footsteps thudded behind Jason. Every hair on his back of his neck stood on end.

“Ba…baa… ne!” stammered Dick against Jason’s throat.

With a quick glance toward the mirrored wall behind the bar, Jason suddenly understood what Dick meant. The partially shadow-covered form of two huge, muscular guys stood behind Jason. They looked like Bane wannabes.

“Good thing I have such a good sense of humor, Jay,” Les said, still forcing his laugh. The laugh only stopped when he spat out Jason’s name. “Otherwise, I might take offense.” The coldness growing in his voice accumulated in the skinny skunk’s dark eyes. “Now, why don’t you be a good brother, and let Richie and I finish our business in peace.” He reached a hand out toward Dick.

Much to Jason’s relief, Dick didn’t pull away. Instead, he felt Dick’s arms wrap around Jason’s waist.

“Sorry to disappoint,” Jason sneered, “but we’re just leaving.”

“I. Don’t. Think. So,” Les stated firmly, reaching into one of his striped jacket pockets. He fingered something as a sly smile spread across his sharply drawn face. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the small revolver in the jacket pocket – just small enough to conceal but still deadly at this close of range.

Jason contemplated whether he could shove Dick below the bar and grab a stool or a bottle faster than the fucker could pull a gun. He would have to break it against the bar and hope that neither of the men behind him was armed as well. With his luck, he’d only get Dick out of the way before the first bullet hit him in the shoulder.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jason prepared to move. Even if he died tonight, Jason would take as many of them with him. No one would lay a hand on his brother. No one.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

The mad paced music thudded loudly all around them. A stench of sweat and hormones filled the muggy air of the dimly lit club’s bar. Despite it all, the room felt dead and ice cold.

Les’ piercing glare didn’t help matters. There was something frosty and calculating about it. A wickedness that twisted his lips in a sickening way. It made Jason’s skin crawl.

Jason cursed under his breath. He would have paid anything to still be carrying automatics like the good, old days. Something to level the playing field in his advantage. Then again, he wasn’t sure he could make a clean shot with Dick still in his arms.

Curling his lip, Jason gave Les a predatory stare.

There was a brief flicker of surprise on Les’ too sharply drawn face. Maybe it was fear. Jason didn’t have time to read it. In the next second, it was gone. The wicked smirk intensified again a second later. “Now, Richie, be a good boy and…”

“Shut the fuck up!” roared Jason. His grip on Dick’s sweat soaked shirt tightened. He could feel it start to roll up his brother’s sweaty back. “He isn’t going anywhere with you!”

Lifting a hand to cover his smile, Les dismissively shook his head. “Oh really.”

Jason adjusted his hold on Dick. There was no time for doubts or what ifs. He had already calculated where to shove Dick, so he would be out of line of fire, and what potential weapons he could easily access before the first shot left the barrel. Neither happened.

Les put his hand back into his jacket pocket. “And how are you…?”

Jason heard the unmistakable cock of a rifle. There was a hushed gasp from someone. A shiver of fear rushed through him. For a second, he thought his worst fears had come true.

“That’s enough!” barked a familiar, gruff voice.

Jason realized neither the sound nor the voice came from the men behind him or the skinny skunk standing directly in front of him. Instead, glancing behind the skinny skunk, Jason spotted the bartender holding a rifle and pointing it directly at the back of Les’ head.
Jason just blinked at the sight.

“I warned you, Lead,” warned the bartender.

“Stay out of this, Freddy!” Les stated, starting to pull the revolver out of his jacket pocket.

“I said the next time you try to cause any trouble in my club, I’d ban you,” Freddy stated with a growl. The bartender narrowed his eyes. “Well, guess what. You’re banned! For life!”

“Tt,” dismissively said Les. “No one bans me.” He threw a half smirk at the bartender. “No one. Right, boys?”

The two behind Jason made a grunting sound. He thought it was a confirmation. Instead, pained whimpers quickly followed. Then, Dick breathed an audible and unmistakable ‘Wow!’

Turning sharply around, Jason saw the two huge goons kneeling on the ground. The twin blondes, which the bartender had been talking to earlier, each held an arm of a goon crooked at a painful angle.

“Didn’t your father ever tell you it’s not nice to crowd people?” the blonde with a ponytail said questioningly.

“No duh, Shelly,” the blonde with her hair down in waves agreed. “And you always listen to papa.”

“Now you were saying, Lead?” Freddy said to the skinny skunk.

Les grumbled, removing his hand without the revolver from his pocket. Then, he held his hands up in the air. “We’re just going.” He gave Jason a menacingly glare. “Be seeing you and your brother soon, Jay.” He motioned to his two men who had just been released. Struggling to their feet, they hurriedly stumbled after their boss.

Jason watched their retreat, not looking away until they vanished through the exterior doors.

“Sorry about them,” Freddy said, drawing Jason’s attention back to the bar. Unlike his previous encounters, the tattooed man was actually smiling at Jason.

The inviting warmth of the smile flickered a memory of Jason’s first time at Wayne Manor. He hadn’t been the nicest of guests. To be honest, he'd felt out of place. Still, a kindly butler went out of his way to make Jason feel safe and accepted. Despite his scathing retort to the contray, Jason had appreciated it all.

“I don’t like sleazy…” The man stopped short, glancing down at Dick.

Looking down at his brother, Jason noticed Dick was murmuring incoherently into his neck. A series of shakes racked his body as he pressed even closer. Jason could only hug his brother to calm him.

“Your… your brother... he alright?” Freddy’s tone was a mixture of confusion and worry. There was no sarcasm or malice as previously.

Blowing out a breath, Jason hesitated for a brief moment. He wanted to lie or brush off the man’s concern. It was practically second nature for the Red Hood. But the Red Hood was gone and Jason had no good reason. These people had actual stood up for him and Dick. Pushing aside any concerns, he replied, “No. I think that Skunk spiked his drink.”

“Jesus! If I’d known Lead was…” Freddy exclaimed, placing his rifle on the bar top. He paused, glancing behind him toward a door behind the bar. “Better get some coffee in him.” He motioned to the girls behind Jason. “Kelly, see to some coffee for the boys.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason watched as the blonde with the ponytail moved swiftly to the door. Despite himself, he muttered, “Thanks.”

Freddy turned back toward Jason with a questioning look. “Do you boys have a ride home? Otherwise…”

“Yeah, they should be here within the hour,” Jason told him, adjusting Dick’s position against him. Dick had started to slip lower as if his legs were finally giving out.

“Looks like he might either throw up or pass out before then,” Freddy commented, before gesturing to the other girl. “Shelly, would you please show these two boys to the couch in the back for now. The kid might need a lie down before long.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she answered. Shelly managed to pry one of Dick’s arms off of Jason and curl it over her shoulder.

As they both maneuvered Dick in the direction of the door behind the bar, Shelly’s words suddenly sunk in. “Daddy?” He did a double take at them.

“My daughters,” Freddy said with a broad grin. There was pride in that voice. Something Jason swore he had heard very long ago from another father. “Yes.”

Jason’s earlier commented came rushing back like a slap in the face. He felt warm all over. His tongue struggled for an apology that came out more as a stammer of words.

Freddy seemed to know as he chuckled. “But don’t worry. I’ve heard worse from sleazy balls and pervs. And you were partially right. They were high school cheerleaders… at least before they started Uni.”

oOo

Three coffees later, Jason found himself relaxing on a worn but comfortable sofa in the backroom of the club. They – mostly Jason and the two blondes – chatted as Dick threw up the first coffee along with whatever else was in his stomach. In the time it took Kelly to fetch a second coffee for Dick, he passed out with his head resting in Jason’s lap. Incoherent words tumbled from Dick’s lips in his sleep. He turned over, pressing his head against Jason’s stomach. One hand gripped the GK jacket's fringe.

Unconsciously, Jason stroked his brother’s forehead, brushing aside the sweaty, dark strands. As he did, he continued to chat with the Kelly and Shelly. He was quickly surprised that they were nothing like he first thought. True, they were former cheerleaders. But they were more than that. For starters, they were skilled martial artists.

“Oh, I see. So that’s how you were able to handle those goons,” Jason commented.

“Yep! Been doing Tai Kwan Do, since Junior High. Great fun!” Shelly leaned forward as he commented.

“And it never hurts to be able to defend yourself in this city,” Kelly added.

Shelly nodded in agreement. “But now, we’re more focused on college. Kelly’s a pre-med.”

Kelly handed Jason a wet cloth. “Here you go. Been interning at Washington Community Hospital, even before college, so I’ve picked up some basics. That should help bring down his temperature for now.”

Jason nodded as he placed the wet cloth over Dick’s warm forehead. After a brief whimper, Dick left out a relieved breath. Jason released his own.

“And I’m studying law,” Shelly went on, drawing Jason’s attention back to the twins. “I hope to enter the police academy some time next spring.”

“I could see you doing that,” absentmindedly commented Jason, before glancing once more down at the unconscious Dick. “My brother used to be a cop. He had some… related skills, like you, and just as much energy and devotion for it. You know you remind me of him in some ways.”

When he heard a shared giggle, his gaze was drawn once more back up to them. They were exchanging knowing looks. His stomach clenched as he looked between the twins in bewilderment. Jason was about to ask why they were laughing when the door into the backroom opened.

“Master Jason, Master Richard!” called the familiar voice of Alfred.

Over this shoulder, he spotted Alfred and Stephanie behind Freddy. They hurried over to the sofa. Without hesitance, Alfred right to work checking on the pale, sprawled form of Dick.

Not yet ready to speak, Jason watched Alfred check all Dick’s vitals. But Dick wasn’t the most cooperative. He turned his head away, letting it lull against the back of the couch, and recoiled away from contact with anyone’s touch. Well, anyone but Jason.

“Come on, Dick,” Jason said, coaxing Dick to turn over to give Alfred some access to his front. "Alfred's just checking you are okay."

Dick made a whimpering noise.

“He seems very under the weather, Master Jason,” Alfred commented as he continued to check Dick’s condition. “He’s very warm, and… has he been throwing up?”

When Jason nodded to Alfred question, the older man inquired further. “Can you provide some insight into what happened to him, sir? So we can be sure...”

“Dick was drugged by some Skunk,” Jason said bluntly. Bile rose up his throat as he thought about Les and what he did do and tried to do to his brother. He wanted to hit something. Or better yet, he wanted to hit Les.

“What?!” exclaimed Steph. The worry on her face quickly changed to downright outrage. “How? Who? And better yet, where are they?”

Jason shook his head. He didn’t like going into details now. There was no reason for them to worry about it. He’d take care of it soon enough.

“Doesn’t matter at the moment.” Alfred seemed to echo Jason’s thoughts. “We need to get him home. A good shower and cup of tea will do him the world of wonders, I’m sure. Besides, the others will no doubt be waiting.”

“Agreed,” Jason replied.

Several long moments passed before Alfred, with the help of Jason, aroused Dick awake. He gave an irritated whimper as he was pushed up to sitting, and then, a standing position. He tried to take Jason with him by grabbing a hold of the GK jacket.  Still, Jason managed to pry himself loose.

“Come along, Master Richard,” Alfred said reassuringly to Dick. “We’ll have you home in no time.”

“Hooo,” Dick murmured, struggling to walk between Alfred and Stephanie. “Gooo nooow!”

Jason watched Freddy lead them out. Then, he turned once more to the twins. “Thank you again. I don’t know….”
“Our pleasure,” they both stated before giggling. Then one turned to the other and whispered something. Jason’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“I hope you don’t mind us asking but…” Kelly said before eyeing her sister. “Well…”

“We’re huge fans of The Robins!” interrupted Shelley, before squealing with glee.

An inner groan echoed in his head. Of course, they were fans. That was just his luck tonight. Of course, at least, they weren’t like some of The Robins’ fans. They’d actually been pretty nice and respectful, considering the situation. He really couldn’t deal with the madness of the usual fan right now.

Kelly shushed her blushing sister. “And we wondered if you’d sign our copy of your album, Jason. You’re our favorite member!”
Fighting the new blush on his face, Jason nervously fingered his cigarette pack in his back pocket.  “Sure. Least I could do, I suppose.”

Within the time it took him to say that, Kelley produced the CD and a permanent marker.  Maintaining the smile on his face, he signed it. He even added a personal message for them. He knew Dick would give him no end, if he didn’t.

When he handed back the CD and marker, he found that Kelly slipped a folded piece of paper into his hand. “What’s this?”
Opening it, he saw both of the girls’ names on it along with an addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. “In case, you’re ever in the area….”

“Or around CAL TECH,” added Shelly with the biggest smile on her face.

“Yeah,” Kelly agreed. “Look us up. We know all the best places to hang out, including some of the less eventful bars.”
Shelly added a suggestive wink.

A blush erupted across his face. Jason couldn’t fathom it. Had he just been asked out by a pair of blond twins? He was definitely never going to hear the end of this.

oOo

When he finally made it out of the Paradiso Club, Jason found the band’s van waiting outside for him. Alfred was in the driver’s seat, checking the mirrors. Then again, the way he held the glance in the rearview mirror maybe he was checking on the backseat passengers.

“About time, sir,” Alfred said, giving him a look before glancing back once more.

Jason leaned on the window sill. He gave Alfred an apologetic grin. Then, he glanced into the backseat. Stephanie now had a lap full of Dick. He was making moaning noises, but his eyes remained tightly closed.

“What took you so long?” Stephanie angrily asked. As he had done, she was brushing back Dick’s sweaty bangs. “Damian’s going spare. He has been since your phone call. I can’t imagine what state Tim would be in if he was awake.”

“I’m sure Master Jason understands that,” Alfred scolded. Then, he gave a heavy sigh, before looking at Jason with a pointed stare. “Still, I agree. We should be going, sir.” He reached across the front passenger seat to open the door for Jason.

Jason held his hands up. “Then go ahead and go.” When he got confused, wide-eyed looks, Jason went on. “I’m sticking around here.”

“What?” Stephanie gave him a narrowed stare “Why?”

With a broad smile on his face, Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “Simple. I’ve only half finished my night.”

To be continued…