Chapter Text
My brother can't see me
Even when I look in his eye
Looking for Love
-Birdtalker
Jason was half dressed for patrol when a sharp series on knocks hit his door. He wasn’t expecting Roy to arrive until much later that night, and looking through peephole he could make out Dick’s profile as he looked somewhat anxiously around the hallway.
“What is it?” Jason asked through the sliver of doorway.
The smile Dick offered was sheepish, “Can I come in?”
Glancing quickly over his shoulder for anything incriminating Jason begrudgingly slid the chain off the hook and opened the door. “What’s up?”
“Alfred’s planning this dinner for Tim on Sunday,” Dick bobbled uncertainly in the entry. “He wanted to see if you could come.”
“Okay… Alfred has my number, why are you here?”
“I offered to be the messenger.”
“Why?” Jason questioned suspiciously.
“So, you could turn the offer down without feeling guilty.”
Jason’s eyes dipped into slits, “Excuse me?”
Dick shrugged, giveing him a crooked grin, “I know you can’t say no to Alfred, so I thought you’d have an out this way.”
“Well aren’t you feeling noble.”
The sarcastic tone didn’t register to Dick, who smiled brighter, “The big gatherings aren’t your thing, and I just figured especially with you and Tim being what you are…”
“Especially? Especially what Dick?”
“Look,” Dick sighed, “I know you’ve been playing nice lately, and I think that’s great. It means the world to me to see the whole family getting along so well. But you don’t have to put yourself through a family hosted dinner for Tim.”
“Tim and I are fine.”
“No I know,” Dick shrugged. “I just figured...I mean you two couldn’t be more opposite, I guess? You’re such different people, and I just thought I’d spare you both.”
“You don’t have to spare me of anything,” Jason mumbled slowly, bracing himself to look at Dick. “I’m good. Tim is…Actually Dick, I really li--“
The abrupt chirping of Dick’s phone from his pocket stopped their conversation and he flashed a brilliant smile and patted Jason on the shoulder, bringing the device to his ear. “Hey Alfie…Yeah I’m on my way. See you soon,” Dick ended the call and slipped the phone back briskley into his pocket, “Sorry, Jason I have to run, I’m covering for Bruce tonight, he’s got some big work thing. But I’ll see you later!”
With no further exchange required from him, Dick departed, his jaunting steps of a deed well done clicking down the hall. Jason shut the door after him, trying to contain his fuming. He made a mad dash for the rest of gear, pulling it on with a renewed haste.
Grabbing a piece of scratch paper from a drawer he scrawled a quick note for Roy and climbed onto his fire escape to start his trek across town.
Jason arrived to find Tim perched on the roof top of the penthouse dressed for patrol. He never started his rotation until eight o’clock, and Jason had hoped to catch him a quarter till while he ran his diagnostic check. Almost a year ago Jason had arrived on a sperate roof top, seeking Tim out with an entirely different purpose. What a difference ten months made.
“Hey, you’re out early tonight,” Tim smiled at his approach, the tip of his fan tailed cape brushing the ledge as he stepped down.
“Had an errand to run in the area,” Jason lied smoothly
“And you’re taking time out to visit me? What makes me so special?”
“Well it is your birthday so…”
Tim’s full face went red enough to challenge the color of his suit. “I didn’t know you knew-“
“I do,” Jason interrupted, reaching inside his helmet to pull out the roughly wrapped package which he lofted it carefully at Tim, “Happy birthday, Pretty Bird.”
The box landed in Tim's arms, his expression bordering on dumbfounded. “I…should I-“
“Yeah,” Jason urged, “go ahead.”
Tim took a seat on the ledge, his high knees balancing the gift. Jason siddled up, sitting beside him but ever mindful to keep a couple of feet between them. Tim pulled off his gauntlets, gingerly handling the package to find the strips of tape.
“It’s not a bomb,” Jason told him, smiling at Tim’s delicate handling. “Just rip it.”
With a tentative chuckle Tim tore off the paper, letting it crumple to the ground. The white box showed a black Polaroid One step camera. Tim starred, silent with his lips parted.
“It’s actually a red one,” Jason explained, his nerves dancing at Tim’s silence. “It uhh, popped up in an ad, and I just thought you’d like it, if you didn’t already have one. I actually don’t know if you even still take pictures, and if it’s not your thing I have the receipt-“
Tim threw himself awkwardly onto Jason, falling a little short so that his arms wrapped oddly around his middle, Tim's head landing between his chest and shoulder. “I love it.”
Relief escaped Jason by way of a slightly strangled breath, his arms trapped by Tim's embrace. “Yeah?”
When Tim pulled away he was grinning up at Jason’s hesitantly hopeful face. “It’s fantastic, Jay. Thank you.” He pushed up suddenly, his lips barely brushing Jason’s cheek in thank you before he was standing again, re-donning his gloves, his cheeks a little pinker than they had been before. “I’ve got to put this away, but I’m going to open it as soon as I’m back.”
“Don’t…don’t worry about it, you don’t have to prove anything to me,” Jason pushed himself to his feet, turning his helmet over in his hands. “I’ll let you get to it, I’ve got a drug ring to bust myself.”
“Wait do you- If you didn’t have post patrol plans, I’m going to Mikeys Diner, after. A few of us are meeting up to celebrate, and if you wanted to come, I would like that,” Tim stood a little straighter, “I’d love it if you could join us, actually. And you can bring somebody, if you want, if you think you could use a buffer.”
“I’ll be there," Jason nodded, “Just send me a text when you’re on your way.”
When Jason finished his route around four A.M. he clambered back into his apartment, to find Roy still up, playing a first shooter game in his living room.
“Hey Jayboy.”
“Hey yourself,” Jason groaned, collapsing in his chair. “I didn’t think you would be up.”
“Prime hours still. And I wanted to wait up for you. How are you?”
“Pretty good. Easy night all things considered.”
“Good, good,” Roy nodded, shutting off the system. “Miss you buddy. Kori and I know you’ve got to split your time, but it ain’t the same out there without you.”
“Yeah,” Jason mumbled with an exaggerated roll of his head, “how do you even begin to manage.”
“Ass,“ Roy smirked, tossing a cushion at his head. “Ready to crash? I want to go to that car show tomorrow.”
“Actually, would you mind coming out with me?” Jason asked, unlacing his boots.
Roy perked up slightly, “Food?”
“Kinda,” Jason shrugged, “Tim has this birthday thing, he invited me, figure it would be rude not to go.”
“The little birdie is having a shindig? And he’s okay with you inviting me?”
“He said I could bring someone, and you know Tim doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean.”
“Yeah, alright,” Roy agreed, snagging his jacket, “if you’re buying.”
“Okay, let me just wash up.”
“Good one,” Roy snorted, slipping his arms into the loose sleeves.
“I’ll be quick,” he assured.
Roy watched Jason vault over the couch, visibly bemused. “You’re serious?”
“…yeah?”
“I’ve seen you wear the same shirt four days in a row.” Roy scoffed.
“We’re going out,” Jason pointed out casually, “it was hot out there, I don’t want to smell like a gym bag.”
“They’re all gonna smell like gym bags,” Roy pointed out.
Ignoring him, Jason began undressing on his way to the bathroom, “Be a pal and grab me a clean t-shirt.”
Roy followed two steps before stumbling, his brain sparking with revelation. “Oh my god.”
The abrupt change in tone turned Jason on his heels. “What?”
“You like him.”
“What?!”
“You’re into Tim,” Roy asserted, “Shit- that’s who you’ve been texting all this time!"
“We’re friends!” Jason chocked out, turning red in spite of his internal desperation to remain calm.
“You don’t primp when we’re going out,” Roy grinned, snatching the soiled shirt from him. “Admit it.”
“You know what, you’re uninvited,” Jason glowered, shutting the bathroom door with a snap.
“Oh not a chance,” Roy howled, giving the door a playful hit with his fist, “Hurry up lover boy, I’m gonna watch this first hand."