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"Honestly, how long does it take to get a coffee?" Jason tutted impatiently, foot tapping periodically as he and Peter waited in a queue full of business men and college students all in the same boat, sleep deprived and in dire need of caffeine.
"I don't see why you can't just get a coffee at work, Neal." Peter retorted but didn't complain. They did this most mornings and while today's queue was far longer than normal, Peter too appreciated drinking something other than the office's crappy filter coffee.
"I don't know how you could even suggest such a thing." Jason scoffed because the office coffee was a crime against any beverage. Peter grimaced.
"Still, we really should factor this in, on a morning, set off earlier." Peter offered up as they edged forward a little, the two women behind the counter were rushed off their feet.
"Well yeah, but it's not usually this bad." Jason countered, another little step forward.
"But we should plan for it anyway?" Peter replied and Jason had to resist an urge to scoff. Planning for every eventuality was Bruce's thing and Jason really didn't need to think about him this early in the morning. Their relationship was pretty much non-existent nowadays, not after their last big fight shortly before he took the undercover gig of Neal Caffrey that led to Jason being officially disowned.
"Yeah, yeah, Dad." Jason waved it off with a joke, not wanting to continue a conversation that made him think of the Bat.
Silence enveloped the two for a moment as they edged a step closer, another chime of the door alerting them another poor soul was joining the back of the queue further behind them.
"Do you still talk to yours?" Peter asked, Jason turned to face him with a frown, an eyebrow raised.
"What?" Jason asked, what are they talking about?
"Your parents."
"Oh." Jason's frown deepened, he didn't want this conversation but he could hardly escape it stuck in the queue and Peter's slightly smug look indicated his handler also knew that fact.
"My uh, my biological parents are long dead, Peter. My… Adult and I haven't spoken in... at least a year." Jason shrugged. He couldn't call Bruce his Father, because as far as Jason was concerned, the hypocritical Bat was no longer worthy of the title.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Peter began, regret creeping into his features that Jason waved off.
"It was a long time ago, I hated them anyway, they were… Deeper on the wrong side of the law than an alleged art thief, to put it nicely." Jason went with.
"I see. And your… 'Adult'?" He questioned, "if you're okay with me asking, of course, Neal," he added quickly.
"Depends on your views, he…" Jason trailed because vigilantes were illegal but Batman was part of the Justice League so did that make him a hero instead? The legalities of the Bat blurred. "He cares about people, tries to make the world better in ways he thinks are right?" Jason went with, "he sometimes makes the wrong choices," definitely, Jason could count several off the top of his head, "and he's pretty shit with feelings or communication," 100%, Jason internally scoffed, "but uh, yeah. He's a good person I think. He did more for me as a kid than my own parents." Even if it did end up in him being beaten with a crowbar and blown to bits… "I just don't speak to him anymore and I don't think he's thought of me as a son for a long time now."
Another chime from the door, a grumbled protest, another step forward.
Peter gave a low whistle.
"Well then."
"Yeah sorry that was a lot to unload."
"But you don't talk to him?" Peter questioned, testing boundaries Jason found he didn't have… Weird. When had he grown to trust Peter this much…
"Nah, we have conflicting opinions on a lot of important things and… We had a big fight, I mean we fought a lot but this one felt final, got disowned… I ran off and he didn't try to follow me or stop me. Felt pretty final to me." Jason explained, grateful Peter was too distracted with learning things about Neal's family to realise the events didn't match up with Caffrey's prison time, prison time Jason obviously didn't do. "Hasn't tried reaching out to me since, either."
"I'm sorry." Peter echoed and Jason shrugged. It was fine. Bruce's son had died in that warehouse. The Jason that came back from the grave was a stranger, someone Bruce didn't know anymore. Jason had been expecting the fall out even after mostly getting back into the other Gotham Vigilantes good books, Red Hood moving from fatal shots to kneecaps, feet, shoulders, anywhere that took his fancy that he knew wouldn't be a kill shot. It was enough for Dick and for the rest of the Clan but never Bruce.
He'd never be good enough for the man.
Never be the son the man had lost.
Another chime and this time there was some muffled speaking, a couple of turned heads that Jason resisted the urge to turn too, Batraining should just be code for 'nosey fucker who has to know everything.'
A man swanned by, dark sunglasses perched on the top of his head even though it was November, who wears sunglasses in November? He passed the entire queue, straight to the front, cutting in and shooting a look at the two barista's, one of the girls eyes widened and the other quickly fumbled to make two drinks he spoke the order of. A few voices of anger rose from the queue but nobody made a move to stop the young man who thanked both barista's, swiped a card over the reader and then dropped a $100 bill into the tip jar, earning two whispered words of gratitude from both of them.
Jason scoffed as the man turned, two drinks in hand, one a ridiculously large coffee and the other a more acceptable size. Sunglasses still perched on messy hair, lazy smirk on his face as he walked straight up to Jason. Peter frowned and looked between the two in confusion.
"I believe this is yours." The man held out the smaller coffee which Jason took eagerly, not paying heed to the looks from others in the queue.
"Sorry Agent Burke, I don't know how you take your coffee." The man added, turning to Peter who spluttered. "Oh, where are my manners, I'm Timothy Drake-Wayne. Please, call me Tim though." The man held out a hand which Peter hesitantly shook, side-eyeing Jason who was practically inhaling his coffee despite the steam coming off of it.
"Did I ever tell you I love you, Replacement." Jason hummed as he inhaled the caffeine, the cup half empty already. Tim let out a laugh.
"All the time Zomboy." He snarked with a grin. Peter was confused.
"Sorry, how do you two know each other? And did you tell him my name? Neal, you know CEOs who… Know your coffee order?" Peter questioned and Tim let out a little chuckle, glasses slipping from his head to cover his eyes with the slight movement of his head. They were dark and did their job in concealing his identity perfectly.
"Yeah, Neal, how do you know me?" Tim challenged, amusement in his eyes that had Jason rise to the bait.
"Well?" Peter asked, one eyebrow raised as he kept his place in the queue. Jason looked at the cup in his hand and then up at Tim. In one quick decisive moment he tipped his head back and necked the rest of the contents and then launched the paper cup at the nearest bin without looking (Peter was the only one who watched it sail out of the three, mildly impressed when it landed on a bin perfectly.) It was only when Peter turned to look back to Neal he was no longer beside him and instead he was-
"Hmmh." Peter coughed to try and gain Neal's attention but no, his CI was busy. Neal didn’t even flinch at Peter’s noise, preoccupied by what looked to be the desire to see exactly how far into Tim’s mouth he could get. Peter scrunch up his nose. Public affection wasn’t high on his list of enjoyable things but Neal seemed enthusiastic as he kissed the shorter man senseless right then and there in the middle of the coffee store. When he pulled back, Tim looked a little breathless but mostly smug, ears tinged pink and cheeks wide with a smile.
“That answer your question?” Neal asked, Tim now snuggled into his arms, the shorter keeping a firm hold of his own coffee though. Peter sighed.
“He’s my boyfriend, Agent Burke, since Neal can’t use his words.” Tim added with an eye roll but no complaints. It’d been a while since he’d been able to see Jason.
“Boyfriend?” Peter asked because he’d been under the allusion Neal was straight, what with Kate and all that.
“Yes… You don’t have a problem with that, do you, Agent Burke?” Tim asked, eyes narrowing that had Peter backtrack.
“No, no, I just- I thought Neal was straight, what with the whole thing with Kate…” He trailed, missing the looks of understanding between the two.
“Ah.” Tim responded and glared at the couple behind them who’d slyly taken their phone out to take a picture or a video. Tim needed to vanish asap.
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Agent Burke… permitting you remain pleasant to Neal of course… Jaybean, I’ll drop by later tonight. I'm in the city for the weekend.” Tim smiled, fondly at which Jason returned the gesture, missing Peter silently mouthing ‘Jaybean?’ to himself. A soft chaste kiss later and Tim was swanning out of the place with as much confidence as when he’d entered, large coffee cup still in his hands. It was almost certain Jason’s cover would be blown by the end of the morning, there’d be pictures online from their interaction and it wouldn’t take long for people to recognize him even if he was technically still legally dead. And even if somehow nobody made the link, surely it would be in the tabloids, Tim was a hot topic, a CEO with brains, looks, and lots of money? Of course everyone would be interested in seeing who’d snatched him up. Someone at the Office had to use Twitter…
Jason found he didn’t care too much if it meant he got to spend physical time with Tim again, instead of phone calls and texts.
“So… you’re dating the Wayne CEO… How did that happen?” Peter asked curiously.
“Uh, do you want the long story or the short one?”
“Let's go short.” Peter decided.
“Uh, His Dad was my Dad for a while until I was horrifically murdered and he replaced me with Tim while I was temporarily dead. And then I was disowned?”
“I think I’m going to need the long story…” Peter spoke, eyes wide and Jason laughed and nodded.
“Yeah, I think you do, come over tonight and we’ll share it with you together.”
“You’ve got a deal.” Peter agreed and sighed as he turned back to the queue, still needing his own drink. Well shit, remind him to tell Neal’s boyfriend his coffee order next time they meet.