Chapter Text
Jason?
This is not Red Hood territory, nor a place where Tim would think he might run into Jason. This is, in fact, a very nice area, a fancy one, he would even say, just a few blocks from the house where Tim grew up. Also, Jason was badly injured last night, he broke his arm and half his back is colored purple, so he's supposed to be resting. Or sleeping, Jason is never really awake at five in the afternoon, not when he has to patrol a few hours later.
Tim sits next to him on the bench and gets a glimpse of Jason's broken arm hidden in his jacket. Jason seems oblivious to his presence, lost in the view in front of him.
"Are you working on a case?"
"What?" Jason jumps in his seat and regulates himself at the sight of Tim.
It was the first conclusion Tim came to, Jason must have come to take a look at something, spy on someone or check out the area. What's the big, bad Red Hood doing here?
"No, I just...came for a walk."
The only thing there is to look at is kids and their families running around, it's a crowded afternoon.
Patrol will start in about five hours, so Tim decides to invite Jason over to his house, for dinner maybe.
Jason laughs a little and Tim fears for a moment that the resentment and anger for him, for all of them is still there. Jason is hard to read, and this is a constant fear that has drifted away over the years, still, it lingers through his mind from time to time.
Jason smiles and walks over to him. "Only if I'm the one doing the cooking."
Tim was thinking about take out food, he's a mess in the kitchen, and Jason knows it. So he answers:
"Works for me."
-
Tim only runs into Jason three weeks later, he's running to his class, already ten minutes late, but as he's running through the streets, a little flash of white hair and broad shoulders catches his eye.
Is that Jason?
Is that Jason in a children's clothing store?
His teacher is already going to scold him, so he walks in.
"Jay?"
Jason gives a little jump and drops the little shoes he's holding, too small in Jason's hands, Tim can't help but notice.
"I..." they bump heads as they try to pick up the shoes.
"I'm buying clothes.... For the kids in my area."
That's cute. But Tim, instead, focuses on how nervous Jason is, how he didn't actually ask, and how Jason looks at everything but him, and rushes over to call a store clerk for twenty of the pair in his hand.
"I have a class right now but how's your arm?" Tim squints his eyes and slowly asks, Jason walks over to the cash register as he mumbles fine, thanks, I didn't know your campus was around.
"Weren't you leaving already?" Jason turns his head and looks at him, annoyed.
"Okay, see you later" Tim walks over to the register but decides to turn around and call Jason by his name. They cross eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Timbers. Thanks."
Weird.
-
"Hood, do you have any fear gas antidote?"
"Where are you?"
"North 64th."
"I'm pretty far away, babybird, but I have a safe house nearby. Shall I send you the location?"
"Yes, please."
A few seconds later he gets the location and instructions on how to disable the alarms and find the antidote.
It's great that Jason trusts him like that, he thinks. He feels privileged, actually.
As he enters Jason's room, he finds a single pair of the shoes, just like the ones he had in the store. Tim takes the antidote and lies on Jason's bed for a few seconds. It's comfy. It smells good.
He decides not to think about it too much, he's not going to mention anything to Jason, still, he can't help but wonder.
Did Jason get someone pregnant?
Is he going to have a baby?
They're not dating, they're just having extremely casual sex. Only on nights when patrol was particularly tough. Does going out to eat and cooking for each other counts as a date? Well, they have dates but they're not, under any circumstances dating.
Right?
Tim doesn't feel like he can question Jason on the matter, he has no right.
Whatever it is, Jason is choosing not to tell them. Not to tell him. It's his own business, Tim thinks, Jason is not his responsibility. This doesn't concern him.
When he leaves, he makes sure to hide the shoes inside the closet.
-
"Hey Timbers, you free?"
"I'm just finishing up patrol, do you need anything?"
"Um, yeah, last time you stitched me up, it didn't leave a mark so.... would you mind stitching me up right now?"
"Sure. Where?"
"In the same one as last time."
So, Tim had already suspected, but this was confirmation. This was Jason's chosen safe house, his home. And he was allowing him in.
"Come on in."
Jason opens the door and sits down on the couch, indicating for Tim to do the same, the tools already prepared on the table in front of him.
"I almost sewed myself up like Bruce" Jason offers, embarrassed as if he has some explaining to do.
Tim peels off his left boot and shows Jason a pretty fucked up scar.
"Shit, Tim, what's that?"
"Bruce did it, I get you" He stands in place and starts stitching over Jason's collarbone "Damian's pretty good at it, he's been the one stitching me up for a while now."
"And how did you get him to do that?"
"I let him work on cases with me."
The bell rings and they both turn to look at the door. Then at each other.
"I figured you hadn't had dinner. I ordered something. Do you like sushi?"
"I love sushi."
The conversation travels through Bruce's stitches to the mansion's pillows, dating as a vigilante, changing uniforms, being kidnapped as Robin by one of Batman's rogues, face bruise makeup, and finally.
"Don't you just love finding out how much alcohol you can handle?"
If he were with anyone else, Tim would have denied it completely. But this was Jason, he made him insanely comfortable, for someone who had tried to kill him. Twice.
"It's my favorite game."
And it's actually a pretty popular game in the Titans tower. He's sure he's heard Dick talk about it too. Being meta has its benefits when it comes to drinking, they aren't but having tons of painkillers since they were thirteen sure does develop your system to resist different kinds of poison.
"Do you want to... play?" Jason asks cautiously, Tim looks at the time. It's 3:40 AM.
"I have a meeting tomorrow at 12:00" it's subtle but Tim notices the disappointment on Jason's face "Just let me reschedule it for 3:00."
Jason smiles at him and gets up, heading for the kitchen.
"Is vodka okay?" Jason asks from the kitchen.
"Vodka's fine, can I use your laptop?"
Tim listens to Jason go over the glasses in the kitchen as he continues to sit on the couch.
"There's one next to you, in the drawer."
Tim picks it up and is completely unprepared for what he finds once he opens it. The screen is full of open tabs.
Gotham Adoption Law
Gotham Adoption Centers
Gotham Adoption Requirements
Single Parent Adoption
Description of the adoption process
Variables related to the adoption process and children's issues.
Suddenly it all makes sense. Jason at the store, at the park, putting away those shoes.
"Jason" Tim can't help but call once the information settles on his mind.
Jason is halfway through the living room, a bottle in one hand and two glasses in the other. He stops abruptly.
"Are you going to adopt?"
Jason sighs and sets the bottle down on the table. He runs his hand through his hair and leaves it on his nose as he closes his eyes.
"Tim, look, I'm... I'm not doing it. Not going to adopt so, don't worry. I'm sorry, you'd better go."
Damn it. Tim curses in his head, he promised not to be nosy, he's worked hard to earn Jason's trust, he doesn't want to lose it.
"No, I'm sorry, it's okay, I, I won't say anything. I think it's okay, I..."
"Tim," Jason stops him. "It's okay, please. Just go away."
Tim must have closed the tabs and sent his email. Spend a nice evening/morning with Jason and maybe even stay over.
But when he's in bed later that night, it all makes sense, more than anything.
Jason wants a family.