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Dick really, really wanted to hate Jason.
The moment he received a call from his adoptive father about a new brother, he wanted to hate him. It was decided. Dick had only been gone two weeks, and Bruce was already replacing him. Another orphan, another nine year old.
Bruce had told Dick that Jason was living on the streets, that he's skinny and much to short for his age. Now, Dick would be a complete monster if he said even that didn't make him feel slightly bad. But, he could feel bad, and still hate the kid. There's no rule saying it's one or the other.
As Dick pulled into the familiar driveway, he thought over his speech. How he was just going to let Bruce have it. He was going to yell about how he can't just go picking up kids if one leaves. And that there's no way in hell that this Jason kid would ever be Robin. And that he needs to start dealing with his emotions more if he even keeps the kid. And that--
When Dick walks through the door, the first thing he sees is a small child, clutching a stuffed elephant. And not just any stuffed elephant. Dick's stuffed elephant. Zitka. And the boy with black hair and loose curls is wearing a Gotham City hoodie. One about four sizes to big for him. Also Dick's.
And the sixteen year old can't help but notice the way the boy's eyes widen at the sight of him. The boy -- Jason -- takes a big step back, gulping and lip trembling. "B-Bruce!" he shouts, startling Dick at the volume. "Bruce!"
"Jay?" the voice of Dick's father comes from the hall, and soon Bruce is showing up in the front hallway. His eyes stick to his first born the whole time, even as he kneels down to Jason's level. "What happened?"
Dick clears his throat, waiting until Bruce stands up fully again to talk. "I was wondering--" Dick goes with a relatively angry sounding voice only to regret that immediately.
Because Jason flinches. Hard. And he pulls Zitka up to hide his face, side stepping quickly so he's right behind Bruce. He reaches a shaky hand out, and grips so tightly onto Bruce's pant leg that his knuckles turn white. Jason's even visibly shaking, and he looks like he could burst into tears any minute. Dick is a stranger, and he's terrified. It's clear the streets of Gotham weren't kind to him.
And Dick just melts.
And he can't hate Jason. He just can't. It's not his fault Dick is jealous. Really, he shouldn't even be jealous. He should be happy, he's always wanted a sibling, and now he has one. And Jason is clearly scared, so he shouldn't yell at Bruce. He doesn't know the whole story, and gosh that kid is just adorable.
"I-- uh," Dick stammers, voice softer now. He looks up at Bruce, forcing a smile on his face. "Hey, I just wanted to stop by and meet, um, Jason."
At the sound of his own name, the boy presses his face into Bruce's hip, peaking out a little at Dick. Bruce reaches down and threads his fingers through the kids hair, looking down at him now. "Jay, this is Dick. My son, remember?" Bruce's voice is quiet as he talks to the small boy, like he's worried he's going to spook him. He lowers his voice even more, but Dick still hears him all the same. "He won't hurt you either. I promise."
Dick holds back a frown at that. Damn, I really came in here with the wrong attitude.
"Hi," Dick says, forcing on a bright smile and a cheery tone. He kneels down as slowly as possible, making sure that Jason is tracking his movements as he does so. "It's nice to meet you Jason." He swallows, mind racing while he tries to think of what to say next. What do you say to a traumatized, petrified child? "Hey, uh, did Bruce tell you the story behind that stuffie?"
Jason looks up at Bruce, eyes curious. When he receives a nod form the man, he shifts his gaze back to Dick. Though he doesn't move away from Bruce even for a second, he does respond by shaking his head hastily.
"You want to hear it?" Jason seems a little unsure at the question, so Dick continues. "It involves a real elephant and the circus."
Jason arches an eyebrow, eliciting a chuckle from Dick. At that sound, the corner of Jason's lip quirks just a bit. He pulls back from Bruce a little, squeezing the stuffed animal tightly against his chest. "Okay," the boy whispers.
"Alright," Dick says as he straightens to standing, holding a cautious hand out. "Let's sit in the living room, yeah?"
Jason slowly but surely peels himself away from Bruce. He shuffles towards Dick, holding his hand out as well. The teenage vigilante meets Jason halfway there, clasping his larger hand around the boy's smaller one. Dick squeezes it reassuringly and leads him over to the couches.
Once he sits on the cushions, Jason pulls himself up too. Bruce watches from the doorway, a fond smile falling on his lips. Jason surprise both men when he suddenly crawls into Dick's lap, tucking his knees up and clutching Zitka tightly. He lets his head drop down on Dick's shoulder, eyes completely trained in on his older brothers face.
"Alright, so, when I was younger," Dick begins, gently placing a hand on Jason's back. "I was in the circus. Me and my parents were called The Flying Grayson's in Haly's Circus. We did all these cool tricks on . . ."