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It figured, Tim thought as he trekked through Gotham's streets in one of the worst storms he'd ever seen. He'd been careless. So stupidly careless.
His parents had taken him to dinner at an actual restaurant. Sure, it was doubling as a business meeting, but still. They had gotten through dinner, and the three of them had even sat down for a movie once they got home.
They had made it nearly halfway through when Tim's phone beeped. That was all it took to set off his father, who insisted he hand it over immediately. It would've been fine had Tim had the forethought to delete his and Kon's last conversation. If he'd just remembered to set his phone to silent. But he hadn't, and his parents learned more than Tim had ever wanted them too.
His mother had never looked so disgusted, and his father more furious. Tim had been lucky to be kicked out with the few injuries he got. Bruises, a few lacerations from a vase he fell into, a black eye.
He hadn't been able to grab any clothes or supplies to render first aid, but he could always sneak back in after a few days. They'd be gone by then. He'd gone at least a week without food once when he was younger, so he would probably be fine. He also knew the empty buildings that hadn't yet been taken over by the homeless.
Tim mentally thanked Bruce for making him memorize nearly every building and its layout. Sure, it'd been a ploy to make him quit Robin, but it still came in handy.
That made Tim have a dangerous thought. He could have gone to the manor. Bruce and Alfred weren't likely to turn him away, even if he wasn't their family. He knew Bruce had been in relationships with men, or at least slept with them before, but Tim wouldn't make himself be a burden on them or impose on their kindness. He was off until his parents left again anyhow, so it wasn't like anyone would know he was living on the street for a few days.
"Kid, what are you doing out in a storm like this?"
Tim stiffened, turning to see Red Hood. Jason Todd if his theory was right. Not that Bruce or Dick knew, they wouldn't even let him look into the case. That had stopped him, of course.
He kept quiet. He didn't think Hood would kill him, there was no way he didn't know who he was, considering he knew Dick and Bruce by name. Besides, Red Hood protected kids, and Tim could admit he looked like a little drowned rat at that moment. Not someone he'd kill even with his (kinda justified, even if misled) grudge against Batman.
"You ain't from here, unless you stole clothes from some rich kid," Red Hood said.
"Sorry," Tim said. He wasn't about to bother his childhood idol. "I'll find a building to stay in, and you can get back to your work." He gave a forced smile.
"Not in this storm. I have a safe house right around the block, you'll stay there, and we can discuss what happened to have you out right now."
Tim swallowed, but let himself be led to the safe house.
Hood took him to the bathroom with a change of clothes and told him to come to the kitchen after he was done.
Tim entered the kitchen to see the Red Hood in sweats and his helmet. It was only years of conditioning by his parents that kept him from snorting. He sat down a steaming cup of what looked like hot chocolate and beckoned him over, taking a seat.
Tim took a sip of it, it was as good as Alfred's. He'd only ever tasted it once, but it wasn't a taste he thought he'd forget. This all but confirmed that Red Hood was Jason.
"What do you want to be called, kid?" Jason asked.
"Tim."
"Okay, Tim. I'm guessing someone attacked you, right?"
Tim bit his lip. The voice Jason was using was clearly his victim voice. He guessed it made sense. No one would be out looking like he did unless...
Oh.
It looked like he was being abused.
"It's not like that," Tim said, the argument sounding week even to his ears.
"It's not like what?"
"You think my parents are abusing me."
"I never said that."
"They aren't! That would imply they did this more than once."
"Tim," Jason said slowly. "Even if this is the first time they've done something like this, it's still not okay."
Tim went quiet. "I know," he finally agreed. "But, if I had just— Don't try and tell me it's not my fault," He snapped at the sound of the tell tell sound of Jason taking a small breath to speak. "I knew what would happen if they found out I had a boyfriend. If I had just silenced my phone, or deleted our conversation before they came home." Tim buried his head in his hands in frustration.
"They shouldn't have reacted like that."
"But they did.
"But they did."
"They'll be gone again in a few days. They'll probably forget anything happened, too afraid I'd ruin their image, y'know. I'll be able to go home then."
"You can't go back there."
"Oh? Then where am I supposed to go, genius? Being criminally neglected for all but maybe two or three weeks out of the year, and having the shit beat out of you once is better than you'll get in any foster home."
"What about your boyfriend's family? or a friend's"
Tim let out a laugh at that. "Yeah, that's definitely going to work. The clone son of a villain who spends all his time attempting to murder Supes, or the aforementioned hero who neglects Conner at best, and emotionally abuses him at worse. Not to mention, I'd rather not have what happened get out."
"Wait, who did you say you're dating?"
"Wait, you don't know who I am?"
"No," Jason said slowly, putting together the pieces.
"Then the fact I figured out you're Jason Todd without anyone else knowing is probably a little weird then."
Jason stiffened. "You're Robin." He looked pissed even through the helmet.
"Uh... yeah..."
"Bruce did that to you?" He growled. "I know he hasn't got a problem with dating metas as many as Dicks been with."
Tim flinched back, despite his best attempts. "No! Bruce didn't— He's not my dad! It's more like an employee thing, really. I stopped him from killing himself, he doesn't beat petty criminals to the point I have to patch them up. I go back to my house at the end of the night— or, well, I did."
"You are a child," Jason said, taking off his helmet reveling a domino mask beneath it, and glowing green eyes that shone through. "You shouldn't have to be the one to keep a grown ass man in check."
"No one else would," Tim said. "I tried to get Barbara or Dick to, but they wouldn't."
"You aren't going back." Jason said.
"What?"
"I said—"
"I heard you. What do you mean? I can't very well live on the streets and let Batman go crazy again."
"Bruce should have never put another kid in those colors. You didn't know what you were getting into."
"He tried to stop me."
"Oh, just like he tried to stop me and Dick?"
"He really did try."
Jason sighed. "Even if I believed that, which I don't, he should have never left you to be, how did you put it? Criminally neglected?" He motioned to Tim. "This should have never happened. Until he can pull his head out of his ass, you'll be staying here. I can't let you go back to your house, and I don't trust Bruce wouldn't make the situation worse."
"But I can't stop being Robin!"
"I can't stop you at this point. I know what it did to me when Bruce tried to take it away from me, but you will be carrying a distress beacon, so I can find you if you need help." Jason sounded resigned to this. "And you will be staying with me."
Tim raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell them you're alive?"
"No. They can figure it out themselves, just like they can figure out you're staying with me now."