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It starts, like all things do, with something small. Bruce grips the back of a thug's shirt and slams him to the ground, giving a brief check on whether they're unconscious before surveying the room, assessing that no one on his side was severely hurt.
His eyes go to Red Hood - Jason - first, watching the man deftly tie his opponent's arms together with a plastic zip tie, helmet off. This isn't the first mission that Red Hood had been allowed to participate in alongside Bruce and the rest of the kids, but they were still in the tentative trial run stage, so as to speak.
Bruce looks away to focus on Damian, who's grumpily staring at the wall nearby. Bruce's lips turn upwards without his consent as he makes his way over to the boy.
"Robin, it was just a hit." Bruce starts, causing Damian to whip around angrily.
"That does not change the fact that you were hit, Batman, by a common thug due to me!" Damian screeches, hands clenched into fists.
"It's fine, it's better that I get hit instead of you. I was just a little distracted." Bruce assures, ignoring Jason's little scoff in the background. Damian's face scrunches up into a most adorable pout, and Bruce leans down to place a warm hand on his shoulder.
"C’mon now, chum. Let's head back, alright? Do you have any injuries?" Bruce asks kindly, giving Damian's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"...No." Damian says finally, and Bruce straightens with a smile.
"Wow, thanks for forgetting me." Jason's voice cuts through, and Bruce turns to look at the man, who was leaning against the wall, guns tucked away.
"Just a little chat with Robin, Red Hood." Bruce slips back into Batman's voice, lower and more dangerous. "Are you hurt?"
Jason barks a laugh that doesn't hold much humour, pushing himself off the wall. "Don't worry about me, old man. Have fun with demon brat."
Bruce blinks and Jason is already out the door, striding away.
"I still do not understand why you keep him around, Batman." Damian grumbles, pressing closer to Bruce's side as he glares after Jason.
"He's a good ally, Robin. And..." I want us to be a family again, to have my son back, Bruce doesn't add, and instead ruffles his youngest son's hair. "Let's head back to the cave and debrief."
"Batman! Catch!" Bruce snaps his head around at Jason's shout, registering the order just as what looks like a detonator is thrown at him. He catches it automatically, taking a split second to hold onto it securely before focusing back on Jason, just in time to see the man get stabbed.
"Red Hood!" The words tear out of his throat as the unnamed villain pulls his knife out of Jason's arm, grinning. Bruce is moving before he can think, punching the man in the face and knocking them back. He kicks the knife far away before dropping to a crouch next to Jason, who's grimacing and holding onto his stab wound.
"Let me see, I have bandages and disinfectant." Bruce says sharply, already pulling said items out of his pockets.
"Fuck off." Jason huffs instead, getting up and wincing. "I don't need your help. I'll manage on my own."
Bruce opens his mouth in protest, standing up only for Jason to stop him with a finger pointed at his face.
"Leave. Me. Alone. I'm not one of your birds anymore, Batman. I wear your symbol to be the bat Gotham needs." With that, Jason stalks away, nursing his injured shoulder while Bruce stands in the alleyway, chewing on the words.
Worry floods his senses, warring against the duty of letting Jason have his boundaries. Bruce stands there until his communicator pings, and then it's off to haul himself to the next drug ring, thoughts of Jason's injury pushed to the back of his mind.
(Jason refuses any kind of medical attention from Batman again and again and again. They're scrapes, grazes, sprains, and Bruce itches to take care of them all, only to be forced back by Jason's scowl.)
It all piles up one day, like things between Bruce and his children are wont to do, these days. It builds up, up, up, petty grievances and refusals too many until they lash out at Bruce. He thinks things like that are getting better. For this particular situation, it ends up fairly messy.
Batman and Red Hood prowl Crime Alley together, both on the lookout for an up-and-rising gang, intent to take it down before it gets too big. They tail a goon back to the base easily enough, and shots are fired, punches are thrown.
Bruce knocks out someone and turns to see Jason swear furiously as he takes a metal pipe to the leg with a crack sound. Bruce doesn't hesitate to kick the pipe's owner right through the conveniently placed window nearby, sending him flying off the second floor.
Bruce turns to hurriedly finish off the rest of the gang, Jason providing support as he limps along with his guns. Once the fight is done, Bruce hovers over Jason as the boy slumped to the floor, studying the probably broken leg.
"It's a closed fracture, Bruce, piss off." Jason grumbles, gesturing at how his leg is still straight, without any bone piercing skin. "It hurts like hell, but I'll live."
"You need to go to the cave for medical treatment. Broken bones, even fractures, are nothing small, Red Hood. If you move around too much, your closed fracture will be opened soon enough." Bruce argues, sinking his teeth into his point and refusing to let go.
Jason bristles visibly, no doubt baring his teeth at Bruce under his red helmet. "I said no. I'm not going to the stupid cave and your stupid medbay."
"It's just treatment, stop being so stubborn about it. I don't even have to be present." Bruce shoots back, and Jason shakes his head.
"The world isn't about you, B. I'm not taking any charity. I take care of myself, you do the same, and we stay out of each other's business otherwise. I'm not a kid you can boss around." Jason spits, and Bruce tampers down the flinch at the words, hating the helmet for hiding his son's face.
He....he just wants Jason to be safe and happy. He wants Jason to stop putting his life in Gotham's hands, stop dropping into shootouts, stop ignoring injuries and refusing first aid. He doesn't know how to lay it out when Jason scorns every word that comes out of his mouth, looks at him with stormy blue-green eyes filled with disappointment.
I do not want to be cruel to my son, Bruce thinks, desperately, staring down at Red Hood's defiant figure. I do not know how to be good to him.
"Please." Bruce murmurs, watches the way Jason stiffens. "Alfred misses you. Dick wants to hang out. There's a spot for you at the table. And I....I just want you to be alright. Please."
Bruce stares at Jason through his cowl, looks at the way his son's shoulders slump and feels hope growing in his throat.
"Fine." Jason grits out, not looking at Bruce. "I'll go get my leg put in a stupid cast and whatever. If I'm gonna stay for dinner, I want my favourites." Bruce feels the tension leave his body, dazedly helping Jason stand up so they can limp to the Batmobile, brimming with surprise and joy.
“Thank you." Bruce pours all the sincerity he can into the words, and feels the way Jason scowls at him.
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and drive, old man." Jason barks as Bruce carefully puts him in the backseat so he can lie out without aggravating his fracture. "Don't make me regret this."
Bruce fights down the smile on his lips as he starts up the car, beginning the drive back home.