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1
Dick still didn't know how he felt. Part of him was furious (how dare Bruce give Robin to someone else without talking to him first?) and part of him was overjoyed, yet confused. He'd grown up his whole life as an only child and didn't know how to react very well now that he had a younger brother.
I mean, now Dick had a younger brother, didn't he? Wasn't that what Jason was to him?
It was a difficult relationship to label, really. Dick wasn't exactly Bruce's son, although he would have liked to be (and also, on some days when it hurts too much, he was grateful he wasn't). And Jason wasn't Bruce's son either, at least not yet.
All Dick knew was that he had avoided going to Gotham in the last few months since the adoption of the younger, but this week, with the metaphorical witch on the loose in Gotham, he was forced to spend the week in town to help with the family business. With that, he would be forced to meet Jason.
He smiled, wearing his Nightwing costume, on top of one of the buildings, looking at Robin's newest suit, very similar to his own. Jason looked so small and Dick couldn't help but like him.
Jason was on the same roof, both excited and nervous about the weight of wearing Robin's mantle and could barely look at Nightwing. What if he wasn't enough to fill such shoes?
"Robin, we need to—" Nightwing's speech was interrupted by a wet, sticky jolt from Clayface's attack. The young vigilante lost his balance, trying to grab Robin's hands that were reaching out to catch him. The attempt was futile, causing Nightwing to fall backwards onto the fire exit a few feet below.
2
Having no major wounds from the battle with Clayface the night before, the only thing that was hurt in Dick was his ego. After failing to catch him at the time, Jason had shut himself off and walked away, and this morning, he seemed to be avoiding him.
I mean, it didn't look like it. The boy was actively avoiding him. At this very moment, Jason was carefully walking through the semi-frozen garden of the mansion, followed by Dick, who was carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
It wasn't like Jason looked down on Dick. He just didn't know how to act. Bruce hadn't said much about the other, other than a few words about how he'd hurt his eldest son. All Jason knew about Dick was what was in the papers and he suspected it was all a lie if you were going to rely on what the papers said about Bruce.
So he ended up running away. Or trying. Jason took a misstep and lost his balance, skating on the thin layer of ice and landing on his ass, hurting his pride more than his buttocks.
Dick followed behind, placed the two mugs on the wooden bench nearby and tried not to laugh. “Come, I'll help you up. Did you hurt yourself?" he said, extending his hand.
Jason turned his face away, standing up on his own. He felt that Dick was making fun of him and the only thing he wanted now was to dig a hole to bury himself in. "Don’t need."
"I brought you hot chocolate." Dick wasn't hurt by Jason's evasions. He knew that the other's life had been difficult until now and that trusting a new person took time.
"Thanks"
3
That same night, after silently sharing a nice hot chocolate, Dick mistakenly believed that they would both work better in the field. Robin wasn't making mistakes, that wasn't it. Of course, he still had a lot to learn, but it's as if Jason was up facing the biggest and best trapeze in the world.
(comparison that would make Dick marvel, not Jason)
"Little brother" Nightwing said, approaching Robin on top of a building in Downtown. They had lost track of Clayface and were already getting ready to head home, even though it was still relatively early. "I don't bite, you can talk to me, you know?"
That was like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Jason was furious, his cheeks turning red and his fists clenching. “You are not my brother!”
Even though Dick knew it wasn't really Jason's fault and that they still had a lot to work on together as a family, hearing that from the other hurt. The eldest took a few steps back, still half in shock, tripping over his own escrima sticks and losing his balance.
Before falling, he called for Robin and asked for help, which never came.
4
The second night in a row with falls motivated by imbecile motives caused Dick and Bruce to have a little argument when they found themselves alone in the cave. The youngest hadn't been hurt, but a lot could have happened and Bruce was more terrified than anything else. But Dick was tired. Tired of trying to connect with Jason, tired of arguing with Bruce, tired of questioning his place in the family, and tired of falling backwards into fire escapes.
What Dick needed now was to fly. So he headed to his personal trapeze at the mansion, finding no other than Jason there. “Oh, I didn't know you liked it."
"I don't. I never actually tried.” Jason replied, putting his hands in his pockets, "I was just wondering if learning this might help me."
“Oh, with what?”
“Uhm…” the younger one started, pondering before replying “Yesterday my friend fell, I could have helped him. He could have been hurt.”
“You mean last night?”
Jason shook his head, evidently lying. Dick found it all very curious. They were alone in the room, there was no reason for Jason not to talk about how he'd dropped him yesterday. Unless he didn't know that Dick and Nightwing were the same person, which didn't make much sense.
(except that he knew that Bruce would never reveal Nightwing's secret identity without his consent)
"It's all right. I can teach you if you want, but it takes a while to get the hang of it.”
“Fine,” Jason agreed, a little more confident.
Training went well. Jason was a little more advanced than a beginner student because of Robin's training, but he was far from advanced on the trapeze. He had been doing some floor and trampoline exercises for a few hours and just now they were going to get on the trapeze to try some aerial maneuvers.
As he climbed onto the trapeze and found himself alone sitting on top, however, Jason was reminded of Nightwing falling, how he was too panicked to react, and how he could have killed the other one. He looked away from the safety net and saw Dick flying on the trapeze towards him. Jason's eyes widened and he began to lose his balance and hyperventilate, hitting the safety net before Dick caught up with him.
5
At the same night. Dick hadn't told Bruce about how Jason had passed out that afternoon (he either didn't think the boy needed reprimand or he didn't want to argue with Bruce again), so they were together again chasing Clayface down the avenue. Batman and Batgirl were heading in the opposite direction and the objective was to corner the villain.
Dick still wanted to take the mask off for Jason, tell him he was Nightwing, and say it was okay, but he hadn't had the chance yet. He felt he should take it slow with his little brother and even at snail's pace he knew they'd already made headway over the weekend.
For his part, Robin was more focused than ever. He wanted to show that he was capable and that his teammates could trust him. He would do anything today to protect Nightwing and be the support he hadn't been in the last few days.
The problem is that it is impossible to give due support to someone without being supported ourselves. Both were distracted, with more problems than they wanted to acknowledge, and they didn't feel the support of whoever connected them and should have been there.
Distracted and thinking of each other, they braced the grappling gun's hook in the same spot in the empty, abandoned building. The spot collapsed, knocking them both to the ground.
+1
This time the fall had not gone unpunished. Batman and Batgirl had captured Clayface, but hadn't returned to the Cave yet. It was just Nightwing sitting on the gurney, his ankle properly immobilized by Alfred, and Jason on the other, his wrist likewise immobilized.
"We haven't had any luck this week, little brother." Dick chuckled through his nose. Jason huffed again, annoyed at hearing 'little brother'. The person he wanted to call him that did not, he would not accept anyone else saying that!
“You are not my brother, I already told you”
"Jason" Dick took a deep breath and Jason was startled to be called by name. He didn't know that Nightwing knew! Bruce had no right to tell him! “I kind of am, yes. I mean, at least I wish we were brothers, I feel like my place in the family is still kind of shaky” he gestured with his hands, then took off his mask. “It's me, Dick. I'm very impressed that Bruce didn't tell you. Nor Babs.”
“I don't fucking believe it! I'm really dumb!” Jason's eyes widened, blushing with embarrassment. “You must think I'm the worst Robin in the world. I mean." he continued, this time looking directly at the colorful uniform, "You must hate that I'm using your name."
Dick shook his head, smiling. "Not really. I'm so glad he's yours now. You've got your heart in the right place and you're trying hard."
Jason smiled back, somewhat disbelievingly, “I still have a lot to learn. I dropped you this week every day! You could have been hurt!”
“We always have a lot to learn, Littlewing” Dick stood up, approaching his little brother and reaching for him “And I trust you to hold me from now on and whenever it matters. And I will be there for you too.”
The youngest blushed at the nickname and smiled back, squeezing the outstretched hand, “Thanks brother.”