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Dick Grayson has learned to expect the unexpected. As a part time vigilante and full time college student, his life is a patchwork of chaos, injuries, and late nights. Living in Bludhaven, potentially one of the worst cities in the world, sure as hell doesn’t help. At this point in his life, he believes there isn’t much that could surprise him anymore.
But he never expected his little brother, who’s been dead for three years, to show up at his door on a perfectly ordinary Wednesday afternoon. His roommates are all out of the house and as he’s getting some actual cleaning done for a change, he hears a knock on the door. He figured it was probably someone doing a delivery, who had gotten the wrong address.
He opens the door and finds himself in front of Jason. His eyes widen and he takes a step back. No. No, no, no. His eyes were playing tricks on him. He lost too much sleep. This is a nightmare. He files through his head for something, anything, to explain his little brother standing in front of him.
“Jason?” He asks quietly, and his voice cracks.
“Hey Dickhead. Sorry to pop in without a notice, any chance I can come in?” Jason’s voice is shaking, and Dick sees one of his hands balled up into a fist.
“No. This can’t be happening.” Dick jerks his head harshly, hoping he could somehow shake away the image that manifested in front of him. “This isn’t real.”
“Pretty sure it is.”
“How? You’re not here. I must be talking to myself”
“If you let me inside I’ll tell you everything.”
He sighs. The day can’t get weirder anyways. “Alright, leave your shoes at the entrance.” He turns to walk back to the living room. He prays that when he looks behind him Jason won’t be there anymore. But when he does his brother’s still there, far too real.
“Something to drink? Water?” He offers, collecting some of the clutter he’s left on the coffee table earlier while doing his homework.
“I’ll take tea, thanks.”
“Yeah, no problem, just give me a minute. Make yourself at home.” The conversation is so mundane, so casual, and inside Dick is slowly convincing himself he’s going insane. His heart beats so fast he can feel the blood pumping through his veins, and his hands are shaky enough for him to almost drop the mug three different times before getting it to the counter from the cabinet.
Making the tea helps calm him down a little, something familiar. One and a half spoons of sugar, let the tea bag steep in the boiling water for three minutes then squeeze out the water with the spoon. Mix until a little tornado is formed in the middle of the cup. Leave the spoon in for him to finish mixing it himself, no one else is thorough enough. He remembers every step from his sleep.
When he walks back into the living room Jason is sitting on the corner of the couch, right on the edge. He looks back at the entrance door every two seconds, and won’t stop tapping his foot. Dick places the mug in front of him.
“Thanks,” Jason mumbles.
“No problem.”
Jason takes the spoon and mixes his tea until he’s satisfied with it, the sound of the metal clinking on the porcelain seems to echo in the small room.
“So.” Dick looks at Jason expectantly.
“So?” He takes a sip of his tea, and murmurs: “It’s good.”
“You promised an explanation. About being alive.” He crosses his arms.
“You don’t think I’m real,” Jason accuses quietly.
“Well, obviously not. You died Jason. You died and I had to stand there at your funeral with our little brothers who didn’t know what was happening and pretend anything would ever be okay again after losing you.”
“I’m real, Dick.” Jason reaches forward to touch his shoulder. “I’m here.”
“Shit…” Dick mumbles, and it takes everything in him not to cry. “Holy shit Jason.”
“Yeah, I had a similar reaction to the whole thing.”
“How?”
Jason recalls everything. Ethiopia, the explosion, things Dick already knew. Then Ra’s finding him, and the Lazarus pits. He tells Dick about every detail he can remember from his recovery there, though there aren’t many. His voice isn’t over a whisper, Dick can still hear the wind blowing outside the window and the electric buzz of the refrigerator with Jason’s speech.
“So the Al Ghuls made your life a mess again?”
“Long story short, yes. Came back to Gotham City for a short while and lived in a safe house. Heard no one’s seen the Joker since I died, and for the past few years I’ve just been on my own. Got into a lot of trouble with the law, they’re not fans of my kind of vigilante justice.”
“Does anyone from the family know?”
Jason shakes his head. “If they do, they found out on their own. But I covered my tracks well, you’re the first person to know.”
“Am I allowed to ask why?”
He shrugs. “Needed a place to stay, lay low for a bit. Figured you’d understand.”
“That’s it?”
“Pretty much. Should I say something else?”
Dick smiles. “Nah, that’s kinda perfect. It’s good to see you again, Jaybird.”
“You too. So what’ve been up with you? Do you live here alone?”
“Nah, with part of my team. I’ll actually have to talk to them about you staying here but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“They know I exist? Or are they the part of your team you met after leaving home?”
Dick hesitates. “More or less. They know I have brothers, vaguely.”
“Alright.” Jason nods, and looks over to the textbooks left on the coffee table. “And you’re in school?”
“Yep, just started my senior year of college. By the time I’m twenty two I’ll be a graduate.”
“What are you studying?”
“Criminology and journalism, double major.”
Jason raises his eyebrows. “Damn. Sounds hard.”
“It is, I’m dying.” He freezes. “Wait. Shit. Sorry.”
“It’s fine, been there.” They both laugh quietly.
“But it’s really interesting, and I’m hoping that combination gets me a good job offer once I get the degree.”
“Makes sense. So who are you living with?”
“Vic, Gar, Raven and Kori. Donna and Roy have an apartment right outside the city, since it’s closer to their school, Wally’s with his girlfriend Linda in Massachusetts, working on his master’s like a madman. We still see each other a lot, obviously.”
“Cool. I always wanted to meet the rest of your team.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but it’s not like I could’ve come when you were in California. Not with you and Bruce and all that.”
Dick chuckles. “Yeah, makes sense.”
“Have you talked to him since the night you left?”
“Once, after your funeral. Screamed at him for three hours about how he could’ve called me for help, but he was just too proud.”
“Oh.”
Dick looks down at his hands, resting in his lap. “I’m sorry Jason. I didn’t keep in contact with you after I left, and it had a price.”
“It’s fine. I hurt you.”
“And I did too. I should’ve been there.”
Jason looks down and laughs, but it comes out as a sigh. “We’re so fucked up.”
“We are.”
He slowly looks up at Dick, and for once Dick can’t tell what he’s thinking. “You’re always gonna see me as that little kid, right?”
“I have a feeling he’s still in there.”
“And you still think I’m good?”
The question is perplexing. “Of course you are. Why wouldn’t you be?”
Jason shrugs. “Let’s just say I don’t follow Bruce’s measurement for good anymore.”
“Neither do I.”
He knits his eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
“There’s a reason the Joker wasn’t around anymore when you came back to Gotham.”
Dick watches slowly as the realisation spreads on Jason’s face. “You…”
He nods. “I killed him. I had to.”
“Wow.” Jason takes a moment, staring at the wall behind Dick. “I always expected Timbo to be the murderous one.”
“I know, right? He was always such a little supervillain.”
“I’m guessing you know he’s Robin now.”
“Oh I know,” Dick says bitterly, with a huff. “I told him it’s a bad idea.”
“He doesn’t usually listen.”
“Not even a bit.” He sighs, and they stew in the silence for a few minutes. “I’m worried about what Bruce might be telling him. I’m sure you remember what he told you when you were Robin. The mission before everything.”
“Yeah… He doesn’t deserve that.” Jason looks down.
“Bruce really did a number on us,” Dick says.
“I don’t think he ever meant to. He just didn’t know any other way.”
“Of course he didn’t,” Dick says and hesitates before adding: “I mean, he loves us.” It sounds more like a question than a statement. “But we’re still allowed to blame him for all the shit he put us through! He hurt both of us and you know it, why shouldn’t we blame him? To hell with intentions, his actions matter more.”
“Is that why you left?”
Dick doesn’t answer.
“Figured.”
“Are you still mad at me for that?”
“No, not really. I used to be.”
“Yeah, I get it. It was selfish, but I just couldn’t stay there anymore. I always felt bad for leaving you behind, but I had to do it.”
“Did leaving make you happier?”
Dick stops to think about the question for a moment. Did it? His life in the past six years has been a mess. He tormented himself for leaving every day, he had dozens of breakdowns. He found people who understood him. He grieved his family so much. Most days went by so fast he didn’t have time to think. Having so many people he could lose was terrifying. The nightmares never stop.
He looks around the apartment. Three plants on the windowsill, a housewarming gift from Donna. Pictures of Garfield and Victor crouching next to sleeping Roy, whose face is covered in sharpie drawings. Dick and Kori dressed as Jack Skellington and Sally for Halloween. There’s a small radio in the kitchen they turn on when they cook, little remnants of their lives scattered everywhere.
“Yes. It really did.”
“Then I’m not mad.”
“Thank you. Means a lot. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna pass out. I have not been getting any sleep at all.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Don’t go into any of the bedrooms, the bathrooms are down the hall to the left, and you can take anything you want from the kitchen unless it’s labeled.”
“Thanks. Enjoy your nap.” Jason gets up and moves to the armchair, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a book.
“Oh believe me, I will.” Dick lays down quickly and pulls a blanket that was laid around over his head.
Jason’s looking through the fridge of Dick’s apartment when the door opens and three people walk in. The sound of the door swinging open startles him, and he drops a closed plastic box filled with stir fry on the floor. The chatter of the people stops, and he waits.
“Dick? Is that you?”
“He’s sleeping in the living room.”
Slowly the steps inch towards the kitchen, and three people stand at the entrance, all looking at Jason.
“Does anyone know this guy?” The girl who asks is around five foot one, purple hair in a shoulder length bob and wearing all black. She has a red gemstone in her forehead, and the glare she’s giving Jason is bone chilling. She’s wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck and straight legged black jeans. She’s got heavy, buckled boots on and fingerless gloves halfway up her arm. Jason’s seen this girl before of course—he wasn’t impulsive enough to visit his brother without knowing anything about the people he lives with. He got a different impression from her before, this was a lot more casual.
“I’m–” he hesitates. “I’m Dick’s little brother, he told me I could stay here a little. My name’s Jason.” He looks between the three of them for any sign of recognition.
“We’ve, uh, heard of you. I’m Raven.”
“I’m Garfield! Nice to meet you.” Garfield’s green skin and hair are the first things that draw Jason’s attention, then he smiles at Jason, who quickly tries to smile back while taking notice of his sharp teeth for a moment. He’s taller than Raven, in a way that’s only noticeable when she’s standing directly next to him. He’s wearing light blue jeans that are faded around the knees, and a large dark red hoodie.
“I’m… Kori.” She crosses her arms and looks at him in bewilderment. She’s significantly taller than her friends, maybe even a few inches taller than Jason. Her skin’s dark brown, a harsh contrast from her orange and pink curly hair. She’s wearing a white tank top with denim shorts and black converse, and has a pastel blue laptop bag slumped over one of her shoulders.
“Have we met before?” Jason asks.
“No, no.” She shakes her head and looks away. “It’s nothing. I’m gonna check on Dick, let us know if you need anything.” She walks from the kitchen to the living room. She carefully lifts Dick from the couch, and carries him into one of the rooms. He doesn’t move in her arms, head resting on one of her shoulders. Through the cracked door Jason sees her laying him down on his bed, covering him. She sits by his side for a moment, and says something Jason can’t really hear before leaving the room and closing the door.
“You know something,” Jason finds himself saying as she joins him in the living room.
“Hm?” She turns to him.
“About me. Right? You had a different reaction.” He taps his fingers on the armrest of the chair, avoiding her direct gaze. She looks around to make sure they’re alone, and nods.
“I don’t know as much as the other former sidekicks, but Dick did tell me some things.”
“Like what?”
“Well, he told me you were dead.”
He winces back, her words leave the same feeling as an unexpected gunshot. Every time someone says it Jason feels the air leave his lungs. He doesn’t even know why , he just knows it happens. He’s had three years to get used to the concept of being alive again, but he doesn’t accept it no matter what. He wasn’t supposed to be back, and he knows that. Everything about his life was against the laws of nature, and anything he desired. He was fine with being dead. Why did it bother him so much when people said it?
“Yeah, well, I was.” He sighs. “Things change.”
“I’ve seen weirder things.” She shrugs.
Jason laughs. “I doubt that.”
“You’d be surprised, you see a lot when you’re not from earth. And your brother’s got a knack for attracting all kinds of abnormalities.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of the Gotham effect. No one leaves that city normal.”
“Figures.”
“Have you ever been?”
“Twice. Reminds me of my home planet.”
“Yikes.” Jason makes a face and Kori laughs. “So what’d Dickhead say except that?”
“He mostly told me about your childhoods. After everything he wasn’t really holding it together, for a while. He went to the manor for a month, and came back shattered. I think I just happened to talk to him at the right moment, he needed someone to confide in. He kept mumbling to himself, apologising over and over again for letting you down. He was just an emotional wreck for a long time.”
“Wow…”
“We helped as much as we could but it was a very difficult time. Seeing him grieve was terrible.”
“I can imagine.”
“I think he just loves you. Love and grief come together.”
“You sound like an expert.”
“I have two siblings myself. And I’ve lost my share of people.”
“I understand.”
“It was very nice to meet you Jason. We’re happy to have you here.” She smiles at him for a moment and gets up, walking to her room. He watches the door for a little while after it closes and lets her words marinate. He’s not sure how he’s supposed to feel about any of this, and he never figured he’d intrude on Dick’s life this way. If he knew, he wouldn’t have come.
He picks the book up and flips back to the page he was in. He’s read Sense and Sensibility at least a thousand times before, but every time is a treat. He gets to find more and more little details, perhaps they’re unintentional, but he revels in the delightful surprise. The characters and storyline play out once more, familiar and safe in an environment he’s not used to. A little while later, Garfield comes out of his room and sits on the other armchair, he greets Jason briefly, and opens his laptop. They sit side by side in silence, and Jason can’t help but look at him occasionally. After the amount of time he’s gone without spending time with people, having someone in the same space as him left his skin tingling with warning signs. It’s been so long since he’s been around people who were safe he forgot how it feels.
“Do you need anything dude?” Garfield asks after a while. “Hungry?”
“No, I’m good.” Jason shakes his head. They sit in a silence that makes Jason’s skin crawl for a few seconds, before he asks: “What are you working on?”
“An assignment for my eco class, it’s kind of kicking my ass though.” He laughs briefly. “I don’t like this class.”
“Why take it then?”
“I have to, or I can’t get my degree.”
“In what?”
“Zoology.”
“Isn’t that a bit on the nose?” He asks with furrowed eyebrows.
“I mean, maybe. But, you know that TLC song? Waterfalls?”
Jason nods. “I’m familiar, I think.”
“I’m sticking to the rivers and lakes that I know.”
“That’s fair. Good luck.”
“Thanks. Are you in college or something? Dick said you’re around my age.”
“Oh, I’m not. Been thinking of getting a GED to start school but I’m not set on anything. Plus it’s a bit harder to apply to a university when you’re not supposed to exist.”
Garfield nods thoughtfully. “I hear that. The trick is glamour charms.”
“Seriously?”
“Worked for us. I’m a shapeshifter, Raven’s not from this dimension and Kori’s from a different planet. You need some way to work around these problems. I bet Dick can set something up for you, he’s got ties with like half the superhero community.”
“I’ll think about it, thanks.”
“No problem man, enjoy the book.”
“Good luck with the assignment.”
They sit side by side for a little while longer, until Garfield’s phone starts buzzing. He takes the call and quickly disappears back into his room, leaving Jason with an odd, lonely silence. He continues reading, but soon notices that he’s been going over the same line again and again, not comprehending a single word of it. He closes the book and sighs. Just then the door to Dick’s room opens, and he walks back to the living room, rubbing his eyes.
“Hey,” Jason says, without averting his eyes from the cover of his book.
“Hey. How’d I get to my room?”
“Some of your roommates are back.”
“So Kori.”
“Yep.”
He flops down on the couch and lays across it. “I’m so tired.”
“How much sleep have you been getting?”
“That’s a good question. I don’t know. Two hours a night? Ish? It changes. I try to hibernate on the weekends if I’m not behind on any of my assignments.”
“Jesus,” Jason mumbles.
“So who’d you meet besides Kori? I know Vic’s got late classes today.”
“Garfield and Raven.”
“Thoughts?”
“Raven’s too cool to be your friend,” he retorts quickly. “Garfield seems like a nice guy, though.”
“First part is true, second part is also true.” Dick groans and sits up, yawning.
“And is it true you created fake identities for them?”
“More or less. Garfield has a real identity, he just needed to be less…”
“Green?” Jason suggests.
“Yeah. Raven and Kori were a different story, but I took care of it. Why?”
“Well, he mentioned it and I’ve been wondering if I should try going to university.”
Dick stops in his tracks, and turns his full attention to Jason. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I mean, I always wanted to go.” He shrugs.
“Right, right.”
“So if you could somehow help with that…”
“Yes, absolutely. Of course. Anything you need.” Dick grins widely. “Wow.”
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just… You’re back. You’re here.”
“Took you a while to realise.”
“No, that’s not what I meant–” Dick sighs in frustration. “I missed you, Jason. That’s it. The stupid simple truth.”
“I hate the stupid simple truth.”
“I know.”
“And I missed you too.”
Dick’s smile turns softer. “I know.”
“I hate you.”
“Liar.”
Jason picks up one of the pillows and throws it at Dick, who dodges and sticks his tongue out. “Fuck you.”
“Fuck you!”
Kori’s door opens, and she sticks her head out from the crack. “Everything okay?”
“We’re fine,” Dick calls out to her.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all, come on.”
The door fully swings open and Kori sits next to Dick. “But no violence.”
“Boring.”
She shoves him slightly. “Shut up.”
“Never.” He gives her a soft, taunting smile.
She turns to Jason quickly. “Was he always like this?”
“Like what? Unbearable?”
“Hey,” Dick protests.
“Yes.”
“Hey! That’s rude!”
“Ever since I met him, at least. That was ten years ago, you do the math.”
“Got it.” She nods.
Dick looks at her in disbelief. “Why do you hate me?”
She doesn’t answer, and instead gestures generally at him.
“Woooow.”
Kori giggles into her hand. “Sorry, you handed me that.”
“I respect that.” He nods.
Jason looks between the two of them quickly, but stays silent.
“You’re reading Austen?” Kori asks, gesturing at the book in his hand.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ve read this book like a million times. Most of her books.”
“That’s cool.”
“He used to follow me around the house–” Dick starts saying, and Jason hurries to cut him off.
“Don’t tell anyone about that!”
“But it’s a cute story!”
“It’s embarrassing,” he argues.
“You were nine, it’s cute. I’m telling her. He’d follow me around the house and ask me to read for him, even though he could read perfectly well.”
“It was fun when you did the voices,” Jason mumbles, looking down.
“You did character voices reading to your little brother?” Kori looks over at Dick with raised eyebrows.
“Is that really that surprising? Have you seen me with Lian?”
“Fair point.”
“And I did the best character voices, complete with a Derbyshire accent for Mister Darcy,” Dick brags, and Jason has to admit to himself it’s true. At the end of the day, Dick was a performer. He knew how to capture the spirits of the characters with ease.
“No way.”
“Yes way!” He argues.
“That’s so…”
“So…?”
“So you. I don’t know what else to call it. I can totally see you do that.”
“Thanks. I think.” He furrows his eyebrows. He then looks at the time and sighs. “It’s getting a little late. I’m going to get started on dinner.” He gets up and glances at Kori, not for more than a split second. Jason isn’t sure if she even caught it, but she follows him into the kitchen.
They don’t discuss anything before they start taking out ingredients and utensils out of various cabinets. Dick goes over to the other side of the kitchen to turn on the old radio. The volume is low, and the music is unfamiliar. After the first few seconds Kori begins to hum along to the melody. Dick asks if she knows the song, but she shakes her head.
They prep the ingredients together, side by side. The sound of the chopping knives mixes oddly well with the slow New Orleans jazz coming from the radio, the two of them converse over something quietly. Jason wishes he could hear what they were saying from where he sat in the living room, but he wouldn’t dare shatter that moment. He sits and watches as they work together, each perfectly attuned to the others’ actions. Their elbows brush every few seconds. They pretend not to notice, but Jason catches the tips of Dick’s ears going red.
Jason was never able to have anyone with him in the kitchen. As a child Alfred was the only one exempt from this rule, the kitchen was his territory after all. In the past three years he’s lived with all kinds of people, in all kinds of places. When he was cooking, no one was allowed in. Just having someone in his space like that irritated his skin.
Watching Dick and Kori together makes him wish he didn’t have that aversion.
The rhythmic sound of the knives fades and Jason hears bubbling water, he sees steam rise up as Dick scrapes the vegetables he’d just chopped into a steel pot. Kori jumps on the counter with a wooden spoon in her hand, she goes in to mix the medley every once in a while. Dick leans next to her, and their chatter fills the air once more. This time Jason isn’t trying to listen. They’re talking about something in one of their shared classes, but Jason watches the way they move around each other. Kori’s second hand rests in her lap. If she leaned on it she’d be leaning away from Dick, who takes every chance he can to laugh at whatever she says. And when he isn’t laughing, he’s looking up at Kori with the softest smile Jason’s ever seen. His eyes shine at her, crinkling just at the edges, there’s something wondrous to the expression he’s wearing. Like he was seeing her for the first time again and it was the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him. His shoulders are loose, he’s completely calm with her. Jason can’t even imagine that.
Dick walks to a drawer and grabs an abundance of different spices with all kinds of colourful worn out labels, and starts putting them into the water as Kori mixes it all in. He doesn’t measure anything but works confidently. Jason remembers when he used to burn toast back when they were kids. He grabs a spoon to check the stock, then lets Kori try some too. He adds more salt. She leans close enough for her hair to graze his neck. Jason’s holding his breath just from looking at them.
Then they both move away and the moment passes. The house is filled with a strong smell of garlic, Jason recognises something spicy. Paprika, black pepper, garlic. Chili, maybe. He breathes it all in, typical Hungarian food.
Raven walks by with a thick book and into the kitchen. She doesn’t acknowledge Jason, and he’s thankful, it’s easier to be an observer. Dick offers her a bit of what he’s cooking, she tries it with a smile and nods, before sinking to the floor with her back against the refrigerator. She opens her book and her eyes roam the pages, while Dick and Kori continue their conversation.
Garfield is the next to come out of his room, peering into the kitchen curiously. Kori assures him the soup they’re preparing doesn’t have meat, and he agrees to taste it. His reaction is much more excited than Raven’s, and he plops on the floor next to her as the three chat.
Victor walks in through the door, greeted by everyone (he doesn’t seem surprised to see Jason there, and the latter assumes he’s been notified of the situation beforehand). He stands next to Dick with his arms crossed nonchalantly, and blends into the conversation seamlessly. The house is alive with laughter, music, and the smell of an almost ready meal. They’re all smiling.
Dick shifts closer to Kori, maybe half an inch. He puts his hand on the counter between them. The side of his pinky touches her thigh. She doesn’t move. Jason wonders what it’s like to trust someone so much.
He’s an outsider to this scene, he knows this. For a moment he wonders again if it was the right choice to come here. It’s been six years since he saw Dick, things have changed. He knew this. He didn’t know he’d stumble into his big brother’s new family and possibly shatter everything, he didn't know he’d peer into Dick’s comfortable new life and ache, longing for nights when he was eight and would come to Dick’s bed at night because he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know Dick was so happy without him. He’d hoped everything would stay the same.
But then Dick’s gaze moves and he catches Jason’s eyes from across the room and his smile doesn’t fade, it only gets wider. Kori announces the meal is ready, and Raven folds the corner of her page and grabs bowls and spoons with everyone. Jason notices Garfield carrying another set to the table. Kori makes her way across the room to him with a smile.
“Dinner’s ready, come on.”
He follows her to the table, and everyone moves to make room for him. They each get their serving, and Jason follows suit. They all eat and chat together, though he mostly stays silent. It’s amazing how much he can learn about each of their lives just from a few pieces of conversation. Garfield has an internship in an animal shelter, and people complain about not having purebred dogs. Victor’s engineering classes are easy, but they’re killing him with the amount of materials they’re assigning, and he almost had a breakdown with three other students that morning in a supply closet. Raven’s professors are all crooks who wouldn’t know real ancient witchcraft practices if they were happening under their noses. Kori’s classmates keep trying to diagnose each other with things they don’t have, for the fun of it. Half of them are convinced their TA has anxiety. Dick is tired of having to define recidivism in all his criminology assignments, he’s ready to drop the class if the professor doesn’t get creative. They exchange bits of gossip about people Jason doesn’t know, and complain about things he doesn’t understand. But he’s there, and it’s so real. It’s real when Kori turns to explain who Jenny is, and why it matters that she only ever sits in the back of the lecture hall. It’s real when Garfield nudges at him to pass the salt, and Dick grumbles about his cooking not being appreciated as it is. It’s real when they all clear the dishes and gather back at the kitchen while Raven does the dishes, and the conversation doesn’t halt for a second. It’s real when they all spread around the house to find stray sheets, pillows and blankets for Jason to sleep on, making it a little competition. Then slowly they all file back to their rooms, and Jason and Dick are left alone again.
“Goodnight!” Dick calls out for his friends, and sits next to Jason. “Enjoyed dinner?”
“Yeah, since when do you know how to cook?”
“Since I got three little brothers who couldn’t cook for themselves. It just took a while for me to actually get good at it.”
“Yeah… Your friends all seem really nice.”
“They’re amazing people. We don’t usually eat together like that, but today it just so happened that we all actually had some free time at the same time.”
“That’s pretty nice.” Jason smiles.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Dick begins saying.
“First time?”
“Oh, fuck off. I’ve been thinking, and wondering if you have a plan for after you leave?”
“No, not really. Figured I’d keep wandering. Why?”
“I think you should go back to the manor.”
“What? Why?”
“I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. I saw you tonight. Laughing and talking to everyone. You deserve to have that every night.”
“Dick–”
“You deserve to have a family Jason. You’ve been alone for so long, you really wanna tell me you’ll be wandering on your own forever?”
“I just…” Jason sighs. “I can’t go back there. Not with Bruce.”
“Because you’re scared.”
Silence.
“I get that. I really do, believe me.” He chuckles bitterly. “But you deserve to have the things you want, and a stable home. You deserve a family and dinners like this every night. You deserve to be happy Jason, you deserve to be loved . I want to make sure you know that. The choice is always gonna be up to you, but if I know our family I know they’ll welcome you back just like I did. Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”
“Okay,” he says quietly.
“Say it. Say you promise you’ll think about it.”
“I promise, I promise.”
Dick smiles wearily and ruffles his hair. “Sleep tight Jay.”
“Thanks.”
He gets up to leave, and just as he’s about to enter his room, Jason speaks up.
“You should consider your own advice sometimes.”
Dick laughs quietly. “I will, I will. Goodnight kid.”
“Goodnight.”
The next five days go by in a blur. He wakes up groggily on Dick’s couch and rustles for something to eat. Sometimes he or one of his roommates is there. Donna dropped by on the second day and hugged him so hard he thought he was going to pass out. She used to think he sucked, but seeing him almost made her cry.
He spends most of the day online, or reading, or generally relaxing for the first time in a long time. When Dick is around he helps Jason figure everything out for his GED, and promises to help with the college applications when that’s done. He and Raven get along oddly well, they sit to talk about their favourite books together, her opinions are refreshing.
And through those five days, Dick’s words tumble around in his brain over and over again. He hates admitting Dick has a point about facing his fears, and that confronting Bruce again is the only solution. And everything else he said… Jason can’t think about that without his throat closing up. Dick is never that direct with what he wants to say, and the simple bluntness of his words hit harder than anything he really said. The thoughts all run through Jason’s brain as a storm, leaving him in a delirious haze for several days. Being around people who truly seem to want the best for him for the first time in years is such a big turn around he can’t process it no matter what. But he knows he can’t stay there forever.
On the fifth day, he finally makes up his mind. He helps Dick get his sheets to the laundry and clean any mess he may have left after him, and packs his bag up.
“So, where are you headed next?” Dick asks as he walks Jason down from the apartment building to the street.
“Back to Gotham City, it’s about time I faced Bruce, I think.”
“Really? You’re taking my advice?”
“Turns out you can be smart sometimes, who’d have known?”
They laugh, and Dick opens his arms out. “C’mon, you knew this would happen,” he says at Jason’s exasperated face.
“Yeah, I did.” Jason steps forward and hugs Dick briefly, it feels too safe. He doesn’t want to let go, and takes a deep breath, trying to keep the moment in his head. But a nagging feeling tells him he’ll see Dick soon enough.
“Stay safe. And keep in touch, Little Wing.”
“I’ll try.”