Chapter Text
The hands of the clock read 2:53 am, not that the former Robin could see them correctly from his position lying on the shitty couch in Dickie's apartment, with the room lit only by the brightness of the light poles that escaped through the curtain. For the fourth time Jason felt the uncomfortable sensation of being watched. He didn't even bother to look as he already knew who was responsible. The first time it happened, he woke up with his heart in his mouth and ready for a fight, only to find Dickie standing in the hallway watching him sleep. Fortunately for both of them he only had the Kris that Talia had given him under his pillow – his time in the League had instilled in him the need to always be armed and vigilant – his weapon he had kept in the same hiding place as Nightwing's uniform when he carried the black and blue bird to the apartment. So, his hand held a dagger and not a loaded pistol pointed at his brother, who muttered a "sorry to wake you, little wing" before heading back to his own room.
It had been the expression on Dick's face that made him shut up and ignore the whole thing. The second time it happened, when discovered the acrobat made the excuse of needing a glass of water marching into the kitchen and doing just that. The third time the first Robin escaped before Jason did more than raise his head from the pillow to acknowledge his presence. However, with the fourth time occurring, Jason decided the situation was untenable, neither he nor his brother were going to get any rest this way.
Releasing a sigh, Jason grabbed his pillow and blanket and marched into the acrobat's room, earning a surprised gasp from the other as he promptly pushed him to the other side of the bed to make room for himself. He didn't need to see his brother's face to know he made the right choice, the way Dickiebird relaxed almost melting against his side - with one hand coming to rest against his pulse point -, spoke volumes. Jason wanted to kick himself for not realizing the problem earlier, it was obvious that Dick still had a hard time believing that he was alive and back, and he feared that Jason would disappear when he wasn't looking. As if to prove his point, it didn't take long for his brother's breathing to stabilize indicating that the other was fast asleep, something that also dragged the former second Robin into a peaceful sleep, a rarity since Ethiopia.
Hours later the amazed look and whispered “you're really here” to which Jason woke up made him squirm a little. The joy in his voice and the look of gratitude Dickie wore was too much for him to bear and Jason snuck out of the room with the excuse of making breakfast. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with more emotions, especially after the day before. As for their sleeping arrangement, neither of them commented, after all both had at some point or another, while living in the manor, sought comfort in their father figure's bedroom. Bruce had a huge bed and soft blankets - that the man didn't snore was just a bonus. And if Jason, after waking up alone from so many nightmares about his death and/or resurrection, longed for the security and protection he felt when he was with his father, well that was his own secret. And now he had Dickie, who loved hugs and needed comfort, security and protection as much as himself did, and if Bruce couldn't offer them that, they were there for each other and would no longer have to face their fears alone.
Considering how little they really got together when younger, they easily fell into a routine, Jason taking charge of the cooking and cleaning, while Dickiebird was herded to the couch with strict orders to rest – the acrobat needed all the rest he could get if he wanted to recover faster from his injuries. Despite the grimace at the thought of staying put, his brother sat watching whatever was on TV, or fiddling with his laptop, all the while throwing glances at him from time to time – as if to reassure himself that Jason hadn't gone and disappeared while he wasn't looking. When the stares got too much for him to bear, he'd abandon what he was doing - usually some very overdue reading - and sit next to the acrobat and the two of them watched a few movies. Dickwing had made it his self-imposed mission to update him on all the good titles Jason had lost while he was dead and then involved with the League and the All Caste.
They had conversations, most of which revolved around what they were watching, sometimes commenting on something about the last few years apart, but it was pretty obvious that they were trying to stay out of emotionally charged topics. Both still trying to understand this new dynamic in their relationship. And Jason still couldn't believe that his childhood wish, from when he first arrived at the manor, had come true, they were finally brothers, not just on paper that declared them adopted by the same man, but truly acting as such. It was a bittersweet feeling, that they had to go through death, pain and sadness to get to this point. But it was a fresh start, a new chance Jason wasn't going to let slip away.
At bedtime the two kept the same arrangement as the first night. And if Jason was sleeping better than he had in a long time, feeling safe for the first time since Ethiopia, that was nobody's business. He had decided to be selfish, taking whatever measure of comfort was offered, in this case there was the bonus of such comfort going both ways. After all, the deep dark circles under his brother's eyes had significantly lessened since Jason first saw him.
It was on the third day that the newly established routine was finally broken.
Jason was no fool, he'd noticed how Dickie had been paying too much attention to the news, and whatever it was he'd been doing on his laptop, getting more and more restless, especially around what was the standard time to start patrols. All things considered - especially the stubbornness shared by the Batfamily - and the former second Robin knew it would be a matter of time before Nightwing made an appearance, whether Dickie was fit to go on patrol or not. But since deciding to abandon his half-formed plans and choosing his older brother instead, Jason was also thinking deeply about what he wanted to do, and while the motives that propelled him in his plans may have changed, the essence has remained the same. Maybe it was time he and Dickiebird had another serious talk. Preferably before the black and blue bird got out and got hurt even more.
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