Chapter Text
Normally finding that a member of the Batfamily had broken into your apartment while you were out getting groceries would be cause for concern. But for Tim it was really just another Tuesday. Partially because he wasn’t surprised, he had known about the entry from the moment it occurred. But also because he had been kinda, not really, totally avoiding them since Bruce's return from the timestream. A fact that only got worse after the nightmare incident with Conner and Klarion the Witch Boy. Logically he understood Bruce's decision in keeping them apart during that time frame but that didn't mean he forgave him for it.
Excluding Cass, Babs, and Steph, all of whom he saw for the occasional movie night, he had ensured he wouldn’t cross their radars intentionally. Not since the incident in the cave when they learned of his missing spleen.
“You could’ve called” he stated flatly as he put the groceries away without actually acknowledging his presence. Honestly he was lucky Conner was off planet as he would have opinions on this visit. Had opinions on Jason being around Tim unsupervised.
“Tried that Replacement” Jason snapped back his voice tense “it doesn’t work if you don’t answer”
“That’s because not answering is supposed to send a message” his reply was snippy and shockingly out of character.
Turning the stove on to heat the small kettle atop it he opened a pantry stuffed to the brim with different teas. He personally preferred coffee but after his last sleep deprived work bender Conner had banned him from the sweet bean juice until he learned proper moderation. It wasn’t going well but he was trying.
“Since you’re hear and unlikely to leave” he started silently noting the flinch at his words “would you like some tea Jason?”
Jason blinked again. He honestly hadn’t thought this far through. Had been expecting Tim to kick him out without a second thought like he did Dick when he tried to visit a few weeks prior.
“Mint?” Jason answered hating how it sounded like a question more than a reply.
Tim nodded as he pulled put a few more tea bags before turning to finally face them immediately frowning. Why was he frowning? He hadn’t even said anything yet.
“This is not a safehouse Jason” he stated flatly making the older boy flinch in embarrassment. Of course, it was about him being in suit. “Kon has some old clothes in the guest room you can borrow, go change”
Part of Jason wanted to challenge him. He knew he could probably get away with it. But he wasn’t trying to start problems, he was actively trying to fix them, so he complied.
“First door on the left” Tim explained noting his uncertainty without missing a beat. Tim had always been observant but lately it was like he was a mind reader or something. Were they really that easy to read?
Five minutes later he rejoined his brother in the kitchen wearing a pair of Conner’s old sweats silently surprised Tim waited for him without complaint. Just made their tea silently. How did Tim know how much sugar and honey he like in his tea? he wondered with a frown as Tim made his exactly the way he liked it without instruction.
Taking the mug off tea Tim offered him he sat down noting that Tim sat on a different chair. The distance between him sitting on a couch with more than enough room for them both stinging like a knife to the leg. Calculated to emphasize Tim’s opinion that they were not the same.
It was then that he realized that Tim always sat separately from the rest of them. Had for years. If they were at the table in the kitchen he was either standing or at the island. If they were on the couch he was on a separate chair or on the floor carefully removed from the group. Realizing this a flood of dread hit him as he pulled out his phone pulling up every family photo he had. Tim wasn’t in any of them. Not a single family photo. Even Barbara and Steph were in several despite not officially being Wayne’s but Tim was in none. Fuck.
How had they never noticed? he wondered silently. How had no one noticed that despite all the years spent together as a family Tim never included himself in their world past what was expected of him as Robin. Had specifically and deliberately kept himself at arms length likely hoping someone, anyone would notice and care enough to take his hand. It had been almost 7 years and none of them ever had.
“I’m sorry” he started the tears streaming down his cheeks like liquid fire as he realized for the first time how truly awful they had treated him. They called him brother but treated him like an outsider who didn’t belong. . .like a replacement “oh Tim I’m so sorry”
Tim blinked in surprise. Of all the things he had expected tonight Jason crying while he apologized was not on the list. Jason rarely cried, and he never apologized. Especially not to Tim. And yet here he was blubbering like a baby as tears fell unabashedly while he apologized over and over again.
“There’s nothing to apologize for Jason, I’m fine” a mostly honest response. Since Conner’s return he was mostly fine. Leagues better than he had been in the last year or so.
“No” Jason countered catching him off guard as he moved to pull Tim into a hug hating how Tim tensed at the contact. “I should have noticed and I’m so sorry”
“You don’t have to forgive me, hell I’d hate me if I were you, but I’m so sorry” he continued his tears wetting the top of Tim’s hair as he hugged the smaller boy hating how fragile he felt in his embrace “I’ll do better, please just consider giving me a chance to prove I can be better. To prove I can be the big brother you deserve”
Tim flinched at that. All his life he had wanted a family, and for a long time he wanted that family to be the Wayne’s. But after years of heartbreak he had a family now. He had Conner and his friends and they were his family. He didn’t need the Wayne’s anymore. He didn’t. He didn’t.
“I don’t hate you Jason” he replied in barely a whisper only for Jason to hear as tears slid down his own cheeks “I could never hate you”
“You’re my favorite Robin after all’
Whatever self restraint Jason had been holding on to evaporated in that moment as Jason was transported back to the meday all those years ago. Back to the first time he tried to take Tim’s life when he first took over the mantle of Robin. Back to the words Tim had whispered while Jason carried him beaten and broken praying to whatever God would listen that he hadn’t actually killed him.
He was so small then, so fragile. An innocent child trying to help Bruce through the grief of losing his son. Broken and bloodied by the very man whose legacy he was trying to keep alive. By the Robin he idolized. By the brother who should've been protecting him.
Jason remembered the guilt of that day. Remembered the guilt that always came with attacking Tim. The guilt that came with realizing the boy was completely content with Jason taking his rage out on him as long as it meant Bruce didn’t lose his second son again. It wasn’t fair. Tim hadn’t deserved to go through all of that.
But it wasn’t the guilt that pulled at his heartstrings, Jason had lifetimes worth of guilt. No it was the fact that despite it all, despite everything Jason did to him, Tim never stop trying. Never stopped being Robin. Never stopped believing in Robin. Believing in Jason. He was always there helping even after everything Jason had done to him without so much as a huff of discontent.
“Why didn’t you tell Bruce?” he asked as he patched Tim up after he had nearly killed him for the third or fourth time “why didn’t you tell him I was the one hurting you?”
Tim laid there a bloody broken mess as he thought his deep blue eyes full of sad thought.
“Would it matter?” he asked his voice weak. At the time Jason had thought he was just trying to sound cocky but thinking further back he remembered the second time he had attacked Tim the heartbreaking words ringing in his memory.
“Why? So he can mistake me for you again? So another person can remind me that I’m just a replacement”
Jason blinked forcing himself back to the present as everything sunk in. As he realized that it was, without any shadow of a doubt, their fault Tim didn’t feel like he belonged in the family. Like he was nothing more than a placeholder without any real value. A feeling that was reinforce every time he called him Replacement or Damian called him Interloper.
Fresh tears streamed down his face as he pulled Tim into another hug. He hated how Tim flinched at his embrace. Hated how he had every right to do so considering his actions up till now.
“I’ll prove I can be better Tim” he promised more to himself than Tim his frown deepening as Tim recoiled at Jason’s use of his name “I’ll prove that you're my brother and that I love you”
Tim opened his mouth to say something before deciding against it. Instead he just allowed himself to melt into Jason’s embrace suddenly exhausted. He was asleep before Jason even realized what was happening resulting in a very panicked Jason carrying him to bed to tuck him in.
Satisfied Tim was safe in bed he kissed his forehead and walked back to the living room phone in hand.
“Master Jason?” Alfred answered after the second ring. The old man sounded exhausted, a fact that didn’t actually surprise Jason considering the clock over Tim’s stove read 2:36am. Normally he would never call Alfred this early on a non patrol night but this was an emergency.
“I need to call an emergency Wayne family meeting” he stated as calmly as he could while he quietly examined Tim’s small apartment. It was nicely furnished, very Tim. . .no that wasn’t right. It felt like Tim but different somehow in a way he couldn’t quite place. Almost like it was a Tim he didn't actually know.
There was only two photos in the entire place he realized with a frown. One of Tim and his friends/teammates from Young Justice. They were in civilians and looked happy. Tim looked happy.
The other was the picture he vaguely remembered hearing about Vicky Vale publishing of Superboy kissing Tim on the balcony outside his bedroom. Jason had never actually seen this picture. Despite the questionable nature of how it was taken Tim’s happiness in it was palpable. Jason couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Tim so happy. Couldn’t remember if he had ever seen Tim that happy. Had Tim always had dimples he wondered silently as he examined the framed photo.
“Master Jason?” Alfred repeated breaking him from his thoughts.
“Yes Alfred?”
“May I inquire the topic of said meeting? It will surely be of use in gathering everyone with minimal argument.”
“Tim” he stated flatly as he wiped his tears “its about Tim”