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Deep down, Jason knew it was stupid. No, it was worse than stupid. It was foolish. Brainless. Insane.
But it was too late to back down. A pair of aquamarine eyes stared at the mirror, eyebrows pinched together in concentration as the razor travelled slowly through soft, black curls. Jason's Robin training wasn't enough to keep his hands from shaking as he mentally calculated where to direct the clippers in order to replicate the shave of the other side. It had to be even. And he had to leave enough hair for a fade.
Jaylad? Where are you?
Jason tensed, and then watched his reflection in horror. Where there was a promising curve just seconds ago, now resided a jagged line. He could almost cry.
"I'm in my bathroom, B!" he yelled, and thanked God that Bruce never stepped foot in his kids' bathrooms. Jason would rather die before being caught looking like this, uneven hair and anguish written all over his face. "What d'ya want?"
Jason squeezed his eyes closed. Please let it be "Just checking in, Jason, see you later."
"Alfred is making bread and he was wondering if you wanted to help."
Okay, nothing urgent, Jason thought and let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm kinda busy here, I can't," he yelled loud enough for Bruce to hear.
"Oh. Okay, Jay. I'll uh... I know there are changes happening all over your body now-"
Jason watched as his face turned green. "Nothing like that!" he yelled, and this time it was out of despair.
"It's natural to-"
Jason grasped the sides of the sink as his stare fell on it. "B, please stop."
"All I'm saying is if you need help shaving, I can teach you," Bruce said, voice forever calm.
Jason took a deep breath and thanked God that he wasn't going to be getting the sex talk anytime soon.
"No, B, I don't have any facial hair yet," Jason replied, then squinted at the mirror. Yep, his face was still smooth like a baby's butt. His classmates were already showing up with whispy mustaches and some even shaved but he didn't even have one hair on his cheeks.
"Okay, then. I'll be in my study, come by if you want."
"Sure thing, B," Jason replied. Once I fix this mess on my head, he left unsaid.
He studied the damage, head turned sideways and fingers rubbing on the unfortunate spot as if the hair would grow back. The thought of copying it on the other side and make it look intentional crossed his mind, but he dismissed it immediately. How bad will it be if I shave just a little more? he thought, knowing full well it could be very bad, but at that point all he could do was hope and pray it wouldn't be. He looked up at the ceiling and did his cross before he grabbed the clippers again.
Half an hour later, Jason had never been more thankful for the invention of hats.
Or the fact that it was winter and wearing beanies was completely normal. Not inside houses, but still. He could say he forgot he was wearing it and none would be the wiser.
Except for...
"Hey there, Mini Me."
Dick Grayson shot him a warm smile the minute he walked into the room. Despite his fashion choices (an oversized blue polka dot jumper and skinny jeans), he looked good. Even with the fucking mullet that everyone had decided belonged in the 80s and should never become a thing again but of course, this was Dick, and there was nothing that could detract from his beauty.
Jason wanted to scream. It was all his fault.
"Catch!" Dick said, and, before he knew it, Jason was holding a Mars bar. Dick nodded in approval.
"We haven't had dinner yet," the younger boy deadpaned as Dick unwrapped his own candy.
Dick shrugged. "Don't worry, it's not going to do anything for my apetite. I'm starving, do you know how hard it is to find some decent food?" His eyes grew twice in size. "Shit, sorry, that's not what I meant, I-"
Jason blinked. He appreciated Dick being careful with his words, but the truth was he didn't even think of his life before Bruce took him in, not until his (technically) brother apologized. Am I so spoilt now that I forget where I came from? he thought, but pushed the thought aside for the time being.
"I meant Alfie's food is so good and when you're used to it nothing compares, not even pizza, and-"
"You're fine, Dick," Jason reassured him and gestured around his room. "Sit wherever."
Dick immediately jumped on the bed, right next to him. "'Kay."
Jason had to suppress a chuckle. "Dude, personal space."
Dick scooted a little bit closer. "Never heard of that. So, what's with the beanie?"
Jason felt heat rush to his face. "It's winter."
Dick raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Jason forced an annoyed expression. "And my ears are cold, what do you want?"
Dick snorted. "Geeze, relax." Then, his face did just that, the previous smile reappearing. "You know, I have ear muffs somewhere in my room, if you want them-"
"No."
Dick practically pouted. "But you would be so cute!" he exclaimed, a hand reaching out to pinch Jason's cheeks.
The kid shoved him, his lips fighting not to form a smile. "Fuck off."
Dick lifted an accusing finger. "Language, young man," he said, his tone clearly humorous.
Jason chose not to dignify that with an answer. Instead, he grabbed his Math homework and spread it out on the bed, hoping Dick wouldn't comment on the arrangement. He used to tease Jason about always sitting properly in chairs and alligning his notebooks and not leaving a single pencil out of place. He wasn't exaggerating, but Jason hardly ever saw Bruce Wayne's famous ward when he first moved in, and even though he didn't have any intentions of getting close with the guy, he couldn't help it. One day they were bickering non-stop during his sparse visits and the next Dick was there at least once a month and texting when he couldn't call. One day Jason called him by his name only when he wanted to offend him and the next it was Dick's face that popped into his mind when his teacher urged them to think of their siblings. One day he was "Jason Todd" and the next Dick wouldn't let go of him as he introduced Jay, his little brother to his closest friends.
Dick spread his arms and took Zitka, the stuffed elephant, in his hands, holding it across his face, a faint smile on his lips. "You're taking good care of her."
Jason snorted. "Nothing to take care of."
Dick shook his head, unbothered as always, then set the elephant down against the headboard. "Need help over there?" he asked, nodding towards the smudged notebook page.
"Sure."
Dick's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, his clear blue eyes looking almost unreal with his eyelids wide open.
Jason never accepted help with homework, and certainly not from Dick.
"C'mon, the faster I finish the faster we can go downstairs and try to steal fresh bread from the kitchen."
Dick scooted next to him and took the book in his hands. "Sounds like a plan."
Jason never asked for a brother, and he'd never say it out loud, he was taking after Bruce like that, but he couldn't be happier he got one. Even if he rocked mullets and the most horrendous clothes known in human (and possibly alien) history. Even if he had to hide a mess of curls and uneven shaves under his beanie just because he childishly wanted to be like him.
Tim was being weird. Not that that was weird per se but he was... weirder. In the years he'd known him, Jason didn't think Tim would get any less weird any time soon, but sometimes it spiked, and that's when he knew something was up.
They were both in the library, Jason at the nook of the window where the faint rays of sun were almost warming up his skin, studying for his upcoming finals, Tim cross-legged on the floor before the coffee table, working on his laptop. That part wasn't weird.
But Tim was completely silent, biting at his nails. Jason would normally threaten to throw his book at him to get him to stop going on and on about whatever case he was working on or mumbling when he was editing his photographs. But now that he was silent... Jason missed his rambling.
He averted his gaze from his textbook just enough to look at him. "Kid? What's up?"
"I'm not a kid," Tim muttered, his eyes never leaving the screen before him.
The fuck you're not, Jason mumbled under his breath. Tim was tiny and three years younger than him and hadn't had the chance to ever be a kid. Until he turned eighteen, Jason wasn't going to stop calling him kid, a gentle reminder that he can still be one.
He could start calling Dick adult to prompt him to stop having ice cream in the morning, but the situation was hopeless.
"Alright, teenager, what's up?"
Tim sighed as his hands moved towards his scalp, ready to brush back long black hair, only to find a beanie instead. "Nothing, just finetuning the firewall."
Jason raised an eyebrow and went back to his book.
"It's really just that," Tim insisted.
Jason hummed. "I believe you, Timbo."
The boy huffed. "You can come and see for your own."
Jason fought a smile. "Nah, I trust you."
It wasn't just that, he was sure, but it didn't seem like anything urgent either. Tim was annoyed, but he wasn't typing like his life depended on it and he had in fact slept the previous night, a full six hours. And since whatever had him on edge wasn't bat-related, Jason wasn't about to rile him into spilling his guts about his crush or a very obscure new interest. He was curious, but he was also patient.
Besides, he got his answer much sooner than he expected.
"Master Tim, no hats on the table, please," Alfred reminded with an amused smile.
"B-But cooks wear hairnets, why can't we wear them for when we eat? It's a matter of hygiene, Alfred," Tim said, voice coming out rushed and excessively varying in pitch.
Alfred simply smiled. "No hats, Master Timothy."
With a pained expression, his usually pale face completely flushed, Tim yanked his beanie off. Jason smiled when he saw the thick white streak at the front of his hair. He'd noticed it was popular within skaters these days.
"Not. A. Word," Tim warned through gritted teeth as he dropped his gaze on his plate.
But why shouldn't I- Oh.
Something inside Jason stirred, even at the thought that Tim might have- Tim really did bleach his hair to copy him, didn't he? Tim... Jason had to blink or else he was sure his eyes would pool with tears. Tim loved him and looked up to him enough to want to do that? They were brothers, no doubt, but Tim wasn't as showy of his affection as Jason was, so the older boy thought that maybe he wasn't there yet, that he saw Tim as a brother faster because he already had one.
"It looks good, Tim," he said, and struggled to keep his smile at bay all throughout dinner.
And if he made tiramisu with his little brother's favourite coffee blend that night, that was completely irrelevant.
The moment Jason watched Damian pass by him with a bucket hat tugged so low that he could barely see his eyes, he knew what was up.