Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It wasn’t rare, but it wasn’t exactly common either, to meet your soulmate by trading places with them. Switching bodies briefly didn’t happen to everyone. The most common experience people tend to have is when they would turn fifteen they would dream about their soulmate. They would get a glimpse of them and even talk to them in the dreamscape. Not everyone would remember much of the dream past impressions but once they met in person it would all come back to them in an instant.

For the people who got to switch bodies, though, they got to remember everything very clearly. It was why people hoped they got to do this and get more than just dream. There didn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to who got which experience and they would never know until midnight on their fifteenth birthday. They would either get their soulmate dream or they would switch places with their soulmates, wake up in a different body and make a mad dash to try to figure who they were before their fifteen minutes in their body was over.

Since this wasn’t that common, a lot of people just assume they would be the ones that got the dream and those that were a little jaded to the idea of soulmates either paid it no mind or ignored it all together.

Jason was a little jaded on the matter, he’s seen a lot of people who got with soulmates and those who went against the system. Having a soulmate didn’t always make people happy and people who ditched the whole thing seemed just fine. So because of all that, it was hard to take much stock in the whole thing. It wasn’t something Jason thought about too much, he didn’t want to spare thoughts to someone who might not even really exist or be what he really wanted, he’s been let down enough in his fourteen years going on fifteen.

Jason had better things to focus on, like being Robin~

He was currently soaring across the city on his way to meet back up with Batman after a successful night of patrol. He busted a few drug dealers and caught two purse snatchers and stopping a mugging. Nothing big and wild tonight, but it was a job well done and the people he helped were better off for it. Jason could be proud of that. It was the kind of work he could soar on the freeing wings of his name sake for the rest of the night.

He had just left the lady he had saved from the mugger, after escorting her to someplace safe so she could get home without running into any more trouble, when he glanced over at a building that had one of those big LED screens. It displayed things like the temperature and the time.

11:59pm

He had only spared it a glance and barely a thought other than it was still pretty early for the dynamic duo and they could still hit the streets after meeting up. Jason let loose his next shot to swing to the next building, only two away from his meeting spot with Batman.

12:00am

It happened in a blink, Jason closed his eyes for a second he swears. One minute he’s midway through a swinging arch and the next he’s standing on a building, leaned up against the ledge wall looking through a view box of a camera. He blinks again but he’s still there and when he focuses on what this camera is pointed at he drops the camera. Luckily it was on strap around his neck and gently thumps against his chest.

Jason scrambles for the camera right after to look and zoom in on what he saw again and feels the world shifting under his feet, shit, it was real. Was this really happening right now? Was he actually watching /himself/ swinging across the way?

“Oh no…” Jason zoomed in more and could just make out the panic on his own face, it was so disorienting to see, whoever was in his body right now was clearly freaking out.

Jason could hear the scream from here and watched in horror as the line Robin was swinging from started jerking around from uncontrolled movements and frantic flailing. He winced as he watched Robin collide into the side of a building but luckily under him was a roof top when he let go of the grapple.

“Shit!” Jason looked around him trying to figure out how to get over to his body, he could not believe this was happening right now!

He hadn’t been dealing with any baddie let alone some magic user! Why on earth was he out of his body? Who the hell was in his body?

Jason looked down at himself and patting himself down for some kind of clues if this might be the one that done this switch in the first place. He had a camera, a nice one too no cheap thing in the slightest, it had a long range lense and next to his feet was a camera bag with what looked like a few other lenses.

Creepy.

Jason was wearing a grey hoodie that was way too big for his borrowed body, worn jeans and some converse with some scuffs. These hands looked a bit smaller than his own and he wasn’t sure what do with this information, was this a kid? How could a kid-

Jason’s eyes flicked back over to his body across the way, seeing that whoever it was in there was moving to his relief. Then Jason looked over to the building he had passed when he was still himself.

12:02am

“No fucking way.” Jason muttered to himself, that feeling of disorientation washing over him again and he had to hold on the ledge to steady himself.

/He/ got to do this? He got to switch bodies with his soulmate? Jason didn’t know what was more surprising, that he had gotten to do something everyone always droned on about wanting or that he had soulmate at all. Both were rather unexpected if he was honest with himself.

And his soulmate…was a stalker.

Jason looked back down at what was by his feet, the camera bag wasn’t new and neither was the camera, this was not his first night out doing this if he had to guess. Jason was no stranger to people trying to take pictures of Batman or Robin, but…this was a kid. He was out here in the middle of the night in the most dangerous city in America with some expensive shit just begging to get jumped.

His soulmate was a moron.

All Jason had were questions but he didn’t have time to answer them all, he only got to be in this body for fifteen minutes f he remembered right and had to hope that whoever was in his body didn’t try to look under the mask.

Shit, this was complicated.

He looked up and saw Robin getting to his feet, not looking too steady and he had to use the camera again to get a better look at himself. Robin was rubbing his head, Jason wasn’t looking forward to feeling that, and his heart seized when he saw Robin look directly at him. He would know where his body was, Jason reasoned, and for some unknown reason Jason decided to wave.

Robin froze up and nearly tripped when he had backed up, he looked completely panicked by the situation, rightfully so. Robin looked around frantic and paced over to the ledge to look down and around, probably for a fire escape. There was no way they could reach each other in time, it would take too long without a grapple and Jason hoped that kid was smart enough not to try it. He’d rather not have broken bones or more serious injuries when he returned. Robin looked back up at Jason and he saw desperation on his face and fear, it was so strange to see that on his own face.

“Hmm, I wonder what he looks like…” Jason mused out loud, he could see black hair in his face that he had to push back but there wasn’t much else he could go off and it wasn’t like there was a mirror up here.

Jason let the camera hang around his neck as he looked over the body again and frowned when he found there was no phone on him. That kid walked around Gotham at night without a phone? Was he insane?

Jason grabbed the camera bag and started rooting through it, no phone in there either and looking around there wasn’t anything else with him. He did find a smaller cheap digital camera in the bag though, he could at least get a picture of himself and look that way, right?

He looked over at Robin after pulling the camera out and it looked like he was shaking his head and flailing his hands in a ‘don’t’ motion. He seemed pretty anxious about it that Jason could even tell that much from all the way over here without the camera’s help.

Ha! If he wanted privacy he shouldn’t be a stalker and like hell Jason was passing up a chance to find out who this guy was, he was supposed to be his soulmate after all.

Jason turned the camera on, pointed the lense toward him and smiled as he took the picture, might as well right?

“Shit, he’s cute…” Jason muttered to himself as he pulled up the displayed picture, the light wasn’t great and it was kind of blurry but his stalker was at least pretty adorable and definitely younger than him. Jason couldn’t tell exactly, maybe twelve? He couldn’t say.

Black hair framed his pale face with the promise of defined cheek bones in his future after he lost all this baby fat and Jason swore this kid had movie star blue eyes. He was downright adorable and Jason secretly felt rather lucky to get someone like this connected to him, even if it he was a big stalker.

Hm, what else does he have this camera? The fancy expensive one was a film camera and he couldn’t see what’s on it but this digital one says it had a lot of other pictures on it.

Jason decided to use the rest of his short time to look through it, maybe learn more about his stalker soulmate.

He went to the start of the pictures, the first was a picture from the standing perspective down at a pair of shoes. They were the same ones he was wearing now but they looked cleaner, must be testing out the camera when he had first gotten it. The next one was some sunlight coming through the branches of the trees, there were a few like these and they looked pretty. After that were a few different shots like this, nature and buildings, not much in the way of people yet. He got almost a third way in before he started to see something familiar.

It was a high up shot of the back of Jason’s school, did they go to the same school? He was hoping that was the reason. There were students dotted around the back quad milling about, probably at lunch time. There was another picture of his shoes but now he was in the uniform pants, this kid /did/ go to his school! But…how? He was too young wasn’t he? Skipped a grade maybe?

So a smart stalker, not great.

There was some more artful sort of shots of the buildings and architecture of the school, which there were plenty to be a subject of for this clear photography hobby. Jason doesn’t know how this turned into watching nightlife but there was a certain sort of actual skill to these photos he could tell.

There was another photo of sunlight drifting through the wispy branches of a very familiar willow tree that was on campus and when he scrolled to the next one his stomach dropped. It was a picture from so far away of the same tree but this time what was below could be seen, which was someone reading while sitting on stone bench.

Of Jason reading while sitting on a stone bench. The next one was a closer shot of the same day, had to be, it was still zoomed in but it was more clear and far closer.

How did he not know someone was taking a picture of him? Well…he did get lost in his books.

Dammit!

Did…Did that mean…this kid, this stalker, did he know? Was it a coincidence? Jason doubted that very much.

His eyes snapped up over to Robin, who clearly flinched backwards seeing it and that was more than enough proof for him, he was going to have to find his stalker again. Soon.

12:13 am

Dammit, he was almost out of time! Jason had to do something to keep this kid here, tie him to something! As soon as he got back in his body he had to get over here and have a nice long talk with this wannabe photographer.

This explained why the kid didn’t try to take of his mask, he already knew. That thought was just as scary to think as was seeing a picture of himself in this camera.

Jason glared over at his body and saw the kid piloting his body react to it and looked around himself again to find something Jason couldn’t fathom, their time was just about up. Robin’s hands were fluttering around his body and belt…oh no.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Jason screamed out over the city, the voice in his ears strange to him, not one he’s heard before tonight. “Fucking stalker!”

It was too late, Robin found his other grappling gun and chucked it off the side of the building, Jason watched it tumbled down into the alley below.

Great.

Jason wouldn’t be catching this kid tonight, not likely, and he was going to have to go find that spare grapple so no one else could. This just wasn’t his night. Soulmates were shit, just like he thought.

In frustration Jason raised the digital camera in the air intending to smash it on the ground in retaliation and he could faintly heard a cry of protest from the other building. He hesitated though, there were other things on the camera, pretty things and it felt wrong to destroy all of it…

Before he could he think to just delete the pictures of himself at least, he blinked.

The world shifted under his feet and when he opened his eyes again and realized he had his gloved hand stretched out toward the building his stalker was on as if he could stop the camera getting smashed.

His cape fluttered in the wind that was starting to pick up and he gritted his teeth when he saw the kid get his wits about him pretty fast. His stalker gathered his camera bag in a messy hasty nearly dropping the bag and shoved the digital in the bag and bolted out of sight.

Shit!

Jason took a step to…do anything, honestly, at this point. That one step helped erupt all the damage his body had taken when that stalker was in his body and slammed into a building. It was startling enough to feel fine one second to feeling pain and sore all up his front the next that it knocked him down to his knees.

“Dammit!” Jason cursed, glad to hear his own voice now as he held his ribs. “That damn stalker.”

It didn’t feel like anything was broken but that was a hell of a crash landing and he was sure he was going to be bruised all over by the way it felt. It wouldn’t put him out but it certainly wasn’t going to be a great time for the next few weeks. No one wonder the kid wasn’t moving around much while he was over here, Jason wasn’t sure if he had done much of anything. Jason could deal with this pain, he had taken worse before, but that kid must have been suffering.

Jason grabbed the ledge wall and pulled himself back up to his feet and looked down toward the streets to see if he could catch another glimpse of his stalker. No such luck, Jason had a feeling he had left from the back way so Jason wouldn’t see where he was heading. Not being able to see him any more didn’t stop Jason from screaming for the damn stalker to get back here this instant, yea, like that was gonna happen.

Smart, had stalking habits and a photography hobby that attended his high school. That’s all Jason had to go on other than his face.

“Get ready to become the stalked, kid.” Jason groused to himself and straightened up when he heard a familiar flutter of a cape and turned around. “Batman!”

“Robin.” Batman returned and stepped closer to his partner with a questioning raised brow at the disheveled state of the boy. “What happened?” He asked, always straight to point.

Jason opened his mouth and shut it, not certain how exactly to explain what had just happened. Plus, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to have to admit that he had a stalker he had never noticed before who had also figured out his identity and followed him at school and out in uniform. What good had all the detective work training been if he couldn’t even tell some kid was following him around in the day time?

It didn’t give him the best feeling with the strain he was already having with Bruce these days so maybe until he figured out this kid’s identity, he’d keep this to himself.

“Bad line, kind of fumbled with the landing.” Jason said, not completely a lie after all, that’s what that kid had done. “I’ll be alright.”

“Are you sure?” Batman asked, taking hold of Jason’s wrist to raise his arm and look over the scrapes. “Nothing broken? Are you certain?”

“I think I would notice.” Jason snorted, tugging his arm back. “I’m sore but I can still finish the night. It’s barely….” He trailed off lost in thought of his soulmate as he looked back the building with the LED sign. “Midnight.” He finished in a mumble.

12:27am

“Are you sure you’re alright, Robin?” Batman asked unsure and there was the start of suspicion in his voice from Robin’s strange pause.

“I’m sure, B.” Jason said, only glancing back when Batman went to retrieve Jason still hanging line, looking over at the roof top his stalker had been on, that he had been on just a while ago.

This stalker problem of his would just have to be something he dealt with on his own for right now. At least till he got a little more on the punk, Jason could deal with some little kid on his own.

Except…

It wasn’t much longer after that night that Jason had left Gotham…for the last time.

Chapter Text

The night was turning out to be so promising; Tim had gotten some pretty epics shots of the dynamic duo before they had split for the night on their own patrols to cover more of the city. It was a little hard to run after vigilantes but not impossible and it wasn’t the first night he’s done it and wouldn’t be the last. Given the choice, Tim opted to follow hastily after Robin as he headed down town.

Robin was poetry in motion, Tim thought as he snapped a few action shots, and hoped the settings were right and it wouldn’t be too blurry. He savored the memory of how smooth and sleek Robin took down some men harassing a woman on her way home. Was it a little brutal? Maybe, but they probably deserved it, Robin never went too far and never lost his control in all the nights that Tim’s been watching him.

He could spend his life like this and would never complain. Watching Robin from a far was the best he would get, Tim never had the nerve to actually get closer to the older boy. Not in or out of the uniform.

Jason Todd was just as unapproachable as his Robin persona as far as Tim was concerned. Oh sure, Tim had made some attempts, it was why he worked so hard in school just to move up grades enough to attend the same school as Jason. It wasn’t particularly difficult, convincing his parents to let him was the unseen road block. Something about being among peers his own age being better for him as if he had a social life back there either, it wasn’t important.

No, Jason was important, he was…magic.

Tim had to get closer, had to see it for himself and when the time came, he faltered. He still stayed back in the shadows and faded into the background, it was a talent he always had.

He didn’t have nearly as many pictures of Jason Todd as he did of Robin and that was probably for the best, the ones of Jason felt far more dangerous to have and to take than that of Robin. Tim kept him on his digital camera, some cheap little thing he always kept tucked in his pocket, most times with the strap around his wrist so no one could take it from him unless he was out like tonight. He’d be lost without it and he’d rather destroy that piece of him than ever let anyone else see what was on the SD card.

Beautiful pictures of Jason peacefully reading his favorite books under the same tree he would sit under at lunch, never missing a day unless it rained and sometimes even then. Tim wanted to swoon just thinking about it, Jason was like a character out of the romance books the older boy read, that Tim also checked out after him.

Tim shook himself out of his thoughts as Robin moved on to another roof top, stopping to check something on his comm and Tim pulled out his police scanner. He hopped down on the fire escape he was on and headed down, it was probably time for Batman to meet up with Robin so it was time to move along.

After listening for a while and jogging down alleys and side streets, Tim figured out where the Batman and Robin would probably cross paths. A guess for sure, but sometimes Tim got it right and as he scaled up another fire escape, he was thinking it would be so epic if he could get a shot of Robin flying across the city! He’s gotten a few of those but only by chance and they were so blurred, he wanted and nice clean one!

So he got situated on the roof top he reached, found a good place where he hoped the local bird of Gotham might fly by and set his camera bag at his feet. Tim was glad for the waist high ledge wall here, he could lean in without worrying about falling and steady himself against it. He looked through his view scope to test the lighting and zoom.

Tim looked over his camera when he saw a LED billboard nearby and it displayed the temperature and the time.

11:56 PM

Hm, it was getting kind of late, after this he was going to have to go home. Walking around Gotham at night was already enough of a risk but after one or two AM is when the real rough crowd came out. Tim wasn’t interested in test his luck again, last time someone almost mugged him and he barely got away from because Tim lied about seeing Batman.

So after this, it was time to pack it in, which was just fine, he had a lot to do tomorrow! Tomorrow was Jason’s birthday! He was going to do his best to subtly get a gift to him, a nice edition of a book Tim had seen Jason read over and over again. He hoped he liked it!

“Robin!” Tim gasped excited, repositioning his camera, giddy that he predicted the route the Boy Wonder would take correctly, just skimming past the billboard before focusing on Robin.

11:59 PM

With a click of the button the shutter blocked his view for just a fraction of a second, less than the blink of the eye. The shutter went down and he was on the building behind his camera, the shutter rose and he was soaring across the city above the roads and cars.

Tim screamed, his hands now holding on for dear life to a grappling gun instead of his camera. His panic caused him to hard jerk the line he was using and twisted his swing off course and he was terrified all the more. He couldn’t think about how this happened before he banked to the side and went straight into the side of a building that was nearby.

Tim yelped, the grapple knocked out his hands from the impact and he fell, but it luckily was a very short fall to another lower roof top that was under him. His fall was cushioned slightly by some strange pile of canvas tarps all piled up and tied down.

“Ow…” Tim groaned, holding himself tightly, pain radiating from all the points that had made contact with the wall and he stayed where he was for a minute before dragging himself to sit up. “What hell the happened?” He mumbled to himself, looking up at the hanging grapple.

Why was that up there? Why had Tim been on it? Where the hell did he go, he was just on a building taking pictures hadn’t he?

Tim slowly moved to get up and grasped the nearby safety wall ledge on this roof and pulled himself to his feet and that’s when he noticed the green gloves he was wearing.

“What…” Tim gasped, looking over his hands and then down at his body and gasped in more shocked air as he felt the mask over his eyes. “Robin!? I’m…I’m Robin!!”

Panic pounded in Tim’s heart, hands scrambling all over himself and his surrounds, not sure what to do with himself right now and started to look around. This didn’t make sense, he shouldn’t be Robin! He should be Tim!

That’s when he looked up and something caught his eye across the way, there was another building across the street that he was on. On the roof top he could just make out another person on the other building, when he squinted harder the lenses in his mask automatically zoomed in, which startled him but made it do it again to see. Tim gripped the wall he was against tightly when he saw…himself.

He saw himself looking through his camera and then…he waved? Someone was in Tim’s body and Tim was in Robin….

Robin was in his body!

If Tim was here than Robin /had/ to be in his body! That had to be it, that had to be what happened, logic be damned right now, but they had switched bodies. But why? Why would this happen at random?

12:06 AM

Tim caught the time and his brain went into overload, it was Jason’s birthday, his fifteenth birthday…

Tim went boneless as he slumped over the top of the ledge, feeling his knees give up under him as things started to click into place despite it being impossible to believe it.

He’s heard about it, of course, it happened some of the time but it wasn’t common and it was rather special to have it happen to you. Tim never thought it’d be something he got to do, he honestly hasn’t thought about it much because he didn’t want to think about his soulmate, not if it wasn’t who he wanted it to be. Tim might be young, only twelve but he already decided who he wanted to be with forever and if it wasn’t /him/ Tim didn’t want to bother.

“Robin is my soulmate…” Tim muttered in a voice that wasn’t his and it made him tremble. “Tim is my soulmate.” Hearing Jason’s voice say that, hearing /Robin/ say that was enough to make him collapse to the ground. “Oh my god!”

Robin was his soulmate! He was Tim’s soulmate and they had switched bodies! That was so…that was so…wait.

Tim forced himself up to his feet even if it still hurt and looked back over at where Jason was in his body, Jason was looking through his camera bag. Oh no, oh god! He found the digital camera!

“Don’t! Stop it!” Tim desperately cried out, doubting his voice carried across the street and waved his arms trying to gesture ‘no’ over and over again but Jason either didn’t notice or ignored him.

At first, from what Tim could tell, Jason was taking a picture of himself? Or, of Tim’s body, he supposed, oh no…he’d know what Tim looked like! Just when he thought that was something to fret over it looked like Jason was starting to go through the pictures on the SD card.

Jason would see, he would know that Tim had been following him around at school! He would figure out that Tim knew that Jason and Robin were the same person at this rate, he was so royally screwed and there was nothing he could d-

Oh no.

Jason was looking at Tim now, as if he could see him clearly from the distance and Tim backed up out of instinct. What should he do? What should he DO?

They would switch back after fifteen minutes were up! Then Robin would be after him, he could get to where Tim’s body is in no time…unless?

Tim scrambled to feel around the utility belt around his waist until he felt the spare grappling gun and ripped it off the belt, he heard something being yelled from the distance as he looked around. It sort of sounded like ‘stalker’? Not far off, he bitterly thought to himself and chucked the grapple off the side of the building as hard as he could and heard it clang on its way down to the alley below.

It gave Tim some brief relief that at least Robin couldn’t follow him tonight and he might just be able to make a run home. It was short lived happiness when he saw that Jason was holding up his digital camera, looking like he’d either throw it or smash it in revenge for what Tim had done to the grapple.

“No!” Tim reached out over the ledge as if he could stop it from here.

There were so many important pictures on there! Not just of Jason, but there were so many of those, there were also special pictures he had taken with his parents! The one time they had taken him with them on a dig during a summer break, he really treasured that! He hadn’t backed it up yet or printed it.

Tears welling forced him to blink, the close of his eyes he was begging Jason not to smash his camera and the open he was the one almost smashing it. Though, when he came to, it felt more like he was in the middle of slowly lowering his arm and his thumb was on the delete button. Was Jason only going to-

Tim snapped his eyes up and saw Robin screaming at him from the other build and he shoved the camera into his bag, slamming the lens cap on the camera around his neck. He didn’t look back as he tore off to the other side of this building. He had to go down the fire escape on the other side, hoping there was one, and get the hell out here before Jason could figure some way to come after him.

Tim had never rushed down stairs so fast and he nearly fell several times and ran like his life depended on it when he hit the alley. Getting caught was NOT an option tonight, he knew he couldn’t avoid this forever, he couldn’t avoid Jason forever. Next Monday was not going to be a good day at school.

But…it wasn’t long after that that Tim would no longer have to worry about Jason coming after him, because Jason left Gotham…and he…he didn’t come back.

Chapter Text

Keeping track of time was one of the few things Tim wasn’t especially great at these days unless it was going to end up in destruction, if it wasn’t dire it wasn’t spared too many thoughts. That was why his own birthday was more or less forgotten this year, which honestly Tim was completely fine with. He had better things to focus on, more important work that needed his attention and mind space, it was just another lap around the sun as far as he was concerned.

Besides…

It was going to be his fifteenth birthday this year and he had nothing to look forward to from it.

Other people on the verge of midnight of their fifteenth birthday couldn’t wait, they do everything they could to try to be asleep or stay up the night before to ensure they were ready for their soulmate dream. People didn’t tend to think they’d get the body switching, it wasn’t as common but people would be glad to be in bed instead of some place crazy like Tim had been.

Tim already knew who his soulmate was, it was the benefit of being one of the few people who didn’t get a dream but got to swap places with his soulmate for fifteen fateful minutes. He got to remember everything that happened and plenty had happened that night.

The things was, though, the reason why Tim wasn’t excited to experience it again now that he was reaching the age to get his turn was because…

His soulmate had died.

Tim had always heard that people could tell something was wrong or if their soulmate died, it was just thing people would know. That’s not what happened when Jason died.

No, Tim felt it.

He felt the heat from the fire of the explosion as if it was licking at his skin from thousand miles away, he had actually gotten knocked nearly across the room from the impact. The way Tim was found looked like he had been caught up in an explosion while everything around him was completely untouched.

Tim had to go to the hospital after it stopped but the injuries and pain didn’t last except what was in his heart, the pain he would carry for life from his soul connection being severed. His skin had gotten some minor burns that healed quickly since they weren’t from real heat but one stayed just on the side of his right wrist, a physical reminder as if he’d ever forget. The scar that remained started right at his wrist like the cuff a glove burning on the skin, jagged spikes like a crude child’s drawing of half of a sun with the points going down towards the arm. It’s hard to forget when he had to hide it every day.

His soulmate was dead and he was alone, completely and utterly now.

So Tim hadn’t paid the calendar any mind when his birthday grew closer, it wouldn’t do him any good. Nothing was going to happen, right?

By happenstance that day before, Tim was at the Tower just getting back from another mission that was long and exhausting, he couldn’t wait to just crash. He could do his report when he woke up, no one else was going to do any different with the way they were all worn out. Tim bid his teammates goodnight before heading to his room.

All Tim managed to do was shower; change into some fresh clothes before he just collapsed on his bed. He wiggled his way up to his pillow, noting the time on his alarm clock absently and snorted before he turned over to drift right off. They had wrapped up earlier than he would have imagined with how he felt.

11:59pm

Tim let out a soft sigh and let sleep take him, shutting his eyes to give into the peace a goodnight’s sleep promised.

12:00am

“Mm?” Tim’s eyes opened and his entire body went rigid the moment they did, was…this real or a dream?

His heart rate picked up steadily growing more and rapid and he could feel soreness in a few places in his body that was not there before. It was proper pain too, so this was not a dream. This was real and he really was standing over a dead man with a gun in his hand that had clearly just gone off no more than a minute ago. The world felt like it fell out from under Tim and he stumbled back on unsteady feet as he tried to absorb what was going on around him.

“What the hell is happening…” That voice…that wasn’t Tim’s, it was not one that he had known at all.

He looked down himself to assess himself and, well, that wasn’t his either. This body was taller for starters and far more broad, what was going on here? Tim was in someone else’s body…but it couldn’t be…

Jason was dead.

Did…did that mean he had another soulmate? Was he reassigned? Was that even a thing!?

There were too many questions whizzing around in his mind that it was making him feel nearly dizzy and his hand tightened around the gun in his hand. If this was his new soulmate…they had just killed someone.

Tim tried to not to think ‘just my luck’ because there were too many other pressing matters right now. He only had fifteen minutes to find out who this was and hope that whoever was in his body right now didn’t leave his room-

Shit! Shit…

Okay, calm down, assess the area and worry about that later, where was this place? Was there a mirror nearby? Data, Tim needed data and something to focus on other than the fact he was definitely going to end up compromised. Dammit

“Honestly.” A voice tsked somewhere behind him and Tim realized…this one did sound familiar. “Did you have to kill another one of your teachers?” Talia sighed as she walked over to Tim, looking down at the dead man with some mild disappointment but mostly empty indifference.

Tim’s posture stiffened, looking over at her, she seemed perfectly calm and unsurprised, but she had said ‘again’. Whoever this was…they must be working with her and possibly with the League of Assassins. Not the best place to find himself or this supposable replacement soulmate, Tim could do without meeting him.

“He had it coming.” Tim said when Talia looked at him expecting something and it was all Tim could come up with.

“As you keep saying.” Talia rolled her eyes. “We must leave now, I’ll have this taken care of, come Jason.” She bid before briskly walking to the exit of the cabin they seemed to be in.

Tim felt struck by lightning as he was rooted to the spot and his insides ran cold.

Did she just say…?

No, but that, this couldn’t possibly be…could it?

Tim’s soulmate was dead.

Jason Todd was dead.

…wasn’t he?

Tim needed answers and he needed them now, but he didn’t have the time. His clock was ticking and his stomach was turning. He took a controlling breath as he had holstered the gun he held and scanned around the cabin for something he might be able to use to communicate with Jason, if that’s who this was after all. If he had somehow survived, if Ra’s somehow got a hold of Jason right after, they needed to know and get Jason back to Gotham.

Bruce needed Jason back.

“Jason.” Talia beckoned from the door and got Tim in motion.

It was strange controlling a body so different than his own, Jason was much taller and larger than he was the last time he had been in here. He had so much more muscle on his arms, his legs and torso…it was impressive. Especially those thighs, lordy. Tim kept his hand on the gun in the holster to tempted to touch but couldn’t help keeping his eyes more on Jason’s legs.

Jason grew up nice.

Focus!

Tim snapped his eyes up and got back to his plan to find something to write with and was able to find and swipe a pen on his way to the door. He couldn’t risk writing a note on paper or anything like that so he hiked up the sleeve of Jason’s jacket to write on his left wrist.

While Talia was ahead of him, leaving the cabin before him, Tim quickly wrote a phone number of a burner that he had back in his room. It was untraceable if this backfired but it would a life line. He didn’t know how to put into words everything he was thinking or what would be helpful right now to convince Jason to trust him, to believe that Tim wanted to help when Jason knew nothing about him. God, Jason was alive…Tim never had a hope to ever see the boy again and he wanted to see Jason face to face more than anything.

Tim wrote his number and just left it signed with ‘Your Stalker’. It was something he remembered Jason calling him that night the last time they had switched; Jason had screamed it when he had tried to pursue Tim after they switched back. It was all he was willing to say for now because how could he possibly stuff years worth of feelings and thoughts to fit on this patch of skin?

The desperate way Tim was currently feeling, just wanting to bring this body home but he knew he’d at best be able to set a foot out of this cabin before he was back in the Tower. It was a far more overwhelming experience than the first time and now he had to live with waiting to see if Jason would even want to reach out to him. He felt just as helpless as he had flailing on that unsteady line back when he was only twelve barely pushing thirteen.

Oh Jason…please reach out, any message, any true proof that he was really still out there and breathing, despite what kind of man he’s become Tim wanted it more than anything.

Tim took a breath as Talia beckoned him once more and shoved the sleeve back down in place, steeling his nerves and stepped out of the cabin, briefly shutting his eyes to regain his cool.

When he opened them he had bumped into the sink counter his bathroom back in the Tower, his hand was hovering over the surface of his mirror. He stumbled back from the shock of the change and fell back on his ass as the world felt out of sync after shifting back to his own body and his head was spinning. He was sort of glad that he wouldn’t ever have to do this switching thing again, it always felt so strange and kind of like vertigo.

“Shit…” Tim muttered, this time with his own voice.

Tim let himself fall backwards flat on his back as he let things settle over him and try to take everything in. It was so hard to digest after thinking for years that his soulmate was dead, thinking that he was completely alone in this world on some level. Tim had never felt anything coming back after the warehouse explosion. So what happened? How did it happen, how long has Jason been alive?

Maybe…

Tim let his eyes shut as he let out a shaky exhale.

Maybe Jason hadn’t properly died at all?

It didn’t explain what Tim experienced, he had never felt shared pain with Jason before that or after if he was still getting into shit. That level of pain and anguish, it sure felt like dying to Tim but what if it wasn’t? Not that that made any sense because Bruce would have known and he would have checked again and again.

All this did was give Tim a million questions and zero answers. He wasn’t even sure where to start in sorting out what should be next, what could possibly be his next course of action?

How could he possibly explain this to Bruce?

Tim would have to tell him, to admit that Jason was his soulmate, how else could he claim to know for sure that Jason was alive? What other proof did he have? Not that he could prove this either. He had never told anyone he might know who his soulmate is and only he and his parents had known that his soulmate had died.

Tim scrubbed his hands over his face as he let out another ragged sigh, like his life wasn’t complicated enough? Now he had to deal with a ghost and come back to grips with having a soulmate that was just out of reach as he was three years ago. Further even.

“Dammit…” Tim sighed, letting his hands fall and when he looked up he saw something strange on the surface of his mirror from the angle he was at and sat up. “What the…”

Tim got up on his feet and leaned closer to the mirror, oh that’s right, his hand was hovering almost touching the mirror when he had come back. He squinted and could just make out some smudges…a message? Tim leaned down and breathed over the glass, fogging it up and standing back to see something written across the surface.

‘Don’t look for me. That boy is dead, let’s keep it that way.’

Tim’s heart sank, he didn’t know why it felt like such a blow but it was clear Jason wasn’t interested coming back and certainly didn’t want to reach out to Tim. What was he supposed to do now?

As the message faded from the glass Tim felt a tear slip down his cheek, he quickly reaching up to wipe it away, shit. He turned away from the mirror to press his back against the edge of the counter and tried to suppress these feelings bubbling up in his chest. It felt like there was a knife in his chest as he took in a deep breath to calm himself down.

It was one thing to have his soulmate call him a stalker, which had been fair, when they were younger. It was devastating to feel his soulmate die. So why did this hurt just as much as all of that together? To have this person who he was supposed to be connected to spit that connection back into Tim’s face?

What was he supposed to do now?

“Jason…” Tim whimpered out the name, pressing his hand to his mouth as he started to tremble and begged himself not to cry.

Even before that fateful night, long before finding out Jason was his soulmate, Tim had always found himself drawn to Jason. Looking back it could have been because they were soulmates but there was plenty to like about Jason back then.

Jason was so smart, so dedicated, so kind and just wanted to be the best Robin he could be. He took to the skies like a proper bird, happy and free. He was…magic…

Tim wanted to be closer, to experience the magic that Jason Todd possessed within his beautiful heart.

Tim found out he was bisexual because of Jason Todd, Jason was the first boy he had ever fallen for and losing him had destroyed him on so many fronts. Tim never thought he’d love again and he hadn’t, he had tried to and nothing came close. Not friendships, not romance, not familial connections, it all felt so empty without Jason in the world. His soul was damaged and for what? For Jason to reject him beyond the grave he must have crawled out of?

Tim dropped to the ground, pressing back against the sink cabinet, drawing his knees tightly against his chest as he let out a sob. If this was what it was like to have a soulmate he’d rather had never been given one from the start.

His anguish was interrupted by the soft muffled sound of a buzz. A buzz from a phone, a burner phone he had on hand that was untraceable that only one person had the number to hidden behind the baseboard by his bathroom.

Tim scrambled over to it, prying it off and pulling out the cloth covered phone and looked at the screen. He started at the screen that only said one thing but something out of place caught his eye away from his phone.

‘One New Message Unknown Number’

Where Tim had tossed aside his uniform on the floor before taking his shower was now hanging up.

Hanging up might not be the right word…

Tim opened the message and swallowed slowly.

‘Pray we never meet, stalker.’

Tim’s Robin uniform, redesigned from Jason’s old suit, was held up on the wall from the birdarang penetrating through it right over the R logo. The birdarang was so deep into the wall it was only two or three inches from being half way in.

‘I won’t warn you a third time.’

Tim was seriously thinking that having a soulmate wasn’t supposed to be this complicated.

Chapter Text

This scum wasn’t worth the effort this even took, the bullet that was about to go through his skull was too good for him. This bastard may have taught him a lot about complex hacking but he was also the one funding an extensive human trafficking ring and constantly dipped into the supply of human lives. Getting him out of the picture was a service that Jason was glad to provide.

The muzzle flash shouldn’t have affected his vision, he’s been at this far too long to blink after a discharge but all the same as soon as he pulled the trigger it happened. One moment he was sending this asshole to his maker and the next everything was dark.

His eyes were open though and the darkness persisted, he didn’t understand it or the strange vertigo sensation that suddenly washed over him. It wasn’t until a few seconds of adjusting Jason realized that he wasn’t blind but the lights were off and he was laying down not standing like he was just moments ago.

Jason jerked up and looked around confused, how did he get here? Where exactly was here in the first place?

Jason got up off the bed he had apparently ended up, finding a nightstand next to him and flicked on the lamp, taking in the sight of a bedroom of some kind.

“Wait…” Jason mumbled, the sound of his voice unfamiliar, but it took second for him to understand.

Jason was in Titan Tower in one of the dorm rooms, he remember the layout and design from when he had been a Titan. His breathing picked up as he started to move around, taking in his surrounding with mistrust and confusion. How could he have possibly gotten here? Had just been on the other side of the world.

He turned back to the bed in hopes of more clues and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

12:03 AM

No.

No possible way.

Jason had hoped…prayed that after his death the link would be severed, that his soul was unbound to anyone and anything. He had thought he had freed that stupid little kid going out at night with his camera when the bomb went off, looks like life was still fucking with him.

He looked at his hands, this kid’s hands, they were still pretty small and slender with new callouses and some scars. Jason had a hard time adjusting to the thought they switched again and not only that…his little stalker grew up to be a Titan?

Jason felt like shit, well, this body certainly did, he must have had a long day and a rough one at that. Who would have thought that his little stalker would had grown up to kind of follow in his footsteps, if Jason remembered right he did know that Jason was Robin. Kind of makes a little sense but the kid clearly didn’t have any brains if that’s why since Jason did end up in ground, as brief as that was.

It was a mix bag of feelings and honestly he wanted to get back to his own body, he was in the middle of something and he was sure his stalker was finding that out right now. Probably for the best, more reason for him to learn to stay far away from Jason.

Walking around the dorm room, Jason found the small connected bathroom and wondered if there was something he could use to leave message. When he walked in the first thing he saw was the mirror and his new reflection, it gave him pause.

Damn.

Jason had seen his face a bit before the last time and had thought he was cute then and he had grew up rather pretty despite the new life choices. He was a bit pale and could use a little more sun and put on a few more pounds, but he had such bright blue eyes and delicate face. Something about it nagged the back of Jason’s mind at familiar but of course it would be, he saw it the last time he switched.

It was too bad, maybe if things had been different and they had actually got to meet, who knows what could have happened. They might have been the romantic kind of soulmates, even if the guy was a bit of creepy stalker. Now, though, it could never happen, it would be for the best to forget Jason all together.

Jason reached up to touch his face curiously but stopped short when he saw a familiar scar on his right wrist. Like a jagged drawn sun marring the side of his wrist, this kid had the exactly same scar that Jason had on his actual wrist, how the hell was that possible? What did that mean? How strong was this bond?

He stumbled to the nearby wall to steady himself as the world felt like it was tilting again, it was the dividing wall to the rest of the bathroom and something red on the ground caught his eye. Just when he thought he couldn’t get knocked on his ass more than he’s already had in the last six minutes, he reached down and picked up the suit that had been discarded carelessly.

“No fucking way.” Jason cursed in stranger’s voice, a voice that belonged to his soulmate, the boy that was supposed to be his other half or some bullshit like that and that asshole…stole his suit.

His stalker wasn’t just a Titan, he was fucking Robin?! This was who the universe saddled him with?

Jason felt bile rise in his throat and swallowed it down as he gripped the suit in his hands, the material straining under the pressure but never gave. It wasn’t the same suit, it was new design but it was his mantle and Jason finally knew exactly who this stalker was after all these years.

Tim Drake.

Jason’s soulmate was Tim Drake. Talia had told him all about the kid that took his mantle, his suit and his place only months after he died, barely waited till he was cold before he had been replaced. And that’s who the universe wanted to stick him with?

And what’s worse? Tim knew, he knew they were soulmates and he stole everything of Jason’s as soon as he could, no hesitation or waiting.

“Bastard.” Jason growled.

He found the belt in the crumpled pile and fished out a birdarang, he flicked it open and stabbed the suit into the wall with a soft grunt. Tim didn’t seem to have a lot of strength, how sad for him, wouldn’t do him any good in future than.

Jason moved back into the other part of the bathroom that held the vanity and the mirror, his time was running out and if his message wasn’t clear enough he’d spell it out. He used his finger to write in smudges on the surface of the glass, letting Tim know it would be pointless to do anything with the information he must have gathered during their switch.

The universe could go fuck itself it thought this would change anything, if anything it only fueled the fire of Jason’s rage further.

If he ever laid eyes on Tim Drake, he’d kill him, severe the bond once and for all. Nothing, not even the universe is dictating Jason’s life anymore.

Chapter Text

In the end Tim had decided not to tell Bruce or anyone for that matter what had happened at midnight on his fifteenth birthday. He needed to process it himself before he could even think of talking to Bruce of all people about Jason still being alive.

Jason was such a touchy subject in the house and Tim had learned that the hard way, multiple times. He knows better now and it would be a hard sell at worst, Tim had no proof what so ever that Jason was actually alive. It was his word, really, that they were soulmates and had done the switch.

As far as Tim could gather from his gentle intel collecting over the years, Jason hadn’t told Bruce or Dick about his soulmate midnight. With that being the case it would just sound crazy and Tim didn’t want to deal with the fallout of setting off Bruce’s special brand of rage and despair when it came to Jason.

So Tim kept it to himself, made up a lie about a soulmate dream when his teammates asked and pestered him about it, it was always a hazy dream people had so it was simple to say anything. It wasn’t much of a buzz for more than a few days and it died off forgotten as it would be with any teen soulmate story.

When Tim was alone, though, he worked on trying to track down Jason, going through Talia of course, it was his only real lead. It was difficult, she always covered her tracks thoroughly and getting any idea where she or any League member might be was no easy feat on his own. He felt like he had a foothold one minute only to lose it in the wind the next, it was more than a little frustrating.

It kept him plenty busy though, something to distract him from the fact that Jason, his soulmate, his fate connected person utterly and completely rejected him. The one who had wanted nothing to do with him to the point of threatened violence. Tim couldn’t say for sure if Jason wouldn’t follow through with that. Something told Tim given the small glimpse into Jason’s life, that he would absolutely follow through.

It was something he was trying to avoid thinking about if he could, it was hard enough that his soulmate seemed to despise him but Jason was more than that to Tim. Long before that night they had switched Tim had adored Jason, from the soul bond pull or not, Jason was his first real crush. The way watching Jason fly through the city or how he got lost in a book at school, oh it was such a privilege to watch. How Tim had wanted to have Jason to notice him, to just speak to him and they had never gotten the chance. Tim had been so shy and a bit of a coward back then, he couldn’t work up the nerve to walk up to him at school even after working so hard to be in the same school.

Then Jason had died.

The physical and emotional damage really broke something in Tim and it was something he tried to keep buried deep, because the world kept turning despite the light going out. Bruce started spiraling, Batman was going too far and no one would help and Tim had nothing left to lose, he couldn’t watch his hero go down in flames too. Taking up Robin felt…sick, wrong but Dick wouldn’t go back to it and Batman needs a Robin. So Tim did it against his discomfort and tried his damnedest to live up to Jason, to do him proud and honor him every time he donned the suit.

Tim couldn’t help feeling he had fallen so short if Jason’s display had anything to say about it.

“Dammit.” Tim mumbled to himself, setting down his notebook he had been updating in his complex coded short hand while he as he out in the common area. The rest of the team was either out or doing something else so he had the place to himself essentially.

It had been a month and some weeks since the switch and Tim still couldn’t get his heart to stop aching and accept things how they are. Didn’t seem like it would be happening anytime soon, he just wished things were different. He even had mixed feelings about if it was better or worse really that Jason was still alive.

No, his feelings weren’t mixed on that, he was glad. He’d take Jason hating him over Jason being dead, that had always hurt so much worse.

Tim absently rubbed the scar he normally hid on his wrist, it felt like burn of it was coming back, it did that from time to time. It felt like it was doing it more often this last week or two, he chalked it up everything going on.

In his distraction with his thoughts he almost missed that he was no longer alone in the living room, strange he wasn’t expecting anyone coming back for a while. The steps were silent but with Bruce’s training there was no mistaking it…

Tim tried not to show that he noticed or gone alert, his team wouldn’t be sneaking around even if they were coming back late. An intruder? Seriously? Here?

Slowly, Tim shifted his position to look like he was getting more comfortable but really reaching for his hidden collapsible bo staff he always had on him and his panic button.

“Don’t even think about it.” Quick movement and suddenly there was blade under Tim’s chin, biting into his throat and a hand grabbing his arm.

Tim swallowed slowly, the bob of his throat moving the blade and stayed perfectly still. His assailant pressed against the back of the couch Tim was on, leaning over him and patting him down. He was relieved of his weapons and panic button, they knew exactly where each thing was and that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

“Up.” They said sounding a bit strange, urging Tim up to his feet with the knife guiding him and Tim did as he was told until he knew more about what was going on and when he could find an opening.

Tim stepped around the couch, his back still to the man that had the upper hand and slowly raised his hands up in surrender.

“Don’t be cute.” The deep voice spat and it…it sounded familiar but from where?

The man shoved Tim’s hands back down to twist them behind his back and fitted them with thick zip ties, this was going south fast.

“I told you not to go poking around, but I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else from my little stalker.”

Tim’s blood ran cold.

“Jason…” Tim choked out the name, daring to look back at the man for the first time.

Still no face to see how Jason had changed, he was wearing some strange full head and face helmet in red. The whites of its eyes were narrowed in a glare and he was sure it matched the eyes behind them.

“You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” Jason hissed, his voice coming out vaguely mechanical.

“I…” Tim didn’t know what to say, what to even think, he had not anticipated a confrontation like this and was rendered speechless.

“Shut up!” Jason hissed, pressing the blade firmer against Tim’s throat, the edge biting the skin and he could feel it slice the skin and a bead of blood form and drip. “Why did it have to be you…” Jason said so quietly that the helmet almost kept it to himself. “You are coming with me, you wanted to find me so bad, well congratulations, stalker, you got what you wanted in spades.” He growled in Tim’s ear and despite the voice coming out of a helmet he shivered.

“And if I don’t want to?” Tim asked, feeling a hand around his wrists and grunted as he was jerked around and then herded out the backway toward the stairs.

“Then you don’t get to be conscious on the trip.” Jason said, never once lessening the pressure of the blade. “You call for help, you do anything I don’t like and it’s lights out.”

“If you’re gonna kill me, just do it.” Tim tried to stop but Jason shoved him back into motion, he was like a truck at his back.

“Don’t got any self-preservation, huh, stalker boy?” Jason scoffed.

“Can’t imagine what else this kidnapping is for, it’s not like you’re whisking me away for a romantic getaway.” Tim grunted when Jason shoved him through the door to the stair well.

“Aw, not sweeping you off your feet yet?” Jason said sarcastically. “The universe saddled you with the wrong guy.”

“I think I’ll take being unconscious after all.” Tim muttered as they made their way down the stairs sluggishly, Tim wasn’t about to make this completely easy and carrying dead weight couldn’t possibly be something Jason actually wanted to do here.

“As you wish, Timmy.”

That was the first time Jason had used his name and it distracted Tim enough that he almost missed that Jason had agreed.

The blade left his throat and something else sharp jabbed in his neck and something was injected into his system. Shit, him and his big mouth, for some reason he didn’t think Jason would actually take him up on it!

He clearly had as Tim started to fade in and out, Jason turned him around shoved him back into a wall as they faced each other. Tim wished he could see what Jason looked like now, what kind of expression he was making as the edges of his vision started to fade to black.

“Go to bed, little bird.” Jason commanded.

“Jason…” Tim mumbled as he started to go under, slumping back against the wall, his eyes drooping. “Mm, sorry…I asked the universe to make you my…my soulmate…” His eyes slipped shut and everything went black.

Chapter Text

Slowly awareness comes to Tim and he is sure to not change his breathing or make any movement as much as possible, he couldn’t risk it.

He expected to wake up in a cell, some dingy warehouse closet or maybe in hole honestly. So the last thing he was expecting was to feel familiar hands on him and familiar voices all around him.

“Rob? Rob?” The frantic voice pulled Tim the rest of the way out of the haze he was in. “Tim! Wake up!”

“Kon, stop shouting at him.” An irritated concerned voice demanded.

“Tim!” Kon breathed out relieved when Tim finally opened his eyes even the slightest big, still very groggy. “Dude, are you okay? What happened?”

“Guys!” A rush of wind swept over them as Bart zipped into the room. “I was just-Tim! You’re awake!”

“Kon, let’s bring him to the med bay.” Cassie commanded from behind Kon and she looked over at Bart. “What did you find?”

“Right!” Bart said as he refocused while Kon scooped Tim up in his arms like he was just a couple of grapes. “I checked the cameras…nothing was on them.”

“What?” Kon asked, holding Tim close to his chest and glancing back at the wall that Tim had been slumped against. “Something did this…”

“We will figure that after we get Tim taken care of, let’s go.” Cassie said, shoving each of the boys toward the way to the med bay.

“Alright, alright.” Kon mumbled, sparing the message one last look before carrying Tim to get more checked over, he had already used his x ray vision to make sure nothing was broken and there wasn’t any other injury except the cut on Tim’s neck.

Written on the wall in what looked like blood, too much of it to have been Tim’s, were the words: Another Dead Bird Waiting To Happen.

A chilling message that could be a warning or a promise, not something the team could understand until Tim filled them in on what the hell had happened. Who could possibly have gotten in to their tower unnoticed and not even shown up on the cameras? Who could have gotten their hands on Robin so easily without him fighting back? They had all these questions but they could wait till the most important was answered, was Tim alright?

It took another half hour before Tim felt whatever he was injected with really started to leave his system and he could string a few thoughts together. He knew his friends were worried about him, wanted answers, but so did Tim.

Why did Jason leave him behind? Why did he come just to do this? What was the point, the message? Did carrying dead weight actually mess with his original plan after all? But he had the injection prepared…

Tim ignored his friends’s questions and concerns as he was drowning in his own, was he such a disappointment to Jason he wasn’t even worth kidnapping after all?

“Tim?” Kon asked sounding practically scared as a tear rolled down Tim’s cheek. “Hey, hey, look at me Wonder Boy.” He gently beckoned.

“I…” Tim took in a ragged breath. “I’m not hurt, I’m fine.” He finally answered, wiping his face and looking around, realizing where he was. “I’m fine.” He repeated.

“Are you…sure?” Cassie asked concerned on the other side of Tim’s bed, exchanging worried looks with Bart and Kon.

“I’m fine.” Tim said, pulling off the blanket they had put over him but Kon blocked him from getting out of the bed.

“Dude, I doubt that very much.” Kon said, gently pushing Tim back to the bed. “What hell happened?”

“I…” Tim’s breath caught in his throat, he did not want to talk about it, to explain any of it. “There was…” No, he couldn’t tell them it was Jason, they wouldn’t understand. “There was an intruder, I never saw their face, they were wearing a red mask. The tapes should-“

“They aren’t on the tapes.” Bart piped up. “They looped it or something, cause it doesn’t show you ever moving from the living room or anyone else.” He explained.

“How the hell did someone get in here without our system knowing about it? Who could even do that, this place was designed with Bat tech.” Kon said agitated.

Were…Jason’s codes still in the system? Were they still good? He had gotten in so seamlessly, had gotten the drop on Tim with ease.

“Tim…?” Cassie said softly, gently touching his shoulder and he looked at her and knew he must be looking a sight. “You don’t look good, we should run some tests.”

“Okay…” Tim said, dropping his gaze to his hands in his lap.

“We should tell Batman.” Bart suggested.

“No!” Tim snapped his head up and glared at Bart. “We can handle this ourselves, it’s our tower, our problem.”

“Jeez, alright.” Bart held his hands up. “I was just saying, cause-“

“Let’s just run some tests and figure out what happened.” Cassie cut him off, no need to bring up the message right now. “Tim needs some rest anyway. Let’s get started.”

After running some blood tests and making sure nothing else was wrong with Tim, they let him have some time alone to rest. He was glad for the space, he didn’t want to deal with other people right now even if they were his best friends.

Who could possible understand how he was feeling right now? He couldn’t even reconcile with what had happen, none of it made sense to him.

What did Jason want? What was his plan and why did he change it half way through, it was so clear from the start that he had wanted to take Tim. Had one of the others come back and surprise him? He couldn’t be weighed down?

No answers and drowning in questions and pain, Tim couldn’t help the wave of depression washing over him. His soulmate hated him and just came to rub his face in it, why?

“Why…” Tim mumbled as he curled up on his bed, pulling the covers over his head, trying to resist crying himself to sleep.

Sleep did come for him eventually and when he woke up it was to the second to last person he wanted to see right now and he was going to smack whoever called him.

“Tim!” Dick startled the younger man out of sleep when he burst into the room, rushing to his side.

“Dick?” Tim sat up and grunted as Dick gathered him up into a tight hug like it was his very last chance to do it. “Can’t…breathe…”

“Sorry!” Dick let go, his face painted in worried and devastation. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I have Kryptonite, you know?” Tim ignored Dick in favor of glaring over at Kon leaning against the doorway.

“Use it, bitch.” Kon snorted unconcerned. “He needed to know.”

“Why would you want to hide this from us?” Dick demanded, getting Tim’s attention.

“Because I’m fine and I can handle myself.” Tim insisted, getting out of the bed on the other side and throwing on his hoodie that was nearby and stalked out of the med bay, shoulder checking Kon on the way.

“Handling yourself never ends well for you.” Kon said as he followed after Tim along with Dick not far behind him.

“This isn’t just some random scrap, this happened in the Tower, Tim!” Dick exclaimed, moving around Kon to grab Tim’s wrist. “Someone broke in here and went after you. That’s not nothing.”

“He didn’t do anything, I’m not hurt, we can handle our own problems.” Tim insisted, ripping his hand out of Dick’s grip.

“Do you know who it was?” Dick asked, letting Tim have some space.

“His face was covered.” Tim said, not giving anything away, he could lie to Batman and get away with it, Dick was no different. “I’ve never seen him before and I don’t know why he came here.”

“There has to be more than that.” Dick insisted. “What details do you remember? What did he say?”

“I’ll make a report later, okay?” Tim sighed, rubbing his forehead. “My head hurts, I’m going to my room and I’ll write it up, okay? But I promise, I’m alright, Dick.” He said.

“I don’t think you should be alone.” Dick insisted, taking a step toward Tim as he moved to leave.

“Why?” Tim asked irritated.

“The message, he could come back.” Dick said, getting a little frantic and it wasn’t a surprise to see, he’s already lost one little brother…wait.

“…what message?” Tim asked, looking between Dick and Kon.

“This one.” Kon said, going up to Tim to hand him a tablet.

The picture pulled up was where Tim had been found and above it in red dripping something spelled out some warning, probably for Tim, maybe for Bruce. Either way, it wasn’t going to make things easier to just explain away. Jason, what are you trying to do?

“With this and everything going on back in Gotham, I don’t want you on your own.” Dick said, taking Tim by the wrist gently again and the scar under his touch prickled.

“What’s happening in Gotham?” Tim asked irritated, what was he being left out of now? He supposed it was fair play, he kept things from Bruce, the man didn’t know how to do anything but the same.

“This new character in town is giving B the run around.” Dick sighed, his grip tightening around Tim’s wrist. “He’s bad news, he’s smart, well trained and he’s got some kind of agenda. He’s taken up the old mantle Red Hood and B has been on edge since he’s shown up a few weeks ago.”

“Red Hood?” Kon repeated and looked over at Tim, they locked eyes and Tim knew it was out of the bag now. “The guy had a red mask you said, was it him?”

“What?” Dick whipped around to look at Kon and pulled Tim closer, as if he was in danger now. “Was it, Tim?”

“How would I know?” Tim grumbled. “I don’t know anything about Red Hood.” That was part lie, he remembered the alias as Joker’s old handle, it didn’t really surprise Tim much that Jason picked it up.

Dick let go of Tim to take the tablet and tapped out a few things before pulling up a picture that was sort of blurry and in motion. It was of a man wearing a full head and face red helmet and Tim knew it was Jason instantly, but he still took a moment to look and squint at it.

“Could be.” Tim shrugged. “I didn’t get a good look, he had been behind me with a knife to my jugular the whole time.” He said as he passed the tablet back. “I only saw red covering his face.”

“Did he talk to you?” Kon asked.

“Just told me to not call for help and don’t be stupid.” Tim said. “His voice was mechanical.”

“I think it was Hood…” Dick mumbled, looking pale. “I don’t think you should be out right now.”

“Here doesn’t seem safe either.” Kon snorted.

“I don’t need to hide.” Tim scoffed.

“Could you just let us try to keep you safe, for like once? Huh?” Kon asked with a huff. “We know you can hold your own, no one doubts that, but you almost got taken. Can we at least agree that was a close call?”

“Unless there’s something you’re not telling us?” Dick said with a bit of an edge to his voice.

Tim knew he hadn’t given anything away, even with how distracted he felt right now, but it wouldn’t have been the first time Dick had caught him taking things on his own instead of asking for help. Habits and behavioral patterns were biting him in the ass.

“I’ve told you all I know about it.” Tim said. “I don’t know what he wants, why he did any of it or why he just left me. I just happened to be alone, not paying attention. A lesson learned.”

They weren’t going to let this go, they weren’t going to leave Tim alone after this and there was barely anything he could about it. After something like this, he wasn’t going to be able to do anythi-

Oh.

Oh.

Jason, that son of a bitch.

Chapter Text

“I see you’ve returned with no bird in hand.” Talia drawled as she leaned against the doorframe of Jason’s safe house’s living room where he was holding up currently.

“Things changed, variables occurred.” Jason mumbled as he set down his helmet on a table, not looking at Talia and avoiding her calculating eyes.

Jason’s original plan was to take Tim, keep him and hide him for a good long while. Make Bruce sweat, make him think another Robin got got, but no, stupid asshole had to go and ruin everything by opening his mouth.

Jason had been watching Tim closely since he found out his stalker and his replacement were one and the same, he already planned on it but this just moved up the times tables. He learned the kid’s schedule, where he went, when and with who if it came up. Anything and everything this guy did, Jason knew about it and catalogued it. It was all in preparation for the best time he was alone, vulnerable and good for the taking.

Tim spent a lot of his time at the Tower, however, constantly buried in case work or a notebook desperately trying to work something out. It wasn’t easy seeing much inside the Tower and it wasn’t a risk to make till Jason was ready to make his move.

And make his move he did but it all went sideways in a matter of minutes. Such a brief interaction with Tim and Jason…he just couldn’t do it, he couldn’t find the will to go through with it, so he went to plan B.

If he wanted to send a message and keep this bird out of his hair for a while, he could still manage that.

“You were soft on him.” Talia said, her voice chilling in the accusation. “Why?”

“My reasons and my plans are my own, if it’s what I want to do then I’ll do it. This doesn’t concern you any longer, Talia.” Jason said as he stared down the images of Tim out as Robin splayed across his wall. “I’m doing things my way from here on out.”

“As you like.” Talia sniffed before turning on her heel and leaving him to his thoughts, but he knew she wouldn’t stay gone for long.

Jason never told her the truth about Tim, about what he had learned. That Tim wasn’t just his replacement, that he was also his soulmate. He hasn’t told her about the last switch they had either, no, he couldn’t let anyone know about all of this, it could mess up everything.

No, things had to be this way. He had other bigger things to worry about other than Tim, he had wanted the newest Robin out of the way and what he had ended up doing would be enough.

Anyone able to get into the Tower, get that close to someone and leaving a threat, it would have the bird locked down.

Tim’s team would see to that, maybe even Dickie too, Jason had been watching him too. Dick was always on Tim’s case before all this, a real mother hen. Another thing Tim took from him, his own brother. Dick never doted on Jason like this but he wasn’t sure if it was because of Tim himself or because Dick lost Jason. It wasn’t a subject he wanted to stay on, that wasn’t on his list.

This was about Bruce. This was about the Joker and the fact nothing was done after Jason had been tortured or murdered.

Jason had work to do, plans to put in place and people to rile up, he had it all worked out and now nothing should be in his way. Tim would have never stopped trying to find him, he had come close too many times, thus the visit to the Tower. Nothing could interfere at this stage, he was so close and he wouldn’t let some kid or the universe butt in on his plan.

Jason ripped the pictures of Robin off his wall and threw them to scatter on the ground as he left the living room, he had better things to do. Things to put in motion and people to fuck up, he didn’t have time to dwell on that bastard and what he had said before he passed out. He refused to give it another thought.

Dammit.

Chapter Text

Tim stared up at his ceiling as he lay on his bed, he had managed to talk his way into staying at the Tower for now but it did come with Dick hanging around closely and Kon was monitoring his heart rate like the mother hens they were. It was completely frustrating maintaining a clam and getting lost in his thoughts about what happened during Jason’s visit.

Why had he set up the pretense to take him? To up the danger factor, cause the worry that followed? Or was that ever his original intention in the first place?

Endless questions plagued his mind since the moment he woke up from the encounter. Tim longed to ask the man himself, to see him again and have the chance to just speak to Jason. If he could just attempt some kind of reasoning…

Tim sighed heavily as he scrubbed his face with his hands, feeling the deep churning despair in his stomach as he fought back against it. It was so much to bear and it was starting to wear on him and weigh on his heart.

That had been the very first time they had met, that had been the only time they had gotten to talk and it had gone…so poorly. The first thing his soulmate ever did was hold a knife to his throat, could anything be any more depressing than that? He couldn’t help but feel completely lost and more than a little heart broken by it all, how could he not?

Jason was always more than his soulmate, he had been Tim’s first crush, his first love despite not really knowing him. It never mattered to Tim, it’s how he felt every night he would go out to watch Robin or during school reading under his favorite tree. The sweet boy he watched lost in his studies or protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.

After what Jason must have gone through in that warehouse and whatever followed was of course going to change the boy he only somewhat knew. There was no way it wouldn’t leave him damaged and angry, given that the Joker hardly received punishment for it and able to still inflict harm despite being locked up. Tim had been angry about that too, but he understood why it went the way it had.

Everything flittered through his head, his mind reaching out for answers, for Jason, how badly he wanted to see him again. Even if it went the same, even if Jason was still angry with him. Tim wanted it with everything he was, even as his eyes slipped shut and started to drift into sleep.

He wanted Jason.

Dreams were always a jumbled of different images and thoughts, sometimes there was a series of things like a story or movie. They hardly made sense and he could remember traces of them from time to time if they weren’t nightmares.

This one though…even in the dream Tim thought it was odd how clear things looked and how it felt…real?

The setting was a dimly lit warehouse of some kind, rows of shelves in every direction around him. Some had items or boxes and some didn’t, it didn’t exactly look familiar beyond the several different warehouses he’s been in. The area he stood was like a clearing, an empty space in the center and…

He wasn’t alone.

There was a man with his back to him, well over six feet and broad shouldered. He was wearing a brown leather jacket and grey pants and he was looking around just like Tim had before he turned around. The man was, well, handsome with a strong jaw, black hair with a strange white streak in his bangs and beautiful sea foam green eyes that looked shocked to see Tim.

There was something about that face, those eyes, so familiar but not, that tugged at Tim’s heart strings.

“What the hell is this?” The man demanded and that voice, yes, Tim knew that voice.

“Jason?” Tim spoke breathlessly. “I would be dreaming about you.” He sighed wistfully, though it was interesting how his mind conjured up what he thought Jason might look like now.

“Stop fucking around.” Jason demanded, getting Tim to become confused. “How the hell did this happen?”

“What?” Tim asked, what a pointless thing, it was just a strange vivid dream.

…

Wasn’t it?

“This can’t happen…no one has both.” Jason muttered, looking around. “Is this really just a dream?” He said to himself but then he looked over at Tim curious and on edge.

Were they…sharing a dream? A soulmate dream?

That shouldn’t happen…they did the body swap…both times. They shouldn’t get the dream as well and it wasn’t either of their birthdays, none of it made any sense but Jason was clearly aware. This was not just some dream, they were in the soulmate dream scape together and…Tim didn’t want Jason to know that.

Tim let his gaze wander off in an unfocused way, he wanted to play it like this might have been a dream, he wasn’t exactly sure how to sell it but going against being aware seemed good enough. Jason watched him like a hawk and Tim just swayed a bit in place and didn’t look at him or speak.

“Could be a dream…” Jason muttered under his breath and stalked around the area, opening up the boxes and finding nothing in them and constantly glancing over at Tim who never looked his way.

Tim decided standing here might not be the best, so he just picked a direction and started to mindless wander, but kept Jason in his radar the whole time, wondering what he might do.

Jason tore through several boxes, tossed them and even knocked over a shelf, but all the items just righted themselves seamlessly like any dream would. Jason turned sharply and squared his shoulders when Tim wandered back to the center, not that he had meant to but he stopped to stare up at the only light source. It should be a lamp but it was just this point of light that Tim couldn’t see anything around it.

Tim did his best not to react to Jason coming up to him and waving a hand in front of his face or the way he jabbed into his shoulder. He figured if Jason thought he wasn’t real, he’d be more calm and maybe Tim could learn something.

“Just another one of these.” Jason grumbled, grabbing Tim’s face and forcing him to look at him but Tim’s eyes never met Jason’s. “I can’t keep you out, can I?” He sneered as he let go and turned his back to Tim.

“I don’t know what the universe was thinking, sticking some innocent kid to me…look where it landed him?” Jason smacked a box off the shelf but this time something was in it and it tumbled out.

Tim almost made a noise when he saw it, how could he not? That was his digital camera that he taken so many pictures of Jason with, not Robin, but the boy under the mask.

Jason scooped it up and looked it over before going back to Tim, looking again for something in Tim’s face but was relieved there was nothing and focused on the camera again.

“Stupid thing doesn’t work. Dreams never let things work or make sense.” Jason said and looked Tim in the face again. “Like why you keep showing up in them. Pisses me off.”

Jason dreamed about him? Probably nothing pleasant but didn’t stop Tim from feeling special all the same.

“You…why did it have to be you? Why did you follow me, why did you have to be Robin? Did you learn nothing?” Jason demanded frustrated.

“I-“ Tim cursed, he shouldn’t talk but dreams could talk and it was his only chance right? “I care about you.”

“Shut up!” Jason screamed, throwing the camera to the ground, it shattered before melting away from existence and he turned on his heel to kick over a shelf. “Stop saying that! You don’t care! He…He doesn’t care! He stole everything from me!”

“No, I did it to honor you.” Tim was slowly giving up his act, Jason was talking, it’s what he wanted so badly.

“Honor!” Jason laughed bitterly and didn’t look at Tim. “Nothing changed when I died, no one cared, no one missed me.”

“Dick and Bruce-“

“I said shut up!” Jason screamed and before Tim could do anything Jason tackled him to the ground. “You don’t know anything! Bruce didn’t do jack shit after and Dickie moved on. Then you took my place before I went cold in the ground. I was never important to anyone.” He hissed.

“You were important to me.” Tim said, looking Jason in the eye now, seeing the hurt and the rage in them and it pained him. “You were always important to me.” He insisted, reaching up and holding Jason’s face, swiping his thumb under Jason’s eye to banish a tear.

“This…you…” Jason mumbled, his clouded eyes started to clear from the emotions. “You don’t know me, you never did.”

“I wanted to, I still do.” Tim said honestly, smiling softly even as he knew Jason was starting to realize he was real after all. “You’re my soulmate, I’ll always care about you. Even if you weren’t.”

“You…are fucking insane, aren’t you?” Jason asked as he lifted himself up on to his hands over Tim, looking down at him deciding what to do. “How are we doing this? We can’t have both.”

“I don’t know.” Tim admitted to it all. “I went to sleep wanting to see you, something answered I guess.”

“You should want to stay away from me.” Jason sat up but kept Tim under him between his knees. “I know you know what I’ve been doing in Gotham, what I am capable of doing to you.”

“I’ve heard.” Tim sighed, he decided to stay put, he didn’t want to get into a posturing contest with Jason. “It hasn’t changed my mind.”

“You’re not very smart after all, intel must have gotten it all wrong.” Jason huffed, leaning over Tim and supporting himself on one hand and the other one went around Tim’s throat. “What’s stopping me from killing you next time we meet, huh? Being soulmates doesn’t protect you.”

“If you wanted to kill me you could have at the Tower.” Tim pointed out and felt how Jason flinched around his throat. “Do you want to? Kill me?”

“You don’t sound near worried enough.” Jason muttered.

“You’re avoiding the question.” Tim insisted. “Answer me.”

“I haven’t decided what to do with you.” Jason admitted, removing his hand from Tim’s throat. “Have you?”

“I’m not going to kill you.” Tim said confused.

“You wouldn’t get the chance.” Jason snorted. “I meant, have you decided what you wanted to do with me?”

“Oh.” Tim blinked. “I mean, I don’t, it’s not like I’m your keeper or anything.”

“That’s for damn sure.”

“If you mean if we cross paths, if I’m taking you in or something. I…I don’t know.” Tim furrowed his brows, he couldn’t throw Jason in jail or anything like that. Leaving Jason to what he has been doing, though, wasn’t really an option either. What could he do?

“You got it down that bad for me, huh?” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Yes.” Tim said without hesitation.

“…what?” Jason asked confused and was further so when Tim started blushing. “Seriously…?”

Tim frowned and averted his eyes, that was not something he had meant to admit to but here he was and it wasn’t like he could take it back. He didn’t exactly want to take it back either.

“You don’t know a damn thing about me.” Jason said firmly, repeating himself from earlier and Tim found it interesting.

“I don’t know you now, barely knew you before, but I want to.” Tim answered. “I want to understand, I want to help you.”

“Help me?” Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You mean stop me, I don’t fucking think so. You couldn’t anyways, you didn’t put up a fight at the Tower, you that hung up?”

“I was surprised.” Tim looked up at him with his eyes narrowing. “Not every day you get half kidnapped by your soulmate.”

“Please.” Jason snorted. “Like you’d have done anything else. From what I can tell, you’d just roll over, not what I expected from the new Robin, you don’t live up to the hype.”

“Oh?” Tim asked, pushing himself up onto his elbows, Jason moved back to sit up on him. “Did some stalking of your own?”

Jason glared at him annoyed but didn’t make a move against him. “The stalker became the stalked, does it give you a bitter taste?”

“I’m impressed I hadn’t noticed.” Tim said simply. “Then again, you’ve always been talented.”

“You-“ Jason made a strange little flustered noise and Tim secretly felt very pleased about it. “Flattery won’t keep you safe if we run into each other again.”

“I’ll do my best to live up to the hype this time.” Tim assured him, raising a brow at Jason.

“Oh?” Jason rolled his eyes again. “I have a hard time thinking you would, think you can actually go all out on? Something tells me that’s a hard sell given your attitude.”

Jason moved back as Tim sat up completely, only to get Tim’s face out of his own but then halted to not give up his ground, he wasn’t going to be intimidated just because Tim had a weird thing for him. Jason grabbed the front of Tim’s shirt and Tim calmly wrapped his fingers around his wrist, they couldn’t get all the way around, and Tim locked Jason with a determined and serious expression.

“To not give you everything I got, to show you how much I’ve been living up to your mantle, how I’ve chosen to honor you, that would be disrespectful.” Tim said. “I won’t hold back for even a second.”

Jason just stared at Tim as he processed this because he one hundred present believed him and the idea of Tim being a worthy opponent wasn’t exactly his first thought. Oh he wanted to test it, for sure, but what he couldn’t stop thinking about was how…enticing Tim seemed in that moment.

Which pissed him off.

This kid was starting to mess with his head and get him off track, it’s why he put the bird under house arrest. Why he had planned to take him in the first place…probably best he hadn’t. If Tim could play mind games like this in a dream who knows how more effective it would be in person?

“I’d want nothing less.” Jason eventually said, searching Tim’s face and didn’t see signs of deception or anything other than the truth of his words. “Not scared?”

“Of losing?” Tim scoffed this time.

“I could kill you, if I felt like it.” Jason said. “If I feel like you’re annoying enough to get rid of, not a lot is stopping me.”

“You bark pretty loud for someone who has a bite.” Tim said, tilting his head and laughing a little as Jason made a very disgruntled noise. “You can threaten all you like, but till you try to follow through I don’t see the point.”

“You are a fucking idiot.” Jason growled. “There’s no point doing anything here, this isn’t real.”

“You’d do something otherwise?” Tim asked.

“Yes.” Jason said like a promise but it felt empty and they both knew it and for some reason it finally came to Jason’s attention that he was still just sitting in Tim’s lap and he got up quickly, stalking away from him.

“Jason?” Tim asked, getting up to his feet as well but didn’t follow after. “How did you…survive?”

“Survive?” Jason scoffed, glaring back at him. “I didn’t.”

“Then…how…what…you’re alive now?” Tim asked confused, millions of questions forming.

“I’m not doing this with you.” Jason sneered, looking around and ignoring Tim in favor finding a way out of this dream, he had more than enough of this now.

“Why haven’t you told Bru-“ Tim was caught off as he ducked a box Jason threw at him. “Well that’s just rude.”

“Shut up.” Jason ordered. “I am done with this, I’m leaving.”

“Oh? And how do you plan to do that?” Tim asked, looking around and nothing about their surroundings had changed. “We don’t even know how we got here.”

“You made a wish and the universe answered.” Jason mocked but then looked over at Tim with a hateful look. “They must like you.” He spat.

“I don’t think so.” Tim frowned, absently rubbing his wrist to soothe the scar the universe gave him, it had not been a gift.

“You are strange…” Jason said as he came back to where he left Tim. “We shouldn’t be able to have a soulmate dream after we did the switch, that’s unheard of.”

“What’s that have to do with me? Like I haven’t asked to speak with you before? We never did it any other time.” Tim argued and moved back when Jason tried to grab at him.

“Good, you should be scared.” Jason smirked a little but didn’t follow after Tim, instead he pulled up his right sleeve and revealed their matching scar on his own wrist. “How the hell did you get that?”

“I…” Tim felt like the world dropped out from under him as he stepped closer to see, yes, it was identical, but there was no way. How on earth could that be? “I…got this…when you died.” He said, looking up at Jason’s eyes that widened.

“When you died, I felt it.” Tim explained as Jason looked more bewildered. “I felt the heat of fire on my skin, I was hit by some invisible force and throw right across my room. When I got to the hospital they told me I had burns all over, that I shouldn’t be alive but then they started to fade. The doctors said when someone’s soulmate dies the other would know…it felt like dying…” Tim swallowed as he tentatively reached out, just grazing Jason’s scar with his fingers and it felt the exact same, he’d know it anywhere. “But they had never known a case of the cause of death to show up on the other person. My parents and the doctor kept it quiet, no one else knew my soulmate had died, it would be so scandalous and strange, my parents didn’t want the attention.”

“That…” Jason swallowed shallowly. “That shouldn’t happen…what’s so special about you? I just don’t get it…”

“Me?” Tim looked up into Jason’s troubled eyes. “You’re the special one, Jason, look at you. You came back to life…you didn’t let it keep you and broke your way back to it. You’re amazing…magic.”

Jason went still and Tim felt unsettled by the steely look in Jason’s eyes, he probably shouldn’t have said that but it’s what he always thought about Jason.

“They say…” Jason started, reaching down for something on his person. “That if a person dies in their dream, they always wake up.”

Before Tim could do or say something, Jason’s knife was back at his throat like it had been before as he grabbed him again. Tim looked at Jason with longing, he didn’t want this to end but Jason decided against it and slit Tim’s throat with a quick smooth motion of a practiced hand.

Back in Tim’s bed, he shot up gasping and grabbing his neck with panic and fear blaring in his veins but there was no cut other than the nick from Jason’s actual knife and no blood eitheer. It didn’t stop Tim’s hands from checking over and over again until he slowly got a hold of himself and threw off his blankets.

He turned on the lights in his bathroom and checked, he had to, it felt a little too real in that dream scape and he cursed as he checked his reflection.

“That’s…going to be hard to explain…” Tim said to his reflection as his fingers ran over a scar that had not been on his throat before, it was exactly where Jason sliced.

Once again Jason found a way to leave his last mark on Tim, as if the ones on his heart weren’t enough.

Chapter Text

Jason had been careful, did his homework and his due diligence when it came to his next objective that felt like it couldn’t be put on hold. It was long overdue time to learn more about the recent thorn in his side, it felt like he had barely scraped the surface when Talia handed him a file on one Timothy Jackson Drake. It felt light to him now, now that he knew Tim was more than the next Robin or the boy that took his place. Oh no, there was more to this kid and Jason planned to get to the bottom of this mystery.

That’s why tonight he was breaking into the old Drake Estate in hunt for more clues about the boy that could invade his dreams and turn his plans upside down. The fact it was only a few miles from Wayne Manor made him itch but he pushed it aside as he disarmed a security system far too advanced for anyone but a Bat to install. He wasn’t surprised, in fact he was impressed that Tim bothered to set it up in a house he hardly visited since his parents had died.

Jason isn’t completely certain when he last time Tim last occupied this room or the last time he even visited it, but going by the dust it had certainly been a while. He wasn’t worried about being discovered, Tim was still under watch by his team and Dick, Jason had checked making this move. He was also confident that he hasn’t tripped anything and if there was something he missed it wasn’t going off and it wasn’t something Tim could do much about either way.

So he moved through the room to start his search, putting himself in the mind set of what he understood of the current Robin the best he could. Trying to think like him and decide where Tim might hide something secret even if Bruce or anyone else probably never set foot here before or after it was more or less abandoned.

Jason checked all the obvious and cliché places first and found very little, maybe even a decoy or maybe Tim really was hiding salacious girly mags between his mattress and box spring. Tim was a young teen, Jason reminded himself, so he didn’t discount it completely, as useless to him as it was, they weren’t anything special. It looked like the first one you’d see on a rack in a gas station, which is the biggest reason Jason discounted it as decoy.

If someone did go snooping around and if you knew they would, planting something that’s expected to find would likely get them to stop before finding a real hiding spot since they were given something to find. It’s something Jason had done before himself, so he kept searching.

The next suspicious place was loose board well under the bed, which was little obvious and over used, but he checked it anyway and this time he found a pack of cigarettes with three left in the pack. Next to it he found another magazine similar to the first, a collection of what you’d think a growing boy might hide. It was almost comical because Tim was so far from the type to do these things that if they were believed by whoever found them were morons.

“Nice try kid.” Jason muttered to himself as he reached in further, knowing there had to be more than just this.

He felt around the underside of the planks and deep down with his arm more than half way inside, he felt something taped to the top.

Jackpot.

Jason pulled it free and looked it over, it was a typical looking notebook for school with nothing written on the outside and the first few pages looked like school notes. He was thinking it was another decoy till he got further in and saw something that looked like a diary entry tucked in the corner of some English notes.

‘First day here and it kind of sucked. I knew it would, no one liked me being smart at my middle school, so it was only worse here and the Drake name doesn’t carry much.’

Jason hummed, thinking of bagging this and moving on with his search but he was a little curious and kept on reading.

‘It was worth running into ‘him’ during lunch.’ The I in ‘him’ was dotted with a little heart like some love sick middle school girl would. ‘I thought he’d be taller.’

“Bitch.” Jason groused.

‘But he’s sooo handsome in person! I, of course, made a fool of myself in front of him instead of introducing myself. I tripped and landed in my tray, the whole quad laughed. It’s middle school all over again. BIG SIGH.’ Jason snorted, he vaguely remembered a kid doing that but it was hazy at best. ‘He didn’t laugh at me though, he helped me up and glared at the other kids to shut them up, but left right after that. It was something, it’s just the first day!’

Jason shut the book and shoved it in his backpack that he brought to collect dirt on this kid and looks like he found something good. He kept looking for more, he needed to learn everything about Tim that he could without getting too close to the source.

He found another note book even further into the hiding spot under the floor. Jason found a hiding place behind a base board close to the floor hidey hole, one would think it would far away and that’s why he looked closer. Opposite thinking seemed to be the way to go when he found the hole that could easily fit Tim’s small hand but Jason would have trouble getting past his wrist.

Jason had to use a camera scope to see if there was anything worth trying to get into the space and he found something very interesting an arm’s length away. Jason couldn’t reach it by hand but his scope had a small grabber and managed to latch to the strap of the small digital camera and dragged to him like pulling in a fish.

He could hardly believe it, it was the same camera he had held during their first switch and in that dream that they shared. It was surreal to have it in his hands again and he would have thought Tim would keep this closer to him, since it was such a secret. It went without saying that he had put it in his bag.

Jason thoroughly swept through Tim’s old room till he was satisfied with everything he collected. A few books that looked suspiciously familiar, different books that had writing in it some in code, the camera of course and the last thing he had found of interest was a hidden flash drive. He would look through everything once he was back in his safe house and he was sure there was plenty to find out from what he obtained.

He reset the room to the exact condition he had found it in and left the way he had come, replacing the security system and taser traps. It wasn’t like he left no trace with how much dust he had disturbed but Jason did his best to cover it what exactly he did inside. In the end though, it didn’t really matter if Tim found out or not, there wasn’t a whole lot the bird could do about it.

Jason’s focus right now was learning more about Tim Drake and he had a feeling what he collected was about to tell him a lot.

Chapter Text

Jason had figured that the random way that Tim used to journal, or whatever he was doing for recording his sporadic thoughts, was spread across a few of the notebooks he had found. Some were in a code that Jason cracked after a little time, it wasn’t simple but it was tricky and grew more difficult as it went to later dates. Most of the entries were tucked in corners or in between school work to mask over them.

After getting things like that sorted out Jason was able to compile things in chronological order and was ready to get some more in sight to his little stalker. He had been curious just how much Tim actually followed after him and knew about Jason before they had switched. He had no idea how unprepared for that he was about to be.

‘Today I had tried to go talk to Him and…I didn’t even get ten feet near him before I chickened out. How am I supposed to talk to a guy I know so much about and NOT act like I do? He’d think I’m weird…’

What a promising start, Jason thought with a snort before sipping the tea he prepared for his research session.

‘J seems to really like sitting under the same tree under lunch every day, he’s always there eating and reading his books. He doesn’t seem to talk to many other kids, don’t know why, he’s wonderful.’ There was something after that that was heavily scribbled out that Jason couldn’t make out, the original marks not deep enough.

‘It’s funny taking pictures of him in this kind of setting, I can’t use my good camera at school but I was able to on my little camera. Plus there are some interesting parts of the buildings that I like. I kind of wish there as a photography club, that could be fun. Not that I could share my best photos to anyone.’

Hm, Tim seemed to keep those photos hidden a lot better than his other things, Jason didn’t find a trace of any photos from Tim’s nighttime activities when searched his house.

‘Sometimes I go take pictures even if I know they won’t be out, even when it’s not night time and they wouldn’t be out. It better than’ This entry suddenly just ends and it was left in a corner and almost completely covered with math problems from class.

‘I’ll be 13 soon! Man, just two years after that!’

‘I don’t care about soulmates, what’s so great about them?’ There were a few little doodles around this one, some kind of a cartoon demon or something with a frowning face.

‘I don’t want one, everyone at school talks about it because they are all getting their dreams or will soon. What’s so great about it? You don’t get to choose!’ There was a weird smudge near this entry before it started again below. ‘It’s dumb but if it’s not him...I don’t want one. No one can match his magic~’

Jason frowned down at the page, had he really said shit like that that much back then? That Tim had overheard it at some point? It gave him a strange feeling in his stomach to hear Tim call him magic…

‘Tim Todd’ ‘Timothy Todd’ ‘Jackson Todd’ ‘Tim Drake-Todd’ ‘Timmy Todd’

There were several different variations of Tim’s name and putting Todd on the end all of them. All of it was surrounded with hearts and flowers and such little doodles, it looked more like the book of a love sick middle school girl. It certainly was not something that Jason was expecting, he had suspected it might been more than stalking but not…whatever this was, had Tim really want to…?

Jason flipped through the pages towards the later entries that got a bit more sporadic and more coded, Tim finally starting to hide things and cover his tracks.

‘He turns 15 soon, I want to do something for his birthday! I got him a book I think he might like but…I don’t know how to give it to him, he doesn’t even know I exist. I could put it in his locker? I haven’t decided.’

‘D is in town! He picked up J after school today! He’s so cool, I can’t remember the last time I had seen him around since he doesn’t go to parties anymore but neither do I since’ There was another set of scribbles to what looked like a few sentences but again it wasn’t legible. ‘I bet having a brother is nice, J is lucky.’

‘Didn’t go to school today.’ The entry looked like there would be more but it was covered with doodles and some stickers, Jason wasn’t even sure there was writing underneath or not. Removing the stickers would just tear the paper so it wasn’t worth the effort to really check.

The next entry was the only one Jason was expecting or at least one he would know what it was about to a certain extent and from what’s he’s learned so far it didn’t surprise him much.

‘SOULMATES! WE ARE SOULMATES!’ That’s all it said, over and over again. It filled a few pages and some were traced over several times, some were in different colored pens and Jason could feel the giddiness coming off the page.

Jason was not expecting anyone to be this excited at being sacked with him of all people. Tim clearly was and then some from the sound of it and it was more than fan behavior, more than hero worship which was all hard enough to understand why Tim picked Jason to aim any of that towards in the first place.

It made what Tim said back at the tower have a different kind of punch now, it wasn’t a jab…it was an apology. Jason had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t happy being saddled with Tim. Jason had wanted to hurt Tim and he supposed he did in the end.

That thought didn’t sit well with Jason and he pushed it aside to keep reading, to keep learning…as if he needed to at this point but he was, well, curious.

The next few entries were normal, for Tim anyway, more excitement of being soulmates. There was some fear that Jason was not as happy and would be looking for him now. Tim had taken some time from school to avoid that confrontation. He had even gotten the nerve to go to the Manor to leave the book gift in the mailbox at the end of the drive, somehow Tim knew where the cameras were and stayed off them. That had been rather…impressive.

Jason had wondered who had left that for him, but it wasn’t exactly on his mind much at the time. Things were getting prickly with Bruce and he was on his way to Ethiopia just a little while after that.

The next page was kind of warped and looked like it water damaged or maybe….they were tears? The entries were messy and scattered all over the place and traced over with swirls and some half hearted scribbles.

‘I hurt so much…’

‘There were burns all over’

‘It can’t be real, it can’t be real. Everything is fine, everything is fine.’ The words were repeated like he was doing chalkboard punishment in detention.

It was in the next to last book that Jason had from the order he had figured out and in the middle of the rambling writing and school crap that was meant to cover the coded entries was the rest of what had been happening to Tim.

‘I thought I was dying, it felt like dying’ There was a scribbling over the words ‘I wish I had’ but it wasn’t as covered and hidden as the others. ‘I had been putting away my photos I had just developed, just stood up when I was knocked across the room. There was this heat and pressure that seared all over my skin, my lungs hurt like I was breathing in the sun.’

Jason paused reading with his hands clenching the notebook too tight, the experience sounding a little too familiar and it was making his wrist itch but he took a breath and pressed on.

‘I woke up at the hospital covered in burns and even bleeding a little, my parents were screaming at doctors, it was so loud and my ears were already ringing. They got me in a room and my body hurt all over but nothing was broken. The burns even started to fade away in front of the doctor, the pain didn’t go away at all though.’

‘They told my parents they had only ever seen something like this, on a smaller scale, on people that have’

There was a huge part of the page that was scribbled out even though there were clearly no words underneath. There were a few rips in the paper that were taped back together and the entry continued on the other side.

‘He can’t be dead, he can’t be! But I feel it. I feel empty and alone, more than I ever have before. It’s like there was always something there that made things easier but it’s cold…and empty.’

There were more angry looking scribbles that tried to cover the next entry, the drag marks of the pencil illustrating the anguish of a grieving boy. It wasn’t completely covered and Jason could make out the words:

‘He’s gone.’

The next few pages were more scribbles, some sort of not really doodles and some stamp marks that couldn’t be made out from how they overlapped all over the pages.

‘Doctor said it shouldn’t do anything more to me’ The next entry switched to something robotic, just writing to keep a record. ‘My parents made sure the doctor could never legally talk about this with anyone, even got rid of my paper work for the night I was there. It would embarrass the family that my soulmate was gone, all image and no substance. All the burns disappeared except one on my wrist that I will have forever I think, it’s all that I was left with.’

‘It was his funeral today.’ The words were light like Tim was barely able to hold the pencil and the words were slanted and sloppy compared to his regular handwriting.

‘I did something dumb today.’

Both entries were dated the same day but there was nothing else for the date anywhere Jason could find and it was never mentioned anywhere again and it didn’t exactly sit well with Jason. There was something he was starting to pick up from Tim’s journal that he really wasn’t liking.

‘It’s been a few months and everything just keeps getting worse, why is everything just worse? The light of Gotham has gone out I guess.’

‘B is getting…bad. I understand but what he’s doing, that’s not who he is, that is not the man that started saving Gotham.’

‘Someone almost died…’

‘I feel sick, I feel sick and I want’

The entries that don’t finish gave Jason a bad feeling like he was reading a novel and left in suspense that he would get no satisfaction for.

‘I did something stupid today, but I had to, it was the only way. I went to Blüdhaven to talk with D but he was not helpful. B needs a partner, he needs R and he is so lost but so is D. D refused to go back and I guess I understand but what else is there?’

‘I did the worst thing possible. I threw up just a few minutes ago, I still feel completely sick. I wore a dead boy’s uniform and did what I had to do but I wish I didn’t have to. B needs an R and I don’t want to be that but no one will listen to me. I can’t lose another hero, I just can’t.’

Jason gripped the book tighter.

‘B hates that I’m here and that’s fine. I just need to get him to come back to himself. I’ll do that, get him a real R and leave. It’s fine.’

‘I don’t know how D and J did this! B is relentless and I’m pretty sure he’s this hard on me to get to quit. If he would get a real R I would be happy to but he doesn’t even want me. I can’t quit yet, have to stay until things change. I have to do this for J’s memory at least.’

Jason had to set the notebook down and sit back in his chair to absorb things, it was getting far more complicated than he had first realized. It was so different from what he had come to understand and it was messing with his thoughts and his ideas for the future. Shit.

‘I was out tonight and I…I saw Him. I knew I wasn’t all there anymore, but now I’m seeing things, hearing things. Maybe he’s haunting me? I took his name and his job, but when I saw Him he encouraged me not give up…I want to believe he’s glad I’m helping. I don’t know.’

Jason felt sick.

‘I dream about Him every night now, I decided to maybe just avoid getting too much sleep. It hurts too much. It feels so terrible being cut off in the first place. J I want to be where you are.’

‘I’m starting to get the hang of things a little bit, I’m starting to really get this. I am keeping B in better check, less people are going to hospital. A is getting worried about me though, I don’t think he believes my lies like B does.’

Jason’s stomach dropped.

‘Benched again. It’s just a break, I can still go out. It’s not important, B gets out of control so what, that’s why I am here to get in the way.’

‘Benched again.’

‘Back out and kept more people safe. Saw J again but I did hit my head this time, can’t tell if I’m losing it or just that. Doesn’t really matter.’

The kid was getting more and more detached with each entry and it would be extremely worrying to anyone watching out for Tim but…Jason was starting to think no one was doing that.

‘D dropped by today. It’s good and bad when he’s here, he and B have a lot of friction. Working on it but getting them to actually talk it like pulling teeth.’

‘Got called J, again, for the millionth time. I don’t need them to say my name but anything but that one.’

The dates suddenly jumped like either Tim stopped recording his thoughts or did it somewhere else for a long while, it was hard to tell. Given what Jason could gleam so far he was sure it was nothing good that was having this happen.

‘I’m getting the chance to do more finally, it’s been months on the job and I’m actually feeling good about it. I have been feeling a bit better overall lately, more focused and driven. The training is easier to endure, the job is feeling smoother. It’s good I think, it’s nice.’

‘B is settling I think, he’s less destructive and everyone is seeing is a difference.’

‘I really get it, some nights I feel it too. The magic. The way I can fly now, He was right and I hope to carry that magic with me if for nothing else but for Him.’

Jason frowned a bit as he read the last few ones again and checked the dates. Well, isn’t that something?

The entries where Tim was taking a better turn, that was just after the time Jason woke up in his coffin and dug himself out of his grave. The connection reestablished and helped with something clearly broken in Tim.

Jason knew that soulmates were a connected thing, that it was a system made, supposedly, to help balance people. Once one of the soulmates dies, it was common for the one that survives to lose touch and crumble. Some could pull themselves together and push on, but those were adults that had the connection for years and had the life experience to handle something like that. Tim was a kid and, from the sounds of it, not a very connected one to start with so when Jason died it was obvious it was a little bit more than something metaphorical that died in Tim too.

The entries petered out after that, started to be just a line or two that all talked about how busy things were getting. It clearly made things harder to keep up with a journal.

The longest entry after that was something about how Tim lost his mother and his father fell into a coma. It was just about then that they stopped all together or they simply were written and kept somewhere else. Jason knew that Tim’s father was later murdered, but Tim’s thoughts on the matter was held some place Jason wasn’t likely to find but he felt like he had learned a great deal.

The journal entries swirled around in his mind as he closed and stacked them to put aside. The things Tim had gone through, they couldn’t have been easy and it was hard to hold on to the anger and hate Jason had carried when he had first came back to Gotham.

It certainly threw a wrench into things, not everything, but there was need for course correction.

Chapter Text

Still processing the things he’s learned and Jason hasn’t even gotten to the books Tim had clearly stolen from Jason’s old room at the Manor or whatever was on the camera and flash drive. He wasn’t sure he wanted to look after everything he’s already seen, what more did he really need to know?

Jason pushed the thought aside, he did all this to get more intel and he was going to finish it. So he decided to start with the camera first so he picked it and found it functioning.

It was strange to hold this in his own hands now in the real world, it felt so surreal. He had first had his hands on this during their switch going through all those pictures little Tim had taken of him at school and he hadn’t gotten to see to the end so he had been curious what the rest held.

Jason frowned after he turned it on and found the SD card empty, either it wasn’t the same one or it was wiped clean. That just left the flash drive then but Jason kept the camera in hand as he booted up a burner laptop to use to see what’s on the drive. Jason was in the know enough that over the years Tim had gotten very tech and code savvy, if this had some virus or trap built in, he wasn’t using one of his actual computers.

The drive had a few files on it and nothing seemed to happen so far so Jason worked on opening them. They were all encrypted but Jason knew a thing or two himself about tech and got to work on cracking them open. One was far more of a task than the rest so he decided to focus most of his efforts while a program he was running decoded the others in the background.

The other files opened a few minutes later while Jason was still trying to figure out this one file that was locked down tight. He decided to leave it to the automatic programs while he went through the other files he did crack.

It was the photos from the digital camera in one file, all backed up on the drive, there were the pictures he had seen the last time and further down the line were ones he hadn’t gotten to before. There was more from the school, some of just things and people around and some of Jason again. Past that was from the point of view from a plane, then some landscapes before getting to some kind archeological dig site. Another shot of Tim’s shoes, he seemed to do that a lot, but now he was wearing work boots covered with dirt and there were adults either walking past or just nearby.

There was one finally with Tim actually in it, it was interesting seeing Tim from the age they done the switch. He was sandwiched between two older people, his parents no doubt, they all had their faces squished together and either Tim’s mom or dad had to be holding the camera to take the picture. Tim’s face was lit up with a bright smile while Janet was smiling and Jack was in the middle of talking. It was a cute little family picture but something about it didn’t blend with the journal entries he had read but Jason couldn’t be too sure about it since Tim didn’t actually talk about his parents much.

The new few pictures were more of the dig, a few of them of Tim’s parents, no more of Tim in them and then it was back in Gotham again. The other files had similar things, just pictures of people and places that Tim went, some at school some at those high society galas Bruce used to drag Jason to before. Most of them weren’t that interesting, they might have meant something to Tim but not to Jason. These clearly weren’t going to have any of the ones from the night life Tim clearly used to take pictures of as Jason had discovered during their first switch.

The program finally unlocked the final file and Jason frowned puzzled why there were only a handful of things in it.

The first picture was something he recognized, it was the picture he himself had taken when he was in Tim’s body. The slightly blurry selfie with a crooked smile, it was strange that Tim had bothered keeping it. Though, after what Jason learned, he supposed he did know why now, kid had a weird obsession.

The second picture was blurry picture of maybe legs? The time stamp on the picture said it was the same night, right after the selfie he had taken, an accidental snap shot maybe? Why would Tim want to keep that? Just because Jason took it? This kid was so strange.

The last thing in the file was another selfie of Tim, but this time it was far more clear and it was again from the same night. Tim looked complete flush, it had to have been after he ran all the way home so Jason couldn’t chase after him. Despite looking a bit rough, Tim was smiling so brightly from ear to ear, looking happier than anything in the world. Tim was using one hand to take the picture and the other was clutching the front of his hoodie, right over his heart and the message was clear, this was the best day of Tim’s life as far as Tim was concerned.

These three things were behind the toughest firewalls and the most encrypted, they were his most precious secrets and prized pictures. Two taken by Jason in Tim’s body and the way Tim felt at the end of the switch, it was clear to Jason now.

It sprung forth the thought of their first actual meeting, meeting the man Tim thought was long dead and gone now holding a blade to his throat. The threat of violence instead something soft that Tim must have hoped for and the rejection more clear than ever. To have the other part of your soul tell you that you weren’t enough, the sting it had to have caused.

‘Mm, sorry…I asked the universe to make you my…my soulmate…’

That no longer felt like the insult Jason had taken it as when he first heard it. After reading the journal, actually learning something about Tim, it was a simple acceptance of Jason’s rejection.

Dammit.

Chapter Text

Hiding this new scar wasn’t all that difficult, any effort would be worth it to not have to come up with an explanation how he got it. Tim’s been covering up scars for a few years now that this was old hat, no one should be able to tell unless they touched it and he wasn’t letting anyone near him right now.

The last thing he wanted right now was company, Tim was too lost in his thoughts and questions. Sharing a soulmate dream should only happen on the midnight of your fifteenth birthday and it was always hazy. There was only a little bit of detail and memory left when you woke, just enough for when you saw your soulmate in person you’d know them and remember the dream.

What Tim and Jason shared, that was something else completely. It was vivid, detailed, lucid and felt almost real. It was like they were really in a room together, so close and yet miles apart. It was an unheard of experience from all the research Tim had done on soulmates after he learned Jason was his. There was no other case he’s come across that was out of the usual setup for soulmates, even the ones that switched bodies.

Jason was one of a kind, special in every way, there had to be something about him that led to this change. The way he died and came back was Tim’s guess, he knew nothing about it but it had to be that. People didn’t just do that, after all.

Jason coming back, looking older, it made Tim wonder how long he’s been alive. How long has he just been stewing in the rage inside him now? Why hadn’t he come back to the flock? Or reach out to Bruce or at least Dick?

The amount of questions Tim had could fill a book and Jason didn’t seem interested in giving him any answers. Only biting words and new scars it seemed.

Tim didn’t know how to reach Jason, to get him to understand that Tim just wanted to be a part of his life and…and…

Well, Tim didn’t really know, realistically, what he wanted with Jason. Things had become so complicated to say the least and both of them have changed so much since the first switch. All Tim knew for sure was he wanted to know Jason, finally actually know him but he seemed as out of reach as he had when they were children.

Tim tried to let go of his feelings, come at this rationally and move on from his childhood crush…but it didn’t work in the slightest. It was a fool’s errand carrying this torch for someone that clearly scorned him. One would think that getting his throat slit by the man of his dreams, somehow figuratively and literally now, would squash all notions of romance, but it didn’t and here he was pining.

He felt so stupid even thinking about anything soft between them but puberty wasn’t exactly doing him any favors now that Tim’s seen what Jason looks like now. Jason was handsome and really grew up well, it was hitting all of Tim’s points of attraction. Most of which he hadn’t even been aware he had had, what a way to find out.

Dwelling on all of this was not productive and being cooped up in the tower wasn’t much help either. He barely left his room because he was avoiding Dick and all his questions, he could lie and get away with it but he didn’t like lying to Dick. He was starting to feel completely trapped, just a like a bird in a cage, a thought that made him snort with a mix of amusement and irritation.

Tim had made two escape attempts already but each time he had gotten caught and lectured which was enough to get him to give up on the idea. He had thought once when Kon was out on some mission he could manage it, but Dick invented breaking out on lock down, as he claimed when he caught the young Robin. There was no getting past Kon when Dick had left to give Bruce a hand with something, not with his super senses.

So being trapped in a cage wasn’t far off.

“Hm?” Tim perked up from where he was working at his desk and had heard a faint buzz coming from near his bathroom.

That…couldn’t be…

Tim cautiously moved him to his hidey hole behind the base board by his bathroom; he removed the board and reached inside just in time for the burner phone he hid in there to vibrate again.

‘I think it’s time to do a face to face.’ The first message read, it was from the same number that Jason had originally threatened Tim to stay away.

‘Don’t worry about big bird, he’s gonna be busy with the Bat, meet me by midnight.’ The second message read and included a set of coordinates, it was one of the empty abandoned warehouses by the docks.

Tim bit his lip as his heart started to beat a little faster and he quickly tried to get it under control before Kon decided to check on him.

‘And if I can’t get out because of your little stunt?’

‘Then you aren’t as good as you put on.’

Tim frowned at the phone irritated reading that, it provoked him in responding quickly, Tim wanted answers and he was going to get them.

‘I’ll be there.’

Time to get to work.

Since Dick was indeed out and distracted back in Gotham at the time and Kon and the team were dealing with something out of the tower, it really was the perfect time to make a break. Kon probably thought Dick was around and vice versa, looks like it was time for this bird to get back to the skies.

~ ~ ~

The distractions on both fronts did work in Tim’s favor, he was certain neither of his keepers were aware of his escape and since this had started Tim had been on working on something to hide his vitals from Kon’s Super hearing. He wasn’t sure it was working or if Kon just wasn’t checking in on him, either way he was going to continue as if it was doing it’s job.

Tim took his motorcycle to the meet, after removing any tracers and trackers that had been added to it. Tim could appreciate all the extra detail the people in his life put into protecting him but even this felt like over kill. Even if they were clearly right to do as he made this break for it to go so into something that was likely to be a very stupid move on his part.

He needed answers and only one person held them, so the risk was going to just have to be worth it. Tim could hope for a calmer interaction but even in his personal misguided crush delusions he knew it wasn’t likely. Jason wasn’t the same boy Tim used to follow and worship, he was coming to terms with that and had to adjust accordingly, he wasn’t willing to die for a childhood crush after all.

At the docks Tim did a good and thorough sweep of the area and didn’t find any traps or explosions, something he’s been reading Red Hood seemed rather fond of setting. So with that putting his mind a bit at ease for now, Tim went inside to the exact meeting place with minutes to spare and settled into wait for whatever Jason wanted to talk to him about.

While Tim was going through all the potential topics that Jason might want to discuss with him, his senses perked up despite no sound or visual change occurred. Just something in the air felt different and there was that buzzing itch around his right wrist that he couldn’t help but rub to settle the sensation.

“Happens to you too, huh?” Tim whipped around, braced and posed to defend with his bo staff as he heard a mechanical voice behind him. “It started up just before I got outside, I guess I’ve got a little built in bird tracker.”

Tim slightly lowered his bo staff, not too sure it was a good idea to let his guard down any further than that, he wasn’t going to let his personal feelings get in the way this time. He had almost got taken the last time he saw Jason in person and this time things were going to go differently.

“Must be a bonus.” Tim said with a slight shrug, he had wondered if it was an actually thing as well and now that was confirmed.

“Seems we have quite a few.” Jason mused as he stepped out of the shadows and Tim tried to force his lungs to function properly and stop catching his breath in his throat at the figure Jason cut now.

Jason was suited up from steel toed boot to the helmet on his head, a red bat splashed across his chest in a clear mock of Batman mixed with the Red Hood persona he had stolen. It was an interesting look and it clearly told a story of a man armed and ready to take down anyone that got in his way from the guns strapped to his thighs and the weapons that must be hidden from view.

“So what do you want?” Tim asked, holding his ground as Jason crossed the center of the warehouse toward Tim, the layout was completely different and far more bare but the dream they shared flashed in his mind all the same.

“And here I thought you’d be more excited to see me.” Jason playfully sneered, stopping just out of Tim’s striking range. “You’re the one who’s been eager to find me all this time, after all.”

Chapter Text

“And here I thought you’d be more excited to see me.” Jason playfully sneered, stopping just out of Tim’s striking range. “You’re the one who’s been eager to find me all this time, after all.”

~ ~ ~

“Mm, the last time we spoke you said there wasn’t much keeping you from killing me so excuse me for being a bit cautious.” Tim hummed, watching Jason’s every movement as the older man started circle around Tim.

“So I take you decided to find some good sense then?” Jason asked, reaching up and rolling his eyes under the helmet when Tim had raised his staff back up at his action. “Love to see a lesson was learned.” He snorted but completed reaching up to release the latches of his helmet to remove it and place it on a stack of boxes.

Tim wish he didn’t react when Jason turned to look at him, but those eyes were just so beautiful in person and it was hard not react to Jason literally lowering his guard by taking off the helmet. Was it some kind of show of an olive branch or a lure into lowering his defenses? Tim couldn’t be sure of anything right now and decided to try to treat this as what it was, the new player in Gotham Red Hood wanted to talk so they would talk.

Tim opened his mouth to ask what the hell this was for but snapped it shut when Jason reached into his jacket and pulled something out, tossing it over to slide against the smooth concrete to skitter at Tim’s feet. There was plenty Tim would have expected it to be, some kind of explosive or a flash bomb to blind him maybe, not some worn out old notebook. He glanced from Jason who was leaning back against another stack of boxes all lax and content, then back to the book because there was something about it.

“That…” Tim’s eyes snapped back up at Jason, who lifted a brow as a smirk started to pull at the corner of his lips. “That’s my….” His brain started furiously reeling at how on earth did Jason get a hold of one his school notebooks?!

Tim quickly snatched up the notebook, flipping through it to see which one it was and trying to remember the last time he had seen it, it was years that’s for sure but it made it hard to place with how his mind was furiously reeling from Jason having had it!

When he looked back at Jason, Tim balked, when had he pulled out a book? Wait! That…That book! That copy of Frankenstein had to the same one Tim owned, shit, what was happening right now?? He was desperately trying to remember if he had left that at the Manor or back at his old house, he had taken it back and forth so many times and he hadn’t been back at his house for ages. Fuck.

“You stole my books?” Tim accused flustered, was this some kind of weird flex for Jason?

“You broke into my old room to take it in the first place, I call this square.” Jason hummed as he seemed to be reading a part of the book so nonchalant.

“How-You-“ Tim sputtered, he was angry and flustered and mortified that he was blushing. “You’ve been to the Manor? When? How!?”

“Ah, I haven’t been back since before I died.” Jason smirked as Tim really started to sputter, snapping the book shut. “So you have broken into my old room, you are kind of a creep aren’t you?”

“I am not a creep!” Tim tried to defend himself but knew it was weak the moment it left this lips, this was not where he thought this meeting would be going.

“You broke into the locked room of a dead boy, I can’t imagine what you did in there.” Jason said with airs like he was putting on play. “Oh wait, I do know what you did…you stole my books.” He accused.

“I-“ Tim started to defend and deny but it got lost in a strangled gargle when Jason pulled out another novel, this one a worn copy of Pride and Prejudice with a carved in image of the characters lined in gold on the front.

Tim started reeling as he saw the book, searching for a good explanation but it short circuited as something occurred to him. As he remembered exactly where he had kept that book, this one he did remember the last time he had seen it.

“You broke into my house!?” Tim accused right back, of course that’s where Jason found the novels and the notebook, god, how many of those had Jason found?

“Like you have any room to talk here, Stalker.” Jason scoffed with a roll of the eyes. “You did worse. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had tried to get into my casket, you little freak.”

Tim pursed his lips tight and tamped down his temper, he wasn’t going to get baited more but he couldn’t deny that it stung to hear this from someone he idolized. That he used to idolize. Jason wanted Tim to understand that the boy he cared about was dead and gone?

Well, fine, he knew it perfectly now.

Tim took a breath before speaking, he needed to compose himself and not get emotional. This was the last place and certainly not the time to get caught up in everything he’s been obsessed with and invested in for years. He had to be detached right now, it was a long learned skill of his after all.

“What do you want, Hood?” Tim asked, his expression smoothed out to keep it neutral.

“For starters?” Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes before taking a seat on a crate that slightly creaked holding his bulk. “Some answers to my questions.”

Get in line, Tim thought bitterly, but maybe he could get some in return if he decided to play along with this for right now. Besides, he wanted to know how much Jason had actually learned from his visit to Tim’s old house.

“Ask if you want, then.” Tim said, moving to lean against support pole but not daring to get any closer to Jason, keeping the thirty feet between them was for the best.

“Why haven’t you told anyone?” Jason asked with a curious tilt to his head. “You clearly know who I am but you haven’t said anything to the old man or Dickie. Why?”

“They wouldn’t believe me, for one.” Tim scoffed. “Or did you forget you’ve been dead for the last few years? I can’t imagine that passed you by.”

“It did not.” Jason narrowed his eyes a bit at the comment. “Still, it’s not the strangest thing in our world. You haven’t told them about our connection either, like to keep secrets, huh?”

“Comes with the gig, doesn’t it?” Tim gripped his staff a little tighter in his hands. “My turn.” He said firmly. “Why did you break into my house? What were you hoping to find?”

“Don’t like being stalked back, huh?” Jason taunted. “I thought it was about time to learn more about you since you’ve been on my case for years. Longer than I thought too. Timothy Todd, huh? It’s a bit alliterate don’t you think?” He asked with a pointed raised taunting brow.

The clattering sound was the only realization that Tim had dropped his staff from the mortifying knowledge that Jason had seen that of all things!

“You’ve got it down bad for me when you never said a single word to me until after I died.” Jason got up and strode over to Tim, the younger Robin frozen to the spot and unable to stop Jason from backing him up flush against the pole behind him. “Kind of shallow, but you can probably chalk it up to the universe fucking with the both of us.”

Tim swallowed slowly as he looked up at Jason who towered over him now and how he was crowding him back against the pole. He couldn’t read Jason’s intentions in his teal eyes and Tim was trying to bury everything and try to remember any of his training in this moment but…it all washed away.

“Is it true…that stuff you wrote all over those notebooks…did you really feel it?” Jason asked, his voice dropping into something softer as he trailed his hand down Tim’s right arm, Tim’s fingers twitching when Jason’s nimble fingers undid the taster latches of his gauntlet with practiced ease and pushed down it and the glove, letting it clatter to the floor. “Did you feel me dying?”

Tim felt a shiver go up his spine as Jason grasped his wrist that bared the same scar on Jason, he watched as Jason lifted his arm to inspect the scar like it was priceless artifact. It stirred too many things in him and he didn’t understand where his detachment went, was this a side of effect of being soulmates? He doubted it only because he felt certain if things were reversed, Jason wouldn’t allow Tim to do the same.

“I…I did.” Tim stammered after he gathered some wits back. “It was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life, even after becoming Robin. It hurt on the outside but it was nothing compared to how it felt inside, like I was dying too.”

Jason’s eyes left the scar to return to Tim’s and he felt pinned down by the gaze, there were many things dancing behind those eyes and Tim wanted to know them all.

Jason moved slowly, if Tim had wanted he could have stopped him but he didn’t move, Jason carefully peeled off Tim’s domino mask. It dropped to their feet with a muted slap and Tim waited. There was something in Jason’s expression that gave the impression he wanted to say something, to tell him something.

“Tim…”

The rest was forgotten at the sound of smashed glass that came raining down to the concrete floor. Jason reacted quickly by using one hand to pin Tim to the pole, hand pressed to his clavicle with his fingers splayed against Tim’s throat. In the same second his other hand whipped out his pistol to aim at the person crashing their meeting.

Tim’s heart was thundering in his chest and his eyes widened at the sight of who had shown up, they were both royally screwed.

“Rob!” Kon shouted as he stopped just above the ground and glaring red at Jason. “Let him go, now!”

So much for his tech hiding his vitals, Tim briefly thought and held his hands up to try to tell Kon that this wasn’t what it looks like.

Jason glared at the Super than back at Tim, Superboy showing up right as he had Tim pinned could not have been a coincidence. Was this some kind of set up? Not moving in until there was some perceived danger? Jason should have known better, even from the obsessive stalker.

“Your pet Super is here to collect you.” Jason growled in Tim’s face, a slight flicker of confusion crossing his face has he pressed his fingers more into Tim’s neck and feeling something there he couldn’t see but ignored it to grab the front of Tim’s tunic and shifting them both to throw Tim toward Kon to catch.

The Super was quick to catch Tim and glared but balked as he watched Jason pull out something small green and glowing, shit.

“Maybe next time, Flyboy.” Jason said, tossing the Kryptonite across the ground to skid to a stop right under Kon.

Kon fell out the air and barely caught himself with his hands so he didn’t smash right into the floor, it didn’t last him long as he wobbled and crumbled.

“Superboy!” Tim cried out, dropping down to snatch the Kryptonite and threw it as far away as he could and by the time he looked back up, Jason was gone as was his helmet. “Kon, are you okay?”

“Are you…fucking stupid?” Kon groaned as he let Tim help sit up. “Why the hell did you come here? Without us?”

“I had it handled.” Tim scowled.

“That’s not what it looked like to me.” Kon huffed and couldn’t help but lean against Tim for support. “I don’t want you to get hurt, idiot.”

“I..I know.” Tim sighed and hugged Kon to him while he recovered from the exposure. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”

“Sounds good to me, Wonder Boy.” Kon mumbled.

So much for answers, Tim thought, so much for whatever Jason had been planning to tell him or say to him. He was pretty sure that Jason took this rescue the wrong way but he couldn’t think about that right now, he had to get Kon back to safety and brace for a world of trouble he was about to be in.

Chapter Text

“Do you have any idea what a stupid, irresponsible-“

“Not to mention dangerous.” Kon tacked on to the lecture that Dick had been giving Tim for the last forty five minutes now.

“Dangerous and completely off the rails what you did was, huh, Tim?” Dick demanded, his face flush with anger, fists shaking and balled up at his sides.

Tim didn’t respond, he knew Dick didn’t really expect him to as he avoided eye contact and just took it. This wasn’t the first time and certainly wouldn’t be the last time Dick lectured him on something reckless. He tried to avoid them but this time there was no way with how they had contacted Dick when they found Tim had gone missing, thinking the worst most likely.

“I can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to sneak out and track Hood down on your own, when you know he tried taking you and all the shit he’s been doing in Gotham.” Dick continued.

Tim had lied, obviously, how he had come across Jason. He could not let out the secret, not yet maybe not ever, he wasn’t sure right now. All that he was certain about at present was that Dick was beyond angry, he hadn’t seen him like this in a long time. It was times like this Tim really wanted to just bolt out a window but he wasn’t likely to leave his room let alone the Tower anytime soon again if Dick had his way.

Tim flinched before he could help it when Dick grabbed his shoulder to turn him toward him to force him to look at the first Robin glaring down at him.

Looking at him now Tim could see so much of Bruce in the way he glared down at him despite there being no genetics to speak of between the two men. Didn’t seem to matter and never failed to make Tim want to recoil and feel it bring back certain aches.

“Tell me why.” Dick demanded. “Tell me why I shouldn’t just take you back home right now and keep you under better watch.”

Back at the Manor?

Absolutely not.

“I am not a child!” Tim snapped. “I had it handled, I was getting intel! Like I am trained to do.” He wrenched himself back out of Dick’s grip and returned the glare.

“You are fifteen years old, Tim, you are a child.” Dick shot back but let Tim move back. “And you are mine and B’s responsibility.”

“No I am not.” Tim insisted, not with the fabricated uncle he had created to keep them from it, he didn’t want the pity or the unwanted adoption.

“Robin is and always has been our responsibility.” Dick doubled down, getting more frustrated and grabbed Tim by the shoulders getting him to look at Dick. “Why can’t you just let me protect you, Ja-” Dick’s stride deflated as they both knew the mistake he just spoke. “Tim…”

Again.

This still happened but not nearly as much as the beginning and it still stung but now the blade felt like it had sharpened since the last time. Tim was nothing but a place holder for them, they had made it so obvious that’s why he had stayed with his team as much as possible. Robin was his now, it was something he felt he earned and finally could carry for himself and more than just honoring the boy that was long dead no matter what that new version running might mean.

“Just leave me alone.” Tim said with a dead tone, pushing Dick’s hands off of him and stepped back, looking between Dick and Kon. “You want to keep me in my room for the rest of my life? Just cause some asshole ‘almost’ took me and didn’t even hurt me?” He glared up at Dick. “I am not defenseless and I’m not weak, I can take care of myself. I have proven that over and over again.”

“Like you haven’t been taking more risks lately?” Dick accused

“I am not helpless and I am not going to be treated like some damsel in distress!” Tim shouted, turning on his on his heel as he grabbed a bag nearby his bedroom door, something always kept close just in case and it was finally the case.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Dick grabbed Tim’s wrist but it was yanked out of his hold.

“None of your goddamn business.” Tim hissed. “I am done with this shit, just leave me alone!” He sent one last glare to Dick, to really try to drive it home, that Tim was so beyond over this crap. “Just back off and worry about someone else cause I…am not your responsibility anymore.”

With that, Tim left Dick and Kon standing stunned in his room and headed for the elevators, he didn’t care what they tried or said, he wasn’t staying here anymore. He wasn’t going to put up with being treated like he couldn’t do anything like a helpless child. What was all the training he went through for? All the shit he had to put up with from Bruce, from Dick? Just to be another fragile bird in their eyes?

He had really hoped by now they had seen him. Seen Tim and not Jason, the Robin that died, that they couldn’t protect that they had failed. It was foolish to think they’d ever see anything else and Tim finally knew it.

“Hey.” Kon grabbed Tim’s arm before he could get into the elevator and effortlessly tugged on his arm to bring him to a stop. “I don’t think leaving is a good idea right now, I know you’re not helpless, you kick my ass all the time, but fuck, come on Tim. This dude is bad news and there is something going on with you two and I want to know what.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tim yanked his hand out of Kon’s grip, the other letting him do it.

“Sure you don’t.” Kon said flatly, pinning him with a firm look. “Maybe I should let Dick know that when I found you…you had your mask off.”

Tim stiffened slightly but kept his face neutral for all the good it would with Kon’s Super Hearing and how his heart was ratting him out instead.

“Who is he, really? You have to know.” Kon accused. “He had his helmet off too, you saw him too. Who is Red Hood, Tim?”

“A criminal.” Tim said flatly and hit the button for the elevator, the doors opening up for him. “I have Kryptonite on me, I will use to mess up your pretty face if you try to follow me again.” He said taking a step inside. “Just give me some space, Kon, just for a while.”

Kon held the doors from closing and leaned in, frowning and giving Tim a hard look. “Just be fucking careful, promise me that, Wonder Boy, and I’ll stay put.”

“I promise to be careful.” Tim told him, knowing it was enough for Kon when he stepped back and let the doors close.

“You better.” Kon sighed right as the doors shut and the elevator took Tim to the garage level.

Tim needed to get out of here, maybe go home for a while not that he wanted to run into Bruce or something, but it’s the only place that Tim knew. He could go back to his family house…see what Jason did there maybe and just…get some space to think. This whole mess has been such a pain in the ass and Tim could use a break from all of it.

He doubted that’s what he would get as he mounted his motorcycle but it was the only plan he had in the moment. Going off radar and getting away from everybody, it’s the only thing he could deal with right now.

It was suffocating not having someone to talk to this about but who could possibly understand what he was dealing with? He never wanted a unique soulmate experience but hell if he didn’t have the rarest kind, doubted he shared it with any other person past, present or future.

“Dammit Jason…” Tim cursed as he tore through the streets to make his way back home, back to Gotham.

Chapter Text

Jason knew this place, it was buried deep in his memories from such a long time ago, a life time he had left behind. He looked down, up, and all around him as he took in the surroundings that he shouldn’t be at and recalled the stone bench he spent a great deal upon. He had read countless books here or would do his homework, fruitlessly striving to dedicate himself to education between the other chaotic things going on in his life.

It was strange, Jason thought as he picked up a book that was next to him on the bench, turning it over in his hand and unable to read the title, why would he be dreaming of this place? It hadn’t crossed his mind in many years so why now?

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.” A body plopped down next to him and Jason’s eyes snapped up, baffled to see a younger Tim Drake sitting next him.

“Bastard.” Jason hissed, rearing back and he couldn’t get up. “You did this again?” He accused but Tim was talking to him like he hadn’t spoken at all, pulling out lunch from a bag and sharing it with Jason. “Cut it out, asshole.”

Jason tried to grab Tim but he melted away and appeared on the other side of him but they weren’t on the bench any more, they were walking some place on streets miles away from the school. They were also holding hands as Tim was looking over at Jason like he had hung the moon, his blue eyes sparkling like some insane romance novel.

“You know I don’t know much about literature, Jay~” Tim giggled, leaning up against Jason’s side. “You’re the book smart one.”

Jason stared at him, trying to fight his legs to stop and his arms to wrench away from Tim but he couldn’t manage it at all, the dream was hijacking his body. It seemed to be doing more than just that, making him talk or at least this dream Tim seemed to think so, carrying on a conversation with Jason as if he spoke when he hadn’t said a word.

Jason wasn’t sure what the hell this was supposed to be and why it was showing a life they had not shared in the slightest. They were younger, had to be around or before their soulmate switch judging by Tim’s appearance.

“You should tell him how you feel about it, Jay.” Tim insisted and Jason tried to figure out what they were supposed to be talking about because he couldn’t hear dream Jason’s parts for anything. “He will listen to you, you’re not just his partner, you’re his son. – Oh come on, you know he thinks the world of you!” Tim giggled and Jason struggled to get away from him again. He didn’t want to hear this, he didn’t want to be here.

The world shifted seamlessly again and now the two of them were sitting on a ledge of some building roof time, Tim was kicking his legs and when Jason looked down he saw he was wearing his Robin uniform. Tim wasn’t talking any more, he was looking out at the city with wonder the city did not deserve and they were still holding hands.

Soulmate bullshit, Jason concluded, it was just their bond doing something to him and he couldn’t fathom why it bothered. Tim and him didn’t meet back then, they wouldn’t have had this and they certainly wouldn’t now. Not after Tim set Jason up to try to either capture him or whatever Tim’s plan was with his pet Super.

“The city looks like stars fallen to Earth tonight.” Tim said softly.

Jason kept fighting this weird confining dream but no movement was his own, no words reached this Tim and nothing he did seemed to make a difference. What was this for? What was he supposed to take away from this terrible nightmare?

Every turn Jason took had Jason seeing a new place that’s he’s been before, things he had memories of but now Tim was in them. They were close and spoke of things Jason wouldn’t have spoken out loud to anyone else.

Was the bond…showing him what could have been? What they could have had if they had united after their switch? If they had explored being soulmates together instead of the path they had ended up on? What good was this? They couldn’t go back, there was never any going back.

Though, since it was only here in this dream, Jason could admit to himself…he didn’t hate all of this.

Tim was smart, he was witty and funny. He spoke of topics that they shared interest in and always seemed to be an ear for Jason’s problems, which he had plenty back then. He was a support and a friend, a steady place to land.

Jason didn’t understand, was this really how Tim was in real life or just some stupid trick to get him to trust his soulmate? It was hard to understand and he didn’t want to fall for it but…the soft way Tim would look at him, like he was worth more than the pain and suffering he had gone through, how was he not supposed to want to fall for it?

Maybe because…he had seen that look in Tim’s eyes the last time they had met that made it so hard to want to reject it.

The scene shifted again and as Jason looked down at the worn path he was now on, his heart started to thud in his chest, this was a dream he’s had before. He didn’t want to put his feet on it again but like everything else so far, he didn’t get a choice and was heading back to that warehouse to die.

The fight was liked being trying to struggle in wet cement and there was nothing in his control, he couldn’t stop and he could barely even scream, don’t make him go!

“Jason! Don’t! Don’t go!” Tim’s voice screamed as he stretched out his hand toward Jason looking held back by an invisible force like how Jason felt since this dream started.

Jason tried to reach back but nothing let him move anywhere but along the path he had taken before, thinking his mother could be trusted. That she might love him or want him. There was only pain, betrayal and death on the other side of that door.

“I don’t want go…” Jason said with a tremble to his voice that no one else could hear, he could see the warehouse getting closer, his feet not obeying him, he didn’t want to go in there again.

“Jason!”

Jason looked back at Tim and tried to reach out for him again and this time, finally, finally, his hand reached back for Tim but they were still several feet away.

“Don’t make me do it again!” Jason begged, watching Tim struggle toward him, clawing out to Jason. “I don’t want to go!”

“Jason!” Tim cried out and then…then even before Jason was dragged into the warehouse…there was fire.

Tim screamed and it melded with Jason’s own screams, the fire and smoke filling his lungs all over again. Jason watched as it looked like Tim was set on fire in a flash, his hand still stretched out and still trying to get to Jason despite the clear pain he must have felt. Jason couldn’t feel anything but fear, it was a dream though right? You always wake up when you die in a dream, he would be waking up soon then right?

The fire disappeared nearly as quickly as it appeared on Tim, but it left it’s marks on him. His clothes singed and burns were all over him, none of it stopped him from trudging against the grasp on him until he finally grasped Jason’s right hand with his own.

“Shit….” Jason hissed, feeling heat almost pain around his wrist and he saw what looked like a small fire or the light of heat around their wrist, burning the scar they shared into their skin.

Tim screamed out in agony, tears streaming down his face but not once did his grip on Jason loosen. But…but…Jason was the one hurting him! Jason was the reason Tim was suffering right now and Tim still wouldn’t let go.

Why? Why wouldn’t he let go? Jason wasn’t worth enduring this for, Tim just kept holding on.

Why?

“Let go!” Jason demanded, not caring that he hasn’t been able to get through yet since this started, it wouldn’t stop him. “Let go! Just leave me behind! Stop it!”

“No!” Tim gritted his teeth and tried to drag Jason out of the warehouse, using every bit of his strength. “I won’t ever let you go.”

“You’ll die.”

“Then we die together!” Tim yanked at Jason and like losing hold of something on a bungie, Jason slipped from his grasp and flew the rest of the way in the warehouse and the door shut just as the explosion went off.

The dark gave way to some light and Jason thought at least he was awake now, he was out of that…mess of a dream. He would just sit up and be in his bed in his safe house back in Gotham. He would be…as safe as someone could be in a world like this.

Sadly, when his eyes opened, he wasn’t in his bed, he was in the Batcave, not a place he wanted to step foot in again either. He watched the scene play out around him and this time Tim couldn’t seem to see him anymore, why should he? Jason was dead.

Batman swept out of the main area of the cave, leaving Robin behind without a glance or a word, distance that could be felt. Robin didn’t look like he minded after Alfred had tended to some injuries and Robin sent him away too. Alone in the cave and Robin looked rough, who knows what kind of scrap they had just come back from.

“I have to…” Robin mumbled to himself as he dragged his feet over to a large clear case and supported himself against it. “It’ll be…worth it.” He sighed and let his eyes close.

Jason moved closer, it seemed he was allowed to move more freely now and he looked at the case with confusion and disgust. Was that his uniform inside on display like some sick sort of memorial? Did Bruce really keep this in the cave?

There was plaque at the bottom that read ‘Jason Todd, a good solider’. Was all that he added up into in the end? A solider?

“Jason…” Robin mumbled, pressing his hand against the glass. “I gotta…keep going, right? You didn’t give up…and I won’t either. What else is there?”

Robin’s shaking legs gave up on him and he slid down the glass leaving traces of grime and blood on the surface. Jason tried to touch Tim but his hands just went through him like the ghost he was now.

“I can’t give up, I won’t let Bruce make me. He needs Robin.” Tim curled up against the case, tears slipping down his face. “Jason…please, I need you too.” He sobbed and pulled his cape up to cover his face and tried to pull himself together.

Jason reached for Tim again but everything disappeared like smoke and they were somewhere else, this time Tim was on his own dressed in uniform on some building climbing up a fire escape.

“I just…can’t keep up.” Tim panted as he raced up the steps, there was a gash across his chest down to his hip, blood trailing after him.

Where the fuck was Bruce? Why was he letting Robin suffer like this? Was Tim on Bruce’s tail coats, was that what he was behind?

“I let him go, shit.” Tim grimaced and paused to hold his wound before shaking his head and pushing on, finally getting to the roof top.

Up there was a some goon, didn’t even look like a main player in Gotham as much as Jason could tell, he was running to other side of the roof. Tim called out to him, distracting the punk for a second long enough for Tim to throw his bola and have it wrap around the goon’s legs. Tim rushed over to him and had the guy trussed up like a turkey in no time and activated a beacon for the police to pick him up.

After that was all said and down, Tim went back down the fire escape he had come up on and collapsed three flights down back against the stairs. He was panting heavily, holding his wound that was till bleeding, the red staining his green gloves.

“I…I’m not made for this.” Tim remorsed, letting his eyes shut behind the mask. “How can I think I could live up to you?”

Jason frowned, not sure if Tim knew he was there or just talking to himself. “You have to hold on, Tim.” Jason told him despite knowing it was useless. “You can’t just give up here.”

“Heh, no, I guess not.” Tim said and looked over to Jason.

Could…could he see him?

“I can’t give up, I promised I’d honor you. It’s all I can do.” Tim said and dropped his gaze as he dug some things out of his belt to tend to his wound. “There’s nothing else left but the work.”

“There’s your life, it’s worth more than his mission.” Jason scoffed.

“Not anymore.” Tim sighed as he finished and slumped against the stairs, looking close to passing out. “Not till I’m with you again.”

Jason’s heart restricted in his chest, this Tim had no idea how disappointed he would be when that happened. He reached out, testing if he could touch because Tim clearly could hear him. He was able to brush Tim’s damp bangs out of his face, caress his face and Tim’s eyes widened slightly.

“Then you gotta keep going, babybird, you can do it, you’re stronger than you think.” Jason admitted, holding Tim’s face. “I think you’ve got the right stuff.”

Tim disappeared under his touch and now Jason was in alley watching a horrifying scene right when he had seen enough of Tim’s terrible Robin run.

“He’s had enough!” Tim shouted as he threw his arms out and put himself between Batman and the criminal he had been beating within an inch of his life.

Batman didn’t care, he didn’t hesitate, he grabbed Robin by the front of his tunic and lifted him off his feet with ease and tossed him aside like a sack of potatoes. Robin slammed into a dumpster, his fore arm connecting with the lip of the dumpster with a sickening crack and cry of pain. Robin fell to the ground in a heap and Batman continued on his crusade against crime without thought.

Jason couldn’t move, it felt like something or someone was holding his arms as he lunged forward to do something this time, to protect someone so helpless. He was stunned to see Robin gather himself up, his face blank and his arm limp at he side and put himself right back in the path of Batman’s brutal crusade.

“B…please…this isn’t you.” Robin struggled, the pain not numb enough with shock not helping him cope. “We have to leave, now.”

The scene melted away and several similar ones played like a montage of Tim dragging a rage filled Batman away from the edge Bruce always preached he would never cross but he was getting closer to it than Jason has ever seen and the only thing between Bruce and that line was Tim. Small, frail and weak Tim putting himself on the line each time Bruce moved too close, went too far.

Bruce lost a Robin, a son and the new Robin was not worth keeping safe and out of danger it looked like, nothing was learned other than rage and despair. Jason had thought that Bruce had just given up on him, forgot him and replaced him. That Bruce would never do the one thing in revenge for Jason’s death but it turned out he was close to it dozens of times over if it hadn’t been for a boy who knew it would destroy Batman to cross that line and thinking he was honoring Jason in the process since it wasn’t even the Joker on the line. Just some rando unlucky enough to cross paths with a man grieving the only way he knew how to cope.

The scene shifted closer to the present or maybe it was the present? They were in the Tower and Tim was arguing with Dick while Superboy was lurking off in the corner. The scene looked tense and Tim was looking particularly pisssed.

“I am not helpless and I am not going to be treated like some damsel in distress!” Tim shouted, turning on his on his heel as he grabbed a bag nearby the door.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Dick grabbed Tim’s wrist but it was yanked out of his hold.

“None of your goddamn business.” Tim hissed. “I am done with this shit, just leave me alone!”

Tim stormed out of the Tower with several threats thrown to Dick and Superboy along the way to keep them from following after him. He was walking fury and Jason had no doubt he would follow through with those threats if tested. Knowing what Tim was willing to put up with, he could only imagine how that determination translated to his threats, Jason had no doubt they were empty in the slightest.

The scene shifted again under his feet and he looked out on the city sky line, the buildings in the distance looking like fallen stars on Earth. Tim was sitting on the ledge next to a gargoyle that was definitely familiar in his Robin uniform, Jason often visited this one himself when he wanted to get away from it all. If they stone creature could speak, Tim could get more than he ever imagined about Jason the way told the thing his secrets and worries back in his Robin days.

Jason’s stomach churned as he felt the scene before him move away from until it looked more like he was watching Tim through a screen. Like this was some comic television show tuned into Tim’s life, which had been a feeling of this experience.

Jason stiffened up as he felt hands on his shoulders and when he glanced back he saw…a woman? A creature? It didn’t have a solid form and it shifted between different images and states of being much like how the dream had shifted from place to place. The Being looked like a gothic deco abstract art piece, then it looked like the buildings of Gotham and the bottom part of the face when it was a face looked much a like woman but the black smoke that covered and shifted with her image covered anything else. It hurt to keep looking at her and trying to decided what she looked like so he looked back to Tim.

“What the hell is this?” Jason said, surprised it actually came out this time after trying over and over again this entire time.

Jason tried to look at the woman and saw a curve of a smile to dark painted lips as she gestured out a hand toward the image, the screen, before them and there was this strange feeling in the back of his mind. Like he had heard an answer, this was something to do with his soul bond with Tim? Something like that, it was so vague and confusing.

“I don’t…” Jason stammered confused and lost. “He’s not…I’m not for him, I can’t-“

The image of Tim showed Jason that Tim was looking up and behind him, a look of surprise and fear as he drew up to his feet. Something in the shadows spooked him and was starting to emerge.

Jason looked at the entity with questions, was this happening now, was this even real? The woman looked at him, not that she had eyes he saw, it looked in that moment that she was wearing a masquerade mask made up of the Gotham skyline without eye holes. She gestured back to Tim who had pulled out his bo staff but something knocked it from his hands and over the edge of the building.

Danger.

It rang out from Jason’s very core, Tim was in danger and he was in deep trouble with no one around to help.

“Tim!”

Jason startled as he grasped his bedding, his eyes snapping open and bolting upright with a gasp as the dream faded away from him.

“Shit!” Jason cursed.

He threw off his blankets as he scrambled to grab his boots and shove them on, stumbling through his safe house. He was close to where Tim was, it was only a few blocks away. There might be time if he could just get there!

Jason grabbed his guns, his jacket and his helmet as he rushed through the safe house, just barely remembering to get his grapple along the way. He was out his window and flying though the city like the devil himself might be on Jason’s heels.

No more Robins were getting hurt on his watch!

Chapter Text

Just like Jason thought, he got there in no time at all. He landed with a heavy thud on the gravel covered rooftop, his grapple abandoned as he advanced onward with a gun in hand. He was ready to blast the threat only to find he had been the one to scare the shit out Tim who was sat calmly on the ledge when he arrived.

What?

“What the hell!” Tim snapped as he jerked up to his feet, brandishing his bo staff swiftly at the sign of a threat which was Jason as far as he saw it, clearly still having the staff with him and it wasn’t at the bottom of some random alleyway like Jason had seen.

Jason’s weapon was aimed at the shadowy part of the roof where the stairs were housed to the building below their feet and things were slowing down as he took in the scene. Jason’s adrenaline gradually started to ebb away as he used his helmet to scan the area and found it…empty.

Well, fucking great.

“Seriously?” Jason grumbled, glancing over at Tim who had hopped down to the roof top, still ready for a fight and Jason sighed as he holstered his gun.

“How the hell did you find me?” Tim demanded on alert despite Jason disarming himself, his stance not changing. “What the hell do you want?”

“Gettin real prickly with me when I haven’t done anything to you.” Jason said, reaching up and unlatching his helmet, taking it off and holding it against his hip.

“Doesn’t explain why you’re here guns blazing.” Tim said not budging from his defense.

Jason wasn’t sure how to explain it, if Tim would believe him that some weird soul entity tricked him into coming to Tim’s rescue. Jason sure was quick to jump to his rescue after everything which irked Jason to no end, he hated being jerked around.

“Just checking the shadows.” Jason shrugged, not a lie and not the whole truth. “Besides, we need to talk. Alone.”

“I think I’ve had enough.” Tim said but he did relax his posture and lower his staff. “This whole fucking mess, I’m over it.”

“I bet.” Jason muttered and took a step toward Tim but paused when Tim lifted his staff up again. “Alright, you know what? Fuck this.” He sighed irritated, tossing his helmet off to the side, pulling his guns out and safely tossing them away was well. “Look, I’m not here to tussle.” He said as he lifted his hands to show he was no threat and no longer armed.

Tim watched him curiously not sure what to make this display, he was further confused when Jason shrugged off his jacket to throw on the pile he was making. It was then that he really noticed that…Jason was wearing pj pants? Sweat pants or something and just a tee shirt. That was…an odd thing to be wearing with the rest of this guns and gear he had come with.

Tim looked at the pile and noticed it wasn’t the total of things he’s seen Jason with thus far and there was no way that he could really be hiding much else on his person. Tim frowned as he tried to reason what could be going on right now.

“Then what the hell do you want? Huh?” Tim asked, collapsing his bo staff but not stowing it just in case. “The back and forth is getting annoying.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Jason agreed, walking over to the edge of the building to sit on the ledge some ways from Tim to give him space. “This soulmate crap is giving me a headache and it wants us to talk, so let’s do it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Tim asked, staying put for now.

“I want to ask you something.” Jason ignored Tim’s question, staring ahead, seeing the skyline in the distance with less lights than the view behind him. “Did you really put yourself in danger like that? To keep B on the straight and narrow?” He asked curiously, he had to know how much of that dream had been, well, real.

“…what?” Tim’s throat tightened.

“Did he really toss you around like a rag doll?” Jason asked, his eyes narrowing but never moved his gaze from the skyline. “Did he really break your arm just to beat on some rando?” Just the memory of it had his blood boiling, fucking Bruce, it better not be true for the older man’s safety.

“How the hell…” Tim stumbled back, he never told anyone that, he never wrote that down. The only people that knew that was Bruce, Tim and maybe Alfred despite lying to the man.

“Why?”

Jason finally looked over at Tim so confused and almost concerned.

“Why did you do that? He’s not worth it.” Jason asked again.

“Why the hell do you care?” Tim countered, gripping the staff tightly.

“I guess…” Jason dropped his gaze as he pondered the question. “I want to understand you.”

“How…how did you know?” Tim asked, slowly sinking down to sit on the ledge.

“Weird dream.” Jason shrugged. “I saw a lot of weird shit, thought it was from the journals I read but…that wasn’t in there. Just…it wasn’t cause of me, right?” Please not that.

“What’s it matter anymore?” Tim sighed, looking back at the city in the opposite direction of Jason. “I’m not in the mood for this shit, Jason.”

“Long night?” Jason asked with a light bit of mirth to change the mood but Tim just glared at him. “Dickwing and Fly Boy giving you shit about me, huh?”

“What…how are you…did you bug me?” Tim started searching himself for tracers.

“Nah.” Jason said but it didn’t pause Tim’s search and he didn’t blame him for it. “What’s your plan? You bailed on the Tower, gonna stay in Gotham?”

“None of your business.” Tim sneered, frustrated when he found nothing on him but Jason just…knew too much, it made him itch.

“I think out of the two of us, I should be the pissed one here.” Jason frowned over at Tim. “Didn’t exactly appreciate the ambush last time we had a chat.”

“That wasn’t me.” Tim insisted but sighed, Jason wouldn’t believe him so he didn’t know why he was bothering. “Look…I’m exhausted and this whole fucking thing has been a shit show. I’m tired of it, can we just call it quits? We stay out of each other’s way and move on with life? I don’t…”

Tim sighed, not finishing how he just didn’t have it in him anymore to keep up with all of this, to keep hoping for something he had dreamt of once a life time ago. He held his wrist as it felt like it was burning and it just pissed him off all the more. This connection felt one sided from the start and nothing felt any different now and the heart ache was wearing Tim down to dust.

“I get you hate me, you never wanted me as your soulmate and you want nothing to do with me but I don’t need you rubbing my face in it over and over again. I got the message loud and clear already.” Tim said trying to keep his composure and speak evenly.

“…” Jason frowned and he stared down at the ground as he choose his words carefully, not sure how to voice his thoughts at the moment. “Do you…want someone else as a soulmate?”

“I don’t get to choose.” Tim said defeated.

“If you could…” Jason looked up at Tim for a brief moment then looked away. “I just don’t get why you had wanted to pick me, back then, and why you clung to it when I came back. No one wants a soulmate like me.”

“Love to self-depreciate, huh?” Tim snorted, dropping his collapsed staff on the rooftop floor, resting his folded arms on his knees as he bent over his knees, looking at the gravel like it had something to tell him. “What’s it matter anymore? You don’t want me. Clearly no one wants to be saddled with me either, so maybe that’s why we got thrown together.”

“We are just the left overs, huh?” Jason snorted and rolled his eyes. “Sounds about right, I guess. That’s nothing new for me at least.”

“Me either.” Tim mumbled.

“Well now we’re just having a pity party.” Jason grumbled, looking over at Tim. “Not exactly what I came here for.”

“Then what did you come here for?” Tim asked, looking over annoyed at Jason.

“…god told me to?” Jason shrugged, looking as uncertain as he sounded.

“…what…?”

“Look, I don’t know, I was minding my business, trying to catch some sleep and…this weird dream started up, like I said.” Jason started to explain as he gestured his hand in the air. “Like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ in reverse? Like if we had met before I died, we were...uh, friends or whatever.” He mumbled, looking away again. “It showed me a bunch of shit of things of what could have been I guess and then…well, it showed me after, like all the shit you got up as Robin. In the end it showed me you here, after you bailed on the Tower, and then it showed me that you were in trouble.”

Tim’s mind was reeling from start to finish on the implications of this strange dream and the last part, what was that about? He furrowed his brows confused as he tried to think if he had been in any trouble earlier but he hadn’t, though…did explain why Jason showed up ready to throw down.

Wait…

No it didn’t!

“Why would you care?” Tim asked, looking puzzled. “Why did you show up like a bat out of hell?”

“That better not have been a pun.” Jason scoffed but Tim just rolled his eyes and glared at him. “Cause I wasn’t gonna let someone get the jump on you.”

“Why?” Tim asked, demanded, he didn’t understand and Jason was only making it worse.

“Because!” Jason raised his voice as he rose to his feet, Tim flinching back from him. “I don’t want you to get hurt! We barely know each other and might be soulmates on accident or how ever this bullshit works, but fuck, after all the shit I learned about you…I care if you die, so sue me!” He huffed and turned around, making it maybe four steps away before he felt a hand on his shoulder, it felt soft and light like that strange woman, that creature, whatever the fuck it was that had plagued his mind and tricked him into coming here just get told to fuck off and rounded on it.

But it wasn’t her, it was Tim.

“Wait…” Tim removed his hand and held them up in surrender. “I…I just don’t understand…” He said in a small voice, looking too much like the dream when he was close to giving up on that fire escape. It got to Jason.

Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked Tim square in the eyes and saw him tense up.

“Neither do I, alright? You confuse the fuck out of me and I don’t what I want but…I keep wanting to find you.” Jason admitted. “The bond or not, I have no idea, but you…fascinate me and I want to solve the mystery more. I don’t want to fight anymore, I don’t want to hurt you but I don’t know what I want beyond that.”

“I don’t want to fight either.” Tim said softly and he tested taking a step closer and Jason allowed it. “So…where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know.” Jason said truthfully.

“Yea, I guess I don’t know either.” Tim sighed rubbing the back of his neck.

“You planning on hanging around Gotham?” Jason asked and Tim nodded but then shrugged with another sigh. “You, uh…I mean, my safe house is close by…”

“…seriously?” Tim asked taken aback from the surprising offer.

“What else are soulmates for?” Jason shrugged, playing it casual but he had no idea why he was offering either, this wasn’t exactly smart and it wasn’t like he knew how to feel about this whole situation. All he really knew after that damn dream was that he wanted to keep a closer eye on Tim, just in case.

“Yea…” Tim mumbled and decided to just say fuck it and go, it wasn’t smart or safe but it was a chance to get more answers maybe. Plus, it would be some place not even Bruce could find him in Gotham. “Okay, sure, if you’re sure?”

“Yea.” Jason nodded, he already offered and it wouldn’t make sense to take it back now.

“Kay…shall we?”

Jason cleared his throat and nodded, going back to grab his stuff and put it all back on before stepping up on the ledge.

“Follow me, babybird.” He said before stepping off and shooting off his line.

Tim’s heart thudded slightly at the nickname, bit his lip and pulled out his own grapple gun before following after Jason.

What the hell was he doing?

Chapter Text

“Excuse me?”

“You know the drill, don’t tell me you didn’t see this coming.” Jason said with a small huff.

They had stopped on another roof top, Jason the only one knowing they were a little ways away from his safe house, but they had to take care of something first.

“I-“

“You’re a Bat.” Jason cut him off. “One that’s been on lockdown, like you aren’t wired up like crazy right now and the last thing I’m letting anywhere near where I sleep is a Bat tracker.”

Tim sighed frustrated, this was not something he wanted to do right now and he’s already checked himself over. Still, he couldn’t blame Jason’s paranoia seeing as they were both trained by the same paranoid man. Didn’t make the prospect of getting frisked any less daunting.

“Fine, be quick about it.” Tim grumbled, spreading out his arms and standing a bit wider so Jason could check him over.

“Yea, yea.” Jason muttered.

Without warning, Jason unclipped Tim’s cape letting it slid down his backside and flutter to the roof top’s surface and before words could come out of Tim’s dropped open mouth, Jason did the same to his utility belt.

“They are in the way.” Jason explained as he started his exam on Tim, trying to be quick and methodical as his hands ran over Tim’s arms, torso and turned him around to do it again.

“Jason…” Tim muttered, glad he wasn’t facing Jason any more as his face started to warm up.

It wasn’t like this was the first time he’s been frisked like this, far from it given his line of work, but feeling Jason’s strong and skillful hands roam across his body, well, it was different. He could feel the warmth from Jason’s hand through the material of his suit and damn it if Jason wasn’t thorough as hell. Taking his time to be sure there were tracers or locators in the suit and when Jason kneeled down to start on his waist and legs Tim cursed starting puberty.

Jason wasn’t saying anything and Tim couldn’t even bring himself to look at him right now, this was weird and felt too intimate for what shouldn’t be. It never bothered Tim before and now he could feel himself want to throw himself off the roof they were on.

“The suit should just go.” Jason said after he had turned Tim to face him again, still crouched on the ground looking up at Tim in front of him.

The ledge was just right here.

“You brought clothes in that go bag, didn’t you?” Jason asked as he stood back up and now he was towering over Tim instead, Tim felt like it still wasn’t helpful either.

“Uh…” Tim mumbled as he tried to unscramble his brain. “Yea.”

“Change.” Jason ordered. “There are a few things sewn into the suit, it’s more a of hassle to remove them than to just ditch it, the last thing I’m letting anywhere near my place is Bat tech, got it?” He repeated from earlier.

“Yea.” Tim said, getting a grip of himself and frowning. “What exactly do you want me to do? Go find a phone booth to change in?” He snorted taking a step back from Jason now they were done.

“Just do it here, not like there’s anyone up here.”

Tim blushed, he hated it but he couldn’t help the reaction, was Jason just…did he not get how that sounded? How that comes off?

Probably not, he was a pragmatic man clearly but Jason also was well aware of Tim’s feelings, even if Jason thought they were in past tense but how could he not consider the factor? It wasn’t even on his radar it felt like.

“You good?” Jason asked after a solid minute of Tim just staring at him with blank expression and his face a little pink. “Just go back there and change already.” Jason gesturing back to a huge blocky smoke stack on the roof that Tim could easily be concealed.

That…was a little bit of a relief, clearly that’s what Jason was expecting.

“Right.” Tim snatched up his bag and hurried over to the smoke stack.

Was it too late to bail out on going over to Jason’s place? There was no way he was going to cope well, his head was scattered all over the place already and he had to keep reminding himself that despite whatever olive branch Jason was handing him here it did not include anything close to things Tim might have once wanted. Things were too complicated to even think about his old crush, he needed to focus on just learning who this Jason was in the first place.

This was square one and Tim planned to make the best of it, he never got to really know Jason before he died and this second chance is too precious to mess up because of childhood fantasies. He may be fifteen but he was no little kid anymore, time to grow the fuck up.

Tim stepped out in his civvies, his uniform wadded up in a bundle and he walked over to Jason who was waiting on him. Jason took the uniform without a word and wrapped it all up with the belt in the cape, tied it up and dropped it behind some huge pipe. He kicked it to wedge it in tight to keep it hidden.

“You can come back for it later.” Jason said.

“I at least need my grapple unless you’re expecting me to walk.” Tim said, folding his arms at his waist.

“I can take you.” Jason said, holding out his hand to Tim. “If you trust me to.”

Tim’s heart thudded in his chest, what did he just tell himself? Get it together, Timothy!

It was going to be a long night.

“Yea.” Tim said a touch too soft as he put his hand in Jason’s. “I trust you.”

“A weird choice but good to hear.” Jason said, tugging Tim a bit closer to wrap his arm around his waist instead. “Hold on tight, Timmy.”

Like he needed to be told, Tim pressed close and held onto Jason securely as they stepped up on the ledge of the roof top. Tim’s flown with people on a line before, like Dick and Bruce.

This didn’t compare in the slightest.

Tim’s stomach felt like it launched up into his chest, like it did all the time when he was starting out as Robin. The flight felt so different and maybe it was because of who was carrying him but there was more to it. When Dick held on to him it was like he was carrying a carton of eggs and with Bruce it was stiff and crushing. That’s not how it felt in Jason’s hold.

Jason’s holding technique didn’t seem all that different but the way he had Tim smushed up against him and how during the arch he felt Jason’s fingers dig into his waist, it felt so protective and secure.

Maybe Tim was reading too much in to it, maybe he was letting his mind wander too far away, but it felt nice. It felt safe and it shouldn’t. He should be worried that Jason might drop him on purpose, Jason was dangerous, he was deadly and he had threatened Tim more than once. The scar on his throat should be proof enough that Tim was putting a lot of trust in a man he probably shouldn’t.

All these circling thoughts were starting to give Tim a headache and he almost stopped paying attention where they were heading and how close they had been to where Tim had been before. Did Jason really live here? It was only a few blocks from where Tim had been brooding.

Well, given he was there because it was a place he knew Jason frequented didn’t cross his mind until Jason had showed up. Habits like this were bone deep for him at this point, it’s where Tim went to think and Bruce didn’t know about it during Jason’s Robin days so Tim was happy to pick it up too.

All in all, Tim was feeling overwhelmed and dazed by the time Jason brought Tim to his safe house door. The whole of everything since Jason came back to his life made him feel like he was under water and it was getting hard to breathe.

“Uh…so this is it.” Jason said awkwardly after letting Tim inside the safe house that he had left in a haste and, unfortunately, it clearly showed the evidence of that.

Tim’s eyes scanned over every inch of the tidy, mostly tidy, safe house. There wasn’t much out except a large lock box that had more of Jason’s gear and guns pulled out from under a table. The moment he started to think about how fast Jason must have hurried to his ‘rescue’, Jason had shoved his guns and holsters inside the box, shut it and shoved it into a shelf it seemed to be it’s place.

“So…make yourself at home…or whatever people say.” Jason grumbled as he walked off to the back room, probably the bed room to hide his other messes if Tim had to guess.

Tim started to wander around the space, noting every in and out of the apartment, where Jason’s security system was set up and how it was set. It was impressive and up to Bat standards that’s for sure. He couldn’t say just what type of safe house this was because if Jason had something specific in here it was seamlessly hidden.

It could be a crash pad, just a place to sleep and mildly resupply before moving on to the next place. It could be more, could be a weapons or supplies cashe, but it was rather nice for something like that and had Tim think it was a crash pad after all.

“You allergic to sitting or something?” Jason asked when he came back from whatever task he was preforming and looked less disheveled than he had before.

“Maybe.” Tim rolled his eyes and sat on the couch that was in the living room, setting his go bag at his feet to keep it close. “So…what now?”

It was the middle of the night and Tim was holed up in the infamous Red Hood’s safe house, the same Red Hood that tried to take him, that had slit his throat in the dream scape and the man that used to be Robin before he died. This was giving Tim a headache fast.

“Fuck if I know.” Jason huffed, dropped on the arm of the arm chair across from where Tim sat, looking tense and unsure in his own space.

“Glad we thought this through.” Tim said sarcastically and sighed, leaning back into the couch.

“Yea…” Jason sighed too as he rubbed the back of his head and glanced to the clock on the oven in the kitchen. “Maybe it’s a bit late for that anyway, I was trying to sleep before all this junk.” He said looking back at Tim. “We can figure out…something, in the morning. Uh…thing is, I don’t have another bed.”

“That’s fine, couch is good enough.” Tim said, not certain he could sleep after all of this honestly.

“I mean, you could take the bed if you want.” Jason offered casually. “I may be Gotham’s worst nightmare but I still have fucking manners.” He shrugged.

“I’m sure Alfred would be proud.” Tim said without thinking in some light banter but the way Jason’s shoulders tensed told him best not speak the name again. “But really, I don’t mind, I fit just fine.”

Tim wasn’t sure what about that prompted Jason to scan Tim from top to bottom, which he wasn’t sure how to feel about, but seemed to satisfy Jason’s curiosity when he looked elsewhere.

“Fine, better not complain later.” Jason muttered and pushed himself up on to his feet and went back into the bedroom.

Tim sighed, looking around the whole of the space again, what the hell was he doing here? He was not making smart decisions, maybe Dick was right, he was getting too reckless.

“Here.” Was all the warning Tim got before a pillow and blanket were dumped on him and he shoved them to one end of the couch. “I’m going to sleep, you need anything figure it out or come get me…I do sleep with a gun though, so maybe duck if you do that last one.”

“I’ll just figure it out.” Tim muttered, moving the pillow to the armrest of the couch and laying out the blanket.

“Great…kay…night.” Jason muttered hurriedly and quickly went back to his room and shut the room.

“Night.” Tim whispered as he laid back on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. “At least he finds this as weird as I do.” He muttered to himself, letting his slip shut.

He really needed to come up with a game plan, he couldn’t keep playing things by ear. Soulmates or not, this arrangement was not ideal and certainly not something that would last. Just because they were sharing a space for the night didn’t really change the big picture. Jason executed someone just yesterday as far as Tim read and Tim was still Robin, he was still a hero.

“Some hero I’m shaping up to be.” Tim pulled the pillow out from under him and smushed it against his face to let out a muffled noise of frustration.

He just wished he knew what to do and there was no way he could use the old tide and true ‘what would Jason do?’ in this situation or frankly any more. Jason was in the other room now and not just ghost that haunted his thoughts anymore giving him words of encouragement.

Tim was in deep, deep trouble. Dammit.

Chapter Text

At some point, against his will and his better instincts, Tim fell asleep on the couch and slipped into a deep dream. One that he’s had before, one that’s plagued him since he had lost Jason but never like this. He had never been inside the warehouse, the dream always played out as Jason walking into the warehouse with some woman and never walking back out.

This time Tim got to follow right inside and quickly it devolved to the events he only read about and had never seen and god he didn’t want to see this now. That loud haunting laugh echoed within the wall of the warehouse with sick thunks every time a crow bar made contact with flesh and bone.

It make Tim sick to hear it, he could feel his stomach rolling as the Joker was acting like he was having the time of his life while the blonde woman from before smoked so casually, not really watching the event. Tim wished he couldn’t watch either, he didn’t want to know this…to see this happen to Jason. Just the scraps of information he had ever found was terrible enough, to witness swing after swing made him want it to be over. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t help and that woman, why wasn’t she doing something? She had brought Jason here!

“M-Mo…” Jason’s broken voice croaked as the Joker was making some quip in a pause of his brutal beating. “M-Mom…please...p-please…ack!” Joker swung the curved end of the crow bar into Jason’s ribs, rolling him over as he curled in on himself with his arms legs and arms tied he couldn’t even shield himself.

Tim’s blood ran cold as the horror continued, looking at the woman who didn’t seem phased though she didn’t look pleased either.

Was…was that really...? That was Jason’s mother? And she led him here? Gave him to that monster?

“Now, kiddo~” The Joker said, kicking Jason to roll onto his back. “You must let me know, which is better?” He grinned and swung harder than before, blood splattering against the floor. “Over hand!” Another brutal hit sending Jason on to his stomach. “Or under hand! A!” A crack to his skull. “Or B?” He shattered Jason’s knee cap.

The scene finally faded and shifted to something else, the same place but the Joker was making some quip before leaving and locking the door after him. The woman was now tied up against a pole, sitting on the ground looking slightly roughed up but nothing compared to bloody broken Jason.

Tim was trying to scream, to move, to fight whatever invisible thing that was keeping him here and forcing him to watch this play out before him. It’s never done this before and he couldn’t bare it!

“I…” Jason rasped, his bonds were cut now and he dragged himself slowly, painfully, over to where his mother was tied up and they could hear the soft beeps of the countdown of the bomb that would end this. “The…door…locked…I’ll…” He struggled to breathe, his lung was punctured and blood was dribbling down his chin when he finally made it to her. “I’ll…protect…protect you…” He struggled to cover the woman with his own body. “M-Mom-“

The bomb blew and the heat washed over Tim, the light of the explosion blinded him and it was happening all over again. He was dying with Jason, this time for sure, please just make it stop. The fire felt real just like it had the first time he had experienced this, his skin burned all over with the flames and he still couldn’t even scream. Again, it was all happening again, please, why does this keep having to happen?

As fast as it blew it was over and quiet again like it never happened, Tim looked around dazed and through the rubble and what was left of the building standing, the only thing he could focus on was a burned hand sticking up out of slabs of rock. He trudged over the heaps and reached out to try to touch it, it was still and had a part of a green glove melted around the wrist and not much of it survived. It was in the shape of the scar that burned around Tim’s wrist, he noticed gravely.

Tears welled in his eyes and he gently touched it knowing it was too late, there was no saving Jason, this was how it always ended.

The hand in the rubble shot out and grabbed Tim by the wrist, pulling him down as the Joker shot up out of the debris, that sickening laugh ringing in Tim’s ears as he screamed himself awake.

The night terror hit hard tonight and Tim didn’t know where he was, what was happening, what was real. He scrambled off the couch in a panic, frantically moving around the living room and bumping into furniture on this way to the kitchen, his stomach rolling as his breathing became labored. He barely made it to the sink before he emptied the contents of his stomach into the basin, the laughter was only barely drowned out by the sound of his thundering heart and he threw up again.

Tim gripped the counter as his knees felt like they would give out under him as his other hand slapped around for a handle and turned on the water. He washed out his mouth quickly and shoved his right wrist under the cool water in attempts to sooth the pain flaring from his scar. The water swirled down the drain with his sick and the tears that slipped down his chin, trying desperately to catch his breath and slow his racing heart before it might explode from his chest.

The details of the dream bounced around his head as he dry heaved once and then again with nothing left to give and nothing left he could do. Helpless, he had been so helpless then and he would have gladly taken Jason’s place instead. God, don’t take him away again just have Tim instead.

A hand grasped his shoulder in the middle of his panicked thoughts and the laughter grew louder in his ears, no, never again! That bastard would not take anyone’s life, not again.

Tim twisted and moved back against the attacker, elbowing them in the solar plex and followed through with a tackle, taking them down to the ground. He found himself grabbed and twisted to be the one on his back, Tim fought back and blocked blows. He wasn’t helpless anymore and he would never be helpless again!

The two of them twisted and wrestled across the floor, Tim grabbing anything he could feel to try to use as a weapon when he wasn’t trying to attack or grapple out of the grasp of his assailant. There was an opening and Tim took it to slip out from under the attacker and got back to his feet but so had they, they were larger than him, had weight and power on their side. Tim spent years learning to use his size to his to his advantage and it was time to utilize that.

When the other lunged forward Tim side stepped them, stepping up on a coffee table to leap up and hooked his legs around the attackers neck and drove them to the ground when he dropped his weight back. Tim slipped off before the attacker landed and followed down after them posed to strike only to get his fist caught and held in a crushing grip.

“Would you fucking stop it!”

Tim blinked slowly as his breathing labored and slowly his mind started to clear, his vision adjusting to the low light and realized just who he was attacking.

“J-Jason?” Tim panted softly as he shifted back sitting on Jason’s torso. “What…”

“Yea, my question exactly.” Jason huffed, a little out of breath himself and relaxed his hold on Tim’s lax fist. “You still gun ho on fighting?”

“N…” Tim swallowed slowly as he let his posture relax and lowered his defenses. “No, I didn’t-“

“I figured.” Jason said, shifting his hand up wrap his fingers around Tim’s right wrist, the sensation felt soothing to his aching scar. “You looked miles away…didn’t dampen your skills for a second though.”

“I-“ Tim leaned forward over Jason, his heart rate still so fast and used his free hand to hold Jason’s face and the man let him. “You…I…” Tim trembled as the dream flashed in his head and he didn’t know what to do.

Tim dropped his face into the crook of Jason’s shoulder, going limp against Jason as his shoulders shook, trying to cling to Jason as best as he could. He tried to hold on to Jason like he might slip away any moment and Tim couldn’t let that happen, ever again.

“Hey…” Jason mumbled softly, shifting his arms out from under Tim and he wasn’t certain where to put his hands, what to do here. They were intimate strangers at best and this was so not Jason’s thing, comforting people but…Tim was shaking a like a rain soaked puppy and it tugged at his heart strings.

“It’s alright…” Jason said softly, gently holding onto Tim and feeling him shake with a sob, fuck, come on, what he supposed to do with this kid? “It’s okay, you’re safe, I’ve got you.” He spoke tenderly as he lightly started to stroke the back of Tim’s hair while his other arm wrapped protectively around Tim.

“J-Jason…” Tim choked out between more sobs, curling the fabric of Jason’s shirt in his hands holding on like it was life line. “I can’t…I can’t lose you again…I can’t.” He muttered into Jason’s shoulder, he couldn’t stand this anymore. It hurt so deeply, right to his soul just like it should, Jason was part of his soul and it yearned for Jason so profoundly.

“I’m right here.” Jason tried to assure, he couldn’t make sense of this break down in the slightest and huffed a little feeling tears soak his shoulder. This was so not his area, how could he get Tim to calm back down? Like he would know, he knew scraps about Tim, things of his past at best and not a lot of substance. It wasn’t enough to know how to deal with this because, if he thought about it, everything he learned about Tim never came with comfort.

Jason grunted a little as he pushed up and shifted the both of them so he could sit up and Tim stayed clung to him like a frightened child. Tim curled up in Jason’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck to keep buried in his shoulder.

Holding Tim like this…it showed just how small he was, how fragile he might be. That right hook ten minutes ago spoke differently, but right now he looked like someone lost and devastated.

Tim had said he didn’t want to lose Jason again, did he dream about the warehouse too? Jason had to wonder, it haunted him of course but Tim had suffered partly along with him back then. The scar on Tim’s wrist was proof enough of that and he spoke of it before, the way it felt like dying for him. Jason wouldn’t wish that upon Tim, never him.

Shit, since when did he feel so attached? Somewhere between the journals and that dream if he had to guess. This was so not part of his plans, what he still had left to do but…all that could wait a while.

Right now, if he could manage it somehow, he was going to try to take care of Tim.

Chapter Text

“I-I…I’m sorry…” Tim hiccupped as he pulled away from Jason, avoiding his eyes and trying to get away from him. “Jason?”

Jason had caught Tim and pulled him back against his chest, locking his arms around Tim’s waist despite Tim trying to twist away from and only ended up with his back pressed against Jason’s chest.

“Not so fast, Timmy.” Jason said as he held Tim close. “You forget I took a tour on your life, I know you a little at least.” Tim was trying to shut down and distance, he’s read how often Tim did that, this wasn’t a good time to do it.

“I, Jason, please, I don’t-“ Tim wiped at his face, trying to regain any composure, he had already thrown out any dignity at this point.

“You want out? Fight me.” Jason hummed amused when Tim looked back him surprised. “You are pretty feisty, you weren’t kidding about not holding back.”

“That-“ Tim looked forward again to hide how red he felt himself starting to get. “Just let go!” He demanded, this was just too much right now.

“Nah.” Jason hummed and shifted to scoot and drag Tim over to the couch so he could lean back against the side of it and be more comfortable. “Don’t act like you actually want to.”

Tim’s cheeks burned. “Stop it…I don’t need you making fun of me.”

“Not doing that.” Jason assured. “I get it when it comes to night terrors. It’s hard to come out of it when you wake up and how you need grounding, I don’t hold it against you.”

“Just…holding me against you.” Tim muttered annoyed slightly but honestly he did secretly like it, being held did feel grounding and it was Jason on top of that. “I just…don’t get why you’re bothering? We don’t owe each other anything cause we’re the universe’s left overs.”

“True.” Jason rested his chin on Tim’s shoulder and it was so weird how normal this felt, he wondered if that was soulmate thing? Something in him just said to keep holding onto Tim and he couldn’t deny he was kind of liking it. “But I do what I want and you should too. Within reason, of course. Look, I don’t mind giving you some solid ground if you need it right now.”

“I…I do.” Tim mumbled, biting his lip before testing moving back against Jason and found no residence or tensing so he laid fully back against Jason’s chest.

Jason was so solid and surprisingly warm, it helped soothe Tim’s frayed nerves as he relaxed over time, letting his limbs go lax and tilt his head back slightly over Jason’s shoulder.

“Better?” Jason asked, watching Tim with interest, it was like he could see in real time Tim shutting down his defenses which had not been the experience up to this point. It was…fascinating. Tim kept surprising him and intriguing Jason to no end.

“Mmhm…thank you.” Tim sighed as he shut his eyes.

“I had…a nightmare…one I’ve had before but…it was different this time.” Tim said after a few more minutes of them just sitting there with each other and he had felt more calm.

“Yea?” Jason asked to encourage him to go on.

“Ever since…” Tim took a breath and shook his head a little. “The warehouse, I would watch you go in and…then…the fire, everything, the pain…” Tim’s breathing picked up with his pulse as it replayed in his head and he curled up again, pulling his limbs close to make himself a ball. “This time…I was inside.”

Jason went stiff hearing this, he figured Tim would think about that too, Jason had accidentally dragged Tim along for the ride but he didn’t think it would plague him like this, like how it plagued Jason.

“Inside?” Jason’s arms around Tim tightened. What did he see? What had he learned? If Jason could get snap shots of Tim’s actual past the reverse had to be true and that didn’t sit well with him at all.

“A-All of it.” Tim said swallowing back rising bile. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry, Jason.”

“You couldn’t have done anything about it.” Jason said curtly. “Just…forget it. Don’t think about that, okay?”

“I don’t want to, trust me.” Tim moved off Jason to turn in his arms, making Jason loosen his hold on him so he could look him in the face, tears welled in his eyes. “I won’t let it happen again, I won’t lose you again.”

“You can’t do much about that either, Timmy.” Jason said, sliding his hands down to settle on Tim’s waist and glanced away from the fierce promise Tim was giving him, it made his insides squirm and it was impossible to tell if it was a positive or negative thing. “I appreciate it though, but don’t get too hung up on me. I don’t plan to be a good boy anytime soon, either, and I don’t want you getting dragged into my shit.” Not again.

“What if I want to be?” Tim grasped the front of Jason’s shirt getting those beautiful seafoam green eyes on him, far more green than he remembered them ever being.

“Don’t be stupid, Tim.” Jason said flatly and grabbed Tim’s face by the chin tightly and narrowed his eyes. “You know damn well what I’ve been up to and you aren’t going to be part of it, end of story. We aren’t in this shit together, this is my crap and it’s staying that way.”

“Jay…” Tim wrapped his hand around Jason’s wrist of the hand holding him, his fingers didn’t even meet. “I know all that…but…but…”

“But what?” Jason snorted. “None of this weird shit changes things, not enough and not for me.”

Tim’s eyes slowly dropped along with his shoulders, feeling defeated. Why did he think things would be any different? Little things like this were barely ripples in the grand scheme of things and Jason still didn’t want him. He might have been nice because of his nightmare but…that was all it was and he shouldn’t have thought it meant that Jason cared.

“I understand.” Tim said quietly as he let his hand fall away.

He needed to leave, to get out of here, this was such a mistake. What was he thinking would happen? They would spend time together and get along, become friends or something? Childish. He needed to leave that shit behind and grow the fuck up. It was something he kept telling himself, when the hell was he actually going to learn?

“Hey.” Jason beckoned and frowned when Tim only hummed but didn’t look at him so Jason made him with the hold he had on Tim’s chin still. “I’m not kicking you out, I’m just saying…some shit is separate, got it?”

“I should leave.” Tim said as if he ignored all of it. “I can’t stay here.”

“You can.” Jason insisted a little too much to make sense to himself but he ignored it. “You aren’t going anywhere tonight, in the morning, you do what you want, but stay till then, kay, babybird?”

“I…why?” Tim’s mind was swirling and he felt like he was drowning, being pulled further under water. “This is too much, I fucking can’t keep doing this back and forth with you. I won’t, Jason, I can’t take this shit anymore.”

“Too fucking bad.” Jason said before thinking through anything as he let go of Tim’s chin to slide his fingers into the back of Tim’s hair, grasping it but not painfully. “Those are my terms, the morning light but not sooner, got it?”

“You’re keeping me here?” Tim said defeated but just sagged in Jason’s hold.

“Look!” Jason said getting agitated and not knowing why, which only made it worse. “It’s not…” Jason sighed frustrated, he didn’t know what he was trying to say, he didn’t know why he was forcing Tim to stay here if he really wanted to go he should be glad for it. The kid had been stalking him nonstop since he’d come back and it messed with his plans, getting Tim out of his hair would be a good thing.

Then why…why did it not feel like a good thing?

The more it confused him, the more it agitated him till Jason got fed up with the whole thing and got up on his feet, grapping the shoulder of Tim’s shirt to haul him up as well.

“Wha-“

“Shut up.” Jason groused and dragged Tim across the living room and back towards the bedroom that Tim had seen Jason going into a few times now.

“Jason-“ Tim tried to argue or pull away but Jason wasn’t having it and got hauled into the bedroom and gracelessly tossed onto the bed.

“Just go to sleep.” Jason ordered, throwing a pillow at Tim’s face when he opened his mouth to argue. “Just go back to bed and we can figure shit out in the morning.”

Tim sighed aggravated, shoving the pillow back to the bed, he just didn’t get Jason, why was he so keen on keeping him here? For what benefit? Though…Jason had tried to kidnap him before was this just that again? Tim didn’t know and he doubted Jason was going to be sharing his reasons. It was frustrating him to no end, first Jason was trying to push him away and scare him off. Now? Now he wanted Tim to stay? To keep him close?

Jason Todd was going to drive him literally insane at this rate.

“What difference does it make? Morning is in like two hours.” Tim argued anyway, he was stubborn too and he was not interested any getting any deeper than he already was right now.

“Then you can wait two hours.” Jason said gruffly.

Tim didn’t know what he expected, maybe that Jason would go out and take the couch so he could make sure Tim couldn’t leave sooner since the windows in here were blocked with furniture. He certainly wasn’t expecting Jason to sit on the bed, grab a different pillow and lay down with his back turned to Tim and just…what, get ready to go back to sleep?

They were just…gonna share the bed? Seriously?

“Keeping an eye on me?” Tim asked, his voice shaky and a little squeakier than he would have liked.

“Yes.” Jason huffed, grabbing for the blanket and pulling it up over him and flapping it back some to get it on Tim but Jason didn’t check if it was successful or not. “So go to sleep already and we’ll talk in the morning, if you’re lucky I’ll make you pancakes.”

Tim didn’t know what to do with this, he felt caught between a cosmic game of tug of war or something. Jason was such a fucking annoying mystery and Tim had no idea where to focus or what to believe. It felt like Jason was rejecting him and coveting him in the same breath some times and it was driving him up the wall. He didn’t know what to think and he certainly could not cope with this any longer but he also knew it would be a battle just to leave right now.

Tim laid down with an irritated huff, digging the heels of his palm into his eyes as he tried to straighten out his thoughts. “You’re such an asshole.”

“So I’ve heard.” Jason hummed, not reacting beyond that.

“Why do you care?”

“Who says I do?”

“If you didn’t you’d let me leave and stop fucking with me.”

“Who says I’m doing that either?”

“Jason, I swear to god-“

“Yea, I don’t think she gives a shit.” Jason rolled over to face Tim who was looking confused. “Look, I know I’m pushy…but I just want you to stay and cool off. You were clearly freaked from that nightmare, just…rest, okay? Just stay for a bit.”

Tim frowned and looked away, he couldn’t stay looking at Jason right now, he was getting everything little twelve year old him could ever want, attention and Jason Todd giving a shit about him, as weird as Jason decided to do that. Still, it made his heart ache and his head hurt. He still couldn’t bear to ask what he really would like to ask, say what he’d want to but he was still too scared to hear the answers.

“I’ll stay.” Tim finally said. “Till morning.”

“We can sort shit out then, we have plenty to sort.”

“We do.” Tim agreed but he would not be doing that, he already made up his mind.

In the morning, the light of the day crept in from the open bedroom door and the parts of the windows not completely covered up. It roused Jason from the sleep he was surprised he had ended up falling into and his first thought was: it’s cold.

There was no reason, he first thought, for it not to be since Gotham has always been a chilling place to live even if you had the heating on. The second thought he had was remembering Tim was with him or at least-

Jason didn’t have to open his eyes to know that Tim was already gone, feeling that side of the bed with his hand just proved him right and found that icy cold. He slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the low light and stared up at the ceiling.

Tim left and he shouldn’t be surprised. He shouldn’t care.

But he did.

Jason didn’t want to blame Tim for that, he was aware how weird he was being last night and he didn’t know why he was so demanding of Tim staying, of keeping him there. So how could he blame Tim for wanting to get away from that?

Didn’t make being pissed any less sharp, though.

He sat up with an irritated sighed, rubbing his eyes before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, something on the nightstand catching his eyes. Jason picked up a folded up note with his name on it with familiar handwriting.

‘Jason,
Thank you for letting me stay the night but I had to go. I really did appreciated what you did for me last night even though you didn’t have to, I’m sorry for all that.

I’m sorry the universe dumped more leftovers on you, I won’t bother you anymore.

-Tim’

Jason re-read the note a few times but there was nothing to find, there was hardly anything to read in the first place. He crumpled the note in his hand as he stood up.

‘Won’t bother you anymore’?

After all the stalking the kid did before and after his death, after all the shit they learned about each other and the way the universe was trying to tell them something? All that and Tim was just dropping him? Seen enough had he? Was last night what had opened Tim’s eyes?

It had been, before, what Jason had wanted, for Tim to snap out of it and realize that Jason wasn’t what Tim thought he might be. He wanted that and now he had it and it made him feel sick.

“Shit.” Jason cursed, throwing the note in the trash as he stalked out of the bedroom, away from the bed they shared for such a short time and into living room. “Dammit!” He hissed.

The living room was in a state after their scuffle last night, the couch shoved back from them leaning against it after the fight.

Jason wanted to burn the place to the ground.

Instead, he packed up his shit, took what he could and left the safe house behind with little to no intention of ever stepping foot in there again.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t part of the plan when he crawled out of his grave.

Yet, here he was, getting lost in thoughts and feelings he didn’t understand. Over some stupid boy that used to follow him around like a puppy without him ever knowing, that had made Jason out to be something to be wanted.

Guess he shouldn’t be angry to get what he asked for but he had never wanted to burn Gotham to the ground more for placing any of this shit on him.

He might just do that, the day is young and that strange Gotham looking entity could use some karma coming her way.

Chapter Text

Each headline was worse than the last, the things blown up and the body count Red Hood was racking up was worrying enough when he first showed up but it felt like it was being ramped up past eleven recently. He had been a nuisance in the start, a concern that was starting to grow but this? Dick couldn’t understand why suddenly at what seemed like the drop of a hat Red Hood was going hard like his life depended on it to bring down every single criminal he came across.

Morgues were over flowed, emergency services were overwhelmed, Gotham was racing straight to hell at the lead of a one man army that clearly had an agenda to fulfil. Red Hood was out for blood and damn if he wasn’t getting it.

That was all enough for Dick to decide to head back to Gotham and give Bruce a hand, despite the stubborn man telling him to stay out of it, but then it escalated to a definite. Dick just learned that Red Hood had stepped things up to take on Batman himself, which before he was just skirting around him, letting Bruce catch glimpses and taunts.

This time? Oh no, it was right up in his face and the way Alfred told it, Hood was on a mission to get close and ended up breaking Batman’s arm. From the story and the footage, it really seemed like that had been his only goal like it was all he came to do.

So with this incident and the uptick in Red Hood’s brutality it was clearly time to go back home and he would had done so without much thought but there was a loose end he’s been trying to tie up.

Tim.

Dick hadn’t heard a single thing from him since he stormed out of the Tower a week ago and all his tracers went dead, something Dick at least was confident done by Tim himself. It would worry him less just to know where Tim was and he wasn’t foolish enough to think Tim had steered clear of Gotham even if Hood was there out for Bat blood.

Being stubborn and secretive was not only a Bat trait but a Robin one, no matter the consequences that had brought them time and time again. It was a trait Dick never shook himself, it was why he hadn’t told Bruce anything about Tim’s encounters with Red Hood. Something he was starting to regret but he had known that if Bruce found out he would have Tim on lockdown but…didn’t Dick just end up doing that himself? He hated growing up just to turn out like his father.

Irony aside, he knew that if he did tell Bruce now at least they would likely find Tim together even if the young Robin would be angry, but angry was better than dead.

That had been Dick’s next move but after learning what happened to Bruce he was rethinking it. Bruce was already not going to slow down, broken bones or not, so he didn’t need to throw more gasoline on that shit show fire. Alfred was doing what he could to keep Bruce from leaving the Cave, keeping him in the Manor was too much a Herculean task for the old man, so Dick didn’t want either of their lives harder.

Still, there had been no sightings of Robin or Tim Drake since he left but only two days after that Red Hood was going crazy on Gotham so who would be paying attention to him at a time like this? It didn’t matter, it all just gave Dick no leads and more anxiety and leaving him with grim but necessary options.

Tim’s other teammates weren’t of any help, they were stubborn and protective of Robin and nothing much Dick could do to get it out of them if they even knew where he might be or not. That didn’t leave him with nothing though, Cassie and Bart might be dead ends but there was one person who could track Tim down across the universe if given the motivation and Dick would give him that push if necessary.

“Uh, hello? Heard of knocking?” Kon complained when Dick strode into his room, his locked room, stupid Bats.

“I don’t have time for crap, Conner.” Dick said firmly.

Kon twisted up right from how he was laying on his back reading to regard the former leader looking the picture of serious and grim. It was not a good look and made him concerned, Nightwing was rather notorious when he got in a certain mood or feeling protective, Kon figured it was the latter that was twisting his feathers.

“I’m sure I’ll regret this, but what do you want?” Kon frowned as Dick crossed the room to look down at him.

“Where is Tim?” Dick asked, not beating around the bush.

“Like I know?” Kon huffed, getting up off the bed to cross to the pile he kept his books and comics at to put away his book, he doubted Dick was going to leave him alone any time soon.

“You can find out.” Dick pointed out.

“Why would you think that?” Kon asked, turning around and bumped back into his dresser when Dick was right behind him glaring at him.

“I told you I don’t have time for crap.” Dick all but growled, Kon could see the Batman in him and that was never a good sign. “I know you do that Kryptonian thing with the heart beats, you know Tim’s and you can track him down no matter where on the planet he is at. You are going to tell me where he is right now.”

“That’s a weird request.” Kon said, sliding out around Dick to try to get to the door, he was no longer okay with being alone with a pissed off protective Nightwing.

“It’s not a request.” Dick caught Kon by the wrist, who just looked at his hand on his wrist then up at him with a ‘really wanna do that’ expression. “Do it. Now.”

“Please.” Kon rolled his eyes, looking forward to leave his room and obviously it would be nothing to him to just get out Dick’s grip, did he forget about Super Strength?

Kon heard a soft sort of click behind him and suddenly felt very strange and slumped against the closed door after stumbling. A sort of draining feeling started to overcome him and he knew he was beyond epically screwed. Never get on the bad side of a group of people with a stockpile of Kryptonite, it was the last thought Kon had before things went dark and he felt himself connect with the floor.

~ ~ ~

Tim had been lying low since he’s left Jason’s place and held himself up in a safe house he was pretty confident no one else would know about. He was still in Gotham but he was starting to think it might be time to get out of here too but he couldn’t decide where exactly he should go. He was getting close to throwing a dart at a map and bailing just to get started but hadn’t gotten that far just yet.

It was just when he was thinking if he even had darts here that a burner phone of his started ringing and it actually startled him. Tim had forgotten it was in his go bag and he ran through all the people who would have the number as he was pulling it out. Only his team, he thought, the familiar number did confirm that.

“Kon, I-“ He said as he picked up.

“Don’t speak.” Kon cut him off, he sounded unusually groggy and a touch winded, so that was enough for Tim to do as he was told. “Where ever you are right this second, skip town, now.”

“Wha-“

“Nightwing is a dick and a bit of a psycho!” Kon complained and something sounded like a thud or maybe Kon was slumped against a wall. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to…”

“What are you talking about?” Tim was stood at this point feeling his nerves prickling, what the hell happened to Kon? Tim was certain he’s never heard him like this before and it was scaring the shit out of him.

“You gotta leave.” Kon insisted, his wording muffling as he ran a hand over his face.

“Explain first.” Tim said, walking off to grab anything he might need for a little while to shove in his go bag, stocking up on some cash he had stashed here. “I’m leaving, but talk to me, Kon.”

“Dick…he wanted to know where you were, he’s getting worse than Bats I swear.” Kon’s speech was slightly slurred and it sent Tim’s pulse racing concerned. “I dunno what he did…I just…it was all red and he…gave me something, I dunno. I didn’t wanna help him but it…” Kon sighed frustrated. “I don’t get what happened, how it worked, but it made me tell where I last heard your heartbeat.”

“He knows I’m in the city?” Tim asked as he tried to understand what the hell Dick had done to his best friend, if Kon wasn’t a Super he would say he drugged with some kind of truth serum but-

Wait? All red? Like the Red Sun lamps Bruce has ‘just in case’ a Super gets out of control? Dick wouldn’t…would he?

Tim knew that Dick wasn’t always the sunshine and hope most people knew of him, that he had a deep dark side and would use people if he found it fit his plans, if he thought it was needed. But this? Finding Tim? That’s worth touching the line with Tim’s team mate and best friend?

“Shit.” Tim cursed out loud. “Kon, get outside, soak up sun and I don’t know, I’d say bail for a while but sounds like Dick is coming to me and I gotta get out of here.” Tim said as he shoved the last thing he deemed important into his bag. “Kon…I…fuck, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.” Kon sighed over the phone and Tim heard a soft thunk and the soft sound of breathing.

“Kon?” Tim asked worried, heading to the fire escape, pausing as the window was half way open. “Kon?” He still wasn’t getting an answer and he had a sinking feeling that Kon was out cold.

He better just be sleeping, there is no excuse to do this shit to Kon, Dick better hope he doesn’t find Tim anytime soon or he was getting more than a talking to.

“Kon, it’s okay, you’ll be alright.” Tim promised with a sigh and hung up, quickly calling up Bart to tell him that Kon was down and needed possible medical attention.

Tim tried to explain as quickly as possible as he made his way down the fire escape, letting Bart know that Kon was exposed to a Red Sun lamp and injected with something likely. Bart, rightfully, was confused and concerned.

“What the fuck!” Bart exclaimed.

“I agree.” Tim said, switching the call to his com ear piece and dropping to the alleyway to find his bike that he planned to take to get the hell out of here and ditching once he was for faster transport. “I’m so sorry for this mess started.”

“Yea, no, it’s so not on you, Rob, Nightwing is the one playing Hyde.” Bart said and Tim could hear the wind rushing against the mic as Bart was zipping around. “Found him! Hey buddy, you good?”

Tim heard some kind of gurgling noise in the background.

“His pulse is alright and he mostly seems like he’s drunk…I didn’t think he could do that…” Bart hummed in interest.

“Kon needs some yellow sun light and rest.” Tim said, sighing as he felt like his stomach was twisting. “I’m coming back home, okay Bart? Dick will be coming here with nothing to find so maybe B can keep him here for a while. I’m tired of this crap.”

“Are you sure you want to come back?” Bart asked, grunting as he lifted up Kon. “I mean, we get you are dealing with stuff right now and clearly it’s getting so weird.”

“I’d rather not cause any more trouble for anyone else.” Tim said with a sigh. “I’ll give you an ETA after I clear Gotham’s boarders, okay?”

“Sounds good, Rob. Me and Cassie will take care of Kon, so don’t you worry about that.” Bart assured him.

“Thanks Bart.” Tim said feeling a bit better now that he’s decided this, it felt right and with his team is where he always felt like he truly belonged. “Rob out.”

It was only going to take him maybe thirty or forty minutes to get to the city limits since he wasn’t about to use any of the Bat routes that went around traffic. He just hoped between now and then he didn’t run into any trouble, but with his luck though? He made sure to keep an eye out for anyone up on roof tops.

~ ~ ~

Taking one step into the apartment told Dick this is where Tim had set himself up, well, it had been but it had it looked cleared out in a hurry. Dick cursed, so Kon did have a way to contact him, he was a tougher customer than Dick had given the Super credit for. Still, this just put him at square one and he could only hope that Tim didn’t have too much of a head start on him.

He did give the safe house a quick once over just to see if there might be any kind of clue of where Tim might have headed. With a go through of the room and work station Tim had had set up, there wasn’t really anything of use. Tim had a strange and messy kind of system as it was and Dick never could make heads or tails of Tim’s thought process, though it was strange to see his work desk papers pushed into piles.

The piles were just headlines and news reports, keeping tabs on what was going on in the city and nothing worth taking and nothing helpful.

Dick was about to leave to try to figure out how to start tracking Tim when he looked down to see some faint traces of dirt in the carpet and when it transitioned to the hard floors there were more clear foot prints. He would have dismissed them, Tim wore shoes inside all the time, but the size…that couldn’t be Tim’s. Placing his own foot next to the boot print told Dick that they were larger than his own and he knew Tim’s shoe size was at least a size and a half smaller than his.

Someone else was here?

Was Tim with somebody in Gotham?

Dick switched the lenses of his mask to scan the ground to get a better look at these tracks and found that they had made a similar trek as Dick just had looking around. He crouched down to get a bit of the dirt and found it was more bits of mud, still damp so rather fresh.

If Tim bailed shortly after Dick found out about this location, which had been a few hours now, than this should be dry if this person was with Tim. Given it was not…these were made after Tim abandoned the safe house.

Did that mean…someone else was also tracking Tim?

The first person that popped in his head made Dick’s blood run cold and had him making a mad dash out of the window he had come in from. If that was even remotely trust he had find Tim and find him now<. There was no time to waste and now way he would be losing another little brother, not again, not ever.

Chapter Text

The only reason Tim had stopped before getting completely out town was because he didn’t realize how low on gas his bike had been when he took it. He had let it slip his mind that he hadn’t refueled for a while; his head was such a mess these days. His brain was utterly scrambled after that night with Jason over a week ago and he couldn’t seem to find a way to get it back in order.

So here he was at the most low key gas station he could find in the area, filling up his bike and reading a local paper for today’s news. Another headline with the Red Hood’s name splashed across it, Jason was really getting out of control. Reading the article made Tim’s stomach turn, how could this be the boy he worshiped as a child? How did he get like this?

Jason was right, Tim couldn’t possibly be a part of what Jason was doing right now and he didn’t like that Jason was either. It made him sick seeing the body count growing every day, just what the hell was Jason even working toward? He couldn’t possibly understand what Jason was thinking.

His attention shifted back to his surroundings as he heard some people cursing and rushing off, that was never a good sign anywhere and least of all Gotham. What he saw had Tim cursing too, he really needed his focus back.

A group of at least six men with guns had descended on the gas station, Tim picked it because it’s a little out of the way and didn’t have actual security cameras. Seems he wasn’t the only one that thought that those things made it a great place to go.

Shit.

Three men already went inside the store and two grabbed a worker that was outside coming back from the bathrooms and the last one caught a bystander. Hostages, guns and no visual to what is going on inside, just great. It started to become a ruckus in there and Tim hadn’t been spotted just yet so he ducked behind the pump.

His bike was out in the open, sure, but a lot of people had run off so he hoped they just thought someone abandoned it. Tim didn’t have his uniform but he did have a mask in his saddle bag, he could take care of this but he would have to be delicate and not let too many people see him.

Tim was in the middle of a plan when the power went out for the gas station and the street lamps nearby, plunging them all in darkness and the men inside were starting to shout.

Shit. What now?

A familiar sound had Tim’s heart thudding in his chest before a smoke bomb went off in the middle of where the three men gathered and the fourth had come out to see what was going on. The smoke was thick and distracted them enough for Tim to rush to his bike, getting his mask on and pull out his staff.

He used the special lenses to see through the dark and the smoke; someone had entered the fray and was fighting the robbers he could see. Tim was at first relieved it wasn’t Batman like he had first suspected but then realized it…it was Nightwing.

Fucking how?

That didn’t matter right now, Tim needed to get inside, now, there were still two robbers inside along with at least two more employees Tim remembered seeing before. He rushed past the scuffle, tossed his own smoke pellets the second he spotted where everyone was standing.

The commotion was instant and he wasted no time vaulting the counter and tackled the cashier, who was in the middle of emptying the register, to the ground. He quickly instructed them quietly to get out the back way and call the police.

“They took Emily to the back office.” They had said, shaking like a leaf, looks like it was their first robbery.

“I’ll get her, just go and don’t look back.” Tim told them and didn’t wait before popping back.

He hopped over the counter again, hitting the robber in the hand to knock the gun out of his hand before twisting and kicking him in the gut. Tim whacked the robber in the head when he was trying to get up and made quick work of tying him up before finding the back office.

Tim had to be careful here, the small room and the armed robber with the girl, so much could wrong and the dark was already agitating the robber, Tim could hear him.

“Get it open!” The robber demanded.

“I told you! I can’t…I can’t see.” Emily was sobbing and afraid, poor girl.

“Figure it out!” The robber shouted and he went to the door to check the rest of the store and Tim sprang into action.

Tim slid the staff behind the robbers neck, grabbing the shaft on either side of the robber’s head and let himself fall backwards. He took the stunned robber down with him as he rolled on his back, planted his knee into the robber’s stomach and his foot under his crotch as he finished the arch and kicked him off after flinging the robber back and over himself. The robber crashed into the several shelves, losing his gun in the impact and crying out in anguish.

Tim was on his feet in a second and dropped himself knee first into the robber’s diaphragm and winding him instantly. He quickly tied him up, found his gun and tucked it into the back of his pants before he returned to the office.

“Emily?”

“W-Who’s there?” The crying girl asked terrified.

“It’s Robin, you’re going to be okay, I took care of that man.” Tim said softly and pulled out a small flashlight to light up the room.

“R-Robin?” Emily blinked and squinted until her eyes adjusted. “Robin!” She threw her arms around Tim and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, thank you!”

“Yes, pleasure, but let’s get you out of here okay?” Tim pulled her off and led her out of the office, checking the store before taking her to the back door. “Your other co-worker already left to get help, just run as far away from here as you can. The robbers should all be down but till you are safe, don’t stop, got it?”

“I understand.” Emily said grateful. “Thank you so much, Robin!” She hesitated a moment before she quickly planted a kiss to Tim’s check before running off as fast she could.

“I hope that’s everyone.” Tim sighed, heading back inside as he rubbed his cheek, it wasn’t the first ‘I’m so grateful’ kiss he’s gotten but he couldn’t understand what drove people do it.

He had more important things to worry about, like if all the guys outside were properly taken care of and if he could get to his bike before Nightwing saw him. Or if he should just…give up and let Dick catch him.

Tim owed him a punch at the very least for what Dick did to Kon, after all.

He sucked in breath and walked to the front door, knocking out the other robbers on his way, and looked out around from the door frame to check the situation.

Nightwing had three robbers all trussed up and was currently looking through the saddle bags of Tim’s bike, clearly recognizing it. Tim rolled his eyes and stepped out, not getting too close before he cleared his throat.

“Mind not snooping through my stuff?” Tim deadpanned.

Nightwing spun around and looked the picture of the relieved big brother he wanted most people think he was and the minute he took a step toward Tim his smile dropped. Tim frowned puzzled but soon realized why when the muzzle of a gun pressed to the back of his head.

Seven, there had ended up being seven of them.

A burly arm wrapped around Tim’s neck as he was yanked back into the seventh robbers chest, shifting the gun to the side of Tim’s head.

“Don’t do anything stupid!” The robber barked.

Nightwing held up his hands in surrender not making any other move than that, his eyes flicking from the gun to Tim’s eyes, even with the mask Tim picked up the concern Dick was feeling. It wasn’t the worst situation he’s been but he never liked being this close to live ammo either way.

“See, this is how it’s going to go.” The robber smirked, moving with Tim toward the pile of his men that Nightwing had rounded up. “Me and my boys are leaving with our goods and you.” He nodded at Nightwing. “Aren’t gonna follow us or your little friend here is dead.”

The way Nightwing went white was unsettling to see, probably for the both Tim and the robber, and Dick took a step back. He wasn’t going to risk it but Tim could easily get out of this just fine, he just needed the right opening and then he would-

There was suddenly a ringing in his ears as he was flung forward to the ground, something wet and warm splattering all over him and a chunk of something bouncing off the back of his neck. It all happened so fast, it didn’t even process, not even when Nightwing was kneeling in front of him holding his shoulders. When had Tim gotten back up on his hands and knees. Why did Dick look horrified?

“Robin…” Nightwing’s voice came out shaky.

Tim looked down at the ground, the dark made it hard to see but there was something dark and wet on the ground and bits of something scattered around him.

Turn around, he needed to turn around. Why had the robber just thrown him to the ground, why were his ears ringing?

Before he could Nightwing was dragging him up to his feet and trying to get him into the gas station, trying to talk to him but he couldn’t hear just yet. On the way Tim finally saw why the robber didn’t try to stop them, he was too busy on the ground…missing his head.

“What-“

“Don’t look.” Nightwing pulled Tim in and down to the ground, looking back at the windows and door for more possible gun fire.

That means…that…what’s all over Tim…

“Robin?” Nightwing wrapped his arm around Tim and held him tight against him. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He whispered.

“I…I…” Tim’s voice trembled and his stomach rolled, he tried to shove Dick away but he wasn’t relenting so it was his own fault that Tim threw up on the both of them.

“Shit.” Nightwing held Tim away from him and had Tim face the floor but still kept a hold of him as he rubbed Tim’s back. “I’m sorry, Tim, shit…I’m so sorry.” He mumbled.

“It’s…It’s all over me…” Tim’s eyes welled up as every part of him felt disgusting and he wanted out of here, he wanted out of all of his clothes, he needed to get clean, now! Get it off! Get it off!

“Tim!” Nightwing hissed quietly, trying to keep Tim from getting up. “I know, I know…but you can’t move right now. We don’t know where that came from, if they’re still out there.”

Tim barely paid him any mind, his mind was far too occupied being dragged down into static so he wouldn’t have to think about the fact that robber’s head just exploded all over him. He really could not cope with that right now.

The sounds and lights of the police started to grow closer, the employee’s must have gotten away to get help after all. With them on scene and no more activity happening outside, Nightwing helped Tim up to his feet. He dragged Tim outside, being careful on the way to Tim’s bike, ducking between the support beams on the way.

Nightwing didn’t ask but quickly frisked Tim for his keys, he put Tim on the bike toward the back before mounting in the front. He pulled Tim’s arms around his waist and zip tied Tim’s wrists in front of his stomach so Tim wouldn’t fall off since he was still in shock and Dick couldn’t trust he would hold him on his own.

The engine roared to life and the bike tore out of the gas station before the first police car could even get their headlights on the place and they drove away down the streets back into Gotham, the opposite direction Tim had been heading but he was in no state to give opinion or know if he had one.

Dick glanced back at Tim who was slumped forward against his back, brain matter sticking to his hair and blood smeared over his face with clear tear tracks going through it all. Dick was so grateful that that bullet hadn’t found his little brother, but he still didn’t understand where it had come from.

If there was a secret eight man, why would he take out his own guy? Lose their hostage? But if it wasn’t part of that group, then who was it and why would they want to save Tim? If that was their goal at all, Dick had too many questions and no answers were coming to him. He briefly even wondered if that mysterious other person who let tracks in Tim’s safe house was the shooter? Didn’t fill him with any comfort if he was honest.

Right now, all he really could focus on was getting Tim somewhere safe so he could get cleaned up and taken care of, that’s what was most important right now. That Tim was safe and back with him, that was all he could spare thoughts for right now.

Chapter Text

“There you go, all clean.” Dick said softly as he helped towel dry Tim’s hair after his shower, now dressed in fresh clothes and sitting on the couch at Dick’s safe house with him.

Tim still hadn’t said much since they arrived, still a little disconnected after what had happened. He’s seen people die before, he’s seen some pretty gnarly crime scenes during his time as Robin, but this? No one had ever exploded on to him and if he thought about it too much he was going throw up again.

He had moved on auto pilot since Dick had put him on his bike, he barely went through the motions to get cleaned in the shower if it hadn’t been motivated by getting all of it off of him. At least he felt better now that he was clean but that just left him here, with Dick.

Dick was taking care of him, being gentle and soft with him like he usually would when Tim got hurt or something. It usually made Tim happy and feel a little special that Dick would give him this kind of attention but given how things currently were, happy was the last thing Tim was feeling right now.

“Hey bud.” Dick cooed softly when Tim finally lifted his eyes up to meet Dick’s, he used the towel to wipe up a trickle of water going down Tim’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Feeling?” Tim mumbled, the first thing he said since seeing Dick again. “Pissed.”

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what?’?” Tim shoved Dick’s hands away from him and roughly toweled his hair before throwing the towel down and narrowed his eyes at Dick who had the nerve to look surprised and confused. “You power drained and drugged my best friend!”

“Ah-“ Dick started, stopped and frowned concerned. “I needed to know where you were and no one was any help.”

“So you go psycho on Kon?” Tim snapped, scooting back on the couch away from Dick. “You could have hurt him! You don’t know what shit can do in his system!”

“He’s fine, I made sure before I left.” Dick assured him.

“Like hell!” Tim got to his feet, Dick mirroring him. “It wasn’t needed, you didn’t have to go that far just to find me!”

“How else was I supposed to find you and make sure you were okay?” Dick argued.

“You could try just trusting me to take care of myself! I’ve been doing it my whole life, I think I know what I’m doing!” Tim shouted, his anger only growing.

“Red Hood-“

“Fuck Red Hood!” Tim cut him off. “He is not after me, he could give two shits! And even if he did, it still doesn’t give you the right to fuck over my friend!”

“Tim, your my-“

“I’m not your fucking brother!” Tim growled, stalking away from Dick to get some distance, saying what he knew would hurt Dick the most. “Brothers don’t do this shit to each other, so you’re no brother to me, asshole.”

Tim found his go bag and snatched it up, he expected Dick to follow after him, try to stop him but when he glanced back he saw Dick still on the couch frozen in place. He looked actually shocked.

Good, Tim thought, it’s what Dick deserved for what he did to Kon.

Tim used Dick’s state to check his bag, make sure everything was still in it and Dick hadn’t taken anything important and made sure there weren’t any trackers in it the best he could at the moment. He felt satisfied after his quick search and went straight to the door, hearing Dick standing when his hand touched the handle.

“No, wait, Jason please-“

“My name is Tim!” Tim screamed, ripping open the door and slamming it shut in Dick’s face when he tried to stop him, god he just could never escape that man could he?

Tim made it all the way back down to the alley to find his bike, hoping Dick hadn’t messed with that either. He was straddling it and hot wiring it, since he had no idea where the keys were, when he heard someone in the alley with him. He turned around ready to tell Dick off some more but the alley was empty.

Maybe it had been a cat?

Tim turned back to his work and nearly leapt out of his skin seeing Dick in front of his bike holding on to the handle bars.

“Tim!”

“Jesus Christ!” Tim exclaimed.

“Please, I know what I did was fucked, but I need to you to stay with me!” Dick begged.

“No fucking way.” Tim snorted. “Why should I?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” Dick said, his voice strained and desperate. “I know you think Hood is not after you, I hope he’s not! But he’s been standing off with B, the bastard even broke his arm and-“

“He…he did what?” Tim interrupted stunned.

“He broke B’s arm?” Dick repeated confused but shook his head and went on. “Hood’s been on a rampage all over Gotham, the city is turned on it’s head and it’s just not safe for any of us to be alone right now. So you should stay with me. Please? What can I do to make this right?”

“How about leaving me alone for starters?” Tim scoffed, pulling Dick’s hands off his handle bars. “You go keep an eye on B and I’ll keep an eye on myself.”

“Tim-“

“No, if you want me to stay you’re gonna have to drug me too.” Tim glared him down. “You know, its funny with how often you said you never wanted to turn out like Bruce…but somehow you’re a bit worse.”

Dick’s face went slack from whatever he had prepared to say, to beg or try to convince Tim it was better with him than on his own. He couldn’t muster a single sound or the will to move when Tim got the bike started and revved it up.

“Just…be safe, please…” Dick said, almost too quiet to be heard over the engine as he let his gaze drop to the ground.

Tim felt that he had properly broke something in Dick and it did give him a nagging guilty feeling, it was rather harsh to someone he had idolized since he was child, but damn if meeting your heroes never worked out for him.

Tim didn’t say anything as Dick stepped out of the way and let Tim tear down the alley way and back on to the streets of Gotham. Dick got what he deserved after what he had done, Tim had to remind himself as he drove away.

Still, he couldn’t help wonder if he had gone too far?

This was really shaping up to be a real shitty year and he wasn’t sure just how much more of all this he could take.

Chapter Text

Gotham had always been a mysterious place, the inhabitants knew this all their lives and those that found their way into her boarder found this out rather quickly. There were rumors and theories that spread far and wide within and far beyond the city limits on why that just might be. Most say, ‘oh it’s some kind of ancient curse’ and maybe that wasn’t too far off with how much despair that was concentrated in one place or maybe all the despair has been what has cursed the city that lived in darkness.

It was one mystery that not even Batman would ever solve, she would not allow to give up the game even to one of her beloved protectors. No, some mysterious were never meant to be solved and she would continue her work till the goals were meet and the curtains would finally drop, but that was not today.

Two of her sweet children were running full speed away from where she was guiding them, not that it was a surprising fact, but it was far time to set things right. Their fighting spirits made them a good match and it was time they both started to see that themselves.

Besides, more of that curse that truly belonged to the world beyond her reach had breached her boarders, that wouldn’t do. So perhaps a certain nudge would be necessary, besides…that outside evil was attempting to spoil her latest project.

No, that wouldn’t do at all.

Watching the lives of millions upon what a human could call a screen, streaming the daily going ons of the ordinary people and those that lived outside the bounds. It all swirled with a delicate touch until a face appeared, oh his righteous cause, it would have to wait just a little longer.

The swirling never settling shape of Gotham looked over her domain once more before setting in motion the next steps that must be taken, her plans had been disrupted once before and would not be allowing this again. This infection would be driven out with more interference than she’s shown in many years but this would not stand.

The path was laid out but even now she could only give the option and had to let them made the choice to take that step on the path. It was time to see what way the world would turn this time, where the path would wind.

~ ~ ~

“Where is he?”

It was the first thing Dick heard when he answered his phone, unsure who the number belonged to but had hoped who it might be and was disappointed, what else is new?

“I-“

“Listen, dickface, I don’t want your lies and I don’t want your excuses. You can shove all of them up your bat cave, got it?” Kon sneered over the phone. “Tim was supposed to call us hours ago and he’s been silent, where the fuck are you keeping him?” He demanded.

“He was heading back to you guys?” Dick asked confused, but that would be better than here in Gotham. “Wait…he hasn’t checked in?”

“Stop playing stupid!” Kon snapped. “We know you got him! You think sticking him in a lead lined room is clever or something? You Bats, I swear-“

“You…” Dick interrupted. “You can’t hear his heart beat?” He asked weakly, feeling his heart sink to his stomach and tremor ran through his body.

“…” Kon finally went quiet, taking in a trembling breath. “You have him…don’t you?” He asked far quieter.

“I don’t.” Dick admitted. “I found him but he left here two hours ago.”

“He told Bart he’d call when he was out of Gotham…he should have done it by now.” Kon said, gripping the phone tighter. “I stopped hearing his heart beat like an hour ago.”

Dick felt sick, did that mean-

“He’s not dead.” Kon said firmly. “His heart beat was steady, no change and then gone, it means he went into some place with a lot of lead. What the hell happened to him?”

“I don’t know, I told you he left on his own.”

“Yea, excuse me for not taking anything you say to heart, asshole.” Kon scoffed. “We are coming to Gotham, we are bringing Robin back and you? Stay the fuck out of our way.”

Before Dick could say anything more the line went dead and it did not sit well with Dick in the slightest. The last thing Gotham needed right now was a bunch of meta teenagers tearing through the streets looking for Tim, despite how much Dick also wanted to do the same. They had enough going on with Red Hood and all of his chaos, this was just going to make things more complicated.

It also meant that it would be forcing Dick to tell Bruce that Robin was missing but maybe it was high time to get him involved despite the fact the man should be healing. It wasn’t worth the risk to keep it from him any longer, not when another Robin was on the line.

He wasn’t looking forward to this conversation and decided it would go smoother in person, at the very least he could keep Bruce in the Cave if nothing else. Time to go back home it seemed, he wasn’t thrilled in the slightest but there was no choice.

Dick suited up, grabbed his gear and headed into the city, his heart feeling constricted in his chest with every street he passed. Praying to things he didn’t even believe in that this time, this fucking time, it was just a misunderstanding and that his little brother would be alright. Even if Tim hated him right now, he wanted the time to get his forgiveness back, he couldn’t do this all over again. He refused.

Gotham can’t take another person from him, he was not letting that happen no matter what he had to do to prevent it.

Chapter Text

Everything hurt or maybe it was just the way his head was pulsing pain that felt like it was getting sent everywhere. Tim couldn’t remember what happened, he had been leaving Dick’s safe house, heading out of town and then…

Black.

Things went back and now he was here, where ever here was, with a pounding headache and the taste of something foul in his mouth.

Chloroform? Possible, felt similar but a bit stronger if Tim had to compare to the several other times he’s been knocked out. Usually Tim preferred chemical to physical but this was extremely unpleasant.

He felt groggy, the headache made it hard to think and to process his surroundings while he kept his eyes closed and his breathing as regular as he could.

Tim realized he was in a wooden chair going by the way it creaked, he was tied at the arms behind him, legs to the chair and even around his chest. Someone was very thorough with his restraints but they didn’t blindfold him or gag him, which was puzzling.

He really should be thinking about who would have taken or why, but all he was thinking was: if life didn’t stop doing this to him, he was going to have Kon toss him into the sun.

“Are you quite done playing opossum, Timothy?”

That was the last person Tim wanted to hear right now and he was already looking forward to that trip to the sun.

Tim opened his eyes only after feeling fingers under his chin tipping up his head and glaring at the man that was doing it.

“There we are.” Ra’s al Ghul smirked down at him and Tim jerked his chin out of his hold. “Lively as ever I see.”

“Another attempt to kidnap me, huh?” Tim sneered. “Just cause you think Bruce is distracted? Think that’s the only thing keeping you from being successful?” He snorted. “When I get out this…I’m kicking you in the nuts on my way out.”

“Your sharp wit is only matched by your sharp tongue.” Ra’s chortled.

“Can we skip the banter, Ra’s? I’m so not in the mood.” Tim grumbled, testing how much he could flex his hands, which wasn’t much at all. He was sure all of his tools were taken off him when he was taken, he really really didn’t want to stick around for whatever weird shit Ra’s wanted this time.

“Such a sour mood, young detective.” Ra’s drawled, walking around Tim in his chair slowly like the vulture he was, stopping in front of him and crouching down at his eye level with a sick little smirk. “You needn’t worry for much anymore boy, I’m finally taking you home.”

“If Bruce wouldn’t join your disgusting cause, what the hell makes you think I will?” Tim sneered, debating if spitting in Ra’s’ face would be worth the repercussions.

He was leaning towards doing it when Ra’s stood up straighter and at alert looking at the door, Tim could hear heavy footsteps heading toward them quickly. One of Ra’s’ men entered the room, gave a quick bow before going up to Ra’s to tell him something quietly.

“Deplorable.” Ra’s muttered when his man backed away. “Watch the boy, let no one enter, I’ll return shortly.” Ra’s ordered as he swept out of the room.

The guard had his attention on the door for a short while before looking over at Tim, unimpressed and displeased that he was on babysitting duty.

Tim could care less how he felt on the matter because he was about to make it even worse for him. He had managed to find a missed roughened pin that he had used to saw through the ropes tying his ankles to the legs of the chair. As soon as he got his other one free, it was over for this goon, Tim had a lot of pent up anger and this guy was getting it taken out on him.

“Don’t even think of causing any trouble for the Master.” The guard told him, not liking the look in Tim’s eye.

“Who me?” Tim feigned innocence. “I would never.”

“You brat.” The guard growled, walking over to tower over Tim, glaring down at him. “I know who you are, what you are capable of, though I still don’t understand why the Master takes such interest in you. Just a whelp of a boy, what makes you so special?”

“I’ll so trade you, you can have the immortal pedo.” Tim deadpanned.

That certainly stuck a nerve and then the guard struck him, clocking him right in the side of the head and none too gently either. Before he could make another quip the guard punched him again seething with anger rearing up to do it once more but held himself back with a growl before turning away from Tim.

“Yea, well, fuck you too.” Tim grumbled, like his headache wasn’t bad enough? That really put him through the ringer and he wasn’t too sure that hadn’t been hard enough to concuss him. It certainly felt that way the way things were spinning in his vision and the ringing in his ears.

Then they heard the commotion outside of the room Tim was being held in, there was some yelling and some kind of fight going on out deeper in the building. There were clangs and the sounds of gun fire went off along with some yells and screams.

The guard was on alert in an instant and soon there was rushing toward their door, the guard drew his weapon but lowered it when Ra’s burst into the room. He slammed the door behind him looking furious and barked at the guard to get Tim ‘ready’ for their trip.

That was more than enough for Tim to hear and as soon as the guard stepped toward him, Tim sprang to his freed feet, the chair coming with him from where he was tied around the chest. He swung his body to smash the chair against the guard to knock him to the ground, the impact solid enough to break the flimsy chair.

While the guard was down and Ra’s was distracted, Tim rolled on to his back to get his looped arms around his legs so his arms were in front of him now. He was back on his feet in a second, grabbing a leg from the chair to use as a weapon when the guard got back up, he was about to strike when he got grabbed from behind. Ras had slipped behind him before he had noticed.

“Enough, Timothy.” Ra’s growled, sticking some kind of syringe into his neck and injecting him before he could even blink and when he wrenched away it only hurt before the needle was removed. “Go to sleep, young detective.”

“Go to hell.” Tim grunted and elbowed Ra’s which did practically nothing as he continued to struggle against the older man that held him more securely.

The guard just got his bearings right when the door opened again, another of Ra’s’ men coming in to inform them it was time to escape before whatever hell was moving through this building got to them. Ra’s dragged Tim on his feet while one of his men took the rear and the other took the front and moved through was turned out to be some old factory maybe? Tim hardly cared, he was struggling against Ra’s hold and trying to get away.

Whatever he was dosed with was quick acting but Tim was determined to struggle and make Ra’s’ life as hard as possible before he passed out. There was no way in hell he was leaving this place with that creep there was no telling what would happen if he lost consciousness. Ra’s wasn’t giving an inch and Tim didn’t really expect him to but then the man abruptly stopped and Tim looked around for what made him. (secretly hoping for once it was Batman.)

They got through some hallways and near some back loading area or something, the roll down doors were still shut but that was hardly the interesting thing in the room. It was probably the several members of the League lying on the floor and it wasn’t certain if they were all breathing or not.

In the center of the mess was the last man standing, turning toward them and Tim could not have been more conflicted if he should be relieved or devastated to see the familiar red helmet. Red Hood’s hulking form squared upon seeing the new players in the room and there was something even more tense a second later, probably noticing Tim or maybe Ra’s.

“You.” Ra’s hissed, shoving Tim into the arms of the guard to deal with Red Hood. “How dare you-“

“Cram it with walnuts, Ra’s.” Red Hood snapped, his focus moved from Ra’s to the guard holding Tim, he snorted amused before looking back at Ra’s. “That wasn’t very smart.”

No, it wasn’t.

The guard was paying too much attention to Red Hood and not enough on Tim, a big mistake. He guard was only holding the scruff of his hoodie and his elbow. A weak hold for someone thought to be on the verge of being completely under sedation. What the fool didn’t seem to understand was that Tim was trained by Batman who dosed his Robins with every known sedative a little at a time to grow immune. On top of that, taught Tim more material arts than he could even remember the names of let alone count.

Even with his hands bound Tim easily got the drop of the guard, elbowing him hard in the diaphragm causing him to double over. Then Tim used his bound fists to slam down on the back of his neck to take him to the ground, Tim dropping on his back, his knee digging into the guard’s lower back painfully. The guard cried out and Tim slammed the man’s head into the ground a few times till he was out cold and Tim snarled up at Ra’s when he moved toward him.

“That’s quite enough!” Ra’s snapped, taking a step toward Tim but stopped when a shot whizzed past him, striking the ground between him and Tim. “This doesn’t concern you, Jason.” Ra’s said, turning and drawing his sword, looking between Tim and Jason.

“That’s where you’d be wrong.” Hood scoffed. “Get away from him, now.”

“You want him?” Ra’s sneered. “Talia may have kept you as a pet for her own reasons, but I won’t let you-“ Another bullet buried itself in the ground just next to Ra’s’ foot.

“Couldn’t care less about whatever you want to say. You leave him alone or you get shot, that’s all that’s gonna happen here tonight. Ain’t nothing else to it.”

“You should reconsider.” Ra’s said darkly, but his eyes flickered to his men on the ground, the sound of no one else coming, it didn’t bode well for him either it seemed.

“Shut the hell up, old man.” Hood sneered, raising his gun to aim straight on and pulling the trigger quickly.

Ra’s deflected the bullets with the blade of his sword, the ricocheted bullet hit a steam pipe above him and a burst of steam showered down upon him. He was obscured from view but it didn’t keep Hood from firing again and again till the steam faded after the pressure dissipated and Ra’s…was gone.

“Creepy bastard.” Hood muttered and holstered his gun before he turned his attentions back to Tim who slumped back off of the guard. “Are you hurt? Injured?”

“No…no…” Tim mumbled starting to sound groggy and starting to sway as the drug was doing something to him, his vision was starting to swim and he was feeling loopy. “Help me?”

“You got it, babybird.” Hood said softer than he was speaking before, crouching down and getting Tim to loop his bound arms around his neck before wrapping his own around Tim’s waist.

Hood hoisted Tim up in his arms and carried Tim out the way he came, stepping over bodies now and then that he had left in his wake. If Tim saw them or had an opinion on the matter he let it go and they made it back out the warehouse that Ra’s had been using to hold Tim. Of course it was by the docks, likely waiting for transport to get them all back to the main base overseas.

“Hey!” Hood said urgently when Tim’s head lolled backwards and he had to stop on the roof top they were just starting to cross. “You said you weren’t injured!”

“Mm…loud.” Tim complained, trying to fight off the effects.

Hood found a stack of crates to sit Tim down on and sat next to him, Tim’s arms still looped around his neck. Jason could cut Tim free but if he was hurt or drugged it would probably be easier to handle him like this.

“Are you hurt? Drugged?” Jason asked concerned, holding Tim’s face to keep him still and checking his eyes, his pupils were dilated.

“They…mm they hit me in the head a couple of times.” Tim couldn’t focus as much and leaned into Jason’s gloved hand subconsciously. “I thought you didn’t want to be around me…keep it separate.” He mumbled.

“That-“ Jason stiffened slightly, trying to get Tim’s eyes on him despite Tim unable to see his own eyes. “That’s not what this is and that’s…not what I meant, I want to be around you but…come on, Tim, you aren’t down for what I do, I don’t want you apart of that shit and neither do you.” This was probably not the time or place for this discussion.

“Mngh…” Tim sighed. “Yea…you’re right.” He pulled his bound hands and brought Jason closer to him by doing so. “You want to be around me?”

“…Yea, I do.” Jason admitted, stopping the pull before they head butted. “You are high as hell right now, aren’t you?”

“They wanted to sedate me.” Tim said, shifting over to press up against Jason more and tried to rest his head on Jason’s shoulder, the affects were getting stronger by the minute. “It’s something B has been getting me used to but it’s still...mm…workin. Can I just rest here? For a little while?”

“Maybe not here, but I can take you back to mine?” Jason suggested, sliding his hand down Tim’s back to soothe him. “I promise not to be too weird this time…if we can just talk this time?”

“I’d like that.” Tim let his eyes shut, not really resisting relaxing just where he was already. “I missed you.”

“You did?” Jason asked softly, it almost didn’t come out of his helmet.

“Mmhmm, I’m glad you’re not mad at me for leaving.” Tim sighed out and curled up against Jason, when he sobered up he’d be embarrassed by all this but right now he just wanted to be as close to Jason as possible.

“Careful there.” Jason had to pull Tim’s hands from trying to sneak up his helmet. “You’ll get zapped.”

“Clever boy~” Tim giggled and dropped his head against Jason’s shoulder. “I’mma go to sleep, night night.”

“Ah, no, wait till I get you to my bike.” Jason gave Tim a shake and was very amused by high Timmy whining at him like a toddler. Maybe him being sedated wasn’t so bad after all.

“Vroom, vroom.” Tim mumbled and Jason laughed. “You have a pretty laugh.”

“Uh…thank you?” Jason chuckled, getting up and pulled Tim up with him but Tim was wobbly on his feet.

“Uh oh~” Tim announced as he crashed against Jason. “We’re in trouble~”

“What?” Jason asked but soon found out exactly what he was talking about as the sound of electrified escrima sticks crackled and lit up the shadows from the other side of the roof and someone holding them stepped out into the light. “Uh-oh is right.” Jason muttered.

“Step away from him right now.” Nightwing growled as he brandished his weapons. “I won’t say it twice.”

Chapter Text

“Step away from him right now.” Nightwing growled as he brandished his weapons. “I won’t say it twice.”

~ ~ ~

“Someone’s in a mood.” Hood tutted as he tried to keep Tim steady on his feet while keeping his eyes on Nightwing, this was shaping up to be a bad scene.

“Asshole…what do you want?” Tim grumbled, pressing up more against Jason, he was trying to get his bound hands up and over Jason’s head but his motor skills were shot at the moment.

Hood glanced between the pair of them with interest at the exchange, reaching back for his knife on the back of his belt so he could cut Tim loose, not sure it would help but if Tim kept struggling it definitely wasn’t going to help anything.

“Don’t you fucking dare unless you want me drop you.” Nightwing said taking a step forward and bracing to launch one of his sticks, his expression said he was not messing around.

“Unless you want to zap both of us, I don’t think you will.” Hood quipped, finishing taking out the knife, watching Nightwing’s body tensed coiled ready to go in action if he didn’t like what Hood did, and deftly sliced the binds off Tim before returning the knife quickly.

“Thank you~” Tim smiled so big up at Hood that Jason was glad for his helmet, Tim looked so…cute and he might be gapping dumbfounded a bit under the hood.

“Robin!” Nightwing hissed. “Get over here, now.” His grip around his weapons tightened anxiously.

“No.” Tim said firmly, surprising both men equally.

Hood would think that Tim, even high as a kite, would go with Nightwing without trouble and that would be that until they could meet again somehow. This certainly was shaping up into an interesting night.

“What do you mean no?!” Nightwing snapped, taking another step toward them. “Tim, that is Red Hood, he’s-“

“He’s my soulmate, he’s not gonna hurt me!” Tim retorted frustrated, trying to stand on his own to yell at Nightwing some more but went off balance and Hood had to catch and put him back on his feet. “Thank you~ Ahem, as I was saying, shove it Douchewing! I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“He’s…your…WHAT?!” Nightwing nearly screeched, his defense dropping and his arms swinging at his side taking in this stunning information and nearly dropping his escrima sticks. He could not have heard that right…that was impossible…wasn’t it?

“I can’t believe you just said that.” Hood muttered to Tim, he knew sober Tim would not be happy about that admission or he would have said it by now.

“I’m so tired.” Tim grumbled back.

“I know, the drug, but-“

“No!” Tim sighed frustrated, pushed away from Jason and stayed on his feet on his own if not swaying a bit. “I’m tired of his shit, everyone’s shit, they think I can’t care of myself. That I’m fragile, just the damsel in distress! I’m sick of it!” He was getting louder and louder, his racing pulse rushing the drug around his system and making him dizzy but he wouldn’t let it take him down. Not now.

“I mean, I don’t think you’re defenseless, you hold your own against me just fine, but uh…I did just rescue from the Crypt Keeper.” Jason pointed out.

“…That!” Tim sputtered. “That so does not count! Ra’s is different!”

“Ra’s!?” Nightwing seemed to reboot hearing the name.

“Ugh.” Tim groaned, he was getting a headache again. “Throw me into the sun.”

“No.” Hood said, a bit firmly too. “They only drugged you to keep you from kicking their asses before I did.”

“Heh, you think so?” Tim asked giggling. “Let’s go back to your place, I wanna lie down.” Tim sighed and slumped against Jason again and rested his face against his chest, his fight just made things kick in more and his eyes were dropping.

“Absolutely not!” Nightwing crossed the rest of the space between them, reaching out to grab Tim and growled when Hood moved Tim behind him. “Get out of my way, Hood.”

“Make me, bitch.” Hood dared him. “He wants to come with me, he’s coming with me.”

“He’s drugged up and traumatized.” Nightwing squared up and gripping his weapons tightly in his hands. “He’s in no state to be making decisions, clearly. I’m not letting him go anywhere with someone like you.”

“Back off if you know what’s good for you, Douchewing.” Hood growled darkly, taking a step up to Nightwing and staring him down from the few inches he had on him. He could feel his anger picking up and he’d love nothing more than punching Dick’s face in right now.

“I’ve never had two men fight over me, how exciting~” Tim mumbled behind Hood, face smushed against his back and slowly slipping down him before finally properly passing out.

Hood twisted around catching Tim before he fell to the ground completely, ending up in a crouch with Tim in his arms and pulling him up against his chest. Everything else disappeared when he thought something might happen to Tim but he was only unconscious and peacefully sleeping in Jason’s arms.

He twitched when Nightwing placed his deactivated escrima stick under the chin of his hood. Jason swallowed slowly as it was pressed into his throat, a jolt there could either knock him out or do some serious damage so he kept still.

“Let him go, now.” Nightwing said lowly.

“Still gonna shock him if you do that, birdbrain. Unless that’s just fine to you?” Hood mused as he tilted his head up to look at Nightwing, watching the way he snarled down at him.

“I’m not letting you take him, that’s final and I’ll prove it to you.” Nightwing promised. “Test me.”

Hood silently sighed, looking back down at Tim in his arms softly taking in breaths looking so serene; it was a pity things kept wanting them apart. He thought the whole soulmate thing meant they were supposed to come together but it was always ending up like this and just when Jason was starting to really want to stay around him.

Tim wasn’t like him, though, they might as well be from different planets the way they view the world and move through it. Maybe he didn’t really belong anywhere near Jason’s world…not right now at least. He wasn’t sure.

What he wanted and what he thought was right were waring in his mind, making it hard to decide what move to make next.

He brushed some hair out of Tim’s face as he contemplated what he should do here. If Tim would be pissed if Jason let Dick take him, they were clearly at odds right now, but if he didn’t than he’d have to knock Dick out cold so he couldn’t follow them.

“Oh Timmy, you really love to cause trouble, don’t you?” Hood said quietly to Tim’s sleeping face and gently set him on the ground and stood with the escrima still at his throat. “That left knee still givin you issue, bitchwing?”

“Huh?” Nightwing said bewildered that Hood knew about his weaker knee but before it mattered he was groaning in pain, crumbling to the ground after Hood round housed straight into his left knee.

Hood gave him no second to recover before he was relieved of his escrima and Hood shoved the ends to some less vital areas and if only Dick could see the smirk on Jason’s face as he turned them on. Nightwing convulsed until he passed out from the volts coursing through his system and went limp after Hood removed them.

“Always such a bitch and you never grew out of it.” Hood tutted, tossing the now deactivated sticks on Nightwing before returning to Tim and scooping him up. “You asked to come with me, hope you still agree when you wake up, princess.”

Getting Tim to his safe house would be a little tricky with Tim out cold, but still doable and Jason would make sure to have anything Tim needs when he wakes up. A good dinner should help after being drugged up to high heaven and maybe help with getting fresher start than the last time.

Jason guessed he would find out.

Chapter Text

“Alright, into bed with you.” Jason lightly grunted as he maneuvered Tim into his bed, getting into the safe house with dead weight was a bit of a tricky thing and Tim woke up a little half way through which sort of helped.

“Mm,‘s nice.” Tim mumbled as he flopped over on to his stomach and cuddled with Jason’s pillow, shoving his face into it and inhaling the scent left behind by it’s owner. It was rather nice, the smell of Jason’s soaps and shampoo along with some hints of gun oil and leather. Just so Jason and it soothed Tim to his very core.

“I’m glad you like it.” Jason chuckled, tucking Tim in and made sure he was comfortable.

“I like the way you smell.” Tim hummed, curling up with the covers and hugging the other pillow on the bed.

“…okay…not beating the weird allegations there, Stalker boy.” Jason teased, laughing a little when Tim peeked up at him.

Jason didn’t know if it was the dreams, the constant slide show he kept being shown of Tim’s life or all the things he’s found out on his own about Tim, but it was starting to feel like Jason knew him. Despite having barely spoken to each other and that disastrous night they spent together, it was confusing but Jason was feeling closer to him. He wondered…if Tim felt that too? That draw to the other.

Tim was trusting him enough to come here, to have Jason watch over him, even if he was high. Jason doubted that would make Tim more trusting, given how he was acting with Dick.

“You’re eyes are really pretty.” Tim said, pulling Jason out of his thoughts and he realized Tim started sitting up. “I didn’t get to see them a lot, camera never really caught the color.” He mumbled as he tried to stay up right.

“…you should go to sleep, Tim.” Jason said, a touch quieter than he had meant to but he couldn’t help it right now. Tim was looking at him so soft and with admiration he wasn’t used to, when had been the last time anyone looked at him in a positive way?

“Are you gonna join me?” Tim asked, he still looked dazed and sleepy but it seemed he was fighting it.

“No, just get that stuff out of your system, okay?” Jason said, letting Tim do as he liked when he started sliding his hands up Jason’s arms, leaving a warm tingling in their wake.

“Mm, in a minute…” Tim hummed, though it looked like Tim was struggling a bit to keep his eyes open, whatever was used on him must be something but then again…so was Tim.

Jason was a little distracted by how wide Tim’s pupils were, probably from the drug, but it reminded him too much of how a cat’s eyes when it sees something it likes. It was occupying his thoughts so much he almost didn’t notice how close they were getting or that Tim was pulling him in.

The way Tim’s eye lids drooped and his expression softened, Jason knew what the plan here was and his stomach flipped. What was happening with this bird?

Just before their lips could meet, Jason placed his hand in the way, Tim kissing the pads of his fingers made his stomach twist and squirm pleasantly. It did something sharper when Tim’s eyes looked at him with hurt and rejection.

“Hey now.” Jason spoke softly and used his free hand to catch Tim’s elbow to keep him from pulling too far away and shifting his hand from Tim’s lips to cup his face. “That’s not it at all, whatever you’re thinking in there.”

“I-“ Tim sucked in a shuttering breath, unable to help but lean into Jason’s hand but started to tremble holding back his emotions that were just too loose from his grasp with this drug in his system erasing his filter and inhibitions.

“I just don’t…” Jason started, stopped, and tried again. “I don’t think you wanna do that right now, maybe wait till you get your head back on straight, huh?”

Tim’s eyes flicked from where they were staring at Jason’s lips back up to his eyes, unsure if his addled brain heard that just right and if he was actually seeing that Jason was a little pink in the face right now.

“Uh...” Jason cleared his throat and moved his hand off Tim’s face to his shoulder and lightly added pressure. “Go to sleep and we can talk about stuff after you get that crap out of you, okay?” Jason proposed, not quite looking Tim in the eye at the moment, unsure himself if he had meant what he said or if he should had said that at all.

Tim just kept looking at Jason for a long while with a hard to read expression until it started to soften and his lips curved into a tender smile. It was giving Jason some chest palpitations that he didn’t understand completely but found it pleasant all the same.

“Okay.” Tim said soft like a whisper, lying back down on the bed, sprawling out in the pillows with a sigh. “Goodnight.”

Looking at Tim right now, looking so soft, vulnerable and open with his messy dark hair falling in his sparkling blue eyes and that smile still gracing his lips, it was sending strange signals to Jason’s brain that made him itch. He couldn’t comprehend the urges to get closer or to touch, so he shut it down and stood up to get away from it all.

“Goodnight.” Jason said as he retreated from the room to let Tim rest and distract himself with literally anything else before he exploded.

“This soulmate crap is melting my brain.” Jason muttered to himself frustrated.

He ended up quietly stress cleaning his entire safe house despite it being completely tidy already but he needed to keep busy and sitting down was the last thing he wanted to do. He cleaned everything and when that was done took apart and cleaned his guns, anything to just keep his mind focused on something.

He did eventually run out of things to do and Tim was still sleeping away in his room…in his bed…

“I should have left him.” Jason groaned softly, now sitting at his desk after he finished everything else and scrubbing his face with his hands.

It was difficult to understand where this was all coming from, Jason simply didn’t want anything to do with being soulmates, he hated the idea of choice being taken from him. He’s lived with enough of that for one life time let alone for this second one he was on.

The whole thing gave him stress and he had to talk himself out of leaving the apartment at least three times now. He didn’t think running would really get him that far from Tim in the long run, they kept running into each other. The pull was strong and Jason wanted to resist on some level but on another level…he wanted to fall into it.

Which pissed him off to no end.

Chapter Text

The thing that was making him a little crazy was…he didn’t dislike being around Tim, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of Tim himself or the soulmate crap. Jason wanted it to be the former but had doubts that lingered. Tim was surprising, strong, scrapy, cunning and all around interesting, Jason had never bored of any parts of Tim and when he was looking at him before…

It stirred something that Jason couldn’t focus on too much, he straight up refused to put too much thought in to it. He really didn’t want to come to conclusions or set anything more in stone.

Jason tried to work on some things on his laptop, to keep his mind busy since he couldn’t keep his hands as busy without anything else to do. It didn’t help much, he wasn’t really doing much at the moment just yet, things were going in motion how he planned which meant it was the waiting game part of it now.

Though, now that he had a moment, he recalled something he had been checking on in the first place. It hadn’t been what he was told so Jason wanted to double check and took his phone out, but it fumbled in his hand. The way it clattered all over his keyboard sent his screen sputtering through didn’t settle things until it landed on the file had taken from Tim’s flash drive.

Hm, did he have that open before? Jason didn’t think so and when he picked up his phone he must have pressed the touch pad on his laptop because it clicked open one of the pictures.

Jason looked as the screen filled with the photo of Tim after he had ran away from Jason the night they had switched bodies. He was transfixed on the pure delight and happiness in Tim’s eyes in the picture, it looked so similar to what he saw just an hour ago in Tim’s eyes before he went back to sleep. Could Jason really be the reason for that expression both times? It was hard to believe…

“So, you found that too, huh?” A groggy voice asked and Jason quickly slammed the laptop shut as he twisted around in his chair. “I guess a taste of my own medicine is pretty bitter.” Tim said as he ran a hand through his hair in attempts to tame it while averting his gaze, color blossoming across his cheeks.

“Uh…” Jason said dumbfound, how had he not heard Tim coming? Either he was getting too distracted or Robin was just as good as advertised. “I believe in being thorough.”

“Heh.” Tim chuckled, looking back Jason, his eyes looking more focused. “You certainly seem to…I can’t believe you read all my old diaries.”

“I needed to know who I’m dealing with.” Jason shrugged, watching Tim sit on the arm of the couch that was nearby. “Old Robin habits die hard.” He winced as soon as the words left his mouth, not cause it bothered him any but because the way Tim’s eyes snapped up at him with hurt. “Sorry…” He mumbled awkwardly.

Tim shook his head and dropped his gaze to the floor.

“How are you feeling?” Jason asked to change the subject off of his death.

“Better.” Tim said, not looking up. “Less loopy but still kinda groggy.”

“What do you remember?” Jason asked, turning his chair to face Tim and crossed his arms as he leaned back with interest.

“I don’t remember being taken.” Tim frowned as he searched his foggy memory. “I don’t know why Ra’s bothered letting me wake up, he loves to gloat though. I remember him taunting me, a ruckus going on-“

“You’re welcome.” Jason said with some cheek.

“And then kicking that guy’s ass…” Tim slowly started to get things in order and looked up, his face a little pink. “Uh…and all that happened on the roof with Dick and…when we got back here.”

“Ah.” Jason mumbled, he had hoped that part had been blacked out, Tim’s a little too sharp. Jason really wasn’t up to talking about that right now, he still wasn’t sure about it himself.

“Oh shit.” Tim sat up straighter, looking anxious. “I told Dick we were soulmates!” He exclaimed as the memory came in focus and his heart dropped to his stomach.

“You did.” Jason tried not to laugh, but the way Tim was pulling at his hair freaking out was kind of cute. “I can’t imagine that’s going to go over well.”

“I fucking can’t believe I did that!” Tim groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“Cat’s out of the bag.” Jason said with a shrug. “You can always say it was a lie to piss him off? You were drugged up, wouldn’t be that unbelievable.” He suggested.

“Yea, I’m sure the ship has sailed…” Tim mumbled, peeking through his fingers. “I’ve been too suspicious, I’m sure, about you…nothing is going to convince him otherwise. Plus there’s Ko- Oh shit, can I borrow a phone?” Tim dropped his hands all together and sat up straight.

“Does it matter what kind?” Jason asked, getting up to grab one where he stashed some burners, he figured Tim needed it for a good reason and after all the crap of everything, he trusted Tim.

“No, just anything that can text and call.” Tim sighed, scrubbing his face again irritated, everything was always such a problem, so many people were in his business lately. It was starting to overwhelm him, being a vigilante was such a stressful and bad idea, most days he just wanted to scream.

“You good?” Jason’s voice broke Tim out of his little spiral and handed him a phone when Tim looked up.

“I’ll let you know.” Tim muttered. “Thanks.” He took the phone, his fingers flying over the keys quickly as he typed out a coded message to his team, firstly Kon, and sending it hoping to quell their worries.

Tim was hardly surprised to receive one back in less than a second, he was surprised what it had said though, looks like he contacted them just in time. The message he got back basically said: ‘Are you sure? Because I am literally on top of the building you are in, I know you’re in there and not alone.’

Jeez, Kon and his stupid Super Hearing, this was so not what he needed right now.

Tim told him again that he was fine, he’ll call them later but right now he was staying in Gotham for a little longer. He wanted his team to go back to the Tower and he’d see them later. He didn’t say who he was with, he didn’t want to explain because they just wouldn’t understand and Kon was worried about Hood enough at this point.

It at least seemed to be enough for Kon and he said they’d be heading back, they had long come up with codes and secret phrases to let the others know if there was secret distress and Tim assured there was none right now.

With that settled, Tim dropped the phone on the couch beside him and ran his hands through his hair with an irritated sigh and tilted his head back. He was holding in a scream, honestly, there was so much rattling around his brain right now and it was starting to mix into deafening static that felt like it might burst out of him.

Something made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he opened his eyes the same second Jason was touching his jaw, startling Tim by just appearing right in front of his face. Jason seemed too distracted, though, staring horrified at Tim’s throat and then Tim remembered.

He hadn’t covered the scar today.

“I-“ Tim started to say, swallowed when Jason tilted Tim’s head back slightly more and he couldn’t hold back the shudder when Jason’s thumb ran over the scar.

“That can’t….” Jason swallowed past a lump growing in his throat, scanning the faint line, his eyes darting from Tim’s eyes to the scar.

Tim couldn’t find words with the way Jason was towering over him, almost crowding him back against the couch where he was sitting on the armrest. The look in Jason’s teal eyes was near devastated splashed with confusion and it made Tim’s throat feel tight.

The line disrupting Tim’s skin had been exactly where Jason had slit Tim’s throat in that strange dream they had shared months ago. That hadn’t been real, it was just a means to a way to end the dream, it wasn’t supposed to…

“Tim…” Jason was struggling with the name, brushing his fingers over the scar, feeling the rise of the healed skin and his stomach turned with bile.

“It…” Tim tried to speak, flinching slightly when Jason looked him in the eyes. “It’s okay-“ He wanted assured Jason or something, he looked down right distraught and Tim’s heart ached seeing it.

“No it’s not!” Jason snapped, his hand sliding down to gather the collar of Tim’s hoodie in his hand tightly. “What…what the hell! It wasn’t real, it shouldn’t have-!”

“It didn’t hurt!” Tim insisted, grabbing around the wrist of Jason’s hand holding onto his hoodie. He was practically lying flat on his spot on the armrest and it was so awkward, it made him feel vulnerable and he could almost feel the warmth of Jason’s body that was so close to his.

“What?” Jason asked just getting more confused.

“I woke up like this.” Tim tried to explain. “It was never a cut, just a scar, it didn’t feel like anything. It just…appeared.” He swallowed slightly when Jason looked back down to the scar, trying hard to not let his mind wander too much.

Puberty sucked and his childhood crush and soulmate was practically on top of him with such fierce expressions, barely a few inches from touching. Tim had dreams like this and damn if it was so not the time to remember those and it was wrong, Jason didn’t think of him like that in the slightest but…Tim couldn’t help it.

“I didn’t…” Jason struggled to explain as he relaxed his hold on Tim’s hoodie and lightly traced the scar with his fingers again, feeling Tim shiver under his touch. “I’m sorry…”

“I’m not upset about it.” Tim insisted, his voice far too soft and he had to bite back a whine and shut his eyes tight when Jason’s hand caressed the side of his neck so tenderly. It felt intimate and caring and Tim wished that was exactly what it was but didn’t believe it.

He wanted throw himself in downtown traffic.

“You should be…” Jason said, Tim could hear a slight tremble in his voice. “I don’t want to hurt you…” The ‘not anymore’ was left unsaid even if Tim wouldn’t know that. “This soulmate crap…it’s messed up.”

Tim opened his eyes as his heart sank, he really wished Jason would stop saying things like this, it wasn’t like Tim didn’t understand and some of it he agreed with. Still, it hurt every time and he wished Jason would pick a lane. He kept drawing Tim back but it just seemed like rejection was all Tim got for it.

“You already had enough scars because of me.” Jason said, finally pulling back out of Tim’s personal space some and letting go of Tim’s neck in favor of taking the hand off his wrist and tugging down Tim’s sleeve to look at the matching scar they shared on his wrist. “You must regret it.”

“Regret it?” Tim asked, biting the inside of his cheek when Jason’s thumb stroked back and forth across Tim’s under wrist, the scar tingling in response.

“Asking to be my soulmate.” Jason said, his eyes staying on their hands.

“You think this was a ‘careful what you wish for’ thing for me?” Tim asked, shifting his arm in Jason’s hand to hold onto his wrist in turn. “Sometimes I guess it has, I can’t say some of this hasn’t been a mess.” Jason snorted at that. “But I wasn’t going to be happy getting matched with anyone else. I never liked soulmates in the first place, actually.”

“No?” Jason asked curiously and was surprised when Tim shifted over to sit on the couch properly and tug Jason to sit down next time, close and touching.

“No.” Tim said, his fingers tightening around Jason’s wrist. “I didn’t like the idea that I was just thrown at someone without a choice, especially when I knew what my choice would have been and if it wasn’t you, I didn’t want one at all.”

“That…” Jason didn’t really know what to say to that.

“It was shallow, I know.” Tim went on, looking elsewhere away from Jason. “I didn’t know you, not really, I was just admiring you from afar, I couldn’t even get the nerve to talk to you out of the cape but I was captivated by you. It could be the soulmate thing or not, but I just couldn’t help admire how kind you were to those you saved and how badly you wanted to protect people. How you wanted to improve yourself and make a difference. Plus…you’re really cute and that was how I found out I was attracted to boys.” His fingers around Jason’s wrist fidgeted and Jason could see a blush creeping up Tim’s neck up to his ears.

“But…Just because we’re soulmates…It doesn’t mean we owe each other anything, most soulmates just become close friends after all.” Tim said, letting Jason go and folding his hands in his lap. “I know we said we were the universe’s left overs but…I know I was happy after we did the switch even though I knew then you were angry…”

Jason took a moment to absorb everything Tim said, it was more of an admission than he was expecting from Tim even after everything they experienced together.

“I…I wasn’t exactly…angry.” Jason said. “Well, only a little since someone was stalking me…knew my secret…I didn’t want to be the one that ruined the biggest secret of Gotham.”

“You didn’t.” Tim looked over at Jason with a small crooked smile. “That was Dick, he’s why I figured it out. I had actually been at the circus to see him do that quadruple flip that he would do later as Robin, I made the connection and figured it all out from there. After he went on to be Nightwing, you showed up and you were…so different. At first I didn’t like that Robin was replaced but…you were so…genuine. There was something captivating about you that I couldn’t put my finger on and after time I started noticing my admiration was turning into something else.”

“How long had you been following us?” Jason asked, his brows furrowed, how on earth did none of them notice Tim stalking around behind them.

“I knew since I was about nine, started really following Batman and Robin around ten or eleven. It’s when I started taking pictures, falling in love with photography and hiding my little hobby.”

“Are you insane? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for a little kid?” Jason asked flabbergasted before he could think through the statement, since he was the one Tim was following and not much older than him and fighting dangerous criminals himself. At least Jason had received training, Tim was just some rich kid spelunking around the crime capital of the world.

“I guess I am a bit.” Tim shrugged, taking no offense. “But I’ve always had a knack for fading away in the background and it worked in my favor during my nightly activities. I have been hassled a few times but I always got out of it just fine and it wasn’t like I did it every night. Sometimes it wasn’t even once a week, I may have been obsessed but not completely reckless.”

Tim opened his mouth to say more then shut it, looking away and blushing a bit and it got Jason curious.

“What?” Jason prodded.

“I had always sort of daydreamed of…you rescuing me if I ever did get in trouble.” Tim sort of mumbled, still not looking at Jason and feeling his face burning. “I guess that finally happened tonight.”

“Oh.” Jason didn’t know what to say but his stomach was flipping and the way Tim was turning a pretty rosy color was certainly appealing.

“How did you know I was there anyways?” Tim asked, looking back at Jason and found it curious and cute that Jason had gone a bit pink from Tim’s admission and felt his own stomach doing summersaults.

“I didn’t.” Jason admitted.

“…what? Then…” Tim frowned confused. “Then why were you there?”

“I was given a heads up by one of my guys that a new gang was selling dope to kids in that area.” Jason explained. “I had made it clear when I moved into Crime Alley that that was not happening in my turf or else. So I was following through on that promise but found a bunch of League of Assassin assholes instead. They weren’t the smartest bunch, said out loud that I must be here for Robin and that wasn’t the case till they said it.”

Tim was puzzled how the happenstance of that could have had their paths cross at just the right time because if Jason hadn’t shown up Tim could have been in some real trouble. He was just starting to wonder if it was soulmate stuff again but the thought was interrupted when Jason placed a hand on his leg.

“I’m just glad I got to you before you were hurt or taken.” Jason said genuinely relieved.

Tim felt his heart skip from the sincerity in Jason’s voice, that he was actually worried about him and it made the constant yearning he felt when they were around each other all the more present.

“I’m glad too…” Tim said a little too quiet before speaking up more. “I was getting worried what he was going to do, Ra’s is always trying this crap and with me off the grid…I was starting to think he’d get me this time.”

“What?” Jason asked with an edge to his and the hand on Tim’s thigh gripped tighter, almost possessively. “What do you mean? He’s done this before?”

“He’s taken a…’liking’ to me.” Tim said with a cringe. “I’ve out smarted a few of his plots and he thinks if he can’t have Bruce, why not me? I’m younger, thinks I’d be easier to break or somethi-“ His words caught in his throat when he saw Jason’s teal eyes start to…glow? Taking on a more toxic green color that was rather familiar looking. “J-Jason?”

“That bastard…I should have put him down.” Jason growled, his fingers were digging deeper into Tim’s thigh and leaned in toward Tim. “Has he ever done anything to you before? The other times? Tell me.” He all but demanded, the glow getting brighter.

“Jason…” Tim felt his pulse starting to speed up and he wasn’t sure if it was fear or something else. “That…That hurts…” He stammered as he winced the more Jason gripped him.

Jason flinched, letting go, trying to move back away from Tim but Tim caught Jason by the wrist to keep him from getting too far. Jason could fight him, get his arm back but he let Tim hold him there and be in control while Jason tried to calm himself down. He needed to get a grip, he couldn’t keep letting his anger rule his head or his actions, not around Tim.

“He’s never hurt me all that much, no more than any other criminal has managed.” Tim answered him as if they weren’t disrupted. “I can stand my own ground pretty well when I need to.”

“I know that.” Jason mumbled, his fingers flexing as Tim still held on to his wrist. “But Bruce is putting you in harm’s way, even if you can handle it, you shouldn’t be his Robin.”

Tim stiffened and felt his heart clench and opened his mouth to respond but Jason beat him to it.

“I think you’re perfectly capable of it, but he’s already let one Robin die…I won’t let him get another one get killed…especially not you.” Jason stated firmly.

Tim swallowed softly, having mixed feelings about this whole thing. He only became Robin to keep Bruce from the edge of the abyss and carry on Jason’s memory and legacy but it became something of his own over time. Giving it up was just not really something he wanted at this point, well, some of it maybe but not all. It was just too confusing at this moment in time if he was honest.

“And if I’m not interested in retiring?” Tim asked softly, watching the color of Jason’s eyes flicker before settling back into teal.

“I’m not going to stop you…” Jason said matching his tone, using the hand that Tim wasn’t holding to hold onto Tim’s right wrist, feeling the scar like it brought him comfort to know it was there. “But it’s still how I feel and I’d rather you’d stay closer to me.”

“You…” Tim unconsciously licked his lips feeling his mouth go dry. “You want me to stay with you?”

“For now, yea, only if you want.” Jason offered. “I’m not gonna make you and if you want to leave, that’s fine too. You control your own life, Tim, I just wanna make sure you’re safe that’s all.”

“I…I can stay.” Tim said, scooting a little closer. “I know that…that last time…”

“No, I was being weird, I know and-“

“I’ll stay.” Tim said as they talked over each other. “If you want me to, I will. I’ve got nowhere else I want to be right now.”

“Good, okay, awesome.” Jason said relieved, he had driven Tim away last time and that was the last thing he wanted now. He wanted a chance to actually get to know him and learn about each other.

“Yea.” Tim said, a smile spreading across his face but this was the best feeling he’s had in weeks and he was glad to finally find a place to actually be, to want to be.

Chapter Text

“You have some nerve showing your face to us!” Cassie barked, already getting ready for a brawl after Dick managed to track them down before they had left town. “After what you did to Kon, you think you have any right to talk to any of us?”

“I’m not looking for trouble!” Dick insisted, again, but didn’t blame them for the reaction. “And I wanted…I wanted to apologize for that, in person.”

“Stuff it where the bats don’t fly!” Kon snapped, grumbling when Cassie and Bart held him back from trying to go at Dick but decided to not go against their wishes, Dick wasn’t worth it.

“Right.” Dick mumbled. “I know that what I did was stupid, that I shouldn’t have pushed so hard.” Kon scoffed and Bart and Cassie made similarly annoyed sounds. “But I need ask you something, about Tim.”

“God, wow, seriously?” Kon rolled his eyes. “Like we want anything to do with you? Get real.”

“Well, I noticed you guys aren’t tearing up the city looking for him anymore.” Dick pointed out, watching the teens shift slightly and huff. “So he contacted you? When?”

“If we tell you, will you finally leave Tim alone?” Bart asked, waving off Kon when he protested.

“If you answer my few questions, then yes.” Dick said, he had to know more about this situation that Tim’s found himself in and the more time that passed without answers was driving him up a wall. He already lost Hood’s trail and all his searching turned up nothing, Hood disappeared with Tim and he had to know if Tim was actually alright.

“Fine, asshole, what?” Bart crossed his arms.

“When did Tim talk to you?”

“Half an hour ago.” Cassie answered. “He’s safe, fine, not your business. Where he might be is not on the table.”

Dick frowned but kept his mouth shut on the matter for now, he knew they wouldn’t let anything happen to Tim either, but did they know? “I have a…strange question.”

“Color us shocked.” Kon rolled his eyes again.

“Do you know who Tim’s soulmate is? Has he told you?” Dick watched their reactions carefully, Bart and Cassie looked confused and annoyed while Kon looked like he had flinched. Interesting.

“What does that matter?” Bart asked.

“Just answer.” Dick said.

“We don’t know.” Cassie shrugged. “He said his dream was nothing clear just like anybody else’s, so what does it matter? What does his soulmate have to do with anything?”

“I’m concerned that his soulmate might be dangerous, that he might be getting swept up in the idea of finding them that he’s ignoring common sense.” Dick explained, curious why Kon was starting to fidget irritated. “I think that they-“

“Shut the hell up!” Kon snapped. “Tim’s soulmate is none of your business!”

“It is if I think they are going to hurt him!” Dick argued back.

“They can’t hurt him, they’re dead!” Kon said, his anger getting the best of him, Dick had already crossed enough lines with him and the rest of them, and crossing this line with Tim most of all? It was disgusting and filled him with rage he couldn’t contain before he realized he had blurted out Tim’s secret.

“What?” Cassie gasped, looking horrified at Kon.