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Jason lifts his head when he hears something scrape against the rooftop, almost smiling at the sight of Nightwing.
“You made it,” he says quietly, and holds up a brown paper bag. “I got your favorite.”
“My favorite, what?” Dick asks, voice carrying a note of suspicion. He still walks over to crouch beside him, close enough for Jason to smell the rosemary in his hair. Even after a long night of patrol, there are always hints of it lingering around him. “Why’d you call me out here, Hood?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Jason replies. He turns slightly, resting the bag on his thigh so he can pull out a small cup of ice cream. “Mint chocolate chip. That hasn’t changed, right?”
“Oh.” Dick blinks, reaching out to grab it. His fingers brush over Jason’s knee, and Jason really hopes Dick doesn’t pick up on his body’s involuntary shiver. “How’d you know?”
“I pay attention,” Jason says, passing over a spoon. “Here—so you don’t use your Wingdings.”
“You know about that?” Dick says, sounding sheepish. He pops the lid off the cup and sits on the roof’s ledge, gathering a spoonful and sliding it into his mouth.
Jason isn’t ashamed to admit he watches Dick eat it, mostly so he can watch the way his face lights up after the flavor hits his tongue. Satisfied, and maybe a little flustered, Jason pulls another cup out of the bag—Neapolitan, of course.
They get through most of their ice cream in a comfortable silence, all while Jason sneaks glances at Dick to admire his look of peace.
“So,” Dick says after a while, turning to him with his spoon in his mouth. “Why’d you call me out here? Did you need something?”
“Actually, yes,” Jason says, finishing the rest of his ice cream and setting the cup aside. He pushes himself up to stand, his nerves making him jittery. “Uh. I wanted to talk to you about something serious, and I didn’t want to push it off anymore.”
“Hood?” Dick also stands, but Jason doesn’t let him get close, pacing the rooftop a few feet away.
“God, I’m going to sound so stupid,” Jason eventually mutters. He takes a deep breath and pivots on his heel to stare at Dick. His eyes flick all over the man’s face, finding no need to memorize his features—he already did long ago, when he first realized the depth of his feelings for Dick Grayson. “I like you.”
The whites of Dick’s domino mask blink. “Uh, thank you?” he says, bemused. “I like you too, Little Wing.”
“No, I like you, Dick,” Jason says. He nearly takes a step closer but stops himself in time, not wanting to make Dick feel cornered. “More than a friend—more than a brother, even.” His stomach trembles with nerves, but Jason ignores it, hands lax at his sides when he finally speaks the truth in his heart, “I have feelings for you.”
“Oh,” Dick whispers.
“Yeah,” Jason says, rather lamely, and walks back to the edge of the rooftop. He lowers himself back to his original spot and stares out at the city he grew up in, clenching his hands when his fingers refuse to stop shaking. God, he suddenly aches for a cigarette. “I decided to say something now because—” Jason stops, lightly smacking a fist against his thigh. “Well, I’ve noticed something different between us, and I thought maybe… maybe there’s a chance.” He forces out laugh, shaking his head. “If I’m wrong, then nothing has to change. We can forget all about it.”
“Hood…”
Jason doesn’t say anything else, fighting the urge to look back at Dick. Eventually, he hears the sound of footsteps growing closer, and from his peripheral, he can see Dick sitting beside him, hands spread out against the concrete roof.
“You’re right,” Dick says quietly. “I… I do feel something for you, but I never said anything about it because you were finally so comfortable around me, and I didn’t want things to change.”
“They can,” Jason replies, finally glancing at him.
“I don’t know… I’ve never been good with relationships,” Dick says, turning his head away. The moonlight highlights the curve of his cheek and draws attention to the long lashes resting against it, casting shadows in a few other places. It makes him look much more solemn, sad—but he’s still beautiful. He’ll always be beautiful to Jason. “I don’t think I know how to be in one without trying to sabotage myself.”
Jason thinks for a moment, trying to find the right words so he doesn’t fuck it all up. Eventually, he bumps their knees together, waits for Dick to look at him, and says, “I’m not good at relationships, either. I don’t think I’ve ever really had one, but—” Here, he links their ankles together, fondly amused to see Dick’s cheeks go pink. “—I’m willing to try.”
“I think I am, too,” Dick whispers before smiling. It’s tentative and small, but Jason loves it all the same.
❦ ❦
Jason decides to take Dick out on a date.
“You really don’t have to do this, Jason,” Dick says after Jason picks him up at his apartment. He’s dressed in high-waisted, dark wash jeans with a red button-up shirt tucked into them, and fuck, if he doesn’t look good in Jason’s color. “I feel like it’s too much!”
“If it helps, I’m not taking you anywhere fancy,” Jason says, holding out a hand. Dick eyes it with a strange look on his face, but eventually, he does accept it. After waiting for Dick to lock his door, Jason leads him to the elevator. “We’re going to get pizza at this new place a couple of streets down, and I might be willing to share a cookie afterward.”
“A cookie?” Dick sounds delighted. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I’m just giving you what you deserve,” Jason asks, glancing at the man. His heart twinges when he sees confusion flicker onto Dick’s face. “So, pizza?”
“Pizza,” Dick says faintly. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
They don’t talk much on the way over, but Jason doesn’t mind. He actually chats about his long week dealing with idiots, drawing a laugh or two out of Dick whenever he gets overzealous during his explanation. Jason keeps the conversation going, managing to pry some details about Dick’s recent Titans hangout before they finally arrive at their destination—a small, homey place wedged between two other buildings.
The smell of pizza hits him the moment he opens the door to let Dick in, and Jason’s mouth waters. He glances at the sign on the right wall and nearly weeps in joy when he sees a notice declaring everything to be homemade.
It’s good. Really good, but what makes it even better is having Dick across from him, visibly enjoying the meal and his time with Jason. Unfortunately, it does end, because they both have patrol soon (in different cities), so Jason does the right thing and walks him back to his apartment building.
“I’ll see you later, Jason,” Dick says, and maybe Jason is a little biased, but he looks quite fetching in the golden light of the setting sun, especially with the shy expression on his face.
Jason is about to respond, but then Dick abruptly steps closer and presses his lips to the corner of Jason’s mouth—kissing (!!!) Jason!!! Every single thought leaves his head because his mind decides to focus only on the soft pressure and the smell of rosemary. It feels like it lasts forever, and eventually, Dick pulls away to smile at him, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” Dick announces before peering at him in concern. “Jason? You okay?”
He wants to reassure him, mostly to bring back his smile, but what comes out of Jason’s mouth is, “Mmph?”
“Oh.” Dick’s expression shifts into something Jason might dare to describe as fond, but thinking about it fills Jason’s stomach with butterflies, so he tries not to linger on it. “That’s really sweet, Jason.” He lightly shoves Jason’s shoulder. “You should probably go, though. I don’t want to make you late for patrol.”
“Uh-huh,” Jason says stupidly before turning and walking straight into a pole.
❦ ❦
(“Are you okay?” Dick says worriedly. The lamp above his head shines so prettily, giving the impression of a halo. “You hit your head really hard.”
“S’rry,” Jason mumbles, fighting the urge to shut his eyes. He wants to stare at Dick for longer. “You okay?”
“Am I—?” Dick releases one of those huffy laughs. It’s not quite the loud laughter Jason enjoys hearing, but it’s enough to make the corners of his eyes crease, and that’s good enough for Jason. “I’m fine, Jason. But you aren’t. You have a concussion.”
“Oh,” Jason says, wincing when his head throbs. “Ow.”
“Yes, ow.” Dick pauses, expression flitting between several different emotions. Jason can’t even try to identify them all, not with his mind so scrambled, but he thinks it settles on something akin to wonder. “You really do like me, huh?”
“Yes,” Jason answers. “A lot.”
Maybe too much, he doesn’t say.
“Oh, Jason,” Dick says and leans down to kiss his cheek.
Even when Roy rolls up in his car to take him back to the apartment, Jason considers it to be the best first date he’s ever had. Disregarding the fact that he has no other dates to compare it to, Jason still thinks it’s number one.)
❦ ❦
Many more dates follow.
They usually go out to places in Gotham or Bludhaven, eating at local restaurants, sharing a dessert, or taking walks in the safer parts of both cities.
Dick still gets shy around him, and there are times when it seems like he doesn’t know what to do with Jason’s attention or affection. Jason learns to wait him out, giving him as much time as he needs to sort through his feelings and decide if he wants to accept what Jason offers. He never minds, and he makes sure to tell Dick when he apologizes, once.
“I want you to feel comfortable, Dick,” Jason tells him, placing the peony on the table. “And I want you to be happy. If you need extra time, then so be it.”
“Right,” Dick says quietly. He’s not staring at Jason when he speaks—instead, he’s staring at the flower, fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. “Those are my favorite.”
“Yup.”
“… How’d you know?”
“I pay attention to you,” Jason answers, rubbing the back of his neck. “You get a little smile on your face whenever you see them, and it’s the only flower you smell if we stop by a shop.” He chuckles, embarrassment creeping up on him. “I wanted to get you more, but I figured I’d start at one to make sure you actually do like it.”
“I do. I really do.”
Tentatively, Dick reaches out, fingers brushing the pink petals, and there’s that tiny smile. Jason openly stares, and when Dick turns toward him, expression still carrying a hint of softness, Jason feels like his heart might fly out of his chest.
“Jason,” Dick says.
“Yeah?” Jason breathes.
He doesn’t realize what’s happening right away, but eventually, he catches up, and his mind blasts the realization—DICK GRAYSON IS KISSING YOU.
His eyes flutter shut when it finally registers, and Jason carefully kisses back, enjoying Dick’s little sigh when Jason wraps an arm around him. It continues for several long, blissful moments, and when Dick pulls back, Jason lets him.
“Thank you,” Dick whispers, brushing their noses together. “You’re the sweetest.”
Jason’s blush lingers for the rest of the day.
Sometimes, they do stay in and hang out at Dick’s apartment, either to watch a movie or have dinner. As time passes, they move on from ordering takeout to Jason taking over Dick’s kitchen to make him something special, and he’s almost always rewarded with a kiss that makes his toes curl at the end of the night.
They also venture out to neighboring cities in Jason’s car to visit museums or tourist attractions. Doing this leads them to discover new things within Jersey, too, which is how Jason ends up staring at Dick with a (probably) dopey smile on his face while Dick marvels over Lucy, the World’s Largest Elephant, in Margate City.
“It’s not very accurate,” Dick says, still gazing at the six-story elephant in wonder. “But I think she’s still very charming.”
“Yeah?” Jason wraps an arm around him, feeling a thrill when Dick rests his head on his shoulder. “Did you know you can actually spend the night inside her? And lucky for us, there was an opening tonight.”
Dick gasps, looking at him with such open delight. “Really?” he exclaims before throwing his arms around him and giving him a big kiss (paired with a mwuah sound and everything). “Jason, that’s such a fun idea! Thank you!”
“Yeah,” Jason says, a bit dazed. “You’re welcome.”
“But, oh…” Dick’s face falls. “I didn’t pack any pajamas! Or my skincare.”
“I packed it for you,” Jason tells him, feeling another flutter in his stomach when he watches the hope and joy bloom in his eyes. “And I also grabbed a couple of outfits I know you like so we can maybe spend the morning here before heading back.”
❦ ❦
(“You wanna know something?” Dick asks later that night, when they’re sitting on the bed inside Lucy the Elephant, Dick’s hair dampening his shirt.
“What?” Jason says, leaning over to grab Dick’s comb. He passes it over to Dick, but Dick shakes his head and turns around. The action confuses Jason for a few seconds, but then, he pieces it together, and he quickly settles behind Dick. “Tell me.”
“I miss Zitka,” Dick admits.
“Yeah?” Jason carefully drags the comb through Dick’s hair, breathing in the scent of rosemary. It soothes some of his nerves that stem from the thought of them sharing a bed. “Maybe we can see her soon—take a week off for it.”
“… You’d do that for me?”
“Of course.” Jason leans in to press a kiss to the back of Dick’s neck. “I’d do anything for you.”
Dick turns, and Jason can see Dick melting. “You’re too much, sometimes,” he says, resting a hand on Jason’s cheek. Dick leans in, and Jason shuts his eyes, welcoming the sweet kiss.)
❦ ❦
As their relationship progresses, Jason discovers a new struggle.
He never thought himself to be the type of guy to call his partner a pet name, but lately, whenever Jason looks at Dick, his mind replaces the man’s name with baby. It happens enough times that there have been several moments where he barely stops himself from saying it out loud.
Jason wrestles with his anxiety for several days, but he makes sure to hide it whenever he sees Dick. Unfortunately, this causes it to build and build, and Jason knows it’s going to inevitably spill out.
They’re hanging out at Jason’s place, standing in the kitchen while Dick happily eats the ripe mango Jason picked up for him. He never really keeps fruit in his place, too afraid he might let it go to waste by forgetting to eat it, but he always makes sure to pick up a mango or two because they’re Dick’s favorite.
“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Dick asks as he holds out a cubed mango pierced by a fork. “It’s really sweet!”
“No, thank you,” Jason says, watching him with a faint smile. “It’s all for you.”
“I can’t believe you remembered they’re my favorite,” Dick says. He’s watching Jason with a look Jason is starting to recognize as fond. “What do you like, huh? Maybe I’ll start buying them for you.”
Jason thinks about it. “I don’t know if I have a favorite fruit,” he muses. “Honestly, we just ate whatever was there, and I was never picky about it. But if I had to pick something, I’d probably say apples.”
“Apples?”
“Yeah. I can make a good cobbler with them.”
“Cobbler?” Dick’s eyes light up. “I love cobblers! You should make one and let me try it.”
“Alright,” Jason says, chuckling when Dick cheers. He edges closer to his person to kiss his cheek. “I’ll make you all the cobblers you want, b—Dick.” Jason mentally berates himself for the near-slip, but luckily, Dick doesn’t seem to notice.
He’s still staring at Jason with the same fondness, and something about the look gives Jason the courage to finally talk about it.
“How do you feel about pet names?” Jason asks, forcing himself to meet Dick’s gaze. It’s a struggle, mostly because he feels embarrassed, but he pushes past it because he needs to know. “Would you be okay with me calling you one?”
“Huh,” Dick says, tilting his head. “You know, no one ever asked me that, and all the ones I had throughout my relationships just sort of happened, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it,” Jason replies, leaning back against the counter. He clenches his hand when his fingers start to shake. “I can let you think about it, if you want.”
“I don’t need to,” Dick says, cheeks going pink. “I think I wouldn’t mind if it’s coming from you, Jason. Really.”
“Cool,” Jason says, like an absolute loser.
“Do you have something in mind already?” Dick asks, looking curious. He even leans closer, and Jason is only a man—his eyes dart down to Dick’s pretty pink lips, still shiny from the mango Jason picked up for him. Jason wonders if he tastes like it, too. “Jay?”
“Yeah, baby?” Jason meets his gaze again, noting how they widen in surprise. “Oh…”
Dick sets the mango down and moves closer, his expression fading into something much softer. “You can call me baby,” he says as he brushes their noses together. His warm breath ghosts over Jason’s lip, and Jason shivers, lightly tugging on the belt loop of Dick’s jeans. “I wouldn’t mind being your baby, Jason.”
Jason can feel the blush spreading across his cheeks, but it doesn’t matter much to him because Dick slides their mouths together, arms draped over Jason’s shoulders while he presses against his front. He smells and feels so good, and to Jason’s delight, he also tastes good, too—like those sweet mangoes.
He thinks they might be his favorite fruit, too.
❦ ❦
“I like this song,” Dick says with a smile.
They’re sitting at a Southern-esque, outdoor bar near Central City, having gone there to see Wally, Linda, and their new twins. String lights connect the trees together, and the air is warm with the promise of summer. People twirl each other around in the center of it all, but as the rest of “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” plays, their movements slow, transforming into something more innocent.
“It’s nice,” Jason comments, taking a sip of his mango-flavored beer. It’s a little weird, but Jason’s getting used to the taste “Made for dancing. I think Twilight emphasized the fact.”
Dick blinks at him. “You watched Twilight?” he says, sounding shocked.
“I read the books,” Jason defends, setting the bottle down. He tries not to let his embarrassment get the best of him, but he still feels his cheeks grow warm. “Had to make sure the movies lived up to them.”
Jason notices how Dick’s eyes keep flicking over to all the couples, an expression of longing on his face. He pushes the bench back and stands, extending a hand to his partner.
“Come on,” he says softly. “Dance with me, baby.”
Dick colors immediately, but the smile he directs at Jason is so bright and sweet that it makes Jason’s stomach erupt with butterflies.
They move to the middle of the dancefloor. No one pays them any mind as they, too, start swaying together to the song. Jason can’t help but think about how right it feels to have Dick in his arms, how his life feels more complete.
He slowly spins them, smiling when Dick releases one of his content sighs before dropping his head onto Jason’s shoulder. Jason shuts his eyes to relish the moment, never wanting this moment to end. Thankfully, the next song is equally slow, and although it’s unrecognizable, Jason lets the beat of it move them, fully content and at peace, heart swelling with affection.
When they’re all danced out, they stumble back to their table, still holding hands. Jason stops them before they can sit, waiting for Dick to look at him.
He raises Dick’s hand to his lips and presses a kiss to his scarred knuckles, all while looking Dick in the eyes. He watches as a faint blush spreads across his cheeks, and it only serves to make him look more beautiful.
“I love you,” he says softly.
Dick tenses and averts his gaze, but Jason doesn’t mind. He waits him out, brushing his thumb across the back of Dick’s hand.
“Thank you,” Dick eventually says, voice quiet.
Again, Jason kisses Dick’s hand. “You’re welcome.”
❦ ❦
“Jason,” Dick says breathily, sliding his hands over Jason’s shoulders, and fuck if it doesn’t make his gut clench with heat. Even his touch sends a shiver down Jason’s spine, and Jason turns his head slightly to kiss Dick again and again, loving the way Dick sighs into it. “Oh, Jason…”
He starts kissing along Dick’s jaw, slowly moving down his neck. Dick makes a really pretty sound when Jason bites him with the intention of leaving a mark, and he even tips his head to the side, exposing more of his throat. Jason slides a hand over Dick’s hip, thumb brushing over the waistband of his jeans, and then—
“Mm,” Dick says. “No, not that.”
Jason removes his hand immediately, lifting his head to look at him. Dick stares back with dilated pupils and flushed cheeks, lips slightly swollen from all their kissing. He’s so, so pretty, and it’s really all Jason can think about.
“Okay,” Jason says, smiling. “That’s fine.”
Dick blinks. “Really?” he says incredulously. “You’re not… mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” Jason asks, shrugging. Sure, he might be feeling the smallest bit of disappointment, but Dick’s feelings outweigh his need, and even then, sex isn’t really necessary. “If you don’t want to do anything, I’m not going to push or pressure you. I’m not with you for sex, Dick. I’m here because I love you, and I see something for us.”
“But aren’t you—” Dick’s flush deepens.
“Well, yeah,” Jason says, feeling the tips of his ears go hot. “But I can deal with it later.” He ignores his embarrassment and tries to move away from Dick, grunting in surprise when Dick wraps both arms around him and tugs him back against him. “Dick, wait, don’t—”
“I know, I know,” Dick says. “I just don’t want you to move away from me yet, Jay. It feels like you’re leaving me.”
“I’m not,” Jason promises. “I never will.”
Jason drops his head onto Dick’s shoulder and exhales shakily, shutting his eyes to try and calm himself down. Dick is making it extremely hard for him because he keeps lightly dragging his nails across the back of Jason’s neck, continuously sending tingles through his body. It doesn’t help that Dick smells so good, too.
“Jay?” Dick says after a while.
“Hm?” Jason lifts his head to meet Dick’s gaze, finding nothing but adoration there. “What is it?”
Dick cups his face, and Jason can’t help but lean into the touch, suddenly eager for all the affection Dick can give him. When they kiss, it’s much slower, and Jason makes sure to pour all of his devotion into it just so Dick knows how much he means to him.
“I love you,” Dick whispers against his lips.
Jason smiles into the next kiss. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this happy.