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"Taste this?" Jason says, right before a spoon of red sauce appears in Dick's line of sight.
Dick does as asked, not bothering to take it from Jason, just leaning forward and letting Jason feed him. He considers the flavour profile for a moment before settling on, "Needs more pepper."
Jason hums and disappears back into the kitchen as Dick returns to flicking through their streaming services to find something to watch. He skims through several rows of titles, most of them not catching his interest.
"What about Ratatouille?" Dick calls over his shoulder in the general direction of the kitchen.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.” Jason answers, accompanied by the clatter of pans and utensils.
“It’s good! And it’s about food which seems fitting.” Dick says with a smile even though Jason can't see it.
"Alright then. But if it’s shit, I’m never letting you pick the movie again." Jason says, and Dick can hear the eye roll in his tone.
“Deal!” Dick smiles and switches back onto a random cooking show on normal TV while he waits for Jason to finish cooking. These moments are rare and as new as their relationship, so Dick's happy to just sit back and enjoy being able to exist in each other's presence for a little while without having to hide what they are.
Jason comes back through a few minutes later and leans down onto the back of the sofa with his arms crossed, watching (and probably judging) the chef on screen chopping onions. Dick can't resist turning his head and pressing a kiss to the corner of Jason's mouth, causing his boyfriend's cheeks to gain an adorable pink sheen.
"Pasta's just cooking and then we're all set." Jason informs him.
"Perfect." Dick smiles and presses another kiss to his cheek.
Jason matches his smile and ducks his head, pressing his own kisses along Dick's jaw before shifting up to kiss him properly. Dick twists on the sofa for more leverage as he slides a hand into Jason's curls and tug to deepen the kiss. Until Jason pulls back.
" Fuck ." Jason mutters and darts back into the kitchen, probably to stop his pasta sticking, as Dick laughs.
He listens to Jason moving about as the aroma drifting out of the kitchen makes his stomach rumble. He's considering whether to get up and offer his help so he can sneak a bite or two as his phone rings.
Babs' name flashes up on the screen and he groans; he told them all he was taking the night off and not to contact him for anything other than a planet ending emergency.
He says as much as he answers the call.
" Turn on the news ." Comes Babs' response, her voice sounding rougher than he's heard in a long time.
It's exactly that which causes him to jolt forward and grab the TV remote, switching straight to the Gotham News Channel. It's only the fact he's still sitting down that stops his legs giving out as he reads the headline and tries to focus on the images on the screen.
" Dick? " Babs prompts.
"When?" He chokes out.
Babs swallows loud enough for him to hear it through the phone. " About an hour ago, though current time of death estimate is believed to be between two and three hours ago. "
"Who's handling it?"
" My dad. He wouldn’t dare let any of the rest of them near this. "
"Who-" He stops and takes a breath. "Who was it?"
" They don't know. That alley's a blind spot ." Babs says quietly. " Bruce wants everyone at the cave within the next thirty minutes. "
"Okay." Dick finds himself agreeing.
" Dick… I can't get in contact with Jason ." Babs says, her voice tight. It's not an accusation, not yet . For now it sounds more like worry.
"I'll… Leave Jason to me." Dick says, glancing towards the kitchen. "Can you send me the pictures? From the scene."
" Okay." Babs agrees, not asking why, not when she probably needed to see them for the same reasons, to make sure it’s really him . "See you soon ."
"See you."
He hangs up, drops his phone onto the sofa, buries his hands in his hair and pulls so he doesn't scream. He gives himself until the count of five to get his breathing under control and calm down, and then he gets to his feet. His phone buzzes with an incoming text and he picks it back up and flicks through the pictures Babs has sent. He sees white skin, green hair and a red smile, looks long enough just to clarify that it really is him, that there's no doubt this time, and then he makes his way into the kitchen.
Jason is just tipping the drained pasta into the sauce. "You really that hungry you couldn't wait for me to bring it through."
" Jason ."
Jason turns to look at him and the smile on his face dies. "What? What's wrong?"
"Babs called." Dick starts as he walks over and gently pulls Jason away from the stove, which is luckily already turned off.
"I thought you told them not to contact you unless the world was ending." Jason says with an eye roll that Dick knows is to cover the slight tremble in his fingers.
Dick takes a breath and just decides to rip the band-aid off. "The Joker's dead. They found him in an alley about an hour ago."
Jason goes stock still, so still Dick's not even sure he's breathing, and when he speaks his voice sounds rougher than Dick's heard it in a long time. "Don-don't fuck with me, Dickie."
"Babs sent the photos. It's him, Jay, it's really him."
It's only because Dick's prepared for it to be one of Jason's possible reactions that he catches him as his legs give out and he drops. He lowers them to the floor, legs sprawled out beneath him as he pulls Jason sideways into his lap. Jason lets out a horrible noise that sounds halfway between a laugh and a sob as he starts shaking.
"Breathe for me, little wing." Dick murmurs into his curls as Jason buries his face in Dicks throat. "You're okay, sweetheart."
"He's gone." Jason chokes out, mostly to himself.
"He's gone." Dick echoes as he curls himself around Jason, resisting the urge to tag on the rest of his thoughts.
It never should have taken this long.
I'm sorry Bruce wasn't strong enough to end it.
I'm sorry Bruce brought him back when I killed him.
I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to kill him again.
I'm sorry you've spent all this time with your murder alive and kicking.
I’m sorry we let him hurt other people when it should have ended with you.
Dick gives Jason all the time he needs to bring his breathing under control, holding him tightly against him. It’s only when his breathing gets steadier that he speaks again. "Bruce wants everyone at the cave."
Jason's whole body tenses and he pulls away, subtly wiping at his face with his sleeves. "When?"
"ASAP." Dick says softly. "We don't have to go."
Jason gives him a flat look. "You know damn well we do."
"Suits or civvies?" Dick asks as they both get back to their feet.
"You don't have a suit here." Jason points out as he looks longingly at his pasta before putting a lid on the pan.
"Civvies then." Dick easily agrees, not wanting to go all the way to his apartment and then to the cave, not when they're already going to be late. "I'll drive."
"Okay." Jason agrees easily. Too easily .
Dick navigates the rain drenched city with Jason at his back more carefully than he normally would. It doesn't stop him weaving the bike in and out of traffic as they make their way through the city and then over the bridge, just makes him more cautious of the lines he chooses to take. Jason's arms constrict around his waist as he turns off down the track that leads to the cave before Dick feels him force himself to relax, his grip going back to how it was. He pulls up at the outer entrance and rests a foot on the ground as he punches in the code, then makes sure Jason is still stable before shooting off into the cave tunnels.
They're the last to arrive; Bruce, Tim, Damian, Duke, Babs, Alfred, Steph, Cass and Kate are scattered around the main area, all with varying degrees of worry written across their faces. Damian and Duke (and Alfred, of course) are the only other two in civvies. Duke, Babs and Steph are grouped together while the others are spread out. Dick gets it, they're three that, along with Jason, have been the most affected by the clown; Babs and Duke personally, and Steph purely because she had the bad luck to be born and grow up round the alley like Jason.
Dick pulls the bike to a stop and Jason's off and away from him before he's kicked the kick stand down. It stings, even though it shouldn't, not when they're on the same page about when it'll be right for the family to know.
"You're late." Bruce says. He's wearing the cowl and Dick hates him for it.
"We do have lives outside of you, you know. We're not here to be at your beck and call 24/7." Jason snaps as he pulls his crash helmet off and shakes out his curls. Dick follows suit and rests his helmet on the bike seat as he follows Jason towards the main area.
Bruce glances at Babs, who is ignoring him in favour of scanning her eyes over Jason, before turning back towards them, but his attention is solely on Jason. "Where were you tonight?"
Four words and it feels as if all the air has been sucked out of the cave.
The others look between Bruce and Jason with shock on their faces, but Dick can read them well enough to know it's the shock about Bruce being so forward with it rather than shock that he's asking in the first place. Dick automatically moves closer to Jason's back, flanking him. Jason flashes him their usual hand signal for ' I'll handle this ', so quick the others wouldn't have time to catch it. Dick bites into the skin of his cheek but stays back and stays quiet, even though he'd rather be doing anything else.
Jason clenches his hands into fists by his side and when he speaks, it's through gritted teeth. “It wasn't me.”
“Where were you tonight?” Bruce repeats, the clench of his jaw the only indication of his mood.
“Seriously? You still don't believe me. I can't believe it, you never really changed, did you." Jason gives an almost hysterical laugh as he rakes a hand through his curls, tugging on them in a way that makes Dick wince. "You didn't believe me then and you don't believe me now.”
Bruce goes even tenser at Jason's words, but he doesn't back down. “Where were you?”
Jason hits breaking point and Dick automatically grabs his arm, only for Jason to shake him off and shoot him a look before he rounds on Bruce. “You know what, fuck you! It wasn't me! If it was, I sure as shit wouldn't be here! I'd be capitalising on all of the free drinks everyone in Gotham would want to buy me tonight!”
“Then where were you!?” Bruce snaps.
“ Fuck . You! ”
“Where were you, Jason?”
Dick can't take it, consequences be damned, he won't stand by while Bruce accuses Jason of something he didn't do. “He was with me!”
Jason spins to look at him with wide eyes. “Dickie-”
Dick cuts him off. “He was with me.”
“You said you needed a night off patrol for a date.” Tim says, and Dick can already see his mind racing through to the inevitable conclusion.
“Yeah. I did, it was date night." Dick says to Tim as he steps up to Jason's side and squeezes Jason's hand until he uncurls his fist and Dick can tangle their fingers together. "Jason was with me and he's trying to protect us both, so back the fuck off, Bruce .”
The silence in the cave is so thick, Dick finally understands the expression: you could cut it with a knife . Jason looks like he's bracing for a blow, Babs, Alfred and Steph look surprised but not too much, Tim, Damian and Bruce have echoing looks of vague horror (or at least Dick thinks Bruce does, from what he can see of the bottom of his face), Kate looks vaguely impressed, and Cass and Duke look unbothered.
Though it doesn't look like anyone is planning on breaking the silence anytime soon and Dick's had enough of the interrogation for one night so he gently starts tugging Jason back towards his bike.
"Let's go home." He says quietly.
Jason looks at him and swallows thickly before giving a quick nod.
No one stops them; Dick can't decide if that's a good sign or a bad one.
Jason's quiet the entire walk back up to his apartment; he just lets Dick take his hand once they dismount the bike in the garage and lead the way up the stairs. Jason only lets go when they reach the door as he hunts through his pockets for his keys. His hands shake as he inserts the key in the lock, but Dick resists the urge to offer to do it for him. He follows Jason in, making sure the door is locked and deadbolted behind them before he arms Jason's security system.
"Are you hungry?" Dick asks as he catches sight of the pan still on the cooker.
"Not anymore." Jason says quietly with a shake of his head before he disappears down the hall towards his bedroom.
Dick watches him go before making his way into the kitchen and clearing a space in the fridge to put the pasta away for tomorrow. He shifts the rest of the pots into the sink just to tidy up a bit, but mainly leaves it to deal with in the morning before following after Jason.
The bathroom door's shut, so he makes his way into Jason's room and strips down to his boxers. Jason comes in just as he's digging through Jason's drawers for a t-shirt to borrow. He pulls on a well-worn black one with the Nightwing logo splashed across the front and presses a kiss to Jason's cheek and squeezes his hand before heading into the bathroom himself.
It hits him, as he grabs his toothbrush from next to Jason's and picks up the toothpaste in spearmint rather than traditional mint, that this is serious; that this thing between them stopped being as casual as they've been claiming a long time ago. It scares him, even though he hates to admit it. He knows his relationship history isn’t the best and he's terrified that this might end up crashing and burning like the others, and that Jason isn't just going to bounce back and still let them be friends - like Babs, like Kori - if this blows up in their faces. He can't lose Jason again, he can't . But he also can't help but take the risk because this thing they're building, Dick thinks it might just be it , that it might just be the kind of thing you grow old together in.
He finishes his night routine, the new revelations sitting heavy in his chest, and makes his way back into the bedroom.
Jason's already in bed, curled up under the covers on his side facing the window. Dick slips into bed behind him and presses himself against Jason's back, throwing an arm over his waist to pull him closer as he nuzzles into the back of Jason's neck.
Jason wraps a hand around his wrist as he settles back into Dick's embrace. "He hates me."
"No, he doesn't." Dick says, rushing to finish before Jason can think that he's taking Bruce's side. "He hates himself and doesn't know how to deal with that around us. But that's not on you."
"He didn't use to be like that." Jason points out.
Dick sighs and presses a kiss to the back of Jason's neck. "No, he didn't. It's… He can deal with us when we're kids, I think, when we used to look to him for all the answers. But the moment we started making our own decisions and becoming our own people, I think… I don't think he knows how to deal with us anymore. He does the same with me, even if it's in a slightly different way, and I can see the same behaviours starting to come out around Tim too."
"Why do we keep putting up with it?" Jason asks quietly.
"I don't know." Dick replies, just as quiet. And he doesn't, not anymore. "But we've spent enough time worrying over him tonight, so let's not do it anymore. Not when he ruined date night and the possible celebration we could have had."
Jason twists around in his arms to face him with a small smile on his face. "I might make a cake tomorrow. We can invite Duke, Steph and Barbie round for tea."
"That sounds perfect." Dick agrees, ducking forward to press a kiss to Jason's cheekbone. He knows it's Jason's way of suggesting they broach the subject of their relationship with a few people to begin with, as well as celebrating the clown being gone with the people it matters to the most. "We can sort the details in the morning."
Jason hums in agreement and presses into Dick's arms, burying his face in Dick's throat, where Dick feels him press a kiss to the skin beneath his jaw. "Good night, Dickie."
Dick presses a kiss to Jason's temple. "Good night, little wing."