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A slight breeze ruffled the muggy air around Roy as he packed up his equipment on the roof of Jason’s current safehouse. The case Jason had asked for backup on had wrapped up so easily that Roy found himself wondering why he’d been called in at all.
He wasn’t innocent in wanting to be here either. Roy was guilty of calling up Jason on a whim using the excuse of a case he needed to sound out, but Jason always seemed to have a vast support network around him. He had a full roster of vigilantes that worked out of Gotham to choose from, so the fact that Roy was the one he called had to mean something, right?
Roy took a deep breath of the polluted-tasting air, looked up at the cloudy night sky and hedged his bets. “Hey Jay?”
A grunt affirming he was heard was the only response from Jason as the man stretched a few feet away. Roy watched as Jason raised his arms over his head and grabbed an elbow to stretch out his shoulders. It brought attention not only to his impressive arms but also his trim waist, which then dragged Roy’s eyes to the thick thighs… Roy shook it off, thoroughly distracted and mind blank, “nevermind.”
Jason watched him curiously for a moment, before, “so when do you have to head back?”
“Lian is with Dinah until Friday, so just sometime before then.”
“Wanna go see a movie tomorrow afternoon then?”
Barely recovered from his last distraction, Roy's mental processing shut down again. Did Jason just ask him out? Roy was suspicious why he was invited for this operation in the first place and now Jason – beautiful blue-green eyes, thick-thighs-save-lives – Jason was blatantly asking him on a date? Roy felt the blush rising and tried to take a deep breath to calm himself back down. Unfortunately, a small bit of saliva hit his throat at that moment – causing him to break out into harsh, barking coughs as he tried to catch his breath. Spots swam in his vision as he gasped and his throat now felt raw, as he finally slowed the cough and caught his breath.
Jason came back into focus, staring at him with a slight frown. “You okay there? You’re looking a bit red…”
“No, no,” Roy managed to rasp out, voice distorted from the sore throat, and lungs feeling scraped raw. “I’m good. Movie sounds great. Yes, let’s do a movie tomorrow.”
Jason continued to squint at Roy for a moment, before looking back to his equipment with a nod. “Okay, it’s a date.”
Roy dissolved into a choking cough again.
1.
Getting ready for a date when you are already staying with someone is a tough thing. Roy didn’t have many clothes packed with him; most of his bag was filled with his tech and other equipment for the mission. He ended up in his cleanest pair of jeans and a plain uncollared shirt that at least wasn’t stained. He wondered if it’d be awkward to ask Jason to borrow something nicer. Or maybe he could ask Dick? But then he’d have to explain why… Roy shook that thought off quickly. Jason knew what Roy had with him and would understand the casual dress.
Jason acted completely normal as they prepared to leave the house. He checked his phone a few times, confirmed the movie time and title with Roy and overall seemed completely unperturbed. Roy admired his confidence at the same time as he questioned it. He’d seen Jason at all stages of emotions and this calm, collected version was really showing how comfortable Jason was with the situation. Roy was just hoping he didn’t sweat through the clean shirt he was wearing; the thought that he didn’t have anything else to change into was constantly pinging in his head, making him increasingly more nervous.
Finally the movie time approached and they made their way out of the apartment. Jason said something about grabbing food, but Roy couldn’t hear over the roaring in his ears. Jason was dressed casually too, shirt and jeans just like Roy, but the red shirt complimented his skin tone and made the blue in his eyes pop. It was a bit distracting. Jason was still talking and Roy couldn’t hear anything now, staring at the plush lips forming words and was that a freckle on Jason’s cheek?
Suddenly, Roy was crushed up against Jason as a force clamped around them, squeezing the air from his lungs and knocking his head up against his friend’s. Roy was disoriented but Jason was smiling and still talking. The pressure released and Roy found himself gasping for air on the sidewalk and staring dazedly up at Jason and.. Bizarro?
“Roy? Are you okay?” Jason looked down at him worriedly, and offered a hand to pull him back up.
Facts rushed through Roy’s sluggish mind to catch up to the situation at hand. Jason was casual, not nervous, Bizarro just appeared, gave them equal hugs, and now Jason was mildly concerned that Roy was acting odd. He felt the blush rise again at his own misunderstanding of the situation. Movie date with bros. Roy was friend-zoned.
“I’m good,” he said as he accepted the hand and got back on his feet. Biz’s worried look morphed to a smile. “Guess I crashed your plans today by staying longer?”
Jason laughed at him, “No, like I was telling you earlier, Biz and I regularly do this. It’s always fun when I can get someone else to also join. Right buddy?”
“Little Red, Big Blue, all fun.” Biz nodded, clearly referring to Jason usually bringing his brothers along.
Roy shook off the oddness of the day with an easy smile. “Well thanks bud. Are we grabbing food before the movie?”
~*~
“Hey…” Jason approached Roy with a nervous look. They were back at Jason’s apartment, Biz long gone and had just been enjoying a quiet evening. Roy shot Jason a smile, encouraging him to continue.
Jason swallowed, “About last night, when I said date…”
“Oh,” Roy’s smile faltered as he remembered. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I want…” Jason looked determinedly at a spot just over Roy’s head, refusing to meet his eyes. “I think it’d be nice…”
Hope flared up in Roy, “You want to try a real date, just us?”
Jason’s eyes cut to his, already exasperated. “You asking?”
“Hell yeah I’m asking. Want to go on a date, Jaybird?” Roy grinned brightly.
Jason laughed, and Roy watched the nervous body language dissolve. “Okay Roy, where are you taking me?”
2.
Roy found himself enjoying the planning of the date. He wanted a casual experience so they’d both be comfortable in normal clothes. He wanted to include food and an activity. He picked an early Saturday afternoon to fit their schedules, and Dick (although suspicious) had agreed to watch Lian. Roy had purposefully been vague when asking for the favor, knowing Dick tended to be a bit overprotective and over-involved with his brother’s love lives. Everyone’s seen Superboy’s distinct distance from Nightwing during operations and the refusal to engage in any public displays of affection with Red Robin while Nightwing was present. Roy had known Dick Grayson for a long time, and absolutely knew behind that bright unassuming smile was a man who made good on any shovel talk threats.
So Roy asked Dick for a general favor to watch Lian, dressed casually and told Jason he’d meet him at the restaurant. The restaurant, a locally owned bar and grill type affair with a solid range of food options, was next to a bowling alley. Maybe not the most fair activity for a marksman, but just between the two of them it would probably go better (or at least draw less attention) than something like the shooting range.
Walking down the street, Roy observed the local Gothamites starting to look at their phones and rush off. Sirens wailed in the distance, not very unusual for Gotham overall, but the various types and general multitude seemed a bit more than normal. Roy made it to the restaurant before he saw the news flashing across a screen above the bar. Arkham breakout.
Sure enough, he pulled his phone out to a dozen missed calls from Jason and Dick (he’d forgotten he’d placed it on silent earlier). Dick’s messages were growing in alarm with the final few stating that he was taking Lian to the manor to sit with Alfred so Nightwing could help. Jason’s messages were just general apologies and rescheduling thoughts.
Roy sighed. Maybe he should be more worried about an Arkham breakout, but seriously these things happened monthly in Gotham. Red Hood and Nightwing along with the rest of the Batclan could deal. He was going to head to the manor and have some hot chocolate with Lian. Alfred made the real deal if Roy remembered correctly.
~*~
Saturday turned to Sunday as the Arkham breakout had the bats out early into the morning. Roy sat with Alfred after tucking Lian into a guest room, listening to comms and helping with coordination. As he figured, the Gotham vigilantes really didn’t need much help. He definitely would have suited up and headed out, but the escapees were C-tier at best. Most of the work was just locating where they'd tried to hide and damage was minimal. Condiment King was the last one to be rounded up, and Dick trudged into the cave more mustard than man.
Alfred watched each member of his family return and - after determining no injuries required his attention - had disappeared up into the manor. Bruce wordlessly pushed Roy’s chair aside to take his spot in front of the computer.
“Thank you for the help, Arsenal,” Tim acknowledged him first, followed by nods from Damian and several of the other younger bats before they changed and headed upstairs to rest.
Jason leaned over the back of Roy’s chair, watching Bruce type on the computer. He was quiet, and Roy wasn’t sure how to break the awkward silence.
“Ugh, I can still smell it.” Dick appeared and joined the small group. “Sorry about having to cancel on you, Roy.”
“Oh it’s, no worries,” Roy felt the nerves build, making his voice go a little higher.
“You had Dickface watching Lian?” Jason questioned.
“Jealous Jay?” Dick smirked at his younger brother. “I’m going to be her favorite uncle before you know it!”
“Well, I suppose I wasn’t really trying to be her uncle this time, Dick.” Jason’s arms wrapped around the chair, crossing in front of Roy in a loose facsimile of a hug.
Roy felt the panic build as not only Dick but also Bruce zeroed in on him. He was in danger. He bolted out of the chair, flinging Jason’s arms off as he darted towards the staircase to the manor. “Oh would you look at the time, I bet Lian’s about to get up. I should go check on her.” He quickly fled up the stairs, feeling the burning glares to the back of his head.
3.
Jason found him a bit later, curled up in the guest room with a still sleeping Lian. “Sorry,” Jason looked down at his feet as he apologized. “I forgot what they can be like, and I was just trying to yank Dick’s chain a bit. I told them to back off though, so you shouldn’t be expecting an interrogation or anything.”
Roy smiled. He would have definitely sat through the ordeal, but appreciated Jason looking out for him. He said as much before adding on, “How about we make up that dinner date tonight?”
A light blush appeared across the bridge of Jason’s nose. “I promised Alfie I’d help with dinner tonight actually. You can stay if you want though?”
“Ha,” Roy’s laugh was a huff into Lian’s hair. “No thanks. I don’t want to give them a chance to change the menu and serve me up instead.” Their eyes met with an understanding smile.
“How about we try again on Wednesday instead?” Jason offered.
That’d definitely give Roy more time to arrange for a sitter that wasn't Jason's family. “Looking forward to it.”
4.
Wednesday as the sun was setting in the sky, Jason met Roy at his apartment so they could walk to the restaurant together.
About a block from their destination, however, they were rudely interrupted. “Wallet and cash, now!” The mugger pressed a switchblade up against Roy’s side and tried to make himself look intimidating.
“Really pal?” Jason scoffed as he opened his jacket slightly to show the gun tucked against his side. Roy grinned at the man who’d definitely picked the wrong couple this evening.
The knife shook, the man intimidated by Jason’s casual indifference and Roy’s smirking confidence, and Roy felt a sharp prick before Jason swiftly lunged forward to knock the mugger away. The man stumbled back and scuttled away, dropping his knife in the process.
“Shit, Roy!” Jason exclaimed and Roy’s eyes darted around for the new problem. Jason stepped closer, pressed into his personal space, and Roy caught a delicious whiff of cologne. “Are you okay?”
Roy followed Jason’s eyeline and was shocked to see red appearing on his side where apparently the mugger’s knife had shallowly sliced his skin. He moved his shirt aside to take a better look. “It’s not deep, Jay. I’m fine.”
“Sure,” Jason rolled his eyes, and his hand gently rested against Roy’s uninjured side. “Except we don’t know where that knife’s been and this is Gotham. Doubt the guy sanitized it before slicing you.”
Roy could feel Jason’s warm hand through his shirt and felt lightheaded from the proximity. He swayed a bit closer to Jason, drawn by the heat and pleasant scent.
Jason caught him and easily held his weight. “Okay, that knife was laced. We’re going to Leslie’s clinic to get you a round of toxin antidote and that wound sanitized and stitched properly.”
Roy nodded along, unwilling to express his theory the drug affecting him was all Jason.
A few hours later, Roy was stitched up, rather sore and a little loopy from all the meds pumping through his system. The clinic hadn’t been able to determine what was affecting him (and Roy was unwilling to admit it was a crush) so they’d just hit him with a cocktail of various antitoxins and antibiotics.
He stumbled along the walk, tucked up against Jason’s warmth. “So, Friday sound good instead?” He mumbled into Jason’s shoulder, playing up the injury to stay close.
Jason laughed and squeezed Roy’s arm lightly as he guided him to the building entrance. “Sure, Friday it is.”
5.
Friday afternoon rolled around and Roy stared down at his phone with a strong feeling of disappointment. Lian coughed lightly from the couch, and immediately his own selfish feelings were squashed. He hit the call button.
“Hey,” Jason answered on the first ring. “Everything okay?”
“Hey Jay, no. Lian’s sitter called with the flu. Lian also has a slight cough now. No fever yet, but I’m going to keep her home and watch it. There’s been a lot going around.”
“Oh,” Jason’s voice was soft, and Roy’s throat stung with his own repressed dismay. “No fever you said?”
Oh Roy realized, it wasn’t an upset tone from Jason. He was concerned. Concerned for Lian. Roy’s throat tightened further as he felt overwhelmed by the realization. “I think she’ll be fine. Just would rather keep her home, you know?”
“Yeah, for sure. Do you need anything?”
“Already stocked on medicine and soup.” Roy hesitated a moment before adding, “I can call you if that changes though…”
“Absolutely,” Jason’s voice was firm in its kindness. “Let me know if anything changes, and I’ll check on you later.”
“Thanks Jay,” Roy smiled at the phone. “Sorry again about the date.” He hung up with a sad huff before returning his focus to Lian’s raspy cough.
+1
The doorbell chimed a few hours later and Roy habitually checked his phone first. Sure enough there was a text from Jason asking if he could stop by. Still Roy looked through the peephole to confirm it was Jason before opening the door fully.
“Sorry I didn’t wait for you to respond. I figured you might want something to eat besides soup, and maybe Lian would be up for some popsicles.” Jason held up the bags in his hands like they were a peace offering for entry.
Roy quickly stepped aside to let him in. “Yeah, absolutely. It smells great.”
Jason passed off the bags to Roy to unload and walked over to the couch to greet Lian. A warm burn began in his chest as Roy watched from the kitchen when she greeted Jason excitedly and he pushed her hair back to feel her forehead. Jason’s smile was soft as he focused on Lian, asking her how she felt, and if she minded if he joined their evening in. She was all smiles back as she directed him to sit next to her.
Soon they were all seated on the couch, with Jason in the middle. Remnants of the home-cooked lasagna Jason had brought over were scattered across the coffee table in front of them. Lian had picked out another cartoon movie but had drifted off after the popsicle soothed her cough. Roy’s arm stretched across the back of the couch, and Jason’s warm body pressed against his side.
“Are you upset that our date was cancelled again?” Roy asked.
Jason turned to him, with a slight look of surprise. “Were we supposed to go on a date?” He asked sarcastically, then more seriously, “Roy, this was dinner and a movie. Pretty sure it still qualifies as a date.”
“Oh,” Roy considered that for a moment, “does that mean I get a kiss then?” It was only a halfway-serious question, giving plenty of room for Jason to laugh it off.
There was no laughter as Jason leaned forward, just an intense gaze locked on Roy. Roy stuttered through a breath as he was caught, blindsided by the plush, dry lips pressing into his.
He had a brief moment of shock, then quickly moved his arm off the back of the couch to wrap around Jason as he kissed back.
The moment was comfortable with a soft and warm intimacy that was easy between them. Lian was faintly snoring from the other side of the couch, the tv was muted, and Roy's best friend was pressed up against him in a new, entirely welcome way. Jason pulled back just slightly to rest their foreheads together, noses just barely touching.
“So, no disappointment?” Roy quietly asked with a slight smirk, meeting the intent teal gaze.
“Nope,” Jason grinned back and kept his voice in a soft whisper. “Think it turned out pretty perfect.”