Chapter Text
Dick had just gotten back from a fairly easy mission, a routine gang bust-up, and was getting undressed to flop into bed when he heard the phone ring. His head snapped towards the noise, his brow furrowed over his light blue eyes as he wondered who in the world could be calling. He was in the tower, so the only people who ever really needed him were in other rooms. Alfred only ever called him in the afternoons, after he was sure Dick got enough sleep, and only around once a week to check up on him. Hadn't had a call from Bruce in months. There was really no one else in his life who would phone him, especially at 4:30 in the morning.
He approached the phone cautiously, lips pursed in a lingering curiosity, before he finally reached out and picked it up to answer. "Hello?" There was no response for a second, aside from the faint breath that indicated that there was a person there. And then a stuttered inhale, as if they were gathering all of their courage into their lungs. "Ya said I could call. If there was uh... if I wanted to talk or whatever."
It was that kid, the one who took his place. Jason, right? "Oh, Mr. Robin!" Dick relaxed and shouldered the phone so he could continue getting out of his suit. "I was wondering when you'd call. How's the new job treating you?"
There was a muttering of words Dick couldn't quite make out, ending with "-hardly call it new..." The older boy could only imagine where the kid was. Still in the cave, donning the red and yellow getup? Or had he made it upstairs and was using the living room phone? Maybe the one in the kitchen? He definitely hadn't told Bruce, Dick could hear it in his voice, in the first shuddering breath. Like he was afraid to reach out to someone else, someone besides his guardian. "He uh, doesn't talk much." The kid finally got around to speaking up again, probably because Dick hadn't rushed him. Patience was what drew words out, Alfred taught him that. "B, I mean. Doesn't say much of anythin'. I just been wonderin'... I dunno." He stopped abruptly, a hint of a waver in his young voice. Dick wondered if he was fidgeting with something, Jason seemed like the kind of kid to fidget with things when he got nervous.
"You're good enough, Jay." Dick knew exactly what was going through the boy's mind. Bruce wasn't one for reassurances, not obvious ones. And for Dick, that had been fine, he had been able to detect just when his mentor was pleased with his performance. He had been with him for years, beside him through thick and thin. And even before Bruce, he had his two parents, both of whom filled him with encouragements and praise until he believed he could fly.
Jason was different. He came from the streets, that's what Bruce had told him. He didn't know how the kid ended up there, figured him for an orphan of course, but before that Dick had no clue. Not to mention the younger boy had to deal with living in Dick's shadow, whether it was really there or he was imagining it himself. Jason didn't have that confidence. He was just a kid, with small shoulders and round cheeks dusted with freckles. He tried to act so much bigger than he was, especially in the costume, but that false confidence had him making errors, which only drove him further into his head. Maybe Dick could spare some of his time, help him make a Robin of himself. But not just a copy of what Robin used to be, but something better, a Robin that this kid could be.
"Pft." The boy brushed the compliment off, as if that wasn't the reason he was calling at 4:30 in the morning. "That is so not-"
"Tell you what." Dick cut the younger boy off before he could toss the words aside as if he didn't need them. "You fill me on your night, tell me what you guys did, which crooks you caged. But do it tomorrow, after we both get some sleep and a nice shower. Then we can go get lunch somewhere, alright? You get to pick the place, I'll pay."
"Tch, we'll split the bill." Dick could lost hear the smirk in the kid's voice, the cocky way he tilted his head back and slung his shoulders back. "I don't do charity, Mr. Nightwing."
"Of course you don't." The older boy held back a laugh at the notion of lunch being a charity. He didn't know how a kid- who was what, 11, 12 at best?- was going to pay for lunch, but he didn't ask as they wrapped up the short conversation to head to his bed, costume strewn on the floor without a second thought.
~
The lunch went better than Dick expected. Jason picked a place on the edge of Crime Alley serving authentic southern Asian food, and once they were seated the kid seemed to be relaxed in his element. The food was generous and fairly inexpensive, so he must have come here on more than one occasion back when he didn't have a place to come home.
The boy's lacking tension was also displayed as he spoke; his words weren't granted sparingly, nor were they built to be bigger than he was. He filled Dick in on the night he had with Batman, and how he was left behind to administer heart medication to an elderly man while Bruce ran after the crook. Dick laughed at that, only able to imagine how downtrodden Jason's face must have been at the order. When the younger Robin scrunched up his face, as if insulted at the brief laughter, Dick reassured him between his chuckles that Bruce used to do the exact same thing to him all of the time. That seemed to settle the boy's worries of being inadequate, and he was able to focus on his meal of noodles and beef more heartedly.
"So," Jason asked after he swallowed a mouthful of his lunch, "Teen Titans right? So like... who's in it?"
Dick could see a flicker of something in the boy's eyes in the brief glance that accompanied his question. He felt a pang of familiarity, and now knew how he used to look when he would ask Bruce if Batgirl would be accompanying them on missions. Oh boy, so Jason had a crush? Wonder Girl sure was a looker, he couldn't blame the kid. Could be Starfire. Maybe Raven, if Jason was into the scarier type of lady. But shouldn't he still be at the cooties stage? Then again, he was asking about Dick's team, who were all much older kids at this point, so maybe it was just intense admiration? "Well, let's see," he said as he put his fork down to discreetly watch Jason's face for any reaction to the list, "there's Starfire, Raven, Wonder Girl." He paused there, hiding confusion on his face when he didn't see a change on Jason's expression, nothing but waiting hopefulness. "Uhm there's Cyborg, Speedy-" There it was! For Speedy? Wait, Speedy?!
Dick finished off his list, and barely got the last member spoken before Jason was asking his questions. "You know Speedy?! Dude that's awesome! Can he really hit any target? From a mile away?"
"I highly doubt a-"
"I heard he pinned a beetle to a tree once and it was ALIVE! Didja see it? Was it cool?"
"No, I-"
"What's he like? Does he ever smile? It's not all an act, right? He's-"
"Alright, alright Little Wing!" Dick laughed, finally ending Jason's tirade by putting his hands flat on the table with enough suddenness to startle him into taking a breath. The nickname itself sort of just slipped out, but neither party seemed to mind it all that much, though Jason was now blushing due to the realization of how blatantly excited he had gotten. "Yeah he does smile, but no it is not an act. His grouchy cynicism is sincere. But despite that, he's still one of my best friends."
"Really?" Jason's embarrassment was put on hold again to make way for his awe. "You guys are friends? Wow..." There was a moment of sadness on the young sidekick's face, and it made Dick wonder if Jason had any friends of his own. But then the sadness was gone and replaced by excitement again. "Do'ya think I could meet him one day?"
"Meet him?" Dick smiled, pleased that he had a way to deliver some form of happiness into this lonely kid's life. "Sure! You know you could drop by the Titans Tower. I mean, the team should at least meet the new Robin."
Each word appeared to lift Jason's spirits more and more, especially the formality of the Teen Titans meeting the new Robin. It was like the kid still wasn't entirely convinced he was good enough to fill the cape, but hearing it from the first Boy Wonder himself reassured the former street kid, who puffed out his chest like a genuine red-breasted bird. "For real?! Well, I mean I guess I could stop by. Ya know, to like introduce myself an' all that."
"Sounds like a plan, Little Wing." Dick smiled with a low chuckle resonating in his chest. The new Robin wasn't so bad. He was a passionate kid, so the older boy could clearly see where he could easily get carried with anger or pent-up frustration. But he wasn't bad, not one bit.