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"Come on Jay, calm down! Why are you so angry?"
"Really Dickiebird, really? You‘re asking why I‘m so angry? God, you‘re unbelievable! Who wouldn‘t be angry? You ate all my cereal and faked your death for three god damn years! I went to your fucking funeral! I mourned you! We all mourned you! Only to find out you‘ve been alive all along! I have every right to be angry, thank you very much! Do you have any idea how we all felt? How the demon brat felt? How hard it was for him to come back to life only to realise you died? Do you? Do you know how betrayed he felt when he found out you were never dead, not even for one second? Do you trust us so little you couldn‘t even tell us you had to go off the grid for a while? Did you think we‘d, what... , run to Vale and sell you out?" Jason was pacing along his living room, occasionally glaring at Dick, who sat on his ratty old couch, clutching an ice pack to his jaw where Jason punched him.
"Look, Little Wing, I‘m sorry. I really, really am, but..."
"Sorry? You‘re sorry?!? I hate to break it to you, but sorry really isn‘t gonna cut it this time! Have you ever stopped to consider how betrayed and hurt Damian and me would feel? Y‘know, the Robins that actually died? But especially Dami. He looked up to you so goddamn much! You were like another father to him. You were his Batman! Fuck Dick, this is such a mess!"
Jason raked his hand through his hair for what must have been the 100th time that night.
"God Jason, I know." Dick looked like he might cry. If he weren‘t so pissed Jason would feel a little bad, because Dick Grayson should never look like he was just about to cry. As it was, he only felt a petty kind of satisfaction.
"Believe me Jason, I know. Fuck I missed you, I missed you all so much.", Dick continued, "and there wasn‘t a day I didn‘t feel like the guilt would eat me alive. But.... it was necessary." The older man was nervously chewing his lip and looked up at Jason through his lashes.
"Dammit Dick, I missed you too! And trust me, I‘m really happy you aren‘t actually dead and never were, because trust me, nobody should have to go through all the shit, but still.... you really hurt all of us. Well, not Bruce I guess, but the rest of us really hurt. And you coming back like this, it doesn‘t make it just go away. It kinda makes the hurt worse, y‘know. But god, I‘m glad you‘re here, unharmed, despite it all." Jason visibly deflated as the anger left him.
"Aw, fuck it, come here, Big Bird." He beckoned the other closer and wrapped him up in a tight hug. Dick practically melted into him.
"Who would have ever thought there‘d be a time you‘d be the only one willing to talk to me" The smaller man mumbled into Jason‘s shoulder. His grip on the other tightened, afraid that Jason would want to break the hug already.
"Not me, that‘s for sure." Jason grumbled. "Give the others time. Tim‘s gone through so many deaths of loved ones already. He was a mess after you 'died', still is. And Damian, well, the kid loves you, practically worships you, but he‘s also really, really mad at you, understandably so. It‘s all really confusing for him right now. They‘ll come around, just give them some time and space. And most importantly, let them come to you when they‘re ready, don‘t try to push them. You do that, I‘ll end you myself, are we clear?"
Dick snorted.
"Hey you bastard, it‘s not funny! I meant that threat!" Jason cried out indignantly.
"I know, Jaybird, I know! I just... god, when did you become such a protective older brother? I still remember you calling Tim 'replacement' and an assortment of other, equally as nasty nicknames! It‘s cute to see you care about him and Damian so much."
"Well somebody had to be there for them, keep them from falling apart. And as much as Bruce tried, his rather distant relationship with emotions and his involvement with this entire scheme did‘t make him the ideal person for that."
Dick pulled back and looked at Jason doubtfully. "And you‘re trying to tell me that you, Mister 'I‘m-so-angry-and-also-fuck-you-all' were the right man for that?" he asked incredulously.
Jason just shrugged. "Evidently."
"Hey, um, Jason, could I maybe stay here for the night? I don‘t want to be alone right now and I kinda don‘t have that many friends at the manor, sooo..."
"Yeah, sure , whatever. You can crash on the couch for the night. It‘s uncomfortable as fuck, but better than nothing I guess." Jason scratched his neck. "Bedding‘s in the closet over there, help yourself, I‘m going to bed. Oh, and please leave before breakfast if you could, Timbo and the brat are coming over for waffles and I doubt they‘d be happy running into you. Night, Dickface."
Dick turned away from the linen closet to look back at Jason. "Sure, you‘ll never even know I was. And, goodnight Jason!"
Jason left the living room, turning of the light as he went. Just as we was about to close his bedroom door Dicks voice cut through the silence.
"Thank you Jay, really. This means a lot to me. And I‘m sorry I put you all through this. So yeah, thanks for letting me crash here and thanks for listening and letting me talk to you."
Jason smiled a little, thankful he had his back to the couch and that is was dark, so Dick wouldn‘t see it.
"Whatever man, don‘t mention it. And go to sleep, seriously! You look like shit!"
He ducked the pillow Dick threw at him and quickly slammed his door shut.