Chapter Text
It was probably odd, but Jason was his first choice.
As soon as it had sunk in that Kon actually intended on marrying him, Tim knew who he wanted as his best man.
Maybe he should feel guilty that it wasn't Dick. Maybe it was weird he preferred a man who tried to kill him once over anyone else. But he didn't feel bad, and he honestly didn't find it weird.
He was a bat, after all. It was pretty hard to freak out a bat.
Of course, Tim still had to ask.
And that was the hard part. Because what if he said no? What then?
He'd already decided he'd have Steph as his maid of honor, and he had absolutely zero doubts about her acceptance of the role. Although she might protest the name.
"Can I be warrior of honor instead? It's cooler than maid, c'mon you know you're tempted~" he could imagine Steph rambling and smiled fondly.
The bullet that wizzed by his head, nearly grazing his cheek, snapped him back to the present.
"Shit!" He cursed involuntarily when another stray bullet buried itself in his calf. His running faltered.
"Damnit Red, I explicitly told you to NOT get shot!" Jason barked through his vocoder, laying down a blanket of cover fire as he inched closer to Tim.
"I'm sorry, is this OUR gunshot wound??" Tim snarked back, limping behind a shipping container whilst leaning on his bo staff for support.
"Wing's gonna tear me a new one when he finds out you got yourself shot in my territory!" Hood grunted, throwing a goon to the floor with a loud thump. More bullets, both rubber and metal.
"No he - won't!" Tim huffed with effort as he stood back on his good leg and gave a firm round house kick with the injured one. Fiery throbbing was met with the action and Tim hissed under his breath.
"You're his favorite. Just say something like: 'hey remember that time I died?' and he'll forgive you!" Tim yelled over the din of fighting, a man with a knife rushing straight for his head.
Tim ducked, jabbing between the man's third and fifth rib, and issued a strong punch to his gut. The man crumpled with a wheezing breath knocked from his lungs.
"That is so not fuckin' funny!" Jason snarled through grit teeth, shooting a man in the thigh with his natural rounds. He pivoted just in time bash a dude in the head with the butt of his pistol.
"Stupid fuckin-!" Hood sounded angry, but Tim knew he was actually worried. Worried about Tim.
They'd gotten a lot closer over the years, to the point where he'd actually been the ring bearer at Jason and Roy's wedding. Tim considered Jason a brother, at this point, and he was fairly certain Jason felt the same.
Which was exactly why the question was weighing so heavily upon him. 'Will you be my best man?'
He felt vulnerable just thinking about asking and stupid for feeling that way.
If he said no, which honestly felt like a likely outcome, it would hurt. Tim wouldn't lie to himself this time. He would feel the rejection he had tried to convince himself he was accustomed to. Having plenty of experience didn't make it less painful.
And who would he ask if he did say no? Prudence? She'd probably laugh, but would also probably agree. Bernard would be more than happy to be his best man, but Tim would feel like an asshole to ask. Bart was a genuine option, and not at all a bad one either. There was always Cassie, too. (He loved Dick, but he just couldn't ask him to be his best man, he just couldn't)
Okay, so he had options.
That didn't change the fact that he wanted his brother to agree.
"Jesus fuck Red, PAY ATTENTION!!" Hood once again snapped Tim back to reality with his profane proclamations just in time for Tim to dodge.
With his bo staff, Tim smacked a woman across the head and kicked her back with his good foot. He was mostly leaning his weight on his staff at this point, until a goon came running up behind him.
"RR, you missed your check in." Oracle's voice crackled over the comm in his ear. Tim grunted with effort as he threw himself to the side and tucked into a somersault.
"Sorry, things got a little messy!' Tim replied with a pang, sweeping his opponent's legs out from under them with his staff.
"Report." Oracle requested immediately.
"Hood and I are currently caught in a turf war. Looks like two amateur gangs fighting over a warehouse." Tim relayed efficiently, still evading.
"It's always a warehouse." Jason grumbled angrily, drop kicking a gang member.
"We're diffusing the situation." Tim grinned over Jason's frustration. They were brothers, which made rage bating all the more enjoyable.
"Status?" Oracle inquired.
"Nearly finished. These are low level thugs, no heavy hitters, just numbers." Red Robin answered faithfully, knocking out yet another goon.
"I meant your status, RR." Oracle repeated dryly, no doubt giving his comm channel a judgemental squint.
"Small injury to the left calf, nothing major." Tim replied with only the slightest hesitation. Babs sighed like the life was being sucked out of her.
"He got fuckin' shot." Jason said crudely into his comm.
"Red Nathaniel Robin." Babs scolded over the comm and Tim slumped.
"Narc." Tim muttered under his breath.
"I know you did not just say that." Jason slammed his fist into a goon's ribs, likely cracking several. Tim rolled his eyes. So dramatic.
"Finish up quick and return to the cave. I'll send Robin after you if you don't." Oracle threatened and that was enough for Tim to immediately comply.
"Relax, O. I've got a safehouse nearby with med supplies. I'll take him there first." Jason came to his rescue, oddly enough. It was the least he could do after snitching, Tim supposed.
A long sigh from Oracle was heard over the comms before she relented.
"Fine. Just don't miss your next check in." She demanded and Tim nodded.
"Will do, O!" Tim landed a firm hit as he replied, one of the last gang members crumpling to the ground.
"Jesus there were a lot of these shits." Jason huffed, kicking an unconscious man absently. Tim snorted and shook his head.
"I'll start with this side." Tim offered and reached into a pouch for his stash of zip ties. He crouched before the first and began his work, wobbling slightly when he had to put weight on his left leg.
"Shit." Tim hissed his step faltered on the third goon, his knee buckling.
"Alright Replacment, time to go." Jason crossed his arms as he approached Tim.
"Almost done. Just a few more-" Tim struggled to his feet, only to be forcibly lifted into a bridle carry.
"Nope. You're done." Jason shook his head mildly, the red helmet glinting under a nearby streatlamp.
"Uggghhhh." Tim groaned, crossing his arms as Jason carried him like it was nothing.
"I am perfectly capable of walking, Hood." Tim protested despite knowing it was futile. Jason had gone into protective mother hen mode and he was Not gonna hear a single word Tim had to say about it.
"Wah wah, cry more." Hood teased and Tim frowned.
"Are you nine." Tim judged and felt the way Jason actually shrugged.
"I hate you." Tim muttered.
"Duly noted." Jason grinned.
…
Tim was reclining on a kitchen chair, his left leg purposefully lax as Jason did his best to fish the bullet out.
"C'mon you fucker." He muttered in concentration, pressing the skin around the wound. Tim grit his teeth so heard they were grinding, his leg beggining to tremble.
"Almost there, baby bird." Jason assured, not taking his eyes away from the wound. Baby bird? Jason must actually be worried.
Suddenly, Jason was pressing harder and Tim felt like his flesh was being ripped open.
"Hnnnnn-!" Tim hissed and threw his head back, skull thinking against the wood, as the pain increased.
"It's out." Jason pulled back and everything dulled. The bullet had popped out and dropped to the floor with a soft clink. Tim was fine.
"Thanks." Tim panted, his face cold and clammy.
"Any time baby bird. Now let's get you resting." Jason hummed, once again picking Tim up and carrying him across the room towards the couch. He set him down there and Tim practically melted against the cushions.
Jason stepped back and began cleaning and wrapping Tim's leg. Tim just laid there, head supported by the armrest.
"M getting married." Tim decided now was as good a time as any to break the news. Jason's ministrations hardly faltered, and Tim was almost disappointed. He was kinda expecting more shock, but Jason had always been good at hiding surprise.
"Yeah? You and Kent?" Jason actually looked.. happy. That shot straight to Tim's chest. Jason was happy for him, he was happy because of him.
"Yeah." Tim smiled breathlessly, eyes fluttering shut as Jason continued working.
"He proposed. I knew it was coming, but he was so sweet about it." Tim shook his head, smile softening into something unbearably fond. Jason snorted.
"That tracks. He's always followed you around like a lost puppy." Jason chuffed with laughter and Tim grinned like a fool.
"Yeah." Tim sighed, thinking of blue eyes and tan skin. Kon's smile was the prettiest thing in the world.
"Alright, pain meds. You're actin' loopy." Jason shook his head and stood up. Tim nodded eagerly. Pain meds were a fantastic idea.
Jason was only gone for a few moments, rummaging in the cabinet for the appropriate medication. Tim listened to the hum of the ceiling fan and thought of Kon.
He was really getting married. He was gonna be Kon's husband. Kon was gonna be his husband. They were going to be family. Well, they were already family. Just, in the eyes of the law, now.
"I'm fresh out of morphine but I've got Naproxen and Ibuprofen." Jason returned with two bottles of pills.
"That's for the best." Tim said appreciatively, taking three ibuprofen and refusing the Naproxen. Naproxen was good for chronic pain and tended to last longer, but ibuprofen worked faster. Better for acute pain.
"You're quiet." Jason acklodged.
"Complaining?" Tim's lips quirked into a teasing smile.
"Observing." Jason scoffed.
"If I don't keep my heartbeat calm, Kon will freak out and come get me." Tim explained, taking slow, measured breathes. 'Calm, normal, average' Tim coached himself.
"You don't want him to come get you?" Jason sat back on a chair he'd dragged into the room from the kitchen. Tim shook his head lightly.
"Not yet. I wanted to talk to you." Tim admitted, shifting to prop his leg up a bit.
"Thats why you didn't want the morphine." Jason hummed, promptly ignoring Tim's statement.
"That's part of it." Tim crossed his arms over his abdomen. A flash of recognition lit up Jason's eyes for a split second and his shoulders relaxed. Tim let the victory sooth his own nerves.
He'd done that on purpose. He knew Jason had trauma surrounding drugs and certain pain killers. Making Jason think they shared that trauma would help him feel more comfortable in the moment. Plus, it wasn't exactly a lie.
"Spill, then." Jason motioned with his head, an unnecessary flourish showcasing Jason's usual flair for the dramatics. Tim smiled, laying his head back down.
"You have to promise not to laugh." Tim said, staring at the ceiling. He felt his skin prickle with every second Jason stared at him.
"I won't." He answered.
"You can't make fun me." He added immediately.
"I won't." Jason repeated in the same tone.
"I'm serious." Tim caution, lips pulled taught but not quite in a frown.
"Replacement." Jason huffed with exasperation. But Tim could hear the hidden gentleness behind his tone. 'I wont make fun of you. You're safe with me.'
Tim took a steadying breath, letting the following exhale leave his lips in a long stream of air. He was calm. He turned his head and immediately locked eyes with Jason. Green eyes on dark brown. Hopeful, maybe a little scared if he was being honest.
"Will you be my best man?" Tim asked, voice soft but shattering the quiet like a bullet through glass. Jason stared, his expression unreadable for a good few seconds.
Tim waited, his breath still even and calm. Even as seconds dragged by and felt longer and longer with each interval.
"No."
oh.
Tim's heart choked. He bit down on nothing and tried not to let his jaw grind.
"Why?" His voice sounded perhaps a bit too ragged to act wholly unaffected. Jason's eyes traced Tim's face.
"You should be asking someone who deserves that honor, someone who loves you." Jason replied, and if Tim was upset before he was heartbroken now.
"You don't?" Tim asked, fighting the tightness in his throat just to speak.
"What?" Jason paused, looking confused.
"You don't love me?" Tim choked, his eyes burning with shame and embarrassment. Oh fuck, his face was probably turning red now. Stupid stupid Tim, of course he didn't love you, why the fuck would he-
"I didn't.. that's not what I said." Jason reared his head back as if he'd been struck. Then he froze.
"Fuck, actually, that is what I said, isn't it." Jason sighed, running a hand down his face. Tim was fighting to keep his heartbeat consistent and even. Take slow, calm breaths. Slow, calm breaths. Slow-
A sniffle.
Fuck.
Jason's head shot up, eyes immediately searching Tim's face for what he feared. Glassy eyes two seconds away from overflowing, reddened nose and cheeks, pinched brows.
Oh no no no
Jason panicked.
Oh fuck, no no no
"That's not what I meant. I- I do, okay? I do." Jason jumped to his feet and was by Tim's side in less than a second. Tim was still clamping down on the building pressure in his chest.
Damn, did he get fear gassed? Or drugged? Cause he was being way to emotional. Why was he getting this emotional over something as simple as rejection?
From Jason Harper.
Aka his brother.
Aka the second Robin.
Aka the Robin Tim admired most.
Aka Tim's role model.
Okay, maybe it made a little bit of sense. Just a tiny bit.
Tim had been raised on rejection.
His parents rejecting him at every possible turn. Batman rejecting him as Robin until finally accepting him. Jason coming back and rejecting him in the most painful way possible. Damian trying to kill him. Several times. Dick rejecting him as a Robin in favor of Damian. Steph breaking up with him. Bernard breaking up with him. His family rejecting his theories on Bruce being alive.
No one ever staying, or living, or wanting him for long. Nothing lasting.
And now.
Now… it was too much. He thought Jason was his brother. But that was stupid. He still called him Replacement half the time!
"Tim, breathe." Jason's voice in his ear brought him reluctantly back to the present. Tim struggled for another slow breath.
"Tim, I love you, okay? You're my brother. I'm sorry, you hear me? I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Jason sounded like each word was physically painful to say. Like admitting to loving Tim was so bad.
This was why Tim loved Kon so much. Kon was always comfortable telling him how much he loved him. No pain involved. He heard it every morning, every day, and every night.
"Then why? What *did* you mean?" Tim looked at Jason with all the frustration he could muster.
'if you love me, then why reject me?' his thoughts seemed to scream. Jason must have seen it too, because he looked guilty enough to make Batman uncomfortable.
"I meant someone who is *good* at loving you, Tim. Someone like Dick, or Cass. I'm not good at this baby bird." Jason sighed and shook his head, letting himself slump against the foot of the couch.
"All I've ever done is hurt you. I'm not who you want standing by your side. If you want me to kill someone for you, it's done. But you want me to be your best man? Hell, Damian would be a better choice than me." Jason scoffed defeatedly.
"Damian tried to kill me more times than you did." Tim rebutted, eyes narrowing despite the tears blurring his vision.
"Yeah, but I got the closest to succeeding." Jason shuddered, haunted by the images of Tim bleeding from his neck burned into the insides of his eyelids.
He hated himself for that simple act more than anything else he'd ever done. The murders paled in comparison.
"Don't let Damian hear you say that." Tim muttered under his breath, blinking rapidly to dispell the tears. Jason laughed, though it rang humorless.
A beat of silence followed, neither knowing what to say or exactly how to say it.
"Tim, I'm sorry." Jason sighed heavily, sounding like regret had gripped him by the shoulders.
"It's fine, I'm just.. being dramatic." Tim brushed it away, his earlier despair receding into familiar resignation.
"No you're not, this is important to you." Jason disagreed, shoulder nudging Tim's arm.
"But not to you." Tim understood, turning away.
"It's not like that," Jason began to protest, but Tim was tired.
"No, it is! I don't matter to you, I don't matter in the way other people do!" Tim bit back and Jason stood.
"That is not true!" Jason scoffed, taken aback. This was above his pay grade. He couldn't deal with things like this, he'd only mess it up.
"Yes it is! You've called me Replacement enough for me to take the hint! I know you don't care, but I've thought of you as my brother for the past three years! And it's stupid! I get attached to people I KNOW won't love me back, but I still wonder why!" Tim didn't care about his breathing anymore. He let his heart race as much as it damn wanted, let his voice carry louder until it strained in his throat.
"And I'm tired of grasping at straws! Tired of being surrounded by family and knowing that none of you care! You act, you pretend, but when it comes down to it, you-"
"Jesus Fuck Tim, Shut Up!!" Jason yelled and Tim bit down on a silent sob. He turned to hide his enflamed face into the cushions of Jason's couch.
Hate. Hate. Hate.
For no one but himself.
Suddenly there were hands on him, gripping tightly at his arms, and he was being wrenched up. Tim stiffened and pulled himself back.
"Let go of me!!" He thrashed weakly but Jason held tight. Not letting go.
"You think no one loves you? Well guess fucking what, Tim? You're dead wrong! Dick loves you so much, he still worries about you whenever you help me with a case. He loves you so much that he immediately accepted you as Robin, whereas it took me months to get into his good graces!" Jason spat angrily, as though he were faced with someone who had just insulted his mother. And he wasn't done.
"You're Cass AND Steph's favorite! They like hanging out with you so much that they invite you to fuckin' Girls Night! They love you Tim!"
"Duke feels the most comfortable with you. *No* one else makes him happy like you do! You're his fucking role model, for fuck's sake!"
"And Damian is shit at showing it, but he loves you too! Because he wants so BADLY to be as good as you! He's based his entire recovery from the League of Assassins on how GOOD you are Tim!"
"You're so fucking stupid! God, I can't believe you!" Jason pulled him forward into a crushing hug and Tim didn't know what to say about it. He was still reeling.
"You think no one loves you, but the truth is that you hate yourself so much you're blind to how much we love you." Jason whispered harshly behind Tim's head as he held him close. Tim was shaking, nails biting into Jason's back. He was angry. He was so so angry.
Who was he angry at?
Why was he..
He wasn't angry.
Tim sobbed, going limp in Jason's hold. Jason ran a hand up and down his back, making small rocking motions every now and then as Tim just unwound.
"We all love you, Timmy." Jason promised, voice absolutely wrecked. Tim returned Jason's embrace with just as much desperation, holding to Jason's shoulders for dear life.
"Jesus Christ, you need therapy." Jason sighed, still rocking and rubbing Tim's back soothingly. Tim cried wordlessly, nodding into Jason's shirt.
It lasted like that, though neither knew for how long. Both were lost in the embrace, in the comfort, in the pain. Tim was in so much pain he could hardly breath enough just to choke out another heaving sob. But Jason held him through all of it, whispering reassurances and heartfelt truths.
Eventually, Tim's heartbroken sobs slowed to occasional hiccups and embarrassed sniffles. Jason didn't let go just yet, but he did loosen his grip into something more comfortable. Something easily broken if Tim felt smothered.
"How long you been holdin' that in, baby bird?" Jason asked, running a hand through Tim's hair.
"Since my dad died, I think." He sniffled, tears still flowing freely.
"Timberly, you're gonna give yourself a damn stomach ulcer, I swear." Jason sighed, shaking his head. Tim snorted, sniffling wetly.
"Ya want me to call your man?" Jason offered but Tim shook his head.
"No, gimme a minute to calm down." Tim sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"Yeah, okay." Jason accepted, not quite ready to let go yet. Neither was Tim.
…
"Can we try this again?" Tim asked once he had calmed down. His tears had dried a few minutes ago, and though his face was probably still blotchy and flushed, he didn't feel like he would burst into tears any time soon.
"Hmm?" Jason inquired with a piece of bread in his mouth. He was eating a piece of bread by itself. No butter, no jelly or jam, no sandwich. It wasn't even toasted. Classic Jason.
"This whole.. conversation. What I was trying to talk to you about before-" Tim trailed off sheepishly.
"Before you broke out the water works and soaked my shirt?" Jason asked and Tim's face reddened.
"Yeah. That." He coughed awkwardly. Jason frowned.
"What else is there you wanted me to say?" Jason asked, leaning against the countertop and reaching for another piece of bread.
"Cause I'll say it. I just don't know what you need." He added, hand pausing as it breached the plastic film over the bread.
"Nothing, I guess. I just don't understand why you don't want to be my best man." Tim sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
"I mean- it's fine. If you're uncomfortable with it, or you just don't want to, it's fine, you don't have to. But I'm not even asking you to stay for the whole wedding. If you still wanna avoid Bruce, you can leave before the socializing starts. You don't even have to make a speech, I just-"
"Tim." Jason called, abandoning his pursuit of bread for something more important. Tim put a stopper in his rambling and just looked at Jason.
"It isn't any of that. I just don't think I deserve it, is all. I thought that if I said 'no', you'd shrug your shoulders and go ask Duke or Dick instead. I didn't think it meant that much to you." Jason admitted guiltily and Tim shook his head.
"I was asking you to be a part of my wedding, Jay. Not just AT the wedding, but IN it." Tim emphasized. 'IN my life' went unspoken. Jason swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded slowly.
"That's the part I don't understand." Jason spoke quietly, as though he could be overheard by prying ears.
"Why, after everything I've done, to you specifically, would you want me around?" Jason shook his head, features pinched with confusion and regret.
"Because you're my brother." Tim said like it was the simplest, truest fact in the whole world. Like nothing could be easier. Meanwhile, Jason felt like he'd been punched in the gut and forced to swallow his stomach acid just to keep it down.
"Dick, Duke, and Damian are your brothers too. And they're better at it than me." Jason pointed out after finding his bearings.
"But you were the first." Tim said, and now Jason was really confused.
"What??" He objected, face screwing up with bewilderment.
"You were the first person I thought of as my brother." Tim explained, but really that explained nothing at all.
"Dick was there for you way before I even came back! What are you even talking about?" Jason threw his hands out and Tim just looked on sadly.
"Dick was kind to me, always was. But not out of care. Out of guilt and fear. Guilt for the boy I wasn't, and fear for the boy I could become." Tim explained further, eyes distant as he recalled a darker period of his life. A time when his parents didn't care about him, Batman certainly didn't like him, and Dick was scared witless for him.
Jason nearly flinched but held it in, watching Tim's face deaden and become so devoid of mirth it could belong to a corpse.
He hated his brain, sometimes.
"Dick didn't want anymore dead brothers. So he was good to me, like a kind neighbor or friendly coworker. But we weren't brothers. Not until you came back." Tim's eyes darted up to meet Jason's, some emotion returning to them.
"And then I tried to kill you." Jason deadpanned. And Tim, despite himself, laughed.
"So stuck in the past, Jay." Tim shook his head with a small smile on his face. Jason almost felt anguished just looking at him.
"What else was there?" Jason huffed bitterly.
"You being the first to support me when I came out as Bi. You being there when Bernard broke up with me. You being the only one who believed me about Bruce." Tim reminded him, turning his head to the door.
"You sticking up for me when Bruce was being harsh. You letting me crash at your place when I couldn't face Dick." He continued, listing just the prominent moments when Jason had proven his salt as a brother.
"And tonight." Tim hummed, looking back at Jason to find a strained expression on the other's face. That much, he had expected. Jason never took things like this well. Their relationship was odd, and rarely made sense. But it worked, and Tim wouldn't trade it for anything.
"I've been injured worse before, this was nothing. But you still insisted on carrying me to a safe house instead of letting me walk back to the cave." Tim smiled, the skin around his eyes feeling tight from crying before.
"You keep measuring how good of a person you are by who you used to be. The things you did in the past. But everyday you prove to me that you're someone I can trust. Someone who regrets what they did." Tim reminded, watching as Jason's brow twitch.
"I'm not all that. You make it sound like I've done right by you, when I know for a fact I haven't." Jason muttered, a guarded look in his eyes. Tim could see the self flagellation in the way his shoulders remained taught rather curling inwards. The way the nail of his forefinger bit into the flesh of his thumb.
"You have." Tim reaffirmed, eyes set dead ahead in their conviction.
"You've made up for everything, Jay. You've apologized, promised to be better, and made good by your promises. I forgave and forgot a long time ago." Tim promised, trying for a smile. He must have fallen short, however, because Jason looked suddenly very frustrated.
"But you shouldn't have! What I did to you isn't something you can just "forgive and forget" about!" Jason raised his voice, pushing off the wall and beggining to stalk away.
"But I have!" Tim followed him.
"If we had a normal family or normal lives, what you did would have been unforgivable." Tim acknowledged reluctantly.
"But our family is so fucked up!" Tim called after him, limping along at an aggravating pace.
"We've all hurt each other at this point! Dick hurt me trying to protect me, and I hurt Steph trying to protect her! You hurt me because you were hurting, and Damian did the same thing!" Tim was yelling again just trying to get the point across.
"There is NO point in keeping track of it all! Because like it or not, you are my family, and I want you to be! And I'm tired of measuring people based on how many times they've hurt me!" Tim stumbled to a stop and Jason finally froze and whipped around.
"Then why ask!? Why would you want me around knowing I'll hurt you again??" Jason's eyes were glowing a faint green, and suddenly his urge to escape made sense.
He could feel the pit. It was raging inside of him. It wanted to reach out and wring someone's neck. Tim was right there. Jason would never hurt Tim again. Never.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!!" Tim all but screamed, limbs tired and face red. His chest was heaving with each sharp breath he took, heart beating faster than he knew what to do with.
"And I don't want to explain why." Tim panted, giving his brother an exausted glance.
"I just want you to let me." He pleaded.
Jason bolted forwards, his eyes so so green. Tim flinched, ready for the retaliation he really should have expected.
Except.
Jason's arms around him, for the second time that night, was becoming something Tim was comfortable with. He didn't get hugs very often. So when he did, it was nice.
"Jesus, Tim." Jason trembled, tucking Tim's head close to his shoulder. Tim reciprocated the embrace, this time of more sound mind. He smiled, realizing that their places had been reversed.
"You win, okay?" Jason murmured, dropping his head low. Tim laughed lightly, accepting the warmth around him.
"And why the hell were you trying to run after me with that leg? You were supposed to stay put!" Jason grumbled, pulling away just to scoop him up for the second time that night.
"I might have exacerbated it." Tim hummed, looking back at Jason's eyes. They were no longer glowing green.
"Of fucking course you did. C'mon, couch time for you and I'm not letting you move for the rest of the night." Jason shook his head.
"Don't make me call Dick." Jason threatened and Tim's eyes widened.
"That's not necessary." Tim assured nervously.
"Oh good, because he would absolutely come get you even though he's in Blüdhaven." Jason huffed and dropped Tim down on the couch. Tim landed with a soft grunt and reluctantly settled back down.
It was at least an hour later, halfway into a movie Jason had found on the TV, when Tim finally got a answer to his question.
"I'll be your best man Tim." Jason spoke softly enough that it could have been missed by someone else. But not by Tim.
"Really?" He asked hopefully, his chest tightening.
"If you'll have me." Jason dipped his head, his body language shy but accepting. Tim felt happier than he had in a long time. Possibly ever.
"Thank you." He smiled gratefully, almost overwhelmed with relief. Jason rolled his eyes and threw an arm around Tim's shoulders, pulling him infantismally closer.
"Yeah yeah, I love you too, Timberly." Jason teased, but Tim knew he really meant it.
…