Chapter Text
Steph had decided that she wanted to go to college; she was going to choose Gotham University without a second thought, but her mother and even Dick himself insisted on at least going to look into other universities to have a bigger view, even if in the end Steph still ended up choosing Gotham.
That’s how Steph, Cass, Tim, Damian and Dick ended up on campus at three in the afternoon with a sun not befitting some Gothamites, even if Dick no longer lived there.
“I don’t think this will be,” Steph said, sipping from her coffee cup.
“Come on, Steph,” Dick started. “Let’s give it a shot; you haven't seen the classrooms or the programmes, and it’s not that far.”
“It will take you around 30 minutes to get back home,” Tim added.
“That’s if I have my own vehicle!” Steph raised her hands to the air.
Cass placed one of her hands on Steph’s shoulder. "Let's have a look.” She signed.
“See? Even Cass agrees with us,” Dick insisted.
“Fine, fine, let’s check the main building then,” Steph sighed.
The group started to walk towards the bigger building.
The campus was big; there were plenty of sidewalks and bicycle paths. Even with the number of buildings, there was a bigger number of trees that decorated the place.
“You gotta admit this place is beautiful,” Dick muttered.
He only received a soft hum in response. And if he wanted to point out who was the one, Dick would bet on it being Cass.
Dick was turning around; he couldn't help the amusement he felt looking. And he couldn't stop thinking about what places and rooftops would be perfect for some acrobatics.
While looking around, Dick noticed Damian, who hadn't said a word since they mentioned they were coming to this university and who was looking around as if he were expecting to be jumped at any second.
“Everything alright, Dami?” Dick asked.
Damian turned to look at Dick. "Yes. Why do you ask, Grayson?”
“You seem a little tense.”
“It’s nothing,” It didn’t sound like nothing. “Just making sure it’s a safe place for Brown to study.”
Aww, that was cute.
“So what program are we going to look into?” Dick heard Tim ask at the front of the group.
“I still don’t know,” Steph sighed. “I am not sure if medicine, or maybe going for something more into justice, like forensic science or criminal justice.”
“That’s actually pretty specific,” Tim added.
“Don’t you want to be a lawyer?” Damian asked.
“No, lawyers cannot always defend the innocents,” Steph answered, a sad smile crossing her face. “At least I must do my best to always be on the good side.”
How honourable of Steph, but of course she was the one who would think like that when it was about civil jobs.
“You are right, Steph." Dick placed his hand on her shoulder, offering her an approving smile.
Cass raised her hand and gave Steph a thumbs-up with a small nod; all that with her usual stoic face.
“I don’t know if to take that as supportive,” Steph explained. “Or if you are making fun of me.”
Cass smiled and lifted her shoulders.
Tim laughed, and Steph looked at him. “I know you are the one that is teaching her that,” she said.
“And I do not regret it,” Tim said between laughs.
“Seriously, both of you don't seem to know how to read the mood." Steph rolled her eyes. “Let’s end this.”
As the bats approached the doors of the main building, plenty of students were going in and out. It made Dick remember his university days; even though they hadn't been that long ago, it felt like it.
A big group of students passed Dick, one even bumping his shoulder.
“Oh, sorry,” the female student said.
Dick gave her his most polite smile. “No worries.”
The female student smiled back and turned. "Wait for me!” she yelled.
“Move it, Lina,” another student yelled back. “Jay said he is coming to the theatre with us.”
Jay?
It was foolish of Dick; he knew there were many people in the world that were called Jay. But still he couldn’t help but think of his little brother.
Dick saw the girl reaching the big group; there were at least 8 people. But there was one that caught his attention.
His back was quite muscular, and his shoulders were wide, a backpack lazily hanging off his right shoulder. A mass of deep black hair covered the back of his head, and the way he walked was so familiar.
Somehow all of that reminded Dick of Jason.
Even when Dick had only seen Jason as Red Hood since he came back from the dead, never a face, but he was sure that was his little brother’s body.
Which made no sense. Because what would Jason be doing in a university outside Gotham?
Not only that but, just like the name, there should be a lot of people in the world with the same build as Red Hood. After all, for some reason there existed categories for body types.
Dick may have been staring too much because the man turned his head slightly.
A young, scarred gaze met Dick’s.
The black hair continued through his whole head, but Dick noticed a strand of white hair popping at the front. There were a few lines that Dick was sure were scars over the left side of the man’s face, and even from the distance that Dick was, he could tell that his left eye was not blue.
It couldn’t be Jason. Jason’s eyes were bright blue, not whatever colour was on the stranger’s eyes.
But still, something inside Dick was telling him it was Jason.
The man held his gaze.
One of his companions must have said something, because the man’s mouth turned into a cheeky smile and he turned away, leaving Dick to look back at the stranger’s back.
When are you coming to visit? A young voice Dick thought had been forgotten said. I miss you.
Why was Dick remembering that now?
Could it really be Jason?
"Grayson", Damian called him from behind.
When did Dick stop on his track? Had he been too absorbed in his mind he didn’t notice?
“Something wrong, Dick?” Steph asked.
He should say it’s nothing; he shouldn’t give it too much thought.
And still, it was all over his head.
“I think I just saw Jason,” Dick admitted.
“What?” Tim and Steph asked at the same time.
Damian and Cass stayed quiet, but their faces turned serious.
“How can you be sure?” Tim reached where Dick was standing. “We don’t have any footage of his face. And the only time he showed part of his face was during the whole ‘kill the joker or kill me’ with B. And even the footage of that night is damaged.”
“I know,” Dick sighed. “It just…I have this feeling it must be him.”
It seemed that no one understood what Dick meant. Even he wasn’t sure that he was trying to communicate.
“Just, his whole body screamed Red Hood,” Dick added.
A sigh was heard, “let’s say it’s him. What would a crime lord of Gotham be doing here?” Steph asked.
“I don’t know,” Dick said resignedly.
That was right; why would he know? His relationship with Jason was estranged; even before Jason’s death, their relationship had gone distant. And now, even if Dick wanted to, Jason, or better said, Red Hood, would not even reveal his face in front of him.
What a mess of siblings.
“Still, if you want, I can look into it with Barbara,” Tim suggested.
Dick’s eyes widened. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. Not after…” Dick stopped himself there. “I’m sure O can deal with it by herself if I ask her.”
“I don’t care what happened, Dick. I don’t hold any grudge against Jason, and if this is something that will ease your mind, I don’t mind.”
Why were Dick's little brothers such good people?
Before Dick could answer, a young voice interrupted.
“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” Damian asked, his expression a bit darkened. “If Todd does not want any of us near his civil persona, shouldn’t we at least honour that? Not even Father had tried to find him.”
“It’s not like Bruce hasn’t searched, but since there are no leads, he has found nothing,” Tim explained. “And do you care about honouring his identity? He is now a criminal.”
“It’s not like I care, but..." Damian looked at Dick. “He sure wouldn’t be happy if you stuck your nose in his business.”
Fuck, Damian was right.
Dick wanted to get his little brother back, but if he tried to dig in with Jason, Dick was sure he would never get his brother back.
"Still", Cass intervened. “It’s clear that you saw him today. So just go with that. Why mention the background check?”
What was Dick supposed to do?
Deep down he just wanted Jason to have his own life.
But at the same time, Dick thought that if he knew what Jason was like now, he would be able to talk better with him.
Maybe he was delusional.
“Fine, let’s do it so,” Dick accepted. “But let’s finish Steph’s tour first.”
Jason was pretty bored in class; it wasn’t even a mandatory class. But still, he chose it, and the first few classes were fine; now they were just classes on the lives of some 19th-century novelists.
Still, he could tolerate boredom. After all, there were worse things in the world.
“What are you doing right after class, Jay?” Matthias asked.
Jason looked at him, judging. "Nothing before work,” he signed.
A grin crossed Matthias's and Juliana’s faces.
“Perfect,” Juliana said. “Then you are coming with us and the others to the theatre."
“The others?” Jason signed before getting his things back into the backpack.
“Yeah, Lina, Gordon, Jue, Otis, and Trevor,” Juliana added.
Jason looked at Matthias, confused.
“You know our department is going to make a play,” Matthias added. “So they were asking for volunteers. And since normally you can’t stay drinking with us due to your work, well what better activity than this one to strengthen our friendship?”
A silent laugh left Jason’s lips. "Fine," he accepted.
Juliana and Matthias looked at each other victorious. It wasn't every day when Jason decided to stay in the city for some time instead of going directly back to Gotham.
“Come on, then. Let’s meet the others,” Juliana said.
It didn’t take them long to find the others already waiting for them on the second-floor main staircase. They were a huge group, a bunch of students that somehow connected together and ended up all together since the first semester.
The university was full; it was that time of the year when high schoolers were visiting colleges for their futures, and it was also the time when they, the university students, were packed with lots of activities.
The group exited the doors of the main building.
“If our department doesn’t win, I will be changing careers,” Gordon expressed.
“What are you expecting?” Jue asked. “Just because we ‘know’ literature doesn't make us the best to create a play.”
They were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn’t notice one of them had stayed behind.
“Wait for me!” Lina yelled.
Juliana looked back. "Move it, Lina,” she yelled. “Jay said he is coming to the theatre with us.”
"Seriously, Jason?” Trevor asked.
“Why else would I be walking with you right now?” Jason signed fast.
“I don’t know, man; maybe you are just coming with us to the entrance and then saying goodbye.”
Jason pondered on that. "That would be something I would do,” he admitted.
The group laughed.
But there was something bothering Jason.
A gaze.
Something was looking at him with such intensity that he could feel it all over his back.
He let it be, hoping whoever it was would go away. After all, there was no way any of Jason’s enemies would have tracked him to that place, and the gaze didn’t feel threatening.
But even as Jason was getting far away, the gaze stood in its place.
So Jason turned around. Just half of his head, he didn’t need to give himself that easily.
And thankfully he did that, because he wasn’t expecting to see Dick at all.
What the fuck was Dick doing here?
Jason noticed he wasn’t alone; near the building entrance were the other bats: the little demon, Tim, Stephanie and Cass.
Jason held his gaze.
“What do you think, Jason?” Otis asked.
With a smirk Jason turned back to his friends.
There was no way that Dick had recognised Jason; he didn’t know his face. Jason had made sure of that; not even Bruce should be able to recognise him while civil.
But still, what if he did?
What if Dick somehow connected some imaginary dots?
Shit, Jason couldn't deal with that shit right now. He wasn’t really for that yet; he didn’t want to get involved with the bats when it was about his personal life.
Jason took his phone out and texted his most recent contact.
I just saw Dick and the rest of the mini-bats at my university today.
Dick was looking at me very intensely; I don't know if he recognised me.
He didn’t have to wait long for an answer to come by.
I am arriving later. I am going to distract them a bit.
Those simple words made Jason’s mind and heart fall in ease.
Oh god, Jason loved the man.