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“You didn’t tell me your dad was Bruce-fucking-Wayne.” CK said, almost breathless as he stood ram-rod straight in the foyer of Wayne Manor.
Jason scratched his head. He was trying to ignore the embarrassment heating up his cheeks. He’d forgotten how bright, clean, and expensive the manor looked to people not used to it. Just like it had to him five years ago. “I’m sure I did.”
“You absolutely didn’t. I mean- come on.” CK sauntered towards the staircase before Jason had a chance to catch him. He tapped against one of the lion statues that flanked the grand staircase, the one underneath the bespoke crystal chandelier. “Is this real marble?”
“Hey don’t touch that-” Jason grabbed CK’s hand and pulled him away. Not that CK cared. He was grinning from ear-to-ear in that way that made Jason feel pissed off and embarrassed at the same time.
“Why? Is it one of the Wayne family heirloom probably made by some guru of a Himalayan death cult?”
“Not that one, young master.” A British voice echoed, nearly making the two of them leap out of their skin. “Those heirlooms are actually in the green parlor.”
CK's mouth dropped. His eyes filled with a childish glee as he kept glancing between Jason and Alfred.
"Epic." Was the only thing he managed to say.
"Will your guest be staying for dinner, Master Jason?" Alfred said, the perfect picture of placidity.
"Yes-" CK's agreement was cut short by a sharp elbow to his side.
"No, Alf. Thanks, though. We've just got an essay to do and then CK is off home before anyone realizes he was here, right?" Like an overenthusiastic child, CK nods. Jason rolls his eyes and shuffles a little closer to Alfred who eyes the second master with endless curiosity. Especially when Jason can't quite meet his eyes. "Who is actually home tonight?"
"At present, Master Timothy is the only in residence, cooped up on his computer doing ‘assignments’ I’m told. Master Damien is at his art class, Master Duke is out with his friends, Mistress Cassandra and Mistress Stephanie are conducting their weekly self defense class, Master Bruce is at work-"
"And Dick?"
A smile ghosted across Alfred's face, gone as quick as it was there. "Master Richard is out. He will be back for dinner but-"
"That's fine." Jason said, brighter than before. Then again, he was always happier when he had a plan to hone his mind to. All he had to do was get CK out of this house before anyone got home.
Especially Dick.
"Thanks Alfred." Jason said, he lugged CK up the stairs. CK gave the butler a small wave, one Alfred replied to with a small nod.
"You have a butler?" CK said. His face was flushed with excitement. "Like an actual butler that serves you dinner and-"
"Alf isn't my butler. He's the house's butler." Jason mumbled, his grip like iron on CK's wrist as they twisted through the seemingly never ending corridors on the first floor.
"He called you Master-"
"That's just a British thing."
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Too many."
"I'd like to meet them."
"That-" Jason said. "Is never going to happen."
CK pouted. "Aw why? I bet your family would love me."
Jason hummed in reply, scared of what he may say if he opened his mouth.
They wandered through the hallowed halls, shooting the shit as they typically did. It was strange. Jason couldn’t remember exactly how they’d found this comfortable rhythm with each other. CK had only transferred a semester ago, having fallen out pretty badly with his folks. The two of them shared a contemporary literature class and Jason was soon brought into CK's orbit. After some coarse words and a bloody, bloody fight in the car park, they were joined at the hip.
Friends, almost.
Jason's room at the far end of the house, closest to the library. Bruce had helped him move here after Damien was born hoping giving Jason space and access to what he loved would make the chaos of a new baby that bit easier. It did. Even Jason had to admit. At the same time, when your closest neighbor was two corridors away, it was hard not to feel a little lonely sometimes.
CK stood in the middle of his room, eyes blown so wide Jason was scared they’d roll out of their sockets. "Holy balls."
"Holy balls? Are you serious?" Jason said. Despite himself, a laugh rippled out of him. "God your so fucking cringe."
"Am I serious? Are you serious?" CK pranced around the room waving his hand towards the four poster bed, antique oak furnishing, the gilded fireplace and- “Is that a fucking Rothko?”
Jason blinked. “Uh. Maybe? Dad’s into all that weird art shit.”
“Oh my god.” CK flung himself down onto Jason’s bed, hands flying out beside him. “I can’t believe you actually live here.”
“Yeah, well, I do.” Jason glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Dinner was looming sooner than he’d hoped, which meant he had less time to crack out this essay and more importantly, get CK out of the house before anyone saw him. “Can we just get this essay over and done with?”
With a groan, CK lugged himself off the bed and followed Jason to the other side of the room where a giant oak desk was tucked in the corner. Jason grabbed another seat, another antique, and tried to tidy the post-its and days old coffee cups before sitting down and getting to work. Time was of the essence, after all.
The two of them sat together for a while in comfortable silence, only the sound of pen scrapping against paper breaking up the quiet. At first, Jason didn’t notice how close CK had gotten. His mind was purely focused on this passage of A Streetcar Named Desire that was giving him trouble. Then, their knees brushed together.
It should have been a nothing movement. Stray touches happened all the time, that was just life, but as he felt it, his entire body stilled. All his thoughts dribbled out of his head. He could feel a heat rising through his body, head swirling with it. He glanced to his side. CK gave nothing away. His eyes were glued to the paper in front of him, chewing on his pencil, while he planned out his thesis. Only when he could feel Jason’s eyes burning into his side, did he look up and blink.
That shit-eating grin dropped onto CK’s face. “What’s up?”
Jason turned away with a huff, rubbing his neck mostly to hide the red patch that had risen on it. “You’re too close.”
“What?”
“You’re too close.” Jason said, in a seething whisper.
Still, CK didn’t move. His eyes dropped, gaze crawling over every bit of distance between them. He shuffled a little closer until his knee rested against Jason’s thigh. Their eyes met. Jason’s were wide with panic. CK kept smiling.
“I can move if it bothers you that much.” CK said, dropping his voice until it was a frequency only the two of them could share. “Or- I can get even closer.”
“What are you saying-”
CK cut him off with a small kiss.
Jason’s mind shut down. He couldn’t breath, couldn’t think. All he could do was stare at the boy in front of him and attempt to keep the breath in his chest even. CK just laughed, leaning in again. This time the kiss lasted longer. It was messier, filled with a raw want. Jason didn’t realize he’d dragged himself onto Prime’s lap. Not until he felt CK’s hands pressing into his waist.
Breaking away, he rested his head against CK’s, looking at him with heavy eyes.
“I’ve wanted to do that for ages.” CK mumbled, pressing some open-mouth kisses against Jason’s neck.
“How long?”
“Probably since you knocked my teeth out.”
Jason huffed. “That’s one weird kink you have.”
“Only when someone as pretty as you does it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” The two of them kissed again. This time they were slower, gentler, as if they were taking the time to explore each other’s rhythm until they were singing the same tune. Jason’s hummed into it, delight and pleasure coursing through every part of his body. He didn’t want this to end. This warmth, this comfort. He didn't know he’d been hungry for it until he’d gotten a taste.
Now, he was going to gorge himself until he felt sick.
“I heard someone was being a good student for once so I brought snacks–” Dick’s sing-song voice flowed through the air. Jason’s eyes blew wide just in time to meet his older brother’s gaze from across the room.
Dick froze.
Jason froze.
“Who’s-” Before CK could finish that thought, Jason jumped up from his lap and quickly pushed him below the table. Not like that made any difference. Dick had clearly seen the other body Jason was straddling and there was no way of hiding it when CK let out a pathetic ‘OW’ as he slammed his head against the antique wood.
“It’s not what you think.” Jason said, panicking more than he ever had in his life. Especially when Dick closed the door behind him with an all-knowing smile.
“Oh yeah? Cause it looks like my little brother was making out when he should be doing his essay.” Dick’s eyes glanced underneath the desk and waved. “Hi by the way.”
“Hi?” CK said, crawling out of where Jason had stashed him.
“Do you have a name?”
“Don’t tell him.” Jason said.
“Aww, Jay, there’s no need to be like that. I’m only trying to get to know him.” Dick said.
“That’s the problem. You don’t need to know him.”
“Why not? If he’s my little brother’s boyfriend-”
Jason’s face bloomed into a near purple shade. “He’s not my boyfriend!”
CK blinked. “I’m not?”
“We literally just kissed.”
“Yeah but like, surely that means we’re not friends right?”
Jason’s heart wouldn’t still. He couldn’t think about this right now. He had bigger problems to deal with.
Namely, ensuring Dick kept his big mouth shut.
Swallowing his pride, Jason closed the distance between Dick and himself. He couldn’t quite meet his brother’s eyes but that was all part of the plan. After all, there wasn’t many stronger forces in the world than Dick’s need to be a protective older brother. If Jason could just play the part of a pathetic little brother, he might just be able to keep this secret buried a little longer.
“Dick.” He whined his brother’s name, trying to sound as pathetic and young as possible. Considering how worry creased across his brother’s face, Jason knew he was plucking at all the right strings. “Please don’t tell anyone about CK and me. I’ll literally do anything.”
Dick sucked on his teeth. “I don’t know, Jason. I’m sure Bruce would be pretty interested in who his son is sleeping-”
Jason clamped his hand over his brother’s mouth. There was no winning. He should have known there was absolutely no winning when it came to Dick and juicy family gossip. “I’ll literally do anything.”
One brow shot up Dick’s forehead, almost getting lost in his hairline.
“Within reason.” Jason added. “And no, you're not borrowing my motorcycle just so you can use it to impress whatever poor fuck you’re trying to get into bed with.”
A groan rumbled through Jason’s palm as Dick’s eyes swung around his sockets.
“You ride a motorcycle?” CK’s voice piped up behind him, a little tight and breathless, no doubt an image of Jason in leather, smelling of gasoline and engine oil, clogging up his mind.
“Not the time, CK.” Jason hissed.
“That’s so hot-”
“Not. The. Time.”
Gently, Jason eased his hand away. He looked away, scared at what request was about to slip out of those smirking lips. Dick was quiet for a long time. That only made the knot in Jason's stomach tighten. Nothing good ever came from Dick being quiet.
“I'm babysitting Damien next week…” Dick said, eking out every single word.
“Yeah?”
“Or I'm supposed to be.”
“Let me guess, you want me to take over babysitting the brat so you can go out with Barbara, Kory, or-”
“Actually I'm going clubbing with Roy so there.”
Jason eyed his brother through narrow eyes. This all seemed… easy. Far too easy. Damien wasn't exactly agreeable but he was far from a bad kid.
“What's the catch?”
“It’s Damien's art class that night and they're moving onto life drawing. Their usual model couldn't make it so-”
“Absolutely not.”
“You did say you'd do anything.” Dick said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. When he saw Jason didn’t reply straight away, he simply sighed and shrugged. “Guess you don't mind everyone knowing about your business then.”
Dick went to walk towards the door but before he could grab the handle and scream out Jason’s business to the world, a hand wrapped around his wrist.
Jason stood an arm's length away from him, eyes at the floor, pink staining his cheeks and tips of ears. He glanced at Dick, not able to hold his eyes for long.
“I'll do it.” Jason mumbled.
“And you have to declare me your favorite brother.”
Jason's head snapped. “What? I'm not going to-”
Dick pushed down on the handle and let the light of the corridor fill the room. “Tim! I've got something to–”
Jason's hand flew over his mouth once again. “You're my favorite brother. Absolutely. The best one I have. Wouldn't want any other. Is that enough?”
He could feel Dick's smile behind his palm as he gently pulled it away.
“More than.” Dick said, looking so smug Jason wanted nothing more than to rip that stupidly handsome face clean off. “Right, well I’ll let you get back to your ‘study session’ now.”
As Dick moved towards the door, Jason finally let out a deep sigh, his body finally relaxing ever so slightly. Finally, some peace. Only that relief was short lived as Dick stood on the threshold, his attention turning to the other body in the room.
“CK is it?” Dick said.
CK jumped up as if he were a dog being called by his master. “Uh, yeah?”
“Be sure to use protection, yeah?”
All of the blood in Jason's body rushed to his face. He grabbed one of his books and launched it towards his brother who merely stepped out the way as if it were nothing. “Get the fuck out of here, Dickhead!”
“See you at Dinner, Jay!”