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“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Dick asked. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked since arriving with Jason. He still had barely half a foot outside the doorway, like he hadn’t quite convinced himself to leave yet.
“Of course I will,” Slade replied confidently, ruffling the little rabbit’s hair.
Big, bulging eyes stared up at him. If Jason weren’t so cute, it would have been downright unsettling.
“Isn’t that right, Jason?”
Jason nodded, clutching the strap of his backpack. Dick grimaced at the sight, indecision crossing his face.
Slade wasn’t going to allow that. This was important to Dick, and he couldn’t let him back out simply because his little brother apparently couldn’t go five minutes without being under his supervision.
“Go already.” Slade gently pushed him the rest of the way outside. “It’ll be a night for the men, and you can finish your project without distractions.” He gave Dick a reassuring pat on the shoulder, keeping his smile relaxed. “I can handle one little bunny for three hours. Trust me.”
Dick glanced back at the small figure behind him. Whatever silent exchange passed between the brothers seemed to give him enough confidence to finally nod.
“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”
Then, with a quick movement Slade hadn’t expected, Dick leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling away just as fast.
“See you later. Behave yourself.”
Dick waved and made his way out of the yard. Slade watched him disappear down the street, fading into the afternoon light.
“You look like an idiot.”
Slade blinked, coming out of his daze, and turned.
Jason was looking at him with a half-smile.
“An idiot in love, but an idiot nonetheless.” He glanced around, thoroughly unimpressed. “Now, where’s the kitchen? I’m hungry.”
Slade frowned at the abrupt change in attitude.
“It’s five in the afternoon. You can’t eat now.”
“I have specific feeding schedules.” Jason rolled his eyes. “If I ask for something, there’s a reason. You wouldn’t want me to start crying when Dick comes back for me and tell him how neglectful you were with his little brother.”
His smile widened. He somehow managed to look downright eerie even with those oversized front teeth.
Weren’t rabbits supposed to be peaceful creatures?
“That won’t be necessary.” Slade closed the door behind him. “I’ll make you something. What do you want?”
Jason hummed behind him as they headed toward the kitchen.
“Chocolate chip cookies and tea.”
“That’s it? All that drama over tea?” Slade started opening drawers, praying to some merciful god that he’d remembered to restock it.
Did he even have cookies?
“I have specific tastes. And it’s five in the afternoon. It’s not time for dinner.” Jason waved one hand as though that should have been obvious. “It’s snack time.”
Slade accepted the answer, with no intention of continuing that conversation. He found the only unopened package of cookies and checked the expiration date. Still good for another month.
A minor miracle.
He set them aside and put the kettle on to boil.
“So,” he began, leaning back against the counter to face Jason.
The rabbit had climbed onto one of the chairs at the island and now watched him from across the counter, elbows planted on the surface, fingers interlaced beneath his chin.
“So,” Jason echoed. “In case you weren’t aware, my brother has had other suitors before you.”
“Dick told me about them.” Slade took out a plate and opened the package of cookies. “We talked about his previous dates. He seemed embarrassed that they’d all ended badly.”
Jason tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes.
“Oh, God. He’s an exceptional catch. But all his suitors were garbage.”
Slade placed several cookies on the plate and set it in front of him, content to let the little rabbit talk.
“None of them passed the most important test of all.”
That got his attention. Slade looked up. “Which one?”
“Me.” Jason tapped his chin with one finger. “Whoever courts my brother has to earn my blessing. Most of them ignore that, and that’s why they failed.”
“And why are you telling me this?”
Jason narrowed his eyes.
“You’re a wolf,” he said. “Everyone else was a herbivore. You’re the first carnivore. Which means…” He raised two fingers. “Either he’s desperate, or he really likes you.”
For once, Slade had no immediate answer. He didn’t particularly appreciate the possibility that Dick was desperate, but the alternative lodged pleasantly in his chest.
Dick really liked him.
“Your tail is moving,” Jason pointed out. “That’s a good sign.”
Heat crept into Slade’s cheeks. He nudged the plate closer to Jason and turned away, refusing to check whether the damn thing was still swaying behind him.
“Hey, I said it was a good sign.” Jason picked up a cookie. “The fact that your emotions show in your body makes you more trustworthy.”
Slade clenched his jaw. The rabbit was still making fun of him.
“How?”
“Wolves are easy to read. I’ll know if you’re lying, hiding something, or excited.” Jason took a bite. “And Dick will know too. So he’ll be able to leave you the moment he realizes you’re a bad person.”
The kettle shrieked, demanding to be taken off the heat.
Slade couldn’t tear his gaze away from Jason. “What if I’ve killed people?”
Jason shrugged.
“Then I’ll know you can protect my brother from anything. Besides, wolves are faithful and loyal to their mates. If you chose Dick, I’ll know you’d never hurt or betray him.”
“That easy?” Slade shook his head. “You just told me you ruined your brother’s previous dates, and now you’re accepting me?”
“As it happens…” Jason looked away. “Our father is a wolf too. Maybe that improved my opinion of you.”
Then he looked back. His smile stretched wider than before. This one was genuinely threatening.
“And in case you ever do anything to hurt him, Bruce’ll hunt you down and tear your head off. And by pack logic, we’ll be going with him.”
The threat was so beautifully constructed that Slade almost wanted to applaud.
Message received.
He turned off the burner and finished preparing the tea.
“Anything else I should know?”
Jason took another bite of his cookie. “Chocolate is toxic to rabbits. Did you know that?”
The cup slipped from Slade’s hand.
It struck the floor with a dull crack and shattered.
Slade stared at Jason.
Was anything that rabbit had said during this entire conversation even true?
It didn’t matter. Dick was going to kill him the moment he got back to the hospital.
