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“I need your help on a case.” Jason announced as he climbed (uninvited) through Dick’s window.
“Hi, Dick. How are you doing, Dick? Are you free this evening for a chat, Dick?” Dick said, not bothering to look up from the pot of boiling water he was stirring. “Hi, Jason. I’m good, thank you, Jason. I might be able to squeeze you in for a short chat, Jason.”
“You know everyone likes to say I’m the dramatic one, but I don’t think they hold a torch to you, Richard .” Jason said, rolling his eyes as he pulled the window shut. He was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and his non-armoured leather jacket, with no obvious weapons, which suggested whatever he needed help with wasn’t that urgent, so Dick continued to focus on his pasta.
“I still have a video of you doing Shakespeare at school, little wing, so you might want to reconsider that statement.” He looked up just in time to catch Jason’s cheeks go pink, though he immediately tried to cover it with a scowl. To most other people, that scowl probably looked downright dangerous, but all Dick could see was the tiny twelve year old who made the same expression the first time Dick teased him in front of the Titans.
“What are you making?” Jason asked, scowl still in place and his cheeks still dusted pink.
“Pasta, with whatever that sauce is.” Dick gestured to the little jar on the side. Jason grabbed it and looked it over with a critical eye. “Do you want some? I was making extra anyway.”
Jason set the jar back down. “Sure.”
“What’s the case?” Dick asked as he scooped out a piece of spaghetti and bit into it to see how much longer it needed.
“It can probably wait until after food.” Jason said as he leant back against the kitchen counter. He was clearly trying to appear relaxed, but Dick could see the line of tension running through his whole body. He knew from experience that meant the case was a heavy one, most likely involving kids or subs (or even both), so he didn’t push as he drained the pasta and then stirred through the sauce.
Jason thanked him as he handed him one of the bowls before they made their way over to the sofa to eat. Dick turned on some kind of nature programme on the TV and they ate in comfortable silence. They’d been hanging out more frequently over the past few months and it had been almost too easy to fall into a comfortable routine. Dick couldn’t complain, it was nice getting to know the man Jason was now, not the boy they lost.
“So, what’s the case?” Dick asked again, once they’d finished eating and cleared their plates away.
Jason pulled a memory stick out of his pocket and handed it over. Dick grabbed his laptop off the coffee table and plugged it in, aware of the way Jason was fiddling with his hands as he tried to look interested in the TV. He took a deep breath and dived straight into the files, already mentally preparing himself for what could have Jason so on edge. He was right, Jason was so tense because it involved subs and children. The more he read through Jason’s research on this particular band of traffickers, the more he wanted to break someone’s face.
“What do you need me for?” Dick could pinpoint the gaps in the research and Jason wouldn’t have shown up to ask for help unless he already had a plan.
“There’s a meeting a week from now, they’re looking to move into Bludhaven as their next port of contact on the east coast and want to meet local contacts.” Jason said, his eyes focused on Dick’s coffee table. “It’s not that hard to get an invite…”
“But?” Dick prompted when it became clear Jason wasn’t going to continue on his own.
“It’s doms only, they’re gonna be testing on the door. Subs and switches have to be collared.” Jason said through gritted teeth.
“Oh.” Dick said, momentarily struck dumb by what Jason was suggesting trusting him with. “Are you-”
“Don’t. Don’t ask me if I’m sure. It was either you or Bruce and I-” Jason cut off, but Dick understood. It wasn’t just the fact Bruce was a father figure to them both that made the thought of doing this with him uncomfortable for Jason, it was also the fact Bruce was the dom who (not entirely due to his own fault) had let Jason down the most. “I haven’t been off my suppressants since before I came back to Gotham, I need someone I can trust to have my back and not try to take advantage.”
“Okay.” Dick said softly. Jason shot him a look, so he repeated it. “Okay. But we have to scene before the meeting. I need to know how you act while you’re down.” Dick held up a hand when it looked like Jason was going to protest. “No, don’t even think about giving me any bullshit about how we scened when you were a kid. One, what you’re asking of me this time is a whole other ball park, and two, if you haven’t gone down in years , you also don’t know how you’re going to react.”
Jason stared at him for a long moment with an unreadable expression before looking away. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Dick echoed, as if he hadn’t just agreed to navigate a minefield of interactions.
Dick couldn't sit still, so he double checked he had everything he might need for what was probably the seventh time. It was just… It was Jason , which meant there were a whole host of worries running through his mind.
The first time he’d scened with Jason had been a complete accident. It was one of the first times he’d been back to the manor after Bruce took Jason in. Bruce asked him to keep an eye on the kid while he and Alfred went off to deal with a league issue, and it was so last minute he’d barely given Dick any information. Most importantly, he’d left out the part where the kid had been hiding his designation but Bruce had a hunch he was a sub. So Dick ended up dealing with a terrified submissive child who’d put off going down for so long that the barest hint of praise from Dick sent him down and then careening into a drop. The only upside was that after that, Jason realised he could trust Dick, and had learnt to trust Bruce with his designation too (if only Bruce hadn’t fucked that up).
Jason’s designation had been on Dick’s mind from the moment he came back. Dick worried; about how he was dealing with it, if someone was taking advantage, if someone in the League had taken advantage, who was Jason trusting to put him down-
Knowing he’d been using suppressants lessened some of Dick’s anxiety, but it also brought up a whole other host of worries. Jason had always been on the low end of the dynamics scale, which meant it was easier to put him down than it was with most people. Scening regularly helped him control it and made sure it wasn’t a liability in the field, especially before he was old enough to go on suppressants. But, if Jason had been using suppressants without a break for the past several years, there was a chance this scene was going to be rough, on both of them.
A knock on the door startled Dick out of his thoughts before he could start spiralling further into his own worries.
He took a deep breath before going and pulling it open to find Jason looking just as nervous as he felt, with a bag in one hand.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
They both stared at each other for a long moment before Dick snapped out of it and stepped back to let Jason in. Jason walked past him and stopped in the middle of the living room, looking much more unsure in Dick’s space than he had three days prior.
“Anything else you want me to know that wasn’t in the contract?” Dick asked as soon as he clocked the slight tremble in Jason’s fingers.
“No.” Jason said quickly. “Dick, I- Fuck. I need to go down like right now, I don’t even know how I made it all the way here. Fuck, I’d forgotton what it feels like.”
Dick took another breath to steady himself before walking over to stand in front of him. “Okay. Look at me, Jay.” Dick waited until Jason’s eyes met his. “I want you to unpack your bag, put everything in the right places around the apartment and then come back to me. Understood?”
“Yes.” Jason said, sounding slightly more settled than before.
“Off you go then.” Dick said as he sat down on the sofa so he could watch Jason without being too obvious about it.
Jason went into Dick’s bedroom first, most likely unpacking the comfy clothes and toiletries they’d agreed he’d bring, as well as anything else Jason felt like they might need after . But everything else Dick had left up to Jason, so he kept a closer eye on him as he made his way into the kitchen and started unpacking a selection of groceries. Which was probably a good idea because Dick might have forgotten to go shopping while he was panicking about getting this right. He grabbed one of the decorative cushions Alfred insisted on buying when he first moved out and dropped it onto the floor between his feet just before Jason finished and walked back over. Jason looked at the cushion and dropped to his knees on top of it without having to be asked.
“So good for me, little wing.” Dick praised as he ran a hand through Jason’s curls, taking care not to pull on any of the tangles. Jason leaned into it, almost catlike. His eyes were already starting to take on a hazy quality, which Dick expected; it never took much to send Jason down if he didn’t want to fight it. But before he could sink too deep, Dick took the chance to double check they were on the same page. “What’s your safeword, Jay?”
“Batman.”
Dick hummed in acknowledgment. Luckily he’d had chance to come to terms with that since Jason included it in the scening contract (but it didn’t quite stop him thinking over the possible reasons why Jason chose that in particular). “And what’s mine?”
“Graveyard.” Jason said, his eyes going hooded as Dick scratched his nails over the back of his head.
“Very good.” Dick praised with a small smile. “What about the colours?”
“Green means good, yellow is slow down. We use safewords instead of red.” Jason said, although the last few words petered into a whine as Dick removed his hand from his hair.
“Patience, little wing.” Dick said with a smile. “What’s your colour right now?”
“Green.” Jason said, blinking up at him now Dick’s hand was no longer in his hair.
“Good. What food did you bring?”
“Crackers, cheese, prosciutto, salami, grapes, and some chocolate.” Jason recited, exactly like a shopping list.
Dick hummed. “I want you to go into the kitchen and put the crackers, cheese and meat on that serving platter Alfred bought me that I never use. There’s some bottled water in the fridge, bring us two of those through, but leave the grapes and chocolate for later. Understood?”
“Yes.” Jason nodded and stood up. Dick watched him until he crossed the kitchen threshold and then grabbed the TV remote. When they’d scened when Jason was a kid, he’d hated sitting in silence, said it let him get too into his head, so Dick always made sure to have some background noise. He didn’t think that would have changed, even after everything that had happened, so he chose a random cooking channel; background noise without the possibility of a laugh track.
Dick watched the older British man on screen making a seafood paella while he waited for Jason to get back. He was just plating it up when Jason walked back through, balancing the serving platter on one hand and holding the water bottles in the other. Dick held his hands out and took the platter, resting on the sofa arm so he could grab the water bottles too as Jason dropped back down to kneel between his knees without needing to be asked.
“This looks so good, Jay, thank you.” Dick praised as he cracked the seal on one of the water bottles so he could open it one handed when he needed to. Jason whined impatiently and Dick couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, okay.” He threaded his fingers back into Jason’s curls and scratched over his scalp. Jason went boneless and made a pleased noise. Dick gently pushed his head down to rest on his thigh and Jason went with the movement easily, one of his hands curling around Dick’s ankle as he lent more of his weight against Dick’s leg. Dick gave him a minute to settle into his headspace before he turned his attention back to the serving platter.
Jason had set it out with each thing in its own corner; crackers, cheese, ham and salami. The crackers were bite sized and the cheese chopped into little cubes, and Dick couldn’t help but smile at the forethought and carefulness of it. He grabbed a cracker, topped it with a piece of the prosciutto and a cube of cheese with one hand as he kept a hand in Jason’s hair. The cheese paired perfectly with the meat and crackers and Dick quickly assembled another.
“Here, Jay.” Dick said and Jason obediently opened his mouth so Dick could feed it to him. Jason’s eyes fluttered shut as he chewed, another pleased hum rising from his chest.
Dick let Jason drift, alternating feeding them both bites of the food, interspaced with sips of water. He let himself settle completely into his headspace once he realised Jason was stable and not at risk of a drop. It had been a while since he last scened with someone, so this was also for his benefit as well as Jason’s. Jason was a dream of a sub for Dick; he’d always had a mean streak, but he was a soft dom at heart, so being able to put Jason down easily and shower him with praise was exactly what he needed (though he also couldn’t help but wonder if Jason would take pain as easy as the praise, if he’d look even more beautiful with marks, Dick’s marks , littering his pale skin).
Which was another thing Dick was coming to grips with; Jason wasn’t a kid anymore and he was very much aware of it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed, not since Jason came back almost as big as Bruce, having grown into his cheekbones and jawline. Jason was undeniably pretty and he’d grown up to be exactly Dick’s type, which paired with how they’d been growing closer in recent months was a dangerous combination. But Dick couldn’t allow that to influence these scenes, especially with what they’d most likely have to do at the traffickers meet. Jason came to him because he needed someone who wouldn’t take advantage of him while he was down. He was trusting Dick, and Dick wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardise that (but it was hard when all he wanted to do was use his fingers in Jason’s hair to angle his head in the perfect way that Dick could lean down and slot their lips together).
“How’re you feeling, little wing?” Dick asked softly once the food was gone.
Jason’s eyes fluttered back open to look at him as he hummed happily. “Good.”
“That’s good. That makes me so happy, Jay.” Dick said with a smile.
“Yeah?” Jason asked with a small smile as he rubbed his head against Dick’s thigh like a cat.
“Yes, you’re so good for me.” Dick said as he pushed Jason’s hair back from his face. “You ready to come back up for me, little wing?”
Jason scrunched his nose up in a move that made him look younger than he usually did. “Do I have to?”
Dick huffed out a laugh. “It’s been ninety minutes, that’s the time we agreed upon.”
“Went fast.” Jason mumbled.
“It did.” Dick agreed. “What’s twelve plus seventeen, Jay?”
Jason’s brow creased as he tried to concentrate enough to figure out the number. “Twenty-nine.”
“That’s right.” Dick said. He kept going, giving Jason different maths problems until his eyes started getting clearer. “What’s five-hundred and fifty-three plus seven-hundred and ninety-six?”
Jason pinched his calf for that one. “You’re the only mathlete in the family, Dickhead.”
“It’s one-thousand three-hundred and forty-nine by the way.” Dick said with a laugh.
“Nerd.” Jason said, almost fond.
“I think everyone in this family is a nerd of some description, lit nerd.” Dick shot back. “You completely back with me?”
“I think so.” Jason said.
“How do you feel?” Dick asked softly, pushing Jason’s hair back again.
“Tired, and I can’t feel my legs.” Jason said with a shy smile.
Dick smiled back and grabbed his arms to pull him up. “Why don’t you get changed into something comfier while I grab the grapes and chocolate?”
“Okay.” Jason nodded and walked off towards the bedroom on slightly shaky legs.
Dick watched him until he was through the door and then made his way into the kitchen. He pulled the grapes out of the fridge and pulled them off the stems into a bowl. He snapped the chocolate bar into pieces while still in the foil and then poured it out into another bowl. He was pretty sure he’d given Jason enough time to change so he grabbed the bowls and made his way into his bedroom.
He was not entirely prepared for the scene that greeted him.
Jason was sprawled out on top of his duvet with his head in the middle of Dick’s pillows wearing a pair of sweatpants and one of Dick’s oversized hoodies, only the hoodie had ridden up, exposing most of Jason’s abs. Paired with the way his hair was tousled from Dick’s fingers and the still slightly hazy quality to his eyes, he looked downright sinful.
Dick swallowed thickly as Jason blinked to clear some of the haziness and focus on him “Are you waiting for an invitation to your own bed?”
“More like wondering where you dug that hoodie out from.” Dick forced a smile onto his face and walked to his side of the bed and set the bowls down.
“I needed one that would fit me.” Jason said with a one sided shrug. “Now can you get down here, this is your chance to fill your hug quota when it’s actually impossible for me to say no.”
“That makes it sound like it’s torture to hug me usually.” Dick pouted as he dropped down onto the bed.
Jason turned over and tucked into his side, resting his head on Dick’s shoulder as Dick slipped a hand under his back. “Not torture, but you know I can’t always handle it.”
“Yeah, I do.” Dick said softly, and he did. Even before he died, Jason had reasons for being touch-adverse, but then everything that happened since added to it. So, yeah, Dick understood it and he would take this, especially after a scene (Jason wasn’t the only one who needed physical contact as aftercare).
“So, talk me through what’s going to happen.” Dick said, looking up from the profiles Jason had created on each of the ringleaders heading the trafficking operation.
“There’s tickets and passwords on the door. Security is slightly better than your run of the mill group because these guys operate internationally; they’ll be bringing their own security as well as hiring local.” Jason explained from where he was cooking them dinner at the stove. “The issue is the checking process.”
“You mentioned they’d be testing for subs.” Dick said.
Jason’s knuckles went white around the wooden spoon he was holding. “Yeah, everyone has to take drops on the door.”
“No. Not happening, no fucking way.” Dick snapped as the bottom dropped out of his stomach, finally realising exactly why Jason said he’d come off his suppressants. He’d found a woman once, who’d taken, or been forced to take, drops while on suppressants, seen first hand what they did when they reacted with each other. “I can go in on my own, you can run coms, you don’t have to be there.”
“What the fuck did you think I needed you for, Dick .” Jason snapped right back, turning from the stove to face at Dick head on. “This is my case, you’re back up here, there’s no discussion about whether or not I’m doing this, just who I do it with. Now that can be you, or I can find someone else.”
“Jason-”
Jason cut him off again. “I asked you because I trust you with this. You might be the only person I trust with this. I’m not just asking for Nightwing’s help, I’m asking for Dick Grayson’s.”
“You won’t have any control, you won’t be able to safeword, or tell me if anything’s wrong. You’ll be powerless.” Dick said softly, trying to get Jason to see why this was a bad idea.
“I know, I can remember.” Jason said, just as soft, and Dick tried not to flinch. “That’s why I’m asking you. I trust that you’ll make sure I’m okay. None of these fuckers are going to show up with an empty arm, Dickie, it’s expected you’ll have someone with you. Better me than someone else. Plus, Talia made sure I was trained to still react while in subspace, as long as there’s someone telling me what to do if something does go sideways.” Jason walked out of the kitchen and crouched down in front of him and rested his hands on his knees. “I need you to get the information I need so I can take these bastards out so they can’t hurt anyone else. I know what I’m putting on you and if they weren’t testing with drops on the door I’d just have gone in on suppressants, but I can’t.”
“ Fuck .” Dick said quietly as he ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. I don’t like it, I really don’t like it, but okay.”
“Okay, thank you.” Jason said softly, squeezing his knees.
Dick looked himself over in the mirror and smoothed out his tie. He wasn’t as used to wearing full suits as he used to be, but this meeting required it. He’d gone with black paired with a deep blue shirt and slicked his hair back. The nature of the meeting at least meant it was expected he’d have multiple weapons on his person, but while he was used to the knives, his feelings around the gun in the chest holster under his suit jacket was complicated, more so because it was one of Jason’s.
“You ready yet?” Jason called from the living room of the hotel suite they’d booked to fit the roles they were playing.
“Just a minute.” He answered as he double checked the supplies he’d set up in the bedroom in preparation for after; comfy clothes, snacks, water and blankets, but also mittens, drop restraints, mild sedatives and a saline IV line for if things went wrong. “It’s going to be fine.” He whispered as he took a deep breath and grabbed the box off the top of the dresser before walking out into the living room.
Only whatever composure he’d gained, he lost as soon as he laid eyes on Jason.
Now, he knew logically that Jason would have to dress the part as a mob boss’ sub, he just wasn’t prepared for what that would actually look like on Jason .
The suite's bathroom wasn’t actually an en-suite so Jason changed in there while Dick changed in the bedroom. Now Dick could tell why Jason insisted on it being that way round. He was wearing a full face of make-up; foundation that made his skin look flawless, subtle blue glitter eye shadow paired with mascara and eyeliner that made the almost unnatural blue-green of his eyes stand out, highlighter and contour that drew attention to the hard angles of his face, and pink lip gloss that made his lips look even more plush and kissable than normal. Jason had always been pretty, but the make-up paired with his messy curls, the cropped mesh shirt, low cut leather trousers and ankle height lace up boots, he looked downright sinful.
“I didn’t cover my scars, figured it might help sell the cover.” Jason said with a shrug. Dick could tell he was trying for nonchalance, but the tension in his body and the way he was avoiding Dick’s eyes showed he was uncomfortable.
“That was a good idea. You look perfect, Jay.” Dick said softly. ( Perfect for the case, but also perfect in general .)
Jason’s cheeks went pink and his usual scowl appeared. “We should get going.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to give you this first.” Dick walked forward and held out the box.
Jason looked between him and the box with something terribly fragile in his eyes before reaching out and taking it with trembling fingers. He let out a shaky breath as he opened the lid and lifted out the black, leather collar that had a line of deep blue that matched Dick’s shirt running through the middle.
“You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.” Dick said when it became clear Jason wasn’t going to say anything.
Jason shook his head and swallowed thickly. “No, you know I do.” Jason held it out for him. “Will you-?”
“Yeah.” Dick said as he took the collar back. Jason turned around and Dick carefully buckled it around his throat. He ran a finger under it to make sure it wasn’t too tight, and felt the full body shiver Jason gave as a result. Dick took a step back before he could do something stupid ( because holy shit, the sight of Jason wearing a collar with his colours was threatening his composure ). “We should get going.”
“Yeah.” Jason nodded, his cheeks growing even pinker.
Dick climbed out as the driver pulled the car to a stop and walked around the car to meet Jason on the sidewalk. He was relieved the meet was happening in an actual club instead of the usual abandoned warehouse Gotham and Bludhaven natives seemed to prefer. The bouncers on the door were already in view so Dick wrapped an arm around Jason’s bare waist and pulled him flush against his side. Jason leant into him and Dick was glad he’d chosen his normal boots over heels so their height difference wasn’t that awkward.
They walked over to the bouncers and Jason reached a hand inside Dick’s blazer to pull his ticket out of his inside pocket. He handed it to the bouncer with a sharp smile that showed off his canines; the bouncer scowled but took it.
“Password's Saint Antoni.” Jason drawled as he tucked himself back into Dick's side.
“Given the nature of the meeting…” The bouncer paused to look at the name on the ticket. “Mr Parker, this is an entrance requirement.” The bouncer pulled a transparent eye dropper bottle out of his pocket and showed them the green tinged liquid inside. “Four drops each."
“Of course.” Dick forced a smile on his face as he reached out and took the bottle. He squeezed Jason’s waist in silent apology as he held up the bottle. “Head back, sweetheart.”
Jason didn’t hesitate, just tipped his head back so Dick could drop two drops in each of his eyes. Jason leant into his side as he blinked several times and Dick tipped his head back and dropped two drops into each of his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision and handed the bottle back to the bouncer. “We good?”
The bouncer looked between them, focusing more on Dick to see if he was being affected (he wasn’t, other than a slight buzz in his system, he didn’t feel different). “Yeah, go ahead.”
The other bouncer finally moved and opened the door for them. Dick tightened his arm around Jason and led him through the door as Jason leant more of his weight into him. Dick only turned to look at Jason once the doors were closed behind them. Jason’s eyes were already hazy in the way they usually only were when he was very far down.
“You’re so good for me, sweetheart.” Dick whispered, still wishing he’d been able to convince Jason to provide back-up from outside. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fuzzy.” Jason said slowly, like he was really having to think to get the word out. Dick was expecting that; Jason had a tendency to go non-verbal when he was really far down.
“I need you to listen to me and only me tonight, Jay. Any other doms try to give you orders, you get my approval first, understood?” Dick said, deadly serious because he wouldn't have anyone trying to take advantage of Jason like this.
Jason nodded, blinking blearily in what looked like an attempt to clear his eyes.
“I need verbal confirmation, little wing.”
“Yes, I understand.” Jason said, sounding out each word carefully.
“Good boy.” Dick hummed as they walked down the hall into the club's main room. There was a large bar on one side and a VIP area on the other with sofas arranged around a low middle table. The middle of the room was a dance floor, but there were also several poles set up, where a couple of subs and switches were already performing for their doms.
Dick tried not to show his displeasure outwardly as he steered Jason towards the bar.
“What can I get you?” The bartender asked. He was a collared sub (or a switch), but he wasn’t drugged like the rest of them.
“Old fashioned and a bottle of water.” Dick said as he leant backwards on the bar and pulled Jason into his side. Jason went easily, following Dick’s directions and leaning in flush against Dick. Dick tangled a hand in his hair and tucked his face in his shoulder, partially for show and partially to try and reassure Jason everything was under control. The positioning gave him the perfect view of everyone in the room and he mentally checked off everyone that had been present in Jason’s files.
“Here you go.” The bartender said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he set both drinks down at Dick’s elbow.
“Thank you.” Dick said before turning to Jason. “Grab both of our drinks please, sweetheart.”
Jason stood back up and steadied himself with a hand on Dick’s arm before carefully picking up both drinks.
Dick wrapped an arm back around his waist and steered him over to the VIP area. He’d already decided on where to sit while at the bar, so as not to show indecisiveness, especially because he could see one of the ringleaders watching him out of the corner of his eye. He sat down in his chosen seat across the table from the ringleader in question and tapped the table in front of him. Jason set down the drinks without having to be asked and then Dick pulled him down into his lap.
“Legs up, sweetheart.” Dick whispered, and Jason shifted until his legs were on the seat and he was sitting sideways in Dick’s lap. Dick tucked Jason’s face back into his shoulder and then stabilised him with an arm around his waist as he reached out and grabbed his drink.
The guy was still watching them closely, but Dick was beginning to think it had something to do with the sub between his legs that shared several features with Jason. The other sub was an almost identical build with the same shade of jet black hair, but it was no competition (at least in Dick's eyes) that Jason was the prettier of the two. While from afar, Dick thought the ringleader's eyes had been trained on him, it was clearer now they were closer than it was actually Jason he was looking at. Dick tightened his fingers on Jason's hip in response, pulling a whine from Jason as he buried his face further into Dicks throat.
Dick gently shushed him and pressed a kiss to his temple. “You're doing so good, Jay.”
“You know, subs like him need a firmer hand.” The ringleader said, something glinting in his eye that Dick didn't like the look of, as he stroked through the other subs’ hair. “That's how I got mine to be so obedient.”
Dick gave him a lopsided smile in return as he tried not to think about what that meant for the other sub. “Well, you catch more flies with honey and all that. My boy takes much better to praise than punishment.” He moved his hand from Jason's hip and ran it through his curls to demonstrate the way Jason leaned into it like a cat. “That's not to say he can't take what I give him when I need to, he's just such a sweetheart that he doesn't need it.”
The ringleader licked his lips, his eyes following Dick's hand as he ran it back down Jason's side to rest on his hip again. Dick resisted the urge to jump the table and kick his teeth in, and instead splayed his fingers over Jason's bare skin in a purely possessive manner.
The ringleader opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by one of the others standing and drawing everyone's attention for the meeting to start. Dick had a feeling that wasn't the end of his interest in Jason though, so he tucked the younger man more firmly into his chest.
The meeting went as Dick expected it to: there was a lot of sucking up, negotiating territory and several people were kicked out, but he was able to get the information about the planned movements, who would be dealing with each part of the business, and the locations Jason needed. He was itching to leave now he had what they needed, but the ringleader from before who'd been eyeing Jason ordered a round of whiskey for the table so they could toast their new business arrangements. Most of the other doms at the meeting sent their subs off to the dance floor with orders to dance while they drank, but Dick was glad to see there were a few other possessive doms who kept their subs firmly by their side.
Dick's legs were numb from Jason sitting across his lap so he gently nudged Jason out from hiding in his neck and kept his voice low so no one around could hear him over the chatter. “Do you want to kneel for me, sweetheart?”
Jason nodded, looking exactly part of Dick's fantasies as the lights reflected off the glitter on his eyes and lip gloss on his lips.
There were no cushions on the sofa, but Dick was hoping they wouldn't be too much longer anyway, so he just let Jason drop to his knees between his legs. He caught Jason's chin between his fingers and lent forward to press a kiss to his forehead, the only indulgence he'd allow himself while Jason was so far down. “You've been so good for me, sweetheart.”
Jason blinked up at him with his too blue-green eyes before leaning against Dick’s leg and resting his head against his thigh.
Dick didn't react as the seat next to him dipped, already knowing who it would be. “You say your boy takes better to praise than punishment, and yet those scars tell a different story.”
Dick forced a smile as he curled a hand possessively into Jason's hair. “You think his physique is just for show? I can promise you he's one of the best trained bodyguards in this room.”
The ringleader snorted as he yanked the leash around his subs neck and pulled him down into his lap. “You let a sub watch your back? The way that boy’s down, ain't no way he’s a switch.”
“Why wouldn't I? I've known him since he was a kid, he's entirely devoted to me and me alone, even on drops. I wouldn't trust anyone else to watch my back.” Dick said, being truthful more than not.
The ringleader looked sceptical and before Dick could say anything else, he snapped his fingers in Jason's face to get his attention. “Pass me that drink off the table.”
Dick barely resisted the urge to slam his whiskey tumbler against the side of the guy’s head, but Jason just blinked at him before turning to look at Dick. Dick smiled and used his hand in Jason's hair to guide his head back against his thigh. “Stay where you are, sweetheart.”
The ringleader scowled and yanked on his subs’ collar again to get him to do it instead.
Dick was going to break his face as Nightwing, even if Jason didn't want him on the rest of the bust (not that Dick was planning on giving him much choice in the matter either way, there was no way in hell that he was letting Jason anywhere near this one on his own anymore).
“Well, I can admit you've done well with his training.” The guy admitted, albeit reluctantly, as he took another sip of his whiskey. “I'd be interested to see what else he can do. What do you say to swapping our boys for the night to celebrate our upcoming partnership?”
Dick felt Jason tense against his leg every so slightly before the drops forced him back down deep. Dick tightened his hand in Jason's hair and downed the rest of his whiskey to stop himself from just snapping and blowing their cover.
He leaned forward and set his glass on the table before turning to look at the other man, deciding to once again actually tell the truth. “I'm afraid I'm really not the kind to share, especially when it comes to him, I have quite the possessive streak.”
It was true, Dick had always been the kind of dom to get possessive over the people he scened with; platonic or romantic. He knew it wasn't entirely healthy and he'd spent a long time working on it over the years, but it was still different when it came to Jason. To begin with, it had purely been platonic protectiveness over the little kid for whom Dick was his first positive interaction with a dom. At the time, he logically knew he couldn't be there every time Jason needed to go down, not between Bludhaven and the Titans, but it didn't stop the surges of jealousy whenever Jason mentioned scening with Bruce. But since their scene a few days ago and the way they'd been growing closer over the past few months, the platonic protectiveness was starting to lose its platonicness. Which meant Dick was seriously having to stop himself from causing grievous bodily harm to the guy for just suggesting sharing Jason.
The guy stared at him in what Dick was sure was supposed to be an intimidating manor, but Dick had weathered worse stares from Alfred, so he just stared back with a lopsided smile on his face until the guy huffed and looked back at his drink. “That's a shame, with scars like those I would have liked to see how much he could take. Might have also helped your standing with the group.”
Dick couldn't help but chuckle. “I can assure you, I'm not that desperate for business.”
“You might want to rethink that position, we're not people you want to be on the wrong side of.” The guy said, scowl back in place.
“I can assure you that it's me you don't want to get on the wrong side of, especially in this city. You really don't want to see exactly what my boy is capable of.” Dick downed his drink and stood, hooking a finger in Jason's collar to pull him up too. “I am still very much looking forward to working with you, though I won't tolerate veiled threats going forward.”
Dick's last words caught the attention of the other ringleaders, who scowled at the first guy as though this was a common occurrence.
“We're very much looking forward to working with you too, Mr Parker.” The one who looked as though he was actually in charge said.
Dick nodded to him. “I'm afraid I'm going to call it a night, I have work to attend to first thing in the morning.”
“Very well, we'll see you soon, Mr Parker.”
Dick nodded again before tangling his fingers with Jason's and leading him towards the exit as he shot off a text to the driver to meet them outside.
Dick didn't truly feel like he could breathe again until they were back in the hotel suite. But even then, with the way Jason had started shaking on the verge of a drop in the car on the way back, it didn't exactly feel easy to breathe. But he still double checked the temporary security they'd set up and made sure everything was armed before he turned back to Jason.
“You did so well for me, little wing.” Dick murmured as he kicked his shoes off before crouching down to unlace Jason's boots and pull them off for him. He stood back up and cupped Jason's cheek in his palm, dragging his thumb along the younger man's cheekbone. “I'll never let anyone like that touch you, Jay, I promise.”
Jason shuddered at his words, though his eyes still looked too glassy for Dick’s liking.
“C’mon, let's get changed into something comfy.” Dick pulled his jacket and tie off before throwing them over the back of the sofa and pulling Jason towards the bathroom. “Stay here for a minute, Jay.” He guided Jason to sit on the toilet seat and walked back out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where he grabbed the already prepared bundle of soft clothes.
Jason was exactly where he'd left him, still shaking even though Dick could see him trying to stop. It was something he absolutely hated about drops, the way they amplified a subs need to please, even at their own detriment. It wouldn't matter what Dick said, if Jason was convinced Dick was upset with him then that was it.
Dick left the bundle of clothes on the counter and grabbed the make-up remover and cotton pads Jason had left out in preparation for when they got back.
“Close your eyes for me, Jay, so I can take your makeup off.” Dick said softly, crouching slightly so he was on eye level with Jason.
Jason's eyes fluttered shut and Dick poured some makeup remover onto a cotton pad and gently started wiping the make-up off his face, all while murmuring soft praises. He tackled the rest of Jason's face before changing pads and moving on to remove the make-up as gently as possible from Jason's eyes. Once he was sure he'd got as much as he was going to with the remover, he wet a washcloth under the tap and used the cleaner Jason had also left out to clear away what remained. He patted Jason's skin dry with a towel before softly telling Jason he could open his eyes again.
Jason blinked up at him in a way that made Dick want to bury him in his ribcage, sheltered from everything bad they ever saw in the world.
Instead he took a breath and took a moment to assess Jason's condition. He was still shaking, but it was significantly less than it had been, and his eyes were less glassy, though still hazy. Dick knew they probably still had a few hours before the drops completely wore off, but he was hoping he'd have them both safe and secure cuddled up in bed before then.
“How're you feeling, Jay?” He asked as he crouched down in front of Jason so he wasn't looming.
Jason shook his head quickly as the grip he had on his arms increased. He was clearly still in a nonverbal headspace and worried how Dick was going to react to that.
Dick reached out and grabbed both his hands before he could do too much damage with his nails. He silently cursed himself for forgetting how Jason used to react when teetering on the edge of a drop. “Hey, no, it's okay, you don't have to answer verbally. We're okay, little wing, I promise.”
Jason just blinked at him, but he stopped trying to dig his fingers into his arm when Dick let go of his hands to cup his cheek instead.
“I want you to get changed into the clothes on the counter, use the toilet and then meet me in the bedroom. Okay?” Dick said softly.
Jason nodded so Dick stood back up and walked out of the bathroom to give him some privacy. Once he was in the bedroom, he pulled off the rest of his suit and threw it over the chair in the corner to deal with in the morning. He pulled on the gym shorts and oversized t-shirt he'd set aside for himself and made sure the snacks and water bottles were in reach on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his hands in a way he hoped made him look more relaxed than he actually felt.
Jason kept his eyes on the floor as he walked back in, wearing the shorts and baggy t-shirt Dick had laid out for him and carrying his folded clothes in his hands. He was still wearing the collar, which caused a whole bunch of complicated feelings to fight for dominance in Dick's chest.
“Put your clothes on the chair in the corner with mine and then come here, little wing.” Dick said, trying to keep his voice even. He scooted backwards on the bed until he was propped up against the pillows and watched Jason do as he was told. Jason looked at him as he reached the end of the bed, clearly unsure what to do next. So Dick made grabby hands at him and then as soon as Jason's hands were in his and Jason had a knee on the bed, he pulled the younger man forward and on top of him.
Jason let out a little oomf as he collided with Dick's chest, but he went boneless and nuzzled into Dick's neck as soon as Dick wrapped an arm around his back. Dick thought it was the best position for the both of them; Jason couldn't handle being pressed down anymore, said it brought back vague feelings of being buried, whereas Dick loved feeling grounded.
Dick gently ran a finger along the collar. “Do you want me to take this off?”
Jason shook his head with a whine and buried his face further into Dick's neck.
“Okay, that's Okay, Jay.” Dick said, hoping his voice didn't sound as thick as it felt ( Christ, they really needed to have a proper conversation about everything after this ).
Dick was woken by a stray ray of sun coming through the curtains he apparently hadn't closed properly the night before. He groaned and glanced at the clock on the bedside table that told him it was only eight. Jason, at least, was still fast asleep, the way his face was tucked in the crook of Dick's neck shading him from the sun. They'd moved during the course of the night; Jason was now only half sprawled across his chest and one leg thrown over one of Dick's.
It was… it was something Dick could get used to, waking up with Jason as a line of heat against his side.
He let out a shaky breath and tightened the arm he had around Jason's back as he buried his face in Jason's curls. Time had taught him he wouldn't get back to sleep now he was awake, but he didn't intend to move while Jason was still snoring softly against his collarbone. So, he ran through in his head what he wanted to say when Jason eventually woke up. Or at least he tried to, he knew no matter what he practised, it would never actually come out exactly as he intended it to.
It didn't take long for Jason to wake up, not with Dick already awake and not managing to stay quite as still as he wanted to.
“Good morning, little wing.” Dick said softly with a smile as Jason tried to bury further into his neck with a groan.
“‘s too early.” Jason grumbled, somehow trying to bury himself even further into Dick's side. He'd been just as clingy after their last scene and Dick was more than happy to indulge him.
“It's half eight.” Dick said with a chuckle, giving in and letting himself run a hand through Jason's curls, untangling a few of the knots as gently as he could. He'd grown it out over the past few months and, while it was nowhere near the mop of curls he'd had as Robin, it made him look his age, made him look the barely twenty-three he was. Dick knew he wasn't the only person who thought so, Bruce had done a double take a few weeks before when Jason took his helmet off and had been twice as protective over Jason since (something Dick was not looking forward to if Bruce somehow managed to figure out what they'd done, what Dick let Jason do , the night before).
“Too early.” Jason mumbled. “Go back to sleep.”
“Not gonna happen now I'm already awake.” Dick said.
Jason groaned and finally pulled back enough to blink his eyes open and give Dick an annoyed stare. Dick couldn't resist booping him on the nose, just to watch his face scrunch up in the way it had since Bruce took him in.
“Asshole.” Jason grumbled before flopping back down on Dick with all his muscle mass, causing Dick to let out an oomf that did nothing to dissuade his laugh.
Dick needed a laugh after the night before, but he didn't let himself savour it long before asking the question that really needed asking. “How’re you feeling?”
“Okay.” Jason said, before apparently realising Dick wasn't going to be content with a one word answer and continuing. “I feel a bit shaky and there's some background lingering panic, but I'm okay. I was expecting to feel worse.”
“Worse?” Dick couldn't help but press, tightening his grip on Jason slightly.
Jason turned his head so he was speaking directly into Dick's neck again, pressing closer as if to reassure Dick (even though Dick still thought it should be the other way round). “I know you would never have even entertained it, but for a minute, because I was so far down, I thought you were going to hand me over to him.”
“I meant what I said, I'll never let anyone like that touch you again, Jay.” Dick said, putting enough emphasis into his words that hopefully Jason knew just how serious he was.
“I know, Dickie. ‘s why I trusted you with this in the first place.” Jason admitted quietly.
Dick let out a shaky breath. “You're not a kid anymore, little wing.”
Jason snorted. “I’ve noticed, big bird. Was starting to hope you had too.”
“Yeah?” Dick asked, tentatively hoping they were both on the same page.
Jason untucked himself and met Dick's eyes with his unnatural blue-green ones. “Yeah.”
“This hotel has a fancy restaurant, what do you say to a brunch date?”
The side of Jason's lips quirked into a smile. “I'd like that.”
“Good.” Dick couldn't help but smile back. “Let’s grab a shower and then head down then.”
“Me first.” Jason said before leaning up and pressing a kiss to the corner of Dick’s mouth. He was out of the door with a smile on his face before Dick could react. Dick huffed out a laugh and flopped back down onto the bed, looking forward to the rest of the day.