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The day Jason met Dick was just another Tuesday. There hadn't been any announcement, which Jason supposed made sense because Dick did live here.
Jason had been here exactly seven days. A very weird and mostly enjoyable seven days. Bruce mentioned his oldest several times in fact. Jason knew bits and pieces. He was an orphan, he was the first Robin, he was an acrobat, he loved potato chips, and he and his friends had spent the past week touring college campuses.
So, on Tuesday, Jason hears the hum of a motorcycle in the side driveway, he figures it must be Dick. He keeps his head down and continues playing Pokémon on the Switch in the den.
"Hey Alf! I'm home!"
Well, he was certainly louder than Jason thought he'd be.
"Man, traffic in Central City was awful. I almost made Wally run me home. Is Bruce down in the cave? I got him some tacky college shirts that I just have to-"
Dick stopped dead in his tracks behind the couch Jason was sitting on. His hand was still on his suitcase.
"Who the hell are you?"
Jason blinked.
"Jason."
Dick looked around to Alfred who was standing in the doorway, still holding Dick's coat.
"OK. What the fuck?"
"Master Dick, if I may-" Alfred began.
"Oh no, don't even start Alf. Where's Bruce?"
Dick stormed off, suitcase forgotten. Jason swallowed, eyes darting between Alfred and the older boy who seemed to be on a warpath. He wasn't exactly sure what he did.
"Chum, I thought you were staying an extra day at Kori's," Bruce's voice travelled down the stairs before he did.
Dick turned on his heel, stomping towards the stairs.
"Yeah, supposed to be a surprise! Guess there was another surprise you forgot to mention?"
Bruce looked over at Jason, then back at Dick.
"I see you two met."
Dick threw his hands up, "Are you serious right now? No call, no heads up, no nothing? What, did you think I didn't deserve to know what's going on?"
Bruce's face hardened. "You were busy making important choices for your future. I didn't want to bother you."
"Oh yeah, that's sweet. Like you've never done that before."
"Dick-"
"And what is this? You getting empty nest syndrome? I finally get away and you have to bring in another one?"
Jason was watching, tense. He had slowly started to stand up from his spot. He didn't think Bruce would hit him, didn't even really think Bruce would let Dick hit him. But still, he wanted the best chance for a head start if something went wrong. Well, wronger.
"I didn't realise living here was such a hardship."
Dick scoffed, "God Bruce, you're such an asshole! I push for my freedom, my boundaries and you replace me? Not able to cope if everyone doesn't follow your every order?"
Bruce stepped forward, finger pointed at Dick's face, "Watch your mouth."
"Or what? You'll bench me? Put me in time out? You needed some new shiny toy to play dad with since you fucked up so much with me? Was I not good enough?"
Alfred put a hand on Jason's shoulder, "Master Jason, might I suggest you head to your room. I fear they will be at this for some time."
Jason looked between the pair, at Dick's red face, eyes shining with frustrated tears and Bruce's stony face, arguing back.
"They are standing in front of the stairs," Jason whispered.
Alfred smiled, "Not to worry, sir. There is a servant's staircase to the family wing."
Jason spent the rest of the day in his room reading. At some point, he heard a door slam shut across from his.
He hadn't exactly known what to expect but nothing like this. He tried to focus on his book but he kept re-reading the same line over and over.
He never wanted to fight like that with Bruce.
He tried to calm the anxious feeling in his chest. Bruce had promised he wouldn't send Jason away, but lots of adults broke their promises. And this time, there was a reason to, Bruce's kid, his first one, apparently hated Jason's guts. He didn't want Bruce to kick him out. Living here was so much better than the streets of Crime Alley. He was never hungry, cold or wet.
He knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He could leverage that if he had to, probably.
A full day had passed before he saw Dick Grayson again. They were both in the cave. Bruce had pinky promised to show Jason some self-defence moves if nothing else. Dick had some long file pulled up, comparing what was on the screen to his paper copy. Jason desidely walked past him.
He was almost to Bruce in the training room before Dick turned around, eyeing him from top to bottom.
"Is that my hoodie?"
Jason looked down at himself in the faded blue hoodie. It was soft and oversized on him. Bruce had given it to him the first night he came to the manor.
"Is it? Bruce just gave it to me."
Dick's eye twitched, "Yes, it's mine. Take it off before you stain it or something."
Jason glared but shrugged the hoodie off, shivering in the cool air in his tank top. He threw the hoodie as hard as he could at the back of Dick's head before he ran into the training room.
The next morning, Jason woke up early. He had barely slept the night before, tossing and turning in bed. He had packed his bookbag with some clothes, just in case.
He clambered down the stairs to the kitchen table. Bruce was already awake, sipping his nasty black coffee while reading over the Gotham Gazette.
"Morning, Jaylad."
"Morning," Jason responded around a yawn. He pulled out his chair, the one right side next to Bruce, who sat at the head of the table.
"Sleep well?" Bruce asked, still reading the paper.
Alfred had come out of the kitchen, a plate of eggs, toast and bacon in his hands for both him and Bruce.
"Thanks, Alfred," Jason took a bite of bacon, "I slept ok I guess."
Bruce grunted in acknowledgement.
It was quiet during breakfast. Bruce wasn't usually chatty, but especially not so in the morning.
Jason had almost finished his breakfast when Dick strolled in. A bowl of cereal in his hands as stared at Jason.
"You're in my chair."
Jason looked down, trying to ignore him. He knew this. Older street kids would try and bully him out of his food or jackets. He already gave in with the hoodie. Ignorance usually meant they would just give up.
"Did you hear me?"
Jason was very bad at ignorance.
"I didn't see your name on it."
"I lived here before you, meaning it was mine before you."
Jason looked around the table, "There are like ten other chairs, dude."
Dick smiled, too sharp to be really friendly, "But those chairs aren't mine. Scram."
"I was here first!"
Dick actually laughed at him, "I actually was here first."
"Boys," Bruce chided, eyes boring over his paper.
"Bruce, just tell Jason to move! I always sit here."
"Yeah? You seem capable of finding another place to fuck off to."
Dick slammed his bowl on the table, milk sloshing out over the sides, "Why don't you fuck off, brat?"
"Enough!" Bruce snapped, loud enough that both Jason and Dick flinched. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. Neither boy moved as Bruce took a steadying breath.
"Jason, move to the other side of the table."
"But!"
"Now," Bruce's tone let nothing be debated. Jason glared but stood up with his plate and sat on the left side. Dick looked almost too pleased with himself as he went to sit.
Bruce turned to his eldest, "Dick, you are almost an adult. Act like it."
Dick stood right back up, "Oh, so now I'm an adult when it's convenient for you?" He scoffed, "Whatever."
Both watched as Dick ran up the stairs. Slamming doors apparently seemed to be a trend.
It was silent for a while before Bruce picked up his newspaper again, but he didn't seem to be really reading it.
"I didn't mean to piss him off," Jason mumbled around his toast.
Bruce sighed, "I know, chum."
Jason scrunched down in his seat, "I don't even know what I did. We haven't even like, talked yet."
"Dick is adjusting."
Well, can he adjust better, Jason thought bitterly.
"I have work to do in the cave," Bruce said after a pause, paper and breakfast seemingly forgotten. "You're welcome to join me."
"I'm alright, I think I'd rather read for a bit."
Bruce seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Alright. Get Alfred if you need anything."
Then Jason sat alone at the kitchen table.
He wasn't exactly sure what compelled him to make a plate, but he did. A sort of peace offering, maybe?
He loaded the plate with Alfred's leftover eggs and bacon, all reheated.
It was still warm when Jason placed it in front of Dick's door. He knocked several times before running back into his room.
He almost thought Dick wouldn't open the door until he finally heard the door handle unlock. He heard shuffling, like someone took a few steps out, then the ceramic plate being taken off the hardwood, and finally the door shutting once again. Notably softer.
Jason felt smug despite himself. Peace offering indeed.
Dick was avoiding Jason. Which was well enough.
A plate of breakfast seemed to make Dick not go out of his way to annoy Jason at least.
If the older boy walked into a room Jason was already in, he would just go to another. If they were in the cave, they would sit at the far ends of the Batcomputer, Bruce playing mediator between them.
Bruce and Dick bickered here and there, nothing as serious as the first day. Bruce had laughed, honest to god laughed, at one of Dick's jokes. Even Jason had to admit it was pretty funny.
It had been almost a month since Jason started living at Wayne Manor. Dick had actually been able to form sentences towards Jason that weren't commands, and Jason was able to hold back on cussing the older boy out.
Bruce had been playing Mario Kart with Dick when Jason walked into the den. He usually would go into another room, but this one had the best armchair, nice and worn, the perfect amount of squishy to sink into.
No one seemed to mind him as he curled up and opened his book. Occasionally, he'd look up, usually whenever Bruce fell off the map. Jason had to hide a snicker. The old man was terrible at Mario Kart.
Dick whooped, the screen proclaiming him the winner. Bruce only rolled his eyes.
"I hear you laughing, Jay. Why don't you give it a shot?"
Bruce held out the controller. Jason almost leapt up but hesitated.
Dick seemed unaffected at the suggestion. He was still rolling around the carpet in victory.
"You can't be worse than Bruce," Dick said playfully, hitting Bruce with his shoulder.
Jason grinned, "Nah, I'm definitely better."
Bruce's eyebrows raised, "Is that so?"
"Just you watch!" Jason grabbed the controller, plopping himself down next to Dick in front of the TV. He had played Mario Kart before, always by himself, but watching them, Jason knew Dick played dirty. Red shells and hitting people off the map.
Their race was close. In the last moment, Jason hit Dick with a red shell, letting him into first place right as he crossed the finish line.
"Yes! Ha! I told you!"
Dick pouted. Honest to god pouted beside him. "Ok sure," he snarked, "Rematch right now. That was just luck."
"Oh, you're on!"
After that afternoon playing Mario Kart, things changed. Dick had once actually looked for Jason and pulled him from his bedroom to play Super Smash. Then, a few days later, Dick even offered to teach Jason how to do a backhand spring.
Jason was still antsy around Dick; how could he not be? The guy had gone from seemingly hating him to wanting to hang out, albeit rarely. A dark part of Jason's mind wondered if it was some type of trick, some type of ploy to get him comfortable before the rug was pulled out below him.
It all really changed when Dick almost died. Well, that's the story Dick spins. He did get his leg crushed in a collapsing subway station.
Jason had been in the cave, watching the many beeping buttons on the batcomputer. He heard the explosion, Bruce's yell.
He had helped Alfred prep the medbay to not feel utterly useless.
Dick looked pretty bad as Bruce carried him to the table. Blood had coated his entire right lower half; his head lolled as he was laid down. Jason had stayed close by, watching Alfed hook him up to an IV drip of painkiller before cutting off a part of his suit.
"At least he's wearing pants now."
Bruce's face had been in a grim line since he got home, but the tip of his mouth twitched up. "Small mercies."
Jason fiddled with a stray string on his hoodie. Bruce had remained motionless on his chair next to Dick. It was kind of creepy how well Bruce could do that.
"He's gonna be okay, right?" Jason asked.
Bruce said nothing at first and just when Jason started to feel that familiar bubble of anxiety in his chest…
"Yes. He will be."
And he was eventually. Dick had to wear a cast for six weeks, and Jason thought Dick's reaction was a tad dramatic. He watched him mope around the house like a perpetual cloud was over his head.
Nothing anyone did was good enough; he hated almost every dinner Alfred made. Any time anyone asked how he was doing, he snapped. Most of all, he looked exhausted and so angry whenever Bruce went into the cave.
"He blames himself." Bruce explained, "He thinks he should have escaped somehow, and now he's upset he can't patrol."
The only time Jason saw him in a decent mood was when his girlfriend visited. Kori was nice, also kind of weird.
I guess why they're dating, Jason thought, as he watched Kori sign Dick's cast.
"Remember to-"
"Take your meds, god I know Bruce!"
The manor's stairs were an obstacle. Dick had only allowed himself to be carried up and down them a few times before insisting the crutches were fine enough. Still, Bruce carried him down and up.
Dick grumbled about the entire thing, but Jason watched as he hugged Bruce tighter.
As Dick was mostly confined to his room, Jason barely saw him.
It was probably stupid. He was probably going to get yelled at by a pissy seventeen-year-old, but still, Jason stood in front of Dick's door with the Switch in his arms.
He knocked, cause that's the polite thing to do.
"Yeah?"
"Hey, um," Jason bounced on his heels, "I figured you might be kinda bored. So, I, uh, brought the Switch up with me. If you wanted to hook it up and play?"
The ticking of the hallway clock seemed to grow louder.
"Sure, just come in."
Jason hadn't actually been inside Dick's room before. He had seen flashes whenever it was open as he walked by.
It was a mirror of his own, large with its own bathroom attached. It was covered in posters and pictures. A messy desk sat in the corner. A family-sized bag of chips was on Dick's nightstand along with some bottles of water and soda.
For some reason, Jason thought the older boy would be neater. Maybe it was the busted leg.
Dick was sitting in his bed, phone still in hand. He watched Jason impassively as he hooked up the Switch to his TV.
"So, what do you wanna play?" Jason asked. He had tossed Dick the other controller before sitting on the edge of his bed. Dick struggled for a minute to sit up better.
"Whatever you want."
"Mario Kart?"
"Sure."
They didn't say anything else. Just raced their cars around and around and around.
"You don't have to like, do this out of some obligation or whatever."
Jason almost fell off the map, "What?"
Dick laughed, but it was bitter, "You don't have to try and make me like you."
An icy chill went up Jason's spine, down to the tips of his fingers. He didn't understand. He thought things were getting better? Even Bruce said Dick was adjusting better!
"I mean!" Dick hurried to explain, "I already like you! You don't have to like, force yourself to spend time with me. I know I've been an asshole."
This was not in any of the possibilities Jason had expected.
Dick sighed. "I know I kind of blew up when you first got here, or when I first met you. I wasn't really angry at you. Just angry at Bruce, cause he sucks at communicating."
Jason tried to focus on the race, heart pounding.
"And I've been an only child all my life. I've never really had to share and, well its kind of stupid, but I didn't want to be replaced."
"I don't want to replace you."
"I know that now," Dick said gently. "Bruce and I talked. Or more like I yelled at him until he yelled back. But yeah, I get it. Your situation, I mean. Cleared up, he wasn't trying to replace me. But then I knew I was rude to you and I didn't know how to fix it, really."
The race ended. Jason turned around for lack of anything else to do.
"I thought you'd want me to stay away," Jason mumbled.
Dick grinned, "Nah, you're a good kid, actually. Really funny and much better at video games than anyone else."
Jason smiled.
"I'm sorry I was such, well, a dick to you. But you don't have to force yourself to be around me if you don't want to."
Jason cocked his head.
"I'm not. I mean, you were a dick, but then you got better. And I think I'd probably be just as pissy if my leg was broken, so I get it. I really did just think you'd be bored."
And as weird as it is, I missed you a little, but Jason kept that thought to himself.
"Really?", Dick asked, the look of disbelief on his face.
"Yeah," Jason shrugged, "Lots of older boys were worse to me on the streets."
Dick's shoulders sagged, "Not a great comparison there, Jay."
"I know, I'm joking."
Dick hit him with a pillow, giggling.
"Asshole."
"Dickhead."
"You're lucky my legs busted; I'd totally win in a pillow fight."
Jason rolled his eyes. He felt a bit cocky as he sprawled out on the foot of the bed.
"Sure, sure."
Another lapse of comfortable silence passed over them both.
"You know, I always wanted this."
Jason raised his head, "What? A broken leg?"
"Nah, a little brother."