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“Alright, I’m calling it,” Dick said, breath fogging up the air in front of him.
Jason and Dick were on top of a building overlooking the harbor. The temperature had dropped down to what felt like the negatives and the wind whipping at them from the water didn’t help anything either. The clouds above them were fat, and it was only a matter of hours before snow started falling.
“Thank god,” Jason said as he straightened up and rubbed his gloved hands together. Even through the thick material, his fingertips were cold and aching.
“Want to come to my place to warm up and have some food?” Jason could only imagine how cold Dick had gotten. How he’d gotten through patrol this long without any sort of heating elements in his suit had Jason completely baffled.
Never one to turn down free food, or a familiar place to warm up, Jason shrugged a shoulder, “I’ll follow you, boy wonder.”
The trip to Dick’s apartment normally went by quickly, but tonight, it dragged as the wind cut through him anytime he’d swing from his grapple. By the time they got there, Dick was a shivering mess and Jason was only a few steps behind him.
“Go take a hot shower,” Jason said as he went to Dick’s kitchen, “I’ll order us some food, got any preferences?”
“Something warm,” Dick shouted over his shoulder as he walked to his bedroom, already half out of his costume.
Jason opened the drawer in Dick’s kitchen that was filled with takeout menus and he looked through them all. He finally settled for a couple of their favorites from the italian place on the corner, and a few things from the indian place nearby. When Jason finished the order, he put the menus away and did some of the dishes in Dick’s sink, letting the warm suds bring feeling back into his fingertips.
“Aw, you didn’t have to do my dishes for me,” Dick said as he leaned against the counter. He was wearing sweatpants and a long sleeved BPD shirt. His hair was still wet and curling at the ends, Jason wanted to reach out and touch it.
“I definitely did,” Jason said as he flicked some of the water off of his fingers towards Dick, who made an indignant noise at him. “Anyways,” Jason turned the water off and grabbed a towel. “It gave me a chance to warm up my hands.”
Dick took one of Jason’s hands in his own and he hummed. “Wow, they’re still cold.”
“They’re always cold,” Jason replied, voice low.
Dick ran his fingertips down Jason’s palm. “I know just the thing to warm them up.” He waved Jason away to the couch and Jason took off his jacket, draping it over one of Dick’s armchairs before he collapsed down into the cushions and closed his eyes. He listened to Dick as he rummaged around in the kitchen. He could hear the faint clinking of glasses and the beep of the microwave.
A few minutes later, Dick settled down next to Jason and handed him a steaming mug.
“What’s this?” Jason asked as he took it, the mug warming his palms.
“Hot chocolate,” Dick said. “Alfred made the mix for me so all I have to add to it is some warm milk.”
“I missed Alfred’s hot chocolate,” Jason whispered. Back when he’d been Robin, Alfred would make Jason hot chocolate after cold nights on patrol. Jason remembered eating cookies and talking about all the villains he’d taken down that night while sipping a steaming mug Alfred’s hot chocolate. He was sure Dick had the same memories too.
Things were quiet between them as they sat on the couch and looked over the Blüdhaven skyline. There were a few strings of christmas lights on a couple different buildings, it seemed fitting for the dirty city. Blüdhaven seemed like it didn’t know what Christmas spirit was. It felt so weird for Dick to have chosen this city as his own when his smile was like a human representation of the magic of Christmas.
“What are you thinking about?” Dick asked, breaking the silence between them.
“You,” Jason whispered before he could think twice about it.
Dick looked at him with wide eyes like he was poised to reply when the doorbell rang and they both startled. Dick set his mug aside and vanished to go get the door.
Jason cursed himself as he sipped at his hot chocolate, letting the feelings of nostalgia wash over him as the sweetness filled his mouth.
When Jason opened his eyes, Dick was setting down the bags of food in front of him.
“Italian and indian,” Dick commented with a grin on his face. “I have to admit, I don’t think I’ve ever ordered both in one night.”
“We’ll you’re in for a culinary experience,” Jason said as he grabbed a plate and served himself curry and chicken parmesan.
The lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate their dinner, each going back a few times to top off their plates.
Jason stood up when he was done, grabbing his plate and bowl.
“Where are you going?” Dick asked as he tipped his head over the back of the couch.
“Back to my place,” Jason said as he started doing his dishes.
Dick was next to him in seconds flat. “Really?”
Jason gave him a sideways glance, shrugging as he ran the sponge over the plate. “Yeah?”
“But it’s like, zero degrees outside,” Dick told him.
“I know,” Jason replied.
“Didn’t you take your bike here?”
“I did.”
“And didn’t you park it closer to the harbor.”
Jason wanted to curse, “I did,” he replied as he set the dishes in the dish rack to dry.
“Jason,” Dick said as he crossed his arms. “It’s freezing outside. There’s no way I’m letting you grapple to your bike and then ride it home in this weather, I mean, come on, it’s snowing.”
Dick gestured out the window and there were indeed several cottony flakes drifting down from the sky.
“So it is,” Jason replied.
“Come on Jason,” Dick said. “Just stay here tonight, please? I’d feel awful knowing I let you go outside in weather like this after a dead end patrol.”
“It’s fine, Dick,” Jason replied. “Really.” He didn’t know why he was fighting against this so hard. Maybe it was his pride, or maybe by going back and forth with Dick, he was staying inside longer.
Jason went to get his jacket but Dick blocked him bodily, standing between Jason and the armchair. Jason raised an eyebrow, trying his damndest not to grin at the warmth he could feel spreading inside him from this dumb game.
“Really?” Jason asked.
Dick blinked up at Jason through his lashes, “Really,” he said as he took Jason’s hands in his own again. “I mean, come on Jason,” he said. “Your hands are still cold, I don’t think they even had a chance to warm up.” Dick pulled Jason’s hands down until they were resting on his thighs. Jason could feel the muscle underneath the soft material of Dick’s sweatpants.
“Dick,” Jason whispered, half of him warning Dick, the other half begging Dick for more.
Dick looked up at Jason, his blue eyes sparkling, one of his hands came up to cup Jason’s cheek. “I just don’t want you to be cold tonight if you have the option to be warm.”
Jason placed his hand over Dick’s and looked into Dick’s eyes for a few moments before he sighed and pressed their lips together. Jason wrapped an arm around Dick’s waist and pulled him close, Dick’s body heat sinking into Jason’s bones.
Dick pulled away from the kiss for a few moments, running a hand through Jason’s hair. The smile on his face made everything worth it for Jason.
“Bedroom?” Dick asked.
Jason nodded. Dick didn’t need to ask twice.
The next morning, when Jason tried to climb out of the warm bed to get some breakfast for the two of them, all it took was an arm slung around his waist for him to stay.