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Okay , Tim thought to himself as he zip-tied the mugger in front of him and turned around to watch Red Hood taking down the last . I’m gonna do this. It’s the perfect time, there’s no way he can miss the intention. I’m gonna do it.
“Hey, Hood,” he called, voice betraying nothing of the churning emotions in his gut. “I think we can call it for the night. Want to go out to eat with me before we get some well-deserved sleep?”
Jason looked up from the two zip-tied men in front of him. “Sure. I know a diner in between our places. We could eat there before we both go home.”
Tim cleared his throat. “Actually, I was thinking no masks.”
Jason hesitated for a second before he pulled out his grappling gun. “Ok. Text me an address and I’ll meet you there in half an hour?”
After Tim nodded, Jason shot a line into the dark, leaving Tim to do an embarrassing happy dance surrounded by unconscious muggers. He couldn't care less; he had finally managed to ask Jason Todd on a date after he had pined in secret for way too long, and he had done it on the best day of the year, too. That deserved a thousand happy dances.
It was about ten minutes into the carefully planned date that Tim realized he had totally screwed up.
They had met at a diner, as there were very few places open all night, and Jason had seemed surprised to find Tim seated in a booth, single rose in a bud vase at the center of the table and perkier than four in the morning warranted. Tim had written it off as a Jason having never been wooed before.
Then, as their drink order was taken, Jason started to get a teensy too friendly towards their waitress. Which, okay, that could just have been a misunderstanding on Tim’s part. Jason did tend to be very appreciative towards service industry workers (that was one of the things Tim liked about him), so that didn't automatically mean he was flirting.
After a few minutes of small talk, however, - where Tim was trying not to stare and smile too much and resisted the urge to take Jason’s hand because it was only a few minutes in and all of Tim’s previous experience had shown him there was such a thing as too early when it came to PDA - the bottom dropped out.
“So, Timmy, why’d you ask me to come with you? I mean, not that I don't appreciate the invitation, but aren't your usual diner buddies Dickie-bird or Steph?” Jason brought his opened straw to his lips and shot the wrapper at Tim, hitting him right between the eyes.
Tim froze. Oh, fuck it all.
Jason didn't realize it was a date.
Or rather, Tim had been too much of an idiot to emphasize the ‘date’ part of the outing when he'd posed the idea on the rooftop earlier that night.
Typical.
He wanted to run out of the diner, curl up in a trembling ball under his covers at home and not leave for days because this was easily the worst joke the universe had played on him in the last six months, but he was painfully aware of Jason’s expectant expression across from him. “Oh,” he managed to squeeze out, trying not to wince at the slight crack in his voice, “I just felt like switching up the company.” He shot Jason what he hoped was a reassuring smile while not quite meeting his eyes.
For a second, it looked like Jason was about to protest, like he could see through the lie, but in the next moment he had relaxed into the booth with an easy smile. “Good choice, because I’m always better company than Dick.”
Tim answered with a hollow laugh. If Jason had seen a rose on the table and a date as firmly platonic, then maybe it was a sign that he couldn’t imagine Tim as anything more than a friend. So he’d respect that, and maybe even make peace with the idea. Eventually.
He just hoped he could make it through the meal so he could go home, drown his sorrows in gallons of Kona coffee, and stare at a computer screen to avoid any stray thought of Jason Peter Todd until he passed out from exhaustion.
(Hey, he never said his coping mechanisms were healthy.)
Tim was almost home free. He’d made it through the food with no extensive awkward pauses, paid for everything without too much of an argument from Jason, and was finally walking out the door.
Their waitress waved with one hand as she hurried to the kitchen entrance. “Thanks! Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Tim’s stomach flipped, but he waved back. “You too!” He eased the door shut behind, taking a moment to work his keys out of his coat pocket. He was about to step forward when he realized Jason was standing only a foot away from him, sporting a somewhat flabbergasted look on his face.
Tim frowned up at him. “Jason?”
His adam’s apple bobbed, eyes still a little wide as he stared through Tim. “It’s five in the morning on Valentine’s Day.”
Tim tried to school his features towards convincing indifference. “...Yes?”
Jason bit his lip, obviously worrying over his next words. The faraway look suddenly focused back. “This was a date...wasn't it?” When Tim didn't answer and stared at the ground, he pushed onward. “You asked me out on a Valentine’s Day date. That’s why there was a rose and...Fuck, Timmy,” he swore softly, “Why didn't you say anything?”
Tim shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “I thought it would be obvious. I mean, I did ask you to get food with me. Alone. No masks.” He let out a tight laugh. “On Valentine's Day.”
“As far as my mind is concerned it's still the thirteenth until I wake up later today,” Jason deadpanned.
Tim scoffed. “Oh, God, you're one of those people.”
“What, you're one of those weirdos who instantly considers it the next day when the clock strikes midnight?”
“As a matter of fact, I am!” Tim glared, though he couldn’t quite contain the laughter and smile that slipped through.
The two stood in silence for a few minutes after the laughter died down, Tim chewing anxiously on his lip and Jason rocking on his heels, pausing only to observe Tim out of the corner of his eye periodically. Finally, with obvious deliberation, Jason planted his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You know,” he started, in a voice so low Tim felt like he had to lean in to hear it, “I've never had a Valentine before.”
Tim looked up, examining what could easily be considered the fondest expression he had ever seen Jason Todd wear, and found no trace of deception or pity. “Really?” He supposed it made sense. Jason hadn’t exactly been social before dying, and after he’d risen from the grave he’d been a little too busy pissing Bruce off to have time for dating.
Jason nodded, his cheeks tinted pink, though whether from the cold or emotion, Tim couldn't tell.
He took a deep breath to steady himself. I’m Tim fucking Drake. I practically run a multi-billion dollar corporation by myself and I quite literally kick ass every night. I can do this. “Well, do you think you'd wanna try out being mine?”
Jason's smiled at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he took a step closer. “I think I really would,” he whispered, his hands coming out of his pockets to wrap around Tim’s waist.
Tim smiled up at him as he curled his hands around the back of Jason's neck to pull him down for a kiss. Jason's lips were cold and chapped, but the kiss was sweet and slow and all around everything Tim had ever imagined when he thought of kissing Jason for the first time.
Though, admittedly, some specific imagined scenarios had involved far less clothing.
They broke apart after a moment, and Tim made sure to keep the pressure on Jason’s neck so he could press their foreheads together. You know, just like in the movies.
Tim grinned. “Awesome.”