Chapter Text
Jason scratched his shaky hand against the rusted zipper of his backpack, forcing him to slow down.
“Ouch!” – He said pulling his hand and inspecting it, a long white line on the back of his hand. Shallow and harmless but painful.
He’d stormed into the room with urgency, dumping his schoolbooks out of his backpack and filling it with clothes – he needed to get away from the manor as fast as he could.
A whole week… he thought I’d killed someone for a whole week…
He grabbed his school notebook and pencil case, freezing in place with both in hand: there was no room left in his backpack for his homework.
‘For every action in this universe, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Consequences, Robin. There’s no escaping them.’ No shit… would’ve appreciated the lecture before the physics exam on Thursday…
He took out a hoodie and shoved his notebook inside as hard as he could followed by a couple loose pens, a compromise.
A whole week… What was his plan? He thought I’d killed someone and all he did for a week was give me the cold shoulder and I barely even realise it! Does he… Does he still think I did it? I shouldn’t have just walked away like that… I should’ve confronted him… but how? I… How could he think that? That I’d kill someone and just go back to life as usual?
He shoved the final items inside and ripped the suit off his body, launching the pixie boots at his wardrobe. The sound of the velcro on his knee pads sounded even louder than usual in the empty house. He put on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and sat on the edge of his bed looking at his watch.
Jason sat for some time, watching the branches on the tree outside his window scratch the glass. So much for rushing to escape, the young Robin hesitated to leave his nest. Jason looked at his sneakers and slowly put them on, each tie of the laces making his heart race faster.
If he’s not here by the time you’re done tying your laces you’re out of here…
Laces tied, Jason looked at the door he’d left wide open.
Come on… come on… If he’s not here by the time you finish putting on your jacket…
He put the windbreaker on with remarkable lack of speed, taking time to fidget with the collar and roll up the oversized sleeves. He stared at the open door.
Maybe… maybe I could take a book or two with me… might have to spend some time at the bus station… it’s late… yeah… a book would be nice… stupid Physics exam got me taken up studying all week…
He inspected the messy pile of books next to his bed. He picked out the only pocket book out the bunch, Catcher in the Rye.
Heard good things about you… hopefully you’re not full of drug dealers and their nepo-rapist sons…
He inspected the front and back of the book trying to remember where he’d gotten it from, his eyes glancing at the door as he paid no mind to the words on the pages.
If… if…
He couldn’t come up with any more excuses to delay his leaving, standing in the middle of the room feeling a moment of fear wash over him.
Where… where do I go?
‘People never notice anything.’ – No they don’t Holden, not if they’re your adoptive dad apparently…
“Dnsjab… up, kid…”
“What?” – Jason asked the janitor standing across from him, holding a mop in calloused hands. The man looked rough, the fluorescent lighting gave his skin a yellowy tinge and his eyes were surrounded by reddish bags.
“Feet up, kid… gotta mop under ya’ seat…” – He repeated himself and Jason kicked his feet up. – “How the hell you get in here kid? You hide in the bathrooms before closin’ or somethin’?”
“Nah… I just… I missed the last bus sir, I didn’t wanna have to wait outside till the station opened again… it’s… it’s scary out there mister…” – Jason said putting on his best affeared child voice he could.
“Eh what the hell kid, they don’t pay me enough to care just don’t get up till the floor’s dry, yeah?”
“You got it sir…” – Jason said not minding the excuse to stretch over the bench with his feet up in the air.
Where was I? Oh yeah, ‘People never notice anything.’... oh man… I manage to have one of the worst weeks of my life and Bruce doesn’t even notice cause he’s… cause he’s convinced I killed that disgusting guy, Felipe… What if I had pushed him? Actions and consequences… what a self-absorbed dick… I didn’t kill Felipe and Gordon still got kidnapped at taken to that junkyard… what did the note from Felipe’s dad say again? From ‘a bereaved father’... what if it had been me who’d fallen? Well I wouldn’t have fallen like a sack of potatoes but damn… would he have been a bereaved father? Would he have avenged me like that? Or would he have gone home to sulk about the man who might’ve killed his son?
Jason closed the book and stared at the mouldy ceiling of Gotham’s central bus station while tapping his feet against the metal bench. It was cold and uncomfortable.
You’ve grown soft… you could’ve napped on a place like this no trouble before… cozy like a stretcher on the morgue for a dead body…
The janitor swept the floors under the hard metal benches to a from and walked back a few feet from Jason, turning to face him while fidgeting the cap he wore.
“Hey kid…”
“Yeah?”
“When’s ya’ bus?”
“4:45” – Jason said looking at his watch, only a half hour to go…
“4:45 you says? Hum… that’s Bludhaven ain’t it?”
“Yes sir, the first bus to Bludhaven…”
Dick thought it might be drilling at first, or a noisy motorbike running down the street with no regard for people’s sleep. He’d covered his head with the pillow trying to muffle the sound, desperate for sleep until he realised the incessant noise was knocking on his door. He jumped up from bed and launched his suit into the closet; he’d been too exhausted to put it away before collapsing into bed. He dressed rolling his eyes and walked up to his front door yawning. He looked through the peep hole and found a mess of dark brown curls, freckled cheeks and rounded eyes staring right back at him, startling him. He unlocked the door and held it open.
“Jason? What are you doing here?”
“Hi Dick, can I come in?” – Jason asked with a smile that didn’t match his eyes.
“What… what happened?” – Dick’s eyes darted all over Jason.
“Can I come in? I really need to take a piss…”
“Yeah sure… bathroom’s to the left…” – Dick said moving out the way.
Jason rushed in and dropped his bag and his jacket on the floor rushing to the toilet, it made a loud thud as it hit the floor. Dick knelt and opened his bag with some difficulty, the rusty zipper getting jammed repeatedly. He found rolled up clothes and a schoolbook inside, deodorant and a toothbrush.
Shit…
He heard the heavy trickle slow and rushed to zip the bag back up, cursing under his breath.
I know it was a tough quarter for Wayne Enterprises but goddamn Bruce, get the kid a backpack that hasn’t been through Vietnam…
“Thanks… took me ages to find your place and everything’s closed at this hour…” – Jason said joining Dick in his cramped living room.
“Jason… how did you get here?”
“I walked.”
“From Gotham?!”
“What? No! I took the bus! I walked here from the bus station…”
Dick inspected Jason once more, without his jacket now he could see his arms. They were scratched up but not too bad, a rash on his hand and his shirt was slightly tight on him – Jason looked stronger than the last time he’d seen him, he looked more like a teenager than the child Bruce had brought to the manor.
“Jason, does Bruce know you’re here?” – Dick asked leaning back against the counter of his kitchinette, folding an arm over his stomach and supporting his head with the other, a migraine incoming he was sure.
“No.” – Jason said crossing his arms.
“Why not?”
“He… I… He accused me of killing someone.” – Jason said looking down at the ground, one hand closing into a fist.
“He what?!” – Dick asked widening his eyes.
“Last weekend I stopped this guy, disgusting rapist rich prick, but he fell off his penthouse balcony cause he was an idiot and Bruce…”
“He wasn’t there?”
“No!”
“And he didn’t see it?”
“No…”
“Hang on you said last weekend?”
“Yeah…”
“So why did you leave today?”
“Because… because he only let on that he thought I did it last night! The guy’s father kidnapped Gordon and was gonna kill him and there was this whole thing in the junkyard and they all died and then Bruce-”
“They all died?!”
“No, not like that… the guy’s father… Gordon’s fine…”
“Jesus kid don’t talk like that…” – Dick said sighing and finding a chair to sit on. – “Okay so he thought you did it but he didn’t say anything all week, is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes!” – Jason said walking towards Dick and leaning with both hands against the dining table. – “Days Dick! He spent days acting kinda off, barely home, didn’t even ask me to patrol…”
“At all?”
“No…”
“Didn’t that make you… suspicious something was up?”
“I had a physics exam on Thursday… I’m not good at it… I was studying hard for it… I thought he was just making it easier on me you know? Not making me feel bad for having to choose one over the other?”
“Right…”
“And I also…”
“What?”
Jason pulled up a chair and sat down, slumping over the table.
“The woman the rapist guy had taken… Gloria… she…” – Jason’s throat closed and he pressed his lips together, his legs bouncing under the table.
“Jason?”
Jason looked off to the side and took a deep breath in. – “She looked like my mom… she looked a lot like her… It’s… it made me feel funny all week… I thought Bruce… I thought Bruce would’ve noticed… I thought the similarities… I thought the world’s best detective would’ve caught on that it made me feel awful seeing her…”
Jason sniffled and wiped his nose still looking away from Dick.
“I’m sorry about that…” – Dick said with emotion in his voice, his tone always so genuine.
“It’s fine… I just… I wasn’t looking forward to putting the suit back on after all that and then… I have other stuff in my mind too you know… I just thought he was giving me space, a choice… not… I didn’t think he thought of me that way…”
“Of course not…” – Dick rubbed his eyes and Jason watched him.
“Were you sleeping?”
“Yeah…”
“Oh…”
“Did you come here straight after patrol?”
“Yeah…”
“How did you leave the manor?”
“What do you mean? No one was there…”
“Bruce didn’t…?”
“No.”
“What about Alfred?”
“What about him?”
“Did he not see you?”
“I didn’t see him…” – Jason said with a snide tone.
“Okay… listen hum… you should sleep, you can have my bed I’ll take the couch and we’ll figure it all out later yeah?”
“Figure what out?” – Jason asked with anticipation in his tone.
“This? Jason you ran from home… it’s Saturday now but… you got school Monday and Bruce is probably freaking out now and…”
“No he’s not, he’s probably relieved I left and he doesn’t have to deal with it…”
“Don’t say that… of course he’s worried about you…”
“You told me I could always count on you, you gave me your address, you said you knew how Bruce could be…”
“Yes! Which is why I’m giving you my bed! But Jason, you can’t just move to Bludhaven! You and Bruce need to sort this out!”
Jason frowned and looked at the couch with a despondent expression. – “I don’t know if there’s any sorting out, Dick… I think this is it…”
“Jason…”
“How the hell do I come back from this, Dick? How the hell do I move on from this?” – Jason said facing Dick, his eyes cutting through him and tightening his stomach.
I don’t know Jason… I have no clue… – Dick thought pushing his hair back away from his face.