Chapter Text
Days pass and Jason makes it a point to avoid the rest of the bats.
Charging in a different direction when he saw the silhouettes jumping buildings. Switching safehouses on the regular so he wouldn’t be pinned down. Barely sleeping or eating or pausing so no one would be able to find him.
Anything to not have to deal with them.
A small piece of him hoped, hoped with everything that was left, that they hadn’t been swayed to Batman’s side, had kept the anger that all but Batman and his brat had shown, had taken his side and still loved him.
But he knew that wasn’t likely.
Batman had a way to get under your skin, make you think that it wasn’t actually him that had made the mistake, but you yourself.
Maybe it was the fact that he is- was his dad and was the best parent he’d ever had. Between Willis, Catherine, and Sheila, Batman had never hit him or let him come to physical harm. Had never hurt him in the only way he thought mattered.
Jason deserved it. Or, he thought he deserved it.
He thought that the bruises on his arms from how Willis dragged him around were his fault, shouldn’t’ve gotten in his way; he thought the far-off look that a doped up Catherine had gotten was his fault, he should’ve taken better care of her; he thought that he deserved to get the absolute shit beat out of him cause what kind of idiot believes what a stranger tells them? Even if she’s his mother?
But Batman? Bruce?
The man who took him in despite him stealing his tires? Despite him nailing him in the ribs with a tire iron? Despite how many health problems he had that lead to many doctors appointments and money spent to make sure he was ok?
With the smiles and hugs and soft touches, the warmth and love and safety that Bruce had given him, how the man had become his dad and become the man that Jason used to aspire to be.
The very same man who slit his throat and made sure that he knew that he wasn’t family anymore. The very same man who couldn’t even call him by his name.
To him, Jason would never be that boy that Batman wanted, the boy who had died but not come back. Jason would never be who Batman wanted, and because of that, Jason would never have a family like he wanted.
So Jason kept running, kept fighting, kept away from the very people that he wanted to see cause why the fuck would they want to see a fuck up like him?
He ran and ran, and when he finally stopped for a moment, he curled up in on himself to hide from everyone.
Jason would sit there, the small hope that one of his siblings would touch down and hug and comfort him and accept him. Then everything would be alright.
Each time Jason found himself sitting, it was harder and harder to stand back up. It was harder to start moving again, it was harder to keep awake.
Eventually, Jason would sit there for an hour, maybe more, his head screaming at him to get up and get moving but his body screaming to stay there and sleep and wait.
— — — —
A light thump touched down on the rooftop that Jason had found himself at, back leaned up against an AC unit with his arms wrapped around his knees, head leaned back and staring at the sky.
“Jay?” Ah, so it ws Dick who found him first.
Moments passed, Dick staying where he landed.
“Are you,” Dick faltered. “Are you alright?”
Jason let the silence continue, grateful for the almost anonymity that his helmet gave him.
“Do I look alright?” He stated softly, tone coming out more resigned than he wanted despite the voice modulator.
He heard Dick’s soft steps approach him, and then felt the swish of air as the other sat down next to him. Silence fell over the two again.
“Everyone’s worried about you.” Dick said softly. Jason could feel the other’s gaze on him and he couldn’t tell if it made his skin crawl or not. “Well, maybe not Damian or Bruce, but the rest of us?”
Dick trailed off, still keeping the damn stare on him.
“You can stop lying, ya know.” Jason ground out. Damnit, he didn’t want to talk to them. “I know I’ll never be a part of your stupid ass family, so stop tryna-”
“Jason! No!” Dick interrupted, a watery tone to his voice. “Please tell me you don’t actually believe that?”
“Well why wouldn’t I? You all avoid me half the time, I nearly killed Tim, and Batman slit my throat and made it very clear that I’ll never be a part of his family, not again.” Jason growled out, hating the blurry quality his vision started going to, he wouldn’t cry goddamnit. His chest became tighter as he felt himself curl up tighter.
“Little Wing, please, look at me.” Dick whispered softly, body shifting to be angled more towards him. “Please, just-just look at me for a moment.”
Reluctantly, Jason looked at him, the only small relief being that his helmet was still on to hide the grief that was written over Jason’s face.
“I can’t speak for the others, but I sometimes stayed away because I thought that you didn’t want me around all the time and I didn’t want to overwhelm you. Yeah, you snapped and were generally prickly, but I don’t care for a few pricks when I have my baby brother back.” Dick told him, tears having started to work through the glue on his mask. “I know that you aren’t the same little kid as before, and I do admit that I still grieve for him, but that grief pales in comparison to the knowledge that I have you back. ”
Dick moved a hand to rest lightly on Jason’s knee, warm and heavy, but small enough that Jason could shove him off. “You may have shot up a foot and I can’t call you my little brother anymore because damn, you filled out, but no matter who you turn out to be, or how you change, you will always be my brother. Legally dead or legally alive, no matter what.”
“I won’t say that I’ll always approve of what you do or your methods, but I can say that I’ll always love you, no matter who you turn out to be.”
Jason looked away, hanging his head, something in his chest loosening. A few moments pass before Jason undoes the latches on his helmet, ignoring the streaks of water on his face because it was raining, damnit, he wasn’t crying .
“You’re such a sap, Dickie.”
He heard Dick scoff lightly, a hand moving to cover his heart dramatically. “Me? What? How could you accuse me of such a thing? Blasphemy, that’s what I think you’re saying. Utter blasphemy.”
Jason felt a laugh bubble up. “Your face is blasphemy.” More laughs come up, making his shoulders shake a small bit as the two brothers chuckle at each other, and soon, the small laughs turn into choked gasps as tears flowed down his cheeks.
He felt Dick wrap an arm around his shoulders as he attempted to silence the cries, soft hums emanating from his chest in comforting waves and fingers working through the tangles that he had stopped bothering to brush out. Jason felt himself relax into his brothers chest, burying his face in the crook of his neck and ignoring the way the kevlar scratched at his cheek and the ache of an oncoming headache started.
The two sat there for what felt like forever and yet no time at all, exhaustion slamming into him with the days he had gone on and on, barely stopping for rests and just running and fighting.
“C’mon, let’s call it a night.” Dick whispered, nudging him a little, and then a little harder when Jason didn’t move. “Really? Little Wing, my limbs are starting to fall asleep.”
Sighing, Jason reluctantly stands up, limbs moving stiffly from the large amount of time sitting there, wincing from the sudden twang that came from his knee.
“You good, Little Wing? You aren’t actually hurt, are you?” DIck’s face popped up almost unnervingly close to his face.
“‘m fine, jus’ my knee bein’ weird.” He mumbled. “It just hurts sometimes. ‘S fine.”
A small frown slipped onto Dick’s face before his brother wiped it off in exchange for a smile.
“Well, we can’t keep the movie binge waiting, can we?”
Jason shoved Dick off the roof, listening to the laugh and then the sound of his brothers grapple latching on to a building. Smirking, Jason shoved his helmet back on before following his older brother, smiling at the flips Dick did and flipping him off for showing off.
It wasn’t long until they reached the apartment that Dick had in Gotham for when he ran away from Batman. The two landed on the roof and silently went down the fire escape, Jason once again removing his helmet as soon as he slipped through the window.
“Master Jason?”
He felt himself stare and look to the kitchen. “Alfie? What-”
“Move over, Jay, I can’t get in when you’re in front of the window!” Dick told him, fingers poking at his back.
Stiffly, Jason moved out of the way, Dick jumping in with a front handspring.
“Master Jason,” his gaze snapped back towards Alfred. “I must issue an apology for the appalling behavior Mr.Wayne displayed towards you, I had hoped I raised him better than that, but it seems to not be true, and for that, lad, I do apologize.”
Alfred’s eyes crinkled in the way he did when he was concerned or saddened, and it made Jason’s heart hurt with regret, making Jason’s gaze flit away. “It wasn’t your fault, Alfie. Shouldn’t’ve made ‘im mad.”
“No, Master Jason, if the fault doesn’t lay with me, then it most certainly doesn’t lay with you.” Alfred walked smoothly up to Jason, a hand resting on his cheek softly and making Jason look at him. “The fault is solely with Mr.Wayne, lad. No one, especially not I, could ever fault you for the actions he has taken. Lad, what he did was deplorable, and if it were not such a huge danger to my grandchildren, I would expose him for everything he has done.”
“I have detached myself from the Wayne name, and I am no longer Mr.Wayne’s butler, and if Mr.Wayne finds a few…… surprises , then that is at his discretion. No one hurts my grandchildren and gets away with it.”
Jason felt his eyes widen at his grandfather’s words. “Thanks, Alfie.” He croaked out, tears starting to threaten to spill again.
Alfred smiled softly at him, hand lowering and spine straightening, a hint of humor in the man’s eyes. “Now, I believe that your siblings should be getting back with supplies for a movie night, I do suggest changing and showering while you have a chance and aren’t swarmed.”
Unease curled in his gut, but Jason just nodded, moving to Dick’s bedroom to steal some clothing that would probably fit him and to shower. Stripping himself of his Red Hood armor, he only just realizes how gross he felt underneath the armor, hair sweaty and greasy, clothes chafing his skin.
Shivering in disgust, he waited for Dick to finish, having to knock impatiently and threaten to just go in and drag him out.
Jason only offered a smirk when Dick grumpily walked out of the bathroom with a fake scowl, a bundle of clothes in the man’s hands and only clothed with a towel around his waist. Smirking in victory, Jason walked into the bathroom and shut the door to start the decontamination process, blatantly ignoring the way his stomach clenched in nerves.
He heard some rowdy talking from behind the door, some thumping and laughing, some whispers and gasps, and Jason…..he decided to make the shower hotter, hot enough to leave his skin red and burn away the nerves.
“Don’t be such a coward, Jason.” He muttered to himself, thumping a closed fist against his forehead, eyes screwed shut. “It’s just your family, nothing to be scared about.”
Steeling his nerves, he aggressively shut the water off and got dressed, ignoring how his limbs wanted to stop and not move, forcing the clothes on and then-
Then his hand paused before actually touching the door knob, anxiety flaring in his chest and making his throat constrict. He shook his head, forcing himself to breathe- in, 2, 3, 4, hold, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4, in- and then leave the bathroom to face the mob.
His scar ached.
Anxiously, Jason puffed out his chest and stepped into the living room to see everyone but Batman and the demon brat there, talking happily and pausing to look at him.
“Jason!” “Oh my god dude-” “-no way he did-” “Brother?”
He felt himself back away a bit at the onslaught of noise and questions.
Alfred cleared his throat pointedly. “I think Master Jason would appreciate it if you asked one question at a time instead of bombarding him?”
Thank god for Alfie.
Everyone looked down in guilt, before chorusing out apologies.
“Dude, are you,” Duke starts, sounding sheepish and concerned, brows furrowed.” Are you ok?”
Jason felt his mouth open to reply but his throat constricted, not letting sound come out. Deflating a small bit, he nods shakily, looking down and away.
The others glance at each other in Jason’s peripheral, having some sort of silent conversation. “Well,” Steph this time. “We’re about to watch some dumb romance, maybe you’ve heard of it? Pride and Perjury? Predator? I don’t know but we’re watching it.”
A small smile flicked across his face, a warm feeling warring with the anxiety, and he took a step to join them, the others wiggling around to give him a place in the middle of the cuddle pile. As soon as he sat down, people wrapped around him, trapping him in the pile of people.
The movie went on, it wasn’t one of the good versions, so Jason had no qualms about the spacing out he felt his body doing, eyes begging to close and body wanting to sleep, but he brain screamed at him not to, fear of being betrayed again running around.
He felt himself soften as nothing happened except the small laughs at the movie, and he drifted off. His mind in a dark haze as brief images flashed too quickly through his skull, horror battling with the comforting warmth that surrounded him.
Jason doesn’t know what woke him up. He didn’t know if it was the laughter that slowly started to echoed in his head or the pull at his neck or the whispers that shouted “wake up Jason!”
His body tensed and his eyes flew open, breath caught in his throat.
Dick’s face looked down at him, face to picture of concern. Swallowing roughly, he felt his eyes flick around the room, seeing his siblings all staring at him, worry on their faces.
Jason felt more tears slip down his face as the adrenaline wore off, embarrassment making his face go hot.
“Sorry.” He choked out. “ ‘m sorry.”
Fingers started to card through his hair as silent sobs wracked his body, and he buried his face into his older brother’s shoulder, breathing erratic and heart beating like the bird he used to be.
“‘M sorry, ‘m sorry ‘m sorry ‘m sorry .” Jason cried out the mantra, the words being the only ones he could bear to say.
Time slurs by, soft murmurs in his ear from Dick and smaller soft touches from his other siblings: Cass’ fingers in his hair from on the couch, Tim’s leg against his, Duke leaning on his back, Steph’s hand on his calf.
Jason could faintly hear clinking in the kitchen from cups and the click click click of his stove. Alfred had to be making tea.
The thought of everyone around him staying, making an effort to make him know they were there, know he wasn’t alone, just made his tears fall faster.
Eventually, his head pounding and unable to cry anymore, the shudders slowly stop and he feels his body slump, nose feeling like it was leaking all over his brother's shir-
“Is that, is that my fuckin’ shirt?” He choked out, throat throbbing to the beat of his heart.
Dick sputters at the snorts that came from the others. “Uh- what- no-”
“Shirt thief!” Cass says in a sing-song voice, smile starting to be etched onto her face. Small teasing came from the rest, letting Jason relax a small bit, the chatter distracting him from the thoughts rolling around in his head.
Alfred cleared his throat behind them. “The tea is ready, would some of you mind helping an old man with serving it?”
“Aw c’mon, Alfred, we all know you’re immortal.” Tim teased, getting up to help anyways along with Steph and Duke.
Jason was about to stand to get up before Dick tightened his hold on him and Cass gently nudged his head down. Sighing, he gave a slightly baleful glance at them before letting himself be pulled into the embrace, Cass’ hand continuing their gentle runs over his scalp.
The others came back with mugs of tea, one set down in front of Jason. Wonder Woman. So Dick did have some taste.
He shifted, wincing a small bit at the burn that started in his knee, damn, he had it folded for too long. Jason gently stretched out his leg, turning around so he could lay on his back on top of Dick.
“Knee again?” Dick whispered in his ear under the small chatter the others had, letting the two have some semblance of whatever privacy you could have when you’re all a foot away from each other.
Jason hummed to confirm it, savoring tea made by Alfred himself.
Another movie was put on, his younger siblings curling into Jason, surrounding him with warmth, the tea was finished and Jason manipulated Tim into putting it on the coffee table from him.
One movie finished, and a third put on, each of Jason’s siblings falling asleep until it was just him, and Jason, for the first time in years, felt like he was right where he was meant to be.