Chapter Text
Jason’s laying in bed. He woke up an hour ago, but remained unmoving, staring at the ceiling. The only thing that snapped him out of the rare blissful calm of his mind was his phone buzzing.
“Hey, baby.” He hears Roy’s voice as soon as he answers.
He hasn’t spoken to him in seven days on purpose. That was the deal. Space. Real space.
Jason smirks lazily. “Hey yourself. How’re things ?”
“Things are… okay,” Roy says, the pause just long enough to set off Jason’s radar.
“Yeah ? How’s Ailani ?”
“Good.”
“You sure ?”
“She’s fine. Went to bed early last night, but she’s been her usual bossy self today. Connor's been wrapped around her finger since yesterday, and she’s loving it. He took her to get breakfast.” There’s a smile in Roy’s voice. “And Lian ; she got her midterm results.”
“I know. She called me yesterday, bragged about only having one retake.”
Roy laughs. “Yeah. I’m proud of her.”
“Me too.”
For a moment, the silence actually feels good. It’s familiar, intimate even. Jason stretches under the covers, and just as he parts his lips to speak again, Roy stiffens at a muffled sound in the background.
“Roy ?” Oliver’s gravelly tone carries from the hallway outside the guest room.
“Listen, Jay, I gotta call you back.”
Jason’s brow furrows. “Everything alright ?”
“Yeah. Gotta talk to Ollie.”
“Alright. Call me later.”
“Promise,” Roy says quickly. “Have fun.”
“I will.”
Roy hangs up just as Oliver’s voice calls again, closer this time. He drags a hand down his face as he stands. He’d been waiting for an explanation from him all night, but Oliver didn't come home.
When Roy comes out of the room and rounds the corner into the hallway, he’s surprised to see that he’s not alone. Hal is there too.
Not the wreck Roy expected, the stumbling, bloodied mess who he'd imagined shoved his daughter away. No. Hal’s clean-shaven, hair styled like he’s heading to some fancy outing, shirt crisp, jeans neat. He even smells of cologne. The only reminders of last night are the bandages taped along his cheek and temple, and the black eye detonating with his otherwise put-together appearance.
Expression unreadable, Oliver’s standing steadily beside him.
The sight makes Roy’s jaw clench. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Hal’s smirk is more tired than usual, still it’s there. “Morning to you too, kid.”
Roy ignores him, sharp eyes locking on Oliver. “You wanna tell me why the hell he’s here after what happened last night ?”
Oliver shifts, lips pressing into a line. He knew this was coming. “Roy–”
“No,” he snaps, stepping forward. “Don’t start with me. My daughter cried herself to sleep because of him.”
Hal’s jaw ticks, his practiced smile instantly dropping, but he doesn’t fire back.
“He came to apologize,” Oliver offers.
Roy shakes his head in disbelief. Then his glare finally lands on Hal. “You’ve got some fucking nerve showing up here.”
Hal straightens. “Relax, kid, I–”
“Don’t call me that,” Roy cuts in. “You pushed her. You think I give a shit if you were drunk ?!”
Hal’s throat works, and for once, he drops the shield. “I know. I needed to come back and apologize to her. She didn’t deserve to see me like that.” His hand gestures vaguely toward his face, at the black eye and the bandages. “So yeah, I cleaned up. I tried to look halfway decent, because she deserves better than the wreck she saw last night.”
The silence that follows is thick.
“Where is she ?” Oliver breaks it.
Roy doesn’t answer right away. His eyes stay locked on Hal, weighing him, searching for cracks in his words. Finally, he drags his gaze away. “Out with Connor.”
“I’ll wait,” Hal says simply. Before either of them can tell him no, he strides toward the living room.
As soon as he’s gone, Roy turns a heated glare on Oliver which only makes the latter shrug, expression clearly tight now.
Some time passes before the front door opens, letting in Ailani's excited voice and Connor’s deep chuckle. She’s chattering to him, bouncing on her toes as she waves a donut bag in her hand.
Her words die the second she steps into the living room though. Her gaze travels to Oliver first, then Roy, but it halts when it lands on Hal.
The brightness drains from her face. Slowly, she lets her hand grip the fabric of Connor’s sleeve as she moves behind him.
The little girl who used to beam every time she saw him, is now hiding. Hal had braced himself for a lot of things : an awkward smile, maybe a hesitant glance, maybe even outright ignoring him. But not this. Not her hiding from him like he was some stranger she didn’t trust.
His chest tightens in panic. “Kiddo–” His voice cracks, and he takes a step closer before he even thinks about it. “Ailani, it’s me.”
Her grip on Connor tightens. Her eyes are wide and conflicted before she suddenly decides to dart away. The bag slips from her hand as she races past all of them, and down the hall toward the guest room.
Hal freezes.
“Hal,” Roy’s voice is sharp. “Don’t. Leave her the fuck alone–”
However Hal doesn’t hear him. All he sees is Ailani disappearing around the corner, then he hears the door down the hall slamming shut. His feet are moving before his mind catches up.
“Ailani, wait !”
Roy curses under his breath, shoving off the wall to follow, but Oliver’s hand clamps around his arm.
“Let me go.”
“No,” Oliver says firmly. “If you go in there hot, you’ll just make it worse. Let him try.”
Roy wrenches against his grip, but Oliver doesn’t let go. “She’s my daughter.”
“And he’s the one who screwed up. He needs to be the one to fix it.”
His nostrils flare. For a moment, Oliver isn’t sure he’ll stay put. Then Roy lets out a frustrated growl, and starts pacing back and forth.
Hal slips into the guest room, shutting the door behind him. Ailani is already pressed against the side of the bed, knees pulled up as she tries to make herself smaller.
He wants to say something, anything, but all that comes out is a rough, “Hey.”
No answer.
He takes a cautious step forward. She immediately shifts back, her shoulder bumping against the nightstand. The tiny recoil feels like he’s being stabbed multiple times.
“I…” His voice falters. He swallows and tries again, almost pleading. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Still nothing. She keeps her face turned away. Each one of his steps closer makes her stiffen, and every flinch makes his chest clench tighter. By the time he’s halfway across the room, Hal feels like he’s breaking apart.
“I’m screwing this up,” he mutters under his breath, more to himself than her. “I just… I don’t want you scared of me. Not you.”
He sinks down onto the floor, not too close but close enough. His eyes sting, but he forces them shut. “I can’t… I don’t know how to fix it if you won’t even look at me.” His voice trails off when he tries, “Come on, honey, please.”
She keeps her gaze resolutely down and her mouth shut tight.
“Goddammit.” The curse comes muttered and shaky.
The very last thing he wanted was for her to see him like this. Weak. The same way she saw him last night when he couldn’t keep it together. That’s what he was trying to run from, what he thought he could cover up by showing up as put together as he could this morning. And now here he is, falling apart anyway.
“I can’t even–” A broken laugh escapes him, his voice clearly trembling now. “I can’t even keep it together for you.”
For a long moment, he doesn’t hear anything but his own shaky breathing. Then, a shift forces him to look up, expecting to see her still staring at the floor. Instead, her big brown eyes catch his.
She’s staring right at him.
It stuns him so badly his breath catches. His hands slip from his face, his whole body going still.
Hesitantly, she reaches out and places her hand against his forearm, a timid pat meant to comfort him. A timid pat that also completely shatters his last restraints.
His chest stutters as a sob escapes him before he can swallow it down. He tries to hold it in, tries to muffle it against the back of his hand, but it’s no use. He’s trembling slightly, his eyes welling up with tears. His voice shudders as he tries anyway, “I’m so sorry.”
It isn’t the clean apology he’d rehearsed in his head. There’s nothing heroic about it.
When he tries to hide his face in frustration, Ailani shifts closer and grabs his hands.
“Uncle Hal…”
The softness in her voice makes him break all over again. He doesn’t resist her touch this time, just lets her hold onto him while the sobs come.
“I’m sorry,” he rasps. “I never wanted you to be scared of me… I'm sorry, honey.”
Her hands squeeze his. “I’m not scared of you,” she says. “I was just… sad because I thought you didn't like me anymore.”
Something in Hal breaks at that. His arms move, wrapping around her, pulling her in tight against his chest.
“Oh, kid… No. Never. Not in a million years.”
Ailani melts into him while he buries his face in her hair. They stay like that for a long moment, the silence broken only by Hal’s ragged breaths.
When he finally pulls back to look at her, his eyes are red, his cheeks damp. He manages a weak smile. “You know what ? I owe you. Big time.”
She blinks at him, head tilted. “For what ?”
“For putting up with me being a mess,” he says, brushing his thumb lightly across her cheek the way he’s seen Roy do a hundred times. “So… I’m making you a promise. Next time I get a chance, I’m taking you flying.”
Her eyes widen. “In your jet ?”
“In the jet,” he nods. “Just you and me.”
Ailani’s smile breaks through, bright and unguarded. She hugs him again, tighter this time.
For a moment, he can almost forget about the weight of Roy’s glare waiting outside that door.
Almost.
When Ailani finally pulls back, still smiling, Hal hesitates, then leans closer, dropping his voice. “Hey… can you do me a favor ?”
“Mm ?”
“Tell your dad we’re good now. He’s still pissed at me, and I’m not great at… talking about this stuff. Just soften him up for me, okay ?”
She hesitates, then nods. “Okay.”
Hal lets out a breath like he’s been holding it in for hours. He presses a hand gently to the top of her head before they both stand.
When the door creaks open and they step out together, Roy is waiting at the end of the hall. His gaze sharpens immediately, flicking from Hal to his daughter.
Before Roy can speak, Ailani pipes up brightly, “Daddy ! Don’t be mad anymore. Uncle Hal and I are good now.”
Hal lingers behind her, posture stiff, trying for casualness. Roy arches a brow, suspicion written all over his face. And from the way Hal won’t quite meet his gaze, it’s obvious who really put those words in Ailani’s mouth.
He moves closer, crouches a little, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah ?” he asks gently. “You two patched things up ?”
“Uh-huh. We’re fine now.”
Roy squeezes her shoulder gently once before straightening to his full height. “Alright then. If you’re good, I’m good, sweetheart. Now go on, your donuts are waiting.”
“Oh, right !” Ailani realizes. She runs off toward the kitchen.
Roy stays where he is for a beat, his gaze lifting slowly. Hal is already watching him.
Don’t ever put her in that position again, his eyes say.
Hal doesn’t flinch from it. He meets Roy’s stare head-on, no smartass reply, just steady resilience. I won’t, his reply.
Finally, Roy’s jaw loosens as he gives him the barest nod. Hal’s eyes soften just enough, an acknowledgment of the ground they’ve regained.
°°°
When Jason gets back, he really does feel lighter.
By the time the car pulls into the Manor’s long driveway, the place is alive. Roy, Ailani, and Lian had come over to wait for them.
The second Jason steps inside, his youngest barrels into him, and he scoops her up easily, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Family dinner that night is filled with warmth, and Jason doesn’t mind the noise as much as he expected. Not everyone is around, but enough to make the Manor feel alive ; Damian, Cass, Tim, Duke, and Dick are there.
Afterward, when the table’s cleared and the dishes are stacked in the kitchen, Jason and Roy retreat to the guest room they always use. At this point, it’s basically theirs.
Ailani bunks in with Lian and Cass, while Damian and Tim get ready to sneak out for patrol. After his shower, Jason heads back to the guest room with fresh sheets in hand when he catches sight of Lian and Damian tucked near the grandfather clock that leads to the Cave. Their lips are pressed together in a hurried kiss before Damian slips away downstairs. Jason smirks to himself but doesn’t linger.
As he turns down the hall, though, he catches Damian’s voice murmuring something that sounds a lot like “I love you.” Lian’s nervous giggle follows, and her awkward little “Me too” makes it clear that’s exactly what Jason heard him say.
It makes Jason think back. While he’d been away, Lian had called to share her midterm results, and in the same breath admitted she hadn’t seen Damian for nearly a month. He’d been buried in study sessions, entirely focused like the perfectionist he is.
She’d told Jason that, at first, she’d tried showing up to cheer him on, sometimes even bringing her books along so they could study side by side. But eventually Damian, fidgeting and awkward, had asked if she could give him the space. He hadn’t wanted to snap at her, but his need for total focus left him with little patience.
Lian hadn’t taken it badly, she’d even laughed it off. Although, Damian’d admitted he was afraid she might’ve. Jason could picture it : Damian getting extra stressed out over whether she’d feel pushed away.
Jason shakes his head, a small smile appearing on his lips as he moves on toward the guest room. The kid’s still learning how to handle his heart, but at least he’s trying.
When Jason opens the door, he’s still halfway tangled in thoughts of Damian and Lian, but all of that burns away the second his eyes land on the bed.
Roy lies stretched out across it, naked and shameless. He has one arm behind his head and the other slowly and languidly wrapped around his length, just this side of performative.
Jason’s eyes widen a fraction in surprise. “What do you think you’re doing ?”
Roy doesn’t even pick up the pace, just smirks. “Thinking about you.”
The way his voice drops into that honey-thick tone, Jason feels it deliciously run down his spine. Whatever he’s holding in his arms hits the floor. His sanity feels like it follows right after. He strides closer, eyes narrowed.
“About what exactly ?”
Roy drags his fingers up, thumb smearing across his tip in lazy circles. His gaze locks with Jason’s and doesn’t waver. “Thinking about how you’d feel. Bouncing on me.”
“Oh, really ?”
Jason hooks a thumb under the hem of his shirt and peels it off. Roy’s rhythm doesn’t change, it’s still maddeningly unhurried, but his eyes track every inch of skin Jason exposes.
“Love that scruff,” Roy says huskily. “That two-week beard makes you look filthy hot.”
Jason chuckles. He takes off his boots one by one before he continues taking his clothes off slowly, deliberately making it a show, like he’s daring Roy to break character first.
Roy bites his lip, but keeps stroking himself stubbornly. “C’mere.”
Jason only smirks. “You first.”
For a beat, it’s silent, except for the wet sound of Roy’s hand. Then, almost lazily, Jason slides a hand down between his own legs. He palms himself through his briefs, head tipping back with a hiss.
Roy groans, low in his throat. “That’s not fair.”
“And what you’re doing is ?” Jason spits in his hand, and pushes his briefs down just enough to wrap his hand around himself, stroking once, twice. “You’re not the only one who knows how to put on a show.”
Roy’s grip works faster without meaning to, his control slipping even as he grits his teeth.
Eyes half-lidded and lips parted around a smug grin, Jason watches him intently. “What’s the matter ? Losing focus already ?”
“Fuck you,” Roy pants, knuckles white against the sheets as his hips twitch.
“You will. Soon as you crack first.”
They stay locked in that stalemate ; two stubborn bastards, both stroking themselves within arm’s reach but refusing to give in.
Then Jason pushes it. He stumbles back until his shoulders hit the wall, bracing himself there as his hand works slow around his cock. He rolls his hips into it, deliberately obscene, and moans exactly the way he knows makes his husband go crazy.
Roy groans, eyes squeezed shut for a second like he can block it out, but when he looks again Jason’s got his head tipped back, throat bared, lips wet and open as he fucks his fist like Roy’s not even in the room.
“Damn,” Roy snarls.
He stands up, all teasing thrown out the window, and crosses the space in a blur. Jason barely has time to smirk before Roy’s on him. He snatches his wrist, drags his hand away, and crashes their mouths together.
Jason laughs into the kiss, breathless. “Knew you’d fold.”
Roy shoves him harder into the wall, hips grinding up against him. “Keep running your mouth…”
Jason brushes his mouth along Roy’s ear. “Admit it. You wanted me too much to wait.”
A growl escapes Roy as he bites at Jason’s throat. “I wanted you too much to wait.”
Jason arches. “Say I get under your skin.”
“You do,” Roy breathes, kissing across his jaw. “You drive me crazy.”
Heat rushes low in Jason’s belly. His voice drops, husky, pleading now. “Say you love me.”
That pulls Roy’s head up. Their eyes lock and for a beat there’s no taunt.
“I love you,” he says. Then softer, right against his lips : “I love you so much.”
Jason’s chest tightens, his cock twitching at the intensity in his gaze, and he swallows hard before grinding into Roy again. “Good. Then show me.”
Roy doesn’t need telling twice, his grip on Jason’s wrist slides down to his waist, and the second after he’s already guided toward the bed. Jason stumbles with him as he gets manhandled.
He’s pushed down, bent over the mattress in one move. Jason’s knees hit the edge of the bed, his hands braced against the sheets. He glances back over his shoulder, eyes flashing mischievously.
“You’re screaming for me tonight,” Roy growls, already dropping behind him.
Before Jason can come up with another smug remark, Roy spreads him open and dives in, tongue hot and hungry against him without a shred of preamble. Jason’s entire body reacts. He twitches, whimpers, grips harder.
Roy’s hands keep him exactly where he wants him, eating him out as though his life depends on it. Jason’s delicious moans come out more desperate, his forehead pressed into the sheets. His hips try to rock forward, to grind down into the bed, but Roy drags him back, tongue snuggling deeper, hungrier.
“Fuck, babe–” Jason’s voice cracks. “You’re gonna… make me lose it.”
That’s when Roy pulls back, lips wet, chin glistening. He gives Jason’s ass one last bite before growling, “Not yet.”
Jason whines and shoves his hips back, but Roy is already reaching for the lube on the nightstand. He slicks up his fingers first, giving Jason’s rim a quick stretch which makes him squirm under his touch, groaning when Roy deliberately pulls his fingers away too soon.
“You’re an asshole,” Jason pants, lifting his head just enough to glare over his shoulder.
Roy smirks as he lubes himself up. “Yeah ? You’ll thank me in a minute. Now, sit up.”
Jason obeys, sitting back on his knees. He watches, mesmerized by the way Roy fists himself. He licks his lips, the hunger clear on his face. He’s always loved Roy’s cock. It was pretty. The prettiest he’s ever seen in real life.
The first time he saw Roy hard and slick, it had knocked the wind out of him. Pure lust. He had thought, God, I want that inside me right now, and he’d gotten the kind of fucking that left his body shaking for days after. And here he is now, years later, still staring, still aching for it like he did that very first time.
Roy chuckles low. “Quit staring and get ready to ride it, baby.”
Jason licks his lip, eyes hooded. “Yes, sir.”
Roy climbs onto the bed, lying back against the pillows, his cock hard. He drags Jason closer by the hips, staring up at him with fire in his eyes. Jason straddles him, positioning himself over his tip.
“C’mon,” Roy breathes.
Jason smirks, then sinks down in one smooth motion, gasping as Roy fills him. His thighs tremble, but he doesn’t stop until he’s completely seated.
“Oh, I missed this… Fuck.” Jason shudders.
“Damn. Look at you.”
And Jason looks down at Roy, especially at the way his eyes burn up at him. It awakens something wild in his chest. He starts to move, hips rolling, lifting and sinking again, giving it everything he has. His moans come out rougher. “You feel so good,” Jason pants.
Roy can barely breathe, let alone talk, but he forces it out anyway. “That’s it, baby boy… Ride it. Take everything you need.”
Jason leans forward, both hands on Roy’s chest as he keeps moving. Soon, he’s bouncing on his husband faster and harder, leaving Roy’s eyes rolling back, moans spilling. Jason loves seeing him like this, undone and open, but every so often he slows deliberately just to keep him from tipping over the edge too soon.
They go at it for hours until exhaustion leaves them a tangled mess in the sheets. By the time they shower, change the sheet and finally fall asleep, it feels like they’ve worked something out without words. Something that’s been hanging over them since before Jason left.
When morning comes, Jason stirs, and quickly realizes Roy’s arm is draped around his waist. He turns his head, and finds him awake, watching him with that soft gaze that always makes his chest twist.
“…You been staring long ?” Jason mumbles, still sleepy.
“Long enough,” Roy’s voice sounds rough as well from the night before. He brushes a thumb over Jason’s hip. “You look different.”
Jason stretches. “Different how ?”
Roy’s voice is soft, almost tentative. “Lighter. Like that trip actually did somethin’ for you.”
“It was… quiet. Calming in a way I didn’t think it could be.”
“Was it hard being away ?”
“At first. Felt wrong, not having you next to me.” Jason’s voice is rough, still caught between sleep and waking. He pauses, going over the memory of those first nights in the cabin. “But then… I realized it was different, because it was my call. Not like when someone leaves me behind.”
Roy’s arm tightens around him, lips brushing his hairline. “That’s what I wanted you to get. That you’re steady on your own, even without me right there.” Another kiss, softer. “And I want you to know, you can take that space whenever you need it.”
They fall into silence, breathing in sync. Jason’s eyelids are still heavy, but his mind is wide awake. He never liked silence, but the past two weeks, he’d found a strange kind of ease in it. Maybe Roy was right. Maybe he really was steadier now than he gave himself credit for. Maybe Bruce was right too. Maybe he was strong enough on his own.
He shifts slightly, staring at Roy’s chest, then murmurs, “What about you ? Do you ever need that too ? To be away.”
Roy seems to think before he answers.
“Not in the same way,” he settles with.
“Meanin’ what?”
“I don’t mind being alone sometimes,” Roy says. “But I already get it, y’know ? When I’m running, when I’m in the workshop. That’s enough. Being gone longer ? Nah. Six months away just bled me dry. Didn’t recharge me, just made me empty.”
Jason studies him, letting him continue.
“Everybody’s different. Maybe longer breaks are what you need. Me… I’ve got other shit that keeps me steady.”
“Like what ?”
Roy smiled a little. “I need to keep moving. To have something to build, something to fix. I need to feel useful. And… I need to make you and the girls laugh.”
Jason huffs softly. “Yeah. I know.”
Roy hums, like that should be the end of it. But Jason shakes his head a little, and says, “Thing is, maybe you’ll figure out other needs down the line. Stuff you don’t even see yet. When that happens, I’ll be there. Same way you’ve been here for me.”
They stare at each other. Roy’s throat works, and then he lets out a breath that’s almost a laugh. “Damn it, Jay. You’re not supposed to make me all sappy before breakfast.”
“Guess we better get used to it. We got a whole damn lifetime to figure this out.”
Roy pulls him in closer, pressing his forehead to Jason’s. “Yeah. We do.”