Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Slow nights were not usual for Gotham vigilantes, yet the past few days had been oddly quiet.

It was never a good sign.

One would expect another Arkham breakout or some villains teaming up again in hopes to finally take down a bat.

But there were no whispers of those things happening.

So in the meantime, that meant following their usual patrol routines and being alert of any changes in scenery.

Red Hood was not amused by these slow days. He was kinda mad about them. Having time to rest meant having time to think. And silence always became loud with regrets and dumb what if scenarios. They were useless and he certainly didn't need them. So having slow nights was not appreciated by Red Hood and that night had already gotten on his nerves enough.

Tired of running around meaningless, Jason decided to stop on his way home to take a drink. He was on edge and needed something to lose a bit of tension. He sent a signal to Oracle to let her know he was finished for the night. A ping sounded inside his helmet seconds after, the confirmation of his absence on that night onwards.

Jason thought about trying the new bar that had opened just two months before, ‘The Golden River’. Kind of a too sophisticated name for a low small bar in Crime Alley. He had investigated the owners, just in case someone would be enough of a masochist to dare doing something against Red Hood’s politics on his territory. He was pleasantly surprised when he found an old married couple that had returned to the place they grew up after living on the other side of the country, dreaming of sharing different brands of beers from different parts of the world with the poor people of the Alley, their old comrades.

Hood made a point after the first time the place had tried to be robbed. No one touched an honest business of good intentioned people in his domain. After that, the place became frequented by Alley people looking to have a good drink in peace and rest from the rough life of the neighbourhood.

Maybe it was time Red Hood did the same. God knew he needed some peace and quiet from his own thoughts for a chance.

Seeing the red lights of the bar, Jason parked his bike on the street, knowing no one in Crime Alley was stupid enough to even try to do something to Red Hood's bike, and made his way inside.

The place was full of people even though it was nearly three o'clock in the morning, chatter loud in the air, laughter and joy filling the space, though everything became silent the moment Hood stepped foot inside.

While he was loved by the people in Crime Alley, considered their protector, that did not mean his presence didn't impose.

Nervous glances through at his direction while he simply moved further inside, having seen a small empty table in a dark corner.

Perfect for the glooming he planned to do with a beer on his lips.

The talk started to get loud again after a few minutes when Jason did nothing but look at his phone in the solace of his chosen table.

“What do I get you?”

“A beer”, replied Jason without even glancing up.

Dick had sent a picture of a sleeping Damian in the batmobile to the batchat and Jason kind of wished he could see the babybat’s murderous face when he found out in the morning. He sent an embarrassing cooing meme instead, followed by laughing emoticons, to make sure the brat got more embarrassed when he saw.

“That's literally all we have. I meant what type of beer you wish”, the voice of the waiter sounded kind of pissed, as if tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. Maybe he did, however that wasn't Jason's problem, it was his first time there as a client, excuse him for being a little lost.

“I don't know, I've never been here, just give me some good beer.”

“Everything we have here is good, you’ll have to be more specific”, and that reply got on Jason’s nerves. Just how the fuck did this waiter think he was to-

And his brain collapsed the moment he laid eyes on this waiter.

Light icy blue eyes that glared at Jason, at Red Hood, without fear, with a cold fury that froze Jason on the spot. He felt chills on his arms and felt grateful for how his leather jacket hid the way his skin reacted under that look.

They were the most stunning eyes Jason had ever seen.

But the beauty of that man did not finish there. He had pretty pink lips, a button nose, thin eyebrows and a baby face that would make anyone get on their knees for anything this man may ask.

And then he had long eyelashes that pronounced even more the beauty of those eyes. Long midnight hair that framed his face in a perfect way. Cute ears that were a bit too pointed. And pale creamy skin that had a healthy shine.

The man was for sure young, but Jason was sure he was in his twenties, despite the baby face and the fact that the man was pretty short.

That man was a walking model, so how did someone so beautiful end up working as a waiter?

And oh, it seemed the man was getting more irritated by Red Hood's lack of answers.

What had the pretty man asked again?

“You're gonna have to excuse me, I'm at a loss at what you offer.”

“I can see that”, the reply was fast and dry, unimpressed. He was now sure the man was tired of dealing with people like that.

“Oh, feisty little thing, aren't you?”, he said in a teasing voice that the modulator on his helmet had, unfortunately, perturbed a little bit. If Jason wasn't attracted to him, he would for sure be annoyed at the way he was being talked to. “Why don't you give me some advice?”

But fuck, was this man for real? He was talking that way to the Red Hood. Didn't he have self-preservation instincts?

Fuck if Jason didn't find the audacity of this man so hot.

The waiter, however, did not find Jason’s answer amusing.

“No. I'll just bring you whatever, do not complain later.”

“I'm sure whatever you give me is gonna be delicious.”

Not bothering with a reply, the waiter turned around and walked away. And Jason thanked the heavens he wasn't drinking a beer at that moment, because that ass and those legs, they should be illegal, and Jason would have choked on his drink at the first sight of them.

He wanted patiently for that man to approach him again with his drink.

“Here you go.”

The bottle of beer was put on the tablet, in front of Jason, and the Red Hood took off his helmet for the first time since entering the bar. He noticed the curious stare of the waiter and smirked slightly at him. Too bad the boy would not see his whole face, the domino he was wearing making sure his identity kept being a secret.

“Thank you pretty boy”, Jason took the beer and lifted it to the man’s face, as if he would drink in his honor. For some reason the waiter waited until Jason stopped being ridiculous and actually took a sip.

And then proceeded to spit it.

“What garbage is this?”, he asked coughing roughly. The disgusting taste stuck on his tongue.

“A special beer made following a traditional recipe of Star City in the nineteenth century, it includes cow urine as one of its ingredients, it helps the barley fermentation get an unique and distinctive taste, so it's perfect for the bravest men. Why, isn’t my choice delicious?”

The cocky voice of the waiter made Jason's blood boil, he would punch him in the face if he wasn't so good looking. Were the man anything but gorgeous, and he would have Red Hood’s gun pointed on his forehead for daring to trick him that way.

“Just bring me a beer that won't make me wanna puke my guts out”, Jason said with irritation clear in his voice.

“It was considered a delicatessen back in the day”, the man replied without hesitance or a hint of being afraid, even a little smirk played in his handsome face. “I'll give you a different thing, just don't forget to pay for both later.”

And with that he turned abruptly and marched behind the barline, half a minute later he was back with Jason, opening with ease another bottle of beer and putting it in front of the Red Hood.

He took it with hesitance this time, turning it around to see if he was being played again. His pride wouldn’t take another hit, hot waiter or not, especially in a place he protected and full of customers watching how the big bad Red Hood made a fool of himself. After a close inspection Jason brought it to his lips and took a sip.

“Oh, it's good, real good shit”, Jason said surprised, before taking another longer sip.

“Of course it is”, a small sincere smile appeared on the waiter’s face and Jason froze for the second time that night at the sight of the beautiful man. “We have the best beer around Crime Alley and, to be honest, in the whole of Gotham.”

“I'll have to come back another time to try more of what you have to offer.”

He spoke without thinking, not noticing the way his words could have a second meaning after he had already said them. They came naturally to Jason in the presence of that fine man. He didn't mind though, he had already flirted a bit with the waiter before, so it wouldn't be a surprise to the other man either.

“Inform yourself better next time”, the dry reply told Jason how unappreciated his flirty attitude was.

Without saying anything more the man went away to attend another table he was being called to, where the men paid for their drinks and left quite a sum of money that Jason could tell were tips for the waiter.

He couldn't blame them.

The waiter's attitude was rude and annoying, but just the sight of that man made you want to cover him in riches.

Jason watched from afar as the waiter cleaned the tables that kept getting empty as customers left the place. It was a very nice view, especially every time the waiter bent to get the wet cloth to reach the full extent of the table.

Half an hour later Red Hood was the only client left in the place, his bottle of beer already finished while the cow piss beer was abandoned in the corner of the table and untouched. It was already five in the morning and the pretty man had already mopped the floors and was waiting for the vigilante to finish so he could close the place for the night.

Jason put on his helmet and stood up, he walked with heavy steps to the counter and left quite an amount of money.

He was no better than those men from before, giving money away just for that pretty face.

He observed a huge jar on the counter, full of money and with a falling label that said ‘Tips’.

Well, someone was pretty popular.

Again, not a surprise.

“Keep the change.”

Without bothering with a reply, the waiter took the money and put the, quite generous, tip of Jason inside the jar.

“Have a good night.”

And with a serious face sent his way, the waiter spoke clearly without more words. ‘Go away already.’ Damn, he was prissy. With a salute, Hood walked away and into the night, nearly early morning of Gotham.

His bike was as perfect as when he left it outside. Once he mounted it, instead of starting the motor, he looked back at the bar behind. With a sigh he dismounted and stood on his feet, resting against his bike and facing the door of The Golden River.

Five minutes later, just as the lights of the sign were off, the waiter appeared and closed the door with a key. When he finished he turned around, ready to walk into the night and stopped the moment he laid eyes on Red Hood, he walked up to him.

“What are you doing?”, he asked with narrowed eyes.

“Keeping an eye this place closes without problem”, Red Hood said with ease. “I claimed it as part of the business under my protection after all.”

“Unneeded.”

“What a way to say thank you, I'm sure the owners of this place agree with you.”

At the mention of the old couple Jason watched as a look of uncertainty passed the man’s face for a moment. The man sighed heavily and crossed his arms in a defensive way before facing Jason again.

“I've had all kinds of men offering me protection at this kind of hour too.”

Red Hood tensed at those words.

He knew full well what the man actually meant by that.

Nothing good, much less safe.

“I see you get it”, the waiter said and uncrossed his arms, feeling more secure of himself. He put a hand on his hip and looked up at Red Hood. Jason found it cute and daring, how undisturbed this short man was talking to him even if he had to look up at a dangerous vigilante. “I know how to protect myself, just like everyone else around here.”

“I'll make sure it doesn't happen again”, Red Hood said in a serious voice, hoping the voice modulator of his helmet didn't hide the sincerity of his words. “I’d fail if I forgot to protect this place, or any others I claimed. In the end, the safety of his employees is part of protecting it, even after the journey was over. Sorry about forgetting about it.”

“I don't need it”, the waiter claimed with frustration. And Jason noticed for the first time in the night this man had not a clear Alley accent. It almost sounded from Bristol, from the richest part of Gotham. And that made no sense. There was no way a rich boy would work or simply step foot on Crime Alley, just like it was not possible for a Bristol man to have such a sense of rudeness to him. That was integrated in the citizens of the Alley personality, for the way they lived and survived.

This man was making Jason’s head hurt. Still something called him to the man. No pretty face should have that effect on Jason.

“What is your name?”

“What’s that up to you?”

Damn, what a little shit this man was. Jason's nerves were already on edge just dealing with that stubborn waiter.

“I'm trying to be nice, you know, for working on a daily basis with the public you're quite rude”, he responded with irritation clear in his voice.

“Oh well, thank you for your protection Mr Red Hood, your totally wanted flirting and the analysis of how I should act. Anything else you’d wish to give me your unwanted opinion on?”

The sarcasm was so cutting it could break a window in a million parts without effort.

Jason took a deep breath before he shouted at this man. He gave up on having a nice conversation, for his own good before he hit something with his full force and broke it, and his hand, in his frustration on dealing with that waiter.

“Fine, do as you wish, you brat.”

Red Hood stood up from his bike and looked as the man’s eyes travelled to his motorbike and observed with curious eyes. Something like awe shone on those blue eyes and Jason could swore the ice had melted in the stare, replaced by bright sparkles. The movement of Hood had left his bike in the open, and he knew his bike was some of the most beautiful pieces of metal, but that reaction filled Jason's chest with pride.

“Want a ride?”, he asked with a smirk that he wished the waiter could see.

Caught in surprise, the man flinched a bit and a hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. The contrast with his light skin made it more pronounced.

Oh fuck, Jason couldn't get a break.

No man was supposed to be so adorable at something as stupid as getting surprised.

“There's no need. Good morning”, the waiter said and turned around quickly.

Red Hood watched him walk away until he turned around a corner and lost the man once he was out of sight.

Only at that moment, he took away his helmet and brought his hands to hardly rub his face.

Damn, what was up with him? Jason was better than that, especially in front of a pretty face.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and finally got on his bike. He drove to his home under the first sun rays of the day. And he felt kind of giggly all the way back just because that waiter had wished him a good morning, because he had been attentive enough to notice dawn had arrived. He felt so stupid.

Chapter Text

A week passed and there was still no news of any rogue getting ready for an imminent attack.

The meeting had been a waste of time.

Jason was sure Bruce had used it as an excuse to get everyone there for dinner. He didn't want to stay, but he couldn't say no to Alfred’s cooking. No one could and Bruce abused that power.

Everyone had already left the Cave and Jason stayed alone on his chair, glaring at the sump up of the incidents in the last few days.

Everything small. Insignificant.

Which implied something was very wrong, this was Gotham after all.

The uneasy feeling that Jason had had for the past few weeks kept increasing.

“You’ve been distracted lately."

Jason looked up from the documents and into the bright blue eyes of Dick. A traitorous voice on his head thought about how they were the wrong shade of blue. Too vivid, too much like the sky, not enough like a snowed landscape.

“I'm bored, there's nothing to shoot”, he replied in a tired voice and Dick hummed thoughtfully. He even made himself more annoying by standing at the end of his chair and putting a hand on his chin, rubbing his fingers slightly as his eyes observed down his younger brother carefully.

“Is that all?”

“What else could it be? Don't tell me you're relaxed with how Gotham is suddenly low on crime rates.”

Maybe low wasn't the correct word. Gotham still had the record of the most criminal activities per day. However, lately all of the incidents were small in comparison to what Gotham was used to.

Dick licked his lips, taking his time to answer, and put his hands back on the top of Jason's chair.

“Bludhaven has me quite busy. That Gotham is, for once, pretty quiet has let me get some much needed rest. I'm not taking a gift for granted, so I don't want to be nervous about this quiet and spoil it”, Dick replied and looked with narrowed eyes at the top of his brother’s head, he continued tentatively. “You can share with me what's on your mind, you know?”

A flash of light blue eyes appeared in Jason's mind for a second. He shot the memory down as he threw the documents onto the table. He looked up and a sudden glare stopped Dick from saying anything further.

“It's none of your business.”

There was no way he was telling Dick he was right, that Jason had been distracted by a man he had seen once. That he had spent a week fighting with himself not to give up and go back to the same bar he knew he would find him, just to see him again. That Jason had finished patrols every night with a masturbation session in the shower thinking of pink lips and an icy and annoyed glare directed at him.

Besides, Dick was too much of an annoying little shit to tell him anything. He would not let Jason let this down.

“I just care about you.”

“And about everyone’s fucking problems except your own, it seems.”

“Fine, be a dumbass and deal alone with whatever shit you're on this time”, Dick replied and started to walk away. “Hope you are nicer at the dining table.”

“Oh don't worry about that, I'm an angel on the best behavior when it comes to respecting Alfred's cooking”, he said to the retreating figure of his brother.

He wasn't worried about dinner, he knew Stephanie would already be seated in front of Damian and she would join Jason in making dinner hell to the brat. It was very nice sharing the same sense of humour with someone else in that difficult family, so not even Bruce's company would disturb him from having fun and eating the best food.

Or so he thought, because Jason's mind kept going elsewhere even when surrounded by his family.

Everytime he looked at someone and saw blue eyes, he thought of enchanting ones followed by a rude comeback. That fixation on those eyes drove him mad, Jason wanted to rip out of his brain but kept failing miserably at it.

How longer would he suffer the ghost of a stare?

It made no sense.

Jason half listened to Bruce asking Stephanie about his new relationship while she asked him how his ventures with a certain cat had been going, just to get him to shut up. He saw Cass on her phone, a small smile at her lips, surely texting Superboy. Where that relationship had come from, Jason never wanted to know. He watched Richard invading Damian's space, surely distracting himself from the empty space Barbara usually occupied, but didn't this time as they had broken again for like the millionth time already. He also noticed Damian's phone vibrating on the table, surely receiving plenty of texts from the mini Superboy.

He felt oddly empty.

Some hours later, and after some murdering promises from the batbrat, Jason was out in the night. No patrol for him for once, Batman and Robin covering all of Gotham.

He wasn't grateful that only two vigilantes could cover the whole city lately, much less if it implied they put foot on his territory. But maybe not going out tonight would do him some good. He could distract his traitorous mind with a book and a blanket wrapped all over him on the sofa.

So Jason drove with the intention of having a restoring night.

And then a flash of a small smile and blushing cheeks crossed his mind. It had been seconds. It was supposed to be insignificant.

Jason knew he should continue down that road to reach his home.

Instead he turned around and drove into a different direction.

Maybe confronting his own thoughts would make them finally go away.

It had been a week since the last time he had been there.

The lights of The Golden River bathed him in red and his reflection on the windows made him look like a dangerous monster on the run. Which would be true if he were on the hunt of a criminal, however tonight it was only an appearance.

Without thinking twice, Jason pulled the door and stepped inside. The same atmosphere welcomed him as the last time. It almost felt like his first time there, as if a week had not passed at all.

As if his first visit hadn't left him feeling like Jason was being haunted for days and days after.

His presence made silence again at the sight of him, which soon disappeared under loud voices and laughter as he walked up to a remote table without sparing a glance to anyone. This table was not as solitary as the last one, but still pretty far away from the rest of people.

And then Jason finally saw him from afar.

The same waiter, the man that had taken to sudden and constant appearances on his mind.

The nerve of that man for clouding Jason's thoughts for a whole week.

“Stop being so prissy and join some fun for once Tim!”

Tim.

Tim.

So that was the man's name.

Jason thought it suited him.

“You come here for fun, I come here to work. I have to earn the money, Carl, bills don't pay themselves.”

The waiter didn't even look at the man’s face as he replied in a dry tone, a bored expression adorning his face, while he opened and left bottles for the people seated. Those people were for sure going to leave the place in quite a state with the amount of beers Jason saw on the table.

“You wouldn't need to work anymore if you accepted my proposal. Or anyone else’s for that matter. Come on, there must be someone you would listen to.”

Double meanings accompanied by a lecherous stare were sent Tim's way.

Jason wanted to puke at the tone used, at the disgusting suggestion Tim had been subjected. No matter how gorgeous, he didn't deserve to be treated that way.

It made Jason's blood boil, but also shame ate him from inside while he understood why that man hadn't bat an eye at Red Hood's previous flirting. Last week comments hadn't been rude comebacks from the waiter, but extremely tired ones used to this kind of behaviour. He felt like kind of a prick.

“No.”

“Oh, come on, prince-”

“My answer won't change”, Tim cut him off before he finished that sentence.

Damn, he must be really done with pet names from disgusting individuals. Jason didn't want to wonder how many a night Tim usually received. He could get an idea just with the memory of the full jar of tips though.

“You’re such a party popper!”

“Or you're just an annoying piece of shit.”

And Tim finished the conversation as he roughly put the last beer down the table. Then he turned around to walk to another one he had been called to. The whining left behind didn't make him change his expression at all. A perfect mask of boredom still decorating his face.

Another table, another man trying his luck on the waiter, only to be eaten apart in a few words.

“You must be tired, standing all night on those gorgeous legs, you should take a rest. Why don't you sit on my lap?”

“I'd rather eat a dead rat that bathed on Gotham's harbour.”

Jason knew the man was popular. The always full jar of tips showed it. He also knew he was used to unwanted attention from other men. But he didn't suspect it to this extent.

No wonder after a near full journey the waiter had taken badly to Red Hood's attempts of flirting with him. Had it been Jason the one on his shoes, any man that had tried the same would have been going for a friendly visit at the hospital for sure. All in legitimate defence, of course.

But Jason's mind also fixated on the way that man shut down everyone without faking pleasanties, just pure irritated words.

Hood thought they deserved worse, something like the promise of a bullet between their eyebrows. But he knew Tim wouldn't appreciate him interfering in his job. The other night he had made pretty clear what he thought of Red Hood's protection.

Once the waiter was done he finally saw him and, with a blank expression, made his way to where he was seated.

“Do you know what you want this time?”, the waiter, Tim, asked in an unimpressed way, like he didn't expect Red Hood to do better than last time.

He didn't even acknowledge him with a good night or an inquiry of why he was there again. Jason wasn't even mad about that.

“Bring me a black beer, the most sold one.”

Maybe Jason should have studied what they served before coming for a second time, but it was too late now. Also he had come in an impulse to the bar, he didn't even planned it.

“Well, that's certainly better than last time.”

“Need to come around here more times to familiarize myself with the menu.”

And the scoff the waiter left out told Red Hood the little good humour Tim had to talk to him was completely gone.

But he couldn't help himself in the presence of that pretty face.

He really hoped he was better than those other men or he would pull the gun to his own head instead.

“Hey, if I'm bothering you too much, I won't come back", he added in a quiet tone.

He was sent a calculated stare and Jason took the chance to remove his helmet, to show the waiter his good intention reflecting in his face. His eyes may have been hidden with a domino, but his face was full on sight.

Tim stared at him for a full minute, it could even be considered in a kind of creepy way. No blinking, just pure icy eyes fixated on his face. He moved away without a word after he was done analysing Red Hood.

No waiter should move in such a confident way. With steps firm and elegant.

That man was truly something else.

Once he was back, Tim opened the bottle with grace before putting it in front of Red Hood, and Jason's mind went crazy asking how was it possible a man managed to be so elegant while serving a beer. This man was from a higher world for sure.

“As long as you don’t scare the clients away and don't bother me, I could care less whether you come back.”

No pure rejection. The best answer he could hope to get.

Jason took it as being welcomed there anytime he wished. He felt warmness extend in his chest, he had passed Tim's scrutiny exam.

When Hood took his first sip he nearly moaned at the taste. Stronger than the week before, yet even better.

“I know”, Tim said with a knowing glint in his eyes and a smirk that appeared on his face.

It was a short conversation, but Jason was satisfied it had turned out well that time around. He let the waiter get back to his work without any attempts to stop him, content with watching him from afar.

He felt a bit pathetic, but couldn't stop himself.

Hours later Red Hood was the only client left again and the waiter had already cleaned the place, ready to call the night off. Jason almost didn't want the moment to end, peaceful in a way he hardly ever felt, comfortable in the silence that had taken place, content observing Tim working.

But he couldn't stop time.

Putting his helmet under his arm, he walked up to the counter and, just as the week before, dropped a good amount of money.

“What’s your name?”

Jason already knew it. Yet, somehow, he wished the man would give it himself. He knew better, the man would not say, or that's what he expected.

The waiter didn't open his mouth, he simply kept cleaning the counter. Then, he suddenly put the cloth away and looked into Jason's domino mask.

“Tim. But you already knew it, didn't you? Carl is as loud as he is stupid.”

Without another word he took the money Red Hood had left and put the part of the generous tip inside the jar. Jason was surprised but pleased.

“I have manners, thought I would ask.”

“Who would have thought?”, Tim replied and he promised he could hear teasing in his tone. “I'm sure there are some criminals out there that don't think that way.”

Jason snorted.

Damn, that waiter was smart enough to always have a reply ready.

Maybe Jason was going mad, because he kept being pulled into that man. He put the helmet on, ready to go.

“Hey, how about I give you one ride? You already saw how beautiful my bike is.”

“Don't push your luck.”

For the second time, Jason drove under the first rays of sun, with his mind plagued by images of icy blue eyes.

He knew the masturbation sessions in the shower would not be going away for a long time. Jason wasn't even perturbed by his hands fate though. After that night he knew one thing for sure, that man wasn’t going to leave his thoughts for a while, and going there had actually made it worse. Exactly the contrary of what he had been after.

Somehow, he really didn’t mind at all.

A week after there was another meeting to discuss any discoveries of the week. It had gone the same as the week previous. Nothing knew, everything in Gotham remained the same. And again, just as last week when everyone went away, Jason stayed behind looking at some documents in his hands.

However, they were not related to crime at all. No, this time Jason was reading the information he had gathered about a certain bar during the whole week.

The owners, the opening time, when they got their products delivered, their usual clients, their trusted providers, their workers... Well, only one worker. A young man in his twenties with the most beautiful eyes Jason had ever seen. A waiter that worked only at night completely alone, whose journey started at ten o’clock in the night and finished at five in the morning when he closed the bar. Tim. Simply Tim.

No surname, no direction, nothing else.

Just Tim.

Night after night Red Hood hadn't been able to follow him. That man had insisted the night they first met on knowing how to defend himself and Jason knew how important that was to anyone in Crime Alley.

He respected those people. Because he was one of them too.

And following Tim felt like betraying that trust. The simple thought of that put a knife on Jason's stomach.

So that was all the extent he had secured.

Jason put the documents away, inside his jacket.

He wasn't even supposed to investigate that place at all to begin with.

What was he even doing?

And all because of a waiter. The past two weeks felt like a joke but were far from it.

Jason got up and walked into the training grounds of the Cave.

Dick hadn't gone upstairs or back to Bludhaven once the meeting finished, he had moved to the mats and started working out, doing push ups. Maybe he wasn't grateful for this fake calm of Gotham anymore, maybe the uncertainty was finally getting to him.

Jason looked at him for a while before walking up to him.

He had just had another brilliant stupid idea.

“You were right Dickhead, I've been distracted”, his brother stopped in the middle of a push up and took a look at Jason with curious eyes. “Want to talk over a drink? Put your mask on, I know a place.”