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English
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Published:
2019-08-24
Completed:
2021-04-01
Words:
5,031
Chapters:
2/2
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Probably For The Best

Summary:

After Dick cheats on him, Jason looks to Tim for support.

He doesn't know why he expected anything different than what he gets.

 

(I don't actually think Dick would cheat on a partner. But a tumblr ask is an ask and I do love me some angst)

Notes:

I don’t remember how I ended up with so many asks about Dick cheating (there are... at least two others waiting for me) especially since I don’t see Dick doing that. Dick is the type to love love and I don’t see him ever intentionally doing something he knows can or will hurt his partner.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Tim stares at his mug; at the steam rising off the dark, umber liquid, and chews on his lip. It’s better if he doesn’t say anything. Certainly better to not ask what he’s thinking.

“At least he didn’t try to deny it,” Jason is saying, poking his fork at his untouched eggs. “I… just between you and me, Timbo, I probably would have believed him if he had. I trusted him enough that I could have easily convinced myself I was just imagining things. Isn’t that messed up?”

He looks wrecked. Like he hasn’t been sleeping well, if at all. His hair is all untamed curls, sticking up all over the place and he has dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. Maybe even lost a few pounds.

Tim watches him tip forward, resting his elbows on the table, dropping his head into his palms and digging his fingers into his hair. A deep, shuddering sigh wracks through his body. Like he’s trying to stop himself from getting choked up.

It’s been three days since Dick and Jason had a huge, blow up, fight and split. Maybe for good this time if what Jason is saying is true.

Except Tim has a feeling there’s more to it than Jason is telling him.

“Timmy?”

Tim shifts in his seat as he focuses on the heartbroken man across from him. He loves Jason, he does, but… he loves Dick too. He wants to be supportive and understanding but he can’t lie to Jason either. And he can’t really throw one of them under the bus for the other right?

There has to be a delicate way to say what he needs to say. To gently guide Jason to see it for himself.

“That sucks, Jay. Really. I’m sorry this is all happening. What happened?”

“What do you mean what happened? I just told you. Dick fucking cheated on me.”

“So there were no… signs or anything?”

“Other than the used condom I found when I took out the trash no, Tim, there weren’t any damn signs.”

Tim swallows and chews on his lip again, letting the pause linger, trying to decide how best to continue.

“It’s just… that doesn’t really sound like Dick, you know? He’s not really the type to cheat for no reason.”

Even as the words leave his mouth he knows he’s made a mistake.

The way Jason stills, lips forming a thin line, nostrils flaring slightly, confirms his fear.

“What the hell does ‘for no reason’ mean?” He asks, voice a lot softer than Tim would have expected. “Is there an acceptable reason to cheat that I don’t know about?”

“I just mean that, sometimes, when a relationship is… complicated or on the rocks, it’s not uncommon for one or both partners to try to find what they’ve lost with someone else.”

If Tim didn’t know any better, he’d say Jason’s eyes are starting to look a bit glassy and wet. Even so, Jason manages to glare at him silently for moment.

“That’s not a reason to cheat. If you’re together, there’s an implicit agreement to talk about shit, work your problems out like adults. And then, if you can’t, you end it. You don’t… you don’t tell someone you love them and then jump into bed with someone else the moment they leave the apartment.”

“Well,” Tim starts, smiling, trying to hide his next point in a joke, “You’re not the easiest guy to talk to, Jay.”

However Tim was expecting him to react it wasn’t like this.

Jason’s jaw drops a fraction and all the muscles in his face relax, falling into something young and vulnerable.

Then his whole body deflates and he sinks back into his chair.

“This… this is my fault.”

Tim cocks his head and narrows his eyes. Can it really be that easy to show Jason that Dick’s not the bad guy? Or, at least, not the only bad guy.

“I mean, whatever happened, Dick probably played a part in it, so I’m sure there’s enough blame to go around. But, hey maybe this is for the best, you know? You guys fought all the time, you can’t have been happy. This is a chance to start over. You can find someone more your speed and Dick can find someone—”

“Better?”

Jason is watching him so closely, face impassive, sea green eyes locked onto even muscle twitch.

It’s hard to tamp down on the instinctive, reactionary side of his brain that answers Jason’s question with a resounding ‘yes’. After all, Dick is kind and funny and bright and just generally kind of perfect. Everyone who meets him loves him and he could literally have anyone he wanted.

Jason, on the other hand, is… abrasive at best. Kind of a loner. The hermit to Dick’s social butterfly. They really were the weirdest couple.

“That’s not what I was going to say, Jason,” Tim scolds, hoping he sounds stern but withering a little under the way Jason’s intense gaze doesn’t budge, keeping him pinned.

“Nah. You’d never say it. None of you would. ‘cept maybe B. But that’s what you were thinking, isn’t it?”

He could deny it. Wants to, just for Jason’s sake. He doesn’t want to hurt him. But it’s too late for that. It’d be perfunctory. Jason can see the truth written on him. So Tim just shuts his mouth. Best to just let Jason say his piece.

“This is what’s my fault,” he says, waving his hand between them, “Not Dickhead cheating on me. I loved him and he… he fucked someone else. In our bed. I was gone for a single day. He didn’t even wait for my side to get cold.”

Sighing a big, shaky exhale, Jason stands, tosses way too much cash on the table and grabs his jacket from the seat-back.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. Why I thought this would be different. How could I have been so stupid? Of course this was my fault too. Probably more my fault that any of those dumb little fights, huh? Dick’s too sweet—too nice—to be a dick. Jason must’ve driven him into the arms of another. It couldn’t just be for completely selfish reasons, huh?”

Tim opens his mouth to… say something, anything. Defend himself and the others. Jason isn’t exactly wrong, they do usually side with Dick but it’s… it’s because… it’s not like that. They aren’t automatically choosing one over the other. It’s just that Jason is… always wrong?

Even thinking it doesn’t feel right.

Fortunately, Jason doesn’t seem interested in what Tim has to say. He just jerks his arms through his jacket, shoves his hands in the pockets and faces Tim once more.

His expression is a façade of strength. But Tim can see the defeat etched into every heart-broken line.

“I hope you think Slade fucking Wilson is an acceptable improvement for your golden boy.”