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Chapter Text

A shivering lump frantically twitched on the couch in Jason's apartment. Tim was seeking a brief reprieve from his patrol, to take a quick breather, and knew that Jason kept his window open for him. However, he ended up getting a little too comfortable and his body was too achy to want to get back up.

He barely heard the door open and close. Not that he could move much to check. The heavy steps clearly identified Jason as the intruder. He didn't even look as he heard Jason walked around the couch. Jason curiously looked directly at the shaking vigilante. He didn't appear upset or concerned, just a little annoyed.

"You look terrible." Jason dryly sympathized.

Tim simply groaned in response, too exhausted to respond. Jason crouched down, removing a glove. He gently placed a hand on Tim's forehead, leaving it there for a few moments. Tim's forehead was warm and Tim's shaking didn't stop. Jason groaned, not liking what he was deducing.

"You're burning up Tim." Jason stated.

Tim shook his head, not wanting to admit to his illness.

"Not sick." Tim denied. "Just resting."

Jason snaked an arm around Tim's shoulders while wrapping the other around his legs. He slowly lifted Tim up, aiming for the bedroom. Although weakened, Tim shot his elder an annoyed glare.

"What are you doing?" Tim moaned.

"You're sick, and I'm not about to let you spend the night shivering on the couch." Jason replied.

Tim weakly tapped Jason with his fist, recalling that his stay was only meant to be brief.

"But I'm on patrol."

"Not anymore you're not."

As Jason entered the bedroom, he sat Tim down on the bed. He removed Tim's cape and cowl, providing mobility and hopefully to cool him off a little. He laid Tim down, propping him up with a few pillows, before exiting the room for a moment. When Jason returned, he had a thermometer, a cup of water, and aspirin in his hand. He set the medicine and water on the nightstand before sitting on the bed with the thermometer.

"Open up." Jason ordered.

Tim complied, slowly opening his mouth. Jason slid the thermometer in, giving it the proper time to get results. Tim tried to get up, only for Jason to shove him back down.

"One hundred point five." Jason revealed, setting the thermometer down and grabbing the aspirin and water. "You're not going anywhere."

The annoyance was clear on Tim's face at hearing Jason's statement. He didn't want to stay in. He usually didn't mind being at Jason's under normal circumstances, enjoying Jason's presence from time to time, but this wasn't one of those nights. He also recalled his parental figure, who he had to report back to.

"I got to go." Tim sighed. "Bruce'll kill me."

"He'll kill you if he knew you went out in your condition. Now take this."

Reluctantly, Tim followed Jason's orders, grabbing what Jason had to offer. He took it down with stride before handing the cup of water back to Jason. Jason then grabbed a throw blanket at the end of the bed and covered Tim.

"Now, get some sleep." Jason requested. "And don't get any ideas of leaving. I will be checking on you."

Tim rolled his eyes, finally accepting his fate. He turned on his side and curled up. Tim's eyes had no problem closing, actually relishing in the motion.

Jason waited a few minutes, watching as Tim fell into a deep sleep. Once he knew it was safe, Jason got up and exited the room. Resting my ass. Jason stated with a grin on his face, as he closed the door.

The following morning, Tim was still in bed. His temperature had gone down some, but Jason made it a point to stay on bed. Jason gave him some spare clothes to wear and let Tim take a brief shower, but he made it a point for Tim to stay in bed as his fever passed.

Several cups with varying amounts of water and orange juice and some crackers decorated the nightstand. Tim was a little troubled by the fact that Jason refused to give him any coffee, something that he heartily enjoyed in the morning.

Jason was in the room with him. He brought in a chair and use that. He wanted to keep enough of a distance between them so that he wouldn't catch Tim's fever. Jason also let Tim know that he used his phone to text Bruce, letting him know that he was staying the night at Jason's. Bruce responded with annoyance, but when presented with Tim's health, Bruce begrudgingly allowed him to stay until he got better.

"You didn't have to do all of this." Tim stated.

"I know," Jason admitted, "but you came here and I want you to get better. I couldn't just let you drag your sick ass across Gotham."

Tim chuckled at Jason's colorful statement. Of course Jason would be that blunt with it.

"Thank you."

"Just don't go telling anyone."

Chapter Text

The dull hues lit up the Batcave as Tim worked on it. It had been a long night of patrol, but that didn't stop him from trying to find loose ends to tie up. Since he didn't want to with Bruce's, wanting to let Bruce have his cases, Tim pulled up three of his own from Gotham, Jump City, and Metropolis. He studied each intently, switching between all three, looking for anything he may have missed.

Tim paid no mind to his surroundings, welcoming the darkness of the cave. Not even the echoing sound of footsteps distracted him. The chair sank a little as someone leaned against it. The weight was enough to give Tim an inclination as to who his visitor was.

"Come on Tim, it's three in the morning." Jason complained.

Tim didn't respond to him, opting to keep himself preoccupied. Ignoring him was what he wanted to do to remain focused. It didn't amuse Jason, who was worried about Tim's lack of sleep recently. He wasn't the only one either since not only Dick and Alfred, but even Bruce took note of it. They tried talking to him about it, but Tim seemed to ignore their complaints. It was Jason's turn now, and he'd be damned if he let Tim prolong his workaholic suffering. Because if Jason didn't do anything, who would at this point?

"When was the last time you slept?" Jason inquired.

Tim still didn't answer, hoping Jason would take a hint and leave. Jason didn't, opting for a more noticeable approach. Grabbing the chair Jason twisted the chair around, forcing Tim to look at him. Jason could see the dark circles under Tim's annoyed eyes as he leaned over Tim. He wasn't going to ignore the sight.

"Come on Tim you've been at it all day." Jason lectured. "Several by my observation. You look absolutely terrible."

"So what?" Tim replied, not denying it as he tried to turn his chair around. "I've got to solve these cases."

"And you've been told to sleep multiple times by multiple people, not that you've been listening. Now answer my question. How long have you been up?"

Tim grunted, annoyed with Jason's bickering. He knew Jason wasn't going to let it go unless he answered. He yawned, which didn't go unnoticed by Jason.

"Three days."

Jason wasn't bothered by Tim's honesty so much as Tim's refusal to sleep for that long. The fact that he had managed to stay up that long was impressive, though unhealthy. Tim managed to spin the chair out of Jason's grip, turning it back to the screen. It didn't last long as the chair was twisted towards Jason yet again. Tim groaned in irritation, unimpressed with Jason's stubbornness. They both locked eyes with each other determined.

"You're not getting out of this Tim." Jason stated. "You need to sleep."

"I don't want to." Tim refused.

"You have to. This isn't healthy and you know that."

"I don't care. I have to take care of these cases. That's all that matters."

Jason's hands slipped under Tim's arms and lifted him to his feet. Before Tim had the chance to sit back down, Jason slung him over his shoulder. Tim gasped before tiredly squirmed around, hoping to get out of the embarrassing position he now found himself in.

"Let me go Jason." Tim demanded, tapping his fists against Jason's back.

"Not going to happen." Jason denied. "Not that you have the strength to fight back. Your cases will be here tomorrow. Don't you worry little bird, tomorrow's a new day."

Jason turned for the entrance and trotted up the stairs. He tuned out Tim's sporadic orders to release him, knowing that he wasn't going to listen to them. Tim's strikes weakened as his body slowly started to tire out.

~

The sun rose with enthusiasm, entering several parts of the manor. Alfred was making his morning rounds, looking for what he could do to keep himself busy. Bruce left for work, Damian was in school, and Dick returned to Gotham University for classes. The only two people not accounted for were Jason and Tim. Tim was not in his room, nor was he in the cave, which lead Alfred to wonder were the boy had ran off to. Not to mention Jason, who was still unaccounted for, had yet to be found as well.

He made it to Jason's room, which was the only room with the door closed. Curious, Alfred slowly opened the door. He peered into the dark room to see what was going on. What he found was an amusing scene.

Jason and Tim were sprawled out on the bed, not even covering themselves with a blanket. Jason was on his stomach, body stretched out. Beneath his arm was Tim, who was curled up as though he was comfortable in Jason's hold. Whether he was like that willingly, or after begrudgingly accepting Jason's concerns, Alfred didn't know. Nor did he care.

Neither looked like they were going to awaken anytime soon. They were both clearly too exhausted to get up at a reasonable time. Alfred didn't mind. The fact that Tim was sleeping was wonderful. Alfred was thankful that Jason was able to get him to sleep. That was all that mattered.

Alfred grabbed the throw blanket at the end of the bed. Not wanting to wake them, he slowly and carefully covered both of them. Tim twitched, startling Alfred, but thankfully, Tim didn't awaken. Instead, Tim scooted a little closer to Jason. Alfred swiftly brushed Tim's bangs out of his face before heading for the door.

Alfred looked back at them one last time with a smile. Seeing Tim resting for a chance was nice, and the fact that Jason took the time to handle it, was all the more pleasant. Alfred left them in peace, quietly closing the door behind them.

Chapter Text

Tim quietly snuck into the manor, sliding through the crack in the door that he opened for himself. No one was in main hallway, which was appreciated, as he made his way towards the stairs. School was a bother, but he got through it well enough. If anything, it was boring and exhausting.

"Hey Tim." Jason greeted, catching him at the top of the stairs.

Tim tried to avoid Jason, pretending that he didn't hear him, wanting to get to his room. Jason was fazed by his lack of response and he wasn't about to be ignored. He stood in front of Tim, blocking his path. Tim was annoyed, but refused to look at Jason.

"Hello. Earth to Tim." Jason called, waving a hand in Tim's face.

Tim didn't respond, opting to try and worm around his elder. A little concerned, Jason grabbed Tim's arm. He held Tim in front of him as he tried to squirm away. All the while, Tim kept his face hidden beneath his hair.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"Let me go." Tim requested.

"No. Come on Tim, you're acting weird. Just look at me."

Tim followed Jason's request, looking at him to reveal a surprising secret. A black and blue mark grazed the side of his face, right on his cheekbone. A small scrape grazed the other and a cut scathed Tim's lip. They were recent, but there was a faded bruise by Tim's eye that clearly occurred prior to the others.

Jason was alarmed by the albeit small wounds, pulling Tim towards the bathroom. Along the way, Jason closed and locked the door, guaranteeing privacy. He sat Tim on the toilet seat before getting out peroxide and a few cotton swabs, setting them on the counter. Jason quickly glanced over the damage before getting to work.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

Tim didn't answer, as though too embarrassed to say. He only flinched when the peroxide doused swab tapped his cheek.

"Come on Timbo. Talk to me."

"It was just a few kids." Tim finally admitted. "Class bullies if you will. Needed to stroke their egos."

Tim hissed as the object touched his cheek again before Jason put a small bandage on it.

"And you didn't do anything about it why? You're not known for letting your guard down."

Tim scoffed at the observation.

"I don't see a point. They'll get bored with me eventually and in a few years they'll be apologizing. I could fight back, but what would that prove? I don't want that kind of attention."

Jason slowly cleaned Tim's lip. He was irked by Tim's lack of care for the situation. It was clear that he was being bullied, but the fact that Tim was letting it happen made it worse.

"This isn't right Tim. They're bullying you and you're letting them. Why?"

"So that it's not someone else."

That response wasn't much of a surprise given Tim's nature. However, it wasn't a very acceptable one for Jason. A noble gesture, sure, but not a very smart one. He grabbed Tim's shoulders and made him look at him.

"That's not fair to you." Jason groaned in annoyance. "Look I know with the training we've gotten from tall, dark, and brooding doesn't make the whole self-defense easy, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't. I'm going to have to take care of this."

The speculated implications behind Jason's words, though valiant, were troubling. Tim instantly shot him a panicked glare. Jason, on the other hand was smirking mischievously, plans clearly in the works.

"You better not."

"You don't get a say in the matter. I'm involved now."

"Jason, no."

~

The following day Tim entered the school yard as usual. After arguing with Jason for a while, he finally got Jason to back off of his assistance.

He was expecting another uneventful day. What he didn't expect was for the three bullies to approach him with intimidated grimaces. Something spooked them.

"We're sorry." The head bully apologized. "We didn't know you had ties with the Hood."

"Yeah." The second confirmed. "We would never have messed with you if we knew that."

"Can you forgive us?" The third pleaded.

Tim was flustered by their sudden shift in personalities. Their panic was evident, and he knew he had to do something to ease them.

"I forgive you." Tim admitted to the sound of relieved sighs.

"Thank you." The head bully sighed. "We got to get to class. We'll talk with you later."

The trio left Tim in a wave of confusion. Not sure how to respond, he followed their lead and headed to class. In the hallway Tim was immediately greeted with a clear cause for the sudden change in character.

Spray painted on several lockers were red letters. The lettering was crude and threatening, but it did get its point across. Mess with Tim Drake and you will suffer. Tim pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He half expected something like this, mentally kicking himself for believing Jason, but he wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. The impending conversation was going to be a long one once Tim got home that was for sure.

"Jason!" Tim shouted.

Chapter Text

All Tim wanted to do was withdraw some money. He just needed cash to pay for a trip to Gotham's science center for a field trip. Unfortunately, the day had other plans as he found himself at gun point from a bank robber. Tim wasn't even surprised by it, more so annoyed by it, giving the robber an unentertained stare. He was in civilian life so it wasn't like he could do anything as the two armed robbers held the bank up.

The only thing keeping him apart from the others involved was that he forced himself to be calm. And considering how high profiled he was, he could only guess what everyone else was thinking.

"Isn't this one of the Wayne's brat?" The lead robber observed with a malicious grin. "Aren't we lucky?" He dug the barrel of the gun closer to Tim's head. "Give us everything you have and we'll let you and everyone else here go."

"Honestly, I'd rather go home." Tim dryly stated. "Can we just get this over with?"

That annoyed the robber, causing him to growl. Tim was unfazed by the man's anger. He knew that if he stalled long enough, something would happen.

"Not until you give us the money."

"I'd rather not. I mean we all just want to go about our day."

Tim's refusal only irked the robber more, causing him to lash out. He grabbed the collar of Tim's shirt placing the gun right beneath the teen's chin.

"Give us the money."

Tim didn't respond. He knew the robber could shoot him if he responded wrong.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice aggressively interrogated.

The robber looked behind him, dropping Tim in shock. Entering the bank was the Red Hood. He had guns out and was aiming for the robber by Tim's.

"You're not supposed to be here." The lead robber anxiously stated. "Your usual hang out is on the other side of the city."

"Shows what you know." Red Hood growled. "Now I know you were not about to shoot a minor, right? After all, I thought I made myself clear about going near children."

"I thought that was only for drugs."

A gun fired, causing the bank to go eerily quiet. The bullet brushed passed the robber, hitting the wall. Tim knew Red Hood meant business, but his execution would need work.

"I'll ask you again, were you about to harm a child?"

The other robber aimed his weapon at Red Hood. Jason knew what the man was planning, firing the other gun in his direction. It missed, but it brushed close enough to rattle the robber. Not that it mattered. Red Hood's focus was set on the robber by Tim. Everyone else just watched in silent horror.

"Get out." Red Hood growled, cocking a gun and aiming it squarely at the robber's head while the other aimed at the other. "You already used your warning shot."

The panic on both robbers' faces were evident. As much as they wanted to act tough, the reputation of Red Hood took over their pride. The robbers ran out of the bank, not looking back.

Red Hood put his guns away, approaching Tim. He did a quick inspection on the indifferent teen, who thankfully had not injuries. He then turned his attention towards the innocent bystanders hiding.

"The police are on their way." Red Hood announced. "I'll take Bruce Wayne's child home."

"You don't need to do that Red Hood." Tim admitted, rolling his eyes. "I'm a witness, so they'll need me to make a statement."

"There are plenty of people to make a statement. They can vouch for your involvement."

"It's kind of protocol."

Red Hood did a quick gesture, clearly annoyed with Tim's stubbornness.

"Do you think Bruce Wayne needs you making a scene? You know that when the press finds out, they'll swarm the bank for an interview. Not to mention, Bruce Wayne is probably worried sick. I can get you home safe."

The rest of the bank watched on, wondering what they would do next. Not wanting to cause more of a scene, Tim groaned.

"Fine." Tim complained.

Tim led Red Hood out of the bank. They took a path that would have the least amount of attention, sirens finally coming onto the scene. Once out of sight of the bank, Tim and Red Hood stopped.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, taking his mask off.

"I'm fine." Tim admitted. "Just another day in Gotham at the bank."

"Good." Jason's demeanor changed to something sterner. "Now, don't you ever scare me like that again young man. You should know better. You're lucky those were just the grunts of the high profiled gang that I've been shadowing."

Tim was a little startled by Jason's sudden concern. He was kind of use to Dick being a bit of worrier, but not so much Jason. The weight of Jason's statement sank in a bit. The fact that these were supposedly grunts for an even more dangerous gang, he could only imagine why Jason could be worried. With Jason's field of work, Tim could understand why he could have those kinds of worries. So while his concerns weren't an often occurrence, they were reasonable ones.

"Okay." Tim responded.

Jason lightened up, sighing in relief.

"Good." Jason proudly accepted. "Let's get home. Bruce really is worried and I doubt he knows I came to save you."

Jason slung his arm around Tim's shoulders and put his mask back on. He guided Tim back on the trail. The two continued on their trek back to the manor.

"You know that it's not like I can avoid everything, right?" Tim inquired. "This is Gotham after all."

"Don't ruin my worried older brother moment." Jason whined.

Tim chuckled. Out of all of the things Jason could complain about, the fact Jason was offended by his brother moment getting ruined, was definitely and entertaining thought. Though in hindsight, Tim figured that Jason was at least aware of that fact.

Tim relished in the protection he unwillingly was given, staying close to Red Hood. Tim knew he could count on him to be there for him. Having Red Hood around was either a blessing or curse, but having Jason around was something Tim never took for granted.

Chapter Text

The manor was dim and quiet as rain struck the windows. The manor was quiet and appear vacant. Bruce had been rather reclusive and Dick was gone, trying to cope. Not even Alfred could bring himself out, withdrawing to his room. The only reason Jason was even there was because he needed the shelter for a little and the fact he didn't have anything important to attend to in that moment. Alfred didn't mind, happy to see Jason home, and Bruce didn't have the energy to argue it.

The only person who wasn't accounted for was Tim. Tim had been even more secluded than Bruce, even by Tim's standards. He locked himself away for hours on end, not responding to any interaction. Tim didn't even return to the Teen Titans, much to the team's worried dismay.

Entering the study, Jason realized that he wasn't alone. Standing by the fire place was Tim, startled by his presence. He clearly wasn't expecting Jason to enter the room. Frazzled, Tim tried to bolt out of the room, only for Jason to block off his only exit.

"Don't go." Jason quietly requested, gently grabbing Tim's arms. "I haven't seen you in ages."

Tim didn't look at Jason, but his silence spoke volumes. He was depressed and clearly exhausted given the bags under his eyes Jason saw when he came in. Tim didn't even try to fight out of Jason's grip. As much as Tim wanted to get away from Jason, he didn't seem to have the strength to. Jason said nothing, giving Tim a chance to say something.

"I didn't actually want him to die." Tim bleakly admitted.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked, having a good inclination as to what Tim was referring to.

"I may have disliked his ego. His attitude. The fact that he took the title of Robin away from me. He was cocky and reckless, but I didn't want him dead."

Tim lightly started to shake and his lips trembled. Emotions were finally starting to surface, but Jason refused to let Tim go.

"He was so young." Tim reiterated. "Had a life ahead of him." Tim's hands covered wet eyes. "He's dead Jason. Damian's dead."

Jason slowly brought Tim closer, wrapping his arms around him in a calming embrace. Tim didn't fight it, too defeated to even if he wanted to. Tim slowly wrapped his arm around Jason digging his hands into the back of Jason's jacket. Jason didn't say a word, allowing Tim to cry in peace.

Jason reflected on his own experience, wondering about the effects of his own death. He knew that Bruce, Alfred, and Dick must have grieved, but he couldn't help but wonder if they responded similarly. Then there was Tim, who came around having to carry the weight of not only the best Robin, but the murdered one. His feelings towards it were understandable. Pressuring and full of expectations, that much was certain. But that was years ago. Time went on, people changed, and now, it was Damian's unexpected turn.

Admittedly, Jason grieved for Damian in his own way. He was sad, he mourned, and was upset at Bruce for letting it get that far. Sure, it wasn't entirely Bruce's fault given the circumstances, but Jason couldn't help but give Bruce at least some of the blame. It wasn't worth mentioning, at least not yet.

This time was different. While Jason had died, he wasn't know. Jason was alive this time, as was everyone else, and got to see everyone's experiences for himself. Damian was difficult, but everyone seemed to care for him on one level or another. Everyone grieved for him in their own way. Bruce secluded himself. Alfred cried. Dick felt a whirlwind of emotions given the close bond he and Damian had developed over the years, through the eldest Robin's tutelage and eventual familiar connection. It was an understanding set of emotions.

Then there was Tim, who was now sobbing in his arms. He disliked Damian for a lot of thing, most of which he listed, but he did harbor some care for the kid, even if he did hide it. Tim wasn't one for expressing a lot of sentiment either. He tried to hold it back, and with the recent events with the Joker, Jason was surprised that he was able to hold out for so long. Tim was trying so hard to be the rock, solid and unwavering, but he was slipping. It was sad seeing Tim falter in such a way.

A hand gently landed on the back of Tim's head. Fingers tangled in black hair. Comfort was the only thing that Jason could provide.

"It'll be okay." Jason whispered, trying to reassure Tim. "I mean, it won't exactly be okay, but it will get easier to handle."

"But he's dead." Tim cried. "How will that ever be okay?"

"It will. As long as his memory lives on, so too will he. Isn't that important?"

"His life was important."

"Of course it was, but we can't change what happened. Dwelling on it won't bring him back, but he won't be forgotten."

Tim released Jason's jacket prompting Jason to do the same. Jason gently guided Tim's face up to look at him. Eyes were rimmed with the remnants of tears.

"It's okay."

More tears fell at Jason's statement. Tim's face forced back down before closing in on Jason for another hug.

Chapter Text

Jason's apartment was eerily quiet as Tim snuck his way in through the window. He had finished a night of patrol, ready to call it a night. However, since he was close to Jason's, he didn't feel like returning to the manor. Tim notified Bruce of this, not wanting to cause a panic, to which Bruce reluctantly allowed.

Tim wasn't sure if Jason was home yet, with all of the lights off, he wasn't sure if he was gone or sleeping. Not that it mattered. He was usually the only one who periodically enter Jason's apartment and knew that if Jason saw the guest room occupied, he would alright with it. Tim went for the guest bedroom, knowing that he had some regular clothes in the closet for when he did stop by.

The sound of a troubled scream startled Tim. His head turned towards Jason's bedroom, noticing the door cracked open. Tim didn't move waiting to see if another sound would occur. It did, with Jason unconsciously hissing.

Tim slowly approached the room. The first thing entering the room was Tim's head. The light from Gotham shined in through the window that was altered slightly by the blinds, giving Tim enough light to see the room. He scanned Jason's room, taking an observed look. Jason was in bed, but it was less than a restful sleep. Blankets were knotted and Jason was sprawled out on the bed, twitching slightly.

"Jason?" Tim called, slipping into the room.

"No." Jason mumbled.

Tim approached the bed. He wanted to wake Jason up, but he wasn't sure how disoriented Jason would get by doing so. Tim watched as Jason's body contorted, mimicking movements of being struck with something. Jason clearly was having a nightmare, or worse a memory dressed as one.

"Bruce… I'm sorry." Jason weakly apologized. "Please help me. I… I… I don't want to die."

It was all starting to come together. Jason was reliving the moments before his death. And if Jason was begging for Bruce to help him, let alone apologizing to Bruce, Tim knew he must have been terrified in those final moments.

Tim couldn't watch this go on. He didn't want Jason to suffer from the memory this particular night. He knew he might not always be able to, but he could stop it this night. Jason didn't deserve to suffer. He already suffered enough as it was.

"Jason wake up." Tim requested, shaking Jason.

When Jason didn't respond, Tim tried shaking him again. What he didn't expect was Jason's reaction. Jason jolted up with a scream and in a blind scare, he hit Tim with the back of his hand. The hit knocked Tim over, causing him to fall of the bed, but he didn't care.

When Jason came to, he realized that Tim was there, sitting on the floor. His action coming back to him and Jason instantly regretted it. Jason got off the bed and kneeled in front of him. The subtle light from the street outside helped expose a red spot that formed around where Jason unconsciously hit Tim.

"I am so sorry." Jason apologized.

"It's okay." Tim admitted. "You didn't mean to."

Jason didn't respond, still a little shaken up from his nightmare. Tim processed what he had walked into. He had heard about Jason's death in detail, but hearing Jason relive it spoke volumes. It was trauma. Trauma that was still unresolved. The moves that Tim could guess was Jason getting hit with a crowbar and the pleas for help, struck Tim's core.

"I'm sorry." Tim shakily apologized.

"What are you apologizing for?" Jason asked, puzzled.

"You were young and must have been so scared."

Tim hugged Jason. He wanted to comfort Jason, but he was also troubled by Jason's past. Witnessing the residual trauma hurt Tim and he was sad. Not for himself, but for Jason. And while Tim knew couldn't fix everything, he did know he could do his best to be there for Jason.

"No one should have had to go through that alone." Tim admitted. "I'm sorry that you did. I'm here for you and I want to help."

Jason was a little surprised by Tim's words. Tim's words weren't of pity, but terrified understanding. He clearly wanted to help Jason. Tim wanted to be there for him. Tim, the very person to replace him, wanted to help him anyway he could. And while his pride wouldn't want him to accept it, Jason knew that Tim was being genuine. Jason returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Tim's small frame. He could feel tears tainting his shirt. Jason knew who they were for, and accepted them without hesitation.

"Thank you." Jason accepted.

He held Tim tight. Knowing that someone was there was wonderful. Tim's presence was a comforting one and Jason didn't want to let him go.