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Tim, despite being smart, found himself regretting his choices more often than he was proud to admit. Like when he got knocked out during a fight with some random ass goons because he was too distracted joking around with Dick (though, to his defense, that was only 50% his fault), it happened when he decided that drinking ten energy drink cans in a row after not sleeping for 30 consecutive hours was a good idea (Alfred had never looked more disappointed), and, in a most recent turn of events, also when he had asked Jason to stop calling him replacement.
It's not that he felt bad about demanding kinder treatment now that Hood was playing it nice with the bats once again—that, he thought, was fair. No, it was because the nicknames Jason had started using to substitute it had him shuddering. And listen: it was an improvement. He was not being referenced to as a spare, or a thief. And technically speaking, they were nice. Problem was: they were too nice.
Jason apparently had taken it upon himself to find the sweetest way to annoy him.
Jokes on him, because Tim loves that shit. He just won't show it. Or at least he tried not to, but his immunity was fairly affected by the fact that he had a huge, fat, pathetic crush on his predecessor, and gosh he hated that he was loving it.
"On watch duty tonight, sweet cheeks?"
Even through the helmet's voice modulator, he could hear Jason's amusement.
Smug bastard.
"Don't you have heads to cut in your corner of the city, Hood?" he tried to play it cool. Jason wasn't close enough to hear his rapid heartbeat, so he could take advantage of that.
"Business is getting bigger. I started delegating. I even have someone to act as my assistant to lessen my load."
"Color me proud. Anyone you want to recommend? There might be an opening for entry-level head bashers at Wayne Industries."
"Find your own weirdos, sugar plum."
"That was gross even for you." Tim grimaced.
Jason laughed, sitting down beside Tim on the ledge of the building, legs dangling down the sides, and took Tim's binoculars out of his hands. Which, is worth noting, had the sole purpose of annoying him, since he knew for a fact that his helmet already had the necessary tech to zoom in when needed.
The warehouse had been completely dead for the last three hours. Barbara provided him with company for the first one, where they talked about possible upgrades for their security system at the cave, but then Batman and Robin had to go looking for some inmates that had escaped Arkham. Again.
That place is the one that needs the security improvement, actually.
So he had spent the next two hours doing nothing more than thinking of Jason's godly chest, his beautiful green eyes, the adorable white streak on his hair, and his drool-provoking, beefy thighs; and if that was not proof that you could actually manifest things, he didn't know what was.
"Eyes up here, sweetheart." Jason purred.
Yep, definitely not imagining those. Maybe it was also just wishful thinking, but when he actually met Jason's eyes, he swore there was a fondness to them.
But what did he know, really. He was such an unreliable narrator.
"Can't you go back to calling me 'replacement'? You're grossing me out with these ridiculous pet names." Tim snapped, hiding behind fake anger.
He also recovered his binoculars and went back to his watch (at least pretending to). Jason hummed, not sounding convinced. He took the helmet off, and leaned towards Tim, making him go stiff when he whispered almost seductively in his ear:
"Is that why you shudder every time a give you a new one, pretty thing?" and as if to prove his point, Tim did just that. "The blush says otherwise, though." Jason added.
Tim resisted the urge to moan, because he would literally throw himself fifteen floors down and end it all with a splat, than give him the satisfaction of knowing the effect his teasing had on him. He pushed Jason away instead, doing his best to regain his composure. For whatever reason, the other man decided to leave it at that and put on his helmet again to get a better view of the place.
"We should go in." Jason suggested. "I saw you sitting on this same spot hours ago, which means you're not getting what you want from up here."
And Tim didn't want to agree, but this was already the third night he had been there, watching from the distance.
"Come with me?" Tim asked, in a moment of weakness. "It's safer that way." he added to save face.
"I did say 'we', honeybunch."
Tim got on his feet and let Oracle know he was moving on with the operation, and that Hood was backing him up. "No shooting anyone" he warned.
"I promise to keep the bullets life-friendly, scout's honor," Jason said, putting one hand up and the other one over his heart.
"How very compliant of you."
"I can play nice when I want to."
If Tim was a tad bit more delusional, he would believe that there was some innuendo laying under those words. Alas, he was a smart and grounded detective, and there was a precedent of Jason saying just about anything to get under his skin.
What I'd give for him to get under me, instead, Tim thought, and immediately got embarrassed for it.
"We're looking for crates. Batman thinks that Crane's been working on a new type of gas. Depending on how much they could be hiding in there, we'll call for backup to confiscate it or do it ourselves to hand over to the police department. And if possible, we need to secure a sample and send it to the lab. Two or three tubes will do to work on an antidote." Tim recounted, as they rappeled down the building. "Don't shoot, Hood, I'm being serious, we don't know what's in there, or if our current filters work."
"Loud and clear, muffin."
"I'm going to kill you."
"You just said no lethal force."
"I said no bullets," Tim argued, and put on his own mask. "Red Robin and Red Hood going in, over."
Following the map he had memorized, Tim led the way. The hallways of the warehouse were dusty and desolate, but they knew it was nothing but a façade. Checking the first four rooms, they found nothing of importance, but by the fifth door, Tim could see signs of recent usage. He remembered that this was the unloading area, and that they could enter through the air ducts—which were, surprisingly, big enough to fit Jason. Using sign language, he communicated his intentions and started working on removing the lid of the vent, high up the ceiling. Tim swallowed hard when Jason lifted him up in the air without a hitch, and thank god for bat-training, because he would not have been able to keep a poker face otherwise. After, they crawled all the way to the closest vent that could give them —or Tim, since he was the one in front— a view inside the room; they could see at least eight thugs carrying rifles through the shutters, and a concerning amount of boxes, stacked up high across the place. Yep, they had to call for backup.
"Definitely no regular drop-shipping" signed Tim, winking back at Jason.
"And you were going to waste more time waiting for an invitation, huh, sunshine?" Jason gave him a silent slap on the butt.
"Shut up" Tim answered with a gentle kick, ears going red.
They kept going through the ducts until they found an exit that could hide their presence.
"All right, how do you want to do this, baby bird?" Jason murmured softly, once they were on the ground and hiding behind a mountain of crates.
Tim pondered, "You go left, I go right. They're making rounds around the room. Knock them out when they're out of sight, so the others don't notice."
"Aye aye, captain"
All things considered, Red Hood and Red Robin made a great team. Out of all the Gotham vigilantes, Tim somehow felt that Jason was the one who accepted his orders the easiest, and that left him feeling all mushy inside. Eleven guys tied up and a few new bruises later, they gathered at the center of the room.
"Those weren't eight. Have you forgotten how to count, Red?"
Tim ignored him, and proceeded to let Oracle know that they should get backup to move the crates before Scarecrow could unleash whatever was in those flasks, "Shut up and help me open one of these."
"Batman, Nightwing and Robin are on route with the GCPD, Red Robin." anounced Barbara. "The warehouse crew?"
"Taken care of." Tim finished the conversation and looked at his partner.
"We meet again, old friend." Jason caressed the crowbar he found lying around.
"Hood!" Tim hissed. "It's not funny!"
"My trauma, my jokes. Step aside, princess." and he used it to unbolt the wooden box.
"Perfect, let me put some on my bel-"
"Red, get down!"
Tim was pushed away from the stream of bullets that came in their direction. Apparently, there had been twelve goons in the building. Jason hunched over Tim's body and swore angrily. Rolling off of Tim, he fiddled with his own gun and loaded the ammunition. In a matter of seconds, right when they heard the sound of an empty clip, Jason stood up and shot the guy unconscious.
"Hood, I said no bullets!" Tim shouted frantically.
"They're rubber! And he shot real ones first!" Jason yelled back, throwing his arms in the air and feeling wrongly accused.
To his defense, he also only shot two times and hit the target, which was not what could be said for the other man's pathetic aim. It, unfortunately for them, had manage to hit multiple boxes, that were now leaking a blue-ish gas around them.
"Damn it." Tim spat. "O, some boxes were hit by enemy fire. We're compromised. Tell the team to hold off on entering until the gas dissipates."
"Is it fear gas?" asked Barbara in a worried tone.
"It's a new color, for all that's worth. I don't know."
"Are you feeling anything? Dizziness, pain, an uncontrollable need to laugh?"
"Nothing besides the usual horniness I get around Jason."
The world froze around Tim.
"Um, what?" asked Barbara.
"What?" repeated Jason behind him.
Maybe he should have just let himself get shot. That way, he would not have blurted out something that embarrassing not only to his sister figure but to his crush. In his face. Tim turned around, eyes darting everywhere but at Jason, and tried to think of a way to get out of this situation.
"I did not meant to say that outloud."
"But did you mean it?"
"Yes." Tim's eyes widened in horror, slapping both hands to his mouth. "Why did you even ask that?"
"Because knowing makes me happy"
"Knowing I lust after you makes you happy?"
"It's something to work with if I want to date you"
"You want to DATE ME?"
"I have a feeling you guys are dosed with some kind of truth serum" Barbara cleared her throat over the comms, reminding them that she was still an unwilling participant of the conversation. "Get to your safehouses and take some blood samples. Report if your condition deteriorates."
"And please, keep this off of our radio frequencies!"
"Nightwing?!" Tim wailed, begging the earth to swallow him whole.
"Mind your business, old timer." Jason was still trying to get Tim to look at him, but for every step he took in his direction, the younger man backed up an extra two.
"I'm trying to, that's why I said that! Do you think I'm not confused at th-!"
"We'll talk later, N, bye!" and Tim turned off the device with a tap on his ear.
The cat and mouse chase continued until Jason managed to pin Tim against the brick wall of the warehouse.
"So, is it just my body or do you like me too?" he breathed, leaning closer.
"Of course I like you, Jason." Tim blurted, before he could stop himself. "Stop talking to me. This is embarrassing."
"And yet you're the one refusing my request for a date, cutie pie." Jason pointed out, his lips near Tim's ear. The shudder that followed was impossible to hold back for Tim "I love seeing you squirm every time I flirt with you."
"You were flirting with me?!"
That made Jason explode in a delighted laughter. Suddenly, he got a hold on his gun again and shot around the room. Tim saw what appeared to be the remains of a couple of security cameras —for extra measure, since they had already interfered with the system before getting into the building to go undetected— and took off his helmet and domino.
He then went on to gently unmask Tim too "Let's see those pretty big blues."
Jason cupped his face in his palm, thumb grazing his cheek, and made him meet his eyes. He spent a while admiring Tim.
"Beautiful, gorgeous, angel,…" Jason said, the words almost a caress.
"What are you doing?"
"Precious, love, baby."
"Jay?"
"I like you, Tim." Jason declared, voice low and husky, "I've liked you for a while."
And Tim knew he had accumulated a great amount of good karma across his vigilante life. He had been a good son, a decent hero, a great student and boss. Yet, he was convinced he had to be cashing out a bigger amount of past life good deeds, because there was no way that the man he had been pined after for years was confessing to him. The only reason he believed it now was because the words he blurted out earlier would only have been spoken out loud due to the truth serum, which Jason had also been bathed in.
"I-… I didn't notice"
Jason snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah, I could tell. Did you really not find it weird that I kept bumping into you lately?"
"I thought you wanted to tease me about the "replacement" thing!"
"Well, I did appreciate you giving me an opening to make my move, but at some point you had to piece things together, man, you're smarter than this."
"Did you know that I like you?" Tim squinted his eyes at Jason.
"I had my suspicions. The domino can only do so much to disguise the fact that you're obssessed with my thighs."
"I'd let you choke me between those thighs, oh my god, get away from me!"
"I want to call you by all the pretty names I can think about."
"Thanks, you're a poet, and I'm a perv." Tim rolled his eyes.
"I want to call you mine." Jason added.
And if Tim wasn't going insane then, he surely was now.
"Why are you so sweet? It makes me want to go down on you, stop it!" he yelled.
"I wouldn't stop you."
"JAY!"
Tim groaned, letting his head hit against the wall. "This is the worst" is what he wanted to say, but, due to their current situation, he blurted out instead: "I could happily die right now and regret nothing."
Jason smiled, eyes filled with a strange mix of mischief and adoration. He leaned in to kiss the tip of Tim's nose.
"That's not good, pretty bird. There's so much to live for."
"Is that so?"
"Yep," lips popping at the p sound. "But for now, let's get out of here. We've got a loooong night ahead of us."
"So the gas gets absorbed through the skin? That sounds like a pain in the ass."
"B is already working on the counteragent, and at least Nightwing and Robin managed to catch Scarecrow and send him on his way to Blackgate. He can't perfect his formula now."
"Well, there's that. Crazy scientists I tell you, they always find a way."
"So does love."
"Babs…" Tim whined.
"Fine, fine. I'll get the details out of you one way or another later. Back to the serum, any after-effects?"
Tim shaked his head, even if Barbara couldn't see him. "No, the effect lasted for about three hours. I ran a blood sample through the lab here at home and it seems nothing got damaged internally. I'll drop by the mansion later for a more detailed round of tests."
"Ok, good for you, Tim" and he knew she wasn't talking only about his health.
"Thanks, Babs. I'll hang up, bye."
Letting out a sigh, Tim placed the phone on his night stand and looked at the clock. 8 a.m. He had time to take a shower and have a nice breakfast before leaving for the Wayne residence before midday to avoid traffic. He pondered his options, still tired from the life-changing events of the last night. The need to postpone stuff was strong, but maybe it was better to get all the checkups out of the way and then he could rest. He threw the blankets aside and got up. Or at least he tried to, before an arm appeared across his mid-section and pulled him back to the bed.
"And where do you think you're going, hm?"
Tim smiled, smitten with the man pressed against his back.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was enjoying your presence, which I cannot do if you leave this mattress. So, if you'd be so kind…" Jason threw his leg across Tim's, effectively pinning him down.
"Jay, I already messaged Alfred that we would drop by today."
"No. Bed warm. Tim soft. Outside bad."
"If we don't go, they'll send someone." Tim argued. "Probably Dick. A traumatized Dick, by the way. Ready to interrogate."
"Ugh. I can probably shoot him. He'd be tresspassing."
"It'd be a crime lord's word against a cop's."
"This world is twisted."
Squirming his way around Jason's warm embrance, Tim finally managed to turn around and face the man he was now dating to drag him into a sweet morning kiss that did not take long to turn messy. During the night, he had come to realize that despite years and years of dreaming and drooling over Jason, his imagination ran quite short. Reality was so much more intense. Lips were softer, looks were deeper, hands were rougher. Tim was utterly fucked (in more ways than one). He could never go back to mental imagery. But thankfully, he didn't have to.
"The sooner we get this over with, the faster we can go on that date you mentioned."
Jason smirked.
"Whatever you say, hot stuff."