Title: Strange Bedfellows
Fandom: DC (au)
Rating: PG
Pairing: Bruce/Jason
Warning: none
Summary: "I knew a boy named Tim once, he was my friend."
A/N: I really wanted to introduce Tim to this storyline somehow and was really inspired by an episode of Law and Order: SVU about child prostitution. Long story short this little girl managed to escape with the help of a boy named Daniel, who they spent a majority of the episode looking for. So then I figured that Tim could be a prostitute too, so I wrote this as kind of an explanation to introduce Tim. I have one other fic to get done before I can bring him in permanent like. Please enjoy, feedback means a lot.
"Who's Tim?"
The question takes Jason by surprise and leaves him speechless, Alfred decides to elaborate.
"Tim, you keep saying his name in your sleep."
Jason knows that by 'saying' Alfred probably meant screaming, but he's nice enough to not actually say it.
"He's nobody I know." Jason says, but his tone is so blank it's painfully obvious it's a lie.
It's quiet for a long moment, and Jason thinks that maybe it's because Alfred is just going to let the issue go.
"I've always thought that strangers in my dreams, no matter how odd they may seem, are based off of someone I know, or have seen before." Alfred says this like it's just some trivial bit of information of little importance, but then most of the time Alfred spoke as though everything he says isn't that big a deal, it's part of why he was so easy to talk to.
Jason knows this whole conversation would be a lot easier if he at least tries, and he trusts Alfred, sort of.
"I knew a boy named Tim once, he was my friend." Jason smiles for an instant, a bittersweet smile (the kind Alfred saw Dick wear when he was remembering his own parents), but it's gone in a second and he's scowling again. "I haven't seen him in years." he says softly.
There's a flash of something across Jason's face that Alfred recognizes as guilt, he decides that it's time to change the subject. And it's not long before they both leave the room in favor tea and
Gingersnaps.
"Don't be stupid, I'm not going to let anything happened to you."
"You promise?"
"I swear."