A Night Out

A Word: Request for a date night out where a guy won't take no for an answer and Jason starts to get a little jealous.

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Jason's ready to stab someone with his fork. He's just not sure who yet. Tim, himself, or the slimeball who pulled a chair up to their table without asking and just isn't taking the fucking hint to go fuck off.

"How is your wine list?" The man -Jason doesn't even know him which makes him either a business partner or too rich not to be stupid- asks the waiter with a confident smile that's meant to be charming, but sets Jason's teeth on edge. Or maybe it's the way he's been sliding steadily closer to Tim without even sparing a single look at Jason. Like he doesn't even fucking exist. "Oh you'll have to split a red with me if they have any good labels, Timmy!"

"No," Tim says with a smile, but his voice is firm as he shakes his head at the waiter. His eyes cutting to Jason with enough warning to make Jason bite his fucking tongue on the words he wants to say. The scene really wouldn't be worth it for them all. "We're not here to drink, Mr. Albany, or for work. You'll have to schedule a meeting with my secretary for that. Now if you don't mind-"

"Oh I don't mind at all," Albany says without showing any sign of taking the increasingly blatant hints Tim's dropping like breadcrumbs everywhere. Jason's beginning to think nothing short of a fist to the face is going to be enough. "Business can wait. Let's just enjoy ourselves here."

The waiter shifts uncomfortably as he catches on to the tension at the table. Eyes darting from Tim's serene face to Jason who probably looks as ready to murder Albany as he feels. "Ah. Perhaps I should-"

"Oh, yes, another menu. Please," Albany dismisses the waiter without looking away from Tim who is starting to grow really pissed. Jason can see it in the way his lips thin.

It's a stupid and obvious tactic. Dismissing anyone but Tim -including Jason who is very obviously his date- to show how beneath him Albany thinks they all are. It's a rich boy tactic designed to provoke a fight and induce a jealousy fueled breakup. It's verging on working for the first part, and only the knowledge that Tim hates this shit as much as Jason is keeping him in his chair right now. Not one damn bit of it is appealing to Tim because he's not your average rich kid who lives on drama like Albany.

"There's really nothing to discuss, Mr. Albany," Tim ignores and talks over a plea to go by first names. His smile turning hard as he pulls his hand away when Albany reaches out for it with a coy smile that gets a vein ticking in Tim's forehead. It's an expression somewhere between the board room and the rooftops, and Albany is too stupid to back off from it like he should. "So I'd really appreciate if you left the two of us alone."

Tim cuts to the chase, obviously tired of beating around and playing Albany's game. Bringing Jason in, and making it clear they're together. Not a couple of friends out for the evening and open to allowing others to join them.

Albany laughs and if Tim's lips go any thinner he's going to lose them entirely. "Now, Timmy, I'm sure that," he cuts his eyes to Jason and his lips quirk as if he's amused by something, maybe Jason's entire being, "he," and the dismissal in it is blatant, "doesn't mind me cutting in. We're all friends here right?"

Jason feels his lips peel back in a silent snarl as his hand goes tight around the fork he's going to bury in rich boy's eye. He doesn't get the chance though. Albany goes sprawling on the floor with a loud cry that gets them every eye in the damn place.

"No, we're not friends," Tim's back to smiling but it's sharp and falsely pleasant in a way that makes it very clear how angry he really is. How very close he is to letting that false face drop and go for the throat. "In fact you can tell that to your father when you explain to him why WE is no longer accepting requests to collaborate anymore. Now please stop insulting my boyfriend and leave before you do something you will really regret."

"Sir," the maƮtre d' is there with two other men who are larger and look like they might fulfill the role of bouncer for the posh restaurant Jason let Tim talk him into going to. "If you would come with me, I'm sure I can find you your correct table."

Albany goes relatively quietly after that. The combined threat of losing daddy his business prospects combined with the haughty looks of the high and mighty judging him enough to keep his trap shut for the moment. Jason doesn't ease up on the fork though, even after the jackass gets escorted right out of the place. "Why did I let you talk me into coming here?"

"Because you're a loving sap who would do anything to make me happy," Tim says as he folds up his napkin and places it on the table. An older man with a pleasant face comes up. Brittle smile on his face as Tim stands up. "It's not the fault of your fine restaurant Mr. Oveurs, but I find I've quite lost my appetite. I think we'll be leaving."

"You have my sincerest apologies, sir," the man immediately simpers as whispers start up around the room. Jason gets up, thankful for the excuse to leave as the man -obviously the owner- keeps spewing apologies for the trouble.

Jason lets Tim deal with that and goes to the front. He doesn't have a jacket but he takes Tim's from the smartly dressed woman who had taken it earlier. The woman gives him a grimacing smile that's all genuine sympathy before fading back into the woodwork as Tim comes up. The owner still trailing after him. "No, that's quite fine. I'm sure I can make a reservation like everyone else later. I just feel like going home right now. Thank you."

They're left alone on the streets and Jason feels Tim relax a bit as they head to the obscenely flashy car Tim insisted they take from Bruce's collection that night. Jason waits a bit longer before winding an arm around him. "You alright babe?"

"I'm fine," Tim lets out a sigh and leans into him. "I'm used to the insulting flirting, but I just can't stand it when they insult others trying to get my attention. How about you? I was starting to thing you were going to snap that fork in half."

"Only once it was lodged in the jackass' head," Jason growls, the last of his irritation fading away into a solid resentment that might make him do something stupid later in retaliation against Albany, but will at least let the spoiled fucker live. "I am hungry though. You want to swing by and pick up a pizza?"

"Yeah," Tim says with a wry laugh as he lets himself be pushed towards the passenger's seat. "I don't know why I bother thinking we're capable of anything but fast food."

"Because you're a loving sap who would do anything to make me happy," Jason says with a grin as he slides into the car, and leans over the cramped stick shift to plant a loud, smacking kiss to Tim's cheek. "Even though I'm really easy and would have settled for a microwave dinner with candle light as the perfect anniversary dinner."

"You're so romantic," Tim says, completely deadpan even as a stupid looking grin starts to tug his lips up.

"Damn right I am," Jason says as he reverses out of the tight parking spot and guns the engine. Determined to make the best use out of the borrowed car before returning it. They still have all night to make up for this mess after all, and an anniversary is just a date on the calender. Arbitrary and unnecessary as long as Tim decides he's going to keep staying right beside Jason. Fingers lacing over Jason's on the stick shift as Gotham blurs around them.

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