["Souhaiter"- to hope for; to wish for; feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen]
About an hour later, Jason was getting antsy. Sure, nothing too bad had happened, but this still felt like way too much social interaction for one day. Besides, it would take him and Sasha at least an hour to get back to the safehouse, and that was being generous. Gotham was always a traffic filled hellhole after all, no matter what time of day it was.
"Not that this hasn't been fun and all," he said, only being half-sarcastic, but managing to successfully draw everybody's attention, "but we have to get going. We've got a long drive."
Sasha broke off from her conversation with Duke, pouting slightly. However, she stood up to grab her coat with no complaint, making Jason feel a little guilty. It was true, though. If they wanted to be able to do any patrolling a before heading out to Roy's tomorrow, they needed to get some decent sleep tonight. Besides, he had a suspicion about a new drug that he and Sasha had been encountering, and he needed to be on his top game if he wanted to investigate properly.
Everyone stood up, saying cheerful goodbyes. Dick pulled Jason in for a hug, which he tolerated a bit longer than usual in an effort to make up for his jerkish behavior from earlier, but he squirmed out of the older man's contact the second he began to squeeze.
"Okay, okay," Jason scowled, pointedly dusting off his jacket. "That's about the end of my goodwill. See you later, Dickiebird."
Luckily, Dick didn't take offense. He merely beamed, looking pleased he'd even gotten that much.
"Of course, Little Wing! Don't be a stranger!"
Jason huffed, but didn't protest the nickname, "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
Next to him, Tim hid a smile, "Be careful, Jason. Your sentimentality is showing."
"Shut it, Timothy," despite his harsh tone, he still held out a fist to his younger brother. Tim smirked, fist-bumping him. "Try to stay out of trouble, red. I'd hate to have to swoop in and save your ass again."
"Oh please," he rolled his eyes. "Who, out of the two of us, is most often the one getting shot at?"
"I see your point, but I'm going to ignore it because it goes against my argument."
"Wonderful," Tim said dryly. "Somehow, I feel like I should have expected that."
"Hey," Jason shrugged. "I live to please."
Duke came over, slinging a friendly arm across Jason's shoulders.
"It was good to finally meet you, man," he said, smiling. "I hope this won't be the last time we get to hang."
Jason eyed him for a moment, but didn't shake off his arm, "You got a phone? Y'know, for patrolling and shit?"
Duke blinked bemusedly at the non-sequitur, but nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, it's…" he rummaged through his jacket for a moment, before producing the smartphone with a flourish. "Right here."
"Let me see it for a sec."
Duke shrugged, handing it over without a protest. Jason quickly pulled up his contact list, inputting his number and being sure to add the emergency symbol next to it. All the bat-issued phones had that capability- just in case shit really went south and they couldn't access the comms.
"Here," he gave it back, letting Duke see what he'd done. "There's my 'work' number, in case you get into trouble. Actually, maybe you should get Sasha's too, in case I can't be reached for some reason."
To his surprise, Duke's cheeks flushed slightly.
"U-uh, yeah… About that," he said, avoiding eye-contact with a sheepish expression. "Sasha already gave me her number earlier. In case something happens, of course."
"Of course," Jason repeated, feeling wicked glee bubble up inside him. He was so gonna be teasing the two of them about this later, especially after all the zombie jokes and terrible puns Duke had been throwing at him all night.
"Jay, you coming?" Sasha called, staring at him with a suspicious expression. He was almost proud. Her instincts had clearly gone off at the thought of potential embarrassment. Not to mention, she'd picked up that skeptical look from him.
"Yeah, I'm on my way!" he yelled back, leaving Duke with one last smirk before heading over to his teenage partner.
Bruce was standing next to her, and now that Jason was paying attention, he felt guilty for abandoning her so long. The man wasn't saying anything, just standing there- actually, looming might have been a better choice of word. No wonder Sasha looked so eager to get the hell out of there.
"Jason," he said, before pausing and leaving the two in a stilted silence.
"…Yes?" Jason tried, eyeing him like a smoking bomb. "What's up, B?"
"It was… good, to have you here," Bruce said, looking like it was physically painful to be expressing so much emotion. "You should come by more often. We miss you."
"Thanks," Jason mumbled, oddly touched and trying not to show it. Things had been pretty quiet this time around. There hadn't been much talk of their 'night-time activities', and when there had been, it'd all been quite civil. And Bruce, not even once bringing up anything from the days when he first returned to Gotham? That was a goddamned miracle. It was almost too good to be true.
Bruce broke the silence, clearly about to break out into hives from all the good feelings floating around.
"Well, have a good rest of your night."
Then he did something he hadn't done in a long time. Bruce moved forwards, taking plenty of time to let Jason track his movements if he wanted to dodge. But Jason stayed still, consumed by a mixture of shock and hope.
Gently, Bruce pulled him into a hug. His hands were unbearably careful when they circled around him, making sure not to put any pressure on the scars that still ripped through his back.
Jason stood there blankly for a moment, before hesitantly returning the embrace. He shivered when his hands brushed against the man's feathers, such a dark shade of blue that they were almost black. Bruce had always been different from the rest of them, in that way. He dyed his wings when he was going out as 'Brucie', allowing his true colors to shine only at night, as Batman. A time when no one would be able to properly see them, where they would never be illuminated by the light. It was only at times like these, unburdened by criminals or the press, that he allowed himself the luxury of his soul. Because as any member of their family knew, Brucie was just as much a mask as Batman was. He was a little closer to himself as Batman, but not quite. Bruce Wayne, their father, was the true face of Gotham's protector.
As a kid, letting his own wings flare out as he pranced around the Batcave, he'd never been able to appreciate that. Now, he knew it all too well. A soul was a precious thing, and wings were a way for everyone to see what was there in the depths of his heart.
Jason didn't have wings anymore. So, what did that say for his soul?
He didn't know. He'd tried to answer that question once while he'd still been living with Talia. When he'd been angry and hurt and truly soulless. He hadn't found a solution, but he had found the very last vestiges of his wrecked heart. That had to count for something.
Jason pulled back, coughing awkwardly. The two of them avoided each other's gazes, inexplicably embarrassed.
Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes fondly.
"C'mon, Jason. We should head out before it gets any later."
"Right," Jason said eagerly, grabbing onto that thread of conversation like a lifeline. "See you later, Bruce. And… thanks for having us. It was good to see you again."
Immediately after, he seized Sasha and made his escape. God, why had he been acting so unbelievably sappy recently?
He'd have to beat up some drug dealers or something later, just to make sure he wasn't losing his edge.
As the two of them hurriedly approached the bike, shielding themselves against the stiff Gotham breeze, Jason just couldn't resist one last parting shot.
"So, Duke? Man, you sure work fast," he teased, feeling vindicated when Sasha's face flushed violently, sputtering. "I mean, you only had for a few hours, and you managed to get a number already? Maybe I should be taking my dating advice from you."
"Oh come on, leave me alone!" she scoffed, shoving him lightly. "You haven't managed to land even one date in all the time I've known you, so any advice would help you at this point!"
"Oi!" he protested. "When did this become about me?"
"You brought it up," she pointed out, rolling her eyes. Then, her expression turned sly, and she slanted him a mischievous look. "Y'know, you might be able to actually go out with any of those people you try and flirt with if you didn't immediately leave them behind the moment Roy needs something."
"Roy's my teammate, and my friend," Jason argued, though weakly. "If he needs me, I should be there no matter what I'm doing."
She stared at him for a moment, incredulous.
"Jeez, and you say you aren't in love with him," she taunted after a second of recovery.
"I…" Jason breathed out through his nose, trying to figure out how to phrase it. "I-I might be. Y'know, maybe."
Sasha didn't let up, staring at him more intently than she had the Super Friends, "Might be what?"
"In love with him," Jason admitted, staring at the ground. He only looked up when Sasha gently touched his cheek. She was beaming proudly, and something in Jason's heart swelled.
He swallowed, managing a grin, "You… don't look surprised. Is it really that obvious?"
"Oh yeah," she laughed. "Extremely obvious."
Jason's eyes widened, a terrible thought occurring to him, "Shit, do you think Roy knows? He hasn't said anything, but you know that guy- he'll never say that it bothers him unless I start trying to molest him- oh God, what if I've been making him uncomfortable this whole time and he just never told me-"
"Jason!" Sasha forcibly got his attention, looking him straight in the eye. "Calm. Down. Roy does not hate you, he is not gonna refuse to see you or tell you not to talk to Lian or whatever else you're thinking. He's your best friend."
Jason took a shuddering breath, concentrating on the sound of her voice.
She released him a moment later, eyeing him carefully, "Better?"
"Better," Jason agreed, gradually untensing his strained muscles.
"Good," she nodded firmly. "Now, I don't know if he's aware. The only way to find out is to ask."
He grimaced, wishing fervently that there was some kind of magic cure for this whole 'confession' thing.
"So I've been told."
"Then I won't say anymore!" Sasha allowed, returning to her previous cheery state. "Now, really, let's get out of here. At this rate I'll fall asleep while we're riding through main street."
"You got it, kiddo," Jason laughed.
/=\
It was almost eleven by the time they got back to the safehouse, and Sasha truly was about dead on her feet. Jason grabbed her helmet before it could crash onto the ground, having slipped from her numb fingers.
"Alright, bedtime," he said, gently helping her inside.
He was a lot less gentle when a moment later, a flash of red from the living room made his instincts take over. He shoved her behind him, pulling out a gun to aim at the intruder.
"What the fuck do you- oh. Kori," he nearly sighed in relief. He was not up for a big fight right now. "What's up? You need something?"
The Tamaran princess merely smiled regally from where she was floating, crimson red hair flowing behind her in it's usual gravity-defying manner, "I simply wish to speak with you, Jason. It will not take long."
"Alright," he agreed, shrugging. He turned to Sasha, giving her a sheepish grin in apology. "You alright to go ahead, kid?"
She nodded, smothering another yawn in the process. "Y-yep, I'm fine."
Sasha wandered over to Kori, giving her a brief and clumsy hug, before stumbling off in the direction of their bedroom.
Jason watched her go fondly, before a light giggle drew his attention back to his alien teammate.
"You are happy with her," she observed, a wealth of affection in her eyes. "I'm glad. You deserve happiness."
Jason scratched the back of his head, Alfred's words from earlier echoing in his mind, "Yeah… I guess so. Thanks, Princess."
She floated over to him, caressing his cheek, "Think nothing of it, my friend. After all, she is not the only one you are happy with."
"Hm?" he blinked confusedly.
"You are happy with me," Kori explained, pulling herself closer to him until the sight of her hair rippling around them made him think of old, dead wings. "You are happy with your family. You are happy with Roy, with Lian. Even Jade, when she is here. But you are the happiest of all, when we are all together. You deserve to be happy, Jason. Don't let fear take away your chance at gaining it."
He stood stock-still, unsure of how to reply. She gently guided him to the couch, letting him lay down with his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, humming lowly.
The last thing he saw, eyes fuzzy with incoming slumber, was a pair of deep green eyes and a wreath of fire surrounding them.