Jason always loved when Dick would swing into town, really he did, for whatever reason he had that time, it always so great to see him. Jason had been looking up to Dick way back before he had even met him. He was the original Robin, how could he not idolize him? When Dick official handed the mantle down to Jason, he never thought anything could get better than that. He was right, cause it lead to so many wonderful things, some pit falls, but nothing he couldn't soar past.

This visit had been because he just happened to be close by and decided to drop in. He and Bruce were still on rocky footing; lately it had been better so Jason had high hopes for this visit. That was, of course, until he found out that Bruce had told him all about Jason and Stray. Of all the things to talk about!

That was why, this one time when Dick stopped by, Jason was hiding from him, hoping to avoid him as much as humanly possible. He had gotten enough crap from Batman about dating a criminal, he was aware okay? He knew full well that it was a bad idea. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Dick's eyes, he wasn't sure he could handle it. Bruce's was bad enough.

Jason knew he couldn't ditch Dick forever, Gotham had been his backyard too and there were only so many places to hide before he got caught. He was just hoping Dick wouldn't be too invested in finding him. False hope was still hope.

What Jason really should have been thinking about was giving Stray head's up.

While Jason was running around the city in his civvies to blend in better, his little kitty was running around on roof tops hoping to catch a glimpse of a colorful bird. Having no idea he might run into a completely different bird.

"I am starting to question who ever allowed this many gargoyles in one city block." Stray muttered to himself, having checked behind…oh he had lost count of how many it was up to now, well past twenty five. There was still no sulky Robin's anywhere to be found, which tended to be Jason's method of dealing with things. Stray wondered if Batman was even going to let him go on any more solo patrol, at least not for a while.

Stray worried his bottom lip with his teeth, he was concerned, Robin never took this long to contact him; okay maybe he was just worried. Because Jason actually took a few days to get him a message, but the way he was freaking out made it seem like Batman might just lock him up in the basement or something, seemed the type. Though now he had a very mixed image of the Batman with the new information rattling around in his head.

Stray was about to move to another building, whip in hand and everything when something raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He lashed his whip out in warning while spinning around; ready for who ever thought it would be a good idea to sneak up on him.

The crack of the whip echoed and faded in the night, the sound of the city below swallowing the sound. Stray regarded this new stranger with keen interest; he would have remembered someone who looked like that.

"My, my~" He cooed, relaxing his position outwardly, but still ready for a fight if that was this man wanted. "Now who are you~?" Stray made a show of looking up and down the man in the tight body suit with the electric blue eagle splayed across the chest.

"Are you that Catlad I've been hearing about?" The man asked, his voice was dark and it sent Stray's nerves on edge. Better be careful.

"Actually it's Stray, but I'll forgive you this once, handsome~" He winked playfully under his goggles.

He cocked his hip to one side, resting his chin in his head as he regarded this man, friend or foe? Hero or criminal. In Gotham, it was always so hard to tell.

"Now how about you?" Stray asked again. "How did little ole me get your attention?" The man glared at him, probably not his friend then, it didn't stop him from sauntering up to him, making a little show of swinging his hips. You never know till you try, he told himself, as he did with every mark. At best it confuses them enough to catch them off guard. Stray watched closely to ever reaction, he was being just as carefully watched, what a fun game this could turn out to be.

"Nightwing." Stray was surprised he actually answered. "You know a friend of mine."

Nightwing, Nightwing, that was ringing a bell somewhere in the back of his mind but he couldn't remember why though. He was sure someone was telling him about Nightwing before, but he mustn't have been paying attention.

"Oh do I now~?" He purred, deciding to worry about that later. Stray stretched his arms above his head like he could care less, Nightwing's eyes followed the way his leather suit strained against his body as he did. Good, he could use that later. "Who would that be?" Those hidden eyes behind the dominion mask narrowed again.

Stray shrugged, starting to circle around Nightwing with his hands clasped behind his back, playfully swaying as he went, looking more up at the sky then at this new bird.

"Well you aren't much of a talker are you? Don't want to play with me~?" He saw the man tense around the jaw, interesting. "If you don't, why did you come find me? Need a job done?" He paused in front of him again.

"Not a chance." He spat, like he was disgusted with the very idea. Well fine, rude, be that way, at least get to the point.

"Then you have me at a loss, pretty boy, what do you want from me?" Stray asked; bored with this game, he huffed with his hands on his hips when Nightwing refused to do anything but glare at him.

Stray really should have seen it coming, honestly, how long has he been reading people, how embarrassing. He should have seen the levels of anger bubbling and rising. He should have seen Nightwing preparing to move, but that man was faster, faster than anything he's ever seen. Within seconds Stray had been shoved up against the wall that lead to the stairs, an escrima stick jammed across his throat so forcefully he had nearly chocked.

Nightwing was definitely NOT a friend.

Stray squirmed at first, only able to relieve a little of the pressure from the rod against his wind pipe with his hands. Nightwing was unfairly stronger than he was; he was an actual man while Stray was just barely starting to get body hair for crying out loud.

This could actually be bad.

"Aren't you…at least gonna buy me dinner first?" He wheezed, smirking at how pissed off that made Nightwing, he really shouldn't, but it was just his nature.

"Shut the hell up." Nightwing growled, tightening the pressure, he was not messing around. "Now you listen up, brat-"

"That's a bit rude." Stray coughed.

"Stay away from Robin, ya got me?"

Talk about coming from way left field. Stray stared at him and nearly forgot he was struggling to breathe. Instead of asking the obvious questions what he had to do with Birdie Boy or why Stray should, he went the stupid route.

"Make me~" He purred, it came out rough and strained, but he didn't give a damn.

All it got him was sharp left hook to the face, it hadn't been the first time he'd been punched in the face but damn it was painful all the same. It split the inside of his cheek and nearly knocked off his goggles which were now askew.

"You definitely owe me dinner." Stray said, not playful just annoyed as he spit blood on to the roof.

"I'm not kidding around here." Nightwing warned, he was starting to sound gravely like Batman.

It was pissing Stray off.

"Neither am I, you'll have to make me, handsome~" Stray taunted, giving him a shit eating grin with blood staining his teeth and dribbling out the corner of his mouth.

"What is your problem? You got a death wish?" Nightwing was starting to sound more concerned, must be the boy's first time in Gotham. Poor thing.

"I got a lot~ I don't really like being told to do things." Stray cocked his head to the side; the pressure had it up some from the rod, Nightwing must have been surprised with his attitude. "Seeing as you got me all pinned and what not, why don't you just get on with it or let me go, this was boring since you introduced yourself."

"You got moxy, I'll give you that." Nightwing muttered.

"Oh my god, are you from the thirties? Be still my heart~" Stray mocked, grasping the escrima stick and since Nightwing was NOT going to be letting him go any time soon, he decided to mess with him. "I'm sure there are more fun things we could be doing right now~" He purred, licking a long slow stripe along the rod while keeping eye contact with Nightwing.

The escrima stick dropped, not what Stray expected but he didn't waste any time to pose and strike Nightwing right in the solar plexus with a well-aimed kick. When he bent over, Stray used the jackass's back to vault over him and flip before landing on his feet.

"It was certainly 'swell' old man, but I gotta dash." He teased, racing to the edging, pulling out his whip, ready to fly into the night. Only Nightwing has apparently seen this trick before and decided to spoil it with a bola that wrapped around Stray's ankles and sent him sprawling on the roof top.

"Damn." Stray cursed, pushing his self-up and wiping gravel off his face. "I haven't fallen for that since I was twelve." He grumbled. "Oppf!" He wheezed when Nightwing, damn he was quick, flipped him on to his back and pressed a knee into his chest. This bastard really enjoyed cutting off his air flow.

"We aren't done here." Nightwing spat, pulling Stray up by the collar of his suit, punching him again in the face.

"What the fuck!" Stray had had it with this guy, his poor face! That was just as important as his tools in his line of work, like damn! Stray glared at Nightwing, who was finally showing an emotion, a cocky smirk that Stray wanted to claw off.

"Aw, kitten doesn't like it anymore?" Nightwing mocked, blocking Stray's attempt to swipe at him with his claws.

"Don't fucking call me that." Stray growled, his bottom lip was split, his throat was probably bruised and his face was definitely scratched up and battered.

"Don't tell me it's the first time you heard that one, Catboy." Nightwing was so damn smug, it was really reminding him of someone, but he couldn't place cause he didn't give a damn right now.

"Only one person is allowed to call me that and it's not you, ass face." Stray hissed, cutting the bola cord from his legs, but Nightwing just pinned his arms down with one freaking hand. This was totally not fair; Nightwing had at least fifty more pounds on him.

He was so dead.

"That's not very nice, I thought I was handsome?" Nightwing mocked, Stray really liked it better when he was the strong silent type. "I'm glad you are starting to take this more seriously, because I am not going to let you corrupt Robin. You are going to stay away from him, permanently."

"Are you going to kill me?" Stray growled, smirking when he went back to being silence. "Then you can't really stop me can you? Beside, I'm a bad guy, he's a good guy, and he tends to chase bad guys. Why don't you go tell him to stay from me." Stray took moment to rethink his wording. "But if you fucking even touch him, I will hunt you down and not even Batman will find your stupid carcass."

"Would you kill me?" Nightwing asked, not sounding like he was mocking him this time. He was pinning him with a judging look, like he was measuring the boy under him.

"If you hurt him, yes, I am a bad guy remember." Stray squirmed, getting angry just thinking about it, if this guy did anything to Jason, he would never forgive himself. He wouldn't allow it.

"You're a thief. Taking a life takes a lot more." Nightwing said with this dark edge to his voice, it didn't bode well with Stray. Sounded like experience.

"I'd do what it takes…" Stray said, his voice dropping into a whisper that was for himself not Nightwing. "…for him."

Nightwing squeezed Stray's wrists, great another bruise in the works, and then let go all together. He sighed before getting to his feet; he looked like he was letting him go. Stray was never one to trust something that looked too good; he was also one to fight dirty. He aimed a swift kick right to Nightwing's eggs and laughed when he went down.

Stray was on his feet and at the edge of the building before Nightwing stumbled back to his feet, good thing he was wearing a cup or that really would have hurt worse.

"I hope to not catch you around again, bird brain." He gave a two finger salute before he leapt off the side of the building, latching his whip to the building next door and flying off into the night. Now he couldn't be sure, he thought he saw Nightwing look…baffled? For just a second. Couldn't think of why. All he knew, was it was another time of hiding for him.

Great, he still hadn't found Jason.

What a waste of night.

Jason thought he had been having the best luck; Dick hadn't caught up with him, as far he could tell. Neither Nightwing nor Dick had been around this part of town at all. There were always whispers around on the street, especially about masked vigilantes running around and Jason had always been good at finding whispers.

It must be life finally giving him a break for once, cause this was Tim's part of city and he hadn't wanted Dick anywhere around him just yet. Jason made it to his apartment building with no problem. He scaled the fire escapes and the balconies without anyone noticing and when he finally dropped onto Tim's, he could tell the cat had just gotten home a little while ago. It was great timing.

It really was shaping out to be his night.

Though it was odd Tim had left the balcony door open like that, maybe he was hoping Jason would stop by? It didn't sit right with him; Tim was pretty paranoid about open doors. Still, Jason slipped inside and locked the door behind him. Jason could hear water running in the guest bathroom and Tim muttering to himself.

He debated on announcing himself or scaring the daylights out of Tim, it was tempting; he hardly ever got the drop on Stray. When he got to the bathroom though the idea evaporated, there were smears of red on the fine wooden door and Tim's cracked goggles on the floor and that strain he could hear in Tim's voice.

Jason pushed open the door avoiding the smear, instantly regretting it. Tim jumped out of his skin, reaching under the sink and spun around to shove a gun, a freaking gun, into his face with shaking hands.

"Jesus! Tim it's me!" Jason yelped, throwing his hands up, not taking his eyes off of the barrel until it was slowly lowered. Jason noticed Tim's hands weren't the only thing shaking; he was trembling from head to toe, barely keeping on his feet.

"Oh my god…" Jason breathed, slowly approaching him. "What happened to you?" He said in urgency, taking his boyfriend's face in his hands gently.

"Am I still pretty?" Tim asked meekly, trying to crack a smile.

"Tim, be serious. What the hell did you get into?" Jason demanded, looking around to find the first aid kit.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me." Tim muttered, putting the gun down in the sink. "It was nothing." He assured him.

"What? You call this nothing? You are bleeding! You just pulled a gun on me; you are scared shitless so don't bullshit me." Jason snapped, gently cleaning the blood off his face and trying not to add to much pressure to his split lip.

"I'm a criminal." He hissed when Jason touched his lip. "I get into bad shit sometimes, I handled it." That was bull; he barely got out of that.

"Tim." Jason leveled him with a look. "I know when you are lying."

"Ha! No you don't, I'm very good at it, it's part of the gig." Tim scoffed, slumping back against the sink. "Can I have a kiss?" He asked softly.

"No." Jason said sternly; faltering when Tim started pouting at him, damn that boy. "It'll just hurt!" He tried to reason, but that cursed pout just grew. "Fine! But don't complain when it hurts." He grumbled, trying to kiss him as lightly as humanly possible.

Tim didn't seem to agree with that idea, he pushed off the sink and pushed even more into the kiss, digging his fingers into Jason's hair and tugged whenever he felt Jason try to pull away. Yes his lip hurt, but he didn't care, he wanted nothing more than lose himself in this amazing boy right now, he pressed his body against Jason's. He sighed through his nose in bliss, even though Jason had seemed worried, it didn't damper his eagerness to return the passion that Tim sparked up and it was just like a drug to Tim. Jason took charge, backing him into the sink again, Tim should have known it was just stop Tim from distracting him.

"Mm, dammit Tim." Jason gasped when he finally managed to get an inch away from him. "Stop avoiding the question." He growled, narrowing his eyes.

Tim felt some sort of lightening go off in his brain killing the high he just gotten, realizing why Nightwing rang a bell when he first heard it, Jason had talked about him once. Something about his face, it was so much like Nightwing's just now. What did that mean?

"What?" Jason asked concerned.

"I got in a fight." Tim blurted out. "I underestimated them and then got out." He said in a rush. "I don't want to talk about work. I want to make out with my boyfriend, I didn't even think I was gonna see you so soon." He whined, he actually lowered himself to whining.

"I'm not letting it go, you will talk later." Jason said with finality, Tim hated it cause he knew Jason would get him to talk. "But yea…well…that kind of got passed over…a family visitor came and so it was a pretty good distraction, sort of." Jason shrugged; he didn't want to talk about that any more than Tim wanted to explain his fight.

"Whatever gives you time with me~" Tim said, playfully licking Jason's lips to cover the fact he was getting his own blood off them. "Come on, I need out of this suit and would very much enjoy it if you helped~" He laughed at the red in Jason's face as he took his hands and led him to the bedroom. "It's just too much fun~" Tim hummed to himself.

"That's not funny." Jason defended.

"Birdie, it is always funny."

Hours later, when it was starting to get late even for them, after the teasing and the kisses they exchanged, Jason said he had to face the music and go home. He at least could avoid people if he acted like he was sleeping. Tim hated to let him go, but they couldn't very well repeat what got Jason in trouble in the first place.

"I'll come see you again really soon, maybe do this again, just as myself." Jason said shrugging as he straddled the railing of the balcony.

"I would really like that~" Tim purred, he just couldn't get enough of looking into Jason's eyes and not having to see red or white.

Jason blushed, looking away; he was pretty shy for such a boisterous boy. Tim loved that about him. And loved teasing him about it too.

"Try not to run into any crazies on the way home." Tim advised.

"This is Gotham." Jason snorted.

Tim shrugged, he had him there. "Goodnight, Birdie boy." He said, chastely kissing him goodnight. Jason looked so adorable with that dopey puppy love look on his face.

"Goodnight, Kitten~" Jason winked with a two finger salute before he dropped off the side of the balcony, a grappling hook shooting off in the dark.

"Oh…" Tim said, it dawning on him that he was starting to pick up Jason's mannerisms as his own. He hadn't even noticed.

"Oh my god…" Tim muttered, turning and sliding down the railing of the balcony. "When did this get so real?" He mumbled to himself, because it had, they shared clothes, late night romance and were really starting to rub off on each other. "I think I'm in love with that idiot."

Stray was in trouble now, he could feel it. Robin had always been trouble, but now Jason was danger. Tim loved the thrill and the danger.

He dropped his face into his knees, hissing in regret at how sore he felt. He needed to go talk to Selina, this was getting out of hand and he didn't know what to do with all this.

Nightwing threatening him was also something he should bring up with her, she would know more about him for sure, and mama cat knew pretty much everything that went down in Gotham to an extent. She might even be able to help him deal with the problem if Asswing ever did do anything to his precious bird, association or not, he never trusted someone who messed up his face.

But for tonight, he was going to take some pain killers, clean the blood off his bathroom surfaces and hope sleep comes to him easily tonight. He'd like to dream of his pretty birdie and about a life where they were just kids and not vigilantes and criminals.

It was going to be a rough week, he could just feel it.