A few days had passed as Dick tried to find and talk to Jason, but to no avail. The man seemed to be actively avoiding him. Jason had kissed him, and now he was running from him. It was all a bit confusing, but they needed to talk. Alas, no matter where Dick looked, he couldn't find Jason.

By the forth day, Dick found himself at the manor, sitting at the kitchen island with his chin on his hand, talking to Alfred about it. He could always count on Alfred to lend him his ear.

"I mean, I don't get it, Alfred. He kissed me, and then took off! Just like that! And now I think he's avoiding me! I can't find him anywhere," Dick said with an exasperated sigh. Alfred turned and slid a cup of tea across the kitchen island to Dick.

"There you are Master Richard; Earl Gray Tea, your favorite," Alfred said evenly. Dick flashed him a smile and sipped his tea, making an 'mmm' sound.

"Wait, hold the phone. Jason kissed you?!" came Tim's voice. Dick and Alfred looked toward the entrance to the kitchen to see Tim standing there, looking dumbfounded. Dick frowned at him and Tim fidgeted a little under his gaze.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," Dick said calmly. Tim smirked and gave a shrug of his shoulders as he hopped up on the stool beside Dick.

"Sorry. It's a habit," Tim replied. Dick chuckled in amusement and ruffled Tim's hair playfully.
"Can't imagine where you picked that one up," Dick said, rolling his eyes. Tim grinned from ear to ear, accepting a cup of tea from Alfred.

"Frankly, you can do much better than Todd, Grayson. I don't know what you see in that mess of a human being," Damian muttered, entering the kitchen. Dick glanced over at Damian and frowned a bit.

"Have you ever considered complimenting people without the backhanded comments?" Dick snickered. Damian snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

"People need to hear the truth from time to time. Call it tough love," Damian retorted. Tim leaned over and spoke softly to Dick.

"I'm pretty sure the only thing Damian loves is himself."

"I heard that Drake! Don't make me come over there and snap your neck!" Damian called.

"Yeah, if you can reach that high," Tim shot back. Dick sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand.

"You two really need to learn to get a long," Dick said with an exasperated sigh and a tired smile. Dick turned in his seat, getting ready to leave after saying his goodbyes, when Bruce stopped him, pushing a tablet into his hands. Dick, confused, took the tablet and looked down at it; he saw Jason there, pacing in the living room of one of his safe houses. Also there were Roy and Lian.

"Uh-"

"Jason is down in a safe house in the Bowery. A warehouse Apartment down near Crime Alley," Bruce said evenly. Dick looked up at Bruce, a little dumbfounded before handing the tablet back.

"Thanks Bruce," Dick said with a smile, giving the man a hug. "But wait, when did you-"

"About a week ago. I tracked down his safe houses and bugged them. I-"

"Wanted to make sure he was safe? Look Bruce, you should get rid of those cameras. You want Jason to trust you, right? Installing cameras in people's homes is not a good way to do that," Dick said with a laugh. Bruce gave a curt nod but said nothing more. Dick smiled brightly, bidding goodbye to Alfred, Tim, and Damian, before making his way out the door.

-o-o-O-o-o-

Jason paced back and forth, hands carding through his hair. Lian was sitting on the couch, watching cartoons while Jason and Roy sat at the kitchen table, talking. Jason had called Roy on day 4 to talk, maybe ask for some advice or...something! Roy came over as soon as he could, and now here they were.

"So you kissed Dick. Big deal," Roy said with a smirk, waving his hand dismissively. Jason glared at him, feeling the urge to jump over the table and smack that smirk off his face.

"What do you mean 'big deal'? I don't even know why I did it, I just...did! It's...I...fuck!" Jason growled, words failing him at the moment as he scrubbed his face with his hands. Roy watched in amusement, watched as his best friend fell over that precipice all over again; he saw this coming, knew what it was about, but waited to see if Jason could figured it out. Jason seemed to have picked up on his silence and the smug grin on his face and glared at him.

"No, Roy, don't even. I do not love Dick Grayson," Jason growled. Roy snorted, followed by a laugh that he couldn't contain. Jason glared at him, almost wishing he had something to throw at him. Roy finally stopped laughing then straightened up a bit, heaving a sigh.

"Jason, I already told you, you still have the hots for Dick," Roy said with a smirk. "Think about it, why else would you kiss him?"

"Uh, the wine?" Jason replied easily, blushing a bit and crossing his arms over his chest. Roy tried not to laugh, but he did. That was a poor excuse and even Jason knew it.

"Yeah, explain the blush then, Jaybird. Face it, you're like a lovesick puppy," Roy teased. Jason jumped out of his chair and slammed his hands on the table; he tried to look pissed, but that blush n his face only intensified and killed any kind of anger he was trying to portray.

"Roy, for the love of-"

"Uncle Jay? Daddy? Is everything okay?" Lian asked, hugging her teddy bear as she came into the kitchen to check on the noise. Jason turned to Lian and flashed her a smile, but Roy was on it first. He knelt down in front of his duaghter and ruffled her hair.

"We're okay sweetheart. Daddy is just teasing Uncle Jay," Roy said, flashing a grin at Jason. Jason just shot him a glare.

"Oh. Is it 'cuz Uncle Jay likes Uncle D?" Lian asked, and Jason's face took on an even redder shade. Roy snorted with barely contained laughter and ushered his daughter back into the living room.

"Something like that. Go watch cartoons, okay sweetheart? Uncle Jay and Daddy need to talk a little more, and then I'll take you to the park, okay?"

"Okay!" Lian chortled, hopping up on the couch. Roy smiled and turned back to Jason, sitting back down at the kitchen table. Jason was still glaring at him, so finally, he raised his hands defensively.

"What? She started asking questions! I wasn't gonna lie to her!" Roy replied. Jason groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. This was a mess and he was too embarrassed to show his face to Dick. And he knew that Bruce somehow knew, which meant another lecture. And he'd likely hear it from Barbara and Tim, again.

"Listen, Jay, you need to stop running from this. As your best friend, I'm telling you, you need to talk to Dick," Roy said this time without a hint of tease. Jason looked at him, expression softening. He growled and shook his head, pushing himself away from the table. He started pacing and shaking his head.

"No. No, that...I can't. Even if I...wanted...something with...with Dick," Jason began, face slowly heating up again as he struggled with the words "he's...there's no way he's interested in guys, okay?!" Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Jason cut him off. "Zatanna, Barbara, Kori, Helena Bertinelli, just to name a few."

Roy opened and closed his mouth, looking like a fish out of water. He tried to recall any guy Dick had had a thing for, but not a one came to mind. Roy finally gave a shrug.

"Well, maybe you're unique?" Roy suggested. Jason stared at him, dumbfounded for a few seconds. Finally he shook his head and face-plamed.

"I'm 'unique'? That's the best you've got? Ugh, how are we friends again?" Jason asked with a groan, to which Roy just laughed. Roy pushed himself up from the table and padded over toward Jason. He gently wrapped his arm around Jason's shoulders and Jason glanced over at him questioningly.

"Look, Jason, I get it. You're afraid to let someone else in," Jason snorted and tried to break away from Roy, but Roy held him in place "but listen, you can't hide yourself away forever. I know you, you're my best damn friend in the whole damn world. Hell, we dated a little bit during our Outlaw days."

"Please, I'd hardly call that 'dating'. We didn't really do anything we wouldn't normally do; going out, getting drunk, and pummeling douche bags," Jason said flatly. Roy snickered but waved it off.

"Point is, I know you're scared—and don't try to deny it, I know you—but you need to give this a shot. Worst case scenario, Dick says he's not interested, although I suspect he is," Roy answered, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning like an idiot. Jason arched an eyebrow at him and pushed the man away from him.

"No."

"Jason-"

"No, it's not happening," Jason replied, heading out of the kitchen with Roy following after him.

"Will you at least talk-" Roy called, trying to convince Jason to at least talk to Dick, but a knock at the door interrupted them. Jason breathed a sigh of relief for the interruption and padded over to the door.

"Yeah, what do you-" Jason began, pulling open the door to find Dick Grayson, standing there in civilian clothes with a stupid smile on his stupid face.

"Hi Jason," Dick said smoothly.

"No," Jason said evenly with a glare for added effect before slamming the door shut on his face. He stormed back inside the apartment and threw himself down into the arm chair. Roy smirked and made for the door and Jason glared after him.

"Roy-"

"Relax Jason, this is for your own good," Roy interrupted, opening the door and inviting Dick inside.

"Roy, so help me god, I will fucking kill you!" Jason growled as Dick entered the apartment. Lian's eyes fell upon Dick, and she smiled brightly, jumping off the couch and rushing to him.

"Uncle D!" She shouted happily. Dick laughed and knelt down, holding his arms out wide. Lian jumped into his arms and he lifted her up with a laugh.

"Hey sweetheart, good to see you!" Dick said to her. Lian wrapped her little arms around his neck and hugged him again.

"Uncle D! Uncle D! So good to see you!" she repeated Dick's words. Dick placed her back down onto the floor and she grabbed his fingers and tried to drag him into the licing room.

"Daddy says you and Uncle Jay have to talk," She said, pushing him onto the couch. Jason got up and attempted to leave, but Roy blocked the door, shaking his head. Jason grabbed the front of his shirt in both hands and growled at him.

"Roy, I swear to god-"

"Jason, I'm doing you a favor. You'll thank me later," Roy said smoothly, unperturbed. Jason closed his eyes and released his friend, taking a deep breath and counting backward from ten.

"I hate you."

"No, you love me," Roy replied with a snicker of amusement as he danced around Jason. "Lian, princess, let's go to the park. Uncle D and Uncle Jay need to talk in private, okay?" Roy called. Lian nodded and pulled her shoes back on, hugging Dick again.

"'Kay daddy. Bye Uncle D," she said, then bounced over to Jason and hugged his leg. "Bye Uncle Jay!" she said, then went over to her father and took his hand, and there the two of them went, right out the door. Dick and Jason were left to their own devices, and there they sat...in silence.

"Jason, we need to talk," Dick finally said, managing to peel his eyes off of the coffee table to look t Jason. Jason looked over at Dick and snorted.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jason replied curtly. Dick frowned a bit, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"Jason, you kissed me. I think that's something to talk about," Dick pointed out with a hint of tease, a little smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Jason blushed a little but refused to look at Dick.

"That was nothing. It was the wine," Jason replied evenly. He flinched when he felt a hand on his knee, finally looking in Dick's direction. And there it was; that gorgeous, warm smile that used to make his stomach do backflips. That face he wanted to punch sometimes, but also...lips he wanted to kiss. He felt his face start to heat up again and he looked away, trying to look uninterested.

"Jason. I've had a lot of time to think lately, and well...the others kind of helped me see something I didn't realize myself at first," Dick began a little nervously. He started to blush, but he didn't hide it. He wanted Jason to see it, to see his every reaction. He wanted Jason to see what he did to him by just...being. "I want you, Jason. I want...I want there to be an...us." Dick frowned at his own words; he could do better than that and he knew it, but the words he wanted to use were...he wasn't entirely sure yet if those words were accurate. These were entirely new feelings for someone he'd always thought of as a little brother. "I like you, Jason. A lot," Dick finally said, pulling away from the other man.

Jason was silent as Dick spoke, though inwardly, he was freaking out. Roy, it seemed, was right. Dick really seemed into him. But the street rat in him screamed at him not to trust him, not to let him in, to push him away and keep his heart to himself. And god, the other part of him wanted to much to kiss that stupid fucking smile on his stupid fucking face.

"Why me?" Jason finally managed, looking over at Dick. He had to know. He was a screw up, a street rat, and a complete mess. And yet Dick, the Golden Boy, the "Prince of Gotham", wanted him. Why?

Dick smiled and scooted a little closer on the couch toward Jason, letting his fingers ghost over Jason's. Jason felt his heart beat a little faster at the contact, but made no move to break it.

"It's...true that I've never been with a man before," Dick began, clearing his throat as he sought out the right words for this in his mind "but you...you're so passionate about everything you do. You'd sacrifice yourself in a heart beat to protect the people you love, to protect others, even if they wouldn't do the same for you. And yeah, I might not like how you do things, but you do them because you care," Dick said, his smile growing wider as he spoke. "And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I find you rather attractive." Dick's face turned crimson, but he held Jason's gaze nonetheless.

Jason stared at him as he spoke, dumbfounded. That wasn't really how he saw himself, but what confused him, was that Dick saw those things in him. He opened his mouth in an attempt to reply, but Dick kept on going, praising him.

"Plus you've got a beautiful smile," Dick went on, fidgeting nervously "and your laugh, it's like music. When you've been coming over to my apartment, I just feel so happy. And when you're gone, I wish you'd come back. So I can see your smile, and hear your laugh and..." Dick scooted a little closer until his side was pressed against the armrest of the couch. "...and kiss your lips. And feel your skin under my fingers. You make me happy, Jason. Just being near you-"

"Stop," Jason said firmly. Dick shut his mouth, flashing a confused look. Had he done something wrong. Jason ground his teeth and shook his head, locking his eyes with Dick's. He pushed himself up off of the couch and paced across the living room, carding his hands through his hair. "Just, sop Dick. Stop fucking praising me. Stop...just...fuck!" Jason cursed, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"Jason," Dick said softly, but Jason held up a hand to stop him.

"Dick, I'm not any of those things, okay? I'm a mess, a screw up, a street rat. I don't...do this...emotional crap, okay?" Jason said to him, pacing again. Dick got to his feet, but when Jason turned again, he held out his hand to stop him again. "No, Dick. This is a mistake. I'm...I've done things...I'm not who you think I am and I never will be, so stop pretending to see shit that isn't there."

Dick's heart broke a little to hear Jason speak of himself so poorly. He ignored the other's warnings and moved closer to him anyway.

"Jason...I know what you've done, and I don't care. The sex, the drug dealing, the stealing, you did all of that to survive, to help your mother," Dick said. Jason looked up at him in shock, backing away from him.

"W-what?! Y-you know about...all of that?" Jason asked. "How?"

"I read your file. On Bruce's computer years ago. When you were still Robin. It doesn't matter-"

"It does, Dick," Jason growled angrily. He stomped toward Dick and jabbed him in the chest with his finger. "You read my file, big deal. That doesn't mean you know me. People only use you to get what they want, whether that's sex, money, or...whatever. I can't-"

"Let me in?" Dick asked with a smile, moving a little closer. Jason sputtered and backed away from him. "Jason, I fell in love with the man I got to know. The person I got to train with, fight with, hang out with, that's the person I was describing. All of that and more is there, even if you don't see it."

"Dick, just stop," Jason growled.

"I'm not like the rest of those people, Jason. I won't hurt you-"

"Bullshit. Everyone does, whether they mean to or not."

"What about Roy?"Dick asked, quirking an eyebrow. Jason opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of a response.

"I...I trust him," Jason said lowly. He growled and shook his head, pointing to the door. "God dammit Dick! Just fucking go! Get out!" But Dick didn't make any move to leave. He moved closer to Jason, even as the younger man flinched away from him.

"Did I fucking stutter? I said go!" But Dick didn't leave. He moved toward Jason and pressed his lips against the younger man's. Jason stood there, dumbfounded yet again. He felt paralyzed, like he couldn't move, not sure how to react. The kiss was soft, gentle, not unlike how Roy used to kiss him.

Dick pulled away from him when Jason didn't respond, his face tinted pink. He cursed himself mentally, wondering if he screwed up. Jason didn't move, didn't say a word, just stood there, staring. Dick, crestfallen, gestured for the door.

"I'm sorry Jason. I'll just-" Dick began, but a pair of lips against his own silenced him. The kiss was fierce, and yet somehow still affectionate. Jason grabbed his arms and kissed him hard. He felt fingers dip underneath his shirt a bit, felt them backing up. When Jason pulled away, a little breathless, he glared at Dick.

"This is a fucking mistake," he said flatly. Dick smiled from ear to ear.

"Already made plenty of those. But you're not one of them," Dick replied. Jason rolled his eyes and snorted.

"God you're fucking sappy. You-" Jason said, his sentence drowned out as Dick's lips crashed against his again. The back of Dick's knees hit the couch and together the two of them fell onto it, parting briefly, before Jason captured Dick's lips again. There was a flurry of movement, hands pushing up underneath shirts, touch skin, lips melting together, hips grinding. Little pants and moans filled the room as Jason ground himself down against Dick, their clothed erections grinding against one another.

Jason found himself consumed by lust and...something else...something...new...he didn't know, and in his current state, he didn't care. He reached down between them and unzipped his jeans, pulling his cock out and stroking himself in a tight grip as he continued kissing Dick.

"Need – nngh – more...God...fuck, Jay," Dick whimpered underneath him as a knee ground against his crotch. Dick glanced down to see Jason pumping himself. He blushed crimson, then smiled at him, kissing him back.

"Look what you did to me, Grayson," Jason breathed, moaning low in his throat as he felt Dick's hand working over the head of his cock. "Fuck," Jason growled, burying his face in the crook of Dick's neck. He groaned, the sound muffled against Dick's shoulder, when he heard the sound of another zipper. He chanced a glance down and moaned low in his throat at the feeling of skin against skin. Dick had both of their erections in his hand, pumping them both in a tight grip. Jason kissed Dick hungrily, hands grabbing the armrest behind Dick's head. He pulled himself forward, pushing his cock against Dick's, into the man's hand, creating a delicious friction that tore a lewd moan from Dick's throat.

Grunts and groans filled the room, along with the sound of kissing, lips melting together perfectly. Jason slid his tongue into the other's mouth, exploring, tasting. Dick opened wide, invitingly, and kiss back, his free hand clutching desperately at Jason's back.

"Fuck – aangh – Jay! I-I'm gonna-"

"Nng, m-me too. Dickie! I-" Jason let out a broken moan as he thrust one final time into Dick's hand and came, hard. His slammed his eyes shut and he saw stars explode in the darkness as he came. His arms started to shake as he held himself up, Dick still pumping them both, hand slick with cum. Jason used the arm rest again to pull himself forward, grinding against Dick.

"C'mon Dickie, cum for me," Jason whispered, nipping at his neck. Dick let out a strangled cry as he came, and Jason sighed contentedly and collapsed on top of him. The two of them lay their, exhausted. Dick wrapped his arms around Jason and kissed his cheek. Jason turned and captured Dick's lips in a slow, sweet kiss.

"Fuck," Jason muttered breathlessly.

"Fuck," Dick agreed with a weak smile. The two of them lay there, chest-to-chest, feeling each other's heartbeats begin to slow down again. The room had fallen into silence, save for their heavy breathing. Finally, it was Jason who broke the silence.

"I suppose we can give...us...a try," Jason said softly. Dick smiled brightly and kissed Jason again. "But we need to clean up first. I'm too classy to run around covered in cum."

And Dick burst into laughter.