On a normal day Dick would have been able to deal with the obnoxious energy that Jason seemed to always have, but he was tired damn it. Patrols had been rough this week.
He had nearly gotten thrown off the top of a warehouse where a crew of thugs had been setting up a human trafficking ring on Monday.
Tuesday he barely dodged getting shot at least four times stopping a bank heist.
Wednesday there had been a massive fight in the tower between Rachel and Jason about what music they were going to listen to during sparring, which Dick had to step in on and just take the I-pod dock out of the training room all together so they would focus on training.
Thursday there had been a rain storm during a chase after some low-level mafia wanna-be that had broken into a museum to steal some fancy emerald. The rain had been so heavy Dick lost track of the perp and almost wiped out his motorcycle trying to make a sharp turn. He had gone back to the tower soaking wet and ridiculously annoyed with his luck.
When Friday came around and it was Hank's turn to take a few days of the patrol Dick was prepared to spend the day relaxing and getting the kids to focus on some stealth training for Recon missions.
Jason had other ideas. He started his usual shit talking about kicking Gar's ass in training, how much better he was at being a hero then Rachel. Batman obviously chose him for a reason, duh. Then he had started in on Dick.
"Just admit that you won't fight me cause I'd whoop your ass, old man. You're a has-been. You're not even Robin anymore, why do you bother wearing the outfit?" Jason's smug smirk and the way he stood with his arm's crossed, hip cocked to the side, just really irked Dick.
With a heavy sigh Dick slammed the controllers to the TV down onto the couch and stood, facing Jason with a look that showed all the irritation Dick was feeling. "You wanna fight so damn bad? Fine. Let's go."
"Oh, snap!" Gar whispered to Rachel, excited to see the former Robin put Jason in his place. Maybe he'd lay off if he got his ass handed to him.
Dick did a few basic stretches once they reached the training room, looking completely unamused as Jason bounced from foot to foot across the mat.
Dick rolled his eyes and took two bamboo training swords from the rack, tossing one to Jason before dropping into a low crouch and gesturing to Jason to make the first move.
Things took off from there, Jason charging and swiping at Dick's legs before quickly pulling the sword back up towards Dick's head in a quick arch. Dick, of course, easily read Jason's movements before he even made them, doing a flip to get out of the way before swinging his own sword across his chest, aiming at Jason's left flank. Jason blocked, twisting his sword to try and dislodge Dick's hold on his own. That was his first mistake. Dick let go of the sword with his right hand, dropping to sweep his right leg under Jason's feet at the same time as he grabbed the falling sword with his left hand, bringing it down sharply against Jason's diaphragm. The hit knocked the wind out of him, distracting him from the leg that would inevitably trip him.
To say that Jason was pissed that he got knocked down would be an understatement. His face was red as he jumped back up, shaking his arms out and holding them up wide. "That the best you got? No weapons, let's do this the old fashioned way."
Dick rolled his eyes, tossing his bamboo sword off to the side of the mat and nodding to Jason, clearly giving him the go-ahead to attack. They began a slow circle around the mat, sizing each other up before Jason lunged, swinging high with a right punch aimed at Dick's face. Dick deflected Jason's arm with his left, taking a tactical step at a 90 degree angle to swing a high kick at the back of Jason's head. Jason ducked it, grabbing Dick's ankle, twisting sharply to try and get him off balance. Dick, being an acrobat and far more balanced than Jason was giving him credit for, dropped down onto his hands, bringing up his other leg to kick Jason's chest, knocking him back and making him drop Dick's leg. As Jason tried to regain his footing Dick threw a left hook, catching Jason off guard and hitting him on the right side of his face, causing a split in his lip and serving to make Jason even more angry. Jason ran forward again, trying to upper-cut Dick with his right hand, which was knocked out of the way, but his left connected with Dick's stomach. Dick grunted but only took a half step back before performing a palm heel strike that had Jason coughing for a moment, giving Dick the chance to pretty much tackle Jason to the ground, pinning his arms down with his knees and holding Jason down with a hand to his throat.
Jason slammed his fist into the mat, refusing to look at Dick as he laid on the ground panting. "So I'm having an off day. That doesn't prove shit. Batman doesn't need you anymore, he has a new and improved Robin. I'm surprised you haven't had hip replacement surgery yet, old man. Gonna be able to get up off the ground or do you need me to call the paramedics?"
"Enough! God, do you ever shut the hell up?" Dick grabbed Jason's chin with his free hand, forcing the younger male to look at him. Bright blue eyes met turquoise, Jason snapping his mouth shut and swallowing hard as he looked up at Dick. He licked his lips, a nervous habit, and Dick's eyes were drawn to the movement. "I think I know what might shut you up."
Dick leaned down, kissing Jason hard, tightening his hand on Jason's throat slightly. Jason's eyes slammed close, drawing in a gasp. He barely had time to react before Dick practically jumped off of him, putting a hand over his eyes and groaning, shoulders sagging as he realized what exactly he just did. He was supposed to be training Jason, not kissing him. Pretty sure Bruce would lose his mind if he ever found out.
After a very heavy sigh Dick dropped his hand from his face and offered it to help Jason up off the ground where he still lay, absolutely frozen, just blinking slowly with a hand cover his mouth. "Come on, Jason. Get up."
Jason's eyes snapped to Dick's, wide and showing his confusion. He slowly reached up, taking Dick's offered hand and letting himself be hauled off the floor.
Dick tried not to make eye contact, shaking his head as he walked by Jason, patting him on the shoulder as he left the training room and headed for his bedroom. He was just tired, that's what it was. Momentary lapse of judgement caused by lack of sleep. Totally normal. No reason to go into an existential crisis or anything.
Seeming to just realize what was happening, Jason spun around and ran after Dick, grabbing his arm and yanking back so Dick turned to face him.
"What-? I mean I don't- I just- You can't just do...that..." A broad gesture to the training room. "and then just...walk away! What am I supposed to even do with that, bro? I don't get what game you're playing but it's messed up!" Jason was clearly upset, but Dick couldn't help but notice that the bright blush on his face made his eyes seem just that much brighter and more vibrant. Dick shook his head hard and looked around the hallway, making sure Rachel and Gar weren't hanging around somewhere.
Dick took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before he tilted his head back and groaned again. Why him? Why did everything bad always happen to Dick Grayson? Could someone else have the horrible luck for once? Was that too much to ask? "We're not talking about this here." Dick said quietly, grabbing Jason's wrist and practically dragging Jason along with him as he went into his room, closing the door and dropping his head back against it, sliding his hand down his face and rubbing angrily at his eyes before looking back to Jason who was, once again, refusing to look at him.
"Look I- I shouldn't have done that, okay? I'm sorry. I'm exhausted and I wasn't thinking and you just never know how to stop running your mouth for even five minutes-" Jason cut Dick off by grabbing the back of his neck with both hands, pulling Dick forward to crash his lips into Dick's, tightly closing his eyes and holding his breath before he stepped back quickly, dropping his hands to his sides and fiddling with the hem of his T-shirt, looking at the floor as if it had the most interesting design on it. His jaw clenched and relaxed repeatedly while Dick processed.
Dick licked his lips, shook his head and ran his hand through his hair a few times as he tried to figure out the best way to tackle this without a fight. "Jason, you-" a weary sigh "I know you're angry and confused, but-"
"No! You don't get to decide how I feel! That's bullshit and you know it! I've had it with people trying to tell me who I'm supposed to be and how I'm supposed to feel!" Jason glared at Dick from under the fringe of his hair, still not totally looking at him. He was breathing hard and his hands were shaking. So, the anger part had been right..."I have always looked up to you, you know that? Ever since I was a kid-" "You're still a kid-" "Shut the actual fuck up! Robin was everything I ever wanted to be. He was a hero, a bad ass that people were scared of and respected. I just wanted one damn person to even treat me half as good as Robin got treated. Then Bruce took me in and made ME Robin. He gave me everything I wanted but it still wasn't enough. I still wasn't good enough. I wasn't YOU. Everything I did was compared to the great Dick Grayson. You were perfect. The golden child. I hated it. Feeling like I was never going to live up to the hype. Then Bruce had me come here. I saved your ass. And it still wasn't good enough...I want to hate you. I want to, but I don't." Jason paused, looking away again an blinking hard against the moisture gathering in his eyes. Oh, hell no. He was not going to cry in front of Dick.
Dick gave a quiet chuckle and ruffled Jason's hair as he walked past to sit on the edge of his bed, dropping his hands into this lap and clasping his hands together. He looked so torn. Jason just wanted recognition. Someone to tell him that he was, indeed, good enough. Well, that was a feeling Dick completely understood. Being raised by Bruce was...hard. The expectations, the lack of any kind of affection at all, the isolation, hiding, never being able to just walk up to someone and say 'Hey, my name is Dick Grayson and I'm Robin'. Never getting to really have a chance at being a normal kid. Jason was forced to grow up too fast, just like Dick was.
"Come here." Not a command, but a request. Dick looked at Jason with a soft smile, holding out a hand. Jason regarded him coolly, slowly raising his hand to take Dick's, letting himself be pulled in front of the older man. "Look, I get it. It's not an easy life to live. Hell, most days it sucks so bad I think I'd rather work at the DMV or something horribly boring like that. Never knowing when your number is finally up. People wanting you dead for being one of the good guys." a pause "Trying to live up to the expectations of an absent father. Spending every day alone." Dick's free hand came up to rest on Jason's cheek, turning his head to make eye contact again.
"I guess we have more in common than just the costume, huh?" It was so quiet Dick barely heard it. Jason suddenly looked so sad and defeated, shoulders dropping and slight pout coming to his lips. "I just want someone to fucking care, for once in my life..." Tears sat heavily on his dark eyelashes, not quite falling but there.
Dick took a deep breath to steady himself before pulling Jason's arm behind his back, drawing Jason right up to Dick who ducked his head to rest against Jason's chest as he wound his arms around Jason's waist, holding him lightly enough that he could easily break the hold and move away. Instead he brought shaking hands to tangle in Dick's hair, dropping his head to rest on top of Dick's.
They sat like that for a long moment in silence, mutually enjoying the affection they so rarely recieved. Dick listened as Jason's heart rate slowed from the erratic pace it had at first. He smiled to himself and wrapped his arms just a little tighter. Jason's hands in Dick's hair pulled back, making Dick tilt his head up to meet Jason's eyes. Jason licked his lips again, biting his lower lip before letting his eyes slide shut as he kissed Dick again. This time it was gentle, a barely-there touch. Dick let Jason lead as they kissed, slowly getting more intense as Jason got more confident. Jason slid his tongue across Dick's lips, and as Dick responded in kind Jason moaned deep in his throat. Dick shuddered at the sound, letting his hands slip to Jason's hips.
For a while they were content with that, but after a few minutes Jason tightened his hold on Dick's hair, sharply pulling Dick's head back and dipping his head to start a trail of open mouthed kisses along Dick's jaw, down his neck to his collar bone where he bit down drawing a sound out of Dick that was a mix of a gasp and a moan.
Suddenly Dick found himself with a lap full of a very excited Jason, kissing back up Dick's neck to his mouth again, starting a mini war for dominance of the kiss which Dick gladly gave up. Jason shifted to adjust how he was holding Dick causing him to grind down on Dick's lap, earning him a sharp exhale and Dick tightening his hands on Jason's hips. Jason dropped his head back, gasping at the contact, shaking as he repeated the action before Dick dropped his hands to Jason's ass, holding Jason tight to his body as he flipped them to where Jason was laying on his back on the bed with Dick between his legs. Jason did not squeak at the sudden change, thank you very much. It was some kind of...manly noise. Shut up.
Dick shifted so he was using his elbows to prop himself up on either side of Jason's head, one hand fisted in Jason's hair. The position allowed for them to be perfectly slotted together, an easy roll of the hips providing the much needed friction they both craved. Jason moved one of his hands to Dick's chest, sliding it over the muscles down his chest, to his stomach, but as he tried to dip his hand into Dick's sweat pants Dick grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.
"Not this time." Dick whispered against Jason's lips. Jason, ever the snarky bastard, smirked into the kiss. "So, there's going to be a next time?" Dick chuckled breathlessly, laying his head against Jason's shoulder before picking up his head to look into the gorgeous turquoise eyes he was growing very fond of.
Dick decided he'd waited long enough, bringing the hand that wasn't in Jason's hair down to hold his thigh in a tight grip, setting a lazy pace of rolling his hips against Jason, slipping his tongue back into Jason's mouth and swallowing the moans that fell freely from the younger man. He would, of course, deny it later.
Jason was breathing heavily with his head thrown back, nails scratching down Dick's back no doubt leaving marks. With a particularly loud moan that sounded suspiciously like Dick's name Jason tensed against him, eyes shut tightly as he fell apart under Dick. Seeing Jason come undone was all it took for Dick to fall over the edge, dropping his head heavily onto Jason's shoulder, biting down to stifle his own moaning.
Dick held up his weight long enough to shift them so he wouldn't crush Jason, collapsing on his stomach and groaning at the quickly cooling mess, but too tired to try and clean up at this point. He turned his head to Jason to see his arm thrown over his eyes, deep blush coloring his face and neck, trying to take deep breaths. Dick moved his arm over Jason's stomach, letting his hand hang down next to him. He closed his eyes and fought to stay awake. After a moment Jason laced his fingers together with Dick's, half-heartedly trying to cover them with a blanket which Dick eventually helped with.
Jason kissed Dick lightly one more time before he settled down into the bed and decided sleep sounded like a wonderful idea. He chuckled lightly as Dick's breathing almost immediately evened out, signaling he was already out. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be part of the Titans.