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Jason didn't really think there was anyone left to be with during the holidays until he runs into Tim and decides that maybe a little effort is needed.

It was that time of year and Jason couldn't possibly care less about it. This year sucked ass. Nothing good had happened at all.

Dick was gone. Damian was gone. Bruce had thrown himself into some mission somewhere far away and had taken Alfred with him.

Jason probably would've forgotten about the holiday altogether if he hadn't stepped into the grocery store.

Everything was decked out for Thanksgiving, advertisements for sales on the usual things, pumpkins everywhere, orange, brown, and red decorations everywhere, and constant ads about how it was family time interrupted the muzak that normally played whenever he went in.

It was starting to get to him.

Normally this stuff wouldn't bother him. It wouldn't be his first holiday season alone, before and after vigilantism had taken over his life, and he was under no impression it would be his last. But lonely holiday seasons were far less frequent than they used to be.

He remembered his first Thanksgiving at the Manor. The amount of food Alfred had made for the four of them had been absurd back then. Now it wouldn't even feed half of them. It was the first time he'd been around Bruce and Dick without a fight breaking out. He and Dick had broken the wishbone (and he'd won), the food was excellent, the environment had been excellent. He'd finally understood that the Thanksgiving dinners he'd seen on TV weren't entirely fake.

Jason found himself feeling uncharacteristically sad that this year would be so quiet, he expected Christmas to be something similar. He figured it had more to do with everything else that had happened earlier this year that really put him out. Even if he tried to bring everyone together for Thanksgiving, who was still around to celebrate?

He got his answer.

He really hadn't been following Tim. Honest.

Tim these days was extremely isolated and independent. It was how he coped. Jason had let him be, figuring if Tim needed him for any reason he knew where to find Jason.

It was a wake-up call. Tim seemed sloppy and unmotivated. It was so unlike him. It worried Jason a little. Not that he'd admit that out loud.

He'd jumped down to stop a couple of guys harassing some girl and they'd been able to get past his armor and get some good jabs in. It had taken Tim way longer than it usually did to take them out. There'd only been two of them.

An intervention was clearly needed.

He jumped down and went to casually lean up against the wall just behind Tim out of view.

Tim was… he wasn't okay. That much was clear.

"Wow." Jason commented. Tim jumped at the noise. He hadn't heard Jason's approach. Jason hadn't even tried to hide his approach. "That was like eight levels of embarrassing."

Tim scowled. "Helpful."

"You're not normally that sloppy. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing." Tim snapped in a very un-Tim like manner. "It's been a shit week."

Jason hummed in agreement. "Oh yeah, more like a shit year."

"Did you need something?"

"Just checking on you."

Tim narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything."

"You're always up to something so, out with it. I don't have the time to deal with you right now."

Jason scanned him. "You look awful. When's the last time you slept?"

Tim very clearly did not appreciate his tone. "Don't pretend to care. I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"Red-" Jason began but Tim cut him off.

"Oh save it! You don't get to lecture me. Now get out of my way Hood, I have things to get done."

Jason didn't budge. "No, c'mon. Out with it. Unload it all. What's eating you? I can take it, I got thick skin."

Tim's mouth thinned into an unhappy line. "I'd rather punch you in the face."

Jason shrugged. "Sometimes that's helpful. Do you wanna spar?"

Tim blinked. "What- no, I- What the hell do you want?"

"To make sure you're okay."

Tim gaped at him for a moment. "I. Am. Fine."

"No. You're. Not." Jason parroted.

Tim huffed out in frustration.

Jason really should've seen the hit coming. Tim had said he wanted to punch Jason in the face. He got his wish.

It didn't knock Jason off his feet by any means but it had caught him off guard. It appeared it was all the invitation Tim had needed to keep going.

There was no finesse, no real skill, just raw emotions that had turned very physical. Jason is proud to say he didn't throw a single hit out, instead blocking and avoiding each of Tim's. Letting him run out the energy he barely had anyways.

It really had been a shit year for all of them.

Bruce was dealing with it the way he always does, but Tim, Tim didn't really avoid it like Bruce did. He bottled up his emotions but wasn't able to suppress them when they came back up. And here Tim was, trying to deal with all the hurt the way Batman always did. He wondered how similar this was to when they'd thought Bruce was dead. How similar Tim's response had been then to all of this now.

Of course there was no thinking Dick was dead. There was no thinking Damian was dead. He is, they both are.

Maybe Tim has the same crackpot theory again and he's not finding any leads or maybe Tim is just done trying and wants to join Dick and Damian in the grave. Jason can't say he blames him, he can't say he didn't think about it for a hot second.

A moment of weakness before he remembered himself. He knew even Damian wouldn't want that, as much of a pain in the ass that kid was he'd never want that.

Jason finally saw his opening. Tim's moves became sluggish. Jason grabbed hold of both arms and pinned them behind him. Tim thrashed a little bit but it was futile. He wasn't even trying.

"You done?" Jason asked.

Tim nodded before whispering. "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Tim repeated, slumping against him.

"Okay." Jason relinquished his hold, helping Tim stand up straight again.

Tim moved to lean against the alley wall. "You know it's just us now right?"

"I did." Jason moves to stand next to Tim, leaning against the same wall.

"No Batman, no Nightwing, no Robin. Just- just us. The rejects."

"We are not rejects."

"We are definitely the rejects." Tim argues.

"Well you might be. I died."

Tim shot him a look but said nothing.

Jason let a few beats of silence pass between them. "Did B tell you when he'd get back?"

Tim pursed his lips and shook his head. "Never does."

"Of course not. What are you doing on Thursday?"

"Thursday?"

"Yes, Thursday. What are you doing on Thursday?"

"Uh nothing."

"Really?" Jason was genuinely surprised.

"What do you mean really?"

"No, I just thought, I don't know. I thought the Titans or Step and Cass would've roped you into something."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because Thursday is Thanksgiving."

Tim blinked. "Oh, that's this Thursday?"

"Yes."

"Wow, I didn't even realize. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I don't have anyone." Jason answers solemnly. It wasn't completely true but it did have more truth than he liked to admit sometimes.

"You're not gonna harass Roy, show up unannounced or whatever?"

"No, he's got his own family. I'm not gonna mess with that."

"So it really is just us."

Jason nodded. "Yeah."

"Hmmm. It's been a while since I had Thanksgiving alone."

Jason was struck with the realization that of course Tim would also understand that. Very different circumstances but neither of them really had much support before Robin.

"You're not going to be alone on Thursday." Jason decides.

"I'm not?"

"No, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving."

Tim made a face. "The two of us? Really?"

"Yeah why not. It's depressing to be alone, besides I can cook us a simple Thanksgiving dinner."

"I mean- I guess I don't really have a reason to say no." Tim agreed, sounding helpless.

"Good." Jason clasped his hands together. "We'll do it at your place since you have a far more functional kitchen."

Tim shrugged. "Why not. It's not like I use it."

"Yes I know."

Jason didn't bother knocking when he showed up. He just got to work.

He tried to be sort of quiet, not wanting to disturb the sleep Tim was getting, limited as it was. He was impressed that he didn't hear Tim come.

"Oh hey." Jason greeted when he saw him.

Tim very clearly had just gotten up if the sleep mussed hair, giant sweatshirt, and the glasses he forgot the kid owned were anything to go by. "How did you get in here?"

"I have a key."

"I never gave you a key."

"No, I copied yours."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Okay. You're here way earlier than I thought you'd be." Tim moved behind him to the coffee pot.

"Well some things need more time than others. Figured it was easier to do everything here instead of trying to transport it all."

For the most part Tim wasn't horrible conversation.

Jason can't remember when he'd spent so much time alone with him ever. There were usually other people to help keep things moving. Tim mostly observed everything Jason did. Watching with critical eyes that Jason couldn't quite get a handle on. He didn't think that Tim thought Jason was gonna do anything but it did feel like Tim couldn't relax with Jason around.

Eventually, because he never did take breaks, Tim vanished into his computer trying to finish up some 'work'. Jason busied himself with dinner.

It was interesting to watch Tim work outside of the cave. Hunched over his laptop in a dark room with the screen illuminating his overly pale face.

"You look like a Goblin." Jason comments after a prolonged period of time filled with the sounds of cooking and typing.

Tim looked confused. "Uh, what?"

"You're all hunched over in the dark." Jason attempts to mirror the position Tim had been in a moment prior. "Like a Goblin. No wonder your posture is terrible."

"I've never wondered about that. I know why."

"Well how about you take a break. Be useful."

"I am being useful."

"Not with that. There are not currently any cases that require you at this moment, or for the next few hours. So do yourself a favor and stop for a little bit."

Tim stared at him for a moment before closing his laptop, without argument. Which was weird. He always fought them over stuff like that.

"How would I be useful if I'm not doing this?" Tim gestured to his now closed laptop.

Jason glanced at some of the things around him trying to keep in mind Tim's skill set. "You could snap the green beans."

Tim looked between the wide array of ingredients Jason had out and Jason himself before answering. "Okay, I guess. Since I have nothing better to do."

Tim kept eye contact as he walked over to the bowl. Before holding his hand out over the vegetable and snapped his fingers, no longer hiding the shit eating grin.

"Seriously?" Jason asked.

The grin didn't leave Tim's face. "What? You said `snap the green beans'."

"In half."

"Oh, that makes way more sense." He started picking them up, following the more detailed instructions. "I was wondering what snapping at them was going to do. But I was gonna trust you in the details."

Jason couldn't help the amused smile. "Whatever."

Turns out Tim isn't completely useless in a kitchen so long as he has clear instructions and Jason doesn't go too far. As Tim relaxed he began to see more of the person Jason knew existed. He'd seen glimpses of him at random, usually around other people. He'd forgotten that Tim can surprise him with comments when given the chance.

"You know Alfred would be so proud of me." Tim joked, gesturing to his plate.

"Oh yeah. You helped make a third of a meal under my supervision." Jason agreed.

"Well it's better than I usually do."

Jason nodded.

Tim's expression suddenly falls, filled with sadness. "I miss them."

The somberness surprised Jason. He met the honesty of the moment with his own. "Me too."

Tim met his gaze before picking up his cup. "To absent friends."

Jason picked up his own. "And absent family."

"And everything in between." Tim lets a few moments of silence pass before saying anything else. "You know this is something Dick would've done."

Jason raised an eyebrow. Dick wasn't known for cooking meals like this.

"Check on me like you did. Insist we do something. Try and keep the spirit alive or whatever you wanna call it. I don't know. Make sure no one feels alone. He'd be proud of you."

Jason makes a face. "I didn't do it for him."

"You didn't not though. Part of it was for him, for them."

Jason isn't sure what to say. Sometimes Tim really can surprise him with how well he reads a situation. He forgets that Dick trained him too, he played a much bigger role in getting Tim Robin ready than he ever did for Jason. It shows here.

"Okay enough with the sad memories." Jason decides. "This smells really good, I worked really hard on it, and I am starving."

By the end of the night they had passed out of Tim's couch. Between the good food and swapping memories this holiday hadn't been as bad as Jason had anticipated. He did feel a little bad that Bruce had spent the holiday essentially alone. Like Jason and Tim had lost two brothers, almost at once, he'd lost two sons.

Jason mentally decided he would try to check up on Bruce in some capacity.

Maybe.

If he remembered.

Or he'd have Tim do it.

I don't see too much in this sliver of time but this felt right. Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it, if not, hope you had a fantastic Thursday) only 6 stories left.