Tim managed to avoid Jason for the next three days. It was difficult because deep down, Tim knew that he didn't want to avoid him at all. The afternoon he'd spent with Jason was the best time he'd had in ages. But he couldn't risk becoming a nuisance or worse, have Jason connect him with the boy Robin had helped in the alley. If Jason told Bruce and Bruce told his parents... no. It was best to avoid Jason entirely.
Tim guided his bike along the sidewalk through the crowd of parents and kids all trying to leave the school at once. Suddenly there was a voice by his side. "Hey Tim, let me help you with that." To Tim's surprise Jason picked up his bike and loaded it into the trunk of Alfred's car, which he just noticed was parked beside him. "Come on, we'll give you a ride home."
"Jason! You don't-"
"Dude, you've been AWAL all week. You never even sent me your phone number so we didn't know if you made it home safe. Alfred was worried. Least you can do is let us give you a ride now."
Tim stared at him baffled as they both climbed into the back seat. Why would they care if he made it home safe? Why was he being offered a ride now?
"S-sorry?" he stuttered. "I'll send you my number now." Despite the voice in the back of his head saying he shouldn't, Tim had saved Jason's number in his phone.
"Great!" Jason said as his phone buzzed with a new text from Tim. "If you want you can come over and hang out for a while."
Tim hesitated. He shouldn't really but the other option was to go back to his house which was so big and so empty. If he was being honest with himself, he was lonely. Being the youngest in his class by a good two years and still finding the work simple was not the way to make friends. Most of his classmates avoided him. those that didn't tended to be part of the group that liked to push him around. It also didn't help that he had been drilled by his parents for his entire life that appearances mattered. He couldn't make friends with just anyone, they had to have connections, help him cultivate power and influence if he ever wanted to succeed as heir to the Drake legacy. It wouldn't do to appear weak by befriending someone of a lower status. Tim ideally wondered if Jason would fall into that category now that he'd been adopted by Bruce Wayne. And Jason was cool. Really cool, not just because he was Robin. And he seemed to actually like Tim. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to come over and hang out for a while.
"Sure," he said before he could stop himself. "My parents are working late tonight anyway."
"Then you are welcome to join us for dinner young sir." Alfred said.
"I would like that very much," Tim admitted. Thank you."
That night after Alfred dropped him off home, Tim thought about the evening. It had been fun. Jason was awesome, Alfred was kind, and Bruce...
Tim wasn't sure what to think of Bruce. When he's agreed to stay for dinner he'd never imagined that he would be eating with Bruce Wayne. When they were home his parents where almost never around for dinner. And yet there was Bruce, sitting at the head of the table asking Tim about school, what he liked to do for fun, if he'd had a nice afternoon with Jason. When Tim had started saying yes sir, I had a very nice time, Bruce had said call me Bruce lad. And he'd invited him back again anytime. Tim didn't think he was lying.
Tim's phone buzzed with a text from Jason. Had a great time. See you tomorrow. Tim thought a second before texting back. Me too. See you then. Maybe he could have a friend. At least until his parents came home.