Jason Todd usually wasn't a very sentimental person, heck, sometimes he was colder than the Bat himself, but what's enough is enough. Sometimes, even the rogue bat gets a serious twist in his pants and snaps. And believe me, you don't want to be on the other side of his bone crushing glare.
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Jason glanced at his watch once again. Ten minutes. The Replacement was late ten fucking minutes already. Jason pursed his lips and began to drum his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently. What took the kid so long? Usually, Jason would have flipped a finger at Bruce if he'd asked him to take Tim home from school, but Dick had demanded Jason should at least try to make up with his former mentor, so he grudgingly agreed.

Jason groaned in annoyance and pushed open the door. He angrily exited his black car and stomped into the deserted school. "Replacement?!" he called out infuriated, imagining Tim sitting in a class room, doing... whatever nerds do.

He found him eventually, kneeling on the floor, picking up sheets that were scattered all across the hall. "Seriously?" growled Jason, crossing his arms. Tim jumped and his head shot up, staring at the former Robin wide-eyed. Jason frowned. If Tim hadn't heard him, then he had to be in deep thought, probably thinking about some math task, or whatever.

"Why do you need fifteen minutes to collect your stuff?" he growled, rolling his eyes impatiently. He was hit with a glare Jason wasn't expecting to be so full of anger and annoyance.

"Just leave me the hell alone, Jason." Okay, time-out, something was defenitifly wrong. Tim never swore and he sure as hell never addressed Jason in such a cold manner. The older was tempted to throw back a snarky remark, but another glance at his wristwatch told him to hurry up, so he just sighed and knelt down next to the Replacement, picking up a few of his belongings. He frowned as he saw what he was holding in his hand. "A letter from the principal to Bruce? What the fuck did you do? Aren't you supposed to be all nerdy or something?"

He felt Tim tense next to him. "I didn't do anything," he muttered, trying to snatch the letter away from Jason, but the older man was faster and grabbed Tim's hand, pinning it against the younger boy's chest and shoving him up against the lockers.

Then he opened the letter with his teeth and pulled out the sheet of paper. His eyes flew across the words, while Tim struggled beneath his hand. Jason's eyebrows flew sky high as a small smirk played on his lips. "Detention for repeatedly not doing your homework?"

Jason was expecting Tim to blush, or deny it, not to furiously glare at him. "It's complicated."
"I bet it is," replied Jason sarcastically. "But seriously, you have three copies of your homework, so you are prepared if you lose one, there's no one as nerdy as you. I don't believe one second that you 'forgot to do it'."

Tim growled, grabbing Jason's wrist that was grasping his shirt, twisted it around so Jason had to let go of him and pushed the older boy a few feet away. Jason's eyes flickered across the things that still lay on the ground. From the way they were scattered, Tim couldn't have just let them fall, they would lay closer together... Someone had knocked them out of his hand.

Jason narrowed his eyes, his own experiences of school flashing through the back of his mind. "Who's bullying you?"
"Why do you care?" Ice laced Tim's voice as he met Jason's glaring eyes. Fuck, the kid wasn't even denying it.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because two months ago, you were trying to kill me," Tim deadpanned. "Newsflash, Jason, you shot me."
Meh, that was so two months ago, the kid couldn't still hold a grudge! That wasn't healthy.

Jason softened his gaze, sighing deeply.
"I apologized once and I'm not doing it again. And I may not be Dick with his fucking symphaty and soothing words, but I know that your anger isn't directed at me. And by the way, you could kick any of these bullies' asses, so why didn't you?"
Tim huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back against the lockers. "Bruce said we couldn't use our fighting skills in public. It could raise suspicion. Low profile and all that."
"He and his stupid, fuckung, bite-me-in-the-ass rules and hi-" The ringing of his phone interrupted Jason's ranting.

He growled in annoyance and fished the device out of his back pocket. "Yes?" he spat. "Where the hell are you?" came the infuriating voice of Dick Grayson. "Is everything all right? Why aren't you home? Did something happen? Is someone hurt?" Jason rolled his eyes. "We're fine, Goldie, haven't tried to kill the brat yet, that's progress, isn't it?"
"I can never tell when you're joking."
Jason rolled his eyes. Could that guy be any more overprotective? "We're going now." He ended the call without saying goodbye.

Then he turned back to Tim. "Back to business. That guy who's bullying you is taking your homework? All three of 'em?"
Tim looked uncomfortable, not meeting Jason's eyes and staring at his feet. "Yes," he finally forced out. "And I can't do anything about it, because Bruce-"
"Fuck Bruce. I'll pick you up again tomorrow. Meet me at the parking lot and show me who this guy is. What's his name?"
"...Jake Jackson."

Jason couldn't help the short laugh that burst through his lips. "His parents really hated him, didn't they? Jake Jackson." He laughed again. "Hilarious."
Tim looked nervous, eyes flickering up to meet Jason's. "What will you do? I swear, if you start shooting at him-"
"Chill, I save my bullets for the dangerous guys."
"So you think I'm dangerous?" asked Tim with played innocence.
"What?"
"You said you save the bullets for dangerous guys. You shot me," he explained, talking slowly, as if Jason was a five-year-old.
"Why you little-"
"Language!"
"You just had to quote Captain America, didn't you?"

The next day, Tim was late again. Jason had been sitting in his car for almost seventeen minutes now. Jason couldn't believe that Tim could fight guys three times as big as him, but he didn't have the balls to defend himself against one puny bully. He probably sat in some lab, hiding from Jason, just because Jason wanted some sweet revenge for his little brother.

He smirked at the 1,5l bottle of coke next to him. Revenge really was sweet. After another two minutes of restless waiting, he got out of his car, coke in hand, and stomped to the school once again.

He wasn't expecting what he found.

Tim stood pressed against the lockers, school bag held closely to his chest, surrounded by at least five other guys. To anyone else, he'd look scared out of his wits, but Jason saw the anger burning in his eyes, the tightness of his jaw. Tim was ready to snap.

Jason growled. Football palyers. Why did the biggest jocks always have to be football players? One of them was saying something, but Jason couldn't hear what it was. He felt fury bubble up from deep inside him.

Yes, he had tried to kill Tim and yes, he did shoot him, but he really was sorry about that and had tried to make up for it.

He opened the bottle of coke with a jerk and began his way toward his brother, who stood with his face to him, but was looking at the ground, the football players turning their backs to Jason. Jason must have made some kind of angry noise, because Tim's head snapped up and Jason could feel himself freeze at the hand print on Tim's left cheek.

No one hit his little brother but himself. No one! He walked faster, until he stood right behind the group. "Jake Jackson?" He asked roughly and a muscular guy with black hair cocked an arrogant eyebrow at him. "And who are you?"

Instead of answering, Jason lifted his hand and turned the bottle upside down, pouring its content over Jackson's head.

Everyone was way too shocked to show any kind of physical reaction and Tim stared open mouthed as Jake gasped for breath, the seemingly never ending stream of coca cola running down his hair, face and broad shoulders. Jason gave the bottle one last shake to get every last drop out and then let it drop to the floor.

"What?" he asked innocently, "you don't like coke? It's as sweet as revenge." He leaned forward, his and Jake's nose almost touching. "If you ever touch my little brother again, the next thing you'll feel is my fist in your mouth, got it?" Jake just stared wide-eyed at him and no one dared to even breath.

Jason grabbed the bully's soaked shirt at the lack of an answer and pulled him even closer, raising his fist threateningly. This seemed to finally pull Jackson out of his stupor and he instinctively raised his hands to protect his face. "I-I won't, I s-swear! I'll never touch him again!"

Jason let him drop to the floor, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Good." Then he wrapped an arm around Tim's shoulder and practically dragged him out of the school building.

Tim didn't said a word as they made their way to Jason's car, but muttered a quiet "Thanks" as he sat down next to Jason. Even though he was thankful for Jason's help, he still felt uncomfortable with the silence between them. He turned up the radio and the two brothers couldn't help but smile at each other as they heard what song was just playing:

Hey brother by Avicii