The apartment was on the second floor and was clearly picked for its location rather than comfort. Tim found the place depressing to look at. There were military-grade boxes lining the walls with tools and open containers of instant meals on the table. A field surgery kit lay half open by a bottle of disinfectant while a police scanner crackled in the background. It looked more like the hideout of a soldier in third-world country than a man in his hometown.
Jason made a rush to hide any weapons or explosives as the teen went to dry off, quickly taking care of the sniper rifle by the window. He must look like one of those nutcases that try to blow up the town hall. He should have put up a poster or something, or would that make it worse? The older man made a quick rummage through the 'fridge and found nothing but beer and a few stale MREs. Maybe he should order pizza instead.
Oh god, Tim…What was he going to do about him?
He never meant to get the boy involved, but it was too late now. Somehow Tim had mistaken his kindness for something else and that kiss. Jason's skin reddened a little at the memory. He quickly dismissed it as stress and fact that he hadn't gotten laid in a while. The man wasn't like that, he didn't go after kids. What if-?
What if Tim felt like he had to do this?
His heart sunk into his stomach. It made sense now. All the calls, the urgency in being face-to-face, the sudden kiss that came out of nowhere…Tim was using him.
To him, Jason was protection and security, something he desperately needed. The teen couldn't survive on the streets of Gotham by himself, and was simply trading the only thing he had left.
His body.
In Jason's bed, the boy had less chance of getting raped or being abducted. His best hope was to find an older man who could take care of him until he could make it on his own. That is, if he even lived that long. The former Robin was heartbroken and hated himself for screwing this up so badly. He never should have given him his number, and never should have agreed to go on that date. He cringed at calling it that, I was on a date with a sixteen year old boy.
Why did he kiss him back?
…
Tim ran a towel through his hair and didn't understand how anyone could live like this. The man was completely cut off from the world, and lived only for revenge. There were still so many unanswered questions. Bruce was probably looking for him by now, he was supposed to be back an hour ago. He didn't know how he could face his adopted father after tonight. They had to know the truth, but could Tim bring himself to say it?
The person Jason cared about didn't exist and there was no way he could react positively to finding out he was Robin. The teen saw the mirror and didn't recognize the face looking back. He scrubbed off whatever makeup still clung to his face and wanted to tear off the faddish clothing that was too tight to be comfortable. A tube of shiny lip balm was thrown into the trash beside him.
This Other-Tim was more feminine that the boy that stayed up late studying to be the world's greatest detective. This person was jealous and manipulative, he would rather let Gotham burn to the ground than risk losing Jason. Tim Drake-Wayne wouldn't let innocent people suffer, not when he could fight back. He was going to save Jason as Robin, as himself. The teen stood a little taller now, confidant in that he was going to win.
"We'll see if he likes you half as much as he likes me." A voice in the back of his mind sneered. There was a tinge of doubt and Tim took the balm from the trash.
…
Jason was spread out on the couch with a cigarette in hand, his expression stormy. He didn't say anything as the teen sat next to him and waited for something to happen. "Are you mad at me?" He asked and the former Robin shook his head. Tim was confused "Then what's wrong?"
The older man breathed out a cloud of grey smoke and spoke in a tone that was far too calm "In few days, bad things are going to start happening around Gotham and I don't expect to survive it." He spoke about his death like it was nothing, like his own life was worthless.
Tim's face fell and he started to panic "No, you don't have to do this Jason. There has to be another option-" The former Robin took his hand. "Trust me when I tell you that this is something I have to do." He said as softly as you would to a lover. "That's why I want you to leave the city."
The boy's eyes widened and he tore his hand away violently, he wanted to hit the man for even suggesting something like that. "No!" He screamed, not believing the nonsense he was hearing.
Jason tried reasoning with him "I can get you new documents, a passport, everything you need to start over anywhere you want. You can go back to school and actually make something of your life instead of rotting in this hellhole." Why couldn't he just accept that this was the right choice? He wouldn't condemn the boy to waste his life chasing after someone that died years ago.
"I'm not going to let you destroy yourself." Tim vowed with his fists at his sides. The older man was stunned into silence, not expecting so much strength from the small boy in front of him. After a moment he started to laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world. "I'm afraid you're too late for that." He chuckled.
There was a knock at the door, and Tim asked who it could be. "Who knows, maybe Satan?" He joked grimly as he went to check. Well it would explain how he came back from the dead.
Tim didn't like that kind of humor.
Instead of the king of demons, it was a tall red-haired man with a stocky build. He burned with a slow kind of anger and helped himself in without being invited. Judging from the irritated look Jason was giving him, he wasn't going to. "I told you not to come here, what if somebody saw you?" The former Robin fumed, this was an argument they had before. The teen understood his concern, the man was far too well-dressed to be here and likely turned heads.
"You weren't answering your phone." said the red-haired man, flicking an imaginary piece of lint off his white suit.
Jason defended himself and crossed his arms over his chest "I was busy."
"With what?" He asked contemptuously, like the man had nothing better to do than serve him. They looked like they were coming to blows at any moment. For a fraction of a second, Jason's gaze waivered and gave him away. The redhead looked over to discover the previously unnoticed teen and his annoyance turned immediately to disgust.
Without warning, the bulky man grabbed Tim by the back of his shirt and threw him into another room. Jason screamed something as the door slammed, locking him inside. As the teen got back on his feet, he heard a gunshot.
"You do not touch him! Do that again and I'll take your head clean off!" The former Robin shouted furiously. If Thomas Elliot wasn't useful, he would have killed him ages ago. Thomas felt the same about him.
"Who is he? Is he a liability?" He demanded to know, their mission already had too many snags.
Jason was smug. "He didn't know anything until you burst in, Tommy." The nickname was a cherry on the sundae of infuriating that was the dark-haired man. "Who is he?" Thomas repeated, seething this time. Years of hard work weren't going to be wasted because of one idiot.
He shrugged. "Some brat I picked up by the train station. He keeps the bed warm." The former Robin wouldn't dare admit what the boy really was, the man smelled weakness like a shark smells blood. Judging the nauseous expression on the man's face, the lie was a good one. Tommy hated anyone he saw as being beneath him, and a prostitute was as low as you could get. Jason with an underaged rent-boy was a case of scum attracting scum. This only confirmed his suspicions of the man being a whore.
Thomas was more civil when the topic was business. "The shipment never arrived." He said flatly.
The dark-haired man looked for another smoke. "The seller was a no-show and I'm already looking for a new one. You can tell Spooky that everything will be back on track before you know it. I'll even throw some extra stuff for his whack-juice as an apology." More nicknames, at least the whore knew how to keep a secret.
There were a few more minutes of dialogue that the teen couldn't hear through the door. Tim glanced around his makeshift prison, and found a desk with pieces of a red fiberglass mask on it. The bed nearby was worn but comfortable to lie on. Sheets were thrown haphazardly and they smelled like Jason.
Jason unlocked the door and the boy flinched like he was caught doing something he shouldn't. "He's gone now." The older man explained. Tim sat up and rubbed his eyes, asking "Who was that?"
He sighed and nudged the boy over to make room. "That's just Tommy, he hates everybody and likes to bitch at me." His tone went from lighthearted to serious in a moment, "I don't want you alone with him, okay? If you ever see him again, just kick him in the nuts and run."
Tim nodded dumbly at the advice, thinking "I've mastered multiple forms of martial arts. I think I can handle one douchebag."
Jason reached into his jacket and unhooked his holster. "What are you..?" The teen asked in confusion when the weapon was placed on his lap. "I'm giving it to you for your protection, I can take you to the firing range tomorrow if-" The teen handed it back, saying that he couldn't accept it. Guns went against everything Bruce taught him.
"Please" The older man pleaded, "Take it as a memento or something, it'll give me some peace of mind knowing that you've got something to protect yourself with."
Tim's stomach lurched at the idea of mementos, as there was already one too many in the cave. He took it anyway because it made the man happy but he promised himself that he would never use it. "You have to leave now, don't you?" He asked, not wanting him to leave his side, not when they had spent so many years not knowing.
"Yes" Jason said simply, the guilt was showing through. Tim Drake felt like he was suddenly yanked into the passenger's seat of his own body. He pressed Jason's hand to his cheek and softly cooed "Can't you stay…just a little longer?" The man's eyebrows rose and his guilt doubled at how worried the boy was for his safety. "Give me tonight, and I promise I won't ask you for anything else."
He promised he wouldn't do this anymore, Jason needed to know the truth.
The older man reluctantly kissed him, asking if this was what he really wanted even knowing the risks. The teen nodded, shyly saying "I want to be with you." Tim wanted to tell him about Robin, the memorial, and how much everyone missed him but the words were stuck somewhere in his chest.
As the former Robin nipped and kissed his way down his throat, a voice said "I told you so."