POST: 2/? of TODAY!
EVENT: Learning BatLesson number 17: keep your friends and family at arm's length.
JASON: Fifteen.
When Jason makes his way down into the bat cave to find his grandfather pacing, he knows there's something wrong.
"You're late." The man mumbles and looks over at Jason.
"I got held up at Charlie's." Jason answers as he drops his school bag onto the cave floor.
"You spend a lot of time with that kid." Bruce mumbles with a frown.
"He's my best friend. Besides, we had our tutoring session today. I didn't have a choice but to stay for a few extra minutes."
"Stop it." Bruce demands with a growl.
"What?" Jason asks in confusion.
"Part yourself from the boy."
"What are you talking about?"
"You want to follow in your parent's footsteps right?" Bruce demands, knowing well that his grandson was set on becoming the new robin.
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with Charlie?"
"Your enemies look for ways to hurt you. Charlie would be an obvious target. They'd take it without a second thought. You want to keep him safe? Then part yourself.
"I can keep him safe and stay close Granps"
" Jason please, just follow orders."
"No. I'm not ditching Charlie."
"Jason-"
"No. Charlie needs me, I keep him safe as it is! I'm not leaving him I don't care what you say."
"What will you do when he's hurt because of you then? Jason, this boy can be killed because you were too stubborn to obey. Listen to me and separate yourself from him."
"What's your deal old man?" Jason explodes, furious at the very thought of leaving his friend to fend for himself.
"Jason in the seven months we've been training, you've been late three days out of every single week. Every time it's because you were spending time with that boy. He's a distraction. Distractions aren't good for heroes Jason."
"I'm not you! And I'm definitely not Pop. I don't kiss the ground you walk on and I'm not going to listen to every word you say. I'm not going to avoid seeing my best friend because you told me to. He's not a distraction. If anything, Charlie's the reason I'm even here! I want to protect him, and that means I have to be around." Jason screams, his face a dark red from the anger.
"Jason-"
"No. I'm going home." With that, Jason grabs his back and leaves the cave; Bruce is left to stare after his grandson in shock and fury.
Upstairs, Clark can hear Jason's feet stomping towards the door. He watches form a nearby window as his grandson runs away from the large house.
When we gets downstairs, he finds Bruce coming in from the secret entrance to the bat cave.
"What were you doing down there?" Clark asks in suspicion, knowing well that Bruce hadn't been down into his secret cave in years. And there really wasn't any reason for him to be down there now.
"I was showing Jason around." Bruce lies easily and walks towards Clark with a frown.
"Why the angry face?"
"We had a talk. Nothing big."
"What was this talk about?"
"…well…it was about his parents." Bruce lies again and sighs.
Clark doesn't notice the obvious fibs and nods, not wanting to know what Bruce had said to make Jason so angry.
"Dinner's almost ready." he says and walks away.
The rest of the evening, Bruce replays what Jason had said.
He'd never seen the protective side of the boy and having seen it now, he could tell that his friend meant the world to him.
Why, Bruce wasn't so sure but at least he could tell.
When Clark decides to head to bed, Bruce makes his way towards the cave.
He spends an hour looking over the multiple costumes, masks, and gadgets he'd come across through the years.
"You miss it don't you." A new voice echoes and Bruce turns to see his husband leaning against one of the cave walls.
"It's all in the past Clark. I quit this life."
"But you wish you could go back."
Bruce nods and shifts his attention back to the costumes.
"tell me the truth Bruce, why has Jason been coming over so much these past few months?" Clark mumbles, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from Bruce himself.
"…he wants this life."
"And you thought it'd be okay to train him. Do the boys know?"
"No."
"What are you going to do when he'd ready?"
"Tim's offered to take him in as long as he's prepared for the lifestyle. "
"When were you planning on telling Jason's fathers?"
"Jason said he'd take care of it."
"You trusted a fifteen year old boy to tell his parents the biggest news of his childhood life?"
"I trust Jason."
"So do I. but this is a big deal."
"I'm aware."
"had he decided what name he'll go by yet?" Clark asks, not wanting to fight with Bruce.
"He says he wants to be Robin."
"Which costume?"
"He likes Damian's."
"It'll be too small."
"He doesn't know that."
"I'll get to work tomorrow. You keep training him. If he wants to be a hero, fine. But he better be ready when he goes out on his first patrol."
Bruce only smiles slightly and watches as Clark leaves the cave.
At the Grayson residence, Jason is having trouble sleeping.
His dreams are filled with the sight of Charlie's hurt and lifeless form.
Every hour or so, he'll wake up in a cold sweat, wanting to scream in terror as the last bits of his nightmare replay in his head.
At four twenty three AM, Jason gets fed up and grabs his pillow.
He makes his way over his his parent's room to find that his Dad isn't home yet.
"Pop?" Jason whispers and shakes Dick's shoulder gently.
Blue eyes open groggily and stare at Jason for a second before he sighs.
"What's wrong Jase?"
"Nightmares. Can I stay here?" Jason asks, his voice filled with shyness.
Dick chuckles softly and nods, patting Conner's side of the bed gently.
Jason crawls in and sighs as the familiar feeling of Dick's arms wrapped around him fill his senses.
The fifteen year old falls asleep quickly enough and the nightmares stay away.
It's almost Dawn when Conner walks into the room, tired and sleepy.
He smiles slightly as the sigh on the bed and sighs before grabbing a pillow that's been dropped on the floor.
He leans over to place a kiss on his husband's lips as well as a small peck on his son;s forehead before moving to head to the living room couch.
"Dad?" a soft voice echoes and Conner turns to find his son looking over at him with tired eyes.
"Go back to sleep Jason."
"There's room here. Where are you going?" Jason asks, his words slightly slurred form exhaustion.
"To the couch."
"Don't be dumb Dad, get over here." Jason mumbles before settling back itno sleep.
Conner complies and makes his way over to Jason's other side.
The boy moves over and makes space for the older man with a sigh.
When Dick wakes up that Saturday morning, he smiles when he sees Conner hugging their son in his sleep.
The image was just an older version of the moment he had seen multiple times back when Jason was four years old.