A/n: Just had an idea of Jason confronting Dick about becoming too much like Bruce, especially since Dick's goal in life is essentially to not become Bruce. Was bored so decided to write it (who cares about the time and it being a weekday) and here we are. Set during Battle for the Cowl except I've never read it and it's probably only related to that story in that Bruce is dead and Dick kicked Tim out but Damian isn't Dick's baby just yet. Jason's on decent enough terms with the rest of the fam ig too. Enjoy.

"You even sit in his chair like he did," Jason scoffed, but Dick barely spared a glance at him. He hadn't even heard Jason's bike pull into the garage but it didn't matter, he had other more important things to focus on anyway.

There was a few moments of silence, the only sounds being the tapping of keys on the computer when Jason finally sighed.

"Ignoring me too, I'll add that to the list."

"Do you need something, Jason?"

"I don't know about need, but it'd be pretty nice if you could at least look at me when you talk to me," Jason snapped, sarcasm dripping from his words. "While we're on the subject, a little 'hi Jason, how's it going, been a while. What have you been up to? Did you hear that Dick's living up to his name and kicked Tim out?' Yeah actually I did, it's crazy, almost like Bruce isn't dead but otherwise how are you doing, Bru- Dick?"

He watched as Dick leaned forward, his head held in his hands for a few breaths and it scared Jason more than anything else. Tim had told him what had happened, the poor guy almost to the point of tears as he'd held Jason tightly, and all Jason could think in his mind was 'Bruce, Bruce, Bruce'. He saw it now for himself. He'd known Bruce's death had messed them all up, but this was a whole new level.

"I'm sorry," Dick apologised, lifting his head to turn and look at Jason who had relaxed slightly in hope because Bruce barely ever apologised so it couldn't be that bad. Part of Dick was still in there, then. But it seemed Dick wasn't done, and Jason had let his guard down too early. "I have a lot of work to do, Jay, and not a lot of time to do it. Unless you need something else, urgently, can we have this talk some other time?"

Jason just blinked. In his two-and-a-half second's hesitation, Dick took that as his answer and started turning back to the computer.

"No!" Jason marched over to Dick's chair, grabbed the back of it and swung him around so their noses were almost touching. Dick yelped in surprise, mouth open to protest before Jason glared at him and he shut up, frowning. Jason ignored him, studying his older brother's face with growing disgust… and concern.

In the dim lighting of the Cave and the fact that for the most of their 'conversation' Dick had been facing away from him, Jason hadn't exactly gotten the best look at his brother. But now, when their faces were so close together, he could see every detail. How deep and dark the eye bags under Dick's strained eyes were, the slightly pale tint to his brother's skin, exhaustion and unkempt written on every part of the vigilante's face and body.

Jason let go of the chair and backed up a little. "You're the spitting image of him," Jason breathed.

Dick looked away, blowing out a long breath before turning steely eyes back on Jason. "What's your point, Jay?" He asked, voice carefully even.

"My point is, what happened to you? Your worst nightmare used to be becoming him and look at you now."

"I don't have a choice!" Dick spat back, standing up and Jason didn't miss the way he swayed just the slightest bit as he did before he steadied himself. "There needs to be a Batman - "

"I know that, but that doesn't mean Batman needs to be like Bruce," Jason hissed, hoping that got through to Dick's thick skull. "Yes, you're doing his job, but that doesn't mean you have to become him. You're not Bruce, Dick, and you don't have to be, and it's so much better if you're not. Bruce was a man with a lot of flaws but you- "

"But I what? I'm still too inexperienced? Naive? Soft?"

"No one's thinking that Dick!"

"Well they should be!" Dick shot back, voice cracking. There was a pause, and then Dick fell back onto the chair, leaning his head in his hand again. He didn't look at Jason, so he barely caught his older brother's next words.

"I can't do this Jay. I didn't mean to drive Tim away, I screwed everything up with him. Damian still doesn't listen to me. The League and the Teams are all depending on me and i can't- "

He couldn't finish, but he didn't need to. Jason let Dick take a few breaths before approaching his brother and crouching down next to the chair.

"That's because you're being stupid," he said softly, and Dick peeked out to look at him apprehensively but Jason just smiled bitterly.

"You're still trying to be two people at once; being you but doing everything Bruce's way. Obviously you're gonna fuck everything up like that, including yourself. So stop it. Stop trying to be him and just start doing it your way. I don't envy a lot of things about you, Dick, but I do envy how you can just look at someone a certain way and the next day, it seems like they're your best friend. The League and the Team don't expect you to do everything yourself. They know you're not Bruce, no one is. Let them help you. Fuck, even I'll help you.

"Tim leaving, maybe that was partly your fault, but the other part was because you were thinking like Bruce. He took you on for a reason right? He knew Batman wasn't a solitary game as much as he liked to pretend it was. I think he would have died a long time ago if it wasn't for you, Babs, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred and all the rest of us. So, at least if you're gonna act like him, do it right, will you?"

He could see Dick digesting his words for a few seconds and then without any time for Jason to react, his brother wrapped him up in a very big, very tight hug.

"Thank you," Dick whispered, so quiet and muffled that Jason almost missed it. He let his brother have his moment, even wrapping his own arms around Dick and patting his back and everything but after a little while, he had to say something.

"Okay, that's enough. The inspiring speech was my emotional/sincere quota for the week so this hug is coming out of next week's. Otherwise I might as well just become you…," Jason shuddered dramatically and earned a small, wet laugh from Dick.

"I'll admit being me isn't a great gig right now," Dick smiled bitterly.

They shared a look and then Jason really did reach his quota, standing up suddenly. "Okay well, since I'm here, might as well go raid the kitchen for dinner. Alfred somehow manages to get his hands on the most obscure ingredients that I can't find anywhere so I want to take advantage of that. Came all this way so… want something?"

"I'm okay, thanks. I have to finish up this stuff."

Jason narrowed his eyes slightly. "My speech mean nothing to you? And I saw you when you got up earlier, when's the last time you ate, huh? Tell you one thing I don't envy about you and it's that you're a fucking self-sacrificial bastard. I'm big enough to carry you up if I have to, Dick, especially since you're probably lighter. I don't work out for nothing."

"Oh of course, your incentive is to carry me upstairs and totally has nothing to do with vigilanteism," Dick quipped, rolling his eyes.

"Of course."

A/n: Yet another 'finished at almost midnight' spontaneous fic, yay (I'm so fucking tired haha…). Anyway, imma go to bed now and post this sometime tomorrow probably if I remember. Hope you liked it though. Jason and Dick are fun as always to write, Dick whump especially. These two are such a vibe and now that I think about it, maybe sum up my whole personality. Most times, I'm a Dick but sometimes I'm a depressed Dick, or a'kill everyone mood' Jason. Probably doesn't make sense (yes, I do realise how funny the first two sound if said out loud) but we've established I need sleep.

So stay safe - don't be like me and get some good sleep, sleep is important - and see ya soon.

- CrowofArcadiaOaks