Work Text:
“God damn it,” Jason swears as toxin hits him in the face, seeping into his hood as Ivy laughs manically.
She gives him one last smirk – far too all knowing for his liking, winks at him and whisks off into the night, a vine carrying her gracefully into the trees and away before he can even think about going after her.
Good fucking ridden anyway.
He coughs under the hood as some kind of chemical seeps into his body as he prepares for the worst.
He’d been called in by Bats as back up for him and Damian because Tim was off world with the Titans and it was Dicks night off. He hadn’t been super happy about it but when he realized it was Ivy causing trouble downtown he’d tagged along.
Ivy was always a good time.
They’d ended up infiltrating her new warehouse, full of hybrid experiment plants that did only gods knows what to people. Batman and Robin were on the other side of the room fighting off some low level henchmen she’d hired while Jason tried and failed to apprehend the sultry red head. It seemed like she was more intent on stringing him along rather then causing actual damage. It had thrown off his usual fighting technique and confused him. Until he realized a beat too late it was because she obviously needed a test dummy for her new concoction.
As soon as she’d released it in his presence shed taken off, abandoning her guys and warehouse.
Jason coughs and splutters, sagging to his knees as he takes the helmet off and breathing in deep breaths of fresh air. He quickly asses himself, no head spinning or nausea. No wanting to rip his own skin off or tear out his hair.
No sudden hallucinations or impending dread clawing at his stomach.
Not fear toxin than.
Thank fuck.
Not yet at least. Jason will pray for small miracles.
What was the toxin then? It had to be something.
Ivy was clever, it had to work.
Plus she’d lured them all into this stupid situation, clearly for a reason.
Jason takes a minute while he hears Batman and Robin finishing up, and weighs up his options. He can leg it, avoid any conversation that he’d rather just not have. Or stick around and let Bruce know what happened. Surely something was seeping into his system, Jason was never lucky enough to catch a break.
Jason turns around, seeing Batman walking confidently over to him, he slumps a little more and doesn’t hide his eye roll.
“Hood, where did Ivy go?”
“Left,” Jason says immediately, “Got away.”
Batman’s lip purse together, he doesn’t look happy about it, but he doesn’t look surprised or disappointed either. Ivy’s always getting away.
“What happened?”
Jason shrugs, “We fought, she was cocky, dosed me with something and rode away.”
Jason rolls his neck to one side and stands up, internally wincing when he realizes he must have a few cracked ribs.
He better get out of here and to his safe house, as thrilling as this conversation is with Bruce, he’d just rather not.
Helping the bats when its necessary is one thing, sticking around for pleasantries is another.
Damian has propped up behind Batman, scowling and rolling his eyes,
“Tsk – of course you let her get away Hood.”
Batman barely spares a glance at Robin but takes a step forward, annoyance replaced with something else.
Jason has a weird feeling its concern.
“She hit you with something?” He asks agitated, but its one of the few times Jason can tell its not directed at him, “Are you injured?”
“Yeah, a few cracked ribs, a knife went through my leg I think at one point. Probably a bit concussed as well, but they’re hard to self-diagnosis – “
Jason abruptly stops talking, forcing himself to snap his mouth shut.
What the fuck?
Bruce frowns slight at him, looking about as confused as he feels. So does Damian.
Never once has Jason been so honest about an injury – ever. When he was Robin Bruce had to pat him down to check for injuries because he would play them off so easily. Since coming back he’s kept his business to himself, and injuries are not something he’ll share with anyone.
Dick has found him bleeding out in his safe house. Tim has dragged kicking to the manor to look at broken legs.
The words had just come out of him though. Willing to supply the information without even thinking about it.
That’s not good.
Bruce takes a minute to look him over, and Jason feels like he’s being scrutinized.
“You said you were dosed with something?”
Jason just nods.
“It was not fear toxin?” Damian asks, standing tall next to Batman, but his voice wavers only the tiniest bit giving him away. Damian had been struck with a bad dose of fear toxin last month. Its something Jason doesn’t want to remember, so he can imagine how Damian’s feeling about it.
Jason shakes his head, “No, definitely not fear toxin. I feel dizzy not like I’m hallucinating.”
Bruce waits a bit, silently assessing the boy. He has a calculated look on his face that Jason cant decipher, he hates it.
“We’ll need to run some tests, see what it is. Make sure its not dangerous,” Bruce says.
Jason nods again and sighs, this could be a long night.
-/-/-/-
Less than an hour later Jason is dressed in old sweats and soft t-shirt, sitting on a cot in the cave after being patched up by Alfred.
Jason sits on the edge grimly, head in his hands trying to collect his thoughts. Bruce has done some tests and their waiting for them to come back, the elder eyeing him from the other side of the room as he sits by the computer. But Jason has a fairly good idea what’s going on.
And he hates it.
Alfred patched him up, stitching up the stab wound on his leg and checking for broken ribs.
Now, Alfred isn’t too much of a chatter most days – but based off the little interactions and the particularly honest answers Jason was giving despite himself, the whole interaction was like a freight train.
“Dear Master Jason, what do we have here?”
“Got stabbed, bit of blood. It happens.”
“Does it happen often?”
“Yeah, I’ve been stabbed 3 times in the last week.”
“Do you say? And who stitched you up after those incidents might I ask?”
“I did.”
“Where?”
“Shoulder”
“May I see - Master Jason that looks almost infected.”
“Yeah, hurts a bit too actually.”
“May I fix those up to?”
“Okay.”
“Do try to be more careful in the future master Jason, I don’t know why you insist on being so reckless.”
“Someone’s got to do it, doesn’t matter if I get hurt.”
“It does matter. It matters a great deal Jason.”
“Not like I can do anything about it or got to anyone.”
Alfred had given him a particularly painful look after that, and then shared a scowl with Bruce that Jason didn’t miss despite doing his best to avoid eye contact.
Thankfully the butler stopped asking questions after that.
Mainly because Jason refused to answer.
It took a lot more than it should have to simply stop answering truthfully, but he had found so far as long as they weren’t asking a direct question he could avoid it.
He hears Bruce move from the computer over to the medbay, Jason still refuses to look up.
“I think we’ve got a lead on what Ivy dosed you with.”
Jason doesn’t answer, just flicks his eyes to Bruce quickly to show he’s listening.
“It seems your inhabitations have been lowered; reasoning strategies have been altered to the point your heart rate is slower than normal to reduce anxiety. So dramatically to the point your desired to answer any questions you hear,” Bruce says calmly, despite the situation not being calm at all.
Jason doesn’t feel calm.
“So a truth serum?”
“Like a truth serum.”
Although Jason knew it he still groans unhappily, “How?” he growls.
Bruce does shrug at that, looking far less menacing after his shower and in an old hoodie that has seen better days, “Ivy has been experimenting.”
Jason barks a humorless laugh, “Doesn’t seem possible, are you sure?”
Bruce cocks an eyebrow and gives him what can only be a playful smirk, “Where were you last Wednesday when you didn’t come to dinner?”
A beat of silence, then…
“I’ve enrolled in the local community college, and I was taking a night class,” Jason grits – because he didn’t want to Bruce to know that.
He really didn’t want Bruce to know that.
Well, at least they got their answer.
Bruce’s eyebrows go up in surprise, completely ignoring the truth serum they have on their hands, “I didn’t know you’ve gone back to school.”
“Can’t really do much as I’m legally dead,” Jason spits, “But I could enroll in a few classes to pass the time with some fake documents.”
Bruce frowns and thinks for a moment, before asking, “Are you enrolled just to pass the time?”
“No,” Jason grits, “I like it.”
They stare at each other for a moment, Bruce deep in thought and Jason in contempt. Maybe he should just run at this point, fucking Bruce and asking all these invasive questions.
“What classes are you taking?”
“English literature classes – Bruce can you fucking not?” Jason growls out after answering another question under duress.
Bruce at least looks a bit sheepish about it, clearly taking advantage of Jason like that.
He can’t lie though, he is incredibly happy Jason is doing something so normal, doing something he likes. Bruce would have helped him to get into any college or university course if he just asked.
He wonders idly if there’s any strings, he can pull to get Jason into Gothams College.
Of course there is, he’ll call tomorrow.
He also loves that they’re just talking, Bruce is asking him questions and he’s not getting snapped at in response. He takes a moment to bask in how sad that is it only happens when Jason is under a true serum no less, but he’ll take what he can get with his prickly son.
“Sorry,” He says sincerely, “I’ll do some more tests but it just seems to be a truth serum, dangerous in the wrong hands but it doesn’t look particularly potent in your system or strong, I think it will wear off in a few hours.”
Jason grunts, flinging himself off the bed looking for his shit.
Fine, he is out of here.
“What are you doing?” Bruce asks when his second eldest starts to move around, wincing no less. His ribs must be hurting more then he thought. He makes a note to ask him about it.
“Going home, I can’t fucking stay here like this,” Jason grumbles half annoyed, half actually pissed.
There are few things that he genuinely doesn’t want to do and one is absolutely staying in this house under a truth serum. He would like to keep some of his dignity today.
“You can’t leave Jay,” Bruce says.
“I can’t stay here,” Jason says truthfully.
Bruce winces at how true Jason thinks that statement is, “If you go out and get taken, or someone catches on, or Ivy has some kind of grander plan this could be fatal. You might leak not only your own identify and secrets but those keeping a lot of people safe.”
Jason flinches at the words, because Bruce is right. It’s not just his secret he might spill, not even just Bruce’s. He knows so much, way too much really. If a fucking super villain catches him he’s toast.
“Well, I better stay the fuck out of trouble.” Jason says reasonably.
Bruce grabs the boys wrist, tries not to wince at the initial flinch Jason omits, “It would be much safer here Jason. Please.”
Jason looks at the man he called Dad for years, very confused, “I can’t stay here. You don’t want me here.”
Bruce takes a deep breath, if Jason has to be honest the least he can do is meet him half way, Jason deserves that, “I always want you here Jason.”
-/-/-/-/-/-
“Little wing!” An overly concerned and chirpy voice echoes through the hallway and Jason freezes.
Bloody Dick face.
Jason quickly works through his options, he can bolt to his bedroom but he doubts he’ll make it undetected, and scaling through the window seems entirely too much work when his ribs ache uncomfortably.
He supposes he deserves what’s coming to him when he didn’t stay hidden in his room for the night.
After the incredible awkward encounter with Bruce, he’d mumbled something unintelligent and Bruce told him to go rest his injured ribs. Taking any opportunity to leave the conversation he’d wandered into one of the libraries and made himself comfortable.
“Jay!” Dick cries happy when he finds his little brother in the library, reading by a fire, covered in a plush comforter.
Dick had found him multiple times like this as a gangly teen, curled up reading a book – he’d even caught him in his ratty apartment under the glow of a lamp and plush blanket, cursing him out and ordering him to leave. He didn’t think he’d find him in the manor again though.
Jason rolls his eyes, and goes back to his book – the picture of indifference.
Dick knows it’s an act. He can see how tense his brother is despite the relaxed position.
“How are you feeling Little Wing?” Dick asks, taking a seat next to him on the large couch, just out of arms reach so he can’t whack him with the book.
“Sore,” Jason winces at his own honestly and Dicks eyes sparkle.
Jason is so fucked.
“So Jason, I’ve always wanted to know,” Dick starts, in a tone that could suggest anything at this point. Jason glares at him through the corner of his eye, willing the ground to swallow him up.
“Who’s your favorite brother?”
“You,” Jason says without skipping a beat, “Fuck you.” He hurls back instantly trying to saver some pride.
Jason doesn’t think he saves it when Dick beams at him.
“Aw Jay, I always knew,” Dick teases, but he’s sincere in a way that only Dick Grayson could be.
Jason always idolized Dick when he was younger, the first time he met him he was in awe of the older Robin.
Dick was good looking, talented, effortlessly cool.
Not that Jason would ever tell him those things. Not willingly at least, he thinks miserably.
“Fuck off,” Jason says again without any heat and more resignation, who else would be his favorite brother, Tim? God what a dumb question.
Jason has realized the truth is not necessarily subjective, but its not black and white either. There is no one answer and its different for him some days, it also matters on how the question is worded.
“Why are you here?” He asks agitated.
“Bruce messaged me what happened, thought I’d come to exploit it,” Dick shrugs, “Okay, so I’ve always wanted to know, remember when you were 12 and you came back from a weekend summer camp with this massive purple bruise on your neck. Remember you told us you fell in the lake? What actually happened?”
Jason turns chrisom.
“Cindy Parker gave me a hickey,” He mumbles reluctantly.
Jesus Christ Dick.
“You dog,” Dick smiles, “I knew you had it in you, you were a little heartbreaker. Alfred didn’t believe me.”
Jason continues to glare at him and tries not to think about Alfred and Dick discussing his hickey when he was 12. He would have been mortified. ‘
He is mortified.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jason asks.
“You would think that,” Dick muses thoughtfully, “Anyway, Bruce said you were banged up a bit. How are your ribs?”
Dick goes from absolute menace to thoughtful big brother in a heartbeat and its giving Jason whiplash.
“They’re a bit sore, they’re fine I’ve had worse,” He replies, again giving more information than he would like.
Dick contemplates this thoughtfully for a moment, clearly thinking how he can ask questions to get the best responses.
Jason can’t lie, he can’t even omit the truth really, but there are certain aspects he can include or not depending how the question is phrased. He doesn’t put it past Goldilocks to be paying elite attention to have figured that out. Bruce was freaking out too much over his son to really pay attention to the semantics of it.
“Do you need anything?” Dick asks.
Jason shakes his head, “No.”
Dick nods, contemplating this for a moment. He nods towards Jason’s empty cup of tea.
“Do you want some more tea?” Dick asks, trying again.
“Yes,” Jason says automatically and pauses, staring at Dick for a moment, “Yeah, actually. Please.” He says more quietly and more self consciously then he would like.
Like Dick has figured out a secret about him.
Dick smiles warmly, one of those smiles that puts people at ease, he reaches for the teacup.
“Peppermint is your favorite, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Jason reply’s and rolls his eyes. He wouldn’t lie about that.
Several minutes later when Dick comes back, holding a tray with two scolding cups of tea he gently puts it on the table in front of the couch in reach. Dick sits crossed leg next to him, blowing gently on his own tea.
“What are you reading?”
“Pride and prejudice.”
“Is it your favorite?”
Jason flushes again. Curtly, “yes.”
“But what is the one you tell everyone is your favorite?”
“Fahrenheit 451.”
Dick smirks, taking a sip of tea.
Jason continues to glare at him.
“I’m surprised you haven’t left yet,” Dick says honestly.
Its ambiguous enough to mean a lot of things, while being straight to the point.
Jason snots, “yeah me to,” he says honestly.
Dick waits a beat, “Why?”
“I don’t know,” Jason mumbles, too many reasons, too many unknown variables to be honest.
Dick contemplates, he’s choosing his questions carefully now. Jason should be worried.
He is, but he also isn’t.
That blind trust he had in Dick as a teenager is wired into his brain.
He reaches over to grasp the teacup for something to do with his hands while this painful conversation continues, and winces when it jostles his ribs uncomfortably.
Dick looks alarmed, “Are you okay?”
Jason shrugs, still wincing, “I’ll survive.”
The elder snorts, “Do you need anything? A heat pack? Painkillers?”
Jason shakes his head, breathing heavily through his nose to ease the pain, “No.”
Dick stares at him intensely which Jason ignores to try and regulate his breathing, bruised ribs are a bitch.
“Do you want a heat pack? Or more painkillers?” Dick rephrases.
Jason tenses up, feeling the reply on his lips.
“I can’t have anything else for 2 more hours,” He says truthfully, “But a heat pack might help.”
Jason, one hand on his ribs trying to ease the pain glances over at Dick, who is watching him very carefully.
The truth serum has conditions. Needs and wants are different. Jason never says what he wants.
Dick smiles, that warm, comforting one again and removes himself gently to fetch Jason a heat pack. When he comes back, with a batman themed one no doubt, and hands it him Jason mumbles a thank you, Dick smirks.
They sit in companionable silence for a bit, each in their own little world but enjoying the company.
Despite what he portrays, Jason doesn’t hate Dick or this family, or the manor. It can just be, so much sometimes.
When Dick pulls up his phone and grins at Jason, the boy realizes he was lulled into a false sense of security.
“Lord of the rings still you’re favorite movie?” Dick asks, waving the phone around where Jason can see Netflix is open.
“Yeah,” Jason grumbles, he won’t be embarrassed about that.
“When was the last time you watched it?”
Jason shrugs, “When it came out.”
“Do you want to watch it now?” Dick asks, careful to use the word want.
“Yeah,” Jason says although reluctantly and Dick smirks.
He casts it to the TV through his phone and goes about setting up the couch so they’re more comfortable.
“I’ve text Damian and Tim to come, although I don’t know where they are. Can I text Bruce?” Dick asks carefully.
“Yeah, sure,” Jason grunts, like it doesn’t matter.
Dick stares at him, more thoughtfully, “Do you mind if Bruce watches it with us?” He rephrases.
He wants Jason to be comfortable, and the truth and what Jason wants are two different things.
“I don’t mind if he does,” Jason rolls his eyes, he’s not a child.
“But will it make you uncomfortable?” Dick presses.
“No,” Jason says truthfully, “But he won’t want to.”
Dick stares at him for a second, “He will. He always wants to spend time with you Jay. He just has no idea how to say it, or ask.”
Jason frowns, fiddling with the heat pack Dick got him and keeps his mouth shut. Partly out of anger and confusion, but also exhaustion.
“Can we watch the movie? Are you done with the questions yet?” Jason snaps as Dick takes a seat next to him, as the story of how the ring came together plays in the background.
“Sorry little wing,” Dick sighs, “Wait one more.”
Jason glares at him.
Dick holds up the plush blanket, the really cozy one kept in the library that Dicks sure Bruce paid way too much money for when Dick said it was soft at the mall and bought for him without hesitation.
Dick’s absolute favorite blanket that he’s kept at the manor and used to take naps with and watch movies. The same blanket he has enclosed his younger siblings in at different times to cuddle.
Oh no.
“Do you want to cuddle?”
Fuck. Jason could handle everything Dick has thrown at him tonight. Can put up with the stupid truth serum, put up with all the embarrassing confessions and stupid truths.
Expect this one.
Dick knows he is a bit of a leach when it comes to cuddles, knows he likes to hold someone tightly and ensure they’re safe. He’s always been tactile. And for the most part, he knows his siblings have either been pretty content to indulge him or have enjoyed being wrapped up by a cuddle octopus.
Damian will swear up and down he hates it, but has never really made an attempt to leave. Tim has craved the affection. Even Alfred and Bruce have enjoyed it for the most part – although Bruce does prefer to hold his children, not be held.
Jason – prickly, smart mouthed Jason tolerated hugs when he came to the manor. For a while he avoided them completely, but eventually he came around. He never asked for a hug, but Bruce and Dick began to learn the signs when he wanted one.
For the most part, Dick assumed he liked them but hated to ask and seem vulnerable. That he liked to be wrapped up and safe in someone’s arms, something Dick was more then willing to do.
But then he died, and came back.
And Dick tried to hug him once and got a rubber bullet in the arm.
Dick is risking another rubber bullet in the chest right now. But he’s willing to take that bet.
“Yes,” Jason hisses, betraying himself and sighing in defeat. It’s no use trying to lie or argue or omit the truth. If he’s been honest, which it looks like he has no choice, he’s tired and sore, and god Dick gives the best hugs.
So yes, he wants a damn cuddle.
Dick cheers quietly and quickly opens his arms motioning for Jason to fall into him. When Jason hesitates Dick moves closer and careful of his ribs maneuvers the boy so he is nestled into his chest and covered by the blanket.
“If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you.” Jason hisses, Dick just pats his hair.
“Seriously, I will. And it will be slow and painful.”
“Sure thing little wing.”
When Bruce walks in 15 minutes later, late because he was calling someone at Gotham University to see about getting Jason enrolled in some classes, Jason is already asleep and Dick is taking a selfie.
Bruce absolutely does not have it as his background.
Bruce is never under the truth serum, so he can lie to himself and the world.