Pairing: Jason/Tim [Batman]
Date Written: November 16, 2005.
As Jason beats the shit out of him, Tim tries to think his way out of it in between blocking punches and throwing a few of his own. Obviously being proclaimed dead has made Jason insane. The insults that Jason throws his way just make that clearer. Tim isn’t sure what Jason wants if he doesn’t want to be Robin. He’s not even sure that Jason knows what he wants. Other than to take out his frustrations and issues on Tim. After awhile, Tim knows that Jason’s rage is too overwhelming for him to fight against it. Tim goes down for the last time and stays down.
It takes awhile for Tim to recover and while he’s laying there in bed, he has a lot of time to think. He thinks mostly about Jason and he tries desperately to see things from his point of view. According to Jason, he’s been forgotten. Tim knows better than that. He’s seen the haunted look in Bruce’s eyes any time Tim or Dick had dared to even mention Jason. Bruce hasn’t forgotten Jason at all. Tim doesn’t understand why Jason can’t see that. But then again, Tim thinks, Jason wasn’t there to see the anguish his death caused. Or was he?
Curious, as soon as Tim has recovered, he goes after Jason. He shadows him through Gotham. If Jason notices him doing it, he doesn’t say anything. Maybe Tim really is that good or maybe Jason wants Tim to see what he’s doing. Either way, it takes all of Tim’s willpower not to interfere with Jason’s extreme vigilantism. Until one night, when Jason goes after a kid not much younger than Tim for the simple crime of stealing a hubcap. The kid is obviously stealing for survival. While Tim doesn’t condone his actions, he doesn’t see why Jason is going after this kid. Especially when Jason himself knows what’s like to be a street kid. Confused, Tim can’t help but interfere. He sneaks up behind Jason and is about to pull him off the kid when Jason turns around.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist interfering this time.”
“You knew I was following you?”
Jason smiles. It makes Tim swallow hard.
“But of course.”
“Why didn’t you say something before now?”
Jason tilts his head. “Why didn’t you try to interfere before now?”
“I…” Tim doesn’t know what to say. Why hadn’t he interfered? Was it curiosity alone?
Jason steps closer to Tim. Tim automatically takes a step back, but Jason keeps following him until Tim’s back is against a wall. Lifting his head slightly, Tim holds Jason’s eyes.
“You were curious, weren’t you? How could a Robin go bad? Could the same thing happen to you given the right circumstances? That’s what you were thinking, wasn’t it?”
Tim shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter what I was thinking. I should’ve stopped you before now.”
Jason steps even closer to Tim, so they’re just a breath away from each other. So close that Tim can feel the heat of Jason’s body through their costumes.
“But you didn’t.”
“That was my mistake.”
“There’s no room for error here.”
Tim hears the swish of the knife opening before he feels it pressed to his throat. He wonders if Jason would go that far. When the blade digs into his skin hard enough to draw blood, he wonders no longer. Jason would-and has-gone that far. It wasn’t just a mistake not to stop Jason before now, it was a mistake to follow Jason at all, but it’s one that Tim can’t take back.
“What do you want?” Tim asks as he tries to keep his voice calm and even.
“You don’t think that’s obvious by now?”
Tim opens his mouth to say something, but that’s when Jason reaches between them to cup Tim’s cock through his costume. Startled, Tim gasps.
“You want me?”
Jason doesn’t answer, not with words anyway. He presses his lips to Tim’s jaw and feathers light kisses all the way to Tim’s ear. Tim can feel Jason’s harsh breath against his skin and it makes him shiver involuntarily.
“Answer me,” Tim demands with defiance in his voice.
Slowly, Jason’s head comes up. His eyes pierce into Tim’s. Tim tries his best to hold the gaze. It becomes increasingly difficult when Jason digs the knife in harder while his other hand strokes Tim’s cock through his costume. All Tim really wants to do is push Jason away and run like hell. But, yet, there’s a part of him that’s still curious. How far will Jason go?
“Yes, I want you. I want to be you,” Jason finally answers after what seems like the longest pause.
Confused, Tim blinks. “But I thought you didn’t want to be Robin-“
“I don’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jason kisses Tim hard then. Tim lets him in hopes that Jason will drop his guard and the knife, but that doesn’t happen. The knife stays firmly pressed against Tim’s throat. Between that and Jason’s ever-present hand on his cock, Tim isn’t sure what to think or do. His body is reacting to Jason’s touches despite himself. When Jason finally breaks the kiss, Tim has to gasp for breath.
“Please stop.”
Jason tilts his head. “Why?”
“You used to be a decent man…”
“I’m not anymore.”
“You could still be one. If you just stop.”
Jason seems to consider that. As he does, it seems to Tim like time has frozen. All he can hear is his own heartbeat and his harsh breathing. Finally, Jason lets go of his cock, but the knife stays at his throat.
“Don’t you ever follow me again.”
Tim swallows hard. “Okay.”
The knife moves from Tim’s throat and Jason steps back. Before Tim can even think to say anything else, Jason turns and dives off the side of the building, leaving Tim alone with the street kid.