Smiles
Jason’s heart jumps into his throat when Tim enters the church (and he looks very good in a Gotham University sweatshirt and jeans). His face heats up and the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck prickle. He’s followed by Bruce Wayne’s son, who is admiring the stained glass windows and the cherry wood pews, the wooden floors and the vaulted ceiling. Jason wonders if Tim is here to let him go, to tell him that he has found someone else.
(He has heard things about Dick Grayson. Everyone with ears has. Some confessions.)
A frown mars Tim’s face. Frowns do not belong on Tim’s face. Jason wants to smooth his skin, or he will get frown lines.
“You’re not wearing your clergy clothes.” He sounds confused. Dick Grayson takes a seat at one of the back pews, looking at the sculpture of the Savior, martyred on the wooden cross on the front wall of the church, above the altar. “Why?”
He isn’t wearing his clergy outfit. He is simply in a T-shirt and old jeans that he used to wear. “My replacement is arriving soon. Just. Saying goodbye to the place, I suppose.”
Tim looks around and stops walking just outside the polite area of personal space. He scuffs his shoes against the wooden floor. Then he lets his eyes rest on Jason again and his eyebrows rush toward his hairline, stretching a line of stitches there. He moves forward a little more and presses his fingertips to Jason’s own hairline.
“Your hair is turning white here.” He frowns again.
Jason grins, a crooked, goofy feeling thing. It feels so good to have Tim touching him again. “Stress. You know how it goes.” He hesitantly reaches for Tim’s stitches at his hairline, drifts his fingers to another set of stitches at his jawline. He feels Tim’s skin heat up beneath his fingertips.
Dick pops up behind him and smiles. “I just wanted to introduce myself to Timmy’s boyfriend.” He holes out his hand right hand for shaking. “Then I’ll go. Hi, I’m Dick Grayson.”
“Hello. I’m Jason Todd.” They shake hands.
“Oh, yes, I know. Tim here has told me. Nice to finally meet you, handsome boyfriend of my brother. Now that I’ve got him here, I’ll leave you two be.” And he skips off and out the doors. He doesn’t think he has ever seen a person quite so happy to be alive. It is refreshing.
“Brother?” Jason says.
“It is...” Tim looks up at the ceiling. “Complicated. A long story.”
“You can tell me about it. If you would like to.”
Tim smiles, and it is still so beautiful. Jason runs a thumb over his lips. “Father to parishioner?”
Jason pulls Tim forward, flush against him (and, yes, he feels just like he did a month or so ago, nothing much has changed). “No. More like. Boyfriend to boyfriend.”
Tim wraps his arms around Jason and squeezes. It pushes a lot of air out of him but he cannot complain. It is a warm embrace and Jason is happy. So very happy.
“Why did you come back?” Jason asks. Not that he is complaining. (Thank you God, for this, for Tim, for everything, even if I am not your messenger anymore.)
“I realized.” He stops. His voice is muffled by Jason’s chest. “I was told, actually, that I was being selfish. That I had not considered your opinion when I told the church that I seduced you. And that was right. I hadn’t. I just wanted you to be happy and I didn’t think about how I factored into that happiness, or how much you factored into mine. I’m sorry.”
Jason buries his face in Tim’s hair. “Don’t be sorry. I’m flattered. Still flattered.” He holds Tim away from him, cups his face, and kisses him. With feeling. With everything. Then he whispers against Tim’s lips, “I think that perhaps we should leave before the new priest gets here.”
“Okay.” Breathless. Jason likes it when Tim sounds like that. “Okay.”
“...my place? You are always welcome there.”
He smiles. It looks silly. Laughlines crinkle at the corners of his eyes. “Yes. Your place sounds good. I can move in in about an hour.”
“...that can wait.” Tim smiles wider and takes Jason’s hand. Jason laughs. It echoes around them and embraces them.
Somewhere, God smiles.
(He has heard things about Dick Grayson. Everyone with ears has. Some confessions.)
A frown mars Tim’s face. Frowns do not belong on Tim’s face. Jason wants to smooth his skin, or he will get frown lines.
“You’re not wearing your clergy clothes.” He sounds confused. Dick Grayson takes a seat at one of the back pews, looking at the sculpture of the Savior, martyred on the wooden cross on the front wall of the church, above the altar. “Why?”
He isn’t wearing his clergy outfit. He is simply in a T-shirt and old jeans that he used to wear. “My replacement is arriving soon. Just. Saying goodbye to the place, I suppose.”
Tim looks around and stops walking just outside the polite area of personal space. He scuffs his shoes against the wooden floor. Then he lets his eyes rest on Jason again and his eyebrows rush toward his hairline, stretching a line of stitches there. He moves forward a little more and presses his fingertips to Jason’s own hairline.
“Your hair is turning white here.” He frowns again.
Jason grins, a crooked, goofy feeling thing. It feels so good to have Tim touching him again. “Stress. You know how it goes.” He hesitantly reaches for Tim’s stitches at his hairline, drifts his fingers to another set of stitches at his jawline. He feels Tim’s skin heat up beneath his fingertips.
Dick pops up behind him and smiles. “I just wanted to introduce myself to Timmy’s boyfriend.” He holes out his hand right hand for shaking. “Then I’ll go. Hi, I’m Dick Grayson.”
“Hello. I’m Jason Todd.” They shake hands.
“Oh, yes, I know. Tim here has told me. Nice to finally meet you, handsome boyfriend of my brother. Now that I’ve got him here, I’ll leave you two be.” And he skips off and out the doors. He doesn’t think he has ever seen a person quite so happy to be alive. It is refreshing.
“Brother?” Jason says.
“It is...” Tim looks up at the ceiling. “Complicated. A long story.”
“You can tell me about it. If you would like to.”
Tim smiles, and it is still so beautiful. Jason runs a thumb over his lips. “Father to parishioner?”
Jason pulls Tim forward, flush against him (and, yes, he feels just like he did a month or so ago, nothing much has changed). “No. More like. Boyfriend to boyfriend.”
Tim wraps his arms around Jason and squeezes. It pushes a lot of air out of him but he cannot complain. It is a warm embrace and Jason is happy. So very happy.
“Why did you come back?” Jason asks. Not that he is complaining. (Thank you God, for this, for Tim, for everything, even if I am not your messenger anymore.)
“I realized.” He stops. His voice is muffled by Jason’s chest. “I was told, actually, that I was being selfish. That I had not considered your opinion when I told the church that I seduced you. And that was right. I hadn’t. I just wanted you to be happy and I didn’t think about how I factored into that happiness, or how much you factored into mine. I’m sorry.”
Jason buries his face in Tim’s hair. “Don’t be sorry. I’m flattered. Still flattered.” He holds Tim away from him, cups his face, and kisses him. With feeling. With everything. Then he whispers against Tim’s lips, “I think that perhaps we should leave before the new priest gets here.”
“Okay.” Breathless. Jason likes it when Tim sounds like that. “Okay.”
“...my place? You are always welcome there.”
He smiles. It looks silly. Laughlines crinkle at the corners of his eyes. “Yes. Your place sounds good. I can move in in about an hour.”
“...that can wait.” Tim smiles wider and takes Jason’s hand. Jason laughs. It echoes around them and embraces them.
Somewhere, God smiles.