Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bruce opens his eyes, theres music coming from somewhere.

Red pools his vision and he opens a curtain. An armless figure meets his gaze and his body moves to meet her by itself.

Ah, a dream.

Said red curtains fall from the sky like a constant big still waterfall wherever he paced, a maze, nothing he wasn’t familiar with.

The faint saxophone could be echoed like a haunting welcoming mystery to solve, at least there weren’t any gunshots this time or any pearls splashing too loudly against the floor.

Yet.

He wanders, empty thought, through the small curtain hallways and turns. After all it somehow didn’t feel like a rush to find an end to the odd space.

The music eventually drew deafening closer and Bruce found himself in a more open empty space, the black and white zig zag pattern over the floor now more clear. But as he lifted his gaze back up, three black leather armchairs along two tall silver lamps with trumpet mouths appeared.

A stage spotlight is lit and a short man in a red suit begins to dance.

Somehow that didn’t startle his calm demeanor.

A blink.

Someone else sat between the now two remaining vacant armchairs: strong built, scar faced on the right cheek, hauntingly calm eyes with a familiar green, a white streak and short black hair with a trace of curls growth.

Bruce didn’t even notice when he himself went to go sit by the man’s side over the left leather chair, as if a calling or someone he was supposed to greet in a gala event, pure instinct reflex inside this dream so it seems.

He was wearing a gala tuxedo, both of them now that he notices his dream attire. Neither of the unfamiliar (?) men say anything as the jazzy salon music continues as a stone strong stable background sound.

He knew this man. They shared a face.

Was this himself? No.

Barely a moment of calmness, a thunder strike lightens the red room in white. Nobody flinches, yet he turns to his own back from where the deafening sound origins from.

A weeping angel in a frozen prayer stood there.

A breath. The creak of leather.

The man by his ear so no one could hear.

A secret. A name.

Another lighting and a raw chocked scream.

The slams of metal.

Rustling chains and the nauseating smell of sweat, blood and vomit.

Weeps.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump! and a heavier one before silence.

The sax long gone.

A deaf dead drop that echoes into his own bones.

He doesn’t dare to turn around. Because this was different.

He knew his parents wouldn’t be there on their own pool if he turned around.

The loudest thunder strikes and the white blinds him once more. Yet he sees it.

The praying angel lacking the merciful gaze.

Bruce turns around.

“And the angels wouldn’t help you”

Jason.

…

“Jason?”

Jason stirs and shifts with half open eyes, lifting a fist to rub an eye.

“T’me t’ go…?” He mumbles out, sitting up in bed to go change and get ready for patrol.

“No no, no patrol tonight, you can go back to bed” Bruce coaches gently, too gentle to be Bruce so he opens his eyes a bit more to look at his- what he would call parental figure at this point.

“Wh’t’s wrong the’n? ‘s it a case I can help with?” That makes him smile a bit, thinking that Batman needed his help with something. He tilts his head a bit so his eyes could focus in the dark of the room.

“No Jay I-“ Bruce stops and doesn’t finish, hesitation. Then to his surprise he bends down next to the bed “I just wanted to check on you” he decides to word instead.

Which he didn’t get why, he wasn’t hurt or anything.

“…you better not be Clayface or an alien shapeshifter” Jason stands from the bed and leans back, already growing weary.

“I had a nightmare” Bruce sighs finally as he stands up as well, not wanting to stress the kid unnecessarily, so he chooses being open about it.

Jason blinks, definitely lost but still having his guard up “B- Bruce doesn’t get nightmares, and if he did he wouldn’t-“

“…Even I get nightmares chum” Bruce admits again, not even needing the lasso to force out the truth.

“Well, if that were the case then why would he come here?” Jason deflates a bit, looking away as he grows unsure about this, he was still tired.

“Just like you come to me for bad dreams, hm?” Bruce changes position and instead sits down over his bed.

This was so weird… yet- he finds it easy to crawl back to bed, lying down on the other end. He liked being near Bruce when he could.

“…what was the nightmare about?” He tries since Bruce does ask him that sometimes when it happened to him.

“I… couldn’t protect my family” Bruce partly lies in a mumble as he gets more comfortable, though technically that was his usual bad dream.

He lays down next to him, as if now Jason was the one that had to console him during a vulnerable night. The role switch would’ve been more odd but he was tired, and Bruce wasn’t someone to fear, the opposite.

And… adding that the man was acting a bit strange, maybe the nightmare was a pretty graphic and upsetting one, and Jason wouldn’t give up an opportunity to help Bruce if he could.

“Your pops?”

“Everyone” he evades into a faint grumble against the spare pillow that was shifted towards him. Jason just hums as his thoughts go to his mom for a moment.

“…That adds you too Jay” Bruce rests a hand into his curls and gives a faint rub into his scalp.

Oh.

Jason shifts to lean just a bit into it, a small sprout of giddiness by the affirmation whenever it was said. “I’m sorry” because he was, seeing Bruce having a bad time whenever it was failure or Scarecrow’s gas, it was never fun.

Bruce hums back as to ease the lad’s worries and retreats his hand (to his quiet displeasure) before closing his eyes, looking… relaxed even. So Jason took a bit of courage and scooted another bit closer.

Bruce seemed to understand or accept the unsaid request and wrapped his arms securely around him to cuddle. A rare moment sure, but it’s not like the man was a monster. He knew that Bruce was, so far, a better father than Willis, his own, lacked to try.

…

Bruce can’t even, no, doesn’t even want to think about his nightmare, his way too realistic nightmare. It was like he was physically there yet lacking the control of it: Jason, a bit older than now, being beaten and tortured, something he didn’t even get to see, his cries echoing his ear drums as he lets out a sigh through his nostrils while they slept against the other.

He shifts to cover Jason slightly more under his chin.

Nightmares were nothing alien yet this one, somehow, unnerved him the most yet. He lacked control in another whole level… yet he had it at the same time. He chose not to see.

Bruce takes a tired peek to the sleeping boy in his arms, face already slightly buried into his shoulder, soft breaths against his collarbone. The mere thought of one day losing this and all the things that Jason was and brought into the manor and most importantly, to him.

It completely terrified him.

Worrying over Dick when he was Robin was stressing enough, and that only served to strain their relationship… he wanted to talk to him after his dream but knew a call wouldn’t be well received or answered, well, maybe answered but it wouldn’t lead to anything but another argument.

He should calm down, he was Batman for darn’s sake, like he would ever let anything happen to Jason or Dick, they were his to watch over… plus Dick could manage himself, he has proved so all by himself (not like still worrying over him would overshadow his pride for the boy).

He gives a faint nuzzle with his chin against Jason’s soft curls and presses a kiss into them as if a quiet oath of adoration for the kid. He even catches the smell of the familiar apple scented shampoo that the he preferred, and that enough allowed him further rest for the night.

It would be alright, he has to sometimes remind himself he’s no longer working alone, hasn’t been for a long while now.

He could allow himself a call or two before anything could ever happen to his son, after all, magic or not, he wouldn’t dive unprepared if dreams ever meant anything coherent.

Which didn’t seem the case. So he’d be ready.

Chapter Text

Bruce had to be kidding.

“B, tell me this is just a prank from the League or something. Do we really have to go in a solo mission at the other end of the United States to go talk to some of Zatanna’s friends? Why can’t she go herself or even better, you go? It’s your ‘case’ anyway, I have other things to do than-”

Dick complains in a single breath while Jason just stands between them holding his own backpack for the mountain trip that Bruce seemingly orchestrated for them to follow.

Bruce only stubbornly makes sure that Dick had everything necessary for their ‘holiday’ before handing Dick his bag, who snatched it roughly from his hands with a snarl.

Jason, as always, pretended he didn’t exist during an argument.

“The Justice League is going off world, and I don’t trust Gotham to be safe enough after strange activity being spotted out of Earth”Bruce explains ignoring Dick’s behavior as he hands him a map with instructions “Zatanna said those mountains would have answers, the entities there would know what I’m dealing with and why so we can solve the case. Meanwhile I have to handle things around here before going to space.”

“Your case” Dick corrects in a murmur but loud enough to be heard.

“She may have stable contacts there but call Constantine if you two were in need for help or backup regarding anything having to do with magic. Call me if you need backup.” Bruce clarifies that last point looking at both of them, though the message was probably mostly for Dick, or so he thought at least.

Jason fills the tense silence with a nod and a more confident fist clap “We’ll find what you’re looking for, Bruce”. Maybe the mission would be fun even if Batman couldn’t come.

Though Dick probably didn’t share the sentiment.

He didn’t.

…

Dick tried to calm down over the wheel, they had a way too long ass distance from the place they had to go for Bruce’s stupid ‘worrisome dream’. Since when was the man one to follow such a blind hunch or whatever he wanted to call it? It didn’t make much sense, yet it was true he tended to be more careful when it came to magic or things out of his expertise.

Whatever, at least his loyal cassette collection for trips, most of them gifts from the titans, were here with him through the rough pa-

“Yikes, don’t you have real music around here?” Jason complained loudly from the rolled down copilot window where he was leaned over to let the breeze caress him away, and of course carelessly wiggling a pinky into his ear as he stared at the passing scenery.

Wasn’t he such a charming company?

“Watch it or I’m dropping you off the road, I don’t even wanna know what you listen to if you don’t even like ELO”

Jason bristles “Seems nobody gave you the shocking news but, we’re not in the 70s anymore Dickie, Poison Idea is much cooler anyway”

Dick gives him an uncomfortable side eye, obviously never have heard about said band, was it even a band? He turns up the volume and Jason rolls his eyes dramatically with a soon following arm crossing.

“Did you know I met the Beatles once?!” Dick speaks louder while he decides to stop for some lunch once he sees a signal after a turn, mountains sure were tricky over the wheels alright…

“Who cares! I think I met one of the KISS members!”

Whatever, at least he got to help and meet Paul McCartney, a shame John Lennon died a few years later though…

…

Once they stop for a piss but again, most definitely for a meal, Jason wouldn’t stop humming mixed ABBA songs together. Guess Donna would be proud of the kid.

Dick orders a cheeseburger for him and two hot dogs for his little copilot, who went to the bathroom first. He sighs over the chosen booth by the window and looks outside, resting his chin over a palm without interest as he waits.

Being honest, he still wasn’t that sure about Jason; it’s not like he hated the kid, it wasn’t his fault at all, but for Bruce to just bring him in one day and to even give him Robin without even caring to ask for his opinion first just- hit way too hard at the moment.

As if all those years barely mattered anymore or at all to him, it was his codename for god’s sake! He had zero business to go out and bring-

“Hot dogs! Cool, thanks Dick!” Jason cheers once he joins the opposite booth and starts eating, guess food cheers up anyone in a road trip.

He rips his burger in two and leaves one over Jason’s plate in exchange for one hot dog, the little guy only smiles at him.

Dick sighs to himself, he should ease on him and try to be a better big brother figure… even if sometimes he hardly knew how to, it’s not like he ever pictured himself having siblings or anything similar…

Though, only he would know the kiddo will need allies whenever he’ll fight Bruce once he grew up a bit more.

“Jase”

“Hm?” Jason was too busy attempting to swallow his whole meal without a single choke.

Dick takes his soda instead to take a sip for the following conversation he was dreading to start.

“Is uh, you know, B treating you well?” he tries.

Jason arcs a questioning eyebrow before resting his half eaten hot dog.

“Why wouldn’t he? Most importantly, why even ask that? You’re the ‘golden boy’ of the manor” an eye roll and a scowl over the window.

Dick would do the same if he weren’t the one who started the combo.

“I’m asking because I gave you my contact info for a reason” he evades himself a little by taking a bite from his sandwich, but he remained the eye contact despite the other not sharing the same initiative.

“We- don’t need any dumb road trip mission to get along, I can pass by whenever you need to talk or get out of-“

“Don’t mirror whatever bullshit you have with Bruce into me okay?! He’s been really good to me, even fucking saved me more than once and gave me a home and anything I wouldn’t even dream about- hell I can go to school!” Jason snaps at him and Dick winces by the public attention.

“Jay that’s not-“

“-n’t stop talking about you anyway, Dick this Dick that, like I know you’re his favorite but I also know I’ll be a better Robin than you ever wer-“

“I’m sure you will” Dick cuts him with a sharpness he didn’t control, so, an attempt to change direction “…I gave you my old suit myself, of course I trust you with the name little wing”

He softens his expression and tries to relax the tension out of his system, Jason was just a kid, nobody deserves to have his family always arguing, even more someone with his background.

…He even wonders about the scenario of Jason never being his predecessor and just a normal boy Bruce took in, and if then, something like this would have been easier to deal with with a more tactful hand.

…Perhaps not.

…

It’s been a whole day over the road and still another one left, and it sucked.

Dick has been blasting his damn music for hours no end and sure, even he could admit Roxette was growing into him at some point when you were forced to listen to the same damn three songs for days now.

The food breaks were an oasis in the desert. Despite not really being one because it’s not like they talked much after their argument.

So much for a ‘camping trip’ or whatever Bruce marketed this waste of time.

…would’ve been more fun if the old man came instead of Dickhead.

During their second night outside Gotham, they stopped to sleep at a resort in Polson over Montana. The place was pretty cool, got a casino and everything, though as tragically expected, Dick didn’t let him go.

“Can we at least go to the pool or do something cool before we go?” Jason whined and tried to be as annoying as possible so Dick would let him out or anything! Last night they slept in a hotel by Minneapolis? The only interesting stuff they did was going to see the Minnesota Twins, which lost by the way, ha.

Would’ve been cool if Dick wasn’t such a needed guy over the phone apparently, at least he got to read some books he brought with him or even wrote to Eddie despite that having to wait for when they got back or at least to when they got to Seattle.

“How long will we stay over there anyway?” Jason asked over the boat Dick was currently rowing, at least he agreed to do something outdoors, despite being gothamites he missed the asphyxiating city landscape little to very less.

“Bruce said probably a week or so” a sigh “Hopefully less but most definitely more” Dick stops rowing and Jason looks over the darkening waters.

He shifts to grab his fishing rod and throw it over one side of the boat while Dick did the same over the other.

Loser has to only talk by puns the rest of the night.

He won’t lose.

“Pst, shorty look” Dick whispers as he points at something.

But before he could look his hook grabs something and he’s pulled forward to the boat’s side with a yelp, that is soon supported with another pair of hands around the fishing road.

“I got you, you really seem to have caught-“

“I got it!” Jason tries to shoo him away, like hell he would let Dick help him now if he could catch the biggest fish of the lake on his own and maybe win the dumb competition anyway, so he could prove Dick that he was worthy of the Robin name and to be by Bruce’s side-

He falls into the water barely seconds before Dick pulled away.

…Soon after, they’re by the shore of an island inside the lake called Wild Horse, or so says a near sign. The boat is left forgotten by the side as they make a small camp to first dry up before going back to the resort.

Jason shivers as Dick wraps both of his jackets around him and rubs his arms to work some warmth into his system. This was pathetic, he was pathetic, he even managed to lose the-

Dick shifts the outer jacket to cover his head and rub the hair dry, Jason doesn’t meet his gaze.

“You okay little wing?” he asks in a surprisingly soft tone, he almost sounded concerned. Not like he would buy it…

Jason looks up at him for a second before he rubs his eyes and sniffles, it was pretty cold here in Montana compared to Gotham, he missed home even if home sometimes was pictured as the alley in his mind.

The wind blew a shiver and Dick pulled him closer with an understanding sigh, rubbing his back now instead of his arms, Jason still snuggled a bit closer despite his inconsistent thoughts about Dick: he wanted to reach the high mantle that he left behind, he wanted to be a good “son” to Bruce so he could be himself and not sometimes feel like his replacement, he wanted Dick to be more around and be able to talk to him or ask him things, he wanted Dick out of the way so he and Bruce wouldn’t fight every time they spoke more than two words to the other…

The wind kept howling like a mocking laugh, as if a street kid could ever reach anything that was the high class Bruce Wayne and his ward or the heavy myth of justice that became Batman and Robin. He shuts his eyes as if to drive all of this stupid thoughts away and Dick rests his other hand over his nape, like Bruce would, as if he knew the mess that was his head right now.

After a few moments of a, surprisingly again, comfortable silence, Dick gives him another pat to grab his attention and Jason shifts to see what he was pointing at.

Fireflies.

“Maybe they came back to cheer us up a bit” ‘back’? Was that what Dickie was trying to show him before?

Still, Jason looks at them with awe, sure he knew about them from books and movies, but he never-

“…They are real” Dick snorts to that and yet squeezes him a bit.

“Any gothamite would believe more in Batman than in fireflies”

They stay like that while trying to warm up for a bit longer until it’s time to try to go back again, which they do in comfortable silence, until Dick starts to sing some dumb song from the trip he didn’t remember the name of and had to ruin the almost truce moment just there.

…

Dick does their check in by the reception of the Great Northern Hotel and Jason goes to wait nearby the soft pattern lined sofas along their luggage, looking around the big wooden built place. It was almost as big as the manor, just not as luxurious, the mountain life could even be smelled around here despite their efforts of sophisticated atmosphere.

Maybe that was the charm.

Dick takes their room key #357 and gives the pretty secretary a smile before lightly patting an already in a growing groggy state little wing.

They could start to ask around tomorrow.

Dick throws himself in the nearest bed and groans, they finally fucking made it to Twin Peaks after almost 3 days by the road; which mostly consisted of snarky comments, 70s music and constant banter. Anyone would be exhausted after that in 48+ hours.

He hears a door opening and shifts his head to see Jason by the bathroom looking around, even the views were pretty great.

Fuck he should probably call Bruce and tell him they were here.

“Jase, call B and tell him we’re here” he stands up to start unpacking, any excuse to evade talking to the man.

Jason seems to cheer up by the reminder though so no harm done, he grabs his phone and dials. Dick thinks of writing to Kori, maybe send her a postal tomorrow, god he should’ve brought a picture of her or somethi-

“He’s not picking up” the face Jason gives him would upset anyone.

“Maybe he’s off to space like he said, you know he’ll call back when he can”

“Yeah…” please stop pouting like that.

“Let’s call Alfred tomorrow morning yeah?” He ruffles his head to try to cheer him up but he’s weakly swat away and he sees the sad little man lock himself in the bathroom. Oh boy.

Guess he’ll have to think of ways to make Jason forget about the old man a bit while they stay here, it was painful to watch him missing Bruce despite that being hidden well (or so Jason thought at least).

Once he finishes unpacking their things he writes a letter to Kori despite his plans, he could write a letter AND send the postcard along, maybe send a flower or-

He wasn’t the only one attached it seems.

He stands up and goes to check on Jason, forgetting to knock but at least the kid was just in a very obviously bigger bathrobe and brushing his teeth by the mirror.

“Feeling better?” He asks leaning by the door frame.

Jason stops and spits the toothpaste over the sink and rinses “…Was your first long solo mission weird at some point without Bruce?” He hesitates to ask, he could hear it.

He leaves the room and goes fetch him a pair of pjs “Well, obviously” he gives them to the kid and leaves, closing the door behind him so he could change but leaning by it so he could keep talking.

“Not having Bruce big shadow constantly hovering and telling me what to do was too good to be true when I started the Titans with Donna and the others, but yeah, I admit that the first missions away from home felt a bit weird and hey, even scary”

Jason opens the door and looks at him surprisingly neutral, Dick matches it.

“I’m not scared” Jason only answers before plopping over HIS bed, brat.

“Well duh, you’re Robin aren’t you?” Dick plops next to him with a smirk, just to annoy him (and to shoo him to his own bed). Jason only looks at the wall, getting lost in his own little head and, to his disappointment, not moving away.

Guess the little guy was pretty tired after all.

“Go to bed little wing” he sighs in a more whispery tone and helps his brother into bed, who actually lets him apparently.

Dick leaves one light on as he gets to the other bed as well, they could banter tomorrow for all he cared, he was too exhausted to think despite all his being begging him to focus on the plan for tomorrow.

Instead, he locks eyes with the moon over the window and closes his eyes with one last huff of pure tiredness.

A dream comes to him easily.