Dick and Jason have been dating for a while now, and Dick thinks they should stop keeping the family in the dark. Jason doesn't agree.
Well, they're announcing it anyway.
It doesn't go as planned.
DickJay Week Free Week - Trope Reverse (no one believes they're dating!)
Mature
No Archive Warnings Apply
M/M
Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Additional Tags:
Sexual Humor,Crack Treated Seriously,Implied Sexual Content,Banter,Age Difference,Brother/Brother Incest,Found Family,Dysfunctional Family,Father-Son Relationship,Secret Relationship,Damian Wayne is a Little Shit,problematic relationship,Inappropriate Humor,Top Dick Grayson,Bottom Jason Todd,DickJay Week 2025 (DCU),Brat Jason Todd,Oblivious Bruce Wayne
During their awakening, each young calyx grows into one of two castes—pistils, with bare trees on their backs; and stamens, with seed to plant their unique flowers over those trees.
Jason's back is covered in different flowers—from before his Robin days, from the months he spent catatonic. Too many to count, the flowers on his back are so crowded that the petals squash against each other, blend and bleed together like big paint stains on an overflowing canvas.
No pistils of Jason's age should sport this many flowers. Dick's heart aches for him. More than that, Dick's vision turns red when Jason's source places his venom-flowered hand behind Jason's waist, his eyes lecherously raking over the pistil's body.
DickJay Week Free Week - Pistilverse
Or: omegaverse based on plant biology.
Mature
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
M/M
Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Jason Todd/Other(s)
Additional Tags:
Alternate Universe - Pistilverse,Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics,Hurt Jason Todd,Protective Dick Grayson,Undercover Missions,Undercover As Prostitute,Past Child Abuse,Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution,Crossdressing,Stamen Dick Grayson,Pistil Jason Todd,Alpha Dick Grayson,Omega Jason Todd,Slut Shaming,Past Rape/Non-con,Non-Consensual Touching,Sexual Harassment,Possessive Dick Grayson,Non-Consensual Groping,Self-Hatred,PistilVerse,Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Dick wants the Jason he knew back and Jason just wants comfort. Neither of them get what they want.
Mature
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
M/M
Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Additional Tags:
Blood and Injury,Crying,Angst,Hallucinations,Fever Dreams,Mental Instability,Mental Breakdown,Panic Attacks,I'm Bad At Tagging,Complicated Relationships,Attempted Murder,Jason Todd is Red Hood,Dick Grayson is Nightwing,Dick Grayson Has Issues,Jason Todd Needs A Hug,Hurt Jason Todd,Delusions,Misidentification syndrome,Ambiguous/Open Ending,Red-Haired Jason Todd,DickJay Week (DCU),DickJay Week 2025 (DCU)
Grooming is a special thing for people with wings. Usually, only close family and significant others are allowed to touch someone's wings.
Which is why Dick is shocked and honored every time he's allowed to even get close to Jason's wings.
***
Also known as 5 times Dick helps Jason groom his wings +1 time he realizes Jason is trying to groom him.
Mature
No Archive Warnings Apply
M/M
Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Additional Tags:
DickJay Week (DCU),DickJay Week 2025 (DCU),DickJay Week Day 7,Wingfic,I've wanted you since you were robin,5+1 Things,Wing Grooming,Minor Character Death,it's Jason so he gets better but still,no beta we die like jason todd,idk how to tag this,Do not post to other sites,Cross-Posted on Tumblr,POV Third Person
AO3
Fandom: Batman All Media Types
Rating: M
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Relationship: Dick Grayson x Jason Todd
Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne (Mentioned), Alfred Pennyworth (Briefly)
Tags:
DickJay week 2025, Dickjay week day 7, wingfic, I've wanted you since you were robin, 5+1 things, wing grooming, minor character death, it's Jason so he gets better but still, no beta we die like jason Todd, idk how to tag this, Do not post to other sites, Cross-Posted on my other socials, POV Third Person
Summary:
Grooming is a special thing for people with wings. Usually, only close family and significant others are allowed to touch someone's wings.
Which is why Dick is shocked and honored every time he's allowed to even get close to Jason's wings.
Also known as:
5 times Dick helps Jason groom his wings +1 time he realizes Jason is trying to groom him.
A/N:
Totally didn't almost forget to post this.
Rated M for Dick getting very horny for Jason towards the end (as is his right)
Also idk how wings work.
Long end-note so I'm not gonna ramble here. Hope y'all enjoy.
Sex Worker Jason Todd|Animal Traits/Features/Kemonomimi/Wingfic/Animal Shifters AU | Incest Kink |Undercover as a Couple | "I've wanted you since you were Robin."
~~~~~
1.
When Dick first hears about the kid who stole his name and outfit, he's angry. Of course he is! Those are his, a memorial to his life before as a part of the "Flying Graysons: Wingless Fliers". His anger doesn't give him much time to think about what he's going to say to the new kid before he makes his way to the Manor for a confrontation. This means it comes as just as much of a shock to him as everyone else when the first thing he says upon seeing the boy is: "What the hell is wrong with your wings?"
Ignoring Alfred and Bruce's exclamations at his unprompted question, Dick chooses to instead inspect the boy (Jason, he had been introduced as Jason) closer.
Now, Dick can't say he's an expert on wings. He doesn't have any of his own, and neither do Bruce or Alfred. In fact, very few people in his life nowadays have wings. But when he was younger, traveling in the circus had introduced him to a lot of people from different places. And so, it was inevitable that he met quite a few winged people. One in particular, though, sticks out in his mind.
She was a member of the circus, a part of the found family he grew up with. Dick was mesmerized by the large wings on her back, so she took him under her wing (ha!) to teach him all about them. How to preen and clean them. How to learn which feathers to fix and which ones to prune out. What the difference between grooming a family member vs a partner was. Dick will always treasure the nights he sat leaning against his Aunt and running his fingers through the soft down feathers of her wings, helping realign any bent feathers he saw as he did so. Meanwhile she would speak, telling him all about the beauties and struggles of living with wings in a mostly wingless world.
So yes, Dick may not be an expert on wings. But he knows enough to know that the wings in front of him are not properly cared for. Likely never have been.
Dick watches Jason bristle, his face forming a scowl as his wings puff up behind him. He knows Jason is likely trying to intimidate him, but the effect is lost in the grime and tangled feathers of what are, frankly, way too small wings.
"What would you know?" Jason snarls.
"I know enough to know that those wings are in need of some intense TLC." Dick responds. He turns towards the other two people in the room. "Alfred, I'm surprised you haven't tried to do anything to help fix them."
"Master Jason is rather protective of his wings. I merely wish to not overstep."
"Yeah! 'Sides, Alfie don't have wings. He wouldn't know how to care for 'em properly."
"And you do?"
Jason's wordless snarl confirms Dick's growing fear. All of his anger over having Robin taken from him is thrown out the window in the face of this winged child who was never taught how to care for them. (Is this how Bruce feels when he sees orphaned children? Should Dick be worried he's picking up Bruce's habit?) Dick needs to tread this carefully. It's as Alfred said, winged people are very protective of their wings.
"If you want," Dick starts slowly, his hands up in a placating gesture as he does. "I could show you how to take care of them."
"And how exactly do you know? 'T's not like you have any." The snarl is gone, but his wings are still puffed up behind him defensively.
"One of my Aunts in the circus had wings. She taught me all about how to care for them." When he sees that Jason is still puffed up he adds. "I don't even have to touch them. I can just direct you on how to do it."
At first, his words don't seem to affect Jason. But slowly, Dick watches his wings start to flatten and he knows he has him. With a scowl on his face, Jason responds, "Fine. But if you lay a hand on them, you're dead. Ya' hear me?"
Dick lets a small smile grace his face. "Loud and clear!"
~~~~~
The first thing Dick teaches him is how to wash them properly. A regular shower can only do so much to get between the feathers, as Jason is clearly aware of. He makes Jason get a shower anyway, and waits in his bedroom while he finishes up. He comes out of the connected bathroom with one towel around his waist and another around his shoulders. He grabs the one around his shoulder and moves to bring it to his wings.
"No no no" Dick cries. He moves to bring his hand between the towel and Jason's wings, but stops short at the glare sent his way.
"What did I say 'bout touching?" he snaps.
"Sorry sorry. But do not use a towel for your wings."
"How the hell else am I s'posed to dry 'em? Magic?"
Dick takes a deep breath before setting to work. He tells Jason exactly what he has to do to dry, clean and fix his wings. Dick doesn't have access to proper cleaning supplies, but after promising Jason he'll pick some up for him, he grabs a bag of sand that they use for weights in the cave to use as a substitute for cleaning dust. It's a start.
Dick has to stop himself multiple times from reaching out to try and show Jason how to do something. Every time, he gets a glare from the younger, sometimes even before Dick's processed his hands starting to move. He pulls back every time.
Instead Dick watches from the side as little by little, the wings before him slowly transform. Dirt disappears. Broken feathers are removed. Tangles are combed through. Already small wings grow even smaller as Dick realizes how much of their mass was an illusion caused by improper care. Dick has never seen such small wings. Just as he has never seen such a bright color for wings. Before, the wings had looked to be brown, made darker by the mud caked on top. But soon it becomes apparent that they are a bright, fiery red.
They are the most beautiful wings Dick has ever seen.
~~~~~
2.
Dick expects that to be all. Despite not blowing up at the kid like he originally thought he would, he still isn't happy that Bruce gave Robin away. Arguments with Bruce and residual anger keep Dick out of the Manor, and so Dick doesn't spend a lot of time bonding with his new 'brother'. That isn't to say they're on bad terms. Jason isn't a bad kid once you get past his rough edges. He's smart, caring, and loyal, and Dick is only a little disappointed in himself for not taking more time out of his life to grow close with him.
All that considered, Dick knows he's definitely not close enough with Jason to be able to help him groom. Grooming is a special thing, for only those closest to you. Partners and close family. (And is Dick really family if Bruce never adopted him like he did Jason?) Jason still doesn't even let Alfred help him, although that is probably not for a lack of closeness but rather Alfred's lack of knowledge on the process. He prefers to just preen himself in the privacy of his own room. So Dick knows he definitely won't be allowed to help.
So Dick leaves it be. He doesn't mention it again after that first time, and spends what little time he does spend with Jason bonding with him. Watching movies when they're in the Manor. Volunteering to patrol together. Things like that.
It's during one of these latter occurrences that it happens. The two are patrolling together, on a slow night. They're playing tag across the rooftops, and Dick is it. He's following behind Robin, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of the other. He takes the moment to observe the younger boy as they run.
He's grown in the few years he's been living with Bruce, although he will never be able to get rid of the effects of childhood malnourishment. And Dick knows that underneath his Robin uniform, underneath the Bat-Tech that helps keep them hidden, his wings face the same effects. Small, so small, that there is no possible chance of Jason being able to one day fly. Dick knows it's just one of the many reasons Jason loves being Robin.
Robin really is magic. He lets me fly even with broken wings!"
Jason's laugh ahead of him snaps him out of his thoughts. "You're gettin' slow, old man!"
"Oy! Who you calling old you gremlin?" Dick lets out his own laugh as he redoubles his efforts in catching him. It only takes him another 5 minutes before he corners the boy. Dick watches as Jason turns around and takes stock of his situation, trying to plan his escape.
Dick doesn't give him a chance. He rushes at the other vigilante and tackles him to the ground. He pins his arms above his head and leans closer.
"Tag you're it." His voice comes out as a breathy whisper. That last burst of speed really took it out of him. Jason really knows how to give him a challenge, huh?
Jason's face turns almost as bright as his wings, and his mask does very little to hide it. It takes Dick a minute to realize why. In leaning closer, the two's noses almost touch. That combined with Dick basically straddling the poor kid beneath him makes for quite the image. Dick fights back his own blush as he sits straight, careful to avoid any… sensitive areas.
He stands up and holds out his hand. "Sorry for the rough tackle Little Wing. Maybe we should take a break?"
"I told you to stop calling me that." Jason mumbles, crossing his arms as he continues laying on the concrete, face still slightly pink.
"Aw, Little Wing, you know I don't mean it like that."
"Still…"
Any other response is cut off by a scream and the two become Nightwing and Robin once more. Robin ignores Nightwing's still outstretched hand. If Nightwing were anyone else, he would have missed the well hidden flinch as the other pushes himself up. He doesn't have time to comment though, before Robin is grappling away towards whatever commotion they heard.
~~~~~
The scream ends up being a simple mugging. It doesn't take long to take down the perpetrator between the two of them. Unfortunately, they aren't able to do it before the man shoves Robin into a wall harshly. The boy lets out a small noise of pain. Nightwing takes the mugger down shortly after that, but Robin stays near the wall for the rest of the fight. After securing the attacker and checking on the victim, Nightwing makes his way over to Robin.
"You alright? That sounded like it hurt."
"I'm fine!" Nightwing almost flinches at the venom in Robin's voice. What had he done to earn the boy's ire?
"Maybe we should head in for the night…"
"I said I'm fine!" Before Nightwing can reply again, Robin pulls out his grapple, and Nightwing watches him conceal another flinch as he flies away. Nightwing lets out a sigh before following behind.
As he lands on the nearby roof, he sees Robin right away. The other is reaching behind himself, adjusting the wing concealer on his back. Nightwing thinks back on why it could be bothering him.
Shit. When he tackled him.
"Ok here's what's gonna happen." Nightwing starts. He holds his hand up before Robin can interrupt him. "We are going to stop at the safehouse nearby, and check on your back. If it's as fine as you say, we'll continue patrol. If not, we stop for the night. Ok? Let's go."
Nightwing pulls his grapple back out, leaving Robin with no choice but to do the same. They make their way over the rooftops for about five minutes before landing on a fire escape and disabling the security on one of the windows. Nightwing makes Robin go first, watching him to make sure he can make it through with minimal pain.
In the privacy of their safehouse, they are Dick and Jason once more.
Jason takes the top of his Robin costume off, leaving the bottom undisturbed. He then takes off the binder-like contraption holding his wings close to his back. He flinches as he does so. Dick resists the urge to reach out and help, but he knows getting close to Jason's wings will cause more harm than good.
Jason unfurls his wings slowly, trying to mitigate the pain as much as possible. Dick can't help but once again admire how beautiful those wings are as he does so.
"Ok, let's see what we have here." Dick circles around Jason, keeping enough distance between them for Jason to know he won't touch his wings. He takes in the bright red feathers, making note of quite a few that are bent and broken.
"Well, the good news is, you're not dying!" Dick jokes to lighten the mood. Jason rolls his eyes. "The bad news is there are quite a few feathers that need fixing or pruning. Luckily, you should be able to reach them all yourself. So I'll leave you over here to do that and…"
"Wait!" Jason interrupts him, reaching out towards him. Dick looks at him questioningly. Jason's face goes red, even as he tries his best to hide by ducking his head. "Can you help me?"
Dick stares at him, dumbfound. He continues in a rush before Dick can even think of a response. "It's just. When that mugger threw me into the wall, it hurt my arm. And like, it'll hurt if I try and reach behind me. Ya know?"
Dick knows its a lie. He watched Jason get thrown into that wall. He knows he landed nowhere near his arm and his wings took the brunt of the landing. What Dick doesn't know is why Jason is lying about it. Why is he making excuses for Dick to touch his wings?
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Dick asks slowly.
"I wouldn't ask otherwise! 'Sides, you're just helping me with my wings. S'not like its a big deal."
Dick stares at him again, wordless. Does Jason really not know? Dick thought Jason had done research after Dick first showed him how to care for his wings. Why else would he refuse to let anyone else help him? Was Jason really just that protective of his wings that he wouldn't let anyone touch them even without knowing the significance of the action?
"Do you… really not know what your asking?"
"What are you talking 'bout, Dickhead?"
Dick takes a deep breath. "Grooming is a very personal thing, Little Wing. Usually, someone's closest family are the only ones allowed to get close enough to their wings to touch them."
And their significant other His mind whispers to him. He's not sure where the thought comes from. He ignores it in favor of watching Jason's reaction.
Jason's face falls at Dick's words. "Are ya sayin' you don't see me as family?" He whispers.
"No no, that's not what I mean at all, Jay. You're my little brother. I would love to help! It's you I'm worried about. I don't want to do anything that could make you uncomfortable, especially if you don't know the meaning of it."
"Then there's no issue. I asked you to help, doesn't matter if I knew or not. And I meant it. So ya gonna help me or not?"
Dick smiles softly as he starts making his way closer to his brother. "I would be honored."
It takes them a while to find a comfy position for Dick to be able to reach what he needs easily, but once they do Dick begins. They're silent for a while as Dick carefully runs his fingers through the feathers in front of him. They're even more beautiful up close. The feeling of the soft down feathers on his fingers makes Dick want to coo. He holds himself back, knowing this moment is too precious, too momentous, to ruin for something so stupid.
Jason is the one to break the silence. "They used to think they could touch 'em whenever they wanted." He mumbles.
"Who did?"
"Everyone. 'Ts why I'm so protective of 'em. When I was on the streets, people would come up and try to touch 'em without even askin' first. Or they thought they could try to nab me and either sell or use me. It's part of why I stopped bothering to keep the dirt off of 'em. People are less likely to touch dirty brown wings than bright red ones."
Dick's heart breaks for his little brother. He gently fixes a troublesome feather as he tries to think of a response.
"I won't let any of them touch you again. I promise." He feels Jason move a little closer to him as he says the words.
"You're the only one I'll let touch my wings, Dickie." Dick feels warm at the words, and doesn't know how to interpret the feeling. He settles for finishing up the final feather and pulling Jason into a hug, carefully avoiding the newly groomed wings.
"I'll help you whenever you want, Jay. All you have to do is ask."
Jason cuddles in closer to him. "Thanks Dickie."
"No problem."
~~~~~
Dick is never able to follow up on that offer.
A few months later, Dick is unaware of a missed phone call while on a mission with the Titans.
A few months later he learns that a woman named Sheila Haywood had bright red wings.
~~~~~
3.
"Hey Dickie! You promised you'd help me groom if I ever asked, right? Come help me."
"Dickface! Some of my feathers are crooked, could you fix 'em for me?"
"Big Brother, come on! My wings are right here. Don't you want to touch them?"
"I want you to groom me as more than a brother."
Dick only tried once. As soon as his hands went through the illusion, the resulting breakdown dissuaded him from ever trying again.
~~~~~
4.
When the Red Hood first comes to Gotham, he's seen with large black wings. No one actually sees him fly with them though. It seems he prefers the good old fashioned grappling gun like the rest of Gotham's vigilante population. The fact that he has them at all should've helped the investigation into who he is. But no, that's not what ends up happening.
From what Dick hears, it goes like this. Batman, Joker, and Red Hood exist in a room together. Red Hood's wings are hidden for once, and Batman tries to figure out why that's the case. When Hood finally brings them out of hiding, they are no longer black. They are bright red.
Jason takes his helmet off and forces Bruce to choose. Him or Joker?
Bruce chooses to disarm him with a batarang to the hand.
From then on, Red Hood can be seen with bright red wings. He still doesn't use them to fly, and Dick has to wonder why. Clearly, just as it healed the stunted growth in the rest of his body, the pit caused Jason's wings to grow bigger and stronger than before. They are clearly capable of carrying his weight. Dick would think that the other would be ecstatic to be able to fly properly. Yet he hasn't used them once.
It's only later Dick learns why.
Later, being one night on patrol when Nightwing is investigating a noise complaint near an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Crime Alley. Apparently, loud crashes and grunts of pain have been reported around the same time every night for the past week and a half. Batman wants Nightwing to check it out to make sure it isn't the start of a fighting ring or something similar, despite the fact that it's skirting on the edge of Hood's territory.
Nightwing makes his way to the roof of the warehouse, looking in from the skylight. He can't see anything yet from where he's watching. He's about to move in to perch on the rafters inside when he sees something fly straight into a pile of empty crates below.
He lands silently on the rafters. A body is crumpled next to the pile of crates, and he can only assume that's the thing he saw. He scans the rest of the warehouse to see what threw them, but there is nothing around that could have done it. He hears a noise of frustration and turns back to the body.
Whoever it is is now standing up, black wings puffed up behind them. The wings look like they've seen better days, and getting smashed into a bunch of crates likely isn't helping.
Nightwing watches as the person climbs on top of the crates they just crashed into. He has to wonder what they're planning to do up there.
He holds back a shout of surprise when the person jumps off of the crate, wings outstretched. What the hell are they thinking? They won't be able to do anything with their wings in that condition!
Nightwing's just starting to get an idea of what's happening, when the person glides straight into another pile of crates nearby. It's as the voice lets out an aggravated shout of "Motherfucker!'" that the last piece of the puzzle clicks.
Dick makes his way down to the ground, not bothering to hide his presence. Jason, of course, notices him right away.
"What the fuck do you want, Dickhead?"
"Well, I was investigating a noise complaint, on the off chance it's a fighting ring. Turns out, it's just a little bird learning to fly."
"Oh, fuck off."
"Seriously though, Jay, what do you think you're doing, trying to fly like that?" Dick puts his hands on his hips to show his disapproval.
"What? What's wrong with what I'm doing? This is how birds learn, ain't it? Jumping out of the nest and all that shit?"
"Well first of all, their wings don't look like a tornado ran through them." Dick chuckles as he takes a step forward, arm outreached to right a feather on the now obviously dyed wings. "Here, let me just-"
"Don't fucking touch them," Jason snarls as he steps back, straight into the crates behind him. For a moment Dick is brought back to when they first met, and in front of him is now a scared little kid protecting his wings when everyone else took advantage of them.
Dick puts his hands up instantly and takes a step back.
"Sorry. I shouldn't of assumed. I'll just let you-"
"Wait." And just like that, Dick sees yet another version of his little brother, one shyly asking him for help, arm grasping out to stop Dick from leaving him.
"Just… fucking help me fix these shitty feathers. While you do that, you can tell me just what it is I'm supposedly doing wrong."
Dick can see what Jason is trying to hide beneath those words. An olive branch, an offer to start what they hadn't been able to before Jason died. He smiles.
"Sure, Little Wing."
"They're not so little anymore, Dickwing."
Dick laughs as he fixes a feather. "I've told you before, that's not what I mean. You'll always be my little brother, big wings or not."
Dick ignores the pang in his heart at those words, choosing to not think about the implications.
"Whatever." Jason grumbles. "Just tell me what I'm doing wrong already dammit."
Dick laughs again. It's just so easy to laugh when he's with Jason. It's nice.
~~~~~
5.
Things don't get better overnight, but as time goes on they get easier. Dick still hasn't helped preen Jason's wings again, but it's not because of any bad blood. They're both just busy. They're vigilantes, they don't have time to get together just so Dick can help straighten a few of Jason's feathers. As much as Dick would love to be able to do just that.
Instead, they start small. Mostly, it's shared meals on rooftops during patrol. Dick cherishes these moments. Observing the people below while enjoying each other's company. Sharing jokes that cause Jason to lightly shove Dick for how stupid they are. Watching Jason with awe as the moonlight hits his face just right while he's laughing at said stupid jokes.
You know. Normal brotherly things.
Ok, so Dick might slowly be coming to terms with the fact that he sees Jason as more than just a brother. Coming to terms with the fact that apparently this isn't a new development. But that's fine. It doesn't change anything. Besides, he's fine with what they have now. There was a time that Dick thought he'd never have Jason in his life ever again, so he knows not to take what they have for granted.
And so, he sits here now and watches as Jason talks animatedly about one thing or another, and treasures the fact that he's able to see the other so lively.
"-and then this Karen-ass bitch turns to me and says… Dickwing are you even listening to me?"
Dick snaps out of his staring. "Of course I am!"
"You sure? Cause my eyes are up here." That's when Dick realizes that he's spent the last five minutes staring at Jason's chest. Its not Dick's fault Jason's tits are huge!
Dick tries to think of a reasonable excuse. Well his wings are right there, and there is a question that's been on his mind…
"Fine. I was just thinking. What's with the black wings?" Of course, they're red right now. It's Red Hood's whole brand now that he's revealed them. But before the reveal, he must have spent so much time and money dyeing them.
"Isn't it obvious? Didn't want Bruce realizing right away who I was, but I still wanted the intimidation factor. The red is too identifiable. I've only met one other person with red wings, and she's currently 6 feet under where she belongs. Though nowadays when I'm in civies I usually just go wingless. Helluva lot easier than dyeing them just to go grocery shopping."
Dick laughs, but his brain is stuck on something else he said. "That reminds me, how did you not realize your wings didn't come from Willis or Catherine?"
Jason shrugs. ""Never asked. Figured with Willis having rusty brown wings that it was just a mutation that made em brighter or somethin'."
Dick nods. It makes sense.
The two sit in silence for a minute before Jason speaks up. "Speaking of. There's this one feather that's been bothering the heck outta me. Would you…help after we're done tonight."
Dick's shocked by the request, but he doesn't let it show. "Of course, Little Wing!"
~~~~~
The end of patrol can't come soon enough. But eventually, the two make their way to one of Jason's safehouses.
"I'm gonna grab a shower real quick. Might as well force you to do the whole shebang so I don't have to later."
Dick laughs outwardly in response, but on the inside he's screaming. This won't just be a simple preen to fix a few feathers and be on his way. Jason is actively asking him to spend the time thoroughly grooming him. His heart swells at the thought that his Little Wing trusts him this much.
While Jason showers, Dick takes a look around the safehouse. It looks lived in, likely one Jason uses often in comparison to others. The bookshelf in the main area is nearly full, and he can see bookmarks sticking out of some of them. There's clean dishes in the drying rack, and fresh fruit on the counter.
Dick pulls off the outer layers of his Nightwing uniform and plops onto the sofa, making himself comfortable. Of course, for him this means resting his legs where a head should go and hanging his head over the edge. He scrolls on his phone like this until he hears a chuckle from right in front of him.
"I shouldn't be surprised to find you like this, Dickhead." Dick looks over the top of his phone (or would it be the bottom, being upside down?) and freezes. His vision is filled with bare thighs, barely concealed under the towel that's wrapped around Jason's waist. In fact, not much else is covered by it. In fact, if Dick slides his head just a little bit lower, he would get quite the view. And if Dick reaches his arm out just far enough, he could easily grasp the very edge and rip that towel right off…
"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Jason smirks as he says it.
God, can I?, Dick absolutely does not respond.
Instead, he pulls his legs forward towards his chest to roll off the couch and get back onto his feet. The feat causes him to land facing away from Jason, so he turns around to respond. However, the roll also caused Dick to be even closer to Jason. Now he stands almost chest to chest with the other man. Dick's chest, which is covered only by the undershirt he wore under the layers of his uniform. And Jason's chest, which is covered by nothing but drops of water from his recent shower.
Dick is proud to say he does not yelp at the realization, but it is a damn near thing. He takes a few steps backwards, almost crumbling when the backs of his knees hit the sofa. Jason raises an eyebrow at that.
"You good, Dickie?"
"Yup, yup. All good here. You ready to start? Got everything we need?"
Jason lifts his hand, which Dick only now realizes has a bag in its grip. He places it on the ground in front of the couch. "Got everything right here. Scoot over and let me sit, will ya."
He pushes past Dick to sit on the other side of the couch, angled so that his wings face out. It gives Dick a moment to collect himself before grabbing the bag to ruffle through it. What he sees makes his heart melt a little.
Everything in the bag is the same exact brands as the ones Dick first bought all of those years ago, after that first time he helped.
"Wow. These bring back memories." He sees Jason tense in front of him, but he can't see his face to know what he's thinking.
"Yeah well, it's what I know, and it works. Why fix it if it ain't broken." He sounds embarrassed.
"Aw, its okay to be sentimental, Little Wing." Dick teases.
"Shut it, Dickwing, and get to work."
Dick laughs. "Sir yes sir."
It's quiet for a while as Dick works. Dick takes his time, admiring the feathers for the first time up close since before Jason died. Sure, there was that one time in the warehouse, but that didn't last long, and they were dyed at the time. But now, with no products whatsoever, Dick can properly see how they have changed since the pit. They're bigger, obviously, and somehow even softer than before. Dick could probably spend hours running his fingers through them if he was allowed.
"You know." Jason mumbles quietly, almost as if he doesn't want Dick to actually hear him. "You're still the only person I let touch my wings."
Dick doesn't know how to respond. Sure, he knew Jason was protective of his wings, so he's not surprised by this. But why is he bringing it up? It's hard for Dick to make out how Jason feels about his statement when he can't see his face, but he can only imagine.
"Aw, Jay." He coos teasingly. He continues, despite the pain his next words bring him. "One day you'll find a nice girl to settle down with, and you won't have to ask your big brother to help you groom anymore."
Jason turns around at that, and Dick barely manages to avoid pulling out the feather he was grasping when he does so.
"What the hell are you talking about Dick?"
"Oh? Maybe a nice boy instead? I didn't mean to assume. I mean I myself don't really have a preference either way-" Jason cuts him off.
"No I mean why would I let someone else touch my wings. Ain't that shit for family or whatever?"
Oh .
"Well you see, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…"
Jason shoves him off the sofa at that. "I'm serious. You're the one who told me grooming was for family and shit."
Dick holds his hands up placatingly. "Well, yeah. But I guess it's more accurate to say the people you love, you know? Like, after you outgrow your family or whatever, who else would you let do it? For most people, it's their significant other."
Jason looks thoughtful as Dick speaks, but he can't really decipher just what those thoughts are. Dick decides that this is probably a good moment for him to finish up and head out. He's made things pretty awkward at this point.
He stands up and starts walking over to the window they came in. "Well, I'm just about finished here. I'll get out of your hair now. See you later, Jay."
"Hold up." Jason calls, and Dick hears him stand up as he does. Dick turns back around and has to hold back a blush at the reminder that Jason is still in only a towel. It gets harder to hide as Jason stares him in the eyes intensely, as if looking for something. Dick doesn't know what he's looking for, nor if he finds it, but he continues speaking before Dick can think too much into it. "I won't outgrow you, Dick. That, I can promise."
Dick can't deny he flees quickly after he hears those words, a furious blush on his face the entire way home.
~~~~~
+1
It starts like this.
Jason offers to brush Dick's hair back when it starts getting longer. Dick thinks nothing of it, simply thanks him when he's done.
After that, it's Jason straightening Dick's outfit before they enter a gala together. Nothing too weird, Dick has a habit of dressing quick and crooked.
But then it's Jason tending to wounds that normally wouldn't even get a bandage. Or finding out Jason is the one to sponge bath Dick the one time he was injured and unconscious in the Medbay. Had volunteered to do so even.
That last one is the thing that causes Dick to crack. He needs to find out what's going on.
The next time they patrol together, Dick offers to go back to a safehouse to check out their wounds. It's a rough night and they both have plenty. So it isn't too weird of a request.
When they both get to the nearest safehouse, Dick climbs in the window after Jason, locking it behind himself.
They both start taking off the outer layers of their uniforms in order to get a closer look at their injuries. Luckily, there isn't anything too bad. The two spend a few minutes sitting on the couch in silence tending to themselves. It's as Dick is about to rub some bruise cream onto his back that Jason grabs his hand.
"Here, let me." He says, pouring some on his hand and turning Dick so he can slowly rub it in. Dick melts into the touch, almost forgetting what he was here to do. Jason spends a bit longer than expected rubbing what doesn't feel like that big of a bruise. When he finally goes to move away Dick grabs his hands.
"Alright. What's going on?"
"What the fuck are you talking about, Dickface? I'm literally just helping you with your injuries."
"Yeah. But why? We both know I'm more than flexible enough to reach my back easily. And all the other times we do this, where you dress wounds that no one else would've batted an eye at."
"Well sorry for making sure you take care of yourself." He snatches his hands back, only to cross them over his chest indignantly.
"Sure, but what about the other things. Fixing my clothes. Brushing my hair. Things like that. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you were-"
He cuts himself off, his mouth falling open as his eyes widen in realization. He stares at Jason in shock, and watches as a small flash of fear appears and disappears just as quickly in the other's eyes.
"Almost say I was what." Dick knows Jason tries to make it sound defiant, but it comes out so small that knows he's right in his assumption.
"You're grooming me." It's not a question, but Jason responds as if it were.
"Of course not. Why the hell would I do that?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't have wings, so why would you feel the need to?" Dick takes a moment to think about it. Sure, if it was a parent to a wingless child, they may use grooming as a source of comfort for the child. Or as a bonding experience between two younger siblings. But they're both adults. They have other ways to bond as siblings. Things they do regularly.
So why is Jason doing this? And why now?
Dick's breath catches as he realizes something. When did this all start? It was not long after the last time Dick helped preen Jason's feathers.
"I won't outgrow you, Dickie. That, I can promise."
Hope fills his chest.
"The last time we talked about this." Dick starts carefully and he sees Jason tense. He continues. "I told you it's not just for family."
Jason remains silent, simply staring at him.
"It's for significant others as well."
Nothing. Dick needs him to say something.
"Jay…" Dick places a hand on Jason's arm. "Why did you start grooming me after I told you that?"
"You were raised by a detective just like I was. I don't think you need me to help you figure it out."
"I need to hear you say it. Please, Jason."
Jason searches his eyes and sighs at what he sees. His posture is still defensive as he speaks. "I don't want you to touch my wings because you're family, Dickie. I don't think I thought of it like that. Even before I knew what it all meant."
Dick wants to jump for joy, cartwheel around the room, anything to display the rush of emotions in his chest at Jason's words. But he doesn't want to scare the other off, not when he looks so tense, like any moment he can turn around and flee.
Instead, he moves his hand from Jason's arm to his cheek, cupping it softly. "You're not the only one, Jay. I think… No, I know I've wanted you since you were Robin."
And with that, he leans in.
~~~~~
If Dick thought Jason's wings were soft before, he couldn't have imagined the feel of Jason wrapping him up in them.
~~~~~
End Note:
What is it with me putting Jason in just a towel only for Dick to not jump his bones? Boy, you missin your chance here.
This is my longest ever completed work, and I'm kinda proud of that.
So that's the end of JayDick Week (the official week, anyway). And I gotta say this was such an experience. This was my first time participating in any event like this and I had such a great time. I haven't had such motivation to write in actual years.
This fic was actually the first one I wrote for this event. Something about the prompt just grabbed me by the throat and forced me to work on it non-stop. But reading it back before posting, it's interesting to see just how much the consistent writing practice affected my writing. When my friend helped me with day 3, she pointed out some problems with my writing that I never really knew how to fix before. She helped me, and I feel like my writing has gotten better just for that. When I first wrote this I was so proud, but now I can see a lot of room for improvement. I've lightly edited this to add some grammatical changes, but I don't wanna completely change it because it's just so interesting to see the before and after of the week.
I have so many ideas for the DC fandom, and a bunch of other DC events, and I cant wait to see how much my writing grows as I continue to practice more than I ever have before, even when getting my college degree (and what does that tell you about the American education system, that I'm learning more about writing via gay smut than college specifically for writing)
Thank you all so much for reading and commenting throughout the week
And as always: If there's any errors, feel free to say in the comments. Or if you just want to talk.
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