Your Face Right Now - DG Week Day 6 + JD Week Day 7
(tw: blood)
BONUS:
You don’t even wanna know how long this took me lol
For Dick Grayson Week @dickgraysonweek - Day 6: Hurt/Comfort
and for Jaydick Week @jaydick-week - Day 7: Bruised and Bloody
I DID IT!!! Fiiiiiiiinally finished this long comic lol - it was inspired by a HQ!! IwaOi doujinshi called ‘Higan no Kagee’ by Gusari - where Iwa gets in an accident and sees the Reaper that has a familiar face uwu I wanted that but to have Death take on the one Dick thinks of and has comfort in the most, throughout his life, and so as the memories flow to the present, Death’s appearance as Jason changes too.
Also made the background colours... somewhat symbolic? The Yellow at the circus is from all the happy and fun memories Dick’s had there as a child BEFORE THINGS HAPPENED so it’s bright and sunny. When Robin!Jay comes in, it’s green for envy - envy on both sides for that time, though this Robin!Jay from Dick’s memories is much sweeter and kinder than the real thing was at the time lol When RH!Jason comes, it’s a calming blue. Calm smiles, calming words, they’re in a relationship now and trust in each other --- The hospital is pink because that’s my go-to for love lol
Other things to note:
1) If John Grayson was alive, he would look very similar to how Dick looks on Page 3 ;w;
2) I don’t understand Discowing’s collar
3) Page 7 is affectionally called “Mori said we can’t hold hands!”
4) Does that receipt of Dick’s injuries/surgeries make sense? Of course not, I don’t know what I’m doing. I just needed to make sure ~2.5L of blood loss wouldn’t straight up kill Dick right away omfg
5) Thank you to the RR Discord for helping me decide on a book for Jason to read in some throwaway frames. I drew them from scratch each time and it took hours because I’m a dumb uAu; Pride and Prejudice has a lot of pretty covers wejtiawjeldfw I went for one that was pretty but not impossible to replicate lol
6) The Batfam group chat is canon now - so I’m gonna shove it into everything I can lol - Don’t worry, Jason also called the nurse to make sure Dick’s vitals were okay, but they’ve been banged up before, so each Bat knows a bit about what to look for, I would think -
7) Dick says he’s having a handholding withdrawal since he held hands with Jason a lot in his dream lol -- he misses the real thing now.
8) Yeah, that’s a Bunny!Nightwing plushie lol and a Bat-clip in Cass’ hair (Yeah, patented Bat-clip lol) And sure, Tim’s holding a Bat-flowerpot, why not. Go ham.
9) Big, big, BIIIIG thanks to Dream for looking through this to make sure it wasn’t stupid and made some sort of sense lolll also for helping me decide on which prompt to cover this for for DG Week (Day 5 or 6?!?!)
Warnings: non-con (but not sexual), canonical character death
Pairing: Jason Todd/Dick Grayson
Summary: Jason's presentation takes something precious from Dick and they have to face the consequences in more ways than one.
Notes: Okay just a bit of background/history. In this "world" pack dynamics are important, but have taken a backseat since society doesn't require them anymore. But back when they were lead by more primitive needs and desires, each pack was led by one omega and alpha who were more powerful than the others. True Alphas and True Omegas, as they came to be called, were respected due to their power. But as society shifted and packs began settling in single places, Trues became more and more rare because the need for the powerful protectors was not needed.
Now they're considered precious and while True Alphas are more common than True Omega's, both are considered rare. And it's especially rare to have one of each in a pack. And when a True Alpha gives a mating bite to a True Omega, the bond cannot be broken without one or both of them dying (whereas a normal pair could easily break a bond if need be). And should one of the pair die, the other would become a shade of themselves for the rest of their days.
You can also read it on AO3 here
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It was rare that Dick found himself at the manor these days. The argument with Bruce that ended up with Robin being stripped from Dick and the one that followed when Bruce gave it to Jason without telling him first were still two excessively big bridges that had been burned. And had yet to be rebuilt. Although, if you asked Dick, he would say they would never be rebuilt. Too much pain in those wounds.
But there were moments, like currently, when Bruce called and Dick answered because he couldn’t not help. Not when Bruce was able to find it within himself to ask for it to begin with. Even if Dick wasn’t fooled and was well aware of the fact that Alfred had cajoled him into calling his eldest ward.
A fact that Alfred was more than happy to confirm as Dick sat in the kitchen with the older man and sipped on a cup of his favorite Earl Gray tea.
“Master Richard, would you please take this cup up to Master Jason? He has not come down for his usual after school cup and I fear he has gotten caught up in his reading again,” Alfred set a tray down on the counter near Dick, glancing at the other man.
“Sure, Alfie,” Dick smiled. He set his own cup down on the tray, ignored the smile that Alfred gave him at the motion, and picked the whole tray up before heading out of the kitchen.
The manor was quiet, as it usually was at this time of day. When Dick had lived within its walls, there had been noise from wherever it was he had found himself. The need for movement or noise was embedded deep within his skin from his years in the circus and no matter how old he got, he could never shake it. Jason was much more like Bruce in his need for peace and solitude. Dick liked to tease Jason that he was adopted simply for the fact that he was much more of a Wayne then the unadopted Dick ever was.
Jason only ever scowled at that, but it made Dick snigger all the same.
Rounding the corner and making his way to Jason’s room, Dick balanced the tray on one hand and knocked. “Hey Jay?” He listened a moment, letting his omega scent the air a moment for anything out of the normal when no answer came. When nothing but Jason’s natural scent hit him, perhaps a bit stronger than usual, Dick deemed it safe to open the door. What greeted him was not something he had been equipped to deal with.
The growl surprised him, but not nearly as much as the scent of alpha that smacked him right in the senses. And how the hell hadn’t he noticed that through the door? It was so strong now that the door was open, and he had stepped into the room.
But he didn’t get the chance to process what it all meant before he was being pushed into the closest wall and the tray he had been holding was crashing down onto the floor. It made enough noise that he knew Alfred and Bruce, who was working in his study, would hear it and come running. They wouldn’t come quick enough to stop Jason from doing what Dick could see was burning in his eyes.
“True Alpha,” Dick whispered, eyes going wide. There was no denying that scent pouring off the newly presented alpha pressing him into the wall. Jason’s only response was the snarl in Dick’s face and though the omega knew it was probably the stupidest thing he would ever do, he shifted his scent so Jason could smell more than just plain omega.
A scent that Dick worked so hard to hide because he had always expected to be an alpha growing up. He hadn’t even considered omega as a possibility. If he weren’t an alpha, he would definitely be a beta. But when he had presented as not only an omega, but a True Omega, his entire world had shifted. He still struggled with accepting his place in the hierarchy of the world, but he had quickly mastered the skill of turning off the True in his scent, so no one knew outside of the family and a few very select friends.
But the research he had done immediately after his presentation heat had passed had told him one thing over and over: A True Omega can calm a True Alpha when breaching feral while presenting. And Jason was going down that road, especially since Dick had waltzed into his territory uninvited.
So, he let the True Omega scent come out to play and immediately Jason’s tense hold on Dick loosened and Dick felt his body relax slightly. “Omega,” Jason whispered, eyes still blown wide with the change.
“Jay, you gotta relax. It’s going to be okay, but you have to relax through it. Let me go get Bruce.” At the mention of Bruce, Jason tensed back up and Dick was officially at a loss of what to do. Did Jason instinctually know Bruce was an alpha? Did he view Bruce as a threat now? “Jay?”
“Mine,” the growl was back and something sharp rose in Jason’s scent a mere second before a bright pain hit Dick and he was screaming.
Dick would never know for sure what it was that caused Jason to pull away, but one second Dick was pressed against the wall with Jason’s teeth in the place where his shoulder met his neck and the next he was on the floor, bloody and pressing a hand to the mating bite.
“Oh god, Dick!” He could hear Jason freaking out, having been pulled out of his haze most likely due to the pain taking over Dick’s scent, but he couldn’t focus on that. The only thing he could focus on was the burning in the bite and the spark in his chest.
“Jason?! Dick?!” Bruce’s voice thundered down the hall along with the sound of his feet rushing their direction, Alfred’s sounding just behind his. Neither of them answered and only Jason looked over when the two men appeared in the doorway, but he didn’t move from his position just a foot away from Dick, kneeling with his hands hoovering like he wanted to hold onto the omega but knew he shouldn’t.
“I didn’t mean to! I didn’t-I’m sorry!” Jason’s voice sounded, accompanied by Alfred’s familiar baritone probably offering words of comfort. But Bruce kneeling in front of Dick took his focus.
“Dick? Dick, I need you to breathe.” Oh. Was that why he couldn’t focus? Yeah, that made sense. He was disassociating. “Dick, you need to breathe or you’re going to pass out. And your state is not helping Jason’s at all.” Closing his eyes, Dick tried to take a deep breath but found he couldn’t. “Focus, Dick. Five things you can smell.”
Right, he could do this.
“Your cologne,” he rasped, keeping his eyes closed. He could feel his hands shaking but tried to focus on scents. “Shortbread…” A stunted breath. “Wood polish…my tea…” Another breath. “And…and Alfred’s fabric softener.” He wished he could ask Bruce to touch him, to ground him like a pack alpha should. But there was a logical voice in his brain telling him he couldn’t. No one could touch Dick until Jason got himself under control. The newly presented alpha wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“That’s good Chum. Now four things you can hear.”
Still he kept his eyes closed, pushing his senses out further than this room. “The kitchen timer, the…the blue jays in the tree out back, the grandfather clock,” he said, struggling to keep his senses out of the room. “Jason’s heartbeat.”
“No, focus on what isn’t caused by the situation or related to it.”
“Your heartbeat.”
“That’s fine. Good. Three things you can see.” Carefully Dick opened his eyes and blinked, doing everything he could not to seek out Jason’s eyes.
He glanced everywhere but the spot where Alfred was standing with his hands-on Jason’s shoulders, holding the worried alpha back. “The tree outside the window.” He flicked his eyes to the ground. “The grain in the wood, and the tea on the floor.” He took a deep breath and glanced at Bruce who was nodding. “Sorry, Alfie,” he muttered, referring to the mess he had made when the tray had dropped.
“It’s quite all right, Master Richard.”
“Two things you can feel. You’re almost there,” Bruce said gently, nodding again.
“The wall behind me.” Dick took another deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling his chest loosen the last bit and his air coming more naturally. “Pain.” He flinched at the whine that sounded from Jason and cowered under the glare from Bruce.
“Dick.”
“I…the rug…” He tried and Bruce gave him a small smile.
“Last one,” Bruce told him. “One thing you can taste.”
Again, he wanted to say blood, but he didn’t want to make things worse. Again. “Lemon cake, from earlier.”
“Good. Can you stand? Alfred will take you to get cleaned up.” Dick thought about whether or not he could stand and figured he probably wouldn’t know for certain unless he tried. But his brain didn’t seem to want to send the signals to legs to push off the floor and he didn’t want to pull his hand away from the bite mark. He didn’t know if seeing it would set Jason off at all and he didn’t want to risk it.
“I need help,” he whispered, dejected, eyes falling shut again. There was silence and Dick could smell the hesitation in Bruce’s scent. The conflict.
“Can Jason help you?” Dick knew Bruce was struggling not being able to jump into the comforting father, pack alpha role but he also knew he had to be careful about Jason’s end of things too. Considering the idea, Dick gave a small nod and seconds later there were hands touching him gently, helping him to his feet.
“I’m so sorry, Dick. Please, I’m so sorry,” Jason whispered, and Dick opened his eyes to look at the young alpha. There were tears in Jason’s eyes and he knew Jason felt terrible. He knew because it pulsed loudly in their bond and scented the air like fog. But Dick didn’t know how to respond without breaking down again. So, he just leaned against the wall and let Jason mutter out his stream of apologies.
“Master Jason, I need to take care of Master Richard. Will you be all right for me to help him to his room?” Jason’s eyes widened in panic at the suggestion and Dick felt a little bad. The new instincts were hard to handle on a normal basis, but throw in mate instincts on top of that? Dick couldn’t imagine.
Reaching forward with the hand not holding the mark, Dick gripped the front of Jason’s shirt. “You can help me to my room, but I need to process, and I need to breathe so you’ll have to leave me there. With Alfred.” He was trusting his omega to comfort Jason’s alpha right then because there was no way Dick could do it. Not when he was desperately in need of comfort himself. He needed to not have to be the strong one and that wasn’t going to happen while Jason was in the room.
Because the last thing he wanted was to make Jason feel even worse for something that Dick was upset about but not mad at Jason for.
Dick watched Jason take a deep breath before nodding. “Okay, I can do that.” And Dick knew he was trying to steel himself for the moment he had to walk out of Dick’s room and leave him with the beta. But if there was one thing Jason had perfected, it was doing something he didn’t want to do simply because it needed to be done.
Glancing at Bruce, Dick found the older man watching the pair with his well-practiced Batman face. It was one he had never been able to read, no matter how many times he had tried over the last eleven years. But he did know that it was strictly reserved for situations he wasn’t too sure how to handle. Or situations that compromised who he was as an alpha. This was probably both of those times. His youngest, newly adopted son had presented as an alpha when no one was prepared and managed to claim his eldest, unadopted ward before anyone could stop him. And now he had to manage the new alpha when his instincts were telling him to care for his pack omega. And not just any omega, but a True Omega who pulled out the protective instincts more due to the precious nature of having one in your pack.
But Dick couldn’t help Bruce right then. He couldn’t be who he always was, the one who helped others back onto their feet when they fell, because it had been him who had fallen this time. And for once in his life he just needed to allow himself to take care of himself.
“You can take your leave now, Master Jason. I do believe you and Master Bruce have much to discuss,” Alfred spoke gently but with an undercurrent of authority that most betas were never able to accomplish. Alfred though, he was the true patriarch of this family and anyone who knew them knew it.
Dick didn’t look at Jason as he stepped away from where he had helped Dick sit on the edge of the elder’s bed. He didn’t look up from the spot on the floor he had kept his gaze until the door shut firmly behind Jason, shutting his scent out along with it. It was then when Dick allowed himself to crumple a little. Under the watchful eye of Alfred, it felt safe to do so. He could hide his face in his hands, ignoring the blood on his one hand, as he silently cried.
Thanks to the scent blockers on his room, specifically installed for his heats, Jason wouldn’t be able to smell his new mate’s distress. He would, however, be able to feel it through the bond but there was nothing Dick could do about that now.
A hand fell to the back of his neck and squeezed gently. “Indeed, Master Richard. Indeed, this is quite the situation.” And that just made Dick sob harder into his hands, falling sideways into Alfred as the older man gathered the nineteen-year-old in his arms. It wasn’t the comfort he had been seeking since Jason had sunk his teeth into him, but it would do for now. It would have to do for now because Bruce had to take care of the new alpha.
He couldn’t be certain how much time had passed before his tears dried up and Alfred got to work on cleaning and bandaging the new bite. It wasn’t common practice for the bite to be covered, usually healing quickly on their own, the fact that it was given against Dick’s will made the healing process a bit different. Slower. Mostly because Dick’s omega was bucking against the idea of this alpha taking something from him without asking, without proving that he could be a good alpha for the omega. While the laws of old had long ago been changed and Dick was just as worthy of a pack and society member as any alpha or beta, the instinct to be provided for would always be there.
Dick hated it.
He was an adult and he could take care of himself. He didn’t need to be wooed and courted. He didn’t need someone to provide for him. His omega disagreed, sadly. The True Omega knew that he needed an alpha who was strong, who could protect and love and worship Dick the way he deserved. That was the part that was howling right now, wanting to rage against the bite and break it. But that wasn’t an option.
“Alf, what are we going to do? I can’t break this. I know you and Bruce could smell it. He’s a True Alpha,” Dick whispered, looking at the man currently turning down his bed so Dick could crawl into the comfort there.
Alfred sighed and straightened, frowning. “We will have to figure this out. Get some rest, Master Richard. I will go speak to Master Bruce and send him in here as soon as possible.” Dick could see the question in Alfred’s eyes and nodded his head, silently admitting that he wanted Bruce there. “In you go,” he was waved into the bed and remained motionless as the covers were pulled up to his shoulders. It reminded him of when he had been a boy in a stranger’s home.
“Can you…” Dick stopped Alfred from leaving for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. “Can you tell Jay I’m not mad. I don’t want him to think I’m mad.”
“I will pass the message along. Get some rest.”
The sound of the door opening and closing was all he heard before the silence of the room fell over him. And though he thought there was no way he would fall asleep right then; he was out before he could really process anything that had happened.
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Jason shot to his feet from the chair in the kitchen when Alfred entered. The elder looked tired but gave Jason a gentle smile and a pat to his shoulder before guiding him back into the chair across from Bruce.
“He is asleep,” Alfred relayed, and Jason felt a surge of relief. He didn’t know if it was because of how stressed Dick had seemed at the entire altercation or because of the bond itself, but he was glad to hear the omega was able to fall asleep. Jason wasn’t sure he’d be sleeping for the next week. “He also asked me to pass along that he was not mad at you Master Jason. He was very adamant about that fact.”
The whine that came from his throat surprised everyone in the room, Jason most of all. And in his embarrassment and guilt, he buried his face in his hands.
“Jason.” Bruce’s voice sounded far off, and the usual need to obey didn’t come to him, but Jason took a deep breath and raised his head to look at his adoptive father all the same. “None of us are angry with you. The presentation is a lot. The instincts are hard to deny. Throw in the rank of True Alpha and you’ll find them even harder to deny.”
“You must allow yourself some grace, Master Jason,” Alfred spoke up. Jason turned to look at the elder beta and frowned. How could he allow himself grace when he had taken something from Dick against the older man’s will? Something that he hadn’t earned. Something the Dick hadn’t seemed keen on giving anyone, from what Jason had seen when he watched the omega interact with other people. He held himself away from others, he had learned how to pull in his scent to smell just like a regular omega, and he had learned how to ignore the instincts. Jason had seen them warring in the man’s sapphire eyes so many times and wondered why he would put himself through that just to make the world believe he wasn’t as special as he was.
But Jason had always seen how special Dick was. How spectacular he was. Even before he had known Dick was a True Omega. And now he was left wondering if he had been able to see it because he would eventually present as a True Alpha. If his inner alpha was just preparing to be worthy of a compatible omega.
“Fuck,” he muttered, looking away from Alfred. He didn’t comment on the older man’s lack of chastisement on his swearing, but he knew it was probably just because it was a difficult situation. “He’s not angry but that doesn’t mean he won’t hate me when he wakes up.”
“That may be,” Alfred said from his place. “But there is nothing to be done to change the situation. We can only allow Master Dick to decide what it is he wants to do since the choice was taken out of his hands.” Jason cringed at the words, even if they were said kindly and without the accusation he deserved. He deserved the anger and the hate. He had stolen something that was only Dick’s to give, no one’s to take. He was no better than the alphas in the Alley.
Bruce cleared his throat and Jason raised his eyes to look at the man, waiting. “And no matter what Dick decides, you still have a place in this family. In this pack.” And those words made Jason sag in relief. He hadn’t realized he was worried he would be kicked to the curb for what he had done. He understood that logically he hadn’t been in control, but the guilt swirled relentlessly around his chest and made him feel as though he was moments away from being kicked to the curb. “Do you understand, Jaybird?”
Jason nodded.
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He was just blinking himself awake when there was a soft knock on his bedroom door. Shifting in bed so he was at least facing the door, he called out a ‘come in’ before snuggling further into the warmth of his bed. The previous days events were enough of a reason for him to not get up and greet the day as he usually did. He felt he deserved the right to be a little lazy today. Plus, there was a lot he needed to think about now.
“Dick,” Bruce’s low voice rumbled as the door opened and his alpha stuck his head in the room. Or his former alpha? Dick wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen now. The circumstances weren’t exactly standard. “How are you feeling today?”
Taking a moment to consider the question, Dick went through how he felt physically. His neck was still sore but not throbbing like it had the night before, his body ached but not in an overwhelming way, and he was tired but he usually felt that way when he first woke up. Mentally he was probably worse off. He could feel Jason’s emotions burning strong in his chest, but he ignored them just as he had done last night. He himself felt like a wreck. He felt a lot like he had in the weeks and months following his parents deaths. He was hurting and he was angry, but mostly he felt lost. And he wondered how Jason was handling the feedback that he was getting from Dick.
“Better than yesterday,” he finally settled on as an answer. “How is Jason?”
Bruce sighed and moved further into the room after closing the door behind himself. He hesitated a moment before sitting on the edge of Dick’s bed, just out of the omega’s reach. “He is feeling guilty and is rightfully upset about what happened.”
Dick didn’t say anything, but gave a sad smile in response. He didn’t blame Jason, even if he was upset the choice had been taken from him against his will. He understood the overwhelming feeling of a presentation. And he understood even more that being a True Alpha, or Omega in his own case, amped those instincts up a few more levels. Dick could be angry to the high heavens, but he couldn’t blame Jason for not being able to immediately control the instincts.
“He was okay with you coming in here?”
Bruce hummed. “He managed to show some amazing control once the situation had settled a bit after you fell asleep.” It must have been easier for him once Dick’s emotions had faded in sleep. “But now we need to discuss what you want to happen.”
Dick frowned and pushed himself upright, cringing at the pull on the bite. But he had more important things to focus on right then. Because he didn’t want to believe Bruce was suggesting what he thought the man might be suggesting.
“You aren’t kicking him out.” It wasn’t a question or even a request. Dick knew his place as pack omega lent a lot of authority, even if Bruce seemed immune to it most day, and he would use every ounce of it to keep Jason from being homeless again.
“I am not kicking him out.” Shoulders sagging in relief, Dick leaned back against the headboard. “I would never do that to him. He is pack for as long as he wants to be.”
Dick nodded. “Good. That’s…that’s good.”
But that just meant that what needed to be decided was what they were going to do about the mating bite. Dick knew it couldn’t be broken and he knew Bruce knew that too. He knew that they had no choice in this being final. But did that mean they had to accept it? Could they just ignore it for the rest of their lives?
Could he doom Jason to a life of no mate? No pups?
“I don’t know what to do, B,” Dick admitted, looking from the comforter to his father figure. “He’s too young even if I was okay with this. Legally he’s allowed to make the choice, sure. But I’m nineteen and he’s fifteen. And that is just…no.” Dick shook his head firmly and Bruce’s face told Dick that the older man completely agreed. Which didn’t surprise him in the least because Bruce was progressive, but he wasn’t to the point where he felt a fifteen-year-old was mature enough to pick a mate after presenting. “How much does he understand about the situation?”
“Enough to know there’s no fix,” Bruce admitted. “I told him some of the things we found when you had presented as a True Omega and what the purpose of the role was in our more primitive states. But how they had become rarer due to the dynamics of packs changing and evolving with civilization.” It was more than school taught these days because the rank was so rare for both omegas and alphas, though more so for omegas. Dick remembered the researching Bruce had done when Dick had presented and felt that gnawing need to know everything there was to know in order to get some control over the situation.
“I should talk to him.”
Bruce’s silence told Dick he agreed but had some reservations about it. It was a difficult situation and Dick knew Bruce was struggling still. The night would not have changed that. And it hadn’t gone past Dick’s notice that the alpha had kept himself physically distanced from Dick. Which meant Jason might have more clarity, but the instincts were still battling his logic and that meant caution had to be taken.
“Do you want to do that in neutral territory or here in your room?”
Being in his territory would definitely give him the upper ground, but he also knew the smell might be too much for Jason to handle. It would probably make focusing hard for the new alpha. But being in neutral territory meant the possibility of being overpowered again. And that thought scared him more than he wanted to admit.
But maybe there was a compromise.
Glancing over to the French door that opened to his balcony, Dick considered them. “Have him come here. We’ll sit on the balcony.” The scent wouldn’t be as bad once Jason was on the balcony and Dick wouldn’t feel like he was unsafe. Bruce gave a nod and stood from the edge of the bed, looking down at Dick with that all too familiar unreadable expression. “What?”
For a quick moment, Dick thought Bruce might actually open up and be honest with his emotions, but then the man gave a grunt and headed out of the room. Predictable, Dick thought as he carefully got out of the bed and made his way stiffly to his bathroom. He knew he would have time for a quick shower and that since the scent of last night’s emotions were still clinging to him, he definitely needed it. So he quickly washed himself off with the scentless soap the entire manor was filled with, silently missing the soft lavender soap he used back at his apartment, and got dried off.
He was just pulling on a pair of worn sweats and a t-shirt when a familiar knock sounded on the door and Alfred entered.
“Ah, Master Dick, please hold off on the shirt for a moment. I would like to have a look at your neck.” Dick nodded and pulled the shirt off his arms as he sat down on the edge of the bed so Alfred could take a look under the bandage that he had replaced after his shower. “How do you feel this morning?”
Dick thought about what he said to Bruce earlier about being better today and whether or not he could get away with that with the same. Not likely. “Sore and stiff. The shower helped some, but I’m still aching,” he admitted. The older man remained silent as he looked over the bite before applying a salve and putting another fresh bandage on it.
“You may put your shirt on now. Master Jason will be here shortly, I’m sure.” Dick sighed and tugged the shirt on over his head, remaining on the bed. “Not that I believe I need to give this warning, but do be gentle with the young master. He has been distraught all night.”
Dick looked up at Alfred with a frown. If the circumstances were different, he probably would have cracked a joke about Alfred’s sleepytime tea that Bruce was forced to drink from time to time. But this wasn’t a joke and it didn’t feel like one. Not even for him, the king of puns. Instead he just nodded and looked down at the hardwood floors as Alfred gave the back of his neck a squeeze and then left.
He stayed there, lost in his thoughts and emotions until a soft, hesitant knock sounded on his door. With a deep breath, Dick stood and went over to his balcony doors and opened them wide. He reveled in the gentle morning breeze that came through for just a moment before turning and telling Jason to come in.
Dick watched the door open slowly before a head of dark hair poked through and looked inside. “Dick?” The sound of Jason’s voice made his heart lurch. He had never heard the teen sound so uncertain before. Since the first moment they had met, the kid had been all stubborn pride and defiance. Dick had actually liked that about him, hoping Jason would give Bruce a taste of his own medicine. But it was nerve wracking to hear this side of him. Unsettling.
“Hey Jay,” Dick responded, drawing the teen’s eyes to him. Jason stopped midway into the room and the door fell closed behind him, causing him to jump slightly. “Let’s go out on the balcony.” He got a quick nod in return and Jason quickly walked around the bed and toward where Dick was waiting. Dick didn’t need the new bond to tell that Jason was nervous about what Dick was about to say to him, that he was trying to be as small as possible. And Dick also knew that given a few years time, Jason wouldn’t be very successful that that act.
Grabbing a blanket off the foot of his bed, Dick headed moved out onto the balcony after Jason and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders before sitting down on one of the chairs. The air was just chilly enough, but his goal was more to cover the bandages peeking out from the collar of his shirt after seeing Jason’s eyes flicker to them when he passed Dick. The sharp pain of guilt had slammed through the bond and Dick figured it was probably best to hide the evidence.
“I’m not mad,” Dick told Jason, looking over at the teen who was slumped in one of the lounge chairs refusing to meet Dick’s eyes. Dick watched him shift in the chair and waited to see if he would say anything. “Jay?”
The teen looked up at him for a moment before his gaze skittered away again. “I know you aren’t,” he muttered, tapping the center of his chest. And yeah, Dick guessed that was fair. But he was definitely going to have to find a way to shut the connection down for privacy. It would be different if this had been something they had both chosen. But not even Jason had wanted this to happen. “I know I said it last night, but I really am sorry, Dick.”
Dick nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, but you aren’t solely to blame. I walked into your territory without warning,” Dick admitted, turning his eyes out to the horizon of trees. “I triggered it when I tried to use my omega to calm you down.”
“This is not your fault,” Jason growled and when Dick looked over, he found the teen gripping the arm rests of the chair tightly enough that his knuckles were white. If Dick couldn’t feel the fierce protectiveness Jason was feeling then he might actually worry about a lack of control. But he knew Jason wasn’t going to turn this emotion on him.
“It’s not yours either.”
But Jason went from the rage to incredulity quickly and looked at Dick like he had just said the stupidest thing he had ever heard. “Of course it is! I bit you! I stole that choice from you,” Jason rasped. But Dick sighed and shook his head. “I’m no better than the bastard alphas in Crime Alley.”
“No,” Dick growled in return, leaning over his arm rest to look at Jason. “Do not compare yourself to a full grown alpha who has control over their instincts. Never do that. You are nothing like them.”
“But…”
Dick growled and Jason froze. “No.”
Jason gave him a nod, but Dick knew he didn’t actually believe it. But Dick wouldn’t allow him to think so lowly of himself. To compare him to some of the worst people out there. No, that was no something Dick was going to allow.
Silence hung between them for a few moments before Jason shifted and drew Dick’s attention back. “So what do you want to do?” The question was asked in a sure voice, but the uncertainty swirling in the bond made it clear that Jason was worried. But what was he worried about? Bruce had told the teen he had a home here no matter what.
“I don’t know,” Dick said honestly. “I’m going to go back to Bludhaven and maybe some space will give us some clarity. I’m also going to work on shutting this emotional bond between us off. I think until decisions are made, it would be better for both of us.” Jason watched him carefully and nodded slowly. Dick could feel the understanding, but also shame and rejection. But Dick didn’t comment on them because he doubted Jason actually wanted him to know he felt those things. “You’re too young for any decisions to be made.” When Jason opened his mouth to protest, Dick raised a hand to stop him. “I don’t care what the law says. You’re fifteen. And even if you had come to me in a year and offered me your bite, I would still say you were too young.”
The indignation that came through from Jason made Dick smile. He knew this would be the reaction. No one liked being told they’re too young. But the fact remained. Fifteen was too young and the pair of them didn’t really know each other all that well.
“I’m not rejecting you,” Dick offered softly. Jason frowned, eyebrows merging. “I can’t, even if I wanted to. But I’m not accepting either.”
“That’s fair.”
AFTER
“Yeah, Walls,” Dick laughed into his cell as he walked up the stairs of the front of the Manor. He listened to his best friend question his decision again, wanting to be sure that Dick wasn’t doing this for anyone other than himself and it made Dick’s heart ache. “I want to do this, Wally. I want to do it because he’s a good guy and when he’s old enough, he will be a good alpha. But I also want to do this because fighting it the past year has been exhausting. I could do it forever, but I don’t want to.”
“If you’re sure, man. I trust you know what you’re doing. Just want to be sure that B-man isn’t pressuring you.”
Sighing, Dick pushed the front door open and headed inside. “He’s got nothing to do with it, I promise.”
“All right, all right. Look, I gotta buzz but call me after you tell him, yeah? Maybe take a video? Love to hold his reaction over that punk for a bit.” Dick just laughed and agreed before hanging up and heading toward the kitchen, where he was sure Alfred would be. He was only slightly surprised to find it empty.
That surprise turned into concern when he walked through the remainder of the house and failed to find anyone inside. And though it was early, Dick figured checking the Cave wouldn’t hurt before he started making phone calls.
With practiced hands, he hit the familiar keys on the piano and made his way through the entrance of the Cave and down the stairs. Most of the lights were off and only triggered as he made his way further inside, but the glow of the computer gave him enough light to see Alfred watching the monitors.
“Alf?” He called out, causing the older beta to jump and look over at him in surprise. That made Dick frown. Alfred always heard them coming. Always. “Everything okay?”
His eyes moved from the man’s face to the screens and widened at the sight of the inside of the Batmobile speeding toward an unknown destination. He hadn’t know Bruce was on a mission, not that Bruce shared that kind of information with him anymore. Not since Dick had stopped being Robin and had become his own hero. But Jason usually let him know if they were going to be out of town on a mission, even if he didn’t say specifics.
“Master Dick, perhaps you should head back up and I’ll be there in a moment.”
But Dick shook his head and came closer, stopping just to the side and behind the chair Alfred occupied. “Where are they? What’s going on?” It was strange for Alfred to try and keep him away from a mission. Strange enough that Dick thought about doing something he hadn’t done in some time. He thought about opening the bond between him and Jason to try and see what the other was feeling. They had worked long and hard on closing off that end of themselves so they were not influenced by the other’s emotions and Dick couldn’t remember the last time he had tried to open it up. “Alfred, what is happening here?”
“Agent A what are the stats?” Bruce’s Batman tone broke through the speakers and Alfred sighed, turning on the mic that he had apparently turned off at some point.
“He’s still alive.”
He’s still alive.
“Who is still alive?” Dick whispered, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.
“Nightwing what are you doing there? Agent A get him out of there.” And that cemented it even further. And it solidified his decision to open the bond. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and sought out that spot in his chest that he had tended to so carefully. One small tug on the thread was enough to pull it wide open, leaving him gasping and gripping the back of the chair to remain upright.
Pain. So much pain it was staggering.
“What is happening to him?!” He gasped out, letting Alfred lead him to sit in the chair he had just been in himself. He tried to straighten himself out, but he couldn’t pull himself out of the bent over position he fell in the instant he was seated. “B…”
He could hear Bruce swear over the comms and Alfred’s hushed reassurances, but the only thing he could really focus on was the pain. And the fear. So much fear and so much pain. There was something else buried under that, but the two overwhelmed anything else that might possibly be trying the come through. And even if Dick wanted to, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to close the bond back up.
And since his was open, Jason’s was now open as well.
“Please, B,” Dick begged, lifting his head to look at the screen. “What’s happening?”
“Joker has him. I’ll get him back,” Bruce told him and Dick felt his eyes well. He knew Bruce meant what he said, but he also knew that whatever was happening to Jason was going to kill him if Bruce didn’t reach him soon. “Agent A, how far?”
“Looks as though two miles, sir,” Alfred’s warm voice sounded as a hand landed in the middle of Dick’s back. “No change to the vitals.” Dick’s eyes went to the screen that held Jason’s vitals and he focused on that. He focused on the, although erratic, heartbeat of the man and tried to take a few deep breaths. “Master Richard, it might be difficult but perhaps you could reassure the young master through the bond? He won’t be aware that Batman is on his way to help, but perhaps you can help convey it.”
Could he do that?
He had heard of other doing it before, but he had no idea how to send an emotion. Only how to feel one. But he could try, right? Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself further. He released the grip on the seat of the chair and focused on calming his body. Once his body was no longer on the ledge of panic, he tried to remember the feeling he had when he had decided he was going to tell Jason that when his 18th birthday arrived that he would be happy to allow the alpha to court him. The warmth it brought him at the thought of Jason trying to prove he was worthy. The happiness that he felt in the moments he got to spend with Jason over the years, despite the issues he had with Bruce.
And then suddenly he felt something back. Something more than fear and pain from Jason. Gratefulness. An emotion so warm that Dick was sure if he touched his chest, he could feel it burning through him.
But then the fear spiked, and Dick sat straight up, looking at the screen to see Bruce pulling up to a warehouse of some kind. “Something’s wrong. Something’s happening. Bruce!” Dick shouted as Batman’s cowl showed the man getting out of the vehicle and running toward the building just in time for it to explode in flame and debris. “NO! Jason!”
Red Hood looked up from the dramatic glower of the oni mask to the winning smile on Nightwing’s face. “Hell no.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Red Hood remained unimpressed. “Like it’s not fucking obvious what you’re gonna say.” He shot back because exhibit one – roasted beans on the table. Exhibit two – the mask itself. One needn’t have to be a detective to put two and two together, especially when exactly a year ago to the day the good people of Komori Village, legitimately believing Red Hood a demon, commenced a relentless bean-throwing assault at him.
It was the Setsubun festival that day and the villagers were enamoured with the idea of Red Hood doing the oni part in their traditional rites again. So much so, they enamoured Nightwing with the idea too.
“Eian asked for you specifically. With how much he had helped us out, it would be rude to refuse.” Nightwing pointed out with a fine touch of a guilt trip.
Red Hood crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed.
Raising to the challenge, Nightwing brought out the big guns. He cocked his head to the side, biting down on his lower lip in a way that he knew for sure made Red Hood feel a bit crazy. A coy look was translated somehow even through his domino mask as he said, “Please, Jay?”
And Red Hood, like a weak, weak man that he was put the blasted mask on his face.
“Aren’t you a handsome demon,” Nightwing cheered, revealing in his victory. “Devils out, fortune in!”
“Oh, something is goin’ IN tonight, pretty boy.” Red Hood retorted and to his endless satisfaction, the growl and the promise put a hot blush on Nightwing’s cheeks. Roasted beans fell uselessly to the tatami mats from between his slackened fingers.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he pushed his mask to the side, to give Nightwing a cocky smirk. “Gotta chase last year’s back luck out of the village.”
*Setsubun – last day of winter in Japanese lunar calendar (February 3). On that day, people traditionally throw roasted beans at a person wearing an oni mask (or at the door of their homes) while shouting “devils out, fortune in” to drive the bad luck away.
