Jaytim Behind the Helm (Continuation)

Chapter One: Hot Mess

"What's on your mind?" He asks.

"A lot," Tim admits immediately, shaking his head with a small, dry laugh. Jason's patient, and waits for Tim. "For one, what does it mean now that you're alive? I.. Dick.. Dick doesn't know..?" Tim asks first. Jason's expression goes somber and Tim regrets bringing it up.

"It's so fucking weird seeing him. I won't lie," Jason mumbles, shaking his head. "I avoid him as much as possible. As far as we're concerned, I'm still the Robin who died." A chill goes down Tim's spine.

"Can I ask you how.. you're here?" Tim asks quietly, his voice small. Jason seems disgruntled, but answers his question anyway.

"Ra's Al Ghul. Dug up my body, threw me in the Lazarus pit, threw my out, and then here we are. Anything else?" He asks with a sneer, clearly uncomfortable and distraught. Tim raises his brow, and defiantly sits up straighter, taking a long sip.

"Nope...Unless you want to ask me questions." Tim says pointedly, not about to cater to his shitty attitude.

"Well, if you insist." Jason replies, hooking a stool with his leg and pulling it under him. Tim can't help but smile a little, as the Knight's relieved the topic is off him.

"How long have you been operating as Stray?"

"Only since a week or so after he died. Selina took me in quickly." Tim answers simply.

"How.. how is she?" He asks, brow furrowing.

"You saw her herself," Tim says, before realizing how rude that must've sounded, "but she's alright. She misses him. And I have no idea how she feels about you now. She hated the Arkham Knight."

"But she doesn't anymore?"

"I haven't talked to her about.. this." Tim says.

"What did you tell her? She seemed hesitant on asking me to leave the day after the bust."

"Just that you didn't want to kill us," Tim snickers, making Jason roll his eyes.

"Nothing else?"

Tim goes pale and takes a few seconds to respond. What was he implying? Tim didn't know if he were ready to talk about.. their personal relationship, but at some point he certainly had to tell her of their business partnership.

"No.." he says, face going a tint pink. Jason opens his mouth at that as if he were going to say something, but hesitates.

"Stray," He begins, his voice cracking just a little, "I.. I need to know if what happened on the balcony was real." Jason says, scooting a little closer on his stool. Tim's conscience is screaming at him to keep Selina's teachings in mind, but he can't. He needed to answer him straightforwardly.

"It was real for me," Tim murmurs in response, taking a sip of his wine to hide his embarrassment.  Jason nods slowly, eyes unwavering. Tim glances up to meet his eyes.

Jason's domino mask was still on. Apart of him wanted to rip it off his face and look at his freckles, take in his green eyes, and kiss at his nose, his eyes, his lips.. but he couldn't. Not in his office. Not in this setting, and not in his wildest dreams.

"Would you.. be alright like this?" Jason asks, grabbing Tim's hand resting on the counter.

"I.. I'm not sure yet. This all happened so fast, you know? I.. I think I'm..?" He didn't need to finish that sentence. Tim's face goes beat red at that. He wasn't one for romance. He hadn't even been in a relationship before. At least a real one.

Tim doesn't realize he'd been staring down at his hands until a gloved hand presses against the side of his face, tilting his head softly up.

Knight's smile is reassuring, and it doesn't take long for the small gap between them to close. Tim's hand finds the side of his face, thumb rubbing circles into his jawline. Jason's tongue slips across Tim's upper lip, brushing against his teeth.