Steady On Forward

Chapter 4

"Yeah, baby." Jason reached out to him, slinging his arm over his shoulder, but still leaving plenty of space between their bodies.

"Not what I meant." And okay, maybe he was in a bad mood and taking it out on Jason ⁠— he knew his boyfriend was just trying to be careful, but it was still annoying.

He wriggled himself over until he was lying halfway on Jason's chest, and Jason finally wrapped his arms all the way around him.

"Comfy?" Dick asked.

Jason ran a hand through his hair, and kissed the top of his head. "More than."

◇◇◇

"Irene O'Leary," Tim announced into the comms in lieu of greeting the next night. It was only eight — very early in the night — and he figured most people wouldn't be on yet. "I think I found The Woman." The capital letters were audible in his tone. "Classic, spurned ex of that nurse she was stalking—"

"Red," Duke cut him off. "Nightwing's on the comms."

Dick cleared his throat. "Exactly," he said. "Nightwing is on the comms, so maybe don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"Sorry," Duke said. "Just trying to warn him."

"Why exactly does he need to be warned?" Dick asked. "Now, what were you saying about O'Leary? What info have you found?"

"Um," Tim said, put on the spot. "Are... are you sure— you know, maybe I should talk about this some other time."

"Or you could talk about it now," Dick said.

"I...don't think—" Tim stuttered.

"I think Red Robin's right, maybe now's not the time," Stephanie said.

"Seriously?" Dick said. "Are you guys really doing this? Just tell me the info, Red! It's my case!"

"Uh," Tim said.

"Fine! Fine, I'll do my own research. Consider this case no longer any of your business. Nightwing out," Dick said hotly, and flipped off his comm. Fuck the rest of the bats for tonight, fuck patrol; if they were all going to treat him like glass then he'd stay in and do research, maybe wrap up some cases.

He climbed back in the bedroom window and stripped off his suit, throwing on some pajamas instead in a huff.

Just as he was sitting down at his desk with his laptop, Jason came into the room and did a double take. "Hey babe, not going out tonight after all?"

"Changed my mind," he said tersely, pulling up his file on The Woman and shifting in his chair so he could do some stretches while he worked. "Everybody's being an asshole tonight." He managed to maneuver himself into a split with one foot on the end of the bed, and the other on the radiator under the window. He could at least do stretches if he wasn't going to be doing anything tonight.

"Hm," Jason grunted in commiseration. Dick heard him opening the secret compartment in the back of their closet and starting to pull on his Red Hood gear. "What'd they do?"

"Don't wanna talk about it."

There was a series of sliding clicks as Jason checked the clip in each of his guns.

Dick sighed. "They're being all skittish around me and treating me with kid gloves, and it's getting on my nerves," he finally admitted, when Jason said nothing.

"Mm that's fucking annoying, 'm sorry honey." There was a final shick as Jason slid his last gun into its holster, and he walked over to press a kiss to his temple. "I've got a meeting of sorts with Black Mask, and then I think I'm gonna come back early. 'Less you wanna be alone?"