Work Text:
The batmobile is silent.
For some reason, that’s the first thing that stands out to Jason. It's moving so fast -away from Crime Alley, away from his meager safety and everything he ever knew- and Jason knows his hearing is good, supernaturally so, but. But the car is still silent.
He's not sure what that says, about Batman. Maybe he's really rich. That would make sense - he must need money, to keep doing what he's been doing for so long. Or he has a rich sponsor. Or maybe he's just really good at building things, and built the car himself, but then he'd still need really good parts to build it, so probably still rich.
But rich people don't like street rats, and Batman doesn't like vampires, so why is Jason in his car?
"I'm bringing home a guest", Batman said to someone he called "Agent A", and he's trying not to think of what 'guest' might be code for. Jason also heard him call Robin back home already. A full welcome party just for Jason.
He's looking out the window, not looking at Batman. The city is passing by so fast, it's all a blur, and soon he'll be at Batman's house and then he'll never be able to leave, and the city is a shit hole but it was home, and now he'll never see it again, and Jason is trying not to sob. He can't look even weaker in front of Batman, even if the man already knows he can overpower Jason.
Then suddenly, everything goes dark. He'd heard rumors that the Bat had a secret cave lair, but it was never confirmed, and Jason didn't think - but of course Batman's taking him to his lair. He can't bring a half-feral street vampire back to his own home, that would be so dumb, and Batman isn't dumb, so he's taking Jason to his secret lair, where he has all the vampire-hunting equipment he needs to keep Jason contained. He wants to tell Batman that he won't need it, that Jason is so tired, he won't try anything if they just don't hurt him, but it's not like Batman believed him earlier, if he's bringing him to the cave.
He could try to run, would try to run, but Batman would probably hunt him down, and then he'd really put Jason down like a feral dog, and - and Batman promised to feed him.
Jason almost tenses up, then, when Batman moves again, but he isn't moving closer - he can't see much in the window reflection, but he can make out shapes, and Batman is bringing his hand up, maybe to his ear, to say something like before - but his hand keeps going up. Before Jason knows it, he's taking off that mask-hood thing from his head, and Jason is done for.
He clenches his eyes, but it doesn't matter. He'll see who Batman is soon either way, and then he'll be a threat, and then they really won't let him get away.
The car stops, but he doesn't move - he doesn't want to see.
He's so tired.
Batman gets out, and then Jason's door opens, and Batman's voice sounds weird, softer when he speaks than that rough gravel he had before.
"It's ok, Jason. We're here, you can come out."
Jason shakes his head. He doesn't want to.
Batman sighs. Jason thinks he's about to be grabbed, dragged out by force, but instead -
"Ok. When you're ready, then."
Jason won't ever be ready, but he can't say that. Before he can think of something else to say, though, there's another person - another voice -
"Bruce?" It says, confused but open and close and his eyes snap open without meaning to, glance to the stranger he didn't even notice -
The stranger in a robin costume, but without a mask, and Jason knows that face from somewhere, and a whine almost escapes his throat.
The cave is so big!
"Bruce, what happened?" Robin's voice is harder now, and even more so when he goes on. "Who is that?"
Jason was so stupid - he chose to stay in the car, and now he's trapped, there's no escape routes from here, and Robin looks pissed. He has to take off the seat-belt, has to be able to run -
But Batman is standing up from where he crouched next to the door, starts to say something, and next thing Jason knows he's shooting up to catch the man because he's swaying on his feet. He’s so heavy though, Jason almost drops him before he gets himself steady again.
He’s out of the car now, but no less cornered.
And Robin looks pissed.
“Take your hands off him!” Robin snaps.
Jason flinches, backs up into the car, and Batman sways again but he can’t - he has to keep watching Robin. Robin, who is angry, and advancing on Jason with fire in his eyes and clenched fists. Jason, who is half numb from silver exposure; who can’t defend himself.
His eyes snap to Batman when he catches himself with a hand on the car, then back to Robin, who is smaller than Batman but still so much bigger than Jason, and now he’s looming right over him.
“Get away!” he says, grabbing Jason by the shoulder and yanking him away. There’s silver reinforcing his gloves, because his grip saps away whatever strength Jason mustered, and he almost falls to his knees right there. The grip is tight though, and he stumbles with it as Robin gets between him and Batman. “What did you do to him, vampire?” he spits the word like a curse, and Jason flinches at it. "How dare you - say something!"
There’s vitriol in his words and fire in his eyes, and the sobs Jason has been holding back in the car finally escape. He knew this was a trap, knew that it couldn't be true, but for a second he'd thought- He'd thought -
It doesn't matter now, though, because Batman is swaying from blood loss, and Robin is throwing Jason to the floor, and he knew it was a trap, knows he deserved it, because he took Batman's blood - but he was so hungry - but now they're going to chain him up down here, and - and beat him up, or hurt him with silver - they won't kill him, because Batman wouldn't have fed him if he just wanted Jason dead, but they can still punish him, and he knows he took Batman's blood but he didn't mean to-
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he's mumbling. He tries to back away. There's nowhere to go though. He's trapped in the cave, and Robin has silver weapons. Jason is done for. "I didn't - I'm not -" but he did, he took the blood. He sobs, anyway.
Robin only looks angrier, though, so he needs to stop crying - crying only makes them hit worse, but he can’t stop - and take it silently, and hope Batman gave him enough blood to not die from this, he doesn’t want to die.
“Robin,” Batman says. He grabs Robin’s shoulder, stumbles, but rights himself after a second. “Dick-” Jason chokes, but he keeps going “calm down. I’m ok.”
Robin snarls. “No, you’re not! He drank from you, he- he- he’s a vampire, Bruce!” Jason flinches from that, from the rage and disdain he put in that single word, even though Jason knows - he knows he’s a monster, and knows what people think, he doesn’t want to be but he never got a choice- “You could’ve died! Why would you even bring him back here?”
Batman sways again. That cuts Robin’s rant short; he steps forward to catch his - boss? mentor? Father? - and steady him, but his glare never abates.
“Dick,” Batman says again, voice steadier than his body, at least. “I’m ok. He didn’t hurt me.”
Robin -Dick??- glares at Jason again, moving to get Batman’s arm over his shoulder and hold him up. “Yet,” he spits, “but you brought him here, Bruce!”
Batman moves his hand, then, to grip Robin’s arm gently. Robin’s expression falters - shatters into something a lot more like grief, for a second, as he looks at Batman. “I’m ok,” Batman tells him in a voice so soft that Jason almost chokes on it, because it’s been so long since anyone talked to him like that. Robin’s expression wobbles, then steadies, and the heartwrenching grief bleeds out slowly.
Jason tries to stop crying, stop sobbing at least, because the tears won’t stop falling from his eyes even though they’re sore and aching already, but when Batman looks at him again, he chokes on another sob and he can’t stop.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “Please- please I didn’t mean to - please don’t kill me, I didn’t - I - I was just so - so hungry,” he chokes, “I won’t - I won’t do it again,” he says between sniffles, tries to make them believe, desperate to be believed, he never wants to hurt anyone, they have to believe him! “Please, I - I won’t - I’m sorry -”
Batman steps closer and Jason flinches. He shuts his eyes tight, waits for the beating to start, because there’s no way they believe him, not after he drank from Batman - he Drank from Batman - and proved he can’t be trusted.
A hand, big and warm, touches his shoulder; Jason flinches, but it doesn’t grab him, doesn’t hurt, and he opens one eye to find Batman on his knees in front of him; there’s no way this is real, it can’t be.
Robin makes a sound of protest in his throat, snaps “Bruce!”, but Batman gives him a look, before turning back to Jason. He tries to curl up, make himself a smaller target, but Batman’s hand is still on his shoulder, and he can just pick Jason up like nothing.
“Jason,” he says, instead of forcing him to his feet or on the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Robin scoffs, and Batman glares. He tries to turn to his -mentee? ward?- but he moves too quickly, sways on his knees and takes his hand back to catch himself. Jason moves on instinct, reaches out to grab him then catches himself and draws back.
Robin is reaching out too, but Batman steadies himself. “Dick, please, not right now. I’ll explain everything but first let me calm him down.”
Jason isn’t sure why he should bother. His entire body is shaking from all the silver exposure, and one meal wasn’t enough to make up for months of starvation. He could do anything to Jason and any protests from Jason wouldn’t even matter.
When Batman faces him again, though, his eyes aren’t cruel. “I promise we’re not going to hurt you, Jason. I just want to help you.”
Behind him, Robin wrinkles his nose. Batman must notice his glance, because he heaves out a sigh and sits down in front of Jason. “He’s not going to hurt you either, Jason. I promise you’re safe here.”
Promises of safety. Jason knows how trustworthy those are.
He hugs his knees to his chest, because it’s all he can do. He’s already here. Why is Batman still trying to convince him? It’s not like Jason can do anything against him anymore.
He sniffles, and tries to wipe away the tears. They won’t stop though, so he presses his palms to his eyes, so maybe he can push them back, or at least stop looking so pathetic. “You don’ have ta lie,” he mumbles. “‘M already here.”
There’s a sharp breath, then hands gripping his arms so gently it actually startles him, so when Batman tries to pull his hands away from his face, he doesn’t fight it. Their gazes meet, and he can’t see any lie in Batman’s eyes, but that can’t be right.
He can see the way his lips are tight, though, how the corners of his eyes crinkle just such, and how his eyes are just a bit out of focus, and his stomach churns, because that’s his fault, so he shrugs, and looks away. “Whatever,” he says.
Robin’s gaze is fixed on him, but he can’t bring himself to face the boy. He looks around, instead, takes in the cave through blurry eyes while trying to quench his tears, which aren’t helping anything. There’s a big computer in the middle of the room, and another car just like the one they came in. There’s a small bed to the far side, but with the monitors and drawers around it, it seems like a medical setup, so probably not for him. His eyes catch on the reinforced door at the other end of the cave, and he swallows. “Where ‘m I sleepin’?”
Batman falters. When Jason rips his gaze away from the cell, Robin looks dismayed, but Batman’s expression is shattered. “Upstairs,” he says, pained. “In the house, Jason.”
“Didn’ think you’d have restraints up there.”
The sound that leaves Robin’s throat is caught between a whine and a wheeze, and Jason barely has time to flinch when the boy drops to the ground next to Batman, whose distress is tangible, though Jason can’t figure out why.
“Bruce,” Robin whines.
Batman sighs. Somewhere along the way he let go of Jason’s arms, and he’s covering his face now. He has no idea what’s going on, now. Robin was angry, and now he’s not, and Jason just wanted to let the discussion close so Batman can go and get to sleep, but now they’re both upset, and it’s his fault somehow, but he doesn’t understand how.
“Dick,” Batman says eventually. It sounds charged, and Robin clearly understands something, because he leans in closer, moves under Batman’s arm again, and Jason… Jason misses his mom so much, misses when she used to hold him so gently, just like that, before she got hooked on silver, when things were still ok.
He misses her so much, and he’s so, so tired of being miserable. He hugs his knees closer to himself, ignoring the burn of hunger. He just wants to sleep already, and they won’t tell him where.
Robin helps Batman stand up, before looking at Jason, who tries to shrink under his gaze. He isn’t glaring anymore, though, and after a second, he extends a hand, palm open and up. “Come on,” he says.
Jason goes. He takes Robin’s hand carefully, looks at his face the whole time, but Robin doesn’t look upset, or disgusted, or satisfied. He just pulls Jason up, and they start walking slowly.
They don’t walk towards the cell.
There’s an elevator, instead, which leads to a bunch of stairs, where Jason has to let go so Robin can help Batman up, and then they end up at a door that leads into a study through a clock, which is the weirdest thing.
Just like that, Jason is in their house, unrestrained.
He stays silent, making his way behind them down a long hallway furnished with a fancy rug and big paintings, and Jason was right, Batman is rich.
And named Bruce.
And has a big house.
And has a kid who Jason’s seen before. In newspapers and on TV screens.
Because Batman is Bruce Wayne.
His mind crashes, and then reboots right there in the hallway, but there’s no way he knows what to do with that information right now, so he just… files it away, for now.
Robin and Batman - Richard Grayson and Bruce Wayne - finally go into a bedroom while Jason is still having a minor crisis, so he stops and stands there in the hallways for a minute, not sure what to do. Then, Robin - Grayson - Dick - is back in the hallway, looking at Jason with an assessing gaze. He tries and fails not to fidget, unsure what the other is seeing or looking for. Then, Grayson’s stance relaxes, his face softened into something Jason can’t understand, and he’s holding out his hand again.
Jason takes it.
He leads Jason into the bedroom, where Bruce Wayne is already laying down in an absurdly big bed. Jason doesn’t even have time to start panicking before Bruce Wayne is looking at him with the weirdest, softest expression he’s ever seen. Grayson leads him to the edge of the bed, Wayne holds out his hand next, and Jason doesn’t understand, but he goes along, sits awkwardly on the edge of the bed, on a mattress so soft he could sink into it with his whole body and never get up again.
“Wait here,” Grayson says, for Wayne or Jason, he isn’t sure. “I’ll bring some food and be right back.”
Then he’s gone, and Jason is alone with Wayne, lost.
He plays with the hems of his hoodie because there’s nothing else he can do. Wayne’s gaze is fixed on him, but he’s too tired to try and understand it. “Where should I sleep?” he asks again, because it’s the only simple question, and maybe he can understand more once it’s answered.
“Dick will show you to a room, once we’re done.”
Done with what? he wants to ask.
He doesn’t.
When Grayson comes back, he’s changed into some casual clothes, and he’s not alone. There’s an old guy, gray and bolding, wearing a fancy suit at whatever time of night it is.
He’s carrying a tray when he comes in, gaze passing over Jason for a second, then over Wayne. “I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a light meal to replenish your blood sugar, Master Bruce,” he says in the thickest British accent Jason’s heard. “If you would introduce me to our guest?”
“Of course. Alfred, this is Jason. Jason, meet Alfred Pennyworth.”
The man nods primly at him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Jason.”
Jason nods back. “You too, mister Pennyworth,” he says, because he may be a street rat, but his mom did teach him some manners.
“Oh, none of that,” mister Pennyworth says, putting the tray down on the closest nightstand. “Alfred will suffice. Now, Master Bruce, I expect you to finish this food before going to bed, lest you desire to crash in the morning. Master Dick?”
Jason turns to Grayson just in time to see the boy looking back at him. His gaze is studying, once again, and Jason fidgets under it.
Some undefined time later, he finally lets up. Jason breathes a sigh of relief. “I’ll have one of your meals, too, Alfie,” Grayson says. The old man -butler?- nods simply, and steps out. Wayne is making himself busy with the food, Grayson is sitting down next to the bed, and Jason is feeling distinctly out of place.
Then, Grayson is holding out his hand for the third time - fist tight, wrist up, and Jason almost hurls.
He tries to get away, but Grayson is in front of him, and Wayne is behind him on the bed - he’s trapped.
“You’re still hungry,” Grayson says.
Jason shakes his head, tries to deny it. Wayne didn’t believe him before, though, and Grayson doesn’t believe him now. What blood he took from Wayne is turning to ice in his veins though, because Grayson was clear on how he feels about vampires, and there’s no way this isn’t a trap.
“No, I’m not,” he says. “Please, I’m - I’m not, please-”
Grayson sighs. Jason is almost relieved, when he pulls his wrist back, but only for a second; Grayson stands up, sits next to him, and Jason has to jump back - snaps his teeth at Grayson, who’s reaching for him.For a second, Grayson freezes, the look in his eyes odd, but he keeps reaching out, ignores Jason’s growl and his bared fangs to put a hand in his hair and pull him close.
“No, fuck off, get- get off-” he tries, pushing away, he can’t - he’s -
Grayson holds him close, and it’s - he’s not strangling him, or hurting, gripping his hair and pulling, he’s - he’s hugging Jason, Jason’s head on his wide chest, and he’s warm and tall, and the hand on his head starts stroking his hair, but nobody did that since his mom - Jason-
Jason is crying again.
“Shh, it’s ok. I overreacted in the cave. You’re ok,” Grayson whispers. Wayne is silent, but his gaze is heavy. Grayson’s other hand is held around him, squeezing gently for a second. The room smells like spices and detergent. Grayson’s shirt is growing wet from Jason’s tears.
Grayson keeps holding him until Wayne is done eating and Jason is out of tears, his hands still fisted into the shirt, probably ripping into it with dirty claws, but he doesn’t have the air to apologize.
When Grayson pulls back, Jason lets go, but - but he doesn’t go far. His hand stays, running through his hair like he isn’t dirty and disgusting. Jason doesn’t want him to stop.
“There you go,” the boy says, “You’re ok. Want to try again?” He holds up his other wrist before Jason can even ask. “It’s alright. I’m offering.”
Jason…
Jason is tired. He’s cried out, and hungry, and with a quick glance, Wayne gives him an encouraging nod, and… whatever happens, happens. He’s sure that if they want to hurt him, they’ll find a reason anyway, and at least, he can be fed when that happens.
So he nods.
He gives a lick to the wrist, makes sure that Grayson won’t feel anything, and finally bites down to the warm, fresh blood underneath. The hand in his hair stays gentle.
He stops the moment Grayson tries to pull away - gazes up sharply, but he doesn’t look angry, or satisfied. He smiles softly, instead. Jason doesn’t know what that means.
Alfred is back in the room again, he takes note, holding another tray, and Grayson takes it gratefully once they're done.
The silence draws out while Grayson eats, heavy with something Jason doesn’t bother parsing out. They’re both looking at him, and he doesn’t want to think about what their looks mean, what they think of him. He isn’t even supposed to be here, none of this makes sense. He just wants to sleep.
“Why don’t I show the young master to a shower while Master Dick finishes his meal?” Alfred breaks the silence, and it’s a saving grace.
Bruce nods. “Yes, that’s a good idea. We can see about everything else tomorrow.”
He smiles again at Jason. Jason doesn’t ask what ‘everything else’ means. He just follows the butler to a shower.
He’s given clean clothes.
The shower is hot.
Wayne, dressed casually, waits for him outside, and leads him back to the bedroom.
Oh
Jason wants to sleep, but-
But.
The world hasn’t much cared what he wants, recently. So this is what it’s all been about, after all.
((It’s not. Grayson cuddles up to him, but Wayne stays away. He falls asleep with Grayson’s hand running gently through his hair.
He wakes up warm and comfortable for the first time in years.))