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[theknightshift]

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[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[They're so close to an apology. He's so fucking close, and he still can't do it.

Jason just looks at him, and closes his eyes.]

Like what, Bruce?

[theknightshift]

[ His gaze drops to Jason's neck, where he knows the scar from his batarang is. Did Jason want him to go that far back? Or to something recent, like the case he's only recently dismantled?

Or telling Jason he loved him and leaving for three days? ]

Leaving. Not being with you when you needed me.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

God.

[He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands.]

You love me. Don't make this shit harder than it has to be.

[theknightshift]

[ He sets the computer down by the window he nearly escapes from and reaches for Jason. Smooths his hands over his shoulders. He won't do more than that until he's sure Jason won't reject him. ]

I do. More than anything.

[ Maybe even more than the mission. ]

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[Jason looks at Bruce, and he can't help himself.]

Prove it.

[He asks, but he doesn't know what to ask.]

[theknightshift]

Come to the manor. We'll have dinner.

[ Jason knows Bruce never puts off patrolling. Not for anything or anyone. Tonight, he might. He's going to try. ]

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

When?

[Because it can't be tonight, Bruce is in armor.]

[theknightshift]

Tonight.

[ Yes he means it. ]

It's been quiet, so I think I could spare evening to be with you.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[He squints a little.]

You have one night.

[And-]

Are you going to go back in armor or are you going to get dressed and come with me?

[theknightshift]

[ There's a safehouse near here, with a stash of clothing. Feasibly, Bruce could change and make this a proper date. He's quiet as he considers this and then: ]

I'll send the car home. I have a safehouse near here if you don't mind the detour.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[He is quiet for a minute, like he's thinking, and he is.]

Okay.

[He looks so intensely and deeply longing, like he just wants this to work.]

B. You don't have a second fuck up. I don't-

[He wipes his face with his hand.]

You don't have a second one.

[theknightshift]

[ Bruce didn't think he would. He pulls a gauntlet off so he can actually feel Jason's skin when he puts his hand against Jason's cheek. He knows he doesn't get a second fuck up. ]

I know.

[ He'd try to do better. He would. ]

Let's go.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[Jason feels like his breathing is coming back in bits, drips and drabs, and he nods a little with some insistence, and then faster as his breathing evens out. He feels that rage kind of seep away, and he reaches to grab Bruce's hand.

They don't drive; Jason just grabs a change of clothes (which he absolutely does keep in this safehouse) and follows Bruce through the streets, and when they get there and Bruce starts to strip he stops him and reaches to start undoing his armor.

Jason's hands are practiced and unbuckles his chestplate, and then his gauntlets, bit by bit.]

[theknightshift]

[ When they're together like this, it's easy to forget that they'd ever been apart. Traveling through the streets feels like an old familiar dance, they know how to fall together in tandem and pull themselves back up to make the most of their momentum. So it doesn't take long for them to reach his safehouse, tucked away in the crumble facade of a brownstone.

He waits until Jason's inside before he starts to take the armor off. He stops when Jason's hands take the place of his own and begins to unbuckle the chest piece, like he's done it 100 times before. And truthfully he has.

The meaning's just changed now.

Bruce lets his hands hover where they'd once been working for a moment before he drops them by his side. It's best to let Jason work and this? It's a show of trust. ]

You didn't tell me what you wanted to eat.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

Why, are you going to cook it?

[They both know that whatever there is, Jason will eat. But he works the gauntlets off the and his hands hover gently over the compression layer of Bruce's suit, before he unfastens the cape and tugs it over his own shoulders.]

Call for whatever you want. I don't care.

[He says it as he tugs Bruce down for a kiss, because maybe forgiveness takes a lot of shapes, and this is one of them.]

[theknightshift]

I might.

[ He won't. He burned the crumpets yesterday. Alfred banned him from the kitchen. But now that he has blanket permission, he'll just call for Jason's favorite. He's feeling vulnerable in more ways than one outside of the protective layers of his armor.

And then Jason kisses him and he decides it's mostly okay to be a little vulnerable. He missed this. ]

Will you stay tonight?

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[This isn’t the first time that Jason has been asked that, but maybe this time it means something more. The thing is that when he wakes up from a nightmare - and they’re all nightmares - it soothes him to turn and see Bruce there, either asleep or pretending. When he feels lonely, it’s easier.

When he wakes up and he can just turn to put a lazy arm over Bruce, it’s easier.

He nods.]

Yeah, I’ll stay with you tonight.

Will you be there in the morning?

[theknightshift]

[ He's relieved to hear it and nods at his question. ]

I will. [ Bruce leans forward, to brush his forehead against Jason's. ] I promise.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[Jason won't say if I wake up alone, it's over for you, and also I'll burn the manor down but he will think it really loudly in Bruce's general direction.

But he gets a kiss anyway, and then he kneels to get Bruce's boots off, the armor there, his hands clinging to the backs of Bruce's thighs, and he looks up at him.]

I'm not putting the server back together.

[theknightshift]

[ Bruce steps out of the boots and armor and begins to roll the bodysuit down and off too. This is always an easier, faster process when there are 4 hands to do the work. ]

You took it apart.

[ Almost understandably. The server hadn't done anything to him though. He reaches for the stash of clothes and begins to pull his pants up and fasten them in place. ]

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[Jason doesn't get up when Bruce moves away, still leaning back on his heels.]

That doesn't mean shit. You deserve it.

[He watches Bruce, his eyes dark, but there's some hunger in his expression.]

[theknightshift]

That's fine. I'll just send you the invoices.

[ is...is that a joke? He sees that look on Jason's face and holds his gaze for a minute before he slips into his shirt and begins to button it up. A little slower than necessary, but he'll be done soon enough. ]

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[He stares for a long minute, and it becomes a little clear-]

Huh?

[Jason was absolutely not paying attention to his words.]

[theknightshift]

[ Bruce almost makes a remark. Almost tells him if they were out in the field, he'd be an easy target like that. But he doesn't. Instead he strolls across the room and offers to haul Jason up. ]

Or we can skip dinner.

[ Nods toward the bed in the corner. ]

Since you're so distracted.

[turdusmigratoriusmortuus]

[Jason just looks up at him.]

You don't deserve my mouth or my ass yet.

[Listen just because he forgave him doesn't mean he's not petty about it.]