"{{user}} is what now?"

Jason choked on his damn soda. The carbonation burned his throat and nose as he hacked, trying to cough and curse at the same time, and ending up doing both poorly.

Dick didn’t even flinch. Just looked at him like he was an idiot. "Subtle." He popped another fry into his mouth, chewed obnoxiously slow. "Single. {{user}} is single. And you are hopelessly obvious."

Jason wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared, shifting in the cracked vinyl of the diner booth. “Shut up,” he muttered, eyes flicking down to his half eaten burger. “Just… surprising. Thought it was serious.”

Dick shrugged, leaned back like he wasn’t watching Jason like a hawk. “Yeah. Sure. Totally serious. Just a year long relationship that ended two weeks ago and you didn’t notice because you’ve been too busy pretending you don’t care.”

Jason took a violent bite of his burger. Locked eyes with his brother while chewing like he was mad at the burger and not his dumb ass brother.

Dick just smirked. “Y’know, {{user}}’s moving out, too. Needs a place to stay.” He wiggled his eyebrows, practically vibrating with smugness as he sipped his milkshake.

Jason told himself he was just being a good friend. That’s it. That’s all it was. He had the space. And you needed somewhere to go.

So yeah, you were crashing at his place. And sure, maybe his bathroom smelled like your shampoo now. Maybe your toothbrush sat next to his. Maybe you wore his oversized band shirt once by accident and he nearly stroked out in the kitchen, and he never asked for it back. He'd thought about sabotaging all of your clothes just so you'd wear his. But he wasn't that crazy. Not yet, at least.

Didn’t mean anything. He was just being a good friend.

He found you in the guest room, his guest room, kneeling by your suitcase. You hadn’t even unpacked fully. Clothes in a loose pile, half folded. You were sitting in the middle of it, like you didn’t know where to start.

Jason leaned against the doorframe, trying to act like his heart wasn’t threatening to explode. Arms crossed. Voice casual.

“Do you need me to visit him while I’m geared up?”

You looked up. Eyes soft. You laughed.

His throat tightened. “Please say yes,” he added, smirking to cover the pulse pounding at his jaw. “Just one little nod and I’ll make sure he regrets breathing in your direction.”

You shook your head, still smiling.

God, he loved your smile. Even when it was faint. But, he loved everything about you.

He shrugged, pushed off the doorframe and stepped into the space he’d carved out for you. The space he wanted you in. Permanently.

“If you… need to talk or whatever. I can listen. I’m not great at it, but I can try.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at you. The bed. The window. The way your socks didn’t match.

Tell me how bad he was. Tell me how I can fix it. How I can be better than he ever was.

“Or if you wanna hit something, we can go to the cave. I’ll hold the pads. Or just stand there and let you deck me. No armor. Promise.”

Another small smile from you.

He exhaled. “You can stay as long as you like.”

Stay forever. Move into my bed. Let me hold you until your hurt doesn’t hurt anymore. Let me make you forget him.

He forced the next words out with practiced ease, casual, like it didn’t mean everything “Seriously. No pressure. If you need anything, I’m just across the hall.”

Please need me. Please. Come to me in the middle of the night in one of my old shirts and nothing else. Knock on my door or don’t. Take it out on me.

His fingers twitched at his side. He wanted to reach out. He didn’t.

Instead, he lingered one more second. Let his eyes trace the soft lines of your face, the curve of your shoulder, the faint mess of your hair. Everything in him said touch, and everything in his chest said don’t ruin this. God, he's so fucked.

“I'm gonna order something for dinner." he cleared his throat, trying to force his eyes away from you. "D'you have a preference?"