Dick Comes Home From Work
Barbara's presense in the house was not entirely a surprise to Dick. Ever the shrewd observer, he noticed her car parked on the street and though he wasn't entirely sure it was hers, the sound of her voice was no surprise to him when he came in the door. "And just what are you doing here, Babs?" he asked as he came around the corner, grinning broadly. It wasn't his usual flirty grin - Babs knew him too well for that to work and anyway their relationship was more than that - but rather a very genuinely happy smile.
"Oh, you know, the usual, just checking up on you. Making sure you don't get into trouble." There was a teasing grin on her face, which suggested that she knew damn well that Dick was always getting into trouble. "And making friends with Jason here. You didn't tell me you'd acquired a roommate."
Jason saw how genuinely happy Dick was to see Babs, and the uncomfortableness that he felt earlier was starting to return. He waved to Dick from the couch. "Welcome home," he offered. "She showed up a little while after you left." Yeah, seemed like that uncomfortable feeling from earlier had returned, and it was planning to stay. Jason just hoped Babs would leave soon, then he could maybe forget about Dick's ex who was definitely a better catch than Jason was.
And that uncomfortableness would get worse when Babs got up and just about tackled Dick in a tight hug, which was obviously returned. For all their enthusiasm, their interactions really were quite chaste for the most part. "Geez, you've been here a while then," commented Dick as he pulled away from Babs. She shrugged and gave a wave of her hand. "It's not a big deal - Jason and I made friends and I figured since I was out here, I might as well wait."
Made friends, his ass. Okay, she was nice, and under different circumstances, Jason would have loved to have her as a friend. Babs was pretty awesome, but that was why he was wary of her. He didn't want to feel jealous, but he really did. Maybe it was because he was used to having Dick all to himself. Jason didn't want to be a spoiled brat about this, so he just grinned. "Yeah, no big deal. Babs was good company. We talked about how you're a horrible gift giver," he teased.
Dick slapped a hand to his face at that. "Oh, great," he muttered goodnaturedly, rolling his eyes. He made his way over to the couch and sprawled out on it, kicking off his shoes a second later. "So, here I am. Not getting into trouble." He smiled up at Babs, trying to look innocent. "You wanna stay for dinner or do you need to get home soon?"
"Hmm..." Barbara tapped a finger to her lips, considering the offer. "I think I can stay for dinner. I meant to get home before this, but I don't really have anything pressing to do at the moment."
"No matter where you are, you get into trouble," Jason muttered as he took a seat on the arm of the couch by Dick's head. "Speaking of dinner, what are we having?" If he kept talking then he won't have to deal with the fact he didn't want Babs to stay for dinner. What did they have to eat, anyway?
"Um....that's a good question. Probably pasta," admitted Dick with a laugh. "I don't think we have much else and, well, it's not like I can COOK much else anyway." He glanced back at Babs and gave an apologetic shrug. "I never promised a GOOD dinner, just that there would be dinner."
She laughed and shrugged in return. "I wasn't expecting much without Alfred around," she replied. "I'd offer to help, but I want to see what you can do on your own." An impish grin at that. A second later her gaze flicked over to Jason. "Why don't you show me the rest of the house while Dick makes food?" she suggested.
"I still don't know who Alfred is," Jason complained a little as looked over to Babs. "Uh, I guess I can show you the gym? Nothing else in the house is really interesting." Plus, maybe he can try to talk her into showing him her moves. Jason knew she had to be a vigilante. He'll just concentrate on finding out who she is instead of on who she was to Dick. Probably better for his mental health that way, he thought as he headed for the gym.
"Well, Dick has two daddies, you see, and - "
"BABS!" Cut in Dick, sounding almost scandalized. "Could you please NOT put that mental image in my head?"
She laughed and waved him off. "Alfred is the butler. He more or less raised Dick when his parents died," she explained as she headed towards the hallway, intent on exploring, whether or not Jason came along for the ride.
Jason couldn't help but burst into laughter at Dick. When his laughter subsided, he wiped the tears from laughing so hard. "Wait, how rich are you?" Jason asked suspciously. He knew Dick probably had a bit of money, but to have butler growing? He'd have to be like Bruce Wayne rich or something.
Dick shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Well, right now, not very...but my father is...rather well off." Bruce Wayne rich indeed. And then, because he realized that the stories didn't quite seem to line up he added: "Ah, well, my guardian, technically. It's...complicated. I can explain later, if you want..."
Babs was already half down the hall, but she paused to listen to the exchange, taking note of how little Dick had told Jason about his life. Hardly surprising, really, given who had raised Dick. Caution and descretion were always key in his life.
Jason blinked, taking in the little bit of information he was given. "You were adopted, then?" Jason asked point-blank. This was pretty much the most information Dick had given him about his past. Jason was going to get as much as he could when could. "Promise to explain later?" He really hoped he would. Knowing more about Dick's past would help Jason understand Dick better, and he really wanted that.
A quick nod from Dick. "Promise. Go show Babs the gym, okay?" He smiled at Jason for just a second, and it was almost as open and caring as the one he'd given Babs earlier. He cared about Jason, he really did, and it showed in little ways. The fact that he cared about Barbara too was, well, that was a different matter and Jason really couldn't expect to completely take over her place in Dick's heart.
Jason glanced down the hall to see how far away Babs was before giving Dick a quick peck on the cheek. "Good. So, don't burn dinner, okay?" he said cheekily as he went down the hall to join Babs and show her the gym. Jason didn't expect to take Babs' place in Dick's heart, but he just wanted to be reassured that he actually had a place in Dick's heart too. Dick's smile definitely helped with that.
"Ah, get lost, Oliver!" muttered Dick, lightly cuffing him upside the head for the jab at his cooking skills. "If you can do it better, do it yourself!" And with that he was off to the kitchen to attempt to not burn dinner, as directed.
Barbara made appropriate impressed sounds as Jason showered her around the gym. She was, in fact, actually impressed that Dick had managed to cram this much stuff into his relatively tiny house. Of course, he must have given up some rooms, which left her wondering where Jason was sleeping exactly. Although, she suspected she knew the answer and wasn't entirely sure what to do with her thoughts on the matter. Dick's life was his own, but...well...Jason was so young.
"Oh, you know, the usual, just checking up on you. Making sure you don't get into trouble." There was a teasing grin on her face, which suggested that she knew damn well that Dick was always getting into trouble. "And making friends with Jason here. You didn't tell me you'd acquired a roommate."
Jason saw how genuinely happy Dick was to see Babs, and the uncomfortableness that he felt earlier was starting to return. He waved to Dick from the couch. "Welcome home," he offered. "She showed up a little while after you left." Yeah, seemed like that uncomfortable feeling from earlier had returned, and it was planning to stay. Jason just hoped Babs would leave soon, then he could maybe forget about Dick's ex who was definitely a better catch than Jason was.
And that uncomfortableness would get worse when Babs got up and just about tackled Dick in a tight hug, which was obviously returned. For all their enthusiasm, their interactions really were quite chaste for the most part. "Geez, you've been here a while then," commented Dick as he pulled away from Babs. She shrugged and gave a wave of her hand. "It's not a big deal - Jason and I made friends and I figured since I was out here, I might as well wait."
Made friends, his ass. Okay, she was nice, and under different circumstances, Jason would have loved to have her as a friend. Babs was pretty awesome, but that was why he was wary of her. He didn't want to feel jealous, but he really did. Maybe it was because he was used to having Dick all to himself. Jason didn't want to be a spoiled brat about this, so he just grinned. "Yeah, no big deal. Babs was good company. We talked about how you're a horrible gift giver," he teased.
Dick slapped a hand to his face at that. "Oh, great," he muttered goodnaturedly, rolling his eyes. He made his way over to the couch and sprawled out on it, kicking off his shoes a second later. "So, here I am. Not getting into trouble." He smiled up at Babs, trying to look innocent. "You wanna stay for dinner or do you need to get home soon?"
"Hmm..." Barbara tapped a finger to her lips, considering the offer. "I think I can stay for dinner. I meant to get home before this, but I don't really have anything pressing to do at the moment."
"No matter where you are, you get into trouble," Jason muttered as he took a seat on the arm of the couch by Dick's head. "Speaking of dinner, what are we having?" If he kept talking then he won't have to deal with the fact he didn't want Babs to stay for dinner. What did they have to eat, anyway?
"Um....that's a good question. Probably pasta," admitted Dick with a laugh. "I don't think we have much else and, well, it's not like I can COOK much else anyway." He glanced back at Babs and gave an apologetic shrug. "I never promised a GOOD dinner, just that there would be dinner."
She laughed and shrugged in return. "I wasn't expecting much without Alfred around," she replied. "I'd offer to help, but I want to see what you can do on your own." An impish grin at that. A second later her gaze flicked over to Jason. "Why don't you show me the rest of the house while Dick makes food?" she suggested.
"I still don't know who Alfred is," Jason complained a little as looked over to Babs. "Uh, I guess I can show you the gym? Nothing else in the house is really interesting." Plus, maybe he can try to talk her into showing him her moves. Jason knew she had to be a vigilante. He'll just concentrate on finding out who she is instead of on who she was to Dick. Probably better for his mental health that way, he thought as he headed for the gym.
"Well, Dick has two daddies, you see, and - "
"BABS!" Cut in Dick, sounding almost scandalized. "Could you please NOT put that mental image in my head?"
She laughed and waved him off. "Alfred is the butler. He more or less raised Dick when his parents died," she explained as she headed towards the hallway, intent on exploring, whether or not Jason came along for the ride.
Jason couldn't help but burst into laughter at Dick. When his laughter subsided, he wiped the tears from laughing so hard. "Wait, how rich are you?" Jason asked suspciously. He knew Dick probably had a bit of money, but to have butler growing? He'd have to be like Bruce Wayne rich or something.
Dick shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Well, right now, not very...but my father is...rather well off." Bruce Wayne rich indeed. And then, because he realized that the stories didn't quite seem to line up he added: "Ah, well, my guardian, technically. It's...complicated. I can explain later, if you want..."
Babs was already half down the hall, but she paused to listen to the exchange, taking note of how little Dick had told Jason about his life. Hardly surprising, really, given who had raised Dick. Caution and descretion were always key in his life.
Jason blinked, taking in the little bit of information he was given. "You were adopted, then?" Jason asked point-blank. This was pretty much the most information Dick had given him about his past. Jason was going to get as much as he could when could. "Promise to explain later?" He really hoped he would. Knowing more about Dick's past would help Jason understand Dick better, and he really wanted that.
A quick nod from Dick. "Promise. Go show Babs the gym, okay?" He smiled at Jason for just a second, and it was almost as open and caring as the one he'd given Babs earlier. He cared about Jason, he really did, and it showed in little ways. The fact that he cared about Barbara too was, well, that was a different matter and Jason really couldn't expect to completely take over her place in Dick's heart.
Jason glanced down the hall to see how far away Babs was before giving Dick a quick peck on the cheek. "Good. So, don't burn dinner, okay?" he said cheekily as he went down the hall to join Babs and show her the gym. Jason didn't expect to take Babs' place in Dick's heart, but he just wanted to be reassured that he actually had a place in Dick's heart too. Dick's smile definitely helped with that.
"Ah, get lost, Oliver!" muttered Dick, lightly cuffing him upside the head for the jab at his cooking skills. "If you can do it better, do it yourself!" And with that he was off to the kitchen to attempt to not burn dinner, as directed.
Barbara made appropriate impressed sounds as Jason showered her around the gym. She was, in fact, actually impressed that Dick had managed to cram this much stuff into his relatively tiny house. Of course, he must have given up some rooms, which left her wondering where Jason was sleeping exactly. Although, she suspected she knew the answer and wasn't entirely sure what to do with her thoughts on the matter. Dick's life was his own, but...well...Jason was so young.