If someone bothered to look close enough, they would find notice something odd about the third Robin.

Tim had done his best to abolish the whole 'boy hostage' stereotype by becoming one of the best escape artists in the world, yet he couldn't help but be kidnapped by the same person over and over again. It became a game of cat-and-mouse. Sure, they'd play up the 'mortal enemies' thing when other people where around but in truth, they hadn't hated each other for a while now.

It happened just after Bruce came back and he allowed Damian to continue being Robin. Tim knew that he was too old for the role and had completed most of his training, but a part of him had hoped he could wear the uniform again. But, the child was unstable and needed the mentoring more than he did. He listed off all the reasons why it was a better choice, but it didn't relieve the disappointment or rejection.

He could remember being a small child collecting newspaper clippings of his favorite duo, hoping one day that he could be a hero too. Being allowed to put on the costume was like a dream that he didn't want to wake up from. Damian didn't hold the same respect for the costume or the legacy, to him they were merely stepping stones on the road to being Batman.

Tim was reviewing college pamphlets in a feeble attempt at distraction when Jason approached him. The night was too cold for the season and it was the first time he called the teen by name. There were none of the old insults of 'replacement' or sneering remarks at how neither Dick nor Bruce wanted him to be Robin anymore. Instead Jason was warm and kind, showing a sense of compassion that was often lost in combat. He knew what it was like to be forgotten.

They had never experienced each other like this before. They were too wrapped up in 'revenge' or 'justice' until it was hard to see each other as people. Jason would hold him as the teen cried in his arms, staying with him as long as he needed. As time went by, Tim's pain faded and the bond between them strengthened. Numbers were exchanged and soon they were meeting just for the joy of being together.

A few weeks later Stephanie and Tim broke up and Jason was the first person he called. For some reason, he found he was the easiest person to talk to. Maybe he had grown tired of Bruce's silent disapproval or Dick's unwanted coddling. He slumped against the older man's shoulder and wondered why his romances always went wrong.

The second Robin gave him a coy glance with those dark green eyes. "Maybe…" He said as he covered the teen's hand with his own, letting the simple gesture say more than he could. "Maybe it's time you tried something different."

Tim blushed deeply and pulled away in embarrassment. He wasn't sure how he felt about this, didn't he like girls? He knew he liked Steph, but he was uncomfortable the moment she wanted something more than kissing. The teen thought he was doing the right thing by acting like a gentleman. Maybe he just didn't feel that way.

Blue eyes shyly ran over Jason's toned body. His mind conjured scenes of touching the man beside him and he was surprised at his own sense of anticipation. "I've never kissed a boy before." The teen mumbled nervously, realizing for the first how close their bodies usually were. It wasn't odd for him to fall asleep on the man's shoulder after a movie or for them to stay up all night talking. He felt like could tell him anything.

Tim's heart beat a little faster as Jason inched closer. He flinched, and the wayward Robin stopped. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to." Jason said reassuringly, as doubt ebbed into his voice.

The teen shook his head, saying "No, I…I want you to kiss me." He trusted the older man with his life and now with his heart.

Jason was very gentle, as if the teen would run away at the slightest threat. His head tilted a little to the side as their lips brushed together. There was the spiced taste of tobacco on his tongue, and the sensation of it all was overwhelming. Tim made a feminine noise at the back of his throat as Jay's tongue massaged against his. The feeling of tenderness spread over him like colored ink bleeding over paper.

It was wonderful.

…

Tim spent the last few minutes calling his older brother, asking if he could bring a guest. He adjusted his grip on the cell and looked over to Jason sitting on the bed. He was watching the conversation take place, taking it as a necessary evil. The situation between him and rest of the bat-clan wasn't as tense as it used to be, but it still far from friendly.

The Red Hood was still an active player in the Gotham City crime scene on a mission to police the drug trade with lethal efficiency. He kept a close link to the underground and helped Red Robin whenever he could. The open attacks against the rest of the family stopped, more out of respect for Tim rather than any newfound fondness.

Dick was on the other line assuring that an extra person wasn't a problem and honestly, he hoped it would be a girl. The acrobat had unsuccessfully played matchmaker since the breakup with Stephanie, and was getting worried about his younger brother. "Are they a friend from school or the Titans?" He asked hopefully.

The teen bit his lip for a moment, ready to get the weight off his chest. They had been a couple for more than three months now, and Tim couldn't stand hiding anything anymore to them. He owed everything to his family and he had spent too much time sneaking around behind their backs. "Neither, and he's actually my boyfriend." Tim said, finding the word strange and pleasant on his lips.

"Oh" His older brother said and went quiet for a few minutes. That was really all he could say about it because the thought never crossed his mind before. Should he be surprised? Or was he supposed to have known all along? His mind was working again when he asked "Anybody we know?"

Jason instinctively shifted closer on the bed, reacting to how the teen's shoulders suddenly tightened. "Um, yes…" Tim said nervously, knowing that this was the hard part. There were a lot of reasons Dick would object; there was the age difference, the fact that Jason's painfully familiar with the inside of Arkham, the guns, the killing, and not to mention the fact that they're legally siblings. "I've been dating Jason."

There was a pained silence on the other end.

"Uh, Tim? We're not talking about our Jason right?" His brother asked with a nervous humor, desperately hoping he was wrong.

The teen took a deep breath and put a hand on the windowsill to steady himself. "Don't do this to me" he pleaded inside. "Dick, if you'd just give him a chance-"

The hero known as Nightwing interrupted with, "Did he give you a chance when he tried to murder you for no reason than being Robin? The man's insane-!" Tim yanked the phone away the moment he heard yelling, hanging it up mid-rant. He wrapped his arms around the Jason's waist, his heart aching as he buried his face in the man's chest.

The younger man's breathing went shallow as he bottled everything up again. Jason didn't need to know how much that hurt. He frowned a little, unable to understand why the teen was holding back. He would walk into Wayne Manor, guns blazing, if Tim would only ask him to. After seeing the great detective Tim was, made it was easy to forget how fragile he really was.

Tim weakly pulled away after a moment's respite to say "We better get ready…don't want to be late."

The older man fumed and went to follow him, asking "Why do you care so much about what they think?" He knew Tim wasn't ashamed to be seen with him, so he didn't have to prove anything. He didn't understand why they had to ask permission to be together when it was none of their business in the first place.

The teen turned to face him, taking his lover's hands in his own. "Because they're my family" He explained with a few short words. "…and they're yours too." Jason gave a frustrated sigh and caved in, finally agreeing to come along.

For the first time, the teen really doubted what he was doing. He wanted to ease the rift so badly that he never asked if it was the right thing to do or was it a mistake to assume that Jason even wanted to come back. The older man would bite his tongue, choosing instead to sweep that aspect of himself under the rug. A part of Tim wondered if he was only doing this to make him happy.

...

"You knew?" Dick yelled accusingly, his voice echoing throughout the cave "and you never bothered to bring it up?"

Bruce never looked up from his work, his attention was instead focused on soldering wires for some new invention. "The only reason I stumbled across them was when I began looking into Tim's informant." He said flatly, bored of the conversation before it even began. The matter was a simple one, Red Robin's cases had been going far too smoothly and he chose to investigate. After two day's worth of work, he found that Jason had been a willing assistant and lover. The relationship appeared clean, there were no signs of blackmail or abuse that he could find. Altogether they seemed happy.

Nightwing was taken aback by the sudden revelation. He had heard about a riot by Crime Alley being stopped before it really began, but he never questioned how. "Wait, they've been working together?" He questioned, suddenly very afraid of the possibility, "You don't think that Tim would-?" The crime fighter couldn't bear think of blood of his younger brother's hands. Jason would act like a fool, but he was far more dangerous than his cocky smiles would lead someone to believe.

Bruce almost rolled his eyes under his goggles at his pointless worry and said "He may be young but he's hardly one to allow his strings to be pulled. And if the Gotham morgue is any indication, Jason seems to have calmed down considerably." With that, he deemed the conversation over and wanted his eldest son to leave.

Dick frowned deeply as his former mentor was in favor of the relationship as long as the crime rate was kept low. Not once did he consider Tim's safety or the possibility of betrayal. The eldest Robin couldn't forget holding his brother's broken body while Jason laughed at his handiwork. How he called the teen a failure and his only regret was that he could still breathe despite his shattered ribs. He refused to believe that the psychopath had a sudden change of heart.

…

The drive up to the manor was uneventful and deafeningly quiet. Neither of them was comfortable to speak or even look at each other. There was a moment when they pulled up to the old house where Tim placed a reassuring touch on his lover's knee. "No matter what happens, I will always love you."

Jason gave him a warm smile, grateful for having him in his life. "Thank you" He said with a kiss.

Stepping into Wayne Manor was like walking into a photograph. It was as still as ever while Gotham had grown more insane around it. To the older of the two, the place was an overgrown dollhouse. Here you couldn't hear the sirens from your bedroom window and you couldn't see your neighbor come home with blood on their sleeves. They had met the true people of Gotham, not the wealthy socialites that could fly to tropical beaches the moment life required more effort than holding a martini.

Dick greeted them at the door with the same frantic compassion as the first fireman to a disaster area. Tim received the apprehensive smile. There was a fierce look between Dick and Jason, the acknowledgement of a threat. The rivals were more alike than they wanted to admit. "Dick, I'm fine. If he was going to kill me I think he would have done it by now." The teen joked, trying to ease the tension. Dick merely frowned.

Tim was dreading spending the night between two over-protective heroes. While he did enjoy the way Jason's arm wrapped around his waist, the man didn't know when to quit. He would keep pushing his brother's buttons until somebody exploded.

"Well, I think that they make a cute couple." Alfred said as he politely kept Dick from wedging between the two. "And I had always hoped to see you again under friendlier terms." Jason tinted pink with embarrassment at the elderly man's kindness. He couldn't be mad at Alfred when he had always tried to make him feel welcome. Bruce was the same rock as always, giving his wayward son a firm nod of approval. Given the circumstances, it was the best he could hope for.

They all took their places at the table and even Dick was starting to calm down. Jason was still uncomfortable but he was doing his best to avoid a fight. Maybe this wouldn't be as painful as they thought.

Damian came out of his room with all the mirth of a hungry troll leaving his cave. He barely glanced up from his handheld game on his way to the table and scoffed at the couple. "So the two failures found each other, at least this way they can't breed."

Oh.

Tim visibly cringed. He had spent so much time worrying over Bruce and Dick, he forgot the obvious. Normally he would just brush off Damian's insults as the overactive yipping of a dog starved for attention, but all it took was a small glance to see Jason's jaw clench in anger.

The insult existed in a vacuum, no one reacted or said anything about it and Red Hood couldn't have been the only one to hear it. The so-called family did nothing while Damian just verbally slapped Tim across the face. He could accept a lot of things; he's been blown up, forgotten, spat on, and shot, but no one harms his boyfriend and gets away with it. The only thing keeping him from standing up and belting the demon spawn was that it would end in a brawl.

Instead his demeanor softened, curious to see if Damian took as good as he gave. "Speaking of failures, how's your Robin training going?" Jason said smugly, tearing off a piece of bread and eating it. The teen snickered beside him. "So tell me about the time you had the Joker tied up in a crowded police station and you still managed to get kidnapped. How the fuck did that happen?"

Damian disapproved at being talked back to by a man he deemed inferior and sneered "That's funny coming from someone whose most notable accomplishment is getting beaten to death."

Dick and Tim both knew that this had gone too far in an instant. Jason's chair clattered backwards as he stood up, violence his clear intent and Damian was egging him on. Bruce put a firm hand on his Jason's chest. "Leave him alone, he doesn't know what he's saying." He warned, using his full height as a threat.

Green eyes narrowed in betrayal as he lost respect for a teacher that had gone soft. "Why are you defending him? If you caught me talking like that you'd have punched me through a wall!" The brutal training that nearly broke Dick and him as people still rang clear in his mind, so why was the brat getting it easy? He assumed it because Talia said Damian was his son. Honestly none of that story rang true in his ears, Talia didn't have the capacity for love. She only cared for Batman because it was the one thing daddy could buy for her.

He couldn't see her passing up the opportunity for a shotgun wedding if she did get pregnant, nor could he see her putting her vanity on hold to wear maternity clothes and let her figure be damaged by having a kid. Not that he qualified to be called a child, as far as he was concerned Damian was a rapid-aged clone in a tank with fake memories. He should not be treated with the same respect as someone that fought and bled for Bruce's ideals.

"Because you knew better." He former father said sternly, willing him to back down and Jason flat-out refused. It wasn't about the insult anymore. They could notice how the volume was getting louder and it had to stop. Tim placed a gentle hand on his lover's shoulder to calm him down and Jason turned to face him. Immediately the teen was yanked away as Dick stood like a stone wall between them.

The look Jason gave him was one of pure hate. "You thought I was going to hit him." He seethed, more of an accusation than a statement. Every drop of mistrust, every accusation was clear in that moment. Dick put him in that same category with every scum-sucking, wife-beating asshole that Jason sent to hell with a smile. "You thought I was going to hit Tim." He repeated, feeling any last sense of compassion for Dick die in flames.

I'm not my father.

"I'm done." Jason said finally, like someone had flipped a switch inside him and turned off the anger. There were shocked looks around the room, unsure of what was happening. "Jay?" Tim asked, afraid as his boyfriend grabbed his coat before walking to the door. "Jay, please…" He begged, wanting him to sit back down.

His tone softened slightly at seeing his lover and he said "Tim, I can't do this. I can't just sit back down in a room full of people that hate me and just pretend that everything's alright."

The teen clung to his heels and watched as everything he wanted was falling apart. "No, they don't hate you-"

The anger was creeping back and Jason had to get away before someone got punched. Jason glared at Dick and the others watching from the sidelines, their judging looks making it worse. "Yes, they do and I can't believe that I let you talk me into coming back here." The teen flinched back at his words as regret pooled at his ankles and started rising.

"Don't-" Tim clung to his jacket sleeve until his knuckles turned white in a feeble plea to make him say.

Jason ripped his arm away in desperation, screaming "Just stop it! Leave me alone!"

The door suddenly slammed shut in front of him, leaving Tim in a frozen state of silence and horror. His usually-genius mind spun and sputtered as it tried to piece together what just happened. He wasn't even sure he was still breathing.

The others saw the whole thing and were powerless to stop it. From where Dick was standing he could see his younger brother visibly fade when he realized that Jason wasn't coming back. Proud shoulders crumpled and Tim started breathing again in shuddering gasps. He had never seen him so broken. Even Damian, who often voiced his disgust for the third Robin, felt sick at what he'd done. This wasn't what he wanted to happen. Dick stepped forward to help but was waved away as the teen choked out the words "I think I need to be alone for a while."

He spent the next few hours in his old room in Wayne Manor, drowning his tears with a pillow. Alfred brought him a tea tray and set it on his desk, a small gesture of comfort even though he knew the food would remain untouched. Tim didn't say anything, only pulling the blankets a little tighter around him like a child afraid of monsters. The elderly butler shut the door behind him and looked to Dick and Damian, who were waiting expectantly for news. "Well I hope you two are happy, because he's certainly miserable." He scolded and they wilted under the jab. "I guess it too much to ask that we act like a family show a little compassion for one another." Alfred walked past them without a second glance, shaming them in a way that only a beloved parent can.

Dick went inside and sat on the bed, placing a hand on the shaking form. "Tim, I'm so sorry. I thought I was protecting you." Red blankets shifted as the teen sat up weakly, "By driving him away?" Tim accused, his voice hoarse from crying. "I was so worried that he'd hurt you again that I couldn't see how much he meant to you."

The teen touched his mouth with the back of his hand, willing back an emotion. "Jason's not that person anymore. He would never-" he took a deep breath. "He begged me not to bring him here. I thought that we could be a family again, but I shouldn't have been so stupid."

Damian was standing in the doorway awkwardly, having the same lack of human understanding that he inherited from his parents. He wanted Tim to go back to being the Robin that was built by computers and cold logic. One wasn't a bleeding heart like Dick or Jason, and Damian had believed he would go the farthest of any of them. The reason Damian would attack Tim at every opportunity was because he was the strongest rival he had ever faced.

The twelve year-old stood there silently, unable to recognize the whimpering mess on the bed and refused to accept this as the same tactician he looked up to. If this is what love did to someone, he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Tim looked sick and Dick tried to get him to drink some of the mint tea. The teen noticed Damian and frowned, saying "What? Here to gloat? The depressed words stabbed Damian, reminding him of his own shortcomings regarding people. He mumbled something under his breath.

Tim only gave him a confused look, so he repeated louder "I'm sorry"

The teen snorted at the flimsy apology, finding no forgiveness to spare. Damian panicked at the rejection and it only got worse as Tim went back under the covers. "Hey, don't get mad at me! I didn't know your stupid boyfriend would freak out like that!" He shouted, wanting his rival to get better as soon as possible but not knowing how.

Alfred urged them both out of the room and Dick and Damian looked to each other, knowing that they had to fix this or die trying.

…

He found him in one his old safe houses, dust started to pile up on the sparse furniture from disuse. Jason was bandaging himself up from a fight and there was a fresh knife wound a few inches left of his stomach. It was stitched up with dental floss and the bleeding had slowed to a slow trickle.

Jason eyed his opponent warily as Nightwing appeared in his apartment. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't shoot you." He growled, picking up the pistol on his lap. As far as he was concerned, the family was fair game again.

Dick put his gloved hands up in surrender, showing that he was unarmed. "I'm here to apologize. Damian never should have said any of that and I should have trusted you more, or at least gotten my facts straight first."

Jason's green eyes narrowed, pupils dilated from alcohol or pain medication. He was seriously considering killing him once and for all, but he could still scrape together enough of his humanity to slip his finger off the trigger. He still loved Tim more than he hated them, and the next time he wouldn't be so generous. "Too bad I don't accept." He said as he set the gun down and took a deep swig of whiskey. As if an "I'm sorry" could fix this. The bottle was the newest thing in the room and Dick suspected it was full when he bought it. The gun was cocked and aimed for Dick's head "Now get the fuck out."

Dick's whole body tensed, Jason was drunk and he resisted the urge to smack the weapon out of his hands. The man was a drunk, violent psychopath and the only thing his brother needed right now. "Fine, hate me all you want, but Tim's been crying his eyes out ever since you left. He needs you right now."

The gun faltered in the Red Hood's hand at the mention of his lover, but whatever look of pain he had was hidden away. Tim wouldn't be put in the middle of his war. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked suspiciously and set the weapon down. Dick's life would be a whole lot easier without him in it, and he wasn't the kind of person to lie about that for a trap. Then again, he's been wrong before.

"Because I can't stand to see him in pain." Nightwing admitted, bowing both his shoulders and his pride. If it was his choice, Jason would be a million miles away in a padded cell and far from anyone he could harm. But Bruce and Alfred hoped that this relationship might end this war. There was still much anger and mistrust between the two of them, but this was a start.

Red Hood didn't say anything as he put the cap back on the whiskey. He seemed to be weighing the events of the past few hours and didn't like what he found. Half of Dick was afraid that he would decide that Tim wasn't worth the headache and the other half thought the teen was better off this way.

There was a winner in the battle between Jason's head and heart, and he cursed the emotions that ruled him. "I'll need to get sober first…and shave." He said as he ran a hand over the dark scruff forming on his face. "I don't want him to see me like this."

It wasn't an act of vanity, it was shame and Dick was taken aback by the show of weakness.

…

Tim could hear the door open and shut gently. He groaned at the company and threw the sheets over his head, he didn't want to deal with this. The guest ignored his displeasure and lied down next to him without saying a word. Strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and Tim found someone pressing against his back. His first thought it was Dick trying to comfort him, but the body next to him was holding him too tightly to be his brother. The person didn't say anything or invade his space any further, he was just there.

Tim was starting to feel better but a part of him didn't want to. The tiny shred of comfort was an internal accusation that said that he didn't love him enough. It was a cruel reminder that this whole mess was his fault. They were happy together, so why couldn't he have been content with that? He kept pushing Jason to be something he wasn't and now he's gone forever.

A kiss on his cheek woke him from his misery. "I'm sorry I messed up again."