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“My problem is that you, even after all these years, still don’t trust me, Bruce!”
Jason’s voice was loud, but Dick could hear the hurt behind the anger. His brother had practically flung his leg over the side of his bike, pointing an accusing finger at their mentor. Dick watched the two of them carefully as he stayed perched on his bike.
“I never said that.” Bruce replied evenly, his mouth was the same serious line it always was and this seemed to make Jason’s anger double.
“You didn’t have to!”
Dick’s vision was swimming and his left thigh throbbed at the same beat as his pulse. He could feel the warmth of blood running down his calf and to the floor but would literally rather bleed out on the cave floor than bring it up right now. He was not adding fuel to that fire.
“Well, I will say that you have a… history of using excessive force.”
Dick could have face palmed in that moment. Really Bruce? He could practically see steam shoot out of Jason’s ears.
He moved from his perch to step off his bike, “Jason—”
“Shut up, Dickhead.” Jason stalked to the Batman, sticking his accusing finger into his armored chest. “He was going to unload his clip into your favorite son, Bruce! Did you want me to slap him on his wrist and send him on his way?”
“I don’t have a favorite child, Jason, we’ve been over this. The point is that you put the man in critical care after—”
“He was going to shoot my brother.”
Dick’s heart swelled. He knew that he and Jason had gotten close since Jason had returned to the family. He had always considered Jason his brother, but it made his chest feel warm to know that the other man felt the same. As he planted both feet on the ground and pushed off his bike, Dick was hit with an intense wave of dizziness. In a matter of ten seconds, he went from looking and Jason’s angry pointer finger to looking at this black combat boots. His head smacked against the floor hard and he groaned.
Jason and Bruce paused for a moment, turning quickly to see Nightwing sprawled out on the cave floor and the trail of blood that came from his bike.
“Dick?”
If Dick’s vision wasn’t swimming before, it was now. He blinked lazily as he looked up at the concerned faces of his brother and father.
“Are you… done yet?” He slurred.
“Jesus, Dick.” Jason dropped down to his knees next to his brother. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Suddenly, there was pressure on the hole in his thigh and Dick cried out. His vision went white, and his eyes lids began to slide closed.
“Hey! Dick, stay awake!”
His head lulled to the other side and Bruce was in his line of view now. The older man’s cowl was pulled back and his hands were hovering nervously over Dick’s leg.
“You’re hurtin’ me, Jason.” He moaned, trying weakly to pull his leg away.
“I know, Dickie, I’m sorry.” Jason’s turquoise eyes flickered from his face to his leg. Dick’s eyelids drooped again, and he smiled softly. If he was going to die he was glad the last thing he would see was Jason. He just wished he could’ve said goodbye to his other siblings.
“Call Leslie!”
“Dick! You can’t pass out! Dick!”
Jason’s voice seemed so far away, which didn’t make sense because Dick could see him through his half-closed eyes. He wanted to stay awake, he really did. But he was so tired.
“Dick!”
As he drifted into consciousness, Dick could tell he was high. There was a familiar fogginess in his own unconscious mind that came only with morphine. There was a dull ache rolling throughout his whole body and there was darkness surrounding him.
Fuck, I’m blind.
“Your eyes are closed, Dickhead.”
Dick’s eyes shot open, and he was flooded with so much artificial light that he slammed his eye lids back together, “Ow.”
“Sorry, sorry.” The light on the other side of his eyelids seemed to dim. “Open your eyes now.”
Dick pried his eyes open slowly, and true to his word, Jason had dimmed the lights in the room. Dick let out a sigh of relief, falling back into a pillow, “Thanks.”
Jason narrowed his eyes at the older man, “You’re welcome. You’re also an idiot, Dick Grayson.”
“How long was I out?”
Jason glared at him, his hands fidgeting in his lap, “A day and a half. Bruce will be back in a minute to ream you out.”
Dick’s brain struggled to grasp onto a memory but found nothing. He frowned turning to look at him, “What happened?”
“Before or after you almost bled out on the cave floor? Before we realized you were bleeding out from a gunshot wound that you didn’t tell us about? Or after we put two pints of blood back into you?” Jason’s words were harsh, as they always were, but Dick could feel the worry rolling off him in waves. “You almost died. You don’t get to die. That’s my thing.”
Jason sat back in his chair, running a hand through his messy hair. Oh. It came back to him quickly. A drug dealer unloading six shots at Dick. Jason beating the crap out of the guy. Bruce reaming him out for it. As his brain ran through the memory, the door to the bedroom cracked open and Bruce slid in,
“Dick, you’re awake.”
Jason turned to him and huffed, “I was just telling him how he’s an idiot.”
Bruce hummed in agreement, “Why didn’t you tell us you’d been hit? You almost died.”
Dick frowned at the two men, “Bruce, Jason, I’m being fully serious when I say, I would literally rather die than interrupt one of your arguments.”
Bruce gaped at him and Jason’s cheeks turned red with anger.
“That’s not funny, chum.”
Jason pointed a finger at him, “If you weren’t laid up, I would punch you for that.”
Dick’s lips turned up into a smile, “I don’t think you would. You love me. I heard you! I’m your brother.”
Jason’s nostrils flared and his hands curled up into fists, “You little shit!”
“Ouch!”