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Jason was pissed at Dick.
To be fair, it was a common occurrence. When he first became a part of the pack, Dick had been an asshole. Jason had hoped for a brother but all he’d gotten was the chance to be a prop in Bruce and Dick’s ongoing arguments. Looking back, Jason could understand why Dick was upset about him taking on Robin but it was still a jerk move for Dick to completely ignore Jason’s existence.
And okay, yeah, they eventually moved past it when Dick showed up out of the blue to ask Jason to please stop projecting your abandonment issues down the bond, yes I’m mad but more at Bruce and you didn’t deserve the way I treated you, let’s start over (which what? How was Jason supposed to know that his feelings were continually leaking down the bond and would continue to do so until he blocked it off? It’s not like he’d ever had a pack bond before. Catherine and him had a nascent bond once, but she was never sober long enough to do proper upkeep on it and encourage it to grow). Anyway, they’d been getting closer but then Jason died and came back and found out that Dick had allowed another pup in the Robin costume. He’d even treated the new pup like a brother from the get-go!
So yes, Jason was pissed at Dick. The fact that he was currently kidnapping Dick to put in his nest did not negate the sheer fury in his veins and the way he gently tucked a blanket over Dick did not change the vitriol stored up in his mind. No, really. He was serious.
“Stupid, idiot brother,” Jason grumbled, fussing with the pillows in the nest. “Stupid, dumb, dumb, idiot, dumb. Such a dumbass, you little idiot. I’m gonna smack you when you wake up. You disgrace of a human octopus. You Octodad wannabe.”
There was a squeal from the bedroom door’s hinges. Jason positioned his body to protect his nest, lips pulled back in a snarl and gun pointed at the intruder in under a second. Blue doe eyes blinked up at him from a short, thin body. The sight was enough to entice the green sleeping under his skin.
“Robin,” Jason snarled, hand on the gun tightening. Robin—his replacement—frowned.
“Tim,” he corrected. “No codenames when out of costume.”
Jason’s finger hovered over the trigger. It was like this little brat wanted to get turned into Swiss cheese.
“Why,” Jason snapped, “are you here?”
Tim shrugged. “Saw you kidnap Dick. Got curious. Followed you. Speaking of, did you drug him or knock him unconscious? Because technically he’s supposed to be recovering from a concussion-“
Jesus. This pup had less than zero self preservation skills. He had negative self preservation skills. Jason didn’t even know that was possible!
“God, you’re stupid for a Robin. Who’s to say I’m not about to put bullets in both yours and Dick’s head and string you up for dear old pops to find as an early birthday present?”
“I mean.” Tim pointedly didn’t look at Dick’s cocooned body in Jason’s nest. “Yeah.“
The green begged for penance from Tim for his past and ongoing disrespect.
“Fine.” Jason bared his teeth in the mockery of a grin. “I won’t shoot Dick. But you? What could possibly make you think you’re off the table? Obviously the first dead Robin didn’t make a difference. Maybe a second will.”
“I feel like that’d be a lot more threatening if I didn’t know you’d never follow through.”
Jason’s bloodthirsty grin dropped into a scowl. “Wh- says who? I totally would! In fact, I’m going to. Just because you said that, you little gremlin. Screw you. Eat that.”
Tim tilted his head. “But the Red Hood doesn’t hurt pups.”
“I- you-“ Jason clicked the safety on his gun and stormed towards Tim. Tim took a wary step back, finally using those pathetic self preservation skills, but he didn’t get far before Jason hauled him up onto his shoulder.
“Jason, what- what are you doing!?”
“Shut up!” Jason spat, throwing Tim in the nest with no care for being gentle. He pointed a finger in Tim’s face. “You are going to cuddle in there and be quiet and stop saying things that I can’t understand enough to argue about because my stupid heat brain won’t stop screaming at me!”
Tim gaped like a fish. For a second, he didn’t move, half sitting up in the nest. When Jason’s glare only got stronger though, he scrambled to get under a blanket and lay down. Jason nodded in satisfaction and carefully tucked Tim in.
“You being in the beginnings of heat explains a lot,” Tim mumbled, seeming genuinely taken aback by this turn of events. Jason ignored him. It was cuddle time now. Not thinking time. Thinking time was overrated and dumb. Leaning back, Jason looked over his nest filled with one puppy and one stupid idiot brother. It was perfect. Well. Almost.
With no warning, Jason launched himself at the spot right beside Tim. Tim jumped away, just barely avoiding getting crushed. When Jason wriggled himself into the perfect position, he reached out and yanked Tim closer. Then, he pulled Dick—still unconscious—by the arm so that Tim was bundled between them.
Jason rubbed his wrist over the scent gland on Tim’s neck and nuzzled into his hair. Tim still held the milky sweet scent of an unpresented pup which was. Odd. Someone of Tim’s age should definitely have presented, even if their scent is weak. Pups don’t hold their scent for long after age 13 and Tim, despite his tiny stature, was older than that by at least a year or two. Normally the only reason someone would be this old and unpresented would be due to stunted development which originated from a neglectful pack, malnourishment or psychological trauma at a young age. None of which Tim should have. Should being the key word, because Jason remembers being Tim’s age and having gotten three for three.
Jason pulled back enough to look Tim in the eyes and give a gentle, calming croon. Tim startled slightly at the noise before letting out a very hesitant, very anxious chirp. Jason exhaled a lighter chirp and smothered Tim with his scent again. It gave the intended effect, making Tim’s eyes heavy. Jason tugged the blanket up higher on Tim’s shoulders and started to run his fingers through Tim’s hair. Slowly but surely, Tim succumbed to the siren call of sleep.
Jason yawned, snuggling closer into the nest and reaching out to latch onto Dick’s forearm. He started to close his eyes. Heats always took a lot out of him and knowing he’d be stuck in this nest for the next three days in excruciating pain meant he was open to getting all his sleeping in now. He allowed his mind to wander, welcoming the darkness and drifting off-
“Wh- Jason!? Tim!? Where am I? How did I even get here-“
“Don’t make me tranq your ass again, Dick!”