When we first met /// First Meet AU

Patrol

          A little Robin sat perched, get this, not next to a gargoyle. No no, he was on top of the gargoyle. Who was this kid? How extra can you get? He was luckily wearing pants though. Thank goodness they had scrapped the design after Jason's death.

         The boy, Tim, he sprung off the gargoyle and grappled onto a building a little ways off. He landed onto a rooftop with a soft thump. It didn't phase him though. He walked it off. 

       He was slim and small. Didn't have much muscles. How did Bruce pick this kid. He had no experience, no nothing. He was a little boy. 

       "I know you're there Red Hood!" His voice called out. It was pleasant but penetrating. Soft and childlike, but certain and strong. 

       Jason was shocked. He was certain that he wasn't in sight. Maybe this kid was more than meets the eye. 

       Jason leapt onto the roof. Rather gracefully too. He did a flip in doing so and aced the landing, rising slowly. 

       "I'm a detective," the Robin stated firmly. He crossed his arms and turned to the intimidating Red Hood, "Why are you following me?"

       "I'm watching out for you." Jason was surprised by himself. He wasn't sure why he just told the truth. 

       Tim frowned, "Do I look like I need watching out for?" 

       "Yes actually, you're tiny, slim, and adorable. The people in Gotham are terrible. I don't want to think about what they would try to do to you," again, surprised by his own honesty. 

       Somehow Tim seemed to find this answer acceptable and turned. A moment later he was gone. 

       Jason was still standing there a few minutes afterwards, the crunch of gravel under Tim's boots rung in Jason's ears. 

      He broke after his stupor and dove off the roof where the boy had disappeared minutes before. Tracking. He was tracking him on the Gotham rooftops. 

       He stopped skidding to a stop after running from roof to roof for several minutes. He heard a grunt and a clang. An alley way and a scream. He went into action. 

       Robin was taking on three goons. A woman and child cowered near a dumpster. Jason came forward silently and went to the woman. He promised to cover her, and made her run. She scooped the child in her arms and was gone down into the streetlight. 

       One of the goons noticed, but he also saw Red Hood. He smirked and left the other two to finish the boy. Jason made short work of him. For once, he didn't kill. Only knocked out. 

       One of the guys got a good shot to Tim's face. The young boy was thrown to the ground and spat out blood. Jason grabbed that guy. His gun was out. 

       Timothy flinched when the gunshot went off. He scooted away from the other goon. Scooted away from Jason. 

       The second criminal's scream masked Robin's own as the last guy hit him with a lead pipe. Tim curled up in pain, clutching his side. 

       Red Hood shot the last one in the back of the knee, then knocked him out. No one had died. For once, Red Hood didn't kill. 

       Holstering his gun, he went over to Robin and scooped the petite boy up in his arms. He shifted to where he could access his grappling hook and hold Tim. Jason made the decision to bring him to his safe house. 

       It took maybe 15-20 minutes to get there. Those first 10 minutes full of pitiful sounds from the Robin. The last ones were a silence. The kid was asleep. Either that or unconscious. Probably the second one. 

       Jason landed on a fire escape and pried open a window. He laid the boy on the couch, waking him up. 

       "..." Drake had opened his mouth to talk, no noise came out. He looked at Jason moving around his living room. 

       Jason looked at him and took off his helmet, then mask. His blue eyes were dark. Not hard like Bruce's, not light like Dick's. They were a gentle dark blue, or maybe the gentleness was directed at Tim because he was injured. Bags were beneath his eyes and everything about his stature and face pointed to him either not sleeping well, or plain not sleeping. 

       Jason sat on part of the couch, near Tim's legs. Tim could feel the warmth through his suit. He took a deep breath, it hurt like heck. Each breath felt labored and hard. It felt like his suit was crushing his lungs. 

       He coughed and touched his chest, indicating. He did the ASL sign for "hurt". Jason got the message. He took off the boy's mask and chest plate. He was met with those intelligent blues. 

       Once Tim felt like he could breath normally, he attempted speech, "the hit. From the-the," he paused, collecting his thoughts, "from the lead. Lead pipe, yeah. Must've dented my armor. T's gonna bruise." His words were slurred and quiet. His normally pleasant voice glazed with exhaustion. 

       He let Jason check out his wounds: a busted lip, black eye, two fractured ribs, and a nasty bruise on his leg. The bruise on his leg went the entire length of his calf. 

       Jason applied salve and other ointments where it was needed. 

       "Can I pick you up again? You're going to get the bedroom. There's some old clothes I have laid out on the bed that I think might fit you." Jason spoke slowly, his deep voice an octave lower than usual from being tired. 

       Tim only nodded. His eyes were half open, trying to focus of Jason. He was desperately fighting sleep. 

       Jason got him to the bedroom, where the young boy changed and passed out of the bed. 

       He then made his way to the couch where Tim had previously been and took his spot. Jay kicked off his shoes and sleep found him quickly.

        Luckily he had shut the window and locked it after he came in. 

       A Bat was patrolling the skies looking for his Robin.