Family Ties : A Batfamily Story

Chapter 59

POV Jason

After dinner, I sneak out to the balcony for a smoke break. I've been trying to knock the habit, especially since Robyn moved in, but alas it proviles. There is just something so calming about the heat of the smoke running down my throat and warming my lungs. And little harm done anyway. The lazarus pit made sure all my bad habits would be forgivable. My liver and lungs give their thanks.

Roy follows me out to the chilled Gotham air shortly after I light my first cig. He was the one who made the no-smoking rule inside the house. It's mildly annoying but I oblige, if only to make him happy. Lately though, his smile has been harder to spot. Seems like every fucking day we find something else to argue about; however, we do our best to not yell around Robyn. Poor girl has been through enough already.

Don't get me wrong though; no matter how much we fight, Roy's my best friend. My one and only. My cinnamon apple. He helped me out of one of the darkest places of my life, in fact, he is still helping me through it. And though we fight, I still love him like hell.

"Hey," He mumbles, leaning back on the frosted railing of the balcony.

"Hey, Roy,"

We breathe for a second, just taking in the salty air of the harbor.

"So, Bruce is gone." He starts off and I already know what he is gonna say next.

"Eh, the old man's been on the verge of it for ages."

Roy doesn't buy it. He lets a knowing smile play on his lips as a sharp breath comes through his nose.

"And you're just fine with that? Fine with the fact the only house you ever knew as a kid got demolished before you? And, Tim, the fact that he-"

"-Hates me now, I know." I snap before softening. "Yeah, it sucks. But what am I gonna do? It's my fault. I got drunk, I told everyone. Last night I tried to make it right but then all this shit happened." I shake my head. "He just needs time."

"And that's okay with you?"

I give him a jokingly annoyed glare. "What say do I have in it? If he needs time, he needs time, and I have to respect that."

He nods slowly, looking back out on the cityscape. "When I said you shouldn't kill the guy, I didn't mean you should fucking either."

I nudge him in the ribs. "Shut up, nerd!"

He laughs it off before running a hand through his ragged ginger locks. I take a puff of smoke before coughing it out.

"You good there?" He cast me a worried look.

"Just took it in wrong,"

"What about Babs?" He asks, changing the subject. I know that my addictions can scare him sometimes.

"She's stepping up, someone has to." I say, "You saw Dick, he breathed in a lot of whatever was in the air that night. His in no shape right now to lead the bats."

"No, I meant about Robyn. She practically drafted her last night."

I cock a brow, "I thought you wanted Robyn to get out there."

"You know what I mean." He says with a disapproving glare. "I wanted it to be on our terms. We are her guardians after all, not Babs." He looks to me. "Do you think she's ready?"

Robyn's training session this afternoon did not go as planned. It had been a while since we had trained together, mostly because of Tim and my's affair - god, do you even call it an affair? Last time I had trained her she was excited, yes, but timid. Always asking questions and commenting on how bad her form was or her lack of strength. But today, she was different. She over-estimated herself and made dirty plays. She was cocky and reckless in her form and movements. I'm not sure what to make of it.