Archive of Our Own

Jason didn't choose his Gotham partnerships easily. Hell, he was still largely resentful of the need to make alliances with people even more morally bankrupt than him. 

But his men kept getting shot at. Deliveries and cargo raided. Their territories fucked with. The kids under his protection got recruited or nabbed. 

In the end the benefit of shaking hands with a devil he knew outweighed the cost of staying solo. 

Jason would've preferred the Cat, but she was on her own path of vengeance and culling Gotham's cruel. 

So he had to settle for lesser. 

In the end, Jason shook hands with the Dubelz crime family. Up and comers who'd been a pain in his ass. But their patriarch had been gutted, and they could use some direction. 

It had looked like the beginning of a mildly headache-inducing but moderately beneficial partnership. That was, until the call Jason got earlier today. 

"What?" Jason had snapped, partway through wrapping up bleeding knuckles. "They kidnapped who?" And thus began the real headache. "No. Fucking tell them to sit on their goddamn hands. I'm on the way." 

Only he wasn't. Jason had to wrap up more serious priorities before he could even look in the direction of the shitty ass hotel the Dubelz were keeping their hostage in. At least they owned it, so he wouldn't have to blow their brains out for the dumbass choice of location. 

Jason also debated signalling the Bats. Only issue with that was-- he didn't know how. 

Barbie was out of town, something about specialized rehab and fixing her chair. Bruce was in space. Duke was very pointedly with his parents this weekend and not to be interrupted. And Brown was... what was she doing? 

Something important enough not to answer his call. Fuck. 

All of it had Jason seething as he marched into the hotel. 

The receptionist quailed just seeing him and hastily slid a card his way. She was clearly expecting him, managing to squeak a floor and room number his way. 

Idiots, Jason thought savagely. You never roped in lower level employees on big shit like this. They were always the first to be approached, the first to turn. 

As he made his way through the hotel-- something out of a Stephen King novel-- staff everywhere avoided his eyes and operated like they weren't seeing the call girls asking room service or seeing patrons violate just about every rule.

Jason huffed in the nicotine filled air. Nothing like the places Bruce or Talia had him in. And somehow, so much homier than any of those joints either. 

The guards at the Presidential Suite stepped aside, one of them giving Jason a cold nod. Jason ignored them, marching in and through the hallway, hearing something splashing. 

Jason quickly assessed the threats. Two guards at the door, armed. Six armed men in the suite. Two hostages-- one of whom was sobbing in a corner of the living room and gave Jason a frightened look. One armed man at a computer. One smoking out on the balcony. 

Two of them were holding a thrashing man down into the bathtub. 

A fifth one was playing with a knife. 

"Look who finally made it." Jimmy Dubelz snickered, eating an apple slice off a knife. Six. 

"What the fuck is going on?" Jason asked bluntly. 

"Boys, get in here. And bring our guest." Jimmy snapped his fingers. 

There was a scuffle, but the idiots in there managed to drag out a shivering, bloody man in a suit. 

Jason knew what to expect but somehow still found himself surprised when Dick Grayson raised his head. 

Dick hid his surprise well. Not that Jason expected anything different. 

What was unexpected was the fact that he was holding himself like a civilian. There was no hint of danger in those long, slim limbs. 

"Yeah, real pretty isn't he?" One of the thugs said, tying a gag around Dick's mouth. "Mouthy though." 

Jason hid his annoyance. But just barely. "You gonna answer my questions today?" Jason asked, while raising an eyebrow at Dick. 

Dick covertly signalled to the weeping woman. He'd clearly been put in a situation where he couldn't do anything without getting shot, blowing his cover, or risk the other hostage. 

"Someone's in a bad mood." One of the idiots in the room remarked. 

"Yeah you'd be too, if you found out someone was stupid enough to nab Bruce Wayne's kid." Jason replied. "How exactly do you see this playing out?" 

"Wayne's gonna pay the big bucks for him." Jimmy answered, and Jason nearly groaned. Since Robert's death, his sons had been doing nothing but pulling stupid stunts like this. "Don't give me that look. You're gonna benefit too."

Blood dripped off Dick's lovely lips. 

"And you thought he'd pay extra for the makeover?" Jason asked. 

"Kid's a pain in the ass." Another man, one with a satisfying black eye, complained. "He slipped his ties and set another one of the hostages free." 

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me get this straight. You let a hostage get away? Someone out there knows who did this?" 

"We're not stupid, that bitch didn't know anything." The bruised fool said. 

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, but he was secretly relieved those clowns hadn't gunned down an innocent over nothing. 

Dick was shaking, Jason also realized vaguely, but couldn't tell yet if it was an act or the real thing. 

"We sent a ransom letter to Wayne Enterprises." Jimmy said. 

"They'll vet that. It could take hours." Jason murmured. "You were supposed to run moves by me." 

"You're not our boss." 

Jason very nearly snapped that he should be. "And so what's the plan, play Go Fish until either the cops or Wayne figure you out?" 

"Wayne knows not to call the cops." One of Jimmy's idiots sneered. Dick rolled his eyes. Jason fought back a laugh. 

Jason shook his head, huffing. "So you called me here to witness, what exactly?" 

"We'll cut you in if you help scramble anyone who tries to bait us with the money." 

If there was money, Jason barely resisted from adding. But he couldn't leave his new partners high and dry, it'd complicate any efforts to make future partnerships if word on the street said he was flaky. 

"For fuck's sake, fine." Jason waved a hand. "What's the cut? And don't go lower than fifty, or I'm scrambling you." Dick raised his eyebrows in disbelief. 

He was the worst hostage ever.

"Thirty." Jimmy scoffed. 

"Forty." Jason insisted, hand resting on his gun. 

"Thirty five." Jimmy said, holding up a hand to wave off one of his men. "We did all the damn work." 

"Fine." Jason sighed. "But I want something else." 

"What?" Jimmy asked. 

"Him." Jason tilted his head at Dick. "You're not using the other room are you?" 

They stared at him, gobsmacked. Dick glared. Jason couldn't risk a wink. 

"Are you serious?" One of Jimmy's men croaked. 

"Hey, damaged or not, he's pretty." Jason reminded them. "And I'm not negotiating." 

"Jesus, fine." Jimmy said. 

Jason smirked and dragged Dick's chair into the other room. 

Before he could do anything but close the door, Dick had him pinned by his own gun. 

"Nice friends you've got." Dick murmured, eyes vivid under his dripping hair. 

"I wondered what the little act was about." Jason commented. "Put the gun down, you won't use it." 

Dick held it in place. "I had a plan you know."

"Was it to get them to kill you?" Jason asked. "Because it was going really well." 

"I needed a confession." Dick murmured. "Jimmy killed a cop in Blud, and I needed to know before I made a move on him." 

"I'm guessing you didn't get it yet?" Jason scoffed, pawing at Dick's pants. He unbuckled them and popped the button. "And you won't divert attention from the big bads to chase down a small fish." 

Dick's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" 

"They'll get suspicious." 

"Jason." Dick murmured, the gun dropping as Jason got closer. 

"I'm not good enough for Gotham's prince?" 

"Shut up, nobody calls me that anymore--" Dick hissed, cutting off as Jason kissed him. "This is a hostage situation!" 

"You're a terrible faker, and they're not gonna believe a chatty cathy like you takes it quiet." 

"Shut up." Dick nearly pointed the gun at him again, his pants dropping to the ground. Jason ripped his shirt open next.

Jason stared at him, practically salivating. 

"Fuck me already." Dick said. 

Jason adored the freak he'd found, kissing Dick. Dick's long legs wrapped around his and Jason dropped them onto the bed, the gun dropping somewhere to the side. 

"You have lube right now?" 

"You've never complained before." 

Dick thought back to all the strange times it had come in handy and finally shut the fuck up. 

It had been a while for them, and it was so fucking satisfying drawing out that moan from Dick's sinful lips. 

Jason smirked as he heard the noise level drop outside. He replaced his fingers and pressed against Dick's hole. 

Dick felt so fucking good. 

"Oh baby." Jason moaned. 

Dick made a stifled groan as Jason pushed deeper into him, fingers wound up under Jason's. 

Dick's body was shaking as Jason bottomed out. 

Jason started moving, gently and then fast. Dick groaned as Jason fucked him properly, breath hot against Jason's neck. 

Dick's nails dug into Jason's back, pretty mouth open as Jason drove into that gorgeous body. 

Dick met each of his thrusts, tightening around Jason as he came. 

Jason groaned, hips stuttering against Dick as his vision whitened out. 

"You have your phone?" Dick murmured. 

"You want a picture?" 

"Jason." 

"Yes, why?" 

"Text Bruce that this is the real thing, I want out of here." Dick murmured. 

Jason nodded. "Got it. In a little bit." 

"What, why?" 

"I want a second round." 

Dick's smile was a thing of beauty, bloody as it was. 

Jimmy and his men ogled Jason when Jason popped back out. 

"Where is he?" Jimmy asked, strangely wary. 

"Not walking any time soon." Jason shrugged. "Relax. Why so jumpy, Jimmy?" 

Jimmy scowled. "Not like we kidnapped anyone or anything." 

Jason scoffed, waving a hand and cracking open a bottle of water. "You'll get used to it. And besides, I hear the cops should be afraid of you." 

Jimmy frowned. 

"I heard you popped a cop in the Haven." Jason made sure to keep his voice casual, knowing Dick was listening. 

Jimmy's men snickered. 

Jimmy's eyes cooled, but he smiled. "Yeah, you know how it is. Cops in the Haven ain't like the ones here, you know? You gotta put the rookies down and set a little bit of an example." 

Jason had no warm and fuzzies for cops, but he knew Dick still watched over BPD, after all the tireless work he'd done cleaning that shit up. He hoped that helped Dick out at least. 

"Respect." Jason said, chugging the water.

One of Jimmy's men jumped up. "Boss, we got it. Wayne's gonna drop off the dough at the old church in the East end." 

Clever of Batman to choose that location. 

Jason grinned. Cops, Red Hood would be expected to clear, but Batman? Anything could happen. He finished his water.

Jimmy and his men expectantly looked toward Jason. Typical. They hadn't thought this far ahead and needed the real big dog to step in. 

"Show time." Jason grinned.