I've posted this on my ao3 account too, it was part of a dickjay writhing event (Damian is in this story too don't worry) that was soooo much fun, hope y'all like it :)))))

It's not as centered on Damian as the other fics, mostly the light is on Jason but I didn't know where else to publish it 🤪

—————

It was a warm, dry day when he met him.

He had been sitting in the shade of a large plum tree, overlooking the courtyard. Sweat dripped down his face and into his black training uniform as he looked up at the light filtering through the leaves of the tree.

All that afternoon he had felt as if there was something drumming inside him, desperate to break skin and fly off. It pushed his nerves to the edge and his training with his League swords teacher had ended short, since they both knew his beatings would last longer that day.

Before he sat down, his wounds ached but a while of looking up at the green leaves was enough for the leftover pit waters in his bloodstream to heal them.

He closed his eyes as he tried to reign in his nerves, hate, anger, and all consuming bloodthi-

He breathed deep to quell another violent outburst and control his emotions when he heard footsteps making their way towards him. He opened his eyes and found one of the women who looked after him.

Her name was Aatifa, she was a slave to the Al Ghuls and had been made to be his servant by his mistress, though he hated calling her that. She had dark, tan, wrinkled skin, hair as black as night, and one of the kindest eyes he'd ever seen. She was one of the only servants in the compound, in the time after his awakening, that had treated him with any kindness, most wore blank looks on their face and never looked him in the eyes. At first, he had ignored her and she too ignored him but after weeks in each other's presence, they had grown close. And, in the darkness of his room, before he would fall asleep, she would comb an old hand through his hair, reminding him so vividly of someone from his past that it caused his eyes to swell but he never asked her to stop. In the night, as she pet him, she told him old Arabic stories. In one, she told him an ancient story of the rain, how it was holy and would occur only when something divine would happen. How it would pour over souls and cleanse them for a new beginning as it filled them and the earth with new life. The stories barely kept the nightmares from coming though, but he never told her that.

He stood up when he saw her come closer to the tree he sat under and listened as she spoke to him. He nodded and thanked her as he walked out of the courtyard and into the compound, but before he left, a raindrop splashed between his eyes and he looked up again to see the sun being swallowed up by grey clouds, pregnant with rain. As more drops fell, he ran in and by the time he reached the throne room, it was pouring outside.

——————

"Jason." Talia addressed when he walked into the room, her head was held high and her face held a blank expression, she was the image of collected and powerful but as he came closer he saw a small shape behind.

He was distracted from his curiosity when she came forward and her expression turned serious, "I have an order for you and I expect you to carry it out with the highest amount of care."

The young bat glowered, something was wrong, something had changed. Usually Talia would leave him to his teachers and trainers and in the hands of the Al Ghul servants, she never ordered him around. Perhaps it was time to become an official League assassin, he couldn't put it off any further, he thought.

Jason looked into Talia's Lazarus green eyes and nodded, his expression attempting to give no insight to the unease with him. However, Talia's eyes flickered around his body and she quirked an eyebrow at him, "This task that I trust you with is very important to me and if you complete it well, you'll be free. Whether that is to enact your revenge in Gotham or stay and serve us."

Jason jerked and his eyes widened. After the years of grueling league training and imprisonment, there was an opportunity to go back home. Talia couldn't let him go because of Ra's orders, had something changed?

"What will you have me do? I'll do anything," he said.

Talia shifted to bring a bundle close to her chest, she stared down at it and looked up at him with piercing eyes, "You will take care of him, bring him with you to train, and protect him. I have been called to a mission far from here that will take quite a few months. I sense a darkness growing around my father and his men, so I choose now to leave him to you, Jason."

"Him? I- who are talking about, Talia?"

Talia's face twitched the disrespectful name and said, "My son, Jason."

She turned around and pushed something or rather someone forward. His eyes widened as he realized who the boy in front him was, not just an Al Ghul or son of Talia. No, this boy reminded him, through his murky, pain-filled memory, of a face so similar, one that hung in a portrait in his old home in Gotham. A boy whose face frighteningly resembled the appearance of a young boy in the family painting that hung in the main hallway of the manor. As his mind raced and the pit voices grew louder, tears filled his eyes until he could barely calm himself and make out Talia's smirking face.

"Jason, meet your brother," She said.

—————

Jason holds the toddler as he watches Talia fly away in a helicopter. The child stares after her but does not cry and when she becomes a speck in the skyline, he turns to stare at Jason. They stare at each other with blank eyes until Jason coughs out, "Uh, so kid, what's your name?"

Talia's son stares up at him with her eyes and tan skin color but a distinctly different hairline with black hair unlike Talia's brown. He should stop comparing him to Talia but at this moment, he knows nothing about the kid.

"My name is Damian Al Ghul, I am heir to the League, and who are you?" The boy said, his eyes narrowed and he scowled.

Jason snorted at the expression, "I'm Jason, Mr. heir-to-the-league, and I'm being trained here and your mother is the one in charge of me, just like I'm I charge of you now."

Damian scowled, looking like an angry kitten and Jason snickered. "A mere servant like you is in no way in charge of me! I am the h-" Damian shrieked in his high pitched voice before Jason interrupted.

"Well, that's too bad kid, cause your mama has already put me in charge of you and there ain't nothing you can do 'bout it." Jason said, smirking when the toddlers face screwed up farther in anger, and yeah he could definitely see Bruce's genes shining through in that expression, he thought.

The boy huffed and walked away, Jason rolled his eyes and ran up to him, grabbing his middle and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"How dare you! Unhand me at this moment," the boy said, scratching and punching Jason's back as they walked away. Though he tried to seem threatening with his big words and violent nature, Jason wasn't convinced and laughed all the way to his room.

—————

Later that evening, Jason and Damian sat at a small table in Jason's room, eating small treats that the servants granted them at Damian's request.

Jason ate happily, nibbling at all the different Arabic pastries and delicacies while also ignoring Damian's sharp gaze. He ate the snack he held and looked up, making Damian look down quickly to his own full plate. Jason smirked slightly and drank some of his tea, "Well? What is it you want to say, kid?"

Damian huffed, "I beg your pardon? I don't have to say anything-" Damian stopped as he looked at Jason's serious expression.

"You don't have to say anything, but I know you want to. Don't try and act as if something isn't bothering you, little prince," Jason snickered again. Damian only rolled his eyes and pouted, slumping down in his seat slightly.

Though he was only 5, his mannerisms and speech was light years ahead of any person he's met, other than the Al Ghuls which Jason guesses makes sense. He only hopes the kid has at least had any semblance of a childhood, but he severely doubts it, Jason thought to himself sadly.

"My father." The dryly said words jolted Jason out of his thoughts.

"I would- I'd like to ask about my father, about Gotham, about... Batman," Damian muttered, strictly looking down at his plate. Jason stared at him, the amusement in his face long gone as his eyes turned a darker green and his lips pursed slightly.

He coughed and continued eating. It seemed as if they'd gone around in full circle as Jason ignored Damian's questioning and curious gaze. Jason ate a couple more small bites before looking away slightly. He opened his mouth and closed it again several times.

Jason sighed, "Your.... dad, hm?" He looked around the room before his blank gaze fell on the little boy again, "What would you like to know?"

Damian's eyes narrowed as he took in the atmosphere, his face still full of the fullness of youth held unsettlingly old, determined eyes that took in his supposed brother's mood.

"Everything."

—————

It took weeks for both Jason and Damian to be able to stand each other's presence without bickering, and months to actually become comfortable. They're bond grew stronger and Jason grew to see Damian as more of an annoying, pretentious little brother than a strange boy he was forced to babysit.

However, Damian's curiosity and obvious awe of Bruce conflicted with Jason. He knew how Bruce was really like, after finally being able to piece together his past after the pit messed with his head, he remembered the fights he would get into with Bruce before he left, he remembered Bruce taking robin away from him after a stupid mistake, and now he knows of how Bruce never even avenged him by taking care of the flow, how he easily replaced him with some high society, rich brat. Just the thought made him clench his teeth as he tried to reign in his rage, but he never let Damian know his true feelings for the family at first. He thought of Dick also, how he had hated him and refused to stand up for him with the teen titans, how he could barely stand him around Batman. Ra's told him explicitly how Dick hadn't never seemed to care about him, even after death he fled back to Blüdhaven after spending only a week in Gotham, easily forgotten and hated, Ra's taunted him.

He spilled the beans on Bruce and his plans for Gotham after he left the league a couple of months after their introduction, Damian actually took it well. He was appalled at his father's behavior and vowed to help Jason in Gotham and kill his replacement for him, which Jason just laughed at and rubbed his hair causing Damian to huff.

Talia hadn't come back in a while but Jason didn't let it bother him, he knew she could be gone for up to a year. Damian didn't seem to care most of the time, but at night before Jason put him to bed Damian would ask if he heard anything new from his mother, and Jason, with a clenching heart, would always be honest and tell him no.

Their routine had now become so similar to them that they never anticipated anything new coming up. They went to their trainings, ate, studied, washed up, and went to sleep. Though it was grueling and painful at times, they had adjusted and it became natural to them.

On another sunny day, five months after Talia left, Jason was again in the courtyard training with Sensei, one of his temporary teachers in place before Galia got back. He hated training with him, as he was strict and harsh but training was training, and if you didn't pull your weight in the League, you'd be as good as dead.

"You swing your sword too high. Again," Sensei said shortly, pausing to go back to the starting position. His old face hardened as he looked at Jason with disdain.

Jason sighed mentally, he felt his muscles pulse in defiance as he moved again. He paused and then struck towards Sensei, moving fast, feet making patterns on the floor as he and Sensei fought. He quickly blocked every defense thrown at him and slashed back, making Sensei stumble back. They fought for long minutes, sweat from Jason's brow falling down his face as they moved and fought, katanas clashing loudly throughout the courtyard. Jason faked a strike to the left, Sensei fell for the trick and as he lunged to the left to counter the attack Jason struck, moving forward and pressing the tip of the Japanese blade to Sensei's vulnerable throat.

They both stood still, Jason breathing harshly through his red mask before stepping back and bowing. Sensei nodded and sent him an appraising look, "You are doing well. Now, again," Sensei said, causing Jason to actually sigh this time and slump before quickly getting back into the correct position at Sensei's harsh glare.

He brought his katana down and when the two blades collided a loud boom sounded through the base, shaking the floor. Jason and Sensei shook and looked around, the alarms began to blare, sounding loudly throughout the compound as assassins ran past them towards the origin of the blast where a dark pillar of smoke could be seen.

"Tch, an attack, it seems. I will go and command the army as Ra's is gone, you find the boy," Sensei instructed sharply to Jason before turning towards where the assassins fled to.

Jason nodded and looked back once at the cloud of smoke once, but before he turned around again, he saw a vaguely human shape flying above it. He gasped and ran towards his and Damian's room, flying past assassins running past him and servants scurrying all around in all directions. Another loud explosion sounded across the compound causing him to almost fall, as the walls shook and dust fell.

He ran to the right and across another corridor before stalling open the door to his room, finding Damian with his arms crossed, warring his training garb, and glaring at Aatifa as they both yelled at each other in Arabic.

"I must go and help them fight against the enemy, it is my duty!" Damian cried.

Aatifa pursed her lips, "You are just a child, Damian. You cannot just throw yourself into a fight like this, not only are you not ready but you are not allowed."

Damian glared and before he could say anything again, Jason walked over and grabbed his arm, "That's the end of this discussion, kid. You are not going to fight, we are leaving now," he signaled to Aatifa, who began preparing their bags.

Strange noises rang out, mixing with the clang of swords and yells. "You run along and I'll get your bags ready and deliver them to you at the end of the escape tunnel," Aatifa whispered hurriedly in Arabic.

Damian scowled again, "No, no, I must stay here and protect the base since my family is aw-" He was cut off as Jason carried him out of the room.

"Stop, akhi, it's my job to look over you. We are leaving, and that is final." He sent Damian a hard look which shut him up, his round cheeks full of baby fat puffed angrily.

They ran, Damian hanging on Jason's hip and they scurried through the halls which were terrifyingly silent, the only sounds that could be heard was his footsteps and the distant sound of battle.

As Jason ran down the hallway, he could hear the sounds of battle coming closer and her shifted hallways running down them. He made his way down to the large doors of the armory, since across the hallway leading to the armory and to the right lay the hidden entrance to the tunnel that they'd escape through.

He unlocked the doors and pushed through, looking behind him in case anyone was following them. He heard Damian growl, "Akhi." He turned and looked at Damian and followed his line of sight.

In the middle of the room, surrounded by unconscious guards, stood a tall man in skin tight, blue and black spandex, Nightwing. Jason swallowed as Dick turned around and fell into a fighting position, though he hesitated when he saw Damian on his hip, looking between them with a confused face.

Jason was now more glad then ever to be forced to wear the mask that hid his identity because he was not ready for Dick to see him, he wasn't ready to meet him at all. His hands shook slightly which he bet Damon felt as he looked at him with a nervous expression but Jason sucked it up and tensed his muscles.

He slowly put Damian down and reached back for his katana, aiming it straight at the masked hero, who tended and frowned, "Who are you? I've never seen you around before."

Jason stood silently for a few moments before whispering through his voice modifier, "Let us go through, Nightwing." He kept his form straight and serious.

"Sorry, kids, but no can do. How about you guys tell me who you are and I'll see if me and my team can help you all," Dick said, giving his warmest smile but not dropping his stance.

Jason almost scoffed out loud, he knew that if they surrendered Jason would be taken to some prison and found out and Damian would be taken away. Instead of answering him, he ran up and swung the katana down at Dick who blocked him with his escrima sticks. He dodged Grayson's attack on his chest with the stick by jumping back and then swiped a leg under his feet causing him to fall but he landed on his hands, launching himself into a backflip. Jason scoffed, some things never changed.

Dick came back and they exchanged fast blows, each blocked by a katana or escrima stick alike until Jason got the upper hand by slamming the hilt of his sword on Dick's head causing him to fall, clutching his head and scowling up at him. Before he could deal the final blow, Nightwing pulled out a smoke bomb and the room became engulfed in the thick substance. Jason stumbles back, making sure to stand in front of Damian as he couldn't see anything past a couple of feet in front of him.

Out of the fog came two batarangs, Jason dove away stopping one from imbedding itself in his thigh but was not as quick for the second which flew at his face and lodged itself into his mask, which thankfully was thick enough not to damage his face but it caused it to crack harshly.

"Akhi!" Damian cried and roared, rushing past him towards the fog to fight their invisible enemy and avenge him.

"No, Damian, stop!" Jason shouted as he followed after Damian, wrapping a hand around his waist and pulling him back.

However, Dick came running at him, kicking him in his broken mask, throwing him and Damian back though he made sure to proceed his fall. He laid on his hands and knees over Damian and shook as he felt his mask shatter and crumble over Damian, who stared at him with wide eyes as he stared back at him just the same.

He felt somebody walk up behind him, he heard as Dick stood behind him, panting as he said, "Give up, kid. We'll take you somewhere that can help you, please just let me help."

Jason refuses to turn around and he heared Dick sigh, he must have thought that Jason wasn't turning around because he didn't want his help, not because of his identity.

"Please we can help, I know you think we're the bad guys here but all I wanna do is help you guys," Dick started, putting a supposedly comforting hand on his shoulder.

Jason felt the blue-striped hand tighten and pull him around to try and face Dick and he closed his eyes, his chest heaving in panic.

"I'll try to put in a word for you and the little one here but yo-," he heard Dick stop abruptly, breathing in sharply and silence followed as no one in the room even dared to breath.

He heard Dick's breath shutter and his hands tightened, "J-Jason?" He whispered, unbelieving at what he was seeing.

Jason clenched his jaw and in his last bout of confidence, opened his eyes and was met with the intense, blue eyes of Dick Grayson and not the white slate of his mask which laid forgotten on the floor. His eyes were wide in disbelief, his face a sickly white parlor as his mind and breathing struggled to make sense of the teen in front of him.

"No, there's no way- how are you-, how could this happen, I-," Dick tried to speak but his words failed as he looked upon the face of his dead brother. He rushed forward and hugged him, squeezing him as if he was scared he'd disappear.

Jason stared back equally surprised over Dicks shoulder, how could Duck act like he cared, he'd been told that he couldn't even stay in Gotham after his death, uncaring and lecturing about his disobedience when he was actually there. The thought brought anger raging back into him and he pushed Dick away, throwing him on his butt.

"What's it to you, golden boy? I said to let us pass, we'll be out of your hair soon enough," Jason spat, reaching behind again for Damian, putting his small body on his hips as his bruises ached.

"What's it to me? What's it to me?! Jason, you're here alive, how do you expect me not to be shocked, not to care?" Dick screamed back, anger winding its way into the disbelief in his voice.

Jason took a step back in confusion before he scoffed, "As if you ever cared about me Dick, why should you now? You ignored me every time you were in Gotham, you hated me just like Bruce did, you couldn't even stand up for me when I was with the Titans! Of course you never cared!" He narrowed his eyes, gathered running through him as he wrapped his arms tighter around Damian. His eyes roamed around trying to find a way for escape.

Dick flinched at his comment, which would have satisfied him if he wasn't so angry, "I- I'm so sorry for how I treated you, I was just so angry at Bruce and I unfairly brought you into our whole mess, b-but we never hated you! Not me or Bruce ever, we love you! I'm so sorry, Jason, for everything I did," Dick gasped, eyes filling with tears as he rushed forward, taking Jason's jaw into his hands, looking at his face in amazement at his being there.

Jason faltered, "No, I- I don't believe you! How could you ever love me, if you didn't even avenge me? You let that clown go, Dick, you and Bruce, after what he did to me. He's still walking around Gotham, you never cared!" He yelled at him, trying to push past him towards the door.

Dick grabbed both his arms, pushing him back, "I almost did, Jason!" He yelled, desperately making Jason stop dead in shock, "I almost did Jason, before Bruce stopped me," he whispered.

Jason stood stock still, he didn't know what to think. Dick almost killing Joker? He just looked at Dick's desperate face, it was his turn to be in disbelief.

"You almost killed that wretched clown?" Jason heard a childish voice say, he looked and saw Damian looking intently at Dick. Jason almost flushed as his jaw dropped, how had they forgotten about Damian.

Dick looked at Damian in shock and hesitantly smiled forlornly, "Yeah, I- I almost did." He looked back at Jason with a quizzical expression as if he was asking him what Damian was doing here.

"For Jason?" Damian asked, eyes narrowed at Dick who nodded slowly, eyes never leaving Jason's face.

Jason ignored his gaze and looked down, "That- That doesn't change anything, Dick. A couple months after that stupid clown blew me to bits, Bruce goes out and gets himself a new and improved replacement. I don't belong there anymore."

He tried to sidestep Dick again before he was stopped again. Dick sighed, eyes closing before he opened them and grabbed Jason's hand, "Bruce was out of his mind when you died, he needed a Robin to look up to him, to lead an example for. He didn't want one but Tim convinced him to- please, Jason, just give us another chance," Dick pleaded, "We failed, I failed you but please, just come back to us," Dick whispered to him, his voice breaking in emotion.

Jason's own eyes teared, all he thought and was told for months after his resurrection was somehow wrong, he just couldn't believe it, he didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry but I've got to-," his voice failed and he just awkwardly pointed at Damian who was watching him carefully.

"He can come with us," Dick offered, smiling cautiously at the boy who he must be worrying about because of his identity.

"I- I don't know-" Jason started before Damian stopped him.

"Akhi, I know you want to go with him, I can see it, don't let me hold you back," Damian firmly told him, sounding way older than a normal 5 year old. "You promise to take care of him, you promise all that you've said is true?" Damian asked Dick with a serious look on his face.

Dick smiled and nodded, "I promise, kiddo, with my whole heart."

Damian grumbled at the name before climbing down Jason's side to the floor. "Then I leave you to him. Goodbye, brother," Damian whispered looking at him with a trembling expression as he tried to stay strong.

"No, Damian, I'm not leaving you," Jason said before looking up at him with honest eyes, "We're both leaving or not at all."

Dick beamed with happiness and hugged him, pulling him up and swinging him and Damian around. When they were let down, Jason managed a small, uncertain smile at Dick who responded with a blinding version of his own.

Damian looked up at him in wonder, "You really mean that?"

Jason smiled down at him and leaned down to hug him, "I'll never leave you, Akhi, 'cause I love you," Jason whispered into his ear and Damian hugged him back for the first time. "You're my brother, our brother," Jason said, pointedly staring at Dick whose eyes widened at the emphasis, he looked to Jason for confirmation and when he nodded, he ran his hand over his eyes in more shock.

Jason picked him up and as he looked back at Dick, they felt another bomb go off, shaking them and the building. Dick gasped as if he just remembered where he was, he attached his mask back to his face, "That was the third bomb, that means we have to leave or we'll be stuck here."

Voices of guards sounded far away outside the doors Jason and Damian had come through. Dick's jaw clenched and he stopped around them, "I'll distract them, you guys run outside. On the other side of the mountain on the left side of the compound is a disguised jet, wait for me there."

"That won't be necessary," a voice said in English, the doors of the armory swinging open, making Jason and Dick jump and crouch, ready to fight.

Aatifa approached them through the doors and into the room with two satchels for them in her hands. Jason gasped, praying that she wouldn't give them away.

She walked up to Jason and smiled before turning and doing the same to Damian, "My children, all I've ever wanted since I've come to this place is for you two to be safe and happy, and I know that you two aren't here, no matter how hard you try to hide it," she whispered to them in Arabic before giving a gaping Damian their bags.

She turned to Dick and a hard expression fell on her face, "You take them, let them be happy, healthy. Understand?" She said in broken English.

Dick smirked, "Yes, ma'am." Jason could net that behind that mask, his eyes were shining with delight. He turned and looked at Jason and beckoned him with his hand.

Jason nodded but turned back to Aatifa, "Thank you, Aatifa, for everything," Jason said, eyes filling up with tears, "I'll come back for you one day."

"Do not worry, I have my debt to pay here" she said in Arabic as she smiled before saying, "Now run, I'll stop them and give you time."

Dick nodded and thanked her, he grabbed Jason's hand and pulled them out of the room. They ran past many doors as Aatifa and the armory became smaller and then was gone.

After running out of the escape tunnel that Jason led them to, they made it outside. Dick ran forward towards the arid landscape and the mountain that could be seen behind it, he stopped when he noticed that they had stopped. Jason swallowed and Damian climbed down, the little boy grabbed his hands and led him to Dick.

They traversed across the brush and sand, towards the secret location of the jet. Dick pressed some buttons on his wrist and the invisibility tech around it shifted to give view to the craft underneath, the door opened and they walked inside. Jason and Damian looked around in astonishment, just three years dead and resurrected and even more things had changed apparently, thought Jason.

"The others will be here soon, but I'm sure they won't object to us bringing a few more people along," Dick said, wiggling his eyebrows.

He looked down and knelt to where Damian stood, "You really ok coming with us, Dami?"

Damian scoffed at the name and grumbled, "Tt, of course I am, anywhere my brother is, I will follow,"

Dick laughed and looked up at Jason, and if he stared hard enough he swore he could see the blue eyes sparkling up at him, "So will I, kid, so will I."

Jason smiled down at him and for the first time, in a long time, he felt like he'd be alright.

As they settled in their seats, Dick telling them new stories of Gotham and the Justice League and all the heroes they knew, Damian grumbling at Dick as he tried to hug him causing him to blush, Jason laughed and teased them both, though more hesitantly, while trying to answer Dick's questions.

They conversed greatly, all so intrigued by one another that none realized as a drop fell from the sky and onto the windshield. They talked and talked and didn't notice as the drop turned into a shower of rain.