HOPE YOU ENJOY

PLEASE VOTE

Side Note: I've mentioned in other books when asked that I'm English so we do use pounds for our money sign but I know America uses dollars. I know pounds hold more worth than dollars so I won't know how far spending a bonce of dollars would go so please don't be overly nasty if they're able to buy much than they probably could with the money they get. I'm just going on with personal experience of what I can buy with a small amount of money and simply changing the pounds to dollars. 

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It was rather early in the morning time Dick had gotten them both somewhere safe and a place they could at least call home for as long as possible. Both completely drained, physical and emotionally that neither took much care over the tiny apartment or put much thought into it either. 

Jason couldn't believe how tired he was that his own common sense to check out anywhere new before lowering his guard didn't kick in. He fully trusted Dick in believing this place was safe enough and allowed himself to be pulled along towards a bedroom with a double bed inside. None of them checking the other rooms or turning the lights on. They locked the door behind them, adding the chain just in case before happily falling asleep in the offered bed without a second thought. 

It wasn't until near lunchtime later that day when Jason awoke again that he finally took in his surroundings and started to question it. He first explored the small apartment, leaving Dick to sleep in the bed longer for now and planning to ask questions over the place later. 

It was a two bedroom apartment with only one bathroom. The kitchen was almost the size of cupboard, barely able to hold one person standing inside of it and all the counters and cupboard doors being in arms reach from standing in the doorway. The living space barely held much and was squashed with the Kitchen built in a corner, cornered off by paper thin wars but without a door leaving a full view over the small space to cook in.

The door to the tiny bathroom that held a sink and toilet shoved against one wall and a simply wall shower that was blocked off by a mere curtain against the opposite wall. The door hitting the toilet every time it was opened and needed to be closed if anyone did use the toilet. A rusting medical cabinet with a mirror on the outside sat nailed to the wall above the sink.

On the opposite wall to the kitchen and bathroom spaces sat the doors that lead to two separate bathrooms. The big bedroom acting as the master bedroom, holding the double bed, a dresser and a desk without a chair. The bed end worn and old bedside tables on either side and a few belongings still sat scattered along the room. The second bedroom was much smaller and barely held a single bed and a wardrobe inside with how small the space was.

Jason knew they were lucky to spend the rest of the night with a roof over t heir heads and have a proper liveable home but he also noticed how it held some fading touches of a family. A few photos sat on the coffee table and on the tv stand on either side of the small tv. Someone had lived it, someone who left without much warning since everything was still left behind and untouched.

It creeped Jason out a little and he worried over the first owners of this place and why they had to leave with everything placed as if they were still gonna come home later that day. Clothing, personal belongings and even some lose money was left behind and none of it made sense. The apartment would have been given up long ago if the people had moved on and the layer of dust around proved no one had been home for some at least a year now.  

At least the kitchen was mostly empty. No food, drinks or anything that might turn rotten or could have been thrown to the homeless. Mugs, plates and anything else useful to cooking in the kitchen was left behind. Just nothing to actually cook was about. 

He grabbed two glasses of water before heading back to the bedroom and placing them on the bed side table that still held a battery alarm clock ticking. A lamp sat on the other bedside table, neither being overly large that the tables could barely hold the one objects standing on them. 

Making sure the glass of water's wouldn't slip off wasn't easy work but he managed before finally waking Dick up. He knew the other most likely needed the sleep but they couldn't risk sleeping the day off and losing a decent sleeping pattern while on the run. They were both homeless now and might even be at risk of being hunted down by the Mister's friends or workers if he seeks revenge on them later. 

Dick doesn't take long to wake up. He's not a morning person but living with the circus taught him to wake up and get ready in no time to help with chores and set up at ungodly hours of the day. He would much prefer to act groggy and take forever to awake but living with the mister only taught him to sharpen his mind as soon as his eyes open. 

He accepts the glass of water nodded towards him while Jason hops up onto the bed and sits beside him. Both keeping an awkward silent for a moment as they both thought about mentioning different topics. Dick wanting to apologize and talk over his planned actions last night while Jason was more concerned with the apartment. 

"How did you know about this place?" Jason finally asked his question out loud. Nothing more matter then them finding somewhere safe to hide out and start a new life. He didn't care over the night before, he didn't even want to ask over Dick's past with the Mister. He's seen desperate and scared people before and he knew how dangerous and unforgiving Gotham was towards her children. He wasn't going to question the older boy's way of thinking during that fire nor was he going to try and promise false help, he knew better than to give out false hope in any form. 

"The man who .. owned it works for the mister. Or did at least. He has a little sister. Both hold different mother's. Raised by their father last I heard. Both mothers ran off not long after each of them were born, forcing the father to take care of them. Apparently when the younger sister was barely two, he left. Brother's been taking care of her since. They had an sixteen year gap difference. The brother gave up a lot to keep his sister under his own care and bring her up as best as he could. Joined the mister gang in his late teens. Desperate for the job and the money. He wasn't used like the other kids were. He was nineteen, almost twenty when he joined. Given a gun and was sent to sell drugs or bring in those who had upset the mister. I never truly met him. Saw him from a distance once and heard about him from the mister. The guy was doing good for his sister, looked the other way to help her fed and safe. He didn't belong working for a guy like the mister" Dick quietly explained as he swirled the remaining water in his glass without spilling a single drop. Using the glass to keep his mind active and distracted so he didn't foolishly split back into a past he'd rather leave behind him now. 

"What happened to him?" Jason curiously asked as he glanced around the bedroom, seeing all the signs that someone had once lived here and had expected to return home but never did.  

"He took the blame for a crime the mister was guilty off. He plead guilty. He made a deal with the mister. If he took the fall then this apartment will be paid for, his sister protected by the Mister and untouched by the night life. She'd keep their small home and be fed and safe. The mister agreed. The brother went to prison, sentence for life. He checks the payment's that prove this apartment is still being paid for .. hinting that the mister kept to their deal" Dick answered with a deep frown as he reached out and placed his water back on the table when he felt his hands start to shake. 

"But this place seems abounded" Jason pointed out with a puzzled frown, his eyebrows scrunched up as he never found any signs of the sister and she'd have to be around if that happened during Dick's time with the Mister. 

"Because it was. Two days after the brother was placed in his cell and it was clear he'd never get out again. The mister took the sister and sold her. She didn't pay out much compared to some of the other children and that disappointed the mister. The apartment got emptied out from it's food to stop any rotting smell since someone might come along to check the place out over the smell. Since then.. he's got this apartment's rent paid for life. Even if this building falls, the rent will still be covered until the brother dies from old age in prison. Even if he's killed in prison, the rent is paid for already. The mister forgot about this apartment, he didn't glance twice over the lost of money to keep this cover going. I knew where he kept the keys, both of them that belong to this apartment. He did think about using this place as a safe house if he ever needed to disappear without any links to his name. But he forgot about this place. I didn't" Dick explained with a troubled look in his eyes as he lowered his head in shame and let his hands grip at his thighs while trying to hold back his raging emotions that acted like a storm to his heart. 

"Why?" Jason curiously asked as he took hold of the older boys hands, giving them a comforting squeeze and reminding him he wasn't alone anymore. 

"I was the one to trick her into the Mister's care. I was allowed out and was even given normal clothes to wear. Not my performance ones but actually clothes. The single hour I spent visiting this apartment to get the sister to trust me was the only moment of close freedom I had. I was the one to walk her to the awaiting car. She thought we were taking her to visit her brother since he was on a "trip" like he warned her he would be. Instead I left her to the mister evil ways and she was sold. Her name, her home and her family all lost in that one day. It's cruel but this apartment gave me a single taste of what it felt to have escaped the mister .. even just for that one hour. I couldn't forget about this place" Dick choked out as tears fell from his guilt filled eyes and his body trembled over the sins he helped committed. 

"Are we safe?" Jason quietly asked as he wrapped his arms around Dick, clinging to him in fear he'd completely shatter if someone else didn't hold him together. 

"Not even his men knows about this apartment anymore. It's not deemed as important and he used a fake name to pay for the life time of rent. We live in a not so friendly neighbour but no one will bother us here. Everyone keeps to themselves and won't care that two boys started living here even if they did remember the last family. They'd assume we simply moved in and the others were long gone. We can make this place our home" Dick sniffles out as he gripped back at the younger boy, hiding his face in his hair and keeping himself grounded to the now.

"Our home" Jason repeated in surprised, breaking from the hug and staring up at dick with widen stunned eyes. 

"Unless you don't want to stay. I'll understand if you do want to leave.." Dick started to say with a deep frown, fear and hurt in his eyes as he started to glance away assuming the worse. 

"How can this be our home if only one of us stays. You're stuck with me, Dick. For now and forever" Jason grinned back, lightly punching his arm and trying to lighten the mood as his own giddiness filled his heart over having a home again. 

"Thanks, little wing" Dick smiled back softly, his voice still a little weak from his crying minutes before. 

"L-Little wing?" Jason choked out startled. He's never been given a nickname that was actually pleasant before. 

"You mentioned that I seemed like a bird. If we're going to be a flock than I'd need my little wing with me. Let's be a family, Jason. We can make this work. No more having to desperately survive by ourselves. We've got each other and that's all we need now" Dick shyly muttered back as he took hold of Jason hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to remind him he wasn't alone anymore either. 

"You're so sappy, Big Bird" Jason teased back but the bright and cheerful smile on his lips only made the moment feel warmer. 

The two spent the rest of the day tidying up their new home to make it more liveable for the both of them. Taking a couple of tops from the old brother's room and putting them on like overly long dresses since the sister's clothes were too small for them to borrow. Washing the clothes they arrived with in the sink for them to wear when they need to head out. They also collected as much lose change as possible and found up to $15. 

It might not seem like much but it was better than nothing at all in their eyes. Both hurrying to get dressed but finding their clothes still drying and making them have to experiment with the clothes the brother did have. All of it was too big for them but with some stubborn will power they were able to at least make a few things fit good enough to leave the apartment with. 

Both knowing they had to be a bit smart with buying some food to stop themselves from starving so soon. They agreed on some bread, fruit, a bottle of squash to give their cups of water flavour and jam to get their bread some flavour as well. They had at least a few dollars left and decided to keep that for their next shop run if needed. 

Returning home and starting their new lives together as best as they could. Dick grabbing hold a newspapers left downstairs in the lobby and reading through the jobs page knowing one of them would have to work if they wanted to keep food on the table. He knew he was just a kid himself but he wasn't going to let Jason fall into anymore danger. 

The newspaper didn't help much and he popped out while Jason had headed down to a small charity spot that normally left old clothes for those on the streets to take and keep without any cost. It was mostly an arch between two buildings with overflown boxes of clothes in all different sizes and different stages of use. Shoes were barely there but sometimes unopened packs of clean underwear and socks would be thrown in as well. Sometimes an opened pack of underwear and socks would be thrown in with left overs on what the last owner never took out or used for some reason. But no one could be picky, clothes on your back was better than being naked on the streets. 

Grabbing a couple of pairs that were slightly bigger than his own before doing the same thing for Dick. They'd both need two pairs each to start off with and it was best to grab clothes that they could still grown into and have some breathing space between then. Grabbing an opened pack of underwear close to both their size from what he had to guess, leaving the unopened packs to be opened and shared out between those who were even worse off then them right now. 

When Jason got back he found Dick gone and started to assume the worse until the older behind returned with a beaming smile. His air being knocked out of him as Jason pounced out him without warning and desperately clung to him as if he was going to lose him all over again. 

"You were gone" Jason chocked out as he cling tighter to the older boy, his shoulders trembling as he thought he'd lost him again. 

"Sorry, little wing. But I found work" Dick apologized in a softer tone, wrapping his arms around the younger and reminding him that he was still right here. He wasn't going anywhere. 

"I can help" Jason offered desperately, he wanted to help. This was their home now and he wanted to help keep it. 

"No. You need to catch up on your studies and you're still too young to work" Dick quickly replied without having to think over it for a single second. Jason had already missed out on so much in his childhood and Dick wasn't going to allow him miss out on a better future next. 

"You need schooling as much as I do" Jason argued back, keeping his face shoved into the other's chest and listening to the heartbeat underneath. 

"And I'll study from some books once we can afford to buy some. But I also found a school not far from here. It might not be the best or well founded but it'd teach you the basics and it's better than no school at all. I want you to be able to be whoever you wish to be and become whatever you wish to do. I don't want you trapped to a gang out of desperation one day" Dick calmly muttered back as his hands made soothing circles in the other's back to help calm him down and trying to ease the situation for them both.  

"Fine" Jason grumbled back, breaking the from the hug and not seeming impressed over having to go to school. But if it made Dick happen, made him more comfortable than he'd give school an actually try. 

"Now, ready for my good news?" Dick asked with a huge grin, bouncing on the spot a little and seeming rather proud of himself. 

"You're going to school with me?" Jason deadpanned, the slight hope in his eyes not being missed by the other. 

"I can't openly show my face. Too many friends of the mister are still about in this area and could spot me. I'm sure news have travelled over Mister being caught and arrested but that just means I'm up for the taking without the risk of them getting shot for it" Dick explained with a defeat frown as he was still rather loved for being the mister Jewel and many would take the chance to steal him for themselves. He had to escape them and Jason safe from them as well. 

"What's your good news?" Jason asked to help move the topic along before it became to dark and hated for the both of them. 

"I found two jobs. I can do a paper round in the morning. Between six and seven in the morning. I do that six out of the seven days of the week. It's not much pay but it's something better than nothing" Dick cheered out as he threw his arms into the air as if he made a huge important announcement between them. 

"And your second job?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow, concern clear on his face a he knew how many shady bosses thrived around this neighbour and he didn't want Dick being caught by one. 

"It's at a club. One Mister was never connected to or visited. I don't know the owner and that's my best bet for not being in any danger with them. I'm a restaurant dishwasher. I'll be working twelve hours a week. Two hours a night for six days of the week. Sadly my newspaper job and the restaurant job days off don't match but it just means I get to have a morning lay in once a week and the evening off on another" Dick explained with a pleasant smile as he knew the younger boy would be worried for him and he took great care in picking out the job. It wasn't anything shady and he'd be hidden in the kitchen's anyway. He wasn't old enough to do anything else but washing the dishes up and putting them away. It was a decent job for a kid his age and he'd paid more of a fair price than some business would pay a twelve year for. He was still underpaid but not by much at least. 

"I don't like that you're having to work two jobs. People burn out working that hard" Jason admits with a scrunched up face, frustration and fear clear in his tone over seeing Dick work himself to death.  

"I'll be okay. I'll mostly be working three hours a day. I can handle that much. I'll be sleeping while you're at school and than we can hang out before I head out. We'll be able to buy grocery weekly and save up towards buying any personal belongings we need. Buy our own clothes and books and small treats for ourselves. I'm four years away from turning sixteen and then I'd be able to get a better job. For now these two are the best I can get" Dick smiled sweet a he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him once again. Telling him all the bright sides of him working the two jobs and how he'd have plenty of time to sleep and rest while still bonding with him. 

"What if you're not happy? I don't want to see you turn bitter just because you think I can't handle myself" Jason argued back as he still let himself think over the worse outcome from all this. 

"You're the stronger one between the pair of us. Without you I'd crash and burn for good. I know you can handle yourself, without a doubt you'll survive better than I could. I'm not doubting that. I just want you to have the chance to enjoy your childhood before you're forced to grow up even more than you have already. You're ten. You're meant to be laughing and exploring the world. Not seeing only the pain and suffering of Gotham. I was blessed with a good childhood before I was taken in by the mister. I still remember how happy I was during those innocent times and I want you to feel the same" Dick admits with a sadder tone and holding Jason just that tiny bit tighter as if he was the one who'd disappear between them if he let go.