HOPE YOU ENJOY

PLEASE VOTE

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A year slowly but happily passed them both and their lives were looking brighter for both of them. Dick's money went towards food, neither having to worry over paying rent thanks to the Mister forgotten deal.

The did grab three makeshift money tins to help with keeping some money to the side. Jason using the little sister's old piggy tin while Dick used an old thin  tin that held some fancy cookies in them at one point. An old, paint peeling money tin was found under the coffee table that was used as well. Lose change left over after they paid for their weekly grocery. The old money tin was for their savings for day's out, clothes or anything treats they'd need. Jason's tin was for himself, lost pocket money for him to spend on anything he wanted for himself or in any way he wanted to spend it. Same for Dick's money box, it was left for him to freely spend on himself or in any way he wanted.

It took some months for the lose change left over to make any worthy amount to spend but it did the job and they all had their own spending money and money to spend as a family. It made things go a little bit smoother.

Jason started school as promised and did his best to keep out of fights and actually focus on learning. He brought his school books home and let Dick flick through them or had him helping with his homework instead. Dick was a lot smarter than Jason had first thought, seemed the mister needed Dick to keep his own studies up to help with the business while he sat at his mister Jewel. 

The first gift bought between them was a wonder women plush doll. Dick had seen it everyday on his way to his restaurant job and knew Jason was a secret fanboy over the women. Once he finally had enough money he bought it and gave it over to Jason to treasure. 

Jason had adored it, not overly embarrassed over his adornment towards the hero and made sure that Dick knew his money was well spent. 

A few books had been bought with the family saving's to help them both have something but cartoons to distract them with. Jason read more than Dick actually did. Dick buying collage worth studying books to keep his brain active and learning while Jason had a taste for old romantics that he'd keenly read over and over again. 

The next gift bought between them was by Jason. Haly's circus was back in Gotham, without any flying Garrisons in advertisement unlike their last visit to the unforgiving city. Jason had noticed a poster on his way home from school and hurried home. Dick had always told him stories over his life at the circus whenever Jason woke from a nightmare or on a rainy day where their moods fell low. Jason knew Dick still loved the circus and still missed it more than life itself sometimes. 

And so Jason thought it'd be a great idea for them to go see it. For Dick to see his old family and hopefully stay in contact this time around. He had a feeling Dick would be overjoyed by the news of the circus being in the city again and be all blinding smiles for the rest of the week. Jason knew they had enough money saved to get themselves a ticket to go and see them. 

But he didn't count of Dick's own broken heart. Dick wasn't filled with innocent joy or tears of happiness over the news. He was .. frighten over it. Glancing down to himself as if he wasn't the same boy that grew up with the circus and had adored every moment with them. Jason forget that Dick had survived through a lot and had already once been taken away by the place he called home.

Dick wasn't ready to face his jolly family just yet. It was too soon and he was still getting use to his freedom. Seeming those he still loved and missed was too much for him to handle at the time. So, he went to work instead of going to the circus. But Jason was always stubborn and knew that Dick wanted nothing more then to run back to his first home and be surrounded by all the friendly and smiling members that built his large and crazy family. 

Jason went alone and ended up buying one of the elephant plush of Zitka. Dick's babysitter and first friend that he really did miss and wish he could hug again. Jason wanted Dick to have something he's cherish and care for as much as he did his own wonder women plush doll. 

Jason knew he made the right chose when Dick had returned home from work and broke down in tears over the gift awaiting for him. He sobbed and clung to Zitka before pulling Jason close and the two slept on the double bed once again. 

Of course a thirteen year old boy and a eleven year old boy living together wasn't always easy or smooth but everyone how their ups and downs. They learn to give the other space or hugs when it was needed. Knew what topics to not touch around the other and screamed when they had to let it all lose. 

Their neighbours were nice enough to leave them alone. No one gave them much care and they did the same. Everyone was simply trying to survive another day and didn't need the hassle to care for some strangers. Thought a gangster did live down the hall from them. He was a friendly guy even if he was rather large and super scary. Both boys gulped when first meeting him but he kept any creeps away from the building at least. He protected those in the apartment building, keeping them safe from where he stood within the gang he was loyal too. No one tried ticking anyone for money, tried robbing them or went after any of the children in the block because the building was his turf right now. 

While the nice man did help keep them all safe other's still gave him a wild birth from him. He worked strange hours making it easier to keep away but some would purposely wait until he was tucked in at home or out before leaving their own. 

And one day the gangster ended up coming home hurt. Jason and Dick had heard his heavy body thudding against t he ground from where he fell in the doorway of his own apartment. Both had foolishly opened their own front door and peaked out to see what form of trouble might be coming their way after. Finding his passed out and injured body was the worse fate they could be facing since they'd lose the small bit of protection their home had. 

Dick wasted no time in hurrying over to the gangster and mostly dragged the guy further into his home. He failed to lift him up at all and had to do the best he could with his thin and weak looking limbs. Jason hurried over not longer after and helped to get the guy more comfortable on the floor before searching for a first aid kit. 

Dick did most of the stitching up and patching job for t he guy. Jason helping to pass things over or pat the guy shoulder whenever he seemed like he'd stir awake. It was a long night and the two fell asleep on the guy's sofa, waiting to see if they did a good enough job that he'd survive the night. And he did. He gave a silent thanks to them both before kicking them out of his home and kept protecting the building they all shared. No bad men ever entered the lobby. 

Of course one thing still bugged Jason even after a year of living with Dick. He had moved into the sister old room, the clothing owned by the two siblings were left at the charity corner to leave them more space to build their own lives there. Dick was happy for the small room, it's what he had with the mister after all but Jason refused. The youngest always got the smaller room and Jason felt safer in the small, boxed in space. Meaning Dick got stuck with the bigger room. But they both ended up sharing the double bed more than once whenever the nights seemed scary or lonely. 

But the real problem was Dick sneaking out at night. Normally close eleven at night and always being home by midnight. He'd wait until it was pitch black outside their windows and never told Jason while he snuck out like he did. Sometimes baked treats, school supplies or clothing or books would be in his hands when he returned but not every night.

Jason tried following but lost him within minutes and that left Jason with free time on his hands as well. He'd sneak out after Dick and decided to help gain some money for family. He didn't have a legal job but he didn't do much crime either. Steeling the tires from cars and selling them got him enough money that he could bring back and shove into the saving tin. He'd split it three ways, sharing them between the three tins like Dick always did with his own wages. It was only fair in his eyes. 

"Wake up! Dickie" Jason huffed out as he jumped onto the bed, squashing the older teen beneath him without warning. Jason was finally gaining some weight but he was still rather small and the runt of the litter. Finally getting good and warm meals into him was finally helping him gain a healthy weight again but all his bones still seemed to hit right where it hurts. 

"Five more-" Dick started to groan out half asleep before yelping in pain when an elbow met his ribs. 

"Don't be a lazy fucker" Jason snapped back in irritation a he wasn't going to let the older fall back asleep. 

"It's my day off. From both jobs. I'm allowed to lay in" Dick whined back as he curled up more, wanting nothing more than to sleep longer. 

"It's ten in the morning. You've laid in. We've got plans" Jason argued back as he sat up, sitting on dick's side and poking at his cheek to keep him away. 

"We do?" Dick asked as he risked opening one eyelid and trying to remember their plans. 

"You promised to take me to see the new pride and prejudice and zombies" Jason reminded him with a small frown, an excited shine still in his eyes. 

"It's PG-13. I'm just old enough to see it. You aren't" Dick sighed as he finally rolled over to his back and forcing Jason to fall beside him. 

"But the pride and prejudice is PG meaning I'm able to watch it and you promised to take me once it came out. It's out today" Jason grinned back cheekily a he's been planning this since he heard over the latest pride and prejudice film was due to come out. 

"You tricked me with the zombie bit.." Dick grumbled back, a pout pulling on his lips as he turned his head to look at the younger boy. 

"I knew you'd never survive the whole of pride and prejudice and if you thought some brain eating monsters were mixed in then you'd give it a go. I just needed you to promise to take me to see pride and prejudice. It's not my fault I left out the zombie bit during the promise" Jason smirked back with an evil glint to his eyes as he was rather proud over pulling one over the older man and getting his way with it. 

"When is the next sighting?" Dick sighed as he rubbed at his eyes, knowing he wasn't going back to sleep while Jason was determined to see the film today. 

"In an hour. I want snacks" Jason huffed back, sitting up and using his demanding tone for the snacks part. As much as a street rat he might have been a year ago he was suddenly rather spoiled under Dick's care. 

"I won't surviving pride and prejudice without snacks to distract me anyway" Dick confessed as he sat up and ran a hand through his bird nest of hair and knowing he'd need some unhealthy goods to keep his hands and mouth distracted during the film. 

"I've sat through all the star wars films for you when we were finally able to buy the boxset" Jason reminded him over his own suffering even if he did rather enjoy the star wars films but mostly due to them being linked to their first bonding moment together. 

"You read your book through half of them" Dick deadpanned with a pointed look as he remembered finding the younger one nose deep in one of his books at certain points or completely asleep and leaning against him instead. 

"And if you want to read at the cinema than go ahead. I won't stop you" Jason grinned back as he jumped off the bed and hurried over to the dresser to pick out some clothes. He's learn an important fact over his roommate is that he has terrible fashion sense. So, if Jason wanted to survive a day without shameful fashion embarrassment, he'd pick out the least worse of Dick's clothes to wear. 

"I better get dressed otherwise you'll sulk until the showing after the next if we miss it" Dick commented as he slipped out of the bed and picked up the navy blue polo top thrown on his bed. 

"I don't sulk" Jason scoffed back as he knew a pair of grey jeans towards the older. 

"Your pout is the cutest one I've ever seen" Dick cooed back as he held his pocked out closes to his chest.