Dick slung his arm around Jason's shoulders and for a split second Jay tensed like he wasn't expecting the gesture to be entirely good natured, but then he was relaxing and oh so carefully returning Wren's handshake. He wasn't used to touch, then, but Dick was high enough on his 'safe' list that he let the tactile man hang on him. It could almost be reassuring, the way the larger man didn't try to duck out from under that arm.
"Ugh, I've heard many a horror story about campus living. I don't blame you for taking Dickface here up on his offer. His couch is amazing to sleep on." He grinned, aiming for something kind and light hearted and hoped that Dick didn't comment on the fine tremble in his shoulders or the fact that he hadn't brushed off his brother's arm yet.
"Trust me, you couldn't say anything too awful to me. Dickie, maybe, but I'm a bit harder to shock. I hope you like nachos, I made a whole pan of them. Umm...baby spice levels cause-" He cut himself off with a broad gesture to Dick, smirking. "But they'll still be pretty tasty."
Oh good. they were getting along, and Dick was glad to see Jason's efforts at being friendly, despite the tremor he could feel. He would also always be amused at the way Jason teased him, that banter familiar despite how at one point in his life, he had lost it.
"Love you too," he quipped back, an easy smile finding Wren as he patted the surface of the island, silently welcoming them to sit on one of the stools. Then, Dick unwound himself from Jason to get glasses from the cabinets and pull a pitcher of water from the fridge as he returned to the island.
"I wasn't getting on your case, Wren. You don't wanna know what it's actually like to have me on your case." He slid a glass over to Wren, then held out another for Jason. Silently, he gave Jason a once-over, just a hint of concern held in his eyes as he looked for any signs of injury.
"Just ask Jason, he knows." A soft snort before he leaned back against the counter, amusement seeming to replace that concern. "Fair warning, though, Wren's got a reputation back at the precinct. They have an above average BS detector."
Wren went to the kitchen island, pulling out a stool to sit carefully on it. The last thing they needed to do was faceplant, and Dick (and Jason, damn it) both had longer legs than them. Assholes.
They took the offered glass, taking a long drink and managing a stink-eye at the same time. This was what working on a team had been good for.
"You don't need a particularly good one when it comes to cops, to be fair. It's always bs," they said without hesitation. Only a moment later thinking to ask Jason - "... Are you a cop, too?"
He didn't look particularly injured. No bandages, no limping or favoring one side over the other. He just looked...hollow. Ragged around the edges if one knew where to look. Something had happened, but it wasn't something that was going to add to his collection of physical scars.
Just mental ones.
While Wren got settled on the stool, Jay turned to accept his own glass of water, pulling a long drink from it. He had a really bad habit of not taking care of himself when he got into headspaces like the one he was in, so honestly? It was probably the first water he'd drank since he'd stopped for lunch.
Breakfast? The menu had been a breakfast menu, but that didn't mean anything, right?
His drink was interrupted by Wren's question and he coughed hard, twisting to put his face in the sink so that his spit take was at least easier to clean.
"Fucking hell....No!" He wiped at his face with the back of his hand, turning to glare a little at Dick. "Do I look like I'd ever lick boots for a living? My palms aren't near greasy enough, thank you. I'mma be real with you, I try real hard to pretend that he isn't, either. Got me, man?"
He visibly cringed as soon as Wren asked their question, interrupting the list he was already forming in his head of why Jason would show up unannounced at his apartment like this. He could see it, of course, felt it, even, in the tremor beneath his arm when he'd slung it over his brother's form. These days, he tried to stay closely keyed in to his brothers and teammates that there was no way he wasn't noticing.
However. However, Jason knew that Dick hated the system just as much, that Dick personally had to face all that corruption from the inside out, yet he still threw him that dirty little look over his shoulder. His smile immediately faded, a crease knitting between his brows as he steadily met that look.
Jason really had Wren to thank that he didn't immediately snap back. All he did was offer Jason a napkin and proceed with refilling their glasses.
"Yeah, our family's not...like that. Jason's adopted. We all are, so everyone has their own way of doing things. And as you can tell, we don't always see eye to eye."
"Not a man but I get it," Wren said, watching the interplay between the two. Okay, not a cop too, then. They didn't think it was unreasonable to ask, though. After all, they weren't usually what people thought of with 'librarian'. In look, anyway.
âThere is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome?" They quoted, glass between their hands and pleased that they managed to remember it even with the vodka.
He saw that tic in Dick's jaw. Saw the worry in those brown eyes replaced by indignant anger. He got it, he understood why Dick had taken the route that he had, but it was still hard for him to abide by it. It was one of the few things that they still actually fought about, not just bickered.
His eyes flicked back over to Wren, surprise helping to ease the bad taste the topic left in his mouth. The Austen quote was refreshing, even with the gentle rebuke of his use of 'man'.
"No, our family isn't really like that. In our case, I think you'll find that 'one has got all the goodness,'" He planted a hand against his own chest, a smirk twitching that the corner of his mouth. "'and the other all the appearance of it.'" His hand left his chest to gesture at Dick, and this time the look he gave the older man was one of amusement.
Fight over. For now.
"Sorry about the assumption. Still not in the habit of just asking pronouns. Dick used they/them? Or am I making an ass out of myself again?"
Dick didn't roll his eyes, though he did sigh into his glass before he took a long drink from it. When his glass lowered, the hard look in his eyes had melted again.
"Not you, too." He lifted his brows at Wren. Did he have a type or something? The spicy, literary kind? Though perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise, given Wren was a librarian after all. Yet here he was, with not one, but two nerds who would quote Austen in the middle of a very normal conversation.
Dick took Jason's hand, the one out gesturing at him, and smiled, a glint in his eyes as he laced their fingers together.
Wren's grin was absolutely cheeky at Dick's 'not you too'. Of course them too! They worked at the campus library and had most of their school career at this point. People who didn't have some literary interest tended to not hang out that long.
"S'okay, I know most people use like, man, dude, even 'girl' in the gender neutral depending on context, but also that if it's my first time meeting someone I probably should clarify fast just to be safe. Yeah. They/them."
Huffing a chuckle, Jason curled his fingers around Dick's, half tempted to pull him in for a noogie. In the end, however, he just pulled the older man over enough to tussle his perfect hair before letting him go. For as quick as he flashed to anger at the reminder of his brother's occupation, he was willing it let it go. For now, anyway.
"You need all the culture you can get, Dickie. You should be grateful. 'Sides, they have good taste. Can't go wrong with Austen." He flashed a grin in Wren's direction before he finally settled onto the offered stool. He was tired and it showed in the slump of his shoulders as he sipped at his water, but he was enjoying the company. Which was strange because he wasn't usually the type to warm up to strangers quickly.
That got Dick laughing too, flashing a smile at Jason as he swept a hand through his hair to tame it. He gave Wren a look after, a fondly annoyed one that asked for forgiveness, but what impressed him was the way Wren tamed that wild anger with an Austen quote, of all things.
"Yes, thank you both. What would I ever do without you," he said, though the smile dimmed a little as Jason practically sagged in the stool. He wanted to ask, but with most things Jason related, he knew he shouldn't pry. Just would talk about it when he was ready.
So. He had two sad little puppies sitting side by side in his kitchen and one of them had put a whole tray of nachos in the oven. What was a man to do? He rested both hands on the island, and tipped his head as if in thought.
"Wait, isn't it a movie too or something?" His gaze darted to the couch in the living and back to Jason and Wren, both brows lifting with the suggestion.
"There's been like a dozen movies - or miniseries, you gotta be more specific," Wren said with raised eyebrows, sipping from their glass, giving Jason a quick conspiratorial glance. "There's the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley, the 1995 miniseries with Colin Firth, those are the two most popular which is - no offense to them they're great - absolutely unfair because the best adaptation is 2022's Fire Island. Oh there's also Lost in Austen, the miniseries based off the choose your own adventure version of Pride and Prejudice."
Wren was able to recite those from memory fairly easy, if they had to dig for any other information on the other dozens of film versions they'd need their phone.
He would talk when he was ready, or he would bottle it up and hide it away until it either went away or burst. With Jason there was no real way of telling, though he had gotten at least marginally better at not self-destructing so much. The fact that he'd found his way to Dick's apartment instead of to a bar fight in another country was already a step in the right direction.
"How are you my brother again? You have no taste, I swear. First you've never read or seen Lord of the Rings and now you're asking if Pride & Prejudice is a movie. It's like you know nothing about my world, Dickhead." But he was grinning as he said it, pale blue eyes bright with mirth as a direct counterpoint to the exhaustion in those broad shoulders. Those eyes flicked over to their company at their suggestion, however, an odd mix of insult and curiosity on his face.
"Hard disagree. The '95 miniseries is the best, hands down. It's literally impossible for something with a two hour run time to do it any justice. That said....what is 'Fire Island'? Never heard of it."
"Adopted," he said, lifting an index to make a point with a fond smirk on his mouth. They'd have to get into that whole thing with Wren, because he hadn't said much about himself or his family at all. He didn't mind being on the receiving end of the way Jason tended to tease, or the way Wren dished out their wealth of knowledge like an encyclopedia if it meant making the two of them feel better.
"Alright, well, I'm the neutral party so unless you two can find a fair and square way to work out what we're watching, I'm flipping a coin." He said this as he turned to the cabinets and pulled out a jar of popcorn kernels.
"Not read or seen Lord of the Rings? If I thought it was intentional I'd say that's impressive," Wren started off, but they didn't have time to really harass Dick about that particular subject. Much fun as that would be. He put up with their harassment quite well, though now they suspected it was at least in large part to his younger brother.
Who was the next target.
"You're only saying that because that's the version where Mr Darcy strips and jumps into the lake," Wren accused Jason, voice wry, before pausing. "... Sorry I normally have this argument with people I already know are into men so that's my go-to. Anyway, it is good, probably the more faithful adaptation, but Fire Island manages to update the story to modern times, put its own twist on it, while clearly being a love letter to the source material. Also like every single scene he's in the guy who plays the version of Bingly is basically looking at the movie's Jane like he's some angel descended from heaven. A lot of adaptations can skimp on their chemistry in favor of focusing on Darcy and Elizabeth but you fully believe it's there from 'go' in this one for those two."
He snorted softly at the reminder that they were adopted, rolling his eyes fondly. There were moments when the whole 'brother' thing got under his skin- usually when Dick was being spectacularly Bruce-like (or, occasionally, in the middle of the night when he couldn't get that damned grin out of his head), but he'd settled back into the role of 'little' brother over the years.
That said, they weren't what most would consider 'close'. As in, they hadn't actually had the 'do you like boys or girls' conversation. It was probably intentional, he knew that his history was in Bruce's file on him, but even so Wren's quip about Colin Firth stripping was on the nose enough that Jason tensed a little through the shoulders. He didn't expect Dick to have an issue with it...but he still flicked a glance over at the older man before he took a soothing breath and feigned nonchalance.
"Yeah, well. What of it?" His grin was a little unsure around the edges, but he hid it well. "Besides, he's still fully clothed. Other than a little nipple through a wet white shirt action, it's perfectly decent." He should know, he'd watched that scene many times. "Wait, you said 'he'. Is this a queer friendly movie? With an actual love story for Bing and Jane? Alright, you have my attention."
The sound of that jar of popcorn kernels caught his attention and he twisted in his seat before throwing the towel from his shoulder at Dick's back.
"We don't need nachos and popcorn, Goldie. Unless you're not planning on eating the nachos. In which case, rude."
âYeahâhe?â Dick turns with the jar of kernels in his hand to face Wren and Jason. The words modern, queer, and the almost explicit confession from Jason was all enough to bring an open expression of interest to his face.
He met his brotherâs gaze when it darted to his face, then looked at Wren, who, bold as they were sober, was even more entertaining now.
Of course Dick had read Jasonâs file, over and over again, which was the reason why so many of these things that he knew about his other friends remained mysteries about Jason. He didnât want to make his brother uncomfortable. Leave it to a stranger to unearth some of it. AndâŚmaybe that was what they needed. The thought rooted, started a little tendril of wonderingâŚbefore a towel flew at his head and Dick snatched it reflexively out of the air.
âOh Iâm eating the nachos alright. You donât make snacks for me often, so of course Iâm eating Nachos. Nachos and popcorn.â
He tipped the kernels side to side, smiling at them both as he leaned onto the island on his elbows.
âI grew up in a circus that had the best popcorn.â He looked at Jason, then Wren. âJason takes it for granted at this point, but Wren, arenât you curious about Halyâs world famous popcorn? Iâm adding variety to our snacks.â
Edited (Omg hit post too soon ) 2025-07-01 01:51 (UTC)
"Am I the only one here who knows about the actual Fire Island-? Suffolk County, south of Long Island, New York? Famous gay friendly tourist destination since the 1940s-? Yes it's a queer movie," they said, sitting up in the stool as if the greater height made their point better, palms braced on the counter, voice a mix of exasperated as well as entertained.
"Oh my god, of fucking course you grew up in a circus too. Are you trying to bribe me with food into behaving? Because it won't work," a pause. "I will eat the popcorn and the nachos though... and maybe more water."
They sat back down - they were starting to feel a little weightless, leaning up like that, and that was dangerous.
He relaxed at Dick's easy acceptance of his admiration of Mr. Darcy's physique. He hadn't expected it to be an issue -his best friend was Roy Harper, after all- but it was nice to see that the topic itself didn't immediate make his brother's skin crawl off. Because any time he'd mentioned anything about possibly liking someone around Bruce, their father had shut it down as quickly as he could. It had been out of protection, but it had still been annoying as hell.
"You know, I did not know about the actual Fire Island. That is a nifty little tidbit that I will be keeping in my back pocket. Maybe drag Roy there next time Kori shatters his heart into a million little pieces. Again." He chuckled, leaning forward to grab the pitcher so he could refill Wren's glass.
"I don't know if I'd call it 'world famous', Dickie. It is pretty good, though. If you make it, I'll eat it. It's one his more useful tricks he kept from the circus. I bet he can't even ride a unicycle anymore." The last was a conspiring stage whisper between him and Wren.
It was nice, just being like this. A nice change of pace from his usual brooding and careful tiptoeing to avoid the half buried landmines of their family.
Dick snorted at Jasonâs comment, the mention of his best friend and ex-lover bringing a fond smile to his face again.
âDonât you think heâd enjoy it either way? Theyâre not monogamous, last I checked.â There was no judgement in his voice about that, either. Love was love, as far as he was concerned, but he still looked from Jason to Wren and back again to see if there was any sort of reaction he could catch.
âI didnât know about the actual fire island either. Did you learn that from a book or something?â There was a little bit of a tease to his voice as he shook out some kernels into a large pot he put on the stove. No one was safe from the teasing, especially not when Jason and Dick were in the same room together. Maybe that was why Jason dropped in, and why Wren accepted Dickâs assistance. He was glad to offer the little bit of respite, if that was the case.
âHey now. I heard that. I can totally still ride a unicycle.â He leaned back against the counter as the pot and kernels heated up, flinging the towel Jason flung at him earlier right back. âNot all tricks have to be useful, you know.â
With a smile, he reached behind Wrenâs ear and emerged with a popcorn kernel between his fingers.
âI think youâre misunderstanding. I never wanted you to behave.â
Wren took mental note of those names - friends from back home? - and snickered at Jason's unicycle comment. They didn't have anything to throw for asking if they read about actual fire island from a book, so they had to settle for making a face at him instead. It pointedly came after the revelation that whoever Roy and Kori were they weren't monogamous. Dick had more varied friends than Wren had originally assumed, but he had been awful chill about anything they'd brought up. It would go to figure that Wren was less an outlier and more par for course.
Then Dick pulled the quarter behind the ear trick -- but with a popcorn kernel. And that damn smile again. Opportunity, though.
With a surprising speed and accuracy - especially given they were drunk - Wren took the kernel from Dick to fling at him.
"That was for asking if I read it in a book."
.................They had, but that was beside the point.
"No, they're not, but if I tell him about it while he's happy, he'll drag me along for the ride." He rolled his eyes, a fond smile stretched wide over his face. He loved Roy. He loved everyone on his team. But a setting like that?
His skin crawled at just the idea. To be fair he didn't like most tourist traps, but he was self aware to admit to himself that he believed some of the common 'queer lifestyle' stereotypes. It wasn't the healthiest mindset, but he wasn't willing to put himself on the line to learn if he was wrong or not. Internalized homophobia? Maybe a little, but he at least faced it head on.
Wren throwing that popcorn kernel back at Dick's face was enough to startle a bark of laughter from him, neatly plucking him from the derailment his mind had threatened and plopping him right back in the here and now.
"Stop flirting and make the popcorn, you show off. Nachos will be done in like...ten minutes. Wren, you wanna leave this idiot and try to find this movie? We can shove his furniture around to make his eye twitch." He flashed Wren a lopsided smile before he was standing up from his stool, stretching a little before heading for the living area. And if he carefully eyed the area to make sure his brother hadn't left a wingding on the coffee table or something else ditzy.
Wren didnât only pull Jason back to the present moment, they saved Dick from going down his own little rabbit hole.
He could see it when Jason would sink into himself like that, the spark in his eye dimming as he started to slide, along whatever thoughts Roy took him down. He wondered what it was. He was about to apologize or dig or both but Dick had looked to the side for no less than a fraction of a secondâs fraction before the kernel was snatched out of his fingers.
âHeyââ
Okay. That was way too slick. Jason was practically falling off his stool laughing after seeing that kernel bounce right off the middle of his forehead between his brows, but Dick wasnât laughing. Dick was busy staring at Wren in a mixture of amazement and awe. Wow. Wow, itâs been a while since anyone snuck anything like that past him. How? The shock melted off his face into a grin, one that lit up his eyes with wonder.
âHuh.â
Then Jason was standing and walking away.
âYeah, Wren, please go supervise so he doesnât turn the place inside out.â He smiled, all teasing fondness as he watched Jason looking around.
Idiot probably thinks Dickâs an idiot who would leave his shit scattered around. No chqnce.
âItâs on the left arm of the sofa. Oneâs the projector. The otherâs the system.â The remotes, he means. He turned back to the popcorn.
He could see what his guests were doing from his perch in the kitchen. Soon, he was pouring popcorn into a big bowl, pulling out some chocolate he kept for occasions such as this, and bringing it all over to Jason and Wrenâs new setup.
âI didnât touch your nachos,â he said, to Jason. âDidnât wanna get blamed if it tastes bad. Figured you had a special way of putting toppings or something on it.â He winked at Jason as he grabbed a kernel of popcorn and put it into his mouth. He held another up.
âHey, Wren. Catch.â And tossed it to Wren in a nice long overhand arc, slow and predictable to see if Wren would do it.
Wren's heart caught in their throat as Dick looked at them like that, unsure of what it could mean, too drunk to parse it. Too drunk to be so very careful as they normally were about being so utterly average. It didn't help that Dick had a way of bringing their less polished self out.
And then Jason had to go and call them out like that. Wren didn't blush subtly - their face went bright red, eyes wide and tongue tied at the denial they knew would just dig them deeper but had a kneejerk need to try anyway --
Right. Getting up and off the stool, ducking their head quickly as if that could hide their redness behind their bangs. A little chance to breathe while helping Jason find the movie - that's the streaming service for it - no, those two are documentaries, it's that one - their face had gotten a bit more under control. They still felt some residual heat there, but nothing that couldn't be passed off because of the alcohol. Honestly that probably was the reason the flush was so bad. Definitely just that. During movie-finding, they'd shed their leather jacket, down to just the old faded Nirvana shirt.
At being told to catch, their eyes barely went to the side before their hand went up to catch the popcorn. They probably could have caught it in their mouth, but they were not doing that after Jason's accusation of flirting. So hand it was before popping the kernel into their mouth rather than throw it back at Dick.
He'd already been planning on getting up and heading to the living room, but then he caught sight of Dick's face and his stomach did a quivery little flip flop and he lost any qualms he had about relocating. It was weird, the things Dick could make him feel. He wasn't sure if he liked it, despite being absolutely certain that he didn't dislike it, either. Roy could do it, too, but that was only after a couple of days of them being stuck in a safehouse together, play fighting and planning and rubbing against each other's edges until Jason finally relaxed enough to let down his guards.
Dick could do it with a fucking smile. It wasn't fair. Especially since that smile was usually aimed at someone else.
By the time that Wren joined him in the living room, Jay had dragged the two fancy assed coffee table things off to the side. He was in the process of single handedly wrangling the loveseat inwards to make the couch a 'U' shape, but the rug kept getting in the way. In the end, he had Wren manage the rug while he manhandled the loveseat into place, giving two people (himself and Wren, he assumed) the two long sides to sprawl comfortably on while the third (Dick, no doubt) stretched between them.
At least that was the idea. But then he remembered that there were going to be snacks and that everyone needed to be able to reach said snacks, so instead of stopping at the 'U' shape, he gave another strong shove until the front of the loveseat met with the side of the lounge. The result was just a big, cushy platform. It would be tight-ish, but the three of them could manage until all the food was gone and then Jay could shove the loveseat back to give them all more space.
Still, he tucked himself into the corner of the lounge, keeping his too long legs crossed to give Wren as much space as they needed to be comfortable as they finally got the system running and Wren guided him to pulling the movie up. He didn't want to make them uncomfortable. They didn't know him, after all, and he was....
...his body was what it needed to be to do the job he needed to do and he could do everything in his power to make those around him as comfortable as he could.
"Nah, you're standing. Just pull it out, slap some crema on it and bring it over. And maybe a towel so it doesn't burn your couch."
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"Ugh, I've heard many a horror story about campus living. I don't blame you for taking Dickface here up on his offer. His couch is amazing to sleep on." He grinned, aiming for something kind and light hearted and hoped that Dick didn't comment on the fine tremble in his shoulders or the fact that he hadn't brushed off his brother's arm yet.
"Trust me, you couldn't say anything too awful to me. Dickie, maybe, but I'm a bit harder to shock. I hope you like nachos, I made a whole pan of them. Umm...baby spice levels cause-" He cut himself off with a broad gesture to Dick, smirking. "But they'll still be pretty tasty."
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"Love you too," he quipped back, an easy smile finding Wren as he patted the surface of the island, silently welcoming them to sit on one of the stools. Then, Dick unwound himself from Jason to get glasses from the cabinets and pull a pitcher of water from the fridge as he returned to the island.
"I wasn't getting on your case, Wren. You don't wanna know what it's actually like to have me on your case." He slid a glass over to Wren, then held out another for Jason. Silently, he gave Jason a once-over, just a hint of concern held in his eyes as he looked for any signs of injury.
"Just ask Jason, he knows." A soft snort before he leaned back against the counter, amusement seeming to replace that concern. "Fair warning, though, Wren's got a reputation back at the precinct. They have an above average BS detector."
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They took the offered glass, taking a long drink and managing a stink-eye at the same time. This was what working on a team had been good for.
"You don't need a particularly good one when it comes to cops, to be fair. It's always bs," they said without hesitation. Only a moment later thinking to ask Jason - "... Are you a cop, too?"
It tended to run in families.
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Just mental ones.
While Wren got settled on the stool, Jay turned to accept his own glass of water, pulling a long drink from it. He had a really bad habit of not taking care of himself when he got into headspaces like the one he was in, so honestly? It was probably the first water he'd drank since he'd stopped for lunch.
Breakfast? The menu had been a breakfast menu, but that didn't mean anything, right?
His drink was interrupted by Wren's question and he coughed hard, twisting to put his face in the sink so that his spit take was at least easier to clean.
"Fucking hell....No!" He wiped at his face with the back of his hand, turning to glare a little at Dick. "Do I look like I'd ever lick boots for a living? My palms aren't near greasy enough, thank you. I'mma be real with you, I try real hard to pretend that he isn't, either. Got me, man?"
It was a sore spot, then. To put it mildly.
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However. However, Jason knew that Dick hated the system just as much, that Dick personally had to face all that corruption from the inside out, yet he still threw him that dirty little look over his shoulder. His smile immediately faded, a crease knitting between his brows as he steadily met that look.
Jason really had Wren to thank that he didn't immediately snap back. All he did was offer Jason a napkin and proceed with refilling their glasses.
"Yeah, our family's not...like that. Jason's adopted. We all are, so everyone has their own way of doing things. And as you can tell, we don't always see eye to eye."
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âThere is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome?" They quoted, glass between their hands and pleased that they managed to remember it even with the vodka.
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His eyes flicked back over to Wren, surprise helping to ease the bad taste the topic left in his mouth. The Austen quote was refreshing, even with the gentle rebuke of his use of 'man'.
"No, our family isn't really like that. In our case, I think you'll find that 'one has got all the goodness,'" He planted a hand against his own chest, a smirk twitching that the corner of his mouth. "'and the other all the appearance of it.'" His hand left his chest to gesture at Dick, and this time the look he gave the older man was one of amusement.
Fight over. For now.
"Sorry about the assumption. Still not in the habit of just asking pronouns. Dick used they/them? Or am I making an ass out of myself again?"
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"Not you, too." He lifted his brows at Wren. Did he have a type or something? The spicy, literary kind? Though perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise, given Wren was a librarian after all. Yet here he was, with not one, but two nerds who would quote Austen in the middle of a very normal conversation.
Dick took Jason's hand, the one out gesturing at him, and smiled, a glint in his eyes as he laced their fingers together.
"Maybe that's your natural disposition, Jay."
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"S'okay, I know most people use like, man, dude, even 'girl' in the gender neutral depending on context, but also that if it's my first time meeting someone I probably should clarify fast just to be safe. Yeah. They/them."
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"You need all the culture you can get, Dickie. You should be grateful. 'Sides, they have good taste. Can't go wrong with Austen." He flashed a grin in Wren's direction before he finally settled onto the offered stool. He was tired and it showed in the slump of his shoulders as he sipped at his water, but he was enjoying the company. Which was strange because he wasn't usually the type to warm up to strangers quickly.
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"Yes, thank you both. What would I ever do without you," he said, though the smile dimmed a little as Jason practically sagged in the stool. He wanted to ask, but with most things Jason related, he knew he shouldn't pry. Just would talk about it when he was ready.
So. He had two sad little puppies sitting side by side in his kitchen and one of them had put a whole tray of nachos in the oven. What was a man to do? He rested both hands on the island, and tipped his head as if in thought.
"Wait, isn't it a movie too or something?" His gaze darted to the couch in the living and back to Jason and Wren, both brows lifting with the suggestion.
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Wren was able to recite those from memory fairly easy, if they had to dig for any other information on the other dozens of film versions they'd need their phone.
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"How are you my brother again? You have no taste, I swear. First you've never read or seen Lord of the Rings and now you're asking if Pride & Prejudice is a movie. It's like you know nothing about my world, Dickhead." But he was grinning as he said it, pale blue eyes bright with mirth as a direct counterpoint to the exhaustion in those broad shoulders. Those eyes flicked over to their company at their suggestion, however, an odd mix of insult and curiosity on his face.
"Hard disagree. The '95 miniseries is the best, hands down. It's literally impossible for something with a two hour run time to do it any justice. That said....what is 'Fire Island'? Never heard of it."
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"Alright, well, I'm the neutral party so unless you two can find a fair and square way to work out what we're watching, I'm flipping a coin." He said this as he turned to the cabinets and pulled out a jar of popcorn kernels.
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Who was the next target.
"You're only saying that because that's the version where Mr Darcy strips and jumps into the lake," Wren accused Jason, voice wry, before pausing. "... Sorry I normally have this argument with people I already know are into men so that's my go-to. Anyway, it is good, probably the more faithful adaptation, but Fire Island manages to update the story to modern times, put its own twist on it, while clearly being a love letter to the source material. Also like every single scene he's in the guy who plays the version of Bingly is basically looking at the movie's Jane like he's some angel descended from heaven. A lot of adaptations can skimp on their chemistry in favor of focusing on Darcy and Elizabeth but you fully believe it's there from 'go' in this one for those two."
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That said, they weren't what most would consider 'close'. As in, they hadn't actually had the 'do you like boys or girls' conversation. It was probably intentional, he knew that his history was in Bruce's file on him, but even so Wren's quip about Colin Firth stripping was on the nose enough that Jason tensed a little through the shoulders. He didn't expect Dick to have an issue with it...but he still flicked a glance over at the older man before he took a soothing breath and feigned nonchalance.
"Yeah, well. What of it?" His grin was a little unsure around the edges, but he hid it well. "Besides, he's still fully clothed. Other than a little nipple through a wet white shirt action, it's perfectly decent." He should know, he'd watched that scene many times. "Wait, you said 'he'. Is this a queer friendly movie? With an actual love story for Bing and Jane? Alright, you have my attention."
The sound of that jar of popcorn kernels caught his attention and he twisted in his seat before throwing the towel from his shoulder at Dick's back.
"We don't need nachos and popcorn, Goldie. Unless you're not planning on eating the nachos. In which case, rude."
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He met his brotherâs gaze when it darted to his face, then looked at Wren, who, bold as they were sober, was even more entertaining now.
Of course Dick had read Jasonâs file, over and over again, which was the reason why so many of these things that he knew about his other friends remained mysteries about Jason. He didnât want to make his brother uncomfortable. Leave it to a stranger to unearth some of it. AndâŚmaybe that was what they needed. The thought rooted, started a little tendril of wonderingâŚbefore a towel flew at his head and Dick snatched it reflexively out of the air.
âOh Iâm eating the nachos alright. You donât make snacks for me often, so of course Iâm eating Nachos. Nachos and popcorn.â
He tipped the kernels side to side, smiling at them both as he leaned onto the island on his elbows.
âI grew up in a circus that had the best popcorn.â He looked at Jason, then Wren. âJason takes it for granted at this point, but Wren, arenât you curious about Halyâs world famous popcorn? Iâm adding variety to our snacks.â
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"Oh my god, of fucking course you grew up in a circus too. Are you trying to bribe me with food into behaving? Because it won't work," a pause. "I will eat the popcorn and the nachos though... and maybe more water."
They sat back down - they were starting to feel a little weightless, leaning up like that, and that was dangerous.
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"You know, I did not know about the actual Fire Island. That is a nifty little tidbit that I will be keeping in my back pocket. Maybe drag Roy there next time Kori shatters his heart into a million little pieces. Again." He chuckled, leaning forward to grab the pitcher so he could refill Wren's glass.
"I don't know if I'd call it 'world famous', Dickie. It is pretty good, though. If you make it, I'll eat it. It's one his more useful tricks he kept from the circus. I bet he can't even ride a unicycle anymore." The last was a conspiring stage whisper between him and Wren.
It was nice, just being like this. A nice change of pace from his usual brooding and careful tiptoeing to avoid the half buried landmines of their family.
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âDonât you think heâd enjoy it either way? Theyâre not monogamous, last I checked.â There was no judgement in his voice about that, either. Love was love, as far as he was concerned, but he still looked from Jason to Wren and back again to see if there was any sort of reaction he could catch.
âI didnât know about the actual fire island either. Did you learn that from a book or something?â There was a little bit of a tease to his voice as he shook out some kernels into a large pot he put on the stove. No one was safe from the teasing, especially not when Jason and Dick were in the same room together. Maybe that was why Jason dropped in, and why Wren accepted Dickâs assistance. He was glad to offer the little bit of respite, if that was the case.
âHey now. I heard that. I can totally still ride a unicycle.â He leaned back against the counter as the pot and kernels heated up, flinging the towel Jason flung at him earlier right back. âNot all tricks have to be useful, you know.â
With a smile, he reached behind Wrenâs ear and emerged with a popcorn kernel between his fingers.
âI think youâre misunderstanding. I never wanted you to behave.â
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Then Dick pulled the quarter behind the ear trick -- but with a popcorn kernel. And that damn smile again. Opportunity, though.
With a surprising speed and accuracy - especially given they were drunk - Wren took the kernel from Dick to fling at him.
"That was for asking if I read it in a book."
.................They had, but that was beside the point.
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His skin crawled at just the idea. To be fair he didn't like most tourist traps, but he was self aware to admit to himself that he believed some of the common 'queer lifestyle' stereotypes. It wasn't the healthiest mindset, but he wasn't willing to put himself on the line to learn if he was wrong or not. Internalized homophobia? Maybe a little, but he at least faced it head on.
Wren throwing that popcorn kernel back at Dick's face was enough to startle a bark of laughter from him, neatly plucking him from the derailment his mind had threatened and plopping him right back in the here and now.
"Stop flirting and make the popcorn, you show off. Nachos will be done in like...ten minutes. Wren, you wanna leave this idiot and try to find this movie? We can shove his furniture around to make his eye twitch." He flashed Wren a lopsided smile before he was standing up from his stool, stretching a little before heading for the living area. And if he carefully eyed the area to make sure his brother hadn't left a wingding on the coffee table or something else ditzy.
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He could see it when Jason would sink into himself like that, the spark in his eye dimming as he started to slide, along whatever thoughts Roy took him down. He wondered what it was. He was about to apologize or dig or both but Dick had looked to the side for no less than a fraction of a secondâs fraction before the kernel was snatched out of his fingers.
âHeyââ
Okay. That was way too slick. Jason was practically falling off his stool laughing after seeing that kernel bounce right off the middle of his forehead between his brows, but Dick wasnât laughing. Dick was busy staring at Wren in a mixture of amazement and awe. Wow. Wow, itâs been a while since anyone snuck anything like that past him. How? The shock melted off his face into a grin, one that lit up his eyes with wonder.
âHuh.â
Then Jason was standing and walking away.
âYeah, Wren, please go supervise so he doesnât turn the place inside out.â He smiled, all teasing fondness as he watched Jason looking around.
Idiot probably thinks Dickâs an idiot who would leave his shit scattered around. No chqnce.
âItâs on the left arm of the sofa. Oneâs the projector. The otherâs the system.â The remotes, he means. He turned back to the popcorn.
He could see what his guests were doing from his perch in the kitchen. Soon, he was pouring popcorn into a big bowl, pulling out some chocolate he kept for occasions such as this, and bringing it all over to Jason and Wrenâs new setup.
âI didnât touch your nachos,â he said, to Jason. âDidnât wanna get blamed if it tastes bad. Figured you had a special way of putting toppings or something on it.â He winked at Jason as he grabbed a kernel of popcorn and put it into his mouth. He held another up.
âHey, Wren. Catch.â And tossed it to Wren in a nice long overhand arc, slow and predictable to see if Wren would do it.
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And then Jason had to go and call them out like that. Wren didn't blush subtly - their face went bright red, eyes wide and tongue tied at the denial they knew would just dig them deeper but had a kneejerk need to try anyway --
Right. Getting up and off the stool, ducking their head quickly as if that could hide their redness behind their bangs. A little chance to breathe while helping Jason find the movie - that's the streaming service for it - no, those two are documentaries, it's that one - their face had gotten a bit more under control. They still felt some residual heat there, but nothing that couldn't be passed off because of the alcohol. Honestly that probably was the reason the flush was so bad. Definitely just that. During movie-finding, they'd shed their leather jacket, down to just the old faded Nirvana shirt.
At being told to catch, their eyes barely went to the side before their hand went up to catch the popcorn. They probably could have caught it in their mouth, but they were not doing that after Jason's accusation of flirting. So hand it was before popping the kernel into their mouth rather than throw it back at Dick.
"... Okay, it's good."
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Dick could do it with a fucking smile. It wasn't fair. Especially since that smile was usually aimed at someone else.
By the time that Wren joined him in the living room, Jay had dragged the two fancy assed coffee table things off to the side. He was in the process of single handedly wrangling the loveseat inwards to make the couch a 'U' shape, but the rug kept getting in the way. In the end, he had Wren manage the rug while he manhandled the loveseat into place, giving two people (himself and Wren, he assumed) the two long sides to sprawl comfortably on while the third (Dick, no doubt) stretched between them.
At least that was the idea. But then he remembered that there were going to be snacks and that everyone needed to be able to reach said snacks, so instead of stopping at the 'U' shape, he gave another strong shove until the front of the loveseat met with the side of the lounge. The result was just a big, cushy platform. It would be tight-ish, but the three of them could manage until all the food was gone and then Jay could shove the loveseat back to give them all more space.
Still, he tucked himself into the corner of the lounge, keeping his too long legs crossed to give Wren as much space as they needed to be comfortable as they finally got the system running and Wren guided him to pulling the movie up. He didn't want to make them uncomfortable. They didn't know him, after all, and he was....
...his body was what it needed to be to do the job he needed to do and he could do everything in his power to make those around him as comfortable as he could.
"Nah, you're standing. Just pull it out, slap some crema on it and bring it over. And maybe a towel so it doesn't burn your couch."
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