Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jason knew enough about his family. He knew secrets that others would struggle to find out, and he knew reactions that they tried to muffle. 

Like how Tim hated it when anyone touched his shoulders, he hid it well enough, especially in regards to Bruce, but Jason noticed how Damian despised it when others came from behind him. As vigilantis none of them did, but the Demon Brat had a special hatred for it. Like how Cas placed herself in between the person she was talking to and any small holding space, whether it be cabinets or desks. 

He knew that Roy didn’t like needles, even the normal pain reliever needles were a struggle for the redhead. Roy never let it show though. Jason has only been able to see the small flicker of panic during a rushed raid when the redhead had a concussion and was in no place to hide any emotion. 

The man was currently reclined on a couch, in the middle of the living room in the manor, like he owned it. His laptop rested on his knees, connected to the TV in front of them both. 

Jason would admit that he was curious, it came from an offhand comment that Roy made the other day. 

“It's like Bruce has never seen me hold a gun before” Jason seethed after a fight with the bat. 

“ Considering the Bat had seen you hold a gun at 13, I very well doubt that” the redhead snorted. 

Normally that comment wouldn’t have bothered him. But Jason does not remember holding a gun before the League. 

This leads to Roy pulling up some old Titans pictures or attempting to. He kept entering folder after folder but never got the timeline right. 

Jason wanted to know more about some of the folders that showed up. Particularly about one that showed a very drunk Roy and Dixie with a guitar in between them that made Roy choke before closing out of the tab in seconds. 

Sometimes Jason forgot that his best friend and adoptive sister used to be friends. Most times it was impossible to forget. It was something that was glaringly obvious whenever they were in the same room. 

It was in the way everyone else seemed surprised whenever they started a conversation, except those who truly knew them. Family, Wally, Donna. It was in the way Roy intently clocked in whenever Dixie entered a room, one eye always following her. It was in the way Dick relaxed when Roy spoke. 

Roy's exclamation brought Jason from his thoughts. Jason looked at his friend who was grinning at the screen before looking up at the TV. 

It was a simple picture, Jason looking 13 in his Robin costume minus the domino. An older Dixie was draped over him from behind, landing a kiss on a disgruntled Jason's cheek. The next picture automatically replaces the last. Now the two were grinning at each other, Jason was looking up at Dixie, a shit-eating grin on his face, while the older girl had her head titled up in laughter. 

When was the last time he had seen Dixie laugh like that? He could think of the grins she would share with Tim, the chuckles with Wally, and the snorts of laughter whenever Jason or Steph would do something crazy. But he couldn’t remember Dixie ever laughing like in this picture. 

“ Is that Todd in my mantle?” a voice sounded out from behind him. Jason looked over at Damian and Tim, who were under concussion supervision, both of whom were looking at the screen. 

“Not your mantle kid, you're the 5th one” Jason rolled his eyes, Damian opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the picture changed on the screen again. 

Jason looked over at the picture, wondering what shut up the Demon Brat, but almost choked on his thought. 

The picture still had a younger Dixie and Jason, but now another man had joined them. He was unfamiliar, looked 2 or so years older than Dixie, and had spiky light brown hair. But that wasn’t the shocking part. His eyes were a Lazarus Pit green, he leaned against the couch in Titans Tower smirking at Dixie, who was clearly rolling her eyes at him. The younger Jason was practically jumping up and down at the sight of the guy. 

“ Whose that?” Tim asked as he took a seat on an adjacent couch. Roy looked at them confused. 

“ … You guys don't know him?” The redhead asked cautiously. 

“ Obviously” Damian drawled. 

“ Jason? You don't remember Grant?” Roy asked again. 

Grant. The name rang something in Jason’s head. He looked at the picture one more time, focusing on the man. 

Jason tried to remember something, about the man's hair, eyes, smirk. But it wasn’t until the next picture that Jason remembered anything. 

Grant was closer this time, he had one hand on Dixie’s waist and another covering Jason’s eyes, as he kissed the younger Dixie on the lips. The younger version of his sister looked amused, whether, at Grant or the indigent look on the younger Jason’s face, he didn’t know. 

“ How’s the family” Jason could hear a 17-year-old Dixie ask. 

“ Wondering when you’re going to have enough free time to visit” Grant joked, he smelled like gunpowder and grass as he ran a hand through Jason’s hair. Dixie’s laugh was the only response they got. 

Jason left the flashbacks at the sound of both his brother's indigent screeching. 

“ Who dares..” Damian's eyes glowed deeper than the pits as he snarled. 

“ Yeah Jason reacted just like that, and he liked Grant” Roy laughed. 

The next picture took place in another scene. Dixie was sparing with a young girl, looking around the age of 12. Grant was hunched over a table, a dismantled gun laid out, as he seemingly explained each part to a fascinated Jason. 

The next picture had Jason being shown to point the gun. Matching vicious grins on both the boy's faces. Jason had ear muffs and eye protection on, and Grant didn't. 

The final picture had Grant and Dixie as the centerpiece. Dixie was fiercely grinning up to the boy, who was slumped over just enough so they could look in their eyes. He had a shit-eating grin on his face, probably noting the height difference between the two. 

Dixie was far from tall after all, an acrobat's body was more fit to flips than tallness. The terrifying woman, who could most likely put most men on the ground barely scraped by 5’4. Meanwhile, Grant seemed well over 6 feet in height. 

Jason was startled when Roy let out a delighted laugh at this picture. He didn’t have time to question his friend's laughter before Roy connected his phone to the TV and scrolled through a new set of pictures before landing on one. 

It was an older Dixie and Grant. 

The picture was recent, and Dixie was more recognizable. She looks identical to the one Jason saw yesterday. She was still staring up at Grant, clearly teasing the man, hands on her hips and eyes gleaming. Grant was still slumped over to look at Dixie in the eyes, fondness evident in his eyes. They were in the same positions as the picture. 

“ Jesus, five years and they look identical” Roy muttered. 

And he was right, beside the hair, which Dixie had grown out and Grant had learned to slick back, both of them still looked like teenagers. 

“ Well that makes sense doesn't it” Tim spoke up. 

“ Dixie’s only 22” The statement stuck with Jason, and he knew it struck Damian too. Because Dixie was always there. Older, with the wisdom of someone who lived a complete life. Jason knew that Damian sometimes slipped, and referred to Dixie as his mom, never in front of the women, but in front of several members of the family. And to Jason Dixie always had everything together in a way that made hardship seem impossible. Hearing that she was only 22 stuck something wrong. 

It seemingly struck Roy in a different way. 

“ Jesus she’s already 22 isn’t she,” the man said fondly. 

“ 15 years go by quickly don't they”