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The old girders of the monorail creaked and groaned as the shuttle rattled passed - flecks of paint and dust falling from the rusted metal and drifting to the concrete pavement below. Fluorescent lights from the railline's carts cast flashing shapes on the red brick of the street’s aging buildings and steam rose from the roadside sewer vents.
Tim was folded snugly against the fire escape railing of a long empty apartment building, camera clutched against his chest in tight little hands while large blue eyes stayed fixed on the streetlamp that flickered and faded halfway down the street. He was thankful it was a warm night, unclear as to how long he had been waiting there - though the dynamic duo had been a no-show, despite how sure he had been that he’d gotten the patrol route right this time.
“You got any place ta go, kid?” The voice was silky smooth and so sudden Tim couldn’t hold back his squeak of surprise - bolting up from his seat on the metal grate of the fire escape to spin around and face-
Catwoman?
“Oops! Sorry, sweetheart, didn’t mean to scare you.” she smiled, pearly white teeth seeming to glow in the pale light of the streetlamps. “Can’t be from round here if you're jumping like that. And a camera that fancy’s gotta mean mommy and daddy've got money, yeah?”
Tim clutched his camera a little tighter instinctively, though of course he knew he had nothing to fear from Catwoman. He had been watching Batman long enough to know the woman’s identity and motives - she may technically be a villain, but she was far from being a bad guy.
“Y-yes, ma’am.” he stuttered out, unsure as to what exactly he was agreeing to, but figuring it would be best to remain polite and unobtrusive. If he could help coming off as something memorable to her, then Catwoman would be less likely to tell Batman.
“Aww, you’re polite, too. Where’d you come from, kitten? Pretty little girls like yourself shouldn’t be alone in places like this - especially at night.” Selina took a graceful step down from the metal railing she had been perched on, bending slightly at the waist as she looked down at Tim, smile still present.
“I’m not a girl! I’m a boy and I’m fine on my own.” Tim argued, brows furrowing though he managed to keep his voice from raising.
“Oh? You should take to keeping that to yourself, kitten - never know when it could come in useful, you hear?” Selina crouched down, leveling herself with Tim’s small frame. “Now why don’t we get you home, sweetheart? I've got a friend I know is around here somewhere that’d be happy to take you back.”
“You mean Batman?” Tim questioned immediately, storing Selina’s little tip away to think about another time. “No, you can’t! If he takes me home he’ll find out we’re neighbours and keep an eye out for-” But the little hand that Tim clapped over his own mouth was too late to keep the stupidity in.
Selina’s expression was a mix of bewildered and amused - clearly caught between laughing at this little kid that was apparently convinced he was Batman’s neighbour and being concerned that someone so dim-witted was on their own so late at night.
“Neighbours?” she repeated after a moment, a soft laugh in her voice - so clear that she didn’t believe him. “You're Batman’s neighbour, are you?”
Tim had no doubt now that he had definitely made himself into someone worth telling a story about, even if only as a joke. The problem was, Tim also knew the Batman was paranoid enough to look into a story like ‘I found a kid that thought he knew where you lived’. He would end up working out who Tim was, no doubt - end up discovering Tim’s nightly habits and report him to the police to keep an eye out for - or worse, his parents.
Which meant Tim had a choice - play dumb and try to convince Selina he really was a stupid kid, or tell her the whole story and try to convince her not to tell Batman. And Tim knew he wasn’t a liar past telling whichever nanny had bothered to stay late that yes, he was going to bed to get an early night before school tomorrow.
And, secretly, there was a small part of Tim that possibly saw this as a step into the world that he had watched from afar for years now - a step that even he couldn’t admit he wanted to take yet.
Tim had sat with Selina on that old metal fire escape well into the early hours of the morning - far later than Tim usually stayed out. Explaining himself to Catwoman had been difficult at first, struggling around words and his own jumble of thoughts in an attempt to convince her quickly that he was fine being alone and had no interest in revealing any of Gotham’s nightlife’s secret identities.
He had explained how he’d worked out both Batman and Robin’s identities, how he’d taken to spending his evenings following them about the city - and then his nights on the weekends and then almost all of his spare time. He explained how he’d been finding so many places to hide around Gotham and ways to travel around safely.
“Cats?” Selina had questioned as he’d been explaining, Tim taking a second to realise why that had piqued her interest.
“Yeah, there’s so many strays around and they all have their own little pathways around the city. Over the top of alley walls and window ledges and building’s box fans - most people are too heavy or big to take their paths, but I’m still small enough to follow them.” And it was something Tim had been so proud of himself for but had never been able to tell anyone. He had once spent an entire week following alley cats around to map out the little shortcuts around the city most humans could never get to. Selina hummed in acknowledgement, though didn’t comment.
In the end, Tim agreed to allow Selina to escort him through the more dangerous parts of Gotham before letting him find his own way home. After leaving him at a crossroads beside the construction site of a new supermarket, Selina watched as Tim scaled a set of industrial sized air vents and up onto the metal awning of a Chinese kitchen next door before disappearing over an alleyway wall. She hummed, getting the feeling it wouldn’t be the last time she saw that boy.
---
Through the years Tim continued to chase after Batman and Robin, he began to meet Selina more and more frequently. At first, it had been more coincidence than anything else - either Tim popping out from one of his little hiding places when he spotted Catwoman moving not too far from him over the skyline or Selina taking a moment to do a quick scan of the area after she had a run in with Batman - as she had quickly learnt that wherever the Dark Knight would patrol, his biggest fan was often not far behind.
Selina would often stop to keep Tim company for a while - providing she wasn’t too busy - and they quickly found they could talk to each other for hours, if they chose to. Selina had treated him a little like a child at first, but had quickly come to learn that Tim was much smarter than he had any right to be at his age. Tim understood things most kids had no hope of even thinking of - understood Selina’s own motives and lifestyle far better than even Batman seemed to.
One night, Tim had told Selina about an event being held at the Gotham Museum - a showcasing of some new artefacts from Egypt that were owned by his own parents. Selina knew exactly what Tim had been suggesting - that said artefacts could be hers quite easily if she chose to take them. Selina had decided then that she liked little Timmy even more than she’d first thought.
After that, their meetups became more frequent and scheduled - Tim would let Selina in on whatever news he could get from the socialite’s circles in Gotham and Selina would spend time with Tim that she knew all too well he got from no one else.
Selina had never had any thoughts of being a mother - though she figured that if Tim would be sticking around in her life like he seemed to be, she could at least do better than his real mother had.
The first time Selina had brought Tim over to her apartment, the kid had simply lay on the floor and let her cats lay with him. Selina had left him there for hours - baffled by the sheer joy Tim seemed to feel at receiving so much affection at once.
The second time Tim came over, she agreed to teach him a little more of the self defense training she had let him in on months ago. The time after that, Tim began to learn a little more about the ins and outs of how Selina did what she did and before long Selina finally decided a proper decision needed to be made.
“Kitten, are you sure about this?” she asked as little Tim did his stretches on the mat she had set out in the main room. They had agreed to another round of training - this time a little less defensive and a little more offensive in nature. “Do you want me to start training you properly?”
At the question, Tim had beamed a dazzling smile at the woman that sat on the mat beside him.
“More than anything, Selina!” he cheered, more excited than Selina had ever seen him before. Well, it wasn’t as though she could go back on it now.
“Alright then, Kitten, we’ll do this properly, yeah? But that don’t mean I’m taking you out on the streets for years, yeah?”
“Doubting your own training already, hm?” Tim asked cheekily, giggling when Selina reached over to pinch his leg lightly through his leggings. She smiled, figuring that if she would ever take anyone under her wing, it would be Tim.
---
The first time Tim met Nightwing, it had taken the younger an embarrassing few seconds to figure out exactly who it was behind the new mask. Of course, that was mostly because he had been busy training in Europe and Asia with the baddest of the bad for the past three years while Dick had apparently left the Robin mantle behind - but, whatever. It wasn’t too difficult to place the natural playboy smirk or perky bum Tim had grown up watching - despite it now being clad in skintight blue rather than bright green.
Nightwing had Tim pinned against his body, arms clamped tight at his sides and hoisted into the air so the younger’s boots couldn’t even touch the concrete of the roof they were on. Tim wriggled, embarrassed that he had been caught so quickly despite all his training - though, this was still one of his first times out in the field, so he figured he could be forgiven.
“Let go, you dick!” Tim snarled, continuing to wriggle in Nightwing’s grip and using the insult he knew would be a little too close to home to make the elder vigilante stutter for just a second long enough for Tim to break free.
“Well, who’s this?” Nightwing asked, voice much deeper than Tim remembered as he quickly regained his cool - following after the younger to snatch Tim’s wrist, keeping him from taking off again. Tim let him. “Did Catwoman have a litter?”
It was obviously meant to at least partially be a joke - though clearly Nightwing hadn’t been expecting Tim to actually be affiliated with the same cat Batman had been chasing around for years. Tim smirked,
“Something like that, yeah. Call me Kitten.” And he was half tempted to take something from Selina’s book - copy the whole sway of hips or sultry voice. But he was realistic enough to accept that at the young age of eleven it would never have the same effect.
“Seriously? You’re actually Catwoman’s?” Nightwing seemed baffled, mouth hanging open a little and eyes wide and that deep blue behind the domino. “I never thought she’d take someone on, let alone a kid - and what’s with ‘Kitten’? No Catboy or something?”
“Say’s the one that used to be named after a garden bird. Should have kept up with the theme and called yourself Blue Tit with that costume.” Tim huffed back immediately, taking full offense to the jab at the name he had enjoyed picking out with Selina.
Kitten was a cute name, and with Tim still being small and generally not looking as though he could bare much of a threat he would be underestimated easily - something he planned to use to his advantage as much as possible.
And, maybe sultry wasn’t really in his range of abilities yet, but sassy should have been his middle name. He watched with satisfaction as Nightwing took a moment to look down at himself and the obnoxious disco that was his suit before turning back to Kitten to address the matter at hand.
“You know I was Robin?” He asked, surprised - because apparently he still hadn’t learnt the art of subtlety without Batman to rein him in anymore. The smirk that crawled onto Tim’s lips wasn’t even an act, because throwing Nightwing for a loop was fun.
“Among other things,” he answered, before jerking the arm Nightwing still had a grasp on out to the side, the elder stumbling slightly with the unexpected movement and Kitten took the opportunity to kick out at the back of his knees, using the buckling motion it caused to yank his wrist from Nightwing’s hold and ram his shoulder into the elder’s back.
Tim took a second to watch Dick stumble forward into an air vent before using his new bō to vault off of the rooftop with a giggle, landing on the metal awning of an office building adjacent in the alleyway below with barely a sound - slinking away into the shadows of a cat’s path along a wall between buildings.
Nightwing passed over head not seconds later, chasing after a kid vigilante he wouldn’t find.
___
It wasn’t until almost a month later that Tim met the new Robin. He’d joined Selina on a simple heist of the Gotham Art Gallery that was showcasing some sculptures it certainly shouldn’t be in possession of. The heist had gone smoothly - both himself and Selina having gotten out without tripping any of the alarms and making it all the way to the safehouse they’d chosen to keep the stolen art in until they organised transportation for it.
Selina had already scaled the fire escape of the safehouse back up onto the roof and Tim was barely a step behind her - flipping up from the metal railing and over the rooftop ledge, only to come face to face with both Nightwing and a slightly skinnier version of Nightwing’s younger self.
“Hey, kids,” Selina greeted cheerily, as if this was simply a coincidental run in and they hadn’t both just committed a crime. “Bats not around?”
“Not tonight, Cat.” Nightwing answered, his voice holding none of the semi-friendly cheer it usually did when talking to Selina - who was essentially an old friend to him at that point. “Just me and Robin tonight.”
“Robin?” Tim couldn’t help but repeat, arms folded as he raised an eyebrow at the new Boy Wonder stood before him. Because that wasn’t right - Dick was Robin, even if he hadn’t been in the scaley pants for a year or two now, the Robin name simply wasn’t something to be passed over. It was sacred. It was what lead Tim to be Kitten, what had paved the way for his life. There shouldn’t be another Robin.
Tim also didn’t like that the new recruit was clearly older than him and definitely taller - though by the look he was given in return to his unfriendly glaring, Robin didn’t much like him, either.
“You ain't met the new Robin yet, Kitten?” Selina asked, unbothered by the obvious tension between the two youngest, “He ain’t as chatty as the old one, but that’s probably a good thing.”
“Oi,” Nightwing huffed, brows drawn together at the insult. “Let’s just get this over with - give us back the artwork and we’ll let you go.”
“We will?” Robin questioned, seemingly a little put off by how easily the cats were always let off.
“Sorry, Wing, you know we’ll never agree to that.” Selina hummed, throwing her hands up in a shrug, “Now if you’ll excuse us, we gotta be on our way.” And with that, she leapt from the rooftop - Tim only a moment behind her, immediately dropping down from Selina’s path into an alleyway. Nightwing followed Catwoman overhead, which meant Robin was probably on his tail somewhere behind Tim.
The alleyway let out to a small carpark behind a few sidestreet takeaways. Tim vaulted up onto the box vent of one with his bō, hearing Robin drop down into the alleyway behind him as he hopped up onto the next vent and disappeared behind the gated walls of one of the restaurant’s loading docks. He stayed silent, listening to Robin lurking about in the carpark as he probably attempted to work out where exactly Kitten had gone.
Tim smirked as he made his way over the restaurant’s bins and back onto the street front, knowing that his escape routes were one way he would always have an advantage over the Bats. There was a reason Selina was jealous of them.
---
It was an unusually quiet night in Gotham, and Tim wasn’t even entirely sure why he was out as Kitten - as he had neither work with Selina nor research of his own to do. He sighed, kicking his legs against the redbrick of the office flats he sat atop - feeling the stone crumble a little beneath where his boots scuffed the wall and watching as the dust fell to the street below.
He wasn’t far from the street he had first met Selina on almost eight years ago in one of the most run down parts of Gotham. He listened to the monorail shuttle run passed a few streets over - the sound of the aging cart on its tracks fading out to a police siren somewhere over on the Upper East Side.
“Better call a shelter up, I think I found a stray.” Tim had heard Jason land on the roof behind him but hadn’t particularly felt like greeting the elder.
“What’d you want, Jay?” he asked instead of returning the banter as he usually would.
“Uh oh, someone ain’t happy. What’s up?” Tim didn’t bother looking at Jason as the elder hopped down to sit beside him on the rooftop, knocking his leg against the younger’s in an effort to get him to talk.
“It’s private.” he only mumbled.
“Private like ‘I don’t wanna talk to you’ or private like ‘it's about my secret identity that I still ain’t telling you despite knowinh who your whole family is’?” Jason pressed.
“It’s to do with my identity.” Tim allowed after a moment, drawing in a deep breath before adding, “there was a death… in the- in the family. Well, two really.”
“Like... your parents?” Jason asked after a moment, suddenly more careful about his words now that he knew Kitten had a good reason to not be in the mood for joking.
“Yeah,” Tim agreed, voice quiet, “like my parents.”
“Were you close with them? I kind of assumed you didn’t have any, since you're always with Selina.”
“I wasn’t, I hardly ever saw them. I think that’s what I’m more upset about - not that they’re gone, but that I never knew them, you know? I wonder if I’d have ever actually liked them if I’d have known anything about them other than their jobs and how much time they didn’t have for me.” Tim kicked at the building beneath him again and more dust fell to the street below.
“I always kind of figured some people were just never meant to be parents. I’d say we’re probably both lucky we managed to find someone that’ll raise us properly before we grew up too much.” Jason hummed, reaching out to wrap a hesitant arm around Kitten’s slim shoulders.
“That’s very philosophical of you.” Tim mused, allowing himself to lean in to Jason’s side just a little. They had grown close over the two years that Jason had been Robin, but were rarely physically so and as such he felt a little awkward, but couldn’t deny that the elder’s touch was comforting.
Selina had attempted to console him earlier that day, but had given up when nothing she said made any difference to Tim’s mood. She had offered her presence to Tim instead, sitting with him through the evening until he had said he wanted to go out to clear his head a little. Selina had pressed a kiss to his cheek and warned him not to do anything reckless with a smile.
“What time is it?” Tim asked after a few minutes had passed in quiet - or as close to quiet as Gotham could ever become.
“I dunno, I got some kid on the arm I wear my watch on.” Jason sighed in a reply, gesturing to where his arm was curled around Tim with a nod of his head.
“You can’t call me a kid, there’s only a few years between us!” Tim huffed, smacking Jason’s chest lightly.
“How many years?”
“Nice try, Jay.” Tim deadpanned, unimpressed by the elder’s constant attempts to get some details on Tim from the younger.
“It's late, anyway. I was just finishing my patrol when I found you.”
“Oh, Batman let you out on your own again? Guess you’re a big boy now.” Tim teased, smiling cheekily.
“I think he’s gonna try to get me to join the Titans soon. He wants me to be a bit more independent before he does, though.” Jason continued, ignoring Tim’s taunts.
“Will you?”
“Nah - I ain’t even a team player, let alone a team leader. Can’t imagine they’d be doing anything but comparing me to Dickie, anyway.”
“Don’t then. I like you better as a humble little Gotham-only Robin, anyway.”
“Aw, Kitten, you like me?” Jason grinned, dragging Tim closer to him to squeeze the younger in a tight hug.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jay.” Tim couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re nothing special.”
---
The night air was chill as the year grew old - the days growing shorter and the leaves turning their warm hues before they died off. Kitten had been watching Jason for almost half an hour, seated on the stone railing of the manor’s veranda as he ripped apart the leaves he caught as they fluttered passed in the breeze.
“Little bird’s not in the mood for a party?” Kitten greeted the elder when he finally decided to make himself known. Jason startled, clearly not having been expecting to be snuck up on in his own home.
“Kitten! What the fuck are you doing here? Are you robbing our house now?” the teen huffed, brows furrowed as Tim crawled down from the roof of the veranda.
“Don’t be daft - Selina’s just pickpocketing some of your guests that we don’t like. Have you not seen her around? She was probably flirting with Bruce at some point.” the younger hummed, perching on the stone railing beside Jason.
“I’ve hardly been in. Dickie’s here being the Wayne kids’ representative for tonight, so no one’s really noticed that I’m not there.”
“Aw, I’d notice.” Tim hummed, leaning in a little closer to Jason with a flirty smile. While not quite an adult yet, Kitten was certainly old enough for his sweet talking to work on the younger teens of the superhero community - though he saved most of his talent for Jason.
“Yeah, well, ain’t you just a cutie.” Jason replied sarcastically, clearly either not believing Tim or simply not being impressed. Tim hoped it was the latter.
“If I had a dollar for every time someone said that I’d never have to steal again.” Tim giggled, arching back to hang off the railing slightly, getting a good view of the hazy autumn moon and the vast gardens of Wayne manor.
“What? Who else calls you cute?”
Kitten laughed again, figuring it would be best not to tell Jason that one of the main people he was thinking of was the elder’s own brother.
“You jealous, Jay?” he asked instead, pulling himself up straight again before leaning forward into Jason’s space. He didn’t miss the slight heat to the elder’s cheeks nor did he miss how Jason’s blue eyes wouldn’t meet his own properly. Tim grinned, “That’s okay, you can have me.”
“I- uh, what?” Jason stumbled over his own words - either not understanding or not wanting to misunderstand Tim’s meaning.
“But you’ve got to do something for me, first.” Tim hummed, not leaving Jason’s personal bubble.
“What?” Jason asked again, swallowing audibly. Tim suppressed his laughter, knowing that the moment would be ruined if he let out a single giggle.
“Go back into the party and steal Dick’s watch.”
“His watch? The fuck would you want his watch for? There’s plenty of better-” Kitten giggled, clasping a gloved hand over his mouth in an attempt to suppress his laughter. “You're joking, you little shit!” Jason snapped, though Tim could tell he wasn’t really angry, despite how the elder nearly pushed him off the railing and down two floors in his effort to get the younger out of his personal space.
It was fine - Jason knew Kitten would land on his feet.
“Of course, Jay, I’m distracting you so you don’t go telling Bruce and Dick I’m here.” Kitten replied honestly, though he was still laughing. It hadn’t even been a good joke - barely a joke at all - but Jason had just looked so serious about it.
“You really looked like you were going to do it, as well.” Tim giggled, “Aw, Jay, you’re so sweet.”
“Back off, you damn stray, I ain’t doing shit for you.” the elder huffed, cheeks red with embarrassment.
Tim was about to reply when a sharp whistle caught his attention, and he turned to find Selina on the roof of the main building of Wayne manor, waving him over with a grin. She was dressed in a gorgeous dark, rich green suit with a sleek blazer and fitted trousers - an outfit Tim had helped her pick out on a very lengthy shopping trip they had taken after a particularly lucrative heist. There was a stylish bag slung over her shoulder that was definitely more full than when she had gone in. Kitten waved back.
“Gotta go, Jay,” he hummed, turning back to the teen that watched as Selina disappeared over the other side of the house and towards the wooded part of the manor grounds. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Yeah, whatever, kitty-cat. Do what you gotta do.” Jason huffed, turning as if to head back inside with a non committal wave. Tim frowned - perhaps he’d hurt Jason’s feelings a little too much.
He grasped Jason’s shoulder before the elder could get out of his reach - tugging him back over before spinning him around to face Kitten again.
“Jay,” the younger hummed after a second of studying Jason’s face - reaching forward to grab the elder’s tie and yank him into Tim and pressing a kiss to his lips. Jason stayed frozen, not reacting to the kiss at all despite how simple it was. Tim pulled away after a moment, smirking at Jason’s shocked face and pink cheeks. “Maybe I wasn’t entirely joking about being yours.” he suggested, “Maybe.”
And before Jason could muster up a reply, Tim scaled back up one of the pillars of the balcony, flipping up onto the roof and following after Selina - disappearing into the night.
“Fuck.” Jason cursed to the quiet night long after Kitten had gone, “What is it with Bats and falling for cats?”
---
Tim had been busy in Korea when the news of Jason Todd’s death was released. Of course, he already new about Robin - had provided Batman with the information to begin the chase to Ethiopia when Jason had first taken off after his mother. But to watch a translated news report on the box television in his apartment in Seoul was painful.
Because, it had been him that Batman had turned to in a hurry to know exactly what was going on - knowing that no matter what was happening, Kitten would have the full story for a price. A price that Batman hadn’t been willing to meet at first, so Tim had withheld the information.
He hadn’t been worried about Jason - he knew Robin could handle himself - and so nor had he been in a rush to tell the Batman his friend’s secrets for a price he didn’t like. And because of that, Bruce had been too late. Because he’d been too greedy with collecting debts from the Batman, Jason Todd was dead. That was on Tim.
He’d killed Robin.
He’d killed Jason.
Tim had disappeared from Gotham as soon as he’d caught wind of what had happened overseas - running off to Korea to continue his work on his information network. He was scheduled for Romania next week and then Italy after that - anywhere that wasn’t Gotham. He couldn’t face Batman or Nightwing or Batgirl knowing that their loss was his fault.
Selina had called only a few days before, sounding teary and tired - practically begging him to come back home, telling him that no one blamed him, that she missed him. All he’d been able to say was he’d think it over, despite knowing he wouldn’t be returning for a long time.
---
When the Red Hood had first shown up in Gotham there had been confusion between both vigilantes and villains alike as to which side the new mask was on - not long after, a bloody duffle bag of heads became a common point of conversation and no more questions were asked.
The Red Hood had built his empire in crime - commanded the respect and fear of criminals in Gotham and then promptly destroyed everything he had spent the last two years creating. Suddenly, the thugs that had worked beneath the Red Hood’s name no longer receive their pay and the mask himself was more often seen at the sides of the Bats than he was in the dirty streets that he still technically owned.
Criminals still feared the Red Hood and were always hesitant to cross him in ways they never had been with the Bats - though a large part of that was due to the Hood’s choice of weaponry usually doing much more painful and permanent damage than the other’s did - even if he no longer killed.
Also, there was another new Robin - because apparently the Bats could never have enough Robins.
Tim had learnt all the details before he’d even planned his return to Gotham, ensuring his name would be spread about the city’s streets once again - though he knew he’d never been forgotten. Even if Kitten himself hadn’t stepped foot in Gotham for many years, his information trade was still as lively and lucrative as ever.
Tim’s first night back in Gotham had been silent. A simple chance for him to run through the streets and down the alleys - relearn where his feet should be as he pounced from a metal awning to an alley wall and test which cat paths he still fit down.
He’d been making a circle between the Giordano Botanical Gardens and Newtown, swinging between the metal girders of the monorail tracks and distracting himself from the memories the city held when something collided with him - knocking him off balance and sending him falling from the high beams to the concrete floor below.
Tim didn’t make a sound, releasing his bō in hopes of catching himself on one of the girders as he fell - praying he could avoid breaking every bone he had on only his first night back. A dark figure moved closer to him in the air, and before Tim could even fully register who exactly had snuck up on him so easily, Nightwing had an arm around his waist, holding Tim close as they swung on his grapple line up to one of the higher girders.
“Robin!” Dick curse immediately, turning to where a smaller figure was crouched on one of the beams across from them, watching. “I told you not to engage.”
There was very little room for two people on the metal girders, so Nightwing’s hold on Tim didn’t budge, keeping the younger pressed close to him. Tim dismantled his bō with a flick of his wrist, sliding it back into the holster at his thigh, watching as Damian Wayne frowned - clearly not a fan of being told off. The new Robin had a lot of attitude, Tim had been told.
“Tt, they should work on their balance.” was the only reply Dick received, though he seemed satisfied with that much.
“You’re back.” the elder began, turning his attention back to Tim.
“Home sweet home.” Tim mused sarcastically, knocking a chip of rusted metal and peeling paint from the girder beside his foot.
“Where have you been this whole time? We were all worried sick when you suddenly disappeared and Cat wouldn’t say a thing.” Dick continued, ignoring Robin’s huff from behind him.
“I asked her not to, I didn’t want you following me. And as to where I’ve been, I guess you could say everywhere. My network runs over more than half of the world now - why do you think you Bats always get what you ask for when you look further afield for information?”
“Nightwing, you know this person?” Robin interrupted with a sneer, brow creased angrily and clearly wanting Dick’s attention back on him.
“Robin, be nice - Kitten’s a friend.” Nightwing chided, seemingly mostly unbothered by Robin’s sour attitude - though it seemed that Dick was also suddenly a little distracted by how closely he was still holding Tim. Kitten smirked, arching his back ever so slightly - pleased that now he could mimic Selina’s sultry act and actually have it work. Damian scoffed.
“Kitten?” he asked incredulously.
“What?” Tim hummed innocently, not turning from away from Nightwing. “It’s cute.”
“A friend, indeed. She’s nothing more than another common cat burglar just like the woman father chases. You’re certainly no one to acquaint ourselves with, thief.”
“I don’t steal, little boy, I trade - and the Bats have been coming to me for help longer than you’ve been around, I’ll tell you that much.” Tim huffed in reply.
“Trade what exactly?”
“I trade in information, Damian.” he wasn’t particularly a fan of all the kid’s mouthing off and doubting of everyone’s abilities but his own - and he certainly wouldn’t put up with it just because Dick did. “Your grandfather says ‘hi’, by the way. He’s been trying to persuade me to join him since you were a baby.”
Damian seemed to splutter for a moment clearly not knowing how to react to someone both bettering him and knowing so much about him in one go.
“You knew about him when he was a baby?” Dick asked, more surprised than Tim had expected about the detail. Tim eyed Nightwing for a moment, studying the unreadable look beneath the white lenses of his mask.
“As fun as this has been,” he began in lieu of answering, and he could tell by the slight deflation of the elder’s posture that Dick realised he wouldn’t be getting an answer tonight, “I have things to do. I like the new suit, Dickie.”
Tim pushed up onto his tiptoes - reaching up to wrap an arm around Dick’s neck to drag the elder down to his level, planting a kiss on Nightwing’s cheek before pulling back with a small smirk. He dropped from the girder they were stood on, catching the metal in his gloved hands and swinging forward to land on a lower beam, making his way closer to where the monorail tracks met the city streets in leaps and flips.
Tim sumersulted onto the wall of an alleyway, turning back when he landed to offer a quick wave goodbye to Nightwing and Robin, who still watched from beneath the monorail tracks, before he dropped down into the alley and disappeared.
---
Kitten’s first meeting with the Red Hood had come a lot sooner and with a lot less preparation than Tim had really been hoping. A basic weapons trade that he had been spying on had gone horribly wrong - though through no fault of his own, of course.
The end result had been a few of the armed guards of the operation barely being able to throw three live grenades far enough into the empty loading areas of the Dixon Docks in time to avoid sending the rest of their crates of explosives up in flames as well.
Of course, the explosions had been enough to call in the attention of the Bats close to the area, and not long after both the Red Hood and Robin were busy taking the operation down before the fire department were even beginning their way over to the scene.
Tim had attempted to make his escape before his presence was made known to the Bats - but with the fire burning so close to the warehouse roof Kitten had chosen to watch from, the glass of the skylight weakened from the heat and the window shattered before he had even been able to stand properly.
Tim fell through into the warehouse - barely managing to release his bō fast enough to catch himself on the catwalk to avoid plummeted to the concrete below. He swore as he swung himself up onto the catwalk railing - tugging his staff from where it had wedged itself into the metal grate and cursing whatever it was about Gotham and him constantly falling from life-threatening heights.
Another explosion from outside distracted Tim’s train of thought - bringing his attention to the fire that burned too close to the entrance of the warehouse he was inside. He wasn’t exactly sure what had actually caught fire outside - though clearly something on the loading docks had been flammable enough for the flames to spread quickly.
The warehouse Tim had fallen into was empty sans a few crates stacked in one corner and what appeared to be some sort of machinery covered by an old tarp in the other. Nothing of value or use to Kitten and so Tim was quick to begin making his way towards the large open doors of the warehouse and consequently the fire - but as long as he was fast he could make it out without getting caught in the heat of the blaze.
Tim slipped from the warehouse entrance with the flames still a far enough distance to be relatively safe - the sound of the fire department’s sirens not too far off in the night. The unconscious bodies of the operators of the weapons trade had already been left restrained and a good distance from the destruction behind Tim and the two Bats that had arrived only about ten minutes ago were already nowhere to be seen - not that Kitten was looking for them as he made his escape.
Tim had barely made it two blocks before the sound of feet on the roof he ran across thumped behind him. It was almost definitely the Bats, as Robin had made it clear only the previous week that he didn’t much care for Kitten and the Red Hood probably only currently had the little demon’s opinion to go on in making a decision as to whether they should give chase or not.
He had to decide quickly whether he should actually stop for them or whether he should simply locate the nearest cats path and disappear down it. Though, he hadn’t actually met the Red Hood yet - and tormenting Robin was fun.
Tim vaulted over an alleyway with the use of his bō, skidding to a stop on the roof of the empty office building he landed on and turning to greet his two followers as they caught up to him - only to have Robin immediately tackle him to the ground, having been closer than Tim had assumed.
“You shit, I’d already stopped.” Kitten huffed, pushing Robin off of him and jumping back to his feet. He was surprised when Damian only dropped into a defensive stance.
The kid knew that Kitten and the Bats weren’t on fighting terms - Nightwing had made it very clear the first night they’d met and Robin had stayed back the few other times they’d run into each other since. But all of those times Robin had been with Nightwing. Tim frowned.
“What are you trying to do?” he hissed at Damian, eyes flickering up as the Red Hood landed on the edge of the office building roof, clearly taking in Robin’s stance and folding his arms.
“Well, if it ain’t the pretty little kitty-cat everyone’s been talking about.” he drawled, Gotham accent as harsh as Selina's. Tim sighed, resting his bō on the rooftop and leaning forward to rest his chin on the end of it.
Clearly the Red Hood wouldn’t be taking Tim’s word on the fact that they weren’t enemies - and clearly the rest of the Bats hadn’t said enough to him for the other to know that Kitten didn’t even fight the Bats like Catwoman did. They just didn’t fight at all - Kitten was a neutral presence in all of Gotham in a way no other mask was - as long as they could meet the prices he names, Kitten traded to almost anyone.
Sure, he sometimes played favourites - but those favourites were only ever Selina or the Bats themselves, anyway.
But for whatever reason, Damian wanted a fight - and as long as Robin was acting as though he and Kitten were enemies, the Red Hood would believe as such until Tim could get another’s input.
“And if it isn’t the only mask in Gotham I don’t know all the secrets of.” he returned Hood’s greeting with a smirk, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting the Red Hood, I must say. You’re taller than I thought you would be.”
“Cease your flirting, you harlot, you will be coming with us.” Damian finally spoke, eyes narrowed and still poised for a fight.
“Why? I haven’t done anything.” Tim hummed, crouching down to Damian’s level in a mockery of the younger’s height that he knew pissed the kid off infinitely. The thing was, Tim was tiny compared to the Bats, too - but he’d always embraced his height and used it to his advantage - and were it not for the fact he knew Damian would end up growing to six foot or more, he might actually take the kid’s side in his war against gravity.
“You were clearly involved in the fire at the docks, you cannot lie to us.”
“I was spying on the trade - you know, information and all?” Tim attempted to convince the younger to just leave it alone. He knew Damian knew he was making false accusations, and while he had no intentions of actually engaging in a fight with the two - he also didn’t really want to be dragged around with them until he could get in contract with one of the others that the Red Hood would believe over Robin.
“Enough!” Damian hissed, charging forward with the obvious intention of taking Kitten down again. Tim took two quick steps forward before launching over Robin’s advances in a flip, landing behind the kid and a little closer to the Red Hood’s looming figure than he would have really prefered.
“Not going to help out the kid?” Tim asked, dismantling his bō with a flick of his wrist and sliding it back into the holster on his thigh, listening to it click into place.
“I figured I should let him have his fun. He don’t like you for whatever reason, and it’s nice to see him blow off some steam on someone other than me for once.” Hood sighed, which was certainly not what Tim had been expecting to hear. Perhaps the Red Hood knew a little more about Kitten’s relations with the Bats than he’d been letting on.
“He’s jealous I get more attention from his brother than he does when we run into each other, that’s why.” Tim replied with a shrug, taking Hood’s apparent betrayal to Damian in stride. The Red Hood laughed,
“Wing’s about the only one of us that can put up with the kid - little monster’s been territorial over him since he showed up.”
Tim stepped to the side as Damian came rushing at him again from behind - watching as the Red Hood caught him before the kid could go for Kitten again - looping an arm around his neck and holding him at his side in a headlock.
“Leave the kitty alone, you demon.” Red Hood huffed, ignoring Damian’s hands clawing at his arm in an attempt to remove the hold.
“Unhand me, you bastard!” Damian shrieked as Tim quickly decided he liked the Red Hood a lot more than he had been expecting to. “If father had allowed me my sword you would be dead.”
“Now, did you have anything to do with the fire?” Hood asked, completely ignoring Robin as he seemingly looked for a definitive answer so he could shut the kid in his arm up.
“Not at all - the idiots operating the deal just panicked at the sight of grenades. I was only there to find out who the weapons were coming from.” Tim answered honestly, resting a hand on his hip.
“Do not believe a word this harlot says, Hood - she cannot be trusted.” Damian shouted, still wriggling fruitlessly in the Hood’s hold. They both ignored him.
“You see, demon spawn? The Kitten’s innocent.” Hood stated instead, lifting Damian up to hold him front of him, each hand pinning the kid’s arms at his sides to keep him immobile. Damian kicked his legs out in hopes of hitting the Red Hood - the sight made Tim giggle.
Damian had been unpleasant, to say the least, since they’d met - and watching Dick simply take all of his attitude and entitlement in stride was frustrating. Watching Hood toss Damian around without a care for the demon’s pride was extremely satisfying.
“Well, Hood, as much as it’s nice to see you torturing Robin, I’ve a schedule to keep tonight.” Tim said with a sigh, because he really was enjoying himself - but now he had things to think over. Information to collect and categorize. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon enough.”
“See you round, Kitten. Say bye, Rob!” Hood shook Damian in his hands a little in an attempt to coax a response from the kid.
“How dare you!” was all they got, however, and Tim left the two Bats on the rooftop with a giggle - leaping down into the back alley of the office building and sliding into the open vent that lead down to an underground carpark that would cut across a few streets in the direction of the Diamond District.
---
“You not going out tonight, sweetheart?” Selina asked as she moved about her apartment, already suited up and collecting the gear she required for a heist Tim had partially organized for her.
“No, I’ve got things to work on here. I’ve only been out so much recently because I want my mask recognised on the streets again.” Tim hummed, stretching carefully where he lay on the sofa so as to not wake the little kitten that slept on his stomach.
“You want me to bring you anything back? You haven’t eaten much today.” she offered, rummaging through her box of whips.
“Whatever you’re in the mood for. I’m not feeling too fussy today.”
“That’s a first.” Selina joked, hooking her selected whip to her belt and standing in front of Tim. “I shouldn’t be out too long, but I’ll get in touch if anything happens.”
“Alright, stay safe.” Tim hummed his farewell, accepting the kiss Selina pressed to his cheek with a smile and watching as she disappeared out the window a moment later.
With the apartment now silent sans the gentle rustling of movement from the cats that wandered about, Tim could get lost in his own head. He hadn’t gotten any of the information he had been after as to where those weapons had come from the previous night - though seen as very little of the cargo had made it out of the fire on the docks, he figured he could get another chance if a second shipment was brought in.
Tim wasn’t upset about what he hadn’t gained - he was much more thrilled over what he had. The Red Hood had been so much more familiar with Damian than Tim had been expecting - even more familiar than Dick was, though that was mostly because the two brothers were good at keeping their distance while out in the field.
But the Red Hood’s teasing nature towards the youngest Wayne obviously didn’t cease on the streets as Dick’s did. And the relationship was simply too close to only be when the masks were on - too close to even really be only a family friend. From the interaction Tim had witnessed the previous night from the Hood and Robin, he could summaries nothing short of brotherly between the two.
But the Waynes hadn’t adopted another, nor was there anyone new ever seen at their sides in public - meaning whoever the Red Hood was had been kept a secret from being a part of the Wayne family purposefully. And no secret was kept by the Waynes without a reason.
Were Tim to figure out what reason the Bats had for not having the Hood seen with them in public - he would ultimately find who was behind the mask, as well.
But Tim couldn’t get close to the Waynes without being Kitten first, as in all the years he had been a part of the scene of Gotham’s nightlife, no one had figured out his identity - and if Kitten was found snooping around Wayne manor or even approached one of the family during the day time too many questions would be raised.
Selina had told him of how she and Bruce had learnt each other’s identities - how no matter how well hidden a face was, if you knew someone’s voice, someone’s body, someone’s smell and touch then you could never hide from them in the real world. All it had taken was for Bruce and Selina to run into each other out of their masks and they had known the very instant they were in each other’s presence.
If Tim found a way into the manor out of his mask Dick would recognise him in a heartbeat - Bruce would be the same, as he’d watched Tim grow up; Damian probably wouldn’t be too far behind once his two mentors had figured it out and Hood- maybe he stood a chance with Hood, but he would need the rest of the Bats to be around to figure who Hood was in the first place.
There were clearly few options for Tim, even if he found his way into the manor and hid in the crowds of a gala or some charity event.
If Tim truly wanted to find out just who the Red Hood really was, it seemed he would have to give up his own identity too.
---
Tim hissed - teeth grinding together against the pain as the knife buried in his side shifted with each move he made. He ducked a punch thrown at his head, slamming the heel of his palm into the thug’s throat quickly before bringing a knee up to his groin and jabbing two fingers into his neck, just beneath his jawline - hitting a pressure point that dropped the man instantly.
Tim took a second to suck in a breath, moving a hand to put pressure on the wound at his side - still attempting to decide whether he should simply rip the blade from the wound and risk bleeding out should he not make it back to a safehouse in time or leave the knife in his side but have it continue to limit his movements.
Another thug came charging at him, this time with a large piece of metal piping wielded like a baseball bat. Tim dodged the first swing of the weapon, bending backwards much further than the thug had clearly expected him to be able to go as he pressed a hand against the concrete floor to keep his balance before swinging a leg out to sweep the man from his feet.
The thug hit the floor heavily and Tim jumped back up to his feet - even without removing the knife he was still losing a lot of blood and the fast movements of his personal fighting style was making his head swim.
With Tim distracted by the man still attempting to find his footing in front of him and the ebb and flow of his greying vision, he didn’t see the thug that had snuck up behind him - barely having time to register the other’s presence before there was a hand wrapping around the handle of the blade still inside of him and ripping it out roughly.
Tim screamed, whipping around just fast enough to keep the man behind him from stabbing him again. He gave a swift kick to the thug’s knee, buckling the joint to bring him down enough for Tim to swing round and bring another kick up to his face with enough force to send him sliding back into the brick warehouse wall, out cold.
Tim hissed again, pressing his hand over the wound that now seeped enough blood to begin puddling on the ground - sinking to his knees in hopes of calming his rushing vertigo. He knew the thug he’d left on the ground had regained his footing, but his own fast movements had left him too disorientated to do much about it for the next few seconds, at least.
The sound of shattering glass seemed to startle everyone in the warehouse, including Tim himself. No back up for an amature operation of smuggling would be entering the building so dramatically, and so Tim could only hope that whichever of Gotham’s nightlife that had decided to join the party would be on his side.
The sound of fast, brutal fists being thrown prompted Tim to turn, fighting the dizziness to focus his eyes on the fighting that was hidden in the shadows further back in the warehouse. The thug behind Tim was stood over him, though - blocking his view of whomever it was that had come to his rescue.
Tim grit his teeth as he rolled out of the way as the thug brought the metal piping down on him again - barely avoiding having his skull broken in as he felt the rush of air against the side of his face, the pipe hitting the concrete barely an inch away from him. He left a smudged trail of blood as he moved - flattening himself against the floor as the thug swung overhead and then rolling out of the way once more as the pipe was aimed down at his head again.
Tim knew he was too disorientated to put up anything close to a fight now and was only making himself worse with his rolling dodges. It was only when he slipped in one of the puddles of his own blood and consequently fell to the floor completely, smacking his head on the concrete as he failed to catch himself that he accepted all he could do was brace against the next swing of the pipe.
A swing that never had the chance to occur as the thug was suddenly shouting in pain - the pipe dropping to the floor beside Tim as the man that stood over him was sent flying across the warehouse.
“Hey there, kitty-cat, what're you doing in a place like this?” Red Hood greeted as he crouched down at Kitten’s side, reaching out with a gentle hand to help roll Tim onto his back so the elder could check him over for wounds.
“Tell me how you're feeling.” he prompted, digging into one of the pockets on his suit and coming back with what appeared to be a clean, white cloth that he pressed to Tim’s side.
“Dizzy - blood loss.” Kitten panted through heavy breaths against the pain, jaw tight. “Call Cat, she’ll- she’ll pick me up.”
“You ain’t got time to wait for your mum, Kitten.” the Red Hood sighed heavily, moving Tim’s hand to replace his own - keeping pressure on the wound as he worked one arm beneath the younger’s head and the other behind his knees before lifting Kitten from the ground and into his arms.
“Where are we..?”
“Relax, darling - I’m taking you to a safehouse of mine. I’ll get your wound stitched up and then I’ll get your mum on the phone to pick you up. I ain’t gonna get taking your mask off, and I ain’t gonna try to take you back myself. No one’s finding out who you are tonight.” Red Hood hushed, carrying Tim from the warehouse like he didn’t weigh a thing - though, by the way Tim had seen Hood toss thugs around - as well as Damian - he figured he probably didn’t.
“O? I need you to call the cops to the twelth warehouse on Port Adams.” It took Tim a moment to realise that Hood was speaking into his comms, “Nah, I picked up a stray I gotta take care of - I dunno, make them figure it out. They can actually do some work for themselves for once. Alright, thanks.”
Red Hood was careful as he maneuvered Tim to sit in front of him on his bike, cradling the younger as they rode through the back streets at a steady speed. Tim passed out before they reached whatever safe house Hood was taking him to.
---
The night air was cool against his skin - the wail of sirens distant so high up above Gotham's streets as the gentle breeze danced with the full length curtains of the balcony doors and the loose strands of his hair. Tim scratched at the paint of the metal railing with his fingernail, watching as a light in the high rise building across the street flickered off.
The atmosphere was peaceful in a way life so rarely was in Gotham, especially with their choices in lifestyle - but with the Hood stood next to him, helmet removed with only a domino to cover his features as he took a long drag from his cigarette - seeming relaxed in a way he simply shouldn’t be in Kitten’s presence. Tim couldn’t bring himself to fully relax.
He had woken with a heavy, sluggish feeling in his head and a numb sort of tingling through his body. His suit had been removed, though Kitten’s mask was still thankfully in place, and he’d been left in the mainroom of a pleasant but clearly rarely used apartment.
Hood had appeared in the entryway of what seemed to be the kitchen as Tim had been struggling to sit up, throwing a large t-shirt at his bare chest as the younger fought to keep his composure at the sight of Hood’s oddly familiar but still partially covered features.
“You lost a lot of blood, darling, don’t try to move about too much.” Hood had said as Tim pulled the t-shirt over his head, his mind racing at the familiar scent of the cloth that he couldn’t quite place. It was something nostalgic - something that read as comfort and warmth, making Tim want to relax.
Hood had seemed to purposefully stay out of Kitten’s presence for a while, rummaging around in the kitchen as Tim had collected himself on the sofa - only following after the younger when he’d realised Tim had disappeared onto the balcony.
“You know, I never got into fights like this abroad.” Tim mused, pressing his fingers gently to the bandages wrapped around his torso beneath the soft material of the t-shirt.
“Gotham’s just got that violent sort of charm you can’t find anywhere else.” Hood replied, smoke on his breath as he sighed.
“There was a reason I didn’t want to come back once I’d left.” the wooden planking of the balcony was cold beneath his bare feet, but Tim couldn’t bring himself to move. Perhaps this was a chance to learn a little more about the Red Hood - because as much as Kitten had gotten along with the vigilante in the months since they’d met, he still hadn’t learnt who was under that damn mask.
“Why’d you leave in the first place?”
Tim stayed silent for a while, mulling over how to answer the Hood’s question. Most of Gotham had either heard of or actually remembered Kitten’s past - remembered who he’d been as a kid still trailing after Catwoman, how he’d brought the cats and the Bats just a little bit closer, how he’d fallen for the old Robin that had done so much good for the city. It wouldn’t hurt to tell Hood the secrets everyone else already knew.
“Guilt.” Tim replied simply, scratching again at the paint of the balcony railing, “Regret, I guess. I did something no one should ever do - should never be able to do, and I didn’t even think about it. I’m still surprised the masks actually let me in the city when I came back, to be honest.”
“What’d you do?” Hood asked, turning a little more to Kitten to indicate the younger had his full attention. Tim ran his fingers through his hair with a hand he refused to admit was shaking ever so slightly, because no matter how many times he admitted this to himself - how many times he burrated himself and hated himself for doing it, it was still difficult to say aloud.
“I killed someone I loved.” he sighed, “I let them die for my damn information trade.”
Tim pretended not to notice how Hood stiffened a little at his words - how he was so clearly disgusted knowing just how low Kitten would sink for his own gains. Hood had killed hundreds of people in the first few years he had been in Gotham, but every single one of them had been criminals - scum that had never done a thing for anyone but themselves.
Hood had never killed a good person - Hood had never killed a hero. Even to one of the most sinful vigilantes in the world Tim didn’t have the moral high ground.
“Who?” the elder asked, a little hesitant - reluctant to know the victim of Tim’s greed.
“Jason Todd - the second Robin. My Robin.” the younger admitted on a sigh after a brief pause.
“You didn’t kill him, Kitten - Joker did.” Hood attempted, probably unwilling to accept that the cat he had begun to actually enjoy his time with was as terrible as Tim knew he was.
“I kept him from being saved. I held Batman back from getting to him in time.” Tim could feel the sting of angry tears at the old guilt and pain, but crying had never done any good. Tim had already spent his tears on Jason Todd years ago, and it had never brought him back.
“And you loved him?” Hood asked, swaying the conversation to avoid listening to Tim’s self-pity.
“Of course.” Tim sighed, his chest aching a little at the admission.
“Like a kid’s crush? Do you think you’d still love him now?” Hood pressed a little, and for a moment Tim wondered why the elder would be interested in such a thing - though he still answered honestly.
“I think… I think I do still love him now. I’ve never met anyone like Jason was.”
The wind whistled passed them, and Tim shivered a little from the cold breeze. Hood took one last drag from his cigarette before stamping out the embers on the balcony rail.
“You should get back inside, darling. You ain’t dressed for the cold - especially while you're rocking a knife wound.”
Tim let Hood guide him back into the apartment, ready to leave their very open conversation out in the night air. Hood disappeared into the kitchen again once he had Tim seated back on the sofa, coming back into the mainroom with two mugs only a few minutes later - handing Tim a coffee as he sat down beside the younger.
“We’ve all done things we regret, kitty-cat,” Hood mused after a moment, taking a sip from his own drink, “And whether you're actually guilty of what you think you're guilty of - I get the feeling your Robin wouldn’t want you to carry the weight of it around for the rest of your life, you know?”
Tim stayed silent for a moment, thinking over Hood’s words. He understood what the elder was saying, and even if Tim would never forgive himself for what he did to Jason, perhaps Hood was right in saying that the boy he’d loved wouldn’t want Tim carrying the guilt around for the rest of his days.
“I understand.” he said eventually. He’d never be able to forgive and forget, but if Hood thought Jason wouldn’t completely blame Tim, then perhaps he could at least let go a little.
---
Tim was panicking. He was panicking and his hands were shaking and he needed to calm down but he just couldn’t.
Kitten had operated alone for years - he had learnt to work without assistance and have his own back and stitch himself up. Tim wasn’t used to other people looking out for him and he certainly wasn’t used to looking out for other people. And as much as he technically knew how to check another’s vitals and aid someone through a panic attack and everything alike - it had been years since any of those skills had been put to use.
Tim was doubting himself.
Hood had taken a bullet for him - quite literally barging into Tim to get the younger out of the way of the projectile, though he hadn’t been quick enough himself and the shot had sunk into the tender flesh that was left uncovered buy the Red Hood armour between the chestplate and shoulder pad.
Hood had continued the fight with the wound, ignoring the pain to resume taking down the members of the smuggling ring that had been trying to keep Kitten from diffusing their bomb - though their attempts were in vain when Tim finally slipped the chemical canisters free of their casing and signaled to the Hood that they could make their escape.
Tim hadn’t realised just how bad Hood’s condition was until they made it back to one of his safehouses and the elder promptly collapsed before he even made it over to the sofa. Tim had been at his side in an instant, but with no response from Hood, he could only try to keep himself calm as he checked over the worst of what the elder was baring.
He was too big for Tim to move to the sofa, easily twice his size and probably the same in weight, so all Tim could do was lay him out flat on the floor to get a better look at his shoulder.
The bleeding wasn’t terrible and the large medical kit kept beneath the coffee table held a cloth large enough to begin slowing it so Tim could concentrate on other things. He hadn’t been watching Hood’s fight, and so had no idea what injuries the elder had sustained besides the bullet wound.
He needed to get the helmet off - check for signs of a concussion and hopefully some clue as to why Hood had passed out so suddenly.
Tim pulled his gloves off, reaching out to run deft fingers around the base of the helmet in hopes of finding an access point or some sort of pressure release. It took a moment, but with one finger curled into the very back of the helmet the faceplate hissed as it slid forward barely a millimeter - just far enough for Tim to slide his fingernail beneath and pull the metal away from Hood’s bare face.
The helmet slid of easily once the faceplate was loose, and Tim dropped the headgear to the floor beside him, arms dropping uselessly to his sides.
He knew that face.
God, did he know that face.
He didn’t know how but he certainly knew what and someway, somehow that was Jason Todd laying on the floor bleeding from a gunshot he had taken for Tim. And not everything was computing properly in Tim’s brain in that moment, but he still had a job to do even if he could no longer hear anything passed the pounding of his own heart.
Tim checked Jason’s pupils and timed his pulse and every other little thing he could think of to make sure he wasn’t dying (not again) before he was practically ripping the Red Hood armour from around Jason’s torso and removing the suit beneath it to get at the injury.
Removing the bullet took time with Tim’s vision continuously blurring with tears, and his hands shook as he cleaned and stitched the wound - and by the time Tim was fixing the bandages that held the gauze beneath in place he was a sobbing mess, curling over Jason’s still unconscious form and crying into his chest.
Jason was alive. Jason was alive and Tim didn’t know how it could have happened but right then he simply didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was back and he was alive and even if he wasn’t completely okay in that moment Tim could still hear the gentle beating of Jason’s heart and the rise and fall of his breathing beneath him.
When Jason woke, it was to a dull pain in his shoulder and a weight on his chest - the hardwood floor was cool beneath him despite the warmth of the room and it took him little time to recognise the pressure on top of him as Kitten’s sleeping form.
The younger was curled up on Jason’s chest - slim fingers clutching the partially removed material of the Red Hood undersuit and soft breaths deep and even. Jason stayed were he was for a moment, taking his time to bask in the warmth and comfort that came with having Kitten so close to him.
Though the moment was broken when Jason reached out to run his fingers through the younger’s soft hair, as Kitten woke instantly with the unexpected movement from beneath him.
But Kitten didn’t instantly pull away like Jason had been expecting, instead simply propping himself up on his elbows to stare into the elder’s own gaze - and Jason didn’t quite realise why the look on Kitten’s partially covered face was so filled with pain and worry and relief and care until the younger’s bare hand was cupping the side of his face and a soft finger was tracing the naked skin at his temple.
“Jay,” Kitten whispered, voice watery and weak.
Oh.
A moment passed in quiet until Kitten spoke again.
“Jay, why didn’t you tell me?”
But Jason didn’t really know how to answer that. At first he hadn’t said anything because Kitten hadn’t even been in Gotham - then he’d wanted to let the younger work it out himself. But Tim had taken longer to figure out who was behind the Red Hood than Jason had expected, though really who would guess it was their dead best friend?
And then Kitten had told Hood about his memories of the second Robin - about his guilt and his suffering and how he’d never let go and suddenly Jason hadn’t been sure he should tell Kitten for fear of hurting him.
“I’m sorry, Jason.” Kitten continued when he realised the elder wouldn’t be answering, “I’m so sorry.”
“No, darling, don’t say that. You ain’t got nothing to apologise for.” Jason attempted to sooth as Kitten shook slightly. He sat up, letting the younger fall back to sit in his lap.
“I killed you.”
“Kitten, you didn’t-”
“Tim.” Kitten interrupted, voice small.
“What?”
“My name- my name’s Tim.” Jason stayed back as Kitten reached up, watching the younger pry his mask from his face with bare fingers - taking a moment to rub at the tender skin his mask had sat on before he finally looked up to Jason.
And god he was gorgeous. Big, baby blue eyes framed with long, dark lashes - filled with tears and pink around the edges with irritation. Jason reached out, cupping the younger’s face in a gesture similar to Tim’s only a moment ago as he ran a thumb over soft skin and sharp cheekbone.
“Tim.” he said, unable to keep himself from smiling down at the younger’s sweet expression at the sound.
“Jay.” Tim replied with a slightly watery giggle before he pushed himself forward, wrapping his arms around Jason’s broad shoulders - who returned the hug in an instant.
“Can’t believe it’s taken me almost ten years to learn your name, darling.” Jason joked, holding Tim tight.
“I’m just that good.” Tim laughed again, muffled with his face buried in the elder’s shoulder.
“Not good enough to figure me out, though, hm?”
“Shut up,” Tim huffed, pulling away a little so he could look at Jason as he spoke, “I had you figured out when I was like twelve.”
“Guess twelve year old Timmy’s smarter than present day Timmy, then, hm? You losing your touch?”
“I don’t know, Jay, why don’t you let me try my touch out on you and we’ll see?” Tim grinned, one pretty brow raised as if in challenge
“Now you're talking, darling.” Jason replied, returning the younger’s smirk as he reached out, cupping the back of Tim’s neck to draw the younger forward.
And despite their playful words and the unattended apologies between them, the kiss was nothing but tender and so, so sweet.