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“I need to go to the bathroom,” the boy mumbles.
The woman smiles a false sweet smile. “We don’t have time to stop right now.”
“But I really have to go.”
The man grimaces. “We’re only an hour away from the house. You’ll have to wait.”
“But-”
The woman grits her teeth. “You’ll wait.”
It was Dick’s idea to get the RV and Jason isn’t sure how he feels about it. Being cooped up in a moving vehicle(no matter how large) with people who are still wary of him doesn’t sound like a good time to him. He’s been in that position before and it’s never worked out for him. Though, with the upgrades STAR Labs made to the RV, it’s not half bad. There’s a lot of space; a little kitchen, couches and a table around monitors that they can use for all their detective needs, a large room full of bunk beds that pull down from the wall, and a separate area in the back for a bathroom and storage. Honestly, it could be worse.
Jason doesn’t really have any idea where they’re going after they defeat Brother Blood and the stuck-in-time cult in Caul’s Folly. Gar is back with them, as well as Tim’s boyfriend, Bernard, who offered to stay to “make sure the RV works properly”. The rest of the Titans looked as skeptical at that as Jason had felt.
Jason has a good relationship with Tim. After the teen came to him in Gotham for training under the guise of looking for someone Dick called “Venta”, Jason grew fond of him, often joking with him and maybe(just a little) giving him grief about his boyfriend.
“Y’know, Timmy,” he starts, resting a folded arm on Tim’s shoulder. “The sock-on-the-door policy still applies to the RV.”
Tim shoves him, cheeks glowing red. “Sh-shut up!”
Jason shrugs, hiking his duffel bag higher on his shoulder and starting to walk away. “I’m just saying. I don’t wanna walk in on something neither of us want me to see.”
Jason’s not looking, but the indignant sound Tim makes spreads a smirk over his face.
“Don’t worry,” he hears Gar say. “Jason’s just messing with you.”
Jason doesn’t hear what happens next, because he hops the steps to the RV in one go and settles on one of the couches, placing his bags at his feet. Dick comes back from the cab of the RV and settles on the couch next to Jason.
“Hey. You okay?”
Jason nods, leg bouncing. “Yeah. Just kinda cramped in here.”
“The cab is less cramped if you wanna join me up there,” Dick offers.
“I thought Kory was gonna sit with you.”
“I’m sure she won’t mind switching for today. I’ll go ask her.”
Before Jason can protest, because he’s absolutely sure Kory will say no, Dick hops up and bounds out of the RV. Jason waits, nervous, for his brother to get back. When the man does, he has a wide grin on his face.
“She said she doesn’t mind. Do you wanna put your stuff in the back or keep it with you?”
In response, Jason clutches his bag tighter. He doesn’t want anyone snooping through his things. There’s a lock on both of his bags, the keys to which are on a chain around his neck, but he knows each person on this road trip has their own ways of breaking into things. Logically, he knows he has no expectation of privacy(outside certain circumstances, but even those can be compromised), so if one of the Titans snoops through his stuff, he can’t be mad, not really. He probably still would be mad if they snooped, because none of what he owns is any of their god damned business. But saying that has only ever gotten him a bloody nose and a black eye.
Dick’s voice cuts through his thoughts. “You can keep your bags with you, Little Wing. No big deal.”
Jason nods, carrying his bags up to the front seats. He plops down into the passenger seat, setting his bags down by his feet. Dick settles next to him, honking the horn and leaning out the window.
“Let’s go, you guys! Country won’t save itself!” he calls.
The rest of the group climbs into the RV, taking their spots on the various couches. Dick starts the vehicle and pulls out of the hangar. It takes about fifteen minutes to get onto the highway, but in that time, Jason can hear everyone gather closer to the center table to play a card game.
Dick looks over at him. “If you wanna play with them, you can. We’re not going fast enough for moving to be dangerous.”
Jason shakes his head. “No thanks.”
Dick frowns. “You okay, Little Wing?”
Jason nods absentmindedly. “Uh-huh. Just not a fan of road trips.”
“You’ve been on some before?”
“Yeah. One of my foster families had a couple conferences to go to out of state and dragged me along with them. I hate being in enclosed spaces, but…” Jason casts a glance back at the rest of the group, making sure they’re not listening. “That was ten times worse.”
Dick places a hand on his shoulder. “Well, maybe we can make some better memories, yeah?”
Jason nods, giving his brother a half smile. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
He still feels nervous, but he’s sure this road trip will be better than the last.
The man glares at the boy. “If you piss in my car…” he growls.
He doesn’t finish, but the boy knows it’s not an empty threat. He closes his eyes and squeezes his legs together.
The woman reaches back and pinches his ear between her long, pink fingernails.
“Don’t you dare, you brat.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
It’s a few hours later that Jason realizes he has a problem. He tries to ignore it, shifting into a better position and hoping Dick doesn’t notice. If his brother does, he doesn’t say anything. Jason isn’t sure how long the road trip is supposed to be for, but since there was never a specified time frame, he’s not sure how long he can hide this from anyone.
Maybe they’ll stop soon.
When Dick looks over at Jason, he can clearly see there’s something wrong with his little brother. His eyes are closed, but Dick knows he’s not asleep, as the younger’s leg is bouncing up and down rapidly and his face is twisted in discomfort.
Dick reaches over and puts a hand on his knee. “Jay? You okay?”
Jason flinches a bit, but doesn’t open his eyes. “‘M fine. Just need to concentrate.”
Dick is confused. Everything about Jason’s body language reads uncomfortable, but there’s something else hidden deep down.
“Jay, what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Jason takes a deep, shuddering breath, then, with his hand close to his knee so no one else sees, he tucks his thumb between his first and middle fingers and shakes his hand.
Bathroom
It all clicks in Dick’s head, the leg bouncing, the closed eyes, the slight shift in his brother’s demeanor. Jason is trying not to have an accident.
Dick nods. “Okay. I got it.”
He searches Maps for a gas station, grateful when he finds one only a few miles away. He adds the stop and makes sure he pulls into the right lane so he can exit. Once he parks at the station, he unbuckles and turns around to the rest of the team.
“We’re gonna grab some more snacks, we’ll be right back,” he announces, solely so no one will get suspicious.
They all nod and Dick climbs out of the front seat, heading into the store. He feels a presence behind him and knows it’s Jason, timidly following him. Dick doesn’t say anything, doesn’t watch him shuffle into the bathroom, just scans through chips and crackers to see what everyone might want. He settles on a bag of popcorn, some cans of pringles, a couple sodas, waters, and energy drinks, some bars of chocolate, a couple bags of gummy bears and Skittles, and a coffee for Rachel. By the time he pays, Jason still isn’t out, so Dick heads over to the restroom and knocks on the door.
“Jay? You okay?”
“Fine!” Jason calls back, voice slightly strained. “I’ll be out in a minute!”
“Okay.”
Dick walks away, giving his little brother privacy. He mills about the store, not wanting to leave without Jason, partially because it would probably look odd to the other Titans, but also because he doesn’t want to leave his brother in an unknown place. Jason is only comfortable in a handful of places: Crime Alley in Gotham, his rooms in both Titans Tower and Wayne Manor(though the latter has become less comfortable since Scarecrow), Gar’s room, and Dick’s room. He doesn’t even hang out in the common room, usually just passing through on his way to his own room. Dick has caught him on the roof every now and then, but Dick thinks that’s more for stress-relief than comfortability.
When Jason comes out of the bathroom, he’s fiddling with his hands, eyes downcast.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
Dick puts a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. If you need anything, food, water, bathroom, you can tell me, okay? I won’t be upset, I promise.”
Jason nods, tucking his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Thanks. Foster families just…they don’t really care.”
Dick smiles sadly. “I know. But I do. Now help me carry some of these bags.”
Jason chuckles and takes a couple bags, looking through them. “Jesus, how much shit did you get?”
“Did we get,” Dick corrects. “It’s just some extras in case. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.”
“Back to Frisco?”
Dick shrugs. “I dunno. There’s a lot of history in the Tower. Maybe we can find somewhere else to settle.”
Jason nods, brain flashing through all the things that happened in Titans Tower. “Probably a good idea,” he agrees as he climbs back into his seat.
Kory leans forward. “What’s a good idea?”
“Finding a new Titans HQ,” Dick tells her. “New team, new location. Less…history.”
Kory nods, settling back in her seat. “I get it.”
“What took you guys so long?” Rachel asks, shuffling a deck of cards.
Dick glances at Jason, then shrugs. “There were a lot of choices. I got you a coffee. Extra sugar, no cream.” He passes the drink back to the teen.
Rachel takes it, setting down the cards. “Thanks.”
As Dick starts up the RV again, Jason checks his bags. The locks are still on both, but he still has to make sure nothing got displaced. When he opens each bag, everything is where he left it, haphazardly shoved inside last minute. He lets out a breath, relocking the bags and putting the keys back around his neck.
“Got everything?” Dick asks.
Jason nods, sitting up straight. “Everything I need.”
“Meds, too?”
Jason feels his cheeks heat up. “Yeah. I’ve got them.”
Dick puts a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes I forget to take my meds, too.”
“What do you do? T-to remember?”
“I set an alarm. Whether I stay awake after I take my meds, I know I have to take them. And usually, I keep them in a place I’ll remember, like next to my toothbrush or on the nightstand. If it’s one of or the first thing I see in the morning, my brain realizes they’re important, so I have to take them,” Dick explains.
Jason nods, pulling out his phone and opening the Clock app. He clears his throat. “What, uh, what time do you take yours? Maybe taking them with you will help me remember.”
Dick smiles. “Of course, Jaybird. I take them around 7am.”
“Thanks.” Jason sets his alarm for 7am every day, making the alarm tone one of his favorite(non-musical) songs before shutting off his phone. He also doesn’t need the Titans snooping through his phone.
This phone is one of the many things he bought for himself when he was living on the streets. It’s still in good condition despite being at least four years old and the cheapest on the market. He knows wholeheartedly that no one can take it away because it’s truly his . Not just something borrowed that can be taken back or looked through whenever. It’s his phone and his alone. He has his own passcode, his own accounts, everything, all encrypted. He spent time with Barbara and learned how to secure all of his own stuff, even from her.
Jason knows Barbabra can probably figure out how to get into his phone despite the encryptions, but she promised him she’d never pry unless absolutely necessary. Despite his tumultuous relationship with Barbara, Jason trusts her. Well, as much as he can trust anyone other than himself. There are still a number of things Jason won’t, can’t tell anyone.
And then there’s Dick, who’s humming along to the song on the radio, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He’s completely in his element, just vibing in a carefree way Jason wishes he could have. There’s something effortless about Dick’s entire demeanor whether he’s fighting or hanging out with the Titans, it’s like everything just comes naturally to him.
Jason is slightly jealous of him.
***
Hours later, Dick is still driving the RV, music turned down low so he doesn’t bother any of the people sleeping in the back. Jason is trying to keep himself awake, not wanting the Titans to know about his nightmares. He doesn’t need anything else for them to hold against him. After the third or fourth time his eyes droop and snap back open, Dick turns to him slightly.
“You should get some sleep, Jay. It’s late.”
Jason scoffs. “You’re one to talk. If you don’t get sleep you’ll end up crashing and killing all of us.”
“I’m fine. If I get tired, I’ll pull into a rest stop. I’ve been keeping track of where they are on the map,” Dick assures.
Jason wants to protest, but a yawn escapes his mouth and he relents. “Fine. But if you need me to drive, let me know.”
Dick just hums and Jason climbs over the seat, taking his bags with him. He pulls a blanket out of his duffle bag, the lays down on the couch, using his duffle as a pillow and wrapping the blanket around himself. He doesn’t want to stay in the bunks, so sleeping on the couch is a good option, especially because Dick is close by just in case.
He trusts Dick.