Hustle

chapter eight

Here is some fluff for y'all! Figured I owe you after the last few chapters not having any fluff really.

Anyways, this chapter coincides with S3 E25, not that it is that important, but figured it would help with the timeline.

Jason woke up when a small lump landed on his chest. He looked through his lashes down at Damian as the boy cuddled against him, snuggling close to his older brother. Jason started to relax, realizing that Damian just wanted to sleep on him.

Until Damian jabbed his fingers into his armpits and Jason let out an unholy squeal.

"Ha! Jay, you're ticklish." Damian giggled before his eyes went wide and he dove off Jason's chest, running out of the room. "Jay, 'm sorry! Please, don't tickle me!"

Jason grinned, running after his little brother. They ran past Ra's office where Talia and Ra's were, peeking their heads out to see the two brothers sprinting past. Talia smiled fondly at them and Ra's looked over at her. "You were right, it does seem as if he will stay loyal."

"Of course he will, he is my son now." Talia huffed at her father as Jason rounded the corner after Damian, yelling at the four year old to get back to him.

"Can't catch me!" Damian squealed, running out into the courtyard. Jason followed him, lifting the toddler up into his arms. "Eep!"

"You were saying, little one?" Jason smirked, holding Damian close to his chest. "Now, I believe it is time for payback."

"No! Jay, 'm sorry! No tickles, please!"

Jason laughed, placing Damian over his shoulders. "Believe me, I will take immense pleasure in this."

"Jay, you're evil." Damian pouted as Jason carried him inside the building again. Jason smiled at him, continuing on with his journey. "Put me down, Jason. I mean it. I'm the Demon's Hand."

"And I'm Hood, the assassin who bested you." Jason drawled, carrying him to his room. He dropped Damian onto his bed, looking down at the four year old. "Now, I believe you are due for payback..."

Damian squealed when Jason started to tickle him, writhing in his arms. "J-Jay! Please!"

Jason relented after a minute, picking the small child up and holding him close. "Tell anyone I'm ticklish and I will tickle you ten fold." Damian stuck his tongue out at Jason, yelping when Jason took his tongue between his fingers. "I'm serious, little demon, not even mo-"

"What aren't you telling me?"

It was Jason's turn to yelp, whirling around to face Talia with Damian in his arms. "Erm, nothing?"

Talia smiled fondly at Jason, placing a hand on his cheek. "Jason, you are many great things, but a great liar? Not one of them." Jason sighed, avoiding Talia's eye contact to mumble something. "Speak up, Jason."

Jason's cheeks tinted red with embarrassment. "I'm ticklish."

Talia smirked, pulling her two boys into a hug. "Oh, that's it? Well, in that case..." She took Damian from Jason's arms, placing him on the ground next to them. In one swift motion, her hands were under Jason's armpits and tickling him mercilessly.

Jason squealed, laughter peeling out of his throat as his mother tickled him. "M-mother, please!"

Talia laughed. "You showed Damian no mercy, now you shall receive the same treatment."

"N-no!" Jason giggled, squirming to get away from Talia. "Dami, help me!"

Damian smiled innocently up at Jason. "And go against mother's wishes? No thank you."

Jason gasped, glaring down at his little brother. "Traitor."

"Meanie."

"D-demon!" Jason let out a high pitched squeak, falling to the ground. Talia knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She went to say something to him but was taken back when Jason hugged her tightly. "I love you, mother."

She was shocked for a moment, this being the first time Jason said those words. She circled her arms around her oldest, hugging him tightly. "I love you, too, Jason."

"And I love you both." Damian giggled, running up to them and wiggling his way into the hug. Jason and Talia hugged him tightly.

"We love you too, Damian."

Damian snuggled up against both of them as they embraced each other, a content sigh leaving his mouth. "I don't want any of this to change. I want to stay here forever, with mother and brother."

Jason hugged tighter, thinking about what little he knew of his past life. He knew he was on the Team, as they called themselves, and he knew he had had an adoptive father and brother, but they obviously couldn't compare to this if he didn't remember them. It had been weeks since he had learned about Bruce Wayne being his adoptive father from his past life and revealing his identity to his ex-brother, Dick Grayson, and neither one had reached out to him.

Jason asked Talia to do some research for him, on Bruce Wayne, and discovered he had been replaced within months of dying, by someone called Tim Drake. The hurt he felt for his past life and the betrayal cut him deeply before he reminded himself that he has a new family now, a better family.

Screw Bruce Wayne, screw Dick Grayson, and screw Tim Drake. They can rot in hell for all Jason cares.

If they wanted him back, they would've come by now. But they hadn't and that gave Jason all the information he needed.

But he couldn't help the pull he felt when he saw Dick, the urge to help him out in space and during that mission in Greater Bialya. He didn't understand it fully, but he figured it was the remnants of his past life wishing for things to go back to the way they were, to fight by his older brother's side once more.

Everything about his past and present was confusing him, everything but what was right in front of him. His family. His mother and brother, who he would protect with his life, like he swore to do. But more than that, he would protect them and fight until the bitter end for them because he loves them.

No one was going to take him from his family, not even the goddamn Batman.

No one.