If Jason was looking at Tim any differently, it wasn't immediately picked up on. No, his eyes were drawn to the wound he hadn't even been aware of. It wasn't in his nature to fuss too much over a small wound, they got them all of the time in their line of work, but a little frown twitched onto his features before he could stop it. "If you had said something I would have stitched you up." The younger of the two told him as he stepped closer, helping himself to Jason's medical kit without waiting for any sort of permission. Clearly he just wasn't used to having someone around that could help. "Here, let me put the bandage on."
As he grabbed for a disinfecting wipe, it occurred to him that perhaps Jason hadn't said anything because he didn't want any help. But, well, too bad. Tim could be just as stubborn as the rest of the Bats, if not worse. Still, he did his best to be gentle as he wiped down the wound. Jason might have already taken care of it, but it didn't hurt to have it cleaned up a second time before it was bandaged. Staph infections were the reason behind his insistence on showering off right after patrol; he wasn't going to lose Jason to one. Even if it got him bitched at.
The scars weren't terribly shocking to him. Not even the autopsy scar, as much as it different from anything on his own body. That made sense. Jason had died, of course they would perform an autopsy, but he wouldn't have felt it. Others must have been the result so much misfortune and pain. Tim felt empathy, sure, but more than that, they made him admire Jason all the more. The scars were a roadmap to the suffering he had endured in order to do what he felt was right. They didn't always agree on what that meant or the methods used to get there, but he never doubted the man's passion. It wasn't Tim's place to trace those scars with his fingertips, but he gazed at them with an open curiosity as he carefully smoothed the tegaderm over the stapled wound.
"There." Time seemed to slow down around him when he lifted his eyes to peer up at Jason again. There was something different about the way the other man was looking back at him. Tim wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he knew what his foolish heart was hoping for. God, it was so much easier to have feelings from someone from afar. When everything was so out of reach it wasn't worth dwelling on. Were they actually any closer now, though? Did Jason even like men? Even if he did, would he want Tim, of all people? The guy that he'd spent a not insignificant amount of time hating? He was just so bad at this. Didn't even know what to do with himself. "Did you get hurt anywhere else?" This time, when he spoke, his voice was softer. Like if he was too loud, he might wake and realize the whole thing had been some sort of dream.
He didn't even realize he hadn't pulled his hand away from Jason's side. Just kept looking up at him with so many different feelings swirling in his eyes like galaxies rotating through space.
❤️
As he grabbed for a disinfecting wipe, it occurred to him that perhaps Jason hadn't said anything because he didn't want any help. But, well, too bad. Tim could be just as stubborn as the rest of the Bats, if not worse. Still, he did his best to be gentle as he wiped down the wound. Jason might have already taken care of it, but it didn't hurt to have it cleaned up a second time before it was bandaged. Staph infections were the reason behind his insistence on showering off right after patrol; he wasn't going to lose Jason to one. Even if it got him bitched at.
The scars weren't terribly shocking to him. Not even the autopsy scar, as much as it different from anything on his own body. That made sense. Jason had died, of course they would perform an autopsy, but he wouldn't have felt it. Others must have been the result so much misfortune and pain. Tim felt empathy, sure, but more than that, they made him admire Jason all the more. The scars were a roadmap to the suffering he had endured in order to do what he felt was right. They didn't always agree on what that meant or the methods used to get there, but he never doubted the man's passion. It wasn't Tim's place to trace those scars with his fingertips, but he gazed at them with an open curiosity as he carefully smoothed the tegaderm over the stapled wound.
"There." Time seemed to slow down around him when he lifted his eyes to peer up at Jason again. There was something different about the way the other man was looking back at him. Tim wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he knew what his foolish heart was hoping for. God, it was so much easier to have feelings from someone from afar. When everything was so out of reach it wasn't worth dwelling on. Were they actually any closer now, though? Did Jason even like men? Even if he did, would he want Tim, of all people? The guy that he'd spent a not insignificant amount of time hating? He was just so bad at this. Didn't even know what to do with himself. "Did you get hurt anywhere else?" This time, when he spoke, his voice was softer. Like if he was too loud, he might wake and realize the whole thing had been some sort of dream.
He didn't even realize he hadn't pulled his hand away from Jason's side. Just kept looking up at him with so many different feelings swirling in his eyes like galaxies rotating through space.