Maybe it's silly, but the first thing Terry does when he gets to Blüd is take a shower. He can't explain it but there's something about the water here. Makes him feel a little cleaner when he steps out of the shower. Like it knows how to get all that Gotham grime off. It doesn't matter that he often heads down for a workout not long after. Doesn't really matter that he'll need another when he's done. He just feels different when he's clean. Renewed. Or something. Whatever.
He's still toweling his hair when he comes out of the bathroom, steam puffing out behind him. It's cooler out here, the air a little bit dryer and it reminds him he's not home. Dick and Jason told him to make himself at home, but it's little moments like these that remind him he's not. Even if Gotham may as well be another planet when he's here.
His duffel sits at the foot of the couch, half rummaged through. A clean shirt and sweats draped over the backrest. Like he's trying to be casual about being here. He pulls the sweats on and tosses the towel he'd been wearing over the bag.
Then he drops into a nearby chair at the table. It's by a window that's open, just a bit to let the room breathe. And Terry's glad for it. It gives him room to breathe too, lets the shower's warmth sit with him for a little while longer.
Today the routine's a little off kilter. He gets in later than usual, a delay he can safely blame on Bruce and his paranoia. He'd questioned him about his weekend plans and never seemed satisfied with Terry's answer. Part of him always feels a little guilty. Like the lie is making things worse somehow. But it's a reprieve. Something Terry needs after another week of Bruce's grueling kind of scrutiny. He knows he'll have to come clean eventually. That Bruce's vigilance will catch him up one day. But Terry wants to hang on to this for as long as he can.
But...maybe he shouldn't be here. Maybe he should have stuck it out one weekend. Trained in the cave with the old man. It's what Bruce would have done. Hell, it's what Bruce expects out of him.
He isn't Bruce though is he? He's Terry and Terry is allowed to be tired. Terry is allowed to be human for a little while. He needs this. This brief fleeting moment of normalcy.
Or as normal as Jason will let him be. He's glad the apartment is quiet. He just sits and listens to the hum of the city outside. He's not Robin right now. He's just Terry. And he likes that just fine.
It was odd, ending his week with Terry not on the back of his bike as he drove home from patrol. Odd that it hadn't actually taken that long for it's absence to be odd. Terry had settled into their lives with a surprising amount of ease and Jason...Jason enjoyed that. He did not enjoy leaving the younger man on a rooftop with only a promise that he'd drive up as early as he could get away Saturday morning.
He hadn't really expected Terry to be there when he'd woken up that morning, but he'd still checked his bedroom on his way to the kitchen to start Dick's coffee and his own tea.
Distracting himself got harder once his husband had left for work. He'd gone for a run and had ended up having lunch at a coffee shop. From there, it was back home for a shower and a change of clothes and then he was taking inventory of his kitchen before heading back out. The chime of Terry's arrival hit his phone half way through his shopping trip and the level of relief that seeped through him at that simple chime was surprising.
Though, not as surprising as it would have been a few weeks ago.
Terry was already in the chair when Jason's key turned in the lock, and he flashed the younger man a smile as he started hauling stuffed canvas bags from the doorway -which he propped open with a gallon of milk- to the kitchen.
"Hey, you. Give me a hand? I want to get the rub on the ribs for the grill before Dick gets home from work." No barked orders or instant lectures about time. No immediately dropping everything to drag Terry down to the training area. Work/life balance, the one thing Bruce Wayne had never figured out how to do.
"How's the shoulder after last night's tussle? Not too bad, I hope."
He'd never say this -- at least not to Bruce -- but he liked knowing there were people he could turn to when being with Bruce became unbearable. He could go home, true enough, sleep in his own bed and let his little brother annoy him to death, but his mom and Matt would never understand. They only ever saw Bruce's philanthropy, his generosity when it came to people less fortunate than himself. They'd never see the way he demanded perfection from himself and from others. They way he pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion and put those expectations on everyone around him. They didn't know the paranoia and rage that could bubble up if he thought you were lying to him.
It was just nice to have people in his life that did.
The key in the lock turned and when Jason appeared in the doorway, Terry can't help but grin a little at the sight of him. He didn't live here, but it felt like coming home anyway.
"Sure, just let me put my shirt on before I scandalize the neighbors." He's quick and fluid about it. He doesn't bother to fix his hair. He was here to relax. Not worry about what was out of place on him. He'd go back to being a good soldier later.
"It's good. A little stiff but nothing I can't work through." He offered his empty hands to help Jason carry the groceries and so he could have a peek at what else might be in the bags.
The stab of guilt that lanced through his gut as he took in the sight of all that exposed skin was expected and familiar, but it wasn't enough to make Jason look away. He'd done the whole cloak and dagger, hiding from everyone including himself thing for too many years. Sure, it had made life easier when he hadn't had attachments and he'd been doing his damnedest to keep people at arm's length, but 'easier' wasn't always 'better'. In fact, he'd argue that it was the exact opposite.
His life had been cold. Clinical. He ran his territory with an iron grip, fueled his body with exactly only what it needed to function, driven only by his goals and his tasks and his mission. And one day, he'd looked in the mirror and the hard blue eyes that stared back at him had startled him because for just a split second, they'd been Bruce's. For just a split second, he'd been exactly who the case in Bruce's Cave had titled him as: A Good Solider.
He didn't hide from himself anymore. Even if it meant a faint blush tinging his cheeks when he finally cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from the younger man so he could make his way to the kitchen. He set the bags down on the island, leaving Terry to bring in the couple left in the doorway so he could head back to the bedroom where he could hear the steady thwump-thwump-thwump of Haly's tail against her kennel.
"Aww, baby! Did mean ol' Terry not let you out when he got home?" The little wiggling mess of blue dog wiggled even harder as soon as she caught sight of Jason in the doorway and the older man chuckled as he bent to unlatch the big side swing door of her kennel. Haly bolted out like a missel, whining in the way that only super excited pitties could as she danced around Jason's feet before darting out to give Terry the same treatment. Jason followed her much at a much more sedate pace, leaning against the island as he watched his husband's dog run circles around the younger man in her excitement.
"Yeah, that's it. You tell him off for not letting you out. Bite him. Rend the flesh from his bones!" She threw herself down onto her one front leg in a play bow so deep, she actually scooted a few times before she was able to get her paw back under her to spring back up for more excited circles.
"Go ahead and let her out, yeah? Her collar is on it's hook." One of the many nice things about having taken over an old warehouse was the fencing around the majority of the property. Haly never stayed out long by herself, but if Jason's plan was ribs then he'd be outside grilling at some point in the near-ish future.
Being around Bruce had changed him and he guessed in a lot of ways it was inevitable. Bruce was a strong, nearly suffocating presence and anyone (un)fortunate enough to be drawn into his orbit was bound to feel the crushing weight of his influence. Sometimes, when his mother cared to notice, she'd say something about it. How he's gotten a little quieter. Or how he's short with Matt in a way he wasn't before. It's little things that ripple out from the center of him and Terry can only say it starts with Bruce.
Being with Dick and Jason seemed to be the antidote. Nothing dramatic, just a quiet return to form. He wasn't stressed when he was with them or felt like he was walking on eggshells and honestly? It was nice. It was nice having people around who knew how to handle Bruce and could show him so when he looked in the mirror, he didn't see Bruce staring back at him.
He smiled when he noticed the color in Jason's cheeks, faint as it was. Jason didn't hide from himself anymore and in a way, he'd stopped Terry from retreating into Bruce's looming shadow himself. He could follow Bruce without mirroring his footsteps. He could Robin and leave room for being Terry too. It was good for him in the long run. He could be a better partner to Bruce if it didn't always feel like he was drowning. He grabbed the last of the bags in the doorway and set them with the rest, so he could sort through and put away what they wouldn't be needing for dinner.
"Hey, I was gonna let her out. Just had to wash off that fresh Gotham grime. Isn't that right, girl?" He knelt to pet Haley as she danced around his feet. When he was up again, he reached for her collar and slipped it around her neck before opening the door to watch her bolt outside. He stayed by the door just to keep an eye on her as she sniffed her way through the yard.
"So, am I setting the table for two or three tonight?" Sometimes the night work ran long. Sometimes it didn't. And sometimes it didn't matter. He was learning work/life balance or something. He couldn't be everywhere at once even if that's what Bruce wanted him to do. Sometimes, he needed to step back and breathe and it was always easier to breathe when he was here. He didn't live here, but still felt like home.
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deadbirdarising) wrote2025-07-25 11:41 pm
From Memes
A first step out the door
Jay takes refuge in Terry's room while Terry does a little recon. Also, Dick is discussed.
Texts about dinner
A Post-It note bicker session
no subject
He's still toweling his hair when he comes out of the bathroom, steam puffing out behind him. It's cooler out here, the air a little bit dryer and it reminds him he's not home. Dick and Jason told him to make himself at home, but it's little moments like these that remind him he's not. Even if Gotham may as well be another planet when he's here.
His duffel sits at the foot of the couch, half rummaged through. A clean shirt and sweats draped over the backrest. Like he's trying to be casual about being here. He pulls the sweats on and tosses the towel he'd been wearing over the bag.
Then he drops into a nearby chair at the table. It's by a window that's open, just a bit to let the room breathe. And Terry's glad for it. It gives him room to breathe too, lets the shower's warmth sit with him for a little while longer.
Today the routine's a little off kilter. He gets in later than usual, a delay he can safely blame on Bruce and his paranoia. He'd questioned him about his weekend plans and never seemed satisfied with Terry's answer. Part of him always feels a little guilty. Like the lie is making things worse somehow. But it's a reprieve. Something Terry needs after another week of Bruce's grueling kind of scrutiny. He knows he'll have to come clean eventually. That Bruce's vigilance will catch him up one day. But Terry wants to hang on to this for as long as he can.
But...maybe he shouldn't be here. Maybe he should have stuck it out one weekend. Trained in the cave with the old man. It's what Bruce would have done. Hell, it's what Bruce expects out of him.
He isn't Bruce though is he? He's Terry and Terry is allowed to be tired. Terry is allowed to be human for a little while. He needs this. This brief fleeting moment of normalcy.
Or as normal as Jason will let him be. He's glad the apartment is quiet. He just sits and listens to the hum of the city outside. He's not Robin right now. He's just Terry. And he likes that just fine.
no subject
He hadn't really expected Terry to be there when he'd woken up that morning, but he'd still checked his bedroom on his way to the kitchen to start Dick's coffee and his own tea.
Distracting himself got harder once his husband had left for work. He'd gone for a run and had ended up having lunch at a coffee shop. From there, it was back home for a shower and a change of clothes and then he was taking inventory of his kitchen before heading back out. The chime of Terry's arrival hit his phone half way through his shopping trip and the level of relief that seeped through him at that simple chime was surprising.
Though, not as surprising as it would have been a few weeks ago.
Terry was already in the chair when Jason's key turned in the lock, and he flashed the younger man a smile as he started hauling stuffed canvas bags from the doorway -which he propped open with a gallon of milk- to the kitchen.
"Hey, you. Give me a hand? I want to get the rub on the ribs for the grill before Dick gets home from work." No barked orders or instant lectures about time. No immediately dropping everything to drag Terry down to the training area. Work/life balance, the one thing Bruce Wayne had never figured out how to do.
"How's the shoulder after last night's tussle? Not too bad, I hope."
no subject
It was just nice to have people in his life that did.
The key in the lock turned and when Jason appeared in the doorway, Terry can't help but grin a little at the sight of him. He didn't live here, but it felt like coming home anyway.
"Sure, just let me put my shirt on before I scandalize the neighbors." He's quick and fluid about it. He doesn't bother to fix his hair. He was here to relax. Not worry about what was out of place on him. He'd go back to being a good soldier later.
"It's good. A little stiff but nothing I can't work through." He offered his empty hands to help Jason carry the groceries and so he could have a peek at what else might be in the bags.
"Hope you were nice and got something for me."
no subject
His life had been cold. Clinical. He ran his territory with an iron grip, fueled his body with exactly only what it needed to function, driven only by his goals and his tasks and his mission. And one day, he'd looked in the mirror and the hard blue eyes that stared back at him had startled him because for just a split second, they'd been Bruce's. For just a split second, he'd been exactly who the case in Bruce's Cave had titled him as: A Good Solider.
He didn't hide from himself anymore. Even if it meant a faint blush tinging his cheeks when he finally cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from the younger man so he could make his way to the kitchen. He set the bags down on the island, leaving Terry to bring in the couple left in the doorway so he could head back to the bedroom where he could hear the steady thwump-thwump-thwump of Haly's tail against her kennel.
"Aww, baby! Did mean ol' Terry not let you out when he got home?" The little wiggling mess of blue dog wiggled even harder as soon as she caught sight of Jason in the doorway and the older man chuckled as he bent to unlatch the big side swing door of her kennel. Haly bolted out like a missel, whining in the way that only super excited pitties could as she danced around Jason's feet before darting out to give Terry the same treatment. Jason followed her much at a much more sedate pace, leaning against the island as he watched his husband's dog run circles around the younger man in her excitement.
"Yeah, that's it. You tell him off for not letting you out. Bite him. Rend the flesh from his bones!" She threw herself down onto her one front leg in a play bow so deep, she actually scooted a few times before she was able to get her paw back under her to spring back up for more excited circles.
"Go ahead and let her out, yeah? Her collar is on it's hook." One of the many nice things about having taken over an old warehouse was the fencing around the majority of the property. Haly never stayed out long by herself, but if Jason's plan was ribs then he'd be outside grilling at some point in the near-ish future.
no subject
Being with Dick and Jason seemed to be the antidote. Nothing dramatic, just a quiet return to form. He wasn't stressed when he was with them or felt like he was walking on eggshells and honestly? It was nice. It was nice having people around who knew how to handle Bruce and could show him so when he looked in the mirror, he didn't see Bruce staring back at him.
He smiled when he noticed the color in Jason's cheeks, faint as it was. Jason didn't hide from himself anymore and in a way, he'd stopped Terry from retreating into Bruce's looming shadow himself. He could follow Bruce without mirroring his footsteps. He could Robin and leave room for being Terry too. It was good for him in the long run. He could be a better partner to Bruce if it didn't always feel like he was drowning. He grabbed the last of the bags in the doorway and set them with the rest, so he could sort through and put away what they wouldn't be needing for dinner.
"Hey, I was gonna let her out. Just had to wash off that fresh Gotham grime. Isn't that right, girl?" He knelt to pet Haley as she danced around his feet. When he was up again, he reached for her collar and slipped it around her neck before opening the door to watch her bolt outside. He stayed by the door just to keep an eye on her as she sniffed her way through the yard.
"So, am I setting the table for two or three tonight?" Sometimes the night work ran long. Sometimes it didn't. And sometimes it didn't matter. He was learning work/life balance or something. He couldn't be everywhere at once even if that's what Bruce wanted him to do. Sometimes, he needed to step back and breathe and it was always easier to breathe when he was here. He didn't live here, but still felt like home.