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[overlyprecocious]

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[robintohood]

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't I guess.

[Jason starts looking up at the menu for what he wants]

How was that school anyway?

[overlyprecocious]

Kinda challenging, I guess? Mostly because it's a different universe, so like - the history and literature is different.

[robintohood]

Did they push much on the Alliance bullshit?

[overlyprecocious]

Not as much as I expected. A lot of use your powers responsibly.

[Sadly, this place doesn't seem to have Tim's favorite, but they do have a coffee-flavored ice cream that looks promising.]

[robintohood]

[Meanwhile, Jason's eyeing a chocolate swirl flavor]

Not exactly wrong but easy to push that into the wrong direction.

[overlyprecocious]

Yeah.

[When it's their turn, Tim orders a conservative two scoops and then goes totally crazy with a whole waffle(!!) cone.]

I'm not looking forward to going back in person next year. At least the quarantine helped with that.

[robintohood]

Maybe there can be an alternative route for you. Remote learning or something.

[Jason orders two scoops of chocolate swirl with a waffle cone and pays in cash]

It's better to stay close these days.

[overlyprecocious]

Even without Fantastic taking over, I didn’t like going to a school I couldn’t leave on my own in an emergency.

[Beat.]

Even though Nico offered to be an emergency escape route.

[robintohood]

[Jason snorts]

Figures. You two be careful if it ever comes down to that. Nico sometimes pushes himself too much.

[overlyprecocious]

Yeah. We ended up in Italy by accident. Dick texted me pretty much immediately to find out what happened.

[robintohood]

Why Italy?

[Jason knows Nico is Italian and has a good idea how they wound up there but that's still a hell of a jump to make]

[overlyprecocious]

Accident when he was trying to aim for home. It’s an impressive range.

[robintohood]

It is. He didn't nearly pass out from the jump, did he?

[overlyprecocious]

He needed a break, but he didn’t pass out.

[He’s quiet for a moment.]

I haven’t told him yet? That you’re my brother.

[robintohood]

[In a neutral tone]

How come?

[He's not upset, only curious]

[overlyprecocious]

I didn’t know he knew you, at first. And then when I did, you and I weren’t really - talking.

[it was awkward, basically. And now it’s even more awkward.]

[robintohood]

[Jason nods. It makes sense and he knows he and Tim didn't have a great start]

I get it. And it's okay to tell him we're brothers. It's easier that way than explaining why a random kid sometimes hangs around me.

[overlyprecocious]

[The phrasing - like Jason doesn’t think they’re brothers - gives him a pause, before he carefully puts it in a box and tucks it away.]

Yeah. Okay.

[robintohood]

[The pause gives Jason enough of a signal to realize what he made it sound like to Tim]

Multiverse or not, we are brothers.

[overlyprecocious]

- We don't have to be. If you don't want to.

[Just. In case.]

[robintohood]

I do want to. I'm already a brother with the others.

[Even if he's not always comfortable with the Bat connection]

[overlyprecocious]

Okay.

[He tries not to look too relieved, but, well. Family of detectives.]

[robintohood]

[Yeah, Jason's caught that. He won't directly comment on it for now because things are awkward enough between him and Tim.

The employee comes back with their orders ready. Jason carefully takes his]

The multiverse is a pain in the ass but this seems like one of the more obvious facts.

[overlyprecocious]

I guess. I mean, it's complicated? I wasn't adopted or anything.

[But he is receiving ice cream now.]

[robintohood]

Emotionally adopted at least though. So good enough.

[Jason walks over to a table for himself and Tim]