#Well hinted previous and future jaytim

[azol-otl]

It's the noise he notices first. Even with how obnoxiously loud Haven gets, there's always a certain kind of volume that only happens when a new group searching asylum comes in.

Jason opens an eye and glances over at the new arrivals from his perch. It wasn't any new church dogs that come in day and night. Those never help with the itchiness in his bones when combined with all the fucking templar bucket heads and newly allied mages. It feels too much like the Gallows for him. Wet, cold, and too many goddamn prayers to a god who couldn't give less of a shit about them if he even exists at all.

At least he knows Lavellan is as uncomfortable as he is.

No from the arguing it's clearly it's another group of mages, firepower they could have used earlier crawling out of their nests like rats to the "safety" of the Inquisition now that there's an official alliance. Jason gets it, he's a huge hypocrite but not that huge. Concealing his magic is a matter of survival, and looking at the state of them they really weren't ready to be outside.

The man up front, the leader Jason supposes, is younger than one would expect. Towers run on politics, ass kissing, and living long enough to be an old bastard that all the other little circles mages follow you. This guy looks about as old as Sera, maybe a little older at best. Ragged robes (tch, robes when running away is a choice), with obvious patch jobs by untrained hands. The trail of experience is clear with how the oldest of these fixes being a mess and the newer ones only being noticeable but not in danger of failing.

Something about that face is familiar though... Ah. Drake has grown. No longer soft and pudgy like he was on that mission before the Kirkwall shitstorm. His shoulders are broader, his cheeks sunken, but his ice blue eyes are harsh and piercing. Jason doesn't know why the guy left the safety of Ostwick when the place is one of the few circles not totally collapsed, but he guesses that breath of freedom was enough to get Drake hooked.

Jason wonders if Drake still turns that pretty red when angered.

[avanalae]

Free Mermaid

It’s here, you guys. The final part of the Secret Mermaid verse. After…. *goes to check* …over 6 years oh my God. o__o

WELL ANYWAY *coughs awkwardly* I really hope you enjoy this conclusion. I was super surprised, actually, because I seriously wrote this all in one sitting in less than an hour! Like I said, super surprising. But I was super glad, too, though that it cooperated so well. It’s nice when that happens. :) Especially after years of hiatus.

ENJOY!!! *blows kisses*

Part 1 | Part 2 | Extra | Kaizoku To Ningyo Manga

Title: Free Mermaid Fandom: DCU/Kaizoku To Ningyo (Pirate and Mermaid) Pairing: future/implied JayTim Rating: PG Word Count: 1,645 (eeee :D) Warnings: Will make more sense if you’ve read the manga and the previous parts. Also explosions. Summary: Freedom comes in the form of a blaze. A blaze of fire and a blaze of a man.

_

It’s been… A week? A week and a half? Maybe.

Tim’s hardly sure of anything anymore. His face is in his hands, but those hands move up to instead tug fiercely at his hair.

The last time Ra’s had been in was about two days ago, as far as Tim can estimate. He’d acted so morose and regretful, telling Tim he’d be back in a few days, but he had business to attend to that needed a personal touch.

Tim doesn’t know how much of his story was true, but Ra’s hadn’t been in to talk with him for a while. The mechanism that brought him food didn’t involve people.

Tim had been alone for who knows how long.

His forehead on his knees, Tim continues to pull at his hair.

It’s not really the whole being alone part of things that’s the most upsetting. He’s used to being alone. But he doesn’t have anything to do, here. Sure, there’s the books and puzzles that he was provided but those were of Ra’s choice and not his own. The topics weren’t stimulating, likely an attempt to bore him enough to be more willing to talk to Ra’s. The puzzles were also only interesting for a short time.

The water is also too shallow and too restricted to swim freely, likely also an attempt to control Tim’s movements and ability to exercise.

Tim squeezes his eyes shut and berates himself.

What would his mother say about this?

Gods, she’d be so disappointed.

His heart breaks a little bit.

_

Tim blinks awake, wondering when he’d fallen asleep. He rubs his eyes and wonders what woke him.

There’s an odd sound and Tim looks to the door.

What’s going on, he wonders.

There’s silence for a bit and then the sound again, a bit louder this time.

An… Explosion?

Tim blinks and then his eyes widen. Could it be?

Hope explodes in his chest before he can smother it and he can only wait.

He doesn’t have to wait long.

_

The door explodes inward, pieces scattering around the room and bouncing off the glass of his cage.

Tim’s in the water, hands pressed against the glass and he almost gasps to see Jason stride into the room.

They had a tentative relationship, as far as he knew. He was, admittedly, attracted to the man. Practically since his stint as Robin. But while his attempts at amicability were generally rebuffed, Jason had gotten… kinder in a sense. More likely to listen, more willing to give snarky remarks, and so on.

But to see him here made something flutter in his chest.

And that feeling freezes when he realizes his situation.

Jason is staring at his glass prison in obvious horror.

But when his eyes turn to Tim there’s surprise and Tim wonders – Wait, perhaps he wasn’t informed of his… condition.

Tim looks away and tucks a lock of his flaming scarlet hair behind an ear insecurely.

“Baby bird?”

Tim looks up again and wow, how fast did Jason have to move to get this close so suddenly –

“It is you,” Jason’s hand touches the glass, the opposite side from where Tim’s other hand is still resting. His mouth turns up in a roguish grin, “Never took you for a ginger, baby bird.”

Tim frowns, he’s not pouting. He’s frowning.

Jason laughs, “Sorry, sorry. Now’s not really the time for it, though. It’s more time for getting you out of here.” He takes a couple steps back and looks around. Before long he nods and goes for his grapple.

Tim also backs up, seeing where he’s going with this.

Jason palms his grapple and prepares for throwing it, “Ready?”

“Yeah,” Tim nods even as he hoarsely responds.

It’s an almost perfect throw, and Tim stumbles a bit trying to catch it, trying to work against the water that goes up to his ribs. Grapple in hand he makes for one of the platforms. Once on, he turns and looks for a place to attach the grapple. But a quick glance shows a blushing Jason averting his eyes.

Tim suddenly remembers what he’s wearing, and his face practically bursts into flames.

The biggest problem is that the loincloth is white and though the fabric is thick enough to avoid any… flashes, it’s not exactly decent.

He clears his throat and fires the grapple at a protrusion on the ceiling. He hits the recoil and as he goes up, he steps up along the glass wall of his former cage.

Once out and on the other side, he hits reverse and steps onto marble floors. Release and recoil buttons and the grapple is ready to go.

“Are you here by yourself?” Tim asks as the grapple retracts and is surprised when Jason hands him his jacket.

There’s still a touch of red on his cheeks, and probably on Tim’s, too, but he’s trying to ignore it. So Tim hands Jason the grapple and puts on the coat.

“Nah, big bird’s here, too. B and demon brat are elsewhere causing a distraction.” Jason gently grabs his elbow and leads him towards the door. “We don’t have much more time, we gotta get out.” A touch to his earpiece, “Nightwing, package retrieved – “ Tim scowls “ – get out of here.”

It doesn’t take too much to get out of the mansion, but when they get outside, Tim flinches when his bare feet hit the rocky ground.

Without much hesitation and to Tim’s great surprise, Jason scoops him up into his arms and makes a run for a nearby helicopter. Dick’s inside, just starting it up, and only glances at them when they enter to confirm it’s them.

Soon they’re in the air and on their way away from Ra’s’ mansion.

Minutes have passed, and Tim finally gets over the fact that they came for him and he’s free – and realizes he’s still in Jason’s arms.

He blinks and looks up at Jason. Jason looks down and blinks.

They both blush and immediately separate, falling onto different seats. They look away from each other out opposite windows and Dick calls back, “Everything okay back there?”

“Just focus on flying, big bird,” Jason huffs gruffly.

_

They make it home after a long while, after three pilot changes and Dick’s attempt at composure after seeing Tim in his… outfit.

Tim practically runs to his room. He needs to shower. To get rid of the smell of salt that he’d never thought he’d come to dislike. To get rid of the feel of that cage.

He left Jason and Dick in the cave, but he hopes they understand.

At that thought, Tim realizes that he’s still wearing Jason’s coat. He pauses at this, stopping on the way to the bathroom.

He… He blushes at a thought, but…

He fights his embarrassment and brings the collar of the jacket up to his nose. It smells realitively clean, with just a hint of gunpowder and… something else.

It’s almost comforting.

Actually, it is.

Tim finds himself breathing a bit easier.

He reluctantly strips the jacket off and lays it on his bed. He takes off the loincloth with much less reverence, tossing it to the floor to be burned later.

He’s all dry, so his hair shows a glaring white in the mirror as he enters the bathroom. For a moment, he lets the memories of his childhood flow over him, remembering but not lingering.

He averts his eyes from the mirror.

Time for that shower.

_

It’s a few days later. He’d been left alone for the most part, just having to deal with some check-ups and lots of hugs from Dick. Otherwise, he didn’t think they really knew what to do.

He could tell that they were worried but didn’t know how to approach him.

Well, Dick and Bruce were worried. Bruce was too awkward, though, and Dick just tried to smother him.

He hadn’t seen Jason since he left him in the cave the other day when they returned.

He’s been staying at the manor ever since, Bruce, Dick, and Alfred not willing to let him out of their sight yet.

Alfred, at least, has known what to do. Offering a comforting hand on the shoulder, quiet words and hot coffee, and silent companionship.

He still thinks about Jason, though. His jacket his still on his bed.

And no, he didn’t sleep with it curled in his arms, thank you.

It’s the beginning of the evening, so the house is empty except for Alfred, aside from himself. He’s lying on his bed, looking through some reports on a tablet when he hears a knock on his window.

Confused, he gets up and goes to the window.

There’s no one there. He waits.

A gloved hand comes up and knocks again.

Is that…?

Tim steps forward and opens the window.

“Jason?”

There’s a large tree not too far from his window, but the closest branch isn’t the steadiest thing. But Jason doesn’t seem to be having too much trouble. He waves, “Hey birdie.”

He ignores the nickname, “What are you doing here?”

Jason shrugs, “Just checking in.”

Tim’s chest flutters a bit again, but it’s not immediately followed by another emotion so it lingers. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

There’s a bit of an awkward silence.

“You know, Alfred would let you in,” Tim says quietly.

Jason shrugs again and doesn’t answer that. “So, they keeping you caged up in there?”

The corner of Tim’s lips quirk at that, despite the twitch his heart made at the word, “I suppose you could say that.”

“Come out to play, little bird,” Jason chuckles and reaches out a hand invitingly. “I’ll take you away from your cage.”

The quirk of lips turns into a smile, “Sure.”

A small pause, “But I’m going through the door, not a window.”

Jason laughs.