Work Text:
Dick’s barely entered the treeline when it becomes apparent he’s being followed. They’re being careful about it; whoever they are, it’s clear they’re seasoned hunters, but unluckily for them, Dick isn’t just anyone . He can feel their auras like a physical thing encroaching on his space. But he keeps pushing further into the treeline as if they’re not there, subtly adjusting his course to lead them away from the cave; away from home .
He touches several tree trunks once he’s deep enough into the forest, getting ready to make his move as he feels them getting closer. But before he can, a howl cuts through the air. He sighs and flicks his wrist to unravel the magic he left behind on the trees as the screaming starts.
Don’t make a mess . Dick sighs again as he sets off in the right direction this time.
No promises .
Dick can hear the smile even though he can’t see him, and he shakes his head with a small smile on his own lips.
Home is not a word anyone in their right mind would use to describe the cave because it’s literally just that: a cave. It’s partially hidden by the tree cover and further disguised by the angle of the rock face, which was the reason Dick chose it in the first place. The cave is also protected by sigils carved just inside of the entrance, hidden in the dark, which emit a strong sense of dread that would turn almost anyone around. Only people with a sigil of exception somewhere on their person can get by without feeling it. But just in case someone does manage to pass through, there are detection wards further in that will let Dick know.
Dick kicks the snow off his boots as he enters the cave and makes his way towards the back. The air shimmers ever so slightly; most people wouldn’t be able to pick up on it or would pass it off as a trick of the low light. Only people who’d spent considerable time around magic would be able to tell what it was. He steps through into the pocket dimension, straight onto the steps of the cabin.
Pocket dimensions are tricky things to get right. It had taken Dick years of trial and error to perfect it, to make it safe (and comfy) to live in. Now though, he wouldn't change a thing.
He unlaces his boots and toes them off on the porch before walking inside.
Jason's already inside waiting for him, sprawled out in front of the lit fireplace and licking blood off his paws. He looks up as Dick walks in and his tail starts wagging.
Dick knows the look Jason’s giving him, so he turns to look in the basket by the door and sure enough there's a whole human hand in there. Dick huffs out a laugh. It is useful. Enemies' bones can be used in a lot of spells, and hand bones are easier to grind up than most others.
"I swear you're actually part cat."
Jason gives a low growl, but his tail doesn't stop wagging as Dick walks over to him and pets between his ears. He grimaces as his hand comes back flaked with drying blood.
"C'mon, you need a proper bath."
Jason eagerly stands and follows him into the bathing area set up near the back of the house. One good thing about the pocket dimension is that it technically exists both everywhere and nowhere, so Dick can create doorways wherever he wants, including small ones so he can get water from lakes to fill the pipes.
He fills the bath to the height he knows is enough to cover Jason but not so high that he'll displace all the water when he gets in and soak the floor. Dick sticks his hand in the freezing water and mutters the needed spell to make it the perfect temperature.
"Clothes in the wash basin." Dick says as he hears Jason grunt and the sound of grinding bones as he shifts back. It's only Dick's magic on all of his clothes that causes them to change with him as he shifts; before they met, Jason's clothes just used to shred if he shifted while wearing them.
"It's not actually that bad." Jason mutters, his voice rough as his vocal cords shift back from wolf to human.
Dick turns to look at him with a raised eyebrow. There's blood caked in his hair and down his chin and chest from his mouth. There's not as much as there could be, but Dick knows that's because a lot of it probably ended up on his clothes. " Bath ."
"Yes, mother ." Jason says with an eye roll.
Dick doesn't dignify him with a response as he grabs the soap and a wash cloth off the shelf.
Jason groans as he sinks into the water; shifting between forms has always been hard on his body, even if practice has eased it significantly since Dick met him.
"I had it handled you know." Dick says quietly as he sits down on the stool next to the bath. He dips the washcloth in the water before lathering it with the soap.
"I know." Jason tips his head back against the edge of the tub and looks at him with hooded eyes. "But you don't have to do everything on your own anymore."
"I know." Dick echoes as he starts working the cloth over one of Jason's arms.
Jason hands him his other arm once he's done with the first. "'m not a child anymore, Dickie."
Dick gives him a crooked smile. "I'm pretty damn aware of that, Jay. I'd hope I've made that obvious."
Jason laughs. "Yeah, you have."
"Good," Dick says as he moves to start scrubbing the blood from Jason's neck and face. He pays attention to the cord and amulet around Jason's neck to make sure the sigils are clean of any debris. It won't completely stop them working, but it might dim their effect somewhat. "Tip your head."
Jason does, and Dick uses the cup they keep next to the bath to wet his hair and then lathers his curls with soap to work the blood out. He rinses the water out and presses a kiss to Jason's bare shoulder.
"All done."
Jason drains the bath as Dick puts the soap and cloth back and grabs him one of the linen towels off the drying rack. Jason takes it with a murmured thanks and dries off as Dick goes and grabs him some clothes. Jason takes them once he's back and leans in to try and kiss him. Dick dodges with a smile and a gentle push to his chest.
He grabs the willow sticks and clove paste from the shelf and presses them to Jason's chest. "You've still got blood in your teeth."
Jason rolls his eyes, but he's smiling as he takes them both and goes over to the smaller basin they keep by the window. Dick watches him for a moment with a soft smile on his face before going to deal with the 'present' Jason left him by the door.
"Why don't you use magic for that?" The kid asked as Dick lit the fireplace with a flint and steel.
Dick didn't jump, but it was close. He turned around to find a very skinny teenager in place of the skinny little wolf he'd carried back home through the snowstorm. He'd grabbed a blanket off Dick's bed to cover his nakedness, but Dick could still tell how emaciated he was, even though his face was still full of life. There was a scowl on his face, eerily reminiscent of a snarling wolf. He had a full head of curly hair, though it was messy and tangled, and a pair of the brightest teal eyes Dick had ever seen.
"It's good to keep up normal skills and not grow complacent with using magic for everything." Dick answered, turning back to continue building the fire now the kindling had caught. "What's your name?"
"Jason." The kid, Jason , said, still wary.
"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm Richard, though most people call me Dick." Dick said as he turned back around again.
"I ain't gonna be some witch’s familiar!" Jason growled, apparently wanting to get that out of the way before anything else. Dick couldn't begrudge him that.
"That's not why I brought you here." Dick said softly. "This storm is going to last a long time. It's going to be a hard winter, one you wouldn't have seen the other side of if I'd have left you outside."
"So what? You're just doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" Jason shot back.
This kid was quick and smart; Dick was already starting to like him.
"I won't lie, it'll be useful to have someone with a nose like yours to help with hunting so we can make it through the winter. But for the most part, yes. You're a kid, and you've clearly had a hard life. I was like you once, so I'd like to give you a better chance," Dick said.
Jason eyed him suspiciously and was quiet for several long moments before he finally spoke. "Fine, I'll stay. Just for the winter."
"Just for the winter," Dick echoed with a smile.
"But I ain't no kid, I've already seen seventeen winters," Jason said with the scowl still in place, which in Dick's opinion just made him look even more like a kid.
"Okay," Dick agreed easily to keep the peace, remembering when he'd been that age and felt the same. "I can draw you a bath while I make us some food? You can borrow some of my clothes for now, though I might have to tailor them to fit you better."
Jason nodded. "Okay."
Dick smiled. There were several potions he could slip into Jason's food to start helping to counteract the clear malnutrition, but Dick knew if he was caught, he'd never gain Jason's trust. It was better to just start with proper meals and then bring it up later so Jason had a choice and was more likely to trust him overall. Even if the kid only stayed with him for the winter, Dick would make sure he had the best fighting chance at survival by the time he left.
The pocket dimension might be mostly in Dick's control, but some things are too energy consuming to keep up all the time. The most draining one happens to be the weather, so he just lets it change with the seasons outside. The cabin is pretty insulated and holds heat well, but there are times when the fire dies down in the middle of the night in winter when it gets cold . Dick knows the cold has woken him before he becomes aware of it throughout his body.
He groans softly and very reluctantly climbs out of bed. He grabs the blanket off the floor that's kept there exactly for this and drapes it around his shoulders as he makes his way over to the fire. He throws a couple of logs on and uses a bit of magic to make sure they catch without more work before hightailing it back to the bed.
Jason's sprawled out on his back, one arm behind his head and his face turned towards Dick's pillow. Dick drops the blanket and climbs back under the covers next to him, immediately migrating towards the heat Jason's body is emitting. Shifters tend to run hotter than normal people, and it's nights like this that Dick is glad of it. He buries his cold nose in Jason's shoulder as he presses against his side. Jason grunts at what probably feels like an ice cube pressing into his skin and turns onto his side to sleepily wrap around Dick like a heated blanket. Dick goes boneless in response and tucks his head under Jason's chin to bury his face in Jason's chest. Jason mumbles something incoherent and buries his face in Dick's hair.
The next time Dick wakes, he's significantly warmer and there's light pouring through the edges of the curtains. Jason is tracing lines along the bare line of his spine, and Dick turns his head so he can press his lips against his shoulder.
"Why were they following you yesterday?" Jason asks once it becomes clear he's awake.
"The usual," Dick says, nuzzling against Jason's throat. "I think they'd managed to track me to the village from Bludhaven. There was a girl showing signs of magic. I helped her get away."
"Bastards deserved it then." Jason says, and Dick knows it weighs on him sometimes, even though his instincts demand he's quick to act to keep their home safe. "Where's the girl?"
"With Bruce."
"And you're okay with that?" Jason asks, his hand coming up to brush Dick's hair behind his ear.
Dick shrugs. "It's the best place for her. I don't have the time or the skillset to train her, and I didn't think you'd be happy with suddenly having to share your space with someone else."
"Yeah, that's fair." Jason snorts. "I'm going to head out hunting today. The meat stores are running a little low."
"Okay." Dick hums, shifting away from Jason and stretching like a cat until his back and shoulders pop. "I need to catch up on some potion brewing anyway."
He turns to see Jason eyeing the curve of his spine with hooded eyes.
"You need to get going if you don't want to lose the light."
Jason groans and rolls out of bed.
Jason didn't just stay for the winter.
They settled into a routine faster than either of them could have predicted, neither of them realising how being on their own for so long had affected them. For the first two years, that's all it was: companionship and friendship. But then Dick started to notice Jason's eyes tracking him more closely than normal, how he started finding excuses for them to be physically closer, how he started providing for him more and more.
Dick wasn't stupid. He knew what it meant, knew exactly what Jason's intentions were.
A small part of him wanted to shut it down because there were so many options for Jason out there, options he'd yet to experience. But the larger part of Dick (including the part that was tired of being alone) couldn't deny his growing attraction. In the time Jason had been with him, Dick had almost completely managed to erase the effects of the malnutrition through careful management of normal remedies and magical intervention. The result was that Jason grew into the frame he was always supposed to have; he was several inches taller than Dick and muscled to fit that height, which was a big improvement compared to the skinny beanstalk of a kid Dick first brought home. He'd also grown into his cheekbones and jawline, the result of which was someone who was exactly Dick's type.
But Jason wasn't the only non-human with instincts to consider between the two of them.
Witches formed bonds with their chosen partners–the kind of bonds that were hard on both parties to break if something went wrong. So, the night Jason kissed him for the first time, Dick knew they needed to have a conversation.
"I'm not a child anymore!" Jason exclaimed with a scowl as Dick pushed him back and said that they needed to talk.
"I know. But there are some… considerations you need to be aware of from my side." Dick soothed, holding both his hands up. "Starting a relationship with a witch, with me , will cause bonds to form between us. They'll be weak initially, but they'll strengthen with time, to the point where if you ever want to leave, there'll be consequences to break them."
Jason stared at him with furrowed brows as he clearly thought through what Dick had said. He was quiet for several long moments, but Dick didn't press and just let him figure it out himself.
"What do the bonds entail?"
"We'll be able to communicate, no matter where we are without even speaking. There'll be an emotional transfer, especially with strong emotions. You'll be able to feel my pain, and vice versa." Dick explained.
Jason stepped forward and took his hand. "I still want to try, I still want you."
Dick didn't need him to clarify further, he just pushed up on his toes and kissed him.
A week after Dick gets home, he's grinding ingredients for a healing salve for one of the mothers in the village when pain suddenly radiates across his shoulder. He drops the pestle he's holding and runs for the door. Jason?
Stay home .
Dick snorts as he pulls on his boots and coat, barely keeping it together long enough to throw a few useful things into his coat pockets. That's not happening, where are you?
Stay. Home. I have it handled.
Dick almost growls in a way that mimics Jason in wolf form as he feels Jason clamp down on his end of the bond. But the bond isn't the only trick in Dick's pocket.
The amulet Jason wears was a gift from Dick once it became apparent he wasn't going to leave following that first winter. As well as personal protection spells and the sigils to bypass the cave's protection spells, there's also a tracking spell. Jason will give him hell for it later because Dick's never told him about it, but Dick won't apologise.
He activates the alternate spell on his own amulet and sets off in the direction of the instinctual pull.
The feeling of dread in his chest grows as he realises he's getting closer to where Jason killed the men who were following him, but it doesn't turn to full panic until he hears a high-pitched whine cut through the air that's immediately followed by a deep growl.
Dick's never tried to deny that he's impulsive and quick to action, but that's a dangerous combination and when it comes to Jason; it makes him a little stupid. All it takes is seeing the way they've managed to corner Jason against a rocky outcrop, seeing the arrow sticking out of his shoulder, and seeing the muzzle one of the men is holding, for Dick's impulse control to go out of the window.
He pulls two vials out of his pocket and throws them at two of the men on opposite sides of the semi-circle. They explode in green flames that immediately engulf the men and cause the others to scatter with a scream. Jason lunges at the one closest to him, his teeth crunching through bone as he grabs the man's arms, and the screams ratchet higher. Dick punches one of them in the face as he grabs another vial to throw at the next man. But his arm is grabbed before he can throw it, and he hits the floor hard as they drag him backwards.
He hears Jason growl again as he slams the vial into the man's shin and it explodes in a mass of vines that cover the man from head to toe. Jason turns back to the men who had been helping one of the others with the flames as Dick pushes himself back to his feet.
Only he barely manages a couple of steps forward before agony laces through his abdomen.
His first thought is for Jason, but when he looks over, Jason's looking at him . He looks down at his own stomach and swears under his breath as he sees an arrow sticking out of it. He barely feels his knees hit the snow as his legs give out, but he hears the howl and subsequent growl Jason lets out. He has enough awareness to throw his remaining few vials at the men to keep them back, but then he loses time.
The next thing he's aware of is Jason's arms under his knees and around his shoulders. He lets out a groan and buries his face in Jason's shoulder as Jason lifts him into his arms and it jostles the arrow.
"You're bleeding." He slurs out, trying and failing to raise a hand to Jason's shoulder.
"There's more of them in the village, these were just a scouting party." Jason says, taking off into the woods at a brisk walk. They have the advantage of the terrain, but if Jason's right, they have the numbers. "They'll track the blood trail. I can't do anything to disrupt it, not with the time we have."
Dick knows what that means he'll have to do. But he doesn't really let himself think about it, knowing now isn't the time to mourn what they're about to lose. He stays quiet until Jason's walking into the cave, fighting to stay present through the pain.
"There's three stones at the foot of the portal, I need you to pick them up."
Jason sucks in a sharp breath, clearly realising what Dick intends to do. Jason gets as close to the portal as he can without stepping through and sets Dick down on his feet, using one arm to support him as he bends down and grabs the stones. He hands them to Dick before picking him up again, and Dick's vision whites out as the arrow jostles again.
"I have to collapse it from inside or we'll get stuck out here." Dick says once he feels like he can talk without throwing up.
Jason steps through and Dick presses the stones together in his palm, already aware of how much energy this is going to take out of him. "You have everything you need inside, you know which tonics are for what, I trust you."
"What?" Jason asks, walking up to the porch.
But Dick feels the sigil in the cave's entrance activate, so he uses all of his remaining energy to crush the stones and the spells woven into them.
His vision goes black as the portal collapses behind them.
Dick watched as Jason walked along the shelves in his store cupboard, pointing to each thing and listing what it was and what it was used for. He hoped Jason would never be in a position where he needed to use any of them without Dick present, but Dick knew from experience that it was better to be safe than sorry. So, Dick paid careful attention to everything Jason said, making sure to correct him when he needed to.
"I don't know how you remember all of these." Jason mumbled with a pout that Dick secretly found adorable.
"Lots of practice." Dick walked over and ran his finger along the shelf containing the bottles of potions he'd brewed himself. "You'll get there, and honestly, as long as you know what all of these do, you don't really need to know each individual ingredient."
"How did you learn all this stuff? Surely it can't all be trial and error." Jason said, pushing himself up to sit on Dick's work table.
"More than you think was actually trial and error." Dick said with a smile as he walked over to slot himself between Jason's knees as Jason raised an eyebrow at him. "Some of it's from my mother, but a lot of it is from the man who took me in when they died. He lost his parents in a similar way, but he went years until he was old enough to travel on his own before he honed his skills. He didn't want that for me. But there’s still a few things I figured out on my own later."
"Where is he now?" Jason asked as he tugged Dick closer to the edge of the table.
"Still in Gotham. We had a falling out a long time ago, and while he sometimes asks for help and vice versa, he has other apprentices now." Dick pushed up on his tiptoes to press a chaste kiss to Jason's lips. "Plus, I prefer this, just you and me in our little bubble."
Jason smiled in the truly bright way he only did when he was really pleased, and Dick couldn't help reaching up to kiss him again.
Dick comes to in the slow and heavy way that suggests some kind of pain-alleviating potion. He's warm and can smell something good cooking, which is what convinces him to fight the heaviness in his eyelids, because if it's Jason cooking, whatever it is will be really good.
It's only as he blinks his eyes open to look at the cabin ceiling that he remembers what happened.
"Jas-" He cuts off as his dry throat cracks and sends him into a coughing fit.
Jason is there in a second, helping him sit up propped on the pillows and helping him drink out of the cup that had been left on the bedside table. He's shirtless, which means Dick can see the bandages criss crossed over his shoulder. But when he looks down at his own chest, he sees it's in a similar state.
"How long?"
"Three days." Jason says softly as he sits down on the edge of the bed and hands Dick a chunk of bread slathered with homemade butter, which he eagerly tucks into as his stomach feels like it’s trying to claw out of his body. "The arrows were poisoned. I- I didn't know what it was, I had to contact Bruce."
Dick grimaces, not because Jason contacted Bruce, the whole reason Dick showed him how to use the two way mirror was in case he ever needed to, but because it means Bruce is going to be insufferable for the next several weeks. "I'm going to have to open a portal in the manor grounds anyway until we can scout a new location. So, he can do all of his worrying then."
Jason snorts, the corner of his mouth tipping up into a ghost of a smile.
But Dick doesn't feel like smiling. "I'm sorry. They followed me, if I'd have been more careful-"
"Don't." Jason cuts him off. "There's no point dwelling on what could have been. If it wasn't them, chances are it would have been someone else. Me and you, being what we are, there's always going to be someone after us. But you've made sure we can't actually lose our home. That means more to me than anything else you could ever give me."
Dick knows the cabin means a lot to Jason, especially after he lost so many of the places he called home as a child before he ended up completely alone and just wandering from place to place. But he doesn't think he's ever considered just how much having a home that is safe as long as Dick is would mean to him.
Dick reaches out and takes one of Jason's hands in both of his. "I love you."
Jason gives him a crooked smile and leans in to press a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back. "I love you too."
Dick finally breaks into a smile. "What supplies have we got?"
"Enough for about a week." Jason says, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of Dick's hand.
"Bruce can wait for a bit longer then. How long has whatever you're cooking got left?" Dick asks, already trying to tug Jason into bed with him. It'll be a little while before Jason can shift again with his shoulder the way it is, which is a shame, because Dick likes curling up with him when he's in wolf form.
"It's stew with the meat we had left; it needs a while longer yet." Jason says, giving in and climbing into bed next to him.
Dick tucks himself into Jason's good side, being careful of both of their injuries. Jason wraps an arm around him and presses a kiss to his temple before resting their heads together.
Dick plans on tracking down the rest of the group who decided it was a good idea to come after him, and there's a lot of work to do to find them a new home base, but that's all a worry for later. For now, he's just happy to doze against Jason's side in the heat of the fireplace.