Where could I go?

The next morning was… uncomfortable.

Well, at least it was for Peter. 

The bright light of the Gotham morning warmed Peter's skin, his embarrassment aching in his chest. It took everything in him not to flop onto his stomach and fake sick for the day. Shame pooled in his gut, the sheer filth of his actions last night made his face scrunch. 

How dare he?

He curled in on himself, tossing his blanket to the side. Shame and embarrassment curled around him like a sickly warm hug. Emotions crawled under his skin. Peter's hands worked their way up towards his hair and gave a comforting pull. 

Okay, his emotions are running too high. He needs to look at the facts.

Fact 1: Last night, he thought Jason was in trouble so we went to help. Just as he was about to leave he found out he…wasn’t in trouble. 

Fact 2: Peter had some very…interesting feelings about his roommate. Feelings he definitely shouldn't be having. Especially since Jason has been nothing but accommodating throughout all of…this.

The long and short of it is that bros were simply being bros. Normal bro things were happening.

Pretty simple right? Peter is very normal about all this.

Though…Jason was calling his name last night, and Peter was calling it right back…

Peter shakes his head, he’s not thinking about that right now, right now he’s going to act like a normal person which means being annoying to Jason.

Peter swings his legs off the side of the bed decisively. He’s already started the morning with whatever that was, there's nowhere to go but up.

He exits his bedroom in a pair of pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt Jason had gifted him with the promise of the pair going shopping at some point. Peter was pretty sure he was still a villain in the eyes of the other bats, so the paranoia that would haunt him as he went around in public would probably affect an outing together. Though he would give anything to wear clothes his size for once. It seemed like any clothes he wore that were lent to him swallowed him.

The apartment is quiet, save for the sound of bacon sizzling. Jason stands in the kitchen, tending to a pan and humming to himself quietly. In the moments before Peter approaches, he feels like his heart has leaped into his throat. Every minor thought he’s been suppressing since Jason’s been kind enough to take him in is coming to the surface. 

Of course, he’s wearing one of those damn compression tops right now.

Peter takes a breath and sits at the breakfast bar, schooling his expression into something akin to a tired morning face and smacking on a lazy smile.

Jason turns to Peter, sliding a plate filled with bacon and eggs across the counter towards him.

“Sleep well?”

“Like a baby. You?”

“Never better,”

Jason turns back to the stove, a soft smile on his face. 

Peter is sure the tips of his ears are turning bright pink, he instead focuses on shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth. The light of Gotham is soft through the smog-filled clouds, a welcome warmth in the uncertainty of the morning. Jason finishes his cooking and approaches the counter, settling next to Peter. 

The pair eat in comfortable silence, Peter finishing much faster (thanks, enhanced metabolism) though he waits until Jason finishes his own food. When both plates are empty Peter collects the dishes, heading to the sink to wash them off. 

He didn’t necessarily count on Jason following and settling himself near the entrance of the kitchen, an arm propped up on the doorway.

Peter keeps his eyes on the dishes.

“Any plans for the day?” Jason questions, a tone Peter can’t read lurking under the surface.

“Mostly just building tech, maybe some chores. Did you…have anything in mind?” He cringes internally at the insinuation, it seems his subconscious wasn’t enjoying the ‘pretend you and your roommate/friend never mutually masturbated together’ plan. Maybe he should just ignore it. God, why wasn’t he raised to suppress his feelings? Thanks for nothing, loving parental figures!

Jason smiles. “I was thinking we go out, I could introduce you to a couple of local places? Maybe get you some clothes that aren’t mine?” 

“But your clothes are so comfy for lounging around in!” Peter pouts, quickly finishing the dishes and drying off his hands. “Plus, am I not still a fugitive? I know you’re chill with me but…the other vigilantes and I don’t have the best rapport,”

“About that…”

Peter turns to Jason, an eyebrow quirked.

“The other vigilantes don’t really…know you’re here? It’s…an extremely complicated situation. I only started talking to the other vigilantes again after a…really big fight…a couple of months ago and I'm only on really good terms with a few- well one or two- of them.” Jason looks at Peter, andan unreadable expression dances across his features. From his expression alone Peter can draw a couple of conclusions about the relationships Jason has with those vigilantes, about the anger he originally saw when they fought. 

He opts to stay silent as Jason continues.

“The Joker…” Jason spits the name out like it burns his tongue, and Peter doesn’t blame him. “...hurt our…group…a lot. We're a stubborn bunch. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m the one that changed the most after the shit that fuckin’ clown put me through.” He turns away at that, taking a breath to compose himself. 

“...Do you want to take a break?” Peter probes, stepping forward tentatively.

“No… no. This shit has been a long time coming,” He drags a hand across his face, a tired sigh making its way through his lips. “Peter…even if the other bat-shits want you gone I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. Out of all the people in Gotham, they should understand the most about what it’s like to be dealt a shit hand in life,” He’s looking right at Peter now, his eyes searching the others for something.

“Jason…” Peter's eyebrows pinch, andsomething stirs in his gut. A feeling he can’t describe, one that only comes up when he’s around someone important, one he’s only truly felt with MJ.

“All this to say…you’re important, Pete. To me,” Jason finishes with a small sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. 

Peter finishes washing off the dishes, setting them in the sink with a quiet clank. His hands have an imperceivable shake that he can feel radiating up through his forearms. He can feel his face growing hot with embarrassment at the feeling of Jason's eyes on him. 

“You’re um…important to me too. I mean you’re kinda the only person in my corner right now,” Peter smiles coyly, the air between them thick. 

The kitchen stays silent as the two look at each other. Peter is sure his face is cherry red under Jason’s gaze.

“So…shopping?”

“Shopping! Yep…shopping,” Jason rights himself quickly, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll grab some clothes that might fit you, you might just have to rock that oversized skater look until we grab you something more fashionable though,”

“But those outfits are in all the magazines! They’re cool!”

—

Gotham is a very different city in the daytime.

Peter thinks back to overcast days in New York and swinging around through humid skies, the imperceptible mood that covered the city like a blanket. 

Gotham seemed to function that way eternally. 

He preferred not to make eye contact with anyone. It felt like home that way, at least.

The sidewalks were bustling with people, at first Peter tried to walk side by side with Jason but as they got into the denser parts of the city he found himself clinging onto the man's arm. The slightest bump against him sent jolts down his spine. His senses tingled to themselves, inputs upon inputs feeding him information as they continued walking through gray streets.

“You alright?” Jason speaks next to his ear, his voice breaking through the noise of the city.

Peter focuses on scanning the droves of people walking by, his eyes cataloging their faces and moving on to the next. A shoulder bumps his own and Peter has to stop himself from accidentally biting his cheek. His heartbeat is practically in his throat now, blood rushes through his veins at a faster pace- was his blood always rushing this fast? Fuck, he should be looking at people.

Who am I even looking for?

“Peter, are you ok?” Jason tries again.

Peter snakes a hand over the front of Jason's shoulder, squeezing it. If something happens he needs to be able to get them out.

“Peter!” 

Peter snaps back into reality like a fog is lifted, the sound of the city subsides to a dull thrum and his surroundings are no longer the flocks of people moving through the city. The alleyway the pair are in shields the two from the major bustling of the city. 

Alleyway? When did they get there?

“I-...how did we get in here?” Peter’s eyes move to the back of the alleyway first, scanning for shapes out of the ordinary. The tension in his mind has decreased considerably, but it isn’t quite gone yet. 

“Pete, are you ok?” Jason is looking at him with barely veiled concern, his eyes are searching Peter’s own for something.

“Yeah…yeah I'm ok. It must’ve been the city. I haven’t been out in a while, y’know?” He sighs to himself. “I’m alright,”

“If you say so,” Jason says. “Let me know if you get overwhelmed again?”

“Yep,” Peter responds, smiling shortly.

—

The first shop they enter is a small clothing store that seems relatively shut off from the city, Jason and Peter are the only pair in there save for a few other patrons. When they first entered, Jason had slyly told Peter he only really went to this store because ‘the people who work here never talk to you’ which instantly made it a keeper in his book. 

The walls and shelves held plain-looking everyday wear, though upon closer inspection, Peter noticed they were much sturdier than the usual clothes one would get at the department store. When Peter dared to look at the price tag, an inhuman noise escaped his throat, followed by his quickly shoving the tag back into the garment.

“Don’t pay attention to that,”

The yelp Peter let out was less embarrassing than usual, but it still made him blush.

“Just build me some more robots or something, you need new clothes,” Jason continues, leaning against a wall next to a clothing rack.

Peter makes a sour face for a moment. “Fine. But I’m getting the absolute bare minimum, and you’re getting every device you could possibly need,” He turns on his heel and makes his way towards the pants, if he’s going to get something high quality he might as well get some nice jeans first.

By the time they leave the first store, Peter is wearing an expression that he feels is sufficiently guilty. He doesn’t dare look in the bags that carry clothing meant for him. Instead, he takes a nice deep breath and focuses on walking and keeping his eyes peeled in the mess of faces of Gotham.

By the time they hit the next store, Peter is slightly drained and ready to lay down for a nice long nap. But on the way to this one, Jason promised him a snack afterward and that if he needed it this would be the last store. 

He was mostly in it for the snack.

The vibe in this one is completely different, dark walls are lined with shelves stacked with t-shirts. Racks of clothes fill every space possible as patrons weave their way through the minimal floor space available. 

“I thought you might want to get some t-shirts of stuff you’re interested in,” Jason says, a shy tone creeping in as he looks into the store. The blush in his tone makes Peter’s stomach flip.

When was the last time someone was so careful about what he wanted?

Perusing the store is fairly uneventful. The prices are cheaper, which Peter is thankful for, though nothing really catches his eye until he makes his way to a rack in the back of the store. 

‘Physics doesn’t Bohr me’

Peter smiles at the shirt, feeling the soft fabric in between his fingers as he reads the joke over and over again. MJ would probably call him a nerd for even thinking about buying this shirt. She’d probably roll her eyes and let him get it anyway while listening to him ramble about math. 

A pang hits Peter’s chest. God, he misses them. 

He breathes a deep sigh and grabs a few more shirts with dumb science puns on them, settling them under his arm. If Jason hates them he’ll just have to deal with the rambles that come his way.

Honestly, it’s his fault for not realizing he’s a total nerd sooner.

—

The apartment is quiet as the pair sit on the couch together, bags sit in Peter's bedroom waiting to be unpacked. Peter fiddles with the device in his hands, wires poke out at various angles while he works on optimizing the interior. Jason sits at the other end of the couch reading a book silently.

Peter lets a small smile flit onto his face. For all the angst and awkwardness he’s held in today he can at least say he’s enjoyed his time with Jason today.

His eyes trace over to the man, whose face is currently buried in a book with a very flowery cover. A small feeling he doesn’t want to place stirs in his chest as his eyes trace over Jason's features. Peter knew himself, he knew how his emotions worked. 

He knew what he was feeling, so why the hell couldn’t he just fess up to himself?

One day of respite wasn’t enough for Peter to bury his emotions apparently, where were those usual Parker repression tactics? 

“You’re staring,”

Peter startles, he was more lost in his thoughts than he expected, he supposed. 

“I…am. Sorry,” Peter blushes, his hand instinctively covers the back of his neck.

“You alright?” Jason quirks a brow, closing his book and setting it aside.

“I just, um, think you’re cool, is all,” Peter purses his lips. “Yep, you’re a cool guy,”

“I think you’re a cool guy too Pete,” Jason huffs, amused. “You’re also a terrible liar, what's bothering you?... Is it about what happened today?”

“No! No! That was…well, I don’t know what that was exactly but no it’s not that,” Peter inches closer to Jason, his hand shifting closer to the center of the couch. He’s sure his face is burning up. “I…” 

Come on, Parker, say something. Just fucking do something!

Peter’s lips hit Jasons before he can think another thought.

—

Peter’s lips are soft.

Softer than Jason would’ve expected.

Shit. He’s supposed to be kissing back, isn’t he?

Before he can snake an arm around Peter's waist to pull him in, the man pulls away in a hurry.

“Oh my god! Oh my god, that was- oh god I’m so sorry I should’ve- I should’ve asked first at least! That was great! But also maybe it wasn’t if you didn’t like it. Did you…like it?” Peter finishes his ramble to stare at Jason, eyes blown wide.

“Yeah, I liked it,” Jason smiles softly, watching the tension ease out of Peter's face in record time.

Their lips meet each other in seconds. 

Jason snakes an arm around Peter's waist and pulls him closer, eliciting a moan from the other and ohthat may have done a couple things for him. Their lips move in sync as Peter pushes him onto a lying position on the couch, Jason's other hand finds its way to Peter's face and eventually his hair. 

God, everything about this boy is soft.

The joy coursing through Jason's veins is enough to send him flying through Gotham. First, the guy he likes likes him back, and now he gets to kiss him?! Some deity has truly blessed him today. If Jason's lips weren’t currently locked with Peter’s, he’s sure he’d be smiling like a doof.

The pair stay locked in their embrace on the couch, their bodies pressed against one another. When Jason's phone starts buzzing on the side table he has to pull himself away with an annoyed groan.

“This better be important,” Jason fishes for his phone behind him and checks the screen. 

‘BARBIE’

Jason's face pinches into a sour expression. He thought he would have a little bit more time, maybe a chance to call Babs first.

“Important?” Peter questions.

“Important,” Jason replies solemnly. He leaves the couch and Peter's embrace, already missing the warmth ofit. Heading to the fire escape, Jason steels himself and brings the phone to his ear.

“Babs,”

“When were you going to tell us?” The steely tone has Jason’s shoulders instinctively tightening. Damn, she knew how to lay it on thick.

Jason breathes a long sigh through his nose and lets his shoulders sag. He knew that Oracle would have a program running to scan for Peter's face, the shopping trip would be risky and he knew that Barbara would contact him first before telling anyone else. At the same time, though, he was semi-banking on it.

He knows that if he says the right things Barbara could keep a secret for him, at least for the moment. If he wanted anyone to know about the current situation, it would probably be the woman whose entire job was keeping everyone's secrets locked down tight.

He’s already been on borrowed time, what's a little bit more?

“It’s a…complicated situation Babs,”

“Doesn’t seem very complicated to me, seems to me like you’re hiding a fugitive. My main question is why? You know where his loyalties lie, why be seen with him?”

“Because his loyalties don’t lie with him, when I found him he was scared shitless that the Joker was gonna find him again. He was…he was just trying to get out of a shitty situation too. I know you saw the footage of him getting away. Do you really think he’s the Joker's right-hand man?”

The line stays silent, andJason takes a second to breathe in the Gotham air. He sends a silent prayer out to anyone who will listen that Barbara hears him out. 

“I…guess I get it. But I’m not keeping your secret forever. You’ve gotta tell them at some point, and if I hear that you’ve got some new superpowered goon on your gang I will personally come find you and-”

“Hey! Do you think so little of me? It’s…an entirely different situation,”

“...oh my god,”

Jason winces away from the phone, he might’ve said too much.

“When Dick said you had a crush- and it was on a guy- oh my GOD! Jason! What the FUCK!”

“I…yeah. But don’t chew me out! If you met him you’d fall for him too!”

“I’m sure I wouldn’t but go off,” Ouch, that tone…

“Alright, whatever, just let me handle this for now. I’ll tell everyone eventually, can you just keep a secret for a bit?”

“I won’t tell anyone directly. But if someone asks me? You’re on your own,”

Jason lets himself breathe when Babs hangs up again, at least she won’t tell the rest of the bats. Those nosy fucks will probably find out anyway.

When he reenters the apartment, Peter is waiting for him on the couch with a pinch in his brows.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just some work stuff,”