Chapter Text
He always knew he would die in Gotham. It was just this kind of city that would eat alive you and spit you out if you weren't careful enough. And Jason Todd was rarely careful enough. If he had to be honest with himself, him still being alive was a pleasant and yet undeniable surprise. Many times he thought about changing his fate, packing his belongings and leaving this bleak town. Maybe he could start a new life in a sunnier place, live near a beach, have some damn fun. But Gotham was a part of him, and he was indefinitely part of it. For better or for worse, he wouldn't go to any other place.
A small knock on the door distracted him from the pointless thoughts running around in his head. Jason turned a curious look from across his old wooden table. Now who could that be? He never had many clients, lately they were even rarer. So rare it was hard to keep himself afloat. Maybe it was his fault. He was never the easiest person to work with, and his methods were often questionable. But he got the job done, he was one of the best at getting the job done. That reputation still made sure he got some clientele, as long as they were desperate enough to be here. For a sliver of a moment, he toyed with the possibilities in his mind. Was is going to be an abandoned wife? A hopeless gambler? A vengeful lover? Whatever it was, he hoped it would at least be interesting. With that in mind, he straightened in his sit and placed both arms on the desk.
“Come in.” He said, taking out a cigarette from the packet next to him and idly lighting it.
It had not yet occurred to him, when the heavy wooden door opened, that this might be the one customer then will lead him towards his death.
The man entering his office looked in every small bit as if he was not meant to be there, in that office. He was younger than Jason, and also shorter and leaner. Slick and Beautiful and very delicate looking, but not in a necessarily fragile way, Jason noted when he noticed the obvious muscles hiding under the clothes. It was a unique balance, that made him feel both vulnerable and dangerous at the same time. The man was very well kept. He had soft black hair with bangs that framed his face neatly and rested on his nape, making Jason wonder for a fleeting moment what this hair would feel like to pull at. He had deep blue eyes occasionally lidded by long, thick lashes. Easy on the eyes features that rested on a pale skinned, thin face. He dressed exactly like you would assume a man like this would dress. Black, high waisted suit pants paired with a white buttoned shirt made from a fabric delicate enough to be revealing even if it wasn’t see through. On the left side of his chest he had a small, golden, bird shaped, brooch pinned into his shirt. His outfit was completed with a pair of red leather gloves that covered his hands. He was enamoring, bright and striking from the moment Jason laid eyes on him. There was no doubt this man belonged in a different place, not in this small, dull, smoke filled room.
Jason would have to be an absolute fucking idiot not to recognize him.
“Well.” He let his eyes scan the guest through and through before a small smirk stretched his lips. “What brings a celebrity to my office?”
“I doubt I can be considered a celebrity, detective.” The man said with a smooth and sweet voice, a smile appearing on his lips as well.
“Oh please.” Jason shook his head, an amused chuckle leaving his throat. “In Gotham, the adopted son of Bruce Wayne is as much of a celebrity as the latest singer. I’m sure you didn’t walk in here thinking I won’t recognize you, mister Drake Wayne.”
“Drake is enough, thank you.” Timothy Drake Wayne dipped his head lower in a polite nod, and Jason most definitely noticed how pretty his face looked from that angle. He moved slowly and gracefully towards the desk, pulling back a single chair and sitting down. As he sat down, he made sure to tilt his body a little bit forward, black locks falling towards his eyes before he straightened in his chair. A part of Jason wondered if he was doing it on purpose. It was likely, yes, but just because Jason noticed it doesn’t mean it didn’t at all work.
“Well, if you’re so smart, detective Todd, then tell me.” Tim leaned his elbows on the table and tilted his head slightly. “Why am I here.”
“Now…” Jason blew the smoke out of his mouth before leaning against the table as well, meeting his costumer’s gaze a little closer. He wasn’t one to fold easily, and the look in his eyes was appropriately challenging. “That really is the question isn’t it? What brings a boy with all the money and all the connections in the world to my rotting office. Must be something big, and dangerous, and probably bad for the family reputation. So why don’t you drop the damsel in distress act and just tell me what it is straight up?”
That seemed to have hit a right nerve. The playful, inviting smile made its way to a serious expression. It looked much more in place, not that he had anything against the flirtatious look, but cold and calculated seemed more natural for a young CEO to be. Even it that drop in act was temporary, he appreciated it. Tim waited a beat before letting out a heavy sigh, raising one hand to cover the lower part of his face.
“You really are a lot like the rumors say.”
“And what do the rumors say?” Jason sunk back into his chair and placed the cigarette back at the corner of his mouth.
“That you’re good, but incredibly rude.” Tim shot him an examining look, slightly tilting his head and allowing some black locks to fall against his forehead.
“That sure does sound like me.” Jason said, smug aura just barely surrounding him for a moment. Quickly disappearing, most people would miss it. “Now, you want to tell me what it is that I’m working on?”
Tim Drake interlaced his fingers together, a gesture that became much more striking due to the red leather covering his hands. He took another deep breath, eyes darting from Jason and down to the desk as he talked.
“My father has gone missing. I’m afraid he might have been kidnapped, or worse, murdered.”
That made everything fit together a little better. If knowledge about Bruce Wayne's disappearance became public, it could have a deep, devastating impact on the company. Stocks would go down and a lot of money will be lost. Not to talk about the public scandal such a thing might cause. He could already imagine it. Now it made sense as to why the young Tim Drake Wayne was in his office.
“So you want me to find him, quickly and discreetly.” He summed up his thoughts into one sentence.
“I can pay very generously.” Tim gave an approving nod. “Money, good press, more rich clients… Anything you want. Just make sure you find out what happened to my father. And don't hire any other clients while you're on this case. I want your full attention. We both know I have the money to pay for it.”
“We sure do.” Jason hummed, flicking the cigarette into the astray. Wondering if the other really meant he’s give him everything he wanted. Definitely, he didn’t mean that. He wiped his hands against the fabric of his pants. Then, he crossed both of his arms and spoke.
“Okay, I’ll take the job. I’ll make sure to find your father for you, mister Drake.” This probably was a mistake. This job was on a completely different profile from his usual run of the mill private detective work. The stakes were higher, and he assumed that so was the risk involved. We was sure Bruce Wayne had some dangerous enemies, ones that wouldn’t even hesitate before they pull the trigger at him. So be it. It wouldn’t be the first time Jason was close to losing his life. It might be worth it, if he gets to look into those deep blue eyes a little bit more. Gets to examine as a small smile appears on Tim’s face.
“Thank you, detective.” Tim finally rested back into his sit, visibly more comfortable after he got what he came for. “I can not tell you how much this means to me.”
A part of Jason wanted to let out a snide ‘keep the compliments for someone you can fool’. But for some reason, he didn’t. Maybe because a part of him was already fooled. Instead, he got up on his feet, moving around the table and towards the window. It was small and dirty, and the view from it wasn’t pretty. But it was well placed enough to let some warm light pour into the office. Just like many other things, It was enough for him.
“When did he go missing?” He asked, turning his gaze back towards the other.
“About two weeks ago.” Tim recounted. “He left the manor, and didn’t come back since.”
Jason cocked an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me two weeks have passed and you’re just now starting to search for him?”
“My father does that a lot.” Was Tim’s sharp reply. “He finds a woman he likes and takes her out for a week on a private island. Or maybe there’s a prime business opportunity and he just leaves to the middle east with less than an hours notice. He isn’t the kind of person to have a nine to five job and a normal daily schedule.”
Jason noted to himself this answer was awfully on edge. But Tim was a rich kid, he must not be used to people questioning him in any way. He let it go for now.
“Alright.” He nodded. “It’s not ideal. Two weeks is a large window.”
Tim got up from his sit. A few short, swaying strides brought him close enough for Jason to smell the cologne he used. A sweet smell, just a bit tangy. Jason decided this was fitting.
“But you’re the best, aren’t you?” He said softly. “You can do it, can’t you detective?”
Jason let the silence linger for a moment, his eyes scanning the other. Now that both of them were standing, the difference in height was felt a lot more. He could look down at him, watch the way his eyes hid behind those long lashes. He has wise enough, knew better than to trust this person who looked as shining as a diamond and as dangerous as a knife. There were enough warning signs for him to ignore, but at that moment, he didn’t care for them. Tim Drake was beautiful, one of the prettiest people he laid eyes on. At that moment all he thought about was the possibility of ripping those tight, black, spotless pants and bending Tim over his table. Making those taunting little ‘detective’ disappear from his mouth in favor of screams and moans. That boy would sound so good crying out his name.
He slammed his hand against the window with a hollow thud, shutting these thoughts down before they became too risky. There was no point in imagining things like this, not here, not right now.
“Of course I can. Don’t underestimate me.” he snarled.
“Great. Then, I’ll call you tomorrow evening to see how things are going.” Tim lifted his face to meet Jason’s eyes. A soft, reassuring smile was on his lips, as if he was saying ‘I know you can do this’. He seemed bothered by any intimidating gesture Jason showed him. Oh, if he could read minds, he might be a lot less confident. Jason furrowed his eyebrows before tearing his eyes from Tim and back towards the window.
“Sure thing sir. I’ll talk to you then.” He muttered, a part of him wishing he had another cigarette in his mouth just so he could have something to mess with. From the corner of his eye, he still saw Tim Drake starting to move towards the entrance. He still had that small sway in his walk that felt just a little bit too calculated, but was inviting nonetheless.
“Just one question, mister Drake.” He asked right before Tim went through the door. The young heir turned around to shoot him a questioning look.
“What is it, detective?”
“What’s with the red gloves?” Now, with Tim next to the door, it was even harder not to notice them. The red, rich leather leaning against the scrapped, faded wood of his office door. Brightly covered fingers tracing the dark gray letters that read ‘Jason P. Todd. Private Detective’. Tim smiled, passing the hand that didn’t rest on the door through his hair.
“You like them? It’s nothing. Just a casual accessory.” He shrugged a little casually, eyes darting towards one of his own hands for a moment.
“No one wears red gloves for nothing.” Jason pointed out.
“Then…” Tim thought about it for a moment before smiling. “Call it a fashion statement.”
Jason nodded, his tongue clicking against the inner side of his teeth before he spoke. “They suit you.” He meant it more than he let on. They fit visually, sure, but it was more than that. Red was the color of danger, the first alarm that signaled him he should stay away. But it was also alluring, inviting, just like those lips he wanted to bite at until they become just as bright of a red. Roses and blood, all on the hands of the client who, Jason started thinking, might be the one to kill him.
“I’ll see you, Jason.” Tim hummed, almost purred, before he got out, leaving Jason to murmur “Sure” into an empty office.