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Presenting was not all it was cracked up to be.
At least not if you were Jason Todd.
Here he was, at a party that was supposedly meant for him, and he was the most miserable participant. He honestly should have just stayed on the streets. ...Okay that was an exaggeration, almost anything is better than starving, but this whole ordeal sucks ass anyway.
Jason is an Omega. If he still lived in Crime Alley that would be cause for concern, but now that he was Robin, he had more faith in his abilities. No, the problem was that he was the WAYNE Omega, and as the Wayne Omega, he was doomed to fend off gold digging and power hungry suitors till he got hitched. Or keeled over and died, whichever came first.
It was not a coincidence that the same people that had once ridiculed him for being a 'charity case, gold digging, street rat whore' were now trying to be buddy-buddy with him. Like a few compliments and a piece of jewelry could make up for being his own personal douche platoon.
'Well, thank you Sirs, and Ma'am s for your efforts, but kindly fuck off.'
So here he was, at a Presentation Gala, only because, he KNEW that those snobs would get offended if they weren't invited to stare and pet him like a mule in a petting zoo. Not that he cares what they think, but then they'd probably gossip about him out of spite, and next thing he'd know, there would be an article in the paper about him fucking Bruce.
Jason had already been the subject of a custody battle once before, and he and Bruce did not wish to repeat it.
'Just a few more hours, then they'll leave, and I can bash my head in with a hammer to end my misery.'
He chugged the glass of champagne he managed to smuggle off a distracted waiters tray, and kept an eye out for any handsy Alphas that want a black eye or a broken jaw.
He squeezed the stress ball clutched in his fist, a reminder to control his anger, lest he reveal his identity by flipping an asshat over the buffet table. He sets it down momentarily to grab one of the bijillon finger sandwiches laid out when he spots someone approaching out of the corner of his eye.
Using his training he studies the figure's reflection in the spotless steel bowl holding fruit salad, and scents the air. Alpha. Looks about 15-17. Confident. Gazing intently at his back.
He was SOOooooo fucking done with this.
Grabbing the sandwich, he quickly escaped, blending into the crowd and slipping down a hallway in the direction of the balcony.
He knew if he was groped or harassed one more time, the offending person would end up in the hospital for traction and/or a maimed groin.
Jason breathed in the night air, and cursed the laws that labeled impaling someone with your fork, assault. His respect for the working Omegas and their self control had only grown tonight. He might visit them undercover after this. Maybe get some pointers.
He leaned against the railing, soaking in the cool breeze. Just resting for awhile, and letting the tension leave his body, leaving him exhausted. Jason must have stayed like that for at least a half hour, before the sound of a door opening shattered his peace.
He whirled around, and sure enough there was a young Beta clutching something in his hand, opening his mouth to speak.
'He was gonna kick this goddamn asshole to TimFUCKtu.'
Jason made his way over to the Beta and let lose all the words he'd been holding in all night.
"ALRIGHT, listen you! I know you've never been denied a single thing in your entire life, so this MIGHT be a bit of a shock to you, but I am NOT INTERESTED!"
The Beta looked like he wanted to protest, but Jason let out a growl that shut the guy up.
"YES! I AM A GODDAMNED 'MEGA, but that don't give ya the RIGHT to PAW 'nd GROPE ME! I'm a 'Mega alright, A 'MEGA THAT COULD KICK YA SCRAWNY ASS!!! SO SCRAM! I KNOW ya think I'm Crime Alley trash, and now YOU know I think ya all arrogant, selfish, fuckin' douche bags! Now leave before I show ya just what a pissed off alley 'Mega can do!"
Jason was panting staring at the terrified Beta, his place of origin, making itself known in his accent. All decorum having been dropped, now that no witness were present to make a scene in front of.
But the fucking Beta was holding out the object to him now, trying to slip it into his hand, Jason slapped his hand away.
"DON'T YA GET IT?!?! I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKIN'-" He glanced down at the object, and saw his stress ball he had forgotten to pick up.
The boy used the momentary silence to shove the ball into his chest muttering a panicked "S-sorry just wanted to give you your ball. You left it on the buffet table.", then he scampered back inside with another nervous "Sorry!"
Jason was left staring at his stress ball, feeling like the world's biggest asshole. He debated for a few seconds, then followed the boy back inside.
%%%
Tim felt sick with guilt. There Jason was, just trying to hide away from all the condescension and coercing, and Tim had found him out.
He KNEW what everybody said about Jason, even tonight he had heard the innuendos, and had watched from afar as Jason had contentiously swatted away wandering hands, and had tried to maneuver being boxed in by much bigger people. Having to repeatedly wait for Bruce's rescue, sometimes from men and women who were way too old for him. It was disgusting, and the fact that Jason had the ability to stop it, but couldn't was infuriating.
To be perfectly honest, Tim couldn't blame Jason for losing it with him, even if it did hurt to be compared to those people, and that it'd been his hero that did the yelling.
Tim stood a ways away from his parents, leaning against the wall and sipping dejectedly at some punch. 'He would have to write Jason a letter, apologize for-'
"Can I-Can I talk to you?"
Tim jumped at the familiar voice and whirled around. Coming face to face with a blushing Jason Todd. His mouth hung open and his mind blanked, because ROBIN was talking, TO HIM!
Then he came back to himself and remembered their last interaction.
"I'm sorry!"
Jason stared at him. "Wait why are YOU sorry? I was the one being an asshole!"
Tim stared at him, unsure of how to respond to that.
"But I shouldn't have bothered you, I should have left you be."
"Kid," Jason said incongruously. "you were trying to do me a favor and I bit your freaking head off! You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. I'm really sorry, I just saw you and I assumed..."
"That I was attempting to court you?"
"Well, I was going to say 'that you were trying to get in my pants', but lets go with your example. Jason smiled down at him fondly.
"Anyway, I shouldn't have assumed that, and I have no excuse for how I acted, and I hope I didn't traumatize you."
"It's okay, I know you didn't mean too, your under a lot of stress and-"
"Listen, how about you just say, 'Hey asshole, I accept your apology.', and we can be done with it alright?"
Tim looked up at Jason's face, still tinged red and felt his lips turn up slightly.
"Alright, I accept your elegant apology," He felt the corner of his mouth draw up in a smirk. "Asshole."
Jason stared at him for a second, then let out a bark of joyous laughter, drawing the attention of a few people nearby.
He thumped Tim on the shoulder and looked up wheezing. "Hey kid, what's your name?"
Tim huffed slightly. "My name's Tim," He looked Jason in the eye, and gave him a serious look. "and I'm not a kid. I'm only 2 1/2 years younger than you."
"Well Tim, I think this might be the beginning of a beau-ti-ful friendship."
Tim smiled up at him as, Jason wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Tim leaned against his side.
"I'd like that."