Coffee and a Cupcake

[justlikeacircus]

Part one - Part two

Trying to decide what to wear for a date is hard when the date is in the afternoon, why did he pick the afternoon? Why did he decide to take Jason to see the circus? What if somebody says something embarrassing? What if the reality of the world Dick grew up in completely puts Jason off?

He asks Alfred all of these questions and more, while the old man just quietly listens and then hands him some clothes and tells him everything will be fine, because Alfred is the best.

So he's standing where they agreed to meet, in a pair of nice black jeans (that he knows Alfred picked because they're clean and reasonable smart, but which he likes because they make his ass look great) and a dark blue henley, a couple of the buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up - casual, but in a way that makes him look good. His hair is actually styled rather than whatever mess it's ended up in from training and running to the coffee shop and he's even wearing a little cologne, so he's definitely scrubbed up from the usual look Jason gets.

He's leaning against a lampost and casually scrolling on his phone without really paying it any actual attention, looking up every few seconds to try and spot Jason.

Comments

[dontcallmejay]

Jason felt suddenly overwhelmed. The lights, the sounds, the fact that this weird guy grew up in this place and knew stories about the clowns and was friends with the goddamn elephant... How was Jason ever supposed to measure up to this shit? It was next level insanity. No person was this hot and wanted him of all people.

Finally, he managed to pull his hand back, nodding. If he continued to touch Dick, he thought he might scream.

But he was nodding. "I'd...like that. Yeah."

[justlikeacircus]

Dick blinked at him, confused when Jason pulls his hand away, not entirely sure what's going through his head or if he should do anything.

But he does want to go and meet the elephants so Dick nods and gives him another smile.

"Okay then." He says, turning to look back at the ring.

His hand feels cold.

[dontcallmejay]

Jason is quiet for a while, just watching, using the elephants as the wonderful distractions that they are. Beautiful and massive and impossible, really. Impossible that Jason was here, on a date, like this. In awe of his luck, because not everyone gets to see shit like this.

One of the vendors comes by, and Jason grabs them a popcorn. It's not much, but at least it's something to do with his hands. And mouth. He offers the bucket to Dick as well.

"I hope you eat popcorn less messy than cupcakes."

This was fine. He would be fine.

[justlikeacircus]

Dick takes a handful of popcorn with a thanks, though Jason's comment has him sticking out his tongue and throwing a piece at him.

"There's no frosting involved here, so I'm sure you're safe from my messy eating habits." He jokes back.

[dontcallmejay]

"Also don't think we're not coming back to that cornflake pizza you talked about."

But they are saved by another performance, this time of the acrobats and trapeze artists and even someone flying around in a ribbon. Jason chances a look at Dick while the trapeze artists go up. He couldn't imagine Dick as a small little boy watching his parents die at something like this and ever wanting to be in the same place again.

Fuck it. He takes his hand again as they start.

[justlikeacircus]

Dick has to admit, he's mostly at peace with coming back to the circus, he's at peace with being on a trapeze himself or doing gymnastics, but watching other people perform... ordinary gymnastics? Fine, no problem, but on a trapeze...

He's tense, he can't help it, and he knows that, as always, he won't be able to stop himself from tracking every movement with his eyes, silently calculating every jump and spin and leap, following the movement until hands catch on to a hold. And every few seconds his eyes flick up to the cables and ropes and scaffolding holding everything up, reassuring himself it's all still secure. The net is still there, nothing is fraying or breaking, everybody is safe.

This time, though, as chalked hands wrap around the bar, as the acrobat bends his knees and Dick hears the allez in his mind despite being so far away he can barely even see the man's lips move to say it, let alone hear it, as the tension creeps in and he once again flicks his eyes to the cable... there's another hand, curling around his own.

He looks over at Jason, slightly wide-eyed, and then after a moment his shocked look softens into something grateful and warm, and some of that tension eases.

It's not gone entirely, and during some longer jumps or tricks his grip on Jason's hand tightens (especially ones that he remembers his parents doing that night), but he appreciates the performance a little more, checks the ropes a little less, breathes a little easier.

When it's over and he joins the crowd in cheering, he smiles over at Jason.

"Thank you"

[dontcallmejay]

"That's fucking insane that you used to do that," Jason says, trying to diffuse some of the tension. He could feel it radiating off of Dick's body the entire performance, and it's really something. To be able to hold onto someone while they experience that. To be a tether for Dick that keeps him in the here and now. "I mean, I know you're strong, but you have to also be flexible as fuck, quick, smart. It's incredible."

He gave up Dick's hand for the popcorn, watching the next act that had horses and beautiful girls (and boys) tumbling and cartwheeling and ramping up for the kids. Jason found his gaze meandering to the front rows, the kids with their eyes wide as saucers as even the clowns played with them, offered them a stick that turned into flowers.

Weirdest first date, but awing to someone like Jason.

[justlikeacircus]

Dick laughs, looking over at him with a fond smile. It grows even warmer when Jason continues, a hint of pink coming to his cheeks.

"Well, I can confirm that I'm very flexible." He jokes with a wink. His voice is slightly weak, but the smile is genuine.

He relaxes as the show moves on, doesn't even mind when Jason lets go of his hand and once Jason's taken some popcorn he reaches for a handful himself.

He knows it's a little unorthodox but he also knows it's memorable, and he's pretty pleased that Jason seems to be enjoying it as much as he is.