"Oh, I'm glad you're up, Jason," Bruce amiably greeted. Making a gesture to Tim, he introduced, "This is Tim, Tim Drake. He's under my care since a recent accident."

Jason glared subtly at the other boy before nonchalantly striding over to take the side adjacent to Bruce's right. "Delightful," he curtly greeted when the other boy stood and offered to shake his hand. However, after a second thought crossed his mind, he smiled pleasantly and reached for Tim's hand. Then, turning to Bruce, he grinned at him before unbuttoning two of his shirt buttons before exhaling a relieved sigh. "None of my clothes fit anymore," he casually complained, "guess I grew up some, huh, Bruce?" Winking playfully at him, he smiled when the older man rolled his eyes.

It was evident that Bruce was pleased to find Jason civil enough in front of Tim. Part of him had worried that he would have to intervene in a fight between the two boys. He wondered if Jason had known about Tim beforehand, the sudden change in his demeanour when he walked into the room suggesting so. "You did," Bruce replied before smiling and taunting, "I guess Jason Todd is finally his own man now, hm?"

Shaking his head, Jason wagged a playful finger at Bruce before speaking, "I was always my own man, but I could be your man if you wanted." The insinuation in his words uncertain, Bruce merely shrugged off the boy's comment, recalling his twisted sense of humour as a child and all the questionable things he had said then. Tim, however, looked disturbed by Jason's comment, and warily, he glanced between Bruce and the older boy, uncertain what to think. He knew vaguely of Jason, but ultimately, what he knew was that Jason was dead. How could he be here, sitting across the table from him, talking to Bruce? He watched Jason tentatively, critically. He expected the other boy to turn any moment and he was posed to defend himself in such circumstance.

"I don't think that's wise, Jason," Bruce replied, giving Jason a firm look, though his eyes shone with amusement, and Jason, seeing this, grinned in response. He was certain Tim did not know Bruce well enough to pick up these subtle details about him. He was sure that Tim was not privileged enough to be well acquainted with Bruce's secret sense of humour, and with this thought in mind, he felt superior.

"Your loss, Old Man," Jason replied, sticking his tongue out at Bruce. His attention was diverted when Alfred came with their soups however, and realizing how hungry he had been, Jason dove in without reserve. He could tell Bruce was amused by his lack of table manners, something that never quite sunk in despite the time he spent at Wayne Manor. It did not faze him however because he knew it did not bother Bruce, and instead entertained him. Of course, when with company, he always mind his etiquettes best to his abilities. Tim, he could tell, was disturbed by the way he scarfed down the French onion soup. When Bruce was distracted with his own food, he grinned at Tim, who, catching the mischief behind the older boy's smile, hurriedly adverted his gaze to his own soup.

Pleased with the knowledge that he intimidated Tim, Jason smugly leaned back in his chair after reaching for his glass of water. Taking a sip, he looked to Bruce before smiling to himself, the idea that he favoured him over Tim satisfying, regardless of the truth behind it. Then, an idea crossing his mind, he slyly asked, "so Bruce, gone on any dates without me lately?"

The question posed caught Tim's attention, mostly because the diction was strange, and he knew not what Jason was talking about. Looking to Bruce, he did not try to hide his curiosity as he anticipated him to respond. Bruce, taking an exasperated sigh, chuckled and shook his head at Jason. "I hardly think anyone else would consider those dates beside you, Jay. But if you're asking if I've gone on patrol with anyone, that answer is yes. Tim's serving as Robin presently."

Wincing when he heard the claim directly from Bruce's lips, Jason broodingly picked at his salad before scoffing. "They wouldn't consider them dates because they aren't the same. They're only ever dates if it's between you and me, Bruce. I sure little Timmy here doesn't get rewarded with chilidogs after a night's run," Jason vindictively commented before nonchalantly picking a crouton between his thumb and forefinger and tossing it into the air, caught it in his mouth.

"That was good," Tim commented sarcastically. "Does he bark and play fetch too?"

Both Jason and Bruce shot the boy a glare when he uttered this passive aggressive comment, though before Jason could defend himself, Bruce spoke. "Tim, that was rude. Jason is your predecessor, just as Dick. You need to show them equal respect," he chided, a gesture that made Jason smug with the idea that Bruce thought so highly of him.

Averting his eyes, Tim murmured a half-hearted apology under his breath. Then, feeling the tension in the room, he finally stood and asked to be excused. When Bruce allowed it, he took his leave, shooting Jason a passing glare as he walked away from the table. Alone with Bruce, Jason exhaled a relieved sigh before grinning at Bruce. "I thought he'd never leave," he joked, a comment which actually got the older man to smile. "So, are you going blubber and tell me how much you missed me now?" he asked, half wishing that Bruce would succumb to such openly emotional displays of affection. Before Bruce could respond however, Jason grew more somber before posing another question. "Bruce…did you have to replace me so quickly?"

Bruce had anticipated this question since the day he took Tim Drake under his wing. How long was long enough when it came to mourning? Was it wise to put another youth's life on the line? Better yet, could he truly save anyone? Exhaling a soft sigh, Bruce gave Jason a sad glance before shaking his head. "It was not my intention to replace you, Jason. I would have gone without another Robin had Tim's parents not die. He….insisted."

"I rarely ever got what I insisted on," Jason reminded before pouting. Glancing away from Bruce, he silently fumed before quietly asking, "well, did you at least enjoy going on patrols with me more?"

Amused by Jason's childlike jealousy, Bruce hid a smile. "Patrols? You and I never went on patrols, Jay," he firmly replied, a response that drew up a certain sadness in the boy's green eyes. "They were dates, remember?"

A smile gradually spread across Jason's chiseled lips before he pointed, "aha! So they were!" He could tell Bruce was making an effort to cheer him up, and because he knew Bruce's personality all too well, he knew that the Batman did not show this side of him to just anyone. The thought made him feel special, and more a moment, he found his jealousy unwarranted because part of him knew that he had been irreplaceable to Bruce. Blushing subtly at this idea, Jason shyly poked at his salad before glancing up at Bruce once more, tongue-tied and overwhelmed by his own sentiments. He dropped his gaze to the salad once more, stabbing the cherry tomato with his fork several times. "I'm just glad you never go on dates with anyone else…" Jason murmured.