Fic: smoking is my only vice [DCU, SlaJay, Fluff]

[quillpunk]

• Rating: T
• Categories: M/M
• Fandom: DCU
• Relationship: Slade Wilson (Deathstroke)/Jason Todd
• Characters: Slade Wilson (Deathstroke), Jason Todd
• Additional Tags: Ficlet, Rescue, Protective Slade Wilson, Established Relationship, Fluff, Age Difference
• Status: Complete
• Wordcount: 1515
• Published on AO3: 2021-10-26

Notes:

• SladeRobin Week 2021: Day 4 - “Stop, please.” | Robin Sold to Slade
• Flufftober 2021: Day 12 - Sleepy Kiss

Disclaimer: I do not own the DCU franchise or any associated characters, trademarks etc.

---

This whole "being sold" thing was really not all that great. The shackles irritated his skin, the food was seriously subpar, and the constant poking and prodding from perspective buyers just pissed him off. At this point, Jason was more than ready to strangle the next person who approached him, punishment be damned.

At the very least, he could be assured that he wouldn't have to stay here longer. It'd been almost four days into his captivity at this point and people should have finally figured out that he was in trouble. Because he'd set a message to automatically send out I'm in trouble and require assistance unless he manually postponed it every three days. It would have gone out yesterday, to five different people who didn't tend to work together so they probably didn't all go to space at the same time.

So now it was a waiting game.

It was honestly just pretty boring.

Eventually, hours later, something finally happened. Jason pretended to be docile and weak, hanging limply in his guards' grips and forcing them to shoulder his entire weight as they moved him to another room. It was pretty fun, the annoyed groaning of the guards his only entertainment here.

In the room, he was tied to a chair. Not long after, another door into the room opened and through it stepped Deathstroke, followed by a small man who was presumably going to sell him.

Jason rose an eyebrow and leaned back on the chair. He hadn't been gagged, so he could easily say, "Fancy seeing you here."

Deathstroke didn't react, instead turning to the seller. "I'll be taking him now," he ordered, voice strong. The seller flinched but didn't make any move to stop him. Probably for the better, or who knew how many pieces he'd be in now. Jason was willing to bet at least three.

Slade stepped up to his chair, bending down to start unbinding him. Jason watched passively, not very interested in this part of the proceedings.

His hunger was a force of nature at this point, thirst (because of course they couldn't be taken care of properly) an annoying pressure at the back of his skull. He was really very annoyed about everything, actually. It had started off so well, too, the mission. Everything had gone according to plan, he'd almost been done well before he'd expected and then—it all went to shit.

And now here he was. Needing to be reduced by Deathstroke because he was too weak to get out on his own. Only able to wait for someone else to come save him, because the drugs made his limbs feel like noodles.

It wasn't fun.

Slade untied the last knot and then Jason was free. Jason didn't wait for Slade to get up; he simply stood to his feet, pretending he wasn't swaying at all, and began to walk. A hand settled on his back after a moment, and Jason let it be.

"The payment has been delivered," Slade told the seller as they left.

Jason ignored it, his eyes tired and soft as he let himself be guided by Slade out of the compound he'd been kept in. When he was better, he was going to return guns blazing. He could already imagine the screams as he'd kill the scum masquerading as benevolent saviors here. All this bullshit about slavery "being for their own good" had really been getting on his nerves.

When they exited the compound and walked outside, toward the helicopter sitting quietly on the ground, Jason asked, "How'd you find me?"

"I called in a favor," Slade answered, helping Jason up into the helicopter. It grated, knowing that he couldn't get in by himself, but at least it was only Slade who saw. At least it was only Slade who helped him.

He nodded. "You got here quick," he noted. He'd expected at least two more days of waiting, knowing from experience that these bastards weren't easy to find.

"You didn't call me," Slade said.

Jason's eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he remembered. "Ah, yes, I was supposed to do that," he mused, voice soft. Slade hummed in agreement, and the helicopter began to lift off the ground. Jason watched the view out the window, his mind beginning to drift. Suddenly, the awareness he'd had only an hour ago was nowhere to be found, his body relaxing as the familiar presence of Deathstroke surrounded him.

The ride wasn't that long, though Jason hadn't kept track of time. He'd dozed off for a bit in the middle, but it wasn't anything serious. He just hadn't been able to sleep in such unsafe conditions, with a drug he didn't recognize running through his system.

"Did you really buy me?" he asked at one point, his eyes already slipping closed again. But he wasn't sleeping, he was just... meditating. Getting his thoughts in order.

"Yes," Slade answered. Jason glanced quickly at him, keeping his eyes open a battle, directly coming face to face with soft eyes he still wasn't used to. It felt like only yesterday, they'd been fighting each other to the death. Like all those months of hunting each others targets in a some kind of demented form of courtship had never ended. It was unfair, really, how soft Slade could look like sometimes.

Jason cleared his throat, allowing his eyes to close again. "Well, I hope I was at least expensive. I'm fucking priceless, you know."

Slade huffed out a laugh, his eyes crinkling as he looked at Jason. "Of course. I had to empty out all my savings."

"Good," Jason grumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest and stayed silent the rest of the journey, his mind finally beginning to slow down now that he was with someone he actually trusted. It had been a bitch to realize, when this thingthey had had first started, that he was really developing feelings for his man. It hadn't supposed to happen. It was just supposed to be a bit of no-expectations fun.

But now here he was. In fucking love.

The helicopter landed and Jason rubbed his eyes, yawning as he stepped down with Slade's help. The man kept a hand on Jason's waist as they hobbled toward the—what, an inn or something? Jason was a little too tired to care.

He rested his head on Slade's shoulder as they got inside and as soon as the bed was in sight, he let go of Slade and ambled to it. He flopped down face first, a sigh escaping him as his eyes closed. He could fall asleep right there, still wearing the clothes he'd gotten caught in days earlier. The bed was so soft...

"Here, brush your teeth," Slade said, suddenly next to Jason. Jason grumbled something as he pushed himself up on his arms, blinking blearily at the older man.

He allowed Slade to brush his teeth for him, his eyes are closed again. His mind was static, his heartbeat slow in his chest as he reached that place where he could fall asleep any second. He was barely aware of what was going on anymore, his mind too hazy to internalize anything.

The toothbrush was gone the next time his mind cleared up enough for him to think—at least, somewhat. He frowned, glancing around through half-lidded eyes until he saw Slade sitting on the edge of the bed. He was doing something with a phone, and Jason scowled. "Come sleep," he ordered, his voice drawling from his exhaustion.

Slade looked up. "In a minute," he said.

Jason scowled harder, sitting up enough to scoot closer to Slade. He didn't manage to hug him, instead sort of flopping on top of him. His mind was already blanking again, his thoughts slowing down as he got closer and closer to sleep. He mumbled something too inaudible to make sense of, hanging onto Slade as he patted him... somewhere, Jason wasn't really sure. "Come here," he mumbled, and when Slade turned, pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

"Thanks for the save, love," Jason added, leaning back.

Slade's arms curled around him, and the man kissed him softly for a moment, Jason's mind slipping further and further away. Like this, he could smell Slade's scent, the musk deep in his nose. It brought to mind lazy evenings in front of the TV, of Jason reading while Slade cleaned his weapons, of sleeping together in a heavenly bed.

"Stop, please," Jason muttered into Slade's mouth. The other man pulled back and gave him a sharp look and Jason snorted, "Not that. Just—I want to sleep. Come sleep with me."

"Of course," Slade responded, smiling at Jason and brushing his hand over Jason's cheek. Jason's heart just about stopped in his chest, but he was too sleepy to make sense of that. He only knew that suddenly, they were lying together on the bed, Slade's warmth surrounding him. So Jason finally let go, stopped forcing himself to stay awake, and fell into an easy sleep.