Work Text:
“I look so tired cause I don't get much sleep
I got too many commitments that are too hard to keep
And I try to be rational
And I try to be wise
But it all gets blown to pieces
When I look in her eyes”
“It’s only for a week.”
Dick sighed deeply, his arms crossed against his chest.
“You said that last time and it ended up being two weeks.”
Bruce gave Dick a look. “There were complications, you know that. Things happen-”
“I know,” Dick rolled his eyes. “I know. But you’re leaving now?”
It was Bruce’s turn to sigh. “Dick, it’s League business.”
“They can get someone else!”
“There’s no one else!”
Dick scowled. “There never is. You’re on a goddamn team yet you’re always the one who has to do everything, it seems.”
Bruce put his hands on Dick’s shoulders. “Dick, look at me, please.”
Dick forced his eyes to meet Bruce’s.
“I know now’s a terrible time for me to be leaving, especially with Alfred in England, but you know I have to, Dick, just like I know you can handle this.”
“I shouldn’t have to handle it,” Dick huffed. “I have a full-time job, and now I have to patrol both Gotham and Blüdhaven while also keeping track of the kids? That’s not fair, Bruce.”
“I know, Dick. I’m sorry.”
Dick watched as Bruce walked away from him, and he couldn’t help but feel like the man wasn’t all that sorry.
“Damian, eat your breakfast.”
“You burnt the eggs, Richard.”
“Eat around the burnt parts.”
“All the parts are burnt.”
Dick gripped the kitchen counter, his hands wet from washing dishes as he stared an angry hole into the wall. Bruce had only been gone for half a day and he was already at his wit’s end.
“We usually have pancakes on Monday.” Tim said as he scrolled on his phone. His food was untouched but he was on his third cup of coffee.
“Yeah, whatever happened to Pancake Mondays?” Steph asked.
“Trust me, none of you want Dick to make pancakes,” Jason said coolly.
“Okay, that’s it, time for school,” Dick pushed himself off the counter, grabbing a towel to quickly dry his hands. “Everyone in the car in five minutes.”
Dick was met with a symphony of groans as Steph and Cass stood from the table to get their backpacks. Tim downed the rest of his coffee and was gone next, his eyes still on his phone. Damian all but threw his fork on the table before climbing out of his chair, and Duke brought his plate to the sink, a guilty look on his face aimed at Dick as he too went to get his stuff.
“Jason, can you-”
“Nope,” Jason interrupted Dick, grabbing his coffee. “I have shit to do.”
Dick watched as he went off towards the library, leaving Dick alone in the kitchen with all the dirty breakfast dishes.
“No, it’s fine,” Dick said to himself, collecting plates and silverware off of the breakfast table. “I got the dishes, guys. Don’t worry about it.”
He started scraping eggs and toast into the trash, his head already pounding with the beginnings of a headache. It was going to be a long day.
“Dick, we’re gonna be late!”
Dick rolled his eyes as he not-so-gently tossed the dishes into the soapy water, glad none of it splashed onto his uniform. He’d have to wash them after he dropped everyone off at school but sometime before he had to leave for work. He really should leave for BPD right after Gotham Academy, it would guarantee he wasn’t late, but he couldn’t leave the dishes in the sink all day, and he knew Jason wouldn’t touch them.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!”
Dick sighed and ran a damp hand through his hair as he quickly grabbed his car keys and duty belt off the counter and made his way out the side door to where everyone had already piled into his car. His keys dangled from his mouth as he bit into his Superman logo keychain, using both hands to secure his belt around his waist. His hands dropped to check that each tool was in place before grabbing his keys out of his mouth, and opening his car door.
“Richard, what about lunch?”
“Lunch? You just had breakfast,” Dick joked, getting into the driver’s seat.
Damian rolled his eyes from the backseat. “No, I mean, where are our lunches? Did you not pack any?”
“I was supposed to make lunch too?”
“Alfred always packs our lunches,” Steph replied.
Dick took a deep breath and dug his hand into his pocket, retrieving his wallet.
“Okay, here’s ten bucks each, you’re eating out today. God, I wish you all came with an instruction manual.”
Dick all but threw the cash into the backseat. Damian caught the bill with one hand while Steph and Cass let theirs fall into their laps. Duke leaned over Damian’s shoulders to grab his, much to the younger kid’s annoyment.
“Get off, Thomas!”
“Sorry, it’s hard to reach anything from the trunk seat!”
Dick turned towards the passenger seat to hand Tim’s his lunch money but the younger boy waved his hand in front of the offered cash.
“I don’t need your money, I have my own.”
“Okay, suit yourself,” Dick tucked the bill into his pocket. He was picking his battles today, and a fight with Tim wasn’t on his list. “I’ll use it to buy Amy an apology coffee when I’m inevitably late.”
If his siblings had anything to say to that they didn’t show it, so Dick put the car in drive and they were off.
“Rookie, you’re late!”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry!”
Amy Rohrbach looked up at Dick from her cubicle, a smirk on her face.
“Okay, give it to me.”
Dick put his bag on his desk. “Give you what?”
“Your excuse, Grayson. What’s it today?”
Dick sighed. “I had to do dishes?”
She didn’t look amused. “Dishes?”
Dick practically fell into his chair. “Look, I’m in charge of my siblings for a week while Bruce is away on a business trip and I’ve been… struggling a little bit. I lost track of time between breakfast and dropping them off at school.”
“Don’t you have a butler?”
“He’s on vacation.”
Amy snorted. “I didn’t know butlers took vacations.”
Dick shrugged as he began logging into his computer. “Ours does.”
“You know,” Amy said, standing from her desk. “I have two kids, so if you need any help this week…”
“Thanks, Amy. I appreciate it.”
She smiled before a thought came across her mind, her nails drumming along the back of her desk chair.
“You drove all the way from Gotham this morning?”
“I mean, it’s only a thirty minute drive.”
“Couldn’t be me,” Amy chuckled, though she didn’t like how casual Dick made the trip sound. How was he going to do that twice a day for a week? “I hate commuting. Why do you think I live three blocks away from the station?”
Dick smiled at that. “I just thought you got a good deal on some real estate.”
Amy stood from her desk, punching Dick lightly in the arm before walking towards the break room. “Funny kid. I’ll go get us coffee.”
“You’re the best!” Dick called to her. With her back already turned she gave Dick a little wave.
Dick leaned his head against his fist, his elbow propped up on his car’s rolled down window as he waited for his siblings to get out of school. He was thankful Amy had volunteered to talk to the captain for him and let him know about his last-minute situation. It sounded like he’d be able to work some more flexible shifts. Amy had asked if nights would work better than day shifts, but he’d come up with a lame excuse that he wasn’t sure she really believed, but she let it slide. He just hoped he wouldn’t let her down; she was already doing so much for him.
“Excuse me?”
Dick blinked, his eyes darting towards a small brunette woman who was standing by his car.
“Yeah?”
“Hi, you’re here to pick up Mr. Wayne’s children, right?”
Dick sat up in his seat. “Yeah, uh, Richard Grayson, I should be on the list already.”
“Yes, yes, you are! That’s not what this is about.”
“Okay,” Dick looked confused. “Then what can I do for you?”
“Could I… could we talk inside?”
Dick was even more confused now, but he nodded, taking the keys out of the ignition and stepping out of the car. The woman looked at his work uniform, surprised.
“Oh! I had no idea you were a police officer! Damian never mentioned it.”
“Damian?”
“Yes, oh my goodness, where are my manners,” the woman seemed a bit frazzled as she led Dick into the school. “My name’s Carlee Howards.”
“Oh, you’re Dami’s art teacher, yeah, hi. I don’t think we’ve met, I didn’t see you at the last teacher conference.”
“Yes, I was sick that night. I wasn’t aware you attended those with Mr. Wayne.”
Dick walked next to Ms. Howards as they made their way down the hall and to her office. The school hadn’t changed much since he attended almost a decade ago. God, he was getting old.
“I usually attend in lieu of him,” Dick admitted. “He’s a busy guy.”
“Right of course,” she pushed the art classroom door open and held it for Dick, beckoning him to come in. He entered the large room, taking in the children’s artwork that covered nearly every surface. Ms. Howards continued to lead him to her small office positioned in the corner of the classroom. The door to her office was already open, so Dick entered, allowing Ms. Howards to close the door behind them.
“Please forgive the mess. I’ve only been here a few months, yet it’s already a disaster!”
“No worries, you should see my desk.”
Ms. Howards took a seat at her desk, gesturing for Dick to take a seat himself. He pulled the plastic chair out and sat.
“So, is everything okay with Damian? Did he get into trouble?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m just concerned about Damian’s social life.”
“His social life?” Dick tilted his head.
“Yes, it just seems like Damian has a hard time making friends with the other kids. He’s asked to spend his lunch periods here in the art room and work on his projects, which I have no problem with, but I’m just worried he isn’t making an effort to participate socially, is all.”
Dick sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He knew Damian had a rough time transitioning into civilian life. It had been a rough few months for him when he first started attending school. Cass had had some of the same issues, but she had found a place with the other girls on her ballet team. Damian wasn’t in any clubs or extracurriculars, though. Dick had brought it up a few times, but the kid always brushed him off.
“Yeah, he’s never been a social kid,” Dick admitted. “Maybe I could try talking to him about joining a club again. Is there anything here art-related, maybe something with animals?”
“I’m so glad you asked, Officer Grayson, because…” Ms. Howards slid a few papers around on her desk before finding the one she seemed to be looking for. She handed it to Dick, a smile on her face.
“I made a list of some clubs Damian might be interested in. I thought you’d have better luck than I would, bringing them up.”
“Yeah, you probably thought right,” Dick smiled, taking the list. “Thank you. I appreciate you looking out for Damian.”
“He’s a great kid, Officer. His teachers often sing me his praises and I’ve never had an issue with him in class. I just want what’s best for him, that's all.”
“Me too, Ms. Howards.”
Dick stood, offering his hand to Ms. Howards, who also stood so she could shake it.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Officer Grayson.”
“Please, you can call me Dick.”
She smiled. “Of course. Do you need me to walk you out, or…”
“I should be able to manage. It hasn’t changed too much since I was a student.”
Dick thanked the teacher again and exited the classroom, the piece of paper still in his hands. He folded it a few times and slipped it into his pocket as he made his way through the sea of students trying to go home for the day.
“Dick, what the hell are you doing in here?”
Dick turned towards where Tim was retrieving some books from his locker, an annoyed look on his face at the sight of Dick.
“Hello to you too, Tim. My day was good, thanks for asking, how was yours?”
Tim rolled his eyes so hard Dick was worried the kid strained something. He slammed the locker closed, tossing his backpack onto his shoulder.
“Why’re you inside, Alfred always waits for us in the parking lot.”
“I was talking to Damian’s art teacher,” Dick said, his hands resting on his duty belt. “Chill out.”
“Whatever, you're so embarrassing,” Tim pushed past Dick, not waiting for him as he made his way out the doors and to the car.
Dick pinched the bridge of his nose before following Tim outside. Dick had no idea what the kid’s deal was lately. He couldn’t tell if something was going on with him or if he was simply just sixteen. It was always so hard to tell.
“Hey, who’s under arrest?”
Dick turned to look at Duke, the teen smiling at him from where he was leaning against a pillar near the main entrance of the school.
“Hey, Duke, how was school?”
Duke shrugged, making his way over to walk out next to Dick, who threw his arm around the kid’s shoulder.
“Not too bad. I think I bombed a math test, though.”
“Hmm. Want some help studying?”
“You any good at math?”
Dick scoffed. “Are you kidding? You’re looking at Gotham Academy’s two-time mathlete champ!”
“Really?”
Dick drew his arm back as they finally made it back to Dick’s car.
“Hell yeah. I got a trophy in the hallway case and everything.”
Duke laughed as he opened his car door. The rest of his siblings were already inside, waiting.
“I’m so looking for it tomorrow,” Duke promised.
“Richard, where have you been?”
Dick climbed in the car, fishing his keys off his belt.
“I had to talk to someone, Dami. No biggie.”
Damian made an unamused sound but said nothing, folding his arms over his chest.
“Dick, Cass wants to know what’s for dinner,” Steph said from the backseat, translating the sign language Dick couldn’t see with his back to her.
“You’re all so food motivated,” Dick shook his head, buckling his seat belt.
“We’re teenagers,” Duke supplied.
“Yeah, don’t remind me,” Dick muttered, side-eying Tim quickly before turning his attention back to starting the car. “We’re having chicken.”
“I’m vegetarian.”
“I don’t really like chicken.”
“What kind of chicken?”
“Didn’t we have chicken last night?”
Dick put the car into reverse. “Everyone’s a critic.”
“Okay, so the plan is I’ll start in Blüdhaven and around midnight I’ll come back here and patrol as Batman.”
“You’re patrolling both cities tonight?”
Dick had a feeling Barbara would mention that.
“Babs,” he said, switching the phone to his other ear. “I have this covered.”
“Dick, if you need me to come back-”
“Hey, the Titans need your help on the West coast and this is nothing I haven’t done before.”
“I know, but with Bruce and Alfred gone-”
“I got it handled,” Dick interrupted, leaning back in the Batcomputer’s chair. “I just need a minute to get used to the whole Mr. Mom routine.”
He set the phone on the Batcomputer’s desk, clicking the speaker button so he could type and talk at the same time.
“Is Jason helping out at least?”
Dick snorted. “Please. I can’t even get him to help me do the dishes, you really think he's gonna put the cowl on?”
“He might surprise you.”
“I dunno, Babs. It’d be nice, but he doesn’t really seem to be in the surprising mood.”
“Have you tried talking to him?”
“All I do is talk, Babs,” Dick looked at the patrol schedule he’d made and started rearranging it. He’d never been good at scheduling. “But he’s off doing God knows what all day, Tim is in the middle of a teenage angst moment, and now I have to talk to Damian about the importance of making friends.”
“What?”
Dick sighed. “Nothing. Just… I can handle it, Babs. You know I can.”
“Yeah, I know Boy Wonder. Just call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I will. Love ya.”
“Love you, Dick.”
Dick ended the call and rubbed his temples, his eyes reading over his schedule yet again. It still didn’t seem right. Did they even need a patrol schedule? It felt like they did, but Dick was starting to wonder if it was more trouble than it was worth.
“When did my life get so damn complicated?” Dick asked the empty Batcave.
Dick swore as he stubbed his toe on his bedroom door frame. The manor was still pretty dark, the sun just barely starting to come out. Dick hadn’t meant to come back to Gotham this late. In fact, he’d left Blüdhaven at a decent time, considering his track record when it came to patrol. He’d been known to stay out later than he should and had to often be reminded that he couldn’t stop every crime in a single night. He’d been getting better at that with age, though.
Dick had stopped by his apartment quickly to change and grab a book he’d forgotten to pack before heading out towards the freeway on his bike. That’s when the trouble actually began; usually the roads were pretty clear at four in the morning, but there had been an accident and Dick had been stuck in traffic for almost an hour. He was just glad he didn’t see any coworkers, as he wasn’t in the mood to have a conversation about why he was out so late.
He tossed his duffel bag on the floor, not even bothering to unpack his Nightwing uniform. He’d deal with it in the morning. Well, later in the morning. The only thing on his mind was sleep as he kicked his sneakers off and tossed his bike jacket over an armchair. Not even bothering to change, he threw himself face-first onto his bed, his eyes closed as he buried his head into a pillow.
The sound of his alarm blaring two minutes later made him jump, his eyes squinting as he looked at the offending alarm clock. Dick grumbled as his hand blindly swiped the snooze button on his clock.
“It’s gonna be another long day, isn’t it?” Dick muttered to himself, forcing his arms to push himself back up. He did a small roll off the bed, allowing his feet to hit the hardwood floor. He forced himself to move despite wanting nothing more than to crawl back into bed and sleep forever. He clicked his bathroom light on and winced, his eyes closed as he reached into the shower to turn the water on. As he waited for the water to heat up, he went to the bag he’d yet to unpack, pulling out a clean uniform. He knew he should probably hang his clothes up, but he just hadn’t found the time yet.
“Okay, Grayson,” Dick said as he returned to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror hanging above the sink, his tired fingers wrapped around the edge of the counter. God, he looked exhausted; he already had bags under his eyes and his skin was a bit more pale than its usual warm tan. He sighed, forcing himself to remove his T-shirt, his shoulder aching slightly from a well-placed punch he received as Batman a few hours ago. A shower might fix him, he thought as he unbuckled his belt.
“Time to work for a living.”
“Okay, pancakes: back by popular demand!”
Dick forced a smile on his face as his siblings came filing into the kitchen, all dressed in their Gotham Academy uniforms save for Jason, who was still in pajamas.
“Tuesdays we have French toast,” Tim said, his eyes cold as he made his way to the coffee maker.
“Okay, do you guys have a schedule printed that I could look at or…?”
“It looks great, Dick,” Duke said, a smile on his face as he gave Tim an uneasy look out of the corner of his eye. “Thanks.”
“Duke, keep it up and you’ll be my favorite sibling by the end of breakfast.”
Duke smiled wider as he grabbed a plate to load pancakes onto.
“Richard.”
Dick took a deep breath and turned to look at where Damian was standing, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Yes, Damian?”
“Did you remember lunch today?”
“Yes, Damian, I did actually.”
Dick went to the fridge and began to pull out matching lunch boxes, each a different color. Dick was glad Alfred had carefully stitched each of his siblings’ names into the inside as he was pretty sure which color went to each kid, but knowing his luck he would've messed that up too.
“Sandwiches, apple slices, carrot sticks, and Cosmic brownies.”
“I do not eat sandwiches, Richard, I am-”
“-Yes, yes, you’re vegetarian, Dami, I know. That’s why I made you a PB&J.”
“I do not like initialism foods.”
Dick blinked. “I don’t even know what that means. Do you want leftover tofu from last night?”
Damian tsked and grabbed a glass to fill with orange juice. Dick wasn’t sure what the answer was supposed to be, so he dropped it.
“Dick, remember I have karate practice tonight!” Steph said through a bite of pancake. “And Cass has ballet.”
“Right, yes,” Dick grabbed a pad of paper that usually lived on the side of the fridge and a pen from his shirt pocket, jotting down the reminder. “What times again?”
“Karate is at six and ballet is at six thirty. They’re both at GA, though, so you can drop us off together, Cass says she doesn’t mind being early.”
“Right, and they end…?”
“Eight.”
“Noted,” Dick scribbled the times down and ripped the piece of paper off the pad. “Anything else I should know about today?”
“Shouldn’t you already know this stuff?” Tim asked.
Dick tried not to rise to the obvious bait. “Shouldn’t you be actually eating breakfast as opposed to drinking exclusively coffee? You’re gonna stunt your growth.”
“That’s a myth, and why do you even care?”
“Okay,” Dick clapped his hands together. “Not doing this right now, finish breakfast so we can get on the road. Jason, do you think today you’d be able to help me-”
Jason snorted. “I have shit to do.”
“Okay, so do I, all I need is for you to-”
“I’m not your co-parent, Dick,” Jason rolled his eyes. “So whatever it is, no can do.”
Dick glared at Jason but didn’t press the issue. Whatever his and Tim’s deals were wasn’t something high of Dick’s priorities. He had enough to deal with, and two moody teens weren’t even breaking the top tens list.
“Okay, fine. Can you guys at the very least stack your dirty dishes by the sink so I can wash them faster? I was late to work yesterday.”
“Maybe you should wake up earlier.”
Dick officially wanted to beat the shit out of Jason.
“Maybe you should eat faster.”
Dick didn’t wait for Jason to respond to that as he turned towards the sink to start filling it with water. He’d decided to let the pans soak while he washed the plates. His siblings were beginning to finish up, and Duke, Steph, and Cass had all brought their plates over. Tim hadn’t eaten at all, which Dick knew he should probably question but he also knew Tim wouldn’t tell him anything even if he did. Jason and Damian had left their plates on the table, which was unsurprising.
“I’ve so got this,” Dick said to a suddenly empty kitchen, though he couldn’t say he really believed his own words.
“Jesus, Rookie, you look like shit.”
“Good morning to you too, Amy.”
Amy passed Dick a coffee cup from his favorite local cafe, a smirk on her face. “At least you're on time today.”
Dick looked at his watch. “I'm five minutes late, though.”
“Yeah, that's on time for Dick Grayson.”
“Oh, so you're a comedian now?”
“Something like that. Don't get too comfortable, we're on patrol today.”
Dick sighed and took a long drink from his coffee as he followed Amy outside to where the squad cars were parked.
“How much sleep did you get last night?”
Dick climbed into the passenger seat. “Oh, a few hours.”
“You're such a bad liar.”
Dick wished he could point out how wrong she was, that he'd been lying to her about being Nightwing since he got the job, but he stayed silent.
“You really do look like shit.”
Dick looked at Amy, unamused. “Thank you, your kind words warm my heart.”
“I'm serious, Grayson. You need to take better care of yourself. Can't have you falling asleep on the job or whatever. You could get my ass shot, you know.”
“Once Bruce and Alfred get back I'll resume my regular sleep schedule. Scout's honor.”
Dick even formed his fingers in what he assumed to be a mock scout salute, though he was never a scout so he wasn't sure how accurate it was.
“I’ll make you a casserole tomorrow.”
Dick squinted at Amy in confusion. “Do casseroles help you sleep?”
“No, dumbass, but you can just put it in the oven and warm it up for an instant dinner. Then maybe you'll be able to take a nap, if you don't have to worry about cooking.”
“You'd do that for me?”
Amy rolled her eyes. “Yes, Grayson, I'd make a damn casserole for you. What are partners for?”
“I just must've missed this part in the training is all.”
“Don't make me regret making you my famous casserole.”
“Oh,” Dick held his hands up in defense. “So now the casserole’s famous?”
“Shut up.”
Dick smiled as Amy pulled the car out of the parking lot.
By the time dinner was done, Dick was exhausted. He had no idea how he was going to bring himself to patrol two cities tonight. He was struggling just to keep his eyes open.
“Dick?”
“Hmm?”
Dick hadn’t even noticed he was beginning to doze off in front of the sink. He turned to see Steph and Cass, concerned looks on their faces.
“Are you still good to drive us to practice tonight? We can always catch a ride.”
“Yeah, of course, sorry. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Cass frowned. “You need sleep.”
Dick chuckled, grabbing a towel to quickly wipe his hands. The water in the sink was lukewarm by now and he hadn’t even washed half the dishes. God, this had to be a new record for dishes washed in a week for him. He was partial to takeout containers and paper plates himself. He just wished Alfred would have allowed Bruce to put a dishwasher in.
“Yeah, I’ll be good, don’t worry. It was just a long night yesterday. I’m fine.”
Steph and Cass didn’t look too convinced but they seemed to drop the topic, leaving the kitchen to go grab their duffel bags for practice. Dick sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t have time to sleep.
“Hey, Dick?”
Dick dropped his hands, forcing a smile on his face as Duke peaked his head around the kitchen doorway.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Um, I was gonna ask if you wanted any help washing dishes? I finished my homework.”
Dick could swear he felt his heart melt. His smile became more genuine as he felt the urge to hug Duke and never let him go.
“That would actually be amazing, thank you Duke. I really appreciate it.”
Duke smiled, walking over to the sink to take the towel from Dick’s hands. “No problem. You seem overwhelmed this week.”
“Yeah,” Dick chuckled. “That’s the understatement of the century.”
“I can try talking to the others, if you want. See if they’ll be willing to pitch in a bit more.”
“You don’t have to,” Dick sighed. “I appreciate it, but you shouldn’t have to worry about stuff like this. None of you should.”
Duke shrugged. “You probably shouldn’t either.”
Dick tried not to think too hard about Duke’s words. If he did, he might realize how true they were. Instead, he playfully punched Duke’s arm, a smile back on his face.
“Hey, that’s what I do: I worry. It’s my job as big brother.”
“Sure,” Duke said, tossing the towel over his shoulder.
Dick could tell the younger man didn’t really believe the act Dick was putting on. He was just glad he wasn’t pressing the issue. Dick couldn’t have that particular conversation right now, least of all with Duke.
“I’ll be back in a few, just gotta drop the girls off at practice.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Thanks again,” Dick said, grabbing his keys. “I owe you one!”
“Hey, Dick, one more thing!”
Dick paused, turning to face Duke as he leaned against the doorway.
“Wednesdays are biscuits and gravy.”
Dick smiled. “Thank you.”
Dick had just dozed off for what he assumed to be a few minutes when the sound of his phone ringing made him jump away. Bleary-eyed, he blindedly grabbed for the cell phone vibrating on the coffee table.
“Yeah?”
“Dick, it’s eight twenty, where are you?”
Dick furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes darting to his watch.
“Shit!”
He sprang up off the couch, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he searched the ground for his shoes.
“I’m so sorry, guys, I fell asleep! I’ll be there soon!”
“It’s okay, Dick, we get it.”
Steph didn’t sound disappointed, but Dick couldn’t help but feel like she was anyway. They’d reminded him three separate times yet he still forgot.
“I’m sorry, we can get ice cream afterwards?”
Dick said it more like a question, like he wasn’t sure ice cream would be an acceptable apology. He finally found his shoes and quickly slid them on.
“Yeah, sure, Dick, it’s not a huge deal-”
“No it is, I’m really sorry! I’m leaving now!”
Dick was in the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room for his keys. Where the hell had he put them?
“What’s your damage?”
Dick hung up the phone and put it in his pocket. Tim was sitting at the kitchen island, a cup of coffee and his laptop in front of him.
“Tim, I don’t have time for whatever this 80s high school bully routine is, I need to pick the girls up. Where are my keys?”
“I knew you’d forget.”
Dick rolled his eyes at the boy. He couldn’t believe he was having beef with a sixteen year old right now. Is that what his life had become?
“Tim, I don’t know what your problem is lately, and frankly I’m getting sick of it.”
“I don’t have a problem.”
Dick spotted his keys next to a stack of mail he’d collected earlier that day. He grabbed them, giving Tim one last stern look.
“If you want to talk about whatever is bothering you, I’m here. But in the meantime, maybe we can stop with the hostilities?”
Tim just glared at Dick before returning his focus to whatever was on his computer. Dick sighed and made his way out the door, making a note to think about asking Duke later if there was something going on with Tim, maybe an issue at school or something. He didn’t really want to involve Duke in whatever this whole situation was, but he had no idea how he was supposed to get Tim to open up to him if he acted hostile every time Dick was in the same room.
Maybe he’d just have to bite the bullet and try to force Tim to open up to him.
Right, like that always worked well for Dick.
Dick found himself falling into a sort of disjointed routine as the week continued. He quickly found himself getting the hang of all his siblings’ schedules, vowing to himself not to forget about club meetings or extracurriculars again. Steph and Cass had been very understanding, especially after Dick showed up in a wrinkled T-shirt with a bad case of bed head, but he still felt terrible about falling asleep. Ever since then he’d started setting alarms on his phone, just in case.
Patrolling two cities a night was still a bit of a struggle for him. Dick was well aware of the fact he was getting knocked around a lot more than usual. He came back to the manor limping more nights than he’d liked and was spending precious time that could have been used for sleep patching himself up in the Batcave’s medical bay. With no Alfred, it was a bit of a struggle, but he managed. Amy was definitely starting to notice, playfully asking him if he’d joined an underground fight club, but he just shrugged off her questions and told her he taught self defense classes at the local community center.
“Wow, another thing on your plate, that’s definitely something you need right now,” she’d said.
Dick could tell Amy was going easy on him. Usually she was a bit of a hardass, which Dick appreciated. The last thing he needed was special treatment. But for the past week she’d been bringing him coffee and offering to let him do more desk work so he could sit down for a bit. He’d tried telling her that he was fine to be out on the beat, but she’d just given him that stern, motherly look and he melted right on the spot.
It had officially been a week and Dick hadn’t heard anything from Bruce.
He hadn’t wanted to contact the Justice League immediately. Bruce hated when Dick did that. Dick had no idea why, his only goal was to make sure he was okay, after all, but he refrained for another day before making contact with the League. Dick didn’t know much about Bruce’s mission, only that he was off somewhere in space, so he’d sent a message to the Watchtower, hoping at least someone would get back to him.
It was Clark who ended up calling him back a few hours later.
“Hey, Dick, how’re you?”
Dick leaned back in the Batcomputer’s chair, a tired smile on his face.
“Oh, keeping busy.”
“So, what’s up?”
Dick tried not to look too confused. Did Clark really not know why he was calling?
“Um, I’m just checking in. Bruce said the mission would only take him a week, and I just wanted to make sure everything was good.”
Clark looked guilty and Dick couldn’t help but have a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“Yeah,” the Kryptonian sighed. “There was a slight… miscalculation. It looks like we’re going to need more time. I’m sorry, Dick.”
“Ah,” Dick sighed. “No, I get it.”
“I’m sorry, I thought Bruce had already told you.”
Dick leaned his head against his head. “Haven’t spoken with him since he left.”
Clark gave Dick a sad look. He hated when Clark looked at him like that. He only gave him that look when Bruce was being a jerk, which was the case more often than not.
“I can bring it up with him, if you’d like?”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to bother him. Just… tell him to call me when he’s on his way home, okay?”
“Okay, Dick, can do. Hang in there.”
“Yeah, Clark, you too. Thanks.”
Dick ended the call. So he’d have to keep going for a little while longer. That was fine, right? He’d figured out the routine for the most part and could continue to. What’s another week?
He could do this. He didn’t have a choice.
“Hey guys, remember I have to work a late shift today, so I won’t be out until about eight. You’re gonna have to take the bus home.”
“Richard, I detest the bus.”
“You could walk home,” Dick suggested.
Damian seemed to actually be considering Dick’s proposition.
“Damian, I was kidding, you’re not walking home.”
“Do you doubt my ability to defend myself?”
“No, I just don’t want a twelve year old walking fifteen miles alone.”
“I could handle it,” Damian argued.
“Duke, you’re in charge of making sure Damian actually gets on the bus today.”
Duke smiled at the sour expression on Damian’s face. “Got it.”
“Have a good day guys- wait, Tim, can I talk to you real quick?”
Tim gave Dick a dirty look from the passenger seat but closed the door he’d already opened, his phone still in his hand. Dick could see the lock screen light up as Tim got a text notification. There seemed to be nearly thirty notifications he hadn’t yet clicked on.
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
Tim scoffed. “Why do you care?”
“Okay, c’mon, Tim. Work with me here. I dunno why you’re so mad at me or what’s going on with you, but I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”
“I don’t need your help, Dick.”
“Is something going on at school, because if there’s something bothering you-”
“God, you’re not my dad, Dick, so stop acting like it!”
Dick paused, his eyes downcast towards his lap. He shifted a bit in his seat, his hands clasped together.
“I’m not trying to be your dad, Tim. I’m just… I care about you, okay? I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Tim sighed, letting his phone rest on top of his thigh. He looked slightly guilty, like he definitely meant the words he said but hadn’t intended for them to come out.
“It’s just… I’ve just been kinda stressed lately. I’m in way too many clubs and my phone is going off non-stop with messages from my classmates. It never stops! They expect me to run all these things, but I’m just one guy, you know? I have to patrol too, not that they know that, and keep up with homework! How can anyone expect me to do everything? Do you know what that’s like?”
Dick looked at Tim, his eyebrow raised. Tim suddenly realized what he’d said and began blushing.
“Right. Of course you do. And I’ve been taking all my stress and anger out on you. Which is super unfair.”
“Hey,” Dick put his hand on Tim’s shoulder. “I get it, Tim. It’s hard when so many people expect so much from you. Of course, I wish you would’ve just come to me, but I understand why you didn’t. I know it’s been weird, having me around so much instead of Alfred and Bruce, but I promise I’m not trying to replace them. I’m just…”
“I’m sorry, Dick,” Tim couldn’t meet Dick’s eyes, opting instead to look out the window. “I know you’re just trying to take care of us and that you basically had to drop everything to do so. I guess I just… I hate change, you know? I hate when my routine gets interrupted and I guess some awful part of my brain couldn’t help but think it was your fault, but it isn’t. You’ve done so much for us this past week, hell, these past years . I was being an asshole, and I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. You didn’t ruin my routine or whatever, it was stupid of me to think that. If anything, you’ve been trying really hard to keep it, and I really appreciate that. I don’t tell you that enough.”
“It’s okay, Tim.” Dick smiled at the teen. “I’m just glad you’re okay and I’m glad you told me what’s on your mind. I hope you know you can always come to me, no matter what.”
“I know. Thank you. I’ll… I’ll try to help out more. You shouldn’t have to do everything for us, we’re not children.”
“I mean…”
Dick laughed as Tim punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Shut up!”
“Yeah, yeah, get to school, kid.”
Tim stuck his tongue out at Dick, who grinned in response.
“Very mature. Have a good day, Timmy.”
“You too, Dick. Stay safe.”
Dick watched as Tim climbed out of the car, his backpack slung over his shoulder as he waved goodbye to Dick. Dick waved back and breathed a sigh of relief.
At least he had that taken care of.
Dick didn't know how it happened.
He was leaving the city limits of Blüdhaven after a rather exhausting night of patrol, his eyes drooping slightly as he drove his bike down the mostly clear freeway. He was barely keeping himself awake and the only thing he could think of was how amazing it was going to feel to finally lay in bed. He was working another late shift, which meant after he made breakfast and got the kids to school, he could go back to bed for a few hours. Sure, the late shifts ate into patrol time a bit, but if it meant more sleep he'd gladly accept the trade off.
Dick had his radio blaring, trying desperately to keep himself awake and upright. He had been trying to sing along a few miles back, but realized he had stopped at some point. The cool night air helped a little, but he couldn't feel it on his face due to his helmet. He half-thought for a moment that he should take it off and allow the wind to hit his face full force, but the rational part of his brain reminded him how stupid of an idea that was.
As it so happened, it was a good thing Dick didn't take his helmet off for the remainder of his ride.
Dick had felt his eyes drift closed for what felt like only a few seconds. He hadn't even noticed, really. His brain and body were so exhausted that it was almost like he had no control over them anymore. The only reason his eyes shot open was due to a bright pair of headlights and the sound of a semi truck honking its horn loudly.
When Dick opened his eyes, he came face to face with the truck, barreling towards him. He must've swerved into the opposite lane on accident. He quickly pulled the bike back towards the right, narrowly missing the oncoming truck. Unfortunately, Dick wasn't able to keep control of the bike and it continued to go right, missing the road and driving straight into a ditch. He yelped as the bike's front tire hit a large rock buried in the grass, causing Dick to go flying over the handlebars. He forced his body to tuck and roll as best as he could. His fall was eventually stopped by something hard and sturdy.
Dick was suddenly very aware of a sharp pain in his left arm, though it was too dark to see much of anything, even with his overturned bike a few feet away, the headlight still shining. He groaned, his right hand raising to remove his helmet. His head was pounding; he must've knocked it against the ground or something during his fall.
He tried moving his left arm but immediately cried out in pain. Probably broken, he thought to himself, his mind beginning to fog from the pain. Dick tried to sit up so he could find his bag, which had his phone in it, but his entire body felt like one giant bruise. The sky looked like it was spinning and Dick was wondering if he maybe had a concussion.
The last thing he heard before drifting out of consciousness was the distant sounds of sirens quickly approaching.
“Mr. Grayson? Are you with us?”
Dick forced his eyes to blink open, wincing at bright white lighting that immediately assaulted him. A woman in a white doctor's coat and a uniformed GCPD police officer were looking at him. The doctor looked concerned while the cop looked a little bored.
“Richard? Can you hear me?”
“Yeah,” Dick’s mouth felt dry and scratchy. “Loud and clear… Emphasis on loud.”
“Richard, you're at Gotham General, in the emergency room. Paramedics brought you in, you were in a car accident.”
“Yeah, feels like it.”
Dick saw the ER doctor smile softly before continuing. “You broke your left radius bone, have a minor concussion and some minor scrapes and bruises. You're very lucky it wasn't worse.”
“I don't know what happened,” Dick's eyes fell to the cast engulfing the lower half of his left arm. “One minute I was driving, the next I was in a ditch.”
“Luckily a semi truck driver saw you crash and he called 911,” the officer said. “You're very lucky, Mr. Grayson.”
“I'm guessing my bike's totaled?”
“Yes, unfortunately. We had it towed to our lot. You can come around and pick it up sometime this week.”
“Man, I loved that bike.”
“No offense, but if it had to be between you and the motorcycle, I’m glad it was you, Richard.”
Dick smiled lightly. “Yeah, me too, Doc, thanks. Did my bag make it?”
“Yes, sir, here.”
The police officer leaned down by the hospital bed and came back up with Dick’s duffel, setting it gently next to Dick. He quickly examined the lock on the zipper, glad it hadn’t been tampered with. The last thing he needed on top of everything else was for people to find his Nightwing suit buried underneath some T-shirts. Using his good hand, he unzipped the side pocket and retrieved his phone. Luckily, despite the shattered screen, the phone still turned on.
“Am I free to go?”
The doctor’s brow creased. “Yes, of course, do you have someone who can come pick you up? Even if you did have your motorcycle, I really don’t want you driving for another twenty four to forty eight hours.”
Dick thought about it. The only person he could feasibly call to come pick him up was Jason, and given the way he’d been acting for the past week, Dick doubted he’d even answer his phone. He supposed Amy was an option, but it was nearly five in the morning and she was all the way in Blüdhaven. He couldn’t bring himself to wake her up and make her drive all that way.
“No, I’ll just call a cab or something. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
The doctor didn’t look very convinced so Dick forced his best stage smile, hoping that his eyes didn’t betray him.
“Of course.”
“Okay,” the doctor still looked like she wasn’t so sure about Dick’s plan, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. “I’ll get your discharge papers ready and then you’ll be free to go home. You should be good to sleep, and I highly recommend it. Your cast can come off in eight weeks, I do recommend scheduling a follow up appointment for three weeks out just to make sure everything’s healing like it should. Any questions for me, Richard?”
“Um, no, not right now. Thanks again.”
“Of course. I’ll have a nurse in shortly to see you out.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor nodded before drawing back the curtain that divided Dick’s bed from the rest in the ER, the police officer following her out. Dick laid his head back on the pillow and gave his new cast a dirty look.
This was going to suck. Big time.
“Dick, what the hell happened?”
Dick’s shoulders slumped as he set the breakfast table, a guilty smile on his face.
“I sorta had an accident on my bike last night coming back from patrol.”
“What? How?”
Dick turned back towards the counter to grab the plate of bacon. “I lost control of the bike and ended up in a ditch. It’s no big deal, I’m fine. It’s my bike that took the fall, really.”
“I just don’t understand how this could have happened!” Damian scowled. “You are an excellent rider, Richard.”
“First rule of the road, Dami,” Dick said, grabbing the small plate of veggie bacon he’d made special for Damian. “It’s usually other drivers you have to worry about.”
“So someone, what, rammed into you?”
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
“Oh my God, Dick-”
Dick raised his right hand up in defense. “Okay, let’s drop it. I’m fine and that’s all that matters. Where’s Jason, he’s gonna miss breakfast.”
“I dunno,” Tim said, biting into a piece of toast. Dick couldn’t help but feel glad the kid was finally eating something. “He left last night, said he had ‘shit to do’ or something. Wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Jason,” Dick said.
“Dick, with your arm all messed up, who’s gonna patrol as Batman?”
“I dunno, Duke, I haven’t given it much thought. I guess I was just hoping nobody would miss Nightwing or Batman.”
“Hmm, I’m sure we can think of something,” Steph said.
“Leave it to me, I’m a master planner,” Tim declared.
“Please, Drake, I am much better at formulating plans than you are,” Damian boasted.
“You most certainly are not!”
“Boys, please, you’re both terrific planners,” Dick smiled, refilling Tim’s coffee mug. “I’m sure you’ll both come up with genius plans for me.”
“Of course, Richard, you need not fear.”
“Yeah, sure, what the kid said.”
Dick was glad Tim was feeling more like his usual self, but he couldn’t help but be a bit worried about Jason. He was used to the younger man being less than forthcoming when it came to how he was feeling, but there was definitely something off with him lately, and Dick wasn’t sure what it was. He’d barely seen him at all for the past week and a half; it seemed like Jason only emerged from the library or Batcave for meals, and even then he ate quickly and disappeared again. Dick remembered asking him a few days ago if he had any plans for the afternoon, but Jason had brushed him off and told him he had things to do.
That seemed to always be Jason’s excuse; Dick had tried asking him to help out around the manor, either with cleaning, cooking, or carpooling, but Jason always had the same excuse: he had shit to do. No matter how small the request was, Jason always told Dick he couldn’t help him. At first Dick had just thought Jason was doing it to be a little shit, but now Dick was pretty sure he was doing it just to annoy Dick.
Dick just had to remember that Jason was an adult; there wasn’t much Dick could do if he wasn’t willing to put in the effort. If he needed something or suddenly decided he wanted to actually contribute something, he’d come around. Dick had to admit, he could use Jason’s help now that he had a broken arm, but he couldn’t push the man into doing anything. If Dick tried to push Jason he’d just distance himself more, and Dick didn’t want that.
No, he’d just have to give Jason time. It sucked, but it was the only way.
“Hey guys, I have another late shift today, so that means bus.”
“You’re going to work?” Steph asked.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”
“Um, because you got in a car accident literally just a few hours ago?” Duke asked.
“Yeah, should you even be driving?” Tim added.
“Hey, hey! What’s with the third degree? I’m fine, guys. Doc gave me the go-ahead, I promise.”
“There’s no way in hell the doctor told you that you’d be okay to drive,” Tim narrowed his eyes.
“Cars are much safer than bikes,” Dick took a bite of bacon. “And I’m sure Amy will have me filing reports until I get paper cuts.”
“Still, maybe you should rest, Dick. You’ve kinda been burning the candle at both ends and then some.”
“I appreciate everyone’s concern, really I do, but I’m okay! If you guys don’t feel safe, though, I understand-”
“Dick, that’s not it,” Steph rolled her eyes. “We’re not doubting your driving abilities, we’re just worried you might be pushing yourself a little too hard.”
“I’m good, guys. Really. I promise once I drop you guys off I’ll rest up until my shift and I’ll take it easy at work. I promise. I’ll leave some cash and you guys can order pizza for dinner tonight, Pizza Friday, right?”
Each of his siblings shared a look, a mix of confusion and concern.
“Dick, it’s Thursday,” Tim said carefully.
Dick looked at his watch where the date was displayed. Tim was correct; it was indeed Thursday.
“Yeah, of course it’s Thursday. That’s what I meant. People can still eat pizza on Thursday, though, right?”
“Dick, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Guys, I’m fine. Really.”
His siblings still didn’t look completely convinced, but Dick wasn’t going to drop it and they could tell. He’d had his fair share of broken bones before and he never let them stop him. This time wouldn’t be any different.
“Okay, finish up, guys. You’re eating into my nap time.”
“You are such an old man,” Damian grumbled.
“Hey, back in my day children respected their elders,” Dick teased.
“Yeah, and you had to walk to school uphill both ways, right?” Tim asked.
“Exactly! It was a real struggle! You guys have it so easy!”
“God, you’re so lame,” Steph giggled.
“Keep it up, and you’ll all be walking to school!”
“Uphill, correct?” Damian asked.
Dick paused. “Dami, did you just make a joke? I’m so proud!”
“Please, Richard, enough of your dramatics.”
“Rookie, what the hell?”
“I know, I know,” Dick ran a hand through his hair. “It's not what it looks like!”
“Hmm, it looks like you have a broken arm.”
Dick shrugged his bag off of his shoulder. “Okay, so maybe it is what it looks like.”
“What the hell happened?”
Dick took a seat at his desk. “I got into a little fender bender last night.”
“A little fender bender broke your arm?”
“Well, I was on my bike-”
“Oh my God, Grayson, are you kidding me?”
He gave Amy a guilty smile. “I’m fine, though. I promise.”
“You got in a car accident and didn’t call off of work? You’re insane.”
“No, I prefer the word ‘dedicated’ actually.”
“I’ll give you a word-”
Amy was interrupted by an officer Dick couldn’t quite remember the name of, a nervous look on his face as he approached the two.
“What the hell do you want, Arnot? We’re talking here.”
The officer –Mac Arnot, Dick’s mind helpfully supplied– shifted awkwardly in place. He was a rookie, like Dick, but Dick didn’t see much of him. The department was pretty big, though, so he couldn’t blame himself for not knowing every face by name.
“Um, there’s a guy in lock up, he’s asking to speak to Grayson.”
Amy raised her eyebrows. “Why would anyone ask for Grayson?”
“Hey!” Dick said defensively.
“I dunno his name, I’m just the messenger!”
“I’ll check it out,” Dick stood, ignoring the strange look Amy was giving him. “I’m sure it’s just some drunk guy I’ve busted before.”
“How many guys have you even busted, Rookie?”
“I’ve busted plenty- I’m not doing this with you right now.”
Dick followed Arnot to lock up, his mind racing a mile a minute. Amy had been right; who would ask for Dick? He wasn’t so new that none of the regulars in the drunk tank knew his face, but he wasn’t sure any knew him enough to ask for him personally.
“You know why this guy was brought in?” Dick asked as they continued deeper into the station.
“I think a bar fight. We picked up a couple guys from The Prodigal. They’re all beat to hell.”
“Typical Blüd,” Dick sighed as he and Arnot got to lock up. The officer standing by the door unlocked it for them and they went in, making their way past a couple of occupied cells.
“Busy night?” Dick asked.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Arnot said. “The guys from Prodigal are up ahead, last one on the left. I should get back to my partner.”
“Yeah, sounds good, thanks Arnot.”
“No problem, man.”
Dick watched Arnot go back the way they came and continued down the hall by himself, ignoring the various people in lock up who stared at him. He still had no idea why a guy involved in a bar brawl would ask for him, but weirder things have certainly happened.
“Okay,” Dick said once he finally reached the end of the hallway. “Which one of you guys wasted your one phone call on me?”
“Hey, Dick…”
Dick narrowed his eyes at the familiar voice. There were four guys in the cell, but three of them had all but shoved themselves into a corner, leaving the forth to have almost complete run of the cell. Sitting on the metal bench, with his arms crossed against his chest and a crooked smile, was Jason.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Umm, okay, I can definitely explain… In private. Can we talk in private?”
Dick exhaled sharply before walking away and back towards the officer in charge of lock up. After a conversation involving some convincing (and the promise of coffee) the officer unlocked the cell for Dick, who entered, his handcuffs already out.
“Oh, c’mon man, really?”
“Really,” Dick confirmed. “Turn around.”
Jason muttered a few choice words as Dick expertly cuffed him with one hand before leading him out of the cell and to a vacant interrogation room. Once the door was closed and Dick had confirmed the camera wasn’t recording, he finally felt the anger he’d been trying to hold start to boil over.
“Jason, you want to tell me why the hell you’re in a Blüdhaven jail cell for a goddamn bar fight?”
“Damn, how’d you break your arm?”
“Don’t change the subject, Jason! I left work for this!”
“What, like you were doing something important?”
Dick was fuming. “Tell me what you were doing in a bar fight. Now.”
“Okay, okay,” Jason shifted awkwardly in his seat, his hands still handcuffed behind him. “I was working a case. I’ve been working it for a few weeks now. It’s a drug ring usually based out of Gotham, they’re targeting inner city teens. Got a tip that they occasionally hang out at the Prodigal in Blüdhaven. Guess they’re looking to expand.”
“Why haven’t I heard anything about this so-called case? Is this what you’ve been so secretive about?”
“I wouldn’t say secretive, more-so just electing not to share.”
“Whatever. Same difference. Continue.”
Jason sighed. “So I get to the bar, but the tip was a set up. They were expecting me. I was outnumbered, sure, but they were stupid. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough, or maybe your coworkers are just more efficient than GCPD, cause I got myself hauled in. I was actually banking you’d be working. Lucky me!”
“Yeah,” Dick said darkly. “Lucky you.”
“Look, Dick, it’s not that big of a deal-”
“Actually, Jason, it is. Do you not realize the position you’re putting me in right now? Do you not realize how this makes me look to my fellow officers? I’m still pretty new here, Jason, I can’t afford to have rumors start flying around!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m a fuck up and I ruined your perfectly perfect life, Dick!”
“That’s not what I-”
“Isn’t it, though? Isn’t it always that? You’re always the perfect one, the responsible one, the golden child, and I’m always the fuck up! Everything’s always my fault and never yours! Well, I’m sick of it! You’re not perfect, Dick!”
“Yeah, Jason, I’m not perfect! I’m pretty fucking far from it, so I don’t know why you always claim I am!”
“Because that’s how Bruce always treats you,” Jason spat. “He always treats you like you’re the favorite and I’m just the kid he regrets taking in but can’t get rid of.”
Dick placed his hand on his hip. “He does not, Jason, and you know it. Bruce doesn’t regret taking you in, just like he doesn’t have favorites.”
“Well, he has a funny way of showing it.”
“Oh my God, this isn’t about Bruce! This is about you making a stupid, reckless decision and me having to clean up the mess! I’m going to have to go up there and come up with some explanation for your actions, I’m going to have to be the one to bail you out! I’m going to be the one who has to come in tomorrow and have people look at me and speculate, Jason, not you! You’ll never see these people again, I see them every damn day!”
“Whatever, Dick, you’ll just quit this job in a few months like you quit every damn job! Why does it even matter?”
Dick took a deep breath as he began pacing for a second, the room deadly quiet.
“Do you know how fucking hard I worked for this job? Do you know the hoops I had to jump through and the shit I had to deal with? I wasn’t just handed this job, Jason, I earned it. I worked my ass off in the academy, I studied day and night, and I didn’t ask anyone for help. I didn’t even ask Jim Gordon for a recommendation, because I wanted to do this on my own. I wanted to earn it on my own. I went through hell during training, Jason. Did you know I was the only non-white person in my graduating class? Do you know what that feels like?”
Jason looked guilty, but Dick hardly noticed. He was too riled up to even think clearly.
“Dick, I-”
“No, Jason, listen to me. I have worked my goddamn ass off for two weeks trying to make all of this work, and not once have you helped me! Not once have you made a meal or drove the kids to school or helped clean up! Not once have you offered to patrol as Batman. I’ve had to go out as both Nightwing and Batman every night! I barely sleep two hours a night if I’m lucky. I have to cook breakfast and dinner every day, I have to pack lunches, I have to make sure everyone gets to and from school! I have to keep track of ballet and karate and make sure everyone did their homework and make the patrol schedules! And the icing on top of that cake is that I also have a full-time job!”
“Look-”
“I’m not done! You asked what happened to my arm, right? Well I got in a bike accident because I fell asleep at the goddamn wheel, Jason! That’s how fucking exhausted I am! I could have killed myself driving back to Gotham and where were you? Where were you when I was in the ER and needed a ride back to the manor because my bike was totaled and I had a concussion? Where were you when I was patching myself up in the Batcave after pulling a double shift for the fifth night in a row? Where were you when I had to be three people at once? Where were you, Jason? Oh, that’s right! You were getting in a goddamn bar fight!”
Dick’s chest was heaving as he forced himself to breathe. He hadn’t realized how much pent up anger he’d been holding inside himself for the past two weeks. It felt oddly good to let it all out.
“Dick, I’m sorry,” Jason said, his eyes not meeting Dick’s. “You’re right; I should’ve been helping you. It’s not fair that you’ve had to do this all on your own. I was just so caught up in this op that I must’ve lost sight of what was really important.”
Dick took another deep breath and sat down in the chair across from Jason. He rubbed the back of his neck, his face suddenly feeling very hot.
“I’m sorry I yelled. It’s not your fault Bruce put all this on my shoulders. I just wish you would’ve helped out a little, is all. I’ve had a little help from the kids here and there, and Amy has been awesome, but what I really needed was you. I know your mission is important, but you could’ve brought me in on it. We could have helped each other.”
“I know, I know, it’s just… I dunno. I was so hyper-focused on it that I couldn’t even consider the thought of letting anyone else in. And I guess I was just annoyed that you showed up and threw off my balance. I’m not used to having to help out as much, which sounds so fucking bratty of me, but it’s true. Bruce stays in his lane and doesn’t usually bother me and Alfred takes care of everything around the manor. So having you trying to do both, but in your own way just kinda threw me off. It’s not a good excuse, I know, but it’s all I got.”
“No, I get it. Tim was kinda feeling the same way. I know you guys have a routine that’s usually pretty undisturbed and I kinda just came in and messed with it. I’m not around a lot, so I get that me being as present as I have been the past two weeks is jarring. You’re used to me in small doses and I can be… a lot. I just wish you guys would’ve told me how you felt sooner instead of making me figure it out myself. It would’ve saved me a lot of headaches, that’s for sure.”
Jason smiled softly, his eyes finally lifting. “I’ll help out more, I promise. I can do some patrol shifts as Batman too, especially with your arm all messed up. Maybe even play chauffeur.”
Dick chuckled. “That would be a big help, Jay. Thanks.”
“Yeah. I should’ve done it sooner.”
“Better late than never,” Dick stood, his handcuff keys in his hand. “Lean forward.”
“Oh, you’re letting me go, officer?”
Dick lightly cuffed Jason on the back of the head. “Yeah, yeah, letting you off with a warning. Stay away from shady Blüdhaven bars, okay?”
Jason moved his arms forward once Dick had unlocked the cuffs. “You won’t get into any trouble?”
“Nah, I talked to the officer in charge of lock up and you made bail. I’ll fill out some paperwork and it’ll be all good.”
“You sure? I don’t want you to-”
“Jason, it’s fine, really. My job isn’t more important than you.”
Jason didn’t reply, but Dick supposed he didn’t really need him to.
“C’mon, I’ll take you to get your things. Your bike is probably impounded.”
“Ugh, they better not have scratched her.”
“Dude, you should see my bike.”
Dick slowly opened his eyes, his head beginning to pound slightly as the light streaming in from his bedroom window assaulted him. He groaned, rolling over to grab the bottle of painkillers he kept on his nightstand, mindful of his broken arm as he moved. His vision was a bit blurry but he could still make out the time on the alarm clock.
“Shit! I’m late!”
Dick sprang out of bed, his bare feet pounding against the wooden flooring as he raced down the staircase and into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, I overslept! It’s looking like cereal for-”
Dick paused in the doorway, the smell of food cooking reaching him. His siblings sat at the table, each looking at him quizzically. He must’ve looked insane, with rumpled pajamas, terrible bedhead, and sleep lines still marring his face.
Jason was at the stove, a pan of sausage in his hands and one of Alfred’s aprons wrapped around his body, a small smirk on his face.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty. You’re just in time for breakfast.”
Dick blinked, his head tilting in confusion.
“What’s all this?”
“Jason made breakfast,” Cass said, taking a drink from her cup of orange juice.
“Yeah, I see that.”
“You were exhausted, Dick. I thought I’d help out and cook breakfast, let you sleep in.”
“He is actually not as hopeless of a cook as I originally thought,” Damian said, a piece of buttered toast in his small hands.
“Was that a compliment from Damian Wayne? For me?”
“Do not get used to it, Todd.”
“Jason, you didn’t have to-”
“Shut up and make yourself a plate.”
Dick smiled at Jason’s fake-annoyed tone, his smile giving him away immediately.
“I’m gonna drive them to school too, so you don’t need to worry about that either.”
Dick took a seat at the breakfast table. He suddenly realized that he hadn’t sat down to breakfast for the past two weeks; he’d eaten his breakfast standing up, in between packing lunches and cleaning dishes, or some days in the car on the way to school.
“Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t make it weird and mushy.”
Dick accepted the cup of coffee that Tim handed him. He took a moment to take in the sight of all his siblings sitting around the table, laughing and joking with each other. He couldn’t help but think that he hadn’t had much time to enjoy the fact that he’d gotten to spend so much time with them recently. He was far too busy most of the time to actually enjoy being around his family.
“Richard, I thought you should know I considered that list you gave me,” Damian’s voice interrupted Dick from his thoughts. He turned to the youngest sibling, a soft smile on his lips.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes. There is a meeting immediately after school for an art club. I believe I will attend.”
“That’s awesome, Dami. I’m happy for you!”
Damian rolled his eyes as Dick ruffled his hair. “Please, Richard, do not get sentimental on me this early in the morning.”
“I can’t help it!”
Damian scowl was a bit softer than usual as he went back to his breakfast.
“When do you get off work today, Dick?” Steph asked.
“Six. Why?”
“Well, we were thinking we could have a movie night, if you’d like.”
Dick smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Alright, finish your food or me and Dick’s dumb minivan will be leaving without you.”
“I do not drive a minivan!” Dick said defensively. “It’s an SUV, thank you very much!”
“SUVs are just minivans for people too ashamed to admit they have a minivan,” Jason said plainly.
“Oh, shut up!” Dick threw a piece of sausage at Jason, who expertly dodged it.
“Don’t start a food fight if you aren’t willing to finish it,” Jason said in a devilish tone.
Dick smiled as his siblings finished their breakfasts, each stacking their empty dishes by the sink. Dick couldn’t help but call that progress.
“I’ll do the dishes while you’re dropping them off,” Dick said, finishing his cup of coffee.
“You sure?” Jason asked. “Cause I can do them-”
“Hey, you cooked. I’ll wash. It seems fair.”
Jason still looked a bit guilty about having Dick do the dishes, but he relented.
“Fine. I’ll see you before you head to work.”
“Jason?”
Jason turned, Dick’s car keys in his hand. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but Dick to envelope him in a one-armed hug wasn’t it.
“Thank you.”
“No, Dick. Thank you.”
Jason returned the hug and felt Dick lean into him for a moment, waiting for Dick to be the one to break away.
“We make a good team.”
Jason chuckled. “Yeah, I guess we do.”