Chapter Text
Okay so maybe Dick spent a few too many hours pacing back and forth in his room, something was wrong. So so wrong... But he just couldn't put his finger on it.
Was it that he was somehow in the past? Okay that definitely was on the list of reasons, but it was something else, something that he couldn't imagine not having. Was it that Bruce seemed... more like a worrying father? That definitely set Dick off, he hadn't experienced anything close to that in years.
Yet it wasn't like back in the circus with his father, who'd spend countless hours worrying, asking and making sure Dick was okay, no this was just different.
Maybe it was the lack there of anything bat related? That had definitely caught Dick's eye. To anyone who didn't spend their childhood in the manor or spent a large amount of time here, you'd never see it. But Dick did, he grew up with noticing little things, either back in the circus when he had to keep an eye on making his flips end out perfect, or his Robin training where if didn't notice something his opponent did, well they both would end badly.
But in the manor? He noticed the smalls things Bruce, clearly wasn't worried about hiding, because frankly? No one would or should be able too. Like the clock in Bruce's study, or the random nooks and crannies that had things stuffed away, hidden from the public's eyes.
There were also the random bat related objects that usually were laid around, that now were no where to be found anywhere, hidden but in a close range Bruce could get to, in case of an emergency, but it had all been missing. Erased even, like it never existed in the first place.
After breakfast with Bruce, Dick turned to exploring the manor, to see how far he'd actually travelled back. Turns out it's a month before his 13th birthday and five months before the Young Justice team was formed. Definitely further in the future than he had originally thought, still strange he was back in time though.
But when exploring, that's when he really noticed the changes, like one of his favourite hiding spots wasn't even there! Or his blankets on the main entrance chandelier, which was the biggest thing that had started to tic Dick off, no one and i mean no body should be able too reach that spot on the chandelier, well of course without being a massive pain, thats why Bruce gave up after the twentieth time of Dick rebuilding it back in his mischievous days.
God he sounded old.. which now lead to this point and time, the unending pacing. Dick groaned and flopped back into his bed, god how long had he been at that for? His legs felt like he'd be running laps around the manor for hours, and its only been... oh. It had been hours, two to be exact.
Okay so maybe he has been over stressing himself and now its really starting to take its toll. God how long has it been since his been in a bed? Since he's eaten anything nutritious? How long how long HOW LONG!?
He was losing it, and not the kind that makes you crazy, no. Dick wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry, cry until it hurt, till his body was broken down and tears couldn't fall any longer. Till his eyes were red and raw, till they were sore and so swollen. He wanted to cry till his chest hurt, and his breath hitch and heaved.
He needed to cry and badly, so bad that he'd hadn't even realise he already was, till he felt it. That wet, stinging feeling of tears rolling down his cheek. the wetness of warm tears, almost making him smile. No matter how sad ,as it sounded. it felt real. The first real thing that's happened to him since waking up.
Waking up... he was falling, Dick knew he was falling. He felt it. The way his body fell towards the ground, the feel of gravity pulling him down, like when his team followed him, followed him like he was gravity, without thinking, without regret... and eventually followed him to their deaths. Some painful, some quick... some so damaging he could still remember them so vividly, the nightmares he had of them..
And then there were the ones were it felt like someone reached into his chest, went for his heart but instead turned to ripped his lungs out, squeezing them till he couldn't breathe, making him choke up and struggle to breathe. Like Jason's death.
One so brutal, so wrong, so cruel. One that wrecked and ruined his family. Sure Jason came home, but he still had been hurt, so hurt it ruined him. It wasn't fair on Jason, or the people forced to grieve him. Forced on Dick to grieve his younger brother.
Then there were deaths like... Wally's. Wally's was quick and out of the way, but it had took him to early, even before Dick had the chance to save him. To change his fate, to tell him how he really felt. It was too late now.
Or was it...?
Dick perked up, the tightness in his chest freezing over, like a tidal wave finally crashing down on a city, just leaving the aftermath of the tsunami of emotions inside of him. Now calm and steady, but broken. Just an empty endless pit of nothingness, but just as quickly as it came, he pushed it aside.
Dick sat up from his bed and rashly wiped the tears from his eyes. Swigging his still sore legs over the edge of his childhood bed and making way out of the room. Without thinking he made a deadline towards Bruce's study, towards that old clock.
When Dick cracked open the door to the study, he noticed that the layout had drastically changed from what he could remember back in his original days... that's what he'll refer it to until he figured out what the hell is going on. But thankfully empty, so pushing the door open wider and slipping in as quiet as a mouse.
Dick closed the door behind and sighed softly to himself, still trying to catch his still rapid breathing, which was starting to tick Dick off deeply. If it really was a month before his 13th, he should have plenty of Robin training out of the way by now, one of which is breathing control. But it's like this version of himself has never lifted a weight...
Dick had to push that aside for now and began to look around the room. But it wasn't like he had remembered.
not at all...
Instead of the main dark oak desk being up under the furthest tall window, it was back up against the right wall and facing to the two left side full wall windows, and instead of being that old rusty colour, it was a what looked to be a freshly new coated black painted colour, still the same woody texture but less splinter by the years.
there were no pieces of papers piled high and left forgotten for that was for Bruce Wayne to deal with and not the Bat, there was no coffee stain or even chipped corners from time Bruce had lost his temper.
Dick then turned his attention to the back wall.
The back wall had a reading nook now, with a bunch of stuffed animals piled up on it and along with it, was a built in cubby. it look designed for children and it clearly was.
but still? there wasn't a single sight of that old clock to be found anywhere.
Dick had to take in a deep breath to control himself, he could feel that growing panic building up again, stronger now... faster too.
if there was no entrance, is there a cave at all?
Dick was about to look some more when he heard those all to familiar footsteps approaching. thank god he still had that skill.
but just as so, Dick ducked under the desk as fast as he could, it wasn't his best moment in history, but something was going on and it wasn't because he was 19 years in the past. No it was something else.
something else entirely.
Something was up with Dick, he'd hadn't had a nightmare in a while and if it was as bad as it seemed, he'd come to Bruce... Right?
it's not like Dick to be this secretive, well not so suddenly. and especially not with how well their relationship has been going, Leslie said that being a present figure would help Dick and it did! so what did he do to make his son want to shut down and act like his old ways?
Bruce was in the middle of walking towards his study to start up a quick and short meeting with Wayne Enterprise's board, when he noticed the door was slight ajar. and it wasn't like he didn't mind Richard in there, hell that's why he had the book nook installed, just for him.
no it was just that Richard wasn't in sight at all, which was odd.
usually he'd be planted right in Bruce's chair, or the high level of the cubby with Zitka and some book he could barely read due to his lack of English understanding. no this time? he could just see the small shape of Dick's body hidden under his desk, very well hidden too.
"Dick? I can see you, Chum." Bruce spoke softly as he approached careful and squatted down to be at his level. "Son, What's the matter? you're being all secretive, i thought we got past this behaviour already?"
Bruce was trying to be the gentle parent both Alfred and Leslie told him to be, but it's hard to be when Dick isn't giving him anything but the silent treatment... again
"Dick, if you don't want to talk that's fine, but you have to give me something to work with, Bud."
that managed to get a reaction, Dick's body shuddered for a second before Bruce was met with sad, tear streaked eyes and quivering lips. "I-i don't know.." Dick stuttered out through broken breaths that were to shaky.
Bruce exhaled and opened his arms as an invitation for Dick, which he thankfully did and climbed into his father's arms. "I...I can't tell you but.." Dick spoke again, still shaky but than stopped as if he realised something and looked up at Bruce and sniffled.
Bruce exhaled softly as he embraced his son and gently guided his hand up and down Dick's back in what he hoped was hopefully a calming manner. "hey, it's okay. just relax and breathe."
Dick nodded and breathed in and out, before slowly calming down, but Bruce didn't make a move to get up yet so he took his time. inhaling and exhaling, in and out until Dick was fully calmed now, just breathing in the fancy cologne Bruce always wore.
and there they sat for a while, not talking anymore. just sitting there on the floor of Bruce's study.
eventually though, Bruce did have to move, but not to fully disturb Dick, he just lifted the small boy up and carried him over to the small nook and sat him down on the soft and crowded cushion cubby, before handing Dick his plushed elephant.
"There we go, how about you sit and observe my meeting, Chum." Bruce said as he ruffled Dick's hair and was already moving, when Dick let out a soft snicker of laughter, the sarcastic; "I know, you know, you're going to be in trouble" snicker.
"You mean the one that was supposed to be twenty minutes ago?" Dick pointed out, now regaining back some of his usual snark the 12 year old held.
Bruce rolled his eyes and was already opening up his computer as he sat at his desk, because yeah. he'd be expecting another lecture about his tardiness, but it was worth it for his son. "Just sit there and behave," Bruce sighed, in the one a tired father would.
that got another laugh from the tween, this time a softer more genuine one now as Dick cuddled up with Zitka and grinned and watched as his farther had to suffer through his meeting.
Bruce's meeting dragged out wayyy to long, and Dick was getting sick of playing 'sad child', not that he didn't mind the softness Bruce had shown him, no. he just to get back to snooping around Bruce's study.
again, something was still up with this funky timeline or universe or just everything about this entire past experience he's well exprincing!
Bruce had actually seemed like... well a father, and there wasn't even a tiny speckle of broody bat at all!
Dick was about ready to ask what the fuck was going on when finally..
"Alright Chum, you wanna tell me what's going?" Bruce was tidying up now, shutting down his computer and was coming back over towards Dick.
the older man crouched down in front of Dick, and his great wall of acting was back up.
Dick let out a soft huff, crossing his arms and looking down at Zitka, before mumbling, "you're hiding something..." it was a petulant as a Victorian child could get and Dick knew that by the reaction Bruce gave him.
Huh... now defensive walls or deflection...
instead it looked guilty, like he'd be the one caught stealing cookies from Alfred's fresh new batch!
Dick couldn't help himself. "That! what was that, what are you hiding!"
Bruce sighed and ran his hands down his face and stood back up, looking down at Dick with a soft but exhausted expression.
okay wow, this Bruce really has the 'Dad affect' going for him. and YESSS, this bruce. Dick has come to somewhat of the conclusion that he is in some other universe or something closer to that.
"Fine, there's something i haven't told you, but it was for your own good."
"Well? what is it, B?"
Bruce took in a deep breath before schooling his expression.
"Richard, I'm..." Dick held his breath. "I'm... I'm bat-"