Chapter Text
The Bat Boys
The Last to Notice Anything
Summary: Something has been different about Tim for months, and Dick hasn’t even noticed.
The Bat boys were all under one roof for a week. Jason was between safe houses and was staying at the manor currently, much to the joy of Tim.
Said boy was currently sprawled on the couch with his head in Jason’s lap. He was reading something that was probably beyond the reading comprehension level of Tim’s age, but that really didn’t matter when it came to the brainy bat-kid, he surpassed most kids in just about any comprehension test.
Jason was watching some sort of courtroom drama with Dick, who was settled in the love seat next to the couch. Jason let one hand pet Tim’s head’, his fingers combing through Tim’s dark locks.
When a commercial break came on Dick turned to ask Jason a question but upon gazing at the two on the couch he shut his mouth.
“What? What’s up?” Jason asked.
“When did Tim start wearing glasses?” Dick questioned.
“I’m right here, you could ask me, ya know,” Tim said, slightly lifting his head from Jason’s lap and turning towards Dick. In fact Tim’s blue eyes were peering at Dick through thin lenses with a thin dark frame surrounding them.
“I’ve had them for a couple of month I guess. I don’t have to wear them all the time,” Tim responded, laying his head back on Jason’s lap to the soothing touch of Jason’s fingers massaging his scalp and his attention going back to the book. Tim it seemed, was done with the subject as he wanted to get back to the book in his hands.
Jason, wanting to check on Tim’s state of mind as Tim seemed pissed at Dick, slightly moved Tim’s book down so he could catch a glance at the baby blue eyes staring back at him. Tim looked slightly annoyed that he was being interrupted from his reading. Looking up Tim saw two green eyes and a smile that was pure Jason and well, it was hard to remember then what he was ever mad at. Smiles from Jason weren’t as rare as one would think, but pure smiles where you know only one person can make a smile like that, those are the smiles that are rare from Jason, and Tim was happy that he, himself could produce such a smile from Jason and it caused him to return the smile.
Satisfied that Tim was fine Jason looked back at Dick and lightly chuckled at Dick’s ignorance of not having noticed this earlier. They do both live in the same house, as big as it is and as close as brothers that Dick and Tim were it did surprise Jason a bit to realize that Dick didn’t know about Tim’s glasses.
Dick still sat puzzled in the love seat and seeing that Tim didn’t seem apt to continue the conversation, Jason jumped in.
“He’s had them for about three months. He noticed periodically his vision was getting blurry, not all the time just here and there,” Jason said. It felt weird for the older man to talk about the younger boy while he was right there in his lap. Jason continued, “Turns out his eyes get tired every once in a while, usually comes from staring at the bat-computer screen for hours on end, or reading in the dark when he shouldn’t. So technically, he has perfect 20/20 vision, but when his eyes get tired, that’s a different story. The doctor having to test his theory was hilarious having to come in at one in the morning when Tim’s vision went wonky in order to get the measurements of the lenses right.”
“But-“ Dick started, sitting up in a moment of fright about their identities but Jason sensed this and countered.
“Don’t worry, we said we worked nights.”
“So is this going to be a problem on patrol at night with his vision?” Dick asked.
Jason could feel Tim tense at the accusation, worried about what Dick might do next. He;d bneed very wary about that with Dick ever since he replaced him as Robin. Jason tightened his hand that was in Tim’s hair and let his other hand rest on Tim’s stomach trying to both calm him and hold him in place as he felt the tension in Tim’s body leading to him trying to get up.
“No it’s fine,” Jason said staring at Tim who was glaring at Dick. Tim either didn’t trust himself to speak or was too angry to, but either way Jason was grateful as he didn’t was to play referee between the two of them. “When his eyes are tired it’s only a slight change in his 20/20 vision and certainly nothing that is going to create a problem on patrol.” Jason finished.
“Will you please tell me if it does?” Dick questioned.
“You know what Dick!” Tim started. Uh oh here it goes, Jason guessed he’s playing referee after all. “You saw to it that I wasn’t Robin anymore so I’m not under your thumb anymore, I’m on my own so you can’t tell me what to do about anything on any patrol, and I don’t report to you!” Tim yelled now in a full upright sitting position.
“Tim, I didn’t mean-“ Dick started, but his words were drowned out to Tim, taken over by the words Jason was now whispering in his ear.
Dick obviously seeing that whatever Jason said to Tim had calmed the younger boy. Jason eased Tim back to his original position with his head on his lap and soon Tim’s focus was back on his book.
“We will, it’s fine,” Jason said to appease the other side now, “He doesn’t wear them all the time, though I think he looks cute with them on.” Jason said as tapped Tim’s nose.
“Tt-tt” the three men slightly jumped at the new voice from the small child that they didn’t even realize was there in the shadows. “You think Drake looks cute in everything ….or nothing at all.” Damian said. After a couple of seconds Dick realized the context of what Damian had said.
“Damian!” Dick exclaimed.
“It’s true,” Damian replied.
“Are you always this way, Dick?” Jason asked.
“What way?” Dick questioned.
“The last to notice anything.”
THE END