Chapter Text
There were many different ways that Tim thought he would be spending his summer.
A year ago, he would have been excited to have the time off from school, to spend his days wandering around the manor, wandering around Gotham with his camera, and spend his nights out on patrol as Robin. Watching as fireflies flew around the manor grounds, teasing Dick in his free time, and maybe, just maybe, getting to do things with Bruce as well. Things that weren't related to fighting crime or running a company. Things that kids did with their parents.
But that was a year ago.
Now, he wasn't sure what to expect at all.
"Tim," Bruce said and Tim looked up, at the man who was staring at him from across the room.
It was just the two of them- as it often was now. Tim would find that ever since bringing Bruce back, he would go looking for him, sometimes working his way up into a frantic state at the idea that somehow, in the past two hours, Bruce had disappeared again.
And he also began to notice, that Bruce would seek him out as well. Knocking on his door to ask what he's doing, although those conversations were often short and awkward. Texting him randomly during the day. Asking where he was. If he was alright.
But Tim knew that Bruce wasn't doing this with just him. He knew that after seeking Tim out, Bruce would continue on, searching for Damian, who at least was able to hold more of a conversation with his father than Tim was.
And Tim wondered if Bruce minded that or not. Did he care about that?
He didn't know.
"I've enrolled both you and Damian into Gotham academy," Bruce began to explain, and Tim looked away from him and out the window, watching as the birds flew by outside.
"I understand that things have been... difficult," he added on after a moment and Tim had to resist the urge to laugh.
Things had been more than difficult. Difficult didn't even begin to cover it- not with no one believing him, not even Dick, who instead looked at him as if he were crazy.
And now, they were hardly on speaking terms as a result. When he had proven Dick wrong, he thought that maybe, things might go back to the way they were before. Bruce would be Batman. He would be Robin.
But that wasn't what happened at all. Bruce still hadn't put on his suit. And neither had Tim.
Tim shifted in his seat, and continued to stare out the window, watching as the sun light up the dust in the room.
"But that doesn't mean that you, and Damian, shouldn't have a chance at a... more normal life."
A pause.
Then, Tim turned to face him, his chin resting in his palm.
"You were presumed dead for the past six months," he replied, his voice eerily void of emotion. "There's nothing normal about that."
"Tim-" Bruce began but then sighed.
"And your son keeps trying to kill me every time I stay here and he gets the chance," Tim pointed out, his voice rising out of anger, his leg beginning to tap in a steady and fast pattern on the rug that covered the hardwood flooring.
"There's nothing normal about that either!" He exclaimed, his voice continuing to rise. "Nothing about this is normal! Nothing!" He shot up from the chair that he was sitting in, his body burning with the adrenaline and the anger that was coursing through it.
But across from him, Bruce just looked tired, even with the summer sun hitting his face through the window.
"I know," he said softly after a moment, and Tim's facial expression softened as a result.
"I know," Bruce repeated as he walked over to Tim and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"And, I'm sorry."
Tim found himself alone- which was something he found himself quite often, when he wasn't looking for Bruce. He avoided Damian like the plague, and Dick less so, but still.
He preferred to be alone than interact with either of them at the moment.
So, he spent his time wandering the manor, walking down halls filled with artwork that he couldn't remember seeing last. Finding books and books and more books- some older than the house that they resided in.
The air was different here- still, and smelled of old parchment paper and ink. There was more dust in the air, dust on the shelves, as if Alfred had missed this place during his cleanings. But Tim knew that he was thorough, and that if this place was missed, it was on purpose.
There was a library in a more secluded spot of the manor, and more often than not, Tim found himself back there, slowly walking as if he were in a dream, reading the different book titles that were on the shelves.
There were a lot of classics, more than Tim thought that Bruce would ever be interested in.
"Like what you see?" A voice said from the doorway, and Tim turned around quickly to see Jason leaning against it with a smirk on his face.
"Does-?" Tim began and Jason waved his hand.
"Relax, the old bat knows I'm here," Jason replied as he pushed himself off of the door-frame and walked further into the room.
A year ago, they would have been fighting, screaming, Tim doing his best to defend himself from Jason, who would have been trying to kill him.
But now, they were talking, and talking in the manor- where they both had mixed feelings about staying.
"Bruce put this library together," Jason explained as he walked around the room, and Tim watched.
"He," Jason stopped and looked down, away from Tim, and then out of a window that was between two bookcases.
"He knew how much I liked to read as a kid. How much I loved books."
A pause.
"Aren't you gonna ask what happened?" Jason asked as he turned to look at Tim.
"I know," Tim replied and Jason shrugged.
"I guess you do."
"Why are you here?" Tim asked after another brief moment of silence had passed between them and Jason shrugged.
"Dick asked for me, actually," Jason revealed.
"Surprising, I know," he said as he took in Tim's shocked expression.
"Said he and Bruce wanted my help with something and," Jason stopped himself.
"And?" Tim prompted.
"And that I was welcome to stay. If I wanted to, that is," he added on quickly.
"Do you want to?" Tim asked, his head leaning to the side slightly as he looked at Jason.
"Someone has to make sure that the Demon Brat doesn't kill you in your sleep, and Dick is too soft with him, in my opinion."
"How...?" Tim began and then Jason shrugged.
"I met Damian when he was little- in the league. If I knew who he was then... let's just say he probably wouldn't be alive today. But I know how things work in there, and I don't think they made exceptions for kids."
"Sounds like the perfect environment to raise a kid," Tim muttered and rolled his eyes, and Jason chuckled.
"At least you're funny, replacement," Jason said as he shook his head and sighed.
"I'm serious- Damian isn't used to people being this... relaxed with him, and I don't think Dick knows how to handle that." Jason explained.
"And you think Bruce could do a better job?" Tim asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well, if he can't we might as well give him back to the league and have you take up the Robin mantle again, right?" Jason asked with a smirk and Tim looked away and shrugged.
The idea of being Robin, the idea of Damian out of his life so that he wouldn't have to worry about his coffee being poisoned, was certainly appealing.
But was it fair to send Damian back to a life that for sure would be worse than what he had now?
Tim didn't know the answer to that question either.