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Working as a gym teacher was fun, he had the excuse to use the equipment, most of his students loved his classes, and his co-workers were fun. He loved his job, and he loved to work with the kids.
Dick held the back of a little girl while she swung on the aerial silks, Dick pushed her legs up and held her while she turned upside down.
"Now do it ten times on your own."
The girl laughed, turning her body upright. Dick left her to it, doing a quick round to see the rest of his students.
"Are you Dick Grayson?" A little voice asked at his side.
A boy was talking to him, dressed in a red hoodie, he was looking up at him, bright blue eyes filled with admiration, his accent was all Gotham, thick and familiar.
"Yes, a pleasure to meet you." Dick gave the kid a charming smile, shaking his hand, the kid beamed, looking up at Dick with awe. "And you are?"
The kid deflated a little, pulling his hand away from Dick's "Jason, Jason Todd."
The name wasn't familiar. He knew Mandy had a brother called Jason, but he was a baby that just started to walk. Peter also had a brother called Jason, but their surname wasn't Todd and Peter's brother was tall and covered in tattoos. Penny Todd was in his class, but she didn't have brothers or kids.
"If you want to book a class you should talk with the receptionist, right now I'm a little occupied."
Jason blinked, hurt, his awed expression turned angry. "I'm your brother."
The words came out before Dick could process them, staring at the kid. "I don't have a brother."
Mary and John only had him, Dick would know if he had a younger brother, this child couldn't be from an affair, Mary couldn't have hidden pregnancy, and John wouldn't do something like that. Bruce made clear all his obligations towards Dick ended when he reached 18. They were nothing, and if someone was trying to use Dick to get to Bruce, well, Dick had nothing for them.
The kid looked hurt, he took a step back, glaring at Dick. "I am Bruce's son, he adopted me."
Well, Donna was right, blocking all mentions of the Wayne name or Batman was a bad idea.
Dick took a step back, he felt cold, breathless, as if Harley had hit his chest with her mallet and Mr. Freeze had captured him in a block of ice. He took another step back, hands trembling, he wanted to scream and cry, punch something or curl on the floor until everything faded. Dick turned his face from the kid, nails digging on his arm.
"I can't attend to you right now, go back to Gotham, I'll call you when I have time."
Dick turned away from Jason Todd, Bruce's son, putting on an easy smile for the girls in his class. He called them to do some cooling and stretching before they had to go.
Dick put his mind on his work, pushing Jason and Bruce far away, he focussed on his students, a little grateful that today he was booked until late.
To his surprise Jason Todd was in the waiting room, talking with Cher, the receptionist. Dick wondered how bad it would look if he sneaked outside through the bathroom windows, but, before he could make the decision, Cher called him, waving her hand.
"You never told me you had such a lovely brother," she pinched Jason's cheek, "you should bring here more often."
"He is my foster dad's kid."
Jason Todd squirmed in his place, Dick took a sick pleasure in it. Maybe he was acting like an asshole, but he didn't appear unexpectedly on a stranger's job and declare himself a family. "Come on, I'll take you to the train station, I bet Alfred is worried sick."
Jason waved at Cher, dragging his feet as he followed Dick outside. They went to the bus stop, Dick checked his phone, sending a crying emoji to Donna and a ' talk you later' she answered with the emoji of a hug. Dick's thumb lingered on Barbara's chat before he turned off his phone.
"Why can't you take me to Gotham?"
"I'm not going to pay a taxi to Bristol."
"What about Nightwing's bike? I bet it is faster than the train." Dick froze, looking at the kid, his mouth felt dry, and alarms blasted in his head. Dick held his backpack tighter, staring at the boy. "Don't act so surprised, as if you didn't know I was Robin."
Dick's surprise turned into anger, he was going to give Bruce a piece of his mind. "You are right, let's go to my place, I'll be faster."
Dick walked fast, anger boiling in his guts. He took big steps, the kid practically running at his side.
He tossed his thing on the couch, using the hidden door to go to the apartment next to his. Dick wasn't surprised to see Jason dressed as Robin in his living room, stuffing his street clothes in his backpack. There were little changes between his and Jason's uniform, the short pants and the top was the same, tweaked to fit Jason, the cape looked larger and stiffer, his shoes were sturdier, and the curve of the pixie boots changed to look more like a normal boot, still, he was Robin, dressed in green, yellow, and red.
"Catch me," Dick said, before jumping from the window.
The kid didn't have grace, he was clumsy, lacking the fluidity Robin should have, he doubted before every jump. Frowning every time Dick did an unnecessary flip and twist, just to show off. He flew across Bludhaven, fast and graceful, grinning when the kid struggled to keep his rhythm.
It was petty. If Alfred knew he would tear a piece to Dick, but he didn't care, at least he hadn't dropped a bomb on a stranger just because. Dick went through a window inside a warehouse at the Harbor, Jason Todd arrived behind him, huffing and puffing, breathless and bright red.
"Get up, we don't have all night."
Dick went to his bike and turned it on, Jason rushed to hop on the seat, hands holding the seat as he waited for Dick to drive them to Gotham. Dick tossed him a helmet, driving fast across Blüdhaven as Jason clung to his hips.
It had been months since the last time Dick had gone to Gotham, the familiar buildings welcomed him back, tall and dark. Dick drove across Gotham, soaring through the city, waving at the people that pointed at him and Jason.
“Do you think Penny One has cookies?” Dick yelled at Jason. He took a sharp turn, laughing when Jason clung to his hips. “I love chocolate chip cookies.”
Their fun was cut short when their comms beeped, Batman’s deep growl shaking Dick to his core. It hit him like a wave of nostalgia, drowning him. Dick felt breathless, hearing Bruce’s voice for the first time in months. “I need backup in Robinsons Park.”
Jason chirped an answer, grinning at Dick when he drove back to Center Gotham. Barbara gave a short answer, the sound of wind muffling her voice. Dick had to bite his tongue to say something back, he didn’t know if he would talk to Bruce or Batman if he tried. His mouth felt dry and he barely paid attention to what was happening around him.
Dick stopped at the edge of Robinsons Park, Jason jumped off the bike, running to meet Batman, Dick stood behind, looking at Batman and Robin getting lost behind vines and trees. The yellow cape was the last thing to disappear.
"Why do you think Ivy is angry about this time?" Dick turned, finding Batgirl at his side, a big smile on her face. "Nice seeing you here, Boy Blunder, now stop looking like a kicked puppy and get moving."
Dick took a deep breath, smiling at Barbara, he took the escrimas off his back and ran behind her, ready for whatever Ivy had planned this time.
Inside, Dick found himself lost, vines moved around him, making a maze that changed constantly. He lost sight of Barbara, and soon he was alone.
He could hear Jason, Barbara, and Batman around him, but he couldn't see them, running in circles as they shouted for each other. Vines blocked the sky, making it impossible to climb and escape, trying to cut the vines was fruitless, they just regrew every time.
Ivy's laugh filled the corridors as they met dead end after dead end. A hint of her red hair was always at the edge of a corridor.
When the kid shouted in front of him Dick pulled an explosive, throwing it at the walls of vines. It was a horrible idea.
The vibes burned down, the wall crumbling under the fire, Dick saw Jason, Barbara, and Batman in front of him, but, before anyone could move, a red flower puffed pollen in Dick's face.
He crumbled down, hugging himself, he felt cold, his skin itched, and he was crying. Something inside his chest was clawing at his ribcage, leaving him breathless and airheaded, his hands felt numb, and Dick couldn't think, his mind filled with need .
Something touched his shoulder, a hand, big, impossibly hot. Dick pulled however touched him, wrapping himself around them, tangled in a mess of legs and arms. The person under him was hot, placating the coldness that crept up Dick’s chest. Dick pressed his cheek against bare skin, harsh with stubble.
Hands hold his waist, a thick cape enveloped him, dark and heavy, smelling like sweat, leather, and Bruce’s cologne. Dick cried, openly sobbing, the salt tears making the glue of his mask clump around his eyes.
“Nightwing,” Batman called, voice rough and deep, reverberating in Dick’s chest. “Nightwing, report!”
Dick cried harder, clinging to Bruce’s shoulders when he tried to push him away. He scratched Batman’s cowl, trying to get it off, he babbled in a pitiful tone, getting as close to Bruce as he possibly could. “Please, please, don’t leave me, please.”
Bruce stilled under him, a hand on the small of his back, rubbing circles as he hummed against Dick’s ear. He stood up, a hand holding Nightwing’s shoulders, keeping him pinned to his chest. a gas mask was put on his face, and the little skin contact he could have was taken away. Still, Bruce didn’t let him go, holding him close.
The next thing Dick remembered was straddling Bruce's lap, the steering wheel pressed against his back, Bruce taking off his cowl and peeling Dick's mask.
Dick pressed their cheeks together, clutching Bruce's shoulders as he kept trembling, trying to get his gloves off without being too far from Bruce.
"What are you doing here?" Dick bit his lips, trying to not cry. Of course, Bruce didn't want him in Gotham, he had made that clear the last time they talked. Dick clung harder to Bruce, burying his nose in the crook of Bruce's neck. "Why are you here?"
Dick sniffed, his voice weak and trembling. "Your son visited me at my job."
Bruce said nothing, he moved the seat back, giving more space for Dick to accommodate, putting his hand on Dick's back and humming, just like he did when Dick was a kid and got sick. They laid there, the autopilot taking the Batmobile to the cave. When Bruce tried to get off the car Dick couldn’t hold back a sob, clinging to him, one hand tangled in Bruce’s hair, the other clinging to his cape.
“Don’t leave, please, not again, please.”
Bruce picked Dick up, rocking him. Dick cried harder, he had missed Bruce so much.
When Dick could think about something different than needing to hold Bruce, he found himself on Bruce's bed, looking at the man sleeping, one hand over Dick's waist. He looked older, the lines on his forehead and mouth were deeper, his skin looked dry, big dark bags hung from his eyes, and stubble darkened his jaw.
Dick moved and Bruce yawned, pulling Dick closer. "You still have to deal with the pollen for a few hours."
"I can call someone, I don't want to bother you."
Bruce moved to lay on top of Dick, like he did when Dick was a kid, trapping him under his bulk, tickling his sides until he was crying.
"I've never wanted you to leave, you are my son and I hate when you are away."
Bruce hugged him tightly. Dick answered with the same force, trapping Bruce with his arms and legs.
"I love you," Bruce said, "you are my son and I love you."