Chapter Text
Tim blames this entirely on Jason. It all started because of Jason’s big, ginormous, fat fucking mouth.
About every couple of days, patrol routes change and with it changes the person you were paired with. Besides Damian, patrol was usually done alone. However, Dick decided to hide his 103 grade fever which started off as he claimed ‘a simple but curable with rest and water’ cold - which then turned into pneumonia. Dick decided to still patrol and passed out in an alley.
To settle Bruce’s nerves, a rule was set to patrol in Gotham: you had to be paired up. It would probably only last for a couple weeks, until Bruce got the image of a lifeless Dick splayed out on the ground.
Of course, with Tim’s luck, the rule wasn’t broken before he was paired up with Jason. Tim would label his relationship with Jason uncertain. At times, Jason would treat Tim as one would a younger brother. Full of teasing jabs and head ruffles. On other days, the mere sight of Tim offended Jason. He would snap easily at Tim, calling him names, and reminding him that he was, to put it plainly, Jason’s replacement.
Tim totally was not nervous to patrol with Jason. Not at all. As he put his suit on, Tim reminded himself of the family dinner they had the week before. It was Tim’s night to pick what meal to eat and being the people pleaser he was, he chose one meal they could all agree on. Alfred’s lasagna.
Despite the tumultuous relationship between Jason and Tim, Jason was slowly growing closer to the rest of the family. Tim was happy. Jason deserved to get back what was taken from him and overall, Bruce’s mood improved both as Bruce and as Batman.
Which is why Tim couldn’t understand why Bruce placed him with Jason.
“And I’m saying, it would be better if he went with Dick! He’s the one who passed out!”
Bruce brows furrowed. “I know you have a case that falls under crime alley. Wouldn’t it be best if you worked with Jason so you can further your investigation?”
Oh! That was another thing.
Because of Jason’s ‘unofficial official’ jurisdiction over crime alley, Bruce had come up with a compromise to allow them to enter when needed. Once a week, only one bat was to patrol with the Red Hood. With Bruce’s new rule of patrolling in pairs, this turned into daily rotations of who patrolled with Jason. Now it was Tim’s turn.
All things considered, the night went smoothly. Tim was able to collect more evidence on his case and even connected another victim to the crime. However, Jason was unnaturally quiet throughout all of it. Which Tim was fine with, except Jason had this glint to his eyes. One Tim had seen before Jason had slipped on his helmet. It didn’t come to a head until they came across a pretty large drug exchange. One that Jason had been tracking for a while.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna let B know?” Tim whispers as they crouch above the warehouse.
“My territory, my rules.” Jason hisses, “Besides, I'm not expecting more than seven of them. It’s a small-time kingpin. Don’t tell me you can’t handle that.”
“Fine. But I’m telling you, Gonzales has been on B’s radar. He’s gonna be pissed if you let him get away.”
“Which is why, we’re not. Are you with me or not? Because I can take them all down easily myself.” Jason lifts one of his guns and wriggles it in front of Tim’s face.
“Okay, fine.”
“On my count.”
Before Tim knows, he’s flying through the glass alongside Jason. Three guys immediately pull out guns towards Tim and he only has seconds to take them down when he feels a sharp pain in his back.
Tim hisses and reaches around to feel something stuck in his upper shoulder. One of the men uses the distraction as an opportunity to reach for the gun laying on the floor. Tim kicks it away but not without the man swinging for a punch instead. It connects with the side of Tim’s head and he loses sight on which way is upright.
“Do I have to do everything for you, replacement!” A voice hisses above him.
Tim groans as he gets his bearings. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
Jason crosses his arms and stares down at Tim. “You have a knife sticking out your back.”
Tim instinctively reaches behind him to feel for the weapon. Jason slaps his hand away. “Don’t pull it out dumbass. First thing B should’ve taught you. Never pull out anything if you’ve been stabbed. You know this!”
“I wasn’t trying to pull it out!” Tim yells back.
“You’re going back.” Jason says as he ties up the men on the floor.
“Fine, I’m helping you clean up first.” Tim attempts to stand up but the pain in his head quadruples and he stumbles back to the ground.
“No. You're going straight back. I’m calling B.”
So much for patrol, Tim thinks as he sits on the ground waiting for Batman to come.
It only takes four minutes from the time Jason calls Bruce for Bruce to come with the Batmobile, Damian in tow.
“Red, report.” Bruce gruffly says as he stalks over to Tim to check over for wounds.
“He’s halfway outta his mind with a concussion. He barely knows his left from his right,” Jason says before Tim has a chance to even open his mouth.
“I’m fine,” Tim spits out. “I have a stab wound on my upper left shoulder, weapon intact.”
“Damian, help Tim into the car,” Bruce says and walks over to Jason.
Damian scoffs but obeys, walking up to Tim with his arms crossed. “You are a pathetic sight. Surely you do not acquire my help unless you have also been stabbed in both feet.”
Tim rolls his eyes and immediately regrets it as pain shoots through his head. “I’ll be fine. Just get out of my way.”
Tim slowly but surely pushes himself upright and staggers to the Batmobile where he collapses as soon as he reaches the seats, legs sticking out.
Tim is unsure of how long passes but it can’t be more than five minutes before someone manhandles his lower body into the car.
Time blurs as they enter the cave. Tim can hear Bruce discreetly call out to someone before Dicks face is all he sees.
“Heya, Timbo. Looks like you got yourself into a pickle,” Dick grabs Tim carefully and carries him over to the cot.
“Thank you, Dick.” Bruce says and walks over to where Alfred is currently assessing the stab wound. “You’re all dismissed. I want to talk to Tim alone.”
Tim gulps. Bruce hasn’t asked to talk to Tim alone in a long time. Last time had to be before Jason officially came back into the family. Tim was in the transition of finding his place with the bats when Bruce cornered Tim about his run in with Jason. Tim totally didn’t have a panic attack afterwards.
“How’re you feeling?” Bruce asks and peels the cowl from his face.
“Um, I’m fine.” Tim awkwardly responds. “Is there something you want from me?”
Bruce pauses. “Jason thinks you’re not keeping up.”
Tim gapes at Bruce. No fucking way. No way Jason is talking about Tim keeping up when he works his ass off to keep up with nightly patrols, cases, and handling WE. Jason doesn’t know the half of it.
“Why the hell is Jason saying anything about me?”
“Jason is concerned about you, Tim. And frankly, so am I. You dropped out of school, we barely see you at the manor, and you seem to be falling behind on casework.”
Tim looks around the cave in shock. “First of all, dropping out of school is my business Bruce. And I come to the manor plenty, I’m just content being at my place. I was doing absolutely fine until you put on this pairing bull shit-
“Tim!” Bruce barks.
“-and I'm keeping up with crime casework along with your work at WE just fine!”
Bruce frowns. “I’m just saying-
“Why are you so concerned about me all of a sudden!” Tim cuts Bruce off. He sharply inhales as he feels the knife being pulled out by Alfred.
“Master Bruce, may I suggest that you save this conversation for another time. While I am not actively suturing up a hole in Master Timothy?” Alfred cuts in.
Tim sags in relief. At least someone had his back. Bruce clenches his fists and looks back at Tim. “Fine, but we’re not done with conversation.”
Tim doesn’t even know why Bruce cares! Bruce hasn’t cared for a long time. He didn’t even know Bruce still had it in him to care until Jason slowly started showing up for more things. Tim saw the way Bruce’s face softened at his sons. Tim wasn’t one of his sons. And he didn’t have it in him to pretend like he was. Bruce made it very clear what type of relationship they had while Jason was still gone.
“Looks good, Master Timothy. Why don’t you strip out of that filthy suit and take a nice, hot shower. I will be checking in every three hours. I want you to stay here tonight. ” Alfred says as he starts cleaning the space around him.
Tim simply nods. One thing about concussions means you’re staying at the manor, whether you wanted to or not.
Tim quickly showers and changes into regular clothing as he makes his way upstairs. It’s when he passes the family room that he hears it.
“-you to attend. While attendance by parents is not mandatory, I will have my work on display.”
Tim can’t make out Bruce’s face as his back is turned but he sees the way Damian’s chest is puffed out, a sign that he wants to appear tougher than he feels. Bruce’s hand lands on Damian’s shoulder.
“Say no more, Damian. I’ll be there.” Bruce says, and Tim can hear the smile in his voice.
Something twists in Tim’s stomach. He was aware that Bruce was acting more involved in each of their lives ever since all of his children entered the picture. But… It had been a long time since Bruce cared about the little things in their lives. Or so he thought.
Tim paces in front of the study multiple times as he tries to find the courage to knock on the door.
It’s now or never, Tim thinks to himself.
He raises his hand to knock on the cracked door.
“Come in.”
Tim walks in to Bruce working on paperwork, glasses on the tip of his nose. He awkwardly stands by Bruce’s desk.
Bruce looks up. “Can I help you?”
“Um, yeah, so, uh-“
Tim takes a breath and clears his throat. “Look so, I have this thing at school.”
Bruce raises an eyebrow. “School.”
“Yeah,” Tim continues, “it’s a fundraiser for my school. Um, it’s about photography. And uh, mines gonna be there.”
Bruce nods slowly. “Okay.”
“Right so, I can invite whoever I want and I talked to Alfred and he said to ask you.” Tim quickly finishes off winging his hands together.
Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “Look, Tim, I’m not really-
“It’s totally fine! I totally get it. You’re a busy man. You’re Batman for Christ sake! I just wanted to let you know that I was inviting those around me so yeah.”
Bruce's sighs again and Tim panics. “Forget I asked. I’ll see you tonight for patrol, yeah?”
“Okay.” Bruce says and turns back to his paperwork.
Tim can’t help but feel the hurt in his chest. Sure, he could ask his parents but he was almost absolutely sure they couldn't make it and all the other kids' parents were coming. He could ask Dick but he didn’t want to bother the man. He already had enough on his plate as is.
It was a stupid idea to ask Bruce in the first place.
Tim shakes his head as shoos the memory away. Surely, Bruce couldn’t be attending something for Damian at his school? Maybe it was just a parent-teacher conference. Tim knows from his years of attending Gotham academy that parents' attendance was mandatory. He always felt awkward coming into school the next day to explain to all his teachers why he couldn’t make it to the conferences.
But Damian said it wasn’t mandatory, a voice says in the back of Tim’s head.
The Bruce that gave fond looks, pet names, and words of praise died with Jason. It shouldn’t matter that he sees the flicker of Bruce, parent Bruce, with the rest of the family.
Surely Bruce wouldn’t…
Tim shakes his head. His mom was dead and with Jack in a coma, technically he still had a father. Maybe Bruce just doesn’t want to overstep. Yeah, maybe that was it.
He finally reaches his room, falling onto the bed immediately and relaxing the muscles in his body. He was so tightly wound these days. But he had no time to rest. Bruce and Jason thought he was slacking off. Maybe Dick did too.
To Tim’s surprise, tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly wipes them away and sniffles. It isn’t fair, one part of his mind yells. Work harder, prove to them you’re valuable, a different part urged.
Tim grabs the cover from the end of his bed. Tomorrow is a new day. He’ll make it a good one.
*
A hand shakes his shoulder and Tim turns away and groans. He opens his eyes and through the window, he can tell it’s still dark out. Who is waking him up in the middle of the night?
“Wakey wakey,” a voice says from above him.
No. No, no, no, no. It can’t be.
Tim gets up and immediately regrets it when pain shoots through from his shoulder all the way to the tip of his fingers.
He can’t be. Why is he back?
Red Hood looms over him as Tim scoots away until his back hits a wall.
“Please!” Tim attempts to yell but his voice comes out as a whisper.
He can’t do this. God, not again.
“You brought this on yourself,” the warbled voice of Hood says, “You put on the Robin colors.”
“Please, Jason!” Tim curls in on himself, wrapping his arms around his head in protection.
His head is rattling from the force of Red Hood’s…hits? Except, Tim can’t remember any of the pain being inflicted on him. His whole body hurts. He just wants his parents. He wants…Bruce.
“Hey!” Hood barks. Now he’s made Jason even angrier. God.
“-ey, hey! Look at me, Tim. Eyes on me.”
Tim opens his eyes and suddenly he’s back in his room. He takes gulping breaths as he looks around at the once darkened room. Every light is turned on and all Tim can see is Jason’s face. Jason looks…stunned, to say the least. His eyes are furrowed and his mouth down-turned as he stares worryingly at Tim.
“Wh-what,” Tim chokes on a sob, “What happened?”
“You just fucking flipped out, is what happened!” Jason’s hands are wrapped around Tim’s arms, pinning them against Tim’s chest. Tim wriggles his limbs out of Jason’s grasp.
“Are you okay?” A voice booms from above. Great, Bruce is here. A shadow shifts in the background and Tim spots Dick. Behind him is Damian. Just great! The whole family is here!
“I’m fine,” Tim sniffs and wipes his face.
“Bullshit!” Jason yells. Tim flinches and Jason’s face drops.
Bruce clears his throat. “Jason was trying to wake you up to check on your concussion and you… panicked.”
“Well, I’m fine now, so can everyone stop staring at me and let me go back to sleep!” Tim spits out.
“Tim-“ Dick starts but Tim quickly cuts him off.
“No, just leave me alone, okay?”
“Pitiful,” Damian mutters as he leaves the doorway. Dick gives one more saddened look towards Tim and turns to leave.
Jason and Bruce are left.
“I appreciate the concern, but really, I’m fine.” Tim gets up from his spot on the floor. The blanket is on the ground as well and Tim reaches to pick it up. “Jason just woke me up at a bad time.”
“A bad time?! That was a full on panic attack!” Jason yells and throws his arms towards Tim. “Bruce, tell him he’s not okay!”
“Tim, you were in what looked like a full flashback. What happened?” Bruce asks.
Tim snaps his head towards the ground. He can’t tell the truth about it being about Jason. It would mess up how Bruce feels about Jason and then Jason would be upset at Tim about overreacting. Besides, Tim was fine. He just… had a lapse in judgment.
“I can’t remember.” Tim mumbles, “I would really like to go to bed now.”
“If you need a break from-“
“I’m fine, Bruce!”
Tim huffs and turns his back on the both of them. “You checked on me and I’m saying I’m fine so please. Just leave.”
Tim hears a sigh. He doesn’t turn his back until he hears the door shut.
He falls to his knees and tears roll down his face. God, he was back. He was back at the tower with Jason and-
Hiccups burst out of his mouth as Tim tried to quell his cries. Why was this happening now? He was fine all this time and now his body decides when Jason is finally finding his way back into the family, to rebel?
Tim scrubs his face with the cover and gets back on the bed.
Sleep never comes.
*
Tim munches on the cereal half-awake as the room around him bustles.
For some reason, Jason is here as well. He must’ve missed him coming in last night. He certainly remembers being awoken by him.
Alfred looks disapprovingly at Tim as he continues crunching on the cereal. “Master Tim, I am preparing a perfectly large breakfast and you choose to spoil it with..charms of the lucky?”
Dick bursts out in laughter. “Bruce! What did I tell you about buying off brand cereals?”
Bruce says nothing more of a grunt as he continues toying with his tablet.
“How can he? Good ol’ Alfred here buys everything for him,” Jason cuts in. He’s standing next to Alfred, watching the bacon crackle. Since when did Jason help Alfred with cooking?
“Does not.” Bruce grumbles.
Tim gets up from his seat and carries the bowl to the sink. He turns to leave when Bruce looks up from his tablet. “Tim, why don’t you at least sit with us for breakfast?”
“Um, I already finished eating so I’m good.”
Why is Bruce suddenly worried about Tim being around the family? This had nothing to do with casework or WE work so Tim was very much not needed.
“Even so, you could at least enjoy the setting.”
Tim chokes on a laugh. “Right and what? Talk about how I got stabbed last night? No thanks.”
With that Tim leaves.
He goes down to the family room and turns on the television. He grabs his laptop from where it was left the previous morning when he was working on casework with Dick.
Tim had a lot of work to do.
*
It’s almost three in the afternoon when Tim decides a break is needed. It’s odd he lasted this long without anyone bothering him.
Tim walks past multiple rooms and all of them are empty. He finally reaches the kitchen to find Jason sitting at one of the counter-tops.
“Where is everyone?” Tim asks as he opens one of the cabinets for a glass.
“Went to some thing for Damian at his school.” Jason says, distracted by his phone.
Tim’s stomach drops. “What thing?”
Jason looks at Tim and shoots him a look of annoyance. “I don’t know. Some art gallery he had going on.”
Of course, Damian was Bruce’s son. Of course he would go to an event Tim had invited Bruce to in the past. Tim wasn’t one of Bruce’s sons. He had to accept it and just move on.
“Right,” Tim gets out.
“What’s with the sad face? Daddy didn’t give Timmy enough love?”
Tim slams the glass on the counter. “You know what, fuck you! I’m sick of your shit Jason.”
Jason puts a hand on his chest in mock offense. “My shit? If you haven’t noticed, I’ve got my shit together. Who got stabbed last night, huh?”
“Jason, fucking leave me alone.” Tim quietly grits out.
“Or what?” Jason gets up from his seat and walks towards Tim.
“Just leave me the hell alone!” Tim stalks out of the room and down to the cave. He’ll get his stuff later. Tim gets on his bike and leaves.
So much for a good day.