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Tim stands in the doorway of the bathroom as Dick is throwing up. He has an unimpressed look on his face, one eyebrow raised.
“You ate too much sugary cereal again, didn’t you?”
“Don’t give me that. We all remember when you had too much caffeine and made yourself sick,” Dick bites back bitterly, glaring at Tim.
Tim smirks.
“Yeah, we do remember that, but this is the third time that you’ve done this recently. Every time you’ve come home in the last two months you’ve made yourself sick. You’re not going to be able to keep doing this without getting caught. You’ve got to stop making yourself throw up, or Bruce and Alfred are going to find out. They’re going to lose it. What are you going to do if Damian finds out? Is this some kind of underlying mental issue?”
“No, I just don’t think about how much I’m eating, and they don’t sell that kind of cereal in Bludhaven. That’s why I’ve been eating so much of it here.”
He starts throwing up again causing Tim to cringe. Once he stops, Tim just sighs.
“I’ll cover for you on patrol tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that, Timmy. I know that tonight is your night off.”
“Yeah, that’s how I can cover for you. I’ll just tell them that you had a headache. Just stay in your room tonight, ok? Damian is bound to want to check on you, just act normal.”
“Ok, thanks, Tim. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Yeah, I’ll believe you when you actually learn some self control,” Tim responds, snickering.
Dick stands up, heading to the sink to rinse his mouth out.
“Come on, we can do something in your room to make people leave you alone.”
“Why would that work?”
“If I say that we’re hanging out, sure everyone will be jealous and you’ll have to spend time alone with them, but they usually respect it. I’ll leave an hour or so before dinner, and tell everyone that I left because you developed a headache. Once they check on you, you should be in the clear to just lay in bed until you feel better.”
They walk back to Dick’s room. Tim stands in the doorway while Dick gets settled in bed.
“Come here.”
He walks over with his arms still folded. Dick pulls him into bed beside him, then flips the cover over Tim’s legs. Tim smiles at him.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re hanging out.”
“You didn’t even let me grab my computer. I could be working on something.”
“I know, but that’s ok. You can take a break for now.”
Dick pulls Tim closer, tucking him in against his side.
“Fine, but if you throw up on me, I’m telling everyone about this, and how many times it’s happened already.”
Dick laughs, his eyes crinkling.
“Deal. Now, do you wanna watch something, or just chat?”
“It’s been a while since we talked.”
“Alright, chatting it is. Do you wanna start the conversation, or should I?”
“You can tell me about your work.”
“Oh, I caught a perp the other day. I was walking my beat and there was this man who was holding a woman at gunpoint. My partner wasn’t with me that time, but I only had to chase him a few feet before I caught him. He was super slow. I haven’t done anything else interesting though. What have you been working on recently, Timmy?”
“Nothing interesting. I’m in another disagreement with Lex Luthor. He’s had someone follow me around for the last week. He’s so extra, and I can’t even arrest him.”
“Wow, that’s intense. Sounds like him.”
“Yeah, and me and Bruce are working on some new initiatives too. It’s been more work, but we’re working to save the city. At least that’s what Bruce says. I think that’s a little too big headed for my taste. How’s your partner been?”
“Good, his wife is pregnant. They’ve been trying for a few months now.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“He’s been asking about you and Damian. Said that normally I have more visits from you two. They’ve missed seeing you too.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been busy, but I don’t know why Damian hasn’t been. It’s been what, a couple months since I went to their house for dinner? They invited us over last time I visited, right?”
“Yeah, they did. They like having you guys over.”
Tim smiles.
“I like seeing them too. They treat me and Damian like normal people. I always appreciate that.”
“Yeah.”
They sit in silence for a while, almost until Tim starts to fall asleep. Then there’s a knock on the door. He jerks into a sitting position.
“Are you ok? Do you feel ok?” he asks as he walks to answer the door.
“Yeah, my stomach still hurts, but I’m certain that I’ll be alright by tomorrow.”
Tim opens the door to find Damian standing there.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Dinnertime. Why are you in here with Grayson?”
“We were talking. He has a headache though so he’s not gonna join us for dinner.”
“Can I talk to him?”
“Sure, I’ll meet you downstairs. Do you need me to tell anyone else that it’s dinner time?”
“No, I already told Father and Todd isn’t joining us tonight.”
Tim nods, slipping past Damian, and heading down the stairs. Damian steps into Dick’s room.
“Are you alright?” he asks quietly.
He fidgets with his hands while Dick gives him a big smile.
“I’m alright, Baby Bat. Are you ok? You look anxious.”
He nods, then just bows his head.
“I’ll let you rest. I hope you feel better.”
“Come give me a hug first.”
He opens his arms, and Damian rolls his eyes.
“You’re so dramatic, Akh.”
He walks over, then lets Dick crush him in a hug.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I have patrol after dinner, and I’ll get back too late to check on you. However, I will come up if you are not down for breakfast.”
Dick nods, still smiling. Damian walks out, leaving Dick by himself for the first time that day. Tim comes by after patrol, poking his head in instead of knocking.
“I’m awake.”
“Oh, ok. Sorry, I would have knocked if I thought you were awake. I just wanted to see how you were.”
“I’m good. Thanks for covering for me, Tim.”
“Yeah, no problem. It was a super productive night. I finished three of my ongoing cases. I’ll tell you about it later. Try to get some sleep.”
“That’s my line. I’m glad that you were able to get so much done. I’ll see you later.”
Tim nods, closing the door. Dick falls asleep quickly after that, satisfied that his family is still all safe. He wakes up feeling better in the morning, deciding that he was done eating more than one bowl of cereal at one time.