Chapter Text
This One shot was inspired by this chapter from MLPandComics https://www.wattpad.com/173308748-another-world-late-nights-saving-a-2-parter-for
"Everyone always says it is hard to sneak out of the house with older siblings, but what's really difficult is to sneak into the house. In the middle of the night... An hour past the agreed time.", Dick said to himself as he rushed past a hedge. He glanced at his watch around his wrist. Bruce had given it to him as a birthday present when he turned 10. It had a metallic blue clock-face and a black lace. He was already over an hour late.
He shivered slightly; not because of the cold, but because of the thought of what his brothers would do when he finally arrived.
His sisters Cassy and Steph were both away. They were in Italy, investigating a case involving Penguin, Catwoman and one of the biggest fish farms. There were high decreases of caught tuna, which wouldn't be a reason to inspect, but the weird behaviour of cats and the increased robberies in homes of these cats were reason enough for Bruce to send them both there. And if nothing came of it, Cass and Steph would at least have a nice vacation for once.
Dick stood at a crossroad and checked for any cars. Getting hit by a car would probably lessen the severity of his punishment, were he to be discovered coming home that late. But he would also never hear the end of how he got hit by car, when he should have been more assertive.
A black car rushed past him, music on full volume. The songs were accompanied by the loud shouts and laughter of the people in the car. Dick watched the car turn past the next curve, cutting the lights and sounds of it off. Another glance at his watch. Now he was one and a half hour late.
"Great. I can consider myself lucky if I'm allowed out of the mansion in ten years.", he muttered to himself as he made his way along the empty streets. Everything was quiet. After the incident with the car, the silence almost seemed too quiet. Like someone had put a dome around him, shielding him from all sounds. He wondered briefly if everyone had stayed inside to make him stand out more in the brisk chill evening air.
At the end of the road he could already see the entrance of Wayne Manor. With a sarcastic 'whoohoo' he sped up. Soon he began to run. When he was in reach of the wall around the mansion he jumped and climbed over it, letting himself drop on the other side of it.
He remained in a crouch for a few seconds, listening tensely for any movement his arrival on Wayne Grounds may have caused. The crack of a branch pierced the night, followed by the scream of an owl. Dick took this as his queue to get moving.
His room was on the second floor. It wasn't hard reaching it, considering the facade that enabled climbing so easily. Sometimes he wondered if the Manor had been reconstructed to allow easy access from outside for this reason. But old pictures of the house showed it with the same masonry.
The most impossible part was the window-opening-and-entering-thing. Maybe today was his lucky day though; Tim and Damian were out for patrol and Jason was at a friend's house. So if Dick was lucky enough to come home before Tim, Damian and Batman, no one would find out about his late come back.
As he started climbing the wall, he felt like he was being watched. Shrugging that feeling off, telling himself it was only the owl, he continued. He passed the first floor and soon reached his window.
The window was already opened. Dick wasn’t sure if he had left it open to make sure he had a way back in, should he miscalculate his leaving time, or if that was a sign his of his imminent doom. Dick sat a short time on the windowsill, congratulating himself in his mind for his luck and then hopped into the room.
"That was asterous. Can't believe I really made it. Ha ha, nice! Being late, as if.", he exclaimed enthusiastic. He threw his jacket on the back of his chair and kicked his shoes off. He didn't want to risk getting caught after that amazing sneak in by putting his clothes down in the hall.Just as he wanted to head for his pyjama there was a faint chuckle from the direction of his bed.
"Well, well, well… if it isn't our baby brother.", the voice of Damian said.
"Thinks he can sneak around us.", a second voice said in a mocking tone. Jason's voice. So no sleepover at his friend's house for him.
"Us, who sneak around people for a living.", and that's Tim. Sounded like he was in front of the door, blocking his way out. Like that would have been the obvious exit, when an even better route was right behind him.
All he had to do was sneakily creep his way back to the window and descend into the night. It won't get rid of the lecture coming for him, but it would postpone it. And right now, he was all for postponing.
Dick's shoulders slumped in defeat, shifting his stance so his left leg was a bit behind him, ready to make his way to the desired escape route. His head hung low and he said in a tired voice: "Okay. You got me. Let's just get it over w-" He didn't finish his sentence. With the last word still on his lips, he turned around and made a jump for the window, to execute his Plan X - crash at Wally's and hope for the best.
But Damian wouldn't be Damian if he hadn't sensed that. He shot off from the bed and stood in front of Dick in no time. Dick huffed displeased and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Now talk. Where were you? Your curfew was almost two hours ago.", Jason stated as they all came closer, circling him in the middle.
There was no escape this time.
Dick looked down, at nothing in particular and bit his lower lip. He didn't want to tell them. They didn't have to know everything. Especially if they thought it would be stupid. And Dick was sure that his brothers wouldn't appreciate the comedically genius plan Wally and he thought of.
He was dead sure he wouldn't tell them how he was around Gotham with Wally, pranking random people by either tapping their shoulder, asking them questions without being visible or running fast past them, leaving them wondering who or what it was. And, yeah, it was stupid. But it had been fun. And no one was hurt. They had made sure of that.
He opened his mouth and lifted his gaze to Tim's face. He had moved from behind him, where he had blocked his door just seconds ago, to his left and stood there with a stern face. His brows were furrowed and his expression screamed 'ain't you lie to us now'. He gulped, almost reconsidering his decision.As he spoke, his tongue made the choice before his mind could.
"Well, you see, as I was at Wally's, we kinda lost track of time and… before we knew it, it was way past the time I wanted to leave… so yea…" He didn't sound convincing to his own ears. There was no way they would believe him and they all knew it.
The three of them watched him as he tried to make his point. Finally Damian asked, one of his brows raised skeptically: "If you had it already on track that you would be too late, why didn't you call us to let us know or ask Wally or even Barry for a ride, they could have made it in less than five minutes."
Dick shifted uncomfortably. He opened his mouth but no sounds came out of it. He was struggling with himself whether he should come out of the closet or dish them another lie. Now that he had started with the untruth, it seemed impossibly hard to come clean to them. As an image of Wally laughing and seemingly carefree appeared in front of his inner eye he straightened his shoulders and said in a confident tone: "Ya know, 'cause it would be totally asterous if I had made it in time. And also 'cause I thought I'd make it. I mean, I am a Robin. Should have been possible to cross half the town in time. If not that, what would."
The three brothers exchanged a look. It seemed as if they were talking through it. Living with them for quite some time, they probably were.
Finally Jason said in a mocking voice: "Right. You're Robin. Not Mr. Not-in-Time. And if you can't differentiate between what you can and what you want to do, we're not sure how long you're going to be a Robin."
Dick took a step back. He felt as if he'd been slapped. That sentence completely took the wind out of his sails. He never expected a threat against his part time occupation. Getting grounded, sure but not that.
Did his brothers really think he wasn't able to keep his abilities and his wishes separated? That he would just do what he thought was fun, not thinking of the impact it would have on others around him? And, yes, while he did do that today, Wally and Dick had made sure that if someone stumbled or fell, to catch them and not let them hurt themselves.
Dick knew how to be responsible. Responsibility and discipline were drilled into him during training and nights out. If his brothers thought he wasn't able to separate dream and reality, why did they take him out every other night?
Sparks of anger rose in his chest as he opened his mouth, his mind shut down in a short-circuit.
"Well, it's not my fault for leaving the grapple gun in my room. And after our day out Wally was exhausted and we couldn't ask Barry 'cause then we had to tell him that we pranked some of Gotham's citizens. And you know how he … wait… no… that surely was not what happened. We... we watched TV… and... made there fun of those we saw in there…"
Before he knew it, Dick hat talked himself and Wally into trouble, or more like, the truth.
Tim snickered slightly and added: "Oh yea… you watched TV. Wally sure gets exhausted by that."
Seeing his defeat inevitably there Dicks shoulders slumped to a new low. His head hanging as low as his shoulders he said silently: "Sorry for hiding the truth… again… but I really thought I could make it this time. I mean, I had the longest time to make it home… I'm sorry."
Damian slung an arm around his little brother: "Now do we really have to go through that every time you were at Wally's? If that keeps up we have to think of a way to change that."
Dick looked up, a bit confused but slightly smiling at the light tone of his big brother. Jason and Tim joined in on the brotherly bonding and turned the 'kinda-hug' into a real hug with Dick in their middle.
Feeling safe and warm Dick let his body slump a bit against Jason's. A yawn escaped his lips before he knew it. He absently rubbed his eyes. When he felt a hand on his head he looked up, his eyes lazily closed halfway. Tim looked down on him, a small smile playing around his lips. He lifted Dick up in his arms and made his way to Dick's bed.
"Man, all that 'watching TV' really got you tired, Dickybird", Jason said, slightly snickering. Dick smiled back, trying to find Jason's face, but was stopped by Tim's shoulder. He was laid on the bed.
Jason was overeager with tucking the blanket around Dick's slim body. When he was done, he could barely move.
"Thanks, mom.", Dick said with a tired grin, irony thick in his voice.
"Just wanted to make sure you wouldn't flee in the middle of the night, son", Jason returned, emphasising on the son.
Dick closed his eyes, sleep already pulling him in its world of dreams and endless possibilities. Before he drifted off he felt a kiss pressed onto his forehead. He was too lazy to open his eyes, the motion seeming to demanding to follow. He drifted off into his sleep, dreaming of his day with Wally and all the jokes they did on strangers. He never found out who kissed him on the forehead. He didn't care to ask as well.