Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tim closed his eyes as the breeze swept through his hair, taking a moment to revel in the smell of the sea air, the sounds of the birds, the feel of spray hitting his face.

It had taken longer than he expected for Babs to allow him to come out on the boat with her. She used to go with just Jim, but these days when they were doing a lot more active work instead of just setting a microphone and waiting, she tended to alternate bringing Steph and Cass along.

At first, he’d thought it was just a matter of training, but then it’d been weeks since she proclaimed him fully trained in the lab, and she still hadn’t even mentioned field work. Some subtle questioning of the girls had revealed that Babs had taken them both out within their first month to gain experience, so Tim had to conclude that this was something specific to him.

He'd felt a little foolish when he finally worked up the guts to ask her about it outright. It was after all, a fair assumption that after everything that had happened to him, he might not be super comfortable on boats. To be honest, Tim had long since grown to love the ocean more than he had ever feared it, had honestly forgotten the fear he’d once had about boats. His fear of drowning hadn’t disappeared, but the trauma of the shipwreck had been overshadowed by the day he got his powers. These days when he thought of his kidnapping, he mostly remembered Jason finding him and everything it led to. It also unfortunately brought up thoughts of his parents, which he tried his best to ignore.

So, Babs’ concern had hit him out of left field, and he’d had to scramble to recalibrate his brain to understand where she was coming from. Afterall, she had no way of knowing any of the reasons that he’d somehow managed to come out of the situation with absolutely no problems being on the ocean. It was a little hard to be scared of a shipwreck when you’re more comfortable under the water than above it.

Thankfully, she’d seemed to take his bafflement as evidence that he was telling the truth when he said that the boats wouldn’t bother him, and the next weekend he was invited along as the Gordon’s made the trip out to his family’s territory.

It hadn’t been until they were out past Gotham’s bay and the smell of the ocean really hit him that he had realised just how much he’d missed it. Even if he still spoke to his family every day, he didn’t have a way of visiting them, or his home, without arousing suspicion. He didn’t want to give Babs and Jim a heart attack when they heard that he’d taken a boat onto the ocean alone and then disappeared, so for months he’d been completely land locked.

When he’d finally opened his eyes from savouring the sensation, Babs had been staring at him appraisingly.

“If I’d known being out here would affect you like this, I would have invited you along ages ago.” She’d said casually, before her voice softened. “I didn’t realise you missed it this much.”

“Neither did I.” Tim had replied honestly.

Since then, he’d been seamlessly slotted into the regular rotation, probably ending up with more field work than Cass or Steph once they’d realised how much he enjoyed it. It was wonderful just getting to spend time out on the waves, but it was also bittersweet. Spending hours sitting right above his home, listening to his family talking into the microphones, but being unable to join them? To jump out of the boat and feel the water on his scales for the first time in far too long. To hear his family’s voices, not just through the charm or the microphone, but in person, to just be able to hug them? It was a special kind of torture, but one Tim wouldn’t give up for the world.

There was also the nugget of guilt that had been steadily growing ever since he first joined the research team. Or, hell it might have been around since he first lied to the Gordon’s about what had happened to him.

He’d tried to keep the promise he’d made to himself, he’d done everything he could to make sure the research was going well. He coordinated with his family, so they knew what the purpose of each trip was, he helped sort the data according to what it was really saying, he made sure to make several ‘lucky guesses’ and propose hypotheses that he knew for a fact where correct. But it still didn’t feel like enough. Not when he was watching them flail around in the dark while he sat there with all the answers they were looking for.

The guilt had been getting harder and harder to ignore the longer he let the lie go on, but he didn’t know what to do. The thought of telling the truth terrified him, not to mention how adamant Bruce and Jason were that he should keep his secret, that it wasn’t safe to reveal the truth while he was still living amongst the humans.

Dick had initially agreed with them, but over time he had started to pivot towards trusting them. Not humanity as a whole, but he’d heard all Tim’s stories about his human friends, and he had started to suggest it might be worth trusting them.

Tim didn’t know what to think. One the one hand he did trust them, of course he did. The Gordons he’d known for most of his life, they had been there for him in so many ways, had welcomed him into their family when he came back, and respected every time he hadn’t been able to answer their questions, every time he’d asked for privacy about his time away.

Steph and Cass too. He hadn’t known them nearly as long, but they’d both managed to worm their way into his heart.

He hadn’t even noticed with Cass. They’d gone from polite coworkers to best friends before he’d even finished learning ASL, he’d just looked up one day and realised that she had slipped into his heart, casually, without any pomp or circumstance, as if it were simply a forgone conclusion. He’d never had someone he could sit in silence with for hours and somehow emerge feeling so seen, so understood right down to his bones, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

Getting to know Steph had been rather more painful, literally, even if it had been more than worth it.

In his first week in the lab, when he was still getting used to everything, he’d managed to startle Steph where she was working at the bench and so engrossed she forgot there was another person there. When he’d touched her shoulder she’d spun instinctively, bringing up the heavy-duty battery pack she was holding to smash solidly into the side of his head.

It had taken a visit to the ER, several stitches and a good bit of bedrest to nurse the concussion before he was allowed back into the lab. By that point Steph was practically falling over herself to apologise, babbling frantically about how sorry she was I swear I didn’t realise you were there oh my god are you ok there was so much blood I’m really so so sorry- until Cass had to placidly place a hand over her mouth.

Tim honestly couldn’t bring himself to be mad, he was too reminded of the time Bart had accidentally broken one of Bruce’s scrying pads and frantically tried to hide it before the man got home. The poor boy had been terrified, even if Tim had been able to tell that Bruce was hiding a smile at the way Bart had just piled a ton of random seaweed in the middle of the otherwise empty room and tried to call it a day. Tim had to admit he had a soft spot for chaotic but sincere dumbasses, so the injury had ironically cemented his and Steph’s friendship, even if it had taken her a few weeks to stop tiptoeing around him in the lab whenever she was holding something. Cass had seemed to find her uncharacteristic caution amusing, and Babs had just been exasperated by the whole affair.

Still, the bottom line was that they were all his friends, and he was finding it harder and harder to keep lying to them, for all that the idea of coming clean made him break out in a cold sweat.

Tim shook himself out of his reverie, turning back to monitor the equipment they had set up for this trip. He didn’t need to decide just yet, he still had plenty of time. He’d just… he’d figure something out. Eventually.

---

Tim blinked blearily at the sunlight trying to peer through his curtains and wondered what had woken him. It was a Sunday, one of the few where he had no field work, lab work or schoolwork to occupy him, and he was taking advantage to sleep in far later than he would normally be able. The field work tended to start disgustingly early, and he’d been on shift the last two weeks, as well as just having finished his midterms this Friday and working in the lab on Saturday. There was no reason he should be awake right now when the light from outside indicated it was before noon.

His bedside table vibrated. And again. The room was silent for three seconds and then- again.

Tim sighed, burying his face in his pillow for one glorious moment as his phone continued to vibrate next to him, before he braced himself and stuck his arm out of his nest to grope around for the device, squinting at the brightness as he brought it up to his face.

It was Steph. Unsurprisingly. She was the only one really likely to go in for spamming his phone, but she was also supposed to be several miles of open water away from the nearest cell tower right now. Tim blinked rapidly until his tired eyes managed to focus enough to make out the actual words.

Steph: tim!!!

Steph: omg

Steph: u wont believe what just happened

Steph: i barely believe it and i was there

Steph: i mean, i knew it was possible but i still never really thought it would happen yknow?

Steph: sry im lowkey freaking out rn

Steph: i know ur probly still sleeping

Steph: lucky

Tim: Im awake now asshole

Tim: What do you want

Steph: tim!

Steph: something crazy happened, im losing my mind rn!!!

Tim: Whaat? And here I thought my phone was trying to throw itself off the table because you had a nice boring trip. I am shocked. Truly.

Steph: yikes who pissed in your coffee

Tim: No one

Tim: I haven’t had any yet

Tim: Because I have been awake for barely two minutes

Tim: Pls tell me ur news so I can go fix that

Steph: ugh fine grumpyguts

Steph: but know that my excitement is undaunted by your sarcasm!

Tim: Im thrilled

Tim: So?

Steph: ok ok ok

Steph: so

Steph: babs and i are out right? on our way to the site, everything normal

Steph: when we spot something in the water off near that little collection of islands

Tim: Ok?

Steph: it looks really weird and shiny, so we decide to check it out just in case

Steph: and tim

Steph: it was a mer

Tim sat up, suddenly feeling much more awake.

Tim: What?

Steph: an actual real life mer!

Steph: ive never seen one so close it was crazy

Tim: Were they ok?

Steph: had some pretty bad scratches, looked like claw marks

Steph: and it wasn’t moving quite right, seemed out of it

Steph: babs is worried about a concussion

Tim: She is worried?

Steph: yeah

Steph: we uh

Steph: didn’t feel right to leave it out there

Steph: i know we’ve never actually done anything like this before, but. well.

Steph: be warned next time you come in that we got a guest in the pool

Steph: he’s pretty calm so far?

Steph: but yeah theres gonna be a whole new set of safety rules that we’re gonna be briefed on

Steph: we had to use the emergency sedative to get him back, so he’s patched up and we left some food

Steph: but otherwise we gotta keep out until babs gets the new protocols planned out

Steph: those claws are no joke

Steph: probably a meeting about it tomorrow afternoon with all of us

Tim: So there’s no one there today?

Tim: Is he awake?

Steph: woke up right before we left

Steph: was why we had to leave, safety and all that

Steph: seemed less dazed though and he’s got lots of food so should be ok for the day

Steph: fr tho can you believe this!

Steph: a real mer! in our lab!

Tim bit his lip. There was no way, right? There were countless mers in the ocean. Even living there for years, he only knew a tiny fraction of them. There was no way the girls had happened to find one of the few he did, right? Surely his luck wasn’t that bad. Surely none of his family had gotten hurt that badly and then basically kidnapped by his friends.

He considered that for only a second or two before sighing. No, his luck was absolutely that bad, if not worse.

There was nothing for it, he thought as he pulled himself out of bed and started hunting for clothes. He was going to have to check. At least the lab was apparently empty, so he wouldn’t have to keep up appearances regardless of who they were. He was sure even a stranger would appreciate a reassurance they could actually understand.

Pouring coffee into his largest travel mug- he had a feeling he would need it today- he grabbed his phone to type out a reply to Steph, before setting off for the lab.

Tim: I can’t believe it either

Tim: Lets hope its not too hard to get them home

He sighed, taking a long drink of coffee. He had a feeling this was going to be a long day. God, he hoped this mer wasn’t one of his. It was already going to be complicated enough.

Chapter Text

Tim couldn’t help cringing at the loud creak as he pushed open the lab door, peering around the darkened room for anyone that might have heard.

The lab appeared deserted though, just as Steph had said it would be. The lights were off and everybody’s lab coats were hung up near the door. But he could pick up the faint sound of water moving from deeper inside.

He swung the door shut behind him and began to creep further inside, (without putting on his lab coat, sorry Babs but that was hardly the worst rule he was breaking right now), making his way towards the pool. It was in the only room with a light on, albeit a gentle, warm one so as not to aggravate the mer.

He paused outside the doorway, taking a deep breath.

He really hoped that it was no one he knew, he would never want any of them to get hurt. But at the same time the idea of confronting a strange mer in the middle of a lab was nerve-wracking. He was more than capable of handling himself, even if the mer reacted violently but, well. Suffice to say there was a reason Babs was being so cautious about interacting with their new guest.

He steeled himself, taking another deep breath, before finally rounding the corner, trying to project an aura of both confidence and compassion. The second he got a good look at the tank though, his footsteps stuttered.

<Dick?!>

<Timmy!> Dick cheered, perking up from where he’d been lurking with just his eyes peering over the rim of the tank. <I was hoping you’d find me! I mean I was pretty sure this was your group, but it’s not like I’ve seen them up close to often what with the distance B makes us keep.>

His movement revealed several waterproof bandages wrapped around both his shoulder and down near the end of his tail. His eyes were bright though, and Tim couldn’t spot any tension in his expression that might come from pain.

Tim was torn between exasperation and worry, grappling with equal urges to facepalm and to check Dick’s injuries. In the end he opted for both, and dragged a hand down his face, shooting Dick a look, even as he toed his shoes and socks off and started unbuttoning his shirt.

<What on earth happened to you, Dick? Getting caught by researchers? You don’t look like you’re so badly hurt that you couldn’t have hidden from them. You aren’t, are you?> He tacked on, giving Dick another worried once over as he set his shirt off to the side. Even if his clothes would vanish when he shifted, he’d rather not have them soaked when they reappeared.

His brother just grinned unrepentantly.

<Nah, Timbit. But I was pretty far from home and swimming with my tail like this would have been a nightmare.> He said, flicking his tail slightly. <Besides, you told us your friends, could take in injured mers and let them go again when they’re healed. Seemed like a win win, getting a lift out of there and seeing my little brother again.>

He appeared undaunted by the unimpressed look Tim gave him at that little piece of reasoning, grin stubbornly in place as he drifted back to give Tim, who was now down to his boxers, room in the pool.

Tim jumped in with a splash, instantly feeling scales curling around him even as his magic shifted his own legs into a tail. Dick, who’s tail had always been longer than the rest of them, was fully coiled around him, his arms around his shoulders and his face buried in Tim’s hair as he cooed.

Tim rolled his eyes at his older brother’s clinginess, but it was mostly for the principle of the thing, as he didn’t hesitate to wrap his own arms around Dick and bury his face in his chest. God, but it had been too long since he’d been able to hug his brother like this.

<I missed you, guppy.> Dick murmured, not lifting his face from Tim’s hair. Tim had to swallow around a lump in his throat at the sincerity that oozed from his brother’s voice.

<I missed you too.> He replied, just as softly. <All of you guys.>

He let them sit like that for a long moment, basking in each other’s presence and letting himself drink up the safety he felt in his brother’s arms. That he hadn’t been able to feel for so long.

Eventually though, he had to pull them out of it. Clearing his throat, he leaned back in Dick’s hold, forcing the older mer to meet his eyes.

<Now what on earth happened?> he asked, frowning as he reached out to poke at the bandage on Dick’s shoulder. Dick intercepted his hand though, leading him to immediately reach out with the other, which Dick also grabbed. Glaring up at his brother, who had to gall to try and look innocent, fiercely avoiding Tim’s incensed gaze. Fine then, if that was how he wanted to play it.

Tim yanked on one of his hands, pulling it free. But instead of going for the shoulder again like Dick was clearly expecting, he instead struck out lightning-quick at Dick’s midsection, finding the spot Jason had taught him years ago, where Dick was deathly ticklish.

A key vulnerability for any sibling attack.

Sure enough, Dick immediately let go of his other hand to reflexively protect that spot, leaving himself wide open for Tim to change tack and get the end of the bandage unwrapped before Dick could react.

<Timmmm,> Dick groaned, but had the good sense to quit while he was ahead and sat still to let Tim unwind the rest of the bandage to get a look at the damage.

<What the hell happened, Dickhead?> Tim hissed- literally, maren cursing was fun like that. <I thought you knew better than to pick fights like this now.>

It was true, Tim may not have been around for the height of Dick’s rebellion against Bruce, but Jason had been more than willing to fill in all the juicy details. The going out picking fights for no reason, the screaming matches when he came home, the constant clashing over every little thing. They had eventually sorted themselves out, but only after several conversations ended with tears as they tried to get to the heart of the issue.

They’d eventually found a compromise between Bruce’s overprotectiveness and Dick’s need to travel, unused to and unhappy to stay in a single place like Bruce did. Accustomed to being part of his parents migrating pod and missing that desperately even before he realised what the problem was.

By the time Tim entered the picture he hadn’t been able to imagine the scenes Jason had described, especially with Jason taking the place of hot-headed brawler in the family. Tim hadn’t seen Dick this cut up in years, although thankfully none of it looked deep enough to be truly dangerous, just painful and wildly annoying to try and swim with.

<I wasn’t picking fights, Tim, c’mon.> Dick whined. Tim glared in response and pointedly yanked the bandage he was rewrapping around his brother’s shoulder, causing him to wince.

<Ok, ok, it really wasn’t my fault though! I saw this group harassing this little guppy while I was on my way to visit home and I couldn’t just leave them there, could I? And it worked out fine, the kid got away and I won! There were just… a few more of their friends nearby than I realised and they managed to get a few lucky hits in before I noticed them.>

Tim sighed. That was about what he’d expected, Dick had always been a bleeding heart, hell all of them were. B might be the most regimented in his attempts to keep his waters safe, but he’d made sure all of them could hold their own and Tim didn’t think he’d seen any of the family ever stand back when someone was in danger. Himself included, which had led to a couple of embarrassing rescues when he was younger.

<And you’re sure you’ll be ok?> He asked, needing the reassurance after the state he’d worked himself into on the way here. Dick’s expression softened, and he pulled Tim close again.

<Positive, guppy. A few days rest and I’ll be right as rain. I could have hidden from your friends if I wanted to, I just didn’t want to swim all the way home and figured I’d take the chance to see you.>

<That was reckless.> Tim muttered sulkily, his face mushed against Dick’s chest. His brother just laughed though.

<Worth it, though. And look, it all worked out perfectly!> he said, squeezing Tim as if to emphasize his point.

<We’ve still gotta deal with the others, remember? Need to get through the next however long until they release you without them realising that we know each other.> Tim grumbled, unwilling to let go of his annoyance just yet.

<Are any of them going to be here soon though?> Dick asked lightly and Tim sighed, settling deeper into Dick’s hold as Dick gently tilted them both back so they were drifting through the water lying almost horizontal.

<No… Babs locked down the lab. No one will be here until tomorrow.>

<Then just relax for a bit Timbit. I’ve been deprived of Tim-hugs for far too long and you are not about to take this chance from me. We can call B in a bit to make sure he doesn’t freak.>

Tim sighed again, resigning himself to his fate. Being hugged by the brother he had missed terribly. What a trial.

<The Titans destroy any monuments recently?> he asked teasingly. Dick’s pod of friends that he travelled with were always getting up to something and it never failed to start a conversation.

<Oh, screw you, that was one time.> Dick said in mock offense, swatting Tim’s head lightly who hid his grin in Dick’s chest. <But as a matter of fact, Wally somehow managed to get himself stuck in…>

Tim smiled to himself as Dick launched into the story, not focusing so much on the actual details but more on the feel of his brother’s voice so close, not echoing through the tinny charm on his wrist but present and real right next to him.

No way he would tell him and justify his brother’s reckless behaviour, but he was really glad he was here.

---

Tim sort of lost track of how long they floated there for, Dick seamlessly jumping from one story to the next, apparently having an infinite well of them to pull from. Tim wasn’t asleep, but he was drifting a little, settled into a relaxed haze to the sound of his brother’s voice.

A haze that abruptly snapped as he heard the distinctive creak of the lab door opening.

Tim jerked up, him and Dick staring at each other with matching eyes wide with horror. The sound echoed strangely underwater, but the sound of multiple sets of footsteps snapped them into motion.

Tim made for the surface, instinctively shifting back to mostly human, although he kept his gills for the moment. Unfortunately, this led to him flailing uselessly as he was no longer used to swimming with legs. Thankfully, Dick took initiative and pulled him to the surface, keeping a grip on his waist to keep Tim at the surface.

Before they had a chance to move any further, like, for example, getting Tim out of the pool, the footsteps drew closer, their pace having picked up at the sound of the splashing. Unable to do anything else, Tim stared with horror as Babs, Steph and Cass rounded the corner, stopping dead as they took in the scene.

Nobody moved for a long moment, the girls staring in shock, Tim staring in horror and Dick on guard at the combination of Tim’s anxiety and the sudden appearance of the humans.

Finally, after a long moment of no one being willing to break the tableau, a sharp voice pierced the air.

“Tim?!” Steph shrieked, caught between shock and fear. “What are you doing?!”