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If there was one thing that anyone knew about Tim Drake, it was that he didn’t get enough sleep. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be awake for multiple days in a row, functioning off of a case of red bulls and pure spite. It was expected at this point to run into him either in the cave or at the table, typing away at a computer without any awareness of the outside world.
It was also why an unwritten rule was created. If you find Tim passed out, just leave him alone. He needs the sleep.
Everyone knew this. Dick knew this.
Even though Dick knew this, however, he was taken aback when he walked through the dining room on his way to the kitchen at two in the morning and found Tim sprawled out on the floor under the table face down, using his laptop as a pillow.
Dick knew it couldn’t possibly be comfortable.
…Was it really so bad if he woke him up long enough to get him to bed?
DIck crouched down and carefully placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder.
“Tim?” He shook his shoulder. When he didn’t get a response, he shook it again. “Tim? You gotta go to bed. You can’t sleep under the table.” He watched as Tim stirred, and then suddenly shot up.
“Dick? What time is it?” Dick watched as Tim frantically woke his computer up and put in the passcode.
“It’s almost two thirty. You should head to your room for the night.” Tim whipped his head around to look at Dick.
“Two thirty? I’ve got to get this done, Tam is gonna kill me.” Tim scrambled out from under the table and Dick stood up. “I was supposed to send this to her before midnight. I knew I shouldn’t have moved from the chair to stretch.” Dick frowned.
“I’m sure she’d understand if it was a bit late so you could get some rest.” Tim just waved him off.
“Thanks for waking me, I have to finish this report before my meeting at eight.” Dick just sighed as he watched Tim stumble out of the door, colliding with the doorframe on his way out. He heard him stumble all the way up the stairs before hearing the click of Tim’s bedroom door.
Okay, maybe Dick should have just left him alone.
+
Jason settled down in the library, shoulders easing at the quiet.
As much as he enjoyed being on better terms with his family, Jason still got overwhelmed at seeing everyone in the manor. So, when things became too much, he would duck away and lose himself in a book to re-regulate his emotions. He enjoyed being in the library because it wasn’t often he saw anyone else spend time in the room.
He had just cracked a book open when he felt movement. Jason froze, and then slowly closed the book and placed it to the side, reaching for one of the knives he always kept on him. Carefully, he stood up.
Another shuffle came from behind the couch. Jason swallowed.
Had someone broken in? Or was it just one of his siblings trying to play a prank?
Jason crept to the side of the couch, hand gripping the knife tightly.
He froze.
There, tucked between the wall and the back of the couch, was Tim. Tim, who was asleep with his mouth open slightly.
What the fuck?
Jason tucked the knife back into his pocket and stared at him for a second. The kid looked rough, eye bags deep enough to look like they were drawn on. Jason just sighed and sat back on the couch, opening his book again.
He supposed he could share the library for today.
+
Alfred Pennyworth liked to think that there wasn’t much that could surprise him anymore. After working for the Wayne family for so long, he had seen enough to be able to keep a straight face at the weirdest situations.
When he found Tim curled into a basket of fresh linens fast asleep as he entered the laundry room to do a load of towels, he only raised an eyebrow and quietly put the towels in the washer. He then turned to tuck a blanket around Tim’s thin frame.
He could turn the washing machine on later.
+
Duke might have been the newest addition to the manor, but he was quick to pick up on unspoken rules. Namely, if you find Tim tucked away somewhere passed out, just leave him. It was jarring the first time Duke found him slotted into one of the kitchen pantries, but it didn’t take long to grow used to stumbling across Tim in odd places.
Like the time he found him in a guest bathroom tub. Or the time he had crawled out onto the roof to do some star gazing and Tim was already there sleeping. Or the time he and Cass had been playing hide and seek and he had found Tim curled up inside an ottoman.
Or, Duke thought while staring down at where Tim was asleep in a garden wheelbarrow, Like right now.
Looking at Tim, it was obvious that he was out cold. He was breathing deeply with his mouth open, and the angle at which Tim’s neck was currently bent could not be comfortable and anyone awake would have moved by now.
Duke sighed.
It was sunny outside for once. Tim, being as pale as he was, had already started taking on a slight pink colour on his face.
Duke knew the unofficial rule of “don’t wake Tim up”, but nobody had ever said anything about moving him. Carefully, so that he didn’t accidentally jolt him awake, Duke lifted the handles of the wheelbarrow and pushed Tim towards a covered area of the yard.
There, now Tim could stay asleep and not turn into a poor imitation of a lobster.
+
Damian used to wake Timothy up whenever he found him sleeping in what was decidedly not a dignified place, but ever since the two of them had started to become friendlier to each other Damian had started to follow the unspoken rule.
It was difficult sometimes to leave him, as Damian felt that no matter who you were you should not be sleeping at the bottom of a staircase where anyone could step on you, but Dick was slowly able to convince him that it was a better alternative than watching Timothy run off of fumes.
It was a sad sight, and Damian had to reluctantly agree with the argument.
Now, Damian just huffed out a sigh and tucked a blanket around him when he was found in the bottom of the shoe closet when Damian went to fetch Titus’s leash for a walk.
+
Cass was familiar with sleeping in less than optimal locations. She had distinct memories of tucking herself away in small roof gaps to nap in the middle of the night before being with her family. It was easy for her to tip-toe around Tim without pausing, understanding that sometimes some sleep in an odd location was better than pushing on without it.
Sometimes it was overwhelming for Cass to sleep in the giant bed that she now had, and she opted to tuck herself into a tight space too.
Tim, though, was different. It wasn’t just tight spots that he crammed himself into, it was open spaces too. Occasionally Cass felt jealousy at the fact that Tim was comfortable enough to sleep so openly and unguarded, but she would then just shake her head to get rid of the thoughts.
She could learn to do it too.
And so, the next day when she found Tim curled up on the carpet in front of the fireplace, she joined him.
She didn’t feel as exposed when she was with her brother.