Work Text:
Tim loved it when his brother would return from Bludhaven to visit.
Tim took a liking to Dick very quickly, and Dick took Tim under his wing, slowly helping him become more comfortable with the rest of the family and making him feel more welcomed. Dick just had a natural way with children, and Tim found comfort and safety in his company.
But, unfortunately, Dick was so busy. Whilst Tim understood and didn’t hold it against him, he did want to see his brother more often. So, he brainstormed ways to make Dick stay for longer on his visits.
The next time Dick came over, the family greeted him at the door as per usual, and then Alfred insisted
“Your shoes, Master Dick! They are covered in filth. Don’t step any further inside. I am not risking any of this mud getting anywhere near my newly cleaned floors.”
Alfred had a very strict no shoes indoors policy. It didn’t matter who you were - family, friends, guests - you took your shoes off when you entered his home. So of course, Dick obliged with a huff of laughter.
And during this interaction, it clicked in Tim’s brain what he needed to do to get Dick to stay longer! He started mapping out plans in his head as they all headed towards the dining room for dinner that evening.
“Bruce? Have you seen my shoes?”
Bruce looks up from his phone, looking towards where Dick is leaning against the doorframe of the living room. He was giving Dick a moment to grab his belongings before he headed back to Bludhaven.
“Are they not on the shoe rack?”
“No, and they’re nowhere near the door either.”
Bruce hums, trying to think where else Dick’s shoes could have gone.
“Did you ask Alfred?”
Speak of the devil, Alfred had just entered the living room through the side entrance.
“He did, master Bruce. I returned the shoes to the shoe rack once I had finished cleaning them. I do not know where they have disappeared to either.”
Bruce hums once more, before standing up from the couch and putting his phone in his pocket.
“Well, they must be here. I’ll help look.”
“Thanks B.”
The three men move to the hallway, and this is where Jason and Tim find them. The three brothers had been hanging out together upstairs, before Dick had to start getting ready to leave. They had just been on their way down to say goodbye (or, in Tim's case, be the perfect picture of innocence as the situation he carefully curated unfolded). Jason raises an eyebrow.
“What are you all doing?”
“Have either of you seen my shoes? I can’t find them anywhere.”
“No, I haven’t. Tim?”
Tim shakes his head, fighting the smile that wants to spread across his face.
“Do you two mind checking upstairs? The three of us will look down here.”
“Sure thing B.”
Tim shakes his head and runs downstairs to hold Dick’s hand. Dick smiles.
“Alright baby bird, you can look with us.”
“I will assist master Jason in searching upstairs, then.”
“Thanks Alfie. Meet back here when you’ve checked all the rooms.”
The group shares a nod, and split off into their two teams Tim smiling the entire time as Dick rambles on about where his shoes could have gotten to, and talking about his plans for the upcoming week.
Of course, Tim would prefer to be doing something a bit more fun than looking for Dick’s completely not lost shoes, but anything he could do to spend more time with his brother was completely worth it in his eyes.
It takes the family just shy of an hour to find Dick’s shoes, hidden away inside his locker in the batcave. Tim scowls internally. He’ll need to hide them better than that next time. Dick takes them out of the locker and stares at them in surprise.
“How did they end up here?”
Everyone stares blankly, scratching their heads. Jason just scoffs.
“Of course Dick would manage to lose his shoes.”
“Need I remind you master Jason that actually I was the last person in possession of master Dick’s shoes, and I certainly did not put them there. Perhaps one of the ghosts in this house got a hold of them. Nevertheless, I will be sure to have a spare pair should we come across this kind of incident again.”
The family nod in collective agreement before returning back to the manor. Tim is already scheming ways to ensure those spare shoes go missing as well.
Bruce is in the batcave later that evening (or, well, more like early the next morning considering it was 2AM), watching the security camera footage of the manor from the moment Dick arrives. Namely, keeping an eye on the camera facing the shoe rack. It takes barely any time at all to see Tim finding a quiet moment where everyone else is distracted, grabbing Dick’s shoes, and hiding them away in his locker.
Bruce sometimes had a hard time reading Tim. The boy never spoke a word, and was rather talented at schooling his expressions. But simple actions like these Bruce was able to understand perfectly. Especially the small grin of satisfaction on Tim’s face as he leaves the cave. Bruce smiles to himself.
He decides not to tell anyone. Besides, he’ll never complain about spending more time with his son either.
Their little secret doesn’t come out until a number of months later whilst entertaining a couple who Bruce was trying to sway into a business endeavour for Wayne enterprises. Dick, Jason, and Tim had dressed up and joined them for dinner to sell a family image, considering the endeavour was based on support for families in need. Bruce, of course, never forced the boys to talk business or take on the brunt of hosting. No, so long as they were polite and not too rowdy, they could talk about whatever they wished. And they were.
This didn’t stop Tim from shooting the couple death glares whenever they were not looking. Dick tried to very gently get him to stop, but was entirely unsuccessful.
He trusted these people as far as he could throw them. Less than, actually. They were loud, really rude to Alfred, and clearly having less than good intentions. They only did things that benefitted them. Tim understood why Bruce had to deal with them, but he didn’t like it.
The boys had been dismissed from the table some time ago, and the three were in the living room when Tim heard Bruce speaking to the guests.
“Thank you both so much for dining with me this evening. Your company has been an absolute pleasure.”
Tim, upon hearing what sounded like a very obvious dismissal, quickly shot up and sprinted out of the living room.
“Tim?”
Dick and Jason call after him simultaneously, before looking at each other confused, before getting up to follow him.
Tim had quickly dashed over to the shoe rack to grab the couple’s shoes for them, before quickly shuffling over to where they and Bruce were standing in the hallway, and politely presenting the shoes to them. Bruce quickly stops what he was saying mid-sentence, looking at Tim. The man lets out a too-loud-laugh.
“Oh, what a polite young boy! He’s clearly very fond of us, wanting to help out by getting our shoes.”
The lady lets out a shrill giggle.
“Oh yes! Thank you young man, we’re glad to have made such an impression on you.”
She ruffles Tim’s hair, and Tim keeps his face in the polite smile he plastered on for guests as the two accept their shoes.
Dick and Jason, having just caught up with Tim, watched this interaction in the hallway.
And all of a sudden, it clicks for Dick what exactly just happened, and what had been happening to his own shoes for several months. His jaw drops.
And then he starts laughing.
He does his best to keep it swallowed, but finds himself overcome all too quickly, doubled over in hysterics, holding his sides as Jason looks at him baffled.
Bruce, now struggling to school his own expression, quickly shuffles the couple out of the door, before joining his eldest in his contagious laughter.
Tim looks between them, realising he had probably just been caught, and smiles bashfully. Jason looks between the two laughing men and his younger brother.
“Will someone explain what’s happening here?”
Alfred steps into the room and puts a hand on Jason’s shoulder, smiling down at him.
“Master Dick has just put together what has been happening to his shoes when he stays with us for the past couple of months.”
It takes Jason a few beats, but then the pieces fall into place for him too, and he can’t help but laugh himself. Tim looks over to Alfred with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh yes, master Tim. Both Bruce and I knew. But we had no desire to prevent your ultimate goal.”
Tim looks away, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck. Dick, still giggling but slightly calmer, walks over to Tim and crouches down to his level.
“Baby bird, if you wanted me to spend more time with you, you could have just asked.”
Tim stares at Dick a moment, scanning over him for something. Whatever he was looking for, he clearly finds, as he lunges forward to wrap his arms around Dick. Dick lifts Tim up, resting him on his hip and holding him just as close. Tim rests his head on Dick’s shoulder as Dick turns back around to the rest of his family.
“How about a family movie night?”
“Why don’t all of you go and change into some more comfortable clothes? I will set up the screening room.”
A chorus of gratitude rings out as Bruce and his sons all head upstairs to get changed. Tim continues smiling to himself, knowing now that he can spend more time with the people he loves, without necessarily having to resort to stealing to get it.
(Not that this would prevent him from doing it again, though. But for now, he has ALL of his family around him. And that is more than enough.).