#Bruce in his distress tells Tim that he was counting on him to handle gotham

[phoenixglacier]

Full disclosure I haven't read this particular arc just yet (it's on my list!) plus tumblr deleted like three paragrahs and I'm grumpy, but I love love love how this is another example of Bruce trying so hard and succeeding in his relationship with Tim. There's a reason why Tim is probably the Robin who believes in Bruce the most (and highkey the only Robin who actually wants to keep Robinning) and it's because of moments like this. Bruce's getting-it-right-moments ratio manages a net positive when it comes to Tim where it questionably doesn't with everyone else.

Because unlike his adopted ones, Tim still saw Robin as a "job" that he could be "fired" from. He can/will/has quit Robin of more-or-less his own volition before. Everyday that he clocks in for his Robin shift is a reassurance to Bruce that he's choosing this, something that Bruce can't easily take for granted if his Robin is someone that depends on him for their entire livelihood.

In return, Bruce tries really hard with Tim and improves upon what relationship skills he had with Dick and Jason. Because Jason showed him what happens if he messes up. Because Dick kept reviewing where he went wrong. Because Tim wasn't the kind of kid to just roll over and take unjust treatment but also was the most starry-eyed and reasonable Robin to ever Robin. Bruce puts down his walls to apologise to Tim, Bruce praises Tim for his work frequently, Bruce hears out his troubles and tries to improve on them — all of these still scarce because Bruce is like that but also very much present throughout their relationship.

And Tim makes it so easy, you know? I'm thinking about Tim negotiating with Bruce doing Young Justice (1998) about telling his friends his secret identity. He communicates with him really well and doesn't let up on how unfair it is, all the while never giving Bruce a hint of a threat that he'll simply disobey him. Bruce bends the rules, and Tim is elated. He respects Bruce to hold the reins, but then he demands a level of respect in return. Because yeah, if Robin is a "job", then Batman is his boss, and he answers to the viligante union and HR department in Tim's head that allows Tim to walk out of this job anytime he wants.

Tim makes it so easy. He walked into the Robin position going quite clearly "You're not telling anyone what you feel but I'm quite certain I can tell. You have relationships in your life that are valuable but are quite clearly fucking up on and that's just a shame and needs to be rectified posthaste. I recognise that you're in charge here but here's my powerpoint presentation on what I think is the best course of action—" and then Tim is in there with his absolute zero mouth filter and his urge to emotionally contextualise absolutely everything that happens. He goes into fits of anger and then immediately follows it up with "I'm sorry for lashing out, I know you're only trying to help and it's just a lot for me." (hnnngh I'm in awe of this boy's emotional awareness) and he'll have a good time and then follow it up with "That was great! I particularly enjoyed ____ and ____!" like some field trip assignment. He does this to Bruce, he does this to Dick, he does this to freaking Alfred. His constant communication and general obedience puts everyone at ease and makes them more willing to hear him out, and also if the tiny kid is calling you out on your emotions and not stopping for the last twelve blocks then maybe it's time to address those supposedly obvious feelings.

I'm inclined to think that Dick and Jason could've achieved this if it wasn't for the fact that A) they were stuck to Bruce and had virtually no choice but to seek his approval for everything and B) Bruce wasn't being receptive. By the time Tim came along, Bruce had seen how a lack of trust breaks down the relationship and ultimately leads to major field consequences. He'd figured out that those pesky little emotions that he'd always shunted away was something that could put his Robin in actual danger, that he should actually prioritise them to the extent he could. He'd raised one Robin that he thought probably hated him (Dick) and another that had died trying to find parental love in his absence (Jason) and now here came a third Robin who would throw his hands up in the air exactly like his first two and Bruce knows what comes next if he plays his cards wrong.

It's fascinating for me to watch Dick and Bruce struggle through their own strange relationship in the early days of Tim because they (plus Alfred) constantly have Tim as their bottom line of the Ultimate Child To Protect. And like I said, Tim makes it easy. Anything Bruce fails at in the parental department isn't his first-line responsibility because Tim's dad is alive and he loves him (parental failures on Jack's part are considered more important because Jack's his real actual active dad! Tim doesn't want or expect Bruce to be his dad, therefore rendering all parental affections from Bruce net positive no matter what!), anytime Tim is dissatisfied with the adult support he's getting from Bruce, he stalks Dick or Alfred for Better Adult Advice.

The foundation of their relationship makes it work for Tim to be effectively and eventually officially an emancipated minor. Tim is well-equipped enough to handle the pesky adult parts. As for the mentoring parts, this child is basically famous for procuring his own family. But he and Bruce are extremely similar on their paranoid need for control, and this takes them in opposite directions in this scenario — Bruce wanting to adopt Tim, and Tim wanting to be independant. What I love so much about this conclusion is that Bruce gives in, accepts that he can't have total control, settles for involving himself in Tim's life in any way he can. And Tim receives this as trust, validation, security. It has the unfortunate side effect of encouraging his paranoia-fueled shenanigans (*cough*hit list*cough) as basically everyone in the batfamily does to each other, but it reinforces the support Tim needed at this difficult time. Bruce managed to reassure him that he would still be there for him even if he didn't choose to lock them into the father-son role Bruce wanted. Is it any surprise that Tim is the Robin he can depend on to always come home when called on?

(Of course, the net positive still means Bruce messed up 999 times but sooomehow they did manage a net positive)

This is one of my favourite Bruce/Tim moments. All you will ever need to know about Bruce's method of parenting his kids is in these three panels.

[heyitsani]

Let Down My Guard

Omega!Dick Week Day 2: Reverse!Robins

Word Count: 2926

Rating: Mature-ish

Warnings: Threats of non-con (nothing graphic) and Robincest (obviously)

Pairing: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Summary: Dick’s scent blockers fail him on patrol when he’s out alone and brings a predator his way.  

Notes: Day two and the one story for the week that doesn’t fit the rest of the series.  The non-con-ish scene happens in the very beginning so the entire story is under the cut to avoid triggering anyone who might stumble upon this post.  The ages/codenames of the Robins are as follows:

Damian Wayne: Sparrow 28

Tim Drake: Red Hood 25

Jason Todd: Phoenix 18

Dick Grayson: Robin 16

You can also read this on AO3 here

“Here birdie, birdie, birdie,” the voice called out, chilling Dick to his very bones.  He knew who the man was calling for.  He knew that somehow his scent blockers had stopped working and the dirty alpha had caught his scent.  He also knew he was cornered.  He had nowhere to go and unless one of the Bats answered his distress call soon, he was so very screwed.  Perhaps quite literally.  “I know you’re around here somewhere, birdie.  Can smell you.  Like,” there was a pause and Dick assumed he was taking a deep breath, “like honey and spice.  Do taste as tempting as you smell?”

And that was something the sixteen-year-old had no intention of letting this man find out.

He wished he knew if someone was on their way, but the sharp screech in his ear earlier and told him something had gone wrong with his comm unit and now he was just stuck.  Stuck hoping and praying to a god he didn’t believe in to save him from a fate he had saved so many others from over his years of being Robin.

There was no out for him.  And suddenly Dick to felt weaker than he had ever felt in his life.  Weaker than he had felt watching his parents fall to their deaths those years ago.  A glance above him told him there was no way for him to get to the roof and to safety without his grapple.  And since the snapping line was what had caught the attention of the alpha to begin with, he was stuck.  And he was scared.  And his head and his knee hurt from his fall.

“You might as well just come out from your hiding spot little birdie.  Make it easier on both of us.”  Closing his eyes, Dick tried to pull his scent back in a bit to put the man off just a little longer.  The closeness of his voice was enough to make his hands shake in terror.  “I won’t bite…too hard.”  And Dick could practically see the sneer on the man’s face.

“Is that so?”  Oh, thank god, Damian.  “Perhaps you didn’t get the memo, but that’s not how things go here in Gotham.”  Dick jumped when a shadow jumped down next to him from the roof and immediately, he fell in a defensive crouch.  He wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

“It’s just me Baby Bird,” the electronic sound of Tim’s voice modifier in his helmet was a bigger comfort than most would have thought, and Dick felt his muscles relax as he threw himself into his older brother’s chest.  There was a click, but instead of trying to find the source of the noise, Dick just buried his face in the armor-plated shirt Tim wore as part of his Red Hood suit.  “Are you hurt?  You smell hurt.”

“Nothing dangerous, just so fucking glad you guys are here,” he muttered into Tim’s chest.  He relaxed further when one of Tim’s arms wrapped around his back and held onto him.  Dick could hear scuffling in the background and a pained yelp, and he knew it was Sparrow taking down the alpha who had put them in this situation.

“Robin,” the edge of Damian’s voice caused him to pull his face away from Tim’s chest and look over at his brother.  “Are you hurt?  Did he…?”  Dick shook his head quickly and though it took a moment, Damian eventually nodded and looked back at the entrance of the alleyway where the alpha had cornered him.  “Hood and I have Robin.  We are heading back to the cave.  Tell Phoenix he’s fine.”

That caught Dick’s attention.  “Why didn’t he come with?”

“Come, Robin.  You shall ride with me.”  Looking from Damian to Tim, Dick frowned.  He was going to demand an answer but stopped when Tim shook his head.  “Robin.”  The sharpness to Damian’s tone caused Dick to flinch.  Rare was the moment when Damian was short with him.

“Fucking hell, Sparrow.  Can’t you see he’s already freaked out enough without you snapping orders at him?”  Tim tightened his arm around Dick and while it wasn’t strange for Damian and Tim to be at odds, it was strange for it to be about Dick specifically. 

He could hear the sigh slip from Damian even though he obviously tried to hide it.  “I am sorry, Robin.  Please, let us get you back to the cave.  There is a very worried and just slightly injured Phoenix desperate to look you over.”

Without saying anything, Dick nodded and pulled away from Tim to follow Damian back to his bike.  Glancing back at his other brother, he watched Tim take out one of his guns and put a bullet in the chamber. 

“Don’t kill him, Hood,” was all the warning that Damian gave Tim before taking Dick’s arm and pulling him out of view of the still whimpering alpha and into the street.  Dick put on the offered helmet and slid onto the motorcycle behind Damian, the engine revving just enough to make Dick wonder if he actually heard the gunshot and resulting shout of pain.

But he decided he didn’t care if Tim had shot the alpha.  If he had tried to do that to someone who could obviously handle themselves (if not in that exact moment), Dick didn’t want to know how many others he had managed to hurt because they couldn’t defend themselves or have someone defend them.

No, instead he focused on tightening his arms around his older brother’s waist, closing his eyes, and letting go of the fear that had caused him to freeze.  He wasn’t sure what it was that had caused him to freak out so suddenly, but there had been something about that alpha.  It hadn’t been the first time one had tried to take something from him by force, but it had been the first time he had frozen so completely.  Never had he ever felt so weak before.  Not even just in a normal fight when the opponent was obviously far superior.  He had always managed to find a way to get himself out of a situation. 

But this had been different.

He shuddered to think of what could have happened if his brothers hadn’t gotten there in time.  What would they have done if they had come even a few minutes later to find him in the clutches of that alpha?  What would Jason have done if he had been violated?  Would he withdraw his intentions?

No, that wasn’t the kind of man Jason was.  Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made his intentions clear two years before he could even act on them.  Being eighteen meant Jason could bond legally, but Dick still had two years to go before he was of age.  And though Bruce could have given them permission, he had made it clear that he wouldn’t give his blessing until they were both consenting adults.  Even though he followed that up with stating he approved of the pairing and would happily support it when the time came.

Sapphire eyes opened when he felt the terrain change under the motorcycle, and he found they had pulled into the entrance of the cave.  So, carefully, he pulled the fear scent as far in as he could.  There was nothing he could do about the scent that still clung to his suit, but he could overwhelm with relief at least. 

Hopefully, Jason wouldn’t panic too much.

“Dick!”  Well, there went that hope.

“Honestly, Todd,” Damian reprimanded Jason as he came running up to where Damian brought his motorcycle to a stop.  Dick could see the bandage wrapped around Jason’s forearm and he knew there were probably stitches under it.  “I said he was fine.”

“Forgive me for wanting to check for myself,” Jason shot back, reaching out to help Dick slip out from behind Damian.  Thankfully, the helmet hid the wince of pain on his face when he was back on two feet and the pain in his knee made itself known again.  Dick let Jason remove the helmet and mask, dropping them both to the ground, before he ran his hands down the length of his arms and gripped his hands.  “What happened?  Alfred wouldn’t let me go out with Damian when you sent the beacon.  Are you okay?  Why can I smell you so strongly?”

“I don’t know what happened, but my blockers failed, and the alpha was following me before I realized it.  I was going through Crime Alley when my line snapped, and I think the crash of my fall caught his attention initially.  The blockers failing was just bad luck.” Dick said as Jason pulled him toward the med bay where Alfred was probably waiting to look him over.  He did his best to walk normal despite the sharp pain that shot through his knee with each step.  “I sent the beacon the moment I knew I was going to end up cornered.”

“The animal never got the chance to touch him,” Damian added from where he was following the pair.  “Tim arrived from wherever he was at the same time I did.  I took care of the disgrace of an alpha and Tim went to Richard.”

Jason glanced over the top of Dick’s head with a raised brow.  “Tim let you handle the alpha?”  Dick glanced back in time to see Damian sniff haughtily.  “You promised him he could take care of him if you incapacitated him in order to get Dickie out?”

“I certainly hope that wasn’t the case, Master Damian.  Your father would be greatly disappointed.”  Alfred stood next to one of the beds in the med bay, obviously waiting for Dick.

“Perhaps.  But perhaps not when he hears what that waste of space was planning for his youngest.”  And Damian was probably right.  Even if Dick was no longer a child, Bruce did have the tendency to treat Dick as though he was more precious than air.

Dick watched Alfred consider his oldest brother before the man looked back to Dick and waved him over to the bed.  “Come now, Master Richard.  Take a seat so I can look you over.”  Dick let Jason lead him over to the bed and didn’t complain like he usually would have when Jason lifted him to sit on the bed.  He could smell the distress on the young alpha and knew he needed this.  Dick could be coddled if it meant he stopped smelling so sour.  “Any injuries you wish to make us privy to?”

Thinking over his night, Dick couldn’t recall anything to worry about outside of when his line snapped.  “Maybe a light concussion from my fall?  I didn’t pass out at all, but I think I knocked it on the ground.  And my knee hit pretty hard as well.” 

“Very well.  I will need you to get out of the suit so I can check your knee.  Master Jason, will you please retrieve some more comfortable clothing for Master Richard?”  When Jason looked like he was going to protest, Dick placed a hand on his upper arm and drew Jason’s attention back to him.

“Something from your locker, maybe?”  The pleasure at the suggestion filtered into Jason’s scent and Dick was glad he could manage to get some of the sour distress scent out.  With a quick press of his lips to Dick’s temple, Jason hurried out of the room.

“That was wise,” Alfred commented as he moved closer and began concussion protocol.  Dick focused on the questions and commands as best he could, but his attention kept falling back to Damian who still stood in the doorway with is arms crossed and a dark look on his face.  “Yes, I do believe you have a minor concussion, nothing to be concerned about given your level of alertness.”  Alfred was stepping back as Jason made his way back into the room.

“Do you need help?”  Jason asked quietly when he came up to Dick’s side with a few items, all smelling strongly of Jason and home.  Dick only nodded and held a hand out so Jason would help him down from the bed. 

“Master Damian, you should get out of your own suit and contact your father.  I did not want to worry him without all the details.”  Though it sounded like a request, it was definitely an order and Dick could see the annoyance on Damian’s face without even bothering to read his scent.  But the oldest nodded and left the room.  He was followed by Alfred, to give the pair a bit of privacy Dick was certain.

Instead of letting Jason help him out of his suit, Dick turned and buried his face into the spot of his neck where his scent glands were as he wrapped his arms around Jason’s torso.  “Dickie,” Jason whispered, voice hoarse as he buried his face into Dick’s raven hair.  His arms came up and around Dick, holding on tightly.  The pair let the silence fall between them as they took the moment to comfort each other without words.  But eventually reality came back to them and Dick was pulling back so Jason could help him out of the suit and into the clothes he had brought.

He was just slipping on the t-shirt when Alfred reappeared in the doorway with a tray of food and some water.  “I would appreciate it if you would eat this while I look over your knee,” he explained, setting the tray next to Dick on the bed, giving him a pointed look.  Nodding, he picked up the sandwich and took a bite as Alfred moved to the knee he had left exposed by pushing the loose sweat pant leg up.  The touch was firm, but gentle and just enough that Dick was able to hold back the reaction to the pain that flaired up with the inspection. 

“A sprain,” Alfred told them, grabbing the items needed to wrap it to stabilize the limb.  “A few days rest and you shall be right as rain, young sir.”  Jason visibly relaxed at the diagnosis and Dick sent him a look before turning back to Alfred.

“Crutches?”

“If you would rather be carried everywhere…”  Dick balked at the idea of being treated like a damsel in distress and Jason choked out a laugh.  “Then yes, crutches for at least two days.  We shall check the condition of your knee once we check it again.”  He knew he was pouting, but Dick hated crutches and the limitations they placed on his movement.

“Don’t worry Dickie.  It’s only a couple of days,” Jason tried to comfort him, but Dick just pouted more and Jason let out another laugh.  Dick supposed if Jason took this much glee in the situation then he could suffer through it.  Especially if it made his scent go warm with amusement and joy.

“Fine,” Dick grumbled, finishing off the sandwich before grabbing the water bottle to drain.

“Before you finish that,” Alfred stopped him, getting up from his stool and grabbing a small cup Dick hadn’t noticed before.  But it was one he had seen plenty of times in the past.  Pain pills.  If he didn’t have a headache on top of the knee pain, he probably would have turned them down, but he knew there was no way he would sleep with this headache.  So he accepted the cup and tossed the two white pills back before finishing off the water.  “Now, Master Jason will you help Master Dick up to his room and place a pillow under his knee?  I am going to check in with Master Damian and then I will be up shortly.”

“Sure, Alfie.”  Jason said, holding the hoodie he had also brought in for Dick so the younger could pull it on before they headed up.  “Piggyback or…?”  Dick just rolled his eyes as his head slipped through the neck hole and he pushed his arms into the sleeves. 

“Just pick me up,” Dick said, holding out his arms to wrap around Jason’s neck.  He didn’t say anything else as Jason slipped one arm around Dick’s waist and the other under his knees, lifting him with ease.  The walk to the elevator that would take them up to the manor revealed Damian at the computer, talking to someone (probably Bruce) as Alfred soon behind him.

Nothing was said until the doors to the elevator slid shut.

“Do you think B will come home early?”  Dick asked, tucking his head under Jason’s chin.

“Maybe.”  The rumble of Jason’s deep voice beneath his ear was a comforting sound.  “Damian said the League was almost done anyway.”  So, it could go either way.  Dick wasn’t sure which way he wanted it to go.  Yes, he missed Bruce the past two weeks he had been gone, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with the surge of protectiveness that would be sure to follow his homecoming. Sometimes being the only pack omega had its downsides.

“Can you stay with me tonight?”  Jason didn’t say anything in response, but the tightening of his grip on Dick was enough of an answer. As if to say there was no where else he’d be.  “Thanks, Jay,” he whispered, closing his eyes at the steady sway of Jason’s steps as they stepped off the elevator.

“Anything for you, Mate,” Jason whispered back.  And though it wasn’t technically true yet, Dick still felt a familiar warmth fill him at the title.

[spoiler-alert-i-love-bats]

Immediate Calm

Cassandra never liked waiting, despite being known as the most patient in the family. Being high above Gotham, having to stay completely still while listening to the traffic and terse voices made her head ache. Every car horn shot through her brain, every angry pedestrian interrupting her train of thought. She couldn’t stand having to sit and listen to the chaos. You’d think after all the long nights alone in dark rooms, trying to forget the pain of her gunshot wounds, she would have become better at it.

But sitting here, on one of the tallest rooftops in Gotham, it took effort not to fidget. To hide it from the man who sat next to her. 

Cassandra looked at Red Robin sitting next to her. Despite having a rough start, she liked Tim. They had a few fights they had to get past, a weird drug overdose that almost made her come onto him, but after everything, he always tried to include her in the family. Cass appreciated his kindness. Since being adopted by Bruce, she appreciated it even more. It didn’t take long to realize that his kindness came from being forgotten. He had been the one last thought of, in both the Drake and Wayne households. When she first noticed, she was confused. He was the smartest among them, she would have even thought him worthy of being the favorite. Bruce was beyond lucky to have such natural genius in his son, but to her astonishment, he never acknowledged it.

Her, Steph—and surprisingly Jason—shouldn’t be the only ones looking out for him. However, this seemed to be how it turned out. Dick cared of course, but the Titans had become a huge priority as of late so he couldn’t be around as often. Cass let out a deep breath, at least she was still here. She was here to understand Tim while Jason gave him some of that tough brotherly love. And Steph? Steph was just good for Tim. Cass was beyond relieved that Steph never left his side, even after their breakup. 

On days where Bruce couldn’t afford the time, Cass made sure that she and Tim patrolled together. He made the waiting easier, and she hoped that she offered some good, if not quiet, company. Tonight though, he seemed tense. His eyes weren’t as focused on the world below, and his movements were slower than normal. If there was one thing she admired about Tim, it was how quick, yet controlled his movements were. She considered herself graceful, but he took it to a whole new level. Cass frowned under her mask as she looked at him now, he had no grace in his stature.

“Tim.” Cass said, grasping his attention. He smiled. It seemed forced.

“Hmm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He replied, earning a glare from his sister. Even behind the mask he could see it. He laughed. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m fine.” He looked down over the ledge of the roof to the ground, as if to end the conversation. Cass observed him as he did so, his brows were drawn too close together, his lips parted from lack of breath. He was hurt��ribs most likely—even though Tim rarely got hurt on normal patrols.

His thoughts were far away, distracting him. 

“Timothy.” Cassandra reached out and grasped his shoulder, maybe a little too tightly, and looked at him pointedly. “Talk.” She knew that he would talk to her, because even though he could lie to the rest of the family, didn’t mean he could lie to her. They were too similar to not catch each other.

Tim’s back stiffened, before relaxing, his form slouching forward.

He looked so much more tired than Cassandra had given him credit for.

His hair fell in his face, but it didn’t hide the bags under his eyes as he removed his mask. His baby blue eyes looked glossed in the lights of the buildings across from them, revealing the tears forming in his eyes.

“I’m just so tired.” He whispered, fiddling with the mask in his hands, making Cass wonder if he normally hid that tendency from her like she did. “I’m tired of pretending that I’m not tired. That I’m not hurt, that everything hurts.”

Cassandra turned to face him, straddling the parapet, her right leg dangling over the rooftop. She reached up and wiped under his eyes. Tim’s brows twitched slightly, the only sign of confusion telling Cass that he didn’t realize he was crying. “Bruce?” She asked. He nodded.

He’s demanded so much of you.

“I’ve given him everything.”

“I know.”

“It’s not enough.” He murmured.

Cassandra paused. Rubbing her fingers down the back of his head, through the hair at the nape of his neck. She waited until his breathing evened before saying, “I know.”

It never will be.

“I should be better than this.” Tim said, wiping his nose. “I should be able to handle criticism, it’s what makes you better. But I just…” Tim looked up at Cassandra, his broken gaze meeting hers. His lip trembled, barely, but it was enough to make the man in front of her look just like the boy she met long ago. “I just hate seeing him disappointed in me again, and again, and again.” Tim’s gaze dropped back down to his hands and a sob ripped through his throat against his will. “All because I’m not like the others.”

At those words, Cass ripped off her mask, her eyes darkened. She rushed forward and wrapped Tim up in a hug, her legs over his, one hand in his hair, the other rubbing his back. 

Tim broke.

“It’s just always me.” He whimpered.

“I know.”

Cass wasn’t good with words, hell, she couldn’t even use them for most of her life. She used to get frustrated, because she couldn’t communicate normally. Her limitations seemed endless—but through her teachings she found a different way to speak. Movement, touch, even silence. Movement was how she talked, how she lived. So the only thing she could think of to comfort Tim was to get as close to him as possible, to hold him tightly, close to her. It worked. He cried into her shoulder, his relaxed muscles telling her that he finally felt safe, vulnerable, finally. Tim hadn’t let himself be exposed like this, let himself cry, in far too long.

Cass didn’t project her emotions onto people, she wasn’t used to it, but she still cried. Sometimes you just have to let it out. Steph saw her cry once, but Cass is okay with that. It isn’t something she’s ashamed of. There was something going on in this family, something that kept convincing her brothers that they couldn’t let themselves hurt. That breaking down was a weakness.

It broke Cassandra’s heart to think about how long Tim must have been holding this in. God, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified. Tim was known to be the most analytical and emotionally controlled member of the family. His work had always been precise, thought out, and most of all—free of emotional choices. He never let his emotions get the better of him, an annoying habit Bruce never broke.

So Cass didn’t normally witness his emotional side. And now, here he was, crying in her arms. 

Cass wanted to ask questions, so many rested on her tongue, but she felt that that would only cause more distress. 

Be gentle, be gentle, be gentle. 

As carefully as she could, Cass kept tracing shapes along Tim’s back, counting his vertebrae, playing with his hair. She saw Steph play with his hair all the time when they were dating, so it must be something he likes. Cass had seen the muscles in his back and shoulders relax when Steph touched his hair. Cass thought it fascinating. When Dick hugged Barbara, when Ace licked Damian, the same thing happened.

Immediate calm.

The physical touch she experienced as a child never gave her that kind of reaction. She never understood it, but she longed for it. Bruce had hugged her before, but she always felt like that was another thing she had to perform perfectly. 

As Tim slowly started to stop crying, Cass couldn’t help the relief that flooded through her. She expected him to pull away afterwards, but instead he buried his head into her neck, his eyelashes fluttering against her skin. Whenever his shoulders tensed even the slightest bit, Cass raked her fingers through his hair again, pulling a sigh out of him and a shiver down his spine. They stayed this way for what seemed like hours, Cass practically in Tim’s lap, playing with his hair.

“Tim?” Cass whispered.

“Yes?”

“Your hair is soft.”

Tim chuckled into her neck, warm and low. “Thanks, Cass.”

Cass pulled away to look in his eyes. They were slightly swollen and red, but still a piercing blue. “Are you okay?”

Tim leaned forward and pressed his lips to the top of her head, a gentle lie escaping his lips. “Always.”

Tim moved forward, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer, his fingers dancing along her ribs. 

Cass sighed as she relaxed into his arms.

She felt calm.

[flashhwing]

oh my god they were roommates

How nice would it be if Steph could just move to Bludhaven? And it could be her and Cass again, and things would be like they used to except they’d be Nightwing and Batgirl insead of Batgirl and Spoiler. Just like old times. Actually ... What was keeping Steph in Gotham? She very well could just up and leave, couldn’t she?

Pairing: StephCass Word Count: 2.2k

(AO3)

Steph peered at her reflection in the mirror and poked at the budding bruise on her cheek with a small harrumph!  It didn’t look that bad.  It was barely purple and didn’t cover her whole face or anything.

Her ribs, on the other hand, were a whole other story.  But Alfred had already wrapped those to the best of his incredibly impressive ability, so she figured that was fine.  She was fine.  More importantly, Batgirl had been more than fine out in the field, and three arms dealer jerkfaces were behind bars thanks to her, and she definitely didn’t need or deserve the Bitchman bitching about it.

“You’re still reckless,” she muttered in her best mocking tone.  It sounded nothing like Bruce, but she thought she got the main (bitchy) essence.  “You almost let them get away.”

Steph pulled a face.  Almost was the operative word there.  Again, three whole jerkfaces!  Behind bars!  Because of a lead that she found and she followed!  And okay, maybe she’d gotten a little ahead of herself, maybe she didn’t notice the crowbar in time, but she still maintained that she would’ve gotten a handle on the situation and finished them off without Batman’s help, thank you very much.

“You are a strong, independent Batgirl,” Steph said, jutting out her chin and pointing exaggeratedly at her reflection.  “Who don’t need no Batman.”

But really, it wasn’t even Batman’s interference that ticked her off.  It wasn’t Robin’s smug gloating or Alfred’s stern (and only slightly condescending) glances.  

No, what really got Steph’s goat was that after all this time, Bruce still didn’t trust her in the field.

Hadn’t she earned that by now?  Hadn’t she proved herself, over and over and over again?  She had Barbara’s respect, for crying out loud!  And Cass — Cass had handed Steph the Batgirl suit herself, and everyone knew Cass was the best of them.

Grumbling, Steph very specifically did not stomp out of the bathroom and very specifically did plop down on her bed (which her ribs immediately informed her was a mistake, but she was sticking by it).  She missed Cass.  She missed when they were Spoiler and Batgirl, patrolling Gotham and keeping her citizens safe under Oracle’s guiding eye.  But now Cass was in Blüdhaven being Nightwing, and yeah, it wasn’t technically far, but it wasn’t like Steph could just pop over to whole other city every night for patrol.  Not when she still had classes and exams and papers and all that.  They had video chats every couple days like any good long-distance girlfriends, but it just wasn’t the same.

Sometimes Steph thought Cass was lucky.  Actually, Steph often thought Cass was lucky.  Bruce only cared about Blüdhaven in that one of his kids was there — but Batman himself was never in the city, breathing down Nightwing’s neck.  Nightwing had total freedom, a whole city removed from the Family, the benefit of Oracle’s help without Batman’s shadow.  Must be nice.

Not that Cass could truly appreciate it, seeing as how she actually liked Batman, the absolute madwoman.

How nice would it be if Steph could just move to Blüdhaven?  And it could be her and Cass again, and things would be like they were except they’d be Nightwing and Batgirl, and they’d still have Oracle in their ear but there’d be fewer masked crazies and more casinos.

But Steph still had two years left in her marketing degree.  She couldn’t just … up and leave.

Unless …

Steph bolted upright (again? her ribs complained).  There were schools in Blüdhaven.  Gotham U’s sister school was in Blüdhaven.  And it was mid April.  She had plenty of time to apply for a transfer for the fall semester.

Steph very well could just up and leave, if she so chose.

And now was the time to choose …

“I have arrived!” Steph declared as she kicked open the door to Cass’s (now hers and Cass’s) apartment, carrying a large box of haphazardly packed clothes.  It was the first day of June, the sun was shining, she was enrolled for the fall semester at NJU Blüdhaven, and best of all, she never had to step foot in Gotham again if she wanted.  (Of course she’d be back to visit her mother (and Barbara, probably, though she hadn’t actually promised her) from time to time, but that fell under the category of “if she wanted”.)

Except … it didn’t look like an apartment.  It looked like a gym.  Like a big, empty gym, complete with one mirrored wall, yet no equipment.

“Uhh, Cass?” Steph called over her shoulder and waited for Cass to catch up and give her an inquisitive look.  “Please tell me you don’t live in a gym.”

“I don’t live in a gym.”

Steph made a small noise of distress.  Why did that sound so sarcastic?  Why did Cass choose to infuse that sentence with sarcasm so thick you could cut it with a knife?  

Cass rolled her eyes and smiled that cute little half-smile that made Steph’s heart do a flip.  “Come on,” she said, tugging on Steph’s wrist gently enough that she didn’t drop her box.

There was a door on the far side of the gym, next to the mirrors, and that is the door that Cass led Steph through.  Behind it was a studio apartment complete with a kitchen, a couch, a bed on a platform behind a little half-wall, and a door that Steph hoped led to a bathroom.  

“Oh-kay, so this is where you live,” Steph said with an exaggerated sigh of relief.  “That makes so much more sense.”

Steph surveyed the space a little closer.  There was a row of little cactuses lined up on the kitchen island, and more potted plants in every corner.  A bookshelf next to the television held several assorted knick knacks — decks of cards, a toy motorcycle, a few decorated fans, some figures of famous monuments, a couple sketchbooks, a snowglobe of Gotham, a little plush version of Cass as Batgirl — amongst framed photos of Cass with Bruce and her brothers.  On the wall above the bed hung a blue and yellow neon sign that said “girls girls girls.”

The sign brought a smile to Steph’s face.  She’d bought it for Cass as a going-away present when she first moved to Blüdhaven.  It was a bit of a joke really — Cass was never much into the Pride aspect of her sexuality, but Steph maintained that every lesbian needed a piece of Tacky Lesbian™ decor.

“You’re not a lesbian,” Cass had pointed out.

“No, but my girlfriend is,” Steph had replied, giving Cass a peck on the cheek.  “So I think I understand their needs.”

In retrospect, it was amazing it took Steph this long to follow Cass to Blüdhaven.  Well okay, Cass had moved at the end of February, so really it was only three months, but that was three months stuck in Gotham with Bruce breathing down her neck harder than ever.

And okay, now that she had some distance, maybe she could appreciate the stress Bruce was under.  What with Dick leaving, Cass moving out, the drama with Jason (whatever that was, she didn’t want to know), and Tim going AWOL, Bruce was kinda stretched thin.  

Didn’t excuse him for being a jerk, though.  

Steph strode purposefully across the apartment and up the three stairs to the bed (-room? bed-area?), where she promptly dropped her box.

“So,” she said, sitting herself down at the edge of the bed.  There was another Batgirl plush resting against the pillows, only this one had blonde hair and purple accents on the suit.  Steph picked it up and fiddled with it.  “Pretty nice place ya got.”

“No.”  Cass lightly swatted Steph’s arm with a mock-stern look.  Or it might’ve been a legit-stern look, but it was probably mock-stern.  “Finish unloading, then we can small-talk.”

“Whaat?” Steph whined, even as she started back towards the front door and the truck beyond it (well, the truck beyond the gym beyond it).  “But Caaass, I just drove two hours!”

Cass gave her a Look, and dragged her along by the wrist again.  “Come on,” she said in a tone of voice that somehow managed to be commanding and soft at the same time.

“Since when did you get so bossy?”

“You’re in my city now.”

And wasn’t that thrilling?  Suddenly any complaints Steph had, real or joking, evaporated and she was left with a giddiness that settled pleasantly somewhere below her stomach.  She bit her lip and followed Cass with renewed glee.

This was gonna be a good move.

“So, how much of this stuff used to be Dick’s?”

“None of it.”

Steph was sprawled longways on the couch with Cass draped on top of her.  All of Steph’s stuff had been unpacked (and it only took four hours!) and now they had Queer Eye marathoning on the TV.  They’d finished a half-pint of frozen yogurt between them two episodes ago, and the evidence had long since rolled away under the coffee table.

“Really, none of it?”

“It’s all mine.”

It was nice.  Cass was warm, and her weight on Steph’s chest was comforting in a way that no weighted blanket could hope to match.  Gosh, how long had it been since they spent some chill time like this?

“So what, he took everything to Central with him, or?”

“I think he doesn’t have any stuff.”

How lucky were they?  Where would they be if Nightwing hadn’t decided to move to Missouri (of all places, Missouri) to help the Flash with whatever?  Well they wouldn’t be cuddling in their own fully paid-off luxury studio apartment (was that an oxymoron?) in their own city, that’s for sure.

“I can’t decide if that’s inspirational or sad.”

Cass shrugged and snuggled further into Steph’s chest.  Her head was tucked underneath Steph’s chin, her arms looped under Steph’s shoulders, her legs tangled up in Steph’s.  It hadn’t exactly slipped Steph’s mind how clingy Cass was, but it was easy to forget how nice it felt.  Like a puzzle piece slotting right into place.

Carding her fingers through Cass’s hair, Steph pressed a small kiss on her girlfriend’s head.  “So … this is nice.”

Cass nodded.

“We should totally do this again sometime.”

Cass flicked the side of Steph’s head, but her smile could be felt through Steph’s tee-shirt.

“Give me your number, I promise I’ll call!”

“I’m leaving,” Cass declared, wriggling out of Steph’s grip.

“You will do no such thing!”  Steph lunged for Cass, trying to grab her ‘round the middle, but she’d already vaulted over the back of the couch, landing in a graceful somersault and finishing with a half-pirouette.  

“Catch me if you can, sucker!”

Some people (Tim) thought that introducing Cass to 90’s sitcoms had been a bad idea.  Those people, of course, were entitled to their wrong opinion.

“Why, I oughta —” Steph gave chase, vaulting over the back of the couch.  She did not somersault and came nowhere near performing a pirouette, but the vault served its purpose.

The game was on.  Cass led Steph all around the apartment (which wasn’t hard, since it was one room), gliding and spinning and flipping around every surface.  And Steph matched her every move — perhaps not with so much grace or fancy moves, but let it never be said that Stephanie Brown couldn’t keep up.

When Cass flipped over the kitchen island, Steph followed suit, sliding over it.  When she hand-sprung over the half-wall and onto the bed, Steph vaulted over it moments later.  When she leapt over the coffeetable, Steph was right behind her, though she didn’t go over the table.  No, she baseball-slid on the hardwood next to it, deftly snatching up something vital as she did so.

“Think fast!” Steph shouted as she threw the empty fro-yo carton directly at Cass’s head.

Cass caught it.  Of course she did.  She thought faster than anyone; she didn’t need a warning.  However, the action did cause her to slow her momentum, giving Steph just enough leeway to catch up —

— and go skidding right into Cass’s outstretched hand.

“Wait,” Cass said, tilting her head towards the open kitchen window.  Steph followed the gesture and saw a community garden nestled between this building and the next, lit up solely by a single streetlamp.

The sun had set on Blüdhaven.

A wicked grin spread itself across Steph’s face.

“Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Cass said, one eyebrow raised.

“Patrol time?”

“Rooftop tag.”

Just like old times.  That’s what it always came down to, wasn’t it?  You could change their names, move them across cities, hurt them, break them, abuse them, but at the end of the day, this is what they were.  Steph and Cass, Spoiler and Batgirl — or Batgirl and Nightwing, as it were.  It didn’t matter, so long as they had each other, the open city, a couple of bad guys to beat up.  They would always be just fine.

Steph really wasn’t gonna miss Gotham at all, was she?

She held out her arm as if to act as an escort to Cass.  “Shall we, Nightwing?”

Cass took the proffered arm, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.  “Ready when you are, Batgirl.”