#single parent! verse

[igotanidea]

Puppy love : father!dick grayson x mother!reader

request by @parkjammys " no, we cannot get a puppy" with Dick.

A/N: as announced, I put it in a single parent!verse, hope you'll enjoy. You can find other stories from this verse under the tag :)

***

„Pretty please?”  Sienna’s eyes were wide open and shining like stars as she was looking at her father pleading to make her dream come true.

“Sienna….” Dick sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. It was always hard to refuse his little girl. Given everything she had been through, starting from being abandoned by her own mother, didn��t she deserve some joy and fun. But life was hard sometimes and he had to be a responsible adult. “No, we cannot have a puppy”.

“But why?” the girl pouted, her eyes turning sad and that view broke Dick’s heart. But he was a single father, who had to balance life, job, taking care of his kid and now, making time for some who was pretty much in love with. “daddy?”

“ I’m sorry princess. I’m just not sure if we can fit a dog into our life at the moment…..”

“This is so not fair!” Sienna smoothly came from being sweet and charming to throwing a temper tantrum, stumping her little feet on the ground angrily. ‘I want a puppy!”

“I know, honey, but…..” before Dick could finish the sentence, Sienna started crying, sobbing and almost threw herself on the ground. In the kindergarten entrance in front of every mother who came to pick their kids after a whole day. Freaking great. What was he supposed to do now? Wait until she stops? Use some force, lift her up and pack her into the car? Dick Grayson, who was capable of handling almost anything became completely helpless in the clash with his girl’s fury.

“Hey, everything all right here?” a bit concerned, but still optimistic and familiar voice interrupted hysterical sobbing and Dick sighed in relief. Thank god, Y/N showed up to pick up Thomas. Maybe she could reach to Sienna and make her calm down.

“Miss Thomas’s mother!” Sienna immediately stood up and threw herself at the older woman, hugging her legs tightly.

“Mummy!” clearly Thomas heard his mother’s voice from the open door and mirrored Sienna’s action, running at the woman, sudden impact from two sides, almost making her trip and fall.

“Hi there, kiddos.” The woman smiled wrapping arms around both boy and girl, throwing a glance at Dick and chuckling at his desperation “How was your day?”

“Daddy won’t buy me a dog! Why not? I can take care of it! I would hug it and love it and take care of it! Please, Miss Thomas’s mum, can you tell him I would be good? Can you tell him to get me a puppy?”

“Where does this come from? Why puppy all of a sudden?’ Y/N asked, her gaze meeting Dick’s. It was like he forgot where he was, his eyes just showing all the love sickness he held for the woman in front of him. Like a schoolboy. “Richard?” she called, reaching out and poking him in the chest lightly finally getting his conscious attention “Hi there.”

“Hi…..” he whispered, but quickly realised she was waiting for some answer “Oh, um…. Sorry” he cleared his throat “Apparently one of the girls….”

“Alicia!” Sienna corrected

“Yes, of course, Alicia. Brought photos of her pet and Sienna became enamoured in an instant.”

“I see.  And now you want one for yourself, don’t you?”

“Yes, please….” Sienna hid her face in Y/N’s knees hugging her even closer.

“Can we get one too, mummy? We could take walks together with Sienna.” Thomas looked up at his mother with pleading eyes. “It would be so much fun!”

“You know what?” Y/N put both kids on the arm’s length, crouching to their level and focusing on both little faces. “I think I might have an idea about that….”

“You do?” Dick, his daughter and Thomas eyed Y/N like she was their salvation and she just smiled and nodded.

“Yeah We’re gonna take a little trip. Buckle up. I’m driving.”

“I will not take the passenger seat!” Dick objected out of instincts.

“too bad for you, Grayson. Either you shotgun and follow my lead or go home alone while I kidnap your daughter.” Y/n let out a laugh, opening the car and letting the kids in. Luckily they were too busy with the belts and talking about what kind of trip it was going to be to notice Dick coming close to Y/N and brushing his lips over hers briefly.

“I hate you…..” he whispered, smiling into the kiss “you make me so weak and compliant…..”

“Unlike your daughter, huh?” she caressed his arm and shoulder. “I really hope to see your dominant side soon….. I missed it…..”

“Y/N…..” he groaned

“Get in the car before any of the parent sees us. There are enough rumours…”

“I don’t care about adults.” He chuckled, stepping away from her “but if Sienna and Thomas starts asking questions, we’ll be toasted.”

***

The car ride was shorter than anyone may expect and filled with talks and laughter. It was almost like they were a family. But once Y/N parked in front of a grey, omniscient looking facility the kids got quiet. They couldn’t quite decipher what was written on the front door but something was telling them this was going to be serious and their laughter stopped.

“Mummy?” Thomas stuttered “what is this place? I’m scared.”

“There’s no need” she smiled at her son  “no one is going to hurt any of you here. I promise. I just want you to see and learn something very important.”

“And then we’ll go get the puppy?” Sienna was extremely stubborn.

“We’ll see how it will turn out, all right little one?”

“Sure. Whatever…..” the girls crossed arms over her chest, looking way more adorable than resentful.

Once they got out and walked through the door, Thomas grabbed his mother’s hand, refusing to let go, still a bit scared and far more focused than his little friend who just busted right through ready to check whatever tour this was and go to an animal store.

“Not so fast!” Dick caught her and lifted her up, getting the plan Y/N had. “You cannot really run here. We came for a lesson.”

“What lesson? I don’t… Oh!” the voice froze in her throat as she noticed the cages with dogs in them. All kinds of dogs. Big, small, white and brown and black. Old and young. But what made them all similar was the pain and fear on their muzzles. And once the four people appeared, all of them moved towards the front, begging and pleading eyes focusing on the kids.

“What is this place, mummy?” Thomas started turning his head around.

“It’s called shelter. This is home for all those dogs that no one wanted.”

“But why?” Sienna sobbed again, struggling against her father’s grip and Dick finally put her down “why would no one want them? They look so sad…..” her little fingers rested on the glass of the cage as the little dog put his little paw on it “it’s not fair…..”

“You see, a puppy is not only about fun and playing.” Y/N explained, feeling sudden warm as Dick’s free hand entwined with hers “but it’s also about taking care of it. Feeding, cleaning, taking to the vet, spending a lot of time with it. Some people just get bored with those animals or have too much to do to care.”

“I don’t understand…..” Sienna frowned

“Oh!” Thomas’s eyes grew wide “I think I do.”

“Really? Tell me then, son.”

“I hears someone says once that a puppy is not a toy and you should not get one unless you are sure you know how to care for it. Is that what this was about mummy?”

“My clever boy.” Y/n couldn’t hide the pride in her voice “that was exactly it.”

“so…..” Sienna frowned again, a lot of thoughts forming in her head “this would be too hard to have a puppy now?”

“I’m sorry, sunshine.” Dick crouched next to his daughter “But a lot is happening and we don’t want to end up hurting whatever puppy you will get, do we?”

“No…..” the girl hesitated “No, we don’t, but…. What about all those doggies? Can we help them?”

“Actually, we can.” One of the workers, dressed in an apron chimed in “Hey there, Y/N. Giving the kids a tour?”

“Hello Dave. Something like that. I see we came right in the feeding time. Would you mind it our little Sienna the explorer and Thomas the Indiana jones, joined you? You can tell them about the volunteering and helping here.” Y/n winked at the man who were clearly her friend.

“More than happy, Y/N. You busy parents can take a little break, those two are in good hands.”

***

“You’re so smart.” Dick whispered once they took Dave on his offer and sneaked outside. His arms wrapped around her, pressing her close to his chest, wandering around her back.

“Because of how I handled the kids or because it gave as alone time?” she smirked

“Both.” His lips found hers and he kissed her gently, slowly, carefully. “Don’t you think it’s time to talk to kids about us? I’m tired of hiding and sneaking around.”

“Dick?” she tried to pull back, shocked by his question, but he didn’t let her, chasing her lips and kissing her more, this time reassuringly and she melted. Of course she had objections about it. Not about Dick, but about introducing another man into her son’s life , which could been hard. And Thomas’s acceptance was everything for Y/N. His father run away when the boy was two years old, so that wound was still fresh and she had to have her son’s well-being in the back of her mind. It was not only about her.

But god, how she wanted to try.

Dick made her feel everything she never had. Love, partnership, care. Even when they were bantering or teasing or even fighting from time to time, it was all because they had so many emotions for each other, not because they wanted to cause pain and hurt.

“Don’t run away from me….” He whispered, holding her tighter, brushing his nose over hers “Please, just give this a chance. Give us a chance. I don’t want to hide how I feel. I don’t want to have to deflect the advances of the mother’s. I want to be able to kiss you and hold you in public and not watch out if someone may see us. God, Y/N. I love you. “ there, he said it.  “I love you. I love you. I love you. I ……”

He will keep on saying it if it wasn’t for the fact that her hands locked on his neck and pulled him down to kiss, effectively shutting him up. He loved how her fingers played with his hair and how nice her body felt against him when she pressed herself closer.

“I hear you, Dick.” She finally had to let go and take a breath, leaning her forehead on his.

“And?” he smirked, but his heart was doing flips in anticipation for her answer.

“God, you fool! Of course I love you too! With all my heart! I loved you from the moment I first saw you at the parent-teacher meeting! You were so lost there, the only father, like an odd duck amongst the mother hens” she laughed wholeheartedly

“Good thing I had you to take a place next to me and save me.” He gripped her waist and pecked her lips again.

“You broke me. Ever since then I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“During the days or the nights?” he teased again

“find someone to take care of the kids tonight and I can show you….” She whispered into his ear, getting a groan from the back of his throat just as he imagined all the things he would do to her. “But first, let’s get our kids back, before they make us adopt every dog in here."

[demigoddessqueens]

your hand in mine

single dad!Miguel x single parent AU

Your kids knew each other in grade school, and were close friends, So naturally there were

Gabriella was fond of you and made you a daisy flower ring one time

Soccer games are where you and Miguel met and spent more time together too

He thought you were one the nicer parents and just naturally gravitated to you

Play dates were also a must so visiting each other’s houses is a constant

Bonding over a bottle of wine, you and Miguel learn more about

Sometimes the kids joke around that you and Miguel like each other, and that’s why you both always hang around each other

The more Gabriela talks about you to Miguel, the more he starts to adore you. Likewise, the same goes for your kids

After what’s about a year, you finally go on your first date together (much to the kids’ excitement)

[amoneki-ramblings]

do you think Kaneki might ever pray with Amon despite not being catholic himself? just sitting next to him mumbling the words as Amon says it because he likes to be with him

speaking of religion, what kind of faith do you think Kaneki would follow? I hc him as an atheist :) but I think you know more about religions than me lol

Ooooh I like that idea a lot actually I have So Many Thoughts (rubs my hands together evilly)

also this is just a sidenote but i know some people may be uncomfortable with religious discussion, so if you are lmk and i'll start tagging it :thumbsup:

I feel like Amon hasn't prayed often in a while because of his past, but he may still on occasion (habit), and may get back into it properly after actually resolving his feelings with the past. At some point Kaneki starts to join him. He doesn't really know How to pray, especially since a lot of it is in silence, he probably just kneels there and silently wishes for safety for his friends, for strength and resolve, etc. etc. But when Amon starts saying the actual prayers out loud he just sits there and listens to him quietly saying them.

At some point Kaneki might start mumbling along with them, he vaguely knows some of the prayers and has heard Amon say them enough times to kind of know them. Amon is surprised when Kaneki starts doing that and it just kind of becomes a Thing; maybe Kaneki even asks Amon to tell him how to pray the rosary since he sees him doing that often as well (when the rosary is prayed in a group there's one person leading that says the first half of most of the prayers and the rest say the other half, and I think it would be interesting with them alternating like that)

While Kaneki isn't catholic himself he finds it reassuring, while it's unlikely to him that there's someone out there that'll actually grant his prayers it's a nice thought, y'know? It's also just very relaxing there, even if it was kind of awkward at first

I think he also finds the sound of Amon praying very relaxing *cough*

I also think Kaneki would be atheist, while he wouldn't completely deny the possibility of there being a god of some sort he also isn't really a follower of any particular belief system (note: ive actually been informed that there is a better term for this, agnostic, which is essentially being neutral lol). I think Amon would know this, and therefore doesn't really know why Kaneki chooses to pray with him despite this, but he figures that Kaneki does have a lot of things he would want to pray for, things he would want to seek forgiveness for, too, and he appreciates that Kaneki is willing to spend time with him like this anyway.

[freakurodani]

so.... if you have taste then perhaps u've seen @osamusbigtits and @monstrsball single dad AUs, where Osamu is a father and Iwaizumi is a father, well I've had the honor to listen to them talk about it in the discord server and the brainrot is real... and i may have been inspired to add some bokuaka parents <3

please please please check out the links for more details its so cute i promise you'll love it <33333

[visionkept]

CONSIDER: Modern verse tomo having a ‘DO IT FOR THEM’ sign with Tama’s and Chi’s pics.

[scngbard]

Single Parent AU - joint verse w/ @heroesfaded

Married to their Hexside sweetheart, living out their life at Eda’s side as a wild witch, and the start of the family they wanted to build together. For a time, Raine thought they had everything they wanted... And, perhaps believing as much had been their first error.

Raine had spent many a moment helping Eda soothe the effects of her curse, calming the owlbeast when the woman struggled with it, and they had thought that night would be like any other. But, the owlbeast had other plans; and in the chaos of it all, Raine was left with nothing but a scar, their two year old child, and a missing wife...

Raine doesn’t know where Eda went, and after a decade of hearing nothing from her, they’ve stopped trying to find an answer.

While this verse is open to other muses, this verse will ONLY be written with Az’s Eda. And, additionally, this verse is single ship, meaning any relationships Raine has within this verse will strictly be platonic/non-romantic.

This verse generally takes place within the canon timeline. However, instead of trying to reach the position of Head Witch of the Bard Coven, Raine is a teacher at Hexside. Despite that, though, they still run the BATTs in an attempt to disrupt Belos’ schemes and save as many wild witches as they can.

After Eda’s curse had flared up and Raine’s attempts to help soothe it had failed, the owlbeast’s lash out had left Raine with a scar on the left side of their head. Claw marks that begin at the base of their skull and curl around the side, stopping just above their brow. Their left ear is also partially torn and, due to the damage there, Raine has severe hearing loss on their left side.

Marigold, or Mari, is Raine and Eda's daughter (she/they). As she was still an infant at the time of the incident, they have little to no memory of Eda. But, they are aware that Eda is their mother and often asks Raine about her when she can. Raine does their best not to let their own biases peek through when answering their questions.

♫ ╯ verse 28 || single parent ╰

[imthebestofboth]

You may be the bigger person but I'm louder I'll do everything to hurt you in my power

Just because you're confident I think you're shallow Here's a slice of humble pie for you to swallow

[igotanidea]

hi my love can I request "No, we cannot get a puppy!" With Dick please 🥺

Hi there

How about I put in in single parent verse? Cause I might have an idea 😉

[cordiibus]

been watching abbott elementary and just teacher aus. 

[strangcmatters]

-grumbles loudly and adds rei's tgv verse back-

[astral-athame]

- ̗̀ ✦ ㅤ ⸺ ㅤ 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄 .

Share at least 5 songs that you associate with or remind you of your muse! (I DID 10. I'M SORRY.)

Imaginary by Evanescence "Don't say I'm out of touch with this rampant chaos / Your reality. / I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge / The nightmare I built my own world to escape"

All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) by Bullet For My Valentine "Torn apart at the seams and my dreams turn to tears / I'm not feeling this situation. / Run away, try to find a safe place you can hide"

Snow White Queen by Evanescence "I can't save your life / Though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting / I'm losing my mind / And you just stand there and stare as my world divides"

The Well by The Crane Wives "All the words I couldn't say to you / Fill up the spaces in my chest / Like spare coins, poised on the tip of my tongue / I make a wish and hold my breath"

Everybody's Fool by Evanescence "It never was and never will be / Have you no shame? / Don't you see me? / You know you've got everybody fooled"

Teen Idle by Marina "Adolescence didn't make sense / A little loss of innocence / The ugly years of being a fool / Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?"

The State of Dreaming by Marina "All I want is to be wonderful / People in this town they can be so cruel"

Big God by Florence + the Machine "Sometimes I think it's getting better / And then it gets much worse / Is it just part of the process? / Jesus Christ, it hurts. / Though I know I should know better / Well I can make this work / Is it just part of the process? / Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ it hurts"

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + the Machine "And in the spring I shed my skin / And it blows away with the changing wind / The water turns from blue to red / As towards the sky I offer it"

Labour by Paris Paloma "The capillaries in my eyes are bursting / If our loved died would that be the worst thing? / For somebody I thought was my savior / You sure make me do a whole lot of labour. / The calloused skin on my hands is cracking / If our love ends would that be a bad thing? / And the silence haunts our bed chamber / You make me do too much labour."

[professorsparklepants]

Me: so the thing is that beginner's ballet classes are usually for ages 6-7, and the older you get the more expensive it is. by the time you reach high school usually the only people remaining are the ones who intend to go into ballet as a career. so in verse 2 of avril lavigne's sk8r boi, when you fast forward to 5 years later and the ballet girl is at home alone with a baby, implied to be a single parent, there's not only the intended subtext that she's a single mom who had an unexpected pregnancy where the dad skipped out on her, but also the implication that it ruined her career, since show business in general and ballet specifically is so fast paced that most ballerinas can't afford to take time off to have children without sacrificing their career growth. in fact post-quarantine there was a really interesting article about how many ballerinas used that time to have children that their otherwise demanding schedule wouldn't have allowed them-- You, hitting me with a broom: how the hell did you get in my house

[bozepomagaj]

My friends went out to watch ATSV.... WITHOUT ME!!!! I AM IN SHAMBLES!!!

At least I can finally talk about it to someone cuz I've been going insane over it for some time now

[daportalpractitioner]

leo degrees in the natal chart (5°, 17°, 29°)

5° = gifts that you are here to express passionately in the world. the inner child. carefree. independent. doesn't care what anyone thinks of them. child-like innocence before the corruption. very creative. entrepreneurial spirit. authenticity before the corruption. big dreams + visions. expansive imagination. hair is significant quality of the native. hot head. family person. fierce + protective. autoimmune disorders. lives from the heart. family favorite. playful + curious, similar to gemini. feels free to express honestly. use your heart as your compass and you'll never be strayed away. desires freedom yet doesn't know how to attain it. jack of all trades when it comes to hobbies.

17° = fame + the corruption that comes with it. cares too much about what people think. strategic with their generosity. wants everyone to like them. popular girl/guy. hyper-focused on romance. serial dater. love bomber. narcissistic tendencies. entitlement. impatient. natural spotlight. very sexy + attractive. it girl vibes. trendsetter. socialite. presence adds value to the atmosphere. knows how to command a room. interested/well versed in psychology. confidence issues stemming from childhood. traumatic relationship with parent(s). single parent household vibes. hypersexual. hook up culture. rejection wounds. crucifixion for being your true self (you can't please everybody). people will try to dim your light because not everyone can handle the sun. sheep behavior. don't stray away from your passions in order to appeal to others.

29° = eldest sibling syndrome. the example of who or who not to be. the only way you'll be fulfilled is if you live for you, not everyone else. choose the life you want — give yourself that autonomy. resurrection energy. the ultimate freedom of christ consciousness. artistic. life should be a pure reflection of the heart. heart is as light as a feather. strong connection to the spirit world + the dead. keep your heart healthy — get into some cardio. death is a common theme in this lifetime as one closes out many cycles. given the responsibility of ending certain cycles that hold the bloodline back. lover of children + could play a parental role, mentor, etc. chaotically concentrated energy of whatever sign this degree is in. use the energy of this sign to free yourself. iconic + legendary. talked about for many generations afterwards. extremely talented + well known for talent(s).

[callmeizukunotdeku]

I love the idea of parentified Tim Drake.

Bruce loses Jason and isn't ready for another son. Tim sees this, he acknowledges this, and he's okay with it. He's never really been a son to his own parents so he wouldn't expect the neighbor to start taking care of him.

When Tim's parents come home, they're not mean or anything, they just don't baby him. They treat him as an equal--as someone who knows what he's doing--and that's fine, because he does.

He's been taking care of himself for as long as he could remember, so when people try to treat him like a child, it angers him more than anything. The way that they assume just because he's young he can't take care of himself.

Tim's been to galas before, though. He's talked with Bruce and the man never treated him like he was incompetent. Tim's parents would ask Tim questions about the company so that he could recite them to Bruce. It was a song and dance he was well versed in, but he didn't really mind, not when Bruce looked at him with such a fondness in his eyes, always saying, "That's really interesting. You know a lot about your parents' company. Did it take you a while to memorize it?"

And he'd shake his head and say, "No," because that was the correct response, even if it was wrong.

Even if he had flashcards about Drake industries and kept up to date with perception of the company and the stock value and who the shareholders were and what they wanted and what they were willing to do to get that.

It wasn't one bout of work. It wasn't a single night of studying to make sure he passed the test, but a lifetime memorizing information and then rememorizing it when it changed.

So when Jason died and Bruce started getting bad, Tim knew what to do.

He was used to long term projects where it would be years before he actually got to see any result. He was used to seeing adults as people who he was responsible for, though he had to admit that the responsibility had never been that big before.

When Tim showed up at Bruce's doorstep, he was young, just like both of Bruce's other sons, but his eyes lacked that sort of naïveté and childlike wonder that should have accompanied the baby fat which persisted on his cheeks.

That's what made Alfred pause at the door.

There was a kid. A black haired, blue eyed kid. He was young, like both of Bruce's sons. His lack of naïveté was something he shared with both children, only Dick's had been a fresh sort of loss, one he was still mourning, and Jason's naïveté was something long-forgotten and left to rot. It was a feeling you smelt when you left the windows closed for too long.

Still there, still somewhere, but not quite right and never able to be found, only stumbled upon in rare moments of something that could almost be called joy.

Tim's naïveté is something he left at home. He keeps it on a shelf in his bedroom, something to look at when the going gets rough, but something too fragile to be held.

Maybe that's why Alfred lets him in.

That day, Tim meets Bruce--not Brucie or Batman, just Bruce.

He meets a man who's hair's grown long, but not long enough for it to have been intentional. There's grease in his hair and bags under his eyes and you can tell that he's been biting his nails.

He's clean shaven, because that's what people can see when he wears the cowl.

Tim takes a deep breath before walking into the room.

Bruce doesn't move, but Tim doesn't doubt that the man notices him.

The room smells like alcohol--a smell he recognizes from when his own father is home, though he can't say he's ever remembered it smelling so concentrated.

"Hello," he says, when he's right in front of Bruce, "My name is Tim, and I'm here to help."

Bruce doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to.

Tim talks to him, slowly distracting the man as he brings him to the bathroom, first trying to put a toothbrush in his hand and then, when that doesn't work, brushing the man's teeth himself.

Tim draws a bath for him and grabs him a new pair of clothes, and tells him to take his bath, only leaving the room when Bruce finally stands up and starts undressing.

Tim takes care of the sheets, puts new ones on the bed, and goes to the kitchen, to find Alfred already making food.

The butler asks him if he's staying to eat but Tim just insists that he's not hungry and brings the food up to Bruce.

He knocks on the bathroom door, and when Bruce doesn't respond, he opens it.

Bruce is sitting in the bath, knees to his chest, crying, but not otherwise moving.

So Tim rolls up his sleeves and washes Bruce's hair, then keeps him company as Bruce washes himself.

Bruce finds it easier to get things done when there's someone else in the room--talking to him, giving him something else to think about.

Tim talks as he gets Bruce out of the bath and hand him a towel. He talks as Bruce dries himself off and gets dressed. He talks as Bruce eats the lunch that Alfred made him and he talks until he gets Bruce back to bed.

He leaves, voice hoarse from talking so much after living in an empty home.

He comes back the next day and does it all again.

Alfred doesn't know what he should do. He knows, of course, that Tim is young and shouldn't be taking care of someone at that age.

He also knows that Bruce is in no state to take care of himself and all of Alfred's attempts have been in vain.

Tim's talking was what got Bruce to eat his first actual meal in a week--not just popcorn and protein bars. Tim's presence is what got Bruce to bed.

Tim was what was making things better, so while Alfred knew he should put a stop to it, he couldn't quite make himself do so.

Instead, he started doing little things.

He invited Tim to stay for meals.

Invited Tim to stay the night.

It took a while, but eventually, Tim started living in the manor.

One month, there's only ghosts in the house, the next, three beating hearts.

One month, Bruce can only think of his son, the next, he's calling Tim his dad.

One day, Bruce crosses the line as Batman, and the next day, he has a Robin.

You know how things go from there, some things are lost, others are gained. Some things stay the same, others do nothing but change.

Bruce and Tim get better, but Bruce still thinks of Tim as his dad.

No one really pays it much heed, though. That's just how they are--nothing really to note.

It's Dick, though, who starts noticing something's off, because Tim never sleeps.

When Dick was first adopted, he had nightmares.

He'd remember what it was like to watch someone fall. He did not watch it from the ground, but from the balcony, holding onto a trapeze, moments away from completing his own jump.

It took him months to finally come to Bruce, tell him about his nightmares.

Though he was never told the details, he knew it was the same for Jason. He pushed Bruce away, insisted that he'd be fine on his own, but eventually started letting him in.

He never asked, but assumed it was the same for Tim. When Tim couldn't sleep, when he had nightmares, when he couldn't stand to sleep in an empty bed, he'd go to Bruce like the rest of them did.

It was a reasonable thing to assume, and it was a belief he only questioned when he got up in the middle of the night to get water.

That same night, Bruce had a nightmare. Bruce knocked on Tim's door. Bruce slept in Tim's bed.

Tim ran his hands through Bruce's hair, promising that everything would be okay until Bruce fell asleep.

Now that he knew to look for it, Dick started noticing even more. The way Tim knew Bruce's favorite food and the way Tim took care of the man's company so that Bruce had the freedom to do what he wanted. The way Bruce turned to Tim when he had a problem or wanted to be told he did something well.

It was wrong.

It was wrong and Dick was trapped because he hadn't noticed it earlier. Why didn't he notice it earlier?

Tim came to him first, asked him to become Robin again. Dick knew about Tim from the start. Dick was there for the entirety of his stay as Robin.

He was there.

So why didn't he noticed?

Jason sees him panicking on patrol and Dick just breaks.

He breaks down in his brother's arms--arms he can feel tightening around him as he tells him everything.

They talk about it a lot after that. Jason starts noticing things too.

They bring in Babs and start making a file--compiling evidence because there's always the urge to just ignore it. To acknowledge that Bruce is doing better than ever.

But that requires them to forget about Tim.

To let the boy take care of Bruce and not live his own life.

Because, now that they're looking, they can see how lonely it is.

How he doesn't have any school friends--he had to drop out to take over WE.

How he's grown apart from Young Justice--always leaving when Bruce is in trouble or needs someone to talk to, not able to bear the idea of what Bruce might do if left alone.

Because Tim knows he'll break.

Bruce needs someone to take care of him, and Tim exists to fulfill the needs of others, regardless of how much it takes from him.

So Tim goes and helps his son. He never talks about how tired he is. He has sleeping pills to fix that, and maybe he can't take them because what if Bruce has a nightmare and then he can't wake up Tim--it's unimaginable.

Dick and Jason notice, though, and they try to bring it up with him, but they're not sure how.

Not when Tim's gut reaction is just to start taking care of them, too. Easing their worries, telling them that everything's okay.

They want so bad to insist that it's not okay, that this is going to ruin Tim and he can't spend his whole life like this.

But they want even more to be held. To be granted that unconditional love and care that comes with being Tim's child.

So they try to say something--anything.

But then, Tim smiles. He opens his arms to them and asks about their days.

And they they try to tell him that not everything's okay, but Tim is smiling, and they try, but they can't say a thing.