Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You sure the house isn’t empty?” Dean whispers, creeping past the entry way. In a mansion so big they didn’t necessarily have the time to check all the rooms. “It’s too quiet.”

 “How hard could it be to find two vampires, Dean,”Sam sighs. He’d had a long car ride to get there, and any attempts to sleep were met with nightmares of Jess. 

 “In a mansion?” Dean scoffs quietly, stepping on an ornate rug and scuffing it with dirt. “Pretty fucking hard.”

 Sam rolled his eyes, but kept going through to the next room. Dean followed, probably louder than he should have been. “I feel like they would have heard you by now,”Sam remarks.

 “They’re not home,” A small voice pipes up from behind the kitchen island. 

 Dean makes a noise between a scream and a shout and fires a shell of salt at the noise. The small shadowy figure ducks in time, yelping and hiding behind the furniture from the salt. “Dean-”Sam starts, rushing to his brother’s side. “What was that?”

“I don’t know!” Dean throws back, pointing his weapon towards the island. “Show yourself,”Dean calls out harshly. 

“You won’t, uh, shoot me if I come out?” The voice says, sounding young. Dean agrees, and Sam perks up in realization. 

“Timothy Drake?” Sam asks, tilting his head and scrunching his eyebrows. He puts his gun down, causing Dean to shoot him a look.

“Yep,”Tim confirms, standing up fully and leaning on the counter. With his height it’s hardly intimidating. “And you’re Sam Winchester,”Tim says confidently. 

“How’d you know that?” Dean barks, and Tim raises his hands in surrender. 

“I thought you were enrolled in summer camp. You shouldn’t be here,” Sam interrupts. 

“Mom and dad never send me to summer camp,”Tim says, “They just say they’re going to.” The kid looks tired, and is wearing blue pajamas with polar bears on them. He eyes Dean’s gun and seems to square his shoulders. “And I hoped someone would show up, but I’m surprised it’s you two. I was gonna try to call for help from a hunter but…”

“You know your parents are-”Dean starts, but Tim fills in the blanks. 

“Vampires? Yeah,”Tim scoffs. He holds up a bandaged wrist. “They’d rather have me home all summer as a snack, if you know what I mean.”

The brothers did know what he meant, and fell silent. Dean finally lowers his gun, not that it would do much against a very human boy. The kid yawns. “I started researching when they first turned,”Tim says. Sam is reminded of the late hour and wonders what the kid is doing up in the first place. “Was trying to figure out how to stop them, and found a few forums mentioning hunters.”

“You said they left?” Sam asks. Tim nods. He reaches across the counter to grab a bag of marshmallows sitting there and stuffs two marshmallows in his mouth before answering. 

“Yeah,”Tim says,adding,”To Estonia, I think.”

“And they just left you here?” Dean frowns. The whole situation is leaving him feeling wrong-footed. “Alone? What are you, nine?”

“Ten,”Tim scowls, then scowls harder when Dean flicks the lights on. “Better off with them gone, don’t you think?”

“Kid has a point,”Sam mutters quietly, but Dean ignores him and walks into the kitchen. 

“Hey!” Tim protests when Dean snatches away the bag of marshmallows from him. Dean towers over the ten year old, and Dean can’t help but eye the bandages on both wrists of the kid. His pale skin stands out against his black hair and circles under his eyes. 

“Sam’s gonna test you to make sure you ain’t a creepy crawly, and I’m gonna cook you a better meal than this crap,”Dean says, tossing the bag of marshmallows into a random cupboard high enough that the kid would have to climb to get. He’s amused at the way the bag is immediately forgotten at the prospect of monster testing. Sam gives Dean a look when the kid lights up.

“Really? What kind of tests?” Tim asks, intrigued. He walks over to Sam as the man puts his duffle bag on the counter. Sam frowns at the way Tim uses the counter as a crutch. He thinks that the kid is lucky to be alive with vampires for parents, and wonders how long he’s been fed on. It can’t have been healthy, and Sam can’t help but think about how repeated blood loss will affect the kid long-term.

“How about you sit down right here and I’ll explain it to you,”Sam offers, patting the stool next to him as he sits down. Dean is already moving around the kitchen looking for ingredients. Sam can’t help but be a bit bewildered that his brother even knows how to cook. Sam sure didn’t. Tim nods eagerly and climbs up to sit next to the man he met not even an hour ago. “Now, this first one is for vampires.”

“Does garlic actually work?” Tim asks, holding out a palm to Sam for whatever he thinks will happen. 

“No,” Sam laughs,”Most vampire lore isn’t true at all. Garlic, crosses, mirrors, stake to the heart, even sunlight.”

“I figured,”Tim sighs. He looked weary. “Out of all the things I researched it seemed only the bloodlust was true, and I’m not strong enough to try beheading. Had to play it safe until I could figure out how to call for help. I mean, I would’ve called Batman but I don’t think he’d know either.”

“Smart,”Sam says, ignoring the part about Batman. They tried to steer clear of heroes and vigilantes alike. The fact that they were in Gotham at all was because of the sheer number of people Jack and Janet Drake had killed all over the country during their trips. 

The two sitting down startle when Dean clangs a pan a bit too loudly on the stove. “How long were you living with them like that, kid?” Dean asks and Sam can tell he’s angry about it. 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Tim rushes to reassure. Dean frowns, but before he can say anything Tim continues. “They’re only here about a week at a time, even before two years ago when they got turned.”

“Do you know how it happened?” Sam asks. Dean goes back to cooking angrily, but Sam can tell he’s still listening. 

“They’re archeologists,”Tim explains. “Stumbled upon something about an alpha vampire and the key to immortality or something. They searched around, and found a way to make it happen. I don’t know the details.”

“They turned on purpose?” Sam clarifies. He resists the urge to write the story down. “Didn’t they see any warnings?” 

“Immortality was worth it, I guess,”Tim shrugs. He uses his hand to cover a yawn, and visibly straightens up as to not slouch. He looks incredibly small sitting next to Sam. Sam hates to think of what the kid has been through the past two years. Too young to go through something like that. “They connected with some shady people and act like it’s the best decision they’ve ever made,”Tim adds, almost like an afterthought he wouldn’t have voiced aloud had he not been so tired. 

“They aren’t um. All there, anymore,”Tim says, sitting up again. “Like, they were fine feeding off just me for the first few months, but started craving more. I…I wasn’t going with them on trips, so…”

Tim trailed off, then sighed. It was almost like the kid thought it was fine when it was just him that was getting hurt, and Sam didn’t know how to even begin to try to convince him otherwise. “ They’d talk about different people around the world as options on a menu.” He looked up at Sam with sad, tired eyes. “It just got a lot worse.”
 Sam and Dean are silent. They’d seen exactly the type of deranged craving and bloodlust Tim’s trying to describe. “It’s not your fault,”Sam reassures,”I’m sure they loved you a lot before they were turned.”

Tim snorts at that. “Yeah, sure,”He says, eyes drifting over to Sam’s bag. “You are here to kill them, right? Because they’ve been killing people around the world?”

“Yep,”Sam says, mirroring Tim’s speech from before. He clears his throat,”So,ready for the first test?”

“Yes,”Tim says eagerly, fixing his posture again to mask his tiredness. It had to be close to one in the morning now, Sam thinks. Sam shakes his head fondly at the kid’s antics and pulls out a silver butter knife and an iron ring. 

Tim and Sam don’t go over everything by the time Dean sets a plate down in front of each of them. Each plate is filled with burgers that look better than any fast food Tim has ever had and crispy chopped potatoes on the side. Dean makes sure to place a big glass of water in front of Tim before sitting down with his own plate. 

“This looks amazing,”Tim says in awe, eagerly digging in. Dean and Sam share a look at the way Tim tries not to eat too fast. It’s a bit obvious the kid hasn’t had a homemade meal in what could be his whole life, and it irks at both the brothers. Tim pauses to drink water and looks at the men with a frown. “You’re still planning on killing my parents, right?”

Dean chokes on his food at the question, prompting Sam to pat his back. “When will they be home?” Sam asks instead. Tim’s face scrunches up in thought.

“Their flight schedule says two months,”Tim thinks aloud. His food is nearly gone, and Dean resists the urge to give him more. He doesn’t want the kid throwing up later on. “But hey, can you teach me more about monsters before you go? There’s a lot online but it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake.”

“Yeah, uh,”Dean starts, looking for what to say. It wasn’t every day they had time to babysit. Especially when their vampire hunt turns into comforting their victim. Protocol might’ve been leaving the kid with a trusted guardian and going off until the vampires returned, but the situation was tricky. 

“We can stick around for a bit,”Sam finishes. “There’s nothing else immediately going on that we’re needed for, and we can’t exactly go around hunting in Gotham with Batman around.”

“Why not?” Tim asks curiously. The ketchup smear on his face makes an adorable scene that hurts Dean’s heart. 

“Hunter’s usually avoid cities with heroes,”Dean answers. “Gotham especially. There’s a lot of hunters convinced that Gotham’s actually cursed.”

“Cursed?” Tim repeats. Living in Gotham, Tim had never noticed anything like a curse. Maybe it’s the smog, Tim thinks. He can’t remember ever seeing a sunny day in Gotham. “How come you guys are here if there’s a curse?”

 “Because your parents have been killing outside of Gotham,”Sam explains. 

“All over the world,”Dean adds. “Knew they’d be in Gotham next but we were too late.”

“Anyway,”Sam continues,”Because of the curse Gotham has an unusually high crime rate, supervillains, and cryptids,”Sam says. “But because it generally doesn’t leave Gotham, hunters avoid it and leave it to the heroes.”

“Oh,”Tim says, thinking. He recalls many unsolved and cold cases in his snooping of the police department files and thinks that maybe some of them might have supernatural origins. “What if the heroes don’t know about the monster stuff?”

“If we can solve it without getting the heroes attention, we usually do,”Dean says. “It’s usually Superman we worry about the most, with his hearing, so Metropolis is a no-go zone. We’d probably get arrested very quickly.”

Tim nods. That seemed to make sense. Dean then picks up the empty plates and puts them in the dishwasher. He refills Tim’s glass of water, noting how the kid seemed to be losing the fight against sleep now that he’d gotten some food in him. Sliding the refilled glass to the kid, Dean feels a pang at the surprised look Tim sends him at the action. 

Sam looks to Dean in alarm when Tim stops talking, but Dean mouths ‘sleepy’ to him and Sam nods in understanding. “Alright kiddo, bedtime,”Dean says cheerfully. “Which one of these rooms is yours in this giant place?”

“Upstairs.” Tim yawns. He gets up from the kitchen stool at Dean’s prompting when he stops, brows furrowing. “You aren’t staying, are you?”

The way Tim’s resigned eyes stare directly into the brother’s hearts leave them with no choice. Sam crouches down to Tim’s level, looking him in the eyes. “How about this- Dean and I are gonna head back to our motel room to get some sleep, change clothes, and we’ll meet back here in the morning for breakfast. How’s that sound?”

“Will you tell me more about monsters?” Tim asks hopefully. His big tired blue eyes are near impossible to say no to, and the two men would never leave a kid unprepared.

“Sure thing,”Sam says. “We can even plan what happens after-”Dean kicks him and Sam remembers who he’s talking to,”After we leave,”He finishes. Tim nods, but still looks incredibly sad trudging up the stairs alone. 

“We can’t just leave him alone,”Sam whispers when Tim is out of earshot. 

“What do you want me to do, adopt him?” Dean shoots back. “You know what kind of danger he’d be in if we brought him with us. Sides, he’d be safer with whatever rich relative pops up to take him in after this all blows over.”

Dean knows it’s not an ideal situation. Tim was just extremely unlucky to get the hand he was dealt. Especially having to suffer through it for two years. “We can’t just stay here for two months waiting for the Drakes to come back,”Sam says, picking is duffle bag up,”But we can give him some tools to be prepared. Help him figure out a plan for after his parents are gone.”

“Prepare him? What, so he can become a hunter?” Dean scoffs.

“It’s Gotham, Dean,”Sam points out. “He’ll be better off knowing in a place like this.”

“No way,”Dean disagrees. “He’d be better off forgetting about all of it and living a normal life.”

“Right, like after two years living with vampires he’s just going to forget all of it,”Sam argues. “But sure, fine, we off his parents and then never see him again. Is that what you think is best?”

“Just- We’ll come back tomorrow,”Dean says, running a hand over his face. “But after that it’s up to the kid how much he wants to know about all this, and what he does after his parents are gone.”

“Alright,”Sam agrees. He thinks he knows what Tim would choose, given the excitement he’d had over the tests Sam explained earlier. 

Chapter Text

Sam and Dean spent a week with Tim. Surprisingly, Tim was already on top of what was going to happen after his parents died. Sam especially, was a bit intimidated by the extent of Tim’s plans. He’d been able to offer some help when it came to coding and hacking, but Tim was a quick student. Sam and Tim were able to put together a rock-solid plan by the end of the week, if only heavily dependent on Tim himself to run Drake Industries by himself. 

Dean too, was going to miss Tim. He’d been able to teach Tim  all the weapons and tricks they had in the car. The kid was a stick, and teaching him to fight seemed like a lost cause. Despite Sam’s warnings, Dean had even taught Tim to drive a little. Sam was pretty sure that what Dean would miss the most was the pristine kitchen, though. He’d cooked pretty much every meal that week, and leftovers for Tim when they’d finally gotten a call from Bobby about a sea monster in Rhode Island.

Tim was well prepared, and set with a list of phone numbers to call in case anything happened while Sam and Dean were gone, or just for future use. He’d already memorized them by the end of the month. Tim had been the most persistent and horrifyingly competent pre-teen that the brothers had ever met. He soaked up everything like a sponge and was wickedly smart. 

Dean could tell Sam was having fun compiling homework and tests for the kid while on the road. Even on the road, they’d end up calling the kid at least once a day. Sometimes to pass the time in the car for so long, other times to check in. Tim often talked with Sam about hacking and research, while Dean and Tim debated heroes and talked about music and cartoons. 

It was nice, for Tim, to have someone to talk to who understood. Sam and Dean knew exactly how much danger Tim had been in and were aware of the dangers that lurked elsewhere. Tim wanted to be prepared, and he wanted to help like Sam and Dean did. Yet, part of him still idolized Batman and everything the hero stood for, Tim could see that there were gaps where maybe.. Possibly… killing might be okay if said person you were killing happened to be a vampire. Or a ghost. Or a ghoul. Or- well. Tim could see himself helping Batman out with the cases he got stumped on. 

With only Sam’s homework, night photography, and skateboarding to keep himself occupied, he turned to Gotham’s cold cases when he got bored. It was fun putting together the puzzles that led to one creature or another. He kept sending his findings to Sam and reveling a bit in how surprised and bewildered Sam got every time. Apparently, the brothers were under the impression that Gotham was ‘not that bad’. Tim figured he could try to test out his theories, but both Sam and Dean were adamant that he refrain from doing any actual hunting until he was at least sixteen. Tim reluctantly agreed, but also thinks what they don’t know won’t hurt them. 

Honestly, Tim had more fun researching monsters and cryptids than he ever had in school. It was probably the most reading he’d ever done besides classwork. Sam had also been teaching him a bit of Latin, and while Tim was not great at it he’d managed to memorize a few phrases of an exorcism after a month. Tim was doing great, if not a bit lonely. Summer time meant no school, but also no friends due to summer camps and family vacations. Tim was all alone with his thoughts. 

That is, until Jack and Janet Drake came home early. 

Tim was hiding in his DIY soundproof closet with his phone. The closet having been one of the first things he’d done after finding out his parents had better than average hearing. He was crouched down under his hanging clothes, frantically dialing a number he memorized over the past month and a half. He didn’t know why he was feeling so scared now when he’d been fine living with his parents the last two years. Tim had never bolted so fast when he saw them coming up the driveway through the window. He’d always greeted them at the door before. 

Intellectually, Tim knows Sam and Dean are still days away from Gotham, but his panicked brain needs some reassurance. Tim knows though, that he can’t stay in the closet forever. 

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,”Tim whispers frantically, not wanting to test the closet’s soundproofing abilities. He keeps going with the chant until he hears the familiar click and whisper yells,”Dean!” Into the phone. 

“”Tim?” It’s Sam on the other end, but Tim’s shoulders slump in relief anyway. “What’s wrong?”

“My parents are home,”Tim rasps through the lump in his throat. It’s hard to get words out with the panic building in his chest. He feels like he might cry but he’s too anxious and on edge to commit. 

Sam curses on the other end and suddenly Dean’s talking. “We can get to you by tomorrow,”Dean says, “Play it safe, Tim. You can do this.”

“‘kay,”Tim croaks. He knows this. He just doesn’t want to do it alone. 

“Don’t try to take em on unless you know for sure you can win, okay?”Dean adds. “We’re on our way. Just hang in there, Timmers. You can do this.”

“Okay,”Tim breathes. He takes a shaky breath, feeling a little better. “See you tomorrow,”Tim adds, if only to make it feel more real. The ‘if I make it that long’ hangs in the air.

“Tim,”Dean says seriously. “We’re coming to get you.” The tone shows no argument, and Tim closes his eyes, pressing the phone against his forehead. He doesn’t want to hang up and face the monsters outside his room.

“Thanks,”Tim says, in almost a whisper, and hangs up before he loses his nerve. He takes a moment to breathe, trying to calm down. “They’re coming for me,”Tim repeats to himself. He’s not alone. He can do this. 

Tim knows he should plan, get out somehow, call for help- but he can’t. He spends what feels like an hour in the closet before he’s ready to face the monster his parents have become. Shaking his head, Tim is as calm as he’s going to get before he starts crawling out of the closet, feeling like a live-wire. He beelines for the bathroom attached to is room instead of immediately going out to the hall. 

Standing up, Tim splashes water on his face, biding his time. Hopefully he can make it seem like he’d just been in the bathroom the whole time. Tim washes his hands and flushes the toilet, taking time to dry his shaking hands thoroughly. 

Absently, Tim’s thinking he doesn’t ever remember being so afraid of his parents before, even when they’d turned into vampires. Maybe it’s because Tim now knew just how much danger he is in. After doing research he knew just how dangerous his parents could be. But on the other hand, he knew they wouldn’t hurt him. They had a use for him, and so while Tim was useful he was safe. 

Still, Jack and Janet were relatively new to the vampire life compared to those that lived longer than the average human lifespan. They hadn’t experienced hunters in a way others had. Jack and Janet Drake are high on their own privilege and wealth they don’t know they should be trying harder to keep hunters off their trail. The Drakes don’t know they’re not exempt from consequences because of their wealth. But they will know, eventually, that once a hunter finds you, you can’t escape so easily. 

Exiting the bathroom, he hears voices outside his room and freezes. “‘Told you he was in the bathroom,”His mother is saying.

“It was a long flight,”Jack complains,”I’m hungry.”

“Patience, Jack,”Janet reprimands, and Tim thinks it’s now or never. He pulls open the door to the hall with shaky hands and tries not to let the dread show on his face. 

“Mom? Dad?”Tim asks, feigning surprise at the two looming in front of his door. They’re both dressed nicely, dark cardigan over a red dress and a red dress shirt and slacks. Tim avoids eye contact, dreading the hungry stares that don’t line up with their pleasant smiles. “What are you doing back so early? I thought you’d be another two weeks.”

“The Wayne Gala is tonight, Timothy,”Janet says like its a reminder and not completely new information. “There’s no way we can miss it this year, not with the partnership we have with Wayne Enterprises over electric cars this year. It’s such an important event, there’s no way we could miss it.”

“Oh,”Tim says, relaxing at the thought of not being stuck in the manor with them all night. The Gala was set to start at six, though, so he still had the whole day to spend with them. 

“You eat yet, champ?” Jack asks, rubbing his hands together. One would assume his hands were cold, but Tim knew he was getting impatient. “Why don’t we all head down to the kitchen for some lunch?” 

There it was. Tim swallows, half frozen at the thought. He stays put when they start walking to the kitchen and Janet notices immediately. Her sharp eyes narrow and she tuts at him before nudging him forward until they make it down the hall. “Honestly, Timothy,”She scoffs. “You’re too old for such behavior. What’s gotten into you?” She asks, but continues on without waiting for an answer. “With this attitude I suppose we should leave you here instead of taking you with us to the gala.”

“What?”Tim blinks,” Sorry,” Tim gets out, following his parents this time. His hands are still shaking so he hides them in his pockets. 

“Course you’re coming with us to the Gala,”Jack laughs. “I’m sure Wayne’s got his boys all dressed up, but their manners can’t compare to a Drakes.” 

“Better be on your best behavior Timothy,”Janet reminds him. “You’ll be representing the future of Drake Industries, and you know perfectly well how a young man such as yourself should act”

Tim nods, having heard it before. They get to the kitchen and Tim finds himself by the counter, standing numbly as his mom grabs wine glasses from the cabinet and his dad comes back from around the corner with a small, sharp, knife. His hands wont stop shaking so he presses them tightly into fists at his sides. 

Janet must have noticed. “Timothy, I honestly don’t understand you right now. Where’s my sweet little boy gone? You’re acting like you’re scared of your own parents,”Janet laughs, but she’s not far from the truth. Inside, she knows it too and he knows she knows it’s true but wants it to be otherwise so she gets what she wants. 

Janet wraps a well manicured hand around his wrist and pushes up his sleeve. His skin is a tapestry of scars on each wrist, healed by the time he’s had without them. Tim mourns the loss of the lack of scabs he’s had. “After all we do for you,”Janet continues.” And now you’re being sensitive? Can’t you just be grateful for once in your life?”

“I-I am,” Tim stammers. He tries not to look at the first aid kit propped on the counter, almost as an afterthought. “I’m just thinking about the Gala. I don’t think I have anything to wear.”

Janet clicks her tongue in thought, appeased by the answer. “I’ll have to look into your closet. We’ll make something work.” 

“Okay,”Tim agrees easily. His mind sort of leaves him in the next few moments that Jack comes closer with the knife in hand. Robotically, Tim takes the knife from his father, something he’d learned to do early on to prevent a worse wound. Tim holds it over his wrist like he’s done over and over again, positioning it directly over an old scar in hopes that the skin on his wrist won’t look too bad in the future. He falls into the routine, slicing a clean line and watching his parents fill up their glasses slowly but greedily. 

As always, Tim feels woozy by the end, but needs to clean and disinfect the cut. Clumsily, he does so, feeling the sting. His parents are long gone with their spoils, leaving Tim alone at the counter. Finished wrapping his wrist, Tim sits at the same stool he sat in when Dean made him dinner. He finds himself missing the brothers as he sits there alone. 

Tim puts his head down on the cold marble for a nap. The bloody knife sits a few feet away on the same counter and Tim thinks he’s just going to rest a few minutes then he can go and clean it. 

“Timothy Jackson Drake,”Tim hears and snaps to attention. He blearily opens his eyes, looking around before locking eyes with his mother. She’s wearing a different, more elaborate gown in green and holding up a few hangers of clothes. “I have been calling you for the past few minutes. Clean that mess up and come try these on before we’re late.”
“Okay,”Tim calls back, rubbing his eyes with his uninjured wrist. He looks to the clock and sees its three pm, leaving them until at least five thirty before they needed to leave. 

Tim dutifully cleans, feeling disconnected from his earlier fear. He thinks that fighting monsters is easier when you haven’t known them your whole life. He goes through the motions, letting his mother dress him how she wants. Distantly, he’s aware of just how strong his mom is as she smoothes out the fabric on his shoulders. Her long acrylic nails remind him of claws. 

Riding the waves of dissociation Tim ends up at the Gala in a suit slightly too small. They hadn’t had the time or prior thought to get him fitted for a new one, but it wasn’t too noticeable if he didn’t raise his arms much. He’s a little miffed the pants fit fine, meaning he hadn’t grown any taller in the legs. He hopes to be as tall as Sam one day, but thinks he might have to settle for Dean’s height. 

Throughout the beginning, Tim has a smile plastered in place as his parents show him off and reconnect with their rich friends. He can feel the pulsing of his wrist, and wonders how long it would take to heal. Similarly, he can also feel the slight pinprick of his mother’s nails when she grips his shoulder. He’s distantly aware of the fact that he’s in Batman’s house, and has an inexplicable urge to ask him for help. 

Tim knows it would be a bad idea. Vampires were incredibly fast and strong, and Tim knows a lot of people at the party would die before Batman figured it out. If he even believed Tim in the first place. On top of that, Tim thinks Batman’s no killing rule applies to vampires, and given that beheading is the only way to stop them, Tim thinks he’s out of luck with the man. 

No, Tim would just have to wait. Sam and Dean were on their way, and Tim could use the Gala as a buffer. His stomach growls and he thinks he can sneak away soon for a snack, since most of the greetings were over. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and was starting to regret it. With the hunger came more awareness, and Tim starts to feel more in control of himself. He starts to have a realization that this might be the last Gala he ever goes to with his parents. 

Sure, Tim had prepared for this. He had plans upon plans of how he’d take over DI and fake his parent’s travels, but it’s just now hitting him that this might be the last time he ever sees them. Tim thinks he’s okay with it. After all, he’d come to learn that his parents didn’t love him. He wasn’t sure they even liked him all that much, but that didn’t mean he hated them. Tim thinks maybe he tolerates his parents, like they do him. It’s a business transaction of sorts, one where he wouldn’t lose much if they died. 

One way or another, Tim’s parents were going to die. He’d make sure of it. 

“Timothy, darling, go get yourself something to eat,”His mother says with a smile, bringing him out of his thoughts of her death. He hears her mutter,”Can hear your stomach growling a mile away.”

“Of course,”Tim says politely, taking the out and heading for the table of food. It looks amazing, and Tim can’t help the way his stomach growls in response to the sight. He grabs water first, and after downing two glasses feels a headache he didn’t know he had lessen. 

Trying to ground himself, Tim pauses for a moment to breathe. He thinks of the breathing exercises he’s seen Batman walk victims through and tries to replicate it to the best of his ability. He doesn’t think he does it correctly, but it helps. Tim can’t afford to be nervous now, not when he was following the plan. The plan being survive, but if he calls it the plan he feels less terrified about it. 

Tim surveys the assortment of foods and lands on the desserts. The canapes are initially very tempting but Tim knows he should eat something higher in iron to make up for the constant blood loss. Dean had been teaching him different ways to make eggs and spinach taste good, and Tim had started having fun experimenting with omelet making. It was the one thing he could cook on the stove now that Dean taught him. Why not , Tim then thinks and reaches for the last chocolate canape. 

 “Hey- thats the last one!” Tim hears before his wrist lights up in pain as he’s grabbed. 

Tim hisses, snatching his arm back as quickly as he can and holds it with his uninjured hand. He looks up to see which whiny rich kid grabbed him and is suddenly face to face with Robin. All of Tim’s ire disappears instantly and he’s left staring blankly at Jason Todd.

“Sorry,”Jason apologizes immediately, hand still outstretched in regret. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,”Tim says with a smile as big as he can muster. He hides his arm behind his back and starts to turn away. “Sorry about the food,”He says lamely, about to make a strategic exit. 

“No wait,”Jason says, making an aborted move towards him. “It’s just a dessert, I’m shouldn’t have grabbed you,”Jason frowns, glancing towards Tim’s arm. “Can I see your arm? There’s band aids in the bathroom if you need one.”

“No thanks,”Tim says, ears turning red. The whole situation was so embarrassing. The last thing Tim needed was for Robin to think he was self-harming. He definitely didn’t need Robin in his business on a night he was actively plotting to murder his parents. 

“Okay, uh. I’m Jason by the way,”Jason introduces, holding out a hand Tim accepts it out of instinct, regretting the move immediately when his short suit jacket rides up and shows off his multitude of scars on his uninjured wrist. 

“Tim,”He says quickly, grimacing internally as Jason’s eyes linger on Tim’s scars. Extracting his hand, Tim is ready to make a getaway as soon as possible. “Uh, I gotta go,”Tim says brilliantly. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jason says at the same time. I’m not cutting myself , Tim wants to scream. At least, not on purpose , he thinks after. Tim knows he must look like a spoiled rich kid acting out for attention, and wants to disappear. The way that Jason is looking at him with so much concern is making Tim want to laugh or cry.

“What’s going on?” A new voice chimes in and Tim wants to die. His face flashes with panic before he swallows it down. 

Tim turns to greet Dick Grayson, standing right beside him in a dark blue suit with a blue button up and dazzling blue sequin tie. Tim plasters on a smile,” Jason and I were just arguing over the last canape, but he can have it,”Tim says before Jason can open his mouth. With that, Tim turns, making his way back to his parents side and mourning the loss of his sort-of-dinner. 

“What did B say about having too many desserts? And starting fights?” Tim hears Dick say as he leaves. He feels a bit sorry for ratting Jason out like that, but he should also not grab people, so Tim feels like they’re even now.

Still, a little hunger is worth it if it gets Robin off his case, Tim thinks. As much as he hates the idea of letting Jason think he cuts himself, he doesn’t actually have a reasonable explanation to explain it that wouldn’t cause more alarm. After tonight, he won’t have to worry about keeping his parents fed anyways. 

“Hey- Dick,”Jason huffs when Dick stands in his way of going after the kid. He looked a few years younger than Jason himself, and Jason couldn’t help the heartache of someone so small going through something like that. The small, pale wrist covered in what looked like hundreds of scars was horrifying.  

“Please tell me you weren’t picking fights with small children,”Dick pleads, unaware of the urgency in Jason’s eyes. 

“No, I- well, yes but then I saw cuts on his wrist and was trying to ask if he was okay when someone interrupted,”Jason whispered through gritted teeth. It made him angry to think of what might’ve caused the kid to start doing something like that to himself so young, and felt a great need to fix it. Dick’s eyebrows raise in surprise and then understanding. He hefts his arms up in surrender when Jason tries to move him out of his way. “ Recent cuts, Dick, I gotta-”

“No no no,”Dick says, quieter, hushing his brother and leading them off to the side where no one could overhear. “You can’t interrogate him, Jason. Especially not here.”
Jason opens his mouth to defend himself but closes it after Dick gives him an insistent look.  Jason deflates. “What do I do then?” Jason asks, biting his lower lip in worry, looking in the direction Tim went. 

Dick gives his brother a sad look and puts a hand on his shoulder. “If he is self-harming then confrontation might not be a great idea,”Dick says. “Why don’t you befriend him? Be someone he can rely on and hopefully he’ll come to you for support.”

“But that could take forever,”Jason stresses, thinking of all the damage that could be done in the meantime. 

“I know,”Dick says. By the look on his face Jason knew he did. “But not all problems can be solved by punching people in the face.”

“Yeah, yeah,”Jason says, smacking Dick’s hand off his shoulder. His frown has been replaced by a determined set to his jaw though. “Can I search him up on the computer tonight? Maybe we go to the same school.”
“I’ll cover for you if you’d rather go now,”Dick offers, and Jason sends him a grateful smile.

“Thanks,”Jason says, then huffs. “How hard could it be to befriend a depressed rich kid?” He mutters. 

Dick rolls his eyes and swats at his brother, who leaves through the side exit. The older brother sighs, stuffing the last chocolate canape in his mouth. He  hoped things worked out with Jason’s new friend. 

Chapter Text

Things were not working out for Tim. He’d managed to snag a few snacks from waiters before his mother snapped at him, but he was growing more unnerved the longer the night went on. At some point, he knew, they’d go back home to the manor. He’d be their snack before bed, and Tim didn’t know if Sam and Dean would show up in the morning or later.

What was the plan? Tim didn’t have one past surviving the night. Logically, he knew his parents wouldn’t kill him. They had plans for him that he couldn’t do if he was dead. That said, Tim was self aware enough to know that if they did somehow find out he’d called hunters he would have no chance of fighting back. His parents were much stronger than he was, and Tim had no doubt that he’d be dead the second he outlived his usefulness. 

It was a weird feeling to know your life hung in your parents hands. It was like waiting for the tree to fall after cutting it all the way through. Tim would eventually make a mistake, or they’d find out, or any other thing to set them off that would cost him his life. Killing his parents before they did him in was just survival.  

Tim makes it through the rest of the gala without running into Jason, thankfully, and he manages to be a respectable addition to his parent’s ensemble. He’s nearly dead on his feet by the time he climbs into the backseat of his dad’s porsche. He’s subsequently ignored as his parents go over how the gala went. 

“Of course Wayne’s newest charity case was hidden away as much as possible,”Janet scoffs,”I’d be embarrassed to have him out and about as well with the way he lorded over the dessert table.”

“Our Timothy definitely showed better manners than that,”Jack adds,”Ms. Halverson even mentioned a possible partnership in the future. Her daughter Emilia is about Timothy’s age, and she’d be thrilled to have such a polite young man join her family as a son-in-law.”

“Of course she would,”Janet preens, and rolls her eyes.”We raised our son right. He should be thankful for all we’ve given him.”

Tim stays quiet, knowing he was meant to hear that part. He listens from the back but can’t muster enough energy to feel hurt from it. He’s just tired. He thinks that maybe he’s a prop to his parents, to be used and put away when no longer needed. The car rolls to a stop and Tim feels the urge to jump out and run away. It’s paired with the urge to hide in his closet, and yet he can’t stop thinking about how he’ll never have to see them again if they’re dead. Tim just has to wait one more day. 

The car doors open and Tim steps out, wary. His parents keep up the chatter all the way to the entryway. “Timothy, be a dear and set up the wine glasses for us,”Janet calls after him as he tugs off his fancy shoes and Tim freezes. His hopes of sneaking off to his room are squashed at the command. 

“Yes mother,”Tim says, dragging his sore feet to the kitchen instead. He catches a glimpse of the time on the microwave and sees its nearly four in the morning. Tim just wants to sleep, but instead he opens the cabinet to get out the wine glasses. He then takes off his stifling suit jacket  and drapes it over a chair. On his way to the knife drawer he nearly trips over an expensive vase half his size. 

Getting the first aid kit out he can’t help but hope it’s for the last time. Tim always feels incredibly weak and cold after being fed from more than once a day. He had done research on it before, how much blood he can lose before it negatively affects him. That’s why the wine glasses have little marks he made in sharpie so he remember when to stop. But even so, Tim has a burning hatred for the ritual. It always takes a toll, physically and mentally, and he’s sick of it. 

Dutifully, Tim fills up the cups and watches his parents appear like clockwork, eyeing his bloody wrist with hunger that feeds Tim’s fear. They disguise it well, but their son can always tell. After all, Tim knew immediately that something had changed when they’d come back from their trip two years ago. 

“Be a good boy and clean this mess up before bed,”Jack says, teeth stained red as he grins and pats Tim on the back.

Tim nods dully and fixes the bandages on his newly injured wrist, now matching the other with stark white. He shuffles over, picking up the knife and dropping it into the dishwasher. He hears the dull thud of the knife handle hitting the bottom of the plastic holder and imagines taking the knife and cutting his parents heads off with it. Tim stands there a moment, staring at the bloody knife and thinks of taking a picture. It would be pretty in a morbid sort of way. With the light reflecting off the metal and dark blood running down the blade. Tim wished he had the energy to get his camera. He just wanted to sit down. 

There’s a knock at the door. Tim stays still, and hears faint noises from the front hall. He assumes his parents answer the door and can’t bring himself to move. Tim sighs, closing his eyes. He just needs to sleep, and hopefully, when he wakes up it’ll all be over. 

“Tim,”A familiar voice whispers from behind him and Tim startles, eyes opening as he turns to see Sam standing behind him with a much bigger knife. 

“Sam?” Tim whispers back, swaying with the motion of turning around. Sam has a worried look on his face but Tim’s eyes are stuck on the machete in his hand. 

“Hey kiddo,”Sam says, trying not to frown. “You don’t look too good, how about we head out back, huh?” 

Tim’s about to respond to ask about Dean when there’s a crash coming from the front entryway. Sam curses and points at Tim. “Head out the back door. We’ll meet you out there,”Sam says and runs into the direction of the crash. There’s more noise and yelling and Tim is filled with a need to see what’s going on with his own eyes. 

Taking a few steps Tim peers out the doorway and into the hall. Moments later Tim sees his dad throw Dean against the wall, holding the man up by his throat. It’s clear to Tim that Dean isn’t going to win the fight alone, and Sam is nowhere to be seen. Dean has no weapon on him anymore, and he’s already struggling to breathe. Thinking fast, Tim looks back and spots a hefty vase on a counter in the kitchen. 

Jack is angry, spitting mad at the hunter who dared invade his home. He wouldn’t let t go unpunished, not when the two men could have ruined everything he and Janet had worked towards. He snarls, digging his claws into the man’s neck. As a vampire he was immortal. Jack was stronger and faster and so much more. Jack wasn’t going to let anyone take it from him. 

Jack Drake’s thoughts stutter to a halt when something collides with the back of his head and shatters into pieces. He looks to the floor at the shards circling his feet and recognizes it as a priceless moroccan artifact and grits his teeth in anger. 

The hunter slumps to the ground when Jack lets go and he whirls around to see his own son standing in the hall. “You,”Jack snarls, stalking forward. He could be there in seconds but revels in the way his son squirms. “You brought them, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t-” Tim starts, but Jack didn’t want to hear it. He grabs Tim by his button up shirt, lifting him to an uncomfortably close eye level. Tim swallows, shrinking back under the piercing glare of his father. 

“I’m gonna drain you dry you ungrateful brat,”Jack snarls. His fangs unsheath and Tim’s weak arms do nothing to push him away. His fingers claw at his father’s suit jacket, but he can’t compete against his dad’s strength.

“Hey ugly!” Dean yells, charging Jack with a machete. 

Jack roars with rage. He tosses Tim away in a fury and whirls around to meet Dean head on. He blocks the blade with his hand, but fails to dodge the punch thrown at his head. Jack’s head snaps to the side and he grits his teeth with anger. He turns to Dean again, but the machete is already on its way towards Jack’s pale neck.

The body drops gracelessly to the tile floor. Jack’s head rolls down the hall along the ornate carpet, trailing blood as it goes, staining the rug. Sam appears down the hall, panting and jacket splattered with blood. His shoulders slump in relief at the sight of the detached head. Sam looks over to Dean, checking him over for wounds and he’s glad his brother is unharmed.

“Where’s Tim?” Sam asks. Dean’s eyes widened. His head snaps over to look into the kitchen where the kid was thrown earlier. 

“Shit-” Dean curses, running into the kitchen at full speed. Sam scrambles after him, panicked. Dean slides to a stop and kneels in front of Tim. His hands hover over the bloody spot on his abdomen, unsure of what to do. 

“Tim-”Sam exclaims, joining Dean on the floor in front of the kid. 

“I’m fine,”Tim rasps. He’s holding himself eerily still, hand over the wound in his abdomen. Jack had thrown him into the dishwasher Tim had forgotten to close. He’d fallen onto the knife he’d put in it not even an hour earlier, impaled from the back.

“Tim, you-”Sam starts, but Tim cuts him off. 

“We can- we can still do the plan,”Tim insists, squinting at Sam. He’s very pale, and the brothers exchange panicked looks over it. “J-just need to get r-rid of the- the bodies.”

“Right,”Sam says, nodding. He stands shakily and Dean nearly stops him. 

“What plan??” Dean demands, staying by Tim’s side. 

“He’s got us listed as his uncles,” Sam says quickly,”Tim doesn’t want to go into foster care so he’s going to pretend his parents are still alive. They took a plane, so they can’t also be dead in the house.”

“What,”Dean says near- hysterically. It’s his first time hearing this. 

“You stay with him- keep him awake,”Sam instructs. “I’ll get rid of the bodies then we call an ambulance.”

Sam runs off before Dean can argue, and he’s stuck sitting with a severely wounded kid. “What plan??” Dean asks Tim, who almost laughs. It would hurt, so he doesn’t.

“Faked a plane ticket,”Tim rasps. He shoots Dean a feral grin. “Gonna pretend they’re still alive and run their company. Just so happened that their poor son was burgled while his uncles were babysitting him.”

Dean lets out a sigh, but he’s impressed and anxious at the same time. “Crazy plan, kid,”Dean murmurs. He wipes Tim’s sweaty bangs out of his face gently. “But if anyone can do it it’s you.”

“Thanks,”Tim coughs, wincing. 

“Don’t move,”Dean chides, scooting closer.

“I’m liter- literally stuck on the dishes-washer,”Tim mutters. “Hopefully I won’t lose more blood if we keep the knife in.”

“Hey now, think happy thoughts,”Dean says, incredibly worried. He wants to go help Sam to call the ambulance sooner but wouldn’t leave the kid alone. 

“Yay,”Tim smiles sardonically,”My parents are dead.”

“That’s the spirit,”Dean sighs, shaking his head fondly. “Can’t believe you want us to pretend to be your uncles so you don’t have to go into foster care,” Dean continues, hoping to keep the kid awake.

“I already have you and Sam listed as my mom’s estranged-,”Tim says with a shit eating grin, then coughs, halting the explanation. “Estranged brothers. So it’ll work at the hospital.”

“I don’t want to hear what the rest of the plan is, do I?” Dean sighs. Tim’s other arm not holding himself together starts to get shaky so Dean wraps it in his own. He hopes Sam gets finished quickly. 

“Y’re better off not knowin’,”Tim winks dramatically. Dean reconsiders ever wanting kids of his own while trying to keep the crazy smart and reckless kid impaled on a dishwasher awake enough for the ambulance when the disposal of his parents is finished. 

“Sam better hurry this up,”Dean mutters, feeling Tim’s grip in his hand weaken. “If you die I’m gonna be super pissed.”

“Thanks,”Tim says with a bloody smile. He’s not entirely sure of the method Sam’s using to dispose of the bodies and blood, but it doesn’t take him much longer. 

“Finally,”Dean says as Sam rushes in. They take out a phone and dial for an ambulance, but from there things get fuzzy for Tim. Sam takes over the phone, telling Dean instructions to keep Tim stable. He loses time here and there, and somehow he’s in an ambulance.

Tim feels someone holding his hand and wonders if Dean is still there. He can’t hear much over the sirens though. He closes his eyes and doesn’t open them for what feels like mere minutes, but the next time he opens his eyes its like he’s peeling them open after a week of sleeping. 

The sun shines in Tim’s eyes when he opens them wider. He blinks, trying to get the sun out of his eyes. Tim hears a quiet laugh from the other side of the room and frowns. Theres a scuffling of a chair before the blinds are closed shut, blocking the sun from blinding him. 

Adjusting to the change in light, Tim blinks again, following the blurry figure from the blinds to a chair next to his bed. “Tim? Feeling okay bud?” Dean asks, and Tim slumps with relief. He feels the weight from the past two years peel off of him. He’s finally free of them. 

“Yeah,”Tim rasps. He feels terrible. It was worth it though, he thinks. Tim also thinks he’s thirsty. “Thank you. For staying,”Tim says instead, voice cracking terribly. 

“Sam briefed me on the plan while you were out,”Dean says, wandering over to the counter. He comes back with a cup of water with a straw and holds it up for Tim to drink. “Said you got all of the documents for your uncles, and he added plane tickets for your parents. Taking over their roles in the company might be tough though.”

“Got a plan,”Tim manages to say around the straw in his mouth. It wasn’t hard to do the job of a CEO, not when his father tended to do the bare minimum and hang out at archeological digs instead. 

Dean laughs,”I figured,”He says. Dean sets the water down on a side table and sits back down. “You’re a smart kid.”

 “You don’t think I’m crazy for doing this, this elaborate scheme?” Tim asks, lifting his head off the pillow to really look at Dean.

“Kid, if anyone could pull this off, it’s you,”Dean reassures. He then frowns at the way Tim’s barely holding himself up. “How are you feeling by the way? Can’t be fun losing your spleen like that.”

“I lost my spleen?” Tim repeats. He’s not exactly sure what that entails. 

“The doctor and Sam can tell you more,”Dean winces. “Sam’s writing up a whole recovery plan for you.”

“Anything else?”Tim squints, skeptical. Dean sighs. 

“With your wrists all cut up they think you’ve been self-harming,”Dean says. Tim snorts, thinking of Jason forming that exact conclusion the day before. “It’s not funny,”Dean protests. “The doctors told Sam and I to watch you like a hawk.”

“No, just,”Tim says,”I think a few people came to that conclusion before today too, but it’s not like I can tell them the truth. Maybe that my parents are cannibals, but I don’t want to traumatize anyone.”

“What am I gonna do with you Timbo,”Dean shakes his head fondly.

Tim huffs a laugh, then he looks around the room. “Where’s Sam?” Tim asks, starting to sit up but Dean gently presses him back. 

“What, don’t like my company?” Dean jokes. “He went to get food. He’s got your laptop too, working on making it look like your parents are actually on the plane and all.”

“Oh,”Tim says. He’s kind of tired. 

“I can text him if you want anything?” Dean offers, pulling out his phone. “Milkshake?”

“Vanilla,”Tim nods, closing his eyes. 

“Basic,”Dean says but texts it anyways. “I’ll wake you when he gets back.”

“Thanks,”Tim murmurs. “Sorry for all the trouble.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,”Dean reassures. “Few weeks in a mansion, break from hunting, sounds great to me.”

“It’s a man’r,”Tim mumbles, already half asleep. 

“Smart ass,”Tim hears before he’s fully asleep. 

“Did you hear the Drake’s got broken into?” Dick asks to the breakfast table. 

“The Drakes?” Jason repeats, sitting up in his chair. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Uh,”Dick says, reading the story further on his phone.” Yeah, someone’s in the hospital but doesn’t say who.” 

“Why the interest in the Drakes?” Bruce asks. He sets his newspaper on the table, giving his son his full attention. 

“I met their son Tim last night,”Jason explains, pancakes now abandoned. Bruce nods, waiting for more. “He just worried me is all. Dick said I should try to be his friend.”

Bruce nods, looking thoughtful. “We could pay them a visit at the hospital,”Bruce suggests, looking to Dick. 

“It might not be Tim who got hurt,”Dick reminds, searching on his phone for more info.

“Wouldn’t it be weird?” Jason asks, frowning. “We only just met yesterday at the Gala.”

“I mean, sure,”Jason continues, “We do go to the same school but I didn’t know that until after I looked him up.”

“Hm,”Bruce says helpfully. He thinks that might be why Jason left the Gala early. “Anything about the robbery?”

“Two culprits, not found,”Dick summarizes. He sets his phone down and looks to Bruce.”The police issued a warning to people living in the area.”

“Hn,”Bruce adds. 

“Bruce,”Jason bemoans, exaggerating his name. 

“There’s nothing wrong with showing concern to a new friend,”Alfred chimes in,”Especially if you hear something terrible happened. You never know who they have supporting them, if any at all.”

“Oh,”Jason says more thoughtfully. He chews his lip in thought. “I think I’ll visit him then. Thanks Alf.”

“I’ll come too,”Dick offers, excited at the thought of Jason having friends. He’d been trying to get Jason to join a club at school, but nothing except the book club interested him. Dick thought he might be taking Robin too seriously and not living like a kid.

“We can all go,”Bruce decides. Jason appreciates the effort from them to support him, but feels a little embarrassed they’re going out of their way just for him. 

“Perhaps we can visit after school tomorrow,’Alfred suggests.”We can pick up a Get Well Soon gift on the way.”

“Oh, yeah. That’ll be nice.” Jason blinks. “What do you think he likes?”

“I hear Robin’s pretty popular with kids,”Bruce suggests, and Jason’s ears go red. Bruce picks up his newspaper again but Jason knows he’s smiling underneath. 

“Har har,”Jason snarks, but his ears are still red. Then he perks up.”Hey, can we look up the police report on the computer?”

“After school,”Bruce says from behind his papers and Jason groans. 

“So,”Tim starts, folding his hands together in front of him primly. It’s his second day in the hospital.  “When can I get out of here?” 

“Why,”Dean asks.”Sick of hospital jell-o already?” Tim shakes his head,”We can pick up something else for lunch but you’re not supposed to eat anything spicy-”

“Or crunchy, I know,”Tim sighs. “We both heard Sam’s lecture. I’m just bored.”

“I could tell you more about demons?” Sam offers, and Dean sighs at the way Tim snaps to attention. 

“You would? But you said not in public places,”Tim says. “Can you show me how to do research on them? How do you know which ones are hoaxes online and what’s for real? What if it’s something no one’s seen before?”

“Trial and error,”Sam snorts,”Though sometimes other hunters will share what they know and that makes it easier.”

“Do you guys have some sort of secret hunter network online?” Tim asks eagerly. He’s still laying in bed, able to only get up for bathroom breaks, but he’s making progress. 

“No, it’s mostly word of mouth and a long list of phone numbers,”Sam says, happy to explain. Dean heaves a breath, getting comfy in his chair. He pulls up fast food chains in the area on his phone, already thinking about lunch. “If we have something online and it gets in the wrong hands the hunters would be in danger.”

Tim continues to pepper Sam with technical questions up until Dean comes back with lunch. Tim gets a bland but tasty quesadilla while Sam and Dean get a variety of tacos. After lunch, Sam leaves to get him and Dean’s stuff from the motel to set up in the manor. In the meantime, Dean and Tim swap stories about hunts and Batman respectively. 

“I’ve got lots of close ups of them,”Tim brags. 

“Pretty ballsy move, kid,”Dean comments, impressed. “You ever get caught?”
“I’m good at not being noticed,”Tim says, not just referencing his heroes. 

“Batman is pretty cool though,”Dean says. “Mind showing me some of your photos?”

“Maybe,”Tim hums, and Dean laughs. 

“Alright, keep your secrets,”Dean says, shaking his head. Tim has the urge to blurt out that he knows Batman’s secret identity. He thinks Dean and Sam would be trust-worthy with the secret, given they already keep so many. Something holds him back, though, like telling anyone not already in the know would break some sort of hero-code. That if Batman ever found out he’d hate Tim for it. 

In the end, Tim doesn’t share. Instead he tells Dean about the time he caught a photo of Nightwing slipping on a lady’s purse that had fallen to the ground, and the time Batman punched Riddler so hard he fell down two flights of stairs. Tim thinks it's surprisingly easy to make Dean laugh. It’s at this time that the nurse comes in and asks if Tim is up for visitors. 

“Who is it?” Tim asks, confused. He looks to Dean for help but he just shrugs. 

“A classmate of yours,”The nurse says, awkwardly waiting for a yes or no. 

“...sure?”Tim ends up saying. He thinks that maybe his ambulance ride ended up on the news with how rich his family is. Tim turns to Dean and sits up a little, wincing at the ache in his abdomen. “How do I look?”

“Terrible,”Dean answers immediately. Tim’s thin, pale, and wearing a hospital gown, so he supposed Dean is right. “Why, think it’s a pretty girl?”

“I don’t know any pretty girls,”Tim says honestly.

“Nerd,”Dean replies, and Tim sends him a look. 

It’s then that theres a knock on the door. Tim calls for them to come in while Dean stands. Tim abruptly freezes when Batman comes in carrying a handful of balloons. Dean cover’s Tim’s side as Bruce steps into the room, followed by his two sons. Jason’s still wearing his school uniform and Bruce is in a suit, but Dick Grayson is wearing jeans and a polka dot shirt. 

“Bruce Wayne?” Tim squeaks out, and Dean turns to look at him. 

“You know this guy?” Dean asks, pointing at Bruce. It’s a bit rude, Tim thinks. 

“Sorry, Jason didn’t want to come in first,”Bruce grins sheepishly. Tim nods to Dean, and has no way to convey to the man to not be suspicious around the actual Batman so Tim just sits in his bed as tense as a salmon in a bear hug.

Bruce,”Jason whines,”Don’t say that,”He says, nudging him out of the way. Its a small space, and Jason has to move around his dad to get to Tim’s bed. “Quit blocking the way!”

Dean pauses, but stays standing as the kid closer to Tim’s age comes up to the bed with a brightly colored bear. Jason stops when he gets closer to Tim and seems to get sad and embarrassed, then determined in the same moment. 

“Hi,”Jason says, looking Tim in the eye. Tim feels incredibly undressed and impolite in the face of Robin, but knows he’s being ridiculous. He can’t help his appearance right now, and Jason’s trying to be nice. Tim is only self-conscious, but can’t help but wish Jason didn’t find out about the ‘robbery’. “We met last night at the gala and I saw on the news you got hurt so I wanted to come and y’know, make sure you were okay,”Jason explains. 

“Oh,”Tim blinks,”Thanks?”

“And I got you this bear,”Jason says, handing it over to Tim, who takes it. It’s a fluffy bear in a robin costume. “And the balloons,”Jason adds, his ears turning red when Dean comments that Tim likes Robin. 

Bruce hands the balloons off to Dean good-naturedly, the two seemingly having some sort of stand-off the kids aren’t aware of. “And these!” Dick chimes in, holding up a giant bag of candy. He’s got another bear tucked under his arm, only this one is Nightwing themed. 

“Thank you,”Tim says sincerely, and feels incredibly embarrassed to be looking so sickly and pathetic in front of all of his heroes. He wants to curl up under is blankets. 

“So,”Jason says, hopping up to sit on the foot of the bed where Tim’s short legs don’t reach. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah?” Tim says, looking to Dean for help, but instead sees the man step out of the room with Batman instead. He looks back to Jason,”Uh. I should be able to leave tomorrow?”

“Thats good,”Jason nods seriously. 

“So it wasn’t anything serious?” Dick asks, having taken over Dean’s chair. The balloons are tied to the arm of the chair and Dick has opened the bag of candy to start eating. Tim doesn’t mind. Tim doubted he’d ever be able to eat all of it anyways.

“They just had to take my spleen out,”Tim says, and Dick chokes on the Twix he’d been eating. 

“Dude, what happened??” Jason exclaims quietly, alarmed,” Did you get stabbed?”

“Yeah?” Tim responds, and both brothers are stunned into silence. Tim fidgets. “Technically, I mean. I fell on the dishwasher and a knife was sticking up.”

“How’d you fall on the dishwasher?” Dick coughs, still recovering from the candy bar.

“I was pushed,”Tim admits sheepishly. 

“No shit,”Jason comments, eyes wide. “You were stabbed by a dishwasher?”

Tim laughs, and Jason looks less like he regrets the comment. “Technically my fault cuz I put the knife in there and forgot to close it,” Tim adds, thinking they’ll laugh. Instead he gets a lime green jolly rancher thrown at him softly. It hits the blankets on his lap. 

“No, it wasn’t your fault at all,”Dick chides. Tim just looks at the candy instead of making eye contact.

“Did you see who it was?” Jason asks and Tim knows he’s asking as Robin.

“Not really,”Tim shakes his head. “There were two of them. I threw a vase at the guy.”

“You what?!”Jason exclaims, tense for Tim’s sake. “Why would you do that, you could’ve gotten hurt!” 

“Um. Yeah,”Tim says and motions to himself in a hospital bed, showing that he had, in fact, gotten hurt. 

“Right,”Jason mutters, rubbing his face. He looks over Tim, eyeing the bandages on both wrists now instead of one. “You’re doing okay, right?”

“All good,”Tim tries to reassure. “My uncles are staying with me while my parents are gone. Uncle Dean’s a great cook.”

“Oh yeah? You’re uncles are nice then?”Dick asks with a grin. 

“Oh yeah,”Tim exaggerates. He hopes that by hyping them up the bats won’t look into them any further. If they did Tim’s sure they’d question why two men possibly wanted for murder are suddenly playing babysitter to a wounded rich kid. “My uncles are cooler than my parents. They always make sure one of them is around to watch me, we eat dinner all together and they listen to me when I talk.”

Dick and Jason exchange a look. “Do your parents do that too?”

“They’re busy,”Tim says, yawning. He isn’t tired at all, but hopes they leave soon so he doesn’t have to answer any more questions. “That’s why my uncles are watching me.”

“Right. Well they sound nice,”Jason says, kicking his feet up to hit a snickers out of Dick’s hands. “How long have they been married?”

Tim pauses at the question, but is saved from answering when Dean and Bruce come back in. They seem to be getting along more than before. Dean grins at him and asks how he’s doing. “Tired,”Tim says, and hopes Batman isn’t planning on visiting his totally not married fake uncles after this.

“Alright boys, we should get going,”Bruce says, and Jason hops off Tim’s bed. “Tim, it was very nice to meet you and your uncle, hope you get better soon.”

“Thanks,”Tim says, waving timidly as his heroes file out of the room. 

“See you at school when you’re all better,”Jason calls and Dick follows with a get well soon, pockets full of wrappers. Tim has no idea how much candy he ate but he thinks its a lot.

Dean flops into the small, uncomfortable chair. “What a strange family,”Dean remarks. 

“What’d you talk about with Mr. Wayne?” Tim asks. Dean finds Dick’s candy bag and picks out a kit kat. “Nothing much. Just about your parents and your recovery. Got the feeling he was worried about you.”

“Oh,”Tim says, thinking. “Now that I think about it you should probably expect Batman to show up at some point.”

“What? Why?? Dean asks, frowning in confusion. He abandons his candy to lean forward. “Tim, why would Batman show up?”

“Because Bruce is Batman,”Tim says, then when Dean’s eyebrows raise in alarm he adds,”Kidding. Because two people broke into a rich, well-known family’s house, injured someone and got away?” Tim points out. “And Batman goes after criminals?”

“Well damn,”Dean frowns. He eats another piece of candy. Tim has a thought that maybe an Arkham breakout might distract Batman enough to forget about Tim, though. 

“Jason thinks you and Sam are married,”Tim says when Dean’s still chewing and gets a laugh when the man chokes. 

“Can you maybe stop talking for a few minutes?” Dean coughs, throwing a hersheys at Tim. “I thought you said you were tired, go to sleep.”

“I wanted them to leave,”Tim defends. “And it’s only 4pm.”

“Where are those sleepy drugs,”Dean mutters, looking around the room. Tim laughs.

Chapter Text

“Careful on the stairs,”Sam calls after Tim and the kid sighs good-naturedly. Sam was still mother-henning him a week after the incident. Tim wasn’t used to anyone taking care of him, so it felt strange sometimes, and other times it felt nice. Sam and Dean definitely didn’t act like parents, but are the only adults in Tim’s life nowadays. 

As the week past, Tim was surprised to find that no one had caught wind of their scheme. Tim was getting used to running Drake Industries from the sidelines and it wasn’t hard. Given that his parents were already pretty hands-off with the company, Tim didn’t have to do much besides approve and delegate tasks and funds. It was easy to plan out, and Sam had helped him a lot with his computer skills. 

Even Batman ended up side tracked a few days ago with Killer Croc causing havoc so Tim’s lies weren’t discovered. He’d been worried when they’d shown up at his hospital room, but other than the one visit, Tim hadn’t heard from them. Dean had been more worried with setting up security around the manor though, just in case the Bat decided to go snooping through the area. It would be pretty suspicious if he’d come across Tim’s parent’s ashes out in the backyard. Sam did a good job cleaning up though, and no one on the police department’s side had found anything out of place. 

“I got it,”Tim calls back, carrying a box of photos. 

“Just remember you can’t lift that much weight yet,”Sam reminds, rummaging through some boxes. 

“I got it,”Tim repeats, louder. The photos don’t weigh much, but he’s not going to start rearranging furniture. 

The three had been busy the past week with moving some of Jack and Janet’s stuff around, making plans, and teaching Tim all he needed to know about the supernatural. It was strange having portraits and fancy things cluttering every surface, so Dean got the idea to move a few things around. Now the main living room and kitchen looked more comfy and warm. Tim’s not sure where he got some of the stuff, but he likes it. It was easier to hang out in the living room now while he isn’t supposed to move around much. 

Dean refused to teach Tim to fight until he was all healed, but Tim was learning a lot about different kinds of monsters and how to fight them if he ever came across them. Dean let him photocopy their dad’s journal and Sam helped him make his own online filing system that they could both add to. It was fun for Tim to deconstruct and file together into an organized spreadsheet. He thinks someday when he’s compiled a lot of information he could share it with other hunters he meets. 

Of course, the brothers were adamant that Tim shouldn’t be a hunter, and that they were teaching him just in case he came across it one day. Once Tim got interested in something, though, he wouldn’t be easily swayed against it. It’s how he ended up taking photos of Batman at night. And, in his own way, Tim could help. He wasn’t a hero by any means, but he had some skills that had proven to be helpful. 

Parting ways with Sam and Dean was hard, but they stayed in contact. After nearly three weeks together the manor felt incredibly lonely after they’d gotten a call about a Wendigo in Wisconsin. Tim at least had learnt a thing or two about cooking from Dean, and was better prepared to live on his own. He’d just have to be careful about booking flights and hotels abroad for his parents to show their travel history. 

Eventually Jason too, had become a more prominent part of Tim’s life. When Tim started to attend school again, Jason found him in the library at lunch and from then on they’d eat lunch together every single day. It was awkward at first, but now they’d become study-buddies of sorts. Tim helped Jason with math and science while Jason helped Tim with language and English. 

 “How are your uncles doing?” Jason asks one day when they’re studying in the library during lunch.
“Good,”Tim says through a bite of his sandwich. He’s not bothering to keep crumbs off his copy of the Great Gatsby and can tell it bothers Jason a little. “They’ve been watching this youtube series called Ghost Facers.”

“They like it?” Jason asks, taking Tim’s book and brushing the crumbs off it. Tim doesn’t mind. 

“No, they hate it, but they still watch it,”Tim says. It’s close to the truth. Tim does send them clips of the videos and receives a lot of angry texts in response about them. Its funny. Tim binge watches the show sometimes. 

“Oh, weird,”Jason says. He glances to Tim’s wrists and his shoulders lose tension at the lack of bandages. 

Throughout their meetings, it was made clear to Tim that the main reason Jason was reaching out like this was because of the supposed self harm. Not that Tim could tell him the truth, but he hoped Jason could see it wasn’t happening anymore. It had been about two months though, and Jason hadn’t left him yet. Tim wasn’t sure if Jason was still checking up on him or if they were actually friends. Either way, it was nice to spend the lunch period with Robin. 

Outside of lunch, though, Tim rarely went to class. He often ditched to work on Drake Industries or help out Sam, Dean, or Bobby with something. It was fun, and after meeting Bobby Tim had proved himself to be a useful asset to their little unofficial team. 

Tim’s phone rings. “It’s Uncle Sam,”Tim says to Jason, who nods. Tim picks up the call,”What’s up?”

“Hey Tim, how’s it going?” Sam says through the phone. He doesn’t sound out of breath or in pain so Tim assumes things are fine. 

“Good, I’m with Jason in the Library,”Tim says, and eyes Jason with amusement as he pretends he’s not listening in. 

“Oh, good, you need more friends,”Sam comments, and Tim makes a disgruntled noise. “But anyways, call Bobby when you get home, he’s having trouble making the voice modifier work.”

“Okay,”Tim says, “How’re you doing?” 

“It's going okay,”Sam says flatly,”Just trapped in the car with Dean for the next few hours.”

“Fun,”Tim grins. “At least you’re not driving. Tell Dean to take a nap for once.”

Sam laughs. There’s noise on the other end and Sam responds. “He says you’re one to talk.”

“Touche,”Tim grins. He hears the lunch bell ring though, which means it’s time to leave. “I gotta go, have a nice drive.”

“Thanks,”Sam says sarcastically.”Don’t skip too many classes.”

“We’ll see,”Tim says noncommittally and hangs up. “Ready to go?”

“You just don’t want to read any more,”Jason chides, but he’s got his backpack on.

“Me? No,”Tim says like a liar. Jason can tell, but Tim’s evading him on the way out so he can’t give Tim’s book back. He plans to skip next period to call Bobby anyways. 

By the time Tim turns twelve, he’s officially- reluctantly- a hunter in training. Dean is still mostly against it, but even he has admitted that Tim’s been helpful. They’ve lost touch a few time over the years, but Tim and Bobby have been making strides in establishing a better underground information network. Tim’s been going to school only to see Jason and take tests these days. Instead, he’s been busy with Drake Industries and hunting. He knows its dangerous, especially alone, but Tim keeps an eye out while he’s photographing his heroes at night, and works on cold cases in Gotham that might have been something inhuman. 

“You said you met an angel?” Tim asks incredulously.
“Yeah, his name’s Castiel,”Sam confirms. Tim hears music in the background and assumes they’re driving again. “If you see a guy in a trenchcoat and blue tie it’s probably him, he can basically teleport.”

“Huh,”Tim says. He looks around his dark bedroom and then back to his computer. “Okay. Let me know when you meet God, then.”

“Har har,” Sam snarks. Something sounds on the other end that Tim can’t make out. “Wait, aren’t you religious?”

“Kinda,”Tim says, chewing on his lip. He gives up staring at his computer and shuts it, turning to lay on his pillow. “My mom was jewish. Can vampires be jewish?”

“How late is it in Gotham?” Sam asks. Tim checks his phone.
“Like two am,”Tim says. He thinks Sam and Dean are on the west coast at the moment. 

“Go to bed, kid,”Sam chides. “Don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“Sure,”Tim says, yawning. 

“Stop skipping class,”Sam starts again. Before he starts another lecture on the value of education Tim abruptly changes the subject. 

“How’s the new system running?” Tim cuts in, eager to talk about things that matter. He hears a sigh from Sam on the other end of the line. 

“It’s doing well, but you might want to call Bobby in the morning to go over it one more time,”Sam says. “He’s worried about the voice changing part. Otherwise, the encryptions and numbers seem to be doing the job better than having ten different phones.”

“Okay, I can call him,”Tim says, adding it to his schedule. He can do it in the morning and check out the spooky possibly haunted house Jason was telling him about after lunch. 

“You know you don’t have to spend your money on this stuff,”Sam adds again, and Tim rolls his eyes. 

“I’m running a million dollar company,”Tim points out,”I have more money than any of us will ever need, so why not spend it on crime fighting?”

“We are definitely not superheroes,”Sam says, huffing fondly. “No crime fighting here.”

“Crime fighting, demon fighting,”Tim lists,”Same thing. Both are worthy causes to donate to.”

“Alright alright,”Sam laughs.”Goodnight then, and please try to go to school tomorrow.”

“What? I always go to school,”Tim says. He is being sarcastic.“Every day. All day. School is my passion.”

“Goodnight, Tim,”Sam groans, sensing a losing battle. Tim grins.

“Goodnight,”Tim cheers, and listens as Sam hangs up. 

Tim rolls over and tries to go to sleep, but ends up staring at his ceiling instead. Huffing, he reaches for his phone. Scrolling Gotham news, he’s suddenly paralyzed in shock at the newest headline. 

Jason’s dead. 

“Here, ghosty ghosty,”Tim calls into the dark, damp apartment building. He was there in his Robin uniform out of Batman’s sight. He had a hunch that whatever gruesome crimes committed here were at the hands of something much spookier. 

Tim turns on his flashlight clipped to his utility belt and walks around the moldy room. Whatever ghost lived here had a thing for human hair, and has been terrorizing the rest of the apartments with hair cutting, pulling, and in some recent extreme cases ripping it out. Batman had a lead for a potential burglar with a hair fetish, but Tim had other theories and stayed behind to investigate. 

There were a few empty rooms in the apartment complex, but only one had a fairly recent death involved. It was an older woman with long blonde hair, and it looked like she had killed herself. Further investigation led to an extreme social media presence followed by a cancer diagnosis and loss of hair. Tim didn’t need to be an expert detective to figure out she mourned the loss of her long blonde hair a little too much, setting her envious sights on other people who had what she desired.

Tim felt bumps on his arms raise at the cold breeze sweeping through the apartment. He knew the woman had been cremated so something in the apartment was holding the ghost to it. Tim held a handful of salt in one gloved hand and thought about making batarangs with salt. He definitely couldn’t bring a gun on patrol, but maybe a slingshot. Iron seemed a bit overkill, but Tim thinks he could put some iron in his gloves to resemble brass knuckles of some kind. 

Searching thorough the apartment he feels more unease and figures he’s going in the right direction. The cold spots get colder and suddenly when Tim approaches the bathroom feels a harsh tug on his hair, jerking his head back. 

“Susan,”Tim greets, whirling around with salt at the ready. She hadn’t necessarily done a lot of damage, but the woman was definitely escalating. The last victim was a single mom on the lower floors who had a chuck of hair ripped out of her head that took a good chunk of skin with it. Either way, Susan Diggerty had to go.
Robin turns into the bathroom, flipping open cabinets but not seeing anything that catches his eye. The hair dryer and curler seem promising, but with Susan in an angry rage behind him he thinks he’s close. Opening the drawer Tim flinches away from the sudden shriek in his ears. Robin snatches the hairbrush from the drawer and books it out of the bathroom, throwing the handful of salt in her general direction. 

Robin slides out the window, avoiding grabbing hands, and ends up on the roof where he stashed the lighter fluid. Tim feels hands in his hair yanking him back, but he doesn’t need his eyes to see. Fighting the fingers tangled in his hair yanking him left and right he douses the brush in the lighter fluid and lights it aflame. 

The hands in Robin’s hair disappear with a screech and he drops the flaming brush to the ground. Wincing, he brings a hand to his head and rubs away the creepy feelings and pain in his scalp. Robin hears sudden footsteps behind him and whirls around. 

Tim’s expecting Batman, but his shoulders relax when he catches sight of a familiar man in a trenchcoat. “Cas,”Tim sighs,”You scared me.”

“I apologize,”Cas frowns,”That was not my intention. What are you wearing?”

“Ah,”Tim says, looking down at his uniform. His wrist computer says Batman is a good mile away and his comms are off. “I told you guys I’m Batman’s sidekick, Robin. This is my uniform.”

“I see,”Castiel says, and Tim does not think he does. His eyes drift down to the burt hairbrush on the rooftop. “Good job with the ghost. Dean says you haven’t started hunting yet.”

“Well, what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him,”Tim huffs, crossing his arms in front of him and letting his cape drape over his shoulders. Then his eyes widen and he holds his hands out to Cas like that will prevent him from leaving. “Don’t tell him! Please. I promise I’m being super careful.”

“Alright,”Castiel agrees hesitantly. “You do seem to have handled this well, but know you can call me when you are in danger.”

“Right. Thanks. So what’s up?” Tim asks, then adds. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,”Castiel says, looking straight at Tim seriously. “Sam and Dean could not reach you on your phone. They sent me to make sure you are alright.”

“Oh, shoot,”Tim says, patting his pockets for his cell phone. “I usually leave it at home while I’m on patrol, sorry.”

“So you are fine?” Castiel presses. “You seem to still have your spleen in tact.”

“Ha ha, Cas. I only lost it the one time,”Tim groans,”You gave it back to me! And everything is fine.”

“Good,”Cas nods. Then he pauses. 

“Is there something else? Did Sam or Dean need something?” Tim asks, sensing Cas’s hesitance. 

“Nothing urgent,”Cas shakes his head. “We are going up against someone named Dick Roman and want to get your thoughts.”

“Oh, ew. That guys a tool,”Tim says, not pausing to explain. “He’s a millionaire politician but the worst kind. Why? Is he doing something shady? I mean, he is doing shady stuff, but what specifically caught your attention?”

“He is a leviathan,”Cas says, and does not elaborate. He tilts his head to the left and Tim holds his questions. “A man in a bat costume is approaching. Should I leave?”

“Yes,”Tim nods heavily. He’ll have to explain secret identities to the angel later. “Thanks for checking in. I’ll call Dean after patrol and look into Roman. Have a good night.”

Cas pauses, giving Tim a look. “You have a good night as well, Robin.”

Tim is grinning by the time Batman sets foot on the rooftop. He doesn’t explain the good mood, but they do a final sweep of the hair-puller before retiring for the night. Tim is sent back to Drake manor and he doesn’t complain. Tim’s got work to do.

Bruce has been acting weird. 

It’s been a year since Jason died and Tim’s replaced him as Robin, and since then he’s seen the ups and downs of Bruce. It had taken a lot of work to bring him out of his grief and back into a fully functional Batman. Dean had called him crazy for trying, but had since eaten his words. Dick, too, had come around and mended relationships with Bruce to an extent. 

However, now Dick and Bruce were acting weird. They had been asking Tim about his hobbies and home life more often, which was not normal. He suspected they knew Tim wasn’t attending school as much as he said he was, or worse, knew he was working on his other team after patrol. Thankfully, either they didn’t remember or it hasn’t come up yet, but Bruce and Dick did not seem to notice his spleen magically reappearing. 

Tim was leaving the cave immediately after patrol to avoid their awkward questions nowadays. It looked suspicious, maybe, but he didn’t need the two detectives looking further into his life. After what happened with Dick Roman and Castiel, Tim was dead set on never letting Batman figure out that side of the world. 

“Bobby, I need some advice,”Tim says into his phone. He’s on the couch eating cheetos and grape Zesti, being careful to keep the cheese dust off the furniture and laptop by using chopsticks. 

“This ain’t about setting Cas and Dean up on a date again is it?” Bobby asks hesitantly. Tim groans. 

“No, no, no,”Tim reassures. “I’m handling that. I mean about Batman.”

“You know I ain’t about to mess with hero stuff,”Bobby interjects. Tim sighs dramatically. He’s pretty sure Bobby’s messing with him now.

“It’s about Batman, and Nightwing kind of. They keep asking me about my hobbies and stuff,”Tim says, holding a cheeto up. “Last night they wanted to know my favorite ice cream flavor? It was just. I don’t know, it was weird, cuz that didn’t have anything to do with the case we were working on but they both looked interested.”

“Sounds like they’re tryin’ t’get to know ya, kid,”Bobby says. 

“That’s weird,”Tim says automatically, then adds. “And also bad. The more they know about me the more they’re gonna know.”

“That’s generally how getting to know someone works,”Bobby sighs. “If it bothers you, tell em’ off, but seems to me they’re just caring bout ya.”

“Right, but that’s bad because they don’t know I don’t go to school, or that I kind of murdered my parents and have been running their company on my own or about the whole hunting thing,’Tim lists in a huff. He stuffs a cheeto in his mouth while waiting for Bobby to answer.
“Well, that ain’t my area of expertise,”Bobby says, “But if I was you I’d keep my distance. Heroes always be sticking their nose where it don’t belong.”

“Thanks Bobby-” Tim says but is cut off. 

“However,”Bobby continues loudly. “If them heroes are even half as stubborn as you are then they’re not giving up. Any move to push em away will lead to em pushing harder.”

“Ugh,”Tim groans. He then hears a knock at the door and groans louder. “I gotta go, someone’s at the door.”

“Good luck, kiddo,”Bobby chuckles and they hang up. Tim rolls off the couch, dusting off himself unnecessarily. He heads to the door, thinking it’s just his grocery delivery. He’d order one every week and at Dean’s insistence, has been actually meal prepping and cooking at least once a day. 

Tim opens the door, fully unprepared to come face to face with Dick Grayson. “Hey Tim! Are you busy?” Dick asks, smiling hopefully. He’s got a pair of blue jeans and an obscure band t-shirt on. Tim doesn’t recognize it at least. 

“Uh, no?”Tim blinks, feeling under dressed in his plaid pajama pants and plain gray shirt. He doesn’t think Dick’s here for a case, but can’t think of why else he’d show up and thinks its rude to ask. “Why?” 

“Great, want to come to the arcade with me and get lunch?” Dick asks cheerfully. Tim can tell he’s nervous about something though. The phone call with Bobby crosses Tim’s mind and he has to hold back a sigh. 

“Sure. Let me just, um, get dressed,”Tim says, and shuts the door awkwardly. He doesn’t want Dick snooping in the house to find only signs of one occupant. He sprints up the stairs in a burst of energy and swaps his pants with some cargo shorts and sprints back downstairs with his phone and wallet now in his pockets. On second thought he snags a jacket on the way, throwing it on as he opens the door again. “Hey. Um. Ready.”

“Alright!” Dick cheers. He turns to lead Tim out to his baby blue car and seems to be in a better mood than when he first knocked on the door. Tim suddenly has a thought and hopes no one had possessed the man. He narrows his eyes at Dick’s back. Nah, he’s just being paranoid.

“This arcade’s the best, you pay 20 bucks to get in and then the games inside are all free play, so you don’t have to worry about quarters,”Dick says while Tim buckles into the front seat. “It does kinda suck that theres no tickets and prizes to win, though. But theres some claw machines.”

“Yeah, sounds cool,”Tim agrees. “What case is this for? Are we scoping out the place?”

Dicks smile fades, but he keeps it up.”No, uh. Not for a case.”

Tim thinks he should have brought some holy water with him. Just for his own piece of mind. “I just thought it would be a fun time, and we can get to know each other a bit more, you know?”

“Uh. Okay?” Tim says awkwardly. Maybe Bobby was right after all. Or Dick is possessed. Tim thinks Dick is trying to get him comfortable in an undisclosed location alone to interrogate him about his home life. 

Tim’s spent over a year by himself in a mansion taking care of everything in his life on his own and he does not want Dick to figure that out. He just needs to play along and give Dick the bare minimum of what he’s looking for. Tim hopes the guy will get bored of Tim’s boringness and give up trying to get to know him. 

“So, how’ve you been lately?” Dick asks as they start to drive into downtown. 

“You saw me yesterday?” Tim says, quirking an eyebrow at Dick. He catches Dick’s awkward frown and adds,”But uh. Nothing much I guess? I’ve been working the case by the docks and have a pretty good idea of the situation with the shipments.”

“Ah,”Dick nods slowly. Tim looks closely at his eyes, trying to spot anything that might suggest possession, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary.“That’s… good. Did you do anything fun?”

“Not really,”Tim mentions, looking out the window. He hasn’t been out this far in Gotham in a while. At least, not as a civilian. He thinks he should try to get out to the skatepark more often. Or outside in general. 

“How about your uncles? How are they doing?” Dick asks. 

“They’re good,”Tim says, adding a smile to his enthusiastic response. “We made lasagna last night.” 

Tim made lasagna by himself, that is. He’s played up Dean’s food to be on par with Alfreds these days. Which, in Tim’s book they are equally good cooks. Dean makes more things Tim thinks you’d find in a cozy family household, while Alfred makes good hearty meals fit for a feast. Different but good, and Tim has collected recipes from both. He’s not afraid to say he may go a little wild with the spices these days but Tim enjoys trying out recipes. Never before did he think of himself as a good cook, but it has become a hobby on par with photography. 

“What’ve you been up to? Any interesting cases?” Tim asks, looking up at Dick. 

“Well, it’s not a case but I did visit the titans recently,”Dick starts,”We’ve been having tournaments on our off days and-”

Dick continues his story about training and team bonding while Tim happily listens. He bets this is how Jason felt, hanging out with his brother all the time. Tim thinks it would be nice to have a brother like Dick. He must be missing Jason, Tim thinks. It makes more sense than wanting to get to know Tim. Dick might have gone to this arcade with Jason before. The thought makes Tim determined to cheer Dick up today if that’s the case. He’d still check for possession when the opportunity arises, just to be sure. 

“You ever do that with your team?” Dick asks, turning expectant blue eyes on Tim.

“Young Justice?” Tim clarifies. Dick nods. The car stops and they pause the conversation to get out of the car. “Not as elaborate, but yeah we do tournaments. Sometimes we just hang out though. We do a lot of Wendy marathons.”

“Oh, really?” Dick asks, skipping ahead. He holds the door open for Tim and they step into the dimly lit room flooded with neon lights and colors. “Hi, for two please,”Dick says, turning to the guy at the counter. He’s a rude looking guy with long unkempt hair. Tim feels weird staring at them so he makes a beeline for the shelf next to him selling a bunch of video-game themed mugs. 

Tim finds a mug about pie and snorts. He’ll get it for Dean on his way out. Next time Dean visits the manor he’ll see it, Tim thinks. Maybe he should get one for Sam and Cas too, he thinks. He figures he can keep looking on his way out, and meanders back to Dick’s side. 

Dick is having a hard time. Tim reminds him so much of Jason, and yet not at all. He’s kicking himself for not trying to get to know Tim sooner. He didn’t know anything about the kid and they’d been working together fighting crime for over a year. It made him feel horrible. Dick knew it was eating at Bruce too. 

In the beginning, they treated Tim badly. Dick can admit it now, but trying to fix it feels incredibly hard. Tim is so used to Dick and Bruce calling on him for Robin things and nothing else, it’s obvious he finds their newfound interest in him odd. Dick was saddened to hear that Tim thought the arcade trip was just for a case. It made him feel like he’d just been using the kid. 

Not anymore, he vowed. Dick would get to know his little brother, even if Tim had a happy family outside of heroing, Tim would always be his little brother. And maybe, Dick could eventually get Tim to believe it too. 

Tim flopped on the couch at the end of the day, tired from spending the day with Dick. After lunch they ended up playing more games, and Tim got caught up in the moment. He’s a bit behind on his plans for the day now, and was both itching to get started and too tired to move. He flops over onto his stomach and sees his cheeto bag from this morning is still there. He reaches in the bag and grabs a few to snack on. A bit stale but still good, he thinks. 

After a few minutes Tim sits up with a groan and brings his laptop over to his lap. On one hand, he could spend some time fixing a Drake Industries programming issue with their latest technology game cube or he could do something more time sensitive.  He had to finish researching the case by the docks, and figure out if Gotham’s polluted water was magically causing shipments to get destroyed. 

Instead he calls Bobby. “Are mermaids real?” 

“Fuck if I know,”Bobby replies and hangs up. 

“Huh,”Tim says aloud. He turns back to his laptop. “Alright then.”