Chapter Text
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A hour in the flight.
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The plane ride is quiet, the tension thick.
Bruce is sitting near the front, the jet on autopilot.
Dick sat in the back, not willing to talk with him right now.
Dick pulls out his phone sending a text to Alfred to let them know if Damian returns home.
He sets his phone down, sighing and resting his head back on the headrest. Damian's fine. He's fine. He can take care of himself. Right now it's about Tim.
God. Dick doesn't even know what he wants to say. I'm sorry, we miss you, come home. Yeah, he can practically feel the door slamming in his face.
What can he even say? It's been so long.
He rubs his face, staring out the window of the jet. He'll figure it out. It's a 16 hour flight. He's got time.
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3 hours in the flight.
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Dick's legs are starting to get stiff, he's tempted to pace the plane but that could lead to Bruce asking questions.
He doesn't want to talk.
He can't believe how long it took for him to start the jet. Tim could have changed his mind in that time while Bruce was being a stubborn dick.
He can see Bruce shift in his peripheral, glancing at Dick like he wants to say something.
Dick doesn't give a shit. He pulls his headphones on and hits play on his most recent playlist, ignoring the potential olive branch.
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7 hours into the flight.
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Dick is feeling slightly guilty, he shouldn't. That doesn't stop the sick feeling crawling up his throat.
He glances at Bruce who's typing on his laptop. Bastard is always working.
He sighs and gets up, sitting across from Bruce. Bruce had went still the moment Dick left his seat, he looks to Dick and shuts his laptop "Is everything alright?" He asks his eldest carefully.
Dick doesn't feel like talking about feelings, no one in the family ever does feelings "Do you remember that one time Tim had tried to impress me by learning gymnastics?" He doesn't bother smoothly changing the subject.
Bruce gives a smile and nods "He trained for hours when you were gone, he used alot of youtube videos" He chuckles looking at Dick with a more relaxed posture "He really looked up to you, he spent hours in the cave trying to prefect it" Dick can feel his bitterness wash away at the thought.
Dick can feel the smile pulling at his mouth "He had showed me he could do a cartwheel on patrol" He remembers Tim's excitement "He hadn't considered the gravel and ended up landing on his ass" Tim had been so embarrassed, Dick couldn't stop laughing.
Bruce chuckles at the description, smiling at Dick with warmth.
Dick couldn't remember the last time they could talk without screaming at eachother, a odd feeling pools in his stomach at the realization.
Dick can feel a yawn building up, he stands "I'm going to rest the rest of the flight" He tries not to sound as awkward as he feels, moving back to his original place in the back of the jet.
He stares out the window and sighs, he needs to be well rested when he speaks with Tim.
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After landing.
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Jason picked them up and took them back to the hotel he was staying at. Dick stares out the window, the town doesn't seem like anything special. Dick can't imagine Tim fitting in here.
Dick's rest on the plane was dreamless, it almost felt like he hadn't slept at all.
They check into the hotel rooms and go to their separate rooms.
Dick sighs and throws his bag to the side, laying down and looking at his phone for the time. It's 1am. They had agreed to visit Tim at 9am.
Dick tries to get comfortable, just 8 more hours and he can see Tim again.
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Damian looks at Tim to gage his reaction, they both know who it is, there's only one option.
Tim stares at the door, his shoulder tense, his jaw clenched. Damian almost wishes the had more time.
Tim stands and grabs his cane with a tight grip, walking to the door, taking a deep breath and opening the door.
Damian can see Dick with his hand raised to knock again, he looks frozen for a moment before smiling at Tim "Tim! It's been awhile you look good" He smiles at Tim, the crease in his eyes giving away the anxiety.
The airs tense, Tim hasn't said anything and Dick looks like he doesn't know how to continue, Jason's voice comes out from beside Dick "You wanted them here, they're here. Are you going to let us in or what?" Damian almost scoffs at the audacity, Tim looks ready to close the door, his jaw clenched hard as he opens the door.
The moment Dick steps in his eyes meet Damians "Damian what the fuck are you doing here?" He immediately grimaces after saying it, the words not coming out how he meant them.
Damian shrugs as the rest walk in, staying in his spot on the couch "He said all of us" Bruce stares at Damian looking guilty, Damian doesn't want to deal with it "Didn't seem like I'd be flying so I drove." He can feel the joints heavy in his pocket.
Bruce's mouth opens his face creased with worry, Damian holds up a hand "This is about Tim not me. We can have this discussion at a later time." He's not about to take this away from Tim.
Bruce pauses before giving a tense nod, Dick looks pissed at the conclusion but keeps his mouth shut.
Their gazes shift to Tim.
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Tim hates how cramped his livingroom feels, he sits back next to Damian, his leg throbbing. He hates the attention.
He gestures to the chairs "Take a seat then." He doesn't bother small talk, he hates the guilty stare from Bruce and the hopeful gaze from Dick.
It's quiet for a moment, Tim not willing to break the silence.
Dick leans forward with a tense smile "So how's it been going? Living in a small place like this must be pretty boring huh?" He tries to joke, Tim stares.
Bruce clears his throat "Tim. I want to apologize, for missing as much as I have. I thought-" His jaw clenches "I had always seen you as more mature than your brothers, I thought you were okay because you were handling it." Tim shifts his gaze to the other two to see their reactions, Dick looks annoyed and Jason just looks resigned, his gaze shifts back to Bruce "-I love you Tim, and I'm so sorry I haven't shown it right." Bruce swallows thickly, looking.. emotional.
Tim hates it, it makes him feel guilty. He gives a short nod to Bruce "Okay." He's not going to say he forgives him, he doesn't. Maybe in time, but not now.
Bruce doesn't say anything, he just returns the nod. Tim shifts his gaze to Dick who looks nervous "Tim I'm really sorry I didn't protect you right, I hope you can forgive me" Tim waits, Dick stares. Tim can feel his eye twitch "Is that it?" His voice controlled.
Dick looks startled my the response "I uh-" He chuckles nervously "I don't know what else you want Timmy" He smiles nervously.
He can't be serious.
Tim rubs his temples, closing his eyes "Richard. I'm not mad at you because you didn't stop things you couldn't control." He shifts his gaze back to Dick "I'm fucking pissed because when I needed you to believe me, to hear me out, to let me explain. You took the only stable thing I had in my life. You took Robin from me." Dick grimaces and opens his mouth, Tim doesn't let him interrupt "You called me crazy. I was alone because you left me."
Tim takes a deep breath "And don't call me Timmy." He watches Dick's reaction, the oldest eyes wide and his mouth parted, like he hadn't even considered the incident.
Damian shifts his hand in his pocket, no doubt fidgeting with a joint. Tim still can't believe he smokes now.
He sighs and looks to Bruce "What do you want from me?" He wants this to be over with.
Bruce leans forward, his eyes sad "We want you back in our lives" He words it carefully not saying Tim has to go back to Gotham. Tim appreciates it.
Dick moves forward "We want you to come home" Bruce and Jason grimace at the wording. Tim shifts his gaze back to Dick "No." The oldest looks startled "What?"
Tim shifts his leg, trying to ease the pressure "No. I'm not going back to Gotham." He might, if they can build any sense of trust but at this moment he won't go back to that shitty city.
Dick laughs nervously "What do you mean? Of course you have to come back-" Bruce puts a hand on Dicks shoulder "Give him time-" Dick shrugs the hand off "Don't fucking touch me. I'm talking to Tim. Stay out of it." He snaps at Bruce who looks resigned.
Tim is caught off guard, he's never seen Dick so hostile with Bruce before.
Jason grimaces and leans back "Maybe the old mans got a point, give him time-" Dick turns to Jason "I'm not fucking talking to you!" Jason holds the glare "I'm talking to my little brother! Why won't you both just let me do that!" Dick shouts.
Tim can feel a headache coming on.
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Damian slips out of the room while they're shouting. He goes down the steps of the apartment, going to sit in his car.
He leans his seat back and turns the radio up. He can't smoke but he can definitely imagine he's anywhere else.
He closes his eyes as the music blares in his ears, drowning out all thoughts.
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Tim can't believe this shit "You're not listening!" Dick's breathing hard "I'm listening!" He screams, Jason grabs Dicks shoulder "Maybe we should take a second to calm down-" Dick shoves off his hand "Shut the fuck up! You're the reason we're here! Because you tried to fucking kill him!" Jason goes ridged, his eyes hardening.
Bruce grabs Dick's arm "We can come back later when we're all calmed down. If we're still welcome." He glances at Tim.
Tim doesn't want them back here.
Dick swallows and clenches his jaw hard. Jason looks zoned out. Bruce looks stressed. Damian stepped out at some point.
He sighs and rubs his face, one more chance.
One last chance.
He looks to Bruce "We can talk again. But if this" He gestures "happens again. I'm not giving you another chance." He stands, not bothering to grab his cane "Right now you all need to get out." Bruce nudges Dick who looks regretful, they all move out the door, Jason not bothering to wait for the other two.
Tim shuts the door and locks it, leaning against the door, he let's himself slide to the floor.
He rests his face on his knees, how the fuck did that escalate so quickly?
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The walk to the hotel is quiet, Jason took the car.
Dick can feel his eyes burning. He doesn't know why he exploded like that, it just built up so fast.
He couldn't stop the words flooding out. He hates it.
It's only when he's sitting in his hotel eating breakfast does he realize he doesn't remember when Damian left.
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Damian ended up driving back to the hotel, he didn't feel like going back in there.
He stares at the ceiling, laying flat on his bed. He's eaten through all his protein and candy bars, now he's just enjoying the floaty feeling.
If he was to choose between weed and living with his family he'd choose weed.
It leaves less of a migraine.