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Chapter Text

Tim's sure he'll ever not be nervous before an important Wayne event. Bruce pretty much only holds them to keep up appearances but still they are nerve wracking, and with the latest Arkham escapes he'd much rather be helping Jason, who can't go for obvious reasons, take care of that. This event had sadly been coming up for a few weeks now and so he couldn't just skip it.

The gala's are probably his least favorite part of being red robin, they were just filled with snobby rich people who only talked about the same three things; how great their business was doing, asking him to recommend them to Bruce and sometimes an offhanded joke about him dating their single daughter. So no the prospect of having to hang around those people wasn't looking so great.

''Tim are you done already? Cass is waiting in the car'' Steph yells from the hallway ''You've been in there for ages and we need to leave if now if we want to make it in time'' she says as she opens the door.

''Yeah yeah, just gotta figure this tie out real quick''

She laughs ''Dude it's not that hard you can do that in the car, we need to leave now''

''Why do we always have to been on time? Dick is like an hour late at like every event and nobody seems to have a problem with that'' an hour might be a bit of an exaggeration but he's still always late.

''That's true but he says he does that to make a statement so who am I to argue with that, now come on we had to leave ten minutes ago''

''Alright fine'' he says, as he follows her to the car.

-

When they arrived at nine fisteen, only fifteen minutes late, the gala was already incredibly busy. Luckly most people were also just arriving so they could just enter without having to talk to anyone.

Duke, who had arrived early with Bruce and Damian to help set everything up, waved them over from one of the tables on the balcony.

''Hey Duke, where's Damian?'' Cass asks as we join duke at the table.

''Over there with Bruce'' he says ''Bruce forced him to say hi to everyone, he says it's to help him work on his social skills''

Steph snickers ''Well it's about time he learned how to actually talk to people, he talks like an eighty year old man''

''Can't disagree with you on that'' Tim laughs as he looks at his watch ''Okay it's nine twenty right now, wanna bet at what time Dick is going to walk in? I bet ten dollars on fortyfive minutes''

''I'll take that bet, I think he'll be forty minutes late'' Duke says.

''Ten dollars on fifty minutes'' Cass adds.

''No no'' Steph says as she takes a sip of the champagne she's definitely now allowed to drink yet ''You're all overestimating it. He'll only be thirty minutes late''

-

They all hand Steph ten dollars as Dick walks in twelve minutes later at nine thirtytwo.

''Told you so'' she says ''I'm going to free Damian from greeting the guests real quick, poor kid really seems to be going through it''

And Tim can't disagree with her, Damian is skoweling at every single person he has to greet. Bruce's plan to help him learn to socialise clearly hasn't paid off. He honestly can't blame him for trying, Damian may be a professionally trained assasin but when it comes to talking to people he's a hopeless case.

They watch Dick as he makes his way through the event hall, seemingly effortlessly slowly making his way through the crowd by moving from one conversation to the other. It's something Tim has always been jealous of, the was Dick easily made small talk with people and almost always got them to like him. There was just something abouth him that drew people close.

''How the hell does he do that?'' he says ''every single time I'm down there I get surrounded and am just stuck there having conversation after conversation with everyone''

''Probably practice or something'' Duke answers ''He's been doing this for way longer than any of us have. Although he does seem to be going through quite a lot of champagne so that could also help a lot''

''Can't blame him'' Cass shrugs ''Although he's really going through that champagne tonight''

She's not exactly wrong, Dick's definitely drinking more than that he usually does but maybe Bruce had just invited the more annoying people tonight, so who was Tim to judge him for wanting to get a little bit more alcohol in his system to actually get through the night you know.

After a few more minutes of talking Steph walks over to their table Damian following close behind her.

''I've freed the child'' she exclaims as she plops down on one of the chairs ''Dick really going at the champagne tonight huh?''

''Yeah, we noticed'' Tim laughs ''By the way, have you seem him? I lost sight of him a few minutes ago''

Steph shakes her head looking a bit confused ''No we talked for a bit but after that he walked away and I haven't seen him since''

That's weird, Dick usually stays until the end for these kind of things. Maybe something happened?

''I'm just going to look for him real quick, just to make sure nothing is wrong'' He says as he stands up and walks towards the doors.

-

He eventually finds him in one of the bathrooms, he almost walked past it until he heard someone groan in pain.

''Dick, is that you?'' he asks as he knocks on the door ''are you okay?''

''I'm finee, I'm totally not drunk at all or something, like... at all''

Yep he's wasted, he knocks on the door again. "I'm coming in okay''

''Yeah yeah sure sure some in'' Dick answers, clearly slurring over his words.

When he opens the door and walks into the room he sees Dick slouched over sitting in the corner of the room with his arms around his stomach, his eyes unfocussed almost glazed over.

''Are you okay, how many drinks have you had?'' he asks.

''Yes no I agree'' Dick laughs to himself ''about like, a lot, honestly I don't even know''

Tim shakes his head as he tries to stop himself from laughing. ''Why? Just why''

Dick laughs again ''So really funny story I might have gotten minorly stabbed and decided to get drunk to help with the pain a little because I forgot to take any long term pain killers''

Tim stops laughing ''You got stabbed?'' he asks, fully serious now.

''Minorly'' Dick tells him as he removes his hand from his stomach showing a slowely growing blood red stain

Tim is immediately at his side assessing the damage, Dick had tried to take care of the stab wound himself but some of the stitches had broken. Tim knew he had to get Dick home but he couldn't just leave, but he Dick couldn't stay here like this.

''Okay, uhm, I'm going to call Jason to bring you home so Alfred can redo those stitches okay?'' He decides grabbing his phone. It goes over a few times before Jason finally picks up.

"Hello?'' he answers.

''Jason thank god'' het says relieved he finally picked up ''Are you done with patrol?''

''Yes why?'' Jason answers

''The stars are looking amazing tonight, wow, looks that is the big bear, that's just great'' Dick slurs in the backgrond

''What the hell is he talking about?'' Jason asks, clearly confused.

''I have no idea, we're inside, he's looking at the ceiling'' he tells him

''Do you ever think about flamingo's, we should tank more about flamingo's'' Dick states

''Yes totally, I agree'' Tim answers to get him to be quiet for a second.

''What's wrong with him?" Jason asks, even more confused.

''So really funny store, Dick got stabbed before the gala, got drunk because he forgot to take any actual painkillers and now he's broken some stitches so he might be bleeding out on the bathroom floor'' he rambles.

Jason sighs ''I'll be there in five''

Chapter Text

Jason had already been out on patrol for a few hours when Tim called him. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn had escaped from Arkham again, don't know how the two keep doing it. He's been having to take care of them like once a week now. Not that they are the worst or something, he sometimes even tolerates their presence, but it get's quite frustrating when you have to fight someone every week and bring them to Arkham just for them to escape like a day later.

He was just finishing up everything in one of his safehouses when he heard his phone go off.

"Hello?'' he answers.

''Jason thank god'' he hears Tim say ''Are you done with patrol?''

''Yes why?'' Jason answers while taking of his mask

''The stars are looking amazing tonight, wow, looks that is the big bear, that's just great'' He hears Dick say in the background

''What the hell is he talking about?'' Jason asks, he sounds weird, like weird weird not Dick weird.

''I have no idea, we're inside, he's looking at the ceiling'' Tim tells him, sounding concerned. Okay, so that's definitely not good, something is for sure wrong with him.

''Do you ever think about flamingo's, we should tank more about flamingo's'' He hears Dick mumble

''Yes totally, I agree'' he hears Tim answer quickly to get him to shut up.

''What's wrong with him?" Jason asks, even more confused. What the fuck is going on? Dick is either drunk or high and honestly neither are good and or sound like something Dick would actively try to become, especially not during suck an important event. Dick is usually on his best behavior during events - like the golden boy he is - so what could possibly have happened for him to get himself like this?

What the actual fuck is going on?

Tim is quiet for a moment, like he's collecting himself, before he finally answers ''So really funny store, Dick got stabbed before the gala, got drunk because he forgot to take any actual painkillers and now he's broken some stitches so he might be bleeding out on the bathroom floor'' Tim rambles.

Well shit.

At least he's not high tho, because he is not dealing with a high Dick tonight. Although that would be the perfect chance for him to get some perfect future blackmail video's though. He should really confront the guy about taking better care of himself because this is getting out of hand, he knows Dick's never been the best at it but this is extreme even for him.

Jason sighs ''I'll be there in five'' If he takes some shortcuts and leaves right now he might even make it in four.

Let's go help these idiots.

-

Jason had somehow managed to make it in three minutes – he did almost run an old guy over in the process – and quickly entered through one of the back doors - Bruce should really amp up his security because that was way too easy – and walked down the halls toward the room Tim and Dick were in as fast as he could without full on sprinting.

When he finally got to them, he realized why Tim had sounded so stressed, Dick looked like shit. He was muttering some random stuff to himself about barbers and turtles and just fully out of it, which would have been hilarious if it wasn't for the puddle of blood he was sitting in and how deathly pale he looked.

''So you just found him here like this'' he asks Tim while looking down at Dick sitting in his little pool of blood.

''Yeah I got a bit concerned once he just disappeared, and found him here sitting in his own blood talking about the stars and flamingo's.'' Tim answers using his fancy jacket to attempt to stop the bleeding.

''Shit okay, did it hit anything vital?''

''No, at least I don't think so. The problem really just seems to be the blood loss, and you know the bottle of champagne running through his system'' Tim tells him, putting more pressure on the wound.

''Okay I'll stare here and keep pressure on the wound as you get Alfred and first aid kit'' he suggests, already kneeling beside him to take over ''I can't go out there and risk one of those snobs recognise me or get thrown out for not being in the invite list''

Tim just nods, probably happy to get moving, and walks out the door to find Alfred. So that just left him and a very drunk Dick.

''Hey'' he tapped him on the shoulder ''don't pass out on me now you idiot'' he tells him as he notices Dick starting to nod off.

''Jason?'' Dick murmurs, sounding confused.

''Yes, it's me. What's wrong?'' He askes him.

''no no no no, that can't be right'' Dick is sounding really confused now ''no no you died''

Oh.

''I did'' He answers him.

''So how are you here right now?'' Dick mutters ''I'm not hallucinating you again am I?"

''No, no I'm not a hallucination'' he put's his free hand on Dick shoulder ''See I'm real''

''But how? You were dead'' great job stating the obvious Dick.

''I got better'' he answers.

''But how though?'' Dick askes even more confused now.

Shit he's starting to nod off again.

''Hey. Hey! Dick'' he shakes his shoulder ''I'll tell you okay, but only if you stay awake for a little longer. You think you can handle that?''

Dick waits a moment, like he's genuinely contemplating the offer before slowly shaking his head. ''But I'm sooo tired''

''I know, I know but it will just be for a little bit okay, then you can'' Jason tells him, desperate to keep him awake until Tim finally manages to find Alfred. What is taking him so long?

''Hey Jason'' Dick says.

''Yes? What's wrong?'' He asks.

''I'm gonna pass out now, sorry'' Dick states as he closes his eyes.

''No no no, Dick don't! Just stay awake for a little bit longer okay'' Jason says while shaking his shoulder again.

Tim finally walkes back in holding a first aid kit and with Alfred right behind him, but they are a few seconds too late and Dick has already passed out.

Chapter Text

As Dick wakes up he realizes two things. Firstly, the slow but steady beeping of the heart monitor, his heart. Somebody probably hooked him up to one, but for some reason he doesn't remember anything that happened after yesterday during the party. One moment he's gossiping with Steph, about the idiots Bruce invited to his party, and now he's in a bed hooked up to a heart monitor. There is also an iv in his hand, so something must have happened.

And secondly, he's never been this hung over. Don't get him wrong, he's been hung over before, but right now he feels like he just got run over by the Batmobile twice. Why would he have gotten so drunk?

He's desperately trying to remember but his mind feels foggy, maybe pain meds? But why would they put him on pain meds? He's fine.

Oh wait

Right, he got stabbed last night.

But he fixed that up though. He didn't do an amazing job, but I mean it couldn't have been that bad, right? So why doesn't he remember anything from last night?

Well, he did drink a lot. He doesn't remember how much but certainly a lot, way more than he usually does.

He's tired

Maybe is he'll sleep for a little longer he can sleep of is hangover, and maybe then he will remember what the fuck happened last night.

-pov Bruce-

Dick fell asleep again.

He opened is eyes for a few seconds, but they were clearly glazed over and didn't seem to register anything. So after a few moments he closed his eyes again and continued sleeping.

He'd been this close to canceling the entire event when Tim told him Dick had been brought to the med bay. But he had an image to uphold and he didn't feel like explaining to the press why he had ended this long awaited event early.

So one by one Steph, Damian, Duke and Cass had excused themselves, Damian obviously being the first, to join Jason and Tim in the medbay.

He'd have to thank Jason later for being able to help Tim and Dick on such short notice. He doesn't know what would have happened without him.

He'll also have to have a stern talk with Dick about taking good cate of himself, because he'll probably die is he keeps going like this. He can't just go to a public gala while actively bleeding and just drink as much as possible instead of taking pain meds.

He's starting to act the same way he did after he found out Jason had died. It had taking him so long to convince Dick to take proper cate of himself because he doesn't want to have to burry two sons.

Damian had fallen asleep next to him, his head resting on Bruce's shoulder. The others had left for their rooms after a few hours but Damian refused to leave until he saw with his own eyes that Dick was awake and okay.

This position doesn't look very comfortable though.

''Hey'' he slightly nudges Damians shoulder ''Hey, Damian wake up''

Damian slowly rubs his eyes and opens them ''What happened?'' he askes, yawning.

''Nothing you just fell asleep for a moment'' he tells him.

''Oh'' Damian says ''Then why did you wake me up?''

''You didn't look very comfortable, what if you just sleep on one of the other beds and I'll wake you up when Dick is awake''

''All right'' Damian answers as he shuffles over to one of the beds and almost intstandly falls back asleep.

Back to waiting.