Evangeline wants to be (upintheclouds) wrote in rooms, @ 2014-05-29 12:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | !dc comics, *log, dick grayson, tim drake |
Log: Dick and Tim
Who: Dick and Tim
Where: The rich people section of Gotham General Hospital. Class warfare is real, people.
When: After he wakes up and talks to Bruce, after Babs comes to visit
What: Brother bonding - duh.
Warnings: None. Angst. A little bit of angst.
Dick had been awake for a couple of days, he’d seen people come and go - he was coming around, he was in pain, and he was drugged, but he was also shockingly well looked after. All the best doctors, all the best care, and fancy treatment options. He couldn’t feel his legs - he hadn’t since the moment he’d regained consciousness. He knew that was bad, but he also knew that it wasn’t permanent. He knew that.
Dick was easily emotionally beat down, by his family, by Babs, by his job. But physically - he knew that was where his strength was and if he was going to carry the weight of this family on his shoulders he knew he needed them to be strong. So there was no doubt in his mind that things were going to heal. He tried not to dwell, and didn’t think of words like “denial.” Not yet. It was still too early. Even some of the doctors had said that. “Too early to tell.” He was holding onto that tightly.
Bruce was gone or leaving, but Dick wasn’t thinking about that. For once. He wasn’t even close to thinking about that. He was thinking about the visit he’d had earlier in the day. Babs. He couldn’t get her face out of his head, seeing her again was like being in a dream. Of course he knew she’d come back because he’d been slightly roughed up and was spending time drugged out of his ass in the fancy ICU. But he hadn’t expected the visit to go so … well.
He was asleep after his talk with Babs, she’d been there when he’d fallen asleep, that much he knew. He tended to drift in and out of conversation pretty easily, but he’d been alert after what she’d told him, and even when he was asleep and miserable he was in a better mood than he had been earlier. When he opened his eyes again he half expected Babs to still be there - he had no idea most of the day had passed and it was now evening, which meant he was looking at Timmy - who had been there at the exact times since Dick had started opening his eyes. Who needed a watch when he had Timothy? He hadn’t gotten to talk to him much, it was only in the last day or so that he’d felt up to talking - and given the improvement in his mood - he was feeling a bit chattier.
“Hey Timmy,” his voice was quiet, and his mouth was dry, but he licked his lips and nodded toward the cup on his table that had a straw sticking out of it. He was not too proud to ask for help, especially when there were no other options.
Tim was doing all right. Or maybe he reached a point where this enormous sense of calm and stability came over him, because it was what he decided he could do for his family. Everyone else was unstable and floating around looking for focus or purpose, so that was something Tim could do, stay calm and reasonable and available. It was also to keep himself sane; otherwise he would have to think about the things he didn't want to think about. Like what he said to Steph about his lack of a real life.
He remembered when having a real life mattered a lot to him. That was when his father was alive and the Teen Titans existed. He told Bruce he wanted to try and have both, he didn't want to turn out like his adopted father, even with all of his respect for the man. Tim didn't want to be Batman. This meant eventually he would grow out of being Robin, maybe he'd follow Dick's path to a Nightwing-like option. Dick was meant to be Batman. Tim saw a future where he became the Dark Knight, and it was disturbing, it was like his humanity stopped existing once he put on the cowl. The same wouldn't happen to Dick, who held his humanity on his sleeve. Tim knew what he didn't want to be. The hard part was figuring out what he did want to be.
Still, there were very few things that would keep him from Dick's side while he was healing. He did his patrols and camped out at the hospital room afterward. That was his new way of life. His body was a little stiff from sleeping in the chair, and since it was a private wing, no one told him to get out or that visiting hours were over. He glanced up when he noticed Dick moving and that he was awake, smiling. He heard the reports from the doctors, and he was positive too. Bruce came from a broken back. They'd figure this out.
He got the water and offered the straw to him carefully. "And here I thought you were usually good with the ladies," he teased. That's how Robins got through it. With humor.
Dick took a drink of the water and cleared his throat, it hurt to do so, but he did it anyway. He tried to smile, though the smile was faint (and frankly a little stoned) even as his eyes closed on their own for a moment. “She was so unimpressed by my charms, not only did she kick my ass but she kicked me right in the ego too.” Joking he could do. Actually thinking about what had happened? Now that wasn’t an option at all. He was beyond fearful that she would come after someone else in his family. He knew he wouldn’t be able to help if she came back - he knew there was no possible way he could be useful like this and it had him scared in more ways than one.
"You can't win them all. Next time try flowers and chocolate first." Tim knew that it must be frustrating for Dick. He could only imagine being that damaged and knowing that the world was going crazy around them - again - and not being able to do anything about it. Tim felt helpless a lot of the time since arriving in this world, for a variety of reasons. But for them, being physically stopped was the worst. As long as they could fight, they felt in control. He pulled the chair up closer. "We're on it. Diana has some magical device that'll track the cultists. It's just a matter of time now." But Dick couldn't be a part of it. No vengeance directly from him, so they'd have to do it for him.
“I’d have come more prepared if I knew she’d just fall from the sky,” he said his eyes drifting closed but a half smile on his face.
He didn’t want to hear about all the work they were doing without him, but he listened and he nodded. Not that he could do much about it if he didn’t agree with the plan. But it all sounded good, and like they had things well in hand. “No one should try and take anything like her by themselves. Except Supes. Or Diana. Just...Make sure they stick around as much as they can. We-” he paused. “You’re going to need them.”
"You could've used the 'did it hurt when you fell from heaven?' line. Missed opportunities." If he saw this woman in question, Tim would not give either of them chance to quip. He'd be right on her. Even if he'd stand less of a chance than Dick, it wouldn't stop him. He was really getting sick of losing family.
Of course what Dick said right after changed that, but he knew he was right. "She'll regret being on the other side of those two." There were few people who could go toe to toe with one of them, let alone both. Tim knew talking about the situation wasn't going to help much with Dick being left out like this. "You know that time after Crane's toxins when things were relatively quiet? I feel like I didn't appreciate it enough."
“We could have been so happy together,” he said with smile that hurt a bit too much so it didn’t stay on his face for too long. Dick was worried about any of his family seeking out whatever had hurt him. He had run in, not standing a chance and the thought of anyone else being hurt as badly as he was - he couldn’t take it.
“I don’t know if my head has quieted down since Selina and Eddie threw me in the Pit after the plague. Being dead was as quiet as you can imagine,” he cleared his throat a bit - “That’s not to say I’d like to be dead again,” he corrected quickly. “But right before it happened I remember it finally being over.” It had been a hard year leading up to the plague. And even harder bouncing back from it - but things were looking up. He closed his eyes for a few minutes drifting back off into drug induced sleep, but when he opened them he acted as if only a few seconds had passed. He didn’t know the difference. “Babs and I are having a baby,” he blurted out because he’d already carried on half of the conversation in his dream. Drugs were the worst. And the best.
Tim was not the type who rushed in blind. He was much more careful than his brothers. Careful and meticulous and rarely hot headed. Of course when he was angry it was more pronounced and difficult to control. His anger toward Dick which seemed all-encompassing at the time had long since run its course. Whatever he was holding onto, resentment, it was gone when they had to mourn Damian. It seemed so petty after that.
Tim hated that story. Pitting Dick without his consent was an ugly decision, and probably not one he would make, no matter how emotional it was for them. He thought people around there relied on the Pit too much. He didn't know if it needed to be said he wouldn't want it. Probably not. His family knew him well. "I'm glad you're here." But not glad about the pit. It was complicated like that. He went quiet when Dick drifted off, because that happened when someone was full of drugs, but then he was talking again. And he was startled at the news, followed quickly by happiness. "No way." He laughed. "Did she just tell you? That's amazing."
Pitting Dick without his consent, and with the knowledge that he never wanted it to begin with. He’d practically made Bruce promise - but it hadn’t worked out that way. There was nothing to be done about it now. But it stung a bit. He was moving on from it, he and Selina had made amends. He’d even made amends with Eddie. It was water under the bridge. Or rather, green goop under the bridge. “I’m glad you’re here too, Timmy.”
The left corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smile and he exhaled slowly. “She did. It’s amazing. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard. We haven’t told anyone else obviously, its all brand new. But - I had to tell someone.” And that is exactly how it would go until everyone knew - Dick consistently being unable to contain the news.
Tim doubted anyone would pit him. The only people who would care enough to would know better. Selina and Eddie wouldn't care. That was fine by him. The latter he was still not great with. He put up with the guy, because he seemed like his redemption was legit. And he was good with Steph. Tim might resent the hell out of that, but it was true all the same. He could see it. He loved Steph, but he wasn't in love with her, and that helped. Her happiness was important. Even if it was strange to be a dude that tried to kill them a bunch of times.
"Like you'll be able to keep it a secret," he teased. Dick had a big mouth when it came to these things. It wouldn't be a secret for much longer. "Wow, good news almost feels alien these days huh?" But it was great. It was really, really great. Tim grinned and slapped the side of the bed. "Think of that as me giving you a high five." A real one would just hurt him. "You're going to be a dad."
Dick hadn’t been pitted for any reason other than someone assuming the rest of the family needed him. Which was a bit ridiculous. But it was over and done with. Dick didn’t want to lose anyone else, it was a testament to how much he hated what had happened to him that he’d let Damian rest. It was easy not to make that decision no matter how heavy his grief was.
“I’m going to do terribly at it - everyone will know before too long, and then when Babs announces it everyone will have to be paid off to act surprised. Part of it is I just really want to start calling Bruce gramps. Like. As soon as possible.”
"Babs knows you, she'd probably be surprised herself if everyone didn't know by the time of the announcement." It was good news when they all could use it. Of course it also meant some extra dangers for Babs, but nothing they couldn't deal with. Tim chuckled. "He'll just stare at you blankly. Or be secretly amused." Or not care at all, unfortunately, but that wasn't something they could control anyway. Since Tim got there, he didn't get the sense Bruce really thought of them as his children. He wondered if it happened more before then, but he didn't know for sure.
“I better get it done while I can still use being under the influence of drugs as an excuse,” and he would ride that tidal wave of excuses until the end of time if possible. It was perfect.
“I’m going to go for secretly amused,” he said with a sigh. He had been working hard, at what sometimes seemed like a failing effort, to get Bruce a little more out of the shell he was in. Not in the way he would have if his own version of his father were here. If that were the case it actually probably would have been worse. Dick had seemingly infinite patience when it came to the Bruce they all had here, no matter how angry or hurt he became. He never stopped trying, and perhaps that spoke more to Dick’s needs than it did of any desire to bring Bruce around, but regardless of the reasoning or psychosis behind it he still didn’t stop. “Uncle Timmy,” he said with a chuckle because it was basically hilarious. They were adding to the brood.
"You'll ride that out until the last possible minute, I know you." He doubted Babs minded. She probably wanted to yell it too. Tim doubted Bruce was going to be amused. Maybe he wouldn't care. Who knew anymore. He was resigned to it, and no longer thought to himself what their Bruce would've done. So that was progress. None of it managed compared to the fact that Dick and Babs were going to be parents. He grinned. "We're going to have a mini-you with red hair, toddling around shooting snarky one liners. I can see it now." It was a really great image. Family wasn't usually conducive to their lifestyle, but it didn't have to be that way. "So does that mean Babs is moving back?"
“I’ll still be doing it by Christmas, I have to hold onto what I can,” he said with a smile, even though it was a loaded statement - for these purposes things were just fine.
“I know, he’s going to be awesome. Or she. Either way everyone better watch out.” At the question about Babs moving back, Dick was slightly unsure - but he could only assume so. “We haven’t talked about it - but I think so. At the very least she has to stay until I’m feeling better, so I’ll milk it until she likes it here again.”
"You might want to talk to her about it. Perfect your sad eyes and quivering lip. We'll do the same. Baby Grayson has to be here." Tim figured they could all use a bundle of joy, even if Gotham wasn't the best place to raise a kid. He was raised there. It couldn't be completely terrible. "We'll find a way to keep her here and get you better. We're superheroes. Figuring it all out is our business." Tim reached out to touch his brother's hand gently. "You're not allowed to die on me, and you almost forgot that. But we made a pact. So don't mess it up."
Baby Grayson. It was insane. But accurate. There was definitely a Baby Grayson on the way. And he was stuck in the hospital. But hopefully not forever. He smiled at Tim and nodded, his eyes closing again. “I won’t, I promise.” Stupid promises being made, but Dick made them anyway. If anything they held him accountable.