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Dick could only assume his instincts picked up on the sound before his conscious mind did, seeing how he felt a wordless concern rising from his gut without knowing why. As he walked further down the corridor, though, the reason became clear. Someone was crying. More importantly, that someone was in Tim’s room.

Dick came to a halt at Tim’s door, listening closely. After all, he could have misunderstood something. However, the sound continued. Even muffled by the door, that was clearly someone sobbing and sniffling.

“Tim?” Dick knocked at the door. Immediately, the sound stopped. “Timmy, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Right. Which was why his voice was teary and hoarse.

“You know it’s fine not to be all right, don’t you?” No answer. “May I come in?”

The silence stretched on long enough that Dick was already weighing the pros and cons of just walking in anyway. Finally, he heard a small, “I… okay.”

Great, no internal conflict about invading the kid’s privacy. Dick opened the door and stepped in, closing it softly behind himself. He then stood at the doorway, taking in the scene. Clearly, Tim was very much not fine.

The first thing that hit Dick was the smell. It wasn’t the usual teenager boy smell of testosterone and questionable hygiene practices that he might have expected, but a wave of pheromones that tugged at his deepest instincts, fear and pain and Heat. Not full mature heat, with its promises of desire and sex, just the near-desperate scent of a child calling for their pack’s protection.

The source of the smell was obvious, with Tim curled up in his bed like he was trying to fold in on himself, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and light shorts. His face was shining with sweat, his brow furrowed in pain. As Dick approached, he made a tiny, wounded sound.

“Hi, Timbo.” Dick kept his voice soft, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. He desperately wanted to draw Tim into his arms and cuddle him, but that seemed like a bit much for a start. “You look like you’re having a bit of a hard time.” Come to think of it, he’d never actually noticed Tim’s heats before.

“I’m sorry.” That was… not the response he had expected. “I’m… I ran out of my pills, I didn’t mean to…”

“What pills?” Dick frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My — my suppressants.” Tim hiccuped. “I ran out, and — I don’t know where to get more —” He sniffled. “I’m sorry,” he finished in a whisper.

“Oh, Timbit, please don’t apologize.” Dick reached out a hand, telegraphing his movements clearly, until he managed to sink his fingers in Tim’s messy hair. The gesture seemed to calm the boy, at least a little. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Why were you on suppressants, anyway? You’re pretty young for that.”

Tim blinked at him with teary eyes. “It’s — my parents,” he said, his voice breaking again. It had been a few months since their sudden passing, but obviously that wasn’t enough time for him to get over their loss. “They started me on suppressants when I was ten, so I wouldn’t — wouldn’t get into trouble while they were out of Gotham.”

It took all of Dick’s self control not to swear aloud. Trouble? Tim still wasn’t old enough to have mature heats. And since he’d been ten? “You mean you’ve only had heats when they were in town?”

That got him another blink, his genius little brother confused at the question, and Dick’s heart sank a little more. “I haven’t had a heat before,” he said, as though that should have been obvious. Which, it was a legitimate interpretation of his words, but it was also against everything Dick knew about how things were supposed to work. “I’m — I’m too young.”

“For mature heats, maybe, the kind that makes you horny. But that’s why those don’t start until later. I think I was seventeen the first time I had a full heat, and I still had some juvenile heats after that before things settled.” Dick frowned. “Your body needs the partial heats to develop properly. They’re important for hormonal balance and pack bonding, that’s the whole reason why juvenile heats exist.”

“I’m fine, though.”

“Timmy, you’re fourteen and crying in terror over something that should be routine at your age. That’s not fine.” Dick sighed. “Do you even know how to build a proper nest?”

Tim bit his lip. “…My parents said nests are stupid and just make more trouble for the cleaner.”

“Bullshit.” Dick stood up, now. That, at least, was something he could help. “Come on, that’s the first thing we’ll get settled. Grab your blanket, you’ll want the scent.”

Tim looked confused but sat up at least, rubbing at his teary eyes before he wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere more comfortable, for a start.” Dick headed for the door, making sure not to move too fast. Tim must have been feeling miserable, and the last thing Dick wanted to do was make the kid push himself.

“…Okay.” Tim followed him with shuffling steps. “Um… where are the others?”

“Oh, Bruce took Jason to the bookstore. They should be back soon.” Dick considered his words, then amended, “Well, relatively soon. Do you want me to call them? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind cutting their trip a bit short.”

“No!” Tim’s outburst startled him. “No, please, no…”

“What’s wrong?” Dick frowned, glancing back at the kid. “Timmers? You look terrified.”

“They — they’re alphas.” Tim wrapped the blanket even tighter around himself. “That wouldn’t — that wouldn’t be safe, right?”

“Tim. You aren’t actually afraid of Bruce and Jason, are you?” Dick swallowed. “You know they wouldn’t ever hurt you, right?”

“I know they wouldn’t mean to.” Tim wouldn’t meet his eyes. “But they’re alphas, and I’m in heat, and…”

“Okay, that’s — that’s, like, ten layers of wrong.” Dick shook his head. “We’ll need to have a good long talk later, when you’re not so caught up in hormones. But just so we’re clear, one, you’re in juvenile heat, you’re not giving off any sexy pheromones. Part of the purpose of juvenile heats is so your pack can register your adult scent as family without the sexual element being in play. Two, even if it was a mature heat, no amount of pheromones removes an alpha’s self-control. Your being in heat doesn’t give anyone permission to touch you, ever, and it certainly doesn’t make it your fault if something happens. If anyone says otherwise they are dangerous.”

“My parents said I should never be around alphas during heat, family or no. Nobody but my mate, when I’m an adult.”

“Yes, well, I think we’ve already established your parents didn’t always have your best interests at mind.” Tim flinched, and Dick sighed. “Sorry, but it’s… not untrue. Anyway, we’ll talk about this again once your head is clear. For now, I’ll tell them to stay at a distance if that makes you feel safer.”

“Thank you. I… I don’t want to offend them, but…”

“Don’t worry, they’ll understand.” If they didn’t, Dick would make them understand. “Anyway, here we are.” He brought them to a stop in front of a specific door.

Tim frowned. “I… don’t think I’ve been to this room before.”

“Probably not. It hasn’t really been used since I moved on to a personal nest for privacy reasons,” he couldn’t help a small grin, “but I’m sure Alfred’s still been keeping it clean. Especially now that you’re living here full time.”

The first step inside proved that he was right. While there was a certain air of disuse, the room had been dusted recently and the large bed that took up most of the space was nicely made. Still, it was obvious it had been a while. The nightstands were bare, and the shelf by one wall that used to hold all sorts of snacks and entertainment was empty. It would have to do for now, but they’d definitely have to prepare better for next time.

Tim looked around the room with wide eyes. “This — what is this?”

“It’s a pack nest, and a pretty nice one, too. Bruce even added voice control to the lights so they could be turned on or off without leaving the nest.” Dick strode across the room, opening the door there to give Tim a quick look inside. “There’s a full bathroom here, too. When I was still using this, I usually didn’t leave until my heat was over. Much comfier here.”

“What do you mean?”

Well, the question wasn’t very specific, but Dick could make a guess. “About pack nest? Well, you know how heats bring up nesting instincts?” He certainly hoped the kid did, but considering the other misinformation he seemed to have been taught, it was better to confirm. Luckily, Tim gave him a hesitant nod. “Well, at my age something smaller will do fine. I basically just want somewhere that smells safe that can comfortably fit me and perhaps a friend.” He grinned at Tim’s obvious blush. “I’ll be more affectionate with family before and after, sure, but I don’t exactly want them anywhere near my nest when it’s going to be smelling of sex. Juvenile heats are different, though.”

Tim nodded slowly. “You said… there’s no sex part?”

“Right. I also mentioned it’s good for pack bonding.” He closed the bathroom door again and climbed on the bed. It only had a few pillows and blankets that smelled of nothing but Alfred’s familiar laundry detergent; another thing that could use some work later. “Basically, at your age your instincts want to nest with pack. Having things that smell of important people is a good start; I used to steal clothes to add to my nest all the time. Including a spare Batman cape a few times.” At least that drew a small chuckle from Tim. “However, having other pack members in your nest is even better, once you’re comfortable with it at least. It’s not just instinctual comfort, either; I swear having others close by makes the cramps and other physical things easier, too.”

“If you say so.” Tim sounded somewhat dubious, but hey, he was climbing on the bed with Dick, so that was a win. “I guess this has more room than my own bed, at least.”

“It’s pretty brilliant, yeah.” Dick couldn’t help but smile when Tim started rearranging the bedding, hesitant at first but gaining confidence when Dick gave him an encouraging smile. Good. The kid had never been good at taking up space. “If there are any changes you’d like to have here, just say so. You’re currently the only young omega in the family, so you can pretty much just make the place match your tastes.”

“Ah.” Tim bit his lip. “Right now, all I want is sleep. Assuming I can manage it, at least.”

“I’ll get you some painkillers.” Dick was just happy for something he could do.

Luckily the medicine cabinet in the bathroom was stocked, no doubt part of Alfred’s cleaning routine. When Dick returned with a glass of water and painkillers, Tim had apparently made himself as comfortable as he could, curled up in the middle of the nest. He accepted the medicine from Dick with a grateful nod, sitting up just enough to down the pills with the water.

“Now, get some sleep, Baby Bird.” Dick ruffled Tim’s hair, setting the empty glass on the nightstand. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

It took no time at all for Tim to doze off. Dick could still see the tear tracks on his pale face, smelled the pheromones that were calling for pack to protect their scared, hurting pup. Well, protecting the vulnerable was what they excelled at.

Dick pulled out his phone, scrolling until he found the number he was looking for. The message was simple enough to compose.

‘Tim could use a nesting buddy, if you have the time.’

Knowing speedsters, Bart would not leave him waiting for long.

***

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since he sent off his message, stuck in the sort of muffled twilight that came with the nesting room. However, Dick was fairly sure it had barely been five minutes when he heard a series of knocks descending down the hallway. Clearly, Bart had been taking his time.

“In here,” he called out, trying to keep his voice down while still being audible to the outside. Apparently he’d been heard, since the next moment the door was thrown open. Bart stood in the doorway, grinning widely and holding up a backpack that looked far too big for someone with his slender frame.

“You won’t believe how long I’ve been planning for this!” Bart announced, very nearly shouting, and Dick glanced to his side with a wince. Tim didn’t seem to stir, too exhausted from his pain to wake, but he still didn’t want to take the chance. “I’ve got snacks and drinks and some handheld games and things that smell nice and —”

Bart’s voice trailed off as he took in the setting. The simple nest, Dick’s serious look, the smell of pain and fear filling the air.

“Ah.” His voice dropped to almost a whisper. “Not the fun kind of nest, huh.”

“Not at the moment, I’m afraid.” Dick sighed, reaching a hand to comb through Tim’s hair. The kid whined in his sleep, pushing his head against Dick’s hand, and his heart broke all over again. Then, seeing Bart’s crestfallen expression, he managed a weak smile. “It’s great that you’re prepared, though! Timmy’s going to need us to show him that nesting doesn’t have to be terrible, even if it’s uncomfortable. Just… we might have to introduce things to him bit by bit.”

“Right. That’s — I can do that.” Bart closed the door behind him and moved closer with slow steps, something that must have been excruciating for a speedster. He set his backpack on the floor next to the nest, actually pausing to take his shoes off before climbing on. “He’s — what happened?”

“Let’s just say that if we didn’t already know his parents were neglectful pieces of shit, this would confirm it.” Dick sighed, leaning back against the pillows. “He’s — he’s never had a heat before. He thought I’d be mad at him for it, and when I…” He swallowed, trying to stay calm despite the anger and terror fighting for dominance in his heart. “When I suggested getting the others, he was terrified. Because — because they’re alphas.” He hoped Bart would get the hint, because he really didn’t want to spell it out.

“Holy shit.” Bart let out a long breath through his teeth. “So that’s why you texted me.”

“Right. Of course I’m going to do everything I can to help, but I can’t be here the whole time, and even if I could it’s not exactly enough for a nest. You were the only one I could think of that’s an omega and close enough to Tim to share his nest.”

“Thanks. For letting me know.” Bart paused. “I — I got some things that smell of the other team members, but most of that probably isn’t good if he freaks out at the idea of alphas. But maybe we could use Conner’s stuff to see if his instincts accept that. I mean, Conner isn’t an omega, but he isn’t really an alpha either, so it could be okay.”

“Fast thinking. I always liked that about speedsters.” Dick grinned. “Even when it got us into trouble more often than not.”

“All the better to get everyone out of trouble, too.” Bart turned to pull his backpack up to the bed, starting to sort its contents faster than Dick’s eyes could follow. “The scented stuff goes back in, at least until we know if it’s safe. I got a couple of handhelds and chargers, let’s put those on the nightstand with the outlet next to it. Snacks and drinks on the shelf, I’ll leave a couple of bottles within arm’s reach for now. Oh, and I brought my favorite fluffy blanket, too, it’s super soft, it’ll be a good addition since the nest is so bare.”

At last, Dick started to relax a little. “Thank you,” he breathed. “It’s — I was pretty terrified of having to do this all by myself.” Of course he knew the rest of the pack would help in every way they could, but right now, those ways were rather limited.

“He’s pack,” Bart said, because it really was that simple. “I’m always up for nesting with pack. And if all he can manage right now is sleeping through it while I play video games and eat snacks in the same space, hey, at least I know he’s getting some rest for once.”

“That reminds me, I need to ask Alfred to stock up on snacks.” And probably offer some explanations beyond the short message of ‘Tim’s not well, needs space, details later’ that no doubt had the rest of the pack panicking already. “And, you know, update everyone on the situation.”

“Well, I’m here now, so if you can bear to step out, you can leave him with me for as long as you need to.” Bart was making himself comfortable, piling up a few pillows to lean against as he sat next to Tim, close enough to drape his precious fluffy blanket over them both. Tim made a small sound, curling up tighter under the blanket. As Dick moved away from him, he shifted closer to Bart, until his head was resting against the speedster’s leg. Bart simply hummed to himself, one hand coming to rest in Tim’s hair while he dug out his phone with the other.

Dick’s instincts screamed at him to go back, to curl up around the pup and hold him safe and sound, but that would have to wait. Having a panicked Bruce run in would only make things worse, and Dick had a feeling this was the sort of thing he’d like to explain face to face. Tim was fine, he reminded himself as he finally made it out of the bed. Tim had Bart, he wasn’t alone, he was safe.

Tim gave a half sigh, half whine, and Dick’s resolve very nearly broke. He hesitated, then quickly peeled off the hoodie he’d been wearing over his t-shirt. He turned back long enough to drape it over Tim’s all too small form. Hopefully the scent would reassure Tim that Dick wasn’t abandoning him.

He left the room, closed the door, and very nearly ran headfirst into the wide chest of Batman.

***

Bruce did not panic.

Now, Brucie Wayne could sometimes be given to such things, particularly if doing so was socially expected, but Bruce could not afford to do so, and Batman certainly couldn’t. However, when he received the vague but worrying message from Dick, it was difficult not to let his fears get the better of him.

He was therefore perfectly calm as he got back to the manor with Jason, and certainly not caught up in his thoughts. The fact that he was moving at a half-run through the hallways in his search for his sons was entirely coincidental and not panicky at all.

Thankfully for his nerves, he and Dick found each other quite by chance, his eldest colliding with him without a warning. Bruce immediately grasped Dick’s shoulders, ran his hands down his arms, looking for any obvious injuries or pains. With the cursory examination passed, he managed to draw a breath, only to freeze the moment he took a proper look at Dick.

His eldest looked… fragile. He was hiding it well, was clearly working hard to keep himself together, but Bruce knew him too well by now. He could see the pain and barely hidden fear in Dick’s eyes, could smell the bitter scent of pack in distress that made his protective instincts flare up, and Bruce bit back a growl.

“Where is he? Where’s Tim?” Dick had come out of a door, just now, the fact it had taken him a while to register that a true testament of how worried he was. Now that he looked up and past Dick, he recognized the door, knew exactly what lay behind it. It hadn’t been that many years since they’d still made regular use of the pack nest, all the way until Dick’s body had switched to full mature heats. Nests were for the benefit of omegas, and without an omega pup still in need of their pack there wasn’t much point in a long-term nest. Even when Dick got stressed enough to need family cuddles, he usually just built a temporary nest on a couch or similar place.

Except now there was a new pup in the pack, an omega youngling who was more than old enough for juvenile heats. Though, come to think of it, Bruce couldn’t recall ever catching heat scent from Tim, not even the sweet notes that lingered for a few days after a pup’s heat was over. Yet here was Dick, now, coming out of the nest room.

“Dick?” Bruce swallowed. Something was wrong, something that went beyond just Tim being uncomfortable. If that hadn’t been the case, Dick would have already walked him in to comfort the pup, by his scruff if need be.

“I —” Dick paused, swallowed, and drew a hand over his face. “Just… let’s get everyone together, okay? I’d rather not have to explain this too many times.”

His voice left no room for argument, not that Bruce was inclined to try. Soon enough Bruce found himself in the kitchen with Jason and Alfred, Dick herding the pack together the way only an omega could manage without arguments.

Alfred’s expression was grim, and even Jason was picking up on the atmosphere, though Bruce hadn’t told him why exactly they were heading home early. They all watched Dick closely, waiting for an explanation.

Then they got one, and a part of Bruce wished he could have stayed clueless.

“This is a very serious matter.” Alfred was the one who broke the tense silence after Dick’s explanation. “Besides the obvious distress he is currently feeling, Master Tim is rather old not to have had even his first heat yet. This could have serious implications for his health and development, even aside from the compound effect of using suppressants for so long.”

“We need to get him checked by a doctor as soon as he’s feeling better.” Bruce sighed, feeling the failure chilling his bones. He should have noticed, should have done something, he was the alpha and he — he had failed his pup. “I never thought — it didn’t even occur to me.”

“Don’t think you should be beating yourself up for not thinking of something like this.”

“We knew he was being neglected.” And not acting even sooner on that was another failure he would be making up for a long time. “It’s not that hard to imagine they would have gone out of their way to make sure he wouldn’t… inconvenience them.”

“Is — is Tim really afraid of us?” Jason’s voice was quiet, almost childish. He stared at Dick with wide eyes, looking pale. “He thinks we’d hurt him?”

“It’s not that simple.” Dick sighed. “It’s — he said he knows you wouldn’t hurt him, not intentionally. However, it sounds like his parents have convinced him that alphas just can’t help themselves around an omega in heat, no matter who it is. Obviously I told him it’s bullshit, but I doubt one conversation can break through what’s probably years of fear-mongering and threats, especially when he’s already in a traumatic situation.”

“Traumatic?” Bruce frowned. “I get that heats can be uncomfortable, but is it really that bad?” From what he could recall, Dick’s early heats had seemed to annoy him rather than cause any significant distress, and that only because he couldn’t comfortably do his usual flips and cartwheels. Most of the time they had simply meant a lot of snacks and cuddles, with only a marginal shift in Dick’s usual cheeriness.

“Bruce, when I first found him, clearly scared and in pain, he apologized. Said he was sorry. He was apologizing for a completely natural, biologically necessary process, because he ran out of the probably illegal suppressants his parents forced on him without medical approval or oversight. Yeah, the cramps and fever and other shit aren’t fun, but it’s pretty clear this goes way deeper than his current discomfort.”

“Fuck.” Jason ignored the disapproving gazes he received. “If it wasn’t for the bat rules, I’d find a way to resurrect his parents just so I can kill them myself.”

“Thank you for considering my principles, at least.” Bruce looked at Dick. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“At the moment? Not much, I’m afraid.” Dick sighed. “I called Bart in for reinforcements, and once Tim’s awake we’ll try to figure out how he would feel about Superboy coming over. Unless he asks for something, though, I doubt there’s a lot you guys can do that would actually help.” He paused. “Though I guess there’s no harm in guarding the door sometimes if that would make you feel better.”

“Duly noted.” Sure, it wouldn’t actually benefit the situation, but it might ease the protective urges already rising within him. And Jason, of course, who was still trying to find the balance between his growing alpha instincts and where his protection was actually needed, particularly when it came to their pack’s fiercely independent pup.

“I do hope my presence would be acceptable.” Alfred gave Dick a searching look, visibly relieved to receive a nod. “I am rather too old and too busy to crawl into the nest, but it would be my absolute joy to deliver anything Master Tim might require.”

“I’m sure that would be great.” Dick smiled. “Bart brought a bunch of snacks at least, but he also brought himself, so those probably won’t last very long.”

“Ah, yes.” Alfred’s lips twitched. “I have not forgotten how much I had to increase my shopping when Mister Wallace started to accompany you to the pack nest.”

Jason snorted. “And has that gone up or down since he grew out of the pack nest? I mean, there’s probably more exercise involved, but also more ways for Wally to occupy his mouth.”

“Jason.” Sure, the boy was probably just trying to ease the tension, for himself more than anything, but Bruce had to at least try to be a responsible father here. “Your brother’s heats or how he spends them are none of your concern.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Dick’s eyes flashed in challenge. “If Jay wants to get curious, we can totally talk. But if he’s so curious about what happens in my nest, that means no more complaining that I’m gushing too much about Wally.”

“Hmm… on second thought, never mind. I’m not so curious I’d voluntarily give up my bitching rights.” Jason clicked his tongue. “I’ll go take a look at the patrol schedules and backup lists for the next few days. Having Red Robin benched and Nightwing on partial availability on such short notice will require some adjusting.”

“That’s a good idea.” Bruce nodded. “Just… no comments to Tim about it later. The last thing he needs is another inconvenience to blame himself for.”

“I’m not that much of an asshole, don’t worry. Annoying Dickhead is one thing, but I’m not going to poke at the pup’s sore spots.” Jason marched out of the kitchen, a determined look on his face.

Dick looked after Jason, then turned to Bruce. “He’s going to claim he’s not at all upset at the idea of Tim being afraid of him, isn’t he?”

Bruce nodded. “We’ll have to make sure to talk with him about it later. Once both feelings and instincts are a bit calmer.”

First, though, they had to get that far.

***

Tim felt absolutely awful.

He’d barely even woken up, but he wished he could get back to sleep. He was so hot even his light clothes felt like far too much, his stomach was painful and cramping, and his head hurt, too. Besides the physical side, his brain was begging for comfort and safety. He supposed this was nesting instinct, this intense need to make a safe spot where he could just rest and be comfortable.

On that note, that particular need wasn’t giving him as much trouble as it had before he fell asleep. The big nest bed Dick had brought him to was more comfortable than even his perfectly nice bed, and besides that, it smelled of pack. There was a hint of Dick’s familiar scent, somewhere close by, and also…

“Bart?” Tim opened his eyes, turning his head to look around. He didn’t have to look far; his friend was sitting right next to him, grinning down at him.

“Hiya, sleepyhead!” Bart ran a hand through Tim’s hair. “Dick asked me to come over to keep you company. Heats suck, but having people around makes it better.”

“Ah.” Tim licked his lips; they felt awfully dry. “I don’t — I don’t want to be trouble.”

“None of that! You’re pack, nesting with pack is never trouble.” Bart handed him a bottle of water, then helped Tim sit up to drink it. Dick was stretched out on Tim’s other side, eyes closed, though Tim didn’t know if he was actually asleep. “He said you haven’t really had a heat before?”

“…Right.” Tim looked down, not sure he wanted to see Bart’s reaction. “I… my parents had me on suppressants until, well, until now. So, I don’t really know anything beyond what I’ve read.”

“Well, that’s good! I mean, not the suppressants and having to learn all this stuff years late and all that, just. I was starting to wonder if you just didn’t like me very much? And the others, I guess.” As Tim glanced up, Bart was giving him a pout, affected offense covering real vulnerability. “I mean, my own heats are pretty messed up with the metabolism and such, so it’s not like I’ve set a precedent on my end, but I did wonder why you never asked anyone to come nest with you.”

“That’s not it at all.” Tim shook his head. “I just never had a heat before. Though even if I had, my parents told me nesting is stupid.”

“How would they even know? I mean, they were both betas.” Bart shrugged. “Nah, nesting’s totally cool and makes heats way more bearable. Just building one for yourself is better than nothing, but having pack around helps a lot. Cuddles are the best if it’s someone you’re comfortable around, but just having items that smell of pack makes it feel better.”

“I did notice I was less anxious when I woke up and smelled you and Dick.” Tim hesitated. “I’m… not sure who I’d be comfortable with having here.”

“Well, we can figure that out when you’re feeling a bit better! I, uh, borrowed some stuff from Cassie and Conner for the smell. Dick said you didn’t want alphas around right now, but we can at least see if Conner trips your anxiety, since he’s, like, beta squared.”

“Adynamic.” The correction was automatic, but thankfully Bart didn’t seem to mind. “I… guess we could try? I don’t know.” Tim sighed, wrapping an arm over his stomach. “I just… I don’t really know how, well, how any of this works.”

“Well, lucky thing you’ve got Dick and me around to explain!” Bart grinned. “Really, though, it pretty much all comes down to your nest, your rules. The basic instincts are the same, but different people meet them in their own ways. You’ll just have to listen to yourself and what seems good to you.”

“That would be much more helpful if I wasn’t an expert in ignoring my own needs to avoid inconveniencing anyone.”

“I mean, I wasn’t going to say it, but…” Bart shrugged. “So, to start off — it’s totally fine to rely on other people. Just in general, but especially during heats. You know you’re giving off pheromones, right? Well, those pheromones are telling everyone around you to protect you and cuddle you and make sure you’re safe. And that’s not a bad thing! Like, sure, it’s what you need right now, but also, doing that will make your pack feel good, too.”

“Can confirm,” Dick mumbled. So either he hadn’t been sleeping, or had woken up during their conversation. Bart wasn’t exactly known for being quiet. “B actually told me once he was kind of sad when I grew out of the pack nest age because it made it easy to feel that he was doing his job as, you know, head alpha of the pack. We all know he’s not the greatest at social stuff,” Tim couldn’t help but snort at that, drawing a small grin from Dick, “but if I was nesting, it was easy to figure out what he needed to do. Also gave Jason a good way to channel his alpha instincts into something non-destructive when those were really starting to come in.”

“But again, that depends on what works for you. If you want cuddles or conversation, we’ve got you. If you just want to kinda exist in the same space as someone else, that’s fine too! Some omegas are fine with people coming and going in and out of the nest, some are really picky about who they allow in and when.” Bart snapped his fingers as though suddenly remembering something, which was obviously absurd because Bart was speaking at an understandable rate, which meant his brain was running way ahead of his mouth. “Also! You’re totally allowed to be picky. Nobody has an automatic permission to come into your nest just because they’re pack.”

“I kicked Jason out a lot of times before he learned not to make stupid jokes when I was feeling shitty. And it doesn’t have to be for doing something specific, sometimes you just don’t want to be crowded or want a specific kind of cuddles.” Dick sat up, too, shuffling until he was leaning against the wall. “Nests are omega territory. That’s no less true just because you’re still a pup and nesting with pack.”

“That… might take some time to get used to.” Tim frowned, drinking some more of his water. “All of this will, really.”

“Take your time. It’s a long process, figuring out how you like to nest.” Bart perked up. “Next point! Some people like to just sleep and maybe cuddle, and that’s totally valid. It gets you past a lot of the physical ickiness without having to be awake for it.”

“I definitely feel, well, icky.” Terrible, really.

“But! I know you’re never good at sleeping enough, so even with heat you might need some entertainment. I brought over some video games, or we could watch something, or read or listen to books, or basically anything you can do in your nest.”

“Can I —”

“No work,” Dick cut him off immediately. “One, you’re supposed to be resting; your body’s doing a lot of work right now, the last thing you need is more stress. Also, heat does affect your head. Not to the point that you can’t make decisions or don’t know what you’re doing or some other sexist bullshit, but it does make it way harder to focus on something for extended periods of time or do anything requiring a lot of logical thought.”

“It can’t be that bad.” Tim frowned. Sure, he had a headache, but he had definitely worked with worse.

Dick snorted. “Yeah, I used to think that, too. Then one time I tried doing my math homework so I wouldn’t have to catch up on too much after my heat, and I was messing up anything with more than a couple of steps. And I’m good at math! Always was. Anything you’d find interesting is too complicated to work on, and too important to risk mistakes.”

“Afraid you’ll have to deal with being on par with us mere mortals brain-wise for a bit.” Bart ruffled Tim’s hair. He should have been annoyed, but honestly, it was almost soothing. Tim found himself butting his head against Bart’s wrist, getting his scent on his hair. It felt… nice.

“I could get used to seeing that smile more often.” Dick set a hand on Tim’s shoulder, pulling him into a half-hug. Then he took advantage of their positions to pull Tim’s head under his chin, rubbing on his scent as well. “You’re way too serious, Baby Bird.”

“Or maybe you’re just way too optimistic.” Still, Tim found himself leaning into Dick. The closeness didn’t make his discomfort disappear entirely, but it did make it more bearable.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Dick chuckled. “Now, drink your water. It’ll help with your headache.”

Tim blinked. “How did you…”

“It’s the frown. You always get this little wrinkle between your brows when you have a headache.” Dick poked him right at the offending spot. “Also, you’re in heat. The increase in body heat makes dehydration pretty much inevitable, even when you’re not generating slick like in full heat.”

“Can we not talk about that?” Tim groaned. “This is bad enough as it is. I really don’t want to think about how it could be worse.”

“Sure, sure. Can’t embarrass my poor Baby Bird too much.” Dick kissed his hair. “The point being, you need to hydrate. And since you’re bad at that sort of thing even under normal circumstances, we’re going to have to remind you.”

“Bugging Robin into being sensible is a time-honored tradition, I’m told.” Bart nudged Tim. “Come on. Once you feel a bit better, we can see how your instincts react to Conner’s scent, so we can decide if he could be invited too. I mean, he’d probably be a great cuddler! Or you can just sleep some more. Or do something totally different! Trying all kinds of stuff is the only way to figure out what works for you.”

“I’d tell you to slow down, but that’d be pretty useless.” Still, Tim was going to drink his water before they kept bugging him even more.

“There’s a good pup.” Dick’s words, and the way he held Tim, should have felt condescending. However, right now it just made him feel… safe. Safe, and protected, and loved.

“Hey, Dick.” Tim didn’t even have the chance to set his empty bottle aside before Bart had already moved it out of the bed. “You said there’s a bathroom attached, right?”

“That’s right. Pretty much anything you could hope for, short of a hot tub.”

“Good. I think I would like a shower.” Assuming he could manage to make it out of bed, first.

“Not a bad idea. A cool shower will help with the heat, and get rid of the sweat for a bit.” Dick hummed in thought. “There are also grab bars and bath chairs and all that if you feel dizzy, since I doubt you’ll let anyone help you.”

“I’ll manage.” Though the information was reassuring nevertheless. “If you want to help, I could use some clean clothes to change into.”

“I can do that!” Bart jumped up to his feet. “Where do I —”

“Just ask Alfred,” Dick said, and Bart was off. Dick shook his head with a fond sigh. “Speedsters.”

Tim could only smile. As awful as he felt, things really weren’t quite as bad with pack by his side.

***

Packs were… a complicated matter for Kon.

As far as he was aware, Kryptonians had no equivalent instincts. They had families and friends, of course, but that was not quite the same, and it certainly seemed like he favored his alien side in this matter. Kon loved his friends fiercely, just as he loved Ma and Pa and Jon, would have done anything to keep them all safe and happy. However, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something missing from his personal experience that everyone else shared. It wasn’t like he felt as though he was missing out on anything, he could hardly yearn for something that wasn’t in his nature, but he did sometimes wonder if he could really fulfill the needs of the people he loved.

And now Tim needed his pack, needed the people who loved him to help him be less miserable, and Kon was worried about not being enough.

“Good to see you, Mister Conner.” Alfred greeted him at the door, calm as always save for the faintest hint of a frown. “Please, follow me.”

Kon somehow managed to do as he was told, resisting the urge to lock onto the sound of Tim’s heartbeat and rush over there at once. He might not know all the details of how things were supposed to happen here, but he doubted that would be a welcome gesture. As such, he followed Alfred, trying not to show his worry too much.

Rather than Tim’s room or a similar location, he found himself led to one of the less used sitting rooms. And, instead of Tim, he was greeted by a somewhat frazzled-looking Jason. Alfred fled before he could ask for clarification, leaving Kon alone with Tim’s most aggressive brother. Great.

“So you did show up, huh.” Jason stalked closer to him, all tension and frustration, ready to strike at the slightest hint of a threat.

“I believe I was invited.”

“Oh, yeah. And I’m not going to get in your way or whatever. B might not like it, but it’s Tim’s nest, he gets to decide who he wants to be there. However.” Jason narrowed his eyes. “Before that, we need to have a talk.”

Kon resisted the urge to fold his arms over his chest, not wanting to look too defensive. Instead, he stuck his hands in his pockets, meeting Jason’s gaze head on. “I’m listening.”

“Right. First off, I don’t know how much you know about these things with your background and all, but Tim’s still a kid. He’s in heat, yeah, but it’s juvenile heat, meaning it’s not a sexy thing. He needs to rest and cuddle with his pack, nothing beyond that.”

Kon tried not to get too flushed. “Of course not. And it wouldn’t matter to me either way. You do know human pheromones don’t affect me, right?”

“No, but cute, sleepy Tim cuddling up to you might.” Jason rolled his eyes. “Timmy himself might be oblivious, but I’ve seen you look at him when you think nobody’s watching. And that’s fine, but not something you should try to address right now.”

Kon bristled. “I’m perfectly capable of behaving myself,” he growled. “Besides, even if I was interested, I wouldn’t dream of doing anything about that when he’s feeling miserable.”

“Good.” Jason nodded, some of the tension fading from his frame, though he was far from entirely relaxed. “Next point. Tim’s nest, Tim’s rules. You’re here because he wants you here; if he changes his mind, you will leave. And if you even think about not doing so, I will personally coat my boots in Kryptonite and see how far up your ass I can kick them.”

Kon frowned. “I wouldn’t do that no matter what. Or do you really think I’d ignore Tim telling me to get lost?”

“You might decide he doesn’t actually mean it, or you need to clear up whatever is causing it, or if you just talk it out it’ll be fine. And at any other time that might be okay, God knows Baby Bird can get stubborn, but his nest is supposed to be a safe place. Any arguments will wait until he’s feeling better.”

Kon paused, then nodded. That was… fair enough. There had certainly been times when Tim had claimed to want to be alone when he clearly did not. “Got it. He says out, I’m out, no questions until later.”

“Good.” Jason studied him for a moment as though weighing his next words. “Also… while he decides who gets to come into his nest, you’re not actually, like, obligated. I’d imagine it can get boring pretty fast if you don’t have the instincts or respond to the pheromones. I mean, the rest of us can get one whiff of his scent and all we want to do is stick close and make sure he’s safe and comfortable, and that’s fine, that’s how we work. But that’s clearly not how you work, and nobody would hold it against you if you’d rather not just lie around killing time while Timbers spends most of his time asleep. Tim definitely wouldn’t blame you.”

“Uh. Thanks for your concern, I guess? But it’s really not necessary.” Kon shook his head. “I might not have pack instincts the same way you do, but Tim’s important to me. If my being there makes him feel better, that’s all I need to know.”

“As long as you’re sure. Just, I don’t think any of us want Timmy blaming himself for taking up your time just because you think it’s a requirement.”

“He’s Tim. I’m surprised he’s not already blaming himself anyway.” As Jason’s expression fell, Kon narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“It’s… well.” Jason sighed, glancing to the side. “Dick said — Dick’s the one who noticed first. And, well, he said the first thing Tim did was apologize to him. Because he didn’t want to be trouble.”

“Right. That’s — I wish I could say I’m surprised.” Kon grimaced. “Anything I can do?”

“Just… tell him you like being here, or around him. Only if you mean it, though. We both know there’s no point in trying to lie to him about something like that.”

“I can do that.” Kon nodded. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Eh, that should do it. If anything else comes up, the others will cover it. Just don’t let B scare you off. As long as Tim wants you here, his paranoid ass can go fuck off, and I’ll happily tell him as much.”

“I’ll… keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Jason’s eyes sharpened. “And if you ever intentionally hurt Baby Bird, now or in the future, I’ll destroy you so completely that Krypton will think it got off easy.”

“Duly noted.” Kon lifted his eyebrows. “Am I allowed to go now, or…”

Jason waved his hand in dismissal, and Kon was off, following the heartbeat he’d been tracking the whole time. The familiar sound of Tim being alive, being whole, even if it was somewhat elevated right now. Under stress, his mind supplied, and he tried to force back his immediate concern. This was natural, this was supposed to happen, Tim was uncomfortable but he would be fine in the end and Kon was going to get there in just a second.

The first thing that Kon noticed as he opened the door was the smell. He’d told Jason human pheromones did not affect him, and that was true; he couldn’t produce them himself, and he didn’t have instinctual responses to them either. However, he also had super senses, which allowed him to pick up the associated scents. They varied from person to person, but some things were universal, enough so that he had learned some of the most common tones by heart. It was the smell of pain that drew his notice now, all too familiar from various missions and their aftermath, impossible to ignore even among the various scents filling the air, so much heavier than he was used to.

“Kon?” Tim lifted his head, eyes glazed with exhaustion and barely hidden pain, but he was smiling at least. He was looking quite disheveled, his hair a mess and cheeks flushed in a feverish manner. All he was wearing was boxers and one of Kon’s own t-shirts, half tangled up in the sheets of what was apparently a nest, and something in Kon’s chest clenched at the sight. “You came!”

“Of course I did.” He approached carefully, pausing to discard his boots before he got anywhere near the large bed. “Not sure how much I can be of help, but if you want me here, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“Well, you’re big and cuddly and smell of pack, that’s all the qualifications you need and then some.” It wasn’t until now that Kon even registered there were others in the room as well. Bart was lounging on the bed next to Tim, feet kicking air as though wanting to run even though he looked quite comfortable where he was. Dick was there as well, stretched out to the other side, small snores escaping his lips.

“You heard him.” Tim reached out his arms, making grabby hands at him. And, well, Kon had never been able to resist Tim when he got that Look. “Come here, you big lug.”

Kon snorted. “What if I’m too warm?” Even so, he was already climbing on the bed.

“I’ll deal with it.” Tim grabbed his hand and tugged him closer, and Kon found himself sprawling in the middle of the mess of blankets and pillows. Apparently this was acceptable, as Tim made a satisfied sound, curling up next to him. “I mean, I don’t think I could feel entirely comfortable right now no matter what. For now, though, I’ll put up with you being warm because I really, really want cuddles and pack smells.”

“Well, let’s hope I’m sufficiently smelly, then.” He didn’t have scent glands to produce pheromones, but obviously he still had some sort of scent, and if that worked for Tim that was all that mattered.

“Good enough for me.” Tim set his head on Kon’s chest, now, reaching an arm across his waist, and that was fine, that was more than fine. After a moment of awkwardly trying to settle down Kon curled his arm around Tim in turn, not holding on tight but reminding him of his presence.

“I… am I doing this right?” It felt like such a silly question, but he also really wanted to make sure. “Just, I don’t really know about, well, any of this.”

“You’re doing just fine.” Bart flashed a grin at him before turning to the video game he was playing. Despite his apparent distraction, he was lying right next to them, close enough that Tim could simply roll over to touch him if he wanted to. “Just being here helps. Letting him cuddle is extra credit.”

“Pretty much.” Tim’s voice was already dropping to a murmur, his eyes closed. “The scent makes me feel less anxious, cuddles help with the cramps. I mean, there’s more to it all, but that’s a good summary.”

“In that case, feel free to cuddle as much as you need.” Not that Kon disliked it either way, but generally Tim didn’t see much of a reason for it. “I… don’t like smelling pain on you.”

“Stop that. I can practically hear you worrying in your head.” Tim poked his side with a finger. “Yeah, it hurts and I’m too hot and I really want this to just be over, but I’m not in danger.”

Kon huffed. “And you think the only reason I should be upset about you being in pain is if there’s a chance it might kill you?”

“No, but you’re doing all you can to help right now. So, shut up.”

Kon fell silent, allowing Tim to snuggle up close. Soon enough Tim’s breathing settled into a more restful pattern. Too soon, almost, knowing how much trouble Tim had with sleep in all its elusive forms, but Kon reminded himself these were special circumstances.

“Just so you know, don’t expect him to be this awake a lot. Or this lucid, for that matter.” Bart’s voice was quiet so as not to startle Tim, but that was obviously not a problem for Kon. “Heats are exhausting, especially when you’re not used to the whole mess. So, just don’t be too worried if sometimes he seems awake but only communicates in whines or something.”

“Yeah, yeah. I trust you guys will let me know if there’s reason to panic.” Kon sank his hand in Tim’s hair, combing through it. He might not have scenting instincts, but he knew that this was a valid method, and also that it made Kon himself feel better to do it.

He didn’t need instincts to know that it was good for Tim to get plenty of rest.

***

Dick was all too aware of his inner conflict when patrol time got close. The only question was whether he felt bad for wanting to get out of the nest and move around, or for wanting to burrow even deeper into the nest for cuddles and warmth. Either way, there was much conflict, only resolved when Bart all but literally kicked him out of the nest with grumbles of making Tim uneasy with his restlessness. Of course, that was the last thing he wanted, so rather than fight his way back into the nest he headed outside.

Dick wasn’t terribly surprised to find Jason standing outside the door, leaning against the wall. Instead he nodded in greeting, taking in the scene. Not only was Jason leaning against the wall, had clearly been standing there for a while, but someone had dragged a comfy-looking armchair into the corridor, complete with blankets and pillows.

“Keeping guard, huh?” Dick grinned as he stretched his arms above his head, starting down the corridor. Jason settled into step beside him, rolling his shoulders in a silent echo of Dick’s movements.

“Got to keep the instincts quiet somehow.” Jason grunted. “It’s not as bad as it could be, the room really blocks a lot of the smell, but it’s not like we can just turn off our instincts just because the kid can’t handle us being close.”

“It’s not his fault his parents traumatized him.”

“Wasn’t blaming him, just pointing out a fact.” Jason shook his head. “He does what he needs to do to make the whole mess less awful, we do what we can to help our own instincts. And let’s be honest, watching the door against no actual threat is the best possible use of my aggression, particularly around Baby Bird.”

“You’ve gotten a lot better about dealing with him.”

“I guess I have. Which means I get to deal with all the pack instincts bullshit.” His tone might have been grumpy, but Dick didn’t miss the way Jason glanced back over his shoulder in the direction of the door.

“You know you like it, really.” Dick chuckled. “At least patrol helps with that.” That had always been the case, ever since Dick’s own nesting days. The way Bruce had explained it, protecting Gotham eased the same instincts as directly guarding the nest. It made sense, really, as much as Dick understood alpha instincts at all.

“You people really have ruined me.” Jason gave an exaggerated sigh. “My reputation is in tatters and you don’t even care.”

“You’re right. I don’t really mind if you lose some of your bad boy reputation because you’re feeling protective over Timmy.” Dick grinned. “Though I’m sure you’ll scare the bad guys all over again if they give you any cause to get protective in the field.”

“Figure it’ll take me quite a few life-saving rescues to make up for all my fuck-ups, anyway.” Jason paused, and Dick might have almost thought he was feeling hesitant if that hadn’t been so entirely unlike him. “How’s the kid, anyway? Aside from uncomfortable and overheated, obviously.”

“He’s… doing better now, at least.” Dick drew a hand through his hair. “Having his friends there is definitely helping. Bart can help me model regular nesting, and Kon is even more clueless than Tim so he doesn’t feel quite so lost. And of course, their presence means I don’t have to worry about leaving him alone while I go out to stretch my limbs a bit.”

“Let’s just hope they don’t end up forgetting that it’s supposed to just be about cuddling.”

Dick chuckled. “And which one are you more worried might get carried away, Bart or Kon?” Not that he was actually concerned about such things. Not because Tim wasn’t very fond of them both, but because Tim was too uncomfortable to think of anything but easing his symptoms, assuming he wasn’t asleep.

“Either. Both. They’re all shit at impulse control, no pun intended.” Jason grunted. “I did warn Superboy not to get too carried away, but I’ve also seen the way he stares at Timmy when he thinks nobody’s looking, and Impulse is all over him even on an ordinary day.”

“As someone with personal experience, I can tell you juvenile heats are not exactly inspiring of anything beyond cuddles.”

“Right. Tell that to my poor eyeballs after I walked in on you trying to inhale West’s tongue that one time.”

“If you think kissing is the most outrageous thing that could happen in a nest, you’re way more innocent than I thought. Besides, we were already dating at that point, so it wasn’t just nesting feelings.” Dick snorted. “And in any case, Tim’s way too shy for that sort of thing.”

“I sincerely hope you get your arrogant ass handed back to you one day by way of walking in on something you’d have rather not seen.” Jason paused. “Just as a heads-up, B is pretty wound up at the moment. Which in this case means he’ll probably try to hover a bit.”

“I can handle that.” Dick chuckled. “I’m just glad that he’s getting to indulge his instincts in a productive way. Maybe it’ll break through some of his worst emotional impotence.”

“An eternal optimist, I see.” Jason shrugged. “We can hope at least. If nothing else, this proves the kid is in dire need of some parental love.”

“Indeed.” And brotherly love, and friendly love, and all the love they could pile upon him. “For now, though, let’s go punch some bad guys.”

He was looking forward to the exercise, and just as much looking forward to crawling back into the nest after.

***

Bruce was not lurking at the nest door, not quite, no matter what the rest of the family might have accused him of. However, he did linger nearby just enough to make sure he was there when Tim finally emerged.

To be fair, it had been fairly clear that Tim was about to rejoin them soon. He’d kicked his friends out that morning, apparently declaring that they should get back to their lives after spending several days keeping him company. They seemed to agree, only staying long enough for Alfred to do his best to fill their meta bellies before rushing off. Bruce had to admit it was a true testament to the depth of their friendship with Tim. He wouldn’t have imagined anything short of a grievous injury would make a speedster stick to one place for so long, yet Bart had only taken a couple of quick runs to get the most of his energy out of his system while Tim was asleep.

Even Dick had left the nest a couple of hours ago, informing them that Tim had declared he just needed a bit to shower and change and gather himself. That had been the point Bruce had taken residence nearby, not at all watching for Tim’s eventual re-emergence.

They were well into the afternoon when the door opened one last time, Tim stepping out into the corridor. He was dressed in sweater pants and a hoodie that Bruce suspected belonged to Dick, judging by the way he was all but drowning in it, hair still slightly damp. At the sight of Bruce seated at their improvised guard post he stood up straighter, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Good. Bruce was glad to see Tim wasn’t still afraid of him now that the heat pheromones weren’t increasing his worries.

“Bruce. How long have you been waiting?”

“Not that long.” Bruce shrugged, setting aside the tablet he had been working on to pass the time. “Well, not this time, at least.”

Tim narrowed his eyes in suspicion as Bruce stood up, but allowed himself to be drawn into a hug. “What do you mean, this time?”

“Jason and I might have been taking turns sitting here. Not the whole time, just whenever the protective instincts got to be too much.” He gave Tim a squeeze before loosening his hold and stepping back. Dick might have been the one who had taught him the art of hugs, but Bruce had never been able to hold them very long without turning awkward. “Patrol eases that itch a lot, but the day gets long.”

Tim winced. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It’s not that I don’t trust you and Jason, I just…”

“Please don’t apologize.” Bruce ruffled Tim’s hair, rubbing the scent from his wrist gland all over, marking him as part of the pack all over again. “I wouldn’t want you to make yourself feel uncomfortable or unsafe just to spare our feelings. I hope that you can eventually trust us to guard you even when you are in such a vulnerable state, but you don’t owe us that.”

“From what I can say, you’ve definitely been guarding me, just at a bit more distance.” Tim offered him a faint smile. “At least now I have a few months to think about things before we have to deal with this again. And this time I’ll know more about what to expect.”

“Indeed. Hopefully it’ll be a less distressing experience for all of us.” Bruce paused. “Which doesn’t mean that you should push yourself to act differently next time. Clearly you got through your heat without us just fine, and while we might have been a bit restless and on edge, there’s no harm done. Your heats are about what you need, not what we might want.”

“Right.” Tim gave a slow exhale, then was quiet for a while. “…My parents really messed me up in all sorts of ways, huh.”

Bruce didn’t comment on that, knowing there was nothing he could say that Tim didn’t already know, would only succeed in hurting him more. Instead, he made a considering sound. “You know, I’m sure I still have the books I gave Dick when he started to approach puberty,” he said. “That, and a couple of books about parenting omega children, if you’d like a different perspective.” Tim always liked having plenty of data before he came to any conclusions, and offering him carefully curated facts would do more to break through his parents’ misinformation and prejudices than any amount of verbal reassurance.

“Ah.” Tim flushed, a bit embarrassed, but then managed a nod. “I’d — I’d appreciate that.”

“I’ll dig them up, then.” Or, more to the point, he was going to ask Alfred where the books were. That would be much more sensible than trying to find them after however many years it had been since they were last needed. “I want you to get a proper check-up, when you feel up to it. Perhaps find a specialist, someone who knows more about this sort of thing than Leslie. We’ll need to make sure there hasn’t been any long-term effects on you from suppressing your heats for so long and find out how we should proceed in the future.”

Tim nodded slowly. “Right. That’s — that would be good.” He sighed. “Why does being an omega have to be so complicated?”

“To be fair, being an alpha has its own complications. And I’m sure betas have their own concerns, not that Alfred would ever betray anything but perfect calm either way.” Bruce patted his shoulder. “Speaking of Alfred, how’s your appetite? Dick was always starving when he got out of the nest, and I’m sure Alfred is preparing for the same.”

“I’m definitely hungry, yeah.” Tim looked a bit embarrassed about this, as he always was about voicing his needs. It was a process. “The others made sure I kept hydrated, and I did eat some of the snacks, but cramps and nausea really don’t work well with food.”

“So I’ve been given to understand, yes.” Bruce hummed in thought. With a soft nudge, he started to lead Tim in the direction of the kitchen. “We’ll have to see about trying out different kinds of snacks in the future, see if there’s anything you can eat a little easier. Dick might have some pointers, but you’ll probably have to do some experimentation to figure out what works for you.”

“Seems like there’s a lot of stuff that I can only find out by trying out different things.” Tim made a face. “I hate all this uncertainty. There should be a detailed manual or something.”

“A lot of things in life would benefit from proper documentation, I find. However, I’ve been informed that despite my best efforts, reality doesn’t bend to my whims.”

“And those efforts are formidable indeed.” Tim paused. “Ah. Dick said that since he’s all grown up, the pack nest is basically mine, now.”

“Indeed. I probably should have addressed that before; it didn’t occur to me to speak to you about. I suppose I just assumed you’d ask if that was something you wanted.”

“It was never something I was allowed to want.” Bruce had to suppress a growl. As enraged as he was at Tim’s parents, making that clear wouldn’t help right now. “I… think I would like that. If it’s okay, that is. When I’m not in heat.”

“Of course. It’s all yours, whenever you need it. And once you’re feeling better, perhaps you’d like to go shopping for some nesting materials, to truly make it your own?”

“Once I can convince myself I’m not somehow going to do it wrong, sure. And yes, I know there’s no one right way,” Tim cut in before Bruce could even speak. “That’s not the same as saying there’s no wrong way, and if the wrong way exists, I’ll probably manage to find it.”

“The purpose of a nest is to satisfy your instincts and make you feel better. The only wrong way would be trying to fit in some perceived mold that doesn’t work for you.” Bruce considered this for a moment, then amended, “Well, not quite. I did draw the line at Dick wanting to install gymnastics equipment in the nest, though that’s because he would not have gotten any rest if I allowed that.”

“Yeah, he’s really not good at taking it easy.” At Bruce’s amused glance, Tim protested, “I can take it easy! Sometimes.”

“Right. Which is why Dick told me they had to specifically ban work from the list of potential nest activities.” Bruce lifted his eyebrows but couldn’t hide his slight smile. “I believe he made some rather pointed comments about how we are alike in the worst ways, you and I.”

“There are worse people to take after.” Tim sniffed. “Also, you are such a hypocrite.”

“I believe some degree of hypocrisy is inevitable when it comes to being a parent.” Tim didn’t say anything, but Bruce could feel the shift in his scent, the post-heat exhausted-comfort-warmth mixing with a hint of fondness and perhaps even relief. “Taking care of my children will always be more important than taking care of myself, and I refuse to apologize for that. And if that means guarding your nest from the outside because that’s what you need from me, then so be it.”

Tim still didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t draw away, so Bruce was going to count it as a win for now.

***

Jason paused in the doorway, just watching for a moment.

It was hardly a surprise that Tim was devoting himself to this task with the same intensity he gave to everything he did. Even so, Jason was pretty sure building a nest wasn’t the sort of thing that should have required such a deep frown.

“Need some help with that?”

Tim didn’t startle, had no doubt noticed his arrival, but he did pause in his task of arranging pillows around the nesting bed. “I wouldn’t say no,” he said, tone slightly hesitant. “I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. I tried looking up stuff, but…”

“Of course you’d do research.” Jason chuckled, walking closer. “But yeah, I figure this isn’t the sort of thing you could learn from a book. You didn’t ask Dick to help? Or your speedster friend?”

Tim frowned again, worrying his lip. “I just… it feels awkward, not knowing how to do this. I should know all about this at my age, but…”

“But your parents were shitty and didn’t let you learn, right.” Jason nodded. “Well, I know some basics, from all the times I’ve helped Dick, but it’s all second-hand. So feel free to tell me if something doesn’t feel right, okay?” Which was probably exactly why it was easier for Tim to accept his help than one of the omegas.

“Okay.” Tim watched him approach, sitting back on his heels. “I’m about done with the base structure, I think. I’m not entirely sure how to make sure the pillows don’t just get scattered the moment someone turns over, though.”

“I can actually help with that bit, I think.” Jason grinned. “Dick was still not good at the whole keeping things together part when I came around, so I was there while he was figuring it out.”

“Oh?” Tim gave him a curious look. “I’ve tried stacking things under the edges, but that’s just another step.”

“Sheets.” Jason nodded decisively, looking around. There were piles of supplies arranged around the room, no doubt liberated from Alfred’s well-stocked closets. Spotting a stack of neatly folded sheets, he went over to go through the offerings. “I know Alfie used to have a couple of big fitted sheets just for this purpose, but anything big and sturdy will do. You’ll have to tuck them far enough around the edges, and then when you build the rest of the nest on top, the weight will hold everything together.”

“That… makes sense.” Tim nodded slowly.

“Yeah, it’s one of those things that sounds obvious once you hear it, but took us a while to figure out. Obviously B and Alfie were no help with that stuff.” Jason snorted, picking out a few of the extra large sheets to take over to the bed. “I’m pretty sure some people just have low walls built around the nest to help prevent spread. If you think you’d like that, I bet B would be happy to get it done.”

“I’m… I don’t think I know enough about this stuff yet to actually have preferences.” Which was fair enough, Jason supposed. Tim took the sheets from him, shaking out the first one.

“Try not to get too caught up on the texture and color at this point, this is all going to get covered up,” Jason pointed out. “Although if something’s really bugging you, it’s fine to throw it out. Dickie used to swear this one particular bedsheet was itchy even through layers and layers of fabric.”

“No, this is — I’m sure this will work fine.” Tim hesitated for a moment. “Help me with these?”

Jason was all too happy to do just that, helping Tim wrap his pillow base in sheets from every direction. Of course, doing so meant his alpha scent got rubbed on here and there without him even meaning to, but apparently Tim wasn’t against it right now. Once they got the structure established, Tim sat in the middle, looking around with a satisfied expression.

“It’s — it’s actually shaped like a nest.” He sounded almost surprised at this discovery.

“Of course it is. You’ve done a good job, kiddo.” Jason grinned at Tim’s small blush. It was good to see the kid so flustered, he could get too much like Bruce sometimes with his calm and unflappable act. Bruce had his good points, but his emotional constipation was not exactly worth imitating. “Now we get to the fun part.”

“And what’s that?” Tim tilted his head to the side like a curious bird. Appropriate, really.

“Now you get to pick how you want to line your nest.” Jason hummed in thought. “You have any idea on what you’d like?”

“Um. Not really?” Tim ducked his head. “I — just something soft, I guess?”

“That’s a start.” Jason nodded to himself. “How about this? We’ll start by going through everything you have here, and you decide if you like something or not. Don’t worry about how you’re going to arrange shit just yet, just a quick vibe thing. That sound like something you can do?”

Tim nodded in response, looking almost relieved at the simple concept. Good. Overthinking would not help him get in touch with his instincts.

Jason picked up the closest pile of blankets, lifting it on top of the bed. “You take every blanket in turn, and decide if it goes in or out. Don’t worry about the reasons too much, just a quick yes or no. It can be about texture or weight or material or color, doesn’t matter. We’ve got plenty of stuff here so you can get picky.”

The nod this time was a bit more hesitant, but it was there, which was good enough for Jason. He picked out the first blanket, sticking it in Tim’s face. “Yes or no?”

Tim started off slow, but quickly picked up pace, getting more confident with his choices as they went on. Jason took over the logistics, bringing him more things to sort through and clearing away the pile of rejected things whenever it got big enough to get in the way. At some point Tim started talking, about a case he had recently worked on with his friends, and Jason nodded and made the right sounds. He knew informing him about the case wasn’t the point, Tim was just filling the silence while also keeping his mind occupied so he didn’t get too carried away worrying about the nest, and all Jason really needed to do was help him feel less awkward.

By the time they got everything sorted through Tim seemed to have some kind of an idea about what he wanted, draping blankets this way and fluffing pillows that way, and it didn’t take long for him to start giving Jason instructions. Jason was happy to provide him with a second set of hand as needed, spending the rest of his time just quietly observing Tim and his growing confidence. Jason wasn’t deluded into thinking this would suddenly solve all of Tim’s problems regarding nesting and heats and dynamics, that sort of deep-rooted trauma didn’t disappear overnight, but for the moment Tim was actually letting his instincts take the lead and right now it was enough.

Finally Tim settled in the middle of his now much more full nest, looking around with a frown. “It still… doesn’t feel right.” His frown deepened, as though this problem and his inability to articulate its details were a personal offense.

“It lacks scent, right?” As Tim gave him a surprised look, Jason shrugged. “It’s what Dickie always said, the nest isn’t right until it smells of the pack. Even if you don’t let anyone else in — and you don’t have to, just so we’re clear — your instincts will feel better that way.”

“Right.” Tim bit his lip. “Ah. I… how do I do that?”

“Depends on what you like.” Jason sat on the edge of the large bed, close enough to make it clear he wasn’t avoiding Tim but still giving him his space. “My scent’s probably pretty good right now from all the handling of the materials. For the others, you could ask them to mark the nest directly, or borrow some materials specifically for the nest, or just steal some of their laundry.” He grinned at the scandalized look on Tim’s face. “Relax, it’s fine, Dick still does it. As long as you don’t take anything that’s actively dirty, nobody will mind if things take a little longer to go through the laundry. Just make sure to put stuff back when the scent fades so they get back into use.”

“Hm.” Tim still frowned, though, clearly unsure. “I… don’t know.”

“Then grab a couple of pillows or something and ask everyone to scent one of them for you. It’ll work just fine, and you don’t have to feel weird about laundry theft.” Jason hummed in thought. “Though if things still don’t feel right after that, you might want to look into our night gear. It smells different with the scent blockers, but I remember Dick saying the nest just didn’t feel complete unless he could smell Batman, not just Bruce. That might feel easier since we always have backups of everything, too; just make sure you don’t pick anything with sharp edges or toxic contaminants or whatever.”

Tim flushed again but nodded, expression thoughtful. “I’ll… see how I feel.”

“You do that.” Jason reached out his arm, not quite touching, and waited until Tim moved of his own accord to rub his cheek against Jason’s wrist. Jason smiled a bit. The kid was way too cute sometimes. “There’s no one right way to be an omega, you know. It’s okay to take your time figuring out what feels right for you, or to change your mind, or try things just because. Our job as your pack isn’t to make you do things a certain way, it’s to help you find your own way.”

“Right.” Tim swallowed. “I just — I don’t —”

“You don’t need to know anything yet.” Jason ruffled his hair, subtly scenting him a bit more, before drawing away. “How about you get comfy while I go pick up some scent samples? I’ll get Alfred to bring you some snacks, too. After all the hard work you’ve put into building your nest, you should get to enjoy it.”

Tim gave a minute nod. “I…” He paused, drawing a deep breath. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

“The nest?” Jason smiled. “I’m sure Alfie will be very impressed. Everyone will be, if you want them to see it. But it’s all up to you. It’s always up to you.” Because it was Tim’s nest, and Tim’s pack was ready to defend it against anyone and anything, including his own fears and traumas.

And one day, Tim would hopefully realize nothing could make his pack happier.