Work Text:
Dick had really been trying hard to finish the case he was on. The team had been working on closing out an investigation into a ring of drug dealers. Artemis brought it to his attention last week and together, along with Batgirl, they had been working nonstop until it was taken care of. Mostly because one of the main dealers had a young daughter who was being exposed to the chemicals of manufacturing and Dick didn’t want to drag out the rescue process any more than they had to.
He let Barbara and Artemis stay involved because it was a Gotham case, but he had refused to pull anyone else into it especially since the team had other things to worry about. After all, even with the infighting, they still were called out by the Justice league fairly often for covert operations. Thus, Dick had been doing most of the paperwork side of everything and hadn’t really prioritized the sleeping side of his health.
And by not prioritized, he meant he hadn’t slept over a two hour period for the past three days.
“You look like death warmed over” Conner greeted coming into the mission room from working in the garage. Always working on bikes. Dick threw a half-hearted glare before resuming the report. They had caught the main leader last night and most of the others were being secured by Artemis. The only thing left was finishing the paperwork and securing a good placement for the leaders daughter. He didn’t trust CPS with a seven-year-old in Gotham any more than he’d trust Cadmus. “I mean it ‘wing. When’d you last get some sleep?” He sighed at the question because it meant that his circles were now showing even under his mask.
“Not to worry SB, I don’t have that much left on this case anyway” As long as he could focus on the computer screen long enough to actually type a coherent sentence. Let’s try this again. There are only so many times I can type ‘the’ ‘teh’ right? Just as he brought his hands back to the keyboard he felt the swivel chair he was in spin around to face a skeptical Conner. Alright. I guess I get to deal with this first.
“Is this the same case you were on Thursday?” the question shouldn’t have felt like a dig at the speed Dick had to go in order to achieve success, but it did anyway. Conner didn't really have the tact for that sort of thing. The team had all agreed to not take too much personally.
“Yeah, if I could just-” Dick started using his foot to try and spin back only to be stopped by Conner’s hand grabbing the back of the chair. Dick could compete and argue with almost anything. Super strength when he didn’t have kryptonite on him? Yeah that wasn’t one of them.
“You didn’t answer the question”
“Yeah, that was kinda the point” Dick grinned only to receive the classic Superboy glare that he had come to know and slightly hate. He let his own amusement fall and stood up to walk around the chair and face the screen again. “I don’t have time for this today Con. I only have a bit left and then I can help Emily and-”
“Who’s Emily?” Conner asked, confused moving the chair so that he could see the screen as well. So much for confidential case files.
“She’s Marco’s daughter. If I can get the report done then-”
“Hold on, You mean to tell me that in the span of three days you found out about a drug dealing business, figured out all the men who were in on it, investigated them long enough to know the families they had with them, and took the entire operation down?” Conner clarified and Dick glanced up from the fuzzy letters to nod.
“I wasn’t about to sit on it.”
“Alone?”
“...Artemis helped. She’s finishing the police dealings now and Batgirl assisted with the intel gathering.” Dick denied only to receive the ‘that doesn’t count face’. He hated that face. It usually meant that Superboy wasn’t going to let him do what he wanted to do. Just as said raven was about to say something he was saved by Aqualad walking in.
“Superboy, we need you to bring Wolf-” The team leader paused at the sight of the discarded computer chair and possibly Dick’s disheveled appearance. He hadn’t seen Kaldur since he started the case and it suddenly occurred to him that he didn’t remember when he last brushed his hair. “What exactly is going on here? A mission?”
“Actually I was just trying to type my mission report when Superboy decided to interrupt me” he answered quickly using the distraction as an opportunity to recollect his chair and scoot it back in place. His arm was grabbed before he could sit in it.
“Interrupt a psycho is what he means.” rude. “Nightwing is still working the drug ring case and refuses to explain when he found the time to sleep. Artemis said she checked the room logs and that he hasn’t opened his room door since Friday.” Artemis, I’ll remember this you traitor. Dick escaping Superboy’s bigbrothering? Totally doable on a good day. Escaping Kaldur’s? Impossible. Every day.
“Now listen, I can explain” Dick objected but Kaldur ignored him and began easily crossing the gap to the computer. Think fast. Anything. “I really tried to rest and there’s no proof that I haven’t. I spent the night somewhere else.” Kaldur didn’t stop his movements and before Dick could see what was happening he had saved the file and powered off the computer. It felt incredibly fast…or maybe Dick was just thinking really, really slow. Dang it.
“This is not healthy or helpful Nightwing” Kaldur scolded in the same voice he had used on him since he was 13. “And you may be able to fool the new recruits, but we know better than to think you would feel safe enough to sleep anywhere else in the mountain without a watch than your room. Seeing as how Robin hasn’t called recently, that means you haven’t been to see Batman either.” I hate that you’re smart. Things were so much easy when all of you were dumb…or at least when I thought all of you were a little dumb. In comparison to me. “Are you listening to me?” Unfortunately, the answer was no but he wasn't about to say that.
“It doesn’t matter. I can’t just stop in the middle of a case” he argued, trying, completely in vain, to pull away from Superboy’s hold. He was vaguely aware that he looked like a toddler trying to run away from his mother at a mall, but he didn’t have the brain power to think of any other plan at the moment.
“For the benefit of the doubt, let’s pretend that I believe you are in the right state of mind for this. For that to be the case I would need to believe that you slept somewhere else. The only other place you could have possibly been is” oh crap. “Wally’s” Kaldur deduced with a smile and pulled out a phone that was just out of reach.
I am so dead. “What’s up Kal?” Wally answered, easy to hear on speakerphone. Dick brought his free hand to hide his face. There was only one way this was ending.
“Hello, Wally. You’re on speaker phone with Superboy and Nightwing” Kaldur warned, ever the polite one before giving a small smile at Dick. Please, please spare me. “I was just wondering if Nightwing had been by over the weekend?” He asked and Dick could hear the tv in the background of the call abruptly stop. I hate you all. Wally was his ride-or-die and practically a brother.
“I haven’t seen Wing in at least a week. You should know that though buddy” But he knew better than to think he would ever cover for him. Not for this.
“I see. It seems as though our bird hasn’t had rest in a few days” Kaldur tutted. Why they wouldn’t let the old nickname die, he would never know.
“Days?! I’ll be there-” Wally’s reply stopped only for a few seconds and then the redhead was in the mission room, wearing a flash T-shirt and sweatpants, giving Dick a quick once over. “Right now” he finished pouting at the state his friend was in. “Bro, really? I thought your dark circles had finished growing when you hit puberty.”
“Very funny KF. Look, I get that you’re all content to busy yourselves in my business, but I just need to finish this case there isn’t too much left and-”
“Then you can do it tomorrow” Superboy interrupted.
“Emily can’t wait that long-”
“Then tell BG to do it” Wally added, grabbing his arm to signal that Superboy could let go. “Don’t even try fighting me dude.” he warned sternly before waving Kaldur and Conner to go. The moment they were out of earshot he sighed. Lecture incoming. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself Dick.”
“I don’t wanna hear it Wals. I don’t have the time” he grounded out, clenching his teeth in a rather pathetic way of showing his frustration.
“You better make the time” His best friend snapped back at him. “If you don’t rest when you need it you’ll end up a blue highlighter smear on the cement.”
“Screw you!” He yelled, unaware of how things had gotten this far. Wally sighed, again, and picked him up with complete ease.
“If you wanna be this way, then fine. But I’m not dealing with you.”
He blinked and he was in Gotham. Wally was gone and he was in the cave.
“Dang it!” he screeched, moving to the zeta tube on the other side only to find his transport to Mount Justice wasn’t working. “Computer what-”
“Access denied. Please wait an additional 48 hours before attempting again. Now playing recorded message:” the computer announced and Dick’s frustration became confusion. They didn’t have recorded messages on the watch tower system…
“Go the heck to sleep Grayson. If you attempt to go again it will automatically teleport you to the watch tower and Diana and Dinah have the next two shifts.” Barbara’s voice echoed and his blood was boiling easily enough. “Later” she finished and he spun around to kick the nearest thing. It happened to be the Batmobile which if he could have dented maybe would have made him feel better. Alas, the car was too tough for that. If he couldn’t leave then he only had one choice.
He made his way to the upstairs gym, leaving his suit by the zeta tubes, and started on the uneven bars. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of going to sleep when he knew that his case was waiting for him. When he knew that Jason was away at camp and there was no way that anyone would know to come wake him up. I hate this. I hate that they won’t let me work and that I can’t put together enough brain cells to hack into Barbara’s hacking.
He swung easily between the bars before jumping up to the Rings and holding out to a plank. His muscles gave out almost immediately, sending him in a less-than-graceful tumble toward the wall. He let his momentum carry him toward it and prepared a punch to release his frustrations.
He stopped.
Right where his fist was about to make contact, was an already crackling crater in the near-cement wall. What in the world…. He remembered.
“Just Aqualad” he mocked swinging back and forth. He flipped back to land only to fall off his target and slam back into the wall. He turned around and slammed his fist through the cement causing a gigantic crack.
He let his fingers graze over the unfixed damage. Why would he leave this?
“I’d offer hand-eye coordination but it looks like a small breath could blow you over.” He didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Bruce. He must’ve been watching the whole time then. Probably had an alert when Wally ran through.
“Yeah well I wouldn’t have wanted to play games anyway” Dick grumbled turning to face his mentor. Bruce looked relaxed decked out in sweatpants and a tank top. He held a water bottle in his hand that Dick easily caught when it was thrown his way. He didn’t say thank you as he drank the whole thing.
“It’s been a while since Wally’s come by” Bruce started as awkward as ever. They both knew that by “been a while” he had meant since Dick moved out. When Bruce had threatened to fire him. When he replaced him with a new child and let the kid wear his family colors and his mother’s name for him. You know, casual conversation things. “Something happen at the mountain?”
“Nothing Batman needs to be involved in” He answered coldly moving away from the wall only to stagger a bit to find his footing. Bruce was at his side in an instant but he was quick enough to stop the hands reached out to him. “Stop. I don’t want your help” he spat but looked up to find no anger in his not-quite father’s eyes. He stared at him looking more concerned than anything, maybe a hint unimpressed.
“It’s a good thing I’m not Batman right now.” Bruce told him gently and Dick shoved the hand away that was coming to meet his shoulder.
“Look, if you want someone to micromanage you can go pick up your kid from camp.” ya know the one you actually like. The one you are giving my entire life to. I am so tired.
“Why would I do that when I have one of my kids in front of me?” Bruce questioned and Dick couldn’t help that his eyes welled up. That was such a pretty lie. He let his knees fall but still fought the arms that tried to catch him. Bruce gave him enough space as they landed on the mat for him to bury his face in his knees.
“Please” Dick croaked smothering his tears in his training sweats. “Just go away. I c’n’t do this today” He mumbled unable to say what he really meant. You sound too nice right now and I don’t have the energy to see through it or argue. I’ll cave and I’m not willing to void a year and half of work to make sure you know that you’re wrong.
“Dick, chum look at me” Bruce pleaded but Dick didn’t even have the energy to move anymore. If Bruce walked away right now, he was pretty sure he would become one with the training mats. He felt a hand come under his chin and force him to rest his face sideways on his knees, just upwards enough to see the sad expression Bruce was wearing. “I know that you’re mad at me. I know you have your reasons why.” he started slowly placing a hand on his back. “But even if we’re fighting or upset, or any other thing that happens. You can still come home and get some rest. You deserve to sleep. We don’t have to talk about anything else” The promise sounded too good but he was too exhausted to question it in the moment.
Bruce wrapped his arms around him as he continued to silently cry. He couldn’t object when he was lifted off the floor and they left the gym. He wasn’t going to be able to work out anymore. He was ok if they could pretend. If it could be normal.
“He was gonna hurt her” He cried almost unintelligibly. Bruce made his ‘what’ hum noise to show he was listening. “I-I couldn’t stop she’s too little ‘n there’s drugs ‘n” he stuttered hiding his face in his father’s shoulder.
“Shh Dick. Barbara called and said she was taking care of the case. I’m sure the girl is going to be fine. You did a good job” Bruce comforted beginning the trek up the stairs. In a more stable state Dick would realize he is definitely too big for this, but currently, he wasn’t fully conscious.
“‘ave a test ‘morrow” he mumbled trying to slow the crying now that he was able to fully feel the hug he had missed for too long now.
“I’ll call the school. You’re a senior so it’s fine if you miss every once in a while.” I’m almost positive that doesn’t make sense.
“‘m mad” he added.
“I know.”
“At you”
“I know”
“‘n me.” Bruce didn’t answer so quickly at that.
“You don’t have to be. I read the report while you were working. What little of it you were able to comprehensively type since you haven’t been sleeping. You did well. You worked extremely fast considering you didn’t bring any of your teammates or me into it.” Dick spoke Bruce well enough to know the hidden question: Why didn’t you ask for help?
“‘s Gotham. No supers” he mumbled letting it go that he was apparently light enough to be balanced by one hand as Bruce opened his bedroom door and carried him to the bed. He let himself sit like a rag on the mattress as Bruce grabbed him a new T-shirt and took off his not-so-nice training socks.
“I would make an exception” Bruce voiced once Dick had been deemed clothed for bed. He was pushed carefully against the pillows and felt the blankets come up. “For you there’s always an exception chum” He added and Dick was too far gone to hear the fondness in his tone.
“L’ve you” he murmured losing the battle to consciousness completely.
“I love you too” he didn’t hear at all.