Chapter Text
The streets were cold, and nothing he did was making it better. His face was freezing, his fingers were a little numb, and the air was burning his lungs. He needed to get back home. He didn’t want to admit it earlier, but it was clear he couldn’t stick it out any longer. The storm was coming in way faster than he thought it would. The weatherman had said it’d be here tomorrow, but he must be dumb, because he got it wrong.
Tim had already started making his way back when he noticed the clouds getting darker, but he must have taken a wrong turn at some point. He didn’t think he was getting any closer to home? His parents would definitely be mad if they knew he’d wandered off and couldn’t find his way back.
He knew that he really needed to keep going, but he was getting tired. Like really, really tired. But if he stopped now he might just freeze into a popsicle. He really didn’t want to be a popsicle. His bets his parents aren’t even looking for him either, so he’d be a lonely popsicle too.
He huffed, rubbing his hands together and puffing into them. He shouldn’t even be out here! His mom and dad got mad that he talked back earlier, and they made him go outside. They didn’t say when they’d let him back in but he’d bet that they’d already forgotten about him like usual. They probably thought he was still by the back door, or maybe out in the garage. But they told him he couldn’t go in there the last time he hid from the cold, so obviously he couldn’t do it again. Tim really wished he had just gone into the garage, though. He would rather be yelled at than be in the snow right now. That was a dumb mistake on his part.
It was mean of them to make him go out here without changing into something warmer too. The sweater and sweatpants he had on had been okay at first, but then it got chilly, and then it started snowing. He only had a coat, winter boots, and a pair of gloves that he stashed outside in case they made him go out during winter, and it wasn’t enough. He definitely needs to sneak out some more stuff just in case they do this again when he gets back.
But anyway, Tim maybe had wanted to… well, he definitely wanted to walk around. He’d gotten pretty bored without anything to do. And oh boy it’d been really fun exploring at first! He found all sorts of hidey holes and places to play. But now he was really far from home, and he was somewhere in Gotham, and he didn’t know where. And he might be a little scared. Just a little. He’s totally got this though, he’s a big boy. He could find his way home all by himself.
It was hard to see with how dark everything had gotten, and Tim kept having to rub his eyes to get the snow out of them. It made him nervous because that meant he didn’t know if anyone was following him and he kept jumping at shadows. He’d already slipped on a couple patches of ice when he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Wandering away from home wasn’t fun anymore, it just hurt now. What if there were monsters out to get him?
Tim started shivering even harder, and he stuffed his hands into his armpits. He kept trying to tuck his chin under the collar of his coat without the hoot falling down, but he’s yet to be successful. Tim wanted to cry. He really, really wanted to cry. It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t be out here, he should be bundled up under his covers at home catching up on Batman and Robin sightings. But no. His parents didn’t want to see him, and that meant staying out here. He just really wanted to be somewhere warm. Anywhere. He wasn’t too picky. He’d even promise to be good from now on. No more backtalk, no more whining, just anything to get back inside.
It was just so cold out here. He knew he was small for his age, even if he didn’t like to admit it, and he could tell that his body was struggling to keep warm. He really couldn’t stop moving, even though he wanted to. Everything around him was empty, and he couldn’t see anybody, but that didn’t mean nobody was there. If he could just find someone nice, or find a place to keep warm, then he’d be able to make it through the night. But even if there was someone nice outside, they might not be able to see him. He’d bet he was just a little dark blob in the darkness, and no one would actually think a kid would be out in this weather, and they’d dismiss him. Even though a kid was outside. It was him. He was that kid. He didn’t know if he really wanted someone to find him or not, because what if they were just creepy? He really didn’t trust Gotham at night.
He kept moving, and at some point he must’ve walked over another patch of ice, because the next thing he knew he was flailing out his arms, and oh crap he was gonna fall again! His boot slid out from under him, and his body tried to lock up to keep himself upright. The next thing he knew, he was falling backwards, and he threw out an arm to try to catch himself and managed to land on his elbow and bum.
Oh gosh that really freaking hurts. He whimpered, sniffing, and tried to squirm to sit up. He’d be black and blue by the time morning came, he thought with a groan. His back and butt hurt really bad from falling earlier, but now his arm and shoulder hurt too.
He flopped back and laid there, just for a second. At least he thought it was just a second. He didn’t really know. The snow was seeping though what was left of the dry patches of his clothing, making him shake harder. He screwed his eyes closed at some point, and all he could hear was the howling of the wind around him.
Tim started to sniffle even harder, and he started feeling his eyes get wet as his lips quivered. Was he really going to start crying? Yeah, yeah he was.
He blinked rapidly through the tears and heaved himself up on his butt, shuffling so he was bracing his hands in the snow, slowly getting his feet under him and pushing his legs up till he was standing, slowly stretching out his arms for balance. As soon as he was sure he wouldn’t tip over, Tim drew his hood as far as he could over his head and clutched it tight to try to keep his face warm. He looked around, squinting through the tears, little hiccups falling from his mouth.
Tim didn’t know where he was. He really, really thought that he was getting closer. Maybe he was actually getting farther away?
That was a bad thought. Just as he started sobbing in earnest, like the big baby he was, he swore he saw something flickering farther ahead of him. A light!
He wobbled forward, hands still clutching his hood close like a lifeline, and did his best to keep his feet under him when he started slipping again. Maybe someone was out here after all! Did his parents actually remember that he was out here? Were they looking for him? They never looked for him, but maybe this time they were. They had to be, no one else would be out in the storm. Hopefully.
As he got closer the light was becoming brighter and brighter. It looked like headlights! He hobbled faster, as fast as he could go, and he was almost there! He wouldn’t be cold anymore, his parents were here to get him!
It didn’t really look like any of the cars that they owned, but it was sorta hard to tell right now. Tim quickly scrubbed his eyes as he came up to the drivers side, because he knew they’d just be upset if they saw him being a crybaby. He waited patiently a few feet away for them to unlock the car, but he couldn’t see any movement, even though the car was rumbling away, snow melting off the windows. Maybe they just didn’t see him? It was sorta hard to see outside, and he barely came up to the window as it was.
Giving one last sniff, he bravely shuffled forward and knocked on the glass before shrinking back. There still wasn’t movement or a click of the door unlocking. Did they hear him? Maybe he wasn’t loud enough? Or maybe they just wanted him to stand outside and wait for them to let him in. It was really cold though, and Tim really thought his fingers and face were gonna fall off.
Just as he was bracing himself to knock again, the door popped open. It had almost hit him with how fast it swung out and slambed back shut. He fell backwards onto his sore butt, trying not to get hit by it. All he saw when he squinted at the ground in front of him was a big shadow of darkness. There were weird boots that didn’t look like anything his parents owned in front of him. Was that a black coat too or something? Huh.
Tim looked up, and up, and up. Tim sniffed, squinted some more, and sniffed again. He didn’t know what he was looking at. Some sort of giant, for sure. They must really like black, because he didn’t see any colors, and that just made it harder for him to tell what was in front of him.
Before he could do anything, the dark giant was leaning over him. There were hands grabbing him and he was suddenly up in the air, up against something warm. It felt like a hug, so he clung onto whoever it was and burrowed as close as he could. It was a really nice, warm hug, and they were moving and oh. It was even warmer now. There wasn’t any more noise from the wind, only a quiet radio, and heavy breathing. If this was a kidnapping he wasn’t sure he would even want to fight it.
It got loud for a minute, and Tim could sorta make out voices, but he couldn’t tell what they were saying. All he knew was that it felt like the car was moving, and he was in another pair of arms, and it felt like a blanket was being wrapped around him. He was getting really sleepy now that he was warm, but the person was being mean and kept poking or shaking him. They wouldn’t stop talking, and it was getting super annoying.
They kept doing that for a while, and Tim eventually gave up on rest. He could feel himself shivering, and he was crying a little again, but it just felt so nice to be away from the too cold air and stupid snow and stupid wind. He’d hopefully be home soon, and he might get yelled at, and that would be okay too. Anything to not be outside.
The rumbling stopped, and Tim peeled his eyes open, snot running down his face and eyes almost crusted closed. He could tell someone opened the door behind him, it got really bright and it sorta hurt to turn around. He didn’t get to see much before a soft cloth was being rubbed against his face, gently cleaning him and blocking his view.
Hands were guiding him out, and he was being picked up again. Tim peered around from his perch, freezing in place before the shivers started up again. Did he just get kidnapped? It was really spooky in here. There was a big dino, and a bunch of gym stuff, and a big computer area. He thought he saw a bat flying around.
Tim looked down. Oh. That was Robin. Maybe Robin was here to save him from being kidnapped? Except Robin was following them, and he was talking to them. Which wouldn’t be a good plan for a rescue. Robin was supposed to be smarter than that.
“B, are you sure he’s gonna be okay,” Robin yelled, hands flailing, “We don’t even know how long he was out there for!”
The person holding him grunted, which only seemed to spur Robin on.
“You know, an actual answer would be nice for once,” Robin snapped, “Nightwing isn’t here to play interpreter right now and I don’t understand your old man lingo.”
The giant holding him sighed, and oh boy that was a full body one. The man sounded exasperated but still didn’t stop to talk. Rude.
“Yes, Robin, he’ll be alright,” oh boy that voice was deep. Nothing like his dad. “Agent A has the bath set up, and he’ll be preparing the boy some clothes. Knowing him, he’s already started on the food as well.”
Robin was looking skeptical still, even if it was hard to tell with the mask. His face was pretty expressive though. Tim sorta thought that was funny.
“If you say so,” Robin grumbled, “I still think he’s too small. How did he even get outside? Shouldn’t his parents have reported him missing or something? We didn’t hear anything over the radio about a missing kid.”
Tim could feel the person holding him sigh again, somehow even deeper this time. Just as they were entering what looked like a locker room, Tim was starting to realize this might not be a kidnapping. Or at least a bad kidnapping.
Batman, freaking Batman, was setting him down gently on a bench, and was trying to tug the blanket out of Tim’s hands.
“Alright Chum.” Holy cow Batman was speaking to him. “I’m gonna need you to be undressed for the bath, and then we’ll get you set up with some warm clothes.”
Tim nodded, staring widely up at the cowl, and then Batman was pulling the blanket away, which he didn’t appreciate. He liked it even worse when Batman started undressing him, but that was okay, because he was being picked up and brought over to a bathroom with a big ol bath. Tim slid in slowly, and he was still shaking like a leaf, but it felt really good. His heroes were here, and they were protecting him from the cold. Robin even started talking to Tim when Batman started to scrub him clean.
“So kid, what’s your name? Cause I’ve just been calling you little dude in my head, and I figured that was rude,” Robin asked, smiling and resting his elbows on the ledge from where he was kneeling against the tub.
Tim sniffed and screwed his face up when Batman got water in his eyes. “My name's Timothy, but I like Tim better.”
When he cracked an eye open he could see that Robin was positively beaming at him, “Tim’s a good name! Hey Timmy, wanna tell us why you were outside? It’s so cold, I didn’t even wanna be out there when it started coming down.”
“Um,” Tim flushed, sinking a little further into the water, “I got lost.”
Batman let out a hum above him, brushing the wet hair away from Tim’s eyes, “You were lost? Were your parents looking for you?”
Tim shook his head, not wanting to meet their eyes. They might get mad at him too, but he had to be honest.
“No. Mom and dad told me to go outside. They didn’t know it was gonna snow though, and I should’ve stayed by the house,” Tim mumbled.
It was quiet for a minute. No one said anything as Tim continued to get warmer and warmer. Batman even drained the tub a bit before adding more hot water when it started getting a little chilly. He looked up when another person with a mask slipped through the door, closing it quietly as he entered with what Tim thought was a pair of fluffy clothes. The man looked at all of them gravely, and then met Tim’s eyes and gave him a kind smile.
“Young sir, I’m sure your parents miss you dearly.” The fancy old guy sounded funny, like some of his parents' friends, “Perhaps you could tell us their names, and we would be able to contact them for you.”
Tim made a face. “No, they’re probably sleeping right now. I don’t want to wake them up, they’d be mad.”
“Is that so?” Tim nodded, closing his eyes again as a warm wet towel soaked through his hair. “Would you be able to tell us why they would be upset?”
“Um,” Tim bit his lip, splashing the water a bit, was this a good idea? They were the good guys though, so it should be okay, “I was talking back earlier, and they never said I could come back inside.”
Tim looked up at Batman, and he wasn’t smiling anymore. He peaked a look at the other two and neither of them looked happy.
“Holy shit,” Robin breathed out, looking like he was thinking hard about something. “Okay. I mean, that’s so not okay, but okay. How old are you, Timmers?”
Tim stared at him blankly, because how old did they think he looked? “I’m eight and a half.”
“That’s cool! I’m thirteen,” Robin exclaimed, smiling again, “Hey Tim, I bet you’re still pretty cold, but we have hot chocolate upstairs, do you want some?”
He hesitated. Was that a trick question? He didn’t think so. He nodded.
Robin hopped up, and Tim almost recoiled in shock at the sudden movement.
“Awsome! I’m gonna go change outta this and I’ll be back!” Robin was dashing towards the door before skidding to a halt, “I’m gonna call Dick, and when you’re dressed we can go play online with him while we get the hot cocoa,” and then Robin was out the door.
“Robin,” Batman snapped, and this time Tim did recoil, sending water splashing everywhere.
Was Batman mad now? Should Tim have said no?
“Now, Master Bruce,” The fancy old guy, maybe a butler, chided, “I do believe young Master Tim here would do good in some warm clothes. I expect all of you to be upstairs shortly. The food has been prepared.”
When he left, it was just Tim and Batman. Or was his name Master Bruce? Was Batman Master Bruce? Did Tim know his secret identity? He wasn’t supposed to know that. It was supposed to be a secret!
“Batman,” Tim asked, starting to get teary eyed again, “Am I in trouble now?”
Batman sighed. Tim thought he sighed a lot.
“No. No, you’re not in any trouble,” he said, “But how about we get you dressed. You’ve stopped shaking, and I believe you were promised some food and games.”
Tim nodded, moving to stand and maneuver his way outta the big tub. Batman picked him up instead, and Tim sucked in a breath with wide eyes. He was set back down stiffly and wrapped in a dry towel, which Tim quickly clung to. Another towel took to his hair, nearly sending him on his butt for the umpteenth time today as it ruffled him vigorously. When all was said and done, Tim was left standing clothed and staring blankly at the foggy room, not sure what he should do.
He was going to ask what they were going to do now when a boy popped into the bathroom, grinning at them. The boy grabbed his hand, and tugged him along to wherever they were going.
“I’m sure Bruce hasn't told you anything since I left,” the boy started, sounding exactly like Robin, “But I’m Jason! Alfred said he’s made us food, and he’s gonna start making us hot chocolate like I asked. So you’re coming upstairs with me, okay squirt?”
Tim followed along quietly, and took a look around as they went. Outside the bathroom and locker room, Tim could see the big dino again, all the fancy computers and monitors, along with a bunch of other things he didn’t really know about. He definitely didn’t stare in awe at the suits. Definitely not. This couldn’t be happening. Maybe he really was a popsicle, and this was just a weird dream. He pinched himself and winced. Maybe not.
Jason laughed at him for it, and Tim couldn’t help but smile. He liked that laugh. Jason started chatting with him, and Tim did the best he could to keep up. He wasn’t really sure what he should be saying, but it seemed like he was doing okay anyway.
“Bruce’ll come up at some point,” Jason was saying, still guiding him around, “So he’ll be joining us too. I don’t know when, though, he might have some things to do first. ”
Tim nodded along, still looking around at everything. It was so much cooler than his house, and bigger too. When they entered the kitchen there was even enough space for a little sitting area, and it already had bowls and stuff on it. Jason pulled out a seat for him before sitting down on the chair next to him.
Whatever was in the bowl looked bland, and Tim eyed it warily. He could see Alfred (that must be Alfred) out of the corner of his eye, and he didn’t want to be rude by not eating it.
Jason must’ve caught on because he leaned over towards him, “It’s just broth, it’ll help keep you warm before we go to the living room. Now hurry up pipsqueak, Dick promised he’d be joining us to game, and it’ll be so much better with you here.”
Tim blushed and grinned sillily. He really wasn’t sure what was going on, but he sorta liked it. He liked it a lot, actually. Especially as he was promised that they’d get to play Mario Kart by the fireplace, and they’d get treats with their hot cocoa while they gamed. He never got to have treats. Maybe he’d ask if he could stay for a little while. At least until the storm passed. Tim wasn’t sure he wanted to go back home. Not when this place was so much better.
Yeah, he really didn’t want to go home. He wanted to stay here with Jason, Bruce, and Alfred. Later, when they hoped on the game with Jason’s brother, he really wanted to stay and meet Dick too. Tim was sitting on the couch, wrapped up snug in a fuzzy blanket, holding his controller as he fell off the map again. He looked to his left, seeing Jason leaned into his space and mashing his controller, and when he looked to his right, it was the sight of Bruce hugging him close. Just maybe, Tim thought, they might want him to stay, too.