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Who: Dick Grayson/Nightwing

forceforlight and YOU!
What: April catch all
When: During April
Where: Rooftops around the city; a park
Content Warnings: Updated as needed

He knows better than to complain, especially after the past few months in Blüdhaven. It's been a long time since he's had a quiet, even after coming to this world.

Which is why Nightwing sits on the edge of a high rooftop, a bag of bagels on the rooftop behind him and a cup of coffee warming his hands. After all, early spring isn't any warmer in Michigan than it is in New Jersey.

"I'm going to jinx myself if I say it," he says to whomever shows up, without looking their direction. He's just really used to listening for people coming up behind him. "But, damn, it's quiet."

The name "circusbrat" wasn't taken on TikTok. Not that Dick had any real plans of what to do with it. So far, he'd posted a few short videos of him at a local circus school, doing some tricks on the silks and the lines. There were also a few from the park, with him doing some simple, if impressive, gymnastics.

Which is what he's doing now: filming himself doing handstands.

However, every time he starts, he ends up in a heap of giggles as Haley runs in and hops up to lick his face. "Haley, no," he says, gathering the puppy up and ruffling her ears. "We really need to work on your stay, don't we?"

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“A year and a half or so. Not that I was good at staying home before that.” He’s assuming the other Tim also snuck around Gotham to follow Batman and Robin around. “Jason wasn’t - he wasn’t Robin for that long.”

As for the physical affection thing. He just kind of shrugs up a shoulder. He’s not sure what vibes he’s putting out that make Dick think he needs a hug, but he’s fairly used to his Dick Grayson deciding things like that. “It’s fine, you can hug me.”

It's Dick. Sometimes he gives other people hugs because he needs them, himself. Haley is useful for that, too, sometimes. Which is kinda what's giving Dick the idea that Tim might want a hug.

He does shake his head, leaning over to give the kid a one-armed hug. Which doesn't dislodge Haley at all. And also doesn't keep the touch up for long because this may be Tim, but it's not HIS Tim. It's going to take time to figure out where his lines are.

It may be Dick but it's still not his Dick, so it's possible that Tim is putting more effort than usual into being Normal about being hugged. He doesn't tense up or anything, and that's the important part, right? It's not like when he first started being Robin, and he was overwhelmed by Dick's brand of casual touch.

That doesn't mean he quite knows what to do with the half-hug, right now, or what to do once it's over aside from continue to focus on petting Haley, who it turns out makes a pretty good outlet for not quite knowing what to do in a social situation. So that's nice.

Right. He'd forgotten how Tim could be when he first joined the family. One reason he'd put so much work into being the brother that Tim had needed at the time, because his parents were terrible about being...parents, really.

He settles back, letting Tim pet Haley for a while before he broaches the rest of what he's been thinking about. "You're likely going to need a guardian here."

"Oh."

That's not... not something that has come up with the other Tim already, with no solid decisions made either way. He can't help but huff out a breath, aware that this is probably going to be made A Thing in much the same way that the Bats back home made it A Thing when they realized how much of Tim's time that was supposed to be spent under the watchful eye of his parents... wasn't.

"It's okay. I can manage for myself." He'd done it for a while back home. Admittedly, he had his parents' money to fall back on the majority of the time there. He's not quite sure how he's going to make living money as a fourteen-year-old on a new Earth, but he'll figure it out.

"I know you can." And Dick does. He knows the sorts of things that his Tim sorted out for himself during those early years. And, he hates to say it, it seems like this Tim might have been through the same sorts of things. "The Guilds and the government, however, don't know that. They're going to expect you either to have a guardian or live at the dorms of the superpowered school."

Just laying out what's likely to happen for him.

"How closely can they possibly be keeping an eye on minors here?" After all, they literally dropped out of the sky. Sure, the Guilds gave him a hotel room and a credit card, but if he just disappeared, how far would they look? "I could drop off the grid."

"They have at least a few people who are Superman levels of power." Which means that keeping track of people is a lot easier than some would expect. "And you could. Or I could be your guardian."

“You - you don’t have to do that.” If it came down to it, yes, Dick is probably the Bat here that he would be most comfortable with taking that role, but he doesn’t want him to feel obligated just because Tim’s in kind of a tight situation. He can manage. He’s been in tight situations before.

"Who said anything about HAVING to do it?" Dick raises an eyebrow at that. "You're family."

And, really, it's that simple for Dick. Tim is family. Tim will always be family. That means he'll do whatever he can to help out and keep him safe.

It's not that simple, though, because - it just isn't. "Yeah, but - I mean, you don't even need a Robin here, and you already have one, anyway, so it's not like you need me living close by." Which is part of why they took him in back home, as he understands it. Wayne Manor has enough space for three dozen Tims, anyway, and it's convenient. This can't possibly be convenient.

"No, we don't need you nearby," Dick admits with a shake of his head. "We WANT to know that you're safe, though."

He's pretty sure this has to do with the Drakes and the way that they treated their son, as though he was an afterthought. He expects to be left behind, left to fend for himself. And even if he's been training with Bruce for a while, he probably has only recently moved into the Manor.

"Besides that, the other Tim is getting to an age where he's likely to be ageing out of Robin. We all do, eventually." Some of them forced out early, of course. "Also, we have two Robins right now back home. It's a little confusing, but easier when Damian's got a pile of homework he needs to get done or he's been grounded."

“I’ll think about it,” he says because he’s not sure he’s comfortable committing himself and Dick to that immediately. Dick could change his mind. Or Tim could think of a workable way to pull off being a 14-year-old in his own here without attracting attention.

"All right," Dick agrees easily. "That's all I'm asking you to do."

Haley sits up, stretching, then trotting away a few feet before coming back. Dick grins, reaching into his bag again and coming out with a tennis ball. "You want to throw this around with her a bit? Don't throw it far, she's only little. But she does enjoy chasing it around."

"Sure."

He's more than happy to play with Haley some, even if it means gently dislodging her from his lap long enough to stand up and grab the tennis ball. She's pretty excited once she realizes what's happening, though, and he throws it a short distance for her to run after and bring back.

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