Knives and Finding a Family

by IvyCoveredWalls (orphan_account)

Summary:

As Bruce's secretary Tim is used to taking care of Bat and Bird messes. Thankfully, after Tim ends up hurt the Bats and the Birds are going to take care of him.

Notes:

Me? Doing a multichapter fic? Whoa!!! Crazy!!! I hope y'all enjoy this!!!

Chapter 1

There was a knife in his thigh. Fuck! There was a knife in his thigh. Tim's scream was half in frustration, half in pain. His boss was Batman. This was ridiculous. If he weren't about to pass out from shock he'd see the irony. Maybe even find it funny. But he was about to pass out. He didn't even register the tears leaking from his eyes. He was mostly focused on the knife in his thigh. Possibly worse, the bastard made off with his wallet. He didn't care about that yet though.

"Hey! Hey buddy!"

That was Dick. Nightwing what the fuck ever. He hurt too much to care about his shitty boss's son and the stupid code names. His breath was coming in short gasps. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He wanted to shake Dick's hands off, but fuck he was giving his all to not passing out.

"Come on dude stay with me. We're gonna get you all safe and stitched up."

He screamed when Dick scooped him up.

"Fuck! Fuck! Ow!!!"

His breaths were short and he was losing concentration. He blacked out before they got wherever Dick was carrying him. The last thing he was aware of was Dick urging him to stay awake.

"Come on. We're almost there. Don't pass out on me now! Come on. Just a little longer. "

He couldn't keep it up. It hurt, he was sleep deprived, he was bleeding, and he was going into shock.

Tim's last words before losing consciousness were loud and definite. Later he wouldn't be sure if they were about Bruce not saving him before he ended up with a knife in the thigh, or just as a general sentiment. Either way he thought it was a perfectly understandable feeling.

"Fuck... Bruce…."

Maybe it was shock, maybe it was stress, maybe it was exhaustion. What ever it was, Tim passed out.

Chapter 2: 2

Summary:

The unfortunate parenting strategies of the Drakes, Tim wakes up, the batfam finds out Tim knows more than he should.

Notes:

Hi, this is either late or early. I don't remember when I told myself I'd post it. But we have a second chapter!!!

Janet and Jack Drake didn't want a kid. They weren't the type of people who wanted kids. They were the type of people that wanted to succeed and profit. And wholesome families appealed to the public. They also brought in a new clientele. Thus Tim was planned, conceived, and born.

He wasn't born to be a kid, he was born to be a business tool. The expectation of him was perfection, even from the very beginning, and in a tragic, desperate attempt to earn his parents' love, Tim pushed so hard for it that it probably broke him. Watching Robin and Batman was an escape from both the massive, empty house Jack and Janet left him in, and the fact that they'd never love him as much as they loved their business.

Tim dropped out at sixteen, after his parents died. It felt like freedom for the first time in fuck knows how long. A middle finger to the parents that raised him to be a business tool and not a human being. Getting a job working for Bruce Wayne felt like another satisfying fuck you to them. It didn't feel real at first either. Working for the man he'd snuck out of his house to watch, for all those years. Working for someone who'd been his escape from the cold weight of life.

He didn't really hate Bruce. And he did know that who Bruce pretended to be at work wasn't really him. But it was disappointing experiencing Bruce's daytime persona instead of the person he'd looked up to for so long. He couldn't help but resent the persona a tiny bit.

"He's waking up…."

Someone, a guy, Jason? Jason was talking. No Jason was dead. Or...wait...no he came back as the Red Hood. Fuck Tim was groggy.

"Tim? Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes Bud?"

That was Bruce. Fuck. Why was Bruce here? What was happening? He peeled an eye open. Bruce was looking down at him.

"That's it, there we go. How're you feeling?"

"Shitty."

It came out raspy and slurred.

"Yeah, do you remember what happened?"

"Got stabbed...you weren't there...Dick saved me…."

Dick came into view.

"No, Nightwing saved you."

"You're Nightwing."

Silence. Dead fucking silence. Tim was waking up, becoming more aware of his surroundings. Oh...wait...he realized what he just said.

"You're not supposed to know that."

"You're not supposed to know I know that."

More silence.

Chapter 3: 3

Summary:

Conversation happens. This one has a LOT of dialogue.

Notes:

Heyo, I would apologise for being late, but I don't think anyone other than me thinks I have a schedule for this.

"Is that how you knew it was me?"

Jason's voice cut through the fog of panic that clouded Tim's mind. Tim turned his head to look at him.

"What?"

"Is that how you knew who I was that day in the office?"

Tim pursed his lips, gathering his thoughts. Fuck, he needed words. Coherency. It was so much harder talking about Bat stuff than it was watching the bats in action. How could he explain any of it?

"I would know you anywhere. Obviously I knew Dick too, but you, you were my Robin. How could I not know you?"

"How long have you known?"

"Since I was nine. I was at the last performance of the Flying Graysons. They were the only people in the world who could do a quadruple somersault. Dick said he'd do one for me that night. And then everything went down. I saw Robin do one and I put it together."

"I remember you."

Dick seemed surprised. Tim supposed it made sense why he would be. Jason on the other hand looked confused.

"But why would you remember me? I get Golden Boy. I don't see why I'd be so special to you."

"I was still pretty young when Dick left. I grew up with you as Robin. I used to go out at night when I was a kid, to try and photograph you. It was the only thing I really had to hold onto, alone in that massive, empty house. So of course I fucking recognized you. Of course you were fucking special."

Throughout the entire exchange Bruce remained silent. Tim ignored his eyes. His silence confirmed what Tim had always suspected.

"You knew. Obviously."

He still didn't look at Bruce.

"You were stealthy. Especially for a kid. I didn't know who you were though. I just thought you were one of the homeless kids."

"And then I applied at WE and you recognized me?"

"That pretty much sums it up."

Tim nodded.

"You should eat. I'll ask Alfred to make something."

The implied 'and leave you to process everything in peace' went unsaid. Tim watched the bats file out of the room. He was grateful they'd left the room and spared his dignity. His strained grip on his nerves crumbled, his breath quickened, and his eyes got watery as he began to shake.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 5 of Tim Corralling the Bats