How Times Change

Prompt from Psudo:

If I may propose a prompt for you? Take it or leave it as long as you keep writing! A kind of Erasure-esque where Dick feels like a redundant, useless 3rd (4th? Plus?) wheel with no worthwhile skills to contribute to the clan after he badly injures his knee and can't even do his beloved acrobatics.

Notes: I doubt this was what Psudo had in mind, after all, this is much more hopeful than Erasure. But, I thought 'why not do this from Bruce's perspective?' and this was the result.

As a child, Dick was unbearable when he got injured. Always bouncing, impossible to keep down, needing to be out there but also enjoying the pampering Alfred would bestow upon him.

Bruce had no idea what happened to change all that. All he knew was that it felt like a failure on his part. Bruce always knew it was coming but he was always helpless to stop it.

Dick had hurt his knee this time. He was ordered to stay off it but he used the crutches to get around anyway. Bruce had to lock the gym to keep him out of it.

The other boys treated it lightly. They didn't want to admit they were worried but Bruce observed that it seemed to have the opposite effect on Dick.

"Seriously, we'll be fine," Tim said. He showed Dick all the work he had been doing on the case.

"Enjoy the break," Jason scoffed, as if he wouldn't be just as frustrating while benched. "I'll handle the kids."

"Not a kid!" Damian growled, brandishing his katana. Which Bruce immediately took and returned to his weapons lockup. When he returned, he found Dick typing on the computer and playing the role of Oracle. The others had already left.

Bruce frowned at the focused expression on Dick's face. A familiar feeling of worry churned in his gut. He knew what was coming.

It was an expression like a thundering storm in the distance. An expression which Bruce rarely saw. The last time he had seen it, he and Dick hadn't spoken for months.

Was Batman really needed tonight?

Barely a step towards his son was taken before Dick cut him off.

"Two-Face has escaped, he's unleashed gas in West Side Midtown. Robin and Red Robin are fighting about who and how Two-Face should be taken down. Red Hood might not get there in time to help break it up."

Batman suppressed a sigh. He heard that hardness in his eldest voice. Dick was making him choose, already knowing which choice he would make. Two-Face could not be allowed to roam free and Robin and Red Robin would need a talking to.

"Don't go anywhere," he said to Dick. He didn't want to come back to find that Dick had run of to New York or overseas or something... again.

Dick laughed and tapped his knee. "Where would I go?" he joked. Except they both knew it was forced.

With a flutter of his cape, Batman went out on patrol.

It seemed the world had conspired against him to keep him away from Dick, who needed him. Batman couldn't get back to the cave until first light with Robin, Red Robin and Red Hood returning with him. They were all tired.

"He fell asleep on the keyboard," Jason said with a snort as he eyed Dick lying atop the computer keyboard. They hadn't been checking in with him and he hadn't been talking their ears off so they all thought he had gone to bed. They had been half right.

"He should have just gone to bed," Damian grumbled. "We didn't need him here." The words came from a place of worry but they sounded harsh when spoken.

Red Robin agreed.

Batman wasn't sure how he knew but he knew Dick was feigning sleep or had woken up when they returned. He stared at Dick and wondered just how he was going to get him up to bed without exposing him. Dick wasn't as tall as him or Jason and didn't have as large muscles but, because of his acrobatics, he was still a heavy person.

He waited until the other boys had stumbled off to bed and then gave Dick's shoulder a little shake.

"Thanks for manning the cave," he said softly. His gravelly voice wasn't the best for encouraging moments but Dick had a gift for knowing what he really meant.

But Dick's gift didn't seem to be working right now, as he looked away with hurt in his eyes. Bruce didn't know what to do. He pulled the cowl off and silently helped Dick hop to bed. The air between them was heavy with unspoken words.

"Stop fighting!" Dick tried to reason with his brothers.

"Make me, Grayson!"

"Yeah, what are going to do? Hobble over here and hit me with your crutch?"

"You're both so annoying," Tim huffed at Jason and Damian.

Bruce was just in the next room and when he walked in, everyone went silent. Dick even paused, crutches under his arms and right in front of the door. In the middle of leaving. Bruce stepped inside and Dick shifted to make room for him to pass.

Bruce stayed in the doorway.

The other three started babbling about how the fight started, something about Jason doing katas in the room and making noise and the other boys couldn't concentrate so Damian started criticising his form and it just escalated from there.

"I don't care what or who started it-" Bruce started to say.

Dick interrupted, "I'm not part of this, can I leave before you start your big speech?"

"We need to talk-"

"I thought you were talking to them," Dick said with a glare. "What could I have done?"

The room was silent. It took Bruce a moment to remember that Dick hadn't spoken to him like that in front of the other boys for a while. Dick always tried to explain Bruce's actions to them and present a united front where possible. When Dick stood up against him, it was usually a good indication that Bruce was doing the wrong thing. However, this was not about the mission. This was about the rest of the boys not destroying the manor or each other.

And Dick was challenging him over it.

"Wait for me in my office," he ordered Dick as he stepped to the side. There was a 50-50 chance that Dick would actually listen to him.

"You three," he said to the others, "find somewhere else to be for a couple of hours. Away from each other."

"Seriously?" Jason said in disbelief. Tim had already gathered his laptop and left. Damian frowned, cheeks puffing up but he also left. Bruce and Jason shared a look before Jason shrugged and continued doing his katas now that he had the room to himself.

Dick didn't even look at him as he entered. He kept his eyes trailed on the wall behind Bruce's desk.

"That was a short talk," he said bitterly.

Bruce closed the door and locked it. He walked over and sat down in Dick's field of vision.

"You're more important right now."

"Really? I'm more important? Bruce, I haven't been important since I walked out of here all those years ago."

"Dick-"

"You don't need to worry about me."

"Too bad!" he growled back. "Worry comes with being a parent. You are still injured."

"I'm dealing with it."

Bruce stared him down. They both knew that wasn't true. Dick would heal, run off for months and then return, having shoved whatever feelings he currently held deep inside himself where he could pretend they didn't exist.

"You haven't bugged me about the gym once. Are you really going to tell me you're fine?"

"You locked the gym because I can't handle the equipment right now."

"Is this about not being able to patrol? Are you worried about your brothers?"

"No."

What was wrong then? "Give me something to work with, Dick."

"Not my problem."

"Dick."

It was like talking to a brick wall. Dick was staring past him with his arms crossed and the crutches by the side of the chair. Bruce wondered where Dick had picked up such stubbornness. As a kid, it only took a little prodding to get him to spill whatever worried him. What would work now?

"Well this has been nice and all-" Dick reached over to grab his crutches.

"Dick-"

"It's not like I can do anything so-"

"Not true. You're an important member of this team," Bruce snapped back. Dick froze and Bruce added, "of this family."

"Really?" Dick questioned, motioning to his leg and knee. "Because what am I able to do like this? I can't even walk, let alone do a flip! How am I supposed to fight crime like this?"

"Barbara could do it and I know you're not her but you do have computer skills on par with hers. You can help the others with their moves because I know you have a good eye. You've been the leader of a number of teams so you also know how to guide people. Or you could use this time to rest and come back stronger."

Dick was silent. His eyes were wide. He had no idea what to say. Bruce sat still in the awkward silence. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He had to hope something got through.

Dick was twitchy throughout dinner. Bruce watched him carefully as he joked with Damian and Tim. Jason didn't eat with them and probably was already out on the streets. It was only worry for Dick which had him hanging around the manor so much lately.

"While you're gone, could I use the gym?" Dick asked.

"What are you planning to use it for?" Bruce asked, ignoring how Damian was saying that Grayson was injured and shouldn't be allowed in the gym.

"Chin ups?" Dick suggested innocently.

Bruce looked around the cave. There were a couple of bars set up near computer, for when he wanted to exercise while mulling over a case.

"I think you can manage here," he said with a smirk. It seemed Dick was on his way to mending...

...especially considering the broken lock on the gym when they returned.