Philia

by Britt30

The Graysons were a very touchy family, showing their love through hugs and hair ruffles and cuddling. It's one thing Dick sorely misses and has had to get used to. But with the formation of the team, maybe he can show his new family a different way to show they care. A sort of 5 1 fluff fic of Robin, basically, teaching the others that hugs are a good thing.

1. Intro

A/N: Hello! This is the intro to a kinda 5+1 fluff fic about Dick kinda sorta conditioning the others on the team to let him hug them, be okay with showing affection, etc. B/c I was thinking about it, and in America we just don't show that much physical affection platonically and it's kinda sad. So enjoy Dick showing these broken little teacups that it's okay to show you care and that hugs are wonderful things.

Thanks for reading! Please, enjoy and review!

Living in a circus meant living in close quarters with others. Dick never really minded it. He loved his family, biological and circus-wise and while occasionally he would sneak off for some alone time, most of the time he was more than happy to be around people.

The Graysons had always been a touchy family, that was just how they showed they cared. A hug here, a surprise piggy back ride there, hair ruffles, shoulder claps, and, of course, cuddling. And Dick loved it just as much as everyone else.

All that changed when his parents died.

The few weeks he spent in juvie were nothing short of pure misery. His heart was heavy with grief, but there was no one to reach out to and no one who cared how he felt. A numb feeling grew from inside, spreading from his chest into the rest of him. Right now, feeling nothing was preferred to feeling anything.

Again, it all changed when he became Bruce Wayne's ward.

It was hard at first to get used to the sprawling mansion, the long, empty hallways, the silence in the air, and the general lack of life. More often than not, Dick found himself seeking out Alfred or Bruce for no other purpose than to be close to another person. It took a little while, but the two men eventually figured out that what Dick was really missing was physical affection, and they took steps to give it to him where they could. A pat on the back here, a hair ruffle, or the occasional hug.

School was another challenge altogether. In the circus and while travelling around Europe, people were always so welcoming and didn't mind physical affection. Hugs and cheek kisses were standard greetings. Not so in America. Dick quickly learned to keep his hands to himself and was labeled a bit of a weirdo until his accent started to fade and he had learned the "proper" way to act.

Occasionally, his longing for a real, honest-to-goodness hug or need to cuddle was so overwhelming it hurt, but he learned to live with it.

And then he met Kid Flash.