Hullo. First of all, I have no excuse. Although, if I can complain and make excuses, it's life's fault! Uni was the most exhausting this past semester with placements, essays, reports and me having to work so I can eat (even if I didn't exactly have time to do even that. Yay!). But yeah. Big apology from me, readers. I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it is a bit more melancholy and less fun than usual. A bit sad as well. Although please be aware there might be some trigger warning this time, as a death of parents is alluded to although it is nothing explicit.
In case anyone is wondering though, I have placed Bart's birthday in June as it is a month, if I remember correctly, he first appeared in Flash comics sometime in either 1994 or 95? I am too lazy to search, sorry. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I will leave it as it is anyway because I needed an excuse to place this in summer as the heat in UK is unbearable now. Hope you enjoy! Haihai signing out.
Tim shifted slightly in his car seat, the flight was really, really uncomfortable, few hours long and he was absolutely exhausted. When they finally landed, Jason wouldn't stop making fun of him for his never ending yawning that he tried to hide at every opportunity. At least until Damian had enough of the ruckus and started fussing - which then developed in a full blown screaming fest that not only resulted in Damian looking like a pudgy tomato, but reduced Tim to crocodile tears. This, in turn, only led to Jason and Cass in a bad mood, which is not good, ever. And poor Dick had to swallow his own tears of frustration and had to fulfil the sacred duty of an older sibling and carried Tim to the car waiting for them. Bruce, of course, did not look any better. And that is putting it mildly, he looked absolutely exhausted by the time they reached the airport parking spot. And that's saying something, as Tim knows Bruce survived worse and walked out of far more demanding trips without showing an ounce of exhaustion and head held high. But as his children kept fussing, the late evening heat beating his head and shoulders, Tim supposed that even the Batman has a weakness. Tim knew Bruce (and especially Batman) is not perfect, that's what makes him human, but even as a highly intelligent child, he is still a child. It was weird seeing his hero and now father so worn out.
Who knew family holidays are so exhausting. Something to remember for later.
Anyway, the car they rented was big. It was one of the bigger cars Tim has seen in his short life, but as it turned out, it was not nearly big enough. (Tim had half a mind to start crying again even though it felt really childish - and he did not want Jason to start calling him a baby again. Don't get him wrong, Jason is great, and always reads with him and Cass when they want him to, but he can be a big meanie.) The car was not a limousine as they hoped it would be. Not to be called spoiled or something like that but... Tim looked up at Bruce from his position on Dick's back, half his face hidden in Dick's dark hair, and marvelled at how uncomfortable the man from the company renting the cars looked. "We are truly sorry, sir, there must have been a confusion with your order, but this is the biggest car we have at the moment."
Bruce looked ready to argue, Tim observed, but in the end, he just sighed and made the employee help him set the car up. They did not have a space for a driver, so Bruce grudgingly decided to drive himself. It almost seemed as if it pained him to do so. He did not look like he would like to do it himself, it was late, and he has all of us to calm down, Tim thought. To everyone's displeasure, they were strapped into car seats (not like the law required some of them to be in it, but Bruce, as Tim learned, can be quite protective - thus the need for car seats. It's almost funny, because Dick is flying all over Gotham in a yellow cape, just as they all will be few years later down the road once they finish their training, although maybe not in yellow, Tim likes red better, but they are still all strapped in their uncomfortable car seats).
Tim calmed down somewhat, as Damian was away from him, thank goodness, not pinching him as usual during car drives, but even through sleepy eyes he still watched Bruce, anxiously checking on his 'misbehaving group' (as Alfred liked to call them when they were in trouble and thought they can't hear him) to see how they are faring. Damian, now looking less like a tomato but still red in face from his tantrum, kept pinching Dick's arm, who obviously thought it was a great game. He usually thought that when Damian did something new - "and really f-... er, dangerous," as Jason so eloquently put it the day Damian learned how to pick up stuff and throw them at his siblings with great accuracy. Including cutlery, because only the week before, he learned how to get into cupboards. Jason was playing a game on his phone and Cass watched Damian and Dick like a hawk. So far so good? Maybe, as Bruce's gaze on them lingered always only for a few seconds before flickering back on the road. It was really calming, just watching.
But he'd rather be in some bed at this point, not in this mockery of a car seat.
And Tim must have fallen asleep during it, because next thing he knows, he's being carried to the bed in their hotel room, once again on Dick's back. Everyone else is quiet and Tim forgot about the world once again soon after.
Tim sometimes dreams of his parents. They decided to visit again, sitting on the sofa they bought after Tim spilled his hot chocolate on it, smiling indulgently at much younger Tim, writing his first letters and words, but never fully paying attention to Tim's achievement. And then they stopped moving. They always stop moving, becoming a picture, nothing more than a cold memory, before dissolving into red dust. Always red.
Tim woke up to a flurry of action. Well, that is what finally managed to truly bring him to the world of living. If it wasn't for that, the heat of Central City's sun creeping up on his bed, his duvet and covers comfortably warm, with light breeze almost tenderly brushing his wild hair would do it peacefully on its own soon enough. But all of that could be forgotten in the face of what was truly happening in the room. In other words - his siblings were running around like maniacs. Bruce rented a nice large house with great security in one of the really rich neighbourhoods in Central City, but sacrificed the size of the house for the the before mentioned good security. And so Tim and Jason shared a room. Not the worst of deals. It could have been Damian. But it wasn't only Jason in the room. Instead they all invited themselves in while Tim still chased the last grain of dream sand.
All in all, it was almost a normal sight of ferocious activity he has the pleasure of seeing every morning at manor, aside from Cass, who instead of standing in a corner and observing their activities, occasionally mouthing new words, sat on the edge of his bed and drank from her apple juice box through a straw in a quiet manner. Jason was pacing, muttering to himself about needing peace and quiet and Dick was apparently playing unwilling tag with Damian, who decided that he is too posh to be coddled and forced into a bright coloured costume, which reminded Tim - it's holidays!
The entire reason Bruce was even willing to take them to Central City instead of some private island with high security and no other living soul aside from people maintaining the premises, was that one of his friend's 'son' (with quotes, yes, because that's what it sounded like when Bruce said it) had his birthday in June, but the party was organised for July. Tim was really excited, because Bartholomew, or Bart as he prefers to be called, was 'apparently' his age (again, Bruce and his quotes). Tim hoped Bart would like him. And Cass. She doesn't have other friends aside from her brothers.
He smiled and scooted closer to her, mumbling a sleepy good morning. Cass nodded at him and proceeded to watch the epic struggle between Damian and Dick over the costume. Is that a Pokemon? Jason, the meanie, finally settled down, was laughing in between bites of a ham sandwich that he must've smuggled from the breakfast room, because Bruce wanted them to eat at a table, always. Alfred was always looming behind Bruce when he is trying to reinforce these rules. Tim often wondered why Alfred has to be on the look out when Bruce is lecturing them on their behaviour.
(Speaking of Alfred and breakfasts though, Tim realised he wanted a ham sandwich, too.)
Once Tim forced himself to eat the last bite from the sandwich (as Bruce told them the next meal they will have is a lunch and they don't want to be hungry before then), all of them were ready to go out. Bruce explained to them that before they attend the party, they need to buy Bart a birthday gift. (One from each, because apparently why not.)
Tim honestly couldn't wait. It was his first time officially attending a birthday party with someone of his age. And although back home they do celebrate birthdays, the whole affair only consists of small gift giving and then eating the cake Alfred baked (the best cakes in the world, if you ask Tim. And the whole Wayne household). Although it needs to be put on record that Bruce tried, he has a persona to maintain after all and wild birthday parties for his children would fit. However, last year, well, Tim was not in a mood to attend a birthday party with kids he didn't know with siblings that only knew him as a crying toddler, let's put it that way. But he knows that Cass is excited as well. Cass doesn't know the exact day she was born and never attended proper birthday parties. And this was a great thing for her as well. She was willing to go out and be around so many people at once! Tim was very, very proud of her.
Somehow, Bruce finally found a big car with a driver. He needs to maintain an image after all. He took them to a shopping mall, all of them in 'disguise', wearing caps, sunglasses and in Damian's case, a Pokemon costume. Somehow, Tim really does not know how, he made a cute Pikachu. Dick was also a proud wearer of bite marks on his hands. Three almost grown teeth and pretty strong grip and all. Tim stuck close to Dick anyway, knowing he wouldn't let him go. And it placed a nice barrier between Tim and Damian which is not something to be taken lightly. Jason and Dick found a gift almost immediately. While Jason picked a soccer ball, Dick picked a LEGO set. Cass finally settled on plush Mushu she found in a pile of Disney themed soft toys and Bruce picked one from Damian, a colouring book of some kind. Tim however, could not decide. He wandered with Dick around the store, keeping a strong grip on his hand so he wouldn't wander off, and started to feel miserable.
What does he actually know about gifts? Not much. His parents were not really there most of the time, so they lavished gifts upon him, trying to make up for lost time. Tim did not really care about the gifts though. He wanted his mum and dad. Not objects he did not even like. He stopped by the display of roller skates. His parents bought him roller skates once. His dad promised him to teach him, but never got around to actually do it. Tim wondered what happened to them. Maybe they are somewhere in the manor, lots of his stuff was later moved to the Wayne manor. He tugged on Dick's arm. Dick smiled. "Oh, do you like these?" Tim nodded. "Yeah, and look, they are adjustable. Do you think I can pick these for Bart?" Dick stood on his tip toes, trying to look for Bruce. "I'm sure it will be fine. And I am sure Bart will like them as well!"
Tim gazed at the blue roller skates. Yeah, Bart does have his family. They could teach him. And Dick told him he has a cousin as well. This gift will do. Tim really, really hoped Bart liked it. And liked him. But not because of his gift, because that's not the good kind of like.
Dick gave him a brilliant smile when Bruce sighed and nodded. Maybe he could ask Bruce or Dick or Jason to help him find his skates?
(Spoiler: Bart really liked him. And his gift. Independently. Although, Bart's parents did not look so happy. Bruce however, smiled and looked very proud. Tim would figure out why only years later, three birthday parties later if one is to be precise. Yes, they always make time for Bart's birthday. It's something of a tradition now.)