Robin swigged down the last of his now lukewarm coffee from his 'number one dad' mug as he left his office, there was still a smile on his face but he felt tired, exhausted in fact, thanks to his hectic morning. He had insisted on being part of the very last lesson for his class, technically it was an extra lesson his students had begged him for so they could say goodbye, he had been teaching them law for years now, it was bittersweet to see them moving onto pastures new. He promised them that he would give them any references they needed if they emailed him, and gave out his facebook and Linkedin, assuring them that if they popped into the university at some point during the fall semester he would be there.

He walked from his office to the nearby den, the place had probably the oldest and coziest furniture in the house, the room was also full of toys, games, and books, along with photographs and pictures of and by the kids through the years. Margot was where he had left her a little under an hour earlier, lying on the couch with a juice pouch, a (now eaten) bowl of ice cream, staring at the tv in the entertainment center.

"Hey munchkin." He cooed sitting down beside her. He felt for her temperature and checked the clock hanging on the wall, then reached over her for the bottle of banana flavoured medicine. "How're you feeling?"

"Ice cream made me feel better."

Robin let out a small chuckle. "You can have some more a little later, time for more medicine. How's your throat feeling?" He poured the medicine into the cap before feeding it to her.

"A lil scratchy."

Robin winced in sympathy, he hated seeing any of his kids ill, Margot was his youngest and his only girl, and unlike his boys didn't bother to try and hide being sick. He pulled her onto his lap and cuddled her close, the doctors visit had been fairly quick, she was still sick but the medicine was working, it did mean, much to Margot's chagrin, that she would be missing her final week of kindergarten. They had been home and he was watching some cartoons with her when David had phoned, she didn't make a noise of complaint when he hurried her out of the door and drove at the very limits of the speed limit.

When he was certain that she had fallen asleep Robin moved his daughter to lay on the couch, he tucked a light blanket over her. He took one step away when he heard her stir, he looked back down at her and found her blinking up at him. "Go back to sleep Go-Go," he soothed, "I'm just going to check on your brother, I'll be back in a minute." He began to walk out of the room slowly, ready to go back to her if she asked, protested, or even if she coughed.

"Daddy, what's wrong with him?"

Robin stayed perfectly still then slowly turned on his heels to face her, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side, his face folded softly into confusion, but before he could say anything the six year old spoke again.

"Why was he in the room by himself, it's dangerous in those rooms, my teacher told me, we're not allowed in there."

Robin walked back over and perched on the couch next to her legs giving her a gentle smile. "Your teacher is right, you should never go inside one of those places, there's a lot of dangerous cleaners and things. David shouldn't have gone in there, he's just… he's kind of poorly."

"Has he got a cough like me?"

Robin let out a tiny sigh like laugh, he reached out and stroked Margot's hair, he wished it was that simple. "No, baby it's a bit different, it's all locked inside of him." He could see her confusion and didn't blame her. "Do you remember how you feel whenever you get split up from me and mummy while we're in a store?" He watched her bite her lip and nod, a flash of emotion from her memory of feelings appeared on her face before disappearing. "It's kind of like that, David feels like that all of the time, even though it's not happening. It's not his fault but it can be very scary for him, I think. He's poorly in his head, it's just another type of being poorly, but it's very hard for him."
He had a sudden fear that Margot would bring it up to David, how he would react, he couldn't imagine David hurting her but he would be hurt from her even knowing, he didn't want their blossoming relationship to suddenly dissolve.

Margot was silent for a moment. "Will he ever get better?"

Robin pulled him back onto his lap and cuddled her close. He shouldn't have worried about her saying anything. He pressed a kiss on top of her blonde hair, a similar shade to David's. "He will. He just needs time, and help from all of us just being around him and loving him, and he sees a special doctor who helps him try to get better."

"Does he have to take medicine like me?"

"No, honey, not yet, he might one day though, I'm not sure.

Margot let out a sigh and curled closer to Robin. "I wish he wasn't sick."

Robin squeezed her as he held her tight. "I do too, Go-Go, but I promise he'll be okay, he'll get better, it'll just take a while." She was quiet for a while before he realised she had fallen asleep.

He stayed with her for a while longer, he missed the moments like this when his kids were toddlers, the moments when they fell asleep on him and were so peaceful, still, when they were sick as much as it broke his heart, at least he got glimpses into the past during this brief moments.

Eventually he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Regina's number out of muscle memory.

He heard her panic through his phone speakers as soon as the call connected, he quickly soothed her worries, he had called her when they had gotten home and David had gone for a nap, he had eventually persuaded her that she didn't need to come home, that he had it handled.

"Tell me about your day?" He requested when she had calmed down, and hearing her voice as she talked about her morning calmed him down too, eventually she finished, he told her about his and Margot's conversation about David's anxiety attack, then he sat quietly for a moment, before he realised that he was watching the Moana movie Margot had recently been watching as much as she was allowed.
"Go must be sick, she hasn't even tried to get me to sing along to her bloody movie."

He listened to her laugh and felt more like himself, she told him to be grateful it wasn't Frozen again, the call had done its job.

He winced when she asked how David was doing. "I was going to check on him before I talked to Margot, but she fell asleep on me, I think he's still asleep, I've not heard any noises," his eyes flickered up to the ceiling as though expecting to see a sign, "I'm going to check on him now."

He stayed on the phone a little longer, neither of them saying much, until he eventually hung up.

As always, whenever Robin entered David's room, he was struck by the emptiness of David's room. He and Regina had both suggested to him a couple of times that they go shopping for new things for it, things to make it more his; paint, rugs, posters, even new furniture if he wanted it, but things had been busy and David seemed uncomfortable at the idea of making his own mark on the room. Robin tried not to see that as a bad sign.

The double bed was in the middle of the room room, on it David was in the middle, curled in on himself, his arms shielding his head like someone in a bomb blast, Robin frowned, did he always sleep like this or was he having nightmares? He wanted to check closer but was scared to wake him, there had been bags under David's eyes earlier, ones too heavy for an adult let alone a fifteen year kid. He waited silently for a few seconds to see if he would wake up, when he didn't Robin turned to leave, only to catch sight of the cardboard box on the desk.

He placed it almost immediately as the cardboard box holding the evidence from the car crash, partially due to the evidence sticker on the side, and the sign from the Pittsburgh PD.

He didn't want to invade David's privacy, he really didn't but… he could just say that he was just checking to see if it was empty and needed to be put in the recycling…. Sure. He opened the top, expecting it to at least be mostly empty, but it was full, he hadn't looked inside of it before but it was full enough that he knew for a fact that David hadn't moved anything from it.

Before he knew it he had given in to his curiosity and was quietly looking through the items, he didn't even know what he was searching for, perhaps some hint of who his son had once been, items David had chosen to own rather than clothes influenced by Robin, or things Ruth had chosen to keep.

Near the top were a few things, mostly scraps of metal or fabric, he wasn't certain why the cops had bothered to give those back to him, along with a couple of paperbacks, a small tin with a barely distinguishable 'Hartford CT' on the front - he didn't open it, that was apparently the line he was planning on drawing in the sand, there were some photographs though, he would look at those.

There were about seven, most of them were of places around the US, Robin didn't spend too long looking at those, there were two barely scorched ones, however, he did linger on. A younger David with a younger James, they couldn't have been more than seven and eight, they were both wearing caps with pokemon on them, they were smiling with their arms wrapped around each other, David seemed especially tanned, he had to smile at that, it was his genetics, he knew that for certain. They were covered in scrapes and bruises, bandaids, which could have been the result of being children, or could have been the result of being the children of Robert.

There was another of the boys, a little older this time, with Ruth. They were in front of a beat up old car in front of a pastel coloured motel, someplace warm, Florida, perhaps, near a beach, he realised when he squinted at the background. He was a little surprised to find that James was sporting a bruised eye, David had a few too, Robin frowned, he didn't know why they were injured, he tried not to be suspicious, but seeing his son smiling beside Ruth. He tried, as he always did when he saw, or even thought about Ruth, to not feel jealous or bitter- to not dwell on wishing that he had raised his son: it was harder for him to struggle with that jealousy after that morning, after seeing David alone and scared in the janitor's closet, how he thought that he had to beg Robin to take him home, how he looked so young… how all of this could have been prevented had he raised David.

It took him some minutes to force himself to put the photographs down, to stop staring at David, to stop feeling jealous of Ruth.

He was about to go searching for more photographs: a desperate man, searching for a single glimpse of his son; when he caught sight of a white envelope the exact size and shape of the one Ruth had left him, he had forgotten all about his letter, he picked it up automatically, he thought that it was his, only when he turned it over did he realise that it was David's. He frowned, turning it over again, and sure enough he had not been mistaken: David had not opened the envelope.

The next thing he knew the envelope was snatched from his hands. There was such a 'not- David' like aggression in the action that Robin turned expecting an intruder, instead he came face to face with his son: His blue eyes were rimmed with red from his earlier breakdown, his hair all mussed up and curled, but his face was now contorted in anger- his eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared, his lips forming a snarl as he spoke.

"What the fuck?" Each word slipped out of his mouth in an aggressive growl, words sneaking like panthers in the dark coming up on prey, barely restrained violence.

"Cut it with the curse words." Robin's response slipped out automatically and he knew it was a mistake straight away, he was the one caught searching through David's things, he was the one in the wrong and he knew it. Before he could say anything else, before he could apologise, David continued, now spluttering venom.

"It's mine- you can't just fuckin'- just-!"

"-I know, I know." Robin held his hands up calmingly but it seemed to have no effects in waning David's anger. "I thought that it was my letter, I forgot I even had it, mine's downstairs, but I thought this was mine-."

"I wouldn't steal your shit-!"

"Woah! Woah!" Robin raised his voice to be heard above David's. "I didn't say that you did, that you would," he supposed he had implied it but he wasn't about to admit that, "it was only when I read your name on the envelope that I remembered that mine is in my office, it was impulse to pick it up. I honestly didn't mean to, didn't intend to, invade your privacy, kid. I just- I just came to check on your and…" He trailed off shaking his head ever so slightly.

David bared his teeth, an injured and cornered wild animal, ready to attack and run. "I'm not Margot. I'm not a little kid, you don't have to check on me, I haven't needed it before I don't need it now."

Robin forced himself to ignore David's attack, it stung like a nettle, but he also knew by now that David hit out when he was feeling vulnerable. "You're my kid. And even when you are fifty I will still be checking on you, especially after mornings like this morning." He watched David look away, he could practically feel his anger fading, it was being replaced with shame, which hadn't been Robin's intent.

He let out a sigh deciding to change the subject, he lowered his voice to one he hoped would be comforting. "Look, I talked to the school, the headteacher; we thought it'll be best for you to just start in the autumn, the fall, do your freshman year right." He smiled at his son encouragingly, waiting to watch the relief spread across David's shoulders, to see the anger and shame to fade away from David's face.

David felt something snap inside of him. He wasn't sure if it was because Robin had seen him earlier- so vulnerable, so pathetic, earlier; or if it was the fact that this 'conversation' came up so casually that it reminded David of the countless times Ruth would pick them up out of a place at whim.

He was no longer inside of himself but outside looking at himself erupting. "So you just decided that, without even talking to me?!"

Robin's eyes widened at the shout which emerged from his teenage son, his face had redden and the anger in his eyes made the earlier anger look like nothing. Robin couldn't help but remember the fear he had when he found out that David was locked in that janitor's closet, the uncertainty over whether he was okay, if he was going to hurt himself, or worse. That feeling resolved his nerves.
"You weren't ready," he told him firmly, his hands going to his hips as he narrowed his eyes trying to stare David down. "We should have just waited in the first place. You weren't ready."

"'We'? 'We'? There's no 'we'!. I'm the one who had to go to the classes! Who has to be the freak in class who doesn't fit in - and now on top of that I have to be the oldest one in there!? I get to be the dumb one who can never get higher than being a freshman!"

"You're not ready." Robin felt his own temper flare. "You're not dumb, David, but you've miss out on a lot of schooling, and you've been through a lot, you're still healing - you need time. And like it or not, Sunshine, I am your father and I'm in charge of making sure that you're okay. I'm not about to see you like you were this morning, you can hate me if you want, but this is what's happening."

David clenched his fist, his jaw, anything and everything to stop himself from punching Robin's face. "So I don't even get a say in my own life?" There was a beat of silence and when he spoke again his tone was as low and dangerous as he had been since Robin had called himself David's father. There was a challenge in Robin's eyes, he was not about to back down. "You're right. I do hate you. You're just like Ruth."

David watched Robin's head fall, saw him shake his head, and sighed. It only stoked David's fury. When Robin looked back up David could see the new pity in Robin's eyes. He watched him open his mouth, he knew that he was about to ask David what was going on, David wouldn't be able to cope with that, he'd either punch Robin or break down, neither were acceptable. "Get. Out." He growled.
He could see irritation appear back in Robin's eyes but he didn't care, it was better than that pity.
"You say this is my room, that I should 'feel at home' in your house, then fuck off out of my room!"

Robin tried to keep hold of his temper, he reluctantly stepped back out of the door, only so that David knew that they meant what they said; that David had a say about his space, it didn't mean he had to like it though. "You're grounded." He ground out as soon as he was over the threshold.

"Good. The only fucking person I get to see is you anyway."

The door was slammed in Robin's face before he could say another word, it took everything he had not to storm in there and continue the argument, the argument which seemingly came from nowhere.

Henry edged into the kitchen several hours later where his mom and dad were both working together to plate up spaghetti bolognese, his younger siblings were already sat at the table and for once Roland was patiently pretending to listen to whatever it was Margot was talking about. By the time Henry closed the gap to his parents they were both looking up at him, then behind him, then back at him, frowns already on their faces.

He could see the anger Robin was trying not to show in the stiff way he held himself. He had overheard Robin and Regina talking about the fight between Robin and David, even if he hadn't the tense atmosphere of the house would have given it away.

Henry's hand went to the back of his neck, a nervous habit he had picked up from his father, and shifted his mouth from the left to the right, a nervous habit he had picked up from his mother.

"He, erm, he said he wasn't hungry?" He hadn't said it more than shouted it when Henry had knocked on his door, when Henry had made it clear that it was him not Robin David had calmed a little, but was still adamant he wasn't going to be eating, nor had he opened the door.

Regina's tongue flicked across her lip as her eyes fell shut for a mere second longer than it would have taken her to blink. At the same time she reach over over to her husband, took hold of his muscled arm, and managed to get out a warning "Robin-" by the time her husband placed down the pot a little too heavily to be anything but intentional and stormed out growling "He needs to eat. Start without us."

Regina sighed. Robin hadn't yet realised how alike Robin David was, while Robin didn't tend to get angry easily when he did it was something which was only cured with time and him calming himself down.

Henry was still looking a little nervous, not used to seeing Robin nor David angry, Regina gave him a motherly smile. "There's nothing you could have done." She assured him, picking up the pot of the pasta and the bowl of salad. "Can you carry the garlic bread over, please?"

She made a mental note to put aside David's knowing that Robin's endeavour would be fruitless.

Robin hammered on the door with his fist until it was flung open. The second it gave way he told him firmly. "You need to eat." It was only once he had eaten did he take in David's pale face, thanks to time out of the sun while he was healing, the purple bags under his eyes were even more evident now, as was the red rimming them, redder than they had been earlier, he must have been crying more, maybe even another anxiety attack, this time without calling on him for help.

"I'm not hungry. I told Henry already. I don't want your pasta I want you to fuck off."

"I don't care. You're going to come downstairs, you're going to eat, you're going to stop bloody swearing at me, and you're going to stop sulking." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. He sounded much too like his father, something he had been avoiding his entire life, and it had slipped out so easily it cooled his anger and chilled his spine.

"Are you going to carry me down?" There was challenge in his voice and ice in David's tone which was so disconnected that it was outright dangerous compared to his anger. "I'm staying in here unless you physically force me. It's your choice, Robin."

Robin let out a heavy sigh, dropping his head to look at the wooden hallway floor.

"Yeah. I didn't think so." There was a beat before David slammed the door in Robin's face again.

Robin listened for a minute, there were no sounds of David walking away from the door, but there were also no sounds suggesting Robin had caused another panic attack. He looked up at his hand which had raised as soon as the door had been shut, ready to knock on the door.

He dropped his hand. He didn't want to get into another argument, he didn't want to sound like his father again, he didn't want to say something he didn't mean.

Tuesday had brought about sunshine and showers, hope and reticence.

Robin had been checking on David from the early hour which he awoke to go for a morning jog, when there had been no signs of life from outside of the room Robin had peeked inside, again David was sleeping with his body curled in on itself, his arms over his head, his knees to his chest, but fast asleep. On David's side table the now cold dish of pasta and garlic bread were untouched.

He checked on him again when he got back to the house as the sun began to rise a little before six, Robin was drenched in sweat, his hair and beard damp from it, his face red with heat, David was still fast asleep, Robin tiptoed in, closing the curtains and blinds tighter so David would not be woken by the sun, he needed the sleep.

He was asleep when Robin woke the other boys for school, he was asleep, according to Regina's own investigation, when Regina appeared back downstairs dressed and showered, helping herself and Roland to some breakfast.

He was asleep when Regina, Henry, and Roland left for school and work, when Robin checked on the still sleeping Margot.

He was asleep when half the morning had passed, after Robin had answered an email promising to come up with a silabi within the fortnight, and spent the rest of the time watching mind numbing cartoons with his daughter, because she had asked him to.

Robin set Margot up with some colouring when he next went to check, around lunchtime, deciding if he was still asleep he would have to wake him, however this time his gentle knock on David's door was met by an even gentler "Come in."

Robin thought that he had imagined it, but when he pushed the door open he was met by the sight of David in his rumpled pyjamas sitting at his desk, even now his knees were close to his chest, rather than sitting on it correctly.

David was biting his lip when Robin walked in, his hair was even messier than normal as though he had been running his hands through it since he had woken up, he was pale, his under eyes still had purple bags but much smaller than they had been the night before, if he had a few more nights like the night before they might be gone entirely. His storm sea blue irises stood out in contrast against the red rimmed eyes. He had been crying, a lot, there were still signs of the tear trails on his cheeks, and he couldn't even look at Robin, this time it was clear to Robin that it wasn't in anger, but the shame which coloured his ears ever so slightly pink.

In front of David was a piece of paper, a letter, which had been ripped into small pieces, the letter, it was clear that David was trying to piece them back together again.

Robin disappeared without a word being spoken between the two Locksleys, when he appeared again a minute later he had a tape dispenser in his hand. David looked at him for a mere second before quickly staring at the dispenser in Robin's hands.

Robin chose to close the gap from the doorway to the desk, it wasn't a large gap, but it was a clearly intentional gesture, showing David that he was here, not in an aggressive gesture, but in a reassuring 'I'm here, no matter what, whenever you need me' sort of way.
He held the dispenser towards David. "Peace offering?" When David took it and glanced up at him Robin offered him a small and cautious smile. When David didn't shout or fight, Robin continued, taking the absence of both as good signs. "I used to be really good at puzzles, when I first moved to this country, my mother used to have books full of them, we competed to see who could finish them first. I won't read it, not unless you ask me to, but I can help you put it back together, if you like?"

"I didn't read it." David's voice was young and soft. "I just- I just got so bad and I just fu- I broke it, I ruined it, I…" His voice hitched as a sob broke from his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you, I'm so-" He was cut off by suddenly being pulled into a tight hug, his head buried into his father's shoulder, David didn't protest, instead he clung to him as he allowed himself to sob again.

Robin held David tight, he carried on holding him as David's hands clutched at the back of his tee, he led his head on the top of David's automatically dropping a kiss onto his messy dirty blonde hair, murmuring a chorus of shhh's and "It's going to be okay"'s. It didn't take a genius to realise that David thought he had messed up their relationship, that he had ruined it, Robin hated the feeling that sank into his stomach at the mere suggestion that David believed that.

When the sobs finally died out Robin sat them both on the bed, still holding onto David until David himself let go, even then he kept his hands on David's arms.

"I'm sorry." Robin started, ignoring David's shaking head. "I really am. I shouldn't have gone through your things without your permission, that was wrong, I really am sorry, it won't happen again. I'm also sorry that I didn't talk to you about school, really I am, you're right, you deserve input into your life, I was trying to protect you I swear, but it was the wrong way to go about this."

Robin watched David bite his lip, he gently knocked David's chin with his knuckles, David took the hint and stopped biting his lip. Robin gave him a gentle smile. "You haven't ruined anything, Sunshine," his voice was quiet and soft, "not with your moms letter, not with you and me. Nothing could ruin that, you know that, right?" The way David's eyes looked away Robin realised that perhaps he didn't know. "You're my kid, I might be late to the game but i'm here and I'm never going away, you can shout at me all you like, I'm always going to be here, and I'm always going to be in your corner, bud." When a tear slipped down David's cheek Robin wiped it with the pad of his thumb. "Are we okay?"

David nodded. "Y-," he cleared his throat when it came out thick, "yeah."

Robin smiled, and although he had been fairly certain of the answer David confirming it was like a weight being lifted from his shoulders. "Good." He let out in a sigh. "I talked to your school again, not to confirm anything," he added quickly, a little louder alarmed that he might be about to start another fight, "just to discuss options. I still don't think you should go back for the last few days of school, I think you just need a little time, but if you desperately want to I can talk to the school again, or there's option A."

"What's option A?" David asked as Robin was certain he was going to.

"The school and I discussed the possibility of you attending the summer school; it's a bit more low key than the school would be, less people there, still lessons little projects, some group projects I think, they think that perhaps you can get caught up by the end of summer - they'll give you some tests to do at the end and if you pass with C's in everything you can join the rest of the sophomores in the fall. We can even get you tutors, if you want. No one will judge you if you want to just start anew in the fall, you can even tell people that you're younger than you are, a few months younger and you could have been in that class." He finished with a shrug, he had tried not to put any weight to any of the options, he didn't want to influence David's choice. Or at least that was what he had tried.

David could see the clear and hopeful look on Robin's face as he explained the summer school option, he could see how hard he had tried, had fought the school for this option, all because David had lost it: No. All because David had wanted it. Had begged for it. And Robin had done it. His face ached from all the crying he had done, still he forced a smile onto his face, allowing it to become a not quite smirk like teasing smile.
"You're not worried that the summer school delinquents will corrupt me?" His voice sounded betrayed, shocked, curious, all designed to make Robin laugh, and it worked, Robin let out a loud bark like laugh and David's face broke into a wider, more genuine smile.

"Nah, I know you'll be the one to corrupt them." He joked nudging David with his shoulder to show that he really was joking. He watched David laugh and all of this seemed worth it. "Anyway, not everyone there will be a delinquent, a lot of kids there will have just had absences which mean they have to, some just take extra classes to try and get ahead." He saw the incredulous look on David's face and remembered the same look on his own face when he had heard about those people, as an adult he supposed it made sense, the school had enough teachers working the summer that they may as well take advantage of it. "It's up to you, Sunshine, we'll support you however you need it, me, Regina, your siblings, everyone. It's okay to start as a Freshman next year instead, it's really not a bad thing."

"I know, I know, I just… I just want to try. I…" He looked sheepish again. "I always thought that I'd be able to do it somehow, when we were on the road, Jamie always said I could, he made sure we got registered at schools, that I went, even though he didn't, that I did okay, got good grades."

Robin wrapped his arm around his son and pulled him into a side hug. It made sense, David had something to prove, Robin got that, he had been that kid once, the one who felt different, who was in a new town, who desperately needed something. He understood him better than David would ever realise, but he wished that David didn't have to have that on his shoulders too.
"He sounds like he was a very good brother, Sunshine, but he would have understood this: trust me. He wouldn't want you putting too much on yourself either. He was already proud of you, he would be no matter what, I know because I am too.

David blushed at the praise, looking down at his toes on the cream woven rug on the floor. David thought about the hallucination of his brother during his anxiety attack, he hadn't had anymore hallucinations, not that he was aware of anyway, but it still scared me. He wanted to tell Robin, to have him solve it for him, but he didn't want Robin to think that he's crazy, he didn't want to be kicked out or locked up in some psychiatric hospital, he knew that he needed to tell Robin… but he wanted just a little more time with his new family, just in case telling him ruined everything. He would give himself until Friday, he could tell his shrink, it would give him more days and would allow him to tell Doctor Hopper and not have to see Robin's face when he found out that David was crazy.

Robin continued. "Now, come on, you need to eat- you've not had dinner or breakfast, we need to do some grocery shopping tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure we have enough to whip something up for you." He stood up and automatically reached out to run his hand through David's untamed curls, a comforting gesture, he smiled at his son before holding his hand out to help David up to his feet.

But David stared up at him, his head tilted to the side in what Robin had come to think of as David's trademark 'confused puppy' face. "What?" He asked him not unkindly, just intrigued.

"Nothing, you're just always…" David trailed off with a shrug before gaining his nerves once again. "Ruth wasn't like you, she wasn't 'touchy feely', not when she was sober anyway."

Robin frowned. "I'm sorry, I'll stop-."

"-I don't mind it." David interrupted him, he shrugged again but he was trying too hard to be casual for it to work. He looked away as Robin's face broke into a wide smile which the older man tried to hide so not to scare him off, David accepted his hand, standing up, as soon as he was upright Robin's arm wound around his shoulders to steer him.

"C'mon, I've managed to keep your sister downstairs and not bugging you all morning. You should probably pick a disney movie you like, or at least don't watching repeatedly, before Go forces you to watch Moana about eight times."

David shrugged again, a teasing smile teasing his lips again. "I'm find with that, I've not actually seen it, we can watch it nine times if she likes."

Robin groaned loudly as he steered his son out of the room. "You both live to torment me, don't you?"

"It's fun." David stated not hiding his smile, his head tilted a little to the side as they walked down the corridor. "Am I really grounded?"

Robin let out another groan this one wasn't dramatic, instead was in self flagellation. "I shouldn't have grounded you, David, I just…"

"It's okay." David gave a small shrug, still smiling. "It's not like there's much to ground me from anyway." David chuckled before becoming serious once again. "Could you ring the school? Tell them that I want to do the whole summer school thing?" He took Robin's wide smile as a good sign. "But if everyone there is weird I'm dropping out."

Robin rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Okay, but we'll be talking about it before you go dropping out, especially if it's just because someone wears a wizard outfit to every class or something. I'm sure it'll be fine, kiddo, there might be people your age there, you might make some friends.

David could hear the hopeful hint in Robin's voice, it was so different to Ruth's urging him to be invisible in school, David felt the need to warn him. "I don't really do the whole friends thing." And for once he hoped that he was wrong.