Author's Note: ThaNks to Annicaspoon, who gaveme the idea for this story and made me fall in love with this brotp. I dedicate this story to you.
Nightwing was enjoying a rare break, sitting on the couch watching reruns of The Flaming C. He heard Robin and Beast Boy come in, but realized they were shyly standing in the corner, unaware that he had noticed them. He patiently waited for a few seconds as they built up the courage to approach him.
"Can we borrow the TV?" asked Beast Boy. "It's our weekly movie night."
Nightwing smiled. "I didn't know you had a weekly movie night. "
Gar replied, "I finished all of Mr. Carr's homework and Tim has a gap in his control freak schedule thing."
Tim flinched, partly because Gar used his name and partly because of what the green boy said. Both he and Nightwing liked to poke fun at his more neurotic tendencies, but they both respected his habits.
"Let's stay off the first name basis for now, Garfield." Nightwing said with a smirk. "Are you watching it alone?"
"Normally Blue Beetle and Impulse would join us." said Tim. "But today is a Holy Day of Obligation for the Catholic Church and the Sandwich Festival in Central City, so neither of them are here right now." He paused to check his watch. "Now that I think about it, church services and the festival should be over by now."
"They're probably at Jaime's house, makin' out." Gar said it, but both Robin and Nightwing were thinking it.
Tim cleared his throat. "Anyway, got any good DVD's?"
Nightwing beamed as if he had been waiting for someone to ask. "One of my dorm buddies lent me his copy of Due Process 2: Remain Silent. Called it "research" for my classes in forensics and law enforcement. I haven't seen it, but I hear it's a classic."
Tim frowned. "Isn't that rated R? We're both minors."
"I count as a supervising guardian. C'mon, Batman never let me watch R rated movies, and I'm not gonna let the same thing happen to you. Besides, last week you got slashed across the face by Mr. Zsasz, a nihilistic serial killer. I doubt a buddy cop movie could be worse."
Nightwing's smile that made him look like he was a 13 year old again. Tim reluctantly sat down on the couch as Gar jumped in the air, did a somersault, and landed right next to him. Nightwing inserted the disc and slipped in between them.
All three of them enjoyed the movie immensely, except for a few specific scenes. Gar tensed up noticeably during a car chase that Dick wisely decided to fast forward through, claiming the disc was scratched. Tim also noticed Dick himself looked uncomfortable during a scene where the villain dropped a hostage out a high window. Gar didn't notice, but he didn't know Nightwing's past like Tim did. Tim wasn't sure what to say, so he sat awkwardly in silence until the scene was over.
Despite those moments, they were all in a great mood by the time the credits rolled. Although Tim typically preferred film noir, he had to admit this was great. "What was your favorite part?" he asked Gar.
"Probably the fight scene with that ninja henchman!" said Gar, excitement radiating off his green face.
"It was pretty cool, but I liked the final showdown with the helicopter and those motorcycles." replied Tim.
"I'm kind of surprised at you two." interjected Nightwing. "I'd have thought you would like the character scenes with Officers Trey and Jackson best of all."
"Well, they were great, and hilarious, and generally awesome, but why did you think that would stick out to us?" asked Gar.
"You mean you don't see it?" asked Nightwing with a hint of genuine surprise.
"See what?" replied Tim.
"They're you!" When the two boys gave Dick blank stares, he explained, "You two are just like a buddy cop duo. Tim is like Trey, always doing things in a controlled, by the book kind of way."
Dick moved across the room faster then either boy thought was possible and put his hand on Gar's shoulder. "And you're just like Jackson. You see the fun side of things and like to improvise, changing tactics as you go. Together, you send criminals running for cover!"
Tim sighed. "Did you take your ADD pills this morning?"
"Maybe. But you're missing the point. You two are the best buddy cop duo ever! And you literally fight crime!" The two boys rolled their eyes and they all played X-Box for the rest of the evening.
For the next few weeks, Dick would insist that the two be referred to as buddy cops, and used every single interaction with each other to prove his point. Sometimes it would happen when they were eating lunch together at the Cave. As Tim took a bite of one of Alfred's professional grade sandwiches and Gar sliced off a forkful of tofu, Dick would sneak up behind them.
"Buddy cops!"
While they were on a mission, and arguing over the best way to infiltrate the Brain's base, Dick would mentally shout over the psychic link.
"Buddy cops!"
When Tim helped Gar with his homework, which usually devolved into Tim just doing the work and Gar turning into a spider and crawling over the worksheet.
"Buddy cops! But seriously, do your homework. Grades are important."
Eventually they couldn't take it anymore. They met in the boy's showers one afternoon while Dick was off in Bludhaven.
"We need to do something about Di- Nightwing's little habit." said Gar.
"Agreed. It's getting out of hand. I think we need to confront him about it and get him to act in a more restrained, professional manner."
Gar's tail perked up as he enthusiastically said, "Or we could get him to focus on Bart and Jaime? If those two would just come out already, maybe he would focus on them!"
Tim sighed. "We aren't going to out Bart and Jaime just because Nightwing is being annoying. Even though everyone pretty much knows at this point."
"See? Tim, why do you always shoot down my ideas? Why can't you give them a chance?"
"Because they don't make sense. You need tho think things through, and make sure your actions are logical, efficient and... Oh my God."
Gar looked concerned. "What's wrong?"
"He's right. Nightwing is right. We are totally like those cops from that movie. What he was trying to tell us all along is that we need each other. We balance each other out. Maybe that's why he suggested the movie in the first place."
"I'm not sure if that's really clever or just weird."
Tim grinned. "I used to follow him before I became Robin, and now I train with him all the time. It's a question I ask myself every day."
The two boys left the showers and turned on Tim's laptop. They looked up police officer costumes in their size and found the rest of the Due Process movies on Netflix. They would have a surprise for Dick for the next movie night.
The End.
