"You should be in bed." Tim jerked a little in surprise, it was 6:28 am, no one should be up in this household yet.

"So should you." Tim murmured when he identified his dad walking into the kitchen.

Batman snickered slightly at the retort, "I slept for days, I don't need any more right now." He put his hand on Tim's shoulder, "Where as you did the opposite, so you need my share of sleep." Tim grunted, getting a surprise giggle when Bruce teased his hairline and ears.

"Daaaad~" Tim whined when Bruce relentlessly tickled; he was so tired, everywhere was ticklish.

"You need sleep, baby bird." Batman finally let Tim be with a last drag of his fingers through the boy's hair.

"Everyone says that." Tim muttered, waving nonchalantly.

"For once, everyone is agreeing on something and you doubt the truth?" Bruce replied, starting some hot water in the teakettle and taking a barstool next to Tim, who could only mutter nonsense back. "What are you working on anyway?"

"I missed some Wayne Tech reports and other business." Tim squinted as Bruce presented him with a teacup and swiped his documents away, "I wasn't done yet!"

"You are for now. Drink the tea and then to bed."

Tim grinned, "You sound like Alfred."

Bruce's look got wicked, "Well they do say that people become their parents. Be afraid, I'm your future."

Tim actually burst out laughing then, "I'd say we're already at the future then." He encompassed the paperwork and their matching cups of chamomile tea with a gesture; he didn't even have to think about their other similarities when it came to looks and behaviors, plus everyone did say that Tim was the most similar to Bruce.

Batman shook his head and patted Tim's head, "You're better." He offered that Dad smile ™, "You're already better than me." The words hurt in that good way, like an emotional wall toppling, and Tim wanted to cry but chose to lean over into his dad's arms and let himself be held like a child. "So much better." Bruce pet his hair, "And so much more tired too. C'mon, to bed." Tim let himself be ushered back upstairs to his own bedroom.

First Dick and now Bruce tucking him in, "I'm not tired." Tim offered as a last hurrah. He couldn't make it too easy.

Bruce only ruffled his hair, "Goodnight, baby bird."

"Goodnight." Big bat, maybe? Haha. I really must be tired.