Title: Very Special Episode Fandom: DCU Pairing: Dick/Tim Rating: After-school special Summary: There are lots of things about Tim that make Dick a little uncomfortable with himself. Notes: Sometimes my writing has a definite creative team inspiring it. This is Dixon/McDaniel, perhaps after a long conversation with Grayson/Robinson. Disclaimer: As you might guess from the übergeeky notes, the boys belong to DC Comics and not to me. Once upon a time, Tim was a kid. Dick doesn't have much proof of this anymore, but he has vague memories -- chubby cheeks, excited bouncing, earnest faith that Tim doesn't have anymore. But he was a kid, then, twelve and sure of the way the world should work. Easy to read, as these things go. Dick's not unfamiliar with hero worship. It was just a blessing that he didn't know Tim better. If the kid had been smart enough to get close instead of watching from a long way away -- well, someone else might be wearing the green tights these days. Tim doesn't believe like that anymore; not in the mission, not in Bruce, not in anybody. It makes Dick feel old the way everybody does when their little brother grows up, but it makes him feel young, too. Younger than Tim, who looks at him sometimes with that impenetrable face and can't be just a few years older than that kid he used to be, so open and trusting. It makes Dick force him to watch bad movies and eat the few things Tim will still consume that aren't health food. "A couple of donuts aren't going to kill your training," he said, and the tenth time, Tim just said it with him and took the bag. "You got the raspberry filling. Great." "Sure I did." Dick doesn't know what else to do with him, really. He knows what everyone says childhood -- or, well, adolescence -- is supposed to be, but he doesn't know what that would entirely have been like. Middle school dances were always inconveniently scheduled in the peak crime spree times, and Tim's already done the whole learning-to-drive thing. They go to ball games, occasionally, but other than that -- well, childhood means training and spending all night helping people. What else can there be? Being Robin should maybe have the occasional Very Special Episode of normalcy. Something, anyway, other than duty and mission and dealing with Bruce, so they talk about girls. Dick's not good at normal, either, so it's probably his fault they end up making out on the couch instead of watching some Stallone movie or other. Kissing to drown out the sound of gunfire -- story of his life. By the time Dick's got Tim's pants open, Tim finds the remote and turns off the movie. In the sudden silence, Dick has to ask, "You okay?" Tim's smile is quick and sharp, and he says, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," and leans in for another kiss.
	Email the author DCU Story Index