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Jul. 27th, 2010 08:27 pm
munnin: (Default)
[personal profile] munnin
Playing a bit of round robin with Ducky (if she’s still up.) Feel free to follow along or join in if anyone should so desire. Set post Black Orchids.

Recovery and wreckage – The band, Oracle, PG.

The Robin’s crashed out on the couch, watching a movie as a storm raged outside, whiping the palm trees inside out like umbrellas.

Every crack of thunder, every flash of lighting made Tim finch, the fear and trauma still too raw. Dick held his close, bracketing Tim between him and Steph as Tim shivered, trying to fight back the panic attacks.

In the end Alfred quietly insisted Tim take something to help him sleep and Tim relented, however he refused to leave the others and passed out with his head resting on Dick’s chest.

Dick winced as his silenced phone vibrated its way across the coffee table, just out of reach.

“I got him.” Jay whispered, carefully lifting the sleeping Robin off his elder brother and taking his place on the couch as Dick slipped away into the bedroom to take the call.

“Hey O.” Dick answered, knowing without having to check the caller id. Babs was the only one in contact with them at the moment. At Dick’s request, she was handling all the traffic so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Pretty much half the superhero community plus all the fans wanted news of them but the Robins just wanted peace, some quiet time to recover.

“Hey hunk wonder. How’s things?”

“One day at a time.” He said with a sigh as he sat down. “And some days are harder than others.”

“Anything I can help with?” She asked quietly.

“Not unless you can turn back time and work out a way to stop this from having happened.” There was a weariness in his voice, soul deep and shattering.

“You’ve gotta stop blaming yourself for this.” She chided, knowing he wasn’t going to listen. Since losing Bruce, Dick had taken the responsibility of looking after his siblings very, very seriously. “Hey I know you guys want quiet but...Tim’s birthday’s coming up-”

“I know, I know.” Dick sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

“And I’ve got heroes from every quarter wanting to drop off presents or throw him a party.”

“O, he’s not ready. He’s still really, really fragile.”

“I know, I’ve been telling them to leave stuff with me and I’ll ship it all to Tim when he’s ready but...” she paused, letting it linger in the air.

“What’s the but O?” Dick asked, feeling like a beheading victim waiting for the axe.

“Your flashy playboy, Tony Stark keeps calling and I don’t know how much longer I can stonewall him.”

“He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.” Dick sighed and fell back onto the bed, almost hard enough to bounce. “Did he say what he wanted?”

“To drop off Tim’s birthday present.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Wouldn’t say but he said he’s threatened you with it before.”

“Fuck!” Dick muttered, covering his face with his hands. “The bastard knows I might actually say yes this time.”

“Do I even want to know?” Oracle teased.

“I think he’s offering to set us up a recording studio.”

Oracle hummed. “That would explain why he was asking for dimensions on the games room down stairs.”

“He knows where we are?” Dick demanded, more surprised than annoyed. Oracle had gone to great lengths to keep their location a secret.

“I’ve had to asked the Big Blue Boy-scout to ‘waylay’ his jet once already. Sorry Dick.”

“Don’t sweat it babe, Tony’s slippery like that.” He stretched, groaning as his spine popped and cracked. “Look I’ll have a chat with Tim, see what he wants to do.”

“Let the poor kid sleep a bit more. Those drugs Alfred gave him must have wiped him out pretty hard.”

Dick sat up suddenly. “Oracle?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “You won’t happened to have bugged the place now would you?”

“Would I have set you up a safe house without a means of making sure it stayed safe? And before you ask,” she cut across the start of his rant. “I only have cameras on the living spaces and around the perimeters. The bedrooms are bug free.”

Dick was surprisingly touched by this; it was kinda comforting to know she was still looking out for them despite everything that had happened. “Thanks.” He said, and meant. “I’ll call you back later and let you know the plan.”

“Stay safe Boy Blunder, and look after that little brother of ours.” She rang off before waiting for a reply.

“Will do.” Dick muttered anyway, closing his phone and his eyes. This would be interesting...

False Propaganda

Date: 2010-07-28 12:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ms-duck.livejournal.com
They settle onto the cliff. He let's Dick lean against him and for a long moment they are quiet.

"Tell me." He half asks, half demands. And Dick does. By the end of it he's shaking with anger. Heavy, hot anger. He can feel his reactor pick up with his heart beat.

"Tony?" Dick sat up, highly alarmed.

"For Christmas or Hanukkah i'm getting all of you a a recording studio." He lifted a hand to stop Dick's protest. "For Tim's birthday, i'm going to build the best security I can."

Dick was silent for a long moment.

"I think... I think that would be best." He goes quiet again and looks away. "W-- no, thank you."

Dick leans in and hugs him as hard as he can. He returns it with as little anger as he can.

"Maybe I should bring JARVIS over?"

Shove comes to push

Date: 2010-07-28 01:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] munnin-odanin.livejournal.com
Dick snorted, sniffing back more tears. “Tim would love that but...I don’t know that he’s ready for company just yet. I haven’t really talked to him about it but...” he sniffed again. “He’s still really...fragile.” Dick let the words hang.

“I can understand that.” Tony pulled Dick into another tight hug. “Drive me back to the jet and I’ll head home and start working in things. You talk to Tim and the others, and tell me when you’re ready for me to come over and start installing things.” He gave Dick a bright half smile. “That’s guaranteeing your friend the spymaster doesn’t have me killed first.”

Dick snorted. “I’ll let Oracle know what’s going on. Just...don’t pull a stunt like that again or the others may jump O’s orders.” He got up slowly, tidying their cups into the bin. “Tony, it...it might be awhile before we can...”

“I know.” Tony assured. “I won’t push. I just want to help.”

As Dick dropped Tony off at his plane and headed back to the house, he wondered how he was going to bring this up with the others.

~~~

Sorry babe, gotta crash. Hope to do more tomorrow. This whole work and sleep thing keeps getting in the way!

Filling the Grave

Date: 2010-07-28 01:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ms-duck.livejournal.com
"Wow, that's big of him." Jason rubbed his forehead with one greasy hand. He really was happy though, as far as he knew Tony wasn't stupid after all.

Tim seemed to take it all in wide-eyed, panic stricken stride but--

"JARVIS is coming?" They had to strain to hear him and he shrank into Dick's side, just a little. "It'll be soon?"

"As soon as he can." Tim nodded and dropped out of reality for a bit.
-------

Damian honestly wasn't sure what to do, but when in doubt, train. He flowed through Kata after Kata until his body ached and he had sweat through his clothes.

Stark was helping. Tim liked Stark. That meant that this was a good thing, right? But he liked them as well and...

He refused to think about it anymore until Alfred dragged him and Jason and Steph to clean up and change.

Steph had several band aids on her fingers.

"Played a little too hard."

skating the ice

Date: 2010-07-28 11:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] munnin-odanin.livejournal.com
Damian took Steph aside as Alfred sorted out dinner, touching her injured fingers with care, examining the placement of the cut.

“I was overhauling the travel amps.” She admitted quietly. “I know Tim usually does it but…”

“Yes,” Damian answered quietly, gently chaffing her hand between his. Her fingers were cold from fumbling with the equipment as he traced the scar down the palm of her hand – the legacy of a broken violin string.

“I know it could be a while before we hit the road again,” She shrugged. “I just wanted the gear to be ready just in case we wanted to play again…”

“You miss playing?” Damian asked, tracing her calluses.

“I miss the way I feel when we play together.” She whispered honestly. “I miss feeling like everything’s going to be ok.”

He brought her fingers to his lips and kisses them softly. “Do you think having Stark here will help?” Her expression said everything, mirroring his own doubt. “I only hope Dick is more certain.”

“Dickie’ll do what’s best for Tim.” Steph muttered, sounding like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. “We have to trust him.”

Damian hummed quietly and dropped her hand. “Alfred will be waiting for us.”

***

Tim sprawled in Dick’s arms in the quiet of their bedroom as the others were playing cards in the loungeroom. The occasional burst of laughter and happily raised voices drifted to them through the half closed door.

“Are you sure you’re ok with Tony visiting some time?” Dick asked, his fingers carding gently through Tim’s hair.

“I’m not…I’m not sure.” Tim mumbled, his voice still skittish and fumbling in the aftermath of another panic attack brought on by a dropped glass at dinner. “I want to see him but I’m just…I’m not sure I’m ready for…”

“The wildness that is Tony?” Dick asked, almost teasingly.

“To be touched.” Tim admitted quietly. “It’s ok with family but I…”

“Shh baby. I understand.” Dick cradled him close, pressing soft kisses to the top of Tim’s head. “Tony understands. He won’t push.”

The thought of Tony knowing the whole story made Tim stiffen and tremble but Dick rocked him gently.

“But if you want him here…”Tim started. As messed up and confused as he felt, he knew Tony would be good for Dick. Even as he clung to his brother, he felt like a terrible burden. As clingy as he’d been of late he wasn’t ready for anything heavier than hugs and he worried how frustrating that must be for Dick. “I know you must miss having someone to…to be with.”

“Hush!” Dick chided. “Don’t even think that.” He pressed another soft kiss into Tim’s hair.

“I would like having JARVIS around.” Tim muttered sleepily. “Does that make me selfish?”

“No.” Dick assured, tucking the blanket up around Tim. It made sense that Tim would carve the company of someone who wouldn’t judge or worry, even if that someone was technically a something. “Not at all.”

Steph looking in on them a little later, smiling almost sadly as Tim’s sleeping face, vulnerable and child-like. “Jay’s out in the garage playing with the bike. You wanna go talk to him? I’ll sit with Tim.”

“Worrying bout him princess?” Dick asked, easing out from under Tim who snuffled and shifted in his sleep. It wasn’t like her to say something like that without a reason.

“Worrying about all of us.” She answered, curling into the bed with Tim. “Just go talk to him hey?”

Thin, Thin Ice

Date: 2010-07-29 02:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ms-duck.livejournal.com
He's not sure what Jason is doing precisely. He finds he can't quite bring himself to ask, instead he just sits on the concrete next to him and does his best to not look out of place.

"What?" Short and vehement and all of Jay's tiredness in one quiet word. When Dick doesn't answer he puts his wrench down and collapses backwards. "Well?"

"How are you holding up?" Jason's cruel laugh reminds him entirely too much of Red Hood and he leans over and kisses him to stop it. Jason stills but doesn't reciprocate and when he opens his eyes they are dull.

"I'm hurt, i'm actually fucking scared and I don't know any more." He turns his face away from Dick and Dick can't help cradle him. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know." Dick has cried enough for the day so he just holds Jay to him. "I have know clue... I almost feel like we should start from the... I have an idea."
-----

He drags Jason to the living room where Staph sits with Tim. He finds and drags Damian and Alfred too.

He gathers everyone but Tim around him and explains the plan.

"We're going to get him used to touching again, later i'll call a few friends to help, but for now..." He looked all of them in the eye. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

He put them in a circle and Tim watched them warily.

"Okay little brother," he started with his cheeriest, albeit somewhat fake, smile. Tim seemed to be taken aback by this, "first lesson! The handshake."

He was perhaps being a bit melodramatic, but he held his hand out to Jason who took his hint and shook it. He repeated the process with the others and then finally held his hand out to Tim.

Gently, and with hesitation he took it. He was then guided into shaking hands with the others.

Dick considered this a good start. He smiled a little more gently and with a lot more sincerity.

warmth in winter, part 1

Date: 2010-07-29 11:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] munnin-odanin.livejournal.com
By the time they were finished, the band were a giggling mess of silliness and even Tim was smiling, if a little shyly.

Dick’s grand plan of ‘lean on each other’ trust exercises ended with Steph dumping Dick on his ass; Jay doubled over, clutching his chest, aching with laugher as Damian tripped over his own feet. Even Tim made a decent attempt to join in on the fun with a neat feint that had Steph scrambling right herself before she face-planted onto the carpet.

“You,” Dick announced, pulling Tim into a hug, “are cheating.”

Tim gave him a slight if warm smile. “You didn’t exactly explain the rules.”

Dick hummed a laugh as Tim yawned against his chest. “Need to get some more sleep babybird?”

Tim said nothing but leant into Dick’s arms.

Over Tim’s head, Dick caught Jay’s eye. Jay nodded.

“D?” Dick said gently, “How ‘bout you, Steph and Tim crash out for a while? I’ll join you in a bit.”

Damian glanced from Jay to Dick and back again, nodding gravely as he took Tim’s hand and lead him towards the bedroom.

Steph watched her two older brothers with sharp eyes, tracking their unspoken conversation. Despite their closeness since leaving Gotham, the boys’ relationship had been...stained of late. And that was the last thing they needed right now.

Dick flicked his head towards Jay’s bedroom as Steph followed after her younger brothers.

warmth in winter, part 2

Date: 2010-07-29 11:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] munnin-odanin.livejournal.com
Jay turned as he entered his room, pushing Dick against the door to close it.

The older Robin looked up into Jay’s eyes, seeing darkness and heat. “Jay?”

“Yes.” Jay growled, pressing Dick into the wood, catching his brother’s wrists and pinning them by his sides. “Dick?”

Dick sighed, a inch shy of purring as Jay’s hot breath ghosted over the skin of his throat. “Yes.” He shivered as Jay’s lips grazed his neck with the subtle threat of teeth. “Just don’t...” mark me.

“I won’t.” Jay didn’t need Dick to finish that sentence. He ground his hips against Dick’s, tangling his fingers in Dick’s hair. “I need...”

“I know.”

Jay growled, trailing sharp kisses over Dick’s throat, just shy of leaving a mark. He twisted sharply, throwing Dick towards the bed.

Dick huffed as he connected with the mattress, falling sprawlingly as Jay pressed him down. Clothes scatted as they rushed to strip each other.

As Jay shed his shirt, Dick ghosted a hand down his chest, tracing the edges of the wound dressing. His touch was imbued with worry and regret. “I...”

“Don’t!” Jay growled, grabbing Dick’s wrist and pushed him back down. He kissed Dick fiercely, biting his bottom lip. “Just don’t!”

Dick moaned up into his kiss as Jay pushed his thighs apart. It had been so long...

Jay rolled them over, reaching for lube in his top draw. “Be sure.” He demanded as he slicked his fingers.

“I am.” Dick hissed, spreading his legs over Jay’s thighs, taking his own weight as Jay slipped two fingers into him, deep and fast. “Jay...”

The next kiss silenced Dick as Jay slipped out and bent the aerialist in half.

Dick moaned into Jay’s mouth, silencing himself with Jay’s tongue as his brother pushed in. As much as they both needed this, Tim didn’t.

“Need something to shut you up?” Jay purred, rocking in hard.

“Pleas-” Dick gagged as Jay pushed his fingers into his older brother’s mouth, his eyes watering. It hurt, burning in all the best ways. The fire in Jay’s eyes, the need was fierce and wrong and beautiful.

Jay growled as he ploughed Dick into the bed, groaning as pleasure mixed with pain as the wound in his chest pulled.

“Jay.” Dick reared back, reached up to touch his brother’s face but Jay grabbed his wrist and slammed him back to the bed. “Jay please!”

Jay tightened his grip and groaned, arching his back as he spilt into his brother.

“Jay?” Dick whined, unfinished and unfulfilled.

Jay pulled out and flipped Dick over, pushing him onto his knees. He wrapped his damp hand around Dick’s cock and squeezed hard, jacking him sharp and fast.

Dick whined and whimpered, writhing under Jay’s touch. It barely took seconds before he stiffened and moaned, painting Jay’s hand with his cum.

Jay let Dick fall back to the bed, lowering himself down at his side as they both fought to catch their breath. Jay rolled onto his back, tolerating Dick’s touch as his older brother checked his injury. “Stop fussing Dickie.”

Dick sighed, pressing his forehead to Jay’s. “I...”

“I know.” Jay breathed tired, letting Dick snuggle against him, sleepy and content. “See, you don’t need that showboat Stark for this.”

“No...” Dick breathed, letting himself relax. “But I need him for other things too. And not just him.”

Jay stoked his hand through Dick’s hair. “So what’s stage 2 of getting Timmy back on the level?”

Dick sighed. “Roy.”

~~~

Alexiel? I’m looking at you if you’re still around.
From: [identity profile] alexiel-neesan.livejournal.com
Roy didn't show up on the very next day, but on the day after.

They had played again, leaving each other in giggling fits. Tim hadn't looked weirded out, or sad, or anything, at Dick and Jason. He had smiled silently and... maybe, Jay though, maybe Dick was on the right track.
Maybe they all were.

Roy knocked at their door in the mid-morning - they looked at him enter the living room, leaded by Alfred, with expressions varying from amused to... well. Slightly freaked out for Tim, but it was totally because they could only see Roy's arms and legs and not much else of him.

"Thank you, Mister Harper," said Alfred, taking some of the packages Roy was carrying. Food, by the look of it. And if eyes were not deceiving, as well as noses, that was Martha Kent's apple pie leaving toward the kitchen.

"Hi guys."

"Roy?" "Roy, what the fuck?" "... Did you bring everything?" "Steph?"

Roy laughed and put everything down, before throwing himself on the couch, between Steph and Tim in Dick's arms. Tim was still looking at the pile of things, not at Roy - he had barely flinched when the redhead had sat down.

"Roy?" asked Dick again, an eyebrow raised.

"I've been changed into a transporter," Roy said, dramatically raising a hand to his head.

"Woe is you," sarcastically called Jason.

"Hey! I got books, movies, food, clothes..." Roy started to tick items off his fingers, "power cords, the replacement pedal you asked me for," he said to Steph who raised her arms and let out a 'YES', "your co- er, the things we don't talk about," he quickly said at D's glower, "my princess insisted on a Twister game which I refuse to play if Dick's in the game because that's blatant cheating, and best of all," he finished, folding himself in half to grab at a brown bag and dragging a book out of it, making the cover face Jason, " 'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance'."

Jason growled, and threw a pillow at him. Roy retaliated. Steph rolled her eyes and jumped into the fray. Damian snorted, found his comics and sat in a corner not too far from Tim and Dick. Tim watched them, relaxing minutely. Dick began laughing.

----

Conversations 2

Date: 2010-07-29 01:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexiel-neesan.livejournal.com


Later, when D, Jason, Steph and Tim were too busy looking through the pile of stuff in the living room, Dick dragged Roy to one of the bedroom - Steph's, if the purple top and the sketchbook were any indication.

Roy, breathless and grinning after the brawl, had sat against the couch, near Tim's legs. He had patted one and asked "So, how is looking after the lot of them going?" to Tim, had shot an amused glance at the younger man. Tim had flinched at the touch, a reflex. Roy hadn't looked at him with pity or sadness or- he had just looked at Tim, had waited for him. Tim had closed his eyes and said thanks.

Dick and Roy still needed to talk.

Dick closed the door, and leaned against it.

"Roy, what is al-" He didn't had the time to finish his sentence - Roy had smothered him into a hug, the too strong arms impossible to escape. Dick sighed, relaxed into the embrace.

"You look like shit, Robbie."

Dick sighed again, because 'I know' didn't really answer anything. "What's with all the stuff?"

Roy huffed a warm breath, didn't release Dick. "You should have seen all they wanted me to take, and Dinah's a hard woman to say no to."

A beat.

"I should be yelling at you."

Roy released Dick, kept his hands on the other's shoulders.

"We didn't need help, and Jay was just out of surgery - do you have any idea of-"

"Dick, Dick- Dick!" He shook him a little. "Listen to me, alright? Just listen." Roy took Dick's face in his hands. "You know Jay. You know him. He'd had followed you, bleeding or not. I do hope I kept him from doing something very stupid, like bleeding to death. And. It's ok to ask for help. I get that it's not how you guys work, but circumstances changed since-"

Dick closed his eyes. Roy stroked the bruised skin below the lids.

"You can ask. Anytime. Anyone. For anything. Just like you asked me to come now." Roy shook him a little again, caught his Robbie's eyes. "And I'll keep telling you that until you get a hint, got it?"

Dick huffed, again; let his head fall to Roy's chest.

"How're you doing? And I'm asking about you. I saw how's Tim."

Dick took the time to think about it. "One day at the time," was the muffled answer.

"Well, I'm here right now." Roy hugged him again. "You're still not allowed to play Twister."

finding the beat

Date: 2010-07-30 12:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] munnin-odanin.livejournal.com
Dick huffed a laugh and leant into Roy, trusting his dearest friend to hold him up as he relaxed into the hug. “I’ve never cheated at Twister in my life.” He grumbled playfully, rubbing his face against Roy’s shirt.

“Being you and being freakishly flexible is cheating.” Roy answered, wrapping his arms around Dick’s waist. “So what do you need?”

Dick sighed. “I need...I need someone to help me help Tim. He needs...people...interaction.”

“I can do that.” Roy whispered. “And Jay?”

“He’s not ok Roy.” Dick admitted. “He’s really...”

“Yeah. I got that.” Roy sighed, “So how we gonna play this Robbie?”

Dick shrugged. “One day at a time?”

Roy nudged Dick with a grin. “So we start with today.”

***

Steph and Damian had the Xbox out and were hammering each other at some racing game. Tim was on the couch, his head resting in Jay’s lap, smirking as Steph leant into the corners, willing her car around the track.

Roy tapped Tim’s feet gently. “Budge up babybird.” He lifted Tim’s feet as he shuffled up into Jay’s lap to make room for the archer.

Dick leant in the doorway, watching them play as Roy’s hand drifted to Jay’s, their fingers entwining as Jay’s chest heaved in an almost relieved sighed.

Time to talk to Tony.

***
Hi Tony.

How’s the plan coming along? Tim’s...getting there but we’re still working it. He seemed pretty keen on the idea of spending time with JARVIS, you know they’ve always had...actually there’s sensible way to point out that my little brother is in love with your computer!

I hope things will settle enough that you can come round soon. I could use the shoulder right now.
<3 Dick.


Tony responded almost intently to his email.

Hey beautiful boy.

How’s everything going? No, sorry, shouldn’t ask. I promised I wouldn’t push.

I’m working on new security for your place. Your scary spymaster took some convincing to hand over the plans but he...she...its demanding copies of all my designs and layouts. I’m not going to get IP raped over this am I? Look I know you trust the creepy voice of doom but...Fury’s going to nail my ass to the wall if this stuff hits the open market...probably shouldn’t be adapting designs commissioned for the Avengers for this but you boys are worth it.

I have long suspected Tim and JARVIS were flirting behind my back. I’d be offended if it wasn’t so hot. I’ve almost considered designing a cyborg body for JARVIS just so I could...

Never mind. You don’t need me to finish that thought.

I’m putting together a cut down version of my two-timing AI on a laptop for Tim, at least to start off with. I can expand and wire him up to the house later if you want but I can have mini JARVIS ready by tonight. Not sure how to get him to you though, the spymaster made it abundantly clear what would happened if I stepped into the field of fire again. Mostly involving my testicles and vast amounts of explicit detail. Who is this Kal-El anyway? And what did I do to piss him off?

Love you beautiful boy.
Tony

Re: Shove comes to push

Date: 2010-07-28 01:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ms-duck.livejournal.com
Sleep well~! <3

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