Chapter Text
It started when he was almost too young to remember.
Do not speak, unless you are spoken to.
Sit still through this whole meeting.
Do not let them notice you.
It was a game.
Can you find you way own way home from the first grade classroom?
Can you be the man of the house while we are gone?
Tim won almost all the time. His reward was praise and approval and more games.
You don’t need a nanny.
You don’t need to call us.
You can do it all on your own, right?
Yes, Tim was great at the games. As he grew, his determination increased as well. Not because his parents were home less and less so their praise became more sparse. No, not that.
Tim was just used to winning now. He was a Drake after all. Drakes were winners.
Tim was in class when he saw the email notification pop up on his phone.
He tried not to grin at the screen, which was partially hidden under his textbook. His teacher had given up on keeping his students from using their phones during class, but as long as Mr. Ward didn’t see the phone, he didn’t bother reprimanding anyone. Tim wouldn’t test his luck, even though his fingers itched with the need to read the latest email from his mom.
An email meant they had service again. It meant she would be updating him on their flight times and when he should be expecting them. It was late May now and they had been gone for nearly three months. The plan was for them to return in early June and be home for a few weeks before taking off to Italy as soon as Tim was done with the semester.
Tim could not wait.
Because the Italy trip wasn’t like their other trips.
Early in the year, his parents had decided that as an early gift for his thirteenth birthday, they would all take a trip together. Never mind the fact that Tim was actually turning twelve. They had decided he was old enough to go with them! And they were going to spend the whole summer in Europe. Some of it would be business meetings, but his parents had promised they would take him around to see the sights and eat at the best restaurants.
“Not those tourist spots,” his father had said, “the real authentic ones, champ. The ones the locals don’t like to tell you about.”
His father had laughed and clapped his back too hard, but Tim had just grinned from ear to ear.
He felt like he had been waiting all his life for this. He had done his part and won every game. This was the reward he was waiting for.
As soon as class was over, Tim threw his belongings into his bag and rushed into the hallway, phone in hand.
Seeking a bit of quiet, he ducked into the bathroom and tapped at the notification.
Hello Timothy,
Your father and I have some amazing news! The permit that we thought fell through has been approved. We will be going straight to Greece from London in a few days.
Tim blinked, his eyes scanning the rest of the email quickly.
Our family trip will have to be postponed, but I know you will use this time wisely to cultivate experiences and prepare for your future…
The email ended with a recommendation that he look into volunteer experiences to pad out his resume and prepare for college applications. There was also a reminder to be prepared to receive any packages that were sent to the house.
Tim felt his eyes stinging.
It was stupid. He was stupid. He should have known it wasn’t real.
The game recently had been to see how long he could be without their supervision. He was doing well. So they had extended their time.
Tim rubbed at his eyes.
It was a good thing really. He had proven to them that he could be trusted alone. They didn’t need to come back. They didn’t need to pick him up and take him with them. He would take care of himself and be the man of the house, until they returned.
The trip was just postponed. Surely they would go later. Once Tim had proven himself. Maybe when he actually turned thirteen.
Tim quickly left the bathroom and rushed to his next class, his expression perfectly neutral.
He was a Drake.
He always won.
Mrs. Mac forgot to drop off his groceries the first week of June.
He’d been sleeping through many of her Saturday morning drop offs, exhausted from his late night forays into the city, conducting his Batman research. He was just beginning to figure out their patrol routes and now that school was ending soon, Robin would be out more. Tim had to prepare himself, figure out the best vantage points for photos and further study. If he couldn’t be in Italy, then he would at least pass the time with his favorite hobby.
So he had missed Mrs. Mac the last few weeks, and he supposed it was rude, but she never complained.
He was surprised when he forced himself up before 11am, to possibly chat with her, and found she wasn’t there.
Never one to bother adults unnecessarily, Tim took stock of the pantry and went about the day. She would be by next week. He was sure.
The second Saturday of June arrived and Mrs. Mac still did not show.
It wasn’t bothering an adult if he was checking on her wellbeing? Right? She was an old lady, what if she had fallen or was ill?
Tim found her contact on his phone and pressed the call button. It rang three times before her familiar voice sounded on the other end.
“Oh, Timothy!” She greeted with enthusiasm.
“Hello?” Tim tried not to sound surprised at her casual tone.
“It's so nice to hear from you. Did you see the pictures I sent on the Facebook?"
Mrs. Mac’s son had set up her Facebook account. The woman did not know the difference between posting or sending photos, never mind the fact that Tim didn’t actually have a Facebook account.
“I didn’t-“ Tim started.
“My new granddaughter is just beautiful. I’ve been on the phone all day with everyone. They say she is already so photogenic. Paisley May… she’s so sweet…”
Tim blinked as a memory jogged loose in his brain. Mrs. Mac was going to visit family in Arizona for the summer. Because a new grandbaby was due. Because Tim’s parents were supposed to be back. And then they were supposed to be in Italy together.
“Congratulations,” Tim said. Because it was polite. Mrs. Mac went on and on and then the baby was crying in the background and she was saying her goodbyes before the call abruptly ended. Tim stared dumbly at his phone.
No parents. No Italy. No Mrs. Mac.
He didn’t like the twisting feeling in his chest. It felt like the first pulls of loneliness, but that was stupid. He was used to being alone. Heck, he had been the one to sleep through Mrs. Mac’s last visit at the end of May, apparently. No point in being sad about being alone now.
He could take care of the house by himself. He had a little bit of cash put away for emergencies, he could use that if he really needed to. It was just one more challenge in the game.
Tim turned to look at the pantry. He had some cereal and some pasta, but the shelves were definitely beginning to look bare.
He should probably skip breakfast.
The first day of summer vacation had Tim rushing home to prepare for the night. No parents and no school meant he could indulge his hobby freely. Batman watching as late as he wanted and for as many days as he wanted.
And now that school was out, Robin would be going out a lot more. Tim imagined Jason Todd was excited too. Because if nothing else, Jason loved being Robin. Tim could tell. And he had the photographic evidence to prove it. Jason always had the biggest grin as he swung through the sky.
Maybe Nightwing would be in town too! Tim grinned as he smeared peanut butter across dry crackers. He had run out of bread a few days ago, but the box of saltines he found worked just fine. He carefully packed his makeshift sandwiches in a container where they wouldn’t get crushed and bounded up the stairs to continue getting ready for the night.
He would decide his route, finish packing, and try to take a nap before heading out just as it started to get dark.
It wasn’t Italy with his parents, but Tim would make the most of his summer.
Nights in the city were just starting to heat up. Unfortunately, Tim was dressed all in black and in long-sleeves. He couldn’t risk wearing lighter colors. Being hidden was of the upmost importance after all.
He found himself on top of the tallest building he had access to and then waited for the bats. He passed the time testing out camera settings and sweating through his shirt. It wouldn't be so bad if there was at least a breeze. Tim was fighting with the idea of going home for the night when he heard the familiar sound of a grappling gun.
He peeked over the building’s edge just in time to see a flash of red and green.
Jason Todd was grinning.
Tim couldn’t help but smile too. He couldn’t fly with them, but he could document it. And he could imagine what it would be like, if he could be with them.
That was enough.
Robin landed on a nearby building and he was joined by Batman shortly after. They spoke briefly before swinging off again. Tim got a shot of them both leaping from the rooftop.
Not bad at all. And it was only the first night of summer! Tim was going to get so many pictures.
As he made his way back home, he made more plans for his future visits out into the city. The excitement almost made him forget about his empty house and his dwindling food and that biting edge of loneliness that kept tugging at his ribcage.
Almost. Almost. Almost.
When faced with a near empty pantry and an even emptier fridge, Tim finally sat down to look at his finances. His dad said they would get him a credit card for emergencies, but they hadn’t gotten around to setting that up yet. Tim was given cash for spending money and he knew he was supposed to budget it and make it last.
It was just…
His parents hadn’t been home in so long. It had been ages since he had received some pocket money. If he had known they wouldn’t be home in June, he would have been more careful. He wouldn’t have bought that new lens or given some street kids those burgers that one night.
The childish notion that the game wasn’t fair this time bubbled up. He squashed that feeling down.
Life’s not fair, a mom sounding voice in his head said.
Tim stared at the crumpled bills spread out on his floor.
$184.
Assuming his parents were back in a month, in time for his birthday, that left about $45 for food a week. That wasn’t counting anything else he might need in that time.
Tim wrinkled his nose. He wasn’t one to buy groceries, but he knew that wasn’t enough.
With a sigh, he shoved two twenties into his wallet.
He was going to make due. He would buy the cheapest meals he could. Cups of noodles and some eggs should hold him over. He knew enough about using the stove to heat up cans of soup too.
He would figure it out. He was a Drake.
Tim didn’t get home from batwatching until the sun was just about to come up. He had spent his night scaling fire escapes and rushing over rooftops. He had got some great pictures. But he was exhausted. He managed to change out of his dark clothes and collapse into bed, reveling the feeling of the overhead fan on his overheated skin. A shower was definitely needed, but that could wait. Tim had become nearly nocturnal since school let out and he didn’t mind at all. Nobody was there to stop him.
It wasn’t loneliness. It was freedom.
Tim smiled as he drifted off to sleep, the sun just beginning to filter through the window.
Tim didn’t know what time it was, but the sun was shining brightly outside. He groaned as he rolled over. Maybe he could invest in some blackout curtains?
The $120 stashed away in his drawer disagreed with that thought.
Tim forced himself out of bed and dragged his feet to the ensuite bathroom. He was in desperate need of a shower and then he would go out for some groceries before getting ready for batwatching again tonight.
Tim turned the shower knob and heard the pipes squeak. A bit of water dripped from the shower head, before stopping completely.
He stared blankly before reaching to try again. He blinked as nothing happened. With a sense of dread beginning to creep into his stomach, he turned to the sink and scrambled to turn the faucet on. A few drops fell into the basin and then nothing.
Okay. Okay.
The water was not working. Maybe just something broken in the plumbing, maybe there was some kind of emergency happening that was causing the water to turn off everywhere.
Not a big deal. Not a big deal.
Tim hurried back to his room to search online for answers. He glanced out his window and caught sight of the neighbor’s sprinklers going full blast.
Okay. Maybe just a his house problem.
Still not a big deal.
It’s fine. It’s fine.
His water had been shut off. He had done all the research he could think of, and it was the only thing he had found that matched his situation. Water not running, padlock on a pipe that Tim found out in a kind of box near the street… He was sure that any attempts to contact the homeowners had gone to his parents’ phone or his parents’ assistants. And his parents were out of service so often. They probably never got a message about any issues with the water bill. He almost called his mother’s assistant, but the last time he had tried that during a storm that had knocked out the whole block’s power, his mother had been so angry.
“You just needed to wait for it to come back on. Honestly Timothy, our employees are not being paid to baby you.”
He had not won the game that day.
So Tim did what he did best. He adapted. He cleaned himself up with disposable wipes, put a hat over his gross hair and walked to the nearest store to buy water. Some for drinking and some for washing. He picked up some granola bars on sale too.
$104 left in his stash.
It would be July soon. His parents would be back before he ran out.
Tim was not worried. He could do this.
That night, he briefly wondered if he should skip batwatching, knowing his extracurriculars had him drinking a lot of water and knowing he only had so much to spare.
Tim threw on his dark long-sleeved shirt and tossed some granola bars into his bag.
Batwatching was what made this all worth it.
Tim headed into the city, plans for rationing put aside for the night.
He would figure it out.
Tim watched Batman and Robin swing around the city. He quietly chased after them, taking pictures and childishly imagining what it would be like to fly with them.
When he was out at night, nothing else mattered. Not his parents’ games, not the empty house, not the bare pantries, not the water that wouldn’t come back on.
It was just him and the city and Batman and Robin.
That was all that mattered.
The day the power went out, Tim woke up in a sweat.
Everything in the house was still and stifling. He had stayed up way too late the night before and he woke up from a dream about suffocating only to find his room had heated to what felt like the surface of the sun.
A heatwave had begun a few days ago and even going out at night was uncomfortable. But if Batman could do it, then Tim could handle it too.
He regretted his decision to follow Batman most of the night, as he stood by his light switch and flipped it on and off.
The room remained dim and unbearably warm.
Tim left his home and went to the closest thrift store to buy second hand basketball shorts and a few loose shirts because nothing he owned was comfortable in the suffocating heat of his house.
He charged his phone at the local library, dropped by the grocery store again, and came home with $70 left in his wallet.
It was the first day of July. His parent should be home in a few weeks. He was fine.
He didn’t go out Batwatching that night.
Tired, warm and feeling nauseous, he stretched out on the kitchen floor and tried to steal as much coolness from the tiles as he could.
He quietly rolled a flashlight between his hands, flicking it on whenever he felt the darkness beginning to creep in a little too close.
He didn’t manage to fall asleep until the first rays of the sun began to slip through the kitchen window.
On the floor, in his suffocating house, Tim fell into a restless sleep.
It was too warm to think.
Tim knew he had to go to the store for water and more food, but it was just too hot to move. A few days had gone by before he realized his house was the only one without power.
It was just like the water.
Opening the windows did little to let out all the hot air. Tim soon found himself leaving his stuffy house to search for shade and a breeze on his property.
He wandered under the trees and walked along the iron fence that separated this section of his parents’ plot from the Wayne’s vast estate. Most of the line between their properties was marked with a tall brick wall, but there was a section where the trees grew close together, and the brick turned into a tall black fence. When Tim was little, he would sit by the fence and pretend to look for some gateway that would take him somewhere else.
He used to sit alone by the fence a lot, daydreaming.
Though Tim never admitted it, after he found out Batman’s identity, he would walk there sometimes and hope to see what his neighbors were up to. He always thought they looked happy when he managed to catch sight of them. It was nice.
Without thinking, Tim sat under a tree and pressed his cheek into an iron bar. It was not as cool as he had hoped it would be.
The Waynes had their sprinklers on and when the breeze blew just right, a fine mist caressed his overheated skin.
He focused on the cool relief and not on his dwindling water supply, empty pantry or the $50 that was shrinking more quickly than he wanted it to.
For this moment, he could just concentrate on the soft wind and the sound of the sprinkler system and the barking dog…
Tim opened his eyes and he would have moved if he thought it would help. But the Waynes’ dog had already seen him and it barked as it ran for the perimeter.
Tim leaned away, praying the dog would just leave before-
“Ace! What are you doing?”
Jason Todd was carrying a Frisbee as he walked through the sprinklers. He was wearing a red shirt and swimming trunks; clearly he had been purposefully playing in the sprinklers with the dog. Tim had never played in a sprinkler, but he had heard of some kids doing that when it got hot.
“Leave the squirrels alone, man. They’re not doing anyth-“
Tim stared up blankly at Jason, and Jason only stared back for a beat before grabbing Ace’s collar.
“Heel,” Jason commanded and the dog finally relented, leaving Tim and choosing instead to bite at the spray coming from the closest sprinkler.
“Hey, kid” Jason drawled. “Uh, Tim, right? You okay?”
Tim opened his mouth, but for a moment all he could think was how his mother had once scolded him for having a conversation with Jason at a gala. She had said Jason was beneath him.
His mother was wrong, but he could never tell her that.
“Jason,” Tim muttered finally, “it’s hot.” Because it was and he could really think of nothing else to say to Robin. Stupid, overheated brain.
“Yeah,” Jason raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should go inside your house? You’re looking kind of shi- bad.”
Tim stared down at his discount basketball shorts. Did he look bad?
“It’s too hot for slacks,” Tim mumbled.
There was a moment of silence, before Jason cleared his throat.
“Okay, bud. Maybe go inside and drink some water and, like, sit down in the AC or something.”
Why was Jason using a Robin voice? A victim voice?
Tim blinked slowly and turned his head in the direction of his house.
“The AC isn’t working,” Tim said before he could stop himself.
“What? Are you serious? That sucks. How long is it going to take to fix?” Jason had kneeled close to his level. When did that happen?
Tim grimaced before he lied through his teeth. “My nanny is on the phone with the company right now. A couple hours maybe.”
“It’s like 105 degrees out. Were you just going to sit out here until it was fixed?”
Tim furrowed his brow. Why did Jason have so many questions? Tim was too warm, and he was really thirsty now and he couldn’t think well enough to lie convincingly.
Tim shrugged.
There was another moment of silence before Jason spoke again.
“I was going to swim in our pool later,” the other boy remarked.
Must be nice, Tim thought.
“Do you want to come over to swim? If your nanny says it’s ok?”
Tim stared, did he just get invited over to the Waynes' home? To Batman’s home?
“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Jason started to say when Tim only stared at him.
“Yes,” Tim blurted past his dry throat and cracking lips. “Yes, please.”
Jason smiled and Tim found that it was just as bright as when he was swinging through the city.
“Meet you at the front gate in 20 minutes?”
Tim nodded and eagerly scrambled to his feet. And if he wavered a little from the resulting dizziness, it didn’t matter. Jason Todd, Robin, had invited him over. He was going to escape everything for a little while and then he would return back home to finish his parents’ game.
Taking a swim wasn’t cheating, he was still up for any challenge.
Thankfully, he hadn’t grown much since last summer and his old swim trunks fit just fine. Tim changed at home, sweat dripping down the back of his neck from the short time he spent inside his house.
He took a gulp of warm water from his stash before shoving his bare feet into sneakers and fleeing the home.
Jason met him with a grin at the opened gate to Wayne manor.
He asked Tim about his summer as they walked across the huge lawn. To Tim’s dismay, the sprinklers had already turned off. He wiped sweat from his brow and tried to think of an answer
“I’ve just been hanging around the house. I wasn’t planning on doing anything this summer.” Not since Italy fell through, Tim thought with a frown.
Well. Nothing except watching Batman, but he certainly wouldn’t be saying that.
“Yeah, we’re staying home too. But there’s the pools and my brother is coming to stay for a few weeks.”
Nightwing was coming after all. Holy crap. Tim had hoped he would. It had been a long time since he had a chance to get a picture of all three of them.
“Cool,” Tim said in a hopefully neutral voice.
The Waynes had an outdoor and an indoor pool. Jason led him to the indoor one, claiming the sun was too bright and he didn’t feel like getting a sunburn. Tim stared down at his own pale arms. Going out mainly at night probably hadn’t helped his complexion and he already burned easily. So sticking to the indoor pool suited him just fine. They entered in a side door and Tim could cry in relief. While it probably wasn’t kept the coldest area of the house, it was bliss compared to his own home.
Tim placed his shirt on a chair before he quickly followed Jason to the water.
“Do not run, Master Jason,” a voice called. Tim jumped, realizing the Waynes' butler was standing beside a table where he was placing water bottles. Tim eyed the bottles eagerly, almost forgetting to introduce himself.
“Hello, I’m Timothy Drake. Nice to meet you.” Tim was too far to shake a hand but he nodded and hoped that was polite enough.
“Hello, Timothy. I am Alfred Pennyworth, I am sorry to hear about the trouble you are having with your air conditioning. Please enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you, sir,” Tim swung back around and met Jason at the pool’s edge. Jason stood near the deep end, waiting for Tim to join.
“Okay, Timmy, are you a just jump in kind of guy or a one step at a time guy?”
Tim eyed the water, beckoning him in with its promise of relief.
“Just jump,” Tim whispered, disbelief that this is where his afternoon had lead him was beginning to hit him, but he didn’t want to question it.
Jason grinned down at him
“We go at the count of three, then. Ready? One… two… three!”
Tim flew.
Jason was trying to teach Tim how to float on top of the water, when a deeper voice called out.
“Come eat, boys.”
Tim flailed in surprise and ended up dunking his head just beneath the surface, causing Jason to grab his arm and pull him to the pool’s ledge. Coughing, Tim glanced up to see Bruce Wayne with a furrowed brow and a look of concern.
“Sorry to startle you. Are you alright, Timothy?” Bruce held out his hands, looking ready to pluck Tim from the pool. The man was wearing $600 slacks, Tim would not be dripping water all over them.
“I’m fine, Mr. Wayne. Thank you.” Tim quickly hoisted himself out of the water all on his own.
“Please, call me Bruce.”
Oh. His parents would not be okay with that.
They aren’t here.
Tim nodded, but found his throat strangely closing. Bruce seemed to take it in stride as he handed off warm, fluffy towels to both boys.
Tim soon found himself seated at a small round table with a plethora of sandwiches and snack options as well as water bottles and a selection of juices. He grabbed a bottle of water and was relieved to not have to think about how much he could drink before his next trip to the store.
“Have as much as you like,” the butler said with a gentle smile, handing Tim a plate.
“Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth,” he managed before he let himself get lost in finger sandwiches and cut up strawberries.
He hadn’t had fresh fruit in a month and he hadn’t realized how much he missed it.
They let him get through nearly a whole plate of food, before they started directing any questions or comments his way.
“So Tim, Jason says you’ll be in eighth grade, but how old are you now?” Bruce asked with a smile in place.
“I’m twelve.” Give or take a few weeks. “I skipped the fifth grade, so I’m a bit ahead.”
“Jason is fourteen-“
“Fifteen,” Jason interrupted. Bruce sighed.
“Not yet, chum.”
Jason shrugged. “It’s just a little over a month away, I’m basically fifteen.”
Huh. Jason rounded up too.
Bruce sighed again. “You don’t need to be in such a hurry, Jaylad.”
Jason rolled his eyes, but he smiled a bit at Bruce’s words.
“If you say so, old man.”
The conversation flowed easily, and Tim did his best not to stuff his face, but they kept encouraging him to try more. He ate until he was full. And that wasn’t a feeling he was used to anymore.
He waited until they all seemed to be caught up in conversation about which classes Jason would be taking in the fall, when he carefully wrapped two cookies in a paper napkin and slipped them into the pocket of his trunks. He hoped they were dry enough that the cookies would make it home with him. He could have them for dinner.
It wasn’t stealing. It was perfectly fine to save some for later. He just didn’t want the Wayne family to know. He wasn’t sure what lie he would tell if he was caught.
They talked for a few more minutes before Bruce cleared his throat.
“Tim, if there is still trouble with your AC, you and your nanny are welcome to stay the night here.”
Tim opened and shut his mouth, tripped up on which lie would come out first.
The AC was fixed now? His nanny wouldn’t like to stay over? His parents would rather he not spend more time with the Waynes than necessary?
That last one was the truth actually.
“I would have to ask,” Tim settled on.
Was he really going to pass up the chance to stay over at Batman’s house? Would it be okay if he stayed?
The kitchen floor came to his mind and the way he hadn’t managed to really sleep there, even though he was exhausted.
“Of course. Ask and if she agrees, you can both come right over.”
Tim nodded and stood from his chair. “I don’t have my phone.” Because it was dead so he had just left it on the kitchen counter. He hadn’t been able to go the library and borrow an outlet recently. He figured he could always use the landline if there was an emergency, but now that he thought of it, he didn’t know if it would work or not with the electricity out. “I’ll just go ask her.”
“I’ll walk you, Timmy,” Jason stood from his chair and Tim started to argue but Jason waved him off.
Stuck being too polite and a little awestruck honestly, Tim gathered his shoes and shirt and began the walk back home.
Jason was talking about some new video game he had got recently and was suggesting they play since Tim was possibly staying over, but Tim could only hum every now and then to suggest he was listening.
His mind whirled. What if Jason noticed how empty the house was? What if he noticed that the lawn was dying from a lack of watering?
But what if he didn’t and it would be okay and Tim would get to hang out with Robin. Robin. In Batman’s home.
He thought of them laughing as they swung from rooftops. It was stupid how he had always wished he could be with them.
But maybe he could have something like that.
Tim took a deep breath. He was smart. He could cheat a little and spend some time away from the house and still win the game overall.
His parents never needed to know.