idkwichname wanted some Roy and Dick content so here we gooo

"It's the same story, Roy. Only, I'm not following the ending."

"You never learn Bruce," Dick muttered to himself. He was currently wandering around in Star City with a backpack of essentials and no plan whatsoever. The only reason he'd ended up in the city was that it was the last stop for the bus he was taking. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out or when exactly he left the Manor but he knew he wasn't going back for now. He could've taken the Zetatubes but then he'd have to be in Robin uniform for that lest he out himself to the Team or to other heroes he didn't know. That was the last thing he needed as of now. It also felt wrong to use the Robin out for a Dick Grayson issue. He and Batman were just fine but Dick and Bruce were far from it. The billionaire had been ignoring him again. Completely blanking him out if he wasn't in the suit. It made his stomach twist with that horrible feeling of "not enough" and he couldn't stand it anymore. He just wanted to have some civilian time but his offers were shut down halfway through delivering them. Basketball? Food market? Fair? Shopping? All of them shut down. He'd been so desperate that he would've taken a game of chess to spend time with his mentor outside of work but knowing Bruce he'd turn it into work. He couldn't even give Bruce the benefit of the doubt. Ever since his first year as Robin was up, Bruce seemed to give up on trying to make his civilian life as normal as possible. Sure he sent him to school and signed him up for clubs but that was about it. At least with The Team Robin found some semblance of work-life balance but he should've had that with his guardian, not friends he didn't know half as well. Every time Bruce ignored him for too long, he'd act out and then Bruce would find him and then promise to change. He would change but only for a week then everything would go back to "normal" or something like that. So he was starting the cycle again, running away to get the attention he craved. Only this time, he didn't have a plan. He always had a plan to make sure he'd get the reaction he wanted, but he didn't have one right now. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to go back.  

Eventually, he took a break from his endless march and sat on a bench in a local park. It wasn't late yet and there were families still about. They let their children run around to burn off some of that last wind before heading back home and praying that they'd got all their sillies out so they could sleep. He knew the plan well. His parents would do the same as did Bruce. Only now, there was a bitter taste to the memories. He let out a sigh and put his head in his hands. "What am I gonna do?" he muttered to himself, not particularly caring what passers-by thought of him talking to himself. "Can't go home. Well, don't wanna go home." There was a big difference there. He wasn't kicked out, he decided to leave with his things. That was on him. Even if he felt like he'd been forced out. He leaned back and looked at the sky with a sigh. "Not going to Wally. Not Barry. Not Clark. Not Ollie." He ran through the rest of the names in his head. Each one would try to talk him out of being spiteful and take him right back home with no repercussions to Bruce who was the whole reason he didn't want to be there. He needed someone who would understand that he doesn't want to play happy families right now and that someone preferably needed to be close to him because he wasn't in the mood for another bus journey. Then a name popped up. "Roy," he concluded. He still lived somewhere in Star City and although Robin didn't know the address, he knew the way there. Maybe he could crash there for a little bit until he thought through his options more. He wasn't sure how far he wanted to run from his problems but a pit stop wouldn't hurt. Dick nodded to himself and got up, setting off in the direction of the ex-sidekick's apartment.

The apartment building was tall and rundown with vines running up along the walls. Some of the windows were cracked and/or smashed with the glass still scattered on the window ledges. In the distance, there were gunshots and shouts which oddly enough made Dick feel at home. He walked up the steps, avoiding the blood and glass bottles, and went to buzz in but the door was open. He shrugged to himself and walked inside, scaling the stairs quickly before someone recognised there was a billionaire's ward in their stairwell prime for the taking. His footsteps echoed around him as he climbed higher and higher before stopping and pushing open a heavy metal door that slammed shut behind him. The hallway had a total of five doors, three on one side and two on the other, but he knew Roy's door well since he'd slapped a Robin sticker on there a month ago. He walked up the door, avoiding the creaky floorboards although he didn't doubt that all the residents had heard the door slam, and knocked on the door. When there came no reply, he knocked again. Still silence. "Is ignoring me a trend now?" he grumbled. He checked the doorknob but wasn't surprised to find it was locked. A locked door had never stopped him before though. A pick locking kit was part of the essentials he'd brought with him and he got to work after digging it out of his backpack. It took barely a minute to open the simple lock and he swiftly went inside, closing the door behind him. Maybe when Roy got home he could suggest some better locks that wouldn't be so easy to get past. The apartment was empty as he expected it to be and wasn't in the best condition. Clothes were on the floor, a first aid kit was messily spread out on the coffee table and half drank cups of coffee littered all the tables. He shook his head at the mess and placed his bag on one of the coat hooks. Whilst he waited, it wouldn't hurt to clean up the apartment. Like a thanks in advance for letting him stay. Plus, the busy work would take his mind off things.

An hour or so later, Roy entered the flat and let out a shriek upon seeing Dick doing a handstand on his breakfast table. The acrobat looked up at him with an unimpressed expression and sat down to somewhat help with the shock. "Howdy."

"Don't howdy me, how'd you get in here?" the ginger snapped. He recovered from the heart attack he'd just been given but that just made his mind clear enough for questions to occur.

"Broke in," he replied simply as he swung his feet off the side. "You should get more than one lock." Roy narrowed his eyes at him, scanning for inconsistencies. Finding that there was no blood or visible injury, he seemed to relax and fully entered the apartment. He locked the door behind him and looked around the room.

"You cleaned up?"

"Yeah thought it could be a payment."

"For what?"

"For letting me stay?" Roy nodded slowly. There it was. The reason a teenager was chilling in his apartment whilst he'd been out working. He let out a sigh and glanced at the coat rack, finding a backpack that didn't belong to him. It wasn't unusual for Dick to crash at his after a fight with Bruce or something along those lines but it had been unusual not to get a prior warning or for him to break in. Usually, he'd wait or join him on patrol for a bit. He went over to the acrobat who seemed suddenly nervous without a reply and tussled his hair. 

"Alright bud, how long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure yet," Dick answered honestly. "Thought this could be a pit stop before I decide."

"Decide what?"

"I don't know yet," he muttered. 

"Dickie, what's happened?" Dick didn't know why a simple question had gotten him choked up. Maybe because someone was taking the time to care and wasn't just asking for asking's sake. Roy gave a shit about him and wanted to listen, he could tell. He used his nickname. One saved for the people he trusted. With a shaky breath and his eyes firmly glued to the floor, he went about explaining. 

"B is ignoring me again and I'm tired of it Roy, I really am. It doesn't matter how many times I act out or how many times other heroes scold him. He'll never change," he answered. Then there was a pause and he shrunk in on himself before voicing it. "He doesn't want a son, he wants a sidekick." 

"Dude, of course, he wants a son," Roy insured him but even he sounded unsure.

"Then why am I still fostered and not adopted? No family has come forward to claim me so it's okay if he does but he doesn't! He has the contacts, he has the time, he has everything but he chooses not to. He doesn't want a son," he insisted. It was hard to argue with. Everything was there waiting and ready but Bruce wasn't making those steps so what other conclusion could be drawn? He was being ignored as Dick, he wasn't getting adopted soon, and it took him doing the dumbest things to get attention. Part of him wondered if that was only to calm him down to come back as Robin. As much as Bruce didn't like to admit it, Batman needed Robin. Perhaps a little too much. 

"He does love you, you know that," Roy attempted.

"Do I?" The ginger sighed and opened his arms up, letting Dick fall forward and wrap his limbs around him. He carried the teen to the couch and sat down as he patted his hair. He needed comfort and Roy couldn't deny that he needed it too. A hug would do them both good. "What am I gonna do?"

"I wish I knew. I really did." He heard the other sniffle and let out a sigh. "Let it go kid. You're safe here."

With permission now given, Dick broke down and let himself feel what he needed to. He'd locked his emotions away in a box to keep himself from becoming the mess he was now but if someone was willing to keep him safe then he didn't see why the box needed to remain closed. He gripped Roy's suit as sobs racked his body and his thoughts fixated on one topic. Bruce didn't want him. Robin was who he wanted. He wanted that person to be there all the time but he didn't want the person behind the mask. "It's alright little bird. I've got you," Roy murmured as he rubbed circles on his back. His voice was low but it didn't have that rumble that Bruce's had. Still, it was comforting. It reminded him of when things were easier with his mentor. When the older would only let him out for an hour and he'd read to him at night. Yet even the earlier memories weren't all good. There'd be hours where he'd roam around the mansion with nothing to do and no one to talk to. He'd play with dolls and invite Bruce to play with him but they never had the right timetables. By the time Bruce had spare time, he was in bed. He supposed he'd been looking at the whole thing with rose-tinted glasses until he finally let himself take them off. He let himself feel hurt by the constant rejection of requests that weren't some type of training. It wasn't fair that Bruce didn't want a son and only wanted a sidekick. He should've just got some adult or he should've not bothered with Dick at all but now the teen was sucked into the world of fighting crime. There wasn't a way out short of being forced. "Dickie, breathe for me bud," Roy called. Suddenly he became aware of how shaky and shallow his breath had been. He did as he was told and took one deep breath, held it then let it go. "Good job. Do that another few times. You want some water and tissues?"

"Don't wanna let go," he murmured.

"Dude, you weigh ten pounds when wet, I can carry you about. Kinda guessed letting go wasn't an option."

"Sorry."

"You're good. Tissues and water, then get a nap in. Don't think I don't know that you get tired after crying," Roy said. He sounded so brotherly. So caring. it was everything Dick needed right now. He felt himself being picked up again and felt secure in the other's hold. He was carried to the kitchen where he heard cupboards open and the faucet turn on. A glass of cool water was put in his hands and he took a sip, sticking out his tongue with a frown. "Water isn't that bad."

"Oh but it is. Especially your water. Metropolis water is good. Gotham water is bad. It got tampered with last month though so maybe I'm just overanalyzing," Dick rambled. "Thanks though." The older hummed and grabbed him a box of tissues in return for the empty glass of water. It felt odd to be babied like this. He didn't know if he was completely okay with it, but it was attention, and he wanted attention desperately. He wiped his eyes and found he was being carried to Roy's room. 

It wasn't a big space but no parts of the apartment were big. The bed was a double with a blanket Dick remembered giving him as a housewarming gift. The idiot hadn't brought his own blankets so he came in clutch. Roy carried him over to the bed and threw him down, gaining a cackle from him. "Since I have the amazing Dick Grayson in my home, I better give you the best bed," the ginger announced in a horrific attempt at a posh British accent. That only made the teen laugh harder at him. "There's the little gremlin I know," he commented. He sounded relieved which could be expected when a sassy firecracker just broke down balling. "What's the plan then?" he asked once the laughter died out. 

"Plan?"

"Well, how are we dealing with your bastard of a mentor?" Dick shrugged with a sigh as he propped himself up on his elbows. 

"I don't want him to think he can keep doing this, that's for sure. I think that just makes my mental issues more complex. The only problem is, I know this running away thing doesn't work. Just puts a bandaid on a bullet wound. One of those cool bandaids with holo fish," he replied. He knew he was rambling a bit near the end but that was his comfort. He liked going off on tangents if it meant not dealing with an issue he wasn't sure how to tackle. Much easier to detail the bandaid than talk about the bullet wound. 

"Well, you can tough it out or you can get the hell out. Those are your options however shit they are," Roy told him. That was true. Talking about it wasn't proving helpful as Bruce never changed and family therapy just wasn't on the table since the older was stubborn about things like that. He thought he didn't need it but he did. More so than Dick ever did. "People care about you, Dick. I care about you. You're my lil brother and whatever you decide, I'll be here to help you see it through."

"Thanks, Roy. I think I'm gonna have to tough it out. At least till I get my high school diploma. Then I'll get out. Jump City might need a hero," he suggested. 

"Sounds like a plan. I'm sorry it came down to grinning and bearing it though. You don't deserve the way he treats you." He hugged the younger again, knowing he needed the top-up of physical affection. Dick smiled to himself and relaxed into his touch. 

"Am...am I gonna be okay?"

"'Course you will. You're Dick Grayson." There was a nod and he held on just that bit tighter. "I'm here Dickie. I promise."

"So, you're done? No more Robin?"

"It's the only way he'll learn. Too much has changed for this to say the same."

"This because he called that new kid Robin?"

"If I can't have a name that honours my mother, then I'll have a suit that honours my father. My real one. Plus, I already got a name."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Nightwing."

"You know, I like it. Nightwing. Sounds much cooler than Robin."

"Oh, you can't say anything Speedy."

"DO NOT!"