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Dick Grayson loved his little brother, he loved that Tim was so smart and adored just how utterly sassy the man was. He loved that Tim had finally figured out a spot for himself within their family where he felt confident and comfortable. Because Dick always knew that Tim was part of their family, he had known it from the moment he had seen Tim come swooping in as Robin to save him and Bruce from Two Face that this kid was never going to escape their family.
But, Tim had insecurities, from his parents, from the way he had been treated by the world, hell, even with how he had been treated by the Wayne family themselves. They weren’t always the best or most healthy family. But Tim had figured out his spot in their family and just how seamlessly he fit in with them and it made Dick so incredibly proud of his brother.
A lot of that was due to his brother’s boyfriend, Danny Fenton. The way Tim had forced his way into being Robin, Danny had all but forced his way into dating Tim. From what Dick had learned from the couple and from what he himself had seen, Danny had been relentless in his pursuit of Tim.
The two met in college, rivals, in fact, in their classes. Arguing and debating back and forth in classes, driving each other up the wall only for Danny to turn around and flirt with Tim after class. Dick remembered hearing Tim rant about the man for weeks.
Then he remembered being utterly surprised when Tim marched into Dick’s apartment, hickies covering his throat as he announced that he hated Danny Fenton and he was going to kick his ass, only to admit that they had started to hate fuck.
Hate fucking turned into well, whatever the opposite was, Dick didn’t want to know. All he knew was that now the two had been dating for five years and were engaged in what Jason jokingly called gay chicken.
All that being said, Danny brought a different side of Tim out. One that Dick hadn’t seen in over a decade. Tim was self assured and full of joy and laughter, he was his usual Timmy self again and with that, he let himself grow closer with his family again.
So yes, Dick liked Tim’s boyfriend. Even when it got a bit awkward watching Danny and Tim bicker like an old married couple and then start making out as if they forgot they had guests.
But the thing was, Danny was odd.
In all the time that Dick had known the man, he recognized that Danny was an odd duck. He had always chalked it up to random things or Dick’s own Bat trademarked paranoia.
But lately, things were starting to add up in a way that Dick could no longer excuse them.
“Come on Tim! You know I’m right!” Jason exclaimed, falling back on the couch, bouncing Dick’s cushion ever so slightly.
“What are you guys arguing about?” Dick asked, looking up from his phone.
“Riddler has a crush on Danny,” Jason insisted. Tim scoffed.
“Eddie doesn’t have a crush on Danny, they just get along,” Tim said. Danny’s head suddenly popped out around the wall of the kitchen—although Dick could have sworn for a moment it had gone through but after blinking Danny was now in the living room giving them a look of amusement.
“If Eddie has a crush on anyone, it’s Tim. You should watch them play chess together,” Danny said with a laugh, looking between Jason and Tim.
“Just you wait, Riddler’s going to insist on trying to be a third in your relationship,” Jason said, letting out a howl of laughter at his own joke, both Danny and Tim crinkling their noses in disgust.
“Absolutely not, he’s as old as Bruce. I have issues, but none of them are daddy issues,” Tim said and looked back at Danny. “Do you need any help bringing out dinner?” He asked, his voice going saccharine sweet as he smiled at the man.
Danny shook his head, his own smile turning soft. Dick turned his eyes away and looked up at the television.
“I thought we were watching the new season of Bridgerton, why the hell are we talking about the Riddler of all people?” He demanded, kicking his feet up on the coffee table only for Tim to swat at his legs.
“Get your feet down,” he hissed. “This is new.”
“We’re waiting for Danny to finish up dinner so he can watch with us, asshole,” Jason explained. “What have you been doing this entire time?”
Dick shrugged. “
Lost in thought, I guess.” He shoved his phone into his pocket and leaned his forearms on his knees. “So, Timmy Two Shoes. What’s the big announcement?” He asked, giving Tim a teasing grin.Tim had sent a cryptic text only two days earlier that he was going to be making an announcement at their bi monthly family dinner next week and Dick was more than curious about what it could possibly be. His money was on engagement, but neither of them had a ring on yet.
“Are there wedding bells in our future?” Jason added, waggling his eyebrows. Dick looked towards Danny only for the man to have quietly disappeared. Dick frowned, he hadn’t even heard his footsteps.
“You’ll have to wait and see at the family dinner next Saturday,” Tim sang as he took a seat on the arm chair caddy corner from Dick. “Don’t be impatient.”
“Why do we have to wait?” Dick whined, falling onto the armrest of the couch dramatically to get closer to Tim.
“Because it’s not a conversation suited for over the phone and Alfred doesn’t get back from England until next week and bi monthly family dinners are the only time when I for sure know that everyone is going to be together and I only want to make the announcement once.”
“Or you could just tell us now and we can act excited at the dinner,” Jason hedged. “Your two favorite big brothers who you tell everything to. Your best friends.”
“My best friends are Bart, Conner, and Cassie and they don’t even know yet,” Tim told him blandly. “I’m not telling anyone until the family dinner and then we’ll see how it goes.”
“That big of a secret huh?” Jason asked, looking between Tim and the kitchen when his eyes widened marginally just as Danny walked in with a tray full of plates.
“Alright, tried out a new recipe, chicken gyro couscous,” Danny said with a grin as he all but glided across the floor. Dick looked back at Jason who was staring at Danny in confusion before he shook his head, running his fingers through his hair.
“Sounds delicious,” Dick said with a smile as he took his plate and got comfortable on the couch once again.
“He can’t take full credit, it’s from one of those meal delivery companies. He just followed the instructions,” Tim said with a roll of his eyes. Danny scoffed and flicked Tim’s ear as he sat on the arm rest of Tim’s chair.
“I still cooked it,” Danny said indignantly before he let out a squawk as Tim pulled him into his arms and rested his chin on Danny’s shoulder. “Timothy, I’m trying to eat.”
“Feed me,” Tim said innocently. Dick rolled his eyes and looked over at Jason who shook his head and started the first episode of the newest season.
“Thanks for driving me home,” Dick said as he got in Jason’s car. He was ready to get home to his wife and pass out. The older he got, the more tired he seemed to be. not the best mix for a vigilante but it was different. The adrenaline kept him awake for patrols, non patrol nights were different and that night, the girls were covering while Jason, Dick, and Tim had a night off for their weekly hang out. But, hopefully, Babs would be home when he got there and they could just conk out.
“No problem, I know your old man eyes can’t see at night without your domino mask,” Jason teased as he started driving.
Dick punched him in the arm and leaned back in his seat.
“Have you ever thought about how… odd Danny is?” He said after a few minutes of silence.
“Odd how?” Jason said after a few beats.
“Like, I could have sworn he walked through the kitchen wall earlier,” Dick said. “And the guy doesn’t make any noise when he walks. I can never hear his footsteps.”
Jason hummed in response. “I could have sworn I watched Danny walk into their bedroom but just as he did, another Danny walked into the living room carrying dinner. I thought I was seeing something or my eyes were messing with me.”
Dick nodded. “I saw you looked confused for a second.”
“His pupils aren’t normal, either,” Jason said. “I noticed it the other day and I looked again today. It’s like they’re diamond shaped, they’re not round.”
“How long have you noticed that he’s weird?” Dick asked, looking over at his brother.
“About four years, when Danny first started to come around with Tim,” Jason said with a shrug. “It was just little things at first, but I’ve been noticing more and more since then. I don’t think he’s human.”
“Alien?” Dick asked, arching his eyebrows.
“I dunno,” Jason said with a shrug. “I’ve been rackin’ my brain about it for years but I can’t figure it out. But if he wanted us to know he’d tell us and Tim wouldn’t keep it a secret unless he thought it was necessary.”
“Do you think that maybe that’s what the announcement’s going to be? He said no one knows but he wants the family to know first.”
“Yeah and neither of them are wearing a ring, I checked. I didn’t see one in their bedroom either when I went to snoop,” Jason said with a grunt. “So I doubt they’re engaged.”
“Yeah, I don’t really think Danny and Tim are the marriage type. They’re more like the I dunno, domestic partnership type,” Dick said. “I guess we’ll find out during dinner.”
“Guess so. Glad it wasn’t just me, I’ve been thinkin’ I’m going crazy,” Jason said with a laugh.
Dick snorted. “Tell me about it.”
He chewed on his lip as he stared out the window. Danny was a good guy, he knew that the guy loved his brother. It was obvious just the way that he looked at Tim. But that didn’t take the worry away. Whatever it was that Danny was hiding, Dick hoped it wasn’t something that would hurt his little brother.