anonymous asked: Jason, Tim, or Babs talking to Dick's grave?

Thanks to anonymous for donating! I appreciate it! Also, this is sad. Takes place after Where's Grayson but before Never, Forever, but could totally be read alone.

"Hi, Dick," Tim whispers, settling in front of the white stone. "It's been a while."

He reaches out to touch the grave, and it's cold this early in the year. It's the complete opposite of what Tim remembers of Dick. There's no solid, warm hand reaching back to take Tim's hand, just Tim's fingertips against all that's really left of Dick now. Tim has to swallow against the lump in his throat.

"I don't know if you know this," Tim starts, because it's been a busy couple of weeks, and when he's talking to Dick's grave, he can almost imagine he's talking to Dick himself. Tim keeps going. "I don't know if you know this, Dick, but Damian's alive. I think you'd be so happy, maybe you'd even cry. There'd definitely be hugs, and smiles, and…."

Tim trails off. His eyes are burning, because he still remembers what it felt like to have Dick wrap him up in a hug. To have his big brother here with him. To not feel so, so alone in the world.

There's no one here that needs him anymore. Not really. Bruce is coping pretty well, if isolating himself a bit more. Jason's gone, run away. Cass is—coping. So is Steph. And now Damian's alive, but Tim isn't the one Damian needs. Damian needs Dick.

But, just like last time, Dick isn't here. And Tim wonders—

"Damian's not doing well," Tim admits quietly. "He's shutting himself up in his room. Either that or he sits in front of the memorial case, and I just—" Tim blows out a frustrated breath. "I wish you were here, Dick. I don't know how to handle Damian like you do, and I don't know how to help him."

Tim chokes on his next breath. There's not much he can do right now, and it's killing him. No one needs him, and the one person who maybe does he doesn't know how to help. And he misses being able to count on his big brother to help him calm down and look at things differently.

He's never calm anymore. He always seems to be in this constant state of anxiety, and he can't find his way back down. Dick's dead. But there's a part of him that thinks maybe—

No. he won't entertain those thoughts. No matter how well Bruce is coping, no matter how much Tim wishes Dick were here, Jason and Damian were anomalies. Outliers. People don't just come back to life. Bruce's parents, Dick's parents, Tim's parents, the countless people they've all failed. People don't just come back.

Jason and Damian were both lucky. Or unlucky, depending on the view. After all, Jason came back to life pit-crazy. Tim doesn't want that for Dick.

"I miss you," Tim whispers. "I miss you so much. I don't know how to help Damian, but I'm going to try. For you."

He swallows past that lump again, and he sits there for a long while. He'll get up eventually, but for now, Tim just needs the comfort of his big brother. And this is the best he's got.