Mask of Glass

Ch 18

At that moment Ace jumped up and rushed downstairs as Tim and Damian got home from school. Dick got up and followed, wiping away his tears and hoping that his brothers would be able to cheer him up.

"Hey guys!" Dick called cheerfully when he walked downstairs. "How was school?"

"It was great." Tim said as Dick wrapped him in a hug. "I got 100% on my math test!"

"Wow!" Dick said, proud of his little brother. "What about you Dami?" Dick asked, ruffling the shorter boy's hair.

"Tt, school was school. A waste of time if you ask me. I already know everything I need to know." Damian swatted at Dick's hand. "Cease this manhandling Grayson." He called, all the while wishing Dick would give him a hug like he usually did when he got home from school.

"Sorry." Dick said forlornly, immediately withdrawing his hand and walking away with his head hung low.

"Nice going demon, you broke Dick." Tim said, whacking Damian on the back of the head before running up the stairs after his brother.

—

"Hey Dickie, can you help me with some math homework?" Tim asked, leaning on the doorframe of Dick's door. "We just started a new unit and I don't quite get it."

Dick wiped his eyes on his sleeve before turning to face Tim at the door. "Ya sure. What type of math is it?"

"Trig." Tim answered with a sigh, coming to sit on the floor next to Dick.

"I love trig." Dick said, mood brightening slightly.

"That makes you the perfect person to help me then." Tim said with a smile.

The two boys sat on the floor of Dick's room for about an hour, Dick went through all of Tim's homework with him and explained anything the younger didn't quite understand.

Tim was finishing with his last problem when Dick spoke. In a quiet voice he asked, "Tim... do... do you think that Bruce wants me, you know, as his son?"

There was a moment of silence while Tim stared at Dick, completely speechless. "Of course he does. Who on Earth made you think that he didn't?" Tim said, fully intent on beating the crap out of whoever had said anything to make Dick think he wasn't wanted.

"N-nobody." Dick said hastily. "It's just that Bruce never actually adopted me... I mean, who would ever want someone like me as part of their family?"

Tim wrapped Dick in a firm hug. "I would. I want you as part of my family, always and forever. You are the kindest, most thoughtful brother I have. If I was going to get rid of one it definitely wouldn't be you."

"But Jason said everyone would be better off if I left them alone..." Dick paused when he saw the murderous look in Tim's eyes. "H-he was just angry." Dick said, grabbing Tim's arm to prevent him from walking out of his room to go beat up Jason.

"That still doesn't give him any right to say things like that, especially not to a member of his own family... and don't you dare say that you aren't part of the family Dick, because you are, adoption or no adoption."

That was when Damian decided to come into the room. He'd been sitting in the hall listening in on the conversation and petting Ace for a while, and he felt extremely guilty that he had added to Dick's pain.

"Grayson... I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier... How I always treat you." Damian said, kneeling down and joining Tim and Dick's hug.

"I'm the one that should be sorry. I never respect your personal space, even if you ask me to stop." Dick said with a sigh.

There was silence for a moment before Damian said, "I actually don't mind the attention... In fact it's kind of nice."

Dick and Tim immediately backed up and gave Damian a weird look.

"If you like it... then why do you always complain when I try to give you hugs?" Dick asked, thoroughly confused.

"Tim and Jason..." Damian answered vaguely. "They always call me demon and make fun of me for being an assassin... I knew if I don't put up a fight when you give me hugs and stuff then they'll just make fun of me even more."

Now it was Tim's turn to look ashamed. "Look Damian. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much our teasing actually hurt you. I can *ahem* call you by your real name if you'd prefer." Tim said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Tt. Of course I would rather be called by my real name Drake." Damian answered.

"But to be fair, you always call us by our last names." Tim added.

"That's just how he was raised Tim. You on the other hand weren't taught by your parents to call people insulting nicknames." Dick added with a light chuckle.

"Fine." Tim sighed. "Now, if you would excuse me. I'm going to go give that little leach Jason a piece of my mind." Tim got up and walked out of the room.

Damian followed close behind saying, "I can't wait to see this."

Dick groaned and slumped to the ground, hoping his brothers wouldn't start a family war over what Jason had said to him. "Those kids." He muttered under his breath.

Another sigh escaped Dick's lips. He let out a short whistle, and Ace came bounding into the room, happily laying at his master's side. "What am I gonna do about those two?" Dick wondered aloud as he stroked Ace's soft fur.

Dick drifted off into his own thoughts as Damian and Tim walked down the hall katana and bow staff in hand.