3EDS AU Overview: To put it simply, Dick has a connective tissue disorder called hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS/EDS) that causes, among plenty of other things, a lot of joints problems (hypermobility, instability, dislocations, etc.) Any specific hEDS information needed for the story will be found at the end.
Disclaimer: I draw off of my own experience with hEDS for these fics and I do my best to supplement that with lots of research, but keep in mind that everyone's experience with EDS is different and I'm not an expert. This is just for fun and self-projection to get more chronic illness representation out there.
A/N: Self-indulgent fluff because I can and I need some goodness in my life right now, okay? Dick is about 12 here, right when they start to realize something is wrong and won't be going away on its own.
Bruce has to force each foot forward as he walks up the stairs and towards his sweet, sweet bed after a particularly rough and long patrol. He gets to the top of the stairs and starts shuffling down the hall, internally sighing when he catches light coming from underneath Dick's door. The boy had stayed home tonight under the claim of having "a ton" of homework due the following morning, but Bruce suspects it was actually because he hasn't been feeling well and needed a break. Bruce wonders if he's struggling with pain-induced insomnia or just hasn't realized what time it is. Or maybe there really was homework due (in addition to Dick's unwellness, of course). Either way, Bruce decides to go in there with intentions to coax the boy into getting some rest before getting up for school tomorrow. Or rather, in a few hours.
"Dick?" Bruce calls softly as he opens the door.
With no protest or other form of response, he steps in to find Dick slouched in a half-upright position on his bed, propped up against several pillows with his laptop threatening to slip off of his lap. At first, he only sees the earbuds and guesses Dick hadn't heard him, but upon closer inspection, Bruce sees that Dick has actually fallen asleep—along with his laptop. Bruce moves his index finger over the touchpad, awakening the laptop to find Netflix asking him if he's still watching.
Bruce shakes his head somewhere between amusement and sadness; the poor kid is too exhausted to stay awake to watch television. He gently pulls the earbuds out of the boy's ears and shuts down the laptop, putting it back on the desk. He pulls the blankets back before carefully picking up Dick—who is still dressed in the sweats he changed into when he got home from school instead of his typical pajama wear—to place him in a more comfortable, lying down position in the bed. Bruce consciously ignores the fact that the boy doesn't stir like he should've while he rearranges the pillows and pulls the blankets back up to the boy's shoulders. He listens to Dick's deep breathing for a while, finding it reassuring that he doesn't seem to be suffering from any nightmares. Bruce pushes Dick's bang back and presses a soft kiss against his non-feverish forehead.
It's been a while since he's tucked Dick in. It used to happen much more frequently, especially when he first started out as Robin. It had taken a while to adjust to the new sleep schedule, and he would usually wind up falling asleep in the Batmobile on the way home. Bruce would wake the sleepy child up and have him shower and change back into his pajamas with orders to go up to bed as soon as he had finished. Sometimes, however, he would stay downstairs and help with the report. The "help" usually ended when he inevitably fell asleep again. Bruce would let him sleep on his lap or in the chair until he finished, and then he would walk (or carry, depending on the night) the still half-asleep boy to bed and tuck him in. He would be out before Bruce could even exit the room.
It's not quite the same now, but even with the circumstances that caused it, it's nice to be reminded of their early days. It's nice to be reminded that there are still good moments buried beneath the overwhelming worry and uncertainty regarding Dick's current health situation.
He leaves the bed and makes his way out of the room, turning off the light as he goes. He hovers in the hallway, hand still on the doorknob with the beginnings of a smile on his face, just watching his kid sleep.
A yawn pulls him out of the almost meditative state and reminds him of his own exhaustion, so he starts to pull the door shut. He whispers, "Good night, Dick, sleep well." and the door clicks shut.
EDS Note: None
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! I don't usually write fluff, so I hope this was okay. Let me know in a review (only if you want to), and I hope you have a nice day :)