Just Robin Oneshots Part 2

4th Day of Christmas

Still fluff just with a sprinkling of angst...something purely angst is brewing. Pray whilst you can

EDIT: TW BULLYING

https://www.bullying.co.uk/

https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/contact.html

https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/if-youre-being-bullied/find-help-and-support

Edited 06/02/2024: format changes and additional dialogue

"You what?" Clark shouted, shocked by what Bruce had just asked him. They'd been working in the lab based in the Watchtower when the conversation took a drastic turn from research to their personal lives. He was even more shocked to hear real names being used, making it ever more personal that he was being asked for advice. Bruce sighed before he repeated himself. 

"I need your help talking to Dick." Still, Clark couldn't help but gasp at the sentence. The man who made it very clear he wanted to work alone all his life in all areas of his life had just asked for help. 

"Where's the real you? You never ask for my help. I'm like in your top five most disliked heroes," he inquired. This had to be an impostor but then how would he know their real names?

"You may be a ticking time bomb for destruction but you know emotions better than I do," Bruce responded. "I'm...I'm struggling with him. He's always hidden things from me but since he started going to school it's only got worse and I fear what that is."

"Why are you asking me now? If he's already hidden things from you then why is it important now? Plenty of kids don't tell their parents about school drama." Something must've happened to spark Bruce's parting with his pride. 

"School called. Told me he's been skipping his breaks and lunches by jumping over the fence. They don't know what he's trying to avoid but whatever it is, it must be bad. I can't think what could be causing this since no hero is taking him out of the school and his team hasn't had any missions. It's personal this time," he explained. Clark frowned.

"Is he missing his actual classes?" The billionaire shook his head. "And he hasn't hinted at anything?"

"Not at all but he's only gotten better at hiding things like that," he replied. Clark let out a sad chuckle. 

"That's normal. Kids his age don't want to talk about all their feelings." There was something comforting in that. At least Bruce hadn't messed his protege up too much. "I'll talk to him. I'm sure everything's fine. I bet he did something stupid in front of a crush and is just trying to get out of seeing her," Clark joked.

Now Clark had a problem on his hands. If Dick wasn't opening up to the man who raised him, then how was he going to crack him? From watching Bruce over the years, the best way to crack a bat was to get them tired enough so they wouldn't go on the defensive. It took energy to go on the defensive and to act out or simply run away. That was a good place to start but then he had to remember that the bats weren't the same.