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"The hands of the King are the hands of healing"
From Tolkien's 'The Return of the King'
Everyone in the family knew that the primary love language of Dick was physical affection. There was never the need to be mentioned because Dick was always physical with them constantly engaging in small touches as simple as tucking a stray strand of their hair or fixing their uniform or even taping morse code on them when in patrol instead of speaking.
And no one really complained about it. Dick Grayson's hands were warm,they were always warm, and also they were kind, gentle and safe.
Somehow that ability of his turned into a family rumor that Dick's hand warmth could heal.
Well, it could not exactly bring people back from the bring of death but it drove away the pain and suffering , just like the sun does to the snow covering the frozen plants.
Each and everyone of them had their own favourite way that Dick shared his affection and love with them.
And all of them knew his own.
_____•••_____
Jason wasn't the physical type considering his life on the streets. Before the Red Hood it wasn't easier for Dick to touch him without getting showered with various insults and or being pushed aside.
But there was one thing he learned that Jason accepted and that was hair petting. He managed to do it twise before Jason's Death. Jason never adimited opennky that he liked that nor he accepted is from anyone else but him.
___°°°___
Jason hanged his legs on edge of the roof, kicking them back and forth like a child, as if that could shake the cold away. It was just October and cold has creeped up upon Gotham already. At least it didn't rain like last time on patrol.
He heard the soft landing of a pair of feet on the roof behind him. He knew well these steps. A little too well.
"Heya, Goldie! Bludhaven getting boring lately and you desided to annoy somebody else?" Jason asked without needing to face his brother. He knew his gaze would be met with that ridiculously kind smile of his.
"Kinda, Can't I see my brother who am I missing so much?"
"Cut the crap ,Goldie, ya didn't came for me here. Bet that you came for the discount on the Crispy Creme donuts." Jason changed into defensive position waiting for the next sweet talk to arrive.
"And how do you know that may I ask? Doesn't my presence prove my intentions?" Dick posed dramatically on the edge of the roof, balancing himself with grace.
"Don't start your dramatic monologue about being an neglected poor child. You're not. You're literally a Nepo baby."
"Kay." Dick simply responded dropping the act and sat besides him dangling his feet alongside his.
"Finishing up patrol?" He asked not letting the silence to set in.
Jason responded with an ambiguous hnnn that sounded suspiciously similar to Bruce's.
"We should get pizza afterwards." Dick stated and Jason responded with another grunt without facing him.
"Bad day?"
"Not your business." Jason finally spoke, still avoiding to look him in the eyes.
Dick's hand crept to his brothers hair who surprisingly wasn't wearing his helmet in that moment. He started combining through the dark locks slowly and carefully making sure to not tug his fingers on a knot.
Jason didn't say anything nor he tried to leave which was also a suprising occurrence.
Slowly Jason seemed to curl further onto himself until he fell on the side to plop right upon Dick's lap.
"The usual sir?" Dick asked not breaking contact. "Like that last time?"
Jason left another hnn in response and Dick continued his job in silence that was occasionally broken by a tune he hummed softly.
Jason didn't felt so cold anymore.
_____°°°_____
There were days like these and they were days that he demanded it. Just like this day in the Manor's salon where Jason straight up lowered his head in front of him like a puppy.
"Do your thing." he just said to him and led his hand to rest upon his hair.
"You want me to pet you?" Dick asked hesitant and midly confused from his brother's act.
"Whatever you call that stuff. Just do it." Jason said still head hanging low.
"Okay then." Dick happily obliged and moved closer to him on the couch.
The moment the third tug arrived Jason was down on his lap - eyes closed breathing slow and deep- as if he fell asleep.
Dick tried to sign at Tim ,who at some point entered the room, to take a picture but Jason felt his hand leaving his hair and grabbed it with an iron grip.
Tim took that picture either way without needing to know the context.
_____•••______
Tim wasn't so physical as a person and his upbringing didn't help either. But when Dick touched him he didn't walked away either like jason did or fought back like damian at his first days in the Manor. He just stood there like a plant on a pot unsure how to act . But the time Dick understood that something just clicked right was that one time he cupped the child's face to assess jokingly how big his eye bags were. The kid just stared back at him wide eyed as if he had killed someone. And then he proceeded to bawl his eyes out . The next time he did that the waterworks ended sooner.
____°°°____
Tim rummaged through his blues clues box( named this way for cases that weren't solved and gathered info about) re-arranging the pattern of photo placement again trying to make it fit his brain's thought structure properly. Something didn't felt right and he was stuck. He despised feeling stuck.
And then his door knocked twice.
He went ahead and unlocked it , opening it just enough for him to see outside with one eye only.
"Why you knocked on my door? State your name and code." He asked
A blue eye lowered to his own eye level.
"Officer Grayson reporting for duty. Code , umm, Levander I guess?" The voice responded from outside.
"There's no such code and you know it Dick."
"What's the code for wanting to spend time with my beloved brother?" Dick batted his luscious lashes innocently.
Tim opened the door slightly wider to immediately regret it to meet both of Dick's puppy eyes staring back at him.
"I'm working." he said as if to convince himself too of the fact that he was working instead of procrastinating on his school homework as always.
"Kay time for a break now , hm?" Dick said and stretched his octopus hand to reach Tim's face.
Tim just accepted his fate and stood there slowly disintegrating into the touch.
"I hate when you do that uninvited." He mumbled leaning towards him.
"But you always welcome me Timmy."
"Shut up and come inside already."
Tim found the right pattern if arrangement the moment Dick left his room.
____°°°____
Others times Tim felt significantly bolder and did that in broad daylight even in the precense of other family members. Just like that one day when Dick was in the Med Bay talking with the others about sock colour code and Tim just busted in, took his hands and shoved them onto his face.
"Are you okay ,Timmy?" Dick asked using his anxious-mother hen-voice.
"No, my insomnia is killing me as always and I can't concentrate. Do your thing." Tim responded and stood there with the others to stare at him as if he had three heads.
"Maybe you should try and lie down a little bit, don't you agree?" Dick said signaling Cass behind him with his eyes to approach them.
Thankfully Cass got there in time to catch Tim who fell backwards when his mind shut the blinds and disconnected from reality. Each time he broke a new record on how fast he fell asleep on his hands.
_____•••_____
Damian wasn't easy on anyone not even himself. And yet Dick found him a rather easy target. Since he was experienced with both Jason and Tim which they were his hardest cases yet ,he knew how to handle an unapproachable and feisty child. He tried out different approaches on the matter but ended up on the conclusion that the best way to convey what he wanted was to mimic his closed companions.
So when he tried one day to headbut him on the shoulder like a cat Damian didn't tried to stab him by instinct instead he just gave him an unapproving look and continued his business.
____°°°____
Damian had planned the perfect and most efficient evening , but as always his family which had the tendency to get in the way of anything that resembled a type of structure - not related to Alfred's schedule that they didn't dare to touch - and so this evening there was an rather unexpected visit from several of his siblings.
Luckily most of them didn't directly mess with him and stayed in a five foot radius distance but they could still juggle stuff to his general direction and he did not like catching peeled oranges like a dog in training.
The only one completely disregarding that unspoken rule and was the usual suspect who threw oranges at him-named Richard-was in the red zone across the carpet of the manor's salon doing nothing but looking at him .
Damian tried to ignore him and his stupidly sparkly sea blue eyes but he knew his doom was near.
"Damiannnnn!" Richard called for him. Damian changed the page on his encyclopedia and ignored him. Richard should learn boundaries after all.
"Damiii!" Richard cried out stretching his hand towards him like a shipwreck on a raft.
"Habibiii!" He used the big guns.
"What?!" The boy responded from the other side of the carpet staring at him with piercing green eyes.
"Can I come overrr?"
"Since when did you ask for that?" The boy huffed and continued on reading his book.
Richard wormed his way to Damian's side and headbuted him.
Damian responded with a sharp yet gentle double headbutt.
Richard responded with a third.
Damian sighed and pressed his hair against Richard's arm and stayed there unmoving.
Now he felt truly like home.
_____°°°_____
Other times that Damian got impatient that he didn't got his designated headbutts of the day, he went out of his way to find Dick, just for that. Just like that day the door knocked on Dick's appartment in Bludhaven to be met with two pairs of green eyes.
"Why are you here? Did something happen?" He asked the boy with the black cat on his shoulders.
"Your incompetence happened, Richard! Now let me in. My friend here is cold and she needs to dry her fur."
Dick brushed aside the fact that Damian had adopted yet another stray cat on his way there and made room for the boy to come inside.
"Care to explain in what section I'm incompetent so I can improve?" Dick asked him.
"You missed out on delivering the designated display of affection."
"Oh...ohh I'm so sorry Dami! I didn't have time lately and it completely slipped my mind . Can I redeem myself with a hug?" He offered his open arms. Damian crossed his own and huffed.
"No, I want the usual. Don't try and bribe me. "
Dick smiled and they head butted their foreheads, the cat on Damians shoulder joining them.
____•••____
Barbara was used on Dicks antics and handy nature. She knew him since he was Robin after all. That didn't mean she was necessarily open on them or very accepting especially the first years of their companionship. But she knew that there wasn't any bad intentions behind them not a single time. One thing she allowed him to do without asking at all was braiding her hair. He gave amazing scalp massages along with the hairdresser services.
_____°°°_____
Barbara was stuck in a rather boring routine cleaning out footage on the ClockTower. That was mostly her carrer along with erasing the footage it shouldn't still exist and keeping the footage that could be used as evidence. No fancy hacker stuff nor solving world hunger from her chair. Sometimes she even wondered what would happen if she took a long vacation on Borneo to live with real bats.
She resumed her job and took a sip from her coffee. It was a long day of work and back at home he had even more work.
The elevetor bell clinked softly announcing that someone stopped at her floor. A bat obviously. No-one else could bypass her security systems.
Dick's warm hand first landed on her shoulder.
"Working overtime again , Babs?"
"The crime doesn't sleep , officer Grayson, I think you know that well."
"I do unfortunately but princesses in Towers should go to sleep sooner , hm?" His hands moved towards her hair untangling some strands of her unruly bun.
"And your majesty , prince charming, came here to rescue me from my cruel fate? How Brave to fight with the hotdog stand owner in the corner for a lower price before getting up here." Barbara joked turning her chair slightly so Dick could have access to all her hair.
"What should this humble servant can do today for you , your excellency?"
"Do what you wish. Each time you get it right regardless. Just get the shoulders too today, will you?"
"Of course, your excellency. " Dick responded and started his session.
And from this moment her migraine started to wash away slowly leaving her finally in peace.
____°°°____
Some days Barbara straight up called for the boy wonder to come to the rescue ignoring her pride.
Just like that day they got out as civilians for a walk in the park. If she didn't get out of that Tower she'd definitely had broken two of her monitors and set them ablaze.
"Thanks for the Ride , Dick." She said as he was cruising her chair through the cobblestone path.
"Nothing much to thank for. I'm happy to be at service." Dick responded.
"Always self sacrificing , aren't we? Not missing the golden standard."
"Not to brag but I'm good at keeping up appearances."
Barbara took his hand gently by the wrist placing it on her shoulder.
"May I request a session today? I can give back favours, you know me." Barbara winked at him. "Nothing too crazy I have standards." She corrected herself immediately to set the record straight.
"Sure. Special or just braiding?"
"I like whatever your hands make."
They both blushed a little and Dick started braiding her hair in silence.
______•••______
Cass was always knowledgeable about the body. It was her only source of communication after all and she wasn't at all used to gentle touches like Dick's. They always were harsh and cold growing up. But she understood quickly that was the normal touch that humans engaged to. She didn't have particular preference at the beginning. She enjoyed whatever was directed at her and responded with the same manner. But one day it just clicked and then she was always asking it as top priority.
____°°°____
Cass was on the Garden walking among the different flowers beds and observing the butterflies drinking nectar flying from flower to flower. She liked to wander around in the manor alone from time to time, doing nothing in particular but observe her surroundings, as if to remind herself were she was. Occasionally she'd do people watching , respectfully as always.
"These are Shallowtail butterflies. Aren't they beautiful?" The voice besides her said, no need to see who it was to recognise it.
"They so delicate. I haven't seen them before around here." Cass responded and stretch her palm besides a flower hoping a butterfly would land on it.
"They don't usually sit on people but they like sweets a lot. If you have honey they'll come to taste it."
Dick presented her a small packet of honey and smeared it on his palm, a butterfly landing few seconds after to take a taste.
"See? Now you do it." He offered some honey to try.
The butterfly landed as intended on her hand along with some friends of theirs.
"Here a butterfly kiss from me too." Dick said, leaned towards her and gave her a small peck on the nose and then on the forehead.
Cass smiled and pointed at her hair.
"You should do the hairline too. Third time's the charm." She said and Dick happily obliged.
Cass understood now what gentle touch meant.
____°°°____
Cass usually found it easy to gather the affection of the peope around her but rather difficult to phrase it verbally to them. But they were days she found herself bolder when she felt she needed it. Just like that one day on patrol.
Her Black Bat suit was covering all her face and head leaving no skin showing at all. It felt comfortable and safe. To be a shadow you have to blend with the shadows unotiched after all.
But then, she wanted to be seen.
She approchead Nightwing who was observing the traffic on the road down bellow and tapped his shoulder twice.
Nightwing looked at her and smiled, titling his head a bit curious to know what she wanted to say to him.
Cass simply touched were her nose was under the mask, then her forehead and then her hairline in that order and lastly she pointed back at him.
"With the mask on? Okay, I don't have a problem with that." Nightwing responded and came closer to deliver the kisses. He ended up giving an extra just because.
Cass tapped in morse code "I love you" on the back of his hand.
____•••____
Stephanie wasn't that alienated from physical touch like the others. She didn't chase it but she didn't run away from it either. She was rather balanced asking verbally and or with her body language what she wanted. Some times she was rather painfully obvious with her signals for all of them to know about it. Since she was like that Dick played along to find her favourite touch.
____°°°____
Stephanie was scarfing down a dozen of Alfred's pancakes drenched in the good expensive maple syrup that she could never find in her local market. Her leg was on the next chair - cast on - littered with graffiti and stickers. It had not been two hours like that and hunger had hit her like a truck even though she had eaten just before patrol and before she broke a leg.
"I see we have a shortage in pancakes, dont we? Looks like the Pancake Goblin is out hunting again." Dick commented as he entered the kitchen.
"You're the one to talk who raided the cabinets like a gremlin and there are no lucky charms left now and also propably has caused shortage in cereal in Costco at least once this month." Steph responded with equal fire power at him.
"How are you feeling? Did you take your meds?" He gave her a small friendly punch on the back as he passed by her.
"Yeah ,Mom, I did since I feel rather pancakey today. That's why particularly requested pancakes after all." Steph retaliated with another punch on his arm.
"Because you had your leg run over-"
"Exactly! You got the roadkill joke! Tim was slow getting it for having such a big head !" She waved her fork enthusiastically before she stabbed her last pancake and shoved it in her mouth.
"Oh, please, I'm the greatest pun-cake maker in the family."
"I shouldn't have said that now that i think about it." Steph chocked on the pancake and Dick patted her on the back to help.
"Too late now you'll suffer hearing my puns." he added and she elbowed him in the ribs.
Her leg didn't bother that much anymore.
____°°°_____
Steph didn't seek out Dicks attention usually. She didn't hoovered around him like other mebers of the family in patrol or at the Manor nor she particularly invaded his space to demand for his attention.
But there were days she needed his touch just like this one day while in patrol.
She signaled him from her gargoyle to come over.
She had patrol alone and thought to stray towards Bludhaven a little that day. She didn't particularly like the type of gargoyles they had there but they did their job at being good grappling points.
Nightwing landed gracefully besides her.
"Visiting blud for tourism? We have the worst view from the gargoyles even from Gotham. It's our pride."
"Ya, I got here because I got bored and had to beat someone up to blow some steam off. Also you, because you're on the naughty list."
"Me? On the naughty list? Why is that?" Dick asked and raised an eyebrow under the mask.
Stephanie elbowed him in the shoulder.
"Ya forgot your sister's daily strike. I came to reclaim my honour for being stood up waiting for ya in the Cave."
Nightwing nudged her back playfully and patted her in the back.
"You should have called. I'd come over. You know me. I don't skip out on these things."
"Nah, the others smother you the moment you step your fancy feet inside the manor. I wanted us to solve our differences alone."
"Sure thing" Dick said and headlocked her playfully.
______•••_______
Bruce had experienced too Dick's healing hands
From the moment he picked up this child and hugged him he thought he was smothered by the rays of sun itself. That day he kinda understood clark a little but better.
He and alfred had a simple preference. Just holding hands.
No matter if he wore the thick batman gauntlets or if he wore the silk gloves on galas only the warmth of Dick's hand grounded him in reality when they touched him.
The kids these days called it a vibe check he called it soul check.
Alfred agreed with him that Dick's touch was just that unique ,not to compare of course with the others. But the warmth it brought was soothing and healing.
Both of them seeked it out from time to time.
Bruce would hold his hand if he was around and sometimes when he called him for patrol like the old days.
Alfred had standards and did it only when nobody was around. Both of them adored that sunny child of theirs.
_____°°°_____
Bruce was on the batcomputer replaying footage from the last Arkham breakout. Riddler always found a way to bypass their systems and he acted as a broker between the inmates and the outside world to break them out in return for favours. He wondered if he should have just thrown him in his very on escape room instuition/asylum could be finally done with him messing around but then that action would raise several problems afterwards considering all the other rogues would like to have their own asylum to chill. It was a matter of pride after all.
As his fingers moved to the holographic keyboard another pair intertwined with his gently stopping him.
"You have cold hands." Dick stated and stared at him.
Bruce took a moment to breathe lost in the blue of his eyes and placed his other hand upon Dick's.
"I do. I'm getting old , Chum."
"You should wear gloves when you're down there then. Cold hands can't write fast."
Bruce moved his hands towards him taking along with them Dick's.
"Wanna sit? Like the old days?" He asked him, really begging in the inside for him to agree.
Dick looked away a bit uncomfortable but he caved in eventually to his fathers sad raccoon face.
He sat on his lap one hand still interwined while the of Bruce's other free to type as Dick's free hand was resting on his fathers back.
Just like the old days.
And Bruce's hand got warm again, just like his heart.
____°°°____
Alfred poured the hot water inside the teapot carefully so it wouldn't splatter on the marble table. There was no-one in the Manor to drink the evening tea with that day surprisingly exept from Richard who had come without notice. The last three years the manor was rarely that empty. It Felt cold.
Not that he didn't appreciate the sudden silence and serene atmosphere he'd forgotten what silence even sounded like but he missed those familiar sounds of his grandchildren filling the empty space of the Manor.
He served Richard his tea as he always took it. Three cubes of sugar and a little bit if milk.
Today he had his favourite cinnamon-milk tea. It was the only type that Richard could drink a second and a third cup.
He positioned himself besides him on the couch- not his usual place since there was always a distance between masters and servants - now the were alone and he was just a old man with his grandson.
Richard found his hand without needing to ask him anything. And held it not too tight-not too loose just the right amount of pressure.
"A wonderful day today isn't it? Would you like to join me for a walk in the garden and then for some crosheting by the fire?" Alfred asked.
"I'd love to." Richard responded with a smile.
Just like the old days.
And Alfred's hand remained warm all day.
____°°°____
The day that Dick had returned from his family's memorial both Bruce and Alfred waited for him in the Manor.
Dick did not spoke a word , he just sat between them on the couch hugging his legs close to his chest.
Bruce got closer , wrapping him in an embrace, and started running his fingers through his hair , while Alfred gently clasped Richard's hands between his own.
Just like the old days Grief was dealt with warmth.
_____•••______
And now for the million dollar question: What does Dick grayson want as a response to his affection?
The answer is simple. Just his siblings to crush him with their weight while hugging him. When his core had the right pressure the hands would always warm no matter the weather or the circumstances. Sometimes he just needed some extra pressure to boost his system.
____°°°_____
Like that one time his seasonal depression had a comeback a bit earlier.
Living alone in an apartment in Bludhaven didn't make him resemble a man deserted in a tropical island - he could be alone in a city with millions. But the city walls were always cold and unforgiving to her inhabitants - he still felt alone some days.
He didn't want to call them to come. He didn't want to bother anyone. But he didn't need to do anything. And yet a little bird watched him from the window and returned with more even birds.
They broke in his appartment as if it had caught on fire and found him lying on his bed in a fort of weighted blankets.
"Your dumpassery didn't call again! This happened last year too, what are you an idiot sandwich?" Jason yelled towards the hole that Dick's head poked from to breathe and then peeled the blankets of him like undoing a burrito.
"I need a number three and a number five to fix that mess, care to juggle them to me?" He ordered and immediately Tim and Damian landed on the bed like bombs somewhat ungracefully.
"Good throw three points for Spoiler!"
Stephanie did her victory dance as a response and Cass joined her.
"Good throw, my ass! She grabbed me as if i was her laundry!" Tim yelled at Steph who stuck her tongue out at him.
"Too bad, Cassandra is always on point." Damian said with a snicker as he was wrapping himself around Dick's side.
"Squad two on the move. Cover the sides . I'll be the last one standing." Jason said to the girls doing some elaborate made up signs to emphasize.
"Is it necessary to act as if you're on a safari and caught an elephant?" Dick asked peeking from under Tim's hair.
"You're not in a place to talk back Grayson. Your talk-back privileges got revoced the day you broke the Treaty of mental health."
The girls climed on the bed too taking up the other side.
Lastly Jason covered them all with the blanket before laying upon Dick, making the mattress cave in and the wooden planks under it to start creaking.
"I love you all." Dick whispered with the little breath allowed in his lungs from the pressure around.
"We know. We all do too." Cass responded for all of them.
And then Batman showed up uninvited, for Jason's displeasure, tried to join the group hug pile and ended up being the reason that the bed broke down.
Alfred - who came right after the disaster bringing Barbara with him - just stood there watching from afar, sipping the tea he prepared for all , as his child and grandchildren tried to fit in the bed comfortably by playing human tetris. Barbara took the photos for the family album and possible blackmail in the future.