Morally_Gray gave me this idea so everyone thank them

There weren't any manuals on how to raise your nine-year-old vigilante protege - probably because it was the perfect example of child endangerment - so Bruce was at a loss on some issues. Bedtime and discipline is a big one. When he was a kid, his punishment would be a cut on his allowance but Dick didn't really care that much about money enough for that to matter. Bedtime was difficult because he needed Dick to be out on patrol with him and then it was such a trek to get him back home and then go back out. Don't even get him started on making sure he didn't run off and/or touch something he wasn't supposed to. Luckily he had Alfred there to help and although he hadn't raised a pintsize crime fighter, he had raised Bruce and he was just as much as a handful. So when he said Dick's bedtime was at 11 pm, it was at 11 pm.  

"B, I don't need a harness!" Robin complained when his mentor clipped the reigns to him. Batman had seen it in a parenting magazine and although it was meant for those below five so they didn't walk into a road or faceplant the ground, he thought it would work pretty well. He of course suped them up but they were essentially the same as the ones he'd seen. They were still in their growing phase where they were getting used to one another and Robin hadn't exactly remembered that he was supposed to stay next to his mentor the whole night. He got distracted by something and then he'd disappear in an instant almost as if by magic. When it came to the job, that would come in handy but when it came to Batman's blood pressure, it was hell. There was nothing quite like the parental terror of knowing your child should be with you but looking down to find they weren't. It wasn't just that either. Robin was used to being an active kid playing on the grounds of a circus and not only that but he'd been a trained trapeze artist. Put two and two together and you get someone who's barely 4ft doing cartwheels on the edge of a building. Since finding that his parent's equipment had been tampered with, he'd been extra excited to get to the highest of buildings to do backflips that if done wrong would mean death. Batman didn't want to have a dead kid on his hands, both for practical and emotional reasons. 

"I know you don't want to but you do need it. You run off too much and what would happen if you got into trouble but I couldn't find you? I need to know where you are at all times," Batman justified. There was a long-suffering groan from the younger filled with dramatics and Batman braced himself for a tantrum but it didn't come. Robin didn't really have tantrums, he was more so dramatic and acted as though he was dying then a minute later he decided he could live with whatever grievance had crossed him. The older wondered if that's what his parents did to avoid tantrums. Was it some kind of technique that they taught him? He wished he could ask so he could get some advice. He was getting better at the parenting thing but he wasn't exactly the best. As one of his coworkers put it, he wasn't a dilf just yet. Just a hot guy. He didn't really get the phrasing. 

"Fine but if I get yoinked 'cause of this I will not be happy," Robin argued with a huff. 

"Yoinked?"

"Fun word isn't it?"

"I see you two are preparing to leave?" Alfred commented as he cleaned their desk of cups. 

"Yep! Look what he has me wearing!" Robin announced, gesturing to the harness. The butler wore a ghost of a smile at the sight and he really wanted to see the face of criminals when they got their butts kicked by not only a child but a child wearing a harness. 

"It's for your safety sir. We can't have you getting hurt can we?" 

"That's if they catch me!" He went running to the Batmobile but Batman tightened his grip on the reigns forcing him to stay close. He ran on the spot for a moment before realising to which he pouted and sat on the ground. "I already hate this."

"Remember to be back before 11 pm."

"We'll see. We might be busy," Batman told him.

"If you're a moment later I am not above going out there and taking him home myself. He's a growing lad and needs his sleep. We both know he doesn't get enough as it is," Alfred replied rather seriously. Still, the vigilante just hummed non committedly and pulled on the reigns to make his protege stand up. "I mean it, sir. If you don't have him back I will collect him."

"Okay, Alfred. Robin, say goodbye."

"Bye Alfie!"

"Stay safe."

Time passed like it did every night the pair went out and left the butler to tend to the Manor. He sat in the library for a good hour sipping tea and reading the newspaper, an activity he usually couldn't do with a tiny child running about and a worried guardian chasing after him. It was nice to have the quiet but there was always that underlying fear something bad would happen whilst his boys roamed the streets of Gotham. It was often around this time that he would think over his role in Dick's life and if he had done the right thing by allowing this whole vigilante protege to occur. There would likely be others in the future and he feared that he'd sewn the seeds for a worrying trend of parental figures bringing their children out with them as a means of bonding. He did fear that Dick would become like Bruce, jaded and cold. It couldn't be easy to see such needless violence and having to put a stop to the stupidest of schemes that could hurt so many people. There had to be some mental effect and he didn't know if any of them were quite prepared for that. Shaking his head of the thought, he glanced over at the clock sitting on the mantle and frowned. 10:55pm. He best check on them. He folded his newspaper and washed his teacup before making his way down to the Batcave to find it empty. "Of course," he muttered, irritated that Batman had once again ignored the boundaries he set. It was far too late for Robin not to be coming home. He quickly called Batman with a frown and waited impatiently for him to answer. If that man ignored him, he'd be getting slightly overcooked steak for a month.

"What's wrong?" Batman answered.

"What's wrong? You appear to still be out with Master Robin when I specifically told you he should be home by 11 pm."

"I can't control crime, if he's out late then he's out late."

"Sir," he said in a warning tone. 

"Look we've got one more place then I can take him home on my break. He's fine, jumping about and everything."

"Because he's running on adrenaline!" he argued. "I will stay true to what I told you." There was a grunt that clearly said there was no change of plan. Of course, there wouldn't be because he had to have a stubborn vigilante in his life for some trespass he made against the universe that he could no longer remember. He tutted to himself and hung up. Fine, if Batman wouldn't bring the boy home then he'd just have to get him.

"B, isn't my bedtime soon?" Robin asked as rubbed at his masked eyes. They were on a stakeout at this point, laying in wait for a drug deal to go down. The reigns had worked out pretty well and Batman was pleased with not having lost his ward more than twice that night which was a massive improvement. He'd have to make sure to keep an eye on that magazine. Since he wasn't spending most of the night looking for his protege who would usually be petting a puppy that he somehow finds, they got to stop a lot more crimes. The only issue with that was Robin wasn't used to the quick pace and had become more tired than usual. Batman looked past the yawns here and there, even the little sit-downs that seemed to last longer and longer the more the night went on. After all, the younger had to get used to this pace since this was something he was more accustomed to. 

"You don't have a bedtime," Batman answered. He was still irked by the apprehending he'd gotten from Alfred and dreaded going back. No doubt there was some lecture in-store or some creative punishment that would make life annoying. He didn't personally see the issue with Robin staying up past 11 pm. Kids went to bed much earlier and much later. Plus there were always naps. They could get him into the routine of those instead so then he could spend more time out without any issues. Not to mention that he couldn't go home on his own so Batman would have to leave his city unprotected for the time it took to get him back, changed, settled and asleep. No, no that was far too much extra work. He could stay up until his break. 

"But Alfie said I do and it's 11 pm. It's already past that."

"He isn't your guardian. I am. If I say you don't have a bedtime then he needs to respect that." Robin hummed and rested his head on his mentor. "Stay vigilant Robin. We don't know when they could strike." The younger jumped at being jostled and nodded, rubbing his eyes once again. Batman looked him over then turned back. So Robin was getting a little tired but that didn't matter. He was sitting around and he'd been doing more fighting than usual, he'd perk up once they got back to work. He was just bored. 

"Can you read me a story when we go home?" Robin asked softly, his voice tentative and cautious.

"Maybe tomorrow, I'd like to go straight to sleep tonight. I didn't get much rest last night." He noticed how his ward cringed at his last sentence and raised an eyebrow as he reviewed it in his head. Had he said something mean? He didn't think he had.

"Sorry." Oh. He thought that he was complaining about the nightmares. Oh no. How did he fix that again? What were the words that one site used? Reassuring but of what? He didn't sleep well last night because he was up every other to help Dick either back to bed from sleepwalking or coaxing him back to sleep after a nightmare. Logically, he was the reason Batman didn't sleep but he didn't want him to feel ashamed or bad about it. Damn. Being a dad was hard. "I'll be quiet tonight. I promise."

"Robin I-"

"Is-is that Alfred or am I seeing things?"

In confusion, Batman looked over the side of the building where Robin had been staring and was just as surprised to find Alfred dawned in a domino mask getting out of an older model of the Batmobile. He frowned to himself and glanced at Robin who shrugged at him. "Bit old to start but I suppose anyone can," the younger mumbled, letting out a little yawn that was so cute but Batman wouldn't that mention that. They watched the butler fix his suit and then look up at them with a hard glare. "We should see what this is about, huh?" He nodded and they made their way down the fire escape of the building to where the older was standing. He watched them with the same glare and folded arms. Clearly, he wasn't happy. Robin slipped a little on the wet metal but swiftly picked himself up though the accident didn't go unnoticed. He wouldn't usually make that mistake. Maybe he was getting a little tuckered out but he could still go another hour, Batman thought. Then he realised why Alfred was out. He was here to stay true to his word that he'd collect Robin if he didn't get home at 11 pm. 

"Do you have any idea what time it is sir?" Alfred asked with a stern tone. Batman shrugged like a petulant teenager who'd just been busted for vaping. "It's currently 20 minutes past his bedtime. Oh and look at the poor boy, his knees are scraped and those bruises look sore." He spared a glance at his protege to find he did indeed have scraped knees and a few bruises here and there. It was nothing that a usual child wouldn't get from running around a park. His park just happened to be Gotham at nighttime. There was nothing particular grievous about them yet Alfred acted as though he'd gotten an amputation. 

"He's fine."

"He's exhausted. He can barely keep his eyes open," the older argued, pointing to the boy. 

"You're fine, aren't you Robin?"

"M okay," Robin stated though he did seem tired. It was fine though. He'd be fine. 

"I'm taking him home, sir."

"No, you're not," Batman snapped. "You're not his guardian, I am. What I say goes and I can't believe you'd come out here to show me up like this. You trusted me to look after him and he is being looked after! It's not my fault that you don't agree." The butler seemed taken aback at first before a thunderous expression overtook his surprise at the outburst. Even Robin knew it was a bad move to go off like that on the older. If not from a moral standpoint then from a self-preservation front. 

"How dare you suggest that I'm here for petty reasoning rather than for the well being of your ward who I warned you would come with new responsibility! With a child comes sacrifices and if you can't sacrifice an hour so he can get some sleep then perhaps he shouldn't go out with you anymore." He gestured to the boy who was looking more and more out of it the longer they spoke. Robin had plopped himself on the ground with his legs crossed and his head resting on his hand. "Look at him."

"I have looked at him and he's fine. He said he was fine too." The older let out a frustrated sigh. 

"When will you understand that you can't continue with your antics and treat him as though he is an extension of your hero circle? He is a child who already has fitful nights yet you can't be bothered to make sure he gets home early enough to get some decent sleep," Alfred argued. Batman rolled his eyes at the accusation. He could be bothered but he didn't need to get the boy back because he was okay being out late. Besides, he has to get used to being out late if he was going to keep being Robin. So maybe he wouldn't have the same sleep schedule as every nine-year-old but parenting was flexible right? 

"He can get decent sleep from naps. I've heard many studies suggesting that a nap cycle can actually be more helpful than a full night's sleep," Batman told him snarkily. 

"You are diverting from the point I'm trying to make. You are not being responsible for your child."

"I am! I put a harness on him didn't I?" 

"After losing him for two hours last time," Alfred pointed out. "Your parenting is reactive, not active. Even that is rather much as you have failed to notice that your ward is falling asleep despite us having an argument involving him and we both know how anxious he gets. I can not believe how selfish you are being by not bringing him home."

"Selfish? I think you mean selfless because if I wasn't here then who would be protecting the city?"

"Your ego is getting the better of you, sir. There are police to do this job and you are here to lend an extra hand. The city is not dependent on your presence." They glared at each other, taking the argument to silence.

They would've stayed like that all night had Robin not let out the cutest tired yawn. At that point, they remembered they were in the alley arguing whilst a little boy did everything in his power to fight the urge to sleep. Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with Batman, Alfred decided to take things into his own hands. He walked over to Robin and plucked him up from the ground then held him on his hip to distribute the weight. He was pretty light but it was still added weight and his back would kill him if he tried anything different. Robin made a questioning hum at being lifted but didn't kick up a fuss about the movement. He wrapped his arms around Alfred and let his eyes droop further. "He's coming home with me," Alfred stated firmly. There was no moving him. If Batman was stubborn enough to not take the time to get him home then he'd have to take over. "I will not have you put this boy's wellbeing in danger further. You are already pushing it by taking him out here for your game of dress-up."

"Dress-up? I am saving the city! I am saving boys like him from seeing their parents murdered!" Robin whimpered and hid in Alfred's side as though to escape the images those words put in his head. This was the final straw. 

"That's quite enough Master Wayne," he hissed out, quiet enough for only the other man to hear. "You know better than to bring such a topic up in front of him and myself. You can continue to live out your God complex by yourself at this rate." He walked over to the car and put Robin inside, buckling him up before closing the door and going to the driver's side. "You, sir, can stay out here all night if you like but what you won't do is be around that poor boy a moment longer in such a mood that you are in now. You cannot be the child anymore. You are twenty-five. Act like it." With that he got into the car and slammed the door shut, leaving the man to continue with his hero antics. Robin hardly noticed that he was now in a car and made a questioning noise when he heard the engine hum to life. 

"Alfie? Where's B?"

"Master Bruce shall be spending some time alone. You and I shall be going home to get some sleep."

"Can you tell me a story for bedtime?" Robin asked, his voice slurred from exhaustion.

"Of course Master Dick. How about I get you warmed up and we'll read by the fire?"

"Good idea." He smiled to himself as Robin stared at the window, half dozing and half fighting sleep. At least he would go down easy.

The drive was quiet but the butler didn't expect any different. Robin was completely tuckered out from working and hardly sleeping at night thanks to his nightmares. He noticed that he wasn't sleeping but was still waging war on his falling eyelids. He shook his head and pulled into the Batcave, gently shaking the younger to grab his attention. "We're here now young master. Are you alright?"

"My knees hurt."

"They will do, they've been rather beaten up. I'll have to clean them," he replied with a hint of sympathy. He received a grunt in response before Robin opened the car door and hopped out. He couldn't help but notice the sway in his standing and he felt some guilt seep in about not coming to get him sooner. Swiftly dismissing those thoughts, he opened the car door and joined Robin on his lazy saunter to the Medbay. He grabbed the young boy's hand just in case he was so tired he tripped over himself. 

"Alfred?"

"Yes?"

"You gonna fix my knees?"

"Yes I best had to. We don't want you catching an infection."

"You gonna fix B up when he comes home?"

"I will."

"That's nice." Alfred lifted the boy onto the cot and began cleaning his knees of the dirt, gaining a few hisses here and there. He suspected the boy was far too tired to register what was happening because when he usually did this there'd be a few jokes here and there as he tried to handle the sting. After making sure they were free of dirt, he decided there was no need for plasters since the cuts were already scabbed over. 

"Would you like some help getting changed?"

"Noooo, just wanna sleep," Dick whined. 

"You can sleep once you get changed."

"Noooo," he continued, getting a fretful tone in his voice. "Gotta sleep now." Gotta? Why did he feel like he had to?

"Master Dick, why do you have to sleep now?"

"Gonna wake B up so gotta sleep now so I don't." Alfred stared at the boy as he tried to deconstruct that sentence and reform it without the film of a tired nine-year-old hanging over him. He had to go to sleep now because he would wake Bruce up? No that wasn't all there. He had to go to sleep now so he could wake up and not bother Bruce. He was going to nap not sleep through the night but why would he want to wake up. This was taking too much energy for what time it was. 

"Can you explain further for me, sir?"

"Woke him up last night so gotta be up," the younger explained with a frustrated tone. He clearly knew what he was talking about but the butler couldn't. It took another good few minutes before he realised what the boy was saying. He had to go to sleep now so that he could wake up and not bother Bruce with his nightmares which had been especially bad the night before. Alfred gave him a frown before collecting him in his arms. 

"You needn't worry about that." There was an uneven hum. "I assure you, you will be just fine tonight. Can you do me one favour and go get changed? Then I can read you a lovely story in the library." Bargaining. He hoped the younger was too tired to see it. 

"Too sleepy." Goddammit, who let this child be this adorable. 

"Alright then but only this once." Dick nodded and leaned into the older, drawing steady breaths but still refusing to sleep until he heard a story.  

It was early in the morning when Bruce returned from patrol and he'd felt guilty ever since. He shouldn't have gone against his butler who was much more experienced in raising kids but once again his ego got in the way. Alfred was smart too and he could see that Dick was getting tired. He should've seen it himself but he was too focused on work. What if he'd gotten the poor kid hurt because he hadn't noticed he was exhausted? The thought had plagued him ever since the thought about it. He changed into something comfortable and appropriate for the house - Alfred was already mad and he didn't need to make it worse by wearing his Batman suit around the house. He passed the library and noticed that the fire was still going. With a frown, he walked into the room and then felt his anxiety at ease when he saw that Alfred was sitting in front of it with Dick fast asleep in his arms still in his Robin suit. "He was tired then?" he asked softly, knowing the answer.

"Indeed. He feared he'd wake you with his nightmares. Did you tell him something?"

"I may have," he replied awkwardly. "I'm...I'm sorry about what happened."

"You should be and you should expect that I will keep coming out there if you don't bring him home by the time I said. He was too tired to change out of his things."

"Okay," he said like a scolded boy. "Should I take him to bed?" The butler nodded and he scooped up the child who let out a tiny noise at being moved but settled back down rather quickly. "I'll do better next time."

"You better had. I'm not spending my golden years staying up until the wee hours of the morning waiting for you to bring Master Dick home. You may have made him Robin but you must remember he is a child." He got up and swiftly left the man to put out the fire and take the boy to bed. Bruce let out a sigh and cuddled his ward closer. Parenting is hard.