A/N: Sooo I got this idea after I watched the vow, (great movie btw) It’s not requested, I’ve just had in it drafts for a really long time. I’m not sure anyone’s really going to like it? But I figured I would post it to see what happened. I’ve already gotten a few more parts written, so if you like the story please let me know so I can post those! Anyways, I’ll stop rambling Love you all!
Pairing: Green Lantern Reader x Dick Grayson (Nightwing)
If you could describe it in one word, blank.
It had been blank before. Why had it gone?
The first thing that came back to you was sound. A constant, steady beeping. A machine rising and falling. The worried and hushed whisper of voices, voices, people… you felt a hand brush over yours. Touch. The lingering placement spoke of worry and care. Your mother maybe? Your father?
You felt an itchy sheet underneath you, and you laid on a rather stiff bed, the mattress odd and unforgiving.
Almost as odd as the stench of disinfectant. Smell… like sickness and bleach… like a hospital.
Hospital, you frantically blinked open your eyes. White light, much too bright assaulted you as you rapidly tried to adjust.
As if through a tunnel you could hear the heart monitor beeping rapidly, the shuffling of feet, the even louder murmur of voices.
Hospital.
You hated hospitals.
You were covered by a thin sheet, tubes were attached to your arms, you were trapped. How did you get here? Why were you here? Who are you people? The heart monitor’s beeps increased in frequency, urging your heart to beat faster to keep up.
A few People rushed To restrain you, and unfamiliar faces crowded your vision. Too many people, too many hands, curling yourself up, you cradled your throbbing head and cried out.
Oh god, make it stop, make it all stop, take you back to when it was blank.
“Hey! Back off her alright?” An outlying voice said, a tone of anger wavering in their voice.
The hands withdrew, steps faded away- you must remember to thank that angry voice.
You felt someone brush the hair off your forehead, and flinched at the contact. It hurt, oh lord, your head hurt.
“(Y/N)?” A gentle voice whispered, and the soul inside of you leapt with recognition, as if crying: (Y/N)! Yes! That’s me! I’m (Y/N)!
You slowly tipped your head up, blinking once again at the bright surroundings, and your eyes immediately focused on blue.
The blue you dream of, the color blue the sky is when you are a child, the blue the ocean is when you can see all the way to the bottom, the blue of the ever constant tides and of the calming midspring rains, the blue that was so full of emotion…
“Thank god.”
You blinked multiple times, focusing on the whole picture rather than the one detail.
A man, you were staring at a man. You could see the slight differences of skin tone where if he had been paler there would have been a splash of freckles, his messy black hair, the way he had a slight scar above his left brow, the forgotten laugh lines and deep dark circles around his eyes- his bright blue eyes- it looked like he hadn’t slept in days… you were much too close, and he was far too attractive.
Scrambling backwards, you took a ragged breath as the room around you became much clearer.
“Shh, (Y/N), it’s alright, you’re safe, we’re in the hospital,” the man said soothingly and you begrudgingly nodded.
Confusion swirled in your brain, like a fog that was too dense to navigate through. It seemed to settle over things you knew you should know- like a blanket covering memories you felt tugging at you, but no matter how hard you tried the fog wouldn’t dissipate.
“I-” you coughed, your voice coming out much more pathetic than you had realized.
A small foggy pink glass of water was held in front of you, and with a jerky movement you glanced up.
A tall, imposing man stood next to your bedside. He so seemed impossibly wide and formal you couldn’t help but feel intimidated. His eyes were kind but his jaw was harsh.
Carefully taking the glass, you swallowed a few gulps.
“My… my head hurts,” you said slowly, wincing ever so slightly.
A nurse glanced at you and checked the chart in her hand, with a warm smile she patted your foot.
“That’s completely normal after what you’ve been through sweetheart. I’ll go get you something for that." With that, she headed out the door, leaving you with the three men- your doctors?
You wrinkled your nose is confusion. "I don’t understand- what I’ve been through?"
The imposing man looked you over worriedly.
"You were gravely injured in the fight against The legion of doom, you took on Sinestro even though your ring had been dangerously low on power-” he stopped as the brown haired man behind him scoffed.
“We told you not to! You could have died (Y/N)! Do you have any idea how much-”
“Hal!” The blue eyed man snapped, and the imposing man sighed.
“We’ll lecture you another day, we are all just glad you’re alright."
Your eyes widened in confusion.
"Excuse me, but what the heck?” You glanced between the men-doctors in utter confusion. “Who’s… Sin-Jesto? What ring? Why would you Lecture me? And Why did you start yelling at me? Where are my parents?"
”(Y/N),“ the blue eyed doctor began and you shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of his gaze.
"Don’t you remember us?”
“I’m sorry, remember you? Aren’t you just my doctors? Wha-”
“What’s going on here?” The nurse returned, glaring between the three men.
“You said she would recover! You said she would be fine!” The blue eyed man launched to his feet, jabbing a finger angrily in your direction, glaring at the nurse, as (Hal? Maybe was his name?) whirled on her as well.
“Brain injuries aren’t that simple, Mr. Grayson. I said she would recover, the odds were good but there’s always unforeseen side affects. She’s alive, and awake. And that’s what counts,” the nurse placed a hand on his shoulder. “Give it time, You have to give her time.”
The man- Mr. Grayson, turned to you.
“Do you really not remember?” He asked quietly as he sat on the chair next to you.
“I’m sorry, should I?” You frowned. He looked so heartbroken as He carefully placed his hand over yours.
“(Y/N), it’s me, Dick, your husband, and Bruce.”
It felt like you stared at him for hours.
This… this man, Dick, he was your husband? And his name was… Dick? You couldn’t help the bubble of incredulous laughter that rose in your throat. “I’m- I’m sorry! It’s just- how are you my husband? Why’s your name Dick?”
“Sweetheart, I still ask those questions,” Hal responded and Dick shot him a glare. The nurse turned her head to you in worry.
“Honey, what’s the last thing you remember?"
You frowned, biting your lip in concentration. It was hard to pinpoint an exact memory.
"I- It had just snowed. We were at my House, my mom told me to grab my gloves before school, and that’s it? Why?" You shrunk under the woman’s worried gaze. “Yeah, about that where are my parents?"
Dick, (Seriously, how was that his name?), took a sharp breath.
”(N/N), it’s 2022,“ Dick said softly. You spluttered.
2022? How was that even possible? You needed a mirror, you needed to see… As soon as you tried to get up, Dick tried to hold you down. You shrunk back for a moment under his touch before trying to push him off you.
"I need to see! Just let me up alright?” You snapped, and he immediately pulled his hand back.
“It’s alright,” the nurse informed you stood warily. The older man, Bruce, Dick mentioned, carefully moved the iv drip so you wouldn’t tangle the cords.
Dick got up too, and when you looked in the mirror you took rapid steps back. This girl- she barely looked like you! Her eyes were harsher, her face more thin, her hair was a ratted mess (most likely from being wrapped in bandages)…. she couldn’t be you. She seemed so… hardened. Reaching a wary hand up, your own face and paused as you looked at your arm.
“Woah,” you murmured, flexing slightly and you stared agape. Turning back to the others you saw them looking at you in confusion. “I’m freaking ripped!” Dick and Hal burst out laughing and you couldn’t help but smile, soon Bruce and the nurse joined in.
“I came as soon as I heard! Shayera is on her way from the watchtower… (Y/N)?" A familiar voice echoed from the room and you froze in shock. That was your Uncle John, John Stewart.
"John, she doesn’t, just be careful, she can’t remember-”
“Uncle John!” You screeched and ran over to him, tripping up on your iv drip but nonetheless flinging yourself in his arms. He stiffened in shock for a moment before returning the hug with similar vigor.
Tears fell down your face as you breathed in. You could remember him, there was one thing here that connected to your memories.
“(Y/N), I’m so glad you’re alright,” he pulled back a little to get a better look at you. “What’s wrong?"
John turned to look at everyone in the room, and you took a step back. He wasn’t the same Uncle John you remembered. His hair was grayer and his voice seemed rougher. But then again, if it was 2022, he would have aged quite a bit. The men looked at you, and Dick- you had to turn your eyes away from his. He looked so distraught, and you knew it was all your fault.
Hal seemed distant, and the other man, hell you still didn’t truly know his name. "She doesn’t remember any of us,” Hal rasped.
“She doesn’t-” your uncle turned his head down to look at you.
“Her last memory is it snowing and her mom telling her to grab her gloves before school,” Bruce filled in. “But it makes sense she would still remember you, she’s known you her whole life.”
“Bruce-” Uncle John paused with a heavy breath, “that means…"
"Speaking of,” you murmured, “no one answered my other question: where are my parents?"
The room went eerily quiet and your Uncle John placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.
"Sweetheart, your parents passed away 10 years ago.”
You stumbled backwards, confusion marring your face. “That’s not possible.“
Everyone was quiet and watched your reaction, and Dick looked ready to catch you if you passed out.
Your breaths came in sharp gasps and your shook your head wildly. "No, no. That’s not right. This is all just some bad dream. It’s not 2022, I’m not married to some random guy with the name Dick, I’m not in the hospital, I’m just…."
Uncle John placed his hand on you, and your nose wrinkled in pain. "How are they dead?” When no one answered you turned to the nurse in a flurry, “How come I can’t remember my freaking life?” Tears filled your eyes and your knees crumpled. How could you forget so much?
A/N: A bit of Batman because I don’t have enough on here.
>>>>——————————>
It was simply a side job, in Gotham such honest living was difficult to come by so when an old friend of the family offered you a waitress position at their bar you couldn’t refuse whilst getting through school at 16. Who wouldn’t want to earn some cash right? Surprisingly they upheld a few laws, like not letting you serve alcohol but if you remained then it would be something you’d learn among other things.
After 2 years, one interesting thing about the job was the vast variety of customers the bar attracted. You intermingled with the likes of Gotham royalty, both of upper class and the underground depending on the day and being a long term employee meant they remembered your name whether you liked it or not. Unfortunately, due to your uncanny ability to charm just about anyone, you were the pub favourite often requested to serve and the owner adhered to the requests of the wealthy for obvious reason - plus they tipped you generously.
Among these was young bachelor Bruce Wayne, you were on a first name basis with how often his friends came in clubbing. They weren’t 21 but money and fake IDs do the talking. Although you cared not for their names, it was Bruce who seemed more mysterious and calculating than he’d ever let on.
Tonight he sat at the bar in contemplation, a member of his group snogging the face off of some lass rather lazily in your opinion.
“I’m surprised you aren’t indulging in the same luxuries.” You casually addressed your friend, sliding your platter onto the bar and leaning on it beside him gesturing to the aforementioned pair.
“I’m not great at charming women yet. The status does it all for me right now.”
“You can’t rely on that! You’re Bruce Wayne, I expect you to be smooth and have me falling at your feet. What if there’s a girl you really like who won’t care for your status hm?” He raised a brow at your playful tone, but you’d captured his interest as you usually did unintentionally.
“I don’t know, I haven’t met one yet.”
“Alright then we’re going to prepare for that day so she’ll be wanting more. C’mon, show me.” You patted the bar for emphasis, smirking at his suddenly confused expression.
“Right here, now?”
“Dazzle me.” Came your simple yet upbeat response as you gestured him to bring it.
“Okayfine. So uh… you come here often?” Bruce attempted rather awkwardly, leaning against the bar in a way he thought to be seductive as you remained unreadably silent.
“Pfffttt that’s the best you’ve got?” You couldn’t hold your laughter for long, head falling into your arms on the bar to stifle them.
“No - no! (Y/n) it’s not that funny…” He hummed, lightly nudging your arm to regain your full attention.
“You’re right, I just - it was sobad. You’re so crap at flirting it hurts!”
“Oh? How would you do it then?” For someone so young, he was challenging and you would be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy it.
You ran your hands through your hair, fingers gently grazing his arm with a gentle bite of your lip.
“Now now, we can’t have you falling for a mere waitress now can we?”
“You’re not just a waitress (Y/n)…” His gaze followed you around the bar as you now learnt over it with a courteous smirk.
“Right there - you watched me walk away, I already have you hooked right?”
“Wait - that didn’t - you didn’t use a pick up line or anything! How does that even count?” Bruce looked back and forth, stammering once coming to the realisation that you’d charmed him so easily whilst you leaned back to clean a glass.
“Look, chances are that pickup lines are only going to be laughed about and to break the ice anyway, after that you’ve just gotta be yourself. The people who are worth it will stick around.” You gave a haphazard shrug with a genuine smile on your lips and you nodded to the billionaire across from you. It always caught him off guard, the amount of wisdom you held for someone only his age.
“Like you?”
“There are better people in the world than me Bruce Wayne.”
—
The air was bitter as you stood outside the usually welcome doors of your workplace, ones that remained closed due to recent occurrences. You held the keys and deed between your fingers, fiddling due to the unfamiliar weight of newfound responsibility - the owner was always a mysterious man, striking resemblance to a character from Kingsman adorned with a British accent and designer suits. Even so his death came as a shock, his Will stating that his bar and all its contents be passed on to you even more baffling.
“The only thing you’ll catch out here is a cold.” A calm but witty voice commented, the man now standing beside you expecting your signature snark.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard the news, and I thought you might like some company doing this. I know you could handle it but I’m here.” Bruce casually answered, your friendship remained constant through the years even if surprising. It seemed you just couldn’t get rid of each other.
“Is it a nightclub? Pub? Restaurant? A combination of all that? Is that even legal? I can’t run this place - I don’t even know what the hell it is! And the customers - they’re… well, some of them are illegal…” You grimaced at your overwhelmed outburst, palm slipping from the door it once had the intention of opening.
“Hey, why don’t you come over to the Manor? I’ve got the evening free and we can go through it all together, and I’ll attempt to lighten you up as we go.” You were carefully torn from the door, the millionaire holding your hands in his, the warmth a welcome comfort from the breeze of Gotham.
“The key word in there was ’attempt’, wasn’t it?” You met his concerned gaze now, tone holding expectant sarcasm despite remaining laced with defeat.
“It has been said that my brooding can get in the way.” Bruce responded, hand rubbing the back of his neck out of what you assumed was embarrassment.
“Sounds fun, lead the way oh rich one.” You released a half hearted chuckled as the male rolled his eyes, offering his arm to you. However, the foreign soft whisper that followed caught him off guard so much so that he almost made a spelling error on the email currently cancelling tonight’s scheduled meeting.
“And thanks Bruce… for everything.”
You spent the night at the Manor, delving into your insecurities and Bruce aided in the business side of things where he could in aid of settling at least some of the worries you had. Afterwards you enjoyed one another’s company, catching up on the weeks events as well as the unfurling of his newest addition to the household over the fanciest champagne and 5* meal courtesy of Alfred who you’d convinced to dine with you also.
-
In a month or so with Bruce’s support you were able to apply your extensive knowledge of the business into running it as your predecessor had and since the regulars knew you already it made it much easier as profits rolled in rather substantially. Now you knew how the old manager could afford his luxury suits.
Tonight though, Bruce made an appearance looking rather despondent and almost exhausted which may not be so obvious to surrounding staff or those not close to him but of course, you were an exception.
Naturally, you leaned on the opposite side of the bar, promoting a weak smile after you’d asked what was bothering the man.
“A business deal didn’t go quite how I expected, and it kept me up all night.” Bruce summarised, strategically avoiding the details regarding Penguin.
“Then I believe you need some cheering up, I hope you don’t have any plans because they are now cancelled~”
“The Manor is free, I can get some strawberrry champagne (Y/n) -”
“Nope, it’s my turn. You’re about to find out how us commoners spend our evenings.”
Without another word you walked him to your spacious apartment which was only around the corner, the hefty bar profits kept it well furnished and your cupboards stocked - even so, you convinced the billionaire to lower his standards to order in which you paid for against his protest.
“I’m paying this time, you’re the one whose had it rough recently so I’mtreatingyou. That’s what friends are for, besides this food is a little below your pay grade don’t you think?” You laughed as you filtered through your movie collection before finding a perfect selection for the night.
“If you think that after adopting Dick that I haven’t been subjected to takeout then you’re sorely mistaken. I quite enjoy it actually.” The billionaire replied rather smugly, slowly growing accustomed to the relaxing atmosphere you and your home radiated. Bruce, for once, felt oddly content.
The movie began and ended, the time filled with idle conversation of which grew deeper as the credits rolled and continued whilst you pottered in the kitchen. Moments later you emerged with a tray, Bruce opening his mouth and closing it being too taken aback to comment.
“I present to you, Chocolat de (L/n).” Came your dramatic voice, accent where necessary to add charm.
Bruce shot you an amused glance, carefully taking on of the two tall mugs from the tray you held - the hot chocolate topped with cream, marshmallows and a flake - very appealing to the eye and tastebuds. It was practically famous in your club.
“(Y/n)?! This is - incredible.”
“Why thank you, only the best for you right?”
He smiled at that, a genuine smile that he’d hoped expressed his immense gratitude right about now.
“That must be why I have you then.”
“Ah, now that is a smooth line. Being in my company has improved your skills huh?” You wittily countered, though Bruce only offered a hopeless yet content sigh.
Clearly they weren’t as effective as you believed.
-
Bruce seemed refreshed after leaving that night, he’d emphasised his regret of not being able to see you in person to thank you properly over the various texts you’d exchanged in the past week - although, as you were wiping down the counter after an early close you were not expecting the uncanny interruption.
An hallowing echo against the oak bar captured your attention, finding a sheepish bachelor at it’s origin.
"What’s this?” You inquired as you picked up the item he’d placed down moments ago, inspecting it precariously.
“It’s premium Raspberry Ripple White Hot Chocolate - I thought we could try it, together.”
“How on Earth do you get as many women as you do with vague attempts like that hm?” An amused brow was raised in his direction, the action relaxing the millionaire more than he’d admit.
“I’m much smoother when I don’t actually have genuine feelings for someone, as such I suppose you don’t get the privilege of cliché pick up lines. So what do you say (Y/n)?” It was unorthodox yes, but judging by your quiet laugh he assumed it was the way you’d want it.
"You had me at ’Do you come here often?’”
-BONUS-
“You’re saying that line worked.” Bruce taunted from his place by the Manors kitchen island, you sipping your drink with a nonchalant argument.
“It did not. It was awful.”
“I had this all semi planned from the beginning (Y/n).” He smugly replied, tone basking in the victory of the overly drawn out ‘plan’.
“Hah! I refuse to believe this is how you predicted things to go when we first became friends.” It was possible but it had been years since you’d first met, he could not have suspected you’d ever end up together this far ahead.
“You’re correct Miss (Y/n), Master Bruce spent the entire evening whining about how he’d embarrassed himself in front of you after your little competition and that it was near impossible to win your affections. A common occurrence whenever he visited your bar really…” The loyal butler unceremoniously intervened, pride radiating from his unwanted revelation as he entered the kitchen.
“Alfred.” Bruce released a defeated groan as he had you wrapped around his finger for a second, something he’d wanted to relish in for a few seconds before Alfred had besotted you with the truth.
You however, were pleased with the information, winking at your partner with a gracious smirk befalling your lips.
Summary: You haven’t seen Bruce for weeks now. He’s been so busy being Batman that he’s seemingly forgotten about you. You’ve accepted a job offer in another city and haven’t been able to tell him. Will he convince you to stay? Reader uses she/her pronouns.
Warnings: Angst with fluffy ending because I need happiness.
Word Count: 4038
A/N: I finally got around to writing my Battinson x Reader fanfic! I have more ideas, but I’m in the middle of finals which is why this took so long to get to. Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll have more time to dedicate to writing but for now, I hope you enjoy this!
No matter how many times you walk up the steps to Wayne Manor, it’s still intimidating. You and Bruce had been best friends since you were kids. Your first encounter was not one you’re particularly proud of.
You were born into poverty and grew up knowing that money was hard to come by. Though you were young, you wanted to help your mom financially—that is, before she abandoned you—so you became a pickpocket. It was easy since your height made you hard to notice.
You had only done it a few times when you made a mistake. You noticed the Wayne family out and about one day. They weren’t surrounded by security, so you saw your chance. Even as a kid you knew about the famous Waynes. You looked at them and then noticed a nice-looking watch on young Bruce’s arm. Apparently, you had picked the wrong target.
As soon as you touched the watch, Bruce turned around and looked at you. You froze, your instincts telling you to run but you were too scared to move. Bruce looked confused. He then looked at his watch and then back to you, figuring out what it was you were after. Your face felt hot and just as you turned to leave you saw Bruce taking off the watch.
“I never liked it anyway,” he said to you. Your confusion only grew when he extended his arm with the watch in his open palm. You were too scared and confused to move. But Bruce just pushed his arm out further.
I can’t remember who requested this. I hope everyone enjoys.
Bruce’s POV
“Bruce wait a second please!” (F/N) shouts at me. I can hear the wavering in her voice. “I’m not mad at you but please don’t leave me. I’m begging you.” Her voice trails off and the soft sobbing beings.
I turn around and look at her. I could feel my resolve crumbling as I looked at her tear stained face. I wanted nothing more then in that moment to take her in my arms and comfort her. But I can’t to that.“I can’t. I hurt you.”
She looks at me her eyes were red and tears dropped off her flushed red cheeks onto the carpet below. “You didn’t hurt me. That psychopath did. Not you. You never would.”
“Yes, I did!” I shout out her. “It’s my fault he took you!” My whole body trembled, and I could feel the pressure building up behind my eyes. The first tear slipped out, and I couldn’t stop the rest that followed. (F/N) ran into my arms and we dropped to the floor.
“Listen to me. I love you Bruce, so much that I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.” I could feel her tears drip down my neck and all I could was wrap my arms tighter around her. “I didn’t believe in true love until I met you. I choose you. And I knew what I was getting into when we got together. So if think for a second you getting rid of me because so big bad villain kidnapped and tried to kill me you very very wrong.” (F/N) kissed my gently and pulled back to look into my eyes.
I kiss her forehead before resting mine on her’s. “I love you too. I can’t ever stop the way I feel. I choose you too. But I can’t lose to some psycho, because I can’t imagine my life without you in it either. So please I’m begging you be more careful.”
“I will. I promise, but my apartment isn’t safe anymore apparently.” She glances around her apartment which was trashed from the struggle she had put up.
“Move in with me.” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn’t regret them for a second. I could protect her, and see the love of my life everyday. It was a win win.
Her eyes widen and she gives that brilliantly beautiful smile of hers.“Really? You mean it?” She question softly.
I nod my head, “Yes, I choose you. I will always choose you so why not.”
You and Tim eventually made your escape into one of the closets in the Watchtower. Locking the door, you sank down to the ground and covered your face with your hands. “That was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Tim sat down beside you. Sighing, he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Did you get a chance to tell anyone that we didn’t mean to get married?”
“No. They all kept congratulating us.” You leaned into him. “My parents were so happy, but all they could talk about was having another ceremony here.”
“Alfred said the same thing. He is pretty miffed we eloped.” Tim ran a hand over his hair. “Everyone seemed hurt that we didn’t tell them or give them any warning.”
“It’s not like we had any warning.” You closed your eyes. “I’m going to kill Bart.”
Tim snorted. “Cassie’s looking for him. Apparently, he ran off.” You rested your head on his shoulder. He buried his face in your hair. “What should we do?”
“I’m tempted to just let it go. Let people think we’re married, do what makes them happy.” You sighed. “I’m so tired, Tim.”
Tim hummed. “I mean…being married wouldn’t be a bad thing.” He smiled when you looked at him slightly surprised. “Think of the tax benefits.”
You raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious?”
“Maybe?” He pursed his lips. “I don’t know. The thought of telling Bruce and Alfred that we were drugged and got married is enough to make me want to fight the Joker fifty times instead.”
“Same. I don’t want to try to explain to my parents. They were so happy. Apparently, they thought I was a lost cause.” You bumped your knee into his. “But what are we going to do now?”
Tim took a deep breath before getting to his feet. He brushed himself off and offered you a hand. “We’re going home. We’ll clean ourselves up and get a good night sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for dinner and we’ll discuss this in more detail.”
You took his hand. “Okay.” You smiled at him. “But before we go, I need to find Bart.”
Tim smirked. “I’ll come with you.” The two of you stared at each other. You leaned forward slowly and pressed your lips against his. Tim tensed before relaxing and wrapping his arms around your waist. He pulled away after a moment. “Yeah, kissing you every night wouldn’t be bad.”
You smiled. “No, it wouldn’t be bad.” You pulled away and slipped out of the closet. Batman and Superman were talking just outside. They both stared at you. Superman chuckled while Batman frowned. You quickly left and Tim was right on your heels. His face blushing under his mask.
***
Tim was fast asleep before someone flopped on his bed, jerking him awake. “What the hell?” he shouted, ready to fight until he recognized the cologne tickling his nose. He sighed. “I knew I should have went to my apartment.”
“Timmy, I can’t believe you’re married.” Dick made himself comfortable on the other side of the bed, putting his arms behind his head. “I mean you and (Y/N) weren’t even dating.”
“Well…things happen.” Tim laid back down, turning on his side to face away from Dick. “I’ve always cared about (Y/N) regardless.”
Dick hummed. Tim really should have went to his apartment, but Alfred insisted on him staying the night at the manor. Dick was going to keep digging until the truth came out. “So funny story,” Dick said. Tim held back a groan. Dick knew. He knew the truth. “I overheard Bart telling Wally that he just performed the ultimate prank on you and (Y/N). Revenge for the shrimp incident, I believe he said.”
“Of course, the shrimp incident,” Tim mumbled to himself. Back when you were all kids, Tim and you convinced Bart he could speak to shrimp. It took Bart years to get over the humiliation. “I should have known he wouldn’t forget that.”
“So…I’m guessing you didn’t mean to get married to (Y/N) and Bart tricked you somehow.” Dick nudged Tim’s arm. “Jason owes me twenty bucks. He thought you eloped to annoy Bruce.”
Tim snorted. “That’s something Jason would do.”
Dick hummed, smiling at Tim cheekily. “You gave him the idea anyway.” Dick propped himself up on his arm to face Tim. Tim turned to meet Dick’s eye when Dick poked him. “What are you going to do?”
“Well, we’re only married on Betrassus. That marriage won’t hold up here.” Tim rolled onto his back, sighing. “(Y/N) and I are going to dinner tomorrow night. They don’t know how to tell everyone. Neither do I. Bruce would kill me for drinking an alien drink and letting myself be drugged.”
“So that’s what happened. (Y/N) was drugged too?” Tim nodded. “Wow,” Dick chuckled. “Well, I’m glad I’m not in your shoes, little brother.” He reached over to ruffle Tim’s hair. Tim ducked his head to try to get away, but Dick persisted. It occurred to Tim that it would be nice to be married to you if only it would stop Dick from coming into his bedroom.
***
You hurried to the restaurant, pulling your coat tighter around yourself to avoid getting wet from the pouring rain. The doorman opened the door for you and you jogged inside. You sighed in relief, glad you weren’t too wet. Another man came up and offered to take your coat. You let him and moved to the hostess.
“Hi, I’m here to meet Tim Drake.” You bit your lip when the hostess smiled knowingly. She gestured for you to follow through the fancy restaurant. You felt out of place and slightly undressed. Tim didn’t warn you it would be this upscale. Then again, he probably wanted to impress you. Tim always overdid it when he wanted to impress someone.
She took you to a private corner booth. Tim slid out and stood up when he saw you. You smiled at him and slid in first before he joined you. The hostess left you alone. “I know this is out of your element, but the food here is to die for and I know you love good food,” Tim said, opening the menu.
“You’re right.” You opened the menu and tried not to get sticker shock at the price. “So…I did tell my parents about what really happened.” You flinched when Tim looked at you nervously. “They understood and said Bart is now banned from the house. However, they did say it gives them hope for a wedding in the future.”
“Oh boy.” Tim set the menu down and ran his fingers through his hair. “Dick knows too. I haven’t been able to tell Alfred or Bruce yet.”
You hummed. “I can come with you to tell them if you want? It wasn’t that hard to explain to my parents.” You reached over to take his hand from his hair and hold it in your own. He blushed slightly, but relaxed.
“What about us?” Tim asked, glancing from your entwined hands to your face.
“Let’s just see where we go from here, babe.” You winked at him. “After we tell Bruce and Alfred, of course.”
Tim moaned. “You had to remind me of that, huh?” He rubbed his free hand over his face. The waiter came over and the two of you dropped the subject to enjoy dinner together.
***
It took Tim about a week to gather the courage to attempt to tell Bruce and Alfred. You supported him all the way, gently pushing him to schedule the talk with them. Tim found he appreciated you more and more as you two slowly grew closer throughout the week.
Finally, Tim asked to meet Alfred and Bruce in Bruce’s office at four. You arrived at the manor at two to help Tim work up the courage.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Tim said for the hundredth time as he paced the floor of his bedroom. You sat on his bed, watching him go back and forth until it hurt your neck.
“Tim, we can’t let them think we’re going to get married here.” You crossed your arms, gesturing for him to sit down next to you. Tim collapsed beside you. You kissed his cheek. “It’s not that scary. At most they will be disappointed, but we can live with that. You’ve disappointed them before.”
“It’s not that simple.” Tim moaned, laying down. His hip pressed against yours. You smiled and laid down with him. “Bruce will be upset. He’ll probably try to remove me from the League.”
“Key word is try.” You nuzzled his cheek. Tim blushed, reaching over to take your hand. “Besides, he might understand it wasn’t our fault. We were pranked.”
Tim hummed. “I don’t think he’ll understand.” Tim sat back up. “I just need to rip off the band-aid and get it over with.”
You nodded, sitting up with him. “True. The more we sit here, the more stressed you are getting.” You smiled when Tim squeezed your hand before getting up and pulling you with him.
“Let’s face the music,” Tim mumbled as you both left the room to head to Bruce’s office.
***
Bruce took a seat in the armchair as Alfred poured the tea. Tim stood stiff behind the couch. You moved to take a seat on the couch itself. “Thank you for the tea, Alfred,” you said, smiling at him brightly.
“You’re welcome, Mx. (Y/N).” Alfred took his own seat in the other armchair. “I’m glad we can have this time to discuss the upcoming wedding.”
You raised your eyebrows. Bruce’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight. You glanced back at Tim who tensed. “Tim, just rip off the band-aid like you said,” you whispered to him. Alfred and Bruce sat up straighter in response. You smiled at them before taking your cup and sipping on your tea.
“We…” Tim stopped to clear his throat, gripping the back of the couch. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I made a mistake.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow. “What kind of mistake?”
Tim moved around to sit down next to you. His hands trembled. You rested your hand on his knee. He relaxed somewhat. “I…We…We were tricked.” He shyly looked at Bruce and Alfred before dropping his gaze to his feet. “Bart pranked us and we didn’t mean to get married.”
“He convinced Kon to give us a drink that made us inebriated. We ended up getting married and having a wedding night.” You blushed. Tim took your hand.
“So we didn’t mean to get married and we don’t want to get married here.” Tim finished, looking up at Bruce and Alfred. “I know I should have known better than to drink on an alien planet. Please don’t be upset with us.” He bit his lip, burning bright red.
Silence filled the room. You took a sip of your tea, avoiding eye contact. Tim’s gaze dropped back to his feet, but his hand squeezed yours tightly.
Alfred cleared his throat. “Well, this is a development.” He sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath. Bruce didn’t say a word. His stare made you feel like he was staring straight into your soul. “But you two seem closer than before yes?” Alfred asked, nodding to you and Tim.
“Well, I mean…” Tim mumbled, tilting his head.
“We’re dating now and we’re only married on Betrassus.” You nudged Tim’s head with your own. “Now that doesn’t mean that Tim and I won’t become something, but we’re not going to get married here anytime soon.”
Bruce folded his hands under his chin and leaned forward. “This is what I warned Clark and Diana about letting young people into the league. Particularly, Bart Allen.”
You and Tim shared a look. “I mean it’s true. We’re a mess,” you whispered to Tim. A shadow of a smile pulled at his lips.
“Or at least Kon and Bart are.” Tim snorted softly.
“However, neither of you are to drink anything on an alien planet again.” Bruce got to his feet and crossed his arms. “And I will have a word with Bart Allen.”
Tim froze as you had to slap a hand over your mouth to keep from laughing out loud. “A word with Bart Allen?” Tim gasped, jaw dropped.
Alfred raised an eyebrow at Bruce as Bruce marched off toward the Batcave entrance. You and Tim watched him go. Once the door was shut, you allowed your laughter to slip out. “Oh my, Bart is dead. I want to see that.” You jumped to your feet and dragged Tim up with you. Tim shut his mouth, blinking. “Come on, Tim. This is better revenge than Cassie breaking his jaw or us freezing his underwear with one of Mr. Freeze’s old guns.”
“Then we got to go. Excuse us, Alfred,” Tim said, smirking as he pulled you to follow Bruce. You quickly set the cup of tea down.
“Thank Alfred,” you said over your shoulder as you and Tim disappeared down into the cave.
Alfred chuckled, cleaning up the tea. “They’ll be married officially by the end of the year.” He picked up the tray and turned to leave the room. “I guarantee it.”
Requested by Anon - Saw that requests were open and I thought of a cute batfam imagine. Reader is a single mom with a newborn baby girl and surprises the boys by coming home for Christmas and Alfred helped decorate the living room and reader helped cook and basically spend her baby’s first Christmas with her family and Bruce and the boys get all emotional or something also Happy Christmas!
Author’s Note - This request came in on Christmas Day, so I thought I’d squeeze it in. Sorry, it’s late.
***
Alfred smiled, watching the boys and Cass set up the living room for the holidays. He didn’t get to decorating himself this year, but it was a good activity to keep the rest of the family busy and out of the kitchen while he prepared Christmas Eve dinner.
When he passed Bruce’s office, he paused to see Bruce inside with his face in his hands. He was holding the photo of you and your newborn baby girl that you had posted on social media a few days ago. It was a joyous occasion, the birth of his first grandchild. Of course instead of being happy, Bruce chose to sulk at the fact he didn’t even know you were pregnant. He also started investigating to find out who the father was when he found out you were going to be a single mother.
Alfred shook his head and kept walking toward the kitchen. He hoped Master Bruce didn’t ruin this new peace between you and the family. The phone rang once he was inside the kitchen. He picked it up quickly, smiling as he knew who it was. “Hello, Wayne residence?”
“Alfred, it’s me.” He smiled at the sound of your voice. “I was wondering if you could send someone to get us. My car broke down and now we’re at a gas station where we got towed to.” You sighed. Alfred frowned at the strain in your voice. “I know me showing up was supposed to be surprise, but I…well…I can’t really afford a ride there.”
“Of course, Miss (Y/N). What is the address?” He picked up a pen, writing it down as you told him. “Are you in a warm and safe place?”
The baby fussed softly on your end. “Yeah, we’re fine. I’m inside the gas station with a cup of hot chocolate.” You laughed softly. “Thank you, Alfred. I’ll see you soon.”
“I love you, Miss (Y/N). I’ll have one of the boys there soon.” He hung up the phone and left the kitchen to go the the main family room. The tree was up, and most were decorating the tree. Jason was sitting on the couch, watching them. Alfred smiled, coming over to place a hand on Jason’s shoulder. Jason tensed, sensing he was just volunteered for something. “Master Jason, come with me please.”
The others laughed. “Shut up.” Jason growled, getting to his feet and following Alfred out of the room. “What’s up, Alfie? Need my help in the kitchen?”
“No, Master Jason.” Alfred handed Jason the address. “Take one of the cars, go to this address and pick up something for me.”
Jason frowned, eyeing the address. “Okay? Can I take any car?”
“Anything is fine. Be back in an hour at the most.” Alfred shooed Jason away. “Call me if you have any questions.”
“Right.” Jason left. Alfred smiled before going into the kitchen. They’ll still be surprised, even if it wasn’t the way you and he originally planned.
***
Jason pulled into the gas station. He checked his phone on the dashboard. The address was right, but what did Alfred need from a gas station?
He parked the Audi in one of the parking spots outside and grabbed his phone. Frowning, he got out to look around.
“Jason?” He tensed, spinning to find you standing in the doorway of the gas station with a big smile on your face. “Hi.”
“(Y/N)?” A wave of pure joy washed over him as he ran to hug you. He spun you around, making you laugh. “Why are you here? Where’s my niece?”
“She’s inside.” You sighed once he set you down. “I was coming today as a surprise, but then my car broke down and we got stuck here.” He led you back inside when you shivered. Your baby was in her carrier, still fast asleep on the table you were sitting at while you waited.
Jason peeked inside at her. “Look at you, princess.” He whispered softly, touching her cheek. She turned her head, opening her mouth to try to find something to suck on. He chuckled. “She’s beautiful, (Y/N).”
“Thank you.” You glanced between them, sneaking a photo of the two with your phone.
Jason pulled himself away from her. “Give me your keys. I’ll move your stuff into my car while you two stay in here and keep warm.”
“You don’t have to do that,” you said, handing him your keys when he didn’t relent. “Thanks Jay. I honestly had no idea what we were going to do.”
“I got this.” He kissed your cheek. “I’ll come get you when I’m ready.” Jason was about to head out when you grab his hand. He turned to look, noting the panic, strained look in your eye. He knew that look well. “What?”
“There’s going to be a lot of stuff.” You blushed, your eyes on his forehead. “Just don’t judge me, okay?”
Jason snorted. “I’d never judge you.” He leaned over to kiss your cheek, squeezed your arm with his hand. “I got you now. Everything will be fine.”
“Thanks Jay.” You relaxed slightly. Jason led you over to take a seat before heading out to your car. It was an old, rusted piece of crap. He wondered how you even got this far in it. Inside was suitcases, boxes, and garbage bags. He sensed you coming for the holidays might be more than just a visit. Taking a deep breath, Jason pushed aside his curiosity and began to move your things into the Audi.
***
“Al, did you throw Jason out or something? I can’t find him,” Tim asked, poking his head into the kitchen. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the delicious smells from inside.
“Master Jason is running an errand for me.” Alfred basted the turkey again and closed the oven. “He should be back in the next half an hour or so.”
Tim hummed, stepping inside the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, taking a carrot from the serving tray Alfred had out for them to snack on. “Bruce is still brooding.”
“He’ll snap out of it soon.” Alfred smiled when his back was turned to Tim.
“I don’t know if he will. He’s bothered by the fact (Y/N) had a baby by herself on top of trying to live on her own. I’m worried about her too.” Tim munched on another carrot. “I kept tabs on her. Her finances are in shambles.”
Alfred’s mouth went dry. Suddenly, it made sense. Maybe that’s why you reached out after three years of almost silence? Desperation. “Well, I imagine we’ll have to see for ourselves after the holidays.”
“I’m worried about the baby too. Bruce paid off her hospital bills, didn’t he? I heard he sent the hospital a check when he saw the photo on (Y/N)’s Instagram.” Tim took yet another carrot. Alfred turned. Tim had a furrow in his brow. “I’m scared for her, Alfred. It’s hard to be a single mother especially now days.”
Alfred reached over to pat Tim’s hand. “We’ll help her as much as we can.” He smiled when he heard Jason shouting that he was home with a Christmas present for everyone. “I believe Master Jason is home.”
Tim grinned, getting to his feet and jogging out of the room. Alfred paused to wash his hands. He frowned slightly as he wondered if what Tim had said was true. The few emails and calls you made to him over the years did sound like you were struggling slightly. Troublesome living situations, having multiple jobs at the same time. He did send you money a few times as well especially when you found out you were pregnant.
Alfred dried his hands and followed the noise to the main entryway. You were being hugged by Dick while Jason held your baby. Cass and Tim were peeking at her, cooing softly. Damian stood back with a scowl. “Miss (Y/N), I’m glad you made it.” Alfred opened his arms for you. Dick let you go and you ran to Alfred.
“I’m so happy to see you.” You held him tight, hiding your face in his shoulder like you used to do when you were younger. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, Miss (Y/N), but you don’t need to thank us.” Alfred rubbed your back, feeling his shoulder dampen from your tears. “Collect yourself, Miss (Y/N).”
You sniffled, pulling away from him to wipe a few tears with your sleeve. “Sorry.” You smiled. “Do you want to meet your great-granddaughter?” You turned, taking your baby from Jason. The others followed you, still waiting to get a good look at her. Alfred took the baby into his arms, sighing at how beautiful she was.
“She looks so much like you, Miss (Y/N).” Alfred chuckled, rocking her gently.
“TT, she’s a Wayne. Of course, she looks like her.” Damian crossed his arms. You blinked at him before ruffling Damian’s hair. He gasped, batting your hand away. However, a hint of a smile pulled at his lips.
The baby slowly opened her eyes. Alfred smiled, seeing how beautiful they were. A little hand came out of the blanket she was wrapped in. Perfect little fingers and delicate fingernails. “Is Dad here?” you asked, wringing your hands.
“He’s in the study, brooding.” Dick chuckled, nudging your side as Cass gave you a hug. “You should probably go let him know you’re here. Otherwise, he’ll never come out.”
“Cool.” You bit your lip.
“I’ll watch over your daughter. Go talk to Master Bruce.” Alfred smiled, knowing you would be the only one to get Bruce out of the office and to join the rest of the family.
“Thanks Alfred.” You shared a look with your siblings. “If I’m not out in twenty minutes, send Titus to save me.” You winked at Damian before slipping out of the room.
“May I?” Cass held out her arms for the baby. Alfred smiled and handed her over. Cass gasped at her niece. cooing at her softly. Alfred glanced toward the direction you went, hoping your conversation with Bruce would go well.
***
You knocked on Bruce’s office door. Nerves ate at your stomach. Shame made you feel hollow inside. You never planned to have to come back to your father like this, but life happened.
“I’m not in the mood to be lectured, Alfred,” Bruce said inside.
You smiled sadly before opening the door. “It’s not Alfred.” You almost laughed when Bruce fell out of his chair at the sight of you. The one and only time you surprised him. “Hi Dad.”
“(Y/N).” Bruce got to his feet, staring at you in disbelief and worry. “How…why are you here?”
You bit your lip. Your heart pounded like a jackhammer. “I came for Christmas. Alfred said I’m always invited and I figured I should since I wanted everyone to meet my daughter.” You swallowed the rest of the reason. The fact you needed money and you were homeless. That you wanted your daughter’s first Christmas to be somewhere warm and safe with people that loved her.
Bruce’s lips twitched. You tensed, knowing you probably didn’t hide it as well as you thought. “I’m glad you’re here.” He slowly came to you, opening his arms. You felt a tear slid down your cheek as you ran into his arms. He hugged you tight and for the first time in a long time, you felt secure.
A sob slipped out of you. You buried your face in his shoulder. Bruce rubbed your back, humming to soothe you. “You’re okay. I’m here now,” he mumbled, rocking you gently.
“I’m so sorry.” You gasped, letting out all the stress and tears you held in for so long. “I didn’t mean what I said when I ran away.”
“I know.” Bruce kissed the top of your head. You sobbed hard, your entire body shaking. “I’m proud of you. You made your way on your own like you swore to me you would.”
A lump formed in your throat. “No, I didn’t.” You sniffled, looking up at you as you felt another wave of tears come. “I had to work three different jobs just to stay in a small room in a house with five roommates. Even then, I was barely making it. Then I made a mistake and got pregnant. They kicked me out of the house after she was born and I had to live in my car.” You pulled away from him to rub your eyes with your sleeves. “Then when I came here, my car broke down and I was so scared that someone would find out and take my baby away.”
Bruce blinked. “We’ll figure that out now.” He took your hand and led you to sit down on the couch. “You’re not in this alone, (Y/N). You never were.”
“I said I didn’t need you. That I wished you weren’t my father,” you coughed, choking slightly on your tears. “How could I dare come back to ask for something?”
Bruce hummed as he handed you a tissue. “Sweetheart, did you honestly think I wouldn’t help you? I’ve kept tabs on you, even paid off your hospital bill.” You flinched in surprise. Now it made sense why they haven’t called you about your first payment yet. A weight lifted off your back at the thought.
A loud cry came from somewhere in the house. You got to your feet. “I think she’s hungry. I better go.” Bruce stood with you.
“I’ll come with you. I’d like to meet my first grandchild.” He smiled, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “You can stay here as long as you like, (Y/N). We have more than enough room.”
Fresh tears came to your eyes. Your hormones were still out of whack. “Thanks Dad.” The two of you left to follow the sound of your daughter’s cry.
***
“(Y/N), your stocking is still in here too,” Tim said, holding up the stocking you had since you were little. You smiled as you adjusted your daughter under the breastfeeding cover. The whole family was in the living room, snacking on cookies and veggies. Bruce sat on the couch with you, waiting for your daughter to finish eating so he could hold her again.
“Wow, I guess Alfred never did throw things away.” You laughed. Tim hung up your stocking on the mantle with the rest of the family’s.
Alfred clicked his tongue. “I guess we’re missing one member of the family now.” He reached into a bag and removed a brand new stocking with your daughter’s name on it. You gasped, tears filling your eyes again.
“Aww, thank you, Alfred.” You swallowed hard, glancing down at your daughter. She fell asleep with your nipple in her mouth. You moved her gently out from the cover and handed her to Bruce while you covered yourself.
“Cute.” Cass took it and hung it up with the rest. “Whole family.”
You smiled, glancing at Bruce to see him cooing softly to your daughter as he rocked her. Alfred secretly took a picture. You knew you would find it framed somewhere. “Alfred, can I help in the kitchen?” you asked when you saw him hand the camera to Tim to take more secretive pictures.
“Of course, Miss (Y/N).” Alfred nodded, gesturing for you to follow him.
“You got her, Dad?” you asked, glancing back at Bruce who’s eyes were only on his little granddaughter.
“I’m good.” Bruce looked back at you. “Don’t worry.” You nodded and left the room.
“Miss (Y/N), if you could start on the pie filling for my special blueberry pie.” Alfred moved to check the turkey in the oven again. You grinned, finding the bowls where they have always been.
It brought back memories of other Christmases where you and Alfred made blueberry pies. You were the only one to know the recipe since the others were always too busy to learn. “Of course.”
Alfred turned on the radio and the two of you worked silently. You finished the pie, sliding it into the oven as Alfred took the turkey out. “Can I help?” Dick asked as he peeked around the corner of the doorway.
“Set the table, Master Dick. Dinner should almost be ready,” Alfred said with a smile. You peeked at the turkey, the smell making your mouth water. It was a long way from the cans of cold beans you had been eating the last few days.
Alfred handed you a bowl of steamed vegetables. You smiled, going to join Dick in the dining room. “Hey sis.” Dick smirked at you as he carefully set plate mats down.
“Hey yourself.” You rolled your eyes as you set the vegetables down and moved to help him. “How have you been?”
“Good, considering.” Dick bit his lip, eyeing you. “I wish you would have called me if you were in so much trouble.”
You frowned, pausing with a stack of plates in your arms. Jason must have mention it to him. “I was trying to do it on my own, Dick. You know about that.”
“Yeah.” Dick gave you a half-smile. “But we made a pact to always look out for each other.”
You snorted. “That was when you were eleven and I was ten.”
“Still applies.” He reached over to squeeze your elbow. “Just remember I’m always a call away.”
You rolled your eyes, heart warmed by his words. “This goes both ways, you know. If you need me, I’ll be there.”
Dick nodded, letting his hair fall into his eyes. You set the plates down to brush it away. “For example, if I want cuddles from my niece, you better be there.”
“I’m sure I can make that work for you.” You laughed, hugging him tight. Dick hugged you back, lifting you up. “I missed you, Dick.”
“I missed you too.” You buried your face into his shoulder. “You guys have to stop making me cry.”
Dick laughed, spinning you around. “Can’t help that.”
“Careful with the dishes,” Alfred scolded with a smile as he came in with the bowl of mashed potatoes. You and Dick laughed, spinning faster. You couldn’t remember the last time you laughed so much.
***
Once dinner was done, most of the family left to go out into the city on patrol. You, Alfred, and Damian were the only ones left. Alfred and you wrapped presents on the living room floor while Damian stared at your daughter who was fast sleep in a portable sleeper Alfred had dug out of somewhere.
Alfred nudged your arm, nodding over to Damian. You smirked over at him. Everyone thought it was odd that Damian didn’t go on patrol with them. You sensed what he stayed for. “Damian, did you want to hold her?” You got to your feet and went over to sit next to him.
“TT,” he huffed, blushing slightly. You picked her up. She whined slightly before settling back down.
“Hold your arms like mine.” Damian copied you, sitting flat on the floor. “You have to support her head, and hold her close to your chest.” You handed Damian your daughter. He tensed when he felt the little life in his arms.
“I can feel her heartbeat.” Damian had a shadow of a smile on his lips.
You smiled and moved back to wrap another present. Damian held her stiffly for a while until eventually he started to rock her. Alfred sneaked a photo of the two. You shared a smile with him, pretending not to watch them. Damian held her until she woke up crying for another meal.
***
You headed upstairs with your daughter in your arms. “I have your old bedroom opened,” Alfred said, following you.
“Thanks Alfred,” you whispered as you walked down the hall toward your bedroom. It was next to Dick’s old room and across from Bruce’s. Inside was almost untouched except for the fresh sheets and the bassinet in the corner. “Wow, you left it the same.”
“Well except for a few additions.” Alfred moved over to the bassinet. You went over and gently laid your daughter down inside. “I’ll need more time to open up the nursery.”
“You don’t need to do that, Alfred.” You bit your lip. Guilt haunted you. Everyone was making such an effort for you. “This is enough.”
Alfred took your shoulders and turned you to face him. “Miss (Y/N), let us help you. This is your home. It is open to both of you.” Your lips trembled. Alfred pulled away before you cried again. Stupid hormones. “Now go to sleep.”
“Good night, Alfred.” You watched him go with a stray tear running down your cheek. The relief you felt was endless. No matter what your daughter was going to be taken care of in the best way possible.
***
“Wake up, (Y/N),” Jason whispered in your ear. You moaned, opening one eye to see your brother smirking at you in the bright morning light. “Breakfast is ready and there are presents downstairs.”
You turned to bury your face into your pillow. “Jay, my daughter was up three times last night, please let me sleep.”
Suddenly, your blankets were gone and you were scooped up into Jason’s arms. You shrieked, smacking his shoulder. Jason just laughed and carried you out the door. “Wait, my baby.” You reached back toward the room.
“Cass has her. She picked her up before I woke you up.” Jason carried you downstairs. You relaxed, wrapping your arms around his neck.
“Then I forgive you.” You kissed his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Jay.”
“Merry Christmas, sis.” Jason brought you to the kitchen and sat you down at the breakfast table where the rest of the family was waiting. You searched for your daughter, relaxing when you saw Tim had her. “Can we eat now?” Jason asked, taking the seat next to you.
“Now we may.” Alfred set a giant plate of waffles in the center of the table. “Merry Christmas.”
Everyone dug in. You filled your plate and looked around the table. It felt so strange to be home, surrounded by family. You glanced at your daughter who was passed back to Bruce. He rocked her and met your eye. You smiled back at him, glad you took that chance to reconnect with him. Taking a bite from your plate, you sighed and were thankful for everything this family could give you and your daughter.
Alfred watched quietly as Master Bruce puttered around the kitchen, fingers tapping and touching nearly everything without settling. They both knew he was just stalling time until he had no choice but to face the music upstairs. He ran his fingers across the toaster one last time before sighing, turning around to face his friend.
“I suppose I should go tell her I’m back.” He leaned against the spotless marble counter-top and drummed his fingers mindlessly against it. Alfred merely fixed him with a knowing look and nodded slightly. Bruce gave one final tap to the edge and bid him good night.
He opened the bedroom door almost silently, only to be greeted by a scowl as you switched on the light. You were curled up in his desk chair on the farthest side of the room. He knew you’d been up for a while thanks to the nearly empty mug of tea in your hands. The two of you studied one another for a brief moment- him taking note of the way your hair curled around your face and how well you filled out his shirt that you had stolen for bed, you feeling bad over his exhausted expression yet getting angrier as you realized he also looked just as guilty as you knew he had to be.
“It’s midnight.” You were the first to break the silence. “Where the hell were you?”
Bruce sighed and ruffled his hair, turning from you and beginning to undress for bed.
“I had business to attend to, you kn-”
“Business? At this hour?” You nearly laughed at the pathetic excuse. “Do you think I’m that stupid?”
He turned around and fixed you with a patronizing look that made you feel like a kid again.“Of course I don’t think you’re stupid. It’s just- It’s complicated, okay?”
“Everything with you is complicated, Bruce. Women who date you should be offered a manual upon first contact.” You quickly swallowed the remaining dregs of your cold tea before setting it down and moving to your boyfriend.
Bruce relaxed the moment your hands met his back, sliding around from behind to help unbutton his shirt and pull it away from his shoulders. You went to push up his undershirt as well but he gripped your hands and gently pulled them away. If you saw the bruises spreading across his ribs, courtesy of Penguin, he knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge your questions.
You stood there for a moment, staring at his back in confusion as he gripped your wrists tight enough to keep you still. The anger that had ebbed away when you touched him came rushing back full force, accompanied by hot angry tears that refused to fall.
He was surprised but complied when you yanked yourself away from him and walked over to your side of the bed. You yanked off his shirt so you could put on your own clothes- the shimmery dress that had gotten you many compliments just hours ago at the gala.
“Babe, what are you-”
“No.” That’s all you said as you clipped your bra into place and began shimmying into the tight little number. He was quiet for a moment, so you continued. “No. You need to tell me right now what’s going on. I don’t think you’re a cheater, Bruce, even though that’s exactly what this looks like. But you’re lying to me about something. I don’t want to spend my whole life in the dark, so you need to clear it up rightnow.”
He made a move to help you zip up out of habit, but you gracefully dodged him and squirmed around until you managed to get it yourself. You stood there, shoes in hand, waiting for him to say anything.
For just a moment, Bruce actually considered telling you. You’d stuck around longer than anyone else. You’d seen and heard plenty of weird, living in Gotham your whole life. The trust he had in you was unshakable, and that was amazing on its own. What’s the worst that could happen?
But then he pictured you battered and broken, surrounded by the Penguin’s henchmen. He watched the Riddler dangle you over a vat of acid as he threw random bat trivia at him. The worst was when he watched the Joker bring his crowbar down on you over and over again, blood flying into the air as you tried to scream in pain but all you could do was laugh hysterically thanks to the gas.
“Bruce…” Your voice brought him out of his reverie, your lovely, musical voice. You stared at him, willing your tears to stay back a little bit longer. “I can’t do this anymore with you, do you understand?”
After a moment of silence, all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”
You couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes. Unbelievable. He couldn’t be honest with you, after all this time. Closing your mouth and squaring your shoulders, you slipped your heels onto your feet and strode past him to the door. You picked your purse and coat up off the floor, but not before sparing him one last glance. He looked much older and frail in that moment, and you actually felt a great swell of pity for him.
“Good bye, Mr. Wayne. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.” With that you walked away from him.
“ @lucky-foxface –Hello!!May I please request a scenrio for how Batman would react to finding a small(small enough to fit in somones hand level of small) shrunken lady in Gotham, she’d be terrified of him because she’s small and vulnerable and hes huge and well, he is scary by design. He would have to try to calm her down and coax her to go with him as its not safe for somone so small to be alone at night in Gotham.”
Don’t move to Gotham.
You’re gonna freak out, girlie.
They’ll eat you alive, sweetheart.
You were beginning to think they were right. Everything about this city was terrifying, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to turn down the promotion that led you here. The pay was just too good compared to what you were used to making. Still, the pay did little to ease your frantic heart rate when you found yourself walking home alone in the dark one day because you lost track of time in the office.
A scream leapt from your throat when a gruff voice asked, “Are you alright, miss?” from the shadows ahead of you. Then you saw a figure emerge and crouch before you, like it was trying to make itself smaller.
This is the end, you thought. They were right. I never should have–
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
Huh?Your fingernails dug into your palms as you tried to calm yourself down and think about this rationally. Even crouching, the man in the strange suit–Batman, if the news wasn’t full of crazies–was still almost your height. If the news wasn’t lying, and if your eyes weren’t deceiving you, there was the smallest chance he wasn’t lying, so you asked, “Why should I believe you?”
From what little you could see of his face, you saw him smile ever so slightly. “That’s a good instinct to have,” he praised quietly, voice still gruff. “Especially around here.”
You’d been in the city long enough to know that he meant on this end of town, but you couldn’t afford to live anywhere nicer until you saved up some money. “What do you want?” Inwardly, you winced. What you intended to sound as hostile came off terrified. Which. Fair.
“Let me take you home,” he implored calmly.
“Then you’d know where I live.”
“If I wanted to know that, I have a lot easier ways to find out. I just want to make sure you get home safely.”
He does have a reputation for helping people … “Why? You can’t be here every time I stay late.” You folded your arms around your middle. “I might as well get used to it now.”
“Something tells me you’ll do your best to keep this from happening again.”
“… Fine.”
He offered you his elbow as if this were some historical drama. Tentatively you accepted. The suit was warm and rubbery to the touch. “So, which way?”
As strange as it was, there was something peaceful about moments like this. You were numbed, so you couldn’t feel much other than the gentle tug of the needle going in and out of your skin accompanied by the warmth of his hands working to sew you back together. And since you were in no real danger of bleeding out, the whole experience was almost relaxing.
“You really should be more careful.” His voice was soothing without the gravel he forced into it while he was wearing the cowl. Here in the Batcave wearing sweats, there was no reason for false pretenses.
You hummed thoughtfully. Carefully, you turned your head to peek over your shoulder at him. “It was my back or your face, sweetheart.”
“Then let me get hit.”
You scoffed. “I’m gonna pretend that you aren’t telling me to elect to let you ruin that handsome face. I dunno if you noticed, but I’m just a bit fond of it.”
“You–”
“Bruce,” you cut him off, facing forward again. “This is nothing. A scratch. I’ll be fine. I’ll be good as new once you patch me up.”
You heard him sigh. “I want you to take it easy for a few days.”
“What? N–”
“Please,” he cut you off this time. You heard him shift then felt the press of his lips against the nape of your neck. “For me?”
You rolled your eyes, thankful that he couldn’t see the goofy smile that pulled at your mouth. “Alright. I guess Alfred could use a hand around the house for a few days.”
Neither of you commented on the fact that he would let you do no such thing. Likely, you’d spend the time sitting and chatting with him while he flitted around the manor doing this and that to keep it looking perfect as always.
maybe need a threesome with rob pattinson and andrew garfield after these pictures of a dinner party in LA
like imagine a crossover with andrew spiderman and rob batman where they have to collaborate together cos ur a vilain in gotham city and they finally caught you (thanks to peter web ???) ans they both decide to teach you a lesson for being bad and naughty ??
Bruce Wayne was currently sixteen, he was very outgoing. He had a small group of friends but even for a boy as outgoing as himself, there was one girl that made outgoing, charismatic Bruce Wayne, a shy boy.
Bruce picked Y/n up on the way to Gotham High school, she sat in the passenger seat, her hand rested on Bruce’s hand that was sitting on the center console. The two had been friends for some time now, they met due to their fathers working as surgeons, causing the two of them to grow as friends.
“Hey.. breathe.” She said softly, Bruce looked over to her at a red light, concerned dripped from her eyes, sometimes he seemed to forget how to breathe when she was around.
Bruce turned his attention back to the road that was covered in snow, his lips pulling into a small smile. His hand slipped into her smaller, softer one. His thumb ran over her knuckles, the small smile grew larger
“Bruce Thomas Wayne, is that a smile I see?” She giggled, causing Bruce’s heart to do a small flip
“Maybe.” He teased
The next day, Bruce was sitting in the living room, reading a book while his mother helped Alfred decorate the manor in Christmas decor. The phone started to ring. Alfred started to descend from the ladder he was on.
“No it’s alright Alfred, I got it.” Bruce smiled as he bookmarked his page and went to grab the phone
“Wayne residence?” Bruce hummed
“Bruce, It’s Y/n!” Bruce’s heart stopped for a moment as he smiled
“Hi! What can I do for you?”
“Would you like to come over and bake some Christmas cookies with me, I’m home alone currently and bored.“
Her voice was gentle, it was like hearing a song you love, it’s all you wanna hear. You could hear her smile. Home alone with a pretty girl, cookies, all pros. Cons, He was nervous.
"Bruce? Hello?” He jumped
“Uhm yeah! Yeah! I’ll be over in fifteen?” Bruce heard a small sigh of relief
“Perfect.” The line clicked and He ran to get changed. Alfred and Martha giving each other knowing smiles as Bruce rushed to his bedroom.
He found himself staring at the large front door, he gently pressed the doorbell, he could hear it echo through the large mansion. She opened the front door, she looked as beautiful as ever, she was all smiles as she stared at the boy.
“Hey! Come on in!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house
Two dozen cookies later, they were covered in baking ingredients
“You’re horrible at this Bruce!” She laughed as he broke an egg into a bowl, getting shell in the batter
“Shit, shit, shit. Hey I never said I could cook dessert, only some meals! Besides I came here to be with you.” Bruce said as he fished the shell out with a spoon, Y/n went quiet as those words left Bruce’s mouth.
Bruce looked to her as she stared at him
“Really? You came over here to be with me?” She smiled softly at him
Bruce nodded as he blushed, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck
“Well.. Yeah.. I like you.. You know.. Like.. more than a friend..” Bruce’s awkwardness really shined through at that moment, her eyes lit up more
“I do too..I have for a while.. But I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“Y/n, You couldn’t ever ruin anything.” Bruce gently grabbed her hand
“You mean too much to me for anything to get ruined between us. I’d do anything for you, you know that, Now, come on pretty girl, lets finish these cookies, get cleaned up and then I’ll take you to my house and have some of Alfred’s world famous hot chocolate. We can even sit at the fireplace in the smaller living room and roast s’mores, make it our first date.”
“Bruce Thomas Wayne, you are the most amazing man I’ve ever met and I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Bruce smiled softly as he placed a kiss on her forehead, her cheeks flushing a pale pink
“I wouldn’t be amazing if I didn’t have you, Y/N Y/L.”
Synopsis : Your son, Jason, the fearsome Red Hood, got cursed somehow and…turned into a toddler. Shenanigans ensue.
Please. I’m very proud of the pun in the title. For once, I found the title instantly haha. Anyway, here’s a “bonus” story, sudden burst of inspiration, had to write it. I hope you’ll like it :) :
It was a calm afternoon, which was rare enough, in your household, for you to notice it.
When was the last time you and Bruce had time to relax like that ? Time to do nothing, and spend a lazy afternoon just the two of you ?
Too long ago to remember.
You’re running your hand through your husband’s hair, as his head is in your lap, and he’s in a half-sleep state, just content being near you, taking a well deserved rest. You were reading, quite enjoying your book, and soothed by Bruce’s warmth.
This was such a nice moment. Relaxing. Silent. A rare moment of stillness, which you appreciated all the better.
And then-
“PARENTS, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY !!”
Dick.
Dick just barged in, clearly panicked. And you understood instantly why, as you spot, settled in his arm…A small child ?! Wrapped in a, is that a hoodie ? You feel like you’ve seen that hoodie somewhere, but you don’t have time to look at it further as your eyes are attracted towards the kid.
A toddler. A little boy. No more than two. With big blue eyes, and the cutest tiny face you’ve ever seen. With a white streak in his hair you’d recognize anywhere.
************
“How did this happen ?!”
There were no doubt in yours, nor Bruce’s mind, that this was your Jason.
Same eyes, same hair, and he turned to you whenever you and Bruce said : “Jason”. So, either this was your son, or it was your son’s secret son, but you somehow doubted it. Sure, kids could look exactly like their parents, but to this extent ? He even had that little beauty mark under his ear…
This was Jason. You were sure of it.
You’d recognize your boy anywhere. Now, the question remained : what the hell happened ?
“I don’t know ! I went to his place to check on him, and I found him like this. It’s Jason. It’s definitely Jason. I found him asleep on the floor, in a pool of his clothes. Definitely too big now. But it’s him.”
“Yes, it seems like him. But, again, how ?”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t put past him actually pissing of some kind of magician or something. Last time I spoke to him, he said he had a lead on a possible metahuman who was doing some shady business, could be it.”
Could be, indeed. This was so odd. What were you going to do now ? There was no way you could-
Ah. He was waking up. He yawned (most adorable things you’ve seen in a long time), rubbed his eyes and theN.
Then he pointed at you, and said, smiling : “Mama”.
“He knows who you are, my love.”
Bruce said, matter of factly, his initial shock vanished as he was now studying the situation.
Jason turns to him then, and says : “Dada ?”
Evidently, there were some remnant of Jason in there, as he recognized both of them. But as soon as he turned to look at Dick, he started screaming and kicking, wanting to get away, and only calming down once he got into your arms.
What was this ? A reaction like little ducklings ? Recognizing the first people you saw as your parents ? Or some distant memories ?
The situation was getting more and more intriguing. But you were sure you’d all figure it all somehow.
None of you could know that Jason would be stuck in this state for a few months…
We need supplies
How to go buy a bunch of baby supplies without looking suspicious ?
Damn, it was annoying sometimes (often), to be so well known in your city. For sure someone would notice Bruce Wayne, no matter how he would disguise himself (ironic, isn’t it ? Everyone always recognized him in the streets, no matter what, yet nobody ever realized he was the Batman). And the same went for each member of the family.
Especially if you’d go buy baby supplies. Imagine the gossip the next day, in the paper ? You couldn’t have Jason’s condition known !
You were trying to figure something out, because you did need the supplies. You had to be discreet. Because-
“What about Uncle Clark ?”
Tim’s idea. Of course. And…OF COURSE.
Clark DID have a baby.
Jon.
Maybe he still had some of his stuffs ?
Also, nobody would bat an eye if they saw Clark Kent (who ?) buy diapers and whatnot. And then he could fly right to the Manor, he knew how to be discreet.
It was perfect !
************
You know how you recognize good friends ? They’re here in less than an hour when you need them. With everything you need, too.
Well. It did help that said friend was a metahuman with super-speed. But still.
Clark was there quickly, with clothes, diapers, a baby bed, formula. The perfect “a baby appeared in our life starter kit”.
“Someone gonna tell me what’s going on ?”
Yes, a true friend indeed. The kind of person who comes with “baby supplies” when you ask him to, because it’s an “emergency”, and he doesn’t even ask why up until he did it.
You quickly explained the situation, and after he laughs a little too much, he settles down and asks :
“So, what are you going to do ?”
“Still figuring that out. Have a few lead.”
Clark knows Bruce enough to know that the man isn’t going to tell him more about his plans, so he doesn’t push it. Instead, he turns to Jason, and smiles at him.
“Hey there buddy, how are you doing ?”
He reaches to ruffle his hair, but Jason slaps his hand away, and goes to hide behind his father, reaching up, asking to be picked up.
“He doesn’t like you.”
Bruce says, smirking, way too pleased about what just happened. You can’t help but roll your eyes at his childishness (which always seemed to get out when around Clark), as Superman says :
“But Jason loves me !”
“Adult Jason maybe, but baby Jason knows better.”
“What do you mean ? Hey, hey ! What do you mean ?!”
Bruce doesn’t answer, and just snicker, amused by his friend’s reaction. And you find the situation too funny to tell Clark that : Jason is simply a very shy child. He runs away from any person he doesn’t know, you noticed very quickly.
You could’ve told Clark that, and it would’ve settled thing. But it was too funny to witness THE Superman trying to get a one year old kid to like him by bribing him with a wide array of toys, yet failing each times. All while THE Batman kept mocking him and telling Jason that Clark was a “bad man”…
Oh. Oh this would be a memory to preciously keep in mind. What a sight.
************
Slowly, life went back to “normal”. Just, with a toddler Jason instead of an adult one. Which you weren’t sure was more calming, in the end.
Your other children quickly heard the news, and slowly but surely, a sort of routine started in Wayne Manor, in which all of you took care of the boy.
You knew he’d do the same for you.
With Damian
“Gah ?”
“Yes, indeed. Very good choice.”
Damian didn’t notice you, as you snuck up in the room him and Jason were in, and you just looked at the both of them. Your youngest son was such a good older brother, who would’ve thought ?
He was currently drawing with Jason. There was paint everywhere, and Alfred would probably not be very happy (although he actually didn’t mind cleaning this kind of mess). The questioning “gah” Jason gave Damian was apparently about whether he should use blue or not. Of course, Damian said he should. It’d go nicely with Jason’s adorable mess of a painting.
Who knew Damian was that good at baby talk ?
They were calmly drawing together, both laying on the floor. You noticed Damian was actually painting his “little” brother, while Jason…It was abstract, but his “older” brother influence was clearly there as the colors mixed nicely together.
Jason finished his masterpiece, as he held it up with his little hands and exclaimed : “Babaaaa” (his version of “tadaa”, surely).
“Very nicely done, Little Bird, very nicely done indeed.”
“Little bird”…oh, your heart was going to melt. This was Dick’s nickname for Jason (and all his little siblings really, although Jason was the first he called like that, and it was definitely happening more with him, simply because it annoyed him so much, and Dick LOVED to get on his siblings’ nerves).
You never thought Damian would use it one day, after all, you and Bruce never really talked about having more children. You had already quite a handful of them…And no, definitely not, having little Jason around DID NOT make your baby fever go wild.
“You’re very talented you know”, Damian says, patting his brother on the head. Jason seemed so pleased, so proud of himself. And then, then he let out the biggest yawn you’ve ever seen coming out of such a little mouth.
“Ah, it is nap time I see. Come on little bird, I’ll-“
As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Jason just snaked his way in Damian’s arms, and got comfortable. In just a few seconds, his eyes were closed, and he was fast asleep. Aaah, to be a toddler, capable of falling asleep anywhere in a matter of seconds. What a dream.
You thought Damian would stand up, and go to Jason’s room (where you installed a little baby bed,Jaso’ns actual bed being way too big…Bruce had it custom made for his son, which like, is not surprising to anyone). But instead, Damian sat up a little, rearranged Jason in his arms so the little boy would be more comfortable, and stayed still.
He wasn’t moving at all, his “baby” brother cradled in his arms. And here you were, as if hypnotized by the cuteness of the scene.
Your son still hadn’t notice you, and was looking intently at Jason. He brushed a few fingers on his chubby little baby cheek, and after a long silence during which you felt you were literally melting because this was so sweet, you heard Damian’s voice :
“You know, you used to do this for me. I don’t- I don’t really remember exactly, but I just feel it. You used to hold me just like that, when I was a toddler, and I just know you were one of the only person who were able to instantly soothe me. It’s a gut feeling. I know you were there.”
It doesn’t take long before you understand, and you find yourself chocking up.
Damian is talking about his own childhood, foggy memories of a lonely upbringing full of training, fear and harshness. Ras’ was not a tender man, and his grasp on his daughter was, at the time, too strong.
Damian did not grow up like most kid. Like any kid. And yet, amongst all the tough moments, there was one memory he seemed to be holding on…
Jason taking care of him.
You knew your son had been assigned to Damian’s protection. When he didn’t really have any memories of what happened to him, or of who he was. When Ras, out of the compassion he still had hidden deep in his heart, resurrected your boy after the Joker killed him, feeling guilty.
But Jason came back altered, the trauma of his death was too much. He couldn’t quite remember, and with reasons, Ras thought it was better to keep him with the Assassins instead of sending him back to you and Bruce. Of course, Ras being Ras, he took advantage of the fact your son was a well trained boy who could probably do his bidding…
And that’s how Jason became Damian’s protector (and an assassin for a while, but that was another story).
“You’re one of the first memory I have, Jason.”
Damian continues, as you look at them, feeling your heart filling and breaking at the same time.
“You took care of me, protected me from people who wanted to end the “Demon”’s legacy. You don’t really remember, I know. And I don’t either, I was too young. But I have glimpse of moments, furtive memories of it.”
You know Damian would never talk about this to Jason if he hadn’t been turned into a toddler. Both Damian and Jason had trouble expressing their feelings (can you say : “like father, like son” ??).
But it felt like Damian had waited a long time to finally get this off of his chest. To finally speak his mind about it.
He remembers Jason. He remembers how he took care of him, how he was there when nobody else was. He remembers.
“I’ll protect you, Jason. I will. Just like you did for me. I’ll protect you.”
The flood gate was now opened, tears running freely on your cheeks. You discreetly left as Damian was slowly swaying his brother from side to side, and the little boy drifted off to sleep, a sleep full of pleasant dreams as he knew…He knew, he was safe in Damian’s arms.
He was safe.
Not him !!
Zatanna was busy, but she promised to come by as soon as she could, which could take months, given her schedule.
“Bruce, I’m afraid we don’t have a choice.”
“No no, we do. There’s always a choice. And other options.”
“Do you really know that many people with magical powers ?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Ok, fine. But he’s the one we’re sure is going to be available.”
“I’d rather call Black Adam than him.”
“Bruce…”
Silence. He doesn’t look at you, turning away, clearly pretending to type something on the Batcomputer.
“Bruuuuuuce.”
Yup, he’s definitely ignoring you now.
“Are you sulking, my Broosh ?”
He turns around quickly, and says, a little too intensely :
“I am NOT sulking ! Why would I sulk ? There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever I would. I don’t sulkanyway.”
“You do. Sometimes. You definitely always sulk when we talk about him.”
He glares at you (or at least, he tries, to you, he just looks like an adorable grumpy bear), and you hold his eyes. After a while, seeing you’re not about to back down, he sighs and says : “Fine. Call him.”
Constantine’s Help
“When I received your call, I knew it meant you got yourself into some shingles. But I didn’t expect that.”
John Constantine was standing in front of you and Bruce, and stared at Jason, who was in his father’s arms.
Jason. Jason Todd. The Red Hood. Batman’s son. That tall jacked “boy” who always seemed like he could snap anyone like a twig if he wanted to (and honestly, John wouldn’t put “snapping people like twigs” passed that “kid”).
Jason grew up to be such an imposing man, that it was quite a surprise to see him…Like that.
John thought he couldn’t be more than two years old. Probably one and a half (John had a knack at guessing people’s age, it was…useful for his craft).
He quickly gave his diagnostic of the situation :
“Well, he’s been turned into a toddler.”
“…”
“…”
Silence. And then, Bruce, will all the sarcasm he could muster, says :
“…Thanks. We didn’t notice.”
John smiles, always happy to get on Batman’s nerves. He adds :
“Cooking up such a spell requires quite a bit of power. It probably left a trace where it happened. If you show me the place, I think I can figure out a way to retrace it, recreate it, and therefor, hopefully, reverse it. It might take some times, of course.”
“Of course. Thanks anyway for coming.”
“Oh no worries beautiful, for you, I’d always co-”
“Ok thank you, bye now.”
You and John exchanged an amused smile, it was always fun to make Bruce jealous (although he was adamant he never felt jealousy. What a load of cr-). He was now quite literally pushing Constantine out of the house, because he knew the warlock was about to flirt with you.
On purpose. Just to piss him off.
But also, Bruce knew you and John Constantine had a quick fling in the past, and he knew John himself. No way he was about to let him flirt with you. The man had quite a reputation…Nuhu.
Making sure to have a promise from him to work on your son’s case, Bruce then chased him out of the house. Later, he turned to you and said :
“Black Adam would’ve seriously been better.”
With Bruce
“No, Jason. Noo. Oh my god please boy, stop touching all the button. No, JA-”
The boy almost pressed quite a dangerous button, “autodestruction” and all that. And Bruce had enough. He put him on the floor and-
“BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH !!”
Big sad cries. Jason was just balling his eyes out now, and Bruce knew he wouldn’t stop up until he would pick him up again.
You knew he wasn’t going to resist. You gave him 10 seconds max. And ah, you overestimated him. 4 seconds later, Jason was back in his arms, trying to reach every single buttons possible, getting frustrated because Bruce kept stoping him from doing so.
Your husband turned to you, sighing deeply, and you couldn’t help but laugh.
************
He ended up building a “sensory box” for him. Jason always wanted to be held, for some reasons, and disliked being anywhere else but in someone’s arms. The problem was, when he was in Bruce’s, he kept wanting to touch everything on the bat computer.
Of course, for a child, it was quite an attractive thing to touch.
And so, after a few researches, Bruce found out that kids Jason’s age had a lot of “sensory experiences”, and couldn’t help but just touch everything (the same way babies always put stuffs in their mouth).
It didn’t take him long to build a little box, with a bunch of buttons on it, some making noise, some just nice to the touch. It occupied the boy nicely.
Jason would giggle away, playing with his box, and it made Bruce’s heart full, to hear that little laugh.
One night, as he thought you fell asleep in your desk chair (it happened often, although this time, you were just resting a bit), Bruce turned to his son and asked :
“Not tired yet champ ? Should be time for a nap, no ?”
The boy just looked up at him, smiling widely, clearly not tired. He always smiled when looking at Bruce. Of that smile that-
That-
That Bruce hadn’t seen in years.
Not since-
Since-
He felt a tear on his cheek.
“I’m sorry Jason, I’m so sorry..;”
It was like he felt something break in him. Something he held on for so long. Looking at that little boy, who bore the smile of the son he lost all those years ago.
Jason still hadn’t smile like that again yet. You knew it would happen some day. That he would finally heal. But it didn’t happen yet.
And the fact that as a child, innocent and trauma free, that smile came to him so easily…It awoke all of Bruce’s guilt. All of his heartbreak.
Bruce’s sadness distressed the boy.
“ ’Ou ok ? Ok dada, ok ?”
“You ok ?” he was asking. Which made Bruce’s emotions surge even more. Jason as always been such a nice kid. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.
He didn’t deserve it. If only he never met him..
Jason was standing in Bruce’s lap now, on tippy toes, barely reaching his father’s face and…slowly comforting him.
That was your Jason.
Even as a small child, always so compassionate, sweet, and caring.
“No cwy, no cwy, all ok.” He said, patting his father’s cheek, and smiling, hoping he would console his father.
Yes. Jason has always been such a good person.
Bruce knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop his emotions, and so as to not further distress his son, he just hugged him tight. Close to his heart. And his warmth and little giggles were such a nice comfort…
Nightmares
When John was here, he said that it was possible that he had some remnant of memories of who he was. Which was probably why he called you and Bruce “mama” and “dada” right away.
But it was also probably why at night, when he was all alone in his bedroom, he would have horrendous nightmares and scream his lungs out.
You learned to recognize his cries, over the months. Sometimes, he was hungry, sometimes, he demanded attention, sometimes, he wanted this or that…His cries during the night were haunting.
There was no doubt in your mind, neither in Bruce’s, that he had recurring nightmares. And you didn’t have to think much about it to know what those were.
You didn’t want to think about it. You didn’t need to. As long as you were there, when he woke up, panicked…
************
Panicked.
Exactly the word that would describe the first time it happened, on the first night Jason came to the Manor, turned into a young child.
Screams. Of a deep seated fear.
It was horrible, to hear such a sound knowing it was your “baby” who was currently very afraid.
Both you and Bruce rushed to him. He was just coming back from patrol when Jason started to wail.
You barge in his bedroom, and he’s crying. Big salty tears running down his face, crying so much it’s hard to breath.
Bruce is faster than you, and he reaches for his son. Jason’s naturally put his arms up, definitely wanting to be picked up.
It took a good ten minutes before the boy calmed down, exhausted from crying, slowly falling back asleep in his father’s arms.
Bruce didn’t leave Jason’s bedroom that night, and you didn’t either. You all cuddle up in his actual bed. The double bed he usually use when he crash at the Manor.
Jason falls asleep in the middle of you and Bruce, his tiny little hands clutching your fingers. Yours, and your husband’s, each arm on each side of him.
You don’t dare to move, afraid he’ll wake up. And in the night, when Bruce moves a little too much in his sleep and Jason’s hand sleep away from his finger, the boy wakes up, and starts to panic as he thinks he’s alone, before being soothed back to sleep by his father, who always had a light sleep, and woke up the instant he heard the smallest of whimper.
************
Each night. Each night he wakes up at least once, screaming, crying, afraid. Afraid of what ? You can only guess.
John did warn you about this. During his sleep, he’s most likely to remember his past life.
You can only assume than when he’s all alone in his bed, he has horrible nightmares. But when you sleep with him, or when he’s asleep with Bruce or his siblings, the way he clutches at you, the way he peacefully sleeps…it feels like he remembers the good time.
He seemed terrified of the dark. Understandably so, when you knew his history.
Poor baby, always so afraid to be all alone.
With Tim
“Um, was spaghetti really the best idea, Tim ?”
You came in the room just as Bernard was asking this question to your son, and. Oh. Oh the carnage. (A/N : For those who don’t/didn’t follow more recent comics and such, Bernard is a childhood school friend of Tim with whom he sort of lost contact after he got adopted by Bruce, and they recently reconnected and are now dating J)
“It’s his favorite food ! I mean, adult him. I swear once, I saw him only spaghetti for two weeks straight, with different sauces every time. But his favorite is bolognese. I guess…It wasn’t the best idea here.”
Jason is COVERED with pasta. His entire face is red, tiny pieces of meat stuck to his cheeks. The little fork Tim gave him is discarded on the floor, and the boy is eating with his hands.
Handful of pasta, out of which very few actually reach his mouth, and even less enter it. Most of it is just splayed all over his face.
“I see babysitting is going well.” you say, amused.
Bernard stands up quickly, as if you’re his boss or something. You smile at him, and say : “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you boys. Having fun ?”
Tim sighs, knowing you’re mocking him a bit. But Bernard is still a little tense. After all, he’s been introduced into the family not very long ago. Tim finally felt confident enough to introduce him to you guys, and of course he was met with a warm welcomed. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t still a little nervous in your presence.
Especially since you were THE (Y/N) Wayne. And oh god, he could never relax around Bruce (which honestly was your husband’s fault, he was always suspicious of his children’s boyfriends/girlfriends at first, and still considered Tim, one of his youngest, like his baby bird).
“Mama !” Jason said excitedly, and then he took another handful of pasta, and threw it on Tim. You could see he didn’t do it on purpose. That he was just SO excited his body didn’t quite respond with the proper coordination.
Tim turned to you, blasé.
You and Bernard burst out into laughter, this was quite the scene.
Jason giggled, and Tim couldn’t help but smile. Who would’ve thought that his brother could be so adorable ? Adult Jason was quite different.
Still adored his brother though. Jason often bragged about how smart Tim was, as if him himself wasn’t (which wasn’t true, Jason was extremely intelligent, he just had a massive imposter syndrome). And Tim was Jason’s first little brother, he doted over him all the time.
Of course, Jason was close from Damian too, but with Tim, it was something different.
Because Tim “replaced” Jason. In a way. He was the one which brought some light back in Bruce’s heart. The one that helped you start to heal from the wound Jason’s death gave you.
Jason thought he had to hate Tim, at first. Because he was “replacing” him. But he quickly realized he couldn’t do that.
Because Tim was Tim.
And he was himself.
Jason had never been a hateful person. So sure, he was angry at his father, angry at the world for how unfair he was treated. But he couldn’t be angry to someone who had nothing to do with it.
Plus, when Tim came in, he was so adorable, and SUCH a fanboy. How could Jason not instantly adopt him as his brother ?
“Adorable”. That’s what Tim was thinking about baby Jason now.
Funny, how life could go full circle like that, sometimes, right ?
“Pabgeti !” Jason yelled, happy, showing his food (that once again was more all over his face than anywhere else). And then he pointed at Tim, and repeated : “Pabgeti !”
You smiled, and said : “Tim made you some spaghetti ? He’s nice isn’t he ?”
Jason nod his little head, and smiled widely at Tim and-
Any trace of annoyance, or anything else, vanished. Ah. Funny. Even as a baby, Jason was always there to make sure Tim felt home.
************
Sat down in the sofa in his room (with the door open, Bruce’s rules…he was so old school), Tim and Bernard were holding hands as they looked at Jason who was playing on the floor in front of them.
The little boy turned around, saw the linked hands, and creased his eyebrows. He crawled on all four towards the sofa, managed to get on his feet and he separated both hands.
“What, not you too Jason.”
But the little boy would have none of it. He refused to let Bernard get back closer to his brother, and kept glaring at him, as if afraid he was going to still Tim away.
It was very cute, to be honest. And although Tim could’ve been annoyed, he actually felt quite happy and warm.
First steps
Jason had simply refused to walk so far.
So, nothing prepared you nor Bruce to witness what was about to happen.
It had been a month since Jason turned into a toddler. John did say he never heard of such a spell, and would have to do some thorough research (although Bruce suspected him to take his time, just because he thought the situation was funny, and because he loved to spite him).
He crawled everywhere, for sure. It was a nightmare, actually. He truly only listened to you and Alfred, and would way too many time try to escape his siblings’ surveillance.
He hid in a basket once, fell asleep in it, as they all looked for him, panicked.
Yes, he crawled, and got into tiny spaces where it was hard to get to him…But he never walked.
Until now.
You were laying leisurely on the couch, legs across your husbands lap, looking at your son playing on the floor, thinking about how weird your life was sometimes.
One of your boy turning back into a toddler. How odd really.
Jason was sitting on the floor, playing with some toys. And then, he got on all four, and your heart beamed as you noticed Bruce’s body tense. He was ready to get his son if need be (for real, that kid really managed to get himself stuck in the strangest places).
But Jason didn’t move. Instead, he pushed with his little arms and…
He was on his feet.
Standing. Standing ! Albeit his legs were shaky and it felt he would fall back on his butt any seconds, he was standing !
He took one step, and was falling forward wh-
You felt your legs being pushed aside. Not violently or anything, Bruce knew how to be delicate.
You felt it, and then somehow, your husband was near your son, catching him before he hit the ground. Damn. You forgot sometimes that he had insane reflexes.
Jason was giggling now, evidently very pleased with himself that he managed to stand up. He looked at Bruce, smiling widely, and started to blabber in baby talk. Non-stop.
Bruce chuckled. An affectionate and sweet chuckle. And he said :
“Yes yes, very impressive. You’re so strong. You’re so strong, little one. Can you do it again ?”
Bruce sad the boy back on the floor. Jason smiled, looked at him again, said :
“Dada ! Babubya !” (whatever it meant)
And he stood up once again. Took one step, two, once again his father’s arms caught him before he could fall.
“Aaaah baba baba !” Jason exclaimed, very proud of himself.
“You did so good !”
Bruce was as excited as his son, and it was the cutest thing to witness. Leading the life you lead, you never got to have a baby in the house before then…So this was how it felt, to saw them take their first steps.
This time, Jason made four steps before crashing in his dad’s arms (which you suspected he did on purpose, because he thought it was fun).
By the end of the day, he could walk on his own and on quite a distance. When Damian came home from school, he was greeted by an extremely proud little Jason, who walked towards him, exclaiming :
“DamDam wak !” (which you translated to something along the lines of : “Damian I can walk”).
Oh. The feels.
With Dick
Dick found Jason first. He hadn’t heard a word of his brother the entire day, and got worried. Which yes, for many it’s ridiculous but…
Dick cannot help it. He HAS to have at least a text from his family members every 24 hours, or he freaks out. And, could you blame him, with the life you lead ?
The only exceptions were if you warned him first. “Hey, I won’t be there for the next four days, don’t worry before the fifth one haha !” then he wouldn’t insist. And all of you knew by then, that you “needed” to give him a head’s up whenever you wouldn’t be reachable.
And to be honest, if it could reassure your son, you’d definitely go the extra mile. Every member of your family would.
So when Jason didn’t warn him about not being available, and didn’t answer his texts and calls, Dick panicked.
He knew he shouldn’t, that his brother was probably all right. But he couldn’t help it, he had to quickly check.
He went to where Jason’s phone pinpointed (of course he put trackers in everyone’s phones. After all, Bruce was his teacher, right ?), one of his hideout, on the outskirt of Gotham.
He came in through a window, as usual, and…
That where he found a baby. A baby fast asleep, in a pool of what he knew were Jason’s clothes.
A baby that, evidently…was Jason ??
************
“Do you think he remembers us ? Or who he is ?” Dick asks you, looking at his little brother who’s happy to be held in your arms.
“I’m not sure. He did call me mama, and is calling Bruce dada. I don’t know if it’s just natural, or if he has some remnants of memories. Because clearly, he’s “just” a baby, and not Jason stuck in a baby’s body. I mean. Itis Jason. But an actual baby version of him. Know what I mean ?”
“Yes, I do.”
There’s a small silence, before Dick has an idea :
“Ok well, let’s see if he does sort of remember but can’t quite voice it. Hey little man, I’m-”
“NO !” Little Jason says, slapping Dick right in the face and pushing him away.
“Ok, it’s definitely Jason…Except, like him when he first came here. He used to downright hate me haha.”
“He didn’t hate you…”
“He kind of did.”
“No, he didn’t. He just- He just wanted to show everyone he could be just like you, if not better. He wanted recognition.”
“Which I…did not give him.”
Regret was obvious in Dick’s voice, and it broke your heart. For once, you weren’t sure what to say. Because it was kind of true, that at first, Dick wasn’t the nicest towards Jason. Things didn’t go as smoothly as you wished.
But neither you nor Jason or Bruce ever blamed Dick for it. It was a time in which he was lost, and always so angry. He left the manor because of it.
Long story short, Dick hadn’t always been the best brother. Jason’s death profoundly changed him…
Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without his siblings. And he could definitely not imagine not being the oldest one.
It actually hurt a bit, Jason’s rejection. The boy was now hiding his face in the crook of your neck, clearly not wanting to be held by Dick.
Ah, but your son had an idea.
“Coming back in a sec.”
He disappears for a bit, and comes back indeed just a few minutes later with a- Ah. Yes. Of course.
He has a cookie in hand. Jason’s weakness. He’s never been able to resist a cookie, especially not those baked by Alfred, like he one Dick was holding. The boy looks curiously at him, and then at the cookie, obviously interested.
Dick breaks it in smaller pieces, and hand it to him, Jason immediately proceeded to suckle on it and-
That was it really. Dick managed to get him in his arms, and from then and on, Jason never rejected him again.
“Bribing him with cookies always worked.”
“Um, excuse me, bribing ? Why did you need to bribe him before ?”
“Oops haha.”
And then he was gone, escaping your question by quickly leaving the room. You shake your head, aaah, those boys.
************
Jason started to seek Dick, now. Whether it was because he wanted more cookies, or to see his brother, nobody could quite say…
DADA !
Baby Jason adored Bruce.
Adult Jason too, though he would never admit it. Not anymore. Not after what happened to him…
But he did. Adore his father. That’s probably why he found it so hard to forgive him for not killing the Joker after what he did to him. Ah, but this was another story. For now, Jason as a one year old was an absolute Bruce fanboy.
He loved you too, it was obvious. He came to you whenever he wanted comfort, or cuddles, or anything of the like. You were his mama, and at that age, he would choose you over anybody else.
But, Bruce ?
“DADA !!”
Jason would exclaim whenever he saw him in the evening, when your husband would come home from work. And then he’d do his little toddler run towards him, and Bruce would catch him in his arms.
So heartwarming.
You took time off of work, you were pretty independent anyway so nobody really minded. You took time off of work, so you could help Alfred with Jason. You saw that little boy all day.
But Bruce ?
Ah Bruce. He still had to work. The responsibilities of owning such large enterprises made it impossible to take more than a day or two off. So he would see your son only in the morning, and evening before bed time.
It was enough, though.
“DADA !!”
Jason would yell excitedly, running to him.
Bruce found himself waiting for this moment with great anticipation. Your son would melt anyone’s heart, with his cute little face, big blue eyes, dark hair and that infamous streak of white…He was such a cute toddler.
But Bruce ?
Ah, Bruce’s heart had always been soft for his family, unbeknownst to many. How could he resist that child ?
“DADA !!”
Running little feet on the floor. Giggles as he was lifted off of it. And then he’d put his hands on his father’s cheeks, and just…smile.
Of that recognizable and pure “Jason smile” he used to always have before-
What if Jason couldn’t be turned back into an adult ? Was that such a bad thing ?
He had another chance right now.
Bruce had another chance. Another shot at not screwing up. At keeping him far from this “Batman” business.
Another chance…
But was this really your, or Bruce’s decision to make ?
No. No it wasn’t.
“DADA !!”
Run. Catch. Hug.
A shame, that you both knew this was but a chimera which had to end one day.
With Alfred
You almost missed it. But as often in your life, fate made it so you managed to make it just in time.
A few minutes before or after, and you wouldn’t have seen it. Because for sure, if he had seen you, he wouldn’t have done it. And if you came just a little later, you simply would’ve never had any idea it happened.
Here they were.
Baby Jason laying in Alfred’s arms, as the butler sat in a comfortable arm chair, in the library.
“Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea, And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff Oh, Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail”
Singing.
Alfred was singing to him.
And Jason was utterly enthralled by the song, his big blue eyes staring at his “grandfather”. He was holding one of the butler’s hand with both of his, tightly. And you were sure your son didn’t even notice how much he clutched at the old man’s hand.
Neither of them noticed you, standing there, looking through the crack of the half-opened door.
“Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff’s gigantic tail Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name”
Captivated, Jason let Alfred caress his little head with his free hand, not realizing what he was doing.
Putting him to sleep, surely.
“Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys Painted wings and giant’s rings make way for other toys One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more”
Oh my God. This song was actually incredibly sad. But Alfred’s soft voice interpreted it so perfectly, that it was beyond soothing at the same time.
Baby Jason didn’t really understand the lyrics anyway, he just seemed to find the song beautiful. It was made obvious by how his eyes got a little misty.
The boy was moved, and it was truly magical. Such a young mind, touched by all the love poured into this song by his grandfather.
“And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave”
The song reminded you of Jason and Bruce too much. You felt like crying, and you didn’t hold the tears back when they started to fell.
It was a bittersweet feeling. Sadness because of all the hardship they both went through, but happiness because they managed to overcome them.
Bittersweet.
Because their strong bond, their father/son love, was so important to both of them, that it became the source of so many conflicts and pain.
“So Puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee”
“Sadly slipped into his cave”, was this song specifically written for your Bruce or what ? Yes. Yes it fitted Bruce and Jason’s story so well.
It made you choke with emotions.
“He used to sing that to me when I was a child.”
You didn’t hear him come in, in fact, you felt his arms wrap around your waist before he even made a sound.
Your Broosh. And his warmth is so comforting.
In the library, Alfred starts singing the song again, after Jason was babbling in baby talk, clearly asking for more. Ah, and the old butler was never able to resist any of those kids.
“What is it ? The song.”
“Puff the Magic Dragon, by Peter Paul and Mary. It used to be my favorite song. I think it still is…” (A/N : I highly recommend listening to it once, just to get the feel…I love that song)
You both listen to Alfred sing to Jason. The boy is clearly in love with that song, too. Bruce whispers :
“It used to soothe me, no matter what. As a baby, at least according to my parents. And I’d only want Alfred to sing it, nobody else. Not even my mother or father. When they died he-”
“Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee”
“He used to sing it every single night. And it always helped me to fall asleep, even when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to. I love that song.”
“Yes, yes I think- I think I do too.”
You and Bruce stayed there for a while. Holding onto each other for comfort. Listening to that lovely song, while Jason was slowly falling asleep, a smile on his lips.
Trouble and Jealousy
Jason wasn’t even two, in that state, yet he was already quite a smart boy.
Everyone always thought Tim was the brain of this little cluster of siblings, and although often they weren’t wrong, all of your children were intelligent, and great strategist.
And evidently, it showed in young Jason right now.
He quickly found he had a knack to get out of trouble. He just had to look at people with cute eyes, and boom. It was done.
Something his siblings weren’t too fan of, because it worked way too well on their mom ! And ever since Jason was turned into a toddler, said mom, you, got her attention a little too focused on him !
The kids were rarely jealous of each other, especially because you and Bruce always found time for each and everyone of them. There were NO favorites, in the Wayne household.
But a toddler demanded much more attention than a, say, 8 years old child. And definitely more than an adult.
Oddly enough, Damian didn’t mind too much. He took his big brother role very seriously, and had a very : “Jason (as a baby at least) can do no wrong” kind of mindset. Even if it was obvious the boy did something he wasn’t supposed to, Damian would defend him, and fight anyone who wouldn’t leave it alone. Which Jason noticed quickly.
Running to his mom or to Damian became a habit, when he caused…Utter chaos. Honestly, there was no other words.
He was a very energetic boy, and although he was very sweet, obedient and nice, it seemed he always came up with the worst of ideas !
Which is what Tim discovered, as he came in the kitchen and found his little brother devouring cookies, sat in the middle of SO MUCH FLOUR !
“Jason, what did you do ??”
Jason looked at him, and giggled. He giggled, the little devil ! Tim went to him, picked him up, and was about to scold him a little (as he should) when you entered the kitchen.
“Oh. My. God. What happened ?!”
Tim was of course about to say Jason somehow got on the counters and such, but the little boy in his arms, after looking at him, a mischievous look in his eyes…started crying.
Big cries that Tim knew were fake. Oh, the crocodile tears !
But it worked on you. It worked really well indeed.
You went to him, took him into your arms, patting his back to comfort him, holding him close.
“Shush shush, it’s ok baby, it’s ok. Tim, please can you clean the mess ?”
And then you left, consoling little Jason…Little Jason who wasn’t sad at all ! He was still making crying sound, but Tim swore he saw a smile on his face as he looked at him and their eyes crossed when their mother left the room !
************
Dick was easily jealous, if you gave more attention to another of your kid. After all, he had been a lonely child for quite some years before Jason came in. He was used, for so long, to be the sole receiver of your attention (fighting for it with Bruce, though).
Even as an adult, when he came to see you, you’d make sure to have time for him. You saw less of each other since he moved to Bludhäven, so when he came by, you dropped everything to spend time with him.
Dick LOVED it. Maybe he had always been a bit of an attention seeker, but you couldn’t blame him. He had been an only child for years, even before he met you and Bruce. Old habits die hard.
So recently, when, whenever he came by, you would take care of Jason, he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.
He hated to feel jealous of his siblings. He thought he grew out of that. Most of his conflicts with Jason, years ago, when the boy first came in, were born from Dick being jealous and thinking Bruce replaced him without a second thought (very wrong).
Also, Jason was currently a toddler. Of course he’d have more attention.
Didn’t mean Dick didn’t feel jealous though. Sigh. Damn.
But then-
Then whenever Jason saw his oldest brother, he would jump on his feet and run to him, and Dick felt like he was the most important person on the planet because of how the boy looked at him.
He would never admit it now, but Jason had always greatly admired Dick. He was his model. His hero.
Seemed like things never changed, eh.
Ah. Well, Jason always got away with almost everything, with Dick. Some things will never change indeed, no matter the age.
And just like that, any jealous feeling vanished.
With Cassandra
Jason was mesmerized by Cass.
Whenever he would start to cry, or feel cranky, she’d dance for him.
Ballet.
He loved it.
He would instantly stop crying, and just stare, utterly captivated, entranced. And then when she’d be done, he’d smile, widely, and raise his arms to make her understand he wants her to pick him up.
And she would, of course.
Cass and Jason never spoke a word, never made a sound. They seemed perfectly content in just being with each other.
Often, Jason would look for his “big” sister, and just sit with her, looking at whatever she’s doing. Even if, say, she read a book with no picture. He’d just look at the words, and at his sister, perfectly content.
Tim quickly renamed Cass “The Baby soother”.
Jason could be a little destructive, as a toddler. He broke way too many vase, and the more people (that weren’t his mom or Damian) told him “no”, the more he wanted to do it.
Yet Cass would come in, and it’s like she knew the button to turn him off. Even if in the middle of a tantrum, she’d just dance, and Jason would calm down.
It was magic, really.
Jason and Cass had both very strong childhood trauma. It seemed to please her that her brother’s bad experience had now been erased.
“Can’t we keep him like that ?”
She once asked. You answered : “I wish. But it’s not our decision…”
You couldn’t possibly decide for your son like that. You couldn’t, for selfish reasons, decide to keep him as a baby, letting him grow up differently. You couldn’t.
“I know..”
She said sadly. Seeing her sad made Jason sad, and the boy was about to cry when-
His favorite thing. She started dancing for him. This time picking him up to dance with him.
Because she was going to take every chance she got to make her brother’s “new” childhood the most memorable, calming, and warm possible.
Jason Todd
Finally, after three whole months, Constantine came back.
With good news.
“I found a way to reverse it, but it might be a little long.”
And long it was indeed. With the help of Bruce, it took him the entire day to perform the ritual that would give Jason his adult body back (and mind, hopefully…John wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to tell that to any of you. Oops).
It worked.
It worked.
Jason was there, actually Jason. And according to John, there would be no permanent damage. He managed to bring both body and spirit back.
He warned them he would sleep for a while, the shock of the transformation being exhausting.
Jason slept the entire day, when he woke up, he was groggy and still tired, his first words being :
“Mom.”
Of course, because he saw you first.
“Dad.”
Bruce felt a pang in his chest. Jason’s first instinct was to call for himtoo.
“…The FUCK happened ?!”
And your Jason was back to his normal self, for better and for worst. You wouldn’t have it any other way. As you told him the story of the past few months, you realized that you would never forget the memory of Jason as a baby, and how sweet that kid has (and will) always be(en).
And when he says : “The last thing I remember is being with that girl, oh I forgot her name now. Anyway I was with her, because I suspected she was a metahuman and wanted to make sure, but she didn’t say anything. Then she was all like : “well if you’re going to act like a child, then you might as well be one” and…And that’s it, that’s all I remember.”, you all bursted out into laughter.
“You might as well be one” indeed. Of course, Jason would piss of a magician capable of transforming people.
Years later, you’d learn said girl was a disciple of Klarion, and everything finally made sense.
I want to be an older brother
Damian started to understand, those months. The feeling you get, as an older brother. The intense need to protect your younger sibling, to teach them things, to be there for him.
And looking back on his life since he joined you and Bruce at Wayne Manor ? All his older brothers and sister did exactly that for him.
Jason, always did that for him. Ever since he was a baby. And Damian ? He wanted to be that for someone too.
“Being an older brother is pretty fun…”
Damian told you, not long after Jason turned back into his adult form.
And you could see he wished he wasn’t the youngest one, for once. Damian definitely enjoyed his junior status, he knew he could get away with a lot of things with his siblings and parents (funny enough, Jason was the softest one who would let him get away with stuffs that honestly weren’t too good), but having a toddler around seemed to make him want to be an older brother…How funny, how destiny works.
You weren’t going to lie. It was nice, to have such a small kid home. You and Bruce never got to raise a child from birth, for obvious reasons. Not that you regretted anything, or the life you lead until then. It was just…Nice, to have a little kiddo around.
Funny, how things work.
Was it fate, that made it so you had a certain news not long after that adventure with Jason being turned into a toddler by a wizard he offended ?
Fate, that made Damian’s wish a possibility. Fate, that made it so you discovered that you were actually…
Pregnant.
To be continue ?
________________________________________________
If you thought this was another excuse for me to write more toddler with Bruce and Batmom…then you were right haha. I’ve been in a mood my friends, and I love writing babies. Jason as a “lil lad” who has (almost) a chance at a good childhood makes my heart warm, but it can’t happen so next best thing ? Wizardry. Haha. I almost want to write a “turned toddler” story for each batsiblings hehe.
Hope you enjoyed ! As per usual comments and reblogs are very welcomed :)
PS : I tweaked a little Jason’s story with the Al’Ghuls after he got resurrected, just because…I wanted to haha. So, Damian’s part is heavily inspired by actual canon stories, but maybe, JUST MAYBE, I made it so Jason and Damian’s relationship was stronger that it is portrayed to be, just because, again, I can. And I love that headcanon.
Synopsis :In whichBatmom (you), is HYPING Bruce up A LOT. Because like, have you seen the man ?? He IS handsome and smart and beautiful and brave and *insert more ramble here about how much of a simp we all are for Bruce Wayne*.
I realized something yesterday : I wrote HUNDREDS of stories of Bruce (or the kids) hyping Batmom up, but I don’t think I ever wrote a story where she’s the one hyping him up ?? I shall correct that fatal mistake in this story. Hope you’ll like it, as usual comments/reblogs are welcomed :) :
He hated himself for not being able to save his parents.
He hated himself for the way he treated Alfred after they died, and for the way he abandoned him to go train far away.
He hated himself for not being able to save everyone.
He hated himself because he knew he had issues, he knew he wasn’t well…yet he continued on the dark and lonely path of being “The Batman”. Vengeance itself.
He hated himself for not being able to save Dick’s parents.
He hated himself for not being able to convey his feelings properly, and to show how much he cared for that little boy. To show his love, the fatherly love he quickly felt towards him.
He hated himself because he wanted so much for Dick not to be like him, but could he ever achieve that ? Yes, the boy was happier and brighter, but if he stayed with him…Could Dick really have a good future ?
He hated himself because he knew he was violent and his ways weren’t always good. But at least…At least Dick was a good kid. It was good, that he went off by himself with the Titans, to cool down. And Bruce hated himself for missing him so much. Wasn’t this what he wanted ? To make sure Dick could move on, unlike him, who couldn’t forget his past ?
His hatred for himself went through the roof with Jason. He hated himself for not being able to protect him. He wanted to die, when he realized his son was still alive, hating him maybe even more than he hated himself (which was a feat). He wanted to die, and not feel anything ever again, when he lost his son, and when he realized what Jason became…He couldn’t save him…he couldn’t save him…
He couldn’t save Damian either. Nor could he be there when Tim needed him the most. And Cassandra ? Did he ever do anything good for her ? Ah, he couldn’t save Duke’s parents, if only he had killed the Joker…
Yes. Bruce hated himself so much, sometimes, it was unbearable. And so he hid his feelings, he pretended to be cold, to not care, even.
It was easier, to push everyone away. To keep them at bay, and act as if he didn’t feel anything. But the truth was…
The truth was that he felt everything.
He had always been an overly sensitive child, “hypersensitive”, they even said. And he had to beat this side of him down, to pretend he lost all feelings…It was vital, in a way.
He couldn’t survive otherwise, he couldn’t keep going if he always let his emotions out. He would not have survived his parents’ death. He would not have survived his son(s) death. He-
It was just easier. To hide the fact he hated himself so much. To hide all feelings. To pretend. His facade was so well polished, and perfected over the years !
But then-
Then you came along.
Yes. Bruce hated himself. Past tense.
There were still moments Bruce had a hard time to live with himself, and went back to old habits. But…
But ever since you entered his life, things changed.
Because you loved him. Wholly and unconditionally. And if someone loved him so much, someone he loved to death too, someone he found to be the most amazing person he ever met. If that someone loved him so damn much, then maybe…Maybe, he wasn’t so bad ?
Even when he was a jerk to you. Even in his darkest time.
You found him. Took none of his crap. Told him off, and brought him back on a way full of life.
No matter how hard things got, and oh, they sometimes became so hard you felt like you were not going to be able to keep going, you stayed.
And you told him. You told him how much you loved him, how important he was, how-
You made him believe it.
There were still moments he hated himself, and felt like he would fall back into old habits of punishing himself by pushing everyone away, and becoming “Vengeance” once again. But now…
Now he had you. And you never shied away from telling him how great he was.
Bruce hated himself, but you love him.
It’s funny, how someone can think another person is their savior.
Before you met Bruce, you were destined to have a certain life you knew you would’ve hated. And then you met him.
Your light.
You knew Bruce thought that you were the one who saved him, that you were the one who kept him together. Your husband always had a tendency to put you on a pedestal, and think you were the greatest human who ever lived.
The truth was, you desperately needed him. You were a highly flawed individual, and you were very aware of your flaws…except when he was with you.
He always knew what to say, how to make you feel safe and loved, how to make you feel like you were the most important person on the planet.
And it killed you to know how he could be so hard on himself sometimes.
You had made it your mission, long ago, to erase all those feelings inside him. You knew it was going to be a long journey. You knew there were times he wouldn’t believe you. Because you were the same.
You were the same.
Sometimes, you didn’t believe him when he told you you were the most beautiful woman he ever met, the one he loved the most, the only one he had eyed for (oh but if anyone could’ve told you : when you were in the room, he really did have only eyes for you, not noticing any other women nor men because you occupied all his thoughts).
You knew he didn’t always believe you…But you were never going to stop telling him how great he was.
You were NEVER going to stop hyping the love of your life up.
Before you even met him
“Have you heard of that guy, um, the rich one who just came back? Because (Y/N), he’s hot.”
“What ?”
It was too early in the morning for your best friend’s shenanigans. What, it wasn’t even 7 am, you were about to go buy coffee before going to school (it was exam week at your high school, you needed the caffeine), and here he was, talking to you about some random rich man who “came back”. Came back from where anyway ? Ugh, this SO didn’t interest you.
You were about to take an important maths test, you really didn’t care about some random handsome billionaire who was going to flaunt his wealth all around Gotham, pretending to care about the city while not doing anything to help it.
“Bruce Wayne, it’s Bruce Wayne ! You know, from THE Wayne family !”
“Ugh, yeah, I kind of got that from the fact his last name is “Wayne”…”
Your friend ignored your snarky comment, staring at the cover of the magazine you still didn’t even look at, where, you assume, was probably a picture of that “Bruce Wayne”.
You had faint memories of him. Years ago, he suddenly disappear from Gotham and like um, his butler ? His adoptive father ? You couldn’t even remember the guy’s name, but he told the press his “Master Wayne” (cringe) went to school abroad or something.
Again. You didn’t care. You had your head full of equations. You would’ve done anything for your best friend to STOP talking about that dude.
“Just look at him (Y/N), he’s so your type ! Come oooon !”
“Ugh, I don’t have a type, and you-”
He shoved the cover in front of your face, definitely forcing you to look at it and…Wow.
Oh.
Oh no.
Hewashot.
No. Fuck. No. Wait. Noooo, but your maaaaaths ! Damn your brain for going : “hot man + handsome face = you’re not going to remember Pythagoras’ theorem”.
“Shit.” You say, and your friend just looks at you with an expression that clearly means : “RIGHT ?! Told ya.”. You take the magazine, automatically reading the title of it.
“The prodigal son returns : after years away, Bruce Wayne is finally back in town. And he has a plan !”
You weren’t going to lie, you didn’t even care about the plan, kinda obnubilated by how hot he looked. Nooo, you thought you passed the age of having instant crush on random men !
“He looks like a douche.”
You say, trying to hide the fact that, annoyingly, your friend was right when he said that man was your type. Ugh, couldn’t he not look so ridiculously good smiling at the paparazzis like that ?!
“Well, he’s already hot as fuck, he can’t get all the qualities right ? That’d be unfair. He looks like such a himbo.”
You nod, and add : “a doumbo”. Your friend look at you curiously, and you say :
“Ya know, the combination of a himbo and a douche. Like, himbos aren’t always douche bags, but look at him, and his dumb sexy smirk. He must be a douche.”
“A doumbo. A himche ?”
“Some would say, a Douchbo.”
“A Himbouche, even.”
“Haha, himbouche. Sounds French and fancy.”
And that was all you needed to burst out into laughter. A well needed fit of laugh, before arriving in front of your maths test and realizing that…You can’t remember anything of your lessons, as the face of that “Himbouche” kept coming back into your head. Physical appearance didn’t even mean that much ! Personality was your jam ! Ah but with handsome men like that, how could you even pretend not to be interested ?
Ugh. It’s not like you’d ever had a chance to even meet him !
But you met him.
You could mock that cover all you wanted, the fact remained that you kept that magazine for a long time, too long to divulge it because it’s really embarrassing when you think about it.
Thanks the gods you managed to hid it from Bruce. He never even knew you owned that magazine, and like, good. He would’ve never let you hear the end of it.
You first met him at a gala, in which you felt very uncomfortable.
A charity, to open more libraries in Gotham. Your charity. You send him an invitation on the off chance he would come and…Here he was.
You noticed him instantly, but he was busy and you were definitely not going to introduce yourself first.
Somehow, you ended up speaking to a bunch of women you didn’t know the name of, but you often saw them in pictures participating in galas and such. They were probably rich. You had most likely Bruce Wayne to thank for them coming, because your charity ? Clearly not their crowd.
“So tell me, um…?”
“(Y/N).”
“Ah yes, (Y/N), what an adorable name.”
Could someone sound even faker ? Probably not. You could feel your eye twitch a little, but you promised yourself not to snap back at any possible donator. It was hard.
“So, tell me (Y/N), how did you manage to get Bruce Wayne to come here ? He usually only comes to um, important events. Not that your little thing isn’t, it’s just- you know.”
You did know. But you weren’t going to let this people intimidate you so you said :
“Actually, I don’t. Would you care to explain what you really mean ?”
That put them in an awkward position of course, because as much as these people were good at insinuating things and being snarky, they never seemed to outright speak their mind. Which often worked to your advantage.
The woman cleared her throat, and you said (regretting it immediately) :
“Bruce Wayne actually comes to a lot of the smaller events, and always donate gracefully to good cause. He’s clearly not the snobby man you think he is, just last week he was at a small neighborhood place which was trying to get money to open a basketball court in the Narrows. He’s amazing.”
All those years ago, when you called him a “himbouche” with your friend, you couldn’t be more wrong. His action spoke for themselves, he really turned the city around. Plus, he financed the Batman, which is something you couldn’t ignore. How great was that ?!
You might’ve spoken a little too vehemently, because the woman facing you smirked. One of those almost evil smirk which meant she was about to try to humiliate you. And indeed, she said, loud enough for everyone to hear :
“What, you have a crush on Bruce Wayne or something ? That’s cute.”
Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Murder was not on your list tonight. You smiled, of that same fake smile she harbored, and said :
“Please, who doesn’t ?”
You decided that it was easier to not even lie, to not pretend you don’t have a crush on the man. Because, well, you knew you were definitely not the only one. And there wasn’t any shame in having a little crush on someone.
Plus, the way that person said “that’s cute” really irked you. You were not about to let someone mock you like that. Even if you knew there were no chance that he’d be interested in you, the way they said it, “oh that’s cute” as if it was a given he’d never notice you, really made you mad.
“A crush on me, you say ?”
What ? No. Fuck. Ah. He was right behind you right ? Bruce Wayne ? Yeah. You were never going to turn around ever again. Ignoring him seemed like the rational thing to do.
Your flawless plan of not turning around was, however…Flawed. He literally just had to move in front of you. Which he did.
“Bruuuucie, how nice it is to see you !”
The woman instantly latched on him, but he downright ignored her, turning to you and saying :
“I’m Bruce Wayne, very nice to meet you (Y/N). Love your books..”
The rest was history. From that night, it seems, you two never quite managed to truly say “good bye” to each other.
************
“Did you mean it ?”
He asked, later that night. You two escaped on an isolated balcony, where no one could find you. It’s strange, how it seemed like you both had the same idea at the same time.
“What ?”
“What you said about me.”
“The…Crush ?”
“That too, but not only. The other thing, about me making Gotham a better place.”
“Ah, of course I meant it. It’s plain to see you really do. Surely, you’ve heard that before ?”
He lets out a little self-deprecating chuckle, and turns his face towards the sky.
“Well, I guess a lot of people do say that. But I don’t think many of them truly mean it. So, thank you.”
He turns to you, and he smiles. A pure, almost child like smile. A real smile. Not the one you saw on his face countless times in magazines, or on TV.
Wow.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Your heart beat so loud, you were sure he could hear it.
What a smile. The most beautiful you’ve ever seen. Without exaggeration, you were sure that smile could brighten an entire room easily.
“I don’t think many of them truly mean it”, those words sounded so lonely. Like you caught a glimpse of his true self, right before he hid behind his mask again. How come a man like this didn’t think people really meant it, when they said he was amazing ?
That blew your mind.
You promised yourself that night, that if you ever were to meet him again, you’d make sure to always give him the compliments he deserved.
In Private
It’s early in the morning.
A moment you both loved and dreaded.
Loved, because the first thing you saw as you woke up was your beloved husband. Dreaded, because it usually meant you wouldn’t see each other the entire day, as you both were very busy. And then, there was that all Batman gig…
But for now, for now, you’re both waking up, and you’re in each other’s arms.
He rolls on top of you, hands on each side of your shoulders, and smile.
Ah, that pure smile you love so much.
“What a handsome man…” you say, as you put your hands on his cheeks.
He lays his face in the crook of your neck, and you know it’s because he’s trying to hide his reaction.
“You getting shy on me big man ?” the amusement is evident in your words, and he grumbles but you feel his lips quirk up on your skin. And that’s enough to make you feel content. And to make him feel butterflies in his stomach. Even after all this years, you still make him so happy with the simplest compliment.
************
“I love it when you smile…”
It took a long time, before you got to see his real smile. Not the one he arbored at gala, not the “Brucie Wayne” one, no. His real smile.
The one he had when looking at you, eyes full of fondness. A smile of utter contentment, he had only when with you, or his children.
Your comment makes him smile, and he’s about to say he loves yours too but you don’t even give him a chance :
“I love being with so much, I wish time could stand still when we’re together.”
“I feel the same..” he whispers, as you two instantly fall into each other’s arms.
“Bruce, I mean it.”
“I know. I do too.”
“No but, I truly mean it. I’m so happy I fell in love with you. When I hold you in my arms, I feel so lucky.”
Sometimes, he feels chocked up. It’s rare, and it always takes him by surprise. To be honest, most of the time, he’s the one to render you speechless with his beautiful words. He always had a knack with finding the perfect things to say to make you feel good about himself.
You did too, of course. Just, he was always better at controlling his emotions. Didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate your compliments of course.
But yes. Sometimes, sometimes it felt almost too good to be true. He was so sure, after his parents’ death, he would never know again what happiness was. And here he was.
In those moments, he’d hide his face in the crook of your neck. You knew what it meant, when he did that. Your words meant too much to him. So much, that he lacked the words to truly express it, and the only thing he could do was embrace you.
Oh. Oh you wished more people could see him like that. During moments he couldn’t hide his emotions, he couldn’t hide at all. During moments he showed his true self : a caring, loving, empathetic and emotional man.
It made you made, sometimes, that people thought of him as only a “machine”. Someone who could endure anything and everything. Someone who, anyway, didn’t feel anything.
As you often said : he feels everything.
Everything.
It’s not easy, to be the Batman. To endure. To keep it all inside.
So many people were wrong about him. So many people didn’t truly knew him.
Not the Vengeance. But the man who, even as he was utterly broken, kept fighting for what he believed in. Driven by love. Ah.
But in a way, you liked the fact you were one of the only person privy to his real feelings. And so, when he hid his face in the crook of your neck, you could feel nothing else but happiness.
************
“It’s so unfair.”
You say, breaking the silence reigning in the batcave. He’s been focused on the screen of his computer for a while now, and you caught yourself just staring at him. He acknowledge you though, as always, and he says, turning his head towards you :
“Mm ?”
“You are so handsome. Like, all the time.”
He smiles softly, but shakes his head. Of course, Bruce had always been aware he was a good looking man. He used that to his advantage many times. But when you said it, even after he heard you say it hundreds of times, he just felt all warm inside. Butterflies. Flustered. Like a damn teenage boy.
He turns back to the computer, not even realizing the smile has not left his lips yet.
************
Bruce kept it all in a special place in his heart. All your beautiful words, that made him feel like he wasn’t worthless. Like maybe, there was no reason to hate himself so much. He kept it all inside his heart, so that in tough moments, like fighting an intergalactic menace far from you and his family, he could plunge back in that part of himself and remember how loved he is.
This part of him kept everything, everything you told him over the years :
“You have my heart. I’m so glad you chose me.”
“The sound of your laugh is music to my ears.”
"I’m in awe of what a wonderful person you are.”
“You inspire me to be a better woman”.
“When I’m with you, I feel like I found what I was looking for.”
"I feel so safe with your arms around me.”
“Your presence brings the best out of me. I can’t wait to make more memories with you.”
“You make me so happy just by being yourself.”, you were probably one of the only person who loved him for who he truly was. For him.
"Being with you feels so right. Thank you for loving me.”
"I never get tired of looking at you. Of talking to you. Of being with you.”
“Hearing your voice brings me so much joy.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
You always acknowledge the thing he did for you, too :
"Thank you for supporting me.”
"Thank you for looking after me.”
“Thank you for always being there for me.”
"Thank you for listening.”
You just always had a knack to hype him up ! :
"There is no one else like you. You are the best.”
"You always have the best ideas.”
"Adventures with you are my favorite. You always manage to make things interesting, even the dullest ones.”
"You make the world so much more beautiful. You know you’re the best, right ?”
“I’ll fight anyone who say anything bad about you.”
And if he ever said something along the line of : “You don’t have to.” You’d respond with : “Oh no but, I do.”
Alfred had always been supportive of him. And along his life, Bruce met countless people who praised him for whatever reason.
But nobody, nobody ever quite had your talent to hype him up. To make him feel like he was genuinely great.
Clark would say that your praise of him sometimes did him a disservice. Because, yes, your husband knew he was intelligent. And he could therefor be so damn arrogant. But his arrogance often hid, as most arrogant feelings do, a great sense of insecurity. As if him being smart was his only use in the world…
You made him feel like it wasn’t. You made him feel like being Batman wasn’t the only thing he had going on. So what if sometimes he was insufferable, he thought he was always right etc…You never once saw Bruce act as if he was superior to anyone.
You never understood this weird image following him. Sure as Brucie Wayne he played on being insolent and arrogant and all. But as Batman ? When did he ever truly make someone feel less than ? Never. That’s when.
On the contrary. Bruce often hyped others up, even if they didn’t notice (were there really a biggest Superman fan than him ? He just was subtil in his compliments).
Nobody ever said your husband was flawless. But his qualities vastly outweighed his flaws. You could bear with his “dark moments”, and him sometimes being a jerk, because you knew how great he truly was.
Hoping people can be perfect at all time is so unrealistic. And quite toxic, really.
Everybody makes mistakes.
Not everybody can try to better themselves though, like Bruce does. It drove you crazy that some people seemed to never notice how much progress he did. Ah, but you knew.
Bruce wasn’t selfish as some people said, he was selfless.
You knew.
You never wanted him to be perfect anyway, you loved him just as he was.
In Public
From the day he became your boyfriend, to when he turned into your fiancé, and now as your husband, you never shied away of being very vocal about how much you admired him. How amazing you thought he was.
************
“He’s amazing, isn’t he ?” you’re often caught gushing at the journalists, and oh you have so many reasons to be proud of your husband. Whether he just started an amazing charity, or just because he exists really.
Many people tried to fluster you, or anger you (drama always sold more) by making inappropriate comments about your husband, like how hot he was and such. How many people were after him. Without missing a bit, you always answered things like :
“He’s gorgeous in his new suit, right ?”
“Honestly can’t blame anyone who have the hots for him. I mean, have you seen him ?!”
“I know, his butt looks GREAT in those pants !”
“I had to go buy a new dress shirt for him, he flexed his arms and pecs earlier and tore it apart. Can you believe it ? He’s so strong. And fff, what a snack. A buffet, even.”
Sometimes, some people tried the other tactic, trying to denigrate Bruce in any way :
“What did you just say ?! My husband is the kindest, smartest, most incredible person on this planet. I will tolerate no slander.”
And you were ready to fight. You would NEVER stand for any bad talk about your husband. People could say whatever they wanted, but anyone pretending he was a bad person were just liars. You’d never, NEVER let them defame him !
************
Whenever you spotted a paparazzi, you reveled in showing your husband off. Pointing out his chiseled jaw line, or his biceps. Forming the word “thicc” on camera as you pointed your finger to his thighs.
It became a running joke in Gotham, and a source of endless memes. Nobody could deny that Bruce Wayne was an attractive man anyway…
If anyone asked you a passing question about him, while you were going somewhere or they caught you buying coffee, you would often ramble about how great Bruce was.
“He’s so smart. And humble. And kind. And brave. And bold. And compassionate. And so pretty. And interesting. And (insert an infinite influx of compliment).”
To be fair, people learned not to ask you much about your husband, because you could never shut up, and hype him up in front of everyone. And vice versa, “that’s my wife” Bruce would say, proud of you at any small occasions.
“Bruce Wayne and (Y/N) Wayne are our modern Gomèz and Morticia Addams” was an official instagram account. A very popular one. You always wondered who was the creator of it (I’ll let you guess).
************
“Bruce, Bruce listen.”
“Mm ?”
“I crave you more than pizza.”
He chuckles at that, and you-
“Ew. Please. Mom. Can’t you wait for us not to be around to say things like that ?”
“Right ?! I agree with Tim, please. This is our family night, you and father, stop being gross.”
You turn to your children, snickering. Oh how you loved to gross them out by openly complimenting you husband. And you knew he loved it too, and that he was most likely about to make a comment that would annoy your kids, while making you feel all warm and nice.
“I’ll never look at pizza the same way…”
Jason says dejectedly, looking at his piece of pizza. And you can’t help but burst out into laughter. Drama queens, all of them.
Aaah, it’s not because your children were there that you were going to not tell Bruce how much you loved him. How much he meant to you. How amazing he truly was.
At the League’s headquarters
“Your intelligence always astounds me, my heart.” You say without thinking, forgetting that well…You’re surrounded by all your superheroes friends. And they’re all looking at you and Bruce.
Superman, your great friend Clark, has a faint smile on his lips (what ? The man was a sucker for good romance ! Following yours and Bruce’s love story was quite the ride, and he was always there in the tough moments…he secretly was the person, along with Alfred, who rooted for you two the most).
Wonder Woman smirked (she thought it was funny when you managed to fluster Bruce).
Flash was going to catch flies with his mouth open like that, in utter shock.
Green Lantern seemed almost grossed out (his expression not unlike the one your children harbored when you two kissed in front of them).
Green Arrow’s eyes immediately went to Black Canary’s, their relationship more alike to yours than any of you will ever know…Y
ou made a mental list of all your friends in your head, looking at you two. Ff, the League was getting big now, with new arrivals pretty regularly. Maybe you should try to control your “simp surge” (that’s how Tim called those moments during which you gushed over your husband).
But then, how could you, when he truly was intelligent ? The best detective out there. Once, you heard one of them (you could honestly not remember who) imply that Bruce wasn’t an important member of the league because he didn’t have any powers. And oh Gods.
“Please.” you said, annoyed that anyone would think just because he doesn’t have any power he’s not the most important part of the team (no, you never exaggerated ! hehe)
“When A piece of rock is your nemesis, or when the color yellow is your weakness, you don’t really get to brag too much ok ? Plus, let’s think about how many times Bruce got you all out of bad situations, mm ? Who always has a plan B, all the way to Z here, mm ? Dare to say you wouldn’t panic if Bruce one day say : “I don’t know”, mmmmm ?”
To be fair, it was kind of true. Nobody could quite deny the fact that, if one day, the Batman himself ran out of ideas to “win”, it’d be quite frightening. Not that he was the only intelligent person around. Oh no, there was Barry too of course, and J’onn, and many others ! But over the years, everyone came to rely on his mastermind to find solutions to their biggest problems.
Ah yes. There wasn’t a moment in the League headquarters where you didn’t express your admiration for your husband (in relevant situations of course).
To friends
You had the same friends he did, for the most part. Except for your childhood friend, and his. You shared the same friend group.
To be fair, the League was in big part your friends. But it was different, when you were officially on League missions, and only just all together casually, outside of “work”.
You hyped Bruce up, but not in the same way you hyped Batman up.
************
Clark is the only one used to it.
Everyone else always gets taken aback, when you gush over Bruce and he sometimes let a smile slip up. Usually, he keeps his face cold and unfeeling (he has a reputation to uphold). But sometimes…
Only when he doesn’t have the cowl on, does they sometimes catch him smiling at you. Unable to stop himself. And that’s when they all realized that “The Batman” was before all else, just a man.
And an impressive one at that, as you constantly reminded them.
************
One day, you were sitting on the Kent farm’s porch, a cup of coffee in hand, waiting for your husband and Clark to come out (they were currently doing the dishes, and helping Martha out with some things, Martha was adamant that the men must help, and you two had to chill à préciser que les two c’est elle et Lois) when Lois joined you.
Lois had a true “journalist” reflex. As soon as she learned Batman’s real identity, she wanted to ask him so many questions. And when she met you ? Oh boy.
Like today. It was the first time you came over at Martha’s for a Sunday lunch. The first time of many. Clark and Lois didn’t have children yet, and Dick was with you since just a few months (he was currently helping to bake a pie…that boy LOVED to cook).
“Ok I have to ask. How is he, really ? With you ?”
“Mm?”
“Well, I knew Bruce before, but I always felt he wasn’t showing his true self to me. Like there were always a barrier between us two. Probably why we didn’t last long. So I was wondering…”
You don’t have to think much about it :
“He’s kind, nice, sweet, always pays attention to me and tries to make me confortable in every situation. He-”
Fifteen minutes. For fifteen minutes, you hyped your man up. Fifteen minutes of you gushing over him, and Lois couldn’t help but smile.
She was happy, that Bruce found the right one. And that you found him. You were clearly meant for each others.
That day, she also realized the same things your other friends will see over the years : “The Batman” was human. He loved like everyone else, he hurt, too. He wasn’t that heartless machine they thought he was, or that stupid and arrogant playboy. No. He-
He was just a man, trying to do his best.
Your constant admiration of him made them realize that. Gave him a humanity they thought wasn’t there. Made them realize, they never truly knew him before then.
And it made them a little jealous, too. Because it was clear your love for each others knew no bound, and you’d always be each others biggest fan.
With your kids
They don’t mind it, most of the time, when you compliment their dad.
Sometimes, it can get a little gross, like why does it always lead to kisses ?!
But sometimes, it’s really cute, and inspire them to find someone who loves them as much as you love Bruce (and vice versa).
Maybe that’s why none of them would ever settle for anyone toxic ? Because they had their parents example, and certain “couple goals”.
************
You and Damian constantly boast about Bruce (when he’s not there). Damian would never admit it openly like you did, but he thought his dad was amazing. And only with you, did he feel safe enough to truly speak his mind about the matter. “Did you know father could bench press 1000 pounds ??”, “I did ! And he always does that at the end of his training, the man is a machine, a beast.” Damian constantly bragged about his dad (and you, and his siblings) at school. And nobody could ever really tell him that THE Bruce Wayne wasn’t as cool as he sounded…because everyone knew he was (except maybe Bruce himself).
You and Dick LOVED to fluster Bruce. Exaggerating your admiration for him (which was already huge) was your jam. Dick was a great actor, he’d often take his most angelic face before saying how much he loved his dad. It was even worst when he became an adult, because he kept that angelic face and nobody could resist that expression. You and him could never get enough of seeing Bruce blush as you both complimented his every action.
Jason, before his death, never shied away from backing you up when you said Bruce was a great father. “My dad is the best !” He’d exclaim proudly, making sure journalists caught that on tape.
After his death, those words never really came out of his mouth ever again. Which made Bruce feel miserable. Until one day : someone dared speak ill of him. Jason lost his cool, and let’s say that this person will never dare again say something bad about Bruce Wayne. This was proof Jason still cared so much, still thought he was the best…And that only him, could criticize his father.
You and Tim used to have a secret “Batfam Fandom” website, that Bruce found out about years after its creation. You and little Tim had forums, and fan pages dedicated to the Bat (and by extension, to Bruce, albeit you were the only ones knowing the truth). When Bruce finally discovered that page, he was too touched to even admit he found out about it. You still didn’t know he knew…But he definitely went to check that site from time to time, when he didn’t feel good and needed a “pick me up”, knowing he’d found your account (NumberOneBatmanSimp) and your son’s (BatmanStan) gushing over how great he was.
Cass was THE daddy’s girl. Of course she’d always join in on you complimenting him. “You. Great.” she’d tell him whenever he felt badly about himself. She would never hesitate to scold him, too. “You taught me how to love myself. Love yourself, too. Or else…”, the threat in her words often meaning that if he didn’t, she would hug him up until he felt better. Just like you, she would never let anyone speak badly about her father, including himself.
Duke was already a fan of Bruce before he met him. And when he finally did, reality went beyond his expectations. Bruce was everything he imagined, and more (the more being : newsflash, he was also the Batman !). How could he not find him amazing and cool and all ?
Yes. Bruce often found himself stuck in a “hype sandwich”, where you and one of the kids (sometimes even more than one), would remind him of how great he truly was. And how much you loved him.
Hyping the kids up
"Have you met my oldest son, Dick ? No ? You have to, he’ll honestly make your life better by just existing.”
“Yes, Jason, my son, he’s fantastic isn’t he ? When he laughs, it brightens the entire room and he never did anything wrong, ever.”
“Have you ever met someone more intelligent than my Tim ? The answer is no, because nobody is. Objectively speaking, he’s the greatest.”
“Cassandra is beautiful, smart, amazing, flawless…I pity anyone who can’t see that.”
“Damian ? Another one of my son who never did anything wrong, ever. I’ll fight you on that. Damian is the sweetest little boy ever, he overcame so much, and constantly works on bettering himself. Not a lot of people will achieve even half of his will to become a better man. He will change the world, mark my world. And for the better.”
“Duke didn’t let his power change him, do you know how strong you have to be for that to happen ? How much of a good person you have to be, to not turn pretentious because you’re powerful ? Such a powerful kid, in every sense of the term”.
Being your child meant never feeling worthless. Never feeling less than. Of course, you weren’t always perfect and you lost your cool with them more than once…But we established nobody was perfect.
Well. Except your children.
They were perfect in your eyes. Their “flaws” only made them better, stronger. They always impressed you so much by how tough they truly were. They went through so much, yet always pulled through. How impressive was that ?
You never missed an occasion to tell them how amazing they were.
Ok, hope you liked it ! I wrote it “fast” in a burst of inspiration, but I hope it’s suitable for y’all :) comments and reblogs = always loved, welcomed, and motivating ^^.
Anyway. I wanted to write this because like, I think an aspect of Bruce that is often overlooked is : “why did he decide to become the Batman, and shut away his feelings a lot of times ?” ya know ? Anyway, here’s my way of seeing things. I always felt like Bruce hates himself so much, which is why his facade is so polished…We know that deep down, he actually feels everything to the max (he even says so himself TT.TT). Hypersensitive Bruce trying to protect himself…My jam <3.
Anyway.At least now it’s clear I’m a huge Bruce Wayne simphaha.
Synopsis : 50 years being married..Surely, this calls for a party ? Except of course, said party is planned by your children, who never ask for your permission. And they drag poor young Terry McGinnis (aka “New addition to the family”) along with them…
This was requested by @legendarylearner18, been a while since I wrote a request haha. Also, first time I write something with Terry in it ! :o I really wasn’t planning on writing this, as I didn’t have time but..Sudden burst of inspiration right before bed. Anyway I hope you’ll like this, comments and/or reblogs are of course, as usual, very appreciated :
It’s early in the morning, and a warm hand caressing your cheek is slowly taking you away from your deep slumber.
Too bad. You were having such a pleasant dream.
Well, more of a souvenir, really. Of a day long ago. A beautiful, beautiful day.
Full of love, laughter, and maybe a little sibling rivalry…How nice of your subconscious, to recall such time to your mind, and to turn it into dreams.
That beautiful beautiful day, was it the last one you spend all together ? Yeah. Yeah, you slowly realized, nostalgic and a little sad.
You were dreaming of a day spent with all of your children, and your Bruce, and Alfred…oh Alfred…
Yes. Yes this was the last day you all spend together, before Alfred’s passing, and before your children were all grown up and so, oh so busy.
Of course, you still saw them. But it wasn’t like before. It could never be, like before. First because Alfred wasn’t around anymore. And second, because you never quite managed to gather them ALL together again. It was always too difficult, their schedules were so different…
Your pleasant dream was, as you were waking up, fading into a nostalgic feeling. Damn. You missed your kids so much. Getting old sucked. And-
“Morning, my love.”
Ah. But everything didn’t suck. No. No some things were constant. Like love. Love for your children, of course. But also love for that man…Ah that man.
Bruce Wayne.
Your Broosh, the love of your life. Still here, after all this years.
After all this years ? Those words made you feel like you had to remember som- OH !
Of course. This was why he woke you up. Today was special. And he’s never been a patient man. You had to admit that lately, you did sleep in a little too much. Being old sucked…
But him ? Even at 80, he had a hard time getting rid of his old habit of not sleeping lots, and would always be up early, even while it has been a very long time since he last wore the Batman suit.
Today. Special. Was it really already 50 years ?
Wow. Fifty years married to that man.
Your strong, shared love was one of the only thing, you knew it, that got you to go this far. There really were difficult times, along those years. But you two stuck together. Never giving up on one another.
“Hello, my Heart.”
A kiss. Soft. Right on your lips.
“You know what today is ?”
“Um, Friday ?”
He chuckles, knowing full well you’re teasing him. And as he looks at you, you’re, for the millionth time, struck by the adoration and love you’re seeing in those eyes. Were those really just for you ?
Yes. Over fifty years ago, if someone would’ve told you you were going to still be as in love with him as you were then, you weren’t sure you’d believe them. After all, at the time, you sort of lost hope for “true love”, and although your feelings for him were already strong, nobody could’ve guessed you’d go this far together.
Well, by nobody it really meant you two. Because anyone who ever saw you together knew instantly you were meant for each other. Clark told you that many times. “At first I was shocked he had a wife, and a damn family. But once I saw you together ? It all made sense” he said. And you understood him, for sure the Batman he knew at the beginning was certainly not portraying himself as a family man.
But Clark, and many others, learned to see past his shell. Although you were the first to do so. And he was the first to teach you what real love was, too. You knew that he could decipher the same love and adoration in your eyes, too.
It’s emotions you were never able to hide, when it was just you and him.
And as your eyes lock, you’re once more reminded of how wonderful those past fifty years by his side were (although sometimes rocky), as nostalgia rushes over you when you think about how long ago it was, that you adopted Dick. And how all your children were grown, now. They didn’t need you as much…
************
Tim took care of Wayne Enterprises, and was overbooked all the time. He did come by to see you two though, and would fall asleep at the dinner table…Some things never change ? You did tell him to slow down though. Him too, wasn’t getting any younger, and though he could endure the lack of sleep as a teen, but now ? Mmmm. That boy will always worry you.
Dick retired from being Nightwing after too many wounds, including one leaving him paralyzed for a while (how fortunate, that Barbara always stuck around him, right ? And oh, how history unfortunately repeats itself sometimes). He was still living in Blüdhaven, and had his own little family now. He was always so busy with so many things, although he did come by too.
Jason was probably the one who came to see you the most often. He stayed in Gotham, and made quite a nice career out of writing books (like you, which surprised NO ONE given his love for literature). Although it was often a source of tremendous pain for him, your boy (now a man…Well, he’s been a man for decades actually) has never been able to leave it behind. He would visit at least once a week, if not more, and was probably the one making sure to see everyone in the family the most. Not surprising really, family has always been important to your Jaybird. That’s why it was so hard for him to accept, and forgive, the fact Bruce never went after the Joker and killed him. He knew now, though. That was one thing you were glad was in the past.
Damian left a year ago, on a grand mission. He wanted to reform the League of Assassin. He took up the Batman mantel for a while, but then found a grander calling. If he could achieve his plan, then the League could truly turn into something that could save the World in so many ways. You missed him. Lots. Especially since you knew that it would be a while before he would come back. He warned you about it. You didn’t try to stop him. This was something he needed to do. He wanted to finally put the final touch to his redemption. Unbeknownst to you, your son was going as fast as he could, so he could come back to Gotham. His greatest fear was that you or his father die while he’s not there…You were getting old.
Cassandra didn’t retire from her vigilante days. She was probably the only one actively still working. Gotham didn’t really need “Bat-people” anymore… Although lately, things took a turn for the worst again. She opened her own ballet school. Your only daughter came by whenever she could, which unfortunately wasn’t as often as you wished.
Duke was extremely involved in Gotham’s social work life. After what happened to his parents, and finishing his teen years growing up with you, he took a great liking to helping people. In every way he could. He was the one, nowadays, bringing forth charities he thought Wayne Enterprises should support. He also didn’t gave up The Signal mantel, and was often seen around town too.
Yes. All of them still came to see you and Bruce. But it just wasn’t the same, you know ? Getting old…It really did suck. You just ended up being more and more alone, as your children grew up and went on to have their own lives.
Oh. Oh you wished you could turn back time if only for a moment. You think you’d go talk to Alfred first. And ask him to help you put together a feast for your entire family…
“A penny for your thoughts ?”
************
Bruce’s voice brings you back to reality. You shake your head and smile at him. Living in the past was never good, that’s something you definitely learned from growing old with Bruce.
Ah. Growing old with someone…yeah, it wasn’t all bad.
Sure, you couldn’t gather up all your babies at once. But he was still there. He was always there. Bruce never left your side, and you his. And yes, growing old with him was honestly not too bad. You never felt lonely, that’s for sure.
How many people on this earth could say : “I found the one, that person that always knows how to cheer me up, that listens and cares. I found the one, that person who understands me like nobody ever did. I found the one, with whom I can just sit in total silence, and still feel utterly comfortable. I found the one.” ? You knew : not many.
Finding the one, one real love, love of your life, life entirely spend together. How precious. To never feel alone, because you did find your genuine other half.
Plus, the existence of people like Diana, or John Constantine and his mystic powers, sort of proved to you there must be something after Death. Everything pointed to it. And you were sure that you’d find everyone there once this was over, and that he would still be here, too. Somehow, you don’t think you’d have to wait for him too long.
This was maybe a little morbid of you, but you always thought that if Bruce died first, you would follow after quickly. And vice versa. It didn’t feel possible, that one of you could go on living without the other much longer. Especially not now, at your age.
“A penny for your thoughts ?”
You didn’t want to tell him you wished all your kids were here, and that Alfred wasn’t gone. You didn’t want to tell him you were feeling suddenly too nostalgic, borderline sad. You knew it would hurt him, too. So you just said :
“Just that fifty years is a long time, yet I’m still not tired of you waking me up with a kiss.”
To be fair, you were together for more than fifty years. But you sort of didn’t pay attention at the beginning (and there was that infamous long months you “broke up” and Dick and Clark managed to patch things up with you two), and your wedding day became when you two started to actually count the years.
He kissed you once more, one of those soft kisses you liked so much, and caressed your sides, slowly lowering his head to your chest and resting it there, right above the beating of your heart.
As the years went by, both your libido went down. It was all rather biological, really. Most humans lost it, and to be fair right now, at 80 ? Definitely couldn’t do what you used to do…You almost blushed, at your old age, thinking about oh, oh all the things he did to you over the years.
But the cravings for physical contact ? Hugs ? Kisses ? Just holding hands ? You don’t think this would ever disappear. If Bruce was in the same room than you, it felt weird not to touch him in some way. Whether it was your legs across his. Your head in his lap, his in yours. Or simply sitting shoulders to shoulders… Across those 50 years, the need to be close never died down.
And so you reveled in him putting his head on you, arms around you, lying down right next to you (there used to be a time, he would lay on top of you, as you always loved how safe it made you feel…but he was a little too heavy for your old bones, now).
You were running your hand through his hair, a motion that always had a soothing effect on him, as he said :
“Happy anniversary, my Love. Fifty years by your side went by too quickly.”
“Happy anniversary to you too, my Heart. Should w-”
BANG, the door to your bedroom opened suddenly.
“IS THERE ANYONE IN THIS HOUSE ?! HELLOOOOOOO !! Been calling for you guys for ages, guess old age makes you DEAF. Oh no look I knocked but I opened the door at the same time, how does it feel ugh ? Y’all better not…oh god, you really better not, you’re way too damn old for doing the nasty !”
What ?
************
“Jason.”
Bruce said simply, as indeed your son was the one who barged in your bedroom. He was wearing one of his infamous shit eating grin, clearly very pleased with himself about his little surprise.
“Damn you’re old. Once upon a time, you would’ve heard me coming and thrown something at m-HEY !”
A pillow to the face is what he got. Bruce still had good aim. Jason threw back said pillow to you and Bruce and…
Laughter.
What else could happen ?
This scene was very reminiscent of a lot of moments Jason just barged in (eyes close, always, just in case…it was always quite funny, to see him come into your room, no knocking of course, with his eyes close to avoid any further trauma). A definite scene of déjà-vu. This has happened before.
From the day he came into your life, to now.
Aaah, this was a nice feeling to have. A sense that yes, some things would never change. Like your son’s laughter, his voice was much deeper yes, but it still had the same tone than when he was younger.
Imagine that. Forty-five years old, and yet he still acted like such a child sometimes.
“Always a pleasure to see you son, but what are you doing here ?”
“Wha-What am I doing here ? What ? You didn’t think we were going to miss the show, did you ?”
************
You are…so touched.
So much so, that you’re crying. In fact, you really can’t stop crying, as you hold onto your husband’s shirt and hide your face in it.
They’re all here. They’re all here ! Well, except for Damian. He was too far of course. He called you just a few days ago, saying he still had so much work. But the rest of your children were here. All of them.
And in the middle ? Terry. Evidently, he had been dragged out of his home by Dick, and brought here. His hair were still disheveled, and you could see on his face he had no idea what was going on.
It was almost comical. You were sure that you would laugh about it later, thinking back on the scene. But right now, you were a crying mess as they were (almost) all reunited, for the first time since a very, very long time.
You were starting to feel better when-
“Mom, where do I put this ?”
A voice you didn’t expect to hear resounded in the living room. You turned around and…There he was, with a cake in his hands.
“DAMIAN ? WHAAAAT ?!”
You exclaimed, and you ran to him, forgetting your bad knees and joints, and your cane, as you jumped in his arms.
“My baby ! My baby, you’re here !”
Terry wasn’t sure to understand what was going on. He never saw you have such a strong reaction (of course, he rarely saw you interacting with your children…life got in the way of you seeing them way too much). Evidently, you were happy to see that man.
That man he recognized as one of your sons, Damian. He never met him, but he saw pictures of him all around the house. Damian was the only one of your children he hadn’t met yet, because he left right as Terry started to interact with Bruce.
“You little rascal, I can’t believe you lied to me !” You screamed, squishing your son in your arms. And it was actually really funny, how he was tall and big like his father yet you almost manhandled him, at your age.
“Grayson made me !” Damian answered, pointing a finger at his oldest brother.
“What-Hey ! How dare you put that on me ! -short pause- It was Jason’s idea !”
“…EXCUSE ME ?!”
It was odd to Terry, to witness all those people, people he admired for year and looked up to…fight like children.
The mighty Nightwing. The fearsome Red Hood. The kind (Y/N) Wayne.
He never expected to see them act that way. As if they were kids again. And in a way, when you were around, they were.
So what if they all were well in their forties now ? They would forever be your babies, as your reaction upon seeing Damian proved it. And this…Was very soothing for Terry.
It was proof that you were all humans, after all. When he first met Bruce, and talked to him, the man appeared so bitter, cold and harsh.
But then…Then Terry started to come over the house (well, to the Batcave specifically). And he met you for the first time, as you brought tea and biscuits to him (you weren’t about to give up a habit given to you by Alfred).
And slowly but surely, over that past year, Terry really got to know you and Bruce. And your children. But just a bit. He would see them pass by quickly, or leave just as he arrived. It was clear you were a tight knit family, but he never realized how tight up until now.
And how weird it was, to see Jason, right now, grab his brother (Dick) in a chokehold and say :
“Snitches get stitches !”
“Why are you attacking me, Damian is the one who-AAARGH MY BACK !”
Jason, knowing of his brother’s old injury, immediately let go…only to be viciously tackled by Dick who said :
“Can’t believe you always fall for it, you big softie.”
“HEY DO NOT RUFFLE MY HAIR, I’M NOT A CHILD ANYMORE !”
“Not even two minutes together, and you guys can’t even act properly.” Tim sighed, looking at Cass and Duke and…All three of them rolled their eyes, as if they were used to this kind of antics.
Terry felt strange. A warmth was spreading from his heart to…Every where. The sort of warmth he rarely felt during his short 16 years on this Earth.
It was carefree, pleasant, and-
He couldn’t help it. He bursted out in a huge fit of laughter, and all of you turned to look at him, curiosity in your eyes.
“I’m sorry but-HAHAHAHAHA-I-I-HAHAHAHAHA-I always saw you all as such a stoic and serious family this is just-hahahHAhahHAHAHaHAhahah.”
He couldn’t even breathe, because of how much he was laughing and-
None of you needed more to follow in his laughter.
************
Damian did lie to you on the phone. He always had the intention of coming back for your anniversary. How could he miss the celebration of fifty years of love ?
Jason and Dick were the masterminds of it all. They carefully planned everyone’s scheduled months and months in advance, making Tim do an excell spreadsheet so nobody would have an excuse to not come !
But of course, they’d all find the time for their family. And it had been so long, since the last time they were all reunited.
In fact, ever since Alfred was gone, they were pretty sure that-
Ah. But of course. Alfred had always been a good planner. He always managed to get everyone together, and it’s a talent none of you quite inherited…Nobody could be like Alfred. Nobody could fill his shoes. And you weren’t sure anybody wanted the spot anyway. Alfred was one of a kind, and he had to remain so in all of your hearts.
When he passed away, things really got harder. He was such a pillar in your family. But in the end, and that counted also when you and Bruce would be gone..You’d always make time for one another.
As your children showed today. And as they showed you by coming by whenever they could.
You were happy Terry was here too, he became a full time member of your family in your mind, and he reminded you so much of your sons. It was nice, to have a kid around once more…
************
You’re happy. So happy.
This was the kind of memory that would last. A core memory.
As you were sitting around the dining table you always used, you took a little time to look up. A metaphorical gesture, because you knew he wasn’t actually in the sky but…You took the time to send some thoughts to Alfred. To thank him, as he was one of the reason you were here today.
Somehow, you knew that wherever he was, he was always keeping an eye on you all. And you knew he would be so proud.
Bruce caught your gesture, and took your hand in his, giving it a squeeze that you knew meant : “I love you.”
You squeezed his hand back, as a response, and turned to your family.
“Thank you all for being here. Really. This means…So much.”
************
It was a grand day.
Full of dramatic retelling of all your best memories.
Silly memories, like that time Bruce lost Dick in a mall and kept yelling “HAVE YOU SEEN MY DICK ?!” to everyone (a classic). That time you and Damian stole an elephant from a circus, because he was mistreated. That time Bruce thought it was a good idea to let Jason, 9 years old, choose what he wanted to eat for dinner and he decided that two full bucket of vanilla ice cream would do…and how he got sick for three days straight (and the subsequent hour long sermon Alfred and you gave Bruce). That time Tim had a science show and his project was so brilliant they thought Bruce and you made it for him, and your outrage when they refused to give him the first place prize !
And more serious memories, like that time Duke discovered his powers, freaked out, and thanks to you all managed to calm down. The moments you discovered Jason and Damian were alive (you hit Bruce and Tim on the head saying : “and the moments you guys faked your death I swear I could’ve actually killed you”). The moment Cassandra was so afraid to hurt you guys that she ran away, and you tried to find her, in a downright panic, thinking maybe her father took her back…
Precious memories. Your life, really. And its meaning.
Terry learned so much, that night. About the “Batfam” (he didn’t even realized yet that he was part of said family now), but also about himself, and about what he wanted in the future.
This.
This is what he wanted. A loving family getting along (most of the time at least). That were able to put aside their differences because that’s how much they love each other.
This.
A family who would always be there for each other, no matter what. This is what he wanted.
************
The evening went by so fast. Too fast. Terry got introduced to Bruce’s family (and in a way, his family too). All of them now. He knew all of them.
And he understood why, sometimes, he would catch you looking at pictures with a fond smile on your lips. It was obvious, even if distance and time kept you away from each other, that this family was all about love.
The young man felt so welcomed in your family. Even by Damian, of whom he heard (mainly by Tim) that he wasn’t always an easy child (which honestly implied that the rest of them were, and you could say a few words about how : nu-hu, they were all trouble at some point. And you wouldn’t have it any other way).
“Drake ! What did you tell him about me ?!”
“The truth Damian. The truth…”
Tim kept his flare for the dramatic, and the way he said those words just made you laugh. He was always so great, at teasing his little brother. And said little brother always fell for it. Ah but one had to look deeper, to actually understand that this constant teasing between the two of them were only their own love language, and that they’d be lost if their brother would disappear…
Painful memories of when Damian died came to mind, Tim’s reaction was so strong. And when Tim faked his death ? The maddest one was Damian, who never gave up on him and wouldn’t admit his brother was gone without seeing a body.
This, Terry would learn a little later. Right now, he only saw two adult men bickering over nothing, and he found it very amusing. But one day, one day, he would realize what brotherly love truly is. In big part thanks to Tim and Damian, who were a little closer in age with him (at least, compared to Jason and Dick).
************
It was already late at night, and time to leave.
Dick was going to drive Terry back home when-
“What are they doing ?” He asked innocently, looking through the window at you and Bruce standing outside, only lighted by the moonlight.
“Oh, right. We never did tell you what we came to celebrate. Sorry about that buddy.” Dick said, and continued : “It was their fiftieth wedding anniversary. And they’re about to do one of their little tradition, on such a night…”
Curious, Terry turned back to look at you and your husband. You were- turning on music ? From an old-what was that ? A “gramophone” right ? Terry never saw one in real life before. And he was sure this type of technology was old even for you two. So why-
The music turned on. They could hear it faintly from the Manor.
And then…
Then Bruce caught you in his arm, letting go of his cane. And you did the same. You were each other’s support, after all. And slowly, you started to waltz.
Not as fast as you use to, not as vigorously. But it was beautiful. Terry felt captivated by the spectacle you were giving. Slowly, your children gathered up around him, looking at you two fondly.
************
Seeing you and Bruce dancing slowly in the moonlight, brought many memories to your children’s mind. Memories that were a little bittersweet, of times that none of you will ever live again, but that none of you regretted.
DICK
Dick found himself in his eight years’ old body, feeling sad and hopeless, not long after his parents’ death. He just had an argument with Bruce, and became so angry he broke a vase that used to be Bruce’s mother’s…Neither you, nor Bruce or Alfred yelled at him. But Dick couldn’t help feeling guilty as he saw the hurt in Bruce’s eyes, and in yours too. He knew you wanted to help him. He knew. But he was always so angry…So here he was, sat on the floor in his bedroom, knees to his chest, head down. But then…
A song resonated through the manor. It was faint, from his bedroom. And it lighted his curiosity. He followed the sound, and- That’s when he saw you two. You were dancing in the living room.
It was raining outside, so you didn’t go out that year. But you still had to dance. It was an important tradition. And Dick found himself looking at you two swirling around, smiling at each other.
The song ended, and Bruce wrapped his arms around you. You rested your head against his shoulder, and you stayed just like that, close to each other. For some reason, Dick felt all warm inside, looking at you two.
You never knew he was there, that night. And you never knew how much this event meant to your son. That night, a little slither of hope came back in his heart. Because the love he witnessed ? His little eight years old self didn’t quite understood it yet, but he knew it meant something. It meant that everything wasn’t all dark. It meant that, yes, he lost his parents who were his heroes…but he was one of those “lucky ones” that managed to find a new family in which there was just as much love as he used to have.
JASON
Jason had a flashback of the first time he came with you to a charity ball.
He was so awkward and uncomfortable, wearing a suit he really hated. He kept pulling on his bow tie, trying to readjust it and to not make too much of a mess of his clothes because…He was wearing the exact same suit Bruce was. And the man he came to see as his father seemed so comfortable and at ease in that damn suit, that he was trying really hard to imitate him.
But it was tough. He wasn’t used to that. And he wasn’t used to all eyes constantly being on him, Bruce Wayne’s new son.
He knew those people saw him as a charity case, although he also knew he wasn’t. No. Bruce and you showed him what true parental love was. So he knew. He knew you didn’t adopt him just because you had pity on him. He didn’t care what they thought. All that mattered what what YOU thought. But yes : This evening, Jason wished he could be somewhere else up until- A song. A song started to play.
A song he never heard before, but that from that moment up until the end of his life, he will always associate with his parents. And with love.
It was as if he was in a movie. Maybe his memory of the moment was a little warped, it was, after all, almost 40 years ago. But the way he remembers it, this is how it happened : The song started. You and Bruce immediately went to each others, without concerting. As if you knew, even though you were both talking to different people at different places of the room (charity events were lots of work). It was as if people moved to make a path and lead you to each other. Nobody else was dancing. Just the two of you. You captivated the room. And then the song ended, and it was as if everyone came out of a dream. Was this really what happened, or did Jason romanticized the moment in his mind ? It didn’t matter. Because that’s when he knew.
And that’s when Jason knew. That’s when he knew he could endure anything, as long as he had both of you there.
Tim
Tim remembered an evening very much like this one.
The moon was shining, and he couldn’t sleep. Sleep (at least at night) had never been something easy to come to him. He thought too much.
Ever since he was a child, nights were just not when he could properly sleep. And so here he was, on the roof that he could access from his room’s balcony, looking at the moon. That’s when he noticed something unusual.
Bruce was in the garden, probably just home from patrolling. And, you were too ? What were the two of you doing ? Tim had always been a curious boy, so he followed you two discreetly, thinking you didn’t know he was there (but of course Bruce knew all along).
And then, the strangest thing happened. You turned on an old gramophone (which had sentimental value to both you and Bruce), and a song started. A song which had this peculiar grain to it, due to being played on a gramophone.
You walked towards Bruce, who was smiling at you. And ah, this was the first time Tim saw him smile like that ! He felt flabbergasted. What was going on ?
The song went by, and Tim felt things he never felt at ease for what felt like the first time in his life. He had always been a stressed individual. Always felt like he had to be productive, or else !
He was always on the move, always had to keep his mind or else his thoughts would consume him. Yet here, hidden in those bushes, basically spying on you dancing…he felt relaxed.
Peaceful.
There was a vibe coming off of you and Bruce, that just made him feel like everything was going to be alright. He almost felt like your swirls and such were hypnotizing him but…No.
It was the serenity radiating from you and your husband that touched him. Tim and Bruce bonded quickly, because they were both always so anxious. You were pretty sure (except for you), nobody understood better your son than Bruce, and vice versa.
They had the same OCD moments, the same worries, the same need to work constantly. The same disregard for their own safety, and health. They were more alike than anyone seemed to think.
So maybe this was why your boy felt like that right now ? As if Bruce’s own comfort spread to him ? If even Bruce, who had so many issues, could sometimes let it all go just to dance with his wife in his garden….then surely, he could do, right ?
Yes. This simple dance gave hope to Tim. And was a good reminder that he could, and would get better. It’s funny, how impactful something in appearance so small can be, right ?
Tim only talked about the impact it had on him seeing you that night to one person, nobody else. , . Not even to Kon, or Stephanie, nor you. No. Tim only talked about it to Bruce, a few days after the event.
Your son felt so relaxed, that he fell asleep in the bushes. Of course, Bruce found him, and took him back to bed (and he was so adorable and tiny at the time ! Well, not that he grew too much, out of all your children, Tim definitely never quite hit that growth spurt they all went through).
Tim guessed that Bruce brought him back when, the next day, he woke up in his bed. And he told him. He told him what he saw, and how he felt. Although he didn’t understand those feelings quite yet. And Bruce ? Bruce help him understand. Because the were more alike than anybody seemed to think.
Damian
Damian’s memory was short, but one of his favorite memory ever.
He came down one evening, unable to sleep and trying to sneakily get some ice cream from the freezer (Alfred was utterly exasperated whenever he found the locks he kept putting on this damn freezer crack or simply cut…worst thing is, he could never know who was stealing the ice cream, because you all did it).
And that’s when he saw you and hid father, dancing slowly in the kitchen. He wasn’t even disgusted by the display of affection, more, intrigued.
“Hey my little buddy, can’t sleep ?”
You asked casually, your head on your husband’s neck and his face buried in yours.
“Um, yes. Yes I couldn’t sleep.”
“Neither could we.”
And there, came the important memory. The day he realized he loved you and his father so damn much. As if your minds were connected, both you and Bruce took a step away from each other, and you said :
“Do you want to dance with us ?”
Damian didn’t really know how to react, but he approached and-
“LOOKS LIKE DAMIAN SANDWICH IS BACK ON THE MENU BOYS !”
You grabbed him by the shoulder, and squeezed him between you and Bruce. It made the Dark Knight chuckled, and Damian made a mental note that his dad wasn’t always the same person when around you (or his kids).
Your son didn’t even remember he should protest, and resist this force hug ! Because he felt so warm, safe and loved all of a sudden. So much so, that the slow swaying you were doing, dancing with him, put him to sleep.
Bruce carried him to his bed. And that’s it. That’s when Damian realized how strong love could be.
Cassandra
Cassandra was lost in the memory of one of her favorite day ever.
She loved ballet as a child, and kept the hobby up until it became too hard physically to dance…Although you were pretty sure that even know, past forty, she could still do amazing dance moves.
She liked ballet. She didn’t have to speak and could let her body express her feelings, without hurting anyone. Bruce built her an entire dancing room in the Manor, so she could practice.
And that was it. Today was one of her biggest recital yet. She was so nervous. But what stressed her the most, was whether you would be there or not.
You and Bruce were busy. So busy. And honestly, finding free time just to come see her silly dancing ? Meh. Of course, that’s was what she thought. Cass, although many people didn’t realize it, had the bad habit to self-deprecate. This was unfortunately how she was raised, feeling like she was never enough.
Up until last minute, she didn’t know if you were there or not. She was too afraid to look at the room, and see the empty seats she reserved for you.
And then, finally, the curtain rose, and she jumped on stage and…
You were there. And Bruce too. Sitting in the front row. Ah ! And her brothers were here too !! They were clapping so much for her, it reminded her of that scene in The Addams Family movie…And it made her radiate.
She was so happy. And she gave it her all, to make all of you proud. Proud, was a euphemism. Her brothers swarmed her and if you didn’t stop them you were pretty sure they would’ve thrown her into the air like a cheerleader.
Bruce, of course, was the proudest of them all. And you ? Well, of course. You too. Most of all, you were so happy she found a hobby. Something she loved doing, and that always seemed to take her mind off of her troubles. You told her :
“I like to dance too. Waltz though, I think I’d be bad at ballet.”
“Waltz ?”
“Yes.” You smile at her, and a little shyly, she asks :
“Show me ?”
Ah, you were never able to resist that cute little face. And so you nodded, and without even having to ask, Bruce stood up too and..You waltzed.
Cassandra was mesmerized. Your movements were in perfect synch (which she knew wasn’t that easy to achieve), and you were twirling around so gracefully. Oh, and the looks you exchanged…probably the only time she wasn’t grossed out by your love.
Waltz, was something she taught her students at the ballet school. Because she realized it helped with coordination, and synchronization. And because…it reminded her of you, and that mere thought always put her in a good mood.
Duke
Duke couldn’t help but be thrown back to decades ago, when he first came to the manor and came in to see…You and Damian dancing ??
You were waltzing with your son all around the room, and laughing together. He was clearly imitating Bruce, and his impersonation was spot on and made you laugh so much.
When you noticed Duke, you asked if he wanted to dance, too. Not particularly a waltz, just…Dance. You had a date night with Bruce, and while he was getting ready, you and Damian were making fun of him (as you should, why was he always so long to pamper himself ??).
Duke joined in, he too, had some wicked Bruce impersonation. “Hey, look at me, I eat my burgers with a knife and fork because I’m so fancy !” and you and Damian were bend forward, laughing too hard. Duke pushed the caricature even further, further and further up until-
“This is NOT how I sound.”
Oh oh. That was Bruce. Coming down the stairs adjusting his bow tie, and not looking amused at all. Damn. Duke was afraid he upset him, it’s true that it was quite the impersonation, and he didn’t think The Batman was too kin on humor.
“This, is how I sounds.” And then, Bruce cleared his throat and said, in a perfect gentleman way, and that smirk you loved so much on his face :
“May I have this dance, my Love ?”
And as you took his hand, and Bruce took the lead, Duke remembers thinking, right at that moment : “that’s what true love looks like.”
It was a flash, an evidence. This was it. True love. Wow. He hoped he could find it one day.
“Oh ew, here they go again…Come on Duke, let’s go play “Cheese Viking” before they start -gagging sounds- kissing !”
Not only did Duke discover what it was like, to find your one true love. But this moment also became a bonding moment for him and Damian. The first time he called him “Duke”, and not “Thomas”. And the first time he started to view him as his brother…
************
The song ended, but you didn’t leave your husband’s arms. This was your moment. The one where you would just hold each other, for as long as you wanted. As long as you needed.
Inside the manor, your children were all smiling.
This was it. This was what those 50 years represented.
Love, in its purest form.
How not to feel touched ?
Their hearts were filled with the same emotions. They knew it. Because they all lived this before. And they hoped they would live this a lot more times…because a world without their parents ?
They already lost Alfred. Their parents HAD to live longer.
Ah, maybe this was why they felt so at ease right now ?
Whenever they saw them dance, and remembered all those times they saw them dance, it felt like you and Bruce were young again. Like they were children once more.
And those memories ? They’d make you live forever, if only in their heart.
The end.
_________________________________________________
Ok here ! Just a short story (compare to usually haha) that I did NOT plan to write (didn’t have time, but I wrote this in an hour right before bed so like, bonus story hehe), but was fun to. Hope you liked it. Don’t hesitate to leave a little comment or(/and) to reblog ! :)
Important to anyone who is surprised about what I wrote about Damian + certain things if you read the comics (especially most recents ones) :
I don’t care about what they did with Damian in some recent Batman Beyond comics. It’s like, literally a renewal of when he first came at Wayne Manor and I hate it. Please. Stop constantly annihilating Damian’s hard earned redemption and making him a villain, to then give him a redemption arc again, and doing this again and again and again it’s getting old…So in my version, he chose to leave the Batman’s mantle behind not to continue Ras’ “legacy”, but to go to the League and deeply reform it so it would become an organization good for the World…right away. He didn’t first try to see if Terry was “worthy” (please, he did basically the same fucking thing when he was ten with all the Robins…………….STOP WRITING STORIES WHERE HE REGRESSES) and never had any intention of following The League of Assassin’s goals. Like, none of that : “oh I changed my mind I’m not a bad guy again now” bullshit. He’s directly not a bad guy, and just has higher/other inspirations.
+ I also changed Dick’s future, because…I didn’t like most of it…mmm…
+ Same for Tim. Sue me.
+ Jason appears almost never and whenever he did I was like : “no” so…Hahahahahahaha.
+ Same for Cass.
+ Duke doesn’t appear at all, but in my world, he does. Because Bruce would never just ignore any of them if he could. ALSO most of those characters don’t exist in that world anyway but you get my point.
+ Ok not gonna lie, the only future I like is Barbara, only because it makes sense that she becomes commissioner. Other than that…MEH.
+ Ok maybe I really like Terry’s character, and his relationship with Bruce, but honestly what they always do to other characters I love in this universe are very meh.
Long story short : in the world of fanfiction, you can just change whatever you hate and pretend it never happened.
I’m a sensitive bitch, I made myself cry when I talked about Alfred because I couldn’t stop thinking about Batman Beyond’s Bruce having to live without him at his sides…Haha. Also. No spoiler but if you ever decide to delve into Neo-Gotham territory, be ready for quite a lot of heartbreak. Not too much in the TV show Batman Beyond, but certain comics ? Oof (SPOILER : I’m still not over Bruce saying goodbye to Terry, my dudes…And especially how it happened and aaaah)
PS : If anyone knows the “Metal Gear Solid” game saga, y’all know why I love Terry McGinnis haha. The MGS are some of my favorite video games EVER, and a major plot point is shared by both those stories hehe…No spoilers for anyone who never watched/read anything with Terry. Highly recommend (both MGS and the animated series + some comics).
Synopsis : Bruce arrives just in time to save you from a situation that is a little too close from home for him…
That scene, in The Batman, where he looks at the mayor’s son and just stares for a bit for obvious reason…It stuck with me. And I got the idea of writing this, Bruce making sure what happened to him never happens again. Also, maybe I wanted to write Battinson interacting with a toddler…Hope you’ll like it. Comments and other reblogs always super welcomed and appreciated <3 :
In retrospect, you think it might be fate, who brought you together that night.
What were the chances that he’d be there, at that exact moment ?
He often said it himself, he couldn’t be everywhere. And yet…
He found you that night. Both of you.
How could you not believe in some kind of destiny, after all these years and what you went through ?
Yes. It’s been years since that night, and it’s an evidence to you.
It’s fate, that took Bruce’s steps towards you. Fate that guided him, that made it so he would make it just in time to save you and your son…
Ah. It’s funny, now. “Your son”. His, too. Who would’ve thought, all those years ago, that your “little buddy” would become the most amazing older brother that ever existed ? Certainly not you. You were so sure, at that time, that you would only ever have one child.
And look at you now. Surrounded by family on that clear evening, eating dinner all together. All because once upon a time, on a terrible night, your path crossed the Batman’s…
Oh. How very different it would’ve been, if fate had decided to never do its little tricks.
************
Ten years ago
There’s some days, you just have no idea how you made it this far.
Some days, you’re not sure you can keep going.
Some days you feel like it’d be oh too easy to just let it all go.
But you can’t give up. If you were alone, maybe. But you’re not. You have your little buddy to take care of. And you could never forgive yourself if you let him down. You didn’t care what happened to you, as long as he was fine.
Nonetheless, it was tough, to be a single mother in Gotham. To be honest, it was tough to be a single mother everywhere in the world. But Gotham ? Gotham had its way of making everything worst.
You could live with the constant judgement everyone was throwing your way. People judging you without knowing your story wasn’t anything new. But you had to admit, sometimes, it got old.
It’s almost funny, how a life can take a radical turn in but a few moment…
One day, you’re painting the nursery of your future child, happy, in love, ready to welcome this little life in the world.
The next, someone calls you to say : “There’s been an accident”, and all your dreams chatter.
Your fiancé was working for a building company, and lately had been on a worksite at “The Ice Lounge”. You didn’t like the idea of him working there. Everyone knew what this place really was full of…But the money was good. And with a baby on the way ? Yeah, of course he’d take the job.
“Work accident” they said, giving you a modest compensation thanks to the “Renewal plan” (was this really what the money was supposed to be used on ?). And just like that, in a few seconds, your fiancé was forever gone. It took you a while to even process what was being said to you through the phone.
Couldn’t someone at least come tell you the news in person ?
Apparently not.
You were given no other infos. You did receive a condolences card from the owner of the place, a certain “Oswald Cobblepot”. Although you’re not really sure he even signed it. You heard the rumors about the man…
You didn’t believe one bit he died because of a “work accident”, but in Gotham ? Nobody cared about the truth. Police were in those people’s pocket, as if they were going to search for foul play.
At the end of the day, the result was the same. If anyone was guilty of his death, they wouldn’t have gone behind bars anyway. Everyone knew how the mafia worked, around Gotham. It was a well known “secret”, for those living in those streets. They would’ve found a scapegoat, and you knew your fiancé would’ve hated that. You would too, an innocent person in prison…No.
It didn’t mean that it was easy to accept. But living in Gotham meant you had to live with certain things. And to be honest, once you ended up all alone with a baby on the way, you had to take your responsibilities quickly.
You unfortunately didn’t have time to chase after the truth. But you would, one day, you would.
For now, you had to work two jobs to stay afloat, and that’s how you ended up here. Late at night. Going home with your baby in your arms.
Well. Baby. He wasn’t really a baby anymore, he would turn three in just a few months. Damn. Three years old already ? Wow. How time flies. Especially when your days are a succession of long working hours and trying to survive.
But you didn’t have a choice. As a single mother, you were near the bottom of the food chain in Gotham, and you had to fight. For him.
Because he deserved better. He deserved the world. You would do anything to give him a decent childhood. Unfortunately, it meant that sometimes, you had to take tough decisions.
Like tonight.
************
You knew bringing your two year old son to work that night, was a bad idea. But what could you do ? You couldn’t miss work, you needed the money. And you were certainly not going to leave your son alone because no one was available.
So you brought him with you.
He fell asleep in the back room, in a little makeshift bed your coworkers made for him…They absolutely adored your boy. And you understood them. Maybe it’s because he felt how hard you had it, but (Son’s name) had always been a calm child. He didn’t cry often, he quickly slept through nights…A blessing, really, given how hectic your life was.
Your night job was in a bar. Your shift ran from 7pm to 3 am. Fortunately, the bar you were working in was a “nice one”. One of those “local street” bar with only people from the neighborhood. Hell, you even served coffee…Ah, but there were many insomniacs, down in Gotham City (you were sure it was fate too, which, years later, made it so that this place you used to work at became your son Tim’s favorite place to get late night coffees during his vigilante shifts).
It was late. It was raining. And you were finally going home, with your little sleeping buddy in your arms. The weather was good, when you left for work, so you did not have an umbrella. You were pretty much soaked. Which didn’t matter, as long as your baby was dry and warm, and safe. Wrapped in your coat against your chest, only his little face was peeking out. He was fast asleep, and the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen.
And you’ve never felt so scared of going home late at night than now.
When you were alone, it was ok. You knew Gotham. You knew the streets to take to get home quick, and to avoid trouble. Sure, you were mugged a few times, but it was never ever really bad because honestly, you didn’t have much to give. And most thugs being out that late were just that, street thugs who didn’t really look for huge trouble.
But right now, with your son in your arms ? You had a bad feeling.
A feeling creeping from your toes to your head. As if you were followed. As if something was lurking out there.
And…you were right. As you turned down a back alley where there usually were nobody, someone got in front of you. By instinct, you took a step back.
Damn. Now, he was going to know you were afraid.
************
The man came out of nowhere.
And instantly, all your sense were on high alert.
A group of thugs was less dangerous than a man lone, in Gotham.
Because someone deciding to attack on his own ? It was someone who didn’t have much to loose. Someone who wouldn’t be too happy with the barely twenty bucks in your wallet…
He stood right in your way, blocking it.
“Your wallet, lady. And that ring, too.”
No. Not the ring. It was the only thing you had left of your fiancé…And you did such a good job hiding it too. You had taken it off of your fingers a while ago, putting it around your neck keeping it safe against your heart.
But it seemed as if your son, as he fell asleep, took hold of it and was holding onto the necklace…
You did not want to give that man your ring. But with your baby in your arm, you weren’t about to risk it. The story of one of the most famous and powerful couple in town came back to your head, in that moment…If Thomas and Martha Wayne could get shot in the streets, just like that, then a nobody like you definitely could too.
“Ok. Just give me a second, ok ?”
This wasn’t good. The man looked nervous, looking all around. You knew what he was looking for. Or rather, who. His looks up and towards the darkest areas of the streets told you everything. And oh man, if only The Batman was around right now…
“Buddy, hey, you have to wake up.”
You didn’t want him to see this. You didn’t want him to live this. What, not even three years old and already his first time getting mugged ? This wasn’t right.
This wasn’t the life you wanted for him. He should’ve never been there. If only you had enough money to pay for a sitter…
He wakes up, and as usual, he’s an adorable little bundle right after sleep. He rarely cried, when you woke him up for whatever reason. Deep down, you think it’s because he’s already aware of the struggles you’re going through. You know it’s ridiculous, he’s just two. Yet it feels so many times he makes your life better…
“Mama.”
“Yes, yes don’t worry buddy. I’ll put you on the ground for a second, ok ?”
He nods and yawns sleepily. He didn’t notice the man in front of you, yet. Everything is alright. Everything is good. You’re handling this. You put him on the ground gently, as you need both your hands to reach for your wallet, which is hidden in an inner pocket of your jacket (can’t be too safe in Gotham).
He’s still wrapped in your coat, coat which drags on the floor as your son’s legs are just too short…
“Mama.”
Worry in his voice. Of course, he would notice the scary man in front of him. He hid behind your leg, holding your pant tightly, your coat slips off of him, and by instinct you try to put it back on him when-
“HURRY UP LADY !”
A gun. Was it there since the start ? You don’t know, but it’s there now. In his hand. Pointed at you.
This was bad. The man was too nervous, he could snap any seconds. You knew this, you’ve lived in those streets long enough to recognize desperate people. You raise your hands, and say :
“Ok here, here just take everything.”
You quickly take your wallet, and your ring from around your neck, and hand it to him.
“Empty your pocket, you must have more !”
“Sir, I’m sorry but I don’t, I-”
“DON’T LIE TO ME BITCH ! WHAT YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW YOU’RE HIDING SOMETHING ?”
He grabs you by the shirt, you hear your son scream, you don’t mean to but…you fight back. It’s a visceral reaction. You’re so scared for your son, as that gun faces downward towards him, that you fight back. You grab his arm and-
BANG.
That was a shot, right ? You looked down at your son, thanks god, he wasn’t touched. But he was looking at you with wide eyes. And you felt like you were slowly falling downward.
Oh. Oh you felt, a little light headed.
“Mama ?”
Why couldn’t you feel his hands anymore ? And why everything was so wet ? It takes you a few seconds to realize you fell on the floor.
“MAMA !!”
No. No. You can’t speak. You wish you could scream. You can’t leave him all alone against that man, you can’t let him get hurt. You try to move, but you can’t. Your can hear (Son’s name) crying now, and the man panicking and then-
SWOOSH.
Swoosh ? That was a weird sound.
You turn your head, and- oh. That’s him.
At least, your son will be safe. And that’s all that matters.
Honestly. What were the odds of him being around here, right now ? It’s almost as if fate brought him there, to save you. You feel your son’s little hands holding your jeans tight, crying, and you really want to stand up, take him in your arms and run, but your strengths are leaving you…
************
FUCK !! Will he ever be on time ?? First his parents, then Alfred, and now-
He did not know you. But he knew this situation all too well. This was probably the most triggered he’ve ever been.
Never again. He promised himself. Never again.
Your son’s cry almost gives him a panic attack. He almost freezes on the spot, seeing the scene unfolds in front of him. In just a few seconds everything goes to Hell, there’s a shot…
It wakes him up. It wakes Bruce up.
He has to act. This is why he became the Batman. This is why he became the Batman ! He jumps from the balcony he was standing on, and drops on the man heavily.
He sees you fall, and the little child (he’s not sure if it’s a boy or a girl, wrapped in that coat like that) shaking you.
And he sees red.
He barely stops himself before he kills that man with his violent punches. Never before has he felt so angry, and close to killing. It’s just-
He’ve seen all this before.
He had been that little boy, on his knees, shaking his parents for them to wake up.
“ ’ake up mama ! ‘Ake up !”
The man is taken care of quickly. His gun is utterly destroyed by Bruce, who makes sure it will never be able to shoot another bullet. And then he runs to you. Your eyes flutter, but do not open. It seems like you feel his presence because you whisper :
“My son…”
You were hurt. Badly. Yet your first thoughts were for your son.
A painful reminder to Bruce. He knew his parents’ last thoughts were for him, for his safety. He didn’t have a child, and to be honest, didn’t think he would ever have children (oh the irony) with the kind of life he was living. Yet he felt what you were feeling.
He remembered his mom’s terrified eyes as she took her last breath. His dad trying to say “Bruce” and “Martha”. The fact they were in this alley because of him…
It’s a love so deep you can’t seem to fully understand it up until you lose it.
And right now, Bruce wasn’t ready to let another child live through this. Especially not as young as that little one seemed to be.
The boy couldn’t stop crying, clinging to his mom and screaming in distress. The kind of cry where you can’t even breathe properly. He coughed, and started to hyperventilate, unable to process all those strong emotions…
He couldn’t be more than three years old. No kid should ever witness something like that.
Bruce was still holding your hand. Tightly. But he had to act. Fast.
Because right now, he knew your life was on the line. He could still feel your heartbeat. He would save you. He would ! Never again will he let a child witness their parents be murdered in front of him. At least, not in Gotham.
************
He had to take you out of this alley. Without thinking much about it, he took you in his arms…And your son hit him.
“Leave mama !”
Bruce realized that he probably didn’t even see him fight the man who shot his mom, and, ah, what a brave little boy. He was soaked to the bones, shivering in the cold night, and his mom just got hurt, and yet here he was, kicking probably the scariest man he ever saw.
There were very few instances, in which Bruce regretted he chose such an intimidating costume. But right now, faced with that little boy who was head bent on protecting his mother, he wished he chose something a little more colorful. He noticed the Spider-Man backpack the little one had…
“I’m going to help your mama, ok ? Help ?”
Your son was young, but not stupid. He didn’t seem to believe Bruce at first, which was understandable. But then Bruce took a lollipop from his utility belt (even now, years later, he still had candies in said utility belt…not many people knew Bruce had a sweet tooth, and then of course with the kids, it became a habit, oh how many times they emptied his “candy pocket” in one evening), and gave it to him.
Your kid was like most kids. If someone gave them candies ? It meant they were nice…He was still too young to understand this was actually something to be weary of. Fortunately, in this instance, it wasn’t.
Bruce took you in his arm, and got your son to jump on his back.
“Hold on.”
“Mm.” the little one nodded, and Bruce took off running. The Batmobile wasn’t far, and he had to hurry.
************
The people at the hospital weren’t shocked to have someone come in with a gunshot wound. To see the Batman though, with a kid holding onto his back ? That was new.
The police was called, and you were sent to the an emergency surgery. Your son whined a little, when you were taken away, calling you. But somehow, Bruce managed to calm him down.
Your son wasn’t “wild”. He trusted people easily. Too easily, in your opinion. You often worried about it. But right now ? It was a blessing, as he seemed to understand that the doctors where going to take care of his “mama”, and just sat there in silence, on The Batman’s lap.
That was quite an odd image.
************
The sun was rising, and Bruce wasn’t sure what to do.
He couldn’t leave him here, all alone. And the police still hadn’t shown up. And so he just sat there, in his Batman costume, in the hospital, with everyone staring at him.
He heard them whisper, and none of them even hid the fact they were talking about him and the child. It was uncomfortable. He hated when people looked at him. Even under the protection of his costume.
Ever since his parents passed away, he had a hard time standing people’s gaze on him. When they died, everyone kept looking at him. They whispered wherever he went. And they stared, stared and stared again.
He hated, when people looked at him like that.
Finally, Jim Gordon showed up, apologizing. Apparently, it been quite a night out there. Bruce knew. Before saving you, he already took care of quite a lot of affairs.
He didn’t even realized, but he didn’t feel any guilt about missing a few hours of the night patrolling. His entire mind was focused on that little boy in his lap, and his mother still in surgery.
His entire mind was plagued by a question : “what if you didn’t make it ?”. He didn’t think he could handle it. So, what if he skipped three hours of patrol ? This was important.
He told what happened to Gordon, and the detective nodded saying they found the man responsible for the shooting. He was also in this hospital, The Batman did not held his punches…
Jim then turned to the little boy in his arms. Your son didn’t fall back asleep (maybe it was the sugar in the candies Bruce kept giving him ?), and was looking at Gordon suspiciously.
He screamed his lung out when the detective tried to take him from Bruce’s arms, writhing and kicking and crying and yelling “no no no”, clinging to Bruce as if his life depended on it, and the Batman didn’t have the heart to let the little one go. He was reminisced of himself, years ago, refusing to let go of Alfred for hours on end after he came back from the police station and the butler came to fetch him…How could he let go ?
He couldn’t. And so he stayed, and held onto that young child who wasn’t an orphan yet, but could very well be at any instant, if you didn’t make it…
************
His clothes were soaked, poor little thing. And he was shaking a little bit. Naturally, Bruce just wrapped him in his cape. Glad he put some “thermopads” in them (thanks to Alfred really, who was starting to be tired of treating his cold when he spend nights out and it was cold. He just had to wrap himself in his cape and…done).
Gordon was looking at the two of them, probably wondering how the Hell did the Batman got himself in that situation. They had lived a lot of things together, over the past two years, but never this.
“What’s your name ?” the detective asked, and the boy just hid in Batman’s cape, peeking out of it sometimes to see if he was still looking at him, and then hiding again.
“You’re scaring him.” Bruce says.
The irony of the matter didn’t escape any of them. What, Jim Gordon, probably one of the only honest policeman in Gotham, scared that little boy, and a man wearing a bat costume and being purposefully intimidating didn’t ?
There was comedy, in this.
Bruce pulled his cape a little, looked at the boy and asked :
“What’s your name?”
The little boy looked at him for a few seconds, and Bruce wondered if he understood. How old was that kid ? Two or three ? Didn’t children speak already at that time ? Man he wished he could call Alfred right now.
Finally, your son, after pondering whether that weird man wearing a bat costume was trustworthy (because yes; he did understand the question), said :
“(Son’s name)"
Bruce’s first thought was that that name fit him. And his second thought was that his voice was adorable. When was the last time he thought this kind of thing ? He realized, never. Interaction with kids weren’t really his forte. They either quivered in fear, or asked too many question.
But here he was.
That little kid, just looking at him curiously, calm and…collected ? At least for a child that young, who was in a stranger’s arm, and who’s mom was nowhere to be seen. Bruce wondered if that little one understood what was going on…
No. No your son wasn’t really sure of what was happening. But there was one thing he knew, and that Bruce couldn’t know.
Bruce couldn’t know what was going on in that little head of his. Your son was only two, almost three. But he understood that Bruce did a good thing for him and you. He understood that this man saved his mama. Kids in Gotham grew up faster than anywhere else, because of the violence they always witnessed. So someone fighting "the bad guys” ? Instant trust.
“Your name ?”
He asked, and Bruce answered :
“V-Batman.”
Your son smiled widely, making everyone’s heart melt, and repeated :
“Man-Man !”
“No no. Bat-man.”
Unable to hear where he pronounced it wrong, the boy repeated :
“…Man-Man !”
“Bat, repeat after me. Baaat.”
“Baaat.”
“Man.”
“Man !”
“Batman.”
“Man-Man !”
Bruce heard himself chuckle. Wh-What ? When was the last time he laughed ?
He couldn’t even remember.
************
Time went by so slowly. And there was still no news about your condition.
Bruce was still waiting, still in his Batman costume. (Son’s name) was finally fast asleep, clutching one of his finger tight. It was…adorable. Bruce couldn’t describe the feeling he felt, holding this child, wrapped in his cape, holding his finger.
It was an odd feeling.
Finally, news arrived. Good news.
You were in an artificial coma right now, but they said you were out of danger. You just needed a lot of rest, and to stay in the hospital for a while.
The “problem” of your son came quickly. The hospital said that the little boy would be able to stay with you, but only in a few days, once you’d leave intensive care. Someone to take care of him had to be found.
“What is going to happen to him ?”
He asked to Jim Gordon, as your son was still asleep in his arms.
“Well, social services will probably-”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no ?”
“He’s going to be scared. I know how social services work, they tried to take me away from-”
Wow. Two years of making sure Bruce Wayne couldn’t be assimilated to Batman, and he almost said : “they tried to take me away from Alfred once”. Wow. He knew his emotions were in shambles. This case really was too close from home.
If Jim Gordon noticed anything, he didn’t say it. He just continued :
“It’s our only option. Unless someone is willing to take him in. I would gladly do so, but it’d unfortunately be a conflict of interest as I’m assigned to his case. And there’s procedures, the person would have to prove they’re fit to take care of him.”
“Anyone could take better care of him than social services…”
“Maybe, but it’s the only option we have right now. You’re going to have to leave him.”
Leave him ? No…
Bruce didn’t dare to even speak to the mayor’s son when he had the occasion to. So now…It felt personal.
This all thing.
It felt like he had to act.
Batman left, leaving the sleeping boy in the care of Jim Gordon. But Bruce Wayne ?
************
Alfred was still in the hospital, and it ended up being a blessing. Another thing that makes you strongly believe all of that happened for a reason, that it was destiny that brought you all together.
Because Alfred still being bedridden in that same hospital Bruce took you to ? It meant that Bruce Wayne had a reason to be there.
And that’s how he made an appearance as his “real” self, and oh, what a coincidence, encountered the social workers who were currently taking care of (son’s name).
The poor little fella seemed greatly distressed. The only person he gave his trust to, the Batman, left while he was sleeping, and he woke up surrounded by people who asked him too many questions.
The social workers didn’t ask Bruce many questions. They knew who he was. They were surprisingly easy to convince (the truth was, they wanted to end this as quickly as possible, and move on, and honesty, who would blame them to give responsibilities to a literal billionaire ? He could always just hire people to take care of him).
In just a few minutes, (son’s name) was in Bruce Wayne’s custody for the next few days. Oddly enough, the little boy didn’t fuss when Bruce took him in his arms, and Bruce had a suspicion that the kid recognized him.
But it wasn’t possible, right ? He was only two, how could he recognize him when he was masked, changed his voice etc ?
Your son didn’t recognize him. But he felt oddly at ease, in his arms. Reminded of another person’s arm, the man who saved you…So he went with it. He’ve always been a sweet and calm child.
************
“Alfred.”
“Yes my boy ?”
“Where are um-…Where are my kid’s clothes ?”
“Your what now ?”
“You know, the clothes I used to wear as a kid. I know you didn’t throw them away. Where did you put them ?”
There was a silence. Before Alfred finally said :
“Why on Earth would you need children’s clothes ?”
There was worries in the butler’s voice, and for reasons. What was his young master’s latest fad now ??
“There’s this boy. Um. His mother. She got shot.”
Oh. Oooh. Oooooh. Wait, what ?
“A…boy ?”
“Yes. I said I would take care of him for a few days.”
Another silence. If Alfred wasn’t still badly injured, he would’ve stand up and shake his master.
“I’m sorry, are you out of your mind ?? You ? With a child ? All alone ??”
As far as he could remember, Bruce hadn’t seen Alfred freak out as much as right now.
“I couldn’t leave him Alfred. I couldn’t.”
Pinching his nose (a gesture that Bruce will mimic a lot in the future, whenever his children would do something that genuinely would give him headaches), Alfred sighed and said :
“Where is he ?”
“Waiting with the nurses.”
“Well bring him in.”
Bruce went to fetch (son’s name). As if it was the most natural thing in the world, the little boy climbed on Alfred’s bed (with a little help from Bruce) and sat there, calmly.
He exchanged a look with Alfred, and something in the butler’s face made him smile and say :
“Hewwoooo.”
“Well hello there young man.”
“You have booboo ?”
“Yes. Yes I do.”
“Mama do too.”
“Your mama is hurt ?”
The boy nods, and then say : “But ish okay.”
“It is ?”
He nods again, and adds : “Man-Man save her.”
Alfred turns to Bruce, who shrugs and aaah. Of course. “Man-Man”. Everything made sense, now. Why did his master want to take care of this child.
Of course.
************
The least that we can say, is that things definitely got out of hand a lot of time. Bruce had never taken care of a child (crazy that people thought, just because he was extremely rich, he was fit to take care of him). He called Alfred one too many time.
The poor butler, stuck in his hospital bed, was literally pulling his hair because of the worry (an explanation to his premature baldness ?).
“What do you mean you gave him ice cream for dinner ?? That is not appropriate Master Bruce !”
“He’s two years old, of course he has to go to bed before midnight !”
“*sighs* Can you repeat please ? You let him do what with our highly priced and precious collection of Fabergé eggs ?”
“Master Bruce, please, by real food and stop giving him candy. This is why he doesn’t want to take a nap, he’s high on sugar.”
“He does need to wear pants, yes.”
“Master Bruce, with all due respect, that “wallpaper” was a five hundred years old tapisserie from England, and yes I’m a little mad you let him paint on it. It was a relic from the Queen herself that she gifted to your grandfather !”
“NO A CHILD DOES NOT NEED A MILLION DOLLAR WHAT WOULD HE DO WITH IT ANYWAY ??”
Bruce had people babysit him at night, pretending he had “things to do” and honestly ? Nobody questioned it. Everyone knew Bruce Wayne was a little odd. He even heard one of the caretaker whispering something about him being the master of a “sex dungeon”…Good, people were miles away from suspecting he was the Batman.
Having that many people home though made him uncomfortable. It was a painful reminder of when his house was full of help, during his parents’ time, and how so many of them tried to sell pictures of a crying Bruce right after their death…Alfred fired all of them.
But he couldn’t leave (son’s name) alone at night. However, one evening, as it was time for (son’s name) to go to bed, Bruce heard him whimper. It wasn’t a full on cry, just a sob, barely noticeable.
“Mama…”
He was calling for you. And Bruce didn’t have the heart to leave him alone. For the first time in two years, he took a night off. The Batsignal wasn’t shining anyway. And he stayed with that lost little boy, who was calling for his mom and who reminded him of himself…He was such a brave child.
Bruce never thought he would one day console a crying kid. Hold him in his arm until he was asleep. Stay to make sure he was ok. He felt…Was this how Alfred feel when he stayed entire nights in Bruce’s room to wake him up if he had a nightmare ?
*************
(Son’s name) only stayed with Bruce for three days, but it meant something for him. Never before had an experience change him so much…Well, if you don’t talk about his parents dying right in front of his eyes of course (yes, I think I’m funny).
The boy was curious, eager to learn, sweet, a little stubborn, and he did have one massive tantrum (over the silliest of things : he really didn’t want to wear pants and only hang out in his PJ) but just like any kid, really ?
Bruce was really impressed by how your son handled this entire situation. Being thrown into a stranger’s house, surrounded by strange things…Of course, being so young, your son didn’t always realize what was going on. And thanks god children don’t really have any notion of time, because he always would be satisfy with “tomorrow” as an answer to him asking “when will I see mama ?”.
************
You woke up in a panic. But were quickly reassured that your son was alright, and taken care of. By instinct, you went for the ring around your neck, forgetting that you had given it to the ma- No. It was there.
Who put it back around your neck ? The Batman ?
It didn’t sound like something he’d do, right ? Yet…The ring was back around your neck. And someone put it there. Nobody else but the Batman and your son were in the alley that night. So…
You had to remember to thank that Batman one day, if you ever saw him again.
************
Four days later, you were able to receive visitations. And of course, the first person was your son. And…Bruce Wayne ??
Nobody even told you HE was the one taking care of your child. What the fuck. This was..unexpected. How did that even happen ?? You would only truly understand that years later, when you’ll find out he’s The Batman. For now, it was really strange, and nobody seemed to really know how and why Bruce Wayne was here.
To be fair, everyone assumed it was all a coincidence. That Bruce came to see Alfred, and heard the story of that little boy, that reminded him of his own story and…it made sense for everyone. And it was partly the truth. Yes; the entire thing was close from home for him.
And it did make sense he would decide to help a boy going through the same kind of experience he did (except, thanks the gods, you survived).
First thing first, you hugged your boy. Tightly. And then… :
“What the hell are you wearing ?” you said, as you looked him up and down. Was that a..SUIT ?!
“Um, sorry. I didn’t have much clothes left from where I was a child. Only…tuxedos and polos, apparently.”
You were feeling much better now, after a few days of rest. Turned out, the shot you received went right through you, and didn’t touch any important organs. How lucky.
And here your son was. With Bruce Wayne. Wearing a “tuxedo for children”. This was all too much. Too strange. You burst out in laughter, unable to stop yourself even though each laugh hurt.
Your son quickly followed, with his cute little laugh. Him too, was unable to stop.
And before he realized it, Bruce too, was laughing. Like he hadn’t in years. The nurses even had to come in and tell you to keep it down because all three of you couldn’t stop laughing…which only enhanced your laughter.
It took you ages to finally stop.
************
Fate. Fate reunited the three of you together. You were sure of it. How else could you explain what happened next ?
************
After Bruce left the hospital, saying his “good byes” to (son’s name) (who cried, and it was heart wrenching), Bruce felt oddly empty. Like he was making a mistake, leaving you two behind without another word. It’s as if destiny was telling him to go back. To ask for your number. To come back later to ask for news. But to not just turn the page on this chapter.
He should move on. He saved you. Made sure your son still had his mom. His mission was over, his goal to never let happen what happened to him again was over. Yet he felt like he had to go see you again. Like if he didn’t, he would forever regret it…
Why couldn’t he take you out of his mind ? And (son’s name) ? Why ?
And you ? Why couldn’t you stop thinking about this Bruce Wayne guy ? You didn’t even know him, yet it felt like you did. Things clicked between you, you felt it. And even better, things clicked between him and your son. Clearly, those two were meant to get along.
************
It took a long time, before you and Bruce started to date.
You still had some healing to do. Both physical and mental. And he still had a lot of issues to resolve. Ah, that could be a story in its own, really, how you came to finally be together (A/N : yes you guessed it, I’mma write it…this one was just getting too long to put it here haha).
Funny enough, it’s your son, who opened his heart to Bruce first. You don’t know what happened between the two, but obviously, the few days they spend together had straighten a bond that will never break.
Bruce already felt, deep in his heart, that (Son’s name) changed him, that now, nothing could ever be the same. And he kept coming to check in on you, and on (son’s name).
As Batman, he reopened the case of your fiancé’s death, finding out the truth (spoiler alert : it was not an accident). Working with Jim Gordon, he discovered that many people who worked on the “Below 44″, such as your fiancé, mysteriously died of “work accident” during the years of its building, and they uncovered a large conspiracy. But more importantly, they gave justice to your fiancé, at long last. And by doing that, finally gave you closure.
Closure that allowed you to truly move forward.
Forward…To him. With him.
************
The rest was history.
Bruce wooed you (and it was the most awkward thing you’ve ever seen, you couldn’t believe that later on, before your relationship would go public, he had the guts to take a “playboy” persona given how bad at flirting he truly was).
It took some times, but he managed to finally have what he truly wanted, for the first time in years. You. And by extension, your son.
His son.
************
It’s crazy, to think about. Years passed, but the feelings were still as strong. You loved that man. You loved your children, of course.
Ah. Children.
(Son’s name), of course. Who grew up to be such a good man, and oh how different his life would’ve been if Bruce hadn’t been there that night ? The man he quickly started to call “dad” definitely saved him too, that fateful evening. Your early years of dating, when he was still a toddler, were quite something.
Dick came in quickly after Bruce and you officially got together. Barely a few years older than (Son’s name), he fit right in. He had always wanted to be a big brother, and (Son’s name) ? All he knew was that now, he had a partner in crime. And that was great. They bond was instantly strong.
Then Jason followed. Lost little street kid who reminded you of yourself at his age. So eager to please, and to have a family. He would never admit it, but he still loved it when you and (son’s name) especially treated him like the baby of the family, even if he technically wasn’t.
Tim. Too smart for his own good. Made (Son’s name) loudly say : “What the fuck ? Alfreeeeed !”. You all instantly felt very protective over that little boy who was definitely way too clever. And what a surprise to him, to finally be at the center of everyone’s attention. To find his place in a family…
Cassandra. Your only daughter. Adored by her brothers, by her dad, and of course, by you. Suffered so much, and yet the kindest young woman you’ve ever met.
Damian. What a shock, when he came in your life and you all learned of his existence. He was conceived before you met Bruce, and raised by the League for ten years…It was difficult, at first. But none of you would give up on him. Never. Ah, the change in his behavior could be a story of its own (wink wink).
And finally, recently, Duke joined your family. It was now time to make sure him too, would feel at home.
Yes. One can wonder what would’ve happened if Bruce didn’t came across your path, and saved you.
Well I hope you liked this ! I think I might write other fics there and there about how Bruce wooed reader specifically, and just use more of that little toddler in other stories about this alternative Batfamily (AU from my own timeline at least). Comments and reblogs are always welcomed of course :) And motivating and all, ya know the drill. Thank you <3.
Synopsis : Tonight is the night. Tonight, you’re finally too tired to continue, it’s enough. Your decision is made. This is the end. Finally. Except, your path crosses The Batman’s, and he’s not about to give up on you. He won’t ever give up again. Can he really save you, though ?
TW : Suicidal thoughts. Spoilers for the movie (about Bruce’s character development, but no major plot points or events).
************
Bruce, atop one of his favorite building (Old Wayne Tower had always fascinated him, even as a child), was perusing Gotham city.
His city.
And, he realized, he did not feel the usual rage inside him, that overwhelmed him whenever he looked at those streets.
Those streets which took his parents away from him.
How novel, to not feel this resentment.
To look at what he once only saw as grim, and a way to avenge his parents mindless murder, in a new light.
To look at those streets…
Those streets which took too many parents away from their children. Too many children from their parents. Too many brothers, sisters, lovers, friends…
Yet. Yet here he was. Looking down there, with a new sense of purpose. Without this need for vengeance. This pure hatred and grief turned into violence, that was all too familiar…was gone.
It was both odd and amazing. It was both exhilarating and a little scary. Because, being “Vengeance” was easy. He could just pounce on villains, and use his brain to foil their plans. Destroy. Hurt. Ravage. Easy.
But being a sigil of hope ? It colored everything in a new way. It meant he had to be more careful, to be the one who will give Gotham City’s inhabitants a new ray of sunshine. Difficult, when you were a night vigilante.
Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. To think he realized, after two years “on the job”, what he really stood for, was still a little strange.
Yet it happened. Finally, some might say (some being mainly a certain Alfred Pennyworth). And although the pain inside his heart would never truly go away entirely, it wasn’t a source of vengeance anymore, but of hope. And love.
Because in the end, what drove him to become the Batman ? Was it the need to avenge, or the love for his parents which turned into pure hatred for crime ? A love so strong that once it was torn apart by their death, it was also distorted into something dark and unbearable.
Yes. It was love which drove his every decisions. Love for his mother and father, for Alfred, for his city and its inhabitants. (And maybe a little love for punching those who deserved in in the face, without fear of repercussion).
Another chuckle. What would the Bruce from two years ago think ? And the one from over a decade ago ? Ah, but those Bruces were ones that were still stuck in the “anger” phase of grief. And the Bruce from now ?
Acceptance.
Acceptance to be more than his pain. Acceptance to be a beacon of hope. To be more than that kid who witnessed his parents’ murder. Acceptance to be truly and fully, The Batman, the one that city deserved and needed.
The pain of his loss would never truly go away, but now…Now there was a silver lining amongst the clouds.
And he felt -no- he knew there was a future, after all. One not constantly dimmed by an endless amount of hurt.
Maybe it was fate, that just as he truly processed all of that, as he realized there was always hope even amongst endless nights, that he met you.
Someone who looked utterly lost, and all alone in the world.
Someone who had the same inkling of pain and despair in their eyes, the one Bruce could recognize anywhere because he saw it every day for the past fifteen years every time he looked at himself in the mirror.
Someone standing way too close from that building’s edge…
************
Climbing on the little wall “securing” the rooftop was easier than you thought.
What if it was too high ? What if you couldn’t lift yourself up ?
You told yourself that if it was the case, then it was a sign that you shouldn’t do it. That you shouldn’t jump. It was always like that right ? If everything wasn’t perfectly aligned, then you wouldn’t do it.
This wasn’t the first time your suicidal thoughts overtook your entire being.
The first time it felt like nothing mattered anymore, not even you. The first time you felt like a burden pulling everyone down with you, and honestly, wouldn’t they be better without you ?
This wasn’t the first time that you felt dead inside, like you’re just a ghost living in a body you don’t recognize. When look in the mirror, you see a stranger. A pale, tired, miserable stranger that kind of looks like you.
This wasn’t the first time.
What once made you happy is now tedious, and what once made you just a little bummed out makes you want to die.
You scrolled through your phone contacts that night, as this moment of deepest need started to rise. But you were sure that there wasn’t a single person who would help you without resenting you. Have you been lying to yourself all along about how much you matter ? Yes. Yes you have, haven’t you ?
Everything was so dark and hopeless. And you get that all too familiar tunnel vision surrounded by pain and the only way out is to end it all. The numbness is so deep and excruciating it overwhelms and drains everything out of you. Words can’t even describe how lonely and terrifying this is.
You’re tired.
This isn’t the first time. And you’re so tired.
When will this end ?
It’s as if you don’t even exist. You feel useless, worthless, unworthy and like you’re a burden. It’s like an elephant is sitting on you, holding you down and keeping you from living (but also keeping you from dying ?). It’s as if you watch, lifeless and numb, as everyone carries around unaware you even exist, unaware of your constant fight inside, unaware…
You did try to talk about it.
A few times.
To friends. Or, at least, people you thought were friends. Because when you started to finally talk about your never-ending suicidal ideas, they shrugged it off as you being too stress. Or said things like : “you need to seek professional help” and HOW ?!
Your health insurance wasn’t covering therapy sessions. You barely scraped by, like many in Gotham City…how could you afford professional help ? You knew they were right. You did need to see a therapist. But you also all knew that their suggestion was unfortunately impossible.
Because you didn’t have the money. Because this was “the American dream”, and you didn’t even have time to do any self-care. When you weren’t working, you were sleeping. And vice-versa. Or quite literally, you would end up not even being able to pay to survive (and was it so bad ?).
And so here you are. All alone again. And you feel like you’re drowning in the middle of the ocean, and Death is a floating raft. All you can do is to keep wading until you completely exhaust yourself, or finally climb aboard it…
Nobody could help. Nobody would help anyway.
You were sure of it.
Because you already tried to talk, and the answers were all the same. Friends ended up drifting away from you. Couldn’t blame them. After all, who would want to be around someone who could sometimes just be a total buzzkill, and rant too much about how they felt everything was wrong ?
When you so often felt suicidal, rejection from others was normal, you thought.
Others too, had to take care of their own mental health. Being around you was a curse. That’s how it felt. Talking to you drained people. And your countless call for help ended up isolating you even more.
Why ? Did they not understand ? Was it too much for them ? Was helping someone like you…just impossible ? An unbearable burden ?
Yes. Yes. That was it.
And this was it.
The wall was easy to climb. You didn’t meet anybody on your way up to the rooftop, and there was not a soul around to even try to stop you. Everything was aligned, that night.
And here you were, on the edge of the building.
And strangely, you weren’t scared. There was even a sense of peace. Because it was all going to be over soon. This endless pain. It was going to be gone. You just needed to take one small step forward.
And you did. Closing your eyes, and feeling both relieved this was going to end soon, and scared of what was going to happen afterward.
It was too late to think about it. Because you took that step. And you started falling. And-
Stopped.
Right in your tracks.
A hand took hold of your arm, just as you were falling. You turn around and…
************
That, you didn’t expect.
You were ready. Everything was aligned. And then-
A hand. A strong one at that. Pulling you away back on the edge.
And then arms wrapping around you, to make sure you’re not going to resist and try to jump again.
You’re too surprised to resist. You turn your head, and…
Batman ?
THE Batman ?
What the fuck.
************
“Um. Can you let go ?”
“Can I ?”
“I’m not going to jump.”
“Promise ?”
“What the- Are you a child ?”
“I’m sorry. I cannot let you go if you do not promise.”
“What even makes you think I will keep my promise ?”
“A feeling.”
A feeling that is right. You hate people who break their promises. Maybe because too many people broke theirs to you ?
You nod. When he doesn’t make a move to let you go, you groan and say out loud :
“Yeah yeah. I promise.”
“Alright.”
He releases you, and doesn’t take you away from the edge. Why ? You’re not sure. Maybe because he knows he can just stop you again if he has to ? You can see a grappling hook, on that belt.
Not like you were going to jump anyway. You promised. You weren’t going to. At least, not right now.
There’s an awkward silence. What is going to happen now ? You’re not sure how long this goes on, this weird staring at each other.
You look at him, he looks at you. Neither moving. Neither speaking.
Too awkward. You have to say something. And so you do :
“Um, are you just going to stand there ?”
“Until I’m sure you’re safe, yes.”
“Don’t you have people who actually wants to be saved to, you know, save ?”
“I cannot leave until I’m sure you’re safe.”
A dry chuckle escapes you. One full of sarcasm, which he clearly understands. You’re sure he’ll eventually leave. Once that bat signal turns on, he’ll leave.
Everyone leaves eventually.
And then everything will be aligned again, for you to do what you came here to do. Because what if he stopped you ? He couldn’t change what was in your heart. Nobody could. And you just wanted the pain to stop.
Death was the only hope.
Ah. Funny. “Hope”. Because what was going to happen next, revolved entirely around hope, right ?
************
He stayed. What else could he do ?
Early in the morning, he had a few meetings at Wayne Enterprises (he only just recently decided to fully commit to his job there). And now, there was maybe other people to help. But he couldn’t leave you.
What could he do, but stay ?
He knew that force wouldn’t work. That if he, let’s say, put you in a cell for the night so that you had no mean to kill yourself, it would make things worst. Once upon a time, to be fair, he probably would’ve done that. Put you somewhere he was sure you couldn’t harm yourself, maybe tie you up or something, and leave to go beat up criminals who needed a beating.
But that was him before. And he couldn’t leave. The bat signal wasn’t on anyway. No emergencies. Except for this one, right in front of him.
Except for you, eyes devoid of hope and looking lost.
A kind of “lost” he understood oh too well.
When he was younger, he had felt so desperate that he wanted to die. Just for the pain to stop. And if Alfred hadn’t been there, he’s pretty sure he would’ve tried to end it all at one point.
But during that time, Alfred was annoyingly (but fortunately) always there. He never let his dear “Master Bruce” out of his sight for too long, because he knew how the boy felt.
At the time, Bruce didn’t believe him. But Alfred knew. Bruce just didn’t care enough yet to ask about the majordomo’s past life, before he became the faithful Wayne family’s butler…But that was another story.
Long story short, Alfred understood. And so he made sure to be the boy’s shadow for years (and even Bruce never realized how much that was true). Up until Bruce’s despair turned into the need for vengeance, and he left to train, coming back years later with this “Batman” idea…
Although he didn’t have those thoughts anymore, Bruce knew how it felt. Knew how it was, to be overwhelmed by this sense of isolation. Like nobody understands, and you don’t want to bother them anyway.
He felt this before. When the pain inside you has so far exceeded your threshold, that your only option left is to give up, or give into it (which he did, as he turned to violence for an ounce of relief). It’s like you keep trying to swim back ashore, but isn’t getting anywhere closer, and you’re just slowly wearing out as if caught in a riptide, drifting further and further. Screaming at people on the shore, but they can’t hear you. After a while, you feel like the world and everyone in it will be better off without you.
Bruce told Alfred, once. When he was ten. He told him that he probably would feel better without him. That he was a burden and stopped him from living his life properly. Alfred, in that moment, did something he still regrets up until now, but that shook Bruce to the core.
He slapped him. He slapped him and said : “never say that again, a world without you in it, Master Bruce, would not be worth living for.”
Did the Alfred think like him, then ? Without his parents, it didn’t feel like he should go on. Only ten, too smart for his own good already, and matured too fast. It stuck with him though. This slap. And Alfred’s words.
A lot of time, he genuinely thinks it’s because he kept thinking of the man who became his father figure, that he didn’t end it all. And because he turned his grief and despair into hate, which wasn’t the solution either.
Yes. Bruce knows. He knows what it is to be at the end of the line.
So he stays. Right there. Next to you.
There’s a silence. A long one. And he just stays.
He doesn’t guilt trip you for your thoughts and behavior, he doesn’t try to argue with you about the morality (or immorality ?) of suicide. He doesn’t do what so many people did before him.
You don’t feel ashamed, somehow.
So many people belittled you, although not on purpose, for feeling the way you felt. And he doesn’t. Even as you thought this was exactly the kind of man to do that.
He doesn’t. And he’s here. He stays.
Naturally, you both sit down on that dangerous edge. You don’t think about jumping though, too taken aback by this man sitting next to you.
“Do you want to talk ? It’s ok if you don’t.”
For so long, ever since you were rejected by a few friends when you talked about it, you found yourself unable to tell anyone your true feelings. You were unsure how to speak about it. Concerned they wouldn’t understand. Fearful of being judged and shunned. Worried you’d upset them.
But here is that man, dressed as a bat, who’s pastime you knew was to beat up criminals…sitting there. Asking you if you wanted to talk to him. And telling you it was ok if you didn’t.
And you found yourself beginning to talk.
About how you were born in Gotham’s slums, and you knew nothing else. How you thought it was normal, to constantly be abused because that was the only life you knew. How you first broke down, and nobody was there to help.
You tell him about things he already knows. He’s aware how tough life in Gotham can be, and how it affects people’s mental health. Gotham had one of the highest suicide rate in the country…
He tells you you’re not weaker than some people. He tells you resilience isn’t always a quality. That everyone breaks, at some point. And that reaching for help is ok. That it’s hard, even. That it took him a long time to understand that.
And your suspicions are confirmed. He also went through what you’re going through.
And you continue. You talk. And talk. And talk. And he listens. Truly listens.
“This city took everything from me.” You say. And he answers :
“I know.”
That’s when the tears start. And don’t stop for a long time. You barely notice an arm around your shoulder, making you feel oddly safe.
And you cry. God. You needed that.
He doesn’t tell you your feelings are wrong. He doesn’t tell you “you don’t have good enough reasons to feel depressed, and lost, and alone, and pain”. He doesn’t tell you you have to change. He doesn’t judge you.
It’s not your fault you have those thoughts. It’s not. And by not making you feel small because you hurt (sometimes without knowing the reason why), he already helps. It’s ok. It’s ok. Your feelings are valid.
They are valid.
The sun comes up. And he’s still here.
“You’re really not going ?”
“I’m really not going.”
“Won’t people be suspicious if you’re not around today ? In your real life, I mean ?”
“I doubt that. So, I’ll stay. Just for a little longer. Okay ?”
Silence again. Up until you turn your head to look at the horizon, and answer :
“Okay.”
************
All it took was someone reaching out. All it took was finally truly saying “yes” to this help.
“I was blinded by my emotions. I couldn’t see past those hopeless feelings. Now, things are clearer to me. Suicidal thoughts aren’t permanent, things do improve. You can find your motivation to live again. Please, reach for help.”
Bruce was so proud. You went such a long way, since he met you that fateful night. Things weren’t always easy. Hell no, quite the contrary.
There were times he was sure he was going to lose you, if he only closed his eyes for once second. That you were going to make that jump…
He never left though. No matter how hard things were. Because he promised himself he would never again let despair overtake him, and because you were too good a soul for him to not try everything possible to keep you away from that dark pit.
After that day and night, when he stayed with you up until you promised you would stay safe, he kept on checking on you.
Every single day. No matter how little time he had. He came by, even if for just a few minutes. And he was the first step to you recovering from your suicidal thoughts.
“Build your support network”, was one of the first advice your therapist gave you (therapist you were able to see thanks to an “anonymous benefactor”, not suspicious at all…As if you didn’t immediately guess it was him). A precious advice. Because it truly was primordial. Up until then, you realized you just weren’t around people who were good for you. The toxic environment didn’t help your thoughts, and it wasn’t normal that some people made you feel worthless and as if it was your fault you weren’t feeling well.
Surrounding yourself with positive influences and people who made you feel good about yourself was the key. And who else but him, made you feel the best ? You would’ve never thought that The Batman was so funny, and witty. You always had that image of him being super scary (which is the feeling he wanted to instill), but he wasn’t. He could even be really sweet (he did came by EVERY SINGLE DAY).
The more you invested yourself in other people, in your community, the more you realized you had to lose. Which helped you ground yourself in reality. Because yes, now, you did have things and people to lose. And it helped you stay positive and onto recovery.
Because he was around so much, it became easy for you to guess who he really was. You could see “Bruce Wayne” getting more and more invested in bettering Gotham…how could you not recognize that jawline ?
You waited for him to tell you first though. Which he did. And that was another thing : trust.
Trust in others. Recovered. Thanks to him (and to him, thanks to you).
He did tell you. One day when he wasn’t feeling well, and needed your support. This is why you work so well together. When one falls, the other one is always there to catch them.
You helped each other to identify your “triggers”, and other situations that lead to feelings of despair. The anniversary of his parents’ loss, your first mental breakdown, sounds that were too loud, drugs…You made a list. And made sure you would be careful, not getting upset at others if they triggered you. Because how could they know ? You were responsible for your triggers.
But you two ? You knew the other one’s weaknesses. You knew what could send them over the edge. So when a situation arose, you were always saving each other.
You also developed “self-care days”, or moments, if you didn’t have much time. Ate right, never skipped a meal (Alfred made sure of that), and got enough sleep (not “plenty” unfortunately…but enough). Exercised a lot too, which released the right amount of endorphins…Not like Bruce didn’t exercise before. Maybe doing it with you now, did help ?
Somewhere along the way, your relationship naturally bloomed into love. A kind of love you never felt before. A kind of love worth living for.
“Life is worth it, and I’ll prove it” he once told you, near the beginning of it all. You were skeptical, and told him “sure”, rolling your eyes. But he did.
He did prove it to you. Every single day. Even before you fell for him, and he for you. He showed you the things worth living for.
Helping others, making the suffering of people smaller, a simple smile could brighten someone’s day. As The Batman, he often encountered situations that were desperate, and he couldn’t always save everyone…
But hope never died. That’s something he showed you. Every day.
One, two, three…one hundred, two hundred, three hundred…The number of days he kept trying increased. Love slowly build itself.
A love worth living for.
And there were so much more, worth living for.
You developed new interests. Being with Bruce gave you the opportunity to volunteer a lot, and your life took a new sense of meaning and purpose when you were finally able to build foundation for others. Such as the one you created now, to help those in need who struggle with mental illnesses. And hey, when you’re doing something fulfilling, you always feel better about yourself.
Yes. You both help one another tremendously. Although you will always felt he helped you more, and he was the reason you slowly found a new taste for life. All it took, was the impulse he gave you.
His endless pain turned into endless hope. Given to you.
“I know the fear of loss because of you” you once told him, and this was a good thing, although it sounded like it wasn’t. Because being afraid of losing what you loved, or thinking of him once again losing someone he loved…
“Life is worth it, I’ll show you.”
He did. He did show you.
You couldn’t help but think there was a little “luck” factor, that you saw as destiny. Fate. You met the right person, at the right moment. Every rejection you went through, every toxic relationship, lead you there.
On that rooftop, on that night.
You met the right person, at the right moment.
You both did.
You, because you were saved (although this didn’t came with a snap of the fingers, you actually WORKED hard on yourself to finally feel a little better…The support did help).
Him, because it was right at a moment he needed to know there really was hope. And convincing you to not jump, that day, was just that.
Pure hope.
Which fructified.
Because look where you both were, now.
You, talking about the important issue of mental illnesses, and opening your first very own organizations to help those who need help but cannot afford it.
And him, still being The Batman, but one who achieved and found his purpose.
Both of you, becoming beacons of hope in a city that desperately needed it, and that was slowly rediscovering the sunshine.
_________________________________________________
This story is very personal and close to my heart. I poured all my feelings into it. This is a therapeutic story, to close a really bad chapter in my life. I’m doing great now so please don’t worry, but felt like I needed to write this. I hope you liked it. And a few more words :
If you feel suicidal, please call your countries’ lifeline (it does help). Or talk. To anyone. Do not stay alone. The hardest step is to reach out, and I know it’s hard, especially since there WILL be people who reject you for how you feel. My DMs are always open, if you need to talk. And unlike many, I really mean it. I went through this, and am one who luckily survived. Writing this story was like purging myself from the “experience” (my English is lacking to find the right word), and I know how it feels to be fully consumed by those thoughts. Reach out. Please. This is your sign to not give up just yet.
Synopsis : “(Y/N) Wayne, Gotham’s biggest drug lord ? What will her husband, who works closely with Batman, think ?” said the headline in today’s paper. And you’re not sure if you should be fuming, or bursting out laughing. Oh, oh mother of all misunderstanding. It definitely doesn’t help, that your children think this situation hilarious.
As usual comments and reblog are very welcomed, and I hope you like this little story ! :) :
You could see him, there, out the corner of your eye, that infamous smug look on his face. And you were currently trying to ignore him, drinking your coffee and pretending to read a book.
Infuriating. The boy was infuriating.
And he knew it.
Dick smirked, knowing indeed full well that you weren’t able to completely ignore him and how he kept staring at you, clearly waiting for you to ask him what was going on.
But you refused. Stubborn.
You were not going to play this game. Not today. You woke up on the wrong side of the bed, had a tough day at work waiting ahead of you, and getting annoyed at your son that early in the morning was not on your schedule.
As if he cared. Little sh*t.
He knew what he was doing. He’d done this kind of thing a million times ever since he first came into your life, barely eight years old and already too smart for his own good.
Finally, realizing you weren’t going to react at him obnoxiously looking at you, he says, a hint of mischievousness in his voice :
“Moooooom” and you know he’s about to tell you something just to mess with you. You hear it in his intonation. This is a “Mooooom” that means : “I’m about to say something that is going to piss you off, and I’m gonna have fun doing it.”
And so he continues :
“Are you aware there’s rumors spreading fast that you’re apparently one of Gotham’s most prominent drug lord ?”
There’s a short silence. You know, the time for you to process what he just said. And then you slowly put your book down. Turn to him, trying to stay as calm as possible (because WTF IS THAT RUMOR ??), and say, the tension in your voice palpable :
“Excuse me ?!”
He nods, taking a fake grave expression, showing you the headline of one of Gotham’s most famous newspaper, and answers :
“Oh yeah. There’s pictures of you going in dark alleys with packages and all. Very sus mom.”
He knows he successfully just got on your nerve. His condescending tone, his expression that seemed to say : “really mom ? I expected better from you”, and the fact he most definitely was telling that to you JUST to irritate you.
Yes. Mission : success, as you exclaim :
“Wh-OH HEY ! You know why I do that !!”
************
Yes. Of course he knows. Is that going to stop him from getting a rise out of you though ? Hell no. He always thought it was amusing, when you’d get annoyed at him. He LOVED to push all your buttons, and he was probably, amongst your children, the best at it.
Although, they all had quite a talent to get on your nerves when they wanted to.
Contrary to popular belief, you were far from being a perfect mother. Sometimes, whether on purpose or not, your kids annoyed you. You didn’t have an endless amount of patience. Not every day was rainbows and sunshine, sometimes you weren’t in the mood.
And your kids ? Well, if only they didn’t have the joyous hobby of purposefully seeking you out when you were in those moods, just to annoy you further (the point was to get you very mad, so you’d evacuate your bad mood, and then you’d feel better…and it worked every time, you’d get incredibly irritated, and then things would just diffuse by themselves).
Jason
Oh my God JASON. That little…
Jason was a MASTER at annoying you on purpose. He never did that when he was a kid, too afraid you’d send him away if he was too much of a nuisance (a thought that genuinely broke your heart).
But after he died and came back to life ? After all the hurt he went through, and the resentment that neither you nor Bruce killed the Joker ? Well, even as he slowly came to forgive you, he would sometime get small revenge by being a brat.
Leaving his dirty close RIGHT NEXT TO THE LAUNDRY BASKET. He’d never fully close drawers or cupboard doors. He’d always put back empty bottles in the fridge. He was the greatest at stealing every single phone charger in the house. He’d tell you that he needed something just after you just went grocery shopping. He’d leave the shower curtain just outside the bath, so that the entire bathroom was a goddamn swamp…Any petty thing you could think of ? He would do. Just to annoy you.
And it worked.
Whether he thought it was funny when you got mad, or because he just wanted to act out a little revenge.
It always worked.
Damian and Tim
Damian and Tim worked in a team, to manage to piss you off. They, in fact, perfected their technique so well that it was impossible for you not to get annoyed at them.
They did it when they were bored, to get a rise out of you, which they found very amusing (as long as you didn’t actually got angry, cause you were scary when angry…but annoyed ? Oh that, that was fun).
Yes. They were very proficient in the act of “squabbling”.
Getting into arguments with each others over the most trivial things ever. It had the great tendency to exasperate you. Just the other night, they were taking great pleasure into arguing with each other over who had the most french fries in their plate. They LOVED to argue over literally nothing, because they knew it greatly irked you, which they just found funny.
Cassandra
Your daughter was an angel, wasn’t she ? Always so nice, attentive to others, caring…Yeah. Yeah she was all that. But she also wasn’t perfect. And when she was bored, she’d often purposefully get on your nerve so you’d take care of her.
“Bored.” She’d say repeatedly, and then proceed to sigh every two seconds, right in your ear, up until you paid attention to her.
Oh, and she always ALWAYS stole your favorite clothes, never to be returned..
Duke
Duke was insidious in his way to annoy you. There was ONE thing he’d always do, because he thought it was funny to see you and Bruce panic and rush :
Every time there was an important school event, or somewhere you had to be for him, he’d remind you barely half an hour before said event and pretend like he told you about it ages ago, and you forgot. It was always nerve wracking, to suddenly have to find free time. And it was particularly frustrating, because he would enjoy himself way too much during those times.
Damn brats.
So,yes. You weren’t the perfect mother. And although you often felt a pang of guilt when you were annoyed at them, you also were aware this was normal and that you couldn’t always be at your best.
Especially when they were purposefullygetting on your nerves.
Like right now, as Dick thought it extremely funny that you were accused by the Gotham Sun (one of the city’s most infamous tabloid newspaper) of being a prominent drug lord !
************
Obviously, you were panicking over it. What if this sprout Gotham PD to put their nose in your business ? What if it lead to them discovering the truth about your family of vigilantes ?? Oh, and the fact your eldest son was finding it so amusing didn’t help.
“You out of all people know why I do that !”
“I do. But the people of Gotham don’t.”
His smirk is even wider now, and you’re fuming. How dare he make light of this very important situation ?! Especially since he knew the truth.
It became a habit, over the years, that during some nights, you would bring food to your family while they’re on duty…You certainly never expected the media to completely misunderstand your totally normal back and forth in dark alleyways late at night !
Taking food to them was the only sure way you knew they’d eat (of course, you wouldn’t go out when there was immediate danger in Gotham, just during normal “shifts”).
Dick was fine with everything. Ever since he was a little boy, he had a great appetite and it was sometimes a wonder to you how he never gained weight. Sure, he worked out a lot, but you also often saw him eat his entire meal, and then eat whatever his siblings didn’t finish…You all called him “the garbage can” when he was eating. He’d literally finish everyone’s plate, no matter what was in it. So bringing him food was easy, anything would do.
Jason had always been fond of burgers. You know what’s the good thing about burgers ? You can make declinations of it infinitely. Make different kind of patty (meat or veggie), change the kind of bread, the filling etc. That meant that although he always asked for burgers, he often had a diverse food option available to him whenever you’d do your little delivery service.
Tim was a picky eater, and was the toughest to cook for. Things had to be at a certain temperature or he wouldn’t eat it (he had sensory issues). He didn’t like change, and often ate the same meals, which had to be cooked by you or Alfred, or he just wouldn’t eat it.
Damian loved your veggie sandwiches, and anything from the falafel place on fifth avenue. He wasn’t a picky eater, as long as there were no meat, he was pretty much good. He always thought your cooking, even the most rudimentary of things, was delicious.
Cassandra was a huge fan of gyozas, and you would always bring her an assortment of it, whether homemade or not. Shrimps, chicken, pork, veggie…She loved it all, and it was quite impressive how much she could ingest, given her size.
Duke had fancy tastes. Ever since he came to live with you and Bruce, he’d discover a cuisine he never got to try before…And it stuck with him. What other kid would ask for caviar sandwiches, lobster rolls and other high end salmon for dinner ? It amused you greatly, and honestly, you were glad he found a new passion in food. He even followed gastronomy blogs now. So you’d bring whatever he wanted to him, often using your billionaire status to not rise suspicion in the fact that you’d ask fancy gastronomic restaurants to “take away” their meal. They just took it as another caprice.
Bruce ? Bruce would take anything you gave him, quite like Dick. However, unlike his son, his children often had to remind him to eat his food, as he had a tendency to get too entranced in his work. Your kids definitely snitched on him, and so, so he wouldn’t make you mad, he took a habit of eating the things you brought him automatically. How many times a thug was taken down by a Batman who had half a sandwich in his mouth ? Probably too many times.
Yes. You had a little “Batmom’s food delivery” thing going on, driving all around town as your kids and husband were often scattered all over the place, to give them their meals.
In retrospect, yeah. To anyone outside your family, this probably looked a little shady ! Who saw you ? Oooh this was dangerous.
If someone noticed you were going in dark alleyways late at night, with packages in your hand, and then would come out without them, it could be dramatic for your family. What if you were actually followed ? And people saw you give the food to your family ? They’d surely discover their identities in no time !
This was terrible. And oh you wished your son wasn’t cracking himself up right now, thinking about how people might believe now that his mom was a drug dealer !!
It true, that it was funny to think about. (Y/N) Wayne, prominent figure in Gotham’s charity scene, wife of the richest man in the city and one of the richest person in the country, often seen as an excellent mother and faithful wife…dealing drugs during her free time ?
You could see the irony in it all. How this “drug” thing was drastically going against the image you wanted to give the media (a false image of course, because you always appeared “perfect” in public, but in real life, you were often quite a mess. Or, in other words : human).
Bruce and you carefully crafted your public figure for years, for it to be completely shattered by this rumor…
It was even worst, that in the headline, they were involving Bruce and his possible reaction to discovering you were supposedly dealing drugs ! For sure he would have to make a public statement, and how to explain your late venture into Gotham’s dangerous streets ?
Damn the media, and their nosy journalists. Who even noticed you were doing this ?? Who noticed you, in casual close and not even using one of your many fancy cars, at 3 am, roaming the city ??
You were going mad, and while you were overthinking everything, your son kept imitating the media and inventing more and more outrageous possible rumors about you (”(Y/N) Wayne, definitely cheating on her husband with Batman”), driving you even madder.
************
It was infuriating how everyone but you seemed to take the news lightly.
You were now all around the breakfast table, and the news of that tabloid title quickly spread. Of course it did. Dick made sure the first thing every one saw when coming in the room, was that said newspaper.
“Mom, are you a drug dealer ?!” Tim exclaimed, fakely shocked, taking an over the top tone. Damian, who was right next to him, added :
“And you were my role model ! I’m so disappointed…If even you are bad, who can I trust ?!”
He had a knack for theatrics, and his siblings giggled as he splayed himself on the table, as if he had fallen into great despair.
“And you dare to lecture me…How ironic.”
Jason said, shaking his head in a way that was so obnoxious to you.
“And I thought you were a respectable woman. The disillusion is too grand for me to even fathom it.”
Duke and his high and mighty way of talking make his siblings burst out in laughter, while you’re boiling inside. How dare they make fun of you in such a serious situation ??
“Mom. No chill.”
Noooo, et tu, Cassandra ? She was clearly enjoying the events too. And if you weren’t so annoyed, you would be touched by how close your kids were. How they had such a great “partner in crime” dynamic, getting along so well. Ah, if only they weren’t ganging up against you right now !
“Am I going to have to arrest you ? I do recall you don’t mind handcuffs though…”
Bruce says, smirking (a kind of smile way too similar to Dick’s, that definitely got on your nerve). And you’re pretty sure you just reached a level of annoyance like never before.
“Ew dad, what the Hell ?! Can you not ? Breaking the mood a little here..”
If you weren’t so annoyed (and worried), you would’ve definitely taken the perch Bruce was extending to you, and play into it, acting all lovey dovey with him so your children’s want of messing with you would vanish, disgust taking its place instead (followed by them quickly leaving).
The fact you don’t react though, shows them you’re actually worried and worked up and…they drive the nail into the coffin even further.
You were their mom. They loved you. Deeply and dearly. But did that stop them from driving you absolutely crazy, and messing with you ? Absolutely not. They knew that this situation was actually nothing serious (rumors about your family were plenty, and they always died down quickly).
And hey, let’s be honest, you messed with them often too. So let them have their fun a little. Dick continues, taking a pensive voice :
“Mmm, this could be honestly a problem.”
And then, all “hell” break loose as they each give a little comment, infuriating you more and more :
“Yes, what if there is a police warrant to search the Manor ?”
“Frankly mom, I expected better of you.”
“Right ? I’m so disappointed. This could be the end of everything for us, all because you weren’t careful enough.”
“Honestly, we could’ve lived without your food’s delivery anyway.”
“Moooom, drugs ? Really ?”
“Are you a drug dealer mom ? ARE YOU ?”
“You know what we do to drug dealers right ?”
“ARE YOU A DRUG DEALER MOM ? TELL US THE TRUTH ? ARE YOU SELLING “OREGANO” IN THE STREETS ?!”
Oh. Oooh little sh*ts.
The hyperbolic way they dramatized everything, and how their tone was so condescending and over the top…This was it.
This was the moment that they got on your never so bad, that everything slowly diffused itself. You know, like how a kettle suddenly goes into hypertension, “screaming” loudly, and then stops when the water is fully boiled ?
This moment always came, when they purposefully tried to annoy you (which might be their ultimate unconscious goal ? To make you feel better ? Who knows, there was also the very real possibility that they just liked to drive you mad).
You’d get obviously upset, which amused them. They’d push your buttons to the max. You’d talk back to them, to their great enjoyment. And then, poof.
It was over.
They left, snickering, content that they managed to get the better of you.
You sighed, frustrated at yourself that they, once again, won.
And it was over.
“Every time, huh ?”
Bruce said, also pretty amused by the way your children could get you to your boiling point in no time (and to be fair, they also drove him crazy on purpose).
“Yeah. Every freaking time.”
Rumors of you being a drug lord was definitely going to be used by your children to get on your nerves. If only you’ve had had a head’s up ! You turn to your husband, your eyes narrowing at him :
“You knew, didn’t you ?”
He acts all innocent, and answers :
“Knew what, exactly ?”
“About that article ? No way you wouldn’t know before it was printed. You know everything.”
“Do I, now ?”
“Bruce…”
“What if I knew ? What are you going to do about it ?”
Oh. Oh your husband too, could be a little sh*t. He definitely knew about it. And didn’t tell you because he knew what your kids would do. He knew they’d notice before you, and use it to mess with you.
“You know, my heart, you better be careful. You won’t know when, nor where, but one day, I’ll take my revenge.”
“Mmm, weren’t you the one that told me revenge is a fool’s game ?”
“Was I ? Can’t recall.”
“You’re getting more suspicious every second, maybe you really are a drug lord, my love.”
You glare at him, as he wraps his arms around your waist and bring you closer :
“Just you wait mister Wayne, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“Mmm, I’m awaiting with great expectations.”
One last smirk, one last sigh from you, and then you’re kissing. Deeply, and passionately. Because you have a lot of stress and frustration to release.
But oh, if he thinks a good kiss will make you forget…
************
You don’t know why you worried so much.
Or why you let your children get the better of you like that.
Of course Bruce would’ve had a contingency plan. Of course, he would keep an eye on the only newspaper he didn’t own in Gotham. They had a tendency to spread fake news about your family. And in a way, it did a great disservice to them, because nowadays, less and less people took them seriously.
Their bias against Bruce Wayne was showing too much. Like that ridiculous time their headline stated : “Bruce Wayne, is he Batman ?” which at the time everyone thought was SO ridiculous ! Nobody could fathom the famous “Brucie Wayne” being this hyper-violent vigilante Batman. Plus, at the time, both of them had been seen at the same place at the same time (thanks to Alfred). In a way, the fact this newspaper, which was owned by none other than Oswald Cobblepot, was always trying to defame your family, made it easier to discredit it.
It did came close very often to ruining everything though. Fortunately, Bruce always had a plan.
Like right now.
There was no point in pretending you guys hadn’t heard of the rumors. In fact, playing dumb right now would only confirm the Gotham Sun (Cobblepot’s newspaper) claim that you were guilty. So Bruce called a press conference, and in a very Bruce way, turned the situation around completely.
You were reminded, once again, why you loved that man so much. You knew he hated to speak publicly, but unfortunately often was forced to. When it came to you though ? He didn’t find it hard to speak. And he spoke very well. A little scary in a way, how manipulative he could be at times. How he could turn a situation to his advantage, just with his words.
The fact that the rumor of you being a drug lord came from Oswald Cobblepot’s newspaper made it easy to disband it.
First, because again, the bias against your family was well known and often made people suspicious of negative things posted about you all. But second, “The Penguin”s shady activities were a well known “secret”, and talking about his “alleged” ties to the narcotic industry in Gotham was enough.
Oswald Cobblepot was not a liked man. The Waynes though ? Everyone loved you. A little too much at times (it made making any kind of mistakes very scary, because you would risk disappointing a lot of people etc etc).
Bruce let you speak, and you explained that yes. You were the one going in alleyways with packages…for the homeless of Gotham ! You had no involvement in drugs ! It was actually a well known fact you hated drugs ! After what happened to your family…(everyone loved a good sob story).
It was true, that when you brought food for your family, you always left some for people in needs. And it was easy to believe, for the people of Gotham.
They knew your family. They knew how involved the Waynes were in bettering the city.
And so the story ended, the rumor vanished…Except in your home.
This thing about you being a “drug lord” just became another way for your children to mess with you, and annoy you to great length.
Damn brats.
_________________________________________________
I was thinking about what the Batfam eat when they spend long nights out, and how neither Alfred nor Batmom would actually let them skip a meal and…here we are. I hope you liked this ! Comments and reblogs are always beyond appreciated <3 !
Also, I was thinking about how sometimes, my brother and I purposefully annoy our mother (and it works each time) just because we think it’s funny when she gets mad over small things, and whether the Batkids would do it too haha. And I think the answer is : definitely. So I added, last second, a little part about it.
Synopsis : You can’t stand Bruce Wayne. His smug face, his condescendence, his dumb ideas for the company, his nonchalance, you just can’t stand the man ! But when you’re stuck with him during a hostage situation, your entire perception of who he really is changes and…
“The Embrace” - by Ron Hicks. This is one of my favorite painting for many reasons, and it fits the mood of this story I believe :).
************
It was all over the news.
“The prodigal son returns : Bruce Wayne becomes CEO of his parents’ company after coming home to Gotham. Where was he all those years ? Rumors of his non-stop partying in Europe confirmed ? To learn more, turn to page 7 and-”
One day, things were going as usual at work. The next, your worst nightmare came in. And he took the shape of a handsome playboy billionaire.
Is there a word to describe the opposite of “click” ?
Clash. Fail. Flop. Flunk. “Going down like a lead balloon”.
All of those and more applied. And it was instant. Visceral.
He came in all arrogant and smug, greeting people as if he owned the place (which he did but that wasn’t the question, the guy was just barely coming in after he left for years, uncaring of what happened to his parents’ work !). Flirting overtly with every single woman, and trying to charm every man. The kind of person you either want to be with, or want to be period.
And here you were. Completely unreceptive to it all. Trying really hard not to roll your eyes at his every move, not to antagonize him at every turn. Trying to not openly be sarcastic as it was slowly becoming obvious he didn’t know anything about what was going on in his “own” company.
You couldn’t stand this type of person. You didn’t even need to know more about him to get a feel at who he was. Just the way he stood, the way he smiled (that fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes), the way he talked.
You left the room after you were formally introduced to him, frustrated as hell. What ? He was going to be your boss now ? You had enough with entitled rich brats…
He left the room just as frustrated. Who was this person who pointed out his every flaw so openly ? Oh because he definitely saw through all your little snarky comments everyone else didn’t seem to notice. Nobody ever did that to him. Except maybe Alfred.
You both were too quick to judge, but there was no mistaking what happened : you two were not going to get along.
************
Your mom used to work for Wayne Enterprises, years ago. When it was still called “WayneCorp”. When the Waynes were still alive. She told you everything about them. Everything.
Martha Wayne was a kind woman who cared about others more than about herself. Born Martha Kane, She was the heir of “Kane Chemicals”, part of one of the richest family in Gotham. She used to be known as a “party animal”, but grew and used her money for good, for bettering Gotham. She was a “woman of the people”, according to your mom. Someone who was never afraid to get her hands dirty, if it meant helping.
Thomas Wayne was a doctor, and also the heir of quite a fortune. He’s always been someone who wanted to help, his choice of career was very telling. He was assertive and feared nothing and no one. When he decided to attack Gotham’s corruption, whether in politics or in the police, it seemed nothing could stand in his way. He himself had plans to become mayor of the city, but died before it could happen (what a coincidence).
There wasn’t anyone else your mother admired more than those two. When they got murdered, your mom lost all hope in Gotham.
Wayne Enterprises fell into the executives’ hands, a ruthless board made of businessmen, partners of the Wayne who had not much room for important decisions at the time, and who became the main actors in it after the Wayne’s death, who did not care one bit make the city more livable for everyone.
Gotham fell hard. Harder than ever. Crime was on the rise, the divide between rich and poor was bigger than before…
Your mom was fired. She was “too close” to the Waynes, she said. That’s why they got rid of her. They knew she’d cause trouble when they were going to start to completely change Wayne enterprises. When they were going to turn it into a heartless multinational, and forget about Thomas and Martha’s plan to better the city of Gotham. To make it safer for everyone, to turn things around and give Gotham City a chance to be more than what it was.
All their work, down in the drain.
Yes. From what you heard, although you never knew them as you were too young when they died, Thomas and Martha Wayne were amazing people.
So when their son came back to Gotham to get his heritage back, and became the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, you had high hopes !
This was what you were waiting for. A CEO with a humane view of things, who certainly took after his parents and was going to get the company back on track.
This was it. This was Gotham’s time to shine, it was going to be rebuild and-
Oh, oh but that guy.
Could someone explain to you how the hell the Waynes, of whom you only heard good things, could possibly be the parents of…that guy ?!
That guy.
Bruce Wayne.
The most insufferable man you ever met.
************
You wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Although let’s be real for a second : you never did. You judged him the first time you saw him, and from that point on every single of his actions were judged according to that first meeting.
You never gave him a chance. But, to be fair, he never gave you one either.
“Haha we have a food company ?”
He asked you, after a month of being home.
When he came back, you were an “executive assistant”, which to be fair didn’t mean much but was the work that was the closest from your mother’s. She was Thomas and Martha’s personal assistant. Which contained much more responsibilities than one could think. She always was their second opinions on thing, and when they couldn’t be physically somewhere, she was their emissaries.
You though ? Nobody ever really asked for your opinion, and you were basically a glorified secretary. However, you knew the Board and every single people who took care of Wayne Enterprises while Bruce was a child, and while he was away. Did knowing them help ? Sometimes. You gave them many “ideas” which they thought were there, by simply hinting at things there and there…But to be fair, you were far from being important to the company, and you sometimes felt you arrived where you were simply by sheer luck (you didn’t believe in Destiny yet).
“…Yes. There is a subsidiary food company. Which mainly distributes high end goods, such as caviars for example. But it’s also used in the Martha Wayne foundation for food banks. Obviously, we don’t give them caviar, wouldn’t interest them much anyway. But we manage to get other cheap ingredients in the mix, which we then donate to large food banks around Gotham. Most of them are filled with Wayne goods, to be honest.”
Bruce made that infamous “I’m half-listening”, and you were fuming. What was the point of asking, if he wasn’t going to pay attention ? Yeah, it hit your pride a little, which is why he annoyed you so much. But also, this was important.
Oh you wanted to punch him in the face. How could he not even know what Wayne Enterprises entailed ? Damn it. If he kept at it, the executives will put him on a side and keep doing what they’ve been doing : slowly ruining Gotham more and more, while expanding nationally and internationally.
“Do you know how many enterprises there is, in Wayne Enterprises?”
He made that face that annoyed you (and that you would never admit, you found a little charming). You know. That one. Where he puts a hand in his hair, smiles widely, chuckle as if he’s embarrassed, and avoid everyone’s gaze…Pretending to be dumb and nonchalant, when you had a feeling he really wasn’t. For some reason, it got on your nerve even more. To know he was only pretending so people would underestimate him (at least you speculated). This obvious cluelessness of his, as if he had not a thought behind his eyes…Frustrating.
You weren’t sure at first, if you saw what you saw. But now there was no mistake. You were sure he wasn’t a “himbo”. It didn’t add up with all those small things you noticed (just like your mom, you had an eye for details). You didn’t understand why he would act that way though, which annoyed you greatly. It made him likable to many, it just made you want to fight him.
He nods and you start :
“Um. Well. There is Wayne Foods like I said. Wayne shipping, which started Wayne Enterprises as a company in the 19th century, created by Alan Wayne. It’s literally the biggest transport company in the world, you should maybe start to be interested in that.”
You say, raising your eyebrows in a clear attempt to guilt trip him. Which does not work at all (you didn’t know that of course, but Wayne Shipping had a very important role to play in his Batman work, it helped him keep track of any illegal trafficking that might go one).
“Anyway. There’s also Wayne Yards, where ships are built. Closely associated with Wayne Steel, which makes the material. Wayne Industries, research and development in the industrial field. Closely related to Wayne Mines, which are situated in Africa and which your parents made fair for people there, giving them better wages and protection. And by the way, the board is currently trying to take that away, as the contract is soon to end.”
You take a quick look at him, to see if he reacts to this news, but…nope. He’s looking at his nails, completely uninterested (or so you thought). You continue :
“Wayne Medical, sister company of Wayne Biotech, of course. Wayne Electronics, which is one of the largest distributors of TVs and such, your brand has been quite the new fad this past years. Wayne Entertaiment, which owns many theaters and other stadium, but also newspapers such as the Daily Planet back in Gotham, and a few model and communication agencies. And there the Wayne foundation, as well as the Thomas Wayne foundation and Martha Wayne foundation but well, they’re slowly being tossed aside. They’re your non-profit organizations. Wayne foundation used to encourage and help children in difficult neighborhoods, such as mine, to go to school, in the hope to alleviate crime. It also builds many infrastructures so that things like culture, the arts, healthcare are more accessible…The Thomas Wayne foundation is specifically about healthcare and giving money for reasearch, and Martha Wayne Foundation is all about the arts and giving access to college for those who cannot afford it…just a few examples of course. At least, those foundations used to be that”.
You don’t think you’ve ever seen someone as disinterested as him, right now. You’re trying to breach the topic with him about how “the Board” slowly put aside those important charitable foundations which were working for Gotham City and its inhabitants’ wellbeing, and the dude…Took out his phone. He’s clearly not listening right now, entranced by his phone.
You’re about to make the mistake to punch that phone out of his hands (violence is never the answer, but how else to react when faced with such a man ?? I’M ASKING YOU ??), but fortunately before you do anything, he looks back at you and say :
“Wow, you know a lot about the company. Some would say you’re obsessed.”
You glare at him. Worst thing is ? He was kind of right. Ever since the Wayne died and it took such a huge toll on your mother, and on the city, your one dream had been to restore Wayne Enterprises to its former human right glory. A task sometimes that you felt was impossible, without a strong support on the board. Which evidently, Bruce Wayne wasn’t.
The man preferred to party, than to care about food banks.
“Well. That’s my job.”
And it made you mad, that he felt the need to add such a comment anyway. He could’ve just shut up. The smug look he gave you as you left made you want to kill him…
************
You made him uncomfortable. Because he always felt like you could see through him. Felt like you would find out easily who he really was…Which is why he was particularly unsuffurable to you. Why he turned his « Brucie » persona to the max when around you. Why he flirted shamelessly when he knew it annoyed you.
You irritated him. Why did you always have to ask questions ? He spend years away training to fulfill his goals. And everybody gobbled up his story about going away to college, to then quit it and party for the past few years. Everybody believed he was just an arrogant, yet likable, rich heir coming home.
And there you were, questioning his every move. And doing it with plenty sarcasm and irony, as well !
Bruce didn’t like to be in public. That’s why it was so easy to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He hated galas and other charity events, hated being in front of a crowd. His “Brucie Wayne” persona was the only thing saving him from having panic attacks. It was a shield. A carefully meticulously crafted shield.
That’s why he disliked you so much. He felt you were always looking past this protection, trying to put your nose where it didn’t belong. You were frustrating to be around. And kind of mean, too. You so obviously disliked him.
And for some reasons, it bothered him you really seemed to not like him. That someone like Oswald Cobblepot hated him because of jealousy, he could live with. He didn’t care. But you disliked him because you hated his guts. And he made so sure that “Brucie” was charming, likable and such, that the fact it didn’t work on you was exasperating.
He should not care. He trained to be able to become emotionless. Public Bruce Wayne was just a façade. So why did it bother him so much you didn’t like him ?
He wasn’t used to that. As Batman ? Yeah sure. As Bruce ? Not so much. And if even his fake persona, who was pretending to be so nice and open with everyone, was rejected…What was left ?
Ah, thinking about it drove him mad. This is why he always tried to aggravate you, to push all your buttons. Because you pushed his. You pushed buttons he didn’t even know he had. Which was…concerning.
And oh, so, SO annoying.
************
It drove you crazy, how obvious it was he didn’t care.
He came late to every important meetings (when he came at all), and would fall asleep almost right away.
He was smug, arrogant, and way too sure of himself.
You saw him with a different woman every time, which wouldn’t bother you if he didn’t constantly flaunt it in front of everyone. You hated men who used women as “trophies”.
He changed his mind every two seconds, suddenly changing a project, not showing up to important things, going on vacations randomly.
His nonchalance and carelessness were infuriating.
You couldn’t understand why he was acting that way, why leave for years to then come back and do…nothing ? Why ?!
************
He thought you were annoying, a little too “high and mighty”, and judgmental.
It felt like you had a superiority complex as you constantly corrected everyone, for every single small mistake they’d do. Which usually he’d find a good thing (after all, maybe he was a little like that too when he was Batman…), but for some reason it really made him mad when it was you.
He was sure you were only interested in money, which made him furious many times. Actually fuming. Why ? Because he kept seeing your name on paperwork which didn’t allow certain charities, or which capped donations at a certain amount. Avarice was one of his pet peeve. Of course, he was unaware the person actually responsible for that wasn’t you, but a certain Charles Hammerworth. He was unaware you couldn’t actually take big decisions, because you were always there, and he just assumed you were important (which again was because Charles purposefully gave you more attention in certain moments).
While actually, from your perspective, you thought he was the one who always blocked any big decisions to better Gotham City.
Things between you two didn’t click already, of course this kind of things would only rise your animosity towards each other.
When you were stress, which was often, you lashed out at people too much. Including him, when he was your boss, like this kind of behavior was going to get you into trouble one day !
Wait, was he worried ? No. No the fuck he was not. He was annoyed. So much. Because there wasn’t a single day when you didn’t snap at him for whatever reasons.
How funny it was, that neither of you realized that you disliked about the same thing in each other…That the flaws you so hated about the other person, was very telling about your own personality.
************
You met Alfred once, and wondered even more how such a kind and sweet man could raise an arrogant little brat like Bruce Wayne.
He brought some lunch for Bruce (how old was that guy, six ?!). Since your dear CEO was busy, the butler waited around for a bit, and wandered to the coffee machines where you were currently.
You introduced yourself, he did the same and…It felt like you were talking to the most caring man in the world. It was also very clear, even though you didn’t speak much, that he cared deeply about Bruce, and even adored him.
Which you couldn’t understand. That didn’t sound right. The way Alfred spoke, it was as if Bruce cared so much about his parents’ company, about Gotham, while you were so sure that- Ugh ? Did the man lie ? Why would he though ?
This was weird. Alfred was talking about someone you never met, for sure. Disturbed and confused, you found an excuse to get out of there and walked (almost ran) away quickly.
Of course, you had no way to know that Alfred wasn’t there to give Bruce’s lunch at all, but to meddle in his “Master”’s life. Bruce kept talking about you, and how infuriating you were. And there was no way he talked that much about someone who really didn’t matter. Of course, Bruce would yell : “there isn’t a fine line between love and hate ! In fact, there’s a massive wall !” in that petulant child voice of his, that he never quite lost when talking to Alfred while mad. But the butler knew better. He did.
And the future would only prove him right.
************
“He’s sexy though.”
This is frustrating. You were talking about how much you despised Bruce Wayne to your best friend, and their first reaction was…everyone’s, really.
Yes, you guessed. He was sort of attractive. But so, SO annoying that honestly, you didn’t really see it.
“Did you hear anything I said ? He’s lazy, falls asleep in every meeting, doesn’t care about anything but parties etc etc. I bet he doesn’t even do anything on his own, given his butler seems to literally do everything for him. That guy is a saint. Such a nice man, so polite. How can he stand Bruce ? No idea.”
“I’ve never seen you so worked up about anyone before. Not even about that guy who fired your mom and keeps asking you to bring him coffee even though it’s not your job. That super misogynist one.”
“Charles Hammerworth, yeah. Well, here’s the thing. I knew that guy was trash since the beginning, and if I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to deal with it. But Bruce Wayne ? I had such high hopes man. He’s Martha and Thomas’ Wayne kids ! You’d think it would be easier to do what I want to do with him you know ? That he too, would want to continue his parents’ legacy and save Gotham ?! Well, nope. Not even close.”
“Ah, so you hate him because he’s not what you want him to be. Wow (Y/N), wow. Very mature and nice.”
“Oh shut up, you know what I mean.”
“I do. At the same time, I don’t think I’m wrong either. It’s not like you to be so petty.”
“It’s very like me to be that petty, what are you talking about ? Remember Kevin Witthaker in eleventh grade ? He pretended to be interested in me just to mock me ?”
“Yes.”
“And remember what I did to him ?”
“…Yeah ok, you’ve always been petty. And oddly revengeful…”
“Again : Oh shut up.”
There’s a silence, before you both burst into strong laughs. Finally getting calm again, your best friend says :
“But for real, (Y/N), isn’t this just one of those tale of two deeply flawed individual who will end up respecting each other in the end ?”
There’s a pause. A silence, as you ponder your friends’ words. I mean, you can’t say you completely disrespect Bruce Wayne, he’s just getting on your nerve and blocking everything you want to do (although he wasn’t actually the one responsible…but you didn’t know that). And you guess he wasn’t that bad and-Yeah. No. No way. He was the worst. Just seeing his face made you want to punch him. You turn to them as if they were crazy, and say :
“This isn’t some kind of story full of stupid tropes where we’re going to end up friends or something. We’re not in a k-drama, (your best friend’s name). This is reality. Mark my word, there is absolutely NO WAY I will ever change my mind about Bruce Wayne. Nu-hu, NEVER.”
************
Unbeknownst to any of you, a certain Charles Hammerworth was capitalizing on your obvious dislike of each other.
The flaws you saw in Bruce, the ones he saw in you, were exacerbated by Charles who took the opportunity to keep his hold on Wayne Enterprises. Your bickering, and the way you two would argue often served him well. It meant you’d overlook many of his shady actions.
Your feud was good for his business. And what could’ve been a simple misunderstanding of one another, and a slight distaste, turned almost to hate because of one man’s greed.
He made it so you were sure Bruce didn’t care, and was just a lazy entitled brat. And he turned situation so that Bruce would think you were a greedy corporate wannabe who was mad that he came back to take the reign of his parents’ company.
While he was the one who was mad. He worked so har and long to convince everyone they need to stop any charities and focus on the international market. It wasn’t for Martha and Thomas’ little brat to come back and ruin it all ! So let him be focus on that other brat who also wants to ruin things, let them have infightings to the end. It was good for business.
Yes, maybe if Charles Hammerworth never existed, you two would realize that you were more alike than you thought, and that you were destined to get along. But alas, it would take some time before this fateful realization would come.
************
There were a few times where you could’ve almost made up. A few times when you could’ve understood each other more. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be just yet, and those moments turned quickly into even more “hate” towards each other.
One morning, after a meeting, you notice he favored his left side whenever he would rise up from his chair. Noticing things was part of your job, and it was very clear to you that Bruce Wayne was hurt somewhere on the right side of his body.
As per usual however, he obnoxiously answered flirtily (to divert your attention..). You asked him about it, wanting to know if he needed help. He seemed surprised at first, but he quickly regained composure (so quickly in fact that you almost think you imagined his surprised expression), smiled at you shamelessly, and said :
“Oh yes, I’m a little sore I guess. I stayed up late with a model from Ru-”
“I don’t want to know.”
You cut him off quickly. And you can’t believe you almost worried about him. You really didn’t want to know about his sex escapades, even less so if it caused him to get THAT sore. Ugh. Man. You couldn’t believe how he almost got you to care.
Truth was, yeah. He got hurt while out as Batman. Obviously he didn’t want you to know. And he knew you hated when men flirted with you at work because you felt like it was disrespectful.
They were obviously seeing you as only an object. Pretending you couldn’t be too skilled because you were an attractive woman, pretending your only appeal was your looks. Pretending you managed to become an assistant by sleeping around (which was not true at all).
It drove you nuts. And so Bruce shamelessly used his most flirtatious self whenever you were getting too interested in his personal life (which honestly didn’t happen often), so you’d overlook the subject because of how mad you would get. And this time, it worked again.
“Disgusting..” you muttered, and you left, fuming, and not a moment too soon because he was starting to feel lightheaded because of his injury, and was falling back in his seat.
Perfect timing. It was better, if you hated each other.
There was another time. Right after a meeting in which your hostility towards one member of the board especially was very obvious.
Charles Hammerworth. Always him. You found him so repulsive. And not in the way you disliked Bruce. No. You actually found him so disgusting.
You and Bruce, it just didn’t click. You weren’t made to get along. And you obviously both had a taste of annoying the other.
But Charles Hammerworth ? He was a disgusting man who had every fatal flaw you could think of. Greedy, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, hated the poor, thought he was better than anyone else and that everything was owned to him…How could the Wayne even deal with him when they were still alive ?
Ah. But you didn’t know this man literally snaked his way through to the board…That was another story, though.
You went head on with Charles for the first time ever. Usually, you’d find ways to undermine his authority. But this time, he went too far and you lost your cool. To think this little worm would-
“You don’t like Charlie very much, do you ?”
It’s Bruce Wayne. Not the person you wanted to see right now. Although everyone would be better than Charles Hammerworth. You had to quickly find a reason why you disliked him though, as you didn’t want to get into the details of your true goals at Wayne Enterprises.
You didn’t want him to know how much you wanted his parents’ (and your mom’s) legacy to get back on track. Because you were sure he’d find it pathetic (oh if only you knew). So you said :
“Mm ? Oh. He…He’s the one who fired my mom.”
“Your mom ?”
“Yes. She used to be, um..Your parents’ assistant. Of sort.”
There’s a silence, and his eyes widen before he says :
“You’re (Your mom’s name)’s daughter ??”
“You knew her ?”
“Of course, and I heard lots about her anyway. What is she up to nowadays ?”
“…She’s in a mental ward in the 4th avenue hospital. She um, didn’t take well her firing and your parents’…”
There’s a silence, and you almost feel like Bruce is being very empathetic of you. That he- Ah. But nope :
“Well, She was a good friend of my own mother. And a great assistant. If you need any help with hospital bills, I will participate. I feel like I owe her that. I really never would’ve thought she was your mom.”
“Excuse me ? What the Hell is that suppose to mean ?”
“Well, let’s face it, you’re not exactly the most efficient, and you barely take any decision at all. My own mother used to described (your mom’s name) as if she was some kind of god sent for them. You’re um, how to put this nicely ? Kind of not that. Yes. I think this is the nicest way I can say it.”
Wow. This is the first time your feelings are actually hurt. Sure, he usually makes you so mad, and you often end up conversations with him fuming. But he’s never been actually needlessly mean.
“You-”
He knew he was getting on your nerves. He knew he was pushing all your buttons. But this time, he wasn’t going to get a reaction out of you. Not because you suddenly liked him or anything. But because you were genuinely hurt. So, in a weaker voice than usual, trying to not cry, you say :
“Well. I guess you’re right.”
And then you leave, unable to even look at him.
Ugh. You hated how much this hit too close to home. But he was right. He was right. You were lightyear from your mom’s position. Nobody took you seriously here, definitely not Bruce Wayne. How could you ever even try to convince anybody to use Wayne Enterprises for good again ? To save Gotham ??
Bruce watches you leave the room, unable to find another smart retort. Why did he feel guilty ? You started it…ugh since when did he have such childish thoughts ?
For some reason, unlike usually when he felt a deep satisfaction when he pissed you of, this time, he felt nothing but bad. He felt like shit, even.
Why ?
************
This went on for a full year. Whenever you two were in the same room, bickering would ensue. And you were pretty sure it was full blown hate now. Ever since he talked about your mom, and you noticed he was injured, the animosity between you too was attuned to the max.
He hit you were it hurt, and you almost discovered his secret.
Of course it would get only worst and worst.
You disliked him so much you didn’t notice how Wayne Enterprise slowly came back on track, on the path Thomas and Martha Wayne wanted for it.
And you annoyed him so much that he didn’t see how much of a big role you took in that fact.
When he said “the board”, you could almost hear how much he disliked them. Which confused you. Why was he going along with all their decisions then ?
Funny, how disliking someone could erase all rationality and ability to see their good deeds…
Maybe it was your hopeful side, the one your mom lost when the Waynes died but…A small part of you, deep down, hoped that Bruce’s apparent love for parties and such was just a façade. Or something that maybe he would outgrow, just like his mom did.
That’s how your mom met her, Martha. Your mother was a bartender. With an eye for details, and a love for Gotham.
Exactly what Martha was looking for, when she started to use her money for “good”. She became hers and Thomas’ personal assistant. The position you held now, although if you had to guess, you were pretty sure working for those executives, for “the board”, wasn’t as nice as working with Thomas and Martha Wayne.
Anyway, your mom was enrolled, and she knew everything about Martha’s past as a “party animal”. She told you about it, how she turned her life around. You really hoped her son will do the same…
But you doubted it. Because in your head, the image you had of him was already fixed in stone. No way this would ever change.
************
It was rather late in the evening, and you were about to go home. You were pretty sure nobody was left, but you. But you and…
“(Y/N) ?”
Ugh. Even his voice annoyed you. Granted, he had a very nice deep voice, and you would’ve probably fall in love with it if only it wasn’t his. Everything he did got on your nerve. So his sexy deep voice…Ugh !
“Yes,sir?”
It was always a great disappointment when he pretended he didn’t hear the “hint” of sarcasm in your voice. You knew he knew. And he knew you knew he knew.
“Are you the one pushing for Thomas Wayne Foundation to open a hospital down in the Bowery ? And Martha Foundation an art gallery in the Narrows for smaller content creator ? ”
“Yeah and ? Both your parents wanted to do that since a long time, I saw an opportunity when we still had one slot open for a charity…It’d fulfill your quota for the year.”
You finish, your words full of asininity. It drove you crazy how Bruce settled a certain amount of “good deeds” to do by Wayne Enterprises so, and those were his own words : “the people of the city would love us and not get in our way if we want something” (and if only you knew he didn’t mean a word, and just wanted to help Gotham but knew “the board” would get in his way…at least up until he finally took back full control of the company, which he didn’t have yet).
“No don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a good thing. I’m just..a little surprised.”
“Surprised ?”
“You did nothing but hinder my ideas for similar projects.”
“What ? I never did such a thing, what are you talking ab-”
Ah but it wasn’t yet time for Charles Hammerworth nefarious plans to be revealed, how he always put his name on ideas for bettering Gotham while they were YOUR project, and how he always put YOUR name whenever he wanted to block a project he did not like…Well, it was only a matter of hours, now. Because :
That’s when a bunch of armed men decide to barge in and say :
“If you stay calm nothing will happen to you, we’re here for Bruce Wayne.”
************
Unbelievable. There was a lot of “wrong place wrong time” event, when you lived in Gotham. But this one had to trump them all. Having a machine gun stuck in your face, and being taken hostage was new.
“What do you want ?”
He asks, his voice cold like you never heard before.
“Shut up and behave. Nothing bad will happen if you listen. You, tie them up and come with me, we have…Things to do. And you two better stay on your best behavior, or we’ll shoot. As long as you do everything we ask, things will be alright.”
For some reasons, the way that man kept repeating that everything was going to be alright if you listened sounded fake to you…
They tied the both of you up, back to back, hands in a zip tie. And then they make you sit on the floor, and leave the room.
Idiots, have they never seen movies ? You NEVER leave hostages alone. Haha. You chuckle to yourself. As if you or Bruce “sure I work out but I’ve never fought in my life, as stated before” Wayne could-
SNAP.
Ugh ? The hell was that ?
You fall backward as there’s suddenly no one there to support you (and at the same time, you notice how much you were leaning on him…embarrassing).
He catches you before you hit the floor, and puts you back on your feet.
Um, excuse me ?
You knew he worked out, it was obvious he was ripped under his suits. But to the point he just literally lifted you up as if you weighted nothing, just like that ? Well, that. That was surprising. And the way he just broke his zip ties ? And yours ? Wow.
It took you a few seconds to understand what was happening.
“We have to get out of here.”
He says, and starts to go to the door, putting his ear on it to listen.
“I think they only left one person. Good. What is it you said ? It’s better when people underestimate you ?”
He smirks at you. That smirk that usually made you instantly mad, but that in this situation you found reassuring.
“What’s going on ?”
You finally ask. Because like, yeah, what’s going on ?? Is he really planning on leaving, just like that ?
“We have to leave.”
Ugh, you click your tongue in annoyance, like you did so many times. Yeah ok, you got that part, but could he elaborate just a bit ??
“Why ? They probably just want a ransom, which you’ll have no problem paying. I know you can even trace the money and not even lose a cent. Why risk things ? Shouldn’t we wait a bit to have more information from them ? They did say we wouldn’t get hurt if we just listened.”
“Please, you have a lot of flaws but being naïve isn’t one.”
You glare at him. Really, is now the time to get on your nerve ? You sigh, fighting to regain your calm because yeah, right now really wasn’t appropriate for any sort of bickering.
You don’t answer, and just stare at him, clearly waiting for an explanation. And on your face he can read a definite : “grow up”. Which makes him tick, but he too realize this is no time to bicker. So he adds :
“They’re here to kill me. Possibly us.”
“EXCUSE ME ?!”
You can’t say more, his hands is on your mouth as he turn his attention towards the door, and the seconds turn into hours as you wait for an armed man to barge through the door…
************
Zip ties ? Really ? Those are overestimated by many.
Bruce has absolutely no problem breaking his, unbinding his hand easily thanks to a technique he learned while training with Giovanni Zatara.
Zip ties. Ugh. Amateurs.
Bruce knows he’s taking a risk by showing you what he can do. He knows you notice every detail, and that this will go against the image he so carefully crafted to fool you (and everyone else). But he also knows who those men are.
They’re Cobblepot’s men. The Penguin, as they seem to call him lately, ever since he regained his family’s fortune. A man who definitely sees Bruce Wayne as a threat towards his empire.
And he highly doubts what those men came to do was just a hostage situation. He knows they’re here to execute him. And if they were able to get in the building ? It means someone from the company gave them the codes, especially if they managed to get all the way up here. There is NO WAY they could’ve pirated their way through without him noticing, him and Lucious made sure no one could breach Wayne Enterprises security, or if they did, they’d have an alarm on their phones.
Which meant there was a rat in the team. It wasn’t very difficult to know who did it…
Anyway. It was pretty obvious to Bruce that those men weren’t here to ask for a ransom or anything. He knew Cobblepot’s ways. He knew what he did to people who bothered him. He also knew that he’d been nothing but a hindrance for Charles Hammerworth’ plans.
Now, if it was only him there, he wouldn’t care much. But here’s the thing : you were also involved. Wrong place wrong time. Damn it.
How the hell did you always manage to be around in all the worst case scenarios possible ? Or…was this deliberate ? Did the attack happen because they knew you’d be there too ? After all, you were also quite the hindrance to Charles…
Because your life was at stake, Bruce did not hesitate to act. Even if it meant you’d discover who he really was.
And this is how he ended up with his hand on your mouth after your exclamation, hoping that none of the armed men heard.
************
“Ok, you have to listen to everything I’ll say, can you do that ?”
Well, usually, no, you could not. He was too annoying. But in that situation ? You could make an exception. You nod, and he takes his hand off of your mouth. It seemed nobody heard you yell.
In a matter of seconds, he unlocks the door with a…lockpicking kit he had in his pocket ?? Who was this man ??
He takes a careful look out, and he was right. They left one man to guard the door, but evidently he thought there was no dangers, as he’s away from the door, looking at some documents on a desk.
Perfect.
Bruce opens the door careful, gesturing for you to stay behind. And then…He knocks the man out cold. Just like that. With one well placed punch to the throat. It’s silent, and it’s direct. The man falls down, unconscious, and without a sound.
Once again, he gestures to you to come closer. And you two start to move through the building silently.
He’s really not being considerate. On the contrary. He’s pretty cold, such a stark contrast to how he is usually. He’s methodic, and for some reasons, you feel safe.
He gets rid of two more men as if it was nothing (thanks God though those men didn’t expect their hostage to fight back).
You point to a gun, but he shakes his head no. And you can see he’s adamant about it. Evidently, the guy doesn’t like guns, as made sure by the disgusted (and almost fearful) look he gives the machine guns.
Neither of you even notice how he keeps taking hold of your hand to guide you safely around.
He takes you to a flight of stairs, and looks at his phone. You can see on it that he has access to every single camera in the building. Interesting. He checks to see if there’s anyone in the stairs, and, nope. And then he says :
“Go down, and call for help. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“What ? Why ? Are you dumb ? Just come with me, there’s no need to put your life at risk like that.”
“Ugh for once in your life just listen please, and do what I say.”
“I’ll do it once it doesn’t sounds completely idiotic. Just come with me Bruce !”
It’s the first time you call him Bruce. Neither of you notice. Annoyed, he keeps going :
“Why are you always like that ? Just go (Y/N), you got caught up in this because of me. Just leave, I’ll take care of things.”
“This isn’t some kind of action movie genius, stop acting like you’re John McClane and let’s go.”
Yes. Maybe right now wasn’t the right time to bicker. But you just couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t leave, too. What was wrong with him ? Why did he HAVE to “do this” ?
Unfortunately, you two wasted too much time. The men noticed you left the room they put you in, and followed the trail of unconscious men Bruce left behind to…
“CAREFUL !”
He yells, and you’re suddenly violently pulled to the floor by him but…It feels weird. Your shoulder is warm and painful. Too painful.
“Bruce ?”
“Shit !”
Your vision becomes blurry, and you feel him delicately laying you on the ground. Before you fall into unconsciousness, you hear him say :
“You better not die on me, there’s too many things we have to talk about.”
You faintly here grunts and shots, a fight breaking out.
And everything turns dark.
************
Shot in the shoulder.
To be fair, it was a miracle that you got shot, while you grew up in Gotham, so late in life. Still. Painful as fuck.
Your little adventure made every single headlines, and Bruce had to transfer you to a private hospital so that no journalists would come bother you.
Bruce.
It’s weird.
You got shot, and it was kinda because of him, yet you couldn’t be mad at him.
Everything he did was an annoyance to you. But he saved your life, and your suspicion about him not being who he portrays himself to be were sort of confirmed.
It was confusing.
An entire year of highly disliking him, of bickering and trying to get on the others nerve as much as possible…vanished.
It’s as if you met Bruce Wayne for the first time.
And it was confusing.
You weren’t sure you liked it.
How come so much resentment could just disappear all of a sudden ? Well, the fact you both learned the truth about each other, about Charles Hammerworth schemes, definitely helped. But beyond that…
You both saw a side of each other that night, that you didn’t know exist. You saw him being reliable and caring for your safety, which meant..he really was like that, no ? He didn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for you.
And he saw you not willing to give up on him and actually put his life on the line.
This kind of experience changes the perspective you can have on someone. Everything happened fast, you were both out within an hour, but still. Him untying you, guiding you slowly through the building, his big warm and reassuring hand in yours…
Ugh. This was all so confusing. It didn’t help that…
“Hello (Y/N), am I bothering you ?”
He came to see you every single day since you were taken to the hospital. With flowers. Or books. Or whatever you want. Genuine in his approach.
Genuinity.
Maybe that’s what was missing ?
It’s still super awkward though. You don’t erase an entire year of seeing the other one as your “enemy” just like that. Yet he still comes.
And you still accept his visits. And it seems like your constant bickering is no more.
************
“Mr Wayne ? What are you doing still here ?”
You were indeed surprised to see him still at the office. He would usually be the first one home.
“I should ask you the same question. And please, call me Bruce.”
“Alright. I asked the question first though.”
It was just like you, to not let go something. Yet it didn’t annoy him as much as it used to. Odd.
“I had things to finish, some charity galas to plan. Will you um, come to the next one ?”
“Ah, no thank you Mr W-Bruce. Not my cup of tea. Although I think they’re necessary, for Gotham.”
“I hate them too. But I think the same.”
“You hate them ? Really ?”
Shit. What ? How did he let that slip ? This wasn’t like him. But he felt strangely at ease right now.
“Haha you got me. I like parties much better.”
He caught himself well, but you don’t seem convince. After all, you were always so sure he loved to show himself to this kind of galas. Mmm. Interesting.
“Ok well…I’m going home so…Good night.”
“Good night (Y/N).”
And you leave. More confused than ever. What the hell was that ?
************
With Charles Hammerworth gone (because it was very clear he was guilty), there were very few misunderstandings left between you two.
The main reason you disliked each other was because you felt the other one didn’t care enough about the company, was in for the money, didn’t care about Gotham and its inhabitants etc. It was the opposite.
And Charles Hammerworth wasn’t here anymore to take all the glory, while pushing his mistakes and heartlessness on you
You couldn’t believe how much that man meddled in Wayne Enterprises business, and how much he even meddled in your personal life ! What a douche. Because of him, you almost walked right passed…
Right passed what, exactly ? Passed Bruce ? And so what ? Why would that be a bad thing ? After all, you really didn’t like him.
He was smug (oh but you knew he really wasn’t that smug and that it was a facade), he was arrogant (that much was kinda true, but it didn’t mean he was a bad guy), he was lazy (you’ve never met such a hard working man before), he never took anything seriously (couldn’t be further than the truth), he…he…
What was it, that you disliked about him again ? Weren’t those flaws exactly the same than you had ?
Damn it.
************
Bruce felt the need to tease you, often. But nowadays, it wasn’t as bad as before. It was quick and fun teasing, friendly even.
A little cliché, almost like a “will they won’t they” kind of situation.
How did it came to this ? Things really didn’t click between you two at first. It was even a disaster. He genuinely disliked you so much. And you obviously hated him.
But then…Then your family story are too similar in many ways. You also lost your parents, your mom losing her mind to depression and not being able to ever get better was horrible. And the grief was real. Just like his.
And your similar need to save Gotham too, couldn’t be ignored. Your selflessness as well, even if you both had to hide that to obtain your goals.
Bruce had to pretend he wasn’t who he really was, that he was the epitome of the word “himbo”. And you ? You had to appear ruthless and ambitious to get to where you are in Wayne Enterprises, pretend to be heartless (just like him) just to finally get to the board…
What were those feelings ?
A mere mention of you use to put him in a bad mood. Irrationally so. But now…
************
It felt like your relationship evolved by cycles of one year at a time.
It had already been a year, since you survived the hostage situation. Since you both slowly change your mind about the other.
A year of becoming precious business partner and…You found yourself, slowly, in the same position than your mother was years ago. You were what she was for his parents.
How odd.
From hating each other, to this.
From enemies to…friends ?
Weird.
************
Does it surprise anyone that someone as despicable as Charles Hammerworth wanted revenge ? No ? Ok, good. Because he did want revenge.
Bruce Wayne was pretty much unattainable, especially now that The Penguin pulled out and decided to not help. But you ? You were just a low rank employee (although were you ever “low” ? You did sway many people along the way, including that damn Bruce Wayne !). It was easy to get to you.
Paying someone to take care of it (because he viewed you as an “it”) was easy, especially in Gotham. And so your days were numbered, except…
Except Batman.
Did Hammerworth really think Bruce would just let him go after he very obviously helped the Penguin ? It’s not because he didn’t press charges, and pretended he didn’t know he had anything to do with it, that he just let him go.
Of course he’d put him under tight surveillance. And when he heard him talk about that murder for hire…
************
When Batman saved you from a man you first took as a thug, but who quickly turned aggressive and scary, you became certain of that gut feelings you’ve had ever since the hostage situation at Wayne Tower.
You could recognize that demeanor anywhere. That body. This jaw line. But you also understood why nobody ever even came close to know the truth yet. After all, the way the Batman portrayed himself was lightyear from how Bruce Wayne showed himself to be…
But you were sure. This was the same person. Actually, you felt like him as the Batman was closer to who Bruce Wayne really was. It made more sense. And finally all those irregularity you noticed in his behavior made sense, too.
His insufferableness also suddenly made sense. The perfect cover up. Nobody was ever going to suspect “Brucie” to be Batman…
He instantly realized you recognized him, but didn’t say anything. He made sure you were safe, and went on with his night. Both your hearts were hammering in your chest, on the same beat.
************
When your door rings the next evening, you’re not surprised.
It’s late, and you kind of expected it to be. When else would he come ?
You saw him at work today. And he didn’t avoid you at all. Why would he anyway ? It was too late to convince you of anything. You knew his secret. And he felt somehow relieved about that. Now, it wasn’t just him and Alfred. There were you too (and soon, there’d be Lucious as well).
Oddly enough, he didn’t feel anything negative about you knowing, not even after all that happened between you two. After how much you purposefully got on each other’s nerves.
It was naturally, that he came to see you at your apartment.
He couldn’t really say anything at work yet. He still hadn’t cleaned up every “parasites” out. There were still people who didn’t really had good intentions towards him. He couldn’t risk any of them hearing anything they shouldn’t.
You opened your door. And there he was. Not wearing his usual suit (you don’t think you ever saw him wearing anything else) but a hoodie and sweatpants.
Nobody would know he was Bruce Wayne, that’s for sure.
You let him in. And then there’s a silence.
Not an awkward one. Not a bad one.
A comfortable silence while you each search for the right words.
But they never come. At least not right now.
Eventually, one day, you’ll be able to talk about. How your feelings bloomed, and how your best friend was right all along.
One day, those two years together would all make sense. Would feel like destiny.
From enemies, to friends, to…
There is no need for words. He grabs you just as you grab him. His fist bunches in your shirt, and he brings you so close. Your arms wrap around his waist.
It’s a kiss like you never tasted before. Full of pent-up passion which finally releases, of frustration that vanishes, of, of…
It’s just you and him.
It’s just him and you.
This all makes sense, really. You’re more alike than you initially thought. Your goals align. And, when you think about those past two years, how could this not be fate ?
Maybe, just maybe, you hated each other at first because both of you knew that if you started to like each other, you would never let go. And neither you nor him were quite ready for that.
But now ? Now that the truth is entirely revealed ? Now that you don’t have to hide who you are anymore ?
From enemies, constantly bickering and clashing.
To friends, the “click” finally happening.
To now.
To lovers.
************
“And that’s how we met.”
You say, as your youngest son, Damian, is absolutely bewildered by that story. Your husband adds :
“You see, I had to do the changes in Wayne Enterprises slowly. “The Board”, those executives, those who abused their powers and turned my parents company into something they would’ve hated…If I went about this too fast, they would’ve found a way to put me on the side. While if I acted like I didn’t care about anything, and worked insidiously, then, then we could make progress. Unfortunately it meant your mother definitely hated me along the way. Can’t really blame her.”
“Well.We used to hate each other.”
Damian was SHOCKED when you finally told him the story of how you and Bruce met. What, how come he never heard of that ? His siblings will hear about this ! How dare they kept that a secret from him ? They must’ve known.
“Ah yeah, she hated my guts.”
“Yeah and you hated mine.”
“I had my reasons to too you know, you were-”
“Um excuse me ? Your reasons to ? You were the one to-”
“Aaah and here we go, that was one of the reasons. Cutting me off and the way you said excuse me!”
“You still didn’t fully grow up, as I can see!”
Damian was flabbergasted. He never saw you two fight. He really didn’t like it…His face was slowly falling, and he wanted to leave. Or for you to stop. He didn’t want to have his image of your perfect loving couple shattered. No. Why did he ask how you met, this was all his fault ! He was-
You two were kissing. Fiercely. Having seemingly forgotten about your son’s presence.
And Damian took it all back. Yeah. No. You two were still disgustingly in love, and the small bicker meant nothing. Clearly. He was pretty sure you weren’t even fighting, that it was just playful and…
He didn’t want to know more. This was grossing him out. Forgetting about any sadness, the image of you two being perfect for each other still intact in his head, your son left the room hurriedly and slammed the door shut.
He leaned on it, and smiled. It fitted the two of you so well, in the end, this way you fell in love. It was drawn out, it was meaningful, it was meant to be.
Enemies to lovers uh ? How weird.
Now, where were his siblings ? He felt the need to go annoy them, and pretend to be mad at them for not telling him the truth about their parents’ meeting.
Damian didn’t have the self-reflection yet, to realize how much his love language resembled yours…
This was long haha. Man, I missed writing long ass stories and all. I hope it wasn’t boring though. I do hope you liked this one ! :D As usual, if you did, comments and/or reblogs are always beyond appreciated !
Also, sort of thinking about turning “enemies to lovers” into a series and writing a story for each batkids with it hehe. What do you think ? I know I have many ideas for Dick and Jason already.
Synopsis : The story of the heartbreak brought by the dreaded news that one of your son just died…
Hello everyone. Long time no see☺️ Was very busy IRL (in a good way), but I don’t intend to stop this blog anytime soon. So here’s a story. Angst in coming haha. As usual comments and other reblogs are always very welcomed ! Hope you’ll like it:
You’d do anything for him to not utter another word.
Punch him in the face with all your might. Leave and never come back. Duct tape his mouth, or force him to close it with your hand. Sing loudly as to drown his voice. And if only you were able to speak yourself, you could scream at him to shut up.
Shut up, Bruce, shut up.
Just shut up.
You’d do anything for him to stop talking. For you not to hear what he’s about to say.
If only…
If only you were able to move. To speak. But you couldn’t. You were frozen on the spot, unable to stop the disaster that was bound to happen.
If only this was a dream.
If only…
You’d wake up, and tell him about this awful nightmare you had. About how you wanted nothing but for him to shut up because you knew that he was going to announce a tragedy you weren’t sure you could handle.
But this was reality. And he was right in front of you. And you could do nothing, but listen to what he had to say.
“Jason…”
You could feel your legs buckle under you, as if they just turned into cotton. And you couldn’t control them. You couldn’t control anything. A fuzzy dark fog took place in your brain, knowing exactly what was about to happen, while at the same time refusing to accept it.
But you knew.
You knew what he was going to say. You knew ever since you saw him come back alone, his face emotionless. A face he would make only when in great distress himself, trying to tuck away his emotions in order to survive through the crisis.
He only kept this emotionless attitude around you when the situation was dire. When he felt the worst. So you knew. You knew what happened.
And you didn’t want to hear it.
“Jason…”
Thanks God Alfred was right next to you, or you would’ve fall.
You grabbed the butler’s arm, and he catches you.
He knows too what your husband is about to say. He knows too, how broken you two are going to be, and he knows he has to be strong to try and mend you back together.
And so when your weight falls on his side, your surrogate father catches you.
He’ll always be there to catch you.
Bruce finally says it. After his explanation of how the Joker got your boy…He finally says it. Those few dreaded words.
“Jason…Jason isn’t coming back.”
He tries to stay stoic, to not bow down. To not fall apart, to not feel overwhelmed and destroyed by the death of his son.
He tries to stay strong, for you.
But he cannot hide the sadness filling his eyes when he looks at you. He cannot hide the guilt he feels, as he came back without his son. Your son.
He tries, really hard. Because he can’t break right now. But it’s hard. It’s too hard. And what he thinks will follow makes it even harder.
You’re shocked. And devastated.
And he waits.
He waits for you to regain a semblance of your senses. He waits, trying to stand tall, for you to…get mad at him.
Furious, because it is his fault you lost your son.
He waits for you to come to him, and hit his chest as hard as you can. He waits for you to let your hatred for him flow. He waits for his sentence, as he committed an irreparable crime.
It’s his fault your son died. His son.
He should’ve never allowed him to become Robin, never. It was so selfish of him. Dick left, and went to do his own thing, and he found Jason and…The boy was so enthusiastic. So happy to be there. So eager to please, and be part of your life. Part of bettering Gotham, too, knowing full well how much the city needed help.
Bruce couldn’t resist him. Couldn’t resist that pumped little boy who wanted so desperately and wholeheartedly to help. He trained him, took him in as his son.
And now he was dead. And it was all his fault.
You pull away from Alfred, wiping tears off of your cheeks. The man you came to see as your father hands you a handkerchief, and you take it, trying to dry the ever flowing stream of salty tears coming out of your eyes.
You finally take a step away from Alfred, and look at Bruce.
Your eyes are so full of pain and misery that he cannot hold your stare. He bends his head down, trying as hard as he can to remain stoic. Wrongfully thinking that he has to be the strong one. That he has to endure everything on his own.
He feels you coming close to him, and he’s ready for you to hit him with all your strength. To yell at him that it is his goddamn fault if Jason was gone.
You’re right in front of him.
His eyes close automatically, awaiting your well deserved hate towards him… Awaiting for the last bits of his heart to be trampled on, as he’s sure he earned your loathing.
But instead…
He jumps at the feel of your hands on his cheeks.
You force him to rise his head, to look at you. There’s so much sadness in your eyes that he feels like his heart is going to burst, but there’s also…determination ?
He doesn’t understand why one of your hand strokes his cheek while the other tangles in his hair. He doesn’t understand why you drag him down to you, so your foreheads are touching.
He doesn’t understand why you’re not yelling at him, why you’re not trying to hurt him…With a broken voice that makes you wince, because it’s filled with grief and hopelessness, he says :
“I killed our son…”
It’s barely a whisper. You can hear him only because you’re so close to him.
Your fingers massage his scalp, you know he always found the gesture soothing. Although in this instance, maybe he didn’t even notice it…
With your other hand, you brush his mouth with your thumb, and bring him ever so close to you. Flush against your body. His arms automatically wrap around you, and his head buries itself in your neck.
“I killed our son…”
He repeats. And you can’t take it anymore. Tightening your grip in his hair so he doesn’t look away, the hand that was on his cheek moving to go around his shoulder, you say :
“No. Bruce. No.”
“But I…”
“It isn’t your fault. It isn’t anyone’s fault but the Joker’s. He’s the one who took our son away. Not you. Hell, if you’re guilty then I am too, I didn’t do anything to stop him from going out there as Robin either…”
“You’ve got nothing to do with that ! I won’t allow you to even think about it !”
“Then it’s not your fault either. It’s the Joker’s. You know it is. It is his fault. His.”
The anger rising in you scares you. You can’t allow such feelings to install themselves inside you. And yet…you see it happen with frightening clarity.
Bruce’s voice brings you back to reality :
“It is still my fault. I am…”
You shut him up with the softest kiss on his lips, trying to convey to him that no, no he’s not responsible for Jason’s death. It’s the Joker. It’s all him. He killed your beloved son. It is hisfault. He has to pay.
You feel the furry climbing inside you, how it overshadows even your sadness.
Turning your grief into hatred. You want to kill him. You want to kill the Joker…
God, you want to annihilate him so bad.
But you know it’s not the solution.
You know it’s exactly what that psycho wants. And Bruce does know it too. He can feel your anger as well, and inside him, it’s a turmoil of emotions.
In your arms, he understands though.
He understands that he cannot kill the Joker for what he did to his son. Because if he does, then not only did he lost his boy, but also his soul.
If he kills the Joker, then the clown wins. Everything the Joker ever did was to taunt the Batman to kill him. He will not give him this satisfaction.
For Jason. And everything that boy stood for.
He cannot let that happen. For Jason. He’ll never let that happen.
He won’t let the Joker win.
He can feel you loosing all your strength in his arms, and he goes down on his knees with you, holding you tight against his heart.
“It is not your fault my love, it is not your fault…”
You repeat that for hours and hours. You repeat that until he almost believes it.
Here, on the floor of the batcave, you repeat it, while you hug him with all your might, and let him burry his face in your neck.
He needs it.
He needs to let go. You make him understand he doesn’t have to be strong with you. He just lost a son. You just lost a son.
He doesn’t need to be strong all the time. And certainly not when with you.
“We…we lost our son…”
His voice cracks, and finally, his tears run freely, his arms strengthening around you, bringing you even closer to him. You let him. Of course you let him. You let go too. And together, you let your grief run fully out of you.
You can feel at some point Alfred coming close to you, wrapping the both of you in a warm blanket. Even in pain he makes sure you don’t catch a cold…you want to tell him “thank you”, but all you can say is :
“It’s not your fault.”
To Bruce. Over and over again. Holding him close. And he almost believes it.
You repeat those words, until you’re both too tired, exhausted because of the sorrow, and the heartache you felt.
“We just lost our son…”
************
It was the same nightmare all over again.
Jason came back to you years ago. It took him a long time to forgive you and Bruce for not killing the Joker. It took him ages to realize why you didn’t do it. And though he finally understood, the boy he used to be, the cheerful and mischievous boy he was, had forever disappear.
Sometimes, you could see some remnants of what he used to be. Some fleeting moments, when he was with you or his brothers. But it was often gone rapidly…In a matter of seconds, he was all serious and broody, just like his father.
Just like his father, though your Bruce would give anything for him not to be.
Jason came back to you years ago, but the boy he was died that fateful day. Your boy was gone, forever, replaced by a man. But at least, he came back…
And now, it was the same nightmare all over again.
“Damian…Damian isn’t…”
“Please Bruce. Shhh. Don’t say it. Please. Don’t say anything else.”
The wave of despair that hits you right there and then, makes you fall to the floor, hard. And Bruce can barely catch you before you hit the ground heavily.
Here you are again. Laying on the batcave’s floor, in his laps, grieving a son.
Damian isn’t coming back, you already know it.
His own biological mother killed him, to prove a point to herself.
A point that hurt her. Because no. She wasn’t as emotionless as she thought. No, she couldn’t just kill “her” son and move on. She wasn’t her father…
But she killed him. She did. Keeping yourself from killing her isn’t as hard as when you decided not to kill the joker. Because you know she suffers too, more than if she was dead. And in a twisted way, this makes you more satisfied than if she was gone.
You resent those feelings. This is not who you are…And yet. It is. The hatred you feel after the death of your little boy will forever be part of you. The need for the person responsible to suffer is unfortunately something you truly feel, to your core. And honestly, who could blame you ?
Unlike the Joker, you knew Talia felt things. And, good.
Because she doesn’t even deserve to die. It would be too easy.
And oh, oh how you don’t recognize yourself in those ugly feelings. But…She killed Damian. She killed “her” son. She killed your son. You cannot hide this dark part of yourself that needs revenge.
You cannot.
You feel Bruce shake while he holds you against him. Sat on the floor with you in his arms, not ready to ever let you go.
You can see Alfred collapsing in Dick’s arms. Your beloved butler cannot handle it this time. He cannot be the strong one everyone needs. Not again.
On your oldest son’s face, there’s nothing but misery, but he tries to keep it in, because it’s his turn to take care of you, of Alfred, of his father…He wasn’t there for you guys when Jason died, busy doing his “own things”, not even knowing his little brother died. Maybe if he was there at the time, he could’ve saved him ? Maybe if he didn’t “selfishly” decide to leave ?
But there is no point in dwelling in the past. He wasn’t there before, he would be there this time. He would be there this time…
You can also spot, in the blur of your teary eyes, Jason holding a shaking, crying Tim. It wasn’t always the biggest love between Tim and Damian. They drove each other crazy on a regular basis. But he was his brother. The teasing didn’t mean there was no love. On the contrary, their constant bickering was their own way to say : “I care deeply about you, dumbass”, their brotherly love language. And Damian was so young. Damian was so young…He wasn’t even able to protect his little brother, how could he help protecting the city ?
You don’t see Cass, and in a way, that’s good. You’re not sure you could handle seeing her heart broken You vaguely recall, in your painful state, that she’s away on a school trip, and you dread her return…
(A/N : Duke was not yet part of the fam when Damian died, which is why he does not appear in this story).
Your eyes meet Jason’s, and the strength in them makes you feel a tiny bit better. You know he’ll be here too. You know he’s not going anywhere. Not this time. It took him a long time to forgive you and Bruce, but now, he wasn’t planning on leaving ever again. Especially not now. He knows you need him more than ever, and he’ll be there. Yes. He’ll be there.
This time, no words are exchanged between you and Bruce. You just hold onto each others, because that’s the only thing you can do, the only thing you can bear. His breath warms your forehead as he holds you close to him.
This time, no words are exchanged between you and your Bruce. No. This time, you can’t speak. Surrounded by your grieving family, by your sons who are shaken to the core, by your surrogate father who was dying of sadness, by your Bruce…You can’t utter a word.
You can just hug your husband tight, making sure he won’t go.
He can just burry his face in your hair, not holding back his tears and sadness. Once again, he lost a son, and it was his fault, because he wasn’t able to protect him.
This time, you don’t have the strength to tell him itisn’this fault. This time, years after you lost Jason, you don’t have the strength to handle it anymore.
Couldn’t your family catch a break ? So much grief, so many bad things happening to your beloved sons, to your Bruce…
This time, you don’t have the strength to reassure Bruce.
You just lost a son. He just lost a son.
“We just lost our son…”
You hear him whisper, so lowly that you’re not sure he actually said it, or if your brain is playing tricks on you. If it’s some kind of flashback from Jason’s death.
Damian isn’t coming back. He’s never coming back. You lost a son. He lost a son. Your kids lost a brother. Alfred lost a grandchild.
The World lost one of its greatest and brightest inhabitant.
The reality of all of this delves on you, and the same sadness you felt when you thought Jason was gone forever washes over you, taking away all of your hopes, all vision of a bright future.
Damian. Your son. Your youngest little boy. Isn’t coming back.
He’s never coming back.
Yes, how terrible it is, to love something that Death can touch.
To be continued ;) (because yes, Jason and Damian’s death were super hard to deal with…but let’s not forget about how Dick, Tim and Bruce faked their death and it must’ve been as equally horrible to think you lost your loved ones just to realize they were fine all along, re-writing this story made me want to write a sequel about those guys so bad :). And also talk about other very close call with death, admittedly an endless subject with this family haha).
_______________________________________________
Maybe some of y’all noticed, this is a rewriting of an old story of mine (which I accidentally erased…I need to stop being on Tumblr on my phone ). I liked it so I just…rewrote it (I still had the original story tucked away in a word document, thanks God I saved everything from the first time I accidentally erased something haha). The original story was almost 5 years old, and although I’m still insecure in many ways about my writing, I do believe I improved since then (mainly thanks to this blog, and y’all <3). I’m pretty happy I re-wrote it, I made some massive changes to it which I think better it :). I don’t know if any of y’all read it before this re-write, but if you remember it (again, it’s old and pretty much went under the radar amongst all my fics), you’ll realize how vastly different it is now. And I like it better…I hope you do too.
Yup. I do hope you liked it, and if you did, comments and reblogs are always beyond appreciated, and motivating:).
Synopsis :Damian is terrified of growing up, because he finally found a family and doesn’t want them to be around him less because he grows older…He’s especially scared that his mom, you, will slowly stop taking care of him. Because that’s what growing up is right ? Your parents just slowly stop taking care of you because you’re an adult. His siblings reassure him that…this is definitely not gonna happen.
Sudden burst of inspiration, had to jump on the occasion to write ! Like y’all, I hadn’t been able to sit down and write for that long in over six months, the fact I wrote this in an hour without stopping once is a good sign for me hehe. I hope you’ll like this, and of course as always feedbacks and reblogs are super welcomed !! :
“Hey buddy, I have some important meetings today and won’t be there for lunch. Your dad too. I left some food for you, see you tonight, love ya.”
Are the simple sentences that set Damian off.
Alfred had his day off (and Damian couldn’t feel bad about that, the butler rarely took days off and when he did they were planned well in advance and he’d usually prepare everything for everyone). You and Bruce were busy. And his siblings were out and about. Damian could definitely reheat food for himself. It wasn’t really a challenge. It’s just that…
That him alone in the manor, it reminded him of bad days from the past, when he always had to fend off for himself.
He felt absolutely ridiculous feeling that way, because that was the first time since he came into your life that he actually was home alone. But he couldn’t help it. He’d gotten used to always having someone around. And he hated being alone.
At first, he always sought to be on his own. It was all he ever knew. And he thought that’s how life was. He spend hours on end all alone in his room, when he wasn’t in the Batcave. Up until…
Up until you sought him out. Whether it was to watch a movie, bake some cookies or just be silly. And if it wasn’t you, it was one of his siblings. He thought you were all so annoying, in the beginning. He always sighted, growled and got snappy with you all when you came look for him at first. But then…
Then he realized that, when you finally started to leave him alone thinking he just liked to be on his own…He felt lonely.
Actually lonely.
And it always brought an onslaught of bad memories, when he felt that way. So today ? Yeah. To him it was silly to have those emotions, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t. He wasn’t used to be alone anymore.
The truth was, this couldn’t be a worst timing.
It was almost his birthday, reminiscent that he was getting older and older, closer and closer to the age he’d have to leave the Manor and fly on his own.
And he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to and this wasn’t fair ! He was already ten when he came into yours and Bruce’s life, so much less time than most children to enjoy their parents’ care ! And to be the “baby of the family”. He only had eight years of this bliss.
Eight years of finally having care and love, and someone who would always be there for him.
For some reasons, in his very pragmatic and cartesian mind, once you turned eighteen, you were on your own.
Was it because this was the age his grandfather had originally planned for him to start taking over the world for real ? The age his grandfather always mentioned as the final trial before he had to handle himself (even more than before) ? Before he had to put his years of training into action ? A perpetual “Year of the blood” ?
Maybe.
And maybe if he wasn’t so afraid, he would’ve seen how, even though Dick and Jason had their own place in town, they were still very obviously your babies (just the week before, you went to Dick’s apartment to bring him some chicken soup, and stayed there the night because he had the flu !).
Or maybe he would’ve noticed Cass had turned 18 not long ago and was still here with no intention yet of leaving. Cass actually had the same sort of thoughts than Damian, except in her head, because she only started to have love and care at age 12 when she was officially adopted by you, she had lots to catch up, and her plan was to stay as long as she could at the manor.
Not that it would bother you nor Bruce. The place would feel too lonely without them (Bruce’s secret wish would be that none of his kids would ever leave the nest, and he did everything to convince them to stay…Alfred had to have a stern talk with him when he tried to dissuade Dick to take his own apartment and scare him into staying home).
Yes. Maybe if he hadn’t been so afraid, Damian would’ve realized that of course you’d never just stop caring for him once he turned a certain age.
But fear. Fear always numb the mind, and you can never think straight when something that primal rises inside you. And it was oddly set in his mind that once you turn eighteen, you had to leave your family.
He had only about four or five years max left now. It wasn’t much.
It wasn’t enough.
And he was so afraid.
To be honest, he had been thinking about it for a while now. And the mere thought of having to leave the manor filled him with anxiety and distress.
He needed some fresh air. Whenever he felt like he was going to explode because he felt too many things at once, he’d go out in the garden (most of the time with Titus). To think. And to refresh himself. And he would-
“Uuuum, I’m sorry young man but where’s your jacket ? It’s October, and COLD.”
Damian jumped a little in the air, he was most definitely not expecting anyone. As he turned around and saw Jason there, a frown on his face, the gloominess he felt about being alone for lunch instantly faded away.
“What are you doing here ?”
He asked a bit harshly, to keep composure. He was not about to tell his brother, especially not that one, that he was feeling the way he was feeling. Jason had a tendency to remember things way too well.
“Mom told me to come check on you, she wasn’t sure she left enough food for your lunch. Dad called too, cause of course he would. As if I forget to do things, you know ? Anyway, I brought veggie burgers and fries. Oh. And Dick also texted me like forty times to come because I wasn’t doing anything “important” -how would he know anyway- and he was busy…being a cop or something.”
Jason said, ignoring the bite in his little brother’s voice. Just like everyone else in the family, he came to recognize when Damian didn’t really mean the things he said, or the tone he took.
As if it was the most normal thing in the world, he took his jacket off and put it on Damian’s shoulder.
“Honestly, wearing a t-shirt in this weather. You’re lucky mom’s not here. You’d never hear the end of it. If she can make a speech about wearing proper warm clothing to dad, out of everyone, to the Batman himself, she can definitely talk your ears off about it too.”
“I’m not cold.”
“Sure you’re not.”
Truth was, yeah, Damian was starting to feel a little cold. He didn’t really think about taking a jacket when he got out. Mmm. Someone reminding him to wear a jacket.
It’s the little things, you know ?
That he’ll miss. When he’ll be too grown up for it. When his parents, and even his siblings will just assume he can think of a jacket himself. And like, yeah, sure, he probably could. Once you’re an adult you have to think about this kind of thing.
But what if he forgot ? Nobody anymore to remind him, or to bring a warm way-too-big-for-him coat to wear…
He’d miss that.
Jason was staring at him, immediately noticing something was wrong, and said:
“Alright, out with it.”
“What ?”
“Something is obviously bothering you. Come on, tell me. You know you can trust me.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Sure it’s not.”
Damian clicked his tongue in annoyance. Jason had this particular sarcasm and irony about him, that instantly made you understand that he did not believe you. He shook the bag containing the veggie burgers, a warm and appetizing smell coming out of it, and said :
“Come on, let’s go inside. Eat. And we’ll see if you wanna talk then.”
************
Damian did talk. And it was easier than he thought it would be. Jason made a comment about him not eating any of the food you made, and how it would worry you and…It just poured out of the little boy’s mouth.
All his worries. His fears and his stress.
“I know it’s stupid, but please don’t mock me.”
He said, dejected. There was a short silence before Jason said :
“I’m not about to mock you for that, little brother. I feel ya, really.”
Ah yes. Yes. There was probably no one better than Jason who understood exactly Damian’s feelings right now.
As a child, Jason was constantly afraid he’d do something wrong and you would stop loving him, so he always worked extra hard to be good, even when it was hard to. And after he died and came back in the way he did…It’s like his worst fear happened. Because he thought the reason Bruce never killed the Joker was that he didn’t really love him. And the reason you and him adopted Tim was to replace him.
Of course, now, he understood how wrong he was. And of course, at the same time, his anger and hurt was justified. But this was another story.
The point was, Jason understood Damian’s fear right now. And so the perfect words to reassure his brother came naturally to him, too. It were the words he wished he heard, all those years ago (and that you eventually did tell him) :
“Ok but Squirt, if you think that just because you’re gonna be a “grown up” or whatever I’ll stop caring about you, you’re very wrong. I will call you to remind you of very basic things till the end of days. You’re sixty, have a wife and children ? I’m in my seventies screaming at you to were a jacket. It’ll never end. Never. You’re always going to be my little brother. And mom’s kid. Always.”
He’d never admit it, but Jason was kind of the “mom brother”. People always thought he was the rebel who only fought with his family…that wasn’t true. He fought with Bruce, sure. And he constantly bickered with Dick but that’s because they had this little “big brother competition” going on (and when they were children, Jason admired Dick and felt embarrassed about that so he would snap at him for no reasons because he still had a hard time processing his emotions…after all, he grew up all alone, nobody ever explained to him it was ok to want to be loved, to be angry, to be hurt etc).
He resembled you greatly in that way, really. It was because of his life in the streets, and his broken family. When he finally found the love of a Family, he never let it go. Even when he was so angry, in the first few years of being Red Hood. The reason he was, was because he loved all of you so much.
And he resembled you. The same comments about eating enough, drinking water, sleeping enough, wearing warm clothes or not watching TV in the dark. He’d “mom” his siblings when you weren’t there, and they pretend they were annoyed by it while really, it was the opposite.
And Damian thought, well, if his brother, who was so much like you, said that. If he sounded so sure about never ever stopping caring and loving him…Then surely, you would too, right ?
Because you were really a like, he thought. Really alike.
And he was happy to not be alone for lunch.
************
“Jason ! You’re still here, oh you’re staying for dinner right ? Alfred always make too much food just in case one of you will pop in anyway. He’s coming back tonight”
The sheer and simple happiness written on your face as you see your son is obvious. Damian sees it. And it’s reassuring. So, so reassuring. The same smile Is still on your face when you turn to him and say :
“How was it today ? Did you have enough food ? See when Alfred has his day off I always feel like I don’t feed you enough.”
“It was fine mom. Also Jason brought veggie burgers and all so we had more than enough.”
“Oh good. What did you two little buddies did today ?”
“You two little buddies”. Jason, who was in his early twenties, and Damian, who was quite younger…were called the same way.
It meant something, right ? It meant you both saw them the same, right ?
And so…it meant than when Damian would be older, you’d still see him as your little kid ? And care for him ?
You hadn’t seen Jason for barely three days, and yet you attacked him with dozens of questions about how he was doing, and what he was doing and…it reassured Damian. Greatly.
Yes. You left space for your children as they grew up. But when they didn’t want that space ? When they needed you ? Like right now, as Jason was telling you about his recent adventures ? …You were there.
You were there. And by all means, it felt like you would always be there.
Jason noticed the relief in his little brother, and gave him a partner-in-crime kind of wink. Which made the little boy smile, despite himself.
************
“Mooooom !! Can you make that “PB and J samwitch” you’re famous for please ?”
“With the crust cut off ?”
“Yes please.”
“No worries little buddy.”
Dick hadn’t been home for more than an hour, before he launched his infamous “Moooom” and asked you for something. And honestly ? Didn’t bother you one bit. He had always been polite about asking you things, and it was never too difficult. Just small rituals between you two.
Like the PB and J “samwitch”. Almost an inside joke between you and him. One of the thing, as silly as it sounds, that made you so close all those years ago, when he was a little heartbroken eight year old. And when you promised yourself you’d always be there for him.
So what if sometimes you made him his favorite sandwiches ? He definitely was grateful and this little reminiscence of past years always warmed your heart. Making those sandwiches, cutting the crust off, eating them with him…It all brought only good memories. And it made new good memories. So why would you stop doing it ?
Dick smiled and went to sit in the comfy armchair of the main living room. Damian was sitting in another one, reading a book. However, very fast, Dick felt his brother’s eyes on him and turned around, a question in his eyes.
“…You’re twenty-four.” Damian said, an eyebrow raised.
“Yeah, I am. And so ?”
“”Samwitch” ? Crust cut off ? Can’t you do that yourself ?? Are you a child or what ?”
There’s a small silence, during which Dick seems to ponder Damian’s question. And ah, of course he takes it very seriously. A little too seriously maybe, as he puts a hand on his chin, as he always does when he tries to think of a plan of attack during his “vigilante work”.
“Well. Yeah. I can do it myself. And I do when I’m back in my apartment. But mom is here so, yeah.”
It sounded like an evidence in Dick’s mouth. Of course. Of course if his mom was here, if you were here, he’d take advantage of it and seek to be pampered by you. And where was the bad in this ?
I mean, he’d been living on his own for a while now, couldn’t he sometimes be indulged and treated like if he was still a kid ? You always told him he’ll forever be “your kid” anyway. And your sandwiches, although made the same way he made it, somehow still tasted better.
Dick could see Damian had some trouble fathoming his behavior, and as the big brother he was, of course he’d properly explain.
“We’re lucky to have an awesome mom who loves us. Who wants to be there for us, even if it’s to make our favorite food. Why wouldn’t we be happy about it, and let her do it ? I’m always happy to do things to help her out, like when I pick you or Tim at school. Stuffs like that. It’s um…Our love language ?”
“Love language ?”
“Yeah, you know. The way we show we love each others. Amongst other thing. Like we both have multiple love language I feel but it’s not really the question here. Listen, yeah, I’m twenty-four. And maybe it’s a flaw, to still love to be treated like a kid by my mom. Maybe it’s not normal, even. But out there, whether at work at the police station, or when I’m Nightwing…Things are rarely great. We always see broken families, people in pain, horrible things happening. So what if, when I’m home, with my mom, I like to be taken care of ?”
Damian was stunned. Yeah. Yeah he understood what Dick meant. But he just didn’t know you could be THAT old and still have your mom do all of that ! Which is a little silly, because he did see his mom act that way towards Dick or Jason before, without batting an eye.
Why is it that when it came to himself, he always thought there were different set of rules, he always was so hard on himself about everything ? You and his siblings made him understand.
He deserved love too. And-
“Here little buddy, yoursamwitch. And you, littlest buddy, do you want anything ?”
You were speaking to him. He hadn’t even noticed you came back, pondering about what Dick just said. But he answered :
“Could I have some cookies, please ?”
“Of course. White chocolate chip ?”
“Yes ! Um, could I help you ?”
“Of course, come one, the more the merrier. Let’s try to not eat all the cookie dough before though, like last time. Wanna join, Dickiebird ?”
“Gladly ! Always love to cook with you.”
Dick didn’t care, when his team mates from Teen Titans mocked him because he called his mom every day. He didn’t care, when the Young Justice, and now the Justice League mocked him when his mom called him “Dickiebird”, “Little buddy” or “my baby”. For Dick, you still sometimes almost babying him was a great treat.
Because he was right. His life was hard. Harder than most. And so, what if he wanted to get a hug from his mom, or to just be generally pampered by her ? If you were around, he for sure still would ask you to tuck him in…and where was the shame in this ? Those moments were so rare nowadays. And he was an independent adult. So what if sometimes, just sometimes, he wanted to escape the harshness of real life just to feel cared for by his mom, or his dad ?
There was no shame in this. None. Which is why Dick never cared when other mocked him about it. This was hardly something he was ashamed of.
And today, Damian understood this, too.
No matter how old he would be, he would always still still be allowed to have his mom take care of him.
************
“I turned 18. I am now an adult, by law. But mom doesn’t care much about law. Look.”
Cass says, and on that note, she smiles at her brother tenderly before going to where you were sitting, and just…Ah yes. Damian saw her do that before.
Damian and Cass understood each other really well. They both had a difficult and loveless early childhood, and were craving affection now. And it wasn’t rare that he would see his sister…demand a hug from their mom (and even from their dad, the boys were sometimes a little too proud and awkward for that, but Cass ? She didn’t care. If she needed comfort, she wouldn’t hesitate to seek it. Not anymore.)
And Damian instantly knew what she was trying to show him.
Cass was grown up now. By all technicalities. Yet if she wanted a hug, she’d get it. And both Damian and her knew that whether she was twelve, eighteen or forty, as long as you were there, you would give one to her.
As usual, without any words, Cass was able to convey all her meanings to her little brother.
Damian felt warmth in his heart the rest of the evening. Feeling happy to see her sister happy. But also that yes, age definitely didn’t matter when it came to motherly love. And that made him more than happy, a feeling he had no words yet to express.
But as Cass constantly showed, sometimes, you didn’t even need any words to show your true feelings.
******
Damian’s concerns came to Duke’s ears, one day. And although Damian was less and less afraid of the eventuality you would one day stop caring for him, the topic of conversation still came up as they were patrolling, and Duke was more than willing to let Damian open up to him.
Especially since this was the first time they had this kind of heart to heart conversation. Damian was a tough nut to crack. He always kept his distance at first, suspicious of any newcomer. And he also was a little jealous of the attention given to Duke, for sure.
But this conversation ? It came naturally as they were just casually talking while on their patrol, and nothing much was happening.
“I’ve been here for less time than you, but I have no doubt in my mind that Bruce and (Y/N) will never cease to see us as their kids.”
It’s true. Duke hadn’t been here for as long as all your other kids. And his situation was a little special, as his parents were still alive and there was hope for them, even after all this time. He hadn’t yet called you or Bruce “mom” and “dad, but he didn’t think any less. You took that place in his heart, right along sides his own parents. You taught him that he could still treat all of you like his family without betraying the family he already had.
And that was precious.
And oh so needed, after all he’s been through.
And for Duke, there really wasn’t any doubt. He knew he’ll forever be able to count on you.
“See it that way, if I needed you, twenty years from now, would you not come to help me ?”
Damian looked at Duke, outraged in his eyes, and exclaimed :
“Of course I would come !”
“Well it’s the same for all of us. We fight sometimes, and we say things we don’t mean. I know I haven’t been around long, but I also know I would jump in any situation if it was for any of you. In the short time I’ve been here, I was able to feel the family love. And the strong bond we now all share. So believe me Damian, when I say none of us will ever stop caring about and for you just because you grow older, I truly mean it.”
It’s true that Duke hadn’t been a member of the “Batfamily” for long. And this new perspective he brought, Damian didn’t even think about it ! Sometimes, it felt so obvious to all of you that you loved each other, that you forgot to remind that to one another. But for Duke, it was all new. And he had no qualms reminding his new little brother that yes.
Yes, he’ll always be there.
It’s a shame, really, that no one else was around when Damian gave that first hug ever to Duke, who gladly accepted it.
But in a way, this first brotherly move, first trace of the bond that had been built between them, well, maybe it was meant to only be between the two of them.
************
It just happened.
One evening, he was feeling particularly anxious and scared, and he just spilled the bean to..his dad.
And Bruce’s reaction was immediate, and it was obvious by how quickly he spoke that he didn’t quite think things through (if he had, maybe he would’ve known what was about to happen, given a certain son’s presence) :
“Son, your mother even baby me sometimes, so I really do not think she’ll ever stop seeing you as her precious little boy.”
“She…babies you ?”
“Yes, and he LOVES it !” Jason chimes in, snickering and obviously reveling in the fact his father wasalmostblushing.
With his dad, it was always about the micro-changes in his facial expressions. It was hard, to decipher it. Only the trained eyes could see it, and oh, you trained Jason since he first came in to show him the small changes in your husband face. To recognize his “smiles”, his worry, his anger…
Bruce spend years learning how to school his facial expressions, how to control his emotions. But sometimes, with his family, he didn’t fool any of them. And right now, he was clearly not going to react to Jason’s little mockery, so naturally Jason thought he’d add, speaking to his brother :
“You probably saw it. He lays his head in her lap and she scratches it. Kind of how we scratch Ace and Titus’ heads.”
Bruce kept a neutral expression (and how frustrating it was how much he could school his expression to let nothing appear), and answered, matter of factly :
“She does not “scratch” my head. She runs her hand through my hair. -short pause- It’s soothing.”
There was almost a comical gap between his lack of facial expression, his monotone tone, and his words, and it made Jason’s smile even wider. Damian too, couldn’t help but smile a little too much.
“But um. Yes. Sometimes, she just…sooth me.”
Bruce knew this sounded ridiculous, and out of character (to anyone not truly knowing who Bruce Wayne really was). But he also knew that this was the truth. You had this gift. Sometimes you’d sing him sort-of lullabies when he had bad nights. You’d hold him until he fell asleep. You’d run your hand through his hair, caressing his scalp…And he would never stop you.
He would never admit to anyone else but his children this very fact. Never. But if it could reassure his son in any way, what was the harm ?
There was none. And as the night started, Damian felt all warm inside. By the fact his parents love always made him happy for some reason (when they weren’t being gross and kissing -bleargh). But also because, if his forty years old father still had the “soothing treatment”, why wouldn’t he, when he was grown up ?
************
Your kids were pretty good at keeping secrets…but it never lasted long when it came to you. You always knew what was going on. Oh, and once Bruce knew about it ? There was no way he could resist you.
He always told you everything.
And so you came to know Damian’s worries, and even though you understood that everyone reassured him already, you felt like it was your duty to reinforce everything. So, one night, as you were tucking him in, you chose a particular story to read him.
It was a small children’s book. Definitely destined for kids way below his age. Not the kind of thing you would read to him. Usually, you’d both read classics. Adventure books. Lately you read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. Etc etc. Never actual kids’ books. But tonight, this choice seemed appropriate.
It was a book called “Love you Forever” written by four authors, and the last words went something like this :
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, My baby you’ll be.”
And there was no need for more. He knew you knew.
He knew one of his siblings told you about his fear, probably out of worries. Or that his father, as you “ran your hands through his hair”, spilled the bean. And he didn’t care.
Because by reading just a simple bed time story, you erased all his fears.
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, My baby you’ll be.”
************
It was rare, to have all of your kids home. But sometimes, it happened. When they took the rare night off (and only because Kate was out, because they knew it’d be calm…even in Gotham, certain nights were eventless). It happened less and less, as time went on and they all grew up.
Your babies.
You always felt a pinch in your heart, thinking about how one day, they’ll all leave. Ah if only. If only they could all feel like Damian feels right now.
Like he never wants to grow up, like he never wants to leave.
But you knew. You knew that even him, one day, would take his flight. And you knew that he would do great.
You also knew you would never cease being a mother. And that as soon as they’d need you, you’d be there.
It was getting late, and you were thinking about all this when Dick, who was always great at reading your feelings and knew you were a bit nostalgic at the moment, said :
“Hey, say, mom, since we’re all here and have the night off…what about a bed time story ?”
Oh. Ooh. How could you resist ? As Dick asked you that, a wide smile on his face, you had a flashback of the sweet little eight years old boy who used to ask that same question every night. And you never could say no.
And when they were all here ? It was impossible to refuse the offer.
Yours and Bruce’s bed was a unique bed tailored especially for you that your husband ordered years ago, when Cassandra officially became your daughter and your old bed was starting to be too small for all of you when it was “story time nights”.
It was a bed especially made for your family, and each one of your children had their spot on it, as you started to read one of the house’s favorite. Even Bruce, was listening, and the sound of your voice plus the presence of his children had the most soothing effect on him.
You all regularly joked that he was the first one to dose off, off in a deep sleep. He didn’t care much, those were the few moments he could genuinely sleep. And that made all of you happy.
One by one, your children fell asleep, a cute tangle of arms and legs (Dick had the habit since a long time to almost strangle Jason, clinging to him as he fell asleep, and as Jason grew up and became much taller than Dick, it just went from cute brotherly love to hilarious “hugchokehold”). Damian was the last one to close his eyes, as usual, wanting to enjoy moments with his family as much as he could.
The story was over since quite a while, but you weren’t asleep yet. You were just basking in the warmth and love of being surrounded by those you loved, your children who would always be your babies, and your husband who was the love of your life.
Sometimes, amongst all the hardship and troubles, there were really blissful moments.
I hope you liked it. Just a little silly story that came to my mind as I was thinking about my own mom :). Maybe it’s stupid, I still enjoyed writing it ! And I hope you liked reading it. As usual feedbacks and reblogs are always welcomed, and see you soon with a new story !
Synopsis : Your water breaks during a storm in Gotham, which prevents you to get to a hospital right away…Freak outs all around ensues. Except for you, as you try, while in labour, to calm your family down.
I’ve had that idea in my head for a while haha. So here we are. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this story, as usual don’t hesitate to leave a comment, reblog, and such ^^. Thank you, and here we go :
It was a dark and rainy night, and a storm was brewing.
The weather outside was downright awful, the kind of weather that makes you want to curl under a warm blanket, with a cup of warm tea or chocolate milk, and read. Or watch a movie. Just stay inside, safe and sound.
Living near the Atlantic wasn’t without danger of a natural disaster, although storms were rare in Gotham. But oh when they happened…You couldn’t see the end of it. It could last for days, and it was rather violent.
The city, courtesy of Wayne Inc, had turned most buildings into “hurricane proofs” shelters so that in the rare occurrence of such a storm happening, everyone would lock themselves in. Safe and sound.
Iron curtains would come down, foundations of skyscrapers were reinforced etc etc. The “hurricane protection” program started with Bruce’s parents, and their son finished it after years of construction work, and patience. Despite having a terrible reputation crime wise, the city was known to be one of the safest in the USA in case of a natural disaster such as this.
Bruce had also installed “Hurricane relief funds” so that every single citizen would have enough supplies to actually stay in.
Yes. Violent storms (or rather, “hurricanes”), were rare, in Gotham. But they happened. And most people hated them, understandably so. Even if nowadays they were safe, great damages would still be done. It was one thing to get your car blown up by the Joker, it was fine, there were insurances for that…But it was another thing to get it flooded and/or destroyed by a goddamn storm. Thanks god for that Wayne guy “relief funds” eh.
Especially since, well, this was Gotham. Nothing was ever half-assed here. When the weather was getting real bad, it was getting REAL bad. And of course, being isolated in your home for a few days was never fun.
And then there was you. Probably one of the only person who loved hurricanes.
Selfishly so, but then again, everyone was allowed to be a little selfish, sometimes. Especially when the reason you liked when there were storms…Was because your entire family would gather in Wayne Manor.
And your entire family being in the same place at the same time ? Well, let’s just say it was almost as rare as hurricanes in Gotham. Almost, there was still moments you could gather all together, but oh with your children growing up it was getting harder and harder to do it.
So, stormy nights ? Let’s be a little selfish and be glad that they happened, just so you could have your family close to you. You relieved a little of your guilt knowing that Wayne Inc and your foundation would help people repair the damage, so it was ok if you wanted more hurricanes right ? To see your kids ? Everyone was safe anyway.
Not even the bad guys, went out during those times. It would be a death wish to do so. Which meant even Bruce, stayed home for the nights.
How ironic, that it’s on one such dark and stormy night, that you affectionate so much because they get you to stay at home with your family, that a very pregnant you’s water would break…
************
Gotham’s meteorologist were always right, when it came to coming storms. A few days prior to one, they would make all necessary announcement and everything would be put into place.
The city was often taken by surprise by attacks from a large and colorful array of criminals. But storms ? That was under control.
Your family was definitely prepared, although your husband was a little worried because you were rather close to the due date.
Bruce wanted you to stay the storm’s duration in the hospital, just in case. But you refused, because little Thomas wasn’t due for another three weeks, and you wanted to spend time with your family in the privacy of your home.
“Bruce, we’re fine, he’s not suppose to show up before a few weeks still. It’d be very unlucky if he suddenly decides to come out now.”
You felt that three weeks was definitely a large enough time, and your son would come when he was supposed to. Plus you weren’t going to push yourself too much. Anyway, your children, Alfred and Bruce were absolutely doting on you (which was nice). There was no chance you’d “set in motion the delivery” (Tim had very…original ways of calling childbirth) by being too active. You were just going to chill with your family, probably fall asleep earlier, let Bruce carry you to bed etc etc.
You would quickly come to the conclusion that you were wrong, and that you should’ve listened to your husband. Never again, would you underestimate your youngest child ability to surprise you, and his proficiency to impatience.
Because as the storm was finally fully raging, and you were walking towards the couch to enjoy a good movie night…
Splash
Not a sound, nor a feeling you liked. You froze on the spot, in shock for a few seconds, not sure what had happened, until you realized…Yup, your water definitely broke.
The next steps were going to be very delicate. You had to tell that to your family, without them freaking out. And ah, you knew them.
To people who didn’t know them well, they might all appear in control of their emotions, and ready for whatever could come at them. Your husband was the goddamn Batman after all. He always had a plan, right ? And he schooled himself for years, to control his emotions perfectly.
Dick was a joyful boy (man, now) yet extremely serious when he had the Nightwing costume on. He was the one who resembled Bruce the most, in a lot of ways. A leader, capable of taking that weight on while keeping a cool head.
Jason could appear more emotional to everyone else. Prompt to explode in anger, and let his impulsivity get the better of him. And in a way, it was true. He had always acted on impulse, and could get his emotions overwhelm him. Except in serious and dangerous situation. In those times, he knew exactly how to control himself. His older brother, Dick, was one of his role model for this. The capacity to not let his emotions run his actions.
Tim was a very cerebral being. He was able to detach himself from every single situation and keep calm, analyzing every details to find solutions. You were kinda counting on him to stay relax and help you direct the others.
Cass could appear emotionless, if not cold, to a lot of people. That was because she had been raised to be a living weapon, and sometimes, human interactions were a little hard for her. It didn’t mean she didn’t have any emotion though, oh no, on the contrary. But she was very good at staying calm and collected, so you were counting on her too, here.
Duke was an anxious teen, but he had that rare talent that made him capable of controlling his stress and using it as a driving force. Just like with Tim, you were kind of hoping he would use his freakout as a springboard to find solutions.
Damian was a little ball of nerve, to whoever didn’t really know him. He was actually a very smart child, who lived with a lifetime of guilt and who wanted nothing more than to redeem himself. To you, he was one of the sweetest little boy you ever met, but he was definitely going to freakout right now. He wasn’t just yet as in control of his emotions as the rest of your family.
Ah, but in this situation, none of them would remain master of themselves. You sort of forshadowed it, knowing them as well as you did. You were standing still, looking at them as they were waiting for you (pee breaks were happening often, while you were pregnant), you felt a surge of panic that you tried as best as you could to shut down. You had to remain calm, because you knew they weren’t going to.
Jason and Dick, as if they were kids again, were fighting to have the most comfortable armchair in the room. Both were incredibly stubborn, and they ended up sitting in it uncomfortably, sharing half of the chair, sure that the other one was going to give up (very unlikely). It alleviated your anxiety about losing your water just now, if only for a few seconds, to see your sons, now grown men (they were still your babies, and only in their early to mid-twenties !), “fight” like they used to when they were younger.
Tim had taken his favorite spot, on a bean bag you deemed absolutely uncomfortable but that the boy loved. He’d sit in it, right in front of you and Bruce’s legs, because he liked the comfort of knowing you were near.
It was Damian and Cass’ turn to sit next to you and Bruce, and they were already in their place.
Duke was sitting in the armchair just in front of the one Jason and Dick were fighting for…An exact replica of the armchair they were arguing over. Years ago, to stop them from fighting because of it, Bruce bought the same model again. Both your sons said it wasn’t the same and they liked the other better (it was the EXACT same one). Duke looked at them, rolling his eyes, comfortably settled in that great armchair, quite amused by his oldest brothers behavior.
Alfred was distributing hot beverages, and would soon go sit in his own dedicated armchair…but then he saw you. And he immediately understood.
Good. Saved you the task to tell them what happened, right ?
Alfred’s worried look was quickly spotted by Bruce, who was already sitting down, and he turned around as fast as a certain Wally West (at least, it felt to you that it was that fast). He saw you, standing, and at your feet…A puddle of “water”. You had just lost your amniotic fluid.
You were about to…
“WHAT THE FUCK ??”
Before Bruce could react, Jason, who, as many little brothers around the world, had been ejected from his spot by his older sibling, was about to go back to the fight to get that armchair, when he also saw you.
Chain reaction.
Your husband turning around to look at you, plus Jason’s sudden exclamation, made it very clear to everyone else what was happening. They all turned to you, a few seconds of silence (the silence before the storm ? Pun non intended), only the wind outside was heard. And then…
Everything went dark. And the panic started.
************
Just like in many cases of hurricanes, the power went out. And apparently, it had a sense for a dramatic flair, as it happened just as everyone realized that you were about to give birth, and how bad the situation was.
Fortuntely, Wayne Manor had multiple generators, and they started by themselves after a few seconds, during which you heard your children, and Bruce, scramble toward you while also trying to be careful not to just run into you and hurt you (or the baby).
The light went back on, and you were surrounded by worried eyes as they all started to talk at the same time :
“What are we going to do, we can’t go to the hospital ???”
“I’m sure the bat mobile could endure the storm !”
“If we go with the bat mobile though, won’t everyone know it’s us ?”
“Yeah we’d be sus, but hello, mom is about to have a babyyyy !”
“HOLY SSHHH ! SHE IS !!”
“Guys.” You tried to squeeze in, but they didn’t hear you. Couldn’t hear you.
“What are we going to do ??”
“Boys. Stop yelling. Might scare baby brother.” Cass was distributing little slaps on her brothers foreheads to make them stop, but she didn’t seem calm either. In fact, you knew she was freaking out, just like they all were !
Bruce had taken you into his arms, and carried you to the couch, before you could say a word, and was pacing in front of you. And, wow. It calmed you for a few seconds, to be honest, because that was quite the sight.
Have you ever seen Bruce panicking ? Maybe like, twice in all the years you’ve been together. And even then, he managed to keep his cool. But there ? Not really. He seemed lost, and unsure. Which was a first. But who would blame him ? Even the Batman himself, could freak out at the thought of having his wife about to give birth, while an access to a hospital was nearly impossible ! And with nobody in the house knowing how to deliver a baby !
Oh this wasn’t good. They were about to make you freak out too, and you knew that once you were panicking as well, things would go from bad to worst.
Someone had to keep it together. And to be honest ? You were feeling fine, even if your water broke. And ah, you just realized. You didn’t feel any contractions ! This wasn’t the start of it yet, you had time to gather your thoughts and think of this calmly !
“What if we have to deliver the baby ??”
“I think I’m going to throw up, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact maybe we’ll deliver the baby, or because I’m so stressed.”
“Don’t throw up on me bro !”
“Maybe we could…No, no that wouldn’t work…Or maybe…” Bruce was mumbling, his brain clearly not wanting to work properly. He was obnubilated by the fact things could go very wrong, and your life as well as his son’s were in danger.
None of them were listening to you, and it was becoming increasingly stressful to see them in such a state.
“Guys, guys, GUYS !”
You raised your voice very rarely, but when you did, there was that edge to it that instantly made all of them shut up. Maybe it was the surprise at you screaming that stopped them, or maybe you genuinely scared them back into place because they knew how scary you could be when angry (the only occurrences you might scream).
“Listen, my contractions didn’t begin ok ? I’m not actually in labour yet ? It could be a few hours before it starts, it is common.”
You visibly saw Bruce’s face relax, because…He had time. It wasn’t sure how long, but at least he had some time to think. And he needed it. He needed time to gather his thoughts, to calm down, and think of this logically. With pragmatism. He was sure he could think of a viable solution, with this valuable time. You smiled at him, and added :
“It gives us time to- AAAAH.”
You mentally slapped yourself, as you were pretty sure your optimism just jinxed it…Because you just had your first contraction. That baby wanted out. You could feel it.
************
All Hell broke loose.
Your scream of pain (and surprise really, you didn’t expect to have a contraction so suddenly) put your entire family in a state you never saw them in.
Alfred was nowhere to be seen, while you were desperately looking for him so he could help you calm your family down. He had disappear as the light went back on, and you assumed he was fetching some things to make you comfortable. At least, you hoped he was.
Your children were not armed against seeing you in pain. They rarely saw you hurt, and it was always such a grand source of distress when you were.
They were downright freaking out, even more than before.
Your contractions were very spaced out, which made you think this was just slowly started. But they wouldn’t know that, would they ? Plus, you definitely screamed in pain. And they really didn’t like that.
Bruce, oh boy. Bruce was in a state. He was even worst than your kids when it came to you getting hurt. He just couldn’t bear it. And you could see that he was not doing well right now, and felt powerless as he knew there was no way he could get you to a hospital. At least, not without breaking the secret that he was Batman.
The phone lines were off, so there were no calling for help (anyway, you were pretty sure, given the violence of the storm outside, that nobody would’ve been able to come).
Alfred had reappeared with a fresh beverage that you definitely needed to calm and cool down, and disappeared once more God knew were.
You could see Damian was on the verge of crying, not able to handle all this stress and scared to death that something bad would happen to you.
This instantly calmed Jason who took his role as a big brother very seriously (Dick did so much for him, when he was younger, even if most people always thought he wasn’t present before his death…it was wrong, Dick had been a constant presence in his life, always there for him, and the first one able to approach him and talk to him when he came back as the Red Hood). He went to Damian, and cradled him (maybe a bit roughly) in his arms, patting him on the back to calm him down.
Damian didn’t cry, but he did stay latched on his brother for a bit.
Cassandra was pacing all around the room, nervously cracking ALL of her bones, and you knew she was not doing well and was rather panicked because of how unable to stay still she was. She’s always been a discreet girl, so seeing her pacing around and such was quite a sight. Not a very good one, really. You wished you could reassure her, but you didn’t know how.
Tim was in his own world, clearly trying to calculate all outcomes possible of the situation, and not quite liking the results because he was sweating profusely, and obviously was about to freakout even more. Dick, seeing this, also tried to do what Jason did and calm down to take care of him…but Tim said something in his ear and all of a sudden Dick went really pale, and they both kept rambling about things, hyping each others up in the worst way possible. You could only hear a few things they were saying, but it was clear they were imagining the worst scenarios that could possibly happen, and it was not good at all.
Duke was next to you, and you were honestly not sure whether he was more trying to calm himself or you. He didn’t know what to say, but held your hand and kept nodding, trying to convince you (and himself) that everything was going to be ok.
Suddenly, Bruce stopped in his track, took a look at the sky, and started yelling : “Clark ! CLARK !”
“What are you doing Bruce ?”
Another contraction arrived just after your question, and you did your best to not scream as to not provoke even more panic in your family, but they could clearly see by your face that you were in pain.
Bruce turned his head the other way, as he knew he was going to lose it completely if he saw that expression one more time. And he answered, bluntly :
“Calling Clark.”
Silence. You knew the phone lines were off, it always happened during a storm in Gotham, phones just didn’t work. And you were a little confused by your husband reaction.
Calling Clark ? How ?
“CLARK HURRY UP GODDAMNIT !!”
Your kids stopped what they were doing (which was great, because what they were currently doing, was freaking the hell out and it was doing nobody any good), and looked at their father as if he definitely had lost it.
But then…
Crrrrraaaaaaack
The front door, you knew this was the front door. That clearly just shattered. Maybe because of the storm ? This couldn’t be someone.
Because first, who the Hell was crazy enough to come all the way up here with that kind of weather outside ?? And second, nobody was strong enough to destroy that massive door, right ?
By then, it hadn’t quite hit you that only one answer to this question, “who could it be if it was a person”, was possible.
Bruce left, and came back quickly with…
Well. Yes. Clark Kent. One of your best friend, also known as “Superman”.
“I knew this must’ve been an emergency when you called me “Clark” instead of “Superman””.
He was smiling, of that smile you all knew all too well. But there was a strange edge to it, and you knew that Bruce had filled him in on the way.
But you weren’t quite sure how he got there. Of course, being Superman, the storm wasn’t really a problem, but…how ? How did he know ?
On that moment, you couldn’t think straight. Your water had broken, your family was freaking out all around and you didn’t know how to calm them, and now Clark was here and you just couldn’t think of why and how ??
And then it hit you. And you felt dumb that you didn’t think of it before. Of course, given the situation, you were most definitely not to blame for a little cognitive lapse.
Super hearing.
Clark had super hearing.
But still, did he really hear Bruce yelling from all the way to Metropolis ??
“How ??”
You managed to ask, in between contractions who were worryingly getting closer and closer.
“I heard Bruce.”
“Amongst…Everything ?”
“Oh yeah, I know the sound of y’all’s voice. It’s the same for Lois, Jon, Conner…Everyone important to me, you know ?”
“You…know the sound of our voice ?”
“Yes ?”
Silence.
“Is that weird ?”
If it was anybody else than Clark Kent, you would’ve found it slightly creepy. I mean, someone knowing how your voice sounds exactly, to the point that he could recognize you calling for help in the cacophony the world was ???
Well, granted, not many people had super-hearing. But, yes, if it was anyone else but your good friend, you would’ve been freaked out. But Clark ? Clark was the golden retriever of your friend group. A little too nice for his own good at times (although you already saw him angry, and were DEFINITELY happy he was your friend, and on the “good side”). And definitely the kind that cared a LOT about the people close to him. It wasn’t that surprising that he imprinted in his head the exact sound his close friends and family made. Although honestly, it was impressive that he was able to isolate you guys’ voices…Then again, we were talking about Superman.
He’d never cease to impress you. Not like you’d ever that to Bruce anyway, so what was the arm in thinking it ? Another contraction took you out of your reveries and Bruce said :
“You have to fly her to Gotham’s hospital. I have a batsuit downstairs which she can get into so”
“Bruce -aaaaaah- I’m fine, I’m fine Clark, don’t worry, contractions ya know. Bruce, if we do that, everyone will know you’re Batman. It’s going to be SO obvious.”
“I don’t care, your safety and the little one’s are more important.”
You felt your heart melting, and if the situation was different, you would’ve jumped into his arms…
Your children gathered around, clearly agreeing with their father. So what if their secret identities were revealed, if it meant their mom and little brother would be safe ?
And it was so sweet. The very example of what “unconditional love” meant. But it wasn’t possible, it simply wasn’t. They weren’t thinking straight, you said :
“We will all be in more danger if people know who we really are, and I can’t let that happen”.
Silence. And…Well, yes. If it was known who Batman really was, and who his sidekicks were, your entire family’s life would constantly be at stake. That’s without counting that what they were doing was illegal, and they would certainly get arrested fast, no matter what Jim Gordon’s feelings were about them (you were pretty sure he guessed years ago who Batman really was, but would never say it because he thought he was important for Gotham).
Taking a deep breath, you finally found the force in you to fully calm down. It only took the thought of your family to be in danger to finally make you think clearly :
“So far, everything is going on fine. I am feeling like I am suppose to feel. Am I terrified ? A little bit. But nothing is going wrong. There’s no complications, you know that, you read the books about childbirth.”
“Oh, childbirth for dummies or childbirth 101 ?” Clark asked, clearly trying to ease the atmosphere.
“Both.” Bruce answered, almost mechanically, as he was studying you to see if everything was indeed going as well as you were saying. Well, albeit for the fact you were about to give birth home, while it really wasn’t planned.
“I read them too, when Lois was pregnant with Jon. They were very informative and reassuring and-Right. Sorry. Not the right time.”
Ah, but Clark few words made you smile. The golden retriever of your friend group for sure. And the way your husband glared at him ? Priceless. You continued :
“We’re not gonna use Clark and a batsuit to take me to the hospital. It’s definitely too obvious, and a bad idea in the long run. The storm will not stop any time soon, so let’s think this logically and aAAaAAAaaa- sorry, sorry, I’m fine. Let’s think this aaAAAAAaah !”
“Six seconds apart, mom’s contractions are six seconds apart !! The baby is definitely coming !!”
Tim exclaimed, panicking again after this short lull in the “freakout department” that the surprise of Clark’s appearance gave. And you could see they were all about to go into “hyper mode” again, as it was becoming clearer and clearer that you will have this baby here.
Even Clark, who finally realized what the situation truly was, seemed about to panic and man, have you ever seen Superman himself panic ? It’s not a sight you wanted to see again.
You were about to, once again, try to calm them down (although it sort of felt that the fact you had contractions that were closer and closer, and that you couldn’t help but show your pain each time it happened, was making things worst) when…
The back door opened, and :
“Oh, a visitor. Unexpected but…yes, yes actually, Mister Kent, it’s good you’re here. You will be able to keep this lot away while we do what we have to do.”
Alfred had reappear, wearing surgical gloves and a white coat.
“Alright, let’s go, Lady (Y/N)”
************
Alfred. Who had been strangely discreet, this past few hours of freakout from your family. He was there, taking care of you. Bringing you everything you needed before you even knew you needed it. That constant reassuring presence in your life, as usual.
But he didn’t speak much. And when he wasn’t bringing you things, he was nowhere to be seen.
You didn’t really think much of it up until now, as he reappeared dressed like that. Your mind was occupied elsewhere, to notice. Same for your husband, and your children, who would usually call him for help right away. But the specific situation send all your brains’ into overdrive, and none of you really were able to think beyond the panic.
“Follow me now, please. Time is of the essence, now that the contractions are close. Thank you, Master Timothy, for keeping track of this.”
You couldn’t quite grasp what was happening, but Bruce seemed to catch up faster. He rushed to you, picked you up, and followed Alfred.
Dick, Jason, Tim, Cass, Duke and Damian were close behind, Clark in the back, following by instinct more than anything.
When he heard Bruce calling him, the panic hearable in his voice, he didn’t think twice. Lois told him to go, and he did, leaving behind a calm family night to rush to his friend’s aid.
He arrived quickly, of course, and Bruce filled him in. He wanted him to take his pregnant wife, you, to the nearest hospital. In the storm. With a batsuit. Risking to divulge the secret of his identity.
If you didn’t say something, Clark would have spoken up. He had never seen Batman in that state…Then again, it’s been years since their first encounter. He had learned that the Bat hid a lot behind his mask of coldness and harshness.
Anyway, as for now, Clark was following along, ready to help if need be. Truly, the golden retriever of the friend group.
While on the way, Alfred started to explain what the Hell was going on. He, on the opposite of everyone else, seemed completely calm and collected :
“I’ve prepared anything necessary to bring this baby into this world. Lesl- Dr Thompkins and I prepared a birth plan, just in case. We are going to the room I’ve prepared, now. If you need my credentials : I received extensive courses from Lesl- Dr Thompkins in case this would happen. It was most definitely a probability given Master Bruce’s…Night work. I’m sorry it took me a while to settle things properly. Follow me please. So we can take care of this.” (hello I secretly ship Alfred and Leslie Thompkins haha)
“This ?”
“Lady (Y/N), you have been in labor for quite a bit now. In pain.”
Bruce visibly flinched at the words “in pain”, and the kids all turned to you, beyond worried. They knew this was definitely painful, but putting things into words made it that much more real. And they were on the edge of freaking out once more..But Alfred didn’t give them time to, putting them into action.
“From your symptoms, and the amount of contractions getting closer and closer, we can clearly not wait. Like father like son, this baby is already quite an impatient one.”
“Alfred-”
“You will ask questions later, for now, hurry along.”
The “butler” always had the best words to shut everyone up. Anyway, you were all kind of too stunned to react more to this all thing. After a few minutes, he stopped in front of a room that is very rarely used. One of the guest bedroom and :
“Wow, when did you do all this ?”
“As soon as your water broke, I did my best to help you, and settle things here. I was hoping you would go into labor later, hopefully the phone lines would be back on so we could call the Dr. But, this will do. I’m sorry, I had to hurry.”
The room looked like a hospital room. A bed was made, and everything needed for a baby delivery seemed to be here. This further convinced you into the fact that Alfred was not a human, but a fae of some sort who was to protect Bruce and his loved ones at all cost. He was most definitely magic. How else would he have put all this together so fast ?
“To reassure you on my credentials on the matter once again, I am actually a trained midwife.”
“You are ??”
“Like I said, the eventuality of you having to give birth in the Manor could happen. Les- Dr Thompkins and I therefor made a birth plan for you, just in case. I am sorry my dear, for not telling you sooner. I really wished we would’ve avoided this evenuality…Although I had worst scenarios in my mind.”
“Like…What ?”
“Well, in one of the emergencies I thought about, Wayne Manor was under attack and we had to go to the safe room and it’s honestly no place to give birth. A storm is alright. Manageable.”
Both you and Bruce were STUNNED. Everyone was.
Jason shook his head, chuckling to himself and saying something along the line of : “Old man still surprises me even after all these years.” and his siblings agreed. You were even pretty sure you heard a few “holy shit”, which, coming from your kids who didn’t swear often, was quite something.
“Wait, you’re a trained midwife ? You can’t be a trained midwife so fast, right ? You’re always here as well, when did you train anyway ?” Damian asked, suspicious, as he was thinking of nothing else but your safety. And his little brother’s.
Alfred cleared his throat a little, before taking that tone of voice, the one he took when he was saying something he found embarrassing :
“Well um…When it became serious between Master Bruce and Lady (Y/N), I took some classes. Just in case. Evidently, it was the right kind of thinking ahead.”
Ah. Well, it made sense. After all, Bruce had got his “I always have a plan” thing from the man who ended up raising him.
“Wait, when it started to get serious ? That was years ago..”
“Yes, I had quite an extensive training, as I said. Once again, sorry I hid this from you all. It was um, in cases of emergencies. Now enough chit chat, we have a baby to deliver !”
Alfred cut all possible questions with this. It wasn’t the time, right now, to wonder about what he did in his free time. They might ask about it later, and maybe he’ll answer. For now, there was a “baby to deliver” !
At those words, you saw how your kids were getting a little panicky. Well. Yes, watching a baby being born wasn’t very glamorous. Watching your MOM give birth ? Yikes.
“I need all of you to stay calm, and help me run this smoothly.”
Alfred. One of the pillar of this family, the calming force that could soothe all of you in a few words.
“Alright. Everyone out now, except for Master Bruce, who will assist me. Please Mister Kent, keep the children out, no matter what is heard in this room. Their intervention will only complicate things.”
Clark nodded, and left the room with your kids, who all still looked hella worried about you. Alfred smiled at you, winked, and added, a little mischievously:
“Plus, let’s not scar the children, today.”
************
Everything went so fast.
Alfred was constantly monitoring your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and the baby’s heart rate.
And the good news ? Everything was going perfectly fine.
Bruce had calmed down and listened to every single instruction Alfred was giving him. Reassured that the butler thought of everything, and had the right machines to monitor everything important about you.
And everything was doing good. Everything was doing good.
Little Thomas definitely wanted out, and the good thing was that he put himself headfirst, which ensured a smooth delivery.
Smooth, but given the fact you were at home, not without pain…
************
A few hours later.
Clark had to stop the kids, a few times, from rushing in the room because of your screams. In the end, it was good, that he came. He hadn’t been able to bring you to a hospital, but his presence was clearly necessary.
Letting Alfred do his thing was vital, right now. And Clark took his role very seriously. Especially since he was about to become an uncle !!
Well, again. He already had five little people (although Dick and Jason weren’t so little anymore…) he considered his nephews and niece. But still !
Silence was slowly coming back in Wayne Manor, but the door to the room still didn’t open.
“It’s taking so long !”
“Calm down Damian, things will be alright. It’s Alfred we’re talking about. And mom. She’s tough, and he clearly knows what he’s doing.”
Dick was trying to reassure his nervous little brother, but it was clear he was himself rather nervous. Tim added :
“Child birth can sometimes take days, in some cases. It’s actually rare it’s taking only a few hours, especially for a first kid.”
Jason gasped, and said :
“Days ? I don’t think I can handle it. I will fight you !”
Clark, whom Jason was pointing at, chuckled and said :
“It’s alright, this is pretty standard. Jon was born after 48 hours of labor.”
“Well that’s because he’s a born annoyance ! My brother will not be that kind of person !”
Clark didn’t even say anything about the comment Damian said about his son. He knew the two of them were best friends, and that the stress always got the better of your own son. He also found it a little funny that he was already in full blown “protective older brother mode”.
“Can’t we open the door a little, to make sure everything is fine ?” Duke asked, trying to go pass Clark who didn’t let him through.
“Boys, calm. No more freakouts. Or I’ll freakout.”
Cassandra murmured, and there was a dangerous edge to her voice. It definitely told them they should stop blabbering and trying to get into the room. She was about to add something when-
Finally, the door opened, and from inside, they could hear the sound of a baby crying.
“It’s done. And they’re both ok..”
Bruce almost crumbled to the floor right there, as the stress of the night was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. But he held tight, holding himself up against the door, as he let the kids peek in.
“Can we see her ? Is it ok ?”
“Well, she’s very tired and-”
“It’s ok, it’s ok, come in.”
Your voice, albeit a little weak, still resounded all the way to them. The baby wasn’t crying anymore.
The door opened fully, Bruce let the children go through (and Clark, Clark went through too. Meh, after all, he was part of the family) and…
The emotions Dick felt were indescribable. The feelings Jason was overwhelmed with were too strong. The sentiments that filled Tim were intense. The force of the warmth taking hold of Damian, as he looked as his little brother, was immense. A strong fire lit in Cass’ heart, and she knew it would never be extinguishable. The sensation which took hold of Duke’s entire being knew no bounds.
And Bruce. Bruce’s eyes, as he looked at you and his newborn son in your arms, were filled with unshed tears and love. So much love.
Clark sniffled at the sight of that little cute baby. And that was it. That was it.
The massive freakout was over.
And Thomas Wayne II had fallen asleep, probably feeling safe and sound after the most traumatizing time of his life (they often say the day your born is a huge trauma). Probably already feeling the love that surrounded him.
************
The next few days, as the storm slowly faded away, things went swimmingly good. The phone lines were back on, and a quick call to Dr. Thompkins confirmed the birth happened perfectly fine.
Little Thomas was healthy, and so were you.
You had to admit, you rarely got to hold your son, because he was constantly in one of his siblings’ arms, or his dad, or even Alfred. But you were ok with this. You knew, after the stress of his birth, they needed to know he was doing good.
Plus, those who didn’t hold your son, were doting on you with extra fervor. Making sure you had everything you needed, and that you were resting properly.
More than once, as Thomas started to cry, one of his sibling snuck into yours and Bruce’s room to take care of him.
Those first few days, the fact that there was a storm, was honestly a blessing. Because otherwise, they would be most of the time out taking care of crimes in Gotham ! But as the storm went on for a few days, a plan of action was able to be put into place.
First, it was great that everyone could be here for those first crucial day. Everyone took turn to take care of Thomas. But also, second, it gave you all time to put Bruce’s plans in action. Each night, at least two of your family member would stay home with you, while the others went out.
For at least a year, there was extra passion into cleaning Gotham’s streets of all crime. Because now…Now they had one more motivation to do so.
Nobody ever talked about it, but you all more or less vowed to never let Thomas become a night vigilante. He was doomed to, if you couldn’t put Gotham straight before he was of age. So there was even more effort than before, to make the world a safer place.
Your youngest son came into the world in rather…Special circumstances. For a special boy. And he was loved, so loved. A cherished baby, surrounded by the unconditional love of his family. And oh, before he was even born, he was already so loved.
The freakout everyone went through the night he was born was proof enough of that..
Well, I hope you liked this :). As usual, comments and reblogs are more than welcome, and are very motivating and encouraging to write more !! It also alleviate my nervousness of always thinking I write terrible stories hahahaha. Haha for real, I really hope this story did not disappoint you ! See you soon with another story !
Synopsis : It’s rare. You meddling with your family’s “vigilante activity”. It’s rare. On the contrary, you usually support them, and you understand why they do it. But sometimes…Sometimes, it really gets on your nerves how little they take care of themselves ! And you’re not afraid of telling them, ALL of them. Wether it’s Bruce aka “The idiot” (your idiot), your kids, or even Alfred !
I had a dream about this, so I had to write it haha. Just a small compliation of ficlets/drabbles (some longer than other) on the same subject that I compiled together, while I still work on a bigger project that I’ll hopefully post soon ;). A bonus fic, if you will. I hope you’ll like it nonetheless ! Comments and reblogs are of course, as usual, always very welcomed :) :
Bruce knew that, when you called him an “idiot”, it was serious.
Your relationship was based on mutual respect, communication, healthy habits and, of course, a lot of love. So you calling him an “idiot”…It meant something.
It meant you were angry with him. And it only happened in one specific situation : When he didn’t properly take care of himself.
Bruce was a man of the extreme. Yes. “Was”. He was more temperate, now. Thanks to you, in a big part. Thanks to his children too. And to the constant love and support you all gave him.
Which sometimes lead to you calling him an idiot.
It was less frequent, nowadays. But at the beginning of your relationship ? Oh boy. The issue often came when he was “off duty”. Home. And when he’d work out up until he couldn’t anymore. And at first, it was source of “fights” between you two.
His work as Batman ? You understood it. You knew he was putting himself, every night, in danger. And why he was doing it. His work as CEO of Wayne Inc ? It was needed. He did so much good with his company. But when he was home. The rare moment of peace. He spend all of it training. And it couldn’t go on.
“I’m not saying to not work out, and you know that ! I’m saying being so intense is completely unsustainable, and you know it ! You’ll end up breaking your body before you’re even forty !!”
Bruce knew. He knew. And the truth was ? A part of him knew he would never be able to be Batman forever. Of course. So his idea was to push himself to his limits, to accomplish his work as fast as possible ! So what, if he sacrificed his body and mind for it ? As long as he achieved his goal : a safer place for children to grow in. So nobody will ever experience what he lived through.
Ah. But you disagreed. In part because you loved him, of course, but also because you believed in his cause. You believe in bringing Gotham back from the chaos it was in. And you were intimately CERTAIN that Bruce would break himself before finishing his goal if he continued like this.
You put things into perspective.
Showed him his self-destructive behavior.
There was a “before” and “after” you, when it came to Bruce’s work out. He still worked out a lot of course, but now, he also had “low intensity” work outs, and did yoga.
Which could sound ridiculous, to people who had a certain idea of the Batman. But it wasn’t.
It was a way of going the farthest in his goals, in his want and need to give Gotham a chance to get better. To give its inhabitants a better future.
Working out, keeping himself in shape (which arguably he did every time he went out as Batman), it was important. But what good would it do if his body couldn’t keep up ? He was, after all, just a man. He would for sure break, if everything was “all work and no play”.
And oh. Oh his life had been just that for so long. Training, training, and more training. Fighting, solving crimes, more fighting. Going home to sleep a few hours, and then go back to train.
It was as if he was a machine, going through life mechanically for the sole purpose of Justice.
And you were right, it wasn’t sustainable. He probably would’ve cracked before finishing his plans. Push himself right into the grave…
And then you came. You called him an idiot, yelled that self-care was important, and didn’t budge on the matter. You showed him he needed to take care of himself, in order to take care of others. You showed him…So much. Love has always been one of Bruce’s strength, no matter what certain people might think of him.
Love was his driving force.
And your love ? Is what made you so adamant he needed to take care of himself. And it changed…so much.
He couldn’t even list everything good it brought him, to finally think of himself. To put himself back in the “Batman” equation, not just as a mean to achieve a goal, but as an actual being. To view himself as a human again.
Bruce’s trauma ran deep. So deep he forgot sometimes he even existed. And there you were, calling him an “idiot” and making big speeches about how he needed to take care of himself.
For his own good. And in a way, for everyone’s good.
There you were, reminding him he had feelings. Grounding him in this world. Reminding him he was a person, with emotions and needs.
Oh and you’d never give up on him. Never. You were always there, reminding him all the good of being alive.
When his parents died, a part of him died too. Bruce thought he could never feel happy again. He buried himself in his work, in order to not feel. And there you were…
“Self-care is important, you idiot !”, simply because he was working too much, pushing his body and mind too much. “Simply” ? Ah. But the self-destructive tendency wasn’t even something he was aware of. This was far from simple. And without you, he might’ve never even realized it.
So. Yes. As silly as it could sound to some, self-care, knowing his limit and not trying to push them (too much), made him a better Batman.
All that thanks to self-care ? Yes. Even heroes, needed to take care of themselves, if they wanted to keep doing what they were doing. Something Bruce never really thought about. Not before you, for sure.
“Self-care is important, you idiot !” you’d yell at him, when he pushed himself too much. When he sacrificed his body and his mind for his cause. When he went too far, and pushed himself to the limits.
It would always happen. You knew it. This is how he was. Sometimes, he had to go to the extremes. And you loved him unconditionally. But hell if you weren’t going to get mad at him, and force him to take care of himself ! Subsequently, you took care of him a lot, too.
And maybe, his form of self-care was to let you be there for him ? Maybe. After all, he often said it best himself : “Life isn’t very long, and a man doesn’t have a lot of great moments. But you’ve given me many. All my best memories are with you.”
Bruce wasn’t the only one who would put taking care of himself as an afterthought, unfortunately for you. Your kids would do that to.
Of course, you’d never call them “idiots”, for many reasons. And to be honest only when he was really putting himself needlessly at risk would you call Bruce that, he just could act like such an idiot sometimes !! Just like you too, everyone could act like idiots at one points…Except your children, they were perfect. Buuuut, sometimes, they really wouldn’t take care of themselves.
And that made you “mad”.
Dick
“Richard, you ought to know that this was too high of a drop, even for you !”
Oooooh snap. You called him “Richard”. You were definitely not too happy with him. And your son knew better than to try and talk during moments such as this.
He had been with you and Bruce for just over two years now, and had recently celebrated his tenth birthday. He’d been calling you “mom” for a while now, and definitely saw you as the best thing that happened to him since he lost his parents. You and Bruce, you saved him.
Which is why he knew why you were calling him “Richard” right now.
See, Dick was one of the only one amongst your kids that always saw through your bluff. He knew, you weren’t angry. You were definitely not happy with him, but it wasn’t anger, that made you call him “Richard” instead of any other affectionate nickname you always gave him.
It was your worry for his safety. And how little he seemed to care, at times, for it.
Dick, amongst every member in your family, was the only one who truly got that. Of course, later on, all his siblings and his dad would understand you cared for them and wanted them to take care of themselves. But Dick ? Dick was the only one who knew you never got angry at them, you were just scared.
Probably a little frustrated too, let’s face it.
But mainly scared. Scared that they would forget to take care of themselves, and as a result, well…Things like what just happened would happen.
Dick, in pursuit of a thug, jumped from a point that he knew was too high, and broke his leg. But in the heat of the moment, all he thought was catching the bad guy. And he did. He caught him. By jumping on him from a little too high, injuring himself in the process.
And you were terrified.
If already, at ten years old, he started to have this kind of behavior…
You couldn’t help but remember a time during which Bruce would push himself too much. Would be more hurt than nowadays. The beginning of your relationship was far from easy, for the both of you. You didn’t want Dick to fall in the same habits.
“You have to be more careful, you know..”
“Yes mom, I know.”
Dick knew. He knew what you felt. He knew how you felt. Because he felt the same too. You and him had a lot in common,. And worrying about others’ wellbeing was one of said point in common. And so Dick knew what it was, to want someone to take care of themselves and watch them not do it.
After all, his dad was the Batman.
He was the only one in the family who ever truly got it. Who ever truly saw you were never angry at them, but scared. Dick knew. He knew.
He smiled at you, already so wise, for such a young kid.
Of course, you had no idea how much he understood how you felt. How much he knew already, that it was important to take care of himself. That self-care was vital. Especially in his line of work. And so you reminded him often.
Like right now, bringing him some food, as he was bed ridden because of his broken leg. You weren’t angry. You were scared. Scared they’d lose themselves.
“Mom ?”
“Yes, honey ?”
“I promise I’ll take more care of myself. So please, don’t be so worried, ok ?”
Wh-What ? Your son was ten. He was only ten. How was it, that he knew exactly what was on your mind ? That he knew what to say ? That he knew-
Ah. You looked at him, and he looked back at you. Giving you the purest smile you’ve ever seen. And you understood. Yes. You did.
You and Dick always had this link between the two of you, this way of understanding each other’s feelings. Mainly because your brain were wired the same on how you perceived life : as long as your loved ones were ok, you were ok. And as a result, you knew how important it was to take care of yourself, too. To be ok, for them.
It wasn’t always easy. And that’s exactly what family was for. So that during the hard times, like right now, as you were scared for your son who broke his leg as a lack of care for himself, together, you could pull through.
“Self-care is important, right ?”
He said, a light of mischievousness in his eyes. And oooh that boy. He’s always been clever. A little too much, maybe. You smiled back, and said :
“Yes it is my little one, yes it is. So please, be more careful…”
It was clear, in those moments, you were never angry at them. But scared. Scared they’d forget to take care of themselves, and get hurt (or worst) in the process.
When Dick started to live on his own, in Blüdhaven, one of the thing he constantly asked himself was : “Would mom be scared for me if I do that ?”, and it was honestly often a motivation to take care of himself. Take some “mental health days” off, so he could recenter himself and take care of his mind. Let his body rest too.
He always understood you. And as a result, of course, your constant remembrance of how important self-care was stuck with him, and will always stick with him.
Jason
Pre-Red Hood
“Jason, baby, you have to be more careful.”
“But did you see mom, did you see how I hit the ball so far that dad couldn’t even catch it ? Did you see it mom ? Did you ? That’d be a homerun right ? Right mom ? Right ?”
“Yes, yes I saw. And it’d be a homerun for sure. But you-“
“And then he ran to get it but I was already half-way around the field. I would’ve finished if I didn’t fall in the roses – I hope Alfred isn’t mad – But like, it was still good right ? Right ?”
“Yes, it was. But Jason, you need to-“
Your son jumped up on his feet, while you were in the middle of taking care of his injuries, which fortunately weren’t too bad. Small scratches there and there. A bruise on his little face. It wasn’t too bad, but it was such a recurrent thing.
“I hit it so far ! I never hit it that far ! Right mom, right ? That was so far ! I think it went to the back of the garden, and Wayne Manor’s garden is big ! Dad didn’t even got to it. Well, because he came to get me out of the roses, but he was so far from it ! Right mom ? I hit the ball super super far ! I bet I hold the record of hitting it the farthest right ? The record in the family ? Dick didn’t hit it that far, did he ? Oh wait, he doesn’t like baseball. Well I’m the one who hit it the most most most most farthest then right ? Right mom ? Right ?”
Yes. It was a recurrent thing.
Jason, often engrossed in what he was doing, wouldn’t pay much attention to his body. To himself, in general. Because even as he was just nine, he often took much more upon himself than such a young child should take on. And he would throw himself body and soul into everything he did. He was a very passionate kid, to say the least.
And he wanted to help. Oh, he wanted to help so much. Because he still thought he didn’t do enough to save his own parents…While they were the ones who failed him.
You see, Jason had to survive most his life. He grew up too fast, taking responsibilities that he should never have taken. His parents were the result of years of Gotham’s neighborhood rotting away in poverty and crime. And there was little hope, for a small child. Yet…Yet he pulled through. And took so much upon himself.
This habit stayed with him. He always wanted to be there for everyone, often to the detriment of himself, whether physically or mentally. He didn’t want to just help out, no, he HAD TO throw his entire being in everything he did.
Ok, in this instance, it wasn’t that deep. Your boy just got really excited playing baseball with his dad, and accidently got hurt in the process as he hit the ball really hard and as he got happy the ball went past Bruce, he ran and…fell right in one of Alfred’s rose garden (he wasn’t looking in front of him, as he waved at you excitedly repeating “did you see this mom ? Did you see ?”). The thorns made quite a number of him.
No wounds were too deep, but there were many of them. However, none tainted Jason’s excitement. And this was one of the core of the problem.
Your son would often get too much into something. And forget to take care of himself. Whether it was because he wanted to save someone, or because he won at a game against his dad…
In that way, he actually resembled Bruce a lot. Both of them had this inside them, this way of getting hyperfocused on something to the detriment of themselves.
“Jason.”
Your solemn voice stopped him as he was again describing what had just happened, and he turned to you, worried he did something wrong.
He was always worried he did something wrong. You quickly reassured him, and added :
“It’s just…You have to be more careful buddy.”
The question in his eyes told you everything. He didn’t even notice, himself, how he could get too caught up in something and sacrifice himself in everyway possible.
Again. This wasn’t that deep. It was just a baseball game, and he wasn’t that hurt. But it represented the root of the problem nonetheless.
“It is important, to take care of yourself, you know ? Self-care is, I would say, one of the most important thing I will ever teach you.”
“Self…care ?”
“Yes. The art of taking care of yourself. And it is, an art. You know, sometimes we have too much on our plate. Too many things are going on. And we need to take a few steps back, a good warm bath, read a good book…Just take care of ourselves. It’s important. It’s so important. I could write essays about how important it is. In fact, I’ll write one for you. Maybe it’ll make more sense. I know you can be a bit cartesian my boy.”
You smiled at him, and he smiled back, naturally.
You could see Jason didn’t quite understand just yet. But you knew he would. You knew because you’d never stop reminding him how important self-care is. And just like everything Jason did, he started to indeed take care of himself, because he knew it made you and his dad happy..
************
Post-Red Hood
“Are you crazy ?”
“I don’t need your lessons, Dick.”
“Oh yeah ? You sure about that ? Because you almost just died ‘cause you were too engrossed in trying to-“
“I. Don’t. Need. Your. LESSONS !”
Your oldest son stopped himself from saying more. He knew his little brother enough to know it was useless. To know it’d only drive him further away.
Jason had almost died (again) after he chased after a group of thugs, and, too focused on that, didn’t notice a sniper. Or rather, he noticed, but his only goal was to stop the criminals. He didn’t care what happened to him in the process. “Too engrossed in what he was doing”.
“JASON PETER TODD !”
Jason’s blood froze. Oh no. Oh. No. You weren’t happy with him. Clearly.
“Oooh, you’re in troubleeee.”
Jason glared at his oldest brother, Dick, who just said those words. What ? They weren’t children anymore. So his mom was angry, and ? He died and came back to life, so nothing really got to him anymore, and certainly not some silly-
“Exactly what do you think you’re doing ?? You could’ve been killed ! So stupidly too ! You were brought back to us, we can’t watch you go again !”
Oh. Oh he was wrong. As he saw you approached, furious, he felt like a little eight year old child again. Which was an odd feeling, because he was certain he erased everything from that time from his heart, so why would he feel like that right now ?
“Haven’t I told you to take care of yourself ? Didn’t I taught you that ? Forget everything your dad ever taught you if your hatred really makes you do it. But not this, ok ? Not the way he, we, showed you you needed to take care of yourself ? Not, not that…”
Your voice slowly faded away, tears welling up in your eyes.
Jason had come back not so long ago. You and Bruce discovered it was him not so long ago. And he still hadn’t really talked to you. He had a big fight with your husband, you knew. And you understood where his anger came from. But you couldn’t…You couldn’t bear to see him die again !
“Just take care of yourself…hate us all you want, but please…take care of yourself…Don’t let yourself get hurt like that…”
Jason had to leave. He couldn’t handle seeing you like that, but his entire being was still too wrecked deep inside, to go to you and hug you. To comfort you, like you did when he was a child. To talk.
He couldn’t.
He didn’t…He didn’t hate you. And he certainly didn’t hate his dad either. He- He didn’t know who he was anymore.
He had recently reconnected with his siblings (goddamn Dick never was able to mind his business). And Bruce had, of course, ran after him as soon as he understood who the Red Hood really was…But now, now Bruce was giving him space.
And Jason. Jason understood why. He understood. And it tore him apart even more. Oh, it would’ve been so easy, to just hate you and Bruce. But he didn’t. No.
He was hurt. Deeply. And he didn’t understand why Bruce did the thing he did. And why-
He was hurt.
And he wasn’t ready yet to confront you. To just face you. He didn’t want to break again.
And so he left.
In a way, that in itself was an “act of self-care”. Protecting himself from feelings he knew he could not handle just yet. Leaving, so he could regroup. Clear his mind.
Take care of himself.
Everyone had to (re)start somewhere.
Tim
“MOM ! MOOOOM !!”
Damian’s erratic screams pierced you like a knife. That boy rarely succumbed to panic, so if he was calling you so desperately, it meant something grave was up !
You ran towards where his voice was coming, your mind running a thousand different scenarios as to what might’ve happened. You came in the living room your family used the most, and you felt your heart drop.
Right there, near the couch, was Damian, looking as he was about to cry he was sitting down on the floor, with Tim’s head in his lap.
“He just dropped mom, he just dropped !”
Your brain entered “automated pilot” mode as you dismissed all feelings of fear, and went right to your son, to check his vitals and…
“He’s sleeping.”
“Wh-What ?”
Damian was sobbing, scared to death for his brother. Contrary to popular belief, and even if they wouldn’t admit it themselves, Damian and Tim were very close. And so when Tim passed out all of a sudden, he downright panicked, and got extremely scared.
“He’s sleeping. He’s ok. I bet he “forgot” to sleep again…”
Yes. This wasn’t the first time Tim sort of dropped out of nowhere. He once got dumped by a girlfriend because he fell asleep in a rollercoaster. It wasn’t really too out of character. Reassured, and after making sure he was really just asleep, you went to fetch your husband so he could help you get Tim to bed. As you left you heard Damian say :
“Just you wait, when you wake up, I’ll make you pay for this !”
A soft smile on your lips, you exited the room.
You always worried about your family, of course. Especially given their line of work. But Tim ? Oh, Tim was a CONSTANT worry even when you were right next to him. You didn’t want to be overbearing, so you’d let him do “his thing”. But oh boy…That child had the worst attitude when it came to his own self.
He’d forget to eat, if he was too focus on a project. Or to drink. Or, you know, to sleep. He’d put his needs last, if it meant solving a case. If it meant finishing something.
He was the worst, when it came to self-care. And no matter how much you’d remind him, get mad at him (you, or the rest of the family really), he would always dismiss his need for (what he thought was) a higher purpose. Unlike with your husband, your argument of him not being able to achieve his goal if he dropped first, never quite hit him.
Tim simply didn’t care what happened to him, as long as he got things done. And it was tragic. In multiple ways. First, because it showed how growing up to be invisible to his biological parents truly affected his psyche. Second because it was a source of constant worry for everyone. Third because it really was unhealthy, and he was just sixteen ! Fourth…Well, the list would be infinite, when you think about it.
Tim never taking care of himself was tragic, period.
And moments like this ? Damian panicking, you feeling awful, and him passing out of exhaustion ? Well, it was proof enough of that fact.
Tim woke up in his bedroom, and was greeted by a sight that warmed his heart. Damian was asleep in an armchair, curled up in a little ball. Oh, how far they went, since the first time they met…
His mom and dad were there too, in another armchair. His mom was sleeping, but his dad…
“Hello there chum, feeling better ?”
He nodded, and smiled.
“I’m ok, of course. It was just a little moment of weakness; no worries.”
“Don’t say that to your mom, she’s gonna lose her mind if she hears you say that again after you passed out…again.”
“I know, that’s why I’m telling you. I know you understand.”
“I do. To a certain extend. I do agree with your mom, you know ? It is important to take care of yourself.”
“I am taking care of myself.”
“You passed out on your way to watch a movie with Damian, because you were THAT tired.”
“Good point. But it’s not like, all the time. I just got caught up in…stuffs.”
“I know.”
There’s a small silence. Tim knew Bruce understood him, but he also knew he agreed with you on the self-care part. Which is something he just couldn’t understand. His biological parents never took care of him, like, at all, and it was deep rooted in him that he didn’t really matter. So, you know, it wasn’t such a big deal.
He knew, of course, his family loved him. He knew the extend of your love, you showed it many times. He just didn’t think taking care of himself was that important.
In any case, he was glad you were sleeping at the moment. He definitely didn’t want you to get mad at him right now, he hated it. Not because he was getting yelled at, but because he hated “disappointing” you. So yes. He was glad. And it was heartwarming, that you guys were waiting for him to wake up.
He loved you all so much. Which is why he had to work harder to-
“DRAKE !”
Tim turned his head towards Damian, who was now standing on the armchair, pointing a finger at him.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUUU ?”
For a few seconds, Tim was lost. He looked at his brother, and then at his dad and you, who definitely woke up after Damian’s outburst.
And then Damian started to talk. Talk and talk. To sermon Tim like he never did before.
And it clicked.
It clicked in Tim’s head, that day. After years of you trying to tell him self-care was important, it finally clicked…because of his little brother.
Damian was more than mad, when he woke up. He lectured Tim for hours and hours. And the concern in his voice, in his face, in the very reason he was mad…It told everything Tim needed to know.
He was important to others. He knew it of course. He knew you and Bruce loved him, that he was your beloved son. But for some reason, he always dismissed your self-care words for being “worried parents”. But when Damian put himself in such a state because of Tim lack of self-care ?
Your son understood. Finally. FINALLY. This wasn’t just the worries of parents. This was an actual important thing. Not just for him, but for others, too. He had the same epiphany your husband had, all those years ago.
It just took him a little more time to get through his stubborn thick skull. Oh, and also, it took a loud short ball of nerve showing his utter worry for him, to finally get him to understand.
Finally. Tim understood years of you saying : “self-care is important”, because of the love his little brother held for him…
Cass
“This. Ok.”
She said, showing the wounds you were tended to.
“No Cassandra, no, it’s not ok !”
Your daughter was taken aback by the use of her full name. You only used her full name when you were angry…Or when she thought, you were angry. Usually, you calling her “Cassandra” was a translation of your worries (which granted, could appear as if you were angry).
Dick would tell her you weren’t angry, just worried.
Worried because Cass grew up with people who didn’t care about her, and only ever saw her body as a weapon (resembled Damian in that way). As a result, she viewed her own self as an expandable, and it drove you crazy.
Crazy with worries, and with pain.
Your precious little girl thought of herself as an expandable, while to you, she’d forever be irreplaceable. You hated those who gave her the idea. Hated her so called “father”.
How dare they make such a wonderful woman think she was nothing important. Think her existence was secondary.
“It’s not ok, it’s not.”
You repeated. And it broke your heart, to see your daughter not understanding why you were so upset. You were pretty sure she thought you were upset with her.
“I’m not angry at you…”
You had to reassure her on that, of course. But you couldn’t look at her. You didn’t want to cry, not in front of her. You weren’t sure you could explain to her why…
But you and Cass ? You never needed words, to understand each other. You never needed hours of conversations, long explanations, to know exactly how the other felt.
You felt her hands softly settle on your cheeks, and she “forced” you to raise your head. For a long moment, she looked deep in your eyes, and you could see she was searching for the answers to her unasked questions.
Did she find it ?
You didn’t know. All you know is that she let you go, after a while. Looked at her wounds. And said :
“Alright. Important.”
************
It’s only ages later, that you realized she understood what you meant, in that moment you called her “Cassandra”. She understood why you were sad, and that it wasn’t her fault.
No. And that was the most important thing.
It wasn’t her fault.
It was a long road, to understanding truly was self-care is. But a long road she was willing to take. Because she knew you would take it with her, too. That you would be there, guiding her, not giving up on her, ever.
That you would be there, looking at her as if she was the most important thing in the world for you (and she was, along with the rest of the family). Giving her a sensation she never felt before.
Was she important ?
If she was, was taking care of herself important ?
A long road. That you’d accompany her on. Everything will be fine. She knew it. One day, one day she’d understand.
Self-care is important.
Damian
Damian was not used to have someone care for his need. So how could he know about “self-care ?”
When trained with the League of Assassins, he was fed, and had a roof over his head. But, he was being trained by the League of Assassins. He had been created for one purpose and one purpose only.
To one day rule the world.
There was no being nurtured, just being lead to be the ultimate survivor and weapon. Nobody ever asked him if he wanted ice-cream, for example, like you were, right now.
“Are you ok, my little buddy ?”
Ah. Another question he never heard before he started to live at Wayne Manor. “Are you ok ?”, oh, how three little words could mean so much.
Damian wasn’t ok. And he wasn’t even sure why. He just felt like everything was…Too much. Sometimes, things were just too much. And he didn’t quite knew why yet (he would discover along the way, get more in phase with his own feelings).
He shook his head, and slowly, you saw his face crumble, and tears gathering in his eyes and you didn’t need more prompting. You entered “mom mode”, an experience Damian only ever lived with you. Which is probably why he genuinely considered you to be his mom.
You sat down beside him, and enveloped him in your arms. And it felt so nice. He didn’t need to give you an explanation, to tell you why he wasn’t feeling well. You were there anyway. And it was nice.
A long time went by, when you finally said :
“You can always talk to me. And if it’s too hard, text me ? Write to me to explain, if you want. You don’t have to of course. But if you feel like it’ll make you feel better, do not hesitate. You will never bother me.”
You will never bother me, you tell him. In such stark contrast with what he was used to. His grandfather constantly reminded him that he was alive only because he let him be. That his life belonged to him, and that if he became too much of a nuisance, he’d-
“It’s ok my little buddy. Go ahead, cry all you need. It’s ok.”
All you need. You said need.
“You know, it’s ok to sometimes take some time, for yourself. It’s important, even.”
There’s a short silence. Damian clings to you, but he slowly calms down.
“You have to take care of yourself. Care for yourself, as much as I care for you.”
Silence again. Damian wasn’t crying anymore, but he wasn’t sure of what to say. Taking care of himself ? He didn’t know how that worked. Where to begin ? What did that entail ?
Taking care of himself, as much as you cared for him ?
Wouldn’t that be too much ? Too self-centered ? Going backward in his redemption, back to thinking he was “the best” and deserved to be put on a pedestal ?
Because you cared for him so much. So much. Like nobody ever cared for him before. Granted, it was easy, as nobody ever did. But you…You were such a great mom.
Damian didn’t want to be self-centered.
“It’s ok to take care of yourself. To have moment of self-care.”
You said, noticing your son didn’t seem convince. And it’s as if you could read his mind, as you added :
“It doesn’t mean you only care about yourself. There IS a difference between self-care and being self-centered.”
Yes. As if you read exactly what was in his mind.
“Damian. You are allowed to take time for yourself. Like right now. With me. It’s self-care. Opening up to someone, letting your emotion run free. It’s a form of self-care. And then, when you feel better, we can go eat all the junk food we can find, and binge watch all your favorite movies. That could also be self-care.”
“Eating ice-cream and movies are…self-care ?”
“Well, in a way, yes. It makes you feel good right ?”
“Right.”
“And relaxed ?”
“Yes, especially when with you.”
“Then it’s self-care. For me, it’s peace of mind. It’s feeling like things will be ok. It’s surrounding myself with those I love. Like you. I love you my little buddy.”
“I love you too…”
He never told anyone he loved them before. Because nobody ever loved him.
Self-care, huh ?
Damian never even knew it existed. He never saw simply doing something he liked, like drawing, as a part of “self-care”. Just like with his dad, you put things into a new perspective.
You made him understand, slowly but surely, what self-care was. And how important it is.
Duke
Duke had the bad habit of pressuring himself too much. He was a rather stress teenage boy, and it made it even worst that he always kept everything inside, like an actual pressure cooker.
He put in his head, early in his life, that he had to succeed at certain things in order for his loved one to be proud of him, and not worry for him. He’d stress over his studies, his future, sometimes he’d simply stress over not knowing what to eat for lunch !
It was simply the way he was, an overthinker to the core.
And he never spoke about it. Never. It wasn’t his style, and it wasn’t what he was used to.
A pressure cooker.
Holding everything cooking up inside, under high pressure.
You knew that. You knew, and it drove you crazy, because you also knew this kind of stress couldn’t just be cured overnight, if it could even be cured.
Duke was an anxious boy, and as a result he often got strung up on things and forgot himself. Forgot his own safety.
You made it your duty, to remind him that he needed to take care of himself. Just like you did with all your children.
But Duke was particular. All your children were different, and they all had to learn to take care of themselves in different ways. For Duke, who also had the added stress of discovering new powers which could turn dangerous if he didn’t learn to use them, it came under the form of a schedule.
Duke like the safety of knowing what was going to happen. Of planning things ahead, which is what made him such a great vigilante (and was closely related to his powers, when you thought about it).
He needed a structure, or his stress would go through the motherfu**ing roof. You discovered that the hard way. You were trying to explain to him he needed to take some self-care moments, to tell him taking care of himself was important…And it really didn’t work. In fact, it had the opposite effect.
He listened to you. He took a day off and…panicked. He hadn’t time to think what he was going to do, how he would use this day productively, how-
It just didn’t occur to him that Duke would react that way. And it was ok. Learning through trials and errors, right ? The next day, you showed him a blank schedule, saying he should try to fit a “self-care day” at least once a month, to start with. And then incorporate one a week, if he could.
And this ? This was reassuring. He could work, with thinking of a schedule. With thinking of specific days, in which it was ok for him to not plan things. He just had to plan that in advance.
For many, it could sound contradictory. But for him, who had this anxiety he had to live with for so long, it wasn’t. If he knew he had that day to relax, to not think of anything. To put everything on a side, and just do his hobbies, hang with his family and friends without worries…Then he could genuinely let go.
It was maybe a little too cerebral for some people. But it’s how Duke worked. The very essence of his meta-human powers showed this was just who he was. Someone who needed to plan ahead. It didn’t mean he couldn’t improvise, oh no, on the contrary, he had quite the talent to improvise. He was a smart boy. But, it meant having a direction to go was reassuring, and nice. And knowing when he could turn this off, was also nice.
To Duke, self-care started with a piece of cardboard. A blank schedule you gave him. And it slowly took meaning from there. Slowly became an actual thing. To finally take its full place in his life.
Duke had his own way, to self-care. His own path. And as he introduced this in his life, he became less stressed, and truly understood what you meant.
Self-care was important.
Self-care was almost vital, in a way ?
It could help you function during days you felt like nothing would go right.
Self-care was important.
Duke had a tough few years, what with losing his parents to the Joker’s laughing poison, and discovering he was a meta-human. And you teaching him self-care ? Showing him the foundation of what it was ?
It helped. It really did.
Not only self-care became a part of his daily routine. But it’s also what made him feel like he had a family again. Because if you, Bruce, those he came to introduce as his siblings, wanted him to take care of himself…It meant you really cared for him. It meant you loved him.
It meant he had a family again.
Alfred
You would FORCE Alfred to take days off.
Out of everyone, he probably the one who took care the least of themselves. And with people like Tim or Bruce in your family, that was saying a LOT.
In a way, it seemed logical. After all, his very position, being a butler, meant everyone else’s need came before his. But in your way, it couldn’t always be like that !
Alfred too, needed time for himself. Needed time for some precious self-care.
And although he was quite a stubborn man, and held his ground in front of the Batman himself…He couldn’t beat your determination. And he had to admit, it was nice, to sometimes lay back.
Everyone needed some self-care days.
YOU !
Just like you’d get mad at them, they’d definitely get mad at you too…
Sometimes, they would say you took care of them TOO MUCH.
Of course, most of the time they wouldn’t complain. They loved being around you. But they loved you being healthy even more. And so the “you time” came in. “Me time”, for you. Every now and then, you’d have moments of pure self-care. All on your own. Which was…nice.
You loved your family, but those moments of calm wanted “loneliness” were good. It was part of your self-care. The other part was…To let yourself be utterly pampered by them.
By your Broosh. By your children. By Alfred.
Moments devoted to you, to your every need. Because your health was precious, to all of them. And you understood. You understood, because this was the exact reason you always “fought” them to take more care of themselves.
Yes.
Yes, self-care is important. And it was something that almost became a motto, in the Wayne family.
Just like last time, I haven’t written anything in a while (this time mainly because of lack of time though, and not my mental illnesses…yay ?). So I’m a little nervous about sharing this little thing, I wrote rather fast in a burst of inspiration (albeit I wrote this half-asleep so ya know). They’re just drabbles. Maybe too descriptive, but the theme was made for it aaah.
I really hope you liked it. And as usual, comments and/or reblogs are always welcomed, encouraging, and heart warming :). Thank you.
Request from @lolnvmitsjustme : Henlo, I was wondering I’d maybe you could do a Jason x black reader where she is pretty shy and keeps to herself and Jason sees her and is drawn to her for some reason like she’s got a aura about her or something and he likes her dreads? (sorry I’ve never done this before) I love your writing and I know if I ask you it will be awesome and you don’t really see a lot of fics where the reader is of color. Anyway if you you can that would be awesome but obvi don’t worry if you cant! K bye!
So just an FYI I am not of color, and I tried my best for this one, I am sorry if it isn’t good.
There were so many reasons that Jason hated justice league meetings. The most important and pressing reason was his own boredom. The Justice League talked themselves in circles, none of them wanting to do anything of substance.
There was a break in the meeting, for people like Clark and Diana to calm down, and everyone else to grab a coffee.
Jason stayed in the meeting room, his back leaning up against the wall. This had been a long meeting already, and it wasn’t even halfway through.
The Supes was yelling, his face had gotten uncharacteristically red, his hands balled into fists, shouting at Wonder Woman, who mostly kept her composure. It was the same fight that the Justice League always had, to kill or not to kill.
The room was mostly cleared out expect for one other woman, she too was leaning against the wall, her focus was darting around the room, just examining the room. Clearly she was a member of the Amazonian tribe, her uniform similar to Diana’s. She looked cool and collected, and something about her drew Jason in.
Jason pushed himself from the wall, making his way over to the woman with interest. She was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, with her long dreads pushed back with a silver crown.
“Hi.” Jason said, and he suddenly felt like a shy street kid again, not knowing how to talk to woman. It was strange, he had long since grown into his confidence, but now he just wanted to blurt out how pretty this woman was, “I like your dreads.”
Jason almost hit himself in the face, because clearly he was an idiot.
To his surprise the woman just smiled softly, “Thank you. I like your red helmet.”
Jason took off his helmet, revealing his face. The woman seemed cool and collected, as she gazed at his face, it was more like an appraising gaze than anything else, but Jason could feel a slight blush form anyway. The woman looked away, her eyes sweeping the room again, and Jason could tell she was a born warrior.
“The name’s Jason.” Jason said, trying to reclaim any coolness he possessed, and stuck his hand out.
The woman looked at his hand for a second, as if the movement confused her. Eventually she took his hand in hers, and Jason felt a spark of static electricity through the contact. He would later brag about how there were literal sparks when they first touched.
“I’m Y/N.”
There was a moment of silence as Jason tried to think of the nest thing to say, while this woman had a addictive aura and intense beauty, she wasn’t a sparkling conversationalist.
But it turned out Jason didn’t need to speak.
“What are your opinions on the proceedings?” Y/N asked.
And Jason was a little upset that she only wanted to talk about work, but he understood.
“I think if we rule out killing at all times we won’t get far, sometimes people need to be stopped. Permanently.” Jason answered.
Y/N’s facial expression didn’t change, and for a moment Jason wondered if he should have lied. Maybe she was like Bruce, a believer that no one should ever be killed.
But then Y/N turned to him, a shy smile stretching across her face, it made her even more beautiful. Her face almost glowed, even with this small smile, and Jason felt his heart sputter for a second.
Request from @bookish-and-shy Hi! Can I request a female New Zealander dating Dick and hanging out with the Batfam? And they make hobbit jokes and stuff because she’s pretty short? I’ve seen Aussie specific fix’s but never kiwi ones. Sorry it’s pretty specific!! I love your work so much, you write so well! If you’re too busy to do it it’s 100% fine, I hope your brother gets better soon! Thanks!
Just a disclaimer, I found everything about New Zealand and such online so anything that is not accurate to New Zealand, blame the internet and not me. (I hope you like this, it was so fun learning about New Zealand). I also based the attitude on my one Kiwi friend and he’s a bit of a jerk, this doesn’t mean all New Zealanders are jerks, but it was what I had to work with.
-You were born and raised in New Zealand, moving to Bludhaven for school. There you felt a little like a fish out of water, when you read about America it seemed so crazy and fun (and the accents were cute), but now that you were here you just wanted to go home and if you heard one more Goddamn American asking you if you liked ‘shrimp on the barby’ you were going to kill someone.
-You and Dick met at a pub, where he said he liked your accent, and correctly identified you as a kiwi, a first in America.
-Your first date with Dick was when you invited him over to watch the Black Caps in the Cricket World Cup. He wasn’t all that interested in it, but he had a great time with you.
-You didn’t realise that he counted it as your first date, you thought that you two were just hanging out and catching the game.
-You quickly discovered that Dick’s greatest source of amusement is asking you what you call things and then telling you the English counterpart.
-”Y/N! What do you call that?”
-”A Chilly Bin.”
-”In America we call them coolers.”
-”I know Dick, I live here.”
-Dick introduces you to his family after a while and you come over for tea. And you decided that you liked Alfred the best.
-You quickly realise that many of his siblings think New Zealand slang is funny, like when you watched Jason swallow down an entire meal in less than a minute, you couldn’t help but say:
-”He eat so much, your brother’s such a hungus.”
-Without skipping a beat or knowing what a hungus was Jason replied, “Shut up hobbit!”
-You could never really shake that nick name afterwards.
-You become close with all of Dick’s family, and they easily include you into their family. This means countless terrible jokes about New Zealand, Hobbit nickname for life, and all of the kids (including your traitor boyfriend) impersonating your accent terribly.
-Also everytime the boys are giving you presents they just hand you Kiwi the fruit, and everytime you yell at them, because KIWI ARE THE NATIONAL ANIMAL NOT SOME STUPID FRUIT!
-Whenever Tim sees a kiwi fruit in the supermarket he takes a picture and send you the caption ‘is this you?’
-Dick and you have a great relationship, and unbeknownst to you he bought tickets to New Zealand and a diamond ring for the trip.
Something short and sweet because I really needed some fluffy Jason.
-It took you a while to realize that Jason Todd doesn’t say “I love you”
-At first it bothered you, a lot. Because your boyfriend wouldn’t say those three words to you.
-The first time you had said it out loud was on a night when it was just the two of you hanging out in his apartment.
-You said “I love you” and Jason just stared at you with wide eyes. There was nothing but silence for a moment and you felt your face heat up.
-You told him he didn’t have to say it back. You could understand if he wasn’t there yet. Jason had opened and closed his mouth, he was trying to force himself to say it.
-But you stoped him, because you didn’t want him to tell you like this. You wanted true genuine feelings. Not for him to say it just because you did.
-Jason didn’t look happy for the rest of the night, and you could tell the conversation bothered him. And it made you feel like shit, because you figured this signified the end. If he couldn’t love you back.
-You went home that night grumpy and upset. You lay in bed wide awake thinking about Jason.
-You really thought your relationship with Jason was going well. He opened up about parts of himself, told you about his death and resurrection. To share something that personal, you had thought that meant he felt the same way you did.
-It was then that you realized he had been saying “I love you” for months now.
-He says it when he grabs your hand, his large hand encompass yours completely and you feel warm. He says it when he gently squeezes your hand when he realizes you excited or when he rubs his thumb across the back of your hand when you’re nervous.
-Jason says “I love you” when he comes to you with a book in hand that he thinks you might like. Or when he shows you a poem that reminded him of you.
-Jason says it when you two are together in bed, in every searing kiss and every moan. When he looks into your eyes and when he drops his head to nibble at the crook of your neck.
-Jason has trouble with expressing his emotions, after everyone that had hurt him in the past, so of course he had trouble saying three little words.
-But you understood now.
-There are millions of ways to say “I love you” you just have to be willing to listen.
