#Batfam fic

[totally-normal-about-batman]

I think there should be more batfam + dark academia content bc a group of rich orphans being raised by the elusive millionaire? The old money, the decadence on Wayne manor, the mystery of the Wayne wards who are always sneaking out at night, the drama!!

[giveemhales]

🦇 My Top 25 Batfam Fics of 2023 🦇

I try to maintain an annual tradition of shouting out some of my top fanfics of the year so that new/current writers can get some love and appreciation. This year I got really into Batfam and read literally hundreds of fics, so here is my first ever Batfam fic rec list! I read so many incredible fics, and these are just a few of my fav to come out in 2023. Most of these are Tim Drake-centric because he’s my fav, but there’s also a lot of Jason, Dick, Damian, and Bruce. If you like any of these fics, make sure to show the author some love! And from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all fic writers for making the world a bit more beautiful. Happy new year ❤️

Ordered by word count:

New Traditions by @kgraces (2.3k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, bruce revives a family tradition only tim was unaware of)

Every Letter Counts by @laynaneedstherapy (2.4k, tim & jason, fluff and humor, tim asks robin to help him with his english homework) (i also recommend the rest of the series, which is very angsty but very good)

Owl Song by @ghost-bird (2.5k, dick & jason, fluff, talon!dick decides he’s going to take care of jason) (first part of a very sweet series)

“Thanks, Dad” by @selkienight60 + beautiful art by @ky-landfill (2.6k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, tim accidentally calls bruce dad and it leads to revelations for both of them)

the back corner booth by @tarvek-sturmvoraus (4.1k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim asks the red hood to kill his parents) *READ TAGS FOR WARNINGS

heat-seeking missile by @green-eyedfirework (4.1k, tim & jason (& bruce & dick), a/b/o dynamics, basically all fluff, tim is having a heat when jason comes to attack him at titan’s tower and this changes things)

A New Brother by @sishal01 (4.3k, tim & jason & bruce, angst with a happy ending, jason survives the joker’s attack but tim still joins the batfam) (also has an adorable little sequel)

what’s in a name by @envysparkler (4.5k, dick-centric, angst with a happy ending, dick and jason are kidnapped at a gala)

Maybe with a Shift in Planets by @sunflowersandink (4.5k, cass-centric, tim and cass join the batfam early, mute cass, fluff and angst, cass decides she will protect tim and bruce decides he will protect both of them)

all the small weights by @sparkysomething (6.4k, bruce & jason, hurt/comfort and some humor, bruce is hit with fear toxin and jason is the only one available to help)

Another Mirror by @byrambles (6.5k, damian-centric, reverse robins au, angst with a happy ending, good bruce saves the bat kids from evil bruce in an alternate dimension but mistakenly believes damian is evil) (i also highly recommend the sequel- the whole series is phenomenal and an all time fav) *READ TAGS FOR WARNINGS

Refuge of Last Resort by @wildsofmarch (7.4k, jason & tim, angst with a hopeful ending, tim goes to jason after killing the joker)

fallen angel//risen demon by @call-me-quill (7.6k, tim & bruce, fluff and angst, demon hunter!bruce adopts demon!tim) (i recommend reading the whole series which largely focuses on alfred and the rest of the batfam)

rafter of satin, roof of stone by @sardonic-sprite (8.1k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim is buried alive and only jason can save him)

In Love With Justice by Jedi_Olympian (9.7k, dick & bruce (+ dick/wally and bruce/clark), fluff and humor, misunderstandings, the justice league think batman and nightwing are together)

Forgiveness by L_autore_Passionale (9.9k, jason & dick (& tim & bruce), angst with a happy ending, jason goes to attack tim at titan’s tower not realizing he switched bodies with dick)

Stranger than Fiction by @fox-muldest (11.8k, tim-centric, fluff and humor, tim writes fanfic about batman but wasn’t prepared for the batfam to actually find it) (this fic actually made me cackle)

oh my god are you guys homophobes? by @antebunny (14.3k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason arrives to save tim from the league of assassins but unfortunately tim has no memory of jason or his past life) (update: the fic has new scenes and is now 26.6k)

Luminous Beings by @banditywrites (15.8k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, jason can see light surrounding people about to die and tim glows particularly bright)

the butler’s neighbor by @dear-galileo (16.6k, alfred & tim, fluff and angst with a happy ending, alfred begins taking care of the neighbor kid) (also has two very wholesome sequels)

Where sorrows live and raptures die by @dark-nymphs-fanfiction (22.5k, jason & tim, angst with a happy ending, tim is afraid of jason after the titan’s tower attack and jason struggles to forgive himself)

So…Rock, Paper, Scissors? by @misstuesday9 (24.7k, jason & tim & dick & damian, angst with a happy ending, jason is told to pick one of his brothers to kill)

All Things to All Men by @motleyfam (30.8k, tim & jason & dick & bruce, angst and fluff, jason gets sick and tim thinks he hates him but dick is there to save the day) (this is the fifth part of a series where tim joins the batfam early bc his parents suck, this can be read alone but I def recommend reading the whole series)

Signed Red Robin by Xrea354 (46k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim attempts to resign from the batfam but the bats are not okay with that)

A Stalker on the Rooftop by @stormpilot-obsessed (88.9k, tim & jason (and eventual tim/jason), tim joins the batfam early, fluff and angst, tim and jason become friends before jason goes to ethiopia) (the whole series is great and still ongoing, it is mostly focused on batfam but please be aware that tim and jason start as friends and develop romantic feelings for each other, so don’t read if you don’t like that)

+10 WIPs I hope to see more of in 2024!

Finders Keepers by @taralaurel (12k, tim & jason, fluff and angst, tim gets lost in crime alley and jason takes him home and then ends up staying)

Damian Drake by InkpotSprite (16.5k, damian & tim, mostly fluff and humor, damian is sent to gotham and mistakenly believes his father is jack drake leading to tim becoming his brother)

something just like this by @tarvek-sturmvoraus (19.5k, tim-centric, angst and fluff, tim is bruce and selina’s kid)

Christened by StoriesAreMagic (20.6k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim is joker junior and is there when the joker tries to kill jason)

To be Loved is to be Known by @loreoftheforgotten (27.2k, tim & jason & dick, tim joins the batfam early, fluff and angst and humor, tim is a wolf shifter kept in captivity until the batfam saves him)

In Gotham, Even The Birds Are Street Rats by @ao3time (57.1k, dick & jason & tim, angst and fluff, the boys live together on the streets until bruce adopts all three of them)

Tangled Web (and how it unraveled) by Covenyt2950 (61.9k, bruce-centric, angst with (presumably) a happy ending, bruce hides from his sons that he’s a vampire and this has dangerous consequences later on)

cards on the table by @wesslan (67k, tim-centric, angst and fluff and humor, tim is a fortune teller scamming the gotham elite when he gets mixed up with the batfam) (there’s only one chapter left to go, so i recommend reading even if you typically avoid WIPs!)

children of the stars by @silk-scarlet-ribbons (93.4k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending and hurt/comfort, the red hood basically adopts tim) (jason and tim have more of a father-son relationship than brother but it’s so fucking cute i highly recommend)

The Big Road Home by @crumpetz (119.5k, tim & jason, angst and fluff and humor and anything else you could want, tim and jason are homeless together before joining the batfam) (an all time fav)

[adelfie]

Comic-style art I made inspired by 'A Meditation On Railroading' by @eggmacguffin - from when Jason finds Tim on the train 💖

[ghost-bxrd]

“This is where you live?”

Jason drops the duffle bag on the counter, “Yeah. It’s no manor, kid. I told you.”

He’s not self conscious. He’s not. This apartment is fuckin’ nice ok? He spent a lot of money on decor and proper kitchenware and furniture and shit.

But Jason also knows that, objectively speaking, it doesn’t hold a candle to Wayne manor and its fifty-something bedrooms. That place is basically its own country.

Bruce nods.

“I like it,” he says solemnly, walking over towards the window to peek through the blinds. The view from up here isn’t exactly panorama level but the building is one of the tallest in Crime Alley and Jason’s apartment is on the top floor, so it does provide a pretty good view of a good portion of the Alley. “It doesn’t feel as empty.”

Jason pauses where he’s resetting the traps and alarms by the door, glancing over his shoulder to where Bruce is starting to tentatively explore the living space and is struck by how violently out of place the boy looks with his rigid posture and elegantly curved eyebrows. Even the plain hoodie, faded hand-me-down jeans and ridiculous wool cap aren’t enough to hide how utterly not Crime Alley born-and-bred he is. Everything about Bruce is basically screaming rich-Bristol-trust-fund-kid.

Which, yeah. Checks out.

Jason clears his throat and clicks the security on, waiting for the small light at the side to switch from green to red.

“Your room’s the one down the hall to the left. Right one is mine. Door at the end of the hall is the bathroom.”

Bruce hikes his backpack up higher on his shoulder, eyes eerily vacant as always, but Jason wants to think that there’s a sliver of curiosity behind that steely gaze anyways as he inclines his head and makes his way down the hall.

As soon as the kid vanishes around the corner Jason allows himself a moment to exhale and run a hand down his face tiredly.

Jesus fucking Christ.

What was he thinking.

How the fuck is he supposed to raise a tiny Bruce Wayne with his older furry counterpart running around Gotham at night hunting criminals? Criminals like Jason?

Nothing. He was thinking nothing. And it’s about to bite him in the ass.

No way can he build a criminal empire and take over the drugs and weapons trade with a traumatized nine year old dependent on him.

God dammit.

[calbee-add1ct]

@ronsbuldgingmember made me catch up on @wesslan‘s silly fortune teller!tim au fic this week so obv i had to draw up that scene where tim reads dick’s fortune

[jcryptid]

Did i impulsively spend weeks on rendering after getting hooked on a Batfam fic? Yes.... Yes I did.

for real though guys, the author of this fic is an absolute angel. So... @lulurythmea: Happy Birthday.... thanks for making me cry and go feral.... can't wait to see what the hell you do next you crazy son of a bitch ;)

the fic in question is Across the Sands on Ao3, go check it out if you also want to go feral and get some of that sweet sweet hurt comfort!

[random-writing-panda]

||•~ Growing pains ~•||

(Older)Damian Wayne x Reader

*My GIF

I’m finally getting better at making fic’s longer. As always I hope you guys enjoy it and that my inability to spell doesn’t reflect in my writing to much🙃 

Word count: 1.4k

Warnings: little bit angsty

====================================

Damian starts to develop feelings towards his best friend, he doesn't understand what these feelings mean so who better to go to but his big brother Dick?

====================================

Damian hated this class. Out of all the classes he had to waste his day attending, this one was the worst because the one person who made school bearable was on the other side of the room. So, he was stuck sitting next to morons who only wanted to talk to him because he was Damian Wayne.  

He was zoned out not paying any attention to the class, he didn’t need to, he knew more about the subject then the teacher did and that left him to doing the one thing that had seemed to take over his life recently, drawing you. He sat there sketching lines onto his book glancing up to look over to you as you sat with your face resting in your hand looking half asleep. Damian smiled to himself as he looked back down to the sketch. No matter how many times he drew you he could never make it perfect, never fully capture the beauty you hold.

It had been almost two months of Damian drawing you. You had found one of his sketch books and were so shocked at how talented he was, the detail was incredible, so obviously as his best friend you begged him to draw you.  

∞∞

“No.” he sighed  

“C’monnnn Dami please! Just one sketch. It’s just one please!” you grab his arm and he squirms a little.

“Oh sorry... I forgot the touching thing. But seriously please? Just draw me once.” you pull you hand away and give him puppy dog eyes. You were the one person he listened to, not a lot, but more than anyone else.

“Fine. One okay?” he looks over to you and smiles as you start clapping and smiling.

“Thank you Dami!”  

∞∞

He had finished the sketch and just looked at it just wasn’t good enough, it was missing something and he couldn’t make it look perfect but you had seen him stop so you practically ran over to him and sat next to him and ran your fingers over the edge of the paper and you had smiled so much, you seemed so happy.  

As happy as you were with the picture Damian just couldn’t let go of the fact something was missing, so he tried again, using the picture of the two of you that he kept in his room as a reference.

It drove him crazy, whenever he saw you there was something so beautiful that he just couldn’t capture in his drawings and eventually after every day you spent together, he would sit down and draw it.  

Over the two months he had filled up the entire book with memories and whenever he looked through his sketchbook he was filled with happiness and something completely unexplainable.

“Damian since you seem to be paying attention what is the answer to the question?” the teacher asked trying to embarrass him. It backfired quickly when Damian answered correctly without even looking up from his book. The class tried to stifle their laughter as the teacher turned red and tried to continue with the class.

Damian shot his eyes up to look at you again and he heard your laugh after what had occurred and he just smiled back at you. He didn’t know what was happening to him.

How he felt about you confused him which he hated Damian absolutely hated not know what was happening especially when his own feelings are what were confusing him. He needed to know what was happening and he couldn’t work it out on his own... he needed help...  

∞∞

He was never going to let Damian live this down. Damien actually asking for someone else's help.

“I swear Grayson. You will never utter a word of this conversation to anyone is that understood?” Damian scowls at Dick as they sit across from each other.  

“Sure, okay fine what do you need help with Damian?” Dick slouches over resting his elbows on his knees.

“Whenever I’m with Y/n... I feel weird.” Damian says trying to piece together the words.

“Weird? What do you mean weird?”  

“If I knew what I meant I would have said that wouldn't I Grayson? Uh forget it.” Damian goes to stand up.

“No! Hey Damian, I'm sorry come on I want to help.” Dick says standing and gently puts his hand on Damian’s shoulder, “Just talk to me try to explain it?”

“Fine... when I’m with her I...I just...I feel like I’m happier... I feel like a better person and I feel...okay I mean actually okay.” Damian sat back down and but his head in his hands. “And... there is just something unexplainable and...I don’t understand... my entire life i have know exactly how to feel and how to respond... how to turn off my feelings...but I can’t and I don’t know how to deal with it... i don’t even know what it is!”

“Heh... sounds like you're in love.” Dick lets out a small almost sad chuckle. “First love...wow”

“Love?-”

“Yeah love it is what happens when people-”  

“I know what love is Grayson!” Damian replies hastily and rolls his eyes, “I just didn’t know it felt like... this...”

“It’s love. It feels like love. You just know!” Dick says almost like he was confused  

“No Grayson. I don’t know that’s why I came to you.” Damian knew people didn’t understand but at this point they didn’t even try to understand that he couldn't process emotion like other people, they just brush it off.

“I’m trying to be supportive but how do you not know what love is like? Any kind of love?”

“Well Dick some of us didn’t grow up perfectly.”

“Perfectly?! Perfectly really?? No one in this house grew up perfectly! Except maybe Alfred, but that’s beside the point!”

“Yeah well you could be less of a dick, Dick.” Damien stood up and walked away without a second thought.

∞∞

“I will never understand the need for a bed the size of a normal room.” You laugh as you fall back onto Damian’s bed and lay there looking up at his ceiling.

“I don’t get it either but its comfortable.”  Damian raises his head and puts his pencil on his desk.

“I agree maximum comfort levels. I should sleep over more.” you smile and watching you on his bed his face heats up and you move around on the bed and walk over to him.

You sit up on his desk and look down at Damian’s sketch book.

“Is that me?” you move to grab the book, but Damian gets to it first and slams it shut.

“Nope.” his eyes meet yours and he smiles, “Not you at all.”  

“Hm I don’t think so, I'm pretttyy sure that was me.”  

He looks down and he tried to stay calm. Did you hate him? Did you think he was creep? Were you going to stop hanging out with him?

“Let me see it!” you laugh and try to grab the book.

“No!”  

“Please?”

“...Fine...”

He hands the book over to you and his hand brushed yours and you smiled.

You open the book to the first page and see a beautiful sketch of your day out at the beach with him, you flip over the pages one by one and are met with an entire book full of drawings of you.

“Damian...”

That was it you thought he was a creep.

“These are so amazing...” you reach the end of the book and find a page with your sketch in a box in the middle of the page.

“Sorry...this is weird...” He looks at the wall and straightens up in his seat.

You reach over and place your hand on his cheek, you run your finger over the side of his face.

“What are you talking about? They are amazing Damian what are you embarrassed about?”

“You don’t think I'm creepy for having a sketch book full of pictures of you?” Damian laughs and leans into your hand.

“No... it's so sweet.” you look down trying to force words pass the lump in your throat. “It’s nice to have the guy you like take that much interest in you...” you mumble to quietly.

“You like me?”

“Yeah...maybe...a little bit...”  

“Good.” Damian stands up and tugs you off the desk and hugs you. “Because... I think I like you too.”

“Damian?”

He pulls back.

“Yeah...?”

“Can I kiss you?”  

He smiles and you lean into him and press your lips against his and you slowly close your eyes,grasping your waist tightly he pulls you closer to him. The moment seems to last for an eternity and once you pull away you rest you head on his chest.

“Just one sketch huh...?” you look up and Damien rolls his eyes at chuckles.

“Just one sketch.”  

================

Tag list:

[mxtantrights]

Hi. Can you do a Fem! Reader x Batfamilie Soulmates? Where they find the reader hurt and the reader is pretty terrified. Mainly fluff, still insisted that reader should move in and get lessons from them

this turned into a behemoth but here we are! I hope you like it. It was fun to kind of do this all as a one-shot and not worry about plot holes and stuff. as always thanks for sending something in, this was fun to make <3333

You weren't in your right state of mind. How could you be? With a busted lip and slash marks littered all over your body. If that wasn't enough the three miles you ran to get away from danger really took all of your energy.

So when you end up at the front steps of a very lush looking house you collapse completely. If the people chasing you didn't catch you then surely the people who live in the old manor could ask you to run around while they hunt you for sport.

When your eyes shut, there is only one thing on your mind. This is it.

-

Damian Wayne hears a noise outside while he's walking back to the manor. He shouldn't have been outside anyways, but batcow needed some nurturing with the long day she had. He was walking back when he heard a thud from the front. Usually, he just scales the walls and gets back into his room.

But tonight, he decides to investigate. He keeps a weapon on him at all times, even when he's home. He's thankful for it and places his knife in his hand as he ventures closer to the front door. The thought doesn't cross his mind to call for anyone else. He is fully capable of handling a threat by himself.

When he gets close enough to see the tips of your shoes sprawled on the floor he grunts to himself, ready for fight.

"Get off the floor now!" he shouts.

There is no response, seeing as you're knocked out. He shouts again and you don't move an inch. Damian takes this as hostile behavior and inches closer and closer. It isn't long before he puts together that you are lying on the ground for a reason.

He puts it together when he sees your whole body laid out on the front steps. Damian puts the knife away and rushes over to you. His fingers check your pulse, slow but steady, he then checks your eyes. He doesn't miss the busted lip, or the tiny slashes on your face.

Before he can even begin to get you up, the front door opens. Bruce Wayne in his nighttime attire stands at the door with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Damian?" he asks.

"I didn't do it." Damian answers.

Bruce looks over at your body and realization dawns on him. The Owl court used to play tricks on people like this before. The scars on your face and all over your body, they were after you.

The older man doesn't hesitate to grab you off the floor, holding you in his arms. He turns to Damian.

"Please get Alfred." he says.

And then Bruce Wayne is bringing you inside. Damian runs in after him and ducks and weaves into the rooms to get Alfred. Bruce carries you all the way to the living room, where he sets you down on the couch. He's concluded that your injuries aren't bad, but the adrenaline crash is what knocked you out.

Alfred and Damian come into the room at once.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred asks.

"She'll need stitches. And a change of clothes." Bruce says.

Alfred nods, "Right away, sir."

Damian stands next to his father and watches over you with him. The both of them seem to be looking over you for anything else they might've missed. A tracker? A wire? A camera?

"Father, what if-" Damian starts.

"I know, but first we need her to wake up." Bruce cuts him off.

"We should keep her down in the cave."

"No, she didn't run to the cave. She ran here. If we bring her down there, she'll know who we are." Bruce answers.

Damian nods, "Okay Father, so what do we do now?"

"We wait."

-

It's a long wait. You sleep a total of thirteen uninterrupted hours. Which isn't unusual for someone in your position. Your body needs rest.

When you do open your eyes, you find yourself on a bed under warm covers. Something is sticking into your arm, and you look over to see what it is. An IV. Your eyes go wide.

Immediately you start to unplug the needle from your arm. Your breathing goes rigid. You pull the covers off you. They found you. They found you and they want to keep torturing you. They want to keep playing their sick games.

You shoot out of bed and look around the room for something, anything to help you out. There is nothing. No knives. No sharp objects. Thats when you realize you weren't tied up.

A knock on the door makes you flinch. You back up so that the bed will be in-between you and the person trying to come inside.

"May I come in?" a gentle voice asks.

You aren't sure how to answer that. You are still unclear if this is a trap. What if you answer wrong? What if this is another game, something new?

You clear your throat, now realizing how scratchy it feels.

"Yes." you answer.

The door opens and reveals a tall young man. He can't be any older than you. He has green eyes and jet black hair, a white streak in it.

"Who are you?" you ask him.

"My name is Jason," he starts.

You notice that he leaves the door open. You can see outside the room. Your first instinct is to run, your feet shift back and forth. But you think against it. With the way the man, Jason, is standing there more than six feet and ready to stop you if need be.

"Do you remember anything about how you came here?" he asks.

You shake your head, "I don't even know where here is."

He smiles, it's soft and it would have gone unnoticed if you weren't trying to gauge who he is.

"This is my childhood home." he says.

"I don't understand, how did I get here?" you ask him now.

Jason crosses his arms against his chest, "We don't know."

"We?" you ask quickly.

Jason puts his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not trying to scare you, it's me and my family in this house. Thats it." he says.

You take a step back, "Are you the ones who did this to me? Please just be honest, I can't do this anymore."

"Woah, we're not the ones who hurt you. I promise." Jason answers.

"And I'm just supposed to take you at your word?" you ask credulously.

"It's all we've got right now, unless you want to give me your name."

That's when it hit you. The people who had you before, they never asked for your name. Never. It was the one thing that unnerved you. They prodded and poked you, twisted your mind and everything in between. But they never asked for your name.

You take a tiny step forward, a bit shaky. You can feel just a small amount of relief in your chest. You tell him your name and he nods. Just as you're about to ask him why he helped you, your eyes roll back, and you can't feel the solid ground beneath you anymore.

-

"They did a number on her that's for sure." Babs says from the computer.

Dick walks into the cave with a quick step. There surrounding Babs is Jason, Damian, Tim, Steph, Duke and Bruce.

"Sorry I'm late. care to fill me in?" Dick asks.

"Yeah, a girl ran here and blacked out at the front door some time last night. Cuts and bruises, can't remember how it happened." Jason answers.

"Is this a trap?" Dick asks.

"I asked that too, but father doesn't seem to think so." Damian answers.

"It's the owl court." Bruce says.

Dick looks over at Bruce then. The expression clear on his face, this was personal. His eyebrows knitted together and his arms crossed over his chest.

"A long time ago, I lost a case. A young girl, about the same age. The court was using her as leverage against one of the mob bosses. It went on for weeks until..." Bruce trails off.

"I don't get it, why is this happening now?" Dick asks.

"I've never seen her before, but this isn't a coincidence." Bruce answers.

"No the more important question is did she know where she was going?" Tim says.

The group falls into silence. None of them can really answer the question. Not even Jason who just talked to you an hour ago and caught you before you fell on the ground.

Jason pipes up with his own words at the memory.

"She told me her name," he walks closer to the monitor and Babs, "No surname though."

"She can't stay here father. This is dangerous." Damian says.

"I know but I need to speak to her." Bruce replies.

"Can't. She knocked out again. I spoke to her for all of about five minutes." Jason speaks.

"Are you sure?" Tim asks.

"Well seeing as I saw her eyes roll back and her body almost collapse to the floor, I'm pretty sure Tim." Jason sasses.

"I'm just saying, we have a stranger in our house." Tim raises his hands.

"She's not a stranger. She's here for a reason." Bruce puts simply.

Then Bruce is walking out of the cave, leaving all the kids to watch him as he goes. He can't shake the feeling that he's more involved than he knows. Sure you showed up on his front doorstep and looked eerily familiar to an old case. But there is something else that he can't quite place.

-

Alfred, as he called himself, finishes the last stitch on your back. You wince as he pulls the thread tight to keep the wound from opening. You shake as he cuts the thread and tells you that it's over.

"No it's not. It's really not." you mumble.

"Excuse me, miss?" he asks.

You slowly turn around to look at him, "Once I leave here they'll find me again."

Alfred looks around for a moment and then back at you. He had a face you felt you could trust. You haven't been in the position to trust anyone lately but him, right now in front of you, you knew you could.

"What if I taught you how to defend yourself?" he asks.

You're confused for a moment. The thought of an old butler teaching you how to keep yourself alive wasn't on your mind. Surely, you think to yourself, he doesn't know much about combat and trying to stay alive.

"How will you do that?" you ask.

Alfred smiles, "First we start small."

Alfred reaches into his pocket and pulls out a steak knife. You confusedly look between him and the sharp object. Giving this to you when it hasn't even been proven who you are is an unwise decision for him to make.

As if reading your mind, Alfred walks over to the door.

"Don't make me regret it." he says.

-

You could hear them talking about you through the door. There were a lot of voices, only one of which you recognized as Jason's. Everyone else wasn't familiar at all.

You lay in bed and stare up at the ceiling.

It's not like you could remember either. If you could you would've told Jason all that you knew so that you could be out of here. But even then, you have a feeling that he and Alfred would have insisted you stayed.

"Just get in there and ask her if she's okay!" Jason shouts.

Then there is some shushing. All of a sudden you can hear the door handle being turned. Your ears didn't pick up on keys, so you weren't locked in this room.

The door opens and you turn your head to see who it is. In comes a man twice you age but still younger than Alfred. When he gets closer you realize that you've seen him before.

"Do-do I know you?" you ask.

He closes the door behind him, "We've never met."

"You look familiar though." you say.

"Maybe you've seen my face in the paper, my name is Bruce Wayne." he answers.

A lightbulb goes off in your head. Bruce Wayne. The orphan. They talked about him once or twice when they had you captured. But it was always in passing, like they couldn't care less about him.

"They talked about you." you say.

"Who?" he asks.

He then takes the chair that sits in the corner and brings it over to your bedside. As he does, you decide to sit up on the bed.

"The people who did this to me." you answer.

"You don't know what they are called?" he asks.

You shake your head, "No they were good at keeping this a secret. Like why they had me there, and who they were."

"Do you have somewhere safe to go?" he asks.

You shake your head once more. The feeling of anxiety washing over you. Yes you would like to be no ones responsibility but you know you're on the run and no one is really looking out for you anyways.

"You may stay here, if you let me help you find out who's hunting you." he says.

And then you're looking at him like he just said the sky is purple. You can't believe he would offer to help you, a random person.

"It's not everyday an unconscious women lands on my doorstep." he pips up.

"I thought this was Jason's house." you say out loud.

"He comes by from time to time, but this is my home." he answers your unspoken question.

"Okay, I'll stay here."

-

They all watch as you pour yourself a glass of orange juice. It's weird to be watched, but you know it's not in a bad way. You can't really tell which way it is, but you know they won't do to you what the owl court did to you. That's what they were called.

Bruce told you everything a couple of nights ago. How they were torturing you in the same way they tortured another person years ago. It didn't make sense to you why it was happening though, neither did it make sense to Bruce.

But he offered for you to stay at the manor until he could get it cleared up for you.

In the span of a week you have learned a lot. Like how to hold a knife for maximum impact, how to run and not get tired, how to turn common things into a weapon. And that Bruce Wayne is batman.

It came up after you asked him how he knew all of this stuff. You weren't expecting him to up and tell you, but he did. And it made you trust him even more.

As for his kids, they came around fairly quickly. Damian being the last one, even though he was the first one to find you. You heard from the others that he is slow to trust, so the fact that he lets you roam around the manor freely is good.

Steph, Duke and Cass were the first three to be friendly with you outside training. You think it's because they are younger. They are quick to include you in their conversations.

The last three boys are all so different from each other. They teach you defense in different ways. Jason is all about striking first and hard. Tim teaches you when to hit for the best chances. Dick teaches you when to stay down.

"I'm not going to break from pouring a glass of juice." you say.

"We know, we're just looking over you." Dick says.

You turn back, juice in hand, and make a face.

"Don't you do enough of that when you all train me? I'm better than before." you explain.

"You had no training before." Jason says.

"Thanks Jason."

"We just wanna make sure that you know staying here is a choice."

"I know."

-

You flip Dick over on his back and he lands with a grunt. Everyone in the training room lets out a noise of their own. Bruce and Jason let out winces. Damian claps. Cass and Tim tumble over in laughter. And Duke and Steph instigate the whole thing. Alfred is standing silently, a smile on his face.

"I told you I got better."

"Yeah, I can see that. Feel it too." Dick grunts.

You hold out your hand for him. He takes it and helps himself up with help from you. You smile when he stands on his own two feet.

"I guess you learned from the best"

-

Jason watches you carefully as you unload then take apart the firearm and then put it together again, and load it. You don't even seem to be phased by the timer he set.

Actually you beat it by four seconds, which is one second better than him. When you finish you look up at Jason.

"How was that?" you ask.

"You beat my record." he answers.

"Woah."

"Yeah, fuckin' woah."

"Can you watch your language? I'm right here." Damian says.

Both of you look at the boy who is standing at the door. You hadn't noticed he even opened the door. You were so in the zone.

"I beat him." you say.

"I know I saw. Could be more efficient though to know when a door is opening." Damian sasses.

"Right."

"Oh shut up, she did good."

-

Tim shuts the computer screen off. You had just completed a practice off-site hacking of a hard drive. Tim said that you did well for a beginner and even liked how you added your own style to it.

When you walk out the door you see Cass on the top of the steps. She nods for you to follow. You do without another word. The two of you go down the steps and outside. Cass is five steps ahead of you.

In the darkness, you turn around once at the sound of a twig breaking. When you turn back you don't see Cass anymore. You stop walking.

"Cass?"

You feel the need to turn around the other way, facing the door, and when you do you see her. She's waiting at the door, a smile on her face.

"I'm taking it you're gonna teach me about stealth?" you ask.

She nods once.

-

Damian tells you to meet him in the barn. And you decide to put your new found stealth skills to the test. You don't take the usual way there. You go out a bedroom window. And you scale the wall down to the ground.

Then you duck and weave between trees.

When you arrive at the barn you see Damian inside. You know you can come in thought the roof so you decide to do that. You are as quick as a cat. You scale the barn wall and get up on the roof.

You slowly open the hatch and crawl inside to the attic space. Being sure to not move anything around so that he might catch you. You watch from above as Damian talks to Batcow.

"I hate to say it, but I think I want her to stay." he says.

Your heart feels heavy. You found out not too long ago that he was the first one to find you. It made you sad beyond your years but also really grateful to Damian.

"I just, don't like a lot of people. But I like her." he adds.

You can't come out now. He would know that you were listening and would deny everything he said. You don't want to embarrass him either.

"She should learn some time management though, she's very late. Doesn't she know your bed time is in twenty minutes?" he says.

Then he's walking out of the barn, not doubt to find you. You wait until he's out of the barn to descend to the bottom level. When you do Batcow turns around to look at you.

"Maybe I will stay."

[brucewaynehater101]

Reverse Robins AU is a fun concept, but I need more of that Jason POV angst.

If Tim and Jason are swapping roles (i.e. Tim dies and Jason is the third Robin), I need that focus on Jason's early Robin years.

Bruce, who's a grieving brutal man, would scare Jason. The violence, the coldness, and (if it's your flavor) the alcoholism. Bruce finds this child and, unlike for canon Jason, doesn't show him love and care.

So why does Jason stick around? Why would Jason put up with this behavior?

Bruce reminds Jason of a gnarly combination of Willis and Catherine.

The violence, the yelling, and the fear of a father figure are reminiscent of Willis. The lack of self-care, depressive spirals, and dissociative states are a messed up way Jason can see some of his mom again. Jason gets glimpses of his parents, but only in the worst sides of Bruce.

I want to see Jason tucking in Bruce and humming songs that would comfort his mom. Similar to when Catherine would forget or be unable to prepare food, Jason would ensure Bruce ate. He would chat lightly for hours to bring Bruce back from staring at Tim's case.

If Bruce is an alcoholic in this fic, Jason would be rubbing Bruce's back as he vomits. He would watch as Bruce poured another glass knowing he can't stop him.

When Bruce goes on a rampage, when he's screaming and hollering and throwing things, Jason would be hiding in his closet. Damian probably told Jason to call him when it gets like that (Damian can get Jason out of there if he can't stop it), but why would he? It's not like anyone was there for him before. It's not like calling for help led to him actually getting the assistance he needed. Instead, it usually led to the situation becoming worse.

So, despite the parentification (that's all that Jason's known), the kid stays. Bruce needs him after all. He eventually pulls Bruce away from the ledge. He finally gets a dad that doesn't cause his hands to tremble. Damian comes around more often and teaches Jason how to protect himself. Finally, the kid is Robin and able to help people (like how he saved Bruce).

Then Tim comes back from the dead.

[atalante241]

Hear me out, you take both Maribat and the DPxDC (batfam) fanfics. Go through the whole omg bio kids thing, but as for how they came into existence I propose:

That time Bruce was just surfing through time with amnesia while his kids thought he was dead, he meets these two pairs of couples and they all decide to have threesomes on separate occasions bc why not. And when he gets back to the present he doesn’t rly think about it but somewhere a teenage boy will or has turned into a half-ghost-half-not-ghost and a young-teen girl will or has become a magical girl.

[thecruellestmonth]

Dick & Jason fic recs

Some of the best fics featuring bickering, bonding, and brotherhood between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd.

"Secrets, Siblings, and Cigarettes" by CrimeAlley1048 - A young Jason Todd finds an uninvited guest at Wayne Manor.

"drawing lines in the sand" by acrobats - When Batman is injured, Nightwing and Robin have to patrol together. The only problem is that they can't stand each other.

"Call Me Hopeless" by incogneat_oh - Dick is so very tired. Love is stored in the brotherhood.

The Art of Bird Metaphor by lowflyingfruit - Batman works alone. Everyone knows that. What Jason's learning is that he also has a penchant for picking up strays. And while Jason's just your common or garden Gotham street rat, Bruce's other stray, Richard, is an ex-assassin for the Court of Owls. An ex-assassin for the Court of Owls who hates Jason's guts. Adjusting to life in Wayne Manor was hard enough already.

"the long lost art of killing it dead" by dustorange - Red Hood is a criminal, so it doesn't make sense why he would bother dragging Nightwing back to Dick Grayson's apartment and bandaging his potentially deadly gunshot wounds. What makes even less sense is why Hood keeps coming back. (AKA another "Dick redeems Red Hood with the power of affection" fic but with even less mental stability.)

"catch and release" by hellsreluctantheir - Dick tries to catch Jason. [Whumptober with hurt Dick]

"Proper Procedures for Undercover Missions" by solomonara - Dick shows off his master detective skills, tracks down Jason, and runs a refresher course on the proper procedure for undercover missions.

"like falling water" by naheka - All Jason wanted to do was take a nap and pull one over on Bruce. Trust Dick to go ahead and ruin everything.

"see my other side" by deepestbluesky- Red Hood rebrands.

"fortune telling and speculative science" by knowsphere - Nightwing and Red Hood face uncertain doom.

"Bow to the Crown" by hauntedlittledoll - Dick is down for the count. Jason delivers a monologue to poor Damian.

"Upside Down" by withthekeyisking - Something that was not on Jason's agenda for the night, but somehow now is: take care of the de-aged version of his big brother, who is—in his tiny mind—apparently running away from juvie.

"Equivalent Exchange" by Lysical - Dick leaned over and pinched his cheek. Jason reached up and swiped at him, scowling. Dick calls in an old favor owed by Jason.

"Oh How the Turntables" by Lysical - Nearly drowning in Gotham Harbor means that it's Dick who is in the care of a concerned sibling. He's not prepared to go down without a fight, though.

"Always Someone Better" by lowflyingfruit - What Jason hadn't known when Batman scooped him off the streets was how much it sucked to be the second and second-best child. Five times Jason felt inferior to Dick, and a reversal he didn't savour like he thought he would.

"Home Intrusion" by daedalusdavinci - Dick feels overwhelmed by depression. Jason is a chaotic blend of unapologetically annoying and insufferably caring. ♡

"A little more heart and soul" by ruesyblues - Dick wants Damian to be happy. He just has no clue how to accomplish that.

Honorable mentions:

"scout's honour" by orphan_account - Jason meets his older brother for the first time. Alternatively: local children solve murders and hate their dad.

"One Bird, Two Bird, Red Bird, Dead Bird" by blacklettered - In which Jason Todd is dead, and Dick is fine.

"lonely town" by TheResurrectionist - Bruce doesn’t kill the Joker. But that was Dick’s little brother, damn it. Major character death, intense grief, death wishes, extreme peril, self-destructive behavior.

"haunt the blood" by wednesday - Hood walks into the warehouse and about a dozen feet in his steps falter. The helmet hides his face, but the way his muscles tense spell out danger in a way that makes Dick instantly wary. He’d rather not get handed over to any masked villains, Hood included.

"Convergence" by meaninglessblah - Dick volunteers to unmask the Red Hood rogue who's been meddling in Roman's business. The enigma Dick finds seems more intent on unmasking him. Villainous Red Hood.

"Pastrami on Rye" by sister_wolf - "You want a sandwich?" Jason Todd -- fucking Jason Todd -- asked off-handedly as he walked into the kitchenette of the small, dingy apartment. "Oh, right, you can't answer right now. Well, I want a sandwich, so you get one too." Hostility, bitterness, villainous Red Hood.

"Not A Brother Not A Friend" by kleine_aster - Nightwing helps the wanted villain Red Hood recover from fear toxin—though they are not brothers, and they are not friends.

"A Christmas Miracle" by Mithen - Damian and Dick go undercover to bust a child-kidnapping ring whose members dress up as Santa Claus.

"provisional kindred soul" - two guys sit on a roof and talk around their childhoods. Warning for crappy dad Bruce.

"New Life, New Leaf" by CrimeAlley1048 - Jason Todd gives the "no killing" rule a try.

"Like Father" by Wisetypewriter - Scarlet & Dick, Scarlet & Jason. Jason, Dick privately recalled, was ironically the one that took after Bruce's adoption addiction the most.

Two Dead Birds by InsaneTrollLogic - There's some lunatic in a red helmet running through Jason's territory. He wants to think it's a copy cat. He's wrong. "UtRH" time travel redux, Jason-centric.

"See No Evil" by cherrysour - Jason has never been great at feelings, and seeing strong, independent Nightwing blind and alone brings up too many of them. Jason never stopped idolizing Dick.

"occam's razor" by BeatriceEagle - An Internet community discusses the mysterious death of a billionaire's son.

"Joking" by CrimeAlley1048 - Dick has to put in entirely too much effort to wish his brother a happy birthday.

"It's Tomb Time" by FleetSparrow - Tiny vignette. When Dick and Jason have to investigate an old tomb, Jason doesn't like it one bit. And makes it known. Repeatedly.

"Save Me From Tears" by Shenanigans - Jason's gift isn't expensive; it's priceless.

"Through Me Tell the Story" by diefleder_tey - Jason takes Dick to his favorite bookstore and tasks him with finding a certain book; it doesn't end like he expects.

"for one more moment" by renecdote - Hurt/comfort, Dick is self-sacrificing, Jason is worried angry.

"Changes" by HoodEx - Dick copes with his depression in a certain way, much to the horror of his family. Jason helps him through it.

"Rumours Of My Death" by WordsAblaze - Dick and Jason end up sharing a messy but much-needed emotional moment in a graveyard. Set during the Spyral arc.

"Down to the Dregs" by firefright - The fallout of the Joker war and Dick getting his memory back is far messier than some in his family would like to acknowledge. But to the surprise of them both, Jason, out of all people, is willing to listen. Content warning: Ric arc, "City of Bane", "The Joker War", and other frustrating canon events referenced.

"the past doesn’t die" by Phidippus - Their lives have never been simple, but Dick and Jason come to find that some bonds last through death.

"Relax" by thebluemango - Dick is cold and bleeding. When he gets rescued, even in his disoriented brain he wants to stay strong for his littlest brothers. Little does he know, he can just relax.

"Fabric Softener" by ceruleon - As the title implies, this story is way soft. Feel-good fluff.

Red X by ilovelegendsalot - A rather painstakingly canon-compliant Teen Titans 2003 cartoon fic, in which Jason Todd steals the Red X suit from his older brother.

Bad Company by LilRedRobinHood - Deathstroke's son is dead and he demands an apprentice to pay off the blood debt--Robin, specifically. While the already-grieving Dark Knight's investigation devolves into a self-destructive spiral, Dick clings stubbornly to his ideals…and somewhere along the line he might end up accidentally befriending his dead brother. Work in progress, last updated in 2022.

[totally-normal-about-batman]

I just think someone should write a batfam fic where none of the kids are getting along or their training is a little sloppy so he takes them upstate to like a wilderness retreat (Clark, Conner, and Jon are also invited). Chaos ensues

Like Damian doesn’t want to admit he wants to share a room with Jon (he insists they’re NOT friends!! and that he wants to share a room with Dick.

Dick was planning to share a room with Barbara, but Jason calls dibs first (Jason is using this opportunity to undermine Nightwing and the Robins so he finally crush Batman) (ie. just annoy his family)

Bruce and Clark are so happy that Conner and Tim are really getting along and are excited to share a room? And wait- is that a hickey??

Steph was invited, cancelled at the last minute, and then showed up 2 hours late and has to sleep on the couch in the living room.

Conner sitting in a lounge chair wearing his sunglasses looking bitchy as hell while he watches everyone play in the lake. He keeps looking at Tim like he is a snack!

There’s an obstacle course and Dick does it perfectly every time. And he keeps looking at Babs for approval.

Jason gets bitten by 100 mosquitos and gets a rash from poison ivy and it turns out he actually hates the outdoors. He is a city boy.

Tim starts to get twitchy without all of his gadgets and technology. He needs a phone. A tablet. A laptop. Something!! Conner spends half the trip trying to teach Tim to relax (turns out Conner also doesn’t know how to relax)

Bruce and Clark walk around in Hawaiian shirts forcing their children to do bonding activities while they sip cocktails and gossip about the justice league.

Damian keeps getting annoyed that he has to keep doing group activities bc he just wants to work on his water colours.

Stephanie and Barbara spend 90% of the time gossiping and drinking wine coolers. They show up for group activities (they always win) and go back to girl talk. Conner joins them to talk shit.

[batfambrainrotbeloved]

Heres a half assed rendition of the gala scene in my fic "The Drakes Spoiled Brat. (im sorry dad)"

(God once again I curse tumblr for fucking up clarity- BUT oh well- also I like half gave up after finishing the fucking towers and Tim SO the rest just work)

Also Jason still has the white hair but from exposure to Joker chemicals because im attached and its iconic.

(Link + Summary below if interested, just reposted from my last blog)

Name: As above Rating: General Audiences Chapter: 4/?? Word count: 13,545 Relationships: Batfam + Extended DC friends/fam Summary: After the time stream and Batfams continued deterioration, Red robin goes 100% solo and ends up dying from a fatal shot in the middle of Siberia.

His last regret was not being able to do more for his family, and hoping his death would give them a chance to come together again. Only SUPRISE- Tim wakes up now freshly 5 y/o with his 17 y/o mind, the Graysons just died and he is determined to fight for his families happily ever after. As a result Red Robin dies, but Cardinal is born. Tim Drake is hidden, covered up by "Timothy Drake" a spoiled socilite brat, an easy cover he learned from his dad himself.

But all secrets come out eventually, and the truth is only half the process of healing.

[adelfie]

comic-style art I made inspired by 'when in gotham: don't drink the water' by @wesslan on ao3 - from that one scene when dick discovers tim drinking the water 💕

[ghost-bxrd]

There’s a crash behind him and Dick spins on his heels, instantly on guard— only to be met with Jason’s wide eyed stare.

He sighs, relaxing again. Seriously, what’s with this kid, “Hey, Jason. Know where Bruce is? I need some assistance with a… recent case.”

What case, is what he expects Jason to ask. Or maybe just tell Dick to piss off. It’s always a toss up with Jason.

He does not expect for the boy’s gaze to become downright apprehensive. Which is a novel look on the kid Dick really doesn’t like. Jason doesn’t do apprehensive, he jumpst straight to hostile.

“Hey, buddy,” Dick takes a slow step forward, an inkling of worry creeping into his mind , “You okay? Did something happen?

Jason shies away and Dick stops dead, hands held out placatingly.

“It’s okay, I’m not coming closer. What happened? Are you hurt?” Because something clearly must have happened for Jason to be so wary all of a sudden. Last time Dick remembers seeing him Jason was still his usual spitfire self.

Jason’s expression shudders, a multitude of emotions there and gone in a flash before he opens his mouth and—

Dick blinks, tilting his head slightly at the weird sound that comes out of the boy’s throat. Something like a high pitched chirp more reminiscent of a bird than a human being. Soft, almost musical in quality.

Jason keeps staring at him after, something expectant in his gaze that becomes progressively more upset with each passing second.

“Uhm,” Dick says eloquently, unsure what to do, “That’s a cool… thing you did there. Did B teach you?”

Something about that must have been the wrong thing to say because Jason’s face drops from wary trepidation into outright terror.

— Owl Song pt. IX sneak peek 🦉

[sparkypantaloons]

It Must Be

Bruce remembers the first time each of his kids told him they loved him.

The first time Dick says the words, Bruce almost doesn't catch them.

The eleven year old is near exhaustion, limbs shaking and breath heaving as he struggles to pull Batman out of the surf. He's soaked, his cape sopping wet and clinging to his tiny frame. There's sand all over his face, too. All over his knees and arms, in his hair and on his gloves.

His feet stumble, as the swell finally helps him pull Batman's sodden form onto the shore. Then he collapses to his knees. Throws himself onto Bruce's chest, and tries to catch his breath through his sobs.

"Don't die, don't die, don't die. Please B, don't leave me. I love you, B, please don't leave, please don't leave me."

Bruce's hands are still tightly bound together, his head feels like someone took a chainsaw to it and he's pretty sure he's swallowed half of the Bay. But those three little words, barely audible over the tide and the wind and Dick's desperate sobs, change everything.

It's the first time Bruce has heard them in years. Decades, even. Not since his parents had... well...

And it's not that Alfred doesn't feel that way about him. Or that Bruce doesn't know it. But Alfred was a man of a different generation, had brought Bruce up the same. Words like that... they were thought, not said.

Hearing them from Dick, even in such bleak circumstances, it lights a flame in Bruce. Just a small one, flickering and fluttering, where before there had only been darkness.

~

The first time Bruce hears it from Jason, is in the summer. It's Jason's first birthday at the Manor and there are balloons and cake and music. The twelve year old has received cards from Diana and Clark and Dick, from Commissioner Gordon and Dr. Thompkins. Alfred has bought him his own cooking apron and hand made little step, so Jason can reach the stove properly, and Bruce has brought him a bike.

The three of them sit in the sunshine for lunch, Jason's eyes shining brighter with every card and gift and well wish he receives. Like he didn't even realise so many people knew he existed, let alone cared about his birthday.

When Bruce tucks him into bed that night, Jason flings his arms around Bruce's neck. Buries his head into the older man's shoulder and says "This was the best birthday ever, Bruce."

Bruce laughs and says "I'm glad, Jay. What was your favourite present?"

Jason pulls back and smiles, a little shy. "It was you, B." Then he presses a sloppy kiss to Bruce's cheek before settling down under the covers.

"Goodnight, Jason." Bruce says, turning out the light.

"G'night B, love you."

Bruce doesn't stop smiling for the rest of the week. The flame inside a little campfire now, and Alfred, Dick, Jason and Bruce sit around it, toasting marshmallows.

~

Bruce tries not to think about the words once Jason... once Jason dies. It's too much to bear. His darling boy. Once so full of compassion and joy and warmth, lies cold and still in the ground. Most days it's all Bruce can do not to join him, though he flirts ever closer to the idea.

Then Tim comes along. Tim who is whipsmart and driven and oh so stubborn. Always willing to put himself on the line. To do whatever it takes. To be better, to do better, to help.

Tim steps up to help Bruce, help a total stranger, regardless of the cost to himself. He brings Dick back home, helps Bruce fix old hurts with his first son. And yes, Tim's a little weird, but he's there. Always, when Bruce needs him.

Bruce had needed Tim that night. That night, when for no reason at all, Bruce was being reckless. Dangerous. Pushing himself to the brink and why? Because someone had mentioned his parents on the radio? Some song had reminded him of Jason?

No, nothing so sad as that. Bruce had asked if Tim would like to be adopted, and Tim had said no. He had his reasons. Good reasons. Reasons that Bruce understood, agreed with even. But somehow it still hurt like he had lost another son. And when he'd taken to the rooftops that night, he fought as though he had too.

Three broken ribs and a fractured tibia later, Tim had dragged him back to the Cave, furious.

"I thought we were past this, Bruce!"

Bruce doesn't answer.

"Seriously?" Tim snaps. "Nothing?" He begins pacing. "I can't keep doing this Bruce. I can't... I can't do it. I won't."

"It's fine." Bruce grimaces.

"It's not fine!" Tim voice breaks on the words. Tears of frustration shining in his eyes. "You can't keep putting yourself in harms way, tormenting the people who love you. Dick, Alfred, me. It's not fair."

"You?" Bruce had mumbled, half high on the painkillers Tim had given him no choice in.

"Yes, me!" Tim snaps again, wiping at his eyes. "Damn it Bruce, how many years have I been doing this. Tried to stop you from destroying yourself? I can't... I can't keep doing this. It's not just you he needs me out there Bruce. I need you too."

Bruce is silent again.

Tim sighs. "I love you, Bruce. We all love you. You have to stop this."

And even though Bruce has kept Tim at a distance, deliberately so, somehow, the kid has still pulled him back from the brink. Saved that sputtering flame inside of him from disappearing again.

~

It takes Bruce longer than he's proud of to make Cass officially part of their family. She's almost an adult, really, but it's something she needs. The security of a family, the stability of a father. She's something Bruce needs too.

He's seen the way she's tortured herself for what Cain made her. He sees it when he looks in the mirror as well. When he questions what Gotham has made him. What Gotham has cost him...

Cass doesn't deserve the life he's lived, and he's determined to do better for her, where he can no longer do better for himself.

When she moves into the Manor, he suggest a movie night just the two of them. Needs to show her she isn't just here because she's Batgirl, but because she's Cass.

They watch Jurassic Park. Sink into the giant couch in the den, leaning against each other and eating popcorn. When the t-rex comes she jumps excitedly in her seat and when the velociratpors chase the children through the kitchen she pretends to cover Bruce's eyes so he doesn't scared.

When the film is over, they head out on patrol together. It's an easy night, warm and dry but little sign of trouble. They swing from roof top to roof top and glide between buildings. Move seamlessly together as if they'd been doing it their whole lives.

When the sun begins to crest on the horizon around five thirty, they shed their uniforms for civvies, and watch it rise from Wayne Tower. As father and daughter. As Wayne's.

I've never had this before. Cass signs.

"A sunrise?" Bruce asks.

A father. She replies.

"Hn." Bruce chuckles. "How is going?"

Perfect. She signs. "Love it." She says. "Love you."

She presses a kiss to Bruce's cheek and the fire inside of him burns warm as the summer sun.

~

Damian never expected love. Never considered it even. He was raised with a mission, a purpose. That was the goal and everything else was superfluous.

Bruce can't take credit for teaching him otherwise. It's Dick who did the hard work. Who broke the icey exterior and protective walls, this fierce little nine year old had created. Had shown him that life wasn't meant to be about Batman's cause, or Robin's title, or inheriting the Demon's Head. But that it was about love. About family.

Even so, as well as Damian had learned Dick's lesson, he was still his father's son. Words of affection came as easy to him as they did to Bruce, which is to say, not at all.

So Bruce never expected, hadn't with any of his children, but would never from Damian, to hear those words.

And then Scarecrow had reared his ugly head, and his fear toxin had brought out the very worst of Damian's upbringing. Every awful trial he had faced with the League, mangled together with Bruce's death, and Dick's amnesia, Jon's age change and Damian's own murder at the hands of the Heretic. Until Damian was sobbing in Bruce's arms, begging Bruce not to abandon him.

"Damian, listen to me." Bruce had said, his hands cupping Damian's face. "I will never make you leave, never."

"Please Father, please." Damian had sobbed, had begged into Bruce's chest. "I love you so much. Please don't make me leave. I beg you, please. I'll make you proud, I swear it."

Bruce had wondered if Damian could feel the fire that burned for him, deep inside Bruce's chest. Wondered it if had kept him warm, as Bruce had held him on the Cave floor, and waited for the storm to pass.

~

It's Bruce's birthday, so Alfred usually lets him sleep past twelve.

Ace however, does not. Too smart for her own good, she's long since worked out how to open his bedroom door. She bounds in around eleven am, and leaps onto the bed. Wakes him with sloppy kisses and a wet nose.

"Easy, girl. Easy." Bruce's voice is deep and dry with sleep, his eyelids heavy. But Ace is insistent, relentless even, despite her age.

"Is he up yet, Acey?"

Ace barks happily, and Bruce winces at the volume. Jason is stood in the doorway.

"Come on old man." He says. "Your dog needs a walk."

Bruce blinks blearily, is sure Jason must be a hallucination or a mirage or something.

"We'll go without you if you don't hurry up." Jason huffs slightly, and Bruce stumbles from bed, pulls on his sweats.

The sun is already high in the sky and for spring it's already pleasantly warm. Jason and Bruce walk through the grounds of the Manor in companionable silence. Ace racing ahead of them for the ball Jason throws.

"So how are you?" Bruce says eventually. The sun is warm on his face. It's been a few weeks since he's seen Jason out of uniform. It feels good to see him in the day.

"I'm good." Jason says softly. "Really good, actually."

"Yeah?" Bruce asks.

Jason smiles. "Yeah." He pauses. "How about you?"

Bruce shrugs. "Ah you know. Same old, same old."

Jason grins, the kind he used to do when he was Robin. "Same old?" He asks, eyebrow raised. "Aren't you a new old today?"

Bruce opens his mouth to speak, but they round the corner of the Manor, onto the terrace and his words fail him.

There are balloons and cake and music. His entire family gathered round a table of cards and gifts and pictures. They cheer when they see him and Steph, Duke and Tim lead an awful rendition of Happy Birthday.

Jason bumps his shoulder. "I erm... I didn't get you a present." He says sheepishly. "But I did organise this." He gestures vaguely at his siblings.

Bruce's heart is full of fire. He grins. "It's perfect, Jay. Thank you." He pulls the younger man into a hug.

"Happy birthday, B." Jason mumbles. "Love you."

"I love you, too."