It runs in the family. Dick taught him some things before he diedđ¤
i have but ONE qualm with joyfire and it's how the FUCK did jason pull not one but TWO beautiful stunning drop dead gorgeous redheaded bitches because there's actually no way.
Oh my boy I hate how much I love him he was meant to be my least favourite but heâs clawed himself tooth and nail into my heart
Bruce, knowing Tim went out as RR when he was meant to be benched: do you have something to tell me, chum?
Tim, half asleep and drooling in his tea: sometimes Cassie and Kon make me curl into a ball and then use me as a baseball to play catch with while Bart stands in the middle and tries to catch me first.
Bruce: âŚ.
Bruce: what.
Tim: they call me âpiggy in the middleâ
Bruce: âŚ
Tim: somehow Bart never catches me but I think itâs only because heâs laughing so much.
Bruce, completely forgetting about Tim patrolling: I⌠I donât know what to do with this information.
YES but specifically it needs to have a scene of Tim chewing out some high school boys for also wanting to get pregnant, Ă la issue #61. Need Ives going "Yeah Josh had a little girl and he says it totally rocks!" and Tim goes on one of his corporate sounding PSA's where he really sorts out those troubled youths.
Also both girls who're excited about teen pregnancy being black, and being "set straight" by their mature white peer does NOT escape my notice. DC writers striking again bro :/
tim drake mpreg. reblog if you agree đ¤Ş
I think Thadd and Dami could really get along, or at least understand each other in a way other can't !
Hear me out !! They were both raised and created in violence/hate, they are both crushed by their legacies (the Revers Flash and Batman/Al Ghul legacies), they are both seen by others as psychopathic kids unable to have feeling, they both just need love and guidance to become better, they are both compared to "better" versions of themselves (Bart and the previous Robins), they are both very intelligent, neither of them had a real childhood, in a certain way they both been lied about their destiny... etc.
I may not be a Damian expert, so I might not be entirely right about all of this, but I still think they could get along when Thadd finally begins his redemption arc !
Personal hc that before Jason, dick was a total teenage dirtbag.
Dick was always seeking his fatherâs approval, just to see if he *truly* cared. Bruce was always so preoccupied with Wayne Industries and off world missions that he never took time to truly acknowledge Dicks feelings.
There would be several times Wally would put out Dicks cigarettes before he could protest. Arguing âthey arenât good for your health!â. Dick would simply just vow to buy more and smoke in secret for the next time.
In his civvies, Dick would get arrested for âdisorderly conductâ because he doesnât believe in blind obedience. On a deeper level, the Gotham police reminds him of going to Juvie when his parents died, and Dick canât help but lose it a little. Itâs a PTSD response for him, to reject the local Gotham PD.
Dick and Commissioner Gordon are on a first name basis for how many times heâs picked Dick up for causing too much ruckus around Gotham. Bruce always pays his bail and wordlessly takes him home.
In his later years as Robin, Dick would get in trouble for experimenting too much amongst his peers. Getting invited to parties, drinking too much, smoking too much⌠itâs almost a cyclical thing for Dick to stumble through his open window at night, or to wake up hungover in someone elseâs bed.
All of this was an attempt to see if Bruce truly cares, if he would actually stop Dick from making these unhealthy choices that are slowly killing him.
Dick constantly sought his fatherâs approval, but never truly got it. Bruce understood what it was like to be an orphan, so he would let Dick make these mistakes without interfering. From Dicks perspective, it seemed like Bruce never truly caredâŚ
New chapter is up!!!
Damianâs origins and why he got a little murderous after learning of the new member of his family.
is it ben barnes? is it movie dorian gray? no its 1910's dick grayson â¨
no side shitpost this time unfortunately :(
âThe sorrow we feel when we lose a loved one is the price we pay to have had them in our lives.â â Rob Liano
a wip
happy early bday jason todd !!! <3333
red hood ig, i dont read the comics.
Some Jayroy shitposting
Kori was roys wingwoman
a healthy dose of shitposting ( and self love) wont hurt anyone :)
Batman and Two-Face get hit with a de-ageing gun and become teenagers again. Chaos ensues. (Could be a great idea for a Bruce/Harvey fanfic.)
How does Gotham deal with temporarily losing its main superhero and a supervillain? How does the Batfamily and Justice League deal with this?
You can obviously choose what you want to happen but it would be funny for the Batkids to expect their dad to be sad and angry but he's the opposite, dancing on tables, drinking, partying, flirting, singing loudly (like belting 80s pop songs).
A Peter Parker In Gotham fic but not the Tom Holland-Peter but the 20 year old Peter Parker who has both collage, work and patrol. Who shamelessly flirts with both Nightwing and Red Hood as Spider-Man but literally dies when meeting them out of costume.
The guy is used to Deadpool and is not impressed or shocked at anything the Bats do. You d!ed? Okay and? You k!lled somebody with a ballon? Sound believable. You stalked me? Okay, what do you want me to do about it?
He is tired and done with everyoneâs sh!t, he will befriend your villains and your neighbours. He will stop a fight by treating to call your and your enemies parents. Does he have their numbers, yes.
Batman and the Joker fighting:
Spider-Man, a hand on his hip: Mr, do you want me to call your butler?
Batman: You donât have his number.
Spider-Man, phone in hand: Are you sure?
Alfred: Mr Batman, get home itâs dinner
Joker: Wtf
Bruce gets split into his core personalities. I think there was a Teen Titans GO episode where this happened with Raven.
An 8 year old, sad and lonely Bruce who cries uncontrollably unless someone holds his hand
A 17 year old Bruce Wayne who dances on tables and flirts with literally the whole Justice League (who are very uncomfortable with a 17 year old version of their friend flirting with adults)
A tired dad Bruce who lectures people, drinks wine and takes care of 8 year old Bruce
The Justice League and Batfam have to figure out how to keep them calm and alive until they can put them together again
ALSO the fact that tim drake canonically watches bruce get stabbed, spies on the titans tower, knows all of the titans schedules, spies on dickâs apartment with kori, breaks into dickâs old apartment, follows him to the circus, has kept newspaper clippings of batman and robin since he was able to read, knows what art bruce wayne collects, had dreams about being saved by batman and robin and yâall REDUCE his stalker tendencies to just he followed them and took picturesâŚ.. no. no, we need him crazier.
fanon really built up "Cass is Bruce's favorite child" and meanwhile I'm sitting over here with a whole stack of panels in a folder labeled "Dick is Canonically Bruce's Favorite Child" adsfghjkl
What if Dick could cycle through identities.
Dick Grayson has more identities than there are colors in the rainbow.
Thereâs Dickie Grayson - school favorite, basketball star, and mathlete. Best friend of the Titans and beloved love of many. Also a wonderful brother, devoted son, and dear grandson.
Thereâs Richie Grayson - darling of high society. Women swoon over him, men appreciate him (ie Royâs âpretty birdâ), and as a gothamite aptly put it, âwho wouldnât recognize Gothamâs very own Paris Hiltonâ.
Thereâs Ric Grayson - cold, night thrill seeking civilian with more trust issues than money in a trust fund.
Thereâs Nightwing - according to Supes, âyour words are worth their weight in goldâ. According to Bruce, âsometimes I feel heâs the only thing I did rightâ. According to Hawkman, âthe one person the entire superhero community trusts after Supermanâ. And so much more. Strong enough to defeat Raâs Al Ghul in a sword fight and be given the name âDetectiveâ. Beloved hero and the pride and joy of the superhero community
Thereâs Agent 37 - An international, multilingual super spy who broke his partnerâs hardened interior while rigorously maintaining his morals in the face of adversity. So handsome that while a psychotic murderer was chasing him and his partner, he reached up, switched off the spiral, and was so beautiful that the stunned woman went, âwoofâ, lost control of her bike and crashed.
Thereâs Renegade - Deathstrokeâs apprentice who was carefully trained by him until he tricked the man and freed himself. Taught Deathstrokeâs daughter Rose to be a hero and was punished by his nemesis through the Chemo bombing of Bludhaven. Yet Deathstroke still hugs him and says âNice to see you again, kid. You look wellâ and leaves messages on his fogged bathroom mirror, âmessage receivedâ, and waits in Dickâs bedroom while heâs dressing to let him know why heâs in the city.
Thereâs dick Grayson - mob enforcer for Black Mask and took down his crime syndicate from the inside out.
Thereâs Talon - His grandfatherâs legacy of being an undead assassin for the court. The Gray Son of Gotham.
Finally thereâs Robin - the 8-18yr old who went on joy rides with Superman, said âHoly ___ Batman!â, the one who was astounded when He asked if he would join the Justice league and Batman said, âno, youâll be leading themâ. The one who was driving batmobiles at 8 and singing songs to comfort victims that still remember him and his warmth 20 years later. The acrobatic prodigy that left the country in wonder. The first sidekick and role model for many young heroes that came after him.
He has many more identities I couldnât name but - imagine if Dick could change these personalities in a heartbeat. One second heâs peppy and overjoyed Robin and the next heâs flippant and dismissive Ric Grayson. Oh the possibilities
I donât remember where this quoteâs from but: the man has a temper that could start wars. And a smile that could end them.
Batfamily X Batmom!Reader
Continuing my tim appreciation, Have a silly overprotective parents to one of their youngest kid
masterlist
Jason tattles that his younger brother has a boy over.
âşâ§âË ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž Ëââ§âş The TV played some noir film neither of you were paying attention to black and white shadows flickering across the screen, the occasional husky voice of a detective muttering something about dames and danger. It was background noise. Everything was background noise right now.
Your back arched against the couch as Bruceâs lips trailed from your mouth to your jaw, his stubble scraping deliciously along your skin. You let out a soft, breathy laugh, tangled up in him, your knees bracketing his hips while his large hands gripped your thighs beneath the hem of your oversized shirt.
His tongue slid against yours again, deep and slow, and the kiss had long since lost any sense of restraint. You tugged at his shirt, fingers skimming up beneath it, palms exploring every inch of familiar skin. Bruce growled low in his throat, the sound rumbling against your lips as he leaned further into you, pressing you back until your spine met the couch cushions with a soft thump.
There were no patrols, no emergency calls, no villains trying to blow up the city and a damn good excuse to indulge in weeks of pent up affection with no one around to ruin it.
âWhat the fuck?!â
A voice cracked through the air like a gunshot, and both of you froze mid kiss, mouths still a breath apart, panting and flushed. Well no one around to ruin might not work if you have a Jason Todd for a child (even though hes an adult it still applies).
You didnât even turn around.
âItâs a lazy day,â you said flatly, lips still swollen, one hand still fisted in Bruceâs shirt. âGo away.â
Jasonâs voice rose another octave, and you could hear the trauma in it. âAre you two seriously making out like that on the living room couch? In the middle of the day?! seriously making out like teenagers right now?! Iâve seen less tongue in French films!â
You rolled your eyes and finally sat up, sliding off Bruceâs lap with a groan and adjusting your shirt though it didnât help much. Bruce just rubbed at his face with one hand, exhaling through his nose like a man trying not to start swearing. Jason stormed around the couch, eyes narrowed, nose wrinkled. âYou were all over each other! That was full on pre bedroom behavior!â
âWhich we wouldâve moved to,â you muttered, âwe only do stuff out here when you guys for sure arenât.â
âTMI LADY!! I live here!â
âSo do we.â
âI grew up here! Do you know how many times Iâve had to walk in on emotionally scarring things? And now I have to add this to the list?â
You gave him a pointed look and gestured vaguely to Bruce, who was still slouched and half hard under the sweatpants. âYouâre twenty something and youâve walked in on worse. Remember the time you accidentally opened the panic room during our anniversary trip?â
Jason gagged. âWhy would you bring that up?! I had finally repressed it!â
You shrugged, completely unfazed. âThatâs why I didnât jump out of my skin when you yelled. Youâre one of the oldest. Youâre basically numb to it by now.â
âThatâs not how trauma works!â
âYouâll live.â
Bruce finally stood, setting a firm hand on your lower back as he stepped forward. âDid you interrupt just to complain, or is there a point?â
âOh, thereâs a point,â Jason said, smirking now, even as he pointedly avoided making eye contact with either of you. âTimâs upstairs. With Conner. Door closed. Voices low. Lots of awkward pauses and âI dunno, what do you wanna do?âs. Figured someone with authority should stop it before I need a bleach rinse for my brain again.â
You and Bruce exchanged a glance. You raised a brow. âYou think theyâreâŚ?â
âIâm just saying, Iâm not doing the awkward sex talk with either of them. Thatâs your job.â
Bruce sighed through his nose again, rubbing his temples. âWe shouldâve eloped in Fiji.â
Jason clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. âYou shouldâve invested in a deadbolt and soundproof walls. Youâve got like fifty rooms. Go be gross in literally any other one.â
Bruce groaned, sitting up with the pained weariness of a man who just wanted five uninterrupted minutes with his partner. âI donât know whatâs worse,â he muttered. âYou barging in, or the fact that youâre tattling like a six year old.â
Jason raised an eyebrow. âYou can ground me later. But someone needs to knock before that kid goes full hormonal teenager with Supermanâs clone.â
You rubbed your temples and slid off Bruceâs lap. âCanât we just go one day without something weird happening in this house?â
âNope,â Jason chirped.
Bruce stood, adjusting his shirt and shooting Jason a tired glare. âYouâre not getting a thank you for this.â
Jason grinned. âIâll settle for watching the fallout.â
âşâ§âË ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž Ëââ§âş
The carpet was soft beneath your knees as you crouched near the top of the staircase, one hand gripping the railing and the other latched around your husbandâs wrist. Bruce was not thrilled. âThis is ridiculous,â he muttered under his breath, towering behind you in full grumpy dad form.
You shushed him. âShh. This is important. Our son is dating.â
Bruce arched an eyebrow. âHeâs not a child anymore.â
You gasped loudly and dramatically, a feeling attune like heâd just slapped you with a divorce paper. âHow dare you say that to a motherâs face.â
âI feel like as a mother you should be letting him have spaceâ he whispered dryly.
âItâs anything and everything for my baby,â you whispered back, âheartbroken.â
Bruce sighed, letting you pull him forward like some six foot tall human leash. He followed behind you, slouched and sulking like a teenager being dragged into a parent teacher conference. But he didnât resist. Not really. At the end of the hallway, just far enough not to be heard but perfectly in view, Tim was standing awkwardly with his shoulder slightly bumping against the wall, halfway through some rambling sentence that didnât seem to have an end. Across from him leaned Conner Kent Superboy himself smiling with the easy, confident charm of someone who knew exactly how good he looked.
You gasped again, softer this time. âHeâs so nervous. Look at him. Our babyâŚâ
âDonât start crying,â Bruce warned.
âHeâs got no game, Bruce.â
Bruce squinted. ââŚThis is objectively better than his brothers.â
You nearly cackled. âLow bar, sweetheart.â
Tim fumbled again, scratching the back of his neck while trying to not look directly at Conner. Conner leaned in just slightly, arms crossed as he nodded along, totally relaxed. He said something with a grin, and Tim laughed clearly too loud, then looked down at the floor in horror.
You sniffled, eyes shimmering. âLook at our baby flirtingâŚâ
âHeâs not a baby,â Bruce said, though his voice was quieter now. âHeâs nearly eighteen.â And yet, he leaned a little more over your shoulder.
You smirked. âYouâre watching.â
âIâm observing.â
âYouâre parenting.â
Bruce sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, crossing his arms as he stared harder at the two teens.
âWhatâs Kentâs clone doing here alone with him anyways?â he muttered, eyes narrowing.
âOhhh,â you grinned, ânow you care.â
âOf course I care,â Bruce snapped, more defensive than he meant to be. âThatâs my kid.â
You nudged him with your elbow, whispering proudly, âOur kid.â
He didnât respond to that but the corner of his mouth twitched. Down the hall, Conner leaned in and brushed something off Timâs shirt something that wasnât there. Tim went red, practically short circuiting.
Bruce straightened immediately. âOkay. Thatâs enough recon.â
âOh, now itâs enough?â
âIâm getting my Batarangs.â
You caught his wrist before he could march off. âNo. No Batarangs. No Bat glare. You said heâs not a baby, remember?â
âHe wasnât getting flirted with then.â
You snorted, still holding his arm. âI think your overprotective thing is hot.â
He paused. âThat a fact?â
You smirked, glancing back toward your bedroom door. âYes. Now letâs go back to our room lights off, no clothes, door locked this time and let the kids be kids.â
Bruce gave Tim and Conner one last skeptical look, then sighed. âIf they start kissing, Iâm interrupting.â
âNo you wonât,â you said, dragging him back down the hall by the wrist again. âBecause Iâll be too busy making out with you to let you get up.â
Despite that, the minute you headed to the room. Conner and Tim were happily walking towards the kitchen. making you drag your husband again to watch your boy. The kitchen was dimly lit, the only real noise coming from the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional rustle of snack bags. You and Bruce had found your new favorite spot behind the kitchen island, crouching low and trying your best not to make a sound, despite the undeniable excitement of spying on your son.
You had your phone held up, recording through the cabinet doors like a proud wildlife documentarian. Tim and Conner were in the next room, chattering nervously while they raided the pantry for snacks.
Bruce was less than impressed with the situation. âYouâre unbelievable,â he muttered, glaring at you as if you were the one causing trouble.
You smirked, eyes never leaving the scene unfolding in the next room. âI practically raised him. I have the right to witness his first love.â
He grunted, his voice tinged with mild exasperation. âYouâre literally crouched next to the coffee machine whispering commentary like itâs National Geographic.â
You held your phone at a slightly different angle, zooming in on Tim as he fumbled with a bag of chips. âAnd youâre crouched next to me, so what does that make you?â
Bruce looked at you, deadpan. âAn unwilling accomplice.â
You shot him a look, trying not to giggle as you saw Timâs hand hover uncertainly over a box of cookies while Conner casually leaned against the counter, looking way too smooth for someone who was probably still a teenager.
âConnerâs definitely a pro at this,â you whispered, shaking your head in amused disbelief. âLook at him, just leaning there. Like itâs nothing what if he just wants to play woth out boys feelings.â
Bruce sighed dramatically but didnât move. âI canât believe youâre doing this.â
âThis is serious, Bruce. Itâs parental responsibility.â
Bruce looked at you, his eyes softening. âI canât believe Iâm doing this.â
âYeah, well, you love me.â You raised an eyebrow at him.
âIâve got a lot of regrets today,â he muttered, but his hand brushed against yours in the dim light, soft and reassuring. Just as you were about to comment on Timâs awkward attempt at getting a cookie into his mouth without looking too desperate, the kitchen door swung open with a familiar creak.
âAre you spying on Tim?â Dickâs voice rang through the space, sharp and amused.
Both you and Bruce froze, immediately making eye contact in a way that could only be described as a guilty deer caught in headlights moment.
Bruce was the first to recover. He straightened up quickly, stepping away from the island and crossing his arms like he was trying to physically distance himself from the ridiculousness of it all. âNo,â he said instantly, as if the word would somehow erase the whole scene.
You, on the other hand, didnât try to hide it. You looked up at Dick with wide, unapologetic eyes. âYes,â you said, shrugging as though this was completely normal behavior for a concerned parent.
Dick raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe with a smug grin. âYou guys are so lame.â
You grinned back, unbothered by his teasing. âYou think weâre lame, but when youâre a parent, youâll understand.â
Bruce, clearly not keen on the whole ordeal, shot a look at Tim and Conner through the kitchen entryway. âIâm just making sure heâs not making any⌠stupid decisions.â
âRight.â Dickâs tone dripped with sarcasm. âBecause youâre both really qualified for that.â
You shot him a sideways glance. âHey, we did the best we could. And this is where you come in. Donât think I didnât see you sneak a peek when you thought we werenât looking.â
Dickâs eyes widened for a second before he cracked a grin. âYou two are hopeless.â He turned his attention back to the other room. âWhat are they even doing, anyway?â
You and Bruce both turned to look through the cabinets again, slightly distracted now that Dick was standing right there. Tim was holding a cookie out to Conner, his fingers trembling slightly, and Conner took it with a grin that could melt even the iciest heart.
âHeâs handing Conner a cookie,â you said, your voice dripping with awe and mild concern. âA cookie. Theyâre not even talking about something deep or meaningful, like⌠I donât know, saving Gotham or discussing conspiracy theories. Itâs literally just this.â
Dick raised an eyebrow again, his grin widening. âYouâre really invested in this?â
Bruce was rubbing the back of his neck, clearly torn between indulging your parental instincts and the embarrassment of being caught in such an absurd situation. âYeah, weâre not stalking them. Just⌠observing.â
Dick snorted. âSure, sure. Watching them like theyâre some rare, endangered species.â
You looked at him deadpan. âThey are.â
Bruce cleared his throat. âLook, weâll stop when they stop⌠getting⌠weird.â
Dick gave the two of you an incredulous look. âYou two are so ridiculous. Seriously.â
And with that, Dick pushed past you both to head upstairs, but not before he paused to make one last comment.
âIf I ever catch you two creeping on me like this, Iâll start a family group chat called âCreepy Parents.ââ
You and Bruce exchanged an amused glance. âWeâll take that risk,â you said,
Dick groaned, clearly not interested in sticking around for the ridiculousness, and disappeared upstairs.
You looked back at Bruce, who was still watching Tim and Conner, now in full parental protective mode. His brows were furrowed, a slight frown tugging at his lips.
âI guess weâre just going to wait this out?â you asked softly, leaning against the island.
Bruce nodded, but his tone was softer now, full of that deep, unspoken love only a parent could understand. âYeah. But we need to be the ones to have that talk when theyâre ready.â
You smiled, leaning into him, the whole world feeling a little less chaotic, even if the kidsâ drama would never stop.
âşâ§âË ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž Ëââ§âş
Tim and Conner were sitting at the kitchen table now, their snack raid completed, with Conner casually leaning back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the seat across from him. Tim, on the other hand, was picking at his cookie, his eyes occasionally flicking nervously around the room.
Conner noticed Timâs unease and raised an eyebrow. âSomething wrong, Drake?â
Tim cleared his throat, his gaze shifting quickly toward the hallway, and then back to Conner, hoping his casual demeanor would mask the slight panic he felt. âUh, no, everythingâs fine.â
Conner smirked knowingly, crossing his arms over his chest. âYou sure about that? âCause I canât help but notice your⌠parents have been acting a little weird.â
Tim froze. His heart rate quickened as the words hit him. He blinked at Conner, unsure if heâd heard him right. âWhat?â
âYou know, theyâve been hanging around for a while,â Conner said, a slight laugh escaping his lips. âI canât believe theyâre still hiding behind the kitchen island.â
Timâs face went white, of course he noticed it. his eyes darted toward the kitchen counter, his heart sinking into his stomach. His parents⌠They had been watching this whole time. He quickly looked away, pretending he hadnât heard anything, his eyes shifting uncomfortably as if he could pretend that the observation had never been made. âYouâre imagining things.â
Conner raised an eyebrow. âRight,â he said, unconvinced. âMaybe I am.â
But before Tim could settle into any sense of relief, he couldnât help himself. His eyes glanced toward the cabinets, toward the hidden space behind the island where his parents had been crouched like secret agents, but the moment he saw something shift in the shadows, he quickly turned his head away. A blush spread across his cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and frustration bubbling up inside him.
He heard a muffled whisper coming from the kitchen, the faintest sound of your voice saying, âDo you think they noticed?â
His heart skipped. He knew they were there. He immediately looked back at Conner, who was now wearing an almost triumphant smirk, clearly enjoying this entire awkward exchange.
Timâs face reddened even further. âUgh, I hate you.â
Connerâs grin widened, but he didnât press the issue. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, arms still crossed, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying the chaos Tim was going through. âyour family is so weirdâ
Tim just buried his face in his hands for a second, trying to collect himself. It didnât help that he could hear the whispering getting louder, still faint, but unmistakable. âNo way. I think they didnât notice. Maybe we can sneak away after they leaveâŚâ
âWe?â Tim thought he heard Bruceâs voice this time. It made him stiffen.
His face was now a bright red, and he buried his face further into his arms, hoping it might all just go away. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck, his pulse racing. This was so embarrassing. Why couldnât they have just left him alone? Why did his parents have to be so⌠so overly protective?
As his embarrassment grew, Tim stole another quick glance at the kitchen, only to see a shadow dart behind the cabinets. His stomach flipped, and he quickly turned away, biting his lip to keep from saying something heâd regret.
Connerâs eyes were sharp. âYeah⌠they totally noticed,â he said, voice dripping with amusement. âYouâre lucky Iâm cool with this. Youâre lucky I didnât go tell them theyâve been caught. That wouldâve been funny.â
âConner, shut up!â Tim hissed, but the laughter that followed didnât make it any better.
Somewhere from behind the cabinets, you whispered again, louder this time, âMaybe theyâll pretend they didnât see us.â
Bruceâs voice was closer to a growl. âWeâre being subtle, right?â
Timâs body stiffened again, but this time he was ready. He shot up from his chair and took a deep breath. There was no going back now. âIâm going upstairs. Youâre all insane.â
Conner chuckled, watching him go, clearly having the time of his life while Tim fumbled his way toward the hallway.
As Tim rushed out of the room, trying to hide the heat in his cheeks, you and Bruce exchanged a glance from your hiding spot, then reluctantly peeked around the corner to make sure your son had left the kitchen.
âWe shouldâve just went in our room,â you muttered, sounding almost defeated.
Bruce nodded, glancing up at you. âThis is why I wanted to go back to the room.â
You raised an eyebrow. âAnd you couldnât let that go?â
Bruce sighed, shaking his head. âI canât believe weâve been caught so many times.â
âBut itâs worth it, right?â You flashed a teasing grin at him, clearly finding amusement in the awkwardness.
Bruce didnât respond immediately, but he didnât move either. He just kept watching the empty kitchen, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Finally, he said, âIâd still rather be making out with you right now.â
You grinned. âOne thing at a time, Bruce. One thing at a time.â
Bruce didnât waste a second. The moment the last of Timâs and connerâs footsteps faded up the stairs, he was on his feet, his usual quiet intensity shifting into something more playful albeit with a touch of authority.
Without a word, he moved toward you, his hand reaching for your wrist. Before you could even fully register his intent, he pulled you into his chest, his other hand gently cupping your chin as he tilted your face up to meet his. His lips were almost on yours, just inches apart, but he hesitated for a fraction of a second, as if savoring the moment.
âAs much fun as that was,â he said in a low, husky tone, his voice thick with amusement, âitâs time for mommy and daddy time.â
Your heart skipped. You had to admit, despite the awkwardness of everything that just happened, the sudden shift in Bruceâs demeanor made your pulse spike. The playful tension in the air was thick enough to cut through. You could see the flicker of mischief in his eyes.
âBruceâŚâ you whispered, half trying to resist, half already giving in.
âOur boy will be fineâ His voice was low, but there was a firm edge to it, a reminder that your playful surveillance time had come to an end. âYou and me. Upstairs. Now.â
Before you could protest or offer some sarcastic response, he was already guiding you away from the kitchen island, his hand firm around your wrist. The way his grip tightened made it clear he wasnât going to take no for an answer not that you really wanted to resist.
âBruce, we canât justâŚâ you started to say, but you were quickly cut off as he kissed you, his lips catching yours in a brief, but intense press that stole your breath away.
He pulled back just enough to murmur, âNo more distractions. No more spying. Just us.â
You were about to make a snarky comment, but all the words caught in your throat when he pulled you against him again, his arms wrapping around your waist. You could feel the heat radiating from his body, the way his strong frame seemed to draw you in closer.
âIâm not letting you get away that easily,â he said with a grin, his fingers finding the hem of your shirt, the playful glint in his eyes unmistakable.
Your breath caught as you felt his touch, suddenly aware of how much youâd been craving this intimate moment. The tension that had been building throughout the entire day between your kids, the spying, the ridiculousness was finally going to melt away, leaving just the two of you.
With a final, teasing smile, Bruce began leading you upstairs, his hand never leaving yours. The world outside your bedroom had faded into the background there was only him and you, and the quiet promise of some much needed time alone.
âşâ§âË ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž Ëââ§âş
Tim was lying face down on his bed, groaning into the sheets. If he could dig a hole and disappear into it, he would. Heâd half expected his parents to hover maybe ask a few awkward questions. But full on mission mode surveillance? That was next level.
The door creaked open, and Tim didnât even need to look to know who it was.
âI knew they were weird,â Connerâs voice came, all smug and sing songy. âBut hiding behind the cabinets? thats weird.â
Tim rolled over with a groan, face still half buried in a pillow. âCan we not talk about it?â
Conner stepped in like he owned the place, casually flopping onto Timâs bed with zero regard for personal space. âDude, your mom was crouched like it was recon. I think she even whispered something about your âgame.â Iâm emotionally scarred.â
Conner, of course, wasnât far behind. He opened the door without knocking and stepped into the room, his usual easygoing grin plastered across his face. But there was something different in his eyes something softer. Maybe he was trying to ease the tension Tim was still feeling.
âYou good?â Conner asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Tim turned his head just slightly. âYeah, Iâm fine. Just⌠I dunno, everythingâs just kinda weird today.â
âYeah, I noticed,â Conner chuckled, but it wasnât a mocking laugh. It was more of an understanding one. âYour parents⌠theyâre something else.â
Tim groaned and rolled onto his back, covering his eyes with his arm. âDonât remind me. I didnât think theyâd go full surveillance mode.â
Conner moved further into the room, sitting at the edge of the bed. âWell, theyâre just looking out for you, you know? Theyâre probably a little overprotective, but⌠I mean, I guess Iâd do the same thing if I were them.â
Tim half smiled at that, finally sitting up. âYeah, but itâs a little much. Iâm almost eighteen, not, like, seven.â
Conner gave him a side glance, his smile still there. âRight. Youâre allowed to⌠yâknow, have a life outside of your parentsâ radar.â
âThanks for the reminder,â Tim muttered, but it wasnât with annoyance more like he appreciated Connerâs effort to lighten the mood. Tim glanced at Conner, his mind wandering as it often did when he was around him. Something about the way Conner carried himself, the way he was always so relaxed, so at ease it was easy to get lost in.
Conner seemed to sense it, his voice dropping a little lower. âSo, uh⌠are you sure itâs just your parents thatâs got you flustered? Or is it⌠something else?â
Tim blinked at him, caught off guard. âWhat do you mean?â
Conner leaned back against the headboard, looking over at him with a teasing smile. âI donât know, just seems like youâve got a lot going on in your head. And I mean, I did see how red your face was back there, soâ
Tim immediately turned even more red. âConner, I swear to Godâ
âOkay, okay, fine,â Conner laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. âI wonât make it worse. But, uh⌠you do know you can talk to me, right?â
Tim let out a soft exhale, unsure of how to respond. He didnât even realize how much heâd needed to hear that until now. âYeah. I guess I just⌠didnât want to make it weird.â
âMaking it weird is kind of my thing,â Conner joked, but there was something reassuring about the way he said it like he wasnât trying to force the conversation, but also wasnât afraid to be open with him. Timâs heart skipped a little at the casual warmth in Connerâs voice. He wasnât sure if it was the way Conner was looking at him now, or just the comfort of knowing someone actually cared, but he found himself letting out a nervous laugh. âIâm definitely not the best at this⌠flirting thing. Iâm just⌠I donât know, overthinking it all.â
Connerâs eyes softened, and before Tim could protest, Conner slid closer on the bed. He nudged Timâs shoulder lightly, his voice quieter now. âYou donât have to be perfect at it. I think youâre doing just fine.â
Tim froze, his pulse racing at the sudden closeness. âWait, really?â
Conner smirked, but there was something genuine in his smile now. âReally. Youâve just gotta stop trying to be all⌠cool about it. Just be yourself. If someone canât see how amazing you are, thatâs their loss.â
Tim swallowed, trying to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks. âYouâre⌠youâre the worst, you know that?â
But Conner just laughed, the sound light and effortless. âI know. But you like me anyway.â
Tim bit his lip, trying not to smile too much, but there was no denying the way his heart was beating faster now. Conner had always been the one to tease him, to make him laugh when things were tough. But this this felt different. The way they were sitting there, so close, the unspoken understanding between them it was the kind of connection Tim hadnât realized he was craving.
âAlright, alright,â Conner said, standing up and giving Tim a teasing grin, âIâll leave you to think about that. But you know Iâm here, if you wanna⌠talk or whatever.â
Tim nodded, his throat a little tight, but he didnât know what to say. Connerâs easygoing presence had a way of putting him at ease, and for the first time in a while, Tim felt like he was starting to understand what it meant to really be seen by someone.
âThanks, Conner,â Tim muttered, his voice soft.
Conner winked as he walked toward the door. âAnytime, small bird. Anytime.â
As the door clicked shut behind him, Tim sank back against the bed, his heart still racing, but now for a different reason.
Batfamily X Batmom! Reader
I feel like Tim has very little love. So how does he feel in a family thats so weird?
masterlist
Timmy timothy tim likes to journal his problems
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž Journal entry- Shes always there. Written from the point of view of Tim Drake. In Tim Drakes Journal. Which Is my journal⌠Tim Drake⌠because itâs my journal?
When people think of Bruce Wayne, they think of Gothamâs crowned prince brooding, rich, charming in a suit. Maybe they even think of Batman if youâre one of the few people that actually know him, the knight in Kevlar, Gothamâs relentless protector. They forget, more often than not, that behind the cowl is just a guy made of jagged edges. The kind that can cut even the people he cares about most.
But her?
She was warmth. A reporter with fire in her blood and sharp questions at her lips. Thatâs how Bruce met her chasing down a story she didnât know he was part of yet. She wasnât intimidated by his name or the shadows that followed him. And when she found out he was Batman, she didnât run. She pivoted. She didnât want to be used by the Gotham Gazette to milk a headline about their relationship. So she left. Started something new. Told the stories of villains not to glorify them, but to show their truth. The people they used to be. The cracks that made them break. That was her power.
I didnât meet her until later, of course. But I always knew of her. I still stayed with my parents at the time and since she stayed at the mansion i never really saw her. she was the one everyone talked about. Not just in passing, but with reverence. Even Bruce, in his own quiet way, would drop her name like it meant safety. And to Dick and Jason? She wasnât just a stepmom, or âBruceâs wife.â She was Mom.
Dick talks about her like sheâs the sun. When he visits he always visits, at least once a week no matter where he is you can see it. How his whole face lights up just stepping into the manor and hearing her voice from the kitchen. Youâd think he was back in the circus and just found his net again.
âShe used to stay up for me, no matter what time patrol ended,â he told me once. âIâd come in through the balcony, boots muddy, bruised up, sometimes bleeding and sheâd be in the kitchen heating soup. Always that look on her face like Iâd just come back from war. Never lectured me like Bruce. Never told me to be more careful. Just⌠held me. Like that fixed everything.â
Dick never stopped calling her âMom.â Not even during the rough years when Bruce pushed him too hard. Not when he moved out. Not when the Batcave felt colder than the Gotham River in winter. If anything, she was the reason he kept coming back.
When she got that small publishing deal to write about Harvey Dentâs past, Dick flew back from BlĂźdhaven just to take her out to dinner. No press, no big celebration. Just a booth by the window at her favorite Thai place and a bouquet that barely fit through the door. He said he owed her everything. âI donât care if Iâm not hers by blood,â he told me once. âThat woman taught me how to hold on to who I am, even when everything else was falling apart.â
Then theres my other older brother. Jasonâs love is different. Itâs quieter.
Harder to see unless youâre looking close. Heâs not good at the soft stuff. Not anymore. But with her, he tries. He never says âI love you.â I donât think Iâve ever heard the words leave his mouth. But heâs always fixing stuff around her house. Not the manor her place, the little brownstone Bruce bought her because she hated the echo of the mansion. The place with the bookshelf she filled herself, the mismatched mugs, the heavy desk where she does her interviews. Jason comes by when sheâs out running errands. Patches the leaky sink. Replaces the light in the hallway. Leaves a bag of her favorite tea on the counter. No note. No credit. But she always knows itâs him.
âShe used to sit on the fire escape with me,â he told me once, when we were staking out some arms deal in the Narrows. âIâd be pissed off at Bruce, just raging. And sheâd just sit there. Didnât ask questions. Didnât talk me out of it. Just sat and sometimes smoked a cigarette. One time I cried. Donât remember why. But she didnât flinch. Just put her hand on my back. Stayed until I fell asleep.â
Heâd die before saying it out loud, but I think in a way⌠heâs more hers than he ever was Bruceâs. And when he came back when he was the Red Hood and he was full of grief and rage and bullets she was the only one who hugged him. Everyone else flinched. Even Bruce. But she opened the door, saw what heâd become, and said, âYou look like hell, baby. Come inside.â And he did.
I remember the first time I met her. Bruce had just taken me in. I was still flinching every time he walked into the room, still unsure if I belonged in this broken, stitched up family. And then she walked in breezy and fierce, like sheâd just come off a battlefield with coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. âYou must be Tim,â she said, giving me a once over like she could see right through to my spine. âYou eat?â
I hadnât. She fixed a plate, sat with me, asked me about everything except my parents. I had just lost them at the time and thatâs when I got it. Why Dick lights up around her. Why Jason will move heaven and earth to fix her sink. Sheâs home. Not the kind with walls and Wi-Fi. The kind with presence. With knowing how to say just the right thing without ever saying too much. With safety, and warmth, and late night soup and hair ruffles and sitting on fire escapes even when the kid next to youâs got blood on his boots. I think thatâs why even Bruce⌠softens around her. Sheâs the one person who makes him feel safe.
When she got her first daughter, you can tell something changed in her. Cass didnât talk much. Not in the early days. She was quiet in the way shadows were quiet always there, always watching, always slipping through cracks without a sound. Most people assumed she just didnât want to talk. Or couldnât. But I saw it different.
Cass spoke just not with her mouth. She spoke with her hands, her eyes, the way sheâd tense or soften when you entered a room. But with her? With Mom?
Cass bloomed.
Sheâd lean on her shoulder when they sat on the couch. Sheâd grab her hand subtle, small, but full of meaning and lead her to the garden out back just to sit in the sun. I watched Cass laugh once, like actually laugh, cheeks lifted and eyes crinkled. I didnât even know she could laugh like that. But it was because Mom had made some dumb joke about a rogue penguin at the zoo stealing someoneâs purse. Cas used to flinch at affection. Now, she hugged her. Without hesitation. Leaned into her side. Signed things with soft smiles and the rare, quiet âLove you,â if no one else was around. She didnât even say that to Bruce. Not really. But Mom? Mom got everything.
She knew how to talk to her. Never pressed. Never coddled. Just existed beside her with a kind of understanding that didnât require words. I think Cass clung to that someone who didnât need her to be anything but herself. Someone who didnât treat her like a porcelain weapon. Iâd never seen Cass so⌠safe. So full.
Then there was Damian. God. When Bruce brought him to the manor, I thought maybe weâd finally seen the worst of it. Turns out a ten year old assassin with an ego the size of Arkham was the cherry on top.
From the minute Damian showed up, he was a walking migraine. Arrogant. Condescending. Entitled in the way only someone born and bred to believe they were superior could be. But the worst part? He was cruel to her.
Not in the loud, tantrum way kids can be cruel. No. Damian was sharp. Precise. Calculated. His insults were surgical targeted and clean like a blade to the gut. âI donât see the point in you,â he said once, arms crossed in the foyer, looking her dead in the eye. âYouâre not my mother. Youâll never be her. Father had real women in his life before you.â
It wasnât the first time he said it. Wouldnât be the last. sheâŚ.God, she just took it. Not because she agreed. Not because she was weak. But because thatâs who she is. She let him be angry. Let him lash out. Let him burn himself on her because she knew what was underneath it all. But I saw it. I saw the way her shoulders slumped when she turned away. The way she stirred her tea a little too long in the kitchen. The way she lingered in front of Bruceâs old pictures of Talia that he put up for Damien. didnât touch them, didnât say anything, but looked like someone standing in a war zone, wondering if the ruins were prettier than sheâd ever be. She never said it aloud. Never asked if she measured up. But we all knew the weight she carried. Bruceâs past wasnât just shadows it was legacies. Legacies she was never meant to compete with. And Damian made sure she felt that.
I donât know when that started to change. Maybe when she helped patch him up after his first solo patrol and didnât say a word about the busted ribs. Maybe when she sat in the library and helped him with his handwriting because even deadly assassins have messy cursive. Or maybe it was when she found his sketchbook. hid it from everyone else, never mentioned it, just left him new pencils on his desk with a quiet, âYouâre very talented.â
He stopped being so sharp after that. Still rude. Still Damian. But less⌠venomous. Like the poison had burned itself out and he was left kind of confused by the fact that she was still there. Because she always was. For all of us.
And then thereâs me. The extra. The late one. I was never brought in because Bruce wanted to be a father. I was brought in because I figured out his secrets and then wormed my way into the cave, into the suit, into the family. I donât know if I was ever really meant to be here. Not the way the others were. Me? I had parents. Not great ones. But they were there⌠until they werenât. I didnât grow up in an alley, or a pit, or the League. Sometimes I wonder if thatâs why I feel so⌠replaceable. But she never made me feel that way. She saw me. She knew I overworked myself. Knew I never slept. Knew I spiraled when I wasnât useful. And instead of pushing me to be better or telling me to slow down, she just⌠met me where I was. Once, I found a note in my backpack. Folded between mission plans.
âYoure the most amazing boy that i know, You my boy are going to do amazing things. I love you so much!!â
I never told her I found it. But I kept it. Still have it, tucked into my journal like armor.
I donât know if any of us wouldâve survived this family without her. Bruce taught us how to fight. How to fall and get back up. But she taught us how to rest. How to breathe. How to love without blood and history binding us. She fixed all of us. Bit by bit. Even when we didnât know we were breaking. I donât feel broken enough to deserve that kind of care. But she gave it anyway. Because thatâs who she is. Because she was always there.
I heard her once, talking on the phone to someone. Maybe a friend. Maybe a source. âTheyâre not mine by blood,â she said. âBut God help the world if they ever needed me. Iâd burn down Gotham to protect any one of them.â Thatâs when I knew she meant me, too. if I had to tell this story about the Batfamily, about the ones who wear masks and hide pain and throw themselves into the fire night after night Iâd start with her. Because Batman might have saved Gotham but she saved us.
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž
Tim closes the journal with a soft thump, fingers lingering on the worn leather cover. His hand hovers just a second longer before pulling away. The room feels too quiet now like his thoughts are echoing louder without the scratch of his pen to distract him.
He pushes the chair back, the legs creaking on the old hardwood floors, and stands. His back cracks. How long had he been writing? Hours maybe. Itâs dark out, the kind of heavy Gotham dark that presses against the windows like it wants in. The manor groans quietly in the silence, pipes murmuring and the wind brushing tree branches against the windows like fingers tapping to be let inside.
He walks out of his room, bare feet soft on the carpet as he pads through the hallway. The air feels heavier at night in the manor. Like all the ghosts that live in the walls are finally breathing.
I turned the corner after walking mindlessly and stared. There you were.
Back facing towards me, wearing one of those oversized, faded shirts Bruce always swore he didnât miss. Standing in front of the stove, hair pulled up, humming something under your breath as you stirred with a wooden spoon like you were crafting alchemy and not just soup. And beside you, leaning against the counter, arms folded but eyes softer than Iâd seen in weeks. Jason. He wasnât wearing his jacket. Which was rare. His boots were off. Rarer. And he was smiling. Not the cocky half grin he used when he was about to pick a fight, but something quieter. Warmer. Something like a son sitting in the only place in the world where he felt safe.
You said something to him I couldnât hear what but you reached up on your toes and smoothed his hair out of his eyes like he was five. He rolled his eyes, said something sarcastic, but didnât pull away. If anything, he leaned into it. that was when Alfred walked by, hands behind his back, chin tilted slightly in amusement as he passed me. âYou know the rule, Master Timothy,â he said, low enough not to disturb the moment in the kitchen. âShe is the only one allowed in there. The rest of you have forfeited that right after the last⌠incident.â
I groaned.
âThat was Damianâs fault,â I hissed back.
He raised a brow. âWas it Damianâs idea to flambĂŠ a Pop Tart?â
âOkay. Fine. That part mightâve been me.â
It was one of our dumbest ideas maybe not the dumbest, but itâs a crowded race. It started with a challenge. Damian, fresh off a smug streak and newly obsessed with culinary documentaries, claimed that my âAmerican palateâ had âeroded my taste and motor skills.â I told him I could cook circles around him. Neither of us could cook.
It escalated quickly. An Iron Chef style duel. Secret ingredient: eggs. Only, I dropped mine. Three times. Damian misread the baking powder as flour. Then I panicked and tried to âsmokeâ the scrambled eggs for flavor using a packet of incense from the guest room and a lighter.
Within ten minutes, the fire alarm was going off, Alfred had activated the emergency sprinklers, and the kitchen looked like something between a crime scene and a culinary apocalypse. Mom was the one to find us.
Standing soaked, flour covered, blinking through smoke. Damian holding a spatula like a sword. Me covered in what I hoped was yolk. You didnât yell. Thatâs the worst part. You just⌠looked at us. Long and hard. Then let out a breath, pinched the bridge of your nose, and said, âAlfred, I assume this is why you told me to ban them from the kitchen.â
âIndeed, madam,â he replied grimly.
And that was that. Kitchen rights revoked. Except for you. Always you.
Now I stood there in the hallway, watching you and Jason from the doorway, unseen. He was telling you about something he saw on patrol a gang trying to smuggle rare books, of all things. You were laughing, that full body laugh that makes your shoulders shake and your eyes close, like the world could still be beautiful if you just tried hard enough. And Jason?
He was drinking it in. Like heâd been starved of this kind of love for years. Ever since he came back, you were different around him. Not overly careful like Bruce. Not tense like some of us had been. You just loved him. Loudly. Freely. kisses to the temple, touching his shoulders like you had to convince yourself he was still solid. Like you had to remind him that he was still wanted. Jason never said it but he melted under it. His edges dulled. His anger slipped. When you held him, when you gave him that smile that said âyouâre home,â he softened. He belonged.
I swallowed hard. Stepped back, just a bit. Let the shadows take me. Because Iâd never had that. Not in the same way. You loved me I knew that. But it wasnât the same kind of fierce, smothering love. And maybe that was fair. I wasnât broken in the way Jason was. Not born in blood like Damian. Not carved out of grief like Dick. Not silenced like Cass.
I was just⌠me. Smart. Quiet. Stable, mostly. Iâd always felt like a thread sewn into someone elseâs tapestry. Useful. Strong, even. But not the reason anyone stayed warm. in moments like this seeing Jason melt under your hands, seeing you pour every ounce of your soul into making him feel alive I couldnât help but wonder if I was ever going to fit here. So I stepped away from the kitchen door.
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛ââąâŕ˝ŕž
The house was quiet again. The kind of quiet that only happens after everyoneâs gone to bed or pretended to. I was curled up in the corner of the library, one leg slung over the arm of the chair, a thick old book cracked open across my lap. It wasnât for patrol or mission planning. Just something to read. Something to fill the quiet so I didnât have to think too much.
It was peaceful, until muffled voices filled the room. I blinked, tilting my head just enough to catch the low murmur threading in from the hallway. At first, I thought maybe Bruce had wandered into the Batcave again, but then I heard my moms voice. Whispering like someone trying not to wake a sleeping baby. Bruce responded, and you both laughed, low and secretive. I rolled my eyes and went back to my page.
I stopped caring about that kind of thing a long time ago. You and Bruce were always, in a word, gross about each other. Not the clingy, PDA gross⌠well yes the clingy PDA way but the kind where heâd brush your cheek mid conversation like it was instinct. Or the way youâd make him coffee without asking, and heâd pass you reports to look at because he trusted your opinion more than the boardâs. It was⌠sincere. Intimate. Kind of annoying, honestly, when you were trying to eat cereal and Bruce kissed your temple like it was some kind of reflex.
But it was comforting too. Something solid. I was just starting to lose myself in the book again when
âBoo.â
âGAH!â
I launched the book about a foot into the air and nearly twisted my entire spine trying to figure out what demon had possessed the room. My heart rocketed into my throat as I whipped around, hand halfway to a batarang that wasnât even on me. You stood there, grinning ear to ear.
âTim,â you cooed, covering your mouth to stifle a laugh, âyou shouldâve seen your face oh my god, I think you levitated.â
âI almost hit you with Tolstoy!â I hissed, breath still catching up to my body. âDonât sneak up on a guy in this house! I was ready to throw hands with a ghost.â
âWell,â you teased, âif it was a ghost, youâd be the only one Iâd trust to outsmart it.â
I gave you a flat look, still massaging my neck. You sobered a little, stepping forward and tapping the top of my head gently. âCome on, kiddo. Thereâs something we want to show you. In the dining room.â
I blinked. âWe?â
âIâm here too,â came Bruceâs voice from the hallway, in that terrible deep gravel whisper he clearly thought was somehow sneaky. You and I both turned to look at him as he peeked around the corner, trying very hard and failing to look inconspicuous.
I squinted at him. âWhat are you doing?â
âNothing,â he said too quickly.
You sighed and gently smacked his chest. âWhy are you like this?â
âIâm building intrigue,â Bruce said with what I assumed was supposed to be a straight face. âItâs part of the planâ
âYouâre ruining the surprise,â you whispered, dragging a hand down your face.
âThereâs a surprise?â I asked slowly, eyes darting between the two of you.
Bruceâs expression didnât change, but I could see the micro tension in his brow. He was lying. For the worldâs greatest detective, the man couldnât lie to his children to save his life. Every time he tried, he got this weird stiffness, like someone whoâd never used human emotions before. You groaned again and took my wrist gently. âCome on. Just come to the dining room. Please?â
I stood up slowly, abandoning my book on the chair. âWhatâs going on?â I asked again, warier now. âIs this, like⌠an intervention? Did Damian break into the Tower again?â
âNope.â
âDid Jason get arrested for vigilante loitering?â
âNot this week.â
âAre you going to make me touch grass?â
You snorted. âGod, no.â
I sighed. âAlright. But if this is a trap, I want it on record that i died saying my parents were weird.â
Bruce just grunted. So I followed them. These two weird, overly affectionate, semi cryptic parents of mine one with crowsâ feet from smiling too much and the other still pretending he didnât smile at all. Down the hallway. Toward the dining room. Still completely, utterly confused.
The hallway to the dining room wasnât long. It just felt long. Partially because Bruce was still trying to act like this wasnât suspicious at all, and you kept elbowing him in the ribs every few steps. Partially because my nerves were starting to twitch under my skin. mostly because I could hear whisper yelling coming from the dining room.
âI said put the banner up, not strangle the chandelier with it!â
âThat wasnât me! It was Damian! He climbed up there!â
âI was fixing your poor attempt at symmetry, Grayson!â
âWhy is the pie we made lopsided Jason what did you do to the pie?â
âItâs good. Shut up.â
âYou burned it.â
âI call it caramelized flavor.â
ââŚIt smells like regret.â
âCan someoneâŚ. Cass, what are you doing with the glitter glue?!â
âDecoration.â
I paused just outside the door and looked up at Bruce and you with raised eyebrows. You just smiled softly and gave a little shrug, while Bruce tried to maintain whatever shred of dignity he had left. It wasnât working.
You both looked so stupidly in love standing like that his arm around your waist, yours looped casually around his. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like this was normal. Like this whatever chaos was waiting behind the doors was ours.
Bruce leaned in toward the doorframe like he was assessing a mission room, and I swear I saw his eye twitch.
âI gave them very simple instructions,â he muttered.
You patted his chest. âYour children are as smart and emotionally constipated as their dadâ
The door swung open before anyone could knock. Dick stood there with his usual too big grin and remnants of glitter on his cheek like war paint. âTimmy! Youâre late to your own surprise party!â
âItâs not my birthday?â
âNot that kind of surprise party!â he said, reaching out to drag me in with too much enthusiasm. âItâs Appreciation Day!â
âThatâs⌠not a real holiday.â
âSure it is,â said Jason, appearing from behind a mess of mismatched plates and aluminum foil wrapped disasters. âWe just made it real. Sit down, Nerd Boy.â
Cass waved from the head of the table with a little toothy smile. Damian was on a chair next to her, arms crossed, already pouting like he hadnât been helping just ten minutes ago.
The table was atrocious like someone had thrown a home economics final exam and a kindergarten arts and crafts project into a blender. The centerpiece was a crooked sign that said âWE APPRECIATE YOUâ in bold, messy handwriting (clearly Dickâs). There was glitter on everything. The cups didnât match. The pie looked like itâd been in a fight. it was perfect. All of it.
Dishes were stacked, uneven and mismatched. Cookies were slightly burnt on one side. Jasonâs so called âcaramelizedâ pie was visibly cracked. Cass had made what looked like finger sandwiches shaped into little bats. Even Damian had contributed begrudgingly with a plate of sliced fruit that had been carved into vaguely threatening shapes.
And in the middle of it all was a small card in your handwriting.
Tim,
We know things have been hard.
We know it sometimes feels like youâre overlooked.
But youâre not. Not here.
Youâre brilliant. Youâre loved. Youâre ours.
Love,
Your Family (a bunch of idiots, but yours)
I couldnât speak. Not really. Because what was there to say? This⌠this wasnât some big show. It wasnât polished. It wasnât perfect. But it was real. it was for me. I glanced down the table.
Dick was beaming and already scooting over to make room for me. Jason was pretending not to look at me too hard, but his expression was softer than usual. Cass gave me a small nod, the kind that said more than words. Damian looked away when our eyes met but I could see the tiniest hint of awkward approval in the way he pushed a napkin toward the empty seat beside him. I took it. Quietly. Still blinking a little too fast. I didnât cry. I didnât. But I felt it thick in my chest. That weight. That feeling. Because my biological parents had never done anything like this. They didnât see me, not really. I was a project. A prodigy. An obligation. But you and Bruce, in his awkward gruff way you saw me. You made this happen. I looked up once more and saw you and Bruce still standing near the door. Arms still around each other. Watching. Bruceâs eyes met mine. He gave the smallest nod. You just smiled. I mattered here. not always loudly. not in the same way the others did. But I mattered. And this this was home.
Dick Grayson | Nightwing X Reader
I feel hes a munch. I feel hes a woman lover. He loves women. Him when women. Also did i think about Garcia and Morgan when writing this? yeahâŚ. and what about it?
masterlist
Youâre the newest addition to the Batsquad. Cant help if youâre basically forced to talk to eye candy all night. Though what if the eye candy wants you back.
ᨠཟ ⟠The hum of servers filled the air like a lullaby, soft and steady behind the clack of your manicured fingers dancing across the keyboard. Multiple monitors cast a warm glow against your skin as codes flickered by, surveillance cams blinked into motion, and the Gotham skyline lit up under your careful watch. You chewed on a pink pen cap thoughtfully, then leaned into the mic on your headset.
âAlright, Bat Team, eyes up. Cameras just caught movement on the east perimeter. Looks like our guyâs not late to his own robbery party.â Static.
âCopy that,â came a deep voice laced with just enough sarcasm to make your lips twitch. âAnd here I was hoping for a quiet night.â
The soft glow of neon lights from Gothamâs skyline bled into the Watchtowerâs tech room, giving everything a purple blue hue. The glow reflected off your screens, lighting up your face as your fingers flew across the keyboard. Surveillance cams, thermal feeds, encrypted audio all of it filtered through your custom built comms system. You leaned back in your chair, twirling said pink pen through your fingers. Your voice came through sweet as sugar, laced with a barely hidden smirk.
âWatch yourself Nightwing, I hope youâre wearing something cute under all that kevlar. Youâre live on all my cams tonight.â
A low chuckle filtered through your headset, rough around the edges in the way that always made your stomach flip.
âWell, well, if it isnât my favorite guardian angel,â Nightwing drawled, voice dipped in charm he wore like a second skin. âWhat would I do without your voice whispering sweet nothings into my ear?â
âYouâd probably walk into a wall,â you said sweetly. âOr into that very large man standing behind the dumpster on 5th and Main.â
There was a beat of silence, then a soft thwack through the mic.
âYou mean that wasnât a trash can?â he teased, slightly breathless. âHow dare you underestimate my night vision, sugar.â
You grinned, propping your cheek in your palm as you tracked his movement across the rooftops. âSugar now, huh? Is that your new nickname for me?â
âUnless you prefer âSweetheart.â Or âHot Stuff.â Iâm flexible.â
You let out a melodic laugh, not even trying to hide it. âWow, your flirting game is tragic tonight. You okay out there, Nightwing? Hit your head on a chimney?â
âIâm just warming up,â he said, voice low and smooth. âWait âtil I meet you in person. Then Iâm turning the charm up to eleven.â
You opened your mouth to volley back but Barbaraâs voice cut in like a whip.
âAlright, you two cut it.â
You both froze.
âLock in,â Barbara said, her voice firm and dry as dust. âThis isnât a late night radio show. Weâve got multiple armed targets on the ground and a hostage situation developing five blocks south. Thermal (your hero name), patch the thermal overlay to Nightwingâs HUD.â
You straightened in your chair, fingers flying. âYes, maâam. Thermal incoming.â
âNightwing,â Barbara added with the tone of a fed up older sister, âtry keeping your tongue in your mouth for five minutes. Youâre on mission, not a date.â
âHarsh, Babs,â he muttered.
âIâm just saying,â she continued, âif I had a dollar for every time I had to listen to the two of you flirt in the middle of a crisis, I could afford a better coffee maker.â
You bit your lip to hold back a laugh, then cleared your throat. âAww, câmon, Babs. Canât a girl multitask? I can route power to Nightwings grappling line and boost morale at the same time.â
âI donât need morale,â Nightwing interjected. âI need a distraction. Preferably wearing those glasses you mentioned last week.â
âYou remember that?â you teased.
âI remember everything you say, Sweetheart.â
Barbara groaned audibly. âIâm leaving this room before Iâm forced to bleach my ears.â
âI mean,â you added sweetly, âheâs just mad he canât picture me behind this desk, legs crossed, looking very professional while saving his butt.â
Nightwing whistled. âIf I didnât have to stop a robbery, Iâd be scaling that tower right now.â
Barbaraâs voice snapped back over the channel like a rubber band. âFocus, both of you.â
âCopy that,â you said, suddenly all business again as you leaned forward and zoomed in on the warehouse entrance. âThree guards posted up. One pacing, one smoking, one with a submachine gun. Interior layout uploaded to your HUD. Entry through the southeast vent is clear. Youâre greenlit, Nightwing.â
âSee? She flirts, but she gets it done,â he muttered fondly.
You grinned. âI always stand on business, baby.â
âThen I better bring my A game. Wouldnât want to disappoint my favorite tech goddess.â
You laughed quietly, adjusting your headset as you pulled up the emergency response grid. âJust donât get shot, Nightwing.â
Barbara let out one final sigh before muttering, âI swear, I shouldâve let Batman take this shift.â
But despite her grumbling, you swore you saw a smile tug at the corners of her lips as she turned away.
He grunted, and you could tell it was the kind of laugh he didnât want you to hear.
âLetâs make a deal,â he said suddenly. âYou keep me alive tonight, and Iâll finally let you buy me a coffee.â
You blinked. That was new. âYou mean you buy me a coffee? Bold of you to assume youâre that charming.â
âYou do call me every night.â
âBecause itâs my job, Nightwing.â
Your own heart beat just a little faster as Nightwingâs icon approached the rendezvous point. It was almost always like this. Take the next day where you were thrown completely out of your own loop You were sprawled comfortably in the comms chair, pink converse kicked up on the desk, a bag of sour candy at your side, and at least three drinks within reach because hydration and caffeination were essential for optimal management.
Tonightâs mission? Barely a blip on the Bat Radar. A stakeout near the docks. Zero hostiles so far. Minimal risk. Maximal boredom.
âNightwing,â you poured into your mic, stretching dramatically, âhowâs the air up there on your boring little rooftop? You see anything exciting? UFOs? Pirates? A raccoon that looks like Bruce?â
âNegative on the Bruce raccoon,â Nightwing said through the comms, voice thick with amusement. âBut thanks for the nightmare fuel, Sweetheart.â
âI try,â you chirped, popping another piece of candy into your mouth. âGotta keep you on your toes.â
âYou keep me somewhere, alright,â he murmured, just low enough to think you wouldnât catch it.
You did. You always did. Before you could respond with another flirty jab, a new voice crackled in gruffer, sharper. Dry as sandpaper and twice as moody.
âAre you always like this?â Jason Toddâs voice cut in like a knife through silk. âIâve been listening for ten minutes and I already want to uninstall my ears.â
You beamed, leaning closer to the mic like he could see your grin. âRed Hood! My favorite grump. Took you long enough to say hi.â
âDonât flatter yourself,â he deadpanned.
âOh, please. You love it,â you teased, swiveling in your chair like it helped transmit your energy. âIâm your emotional support chatterbox. Youâd cry without me.â
âUnlikely.â
âThen why are you still listening?â you asked sweetly, tapping into his drone cam and watching as he crouched in the shadows near an old shipping container. âI see you didnât even mute me. Thatâs gotta mean something.â
Jason sighed. The tiniest sigh. A truce in breath form.
ââŚYouâre ridiculous.â
âAnd adorable, donât forget that part.â
âWhy does she talk to you like that?â Nightwing asked suddenly, cutting in with playful suspicion. âShe doesnât call me âadorable.ââ
âI like to flirt with people who pretend to hate it,â you replied easily. âKeeps âem humble.â
Jason made a quiet scoffing noise. âYou think Iâm humble?â
âNo,â you said, smirking. âBut I do think you blush when I call you sweetheart.â
There was a long pause.
ââŚIâm turning off my comm.â
âYou wonât,â you sang.
Before Jason could craft a dry comeback or fake a signal cut out, Nightwing returned this time with a tone that could only be described as smug older brother meets possessive flirt.
âAlright, alright,â Dick said, and you could hear his smirk. âLetâs not get carried away, Sweetheart. You do have a date coming up. With me, remember?â
You blinked. âExcuse me?â
âOh yeah,â he continued smoothly, âyou promised me coffee after our last op. Pretty sure that counts.â
âThat was a tactical bribe to keep you alive,â you said quickly, cheeks burning despite your best effort. âTotally not binding.â
Jason actually chuckled at that chuckled. A small miracle.
âWell,â Dick said, clearly enjoying himself, âbinding or not, Iâll be at that new cafĂŠ on 7th tomorrow at ten. Youâre welcome to back out, but I do know where your candy stash is hidden in the Watchtower fridge.â
Your jaw dropped. âYou wouldnât.â
âI would.â
âYou absolute menace.â
âSee you then, Sweetheart.â
Jason exhaled like he was regretting all of his life choices.
âGod, youâre both exhausting.â
You smiled, sweet and unbothered. âDonât be jealous, Jay. I can pencil you in for brunch on Sunday.â
He groaned but didnât mute you. Which, in your book, meant you werenât the loser here .
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The room was quiet now.
The static from the comms had faded, the mics had all gone cold, and the buzz of conversation that had filled the Watchtowerâs tech room just minutes ago had slipped into silence. You were alone, save for the hum of machines and the low, rhythmic click of a monitor blinking back to standby.
You leaned back in your chair slowly, arms folding over your chest as you stared blankly at the screens. Your bubbly persona so easy to slip into when surrounded by voices, teasing banter, and fast flying intel started to crack beneath the weight of the quiet.
It always did, when the room emptied.
He wanted coffee. Dick Grayson wanted to meet you. A date.
The thought hit you again, more real now than when he first said it in that casual, cocky tone of his. Youâd brushed it off, played along, tossed flirtation back like you always did but now? Sitting alone, no distraction, no one listening?
You felt it. That creeping, slow turning anxiety curling in your stomach.
It wasnât like you hadnât thought about what he looked like before. Sure, youâd heard his voice, shared late night chatter across missions, and even made him laugh more than once. But imagining him? That was easy. Everyone in the Bat Family was objectively hot. Like, annoyingly so.
And you? You swallowed hard, curling your knees up into your chair and hugging them gently.
You werenât anything like them. Not tall or sleek or scarred from combat. Not graceful in a catsuit or strong enough to throw a punch through a wall. You werenât stick thin, but you werenât curvy in a dramatic way either. You existed somewhere in the middle comfortable in hoodies, always in glasses, a bit awkward when the spotlight came too close. Your brain was your strongest muscle, and it sometimes felt like that was all you had.
Would he be disappointed?
You let out a slow breath, eyes flicking to your reflection in the dark screen across from you. No makeup, hair pulled back, sweater two sizes too big. You looked like someone who blended into a crowd. Like someone no one would stop for a second glance. What if you showed up and he just⌠didnât see you the way he did over comms? What if the mystery was the only thing that made you interesting?
Your hand reached out instinctively, pressing your fingers to the edge of the console like you were grounding yourself.
You wanted to meet him. Of course you did. He was charming, and kind beneath all the jokes, and smart in the ways only someone whoâd been through hell could be. But a date? That felt like something other people did. People who didnât feel the need to hide behind tech and sarcasm to feel confident.
You sat there in silence, chewing your lip, wondering if he even knew what he was asking when he said, âsee you then.â
Maybe it wasnât a real date. Maybe he didnât think of it like that.
But deep down, you knew you wanted it to be. You wanted to be seen. And you were scared of what would happen if you really were.
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Dick Grayson stood in front of the mirror of his BlĂźdhaven apartment, tugging at the hem of his sweatshirt like it was a tux. Casual. Chill. Low key. That was the goal.
So why the hell did he feel like he was prepping for a mission?
He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it for the third no, fourth time. Dark jeans, clean white sneakers, a navy hoodie that fit just right not too fitted, not too loose. He changed shirts three times before this one finally felt like the right one. He hadnât been this particular about his outfit since prom.
âItâs not a date,â he told his reflection. âItâs just coffee.â
A pause.
ââŚWith the girl who knows all your safe houses, your secret patrol routes, and who once talked you through stitching your own shoulder at 3 a.m. without flinching.â
Okay. Maybe a little more than just coffee.
He reached for his phone on the counter. One unread text waited at the top of the screen.
Comms girl <3: You sure about this?
Comms girl <3:You donât have to meet me.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard before he typed back quickly.
bluebird: Iâm very sure. You owe me that coffee, remember? I risked my life for that latte.
Your reply came within seconds.
Comms girl <3: You were five feet from the guy. I stalled him with a fake 911 ping. YOUâRE WELCOME.
He chuckled, thumbs flying across the screen.
blurbird : Still counts. Heroics were involved. You agreed to a reward. No backing out now.
Comms girl <3: Still time to change your mind. Could just keep this mystery thing going. Itâs fun. Less risky.
He stared at that message a moment longer than he wanted to admit. There was a strange comfort in the way things were. The comms. The banter. The way your voice softened when his breathing grew strained after a tough fight. How youâd scold him for reckless moves and then follow up with, âBut also⌠that flip you did? Sick as hell.â
You were part of the job no, more than that. You were part of him. But only in fragments.
Heâd seen the pieces you gave: your voice, your wit, your ridiculous caffeine addiction, the hum of music sometimes playing faintly in the background when you were on shift. But heâd never seen you.
Meanwhile, youâd seen everything.
bluebird: Youâve seen my file, havenât you?
he typed.
bluebird: I know what color your eyes are. I havenât even seen yours.
Comms girl <3: Donât worry. Theyâre not laser eyes or anything.
Comms girl <3: Still time to run. I wonât be mad.
Dick stared at the screen, thumb resting over the keyboard again. A few moments passed. Then he typed back:
bluebird: I donât want to run. I want to meet you. For real.
Read. But no reply. He locked his phone, shoved it into the pocket of his hoodie, and grabbed his keys and helmet. Outside, the early evening had begun to spill across the BlĂźdhaven skyline. Fading light. Long shadows.
For once, he wasnât slipping into the shadows himself. He was stepping into the sun.
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The cafĂŠ on 7th was a small, tucked away place with mismatched chairs and the smell of cinnamon and roasted espresso clinging to every wooden beam. A warm corner of the city where life slowed down just a little. He arrived ten minutes early. Too early.
The bell above the door jingled, and instinct kicked in. He scanned. Two older women by the window, a guy with earbuds tapping at a laptop, a bored barista pulling espresso shots with dead eyes. No sign of you.
He ordered her drink extra sweet, extra foamy, âliquid sunshine,â you once called it and a black coffee for himself. Settled into a table by the window. Full view of the door. He texted you again.
bluebird: Iâm here. No pressure. But I brought your order. Itâs waiting patiently.
Nothing.
He flicked the lid of the cup. Checked the time. Tapped his knee beneath the table. Every chime of the bell had him sitting up straighter, breath held in quiet anticipation.
Not her.Not yet.
And that was the thing he didnât even know what she looked like. No name. No face. Just a voice in his ear, a rhythm in his nights, a lifeline during the chaos. But even without a face, even without a name, he knew you.
He leaned back and watched the doorway like it held all the answers. Maybe it did.
His phone buzzed again.
Comms girl <3: Iâm close. Just⌠taking a second.
He stared at that message. His heart did a quiet, hopeful jump.
bluebird: You nervous?l
Comms Girl: Maybe. You?
He smiled.
bluebird: Iâve fought Killer Croc, Deathstroke, and Jason with a crowbar. This is worse.
You didnât text back right away. He waited. Sipped his coffee. Looked at your untouched drink and wondered if youâd ever actually take a sip from it. Maybe youâd just show up, apologize, and walk away. Maybe youâd turn around before even walking through the door.
You were already on the sidewalk. One breath away from stepping inside. He turned his eyes to the window, scanning every person who passed. Wondering if one of them might look in, catch his eye, smile.
Waiting. he hoped that mask off, no gadgets, no grappling hooks, no safety net that was enough. So he waited. For you.
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The drink was starting to sweat on the table.
Dickâs thumb spun slow, lazy circles around the lid of the cup you still hadnât claimed. The cafĂŠ wasnât busy only a few people trickled in here and there. His eyes lifted every time the door jingled, hopeful⌠and then dropped just as quickly.
He wasnât used to feeling this unsteady. With the mask on, he could take a punch. Leap off a roof. Throw himself into chaos without blinking. But right now, sitting at a table with a slowly cooling cup of coffee for someone heâd never even seen before?
He was sweating more than the damn drink. The bell above the door jingled again.
And he looked.
She stepped in like she was trying not to be noticed shoulders drawn slightly inward, a quick glance around the room before her eyes dropped to the floor. She didnât look out of place, not really. She looked⌠normal.
Pink Converse. Faded denim jorts hugging her hips. A plain black tank top tucked in just right to show her figure, casual and effortless. Hair pulled back loosely like sheâd tried to fix it three times before giving up.
Dickâs eyes lingeredâŚ. respectfully. He wasnât a jerk. But he was a man. And the way she looked, with nervous energy practically rolling off her in waves, had his chest tightening just a little.
Cute. Definitely cute. Attractive, sure. She was cute. Soft around the edges. Eyes wide like she wasnât used to being looked at too long.
Dickâs gaze flicked down, then back up not lingering too long. A polite once over. Curious. Gentle. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he looked away.
He didnât know what to expect. For all the times heâd imagined this moment, all the late night banter and daydreams of what she might look like, heâd never settled on a face.
Still watching her from the corner of his eye, Dick slowly reached for his phone and typed out a message.
bluebird: âIâm by the window. Got your sugar bomb of a drink already. You close?â
The girl the maybe you girl jumped slightly when her phone buzzed. Fumbled it out of her pocket. She smiled. Just a little.
Her hand went to her phone. Dickâs screen lit up.
Comms girl <3: Already here. Just⌠not sure where to go.
His heart stopped. Slowly, his gaze lifted again this time with full awareness. He watched as she read his message, fingers still hovering near the screen.
Like she was laughing at herself and suddenly, everything clicked.
Dickâs breath caught for a beat. His lips tugged upward in a crooked smile as he texted again. Dick forgot how to breathe.
bluebird: Black tank. Pink shoes. You really do own those Converse.
You didnât even look up from your phone. You were already typing.
Comms girl <3: Ok stalker, stop checking me out
He huffed a quiet laugh.
bluebird: Respectfully. Thoroughly. Definitely.
You lifted your head then, eyes meeting his across the room. Nervous. Hopeful. Your lips curved into something soft and self deprecating.
He stood before he could overthink it, heart thudding as he crossed the short space between your hesitant stillness and his table.
âYouâre late,â he said, voice light, teasing.
âFashionably,â you replied, walking with him as he guided you toward the window seat. âAlso, very nearly didnât come in. I walked past the window twice. You didnât notice.â
âI noticed,â he said, pulling your chair out like the gentleman he rarely remembered to be. âI just didnât know it was you. But then you looked at your phone like it offended you.â
You sat, cheeks flushed with something caught between embarrassment and amusement. âThat was me realizing I sent three different versions of âIâm almost thereâ and still sat in my car for ten minutes.â
Dick slid your coffee toward you. âWell i guess in a way you were.â
You took the cup, curling your fingers around it like it might steady you. âDonât get ahead of yourself. I still might run.â
âDo I need to stop you? Iâve got grappling hooks.â
That made you laugh. Really laugh. He liked that sound more than he expected. It wasnât tinny over the comm. It was full, alive, right in front of him.
âGod,â you groaned, lowering your head for a second. âThis is so weird.â
âYeah,â he agreed. âBut good weird.â
You peeked up at him. âYouâre not what I expected.â
âBetter or worse?â
You grinned, shy but cheeky. âYouâre taller than I thought. Thatâs not fair. I have no defense against tall and charming.â
âCharming, huh?â He took a sip of his coffee, raising a brow over the lid. âYou havenât even heard my best lines yet.â
You rolled your eyes, the way you always did when he flirted too hard through the mic. But now it was real. Now, he could see the way you bit back a smile, the flush that crept to your ears.
âIâm not used to being looked at,â you admitted after a quiet beat. âIâm used to watching. Behind the screens. Behind the noise. Iâve seen your face a hundred times. This is⌠lopsided.â
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, gaze steady and warm.
âThen letâs even it out.â
You blinked. âWhat do you mean?â
âLet me learn you,â he said, voice low, honest. âNo comms. No mission. No static. Just⌠you.â
You looked away, biting your lip, your fingers tracing the lid of your cup now like he had earlier. âYouâre a lot more intense in person.â
âIâm a lot of things in person,â he said, smiling. âMost of them good. Some of them bad. All of them me.â
A silence passed. Not awkward contemplative. Like both of you were quietly adjusting to the weight of seeing each other. Really seeing each other.
âI always see you in your outfit, this feels a little weirdâ you murmured eventually.
He grinned. âYouâll be happy to know I left the spandex at home.â
âTragic.â
Another moment of quiet, then
âIâm glad you showed up,â he said.
You smiled down into your drink. âYeah. Me too.â
Outside, the city moved in its usual rhythm cars, footsteps, noise. But here, at this little table by the window, something new was starting. Not a mission. Not an assignment. Just Dick and you.
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The coffee was long gone, but neither of them had made a move to go their separate ways.
Instead, they strolled the streets of BlĂźdhaven, their pace slow, like time had bent around them just for a little while. The sun had started to dip behind the buildings, casting soft golden light on the sidewalks, and the breeze stirred the trees enough to make the leaves flutter like lazy applause.
You walked beside him with your now empty cup in hand, straw still between your lips despite it having been dry for the last ten minutes. Nerves still clung to your skin, thin but persistent. You had no idea where to put your hands or how to keep your voice steady. You werenât usually like this. Over comms, you were bold, loud, sarcastic, and playful.
But out here, in the open, without a headset and with Nightwing walking beside you in casual clothes that hugged him way too well for your nerves to take? It was different. He was real. And you were suddenly aware of every flaw youâd been trying not to think about since this morning.
âYou know,â you said with a light chuckle, trying to keep your voice in that easy, familiar tone, âI honestly expected you to cancel last minute. Or like, show up but wear the mask the whole time and pretend to be mysterious.â
Dick looked over at you, one brow raised, and a smile playing at his lips. âYou really thought Iâd ghost you after all our late night flirting?â
You shrugged, trying to play it off, but your eyes darted away. âI mean⌠I dunno. Maybe.â
âYou ruined that for you because i would never,â he said dramatically, then bumped his shoulder gently against yours. âI told you I was coming. I meant it.â
His voice was warm, not teasing this time. Just honest. He watched you as you gave a small smile, eyes still scanning the sidewalk like you were searching for something to say. He saw the way you carried yourself. Not shy, exactly just⌠cautious. Though he saw you and wanted too. All of you.
Not just the confident voice in his ear or the tech genius who could break into encrypted systems like they were open windows. He saw the little things: the nervous hand fidgeting with your cup sleeve, the way you pulled at the hem of your shorts when you thought he wasnât looking, the practiced jokes you used to deflect any compliments.
So he gave you more of them.
âI like your shoes,â he said casually, glancing down at the worn pink Converse. âits a very you thing, reflective of your personalityâ
You laughed an actual laugh, not a polite one. âI donât know if footwear can tell you my life story?â
âOh, absolutely,â he said, nodding with mock seriousness. âPink shoes? Total power move. I love when women.â
You shook your head, trying to hide your grin. âyou love when women?â
âAnd the shorts?â he added. âPerfect length. Shows off those legs that have been sitting behind a computer for, what? Ninety percent of your adult life?â
âOh my God,â you groaned, covering your face with your free hand. âYouâre a menace.â
âIâve been told worse,â he said with a wink.
You both fell into a comfortable rhythm after that. Step for step, laugh for laugh. The tension slowly ebbed away the longer he stayed near you like he was peeling back the nervous layers without ever drawing attention to them.
After a few quiet moments, you nudged him lightly with your elbow. âOkay, so serious question.â
âHit me.â
âHow the hell does this team work? I started hacking stuff and suddenly im here? â
He laughed, raising both brows. âYou tell me. Youâve got this adorable, good vibe going for you, but Iâve read some of those logs. You were wrecking firewalls like they owed you money.â
âI wasnât that bad,â you defended with a smirk. âOkay, maybe the satellite thing was a little over the line.â
He turned to face you mid step. âWait. What satellite thing?â
You winced, cheeks flushing. âI⌠mightâve accidentally hacked into a WayneTech orbital system when I thought it was an old NASA server.â
He stared at you, stunned. âYou hacked WayneTech?â
âAllegedly,â you said, grinning now. âAnd two days later, Babs showed up in my basement. No warning, no badge, just⌠bam, red hair and righteous fury.â
âShe mustâve been so mad.â
âShe told me I was wasting potential and recruited me on the spot.â
Dick laughed again, and this time, it was full bodied, the kind that lit up his whole face. âClassic Babs.â
âHonestly? Sheâs the first person who ever looked at me and didnât just see a mouthy hacker. She actually saw⌠me.â
His smile softened. âShe does that. Did the same for me once.â
You glanced at him curiously. âOh yeah?â
He nodded, hands tucked into his hoodie pocket. âBack when I was still figuring things out after leaving Bruce. I needed distance from the Bat stuff needed to figure out who I was when I wasnât under the cape. Babs helped me get there. Helped me want to be more than just Robin.â
âI think youâre doing alright,â you said, bumping his shoulder this time.
âIâm trying,â he said with a shrug. âStill check in on the family though. Bruce, my brothers, Grandpa.â
You blinked. âGrandpa?â
âAlfred,â he clarified with a mischievous grin. âI started calling him that just to piss him off, but I know he secretly loves it.â
You laughed again, shaking your head. âThatâs so weirdly wholesome. âNightwing has emotional depth and a soft spot for butlers,â coming to theaters this fall.â
âHey, heâs not just a butler. Heâs the butler.â
âI stand corrected.â
The sky was blushing now, soft shades of purple and orange painting the horizon. The city buzzed around you, but for once, it didnât feel overwhelming. It felt like a quiet pocket of something special.
Dick glanced sideways at you, the wind tugging gently at your hair, and felt that same flicker in his chest again. The one that started when your voice used to crackle in his earpiece during midnight stakeouts. The one that grew stronger every time you made him laugh, or saved his ass from another security lockdown, or stayed on the line with him just so he wouldnât be alone.
âIâm really glad we did this,â he said softly.
You looked at him, caught a sincerity in his eyes that left no room for doubt.
âYeah,â you said, voice just as soft. âMe too.â
The air had taken on that evening crispness the kind that whispered promises of something new. The two of you were still walking, slowly now, like neither wanted to reach wherever the sidewalk might end.
Dick glanced at you again, longer this time. Not just quick, playful side glances, but a longing look. One that lingered as the fading sun touched your skin. He could see the way your lashes caught the light, the slight smile tugging at your lips as you sipped from your empty straw out of habit. The way your eyes moved when you were thinking.
You caught him staring.
âWhat?â you asked, arching a brow.
He shrugged with an easy, boyish grin. âNothing. Just⌠youâve got a good laugh.â
You blinked. âWhat, like a âhahaâ laugh or a âjoker is getting offâ laugh?â
He chuckled. âThe kind thatâs been in my ear for months, but somehow sounds better in person.â
Your stomach fluttered. You covered it with a sarcastic smile. âAre you flirting with me again, Grayson?â
âOnly mildly,â he teased, then glanced ahead. âI mean, Iâve gotta pace myself. Youâre kind of⌠addictive.â
You didnât answer for a moment. You didnât know how. And honestly, you were worried your voice would betray how warm your chest suddenly felt.
He didnât press it. Just kept walking with you in step. But then he said, a little more softly:
âI never really thought about it before⌠how different things feel when youâre not just a voice in my ear.â
You looked over at him, curious. âBetter or worse?â
He gave you a look, deadpan. âWhat kind of question is that?â
You tried to laugh, to brush it off, but he turned toward you fully now, walking backward a few steps so he could face you as you moved.
âYou have this⌠energy. When weâre on comms, itâs like⌠controlled chaos in the best way. Keeps me grounded, keeps me alert. But now? Seeing you like, actually seeing you your expressions, your body language, your weird obsession with pinkâŚâ
âI do not!â
He smirked. âYou do. Itâs very cute.â
You shoved his arm lightly, heat rushing to your face. But the smile was genuine now. You were relaxing, piece by piece.
âI guess I just didnât realize how much Iâd been missing until now,â he added, turning back around to walk forward again. âHearing youâs great. But⌠seeing you talk? Watching your eyes move when you go on your little tech rants or when you start teasing me? It hits different.â
Your heart thudded hard.
He wasnât saying âI want to see your face more.â But he was.
You swallowed around the growing smile and said, âWell⌠good thing Iâm not going anywhere.â
He shot you a glance then, something soft and full of unspoken words.
âYeah,â he murmured. âThat is a good thing.â
Someone had to do it
ââââââââââââââââââ
With some contingency plans in place, the emergency nanny arrived at the Batcave just when there were no bats left to provide any context for this mysterious favor. But hey, Billy wasnât about to let this opportunity to be a Robinâs babysitter pass him by!
Damian: I need to carry my sword with me at all times.
Billy thought, "Could it be like my emotional support plush? Of course it is! So thenâŚ"
Marvel: I wouldnât say no to that.
Damian: And also my ninja stars and sais.
Marvel: Of course, Robin!.
"Positive reinforcement, thatâs Batson! Youâre a good babysitter," Billy thought.
Damian: And we should also bring the Batmobile⌠Iâll driveâŚ
This last part was delivered with less conviction, but that didnât stop it from being appreciated by our hero in vibrant red.
Marvel: Do you know how to drive?
Damian: Itâs childâs play; of course, Iâve been driving since I was six.
Marvel: Thatâs amazing, Robin! What a relief! I only know how to ride a bicycle.
With great bewilderment and a slightly agape jaw, Damian climbed into the Batmobile, fulfilling a wish he had held for months.
He couldnât help but think that he should have the Captain as his regular babysitter.
It was his first experience with a babysitter in the strictest sense of the word. Are all babysitters like this?
That thought stayed with Damian all the way until they arrived to assist the Batfamily, alongside an exceptionally furious Batman.
Sketch #49 this is just me realizing this is the same dynamic in different fonts