#but he goes by the duke
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Bruce still does the tooth fairy thing for the kids.
The bats are constantly losing and having to replace their teeth. Because you don't get hit, kicked, and thrown on your face almost every other night and keep all your teeth.
So imagine early on when Duke first stays at the manor. He comes in saying how he was thrown into a car and lost a tooth on patrol.
They tell him to put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy. He laughs it off like , "OkaY, the tOotH fAirY."
The next morning at breakfast
Dick: "How much did you get?"
Duke: "Get what?"
Dick: "From the tooth fairy?"
Duke: "Oh, haha, right."
Steph: "?...Wait...Bruce?!"
Jason: "Why didn't he get anything??"
Bruce: "Don't ask me. The tooth fairy probably couldn't find it."
Duke: "You're not joking? You were serious about leaving my tooth?"
Tim: "Yeah, B always leaves money."
Bruce: "Untrue. The tooth fairy leaves money to children who lose a tooth. Not me."
Jason: "Yeah, whatever, anyway, make sure you let him or Alfred know when you lose a tooth and leave it out when you go to bed.
Bruce: "Alfred and I have no say in the tooth fairy's actions."
Tim: "We've caught him on camera, but he insists to deny."
Bruce: "Or perhaps you caught a clever disguse made to trick you?"
Dick: "... Just leave it out tonight, Duke."
Duke: "Okay, I guess I'll leave it out then?"
Bruce: "Somewhere the tooth fairy can find it easily, Is what I assume they would want."
Steph: "Smooth."
Damian *walking in*: "Father, thank you for the extra cash. This will go to the new treats I wanted to try for Batcow."
Bruce: "It wasn't me, thank the tooth fairy."
Damian: "... Yes, the tooth fairy. Thank you tooth fairy."
Bruce: "I think the tooth fairy appreciates that, Damian."
Everyone: *sigh*
(Cass is there the whole time casually eating because only Bruce knows that she sometimes will sneak in the rooms first to wait for him.)
Cass when Bruce finds her in the darkness of her sibling's rooms: "š"
#he refuses to admit its him#caught red handed and just deflects#eveyone just accepts it and goes along with it.#bruce wayne#dick grayson#jason todd#cassandra cain#stephanie brown#tim drake#duke thomas#damain wayne#batfam#batfam incorrect quotes#bat family#batfam crack#dc#batman headcanon#batman#gotham#dc comics
14K notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
The funniest thing about the boiling rock episodes is zuko telling sokka at the start how this prison houses the most dangerous and notorious criminals of the fire nation as well as war prisoners, and then at the end they just let one of them tag along without ever asking him what he was in for. Could have brought a serial killer to meet the fucking avatar and they'd be none the wiser
#i'd love it if every time someone asks chit sang what he did to end up there he tells them something different#each one of them more ridiculous than the last#'oh yeah i organized a coup' 'i'm the leader of a maffia organization on ember island.' 'i killed a man using only chopsticks'#nobody in the gaang knows what he did and none of them ever find out#and the one time he tells the duke what he actually did and the duke goes to tell everyone#but nobody believes the poor kid bc they all heard their own version#avatar the last airbender#atla#avatar#the boiling rock#zuko#sokka
973 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
'Dead Poets Society' gang
Headcanon that these four drop poetry and literature quotes on their conversations unprompted.
Jason 'English-major-I-only-visit-the-manor-for-the-library' Todd-Wayne
Damian 'I-master-liberal-arts-unlike-you-plebs-PHD-holder' al Ghul-Wayne
Cassandra 'I-learn-English-thru-Shakespeare-as-god-intended' Cain-Wayne
Duke 'only-title-holder-of-vigilante-poet-and-will-cuss-you-just-as-poetically' Thomas-(future) Wayne
#My background is ass#I promise to practice but omg i am losing motivation coz its too ugly#started putting some on coloring that i started being happy about it#But my background is level toddler i hate it#the patience and discipline to make my lines straight and clean is nonexistent gdi...why did past me choose library gdi#Just writing some Duke in my fics and this image of them all just made me wanna do art...Duke is a poet and writes stories u kno?#Duke is not a wayne yet...and is not dead yet...but with how comics goes then its just a matter of time lol#They're all in school here...Cass and Jason are college watching over their juniors in high school#everyone use cardigans but Jason like his leather so no thanks lol#Duke and Cass in outsiders are cute#jason todd#dc comics#damian wayne#fanart#robin#cassandra cain#duke thomas#inking & background study#Damian is now 14!!!! He's getting old...he's like a baby yesterday omg#I need to stop obsessing over this so i posted a WIP so i can continue writing my fic!!! argh#Im gonna watch youtube tutorials again on drawing bookshelves coz i cannot do this without guidance
593 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Bruce has a habit of randomly worrying about his kids and silently lurking in their room until he's done being insane. This usually happens mid prolonged argument or after an incident on patrol that he thinks could've gone much worse.
It would be sweet, if he hadn't raised his kids to be just as paranoid as he is, making them shoot awake every time to see to their Batdad sleep paralysis demon.
#Dick started leaving cushions in his bed to get some peace of mind#Jason goes through several safehouses per week to avoid it#Tim sleeps through most of them but has the weirdest dreams#Damian throws something at Bruce (whatever is nearest)#Cass freaks Bruce out by doing the same but Bruce is charmed by the gesture#Stephanie always freaks out and preemptively starts sending him selfies with her flipping him off with a caption of āI'm fineā#Duke doesn't understand how he doesn't see it coming each time it happens and always lights up the room like a flash grenade#I swear to God I've missed someone...#Oh yeah Alfred just asks Bruce if he needs anything? And then passes back out#batman#dc comics#bruce wayne#batfamily#personal
415 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
The people of Gotham both fear and revere The Signal. As they do the rest of the Batfam but for Signal it's a bit different.
For starters, he's the only daytime hero. The other Bats usually only come out at night when the city is quieter. And while it's far from asleep, they prioritize stopping the numerous crimes that occur in the shadows. Civilian interactions far and few. Most pictures of them online seemed more like cryptid sightings than heroes soaring through Gotham skies.
The Signal on the other hand was the people's Bat. They got to see him soar through the sky, or ride his bike in all his golden glory. He gave autographs, took photos, and joined them on their daily commutes. He was a regular at mom-and-pop shops, made sure the troubled kids made it to school, and checked in on the sick and elderly. And while he did work with them when necessary, he mostly liked to fuck with the police, like a true Gothamite would.
All in all, he was the sweet sunshine that Gotham needed. He was far more human than the others. Not that he was human, oh heck no! NONE of the bats were human! But it felt that way. Until you were reminded that he was INDEED a Bat.
The way he merged and appeared out of the shadows despite his bright yellow suit, and moved without a sound. He knew about people and things before they happened. And had an intelligence that was absolutely terrifying when thought about. And the way he took care of crimes?
The Signal is cold, borderline brutal, and efficient (with commentary that leaves you agape and a chill down your spine) when dealing with criminals. It was always jarring to witness the sudden change from Gotham's sunshine boy to stone-cold Bat, and back again. It almost gave you whiplash to realize that this was the vigilante that you were talking to about your puppies a few moments ago. And it really instilled the Fearā¢ that that bats were known for.
The other Bats were terrifying, shadowy demons that moved through the night. Stopping crime in the darkness. Gotham knew and appreciated this. But the Signal? He was the bright light at the end of the tunnel and the warmth of the brilliant sun. But he was also...
'Gotham's Darkest Angel'
#dc batman#dc batfam#dc signal#the signal#signal dc#duke thomas#duke thomas centric#is this ooc?#maybe#most likely#do i care?#no#I really need more badass duke thomas and not sweet innocent baby#I think his character is so cool and needs to be used more#this may also be a part of a cryptid batfam I wanna write so#cryptid batfam#after the first few weeks of lackluster results and criminals not taking him seriously he goes to Cass and Damian for help#since criminals fear them the most (for what should be obvious reasons)#and we end up with cinnamon roll that could kill#I have a cool explanation for#Gothams Darkest Angel#this is to many tags so
405 notes
Ā·
View notes
Note
puddle
Your writing is amazing btw
Danny is usually fine with the cold. He's got an ice core, he's practically made for the cold. But Gotham autumn cold is another monster, especially when it comes with so much rain.
The city is constantly damp and dreary, switching between sprinkling on and off to a heavy deluge of rain.
Listen, he can handle the cold but not the cold and wet. That's just asking for too much.
He says as much to Duke over the phone, peering out from under the awning of the theater he's trapped at, hoping the rain will let up soon. It hadn't been raining when he left the apartment earlier to watch a movie, killing time until Jazz got back from her internship with Gotham's social services, so Danny had been caught totally unprepared when he stepped outside and got hit with a spray of rain as a bus drove past.
Duke laughs at him, his voice carrying a little static over the phone, and Danny pouts. No point in hiding it when no one's around to see it.
"How have you not learned to always carry an umbrella with you by now?" Duke asks, amusement coloring his voice. "Hasn't it already been a year since you moved here?"
Danny pouts and stares out into the heavy sheets of rain coming down just a few feet in front of him. "I was running late to the showing so I didn't check the weather! And it was almost nice out earlier so I thought it would be fine."
"Alright, new question: how have you not learned to stop trusting Gotham's weather? If it's good, then it'll get worse. If it's bad, it'll stay bad. That's how it is."
"This city is out to get me," Danny complains. "If I get sick because of this rain, just leave me to die."
"You're so dramatic," Duke says fondly.
"You would be too, if you were stuck out here." He takes a step to stand just beneath the edge of the awning and peers up at the sky. Heavy gray clouds hang above the city, hiding the sky from horizon to horizon. The wind isn't strong today, which means the clouds are barely moving. No doubt the lower streets have already begun to flood, water rising as storm drains struggle to keep up with the heavy rain. He sighs and reaches back to draw his hood up to cover his head. "I think I'm just gonna have to make a run for it."
Noise erupts from Duke's end of the call; rustling, doors slamming, metal moving. "Wait, stay where you are! You're at Harbor Theater, right?"
"Yeah."
"Give me like ten minutes. Don't move!" And then the call ends without another word, leaving Danny to blink out at the rain, confused. He pulls his phone away from his ear, stares down at the screen where "Call ended" stares back up at him, and shrugs.
Sure. Okay. This might as well happen.
He retreats back to the door, more protected from the rain, and leans against the brick wall of the building to wait. It's only ten minutes, and he's not in a rush to do anything else today, so he can wait. As long as he stays mostly dry, he'll be fine.
Despite his many complaints about the rain, Danny does enjoy Gotham storms. They're quiet and steady, with only the really big storms carrying thunder into the city. The storms in Amity Park were always loud, with howling winds and earthshaking thunder, lightning flashing nonstop until it was over. Compared to that, Gotham rain is peaceful; the steady patter of raindrops against windows is soothing and has made him fall asleep more than once. As long as he's safe and warm inside, he likes the rain.
As it is, when he's outside and stuck hiding beneath an awning, he very much does not like the rain.
The street is mostly empty as everyone with common sense is inside where it's dry. A few cars pass by, driving fast despite how hard it must be to see, and send water splashing towards him. He's just outside the splash zone, thankfully, but that doesn't stop him from glaring and muttering curses to those drivers.
Danny sighs again and closes his eyes, hoping to make the time pass by faster if he makes his mind drift.
It doesn't feel like it's been ten minutes when he hears Duke call his name. It barely even feels like five. Danny opens his eyes and pushes off the wall, looking down the street where he can see a bright yellow umbrella moving up and down as Duke runs through the rain to meet him. Did he really run all this way, just to get Danny an umbrella? That's really sweet. Danny bites the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning too much like some kind of lovesick fool.
Which he is, to be fair, but he doesn't need to show that.
"Dude," he says when Duke reaches him, stumbling to a stop under the awning to catch his breath. "Did you seriously run from your place to here? Don't you live on the other side of Gotham?"
Duke shakes his head and takes a moment to catch his breath. "I was nearby," he says, gesturing vaguely behind him, "Don't worry about it. You heading back home?"
"That was the plan, yeah."
"I'll walk you then. C'mon."
Duke offers his elbow as though escorting Danny to the ball. Danny takes it, stepping beneath the umbrella, so cheerfully yellow it almost feels aggressive. "My hero," he teases. "My knight under yellow umbrella."
"Listen, it was the only one I had that wasn't broken and it was a joke gift from a friend."
"A joke gift?"
"It's a Signal umbrella. Look at the handle."
Danny looks. The curve of the handle ends in a bat symbol. "That's amazing," he says, biting back a laugh as they step out into the rain. The umbrella protects them, but he can see that both their shoulders are getting wet; it's hard to fit two bodies beneath one umbrella. He pulls at Duke's arm, tugging him closer, so they can both fit more securely under the umbrella, walking arm in arm down the street.
It would have been nearly perfect if it wasn't for the fact that the streets were full of rainwater and a step into a puddle too big to avoid leaves his shoes and socks wet.
"Aw, man," he groans, frowning at his shoes. "I just can't win today."
"You used up all your good luck calling me," Duke jokes.
"Worth it, if it gets me you," Danny says without thinking. Then he squeezes his eyes shut and regrets because flirting with Duke has become a habit when they became friends, and it's a dangerous habit know that Danny's figured out his massive crush on Duke.
"Sweet talker," Duke retaliates. He's unfazed, carrying on normally, so Danny relaxes. As long as he can keep his crush quiet alongside his many other secrets, he's fine.
Leaning into him a little more, Danny ducks his head to hide a smile as they keep walking. Under one umbrella, together under the sheets of rain, it feels like there's no one else in the world but them.
Maybe there is something to enjoy about rainy autumn days.
Even if it ends with him walking home in waterlogged socks.
#ghostlights#dcxdp#dpxdc#dp x dc#dc x dp#prompt fill#duke hears that danny is stuck in the rain and quite literally leaps at the chance to walk him home sharing an umbrella#hes read the romance novels. hes watched the romance animes. he knows how this goes lol#casual romantic duke my beloved
216 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Prompt:
Duke doesnāt know whatās going on with the crime lord that sometimes is, and then again isnāt allowed at the cave.
All he knows is that the mood of the entire manor takes a nose dive each and every time thereās an altercation with him, and everybody goes out of their way to NOT explain anything to Duke.
So, as the only one in the manor with more than one brain cell dedicated to proper human interaction, he decides to take the easiest route and just ask Red Hood himself. Considering heās the only one the guy hasnāt tried to maim at least once.
#Dukeās personality is equivalent to a sunflower#jason cannot hurt him#it would feel like kicking a puppy#and the guyās one of the few he doesnāt have any problems with#Duke perseveres through the mortifying ordeal of badgering a crime lord about his familial history#it goes pretty okay#and then promptly decides to to sort this shit out because literally everyone suffers#everyone feels bad and Duke is so done with it#he now makes it his mission to start mending family relationships#Duke tries to instill morals in Jason#Jason is ANNOYED#but alsoā have some hot chocolate kid#jason todd#Duke Thomas#prompts
215 notes
Ā·
View notes
Photo
I had words to this but I didnāt write them down. But this is where Duke decides to stay in the Wayne house for good in the Sons of Anarchy AU.
#dc#duke thomas#dick grayson#nightwing#batfam#Dukes parents are still hit with Joker gas (the cult is still around) and are institutionalized#and he goes into the foster system#my art#SoA AU
4K notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
KEANU REEVES ā¦ Ride with Norman Reedus
#I DID A LITTLE BIT OF THE WIKIPEDIA#Keanu Reeves#*#kreevesedit#keanuedit#ride with norman reedus#help im in love#me 5'4": i will pick him up#i could probably get a leg#let's use the buddy system#someone get the other leg#i love him your honor#there he goes howling again#that one out of focus gif added 12 years back to my life#SMILEY BOI#boyfriend shaped#my favorite shape#*stuffing him in my pocket* i must go#me as the dog hanging out in the crook of his elbow#the little duke caboom#no that bike wasn't for a leprechaun keke some people just aren't built with limbs like slenderman unlike SOMEONE#no but this just really made me want to rest my head on him and let him talk about literally anything and everything#he is a joy to listen to#plus his voice has me more open than Motel 6#....who said that#hands that look like they could hold 2 ankles at once#OMG WHO IS TALKING#au where i fix his zipper instead#love you old man#*tucks hair behind his ear*
1K notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
proposed ending for miss holloween: as miss holloway cannot use her powers to save hatchetfield, duke decides he would do anything to save the woman he still loves and makes a contract with the lords in black. same rules as before except this time itās miss holloway having to forget duke. miserable endings all round except for the lords in black who are having a great time.
#duke tells miss holloway before she forgets the first time so she goes into it knowing heās going to suffer just as she did#or she doesnāt know and she thinks sheās gotten her powers back. but every time she uses them she forgets duke#hatchetfield#hatchetverse#miss holloway#duke keane#holloweane#starkid#lords in black
170 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
Bruce: now, for the last part of this meeting
Dick, Jason, Tim, Stephanie, Damian, Cass, and Duke: ?
Bruce: -turns around to bring up a power point presentation, the title card of which just reads 'Please Be Normal About Tim'-
Bruce: -turns back around-
Bruce: ...Tim why are you the only one still here
Tim: I just like power point presentations
#Jason keeps beating up Tim and then chasing him around trying to get him to join him#including AFTER Tim kicked him directly in the balls#he had a whole murder board about Tim when he was stalking him#Damian also keeps trying to beat up/kill Tim and prove he is the 'superior Robin'#Dick is generally pretty chill but he and Tim have a history of getting into shenanigans together#also Dick has a tendency to go a bit feral when Tim is involved and hurt#Stephanie once said Tim had a 'bad case of the Stephs' and while I love that for her absolutely not#Cass neither wants to kill Tim nor be romantically entangled with him#which is good!#but like Dick she also goes along with his plans without as many follow up questions as she should probably have#and by 'as many' I mean 'any'#she pretended to stab him through the chest to throw off a bunch of assassins#and I'm pretty sure she didn't question a single second of it#Tim just turned to her like 'I have a fake sword and I need you to pretend to kill me with it'#Cass just gave a thumbs up with no follow-up questions#Duke#my beloved#I know he and Tim don't interact much in canon#but in my heart I feel he would not be normal about Tim either#like regular ass Tim Drake figuring out Batman's secret identity and deciding to just become Robin because Gotham and Batman need it?#attaching rockets to a skateboard to get around?#coming up with insane and convoluted plans and consistencies that don't make sense to anyone else?#plans and contingencies that WORK?#Duke would see Tim as aspirational and go along with whatever insane bullshit nonsense he comes up with just to see what happens#he would 100% be down for whatever Tim has planned and would absolutely feed into it#he just wants to crank that little chaos gremlin up to eleven and watch him go#Bruce is desperate to keep them from interacting in any capacity for longer than thirty seconds at a time because HE KNOWS#HE KNOWS what will happen if they ever team up#it's why he put them on separate shifts#for the record Bruce ALSO had to sit through this presentation
105 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
2.06
Do we have a deal?
#eliza x patrick#scarnash#eliza scarlet#patrick nash#miss scarlet gif#he looks so pleased with himself i just canāt#the handshake tho#pretty sure if there wasnāt that shooting incident he would have skipped all the way home#not 100% accurate but this is how it goes in my head#angelsleepsedit#miss scarlet#miss scarlet pbs#miss scarlet and the duke#msatd#kate phillips#felix scott
68 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
unfortunately thinking hard abt how Bruce meets duke at three vastly different times in his life and how he watched the innocence and cheer leave him as he got older and more jaded only for his spirit to blaze with hope when he matures into the signal
#ITS LIKE#dukes convinced hes an entirely different kid#he goes from a clever determined baby know it all to a jaded but hopeful 14ish year old to a rough edged thick skinned tunnel visioned 16#year old in WAR but like bruce meets well remeets duke post war and who he meets is an amalgamation of all 3 but dukes convinced that kid i#gone died the night gotham experienced that joker attack and hes sure hes so different theres no way his parents could be proud#but BUT!!! Bruce sees that same 7 year old he met erasing and rewriting riddles bcs hes convinced hes the one who will save gotham from the#riddler bcs SOMEONE has to and it mightas well be him and youre only crazy if it doesn't work right?#help..HELP ME#MEDIC MEDIC#the signal#thought bubbles#duke thomas#bruce wayne#batman
174 notes
Ā·
View notes
Note
First responder batfam au??
Any headcannons ur willing to serve up yet??
I'm so glad you asked.
Ok, SO!
Basically, it starts cuz Jason realizes he wants to be legally alive again, and struggles to think of a job he'd do well at and actually enjoy. Decides on firefighting cuz that way he can still help people and not do the long form corporate desk bullshit Tim does. So he signs up and gets in.
Firefighter calendar time rolls around and he's SO excited. Except because of his extensive scarring he's not allowed to participate. Steph goes "skill issue" and signs up JUST so she can be in the calendar while Jason can't. He is endlessly bitter about this.
Cass enlists because I don't think she actually has a job??? Just living on Wayne family money and ass kicking. She and Jason are paired together as heavy weight rescue while Steph is paramedic.
Meanwhile Tim is like "actually corporate work sucks ass" and joins the call center. He also makes a back door for the bats to listen in on all the calls. Yes Oracle already did this, but this takes up less ram space.
And Dick is still a cop.
#one time someone Jason saved recognizes him off the clock and goes up to him exclaiming#āoh my god! you saved me one time. thank you so much!ā#and he legit almost has a panic attack cuz *how do you know I'm the Red Hood*#before remembering#oh yeah#I'm a firefighter#ask#dc#dc comics#batfam#batfamily#duke and damian aren't in this cuz they're minors
114 notes
Ā·
View notes
Text
shen yurong: *attempts to kill his wife, is corrupt with the backing of the eldest princess* i can help you, let me protect you, let's get married!
jiang li / xue fangfei: eat shit scum bag
shen yurong:
#HOW DOES THIS MAN THINK HE IS HELPING???#and then is MAD when she goes to the duke?#fucking idiot#the double#heidi watches#xue fangfei#shen yurong#cdrama#xiao heng#jiang li
86 notes
Ā·
View notes
Note
For ghostlights: baby Ellie + tired Danny + Duke the baby whisperer?
He has no idea how his parents did it.Ā
Babies are exhausting. Toddlers more so. Any infants in the strange stage in-between? Doubly so.Ā
Ellie is wonderful and sweet and cute and such a terror that Danny genuinely has no idea how his parents managed to raise not one, but two kids. For all their eccentricities and absent-mindedness, he and Jazz turned out pretty well. Ignoring the whole halfa thing because thatās more his fault than theirs even if Jazz says they shouldnāt have created the dangerous environment in the first place.
That environment is exactly why Danny refuses to let Ellie go to his house in Amity Park. His parents say theyāve disabled all the weapons and ecto-sensors since heās had to reveal himself as Phantom, but he knows that things slip their minds and if they canāt guarantee that the house is safe, then Ellie isnāt going in there. Simple as that.Ā
This means that they live somewhere else now. Danny had thought about it, during the hours Ellie was asleep and he was awake, exhausted and worn down to his bones, and took Jazzās advice to accept Vladās offer of buying a house for him. Except he argued Vlad down to an apartment in a city of his choosing where he wouldnāt stand out too much and he would be safe, or as safe as he can be, from anyone trying to hunt down ghosts.Ā
So here they are. Standing in the empty living room of their new apartment in Gotham.Ā
Gotham may not be very safe as a city, but itās good for two ghosts trying to pass as normal.Ā
Danny sighs yet again, and looks at the space heāll need to fill. At least Vlad is footing the bill. Itās the least he can do for creating Ellie. Frostbite was the one who was able to stabilize her, though it was almost too late and resulted in her reforming as a baby, just one and a half years old. Jazz is the one whoās choosing most of the furniture, thankfully, so itās something that Danny doesnāt need to worry about it.
Itās a new start to their lives and it feels so empty. So overwhelming. How did his parents do it? How do any parents do it?
Ellie smacks a small palm against his cheek and babbles lightly.
āI know, Ellie,ā Danny says, giving her a tired smile. āDonāt worry, weāll have this place looking good in no time.ā
He adjusts her in his arms, then heads towards the bedroom. Itās the only room that has any furniture, and all thatās there is a bed, a crib, and a bookcase. There are a few boxes on the floor, labeled ābedroomā and āclothingā and ābooksā. Most of it came from his bedroom in Amity Park, but heās pretty sure he caught Jazz sneaking a few things in before they closed the boxes and loaded them up into the car.Ā
āCan you be good for five minutes?ā he asks Ellie.Ā
She babbles again and smacks his shoulder.
āIām taking that as an agreement. Just let me open these boxes and start unpacking before you start causing trouble, okay?ā
Ellie makes another sound, but it seems agreeable so Danny carefully lays her down in the crib and gets to peeling off the tape on the boxes. The opens the one labeled ābedroomā first, finding blankets and sheets folded and stacked in vacuum sealed bags. One of them is his old childhood blanket, the one he carried around everywhere that was faded with age, barely blue, with white bunnies decorating it.Ā
He was so small when he had this. It makes him oddly emotional to unpack it and pass it on to Ellie, draping it over her so her pudgy little hands can grab at it.Ā
This is no time to cry, though! He forces himself to focus and makes his own bed, shaking out the sheets and fluffing up the pillows. Heāll worry about washing everything later; Vlad made sure to get an apartment with an in-unit washer and dryer, which means he was actually sensible while apartment hunting for Danny.Ā
He doesnāt mean to flop onto the bed once itās made, but he ends up there anyways. Heās barely gotten a full six hours of uninterrupted sleep since Frostbite deemed Ellie healthy enough to leave his care. The drive up to Gotham was long and wore him down to his bones.
He doesnāt mean to fall asleep, but he does, drifting off as he wonders, distantly, when Jazz will be back from getting them dinner.
Ellie wakes him up at dawn with a loud cry. Danny jolts awake, heart pounding in his chest as he panics because Ellie isnāt here, sheās supposed to be in his arms, where is she? And then he sees the crib, where Ellie is staring at him through the bars, and he nearly collapses with relief.Ā
āMorning, El,ā he says, voice rough from sleep, as he picks her up. She just stares up at him, then leans forward and rests her head against his shoulder.
Itās quiet moments like these that make his heart melt. Ellieās had a hard life already; he wants to give her a better one, this time around.Ā
A quick check of the time on his nearly dead phone shows that itās barely past six in the morning, and Jazz texted him a few times. All about furniture, saying that she didnāt want to wake them and that food is in the fridge.Ā
Itās only the mention of food that makes him realize how ravenous heās feeling. Danny makes a beeline for the kitchen, ignoring everything else, and pulls out the boxes of take-out Jazz left stacked in the fridge. He devours it like heās been starving for weeks, then gives Ellie her Ecto-Jello, the only food sheās allowed to eat until Frostbite gives the okay for solid, human food.Ā
Once heās got her burped and cleaned up, Danny looks out of the kitchen and realizes that Jazz was very productive while he was asleep. The living room isnāt empty anymore; a dark green couch is against the wall, a low, rectangular coffee table made of dark wood in front of it. Two armchairs are on both sides of the couch, and a television has been installed, fixed into the wall.Ā
Jazz is asleep on the couch. Her legs hang off an armrest and sheās drooling slightly.Ā
Her phone is charging on the floor, so Danny takes it and snaps a picture of her for later teasing, then sends it to himself and writes a note to her that heās going out with Ellie to explore the neighborhood.
Heās finally feeling more settled, energized from sleep and food.
In the warm dawn light spilling in through the windows, Danny looks down at Ellie and thinks that theyāll be just fine after all.Ā
. . .
Four months ago, Danny had hope. He was optimistic.Ā
Gotham was a fresh start, a new lease of life for Ellie. It is Dannyās attempt to be a single parent, sacrificing college for Ellie, and heās planning to go out and beat the gangs black and blue if they start anymore shootouts in the next year.
He had just gotten Ellie to sleep. She was actually peacefully taking a nap.
And then a drive by shooter raced down the street, gunshots echoing down the road, and Ellie work up crying. She still hasnāt stopped, despite how Danny rocked her, soothing her as best he could.
They had been outside when Ellie fell asleep, her head on his shoulder. He had been catching up with Sam and Tucker when the car drove by, people ducking and crying out to avoid the bullets. Danny instinctively covered Ellie and made them both intangible, saving them from any stray bullets, but they ruined her nap and he needs to make them pay for that.Ā
āShh,ā he soothes, āYouāre okay. Weāre both fine. Itās okay, El, itās okay.āĀ
Her little hands clutch at his back, twisting the fabric of his shirt, and she lets out a heartbreaking wail. He pats her back, hurrying down the street to get back to his apartment building, ignoring the looks people were giving them as they passed by.Ā
āI know it was scary, but youāre alright. Youāre always safe with me, El.ā
Ellieās cries down down a little, but they donāt stop. She whimpers, burying her face against his shoulder as he finally reaches their apartment building.
The doorās locked, which wouldnāt be a problem except Danny canāt get his keys from his pocket. He knows he has them! But his pocket refuses to relinquish them and he has to stop every few seconds to pat Ellieās back, trying in vain to calm her down.Ā
āWeāll be inside in a second,ā he tells her, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice, āas soon as I can get these freaking keys!ā
āHey, you alright?ā
Danny startles, whirling around so fast it makes Ellie go quiet, clinging to him so she doesnāt get flung into the air. Thereās a guy standing before him in a gray hoodie, looking at him with clear concern. It speaks to Dannyās level of constant exhaustion that he hadnāt clocked someone sneaking up behind him.Ā
The guy offers an awkward smile. āSorry, didnāt mean to scare you or anything. Um, do you need me to open to door? I live here too.ā
Danny wonders for a moment if this someone dangerous, someone hoping to hurt Ellie, but she starts to cry again and he steps to the side. āPlease. I canāt get my keys.ā
āIām Duke, by the way. I donāt think Iāve seen you around here before.ā
āDanny,ā he replies, watching as Duke pulls out a large key ring, jangling with the amount of keychains on it, and easily opens the door. āIāve been here a few months, but Iām usually inside. Or walking around in the mornings with this little monster.ā
āThat would explain it,ā Duke says as he holds the door open, letting Danny in first. āIām usually in classes at GCU, but I decided to take a mental health day after my lab, so here I am.ā
Danny walks in and waits for Duke to follow, making sure the door closes properly behind them. āThanks. How is GCU? What do you study? I was thinking of going there myself once she gets a little older and can go to school.ā
āOh, Iām majoring in English and Human Services.ā He goes to say more, but Ellie wails again and Danny winces.
āIām so sorry. That drive by woke her up and itās really rattled her.ā
āHey, no need to apologize. I get it, Gotham is rough to kids.ā
Danny tries rocking her back and forth, but it doesnāt help. He resigns himself to another hour of her crying before she exhausts herself, and makes for the stairs, going up to the fourth floor. Duke holds open the door again, then follows after them. It makes Danny wonder if Duke is planning to do something to them, then decides he can beat Duke in a fight, so itās fine.
Duke doesnāt try to hurt them or steal Ellie away. He opens the door to their floor and stops before they do. āIām in here,ā he says, āIf you ever need me to open more doors.ā
āThanks. Um, actually, I might need help opening mine?ā
Duke just smiles and makes his way back to them, following them farther into the hall until Danny stops in front of his apartment.Ā
āIf I could just get my keys,ā he starts.
āHere, let me hold her for a second so you can get them,ā Duke offers. Danny wants to insist that itās fine, but Ellie cries directly into his ear and Danny, at the end of his rope, passes her over.Ā
Like magic, Ellie settles as soon as sheās in Dukeās arms. She sniffles and hides her face away, clutching to Dukeās hoodie, but she stops crying. They both go still, surprised, and stare down at her.Ā
āSeriously?ā Danny says as he finally pulls out his keys, āAre you trying to say that Iām the problem?ā
Ellie babbles lightly, and Duke turns his head to futilely hide his grin.
He grumbles as he unlocks the door and pushes it open. Ellie is acting as if sheās never been upset before a day in her life, making herself at home in Dukeās arms.Ā
āI canāt believe this. Betrayed by my own blood.ā
Duke laughs as he follows Danny into his apartment, lightly patting Ellieās back. āItās always the smallest, cutest ones that do this.ā
āYeah? Do you work with a lot of kids or something? Used to being betrayed by the little ones?ā
āI donāt work with kids per se,ā Duke says, āBut my foster family is a hot mess and the youngest of them likes to keep us all on our toes.ā
āFamily,ā Danny says in a tired, fond tone.
āFamily,ā Duke agrees.
With his door open and Ellie calm, Dannyās ready to just lay face down on the floor for the rest of the day and not deal with anything else. He moves to take Ellie back, holding his arms out, and Duke tries to pass her over.
The key word being tries.Ā
Ellie tightens her grip and kicks at Danny. She refuses to be taken away from Duke, making him awkwardly try to pry her off his hoodie. Danny really hopes Duke doesnāt notice how she goes slightly intangible to make his hands fall through her arms and legs. It shouldnāt be noticeable, but itās hard to focus on anything but a kid that clings to you, so Danny holds out for Dukeās goodwill and silence.
āAs nice as it is to meet you, you need to go back to yourā¦ parent?ā Danny nods when Duke looks at him in askance. āYou need to go back to your parent. Okay? Come on, kid, heās waiting for you.ā
Ellie shakes her head, makes a frustrated noise, and then turns and reaches out a grabby hand towards Danny.Ā
She still refuses to be taken from Duke when Danny tries to pick her up again, so he settles with just letting her hold two of his fingers.Ā
āIām so sorry about this,ā he says to Duke, face burning. This is why he hasnāt been going out and being social since he moved in; Ellie is a handful even on the best days, and Danny doesnāt want someone to judge him as unfit to parent her and have her taken away.
Duke shakes his head, stepping closer. āItās all good, man. I donāt mind. Itās not like I had any plans today. Iām already skipping my classes, might as well spend it with you two than sleep all day.ā
āAre you sure? Iād be happy to invite you in, but I know Ellie can be a lot and not everyone wants to spend their day off with a baby.ā
āIām sure. Besides, Iād just be down the hall anyways. Itās no skin off my back, man.ā
āWell,ā Danny says, stepping to the side to give Duke full access to his open doorway, āCome on in, then.ā
Ellie keeps them connected, one hand in Dukeās hoodie and the other holding Dannyās fingers, and though her cheeks are still red from how hard she had been crying, sheās calm now with her eyes shining with mischief.Ā
As the door closes behind them, Danny realizes that this is the first time someone heās not related to has been inside his apartment. Not even Vlad has come in, always choosing to invite Danny and Ellie out for lunch instead.Ā
It should make him nervous, but Duke is calm and easy going and kind.Ā
Heās making silly faces at Ellie to make her laugh, completely at ease with her in his arms, as if heās done this a thousand times before.Ā
Gotham is a second chance at life for Ellie. Itās a sacrifice for Danny, to be alone and without friends or family around. Heād been ready to give up everything for Ellie, to focus solely on raising her, but with Duke filling his apartment with laughter, he thinks that he can make a life here too.
All he needs to do is take that first step, reach his hand out, ask Duke to stick around.
He can do this.
#ghostlights#dc x dp#dp x dc#dcxdp#dpxdc#dc x dp fic#prompt fill#my writing#i really love writing about characters struggling to be parents v suddenly and thru unconventional means#so here's danny a year out of high school living on his own for the first time w baby ellie#and duke who needed some space and independence while he's in college. bruce pays for the apartment while duke works part time for grocerie#and ellie who had been fully developed but unstable is now a halfa baby who remembers stuff but is also. yknow. a baby.#she absolutely latched onto duke to force danny to have a life outside of her. but also she can sense that hes kind and calm#which danny needs bc he is Stressed (tm)#this leads to duke bringing over food for them and looking after ellie while danny goes shopping or naps#both of them ignoring how duke has to leave suddenly for Hero Related Reasons and how danny and ellie have Powers#it's a v delicate balance they keep for the sake of keeping ellie safe#yeah they're gonna co-parent and realize they're basically dating after MONTHS of pining#the bats have bets on who gives bruce a grandkid first and literally no one bet on duke but here he is lol :)#thanks for the prompt!!
505 notes
Ā·
View notes