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too-much-tma-stuff · 2 months ago

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Day to Day

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“So what sort of ghosts are you looking for?” Sam asked, they were sitting at their usual table at lunch. Damian was outside with Jon somewhere, they hadn’t really stuck together much past their first year at school, when they both found their own places.

“I don’t really know exactly. Old ones? Not ones from western culture, those are all so well known and passe,” Danny said with a dismissive gesture. “Ones from the Middle East or East Asia, ones closer to home.”

“Trying to get back in touch with your culture?” Tucker asked with his moth full of whatever stew he’d selected from the lunch menu.

“Gross,” Sam drawled. “No one wants to see what’s in your mouth.”

“Nah not really,” Danny cut in before they could start arguing again. “Just looking for some decent scary stories that aren’t so overdone. Maybe I’m trying to write a scary story of my own and want something interesting.”

“Oh if you are writing a scary story you have to let me read it!” Sam said enthusiastically, sitting forward on the bench and leaning towards Danny who leaned back a bit in turn.

“I will if I like how it turns out! But first you’ll help me research, won’t you?” Danny asked.

“Course I will! Do you want to come back to my place after school tonight?” Sam asked tilting her head. “You know my parents are always thrilled.”

“I’d love too but I have plans with my family. How about tomorrow?” Danny asked. There was a big bust that night, they’d need Danny in the chair and on the coms to help coordinate and get whatever information they needed.

“Sure tomorrow works,” Sam agreed.

“Wait no it doesn’t!” Tucker interjected furiously. “Danny, you promised to come to anime club with me tomorrow!”

“Oh shoot I forgot,” Danny admitted, smacking his own forehead. “Can I rain check that Tuck? I promise next week.”

“No! You remember how long it took me to talk you into coming along?! You’re not getting out of it again,” Tucker said, pointing his fork at Danny accusatorily.

“Hey we can do it Friday, maybe then you can even stay the night,” Sam said with a shrug.

“Ooor you could come with us to the anime club and I could come back to your house after,” Danny suggested, giving Sam his best puppy-dog eyes.

“Absolutely not, have fun with your nerd club boys,” She said, twiddling her fingers at him with a smirk.

Danny groaned and dropped his head to the table as Tucker started arguing furiously that it was not a nerd club. Maybe Danny could talk Damian into coming along, he did like manga and it could be fun to judge together if anything was really bad. But that might hurt Tucker’s feelings and that was the last thing Danny wanted to do really. Still… more time with his brother. Well he’d just ask and not push to much if Damian said no, which he probably would, depending on how desperate he was for time with Danny. They hadn’t spent a lot of quality time recently.

Danny tuned out of Sam and Tucker’s argument, he knew this was fun for them and they’d only get annoyed if he got between them. Their voices became a pleasantly familiar background noise as he finished his lunch. At least going to a fancy school like this the food was pretty good.

He glanced up in time to catch Damian’s eye as he came back in with Jon and nodded to him, right on time for the bell to ring so they could go to their next class together. Danny said goodbye to Sam and Tucker and got up, returning his tray going to fall into step with Damian. They had arranged it so they had most of their classes together, accept gym which Danny took with Sam and Tucker, and Damian was banned from for unnecessary violence. Next semester Danny would have science while Damian had advanced history.

As they got into more electives they’d probably be separated more as they didn’t have that many interests in common. That would be fine though, they were their own people after all. And besides it was possible that by the end of high school, by the time Danny finished his experiments, they might not even be in each other’s lives anymore. He hoped that wouldn’t be the way things went but it was an outcome he had weighed and considered. Or at least he thought he had, he was still so young perhaps he’d look back in a decade and regret it, but hadn’t they all started young? And he couldn’t know how he’d look back on it now.

Then again he thought he was smart enough to figure out time travel if it really came down too it. So if no one was coming back to stop him then it was probably fine.

Danny and Damian sat next to each other as they always did, Danny slouching in his seat. Something Damian had long sense given up on judging him for given that any time he brought it up Danny only slouched worse out of spite.

Bruce came to pick them and Tim up from school so that he could brief them on the advancements in the case that had taken place while they were at school. They went over the plan and the small ways that it needed to be tweaked in light of those developments on the way home. Alfred wouldn’t allow talk of work at the dinner table and they would need to get to their ‘battle stations’ immediately after the meal so everything had to be settled now.

Tim and Damian were visibly excited for the big bust and Danny was happy for them! But he was less excited. After all he was just bracing himself for a long night and cramps in his fingers and a sore ass as he stayed glued to the bat computer till past midnight. He paid as close attention to the plan as anyone else though, ready to play his part perfectly. He needed to know the plan to properly direct them, he was NOT going to be the reason any of his family got hurt.

Babs joined in the conversation through the speaker in the car as well, thankfully. Since she and Danny would be working together it was most important that they be on the same page. Danny followed Babs leave mostly but the less she had to be in control of everything the better, especially when they were working with many of their family members at the same time. No matter how skilled Babs was she couldn’t be in two places at once.

When they arrived at home Cass was already there, and Harper, Kate, and Steph were there waiting for them as well, along with Barbra. Dick wasn’t going to be joining them tonight because he had his own work to do in Bludhaven which was fine, they had more then enough people for this. As soon as they were in the door Alfred shooed them all into the dining room cutting off any talk about work. It was early for dinner but that was the point, it gave them time to talk about life while he brought them tea and some snacks, and he finished preparing dinner.

Steph asked Kate about her new girlfriend, Bruce asked Tim about how he was getting on with the report he was writing for his new pet research project, both Damian and Danny were asked about school. It was really nice to get to bond with their family like this, to forget how fucked up they all were for a little bit. Because they were fucked up. Had anyone at this table besides Bruce not killed anyone? He, Damian and Cass definitely had, he thought Harper had, he wouldn’t put it past Kate. They were keeping secrets from each other and the world too, but just now, for a couple hours they could pretend to be normal.

They were all talking and laughing in no time and Danny noticed that whenever he had a chance Alfred would just linger in the doorway watching them with a slight smile on his face. So much fond warmth for the family who loved him just as much. Danny didn’t understand why Alfred insisted on keeping this distance between them when he was already such a key member of their family, but that was his choice, he seemed to like it this way. Lingering on the edges.

Dinner was light that night to make sure they didn’t over exert themselves on an full stomach, not that the bats leaving the roost wouldn’t end up eating some heinous takeout at some point. It was practically tradition at this point, even though it stemmed from practicality about what was open and fast at 3 am it had become a familiar pleasure. Not getting to join in on that was just about the only thing that Danny disliked about staying home to coordinate on nights like these. Still Alfred made up for it with regular deliveries of hot tea and homemade snacks.

With dinner finished and cleared away he followed the family down to the Batcave. As the capes suited up he and Babs booted up their stations and made sure their headsets were sitting comfortably. They both pulled up their half of the cameras, divide and conquer right? Better then ending u accidentally watching the same ones and missing something. He also pulled up his own little cheat sheet, his memorization skills were not as strong as Damian’s so he needed a helping hand in the form of some notes for more complicated plans. Of course written in his own code so that if someone somehow managed to hack him they’d be useless.

With everything ready and confirmation that 'Oracle' and 'Mystic' were online he watched as his family left the cave and immediately switched to watching the cameras to track their motions through the city. He liked watching, they were so graceful and sure of themselves, it was really beautiful. And the rare times when they fucked up and slammed into something made excellent blackmail! Tonight they were peek performance, the city of Gotham embraced them as they flew through her streets and it made Danny smile.

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Hours later Danny sat back from his keyboard, noticing for the first time just how tense his shoulders and back were. He stretched and groaned blinking his eyes rapidly, things had gone wrong about half way through the mission and it had taken all his focus to keep everyone alert to incoming threats and on the right track. He saw the cup of tea Alfred had left on the desk for him for the first time, it was cold by then, but he drank it anyway because he was thirsty.

He got up and stretched, from the other side of the room he heard a groan which echoed his own, glancing over to see Barb stretching as well. He sighed, rolled his neck and wandered over to her. “Well that could have gone better,” he commented. Everyone was on their way home now, though they’d probably stop for food and be late.

“Could have gone a lot worse too,” She told him, turning her chair away from the desk to face him. “They’re all okay.”

“Ya, ya they are,” Danny sighed, his shoulders slumping with relief. “God I’m starving.”

As if on queue Alfred wheels a trey full of sandwiches, a plate of cookies, and a fresh pot of spiced tea. “I thought that now that the danger has passed you might want something to eat,” Alfred said in his usual polite way. Danny had wondered before if Alfred might be a meta, it seemed like he always knew everything that was going on with the family even when it didn’t seem like there was any way he could know. It scared Danny sometimes, but he figured it was just like how people always said moms had eyes in the back of their heads.

“You’re a life saver Alfie!” Danny cheered bounding over to grab a sandwich. Alfred gave him a small fond smile and poured him a cup of tea as Danny wolfed down his first sandwich, mumbling thanks through a full mouth as he was handed a cup of tea.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full,” Alfred said without any real feeling as he poured a cup of tea for Barb as well and passed it to her.

“But I didn’t want to wait to thank you,” Danny groaned, swallowing to quickly before carefully blowing on his tea as he grabbed another sandwich.

“Then you should have thanked me before you began to eat,” Alfred said with subtle amusement. Danny couldn’t argue with that so he just groaned dramatically and took a big bite of the new sandwich.

“But I was hungry!” He complained with his mouth full again, receiving a disapproving eyebrow raise which made Danny smirk. He would listen and respect his grandfather-figure when it mattered but he also liked to tease and play. His family knew that by at this point, that Danny dodged rules as much as he could get away with with a charming smile. Tonight Alfred simply sniffed and ignored Danny’s antics in favour of going to prepare the med kits to care for any minor wounds the family got tonight.

Once Danny had eaten he realized he was exhausted! No doubt the capes were still full of adrenaline and would need to stretch and unwind before they headed to bed but Danny barely managed to wait until they were all home and congratulate them before bowing out to go to bed. Leaving them to celebrate however they chose, and try to throw out their fast-food wrappers without Alfred noticing.

He fell asleep quickly, but his sleep was no where near as restful as his fatigue had promised. He dreamed of an intimidating figure in dark armour commanding an army of skeletons, and as people fled in fear he stood frozen to the ground and useless. He woke with his breathing ragged and sweat on his brow just as the sun was rising and got up rather than try and fight against the feeling of unease to go back to sleep.

He took a long shower to wash away the feelings and then went to see if Alfred was already up, and if he was what Danny could do to help. He was relieved when he found Alfred in the well-lit kitchen, his shoulders releasing tension he didn’t know they were holding as he stepped into warm, welcoming presence that made him feel safe. He had wondered sometimes when Alfred found time to sleep given that he was up when the other bats got back from patrols and yet always seemed to be up whenever Danny’s nightmares forced him out of bed. He tried not to worry for Alfred though, just because he didn’t think the older man would appreciate it.

“Ah, a capable helper,” Alfred said with a fond smile when he spotted Danny, stirring a little of the delight Danny had felt when he first found out most of the family was banned from using more then the microwave.

“Indeed, what can I do to help Alfred?” Danny asked happily, going to grab the apron Alfred had gotten him for his and Damian’s last birthday. Alfred didn’t hesitate to put Danny to work helping with the muffins and danishes he was making and by the time Danny’s hands were covered with flour he had forgotten all about his nightmare.

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He was tired at that school and ended up avoiding his friends at lunch in favour of having a nap in the library, but he should have known better then to think he could avoid anime club. Of course Tucker cornered him and Danny only complained jokingly as he was dragged off to watch cartoons with Tucker and his other nerd friends (as if Danny wasn’t a nerd himself). It was fun though, once Danny got over his impatience that this club was holding him back from choosing his new ‘villain name’. In the end Danny had to admit that he had a good time, and say that he might come back some time, when he felt like it this time! And maybe drag Damian which Tucker was thrilled about, any excuse to pester Danny’s more standoffish and elusive twin. Danny only slightly regretted not finding time to ask Damian this time.

Damian had already gone home by the time Danny got out of the club. For their first year Damian would have waited but now they were used to living in Gotham they were far more independent, more like they had been before leaving the LoA. Before Jason showed up in town Danny would have said that he was sad about that, and he missed the closeness but now he was just relieved that the space would give him places to hide his activity. Damian was too loyal to father to be allowed in on Danny’s plans no matter how much he hated keeping things from his twin.

That night was a quiet one in Gotham and Danny took the opportunity of the smaller, leisurely family dinner to ask father about going for a sleepover with Sam. He dodged the sharp look and the questions about being safe with a girl, understanding implications and all that. He joked about taking after Brucie and working on his playboy reputation which got Tim and Cass teasing their father instead and took attention off Danny. In the end it was easy to convince Bruce he had already agreed and it was no problem at all!

School the next day dragged as he waited for the sleepover and finally Danny and Sam were leaving the school together as Tucker groused at them about being left out. They were laughing at him as they piled into the back of the car, Sam’s family’s driver greeting them politely before rolling up the screen between front and back seats so they could talk in peace. It was a short drive but Danny appreciated the privacy anyway so he didn’t have to put on the face he showed strangers.

“Sam there you are, what are you wear- Oh! Danny!” Sam’s mother said, the sharp tone she started with melted the moment she saw Danny and she seemed shocked. Danny repressed a laugh as he realized that Sam hadn’t bothered to tell them he was coming since there was no way they’d turn away Bruce Wayne’s son anyway. No doubt surprising them with someone they desperately wanted to impress was pay back for something and Danny would find out what later.

“Good afternoon Mrs. Manson, I hope you don’t mind me coming over tonight. Sam and I have a little interest-based research project we wanted to work on together.” Danny said putting on his charming smile.

“No, no of course not,” Mrs. Manson assured, clearly flustered. “Please call me Pamela Danny, you’re my daughter’s best friend there’s no need for formalities. We’ll prepare something special for dinner, I hope it’ll be up to your standards.”

“Thank you Pamela, I’m sure whatever you make will be lovely,” Danny assured before Sam started shoving him towards the stairs to her bedroom before her mother could start monopolizing Danny’s time asking about Bruce.

“Thank mom, that’s great, we’re going to go start researching now, see you later,” Sam said without hardly pausing as Danny laughed and bid Sam’s mother goodbye before letting himself be herded upstairs.

Sam slammed the door shut behind them and breathed a sigh of relief making Danny snort as he went to flop in one of her beanbag chairs, dumping his bag next to him. “So, what did they do to warrant the surprise?” He asked with dry amusement as Sam shed her bag and jacket and went to sit cross legged on the bed.

“Are you sure you want to know? It’s particularly gross,” She asked wrinkling her nose.

“Well now I have to know,” Danny prodded with some trepidation.

“Well, they just gave me the talk recently. As if I didn’t already know what sex is and where babies come from,” she said rolling her eyes. “I’ve had unfiltered access to the internet since I was 8! Anyway, as they were impressing on me the importance of not ending up pregnant and stuff they managed to slip in that if I somehow had to be a teen mom I should make sure You were the father.”

Danny was sure the face of disgust she pulled was mirrored in his own horror. “They really tried to suggest you should baby-trap me?” He squeaked indignantly, not a very dignified tone by any means but he was trying very hard not to shout.

“Essentially ya,” Sam sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. “I hope you don’t mind I told them we were dating just so they’d finally shut up about it. But if they pick this as their new crusade cause I’m going to tell them they freaked you out to much so we broke up,” She said vindictively and Danny exhaled slowly.

“No I don’t mind, but Jesus Sam,” He said softly, getting up from the beanbag chair to go sit next to her instead. “That’s not okay.”

“No I know, but I’ve also known for ages they care about money and status more then anything else. I don’t put much stock in what they think or say anymore,” she said with carelessness Danny knew she didn’t actually feel.

“Why don’t I ask Bruce if you can come over for a sleepover next weekend? Maybe you can join in on family movie night?” He suggested rather than calling her on it. Getting her away from her parents and into a more supportive environment for a bit was more important, actions over words, always.

“That sounds great Danny,” She said, neither of them commenting on how her eyes had gotten a little misty. “Now!” She said deflecting from the emotional conversation right on queue as she leaned down to grab her laptop from her bag. “Why don’t we get started on that research you wanted to do?”

#dc x dp #tim drake #my writing #damian al ghul #danyal al ghul #sam manson #tucker foley #jon kent #demon twins au #multipart fic

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