#do Tim and Cass know? do they even care? does it bring them closer?

[necrotic-nephilim]

t4t timcass leaning into the physical similarities and incest angle

YEAH YOU GET IT-

TimCass looking physically similar my beloved. i just love when they're so similar it's *creepy*. mannerisms, looks, how they wear their hair, how they fight, all of it. esp if other heroes actually assume they *are* related. and Tim and Cass never correct them bc ppl nonchalantly call Dick his brother so sure, Cass is his sister too in that sort of way. and Cass doesn't really care what people assume about her family. (could be fun too if this was during the time Cass didn't know her mom anyway so like. she didn't know either way)

and being t4t. your brain. trans!Cass is so fun. bc her trans identity would likely be the first personal identity she develops and femininity would be so important to her for her understanding who she is. it gives her freedom and the room to be perceived in a way that she has control of. would be so fun for Tim to help her with makeup and shaving. i like the thought they're just so used to each other bodies that nakedness isn't something they question even before getting together. they shower together anyway, so why wouldn't Tim help Cass learn how to shave her legs. why wouldn't Cass wash Tim's hair for him.

i think it's fun if Tim going on T increases his sex drive *immensely*, to the point it makes him borderline frustrated how horny he is all the time. (as is common for a lot of transmasc folks) and so they're in the shower together and Tim is annoyed, shifting around and Cass just wraps her arms around him and slip a hand between his legs to help him out before he can even ask what she's doing. on the flip side, Tim massages Cass chest while she's struggling with the tenderness of breast growth on E and she ends up jerking off as he does it bc it's the first time that pain hasn't been a bad thing for her. mutual jerking off becomes so common until it leads to sex in all sorts of creative ways as they explore their gender expressions. Cass finds one of Tim's old dresses in his closet and puts it on so she can wear it while she rides a strap she puts on him. they lean into the incest in bed too, Cass very pleased to call Tim her brother when she's tugging on his bottom growth.

also fun if as they both transition, it makes them harder and harder to tell apart. they trade clothes and their voices and bodies go through changes that both Dick and Bruce have gone "Tim can you- wait shit you're Cass sorry-" more than once. and neither of them mind. bc there's something pleasing about looking so much like the person they love so deeply. it connects them and makes them virtually twins that no one will ever seperate.

[wondersinwaynemanor]

here i go again with "big brother dick grayson strikes again" prompts.

thinking of Dick probably helping his siblings on their first dates and offering to take them to the location.

Dick to Jason: Hey, Little Wing. I know you can take one of your motorcycles, but let me take you. You can just focus on being pretty.

Jason: Shut up, Dick. But, are you sure? I don't know why my hands feel a bit numb-

Dick, takes Jason's hands on his to warm them up and untighten the nerves there: It's okay. I got you. You're okay. It's going to be okay. Don't stress yourself out.

Jason: I know I fucked up many times, Dick. I don't want.. I don't know what to do if I fuck this up.

Dick, brings Jason closer: Shh. You won't, Jay. You're very smart and strong, and so so caring and you don't even realize it it. Ask the kids at the Alley, they idolize you. Roy adores you and everything you do. He knows who you are. And trust me, I'm not that bitter anymore of one of my best friends dating my younger brother.

Jason smiles which warms Dick's heart, making him smile too.

Dick: Plus, we wouldn't want Ollie to think that a Wayne cannot dress up and be romantic right?

Jason grins this time.

Dick to Tim: Timmy, I have a great idea! I'll drive you there. I know you're tired from work already. Just let me know which restaurant then you can rest a bit when we travel there.

Tim: It's okay, Dick. You're also tired from your shift. I'll just let Kon know I'll be late for a few-

Dick: No, no. If you want to rest first, let him know, he'll understand. But I'll still take you.

Tim: But, Dick...

Dick: Nah-uh. I didn't drive you to prom, remember? Let me do this, Baby Bird. And for me to also look out for Lex, just in case he bothers Conner again. We don't want that happening in the middle of your date.

Tim, laughs: Well, Kon will just have to drag Lex's ass to space.

Dick laughs with him.

Dick to Cass: Aww, you look beautiful, Cass. So where you going? Where will you meet Steph?

Cass, fixing her necklace: By her house.

Dick: Great! I already know where that is. I'll drive you there. We don't want to ruin your beauty. I mean, that's totally impossible, but I want you to just relax before the date.

Cass, blushes: I can do it.

Dick: Of course, you can. But I want to. Pretty please, pretty please. I'm a little protective over my sister.

Cass, rolls her eyes fondly but smiles: Of course. Thank you.

Dick: You're most welcome. And tell Steph if she does something extreme like set some fireworks, tell her to lay off with those energy drinks she started on her diet.

Dick to Duke: Little D, Little D! Don't even try to say no cus maybe your brothers and sister have already told you, but this is kinda my tradition now. I'm taking you to your first date.

Duke: They did tell me. But, Dick.. I don't want to be a burden. Weren't you injured-

Dick: No, no. That was like last week. I'm good. As long as you're good with me to take you, right? Now, I don't want to be the burden.

Duke, smiles: Never.

Dick, smiles and gives Duke a side hug: Then you're never a burden too, Little D. A big bro has to look out for the younger ones. Plus, I can say that you dressing up nice comes from my influence.

Duke, chuckles: Who else am I looking up to, right?

Dick to Damian: Shush, Dami. I know you're dating a super, and he can come and get you without a minute to spare, but tell Jon I'll be taking you.

Damian: Richard, please. I'm already at the right age.

Dick, puts a hand on his little (not so anymore) brother's shoulder and he refuses not to tear up (he fails ofc): I know, you've grown up so much, Dami. So much, since I made you Robin. But please, it will make me really happy to do this. It will give me peace, in some way. It sounds ridiculous, but yes.

Damian, doesn't even try to hide the fond he has on his face: Alright, Richard. I'll let Jon know.

Dick: He's not taking you somewhere out of Gotham or Metropolis, right? Cus then we'll have to take the Batplane.

Damian, chuckles: It's in Metropolis, don't worry.

Dick: Phew. I was as nervous as the time I took Tim on his date.

so....

maybe after a few years on Dick and Wally's wedding day, Dick's younger siblings will be walking with him on the aisle by his side and Bruce, their Father, on his other side of course. and they're thankful that the aisle is wide enough to fit the whole Wayne kids. Dick is a crying mess and he hasn't even reached Wally yet by the end of the aisle. because he's genuinely happy to have his siblings take him to the love of his life this time.

[shinekocreator]

based on this amazing prompt by @ghost-bxrd (it's hella ooc, but if you wanted it in character, you wouldn't be here)

⚠️Tw: mentions of death, stopped heart, panic, fear⚠️

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

NO NO NO NO NO NONONONONO!

They weren't supposed to find out, at least, not like this.

His heart, which just a few moments ago wasn't beating at all, is now beating too fast, too loud, too strong.

He wants to move, to say something, to do something, but he can't. His lungs are still empty, so he starts breathing, too short, too fast.

This isn't good. They're not supposed to know, not supposed to see.

How could he let this happen? Why did he even agree to this stupid sleepover? Now they're all going to know.

All of them?

Panic creeps into his mind. What if he finds out? He can't find out.

He takes a look around the room, Dick is holding him, and he says something that Jason can't hear. Damian looks scared and on the verge of tears. Tim is in the corner holding Cass's hand, trying to reassure her that everything is alright, even if he doesn't believe so himself. Steph and Duke aren't in the room. He has no idea where they could've gone. Barbara is on her laptop, probably searching for a course of action.

"... Just breathe in slowly. " he can finally make out what Dick is saying. So he does just that, trying to slow his breathing and heartbeat, using Dick's voice as both a guideline and an anchor.

It works. He can talk now. He pulls Damian into a hug, which Damian doesn't reject. "I'm alright, Baby Bird, I'm alright."

Damian starts sobbing into his arms. "Your heart, it stopped, and you, you weren't breathing and I, and I don't know what to do because I don't want you to die again!"

"I'm not. You guys aren't getting rid of me so easily," he jokes, then kisses Damian's head. Damian doesn't flinch or move away. He must be really concerned then.

Jason turns to Dick "what exactly happened?"

"Just like Damian said, your heart stopped, so did your breathing. Does this... Happen often?"

Jason nods. He's not sure what to say.

Then Tim speaks "What the actual fuck Todd?! You have any Idea how scared we were? Why didn't you say anything?"

Jason slowly gets up and goes to hug Tim. He can't seem to find the right words.

Tim pushes him away with a horrified expression. "Dude, you're freezing cold!"

Hearing that, Cass brings him the warmest blanket she can find. "No more cold," her warm smile is radiant, Jason wants to hug her but knows he shouldn't.

Barbara comes closer and helps wrap the blanket around him. She doesn't need to say anything.

Jason pulls her into a hug, then brings in Dick, Cass joins them soon after, and so do Tim and Damian.

It's not as cold anymore, Jason feels warmth spreading throughout his body.

After they let go of him, Jason finally pays some mind to the absence of people in the room.

"Where's Steph? And Where's Duke?"

Dick rubs the back of his neck. NO NO NONONO!!

"They went with Alfred to calm Bruce down."

NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!

Jason removes his grip from the blanket, letting it fall to the floor as he attempts to escape and leave the manor altogether, but the presence of a man in the doorway stops him in his tracks.

Jason takes a step back, and right before he manages to turn around and run for the window, two strong arms wrap around him, pulling him in for a hug.

And Jason fully breaks down.

Bruce holds him while he sobs and whimpers, giving him a moment to let everything out and calm down a little.

"It's alright, I'm still here. You're still here. We're still here." Bruce says, whether to Jason or himself, no one knows.

Jason can feel Bruce shaking. He tries to grasp the fact that Bruce cares and wants him around. Tries to process that Bruce was scared, terrified of the thought of Jason dying again.

Jason takes notice of the tears running down Bruce's face, moving his hand up to gently wipe them away.

"I'm still here, old man, I'm not dying again."

That's the last thing he says before he allows himself to relax and hug Bruce back, after mouthing a quick "thank you" to Stephanie, Duke, and Alfred, knowing he's wanted and loved by his family.

[ashoss]

I'm thinking about the different angsty mess that comes from the bats as demigods.

Dick who becomes a hero and does have powers, but most people don't assume so at first and he feels like a fraud because he does have powers but people don't know that and could he actually do the things he does without the boast from being a demigod. [Imposter syndrome]. There's also the angsty idea that he tried to hide the demigod stuff at first because well Bruce wasn't the most communicative. Could also have a bit of angst in the idea that Hermes kids aren't the most rare demigod. Him also has issues in feeling like any one of his demigod siblings could replace him.

Babs being clearsighted and without blessing yet. She who will constantly have to work harder than all of them. Who doesn't have any sort of leg up in the Devine world. She who didn't have to keep fighting even after knowing she could see. She wasn't part of their world but chose to be. The way that she is punished for it. She is the only one of them permanently injured. Bond to a wheelchair. She who continues to fight in her own ways, battling her issues and everyone else. She who becomes blessed by Apollo later on. Earns the respect of the mythological world, but will always be the one who could have walked away.

Cass as a legacy of Hades who feels when people die. Knowing exactly the moment she killed someone. When by her hand she sent someone to the underworld. She can sense death. That and a very slight affinity towards the shadows is the extent of those powers. It makes her death wish and temporary death all the more interesting because it can play into both the Hades and the Nemesis thing. Nemesis is the goddess associated with balance, retribution, and revenge. Cass, who feels the deep seeded, needs to balance out the death she caused by experiencing death. She thinks about being mediocre for a lifetime or perfect for a year.' Knowing the trade she is making for that. That in trade of being Mediocre, she will live, but in being perfect, she will die. She dies. Even if just briefly. It also connects her and her mother Shiva closer together. Shiva being of Hades legacy can also feel death and wants to be killed only by the best. She seeks out death but will only die to one she considers worthy. Cass, being a daughter of Nemesis, wouldn't do this anyway, even if it was against her morals because Shiva has an excess of hubris. Cass is the perfect person to kill her, her own daughter, but in retribution, she will not be the one to kill her.

Jason also being a son of Nemesis and the angst that brings. He who sees it as balance to kill the one who killed him. Who sees it as the ultimate revenge to go against Bruce in the way he does, knowing that it will hurt, but him also failing in the end because he demands to much, is asking for something in which he cannot have and ergo by his own nature, by his own Devine mother he will not have it. [Ethan Nakamura traded an eye for a weapon that could change the balance of the war, It's not to far out there to assume Jason in a fit of desperation in a deep seeded need to seek revenge to find some sort of balance would trade something for a leg up.] Him being the legacy of a god who heals. Something he didn't know about. The connection he now shares with the mother he ran after to in Ethiopia. That woman was a disgraced doctor, and now he finds out he is the legacy of a healer. He who instinctively heals Bruce. Doesn't realize he is doing it. That also plays into the balance. For as much as he hurts Bruce, he is also healing him.

Tim being the first Roman. That makes him an outsider in the beginning. He who has to work a bit harder in the beginning for this. Who in the beginning doesn't know how to apply hid skills, let alone what skills he does have. He who loves deeply and cares deeply. Who brings people together even through grief. He who created the Batfamily. He who becomes a cornerstone to the hero world, having a piece of himself in every corner. Child of Venus who brings honor back to her name. Child who didn't have to fight, who didn't have to pick up a weapon. Who's ability could have been used equally as well elsewhere but picked one up anyway and said I will be what is needed. He with his words and actions that can change the world. Venus will never be the first one people think for. They will think Athena, because of his brain, not remembering that his mom was a goddess of war, who has started wars. They will think Ares for his mastery over weapons for the viciousness he can show in the field. Not knowing that his mother may be a goddess of love, but love can be just as cruel as it is kind. The will say Hephestus for the tools he wields, not knowing that words and actions are just as mighty as any blade can be. One called him a child of Victoria. Not recognizing that his mother too is a goddess of victory.

Stephanie, the second Roman. The daughter of Cardea. Of hinges. A goddess so minor that monsters even ignore her. Is she even a real demigod? She asks herself at night alone as she is forgotten again. She trains so hard, but she's not Cass who senses death or fights for something much larger than they are. She's not Tim, whose mother is the mother of Rome. She is not Dick who has survived as an Olympian child for decades now. She's not Babs, who was so outstanding of a mortal that she received blessing. She can't even be a proper Roman. She who wards off evil though, whose Powers work amazingly for vigilante work. She can break open doors with the slight manipulation of the hinge, who can open filing cabinets because not everything can be found online. She who instinctively has skills others have to practice and learn. She who will always feel like an outsider.

Damian, who has a lot of legacy to live up to. He's not a halfblood, and he's less of a demigod than everyone else. He values his blood connection to his father so much because it's one of the few things he has over everyone else. He who is the only one who has a connection to the magicians and other West Asian religions and what that entails. He knows of the Greeks and Romans..he knows of the Irish and the Norse. He stands outside and inside it all. He brings more or less thrown into a whole new world when he ends up in Gotham. It tests only his skills but his ability to adapt because things are different here. More dangerous and less dangerous.

--

Dick resenting Jason a bit because he thinks Bruce taking in a child of Nemesis was him taking in someone better suited for the sort of job Vruce wants to do. Jason feeling inadequate because Dick was the child of an Olympian whose father had domains that helped physically with fighting..

Jason is angry at Bruce because the kid that took his spot is the child of an Olympian. He went and found a Roman kid. The Roman's were more disappointed, they were better at following orders, they would make better soldiers. Tim who is angered slightly because Jason took a part of Bruce with him when he died, and no matter what he can do, nothing will bring in back. Jason got the ultimate revenge in that.

Jason and Cass will never see eye to eye. They are hslfdiblings. Jason has a halfsibling, Cass has a halfsibling, but they won't ever get along. Not in the way that matters. They represent the best and worst of the other. Cass won't kill again, Jason will kill. Jason doesn't intentionally heal, Cass yearns to. They see balance as something different. One was dead without wanting to be. One yearned for death but ended up living.

Stephanie and Tim find companionship in being the only Romans among the Greeks. They, however, represent something the other could never be. Stephanie sees Tim as a model Roman. Even when angry at his father, at Bruce, at the position he's in, he still refers to that person in the father role. He still plays into the roles of society. Tim sees Steph rebel against that. He sees her best up her father, rebel against Bruce, against authority. She resents him, and he fears what could happen to her. He is the son of the mother, and she is someone minor. She has a freedom he never will have. He has a position she will never have.

Just all of them trying to measure up to the others around them always find something missing.

[Also, random fun fact Duke already has an immortal father in canon. It's true. Look it up.]

Annon AK

OOH MY GOD. YOU GET IT.

i genuinely dont think i can add to this. you have absolutely nailed everything about each of their dynamics. i dont think this will leave my head anytime soon

[ultimate-marysue]

The Batfam and cooking

Alfred: we have so much canon info about this one. He takes pride in meeting the demands of his grandkids, but the kids sometimes just pretend to like it for his peace of mind.

Bruce: No. And I don't mean in the meme way. He's more than capable of sustaining himself and following instructions. He also chooses to subsist on those "nutritional milkshakes". Like to him is not a matter of learning how to cook, he's a chemist measuring his exact nutritional needs in a cup. It's disgusting and he shouldn't be allowed near the blender.

Barbara Gordon: not the best, not the worst. She has cooked, she will cook again. She's also not trying to make anything too fancy. She prefers take out mainly because she has (and will again in the future) burnt her food to a crisp because she got distracted with oracle stuff. A quick check while the potatoes are in the oven is a very dangerous thing.

Dick Grayson: he would love to be that guy that takes Instagramable pictures of his food. Sometimes he manages to do just that, but that's not sustainable for him. He has a few fancy recipes he likes to bring out to impress people or to feel like a responsible adult. Most of the time he's sauteing random vegetables with some rice and chicken and calling it a day. It's good, healthy and filling but is not much in the great scheme of things. I feel like he'd make really good salads too for some reason.

Cassandra Cain: she's not very good at being people. Cooking is part of that, a survival skill and not much more. She really appreciates nice food but doesn't see the point in learning herself when her time is better spent elsewhere. I can see her breaking into the other's houses to join them for dinner because she forgot to make her own.

Jason Todd: this man cooks. I don't care if the whole "Alfred's favorite" thing is a bit fanon, it's fun fanon. I think that since he is aware of how they lie to Alfred sometimes, he'd be an even better cook. He's the kind of guy to make any recipe work first try, even if he keeps workshopping it until it's perfect. He's also very neat and cleans after himself. Cooking helps him wind down after a hard night. If he messes up though he might cry.

Stephanie Brown: she took the whole "cooking is like science" and decided to be a mad scientist. Her cooking works for her because she has crazy tastes. Like she'd make a salami and Nutella sandwich and consider it her Magnum opus. She loves baking too just so she can fuck around and find out. Steph usually leaves the mess there until she needs the space to cook again. Not because she's dirty it's just that she gets so caught up in trying the final product she forgets about it. She stresses the fuck out of Jason.

Tim Drake: he's more of an utilitarian, closer to Cass. He learned a few simple recipes when he was a kid and that's all he needs. Through the years he's had to add a couple more to make it more balanced and fit his needs (first with the increase of physical activity and then the asplenia). He has a very healthy but very limited diet. He refuses to add anything else because there's no need. He already knows how to cook the things he needs and likes well, thank u very much.

Duke Thomas: this man can cook. It takes him a while to get into it, but he has great instinct for it. He's more of a "vibes only" kind of cook, which makes him an awful baker but Alfred has the sweets covered anyways. Part of his process includes picking the spices from the back of the rack that Alfred pretends don't exist. He's creative but not in as much of a messy way as Steph. And unlike her, he does have functioning taste buds so sometimes he ends up a victim of his own hubris. Most times it works out for him.

Damian Wayne Al Gul: he helps his siblings whenever he mooches food from them (because Alfred is the only one that tolerates idle hands in the kitchen). He loves Jason's cooking but he has more fun with Duke and Steph. They allow his input and suggestions which makes him feel like he's contributing. He prefers Duke though, because his success rate is higher.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Bruce and Reader crying during sex? Normalize crying during sex! 🥹

When he felt the familiar pressure of your chin on his head as you drape your arms over his shoulders, he smiled and bent his head to kiss your forearm. But he didn't say anything. Or call attention to it other wise.

It had been a long road to here.

To you being willing to be that physically close to him after everything he'd done. You weren't quite ready to move back into the bedroom. But- this wasn't the first time in the last few weeks that you'd given him this. The casual affection- soft touches and holding his hands.

"Long day?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and bringing a hand up to rest on yours.

"Next time Damian and Tim need to go clothes shopping you can take them," you sigh.

He hummed and patted your hands, "Why don't you go take a bath before dinner?"

"That sounds nice," you murmur, pulling away from him slowly.

At the sudden chill, Bruce half turned to look at you and chanced capturing your hands, kissing them gently, "You go get comfortable. I'll be up in a little bit with a glass of wine."

"Thank you."

Bruce nods and watches you go. You looked tired. And a little care worn. Between getting Stephanie and Cass settled in and getting Damian and Tim ready for school, you probably had had a long week. And he felt for you. None of them deserved you, really. But you cared about them anyway.

More than you should- more than any normal woman would after everything. And he was worried about you. This time of year was always hard- for a lot of reasons. Some of them, you'd never told him and he'd never asked. Not wanting to intrude on something private.

Still. He went to get you a glass of wine. Maybe after some time sulking in some hot water, you'd feel better. Regardless, he was benching you from patrol- at least for this week. One of you would need to be at the house anyway.

___________

Bruce knocked on the door, announcing that he was there before letting himself in and smiled a little.

This was less a sulk and more of a brood if your choice of music was any indication. He'd have to ask Alfred to let him bring you your dinner.

He set the glass of wine down for you gently and bent to kiss the top of your head- he knew it was a risk. But when you don't flinch at the touch, he smiles to himself just a little.

Still, he doesn't want to press his luck. If he wanted you back, it was going to have to be on your terms. The same way he'd once managed to get you to love him- it was the way he was going to get you back. Slowly. So even if he didn't want to turn away from you, leaving you to it for a while, he does.

At least until you murmur his name.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

"Please stay."

And he can't tell you no. He just can't.

After so long he can hear everything you're not saying. That you feel lonely and scared, and that everything is too much and too loud. You think he doesn't want you. You think you're not enough. And all you want is for all that to go away.

It's something he can do. A problem he can solve. And as he undressed to come and hold you, he tried to temper his expectations.

Like falling asleep, slowly and then all at once, Bruce was overcome. He wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in your hair. Reveling in the feel of you. Knowing that he didn't deserve you. But knowing he would never stop trying.

The tangle of limbs. The heat of the need. The familiar aches. After all these years, there's no need to talk. You both know the road as well as you know the streets of Gotham.

And it isn't until it's over, until our head is resting on his heart- until he realized that he's finally come home. That he realizes he'd been crying. That you're still crying. And all he can do is hold you closer.

[winged-bat]

Helloooo I almost forgot, but do you have any headcanons for the batkids and the relationships between them? I feel like that’s bound to be interesting

Ohhs everyone definitely has a favorite or someone they just gravitate towards more

Dick & Jasons: They probably had a more acquaintance relationship in the beginning with B & Dick getting in arguments whenever they where in the same room (I mean Dick in cannon still made sure Jason had a way to contact him or reach out if he needed help or just advice) but they still hung out sometimes and would have gotten closer if Jason hadn’t died and after Jason came back their relationship was kinda strained before they had more one-on-one time and had more time to interact with each other and get to know how they’ve each changed and grown

Cass & Babs: I see with more of a mother-daughter relationship with Cass seeing Babs as a motherly figure and someone she can lean on to and can ground her, and Babs taking Cass under her wing and mentoring her and teaching her about life and how the world work (also I know Babs isn’t a batkid but when I was writing this I was thinking more just batfamily relationships in general)

Steph & Damian: Steph is one of the few people who sees that Damian is just a kid, I think she definitely wants to bring out his more childish side and teach him how to do that, and Damian for all his insults & jabs at her has things to learn from her and is protective over her

Duke & Jason: They definitely understand eachother better with them being from not so good parts of Gotham, and I think Duke understand and appreciates what Jason does and how he works. Duke care less about the methods used and sees it for how it makes crime ally a little safer and the kids there trust Red Hood (He gets rid of there abusers and people that bring them harm, and he’s just very good with them) They’re both characters that stay true to the their morals (Duke stuck with the We Are Robin movement even after it was banned bc thats what he felt was right and Jason doesn’t regret to kills he’s made bc they were bad people so to say and some people don’t feel safe unless there abuser are gone for good. At least thats how I interpret the characters)

Dick & Tim: I think their relationship didn’t start in the greatest of terms with Tim randomly showing up to Dicks place more or less saying he needs to be robin again (a role that Dick has moved from and grown out of at this point) but after Tim did become robin I think Dick became more of a mentor to him in some ways and Tim definitely looks up to Dick and vists him from time to time so they grow a strong brotherly relationship

[marauderundercover]

Taking Chances Ch. 13: To the Death (Death)

AO3

Prev

Their last few days in Gotham went by smoothly. No rogue attacks, no akuma tacks. The only negative was Mr. Wayne refusing to allow her on patrol again because she was “injured” and “could have died.” Gotham has been nice for the most part and was full of surprises, but Marinette was relieved when the plane landed in Paris. The entire trip moved to the back of her mind, almost like a dream. Like it hadn’t really happened. Until Hawkmoth sent out his next akuma.

---

Taking in a shaky breath, Marinette blinks back tears. Everything was suddenly real. Hawkmoth might win.

She despised akumas with weapons. Specifically, the lethal weapons. Creative weapons or blasters she could handle. No problem. Legitimate swords or guns? Not so much. Instead she was left with a feeling of dread and uncertainty.

Pushing forward, she’s just about to call her lucky charm when she feels it. Choking slightly on the blood- why is there blood- she looks down at the sword sticking out of her chest. Oh. That’s why there’s blood. Blood. She coughs, wincing as she watches the blood pour out of her mouth. Huh. That’s not right. She almost hears Chat screaming. But why? Why does he sound so upset? Why- Oh. OH. She’s dying. She realizes this with a start as the world around her darkens and she begins to sway. She’s dying, and Hawkmoth is going to get her Miraculous. Hawkmoth is going to win. Oh, no- please-

“Chat.” She manages to say, watching as he runs towards her and scoops her up, carrying her out of the way of cameras and prying eyes. A place she can stay. A place where Hawkmoth won’t take her Miraculous. He won’t. He can’t. She frowns, black spots covering her vision, but not enough to hide his tears.

“Take them. Save them.” She manages to say, shaky hands reaching for her earrings. His lips move, so she knows he’s saying something. She wishes she could hear it. Wishes she’d thought of this possibility. She thinks Chat will win. But it’ll be so hard. She should’ve wrote a will. Should’ve planned ahead. Should’ve been more like her father. She blinks at Chat- Adrien- and realizes he’s still talking. She hopes it’s not important, that maybe he could tell her later. Her thoughts continue to jumble, just like her vision. Shifting into one incoherent mess. Words become shapes, pain dulls until she’s numb. Until she can’t feel it. Until she closes her eyes and lets the darkness carry her away.

---

Immediately after finding out about his Parisian daughter, Bruce Wayne had installed the akuma alert system in the Batcave. And on his phone. He wanted to be absolutely certain that he would know what was happening when, and maybe even find some way to help. Do something. Stop the emotional terrorist that had taken over his daughter’s childhood.

Sitting in his study, he takes a swig of coffee, thankful for a relaxing Saturday. He wanted to avoid WE, stay as far away as possible. They’d been bombarding him with questions about Marinette and the (true) rumor that started when her class first arrived in Gotham. Wanted to know if it was true, what they could say, what the official statement was. He wasn’t sure. He wanted Marinette to be able to make that decision. But it wasn’t something you could just ask after only a week of knowing each other.

A shrill ring breaks him out of his thoughts and he glances at his phone. That’s odd, he thinks, looking at the screen. Until he reads closer and realizes why it looks different. The Parisian news stations, who had never seemed too distressed by attacks before, were urging people to hide. Not just shelter in place. But hide. Making up his mind quickly, Bruce makes his way to the Bat Cave. Sure he couldn’t jump over to Paris to assist his daughter in battle, but he had to know that she was safe. He had to know Marinette would be okay. Miraculous cure or not. Walking into the cave, he’s unsurprised to see Tim already there, the news feed pulled up on the largest screen.

“It’s not looking good B. Casualties have already passed fifteen hundred. LB and Chat both look exhausted and the fight just started.” Tim informs him, frowning into his unnecessarily large cup of coffee. Bruce simply nods, trying to ignore the sudden tension in his jaw.

“How’s she holding up?” Dick asks, arms crossed as he walks in, Damian trailing in behind him.

“She’s giving ‘em hell but she also took a coupla good hits.” Jason says, watching his phone as he walks in through another entrance. Bruce’ chest feels warm at the obvious concern and care his sons have for their sister. He had no doubt that Cass (who had returned to Hong Kong before Marinette returned to Paris) was also watching the stream. Although not necessary, it was still nice of them to check. To care. As the fight goes on though, Bruce becomes antsy. The cameras are too far away to pick up the conversation between the heroes and the akuma, but it doesn’t look good. Marinette looks anxious, nervous, almost frenzied. All emotions he’d never seen on her (as Ladybug).

“Call your lucky charm.” Damian hisses, glaring up at the screen. Bruce silently agrees. As odd as the power was, it hadn’t failed her yet. There’s no- his blood freezes. The world shuts down as he tries to remember how to breathe. To remember that it’s okay to breathe. Because standing in front of the akuma is his daughter. With a sword protruding from her chest. The entire cave is silent, everyone waiting. Trying to process. The sword is pulled back and Bruce watches, sick to his stomach as blood falls out her mouth. As she sputters, more blood falling out. The dazed look on her face as she sways on her feet, not quite seeing her surroundings breaks his heart. She stumbles, her legs giving out, and he stares, unable to look away as Chat Noir manages to grab her and swing away.

“Shit.”

“She did not even dodge! She could have-”

“She’s not- she’s okay, right?”

“Is she-?” Bruce is barely able to hear the chaos around him. Barely able to focus on the video in front of him. He lets out a shuddering breath, turning his complete focus to watch for her to come back. Surely someone would heal her. The Miraculous cure could heal her. It had to. He desperately watches the screen, waiting for her spotted costume to come back. She had to come back. He sees spots, but squints. Something’s wrong with the spotted costume swinging towards the fight. The colors are right, but the flash of blonde hair and distinct male figure- it’s not...it’s not her. Not Marinette.

“It appears Mr. Bug is on the scene. Ladybug is down. I repeat, Ladybug is down.” The news anchor reports, a distraught look on her face. But the look on her face is nothing in comparison to the agony that shoots through Bruce. How? Why isn’t she up? Why would Adrien use her Miraculous? Why not heal her now, let her finish her battle? Unless...could she not be healed? Was the Miraculous cure unable to bring the Ladybug holder back? No. No, he couldn’t think that. Couldn’t accept that. She had to be okay. He couldn’t lose a child. Not again. Never again.

“The Cure will save her.” Damian says stiffly, tugging Bruce from his thoughts. He looks over to his youngest, torn by how young Damian suddenly looks. How broken he looks, staring at the screen in front of them. Braving a glance at his other sons, Bruce suddenly feels sick. His phone rings suddenly, and Bruce jumps, hoping the name- but no. It’s Cass, requesting a facetime. He answers, giving his daughter (is Marinette okay? Will she be okay? What if he loses her right after finding her?) a quizzical look.

“Little sister is okay, right?” She signs furiously, a frown on her face. Bruce grits his teeth, trying hard to push down the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

“I’m not sure.” He answers, leaving his tone flat and without emotion. He couldn’t break. Not right now, not when his children looked so scared. Not when they all looked horrified. He couldn’t afford to be scared or horrified too. He had to hold it together. Even if he was screaming on the inside. Screaming and begging and pleading with whatever powers there were. Pleading for his daughter’s life. For her to wake up. For the Cure to work on her. He watches and waits. Wincing as Adrien is thrown around even more than usual. His hands twitch, wanting to do something, anything to help. Bruce finally stands, ready to put on his suit and just take the damn Zeta tubes to Paris. Who gives a damn about Hawkmoth, his daughter needs him. He’s just about to walk away when he sees it. The pure white butterfly flying out of Mr. Bug’s yoyo. Bruce inhales sharply, watching the wave of light and tiny ladybugs sweep across the city. He watches as Adrien slides the victim a card before swinging away. Watches as he doesn’t reappear. The camera zooms in to the area he’d flown off to, but there was nothing. Zooming back out, the camera focuses back on the news anchor.

“And that’s another akuma, taken down by our brave heroes. Back to you, Jean Marc.” She says with a tense smile. And the footage cuts out. It’s no more. No one moves. No one speaks. Everyone just stares at the blank screen. The screen where they’d watched Marinette be stabbed. Where they’d seen a sword go through her chest. Bruce clenches his jaw, trying desperately to stop himself from crying.

“I’ll be back.” He says gruffly, leaving his seat to go and put on his suit. There was no way she was gone. He wouldn’t accept it. So, he was going to go to Paris. He’d find her and wrap her up in some goddamned bubble wrap and make sure that his daughter didn’t get stabbed again. God, she has to be okay. His thoughts are frantic as he moves swiftly towards his suit, his thoughts only of getting to Paris. Getting to Paris, and finding Marinette. A sudden flash of light brightens the cave and Bruce instantly gets into a fighting position, watching the light turn into a circle. A portal, right in the middle of the Bat Cave. His breath catches as he watches two figures fall through the portal. Adrien, obviously still in spots. And the girl next to him….he frowns, not quite recognizing her.

“Kaalki, dismount.” The girl says, a soft light flashing over her. Bruce freezes, eyes scanning his daughter as she smiles awkwardly. Glancing over her, reminding himself that she’s there. She’s alive. He crosses to her in three large steps and drops to his knees in front of her so that they’re on eye level.

“Never do that again.” He begs, voice breaking slightly as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. She’s alive. She’s okay. She’s alive.

---

Marinette buries her face in her father’s shoulder, tightening her hold on him. He was the only parent that knew she was Ladybug. The only one who would be affected by seeing her stabbed on live tv. Coming to see him directly after the battle was all she could think of when she woke up. She knew she had to see her dad and her brothers. Reassure them that she was still there.

“I’m so sorry Dad.” She chokes out, tears running down her face as she remembers the pain of being stabbed in the chest. The way her vision went dark. The way the blood felt as she choked on it. She squeezes her eyes shut, breathing shakily as she holds onto him for dear life, barely registering when more warmth surrounds her. She doesn’t have to open her eyes to know what it is. Her brothers, all hugging her. Surrounding her, making sure she’s there. She sighs in relief, glad that they’re all there. Glad that she’s able to hug them again.

Next

Master list

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[dessarious]

What Makes a Family? Pt18

AO3   Beginning   Previous   Next

“And what price are they going to have to pay for your magic?” Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the protective tone in Bruce’s voice as he glared at Plagg. She was beyond relieved that he seemed to be a good person and even her Guardian instincts were calm around him.

“The Miraculous are all about balance. In our case, as true Chosen, they affect us whether we use them or not. That’s why Cass’ life has been so difficult and mine has been relatively calm. Actually being in possession of Plagg’s ring will make things better for her. As for other holders, it varies. The longer you hold a Miraculous the more it pulls out certain traits in you. Good or bad depends on both the person and how in tune with the Miraculous they are.” Chloe’s over protective nature and Adrien’s possessiveness were both likely side effects of being holders but there was no way for her to know for certain.

“So they begin to turn you into a different person?” Marinette was shaking her head before he was even finished. She really wasn’t good at explaining things to other people.

“No. Any traits that the Miraculous bring out were already there. If anything they bring out a person’s true nature so they can’t hide who they really are. My former partner for instance was always showing his best face to the world around him but Plagg’s influence allowed those looking for it the ability to see some of his less desirable qualities. Especially when transformed.” While it made perfect sense that the ring had brought out the things Adrien felt he had to hide from the world, she still felt guilty. She also had to wonder how different his life would have been if she’d found her real Black Cat sooner. Cass burrowed into her side.

“Not your fault.” Marinette just hugged her twin closer. Even if Fu had picked Adrien, as the current Guardian he had still been her responsibility. She’d let her knowledge of his personal life define how she treated him when she should have simply judged his actions as a hero. It had been reckless and irresponsible. She’d put everyone at risk. She felt a vibration at her side and actually laughed when she realized Cass was purring to calm her down.

“Well if I needed any more proof that you are Plagg’s chosen, the fact that you’re picking up cat traits without even having the ring on you would have done it.” Cass stopped abruptly and buried her head into Marinette’s shoulder with an embarrassed whine. Mari just grinned and kissed her temple to try and soothe her. “At least yours is cute. The first trait I picked up was reflex bleeding.” It was a small consolation that Lila had a rash for over a month after grabbing her.

“Do I want to know what that is?” Marinette offered Bruce a commiserating smile. It was a lot to process.

“My skin secretes a toxic substance when I feel threatened. Sadly enough it’s actually helped in battles before. Poor baby August tried to eat me a few times while Akumatized.” Bruce just blinked at her and Marinette could practically hear him thinking ‘what the fuck?’ She grinned at him. “Once you’ve actually been through an Akuma attack, remind me to show you footage of past battles. It will prove educational and quite possibly entertaining.”

“You expect me to be entertained by one of my children almost being eaten?” He sounded insulted at the suggestion but Marinette rolled her eyes.

“No, but the fact that Hawkmoth tends to Akumatize the worst suited people into villains should. The only reason he’s still around is because he’s a coward. If I could find him all of this would be over in a heartbeat. Hopefully with Cass here my luck will keep shifting for the better.”

“I thought you were the one with good luck.” Mari let out a frustrated breath.

“Technically yes. However having the Miraculous active, especially with the ring being held by someone so much less in tune than I am, has been affecting me. It’s gotten better since I added other permanent holders but certain things haven’t improved at all. Also, the Kwami are of the opinion that Cass and I rubbed off some of our luck on each other in the womb. It’s likely the reason she ended up with you around the same time I first became Ladybug. Being together will allow us to buffer each other.” Bruce was still frowning at her but it seemed more contemplative than anything else.

“Cass.” She watched her sister peek at Bruce from her position. “What do you want to do?” Marinette let out an approving hum at the question. She got a strange sense of satisfaction that he treated Cass with such care even though she wasn’t his. He wasn’t as warm as her parents, but it was obvious he did care.

“Stay. Help.” Bruce let out a sigh but nodded. Cass relaxed further and Marinette could feel contentment radiating off her.

“So Selina said you’re a fashion designer?” Marinette rose an eyebrow at the subject change. “Since there’s nothing more to be done at present about what’s going on in Paris and it doesn’t appear to be an urgent issue, I would like to get to know you and I’m sure Cass does too.” She felt Cass nod.

“Yes, I’m a fashion designer. It was always what I wanted to do, but my actual start was one of the first twists of fate after I got my Miraculous. I ended up designing something for Jagged Stone and everything just sort of took off from there.” Cass stiffened slightly and Marinette saw Bruce’s eye twitch.

“You’re the designer he’s always bragging about?” Marinette felt her face flush. It hadn’t really occurred to her that he would be familiar with Jagged. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “The boys are not going to leave you alone. Dick, Jason, and Tim have a running bet over who can get a commission from you first. I apologize in advance for whatever happens at dinner.” She laughed at his dry tone and caught Cass’ smile out of the corner of her eye.

“I assure you it can’t be worse than Uncle Jagged himself. He introduces me to all my new clients and I swear it gets more embarrassing every time. I’m fairly certain he practices just to annoy me.” Bruce’s mouth twitched into something between a smile and a grimace.

“Do not underestimate the boys’ ability to be annoying or embarrassing. That’s not even counting the fact that Damian is likely to challenge you to a duel in order to prove that he’s meant to be my true heir and I have no idea what weapons he managed to smuggle on the plane.” Marinette rolled her eyes. Why wasn’t she surprised?

“I take it Talia’s teachings are still strong?” He frowned at her. Oh right, he didn’t know she knew. “When she and Ra’s were in Paris she enjoyed bragging about him and his bloodlines. That’s how I figured out you were Batman. But don’t worry, I can handle him.” The skeptical look he shot her just made her grin. “Trust me. Besides, I just have to prove I’m not a threat to him. Given that I have no wish to take over your business and I have my own hero problems to worry about there’s no reason for him to take issue with me.” Bruce still seemed uncertain but Cass signed something at him and he nodded.

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” While Bruce obviously doubted her, she felt nothing but confidence from her twin. As nervous as she was to meet the others, Damian trying to kill her wasn’t that big a problem. At least with him, she knew what to expect.

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[catxsnow]

WARMING UP

Request: May I request a Batfam X Batmom!Reader? Her and Bruce have been together for about a half a year now and the boys are still getting used to her. They don't think she knows about their activities but she does. One night she tells Alfred that she'll cook and let's him have a break. After calling the boys multiple times and they don't come to dinner she brings it down to the batcave and they're like,"How did you get in here? How did you know?" She laughs and says, "You're bad at hiding things."

Warning: Nothing really. fluff

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

GIF not mine

Word Count: 1.9k

The craziest part of dating Bruce Wayne wasn't the fact that you got to stay over in a huge manor with nearly everything that you could ever imagine, it was the fact that he was ridiculous to think that you didn't figure out his secret.

Bruce and his kids were constantly covered in bruises and no matter how hard they tried to hide them, you had seen them. Not to mention that every time you and Bruce every slept together, you saw the scars that laced his body. He never talked about them and you could only assume that it was something from his past that he wasn't ready to reveal yet.

So, you kept quiet. You didn't bring up the fact that him and his kids were covered in thick scars or that they would show up with random cuts and bruises whenever you saw them.

It took you a while to piece everything together. The wounds, the reflexes, the knowledge that something bad was going to happen before it even did, and mainly, the random disappearances. You were dating Batman. His kids, were the long chain of Robins.

Bruce was shocked when you brought it up to him. He wasn't sure if he was more shocked that you had figured it out so quickly or how you were so calm about the matter. He told you the truth about his life, what he did in the night, and that you were completely right.

Your knowledge about the truth was kept quiet to his kids. They didn't fully trust you and you couldn't blame them. It hadn't even been a year since you and Bruce had been officially together, they had every reason not to trust you. Damian was the most weary of you, he was protective of his father.

As much as you loved Bruce's kids, they were far more reluctant to let you into their inner circle. It wasn't just because they didn't know you, but getting involved in their lives only meant putting you in danger. You tried to make things go smoother with them - particularly by trying to make sure that you weren't trying to force them to think of you as their mom.

Besides, you weren't technically even moved in yet. Though, you stayed over enough to make them believe that you did. Bruce joked with you lots that you may as well just bring all your things over.

That evening, you had decided that it was time to show off your cooking skills. With your sleeves rolled up to your elbows and your hair tied back, you were deep into making a delicious meal. The rare times that Bruce came over to your tiny apartment, he always raved about how good your cooking was - hopefully his kids would agree.

"Miss (Y/N)," Alfred was surprised to see you in the kitchen. He was so used to making every meal that having someone using his space had come as quite a shock.

"Alfred!" you grinned at him. After being used to cooking only for yourself, having to amp up the portions was taking more of a toll on you than you thought. "I thought I would make dinner tonight, I hope you don't mind. I should have asked first."

"Not at all," Alfred assured you. "Would you like any help, Ms. (Y/N)?"

"Thanks, but I'll be okay. Relax for the night," You offered. "I never see you take the night off when I'm here."

"As you wish," Alfred smiled at you before leaving. You got back to work, nearly working up a sweat by everything that you had on the go. As much as you enjoyed cooking, it was definitely easier when it was just for you and Bruce, not six hungry kids too.

Less than an hour later, you had finished preparing and plating everyone's food. To be honest, you thought that this had to have been one of the best meals you ever made in your life. You just hoped that everyone else thought so to. It was the first time that all the kids were in the house for a meal together since you had started dating Bruce.

You loved Bruce, a lot. In the relatively short time that you dated him, you had fallen in love with everything that he stood for and what he represented. Between his days of maintaining Wayne Enterprises and nights of being Batman, you realized that you wanted to spend your life with him in the busy life he had.

That meant that you had to ensure that you were liked by his kids as well. They were a big part of his life and you didn't want to be a part of this family without them liking you. They had already changed from when you first met all of them. They were kind to you, even though they felt that sometimes you were just a distraction in Bruce's life.

The more time you spent there, the more they realized how good you were for him. Bruce spent a lot of time alone, it wasn't hard for him to sometimes forget that he was just human too. You brought that side out in him, a side that everyone forgot that he needed.

"Bruce!" You called. Your voice echoed throughout the huge house but there was no reply. "Bruce, dinner!" How did Alfred gather everyone so easily? "Damian! Tim!" Still no answer. "Steph! Cass! Goddammit."

With a sigh, you left the dining room and ventured out to see where they could be. None of the boys were in their room and Bruce wasn't in the office meaning there was only one place they could have all been gathered: the batcave.

Bruce had shown you how to get in and out of it, however he told you that going down there by yourself had to be for emergencies only. Technically, this wasn't one of those cases but the food was getting cold and you had to assume that they were getting hungry. So, you opened up the grandfather clock and opened the entrance.

It was the first time that you were going down there on your own. The steps seemed to be creepier without Bruce's hand clasped with your own. Shaking off the eerie feeling, you continued your trek down the stairs. The closer you got the the bottom, the more you could hear their voices.

Just as expected, all the kids, along with Bruce and Alfred had been down there. Half of them were crowded around the various monitors and the other half working on gadgets or training. It was incredible how they all just worked so well together - despite all their disputes. You knew Jason and Dick weren't happy to be back, Tim was less than eager but accepted it. Damian still lived in the manor, he was used to it. Steph and Cass didn't seem to mind being back to their old home.

"Dinner's ready!" You announced. The sound of your voice brought everyone to a stop. Alfred and Bruce were the only ones that knew that you knew their secret making it quite the surprise for everyone else to see you so nonchalantly there by yourself. "It's getting cold..." You trailed off as no one moved.

"How..." Dick trailed off. His head was cocked to the side as he tried to figure out how you knew where they were. "How are you down here?" It was pretty obvious that if you knew how to get down there, you knew why it was there too.

"Bruce showed me," you explained.

"Father, you told her?" Damian looked over to Bruce. He was surprised that in such a short amount of time that you guys had been dating that he was so willing to tell the truth. It was clear that Damian didn't think that you guys were far enough into a relationship to know the family secrets.

"Bruce, are you serious?"

"You haven't even been together a year."

"Come on guys, do you really think I'm that oblivious?" You rhetorically asked, cutting them off before they could argue with Bruce any longer. "You guys aren't very good at hiding it within the comfort of your own home, it didn't take me that long to find out by myself. I've known for months."

��Hmf, maybe you do deserve to date Batman,” Jason joked to himself. You could see in the corner of your eye that Steph had jabbed him in the ribs for that comment. Not that you would ever pick favourites - but these weren’t technically your kids and Steph was easily your favourite.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Tim asked. He nearly looked hurt by the fact that you kept your knowledge a secret. Then again, he could understand why. His brother's were always a little hostile when it came to new comers - you were still part of that group. "Why didn't you say anything?" He changed his question and looked over at Bruce.

"It doesn't matter why," You answered for your boyfriend. "Look, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner but it wasn't really important, was it? Now, come on - I made dinner and I spent a lot of time on it and the longer we're down here the colder it's getting. We can talk about this after."

It was the first time that you had used your 'mom voice' on the kids. Your hands were placed on your hips and you watched them all expectedly. Thankfully, they listened to you. Everyone, aside from Bruce left back to the dining room. 

As each of the kids passed by you, you had pulled them in to place a loving kiss on the side of their heads. Half the time you had to stand on your toes just to be able to reach. You had picked up the habit with them a while ago, and since none of them complained, you kept it up. 

It was the only time that you ever felt like they cared about you just as much as you cared for them. 

As soon as it was just the two of you, Bruce tugged you into his arms. His hands rested on your hips and he instantly brought you in for a kiss. You smiled into it, bring your hands up to the back of his neck.

"Thought they were gonna take that a lot worse," you confessed between kisses. Bruce finally pulled away from you. "You think they'll ever warm up to me fully?"

"They grew up learning not to trust anyone," Bruce told you. You played with the hairs at the nape of his neck - easy for him to tell that you were nervous. "I think that if they're going to warm up to anyone, it's going to be you. My smart, loving, beautiful, sexy, girlfriend."

"Bruce Wayne," you shook your head. "Such a suck up." A grin spread across your face as be brought you in for another long kiss. Bruce trailed his hands down your sides until landing on the curve of your ass. You pulled him in to deepen the kiss, pressing your bodies flush against each other.

"(Y/N)! Come on!" You couldn't tell which of the kids were yelling your name, but you took that as your queue to head upstairs as well. At least they were eager for you to join them - whether it was because they wanted you to or because you had made the food they were eating. You weren't going to complain either way that they had called your name, not Bruce's.

"See, warming up to you already."

[writer-room]

Siblings: Chapter One

AO3

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Summary: The Bats reflect on how their thoughts about siblings have changed over the years. Some opinions stayed, others didn't.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick always wondered what it’d be like to have a little brother or sister.

He recalled asking his parents why he didn’t have one. Not accusatory, just curious.

His mother had smiled and said that they had their hands full plenty with Dick, and he was all they needed. His father, while still kind, said that they didn’t really have the time or resources in the circus at the moment to add another child to the family.

Dick was disappointed, but he understood the reasons.

Even still, he’d find himself staring at the kids that watched the acts with awe. Older kids lighty taunted their younger siblings, ruffling their hair and pretending they were too good for it all, and that they were doing their siblings a favor by being there. Kids who nudged their brother or sister to distract and steal the snacks from concession stands, later whispering words that’d make the other gape or giggle. Young children holding their sibling who was of toddler age or younger, pointing towards parts of the acts, their glee growing upon seeing the excitement of their sibling.

Dick hadn’t been lonely growing up in Haly’s Circus, he had his parents and the other people who worked there, from the handlers to the clowns to the tricksters. 

And yet, he still found himself watching the kids who’d come in with one, or even two or three, brothers and sisters, taunting and laughing and sharing their wonder.

A sibling would’ve been nice, he thinks mournfully. It might’ve even been fun.

Ah, well. At least he had the circus.

,

“Hey, hey Dick. Dick. Dick, lookit.”

“If I turn around and I see you about to push Damian off the roof, I’m breaking your helmet.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Dick sighed, turning back from where he was keeping an eye on the streets below. Jason, who’d only been a few feet away, immediately took this moment to seize Tim, who had been too busy looking through his binoculars to care about whatever the two had been doing, and proceed to chuck him off the roof.

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan as Tim’s undignified shriek was cut off by him catching himself on a fire escape below, scrambling to get a good hold on so he didn’t fall the rest of the way.

“What?” Jason huffed. “You said not to push Damian, and I didn’t push Damian.”

“Of course,” Dick replied sarcastically. “My mistake, I’ll be sure to rephrase it as don’t push anyone off the roof.”

“Now that’s just unreasonable,” Jason huffed, hand on his hip as Steph and Cass snickered from the nearby chimney they were perched on. “I can think of plenty of people who deserve to be pushed off roofs. Like Scarow, for example. Bastard made me break my good hand last month and I still need to shoot a bullet in his back for that one.”

“Then don’t push your family off roofs, is that enough for you?” Dick sighed, standing up and peering over the edge of the roof. “You alright down there, Tim?”

“Names,” Damian finally chastised, not once having glanced over to the others from where he was on the corner of the roof, farthest as he could get from them.

“Oh, sure, now you worry.” Tim grumbled from the fire escape, finally pulling himself to his feet and brushing himself off. “Dick, please tell me I have permission to stab out Jason’s eye.”

“You do not.”

“He’d be fine!” Tim complained, snagging a hand on the stairs and instead pulling himself up along the outside of the fire escape instead of walking up the steps like a normal human being. “Harper could probably make him a new functional one in two days if she's in a good mood.”

“I’m not making him a new eye in two days. Maybe two weeks.” Harper informed from the other side of the roof, also ignoring the others as she tinkered with some gadget.

“Get anywhere near me and I’ll cough on you,” Jason threatened, also peering down off the roof. “You have basically no immune system, you’d die in a week. A long, painful death. Poetic cinema, really.”

“If you say it's poetic because you were beaten with a crowbar for two hours, I’m dropkicking you.” Steph warned, eyes narrowed.

“You’re so mean to me,” Jason gasped, placing a hand on his chest as he turned. “What did I ever do to deserve this? I’m nice to you!”

“No, you’re not.” Chorused Dick, Tim, Damian, Steph, and an extra voice through their earpieces.

“Wow, thanks, Babs.” Jason grumbled. “Showing up just to bully me, typical.”

“Names,” Damian warned a second time.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Babs crackled through their earpieces. “You’re not the only one I bully.”

“Everyone please stop harassing Jay,” Dick pleaded, though it came out more as an exhausted sigh.

“Names,” Damian growled a third time, losing his patience.

“I know it's fun,” Dick continued, ignoring him. “But this is supposed to be a scouting mission, and I’d rather he didn’t start taking out petty revenge during patrol.”

“I have no idea why he’s so surprised we get bored when scouting,” Steph mumbled quietly, to which Cass simply shrugged.

“You have no faith in me,” Jason snorted, and Dick could tell he was rolling his eyes under his helmet.

“I have plenty of faith in you,” Dick soothed. “I also, however, know how you are.”

“Don’t worry,” Steph raised a hand. “I already lost faith in you when you tried to kill Tim.”

“Which time?”

“Steph, don’t taunt him. Do it back at the Manor.” Dick lightly scolded.

“How many times do I have to repeat this?” Damian snapped, whirling from his post to glare at the others. “We do not use names on patrol!”

“Doesn’t Jon call you D on patrol?” Harper raised a brow, glancing towards him.

“That is different! He does not use my actual name!”

“Hypocrite,” Jason coughed under his breath.

Tim finally swung back onto the roof, skillfully rolling and dodging when Jason attempted to immediately kick him off again. Tim rolled close to the chimney, quickly pulling out his bo staff and crouching, glaring at Jason. It was reminiscent of two cats in a standoff, arched backs but neither of them making the first strike yet.

“Do not fight,” Cass said calmly. 

“Thank you, C--” Dick hesitated, glancing at Damian for a brief moment. “--Orphan.”

“Fight in Cave,” Cass continued cheerfully. “We have sparring mats for reasons.”

“And I take that back.”

“You wanna hang with the cool kids?” Steph asked, leaning off the chimney to offer her hand.

“Yes. Have I mentioned you’re my favorite person?” Tim grinned, putting his staff away as he took the offered hand and was pulled onto the chimney beside Steph and Cass.

“You could stand to say it more often,” Steph teased.

“Cheaters,” Jason grumbled, relenting that fighting both Steph and Cass to get Tim was a losing battle.

The three were rather squished on the chimney, but none of them seemed to mind. Harper only rolled her eyes and went back to tinkering.

“We really need to bring D--Signal on one of these things.” Dick muttered, shaking his head.

“Because he’s sensible, or because you want him to suffer like the rest of us?” Tim raised a brow.

“Because he deserves the same family bonding time.” Dick said simply.

“Duke and Cullen are next to me listening in on this,” Barbara said through the communicators. “I am here to inform you that Duke is both touched and terrified.”

“The bumblebee was awake and didn’t even bother to join us?” Harper snorted. “Rude.”

“Cullen agrees with you.”

“He better,”

“I’m taking a ten hour nap after this,” Dick complained, sitting back on the edge of the roof, legs dangling in the open air as he leaned back dramatically on his hands. “I deserve it. Self-care and all that.”

“That is the length of a normal amount of sleep.” Damian raised a brow.

“Not in this family, it’s not.”

“Preach!” Tim pumped a fist.

“You don’t count, Tim.” Dick chastised, leaning his head back to look at Tim upside down. “Everyone here remembers to sleep at the latest once every two days. You don’t sleep for five.”

“I’m being harassed,”

“You’re being bullied into a proper sleep schedule.” 

Damian suddenly whacked Dick over the head, startling him with a yelp as Jason hid a snicker. Harper and Cass looked over for a moment before continuing with whatever they had previously been doing.

“Names!” Damian hissed. “Do you all want your identities revealed?”

“Literally nobody is here,” Harper pointed out.

“If Gotham hasn’t found out our identities by now, they never will.” Steph snorted.

“Especially finger-stripes over here.” Tim added, a smug expression on his face.

“A nine-year-old finds out your identity one time and you never hear the end of it.” Dick muttered under his breath before sitting up and proceeding to snatch Damian, who had been previously stalking towards the others, by wrapping an arm around his chest and tugging him closer as the boy squawked.

“You were using a Flying Grayson move, dude.” Tim deadpanned. “You gotta pay the price for being flashy for no other reason than because you can.”

“That’s his entire personality.”

“Why do you all hate me?” Dick whined, holding a squirming Damian close as he gave the boy a noogie. “What did I do to gain such torment?”

“You want the list?” Harper looked up, finally putting away whatever she was tinkering with.

“We alphabetized,” Cass added.

“Wrote on the front and back,” Steph nodded sagely.

“I’m adding three more to the list when we get back,” Damian growled, looking ready to bite Dick if he didn’t stop soon.

“You better be joking about that list,” Dick warned, releasing Damian for his own safety. “Because if I ever find a list of reasons to be mean to me, I will not show mercy.”

“Do you mean you’re gonna attack us physically or emotionally?” Jason inquired.

“Emotionally,”

“You sick bastard.” Steph whispered in horror. “I can’t believe you would use your powers for evil.”

“Does it make it any better if I tell you the list, if it does exist, would probably only exist so that when we notice someone looks like they’re gonna do something stupid, we use the list to remind them of something you did so they take it out on you and not, say, turn all of Gotham into a gang war zone.” Harper said slowly.

“I hate you,” Steph glared. “You mess up one time--”

“You died, Steph!” Tim exclaimed, before getting a batarang chucked at his head that Damian somehow snuck into his utility belt.

“She didn’t even die,” Jason snorted, crossing his arms. “Both of you two had lame fake-out deaths.”

“Why am I the one who’s become the punching bag?” Dick complained, holding Damian back again when he tried to grab the batarang Tim had dodged and threw it again.

“Because you’re actually good at feelings and everyone else is emotionally constipated.” Harper deadpanned.

“And the Ric incident.” Damian added right after, giving up in his thrashing. A shutter passed over the Bats at the mention of the name.

“Aw,” Dick’s face softened, ignoring the Ric comment. “You guys care about my advice?”

“Congrats,” Barbara chuckled slightly. “You’re the therapist brother.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Jason groaned, flopping backwards on the roof. “Now he’s going to be mushy and clingy all week.”

“Lord knows you idiots need it,” Harper huffed as Dick practically glowed.

“I’m sicing him on you later.”

“Jokes on you, he hasn’t found my apartment yet.”

“Yes I have,” Dick raised a hand, turning towards her. “Well, Robin found it, but I still know it.”

Harper stared at him for a few moments, momentarily turning her head to Damian for a moment before going back to Dick, and then turning to Jason.

“You’re a monster,” She whispered, a look of true horror on her face.

“I know,” Jason cackled gleefully.

“None of you are leaving the Manor when we get back.” Dick said matter-of-factly, pointing a finger to his siblings. “We’re gonna bond, and you’re going to like it.”

“We’re already bonding right now!” Damian protested.

“You’ll have to kill me first.” Steph hissed, shying behind Cass.

“Bold of you to assume you can keep me confined to the Manor.” Tim huffed in offence. “Orphan, I’ll stash you in one of my safe houses if you promise to be my bodyguard.”

“Deal,”

“You guys are so dramatic--”

“Hey, guys? Crazed pyromaniac with flamethrowers to the north.”

The group immediately dropped whatever they had been doing, heads snapping up towards the direction Barbara had tiredly informed them of the attack.

It was only a few moments before the sight of flames peaked over one of the buildings, dying out almost immediately. Shouts and rumbles were steadily growing in volume, especially the cackling of Firefly, likely revving up whatever weapon he’d acquired this time.

“Fantastic, can’t even keep watch with you morons.” Damian growled.

“Oh you are not the only one trying to work here!” Tim snapped. “Orphan, for example, is doing a wonderful--where’d she go?”

He and Steph looked around rapidly, their sister suddenly missing from the chimney. How they hadn’t noticed she’d left their crowded space was a mystery that’d likely never be solved.

“Over there,” Jason said boredly, upholstering a gun and pointing across the rooftops.

The outline of Cass’s body could be seen sprinting across the roofs towards where the fire had been spotted, leaping with reckless abandon.

“Life lesson for the rest of you,” Harper hummed, getting to her feet. “Be like Cass.”

“Stop using real names!” Damian barked.

“Last one there is on cleanup duty!” Steph hollered, shoving Tim and taking off in the same movement.

“Asshole!” Tim yelled as Jason, Harper and Damian all bolted after her without a moment's hesitation. 

Dick laughed, just getting to his feet as Tim stumbled up and after the others, swearing obscenities.

He quickly ran after his siblings, though he strayed a little further back, nobody paid attention to who showed up last anyway, his eyes darting from each of his siblings. Someone had to make sure they didn’t face-plant off a roof.

They shouted over each other as they descended down to take out Firefly. The guy had really picked a bad night to start causing trouble. It’d be over in no-time.

Even still, Dick paused on the roofs, scanning the streets below as the others ran to and fro, yelling over each other as Barbara switched between the coms to talk to them. It was a chaotic mess and Dick found himself grinning at it all.

His siblings were a hot mess, and it was amazing.

[headcans-oneshots-and-stuff]

Teach me how to dance...(Preferences)

Requested by a flowery-fantastic Anon: would you consider doing some hcs for batsis learning how to dance from each of her family members

A/N: I know it became preferences, but I hope that’s okay, it just fit better. Also, I didn’t use all of the batfamily members (e.g. Jason or Tim) because I don’t know which dances they’d teach Batsis or how they’d be involved. If you have ideas tell me and I’ll add it :)

Bruce

Bruce teaches you the waltz. It’s just one of these things he conciders a daughter-dad moment and he enjoys it greatly. He’ll be dressed to the nines, suit and all, and lead you to the ballroom of the Manor, maybe even pay some musicians to play life music. And then he’ll teach you how the waltz. You’ll probably be very young at that point because with the life the Waynes live you have to be able to dance classical dances from young on and so Bruce took it into his own hands to make sure that you’ll be able to survive even the hardest Gala by dancing

Alfred

Alfred will teach you another classical, even though more rare, dance. The Foxtrot. It’s more complicated and ‘fancy’ then the waltz (from what I’ve hear, don’t quote me on that) and as Alfred just feels like it’s something that can only help you in life. For him it’s not just about the dance itself, it’s about the dicipline behind learning a dance and the syncronisation between you and your dance partner. Alfred also, just like Bruce, considers that quality time with his grand-daughter and he’ll be very happy everytime you ask him to dance with you.

(That gif wouldn’t work so you’ll have to life with that, sry)

Dick

Okay, I know this is an old horse by now, but.... He’d teach you some disco moves. Honestly, he’s so over his siblings making fun of his disco outfit that he decided to embrace it, learn some funky disco moves, and emberass his siblings with it on Galas or other events. And it works. He get’s way less comments from them. More so from the press now. But when he finds out that Bruce and Alfred taught you some of their dance moves, the serious classics, he decided that you should have some fun to. So why not some disco fun. You’re siblings will be less than happy when the two of you start funking out on Partys, but that’s the deal now

Cass

For Cass Ballet is a way to escape and to lose herself, but when you tell her how graceful and amazing she looks while dancing, and she decides that she could teach you some moves, it becomes a way for her to bond with you without words. Now it’s the music and the flow of the dance that connects the two of you and it’s love on a different wavelenght. Just like your other relatives, it’s a part of her that becomes a part of you and connects you. She’ll teach you everything she knows and even though it will be exhausting, painful and hard, you’ll be just as good as she is some day. It brings you closer

Damian

Damian isn’t a dancer, that’s out of question, but Damian is a fighter. And Damian is someone who won’t let himself be bested by his siblings, so if they can teach you something and connect with you over it, then so could he. And sure, if he can’t dance, then he’ll just have to find a fighting style that comes close enough. And he does. He’ll become an expert in Capoeira before he even mentions the wish to teach you, but as soon as he does he’ll act like you had nothing to do with it. He’ll be more kind with you, won’t hurt you during training or mock you when you lose against him or fail a move, no he’ll be almost soft. Strict, still, but also caring. He’ll also be very reassured the better you become because he’s still teaching you how to fight and to know that you can defend yourself is very important for him

(I know this is ATLA, but it’s inspired by Capoeira and I think it works pretty well with the idea)

Steph

As established here Stephanie Brown is a TikTok Icon and it shows. This girl will get you to learn tiktok dances with her, no matter if you like it or not. No discussion and no arguing. To be honest, alongside Stpeh it’s super fun and again, it’s a way to spend time and have a connection. It may be a bit more ‘silly’ than the others (if we ignore Dick) but you won’t take it any less serious. Not if your sister doesn’t

[dickgrayson-is-a-dad]

Dick Grayson x pregnant!reader

Part three! Part four!

Warnings: throwing up, Braxton Hicks contractions (which are also referred to as practice contractions),

~ never let it be said that Dick Grayson is not an emotional man.

~ you hit the 35 week mark and he can see the baby moving and feel the baby kicking and he’s so excited he just wants to meet the kid you’ve both waited so long for.

~ he knows you’re excited too, that you’re in a lot of pain, so he tries not to complain or whine about it too much.

~ (he calls Wally or Bruce after you’re asleep and very quietly errs his grievances)

~ he also tries very hard not to start panicking as your due date grows ever closer.

~ he only kind of succeeds.

~ he is no more than shouting distance away at all times. If you need literally anything or seem to be in any sort of discomfort he will go to you and he will help you in any way he can (and then he is within arms’ length for at least an hour.)

~ if you weren’t so tired you would be annoyed.

~ when practice contractions start he’s in the cave sparring (you would never have gotten him down there if Jason hadn’t quietly agreed to be there if something happened.)

~ you might panic a little bit.

~ Jason doesn’t even blink at your gasp (the baby’s kicks have been strong long enough that he knows it’s no indication of emergency), but your quiet “ow” is enough to snap his head up.

~ “are you okay?”

~ the pain is gone before he’s finished the question.

~ “I think so? It doesn’t hurt now”

~ he finds this barely acceptable and moves to the seat next to you.

~ when asked, Jason will adamantly deny giving you his hand to hold (another practice contraction doesn’t come, but that isn’t enough for Jason to deny you comfort.)

~ practice contractions become more and more common.

~ the first one Dick is there to witness lasts uncomfortably long.

~ he’s convinced it’s the real thing, but he trusts your judgement

~ Dick learns very quickly that Practice Contractions suck.

~ every time he hopes so much that it’s labor and you can get the pain over with and you can finally meet your baby.

~ he will never tell you this, but he is jealous that you can feel the baby all the time.

~ he cannot wait until he can hold his baby against his chest and rock them to sleep and feel their soft skin and lil hands and feet.

~ he knows you’re an adult and you can take care of yourself but just want to take care of you constantly and hold you and never let you go and he’s so clingy and at this point it’s making you even more ready for baby to come out.

~ you’re two weeks from full term with practice contractions happening on the daily when you tell Dick that you are absolutely fine to go to the manor.

~ you are tired and hurting and hungry, and the possibility of going into labor two hours from your planned place of birthing does nothing to satiate your desire for the joy your in-laws brings you.

~ from the start, nothing is normal to this visit. You’re twenty minutes away when Dick has to pull over for you to throw up. (That hasn’t happened since significantly earlier in your pregnancy and Dick is more than a little bit worried.)

~ you manage to convince him to keep going (you’re closer to the manor now than you are to your apartment)

~ (he drives with your hand in his, both resting over your swollen belly)

~ Dick is opening your door to help you out as he notices your eyes squeezed shut.

~ his brain starts running a million miles an hour.

~ he knows better than to play the guessing game. He takes your hand in his and lays the other over where you’re pressing against your belly.

~ Dick feels no hard kicking, and you’re not pressing against your stomach as you would for nausea.

~ he waits another moment and you’re breathing deeply and throwing your head against the back of the seat.

~ “that was a contraction.” There’s no question about it.

~ you nod. “A practice one.”

~ Dick bites back a sigh. “And you’re sure you don’t want to go home and relax?”

~ you chuckle, gripping his hand and standing up. “C’mon, big bird, we’ll be fine.”

~ Dick follows you inside.

~ it takes one look at Dick’s face to tell something is wrong.

~ Cass hugs you both and immediately frowns. She doesn’t even have to sign the words for you and Dick to hear the question.

~ Dick sighs a little bit and pulls her close, ruffling her hair. “We’re okay, Cassie.” You can't help but think he sounds exhausted.

~ everyone knows something’s off (detectives, gosh), but no one can quite tell what happened and they’re not sure they wanna ask.

~ the exhaustion radiating from you and your husband is palpable.

~ the family does their best to help.

~ (Alfred pauses in his cooking the second you and Dick enter the kitchen. He presses a kiss to each of your foreheads, giving you his firm I-love-you-and-I-know-something-is-wrong-and-you-can-talk-to-me look.

~ Jason, who’s helping Alfred in the kitchen, tells you both with concern in his eyes to go sit down.

~ Dick escorts you to the living room, where Damian and Tim are playing Cheese Viking while Duke cheers them on.

~ you sit on the far end of the couch and are immediately loved on by each of your boys. Damian moves from his seat to press against your side. He allows you to hug him close.

~ Tim reaches out from the other side of the couch and you meet him halfway. His fingers wrap around yours and it’s such a simple gesture but so sweet.

~ Duke comes around the couch and drapes a blanket over you, gently he presses his forehead against your crown.

~ it takes only a few minutes for Cass to come and sit at your feet, her head resting against your knee.

~ gosh you love these kids

~ Once you’re settled, Dick goes to find Bruce in his study (apparently working.)

~ He dramatically collapses onto the small couch.

~ Bruce raises his eyebrows, unimpressed by his eldest’s dramatics. He clicks his pen closed and fits the documents he was signing into their folder.

~ “something wrong?”

~ Dick sighs theatrically.

~ “I want to meet my baby now.”

~ Bruce softens. He joins his son on the couch moving Dick’s legs out of the way.

~ he held out his arm. Dick promptly flopped across his father’s lap.

~ “did something happen?”

~ Dick whined. like a child

~ he burrowed further into his father’s hold.

~ “Braxton Hicks is a jackass.”

~ Bruce’s laugh sounds throughout the manor.

~ Dick groans. “Really! She keeps having contractions and it hurts her so much but they’re always just practice and we’re so ready B.”

~ he sighs quietly. “I wanna meet my baby.”

~ Bruce rubs his shoulder, hugging him tighter. “You’ll meet them soon. You’re almost there.”

~ twenty minutes and one sleeping soon-to-be-father later, Bruce makes his way to the living room.

~ he hovers in the doorway, taking in the scene.

~ the boys have moved so you can lie down on the couch. Cass is perching on the arm of the couch, stroking your hair. Tim is still at the end of the couch, your feet in his lap, and Damian has taken the floor, directly in front of your belly.

~ You do not seem to be awake.

~ Bruce moves on to the kitchen.

~ Alfred and Jason seem to be waiting for dinner to bake. Bruce takes a seat at the island, knocking his shoulder against his second eldest’s.

~ Alfred smiles from where he stands.

~ “how are the soon to be parents?”

~ Bruce smirks. “Exhausted, anxious, and now asleep.”

~ Jason snorts. Alfred nods sharply.

~ “they will, undoubtedly, need the rest.”

[wisdom-walks-alone]

"It all just feels like too much, all the time." Damian rests his cheek on his knees, hugging his legs with one arm and picking the pills off the couch cushion with his free hand. "I just want to go back to not feeling anything at all."

"That's totally understandable. When you're feeling overwhelmed, it's normal to just want everything to go away. But feeling can be a good thing. It means that you're alive."

Damian huffs. "What if I don't want to be alive?" He pauses, as does Dinah's writing. "That came out wrong. I don't want to die or anything, and it's not like I'm too eager to go back to Hell."

Dinah adjusts herself in her seat, leaning forward a little. "And what makes you so sure you'd go to Hell?"

Something in Damian's body tenses, but he doesn't let it show. What, you think you're a bad person? Boohoo, you're not, so suck it up already.

He shrugs. Dinah doesn't push. It's one of the things he likes about her.

He doesn't have to hide anything from her. Not in the secret identities and sketchy backgrounds kind of way. She knows his past and she knows his present. She knows them probably better than anyone. Yet there are things that he still can't bring himself to admit. There's something about saying things out loud that make them real, and then you have to face them. To bare your feelings to one person is to bare them to the whole world. Damian's seen a lot of things in his life and still nothing terrifies him as much as that.

And sometimes it just sounds so ridiculous. And he feels ridiculous saying it. He's embarrassed, and isn't that just the icing on the cake?

But Dinah never judges. He knows she won't ever judge him. But he's still always afraid to say it.

He can run straight into the line of fire and jump off a hundred-story buildings, but he's still a fucking coward.

Dinah would tell him otherwise. That's why he doesn't say it out loud.

"How are your brothers?" Dinah asks.

Grateful for the change of subject, Damian briefly glances up at her. "Jason's a dick, as always. Dick isn't a dick. Tim is also a dick, but not in the same way that Jason is. I think on some level he kind of understands." He turns his head, hugging his legs tighter. "He's…trying. They all are."

"It's nice that they're trying," Dinah says. "And your father?"

Damian bites his cheek. "He's trying, too. I know he is." He has to remind himself of it sometimes, and sometimes it's hard to believe. "But it's…hard. For him."

"How so?"

"Just… He wants to understand, and he's trying to, he just…can't. And I don't have the words to help him understand."

Dinah nods sagely. "That must be frustrating."

"Yeah." Damian goes back to picking at the pills on the couch. "It's just—I know he's trying his best. It just feels like his best isn't good enough. And that feels so shitty, because you can't ask for someone to do more than their best."

"You don't have to be sorry for how you feel," Dinah tells him. "Your feelings are real and they're valid. It's completely fair of you to feel like you're not getting what you need."

"I guess."

"You're not selfish for having needs, Damian."

"It's selfish when your needs get in the way of what other people need."

"You're just trying to survive and thrive. There's nothing wrong with that. Your needs are just as important as anyone else's."

“But they’re valid, too,” Damian insists. “They’re valid in what they’re doing, how can I be upset with them for that?”

“You aren’t responsible for how other people make you feel, Damian.”

Damian doesn't reply to that. He looks away.

Dinah sits up, leaning forward in her seat. "You're a good person, Damian. You're not a bad person for having these feelings, and you shouldn't feel guilty for having them either. Instead, try being proud of yourself for recognizing that what you want might not be something you should act on."

Damian scoffs. "I have enough pride."

"Then you have plenty to spare."

Damian looks at her, deadpan. Dinah remains unwavering. Finally, he lets out a disgruntled sigh. "I guess."

Dinah smirks at her victory, tapping the back end of her pen absently on her notepad. A moment passes, then she asks, “How’s school?” Damian gives her a look, as if she even needs to ask to know that it sucks absolute balls. She just raises an eyebrow in challenge, and Damian huffs as he relents.

“Honestly, it’s been kind of hard. I can understand everything easily enough, but concentrating and keeping up with the work are difficult. Getting to and staying in school is hard, too. Father’s worried about my grades, so he’s been on top of me more about all that stuff.” He scoffs. “I know he’s right, but it just feels overbearing and all around frustrating, and it really just makes me want to do work and go to school less.”

“You have always had an opposition to authority,” Dinah remarks sagely. “You don’t like being told what to do.”

Damian squirms. He knows she’s right. It’s not something he’s ever been ignorant to, in fact he usually embraces this trait of his. He just feels weird about it in this particular situation.

“Have you tried talking to him?”

“Of course I have,” Damian shoots back. “He never listens.”

Dinah nods. “Communication is hard. Your father has never been good at that. Stubborn as ever, he is.”

“Tell me about it. Every time I try to tell him how frustrating it is he just goes on his spiel about how it’s just because he cares about me and is worried for my future. It’s not like I couldn’t just forge any degree I want to get a job if I wanted to.”

“But your father has more integrity than that,” Dinah points out. “And so do you.” A pause. “Would you rather he not care at all?”

“Kinda, yeah.” Damian purses his lips. “Well…maybe just for this one thing… I don’t know, it just feels like it’d be easier sometimes. If he didn’t care. Stopped getting in my way.”

“You don’t want him to stop caring about you, though.”

“If he really cares about me then maybe he should listen to what I have to say.”

Dinah nods. “I agree. But it’s not always that simple.”

“I know.” A silence lulls over them, and Damian squirms a bit as he tries to grasp for something to fill it with. “I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed lately, but there isn’t really anything to be overwhelmed about. Every time I have a mental break there’s just a bigger mental break.”

“We all have a different threshold for what we can handle,” Dinah tells him, “and we all have different ways of dealing with things. What you’re overwhelmed by just might not be apparent.” She pauses, then adds, “Have you talked to anyone else about how you’ve been feeling? Your friends, your brothers, your sister?”

“I feel like I do that enough here.”

Dinah smiles sadly. “I will always be here for you, Damian, gladly, but you need other people outside of me and these sessions.” Damian folds his arms over his chest, a pout forming. “Can you try to think of someone you can go to?”

Damian thinks for a second. “I could talk to Cass.” He smiles a little. “She’s a good listener.”

“That’s good,” Dinah says. “That’s a good place to start. Is there anyone else? You have to have more than just one person.”

Damian’s eyebrows knit and he draws his knees closer to his chin. He shrugs.

“I know it’s scary, relying on people, but it’s something that’s necessary to live a healthy life. And you deserve to have people you can rely on when you need to, and not just out on the streets. You deserve to not be alone.”

Damian shifts, hides his face in his arms to hide the tears that escape at her words. He wipes them on his sleeves as he looks up. “There’s Dick. I think I can talk to Dick. Yeah, I can do that.”

Dinah smiles. “Good. You deserve to have a good support system, and you know I’ll always be part of it too.”

Damian glances up at her face briefly. “I know.”

Dinah smiles again as she glances at the clock. “It looks like we’re out of time for today. It was good talking to you, Damian.”

Damian sits up, putting his feet back on the floor. “You, too. Thank you,” he says, standing up.

“Of course. I’ll see you next week.”

“Yeah, see you next week.”

[itsmeevie01]

Bio!Dad Bruce Day 11-The (Vigilante) Talk

Over Thanksgiving, Marinette has happily settling into her room at Wayne Manor. Alfred had welcomed her with a smile and Tim had wrapped her into a hug. Dick had talked excitably at her and Bruce had called a welcome as he made his way in form work. The family didn’t realize how much noise they were making until a small boy stormed down the stairs. His face was pulled into a scowl and he had a katana gripped tightly in his hand. When he came face to face with Marinette, the little boy snarled. She looked at the 10-year-old and smiled at him. “hi! You must be Damian! It’s nice to finally met you, brother.” The boy looked her over and turned away.

“tt” Although it wasn’t the overjoyed welcome that she hadn’t gotten from the others, the Parisian still felt like the greeting from the child was a complement.

“No. No way. The kid hates everyone! How did you get him to like you?” the shock in Tim’s voice made Marinette giggle.

“You know Tim, there is such a thing as kindness, you should try it sometime.”

“Little Bit!”

“Nettttttttttt you’re going to make Tim cry!”

“good, he deserves it! That little boy didn’t come here for you to go after him!”

“um…are we forgetting that the demon Brat tried to kill me? “Marinette smirked at Tim’s offense.

“nope!”

When the others had disappeared (gone on patrol) for the night, Bruce pulled his youngest daughter into one of the smaller sitting rooms. “Marinette, we need to talk.” The girl tensed before sighing.

“is…is this about the…altercation this spring?” Bruce nodded solemnly. He could see his daughter bracing herself. “are you mad?” the quiet question made him choke.

“Mad? Why would I be mad? Marinette, you handled everything so. Well. I just wanted to go over something that come into play with that…pastime.” His daughter furrowed her brow in confusion. “you and I are not the only vigilantes in the family. The others just haven’t told you yet.” Her face lit up in excitement.

“you mean…you mean my brother? And Cass? And Steph?” Bruce nodded at her questions.

“yes. The entire family. Here, in Gotham, we all abide by a code.” Understanding flooded her face.

“what is the code?” there were nerves in Marinette’s voice, but the way she took the information he was throwing at her made him proud. Taking a deep breath, Bruce broke down what he made all the rules he had his children abide by when in the field. Partway through, Tikki settled on Marinette’s shoulder to be a part of the conversation. When Bruce was done, he looked at the two, waiting for questions. The Kawmii hovered to be eye level with the teen and the duo started to talk back and forth in rapid fire. The language they were using was not one that he was familiar with, however.

Marinette glared at her Kawmii where she sat on her nose. “no.” the goddess of luck sighed but followed her chosen’s lead in switching out of the guardian language and back to English.

“Marinette. You don’t have to live by the archaic rules that Master Fu enforced. You saw what happened to him! I don’t want you to alone too!”

“Tikki, as much as I love you, and I love that you care, I am not alone. I have my dad; I have my parents in Paris. I have my brothers, my sisters, and my friends. Hell, even my partner has been fantastic! This needs to stay as. It. Is.” Bruce cleared his throat, cautious. He had seen what Marinette was capable of doing when she was truly angry, he didn’t need that rage leveled at him.

“Marinette is there more going on?” the little goddess of luck took advantage of his attention.

“Yes! Marinette is the Guardian now! She won’t tell Chat and she’s trying to do the work of an entire order by herself!” his daughter froze. His eyes narrowed as he studied her. Sure, Marinette had looked more tired, and yes, the girl had seemed more on edge. In his defense, Bruce mainly dealt with heroes and villain s outside of the office. The signs she had been showing were normal for that of a leader of a hero team when life went to the dogs. As he looked closer, Bruce noticed smaller signs that normally would go unnoticed. Tenser shoulders, paler skin. In fact, …

“Marinette…” Bruce paused. If he was right, then he knew how to help a little bit. If he was wrong, ALL of his daughters were going to eviscerate him. “Net, have you been eating? I know that when I start to get wrapped up in a case, I forget about basic needs. Sometimes I can loose entire weeks in the cave, subsisting on what Alfred brings me.” The 14-year-old had tensed, looking ready to defend herself or run if she had to. When Bruce mentioned his own habit, the teen had relaxed.

“I- yes. I do that too. Sometimes, Tikki isn’t enough to break me out of my thoughts. If there isn’t an emergency…” Bruce nodded in understanding.

“what does your partner do, when that happens?”

“wellllll”

“Marinette. For the love of all that is holy, please tell me that you know who each other are.” She flinched slightly at the change in his voice, before she fervently shook her head.

“the last guardian…he didn’t want us to know about each other. He didn’t want us to know more than strictly necessary, actually.” In that moment, Bruce saw red. Not only had this man thrown two teens into the fire and walked off, he had taken any form of support with him.

“Net, do you trust Chat Noir?” the noirette nodded.

“would you please take some advice?” she studied him before nodding hesitantly.

“when you two have the time, meet out of the suit. Know who each other are, and what each other’s downfalls are. Know how to help each other and how to keep the other in a space that is safe. It is so, so important to have someone to lean on. I have not only your siblings, but Alfred and the Justice League. I promise that if you need help, ever, I will do all I can to help. But you need someone on site. You need someone who understands nearby.”

“Is…is that why you have partners? So that if needed, you can step back?” the timidity in Marinette’s voice mad Bruce pause.

“Marinette are you present at every Alums attack? Even when your out of town?”

“I have to be. I…Ladybug is the only one who can fix everything afterwards. If I’m not there, people stay dead and business shut down and hospitals stay damaged and overflowing. If I’m not there, we don’t have any of our landmarks, any of the things that make Paris the city it is.”

“how are you getting back and forth? It takes too long to fly, right?” the younger vigilante hesitated and glanced at Tikki before pulling out a small jewelry box.

“I keep Kaalki's glasses with me. If there is an emergency, I teleport in, handle everything, and teleport out. I’ve been lucky so far, because no one has noticed.” There was a sound, as Bruce went to respond. When they turned, the two found Dick making his way into the kitchen, wearing a pair of joggers with his hair still wet. Marinette paused and put two and two together as she realized that her siblings must be getting back for the night.

When Dick stumbled into the kitchen at 3 am, he wasn’t expecting his little sister to still be up. Because of that, he had not fully changed back into his regular clothing. He had showered, of course. After flying over the city for hours though, the young adult was ready to go to bed. As he reached for a box of cereal and a bowl, he vaguely registered Bruce sitting at the counter. When Dick turned to see who was sitting besides his father figure, he froze. Sitting there looking completely unsurprised was- “Marinette.” He froze, he processed who was sitting at the counter, and exactly what time of night it was. “I. Um. Well…hi?” the sheepishness in his voice was clear. The younger noirette simply shook her head.

“early morning snack? I hadn’t realized how late dad and I had stayed up talking. I should probably head to bed so I can function in a few hours.” As the girl hopped up, Dick realized that Bruce looked…upset. Was…was Marinette using his interruption to get out of whatever conversation they had been having? If the girl’s blinding smile and small wave was anything to go by, the answer was most likely yes.

When Marinette joined the family the next morning at breakfast, her father raised an eyebrow at her from farther down the table. “did you sleep well after our unfinished conversation last night, Marinette?” Dick swung his gaze to look at her.

“so, I did interrupt something last night!” the guilty look Marinette flashed in his direction made him scoff. “sneak.”

“but I’m still your favorite, right?” he paused, considering her statement.

“you, missy, are on probation.” They laughed, before Bruce cleared his throat.

“After breakfast, you are coming to the office with me. We can talk on the way there. There is more to go over from last night.” The teen huffed and slumped into her chair but nodded all the same.

When the two were in the car, Marinette stared out the window. “what else is there to go over, dad?” the dejectedness in her tone made Bruce sigh.

“Marinette, hey,” he nudged her to get the girl to look over at him. “you aren’t in trouble. I just want to make sure that you are safe. I know exactly how hard this life is and I know how dangerous it is. I want to make sure that you are taken care of if anything happens.”

“I…I don’t know how to approach the idea of knowing who may partner is. We’ve lived in secret for so long, it’s hard to imagine a place where I can go to him outside of the suit. Or! What if he doesn’t like me without a mask on? I don’t want to hate him or have trouble working with him if I know him in real life and we don’t get along.” Bruce stayed silent, letting his daughter let her fears show through. Sometimes he forgot that the girl was nervous. She was always so confidant around him, that he forgot that she had a tendency to overthink.

“start slow. Explain to him that you met an older vigilante over some travels, and that you talked through some of your fears with them. Suggest meeting somewhere outside of the city to talk, and work form there. Find a place, together, where you can go and work on tracking down Hawkmoth. A base of sorts. Once you have the base work between yourself and your partner, ill send one of your brothers. I’ll send them under the guise of forming bonds with Ladybug and Chat Noir. With a man on the ground, I can help you in anyway you need. And,” here, Bruce shot her a small smile. “this way I wont be taking over. The Justice League isn’t taking over either.” Marinette hesitated, before nodding.

“I…I like that”

since i am a compleate chaotic mess, i decided to twist this topic a lil. that’ll probably happen tomorrow, too. that is, unless i decide to just use an alternate one. idk man, i have no plans at this point. everyhting is up to date on my AO3 account, wiht is under the same username, if you want to manuver over there, lol. ill add a link in the masterlist soon!

[yourbooksname]

Batfam disney film headcanons

Normal Disney

The Little Mermaid

- Damian finds Eric ‘likeable’ - its because Eric is practically Dick Grayson

- Bruce accidentally reveals that young Dick had a crush on Ariel and the others tease him mercilessly

- “Seriously, Dickhead, every redhead you’ve ever seen?”

- Dick grumbles but has a gleam in his eyes as he stares at the screen during part of your world

- “Is she serious? Surely one who has studied this much knows what feet are-”

- “Demon, shut up”

- They say Grimsby is a knock off alfred

- “Oh, please, knock-off means it bears some resemblance. I surely hope other than the accent you all see no relation of him to me.”

- They all kinda love Ursula, in their own special way

- Steph is dancing around, if you could call it dancing, dragging cass with her (who is smiling the whole time) during under the sea 

- Jason leans back and, with a cruel smile on his face, exclaimes that “this is the best song” during les poissons 

- Which causes an uproar from most of the others

Aladdin

- Everyone tiptoes around it, and then steph makes one joke and suddenly its constant jason jokes

- “Is crime alley this musical?”

- “Would you all shut up? *mumbling* I didn’t even have a monkey”

- “Who’s your Jasmine, aladdin?”

- “Tt, statistically speaking based on time spent together, it’s that buffoon Harper”

- Jason is an inch from killing them but none of them really care at this point

- Once they caught him humming one jump ahead while cooking and they will never ever let him live it down

- “steph I swear if you keep playing the Gilbert Gottfried version of WAP over iago-”

- Rajah appears, and it’s too late for them to turn the movie off before

- “Father, I would like a bengal tiger.”

- Most of them are clearly having a great time during friend like me

- Jason brings up the talent of Robin williams

- and damian says “who”

- Jason turns, bewildered, and decides he’s going to force him to watch every single robin williams movie until he finds one he likes (It’s Jumanji, surprisingly. Dick likes Mrs. Doubtfire, Tim loves Good Will Hunting, Jason loves Dead Poets Society, Bruce is partial to Good Morning Vietnam, Steph loves Aladdin, Cass loves Hook)

- They have a moment of silence at the end for robin williams

Lilo and Stitch

- The family likes to joke Damien is stitch

- “A violent” “but loveable” “little gremlin...”

- “Tt, if we’re assigning roles, then Drake is that contemptuous redheaded girl”

- ‘Listen brat-”

- Duke shuts them up by saying that “this is the most ohana family i’ve ever seen in my life”

- Cass wants to learn how to spit fire

- Steph is fully on board, and so is Jason

- Damian wants to watch

- Alfred is about to have a heart attack

- But Damian does enjoy the movie, as it reminds him of his acceptance among the bats - not that he’d tell them

- Surprisingly, this movie also means a lot to Jason and Dick

- even if they don’t say it out loud

- they watched it together when Jason was young; and the sibling relationship in the movie moves ‘em both - and Jason can enjoy some quality Elvis

- However awkward, they’re nicer to each other after each viewing, and on a bad day they both get emotional during the movie (one more than the other, openly anyway)

- That cannot and will not stop Jason from messing with the bats/breaking the rules the next day on Patrol, and when Dick or Bruce confronts him, yelling “Ohana, bitch” and jumping off the building

A goofy movie

- Similar to Lilo and Stitch in terms of bonding, it brings Bruce closer to the boys

- but especially Jason, because Jason

- is Jason

- and would def. be the one to object the most to a road trip

- They make an uneasy but loving eye contact during ‘Nobody else but you’

-  Dick LOVES powerline, tell me i’m wrong; this bitch knows all the dance moves to both Stand Out and Eye to Eye (and the perfect catch, technically)

- Tim thinks the movie is worth watching just for Bobby (”you would, nerd”)

- Steph insists it has the best looking Pizza in any movie ever

“LOOK AT IT”

“We’re looking steph”

“LOOK HARDER”

Pixar lightning round

- Toy Story

- It’s been banned at Wayne Manor

- Not because they don’t like it

- But because Jason objects to Randy Newman

- And Dick attempts even MORE death-defying stunts on Patrol, claiming he’s “falling with style” 

- A bug’s life

- Dick likes it, it reminds him of the circus, 

- but other than that none of them really care too much about it

- Toy Story 2

- Often referenced whenever a family member breaks their arm (”NOW I CAN’T GO TO COWBOY CAMP”

- Jason says “Hey look, it’s bruce” every time zurg is on screen and Bruce is sick of it

- Once, an argument broke out during ‘When she loved me’

- “Oh, Sarah McLachlan”

- “Who?”

- “The one singing - she does those stupid ASPCA commercials”

- “Stupid? It is advertising to aid animals subjected to cruelty. You’re the stupid one.”

- “Brat, shut up, it’s a commercial.”

- “Do you support animal cruelty?”

- “What?! I-”

- “Go ahead, take it out on me. I am glad Alfred and Titus are not here as I know they would be your primary target, monster.”

- So they’ve stopped watching the movie

- Monsters inc. 

- Jason always wants to watch it

- he used to love watching it with Roy (who, unbeknownst to anyone except Jason and Kori) would cry at the ending thinking of Lian

- It’s also just hilarious

- Finding Nemo

- They think it’ll teach Bruce to be less overprotective

- They were wrong

- He hovers even more 

- Which prompts steph to walk up to a warehouse on a mission yelling “look at me, i’m gonna go touch the butt”

- when Gil came on screen someone said “look, it’s deathstroke” which prompted a chuckle out of everyone

-The Incredibles; 

-They all recognize the irony of a superhero family movie, but enjoy it nonetheless

- Once, Jason pointed out how similar Syndrome’s origin story was to Tim 

- everyone was a little rattled, and were grateful Tim decided to persist to good

-Cars

- “Wow”

- “Wow”

- “WOW”

- “wow”

-Ratatouille

- Tim and Barbara both love it

- They admire the work being done almost methodically

- Jason and Alfred enjoy the cooking in the movie, as they are both avid chefs

- Damian also admires the film, though he called the plot “ludicrous” he likes the music

- They have to force Dick out of the destroyed kitchen as he yells “anyone can cook!” the next day

- Wall-E 

- Cass loves this one - especially as it’s mostly told through body language

-It inspires Tim to start a new ‘Go green’ wayne manor initiative

- Damian will watch the first half but insists the movie loses its quality when the humans arrive

- Up

- Damian wants a talking dog

- Dick’s favorite pixar movie, probably

- He loves the beginning, and the soundtrack, and the house flying, and Ellie

- Once Tim got him a grape soda pin and he wore it for weeks

- Brave; 

-They tease Dick more (redhead)

- The girls love it

- At least one person tries to do a scottish accent with every viewing

- Inside Out

- Dick was sobbing by the end

- Cause this mans does nothing but bottle up all emotions other than joy

- For the people around him

- He gets the support from his family that Riley gets and suddenly everyone’s emotional (as emotional as Bats can be, I suppose)

- Coco

- Jason sings remember me in spanish often when he thinks no one is around

- They watch it on Halloween and Jason laments how young him probably would have gone as Miguel for halloween with the hoodie his mom gave him; however it wouldn’t fit now

- throwing him a Dia De los Muertos celebration (yes Jason is latino fight me)

- He appreciates it, begrudgingly, but gets emotional when he finds a new red hoodie up in his room, not knowing who its from

- It becomes his new favorite pixar movie

______ If you have more movie ideas please let me know because i’m loving doing this