#good dad!bruce

[dss1101]

what's in a name?

Bruce Wayne has many children. Bruce Wayne does not have many children who call him 'dad' regularly, and he understands. He was not the first father figure for most of his children, but he's happy to fill in for them now. However, the rarity with which he hears the word just makes it that much sweeter when he does.

[kittymaine]

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Green Arrow - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Bruce Wayne & His Children, Jason Todd & Roy Harper Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Roy Harper, Alfred Pennyworth, Oliver Queen, Batfamily - Character, Batkids - Character, Justice League - Character Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Oliver Queen's A+ Parenting Skills, Batdad on the warpath, Protective Jason, Overdose, Batdad, Batfamily, Revenge, Justice Series: Part 1 of Bruce v. Oliver: Dawn of Overprotective!Batdad Summary:

"You lost all credibility when you laid hands on a teenager--not just any teenager, but your own ward," Bruce growled, "You threw him out when he needed you most. Unacceptable. Do you hear me? That is unforgivable."

Oliver pressed a hand to his gushing nose, staring at him in shock.

"If I ever," Bruce said, voice dropping an octave. "ever, see you near Roy again, I'll break every bone in your hands." He tilted his head, a dark smirk twisting his lips. "We'll see how well you shoot after that."

Oliver Queen drops the ball. Bruce Wayne takes in Roy Harper, and gives his colleague a little schooling on what it means to be a father.

[everwalldigan]

To anyone who thinks Bruce has a clear and consistent favourite child I raise you this: it is infinitely funnier for Bruce to have a complicated and elaborate “ranking” system of his kids that only he’s privy to.

Picture this: Batman, dosed with truth serum, gets asked as a gag from one of the goons holding him captive who his favourite bat-vigilante is and instead of giving a straight answer, he launches into this whole explanation about the ranking system and who’s in the current lead, who’s hanging behind, etc. At some point (this is a mystery to everyone involved) a whiteboard appears and he starts explaining his system like he’s a football coach before an important match. Out of nowhere he starts pulling out little cardboard cutouts of his kids and pins them to the board. At some point the red string comes out.

Jason hasn’t killed someone in a week? Automatically promoted to favourite. Tim hasn’t caused an international incident in the past month? Puts him a few points ahead that keep decreasing the longer he refuses real sleep (20 minute power naps don’t count Tim! Says powernap inventor Bruce Wayne). Cass gave him a hug this morning and wished him a good day? Favourite until he gets a call from dick telling him (without shouting!!!!) that he’ll be there for this week’s Sunday dinner. Duke accidentally scratches the Batmobile? Demoted to the “in trouble” zone (which, honestly, that’s where his kids spend most of the time in😭). Damian did not attempt to free all the animals in the zoo they visited? Favourite. Until Bruce found out he was just trying to conceal the cat hidden in his room that Bruce explicitly forbade him from keeping.

Dick arrives at the family dinner with a busted shoulder and a bruise the size of Texas on his face? Gets demoted so far down that even azraeil scores higher than him. He’s in the “in trouble” zone for a constant month after that. Oh one of them survived an almost death? Favourite for at least the next week. At least. Multiple people survive an almost death? EVERYONES the favourite. The least favourite is the growing grey hairs on his head.

The end of day results are decided by who bothers to wish him goodnight and if all of them have fucked up in some way the past week then Jon (Kent) becomes the automatic favourite until someone cracks a joke that Bruce actually finds funny.

The favourite child changes daily, hourly even, and his kids are aware this system exists and keep trying to crack the code but he always Knows and just smirks smugly.

[versasfanficwastedump]

and while i’m on a self indulgent thing? i think that any of the kids calling Bruce “dad” changes his whole demeanor. it helps him know that whatever they’re talking about is serious.

hearing his name shouted across the house does nothing for him. a hundred people say his name all day, including his kids. whatever the situation is can be fixed.

but hearing “Dad!”, cried out in battle or screamed from the other room, has him rushing to their side. what is it love and i’m here you’re alright and shh i’ve got you

“Bruce, I need help” = can’t open this large jar, have a question about math homework, need someone to look at this case file for me

“Dad, I need help” = I am hurt. I am scared. I am in danger. I need you to make things better. I need you to protect me.

[haveihitanerve]

Headcanon that Bruce’s kids have all pulled the ‘you're not my father card’ at some point or the other and by the time steph rolled around he didn't even take it seriously

Of course, the first time dick said it, bruce cried himself to sleep. But by the eighteenth time, he was numb to it. “Dickie just eat your peas.” 

The first time jason did it Bruce pulled him aside and said “i know Im not, but that doesn't mean i don't care for you jason.” by the twenty fifth time he just held up the adoption papers

The first time Tim said it Bruce laughed. “Tim, you literally forced me to adopt you. Yes I am your father.” Tim didn't bother to say it from then on, maybe muttering ‘you're not my dad!’ under his breath at the computer, just for bruce to whisper ominously ‘yes i am.’ 

When Steph said it, full of anger and hate and sadness and fear, bruce just followed her and said “you're right. Im not your father. And i will never be your father. But, if you'll let me, id like to be better.” After that any time steph said ‘ur not my father’ bruce would just respond with ‘never will be’

Cass said “your are my father” and left no room for argument

Babs said “ur not my dad or my father or even close to being any of it, but you are my mom.” bruce just had to accept that

When damian said it bruce just stood there for a solid fifteen minutes rebooting. Dick and jason fell out of their chairs laughing. 

Duke specifically went “ur my dad! My dad! Boogie woogie woogie!’ and bruce was just like ‘bet aight.”

[theredcuyo]

Was doing something unrelated but

Can you imagine a world where nobody knows the batkids are actually Batman's children and hence, when they hear them yelling at each other "I'll report this to Batman!" They think it's actually serious team discussion

And they don't know that for them it literally translates into "I'm telling dad!"

Like, You see Nightwing arguing with Red Hood and going "Oh, i'm SO reporting this to Batman"

"OH NO, YOURE NOT"

"YES I AM"

And everyone else thinks this is serious? And it could affect Hood's status as an ally?

But really is just Dick telling his little brother he's snitching about his broken arm to their dad-

Or you see Red Robin trying to bribe Robin and Spoiler "I'm reporting your actions to Batman"

"Yeah, gotta start the report about it, and he's going to be so-"

"... How much?"

And they smile maliciously, and anyone else thinks RR did something REALLY bad but it's just that he exceeded his weekly allowed coffee and his sibblings found out

Because they also do it to other people, like Tim does it to Supes when he's arguing with Kon-

[yrkhn]

messy sketch on the phone because it was the only thing I could draw on😞 I haven't drawn on my phone for a long time, so you can see a lot of mistakes here BUT I DON'T CARE guys I enjoyed the process.

[spicy-apple-pie]

I think it would be fun if Dick and Jason had a podcast called Orphaned or something. Same vibes as The Basement Yard, but with more guests. Mostly their family. Tim is the most frequent, followed by Steph, then Bruce.

I like them bickering and being brothers on camera. And Bruce is there surprisingly often just cause he likes to see and talk to his boys. Dick and Jay both joke that they only have him on to rake in the views, but genuinely like the talks they have. It even translates into off camera stuff because Bruce realizes how easy it is to talk about mundane stuff and not about cases.

One scene I can’t get out of my head is them reminiscing about the first time they met.

Dick: ugh, you pissed me off so much…

Jason: wha- How?? I was literally eight! What did I do??

Dick: You just waltzed right in and got adopted while I was still just a fucking ward!!

Jason: How is that my fault?? I didn’t force Bruce to adopt me!

Dick: I know that now! It just pissed me off at the time, I was still just a teenager!

Jason: You’re adopted now though, right.

Dick: Yeah… but sometimes I wish I wasn’t

Jason: Why? Because this family is fucking bonkers?

Dick: No because I could hold that over Bruce’s head for so long.

Jason: Oh yeah, you could milk that.

Dick: I’d milk it so hard.

[raynewolferune]

DC x DP Prompt: Bruce is bad at emoting but at least ghosts are empathic (too bad bat kids are not)

Was reading Twincognito on AO3 when I stumbled across this gem again:

~

" “Danny, Tim. I was just…checking in. Is everything alright?” Curse his inability to make meaningful conversation when it wasn’t a life or death situation.

They glanced at each other and shrugged.

Then Danny hauled himself out of the bed and walked over to Bruce.

Bruce tried not to let too much excitement show on his face. "

~

Now I really want to read a story where Bruce adopts Danny post Meta trafficking and is being his usual emotionally constipated self. His kids keep getting mad at him because he's treating their new meta brother who was trafficked poorly (generally being stilted in conversation with him, walking away hurriedly mid-conversation, avoiding Danny when he's feeling really awkward, etc). They think Bruce is discriminating against Danny for being a civilian, meta, dealer's pick, but really it's just Bruce being horribly socially awkward. Danny knows this because of ghost empathy and find the whole thing hilarious. The whole thing comes to a head with the Bat Kids staging an intervention in the Bat Cave.

[91-1lover]

Bruce: About the elephant in the room

Damian and Tim: ....

Bruce: Anyone wants to explain?

Tim:Not really, no

Bruce: I'm not mad, I'm quite impressed actually

Bruce: How did you put her in my living room? And what is she doing here?

Damian: Grayson missed Zitka

Bruce: So you put her in my house? How?!

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

Jason insists on being the bait for a joint mission with the Bats. But the moment he starts “screaming” during the interrogation process, Batman calls the whole thing off and smashes right through the window and into the first thug.

Absolutely nobody is surprised by this development. Except Jason.

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

Batkids calling Bruce when they need him.

Dick gets arrested for underage drinking call my dad now he's not in the slightest scared but he wants his dad. Bruce who already got bail done and is wrapping Dick in a blanket.

Jason crashes a car already on the phone with Bruce who is speeding to him.

Tim is falling asleep at the office and wants to go home dad please pick me up. Waking up tucked in Bruce's bed.

Damian gets in a fight at school you call my father right now. He suspended but Bruce hugs him on the way out.

Cass standing face to face with David Cain the man who should have been her father but isn't but before she can scream for Bruce she's wrapped in his cape.

Duke calling Bruce because the kids at school have never been nice to a kid from the wrong side of the tracks and getting ice cream just because.

Stephanie just calling Bruce to talk knowing no matter how busy he is there will be time for her.

Babs who even though Jim Gordon is a great man after a nightmare about the joker only wants one man. Bruce running in the middle of the night to her door. Wrapping his batgirl in his arms.

Kids who aren't afraid to call Dad. He wont be mad he wants them to call. To know he will drop everything to get to his boys, or his girls. Scared birds shouting for the big bad bat and he comes running.

[d-1hater]

honestly one of the main reasons I like dc is that they can’t keep a storyline straight for shit. anything I don’t like is just *not real*. that’s different storyline babes what are you talking about???

like at this point I can consider shit like wfa and hell even well written fanfics as canon bc who knows what’s going on with those funky little people?? certainly not the dc writers

[everwalldigan]

My favourite thing ever is when Jason is drawn to resemble Bruce because I KNOWW his ass would HATE it😭😭

Dick: hey Jason you haven’t forgotten our meet u— oh my god are you ok?? What happened?

Jason *rocking back and forth on the floor with a traumatised look in his eyes, whispering in horror* someone mistook me for Bruce in the grocery store today.

Random kid at a charity event pointing at Jason standing grumpily in a corner: who’s that?

Bruce (smiling fondly): that’s my son Jason!

Random kid: he looks like you! :D

Jason: *leaves the room*

Bruce (running after him): jason, Jason they didn’t mean anything by it, Jason, you’re going to jump off a balcony just because of a child’s observation Jason?

[damiduck]

Damian, handing Bruce a piece of paper with a very neat calendar on it: father, I will be taking a step back from my participation in our nightly patrols. I have carefully considered factors such as, but not limited to, school tests, most likely days for breakouts and when other people will be available. Here is my schedule.

Bruce: any particular reason you are stepping back from Robin?

Damian: I have reached an acceptable age and am by far mature enough, so I will be participating in Ramadan this year, father. Afterwards I will pick my duties up as normal, but with changed sleeping and eating patterns, this is the most logical step for now.

Bruce, who grew up with a jewish mother and christian father who were intent to raise him on some weird mix of the two, then a second father who was atheist, proceeded to lose his entire way in any form of religion due to losing himself in his teen years, took in Jewish boy, then a catholic one with religious trauma, then an atheist one who had no idea how to even approach the idea of religion, followed up by a pagan girl and already making seven different mental lists of things he will need to research, how to add aspects of Islam into their weird family holidays and trying desperately to show his support for his son: ....hnn

Damian: thank you father

[haveihitanerve]

Okay but the Batkids using Dad with Bruce when they know hes been having a rough day-

Bruce comes back from a JL meeting upset, not because something went wrong but because they aren't acting like a team, and Dick jumps into his arms and crawls over his shoulders and drapes himself across his back and is like “dad! You're home!” and suddenly bruce feels better

Or Bruce excuses himself from a Gala, pissed off because someone whispered his kids are just charity cases he uses to get publicity and Cass slips into the room through a vent and hugs hims from behind murmuring, “its okay daddy. We know the truth.”

~alternatively~

The batkids calling bruce dad when they've had a bad day because they have to make conscious effort to call him bruce and when they are just exhausted and done its too much effort to not call him dad-

Jason storms into the manor, pissed off after finding a woman who took drugs and killed herself and left her daughter alone, and slumps onto the couch. Bruce notices and comes over with a cup of tea and one of jasons favorite books, presses a kiss to his forehead and covers him with a blanket and jason murmurs a quiet “thanks dad” before relaxing with his book

Or Tim has spent four consecutive days in the Cave, only surviving off of coffee and spite and Bruce finally snaps, grabbing him in a blanket and burritoing him and carrying him to his room and spoon feeding him alfred food and Tim is so exhausted he just mutters “thanks dad.” before falling asleep

Or Steph is out on patrol and she slips and her foot lands poorly and she screams in pain, hitting the ground, but in just a few seconds Batman is at her side, wrapping it for her and helping her to stand and as she sags against him she lets out a slightly pained, “thanks dad.” as he helps her to the batmobile.