#just that there was an intruder and alfred 'dealt with them'

[voidlesscreator]

There's a boy in shards that just crashed through the kitchen window.

Normally Alfred would be on the defensive at an intruder, much less one that shattered the glass of the kitchen window and got glass everywhere. But he was caught off guard by how young the intruder looked and the fact that he had two crystal-like breaks where his legs and one arm used to be, with even more hairline and large cracks and breaks on the rest of him.

The boy(?) had tumbled into the polished floor and a bag of what looked to be green and black crystals fell out of his remaining arm, the boy himself looking around the kitchen almost frantically before stopping on Alfred.

"Help- please-" Was all the boy said before passing out on the floor, definitely injured but not bleeding. Alfred went over to the boy without much thought, assessing the amount of damage the boy had sustained.

It was bad given that the boy seemed to be made of the crystals and his three broken off limbs were in the bag of crystals just in multiple sections- Alfred thinks that he could see a pinkie finger and an index in the mess of shards.

After the quick assessment, Alfred got to work. He knew that Master Bruce and the children would be more concerned about where the crystal boy had come from before even attempting to piece him back together, but Alfred didn't think he would have to worry about that- so taking him to the servant quarters that were mostly unused except for his own room was the option he chose. Going into the laundry room to grab one of the clean sheets was the first thing he did, in order to gather the boy's pieces to easily transport them- Alfred could deal with putting him together once he got the boy to a better spot than the kitchen floor.

(During this time, Alfred wonders if the boy minded doing some housework or gardening- he seemed desperate to get away from something so maybe?)

[iliumheightnights]

The batfam reacting to batdad defending them/kicking ass when the manor get's attacked.

Bruce: 

How could this happen? The Mansion was supposed to be the most protected place, especially when you were there. Bruce told you he wanted to train you but you simply waved him off, he should have taught you anyways. He rushed to where you were and was ready for the worst, however he was shocked when he saw his husband absolutely kicking ass with one of the many staffs the family had. “W-how?” “Not now! I got them! You protect our sons!” Of course Bruce doesn’t listen and helps you take out the attackers just to make sure you’re okay and you go to find your kids together.

“So now are you going to tell me where you learned to fight like that?”

“The training montage from Mulan.”

“...”

Dick:

It had been a good day, nothing had gone wrong. That’s what should have been the worrying sign, that nothing had gone wrong. Now the mansion, their home was being invaded. Dick’s first thought of course went to you. You weren’t like the others in the mansion, everyone had SOME sort of training and protection, even Alfred. You didn’t. He would make sure after you were safe and it all ended he’d teach you some. 

So imagine his surprise when he found you going HAM on the invaders with a baseball bat. He almost found it scary how different you looked swinging it around. But he had to push that aside and got right in the fight. “Don’t worry I’m here! I got you!”

Once they were dealt with He quickly hugged you. “I was so scared.”

You were quick to hug him back. “Hey it’s okay. You’re old man isn’t going down without a fight.”

“You’re not old, you’re my dad.”

Afterwards he still wanted to give you pointers and more training, in case it happened again and theirs never enough training. He’s already lost two parents, his isn’t about to lose another one.

Jason:

He was going to actually kill anyone who touched you. Screw Bruce’s rule, who cares when YOUR life is at stake. You’re his dad and he isn’t about to let you get hurt. He was fully prepared to kill some bastards but when he arrived found them all knocked out with you leaning against a bookshelf.

“Huh. I honestly thought you’d get here quicker.”

“W-what?” His voice actually cracks. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Dear, you didn’t actually believe I couldn’t defend myself?”

“Maybe a bit.”

“I literally married a man who runs around in a batsuit fighting crime, you should now better.”

Jason wants to slap himself. Of course you know self defense, you know EVERYTHING!

Tim:

He blames himself for the attack on the mansion itself. He had rebooted the defense system to upgrade some of the aspects and it was in that time it all happened. Now anything that happens will land on his shoulders and he couldn’t handle thinking that he caused your death.

That is until you pull him aside before any of the invaders find you. His first instinct is to get you out of their but you shush him with your finger before pressing a button. Next is the sound of screaming and electric zaps.

When it goes quiet and you two get up, he finds all the invaders knocked out. “Electric shock, will have em knocked out for at least 24 hours.”

“When did you have time and how did you do this?”

“Tim. I have my brains just like you have yours, plus maybe I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen so I could zap a bitch and protect my kids.”

“Dad-”

“Oh yep, sorry. Don’t cuss.”

Damian:

You and Damian may not have had a great start when he got there, but damn it your his dad now too! He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to you! Especially after you defended him from Talia, you were an actual parent to him than she was.

He didn’t care about Bruce’s rule much like Jason, he’d kill whoever to protect you. He was going through the mansion when he was attacked by one of the invaders. The intruder had knocked his weapon away from him and he prepared to block whatever blow came but it never did. Instead the man let out a shout as he was shocked and knocked out. You were standing there with Dick’s batons. “Get your hands off my son.”

Damien totally didn’t hug you. Not at all. And you TOTALLY didn’t hug him tight and tell him how much you loved him.

“So..where’d you get his batons papa?”

“What, he’s got like 20 pairs in this mansion alone.”

[pl-panda]

To Marry a Vigilante: Part 15

MASTERLIST || First || Previous || Next

To Marry a Vigilante: Part 15

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The book was incredibly interesting. It was written in some dialect of Mandarin. Many things were also covered in The Grimoire but several stories told there were previously completely unknown. It seemed like it was written after the other book and while the first was entirely encyclopedical, this one contained detailed stories from several time periods. What got Ladybug’s attention was that many of them were diary excerpts. 

One of the most important elements was a story about the seventeenth-century villain, Lord of Butterflies, who came to the colonial city of Gotham and tried to take control of the settlement. He was a master of deception and almost succeeded. Ladybug and Black Cat of that time never appeared. Another story told about their involvement in the Thirty Years’ War in continental Europe, where they were hunting the Snake and Bee Miraculous users that tried to manipulate the conflict. Luckily for Gotham, a witch hunter named Malleus opposed him and used jars with symbols engraved on the walls to keep the butterflies locked away so they could not wreak havoc again. The book told of the power struggle until finally, after the burning of Raphael Dent, a longtime friend of Malleus, the attacks stopped. Most people thought that the problem was over, but from the looks of it, the author of that book tried to imply that Lord of Butterflies just bid his time, waiting for the opportunity to strike again. 

Ladybug read the story twice, trying to figure out the fate of all the corrupted Butterflies or the jars, but she got nothing. Maybe if they figured out what symbols kept the akumas in, she could experiment with warding the butterflies away. It could be a breakthrough!

While she was browsing the book, Black Cat eyed the teens. “Shouldn’t you people scramble for classes?”

“Nope!” The little one, Maps, grinned. “The new school policy. In case of a supervillain attack on campus, the rest of the classes that day are canceled to avoid additional stress to students. It’s nice they care about our mental health.” 

“Yeah… Dude,” Colton looked at Black Cat, “any chance you can tell me what tech your staff uses?”

“Tt. It’s magic.” 

“No, seriously, I suppose it could be an organic metal of some sort, but it’s able to perfectly support your weight at the same time.” 

“Magic.” The vigilante-turned-hero growled.

“Come on! Don’t do it to me, man! Pom won’t let me live it down!”

“I told you magic was real!” The teen was glaring at him with a smirk on her face.

“Tt. Don’t play with magic or you’ll get burnt.” He scoffed. 

“Don’t be a grumpy cat!” Ladybug called from over the book. “Silverlock… Why does it sound so familiar…”

“Did you say Silverlock?” One of the teens peaked. “I’m Olive Silverlock.”

“Bellatrix Silverlock was the only akuma from that period mentioned here by name… I wonder why… Ugh! I can’t decipher that part. It’s too old and damaged.” The heroine groaned. “Cat! We should move back to the base.” She pulled a pair of glasses from her yo-yo and put them on. “Tikki! Kaalki! Merge!” 

As soon as the light of transformation died, a portal consumed both superheroes and the book, leaving the teens alone in the dark library.

-----------

Sabine paced around the manor in the foul mood she was in ever since she sent the kids on their way after initiation and returned home for some long-deserved rest. Half-way home, she received a phone-call from Chloé saying that Marinette was crying in the bathroom with her over another girl that threatened her. The only thing that stopped Sabine from turning around and possibly crashing the car through the front gates was her daughter begging her not to.

She admired that her little girl tried to resolve the problems herself and she didn’t want to come off as overbearing and intruding. It wouldn’t stop her from preparing for if it seemed too much for her sunshine. She made a mistake with Lila. This time, she would be ready. But first, she needed tools. 

“Tom! Where is my suit?!” She called out to her husband, who was happily baking in the kitchen. He finally managed to kick Alfred out and get control. Sabine laughed when the butler, passing her, revealed that he let him win. 

“I think Bruce wanted to put it in the vault, together with the bag!” The large man answered with a merry tone. 

“Thank you, honey! I think I’ll be going out for a while!” 

“Be safe!”

Finally having a direction, she stormed toward the vault. It was hidden under the stairs, where one had to first enter a secret passage, only to then open a door in the wall.

When she opened the doors and looked inside, her first instinct was to immediately go into a battle stance.

It looked like a tornado passed through the room, which was supposed to be neatly ordered. All the documents were scattered, two priceless artifacts got destroyed and every drawer was pulled out. Inside the wall opposite to the doors, someone made a giant hole. The concrete was shattered and the metal reinforcement cage was pulled apart. 

Warily, Sabine approached the hole. Once she got closer, she could take a better look at the reinforcement. What got her attention was the way it was bent. Someone grabbed it and ripped it apart. The hole itself also revealed a small rectangular area that was used to hide something. A secret buried so deeply it was frozen inside a wall of a hidden vault inside a hidden corridor in one of the best-guarded buildings in Gotham.

“Oh for crying out loud! I just wanted my suit…” She threw her hands up. 

---------

More or less at the same time, Tim had a lazy day at the cave. He didn’t need to return to Wayne Enterprises for at least another week. He tried to solve a cold case, using the updated list of secret powers Sabine provided him. He and Bruce were both worried about how much had escaped them. Neither considered Luxembourg Secret Service to be capable of ordering a hit on a hitman that was after their Duke. And hire Lady Shiva nonetheless. 

He just got himself a new cup of coffee when suddenly, a portal appeared in the middle of the cave and dropped two superheroes and a book on a podium. The Cat landed on his feet while Ladybug fell on her rear with a soft thud. Startled, Tim dropped his mug and the coffee spilled all around him.

“Could you not!?” He shouted, a bit embarrassed that they got a drop on him so easily. 

“Tt. Shut up replacement.” Cat growled. He and Marinette dropped their transformations and she proceeded to feed Tikki with some cookies while he reluctantly pulled a small, isolated box from his pocket and gave Plagg a bit of cheese. 

“We’ve got plenty of new material after the last akuma attack. I’ve sent you a picture of a woman using the Peacock Miraculous and we’ve got an essential book.” She walked over to the bat computer. “It appears that they used the distraction the akuma caused to infiltrate the place.”

“I’m not sure, Angel.” Damian was busy with the other screen, trying to attach the tablet to it. The deciphering system managed to unlock it already and while he waited for the system to scan for any traps, he browsed the photos. “From the look of it, she only got two or three pages before we ambushed her. She must’ve arrived shortly before us or couldn’t find it for a long time. I would hazard a guess that she didn’t know about it.”

“But… That would mean she was at school when… but how would she… No! The only other person that heard about the book was Erica.”

“Maybe not. She could’ve been there trying to get some information on us.”

“But how did she get there before us?”

“Tt. It’s not like the Detective Club was in any hurry.” He huffed. 

“Um… That’s all great and all, but what the bat are you talking about?” Tim asked, trying to get between the married couple. 

“We had an akuma attack at school. Damian earned detention for calling Hammerhead old while out of the suit. After we dealt with the akuma we learned about this book,” she pointed at the podium. “We went to check it and found the new Peacock trying to photograph as much as she could. We stole her tablet and kicked her backside.” Marinette beamed. 

Their discussion was interrupted when Sabine stormed inside the cave. “I need security feed from the Gala. Someone trashed the Wayne Vault and stole some box!” She shouted at Tim. “Oh! Hi Sweetie. Go change out of the uniform and we will get tea in a minute.” She smiled at her daughter. Except it was not as genuine as her usual smile. It felt much more forced. 

“Maman. I would love to, but maybe let’s deal with the break-in first?”

“We must wait for Bruce to get back anyway. He took Cass to the ballet class today. My turn will be on Thursday.” 

She pulled the video feed from the camera that overlooked the entrance to the corridor that led to the Vault. She put it on double speed and watched various guests hang around and talk. They usually had a glass of champagne. Suddenly, Marinette lunged and pressed the pause button.

“Him!” She pointed to a younger man with jet black hair and a white mask that covered the upper part of his face. His hair was neatly combed back with no small amount of hair gel, enough that it shined in the camera. 

“He doesn’t stand out really…” Tim scanned the image. 

“The bracelet!” She seethed. “I can’t believe that bastard still carries the bracelet.”

“Tt. I can cut it off next time I see him.” Damian offered before muttering “Together with the arm.” Luckily for him, Marinette had more pressing matters than stopping his murderous instincts.

“So Agreste somehow got inside during the Gala. It’s maybe an hour before the akuma attack.” They continued to watch as he chatted with people nearby. Finally, when they left, he slipped inside the secret passage. They switched to the camera inside, only for it to then be destroyed by a cane. The one inside the vault was a bit farther away, so before it was destroyed they got a good look at the boy. 

The male figure had a dark purple suit with the signature butterfly brooch pinned to the top of the shirt. His chest was protected by two black flaps that looked a bit like the moth wings. In his black gloves, he held a cane topped with a purple orb. The face was covered by a simple domino mask that did nothing to hide the mane of blonde hair on top of his head.

“At least we know that he inherited his father’s lack of taste. At least his mask isn’t…” Marinette stopped herself when Damian poked her side and pointed toward the glass cabinet inside which the first Red Robin uniform was. Its mask was pretty close to what Gabriel wore. “Oh… Nevermind.”

Tim was clearly unamused. 

“This is still important. We’ve got a first look at his transformation. We can set cameras to, in addition to akuma tracing, scan for him personally.”

“I don’t think it would do much good. The image wasn’t the best.”

“But how did he avoid the scanners?” 

“Alfred was busy, tracking a suspicious blonde with bi-colored eyes. She was supposed to have messed too close to the kitchen for his liking.” Tim explained.

“I remember her. She said something to me. ‘You’re far from victory yet’. I considered it suspicious, but in the whirlwind of the following events, the meeting slipped my mind.”

“You! The great Damian Wayne forgot a crucial detail!?” Tim laughed. “This is gold! I need to mark the date on my calendar!”

“Tt. And I need a set of matches.” The youngest Wayne growled. 

“So we’ve got another suspect on the list?” 

“It’s getting complicated. First the vault, then the book… Hawkmoth was narrow-minded in his goals. Create akumas, have them hunt Ladybug and Chat Noir, take the Miraculous.” Marinette collapsed on the nearby chair. “Adrien is… he’s more organized. He’s got a plan. He’s not after the Miraculous. Or rather not directly. There is something else he’s trying to find. I’m just not sure what…”

“The history of Gotham is filled with so many mysteries that we wouldn’t even have any idea where to begin.” Tim wasn’t helpful. At all.

“We know they stole something from Wayne Vault and used the akuma as a distraction to carry it away. Then, they attacked the school. What could be at Gotham Academy that they had a personal interest in?”

“The book?”

“I don’t think they knew about it. The attack on the Academy could’ve been to test our abilities.” 

Tikki and Plagg floated to the group. “Gotham is a dark place.” Ladybug Kwami started. “There are so many things in this city…”

“What about the Bat miraculous, cookie?” Plagg asked. “I mean where else would it be but Gotham?”

“Bat… Miraculous…” Time starred at the two mini-gods. “You’re joking, right?”

“No. Balla is the Kwami of clarity.” Tikki nodded. “The Bat Miraculous gives the wearer supernatural perception and near-precognition.”

“What?” Marinette asked, not sure what the word was supposed to mean.

“They can see the immediate future.” Her mother clarified for her. 

“Is it possible they are after the Bat…” she tried to imagine what jewelry would be associated with bats. Tikki came to help. 

“It’s the belt buckle.”

“Tt. Bat Buckle?” Damian raised an eyebrow. “Whoever made the Miraculous had a great sense of humor.” 

“Okay. But we still need to figure out their next step…”

“Sweetie? Maybe you focus on school and let me deal with this?” Sabine asked after a moment. 

“But… I’m the Guardian.”

“And you’re also a teenager.” Her mother countered. “I’m not trying to replace you or keep you on the sidelines. I am your mom though. Teenage years are supposed to be the best in your life. You should be dating, spending time with friends. Exploring the world. Nowhere on that list is fighting against a mad terrorist.” 

“But… but… I can’t just sit back while you fight!” 

“You can still fight. And help.” Sabine tried again. “I just don’t want you to devote all your time to this. You can leave the investigation to me, Bruce and Tim and enjoy the time with friends; Or design; Or take Damian on dates.” 

“Tt. It’s my duty to take her on dates.”

“Dream on, grumpy cat.” Marinette booped his nose and giggled at the face he made.

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

Masterlist // Next

[astralastrid]

Usuk week day 3: Fantasy

@usukweek

Considering he was part of what people considered the "occult" Arthur's fascination with it might be considered strange.

However, Arthur was a fairy. And despite their notoriety for causing mischief (which was well deserved) they were also tasked with keeping law and order within nature and the rest of the world. And as such, all of the highest supernatural crime was dealt with the Seelie or Unseelie Courts, depending on the nature of the crime.

In short, fairies were far too busy to really be social or venture out into the world, and their free-time was usually spent blowing off steam through various methods of trickery.

But not Arthur. Arthur wanted to see the world, and learn as much as he could. He kept his studies a secret, however, for a fear of judgement. After all, what kind of fairy concerned themselves like that with others?

Whenever he could, he snuck out to do "research" and over the years had learned plenty about the creatures around him. His favorite by far were the unicorns, as they were very majestic and beautiful, and possessed some sort of innocent and childlike whimsy. However, they could be nefarious tricksters and even violent creatures, their horns and hooves rivaling even the sharpest swords.

Still, there was one creature that was difficult to obtain a first-hand experience with, due to their nocturnal nature compared with Arthur's diurnal: the vampire.

Now he had heard the myths. The difficulty with holy items. The ability to transform into a bat. The lethality of sunlight. But he didn't have a way to verify the claims. Until now.

However, Alfred was cold to the touch, he didn't have a pulse, and was almost always freezing, except when right after he fed.

***

Just because he was a vampire, doesn't mean Alfred was going to let himself be stereotypical. If you didn't notice how pale he was, you would've never guessed. He had bright sunny hair and sky blue eyes, he kept himself fit, and his fangs were retractable, so that didn't give it away either.

And speaking of feeding, despite what others claimed, he only fed on large animals. Usually other deer. He had one, very strict rule, and it was never to feed on a intelligent and conscious being. It wasn't difficult to abide by, as he never let himself get desperate enough to do it, and he had a fridge full of blood substitute to snack on. He refused to be like the others, turning and killing others without a second thought.

But lately something seemed... Off... in his home. It felt like he could feel another presence, and it definitely wasn't a ghost. (And he had checked! He was terrified of ghosts.) Sometimes he would hear some sort of buzzing noise, but never find any sort of bug, and hear little snickers or curses, but it didn't come from his computer or phone. It confused him, but he knew his place wasn't haunted, and he decided to ignore it. If they wanted to attack or steal from him they would've done it by now. So he just accepted his new life and pushed it to the back of his mind.

***

Arthur hadn't intended to become so attached to the vampire- Alfred, as he had learned- in such a short time, but he did anyway. Initially, once he gathered all the information he needed, he planned to leave the lad alone. But something about Alfred kept bringing the fairy back day after day, and he even became nocturnal just to see him, despite him having long been done with his "research."

For starters, Alfred was breathtaking, and not at all what he had expected. In fact, Arthur often found himself thinking how more suited he would be as a fairy, or an elf, or even a bloody werewolf! Anything except a vampire. With someone like Alfred, it just seemed unfair.

But who was Arthur to judge? He was nothing like what a fairy was supposed to be.

For what he could tell, Alfred had such a vibrant and bright personality, made to be around others. But there were few creatures of the night, and something told Arthur the vampire didn't like his kind. Was he turned aganist his will perhaps? Either way the poor lad was dreadfully lonely. And Arthur decided to fix that.

Arthur didn't know how Alfred felt about his own kind, the fae, since the fae were the species almost everyone was told to stay away from. Therefore, his attempts at friendship started off small: he replenished his substitute blood supply, folded is laundry, even going as far as to do his dishes if he fell asleep before he could clear  them himself.

And it wasn't like his efforts went unnoticed. Alfred would be surprised, but always said a "thank you" to what he called his "secret roomie."

Over time, Arthur became a little bolder, and started leaving notes for him, always signed "A."

He always looked forward to seeing how Alfred's face lit up whenever he received a new note, smiling as he furiously scribbled one back.

They talked just about anything, Arthur inadvertently learning more about vampires along the way, but that had long become irrelevant.

However all his prodding, Arthur never revealed his species to Alfred, too afraid of ruining their friendship, and the fairy knew how much this hurt the vampire, after he had shared so much about him and his kind, but Arthur always insisted he was better off not knowing.

Despite this small conflict, the two had gotten closer and closer. To the point where Arthur stopped considering him just a friend. Unfortunately, this only increased his worries, and this ended with more and more arguments.

Alfred eventually reached his breaking point. He exclaimed with a roar, "well if you're not going to tell me Arthur, then I don't want you here anymore!" By this time the fairy had long revealed his name to Alfred, but the vampire always called him "Artie" or even still "A." To hear him use his full name hurt.

But he was right. Alfred had basically welcomed an intruder to stay in his his home, and had been so kind, open, and even vulnerable with him. Telling him would be least he could do to repay his kindness.

So Arthur gave in, saying that he tell him tomorrow, and only prayed that Alfred wouldn't reject him.

***

24 hours was so dreadfully short. Arthur's anxiety only grew as he sat and waited for Alfred to find his note leading to him. Seconds seemed like hours, and he was already preparing himself to become diurnal again-

"Artie?" The moment had come.

"I'm over here Alfred." He had to use a spell to magnify his voice, hoping he could hear him.

Alfred looked around for the source, but couldn't find it. Arthur couldn't blame him. Fairies were quite small. "Arthur, I swear, if you'll pulling a prank on me-" he cut himself off, seeming to think about it. "Unless you're some naturally invisible creature I've never heard of. That would be cool."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "No, I'm on the windowsill. Do you see the note? I'm on it." Alfred approached him and the fairy felt his heart beat faster in his chest. If the vampire couldn't hear his voice, he had to be able to hear how loudly his heart was pounding.

Finally it seemed like Alfred saw him. He squinted, took off his glasses, then put them back on. "I can't believe it. Arthur don't tell me you're a fairy?"

Arthur gulped, but held his head up high. "That I am. Is that an issue?"

Alfred quickly shook his head. "No! Of course it isn't it's just, you're more beautiful than I imagined..." He then blushed, realizing what he said.

The fairy chuckled. "Thank you love. Trust me you weren't what I was expecting when I first saw you either. But I'm surprised. Why aren't you running away? Trying to banish me? Aren't you familiar with what they say about my kind?"

Alfred frowned. "Arthur, you know how I feel about other vampires. Why would I judge you based on something you can't really control? You're an individual. And if it means anything, you're nothing like the fairies I've heard of. You're not mean or malicious. You're kind, and funny, and witty and cute..." Alfred blushed again, stopping himself. He quickly tried to change the subject. "But fairies aren't usually nocturnal, are they?"

Arthur shook his head. "Some are, but I'm not. I changed it just for you." At Alfred's confused look, he sighed and continued to explain. "You're right, I'm not much like the others. The fae usually keep to themselves. We're much too busy keeping tabs on everything after all. So we rarely leave our communities, rarely see the outside world, but not I. I craved knowledge. For years I would sneak out and watch other creatures, learning all I could, but of course, due to your nocturnal nature, it was difficult to find more out about your kind. But still I persisted, found you, and you know the rest."

Alfred nodded slowly. He seemed to understand but he still seemed... Hurt? "So I was nothing but a research project to you?"

He quickly shook his head. "Alfred, poppet, of course not! It might have started that way but once I got to know you I couldn't leave. That's why I adjusted my own internal clock. Helped you out around your home. Started writing notes. I really value our friendship Alfred. Make no mistake of that. I was just so scared you'd reject me once you knew who I really was... And I couldn't stand the thought. I've grown so attached to you, and my feelings for you have grown as well..." It was the closest he could get to a confession. He just hoped it didn't go over Alfred's head.

Luckily it didn't, and slowly but surely the vampire realized what he had said. "You... Like me?"

Arthur chuckled. "Way more than just like, love."

Alfred beamed. "I like you too Arthur, more than just like! But, what about your duties? Have you been doing them at all?"

Arthur sighed. "I haven't. If the Courts find me they'll have my head." He smiled wickedly. "But who says they have to find me?"

Alfred laughed. "I guess you're right. But where would you go? All your family and friends are faires aren't they?"

"But you aren't. If you'll have me of course."

The vampire smiled. "Of course I'll have you. You won't be that much of a secret roommate anymore!" He then sighed. "I really wish I could hug you right now."

Arthur smiled mischievously again. "I have one last surprise. Close your eyes."

Alfred took a deep breath and waited, suddenly feeling the press of lips against his. He didn't waste any time in kissing him back. When they pulled away Alfred stared at him in shock. "How did you...?"

Arthur cut him off, chuckling. "Simple shapeshifting magic love. Much like you can turn into a bat yes?"

He smiled. "I guess so. I'm just glad I can hold you without crushing you."

Arthur chuckled. "And I'm glad you accepted me."

Alfred kissed his cheek. "Of course Artie. We're both not like the norm, but at least we have each other."

[lady-dinah]

Children of Gotham  (Chapter 1)

A series of one shots and stories from the life of one, Grandpa Bruce Wayne. FT. The Batkids as badass parents, and a lot of 'self-help parenting' guides.

(Stems mostly from DC comics/young justice)

Find the series on Wattpad here

CH1: The Small Manor (Dick Grayson's Children) 

Summary: No matter how old you get, sometimes it just takes your children, to make you feel young again.

OR Dick Grayson spent a whole week alone, beaten, and too busy saving Bludhaven. Now all he wants is a hug from his dad, and affection from his kids to feel whole again.

Set in DC comics

No edit, we die like mne (I mean I tried, but I'm shit at editing)

"No Barbara, I already checked the cave."

They had been going on like this, back and forth, for almost ten minutes. Don't get him wrong, Dick loves Barbara, she's his anchor, the mother of his children, his partner in crime, but she can be as stubborn as Bruce (and that's saying something). Speaking of his guardian, Dick wandered around the Manor looking for any sign of life or even anything besides this eerie silence. In all honesty he's never noticed how big the mansion was, ironic as it is, the place actually felt pretty small. Back then, when everyone lived under one roof, there was constantly some commotion going on. Whether it was Tim and Damian threatening to kill one another for the 20th time of the day. Or Stephanie blasting her hip hop music, while Cass argued she wanted to play her Mozart playlist instead. Even with Bruce and Jason just grumbling at one other still filled up the bleak noise of the manor.

Now everyone had grown up, moved on. Only Bruce, Alfred, and Damian were permanent residents. Even then, Damian was mostly off world these days. Playing Batman with the Justice League. A pang of guilt gutted his stomach, he didn't want to be that kind of kid who just leaves their dad high and dry once they've moved out and made a life of their own. But these days things have been insanely hectic. Bludhaven had a mass breakout which kept Dick busy all week. The Justice League almost had another invasion on their hands, meaning both Damian, and Barbara, as Oracle, were busy running things. Wayne Enterprises stocks were dropping due to some insider trading, so there goes Tim's time. And God knows what Jason is even doing these days, but even he was clearly occupied since he hadn't called or even texted for the past week.

"Dick?" Barbara called again. "I think I found them."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips, after everything that has been going on. He couldn't handle the onset anxiety of his children possibly missing. Before Barbara and him left for their respective duties, knowing it would be all hands on deck with the situations around them. Dick dropped his kids off at the Manor, hoping Bruce could look after them. The old bat was hesitant at first, at his age caring for a baby and a rambunctious toddler was out his depth. But Dick assured him that his kids would behave, and if Bruce could handle five batkids he could handle anything. Still, he could never forget the nervousness and hesitation as his father held his baby boy for the first time. The eyes of a guardian and a protector instantly taking hold, as the old man carefully held the child like it was made out of glass. And that was the last of Dick seeing his kids and Bruce for almost a week. His heart ached when he slept alone in his bed, all the warmth gone from his wife's cuddles and his children's laughter.

But, the mission came first.

So here was, finally the escapees were back in their respective prisons, those injured taken to a hospital, and Bludhaven was back to its moderate levels of crime. Barbara was on her way back too after being cooped up in the birds of prey tower all week. At least she was in contact with Damian, and her girl group, not to mention the whole of the justice league. Dick was basically all alone for his mission. After the dust settled, he immediately headed towards the manor, desperately wanting a hug from his dad, and just to relish in his children's presence, but when he walked in, no one was home. No noise, no screams, just emptiness. He had called Barbara right after he entered, terrified that something had happened.

After all, it just takes one night...

"They're in the east wing, I think the third room on the left. The hallway with the ugly wallpaper."

Dick chuckled as he made his way up the stairs, his phone warm against his ear. "I'll have you know I chose that wallpaper."

He heard his wife scoff, could tell she was rolling her eyes. "No wonder it's shit. You're sense of style has always been awful."

"I never heard you complaining about discowling."

Barbara let out a breathy laugh. "Of course. That deep V showed all the good parts hunk wonder."

Dick knew where this was going, heat rising to his cheeks as all the tension left his shoulders. "It's been a while since we did play with my suit, hun?"

She hummed in response, making promises of midnight love when she came back. Dick grinned, knowing he would hold her to that oath, but he said his goodbyes and hung up when he finally came to the room where they were supposed to be. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the creaking door, light creeping into the dark room. Dick tensed for a second, the shadows playing tricks, making him see the monsters he's dealt with all week, but then the rumbles of snores and quiet huffs instantly put him at ease.

The room was littered with toys and drawings, crayons thrown about and stuffed animals put into a makeshift tea party. Not to mention a toy batmobile and batman thrown haphazardly on the floor. But the best sight of all was seeing the three people snuggled up on the large king size bed. His baby boy lay on top of Bruce's large chest, a pacifier slowly moving to each inhale and exhale. His plump fist held a fist-full of the old man's shirt, desperately clinging on to the old man. Then beside his father, lay his daughter, curled up and tucked into his side. Sleep lines marred across her pink cheeks as her dark hair sprayed all over Bruce's face. The elder bat had his strong arms wrapped tightly around both the children, daring anyone to try and pry them away from his grip.

Dick couldn't help the warm feeling blossoming in his chest. He quickly pulled out his phone getting ready to send pictures to Barbara, wanting to keep this memory forever. It was a miracle to see Bruce, and his kids, fall asleep. This two in one had to be a gift from God. The residing click of the camera is what jolted Bruce awake, instantly tugging the children into chest and snarling at the shadows in the room.

"Relax B, it's just me." Dick smiled, finally switching the lamp on. It took his father a second to recognize that it was just his son, not some intruder trying to take away the children he loved.

"Dick." he said, as if unable to believe he was standing before him. Dick nodded, reaching over to wrap his arms around his father's neck. The familiar smell of expensive cologne, leather, and sweat swept over him like a wave, calming him down as he unfurled from his father's hold.

"Morning B, or I guess, night."

Dick watched as his daughter began to mumble, then slowly rise out of her sleep. Rubbing her bright green eyes to take in the room. Her gaze instantly fell to Dick and all sights of grogginess vanished as a smile exploded across her features.

"Dad!" she screamed, and then leapt over Bruce and into his arms. Thank God for years worth of reflex training, because he would have dropped his daughter if he hadn't.

"Hello my princess," he chuckled, holding her tightly as his fingers made their way into her hair. "I missed you so much."

"Dada!" his son shrieked, pacifier falling from his lips and discarded onto the ground. He stumbled his way over to him, tripping over Bruce's leg. The old man gave a soft smile as he helped the boy walk over the mess of limbs. Dick scooped up his second child, nuzzling his nose into the baby's chubby cheeks as he let loose a shrill of giggles. Dick spent the next few minutes sitting and peppering his kids with kisses, his heart finally feeling whole again. He finally glanced over at Bruce who was quietly watching the exchange of affection with a soft look in his eyes. It wasn't exactly a smile per se but it was still Bruce's way of showing that he was happy.

"Get over here old man," Dick said, reaching over and wrapping his arm around the elder. Bruce stiffened at first but then melted into the embrace, Dick's kids instantly shifting to make room for their grandad.

"Dad, dad, daddy, dad, da-

"Yes Mary." Dick answered. His daughter pulled herself out of the embrace and jumping off the bed, a little too dangerously for his taste.  Barbara was going to kill him once she learned that their daughter has taken to making deadly jumps for fun, just like a certain someone he knows.

Mary gathered all the drawings that were scattered on the floor, then threw them all on top of the bed. Most of them fell on Bruce's legs.

"Grandpa Bruce and I drew all this stuff 'cause he told me that Uncle Dames likes to draw and I want to be just like Uncle Dames 'cause Uncle Dames is soooooo cool, and Uncle Dames draws really well so I wanted to draw really well so I practiced with Grandpa and then Grandpa Bruce told me I draw as good as Uncle-

"Mary, sweetheart." Dick chastised, "slow down."

His daughter inhaled almost comically, ready to speak again, but she  didn't even bother slowing down, trying to jam a week's worth of activities into one sentence. Dick just shook his head and smiled, knowing all too well where all this energy was coming from. His son began to imitate his sisters voice, squealing out his own stories even though most of it was baby talk that no one, but Mary, could ever understand.

"Wow Jimbo, really?" Dick said, pretending to converse with the baby. All it did was make the child more enthusiastic about his babbles. The young father turned to the elder, who was making his way out of the bed.

Dick put Jim on the floor beside Mary, as he rushed over to help, but Bruce just brushed him off with a wave of a hand. Slowly easing himself onto the floor, with more effort than it would usually take. Dick knew Bruce hated it, to feel useless and old. To have a weakness, to have the need to be dependant. No matter how many times Dick and many others told Bruce that it's okay to ask for some assistant, that it's not a sign of failure. All they would get in return would be angry eyes and a sneer, as the batman would attempt to stomp away but end up hobbling instead.

"Grandpa!" Mary yelled louder while Dick winced. As much as he loved his kids, they were a noisy bunch. "Are we gonna make pancakes! You promised!"

Bruce just chuckled, warm and deep. Rare too. "Of course baby, I'll race you downstairs."

Mary instantly stood up and bolted out the room, her footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Her stealth training needs some improvement," Bruce said, a little too seriously to be a joke.

Dick gave him a raised brow, picking up his son who was about to stuff a crayon into his mouth. "Please tell me you have not been training my children behind my back." he exasperated.

He just got a shrug as an answer, which really didn't ease him at all.

"Whatever, we'll talk about this later" Dick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How were they? Mary and Jim."

Bruce leaned over, Dick expected he just wanted more room to move towards the door, but instead he plucked Jim right from his hands and held the boy protectively in his arms. Then proceeded to shuffle out the door. It was probably pathetic and petty, but Dick really wanted to hold his son. Like it was unfair that Bruce got to spend a whole week with them, not to mention how happy Jim looked being in his grandpa's arms right now. So yeah, maybe he was a little bit jealous, but what Bruce didn't know wouldn't kill him.

"They were... They were good Dick." Bruce started, as Dick followed out behind the pair. "No. They were better, amazing. They made me feel... made me feel... I..."

Dick rolled his eyes, even years after being with five kids, not to mention mentoring young heroes and saving millions of lives, Bruce still had trouble expression emotion. Thankfully, Dick was here to translate.

"They make you feel alive don't they. Younger, energetic, you just constantly want to impress them, be their hero, give them the world and then some more."

Bruce stopped, dead in his tracks. He turned to look at Dick, grey eyes with years worth of experience, pain, joy, all flashing at once.

"Now you understand how I felt about all of you."

Dick stumbled, he never lost his balance. Never. But at this moment, this moment right here was all it took to make him choke. To wet his eyes. He spent a whole week getting beat up, cursed at, and all alone. But just one sentence of pure heart from a man he called father, is what broke him.

"Dada?" Jim whispered, his bottom lip jutting out, concern marking his little features. Dick wiped his eyes, leaning down to kiss his sons red hair.

"I'm fine buddy, don't worry about me."

"Grandpaaa! Daaad!" Mary shrieked. "You're taking so looooongg!"

"Are you sure she's not Canary's child?" Bruce questioned with a smirk.

Dick snorted, but then reached out and yanked Jim back from Bruce's grip. The boy screamed in excitement as Dick ran down the stairs.

"Come on old man, I'll race ya!"

Bruce smiled, but what Dick didn't see was that things had never changed. That he was still Bruce's little boy and always will be.

Hey babes, 

Hope ya’ll liked Ch1. I’ve already posted CH2 on Wattpad if ya’ll wanna check it out, but I will be posting CH2 here later on (Spoiler! CH2 is all about Jason Todd’s kids). 

Anyways hope ya’ll enjoyed!! Let me know what ya’ll think! 

- Lady Dinah