#their striking similarities (which dick himself has acknowledged) would push dick to the right i think (added to duke's dislike of him)

[casscainmainly]

Please please please do a Duke chart

The Feelings About Duke Thomas Alignment Chart

Jason, Tim, Cass, and Dick versions. Duke unfortunately suffers both from a lack of comics and a lack of interesting interactions - I am extrapolating a lot for everyone on the right side, and some placements are due to personal preference. All I know is that everyone loves him <3. Open to change!

[literati42]

Batfam Fic: Blood Sons

Title: Blood Sons

Rating: PG 13 for occasional language

Genre: angst, family, fluff

Characters: Tim Drake and Damian Wayne

Description: Edgy from a prolonged mission, Tim and Damian end up at each other’s throats again. As the argument grows heated, what it means to be blood challenges both boys.

Note: For  @eeveegirl222 who requested: “Could you do something with Damian fighting with one of the boys (preferably Jason or Tim) and they bring up something about him being the ‘blood son,’ to which Damian replied something along the lines of “I’m the only one he didn’t choose.’ Sorry if that’s vague but I love seeing my murder child put through angst.”

Note 2: Requests are welcomed!

Note 3: I will be doing Tim Drake week July 12-19

            Jason realized later they all should have seen it coming. They were at the end of a long case, the kind that involved Alfred sending out the distress signal to the whole Batclan. Jason planned to ignore it, but then, like always it was followed up by a personal request from Tim. Of course, he did not know he was going to be signing up for a two week, multiple all-nighter adventure. He was spent. They all were, which is exactly why it all began in the first place.

           Jason nodded to Dick as he walked into the cave, too tired to even attempt words. “I’m glad it’s over,” the oldest brother said, tossing a bottle of water to Jason.

           “It would have ended days ago if Drake had done his one and only task,” Damian said, his voice a low grumble. Tim stopped cataloging their equipment and turned.

           “For the last time, Damian, there was no indication they were at the docks.”

           “So much for being one of the world’s foremost detectives. Tt.” Damian crossed his arms.

           Tim huffed. “One of these days, Damian, you’re going to find someone who has less patience for you than we do and you’ll regret that mouth.”

           “Yes, you are a saint for withstanding me,” the younger said. “As if you all are so easy on me.”

           “Everyone in this cave goes easy on you,” Tim snapped. He turned, fist clenched. “You never have to do any of the shit we do. Not everyone gets everything handed to them on a silver platter. Some of us are held accountable for our actions.”

           “Tim,” Dick said, putting a hand on his little brother’s chest as if to block him.

           “See?” Tim said to Damian, around his brother, “See who gets called out? Not the prince.”

           “What does that mean?” Damian said, his little fists clenched too.

           “Enough, stop,” Dick said, warning them both. Tim raised his hands and stepped back, moving toward Jason.

           “No.” Damian walked around Dick, glaring at the oldest, “You do not get to silence us, Grayson. I want to know what he meant by that.”

           “Jay, a little help here?” Dick said.

           Jay stood up but did not approach.

           “Go ahead, Drake, explain,” Damian said, his tone a challenge. Tim turned on his heels and walked back over.

           “You’re the only real Wayne here. And believe me. None of us get the chance to forget it. You didn’t have to prove yourself. You just get to show up and get everything. The blood son. Not a fake counterfeit like us.”

           Jason felt his chest squeeze, he took a step toward his younger brother.

           “Tim,” this time Dick’s voice rang with sympathy.

           “You’re right, I am the only real son,” Damian said, “Born through a mother’s manipulation and a father’s lack of caution. Thank you for putting me in my place, Drake. It would be terrible for me to forget that I’m the only one in this family he did not choose. That I was thrust upon you all. Thank you, genuinely, for reminding me.” He started to storm off but turned around, “Of course, at least I have not outstayed my usefulness and continue to cling to a name that does not belong to me anymore. At least that’s not true of me. There are worse things to be than an unexpected Wayne child. I could be nobody at all.”

           Tim was gone before either older brother could speak. Damian turned and marched off the other direction. Jason watched Dick run a hand through his hair and then leave it over his eyes, as if afraid to look at the scorched ruins left by their brother’s flames of rage. “Jay…”

           “Yeah, I got Tim you get Damian,” Jason said, over Dick’s deep sigh. He headed outsid. Jason hesitated only a second before looking up and climbing. As a teenager, Jason had perfected his ability to scale the mansion, and he knew his little brother had a similar proclivity. He liked to be high up when he was angry. Jason got the last handhold and pulled himself up on the roof and saw Tim. The teen was pacing back and forth on the roof as if it was a flat surface. Tim barely glanced up to acknowledge Jason before he started talking.

           “He’s insane. It’s like living with a pissed off viper,” Tim said, “He strikes with his vicious little fangs.” Jason walked over and sat on the shingle, watching his brother. “You’re here to make me go apologize, right?”

           “Do I look like Dick?” Jason scrubbed a hand through his hair, mussing the white streak. “I mean I look a little rough after this case but surely not that bad.” He tilted his head, “I’m here to listen. So let it out, kid.”

_-_-_

           Dick finally tracked Damian down, the kid attacking a punching bag viciously.

           “Go away,” Damian said, before executing a flying spin kick and landing effortlessly on the mat. Dick caught the punching bag.

           “Damian stop.”

“Move, Grayson.”

“Stop.” Dick walked over and grabbed his kid brother, drawing him into a hug. Damian was rigid to his touch, but he did not let go. He buried his face in the kid’s hair. “I love you, Damian.” Damian pushed him away, unable to meet his oldest brother’s eyes. “If this is about being Robin, let me promise you right now. If you were not good enough to be Robin, you wouldn’t be. I don’t care whose name or blood you have. Bruce would never allow you to be Robin if he didn’t think you could do it. You weren’t just given the title.” He put a hand on the kid’s hair, “You did earn it.” When Damian ducked out of his reach, Dick just crossed his arms. “And if you’re talking about this family, it makes no difference to me how you got here. I want you here. I want you as my brother. Maybe I should have said this earlier, but Dami, I choose you. And Bruce, I know he’s bad at saying this, but I swear to you, he loves you. You make him happy. You make him proud. And Alfred adores you. And Jason may be an enigma, but I can tell he likes you.”

“Drake,” Damian challenged.

Dick let out a breath, “Tim doesn’t hate you, Dami. And I suspect you don’t hate him either.”

“You should stick to acrobatics, Grayson, because detective work is no forte of yours.”

“If you hate him so much, why do you still care what he thinks?” Dick said, crossing his arms. When the younger Wayne did not answer, he sighed. “He doesn’t hate you.”

“Yeah? You heard him.”

“I did. I heard both of you,” Dick replied. “Dami, I know you don’t see this. But every time you dig at him, it hurts him. I know Tim plays at being this ultra-confident self-contained fiercely independent loner, but it’s all an act. He feels every word you say. Every time you point out his flaws you’re eroding his confidence, and that is the last thing he needs.”

“So it justifies everything he says.”

“No, Damian, it doesn’t. But I’m not talking to him right now, Jason is.”

_-_-_

           “He’s impossible, absolutely impossible,” Tim said. Jason watched the kid throw his hands up in the air. Tim had been ranting, hardly pausing for a breath, for the last ten minutes. “But of course, Dick will come down on me for having the nerve to say anything to him.”

           “Yeah, Dick is the worst,” Jason said.

           “And I know what he’d say. I’m almost an adult. I should be setting an example, yes yes I know. But what difference does it make? I have no influence on the hellspawn.”

           “What difference does it make to you what he says?” Jason stood up, “You know he’s wrong about you, right?”

           “Of course.”

           “No. No split second answers,” Jason put a hand on his teen brother’s shoulder. “I’m the one who gets to wonder if I belong in this family, you don’t get to steal my shtick.” Tim shrugged him off and took a seat, and undeterred, Jason took the spot beside him. “Get this through your head, babybird. You are wanted. Every damn member of this family loves you.”

           “Damian…”

           “The hellspawn does have a mouth, you aren’t wrong on that,” Jason said.

           “He doesn’t treat you or Dick like he does me, you have to acknowledge that.”

           Jason nodded, “Could you imagine a reason why that would be true?”

           “I thought you of all people would be on my side,” Tim replied.

“Hey, I’m not taking anyone’s side. Just…look Damian was dropped into the middle of our complicated mess of a family having been told his whole life his worth was in what he could be used for. Imagine what that was like for him.”

“He tried to kill me when he got here.”

“Yes, well if you held that against every brother who tried to kill you, your family would be a lot smaller.” Jason bumped his shoulder against Tim’s, managing to get a slight smile out of him.

“It’s not the same, Jay.”

“Yeah, it never is. Look, Tim, I get it. I hated you when I found out about you. You were my replacement. Just like Damian is your replacement. It felt like being hit in the face with my own insignificance. How…replaceable I was.” Jason tilted his head to catch Tim’s eye. “And, I was wrong. You ended up being the first person to reach out to me, the first person to forgive me. You still are. If I’d kept seeing you only as my replacement, I would be down one of my best friends.” He felt Tim watching him, and could sense he was getting through.

“I don’t think I’m going to be wrong about Damian.”

“Look, why you and not Dick or me?” Jason challenged, “Why does he single you out? Maybe it’s because we’re no threat to him.”

“I’m not a threat to him, he’s the murderous one.”

“Maybe you’re not a physical threat, but you are a threat to his place in this family. Dick and I, we’re Red Hood and Nightwing now. We’ve…flown the coup.” Jason laughed, which only grew when Tim rolled his eyes. “We have our own names. Our own identities. When Dami got here, you were still Robin. Hell, Tim, you still are Robin. You are one colorful moniker away from taking his title. Red Robin? You haven’t fully given up the title, and you are young enough you could still be Robin. Tell me you wouldn’t take it back if someone asked you?” When Tim was silent, Jason went on, “You also are one hell of a detective. You’re brilliant, you’re creative, and you and Bruce work incredibly well together. You don’t think Damian knows all of that? You know what, Tim, get along or don’t get along. It makes no difference to me. But maybe you could put a fraction of that genius brain of yours into trying to see it from his eyes?”

“Careful, Jay. You keep talking like that and someone might think you’re wise.”

“Perish the thought.” Jason threw an arm across Tim’s shoulder, “Look. Don’t let Damian convince you that you are anything other than your fantastic self, okay?” He rested his forehead against Tim’s. “I know that brain of yours is already spitting out self-deprecation and insecurity. But you are wrong about you, and Damian doesn’t actually mean it.”

“We’re awfully close to having a real emotional moment here,” Tim said.

“Yes, well, we will just have to bro-nod at each other for the next few weeks to recover.” Jason laughed. “You know…Dami doesn’t know the story. Your story. You haven’t told him, and I’m pretty sure no one else has.” Jason shrugged, “Might make a difference.”

_-_-_

           “I’m serious, Damian, Tim…he’s depressed,” Dick rolled his eyes up to stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know if he was like this before you came and I just missed it or…” he shook his head, “But he is. He has a constant voice telling him how inadequate he is in his head. He doesn’t need you adding to it.” He sighed, “He shouldn’t have said any of that, and neither should you. But Dami, you don’t have to fight Tim. There is room enough for both of you.” He grabbed Damian in another hug, “I want both of you here. There’s no real son or chosen son. There’s no real brother or chosen brother. You both are my brothers. And I love you.”

           “Enough, Grayson,” once again he wrangled free. He punched halfheartedly at the bag. “What I say really makes a difference with Drake?”

           “Yeah. You didn’t think it did, huh?”

           “Why would it? He has everything.”

“Maybe, except self-confidence. You know, you two aren’t so different.” “What?”

“No, I’m serious. Both of you are so hopelessly desperate for each other’s approval.”

“That’s not true.”

“Maybe,” Dick said again. He looked up as the door opened and saw Tim standing there. He raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t need to hover. We’re not going to kill each other.”

Dick looked between them, “I’ll be right outside the door. Seriously, right outside.” He walked out, shutting it between them.

Damian crossed his arms. “What, Drake?”

“Sit down, Damian.” “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Fine,” Tim sighed, taking a seat on the training mat. He draped his arms over his bent legs. “Look. He didn’t choose me. Bruce didn’t.” Of anything Damian could have expected to hear, that was not it. It was enough to keep him from interrupting. “After Jason died, Bruce was a mess. He was violent and careless. He would have either gotten killed or killed someone else acting that way.” Tim shook his head, “I was just a fan, a kid. I believed Batman represented everything good left in this city, and I was watching my one hope for the future self-destruct one breaking news segment at a time. So, I tracked him down. It wasn’t easy, and I took plenty of wrong turns, but I got close enough to him, to Bruce. I wedged myself unwanted into his life, and I just kept at it with single-minded persistence. Hell, Dami, I practically annoyed Bruce into making me Robin.”

           Slowly, as if approaching one of his wounded animals, Damian came over and sat down. “You know, there is more than one way to be blood bound.” Damian drew a knife he had concealed in his costume. Tim watched it out the corner of his eye and forced himself not to recoil. Damian ran it down his palm and offered it to Tim. Tim immediately ran it down his and Damian clasped his hand. Damian stared into Tim’s eyes. “Now we’re both blood sons.”

           Tim shook his head, “We’re blood brothers. That’s better.” The warm crimson liquid ran together on their palms, mixing until one could not be told from another.