Chapter Text
Eventually Bruce managed to convince Dick to come inside with him and eat something. At the breakfast counter Bruce drank a water while Dick, wrapped in a colorful towel, ate one of Alfred’s sandwiches from earlier. When he was finished he pushed his plate away and looked up at Bruce.
“Will you tape my hands again?” He asked. “For the punching bag.”
“Of course, chum. Go change and meet me in the gym.”
If Dick wanted to wear himself out, if that’s what he needed, then Bruce would let him. He took the opportunity to do a short work out while keeping an eye on him. Like the last time, he eventually had to physically remove the boy from in front of the punching bag. Dick, breathing hard and sweat pouring down his face, just stood there for a minute, staring at the punching bag.
“Let’s get that tape off.” Bruce said.
With an absent nod, Dick turned and lifted his hands to Bruce.
Bruce sent him to go shower and encouraged him to lie down for a bit. Dick said he wasn’t tired and when he returned, wet hair and fresh clothes, he asked Alfred if he could help with dinner. He remained quiet but not sullen and all the physical activity seemed to have banished his listlessness from the morning.
Jason, on the other hand, slept until Alfred sent Bruce to call him for dinner. He shuffled into the dining room in his white undershirt and still wearing his dress pants. His hair was a cowlicked mess. He ate, giving clear signals he wasn’t interested in conversation. Dick ate too, which Bruce was glad to see.
As dinner progressed in relative silence, Bruce looked at the two boys. Jason was clearly exhausted, emotionally as much as physically. Probably more so emotionally. Dick was surprisingly alert. Both boys had spent the afternoon doing what they needed to get through it. Bruce once again felt a pang for putting Jason through this, but he knew it would be ok. He knew Jason was on board and in Dick’s corner. Still, he wished he could shield his son from the pain it brought up for him. He was so proud of Jason. The kid was so brave and so compassionate. Dick couldn’t have asked for a better big brother.
Dick helped Alfred with clean up and Bruce let Jason disappear again. Bruce went off to his study and resisted the urge to immerse himself in cases down in the cave. He said he’d be there for the boys. He couldn’t vanish. Especially not just hours after Dick buried his parents. For a while Bruce sat at his desk and got lost staring at the picture of his parents on a shelf across the room. There were much larger and more formal portraits of them in other rooms, but in his study sat a framed candid photo of the two of them. They were young, before Bruce was even born. Martha, in a floral dress, was sitting in a chair on some outdoor patio with Thomas standing nearby with his hands up, palms out as if in surrender. He was grinning at her and her eyes were shut as she laughed. His mother had kept the picture on her dresser when he was a boy. It always hurt a little to look at it, but the peace it brought him outweighed the pain. That evening, though, it mostly just hurt.
It was after sunset, as the first stars were beginning to peek out, when Bruce got up to check on everyone. The kitchen was dim, with only a few lights on, and Alfred had engaged Dick in a quiet game of cards at the counter. They each had a steaming cup of tea beside them. The scene made Bruce smile just a little. It was so familiar. Alfred assured him he would see Master Dick off to bed in a short time. The clear directive that Bruce ought to look after Jason went unspoken.
Bruce found his son in the tv room. The flickering blue light that spilled from the open doorway into the hall was his first clue. He came into the darkened room making just enough noise not to startle Jason but also not to wake him if he was asleep. Jason had changed into pajamas and was curled up on the couch watching Princess Mononoke, one of his favorites. It was a dubbed version so it didn’t matter that he was lying on his side, face half smushed into a pillow. There was no need to read any subtitles.
Bruce gently pushed Jason’s feet over and sat down. He draped his arm across the top of the couch and settled back. Jason sighed by way of acknowledging his presence. His eyes were half mast so Bruce wasn’t sure how much he was actually watching the movie at that point or just letting it play in front of him.
”You ok?” He asked quietly.
Jason nodded on the pillow, not looking over at him.
Bruce didn’t press and sat there for a long time just watching the movie with him. It was toward the end when Jason pushed himself up into sitting position and scooted over next to Bruce. Without a word he tucked himself into his side. Bruce let his arm drop from the back of the couch and wrapped it around Jason’s shoulders. Jason closed his eyes and breathed peacefully. Bruce didn’t say anything. He just rested his head back on the couch and held his son close. By the time the movie ended they were both fast asleep. Alfred came to check on them after sitting with Dick until he was asleep. He decided against waking them. Instead, he turned off the tv and switched on a small lamp to ward against middle of the night disorientation. Then he smiled at his boys and left them.
Bruce jolted awake. His head popped off the couch and he blinked a few times, remembering where he was and why. A cry at his side drew his attention. Jason was talking in his sleep, in clear distress. Bruce shook him lightly.
“Jay, wake up. I’ve got you.”
Jason’s eyes opened and he quickly pushed off Bruce to sit up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.
“You were having a bad dream.” Bruce said carefully.
Jason squinted and then nodded slowly. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.”
Bruce watched Jason sit there, looking down at the floor, trying to decide what to do. He drew a deep breath and let it out long and slow.
“Do you-” he eventually said, but stopped. Bruce lifted his arm, inviting Jason to lean in again. He hesitated but then tipped himself towards his dad. For a while he just breathed, and listened to Bruce’s heart beating steadily behind his ribs.
Bruce finally broke the silence. “Do I…?”
“Do you think my mom…” Jason trailed off as he drew in a shuddering breath. He exhaled slowly again, steadying himself. “Do you think she blames me for abandoning her?”
Bruce was quiet for a moment, just letting the weight of those words settled over him. Jason just kept breathing, not moving from where he rested.
“No, Jay. She loved you.”
Jason nodded against him and a second later Bruce could feel tears dampening his shirt.
“She’d never blame you for trying to keep yourself safe.”
“Ok.” Jason whispered. He fell silent, sniffling back stray tears.
They stayed like that for a long while until Bruce asked if Jason was ready to go to bed. He said he was and so the two of them headed upstairs.
The manor was dark, Alfred having already gone to bed. Dick’s door was closed with no light on underneath. Another thing Bruce was glad to see. He didn’t know what to expect with Dick yet. The last few days had been such a mix.
He followed Jason to his room, received a fist bump and said his goodnights from the doorway. Jason crawled into bed and switched off his lamp. He flopped onto his side as Bruce stood a moment longer in the open door.
“I’m ok, Bruce.” Jay mumbled from under the covers. “I promise.”
Bruce nodded, although Jason couldn’t see him. “Alight, chum. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Bruce quietly closed the door. He went to Dick’s door where he stood listening until he heard the faint sound of snoring on the other side. Satisfied that both his boys were settled and ok, he went off to his own room to sleep.