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It’d be a long month. A long three months.
But the case was solved. The world was saved. And he, Bruce and Cass could all, finally, go home.
“What are you gonna do first, B?” Dick asked pleasantly, glancing out the window at the city below them.
“Finish the report on this.” Bruce hummed grumpily.
“Yeah, no, you’re sleeping first.” Dick returned with a smirk, before turning to his sister. “You? Hang out with Steph I bet.”
Cassandra just grinned, but shrugged.
“You?” She asked quietly.
“Also sleep forever.” Dick laughed. “Take at least a week off. Maybe even eight days.”
Cass snorted, and it was a good sound. “Baby?”
“Babies don’t tend to let you sleep.” Bruce agreed, almost with amusement.
“I can convince him to take a few naps a day, no worries.” Dick grinned widely, like he always did when he thought of the two boys always waiting for him at the end of a good fight. “Maybe I’ll take him out of school for a week.”
“Dick,” Bruce warned. “You promised you’d stop that.”
“Some promises are meant to be broken.” Dick stuck his tongue out. “Besides, I haven’t done it since before Jay an I got married!”
“Bad habit.” Cass scolded. “Don’t restart.”
Dick grinned at her and winked. “We’ll reassess when I see him, how about that?”
“And no calling Jason’s boss to get him a week off either.” Bruce added. “…You know, have you two thought of calling Damian anything other than ‘baby’? I mean…he really isn’t one anymore.”
“Just because he’s the ripe old age of nine now doesn’t change a single thing, B. You know that.” Dick returned. “He can be seventy, and if I’m still alive, you can bet your ass I’m still calling him baby.”
Bruce merely rolled his eyes, dared to let out a chuckle. “No wonder he calls you embarrassing sometimes.”
“He does not!” Dick gasped. Cass laughed too. “Does he?”
“Last time he came over for a visit.” Bruce hummed. A thing they were trying, these visits. Just Damian and Bruce. Not being father and son, not per say, just. Existing together. Learning about each other. “He claims he’s not complaining, of course, and I don’t think he is. But he said how much you love him is…overwhelming at times.”
“It is just how much my parents loved me-”
“And he wasn’t speaking specifically about you. He was talking about you and Jason as a whole.” Bruce clarified. “He thinks you two need a weekend away. Just the two of you. Without him.”
“You have not done that since before you and Jason married either.” Cassandra reminded playfully.
“I know, I know. Jay and I have talked about it, honestly.” Dick smiled softly, but it was almost sad. “It’s just…I don’t know. With everything that’s happened to us. With that Court of Owls stuff when he was little…not to mention when he was kidnapped about a year ago…we’d spend the whole time worrying.”
“He would stay with us.” Cass decided. “With me.”
“Of course, and it’s not like I don’t trust you guys.” Dick placated. “But…man, Bruce, I don’t know how you did it with all of us, letting us out of your sight for more than a day.”
“Hm?”
“They just grow up so fast.” Dick whispered. “And it’s so corny, but I’m one of those parents – I don’t want to miss a second. Like, if I knew how to scrapbook, I’d have one for every single one of Damian’s years. Even when he wasn’t with Jason. I’d freaking call Talia for the baby pictures.”
Bruce glanced at Cassandra. “I can’t wait until Damian turns eighteen.”
“Shut up.” Dick laughed, shoving Bruce’s shoulder, even as they lowered into the hidden tunnel, and started the last leg to the cave’s parking area. “That’s only nine years away!”
Bruce and Cassandra both laughed, and even if it was at his expense, he relished in the sound.
As the laughter died down, they remained mostly quiet as they raced through the tunnel, and slowly landed on the pad in the hanger. Neither Dick nor Cassandra waited as Bruce shut down and rechecked the systems, both grabbing their bags and heading towards the door.
They had just hit the last of the plane’s steps, when they heard footsteps echoing through the cave. Looked up in time to see not only Damian racing towards them, but Jason trailing slowly behind him.
“Didi!” Damian was shouting, a smile plastered to his face as he ran. “Didi!”
And Dick smiled too. Dropped his bag and took as many steps forwards as he could (so…four) before Damian was close enough and jumped.
Dick caught him out of habit. Easily, like breathing.
And despite the fact that Damian was getting too big for this, too heavy, too old – Dick spun him in circles anyway. Relished in Damian’s laugh as he kissed his face over and over. Held him even as he slowed, ignored the strain in his arms.
It was just like he said. No matter how old he got, Damian would always be his baby.
“Hey, kiddo.” Dick hummed as they stopped. Damian clung to his neck, looking excitedly up at him. “What are you doing down here?”
“We knew you were coming home today.” Damian said simply. “Baba and I have been down here waiting.”
“Oh no, don’t pull me into this, baby.” Jason smirked from a few feet away. “You know the rules. We aren’t supposed to be in the cave. I came down here after you. To drag your lanky butt back upstairs.”
Damian laughed again, leaning his head on Dick’s shoulder. “Baba, another rule is to never lie.” He glanced up at Dick. “He’s been down here for at least an hour.”
“Oh, I bet.” Dick whispered back, kissing Damian’s head, even as he moved towards Jason. Jason met him halfway, let Dick hold him with his free arm, and kiss him softly. “Hey, you.”
“Hello.” Jason hummed back. “Mission go okay?”
“Boring, but otherwise fine.” He grinned, taking in Jason’s face. And his heart hurt a little bit – Damian wasn’t the only one getting older. He could see the lines starting to settle on Jason’s still-too-young face. Where they there before he left? “I missed you.”
Jason smiled softly, leaning down for another kiss. “I missed you too.”
And normal people probably would have let each other go by now. Moved to somewhere more comfortable, the child squirming out of his parent’s arms. But they all stayed there, Damian perched happily on Dick’s hip, Jason wrapped awkwardly in Dick’s arms. “How were things while I was gone?”
“Same old, same old.” Jason shrugged. “Damian got mad at me a lot.”
Damian huffed. “I did not.”
“Why were you mad at Baba?” Dick asked.
Damian looked sweetly up at him. “…He wouldn’t let me call you.”
“It was undercover, Damian. I told you.” Jason sighed, sounded exasperated. “God forbid, someone tapped his phone and found you…”
“I’m going to have to agree with Baba on this one.” Dick nodded apologetically. Damian pursed his lips, and it made Dick chuckle as he carefully put Damian back on solid ground. “But, hey, look. I’m here now. And you can talk to me as much as you want.”
“Because Didi is not taking any more three month long missions for a long time.” Jason called loudly, glancing over towards Bruce, who was already at the computer. “Right, Bruce?”
Bruce grunted.
“Sounds like a ‘no he isn’t’ to me.” Jason hummed. Dick chuckled as he stood back to full height, but kept looking down at Damian. After a moment, his smile waned a little and he carefully ran his hand through Damian’s hair. “…Dick? What’s wrong?”
“Damian, were you this tall when I left?” Dick whispered.
“Nope!” Damian said proudly. “Alfred measured me once a week against Father’s old measurements on the doorframe upstairs. I’ve grown two and a half inches – not even Father was this tall when he was my age!”
“And I missed it…” Dick murmured sadly.
“Oh, don’t start, you didn’t miss shit.” Jason drawled, grabbing Dick’s hands and pulling him closer to himself. Damian scowled up at him as he wrapped his arms around Dick’s hips. Grinned as he looked at Dick’s mouth. “The only thing you missed was-”
“Ew!” Damian practically screamed, stepping back and waving his arms. “Don’t start, Baba! Or at least give me a warning!”
“A warning of what?” Jason asked exasperatedly.
“Don’t play dumb.” Damian scolded. “I heard what you and Uncle Roy talked about while Didi was gone. I heard you talk about kissing and hands and se-”
“Okay, okay.” Jason hummed hastily, pushing Damian away. “You were supposed to be in bed and asleep when those conversations happened, young man…”
Damian smirked and stuck his tongue out, quickly giving Dick one last hug before scurrying gleefully across the cave to greet Cassandra and Bruce. Dick watched him go with a laugh, before looking up at poor Jason and his now beet-red face.
“…It’s like the terrible twos and puberty all together, except worse because he’s nine.” Jason mumbled in embarrassment. “I guess one thing you did miss is how rebellious he’s gotten without you there…”
“Just like his dad, I’d bet.” Dick grinned smugly. “Remember how rebellious you used to be?”
“We better hope he doesn’t start acting like I did.” Jason snorted.
“Mhm.” Dick hummed, sliding his hands around Jason’s back, and slowly lowering his fingers into the back pockets of Jason’s jeans. “So you talked about me, huh?”
“To anyone who would listen.” Jason admitted. “So…Kory and Roy, basically.”
“Good to know my ex and my best friend know all about our sex life.” Dick laughed.
“Three months is a long time to go without, Dick. And it was either live vicariously through telling someone how…talented you are, or go and cheat.” Jason carefully brushed his lips against Dick’s cheek. “And you know I ain’t the cheating type.”
“Well, then, how about we convince Alfred to order a bunch of pizzas for us, let Damian talk our ears off, then let Bruce and Cassie distract him while we go up to my old bedroom, and you can tell me everything you told Roy and Kory.” He smirked as he tugged Jason closer by the pockets, and slowly squeezed Jason’s cheeks. Jason gasped lightly, and hid his quiet moan along Dick’s throat. “You talked about my hands, right? It’s been three months for me too, love, and they could use some practice…”
“You are the worst.” Jason mumbled into his neck. “We are in public, for god’s sake. I hate you.”
Dick cackled, leaving a kiss to Jason’s face before lifting his hands to his shoulder blades, and holding him as tightly as he could while he looked over at Damian. Damian was laughing at something Cassandra said while climbing all over the back of Bruce’s chair. Despite his age, Dick could still see the little four year old who would cling to his Baba and Didi’s legs. The six year old little princeling who demanded to be held by anyone in sight. The toddler who loved to give kisses.
“He’s growing up so fast…” He whispered into Jason’s hair. Jason shifted, keeping his head firmly against Dick’s shoulder as he looked too.
“Yeah he is.” Jason returned just as softly. “…He looks more like you every day.”
“And he acts more like you every second.” Dick countered playfully. “…Have I mentioned how much I missed you two?”
Jason pulled back just enough to look Dick in the eyes. “You can tell me again, if you like.”
Dick smiled. “More than anything.”
Jason returned the grin, but it faded just slightly, after a second. “…We might not get to fuck tonight like you want.”
“Oh?”
“Damian had nightmares. Most of the nights you were gone.” Jason admitted quietly. “About the Court of Owls…”
“Oh, no…” Dick breathed. “Jason, I’m sorry…”
Jason waved it off. “He just might want to sleep in our bed tonight, is all. So, I’m just saying, if we’re going to bang – and trust me, Dick, we’re gonna – we’re going to have to make it a quickie or in the shower.”
Dick snorted incredulously. “You’re unbelievable.” Jason’s grin brightened again. “And – shower, obviously.”
“That was also my preference.” Jason said, gathering Dick into his arms now, leaning his chin on Dick’s head as they both looked back over at Damian, who was forcing Bruce to his feet, to show Cass just how tall he’d really gotten. “…Do you have another long mission scheduled yet?”
“No.” Dick hummed. “I don’t like them any more than you do, Jay. I avoid them when I can.”
“Okay, I’m just saying.” Jason whispered. “Won’t do any good for you to fix the nightmares and then leave again not soon after.”
Dick glanced up – and he knew. He knew Jason wasn’t just talking about Damian this time.
Suddenly – he wondered just how often Roy and Kory were over. He wondered exactly how many nights Damian had nightmares, and ended up in his and Jason’s bed. Wondered how many nights Jason had nightmares too, and ended up in his son’s room.
Gently, he leaned his forehead on Jason’s. “I’ll talk to Bruce about it, Jason. Don’t worry.”
Jason quirked his lips, even as they heard Damian running back to them. “…Promise?”
And Dick blindly regathered Damian into their embrace, smiling when Damian leaned happily against him. Held his boys like he’d wanted to for the last three months, let his heart flutter and reveled in the sensation of absolute peace and wholeness.
No, no more long missions. No more missing Damian grow up. No more missing Jason. No more being away from his boys.
“Promise.”