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Early in the morning, Bruce had been looking over some information Tim gave him on an important case. There was always a rise in crime that evening that lasted throughout the weekend at least. Eventually, crime would balance out to something close to normal before dropping to unusual lows around the holidays.
That meant he was going to be busy for the next few days and nights. He needed to make sure everything was in order beforehand. He’d already checked his gear before Thanksgiving and made sure he had plenty of everything well in stock. However, he’d been thrown a something of a curve ball before the holiday.
John Womack, a former member of the board at Wayne Enterprises who had tried to have each of his children kidnapped (and murdered, in Tim’s case), had been granted bail. Tim had been following the case on Bruce’s behalf and informed him of it the day before. The man was essentially under house arrest, even having to wear a tracker on his ankle, but Bruce still didn’t like it. The case was complicated. It would take some time before the DA was ready to take it to trial. He didn’t like the idea of Womack being home for the holidays and having all the creature comforts until then. Not when Bruce had nearly lost his family because of the man’s ego and ruthlessness.
On top of that, a very important and slightly precarious business opportunity had come up. It was too soon to do much, but a company called Nmir Industries was in trouble and quietly looking for a merger that might save them. Nmir Industries had a very secretive and intriguing R&D department. Their goal was to study any ‘mystical’ or ‘magical’ artifacts they could get their hands on in order to unlock the science behind them. Getting a hold of such science could help Wayne Enterprises efforts to combat climate change, poverty, and inequality in work and educational opportunities. It could also help his family’s other work, as such technologies were usually the most difficult threat they faced.
Not to mention, if said technologies were to get into the wrong hands, they could be dangerous. If Tim (as CEO) could arrange for Wayne Enterprises to strike a deal with Nmir Industries where they fund the research but could also control who has access to it, it would be best for everyone. Fortunately, from the research Tim had done on Nmir, the man was likely to be pleased by the idea of his work being used to help the world and kept from being weaponized. In any case, Bruce trusted Tim to handle the deal. However, that still didn’t mean he could put it out of mind easily.
He hadn’t realized how long he’d been at it until the scent of one of Alfred’s unique fry ups and the sounds of his children talking pulled Bruce out of his work and led him to the kitchen.
Dick and Cassandra had stayed the night after the family’s Thanksgiving celebration the day before. Somehow, they’d talked Jason and Tim into coming over early so everyone could eat breakfast and then tackle the Black Friday sales together, before teaming up to take on the Black Friday crime bump that evening. Bruce wasn’t a fan of Black Friday -it brought more crimes, more traffic, and it wasn’t like the deals meant nearly as much to him as they did the average shopper- but he’d agreed to come simply to spend more quality time with his children.
He heard Jason speaking as he approached the kitchen.
“Uh, Dick?” His second eldest was clearly trying not to laugh. “What the hell is this?”
Bruce saw Dick gesture to a plastic clam-shell container filled with frosting as he entered the room. “I went out to buy chips last night and I saw these cupcakes on the display with all the holiday stuff. So I bought them.”
Jason sounded slightly baffled as he gently stirred the beans Alfred had apparently left him to watch over while he address other duties. “Why do they have cocks on them?”
Dick looked amused at his little brother. He spoke plainly as he corrected him. “Those are turkeys, Jason.”
Jason arched a brow as he put the spoon on the rest. Then he looked back at the desserts his brother had brought. “We’ve all seen turkeys. Those aren’t them. Those are penises lying on multi-colored feathered fans.”
“Nope. They’re cute and festive turkeys.” Dick repeated, sounding certain. He tapped the label on the side of the case. “Even says so on the label.”
Looking at the cupcakes, Bruce had to say that he would have considered Jason’s description before Dick’s if he’d had to guess what they were meant to depict. He supposed they appeared more festive in the store yesterday, stocked among other Thanksgiving themed pastries and the like.
“Why did you buy cupcakes anyway?” Jason turned from the questionable cupcakes to toss a pan full of frying mushrooms. Then he paused, sniffed, and sprinkled some granulated garlic, nondairy parmesan cheese, and fresh pepper over them before tossing some more. “Alfred made four types of pies yesterday. There’s plenty of leftovers.”
“I dunno. We’re gonna need the sugar to deal with the Black Friday crowds today.” Dick shrugged, still cheerful. “Besides, I thought Little D might like them.”
Jason laughed. “Damian is the biggest snob in the family. You think those are gonna hold up to his scrutiny when he has Alfred’s baking to compare them to?”
“Well, he can try them anyway.” Dick sounded unbothered by the (very reasonable) suggestion that their youngest brother might not be impressed by the store-bought desserts. “Besides, this way he can enjoy the traditional turkey of the season without eating a dead turkey.”
“That was very kind of you. And it's the thought that counts.” Bruce cut in, earning him a beaming smile from his eldest and an eye-roll from his second eldest. “Thank you, Dick.”
“Anytime, Dad.” Dick crossed the room to give his father a hug. “Good morning!”
“Good morning.” Bruce released Dick and gave Jason’s shoulder a firm grip. “I’m glad you’re all here.”
Tim and Cassandra entered the kitchen then, chatting quietly together. Cassandra looked amused by whatever her little brother had been telling her.
“Good morning.” The boy quietly greeted Bruce on his way to check the oven, where the seitan sausages he’d brought along with the turkey he’d made yesterday were cooking.
Or heating. Bruce really wasn’t sure. He still wasn’t entirely certain what his second youngest had made the mock meat out of, but the turkey had tasted good and the sausages certainly smelled good. In any case, Tim had made a very sound argument for why they should eat the vegetarian option for Thanksgiving when Bruce wasn’t sure about the change in menu before. If eating vegetarian turkey made Damian feel respected and validated, and united each of his kids, then he’d gladly eat it year after year.
Casandra gave him a hug while her brothers cooked what had once been one of Alfred’s traditional English breakfasts. “Morning, Dad.”
Bruce returned the hug, and the gentle smile Tim threw his way as he closed the oven. “Good morning.” He frowned as he noted one child was missing. “Where’s Damian?”
“Shower.” Casandra answered. “He challenged me to a snowball fight after we shoveled the driveway. He lost.” She tilted her head as if to say there wasn’t any other possible outcome but she’d given him as much of a fair shot as she could without insulting him. “I was worried about him shivering, so Tim suggested a warm shower to get his body temp up quicker.”
“I appreciate that.” Bruce smiled, at both the show of concern and the fact that both of his trained assassin children had been playing in the unusually early snowfall. “I’m sure he had fun anyway.”
“He did.” Cassandra smiled, then looked slightly pensive. “But we still should’ve stopped earlier. He should've spoke up when he started feeling cold. We need to work on him accepting his limitations.”
“Maybe we should stick to snowmen or snow angels for a while.” Tim commented, looking out the window at the falling snow that was starting to look more and more like slush already. He frowned lightly. “Well, after the weather makes up its mind.”
“Snowball fights are fine.” Bruce was aware that who his youngest was in such fights with was also a deciding factor, but he certainly wasn’t going to single out any of his children in saying they shouldn’t participate in such games with him. Besides, no matter what the issue was, Damian did need to learn when to call it quits. “We just need to remember to watch that his competitiveness doesn’t cause him to go for longer than he’s comfortable. As Cassandra pointed out, acknowledging his limits still isn’t one of his strong suits.”
Jason grinned as he commented sarcastically. “Gee, I wonder where he gets that from?”
“Excellent point, Master Jason.” Alfred was grinning as he entered the kitchen. He looked over the food he’d left under the young man’s care. “I trust nothing gave you any trouble?”
“Of course not, Alfie.” Jason always sounded so much nicer when he was addressing Alfred. “I’m happy to help anyway.”
“And I appreciate that.” Alfred offered the boy an impressed smirk. “Even if it means you’ve been sneaking extra spices into my mushrooms.”
“Would I do that?” Jason offered his honorary grandfather an expression that was far too innocent to be believed from the young man.
Alfred released a quiet laugh and then turned back to the previous discussion. “Master Jason is correct, Sir. If you want Master Damian to learn to acknowledge his limits, perhaps it would be wise to start teaching from example?” He arched a regal brow at Bruce.
“In order to do that, Dad would have to know how to admit when he can’t do something.” Jason dropped an arm around Alfred’s shoulders and shook his head in mock sympathy. “Poor Dami never stood a chance.”
“I know how to accept my limitations.” Bruce looked at Jason pointedly. “In case you’ve forgotten, that was one of Robin’s primary purposes initially; to remind me that I’m only human.”
Jason arched a brow. “You think Damian is gonna talk you out of doing something crazy? The kid’s cursed at Superman and Alfred. He tried to take on Doctor Phosphorus without any preparation. He’s not going to be the one to tell you maybe trying to take on a cult all by your lonesome isn’t wise. He’s going to be the one saying ‘come on, we can take them’.”
Bruce had to laugh quietly at that assessment. “True, but he doesn’t need to be a voice of reason. Just seeing him or knowing that he’s waiting for me is enough to prevent me from taking any unnecessary risks. It's enough to remind me that it's just as important that I come home at the end of the evening as it is to prevent crime from escalating. And trying to keep him safe from such threats forces me to acknowledge that I, too, need to be vigilant of them.”
Alfred offered a gentle smile. “While I do appreciate the reminder that you are more careful with your well being these days, I believe teaching Master Damian that drawing the line before it becomes a matter of life and death is on order. That he doesn’t need to prove he’s the best every time he feels it's come into question.” He frowned in disapproval as he glanced at the window. “That he doesn’t need to stand in a flurry of frozen mix pelting snowballs at his sister until she tells him they need to stop in order to prove he’s as strong as she is.”
Cassandra frowned as well at that. “I probably should've stopped sooner. I forget the boys usually get cold before I do.”
Bruce rubbed his daughter’s back. “I’d appreciate that next time, but you’re right to think he needs to learn when to stop on his own. He should have said he wanted to stop when he started getting cold enough to shiver even while playing in his snow jacket. He could have suggested you play something else indoors or even claimed he wanted to get ready to go out, if he didn’t want to admit to being too cold. I always like it when you kids take care of each other, but it's important that you each know how to take care of yourselves as well. I need to work on that with Damian when it comes to his competitiveness.”
Tim placed the foil-wrapped vegetarian sausages on a rack to cool. “I hope that works out, but I’m still not challenging him to a snowball fight anytime soon.”
Jason nodded and draped an arm over his little brother’s shoulders. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” He pulled the boy closer in a half-hug. “We don’t need you both coming down with colds because Damian doesn’t want to admit you have a stronger threshold for discomfort than he does.”
“Indeed.” Alfred agreed, initially looking pleased at the brief show of affection between the boys before looking side-eyed at Tim. “Although in such a situation I would like you to also recall that it is unnecessary for you to suffer simply for your brother’s sake.”
Tim held up a hand defensively. “Hey, I already said no snowball fights with Damian for me. Especially in this weather.”
Bruce noticed that the weather had certainly took a turn for the worse. The wind had picked up and it had grown cloudy. Snow that was beginning to melt before was freezing into hard lumps. “None of you should be outdoors more than necessary in this weather.”
“Yeah, it's definitely not play-in-the-snow weather anymore.” Dick agreed as he took out the dishes needed to set the table for breakfast. “Besides, we’re gonna be heading out after breakfast anyway.” He grinned. “Hey, this means we’re probably gonna hit traffic. We can teach Little D some car ride songs!”
“I hate to break it to you, Dick, but he’s not gonna like them as much as you do.” Jason responded as he patted his big brother’s shoulder in mock condolence. He also subtly grabbed a tray off the highest shelf that he could reach the easiest in the process. He handed the tray to his big brother as he spoke to him teasingly. “No one does, ‘cause no one else is as big a dork as you are.”
“Ha-ha.” Dick took the tray and rolled his eyes at his brother, but he was still grinning too. “I’m not a dork. I’m sentimental. And you’re getting there, too.” He placed an hand on his little brother’s back as he set the tray down with the other. “It's just part of being a good brother.”
Jason laughed once. “I don’t have to be that good.”
“Aw.” Dick’s smile took on an edge that meant one had to be prepared for surprise cuddles. Unfortunately, Jason didn’t seem to recognize it as quickly as Bruce did. “Someone doesn’t feel like he’s a good brother. You know what that means? Group hug!”
Dick threw his arms around his brother just as Cassandra sneaked up behind him to hug him as well. Even Tim (who usually tried to avoid such shenanigans) stepped forward to hug his big brother’s arm. Alfred was beaming at them as he slid the roasted potatoes into the serving tray Jason and Dick had brought down for him.
That was until Jason quietly reacted to the unexpected embrace. “Ah, fuck.”
“Language, Master Jason.” Alfred’s tone was admonishing although there was still a pleased glint to his eyes.
Bruce understood it. After the mess the family had been for some time, scolding one of his kids for swearing while his siblings all hugged him was definitely something Bruce would happily take.
He had to remind himself about the joy he’d felt that morning later, when they did, indeed, hit traffic due to the weather and overabundance of cars out on the road to take advantage of the day’s sales.
Damian wasn’t as enthusiastic about road trip songs as Dick had been at his age, but each of the kids were amused by a particular song their eldest brother taught them. It seemed to be warning about splitting the party in the RPGs they’d taken to playing. They didn’t even notice when a voice dropped out of it during the third time through, as Tim fell asleep with the side of his face pressed against the cold window of the car. Or when Cassandra started texting her friends while mumbling through the second verse. Or when Bruce had to hit the breaks to avoid a jaywalker.
Of course, they all fell silent and immediately took notice when the man hit the hood of Bruce’s car and yelled at him to ‘watch it’ before calling him a rude name.
“What a jerk.” Dick’s hand flew over Damian’s mouth as the boy began yelling over him furiously. “Calm down, Little D. Some idiot’s not worth-”
At that point, Jason had rolled down his window to stick his head out and yell at the man. “Learn how to walk, asshole!” Tim began tugging on his big brother’s coat in an attempt to get him to sit back down. “There’s a storm for fuck’s sake!”
“Jason.” Bruce sighed. He appreciated that his kids were insulted on his behalf but they didn’t need to start arguing with strangers in the street. “Don’t antagonize the man.”
While he was trying to calm his second eldest, the man made a rude gesture as he continued walking. Jason finally sat down to see what Tim wanted (as he’d continued tugging his coat) while both Damian and Casandra reached a hand over the car from their windows to flip the man off.
“Damian!” Bruce scolded his youngest as Dick pulled the boy’s hand back in the car. Tim was doing the same with Cassandra while Jason laughed quietly.
Bruce took the opportunity to roll all the windows back up as he reprimanded his kids. “We do not flip people off from the car, kids. We don’t flip people off, period. And we certainly don’t shout profanities from the car.” He glanced at Jason in disapproval before turning his attention back to Damian. “Understood?”
Damian crossed his arms and grumpily made eye contact with his father through the rear-view mirror. “He was disrespectful toward you and our property, Father. Why should we mind our manners toward a cretin like that?”
“You need to calm down, Son. I’m fine. The car is fine. That type of thing just happens in a busy city. He wasn’t being deliberately disrespectful to anyone in specific.” Bruce was actually finding it hard not to laugh at his children’s joint responses to the mild insult toward him.
“Even if someone was being deliberately disrespectful or crude, I still expect you not to sink to their level. You’re a Wayne. You’re better than that.” While that statement gave Damian pause, Bruce knew it wasn’t the best tact for the situation the second he saw Jason open his mouth.
“So do the rest of us only have to stay, like, halfway above their level and the proper Wayne level of conduct? Since we aren’t fully Waynes?”
“No.” Bruce answered firmly. “Once I adopted you, you became Waynes. Like it or not, you’re going to be held to a higher standard. All of you. Now, buckle back up.”
He began driving again once his children followed the order. Situations like this was one of the reasons why he hated driving around the holidays. If they ever had a family vacation, they were definitely taking a private jet. He’d promise Tim something to make up for the excess in their carbon footprint if the boy complained, or more likely, if one of his siblings complained in his stead.
Meanwhile, he still needed Damian to learn not to behave that way. It didn’t help that Jason was still looking amused, Dick was looking at his younger siblings as though they were a litter of adorable puppies, and Cassandra showed no sign of regret for flipping the man off.
“And the rest of you, don’t encourage him. Really.” Bruce shook his head. “What would Alfred say?”
That certainly made the children appear more chagrined (or as close to it as he suspected a couple of them ever would feel in the situation) than any other scolding.
Dick piped up a moment later. “Just for the record, I used an inside voice and remained fully in the car at all times.”
Jason poorly disguised the words ‘kiss ass’ as a cough.
Dick looked unamused but not insulted. He threw out a hand as he explained. “Hey, I just wanted Dad to know that he managed to teach at least one of us basic civility.” He placed a hand on his chest and nodded innocently as he made that final point. Cassandra laughed and Damian shook his head with a slightly amused expression.
Jason rolled his eyes and indicated their little brother beside him, who’d been typing on his phone and looked up blankly as he found himself pulled into the conversation. “Timbers didn’t say shit nor did any part of him exit the car, but you don’t hear him needing to point it out to Daddy.”
Bruce would have asked Jason to leave Dick alone, but his eldest didn’t seem bothered and it was all he could do not to inadvertently encourage his second son by smiling at the comment. Dick and Jason had been calling him ‘Dad’ more often than not for a little while now, and Cassandra had recently jumped on the bandwagon as well. He loved it. The fact that Jason just casually (if sarcastically) referred to him as ‘Daddy’ was striking him as oddly adorable. He wasn’t sure if that was because of the stress and lack of sleep he’d suffered recently or if Jason was simply gifted.
Or if it was simply because he loved his kids and loved that most of them were openly calling him their father now.
Meanwhile, Dick had twisted in his seat to hold a hand up to Tim, offering his little brother a high five. “Good job, Timmy. I can always count on you not to make me have to stop you from flipping someone off.”
Tim looked at his eldest brother in puzzled amusement at the remark, but he didn’t leave him hanging on the high five. “Uh, thanks Dick.”
“Thank you.” Dick responded before pointing at Tim’s phone. “You aren’t working, are you?” He frowned in disapproval. “I thought you had the day off?”
“No. I mean, I do.” Tim lifted his phone slightly to indicate it. “I’m just texting with Con.”
Cassandra turned to look back at her little brother as well, grinning. “Calling for a rescue already?”
“Of course not.” Tim smiled softly at his sister. “We’re making plans for him to come over to do some Cyber Monday shopping.” His tone turned sympathetic. “Turns out, it's kind of hard to surprise your family with gifts when your mom’s one of the world’s foremost investigative journalist and your dad and brothers have super hearing and x-ray vision.”
Jason laughed once. “Fuck, and I thought I have a hard time trying to surprise a bunch of billionaire detectives.”
“Aw, you don’t have to surprise us, Jay.” Dick reached over Damian to try to muss Jason’s hair, which didn’t work out very well. He still smiled and continued as if Bruce hadn’t demanded he sit back down and his brothers hadn’t swatted his hand away. “We’ll love anything you get us. Right, guys?”
Cassandra and Tim were quick to agree. Damian arched a brow and turned to look at his big brother. “I don’t know that I’d go that far, but you should be observant enough to select decent gifts. Father never would have taken you on if you lacked such rudimentary skills.”
Bruce sighed. He recognized that comment as Damian’s version of teasing. Or at least, he hoped the boy wasn’t just acting like a jerk intentionally. Still, he knew such comments weren’t going to win his youngest any favor. But he’d just scolded the boy and he didn’t want Damian to feel like he couldn’t do anything right either. He especially didn’t want him to feel like he couldn't be himself in front of his family, even if his personality remained somewhat acerbic as he grew.
Instead, Bruce decided to address Jason's concern. He wasn’t sure just how serious his son had been when he made his last comment, but he didn’t want to let it go in case it was something he truly worried about. “Personally, it's enough for me just to have all of you home for the holidays. Any gifts you decide to bring are simply a bonus.”
“That would be where the ‘billionaire’ part becomes a concern.” Jason replied dryly. “You already seem to have everything.”
“That’s where you have to get creative.” Dick remarked with a smile. “Get him something more valuable than the sum of its parts.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Says the guy who regularly gives Dad ‘gift certificates’ for shit like hugs or a night of patrolling together.”
Dick simply shrugged. “He can’t buy either.”
“Uh, actually, he can buy hugs. And technically, aren’t you making your hugs a commodity by attaching gift certificates to them?” Jason smirked at his big brother. “Plus, isn’t that the kind of thing you give your parents when you’re tiny and have no money?”
Dick nodded. “At first. But like you said, finding things that Dad needs or wants and doesn’t have is hard.” He smiled. “And you can never have too many hugs. Even if you’re Batman.”
“Besides, I’ve never complained about the gift certificates.” Bruce pointed out. He’d never acted especially excited about them (well, not since Dick was little) but he did truly like them. He could play it off as using the certificates for Dick while having his eldest home more for himself.
“Of course not, he gives them to you on birthdays and holidays.” Jason pointed out calmly and immediately. “Alfie would ream you.”
There was also that.
But mostly, Bruce liked having an excuse to spend some time with Dick or accept one of the young man’s hugs. He didn’t need an excuse as much now, but he’s especially appreciated them during the years he’d been more shut off after Jason passed. He never would have requested a hug or night together then otherwise. He didn’t doubt that Dick hadn’t been aware of it.
He smiled as he continued driving and listening to his children.
“Hey, at least the weather’s turning back to proper snow again!” Dick chimed, as though the fluffy bits of frozen water falling from the sky weren’t going to increase in accidents and work for everyone.
“You know, I used to think people who got excited over snow were crazy.” Jason commented as he, too, took in the falling snow outside. “Then Dad took me in and I realized they were probably just wealthy enough to stay warm in it.” He looked over his big brother. “Then I got to know you and realized both could be true.”
“I am so making you play in the snow later.” Dick spoke as though completely confident that this would happen. “You obviously need to learn how much fun it can be.”
Jason grinned sweetly. “If it means pelting you with snowballs, then definitely.”
Dick laughed. Damian glared at Jason. Cassandra grinned and nodded. Tim shook his head.
Bruce smiled.
At the store the kids had decided to go to first, Dick consistently found items that one friend or another would enjoy. It was quickly next to impossible to keep track of all the novelty items, games, collectibles, box sets, and sweaters he was dumping into the cart. Comparing the size of their gift lists really brought home how many more friends and close acquaintances his eldest had in comparison to his other children. Bruce didn’t think there was anything he could do about that and none of his children seemed to care, so he put it out of mind as they continued shopping.
Tim mostly appeared to be buying gifts for coworkers on this trip. He selected several novelty versions of practical items, some holiday themed snack or beverage sets, and asked Bruce’s opinion on a coffee and espresso machine he was considering for Lucius Fox. He also disappeared for a moment only to return clutching a plush unicorn nearly as big as him, which Bruce assumed was for Lian Harper. Jason laughed as he took the over-sized stuffed animal from his little brother. After that was being held for them, Jason grabbed a novelty cocoa and mug set as well, a cookbook set (which could have been a gift or for himself), a bedding set, and a bottle of Dr Thompkins’ favorite perfume.
Cassandra bought ‘ugly’ sweaters (that actually looked very well made, if somewhat gaudy, to Bruce) for each of her friends in Blüdhaven, whom she reported wanted to have an ugly Christmas sweater party the next month. After a brief moment of consideration, she went back and grabbed ones for Barbara, Dinah, Helena, Zinda, and Hank.
Damian inspected several items before frowning or glaring and moving on. Eventually the family learned that he wanted to get gifts for Jon’s parents and Alfred. The former, he didn’t know what to get for and he found nothing he believed was worthy of the latter. Later, at the jewelry store they’d stopped in, Damian selected a watch for Lois. It was waterproof and didn’t require a battery so it would hold up to her travels for work easily. The whole family agreed that it suited her.
At least it was one name off his list.
While they were there, Bruce selected a pair of earrings for Zee, a necklace for Leslie, and a bejeweled shawl for Diana. Jason bought a bracelet that caught his eye for Barbara. Tim bought a pendent for Mrs Fox. Dick bought a few pieces for various friends. Cassandra bought a pair of earrings for Stephanie that matched a pair she’d seen her friend eyeing until she saw the price.
Jason insisted they stop at a specific hardware store, where an arc welder was on sale (after being newly stocked) that he wanted to get for Roy. Cassandra happily bought a hydraulic lift and a new set of combination wrenches for Harper, who could finally expand her tool collection now that she had a proper workshop. While there, Tim and Dick each purchased a couple of different power-tool gift sets for the young woman. Tim also bought a t-shirt that read Keep Calm and Farm On to toss in with whatever he’d gotten (or was going to get) Conner. Bruce bought a travel mug with the same statement for Clark and a coffee set with matching mugs for Jon and Martha Kent. It might as well have been the Kent family logo, after all.
At the electronics store, Bruce got a new top-of-the-line eReader for Lois, since he’d heard about a coffee spilling incident that recently took hers out. Jason bought an over-sized tablet for Bizarro, who was having trouble with the standard size not cooperating with his large fingers. Tim and Dick both got presents for Vic Stone. Dick bought a gift for Gar. Tim also bought some small gifts for various people at Wayne Enterprises and a couple gifts for friends whose names Bruce didn’t recognize. Cassandra got a few odds and ends that Tim helped her select for Luke Fox as well as a hard-shell laptop case that would attach to the back of Barbara’s wheelchair.
By that point, Damian was getting a little short tempered. Bruce had also caught Tim taking another micro-nap at the jewelry store and noticed that Cassandra and Jason were talking about splitting one of the holiday sausage packages that were for sale pretty much everywhere. So Bruce suggested they stop for lunch. Each of his kids seemed to like the idea.
“What’s open that’s nearby?” Dick asked, turning to Tim, who already had his phone out.
“And fast.” Cassandra chimed in. “Please.”
Her little brother grinned at the request as he read off the nearest places that were open and not likely to have a waiting list. “Batburgers; Bat Pizza; Burger Bell; Danny’s; Five Mates; Gunther Goat Cheeses; IHOF; O'Shaughnessy's; Panda Accelerated; Pita Palace; Subway; Superburger; Tempura Garden; Torres Tacos; Queequeg’s-”
“Isn’t that a coffee place?” Bruce interrupted. He never went to the popular chain, but he’s heard friends and associates talk about the coffee drinks there. He’d thought it was a coffee house only.
“Mainly.” Dick answered. He’d been the only member of the family to drink coffee for years. “But they sell some foods, too. Mostly baked goods, sandwiches, and some acai bowls.”
“I don’t even know what that is.” Jason looked like it sounded as unappealing to him as it did to Bruce, in any case. “Let's just stick to real food, okay?”
“How about Five Mates?” Dick suggested. “They don’t have one in Blüdhaven yet and they have the best milkshakes. I always start wanting one when the weather gets cold.”
“Works for me.” Jason remarked as Cassandra nodded enthusiastically.
“Do they have anything vegetarian?” Damian asked, his tone and body language made it clear he would have very strong objections if the answer was ‘no’ or very limited.
“And dairy-free options?” Jason looked pointedly at Tim. “You aren’t eating another fucking dry salad.”
Tim gave a short nod of agreement as he checked something else on his phone.
Meanwhile, Cassandra’s nose scrunched at the thought. She looked at Jason. “When did he do that?”
“A work lunch the other week. I don’t know what asshat picked the place, but there was literally nothing on the menu that didn’t have either meat or dairy in it. Tim even had to special order the salad to avoid either.” Jason's already irritated expression darkened. “And he got sick before he even finished the damn thing.”
Bruce frowned. This was the first he was hearing of the incident. “When was this?”
Tim shrugged as he continued reading whatever on his phone. “A few weeks ago.” He didn’t seem nearly as bothered by the incident as his big brother. “Turns out the mushrooms were spoiled. They already hired a new manager and had to request another health inspection to fix their grade after it dropped.”
He turned to Damian without further comment and showed him a menu page on his phone. “Five Mates has a vegetarian burger, plus they’ll switch out the patty on any other burger upon request. They also have a couple salad options and a vegetarian appetizer sampler platter that combines all five vegetarian sides and appetizers available.”
Bruce was considering suggesting that they go somewhere else. Several of the other places Tim had named had multiple vegetarian options including entrees that Damian already knew he liked. If his son tried something new and didn’t like it, he had approved foods they could fall back on. He also knew a few them had options for Tim without any special orders required, something that would likely come in handy during the holiday rush.
However, Damian quickly nodded and handed Tim his phone back. He looked at Dick when he responded. “Then we can go to your milkshake place, Richard.”
Dick grinned at his youngest brother. “It's not a milkshake place, it's a fast family restaurant. They just happen to make really good shakes.”
Bruce had his kids order first at the restaurant so he could pay after he ordered. He asked Tim a question about a mini gaming console a few of his kids had purchased for friends that day. “Is that the same one Jason has?” His second eldest had brought his to the Manor a few times to play with his brothers, so Bruce was familiar with it.
“Similar.” Tim nodded, speaking quietly as his siblings ordered. “It's based off the next model to come out after the console the one Jay has is based on. So there’s different games and slightly better graphics and controls. And they fixed the problem with the really short cables from the last one.”
“I seem to remember hearing some complaints about that”. Bruce smirked. He’d definitely heard both Jason and Damian complain about that when Jason brought over his (comparatively) older model.
Tim nodded, his expression suggested he knew exactly which incident Bruce was thinking of. “A company that makes gaming paraphernalia released cordless controllers that work with both anyway. I got a pair to leave at the Manor so you shouldn’t be hearing any more complaints.”
“It wasn’t a bother. I’m glad Jason and Damian were bonding.” Bruce smiled at the memory. “Even if it involved some cursing at the annoying controllers. Thank you, though. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it the next time.”
“No problem, I was ordering some anyway. Bart already has ‘em for the last console, so he’s covered for the new one I just got him. But I wanted a pair to go with the one I just got Miguel.” Tim smiled and continued when Bruce looked at him curiously. “He’s mentioned wanting to play a few of the games that have been hard to find, and Gabe -that’s his boyfriend- is really into retro games, so they’ll have a lot of fun with it together.”
The boy had added the aside about the boyfriend as though he hadn’t expected Bruce to know who Gabe was. However, he seemed to think Bruce would know Miguel, or at least, who he was. The problem was, Bruce was pretty sure he didn’t.
Tim tilted his head slightly as he thought of what he’d said last, apparently not thinking anything of Bruce not commenting on his friends. “Well, that’s what I’m hoping anyway.”
Bart was unforgettable, but Bruce still wasn’t able to place Miguel. He felt a little bad about that. He could immediately bring any of his other children’s friends to mind when they were named. Even if they weren’t, he could name them all. With Tim, he realized he could only really think of Conner, Bart, and Cassie. He knew there had been a few school friends for a little while, but he’d never known who any of them were.
However, it was Tim’s turn to order so he figured he’d ask when they were sitting down to eat. Besides, the main reason he’d asked his initial question was to keep the boy staying behind with him. That way he could hear Tim order. Sure enough, when the boy checked to ensure his order was dairy-free, the man taking it didn’t sound as certain as Bruce would like. He said it was, but his tone was offhanded and not particularly assuring. He also didn’t show any sign of understanding that there was a medical reason behind the question, despite Tim specifically using the words ‘I can’t have dairy’.
So when Tim moved to join his siblings in filling their drinks at the soda fountain, Bruce made sure the man looked up and recognized him before putting in his own order. Then he lowered his voice to address Tim’s. “You’re certain my son’s order doesn’t have any meat or dairy? He has a medical condition and I’d hate for there to be any incidents.” He put just enough emphasis on that final comment that, along with his tone, would make it clear that the man also did not want there to be any incidents regarding Bruce Wayne’s son being fed ingredients he’d specifically asked to avoid.
The immediate change in the man’s tone, body language, and expression told Bruce the implied threat had done the trick. “I’ll make sure one cook handles all his food and the other vegetarian order. I’ll ask them to double check to be sure. We’ll call you up if there’s any question, Mr Wayne.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.” Bruce offered a polite nod as he paid. “Keep the change, please.”
He knew it wasn’t customary to tip in such eateries. However, Jason was big on tipping well. Especially over the holidays. Plus, Damian was often brash with employees and Bruce definitely wanted to make sure that both Damian’s and Tim’s diets were respected. A generous tip would make Jason happy, act as a balm for Damian’s acerbic personality, and encourage the employee to see to it that the Wayne children had a pleasant experience that meant the family might return.
Sure enough, the man’s eyes lit up as he discreetly pocketed the extra money. “Thank you, Mr Wayne!”
Bruce smiled. “Happy holidays.”
“You too!” The man called out as Bruce left to fill his own drink and join his children. He sounded more alert and cheerful as he greeted the next customer in line.
Conveniently, Cassandra was asking Tim about the controllers he’d mentioned for the mini gaming console, since she’d bought one for Cullen earlier as well.
“They’re so much better.” Jason commented after sipping his drink. “I haven’t touched the ones that came with the console since I got them.”
Cassandra nodded. Her expression indicating that she knew very well what her brother had thought of the corded controllers. “I’ll definitely get a pair for Cullen then. You said you only found them online?”
Tim nodded. “Here, I’ll send you a link.” He puled out his phone to swiftly do so before their food was ready. “They should still be able to get them to you before Christmas, but if they can’t, just take the pair I got to leave at the Manor. Those ones aren’t a gift, so it doesn’t matter if they’re late.”
“Thanks.” Cassandra smiled at the offer. Her phone right away gave a little chime and she took it out to check the link. She turned the phone toward her brothers and then grinned and placed her order after they nodded to indicate they were the correct ones. “You guys are right, he’s gonna like these so much better.”
Dick turned to Damian. “Hey, do you think Jon might like one of those consoles? I still haven’t gotten anything for him yet.”
Damian appeared to consider that for a brief moment. “We played on Todd’s while Jon was over a couple times. He enjoyed it. The new model features a game that focuses on his favorite character from Mario-Kart, so he’ll probably like that one more.” He gave a short nod of encouragement. “Good thinking, Richard.”
Dick smiled at his youngest brother. “Thanks, Little D.”
“You should get him a pair of the wireless controllers as well.” Damian suggested. “His parents don’t like him sitting too close to the television.” The boy rolled his eyes as though he thought worrying over the eyestrain of a being with supervision was ridiculous. “Besides, Biz has a tendency to tangle cords and sometimes he breaks them while trying to fix it. He’s already broken a few from the console Father got him before our House Tournament.”
Jason shook his head sympathetically. “Poor Biz. None of that shit is made for someone with big fingers. That’s why I got him the new tablet. He hits three options every time he tries to tap one on the regular size tablet, then he gets frustrated and his coordination gets wonky.”
“Wireless controllers sound like a good idea, then.” Dick nodded, also looking sympathetic to their friend. He looked from Tim to Cassandra pleasantly enough immediately afterwards though. “Can one of you send me that link real quick?”
As Tim sent it, Bruce entered the conversation. “Who did you say you bought one for besides Bart, Tim?”
“Miguel.” Tim glanced at Bruce and then turned his attention back to him quickly when he must have spotted the lack of recognition. “Miguel Barragan? You’ve never met him, but you’ve heard me talk about him a few times. We met at that teen computer camp you thought I should attend. He was one of the counselors.”
Bruce had to think on that for a second. He’d never sent Tim to any camp nor suggested he attend one. The boy could have been referring to some training Bruce sent him away for, but the fact that he chose to call it a 'teen camp' rather than some sort of internship or the like made Bruce think Tim was talking about something a little more social. That made the most likely candidate the Teen Titans, as Bruce had suggested he join when Young Justice broke up after the death of one of their friends.
It hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped. With the loss of Young Justice among other personal tragedies, Bruce thought Tim could use the kind of support Dick had found with the Titans. He’d made a couple friends, it seemed, but instead of offering the boy a reprieve with his peers, the new team had ultimately led to more stress, pain, and responsibility. All of which Tim had already had plenty to deal with.
The worse part was that, looking back, Bruce knew what Tim had actually needed was him. Unfortunately, there was no way to fix that error now. All he could do was try to show his children that he would be there for them from now on. Something he felt he’d been doing a much better job at recently.
Well, until his second youngest mentioned a dear friend that Bruce couldn't place for the life of him.
The camp counselor title initially made him think of the original Titans that had decided to watch the kids, but those had all been Dick’s friends. Bruce knew each of them and there was no Miguel. That meant Tim was likely just trying to tell him that the boy was a few years older than him, to help him recall the boy he’d apparently mentioned before. Knowing Tim, he was being polite in phrasing it as ‘a few times’. Tim wouldn’t have expected Bruce to recognize the name as he did if he’d only mentioned the other boy in passing once or twice. Of course, the age clue didn’t help much as it was true of most of the other Teen Titans.
Jason was already giving Bruce his ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look.
Bruce always hated that. It meant his second eldest thought he should know whatever he clearly didn’t. It meant he hadn’t been paying enough attention to what was happening in one of his children’s lives.
“He works for Wayne Enterprises now.” Tim commented casually. There was something to his tone. Bruce couldn't tell if the boy was disappointed or if he was simply trying to figure out how to clue Bruce in to who he was talking about without resorting to names they couldn’t use in public. “In impact studies.
“He likes it and he’s really good. He’s great with people and he likes traveling to new places. He’s currently in Brazil.” Tim tilted his head to suggest that wasn’t quite right. “Well, right now he’s in Mexico with his family, but after the holidays he’ll be back in Brazil.”
The boy looked at him with a little weight, clearly about to drop another clue. “He used to work with bricks, you might recall?”
Bruce nodded once to show he’d caught on. They were talking about Bunker. Bruce still honestly couldn't remember Tim talking about the boy, but he’d looked over the young hero’s file as he had with every other that one of his children worked with. Bunker was unique. Not only was he able to create and control psionic brinks that he could then construct into nearly anything, but his history lacked the types of tragedies that many other young heroes had endured. His family was alive and well and very proud of their son.
Miguel Barragan was a little like Dick, from what Bruce had surmised after reading his file (most of the information had been put there by Tim or Vic Stone). He wasn’t dark or jaded. He wasn’t looking to prove himself or gain any sort of fame or glory. He was simply born a hero. He was kind; loyal; open; loving; positive; dedicated; self-assured. Definitely the type of friend Tim should have.
Honestly, Bruce was just glad to hear Tim talking about a friend other than Conner lately. Not that Bruce had anything against Conner. He liked Clark’s son-slash-clone just fine. More importantly, Conner and Tim were good for each other. They were always there for each other. Bruce knew he had Conner to thank for Tim coming back from whatever darkness he’d fallen into after Bruce ‘died’ so shortly after the boy had endured too many other losses.
It was only that he wanted Tim to have other friends as well. He wanted each of his children to have multiple people they could talk to, relate to, and depend on. Especially ones their own age.
Tim just happened to be the one who talked of such friends the least. Well, after Damian, but Bruce understood his youngest child’s lack of meaningful friendships. He lacked the social graces to nurture such relationships. Bruce also knew the boy could and did count on each of his siblings for anything one might normally turn to a friend for. He was sad to realize he couldn’t say the same about Tim with such certainty. Not with what had happened when they believed Bruce to be dead.
It was a concerning thought.
Especially since Bruce had clearly dropped the ball on his second youngest as well.
The holidays were approaching. It was the time of year when families were supposed to be together and remind each other how much they meant to one another. Bruce would take full advantage of that. He could have his children over more. He would show them he was there, that he was paying attention now.
Maybe that attention would help with other aspects of their lives. Maybe it would help some of his kids see that they were worth such attention. Maybe they might begin to seek it out from others.
If nothing else, at least they’d know they had one more person they could always count on. They’d know they had their father to depend on, for everyday things as well as the big issues.
They’d know their father loved them, even if he wasn’t the best at showing it. Not in the usual ways anyway.
Bruce started rethinking the gift ideas he’d already had for his kids. Those had been based mostly on their work. He realized that would be a mistake. He needed to show his children that he saw and loved them.
He knew a gift wasn’t going to fix everything, but it was a start. It was a symbol. It was another way to communicate that he was trying to be better for them.
“Hey!” Dick interrupted his father’s thoughts by addressing the entire table enthusiastically. “After lunch, I got some cupcakes in the car we can all have for dessert.”
“Dick, no.” Jason face-palmed. “You’ve had them in the car all this time?”
“Yeah. Why?” Dick frowned at his brother, who started laughing.
“Well, I guess melting in the heat Dad had blasting wasn’t going to make them look any worse.”
Dick rolled his eyes. “They aren’t that bad.”
Jason looked at his siblings. “Just brace yourselves for when he whips ‘em out.”
Between that comment, the recollection of what the cupcakes looked like, and the various levels of concern on his other children’s faces at the warning, Bruce couldn’t help but laugh.
As his eldest joined him and his younger kids continued to look baffled (if amused), Bruce decided he was definitely on the right track. The holidays would bring some challenges. They always did. But they would also bring opportunities.
Opportunities such as the one he’d taken today, to spend some time with his children away from all the usual stress of their lives.
To remind them that they were a family first and foremost.