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Dick looked at his little brother as he played with his action figurines. They were alone in the living room, and Dick was supposed to be the responsible one - he would make sure that nothing was about to happen to Jason. He even stopped what he was doing - he had to be ready for anything, and he already knew that something was coming. For now, though, everything was alright - no problem in sight, and no adults claiming that they were trying to help. So, everything was good; but Dick knew it wouldn’t be for forever.
Dad would probably be here soon enough, though. And it worried Dick; a lady was supposed to come with him, and Dick knew what happened when someone was coming with Dad to visit them.
Dick was afraid. He could admit it - he was a big boy, after all.
“Dickie?”
He turned his head - his dad was here, smiling down at him and Jason. “Yeah?”
“Miss Smith is at the door. I’m going to get her. You stay here with your brother, alright?”
“Uh-uh,” said Dick, eyes wide and innocent.
He waited for Dad to disappear in the hallway and for his steps to fade away. Then, he took Jason against him, placing him on his hip easily - he had trained himself to do so since Dad told him Miss Smith was coming. He stuck his head in the hallway, looking right then left. No one was here. Alfred was probably making snacks in the kitchen, and Dad was still with Miss Smith. The traitor .
Dick took advantage of the fact that he was alone - well technically he had Jason with him, but he was saving Jason, after all - to launch the final step of his plan.
He had prepared everything - where to go, snacks and water so they would be safe until Miss Smith was sent away, and toys to occupy Jason. Nothing would come in his way.
The secret entrance he found months ago while playing alone in the living room opened quietly. It was well hidden behind some decorations he didn’t know the name of, with a panel opening right in the wall and letting see a whole new room inside. A little one, to be fair, but one nonetheless. He had placed pillows everywhere on the floor of this little room, and brought down his favorite blanket this morning to put it inside. It was perfect - no one except him knew of this place, he had left no trace behind him and if Jason stayed calm enough, they wouldn’t get caught. It was nearly nap time anyway, so being calm wouldn’t be a problem.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, as well as voices. The adults were approaching.
They didn’t have more time.
Dick carefully laid his little brother down on the pillow, and entered after him.
The door of the secret room closed with a click .
Dick smiled - no one would take his little brother away.
.
.
.
Visits from Social Service were always stressful for Bruce. He hadn’t been used to it two years ago when he adopted Dick, and it was still terrifying now. Besides, Jason was with them since two months ago only - it was still short for a placement, and Bruce knew that he would probably go through more of these visits before managing to officially adopt Jason.
It was alright, though. He could do it for his boys. They deserved as much.
“Hello, Mister Wayne. It’s nice to see you again,” said Miss Smith with a smile when he let her in. He answered in kind.
“For me as well, Miss. Did you have a pleasant ride?”
“It was nice enough. So, tell me, how are the kids? No problem between them?”
Bruce smiled - talking about his children was always the easiest for him. “Not at all, actually. I was a little scared - like you told me, it happens often that kids don't react well to suddenly having a younger sibling - but Dick absolutely adores Jason. He spends all his time with him. He has taken quite well to the big brother role, if I have to say.”
They were making their way to the living room where he left the boys not too long ago. Miss Smith was listening to him with rapt attention.
“It’s a good thing,” said Miss Smith. “But you also have to be careful. The novelty of it can be exciting for young children, but becomes annoying after a while. Sometimes, older siblings can seem to love their younger siblings until they realize they’re not at the center of the attention anymore.”
Bruce hummed - the parental books he’d read all told this same thing. “Yes, I know. But Dick isn’t like that, I think.”
“Every parent sees their children as unique, Mister Wayne,” said Miss Smith with an amused smile.
Bruce chuckled. “I suppose so.”
They were at the entrance of the living room, and Bruce peaked an eye inside to make sure the boys hadn’t transformed it into a war zone in the ten minutes of his absence. Except that the room was empty - Jason’s toys were still everywhere on the carpet, sofa and table, as well as Dick’s coloring book and pencils. But the boys were nowhere to be seen.
“Dick? Jason?” he called, but no one answered him. Usually, the kids were obedient and stayed where he asked them to stay. The only time they weren’t was when they were trying to scare him by jumping out from unlikely places. Dick particularly liked to play these pranks on him.
Bruce immediately checked every place high enough to please his oldest, but no child jumped into his arms with a happy shout. Jason had the habit of hiding behind the couch or underneath the blankets, but when Bruce checked there next, there was no trace of the toddler.
“Mister Wayne?” Miss Smith was looking at him, an eyebrow raised. “What is the problem?”
“The boys were supposed to be here—”
Bruce tried really hard to not panic. He left the kids alone for not even ten minutes- And they disappeared like that. The windows weren’t open, so no one came by there to kidnap them, and anyone could have heard it anyway, Jason had a habit of being loud when startled. And Dick would never let anything happen to Jason, he was very dedicated to his big brother role - he would have at least taken Jason with him if he had seen someone suspect around—
Oh.
Obviously.
Bruce sighed, and then passed a tired hand over his face.
He should have thought about that earlier. It had been evident, looking back at the last days, when he announced the visit to the kids - not like Jason really cared, honestly. His youngest was still marked by his quick passage into Social Service, but he didn’t have the experience Dick had with them. Besides, he was only three - he wouldn’t remember a lot from anything that had happened now. Dick… Dick had been older, and it had taken him some time after that to be comfortable again at the Manor.
Bruce would probably always feel guilty for not protecting his son from this pain.
“I think Dick freaked out.” He started to check every possible entrance of the room - even the secret ones. He saw a plan some times ago, when he started to look it up after he legally got in possession of his inheritance. He was pretty sure that some sort of secret passage was supposed to be around here, and considering how many hours Dick spent here, it wasn’t too far-fetched to think he had found it.
“Why would he freak out?” asked Miss Smith, and at the corner of his eyes Bruce could see her writing something down on her notebook. It wouldn’t look good on his foster father license.
“One year and some months ago, after I became Dick’s guardian… Some people pretended to be members of his family and got custody of him. They asked me to pay them to get Dick back.” He stopped a second, remembering the awful time - the Manor had felt excruciatingly empty and sad, and he had been worried sick for Dick when he learned the truth. He still wasn’t sure about everything that had happened to his son when he was away. “I adopted him as soon as I got him back, but since it’s Social Service who took him away to put him with these people, he associates social workers with bad things happening.”
“Oh,” let out Miss Smith, apparently surprised. The event should have been put in his folder, though - at least he thought it had been. “I understand. Do you want me to get out of the room? Or maybe leave and come back another time?”
Bruce would take the time to feel relieved at her comprehension later - right now, he had to find his boys. It was his priority.
“If you don’t mind, would you go to the kitchen and inform Alfred of this development? It’s on the left when you exit the living room, then continue until the next hallway, turn right and you will be here.”
“I’m going, then.”
“Thank you.”
Bruce waited for her steps to fade away before clearing his throat. Then, he called his sons. “Dick? Jason? I know you’re somewhere in here. I’m not mad, but I want to talk to you, alright?”
No one answered. Bruce didn’t mind - he had been sure Dick would prefer hiding than answering right now. He walked through the room, still trying to find the secret entrance. If he could remember it correctly…
“It’s only me here. You don’t risk anything.”
Still no answers. He could see the plan in his mind if he focused right enough - the right walls, near the decorations- Yes. He had it.
“Miss Smith is not here to take Jason away, Dick.”
“You liar !” immediately yelled the boy, and as he thought it was coming from behind the wall.
“I am not lying, sweetheart.” His son didn’t answer - Bruce let some time pass before continuing. “Do you really think I would let anyone take any of you away? Especially with what happened last time?”
Dick still didn’t answer, but this time Bruce could hear a sniffle. The idea of his son crying so close to him but him being unable to reach the boy and comfort him was awful.
“Dick, sweetheart, please open to me. I just want to help.”
There was a ruffle behind the wall. Then, it opened right before him.
His sons were here. Dick was cradling Jason on his lap, his fingers closed tightly on his little brother’s clothes. Jason didn’t really seem to care about how tense his eldest was and was munching happily at a granola bar.
“Hey, baby.”
Dick sniffed again, eyes wide and watery, his nose pressed into Jason’s hair. “I won’t let him go,” he mumbled - like it was supposed to be a threat but with his broken, little voice, it seemed more like a plea.
“I won’t try to take him away, sweetheart. I promise.”
He slowly reached out his hand to pass it through Dick’s hair. His son let out a new sob.
“Can I hug you both?”
Dick nodded his head quietly, and Bruce immediately grabbed both of his sons. He carefully took them out of the hidden room and tucked them on his lap, kissing both of their forehead in the process.
“It’s alright, sweethearts. Daddy’s here.”
“Yeah!” said Jason happily, all smiles and little teeth showing.
“M’sorry,” mumbled Dick, his head hidden in his shirt.
“It’s alright, baby. I’m not mad. I understand. You just wanted to protect your brother, didn’t you?”
Dick sniffled again. “I don’t want them to take him away!”
“I know, baby, I know. I don’t want that either.” Bruce kissed his son’s forehead again, and Dick raised his gaze to meet his. “Listen, alright? I’m proud of you.”
Dick blinked, mouth open, expression surprised. “You are?”
“Well, of course. You tried to protect your little brother as well as you could when you saw a threat. It was a good thing to do. You even planned for how long you’ll need to stay in there. So, you did well. I’m proud of you.”
Dick’s face was filled with wonder, now, and Bruce couldn’t help but be even more softened by it.
His son was just so cute , alright?
“Daddy,” whined a little voice, and a hand tugged at his shirt. Jason was pouting, now, and Bruce’s heart was beating faster at the word his son pronounced - not exactly for the first time, but it was recent enough to still be beautiful to hear.
“I’m here, baby, I’m here.”
Jason’s frown grew stronger, and at Bruce’s surprise he reached for his brother to tug at his clothes and climb on him, his fingers firm on his brother’s back.
Adorable.
“Hey- Jase, careful-” Dick immediately closed his arms around his little brother, who let out a contented sigh as he snuggled even closer to the older kid.
Dick smiled brightly, his attention now entirely focused on the toddler against him, all precedent fears disappearing in the back of his mind - for now at least. In the hallway he could hear the chatter of Alfred and Miss Smith, probably coming with hot chocolate and cookies. Tomorrow, Bruce would call his lawyers to accelerate Jason’s adoption process.
For now, he would just enjoy the warmth and love of his sons as they cuddled each other like there was no tomorrow.
(Bruce had been so worried to bring Jason in, and Dick had been suspicious at first - but he warmed up so easily to the baby, and now wouldn’t let him go out of his sight. They would probably have to work more on Dick’s separation anxiety with his therapist but - Bruce was happy enough that his children loved each other.
He had no problem with working a little more for everything else.
Both Dick and Jason - his sons - were worth it.)