Work Text:
Dick never spent a lot of time associating himself as Nightwing with the Justice League. Of course, he never had a problem working with the League when it corresponded with his own missions. But he wasn’t in the league like Batman was so he didn’t frequent the Watchtower or the Hall of Justice nearly as much as he had when he donned the costume of Robin the Boy Wonder.
Recently, he’d been working a case that had somehow intermingled with one Clark was working on. So they worked together to get things figured out and settled. In the end, they’d had to recruit Ray Palmer for some help on the science end of things. While Bruce had given Dick the best opportunities possible to understand quantum physics, there was only so much his brain could comprehend. The subject was better left in the hands of an expert.
But that was how he ended up in the Watchtower, chatting with Clark, Diana, and a few other leaguers. After they’d closed the case and sent some guys off to prison, that is. “I feel like I hardly see you anymore, Richard.”
“Yeah. I guess I haven’t been around the League very much lately,” he reasoned, crossing his arms and leaning against a table. He smirked. “Been a little busy putting away the regular bad guys to help you guys take on the real freaks. Not that you need my help. Or that I want to help you. I’ll leave that to B.”
Dinah Lance stood nearby, looking at Dick with a slightly sad expression. “Look at you. You’ve grown up so much.”
Dick sputtered.
“I know,” Clark said, ruffling his hair. “Remember when you used to be Robin, the Boy Wonder? Now look at you! All grown up and fighting crime all on your own.”
Dick blushed… out of pure embarrassment. Clark was surely doing it on purpose. “Yeah. It’s kinda hard to forget,” he said a little bit tightly followed by a nervous chuckle.
Diana chuckled and pinched Dick’s cheek. “Oh look. We’ve embarrassed him now.”
Dick turned his face away. “Twenty-five years old and girls are still always pinching my cheeks,” he muttered. He huffed and shook his head. “I think I’m starting to remember why I don’t come around very often.”
The sound of the boom tube caught Dick’s attention as a voice announced Batman’s arrival to the Watchtower. He recognized the exact moment the Bat noticed his presence and the slight smirk on his lips.
“You have very pinchable cheeks, Dick,” Dinah said. When Dick was first starting to work with other sidekicks, Dinah had been a… counselor of sorts for the kids on the team. She knew a lot about what was going on in Dick’s mind throughout the years. No doubt she was proud he’d overcome some hurdles better than others.
“I’ve been told it’s the dimples,” Dick said with the tilt of his head as Batman approached. “Hey, B. Long time no see,” he greeted his former mentor and still father.
“Nightwing. Don’t see you here very often,” the bat said dryly.
“Supes and I were working a case together,” Dick said, poking Clark’s chest with his thumb.
Batman turned to Superman. “Really? He didn’t mention anything about it,” he said in a tone that suggested Clark should have said something about it.
Clark plastered a very fake smile and spoke back in a very similar tone. “Yeah. Well, neither did he.”
Dick rolled his eyes. “Anyways… we ended up back here after the mission and I was just catching up with Diana and Canary.”
Diana smiled at Bruce, a slightly mischievous grin. “We were just talking about how Richard has grown up so much. You must be so proud of him, Bruce.”
A gust of wind blew everyone’s hair and capes as Flash appeared next to Batman, resting an arm on his shoulder. “Hey, Bats. How’s it going? Did you miss me? What’s everyone talking about? Oh hey, Nightwing! Haven’t seen you around in a while.”
“Hey, Wally,” Dick greeted him, holding out a fist for Wally to bump. “How’s life the League life treatin’ ya?”
“Oh it’s fantastic. Has its up and downs, obviously. But lots of fun! Although I can totally see why you didn’t want to work with a certain somebody everyday of the week. Old batsy is very grumpy and bossy,” he said, lowering his voice and leaning in as if Batman wouldn’t hear him even though he was standing right there.
“It’s the old age,” Dick whispered. “It’s made him a bit cenial.”
Batman had no reaction. He was used to the way his kids talked about him around other people. As far as he was concerned, it was normal.
Diana, who seemed to be unable to drop the subject, pursed her lips and brushed back a strand of Dick’s hair, palming his cheek. “Clark, do you remember when Batman first started bringing Robin to the Watchtower?”
“Yeah. I remember being very worried about Batman’s judgement for letting a kid help him fight crime,” Clark said, sending Bruce a look. But then he placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “I also remember you being extremely small.”
“He was so small!” Diana recalled. “And so adorable.”
“Yeah. I wonder what happened,” Batman quipped dryly.
“Hey!” Dick said. He sighed, slouching a little bit in disappointment. “You guys are all being very patronizing and I don’t like it.”
Wally held his side and started laughing. “Oh please. Do tell me more about the itty bitty Robin Boy Wonder. I must know more! Ya know, I heard that he was only eight when he started flitting around the rooftops like a little ballerina.”
“Nah! You don’t have to do that,” Dick insisted sheepishly. He really hoped they didn’t go down this road. Wally would probably go and tell all of their other friends a bunch of embarrassing things.
“No. I’d like to hear it myself actually,” Dinah said, crossing her arms.
And then… Batman smirked. “You might have to jog my memory.”
That had Dick sputtering and just a little bit angry. “Pft. Really-jog your-B! I’m literally your son! How do you not remem-I’m not Jason! I’m not a middle child! You can’t just forget about-”
“He was a little shy the first time Batman took Robin here,” Diana said with a smirk and Dick quite literally facepalmed.
“If I remember correctly, he hid behind Batman’s cape a lot the first few days,” Clark added.
“Oh right,” Bruce said, scratching his chin. “I remember now. He used to hide under the table during meetings and play the Batendo 3DS.”
Dick looked down at the floor, shaking his head. “It was just a Nintendo 3DS that I stuck a bat sticker on,” he explained.
“Wow. Retro,” Wally remarked sarcastically.
“He warmed up to Clark pretty quickly though,” Diana said, elbowing Dick in the side. “Isn’t that right? Who needs a jungle gym when you have Superman?”
“Or any member of the League for that matter,” Bruce added.
“Didn’t take long for him to turn into the social bird we know and love today,” Clark said, patting Dick on the head. “This kid gave Batman and the League their fair share of heart attacks back then though.”
Dinah and Wally both chuckled. Dinah elbowed Wally. “I remember Robin and Kid Flash causing a lot of trouble in the Watchtower not long after I joined the League.”
“Oh. Yeah,” Wally said, scratching his chin. “Hey, remember that time we set the kitchen on fire and Batman grounded both of us.”
“Uh. Wall-man. That was you,” Dick said. “You set the kitchen on fire and since I happened to be in proximity, I also got grounded-”
“You were the one who hacked the system that let him use the kitchen,” Bruce reminded Dick.
“Not how I remember it.”
“If only I’d joined the league sooner. Maybe I would have some blackmail material,” Dinah said. Dick nearly laughed because considering the fact that she’d been his counselor as a teen, she had plenty of blackmail material. Nothing she could legally speak of to anyone though.
“Of course,” Diana said. “You would have been there when Dick convinced Hal and Barry that Batman and Superman were married.”
Dick gasped slightly and covered his mouth at the same time that Wally did. “Oh my god. I forgot about that,” he said, looking at Bruce and trying to refrain from laughing.
Wally raised his eyebrows and looked between Batman and Superman. “Wait. You mean to tell me that they aren’t?”
Clark crossed his arms, a slightly unimpressed expression. “Yeah. And they believed it for three whole years.”
Dick and Wally shared a look.
“And the rumor spread to other Leaguers,” Clark added. That was when Dick and Wally simultaneously bursted out into laughter. “It’s been seventeen years and we’re still trying to dispel those rumors.”
“Seventeen years?” Bruce blurted, looking down at the floor at the same time that Dick stopped laughing. Perhaps Bruce was just then realizing how long he’d been a father for.
“Oh man. It was that long ago?” Dick asked, running a hand through his hair in shock. “Wow. B, can you believe we’ve been together for that long?”
Batman looked up at Nightwing, squinting. “It can’t be.”
“Someone’s in denial,” Dinah said, smirking at Bruce.
“Seventeen years?” Bruce repeated.
“Yeah. I think Bats and Supes are in denial about their very obvious marriage,” Wally remarked. “I mean, the more they deny it, the more people are going to ship it. Besides, the two of you literally argue like my parents.”
“Wally has a point, Clark,” Dinah said, reaching out to squeeze his arm playfully. “You’ve got yourself a work wife.”
“Uh yeah. Her name is Lois Lane,” Clark said.
“That’s your Daily Planet work wife,” Dick said.
“Yeah. It’s different than your Justice League work wife,” Waller agreed.
“Which would be Batman.” Dick gestured to Bruce who still appeared to be trying to process something. “I mean, you should really be thanking me for starting the rumors about the two of you all those years ago.”
“Seventeen?”
It was that moment that everyone genuinely started to worry about the bat. “Uh… B?” Dick quirked a brow at him. “You good?”
“That-that number can’t be right,” he said, shaking his head.
“It is though,” Clark argued, using his hand to gesture as he spoke. “He’s twenty-five. He was eight when he started the rumors. Twenty-five minus eight is seventeen.”
“Aw. Come on, don’t tell me you’re getting all sappy on me?” Dick said, a grin already starting to form from ear to ear. Dick’s heart melted when Bruce continued to ponder how such a number could begin to express the longevity of their relationship. “You are! Oh my god!” He sprung forward, wrapping his arm around Bruce. “I love you too, old man.”
Dick worried when Bruce had no response. Not that Bruce was ever that expressively affectionate, especially in front of other people. But he pulled back, both hands on Bruce’s shoulder and smiled.
“I think we found Batman’s kryptonite,” Dinah said, nudging Diana with her elbow.
“Aw. Bats, I always knew you were a big ol’ softie,” Wally quipped, resting his elbow on Batman’s shoulder again.
“Oh. Oh! Do you remember that time-” Diana started to say but Dick cut her off quickly.
“Okay. I think that’s enough embarrassing Nightwing for today,” he said, stepping back from Batman. “I have to get going. The day job calls. But uh… see you Friday, B. Is everyone gonna be there?”
“Red said he’s busy,” Bruce said absentmindedly.
“He’s always busy,” Dick said, rolling his eyes. “I mean, even Hood shows up every week without fail. Don’t worry. I will personally go to his apartment and kidnap him. Hopefully, I don’t walk in on him and Kon doing… stuff… again. That was awkward.”
Wally stood up straight and scratched his head. “Wait. You mean Tim and Kon are-”
“Yep. Which reminds me…” Dick looked back to Bruce. “Should I invite-”
“Already did.”
“Always on top of things,” Dick said.
“Except when he’s not,” Diana muttered under her breath, earning a good solid punch on the arm from Clark.
Dick noticed this and tried not to laugh as he put his hand on Bruce’s shoulder once again. “I’ll see you Friday,” he said as he started to walk past Batman but he stopped with a smirk and looked over his shoulder at Clark. “Friday?”
“You can count on me,” Clark said with a nod.
They all, save for Batman who was looking at the floor perplexed by something still, watched Dick leave. “Wow. You’re right, Dinah. Those are very pinchable cheeks. And I’m not talking about the ones with dimples,” Diana said.
“Weren’t you his counselor when he was a teen? Weren’t you my counselor?” Wally asked, looking at Dinah in shock.
“Yeah. And I’m also a lesbian. But I know a nice ass when I see when,” Dinah said. “Good thing he doesn’t take after Batman and Superman otherwise he would cover it up with a cape.”
Wally scoffed and looked at said caped heroes. “See? And that’s why the ladies love the Flash. No cape hiding this ass.”
Bruce immediately deadpanned to Wally. “What ass?”
“Oh. Buuurn,” Dinah said as Batman took that as his que to leave the group. He needed to get something else on his mind. He could spiral about having been a father figure for seventeen years after he sorted out some business with the league.
“I have an ass,” Wally said, crossing his arms.
“Did you lose it or something?” Diana asked as her and Dinah turned around to follow Batman and start the meeting.
Wally murmured in a mock tone. “Did you lose it or something? Pft. These guys. They really don’t understand how hard it is to maintain a thicc figure with a metabolism like mine.” He rested an elbow on Clark’s shoulder now, looking at him questioningly. “So what’s the big deal about Friday?”
“It’s family night.”
“Family night? You mean like batfamily night?”
“Yeah. Happens every Friday.”
“And you get invited to batfamily night? Psh. ‘Not married’ my ass. And before you extend an invitation, I don’t think I want to be involved with that circus. No. I have standards for the people I hang out with and when it comes to the batfamily I really only hangout with Nightwing. The rest of them are a little too..”
“Intense?”
“To put it nicely.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Wally furrowed his brows and Clark and stepped back as they started to make their way towards the others as the meeting was beginning. “But seriously? Why did you get invited?”
Clark grinned. “Well, Family night was my idea.”
“Your idea?”
“Mhm.”
Wally stopped in his tracks and squinted at Superman as he kept walking. “Batman never likes anyone’s ideas.”
Clark chuckled and shrugged. “What can I say? I’ve got a way with the Bat.” He looked back and smirked at Flash as he entered the meeting room.
Wally’s jaw dropped and he sputtered. “Oh. They are so married.”