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Dick picked at his plate. He hadn’t eaten much during his time at the manor but Alfred insisted that he couldn’t leave the table until he tried at least one food on his plate.
“Young sir, all you’ve had since you arrived is the occasional granola bar. I insist you try a vegetable.” Alfred frowned and sat down beside him.
Dick shook his head. He didn’t like the lumpy texture of the mashed potatoes, or the way fish stared at him, or the sogginess of the cooked carrots. It didn’t help that he didn’t need to eat much since he was a talon. Since the food looked unappealing, he saw no reason to attempt. Bruce and Jason had long since left the table, to have a private conversation in Bruce’s office. So the food that looked unappetizing looked even more off- putting since it had gone cold.
“Please, Master Dick, your bird-like bone structure is concerning.” Alfred sighed.
Dick frowned at Alfred’s discontentment, typically when adults were frustrated with him, it meant something ill- fated would happen. He signed, “hurt?” Then he pointed at himself.
“No no no, Master Dick. I would never hurt you for not eating. It just pains me to not see you nourished.” Alfred sighed and kissed the top of the talon’s head.
He signed again with a frown. ‘I hurt you?’
“No buddy, you didn’t hurt me. I just care about you boys and your well-being.”
Dick scooped a bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. He swallowed, though he still didn’t care for the texture. He made a face at first, then licked his lips.
“Do you like it, Master Dick?” Alfred grinned.
He shrugged a bit but took another bite.
“I’m proud of you for trying, young sir!” He praised him.
Dick beamed at the praise and finished the potatoes. He set down his spoon once he finished.
“You can run along now, but we will try eating more at dinner tonight with Mr. Kent.”
Bruce needed to talk with Jason. He had been brushing off the conversation because the last few days had gone off without too much of a huff from Jason. Now the inevitable subject of school had to be brought to light, and he knew it would be a sore spot. Jason’s attendance, even before Dick came into his life, was spotty at best. Though his grades were fine, the lowest being a C in math. He was an English nerd, okay. Given the reputation of Jason’s current school, his truancy and his former home life, Gotham Academy had some prerequisites to Jason’s admittance.
“What do you mean they want me to go back to the fifth grade?” The eleven year old crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’ve barely attended this semester, and Gotham Academy has a rigorous curriculum. They believe you’ll do better if you’re just held back a year.” Bruce reasoned.
“I barely attended and I’m still passing. Attendance doesn’t mean shit, Bruce.”
“Truancy is crime, Jason.” He gave him a look.
“I know, I know. I’m just saying, my grades should prove that I shouldn’t be held back.” He huffed.
“Jaylad, you have a summer birthday.” Bruce tried. “No one will know unless you tell them that you were held back.”
“I would know.” He shook his head. “You know, I’m smart, B.”
“I know you are. I just want this to be a smooth adjustment, and this is what the school thinks is best.” He kissed the top of Jason’s head.
“Middle school was a big adjustment, it feels like a shitty step back to go to primary school again.” Jason took a deep breath. “Please reconsider, I’ll take a test to prove my ability.”
“All three schools at Gotham Academy are connected, it won’t be that big of a difference compared to a public school setting.” He patted his back.
“You already said Dickie can’t go to school, isn’t it shitty to isolate him?”
“It’s for everyone’s safety that Dick doesn’t go to school. You know that.”
“He’s never tried to hurt me, Bruce. If he has to stay home, it should be with me.”
“Alfred will do a fine job taking care of him.” B sighed. “Like he already has with the both of you.”
“No offense, B but Alfred doesn’t know Dickie’s preferences like I do. Dick is very particular and only I know how he learns when it comes to sign. He communicates best with me. I should be the one home with him.”
“Jay, he’s your brother, your friend. He’s not your responsibility.”
Jason’s small hands curled into fists. “Damn it;, he was mine before. Selina understood that,. I don’t trust you or Alfred to take care of either of us yet.”
Bruce chose his words carefully; he tried not to react impulsively because he felt a ping in his chest as soon as Jay spoke. “Well, it’ll take time for all of us to bond and for you to hopefully come to trust us.” He let out a long breath. “I hate that you feel that way but I understand your hesitation.”
“Sorry,” Jason frowned.
“Don’t-“
“What if we’re both homeschooled?” Jay interrupts.
“No, don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Why not? I thought schooling was supposed to be in my best interests.”
“You know that you’ll end up spending all day taking care of Dick. You’ll skip out on your schoolwork and you won’t have any other friends besides your brother.”
“Your only friend is your butler.” He retorts.
“I have other friends,” Bruce stopped himself. He was not justifying himself to an eleven year old. “Jason, you have to go to school.”
He grunted. “Fine. Can I at least go to my old school then?”
“No, the commute from the manor is astronomical and it wasn’t a safe school or area.”
“It was safe; we had a metal detector at the entrance.” He rolled his eyes. “And we only used clear backpacks.”
“Damn it, Jay. You’re going to Gotham Academy. That’s final, tough shit. For the record, I do have other friends, one of them is coming over for dinner tonight.”
“Oh, let me guess it’s another old rich guy?”
“No. He’s a journalist who works for Daily Planet.”
“That’s the big newspaper in Metropolis, right?”
“Yeah that’s the one.”
“So he’s just old, not rich? Journalists are paid shit.”
“He’s not old, he’s younger than me.” Bruce groaned in annoyance.
“Why don’t your friends live in Gotham?
“I have Selina.”
“She’s your ex. Wait a second, this friend from superhero work?”
Bruce pressed his lips together in frustration. “Perhaps, but it isn’t my place to confirm or deny Mr. Kent's identity.” He squeezed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Jason nodded with a smirk and ran off.
“Where are you off to?”
“Research.” With that he was gone.
Bruce groaned in frustration and shook his head as Alfred walked in the room. “Alfred, was I this difficult?”
“Even more so, sir.”
“Master Bruce, Mr. Kent will be here in fifteen minutes.” Alfred called up the stairs in the front entryway.
Bruce was currently attempting to tie both of the boys’ ties. Attempting being the latter word, he knew he could easily ask Alfred for help with the young men but his stubbornness wouldn’t allow it. He had to prove to himself, Alfred, Jason and Clark that he was capable of having two kids. Jason’s tie was in a ball and Dick was preoccupied fitting his own into a slip knot.
“I don’t think that looks right.” Jason mused as he tugged on Dick’s hand to get him to stop playing with his tie.
“I don’t either but we’ will get it, eventually, Jayladeventually Jaylad.”
“Before or after dinner?” Jay groaned.
Bruce ruffled his hair and undid the tie. “I think we can go without them tonight.” He undid his attempt and Dick’s. “I’ll have to have Alfred teach me again.”
“It’s okay, Bruce, it took me a while to learn how to tie my shoes. I get it, but maybe learn how to tie your own before you offer to tie someone else’s.” Jay shrugged cheekily.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Jay.” Bruce put his arms around both of their shoulders and led the two down the staircase. wWhen they arrived downstairs Alfred was greeting Clark at the door.
“Ah! All of the young masters are here.” Alfred chirped. “Since you last saw him, Master Bruce has taken in two boys.”
Clark nodded at Alfred then made direct eye contact with Bruce. “I can see that. Hi, Bruce.”
Bruce gestured toward him. “Clark, these are my foster sons Dick.” He tapped on his shoulder. “And my oldest Jason.” He tapped on Jason’s shoulder.
“Nice to meet you both, I can’t deny my surprise though. How old are they?”
“Dick is nine and Jaylad is eleven.” Bruce gave a rare smile. “Jason, say hello.”
“Superman.” Jason smirked and looked at Dick as he signed the name.
“That is a crazy idea. You have some imagination, kiddo.” He walked forward and ruffled Jason’s hair.
Jason pulled Kryptonite out of his pocket and smirked. “Prove it, Boy Scout.”
Clark lept back and fell on his back. “Bruce!” He gasped.
“Jason, run down to the cave and put that away.” Bruce gave him a harsh look but didn’t raise his voice.
Jason nodded. “I was right, tho!” He muttered before he zipped off to Bruce’s office.
Bruce got off the steps and helped Clark to his feet.. “I’m so sorry, Clark. I had no idea he had that in his pocket. I should’ve suspected he was up to something whenever he told me he was going to do research this afternoon.”
“It’s fine, Bruce, well it’s not great but I’ll be fine. I can see you’ve definitely got your hands full with these two.” He chuckled.
“You could say that.” B smiled at Dick.
Dick made a gesture to Bruce that he didn’t quite pick up on and soon Dick was cartwheeling through the front entry.
Clark chuckled. “He’s quite the gymnast.”
“I had no idea he was going to do that.” B laughed along.
Jason ran back into the room. “Sorry, Mr. Kent.”
“Next time leave the investigating to Batman, kid.” Clark scolded playfully. “But no hard feelings, Bruce, I might suggest childproofing the Batcave though.”
“That would ruin the aesthetic of the cave, Clark.” Bruce somewhat groaned.
Alfred entered the room. “I think an eleven year old getting his hands on Kryptonite is a sufficient reason to ruin an aesthetic, but that’s just my opinion. All I ever did was raise an 8 year old orphan as my own, so give or take my opinion.”
“Hello, Mr. Pennyworth.” Clark greeted him with a grin.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Kent. It’s always nice whenever Bruce brings over company besides criminals and lovers.”
“Criminals?” Jason mouthed silently to Dick.
“He has a type.” Alfred replied curtly.
Bruce cleared his throat. “Alfred, when will dinner be ready?”
“Oh, it’s ready now, sir. I came in to tell you but I had to get my two cents in about the cave.”
“What did you make, Mr. Pennyworth? I do hope you’re joining us at the table.” Clark asks.
“Ah, Mr. Kent you do flatter me but as I’ve told you before it wouldn’t be proper. Dinner tonight will be three courses, salad, shepherd’s pie, and for dessert, milkshakes. I thought it might be nice to have a lighter dessert since dinner is quite heavy.”
“That sounds wonderful, Mr. Pennyworth.” Clark grinned. “I bet you boys love Alfred’s cooking.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah! It’s great just a lot to get used to. We’re not used to eating this much.”
“The boys came to us quite underweight.” Bruce added.
“How long have you had them?”
“A week.”
Clark smiled cheekily. “I’m surprised you told me so soon then.”
“A week is soon?” Jason asks.
“For Batman a month would’ve been soon. Most of the league still doesn’t know his identity, excluding a select few of us.”
“It’s on a need to know basis.” Bruce grunted.
“How’d they find out so soon?”
“Long story.”
“I stole the tires off the Batmobile.” Jason smirked.
“But that’s not how you found out I was Batman!” Bruce groaned.
“I know, that was all Dicky. I just had to brag.”
“You found out, Bruce was Batman?” Clark grinned at Dick.
Dick nodded his head enthusiastically.
“Dick doesn’t talk, he only signs. If you know ASL, then he might say something to you.” Jason added quickly.
“Oh, is he deaf?” Clark frowned and looked to Bruce for an answer.
“No, he's a selective mute.” Bruce corrected quickly. “We should go to the table so we can eat what Alfred has prepared.”