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When Ace goes home with his new boy, he doesn’t expect such a full house.
There’s laughter coming from the kitchen as Ace pads behind Batman, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor of the kitchen.
His boy looks down at him apologetically, smile on his lips. His hand comes down to pet Ace’s head in affection. “I’m sorry they’re so loud,” Batman apologizes. “They’re a little rowdy, but you’ll get used to it.”
His boy pushes the door open when he straightens. The smell of food wafts through the air, getting Ace’s attention immediately. Ace can feel his tail start to wag involuntarily.
“Hey, Bruce, I hear you got your ass kicked by a gerbil!” a man greets. He reaches up to push a tuft of white hair off of his forehead.
“I think it was a hamster, actually,” another man says.
A boy scoffs, setting his fork down on his plate, “It was guinea pig, you imbeciles.”
“Be nice to your brothers,” Batman chides. “But you’re right, Damian. It was a guinea pig.”
“Did you bring Tim from upstairs?” the boy next to Damian asks. “He refused to stop working on his case and Alfred said he could continue until you got back. I wanted to manhandle him, but Dick said ‘no, Duke, we can’t do that, Duke.’”
“We can’t,” the other man—Dick—says, gesturing wide in exasperation. “Shawn has been teaching me about boundaries.”
“Since when do you have boundaries?” the first man asks with a snort.
“Since always,” Dick returns sullenly.
Ace’s boy raises his brow, lips curving into a frown, “I wasn’t aware that Tim wasn’t down for dinner yet.”
“Stubborn,” the only girl at the table says.
“Stupidly so,” Damian agrees.
“Alright, I’ll go get him,” Ace’s boy sighs. “Come on, Ace.”
Batman pats the side of his thigh as he speaks. Ace knows from all the watching and waiting that his boy is trying to teach him a command. Ace hesitates for only a moment before trotting to his side.
“Is that a dog?” Dick asks.
“His name is Ace,” Batman says. Ace sits on his haunches, puffing up in pseudo-pride. Everyone at the table stares at him and he cannot determine if it is in surprise or disappointment. “Let’s go get Tim, Ace,” Ace’s boy says.
His boy leads them in a winding trip through the big house, leaving everyone else in the dining room with the sweep of his hand. Tim’s room is up a flight of stairs and down a hallway to the left. Batman knocks quietly on the door.
There’s a grumble from behind it and the sound of fabric and footsteps. The door opens to the sight of a boy wrapped in a red blanket, a gold symbol not unlike the one on Merton’s boy’s uniform stretching across the fabric.
“Tim,” Ace’s boy greets warmly.
“Hi, Bruce,” the aforementioned Tim mumbles. He lifts his mug up to take a sip from it. Little Wonder Woman symbols dot the ceramic surface. A sweet fruity scent comes from it. “You’re back.”
“I am,” Batman says with a chuckle. “Are you drinking Kool-Aid?”
Tim shakes his head, “No, it’s fruit punch.”
“Bring it with you to dinner,” Ace’s boy sounds exasperated.
Tim hums in agreement. “Is that a dog, by the by?” he asks.
“His name is Ace,” Batman says. “He saved the world from an evil hamster.”
“Is that what I heard Jason cackling about earlier?” Tim asks. He hands Bruce his mug, the man taking it without question. Then Tim sits down on the floor, blanket still around his shoulders, and brings his hands up to scratch at Ace’s ears.
Ace’s tail wags against his will as warm hands scratch the sweetest spot. He steps forward and licks at Tim’s face, tail only wagging more when the boy giggles. “Has Damian met him yet?” Tim asks.
“Not quite,” Ace’s boy says, “but Ace will get to know all his boys and girls in time.”
That makes Ace’s tail wagging and his licking worse. He had realized he’d have a boy and home despite his past, but he hadn’t realized he’d have more than one.
Tim laughs at the enthusiasm. “Down boy,” he says, all the while smiling and still scratching behind Ace’s ears.
Ace loves him. He loves all his boys and his girl already.