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"This kitchen is occupied, I see," Bruce grumbled, half-asleep still, when he entered the room searching for something to counter his craving.
Edward and Stephanie Nygma offered him a smile, always amused to see the Bat all grumpy when something or someone dared to disturb his already very spaced sleep schedule.
"Heya Big Guy," Robin dressed in her eggplant nightgown greeted him with a large Cheshire cat smirk. "You look like an old bear someone forced out of hibernation."
"You mean, he looks like his usual self," the private detective wrapped in a similar outfit rectified and Stephie nodded; the two shared an adorable complicit side-grin.
"Very funny."
Bruce sat at the table of the Manor's kitchen next to his life partner.
Ed and Steph turned on a lamp on the countertop to obtain a soft, non-aggressive lighting, they were enjoying a midnight snacking composed of hot chocolate and the rest of the pumpkin cookies Eddie baked this afternoon.
"May I serve you a cup?"
Bruce let out a vaguely approving grunt, Eddie chuckled at his husband's admirable delicacy, then he stood up to prepare a third mug of hot chocolate whilst Bruce extended a hand to snatch one of the tasty orange pastries on the ceramic plate.
"When did... insomnia strike again?" Batman inquired in a softer voice, concerned for his young sidekick.
"It isn't insomnia," the sixteen years old yawned after she took another cookie bite. "Just... a normal downside I guess. Try having a moody baby that messes your resting schedule up even more than your vigilante duties used to do, I assure you you won't sleep well even the nights over which the little demon finally has mercy on us."
"I thought we agreed to nickname Claire 'Angel' and not 'Demon'," Eddie returned a steaming cup of cocoat he placed in front of Bruce.
"Works for me," Steph shrugged then added a mischievous: "After all... Lucifer was an Angel too, and sometimes my baby really reminds me of the Devil. I'm proud, she inherited this charming characteristic from her mom!"
The three of them smiled.
Keeping her daughter hadn't been an easy decision for Stephanie. Getting pregnant at fifteen, still a kid herself, and assuming the responsibility had been a complicated hardship she overcame because she was fully supported by her family.
In this like everything else, her father proved to be her number one fan, he stood by her side and assisted her thoroughly. So did her step-father: whereas Bruce insisted she takes a break from her Robin routine over the past months, he didn't take the name away from her, he simply froze it until she retrieves her costume.
Claire Nygma is over three months old now, and although Steph hadn't made her great come back as Robin yet, she renewed with more intense training. Bruce will make sure she recovered from the constant fatigue she suffers lately before allowing her on the field again; in the mean time he fulfilled a Dynamic Duo position with other allies.
Bruce, Edward, Stephanie and Alfred, the four permanent Wayne Manor residents, provide for Claire's every needs and they... literally raise her together.
The new little hero of the family.
Be that as it may, Eddie and Stephie are most often the ones who deal with calming her down over the nights, what strongly impacted their habits.
As a result, they are up at midnight tonight too, while nothing forced them to.
"What woke you up, Bats?" Edward asked softly, sipping his cocoat.
"... Nightmares. And you weren't even in our bed when I rolled to the side. I got worried."
"Aww, the Big Guy misses his ginger kitten when Eddie leaves the nest!"
"I thought somebody kidnapped you, before I remembered that was... just a nightmare. I've been gassed with fear toxin when I fought against Scarecrow two days ago, that probably caused lingering effects."
He drank half his cup as to drown the painful fragments of dream memories. Eddie's little hand grabbed his strong, callous left one on the wooden table.
"I'm here," he whispered, gently pressing Batman's fingers. "I am not going anywhere and you know how it rolls: if I got captured, my kidnappers would return me asap because I'd be far too insufferable and dismissive with them while never shutting up, they would be beyond done with me in less than twenty minutes."
"Fair enough. I forgot your superpower is to be irritating."
"And a smug drama queen," Stephanie complemented the not-so-flattering portrait.
The three of them laughed wholeheartedly, in an held back though genuine manner for the Bat.
As much as he loves teaming-up with Edward on cases or flying over Gotham with his sidekick at night, he is also... incredibly fond of the sweet slices of life he shares with his husband and stepdaughter.
And he took the first turn when, barely a few minutes later while they chatted peacefully, the baby phone shrilled with Claire's cries.
He may be the (k)night, right now Bruce was proud to handle the best he can his grandfather role in a domestic setting.
Claire welcomed the Bat in her bedroom by shouting at the top of her lungs. That little Angel.