Work Text:
Bruce was a creature of habit, this is something everyone was very aware of. It wasn't uncommon for him to get messages during League meetings, in fact it was expected knowing the high crime rates of Gotham. He would often have to abruptly leave to help with an Arkham breakout or to capture one of his rogues. Then something changed.
Bruce would check his phone often, almost anxiously, and would reply to them. He’s never done that before. He would also leave immediately after meetings, instead of lingering near the shadows like he usually did. It was weird, but not alarming, and the whole League noticed this behavior.
After a few months of this behavior the League had had enough, nominating Diana to ask about it. She waited for the opportunity, not saying anything until the man checked his phone and immediately stood up to leave.
“Say Batman, there’s been a change in your behavior, is there something we should be aware of?’
“Yeah Spooky, are you just trying to avoid us or what?” Hal asked, having to contribute his own two cents.
Bruce blankly looked at them, making a few of the members uneasy, then started walking towards the Zeta Tubes. Clark cleared his throat in an attempt to continue the meeting but was interrupted.
“I am going through some adjustments in my personal life,” he stopped walking but kept his back turned to them. “I’m working on it,” then he was gone.
What the team didn't know was that Batman had recently adopted a young boy who frequently had nightmares and needed constant attention. Bruce was a first time father, excuse him for being a bit more paranoid than usual! This particular meeting, he left due to Dick sneaking out, again. As he entered the cave he was met with a worried Alfred, who had been watching over the boy while Bruce attended his meeting.
“Sir, he is heading North,” Alfred placed a comforting hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “He’s on foot so he couldn't have gotten far,”
Bruce takes a deep breath, gives his thanks, and then sets out. Every minute he wastes is another opportunity for his son to get injured. He parked the Batmobile in one of the safer alleyways and made his way onto the rooftops, feeling more guilty with each step he took. He had promised Dick that they could spend more time together but then the League had to save the world, again, and that had sucked all of his time up. The boy wouldn't even be out here if he wasn't trying to get Bruce’s attention.
The first few alleys he surveyed were empty, only occupied by trash and the usual Gotham filth. Then he came across an alley with a few teens and ushered them to go somewhere safer. He followed a woman to make sure she got home safe and then knocked out the guy who had been trailing behind her. This is not what he was out here to do.
Growing desperate Bruce pulled out his communicator to call Commissioner Gordon but stopped when he heard sniffles. It was coming from a nearby alley and seemed to be from a small child, likely a boy.
He shoved his communicator back into the belt and silently ran over to the alley, flooding with relief when he saw Dick. The boy was quietly crying, knees tucked into his chest head leaning against them. Not wanting to startle him, Bruce made his footsteps audible, which caused the boy to shoot his head up.
“B?” Said the tearful child.
“Hey Chum, what are you doing out here?” Bruce asked gently, reaching a hand out to run it through the boy's hair.
“I wanted to see you,” was his quiet answer and then he started crying harder. “Please don’t be mad, I didn't mean to, I’m sorry!”
“Sorry for what?” He pulled Dick to his chest and stood up, holding him protectively as they journeyed back to the Batmobile. He could never be mad at his son and the fact that Dick thought so broke his heart.
“Getting lost,” Dick wrapped his arms around Bruce’s neck, hiccupping a little. “All the buildings look the same and I couldn't find the way home,”
“It’s alright Robin,” Bruce kissed his temple and set him in the Batmobile. “I’ll protect you,”
Leaving home to attend the League’s mandatory monthly “team bonding day” was not something Bruce wanted to do. What he wanted to do was stay in bed snuggled up with Dick as they watched cartoons and ate cookies. Alfred, however, was very eager for Bruce to make friends and was forcing him to go.
As Bruce got ready in the cave he smirked, waving Dick over and quietly whispering something to him. The boy giggled in return and returned a few minutes later in a domino mask and his Robin costume. Not a minute later the two were walking through the Zeta Tubes, leaving Alfred sighing and shaking his head slowly. At least the two were spending more time together.
They arrived in the watchtower, and due to a little system override, their arrival wasn't announced. Dick quickly jumped onto Bruce’s shoulders and opened the vents, crawling into them without a sound and disappearing.
His mission was simple, explore a little bit and then get a note to Bruce without any of the League noticing him. A stealth exercise if you would.
Wiping the smirk off his face and settling into his usual frown, Bruce snuck into the living room which held the rest of the team. He silently stalked up behind Hal and Barry and waited to be noticed, not that it should be hard in the brightly lit and crowded room. It somehow took them one minute and thirty-seven seconds, and Bruce made a mental note to send an email about spatial awareness even when in places they deemed safe.
“What the hell is wrong with you Spooky,” Hal jumped out of his skin. “Don’t do that shit,”
“Pay more attention,” the Bat responded in a growl.
Hal in fact did not pay more attention as he managed to do that five more times within the first hour of being there. At least Barry learned his lesson.
The team was in a very heated game of Monopoly, Oliver had just made Diana go bankrupt and she was not happy, when they finally noticed it. Stuck to the side of Bruce’s cowl was a bright red sticky note with a drawing of a bird on it.
“Batman, there’s something on your face,” Clark said nervously.
“Hm,” was all the man said as he grabbed the note and read the other side. Did he just smirk?
“What does it say?” Barry asked.
“That I’ll have to add another lesson on observation skills to the next meeting,” Bruce answered, earning groans from most of the League.
“Wait, but why?” Oliver asked, he swears he doesn’t deserve this.
“Hm,”
“Oh come on!” Hal exclaimed as the Bat got up and left.
Waiting for him at the Zeta was Dick, full grin on his face and doing cartwheels. Bruce offered him a high five and, just as they arrived, left unannounced.
“That was so much fun B, we gotta do it again!”
If the next League meeting lasted two hours longer than usual, that totally wasn't Dick’s fault.
Seeing as Dick had been sick all day, Bruce decided to join that week's League meeting from the comfort of the Batcave. He was in casual clothes and his cowl, sipping coffee out of his mug and taking notes on the key points.
No matter how many times he had to call from home, Barry, Hal, and Oliver still managed to be baffled by his cave. Always bringing up something whether it be the dinosaur or the screeching bats.
“Next topic,” Diana continued on. “We need to discuss the matters of the shared fridge, again,”
“Yeah guys, when something says ‘Flash’ on it, don’t eat it!” Barry was irate. “You guys know how fast my metabolism is, I need all the food I can get!”
“It’s a two-way street Flash, you can't eat my food either!” Hal accused causing a shouting match to break out.
Bruce counted down from ten then let out a low growl, causing everyone to freeze. Why did he accept the League invite again? At this point his only job was to direct the meetings.
“Wonder Woman, if you would-” Bruce started only to suddenly stop.
Behind Bruce there was a sliver of light shining down into the cave, presumably from a door leading into another room. The League heard quiet footsteps and sniffling, then a child’s voice was heard.
“B, the nightmares came back,” a small, crying boy could be heard. “And I threw up again,”
“Come here, Chum,” Bruce beckoned in a tone of voice the League could never imagine him using. The boy quickly ran to him, keeping his head down to keep them from seeing his face, and crawled into the man's lap. Bruce rubbed a hand up and down his back as Dick buried his face into his neck. “I’m almost done here, go find Agent A and I’ll be right up,”
“No!” He started crying even harder, banging his fist against Bruce’s chest. “I don’t want him, I want you!”
“Robin, it’ll only take-”
“I want you!” He screamed, clearly having none of it.
“Shh, alright, just calm down,” Bruce soothed. “You’re just going to make yourself more sick crying like that,”
Almost immediately the boy’s crying quieted into sniffles and he relaxed in the Bat’s arms.
“Batman, it’s okay if you need to leave,” Clark said, he felt bad for the man, tantrums were no fun to deal with.
“Hm,”
“You will answer our questions later, yes?” Diana urged.
“Hm,”
“Perfect!”
Bruce sighed and stood up, cradling Dick in one arm picking up his mug with the other. He turned around and his feed cut out.
“Batman has a kid.” Hal was about to lose it.
“Wait, was that a Superman mug?” Oliver exclaimed.
Bruce answered their questions as vaguely as possible, but considering they were going to be on the jet together for at least another hour it became harder to ignore the consistent questioning. The League had just finished up a mission on a planet a few hours from Earth, the planet’s inhabitants had asked for assistance with their dying crops, leaving Bruce stuck with them and no means of escape.
“Alright, so just to get this straight,” Barry started. “That boy was your sidekick?”
“Partner,” Bruce corrected. Dick was very adamant about not being his sidekick.
“Right, you’re ‘partner’ who is a small child,” Barry continued. That couldn't be safe, wasn't the Bat a paranoid safety maniac?
“It is rather concerning that he’s so young, Batman,” Diana spoke up, a small frown on her face.
“He was sneaking out every few nights, getting himself hurt,” Bruce remembers going to check on Dick before patrol only to find the boy missing. Once he did find Dick, he would always be bruised and scraped up. “At least if he’s with me I can train and protect him,”
“I see,”
“Why Robin?” Hal asked. “That’s not a very ‘Batman’ name,”
“He picked it out himself,” Bruce growled. “Is that a problem?”
“Nope!”
“So, Robin is your son?” Clark asked, the reporter in him screaming to learn more.
“Hm,”
“Was that a yes ‘hm’ or a no ‘hm’?” Oliver sighed, he’s so over this guy.
“Hm,”
“Right,”
After a few more questions, and many more vague answers, the jet’s emergency line went off. Bruce stood up and answered it, being met with the face of an elderly man with a domino mask on. There was screaming and a crash coming from somewhere in the background, but the man didn't even flinch.
“Agent A,” Bruce greeted, getting a sick feeling in his chest. He could feel the League's eyes on his back, hear the questions on the tip of their tongues. He really wants to be home. “What’s wrong?”
“The young master is having another tantrum, it seems, he insists on seeing you,” the man sighed and looked somewhere off to the side. “When might you arrive home, Sir?”
Bruce looked at Clark who held up three fingers on one hand and made a zero with the other. “30 minutes, but I can get there in 15,”
“Good deal,” another scream was heard and a small figure with a Batarang in his hand was seen zooming by. “I will ‘hold down the fort’ until then,”
Bruce nodded and ended the call, rushing over to the driver’s seat and turning manual control on. The others shot Clark a nervous look and he asked what everyone wanted to know.
“What are you doing Batman?”
“Put your seatbelts on,” he barked out as he flipped open a hatch. Clearly the short call had put him in a bad mood. Without warning, he slammed his hand down on top of a button and the jet shot through space.
“Hey, uh, Batman?” Barry was bouncing his leg up and down at superspeed. “Since when has that button been there?”
“It’s always been there, it’s in the owner's manual,” Bruce shot him an unimpressed look. “The one’s I handed out to everyone when we first got the jet?”
“Oh,”
“Wait, we were actually supposed to read that?” Hal yelled, causing Bruce to sigh again.
“I found it very helpful,” Diana piped up. “I especially like the massage chair features!”
“The what?”
Stress. That’s what it had to be.
The League was used to Bruce’s usual paranoia and prickly attitude, but this was something else. No matter what, the Bat was always calm, collected, and patient. The past few weeks however, he's been snappy and seemed anxious.
Diana immediately assumed it was because of Robin and decided to do something about it.
“Batman, may I speak to you?” She asked after their meeting concluded.
“What is it?” His gruff voice asked as he stole a glance towards the Zeta.
“Let’s go somewhere more private,” Diana suggested as she saw a few of the other members eavesdropping on their conversation.
As they walked down the hall to the cafeteria, she observed his body language. Usually Bruce was very hard to read, but she saw the way his jaw was clenched and how he kept fidgeting with something on his belt as well as the impatient huffs he occasionally let out.
“How are you doing?” She started.
“I'm fine,” was all he said.
“Are you sure?” She pushed. “If you need anything, just say the word and-”
“I said I'm fine Diana!” Bruce growled as he stood up to leave.
“Your actions say otherwise, my friend,” Diana scoffed and grabbed his wrist, holding him in place. “If this is about Robin, I’m sure the League and I can assist you,”
“No,” she felt him tense under her grasp. “I am fine, he is fine, we are fine.”
“Very well,” she sighed and let him go.
She understood where he was coming from, when she first came to Man’s World she often refused the help of men. The first time she did allow one to help, she burned with shame and regret, it ate her up for weeks. Eventually, as she realized that men could be good and that getting help from them was not a sign of weakness, she came to find comfort in the help her colleagues provided her.
“Any luck, princess?” Barry asked her, snack in hand as he leaned against the door frame.
“I’m afraid not,” she sighed once again.
“Not surprising,” Barry sped over and put a hand on her shoulder. “At least you can say you tried,”
“That I did,” Diana looked over to where Bruce disappeared to. “I believe he’s scared,”
“Oh yeah, what makes you say that?”
“Robin is a child and with children come worries and anxieties,” she explained. “They are fragile and need attention, he probably doesn't know how to handle that,”
“This is Batman we’re talking about,” Barry laughed, letting go of her shoulder and turning to leave. “He’ll figure it out soon enough,”
“I hope so,”
Batman was late. He’s never late for anything. Something must have gone terribly wrong.
“Flash, calm down man,” Hal tried to calm his friend who was talking so fast no one understood him and his voice sounded like a chipmunks. “I’m sure Spooky is fine!”
“I too am worried but panicking won’t help,” Diana spoke up, placing a calming hand on the men's shoulders.
“Maybe he forgot?” Clark suggested, getting many unimpressed looks from the others.
“Yeah and I can fly,” Oliver deadpanned.
“Really?” Said an unknown, young voice. “I can fly too!”
The League stopped all actions and turned to look at the young boy. He was wearing a red and green suit with an “R” on his chest as well as a miniature version of Batman’s utility belt and a long dark cape. He smiled brightly and the creases near his eyes were half hidden behind the domino mask he wore.
Could this be?
“Robin,” Bruce barked, though it lacked his usual harsh tone and melted into something softer. “I said to wait for me,”
“Sorry B,” the child apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he walked over to the man. “I just got so excited,”
The others stood shocked, so this was Robin! Tinier than they imagined but also much sweeter than what they assumed. How did this bundle of excitement work with someone like Batman?
“Hello Robin!” Diana was the first to recover, walking over to the pair. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you,”
“Hi Miss Wonder Woman!” He said with a huge smile on his face. As Diana got closer Batman placed a protective hand on the boy’s shoulder, pulling him closer to himself. Taking the hint, she took a step back and waited for him to keep speaking. “B said I could finally meet you guys!”
“That’s amazing, little warrior!”
“B, did you hear that,” Robin turned around and beamed at Bruce. “She called me a warrior!”
“Yes, I heard,” he replied as Robin tucked himself behind Bruce’s legs, peeking out at the others. “This is Robin, he was very insistent on meeting you all,” he sighed, running a gentle hand through the boy’s hair. “I trust that you will keep quiet about him?”
The League all affirmed so and a few members fought the urge to coo at the scene, they figured Batman had a soft spot for children but witnessing it in person was like getting splashed with cold water..
“Nice to meet you kid,” Barry sped forward and stood next to Diana. “I’m the Flash,”
“You’re so fast!” Robin exclaimed, running out from behind Batman and up to Barry. “Can you carry me, I wanna go fast!”
Barry hesitated, he did not want to get on the Bats bad side, but after earning a quick nod from the man he scooped up the bundle of joy and did a few laps around the watchtower.
“Woah,” Dick’s hair was a mess and his cape was wrapped around his neck like a scarf. “That, was awesome,”
The next to approach was Clark, a smile present on his face and confidence shooting off him with each step he took.
“Hi there Robin,” the man started. “I’m-”
“Superman!” Dick screamed and wiggled out of Barry’s arms, running over to Bruce. “B, B, look it’s Superman!”
“Hm,”
“You know who I am?” Superman asked, causing the boy to look back at him.
“Mhm! B talks about you guys all the time!” Dick proclaimed, doing a few flips until he was back in front of him.
“Oh does he?” Hal smirked, mischief in his eyes. “What kind of stuff does he say?”
“That your all immature buttholes-”
“Those are his words,” Bruce cut in.
“That give him migraines every time he's here!” He was smiling so hard you’d think he just got a birthday present.
“Oh, figures” Hal was not impressed and shared a look with Barry.
“Wait, kid,” Oliver spoke up, remembering what he had said earlier. “You said you can fly? I thought Batman didn't allow metas in Gotham,”
“Oh,” Robin looked at him with large, owlish eyes. “What’s a meta?”
“Robin is a professional acrobat,” Bruce explained, receiving nods of understanding. “Would you like to show them how you fly?”
“Yes please!”
The League watched with immense interest as Batman bent down and cupped his hands, making a foothold for Robin. The latter immediately went into a full sprint towards Batman, stepping onto the foothold he made, and then was thrown up high into the air. Robin did a few flips and then landed back in Bruce's arms, safe and sound. The heroes let out breaths they didn't know they were holding and started applauding.
“Tada!” Robin bowed.
“Bravo Robin!” Diana praised.
This went on for about an hour, Robin showing them tricks and revealing things about Batman he would rather them never know. Hal, Barry, and Oliver took complete advantage of this of course, and would try and bribe Robin into telling them more.
Bruce had finally relaxed, realizing that his colleagues loved Dick almost as much as he did and quickly got absorbed in a conversation with Diana and Clark. He didn't know how much time had passed until he felt tugging on his cage.
“Dad, I’m tired,” Dick said as he yawned, as if to prove his point. “Wanna go home please,”
Bruce was stunned for a second, Dick rarely calls him that but each time he does it makes his heart squeeze and tears start to build. He picked up his bundle of joy and stood up, little arms wrapping around his neck and hair ticking his face.
“Let’s go home Chum,”