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Alfred hummed as he turned off the stove. Dinner was prepared on time, ready to be set out on the table closer to his small family’s meal time. With Master Dick in Blüdhaven and Master Bruce on a date, it was only Master Jason to feed tonight.
Alfred would probably sit with the young Master and eat alongside him. No need for young sirs to be isolated because their adopted father has a social life. He would probably have to remind Master Jason of his curfew, the boy had a test tomorrow and should be well rested. Perhaps Alfred should read to him tonight.
Master Jason had only been with them a year, but Alfred adored the child so much. Any time spent with the lad was a luxury. He had been forced to send the boy to study for his test, otherwise Master Jason would have been with him now, helping him prepare the food.
Alfred was startled out of his thoughts when his phone beeped an annoying melody. Master Dick had been playing with the settings again and Alfred had yet to figure out how to reverse them. He rubbed his hands on his apron and squinted at the screen. Alfred opened the notification from Master Bruce slightly disappointed. His boy should know better than to text during a date.
Bruce: Change of plans. Coming home for dinner.
Ah. Thankfully, Alfred always made more than enough.
Alfred: Very well, Sir. I shall set out two extra plates.
Bruce: Just one.
Alfred frowned. Texting back a confirmation. The date must have gone poorly in that case. It was rare for Master Bruce’s personal socialisation to go astray, the disturbing Brucie act always charming to the ladies.
Unless it was the lady who was the issue. But Master Bruce had been happily dating this particular woman for a few weeks now.
Alfred had thought that Master Bruce had actually liked her. If the way he smiled faintly when her texts came meant anything. Or the way in which Master Bruce actually put in effort to prepare himself before his dates.
He even started patrol late the other day because he was on a date with this woman. Master Bruce prioritising something over Batman was not a small matter.
Alfred laid down a plate for Master Bruce, ignoring the concerned twinge in his chest.
He had only briefly met the Miss once. Where she had come to Wayne Manor to pick up Master Bruce for a date. Alfred had greeted her and allowed her into the foyer. The only reason the frequent dates never took place at the Manor was due to Master Bruce’s own rule of not bringing dates home until he was certain of their character. A rule that became more instilled at Master Jason’s arrival. The lad’s suspicions and anxieties surrounding strangers meant Master Bruce never brought any night guests home.
But the brief conversation Alfred had with Master Bruce’s date was innocent enough. No burning “red flags” as Master Dick so eloquently put it.
Alfred pottered around the kitchen, cleaning away the pots and pans until he heard Master Bruce’s light footsteps coming in from down the hall.
“Evening, Master Bruce.” Alfred greeted, he rinsed off his soapy hands and toweled them dry, turning to meet his ward.
“Hey, Alfred.” Master Bruce responded as he slumped into a high stool at the island counter. Alfred frowned at the sight of him. His tie was loosened and his shoulders were hunched, throwing a shadow over his face which was lowered. His hair was unruly as though he had run his hand through it many times, the combed perfect state Master Bruce had set it in before leaving now long gone.
The boy looked sad.
“Chin up, Master Bruce.” Alfred tried to reassure him gently. “Whatever is the matter?”
Master Bruce just huffed, lowering his head further till his forehead rested on top of folded arms. A flare of annoyance hit Alfred.
“Does your mood have anything to do with why you have returned early?” Alfred raised a brow.
“We had a fight. I said it would be best to go our own ways and cool off.” Master Bruce’s voice was muffled but many years of practice allowed Alfred to decode his smothered voice.
Alfred tried not to be too harsh, not with the way Master Bruce seemed so depressed. But still, “did you at least drop the lady off at home? You didn’t send her alone, did you? I am sure I have taught you what is proper and improper during courting, Master Bruce.”
He watched Master Bruce’s shoulders rise defensively but his head stayed down. “I called her a cab. I paid the fare and stayed till she left.”
Alfred tutted. “Oh dear. And whatever for? What was the nature of your disagreement?”
He was certain that whatever argument these adult children had, Master Bruce would need to apologise. Alfred’s ward was very well known to have a short fuse at times.
“It was kind of my fault? I mean she was angry at me. I don’t think she’s right but if—” the rest of Master Bruce’s words were too smothered for Alfred to understand.
“Speak up, lad.” Alfred interrupted. “And sit properly, Master Bruce.” He could only tolerate so much rudeness.
Master Bruce tensed. Then he slowly lifted himself up straighter, his head still facing downwards.
“I said, I don’t think she’s right. But if I offended her enough for her to blow off like that, then I guess I owe her an apology.”
But Alfred barely heard the end of that sentence. His eyes zeroing in on the red mark painted on Master Bruce’s cheek.
A mark that had not been on his son when he had left for his date.
Before he knew what he was doing, Alfred rushed over to Master Bruce. He gently took a hold of his ward’s chin and tilted his face upwards. Master Bruce allowed it, but kept his eyes pointed away. A tinge of embarrassment flushing his cheeks, darkening the bruise.
Experimentally, Alfred ran a light thumb over the mark. Master Bruce winced.
Alfred's ears rang as a rage he could not describe overtook him. With a practised calm, he asked dangerously. “Did she do this?”
“It’s not a big de—”
“Did she?”
Master Bruce flushed deeper. “Yes.”
Alfred heaved a pained sigh. It was one thing to see wounds on his ward’s skin from patrol, his heart lurching each time he saw a new scar decorate his body, but he was not supposed to be hurt outside the damn bat suit.
Especially not on a date.
“Allow me to fetch some ice.” Was all Alfred could manage to say. Forcing his hands off Master Bruce’s face and going over to the freezer. He grabbed a clean towel and wrapped it around an ice pack, passing it over to Master Bruce’s stretched out hand.
He watched as Master Bruce placed it tentatively on top of the mark, withholding another wince.
Alfred took a breath, and then another, aiming to find a sense of calm.
He might have achieved it had Master Bruce not spoken again.
“I’ll fix this.” Master Bruce muttered, his shoulders still hunched into himself despite keeping himself upright. “I’ve already texted her. I’ve scheduled for another date tomorrow evening. I just need to clear my schedule with Lucius.”
Alfred forced in another calmed breath. It did nothing. “You shall do no such thing.”
“I know my meetings are important but—”
“You cannot believe that I will stand for you meeting with this woman again, do you?” Alfred tried not to snap.
Master Bruce opened and shut his mouth in shock.
Why was his child shocked?
Perhaps Alfred should showcase his concern more often.
“It was my fault.” Master Bruce insisted but then frowned. “Somehow.”
“What happened?” Alfred asked. Maybe some insight will support him in his argument against ever meeting with that scum.
“She got mad after the waitress took our order. She said that I was flirting with her. But I wasn’t!” Master Bruce said defensively. He did not need to worry. Alfred would never have imagined Master Bruce to do such a thing. “I was being nice. I’ve been nice to waitresses around her before, I don’t know what triggered the fight this time. But, maybe I was too polite? Maybe I didn’t realise it but I was talking like I was flirting?”
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said sharply. The man’s wide eyes whipped up to meet his own. “Do not doubt yourself. I know your character and you are not the type of man to flirt with other people when you have a partner, especially around your date.” Then Alfred caught onto something else that Master Bruce had said. What had he meant by ‘this time’? “Have you two been having many disagreements?”
“Um, yeah. I keep messing up some things. But she always lets it go when I say sorry. It’ll be like that again tomorrow. I’ll apologise and it’ll go away.” Bruce sighed.
“Absolutely not.” Alfred hissed. How could he have not noticed? His ward was so happily invested in this woman, always reporting positive things back to Alfred. The fact that she had managed to make Master Bruce insecure enough in this relationship for his son to simply accept this behaviour was unforgivable. “You will not apologise. She should be apologising for striking you!”
“Alfred.” Master Bruce raised a palm towards him placatingly, the other busy holding the ice pack. Alfred tried not to bristle. “It’s okay. I know it looks bad, but you’ve seen her.”
“Excuse me?”
“She’s tiny.” Master Bruce shrugged. “I am literally Batman. One little slap isn’t that big of an issue. We can be adults and move past this.”
Alfred stood still. Glaring viciously at his flowery towel wrapped around the ice pack. Hiding the bruise forming on his son’s cheek. Alfred’s lips thinned in frustration. He was not above using unfair methods in this matter.
“Perhaps you are correct, Master Bruce.” He said and he watched the man sigh in relief as Alfred agreed with him. “Will you excuse me, I must make a phone call.”
Master Bruce frowned. “To who?” He asked suspiciously.
“Why, Master Dick, of course.”
Master Bruce scowled, the ice pack dropped to the counter as both his hands turned into fists. It revealed the bruise and Alfred’s anger flared at the sight. “You’re going to tell Dick about this?”
“I will not inform him about this particular incident.” Alfred reassured, if only to ease Master Bruce’s embarrassment somewhat. “I only wish to tell him about the change in our principles. There is no need for him anymore to come and inform one of us if his romantic partner was to be violent with him.”
Master Bruce’s jaw dropped. Alfred wasn’t done.
“Who is his partner currently? Miss Gordon? Miss Anders? Either way, he should know that if they strike him then he should be man enough to deal with it himself.”
“Alfred—”
“Ah, and then I will fetch Master Jason for dinner. I will also make sure to tell him that he is in fact, not as safe under this roof as we have been trying to convince him. His new father will allow people to hurt him, he is Robin after all.”
“Alfred!” Master Bruce snapped. Anger evident from the sort of horrors Alfred was implying. “That is completely different!”
“How so?” He challenged.
Master Bruce glared at him. “I will never tolerate anyone hurting one of my boys.”
“Then why, in Heaven’s name, do you think for a moment that I would tolerate anyone hurting my boy?”
Master Bruce’s fiery gaze stuttered and softened. His shoulders falling and fists unclenching. “Alf…”
“How could you assume that I would sit back and allow you to meet with that… that manipulative woman. She hit you! You are my son. No one is allowed to hurt you.” Alfred insisted desperately, his voice on the edge of cracking.
Master Bruce looked away, unable to hold Alfred’s gaze. “It makes sense, Alf. Okay? I can take a few hits.” His son, his little boy, swallowed thickly. “You know I’m not the easiest to love.”
“My boy.” Alfred’s heart cracked. He moved around the counter to stand beside his son again. He tilted Master Bruce’s chin upwards and ran a soothing hand through his unruly hair. “That is absolutely untrue.”
Alfred smiled down at Master Bruce’s blue eyes. The same eyes that used to look to him for all the answers. That still do sometimes.
“You are so very easy to love, my boy. You’ve got two darling sons who would tell you the same thing. Yes, I am aware not Master Jason, but he feels it. You have friends, Mister Kent and Miss Prince, who love you as well. And me.” Alfred cupped Master Bruce’s face in his hands, careful of the bruise. “I have loved you since you were an infant. I continue to do so. How could we not? For your brave and kind heart. For your rare laugh. For your strong will to do good and protect innocents.”
Alfred wished those blue eyes didn’t doubt him so. “You deserve much, my boy. And you will have it. You will have a gentle love who will stand beside you and support you as you will them. Not someone who hurts you. Not someone who uses sly words or who raises their hand against you. That is not someone you deserve. Do you understand me?”
Alfred repeated himself at Master Bruce’s silence. “Do you understand me, Bruce?”
His eyes darted away and back again. “A little.”
“Hm.” Alfred picked the ice pack back up and placed it delicately on the bruise. He used his other hand to hold Master Bruce’s calloused one. “That is good enough for now. But I will never allow you to settle for less than you deserve, so we will have to build your understanding with time.”
“Alfred…” Master Bruce whined in embarrassment.
“You will cancel your appointment with the Miss, or would you prefer for me to?”
The hand that Master Bruce was holding Alfred’s with began to play with the butler’s fingers absentmindedly. Alfred was struck with nostalgia of little Bruce doing the same.
“I’ll do it. I think you’d bite her head off.” He said teasingly.
“As I should. I may do so regardless.” Alfred thought out loud.
Master Bruce huffed. “Alfie.”
“I will do my best to restrain myself but I will make no promises.”
His son smiled up at him shyly. “… thanks, Alf. And, uh, I love you too.”
Alfred couldn’t help the feeling washing over him. Having children in the house again must be making him soft because he found himself putting down the ice pack and leaning in to hug his son.
Master Bruce tensed in his hold before relaxing and hugging him back. The old butler allowed himself to bask in this feeling for a moment.
Alfred sat down at the table beside his son as Master Jason listened intensely to Master Bruce’s false tale, explaining how he got the bruise on his face from stopping a mugging. Meanwhile, Alfred pondered over if he could get away with non-fatally shooting this woman from afar.
Alfred subtly shook the thought out of his head, telling himself to behave.
Then he again caught sight of the mark on his son’s face.
On second thought, she would recover from a bullet to the leg.