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It was known fact that every now and then they had nightmares. Each and everyone one of them. They were a family of vigilantes after all. If not every day but the nightmares visited certainly every few days. Not sleeping at all to avoid them just resulted in worse symptoms for those who tried that path.
None of them could escape the horrors of their own mind.
So, it was natural to seek comfort from their own family.
Everyone knew they did it. Yet no one talked about it openly in conversations. It was always under the table and limited on the parties that were involved. Each new member in the family understood the unspoken rules of such interactions.
The main rule was simple: anyone can join someone else to sleep for company and/or in need of comfort.
That "rule" had other smaller regulations based on the "General Good Person Manual" of the Manor, specifically five articles where was stated that:
• If the owner of the room does wake up and finds you and asks you to leave then you have no choice but to respect their word and leave.
• You have to respect the space and belongings of your night companion of choice. No fights for the blanket or pillows, bring your own or hope that owner will be merciful and share their own with you.
•You can sleep on the floor or furniture in the room with the condition that you won't mess up the order of the things placed there or you if you do for convenience you'll have to fix them after your visit. Sleeping on the owners bed is also a choice but limitations in space must be considered.
• You must have a respectable and decent relationship with the owner of the room otherwise your actions are considered trespassing and breech of privacy. Both parties must he in good terms before co-sleeping.
• The interaction is private and not to be discussed or commented on by others outside the parties participating. Also either person can choose to deny answering a question about the reasons they chose to sleep there and vice versa.
They were simple rules undestood by all.
Not that they didn't breach them and bend them all the time causing unspoken conflicts.
The tricky part was to guess who was who visiting in the middle of the night.
It started as a joke between them because Bruce couldn't tell them apart sometimes then it moved into a competition almost trying to find out who was who.
The price? Just the smug face of the winner worn as a badge the next day for everyone to see but also for those who knew to recognise their superiority in the sneaky arts.
Okay, maybe and some real bets were mayde along the way.
__________________
Location: Tim's room
The door creacked open and a silhouette slipped from the gap inside the room, casting a long slender shadow on the carpet.
The figure approached the bed and slid silently under the heavy cover towards the center, were a strange shaped lump was located.
The visitor shifted accordingly to fit on the side snuggling with the huge plushie that was set as a protective barrier between them.
The slump serene at first, stirred a bit, awoken by the earlier movements and then turned on the other sides to face the nighttime suprise guest.
A pair of green eyes glimmered from the hole of blankets.
"Jason?" Tim croaked poking his head out from his blanket cave, squinting his eyes to focus on the dark.
The cat eyes looked back at him in silence.
"Wrong again, Drake. Maybe you should consider place a ophtalmology appointment to check your eyesight. It must be getting worse as you age." His brother responded with a smile making his eyes look like Cresent moons in the dim light.
"Damian? Why are you even here?" Tim asked mind still hazy from the sleep that suprisigly was able to have that day more than an hour.
"No questions. According to the law you're not allowed to ask why I resulted in such actions."
"Whatever. Is that Mr. Woods?" Tim pointed at the Fox plushie shoved between them.
"Yeah."
"Isn't that Jason's? "
"Indeed."
"And where's Jason then?"
"He invaded my room along with Richard, so I took that as a hostage in retaliation. For tonight only. I'm not a plushie thief, I have standards and decency maybe the only one in the family except Pennyworth left with some. Jason is also currently sleeping on a pile of them, so he probably won't notice that he's missing it."
"You know that's an act of war right?. It breaches the article about personal possessions. Also Mr. Woods is one of his favourites. Just admit you had no room left in your bed after they both starfished on you and crushed your ribs and you had to flee for your decency and standards. So, I guess Mr. Woods is actually the friend you made along the way out crawling from under the blanket?"
"They breached the rules first. I showed them only my merciful nature by saving one of their poor companions." Damian bragged with a smug smile.
"Whatever. Don't bother me and just go to sleep. If they come for revenge, I'm throwing out all of you. So you know what happens when you cross me Brat." Tim waved him off and turned his back to him.
"What about me then?" Another voice spoke from the dark.
They both almost jumped out of their skin, startled that they weren't alone all this time.
"Who. is. that?" Tim managed to ask, Damian looking at him equally perplexed.
He didn't sense anyone else in the room than Damian and if Damian had not notice anything when he was supposed to be the trained assassin then who-
"My bad, I forgot to announce my precense too. Slept before I got to make my dramatic entrance. Again."
For the feet of the bed a figure emerged from the corner slithering closer towards them.
Then a blonde head popped of in front of them.
"Steph?"
"Brown?"
"Yeah, that's me!" She posed, kicking her legs schoolgirl style.
"I didn't even notice you. When did you come in?"Tim asked.
"See? Training with Dick on my dissapearing act did actually brought results. Not even Dami noticed me over here."
"I did not and I'm immeasurably fashinated by that and dissaponted at myself at the same time. It's a shocking discovery that you managed to hide your horrid sence of timing and talking randomly along with yourself in the shadows." Damian admitted.
Steph stared at him mouth gaping open.
"How dare you. You're the one to speak who sounds like a dying kazoo each time they try to hide a sneeze."
"That's classified information, Brown. Between us two. You can't say that in front of Drake."
"Don't care. Like at all. Also Damian you owe me five backs for that bet." Tim made the "gimme" hand move at him.
"Tt. You don't seem like a material person Drake. Aren't you a billionaire CEO already? Why would you need five dollars from my allowance? Abusing your older brother privileges I deduce."
"Just say you spent your montly allowance on that Lego set and now you're broke. Still, I want my money. So go beg your dad for more money or something as if Bruce will deny you anything. Coffee is expensive. I don't spend company money for my personal expenses. I have standards."
"You bought that fancy lego set ? Can I see?" Steph asked.
"I'm not letting you go near art again Brown, not after that last time."
"I didn't realise that eating pancakes with maple syrup and building lego simultaneously would result in disaster."
"Your desision making skills are good only on these specific instances were you end up with a stick and a chewed bubble gum to improvise by constructing a ridiculous plan, which only works out once in a blue moon, albeit that's a skill that kept you alive for a suprisigly long time somehow." Damian explained and Steph stuck her tongue at him.
"Kay can you shut up and sleep both of you now? At least pretend? Before this poor man's eye bags leave to take a midnight trip to Costco and make a bad financial desicion by purchasing the whole Takis box which happens to be on sale." Tim gave them the look getting in the middle.
"Dami, now you started a competition. I'm gonna make a better lego set than you." Steph crossed her arms refusing to back down.
"Paying Jason or Cass to build it doesn't count." Damian stated rolling his eyes at her.
"Ehhh"
"Shhh! Go to sleep! Both of you!" Tim repeated shoving them back to the pillows.
The bundled besides each other and slowly drifted to sleep. Or at least they tried.
Cass saw the whole scene hiding up the sloset and told nothing. That was the rule after all.
_____________
Location: Dick's room.
"Wow, I'm so lonely tonight without my siblings keeping me company. What I should do to chase away this loneliness? Oh I know! I'll sing a lullaby to myself!" Dick declared outloud purposely and theatrically for the secret audience to hear and then started catching a rhythm.
"You're my sunshine, my only sunshine...~"
In the corner of his vision he caught a pair of dark eyes popping of behind the closet looking at him.
"The other night, dear , as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you In my arms...~"
Then the another pair made it's appearance behind him this time shining emerald green.
As he finished the song he fell back to his pillow pile to sleep.
"Ohh, too bad no-one came! I'll sleep alone then. Alone and cold covered in my fluffy blankets. Abandoned from my dearest siblings. Forgotten by my father figures. That's the fate of the oldest son. To bear what others cannot in silence."
The moment he closed his eyes someone slid between his arms and another rested on his back.
"You could have come earlier little gremlins. You let your brother pour his soul out before deciding to show him some love for his grad performance ." Dick pouted.
"It's supposed to be kept a secret, Richard."
"But It never was . No need to hide from me. I always know if you're around."
"Polishing our skills." Cass tapped on his back in Morse and giggled.
"You're already enough both of you. Now go to sleep, okay?"
"You're enough too." They responded.
______________
Location: Bruce's room
Bruce changed position for the 10th time that night. It was ten thirty and three minutes, five seconds, six seconds, seven sec-
He turned away to not face his bat clock anymore throwing the heavy cover over his head.
His bat blanket. One of the first things to be named from Dick Grayson and one of his favourites. Soft, velvety, thick and heavy marroon as if the space was cuddling you.
If space was soft and fluffy somehow instead of deadly and full of masses of gas and floating rocks.
He had to go patrol at three, so he had approximately less than four hours of sleep irrelevant if it was gonna good or not.
He had to sleep.
He had to.
But then each time he hoped for some rest the quality of sleep was horrendous.
His children keeping did help a lot as expected -unexpected suprices in the middle of the night.
He just had to wait.
They would come to him themselves eventually.
At twelve and eleven minutes exactly right before the next minute came the door cracked slightly open. He refused to change the old doors of the Manor for another reason than sentimentality: it was the only way to recognise that someone entering the room.
No material other than old wood made enough noice for him to notice his fault he raised his children to be sneaky and now he struggled to find them around the house and they were keep getting better.
A figure slipped in the room and creeped by his side that he had his back turned at.
The bed caved in slightly.
The moment the body set in between the layers of blankets Bruce turned around to embrace the visitor eyes still closed.
"Yo, gimme some space old man! Who do you think I am to go straight up loaded with a hug?" A low voice growled near his chest.
Bruce opened his eyes to meet Jason's white lock tickling his cheek.
"Jason? What are you doing here?"
"I've come for your cars extended warranty and also to sell you tires - What do you think I'm exactly old man? Now, shut up and go back to sleep. If you tell that to anyone I'm stealing all your tires and painting the batmobile neon pink."
Bruce felt his eyes tearing up and his heart turning into mush.
"If you cry to my fresh washed hair I'm definitely also painting your favourite suits to match the car. Don't try me."
"Okay" Bruce croaked hugging his son tighter against him.
Jason groaned from inside his burrito blanket.
"You're getting weak that's not your best hug. Last time is was better."
"Last week that was you again? I thought it was Dick!"
"Who me? Being here last week? Definitely not. Also you have to live with the fact that Dick has months to step foot inside here to sleep since Damian got upgraded into his favourite pillow brother."
"Then who was here last week??"
"Dunno. Probably Roy opened the wrong door again."
"I accidentally adopted another child??"
"Accidentally? You bought him a bike last year."
"That's irrelevant, it was a birthday present because he's your friend."
"Yeah, sure. Let's drop the convo and sleep, shall we?"
"Sure, Jaylad."
"Don't call me that."
"Son"
"Not that either."
"Darl-"
"Call me the bane of your existence okay? Go to sleep now."
A few moments later when their breathing matched pace and deepended Dick rolled over from under the bed like a commando.
"Got 'em!" He climbed on the bed locking on Bruce's other side.
Not even a second later the old wardrobe door opened and another figure slipped out.
"Got all of you actually. Amateurs. And you're all detectives my foot. You gotta reconsider your career options." Wally said and then he snuggled along with Dick.
"Your tricks are getting rusty, Dickie. You must change tactics. Jason almost got you this time. You shouldn't wear neon shocks."
Dick giggled in his blanket. "My neon sock are my sneaky shocks."
Bruce left an intentional short but sharp hnn that translated to 'Go to sleep right now our I'm calling out both of you' and the giggles subsided not long after, breaths rhythmically echoing.
Roy was particularly displeased to find out the bed had no room for him anymore so he went to sleep with the others. Damian suprisigly didn't stab him like the first time they met.
_____________
Location: Guest room n.4
"If you could be an invertebrate what would choose you be?" Bruce asked fiddling with his frog blanket.
"Pill bug all the way. Isopod hours." Tim stated besides him.
"I like horseshoe crabs." Bruce admitted.
"Horseshoe crabs are neat. Wise choise." Tim agreed.
Silence.
Akward silence.
"Want me to tell you about that study of horseshoe crabs?"Bruce asked rolling around to face him.
"Please don't start. You're not good at narrating science papers like Damian is." Tin waved him away.
"Why not?" Bruce tilted his head to the side confused.
"I'm not gonna rant about it at this hour. Either you rant about something else or I'm out of here."
"Want to hear about the Calamari prince of Atlantis maybe, then?"
"Uh. Whatever I guess go on."
_______________
Location: Stephanie's room
The heavy curtains moved and a red lock stuck out bleneding in with the deep maroon velvet.
Barbara wasn't the type do do such tricks. She was the oldest daughter in there and she had some dignity. She didn't want to be caught doing that and even more for that to be spread amongst them the fact that Barbara Gordon indeed hid in people's rooms waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
She knew she couldn't go lower than that.
Stephanie was already asleep. She could recognise that breathing pattern from the comms.
She was just waiting to see who the next one would be so shed join with her predictions complete and curiosity satisfied.
The door opened and a figure got in undistinguishesable covered in a long and thick blanket over them holding several plushies.
The person arranged the plushies around Steph methodically and then took of the blanket and folded it making a small nest close to the wall before climbing on the bed.
Barbara carefully got her full her head out of the curtains scanning around and then she pulled the office chair towards her.
She had hid her wheelchair behind some boxes and it would take more time to maneuver with that.
The officer chair slid silently on the wooden floor and bumped on the corner of the bed frame.
She got off on the corner of the bed and then rolled over to face Steph the girl's eyes wide open looking at her.
"I was waiting for fir you. You're late."
"How did-"
"We know. Actually." The voice behind Steph said.
"Well, you shouldn't know. And you should not tell." Barbara stated annoyed she got caught so easily.
"Sleep around and they find out hon." Steph joked and nudged her playfully.
The voice snorted.
"Dick?"Barbara called out raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah definitely." Not-Dick responded in the most Not-Dick tone ever.
"I can't believe you can't recognise who it is. That's obviously Tim playing around." Steph said.
"Sure, why not. I can be Tim for today." The voice talked back.
"Doesn't matter this is a classified interaction either way. Let's all go to sleep kay?" Barbara brushed off her curiosity in the back of her head and waved them off.
"Kay, mom." Steph groaned.
"As you command, Your majesty the queen of technology. This humble servant shall lay to rest their body now but the mind and spirit will not waver or succumb to the weakness of the flesh and stay alert to attend you."
"Roy. Did Dick send you to a script to read?"
"What? No, that's pure skill. Why would you think that?"
"So, if it's not Dick or Tim then it's Roy? What did I miss?" Steph chimed back in the convo.
"I bet on my glasses that's a badly covered prank of Dick. Definitely Roy. A redhead can't be fooled by another redhead."
"Oh noooo! My plan got revealed! So much effort to be caught by the mighty Oracle!"
"Cut it out and go to sleep. It's late."
"By the way Babs you owe me waffle fries and a milkshake." Steph said.
"For what? I didn't remember making any bets? I'm too old for that."
"Oh no, you did make a deal with me. I outed Jason last time, so now I can choose my price."
"You could have asked for more honestly but okay. Your choice."
"What about a new bet between us three? You out Jason's location to me for the next night and I'll make sure Dick will have a payback for this humiliation today."
"Sure."
And they were both wrong actually because that visitor was Jason. They both found out fashionably late when the deal they made turned around to bite them.
Damian heard the drama under the bed and was the informator who made sure Dick would know first.
_________
Location: Tim's room
Cass slithered behind the dirty laundry basket only to bump into another person who had claimed that position way earlier than her. Unfortunate circumstance considering it was one if her favourite hiding places that was now discovered by her siblings.
"Hey, Cassie how's going?" A warm voice asked.
It was Dick obviously. She could recognise that voice everywhere no matter how low. Cass was wondering how a man tall like him turned into a bagel to fit in such a narrow space.
"Waiting for Steph to come too? I've been there for an hour alfredy and my legs have gone numb. Maybe she's sleeping on Bruce's today." He smiled his flashy smile at her reflecting the light of the mushroom night lamp.
"That's Jason's room." She tapped in morse on his arm.
"It is? When did they changed? I wasn't informed!"
"I've no idea. They have a pattern. I haven't figured it out yet."
The door opened a bit more roughly that the bats were used too and a figure slid besides them trying to hide it's big frame by flattening it against the tapestry.
A pair of eyes shining red whipped at their direction.
"What are you doing here?" A voice asked.
"Conner?" Dick called and the eyes looked away suspiciously.
"Umm, I was just passing by..."
"Yeah, sure come join the waiting club then."He patted the carpet besides him squeezing himself to make more room.
"So, where's Tim?" Kon plopped down the red on his eyes shining a brighter scarlet now.
"That's not Tim's room. Didn't you heard before you got in?"
"No, I don't eardrop usually...He told me that was his room. I believed him."
"You believed that gremlin and he scammed you."
"Great." Kon stood up hand on the door handle ready to leave.
"Wait, don't leave! Let's prank the next person that's gonna come inside."
"At this point I've started digging underground to find my dignity so..."
The morning came and the three of them slept upon each other on the corner.
Barbara covered them with a blanket to not get cold. It was her room but she didn't got to sleep at all that day. The got scammed. Tim won the bet. Again.
_____________
Location: Guest room n.7
"Damian get your hand of my face please." A voice said in the dark.
"I'm sorry that's my hand." Another gentle voice responded.
"Jon?" Two voices called out confused.
"Wait Kon? I thought that was Tim."
"Nope not at at. Red head here."
"Wally??"
"Todd, your perception is getting worse day by day. Last week you mistook me for Brown." Damian stated.
"Not my fault you both kick." Jason shrugged his shoulders at him.
"If Jon is there then we're is Kon?" Wally asked.
"And what are you doing here?" Damian pointed his finger at the red head.
"I thought Jason was Bruce honestly. Not my fault you're both the size of the wardrobe that leads to Narnia."
"Ew, no. Also you got adopted too? Poor child." Jason commented.
"Still Tim and Kon said that they'll be here." Wally said.
"Liars. They probably are in the plushie room having the best sleep of their lives. Traitors. Damian growled.
"Well to late for that. Troupers time for slumber, shut your blinds." Jason commanded.
"Aye, aye, captain." Jon said.
"Ohhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea??" Wally started to sing in Jason's great displeasure.
"SpongeBob Squarepants!"
"Wally, I'm putting raw pineapple inside your pillow if you dare continue singing."
"Do it. I'm gonna respond with beans in your shoes."
"How dare you. So, you're the one who put peanut butter on my cornbread last week."
"I'm surprised how a family of detectives hasn't figured out my shenanigans yet."
"Show off. Go to sleep, Scarlet boots."
"Good night to you too, Red riding hood."
"Y'all got weird names for each other. Goodnight Dami." Jon said shaking his head and reached his hand over to hold Damian's.
"Goodnight Jon."
________
After a few years the habit escalated and the first sleep groups started forming. Nothing was formal of course and the selection was random but there were still preferences between them.
First ,the most known and popular, was the Fire triangle or the Redhead corner that included all three readheads and Dick. It was also one of the oldest groups considering the collective age of the members and the first one to be formed. It was a private group that no-one could get in maybe exept Jason who claimed his hair to be a dark Auburn shade so he got a pass.
________
Location: Dick's room
"How is it going fellow red heads?" Jason posed in the doorstep dramatically.
Silence.
"Jason. You're the only not redhead in here." Dick said from inside his pillow fort.
"It's auburn, okay?"
"Yeah, whatever is called. Come to sleep now." Dick opened the "door" of his fort for him to come inside.
Jason raised the hand in response.
"My readhead detector is going off. I'm the last one coming here today Dickie."
"There's no way I wouldn't notice."
"You underestimate redheads a lot. They are sneaky. I can help you find them if you want."
"Um, do your thing then. Prove it."
Jason tapped his chin deep in though as he looked around for clues.
"Found one!" He proclaimed and proceeded to rip off a part of the tapestry to reveal a convientent hole in the wall with Wally inside.
"Found two!" He pulled off the head of the big teddy bear in the corner to reveal Barbara's unruly hair.
"Found three!" He peeled the second carpet which hid Roy underneath it.
"I won!"
"You get more and more creative each time. I'm not sure if I should be impressed or scared." Dick sais as the red heads gathered around him.
"Desperate times call for desperate solutions." Roy stated.
"Can we sleep now?" Dick sighed looking back at his pillow fort.
"Sleep? You promised something else Dickie." Wally raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms.
"Ohh, now making promises Nightwing without the others? That's new." Jason complained giving him the dissapointed look.
"Trying to make us compete or something for your attention? Not very nice coming from you Boy Wonder." Barbara added shaking her head in disapproval.
"No, no. You misunderstood my intentions." Dick tried to explain.
"And what are your intentions then?" Roy asked.
Dick pulled the blanket aside to reveal a pile of pillows.
"No way! You found a hallberg pillow!" Wally threw himself at Dick for a hug.
"Great, I keep the longsword." Barbara raised her hand first.
"Hammer for me." Roy stated.
"I can't say I expected that. Playing pillow fight with weapon pillows? Really? Why not use the real thing?" Jason asked genuinely confused since the had a full armory in the cave.
"I want my shins intact." Dick explained.
"Fair. What's left for me?"
"The mace."
"Perfect."
______________
The joy bundle or the Teen disaster was the second most popular and most know slumber group consisting from the fiesty teens of the family plus Damian who was the control factor between them, so they wouldn't go too far with their shenanigans. Usually Steph was the one who started the rebellion against the strict control and Kon and Tim followed with equal amounts of tomfoolery.
_________
Location: Guest room n.3
"Tap tap tap" Echoed in the silence of the room.
"Tap tap tap" Kon responded in similar fashion taping on the bed frame.
"What no way! Why I wasn't informed?" Steph yelled and the two boys looked at her annoyed.
"Steph! You ruining it! Inside voice!" Tim barked at her with a finger in front of his mouth as a sign to be silent.
"That's hot tea right there! I must tell Cass!"
"No!" Both yelled. "That's private info."
"C'mmon you're ruining the fun." Steph pouted slipping her phone out of the pocket slowly.
"Steph, we can't run a info broker circle if the info keeps escaping the circle." Tim explained looking at her dead in the eyes.
"Tea is made to be shared." Steph batted her eyelashes at him as if to convince him with her charm.
"You're gonna get kicked out if you continue that you know."
"You can't do that! I'm the founder."
"Bet. It was Kon's idea so you playing president doesn't matter. I have all it recorded."
"Dang it."
"Y'all code is ridiculous. And why Luthor wearing wigs to stalk superman is supposed to be important info?" Another voice spoke up from the shadows behind them.
"Damian!" They all yelled in suprise.
"Brat, when did you came in?" Tim asked bouncing back instantly from the shock.
"I was playing along all this time what do you mean?"
"You said something about Batman just a few moments ago?"
"Duh."
"Wow, betraying your own father? Relatable." Kon laughed and elbowed the boy a bit too hard.
"I threw the bait to see who was gonna believe it. I'm reporting your illegal activities to Father."
"You cannot." They all said again simultaneously.
"Bet."
"Try me brat. Want me to say about that day when-" Tim threatened to spill the tea himself.
"No. Drake. That's classified."
"There's no thing such as classified in this family."
"Okay , okay. I won't report you. Can I stay? To supervise you."
"Whatever, tea is tea let's continue." Stephanie waved at him to join the Spill circle.
_________________________
The third less known team was the so called serene squad were all members would lay in complete silence and peace. That was an extra rule among them and if anyone broke it accidentally or not they would have to leave the room. And the usual suspect was Bruce who randomly started saying stuff he remembered like an old man and he had to get him for timeout half an hour or so to cool down before resuming on chilling in bed along with Cass and Jon. Because Jon was apparently Cassandra's brother now too. Damian joined in sometimes. They even had uninvited guests.
___________
Location: Guest Room n.9
"You know I remember that time when I was young -" Bruce's low sleepy voice started to say just be cut off immediately.
"Shhhh"
"Can I-"
"No" A voice growled at him from the dark.
"Damian?" He raised an eyebrow looking around for the boy for him to pop right in front of him.
"Yes, father? Does my presence here unsettle you?" Damian responded in a mocking tone seeing his father startled by his sudden appearance.
"No. I was just curious how I didn't notice you when you sneaked."
"Skill issue."
"What."
"That sounds like a 'you' problem Father, if you can't even recognize your sons sneaking around. You're supposed to be the best detective."
"You hang out a lot with the teens lately sounds to me. I can't keep up with the slang."
"You can solve Riddlers ridiculous riddles and learn ancient Sumerian in a week but can't keep up with slang? That's not even the difficult one. You're not even a boomer, you're a millennial."
"Wow, thanks for not defending me at all my children." Bruce said looking at the other lumps around him.
"Shh, they are sleeping. Don't dare wake them up." Damian snapped at him ready to Karate-chop him to sleep.
"Sorry darling." Bruce apologised and leaned for a hug.
"Don't call me that in front of them. It's embarrassing." The boy pushed him back with a disgusted expression.
"Okay, Lord of Destruction."
"That's better."
"I thought you liked when I called you prince charming." Jon popped his head besides them suddenly.
"Jon! That's only to be used between us!" Damian scolded him in a softer tone.
"Baby bat has many names." Cass added.
"Yeah. But I like little nightmare more. It fits just right." A foreign voice stated.
"Jason!"
"Yeah, that's me. Don't ask for details on why and how I ended up here."
"Go back to sleep! All of you!" Damian yelled in frustration knocking them down with the decorative pillows.
"Goodnight Damian." They all said sifting to find their place in the bed.
"Goodnight. To everyone except Todd who came uninvited."
"I love you too."
_________
Location: Bruce Wayne's Alaska King Bed
"The not-wearing shocks-one is gonna be sent in the shadow realm next week." A voice proclaimed.
"The ones with the horrible shocks must also be sent there. No excuses. We have democracy. If you wanna ostracize someone you must prepare yourself to get ostracized too by the people." Another in higher pitch responded.
"Please, don't fight there's enough room for everyone." A third voice pleaded.
"Since when Dick can immitate Bruce?" The first voice asked.
"He cannot. Roy is that you?" A new voice butted in the conversation.
"I'm the real deal kids." The other voice reassured them.
"Kids? Yeah, definitely not Bruce. He must have got lost when he abandoned the ship to go downstairs and find Damian.When the swap happened and I didn't notice?" The first voice said.
"Y'all Damian is here what are you talking about."
A lower voice stated.
"Then why Bruce even left?"Someone else asked.
"Irrelevant, we can sleep without him." The previous voice said and several others agreed with a positive hm.
"Well, if that certain someone stopped squirming like an octopus." Someone else growled and a thud followed.
"Dick, stop wiggling around." Another voice added.
"That's not me, I'm being nice and snuggly like a burrito." Dick's voice explained.
"Wally, stop wiggling around." The other voice demanded with another thud.
"Y'all Wally didn't came today. I don't know what detergent you put on the sheets but you must change it." Someone else stated.
"How dare you insult Pennyworth's detergent. He uses the same the last fifty years." A voice sounding suspiciously close to Damian's said.
"Ha! Found you! So you're the one wearing the horrendous shocks!" Someone proclaimed followed by a series of annoyed grunts.
"What's happening are all the readheads together tonight?" A voice spoke up.
"Excuse me, but I'm legally blonde." The first voice corrected indicating to the only person with blond hair in this house .
"We weren't talking about you to-be-ostracized- person." Someone responded.
"You didn't explain your presence here Kon." The same voice said.
"That's Kon over there. What are we talking about now? I'm confused."
"I've no idea honestly Bruce said something about a slumber party." A voice similar to Kon's stated.
"Great."
"Should we place our bets and then I open the light?" Another voice asked.
"No" It was the collective and immediate response.
"That's a breach of the rules." A small voice added.
"We all know the bets are definitely either staged or wrong. Last week I lost a bet on Tim that he'd be on Bruce's room but I got bumboozled. I got there I thought I found him turns out it was West. Again. Richard why the speedster even has access in our house." Damian's voice ranted.
"My bad." Someone else apologised.
"Gonna cry you lost a bet pipsqueak? Ya should not bet in the first place. I didn't gamble at all and yet I have earned the most." A voice laughed at him and more joined it.
"That's because you spy for money." Damian's voice fought back.
"That's not gambling by definition. Also I'm not breaching any rules compared to you." The accused voice explained.
"Sure, as if you weren't the one who started the stranger adopting programme." A different voice said.
"Roy is family." Jason's voice stated.
"Well, I can say the same for Jon."
"Jon has a father at least." Another voice spat back.
"Did you just called me fatherless?" The voice bark at the general direction of the insult.
"Are we going to sleep beauties? Or I have to knock out all of you." A different melodic voice joined in.
"Hold on, I hear someone coming back." Someone else said.
"There's no room they'll have to leave." Another stated.
"No, we do have if I just move my hand a little-"
"We are not playing human tetris on a full alaska sized bed."
"Shh, the bed is saying its finals words shut up. Respect it's years."Someone clapped their hands to demand the proper silence.
"You know you could just get of and save it from that fate."
"How? We have basically turned into a fused blanket coccon of bodies." A voice said.
"That sounds disgusting."
"Says the person who eats mint chocolate chip ice cream."
And the bed did break in fact.
Bruce wasn't amused at all to find out what the loud noise came from when he arrived and they had to evacuate in the dark before he opened the light to access the situation.
What happens in the night stays in the night after all.