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When Damian went to sleep in the family nest the night before, he was sure that the only occupants were himself and his father. He doesn’t remember when the rest of his loud family had joined them. As Damian was slowly waking up, he could hear Dick and Jason quietly arguing over who got to cuddle with the pup next, as a pair of slim but strong arms tightened around his shoulders. Damian knew it was Tim’s arms he was in, the Omega of the pack had a relaxing scent and Damian was getting lungfuls of it. He pressed his face closer into Tim’s chest, getting comfortable and sleepy again.
“Stop whining Dick, you’ll wake them up!” Jason quietly gruffed, crossing his arms. “And besides, you cuddle the pup the most out of all of us. After Tim wakes up it’s my turn with the him.”
Damian always thought it was strange how his family argued over him. Nothing like this ever happened in the league. Pups like him weren’t cuddled or coddled. Pup behavior wasn’t appreciated in the League. Damian learnt that pup noises got him nowhere. He once whined in hearing distance of his Grandfather, and got a painful lesson as to what that would get him. Even as a small pup, Damian knew better then to act as a pup should after that particular lesson.
“Young Masters, breakfast is ready and waiting. I would hurry down, least it get cold.” Alfred’s calm voice come muffled through the door.
Dick and Jason looked at each other, then down at Tim and Damian. “You can wake ‘em up.” Jason said hurriedly, tilting his head in Tim’s direction, not braking eye contact with Dick. “Absolutely not. You know how long it took to get Tim in here and away from his work.” Dick said, shaking his head. “You wake him up.”
“Boys.” Bruce said as he emerged from the bathroom, toweling his wet hair. He placed the towel over the back of a chair as he looked at his two oldest boys with fondness and walked to the right side of the nest, the side that Tim and Damian were sleeping on. Bruce knelt down and placed a gentle hand on Tim’s shoulder shaking him lightly. “Come on Tim, time to get up.”
Tim’s only response was to curl around Damian more, burying his face in the pups hair. Bruce, Dick and Jason all huffed in amusement at Tim’s unconscious action. “Let’s sit you up Tim. That might help wake you up.” Bruce slid his arm around Tims shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position, Damian still securely in his arms. “Here Tim, let me take Damian.” Dick said, already making his way over to the pup.
“Don’t you think about it big bird. It’s my turn with the pup.” Jason said, shouldering his way past Dick to get to Damian first. Before Dick could say another word Jason already had Damian safely in his arms. “Come on pup, lest go get you some breakfast.” Jason said , standing up and leaving the nest. As Jason left the comfort of the nest he heard a whine and looked back at Tim. Tim’s eyes were barely open and his hands were patting the nest next to him, looking for something.
“Pup.” Tim whispered in a half asleep voice, his omega pheromones leaking out to try and find the pup.
“Easy Tim, Damian’s with J-lad. He’s fine.” Bruce reassured Tim, patting his back to get him to wake up some more, releasing his own Alpha pheromones to sooth Tim. Sensing Tim’s unease Damian started to fuss in Jason’s arms. Jason moved Damian onto his hip and started to bounce up and down, trying to wake the pup up more whilst patting him lightly on the back. “Come on pup, everything is fine. But if don’t wake up you’ll miss the breakfast that Alfred made for us.”
“Breakfast?” Came Damians tired reply. “Yeah buddy. Don’t want to go and miss it do you?” Dick joked as he came to stand next to Jason so he could smooth Damians sleep rumpled hair.
“No.” Damian replied quietly, his small fist rubbing his tired eyes. “Let’s go to the bathroom first, and by the time you’re done, everyone should be more awake.” Jason said as he was already moving in the direction of the bathroom. “Hopefully B can wake Tim up enough that he won’t have to carry him downstairs.” Jason chuckled quietly to Damian. Only half joking as it has happened more than once before.
By the time Damian had finished his business and exited the bathroom, Tim was standing next to Bruce and Dick, much more awake than anyone thought he’d be. Before Damian could step fully into the room, Dick was already making his way over to him. When he reached the pup he bent down onto one knee, placing his hands on Damian’s shoulders. “Morning pup.” Dick greeted with one of his million watt smiles, moving his hands up to smooth down Damian’s very persistent bed head, scenting him in the process.
“Good morning to you as well Richard.” Damian replied politely. “It seems you and Baba were able to wake Timothy enough for him to stand on his own.” Damian looked over Dick’s shoulders to see Tim and Bruce, both of them making their way over to him.
“Yeah, but we both know that when he wakes up this easily he’ll be asleep as soon as we finish breakfast.” Came Dick’s fond reply.
“Then I suppose we better make our way downstairs and finish breakfast quick then. Unless you want to be the one to clean up the mess Tim will make when he falls asleep half way through his pancakes. Again.” Jason said as he rounded Dick and swept Damian onto his hip again.
“You fall asleep during breakfast once and you never hear the end of it.” Tim said, slightly annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted. Dick stood up and ruffled Tims hair. “Sorry Timmy. But as your brothers it is our duty to never let you forget your most embarrassing moments.”
Bruce made his way over to Jason and Damian, patting Jason on the shoulder as he moved over to Damian. He pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes and breathing in his youngest’s scent of pup and pack. “Good morning pup.” Bruce said gently. Moving away slightly to look Damian in the eye. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes Baba.” Damian blushed, still not used to how easily his family showed affection. “I’m glad.” Bruce replied. “Alright then boys, let’s head on down.” Bruce said, making his way over to the door, opening it and waiting for his pack to make their way out.
Damian enjoyed these kinds of mornings. No one was hurt, there was no emergency that needed handling and no one was in a rush to go somewhere. The most important thing Damian had started to realize after living with his fathers family was that he enjoyed when they were all together. When he first came to live in his fathers house he didn’t like the way they all coddled him as a pup. Treating him as a fragile little pup.
But now? Damian didn’t think he could go back to the ways of the League. He liked spending time with his family, his pack. And they liked spending time with him.
Sometimes being treated as a pup, Damian decided, wasn’t bad at all.