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Chapter Text

Toddlers are simple creatures, at least Roy thinks they are

They obsess over something for months and that's all they'll talk about over and over, after 3 years with his little girl he knows well how this goes.

At the start of the year Lian had decided princesses were the most amazing thing in the whole wide world, everything was a princess, she was a princess, Roy was a princess and Jason was also a princess.

By spring Lian decided Princess weren't cool, but you know what was cool? Bunnies

She suddenly spawned a new bunny plushie every few days (Roy was pretty sure it was Jason's doing)she dressed as a bunny and was ecstatic when Jason and Roy made her an egg hunt for Easter (and probably even more since Dick agreed to dress as an Easter Bunny motley and god bless his heart for staying under that fur in the sun)

After that and with summer approaching, Lian decided bunnies were too hot, but mermaids? Oh those were now cool

So yeah Roy got an extra high bill for the water those months but Lian got to play mermaid while she bathed, he knows taking her to a pool or the beach would have been less expensive but she got scared of waves and he didn't trust pool filters, what if they swallow her little girl and drowned her? Absolutely not (No Jason I'm not crazy quit saying that, we aren't going to the pool and that's final)

By October Lian decided spiders were so cool, Roy didn't like spiders but anything for his daughter, so he got her plastic ones.

That backfire the day he almost stab himself with a glass after Lian left a fake spider on the counter and he panicked and dropped the vase he was holding, but when they decided to get rid of them was the day Jason shoot one multiple times out of reflex because Lian left one in the couch and Jason got scared when it jumped closer to him.

But Lian still wanted a spider, so after a lot of investigation (and the help of Jason's little brother) Frederick the tarantula made his way into their apartment and is now in an enclosure in their living room to the dismay of Jason and Roy who looked at the creature in fear.

By the time winter started to come Roy was just waiting for Lian to change from spiders to her new choice for this year.

He should have expected snow man's to be the new best thing in Lian's mind.

She got the idea from Frozen, she wanted her own Olaf, that was doable, Roy could buy her an Olaf plushie! Easy and simple, what he didn't expect was for Lian to try to recreate her Olaf plushie into a real snow man, oh boy.

When it started to actually snow Lian did her attempt number 1 to recreate Olaf with the snow on their balcony.

Unfortunately, the snow wasn't clean in the city, always full of whatever dirt or pollution it found in the air, so her first snowballs had a lot of dirt or black unknown stuff.

Lian had tried to get the snow inside the house to clean it, using her little bucket she took to the beach to carry the snow to the sink, needless to say it didn't work and the snow melted into dirty water.

So attempt number 2 starred when Roy saw her cry over dirty water and Jason suggest going to the park since they'll have more clean snow there.

Roy had never loved him more than at that moment when he made Lian stop crying, and say and done the next weekend they took her to the park to make her a real life Olaf.

Unfortunately for Lian, both Jason and Roy overestimated how much snow would actually be at the city park, it was barely covering the grass and Jason had to convince Lian that he couldn't shoot the worm she had in her attempt of snow man.

After that failed attempt, Lian seemed extremely sad the rest of the winter, she drew Olaf all the time and herself by the side, she tried to go to the Antártica since snow there was clean and Roy had to convince her she couldn't put herself in the mail.

the last straw for Roy was when he heard Lian tell the Store Santa all she wanted was to build a snowman and that if she could have pretty snow in Christmas she'll be the happiest girl ever.

Roy started to plot immediately after hearing that.

Lian will get her snowman, even if Roy needed to travel to Antarctica to get her one.

He should have probably started to look for hotels to book in from July apparently because all the snow cabins or resorts well full

He had tried everything, even ask Ollie if he had any sort of snow cabin in his riches, he didn't.

Ollie suggested getting her fake snow so she could build it inside, but that wouldn't work, Lian wanted to have a sparkly snow man made of actual snow (and because Jason and Roy had tried and she didn't like it)

Ollie says they'll find a way while they stay over for Christmas.

That's when the idea hit Roy.

Roy and Jason had been friends for a while (and officially dating since 6 months ago) but they weren't gonna spend Christmas together.

Ollie had invited him since he always made (or try to make) a family gathering for Christmas, and while Jason was invited (after Roy glared at Ollie and may or may not have used Lian as manipulation) Jason had rejected coming, not because he didn't want too, but because his family already had a tradition.

Jason has rejoined it recently but his tradition didn't let him bring people over, apparently it was a family only thing that Bruce did.

He had heard about it from Dick before, when he left Titans tower around the 23 of December and came back January first after spending Christmas and new years eve with Bruce.

Roy asked once and Dick had told him they went to a family cabin Bruce's had, that was always under at least 1 feet of snow (probably exaggerating)

The moment he remembered that, Roy felt his face curl up like he was the Grinch himself with how evil and wide his smile got.

'Lian you better keep the Santa promise because Daddy was getting you the perfect place to build 20 snowmans'

--------

"You wanna what now?" Jason's voice was slightly hoarse since it was early morning, he was barely awake and brushing his teeth when Roy told him his plan.

"I wanna go with you and your family to the winter cabin" he repeated

Okay,so Jason wasn't going crazy, Roy has indeed said what he thought he said.

"Roy, I already told you- my dad ain't gonna let you, he doesn't even let Dick and he's been with Wally since like- forever" Jason explains, slowly, maybe that way Roy will get it right?

"I know what you say, just family, no partners, but trust me, I have a plan" Roy says smiling while Jason just turned on the shower to get himself fresh and ready to tolerate his family for the next week or so.

"Oh do you now?" Jason asks while he made sure the water wasn't too hot or too cold before letting it wash over him

"Yeah! You're gonna love it " Roy says as he got into the water with him handing him the shampoo and Jason handed him the soap

"I'm gonna make a trade with Bruce" Roy declared proudly and Jason would have opened his eyes if the shampoo wasn't running down his face at the moment.

"You're gonna trade with Batman..." Jason repeats once the shampoo was off his eyes and just running down his neck and back.

"Yeah! I get to spend my Christmas in the cabin with you, he gets, a one and only time deal" Roy says as he hands the soap to Jason and starts putting on shampoo

"A headache?" He jokes slightly as he moves out of the water to grab a towel around himself

"A granddaughter!" Roy says happily putting the soap away, that actually made Jason pause, say what now?

"You're gonna trade Lian?" Jason asks, barely holding a laugh, Roy is joking, he's teasing him for not being able to come with him, he has to be right?

"An offer he can't resist! You have 11 siblings!” For now, Jason thinks for himself while he hands the towel to Roy and he puts some boxers on “He'll love being a grandpa!”

"Bruce barely knows you as yourself, we've been dating for 6 months, if Dick ever told him about you he'll like you even less, and he knows Oliver you're the last person he'll want around" Jason reminds him while Roy got out of the shower not wavering in confidence (or delusion Jason isn't sure)

"It's gonna work! I'll trade Lian as my entry ticket into your family cabin!" Roy says while he gets the shaving cream and starts to shave his beard, Lian always says it itches her and doesn't let him kiss her when he has it.

"That's not how trading works Roy" Jason says sighting

------
This wasn't gonna work

Jason was sure of it, it won't work.

Bruce ain't this stupid, his adoption problem may be bad but it hasn't reached the "I want grandkids" levels of bad

And Jason is sure nothing will make him take back the "no partners in the cabin" rule, let alone for him

But Bruce hasn't bent for Dick, who's been with Wally for years, he didn't budge for Conner when he and Tim started dating, he didn't even budge for Damian when he wanted to bring Jon.

Cass was the only one who would have gotten away with it but she had no one to invite who wasn't already considered.

Stephanie is always invited as honorary family even if Cass and Steph weren't dating, but both Stephanie and Barbara have rejected going.

On top of that, Jason was sure this was Duke's first Christmas at the cabin since he joined the family, Bruce will surely not let Roy come just because of that.

There's no way, he tells himself as Roy drives them to the manor, Lian is in the back in the baby seat , Roy had for her a Batman onesie, and while their girl (he can't believe he's a father now as well) looks truly adorable as hell, Jason is sure it's not gonna work.

So when he got down the car and saw his brothers fighting over who got to drive the second car to the cabin (god when did they started to need 2 fucking cars?)

Jason was ready for Bruce to tell Roy to go and get done with it, sure Roy will be sad but Jason told him so, so it's not his fault.

"Jaylad" Bruce greets him patting his back and Jason just brushes him off, he'll have enough human contact in a matter of minutes once his siblings choose who's squeezed with who in the car.

"Mr Wayne!" Roy's voice says from behind Jason, loud enough that all his siblings stopped the argument to stare, ready for the obvious rejection that Bruce was gonna storm on the poor archer.

"Roy, thanks for delivering Jason, is there anything you need?" Bruce asks, he's trying to be cordial, they all know what's about to happen, Jason wants to have a IRL skip button

"I wanna go with you guys this Christmas" Roy says, oh sweet summer child, his confidence is about to get crushed.

"If this is because your recent relationship with Jason, I don't let any of my kids' partners come with us during our Christmas traditions" Bruce explains and Roy smirks, the fucker smirks, Jason isn't ready to be a single parent, but seeing Bruce break his no kill rule to murder Roy will be pretty funny

"I know that, Jay told me, that's why I'll offer you a deal" Roy says as he opens the back of his car and turns his back at Bruce

Bruce looks at Roy, and then at him, his eyes are asking 'is he serious' and Jason wants to die, because, yes, Roy is serious, annoyingly so.

"You let me go Christmas with you guys and I get to spend it with my jaybird" Roy says as and then turns almost dramatically, offering up Lian like the monkey in the lion king, holding her by the armpits while Lian squirms and giggles in her little batman winter onesie "and you get a granddaughter"

"No fucking way" Jason hears dick whisper in the background looking at Roy and Lian with utter shock.

"Oh fuck" is all he hears replacement mutter

"Father isn't gonna fall for that" Damian murmurs while Duke and Cass are just staring in pure disbelief.

Bruce is silent but his expression isn't immediate rejection, is actually soft and Jason actually starts to question his reality, he's not actually considering right? Sure he adopts every kid under the sun, and sure Lian has black hair that's apparently the only requirement to get adopted, but surely Bruce won't accept anything related to Oliver queen near him.

"Grampa!" Lian's adorable little voice says making grabby hands at Batman

Roy you sick son of a bitch

He had teach Lian to say that, Lian didn't even call Ollie grampa naturally since everyone called him Ollie instead.

Jason could see Bruce's expression shift from considering to surprise and immediately to a soft smile.

Jason died again, that's the only explanation, he died again, in his sleep, didn't realize and now he's hallucinating.

He can hear his siblings curse in the background, or squeak offended the moment Bruce takes Lian's from Roy's grips and holds her against her chest like a natural.

Roy you sick sexy son of a bitch

Jason is gonna build him an altar, he's gonna marry him, he's never gonna let Roy go.

"So it's a trade?" Roy asks as he stands straight and takes Jason's hands

Bruce is still holding Lian, enjoying how small she is compared to him,Jason can see him, he's gonna spoil her, hell that's no longer Roy's kid if Bruce keeps her in his arms any longer.

"..She's coming with you so, I supposed it's a fair deal" Bruce says, Jason can hear his voice waver while Lian giggles and immediately starts introducing Bruce to her Olaf plushie and Jason is sure Bruce has disconnected any functional braincells he still had because he's nodding along and greeting Lian and the plushie with the softest voice he's ever had.

He's gonna marry Roy, he's gonna bound their souls together, he's gonna give him another kid and defy biology if he needs to.

Jason turns to his siblings after the shock passes, Dick is cursing him and probably 3 languages, Tim is glaring at him like he murder someone (again) and Damian looks murderous himself.

Jason feels the most shit eating grim creep into his face and when he turns to Roy he's smiling like the Grinch himself.

Has he said already that he loves him? Because right now Jason could kneel and pull a ring to him.

"Hey B! How about I drive the first car, you and Alfred stay in the back with Lian's baby seat and Roy is in the front with me" Jason offers, he knows he's taking advantage, but fuck it, he's gonna milk this.

"Yeah, yeah great idea" Bruce says absently as he gets in the backseat while Roy gets Lian's baby seat next to him while Alfred takes their bags into said car.

He can feel his siblings glaring, he knows Dick hates driving while there's arguing in the back, he knows Duke will get front seat for being his first time, he knows Damian hates the back and being close to Tim physically since Tim always has too many things on him that invade every space near him, he knows Cass will want window and let the other 2 fight, he knows Dick and Duke will put music, he knows Damian hates Dick's music and doesn't particularly enjoy Duke's, he knows that ride will be hell on earth.

He knows that he will be free the moment he takes the keys and feels Dick glaring at him, if looks could kill he'll be dead again.

Jason drives the most peaceful car ride of his life, he can hear Bruce and Lian talk in the background while Lian explains how much she wants to build a snowman or how she sneaked secret sparkles to put on it despite Roy saying no, he can see Bruce is a sucker for Lian already and is planning on doing everything for her.

He can also hear Roy's soft music and feel his hand on his shoulder every time there's a stop while Alfred enjoys a small break in a quiet and calm ride.

Once they arrive at the cabin he hears the chaos unfolding in the second car and almost lets out the loudest laugh of his life when he sees Bruce not giving a single fuck while he takes Lian inside to build a snowman in the patio.

Lian is bouncing off the walls since the snow here is actually clean and it reaches her knees (which should worry him but right now he's too busy seeing Bruce being hunched over to hold a toddler's hand towards the patio)

"You're gonna die again" Dick says while Alfred gets their bags inside with Duke's and Cass's help (despite Alfred's denial)

"I thought you didn't kill" Jason says trying to bite down a smile.

"Did you plan this?" Dick asks glaring at Roy and then at him.

"She wanted to build a snow man and I thought this place may have clean snow for her to build it" Roy defends, truth be told Jason knew he was right, he had done this because Lian was his whole world and they both will do anything for her.

But messing with his siblings after Jason had managed to make Bruce break the rules for him, that was something he couldn't pass on.

"And because Christmas sex is the best, especially in the warm rooms of the cabin, all cozy" Jason adds while holding Roy's hand and rejoicing in the ugly glare he gets from Tim and Dick

"I've been begging at him to let me bring Wally for ages, and you get it after dating for 6 fucking months" Dick says pointing at them

"You manipulated him with a kid" Tim says, like the little stalker wasn't morally questionable

"You made me sit next to Drake. In a small space while Grayson's obnoxious music played in the background. I'm gonna kill you, again" Damian says walking past Tim and Dick holding a knife that Jason isn't sure where he got

"You can't kill us" Roy says confident and crossing his arms, Jason's boyfriend has a death wish, he wanted to match with him in Lazarus induced madness, there's no other reason why Roy, weaponless, suitless Roy will say this with so much confidence unless he had a death wish

"Let you know that father's rules mean nothing to me after being forced to listen to Grayson's and Thomas's terrible music taste" Damian says, Jason wasn't ready to be a single father, and he didn't want Lian to be Robin so he would prefer if his girl had very alive parents thank you.

"You can't kill us because Lian will get sad, and Bruce will get mad at you and bench you, maybe even give Lian the tittle of Robin just to spite you" Roy says cocky as he flicks Damian's forehead, Jason wonders if he can explain to Oliver why his son died on a snowy cabin due to a feral gremlin child or if he'll have to pass it as spontaneous combustion.

"Father wouldn't do that, I'm his blood" Damian protests and Jason is a bit thankful he's too startled by Roy's confidence to cut one of his fingers off.

"But we just gave him a grandbaby, he's never had one of those, so small and tiny and all up for affection, unlike you" Roy says and Damian actually stands back, Jason can see the gears on his brain turn while the kid opens his mouth gaping like a fish unable to come with a counter argument.

Jason is gonna marry Roy, he's gonna build him an altar on their honeymoon, make Roy his trophy husband and then defy biology to give this man another kid, he's gonna start looking for rings the moment he gets to their room.

"You broke him" Jason murmurs fascinatedly while Damian walks inside still thinking about what Roy said, Tim looks equally surprised and annoyed while Dick is holding back a laugh.

"You can't just- bribe Bruce with a toddler! You know how he gets when he sees any baby picture of us" Dick says once he recovers from watching Damian break, he rolls his eyes and just drags Roy along while they're all walking inside letting the warmth of the cabin soothe their freezing faces.

"Not only a baby, you used a girl! We all know Cass’ the favorite, you're playing dirty Jason" Tim says as he plums down on the couch crossing his arms, sulking like a pouty child.

"All is fair in love and war" Jason says kissing Roy's cheek, he'll make out with him on the spot but being out of Bruce's line of fire didn't mean he was out of Alfred's and his brothers would scream.

"Is Bruce gonna come back inside?" Duke asks out loud while he looks out the window.

Sure enough Bruce is following Lian's commands and building a perfect replica of Olaf, his scarf is covered in glitter Lian no doubt let fall on him, all while Lian is squeaking happily and trying to not get buried in the snow

"Not until we either have food or Lian is done playing" Roy says as he whistles slightly at the sight, he'll take a picture but he's sure Bruce has those covered since the man is snapping picture after picture of Lian every time she turns his back at him

"Speaking of food, I'm starving" Jason says "Alfie! Can I help you in the kitchen?"

"Wonderful idea master Jason, once your father is here we can discuss the sleeping situation" Alfred says and Jason just nods as he goes to the kitchen and checks whatever they buy to put on the fridge for the week and see what he can make

"I wanna share the room with Jason" Tim says almost announcing as he sits on the stool of the kitchen isle, wait what? Tim never wanted to share a room with anyone but Cass.

"I want Roy!" Dick announced seconds later and that's when it clicked for Jason, these fuckers didn't want him and Roy sharing a room, oh they were going down if Roy can use Lian as manipulation to get his way then so can Jason

A part of him wonders if when Lian is older she'll learn to use herself as manipulation towards them.

Probably.

"The hell you are, I'm sleeping with Roy, he's my boyfriend is logical, go get your own boyfriend" Jason says pointing the wooden spoon he had nearby to point at Dick immediately getting his hand smacked by Alfred

"No fighting with kitchen utensils" Alfred says while Jason just nods and murmurs an apology

"For your information Jason, I've been trying to get Wally to come with me, for years, Bruce always told me no, that this was family only" Dick says grumbling, Wally and Dick were gonna get married soon, they've been together ever since Jason joined the family, hell he's sure that even before that, and Bruce had never let Wally come.

"Sucks to suck, maybe Wally and you should get a baby" Roy says laughing and leaning his arm in Dick's shoulder, either ignoring or being so used to the glare Dick gave him that he didn't even flinch or falter his smirk

"In theory that seems to be what Bruce needs to accept our boyfriends..." Tim says contemplating, and Jason is scared to ask what he's thinking, knowing Tim he'll find a way to get a baby and Jason isn't sure if it'll be adoption, scientific madness or kidnapping.

"You're way too young to be a dad" Cass says as she curls next to Duke who was trying to look for a movie on the living room TV, or trying to find a movie that wasn't Christmas themed.

"Unless you find another way to get our boyfriends here I'm gonna get a baby" Tim says decided as he started to look something in his tablet, Jason wants to worry, truly be a big bro, but admittedly making food with Alfred is way more important for him and he needs to make sure the soup doesn't burn.

"Maybe it's because B doesn't like your boyfriends?" Duke suggests, poor innocent soul.

"He works with Wally! He knows he's good! He has known Wally since I was 13! I've lived longer with Wally than without him! We are getting married and even then Wally isn't allowed to be here" Dick protests as he paces around, Jason has seen Dick less mad during world ending crisis, he kinda wants to laugh at him but he appreciates not dying again.

"Arguably he should hate Roy more than Kon" Tim says trying to make this a statistic "I've seen him find more petty reasons to argue with Oliver than I've seen him find ways to annoy Luthor, and Kon having his DNA should mean nothing since he's well aware of nature and nurture" He explains and then points at Roy who was munching some animal crackers Lian left in his pocket "He is nurture of Oliver he should be less allowed to be here than Kon"

"Yet one of us is here and it ain't your boyfriend pipsqueak" Roy says his mouth half full while he laughs and chokes slightly on the crumbs.

"I'll make your death pass as suicide-" Tim warns and turns angry to the side back to his tablet

"Where's Damian?" Dick asks once his frustration with Roy being allowed to be there subsided enough to notice one of them was missing

"Trying to murder Lian" Tim jokes and Roy turns so fast he may have snapped his neck.

"Not funny" Roy says gritting his teeth while Tim snickers, Jason knows Damian wouldn't murder a child on principle, but Damian is also a kid and Roy's last words just made it seem like his dad will replace him with Lian, and this family has had the record of not liking when a new younger kids joins.

Just in case Jason puts the soup to rest and turns slightly to the window in the kitchen, searching around in the patio in case a staby looking shadow appears too close to Bruce's and Lian's proximity.

What he sees instead of a murder attempt is Damian and Lian trying to make a snow angel while Bruce takes pictures.

Now on first glance, anyone will assume Damian is just being a kid

But this is Damian, he's planning something, and the worst part is that whatever it is, it's working because Bruce has the stupidest smile on his face while Damian is putting the most innocent eyes his murderous shape can muster.

He's never more thankful to hear Alfred call them all to set the table to get the dinner started, he washes his hands quickly and makes his way to the table sitting next to Roy and holding his hand

When Bruce and Lian walked back and they had a suspiciously angelic Damian with them, Jason didn't buy it.

"Daddy! We make 2 Olafs! They're sparkly and Grandpa helped me make them bigger than me!" Lian says bouncing excited while she sits on top of some books Bruce has put on a chair so Lian could reach the table.

"That's amazing sweetie" Roy says and sounds genuinely so happy, their girl got their Christmas wish granted and was now rambling about how glittery the snow got and how cool it was to have a snowflake in her tongue.

While Alfred served them the soup Jason could feel Damian smiling like the devil while he gave Lian a candy bar, now on paper, Jason knows Damian won't harm a child with a razor blade in the middle of a candy bar.

But then he realizes something worse, sugar high

"Lian, honey how many of those have you had?" Jason asks softly while Lian eats the candy bar and then takes a spoonful of soup (or well 3 sips of whatever manages to stay in her spoon)

"Uncle Dami gave me 5 but he told me not to tell anyone" Lian says giggling, Jason was so thankful he taught their daughter to keep no secrets from them specially if someone says it to her like that.

"Don't you think you should eat the soup and give sugar a little break?" Jason suggested softly, the last thing he needed was a toddler on sugar high, or Lian throwing up

"Grampa says I can have them" Lian says while she looks at Bruce who nods in approval.

"I don't see why this will hurt her, and it's nice Damian is getting along with her, he's been such an angel towards her" Bruce says brushing Lian's hair off her face softly.

Jason was gonna kill Damian, may Talia forgive him but she raised a son of a bitch in the little demon kid.

"Dad she'll get sugar high and I really don't want her getting too much sugar before her bedtime" Jason insists softly and a part of him wonders when did he get so responsible, he feels Roy's small smile at him for that same reason but he's trying to stress enough how much of a bad idea is to give Lian sugar.

"Jaylad don't worry too much, I raised all of you I know what I'm doing let her have candy bars" Bruce says and Jason is starting to plan where he's gonna dump Damian's death body, because of course Damian will use the fact that Bruce has more authority over Jason about raising kids since all (or well most) of them are alive and Jason can't say anything to Lian without arguing with Bruce.

And he's not gonna fight on Christmas Eve, let alone in front of his daughter, he grumbles a few curses in whatever language he knows Lian doesn't understand and turns back to his soup glaring at Damian who is smiling almost demonic.

Roy turns to Jason and can read immediately that he also just lost his authority over Lian, he isn't even part of the family and he can't argue with his father in law without getting off the good graces he just miraculously fit himself in, they're both unable to do anything.

Lian is getting sugar high under the approval of being on grandpa's house and her parents not being able to do anything.

By the time the steak was on their plates, he took Lian's and cut them in shapes knowing Lian liked it better that way, all while Bruce let Lian munch on her mix of soup and candy bar (at some point he became immune to Lian's weird mixes, he still felt the gag reflex but now he could live with it)

"Father, now that Lian will be joining for Christmas, shouldn't she also form part of the gift hunt and have gifts herself?" Damian asks innocently and Jason raises a brow, in theory Lian had a few extra gifts Roy had packed for her but her biggest wish was just the snowman, she truly didn't need that much and he didn't wanna spoil her daughter.

"You're right Damian, Alfred you think we could go on some last minute shopping today? I'm sure the kids will be able to stay here and set up the tree while we get this little angel some gifts" Bruce suggests while Alfred nods

A part of Jason feels a bit sad that Bruce won't be here to help them with the tree but he supposed it was worthy for Lian since she looked excited at the mention of more gifts.

"It'll be better if Lian stays here with us while you and pennyworth look for the gifts" Damian says and that's when his plan clicks for Jason and Roy

Damian is gonna have them all care for a sugar high toddler and try to keep her from destroying anything, stressing them out while he would obviously be immune due to Lian's new favoritism towards the person giving her candy.

Oh Jason was gonna kill Damian with the Christmas lights, he's afraid he may break the plate where he was cutting Lian's steak since he started to grind on the plate, once he realizes he shifts to go back to cutting more of the steak.

"Yeah you're right Damian, I'm sure you guys can manage with the little angel" Bruce says while Jason gives Lian the steak and she starts to eat it almost immediately enjoying the shapes Jason cut it in.

"Yeah, we'll manage" Roy says once the true intentions of Damian's plan and trying to keep the dread off his tone.

They had to deal with a sugar high Lian on Halloween, and he's sure Roy and him will forever have trauma of the gremlin-like giggles Lian left while her sugary high self ran around the apartment and climbed every surface giving both Roy and Jason heart attacks to catch or stop her (seriously Roy how did she get on top of the fan?)

The rest of the dinner was passed between some conversation Duke and Tim were having with Cass, Dick was busy texting someone,most likely Wally (or Babs to complain about Roy)

Once it was over Jason helped Alfred with the plates and his heart warmed a little when Lian tried to follow him and do the same, she didn't even reach the sink she was trying to get the dish on, Jason took it from her and she smiled before running to try and get Roy's dish even if Roy wasn't done yet.

A small explanation later, Lian was running to the living towards Damian who gave her some marshmallows.

Jason then started to wonder where in god's green earth did that mother fucker god candy so quickly, he knew the kid was vengeful but this may as well be magic or some shit.

He finished the dishes and saw Alfred and Bruce getting ready to leave. Will Roy dump him if he begged to go with them and leave him here with Lian?

Probably

He saw Dick and Cass bring the plastic tree down while Tim and Duke held some boxes so they could decorate the tree.

----

Jason is regretting not begging Bruce to go with him, because now he's having a heart attack in Capital letters.

Lian has found her way into the railing of the second floor and has reached the chandelier using it like monkey bars.

Dick is too busy to get her since his stupid useless ass got himself stuck in the Christmas lights and can't seem to get out.

Duke can't help since he's still trying to protect the spheres and breakable objects (and for safety they locked him into the pantry once they realized Lian thought the spheres were balls)

Cass may help and she's trying too, she's sitting and trying to reach her from the railing but Lian doesn't stop dangling in the chandelier making it spin and Roy is almost crying while he and Jason run like headless chickens under said chandelier in case Lian falls.

Tim is trying to get Dick out of the lights and screaming in panic everytime the chandelier tingles spiking his fucking nerves and everyone's in the room.

And Damian? The little mother fucker is dusting off the toy train the always left lying in the feet of the tree, he's calmly humming with headphones on, and Jason knows he can still hear them, the moment Dick gets out he's using the lights to strangle Damian.

That of course if Lian gets down and stops making him wanna rip his hair off and give Lex Luthor envy since he'll look way better even when bald unlike him.

"Lian, baby, come on, come down" Roy begs while Lian giggles sending shivers down their spines while Lian starts to swing on the chandelier even more.

"This is so fun!" Lian squeaks in happiness while Cass is trying to get to her, wrapping her legs in the railing and extending her body and arms in hopes to catch Lian in one of her swings.

Eventually Cass managed to grab Lian and Tim immediately helped her, abandoning Dick in the tangle and holding Lian in his arms letting Cass get off the railing.

Jason almost collapses in relief and Roy actually leaned on the fireplace since his legs almost gave up on him, he's gonna build Cass an altar

Roy immediately has Lian in his arms (the complicated part was gonna be keeping her there)

Not even 5 minutes later Lian is trying to use the flattened cardboard box where the lights used to be as a sled on the staircase.

Jason isn't sure if he had time to sit, breathe properly or calm his heartbeat until Lian collapsed in the couch out of her sugar high and fast asleep, just then everyone was allowed to breathe and start properly decorating the Christmas tree.

For a moment it felt familiar having Dick and Tim arguing on where the lights should be so they looked better on the front side, Damian explaining to Duke how he should put the garlands on the tree while Jason and Cass put on the spheres.

What made it better for Jason this time was Roy softly kissing his hair or hugging him every few minutes while he helped him with most spheres

Almost like they were in their own little bubble of Christmas kisses, that until one his siblings got between them to put something on the tree, that Jason was pretty sure was on purpose just to separate them.

When Bruce arrives he gets 7 people making signs for him to keep his mouth shut and keep the noise down frantically pointing at the asleep Lian.

Thankfully Bruce catches on the signs and softly snaps some pictures of Lian's sleeping form, Alfred got in later, Jason knows he's hiding the gifts, wherever he has them hidden because in all his years in this house he hasn't figured it out, none of them had, so much for the world's greatest detectives.

Lian woke up a bit after Damian has put the star on the top do the tree and Dick has already started to get the TV ready for them to watch terrible Christmas related movies, Lian stayed with Dick and added her own little suggestions, Frozen of course, included

"Before we all change into our most comfortable clothes, I may remind you that we still haven't discussed the sleeping situation" Alfred says, whoever says he was a saint was wrong, Jason knew this man was evil just for that

Jason immediately takes Lian from the couch and whispers some evil plan to her, he promises to give her cookies and tomorrow she can go to sleep as late as she wants as long as she says those words for him.

Poor parenting? Who cares, he's not letting Roy share a room with Dick and he's not staying anywhere close to Tim during the night.

"Great point Alfred thank you, Duke, is your first, anyone you wanna share a room with first?" Bruce asks and Jason internally begs Duke isn't a bitch like his other siblings, he'll buy the kid whatever he wants If he decides to not be a bitch

"Uh- Anyone is fine really I don't have anyone in mind or anyone I don't like" Duke says and shrugs, course the kid doesn't, he never had to share a room with Dick "rib kicks" Grayson, Timothy "buried elbows" Drake, or Damian "knife under pillow" Wayne, honestly that's why Cass was the favorite she just curled to your side and you sleep peacefully.

"I can share with Duke" Cass offers knowing that Duke's first Christmas night in the cabin didn't need the insanity of the other 3 Wayne boys (and no Jason doesn't move a lot on his sleep that's a fabrication and a slander, shut up Roy)

"Alright then, anyone else?" Bruce asks and he sees Tim and Dick on the corner of his eyes debate who should ask for him and Roy respectively to keep them separate them.

The devil (his brothers) is fast, but he is faster.

He whispers to Lian that she should say what he told him now

"I wanna sleep between my daddy and Jay" Lian's little voice says looking up at Bruce with big innocent eyes.

Making Lian lie and manipulate will no doubt bite his ass when she reaches her teens, but for now she's the most amazing ticket he has to get his way with Bruce

"Of course angel, you can share the room with them, you can even pick the room you want with Duke" Lian please choose the one with the big bed, is all Jason begs internally the moment Bruce says those words, he sees Roy smile like the Grinch and he smiles himself almost tempted to flip off Tim and Dick.

After a lot of arguing, Tim and Damian end up sharing the room (bless them) and Dick gets to share with Alfred on the room with twin beds, Bruce or course always gets the master bedroom, Duke comes back having chosen the room with the balcony, and Lian having chosen the one with the big bed and Jason has never loved her more than at that moment.

"Very well now that is settled I suggest you take your bags to your selected rooms and get into your sleeping clothes so we can begin the movies" Alfred says shushing them out, Roy picks up Lian and Jason takes their bags behind them.

----
Once they got back the smell of hot chocolate immediately greeted them, Jason had some sweatpants and one of Roy's shirts, Roy had the same outfit, Lian being the only one wearing a cute outfit since she insisted on wearing her frozen pajamas and came downstairs proudly displaying them around for everyone to see.

If he didn't know he'll get stabbed he'll coo at how cute Lian looked with Damian who was wearing Lion themed pajamas "because it's a sign of royalty" or whatever the kid excused himself with, he looked like a grumpy kitten

Bruce urged them to move and get them all to take a Christmas picture near the tree, when Jason was little he used to complain Bruce forced him to do this, hating having to pose with dick and Bruce and feeling it was dumb to take it every year.

Now that he had Lian he understood perfectly why Bruce always took so many pictures of them every holiday and why he insisted on doing it so much, he himself felt like crying checking pictures of Lian from the past year.

This time the picture arrangements were simple, Tim and Damian standing next to Bruce, Cass in the middle and Jason and Dick kneeling down, Alfred touching Bruce's shoulders standing behind Tim, Duke finding his place next to Bruce and behind Damian.

To Jason's surprise, Bruce "forced" Roy to join, Roy knelt down next to Jason almost a bit too much to the side while Lian sat between them smiling wide

After that everyone finds their places in between the pillow nest they had in the living room floor and the couch, Jason took a quick sneak at Bruce's phone (and no Roy be didn't tear up when he saw how they looked with Lian between them their little family next to Jason's big family, shut up Roy)

"You're gonna post them?" Jason asks while Frozen started to play while Lian squeaked happily before any of his siblings could protest at the Disney movie

"Should I censor Lian's face?" Bruce asks and Jason actually pauses, he didn't use much social media (no Tim he didn't die before figuring it out, you're just chronically online, die)

Roy barely used his, just to answer whatever the Titans, Oliver, or others sent him, he knew Oliver used his social media like any Rich dude would, and that he occasionally posted pics of his family but Jason didn't care about Oliver enough to check or remember if he censored Lian's face.

"You can post it Mr Wayne, Ollie has already posted Lian everywhere himself, don't worry" Roy says inserting himself in the conversation

"Thanks Roy, and call me Bruce" B says and Jason feels his jaw drop, he should have bring Lian earlier when he introduced Roy to Bruce, he's never seen Bruce accepting one of their partners so quickly

It took him 9 months (and Barry) to accept Wally, and it had taken him longer to accept Kon if he did at all (Jon being the exception for being Clark's kid and because Jon was friends with Damian not his partner)

Roy smiled and celebrated silently next to him, and Jason just leaned on his side, letting Roy hug him around his shoulders while they held hands, the movie passing to background noise since Lian had seen it countless times and Jason could recite the movie by memory already.

Using Lian as a trade was totally worthy (he's ignoring the glare Dick gave him and he pretends to not feel Tim's feet kicking his leg)

-------------

Jason isn't sure at what hour the first round of Christmas movies ends. He knows it's late because Lian is asleep on Bruce's chest like it's her personal pillow, Damian is also asleep laying on Dick's side letting the older man cuddle him, Tim and Duke were slumped against each other both of them hugging Cass who looked content, Alfred being one of the last man standing along with Jason (since Roy had been asleep for an hour slumped on top of him) and Bruce who was softly cradling Lian in his arms and shaking Dick and Cass awake softly.

Dick carried Damian to his room while Cass helped Tim and Duke up to their rooms while they were sleepy and groggy

"Should I-" Bruce says, trying to pry Lian off him to give her to Jason, to no use in Jason's experience since Lian tended to grip herself like a koala with clinginess when she fell asleep on someone.

"Nah, she ain't getting off you all night" Jason says, giving a small nose laugh while he shook Roy awake softly, he saw Bruce smile softly and hum while he took Lian to the master bedroom.

Well it was official, his and Roy's daughter was now also Bruce's and there's nothing Jason could do about it.

"Wha..." Roy says rubbing his eyes to wake up properly

"Movie night is over" Jason murmurs to him giving him a small kiss now that Alfred had left and they were alone in the living

"Where's Lian...?" Roy asks softly after the kiss, standing up with Jason's help

"Bruce has kidnapped our daughter" Jason saying making Roy chuckle as they walked to the room

Once inside Roy immediately pushed Jason into the bed and got himself on top of him pinning him down

"Hey you" Roy says smirking down at him, despite the dark Jason could tell he was blushing

"Hey" Jason says smiling not caring to hide his brush either "We have the bed all to ourselves"

"We do" Roy agreed leaving soft kisses on Jason's cheeks "let's test that theory you said about cozy Christmas sex now that Bruce kidnapped our daughter" Roy whispers in his ear making Jason give a small nose laugh while pulling Roy closer for a deeper kiss

--------

Chapter Text

Gotham rarely if ever had clean snow, it always had some greyness to it compared to the snow that fell over other cities, or even in movies (specially Christmas specials) it was like just like the city itself, even when it was snowing the snow looked a bit dark on the sky, or so Bruce thinks.

He's never seen true white snow, normally winter galas don't include letting kids go out to play, meaning he never saw snow in other cities.

The closest Bruce has was the Grey ghost Christmas specials, but the snow there was way too white even for him, realistically he knows it's fake it's a fictional story and even if the show never treats their audience as idiots it still needed to keep the Christmas magic of a white snow and magical lights.

Bruce still thinks is exciting he'll get to see a different snow today, the announcement was a surprise to him, his mother saying he should pack some stuff for a week and his dad saying they'll be leaving Gotham to a snow cabin on the outskirts of the city, that the snow there was cleaner and the air was fresh.

He had packed already, with the help of Alfred of course, and was now just waiting sitting in his window bay drawing figures on the window with his breath.

"Bruce, are you ready to leave?" His mom's voice calls and he immediately jumps from the bay and rushes opening the door and nodding at her while he manages to drag one of his bags.

"I'm ready" Bruce says looking up and letting his mom fix his hair, even if it wasn't messy he liked his mom's hands, they were warm and soft and she smelled sweet like vanilla.

His mother guided him downstairs making sure he didn't trip with the heavy bag before Alfred aided them and picked it up, his father was already waiting at the door, and Bruce immediately rushed towards him, hugging him even if he was shorter and could barely wrap around him well.

"You're excited?" His father asks and lifts him up while Bruce nods and squeaks when his father starts to spin him up in the air.

"Yeah!" Bruce answers between laughs and that's when his father puts him down, a few minutes later they all get in the car, Alfred in the driver seat while he is in the back with his mom on one side and his dad on the other.

He enjoys the ride, occasionally one of his parents will let him look out their windows and point at him something interesting, like the Christmas lights on some houses or some animals the further they are from the city.

Once they arrived Bruce was bouncing on his seat slightly, he heard his mom say something about manners but the cabin was too pretty for him to pay attention.

It wasn't anything like the manor, 2 simple floors and all covered in wood on the outside, a big porch in the front with a swing porch bench, the drive through to the garage being the only part that looked more modern while the rest of the house looked out of a winter wonderland movie.

The first thing Bruce did was run to the swing porch and immediately sit on it going back and forth in a shooting rhythm while he watched his parents and Alfred decide the arrangements for the nights they'll be staying

Alfred taking a guest room, Bruce having one of the rooms with a balcony while his parents got the master bedroom.

The door opened and Bruce went to explore immediately, the house wasn't the manor he wouldn't get lost like he did when he was little (or well more little he was almost 8 now but he was a big boy now, not the 6 year old that got lost in the halls and cried until his parents or Alfie found him)

Bruce explored the second floor first and quickly figured out where everything was. The attic was accessed by a set of stairs at the closed end of the hall, the rest of the hall was a foyer letting him see the chandelier but also helping it not feel so closed off, rooms with different purposes to each side of the hall, the opposite end to the stairs had a bathroom.

3 bedrooms on one side with a shared big bathroom, 2 bedrooms on the other side with just 1 bathroom in the middle, Bruce opened the door for the master bedroom where his parents will be and quickly figured they had their own smaller bathroom that was hidden from the rest of the house.

The next place Bruce decided to explore was the attic, it didn't have much stuff, it was big and the woods cracked every so slightly under his feet.

It was mostly empty, just one big box in the middle and several smaller boxes to the sides. He walked over and touched some green stuff that was peaking out of the bigger box. Upon touch it was spiky, it didn't hurt, it felt plastic.

"Ah I've seen you've found the tree master Bruce" A voice says from the door making Bruce jump and hide behind the box, he hates when people snuck up on him.

"My apologies master Bruce I didn't mean to startle you" Alfred apologizes while Bruce comes out from behind the box

"It's okay Alfred...this is a tree?" Bruce says once he calmed his heart down and looked at the big box he was hiding behind.

"Indeed Master Bruce, a plastic Christmas tree your father purchased with the intention of decorating with you and your mother today" Alfred explains making Bruce light up, he has decorated the tree at the manor a couple times, but the spheres were old and fragile and he was always scared to break them, or the tree, so he try to not help as much in case anything went wrong, so the idea of a new tree with new spheres he could manipulate without the fear of them being a family relic was exciting.

He helped Alfred with a few boxes while he carried down the tree towards the living room in the cabin. He wanted to help with more boxes but Alfred said he should explore the first floor while his parents were upstairs un-packing their bags.

So he agreed and decided to explore around the kitchen, it wasn't big like the manor, the island was tall (for his height) and smooth at touch, he assumed the lack of space didn't make it any less functional since the bare essentials were there, he looked around the dining room next, truly not much to see in a house where people weren't in most of the year, even the books on the shelf were genetic or stuff that they already had at the mano, Bruce peaked over a window and catch a glance of the backyard, there really wasn't much there either just some trees and tall snow.

He decided right there that this house was gonna kill him from boredom, he walked back to the living room and glanced around spotting the TV, he sat on the couch and began looking for the remote somewhere on the coffee table.

"Thank you Alfred for bringing the tree down" He heard his father said after a while snapping him out of his remote search

"Not a problem Master Thomas" was all the response Alfred gave, Bruce looked over to see the tree now out of the box, and it was...naked for lack of better words.

"Bruce is rude to stare" His mother's voice says softly making him blink and looks down embarrassed

"Sorry mom"

"He's just excited to start the decoration" His father says as he coaxes Bruce to come closer and help him with the boxes.

Bruce immediately got to it, choosing the colors he thought looked the best on the tree, his mom agreed with his taste and helped with the lights, his father just followed along to both Bruce and his mom's decorative desires.

By the end and with his father lifting him up in the air, Bruce put the star on the tree finishing it up;
He then remembered something he had on his bag, Alfred told him not to bring him but he did anyway, and it'll make this house more interesting, without further word after the tree was done Bruce rushed upstairs towards his back and got a toy train out, it was something his dad got him, Bruce already had another one of these but he didn't told him that.

He went down and started to place the train on the feet of the tree, making a small circle around the base with the rails. His mom seemed to find it adorable and his father made some joke about it being Santa’s train.

Bruce stepped back and looked at it, yeah not the tree was fully done.

After that, it was time for dinner, a good steak and some soup that Alfred made for them, his father commented that they should have dinner earlier and Alfred wholeheartedly agreed, Bruce was busy trying to figure out if he could make words with the letters on his soup but he vaguely heard something about “next year we'll have dinner then we'll do the tree”

After dinner Bruce was helped into his pajamas by Alfred, when he walked downstairs he was immediately picked up by his dad who threw him up so high Bruce was sure he'll touch the chandelier.

Once his dad stopped throwing him in the air he wasn't put down immediately since his mother now picked him up and told him to smile at the camera Alfred was now holding.

He did as told, smiling widely at his and his mom's work on the tree and the fact that his dad looked proud of him for it, especially since the lighted up tree looked beautiful.

He was then settled on the couch with his dad on one side and his mom on the other.

His father had bought some movies for them to watch, along with a copy of The Grey ghost Christmas special that they put on first for Bruce.

Despite the cold outside Bruce slept comfortably,warm and cozy in the arms of his parents for that Christmas, softly hearing the rumble of his dad's voice saying this will be their new Christmas traditions along with her mom's approval hum while she brushed his hair.

Soft promises about going back next year were the last thing Bruce heard before dozing off in their arms.

He was looking forward to this to repeat next year.

-------------

The Wayne's didn't go back to the cabin next year, the remaining Wayne at least.

Bruce didn't even remember the cabin existed the next year, the loss of his parents was way too heavy on his mind to even think about the cabin in the first place.

All he could think about Christmas was how lifeless the manor felt that year and how useless it was to celebrate anything without them here.

Alfred didn't fight him in his lack of holiday excitement, making him just a Christmas dinner and letting him sulk in his room, it was probably hard for him too.

Bruce didn't think about the cabin for the years to come, at least not unprompted.

The most he thought about it was when he was in boarding school, around the last week they had before winter break.

He was hearing Lex and Ollie complain about some family tradition they didn't wanna go too.

“I don't wanna get kissed by my aunts dude that's so disgusting they leave all their drool on me” were Ollie's words, truth be told Bruce had dissociated himself half the conversation and when he came back that's all he heard

“That is disgusting, I don't get why they just won't take a shake of my hand, truly, what's the difference” Lex said nodding to Ollie's words,he saw them turn to him, both of them turning to the side where he was, like they always did when they complained about something (like class or teacher) and wanted him to join in.

He pretended he didn't see the instant regret on Oliver's face and his embarrassed expression looking down at the floor while Lex turned his neck so fast to the opposite direction he may have broken it.

He took a deep silent breath when the other 2 realized who they were complaining about parents with, he knew they weren't being intentionally cruel, they just tend to forget about it and Bruce wished it was that easy to forget for him as well, didn't mean he didn't let his face do a sour expression.

He kinda wanted to slap them sometimes and be bitter about at least them still having parents around,but that will be mean, and it'll also mean his friends not talking to him and the last thing he wanted was to be (more) alone this Christmas, the darkness consuming him was already enough without a fight with 2 of his only friends.

After discarding that Bruce remembered the cabin for the first time in 7 years, he wondered that if his parents were alive he'd be complaining about going to the cabin the same way Oliver complained about the Christmas gathering with distant relatives or Lex about the winter galas his dad made.

He discarded the thought because he didn't wish to cry in the hallway with other people around, he got enough glances as it is, he saw Oliver change the topic to whatever the teacher left for homework, he let them talk a bit more before joining in.

------

After that and with his quest for vengeance, his trips around the world and his training, the appearance of Batman the dark knight and protector of Gotham, it was fair to say the cabin wasn't something he remembered or had in mind at all.

Until he saw the framed picture of that first day he had spent there with his parents all those years ago, said picture being held by small hands that belonged to the new ray of sunshine in his life.

"Where's this? Is that you? Who are you here with?" Dick's voice asked while holding the picture for him to see, the kid was still so small and needed to lift his arms to show him anything, or maybe he was just tall.

"That's with my mom and dad, in a cabin on the outskirts of the city" Bruce explained while he took off his cowl as he sat on the chair in front of the bat-computer, he wondered when he started calling it that mentally and not just because Dick corrected him for it.

"Can we go?" Dick asks with his wide blue eyes looking at him with hope, whether he took his domino mask to make puppy eyes or just because it was their routine was unknown to him at the moment.

The part of him that was focused on their mission, who wanted to protect Gotham and put fear in the hearts of criminals, wanted to say no, that they didn't have time and he couldn't leave the city unprotected.

But the other part of him, the one that saw a broken kid cry next to his parents in that circus and had decided to take him in allowing the boy to light up his life like nothing had in years, the part that loved the kid and wanted nothing more than to make him happy in a way no one was able to do for him after his parents died.

Makes him nod just to see the boy's face light up as he jumps up and down happily, on top of a lot of training equipment he has put around for the kid, he watches as Dick runs to tell Alfred and insist on Bruce to follow him.

Bruce doesn't register well what he's really doing until he finds himself in the backseat with Dick on their way to the cabin the next day.

Dick was holding a backpack close to his chest and talking about some surprise he had for him, it made Bruce happy seeing the kid so excited about the holidays after a year or the loss of his parents, he felt warm to know he was doing a good job on not letting the kid turn out like him, if the kid was so happy about a holiday when Bruce couldn't even remember the last time he ever was (at least not before Dick came into his life, ever since he find joy in them just to make the kid smile a little)

"This place is amazing! It looks like Santa's workshop" Dick squeaks out pressing his face in the window, a part of him remind him he should tell Dick about manners and to not press his face on windows (another part of him wanted to laugh and tell Dick that's not how Santa's workshop looked and that it was way way different since he knew the man but Dick will probably never forgive him for knowing Santa and not telling him, Clark certainly almost did)

Dick immediately got off the car even when Alfred hadn't stopped the vehicle and yes Bruce did felt his heart do a leap in the pure anxiety and worry he felt when he saw the kid do that, he got after him with the intention of scolding him for it but stopped when he saw Dick in the porch swing smiling at him.

It felt like a punch in the gut when that and other memories started to come to him, thankfully he was an expert on not letting it show and pretend to listen to people he wasn't actually listening to, he heard Alfred say something about Dick taking a room with a balcony and Bruce having the master bedroom.

He remembers nodding along and just holding some bags for Alfred walking in, letting Dick run inside and immediately go explore and cling himself to the nearest chandelier since the open ceilings and the railing on the sides gave him the perfect start and Bruce will have to coarse him to come down and feel his heart do flips each and everytime

When the cabin's air of "saved and
trapped in time" hit his face, Bruce snapped out of his thoughts and processed the situation.

He was celebrating Christmas with Dick now, he was celebrating for the first time in years in the same place where he had spent his last ever Christmas with his parents.

The cabin looked almost the same, the fact that he was taller did make it seem different, he was no longer the kid running around (that kid was his son now) he was the parent trying to make Christmas magical.

How does one make Christmas magical?

That should be an easy question, but he's Batman, the Christmas spirit and the magic of things didn't exactly go along with the dark vigilante made to streak fear in the hearts of criminals.

He was also not what anyone will think when they hear the word father but if the little steps echoing the place proved something was that he could break the expectations.

So Bruce deduced making Christmas magical was like parenting, making his best guess every step, he walked upstairs and toward the attic, as empty as it was when he was a kid, now whoever the box with the tree wasn't nearly big enough to cover him or help him hide (and people couldn't snuck in him anymore he make sure of that)

He took the box of the tree in one arm and held the sphere and decorations boxes with the other and walked back to the living.

"Master Bruce, next time you should have let me help you with those things" he heard Alfred scold him in the kitchen but he just chuckled a bit and started to get the tree out of the box.

"What's that B?" He heard dick's voice from above him, he tried to ignore the pit of anxiety he felt when he saw the kid dangling in the chandelier like it was a monkey bar in the park.

"Is a plastic Christmas tree" Bruce explained putting it down along with the spheres, he then extended his arms letting Dick fall on them with a small huff at the sudden weight but holding him safe and sound (and closer to the ground)

"Aren't trees supposed to be the real deal? Like pines and stuff" Dick asks looking at the tree box and poking at it with curiosity.

"In theory yeah but I don't want Ivy putting my head as the star on a pine if I get a real one" Bruce says, the reality is that he never knew why his dad used a fake tree , maybe so it could last longer and keep being bright and green for the years to come.

"You'll make a terrible star" Dick agreed his hand on his chin while he put a fake serious expression like he was saying an executive decision

"I will, now, you wanna help me decorate?" The light in dick's eyes and the smile he got after he asked that, was worth all the heart attacks the boy put him through.

“If I must interrupt masters I think we shall have dinner first” Alfred said and it made both Dick and Bruce stop, right, Bruce remembered last time he was left starving after being done with the tree, so it was probably wiser to eat first.

Dick agreed with him since he was also very much hungry, that year they had some ham with salad that was honestly pretty good like everything Alfred did.

After dinner Dick basically dragged him (or tried to) towards the tree so they could start decorating.

He spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out the tangled mess his father had left the Christmas lights in all those years ago while dick had fun decorating a big tree while he told how his parents and he used to have small trees that were glued to the table since the circus didn't allow them to just have a giant tree in their trailer, when they finished decorating Dick was looking so proud of his work that Bruce wanted a picture.

He took his camera and set it on a chair with a timer, he made Alfred also appear into the picture even if the butler insisted on not being close to them in frame

After sending (forcing) dick to take a shower and change into comfier clothes he started the TV, that's where dick's little backpack came into the picture

He started to pull out DVS with Christmas movies he remembering watching with his parents, as well as the old movies Bruce had watched with his (thanks to Alfred's suggestions)

So they started with dick's movies, some Disney retellings of a Christmas carol and some other movies like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ that Bruce had never seen before, he had Dick cuddled against his side dozing off by the time the old Grey ghost Christmas special starred to roll up

He let Dick sleep close to him the whole night and if when the movies were over he carried the boy to his bed in the master bedroom then nobody but Alfred was there to witness it.

They did come back next year, and did it all over again, making Bruce feel some sort of closure at doing what his father wanted, for this to be a family tradition.
-----

Admittedly he hadn't been ready for Dick to grow old, don't get him wrong he was aware that was something that happened to kids, he just didn't want it to be this soon (what do you mean 4 years Alfred , Dick was 10 yesterday there's no way he's 13 he's still a baby)

Dick was now 13, a teen and changing, growing into his own person and exploring different aspects of himself and different approaches to relationships and people.

Which brought Bruce to his current dilemma

"Please, please , please, please B" Dick begged, tugging his sleeve like he was little even if he had hit a bit of a growth spurt a few months back, the thing he was begging for? Bringing the Titans with him for Christmas.

"Chum I'm not sure this is a food idea" and because I want it to just be our family, goes unsaid and apparently he hides it a little too well because Dick keeps begging.

"Come on B! Roy doesn't want to be with Ollie, Wally says his family will be okay with it, and Garth and Donna both have permission from their mentors!" Dick begs, he's a bit proud he could lead his team and convince them of things like this with no issue, but that's not making him accept it.

"Diana and Arthur didn't give permission you just made Donna and Garth give them half truth's" Bruce explains and he can feel Dick holding a groan knowing that he was right in his assumption"And Oliver always makes a family gathering so Roy won't be able to come even if he wanted too, and I'm sure Barry will want his nephew close to him during the holidays"

Bruce was thankful his excuses were logical and not completely bullshit but he could feel the disappointed aura radiating off Dick at not being able to bring all his friends with him.

"I just want us to spend more time together since we are now a team" Dick laments dramatically while Bruce sights.

"I know Chum, but they have their own families and you have ours, we all have somewhere to be" Bruce says rubbing Dick's shoulders while the teen sighted

"You could always attend the justice league winter party that Green Arrow keeps inviting you Master Bruce, tell them to bring their sidekicks and they can spend a night together, even if not the Christmas one" Alfred chimes in and Bruce can feel the evil smirk forming in the eldest man's face.

He had avoided attending those parties since the moment Oliver joined the league, even if Ollie was a boarding school and long time friend of his, Batman wasn't one for parties.

"That's the best idea ever Alfred!" Dick says bolting up "I'll tell the others to insist on going and then we can have our secret Santa at the watchtower!" He says leaving the room and no room for Bruce to object, so that's why Dick had been so insistent, he made a secret Santa with the Teen Titans.

"Alfred" Bruce says with a heavy sight covering his face with his hands.

"Oh don't be like that master Bruce, master Oliver has been pathetically begging for you to come to one of these parties for the past few years it was about time you showed up" Alfred says and Bruce couldn't help but feel like a scolded child.

"Besides this will satisfy Master Dick's desire to spend Christmas with his friends without the cabin being subjected to Master Dick's friends"

Bruce hated that he was right.

He hated even more that Arthur and Diana had found the idea of a secret Santa intriguing since Donna and Garth were both going on and on about buying their perfect gift for their respective Santa and giving said gift at their party.

Bruce liked even less how Hal, Clark, Barry and Oliver all thought it would be a great idea for them to do the same, leaving him out voted on why this may be a bad idea.

He hated not being able to pull out from it since Dick will be giving a gift to Wally and he knew it'll look mean even for him to not give a gift as well, especially since Dick had gotten Wally something so nice.

So now Bruce has stuck 2 days after the party and 4 days before their trip to the cabin, trying to figure out what the hell should he buy for J'onn since the martian had just said "whatever is fine" and Bruce didn't know exactly what J’onn's whatever extended too.

So now Bruce was contemplating if buying him a box of chocos will be seen as dumb or will be like buying the martian a fine wine (and trying to pretend he didn't know Barry got him as his secret Santa because the man had done the most obvious face in the world and he was mentally preparing for getting something stupid since Barry will panic at not knowing what to gift him)

By the time the party was about to start Bruce was holding two gift boxes, one for J'onn and one for Wally from Dick.

The party wasn't as eventful and Bruce is sure its mainly for the alcohol ban Superman had put in since the kids will be going and they couldn't be a bad example, not like Bruce minded he didn't like being drunk.

So now Bruce was holding the book Barry got him (it wasn't a bad book and Bruce actually thought it was a good gift for him)

He glanced at the side where the kids had gathered in their mini party and certainly had more fun than him.

Dick was trying the roller skates Roy got him while Wally was obsessively playing in the console Dick had got for him, Garth enjoyed the marbles Wally got him and Donna was delighted by the waterproof make up Garth gave her, her face was a mess with it since Bruce knew Diana didn't use make up and she obviously wouldn't have been able to teach or show Donna how, all this while Roy had new a new arch Donna had gotten him from themyscira that he was now using to land some arrows on a paper on the wall he put as a target.

He felt himself relax once the party was over and Dick stopped insisting about the Titans coming with them.

Hopefully he could keep the deal of the winter party and appeasing the beast that was Dick wanting his friends over for Christmas

----

The problems came back for him 2 years later, Dick was now 17, he had been with the Teen Titans for over a year and was now in the dating age, he had been for years but Dick was always someone with the idea of being committed to whoever he deemed as the right person.

That person for a year at least, had been Koriand'r, also known as Starfire, one of his teammates.

Bruce didn't mind it, he has met the girl a couple times, Dick was happy with her, she was sweet and considering Bruce's taste in women he couldn't complain about Dick's.

That still didn't mean Bruce wanted her to come over, his and Dick's relationship had grown with the years with Dick's desire of independence pulling him away and in different directions, and while Bruce was proud of the man Dick was becoming, he missed when it was just them or when he could fit Dick under his cape without the boy needing to crouch, when Dick was a clingy kid towards him and their disagreements weren't as intense.

So yeah, sue him for wanting his kid to be with him on the only tradition he still wanted to do with just his dad (since stuff like Halloween or other parties Dick had decided we're funnier with his friends, he wasn't wrong and Bruce knew it so he just left him)

So, that leads to their current situation

"Please B, it'll be just Kori, you can bring someone too! Even Alfred can" Dick begs while Bruce tried to hold a sight

"No Dick, this is family only, I know you love her but this is just an us thing, you can spend every other holiday with her I promise" will Bruce be too desperate and cruel to say he'll pay them a vacation If It means she didn't come with them? Yeah probably

"B, come on, it's just Kori, you've met her she's safe" Dick keeps begging and Bruce starts to think maybe his parents were lucky they died before Bruce started dating since in comparison to Dick, Bruce will have less reasons to justify Selina or Talia.

"I said no Dick, that's final" he needs a better excuse because he learned quickly into Dick's teens that "because I said so" worked as well as holding up a wall with duck tape "Maybe when you guys have more time together- let's say 3 years and then she can start coming over" maybe then Bruce won't feel the empty nest syndrome and will be able to accept Kori

Dick seemed to consider it for a bit before looking determined, he knew Dick was young and was convinced he'll marry Kori, if it worked Bruce will be so happy to be at the wedding and If it didn't Bruce wouldn't have to deal with Dick's future partners until 3 years into the relationship, win win he supposed.

"Alright fine, but I'm video calling her and you can't stop me" Dick says and Bruce just nods, okay, yeah maybe the problem wasn't as big as he thought, he could manage, he could.

--------

The problem did disappear the year Kori and Dick were supposed to be turning their 3 years, as far as he understood it had been a peaceful breakup, didn't stop Dick from tearing up a bit and staying for the weekend.

But one problem less didn't mean all his problems were over.

The newest problem he had now had a name, Jason Peter Todd-Wayne

The 13 year old who was now awkwardly sitting in the car waiting for them to go while Bruce waited for dick to be back from blüdheaven.

He was proud of Dick being his own vigilante, his own person and now with a new name, doing things his way, but it also meant he was around less often.

"I'm here! I'm here, sorry B traffic was crazy" Dick's voice says as he got off his car and pulled his bag into the back of the car "Sup little wing"

"Hey" Jason says a bit awkward while Dick sat beside him, Dick got into the car next to him

He knew the boys didn't get off with a great start, but when Dick was around there was an attempt to mend it, the keyword being when he was around since the distance between them wasn't just in age but in location.

Bruce got into the front seat to give the boys more space to talk while Alfred drove them over.

Jason had less of the childhood wonder Dick did when he looked around, almost as if he was scared he may break anything, they got in and Bruce helped Alfred bring down the tree, in the hall he saw Dick and Jason play paper scissors in who will be taking the room with the biggest bed and who will take the balcony.

Dinner didn't have anything memorable outside of Alfred's food and Jason gave them some pasta as entry, a pasta he presumably made himself with Alfred's approval.

Once dinner was over, Dick immediately took it in himself to explain to Jason how to decorate the tree (Bruce felt his heart twist when Jason said he had never really decorated one before)

After finishing fighting with the string lights Bruce finally joined the 2 boys and finished decorating the tree, helping Jason up to put the star while Dick wrapped the toy train on the base, the way Jason's face lit up at the sight of the tree was forever caught in Bruce's mind.

He took a picture like he did every year since he and Dick had first come over 9 years ago, putting Jason in the middle between him and Dick while Alfred this time was forced closer to them by both Dick and Jason who didn't want the butter to stand by the side.

After sending the boys to clean themselves up, he got into pajamas and went downstairs where Dick was waiting with the movies in order selected and Jason was fidgeting with one he had brought.

He explained it was a movie his mom had bought for him and even if it wasn't good (and it was probably bootleg) jason was really hopeful they could see it all together since they were now his family, Dick was happy to agree and Bruce decided Jason's movie will go first since they have watched dick's Christmas movies for ages already.

The movie was indeed bootleg and the quality was bad, but Jason seemed to find comfort and Dick seemed to find it amazingly entertaining with how bad it was, Bruce decided that the movie didn't matter as long as he got to have more moments of Jason curled in his side while Dick lay against the other extending his legs over the rest of the couch.

He will watch a hundred bad movies as long as it means having his son's happiness.

------

A year later Bruce thought his problems were finally over.

Jason was now 14 and way more open with him, less awkward around Dick to the point both boys now acted like siblings like they were raised together since birth, Dick still wasn't around much, but he tried whenever he was able or could make time.

And that's when a new problem arose.

Wallace Rudolph West, also known as Wally.

Dick's best friend since he was 13, and to Bruce's surprise, now his boyfriend.

He hadn't expected Dick to be bisexual, not that he minded, he was supportive since the moment Dick had decided to tell him.

And he didn't mind Wally was the boy Dick has chosen to fall head over heels for, if anything he was glad it was someone who knew Dick that well, and he knew Wally will always take care of Dick and love for him like he had done even when they were just friends.

But as it goes, that didn't mean he wanted him around for Christmas, he couldn't use the excuse of "give it more time" he was sure Wally and Dick were a couple even before they officially got together, so he needed to find a new excuse since he was sure "just spend with him the time at the winter party Oliver throws" wasn't gonna work on 2 adults.

He was curious on how immoral it would be to pay Barry a week-long vacation just so he could take Wally away with him for the holidays and he could get rid of the redhead.

"You can just, y'know, let Wally go with you" Oliver told him as he sipped some champagne from his glass, most of the Titans were now in their own party and Jason had fallen asleep on 2 chairs 3 hours ago since he insisted on coming to the party, and that was good enough on Clark's books to let all of them drink if they wanted too.

"I just want to spend time with my kids, I'm not ready for Barry's kid to join us" Bruce says taking a deep sight hoping Oliver may have some miracle advice, that's how shitty things were for him, he was asking advice, from Oliver fucking Queen.

"Okay yeah, but come on, It's Wally, what difference will he make?" Oliver says while Bruce sights and rubs the back of his neck.

"I don't want them having sex in the cabin" Bruce says while Oliver chokes on his drink slightly before bursting out laughing

"Alright- yeah no that's - a fair point actually, you think that'll work as an excuse with Dick?" Oliver said once he managed to catch a breath

"Maybe...or I can just say Barry has a trip all paid and Wally is invited-" Bruce says before Oliver just shakes his head cutting him off

"As much as Barry will be happy I don't think that'll work with a speedster" Oliver says and Bruce sights, because damn him for being right

"I'll just talk to Dick" Bruce says giving up

"You? Using words to communicate? Oh my god! Clark! Quick! Fly to Smallville! The pigs in your farm could be flying as we speak-" Oliver says as he dramatically yells while Bruce shoves one of J'onn's cookies into his mouth to shut him up making Oliver choke while laughing.

"I don't think my parents have pigs in the farm" Clark says while Bruce actually has to bite down a laugh not helping him at all that Oliver started to actively wheeze after those words.

He regretted so much letting Dick and Jason coerce him into making friendships with some of the leaguers, truthfully he enjoyed being more open with his teammates, and it helped them work better as a team, but on the other hand he needed to deal with stuff like this.

He wondered how much he could blame the non alcoholic drink he had for his current fight against laughing while Oliver struggled to breath bending over himself almost reaching the floor.

------

The talk with Dick had gone well, as well as it could, it took a lot of words and Dick had raised his voice a lot about how he wanted to be with his boyfriend.

But after Bruce explained why he wanted this to just be with them, he had understood, reluctantly and he had spent all the days calling Wally for hours even when they did their gift hunt (that started at the fact that neither Jason nor Dick could figure where Alfred kept the gifts Bruce had bring for them, and it had evolved to Alfred hiding the gifts around the cabin for all do then to search on the morning of the 24th so they could open then at night)

Wally wasn't as offended as he thought when Dick told him he couldn't come, a bit bumped out but he understood, he really was the one for Dick for not only pulling out with him but with Jason and Bruce as well.

With that sorted out Bruce enjoyed one more Christmas with his family thinking all his problems were finally solved at least until Jason got a partner, which wasn't something he was particularly excited for.

-------

Jason didn't get to have a partner, he didn't even get to reach an age where his relationships could evolve from puppy love.

Because his second son had died at 15.

Bruce had a hard time processing it, he had a hard time accepting it, a horrible time grieving him.

It didn't help that Dick got mad at him for not being able to attend the funeral, it didn't help in the sightless that Dick didn't even wanna see him.

For the first time since he adopted Dick, Bruce didn't spend Christmas at the cabin, he couldn't do it without Jason, he couldn't force Dick to face him either and god knew Dick didn't wanna see him.

Maybe the tradition had died with Jason, even if the boy only got a few years to enjoy said tradition.

Alfred didn't fight him, he knew it was useless to try and fix Dick's and Bruce's relationship after a loss like that, I'll take some godsend to fix it.

Clark and Oliver had explained why Bruce was absent that time of their winter party, maybe having friends wasn't that bad, like Jason had told him, just because they saved him making any sort of explanation.
-------

Tim wasn't supposed to spend Christmas with them

He had fixed a lot of things since he came, Bruce stopped his self destructive path, Dick had come visit more often, being way more present with Tim than with Jason.

He even got Dick to agree to go back to the cabin that Christmas. Tim wasn't supposed to come, not that Bruce didn't want him there, the boy was more than welcomed wherever he wished, but Tim had parents and all of them had assumed his parents would be there with him for the holidays.

So when they didn't and told him they wouldn't be able to make it home until after new years, Bruce decided Tim wouldn't spend Christmas alone.

And so that leads to their current situation, Tim trying to find the best way to put the string lights in the tree while Dick tries to get them untangled.

Bruce had given up with putting the spheres without Tim's instruction a few minutes ago and was now watching as his 2 sons got along

He didn't know when he started to think of Tim as his son, but right now that's what he was, that's what he continued to be after they took the pic next to the fully decorated tree with Alfred and Bruce behind Tim and Dick posing for Bruce's phone camera.

Tim was his son the moment he changed into his night clothes and lay between him and Dick to watch a movie, he has suggested his own movie to watch that was surprisingly entertaining, and then they watched one of Jason's movies, as a way to feel him close, by the time Dick's movies started to roll by, Tim had his face on his shoulder and was completely asleep with a calm expression, he felt safe enough to sleep and Bruce couldn't help but smile.

Dick started to drift off by the time the grey ghost Christmas specials rolled by, it was like these specials had magic to put him out like a light.

Bruce carried Dick to his room and then carried Tim the same way he had done for Jason, and it felt right, Tim was his son as well, even if not by law or blood, he'll have a place in his heart.

Maybe his problems were getting better.

-----

His new problem had a name.

Conner Kent, why didn't the kid have a middle name was beyond him, also known as Kon-el or Superboy the kid was certainly….something.

When Tim joined Young Justice, he wasn't exactly sure of his friends there, he didn't hate them, but he wasn't entirely sure what to make of them either.

Tim didn't try to get his friends over for Christmas, he was thankful for that, he had said something about Santa dying and Bruce actually needed to pause and double take, he assumed it was a joke between the teens (for his sake mostly).

He had tried to ask Stephanie to come over once around the time he and the girl were dating.

Stephanie Brown, also known as Spoiler, was along with Barbara one of his unofficial kids, he wasn't her dad, she didn't want him as her dad, but she ate his food and he paid for most of her stuff.

But when he had offered them to come they both had said no, so this time he didn't even need to explain to Tim why Stephanie couldn't go.

But that was years ago, now Stephanie was no longer dating one of his sons, she was dating his only daughter but Cass could manage and Bruce was way happier that his daughter got a girlfriend in someone like Stephanie, even Tim was cheering for them.

Cass did ask for Steph to come as well, while Bruce had agreed it was again Stephanie rejecting the idea.

The Christmas with Cass as their new addition were special to Bruce, since she never celebrated Christmas before them she was determined to make them perfect, and with Dick and Tim's help the almost always were (the time Dick had fall of a tree while searching the gifts and Tim getting stuck in the attic when he went for the tree were funny exceptions to the perfection rule and had made Cass laugh and smile)

She had added her own movies even, and a small new tradition that came in the form of them playing in the snow for a few hours while Alfred made dinner, she wanted to have a snowball fight and Bruce was happy to deliver.

The more the years passed the more their family took unexpected turns.

One of them being Jason coming back, it has been hard for everyone, especially for Bruce, and the first year the Red Hood was around, it was Dick who had offered him to come back to the cabin.

Jason said no, but thanks to Cass, Bruce realized Jason was spying on them, maybe just wanting to see if they had truly replaced him like he claimed they did.

Bruce didn't push him, but he left a bowl with soup outside for all their nights there, the bowl always returned to their kitchen counter, empty and cleaned.

As time went by Jason started to rejoin them from a distance, not fully, but slowly.

To the point that at the moment Jason had agreed to visit the cabin with them just because of Damian.

That was another thing that was new, Damian's addition to the family.

His only biological child who also never celebrated Christmas before,

So their first Christmas with him needed to be perfect as well, Damian didn't seem to find much sense in the celebration, even after Dick explained why.

Bruce was just thankful that even after months lost in the time stream he had been saved and allowed to spend Christmas with his family (and maybe even the winter party with the justice league since he decided to start showing up again after Tim coming into his life)

That Christmas had the particular addition of Salomon the elf, why was it named like that was beyond Bruce.

The doll that Dick and Jason had convinced Damian that it could truly communicate with Santa and that if Damian misbehaved at the cabin (like trying to stab any of them) he'll get no gifts.

He knew Santa didn't work like that, he had told his kids when they got older about him meeting Santa (Jason and Dick didn't believe him and Tim had finally explained wtf happened with Santa and young justice), but for the sake of Damian not attacking them and not acting like the holiday was below him, he'll play along with the elf.

That Christmas however Bruce came to 2 realizations,

They needed a bigger car or a second one, since now his 5 kids didn't fit on the back seat, and while that had been solved with using the van and letting Jason and Dick in the trunk, it really wasn't the most comfortable way to travel.

The second realization, the tree was less the focus of the pictures he took.

The focus was now his kids, Dick and Jason being taller and putting their hands on Tim's and Cass shoulders, him putting his hands in Damian's and Alfred putting his hand over Dick's shoulders while they looked at the camera, the tree being in the picture becoming a mere suggestion.

All that was 2 years ago, now Damian was 11, almost 12, and had spent 2 Christmases with them, his family was complete for the moment, and unless he got a new kid, he shouldn't have any more issues.

He spoke too soon clearly since all this train of thought began when Tim told him he wanted Kon to come over with them for Christmas.

He snapped out of his thoughts to deny it, Wally wasn't even allowed and Dick and him were living together and Dick was thinking about proposing (he was truly happy for Dick for that to finally settle in with the person he considered his soulmate, and maybe when they got married Wally could join, but as it was, he couldn't)

"Oh come on B, still with that rule? I promise you Kon and I won't do anything" he knew Tim was a liar and even he didn't believe that "You'll barely notice he's there" Tim may be a good liar and smarter than him but Bruce wasn't gonna fall for this, Tim was already so grown up just like Dick was all those years ago, he didn't wanna let him go just yet.

"I said no Tim, no boyfriends allowed at the cabin, I'm sorry" Bruce says and just patted Tim's shoulder while he sighted in defeat

"That rule is older than Damian" Jason mocks as he sat besides them, he stayed at the manor the days before their trip, almost everyone did, using those days to clear up the last of their schedules for the week they'll spend away, or leading their patrols over to the other bats, sometimes Dick or Tim came last minute for having something with the Titans but if they didn't they stayed the night prior.

"Being older than Damian isn't really a hard thing to achieve" Dick jokes while eating some cereal leaning on the counter and for some reason refusing to sit on a chair.

"You are lucky Salomon is looking over or I'll have gutted all of you to feed Goliath" Damian mutters annoyed with his siblings antics

"Careful Damian, Salomon may have listened to you and snitched" Tim jokes

Damian grumbles some response but refrained from insults since Salomon could be listening,he could tell his older sons enjoyed Damian believing in that elf way too much just to have Damian on a metaphorical leash for the holidays.

"Are you completely sure Kon can't come over? He can even leave me at the cabin? He'll fly super fast and I'll be there without needing to take the car" Tim says trying to divert the theme before Damian reconsidered how much he really wanted gifts.

"Tim" Bruce says even if his voice sounded tired

"Fine,fine, whatever, I guess If Wally can't even come then Kon and I have no hope" Tim laments as he goes back to eating his breakfast

"Sucks to suck" Jason says as he high fives Cass, Jason was single so the whole boyfriend conversation wasn't his problem and Cass's only impediment of having her girlfriend over was just Stephanie saying no and not Bruce's rule (Tim and Dick had called it sapphic favoritism and that had made Stephanie laugh so hard Bruce was actually concerned for her lungs)

Bruce just sighed and tried to focus solely on his breakfast, and not his kids discussing who was the favorite (again)

The next year the same question from Tim repeated and that's when Bruce knew Conner Kent was gonna be his new problem at least until he got a new kid and he started to definitely need the second car.

--------

Duke's first Christmas at the cabin was gonna be great, he has been the most recent addition to their family but so loved nonetheless, and now he was part of their family longest running tradition

Tim had explained the schedule to him and Duke seemed excited about the gift hunt, about the food and specially the movies, he had brought his own Christmas cliche movies already.

Bruce was now just waiting for Jason to arrive, Jason had started dating someone 6 months ago, his first serious relationship, Roy Harper.

He wasn't sure if he was happy or not that Oliver's promise when they were 15 of "our kids will date and marry each other" was slowly and scarily coming true all because of Jason out of all his kids.

So needless to say the last thing he expected was Roy Harper dropping Jason off in their driveway and with boldness saying he wanted to spend the Christmas with them at the cabin, he was sure he wasn't serious, but when looking at Jason he realized that he was.

God the kid was like Ollie in that and Bruce didn't like it, Ollie wasn't a bad man, but god if he was a pain in the ass when he wanted (and Bruce was forever thankful he told him his identity and he wasn't victim of Oliver passive aggressiveness towards rich people who don't care about others, he can't even pity the victims because he himself joined in to be like that with Lex)

He was about to deny it when he heard the kid offer a deal, and all of sudden, he had a baby facing him.

Blue wide eyes, black hair and making grabby hands at him all while on a batman onesie, he knew Oliver was a grandfather, he just never got to meet Lian or from which of Oliver's kids she was (and yes it probably was because he refused to look at anything Oliver posted in social media to keep his secret identity, for the sake of his mental health, Harley can't tell him that's not how mental health works because for him it is)

"Grampa"

That's the words the girl said while trying to reach for him, a part of him was aware that Roy was playing him, that this was a bribery, but damn was it working.

She was cute, he never got to hold any of his kids as babies, he never truly thought he'll be a grandfather anytime soon either, but he wasn't gonna complain for now being seen as one.

He took Lian into his arms without a second thought and she was so small he actually felt nervous, was it normal they were this small? Should they be this small?

“So it's a trade?” Roy's words actually snapped him out of the fact he was holding a toddler, right, Roy wanted to come, and with him, the little girl in his arms.

“She's coming with you so, I supposed it's a fair deal” Bruce said and immediately felt his voice waver when Lian giggled and started to introduce him to her plushie, she was so cute and innocent and Bruce was a good listener, it may not make much sense but he liked hearing Lian talk.

He wasn't sure when he walked over to the cars, he knew his kids would fight, but hearing the toddler rant about something, and being able to hold a baby after he had met all his kids past his toddler years, he felt himself not caring in the slightest.

So the pictures began as well.

Lian was way too cute, arriving at the cabin felt like a blur while his brain absorbed all the information he could understand of the little girl.

She wanted a snowman and Bruce for a second considered calling Constantine to bring the snowman to life like the girl described in her movie. (But with Constantine the poor snowman may as well gain consciousness and start its own superhero/antihero/ whatever-vigilante team and he wasn't ready to deal with the ramifications of that, not in Christmas at the very least)

So he settled for immediately taking her to the backyard on arrival, she was bouncing off the walls as well as she could since the snow reached her knees and barely let her walk but she insisted on not being carried, she took his hand and he guided her to the backyard.

She tried to make a snowman for herself and Bruce decided to help her, but that ended up with her giving directions to him.

He doesn't remember when all the pictures started, he thought Lian was cute making a comparison in the plushie she has and the snow figure, and everytime she turned around or wasn't giving directions, he snapped a quick pic.

He was so thankful for phones and being able to snap a thousand photos in seconds, not that the slowness ever stopped him with his old camera but the old thing never allowed him to take this many pictures of his kids, not this fast at least.

Lian at some point covered his scarf with glitter and told him he looked way more fancy, and he gladly showed it off and say he'll keep it that way, he took some selfies with her to prove it (and Bruce melted a little inside when he keep needing to lift her up the snow since she was so small it reached her belly in some areas)

"Father" Damian's voice snaps him a bit back to reality while Lian is trying to make a small chair for her plushie and get the glitter out of her hair

"Yeah? Do you need something Damian?" Bruce asks turning to him, Damian is wearing a big coat that Bruce is pretty sure doesn't fit him well, he looks adorable but he knows better than to say that to Damian of all people.

"Can I spend time with you and Lian?" Damian asks and Bruce actually pauses a few seconds, he has tried to get Damian to play in the snow with his siblings before, but his family tends to take the snowball fights way too seriously so more than playing it becomes a warzone.

But from that for his kid to suddenly be asking to play and do something relaxing? That was new.

Damian acted like a kid sometimes it wasn't that weird but every time it made Bruce smile widen.

"Sure son, you can" Bruce says as he moved slightly to the side letting Damian sit on the small snow mound he had for seating

Lian immediately went to play with Damian as well, introducing him to her plushie.

Bruce took a sneak picture of both of them playing, sue him, it was cute, Damian was even giving Lian candy (and told her not to tell anyone which was kinda funny), he also gave her some chocolates and lollipops that Bruce wasn't sure where Damian got but he knew they were safe so he let Damian and just nodded at Lian when she looked at him for permission.

Both kids were eating chocolate when Bruce noticed Lian moving her legs on the snow making an arch

"You guys could make snow angels" He said , forgetting about the brain to mouth filter.

"Yes! I wanted to make one in the park but the snow was too icky" Lian said, her sweet little voice was gonna be the death of him and he'll die happy.

"I guess it won't be too bad" Damian agreed as he and Lian found the perfect spot for the snow angels.

He's not ashamed to say he took so many pictures, even Damian smiled at the camera sometimes, Lian was delighted especially when It started to snow down, it wasn't strong, nothing they should worry about, some snowflakes here and there.

Bruce stuck his tongue out and caught one, in the back of his mind he remembered that could be a healthy hazard but he was sure he had dealt with worse as Batman to worry about a snowflake.

Damian tried the same and got some snowflakes on his nose making him shiver all while Lian basically jumped off the walls when she caught one herself.

He may have taken a picture of her at that moment just to forever capture her happy expression.

He heard Alfred call them for dinner and was surprised Lian was so agreeable unlike most of his kids who usually wanted to play a bit longer, Jason and Roy were truly doing a good job with her if she was so respectful this young.

He walked to the dining room and immediately realized Lian wasn't gonna be able to reach the table, they didn't have a taller chair, and since before her they didn't have any toddlers, he also didn't have a baby chair available.

He took some books from a shelf and put them down a chair next to his and close to Jason's and helped Lian up there while the girl told Roy about all they have done.

He decided he could take a small moment to post the pictures he took, he needed to keep his public persona and secret identity.

He paused a little bit before posting, right, Lian was still too little and while all his kids were okay with being posted, she wasn't his, she was Jason's.

He turned to Jason to ask if he could post her, and he heard their conversation he had apparently dissociated himself out of.

"Don't you think you should give sugar a little break?" Jason sounded soft when asking all while Lian still had whatever candy bar Damian gave her.

"Grampa said I can have her" he technically did, didn't he? Besides, it was just candy, how bad could it be for her?

Damian didn't poison it, he wouldn't do that, it was nice he was actually so quickly accepting of Lian and (out of Dick puking once after Halloween when he was 11) none of his kids had ever been hurt by candy.

"I don't see why it will hurt her, and it's nice Damian is getting along with her, he's been such an angel towards her" he explains as he moved some hair off Lian's face

"Dad she'll get sugar high and I really don't want her getting too much sugar before her bedtime" those words made him feel old, when had jay become this responsible, and old enough to have a child, when did he stop being the little 13 yo he adopted?

"Jaylad don't worry too much, I raised all of you I know what I'm doing let her have candy bars" he might have fucked up in other aspects and many other stuff, but none of his kids have died from eating candy.

He saw how Jason didn't exactly like that, but he didn't fight him and Lian went back to eat soup and candy, which, yeah was a bit gross but kids always made weird combinations (Dick used to put his food in his juice and call it smoothie, Jason used to say yogurt and chips were a good combination, Tim still puts ice cream on his french fries when they go to bar burger, Cass and Damian are the only ones that skipped that phase and Bruce isn't sure that's a good or bad thing for their upbringing)

It was then when Damian talked, reminding him of the obvious, he didn't have any gifts for Lian, and that won't just do, he can't leave her without gifts.

Bruce hated people in malls, and he despised last minute shopping, but doing it was worthy of the excited expression Lian got at the idea of gifts.

And after some more suggestions from Damian, that the others will look after the little girl so the gifts will be a complete surprise for her, Bruce decided it was worthy.

He heard the conversation shift from his kids at the same time he got a text from the group chat Clark had insisted the justice league made, not for work or any important meetings, but just as friends/coworkers (apparently they always had it he just joined late because he didn't want them as friends at first)

They weren't all there since it was an unprofessional thing, but most of the founders and a few others were there, J’onn, Arthur, Diana, Dinah, Shayera, Hal, Barry, Clark, Oliver and a few others (they just didn't text as often)

Clark 15:30
Merry Christmas everyone I hope you all are happy with your families

Attached to Clark's text he sent a picture of himself, Lois and their son on a beach while wearing reindeer fake glasses.

J’onn 15:30
It's 23, it's not even Christmas yet, but merry Christmas Clark

That message got a laughing face emoji from Clark (Tim always made fun of him for using emojis and he was now instinctively bound to find them a bit corny)

Oliver 15:31
Merry Christmas guys

Attached to his text, he sent a picture of almost all his family under a giant Christmas tree, they looked happy and that year they had some matching sweaters.

Bruce paused for a moment after that, normally he'll close the group and let them talk, maybe send a text saying Merry Christmas as well, but the chance to piss Oliver off was creeping into his mind.

He took some of his favorite pics of Lian and Damian, the ones he took with Lian showing off his scarf, and put them together before sending a "Merry Christmas everyone, hope you guys enjoy your break with your families" message with them attached.

Barry 15:32
Omg you got another

Hal 15:32
You get them smaller each time spooky

Diana 15:33
Aww she's such a bright and beautiful little lady

She had attached some heart emojis and Bruce couldn't help but agree, He smirked to himself when he saw Oliver was writing

Oliver 15:34
LIAN?

Bruce what the fuck

Why is she wearing that!?

Where even are you!??

Omg that's where Roy went!? He told me he was going to travel, not that!

You put her into a Batman onesie!?

Why do you have my granddaughter!

Answer me you fucker! You can't keep her!

Bruce give me back my granddaughter! What the hell man?!

He closed the group chat after that, yeah, totally worth it, he put his phone down, ignoring the next texts while he focused back on his kids and got ready to leave for shopping.

------

He was right about the people in last minute shopping, It was the equivalent of a war.

He stepped inside the toy store not sure what to buy, he had met Lian a few hours ago, he texted Jason in the car asking what she would like.

"Don't buy the whole store B, she likes snowman's but she also likes bunnies, princesses, her favorite is Elsa, buy whatever of those things and you'll be fine" was all the answer he got

He could work with that, admittedly it was harder to get Damian gifts.

He just needed to fight 4 women and 2 men for Elsa dolls, he'd rather fight Bane if he's being honest but here he goes.

--------

He had successfully got enough bunny plushies, princesses and even some notebooks with glitter for Lian despite the hardships of the battle (that being some woman with pixie cut scratching him and trying to get the doll before throwing herself at the floor and claiming he pushed her)

He was now in the car trying to cure some scratches several women left on him, that should sound like some playboy fantasy but no it was just Bruce fighting grandma's or people's aunt's and mother's for dolls and dollhouses for a kid he met 7 hours ago at best.

While Alfred got the gifts into a store for them to be properly wrapped, he decided to check his phone

50 missing calls from Oliver Queen, and 96 unread texts from the justice league group chat were the notifications that greeted him.

That's when he got another call from Oliver, he could not answer like he had been doing, but while he waited he had nothing else to do, so he swiped up to answer the call.

"Oliver" he greeted

"You're the worse fucking person I ever met, I can't fucking believe you, this is how you pay me that I punched bullies for you?" Was the answer he got

"Did I do something?"

"Did you- you can't pull the himbo shit with me Bruce I know you! Why do you suddenly have my grandchild" he could practically hear Ollie pointing at the screen

"Roy offered her as a deal so I let him stay at the cabin with my family this Christmas"

"What”

"Roy offered Lian as a deal to stay with-"

"No I got that, Why? Why would Roy want to spend Christmas with you!? I know Dick and him are close but if anything I would assume Wally will be the one there!" Either Oliver didn't know Jason was dating Roy or he had forgotten in the heat of the moment, Bruce wasn't sure which it was.

"He's not here for Dick" Bruce answered

"Jason? I mean I know he helps with Lian and they are friends and what not but isn't that like a family thing you do?" Oh so he didn't know they were dating, just they were close

"You can ask Roy the reasons all I know is that Lian called me grandpa and I just spent 3 hours fighting people in a mall to get her toys" He's not gonna be the one that breaks the news, Jason and Roy had the right to tell of their relationship at their rhythm and he was glad Jason had told him first.

"She called you grandpa!? What the fuck- she calls me Ollie!" Bruce did try to not laugh, he couldn't, he laughed probably more than he should

"Alright that's it, Lex is my new best friend from boarding, Fuck You Man" Oliver answer once Bruce was done laughing at his face.

"You and I both know you'd rather jump off the watchtower back to earth than actually speak to Lex for anything other than annoy him"

"I hate you so much"

"Love you too Ollie"

"Ew don't use your Brucie voice on the phone"

That's the last thing he heard before Oliver hung up, yeah it was totally worth sending those pics.

------

The rest of the day passed on a semi blur to him, getting the tree, the rooms, changing and getting Roy in the picture and then watching the movies.

All while having Lian against his chest totally asleep by the end, he had posted half the pictures he took (because Instagram had a picture limit which was dumb Bruce wanted to post all his kids and 3 more pictures of Lian) he got Roy permission for it and now all his profile became him happy he now had a granddaughter, gossip magazines surely will go wild with it.

He ended up having Lian sprawled across the bed in the master bedroom while he slept on one or the sides. He felt like he'd fall off the bed but she was comfy and that's all that really mattered.

The next morning a bit before the gift hunt he decided to ignore how Jason came downstairs shamelessly covered in hickeys all over his neck and shoulders and how smug Roy looked sitting next to him.

He also ignored the death glares his other kids were sending Jason, not that he didn't care he'll need to talk to Jason about decency during their holiday traditions but unfortunately he was a bit too distracted when Lian asking a thousand questions about how the gift hunt worked and the couldn't help but explain and promise he'll team up with her so they could get it first and be the winners.

Maybe he'll let Wally and Kon join next year, so his kids wouldn't murder each other and accuse him of favoritism

And because he's not sure he can handle more than 1 grandkid at the time and he didn't want the rest of his kids getting any ideas.