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Red baubles mingled with green tinsel up and down the Christmas tree. Real pine needles drooped under the weight of a bunch of handmade ornaments and Janet’s old ivory set, the scent of them sometimes too much for Tim’s nose to handle. A slightly lopsided star topped the tip of the tree, squishing the highest branches down.
Tim grabbed another present from underneath the tree and squished in next to Kon on the couch, who had Lila sitting on his lap. She reached for the ribbon as soon as Tim placed the gift gently on her knees.
“Eager little thing,” Tim commented. He swallowed the rest of his thought that ended with just like her papa.
Kon chuckled, felt reindeer ears sprouting out of his curly hair. “She just wants the ribbon.”
Sure enough, Tim pulled the other ribbon tail, letting the bow collapse, and a bright smile lit up her face as she snatched it. She squealed happily and fluttered it through the air with a two-toothed smile.
Sometimes Tim thought that babies were kind of like really expensive cats. They’d always want the box over the actual gift, and they died if things didn’t go their way. It was also incredibly hard to understand what they wanted.
But—they were also incredibly cute.
Tim grabbed his camera from the side table and snapped a picture. He already had about a hundred from the morning. But he just couldn’t help himself—this was a big moment. Their first Christmas as a family.
He had never imagined ever getting to have this. Gratitude settled in him and buffeted his smile that had yet to fade.
Lila reached for the camera, but Tim pulled it back. She pouted, and he felt the telltale pull of her tactile telekinesis, but before it could grow any stronger, Kon dangled the ribbon in front of her face.
Her eyes alighted on it, bright and alert, and her frown quickly disappeared as she grabbed it and brought it to her chest. With the speed of a vigilante, Tim hid the forgotten camera behind his back, and leaned to kiss Kon’s cheek. “Nice save.”
Kon smiled. “Better open this present sooner than later.”
Tim nodded with a smile and ripped open the gift wrapping half-way, before trading her the gift for the ribbon.
She eagerly ripped the rest of the wrapping paper, and her squeal when she saw the gift made Tim and Kon lock eyes, contentment in their gaze.
She pulled out the plastic kiddie camera, and held it out for them to see. It looked just like Tim’s, just a million times cheaper and better suited to be gnawed on by an infant. “Dada! Papa!”
“I see, sweetheart,” Tim said, kissing her head. “It’s all yours.”
“No more having to steal daddy’s camera,” Kon agreed.
“Thank god.”
Lila squealed again, her excitement almost rocking her off Kon’s lap. She got her reindeer pajama-clad feet underneath her and grabbed at Kon’s face, which he graciously bent to her ministrations.
Upon getting his cheek in range, she promptly kissed his cheek.
(Well, she bumped her slightly open mouth against his cheek, but that was close enough for a baby—and Tim couldn’t believe it.)
Kon grinned at him and wrapped an arm around Tim, pulling him even closer. He tapped Tim’s cheek, and Lila got the idea, kissing his cheek too.
“You are just the sweetest,” Tim exclaimed, stealing her from Kon and peppering her face in kisses. He felt so warm and happy, his body melting against Kon’s side.
She squealed and laughed, pushing at Tim’s face and calling for Kon. “Papa, papa!”
“Can’t help you there, darling.” Kon laughed and curled his fingers through Tim’s hair.
Tim pulled back with one last kiss to Lila’s nose, and she squirmed out of his arms and back into Kon’s lap. “More,” she said, pointing at the present pile beneath the Christmas tree.
Tim laughed and stood. “Alright, alright, I’m going.”
A thick layer of white snow covered the lawn and roof of Wayne Manor like a baker’s pipette of cream frosting had exploded. Warm strings of lights decorated the eaves and columns, and topiaries of reindeers galloped across the lawn.
Lila poked her head out of Tim’s jacket, blinking at all the lights. He made sure his zipper didn’t catch her neck as she squirmed in her tucked-in position while Kon carried the bag with all the presents like a buff Santa Claus. (His buff Santa Claus.)
Upon reaching the door, Tim raised his hand, but didn’t even have time to knock before the door opened for them.
Alfred smiled warmly, his eyes alighting on each. “Welcome home, Master Tim.”
Tim smiled and shimmied his way in the door. Alfred wore two reindeer antlers on top of his classy uniform, and Lila’s eyes promptly lit up like Christmas lights. “Thanks, Alfred.”
Alfred backed up, and let them all through the door, closing it against the frigid air outside. “And welcome in, as well, Mr. Kent. Please, let me relieve you of the bag.”
“No, it’s alright, Mr. Pennyworth. These muscles aren’t for nothing.” Kon fended him off with an easy smile. “Where would you like them? They’re our gifts for everyone else.”
Alfred accepted his deference with a slight nod. “The main living room next to the tree, please.”
Kon nodded and left through the archway. Tim toed off his shoes, and relieved himself of his hat and gloves. Then off came his jacket, revealing Lila in a wrap on his chest.
It was a wrap Steph had given him months ago, but he had just gotten around to figuring it out. It worked great. Especially for a clingy infant that couldn’t bear not to be held twenty-four-seven.
Not that Tim would complain. He wasn’t much better—getting through a full day of work without bringing her with him had him looking at photos of her on his desk like a soldier’s lady-at-home.
(Tam had taken more than one photo of that sad scene so now he had cut his hours in half and added a playpen to his office. As a bonus, the press seemed to love it when he came in to work with her on his hip.)
“Let me help you, dear.” Alfred grabbed Tim’s jacket from his hands and hung it up on the proper hooks. “Would you like this untied?”
“Yes, please.”
Tim kept his hands on Lila as the wrap fell away to reveal her. She looked like a huge marshmallow, all cozied up in her big coat, gloves, and hat, contrasting her black curls. Her cheeks and nose were red, highlighting the blue of her eyes.
He really had the most adorable baby in the world.
Lila squirmed around, tasting the newfound freedom of not being wrapped up. He shhed her, needing her to stay still just a minute more. He took off her hat to reveal her frizzy curls, her gloves to reveal her grabby hands, and her coat to reveal her red velvet Christmas dress (a gift Alfred had sent over early this morning).
“Okay, now you’re good.” Tim put her down, and steadied her on her two legs like the good father he was.
And then like the good infant she was, she squealed in excitement and immediately took off.
Oh, great.
She ended up running into the main living room, where the tree loomed over the festive red furniture theme and where Kon had gotten stuck talking to Dick.
Frost coated the edges of the large windows, and a black ironbarred fireguard sat in front of the simmering fireplace. Their bag of presents spilled out next to the tree and next to the manor’s pile of silver-wrapped gifts.
Delight lit up Dick’s face as he swooped in to snatch Lila up on her mad dash to the tree. He threw her up and spun her around to her everlasting delight.
“Careful,” Tim admonished as he sidled up next to Kon.
Dick just winked at him before popping Lila on his hip. He tapped her on the nose and she giggled, her hands flying up to catch his hand. “Oh, we’ll make an acrobat out of you yet. Have you guys seen Bruce already?”
Tim shook his head. “She kind of made this our first stop.”
“Aw, she wanted to see Uncle Dickie first, didn’t she? Am I your favorite, Lilaboo?” To her unblinking stare, Dick answered for her as she wagged his caught finger in her hand. “I’m your favorite uncle.”
“Like hell you are.”
At Jason’s words, Lila’s head snapped to the entryway and her arms shot out. “Jay-jay!”
“That is unfair,” Dick said, pouting, as Lila’s let-me-down wiggles only got more intense. “Your name is too easy to say for babies.”
Jason guffawed. “You’re such a sore fucking loser.”
Tim looked up at Kon, sharing a look of exasperation, and leaned back onto his chest. Warmth blossomed as Kon’s arms wrapped around him; enough warmth to bring a smile to Tim’s face and to drown out the annoying bickering happening in front of them.
“I’m going to go find Bruce,” Tim said, his head lolling on Kon’s shoulder to make eye contact. “Alright?”
Kon’s eyes flickered to Dick and Jason, the former having released Lila and the latter currently being climbed up on by said baby. Nervousness flashed in his eyes. “Okay.”
“You’ll be fine,” Tim whispered. “Only Jason bites.”
“Shut up,” Kon said, bringing a hand up to flick Tim’s ear.
Tim just laughed.
The early setting sun bled through the windows of the manor, casting red over the carpet and paneled walls, like Tim had suddenly stepped into a memory of Krypton.
Yet, yellow light bled out of a single cracked bedroom door, creating orange on the maroon carpet, and Tim paused. With one last glance towards the master bedroom at the end of hall, he changed his destination and knocked on Damian’s bedroom.
“You in there?” Tim asked.
“Timothy?” Damian’s head darted out of the door, and he pushed it open, revealing a green sweater stuck halfway through the process of getting it on. “You’re home.”
Tim nodded and pulled the rest of Damian’s sweater down, fixing his messed up hair. “What are you up to?”
“Richard promised to take me to the creek to ice skate if I dressed sufficiently warm.” Damian retreated to his closet and pulled out a big black puffer. “Do you think this coat fulfills that requirement?”
Tim laughed a little at the thought of Damian looking like a little marshmallow, just like Lila had earlier. “Definitely.”
Damian’s arm faltered and he frowned. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not. Here, put that down.” Tim swatted the jacket away and pulled Damian into a hug. “I missed you.”
“Okay,” Damian said, muffled into Tim’s sweater.
Tim laughed and just ruffled his hair. He could feel the muscles of Damian’s jaw working.
“Will you—would you like to accompany us on the ice skating?”
“‘Course I would.” Tim released Damian and swept his ruffled hair behind his ears. “But let me go talk to Bruce first.”
Tim turned around, and opened the door, but with one hand on it and half his body over the threshold, Damian called out.
“I have missed you. I—I have missed you, as well.”
Tim’s heart expanded into his lungs like a balloon, and he reached out and pulled Damian into another hug.
He knew it must have been kind of a shock to become the only kid in the house after Tim had moved out with Kon and Lila. Tim remembered being alone in the manor, and while it hadn’t been bad, Tim had found that he greatly preferred it to be filled with people. “I know, bud. I’m only ten minutes down the road, alright? Call me whenever.”
Damian nodded within the hug. He was around Tim’s height, now, and would soon surpass him, he was sure. But, now as a father, Tim found sometimes all he could see was how little his little brother truly was.
“And it’s only a couple of years until you’re driving, too.”
“I can drive now.”
“Not legally, you can’t.”
Damian huffed and pushed himself out of the hug. “I bet I’m a better driver than any of you.”
And then it was times like this when all Tim could see was the snot-nosed brat Damian was.
Tim rolled his eyes. “In your dreams, maybe.”
“Let me drive the Redbird and I’ll prove it.”
The only diplomatic thing Tim could do was laugh. “Alright, go put your skates on, daredevil. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
The blue glow of the bat computer reflected off of Bruce’s suit and tie as his fingers click-clacked across the sprawling keyboard. Dense, cold air pushed down on Tim’s shoulders, and he counted six bats huddled in the far corner. Another reason Lila was not allowed down in the cave—what if one of them was rabid?
His family had laughed at him last time that he had voiced that concern, but they knew nothing.
“Bruce?” Tim called as he picked his way toward the computer.
Bruce’s head snapped to Tim, and a soft smile broke over the cold affect. With one hand, he closed out of his tabs, and with the other on the back of the chair, he stood. “When did you get home?”
“Just now,” Tim said, finally reaching the desk.
Bruce pulled him in for a hug and squeezed tight, his hand running up and down Tim’s back. Sometimes Tim thought that Bruce did not remember his strength completely when he hugged. It was okay, though. It made Tim feel like he was getting compressed like a zip file. Cozy.
Bruce released the hug, but kept his hands on Tim’s shoulders. “Did Lila like the presents I sent for her?”
“Bruce, you spoiled her. She’s probably too young to remember this Christmas, but if she does, you’ve set way too high of expectations.”
“I can meet them.”
Tim huffed. “The skates are going to come in handy, though. Damian wants to go skating on the creek. Dick, Kon, Cass, and I were going to go. Lila, too, obviously.”
Concern deepened Bruce’s old man wrinkled. “It will be dark. Dinner’s going to be ready soon.”
Tim nodded. “Alfred said an hour and a half until the last sides are done. And Jason’s gonna stay back to help him. We’ll be home then. And I’ll snag some of the bat-flashlights while I’m down here.”
“Be careful. Don’t let Lila skate on her own.”
“I know, Bruce. Are you staying here?”
He nodded. “I need to finish one more case. But, I promise that after that one, my work is finished.”
Tim smiled.
Bruce ruffled his hair. “And make sure to wear warm clothes, and cover Lila’s ears.”
Tim batted his hand away. “Has anyone ever told you you have a micro-management problem?”
Bruce’s lips twitched. “Never.”
Kon took point on the ice-skating while Tim held the heavy-duty flashlight to best the winter’s early darkness.
Tim watched as he tied Lila’s baby skates on and then held her by her armpits over the ice. They glided in little figure eights, and Tim could tell Kon’s TTK was doing a lot of heavy lifting. Lila seemed to like it though, if her smile was anything to go by.
Dick and Cass showed out like the try-hards they were, while Damian followed Dick like a lost puppy.
A soft powdery snow slowly began to fall, dusting the beanies and jacket hoods of the ice-skaters. Dick swirled to a stop and put his hands out in the air, his dazzling smile brightening even further.
Cass skated to the secluded spot near Tim that Kon and Lila were skating in and draped herself over Kon. “Can the baby skate now?”
“Let’s see,” Kon said. He let go of Lila and drifted a couple inches away. “Come to me, princess.”
Lila stared at Kon for a couple moments, shaking slightly on the skates, and then her eyes found Tim watching her behind them. She crouched, and dropped to a seat, her legs flailing out and tears building quickly. “Dada!”
“Alright,” Tim said, pushing himself to his feet. He could’ve seen that coming.
Kon scooped her up and then floated over to Tim at the edge of the river. “Sorry.”
“No, that’s not your fault, babe. She missed her usual nap today, remember?” Tim accepted the marshmallow bundle. “Are you tired, Lila?”
She turned her face into his chest. “No!”
“Alright.” Tim met Kon’s eyes and they both tried not to laugh.
Kon stepped off the icy river and crouched to start undoing Lila’s skates. “Are you going to go back to the manor?”
Tim nodded.
Kon slipped off both of Lila’s skates and started doing his own. “Okay. I can fly us home. Cass, you coming?”
She stuck her tongue out at him as an answer, before taking off to go skate around Dick and Damian, leaving icy dust in her wake.
Typical.
As expected, Lila passed out on the flight home. Something about the wind always made her sleepy.
Tim loved how she looked when she slept. Her rosy chubby cheeks just looked so pinchable. Especially now, as he stared down at her little face tucked in the crook of his arm.
She looked like a little cherub.
God, he loved her so much.
“I’m just saying,” Jason began as he poured gravy onto his mountains of mashed potatoes. “If you hadn’t offered me my first cig, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten hooked.”
Bruce’s fork stilled over his slices of turkey. “You gave Jason a cigarette, Dick?”
“Hey!” Dick raised his hands in surrender. “He was almost sixteen.”
Bruce’s face darkened. “He was fifteen?”
“Hey—wait—” Dick held one hand up to Bruce and pointed at Jason accusingly with the other. “Look, he’s smiling. He knows what he’s doing. He knows he was losing the argument; now, he’s derailing it.”
“Nuh-uh.” Jason leaned back in his chair. “I never knew Bruce didn’t know.”
“Like hell you didn’t.” Dick pantomimed squeezing. “When I get my hands on you—”
“Dick,” Bruce said. “I’m disappointed in you.”
Dick’s face fell for just the smallest second, and Tim winced. A hint of alarm raised Jason’s eyebrows and he put his own hands up.
“No, no,” Jason said. “I’m teasing. He didn’t really. I didn’t start smoking until I came back.”
Tim could smell the bullshit from across the table.
Bruce grunted.
“Oh, come on, old man. Lighten up. I know you’ve done worse.” Jason scooped up some mashed potatoes.
“These topics are not well-suited to be discussed over my Christmas dinner,” Alfred declared as he sat down at the other head of the table.
Jason and Dick apologized, and a silence fell over the table. Tim side-glanced at Kon’s polite blank affect beside him and almost snorted. He knew Kon tried so hard to fit in at the manor; but the thing about this family was that it was kind of impossible to do that unless you were also infected with the unique strain of Gothamite vigilante insanity.
Cass caught his side-long glance though and winked. Three of her fingers peeked above the table and he watched as they went down to two and then one and then…
“So, how is college, Connor?” Dick asked, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Tim almost burst out laughing. Cass really had it down to a science. Dick could only really handle silence for so long. It ignited his performing instincts too much.
“Oh, it’s great,” Kon said, relief on his face to be teed up for a winning shot. “Really cool. I think the seminars are the most interesting. ‘Cause with Cadmus, it was like I just knew something, right? Like dogma. But, with these discussions, I’m learning by hearing a bunch of conflicting opinions, and that’s so different.”
“How wise,” Alfred said, a smile on his face.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Have the paparazzi continued to be a problem?” Bruce asked.
“Oh, uh, not really any more. They’ve quieted down. Now that it's not in the news anymore, I don’t think anyone really cares.”
“Hey, if they give you and the baby any trouble, let me know, alright?” Jason stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork, like some kind of culinary foreshadowing to his statement.
“Yeah,” Kon put on that polite smile again. Tim and Cass shared a look. “Thanks.”
After dinner, the family moved to the living room and tore through the presents. Lila woke up absolutely delighted by the prospect of getting to tear more wrapping paper.
After presents, Dick left to go home to Blüdhaven, and Jason left to go catch his flight to Star City to see Roy and Lian. Tim excused himself to call Steph and see how her Christmas with her mom went. After that, Tim wandered around until he found himself back in the living room, surrounded by piles of desiccated wrapping paper.
Tim settled back onto the couch and flicked through the various streaming apps. Kon and him were currently watching some sports romance, but he didn’t think he could watch something that raunchy with Bruce, so he needed to find something else.
By the time he settled on a nature documentary about whales, Kon appeared in the doorway with a tired Lila. Her red velvet dress was gone, replaced by a reindeer onesie. “Hey, babe.”
“What you got there?” Tim held out his hands into which Kon deposited Lila. He curled her to his chest, and she didn’t protest much, blinking sleepily.
Kon dropped onto the couch with an oof, draping his arm around Tim and resting his head on Tim’s shoulder. “Babe, can I ask a favor?”
“‘Course.” Tim grabbed Lila’s hands and danced them to the documentary’s soundtrack. She looked at her hands, bewildered. “What do you need?”
“Ma and Pa wanted me to video call them, you know.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Tim smiled at Kon and kissed his nose. “Call them.”
Kon smiled, fished his phone out, and clicked a few buttons.
“Ready to see Ma and Pa, Lila?” Tim asked as he muted the nature documentary, the whale songs cutting off.
She babbled excitedly, hitting a few of those m and p syllables, and she wrenched her hands free of Tim’s ministrations so she could pat his face.
But then a shrill ring cut through her song, ceasing her vicious attack, and Kon held up the phone at an angle where their callees could see all three of them.
Ma smiled and cooed at Lila, way too close to the phone, and it took Kon coaching them through tech skills until they successfully set the phone at the right distance and unmuted.
“Perfect,” Kon said. “We can see you now.”
“How’s it going in Gotham?” Pa asked.
“Good, it was nice. We’re at the manor right now,” Kon answered. “We went ice-skating, had dinner, did presents. The works. I missed your rhubarb pie, though, Ma.”
Ma smiled through the pixelated phone screen. “I’m sure Alfred’s cooking more than made up for it.”
Kon shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s possible.”
Ma guffawed, and Pa leaned toward the phone. “Tim, did you have a good Christmas?”
“Yeah, yeah, it was great. It’s always nice getting everyone together.” Tim nodded toward Lila, who had leaned forward until her head rested against Tim’s chest. “I think it’s tired her out, though.”
“Oh, we can’t have that.” Pa leaned closer to the camera, filling up the screen, as if he could somehow get closer to the people on the other side.
“Pa, you need to back up,” Kon said, using his hand to mime scooting back.
“Oh.”
The man shuffled back and revealed the full screen, including a blur of an eleven-year-old that popped up behind the couch.
“Connor!”
“Jon!” Kon smiled so wide. Tim’s heart ached. He always loved seeing how much Kon loved that kid.
“Connnner. We misssssed you!”
“Now, hush.” Ma patted the boy’s head. “We’ll have them next year.”
“Really?” Jon straightened up. “Daaaad! Daaad!”
Clark stumbled into the frame. “Jon, what’s going on?”
“Connor’s coming to Christmas in Kansas next year, right? You’ll make him?” Jon pleaded.
It was then that Clark noticed the phone. “Oh, hey guys. Merry Christmas!”
“Dad!” Jon tugged at his sleeve.
“Jon, please. I’m sure Connor will be here next year.”
Tim waved Bruce over when he opened the door. “Bruce, come say hi.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, with an implicit question that was soon answered by the voices coming from the phone. This was not the movie night Tim had invited him to earlier.
“But, what about the year after that?” Jon asked, petulantly.
“Jon—” Connor started, but then Bruce came into frame behind the couch, and the phone lit up in a series of greetings.
“Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!” Jon jumped up and down. “I have an idea! Can we just do Christmas all together?”
Silence dropped like a pin, and then both sides of the phone erupted in laughter.
Tim thought that might just be the second worst idea in the world—the first being creating a baby with your dead boyfriend, of course.
But, hey. That had turned out mostly alright…
Maybe Jon was onto something.