Chapter Text
Jason knew Dick had always wanted kids. And that he would be an excellent father. Jason was sure about it—perhaps from his own experience—
When Dick used to invite him for a burger at his favorite place, they would take the opportunity to go for a walk around town or the park. Jason always noticed how Dick looked with affection eyes at couples with children, seeing the kids run laughing into their parents' arms.
Grayson might not have been having the best time in his love life. He'd dated several women, sometimes men too, but none of the relationships lasted more than a couple of months before ending, sometimes amicably, sometimes not so much.
None of them had been "the one." Not the person Dick wanted to start a family with.
But that didn't stop him at all.
On a spring day, Dick adopted a child.
The last year had been exhausting for Richard.
From contacting Gotham's central orphanage, to the evaluations to determine his suitability for adoption, and his work as GCPD officer.
But it was all worth it, Dick told himself when he finally became Damian's temporary caregiver and the two-year-old hugged him for the first time.
Dick had been caring for Damian during ten months and he was sure that every sleepless night, awkward silences, all the sheets he had to change when Damian wet the bed, the times he had to sit on the floor even though his knees ached, have learned to recognize the cry of hunger, of sleepiness, and the one that asked for nothing more than company, just like every goodnight kiss, every bowl of cereal, every hug, every bedtime story, every laugh…Everything, absolutely everything was worth it for this moment.
When the system finally gave him the opportunity to adopt Damian.
No more temporary caregiver
He will be Damian’s dad.
Dick was beaming with joy, on the verge of tears, as he finished signing the papers at his dining room table, in the company of one of the orphanage workers and of course, Damian, his little one, snuggled in his lap, watching what was happening around him without fully understanding.
“That’s it.” The orphanage worker, a middle-aged Asian woman, wearing distinctive rectangular glasses, smiled as she collected the papers. “Congratulations, Mr. Grayson.”
“Thank you, Claire.” Dick shook the lady's hand, no longer able to contain his joy, kissing Damian's head and cheeks, while the toddler laughed. “Thank you so much.”
Once the door closed and they were alone, Dick still couldn't believe it. Damian now was a Grayson. He was his son. Legally.
“Baba.” Damian grinned.
Dick looked at the little boy in his arms, snuggled affectionately against his chest, sharing his father's joy without quite knowing why.
He would never forget the first time Damian called him that, five months ago, one night while tucking him in. Every time Damian called him Baba, his chest swelled with warmth.
“Yeah, I'm your Baba, buddy.” Dick smiled, moving Damian slightly aside, holding him high to begin spinning joyfully while the little boy laughed sharply and uncontrollably.
The truth was that Dick was already Damian's father long before he signed those papers.
.......
It wasn't until two weeks later that Jason met Damian.
Jason was 20 years old and had no respect for the locks on Dick's apartment.
He entered as usual: through the window and confident, throwing his jacket on the sofa and going straight to the fridge.
“Not a single beer.” Todd mumbled, raising an eyebrow.
It was true that Dick didn't usually drink, but he kept a couple of beers in the refrigerator for when the mood struck him on a hot or busy day. But this time there were no beers.
Jason sighed and closed the fridge.
And there he was.
“Holy sh–!” Jason practically jumped out of his skin when he encountered a tanned toddler in socks, wearing a green t-shirt and denim overalls, his black hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had just woken up from a nap.
His enormous green eyes were fixed on Jason with a disturbing intensity, showing no emotion other than seriousness. Didn't say a single word.
Jason gulped, shifting uncomfortably under the toddler's fixed gaze.
“Would you stop that? It’s creepy.”
Damian didn't react. He continued to stare at Jason. Quiet, serious, and motionless. Barely blinking.
A second passed. Then another. And another.
“Seriously, kid. Stop it.” Jason snarled.
Damian just tilted his head, intrigued.
Jason thought he was hallucinating the boy. He even thought he was a ghost until he heard hasty footsteps coming from the hallway.
“Jason?” Dick appeared and was perplexed by what was happening in his kitchen: Jason, terrified and cornered against the counter by his two-year-old son —almost three— who was standing in the middle of the room innocently.
“Oh.” That was all Dick said before smiling extremely calmly, much to Jason's dismay. “I see you two already met.” Grayson crossed his arms.
“What?” Jason looked at him with wide eyes. “Grayson, there’s a strange kid in your apartment. And doesn’t stop looking at me!”
Indeed. Damian continued to stare at Jason.
Dick snorted with amusement, reached over to pick up Damian, and placed him on his hip. The child immediately curled his small fist in Dick's t-shirt.
“Who is he?” Damian finally talked.
“You're talkin' now, uh?” Jason scoffed. “And the right question isn't who I am.” Jason deigned to approach now that the little kid that represented a threat to him was comfortably in Dick's arms. “Who are you?” He pointed erratically at the child.
Dick rolled his eyes. “Damian, this dramatic guy is Jason, your uncle.” Dick smiled at his son, pointing at Jason with his chin, not missing how the younger man open his mouth in disbelief at his new title.
“Uncle?” Jason let out a sharp cry filled with panic and confusion, but Dick ignored it.
“Uncle.” Damian repeated it with calm.
“Yep. Uncle Jay.” Dick nodded, seeing Jason's frown. “Jay, this is Damian. My son.”
Jason nearly choked on his own saliva, unable to stop himself from raising his eyebrows in astonishment.
Well, at least now he knew why there was no beer in the fridge.
“Hey, buddy, Jay and I need to talk some things. Why don't you watch cartoons? I'l be there soon.” Dick suggested with a smile.
Damian nodded, delighted by the idea. As soon as his little feet touched the floor, he scampered to the living room to turn on the TV.
Jason and Dick stayed in the kitchen. It had been a while since they'd seen each other, and Dick knew Jason may had a lot of questions, so he took the opportunity to get two small plastic bowls and started chopping some fruit, waiting for the first question, which came almost immediately.
“What the hell!” Jason started, with Dick's slightly annoyed gaze on him, both because of his language and his tone. “You have a kid? Since when?” He almost whispered this time.
Dick took a deep breath before answering.
“Been with me for almost a year.”
Jason blinked twice. “What?”
“I was his temporary guardian. Evaluations, visits, all the stuff.” Dick explained, still focused on cutting fruit. Had finished with apples. Now he was cutting pieces of melon and banana and putting them in the bowls. “Two weeks ago it became official. Now it's mine, legally.
Dick smiled automatically as he said those words. A smile that Jason didn't miss.
“So you adopted him.” The younger one leaned against the counter where Dick was cutting fruit. Jason stole a small piece of melon while laughing slightly. “Wow. I leave you for a bit for the firefighter tests and you adopt a child.”
“Jealous, Jay?” Dick smirked, looking at him out of the corner of the eye.
“Of course not.” Jason scoffed, making Dick laughed.
Todd looked away, noticing Damian sitting on the floor in front of the tv in the living room, engrossed in a cartoon that Jason didn't recognize at all.
“How old is he?” Jason asked.
“In a few days he'll be three.” Dick answered with proud, looking at the toddler too.
For a moment Jason thought about himself, when he was about 8 or 10 years old and found his mother sprawled on the bed, not breathing, and several pill bottles on the bedroom floor.
He entered the system, but unlike Damian, he was never adopted—Although, he never wanted to be adopted, anyways—
He felt a pang of jealousy but above all relief seeing that Damian had been luckier. The kid had found a home at such a young age and Dick would definitely be a wonderful father. Knowing that he wouldn't grow up on the streets, wouldn't go hungry, or have abusive parents calmed Jason, even made him smile.
“Congratulations, Grayson. You're a dad.” Jason sighed.
“Thanks, Jay.” Dick took the two fruit bowls. Gave one to Jason, the other one was given to Damian, taking the opportunity to kiss his son's head and ruffle his hair, as Damian let out a giggle.
“Now it's your turn. You have to tell me how you're doing on the fire station.” Dick took a seat at the dining room table, followed by Jason. Both smiling.
At one point Damian got bored of watching cartoons and soon asked to climb onto his dad's lap while he placed sheets of paper and crayons on the table to draw whatever came to mind. Each time he finished one, he proudly showed it to Dick, receiving admiration, praise, and kisses from his dad.
Jason was quickly convinced to stay for dinner. The only lingering problem was Damian's piercing gaze.
The green eyes watched him from across the table, where Damian was sitting in his high chair next to Dick.
“Kid, seriously, stop that. It's annoying and creepy.” Jason said between bites of spaghetti, looking back at Damian.
“I know.” Damian smirked, enjoying watching Jason lose his patience.
Dick just laughed, enjoying watching Jason argue with a small child. And every now and then he took pictures.