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His teammates have been actively listening to his commands lately. Bruce noticed a change instantaneously. For a moment, he confided in his eldest for a second opinion, only to come up with nothing of use. Tim theorized that he might have switched universes, which wouldn't make sense, but it was a possible explanation he could add to his mental mind map, though he's sure that's not the case. Damian hounded him in his old age, declaring he would soon be inept at keeping the pedestal that is Batman. He hadn't reprimanded his son, only sighed while ruffling his hair before heading upstairs and into the manor. He knows he's just worried about him as he enters his 'silver fox era.' As his daughter, Stephanie lovingly puts it.
His children and Alfred always leave sly comments here and there, worrying about his lack of relationships outside of heroism.
"Master Bruce, might I suggest a dinner outing with Miss Selina, tonight?"
"Mother, perhaps you should find a suitable mate as you are becoming of age, preferably one that is honourable and devoted."
"Mom, I met this woman, I think you might like her as she is in the business and just a little younger than you..."
And the list goes on. Yet, every time he takes up a date offer, it leaves him feeling empty like he'd been gutted from the inside. As soon as a potential mate discovered his loyalty to his children and his unwavering stance on birthing his own at his age, he drew plenty of side glances and disappointed stares. He finds it leaves his omega crying harder each time it gets so blatantly rejected, tearing at his ribcage until he returns home where he knows he will find the scents of his kids to be the bandaid to his weeping heart.
He doesn't have the peace of mind to inform them that each date they set up ends with the person attempting to woo him into bed and leave their sheets wet with slick. Call Bruce old school, but the idea of being properly courted earns a yearn-full whine from his inner omega. He's only ever been courted once by Khan, only to have his heart and mind torn to shreds by the end of their relationship. No matter how much they tried to make it work, their morals and views never aligned, territorial spats ended with Bruce baring his fangs, ending the confrontation.
He still felt a short pang of guilt when the memory resurfaced. When an omega bares their fangs, it means one has crossed the line to treachery, leaving a person a social outcast, the lowest of the low in the eyes of surrounding packs. It was an old tradition, yet Khan grew up with old morals and dynamics, and Bruce knew that. Knew his actions would maim his alpha from the inside out. But with the scent of blood around them, strong and metallic, all he felt was rage, sadness and betrayal. He deemed Khan unfit for pups, brothers and mothers with the way his teeth glinted in the low light of the snowy mountains.
He snapped out of his thoughts as the clink of a ceramic mug was placed before him, obstructing his view of the laptop screen. He had little mind to be angry with the notation until the sweet-bitter smell of coffee reached his nostrils, piquing his interest. He snags onto the mug and cradles it like it held the answers to the universe within it. He looks up at the perpetrator with a vial of insults on the tip of his tongue until he recognizes the blonde mop of hair before him.
Barry stands before him, looking sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck with a shy smile, his soft cane sugar scent calming the air around him in contrast to the anxious way he shuffles on his feet.
"Sorry B-man, I tried calling for ya a few times but it seemed like you were busy." He gestured to the laptop before grimacing and looking mildly perturbed. Bruce looked down and viciously fought back a blush that tried to creep up his neck as he had been staring at the home screen of his computer for the greater part of twenty minutes. He hummed his thanks before the speedster sped off again, leaving him to his devices.
***
He should've introduced his kids to the league years ago, in fact, he thought it would be a good idea since Dick was a Robin. Alas, he asked his ward on a slow night, upon a roof, if that were what he wanted, and weighed the pros and cons together.
"Would I meet Superman?" He asked giddily kicking his feet over the ledge. They were at ease since they locked up penguin hours beforehand and now indulging in a little city gazing.
He hummed in response to his little bird, "In theory, yes, but only in dire situations, so I would hope not." He replied honestly. The thought was to have a backup if he were encumbered, someone Dick could call if he needed out of a tough situation. But Dick looked a little hesitant so he nudged him with his shoulder to encourage him to speak.
"Are there other kids I could play with?" His pup asked nervously, "And doesn't Superman always have pictures being taken of him? I don't want pictures of me." His nibbled on the tip of his glove in thought.
"Those are very valid precautions." He praised him, giving him a slight smile, a quirk of the lips that he knew his pup saw by the gleam that shone in his masked eyes. "My little detective." He ruffled the pup's hair, earning a whine.
He should've stepped up on his parental role, asserting that backups are needed at all times, wether is back up grapple, mask or person whereas if he had introduced Jason to the league, maybe he could've prevented his death. Maybe if he were able to contact him or Diana, they could listen and smell for his lost son in the clouds. Perhaps, he could've caught him before landing in Ethiopia, he could've convinced Jason that he was perfect the way he was and that he loved him no matter what happened.
It's still tough to convey those emotions when he sees his grown pup these days, but he finds that every time he sees his scared face, alive and brash as he was when he was young, a little piece of his heart repaired itself unbeknownst to Jason.
But that brings him back to his current predicament of his beloved son, Dick Grayson, Nightwing, barging into the watchtower and demanding a snack with a side of brooding bat. Clark knows of Nightwing, helped him pick his name a few years ago, but he happened to be off-world, and instead of running into his mother and the Kryptonian; he faced hostiles including Ollie and Arthur, and an arrow pointing at his forehead. But that doesn't manage to wipe the shit-eating grin off of his son but happened to widen it, fangs glinting in the too-wide to be a friendly smile.
Bruce felt his heart stutter as he rounded the corner fully, every instinct screaming to tackle the two to the ground but he held still as a statue when he stepped before them. He raises a hand, signalling them to stand down and they do so reluctantly, glaring at Nightwing with unwavering malice.
"Nightwing." He greets, muscles unwinding now that his pup wasn't in any immediate danger.
"Just the man I wanted to see!" He exclaimed, dimples crinkling with a genuine grin. He stifled the urge to purr and instead motioned Nightwing with his head to follow him. He smirks at the other two heroes who failed to hide their bewilderment as the vigilante gives them a dramatic bow before brushing past them.
Once they were out of earshot he turned to his son, "That was reckless."
"Our job spells reckless."
"No, it doesn't."
His son just laughs, bright and full of joy, which makes him want to smile back. He just led the man to the communications section, which he had asked to use weeks prior.
***
Arthur sighed, accepting the omega's dismissal with finesse whereas Oliver turned to face him, "We really going to allow a stranger into the watchtower, an alpha, no less and work alone with our only omega?"
Arthur snorts a laugh, "Our? Batman has made it clear that he works alone unless he requests otherwise." He corrects the archer, resting his hands on his hip and raising a brow as he waits for Oliver to give his ultimatum. But within the same moment, Arthur wore a look of contemplation, "But, I suppose you have a point, there is a stranger in the tower and I do not like it as much as you do, Batman is a great ally and greater warrior, alas, he does not need protection, on the other hand I wish to observe this stranger." The blond puffed his chest as he made up his mind, gesturing Ollie to follow as he sauntered down the hallway.
When they made it to the end of the hallway, the monitor room stood dark with the accented glow of the screens lighting the walls. Batman sat on the leather chair, back straight with business as he compartmentalized several files as the other black-clad figure, Nightwing, watched over his shoulder, gaze focused on the streaming information. He stood close, far too close for Oliver to be comfortable with. The younger man stood confidently, posture at ease next to their dark knight.
Then as the bat pulled up multiple photos, the black and blue hero (vigilante?)'His palm rested heavily on the tip of the chair, fingers brushing against the bat's nape as he leaned forward to peer at the photographs. Ollie tensed and felt Arthur do the same next to him but Batman didn't reprimand him or even flinch at the proximity. Olivier felt the telltale sign of a protective growl forming in the back of his throat, his muscles contracting with the strain of swallowing the noise down.
Unbeknownst to the pair, both Batman and Nightwing smelt the thickening tension behind them. For Batman, this was a recurring affair; meanwhile, his son wasn't too pleased with the permitting pheromones.
"They always like this?" He whispered into his mother's ear while typing some random nonsense into the search board as he couldn't concentrate with the two heroes staring daggers into his spine.
"More or less this has been a frequent activity as of late." He grumbled, scowling at the blinking search bar.
'What species are raccoons?'
This was a game he and his son created a decade ago when their minds were overwhelmed with cases. They had found that it helped reroute the brain into a stable state after he had chewed his son out for using the bat computer for trivial things.
He shoved his son's hand to the side, 'What day is it 12 days from now?'
Nightwing hummed lowly, scratching at the non-existent stubble on his chin in contemplation, "Did anything happen?" He asked, fingers running across the keyboard.
'How to pronounce decal.'
"Good one." The omega muttered, "Since you haven't found physical similarities in the victims, have you checked medical records or educational history?" He swayed back into the topic his son had arrived for as the cave was currently overrun by Tim who announced he had a few upgrades to execute and successfully kicked out every last bat.
"You're changing the subject." He whined, passing the keys back to the knight.
"Because, I am unsure of the reason for this behaviour," he explained and the other huffed, slouching as he watched Batman type, 'Where do pigeons nest?'
Nightwing balks at his mother before gasping out, "I've never seen a pigeon's nest before."
"Me neither."
"Or a baby pigeon."
Bruce froze minutely, imperceptible to the untrained eye before resuming, but not before opening a small tab to search up baby pigeons.
Eventually, after sifting through the victims' files they had concluded that each of them had visited the same clinic. Once that was concluded, Nightwing slowly stood to not startle their watchers and dusted imaginary dust from his suit before beaming at them, "Alright, looks like that was it, I'll be leaving it, then," he announced as he took a step towards the hallway he had entered from. Arthur began to shift towards Nightwing but paused when Batman rose to his feet.
"I will escort him," he nods his farewell to the Atlantean and archer as they brush past them.
As the Zeta whirred, zapping his son back home, he whirled around to the two alphas posturing behind him, silently seething, "What was that about?" He growled in barely contained frustration. All week, the team had been hovering over him more than usual. He was used to them idling in his orbit for orders or guidance, but lately they had just been shuffling on their feet as if they were stuck in tar.
The two immediately straightened. Arthur looks as composed as ever but Oliver wouldn't meet his eyes, choosing to stare down at the tiled floor like a scolded pup.
Arthur spoke first, "Our apologies, Batman, we meant no offence," he was cut off by Batman.
"Then what did you mean?" He paused to drill on the words, "Because to me, for the past couple of weeks, it seems that a team member has been at my heels like a dog." He gritted through his teeth, swallowing the hiss that rose in his throat.
Green Arrow audibly gulped as Arthur appeared ashamed, "That was not our intention. It seems that I, for today, was uncomfortable with a stranger wandering the halls alone," He explained in earnest for side-eyeing the archer beside him, "As for him– I am unsure." He finished with a satisfied look. Bruce was inclined to believe him as it was the Atlanteans first offence as of now, but for Ollie—
He scowled, "And what's your excuse?" He accusingly pointed at Green Arrow's chest.
Ollie made a face and pointed to himself before making a show of looking around the room, "Me?"
"Yes, you."
He blanched and visibly paled, "I just, yknow, stranger danger and all—" he began to sweat before Batman scoffed, waving him off.
"Talk to me when you're done lying." He scolds before entering the Zeta tube himself, coordinates set to the cave.
Arthur and Oliver watched the dark knight leave, trailing behind the undertone of burnt cinnamon with his distaste for their actions. Now that they knew what he smelled like, it was easy to pinpoint it beneath the leather, concrete and gasoline that permeated his suit along with other things.
The smell made Arthur's face pinch and he pointedly halted at his coworker, "Now, look at what you did!" He exclaimed, huffing his grievance.
Oliver's mouth gaped open, "Me?" He glared, "You went along with me like it was a good idea, which means it's actually your fault since you led me on!" He argued, elbowing the other's side.
***
Bruce grumbled as he entered the watchtower again. All he did was work, work, fight crime and do more work. Today, he was feeling a particular ache in his joints that hadn't lessened with the ibuprofen he took and he instantly knew it would be a rough shift. He could only pray to Lady Gotham that no world-ending threats would appear that evening.
"Hey, Batsy!" came an aggravating, grating voice.
If he had a choice, he would choose a worldwide threat instead.
He inwardly sighed before pivoting to acknowledge Hal Jordan who wore a shit-eating grin and a brown paper bag that smelled suspiciously of maple donuts.
He secretly eyes the bag with envy as the Green Lantern catches up to him in stride. He's just meant to upgrade a few systems that Tim had helped him with; now, all he needs to do is insert the hard drive and update the BIOS.
He pretended not to notice Hal leaning in a little closer, nose twitching in curiosity.
"Do you need anything, Jordan?" He asked, stopping before the monitors, then peeled off a panel to access the computer.
Hal just continued to rock back and forth on his heels before seemingly gaining the courage to shove the bag into his face making him squint. "What's this?" he knew what it was by the mouth-watering smell. His heat was a week away and he'd been craving sweets but hadn't yet indulged himself.
"Maple donuts from this cute little bakery in Canada," he announced proudly, puffing out his chest as he looked expectantly between the bat and the bag.
"Canada?" he utters, grabbing at the bag to get a closer look. They were still warm, glazed in a thin icing and looked airy and fluffy. He looks up at the hopeful gaze of the lantern and asks, "You don't want them?"
"No, I had plenty," he assures, gesturing for him to take a one, "Come on' Spooky, they won't bite."
That just made him all the more suspicious as he glared down at the treats with his mouth pulled into a grimace. They could be from an alien planet, or this was a planned assassination for all he knew, but the growl in his stomach led him forward.
He used a claw to spear a donut and nibbled at it and nearly coos as the icing melted in his mouth. He lets out a small grumble of appreciation and turns back to his work. He ignores the contentment rolling off of the hero with the scent of mint permeating the air, but it does make him feel good for just a short second before he's fully focused on his task.
Hal just smiled to himself as he watched his coworker fiddle with wires while bathing in his pleased scent of blueberries. Although, this time he could smell a hint of cherries beneath it all, just how many scents did the man have/carry? He needed to know more and needed to know why every scent stuck to the bat like a fly to a glue trap. Does he have a partner? He doesn't smell mated and as his curiosity grows stronger, the more he knows he's going to dig into the bat's life. Concensually, of course.
***
Bruce was tired. He sat in another gut curdling meeting within the watch tower with his posture poised with apt attention, feigning interest in the words that spilled from Kent's mouth. It's dishonest and rude, but when does anyone ever truly listen to his lecture, either? It doesn't matter, not when his instincts are screaming at him to go home and huddle in his nest. His heat isn't close since at his age he only gets them once a year if he's lucky, but Damian, the youngest pup, had fallen ill the day prior. Schools are always filled with full from floor licking children- not Bruce's words- this he should be homeschooled yet Bruce kept denying. Now, his heart is telling him to never let his pup go back to that building of horror but his mind knows that that won't happen.
Suddenly, realizing that he himself is a founding member, stands abruptly, halting the conversations around him with curious eyes. He was expecting objections or seething eyes of jealousy but was surprised he got none when he started packing his file folder neatly.
Barry wasn't so subtle, "Where ya going?" He tilts his head in question as he eyes his movements.
"I need to walk my dog."
He panicked. He doesn't need to walk Ace as the dog has free roam. He could've just said he was tired.
"You have a dog?" Ollie asks, raising a brow, "You've never mentioned a dog, is this a new addition?"
"No." He left it at that, face burning with shame as he ignored the murmurs as he turned his back to them, he's got a pup to get to.
***
Clark launches a large piece of debris into the road as they search for spilled lab chemicals to report to the hazmats. Since there were a few vials that were radioactive, they asked if Superman was available for damage control. The chemistry lab was targeted by locals who claimed to be environmentalists, who outed themselves as terrorists without realizing it. No real environmentalist would blow up a lab as they understand the repercussions of chemicals infecting the environment and the importance of research.
Thus, Tim pulled up in his Red Robin suit. Bruce knew he would show up if both of his special interests were bound into a bundle, so Bruce made him promise to wear a rebreather and protective gear against any possible acids or radiation.
When Tim arrived and dropped down beside him to watch Superman shuffle through rebar, he felt a surge of protectiveness overwhelm him as he watched his son in his peripheral vision. He's always been on the shorter side thanks to his parents but that just makes him that much quicker in his response times. But, this made Bruce with his hormone-idled brain still view him as a pup despite his accomplishments that proved otherwise.
When Hal Jordan arrived, waving at the two with a lingering glance at Red he hurriedly went to assist Clark. He's grateful the guardian hadn't asked questions about the smaller amongst them and it gave him an opening once Hal and Superman were busy conversing to go and check on his kid.
Tim had always been independent from the day he first met him at a gala when he was three years young and still smelling of milk. He'd huffed in annoyance and skittered off to explore the ball, leaving no corner unexplored under Bruce's watchful eye. No matter how many times either Janet, Jack or Bruce attempted to reel him back in; he would shove harder. This translates to now and his current hero work as well. The league know's Red Robin has connections to Batman and Robin but not how steep it goes. At first, his omegan instincts cried at the thought of Tim no longer wearing the pack symbol but swiftly damped that thought down as he understood it wasn't a heartfelt change. He is still a bird, after all.
So, Batman and Red Robin working together was normal, what wasn't normal, was for Batman to approach and stick to the beta's side like blue tack. Tim idles him through the cowl wearily as Batman's arms brushed against his sides, allowing the younger's scent to rub against him. It's tricky, not having a pack scent with so many pups around, it makes his inner self weep, but on the logical side he's happy, the fewer ties the less likely they'll be used against each other. This didn't mean he couldn't bask in their scent, though. The sweet earthy smell of taro filled his nostrils, healthy and strong. It made his muscles relax beneath armour and the puttering of anxiety dampened.
The bat's shoulders tensed when Red's eyes lit up at a particularly blue veil that had miraculously stayed in one piece during the explosion and felt his hackles rise as the younger man approached it.
Before his gloved fingers could brush against the bottle, an odd sheen caught his eye. Before he could stop himself, he snapped his teeth together with a clack in warning. All movement around him froze, Red mid-reach recoiled back like he was physically slapped while Lantern and Superman both froze mid-flight whilst a boulder was slung over the latter's head.
Embarrassment flooded his face and he knew Red noticed with the raised eyebrow he got from his son. "The glass is broken." he huffed as the two superheroes above continued to stand at attention, looking around as if they were caught with their hand in a cookie jar.
Knowing his omega was yelling about Tim, he couldn't stand around and ruin an investigation, he had to make an exit.
"Continue," he mutters, knowing they will hear him. He hands over a ziplock to Red before announcing, "I'm heading back." back, meaning, home. All three look at him in surprise and Clark asks,
"You just got here, though?"
Hal joins, "Aren't you gonna, I don't know, check every nook and cranny for potential clues like you usually do?"
Batman motioned to Red, "He can handle it." Who just pinged a finger at himself and mouthed the words, 'Me?' As he stared wide-eyed at his mentor who was usually extremely strict and by-the-book. But the more the trio gawked, the more he wanted to go home and organize the cave and rearrange his room.
Hal looked at Red and questioned him, "No offence, but since when do you trust others with your job?"
"I could ask the same thing." His son- unhelpfully- adds.
"I forgot my batarangs." He explained, knowing he had four different types on his person and turned to leave. Vaguely, he could hear Hal mutter to his coworkers.
"We're not even fighting anybody."
Clark looked at him worriedly, "Are we expecting to fight somebody?"
If he had a working scent, he knew he'd smell burnt with humiliation and sour with the urge to swaddle Red Robin in his cape and whisk him home then pile a bunch of blankets around to make sure he was comfortable and feed him till his belly was full— fuck his pack heat was coming.
***
Robots wielding giant war hammers were wreaking havoc in Star City, leaving a few heroes grounded, including Batman, Green Arrow, Canary, and two of Batman's kids, Signal and Spoiler, who wore expressions that made it clear they didn't want to be there.
As soon as Green Arrow opened his mouth to speak, his kids would minutely flinch and curl within themselves with disgust. After Roy was introduced to them by Jason, it was an unspoken rule that the kids just happened to look down on the man. It's not that Bruce didn't disagree, he doesn't go out of his way to avoid the man, but he also doesn't initiate conversation. The man outside of the costume but he's good at his job when it counts.
His relation to having a child running off made him want to become acquainted for some time until he left Roy to his own devices. He'd never leave one of his kids behind, no matter how far they stray from his morals, he will drag them back kicking and screaming even if it takes years.
Thus, where they are now.
Spoiler screaming into her earpiece as Arrow narrowly dodged a swing to the head, "Can you even see two feet in front of ya?" She clipped when the man missed a shot due to circumstances, "And I thought you were a marksman, I may as well call Red Hood over to do your job!"
Signal snickered under his breath and Bruce inwardly sighed.
Green Arrow looked at her in shock, "The crime lord again? Batman back me up here," He ignored the request with a pointed punch to an opponent. He thought the conversation was over until Signal uttered "At least Hood can hit his targets."
——
Bruce stomps into the tower, soaked to the bone from his latest escapade with Aquaman. He feels like a wet dog, the only thing missing is a tail. He pulled off the cowl that seemed to be on a mission to waterboard him since he stepped near Arthur's Bay Area. He hadn't had the foresight to wear his water suit as he wasn't expecting to get submerged within the icy ocean, now his eyeblack ran down his cheeks with the motive of becoming the next Niagara Falls.
Blinking away the makeup in his lashes, he felt a distinct hum from his pocket. Picking it up, the case read "NW" and with a sigh, he flipped the sealed phone open with a sigh, "Hello."
He continued walking down the corridors, vaguely listening to the splatters of salt water he trailed along the tiles as his son spoke, "Hey, B, you free tonight?" His eldest asks. Licking the salt off his lips, he answers,
"Depends."
"So are you patrolling tonight?" Dick asks then mumbles something about Jason cooking poppyseed muffins.
"No, I'm free for the night." He made the mistake of responding when he felt a gust of wind wrap around him, making him grab at his phone to keep it from flying. He grunts as the speedster materializes before him, a bright grin stretching from cheek to cheek.
Batman grunts, shoving Barry by the chest as he chastises, "No, I'm not."
"I just heard you say you were!"
"I'm free to go to bed, Barry."
"Just have a red-bull from my super secret stash." Flask admonishes, waving his hands around to get his point across that it was a fantastic idea.
"You mean the super secret stash in the supply closet behind the wall of paper towels?" He bites back, already moving to hang up the phone and talk to his son at home.
Flash blanched for a second before the grin appeared back on his face, "Who was that, a beau?" His eyes almost go manic with glee, making Bruce pale beneath the cowl, "What, no."
That doesn't deter Barry as a slew of incoherent questions stumble out of his mouth as he vibrates beside the bat. Bruce almost missed the sound of Dick calling for him, so he put the phone back to his ear.
"Is that Barry asking you to go out again?" Dick huffs out a laugh, the sound of keys clicking is faint in the background. He just grunts his affirmation before Dick continues, "Y'know, maybe go just this once so he can see how much of a grouch you are and he won't ask again." Dick schemes and he can hear the smirk in his voice. Bruce bites back a smile before turning to face Barry again, "Where?" He drags out a sigh from deep within his chest to show just how annoyed he was with him but it didn't deter Flash at all, in fact he somehow got so excited he almost vibrated to the floor before dashing away to announce the plans to the rest of the team.
Barry beams at him, his lily scent permitting the space and seeping into his sea water stench but this didn't seem to bother the other omega. "Ah, well, I actually have no idea when it is, but we were hoping for it to be within the next week, I know I asked specifically for tonight but I felt that that was a good conversation order so I-" he rambles a mile a minute as he walks away with a wave of his hand,
"Just contact me."
He sighs, bringing the phone back to his ear for the umpteenth time and complains to his son, "It better not be soon," He grumbles, "I want a muffin."
"And they say you're scary."
—-
A few days before this supposed outing, he was running drills with Damian before a short-notice meeting was called. Damian scowled at him, feigning annoyance about the early retirement, but Bruce knew better, his son just wanted to be with him and it made his heart ache in the best way as he looked down at him. The little Robin huffs, "What on earth could they possibly need you for, can't they do anything themselves?" He kicks his foot and angrily crosses his arms. He felt a familiar pull towards his son that he didn't want to ignore this time.
Damian continued to rant his obscenities as he interrupted,
"Do you want to come?"
Damian went silent and stiffened, a flash of shock spread across his face before he damped it down. For a moment, he thought he had made the wrong move before his youngest brought up his concern. "Truthfully, Father, I do not want to meet these imbeciles," translation: I am afraid of them and I do not want to show weakness.
"You can stay in my cape." He yearns for his son to say yes, his omega practically begging for it and just shy of voicing a distressed whine. Usually, he wouldn't have an issue keeping his pups in the safety of the manor, but he also understands that Damian has had a recent interest in branching outside of the bats and birds. Not that he wants him to, but he's learned his lesson in attempting to keep them under his wing for as long as possible, they get restless and run.
Damian gave him a perplexed look, his lip twitching ever so slightly as he seemed to be weighing the pros and cons before finally giving in to his curiosity. With a nod, he announces, "If you wish, Father."
Making sure Damian was comfortably tucked away, they zipped up into the tower. He felt the little body wriggle around his waist and he had to bite the inside of his lip to hold back a smile as he felt his Robin attempt to sneakily peek through the gap of his cape as he walked down the halls. Bruce idly rubs a clawed glove through his pup's hair as he enters the bustling meeting room.
Immediately, J'onn looks over at him, then down as if he could see Damian before his gaze quickly flickers back up with a polite nod of recognition. He nods back before looking at the presentation that's been pulled up on the screen and sits in his usual spot across from Superman. His glasses rest on his head, tangled within his curly locks as if he rushed from work- which was likely the case.
Barry was the last to make it, taking his rightful seat next to him. He felt the immediate change in his pup's demeanour, his muscles loosening a little bit of tension as he recognized the proximity of another omega. Barry, unbeknownst to him, grinned at him, "Are you still down for dinner Friday?" He whispered excitedly, "I'll finally have another omega to talk to, just listening to these guys makes my head spin on a good day." And Batman couldn't help the small curve of his lips as an acknowledgment.
As the Omegas made small talk, the conversation being carried by Barry with the comital hums of the bat, nobody noticed the stock still Kryptonian across from them, his gaze narrowed onto the knight.
It was as normal as breathing for Clark to hear people's heartbeats. As per usual, he accounted for his loved ones and teammates, idly listening to them like the background hum of rain or traffic. This time there was a noticeably smaller, quicker beat in the room that snapped him into the present. He softly gazed across the room, trying and probably failing to keep his posture casual as he looked for the intruding thump.
He felt his skin go pale and clammy with nerves as he couldn't see through the lead-lined suit but the heartbeat was easy to pinpoint, it was coming from Batman. Beside his calm and controlled beat was a much smaller one that fluttered by his own. Two heartbeats originated from within the armour and he felt his own heart skip and thud within his chest. Was B pregnant? And why on earth was he fighting crime while carrying a pup? Does he even know?"
Anxiety shot through his system as he looked back at the board, noticing J'onn's softer gaze on the knight and Flash having a hushed conversation.
Just as quickly as the anxiety filled him it was overcome by jealousy, a deep-rooted envy from his core that shocked him out of his stupor. He needed to regroup, he needed to talk to Diana, she always knew what to do.
——
As Barry continued talking plans with Bats, he nearly jumped right out of his skin when he felt a pinch on his thigh. Normally, on an average day he would blame the nearest person, but Batman wasn't like that, was he? Getting his heart under control he brushed it off as the man's belt caught onto the fabric of his own suit with their proximity. But he couldn't deny the second poke.
Holding back a yell he looks down at the cape that seemed to be moving with a mind of its own, he carefully glared at the man who just stared at him blankly as if daring him to say something as a tiny hand poked back out from the cape and felt the grooves of his thin armour that usually went unnoticed. He held back the surprised and happy purr that tried to crawl out of his throat and swallowed it whole.
His omegan nose immediately clocked the milky puppy scent once he focused and he had to hold in his excitement, but he couldn't stop the pleased pheromones from leaking out, his own scent getting a little warmer. He knows the bat could smell his enthusiasm by the way his lips ticked up in a smirk. He wished he could smell him too, but maybe he could again one day.
Not so subtly, he lifts his chair to scoot closer to Barry so their shoulders and thighs would've touched if the cape weren't in the way. Up close, beneath the ozone and oil, he smelled the tiniest hint of fruit that he so desperately wanted to smell again, but he wouldn't start scenting the bat just because he was comfortable enough to get closer and show the hidden pup.
Gingerly, Bruce lifted his cape so Damian could reach his hand out and see Flash up close. He could tell his pup was rolling in silent elation at being so close to another league member. The duo looked back at the meeting board as Barry pretended he didn't feel the pokes and prods while Batman feigned innocence.
Eventually, he saw Barry move his arm reaching out with an open palm so the pup could inspect his wrist gadget and the pads on his palms. Damian almost recoiled but gained confidence when his mother stroked his back in a reassuring gesture. He played with it beneath the table and cape, the noise of him shuffling overthrown by the hefty chatter and movement of the room.
When Barry's band finally got unlocked by the pup, he almost cooed in pride as he smelt the sweet excitement of the kid as he discovered the candy bar hidden within it. Batman and Barry discreetly glanced at each other, and Barry's not-so-hidden smile was shared between the two. Their little secret.
As the hidden puppy played with his fingers, the meeting was called to an end far too soon, and neither he nor Batman got an inkling of what was said as they were preoccupied.
And far too quickly they separated with one last squeeze and a small nudge to Batman's shoulder as they bid their farewells.