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Dick shouldn’t be living somewhere with such terrible security, Bruce thought as he easily picked the lock on the front door of Dick’s apartment.
Dick may have stormed out and said he didn’t need Bruce running his life anymore, but he was still just a boy. An impulsive, reckless, legal adult of a boy, but a boy nonetheless. He needed someone to look out for him.
Of course he’d been keeping track of Nightwing in the press and social media despite their estrangement. He’d noticed a month ago when sightings of Nightwing had slowed to a crawl for no discernible reason. Even Oracle hadn’t been able to trace him since last week.
Either Dick had suddenly decided he needed to operate in secrecy, or he wasn’t going out. He wasn’t going out with the Titans or Bruce would’ve known. He could’ve been injured, but he wasn’t dead since his bank card still showed activity and the security cameras at his work had picked up his coming and going.
If Dick had simply decided he couldn’t balance civilian responsibilities with his vigilante life, Bruce would be pleased. Dick should be in college figuring out what he wanted with his life instead of living here on his own with no supervision.
Somehow, Bruce doubted he was that lucky. Hence entering Dick's apartment. Something was wrong, and Bruce was going to find out what.
He might’ve called, but warning was also a chance for Dick to run away from the conversation. He could’ve knocked, but it was late by the time Bruce made it to Blüdhaven. If Dick wasn’t out as Nightwing, he might be sleeping, and Bruce didn’t want Dick getting cranky because Bruce dragged him out of bed to open a very easily-opened door.
Bruce stepped into the apartment and wrinkled his nose. He smelled an omega, a pup too—was Dick dating someone? Someone with a child?
Dick was far too young to be a stepfather. Bruce hoped the omega was a friend and not a lover, but Dick acquired both so easily.
Bruce had the layout of Dick’s apartment memorized from the floorplan he’d found online. He checked the couch first in case Dick had fallen asleep watching something, but he found nothing but a small nest of blankets on one end of the couch. The omega was over a lot then if they were making nests in Dick’s apartment.
Bruce went from there to the master bedroom. He eased open the door quiet as he could, just like he had when Dick was little. Dick’s scent, stronger in the bedroom, made his heart ache. Bruce missed his son.
Dick was in bed, and it seemed he wasn’t alone. Bruce was about to close the door and wait, but then the scent hit him more clearly than the traces around the apartment: the omega did not have a pup.
The omega was the pup.
And pregnant.
In Dick’s bed.
Bruce’s blood ran cold, his instincts as Batman screaming at him to pull the pup out of the alpha’s bed, but his instincts as a father protested that Dick would never! The omega’s scent was so young, a teenager only a few years presented! Dick was a good boy, so empathetic, he’d know better! But there he was with a young pregnant omega curled up against his neck in his bed.
Bruce knocked on the open door to wake them, forcing himself to be calm for the sake of the pup, but what the fucking hell.
The omega sat up in a sleepy daze then screamed at the sight of Bruce silhouetted in the doorway. Dick snarled viciously before he was even awake and launched himself across the room, swinging wildly at Bruce.
Bruce stepped to the side, forcing Dick to come out into the hallway to face him for the next flurry of blows. The moment Dick realized it was Bruce, his attacks switched from trying to tear Bruce’s throat out to trying to push Bruce away from the bedroom.
Good, Bruce thought grimly. He let Dick push him out into the living room. The omega didn’t follow.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dick snarled viciously.
In a moment of extreme self-control, Bruce didn’t yell back. “What am I—Dick, who is that in your bed?”
Dick scowled, but anxiety spiked in his scent. “It’s none of your business.”
Guilt. Dick feels guilty. God, please, no. “Dick, how old is he? He smells like a child.”
“You think I did that?” Dick cried in offense, far too loud for the middle of the night in an apartment building.
“You were in bed with a pregnant omega pup, Dick. Do you have an explanation?” Bruce asked, pulse racing.
It wasn’t illegal for an alpha to bed an omega once presented, but the omega was a child. With a scent blocker, maybe the teenager could’ve pretended to be older, old enough to be appropriate. Dick was young too. There might’ve been some explanation that wasn’t Dick knowingly impregnating a teenager, but what the hell had Dick done?
“Fuck you, Bruce,” Dick growled, his scent darkening with fury and hurt. “Jason was pregnant when I saved him, so I’m taking care of him. We’re a pack now.”
“If he’s pack, why didn’t you bring him home?” Bruce demanded, hurt and relief flooding him. That would be a reasonable enough explanation. A pregnant omega seeking protection from a packmate while they slept was very common. If they saw each other as pack…yes, that was acceptable.
“What home?” Dick snapped. “You made it very clear you don’t want me anymore.”
“I took Robin from you because you were shot.” He stopped himself just short of calling Dick dramatic. “I wanted you safe, not gone!”
“Like it was the first fucking time I’d been shot? You fired me because I got too old for you to boss around, and you had no fucking right!” Dick dropped his voice to a nasty hiss. “After all those years saying I was your partner not your sidekick, you fired me like I was just an annoying employee the second I aged out of the system.”
“Dick—”
“You don’t get to come around here after months without so much as a text and think you get to tell me how to handle my pack,” Dick snarled, his voice thick and eyes watery. “I get it, I’m not your kid, but—but you don’t get to take this from me too.”
Bruce was taken aback by the hurt in Dick’s voice and his scent. Dick smelled so young that Bruce reached for him on instinct to comfort his pup, but Dick slapped his hand away.
“You’re still pack,” Bruce said, surprised this was an issue. “We’re still a pack, Dick. You said it didn’t have to matter that you weren’t adopted.”
Dick seemed genuinely startled at the words and blinked a couple times in confusion before he drew in a sharp breath and looked away. It wasn’t quite submission, but it was close.
Dick glanced back at the bedroom, then to Bruce. “Jason’s scared. I’m going to talk to him, and if…if he’s cool with it, I’ll introduce you. You stay out here, and don’t spook him. He’s skittish with alphas.”
Bruce nodded and took a seat on the couch, tipping his head slightly in his own gesture of almost-submission. It put them on more equal footing. Dick was still Bruce’s pup, but he apparently had his own branch pack to handle.
Bruce would, however reluctantly, have to respect that.
Dick closed the bedroom door behind him, trying to get a grip on his feelings. It was just like Bruce to storm back into his life like this after months without talking to him only to suddenly start acting like he wanted to be Dick’s dad again or something.
Dick swiped at the corners of his eyes—he did not need to freak Jason out more—and looked around the room for his little brother. Jason wasn’t on the bed or anywhere Dick could see, which meant he was hiding.
Dick had learned a while ago that if Jason felt the need to hide, he shouldn’t look for the omega. Instead, Dick put his back to the door and sat down on the floor.
“Jay, it’s just me,” Dick said softly but loud enough that Jason would be able to hear wherever he was tucked away. “He’s not coming in. I’m protecting us.”
A long silence, then a muffled sob came from the closet. Dick stayed where he was till the door creaked open and a small hand reached out and beckoned him over.
Dick stopped at the closet door and crouched. “Do you want me to come in or stand guard out here?”
Jason sobbed again, but he pushed open the door in a silent answer. Dick took that as a summons and crawled into the closet. He settled himself so that his body block the doorway. Anyone who wanted to get at Jason would have to go through Dick.
“It’s okay, Jay. You’re both okay,” Dick promised. “Bruce is scary looking, but he’s a softie with kids.”
Jason keened and scrambled free of the blanket, throwing himself onto Dick. Dick held him close even as acrid fear scent burned in his nose.
“Why’s he saying you’re pack, Dick?” Jason’s face was wet against his neck. “Is—is he your pack leader?”
Loaded question that was impossible to answer, but Dick sighed and shrugged. “I…kind of. It’s complicated.”
“You said you were on your own!” Jason cried with such betrayal that Dick felt like he’d been stabbed. “You can’t just accept a ‘mega into your pack all on your own if you aren’t the pack leader!”
Annoyance flared despite his guilt. Dick didn’t need Bruce’s permission to take care of his own little brother. He tried to tamp down that part of his scent, but Jason was so sensitive to any change in smell. He immediately flinched and curled his head against Dick’s chest with a repentant whine.
“I’m sorry,” Jason whispered, clutching Dick’s shirt. “I—I shouldn’t argue with you, I’m sorry.”
“Jason, no.”
Dick had made a mess of things. The last time Jason had apologized or submitted over something dumb was weeks ago. It hurt to hear him slip back into old survival strategies like he thought he needed to earn Dick’s protection.
“You know you don’t have to submit to me or not argue when you’re mad, okay?” Dick reminded him, but he couldn’t force Jason to not submit. “Bruce isn’t going to be mad at you for anything. He was mad at me because he thought I might be hurting you.”
That had hurt like a knife. It might’ve looked bad to someone who didn’t know him, but Bruce thinking Dick was some kind of rapist was just cruel.
“Bruce took me in and raised me after my parents died, but we…” Dick sighed and curled Jason closer. “I don’t know what we are. He’s not my dad, but I guess he still thinks we’re pack. But I promise, he’s not going to hurt you or Chickadee.”
“You can’t promise that!” Jason cried. “He can still send me away!”
“Then I’ll go with you. I won’t let us get separated.”
Bruce wouldn’t try to separate a pregnant omega from their only packmate unless he was actually the most boneheaded person in the world. He might try it after Jason’s baby—Dick had nicknamed the baby Chickadee to go with the family bird theme—was born because Bruce didn’t think Dick was mature enough to be an independent adult, let alone an uncle.
If Bruce did try to separate them, it would be a misguided attempt to help Jason. Whatever “solution” Bruce came up with—probably some kind of foster home or group home where Jason and Chickie could be safe but without their pack—he wouldn’t throw Jason back to the streets. It was also irrelevant because Dick would not let that happen.
“You can’t do that! You can’t leave your pack for me!” Jason shook his head, but he still had a death grip on Dick’s shirt.
“You’re my pack, Jason. I promise. Forever and always, you’re my pack.”
Jason didn’t seem convinced.
“Let’s go meet Bruce, then,” Dick said gently. “He can tell you all this himself, and then he can leave.”
Jason just stared at him smelling scared, his baby blue eyes watering miserably.
“You know I would never hurt you or let someone else hurt you,” Dick reminded him. They’d had this conversation before, even if it had never been about Bruce. “If I thought Bruce was a threat to either of you, I would’ve kicked his ass and thrown him out of the apartment. He’s safe.”
Jason nodded half-heartedly. “Just—if he does want me to leave, just don’t let him hit me, okay? I’ll go, he doesn’t have to—or he can hit my face, that’s okay, but not my belly.”
“If he tries to hit you, I’m going to tear his throat out,” Dick growled at just the thought. “Chickie is my pack too, remember?”
The fear in his scent ticked down just a hair, and Jason nodded again with a bit more certainty. Dick helped Jason out of the closet and offered Jason his hand. Normally, when Jason was scared, he sought out physical reassurance.
Jason shook his head worriedly, probably worried about getting too much of Dick’s scent on him. If Jason thought Bruce would be angry at Dick for accepting a packmate without permission, he probably didn’t want to rub it in Bruce’s face.
Dick didn’t push the issue. He hated that giving Jason comfort would only make things worse, but that was just the way things were for the moment.
Dick stifled a sigh. He’d been planning to probably eventually (maybe) introduce Jason to Bruce, but he hadn’t exactly thought the matter would be decided for him in the middle of the night.
Bruce just loved to make Dick’s life more complicated.
Even sitting on the couch, the alpha was huge. His pale eyes, lit by the warm glow of lamplight, observed every aspect of Jason and Dick as they stepped into the living room. Jason’s skin prickled like the alpha was peeling it off his flesh to take a peek underneath.
Jason stopped at the threshold of the room and bared his throat with a submissive whine. “I—I’m sorry, alpha, I didn’t know you were—I didn’t know Dick didn’t have permission, honest!”
The safety he’d reveled in had been a lie, and now he had to sober up because all three of them were in trouble. Dick never should’ve taken Jason in without asking his pack alpha first, but Chickadee was the one in real danger.
“I won’t hurt you, Jason,” the alpha said mildly. Bruce, Dick said that his name was Bruce, but Jason wasn’t allowed to call him that. “Would you mind if you and I talk alone for a minute?”
“Bruce—” Dick started, growling at the pack leader like Jason didn’t need Bruce’s approval if he wanted to stay.
“Yes, alpha,” Jason said before Dick could argue more.
Dick scowled at him, clearly frustrated, but Dick always said that Jason got to make choices. He was choosing this. He glared at Dick and tried to impress into the stupid alpha how important this was.
If the pack alpha rejected Jason, he would be back on the streets with no way to hide how pregnant he was. Jason couldn’t ruin Dick’s life by taking Dick with him, so it would be just Jason and Chickadee and thousands of evil bastards in this fucking city who would love to get their hands on a young, unmated omega even if he was pregnant.
“Fine. I’ll be in the bedroom, if you get scared or need help, you can come to me or yell and I’ll come to you, okay?” Dick conceded tersely.
Jason hesitated and didn’t nod. Dick was openly plotting against Bruce in front of the alpha. Jason’s hands twitched against his stomach, and a small foot kicked his hand, reminding Jason what he was fighting for.
Jason had too much to lose to risk offending the pack alpha. Dick would understand, or he’d at least forgive Jason if he explained later why he had to defer to the older alpha.
After a few moments of silence, Dick sighed and left with a final warning growl at Bruce. Stupid alpha, didn’t he know that he was making it harder for himself to keep Jason? Jason wanted to smack just as much as he wanted to beg Dick not to leave him with this stranger.
Jason forced his hands to his side and uncurled from his defensive posture. He needed to look submissive and docile, like he was a proper omega and not just a street whore Dick found in an alley. It was hard not to shake, but most alphas didn’t like when he was scared. It made them feel like they were doing something bad. Even Dick didn’t like when Jason was scared.
That’s because he cares about me.
Some alphas liked him being scared, though. Sick freaks who wanted to pin him and make it hurt.
Bruce curled a finger to beckon Jason closer, and Jason somehow managed to walk forward without a struggle. Bruce’s expression shifted as Jason stepped into the light, something almost like recognition. Jason had the brief, terrible thought that Bruce had been one of the faceless johns he’d taken in back alleys to support himself, but he would’ve remembered a guy as big and scary as Bruce.
He still expected Bruce to pull Jason onto his lap—hopefully Dick would just stay in the bedroom and wait—but Bruce gestured for him to stop just in front of him. If it had been Dick sitting there, there wouldn’t be a problem, but Bruce wasn’t Dick, so Jason wanted to cry.
“You’re alright, pup,” Bruce said, his voice calm and soft. “I just want to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?”
Jason could still smell the anger in the air from Bruce’s fight with Dick. Either the alpha could switch up quickly, or the calm was fake.
Or…maybe…maybe he was interested enough in Jason that he’d gotten over all the being mad. Alphas could be like that, so distracted by sex that they forgot everything else. Dick wasn’t like other alphas, but Bruce…Jason didn’t know yet.
Bruce was waiting, and Jason remembered he’d been asked a question. He nodded quickly.
“What is your relationship with Dick?” Bruce asked, leaning forward with his wrists on his knees.
“He—he ain’t the dad, if that’s what you’re asking!” Jason said quickly. He was so stupid, of course Bruce was worried about that! “He’s not—you don’t gotta punish him for it, it’s not his fault I’m knocked up, swear!”
Jason wanted to be relieved when Bruce looked relieved, but Bruce was just happy his subordinate alpha hadn’t sired a pup on a dirty little street whore. That didn’t bode well for said whore.
“Does…Are you and Dick ever sexual with each other?”
Jason shook his head. “No, alpha. He doesn’t want me, even though I said he could. I—I’m clean, and I’m not claimed, if you—if you want me, alpha.”
He sounded like such a slut. Dick said Bruce raised him, so that made Bruce like his sort-of-brother’s dad. He didn’t even want to think about how horrified and furious Dick would be if he found out.
But Jason needed this pack. Even if it came with all the strings he’d feared, Chickadee needed somewhere safe, and Jason…he didn’t think he could go back to the streets again, not without trying his damnedest to stay. Even if it meant Bruce fucked him every day, Jason would let it happen.
That didn’t mean Bruce would even want him. Fancy alpha like that probably wouldn’t want a street whore for anything but a quick fuck. Jason was a paper plate, meant to be used once and discarded in the trash.
Bruce shook his head. “The difference in our ages alone would make it highly inappropriate to have any kind of sexual relationship or contact with you even if you weren’t a child. I know some people consider omegas adults at presentation, but I do not. I will not touch you sexually in any way.”
“I—I…you don’t gotta pay me.” Jason winced at his own words. Any suspicions Bruce might’ve had were now laid to bed: Jason was a slut.
“Exploiting someone’s vulnerability to make them earn protection or basic necessities with sex is also rape.” Bruce looked very sad. “You should’ve been protected before this, but you are safe now.”
Jason almost frowned at Bruce. He had the brief, irrational thought that he could really see the family resemblance. Dick was Bruce’s kid, wasn’t he?
“Does Dick make you feel safe?” Bruce asked, smiling slightly as his tone lightened.
More than this big alpha did. Jason wished he were back in Dick’s bedroom with his brother. He nodded.
“How does he make you feel safe?” Bruce asked.
Was he mad that Dick was using pack resources on Jason? Even if he was being honest ‘bout the sex stuff, that didn’t mean he was okay with Dick dealing out favors. Jason wished he knew what Bruce wanted him to say.
“He—he gives me food,” Jason whispered as he tried in vain to read Bruce’s face for annoyance. Obviously Dick had been feeding him if he was keeping him, so Bruce couldn’t be too mad. “And he—he lets me sit with him and pick movies. And he gets me books, and he—he talks to me, and he snarls at alphas who try to look at me funny when we’re at the store.” Jason drew in a deep breath. “I know—I know Dick wasn’t supposed to take me in because he’s not the pack leader, but I haven’t been using too many resources, and I clean! And Dick is teaching me how to cook, so I can do that too, promise! I’m not—” He was a burden. “I…”
Jason whined and bared his throat in submission. He didn’t have any defense. He didn’t deserve their resources, he couldn’t earn any of the kindness he’d been given. That didn’t matter to Dick, but it might to Bruce.
Bruce made a soft sound and stood—he was so fucking huge, he could probably snap Jason’s neck without trying, he could crush Chickadee just as easily—and brushed his fingers against Jason’s throat to accept the submission in lieu of biting.
Jason exhaled sharply in relief. He didn’t know if he would have been able to keep his cool with a giant alpha gnawing on him.
“Dick found a very good pup for our pack,” Bruce said gently, running his fingers up Jason’s neck to his chin, prompting Jason to raise his face. “May I scent you?”
Jason didn’t dare say no. He nodded very quickly and forced himself still as Bruce gently petted his hair and shoulders, leaving his scent all over Jason. Marking Jason as his. The alpha’s scent on him was possessive, yes, but protective and didn’t have a trace of lust. After the last month with Dick, his instincts had started to associate that combination of scents with safety and comfort. Jason had to fight himself not to lean into the touch.
As Bruce sat back down, Jason dared a small breath and a tiny smile. The alpha had given him a pack claim without it hurting even a little. It must apply to Chickadee too, right? They were a package deal at that moment.
“Dick, you can come back in now,” Bruce called lowly, more conscious of the neighbors than the younger alpha was.
The bedroom door flew open, and Dick was at Jason’s side in an instant. He pulled Jason against his chest and sniffed, wrinkling his nose when he caught Bruce’s scent. Jason leaned against Dick even though he smelled faintly annoyed at the other alpha’s scent. \
He was claimed. Bruce didn’t seem that mad at Dick. Everything was going well.
Satisfied that Jason was unharmed, Dick swung his arm around Jason’s shoulders and turned on Bruce.
“What are you doing here?” Dick demanded.
Dick was such a fucking idiot. Had he lost his damned mind? Jason tugged on Dick’s sleeve to signal him to shut up, but Dick just scented Jason like he thought that was what Jason was trying to get at. Jason couldn’t even get mad and snip at the alpha because that would show Bruce that he wasn’t actually a good omega.
“Nightwing has been missing,” Bruce said with a trace of irritation that matched Dick’s tone. “I was worried about you.”
Dick straightened, surprised.
“You could’ve called,” Dick pointed out, but Dick smelled a bit pleased.
“Next time,” Bruce agreed noncommittally. “Has Jason seen a doctor yet?”
“Of course,” Dick scoffed. “You think I’m stupid? We went to Leslie a month ago.”
“What?” Bruce frowned and sat straighter. “When was this? She didn’t tell me anything.”
Jason curled his fingers in Dick’s shirt. Everything had been going well till Dick decided to challenge the alpha over stupid shit. Who cared why the pack alpha was there? He’d accepted Jason and Chickadee!
“Ever heard of HIPAA?” Dick asked, smugness in his scent and tone.
Would they let him go back to his nest if they were going to fight? He didn’t know if he could submit to Bruce if he watched the pack leader beat Dick for insubordination. Jason couldn’t stop a frightened whine.
The attention of both alphas snapped to him. Jason gasped and buried his face against Dick’s shoulder, but that showed that he expected Dick to protect him from Bruce, which would probably just make everything worse.
“Oh, Jay.” Dick gathered Jason into a proper hug and guided Jason’s face to the crook of his neck. “Everything’s okay, Jay. No one’s going to hurt you or Chickadee.”
“Please don’t fight,” Jason whimpered and choked back a sob.
“We won’t,” Dick promised. The irritation in Dick’s scent was quickly replaced by care and protectiveness as he rubbed circles between Jason’s shoulders. “We’ll be good, I’m sorry.”
“We didn’t mean to frighten you, Jason,” Bruce agreed. “You have nothing to fear from us.”
Dick hummed a note of agreement and carded his fingers through Jason’s hair. “Why don’t you go back to bed? It’s late.”
Bed sounded so nice. Jason would love to go back to sleep and pretend the intruding pack leader was just a horrible nightmare.
“Why don’t you both come back to the manor?” Bruce suggested.
Jason could’ve cried. He wanted his nest, but he had to behave or Bruce could so easily throw him out.
Irritation flared in Dick’s scent before he stifled it, but it was still in his tone. “We’re fine here.”
Bruce huffed. “Jason should be with the pack.”
“I’m his pack,” Dick said tersely, hugging Jason closely.
Both alphas were clearly straining to sound level, but they weren’t doing a very good job of it. Jason sniffled miserably and held his breath to keep from crying.
“And so is Alfred,” Bruce countered. “And so am I. Are you not going to introduce Jason to Alfred?”
Whoever Alfred was, that affected Dick enough that he didn’t argue back immediately.
Jason nudged his arm. “We—we should do what alpha says.”
“Don’t—” Dick grimaced. “You don’t have to call him that, and you don’t have to do what he says.”
Jason pinched Dick in the side. Dick yelped. It made him look ornery and like a shitty omega, but what the fuck was Dick doing?
“You can call me Bruce.” Bruce didn’t sound annoyed at Jason for being disruptive or at Dick for being a stupid asshole yet. “Why don’t you come by tomorrow, then? Even if you don’t want…if you want to stay here, that’s your choice, but we should still set up a nursery for when you visit in the future.”
Jason perked up at that. A nursery? A dedicated space for his pup? That definitely meant his pup was getting accepted too! Anxiety forgotten, he purred against Dick’s side.
Dick looked down at Jason and sighed. “Fine. We’ll see you tomorrow. But you should go now.”
“Very well.”
Bruce rose from the couch and gave them a wide berth as he walked past. When Dick followed Bruce to the door, Jason shuffled along with him with his arms still wrapped around Dick’s middle.
Bruce paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Your locks are very insecure.”
“Thanks, B,” Dick grumbled. “I’ll change them or something. Now get out of here, Jason needs sleep.”
Jason pinched Dick again, more subtly this time. He did not want to be blamed for rudely kicking the alpha out of the apartment. Dick winced.
“Of course,” Bruce agreed, smiling indulgently at Jason. “May I scent you before I leave?”
Jason hugged Dick a little tighter before he detached himself and stepped forward with a nod. Bruce scented just Jason’s head and shoulders again, then he cast a questioning glance to Dick.
Dick rolled his eyes but submitted to his own scenting. He scented Bruce back before all but shooing the pack alpha out the door.
Dick considered the locks, sighed, and leaned a chair under the door handle either because of what Bruce had said about security or just to keep the alpha from coming back.
As Dick and Jason stared silently at the now-barricade door, an odd dreamlike feeling came over Jason. He sniffed his pajama shirt just to check that there really had been a strange alpha in the apartment who’d just claimed Dick into his pack.
Jason frowned. “Was that Bruce Wayne?”
Bruce’s mind spun faster than the wheels of his car the whole way home. The last time he had felt such confusion and conviction warring in him had been a decade ago when he drove home without the coat he’d left around the orphaned acrobat’s shoulders.
Bruce didn’t know anything about babies.
He didn’t even know what he didn’t know about babies.
Well, they had to be born. That was a start, or an end, or both depending on how it was looked at. He needed to start researching maternity wards in Gotham and Blüdhaven and the surrounding areas.
How far along was Jason? Had he had an ultrasound? They’d gone to Leslie, but she wasn’t an OBGYN. That was another thing Bruce needed to handle.
Dick and Jason needed to move back in. Beyond the fact that the pack should be together to support the first infant in the pack since Bruce, Dick had work and Jason needed to be in school, so they’d need someone to watch the baby.
Alfred would obviously help, but so could Bruce.
The thought warmed him. No one could tell Bruce that he couldn’t hold a baby at work, he owned the company. He’d work from home if that was better for the pup.
Did they still have the antique family cradle Bruce had slept in as a pup? Did it meet modern safety standards? He needed to test it for lead, and they’d need more blankets too for the pup and for Jason.
The baby would need toys. Formula? He’d get some to be safe. Leslie would’ve made sure Jason was take prenatal vitamins, wouldn’t she? He was still frustrated she hadn’t told him Dick had taken in a pregnant teenager, but he needed her advice on a multitude of things.
He parked the car in the garage, almost surprised he hadn’t crashed in his state. Had he been told he’d teleported from Blüdhaven to Gotham, he may have well believed it. He was a nervous wreck already, and he hadn’t even told Alfred.
Bruce found Alfred in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a cup of tea and a well-worn book in his hands. Even when Bruce was not out in the cowl, Alfred rarely slept before he knew Bruce was home safe.
Alfred looked up over the rim of his spectacles. “Master Bruce? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I talked to Dick.” That was an understatement, but Bruce was too distracted by all the unsecured cabinets and the viciously sharp knives on the counter. They were going to have to babyproof the entire manor.
The cave, too. There were knives, tools, sheer drops onto unforgiving rock, a dinosaur…Bruce had so much work to do.
“And how did the conversation go?” Alfred asked, setting his book on the table.
“I’m going to be a grandfather.”