Work Text:
“That is literally the worst idea you’ve ever come up with.” Hal deadpanned, his face was smushed against the conference table as Barry gasped in offense.
“Oh! Well-“ he took a second too long that the moment had passed and any rebuttal would be socially invalid, “-I don’t see you doing any better. At least I’m thinking outside the box…”
“Your idea was very well thought out-” J’onn approached from the side, rolling in a chair, and placed a firm hand on the speedy man’s shoulder in support.
“Why thank you, J’onn-“
“-for as elementary as it was.“ he grinned and quickly took his hand away as Barry processed the joke and whipped around in shock. The Martian has been getting better at his humor and timing, its success evident at Hal’s dramatic laugh as he leaned back in his chair, clutching his chest for air.
“Blasphemy-“ Flash gasped over the ring user’s, rather obnoxious and over the top reaction, “Ref! Ref- I’m getting ganged up on over here! Yellow card!” The speedster waved his hands across the table towards Batman.
Batman, or “ref”, as he was now titled, sighed, hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair. His cowl taken off not too long ago because Bruce couldn’t be bothered with keeping up appearances if his team already knew who he was. The mask was more a formality, and so that the others wouldn’t mix and inadvertently underestimate his hero persona for his air-headed public one.
The bickering between the two, mind you, fully grown adults, continued and the vigilante did his best to tune it out and face the tablet he was currently typing on, noting the time.
Bruce should be home right now, with his child, reading him a bedtime story. He knows how much it means to Dick for him to be there, tuck him in, and seal it off with a goodnight kiss, but no. Instead he was in the watchtower, navigating through the tens to hundreds of tabs he had opened. The only person recognizing his misery at this current predicament was J’onn who had been feeling the emotion rolling off of the bat in waves all night.
Anyways, the whole reason that they’re here in the first place was that an emergency meeting had been called because Black Canary, who was on monitor duty, had intercepted a message from an unknown alien species, with an unknown language, and unknown threat level four- no, five hours ago.
They’ve been throwing the cryptic message into every code translating software they had on hand, evolving into Bruce creating an entirely new one himself, to all of them combing through the, unfortunately, unorganized language database.
Still nothing has given them even the faintest idea of this species’ intentions with their planet.
Dick should be in bed by now, Bruce thought to himself as he watched Superman send yet another message to an intergalactic Justice League ally which has so far garnered zero responses. His boy would have to settle with Alfred’s accent to lull him to sleep.
The father will apologize in the morning for his unexpected absence, maybe make it up to him somehow… But until then-
“Tati?”
Conversation halted as each adult in the room faced the entry way that dwarfed the small child standing in it.
That child was his, Bruce processed. His boy in the watchtower, in space, not Gotham. Not back at home, safely tucked away in the security of the manor.
Dick stood there in his blue pajamas that Alfred had gifted him on his 8th birthday only a few weeks ago paired with his red fluffy slippers that Bruce owned a matching pair from Christmas. His wide blue eyes searched the room as he clutched his elephant plushie, clearly not expecting to walk into a room with an audience of Earth’s mightiest defenders.
Before he even knew what he was doing, Bruce had swiftly stood up and made his way to his son and bent down to one knee to meet him eye-level.
“Are you alright?” Was the first question out of his mouth as the father grasped the boy’s shoulders gently, immediately checking him over for any physical injuries.
“Did something happen?” Bruce probed further after no answer to the initial question. Dick just clung to his stuffed toy harder, looking over Batman’s shoulder at the curious gazes of his colleagues.
His son finally shook his head no, confirming that nothing was the matter.
The response and the negative results to his personal physical, Bruce sighed and relaxed his shoulders which he hadn’t even noticed were tense.
“What do you need, Chum?” Batman asked, the familiar nickname finally garnering the attention of Dick.
“I just…” the boy brought the elephant to his face as if to hide behind it, gaze flickering to the silent Justice league and back to Bruce one last time, “I just wanted to see Tati…”
And Bruce could swear his heart was going to explode as his chest filled with warmth.
Now more than ever did he want to pick up his son, wrap him in his protective arms, and march back down to Earth and cuddle until they both fell asleep.
Instead of that though, Bruce huffed fondly and opened his arms, an invitation and a way to dispel the tension between his coworkers and the new face, “Well you found me and I’m here now, want to come see what we’re working on?”
At this, Dick’s eyes lit up with curiosity and quickly looped his arms around the older man’s neck, chin slotting over his shoulders with practiced ease.
Standing and lifting the small boy, one arm supporting his bottom and the other protectively over his back, Batman turned to the league members, who have yet to say anything since the arrival of the child.
“Batman…” Superman was the first brave soul to break the silence, “Care to introduce us?”
Batman approached where the rest were still gathered. He expected this type of response from the heroes, one of shock, quieting even the chattiest of members. It made sense since Batman, the lone wolf, dark knight, vigilante’s brand wasn’t necessarily one for children.
Dick readjusted in his grip so that his head was not only comfortably cradled under his father’s chin but so he could look and better see the equally curious adults.
The grip tightening around his neck was enough of a sign that Dick was still a little too shy to be speaking so Bruce introduced Dick himself.
“This is Richard, or Dick. My son.”
The admittance earned gasps of shock, from Superman most of all.
“I had heard rumors of Bruce Wayne adopting a child, but didn’t know they were true.” Clark murmured, ever the investigative journalist, always in the know of any celebrity gossip.
Bruce nodded, subconsciously swaying to comfort the child, “Yes, I haven’t made any official statement yet but there is an upcoming event that we both will be attending, isn’t that right? Hmm?” He hummed, addressing the head of black curly hair he was resting on in an attempt to prompt him to join the conversation.
The boy nodded, still choosing to remain silent, eyes never leaving Superman.
Bruce noticed the Kryptonian wilt a little, shoulders hunching in on themselves, under the intense gaze and knew that Boy Scout was thinking his boy was scared of him.
“He’s a little shy.” Bruce informed Superman, wanting to make it known that Dick wasn’t frightened, “Although you are his favorite superhero.” He revealed.
Clark straightened back up as if the sun had replenished his energy and beamed, happy to hear this.
“I’m your favorite?” Superman repeated in awe and relaxed his shoulders a little to not look as large and assuming as he usually does when dealing with children.
“No.” Dick bluntly replied.
It was fascinating watching how quickly Clark’s body wilted once more, morphing to reflect his mood. Might be a good point to bring up later when discussing body language reading and techniques.
“You’re my second favorite.” The little boy clarified, finally sitting up in his father’s hold, and confidently held up two fingers cementing Superman’s rank.
“Then who’s your first?” Bruce looked confused, furrowing his brows at this new info. He was sure Superman was his favorite if Dick’s extensive collection of merchandise was anything to go by.
“I bet it’s me!” Barry stepped forward, puffing his chest, “Kids love my speed and super cool suit, right?”
Dick shook his head no.
Oliver half heartedly patted Flash’s back as the man sulked, “Nice try bud but it’s gotta be me, Green Arrow!” He winked.
Again, Dick shook his head.
One by one, each of his colleagues claimed that they must obviously be his favorite hero, desperate to get on his kid's good side and appeal to him.
“Ah!” Diana exclaimed, coming to some conclusion.
“Your favorite hero must be Batman. Your father.”
“No!” Dick, fed up with the pestering, finally put his foot down and puffed his cheeks adorably.
“Well then come on, little birdie, you gotta tell us who's your favorite hero. We’re all dying to know.” The father gently prompted.
Dick looked up, leaning back in Bruce’s arms to meet his eyes,“It’s you!”
It was silent for a second.
“Uhhh.” Hal very eloquently began, “But that’s literally what Diana just said. Batman.”
“No not Batman,” Dick rolled his eyes with the sass of an 8 year old, “My favorite hero is Tati.” Dick proclaimed as if it were common sense.
“And why is that, little one?” Diana inquired further, satisfied that they’ve finally gotten somewhere.
“Well…” Dick once again shifted, now more engrossed in the topic and fully faced the heroes.
“Batman is mean, but he has to be mean to beat up the bad guys. Tati is nice and fun. We play lots of games together like ‘circus’ or ‘super spies’! Or if we go outside we play ‘monkeys’ and climb trees!”
“He’s super strong too when he pushes me on the swings, or when he throws me in the air, and when he carries me on his shoulders.”
The young boy’s hands are flying around animatedly as he continues to defend his answer.
“Oh! And he’s also super smart when he helps me with my homework because I’m really bad at math and he is really good at explaining the problems to me. He also helps me read because English is hard. Tati is also super brave, he's always dealing with the mean old guys at work and always yells at them over the phone. If I was Tati, I would be scared.” He nods with assurance.
Bruce finds it funny how this tiny human has the entire Justice League invested in every word, as he continues to babble on about his Tati.
“And he saved me from the bad place when my old Mama and Tati left and went to heaven. I was sad at first, but Tati told me to be brave and never forget what they’ve taught me and so I did! He reads me stories Mama used to tell me from her home. I like his storytelling better but he needs to work on his accent.” He finally finished, not realizing he’s got some of the universe's strongest warriors already wrapped around his finger.
Bruce cleared his throat, face tinged the slightest bit pink at the flattery.
“Break’s over.” He declared donning his gravely Batman voice once more, motioning everyone to return to what they were doing, “We still have work to do.”
And everyone did just that, reluctantly returning to their stations. Bruce settled into his chair, deflating with a sigh. Dick did the same, leaning back on his armored chest.
After only a few minutes of trying to focus on what his father was doing, Dick couldn’t help but keep yawning.
Watching how Dick’s eyelids grew heavier, were closing for longer periods of time, and observing how his head kept nodding off, sinking deeper and deeper, Bruce shifted and leaned further back into his chair, “Close your eyes, Bud.”
His boy silently obeyed, not putting much of a fight from lack of energy and allowed himself to be tucked into Bruce’s side and into the heavy and warm fabric of his cape.
With a final kiss to the crown of his head, Dick had finally succumbed to sleep, arms encircling his elephant companion, safely tucked away from the world.
Coos were elicited from observers watching the familial interaction and fawning over the child’s adorable face.
“He’s so precious.” Dinah leaned over the back of Bruce’s chair for a better peep into the cavern his cape created.
Bruce couldn’t help but feel out of place right now as his son garnered more of his coworker’s fond attention. The team abandoning their tasks once more to watch the sleeping child.
He wasn’t used to this.
It’s always either been Batman or Bruce Wayne whenever he ever interacted with others. One personality where he commanded respect and the other on the receiving end of backhanded comments and judgement. He was only his true self when he was with Alfred or Dick, but he guesses that’s been compromised now.
It feels unnatural, like he should still be keeping up an image as he always has even after he revealed his identity, connecting his dark alias with the bumbling public persona. Bruce felt obligated to compensate and continue with Batman's rough and cold personality, pushing his team away despite them knowing him on a deeper level now. Granted, the ‘deeper level’ was more of what was public knowledge, but he digresses. It must be a coping mechanism to further any compromising relationships with his… friends?
But with Dick here in his arms, he can’t help but melt at his serene face and show how proud of a father he is.
“That he is.” He easily agreed with Dinah, “But you should see the energy from this kid.” He laughed to himself, “Chum’s running laps around me, I can barely keep up.”
It felt good to share his love with someone else, so Bruce allowed himself to relax when he realized how much he trusted them now.
“Is that an invitation to come over?” Barry sped over quietly, “Because I’m trying to become his third favorite hero.” He half joked.
Bruce frowned for a moment at the suggestion.
Sensing his inner turmoil J’onn spoke up, “Do not feel pressured, Batman. We understand how protective you are of Gotham.”
“No, I trust you all.” Bruce admitted for the first time, surprising himself, “And it would be best for him.” He shifted slightly to provide more cover when Dick curled further into him, “My line of work and reputation limits the people who can come over. For his safety.”
“Then we would love to come visit sometime. If you would have us.” Diana looked to Bruce with a reassuring smile, her expression relaxed and he could tell she was happy at the suggestion to spend more time with him.
A sudden blaring interrupted the atmosphere, and Flash ran over to shut it off to quickly and investigate what had happened.
“Results are in!” He announced and pulled up a tab on the central screen so everyone could view it at once.
“A distress call.” Hawkgirl read out loud, summarizing the long-winded message.
Tension that had been present for hours finally cleared with the knowledge that Earth was not to be conquered, not that they would ever let that happen.
“We’ll make a move to respond and later develop a plan of action once we get more information on their planet’s status.” Superman announced with authority.
“Does this mean we’re done here?” Oliver asked, his tone revealing that he was hoping for a yes.
Bruce nodded his head absentmindedly, already typing out a response detailing that the planet’s plea had been received and that the Justice League is willing to help, “We’ll meet later tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll have a response by then.”
Message sent, Bruce finally powered off the tablet and stood. Dick was easily maneuvered in his fathers hold, his legs wrapping around Bruce’s waist, head once again tucked into his neck, and the elephant clung in the boy's grip hanging limply at his side. His face never reacted to the change in position and the steady breaths on Bruce’s neck told him that he was in deep sleep.
Readjusting his grip and tucking his cape around the boy, which had fallen off in the process, “I just sent the response, if there are any updates, whoever is on watch, please inform the rest of us.” He informed and concluded by striding towards the door, son securely in his arms. Clearly done with business.
Before leaving the threshold, Batman suddenly stopped and stood for a second, before turning around once more. His eyes were meeting everything but his team members and his lips were pressed into a fine line. Telltale signs that the man was working up the courage to say something, but looked unnatural on the man who always knows what to do and say without hesitation.
“I just-“ he began, “Thank you.” he finally said sincerely. Although it was unplanned, Bruce was satisfied with how things played out.
“I’ll speak with-“ ‘Agent A’ was on the tip of his tongue, knowing that he’s mentioned him enough for his colleagues to recognize the name but always using his pseudo one for privacy purposes, “-Alfred,” He finally gets out.
Screw it.
If Bruce is trying to get more personal with the team, now’s the time.
“I’ll see if he will be willing to host you all to maybe dinner?”
The league smiled at this, each enthusiastically accepting the invitation.
Diana approached the father and son and with a fondly ruffled Dick’s hair, “We’d be happy to.”
Unsure how to continue, Bruce mutley nodded and left the room quickly leaving the watchtower and finally back to Gotham.
In the cave, Alfred greeted the two and raised an eyebrow at Bruce’s demeanor, silently asking a question.
“Everything’s fine.” Bruce answered, “He just wanted to see me.”
“And?” The older gentleman inquired further.
Bruce has long stopped questioning how his pseudo-father always knew there was something else, and his lips quirked into a small smile.
“Would you be ok if we hosted the League for dinner sometime?”
Without missing a beat, “I’ll prepare right away, sir.”
The butler made quick work of his word and ascended the stairs to the manor.
The bundle cloaked in black finally stirred a little, feeling disturbed at the sudden change of scenery.
Bruce scratched gentle circles into his child’s back to soothe him back to sleep, “C’mon, Chum. Let’s get you into a real bed.” And went to follow in Alfred’s footsteps into the manor.