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Damian was bored.
This was unfortunate for everyone in the room.
Including Bruce.
"Father."
Bruce didn't look up from the document he was reading.
"Yes?"
"How many papers?"
"A few more."
Damian sat in the chair across from the desk, swinging his legs.
"How many is few?"
"A few."
The answer earned a dramatic sigh.
Bruce continued reading.
Three seconds later:
"Father."
"Yes?"
"Now how many?"
Across the office, Tim quietly lowered his magazine.
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"Still a few."
Damian slumped back into his chair as if life had personally betrayed him.
Alfred should have been here.
Normally, Alfred was more than capable of entertaining Damian for an hour.
Unfortunately, Alfred had taken the day off to spend time with his daughter.
Bruce hadn't objected.
Which was why he now found himself attempting to finish paperwork while supervising two children.
Tim, at least, was easy.
The ten-year-old had claimed a seat near the window and immediately disappeared into a photography magazine.
Damian was another matter entirely.
The toddler slid off his chair and wandered across the office.
His destination was obvious.
Tim.
Damian climbed onto the sofa beside him.
Tim didn't react.
This happened often enough that it no longer surprised him.
"What are you looking at?"
"Pictures."
Damian leaned closer.
He stared at a full-page photograph of Gotham's skyline.
"Boring."
"Okay."
"Bery boring."
"Okay."
Damian frowned.
Usually people argued longer than that.
"What if I draw on it?"
Tim turned the page.
"You'll get in trouble."
"I won't."
"You will."
Damian considered this carefully.
Unfortunately, Tim was probably right.
The toddler leaned against his brother's side instead.
A few moments passed in comfortable silence.
Then Damian pointed at a camera in one of the advertisements.
"What dat?"
"A camera."
"I know dat."
Tim finally glanced down at him.
"Then why did you ask?"
Damian ignored the question.
"Big camera."
"It is."
"Can it take pictures of dragons?"
"No."
"Dinosaurs?"
"No."
"What good is it den?"
Tim snorted.
Bruce heard it from across the room.
It was rare enough to earn his attention.
By the time Bruce finished signing the last document, Damian had migrated completely into Tim's personal space.
One small foot was in Tim's lap.
One arm was around Tim's waist.
Tim seemed only mildly inconvenienced by this.
Bruce set his pen down.
The sound immediately caught both boys' attention.
"You done?"
Bruce nodded.
"I'm done."
Damian was out of the sofa before the sentence finished.
His eyes widened.
"Toy store?"
"Yes."
The cheer that escaped him made several employees outside the office glance through the glass walls.
Damian didn't care.
He immediately began listing demands.
"I need Batman."
Bruce stood and collected the documents.
"You already have Batman."
"More Batman."
"Of course."
"And Robin."
"You already have Robin."
"Batman need Robin."
Bruce couldn't argue with that logic.
"And dinosaur."
"Naturally."
"And dragon."
"Naturally."
"And shark."
Bruce paused.
"Why a shark?"
Damian looked confused.
As though the answer was obvious.
"Because."
That apparently settled the matter.
Tim quietly closed his magazine and stood.
Bruce noticed the way his gaze lingered on the camera advertisements.
"You still interested in photography?"
Tim looked up immediately.
The excitement appeared before he could hide it.
"Yeah."
Bruce nodded once.
"I found a camera."
Tim blinked.
"A real one?"
"A beginner handycam."
For a moment, Tim looked stunned.
Then a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Seriously?"
"I said I'd buy you one."
"You already picked one?"
Bruce grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.
"I did."
Tim's grin widened.
The reaction alone made the purchase worthwhile.
Beside them, Damian looked personally offended.
"What about me?"
"You are getting toys."
"Good."
A pause.
"Lots of toys."
Bruce sighed.
"Reasonable amount of toys."
Damian clearly disagreed with that definition.
A few minutes later they were walking through the lobby of Wayne Enterprises.
Employees greeted Bruce as they passed.
Most of them smiled when they spotted the children.
Outside, Gotham's afternoon sunlight reflected off the glass towers surrounding them.
The company car was already waiting.
Damian immediately raised both arms.
Without a word, Bruce picked him up.
The toddler settled comfortably against his shoulder.
Small arms wrapped around Bruce's neck.
Completely content.
"Batman first," Damian announced.
"We'll see."
"And dinosaur."
"We'll see."
"And dragon."
"We'll see."
Damian narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You always say dat."
"Because it's true."
Satisfied for now, Damian rested his cheek against Bruce's shoulder.
On his other side, Tim walked quietly beside him.
Bruce reached down and took his hand.
Tim looked surprised for half a second before squeezing back.
No embarrassment.
No complaints.
Just a small smile.
Ahead of them waited a toy store full of Batman figures, dinosaurs, dragons, and whatever else Damian managed to convince Bruce to buy.
After that, a camera store.
Tim's camera.
His first real one.
Bruce glanced between the boys and felt something warm settle in his chest.
One chattering endlessly about toys.
One already thinking about lenses and photographs.
Both exactly where they were supposed to be.
Safe.
Happy.
And looking forward to the rest of the afternoon.