“Dude, can you lighten up? You’re spreading sadness all over my cereal” a pouting dick says while staring daggers at a not so jolly Jason.
“I’m spreading sadness over your cereal? What the hell does that even mean?” Jason spits. “Language master Jason” Alfred comments without looking up from the dishes he is currently drying. “sorry alfie” Jason sends a shy smile in Alfred’s direction.
“See there he is, sorta anyway, was that so hard?” Jason is about to answer when Bruce walks in and interrupts.
“What’s so hard?” The man asks as he grabs a cup and begins to pour himself some coffee. “Smiling, being happy in the morning, spreading HAPPINESS ON PEOPLES CEREAL!!” Bruce flinches at the volume of his eldests voice and Alfred pauses his drying for a second but doesn’t speak.
“Jesus what is wrong with you, you dickhead”. Bruce turns to Jason.
“Jay, don’t call your brother that please.” Jason goes back to eating his breakfast while muttering about that being his stupid name.
“My name is not stupid, your face is stupid.” Bruce drags his hands over his face with a sigh.
“Seriously dick? You’re the oldest, act like it”. “Oh come on, he is 20 not 6”. Jason actually smiles now. “Nah I agree with dad, you have to set a good example for my little self”. Dick glares at him. “I don’t know about little”. Jason straightens up. “Are you calling me fat?” Bruce finishes his coffee and smacks the cup down on the table silencing the two boys. “That’s enough of that conversation, how did we even get here?”.
Dick lifts his bowl up to his lips and starts drinking the milk that’s left in there while ignoring Jason’s look of disgust. “Jason is being a grouch (sips his milk ) per usual, and I asked him for a little smile, (another sip) just a hint of happy (big sip) heck a little laugh once in a while wouldn’t kill ya”.
“I can kill you if you want” Jason says with a smile. A stern “Jason” followed by the dad look has Jason sinking down in his chair.
“And dick stop giving your brother a hard time.” Dick finally puts his bowl down. “Giving him a hard time? Are you serious right now, B? When was the last time you heard him laugh? Not just a huff or a snicker, but an actual laugh?”. Bruce takes a moment to think about it and concludes that he actually hasn’t heard his second oldest laugh in quite some time. He seems to remember the last time being when Dick fell through that dumpster lid a few weeks back while they were patrolling. And even then it had only lasted for a few seconds.
“I suppose it has been a while” he finally answers.
“Told ya” dick says while looking at Jason.
“I haven’t said anything you idiot”.
Jason looks up at Bruce expecting to be reprimanded for calling his brother names, but is surprised to find his father staring at him with a sense of wonder. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”. Bruce gives him a smile. “No reason”. Jason doesn’t trust that smile. It’s not the usual warm dad smile Bruce often gives him while he is visiting home. No, this smile has a hint of mischief in it that makes Jason’s skin crawl. “Whatever, I’m gonna go watch TV”. Jason gets up and leaves before anyone has the chance to say anything else.
“What’s your plan?” Dick says as he gets up and brings his dishes over to the sink. Bruce follows him. “Plan? I don’t have a plan”. Dick smiles at him, “I know that look, record it will ya? I have to get to work”. Bruce laughs a little. “Sure thing bud, be careful” he says before placing a kiss on the boys head. Dick heads out and Bruce sits himself down with another cup of coffee. Now it’s just him and Jason left at the manor. Well and Alfred of course but only god knows where he is at the moment. That man is a ninja, he had no idea at what point during that strange conversation he just shared with his sons, that Alfred had left the room. The man moved with such elegance, no sound, so yeah, basically a ninja Bruce thinks to himself before standing up. Time to find Jason.
Jason was lounging on the couch. The tv was on but he was not really paying attention. He was laying on his back with his eyes closed, God he was tired. He felt like he hadn’t slept in weeks, and to be fair he kind of hadn’t. He had been patrolling a lot lately. Like a lot a lot. More than he needed to if he was going to be honest with himself.
Most nights he just ended up sitting at some rooftop, staring at the godforsaken place that is Gotham city until the sun came up. He was restless, why he couldn’t tell you.
Things had been good lately. He has been spending more and more time at the manor as his relationship with his family slowly but surely got better. He hasn’t felt this relaxed in the manor in years, and it feels amazing, yet he can’t seem to turn his head off. Because to Jason this is all simply too good to be true.
There is no way that this is going to last, that his brothers will want to keep him around, that his d.. bruce really loves him. And it keeps him up at night. Keeps him on his toes during the day. And he hates himself for spending time sulking and worrying about something that isn’t real yet. Why can’t he just enjoy this while he still has it?
Jason turns to face the tv. Some animal show is playing. A graphic scene of a pack of hyenas attacking a baby zebra has him changing the channel. No one wants to see that. He can hear footsteps approaching. By the weight of them he can tell it’s his father, he remains in his position on the couch.
Just last year he would have gotten up, braced himself for an argument, but not now, now he just kept lazily scrolling through the channels. “Anything good on?” Bruce asks as he leans on the back of the couch right above Jason. “Not really”. Jason puts the remote down and closes his eyes with a sigh.
“Are you okay?” Bruce leans down and places his hand on his forehead. Jason swats at him. “What are you doing? I don’t have a fever”. Bruce frowns.
“Why are you so tired then? And grouchy?”. Jason glares at him.
“Really Bruce? Now I know where dick gets it from”. This has Bruce chuckling.
“You didn’t answer the question”. Jason puts an arm up and lays it over his face covering most of it.
“I’ve been patrolling a lot lately so I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I probably should, that’s all”. Bruce grabs his arm and removes it from his sulking face.
“Why are you patrolling extra? And how come you haven’t told me this? That means that you have been out with no backup and you know how I feel…”
“I know that you don’t like it okay? Can we not fight about this, please?” Jason interrupts before covering his face with his arm again. “We don’t have to argue about it, but I’m gonna need you to either stop patrolling outside of hours or to let us know so that someone is aware of your whereabouts and doings”. Jason just grunts in response.
“And you didn’t answer my question, why are you patrolling extra? The city has been calmer than usual lately.” A snort this time. “Has it occurred to you that that might be because I’ve been out more?”. Bruce raises an eyebrow. “Even if that had been the case it would have been talked about in the news”. “You don’t think I make a difference do you?” Jason asks in a low voice. Bruce leans down and removes his arm again and continues to hold it when Jason tries covering his face again.
“I am well aware of all the good you do for this city, Jaylad. And you know that I know. And I am very proud of you. But as your father I worry about you, so no I don’t like that you are patrolling without me knowing”.
“You never knew before, and I survived just fine, all by myself”. Bruce sighs as he grips Jason’s arm harder. “But you’re not alone in this anymore, and you never should have been, but we can’t change the past. What we can do is to be better now and in the future. So you will tell me or Alfred or at least someone before going out on patrol, is that understood?”. Jason glares at him. “Are you serious right now?”.
“Yes, I am very serious. It’s also not okay that you’re not getting enough sleep. That can lead to you getting seriously injured or… or worse, and I will not stand for that”. Jason does not answer that. He’s not quite sure how to. It is always uncomfortable when his death is brought up, and especially between him and Bruce because of how touchy the subject is. “Fine I’ll tell you before going out, happy now?” Jason yanks his arm away from Bruce. “Very” the man answers with a smile.
Bruce walks around the couch. At first Jason thinks the man is leaving, but no, he comes around on his side and taps him on the forehead. Jason opened his eyes again to glare at the man.
“Sit up, I’m gonna sit there”.
“What do you mean sit up? Did we not just talk about how I need more sleep? And then you’re gonna take the couch away from me?” Jason says crossing his arms over his chest, not moving.
“I’m not taking the couch away from you I want to sit with you, you can have you head in my lap like you used to while you were little” Bruce looks at him with the softest dad look he has ever seen, but he will not budge.
“I’m not gonna cuddle with you old man” He turns his back to his father and closes his eyes.
“Yes exactly, as I said, an adult”
Bruce is quiet for a few seconds. Jason can’t help but feel a little giddy throughout this conversation. It reminds him of when he was little and he would have these little fake arguments with Bruce. It feels nice to act like a kid, but he is pretty sure it is over as Bruce turns to leave. A part of Jason wants to sit up and let the man sit down with him, but another part wants Bruce to fight for it even more.
“Alright then, but before I leave I have to ask, would any adult ever make this sound?” Bruce asks right as he leans over and pokes the boy in the side. And god was it embarrassing. The screech that left his mouth had both himself and Bruce shocked. Jason quickly turns around facing Bruce who is now laughing in his face.
“How dare you old man” Bruce just keeps laughing.
“That was so much better than I expected”
“Shut up” Bruce raises his eyebrows, and Jason quickly moves to cover his torso because he knows what’s coming. Bruce raises his hands and shoots them towards him but stops right before he’s touching him. And Jason hates himself for it but he can’t help but giggle. Mortified he curls in on himself for protection. Red hood does NOT giggle, well, apparently he does.
“Can you not?” Bruce has the biggest smile on his face.
“What? I didn’t even touch you?”
“You know what B, I’m trying to relax here”
“Maybe you’re not tired enough to sleep yet, I’ll help you out”
And before he knows it Bruce is attacking his sides. And it pisses him off that he couldn’t hold back his laughter for even a second.
“BRUUUCE” the boy whines through his laughter.
“Yes?” Bruce moves his hands over to his stomach.
“Nahhahahahah pleahahehehese” Jason grabs onto his father’s wrists but to no avail. He has absolutely zero strength left in his body when tickled and Bruce knows this from years of torturing.
“Whahahy are youhahhah doihihihing thihihihis to MEHEHEHEHE” Bruce goes for the kill and attacks the boys hips.
“Because you never laugh anymore, and while I am a very funny guy I find this to be more effective” Bruce chuckles
Jason can’t focus enough on what the man is saying to reply. His mind is too focused on trying to pry Bruce’s hands off his hips, once again only to fail miserably. His laughter turns silent after only a few seconds so Bruce moves his hands back up to his sides.
“Nohohohoho bruheheheheh stohohohohop”
“I haven’t gotten my fill just yet”
“Okay fine, one more thing and then I’m done”
“Nohohoho mohohohore yourehehehehee dohohohone”
Bruce just laughs at him. How dare he treat THE red hood this way? And Jason who is still lost in giggles tries to remember what tactics Bruce used to use against him other than going for his hips, but then panic fills his body as his father quickly pulls up his hoodie exposing his tummy.
“Nohohoho dahahahd pleahehehese nohohot thahahhahat”
“As your father I have no choice”
“Thahahahaht mahahahakes nohoho seheAHAHAHH”
Jason arches his back off the couch as Bruce blows the first raspberry. His hands move to push weakly at his father’s head while he laughs his head off.
Bruce looks up at him leaving him about 5 seconds to breathe.
“NOHOHOHO HAHAHHA PLEAHEHEHEHSE”
Beuce looks up again at his poor sweet kid. He’s red in the face with tears running down his cheeks, but also has the biggest smile he has seen on his son’s face in years.
“Just one more” he says and ducks back down.
“YOHAHAHAHA LIHAHAHAHHAAR”
Bruce finally relents and pulls his hoodie back down.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, all done” he says and pats the boy on the stomach which has him flinching. He curls in on himself still giggling.
“That was sohoho mean heheh”
Bruce smiles at him and stands up. “You can’t say that you didn’t deserve it”.
“I didn’t do anythihihing”
“Maybe not today, but that was for years of snark and bad behavior that I didn’t get you for” Jason is still trying to catch his breath and he can’t wipe the stupid smile off his face.
“Punishment hah? I see how it is” Bruce leans down and ruffles his hair. “You ok?”. His first thought is no of course not, I am embarrassed beyond words. “Yeahaha I’m fine, you suck but I’m fine”. Bruce hums.
“Seriously? I can’t trust you now”
Bruce lays a hand over his heart. “I swear I’ll be nice”. A grumbled “fine” leaves his mouth and he sits up to make room for Bruce. And against his better judgement he lays back down with his head in Bruce’s lap. The man moves to smooth down his hair but scratches quickly at his neck just to hear one last of those beloved giggles.
“Dahahahd” Jason scrambles to sit back up but Bruce pulls him back down. “I’m sorry, I really am, I couldn’t help myself, I’ll be nice I swear”.
Jason doesn’t say anything but stops struggling to get out of the man’s grasp. He just moves to get more comfortable and closes his eyes. He really is tired.
“Tired?” Bruce asks as he carves his fingers through Jason’s locks.
“What do you think?” Bruce chuckles.
A kiss is planted on his forehead and even though he would never admit it he is extremely comfortable. No better place than dad’s lap. He falls asleep within seconds, warm, tired, and if you have a gun against his head, maybe a little happy.
