Fanfics

Hi, my AO3 account is Morrigan_Jinx

[nightwingsgypsyrep]

I’m gonna be honest… the way that some people discuss Dick’s childhood and upbringing in the circus as though it was inherently abusive is such a middle-class, antiziganist take to have.

I grew up on the fairground and part of that was I had to work. I got my first “game” (a striker) when I was three years old and I minded it by myself for several hours at a time whilst my parents worked in different things we owned. I was three. And that meant that by the time I got to school, I was well socialised, had fantastic emotional control, and could do complex maths using decimals on my own, mentally. It made me an incredibly organised person, with a good work ethic, and an understanding of responsibility. What part of that is abusive?

And that’s completely normal for us Showmen (gypsies from fairground/circus). We grow up learning our family’s trades from a very young age so that when we take over we’re not useless, we’re ready. It’s a cohesive family unit where everyone contributes and benefits equally. Every one of my peers grew up doing the exact same thing because it’s entirely normal for us, and we take pride in our work.

But of course, the middle class gorjas with their pocket money and allowances cannot fathom a world in which cultural values and the skills which are necessary for our culture and industry to survive being instilled from a young age is anything but abusive. How horrible, that I got to spend my summers outside in the fresh air, alongside my parents and my siblings and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles and cousins? That I got to learn maths in a practical environment without the anxiety of exams, whilst listening to the music on the waltzers, and playing with my friends and cousins after? That I was able to learn skills such as stock-taking before most of my peers could spell their own names? That I got lots of exercise as I helped to build up and pull down? That I got to visit places all over the country and learn the local history whilst spending the money which I earned through my own dedication and hard work? That I gained independence without danger because my parents were right there beside me? That I got to go home to a trailer that was so beautifully done up that my parents had visitors from all over the country just to visit it and see it for themselves? I guess I would have been far better off as a latchkey kid sat in front of an Xbox or something.

[c0nstel]

as much as jasons robin run is fun there is this horrible sort of dread that comes with reading it because we see this sweet little kid grow up, truly start to come into his own as a hero, and he has so so much fun. he is so so loved.

we see him so happy and so fulfilled, and then we see as that gets taken away little by little again and again, and we see that sweet little kid get worse and worse. more jaded, more depressed, more self-destructive…and then that’s it—and then he dies. he never gets to get better.

its just always in the back of my head that one day this little boy will get sad, and he will never feel better. he’ll just die.

[robs-your-robins]

Barry: Hey, there, Supes? I'm sure Bats will be here soon, you don't have to keep hovering.

Clark: Sorry. It's just, well, I promised not to say but he's bringing a new Robin. I just can't wait to meet the little guy!

Dinah: Or girl.

Diana: Oh, yes, it's about time we had another girl Robin.

Hal: But what's that now? Three? Four? How many kids is he planning to add to his family tree this year?

Clark: Maybe there's something in the air.

Oliver: Bruce's legs apparently.

[robs-your-robins]

Canon never mentions it but Bruce, who has lived in a house with kids of all ages, has:

definitely been woken in the middle of the night to be told by one of the kids saying m that they threw up or had an accident

been told something disturbing like "you're old and going to die soon" or "there's a lady standing in that corner who says she knows you" while the kid is falling asleep in their dark, very empty room.

held a tissue while one of the kids blew their nose

stepped on discarded toys or tripped on sneakers left on the stairs.

had a heart attack like event any time the kids ran across a busy street or fell over or swore in front of other adults

[robs-your-robins]

Had this idea that Bruce has this lake house somewhere in the woods, it's not a great imposing mass like the Manor, it's just a cabin but big enough to house the whole family if needed. It's the first property Bruce ever bought for himself and if he were to admit the truth, it's his favourite place to be but he can't stay there very often. It's the place he goes when he wants peace, when he really needs time alone, he's spent many a romantic weekend there. And he's taken the kids there from time to time and given them the keys. But they've never been there altogether.

Dick sometimes asks for the keys to get away for a while. Sometimes it's just him and Haley. He's been there on dates too or with his friends. But it's never the same as that one summer Bruce and he went, when Bruce and he swam in the lake every day, ate the fish they caught and hiked. Dick still remembers how sad he was when he woke up in the car at the end of the weekend in the car on the way home.

Jason rarely asks for the keys but sometimes he bikes up there to crash for a few days, sometimes to heal up or just to get away. He likes to read out on the dock or wander in the woods. But it's never the same as the first few summers by the lake when Bruce taught him how to swim and they went fishing.

Tim's used it a few times with the Titans and he's taken dates their for the weekend. His first proper kiss with Kon was at the end of the dock on 4th July weekend. Bruce stopped going up to the lake house after Jason died and Dick left. It was too hard sometimes so Bruce never really took Tim up there but he did go up there once to help Tim fix something and Bruce stayed for a few days. Tim thinks it's one of the first times he bonded with Bruce, not Batman.

Cass has been up there with the girls a few times but prefers to go up alone. She likes how peaceful it is, how she can drop her guard. But her favourite time was that first time when Bruce brought her up, when they filled the house with what she might need and left her with his number. It was the first time she was trusted to be by herself and do whatever she wanted. The lakehouse is a symbol of possibility for her.

Duke didn't want to go to the lakehouse at first, he's a city kid and there's fucking bugs everywhere on the lake and he wasn't sure about being around Bruce with nobody else to talk to. But it turns out the lakehouse is cool and Bruce is a lot easier to be around. The lakehouse is where Duke learns more about his powers and comes to term with what happened his parents. Some time outdoors, a long walk and words of somebody who lost his parents didn't heal him straight away but it helped.

Damian never wanted to go to some cabin in the woods. He's seen American horror movies and besides what so special about a hovel owned by his father? But Grayson takes him, much to his annoyance. Damian wants to escape, go follow the trail of some rogue but this seems to matter to Grayson. Damian loves walking through the woods, seeing the wildlife, learning about the medicinal plants. But it's never quite like the first time or the first time when Bruce came back, when Bruce spent the morning tossing him into the lake and pretending Damian could do the same.

They all love that lakehouse, it's their favourite home from home. No masks, no suits, just peace, the lake and the open air. Maybe one day they will get to be there together.

[darkythepyrolover]

i had a sad thought. that if Tim actually gotten dick to go back to being robin i think Jason would have been so much worse, like he would be heartbroken, feeling like they went back to how thing used too be, how it should have been. that he really just there to take dicks place until he returned to take his rightful place.

the angst of Jason feeling erased and forgotten.

dick having to be robin again the guilt of putting those colors back on, that he had once wished to have back now it hurt so much.

Bruce having one of his son back at his side at the cost of the other, gutted and grieving at seeing dick as robin, because he finally sees now that dick really did grow out of robin, all he wants to see by him is his youngest son.

just ooof why did my brain go this way

[cark-klent]

Always wear protection when sharing a heat with your completely platonic best friend that you work with.

[renviary]

jaybin redraw + yap sesh w papa (familial/platonic)

[robs-your-robins]

You know the whole Bruce can't cook schtick that we're all on? What if it's the opposite? Competent cook Bruce who loves making large, complicated meals for the family and loving dad Bruce who wants to feed his kids constantly. Bruce who bakes cookies for study groups, brings Tupperware full of soup, nourishing stews when the kids are sick or depressed or injured, visits with an entire cooler of meals prepped for their fridges. Bruce who cooks snacks and dinner before they go on patrol, fusses when the kids won't eat, knows all their preferences and allergies, Bruce who keeps ladling out extra servings because the kids aren't eating enough, Bruce who's love language is good food because that's what he had from Alfred.

[gotham-blight]

a drabble with mama Bruce trying to sleep but every hour a new puppy is clambering into bed and waking him up?

Bruce had never been more exhausted in his life. 

For two gruelling days, he’d been locked in a battle of wits with the Riddler, whose twisted games threatened to turn half of midtown into rubble. The bombs had been hidden with horribly cryptic clues, and finding their locations had been a nightmare of detective work. In the end, it took him forty-two hours to find and disarm each and every bomb.

Forty-two hours without changing out of the batsuit or brushing his hair. It was forty-two hours without the creature comfort of his perfect, beautiful nest.

He shuffled his way up the staircase, creeping through the dark manor. It took him ages, it felt, to climb his way up to his room. When he managed to make it to the door, the sight ahead almost brought him to tears. His large, plush nest was exactly as he’d left it. It was a masterpiece in his eyes, lined with the softest, most plush blankets that money could buy. But what made it special wasn’t only the materials; it was the personal touches interspersed throughout. Little things, of course, that wouldn’t be noticed, like Alfred’s handkerchief or one of Damian’s tiny sweaters. 

There was nothing more soothing than being surrounded by a cocoon of his pack’s scents. Of being reminded that he had a pack. 

With a low groan of relief, he kicked his slippers off and sank into the plush nest, sinking into the soft cushions immediately. He could have sworn that he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow, far too exhausted after his ordeal.

But in Wayne Manor, peace never lasts too long. 

He jolted awake sometime later, the room barely lit by the moonlight filtering through the curtains. For a moment, his muscles tensed, sensing an intruder. In the darkness, he could see a shadow close to him, small and hesitant. Seconds later, cold toes were being pressed against his thighs, a familiar sensation that brought a smile to his lips despite his exhaustion. With a soft huff, he reached forward with one arm to wrangle the pup who had snuck in, pulling her close to his chest and pressing an adoring kiss to her head, inhaling the sweet scent of his quietest pup. His Cass.

The next time was shortly after. He couldn’t see who was climbing in, but it wasn’t hard to tell from the familiar sounds of struggle. His oldest, Dick, was dragging his thick Superman blanket into the nest with him, doing his best to settle in without disturbing anyone. He pulled it over himself as he snuggled in on Bruce’s other side, gangly limbs flailing as he tried to mould it into the nest with him.

Lately, Dick’s own nesting instincts had been kicking in, leading to a desire to fix the nest. At twelve, he was approaching the age where he would be presenting soon. Already, his milky pup-scent was beginning to change into a sweeter, candy-apple scent. 

Bruce was devastated that his pup was growing up.

Dick, oblivious to his plight, whispered a soft “Love you, mama.” Only then was he able to drift off again. 

The third time, he awoke to whispered fighting. “You’re a blanket thief, Jay; you gotta share!” Duke whispered, the nest shifting as the two pups argued. 

“Am not! There’s a ton of blankets, get your own!” Jay shot back, letting out a tiny pup-like growl. The sound instantly made Bruce’s instincts flare up, letting out a soft, sleepy croon to check on the state of his pups. Immediately, both Jason and Duke let out soft chirps in response. 

“Sorry, mama,” Duke whispered, releasing his half of the blanket he was holding. Jason tumbled backward, landing half on top of Bruce’s legs with a soft grunt and a mumbled curse under his breath. The moment that Bruce’s hand reached down to stroke through his hair, his fiestiest pup immediately melted into him, leaning into his touch. 

From there, it didn’t take long for the door to crack open, right as he was about to fall asleep once more. He didn’t need to think about who it could be now, not when the room filled further with the sweet milk scent of pups. Cracking one eye open, he was able to see the exact moment when Tim placed the littlest pup into the nest, before climbing into it himself. He slotted himself effortlessly onto the other side of Cass, chirping as he cuddled into her. Damian, on the other hand, was eager to curl up in the corner, surrounded on all sides by the walls of soft, comforting scents and the protection of his pack. Dick, however, would never let a nestling remain uncuddled. Ever.

In a heartbeat, Dick’s arms wound their way around the little pup and pulled him close to his chest, even as he squawked indignantly. With some light maneuvering, the toddler was pressed between him and Bruce, and rapidly dissolved into soft, sleepy, puppy purrs as their scents smothered him, turning him into a puddle of sleepy, scent-drunk pup.

Now that all his babies were in the nest with him, there was nothing that could stop him from getting a good night’s rest for the first time in days. Exhaling slowly, he closed his eyes to drift off once more. 

Only to be awoken moments later, by a tiny foot kicking him in the ribs.

[brucedefender4eva]

Damian was made aware from the very first day that he arrived that his mother was not a typical omega.

He understood that.

Unfortunately, his biology does not agree. As much as he wants to grow into the powerful alpha he knows he will be, for now, he is stuck with the base instincts of a pup.

And pups crave their mother’s presence like second nature.

His siblings had warned him over and over ‘Bruce doesn’t do scenting and other typical omega stuff. He’s not our mother, he’s only biologically yours.’ And Damian had listened.

He tried his best to keep his distance, to fit in, to follow the rules of interacting with his mother.

But he couldn’t stop himself from wanting. He wanted to be scented, to be cuddled, to be held, to freely enter and exit his mother’s nest as he pleased.

Bringing his woes to an outside source, Jon, had led him to one conclusion: he must simply ask.

“Go for it, Damian, I’m sure your mama wouldn’t mind. Mr. Wayne is always so nice and sweet to pups!” Jon had cheerfully chirped over the phone, sharing his joy that Damian had gone to him for advice out of all people.

"Kon was kinda in the same boat. I mean, being an alien doesn't really have that biology, but me and him are half human, and he was so nervous, but once he asked-!" Damian could hear him flop onto his bed. "It seems scary, but sometimes we're too much in our own heads, and it only seems scary. Just ask, and you'll owe me an entire bucket of premium ice cream if I'm right."

He simply couldn’t go to the other members of the family. They all seemed silted and disconnected from their mother in a unique way, which would only give biased intel. He simply couldn't risk it.

An outside perspective made him willing to actually try.

Damian stands in front of his mother’s bedroom door. It has never looked so imposing. He's been in there before, of course, but this time was completely different.

Instead of knocking, he simply pushes it open and peeks his head inside. “Mother…?”

Bruce looks up from the WE contracts he was perusing, tilting his head in curiosity as his youngest child hovered uncertainly at his door. He knows Damian does his best not to seem uncertain about anything.

“Damian? Are you alright?” Bruce took off his glasses and folded them before placing them on the nightstand. “Isn’t it almost your bedtime? Did you need something?”

Damian still lingered at the doorway, uncharacteristically looking unsure of himself.

Bruce allowed himself to smile, seeing Damian act like a child was very rare, and patted the space beside him invitingly. “Cmon.”

Damian only let a split second of hesitation stall his feet before padding his way up to the bed and climbing on. If he were a regular pup in a regular family, this would be the point where he’d snuggle into his mother’s side.

Not yet.

“Mother?”

“Yes, Damian.”

Damian stared at the intricate patterns swirling on the duvet covers.

“I… was wondering if you would… scent me?”

The air around them stilled, and Damian watched Bruce's eyes widen and his entire body freeze. And then, like a flood gate being forcibly pushed open, tears flooded the omega's eyes and poured down his cheeks.

Damian panicked. "I-I'm sorry!" Damian could, embarrassingly, feel tears start to build pressure behind his eyes. "Ummi-" Damian made a move to quickly get out of bed and escape.

"No!" Bruce shouted, immediately latching onto his pup and holding him close. "No- I- yes, please. I want to scent you." Bruce whispered, his voice shaking audibly as his body trembled.

Damian let out a soft cry, the kind a pup makes to call for comfort from its mother. Bruce easily responded with his own croon, pulling Damian impossibly closer and slowly starting to scent him.

His movements were at first stiff and unsure, as if Bruce was waiting for Damian to abruptly pull away. Still, when Damian only leaned into it, Bruce grew more confident, letting his instincts take over to thoroughly cover his pup in his scent.

Damian clings to him.

Being covered in his scent was a lot different from standing nearby and being able to smell him or catching the tail end of his pheromones as he passed. Damina melts. It just feels right, like a missing part of him has finally been reunited.

It's crisp, like a soft, expensive fragrance misted during a heavy rainfall, and the blueberries. This was home.

"Damain..." Bruce's voice is a soft hush. "Would you... Would you like to come into my nest?" His voice is light, as if what he was asking wasn't a big deal, but Damian could hear hesitation and insecurity in his dam's voice.

Inviting anyone into an omega's nest was the biggest deal, even Damain knew that. But...

Bruce gave no hesitation as he scooped Damian up when he nodded, pushing open the door to his walk-in closet, moving to the very back where Bruce kept his nest away from any prying eyes.

"I-" Bruce cleared his throat as he set his pup down. "Do you... like it?" he asked quietly.

Damian opened his mouth, ready to automatically say yes, but stopped himself to actually look at his nest. He could see the soft, fluffy fabrics used as the base, and the biggest, squishiest pillows as the walls. Between the blankets, he could see familiar pieces of clothing woven in between.

A jacket that Todd accused Timmothy of stealing. Baggy sweatpants, Tim had accused Jason of retaliatory stealing. A worn band shirt that Dick had gone on a rampage for. A sweatshirt that Cassandra was wearing a week ago, but didn't seem to be surprised when it disappeared. A small handkerchief from Pennyworth. A hoodie from Duke. A bandana and multiple hair ties from Stephaine.

His clothes were also there. His Ummi had his clothes in his nest, because it comforted him.

"It's wonderful, Ummi." Damian breathed, shuffling closer. "I've... I've never been in a nest before... can I?"

And Bruce, he smiled so softly and so happily, stepping into his nest and beckoning Damian to him. "I've never had anyone in my nest before. C'mere, pup." Bruce crooned, catching Damian easily as the young boy flung himself into Bruce's arms.

The two purred in sync as they finally gave into their instincts. Bruce, allowing himself to finally take care of his pup without the fear of being rejected as he had been before. Damian was able to be a pup. Just a pup. He could be taken care of without feeling shame, getting to indulge in something he had never been allowed to even think of in the League.

It was perfect.

——

"Ummi!" Damian ran up to Bruce at the dining table, making the man look up from the morning paper and raise an eyebrow. "Can I head over to the Kent's farm? Jon says one of the dairy cows is pregnant."

"Of course, the only reason he shows excitement is for a fucking cow." Jason rolls his eyes, dodging the fork Dick flung in his direction, sticking his tongue out at his older brother, and taunting him.

"Shut up, you'd be acting the same way if there was a book signing for your favorite author." Dick shot back, aiming to hit Jason with his spoon.

Tim was jolted out of staring at his phone when Jason grabbed him by the shoulders and started using him as a shield. "Let go of me, you asshole!" he shrieked loudly.

Bruce hummed, taking a sip of his coffee, expertly tuning out the fighting of his other children. "Jon is going to fly you?"

"Yes."

"And you'll be back before lunch?"

"Lunch?"

"Yes," Bruce said firmly. "Lunch, no later. You were at the farm all last week. I do want to see you at home sometimes."

"Ugh, okay, lunch." Damian groaned but agreed, ignoring how his brothers, still polishing off their breakfast, collectively laughed at him. "Are you giving me permission?"

Bruce nodded. "Be safe. Call Clark or me if there's any problem." Bruce, ever the overprotective man, was feeling even more protective of Damian in particular after their eye-opening bonding session in his nest.

"I can handle myself... but I will, Ummi," Damian added on quietly, taking a split second to think about what he was doing before leaning forward for Bruce to scent him before he left.

Bruce willingly leaned down as well, taking his time to cover his pup in his scent, filled with happiness that he just couldn't hide. Bruce chirped softly, and Damina responded in back with his own. He allowed Bruce to scent him for a while before pushing away with heated cheeks, feeling his brothers staring at him.

"Be safe," Bruce said again, calling out softly.

Damian nodded before heading to the front door, where Jon was likely waiting for him. As he moved, he looked over to see the disbelief and shock on his siblings' faces. And... jealousy.

He took a little pride in that.

They were the ones who convinced him that Ummi would never want to do any omega and pup things with him. Maybe it was delusion, maybe it was trauma, maybe they had never really tried to see if Ummi would do it. It didn't matter; he had a right to be angry at them, making him almost miss this chance at connection.

Let them stew in jealousy for a while.

[occasionalauthoring]

Damian is brought to Gotham. Bruce is in shock, he was told his pup was dead, his omega has been grieving for nearly ten years, and now his pup is here, in front of him, alive.

It's not— it's not meant to happen, he doesn't know what to do, his instincts don't know what to do, his omega can't compute that his pup is grown up, when the last time he saw him he was smaller than Bruce's forearm.

He wants to drag Damian in to nest. He wants to smother him in his scent and never let him go, never let him be in danger again.

But Damian was raised exclusively bonding with only Al Ghuls. Believing that other bonds were frivolous, and he doesn't trust Bruce, the fact he's his mother doesn't matter, his pup doesn't want to scent him.

He can't bond his pup again, he's never bonded his other pups, his omega has no outlet for the instincts coursing through him. He starts producing milk again, because his baby used to be a baby and he's not anymore but his body doesn't understand that, and he has the same overprotective mother instincts he got back then too.

And nowhere to direct them.

His kid are giving him strange looks, hovering over their shoulders, wanting to spend more time with them, they don't object but Bruce can tell they're confused, he doesn't want to be acting like this— then Damian starts his attempts on the other pups, and Bruce wants to protect them, but he's his pup too, he doesn't know what to do, and he's failing his pups—they're not his pups—but he can't help it.

Alfred foists a pump on Bruce eventually, and starts dropping off the milk to the hospital, rather than let it go to waste. Bruce goes with him once, and he sees all those babies, and something in him heals. One of the nurses offers, and Bruce becomes one of the volunteers that holds babies, or bottle-feeds them.

It settles his tangled instincts, so he keeps going back.

The kids find out. Damian finds out. They can't understand why Bruce is going and holding other people's children, spending time with them, cuddling with them, not his own. Damian rejected Bruce's motherly advances but still finds himself enraged seeing them directed elsewhere.

They pull back from him, Bruce spends more time there as consequence, tensions grow and grow and—

Bruce gets lost in time.

[brucedefender4eva]

Inspired by all the Omega Bruce angst, @occasionalauthoring, my beloved (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

None of his kids will go inside Bruce’s nest, and he’s not allowed in theirs either, mostly due to misunderstandings that have persisted through the years. He wants it, he's tried, he's been rejected

However, one day, Wally comes over because Dick said he’d be over at the manor to hang out with Damian or something. He’s early, or Dick got caught up with something, and now Bruce and Wally are in a room together

One thing leads to another, and suddenly Bruce is happily purring while grooming Wally’s curly hair and cuddling happily in his nest. He's known Wally since he was just a pup, so he's pretty comfortable with the speedster

He thinks it’s a fluke and Wally will never do it again by the angry and confused look he gets from Dick, but Wally absolutely loves cuddling, and Mr Wayne is so big and warm he simply can’t resist

But it doesn’t stop at Wally

Jon comes over, and Bruce dotes on him the most because he’s just a pup, and Damian doesn’t allow him to. Having an unpresented pup that smells like milk and honey after so long just makes him elated; he's just chirping happily and purring up a storm

Kon even likes relaxing in his nest. He was wary at first, but quickly melted into a puddle when Bruce showed him some undivided attention. He loves it more when Jon’s there, so he doesn’t feel embarrassed to also smother his younger brother with affection

Even Roy is partial to letting Bruce scent him. They've had their disagreements, but he's also known Bruce since forever and a half. He even forced Bruce to scent a sweater to bring home, and Oliver texts him later, demanding to get a scented sweater as well, which makes Bruce feel so happy to be getting back in touch with his old friend

Bruce doesn't notice, but his kids are getting jealous. Like, really jealous

It's to the point where the Batkids are actively ignoring their friends or becoming downright hostile to them in some situations. Bruce is just happy that some people actually want to come into his nest

Um, something something, and the Batkids are confronted by their friends for being kinda shitty to Bruce and being hypocrites. They adopt Bruce as their mama and refuse to let the Batkids near him until they sincerely apologize and realize the reason why Bruce is distant is that they've pushed him away for years

[gotham-blight]

omega Bruce in heat (non-sexual) and desperate to gather his puppies one by one and safely trap them in his nest for love and snuggles

Dick loves this time, as it means he finally gets to snuggle with his mama in their big cozy nest

Jason hates being trapped, but devolves into soft puppy purrs quicker than he would ever admit

Tim tries to sneak things to do into the nest, but that only results in Bruce fussing more over him, because he should be relaxing, not working.

Damian doesn’t understand this inane behaviour and need to collect them all. He tries very hard to sneak out, but Bruce’s pheromones are so thick, they instantly make him weak and dizzy, and have him melting into the nest further with each scenting. (In the league, scenting was non-existent, as it was believed to be a weakness to rely on such instincts. As such, Damian gets scent drunk incredibly easily.)

[occasionalauthoring]

Bruce, an omega, not forming pack bonds with his children because they don't want him to replace their omega parent, because he would do anything for them, even if he craves those pack bonds, the confirmation that they are his pups.

Bruce, not forming pack bonds with his children because they don't want that, even if isolation will kill an omega eventually.

[princessgiggles333]

Bruce Wayne, an omega, just gave birth and is horribly aware of how out of shape he's going to be for the next couple of months. Not in an insecure, self-conscious of how he looks way, but in an I can't protect my city if I'm not in the most optimal shape possible way. Except, they're both equally draining on his mental state (even if he doesn't want to admit to feeling bad about his body for a more... cosmetic reason). So Bruce has two problems: he's not as fit as he was pre-partum, and he feels bad about it.

His solution? Darling baby Dick as his workout buddy.

It's genius. He was already going to put himself through many intense workout sessions, but to counteract the bad feelings that kept nipping at him—despite very adamantly pushing them away—his puppy was the clear answer. Skin-to-skin contact with his baby makes him happy. Seeing his baby makes him happy. Being around his baby makes him happy. Thinking about his body makes him sad. Baby + working out = best outcome.

Cue Bruce reconstructing his regime solely based on bringing four-month-old Dick into it.

A mile jog with Dick in a stroller, after they've had breakfast together (Dick falls back asleep)

30 minutes of meditation with Dick, cuddled up in his lap and clutching at his shirt

A sparring session where Dick watches from the sidelines, giggling and clapping

30 laps in the pool as Dick tries to follow in a Batman floatie wearing little sunnies (with Alfred watching)

Target practice (for as long as Dick naps)

Lunchtime (he woke up from his nap)

15 minutes of coloring (per Dick's insistence)

5 sets of 12 pull-ups with Dick in a carrier on his chest, laughing at the sensation of being bounced

5 sets of 50 pushups with Dick on his back, treating Bruce as his personal rollercoaster, and tugging at his hair

5 sets of 30 weighted sit-ups, where Dick is the weight

And lastly, for Dick's favorite part

Kissing little Dickie on his chubby cheeks and button nose and little fingers (and everywhere else) (ends when Bruce gets all the cuteness aggression out of his system)

Bruce loves his baby. Dick loves his mama. Problem solved. He uses this routine for years until Dick gets too old, that's when he begins training with him.

[brucedefender4eva]

Damian storms in.

The light honey and milk scent of a pup turned sour and rotten from rage and sadness. He marches up to his eldest brother and pushes him. Hard.

“You liar!” Damian screams, face flushed as he goes to punch Dick, but is held back by a bewildered Tim.

Tim curses, grabbing Damian’s wrists and tugging him away from Dick. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“I- baby bat? What is going on?” Dick asked, eyes wide from being pushed and yelled at for seemingly no reason.

“Damian, you need to calm the fuck down,” Jason grumbled out, already standing nearby, hands poised to also restrain the young pup if he managed to wiggle out of Tim’s grasp.

Damian let out an enraged whine, struggling hard before suddenly going limp in his older brother’s arms.

“Y-you- you’re all l-liars-“ Damian hiccuped, tears suddenly streaming down his cheeks as his breath stuttered. Jason, Tim, and Dick exchanged wild and scared looks.

Damian has never done something like this before. The pup has always been controlled and refused to cry in front of any of his family.

“Pup-“ Tim makes a move to scent him, hopefully calm him down, but Damian jerked away and started crying harder.

Dick slowly moved closer, keeping his hands up where Damian could see them and keeping his scent light. “Dames, what’s going on? Why am I a liar?”

Damian hides his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. “Y-you said Ummi d-didn’t do omega things! T-that I shouldn’t b-bother!” Damian takes in another breath. “I-I wanted to, and you said no!”

Dick lets out a shaky breath. “He doesn’t-“

“Liar!” Damian screams, kicking his leg out and swiping Dick’s knee.

The alpha lets out a hiss of pain and allows himself to be pushed out of the way by Jason, taking a moment to surprise the pain, not only in his knee, but in his heart.

“Damian.” Jason’s voice is harsh, but he gently places his hands on his younger brother’s shoulders, keeping him steady. He nods up at Tim, and the omega slowly releases his grip from the pup. “Tell us what happened.”

Damian lets out a soft sob and desperately tries to wipe away the tears rapidly falling from his eyes. “J-Jon came over, and we were playing-“

“What does that have to do with Bruce?”

“Fuck, let him finish, Dick, he’s barely even started,” Tim snapped, crossing his arms and trying his best to look unaffected by his baby brother crying.

“And I l-left the room… then I came back and he just- he just asked!” Damian threw his hands up, looking frazzled and still in disbelief. “He just asked if Ummi would scent him, and he agreed!”

All three brothers’ eyes widened, and Tim’s mouth dropped in shock.

“What?” Dick breathed out quietly.

Jason looked away from Damian and made eye contact with Tim, speechless at what he was hearing.

“Damian, are you sure you heard right?” Tim asked shakily, uncrossing his arms, then crossing them again. He had no idea what to do with himself. “Bruce has never- we’ve never- are you sure?”

“Yes!” Damian wailed. “A-and then he did! He scented Jon, and they cuddled! And you lied! He does do that with pups! Why did you lie?!” Damian breaks down again, sobs shaking his body as he falls into Jason’s arms and doesn’t move.

Jason held his little brother close, trying to rumble softly to calm the pup down, but nothing was working.

The sound of hurried footsteps running down the hallway was accompanied by the scent of another anxious alpha.

Cassandra comes in quick, her body tense and poised for an attack, just in case one is coming. “What’s going on?” Cass demanded, heckles raised as she looked around the room.

“Cass-“

"We're just talking." Jason interrupts, glancing back at DIck. "Just... Damian's upset, and we're talking about it." The pup in his arms lets out another whine of distress.

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it. The scent of a distressed pup is drowning Mom, and he’s freaking out.” Cass said, moving closer to Damian. "Is little brother alright?"

Damain wiggles in Jason's arms and turns to face his older sister. "Do you- does Ummi scent you? Do you go into his nest?" His voice was soft and choked as he stared up at her with watery eyes.

"I-" Cass's brows furrowed. "Yes?"

That just seemed to set Damian off again as he started crying once more. Cass panicked a little, looking to her other siblings for help, but they were staring at her with the same confused, stunned expression.

"What do you mean Bruce scents you and lets you in his nest?" Dick asked, standing up and grabbing onto Cass's arm. "H-how often?"

"When did it start?" Tim grabs onto her other arm, his eyes wide.

Any other questions the brothers had to ask were immediately halted as Bruce rushed into the room, the scent of a anguished omega mixing in with the scent of a anguished pup. It was horrible.

Bruce's eyes were blown wide, his hair wild like he had run his fingers through it erratically, his muscles tense, and concern had never been etched on his face so clearly.

"Pup?" Bruce called out, his voice pitched up in a keen of distress. "Dami? Baby, are you okay?" Bruce's eyes scanned over all his kids, but locked on to the youngest in the room and frowned.

“Ummi!” Damian sobbed, reaching his hands out, and Bruce was on him in an instant.

Before anyone in the room could react, Damian was already safely cradled against Bruce’s chest, the omega softly humming an unknown song as he rocked the pup.

“Shh, you’re okay, my little prince. I’ve got you.” Bruce murmured, pressing a kiss to Damian’s forehead and pumping out soothing omega phermones that he only used in dire situations.

Damain instantly relaxed in Bruce's arms, melting in a way he's never been allowed to before. He was still just a pup. Being with his mom is right where he was meant to be. Just seeing him brought a comfort he never thought he was capable of feeling.

Bruce purred softly. More out of a need to comfort himself and comfort the pup in his arms.

"Let's..." Bruce hesitates. "Let's go to my nest, okay, pup? Do you- are you okay with that?"

Damain lets out a soft chirp in response, hugging Bruce tighter around the neck and burying his face in his Ummi's scent gland, taking deep breaths.

Bruce let out another purr and hugged Damian back, just as tight. "Okay... okay..." Bruce murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Damian's head as he walked out of the room toward his own room, where his nest was set up without a glance back, his mind singularly focused on comforting his only pup in any way possible.

His four other children just watched. And soon, it was just them in the room.

"He's not going to ask you," Cassandra said, eyes still staring out the door where Bruce and Damian had left. "You know he's not going to ask."

"Why?" Jason asked softly, still kneeling on the floor. "Why can't he just ask? Why hasn't he asked?"

Cass finally looked back at them, her face carefully blank. "You already know the answer to that question."

Tim let out a deep, shuddering sigh and covered his face with his hands. "We would've said no."

"..." Dick closed his eyes and turned to the window, unable to bear looking at any of his siblings. He knew he was the one who started this. He knew, deep down, this was all his fault. He was the one who made Bruce not do 'omega' things with any of his children. "We have said no."

Cass nodded sharply. "He refuses to overstep."

Each of them could think of a time when they brushed Bruce off or yelled at him for trying to parent them. Rejecting everything the omega had to offer. Never once thinking of Bruce's feelings and Bruce's needs.

"We should-"

"No." Dick interrupted the other alpha, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder as he stood up to make his way to the door. "We can't- we shouldn't go in there. Bruce needs to focus on comforting Damian. Too many people could stress both of them out."

Tim let out a soft mewl of distress and doubled over, tears clear in his eyes. "We... I thought... I also wanted..." Tim stood up, unsteady on his feet as he pushed past his siblings. "I need to go to my nest..."

Tim stumbled out, and it didn't take long for Jason to follow and make his own escape, grunting out something about needing to go for a ride, before disappearing quickly.

Now, it was just Dick and Cass.

Cass stared, and Dick answered her unspoken question. "No... I guess I've never considered his feelings... I-Ive made fun of how he doesn't act like an omega... but I made him like that. Didn't I?"

"Maybe not entirely." Cass shrugged, walking over and patting him on the shoulder. "When I first asked, he... mom was so surprised. Mom was in denial and kept asking if I was sure. I think mom cried a little cause I was the first."

Dick winced, feeling his heart hurt.

"I've always wanted to, but... I guess..." There were too many things to think about. Bruce was new, and he needed time to get used to the older man's scent. And then he was still grieving his parents. And a million other things. It never seemed like the right time, and before he knew it, he had grown up and was desperately searching for independence and a chance to run away from his failed relationship with his mom Bruce.

Then more kids, more tragedies, more distance, more fights, less time, less affection, less bonding, less Bruce.

"He'll forgive you."

"That's the problem." Dick presses his forehead against the cool panes of the window. "He always... he always forgives..."

Cass, graciously, ignored the crack in his voice. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't forgive you that easily. And neither will Damian once he's in his right mind. The three of you will have a lot to answer for."