Dick was received — quite rudely in his opinion — by a shout of glee coming from the inside of the manor, his hand hovering uncertain over the handle of the front door while a trail of effusive but muffled 'thank you' and 'I will come back soon' followed in rapid succession in a woman's voice.
Suddenly the heavy front door opened and a blond woman in a large coat came barreling to the outside, almost falling into Dick before apologising and running to her parked car.
He blinked at her retreating form and then at the hour in his phone screen.
8:45 am
Too early for whatever "funny business" Bruce had been doing at the Manor last night.
He buried his face in his hands with a low groan; pondering if he should go inside and apologise to Bruce for what he said during their last month fight, even if it was going to be a shit apology and only given half-heartedly, or return to his house in Bludhaven and forget that the fight had occurred in its entirety.
"Dick-"
"It's always the same with you Bruce! Why can't you trust me?!"
"You keep putting civilians and yourself in danger Dick! That plan was risky and you knew it"
"I would have pulled it off if you could just believe in me!"
"I believe-"
"Don't lie to me Bruce"
"Son-"
"Don't call me son! I'm not your son and you're not my father!"
Another clash from inside made him sigh.
'Bruce better be in a good mood' he thought bitterly.
With no other option Dick pushed the heavy door open again, walking past the entrance towards the kitchen, where the majority of the noise was coming from.
Clank!
"Bruce what the fuck are you-" he growled walking inside the room but suddenly a little voice shushed him.
"He said a bad word Mr Wayne!"
Any trace of tireness quickly evaporated from his body and Dick eyes snapped open to attention at the unknown voice, his hand instinctively going for the batarang he always kept on himself in case he was not in his hero uniform.
He searched frantically around the kitchen for the intruder but a sharp "hey!" made him look down; blue eyes meeting with a pair of green ones; his mouth opening and closing in disbelief at the sight of a girl no older than 8 standing in front of him with her little arms crossed and a frown on her face.
As if he was the one not supposed to be there.
"Who are you-" he started but was quickly interrupted by Bruce himself, who had entered the kitchen carrying two backpacks on his shoulder and a little boy on his hip.
Bruce eyes trailed naturally towards the other figure in the kitchen, pausing momentarily on his steps before resuming his walk "oh Dick, I was not expecting you here in Gotham" if he was surprised he didn't show it, face as placid as always while letting go of the backpacks and placing a bag full of toys over the counter, "I'm busy today so whatever it is can maybe wait?" He finally looked up, a raised eyebrow expecting his answer.
Dick couldn't even argue the clear send-off, pointing like an idiot to the girl and looking at the older man like a deer in headlights.
Bruce had the guts to laugh at him.
"Ah yes, let me present you, this is Abigail" the little girl threw a last glare towards Dick before hoping to Bruce's side, preening when he passed a hand through her curls and clinging onto the man's dress trousers, "and this boy from here is Theo, say hi Theo" he said softly to the kid in his arms, a tiny thing that looked more like a baby than a kid, with the same blond curls as the girl — his sister Dick guessed — but with brown eyes instead of green.
"Gah" Theo said, shaking a saliva covered hand in the air before it latched to Bruce's previously pristine shirt, now covered by spit and... glitter?
"Bruce what-" Dick almost groaned when he was cut off again.
The girl- Abigail, pulled Bruce's free hand to catch his attention, "Mr Wayne do you have my colours?" She pouted.
Bruce smiled at her, ignoring completely what Dick was going to say and instead taking the bright yellow backpack and offering it to the little girl, "of course here you go, you can go to the living room to draw if you want, there're some cookies also so call me when you're hungry" he laughed merrily at the way Abigail's whole face lit up.
"Yes Mr. Wayne!" She shouted before scurrying throughout one of the doors, her tiny steps echoing in the hallway that led to the common area of the house.
"Call me Bruce!" he shouted behind her, watching intensively that she wouldn't trip with the carpet on her way.
Meanwhile Dick had been watching all the interaction with a dumbfounded expression.
Noticing for the first time how Bruce looked... radiant, in his element, there was no other way to describe it, a glow he hadn't possessed in a long time coating his face and making him look his age for once, the lines beside his eyes crinkling with how hard he was smiling.
"Eh Bruce?" Dick voice seemed to bring the man back to reality, who rubbed his neck sheepishly at his son's look, the smile still firmly on his lips.
"They're the kids of a friend, she had to go for a conference in Metropolis and can't take kids with her so she asked me to look after them" the baby gurgled something before letting out a soft whine, which made both men attention fall into him.
Bruce cooed at the teary eyes, "ow are you hungry? Let me see what your Mom has left for you sweetie" Dick blinked at the name, rubbing his eyes at the sight of Bruce Wayne, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and The Batman, making a bottle for a baby as if it was second nature.
"Couldn't she leave them with a babysitter?" He asked while Bruce worked, leaning against the counter and rummaging uninterested in the bag of toys.
'Since when does Bruce has toy cars and dolls?"
The older man scoffed slightly, "at this hour? It was a last minute meeting so she couldn't find anyone else" he said while spilling a few drops on the back of his hand to check the temperature.
After some seconds of silence Dick talked again.
"And are you sure that you can deal with two kids Bruce? Kids are not exactly patient-wise" he tried to warn, already picturing the explosive mix of crying kids and an stressed Bruce.
"I can Dick, but thanks for worrying" the man said without turning back, little Theo perched over his shoulder comfortably and looking at Dick with an incredible amount of contempt for a baby.
The sight somehow made his stomach churn.
'I'm jealous of a baby?' Dick huffed annoyed, passing a hand through his hair, "I'm more worried about the kids B, you have not taken care of a kid since Damian arrived, and that still was short-lived and half-assed" he knew it sounded rude but it was true, Bruce tended to fumble every relationship he had, even the one with his own kids, all because of his mistrust and emotional constipation, treating his kids as if they were strangers.
'How did he convince someone to let him alone with their kids?'
However Bruce turned to look at him with a confused frown, "I already babysitted Abigail and Theo before Dick, and other kids" he said slowly, as if it was common knowledge.
And it may have been, but Dick and his siblings had long disappeared from Bruce's life, only coming to the manor for missions and the occasional news station or post updating them on their father's life.
That didn't stop him from being surprised.
"What"
"It seems I have turned into a glorified nanny for the rich people, not that I'm complaining" he winked at that before taking the bottle and walking towards the living room, Dick following shortly behind.
"What do you mean you babysit kids in your free time?"
Bruce looked at him from over his shoulder before shrugging, "you kids were all out and the manor is too big for me alone, so I offered to babysit once for the Johnsons, then the Henry's asked and suddenly there was not weekend that I had not a kid running through the manor" they entered to the living room to the sight of a very excited Abigail singing along to My Little Pony.
"Bruce! Bruce!" She jumped from the couch and ran to him, almost crashing into his legs.
"Yes princess?" The nickname came naturally from Bruce's mouth, making Dick almost choke with his spit.
'Cass is going to die if she hears this'.
"We have to dress as ponies next week! Mom says she will leave for Paris and that I can stay with you all weekend" she made a wide gesture with her arms, giggling maniacally at the prospect.
Bruce laughed with her, sitting on the couch to feed Theo while a very hyperactive Abigail climbed over him like a tower, "then I think we should make a picnic in the garden right? The rose maze next to the pond is a fit place for a pony" he flicked her nose which made her laugh.
"Yeah!"
Dick continued to stand awkwardly at the doorway of the common room, watching Bruce act all domestic and picture perfect Dad for those two kids, smiling like he had never done with them.
A strange thing started to brew in his chest, trying to claw its way out from his throat to start all again another shouting match.
"Who is he? He said a bad word before" Dick looked at Abigail, who was watching him with curiosity.
Bruce turned and for a moment Dick felt like an intruder in his own home can he still call it home?, his blue eyes warning him to not start a fight in front of Abigail and Theo.
"He's Richard, my ward" 'my son' was not said.
He asked for it after all.
And it shouldn't had hurt so much.