#batfamweek2020

[abisalli]

Day 1: Meeting the Justice League

[8ptates]

Batfamweek2020 Day 3 :Bonding during mission

It was a slow night and therefore time to crash a convience store.

[excuseme-howdareyou]

Day 7: Nightmares | Time Travel | Mythology AU

........

"Bruce?" 

Dick's voice was tiny and quiet and barely more than a whisper. Still, Bruce rolled over in his bed and blinked sleepily at the small boy standing in his doorway. His blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, making the short preteen appear even smaller buried underneath the mass of fabric, and the nervous look on his face made Bruce's throat feel tight. 

Sitting up, Bruce rubbed the sleep from his eyes and chanced a glance at the clock. 4:27AM. "What is it, chum?" he asked.

Dick pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "I can't sleep," he admitted quietly. 

Not entirely unexpected. The Manor was still new to him; it was a far cry from the circus and no doubt-

"I... I had a nightmare."

-and oh.

Bruce swung his feet over the edge of the bed and beckoned Dick to come closer with his arm spread out in gesture for a hug. The 12 year old needed no other initiative and launched himself across the room. He was almost a teenager, but Bruce was still able to easily pick the lad up and settle him into a tight embrace. Gangly elbows and knobby knees curled up and Dick was almost lost in the swatch of blanket, but Bruce held onto him -blanket and all- with as much tightness as he dared. 

It had been two months since the death of the Graysons, one since coming here to the Manor. He did not have to ask to know what the nightmare was about. 

One little hand squirmed out of the blankets to grasp tightly onto the sleeve of Bruce's nightshirt. He did not let go after that and Bruce did not try to stop him. 

After all, Dick needed to be able to hold onto him to make sure he didn't fall too.

...........

The first time Bruce caught Jason in the middle of the night, he was standing on the kitchen counter in his bare feet, trying to reach the container of cocoa sitting on the top shelf. He was also cursing up a storm under his breath. ("Who the hell puts stuff up this high? Stupid tall people.")

"Late night snack, Jaylad?" Bruce asked with a smile and leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. 

Jason nearly fell off the counter in his surprise. "Bruce!" he whirled around, his hold on the cupboard door the only thing keeping him balanced in his haste," I was uhhh..." His eyes darted around the room nervously. Then his shoulders drooped in defeat. "Please don't tell Alfie I was standing on the counter."

Bruce couldn't help but grin. "It'll be our secret," he promised," Though I've learned it really is impossible to hide anything from Alfred. The man knows everything."

He and Jason had a running theory that Alfred could read their thoughts.

(It still hasn't been disproven, by the way.)

Recognizing that Jason still hadn't gotten his cocoa, Bruce walked forward and with his immense height easily reached up and grabbed the tin container. He handed it to a sheepish Jason, who jumped off the counter. 

"So," Bruce continued by getting two mugs out of the cupboard as well," Had a craving for hot chocolate?"

Jason had the container on the kitchen island and pried the lid off. "No, I uhh..." he frowned, even as he reached in and grabbed the measuring spoon inside," Couldn't sleep, ya know? Figured a hot drink might help."

The smile slid off Bruce's face. He knew what 'couldn't sleep' meant. 

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked. 

Jason looked like he was about to blurt out his thoughts, but then changed his mind as he dumped a spoonful of cocoa mix into each of the mugs. "Nothin' to talk about," he muttered sourly. 

Bruce knew from experience it was best not to press. 

Doesn't mean he wasn't going to stay in this kitchen for an hour, drinking hot chocolate with his son. And when Jason toddled off back to bed, he seemed... calmer, more at ease. And when he yawned, wide and tired and Bruce caught a glimpse of that chipped canine tooth, he couldn't help but tussle that head of messy hair. 

"Hey!" Jason protested.

"Goodnight, Jaylad," Bruce leaned down and pecked his lips on Jason's forehead," I'll be here in the morning when you wake up."

Judging by the smile on the boy's face, it was the right thing to say.

...............

Tim wouldn't tell Bruce when he had a nightmare. But he had certain tells that if someone looked, they could tell he was having a restless night. 

It took Bruce an embarrasingly long time before he noticed it. He wanted to blame it on the fact that Tim lived across the street at his own house and so Bruce didn't see him after patrol was over. But even from the front steps of the Manor, it would've been obvious to see. And so it was actually Selina who brought it to his attention, one of her 'visits' to the Manor to see if she could rouse Bruce into a game of manor-tag. (Only this time she marched straight up to him and whacked him over the face with a sofa pillow)

"Go look outside your front window, you dense idiot," she frowned at him, then left for the night. 

And that's how Bruce found out that Tim climbs up onto his roof whenever he can't sleep. How long he's been doing it, he doesn't really know and Tim wasn't telling. But Bruce could recognize that look in his eyes; the empty stare as Tim sat on the peak of his roof and gazed -almost longingly- at the driveway leading away from his house. 

He didn't make a sound when Bruce sat down next to him, just glanced up then went back to staring at the road. Bruce wondered what he saw there. Or if... he was daydreaming about something he wished he saw there. 

"Nightmare?" he asked. 

"No more than usual," came Tim's reply and wasn't that just a stab in Bruce's heart?

"Wanna talk about it?" 

Tim shook his head. 

"Okay."

A few minutes passed before Bruce noticed that Tim was starting to droop. Whatever nightmares plagued him, exhaustion was still catching up to him. Without a word, Bruce reached over and tugged the teenager over into his side with one arm wrapped around his shoulders. Surprised but not fighting it, Tim tilted his head until it rested on Bruce's shoulder and yawned. 

"Whenever you're ready, we'll head back to the Manor," Bruce told him. 

Tim blinked up at him in confusion. "Really?" he asked," But I thought I had to be here in case Ms. Nefzger came early tomorrow?"

Ms. Nefzger, the housekeeper that only shows up every three days. Bruce felt a sweep of guilt that that was the reason why Tim was staying in this large house by himself; to keep up the ruse. "If it happens, then I'll deal with it," he said instead," Tonight, Alfred's got the guest room ready for you, then tomorrow you can chose which room you want for your own."

The smile Tim gave him reminded him so much of another boy with dark hair and blue eyes. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, Tim. I really mean it."

..................

It was the small parade of animals down the hall that garnered his attention. 

First it was the damn turkey, leading the way with a ruffle of feathers. Then the click clack of Titus' claws on the hardwood floor, the sound preceeding the sight of his large head appearing. Through his open door way, Bruce then saw the shadow of his youngest son, right at Titus' side and holding Alfred the Cat in his arms, as the menagerie paraded past. 

Equal parts curious and concerned, Bruce rose from bed to follow after him. He supposed he was lucky that Batcow wasn't part of the proceedings. 

"Damian?"

Damian and his pets stopped. "Father?" Damian turned around, surprised to see Bruce standing right behind him. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, noting that his son was still in his pajamas and slippers," Is everything okay?"

Damian opened his mouth, hesitated as if he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Then, with a scowl, he announced," Just doing a patrol of the house, Father."

It didn't take a genius to realize that probably wasn't what he was really doing. "Mmhmm," Bruce couldn't help but smile fondly at him, then guessed," Couldn't sleep?"

Somehow not expecting his bluff to be called, Damian froze at the implication that he'd been found out so soon. "I..." he blinked," Maybe?" He held unnaturally still, as if half expecting to be sent straight back to bed.

Bruce was enough of an old hat at this by now. "Yeah, me too sometimes," he reassured him. He reached out and laid one hand on his son's shoulder, wanting to give him a hug but not wanting to disturb the cat in his arms. "What can I do to help?" he asked. 

Damian stared at him in equal parts awe and confusion. "Umm," he fumbled for words," Well, sometimes... Richard would sit and watch Animal Planet with me?"

"You got it," Bruce smiled and gave his shoulder a squeeze before straightening up," Shall we get a snack first? How's hot chocolate sound?"

................

They were halfway through the 'Ice Worlds' episode of 'Planet Earth' when they were joined by a third person. "Rough night?" Jason whispered as he leaned over the back of the couch and saw Damian fast asleep snuggled between his father and Titus. Bruce had to tilt his head back to get a look at his second oldest and wondered when he'd come in. 

"He couldn't sleep," Bruce answered back just as quietly, not wanting to wake Damian," Everything alright? What are you doing still up?"

"I'm a grown man, Bruce, I don't need a bedtime," Jason scowled at him, but it didn't last long as Tim appeared at his side and lightly slapped him on the back of his head. 

"Stop getting so offended over everything," Tim scolded him, then turned to Bruce," He just finished his stakeout and came to harass me for my case notes."

Yeah, that sounded like Jason. 

Just then, Jason noticed the duo of cocoa mugs on the coffee table. "Hey, you had hot chocolate without me?" he pouted. 

Holding back a chuckle, Bruce told him," It's still in the same place as always, Jay." Then he couldn't help but grin," Need any help reaching it?"

The word Jason signed back at him would not be polite to repeat out loud. "Make me a cup too!" Tim whisper-shouted at his retreating back. 

"Ooh, I thought I heard David Attenborough," and all of a sudden there was Dick on the other end of the couch, munching on a granola bar he probably had stashed away in a pocket somewhere. (At this point, Bruce was over questioning where he came from)

"Just don't wake your brother," he whispered and got a pantomimed 'lips-locked' from his eldest. It was all in vain though, for as soon as Jason returned -with two cups of hot steaming cocoa- he shooed Titus off the couch so he could take his spot. The dog's movement woke Damian, who blinked sleepily at the troupe all around him. Finally, his eyes landed on Jason, who'd taken Titus' spot. 

"Todd," he grumbled, and the drawling way he spoke it told them he was only half awake. 

Jason smiled at him," Heya Baby Bat," then gestured at him with his open arm. A moment later, Damian leaned over in the opposite direction of Bruce and was soon fast asleep on Jason's shoulder. Bruce wanted to be jealous that Jason stole his cuddling time with Damian, but couldn't deny how adorable it was. 

(Dick thought the same thing, cooing at Jason and tried to hug his other arm, only to have Jason whisper-shout at him," Hey, don't spill my cocoa!")

A small form curled up on Bruce's other side and he looked down to see messy dark hair and sweet dark eyes. "Movie night?" Cass blinked up at him. 'Wasn't she at Barbara's tonight?' Bruce wondered, but gave up trying to guess. He was all too happy to wrap his arms around her shoulders (except where Tim was apparently using her as a pillow, cuddled up and sipping on his cocoa) and hold his only daughter tight. 

"Yeah, family movie night," Bruce whispered back. 

[official-batfam-week]

That's right folks! We're one month away from BATFAMWEEK2020!!

We're so excited to see all of your writing, art, moodboards, whatever the prompts motivate you to create! We wanna see it all.

Just in case, here's a reminder of the prompts for the week:

Day 1: Overprotectiveness | Meeting the Justice League | Meta-Human AU

Day 2: Hurt/Comfort | Underappreciated Family Members | Dark Batfam AU

Day 3: Injuries | Bonding During A Mission | No Capes/Civilian AU

Day 4: Robin's | De-Aging | Reverse Batfam AU

Day 5: Insecurities | Identity Reveal | Keeping Up With The Waynes AU

Day 6: Fluff | Take Your Child to Work Day | Magic/Fantasy AU

Day 7: Nightmares | Time-Travel | Mythology AU

Happy plotting!!

[ivesblossom]

Day 4 at @official-batfam-week:  Robin's | De-Aging | Reverse Batfam AU

[fidothefinch]

Stuck with You

Batfam Week Day 3: Injuries/Bonding During a Mission

Ao3

“For the record, this is the singular worst hiding place I have ever had the displeasure of using.” Damian’s legs were cramping from holding his position for so long, but he didn’t dare move. The rain made everything slick, and he couldn’t afford to lose what traction he had.

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome to find a better one.” Tim’s voice, coming from somewhere behind and slightly above Damian, was too tired to sound annoyed. He was having difficulty holding still, too. “Still beats staying to take care of B.”

Damian scrunched his nose at the reminder. His father did not take the flu gracefully. “There is no time to rework our strategy. If this plan fails, it will be your fault alone.”

He could almost hear the eye roll. “Uh-huh. Okay, Robin.”

A noise came from outside, and they both stilled, straining their ears. It came closer, but when it passed the opening of their hiding place it was no bigger than a squirrel.

Tim shifted his weight carefully. “If the drug dealers want to get here soon, my back would appreciate it.”

The tube slide was made for children, after all. It was not meant to accommodate two vigilantes for hours on end.

The slide was bright yellow, the inside was covered with lewd graffiti, and it smelled like feet. But it was a small price to pay for the shelter the tube provided. As Damian had to begrudgingly agree, it was the only real hiding place on the playground close enough they would be able to catch the dealer in the act.

Lo and behold, the playground mulch was disturbed again as another figure shuffled by the slide in the dark. By the two-beat rhythm, Damian guessed it was a human.

They fell into silence.

Several minutes passed. The lone figure circled the playground several times, never quite finding a place to rest to wait.

Finally, the feet stilled. Tim tapped Damian on the shoulder, and Damian nodded he noticed. Within a minute, another set of footsteps ambled across the playground, guided by the glow of a flashlight.

“Are you Ray?”

“Depends on who’s asking.”

The voices were muffled by the plastic, and even Damian had trouble making out the words. Carefully, he let himself slide down their hiding place. Just an inch.

A hand tapped his shoulder.

Damian scowled and looked back at Tim, who shook his head.

Damian rolled his eyes, threw off Tim’s hand, and braced his legs to prepare another miniscule movement.

When he turned back, there was a dog at the base of the slide.

Almost as though it could sense his gaze, its eyes shot over to him.

It growled.

“Up, up!” Damian hissed, pushing on Tim’s foot to convey the message.

The dog jumped onto the lip at the base of the slide and started barking. Damian had barely risen an inch before it tried to climb after him. Its teeth snapped around the empty air where his foot had been half a second earlier.

Damian grit his teeth and kicked out at it, wincing at the yelp it gave when he managed to clip its nose. The dog slid down and off the bottom of the slide, but there was no use in staying.

They had been spotted.

“Hey! Who’s there?” The light swiveled and illuminated the slide, highlighting the stark graffiti on the inside. Then it wobbled, and there was the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

Damian crept backward, but his boot hit a wet spot and he lost traction.

“Robin!”

Damian’s cape pulled taut, and it was his only saving grace when a bullet shot straight through the slide’s walls, narrowly missing Damian’s stomach. Tim hauled him up out of reach.

“Time to go.”

Damian couldn’t argue.

He scrambled up the slide after Tim, only pausing a second to allow Red Robin enough time to throw a smoke bomb ahead of their exit. Rebreathers in place, he followed Tim out into the open air.

Another gunshot went off. Red Robin flinched in front of him, but it didn’t slow his momentum. The older boy leapt over the iron railing and dove to the ground to face their pursuers head-on. Damian ran further down the play structure and waited until Red Robin had pushed the man back far enough he could swing around the fire pole and use the momentum to kick the man across the head.

The man fell hard.

Damian landed easily and wiped his hands off. “Tt.”

The other man, the one who had arrived earlier, was already across the field lining the playground. Ran at the first sign of trouble. As Damian watched, Red Robin’s grapple hook wrapped around his legs, and the man fell.

Smirking, Damian looked to Tim, ready to offer a quip. He paused at what he saw.

“You’re bleeding.”

Tim’s jaw twitched. His grapple fell from a lax hand. “Just a flesh wound.”

It was not.

Even as he said the words, his leg buckled underneath himself. Damian dove in to catch his shoulders before he hit the ground.

Tim clamped a hand over his thigh, but it wasn’t enough to stop blood from seeping out between his gloved fingers. “This would happen.”

Damian shifted Tim’s weight, pulling the taller boy’s arm over his shoulder as support. It didn’t really work; the height difference too great. “I will have to carry you.”

Tim snorted. “Yeah, right.”

But they didn’t really have any other options.

So Damian crouched down in front of Tim. He braced himself on his knees. “Here.”

Tim just stood there. “I can’t believe you’re offering me a piggyback ride.”

Damian grit his teeth. “I can still leave you here. I could call B—”

“That’s a low blow.” Tim braced one hand over Damian’s shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Damian scoot back underneath him more, so Tim’s front was resting against his back. “Hurry, before I change my mind.”

Tim still hesitated. But when he leapt up with one foot, Damian was easily able to catch him underneath the thighs. Tim hissed at the pressure on his leg. “Watch it!”

“TT. Hold on.”

Tim wrapped his arms around Damian’s neck. When Damian stood, he could not straighten his posture lest he risk overbalancing, but he held Tim’s weight relatively easily. “This should not be so easy. When is the last time you ate?”

Tim was quiet. That’s when Damian knew the time to joke was over. “Red Robin?”

“You know, I don’t know?”

Damian pushed Tim up a little so he could reach the treats in his pocket. The dog was watching them, and he could tell by its silhouette it didn’t like them. “You should take better care of yourself.”

Finding the treats, he threw one over for the dog. It sniffed it before gently picking it up and trotting over to sit next to its felled master to eat.

“Because I’m useless as a crimefighter when I haven’t eaten?”

“Because you’re a human and your body requires nourishment.” When Tim didn’t answer, Damian jostled the load on his back. “You are not allowed to lose consciousness.”

Tim hummed behind him. “I’m going to call the police, let them know they’re here.”

It was clearly deflection, but Damian let it slide. Blood loss, after all.

The smaller boy carried Tim past the playground, out of the park. He picked through the city, trying to keep out of sight. It was a quiet night, but they were compromised. He did not want to give any idling criminals ideas.

For the most part, Tim remained silent. Damian tapped his legs every few minutes, and Tim tapped his chest back. Still here.

When they had reached a safe house, Damian carefully lowered Tim onto the fire escape outside the apartment so he could open the window.

“Thanks.”

Damian stopped fiddling with the locking mechanism in his surprise. Then he doubled down his efforts to cover his hesitation. “TT. You must be delirious from blood loss.”

“No, really,” Tim whispered. “Thank you.”

The window slid open on silent hinges. Damian stepped through to make sure it was safe, and stepped out again to help Tim through. “You do not need to thank me. I am only doing this so Father does not bench me, as well.”

Tim pushed his cowl back to reveal a look of pain. “Oh, God. I hadn’t even thought of that. He’s going to kill me. You should have just left me to bleed out.”

Damian dragged Tim to the bathroom, where he forced him to lie down so he could examine the wound. It wasn’t as bad as they had thought. The bullet had sliced a deep cut across the exterior of Tim’s thigh. Nothing a good compression bandage and a few weeks’ rest couldn’t fix. “I would not do that.”

Tim went quiet again. Damian pulled out his first aid kit and began working on his leg. “I was serious. You really should take better care of yourself.”

Tim’s face screwed up. “Never thought I would hear that from you.”

Damian frowned. “Despite our history, I do not wish you ill.”

A sigh. “I know that.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Damian finished dressing the wound. He helped Tim sit up against the bathroom tiles, and fished out some painkillers (and light sedatives) for him.

Tim downed them dry. After making a face at the taste, he bluntly asked, “Are you going to tell Bruce?”

Damian studied the wall next to Tim’s head. He knew Tim was talking about more than the immediate wound. “Not yet.” He sliced his gaze to make eye contact with Tim. “A night’s rest, and then I will make a decision.”

It was no promise. Tim nodded in acknowledgement. “Okay.”

Damian acted as a support so Tim could stand, and together they hobbled over to the couch in the sparse living room.

They didn’t sit long before Tim slurred, “You drugged me.”

Damian smirked. “Technically, you drugged yourself.”

Tim groaned, sliding further down the couch. “Still beats spending the night with Bruce when he’s high on Nyquil.”

On that, Damian could agree.

He waited until Tim was asleep to send a quick message to Alfred about their whereabouts and Tim’s injury. Then he pulled a blanket from the bedroom and draped it over Tim’s body before stumbling to bed himself.

There was a conversation to be had in the morning, but it could wait. It had been a long night, after all, and Damian could not risk being made a hypocrite.

Rest it was.

[panoramicambitions]

duke thomas makes yellow look good

today’s prompt for batfam week 2020 is underappreciated family members. signal popped in my mind immediately.

[sassydefendorflower]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Hello! It is day 7 @official-batfam-week and I did it! Yay! This was inspired by this post by @incorrectbatfam, so I wanted to say my thanks!

Fandoms: Batman, DCU comics

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas

Summary:  Bruce had been a Vampire for a little over three months, when suddenly his door bell rings. In front of it is his neighbor Tim Drake. Who should be dead after a kidnapping incident over 20 years prior. And yet here he is, no day past the age of 16. What else is Bruce supposed to do besides inviting him and his brood inside?

Warnings: The characters are all Vampires, Talk about Death

Day 7:  Nightmares | Time-Travel | Mythology AU