Discover Top Posts Tagged with #dc fic fluff

If anyone asked, it never happened.

Jason was not the kind of guy who got all soft just because his half-frozen, sleep-deprived little brother showed up at his apartment during a blizzard. He definitely didn’t let the kid fall asleep curled up against him like some kind of lost little batling.

And he absolutely wasn’t currently curled tightly his baby brother, one arm thrown over the cub, burying his face in Tim’s messy hair, one leg tilted up to create a nook that the younger fit into perfectly.

Nope. No way.

Didn’t happen.

Tim mumbled something in his sleep, shifting just slightly before settling again. His fingers twitched and gripped Jason’s hoodie, fisting it tightly, like he thought Jason might vanish if he let go.

Jason sighed through his nose, tightening his hold.

Hummed low, an old tune, a song Bruce would use to calm them down.

Bruce and Dick were out of town on missions, and Cass who knew where.

So Jason was the oldest for now.

Well.

Maybe he could live with that.

Tim, sneakily crawling through the window: Jason: Why in Gotham's name are you breaking into my apartment in the dead of night?" Tim: *startles, yelps, and falls the rest of the way inside*

Jason:

Tim:

Tim: I thought you were gonna get back from the Outlaws tomorrow morning....

Jason: Yeah well I uh-.

Jason:

Jason: I got homesick and Sped the rest of the way back instead of going to a motel for a night.

Tim: Oh.

Jason, pinching the bridge of his nose (much like Bruce): Okay, I repeat my question, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the Manor?

Tim: ...Yeah, I'll go, sorry, I'll leave.... *Starts climbing back out the window* Jason: Jason: *hurries over and snatches Tim* Jason: Hang on- (looks Tim over, pale and a bit sweaty despite the current cold weather, but shivering and red-rimmed eyes) - were you crying? Tim: *shuffles nervously and says nothing*

Jason:

Jason: .....Timmy, did you have a nightmare......?

Tim: *slowly nods after a moment* Jason: .....Bruce is off on a case, isn't he? And Dickie's in Blud?

Tim: *nods* Jason: And Cass is who knows where? So you couldn't go to any of them fast? Tim: *nods*

Jason: And the Manor was too loud or something so you came here? Tim: *nods* Jason: Why not to B's room or Cass' or Dick's room if you didn't know I was here? Tim: *shrugs* Jason: Timmy

Tim: You would be the first to get back and I couldn't sleep and i don't know, it didn't feel safe and Dami was asleep and so was Duke and so was Alfred and I dunno I just- *cuts off, shivering.* Jason:

Jason: *Slowly picks Tim up.* Tim: *Tenses for a second before burying his face in his brother's shoulder and clinging on, breaking a bit and sobbing and all.* Jason: *makes his way to the couch and settles down, holding Tim close.*

Jason: Hey, hey, it's ok, I got you, I'm right here, nothing's gonna hurt you, it's safe, you're okay, I'm right here.

Jason: You just wanted your big brother, huh? Tim, sniffling: Yeah, i guess.

(Jason gives Tim the big brother cuddles for the rest of the night and when Dick notes their trackers and comes over to check he finds both his middle brothers curled up on the couch. He totally took pictures. That have made their way to Bruce. Who has them framed somewhere)

Four Days, Tim? Again? Really? (DC Batfam Fic)

(Summary: Tim's not sleeping. His brothers intervene.) ---

Tim opened the fridge with the practiced ease of someone who had long since memorized the layout of his kitchen. He reached for an energy drink—something to power him through the inevitable late-night work he’d be buried under soon enough.

"Hey Timmers," Jason called from the doorway, his voice light, but with that familiar edge of mischief.

Tim, without turning around, responded in his usual dry tone. "Hy J'sin."

Jason’s footsteps clicked closer, his eyes narrowed "What's the date and time right now?"

Tim squinted at the fridge’s little clock. "Mmm... last I checked, it was January 5, half-past ten PM," he muttered, taking the drink out and twisting off the cap.

Jaso paused, eyes widening, before he raised an eyebrow, stepping closer, his eyes glinting with the kind of amusement that usually spelled trouble. "Baby bird. Today's January 9."

The moment Jason said it, Tim froze, hand still gripping the half-empty energy drink can like a lifeline. His brain stuttered, calculating furiously. January 9. Four days. Four days or more of no sleep for, and—oh no, Dick was yelling.

"Get him!"

Tim's survival instincts kicked in.

Dropping the can, he spun on his heel and bolted, barely ducking the net Damian flung at him (Where did he get that?). The mesh hit the fridge with a clang and slid down uselessly.

"You're going to pay for that!" Alfred's voice rang out faintly from the next room, but it was already too late for warnings.

"Tim, stop running and go to bed!" Dick yelled as he vaulted over the counter.

"Absolutely not! I still have work!" Tim shouted back, skidding around the corner and making a beeline for the staircase. He didn't even know where he was going—he just knew he couldn't let them catch him.

Jason, however, had the predatory instincts of a bloodhound. He cut off Tim’s escape route by vaulting over the banister and landing squarely in front of the staircase.

Tim barely managed to skid to a halt.

"Whoa, hey, let's talk this out—" Tim started, but Jason’s smirk was already in place.

"Four days, Replacement. Four days -or maybe more- you’ve been up without a single nap. You think you're getting out of this?"

Jason lunged, but Tim, used to escaping his big brothers, ducked under his arms and bolted back toward the kitchen.

“DRAKE!” Damian yelled, already giving chase again.

Tim glanced over his shoulder and regretted it immediately. Damian had discarded the net and was brandishing a bola instead.

“Why do you even have that?!” Tim screeched, diving behind the couch.

“For moments like this, obviously!”

Duke walked in, and frowned. He caught Alfred's look and quickly locked the doors and windows leading outside. Then he joined the chase. With his phone camera.

“Guys, c’mon, it’s not that big a deal!” Tim yelled, already scrambling toward the hallway.

“Not a big deal?” Dick’s voice was closer now. “Tim, you passed out standing twice last month! This intervention is happening whether you like it or not!”

Tim didn’t have time to argue before Jason caught grabbed him by the back of his hoodie and hauled him into the air. He kicked his legs uselessly, trying to wiggle free.

“Jason! C’mon! Let’s be reasonable here—”

Jason’s laugh was dark and smug. “You’ve been running on caffeine and spite for four days or more, and now it’s time for your crash. Literally.”

“Put me down!” Tim shrieked, flailing like a cat being carried to the bathtub.

“Oh, I’ll put you down,” Jason said, unbothered. “Right into bed.”

Tim twisted to look at Damian, who had stopped at Jason’s side, smugly crossing his arms. “Damian, help me!”

“Tt. I am helping. I’m ensuring you stop disgracing yourself with this pathetic self-neglect.”

Duke caught up and shook his head. "I'm with Damian and Jason on this one. Sorry, Tim."

Dick appeared a second later, out of breath but victorious. “We’ve got him. Let’s move.”

“Guys,” Tim pleaded, as Jason threw him over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “C’mon, I have stuff to do! You don’t understand—”

“Oh, we understand,” Dick interrupted, cutting him off. “You’re gonna take a nap, and then we’ll talk about what’s so important it was worth shaving years off your lifespan.”

Tim groaned as Jason carried him up the stairs, Duke, Damian and Dick trailing behind. He knew there was no getting out of this.

“Traitors, all of you,” Tim muttered.

Jason snorted. “You’ll thank us after a twelve-hour nap, Timmers.”

As Jason dumped him unceremoniously onto his bed and Dick practically tucked him in like a disapproving mother hen (Well, more like a worried big brother), Tim realized there was no escape.

Damian stood at the foot of the bed, smug and victorious. Duke stacked up the case files on the desk and kicked the files on the bed off the bed.

The last thing Tim saw before his exhaustion overtook him was Jason taping a sticky note to his nightstand.

When he woke hours later, bleary-eyed but undeniably well-rested, he spotted the note.

"Sleep or die, Replacement. Love, your idiot brothers.

And next time, we're gonna tell Dad and have him catch you. And don't we all know that the big Bat can catch a Robin."

Of Skateboards and Robin Magic. (DC Fanfic)

Summary: Jason steals a skateboard. He gives it to Tim. Dick is looking for his brothers.

-------

Jason didn’t mean to steal a brand-new skateboard.

It just kinda… happened.

The Outlaw mission was supposed to be simple—some arms dealers, a couple of explosions, maybe a car chase that maybe had multiple driving laws broken..

Nothing that warranted a -technically- stolen skateboard.

But there it was, tucked under his arm as he made his way back into his Gotham apartment at dawn, still wearing his gear.

He found it occupied.

Tim was perched on his kitchen counter like a baby gremlin. His laptop was open beside him, and there was an empty coffee cup near his foot.

Breaking into each other's places was pretty normal for the Bats. Jason's seemed to be a favorite of Tim's, though, to be fair, the little gremlin had been spending more time with the second-eldest brother than Dick ever since the whole Bruce-in-the-time-stream incident.

Jason had tried to pretend that he wasn't worried about Tim during those days, and right after he'd come back. He'd failed.

Jason sighed. “Hey there, little crow.”

Tim looked up, tired ice-blue eyes locking onto the skateboard. “...That for me?”

Jason blinked at him. Looked at the board. Looked back at Tim. “…Yeah, I guess.” Tim beamed, hopping off the counter, giving the elder a quick squeeze before grabbing it from his hands.

“Sick.” He flipped it over, inspecting the design. “Where’d you get it?” Jason dropped into a chair, rubbing his face. “Some idiot tried to hit me with it after grabbing it from a store.”

Tim paused. “And you stole it?”

“I confiscated it, little one,” Jason corrected. “Kept it 'cause I heard your old one broke. You can paint it, too. It’s a crime-fighting skateboard now.”

Tim snorted. “That makes it better.” He set the board down and stepped on it, testing the wheels. “Man, I missed my old one. I think this one's better quality though...”

Jason leaned back, watching as Tim carefully rolled back and forth in the middle of the kitchen. He still looked exhausted—probably hadn’t slept at all—but there was a small, genuine smile on his face.

One Jason hadn't seen for too long.

Jason huffed. “You better not break your neck.”

Tim grinned that gremlin grin of his.. “No promises, big brother.”

~~~~~~

Dick was getting real tired of this.

Jason and Tim had a habit of disappearing together lately, and it was weird.

Not bad, necessarily—just weird. He was glad that his little brothers were bonding, though.

Jason barely tolerated anyone on some days, and Tim was usually off doing his own thing, but for some reason, the two of them had been hanging out a lot. And by "a lot," he meant they were practically glued together when they weren’t working solo. '.....Must be a middle child thing.'

Dick had checked all the usual places: the Manor, Jason’s apartment, the Cave—nothing. Even Bruce had no idea where they’d gone, which was just insulting.

Finally, after way too much searching, he decided to do what he probably should’ve done first.

He called them.

Jason didn’t pick up, obviously. But Tim? Tim answered after three rings.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you?" Dick asked.

A pause. Sounds of.. wheels on concrete? Then, in the background, Jason’s voice:

"TIM, DON’T—"

A loud crash. A yell. Tim started laughing. It was a nice sound to Dick. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tim. Timmy. Where are you?" Tim, still laughing, finally answered, "Uh. Nowhere?" "Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne." "Okay, okay, jeez. We’re at the skatepark."

Dick blinked. "The—what."

"The skate park," Tim repeated.

".....I thought your old skateboard broke? Dad was planning to order a new one-" "Someone on Jason's Outlaw mission tried attacking him with a completely new and unused skateboard from a shop, so he, um....... took -I mean confiscated- it."

Dick took a second to process that. Then he sighed. "Stay there."

Tim snickered. "Sure, sure.”

In the background, Jason’s voice rang out: "I swear to God, if you hit me with that—"

Another crash. Laughter.

Dick started moving faster.

Crazy little brothers.

~~~~~~

They were indeed fooling around at the skatepark.

Jason apparently was right about his Robin being magic, because this was the first time Dick had seen Tim this happy in a while.

Jason was watching Tim with a half-amused smirk, sitting on a bench with his legs stretched out, arms crossed over his chest.

But it wasn’t the usual teasing smirk. There was something almost... fond, about it.

Tim did a little trick—a kickflip, of all things—and landed it without falling. He pumped his fist into the air, whooping as if he’d just won an Olympic gold medal. Jason’s laugh, deep and warm, followed.

Tim was darting around the park, expertly flipping off ramps and pulling off tricks like he was born on a skateboard. He was laughing, his eyes bright, his whole posture loose in a way Dick hadn’t seen in months—maybe longer.

It was the kind of happiness that had been mostly missing since they lost Bruce, the kind of joy that wasn’t tainted by duty or trauma or guilt. Tim had always been self-sufficient, always the one who buried his emotions under layers of work and responsibility, but this?

This was something Dick hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

Jason caught sight of him first, raising a brow. “What?”

Dick didn’t answer at first, just stood there watching Tim, who was now expertly riding up and down the halfpipe with the same reckless energy he usually reserved for casework or missions. There was no hesitation in him.

He looked… free. Happy.

“He's never done this, in a while,” Dick murmured, a little caught off-guard by the sight. “Not this much. Not this carefree.”

Jason grinned, just a little smug. “Yeah, well. Maybe I’m a good influence.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “You’re a bad influence.”

“No, I’m a wild influence. Timmy needs to learn how to just... be for once. Relax. Even Robin gets a break.” Jason’s voice softened, but there was a hint of pride behind his words.

Dick’s heart squeezed. “It’s good to see him like this.”

Jason gave him a pointed look. “Face it, Dick, I can be a big brother, too.”

Dick swallowed, his gaze never leaving Tim, who had just pulled off another trick and was now heading their way, grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were sparkling, bright with something that wasn’t there the last time they’d all been in the same room.

“Yeah,” Dick muttered, a little embarrassed. “I know. Just didn't think he'd take to you that much, considering how scared of you he was after the whole Titans Tower thing.”

Jason shrugged a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Took a while. I had to coax him out of hiding a lot. Got easier once I realized how much of an affection-starved little $hi# he was."

Tim skidded to a stop in front of them, breathless but laughing, hair wild and messed up from the wind. “You should try it, Dick. You’d be amazing.”

Jason gave him an exaggerated side-eye. “Yeah, sure, Dick. I’m sure you’d look real graceful on a skateboard. He's a circus boy after all.”

Tim snickered and pushed Jason lightly. “As if you could do better.”

Jason grinned, his eyes lighting up with that familiar mischievous spark. He jumped up, grabbing one of the spare boards that workers left on the side for people still learning. “You wanna bet, baby-bird?”

Tim immediately sensed his impending doom and bolted, kicking off hard and zipping down the slope of the park’s concrete incline. Jason didn’t hesitate—he followed, fast and fluid, not bad for someone who usually worked with guns and explosives instead of tricks on wheels.

Dick stood there, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched the two of them go.

Tim yelped when he noticed Jason gaining on him and booked it, kicking off hard and shooting down the slope of the park’s concrete incline.

Jason followed, crowing and gaining on the younger..

And Dick—Dick had to take a second because wow.

Both of his brothers were actually having a bit of fun like this. Usually their fun involved speeding on the road, jumping off building and grappling in the last second, dangerous vigilante-fun stuff.

But still, Dick smiled, his heart swelling a little as Tim’s eyes shone.

This was the kid who could hack into any system in minutes, this was the kid who could plan a mission like nobody else. This was the kid that had saved their family more than once.

But now, here he was—just a kid, a little out of breath and laughing because he was having fun, like the weight of the world wasn’t on his shoulders for a moment.

This was so weird.

Not bad, though. Not bad at all.

It was awesome, actually.

Just—he’d never seen Tim -or Jason- this happy in a while.

Tim didn’t look as tired or overworked or too-grown-up as usual. He looked happy, just a kid doing kid things.

Jason didn’t seem angry or closed off. Hell, nowadays he even seemed to be working things out with Bruce. Right now he was just a big brother.

Dick hadn’t realized how much he needed to see that.

The younger Robins had always carried their scars, but this was a side of them that Dick had almost forgotten. Seeing them together like this—light, carefree, alive—was a reminder that maybe, just maybe, there was a way forward. Even after everything.

Tim totally nailed another trick (While escaping Jason’s clutches) and looked up at Dick, ice-blue eyes sparkling with the kind of joy he hadn’t seen in far too long. “C’mon, Dick, try it! I promise you won’t break anything. Well... maybe just your pride.”

Dick’s smile widened, though his heart still felt a little tight. “You’re lucky I love you, kid.”

Jason, glancing over his shoulder from a ramp, shot Dick a cocky grin. “Face it, Grayson, me and Tim are too good for you. We know more than the basics, even if you’re a circus boy. It’s fun.”

“In a minute,” Dick called back with a shake of his head, but the fondness in his voice couldn’t be missed.

Jason laughed, then pushed off with a smooth motion, zooming down the incline after Tim. The two of them weaved together in perfect synchrony, grinning like they didn’t have a care in the world.

It had been so long since he’d seen them like this.

....

Maybe Robins were magic.

Jason had been right about that all along.

Maybe it just took two Robins together for that magic to show itself.

Babysitting Your Little Siblings.

Summary: At one point when everyone is at Jason's apartment for no reason, Jason, Cass, and Dick are faced with the challenge of getting their younger siblings to sleep (Bruce promised them money) while Bruce is away on a case.

Notes:

I don't ship any of the Batkids, they're all siblings to me.

In my mind, Dick is the oldest, Cassandra is about seven months older than Jason, Tim and Steph are about 4 months apart, Duke is about 2-4 years younger than them, and Damian is obviously the youngest.

Dick, Cass, and Jason form the older trio, Tim and Steph are the middle, Duke and Dami are the youngest, but it's basically oldest three vs youngest four.

Yes Bruce has/did have legal custody of all seven. Tim? he stole it. Was pretty easy for him too.

The next door neighbor part is because..... I didn't exactly know how to start it so i started it that way.

THE ENDING WAS INSPIRED BY THIS FIC, SO UHHH CREDIT FOR THAT PART GOES TO THEM!

----------------

The Batkids all basically lived at Wayne Manor, but Dick, Cass, and Jason, being the oldest three, and the legal adults, all had their own apartments that they did use, just they liked breaking back into WM because it was more home than their apartments.

But every now and then the whole gang just kind of.... went and rolled down to any of the apartments, chilled, fooled around, watched something, even stayed the night etc, etc.

Case in point, once when Bruce was off on a larger case, but Tim, Steph, Duke, and Damian had school the next day and Cass had a broken arm, so he left Jason, Dick, and Cass in charge and for no reason they kind of just rolled over to Jason's.

The next door neighbor, Owen, knocked on the door, wanting to know about the sudden influx of noise. He didn't mind, he was just curious.

Jason opened the door, looking a bit tired, his hair messy and a bit sweaty, but there was a spark in his greenish-blue eyes that Owen hadn't seen before in their earlier interactions.

"...What?" The young man asked. Owen hesitated, hearing voices from behind his strange neighbor.

"Just, uh, heard more noise than usual and got curious. Not annoyed, just curious."

Jason blinked, then seemed to realize. "Oh, that's just my siblings. They're over." Owen blinked in surprise. "You- you have siblings?"

"Yeah, there's seven of us!" Yelled a girl's voice behind Jason. "Adopted!" Added a young male voice.

Jason rolled his eyes, though a hint of fondness was there in his eyes.

"Yeah. Me and my older bro and sis are the oldest three, so as thus-"

"We are left in charge while Dad is away." finished another young man, appearing behind Jason. He seemed to be a bit older than his brother. "I'm Dick. Oldest of seven insane siblings. Jay here is the third oldest."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Our sister Cass is between us. Anyway, sorry about the noise, we're trying to wrangle the little ones to bed since they have school tomorrow and Dad ain't here. We're here at my apartment instead of the main house for no reason other than pure randomness."

Owen blinked. Looking over The twos' shoulders he could see two girls, one seeming between Dick and Jason in age, the other somewhere in high school, plus three boys, one the same age as the younger girl, the other two younger than that but still apart.

"It's fine," He decided. "Hope they sleep though." He added with a wry grin.

Jason actually laughed. "Yeah, Dad promised us money if we manage to get them to bed, so..."

Dick grinned. "Yup!" He turned around to the room. "So you four better get to bed real fast!"

Owen nodded and grinned as the door closed.

It was nice to know his neighbor had a good family.

Jason turned around to his younger siblings. "You heard Dick, hit the hay!"

Steph rolled her eyes. "Do we have to?" Cass tapped her sister on the shoulder and silently pointed to one of the other extra rooms. 'Go,' her eyes said. Cass was like that. Her siblings didn't even need her to sign to understand. Just her presence was enough.

"Steph....." Dick warned. "School is next morning, sis." Steph sighed and finally slipped off to bed.

Next was Damian.

"Demon Brat, you heard us. You have school tomorrow and besides, it's almost past your bedtime, little one." "I am too old for such restrictions." Damian answered stubbornly, crossing his arms.

Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Damian...... You do know that I'm saying this on Bruce's orders, right?"

A stubborn glare.

Dick tried. "Hey Dami, if you don't go to bed then you'll be tired during school. Me and Jason can manage patrol and like Jay said, you usually go to bed on this time when you're not on patrol. You want me to call Alfred?"

That worked. Damian sighed, and went into one of the extra rooms, grumbling.

Alfred card always worked.

Jason slipped over to the table where Duke was hunched over his math book. "You done with your homework, bro?"

Duke sighed. "Nope. I literally can't get this last one."

Jason looked at the problem and sighed.

"Lemme guess- Ms. Rue is the teacher for your math class."

Duke blinked at him in surprise.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Jason smirked. "Oh, I had her. She's infamous for being the worst teacher ever."

Duke groaned. "Tell me about It!"

Jason grabbed the pencil and started telling him how to do it properly.

Meanwhile Dick had wrangled Tim off the couch and was gently guiding him to another room with an arm slung across his shoulders. It had taken Tim trying to bolt and getting scruffed for that to happen.

Dick managed to get the younger male to bed and smirked at Tim's glare.

"Hey, it's not so bad, little brother. You have school tomorrow anyhow."

Tim groaned but reluctantly settled down and pulled the blanket over himself. Dick chuckled fondly and ran a hand through the younger one's hair.

"Tell you what- you go to sleep right now and tomorrow after school I'll take you and the others to get some hot chocolate, deal?"

Tim brightened at the prospect of that. "Okay!"

Dick smiled and knelt to nuzzle him a bit before leaving.

Meanwhile Jason had gotten Duke to bed, and made sure Damian hadn't tried escaping, while Cass cleaned up the living room.

Jason sighed big and flopped down on the couch. "Damn, why'd Dad put us in charge?"

Dick grinned and ruffled his hair, earning a halfhearted swat. "Probably 'cause we're the oldest." Cass rolled her eyes.

After a bit Jason stood up and grabbed his leather jacket and his Red Hood helmet, while Dick went to a room to find his Nightwing suit.

"You'll be fine watching the little ones?" Dick asked Cass, whose arm was broken. She nodded and pointed at the window.

Red Hood and Nightwing clambered out, shot out their grapple lines, and went off on patrol.

Commissioner Gordon raised an eyebrow at the two near the end of patrol when they showed up on his roof with some of Penguin's henchmen tied up.

"Just you two tonight?" He asked. Nightwing grinned.

"Batman has a larger case on some traffickers, it's a school night for Red Robin, Robin, Spoiler, and Signal, and Black Bat's arm was broken the other night so she's watching the little ones to make sure they don't sneak out."

"Yup, so it's just the two oldest sons tonight, Uncle Jim." Red Hood smirked.

Gordon sighed, shaking his head as the two grappled off. "Oh, they are the Bat's sons alright," He muttered.

Bruce, finished up with his case, slipped into the Batcave and took off his cowl and all, slipping into a light grey T-shirt and pants with a black jacket (it was winter).

He knew from a text Dick had sent him that his brood was at Jason's apartment, so he got into his normal car and drove off after briefing Alfred.

He found the apartment easily, unlocked the door (So, he had one of the keys to his son's apartment, sue him), and slipped inside.

It was dark and quiet. He checked each room, finding one or two of his kids fast asleep in each.

Dick was curled around Damian, Cass was asleep in the bed next to Steph's (Why did Jason's apartment have more than one two-bed room?), Duke had somehow gotten into the same room as Tim.

Finally he found Jason, conked out on his bed, looking relaxed and happy for once.

"Oh," Bruce sighed. It was so long that he'd seen his son like this, ever since everything fell apart but somehow came back together again. He and Jason were working it out, gettin over the awkwardness and slowly healing their bond.

“Dad?” Jason mumbled, fist rubbed harshly against his sleep-squinted eyes.

Bruce ignored the ache that filled his chest at the word, knowing, relieved that his son was... okay. Not mad at him anymore, Here.

Safe.

“Just me, Jaylad,” He sighed, and pulled the blanket over his third oldest.

“The case?” Jason mumbled. His voice was deep, rough with sleep, but it was still Bruce’s kid, sleepy but safe, checking in with Bruce after every patrol.

“Everything was fine,” Bruce whispered soothingly, reaching out to tuck the cowlick of white hair away from Jason’s eyes. He blinked at Bruce, eyes more blue than green. He didn’t push him away.

“You can go back to sleep,” Bruce told him softly. “It’s late, little one.”

And Jason, with the same tiredness as the rest of them, didn’t argue. His eyelids slowly closed, his body finally relaxing.

“Stay?” Jason murmured.

Bruce almost said 'maybe', almost turned to let the younger ones sleep in peace, worried he'd disturb his kids, but Jason’s hand reached out, found the knee of Bruce’s pants and clutched the fabric in a grip so reflexive and old and instinctual.

And there was a question when he asked Bruce to stay, instead of knowledge that Bruce would do anything he needed, anything he wanted.

So Bruce gave in to what he wanted, sitting down and wrapping one arm around his son, hugging the younger male's head to his chest.

“I’ll stay,” Bruce heard himself say, exhaustion already entangling him. “Love you, kiddo.” Jason mumbled an agreement.

Bruce ran a hand through Jason's hair and closed his eyes.