What if Bruce Wayne was a Washed Up Celebrity?
An AU wherein instead of becoming Batman, Bruce Wayne is a celebrity who crashes and burns? Instead of spending his youth training, he's ruining his own life in hopes to meet death sooner? Yet, death doesn't embrace him at all, not like how it embraced his parents despite the many times he called upon it.
Now he's an adult, all past shame and glory still carried within him. But now he has children. Children to love, to take care of, and to make sure they never, ever end up like him. Will Bruce be able to succeed?
TRIGGER WARNING:
Implications of child abuse
Mentions of drug addiction
Brief depictions of death
As an AU, this story will intentionally stray from the original source material and origins of the characters.
Parts: [1] [2] [3] [4.1] [4.2]
When Bruce came to and had joined the investigation on the attempt on his life, he quickly realized that if the police officers hadn't recognized that Dick was his ward, they wouldn't have taken him seriously and he would've died—leaving him and Damian without a parent.
It was a difficult choice—on one hand, if no one knew that Damian was his son, Ra’s wouldn't come after him, but on the other, if he had just simply hidden Damian, then Damian would never get the normal childhood he promised him.
So, he decided to kill two birds with one stone. He introduced Damian alongside Dick—that way, the ambiguity of whether or not Damian was his son biologically could protect him. Both Dick and Damian look like him, and when the public learns that Dick is his adopted son, Damian could hide behind that claim.
However, Bruce knew, whether adopted or biological, these boys are his sons. His life. No one is allowed to hurt them. No one is allowed to treat them any differently.
Bruce was also starting to get a bit too paranoid—he knows if he leaves Gotham with the kids, they'd be an easy catch for the LoA, but Gotham is also another threat all on its own. He needed a way to protect his children.
As much as he despised the man, Bruce asks Alfred to hire someone who was skilled with the sword. Alfred suggested that a firearm would be more efficient—safe to say, he never repeated that suggestion again. He also had the butler hire someone to give Dick self-defence training. Alfred was quick to agree, the old man learned fast enough to not anger the new Master of the House. Bruce was starting to take his role as the new head of the Wayne Family fairly seriously once he realized what was at stake.
When walking past Dick’s room, he sees the boy’s door slightly ajar and decides to peek in. “Chum? You alright?” He could tell ever since the incident, the boy hadn't been sleeping well. He hopes—at least—that once he starts learning self-defence, the physical exertion would tire him out and beckon him to sleep.
“It's past your bedtime chum.” He says. Dick curled up in his bed and mumbled, Bruce sighs and goes inside, not closing it yet in case Damian might find him and would want to join. Sitting on the edge of Dick’s bed, he asks, “What's the matter baby?”.
“It's not fair, ma!” Dick huffs. “We shouldn't have to live like this! You- and-!” Dick chokes on his words, lips trembling and eyes wet. Bruce sighs and moves closer to hug him, his eldest snuggling into his lap. “What hurts me more is not being able to protect you and Damian.” He kisses the crown of Dick’s head—relishing that he can finally smother his son with kisses.
“Come on chum, you need to sleep. You still have school tomorrow.” Dick whines. “I can't… I’m not sleepy.” Bruce huffs, amused. “My little nightingale.” He chuckles.
“Will you sing for me?” Dick asks, making Bruce’s heart stutter. He hasn't sung in a long time. Not since his parents died. “I'm…not sure what your mother used to sing for you, but sure… I can try.” He smiles and tucks Dick in.
Bruce felt shy at first, it truly has been awhile, but he clears his throat and the first words that came to mind were from the lyrics of the lullaby his mother would sing to him. Before he could even get to the chorus, he notices Dick struggling to keep his head steady. The boy eventually gives in and rests his head on his mother’s chests. Smiling, he presses another kiss on his son’s forehead and leaves his room after checking if all his windows are locked.
When he leaves Dick’s room, he's greeted by an angry Damian outside his older brother's room. Laughing softly, Bruce picks him up and carries him to his room—Damian has gotten into the habit of sleeping in Bruce’s room since he got hospitalized.
A year passes and Lucius no longer has anything else left to teach Bruce and he officially becomes the chairman of the board after gaining the conglomerate’s controlling interest. Work has been a breeze, but he would much rather be at home playing with the kids.
Speaking of, due to his paranoia of leaving them at home alone, he ended up hiring more household staff—most of which were under Alfred’s recommendations. Maids and manservants who were all experts in various martial arts. By this point, the Manor had more people than when Martha and Thomas were alive. Alfred took charge of the male servants while Dory handled the maids.
Bodyguards also became a thing, but they're more covert and only for when they're going out—otherwise they're just normal house staff. Dick was pretty annoyed by this at first, he felt like this was all going to ruin his plans with so many people following him around and watching him.
Eventually, the Waynes started to adapt to the new reality, though it is pretty standard for normal elites, it took them about a year for everything and everyone to finally settle down and Bruce felt more… secure. He's not sure if he'll ever feel safe again, but this is a start.
However, he couldn't understand why Leslie would call him all the way over to the memorial clinic for his medication—he could only assume there was something important she wanted to say to him. But still. How dare she? After everything?
The incident only made his limping worse—it was healing back then, barely noticeable, but somehow the attacker decided to go for his chest (barely missing any vital parts), torso, and leg. Why is it always his leg?
Whenever he sees old photos of himself on the theatre’s stage or his award shows for his roles in movies, Bruce would always grieve that part of him. The life he used to have. As much as he needed to be the head of Wayne Enterprises, he loved making art—no matter how much of it was tainted by his past and retired, crude inhibitions. It was one of the many things he shared with his mother.
Once he arrived at the clinic, he half-heartedly began looking for Leslie. All the other staff told him that she's currently dealing with a patient, but that he could wait for her in her office. Wait? Who does she think she is? If Bruce didn't need the medication, he would've just left.
He decides to wait for her in a waiting room instead—it’d be much better if he could see first-hand what the people need. While waiting, he notices a young kid next to him, head staring at the ceiling and mindlessly swinging his feet. The kid was obviously bored out of his mind and Bruce was reminded of his restless little boys waiting for him at home. “You waiting for your parents?” He asks.
“Ye-” The kid gasps and immediately turns to him. “Oh! My! God! You're Bruce Wayne!!” The boy squealed, startling Bruce. “I- uh- ye- yes, I am…” This is weird, why does this kid know him? He's too young to care about Wayne Ent-
“You were amazing in Annie!” Bruce blinked, looking at the kid as if he saw a ghost. “How… Do you know about that?” The boy wasn’t even born yet when he starred in the musical considering he was a kid himself. Plus, it was just a minor, supporting role—something he started off with that later helped him get his foot in the door of the industry. “My mom has a collection of video tapes!” The child bragged. “Oh! I saw your movies too! You were so cool!”
Great. Just as he was lamenting his acting career too. Still, Bruce couldn't help but chuckle, amused. “Are you a big fan of acting?” He asks, the kid thought about it at first, tapping his chin. “Hmmm… maybe? I don't really know. I just think it's cool.” Bruce tilts his head, “Why not give it a try?” The kid’s brows furrowed, confused. “How?” Bruce shrugs, “My son said that there are many clubs at his school, and-” “-oh I don't go to school.”
“...Why not?” The kid shrugs, “Mom said we can't afford it.” Bruce nodded slowly. “I… see.” The kid didn't seem to notice his thoughtful gaze and instead held out his hand. “I'm Jason, by the way!” Bruce smiles and shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jason. Do you live around here?” The kid nodded solemnly, and in that instant, Bruce knew what he wanted to do next.
For once, he's thankful for Leslie.
It didn't take long, but soon, he added a new project under the Martha Wayne Foundation—a theatre camp for any kid or teenager who wanted to give the performing arts a try. His mother had her galleries—her visual arts—and Bruce found a way to contribute with his love for the performing arts.
He was also working on a scholarship program for those who can't afford basic education, but it's taking a bit longer to process than he expected. Still, he was excited for his new projects. With this, he can pay homage to what he lost, and… give the kid, and several other children like him, a chance to explore the art of acting. The first ever theatre camp opened in Crime Alley, and soon it was all over Gotham and outwards.
When Bruce decided to visit the first ever camp in Crime Alley, he looked through the kids who enrolled, but he couldn't find the name he was looking for. Sure, there were many other kids with the name Jason, but none of them felt right. None of them felt like it was the kid he met at the hospital’s waiting room. When he asked members of staff, they told him they didn't recognize the kid he was describing.
At a loss, Bruce decided to walk around Crime Alley, his cane clicking through cracked concrete, looking around the neighbourhood. It left a bitter taste—once again, a new project was forming in his mind, but he decided to tuck it away, for now.
When his stroll proved to be futile, he decided to give Leslie a visit. End the search at the beginning. He couldn't really understand why he was going so far for this random kid, but it’s as though there’s an invisible force that pulls him towards that certain direction.
“It was probably the son of a previous patient of mine. Catherine Todd.” Leslie said, flipping through her medical files. Bruce perks up, “Do you know where they live? I wanted to personally invite the kid to join the ca-” Leslie sighs and sets down the file she was reading through. Despite completing his training to be the Wayne heir, despite having children of his own, Bruce Wayne continues to act like a misguided child. Is this therapy for him somehow? Is this how he plans to give back for the childhood that he missed out on? Leslie couldn't help but feel like Bruce is a teenager trying to act out again. She better drag him back down to reality before he starts becoming irrational again.
“I'm only saying this because it's you, but.” She sighs again, “Catherine died of an overdose and the kid was probably taken to one of the orphanages around here.” Bruce's heart sank—and he sees that look on Leslie's face too, saying: ‘That could've been you.’ and he's beginning to detest her all over again. Gripping his cane, Bruce slowly stands up. “Right… Thank you for the information.” he sighs, leaving her office.
It was nighttime in Crime Alley, which usually isn't safe, but Bruce has bodyguards lurking around to protect him, so he feels secure enough to visit at least one orphanage for tonight. He's not sure what or why it is, but he just needs to make sure the kid is alright. That instinctual need, similar to the one he felt with Dick.
And wouldn't you know it, on his very first orphanage, he hits the jackpot. Jason Todd, as he came to learn, was there. He wanted to see the boy, but the people at the orphanage told him he couldn't.
“Why not?” Bruce was starting to lose his patience. “Mr. Wayne… I’m sure there are other kids here who would love to meet y-” “I said I wanted to see Jason Todd—why can't I-?” The woman sighs, clearly losing her patience as well.
“Just… Please, at least tell me why I can't.” Bruce's soft voice melted the woman's heart and she quickly gave in. “The boy is… currently unfit for adoption or fostering for… accidentally shooting his step-father.” Bruce's heart sank, now he really needed to see him. The woman sighed and allowed the visit against her better judgement.
When Bruce saw Jason sitting alone in an empty room (save for a bed), his heart broke even more. “Jason…?” Jason's eyes lit up the moment he saw Bruce and immediately ran up to him and hugged him tightly, scared of letting go. The woman who came in with him was confused. Have they met before?
Bruce hugged the boy back. “Mista’ Bruce!” The kid started babbling to him nonstop, a shock for the worker who was previously met by constant silence by the kid.
“I-I swear! I didn't mean to do it!” Jason was beginning to sob, tears pouring down his eyes. “Hey, hey, relax… Why don't you tell me what happened first?” He asked gently and Jason nodded. “So- my mama, she-she…” Jason's bottom lip started to tremble, and Bruce stroked his hair gently and comforted him. “Okay, and then?”
“W-well… then my dad… he uh… he started drinking a lot, and… he would… hurt me and-” Bruce winces—hearing about Jason's parents, his mother's overdose, his father's addiction and abuse, it all brought him back to the darkest moments of his life. “-uhm, well… One night, he got really, really mad- and, and I just-uh- I-I grabbed the uh- the thing that he would sometimes point at me- I-I didn't know it would do that!” Jason sobs, and Bruce embraces him as tight as he can, rubbing circles around his back and stroking his hair gently. He pushes away his own traumas, and couldn't even begin to think about them when there's a kid right here who desperately needs him.
Bruce looks at the woman, “Is there any way I could bring him home?” Bruce couldn't, for the life of him, leave Jason here at the orphanage. His heart wouldn't let him. “I…” The woman struggled to answer, “Please, he clearly needs me right now.”
The woman was visibly torn, looking between Bruce and the crying child in his arms. “I'll… Ask our director.” Bruce smiled and nodded, letting the woman leave before turning his attention back to little Jason. Both of them sitting on the floor with Jason wrapped in his arms as he soothes the child’s cries with gentle caresses.
Soon, the Directress of the orphanage meets with Bruce and the talk was, quite frankly, very brief and with a few documents to fill out, he becomes Jason's legal guardian and was able to leave the orphanage with Jason in his arms.
When he brought Jason home, he was greeted by an angry Dick and Damian waiting for him at the door. The two were clamouring over him, asking him where he's been, what took him so long and Bruce is just trying to step around them, trying not to trip as he carries Jason over to the dining room.
Dick finally registers the nervous kid in Bruce’s arms and pulls Damian back. “Didi?” Three year old Damian looks at his older brother questioningly before he follows Dick’s gaze towards the boy who seems to shrink underneath their gaze.
“Alfred, have the chef cook something for the boy. Dory, can we prepare a spare room for him?” Alfred and Dory conceded easily, “Certainly, Master Bruce.” “Of course, Master Bruce.” Bruce nods and tries to settle Jason down on the chair, but the kid wouldn't let go of his neck, instead just hugging him tighter.
Sighing, he pulls out a chair for himself and has Jason sitting on his lap. His two other kids looked at them curiously—with Damian looking a little more jealous. “Dick, Damian, this is Jason” he gestures to the boy, “Jason, these are my sons Dick and Damian.” Jason peeked at the two boys from the crook of Bruce’s neck.
“Jason will be joining our family indefinitely.” Damian and Dick tilted their heads, “Inde-...indipininitly….?” Damian asks, stretching out the last syllable, Bruce chuckles, oh his baby is just the cutest! He ruffles Damian's hair, "It means we don't know for how long, baby." Damian huffs, pouting. It's bad enough he has to share his mama with Didi but now he has share him too with the new kid? Un. Fair.
“Have you had your dinner yet?” Bruce asks, hands gently patting Jason’s back steadily, attempting to soothe his nerves. Damian was feeling even more jealous and began climbing Bruce until he was sitting on his mama’s knee. Bruce sighs and pulls Damian close so he doesn't fall.
“Dory made us eat. Even though we still didn't want to.” Dick pouted, arms crossed. He wanted his mama hugs too. “We were waiting for you.” He adds. Bruce nodded and leaned forward to kiss Dick’s head, “Sorry chum, something came up and I had to take care of…” His eyes landed on Jason, and so did Dick’s.
Dick sighs and nods. “I know…” He whines and sits on the chair next to them as soon as dinner for both Jason and Bruce were being served. “Dam-dam, baby, may you please move to the next seat? Jason needs to eat.” Damian whined and began squirming in Bruce’s lap—he doesn't want to move. Why should he be the one to move?
Jason lifts his head from Bruce's neck once more and looks at Damian and Dick, “It’s okay mistah Bruce, I can move to the next seat.” Bruce raises a brow and Jason smiles at him, nodding reassuringly. I’ll be fine.
Bruce lets Jason move to the seat next to him as they begin eating dinner, with Damian still seated on his lap.
Thus, a new member has been added to the Wayne roster. Bruce didn't immediately adopt Jason though, he let the kid heal first—even got him a therapist, too. Since Jason can't enroll in classes mid-year, Bruce decided to enroll him in Theatre Camp first—as soon as Jason agreed—just to give him something else to do while Dick went to school and Damian was going through homeschooling.
Actually, Bruce put both Jason and Damian through homeschooling, but on different levels. Jason wasn't all that good at reading at first, but with his creative mind, he immediately fell in love with it. He would scour through books in the manor's vast library, and if there was a word he couldn't pronounce yet, he'd quietly ask a maid or manservant. Whoever was nearby at the moment.
He was mostly a quiet kid, very introverted—the only time he'd speak to someone is if he needed help with pronunciations or if he was asked something and felt obliged to reply. However, once he became proficient in reading, he stopped asking and instead just carried a pocket-sized dictionary that Bruce had given him—along with other book classics as well, burying himself within the worlds created by these novels that he'd almost ignored everything around him. He rarely spoke to Dick—but when Dick tries to speak with him, he answers, Damian was a grumpy little gremlin who didn't really pay much attention to Jason—especially if Bruce is present.
Jason found it odd at first, both Damian and Dick calls Bruce “mama” even though he's a man—and Bruce doesn't seem to mind it, but the more he sees Bruce and becomes a recipient of his affections, he sees just how soft and caring he is, how he reads him stories, helps him with the homework that the tutor gave him—actually, Bruce made it a point to spend the entire evening together just doing homework every Saturday. All four of them would gather around the living room to do homework, with Bruce trying his best to help them. Jason also notes how his lullabies could instantly put him to sleep, singing for him every time he was plagued by nightmares, much like his mo-... Oh. Yes, Jason gets it now. It wasn't difficult to understand if he looked hard enough.
Will a day ever come where he gets to call him that too?
Bruce never misses a day where he takes Dick to school, and him to Theatre Camp. “Jason! What did I tell you about waiting on the side of the street? It's dangerous!” Bruce scolded, but Jason knows that it comes from a place of worry. Bruce tends to fuss over them a lot. Jason smiled and quickly ran up to Bruce, hugging him. The man sighs and picks him up before taking him to the car, carrying him over to the backseat where he has Jason sit and fastens his seatbelt for him.
Bruce doesn’t let any of his kids sit up front—he believes they might end up thinking he has favourites if he lets one of them sit upfront with him. Plus, it’s safer in the backseat and they could spend some time together while they’re sitting back there. He noticed how distant Dick and Damian are towards Jason and worried that they might not like him. But the truth is, Jason is just shy and can’t seem to relate to either of them—and apparently, Damian still hasn’t “forgiven” him for “stealing” away his mama.
“Is that a script, Jaybin?” Bruce asks, seeing the rolled up papers in Jason’s hand. Jason nodded shyly, making Bruce smile. “They finally gave me a script after they saw how well I can read now.” Bruce gripped the wheel tighter, he felt so giddy, clearly excited for Jason. “Would you like me to help you?” He offers, keeping his eyes on the road while occasionally glancing at Jason in the rear-view mirror.
Jason’s cheeks heated up as he looked at Bruce with a glimmer in his eyes. His idol? Helping him rehearse? Oh, it was a dream come true for him! Jason could hardly believe that he was living with Bruce Wayne, receiving hugs from him, eating meals with him, and getting him to sing him lullabies—and now he’s even offering to help him? It was too much!
He feels like he was taking advantage of his guardian’s kindness already. “Oh no- it-it’s okay… you don’t have to…” Bruce perks up as he rounds a corner and Dick’s school comes into view. “Have to? Darling, I want to!” Bruce smiles at him over the rear-view mirror. It was blinding. “But of course, if you don’t want me to, I won't-” “N-no!” Jason squeaked out as the car came to a full-stop at the pick-up lane. “I-I mean-...I’d be honoured….” When the car in front of them starts moving after picking up a kid, Bruce drives the car forward, seeing Dick already waiting for them. His son seemed to be in a good mood as well, so Bruce is very happy about it as well.
“I’d be honoured to help you as well.” Bruce says as the car door opens and Dick is sitting next to Jason, seatbelt clicking as he buckles himself in. “Help with what?” Dick asks, looking at both Bruce and Jason curiously. Jason shrunk under Dick’s curious gaze, and Bruce chuckles fondly at his son’s inquisitive nature. “Jason will be part of a play soon.” He looks at Jason through the rear-view mirror. “What’s the play about, Jay?”
“Uhm… Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland…” Dick perks up, “Oh! I loved the book! Which character are you playing??? When is it??” Bruce noticed the genuine interest in DIck’s voice and let the children talk to each other while he focused on driving while Dick bombarded Jason with questions. “Uhm… they gave me the White Rabbit’s role and the play will be on November 28…” Dick gasps, “Oh! It’s the day after my competition!” Bruce abruptly steps on the break at a red light, “Competition???” Bruce turned to look at the two boys sitting at the back, both startled at the car’s sudden stop.
“Oh yeah! I was just about to tell you! I was chosen to represent our school for the gymnastics tournament!” Dick announced cheerfully, eyes bright and smile wide. “Oh baby, that’s amazing!!” Bruce cheered—he didn’t even realize that the light had turned green and the cars behind him were honking at them. “Uhm… ma…?” It wasn’t until a car overtook them after honking at them—even had the nerve to roll his window down and yell at Bruce.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” The man yells as he stops next to them. Bruce, eyes wide and couldn’t believe someone would actually have the guts to insult him. “Ma-” Dick tries to call out, but Bruce’s teeth are gritted and he’s already rolling down his window. “YOUR SAD EXCUSE OF A FATHER!” The man was visibly shocked and ashamed once he realized that he had just yelled at the Bruce Wayne. “I-I’m so sorry, Mr. Wayne!” Panicked, the man quickly rolled up his window and drove off. Bruce huffed and rolled up his window too before driving off.
“I’m so sorry for that, dears. Where were we?” Bruce glances at the two shaken boys in his backseat, Jason was practically clinging onto Dick and Dick had his arm in front of Jason, shielding him. He softened, saying, “I’m really sorry for how I acted…” He sighs. “I was so excited for the both of you I forgot my manners.” Jason, having finally calmed down, slowly lets go of Dick’s uniform and Dick is lowering down his guard as well. “It’s okay, B…” Jason smiles. Bruce nods, keeping his eyes on the road. “Thank you.”
Changing the topic, Bruce glides back to the boys’ achievements. “We should celebrate! We’ll go home first so you boys can get changed and we can take Damian with us.” Dick and Jason nodded, the two relaxing into the cushions of the car seat. It was quiet for a moment before Dick felt a shy tap on his knee. He turns to Jason next to him, head tilting curiously. “Uhm… can I… go watch your tournament too…?”
Dick smiled brightly at Jason, and Bruce could hardly hold back his tears as he listened. “Well duh! As if you had to ask!” Dick giggles, “You’re family! Of course you’ll be there! I’ll be there for your show too!” Jason’s cheeks were bright red with embarrassment, but he felt warm inside. Family…? “Eh?? Ma? Why are you crying??”
Damian didn’t know what Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was all about, so Bruce suggested that every night until Jason’s show, they would read the book together. Damian didn’t really care, but if it meant spending more time with his mami, then sure, why not? Meanwhile, every weekend, Bruce would help Jason rehearse his lines. At first, Jason was very excited, but soon he realized how nerve wrecking it actually was to have to perform in front of Bruce—his idol. He didn’t want to disappoint him and Bruce felt it so he was always patient with Jason.
“Okay bud, so your line delivery was pretty dry…” Bruce says it casually, but it’s Jason’s fifth repeat of the same line. He’s on the verge of tears now. Bruce swallows thickly, he knows that this is Jason’s first play, and he doesn’t want the boy to give up just because of his slop coaching. Thus, he changes his approach. “Let’s go get some fresh air.” Bruce stands, gripping the golden handle of his cane as he levies it to put him back on his feet.
He holds out his hand for Jason who cautiously takes it and they walk out of his room. “It’s okay to be nervous, Jay, everyone starts that way.” Bruce says as they carefully walked down the stairs—Jason held his wrist tightly while Bruce held onto his shoulder as they made their way down the steps. “Did you ever get nervous the first time you performed?” Jason asks. Bruce chuckles fondly, “Oh, I almost flaked on my first play.” Jason’s eyes widened, “Really?” Bruce nods as they make it to the landing of the manor’s grand staircase. Bruce really needs to have an elevator installed.
“5 minutes until the show started and I was already half-way through the doors of the theatre. My parents had to bribe me to finish the show” Bruce sighs, he feels guilty for lying to the kid—he was born in the spotlight so he never really feared it—but if this is what helps Jason, then so be it. They took a quick break on the stair’s landing, Jason could see Bruce’s knees trembling, he feels guilty for dragging him into this, but climbing up the stairs again would be more exhausting for him.
“What did they bribe you with?” Jason asks, eyes full of curiosity. Was it a bigger allowance? Cool cars? New clothes? More toys? Bruce hums, he smiled but seemed…distant. “Burgers.” Jason’s brows furrowed, “....burgers?” He repeats and Bruce nodded, looking back at Jason. “There was this diner that my parents took me to once, it took me a while to realize we were hiding from paparazzi.” Bruce sighs, “But I remember being so hungry that my parents and I ordered from the menu. It was my first time eating anything like it.” After sitting down on the steps, he stood up once more and he and Jason continued to descend down the stairs. “Since then, after each play, my father would take me there as a reward.”
Bruce perked up as they reached the bottom of the stairs, “Is there anything you’d like after your show?” Bruce asks, Jason’s brows furrowed, he seemed deep in thought, but Bruce ruffled his hair, chuckling. “You have plenty of time to think about it.” When they reached the garden, Jason inhaled the cold, fresh air of the night. Bruce sat on one of the chairs while Jason stood in front of him, curious, Bruce watched the kid shift his weight from foot to foot, seemingly restless.
“That’s perfect.” Bruce mindlessly commented, “Wh-what?” Jason looked at his supposed mentor, confused. “What’s the White Rabbit known for?” Bruce asks back, Jason bit his bottom lip, trying to recall how the novel described the character. “Uhh… like he’s always in a rush?” Bruce nods, “Exactly! He’s always moving around, restless. He’s frantic and nervous—much like you are now. Could you try saying one of his lines while walking around?”
Jason didn’t exactly understand Bruce’s instructions, but he does as he was told and starts walking around the garden and picks up a line that he’s already memorized. “Yes! That’s better! It’s louder now, can you try brisk walking from the rose bushes over there to me? Like you’re in a hurry to tell me something.” Jason nodded, reeling from the praise he felt like he actually earned. Bruce was nothing if not supportive and showering him with praise earlier, but those praises didn’t feel earned. Unlike this one.
Neither of them knew how long they spent in the garden that night, but Jason certainly felt an improvement in his performance. They spent the following months like that—but Bruce also split his time with watching Dick practice and Jason and Damian always came along. Damian was already cheering for his Didi and Jason was simply amazed that a person could move like that. Jason found Dick to be really cool and reliable, he almost envied him—okay, maybe he envied Dick a lot. He was the golden child and Jason feels like he has to keep up just to be deserving of Bruce’s love.
Bruce already adored him, but Jason felt like it was all unearned. Eventually, the week of the tournament came and Bruce attended with Jason and Damian in tow, along with Dory and Alfred for convenience. Bruce and Damian were practically screaming their lungs out and Jason tried to scream and cheer loudly too, but Bruce stopped him. “Your voice is the most important during a performance. There’ll be many in the audience who can’t see your expressions, so you need to make sure your voice not only conveys the same emotions as your face, but that it can also be heard at the very back of the theatre.” Jason nodded, Bruce was putting him on voice rest, so he could only hold up their sign for Dick as high as he could.
Dick ended up winning gold and the entire family cheered. Bruce decided to throw a small celebration for Dick, inviting all his son’s friends and their parents into one of their smaller homes for an afternoon party where he also gave out free tickets for Jason’s play the next day. Obviously, no one could deny Bruce Wayne. Jason pulls Dick aside, nervously fidging. “Is everything okay, Jay?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t cheer loudly for you…” Jason whispered, but Dick only smiled at him and hugged him tightly. “That’s okay! I’m just happy my little brothers came!” Jason flinched, hugging Dick tighter. “Little brother…? But I’m not…” Dick giggles, “You will, soon! I can tell mama’s been wanting to adopt you for a very long time. All you gotta do is ask him!” Jason pulls back slightly to look at his self-proclaimed older brother. “Ask him???” Jason couldn’t believe what he was hearing, surely it’s not that easy.
“Uh-huh! It’s what I did!” Dick smiled proudly. Jason pulled away from the hug completely. "You're adopted?!” Jason didn’t mean to say it out loud, but ever since they met, Jason always assumed that Dick was Bruce’s biological son. “You didn’t know??” Dick asks and Jason shakes his head, completely baffled. “Wait, how old is B?” Jason asks, “Uhhhh… 22. I think.” Jason nods, “and you just turned 10 right?” Dick nodded enthusiastically. “Yep!” Okay, after doing the math, Jason finally believed that Dick was an adoptive son of Bruce.
‘But what about the demon child?’ Jason glances over at where Bruce and Damian are, Bruce was talking to a fellow parent while Damian, ever the hyperactive toddler, was climbing all over his mama. ‘Oh, he’s definitely adopted.’ Jason thinks to himself. Jason felt a little better after learning they’re adopted—somehow it felt like they were no longer worlds apart.
“Dick… can I ask you a question?” Jason felt nervous asking this, but he felt like he just had to. Dick looked back at him curiously and Jason took it as a sign to ask the question. “How did… B end up adopting you…? Where are your parents?” Dick became quiet for a moment, which Jason quickly noticed. “Y-you don’t have to answer! I-” Dick shakes his head and smiles. “It’s okay, I… heard you lost your parents, too…” Jason pulls Dick for a hug, to which Dick eagerly returns. “What…happened?” Jason was genuinely curious too, if he and Dick’s were anymore similar, then perhaps he can he-
“That’s what I wanna know, too.” It was quiet, barely a whisper, but Jason shivered nonetheless. Before he could say anything, Dick pulled away first and took his hand. “Let’s go! I wanna introduce you to my friends!” Jason didn’t say much else after that. He played with Dick’s friends, occasionally glancing at him, trying to discern what he meant—trying to see if his gaze would give something away, but nothing. Dick acted as if nothing had happened—so maybe Jason was reading too much into it. Maybe it meant nothing?
That night, Jason hears a knock on his door, “Jaybin? Can I come in?” Bruce’s voice was calm and sweet, just as it had always been since he first entered their home. “Yes please.” The door opens and Bruce peeks his head in before fully entering Jason’s room. “How are you feeling?” He asks softly, steps careful as he approaches the foot of Jason’s bed. “I’m… surprisingly… calm?” Jason tilts his head, as if unsure of his answer.
He wasn’t as nervous as the first few times he rehearsed. When Jason looked in Bruce’s eyes, there was a discernible look in his eyes, something akin to pride that made Jason’s heart flutter. “You’re going to be great…” Bruce’s hand hesitantly reached for him and Jason met him half-way, reaching for his hand too. Bruce’s breath hitches before softening and holding Jason’s hand in his, taking his reciprocity as permission. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much, but… I’m already so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard and… even if you realize this isn’t something you’d want for yourself, just know that I will continue to support you in any endeavour you may want in the future.”
Jason’s eyes began to water, fingers twitching, needing to hold onto something. He didn’t hesitate to immediately go to Bruce for a hug—cuddling up to the only parent he’s known since his parents’ death. Bruce sighed shakily and embraced Jason. “I’m going to make you proud” Jason whispers to Bruce who chuckles. “You already have.” The day of Jason’s performance, Bruce took Jason to the theatre early for one last rehearsal with the cast. As much as Bruce wanted to watch, he still had some work to finish—plus, he wanted to be surprised.
“5-minute call, everyone!” A stage manager yells out. Fresh out of wardrobe and hair and makeup, Jason takes a minute to peek behind the curtains, he sees Dick and Damian arrive with Alfred and Dory chaperoning them, sitting behind them while the two sit at the very front. However, Bruce was nowhere in sight. ‘Maybe he’s on his way?’ Jason trusts Bruce, he knows he’s going to get here, he’s going to see Jason’s months of hard work come alive. Bruce’ll see the fruits of his labour. Of his mentorship. He has to.
Meanwhile, Bruce’s car is swerving, almost running red lights. His fingers tap impatiently on the steering wheel, eyes glancing at his watch every 2 seconds. When the light turns green, Bruce steps on the accelerator like the engine owes him money, drifting ‘round a corner until he eventually reaches the theatre’s parking lot, smoothly parking his car in his reserved space next to the service car Dory and Alfred used. 6:00pm. The play has started.
Damian tugs on his older brother’s sleeve, “Didi? Where’s mami?” Dick was about to answer until a voice behind them beat him to it. “I’m sure Master Bruce will be here shortly, he won't miss this for the world.” Dory says, smile gentle as it always is. Damian huffs and pouts, dissatisfied. He was asking his Didi. if he wanted answers from Dory, he would’ve asked her from the get-go. Seeing his little brother’s dissatisfied pout, Dick couldn’t help chuckle and pinch Damian’s chubby cheeks.
“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank…” The narrator’s voice was clear and modulated, meanwhile… Bruce was about to run into the theatre until he was stopped right at the door by an usher. “Sir, your ticket?” Bruce glares at the man who didn’t even bother looking at him at first. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Flinching, the usher quickly looks up only to see Bruce Wayne glaring at him like he’s offended his entire bloodline. “I-I’m sorry mister Wayne! Please…” He quickly unlatches the stanchion and steps aside to allow Bruce entrance.
“Tickets my ass…” Bruce mumbles to himself. Half of the tickets that’s been stamped by this fuckass usher was bought by Bruce himself and given to the parents and/or family members of the cast and stage members for free. The fuck you mean you’re asking him if he has a fucking ticket?
Before Bruce could enter, he sees two bright-eyed children standing by the entrance just staring at him. Tilting his head, Bruce turns to the usher, “Where are the parents of these children?” Trembling, the man stutters an answer. “T-they- uh, came here alone and I’ve asked them for their tickets but they said they didn’t have any…” Bruce rolls his eyes and turns to the kids who were not much younger than Jason. “Are you here to see the play?” He asked and they worldlessly nodded.
Looking much closer at the two, he recognizes the boy. He goes to Dick’s school. Though he’s not sure about the girl, but by the quality of their clothes, Bruce can discern that they’re from that family. Bruce doesn’t care much for the petty squabbles and heedless competition and rivalry of the business world outside of business, so he holds out his hands to the two and they are quick to latch onto him. The usher didn’t protest as he watched the three enter the theatre.
“What is the use of a book with no pictures?” They hear Alice’s actress say out loud as they reach their row. Only one other seat remained available on their row. So Bruce picks up Damian and offers the seat to the two other kids who gladly took them while Bruce sat on his assigned seat and had Damian sit on his lap. Dick perks up as he turns to the boy sitting next to him, “We go to the same school, right?” The boy smiled and nodded. He didn’t say much, so Dick assumed he wasn’t much of a talker like Jason. Before Dick could turn away, the boy spoke softly, “Congratulations on winning the competition…” Dick perks up, “You were there too??”
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.” Damian, who sat happily in his mami’s lap, turned to him. “I still don't get why Alice would want that mami.” Damian whispers, making Bruce chuckle. “Because baby, sometimes fiction is better than reality.” There's a sort of sad smile in Bruce's lips that Damian doesn't register, instead, he simply leans back on Bruce’s front, snuggling up to him. “You will always be my mami in every world.” Damian whispers and Bruce resists the urge to cry before Jason even comes up on stage.
The boy nodded, “My sister and I watched you compete, told her you were really good so she was curious…” Dick looked past the boy and at the girl sitting beside him, barely paying attention to them as her eyes fixated on the stage. “I know we go to the same school, but I didn’t get your name. Mine’s Richard Grayson-Wayne.” Dick smiled brightly. “I kn-” The boy bites his tongue, “I-I mean…” He clears his throat, meanwhile Dick watches the kid in amusement and Bruce, though not obvious, was listening in on the conversation. Naturally, he’d be curious as to what his son is discussing wi- “You’re popular in school, so uhh…” He looks away. “Timothy Jackson Drake. That’s my older sister, Cassandra.”
Ah, no wonder the boy was awfully familiar. Despite being younger than Jason, the kid is already sharing a few classes with Dick. Though… he’s never seen Cassandra around before… Maybe she goes to a different school or is homeschooled like Jason and Damian? “I’ll call you Tim.” Dick declares, when Tim was about to protest until Dick turned to Cassandra and openly declared “You shall be Cass.” He brightened up, Cassandra glanced at him and nodded, accepting the nickname quite easily, much to Tim’s surprise.
Dick perks up when he sees a flash of white on stage. “Oh! There’s my brother!” Dick proclaimed proudly. “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” Jason runs across the stage in a hurry. “This is curious, I wonder what could a rabbit possibly be late for?” Bruce’s smile was wide as Alice and the White Rabbit ran about on stage. Jason could see Bruce, Dick, and even Damian up front, and of course he couldn't miss Bruce’s wide, proud smile. “I'm late! I'm late for a very important date!” He spoke in rhymes and Jason felt incredibly giddy as his… family…is there for him.
“No time to say hello!” He turned to the girl playing Alice, and then at the crowd, “Goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!”, before he disappears into the makeshift rabbit hole on set. Bruce’s heart swelled with joy as he watched Jason perform the same lines they've practiced together over and over again. Throughout the play, Bruce couldn't help himself, reminiscing the time they've spent together for months that he even had the audacity to think Maybe he’d want to-... Bruce quickly dispelled the thoughts forming in his heart. No. Jason has to decide that for himself.
Still, he hoped that Jason would like the surprise he’s planned for him.
When the play ended, tears were running down Bruce’s cheeks, his mascara smudging. Damian wakes up from the loud clapping of the audience and the salty rainfall that seemed to come from his mother. “Mami? Why are you crying?” Damian asks, but before he could hear Bruce’s answer, he’s quickly snatched up by familiar, skinny arms. “Didi! Mami’s crying!”
Dick chuckles, eyes bright and smile wide which seems to remove any signs of distress from Damian. “Because he’s happy!” Damian didn’t understand, is happiness supposed to make you cry? Dick adjusts Damian in his arms and now he’s face to face with two older kids he’s never seen before. “Dam-Dam, these are Tim and Cass! Our new friends!” Damian didn’t really care, but alright. HIs mama is teaching him to be polite, so he nods and waves his hand at the two. “Damian Wayne.” Dick is chuckling, amused by how formal his three-year old brother is.
“Shall we head backstage?” Bruce asks, attention turned to the children and he takes Damian from Dick, not wanting his eldest’s arms to grow tired. Damian has been gaining weight fast lately. “We get to see Jay-Jay??” Dick’s eyes sparkled, making Bruce chuckle. “Yep” Bruce turns to Tim and Cass and smiles at them gently, “You can come with us too.” The siblings turned to one another and quickly followed the Waynes backstage. Stranger danger? Don’t know her! Not when that stranger is Bruce Wayne!
They go backstage while Alfred and Dory are ordered to wait outside. “Ma! Their names are Tim and Cass!” Dick proudly announces. Bruce raises a brow, knowing his son’s affinity for nicknames, he turns to the two, “Tim…othy and Cass…andra…?” He asks and they nod eagerly.
When they arrived backstage, Dick quickly ran up to Jason, “JAAAAYBIIINNNN!! YOU WERE SO COOL!” Dick tackled the introverted Jason into a hug, both boys falling onto the floor. Damian started wriggling in Bruce’s arms, wanting to be part of the chaos so Bruce put him down. While the children were distracted, Bruce helped himself to a mirror and some of the makeup scattered about. “Tim? Cass?” He calls for the two who obediently came to his side, the two watching him curiously as he cleans his tear-stained cheeks and reapplies mascara.
“What are we going to tell Mr. and Mrs. Drake?” He asks softly, though he isn’t trying to scare the children, they need to understand the gravity of the situation. It would’ve been easy to believe that Jack and Janet Drake just allowed their children to watch the show on their own, but they didn’t even have tickets—Bruce doubts that the older Drakes know anything.
“W-we’re sorry, Mr. Wayne! They don’t know anything, but I promise, we won’t tell them that you helped us!” Tim quickly answered, it sounds like he practiced this. Bruce raises a brow, the boy was taller than the girl, he spoke well and looked like he was fed well, too. Looking closer at the girl, he can’t say the same for her. “No, that won’t do.” Bruce sighs as he puts down the borrowed mascara and picks up the eyeliner he saw, starting to draw on a wing as well.
“I’ll tell them I invited some of Dick’s schoolmates to the play as well and say I invited you both. I’ll handle the rest later, don’t worry.” The look on Tim’s face and the way Cass silently hid behind him didn’t bode well for Bruce—so he decided to change the topic. “Are you guys twins?” He asks and Tim shakes his head, “Cass is older. She’s 7, I’m 5.” Tim says, welcoming the change in topic. Bruce nods, smiling once more as he glances at the two through the mirror. “She’s the same age as Jason” He finishes applying the liner, sees if it’s even, before putting it down and spinning the chair around to face the two.
“Would you like to come by our house sometime?” The two’s eyes sparkled and nodded excitedly. “Yes please!”
“NO! IT’S NOT FAIRRRRRR” Damian struggles around Dory’s hold, body twisting this way and that as Bruce nervously separates from the group with Jason. “I’m sorry baby, I promise, we’ll be back early.” It breaks Bruce’s heart to see his baby crying, but he gives him a kiss on the head, same with Dick, before turning to Alfred. “Take Tim and Cass home, I trust you know how to handle the Drakes’ question and probable fury.” Alfred nods, “Of course, Master Bruce.” Bruce, satisfied, turns to the kids one more time, smiling and waving before getting inside the car.
“I feel bad…” Jason admits as he buckles his seatbelt. “Don’t be. I was the one who wanted to celebrate with you.” Bruce smiles at Jason through the rear-view mirror. “Plus, it’s a surprise for you.” Bruce couldn’t help his voice from shaking, he hopes he isn’t overstepping, or that Jason isn’t too disappointed with what he planned for them.
The drive was quiet, but it wasn’t awkward at all, at one point, they both started singing songs from the musical. It was like they were in their own little bubble. Eventually, Bruce slows down and smoothly parks the car near an old diner. From his side mirror, he can see one of the cars of their bodyguards park at a safe distance. Jason peeked his head out of the window, getting a good look at the diner. It seemed old but clean, a place that was almost a luxury for him to eat at when his living situation used to be a lot different.
Getting out of the car, he and Bruce walked inside hand-in-hand into the diner, it wasn’t hard to find a booth as there weren’t many people in the diner. “I know this is different from all the places we would eat at, but you have to trust me on this one, alright Jay?” Bruce smiles which Jason didn’t find difficult to return. “I never doubted you m- mista’ B!” Jason’s heart pounded at his chest at the slip-up. Bruce chuckles as they were handed a menu by an older lady who smiled fondly at Bruce. Jason wasn’t exactly naive, he knew Bruce was somebody important—even before he started living as his ward, so seeing this diner practically empty and no paparazzi bombarding them with pictures or interviews, Jason couldn’t help but feel like this place is sacred for Bruce.
“They have the best burgers and milkshakes here, Jaybird, my favorite is strawberry. What about you?” Jason looks at the menu in his hands, he feels nervous—thinking that there’s a right answer. Bruce chuckles, watching the kid read the menu with such seriousness. “Take as much time as you need, we’re not late for anything.” He throws a wink at the kid who immediately catches the reference and giggles. Bruce nods at the waitress waiting for them to order, she smiles and leaves the two be.
“Uhm… I think I’d like a… Batburger and chocolate milkshakes?” Jason looks up from the menu and sees Bruce hum with a soft smile on his face before flagging down the waitress. “We would like two batburgers, one chocolate milkshake and one strawberry, and…” Bruce glances at the menu, “One large fries, please.” The waitress nods and jots down their orders. “Would you like your fries jokerized?” Jason’s brows furrows and turns to Bruce who also has the same confused expression as him. “Uhm… No, we’ll pass. Maybe just cheese will be fine.” The waitress nodded, “Oh, and could I add three batburgers, nuggets, and three sodas to be delivered to that car over there?” Bruce points at the car that tailed them earlier. The older lady didn’t ask any questions and simply jotted down the extra order before leaving.
“What does ‘jokerized’ mean?” Jason asks, and Bruce shakes his head, “I have no idea. I hadn’t been here in a long time.” Bruce scrunches up his nose, “Whatever it is, it sounds nasty.” Jason giggles. “It does.”
“So, how do you feel?” Bruce asks, bright, blue eyes sparkling like glaciers basked in sunlight. Jason almost lost his breath, he almost forgot that he’s been living with the Bruce Wayne for months now—all he’s been thinking these past weeks was how much he wished he could call him something else other than “Mista’ Bruce”. Wishing he had the same privileges as Dick and Damian. Yes, Bruce feeds him, clothes him, spends time with him, reads to him, helps him fall asleep, hugs him, but… Perhaps he’s selfish, but Jason wishes it was more.
“About what?” Jason asks, head tilting, mind pushing away the thoughts—the hopes for something more. “The play. How did you feel about performing?” Bruce asks, leaning forward against the table. Jason starts tracing circles around the tabletop. “It was really fun… I enjoyed getting to play a character… pretending to be someone I’m not…” Bruce sees the glossy look in the young boy’s eyes and tousles his hair. “I’m glad… I heard from your teacher that you’ll be touring around Gotham in the coming weeks.”
Jason nods, a little too eagerly, “Y-yeah! Teacher said we’ll be doing the play again five more times and said we’ll even perform outside of Gotham for our last show!” Bruce’s heart pinched at that, but he decided to shake it off for now. When their food was being served, Jason’s stomach couldn’t help but be honest, growling at the smell of the food. The poor boy’s face flushed in embarrassment.
Bruce didn’t say anything to prevent the boy from being embarrassed any further and instead they started eating. Bruce felt a little stupid when his eyes started feeling hot the moment he took a bite into the burger. It reminded him of his father, the times he spent with his father in this diner, in this booth as they ate burgers together. Just the two of them. Sometimes they wouldn’t talk, just eat together, but Bruce treasured those memories just the same.
When his parents were gone, Bruce couldn’t bring himself to go there anymore, even when he craved the taste of their burgers. He just couldn’t. When he started working for Wayne Enterprises, Lucius had told him that the burger joint almost closed down because of the lack of traction—until W.E. decided to buy it. One of the few reasons why Bruce is grateful for Lucius. Because now, Bruce gets to sit here with his s-... With Jason, bright blue eyes, almost like his, and Bruce feels like he can now relate to Thomas—that he has something he can bond with his late-father as he stares at Jason, face full of food and eyes sparkling with joy.
Bruce swallows and washes it down with the milkshake. “Jay?” Jason looks up, having just picked up a fry from the tray. “You remember when I told you my father used to take me to eat burgers after each performance?” Jason nods, eating the fry from his hand. Bruce glances out the window, “I think he would be very happy to know I’ve continued with this tradition…”
Jason catches up. ‘Oh…’ So it’s like that. Jason couldn’t help but tear up, he couldn’t see the way Bruce’s face pales with panic with how much tears have finally welled up in his eyes. Instead, he crawls under the table and moves to Bruce’s side of the booth, sitting on the man’s lap and hugging him tightly. Bruce’s arms, the same arms that have comforted him, reassured him all these months were beginning to feel like home. “Please be my mommy!”
Jason feels Bruce’s arms tremble and his embrace become tighter as the man buries his face in his hair. Only a meek, trembling “Okay…” Could be heard from Bruce for a while.
When they left the diner, they came home with additional takeout for Dick and Damian who were waiting for them in the living room. “MAMAAAAAA!!!” Damian quickly got up from the floor, pushing away his colouring books and crayons and ran towards their momma, quickly hugging Bruce’s leg before deciding it wasn’t enough and decided to climb him until he’s well-situated in Bruce’s arm.
As the small family of three boys and Bruce gathered around the living room floor with Dick and Damian eating the takeout, Bruce decided now was the time to tell the two of the good news. “Dickie… Dami, I have news I wish to share with you.” Damian hums, picking his way through the dino nuggies while Dick tries his best to fit the entire deluxe burger into his mouth. “Jason here will be… officially joining our family.”
Dick gasps and places his burger aside before going in for another hug. “YEEEEYYYYYY!!” Jason’s eyes were once again filled with tears, happy to finally have a family again—one that undoubtedly loves as well- “Hmph! Mama-stealer!” Well, almost. But Jason can live with Damian not liking him. Bruce chuckles and gathers his sons in his arms to cuddle with them, each giving them a kiss on the forehead.
That night, Dick, Jason, and Damian all decided to sleep in Bruce’s room. Bruce is 22, Dick turned 10, and Damian also just turned 3 when 7 year-old Jason officially joins their little family.
