Little something for the anon that asked about human Jazz
Jazz’s design is a work in progress, will probably post a couple doodles from my sketchbook. Ignore the quality, I forgot to enlarge the sketch before doing the line art :(
Experimenting with rendering it (used a different brush, very scary, may need time to recover) so I might post that later.
I was thinking about SuperBat break-up... And the Batkids.
I love writing/reading about the kids being mean...
But I also love the fact that they are his light and comfort, the one and only eternal love of Bruce's life.
I always cry thinking about how Dick was shot while he was playing around, trying to make his dad happy after Selina's. So... Here 🤲🏻
"It's okay"
"No! It's not okay, Bruce!" . Clark - Superman - practically screamed, hands raised in frustration. His cape wildly following around as he floated in the air.
"It is, Clark. I understand" Bruce stays in place, looking at the ground, trying to stabilize his heartbeat.
"How is this ok? How are YOU ok?" Bruce stares at him. Clark looks so hurt. How DARES he look hurt? He bites his tongue at the upsetting thoughts.
Bruce lifts a hand and slides it across his face. He practically falls into the chair behind him, letting out a long, tired sigh, swallowing the venomous words that trickle the tip of his tongue. "What do you want me to say?"
Clark stops his pacing, and slowly, oh so slowly, his feet touch the ground again. He closes up the distance between them, lifts a hand towards his partner the other man, but stops himself when Bruce opens his mouth again.
"Do you want me to beg? Should I be on my knees and ask you to stay?" He lifts his gaze to look at the super, hand falling on his lap. The air leaves Clark's lungs like a gut punch. "What should I do, Clark? You made your choice. And I want to respect it". He presses the back of his hand against his eyes, taking a low, deep, shaky breath, unsuccessfully trying to stop the tears.
"We're both too old for this. I believe you thought of the alternatives," He continues "and you must have your reasons... And I want to hear them... But-" He lifts his other hand to fully cover his face and Clark noticed how Bruce suddenly looks so small, trying to bend over himself "-but not right now. Now I need you to leave, so I can grieve us in peace"
Clark feels his eyes burn as tears cloud the image of the man he loved, of the man whom he just broke his heart. He clenches his jaw, trying to find the words. Maybe this is a mistake, maybe they can work it out, maybe... "Bruce-"
"Please" It's so soft, so filled with sorrow.
When Bruce lifts his head again, the room is empty, and he finally allows himself to cry freely.
The office's door slightly opens, interrupting the cold silence on the manor.
Bruce is sitting straight, looking through the window, an untouched glass of Scotch on the table next to him. Damian takes the full image before completely opening the door and allowing himself inside the room.
His father turns to look his way, acknowledging his presence in silence. He moves to the side indicating his son to scoot over.
Damian frowns, looking to the ground, unable to keep a straight look at his father's tear-stricken cheeks and puffy eyes. He moves smoothly without looking up, and presses himself to Bruce's side. Burying his head under his father's wet chin, he feels himself like crying when his dad's breath shake under an unreleased sob. "Ungrateful little-" He hears himself mumble, Bruce shuts him with a shake of his head and a soft kiss in his crown.
"Don't hate him too much..." He whispers. Damian bites his lip and presses himself further in his father's embrace. Tears of anger and frustration run treacherously as he feels a strong, heavy hand stroking comforting circles on his back.
Tim called upon the family.
He had come to the manor the next morning, unknowingly, and after a short and insightful encounter with his little brother, he had found Bruce sitting at the kitchen counter. His dad was just... blankly staring at the wall. He slowly sat next to him, with the same care of a man closing up to a scared animal.
Bruce looked up at his call, smiling so softly and lovingly caressed his hair. Tim felt himself crumble. He quickly embraced his dad, throwing his arms around the older man's neck. Pressing his nose against Bruce's shoulder, he swallowed his tears and furiously taped on his phone behind Bruce's back. The answers to the group chat were immediate.
Jason is at the cave when Bruce steps outside the Batmobile. He tilted his head, questioning. Jason only shrugs, stepping closer to him as he started to move towards the computer. Damian looked up at him with a furrow, walking behind Batman's cape. Jason gave the kid a knowing grin before roughly ruffling his spikey hair, making Robin grumble and curse at him under his breath.
He leans on the console with his hip supported on it, while he absentmindedly dusts away some dirt from Bruce's the Batsuit's shoulder blades. "So, I was thinking-" He decidedly ignores the scoff of the small kid "...I was THINKING. You know how we're trying to mend... This?" He signaled the air between him and Bruce.
The older man turns towards him, taking the cowl off. He just gives him an awkward grunt and a nod, signaling to Jason to continue. "Well. We could... Uhm... Y'know- Ugh! This was easier in my head."
"Jaylad, if you're worried about my mental state after Clark's-"
"No! No, I mean, yes. That as well! But- UGH!! MAN!!" Jason is now covering his reddening face with both hands "I just. God! I want to use this chance to-"
A hand lands on his shoulder and he is being guided to sit on the main chair in front of the computer. When did he start to hyperventilate?
"Breathe, baby. I'm here, take your time finding your words, you're great with them" OH HOW MUCH HE WANTED TO SHOOT KRYPTONITE THROUGH THE ALIEN'S HEAD!!
He uncovers his face to look at the gray, soft, loving eyes of the man crouched in front of him. A gloved hand on his cheek. He allows himself to close his eyes, leaning into the touch, regaining order on his head and breaths.
"I wanted..." He starts, without opening his eyes, letting his words free "... I want to move back" He whispers before he could stop himself.
When the thumb caressing his cheekbone stills, he opens his eyes in panic, thinking the worst. But he was greeted with a pair of wide open eyes, filled with tears, followed by the brightest smile he hasn't seen his father made in years. "Oh, baby. I would love that"
Well. Fuck it. He will ask for their outing another time. The bookstores will remain there for a while, right? Right now, he will just relax in the strong pair of arms surrounding his back. He's really grateful for his inability to stop his thoughts from slipping out loud.
And he would have stayed forever in bliss if it wasn't for the death glare of a small kid looking at him over Bruce's shoulders. Oh shit, right. The plan... Oh, well.
"Grayson. Tell Todd he can't just move in"
"... Well. Uhm. Are you sure you want this, little wing?"
"Just admit you're jealous you won't be the only one living with the old man, tiny bat" Jason smirked as he unpacked a new box. His oldest sibling raised an unamused brow while grabbing the small kid from his elbow before he could jump over his brother.
"It's just- I didn't thought you- I never imagined you wanted to be back..."
"Me neither" Jason shrugged. "The words just came out. And... I'm here already, ok? And I missed him, I missed us. Maybe this is a new chance for both of us"
Dick hummed, pressing the head of the child against his thigh, trapping him there. "As long as you're a hundred percent sure about this. The last thing he needs is a new heartbreak"
"You're worrying too much, Dickbert"
"I'm just saying. I want you to-"
"What's going on?"
The three of them turned to see Tim standing behind Richard, looking at Jason's unpacked boxes inside the not-so-empty-anymore room.
"Uh... Jason is..."
"Moving in??" They could practically see Tim's hair rise as his voice got louder "When did you-?! What?! Why-?! What?!!"
"Timmy, are you okay?"
"Yeah, Timbo, why does this freak you out so much?"
"You don't even live ever, Dra-"
"DAAAAAAAD!!!!!!" They all froze in shock as the young man sprinted away.
Dick sighed while the young man brightly smiled, dragging a huge piece of equipment inside his new room.
"Timmy, you're being ridiculous"
"The only ridiculous thing here is that Jason asked first. Can't believe he, HE, managed to take my shot"
"You spoke with B just this morning. Why are you moving in already? It hasn't even been a week since-!!"
"Shush, sore loser. Go away if you're not going to help me unpack."
Richard sighed again before pushing himself out of the doorway and towards his father's office.
When he opened the door to Bruce's, he stopped himself at the sight of Cassandra cuddling on his dad's lap while the old man softly snored, relaxedly laying across the sofa. He raised an eyebrow as his sister smirked at him, lifting her hands to signal "Too slow"
He quickly turned around before she could see the betrayed look on his face.
"Traitorous little things, all of them!" He grumbled between his teeth.
By the next time he saw Bruce alone walking through the always, he practically knocked him off throwing himself into his arms and pushing him to the closest room to cuddle alone... Obviously getting interrupted by one of the thousand kids Bruce insisted on adopting.
Dick could only scream how he wasted his vacation days only to watch his little siblings kidnap his dad.
Cassandra was smarter than that. She always was. She knew not to openly compete for his father's time.
She would come when she knew Bruce was about to doze off, and softly grabbed him by the hand to place him in the next soft surface. Be it a sofa, or in this current case, his bed. And as soon as she saw the soft expression and relaxed posture of his dad, she would carefully locate herself on top of his lap, unashamedly placing his big hand on top of her head, rejoicing on the chuckle it would always leave his father's throat.
And if she felt some sort of pride at the sight of her oldest sibling possessively jealous look when he saw her cuddle the day before? Well that was just an extra on her book.
The joy of making her siblings face turn red, filled with envy every time they saw their father kiss her forehead or show his unending affection towards her. It wasn't her fault for their inability to express their love- She frowned thinking of Jason's latest development and the way her baby brother was working on his feelings... she buried her nose on her father's clavicle.
She pressed herself to the loving embrace, trying to express without words the love she felt for her father. Trying to take the sorrow away.
Oh, if she could only place all the pain that swarm inside that big chest inside her own. Such a stupid man. Such a lovely, big, selfless, stupid man.
The next morning they were awoken by the shrieks of a betrayed Damian, only then realizing she had fallen asleep on his father's bed the night before. She proudly smirked at her brother's while burying herself deeper in his father's chest. "Too bad", she'd sign.
Bruce was beyond bliss as he sat on the breakfast table. Damian was supporting his weight in his lap, trying to grab the bread that Jason raised over his head with a laugh, as Tim slowly moved his dragging feet in to the kitchen, stopping shortly only to give a small peck and a mumbled "g'morning" to Bruce's forehead, continuing his journey to the expresso machine. He blinked the surprise away, as Cass appeared to his side to kiss his cheek before gracefully sitting on the chair next to him.
He allowed Damian to be lifted by his armpits, as a pouting Richard moved the child to a chair next to him, while mumbling something close to "I knew him first", before a piece of toast stuck itself to the middle of the oldest sibling's face. Jason's arm raised in a throwing position, face filled with delight at his accomplishment.
"Oh, shut it, Dick-for-brains" He laughed at his brother's shocked expression "You won't always be the favorite"
Bruce received a piece of bread with dark jam that his daughter passed him, smiling a "thanks" as he took a bite, watching how his eldest emphatically moved his arms around to express his feelings to a eye-rolling Jason.
He felt a cheek on the top of his head, as Tim complained of the noise before pressing his nose on the crown of Bruce's black hair.
A pair of quick, running steps cut the noise on the kitchen. Duke appearing on the corner of the kitchen, already in his uniform, screaming about how late it was. He stopped to look at the scene and slowly and cautiously moved towards Damian "Oooookay..." He said, while pulling Damian by the wrist. "I want to ask why is everyone here taking breakfast on a Thursday morning, but we're currently late, so-" He moved, dragging Damian behind him.
"UNHAND ME, THOMAS! I NEED TO KEEP THOSE LEECHES AT BAY-"
"Yeah, sure thing, small beast. But you'll have to take care of them AFTER 5 o'clock, because right now, we're running for the bus"
Bruce could still hear Damian's complaints as he was dragged out the door.
As soon as the door got shut, the noise returned to the kitchen when Tim slowly moved to sit on top of him. Cass immediately, but carefully started pushing him away, Dick pointing at his younger sibling, while Jason threw another piece of bread screaming at Tim's lack of shame.
Bruce let himself laugh freely, head thrown backwards while Dick tried to replace Tim away with his own body weight.
I didn't write much of Dick's, since most of the post-Selina number in the comic was with him comforting Bruce... Until, y'know... Memory loss and stuff.
I ACTUALLY LOVE THAT NUMBER, and no joke i cried "let him have oneeeee good moment, DC PLEASEEEE!!"
I dunno, guys, I’m really struggling to sit down today and work on my silly queer book about decent fictional hockey men when real life hockey men are so fucking disappointing.
Sirius spending weeks practising BSL so he can ask the cute barista out on a date without Remus having to read his lips and both their faces going bright red when Remus admits he actually doesn't know BSL and has absolutely no clue what Sirius is signing
