I can handle it!!!! (she said, clearly not handling it)

"I'll never be your chosen one" Bruce never picked her for Robin. No one did. She picked that herself

"I'll be home, safe and tucked away" Bruce fires her because he wants her safe and gone and she hates it so much she steals his plans to prove to him that she doesn't want the Safe life.

"The pull on my flesh was just too strong Stifled the choice and the air in my lungs" She had to prove herself. It wasnt a concious choice. She has to be a hero.

"Better not to breathe than to breathe a lie" She "dies" thinking that Bruce was just a figment of her imagination lying to her that she was worthy as Robin just because it's what she wants to hear

"There was a way out for him" Tim got to quit. He got to choose.

"So hold my hand Consign me not to darkness" Bruce is there when she flatlines, holding her hand

"I'll never wear your broken crown" She will never be Robin, never be Batman, never be considered a part of the legacy because the writers and the fans betrayed her.

And sure, Hal goes over and celebrates Dick's birthday parties and they all get invited over for Christmas dinner and meet Jason and yada yada

They're friends but not past the most basic level of willing to die for each other and the idea that they could be vulnerable but just haven't had a moment to be that yet

And then Hal is coming home from a long mission out in space- he's been gone for weeks now or something- and all he wants to do is slump onto one of the couches in the lounge and not wake up for years

except he has this little Itch that he always has to satisfy when he comes back because every Founder has something that they do to check up on each other, so he has the ring do a rudimentary scan of everyone's names and just ensure no one got gravely injured or anything

Barry and Clark are dealing with something on Venus, J'onn and Arthur are in the core of the Earth for some reason that will surely be entertaining when they share it later, and Diana and busy chatting with Hades for something

And Bruce...

Hal drops everything and breaks the soundbarrier to reach Gotham.

Bruce is in the middle of a media storm, his smile forced and shoulders tense and he looks five seconds away from breaking down right then and there and he has every right to because his son is dead and that's horrific

And just as Bruce's knees buckle, Hal slides up right beside him, pushes the reporters that were getting just a little too close away and slips his hand into Bruce's

Bruce manages to catch himself, half of his weight sinking entirely against Hal's side.

"Hey. I got you." Hal whispers, and wraps his arm more securely around Bruce's waist, tucking him closer, his other hand taking its previous place and holding Bruce's.

"You okay?" He whispers as they push through the crowd, and Bruce just squeezes his hand back silently in answer.

No. His eyes scream, but his shoulders have relaxed by the time they make it to the Manor, and when they make it through the doors Bruce just buckles into Hal's arms and they sit in the foyer, holding on as Bruce sobs and Hal strokes his back and whispers words of what he hopes is comfort and is There for him.

It's been a while since I've visited my delightful Stony realm. This was remedied.

Steve's classic phrase. Tony's classic brashness. Or "I can do this all day." "Good. Because I don't want you to stop."

So like Bruce wants to test something with Hal and asks him if he can play the piano (idk if he canonically can but let's say not for now) so he asks him to construct a piano to test if he can do a proper piano like in tune and everything or it's constructed how he imagines it only so it may not be tuned. So like he does and Bruce plays something hard to test it (not to show off totally) and is fascinated at how good it actually is, oblivious to Hal jaw dropped and drooling at how good Bruce plays (and how hot those long fingers are as they hit the keys??), he then gets up and thanks him and then leaves Hal flabbergasted.

Later there's a piano in the hall (or Hal just keeps asking him to try new theories with how to imagine a piano so he gets him to play)

Sry if this doesn't make sense it was better in my hea lolol just ignore it if you want and have a good day <3

oooo no no no don't apologize, I love it!!!

Music/Art being a way for Bruce to connect to his family/those he loves is one of my favorite headcanons of all time

(I headcanon that he taught Damian to play piano because piano is the sort of instrument that the firstborn child of Wealthy Families in Gotham learn how to play- Tim learns but hates it- and so in a way to connect Damian to his Grandparents and give him the same 'education' he received he teaches him and Damian treats it like the highest of honors)

Anywayyyy I'm an even bigger fan of having Hand Attraction (because it's relatable- what who said that) anywhoooo

Both Bruce and Hal have a competency kink and Bruce being obsessed when Hal creates small constructs and just fiddles with him, his wrists rotating and fingers flexing and- ahem what was the question?

And then not realizing when Hal makes a piano for him that he has the exact effect- his fingers dancing across the keys and making glorious music and Hal is one beat away from saying "I bet I'll sing real pretty too if you play me like that" before he stops himself and flushes and sprints away

Barry, much much later when they're married: Wow, he played you like a fiddle Hal, wrapped in Bruce's embrace, only his face visible: No, he played me like a piano.

Anyway. Yes. I love this.

(I went back and reread and had more thoughts sorry it's just so beautiul-) Also the idea of Hal creating more and more stranger pianos and Bruce asking him to change little things about the piano like his own personal Piano Builder and the two of them just spending hours entertaining their wildest fantasies and seeing what sort of sounds they can make if they cut the strings in half or elongate the keys or etc etc etc. Huge fan of Hal and Bruce entertaining each others weird ideas and being just as curious. (This is why they're one of my favorite ships- they fulfill all the boxes. Science Bros, Dumb and Dumber, enemies to friends to lovers, Fuck Buddies to Lovers, etc.)