I have been working on this for wayyyy to long, but I really wanted to show the love Gordon has for Barbra! So enjoy some dad Gordon!!!!!!!!!!!
* Jim has a standing rule: one daddy-daughter date every week, no exceptions unless Gotham is literally on fire. Even then, he’d probably reschedule it immediately.
* When Barbara is little, their dates are simple:
* Pancakes at a diner before school.
* Hot chocolate runs in the winter.
* Wandering through bookstores and letting her pick one new book every trip.
* Feeding ducks at the park while Jim pretends he’s not secretly enjoying it more than she is.
* As she gets older, the dates grow with her:
* Coffee shop afternoons where she tells him about school, friends, and whatever she’s obsessing over that month.
* Lunch dates where he insists on paying even after she gets her own money.
* Movie nights where he falls asleep halfway through and swears he was “just resting his eyes.”
* Fancy dinners once in a while where Barbara gets dressed up and Jim spends the entire evening looking proud of her.
* Jim keeps every ticket stub, receipt, and photo from their outings in a box he pretends doesn’t exist.
* Whenever Barbara talks, Jim gives her his full attention. Phone down. Newspaper folded. Nothing matters more than hearing what she has to say.
* He learns all her favorite coffee orders despite not understanding why anyone would want half the ingredients she puts in them.
* Barbara can always tell she’s loved because Jim remembers tiny details:
* Her favorite movie snacks.
* Which café makes her favorite muffins.
* The exact kind of flowers she likes.
When Barbara Gets Sick
* Jim becomes an absolute hovering disaster.
* The second she says she doesn’t feel well, he’s checking her temperature every thirty minutes.
* He calls the doctor for advice even when it’s just a cold.
* He shows up with:
* Soup.
* Crackers.
* Sports drinks.
* Enough medicine to stock a pharmacy.
* He sits beside her bed reading reports while secretly checking every few minutes to make sure she’s sleeping comfortably.
* If she falls asleep on the couch, he’ll carefully drape a blanket over her and lower the TV volume to almost nothing.
* He has a habit of touching her forehead to check for fever, even when she’s practically an adult.
* Barbara eventually learns that being sick means receiving a ridiculous amount of dad-level concern.
When Barbara Gets Her First Period
* Jim panics internally for approximately ten seconds.
* Then he immediately shifts into Problem Solving Dad Mode.
* He researches everything.
* He keeps supplies in multiple locations:
* The bathroom.
* His office.
* The car.
* An emergency stash in his desk at work.
* He never makes her feel embarrassed about it.
* If she has cramps, he shows up with heating pads, pain relievers, chocolate, and her favorite comfort food.
* He quietly learns which products she prefers and always keeps them stocked.
* If she’s having a rough day emotionally, he doesn’t try to “fix” her feelings. He just sits with her and lets her vent.
* He becomes surprisingly good at recognizing the warning signs and knows exactly when to offer tea and snacks without saying a word.
Hair Dad Gordon
* When Barbara is little, Jim has absolutely no clue how hair works.
* His first attempts are catastrophic.
* Crooked ponytails.
* Uneven braids.
* Hair ties tangled beyond comprehension.
* Instead of giving up, he learns.
* He watches tutorials.
* He asks other parents for advice.
* He practices.
* Eventually he becomes surprisingly competent.
* Barbara will be sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast while Jim carefully braids her hair before school.
* He keeps spare brushes and hair ties everywhere because he’s learned the hard way.
* If she falls asleep during a long movie, he’ll gently untangle knots from her hair so it doesn’t hurt later.
Protective Dad Moments
* Jim trusts Barbara, but he absolutely terrifies anyone who hurts her.
* Not by threatening them.
* By giving them the calmest, most disappointed look imaginable.
* Somehow that’s worse.
* If Barbara calls at 2 a.m. needing a ride, Jim is already grabbing his keys before she finishes explaining.
* She never has to wonder whether she’ll have support. The answer is always yes.
Adult Barbara
* Even when she’s grown, the weekly dates never stop.
* Sometimes it’s coffee.
* Sometimes dinner.
* Sometimes they’re just walking around the city talking.
* They spend half the time teasing each other.
* Jim still insists on paying.
* Barbara still rolls her eyes.
* Neither of them would trade those evenings for anything.
* And no matter how old Barbara gets, Jim’s favorite title will always be Dad
