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This is my first story on Tumblr, so let’s hope this works out.

It was an early Friday morning. School had been cancelled the night before, so no one had to rush around to get ready for class. For once, everything was quiet.

No screaming, no fighting, no pranks.

Everything was peaceful, and Bruce Wayne almost seemed to relax at the realization, sinking further into point of calm that he hadn’t felt in a long time. The warmth of his loving wife, former thief Catwoman now a loving wife and stepmom to six, drew Bruce to lay in bed longer, all his worries flying out the window. A low, rumbling hum vibrated in his chest as he held Selena Kyle closer, relishing in the peace and safety of his bed.

The peace only lasted until Bruce closed his eyes. It always did.

The adults were quick to sit up when the bedroom door flew open, and they were met with fifteen year old boys in pajamas. They looked panicked as the half-kryptonian boy known as Jon Kent spoke hurriedly.

“Father, we have a problem.”

Maybe it was his tone, but his words made Bruce freeze up, stiff and alarmed. He looked away from the Superboy to his son, still standing by the door, very afraid and wary. It was so strange to see such emotions on the face of Damian Wayne, son of the Batman and grandson to the Demon Head of the League of Assassins. Such emotions sparked some sort of paternal instinct in Bruce that he didn’t even know he had.

Thank god for Selena, Bruce thought as she spoke the word burned into his mind. “What’s going on?”

Dick Grayson, the eldest of the Wayne children, always used to tease Bruce for this type of feeling. As he climbed out of bed to confront his son and his best friend’s own spawn, Bruce recalled exactly what the first Robin called it.

Batdad mode.

“What happened, Damian?”

Jon spoke calmly, uncharacteristically void of the powerful emotions he normally expressed. “Jon and I fought a metahuman in Crime Alley, but he managed to surprise us and use his ability. I woke up in Jon’s body.

Bruce looked at the blue-eyed teen in confusion, putting the pieces together in his suddenly very awake mind. If Damian was in Jon’s body, that would explain why his own son looked so afraid. "Damian,” he started slowly, not exactly sure where he wanted to go with his words. He absolutely needed to tell Clark Kent, though. “Jon, where is your father?”

The green-eyed boy answered quickly. “At home, sir. He and ma are with Connor.” Dami- or… Jon explained, looking at Damian as he fixed his blue Superman pajamas. “This is weird.”

Selena watched the teens while Bruce called the kryptonian hero and his family– the small town, apple pie family, the Kent’s. They were so different from the elusive Wayne family. “So you switched bodies,” Selena glanced between the two. “This is strange.”

“It’s certainly disconcerting, ” Damian agreed, “Jon does not take care of his body like I do.”

“I do in my own way, Damian,” Jon huffed, and the reaction looked so strange on Damian’s face.

The second youngest of the Wayne children, the ever-intelligent Timothy Drake-Wayne, entered the dining room from the kitchen, holding a coffee mug in one hand and his laptop in the other. He immediately noticed the teens as he sat down to do some work on a case he had been working on almost religiously.

“Hey, Tim,"Jon chirped, and he quickly remembered that he looked like Damian. When the young adult gave him a confused look, he added, "It’s Jon. Damian and I switched bodies because of a meta.”

Damian grumbled, and Tim looked at the superboy strangely. He set his mug down, glancing between his brother and the family friend. “That’s weird,” he finally responded, turning his gaze to his case. “How’d it happen?”

“Mind your own business, Drake,” Damian snapped, and Tim made an annoyed face at hearing Jon’s voice sounding so harsh. “Father is handling it already.”

Jon sighed quietly, shaking his head at Damian’s attitude. “Mom and Dad are coming over to see what happened while Bruce has Dick look for the metahuman that did this to us.”

The third Robin hummed, staring at his laptop while his fingers flew across the keys at a speedy pace. “Then he should call the Flash. He deals with metas more than anyone else.” He was quiet for a few moments as his thoughts drifted between his case and the boys. “Metas also originated from Central City, so STAR Labs would be a great place to start looking for answers.”

Damian scowled at Tim, crossing his arms as the elder brother watched those blue eyes glower at him. They started to glow, and something in the eighteen-year-old’s mind told him to duck– he silently thanked Conner Kent for also being half-kryptonian– as he leaned to the side, watching two red lasers fly past his head. Damian blinked rapidly as the lasers disappeared.

Slowly, Tim sat up as Jon looked at the son of Batman. “Damian, did you just-”

Before anyone could patronize him, Damian rose to his feet to leave. “Father has probably already spoken to the rest of the Justice League.” He started for the door, and Jon jumped to his feet, asking where Damian was going as he followed his best friend. “Away, Kent!” Damian responded quickly, sounding angrier than usual with Tim.

The insomniac teen watched the boys leave the dining room, confused as he thought about the predicament they were in.

Jon followed Damian quickly, confused about why his friend was storming off so angrily. He resigned to trailing after his body- which was weird, by the way, to see his own body from the outside… knowing that he had absolutely no control over its movements. “Damian, where are you going?” Jon finally asked, grabbing the other teen by the shoulder.

Cold, cerulean eyes found Jon, and the boy found himself quickly pulling away from his friend. “To see my father for an answer.” He clicked his tongue and kept walking, moving almost silently in the quiet hall. “And maybe to disown Drake.” They stood at the clock as Damian turned the hands and waited for the secret door to open. Together, they entered the Batcave and found the Kent Family talking with Bruce and Selena.

“Jon?” Conner looked at Damian and Jon in confusion. He saw the angry look on his brother’s face and the happiness on the bat son’s, and he looked at his parents, concerned. “They really did switch bodies!” The young man– physically as old as his best friend, Tim– smiled at Jon, ruffling his slightly spiked hair. “This is so weird. Do you still have your powers?”

Damian crossed his arms with a scoff. He looked away, gaze burning into a random cave wall. “Why would he? His body handles the powers. When we switched bodies, his body kept his DNA.” The boy answered Conner with a tone of that was an obvious answer as he looked at the Kent parents, Clark and his beautiful and kind wife named Lois Lane-Kent, and his own father. The recluse spoke quietly to keep the teens from hearing, obviously used to having to speak so even Superman could not hear him sometimes. 

A loud, happy bark pulled Damian’s attention to the big black Great Dane running at him with Goliath the big red dragon-bat following behind. Titus jumped onto his hind to place his front paws on Damian’s shoulders and lick his face all over.

“Do you recognize me, Titus?” Damian wondered, petting his dog that hopped down again. When Titus barked excitedly, Damian knelt down to be closer to his dog.

Jon and Conner watched Damian and his canine best friend. He was… at peace finally, and he looked half as happy as as Jon normally did. Of course, leave it to the many animals of the Batfamily to make Damian look so comfortable in such a hectic situation.

Bruce, Clark, and Lois approached the teens, and Damian stood up. Jon joined his friend’s side as his parents looked between them, settling on their son in Damian’s body.

“Jon,” Clark hesitated. “We decided that it would be safer for you to stay here until Bruce can find who did this to you. Damian is comfortable here and less likely to lose control of his powers, and you need to be close by in case they find him.” Clark placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Behave, Son. We’ll be back soon.”

Jon nodded, green eyes reflecting a love that made his eyes seem just a tad bit lighter. “I love you, Mom, Dad.” The words sounded strange coming from Damian’s mouth, and Bruce looked away, upset that the first time he heard such genuine love from his son came from someone that wasn’t really his son.

Damian saw his father’s buried pain and spoke. “Jon can stay in my room until he leaves as himself.”

The man hesitated before nodding. “Right. Duke, go let Alfred know what’s happening.” He looked at Selena, leaning against the Batcomputer and holding his phone.

She waited until he approached her to speak. “You’ve got a call, Bruce.” Selena handed off the phone and saw her lover grow tense after seeing the name on the screen. Her brown eyes followed Conner as he joined Tim on the floor quickly. 

Tim glanced at Conner quickly. “This is totally crazy, right? I’m not the only one still absolutely confused?” He spoke quietly as his friend sat down, not wanting to catch the attention of the Kents or the teenage boys.

Kon nodded, glancing over Tim’s laptop. “Yeah. So weird knowing my little brother is really your hellspawn.”

Damian sat in his room with Jon, reading a book while Jon was drawing. It was quiet and peaceful for the longest time, just the two boys enjoying each other’s presence. The sunset filtered in through the window, bathing the bedroom in a gorgeous golden glow. The soft snores of Titus, Alfred the cat, and Ace the dog mingled with the boys’ breathing.

The peaceful silence was broken by Jon speaking, Damian’s voice breaching the quiet and bringing a strange look to said teen’s face. “At least you’re finally taller than me,” Jon realized, watching Damian with soft, emerald green eyes.

Robin found himself staring at his own face. The unnatural glimmer in his eyes, the small quirk of his lips, the amused arch of his brow. Even the small scars here and there seemed to not matter when Damian realized that this was Jon who made him look so amused. His nice, olive skin creased with the laugh in the air that pulled him from his little reverie.

Jon paused, watching Damian with concern, his brow pinched as he leaned forward slightly. “Are you okay, Damian?” He wondered. “You look a little… conflicted.”

Thousands of answers ran through Damian’s head as he tried to figure out exactly which one he wanted to stick with. Finally, he decided. A quiet hum left the boy as he looked down at his book before finding the window. “This is strange,” he murmured. “Seeing myself like this.”

“Did you finally see why everyone thinks you’re pretty?” Jon teased, smiling as he saw the flush spreading to Damian’s ears, all the way down to his neck. “This is weird, though. But… I trust your family to fix us.”

“How do you live with such disgusting optimism?” Damian sneered sardonically at his best friend. He clicked his tongue, glancing over to the animals briefly before finding Jon once more.

The superboy laughed at the remark, a weak attempt at a response. “Because Dad always saves the day,” he responded. “You should be more optimistic too, it feels better to be positive… happier.”

Damian didn’t respond, looking down at his book. “I’m going to act like you didn’t just say that,” he finally remarked. He tuned out Jon’s teasing in favor of Jane Austin’s eloquent words of Sanditon. His mind wandered to his half-alien friend, and he paused.

Jon was Jon, but… he looked like Damian. But that didn’t matter because he still was Jon on the inside. He still acted like Jon, talked like Jon, felt like Jon. As strange as it seemed, he still smiled the same way.

There was a knock on the door, pulling Damian from his thoughts once more. The door opened, and Dick smiled slightly at Damian and Jon as he slipped into the room. “B told me why I was looking for that guy.” His piercing blue eyes darted between the two. “I haven’t found him yet, but I came to check on you both.”

“We’re fine,” Damian told his eldest brother. He watched Dick look at Jon– who was busy petting Alfred the cat– with a fondness he always had for Damian. And it almost made Damian feel… jealous that Dick looked at Jon such a way because he looked like Damian. “What is it, Grayson?” He finally pressed.

“Uh… I- okay, this-”

Jon finished, “Is weird, we know.” He looked up at Dick, letting Alfred curl up in his lap. “We’ve heard that a lot today.”

Dick nodded. “How have you guys been handling it?”

Damian shrugged. “We don’t have much of a choice but to ignore it. There’s nothing we can do to reverse it without the metahuman. Jon seems excited about it.”

The happy-go-lucky boy shook his head quickly to defend himself, sitting up straighter in the chair by Damian’s desk. “Not true! This is bad for both of us, Damian. I have friends that want to hang out with me.” The insinuation caused the son of Batman to roll his eyes, obviously not really getting mad.

“I’m sure.”

The former acrobat smiled at the sight of his little brother and his friend, having fun even in their predicament. “Well, I’m going to leave you two alone then. It’s already getting late, don’t forget to go to bed. Bruce says you’re off patrol until you’re back to normal.” Dick hesitated by the door, glancing over Damian in Jon’s body. The amused smile turned loving as he spoke to his brother he often thought of as a son– even though he almost immediately chastised himself for wanting to think that way about the boy. “Alright. Night, Damian. Night, Jon.”

“Goodnight, Dick,” Jon waved to the man.

“Goodnight,” Damian watched his eldest sibling leave the room.

Today I got some painful fanfics for you! 27 ones to be precise! Have fun! Cry a lot and leave these authors many tearful comments!

I’m a little busy right now, which is why I didn’t do any fanfic rec lists in the last weeks, but I’m trying to get back on schedule!

I…. don’t. I don’t think.  Whump is something I don’t fully understand. I know it’s like, hurting the character, but this fandom is really, seriously my only fandom and so everything about ‘fandom’ in general I’ve learned through this fandom, and I’m kind of stupid when it comes to the lingo. When I try to write whump it ends up as hurt/comfort and I’ve been told that’s different.   

I think I can come up with a few options for you, but I’m not sure if they’ll satisfy your definition.  Maybe someone more fandom-savy can reblog this with recommendations.  

So, Dick Whump:

I’d immediately recommend No Good Deed by Black Friar.  Dick gets a Traumatic Brain Injury in that one and gets taken away by CPS. It’s got a happy ending, though.  

You could check out Forgotten One by nickijae. I need to reread and catch up on it, but I do remember it’s about everyone in the world has forgotten about Dick, including the entire Batfam. So he was just, completely avoiding Gotham, but he got reassigned to Gotham for his job and was forced to interact with the batfam as himself and it’s super painful for him. 

And, honesty, Unauthorized Understudy is the only one I can come up with for Damian.  And you’ve clearly already read it.  

The name sounded super familiar, then I realized I’ve read both Ache of Cowardice and Weekend in Bruges

Ache of Cowardice definitely qualifies as whump, but the villain is a pedophile who had Dick in his sights.  Nothing of that sort happens to Dick, but fair warning.  If you didn’t like Second Generation for that reason, I thought I might warn you.  

@raberbagirl recommends:

Ends, Means, and In-Betweens by solomonara

Author Summary: Still trying to figure out his identity as Nightwing and what it means for his relationship with Batman (not to mention the new Robin), the last thing Dick needs is to get tangled up in a feud between the Joker and Klarion. Unfortunately, Klarion doesn’t exactly ask his opinion before abducting him…

@eastonia-blog recommends:

A Door to a Different Path by firewolfsg. 

Author summary: This is a ‘Killing Joke’ AU. An exploration of ‘What if Dick was the one who the Joker shot instead of Barbara’ Batclan and Titans centric story

Legacies Tainted, Legacies Honored by firewolfsg

Dick Whump:

This High Off The Ground

A pro of being Batman’s partner, was he knew how to hide from him well enough.

A con of being Batman’s partner, was he knew how to hide from him well enough.

Tap Out

Dick knows the importance of tapping out in training, so your partner doesn’t accidentally hurt you. It becomes instinct, so heavily ingrained in him. He doesn’t understand why his brothers don’t do it, too.

(Until they do, and it’s too late.)

The Plan

When Jason returned as the Red Hood, his plan was to hit Bruce where it’d hurt him the most. He made his way to Blüdhaven with one goal in mind. He was going to kill Bruce’s precious favorite son: his Golden Boy. Then, he’d deliver Dickie’s head to him and watch The Bat finally break.

But things don’t go as planned when he arrives at Dick’s apartment. They never go as planned when Dick’s involved.

Ghost ((be really careful with this one guys, it deals with a lot of suicidal thoughts))

He was always so happy.

The Batfamily is left reeling after Dick’s suicide attempt.

Anything by Camsthisky

Anything by Black Friar

Damain Whump

Say It All Again

Jason rescues Damian from a creepy cultist and in the aftermath they talk. Well, Damian talks and Jason listens. Sometimes that’s all someone really needs.

Losing You ((both Dick and Dami get hurt in this one but Damian is more the focus))

Linchpin by Lily Ann Lyones (This one is YJ-verse, but holy heck it’s good!) 

An Inktober prompt list that is Damian centric!

Rules:

Make sure to tag your artwork as #31daysdamian or #daminktober 

Your pieces can be either drawings or fanfiction

Yes, the prompts are ship-friendly if you chose to make it ship-friendly

LET THERE BE A BRUISE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry.  Hello, thanks for asking!  I can think of a few.

Let there be a Bruise by audreycritter 

Is my favorite.  Ever.  Forever and ever.   I have read it a dozen times.  It’s the very first fanfic I ever read, and was so amazingly good (and not at all like what I thought fan fiction was) that I got sucked into this fandom and turned into a massive fangirl.  So highly recommend it.  It’s about Damian missing an injury because his league training taught him to ignore pain and it got infected and Bruce is there to just hold him and comfort him and its so <3 <3 <3 <3

A Good Place by Lemonade_Garden 

Damian goes back in time to before when Bruce adopted Dick and he learns a lot about his father.  Then he goes back to present time and bonding happens.  It’s cute and sweet.  Also one of the early fanfics I read.  Also one I still love with my whole heart.  

We are not alone in the dark by audreycritter

Basically just go to audreycritter’s ao3 page and sort by Bruce & Damian and read them all.  I mean, I’m sure most people in the fandom have already done that, but if you haven’t, I recommend it.  But this one is more recent and is about the whole fam going on a camping trip and Damian having a flashback and panic attack, and Bruce is there to comfort him.  

Bedside Manner by fishfingersandjellybabies

This one is beautifully heartbreaking in a wonderful, satisfying way.  I totally just reread it when retrieving the link.  It’s about Damian keeping Bruce company all the many times he’s stuck on bedrest and slowly growing closer and showing his actual affection.

Forever Today, Never Tomorrow by “Anonymous” 

This is about Bruce kind of realizing he’s handling Damian all wrong and kind of coming to terms with the fact that his son is traumatized and needs more of him than he’s been giving.  

I didn’t think before I tried to put together this list that there were “so few” Damian & Bruce fics but holy cow I see what you mean.  There really are so few.  Maybe it’s because I’m picky about Damian & Bruce but I’m having a hard time finding more without reading a ton right now.  I need to get better about bookmarking stuff I like.  

Thanks!  I love putting these lists together.  They give me the perfect excuse to reread some of my favorites, and find new ones!  And I found a lot of new favorites this week when I realized I could only think of like one fic to rec off the top of my head. 

Safe House by lurkinglurkerwholurks

Damian ducks into a nearby safe house to hide from a thunderstorm, and is startled to find that not only is Jason using it, but he’s bought furniture and stuff for it and kinda lives there, on and off.  He spends the night and learns quite a bit about his older brother, whom at that point he’s spent no time with ever.  Super sweet, I loved the interactions between the two of them.

To Soothe an Ache by DawnsEternalLight

Damian has a migraine, but has no idea what’s going on because he’s never had one before.  He ducks into a nearby safe house to deal with it, but Jason is in there.  Jason ends up helping him out and comforting him, much to Damian’s shock.  Classic hurt/comfort.  Loved it.  This is one I’ve read a few times, actually.  

Solace in the Strangest Places by fishfingersandjellybabies

Damian has a post-ressurection PTSD induced panic attack/flashback and runs off before the fic starts, so Dick calls Jason to get him to help them find Damian. Since he’s dealt with the same kind of issues, he knows exactly where to find Damian.  He goes straight there without telling Dick and offers Damian an understanding ear to listen.  I am a sucker for fics where Jason and Damian admit they are a lot a like.  

When the Lights Go Out by Cryptoad

Damian and Jason get trapped under a collapsed building, both injured pretty badly but Jason more so.  It’s from Jason’s POV, and he spends most of it disoriented and goes in and out of flashbacks and panic attacks.  It’s very well written and ends in the cutest Damian & Jason fluff ever.  

Trying to be Better by Raven_Queen

Riddler kidnaps Damian, and instead of Bruce getting to him first, Jason rescues him.  They banter a bit and then go back to Jason’s place to watch a movie without telling Bruce they’d already solved and caught the Riddler, because tormenting Bruce is fun. Super cute!

First Gear by Nanami

Jason wants to learn how to drive, and Damian, of all people, offers to teach him.  Damian is 13 and it is as cute as you think it’d be.  Lots of bonding ensues. They even get pulled over by their cop older brother.  It’s great.

weakness by Cylobaby27

Ahhhh new to Ao3, that excites me.  Boy do you have SO MUCH available to you.  I’m so jealous.  So many great stories are still new to you!!!  

As for my stuff, yes, I do have a master list!  It is not current, as of this second, but it has a lot of what I’ve written.  You can also search my Tumblr for the tag “c writes” and all my Tumblr fics will appear.  Then, most of what I write ends up on my Ao3 (or starts out there) under the name Cdelphiki. I’ve written a few Dick & Damian things, but it isn’t the relationship I usually focus on.  Most my stuff is Tim & Damian or Bruce & InsertKidHere.  

I highly recommend Dick & Dami week stuff!  I’m so far behind on reading everything for that, and I still owe the week two fics!  Ah.  But here is a link to the collection on Ao3.  There are 64 words in the collection, so have fun with that!  

Now, as for my recommendations. After writing all my summaries/commentary, “sweet” and “angsty” are the themes I seem to like when it comes to these two.  

New to This by DawnsEternalLight

Takes place during Bruce’s ‘death,’ and is about Dick and Damian settling into the routine of everyday life.  Dick has been trying to teach Damian it’s okay to ask for help, but he ends up blowing him off one day when Damian does ask for help, because Dick is very busy.  The fallout is immediate and angsty.  Good conversation follows. Probably my favorite Damian & Dick fic.  It’s part of an entire series, which I recommend.  

as love carries its strengths, but not its labels by BeatrizCaelum

Basically, Damian misses Dick and when Dick was Batman, and says just as much to Dick. He’s feeling abandoned by both Dick and Bruce (who is out of town) and actually admits it.  It’s sweet and angsty and has a good ending.  

Measures of Progress by renecdote

This is, as the title suggests, the progress Dick and Damian made in their relationship, as told through looking at the various times Dick had to carry Damian.  Super sweet.  Has angst in it, too. 

The Rule Stands by Engineerd

Okay, so this one is a bit different.  It takes place during Dick’s pretend ‘death.’  Damian is having a very hard time accepting that Dick is dead, and so when a 10-year-old Dick shows up from the past, he clings to him.  It’s really sweet.  Tons of angst.  

Pending by fishfingersandjellybabies

This one’s short, so I won’t add too much commentary on it, because I don’t want to just retell it.  It’s about Dick offering to adopt Damian, because Bruce is actually dead, not pretend dead like in the comics.  

On An Uneven Keel by “Secret Santa”

This one is unusual for me, since it’s not on Ao3.  I know nothing about anything if it’s not on Ao3 lol. DawnsEternalLight rec’ed it to me a while ago, which is the only reason I know about it, and it is fantastic.  It’s about Damian following Dick to an undercover mission, and basically it all going to shit because of it.  There’s some great brother relationship in it, plenty of tension, and it’s over 10k words so bonus.  

I tried to think of some long fics where the central relationship was Dick & Damian and I couldn’t come up with any.  The only one that pops up on my search is Innocence and Experience by RedRobin1989, which is a fantastic story.  However, it’s about Damian being transported into the Young Justice universe, so the relationship it’s referring to is that between Damian and Young Justice (13-year-old) Dick, and it has a lot of Bruce & Damian, as well.  

Then if that’s not enough, there are a couple authors that I immediately think of when thinking of Dick & Damian, and that’s DawnsEternalLight and fishfingersandjellybabies so check out their stuff on Ao3.  

OH DO I EVER!

Long fics are my absolute favorite, especially when done well!  I listen to fics at work, and something that can keep me occupied all day long is the best.  

Completed works: (I have read each of these at least twice.)

Jason Todd: The Not So Outlaw by GoAwayOlivia

Words: 195259

This is about Jason slowly rejoining the bat family.  I think it’s my favorite of this troupe, just for how well done it is.  It’s incredible.  It has super cute side stories, too.  

Blood in the Water by Misha Berry

Words: 181939

This is a Tim is Bruce’s bio-kid AU, and right after he finds out, Talia kidnaps him.  Because she can’t have competition for Damian, ya know?  So Tim kidnaps Damian in return, with the help of Jason. And it’s amazing and incredible and everything I’ve ever wanted in a Jason-and-Damian-leave-the-league-early fic.  

Ghosts that we Knew by fishfingersandjellybabies

Words: 129752

Takes place immediately after Damian’s death, where he’s a ghost and basically haunts the batfam.  In a wholesome, wonderful way.  Tim can see him, sometimes, and it’s just fabulous.  

The Shadow of an Arrow by Bandgeek18

Words: 246553

This has a lot of good-dad Bruce moments.  I enjoyed the premise, but tw for, at times, graphic child abuse.  Oliver Queen is written OOC, on purpose and the author admits as much, causing Bruce to quite literally kidnap and raise Roy Harper alongside Dick, who is 11? I think during it.  If you read this and want to see some good-dad Oliver stuff, read the rest of Bandgeek18′s stuff.  She has some awesome Oliver & Roy one shots.  

Retrograde Motion by Lyrical

Words: 112537

Jason gets deaged, and the whole Batfamily bands together to deal with it.  It has a different ending than most deaged fics, and is a classic among the fandom, in my opinion.  

And finally, I was using 100k words as my threshold for this (and Ao3 since I really don’t use other sites at all), but this fic popped into my head as one I really enjoyed.  I go back to chapter 17 in particular every once in a while, just because I thought it was so great, the Good-Dad Bruce in it.  

No Good Deed by Black Friar

Words: 98,296

Dick is badly injured during a mission and ends up with a cast on his arm.  Then, through a freak accident caused by bullying at school, he’s rushed to the hospital where the doctors see his previous injuries, and leap to the conclusion that Bruce was responsible.  So the fic follows him being taken away by CPS and Bruce fighting to get him back.  It has a happy ending, but plenty of angst along the way.  

I would rec my own Life Happens, but I assume if you’re asking me you’ve already read it.  If not, here’s that.  It has 176969 words.  :D 

LOL Oh my goddddd I don’t even know what to say to that.  Thank you.  <3 <3

Here are some WIP fics that get updated regularly that I’m absolutely obsessed with. 

The Birds Who Smile By Raberba_girl

I am, no joke, obsessed with this story.  She calls it a ‘rough draft’ and it can be inconsistent at points because of it, but those moments are very minor and over all it’s amazing.  It follows the recovery of the dark robins from Dark Knights: Metal, which I’ll admit I’ve never read, but this story is just incredible.  

Robins and Other Flightless Birds by Ionaperidot

This story is about a Bruce from a universe where he truly works alone.  But he came into contact with another Bruce and realized that he really liked kids, so he basically just kidnaps one of each of his kids from all different universes where, for whatever reason, their Bruce didn’t have them.  It’s super cute.  The only thing I wish about this story was that it was longer.  haha 

Multiversal Constant by Echoes_01

Damian and Jon get stuck in the Young Justice universe and get tangled up with the League of Assassins.  Super cute, angsty.  There’s a lot of relationship building between Young Justice Clark and Jon and Conner, and between Bruce and Dick and Damian.  Baby Damian and Cass get introduced into the Young Justice World toward the end.  

As for completed works, there are a handful I’ve read multiple times each.  

Confidence Lost by C_R_Scott

This is a White Collar x Batman crossover.  I’ll admit, I had never heard of White Collar, but this has a podfic for it, so I listened to it anyway one day at work and boy am I glad.  I’ve listened to it 4 or 5 times and read it once.  This story actually influenced Life Happens quite a bit, I think, with the character “Kate” and “Peter,” at least.   Anyway.  It’s about Tim going missing and ending up as the main character of White Collar, a dude who steals artwork and replaces them with fakes but got caught by the FBI so now he works for them.  Damian and Dick find him in NYC like 7 years after he went missing and then chaos ensues.  It’s really fascinating and has an awesome climax.  Great story.  

A Good Place by @lemonadegarden

This was one of the first fan fiction pieces I read.  It’s about Damian going back in time and meeting Bruce just before the man takes in Dick.  It’s cute and angsty.  

Yesterday’s Voices also by Lemonade_Garden

This is about Bruce losing his memory and thinking he’s five years younger, and dad to just a cute smol Jason and a Dick who hates him.  Instead, he gets back to the cave to find Damian, Cass, Steph, etc.  Since he hasn’t suffered Jason’s death yet, he’s better at showing his emotions and it freaks the younger boys out.  It’s great.  

So I’m noticing a pattern in the works I like…. They all involve time travel, universe travel, or memory loss of some sort.  

Ha.  

Anyway.  That’s totally not gonna be the plot of my next story.  Nope, not at all.

It’ll be brainwashing.

OH SPEAKING OF

 Juneberries by @mishaberrywrites

In a Parallel Life by  Firestar385

Accurate.  

I remembered earlier today a good fic that’s about Bruce building his family, collecting the three older boys while he travels Europe with Selina, based in the Christopher Nolan movie world.  I read it a couple weeks ago and was captivated by it.  It’s beautiful.  

The Rule Stands by engineerd

A 10-year-old Dick Grayson winds up in the future, where unbeknownst to him, his current self has been declared dead. Batman and Robin bring him home, of course, but Damian is still struggling to cope with the loss of his Grayson. Friendship and feels abound. It’s one of my favorites, I love it for the deep emotions Damian goes through.

Minimum Height Requirement by Dragonstorm

In an alternate universe, Bruce doesn’t allow any of his kids to don a mask or cape until they turn 18. Things turn out a bit differently.

And So This is Christmas by Dragonstorm

A young Alfred gets transported to modern day and gets a sneak peek at what his future self is in for. Very cute and heartwarming, and I love fics about Alfred.

Exactly How This Grace Thing Works by irnan

Dick gets deaged, and the rest of the family learns a thing or two about what Dick was like as a kid. Dick learns a bit about what he’ll be like as an adult. This is one of my favorites! It’s sweet and has the whole fam and makes you feel things.

Two Dead Birds by InsaneTrollLogic

Jason finds himself five years back in time, right when he returned to Gotham and began his rampage as Red Hood. But with two of him running around, things go a bit differently this time.

Unraveling by audreycritter

This one is a bit unsettling, but also just so good? You know that bit in Under the Red Hood where they explain how Jason was resurrected because the universe was correcting mistakes and he was never meant to die, blah blah blah…this fic takes that notion and runs with it. An impossible being that Hal Jordan brings in to help solve a crisis senses Jason is an anomoly in time. And he fixes time anomalies. By eating them. Starting now and moving all the way back to when they started, Jason’s story gets unraveled.

Just click it it’s good I promise.

Volatile by Black Friar

Comics!Jason gets transported to the Young Justiceverse. At first he thinks he’s been replaced again, but turns out in this world, Dick’s still 13. Jason becomes Dick’s older brother, forges a relationship he didn’t know he could have with Bruce, and works out some of his own problems in a world that’s far more forgiving than his own.

Raisin Delight by LemonadeGarden

This fic just…ruined me. In the best way.

Really good case fic where Bruce and Tim go to solve a time travel mystery, and…ugh just read it and have your heart torn out like mine was.

And They’re Only Getting Better by angel_gidget

Oooh, long fics are my favorite.  By rule I only recommend completed fics, so because of that I’ll leave out a bunch I love, but here are some of the longest fics on Ao3 (and one from FF.net) that I liked, sorted by main character or main relationship:

Dick:

Second Generation by lowlyingfruit

TW: Referenced Rape. Basically, due to the Blockbuster incident…. Dick is a father.  It’s a very realistic fic following him dealing with that.  With some added Jason.  

No Good Deed by Black Friar

Robin Dick gets badly injured while working with Young Justice.  Not long after, some jerkface at school (accidentally, if I remember, but while picking on him) pushes him down a flight of stairs, causing him to hit his head and require a hospital stay.  While there, they discover the injuries he had previous and just assume Bruce did it.  So he gets taken away by CPS, and this follows both Dick and Bruce during that journey.  Lots of angst.  Good Dad Bruce, too.  Chapter 18 is my favorite.  

Becoming Robin by wordsgohere95

TW: Child Abuse.  This one is a take on Dick ‘Becoming Robin.’  Ha.  Get it?  Following what would actually happen to a 8 year old when he got stuck in a largely unsupervised detention center. It’s really rough in the detention center.  A kid basically brainwashes Dick into having stockholms syndrome, and to be honest with you, I probably wouldn’t read the first half of this again because it was too much for me. (I’m a baby and the kids are really mean to Dick :[ )  BUT I really enjoyed the fic over-all.  It was well written and believable.  It definitely deserves more than 174 kudos.  

Jason:

Retrograde Motion by Lysical

Jason gets deaged while he’s on a mission with The Outlaws (Artemis and Bizarro) and ends up going back to the Manor to live there during his predicament. 

I never call (a crazy thing to do) by ohnomydear

I was torn between Tim & Jason and just Jason for this.  But basically, due to magic and stuff, everyone in the world forgets who Jason is…. except Tim.  The whole fic is them working toward fixing that, while Jason struggles with his insecurities.  

Jason Todd: The Not So Outlaw by GoAwayOlivia

I feel like I rec this every single time people ask for recs, but can you blame me???  It’s a work of art.  Jason moves back to Gotham, intending on staying just a few months.  But that rascal Tim has other plans, and slowly pulls Jason back into the family.  

Tim:

Blood in the Water by Misha Berry

Tim is Bruce’s bio-kid.  He finds this out after he’s Robin, freaks out, and is promptly kidnapped by Talia.  Because, you know, she can’t have Tim ruining her plans for Damian being the sole heir to Batman.  So Tim is at the League.  With Damian.  And Jason.  It’s great.  

Confidence Lost by C_R_Scott

This is a crossover with White Collar, which is a thing I had never heard of and is still something I’ve never watched.  I’ve read this probably 5 times, though. (More specifically, listened to the podfic).  Basically, the plot is Tim doesn’t die by Ra’s, but rather ends up without his memory (it explains how) as the main character of this White Collar show.  He’s basically a dude who steals and forges artwork, gets caught by the FBI, and now works for the FBI in NYC, instead of being in jail.  He crosses paths with the Waynes, and they quickly figure out he’s their Tim.  I love this story. 

Damian:

Innocence and Experience by redrobin1989

Damian gets dropped into the Young Justice world, and they have to deal with him being all prickly.  It’s been a long while since I’ve read this.  I think this is the one where Damian is Dick’s robin, so this is really his chance to spend time with his dad.  Dick gets all jealous.  I remember really liking this, though.  A lot.  I need to reread it.  

Falling Together by Raven_Queen

I’m behind on this.  I haven’t read the last several chapters and I need to, because I really liked it.  I’m not usually one to read F/M fics, especially not OC ship fics.  I tend to stick entirely within the Gen works.  But this was super cute.  Damian starts competing with a girl in his class academically, thinking they’re friends…. when actually he’s just being really mean.  But he fixes it and is so sweet to her.  Adorable.  

Ghosts That We Knew by fishfingersandjellybabies

Damian is dead.  But that’s okay, because he’s a ghost.  And he haunts the batfamily, kinda acting like their guardian angel.  Tim can see him, sometimes.   It’s great. I’ve read this twice.  

Jason & Dick:

View From Jade by lowlyingfruit

Jason gets thrown back in time, to the time just between Dick’s parents’ deaths and him becoming Robin.  He decides to intervene, because how dare Bruce make Dick Robin.  He learns a lot about his older brother in the process.

Tim & Damian:

Juneberries by Misha Berry

Tim gets kidnapped, and Damian feels guilty, the goes after him.  He ends up getting caught, too, and there is some great bonding between them.  Tim angst, too.

Bruce/Batfam

Foreign Object by audreycritter

Bruce has a brain tumor.  A super realistic fic following Bruce leading up to and then post-surgery.  It follows the entire batfam and looks at how it affects them all.  Very well done.  

Robins and Other Flightless Birds by ionaperidot

A Bruce from a different, nicer universe finds out that every other Batman has kids.  And he gets jealous.  And kidnaps a version of each of his canon kids from other universes.  (He doesn’t actually kidnap them. He finds kids who need help in other universes and brings them home.  Like Talon Dick, Catatonic Jason, Assassin Damian, etc). This is fantastic. I was sad when it ended.

Batman #17 (and the end of #16) gave me feels. I could not stop thinking about how Bruce might feel to come into the cave and find Dick, Jason, and Damian hanging there and I had to explore those ideas.

This fic mostly takes place between the end of issue #16 and #17 of Batman and basically throws canon out the window (since we don’t know what happened) So yep. Enjoy.

Warnings: Angst

Words: 1,800

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Bruce’s breath was caught in his lungs. It was a strange feeling. Having the air inside him pressed against his ribcage, a bubble of fear and panic. Bruce could count the number of times he’d felt it. He could count it with names, with faces, with children. The pressure ate at him, stealing and shredding his heart every time it came and left. He’d lost so many, he hadn’t been sure how much of his heart was left. Now he was.

All that he had left of his heart hung in front of him.

Bruce felt his heart stutter to a stop. It did not stop of course, it only felt like it did. The world slowing down to the time between beats. He counted them: Dick. Jason. Damian. His boys. His sons. His mind processed what had happened. He’d trained it to. Taking in the information before him and churning out answers in less than a second, heedless of the turmoil in the rest of him.

They’d gone after Bane. When he’d told them not to. They’d done it for him. He should have known. Should have done more. Shouldn’t have let his trust win out the day. It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

The beat landed and his feet were moving. His mouth shouting orders to those around them. Panic blurred memory and time as he got them down. He had to get them down. A part of his brain was trying to tell him that it was a ruse. A lie crafted by Bane to throw him off, to stop him from getting Claire to the pirate.

He knew better. These were his boys. His brave, foolish, boys. His boys who would do anything for him. Including going behind his back to try and help. He swallowed bitter bile, he’d trained them well.

His ear pressed to Damian’s bare chest, heedless of the still wet paint. Searching for the faint flutter that had to be there. It had to be there. His ear grazed the rough edges of the scar on his son’s chest. The scar Bruce had been too foolish to prevent. The scar that had torn his son from him once before.

His breath returned as he felt it, weak, tired, but there the beating of one heart. Then Alfred called out Dick’s name and Jason’s. Bruce’s heart let itself beat again. They were all breathing. All alive. He didn’t know how. Didn’t care. The fact that they were was enough. He could care why later, after they were safe.

He sent Alfred and Claire away. There was no time for them to stay. He wouldn’t hurt her chances because of his failure. He would take care of his children on his own. They were his. His to care for. His to protect. His.

His head was spinning. His heart breaking between beats. His brain churning out possibilities. One after another being discounted. Almost every option ending with them waking up and going after Bane again. Each event played out like a movie in his head. Over and over he saw his boys facing off against Bane. Every option ending in death.

He couldn’t let it happen again. Not to any of them. Not when it had been his fault they’d all died before.

Dick. Sweet. Bright. His light. Beaten and tortured while he wasn’t there. His heart stopping to save the world.

Jason. Earnest. Broken. Beautiful Jason alone, his heart shattered because Bruce wasn’t fast enough.

Damian. Brash. Impulsive. Kind. His heart torn open because of a war he never should have been a part of a casualty of Bruce’s pride.

And Tim. Tim wasn’t there, and it was Bruce’s fault. Intelligent. Fragile. Gentle Tim. Lost forever because of Bruce. His heart broken because of the pressure he put on him, the weight laid on his shoulders by Bruce who should have paid more attention.

Bruce had lost Tim and he wouldn’t lose anyone else.

There was one option left as his heart shuddered to its next beat. It took one phone call and a few minutes to get them ready. It was easy when none fought him. Bruce knew he should be worried that they hadn’t woken yet, but it was a relief. He didn’t have to explain himself this way. He cleaned the paint and obvious wounds then redressed them. His hand lingering on Jason’s cheek, in Dicks hair, on Damian’s chest, then he moved past.

He couldn’t take them all at once. Not by himself. It was ok. It would give him the time he needed to say goodbye. Just in case.

Dick was first. His oldest. He’d grown so much, yet Bruce could still carry him like his was the small boy he’d seen at the circus all those years ago. His legs were on autopilot as he carried the oldest of his sons. The teleport moving them from cave to fortress in a heartbeat.

Dick had been the ringleader. And Bruce wouldn’t blame him. He’d learned from the best after all. He knew his brothers would go with or without him and he’d chosen to be with them. To protect them and make sure they made it home. Bruce loved his son’s selfless heart. The kindness that came so easy to Dick was something Bruce took as a source of pride. Dick hadn’t lost his goodness when he’d lost his parents. Bruce and Alfred had seen to that.

Three cryotubes for three sons. He knew somewhere in the fortress there were four and his heart twinged again. He’d failed Tim. But he wouldn’t fail anyone else. Bruce took a moment to memorize Dick’s face as he laid his first Robin in the tube. Handsome. Gentle features slept before him. Bruce cupped Dick’s cheek. I love you.

Jason was next. He was bigger even than Bruce now, but no harder than Dick to carry. He was a comforting weight on Bruce’s back. The light rising and falling of his chest a reminder that this time Bruce could so something to keep his boy alive.

Bruce had so recently gotten Jason back. First from death. Then from the isolation of anger and hurt. They were finally making progress. Bruce could see the light back in Jason’s eyes, could start to hope that one day his son might come home for good again.

He laid Jason down and his breath swept out of him. He was still so young. So young and so broken. He wanted to promise then and there to do everything he could to make Jason as peaceful in his waking hours as he was now asleep. But there was still Bane to deal with.

His heart caught in his throat as he pressed a kiss to Jason’s forehead. I can’t lose you again. You understand that, right?

Damian. His youngest. His most vulnerable. Tied in Bruce’s heart with Jason for the one he’d failed the most. Bruce scooped him up and pulled him close, his son’s feather light breaths barely moving the tiny chest beneath him.

There were days when Bruce couldn’t keep his eyes off his son’s chest. Couldn’t stop himself from seeing the hole that had been there. One would think it would be his son’s face he couldn’t get out of his mind, but it was the raw gaping wound that haunted Bruce’s dreams and drove him to check on his son in the middle of the night.

He’d stepped back into the fortress when the child in his arms stirred. Tight relief spread through Bruce as Damian cracked an eye open, his voice scratching out the question Father? Shh Bruce cooed back. Sleep now, you’re safe.

Damian gave a contented sigh as Bruce tucked him into the last cryotube, his eyes slipping closed again even before the lid had shut. The antiseptic scent from the tube made him cringe. He’d have kept them home if he could. Kept them safe there, let them heal surrounded by love. Instead he had to trust in cold mechanics. But trust them he could.

Bruce stood back and took a last look at the remaining pieces of his heart. Healing. Resting. Safe. He had no idea if he’d make it back to bring them out. He hoped he would. He had a plan, if he worked it things should go well. But he’d had a plan for his boys and they’d ended up here instead. For a brief moment he was angry. Angry at them, at himself, at Bane. It didn’t last, it couldn’t not when he had to look at them through glass.

The sound of doors opening told him his time was up. One heartbeat, two, three, and he’d looked them over again, promising despite himself to return.

Four days without his sons felt like an eternity. Four days dealing with Bane made Bruce feel like he’d been dropped through time all over again. All he wanted to do when it was over was get his kids. Clark had kept his promise and kept them safe, and Bruce wanted to see them. His anger over their refusal to listen a thing of the past in the wake of exhaustion and the desire to hear their voices.

Alfred would not let him leave. They were fine, they could wait a few hours while he slept he’d said. He didn’t want to collapse the moment they woke did he? Did he want to put that pressure and worry on them, after waking them in a strange place? The answer was supposed to be a no. Bruce told him he didn’t care. That’s when everything had started spinning. Part of him wanted to blame it on Alfred. The other part knew it was the result of having gotten no sleep over the past five days.

He’d collapsed before he could even leave the cave.

When he came to he was in his bed. He kept his eyes squeezed shut against consciousness until his thoughts caught up with him. His heart jumping with them. His children. He’d left them. They still needed to be woke up. He realized then that something warm was pressed into his side. Both his sides. And his chest, there was a heavy weight across it.

He opened both eyes, his room was dark, but not too dark to recognize the three figures tucked around him. Damian curled into his side, his head the weight on Bruce’s chest. Dick wrapped around Damian, an arm flung over both Damian and Bruce to rest on his stomach. And Jason, pressed against him, like Bruce hadn’t seen since he’d been a boy sneaking into bed to ward off nightmares. They’d changed into pajamas, so they’d been up a while before finding him. Each looked healthy and content snuggled around him.

Pokemon AU

It’s a Life Happens alt ending.  :D 

It’s during Tim’s second year of gradschool that it happened. 

He’s not even sure how it happened.  One minute he and Damian were toying around with their first prototype, the next he was blinking away stars from his vision.  It was as if someone had turned the saturation up to 100% in the room.  Like the ISO was set too high.  The apeture open too long.

Everything had gone white, and was now slowly coming back into focus.

And it was the wrong room.

The entirely wrong room.

Tim looked around in confusion at the fancy banquet room he was now standing in.  The very familiar, strangely nostalgic banquet room.  

It was the same banquet room from Wayne Tower.  

But that made no sense.  

“What,” he said, almost inaudibly, as he scanned each face around him.  Because there were a lot of people around.  He was standing at a table in the corner of the room, one among a dozen, and there were at least 30 people in the room mingling and milling about.  And Tim recognized almost all of them as his former employees.  

And just…

What??

“Tim, you’re…” A very familiar, yet somehow forgotten voice said.  High in pitch.  Confused in delivery.  And lacking the haughty tone he was so used to this particular voice using.

It was weird, how when things change so gradually you don’t even notice it’s happened.  

But wow was Damian’s voice so much lower now.  

When Tim’s attention snapped to the source of his brother’s younger voice, his eyes widened.  Because holy crap.  

“Damian,” he said slowly, “you look 10.”

He looked exactly like he had over three years ago.  Way back when just the sight of Damian rose Tim’s blood pressure.  Triggered the flight or fight instinct in him.  Got him annoyed.

Sitting at the table, right there, was the little Damian he didn’t realize he missed.

“And you look 16,” Damian said, his eyes just as wide as Tim’s felt.  

“Are we?” Tim asked, not daring to voice what he almost hoped was true. 

Because if they were 10 and 16 again and in Wayne Tower, had they somehow teleported back?

How??

Was it all a hallucination?

No, it couldn’t be, right?  Damian obviously remembered the past 3 ½ years, otherwise he’d be sniping at Tim and threatening to kill him, right? 

“It appears so,” Damian said slowly, picking his phone up off the table and flipping through the apps, “This is my old phone.  The one from Gotham.”

“And this is Wayne Tower,” Tim added, “and it looks like it’s the charity function we attended that night.”

“How did we end up-” Damian started, just to be inturupted.

Questions I have about it would be like: is this in character? does it seem to fit with the Life Happens timeline? Does it make sense? Is anything out of place? etc.