#batfam rambles

9 year old Grayson, as Boy Wonder, gripping Batman’s hand and skipping alongside him: Why is the Batmobile black? Is black your favorite color?

Bruce, thinking: It’s for stealth during the night.

Dick: So it has nothing to do with what colors you like?

Bruce, confused: I mean, I guess I like it in black just fine.

Dick: Is black your favorite color? My favorite colors are Red and green and yellow! Because those are the Robin colors! I also like blue, and purple, and pink…

Bruce, thinking about this question for the first time in his life: Hm. I think I’d say blue, too, chum. Now get into the car, please. Buckle up.

Dick, ecstatic: Blue! You should have a blue batsuit!

He used to kiss the top of Dicks head so often the press took notice. There were YouTube complications after a bit, every time he kissed his son’s head in an interview. But he did it at the manor all the time, it was a habit After a bit, Dick started wiping it off, or complaining about Bruce messing up his hair. Secretly he would miss it if he stopped.

Bruce often had to stop himself from continuing the habit in the batsuit.

With Jason, he was always holding his hand. Even as he got to be a teen, Bruce would hang onto his hand to remind Jason he wasn’t going anywhere. Partially it was to make sure he wouldn’t run off, he has a flight risk. When cameras were pulled out when Jason was younger, all he wanted to do was run the opposite direction. Bruce would give a good squeeze to calm him down.

Tim would lean into Bruce a lot. Not quite a hug, but just pressing his body into Bruce. If he was bored, he’d just lean into his side. If he was speaking, or Bruce was just behind him, he’d lean backwards. Bruce would squeeze his shoulders, or swing one of his arms around him. Sometimes Tim would get randomly touch averse and make himself collapse to the ground to avoid hands on his shoulders as he was on the computer or reading.

Steph was a hard egg to crack, she didn’t quite care for more of the typical affection, not that she was opposed. But Bruce would often do her hair as a method of physical affection, he eventually mastered all of the braiding methods her hair could handle. Any fancy bun at any gala, Bruce was behind it. She humored him a lot.

Bruce hugged Cass more than any of his other children, the pressure of an embrace was enough to calm her through a meltdown, panic attack or flashback. Sometimes she wouldn’t realize she needed the tight squeeze and she’d fight against it.

The newspaper once released “top 10 Bruce Wayne hugs” and 1-8 were Cassandra. 9 and 10 were Dick and Jason, Bruce was weirded out that they’d run such a specific article.

Dick never got the hang of it, past sentimental occasions. He usually uses Bee or just Bruce. (Same with Steph, who’s never called him dad.)

Tim never got past the “yes sir/no sir” and doesn’t typically address him with an informal title or name. And Duke has parents, and when he came around he used the same respectful manor of addressing him.

Damian and Cass both use formal alternatives, mostly father, though Cass used to say “Pa” when she first moved into the manor.

It was so much easier for him to give his all to the city, to be Batman without hesitation. If he died, the only negative would be a Gotham without Batman, or so he felt.

I think he had to go through a mourning period of that recklessness. Being not only a father but a mentor meant he had to act and react differently.

I think this meant he wouldn’t go after any rogues unless they were actively dangerous if there were civilians to care for. He wanted to teach Dick that the people in the city would be more important than the “glory” of bringing in the bad guy.

I think this meant he used gadgets more for defense than offense, teaching Jason that you can take someone down without harming them too badly.

Maybe he changed the way he documented crimes, and missions, so Tim could see that the outcome (and therefore breaks and self care) is just as important as the painstaking process of research and investigation.

He had to remind himself when to stop hitting, even when angry. How else would Stephanie see that rage can’t play a part in disarming and stopping an opponent?

He had a hard time accepting his own verbal shutdowns until Cass. I think that would be the point he realized he suppressed so many parts of himself for the convenience of his work, and that he never gave himself the grace he deserved. But seeing her evolution of language, and gaining her own voice, helped him create space for more and more nonverbal communication.

By the time Damian entered his life, I don’t think he’d recognize the agonizingly self sacrificial and careless attitude he previously had towards himself, and towards Batman.

Like. 18 year old Dick is pissed at 12 year old Jason for hogging the DS, or something similarly stupid. Dick is trying to adjust to a new Robin, sharing his mentor and now having a sibling. Jason is experiencing an orderly household and a “real” family for the very first time.

Dick: Jason, you’ve had the game for hours! All day! Can I please have a turn?

Jason, mid game: I just have a bit farther to go, Dick, just 30 more minutes!

Dick, more annoyed: Hey, buddy, please? I’ve been doing chores for hours and all 3 of us have patrol tonight.

Jason: No! I need to finish, plus I had school today!

Dick, grabbing for the DS: it was a half day and it’s my turn! Not fair!

Jason, throwing his entire body in the opposite direction: HEY! Dickie, stop!

Dick, folding himself over the couch to try to grab it: Please, Jason, I’m so bored!

Jason, going after Dick with both hands: Dick you made me lose, what the heck? Not fair!

Dick and Jason: *angrily wrestling each other*

Bruce: Ahem. Boys.

Dick and Jason: *continuing without acknowledging*

Bruce: BOYS.

Dick and Jason: *snap to their senses, sitting straight up on the floor*

Bruce: What on earth has you two going after each other? I’m entirely disappointed this couldn’t be resolved before you resulted to attacking your brother.

Dick: He’s been on the game all day, I haven’t gotten a turn!

Jason, voice raising an octave or two: He wouldn’t let me finish the game! He took it right out of my hand!

Bruce: *grips his temples with his face in his hands*

Bruce: Dick, you should know better than to pick fights, Jason is younger and smaller. Jason, you shouldn’t let Dick get under your skin, but you should’ve shared the game. You’re both better than this.

Dick: Yes, sir. Sorry, B.

Jason, sniffling: I’m sorry, dad, I didn’t mean to..

Bruce: It’s okay, boys, just do better. Now hug it out.

Dick and Jason: *look at each other, puzzled*

Bruce: *does a hug motion with his hands and motions to the pair*

Damian: Someone is in there.

Bruce: ..

Bruce: *internally assuming it’s some sort of intruder* Did you see this person go in?

Damian: Yes, I watched him run into the room.

Bruce: Okay, stay here, I’ll investigate.

Jason: *walks out, holding his toolbox*

Bruce:..

Like. He knew dark humor surrounding the Wayne murders existed. He had heard about it, even some chuckles that he knew were in poor taste, but he had mostly managed to avoid hearing or seeing too much head on.

Until a group of little boys outside Damian’s school decided to re-enact their death. One pretended to have a gun as another threw acorns on the ground, the two boys going on to play dead.

He pretended he didn’t notice until after Damian was dropped off, but had a panic attack being driven back home by Alfred. He was in the back of the car hyperventilating and reliving it, all because of acorns and fucking finger guns.

Jason or Dick brought Damian for a bit after that. Sometimes even just Alfred.

Bruce felt he had to quickly learn every setup to every Thomas and Martha Wayne death joke so he wasn’t ever blindsided again, which ultimately resulted in Dick, Duke and Barbara helping by giving some intel in a more censored way. (It took him 3 weeks of processing to truly be over it, which he denied as it was happening.)