#batfam reader

part 1, part 2

pairing | platonic batfam x bat!sis!reader

summary | damian and you are trapped by the joker. so will batman be able to catch up on time this time..?

warnings | angst, injury, blood, cursing, violence, crowbar and joker. y/n is mentioned as a female. 

authors note | hi there! english is not my first language, so there may be mistakes, sorry :)) i planned to the second part of this, of course if you want.

also votes and reblogs appreciate

word count | 1,9k

m.list

This was supposed to be a simple mission. All you had to do was raid a warehouse where a few incompetent men were going to make a drug delivery.

That’s why Batman had only sent you with Damian. Joker was the last thing you expected to find here. He wasn’t even supposed to be anywhere near this area.

These were the thoughts running through your mind as Joker walked between the two of you, both tied to opposite chairs, his disturbing grin never fading.

You figured it was a little too late to be thinking about that now.

When you lifted your head, you locked eyes with Damian through the mask covering his own. He was searching for a way out; his calculating gaze moved around the room. When you noticed him take something from one of the men next to Joker a short distance away, your eyes narrowed even more. 

What was this clown planning again?

When he finally stopped keeping his back to you, you saw the crowbar gleaming under the light from above. It looked far more disturbing than the smile on his face. 

You had heard bits and pieces about his little adventure with Jason.

Joker turned to his men. “You wait outside. I want to spend a little time alone with these birds.”

Even his voice had a tone that turned your stomach. From Damian’s scowl, it wasn’t hard to tell he thought the same.

Joker’s eyes lingered on Damian for a moment. He poked his shoulder with the crowbar.

“It’s been a long time since I had a Robin toy. But I guess Bats never has trouble finding new ones to replace them.” As if something had come to mind, he laughed aimlessly for a few moments.

“It’s like you’re shorter every time I see you. I wonder, do you have a backup too?”

Damian stayed silent, staring him down from under the mask. Joker was the only one here who thought any of this was funny.

Joker finally seemed to realize neither of you were laughing and dropped his expression. “Oh, you’re both so boring… You could give Batsy a run for his money. But don’t worry, kids, I’m sure you’ll lighten up once we bring a few toys into the mix.”

As he spoke, the crowbar in his hand moved between the two of you like it was deciding, his gaze lingering on you a few seconds longer. He seemed to be thinking of something.

“Don’t even think about touching her.” Damian’s quiet but chilling voice cut through before Joker could make a move.

“Ooh… protective, are we? Then let’s stick with the classic, huh?” 

There was a subtle tone of amusement in his voice as he turned his whole body toward Damian.

The disturbing grin on his face widened even further and he raised the crowbar into the air. Your eyes widened as everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Though it lasted only a few seconds.

you saw the boy grit his teeth as the metal struck his chest. He wasn’t going to scream in front of him. Exactly like Damian.

Even though the blow had landed on him, you could almost feel the pain yourself. You had always thought it was nonsense when people said twins could feel each other’s pain — no matter how close you were to him. 

But you guessed you had to admit they might have been right. Because that’s exactly what it felt like.

You didn’t even know when you started shouting at him. “Leave him alone! Get your hands off him, you son of a bitch! Are you really so afraid of two kids you underestimate so much that you have to tie them up with heavy chains—”

You were trying to get his attention off Damian until Batman arrived. If provoking him was what it took, so be it.

It worked; before he could hit Damian again, Joker turned toward you. He let out a sharp breath. “Are you trying to call me a coward?” 

He pressed the crowbar under your chin, forcing your head up a bit more.

“Aren’t you? Or is it someone else who tucks his tail like a scared cat every time he sees Batman?” When you spoke in such a confident tone, Damian shook his head behind him as if to say “don’t.” 

He knew what you were trying to do, but he thought it was just plain stupid.

Joker laughed at your words, as if you had said something genuinely funny. “Wait, I think I get it. You’re feeling confident because you think Batsy will come for you.”

“I don’t think he will. I know he will.” No matter how much you clashed with your father back at the manor or on patrols, he would come. He wouldn’t leave you in Joker’s hands.

Joker smiled. It was definitely not a soft or reassuring smile. “Funny kid. Your faith in Bats brings tears to my eyes. Once upon a time, this little Robin trusted him that much too.”

“Don’t say his name.” You and Damian had said it at the same time. You did this without realizing it quite often; it scared Dick to death.

Joker raised an eyebrow suspiciously, his eyes narrowing a bit.

“A twin thing, huh? Oooh, I think I’ve solved the puzzle. That’s fine, I like twins.”

A few seconds later, he added: “Of course, only when they’re alone. Which is why I have to make a choice. And I think I know how I’ll choose.”

“Eenie…” He pointed the crowbar at your face. “…meenie…” This time at Damian. “…miney…” You again. “…moe.” Damian again. “Catch… a tiger… by… his toe… If… he hollers… let him go… My mother… told me… to pick… the very… best… one…” The crowbar was back at your face. “And you are…” He turned back to Damian. You heard him take a sharp breath. “…it.”

He had decided. That shameless grin spread across the green-haired man’s face.

“No! Don’t you dare!” Damian’s voice came from behind you. Joker let out a small chuckle, and the next thing you felt was the iron striking your face.

“You know, I like change. I already had one Robin anyway.”

You clenched your teeth. Your jaw was probably dislocated. Still, you forced a smile — the way they taught you in the League, the way your mother taught you.

“Is that all you’ve got? You’re going to need more than that to break me—” The second blow cut you off mid-sentence.

Still, you kept your head up. 

After a while, you were only trying. The blows weren’t just landing on your face anymore, but aside from the small, muffled sounds escaping your lips, you made no noise. Behind you, Damian was cursing. He wasn’t one to swear often, but his current fury made his words impossible to mistake.

After a while, Joker paused for a few seconds as if catching his breath. He leaned in toward you to speak. “Do you still think Bats is coming, little bat?”

“He’s coming.” — it wasn’t speech, just a faint murmur barely slipping past your lips. A loud laugh spilled from the clown’s mouth.

It amused him greatly. 

He placed the crowbar under your chin again. Since you couldn’t lift your head on your own anymore, he did it for you.

For a few seconds, he stared at your bloodied face, even through the mask. You could barely keep your eyes open. Your breathing was shallow; your chest felt like it had been crushed.

You couldn’t even cough up the blood pooling in your mouth. He liked the sight. 

But the fact that you still held onto your faith in Batman’s arrival — that was, admittedly, a little irritating. Still, he didn’t care. He was going to break you completely. 

Then your brother.

Finally, he pulled the crowbar back and stepped behind your chair. Over his shoulder, he looked at the furious boy who was thrashing and shouting in his chair.

“Hey, don’t get so mad. If you want, you can join her in a bit, Robin.”

“The moment I get out of this chair, I’m going to make you beg for death.” Damian muttered under his breath, his voice low but threatening.

“Oooh, then I guess I’ve earned it even more.” He straightened up and gripped the crowbar tightly again.

He was about to deliver another blow — until a fast Batarang struck his hand.

When the Batarang hit, Joker staggered back in pain, but as he looked down at the fallen crowbar, that shameless grin appeared again. Even Batman stepping out of the shadows wasn’t enough to stop him.

“Oooh, there’s the big bat… right on time,” he said through his teeth. With a quick motion, he lunged for the crowbar on the floor.

The chains around Damian’s wrists were still intact, but he lunged forward in his chair. “Don’t you—”

Joker grabbed the handle of the crowbar, then quickly moved behind your bound body and pressed the metal against your throat. The cold steel dug into your skin painfully.

“One more step, Batsy… and I’ll pop this little bat’s neck like a champagne cork.” His tone was mocking, but the pressure of his hand was real and painful.

Batman stopped. His face was expressionless under the mask, but the tension in his body clung to him like shadows. Damian’s voice was nearly a growl. “Let her go, scum.”

Joker tilted his head. “Aw, how sweet… brotherly love. But look, little Robin, we’re playing one last game here.” The crowbar pressed harder; your breath hitched.

“I’ll let her go… but in return, I want a little promise from Batsy.” Batman didn’t say a word, only took a slow step forward.

Joker’s grin widened. “Promise me, Bats, that one day you’ll come back to me. One day, just you and me, without your little birds… just like the old days.”

Silence.

Damian’s eyes locked on Batman; he shook his head slightly as if to say “don’t.” But without a word, Batman pulled a smoke capsule from his belt.

Joker realized what was happening and shouted, “Don’t you—”

In an instant, thick gray smoke filled the room. Visibility dropped to zero. The pressure at your throat suddenly eased. Then someone quickly pulled you into their arms — familiar leather gloves.

As the smoke cleared, Joker was on the ground; Red Robin had restrained him, and Nightwing had freed Damian.

As Batman held you in his arms, he heard your voice. “You came…” It was more a whisper than speech, but enough for Batman to hear.

Behind them, Joker’s voice still rang out from the floor, laughing. “We’ll meet again, little bat… and very soon.” Batman left without a word, but the tightness of his jaw behind the mask made it clear he didn’t take the threat lightly.

While the others still didn’t make a move to leave, even after Batman’s exit, Damian looked like he was about to lunge at Joker. Before he could move, Nightwing stopped him by looping an arm around his shoulders.

“Go with them, come on.” He said it softly, leaning slightly toward him. Then his eyes fell on Red Hood, who, since arriving, had done nothing but stare at the crowbar on the floor and the laughing Joker.

His hands were clenched into fists, resisting the urge to reach for his gun. “You too, Hood.” The kid stayed silent, knowing that if he argued, his anger would turn on Dick. He gripped Damian’s shoulders and steered him toward the exit.

Batman, meanwhile, kept glancing at you as he walked toward the Batmobile. Finally, he heard your quiet voice again.

“It hurts, Dad.”

If you could write a Constantine x Magic user Batfamily reader, where the reader is the top in the relationship?

I know Bruce is gonna be like "...Oh god one of my sons is dating Constantine".

And the reader is around Constantine's age, so he is unofficially Bruce's adoptive son despite the reader being as old as Constantine. Which is very funny to me.

John Constantine x Bat male reader 

Headcanons 

Bruce and Constantine are around the same age, which is really funny to me. Cuz imagine Bruce sees this man, the same age as himself, and immediately goes “hm, yes. My son”. 

Reader is just along for the ride, cuz why not.  

John Constantine x Batfam!Reader

A/N: somebody tell me why the only cartoon john constantine gifs i could find were this one AND THE KING SHARK ONE 😭😭 bloody hilarious man. anyways, this is for the anon who asked for john x batfam reader recs and i found tumblr LACKING. here u go ladies and germs. Gender-neutral reader, no physical attributes included, they/them pronouns.

also, john is like ?? old asf ?? so let's just say he's a solid 32 and reader is 27. for context, dick is 28 and Jason is 24, tim case duke and steph are like 17-19, damian is 14. and Bruce is somewhere around 50. btw not proofread.

soz for the long a/n, thank u for reading and enjoy!!

KEEP READING (im on mobile and it's not working so ill add it in later)

How did it come to this?

It had been torturous enough working with your family and John Constantine, but now you were sure he was trying to tease you.

Batman didn't like calling him for cases involving magic, he'd much prefer Zatanna, but she was away for whatever reason and there was no time to waste waiting for her to get back from god-knows-where.

But you guarantee you were more annoyed by John's presence. Merely seeing him pissed you off, and his laidback, flirty nature made it all the worse.

And no, it wasn't because you hated him. In fact, it was the complete opposite.

Sneaking around behind your family's back to see your Romeo was a chore, and not something you had the liberty of doing often with your myriad of vigilante duties and commitments to adult life. Visiting John and spending time with him was rare and something you treasured. Whether it be in some nostalgia-ridden English pub, staying at his house that still didn't quite make sense to you, or going on regular dates that you planned like restaurants and carnivals, you and John had the time of your lives. And after all the adventures you had been on, he finally admitted that he loved you, just as you had admitted it before.

But loving John Constantine was no simple feat. It came with challenges like murderous monsters, various being from Hell, and most recently, your family.

You knew Bruce would be less than approving. He knew how much of a troublemaker John was, and his self-proclaimed bastard status did not help. Bruce knew he was trouble, and frankly, so did you, but he was too sweet and loving in the end for you to care. He was more than some troubled magician with alcoholism issues, severe gambling debt and the ability to fuck a shark. He was also probably the sweetest guy you had met and he cherished you, showering you in unconditional love, as uncharacteristic as it seemed.

Which is why this particular case was so difficult. While John took every opportunity to flirt with you, you had to refuse every advance and bury the urge to grab him by the collar his stupidly overused coat and kiss him silly. But no, one of your siblings or Bruce was around at every given moment. Alfred had already known you and John were a thing and promised to keep things quiet.

"Are you listening, love?" John asked, specifically looking at you. You felt singled out between Damian and Stephanie, as they, Bruce, and a few of your other siblings stared at you in confusion. You had been listening, briefly, but couldn't for the life of you remember what John had said. It's not like it mattered, this was just John wrapping things up. The case was virtually over.

"Don't call me that," you hardened your gaze instead of smiling and swooning as you normally would when he looked at you with the same intensity as he was now. The subtle changes in your mannerisms towards each other had miraculously not been noticed by the others.

"That's not an answer, love," oh he just loved pissing you off, didn't he? When all this was over you were sure you would make sure he paid for his actions.

"Yeah, I was listening," you folded your arms as he narrowed his eyes at you.

"Y'know what? I don't think you were. You've been giving me attitude this entire case, and frankly, I'm done with it," John shot back with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" I asked, wondering where the hell he was going with this.

"Excuse us, is more like it. You can finish things up here, Bats, I'm sure. I'd like to have a word with them, if you don't mind," John began to walk towards you.

"I don't see how this is important to--"

"Great! We'll only be a moment, just carry on with the debrief," John placed a hand on your lower back, escorting you out of the batcave and upstairs to your room. You saw Dick and Cass along the way, starting at you two oddly but John just smiled and ushered you into the room.

"John, what the hell do you think you're do--!" he cut you off by pinning you to the wall and pressing his lip to yours, pulling away with a boyish grin.

"Oh, I have missed you, love," he smiled, about to dive back in but you pushed him back.

"John, you can't just pull me out of a debrief to make out--"

"We're gonna be doing a lot more than make out, sweetheart," he said, grabbing your hips with both hands. You rolled your eyes slightly before placing one hand on his waist and the other on the side of his neck, quickly flipping him around so he's against the wall. You grin a little at his flustered state.

"We're gonna get caught, hon, please don't do this. I love you but it hasn't even been that long--"

"Seconds without you are too long, sweetheart," he replied, and you chuckled.

"That's very sweet, J, but if you keep this up I'm not gonna be able to control myself. Bruce will kill me, and then wait until the others find out--"

"Too late," Damian stood in the doorway of your bedroom and you nearly jumped out of you skin.

"What sorcery is this, Constantine? What have you done to them?" Damian produced a dagger out of seemingly nowhere and you sighed.

"Dames--"

"What? I'm sorry, (Y/N), but I can't trust your words--"

"Damian, he didn't do anything. No magic, no tricks, nothing. We've been seeing each other for a while," Damian continues to stare at you, not believing you. You sighed, walking up to him and ruffling his hair, "I promise, Dames. John hasn't enchanted me or anything, I just-- I'm in love with him," you finished, staring back at John. Damian looked between you and him before sighing.

"You're really in love with him? Him, of all people? You know how badly Raven speaks of him," Damian folded his arms.

"Raven? She talks about me behind my back? Bloody hell, I'll be having words with her--"

"John,"

"Right! Yes, uhm, Damian, I swear I haven't cursed them to fall in love with me. Really, it's a miracle they love me at all--"

"Don't say that," you smiled.

"What? Its true! And if you're worried about me hurting them or something, you shouldn't be. I'd rather kiss Nergal than even try hurting them," John rolled his eyes.

"And you know I'd kick his ass if he tried anything, Dames," you smirked.

"Well, I just might enjoy that, love--"

"Fucking hell, John, he's fourteen!" you covered Damian's ears as John laughed loudly. Damian eventually swatted your hands away and glared at John again.

"I really do love him, Dames. And nothing you say is gonna change that. We've been dating for almost a year and I still love him, so clearly that counts for something," you assured him.

John bent down slightly to be eye-to-eye with Damian, "I would never do anything to harm them, squire. And I can't get rid of 'em, even if I wanted to," John chuckled.

"You know you love me," you grinned.

"Yeah, I do," John replied, sincerely, making you tense up.

"Fine, I approve," Damian said decisively.

"No one needed your approval, Dames, but thank you," you chuckled, pressing a kiss to John's cheek, "now, just please don't tell Bruce about this--"

"I already know," Bruce, now in casual clothes instead of his suit, rounded the corner and stood next to Damian as you blinked in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? No, don't tell me--" you peeked out of your room with John to see pretty much the rest of the family was listening. You sighed dragging a hand down your face as John chuckled nervously.

@coffee-randomness :  If a zombie bit you, I’d be heartbroken, but I’d also shoot you twice in the head.” With Jaybird, pls?

Request List

Fandom: DC / Batfam

Pairing: Jason Todd x reader  

Notes: Requests are still open! You can choose from the list if you want or come up with your own  

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive

-------

“If a zombie bit you, I’d be heartbroken, but I’d also shoot you twice in the head.”

Jason burst out laughing, his fingers playing through your hair, as you lay on the couch cuddled up next to him. “Where did this come from?” he asked as you looked up at him.

“I’m just saying if there was a zombie outbreak and you got infected I would put you down.”

“Babe, we are watching the notebook, what’s with this with the zombie apocalypse backup plan?”

“I… I may have had a dream about you… turning into a zombie.”

“What what?”

“It was horrible and I haven't been able to get it out of my head.” Jason chuckled kissing your head as he wrapped his arms around you. You shook your head moving around so you were straddling him, “don’t laugh”

“Ok, ok,” he said kissing your forehead, “if you become a zombie I promise to shoot you too. But until then” he moved quickly flipping you over on your back. You let out a little squeak before he kissed you. “I’m going to make out with you, every day”

“I can live with that,” you said between kisses before wrapping your arms around his neck pulling him closer

-GET TAGGED!-

part 1, part 2

pairing | platonic batfam x bat!sis!reader

summary | damian and you are trapped by the joker. so will batman be able to catch up on time this time..?

warnings | angst, injury, about death, ptsd, y/n is mentioned as a female

authors note | a second episode that isn't too long. i still hope you like it

also votes and reblogs appreciate

word count | 2,6k

m.list

Your eyes were closed, your breathing steady but weak. At that moment, you were unaware of anything happening in the world. But someone was watching you from just beyond the glass: Damian.

The others stayed further back in the clinic hallway, yet they too could see your body sleeping, marked by bruises, through the glass.

Finally, Damian broke the deadly silence of the corridor.

“What are you going to do with Joker next?” Before Bruce could respond, he added, “You’re not just going to lock him up in Arkham and leave him there again, are you?” His eyes left you for the first time as he spoke.

He glanced at his father for a moment. Bruce said nothing, but Damian had already received enough of an answer from the silence.

“So you’re just going to lock him in Arkham. Fantastic.” 

His sarcastic tone prompted Dick to intervene before he said something he shouldn’t. Straightening up from the wall he leaned against, he tried to sound like a small child: “D, don’t think about this now—”

Damian cut him off. “Don’t think about what, Grayson? That man, despite everything he’s done, still walks around unpunished. For years.” “Our job isn’t to punish them, Damian, it’s to hand them over to justice.” When Bruce finally spoke, Damian rolled his eyes.

“Believe me, justice doesn’t work on Joker. We’ve seen that already.”

When Damian noticed Bruce was about to intervene, he raised his hand, stopping him quickly: “He killed Todd, and you did nothing. You just locked him in Arkham. He escaped, killed again. You caught him again and ‘handed him over to justice,’ guess what happened?”

“He escaped again. This time he almost killed my sister. And you didn’t even take a single step forward. That man can still threaten her with ease, and you do nothing.”

By the end of his words, Damian was unconsciously stepping toward his father, while Bruce stayed silent, letting him release his anger. No one except Dick even tried to intervene.

Jason thought the boy had a valid point. Even if he hadn’t said it aloud to Bruce in a long time, his anger toward Joker still burned inside him. And he knew it would never truly fade.

Tim, on the other hand, was exhausted. He didn’t have the energy to step between father and son. These arguments happened often, and he had anticipated today’s explosion, so he just continued watching you from where he was.

“Damian, I know you’re angry, but this isn’t the time. Do you think Bruce wanted this?” Dick asked. Damian rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t say that, Grayson. Don’t twist my words. I’m just saying Joker shouldn’t be let free.”

Finally, Bruce rose from his chair and approached his son: “We’ll talk about this again when you’re calmer, Damian.” His hand lightly brushed Damian’s shoulder.

Damian didn’t pull away from the touch but nodded. “My feelings about Joker won’t change. No matter what.”

*****

The hospital room lights were dim, and the soft beeps from the monitors punctuated the silence. Damian sat with his arms crossed, shoulders tense.

His gaze was locked on your face. Occasionally, it drifted to the monitor, as if checking your breathing. 

Even though your vital signs were stable, the fact that you still hadn’t woken up scared him—though he wouldn’t admit it. Damian Wayne Al Ghul, was afraid for the first time.

As a child, he had never run into his mother’s arms fearing monsters under the bed, but now, he wanted to. But unsurprisingly, his mother wasn’t here. 

Only his father, whose presence they had learned about years later, was.

His thoughts were pounding. Or maybe it was just exhaustion. The hospital room door creaked open slightly, and without waiting for a response, Alfred’s head appeared through the gap.

“Master Damian, you should rest and go home. Gotham isn’t waiting for you to catch up.”

‘This is my home,’ Damian thought. Then, without raising his head, he replied with a single word: “I’m not leaving.”

Alfred took a deep breath, approaching him cautiously, hesitant to touch him. “Even father went on patrol, right?” “Yes, but this—” “He goes, I don’t.”

The determination in his eyes made Alfred realize it was pointless to argue further. Still, in a gentle voice, he continued: “If anything happens, I’ll let you know. But you need to close your eyes and rest properly, sir. You’re exhausted to the point of collapse.”

Damian murmured in a low voice: “What if she wake up and don’t see me by her side? I’m staying here.”

Alfred paused for a moment before nodding slightly and leaving the room, closing the door silently.

That night, Damian stayed upright in his chair, resisting sleep. He leaned toward you occasionally to check your breathing. His fingers brushed yours lightly, and when he felt your warmth still there, he relaxed slightly. 

He wouldn’t rest until he saw you awake.

*****

By early morning, Bruce had returned from patrol and was dressed in regular clothes. He found himself in Dr. Leslie’s clinic. Sitting in the chair by the window, the two shared a moment of silence.

Father and son had sworn a silence together. Damian’s eyes were only on your sickbed, though Bruce’s fleeting glances occasionally found him.

Bruce Wayne, known for his confidence, felt unsure even to start a conversation with his youngest son. He knew Damian was only acting out of tension and anger, and wasn’t taking it out on anyone else—but still wondered if there was a shred of rightness in the boy’s feelings.

Your eyelids resisted opening as if weighed down. The first thing that reached your ears was the slow, rhythmic beeping of the monitors through a loud ringing. Your throat was dry, and even breathing caused slight pain in your chest.

Slowly, as you opened your eyes, the harsh white lights of the ceiling hurt them. You blinked several times until your surroundings gradually became clear.

Beside you, Bruce sat. His dark suit wrinkled, his tie loosened. Elbow on the armrest, chin resting in his hands. Lines etched deep into his face—traces of sleeplessness and worry.

Next to him, Damian sat in a chair, neck slightly forward, arms crossed. Trying to stay stiff, but his eyelids drooped from exhaustion.

Noticing your movement, Damian’s head shot up, eyes fixed on you. “(Y/N)…” he whispered, his voice softer and lower than usual.

With that sound, Bruce’s gaze also found yours. He rose immediately and approached, expression stern as ever: “You scared me.” His voice low, serious.

Damian stepped forward toward you. His expression seemed to want to say something, yet every time he opened his mouth, it closed again. He swallowed, turning his head. Words weren’t his strength, emotions even less so.

When your lips parted, the only word you could manage was: “Water…” Your voice raspy.

Bruce wasted no time, bringing a sip from the bedside cup to your lips. His hands, careful and tentative as if handling a fragile porcelain doll, kept your head upright. His gaze never left yours.

“No patrols until you’re fully healed,” Bruce said, putting the glass back and folding his arms, showing he didn’t want this to be an argument later.

“And even when you are healed, you won’t go anywhere alone for a while. Understood?”

Before you could protest, Damian interjected: “Father is right.”

It was as if he wasn’t the same boy who had argued with his father days ago. He added shortly after: “You are my family. I won’t let this happen again.”

His voice was soft, barely audible, but both of you heard it. A slight tremor at the end was noticeable.

The room fell silent. The rhythmic beeping of the monitor, the drip of the IV…

No one wanted to break the silence. But Bruce’s large, calloused hand reached out and carefully ruffled your hair. 

As if silently thanking you for being alive, proud of you.

Soon, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Seconds later, the door opened. First in was Dick, holding a large cup of coffee. His dark shirt was plain, hair messy, as if he’d rushed here.

Seeing you, he froze for a few seconds, then a small smile tugged at his lips. He quickly reached your side. “You’re awake…” His warm older-brother tone filled the room. He set the coffee on the table and leaned slightly toward you.

“Don’t ever scare me like this again, okay, little bird?” He tried to make it sound like a warning, but it only came off as gentle.

You wanted to laugh, but you weren’t sure you could. So you just smiled faintly. “Can’t promise,” you whispered.

Not long after, Tim entered. He had files in his hand and, unsurprisingly, a coffee as well. Seeing you, he set everything down on the table near the door.

“I spoke to the doctor about your condition. He said you should wake soon,” he said, lowering his voice, “Also, if you even think about putting yourself in danger like this again, I’ll chain you. Same goes for you, Damian. I’m not joking.”

“Try it, Drake,” Damian said, his challenging voice narrowing his eyes at Tim.

You felt the need to intervene. “Actually, Dad planned this. Also, can you ease up on the overprotection a bit? If you push too hard, I’m afraid it’ll be impossible to go on patrol again.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” said Jason, who had entered last. 

He paused in the doorway, eyes scanning you head to toe. Hidden anger lay beneath his eyes, but also a glint of relief.

Normally, Jason couldn’t stay serious for long, but now he was almost silent. His expression was graver than usual. “You fit the bed… just this once,” he said, walking slowly to stand behind Damian. “Next time, no one will find you like this. I won’t allow it.”

You remained silent. You didn’t even need to speak; just their presence and the fact that you were still here was enough.

*****

A week later, when you were discharged, returning to the manor was relatively quiet. Bruce made no public statement, and Alfred escorted you straight to your room.

During the first few nights, Damian would go to his room, but in the early hours you’d notice the door creak open. Silent footsteps moved across the room, settling at the edge of your bed, waiting a few seconds before curling silently under the blankets.

This used to happen occasionally. Sleeping together wasn’t unfamiliar. But this time it became a routine.

A routine neither of you voiced aloud. The other family members had noticed Damian was often absent from his room, but no one cared.

Sometimes he murmured in his sleep—his usually furrowed brows remained knitted even in slumber. He unconsciously held you tightly.

A few times, you saw him wake in sweat—clearly from a nightmare. But he never spoke of them, about what or who. When asked, he would simply say, “Keep sleeping, it’s fine.”

One night, well past midnight, you awoke with aches. You must have forgotten your last painkiller. Looking at the nightstand, you met an empty cup, frowning as you propped yourself up.

At the far end of the large bed, Damian slept, wrapped in the blankets like a life preserver. He was in a deep sleep, his face finally appearing relaxed after days.

His furrowed brows softened; his face bore the innocence of a child. You gave him a small smile. Finally, he could rest.

Even if he never spoke of his nightmares, you could tell from his murmurs—and you hated seeing him blame himself. 

He was your brother; he didn’t have to be your guardian. Being your brother was enough.

Exhaling silently, you carefully got out of bed, your feet moving softly across the cold floor. The chill was momentarily jarring, but still pleasant.

When you went downstairs to the kitchen, you saw a large figure at the counter, back turned. Jason was pouring a glass of milk. Black T-shirt, hair slightly messy. He turned when he heard your footsteps.

Seeing you, he raised an eyebrow slightly. “Getting milk at three in the morning, little bat?” You leaned on the counter with a faint smile. “Just getting water. What are you doing here?”

Without asking, he retrieved a glass from the cupboard and poured water from the bottle.

“Can’t sleep. My mind… a little busy,” he said, handing you the glass.

After murmuring a quiet thanks, a silence settled. The only sound in the kitchen was the rhythm of Jason’s fingers tapping the counter.

Finally, you broke the silence. “You thinking about him? About what happened?” Even after knowing Jason for years, your voice was cautious on this subject.

Even if you knew what Joker did to Jason, you’d never heard him speak of it directly—only overheard from Dick. You’d never dared to ask.

Jason glanced at you, his eyes lingering on the bruises on your face before looking away. “If I said no, you wouldn’t believe me, right?” You nodded. “Yes.”

He exhaled and set the half-full glass down. “This isn’t a topic I enjoy discussing. What happened, happened. I died, came back. I’ve moved on.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’ve really moved on.” You added after a pause. “And you don’t have to move on, you don’t have to be strong.”

Jason glanced at you. “Is that why, when you wake from nightmares, you throw yourself onto the balcony to hide? You’re playing the tough, fearless kid. Trust me, we notice.”

You stayed silent for a few seconds. Once again, you hated being in a house surrounded by outlaws. They always knew the little things you thought went unnoticed. You included.

Apparently, nothing could be hidden in this family.

“You got me. But you can’t escape by pointing arrows at me.” “Alright, little detective, let me go now. Does it still hurt?” Jason had evaded the subject, but you didn’t press. If he wasn’t ready, you wouldn’t upset him over his trauma.

So you adapted. “A little. But it’ll pass.”

Jason tilted his head slightly, looking at you. “Sometimes you annoy me, but I’m glad to see you okay, little devil.”

For a brief moment, you frowned. “How many more names are you going to give me?” He shrugged before taking another sip of milk. “I don’t think any of them are wrong.”

“You’re annoying, Todd. Goodnight.” You started to leave when Jason put a hand on your shoulder to stop you. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you close to his chest. You froze.

It was sudden. And embraces, apart from the occasional ones with Damian, weren’t something you were used to—except for Dick’s random stickiness, which you mostly didn’t consider real hugs.

But it was less uncomfortable than you expected; even comforting. Short but tight—not too long, but warm.

Finally, you pulled away without meeting his eyes. Jason, without speaking, tilted his head slightly. “Go upstairs. If Damian wakes and doesn’t find you beside him, he’ll wake the entire manor.”

You gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smile and nodded. As you returned, you saw Jason still leaning on the counter, finishing his milk.

When you went upstairs, Damian was still in deep sleep, one arm stretched toward the side of the bed where you should be, unknowingly seeking your warmth. When you you curled up beside him, his arm instinctively wrapped around your waist, seeking the warmth he had been missing.

Your last thoughts before sleep took you were simple but profound: none of you would ever be alone again.

——•——

TAGS

Tim: TO YOU?

Cass: Is this... possible?

Damian: I still don't have that sentence.

Jason: Mine is still at the "good job" level.

Dick: He's known me for more than 15 years, but he still didn't go any further than blinking “hm”.

Bruce: *passing behind* I said “I'm proud” because Y/N is not from this family.