Bruce’s head was swimming and he felt like he was going through the motions as he called Alfred and informed him of the situation after Dick had cried himself to sleep.
Alfred—as always—was the calm voice of reason and quiet encouragement even as Bruce inwardly lost himself to a sea of panic as he thought about all the ways he was going to mess up his kid… his son. Because Dick was barely 10 and speaking solely on legal terms, he had 8 more years with Bruce—8 years for Bruce to hurt him further.
But Alfred anchored him, encouraged him to take things one at a time and firmly told him to rein in his panic and not hide away from his responsibilities, to just push forward because ‘things will work out, Master Bruce. You must simply carry on’
So Bruce had. He’d sat in the hospital chair beside Dick’s beside for the past two hours reading up on what exactly his guardianship entailed as well as what Dick’s injuries were (concussion, whiplash, bandaged head injury, and various cuts and bruises). The nurses had entered every now and then, checking vitals and monitoring Dick’s concussion.
The Dick’s fingers twitched and Bruce anxiously leaned forward. The movement behind the boy’s eyelids became more erratic and then those brilliant blue eyes opened and Dick was blinking blearily up at the ceiling.
Dick squinted and threw a hand over his eyes which Bruce took as his cue to dim the lights (which he should have done earlier, knowing light-sensitivity was a common concussion system).
The change in lighting caused Dick’s head to whip around though and notice Bruce Surprise, apprehension, and finally anger, flashed across Dick’s face.
The boy sat up, wincing slightly (and Bruce inwardly wincing with him), before rubbing his eyes only to realize there was an IV in one of his arms.
Dick blinked at it in confusion before placing his arm back down and returning his attention to glaring at Bruce.
Simply Carry On (even when you don’t want to…. Especially when you don’t want to). Bruce did his best to keep a relatively friendly expression on his face but Dick’s scowl didn’t budge.
Then Dick opened his mouth and he might as well have taken the chair out from under Bruce’s body, “What are you doing here—What happened?”
And no. Not this. How was Bruce supposed to carry on from this?
“Bruce?” Dick prodded.
Swallowing the cold truth that was reality—that was Dick’s concussion and the fact that one of the symptoms of concussions could be short-term memory loss because of course it was—Bruce said in the most careful way he could, “Dick… you were in a car accident.”
Dick’s eyes widened in alarm, “Is Aunt Becca, okay?
And Bruce didn’t want to do this. He couldn’t do this.
“Bruce? Is Aunt Becca, okay?!”
Dick’s expression fell more and more with each passing second and Bruce wished the boy were glaring at him instead, wished the boy had gone on being angry with Bruce if it only meant he got his Aunt back-
“...Bruce?” Dick’s voice was broken and it shook and wavered and Bruce needed to give him an answer. He needed to-
“Dick- your Aunt-” say it Wayne, “She- she passed away.”
Dick’s face completely crumpled as he whispered, “No.” And then more loudly, “No, no no no! She told me, she told me- after mom- she told me-” His gaze pled with Bruce, desperately begging him to understand a promise his aunt had made—a promise she hadn’t been able to keep.
“She told me she wouldn’t leave.”
And something inside Bruce broke with those words, his heart ached for the broken boy in front of him. “Dick, I’m so sorry.” And Bruce knew his words rang hollow, that they were utterly useless but what else was he supposed to say?
Dick curled in on himself, the arm with IV in it clenching the sheets tightly and the other wrapped around him.
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Sketch of 10 year old Dick Grayson from my story Batscheme which is based off "The Gameplan" and is basically about Dick being Bruce's biological son and like angst and fluff happens.
Anyway this is him in his soccer uniform holding what's supposed to be a soccer ball (and lemme tell y'all hands and soccer balls are hard to draw!!)
I'm quickly learning not to try to make "perfect" art though and just roll with the flow.
When the 8 year old son of his former fiancé is suddenly thrust into his hands, Bruce doesn't know what to make of it. But as time passes, he learns there may be more to Dick Grayson than he originally thought. AU where Dick is Bruce's biological son but Bruce doesn't know (little!Team makes appearances as well)
>>Start from the beginning here
"Bruce, Dick is your son."
And it was as if a powerful wave crashed into Bruce and left him disoriented and gasping for air because Dick was his son? Multiple thoughts swirled inside his mind but he couldn't process them all at once, couldn't figure out this puzzle that made absolutely no sense.
Because Dick had known, and oh God, Dick had known all along. From the first moment he'd met Bruce, he'd known that Bruce was his dad.
And Bruce- and Bruce… how much had he hurt that kid? His kid?
Suddenly the sound of a shrill beep pierced Bruce's thoughts and drew him back into reality. He looked at his wristwatch and his eyes widened, "The antidote's done," he said.
As he went to retrieve it, he could only hope it worked.
The half hour it took for the antidote to work seemed like an eternity to Bruce. And when the tests finally showed that Dick's hemoglobin levels were no longer decreasing, Bruce didn't think he'd ever been more relieved his life.
About an hour after that, Dick began to stir and Bruce saw Rebecca lean anxiously over her chair, ready to comfort and reassure her nephew.
But when Dick blearily opened his bright blue eyes, it was not his aunt's name on his lips.
"Brss?"
Bruce jolted in surprise but moved forward nonetheless, "I'm right here, Dick. You're okay."
The kid closed his eyes and smiled a little, "Kay" he said before falling back sleep.
Rebecca looked up at him with shock written all over her face but Bruce was in no mood to appease her. Instead he ignored her and chose to continue watching the boy who he'd almost lost.
Word spread fast around the watchtower though and several of the Leaguers dropped by to see how the kid they'd come to know as Robin was doing.
The first to visit were Dinah and Ollie who brought some balloons. Bruce was tempted to ask Dinah to stay with Dick so as to keep up appearances but in the end decided against it. Dick deserved better than that.
Next came Barry who merely raised an eyebrow at Bruce and placed some candy next to Dick's bedside. After him came J'onn who calmly phased through the door (much to Rebecca's surprise) and deposited some Oreos. He gave Bruce a knowing look before leaving the way he'd entered.
Finally Clark showed up with Conner who was holding a small robin plush in his hands. Conner settled it on Dick's pillow and quietly said, "You better be okay, alright? And you're not allowed to ever get sick like that again," he shuddered and Clark placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. A moment of silence passed before he continued, "I'll come back when you wake up, okay?"
After they'd left, Rebecca gazed at the door fondly, "It's nice to see Dick made friends in his time here. He'll be sad to leave them but it's for the best. He needs to go home."
Bruce's eyebrows furrowed as he said, "He can come visit"
Rebecca whirled on him instantly, "No, he can't. Are you serious right now?" She looked him up and down in disdain, "I don't suppose you mean just to visit his friends?"
Bruce set his jaw, "I want to be able to see him, Rebecca."
"No." Her tone was final and there was fire in her eyes but Bruce had a fire of his own.
"I have missed more than 8 years if my son's life and if you think that I plan on losing anymore-"
She interjected before he could finish, "Actually, that's exactly what I plan on you doing. You weren't interested in 'seeing him' before you knew he was your son. Now suddenly, because he's a Wayne-"
Fury ignited inside Bruce at her implication that he only cared about Dick because he was his son. "I didn't think I had a right to see him." So he hadn't asked because what right would he - the man who had pushed Dick away for a large part of the time they'd been together - possibly have? "Now I do."
And he'd changed, he was aware he still had a long way to go - even now, he still had amends to make - but he was willing to try.
Rebecca gave him a cold glare, "Bruce, you hold no rights to that boy."
Bruce shot back a glare of his own, "My blood says otherwise."
"Listen Bruce, the thing about kids? They need stability in their lives. Either you're there for them or you're not but in both cases, you need to be consistent. Because if you aren't, you destroy the kid. And that's exactly what you've been doing!"
"I'm not blind, Bruce. As soon as I got here, I could see that Dick was uncomfortable around you and I thought, 'Well at least Bruce picked a side'. But then Dick woke up and the first person he looked for was you. I don't know what happened these last few months but at some point you were there for him. Then—I'm guessing when you found about his lies—you flipped your switch to uncaring. You can't do that! And if you won't choose a side, then I will … stay out of my nephew's life."
"I know I made a mistake-"
Rebecca gaped at incredulously, "A mistake? Bruce, look around you! All you've done is cause your son pain – Dick almost died because of something he would've never been exposed to if you didn't parade around Gotham dressed as a bat. And then you top on emotional pain above everything else…" Rebecca shook her head, "Just stay away."
And Bruce wished he could deny her accusation, he wished she didn't have a point.
But she did.
/0\0/0\0/0\
When Dick finally joined the land of the living for longer than five minutes, he was pretty sure he'd already awoken like four or five times. His aunt had been there the whole time but Bruce…
Dick had thought he'd seen him the first time but he was starting to think his foggy brain had just imagined it all. Bruce definitely wasn't here right now.
Aunt Becca offered him a cup of water with a straw and a reassuring smile. Dick did his best to smile back and took a sip.
He was fine. And also dumb for thinking that because he'd gotten pretty sick, Bruce would actually be in here with him. While he still wasn't sure of all the details of said sickness, he knew it'd been serious enough to bring him to the watchtower (because where else was he going to see a view of space this real?).
Regardless, Bruce was absent and it was fine.
He leaned his head back on the pillows and sighed.
His aunt nudged him, "What's wrong, bud?"
He shrugged, "Nothing,"
Aunt Becca frowned at him but instead of pressing the issue, she said, "Would you like to speak to your friend? Conner, I believe his name was?"
At this Dick's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically.
His aunt chuckled, "Okay then, give me a second," she stood, "He should be a couple rooms over."
Not even a minute after she'd left, the door burst open and Conner ran in. His face broke out into a grin as he saw Dick sitting up, "You're awake!"
Dick grinned back, "Nope, I'm asleep with my eyes open."
Conner rolled his eyes and bounded forward, "Whatever, Mr. Smart Comeback,"
"I am smart, thank you!"
"Sure"
"No, really, I am."
"Well I'm smarter."
"Conner, you do realize I skipped a grade, right? At a private school."
At Conner's put out glare, Dick burst out laughing. After a minute, the other boy joined him.
After they finally calmed down, Dick decided to ask about his sickness. He hadn't wanted to ask his aunt because he knew she wouldn't tell him much and considering she had yet to come back, he was going take advantage of the opportunity and ask Conner.
"Um, so what was wrong with me?"
The easy grin slipped off his friend's face and Dick started thinking that maybe this wasn't a good idea. But no adult was going to tell him the whole truth in an attempt 'to protect him' or whatever… expect maybe Bruce because the man just plain blunt but that obviously wasn't an option.
He knew Conner would.
Conner shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he began to explain, "You were losing blood, like not through an injury or something, but because your blood cells were getting destroyed in your body. Bruce called my dad when they were going to bring you here and because it was so last minute, my dad had to bring me too."
His expression somehow became more sad, "It was scary, Dick. You were like chalk white and and your aunt was freaking out and everybody was running around trying to get you situated."
Dick opened his mouth to stop him because it was obvious it bothered Conner to talk about this and yeah, that made sense because Dick would hate to see Conner almost die and then have to talk about it but Conner continued to talk, seemingly wanting to just let it all out.
"It got worse because they were suddenly talking about a blood transfusion only to find out there wasn't any available blood. Wally's uncle was about to go to nearby blood bank when Bruce suddenly showed up," At this, a small smile settled on Conner's face, "And his blood was the the same type as yours… isn't that crazy? You got the blood transfusion and I guess they figured out a cure because you got better."
He stopped and looked at Dick directly in the eyes, "But you better not get sick like that again, okay? You're not allowed to."
Dick shakily laughed, "Okay. Sorry for scaring you."
"S'okay, at least you're better now," Conner said.
"I guess"
There was small silence before Conner spoke again and this time he was the one with the hard questions. "Your Aunt's back… does that mean you're leaving soon?"
Dick bit his lip before answering, "Yeah"
"Oh. Wait-"Conner's eyebrows scrunched up together as he though, "Whenever you were at the cave, you knew you were gonna leave, didn't you?"
"Conner, I-"
"Why didn't you say goodbye?" His expression was so hurt as he asked, "Were you just gonna leave without saying goodbye?"
"I wanted to say goodbye, I was going to but then I just… I couldn't. I'm sorry."
"Why not?"
"Because I wasn't ready to say goodbye." Dick shrugged helplessly, "I'm still not."
Conner expression slowly cleared and he nodded, "I get it - I don't want to say goodbye either."
Dick smiled sadly, "I'll miss you,"
"Me too"
Conner's sad look was back so Dick held out his fist and grinned as cheerfully as he could, "Best bros?"
Conner smiled a little and bumped it with his own fist, "Best bros"
The door opened and both boys turned to see who had entered. It was Clark and behind him… Bruce.
Clark smiled at Dick and asked, "How are you holding up, Dick?"
Dick shrugged, "I'm doing good, I guess."
"That's great," Clark's expression suddenly became more somber as he said"We're really going to miss you when you leave though,"
"Me too," Dick said softly.
"You know, what? I bet you can come-"
Bruce suddenly shot him a glare so dark Clark stopped speaking. They both engaged in what Dick assumed was a silent argument but he didn't even try and read it.
Because Clark had been about to tell him he could visit and Bruce had glared at him… Bruce didn't want him coming back.
"Um," At Dick's voice, both men turned to look at him, "I'm actually kind of tired so if you wouldn't mind…" he trailed off.
"Oh, of course." Clark said,
Conner for his part looked at him with concern so Dick put his hands together and tilted his head to the side in a traditional sleep gesture, crossing his eyes as he did so. Conner smiled before waving and following his dad outside.
The lights turned off and the darkness allowed Dick the freedom of letting his tears fall. He tugged his covers up and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fall asleep before his crying became worse.
The tears continued to stubbornly fall though and Dick swallowed a sob. It was okay, it was okay… it was okay.
ooo
He was allowed to return the the manor the next day as he was apparently on the road to a full recovery. His aunt was with him most of the time but it seemed like Bruce couldn't even stand being in the same room as him.
Before, Bruce had either ignored him or acted completely indifferent but now it was as if his body language was speaking through a megaphone and clearly saying, "I don't want you here."
And sure, nothing new there... even if before the whole shebang with his aunt happened he'd thought that maybe, maybe...
But even after the that happened, Bruce still hadn't acted like this! What had happened?
So when Mia came to visit him one day, he knew it was his chance to get some answers. It took a bit of work but eventually she relented. And Dick wished she hadn't.
Because his Aunt had told Bruce that Dick was his son... and that had led to Bruce's change in behavior.
(Was it really such an awful thing to have Dick as a son?)
Apparently, it was. Something inside Dick's chest broke and and his breath hitched as he came to his realization.
He and Mia sat in silence for a few minutes before she pulled him into a tight hug and whispered, "I'm sorry."
But Dick didn't cry. He just squeezed his eyes shut and held it all in.
After she left, he quietly got up his bed and walked over to his shelf to get his Rubik's cube. He sat back down and proceeded to begin solving it, the puzzle distracting him from the ache inside him. With an intense determination, he twisted and turned it oder and over, unwilling to leave it unsolved.
And finally, all the sides were the same color. For the first time ever, he'd been able to solve it. He hadn't given up and he'd actually been able to do it! A shaky grin spread itself across his face as he took in his accomplishment. Then, drip, drip, drip.
He blinked in surprise at the drops on the surface of the cube and gingerly touched his cheeks only for his fingers to come back wet. The tears continued to fall and suddenly his whole face crumpled. With a sob, he launched the Rubik's cube across the room and sank to his knees.
It wasn't fair!
... It wasn't.
/0\0/0\0/0\
Bruce was in the middle of his meeting when his secretary stuck her head into the room, an apologetic expression upon her face. "Mr. Wayne? I apologize for the interruption but your butler is on the line and he is quite insistent that he speak to you."
Before she was even done speaking, Bruce stood. He offered a polite smile at those in the room, said, "Excuse me for a moment," and quickly followed Mrs. Lacy out the door.
He took the offered phone with a grateful smile and moved to stand in a corner. He took a second to brace himself – if Alfred was calling the office it was because he couldn't reach Bruce through his personal phone and usually when that was the case, it meant Bruce was in the middle of something really important. If Alfred was interrupting that…
He sighed and placed the phone to his ear, "Alfred?"
"Ah, Master Bruce, thank heavens! I am deeply sorry for the interruption but Miss Rebecca has just informed me that she intends to leave for the Gotham Airport in approximately two hours. Apparently, she booked a commercial flight," despite you offering to let her use your private jet or at least pay for the flight went unsaid.
Bruce sighed an ran a hand over his face, "I see,"
"I wished to inform you so you could come and say your farewells."
And it seemed like a rock sank in Bruce's stomach, "I can't, Alfred."
"Master Bruce, you may never see that boy again. Will you not reconsider?"
"It's not that, it's just I'm in the middle of finalizing a merger and if it goes wrong, thousands could end up losing their jobs, some being the only source of income for their families. I can't, Alfred."
Because apparently, Rebecca refused to even allow him saying goodbye to Dick. In the end though, maybe it would actually result the better. It was definitely a more favorable outcome than Bruce having the chance to say goodbye and not doing it. Which considering everything…
"Very well, sir."
The call ended and with it Bruce's mask was set in place. He gave the phone back to Mrs. Lacy with a simple nod before going back to the room, his face seemingly composed.
And if he lost his patience faster than usual or became an even fiercer shark while negotiating or growled when one of the members wasn't on board with an idea… well maybe he wasn't as composed as everyone seemed to think.
A couple of painful hours later, the merger was complete. Bruce glanced at his watch but what was the use? The two hour deadline had come and gone a while ago. He sighed and went to leave but was stopped when Lucius came up to him and said "Everything alright, Bruce?"
And what was Bruce supposed to say? No everything's not alright, I'm a horrible person and an even worse father? Was he supposed to say, I distance myself from others so I don't get attached but in the end I do anyway? Was he supposed to say, I'm pretty sure my son hates me or will eventually grow up hating me and he was every right to?
What was he supposed to say?
That he'd broken a kid's trust in him and that he screwed up everything he touched? That a little boy had managed to worm himself inside Bruce's heart but when things became tough, Bruce acted like he hadn't?
Was that was he was supposed to say?
Instead he looked up and said, "Everything's fine, Lucius."
The man seemed like he wanted to say something else but in the end only sighed with resignation, "Alright"
When he arrived it at the manor, there wasn't a little boy to greet him. And even though there hadn't been one for the past week, this time it was different. Because before, Bruce would know that he could go upstairs and Dick would still be there; now he was gone and he wasn't coming back.
Despite everything, he found himself discarding his briefcase and standing inside Dick's room moments later. And it was as if the kid was still there.
Everything Bruce had bought him - all the clothes and the toys - remained in their place. The boy had only taken what he'd arrived with.
Bruce sighed and sank onto the bed only to narrow his eyes at the paper he rustled. At first glance it was just a piece of notebook paper folded in half but when he opened it, a blank envelope was revealed.
And so was the messy scrawl on the notebook paper:
Hi Bruce
The envlope has a letter from my mom that's for you. I don't know what it says, just that it's for you. I figured you deserved this much after all my lies.
I'm sorry.
I know you found out that you're my... you know.
I'm so sorry.
I know you're mad and I am so so sorry.
I shouldn't have lied - I shouldn't have even come here!
But you still took care of me so thanks for that. Bye.
- Dick
Bruce blinked hard at Dick's goodbye letter and forced himself to look at the envelope instead. It was from Mary...
He opened it and began to read.
Dear Bruce,
I have no idea how many times I've written this and never finished. Each time I start the words just seem to leave but I know need to press forward this time. You deserve that much, our child deserves that much.
Yes, Bruce, we have a child - a son. His name is Richard 'Dick' John Grayson and he is the sweetest boy any mother could ever ask for. He carries his heart on his sleeve, not like his father who hides it behind thick stone walls. But nonetheless, he's still so much like you; brave, kind, smart, and oh so stubborn. He's athletic and simply adores soccer, so very much like you did. He has your black hair and handsome looks, I know he'll be a real ladies man when he grows up, just like his father.
Forgive me for not telling you when I found out - for leaving instead - but I just didn't know what else to do. I knew you wanted to make a change in Gotham in a way only you would think to do and I also knew that because of that, you wouldn't have time for a family. The truth is we would just have been a burden to you but you would've stuck with us either way. And I knew that no matter what I wanted, the greater good was more important so I called things off between us.
Afterwards I had no idea what I should do… that was when I met John Grayson. He was an acrobat at Haley's Circus and what better way to disappear tha to join the circus? And so that's what I did. Then I had Dick – a tiny little thing born two months early – and John was kind enough to let me put him down as the father on Dick's birth certificate. He also let me use his last name so I could change my own name as well. For the next two years things went pretty good, I was adapting well to life as an acrobat thanks to my gymnastics roots and Dick was growing up into a cute and healthy baby.
That was when John's trailer caught fire - a tragic accident that took his life. I was devastated for a long time after and eventually made up my mind to come back. The next time Haley's Circus came to Gotham I went in search of you, fully intent on telling you about Dick (who was 5 at the time) and maybe beginning anew. But then I found out about well, you know. You'd already set all your plans into motion and even though you'd just began, I could already tell you were making a difference. And so I left it at that.
Now, I write this as preparation for the future. The next time I am able to see Rebecca, I'm going to give her this letter and make her promise that she'll show it to you if anything ever happens to me.
That's why I know that if you are reading this, it must be because I no longer live. Please Bruce, I implore you, please help Dick. He needs you.
With love,
Mary
Bruce had to fight the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm them... she must've never gotten the chance to give the letter to Rebecca before she...
He shook his head before burying it in his hands. Because yeah, Dick had needed him and Bruce- Bruce hadn't been there. He should've tried harder, he shouldn't have let anger blind him, he shouldn't have-
He looked up and a small object near the wall caught his attention. Slowly, he stood and walked closer; the colors flashed-
"Bruce, Bruce!" A yelling nine year old came bounding out of nowhere, holding a Rubik's cube in his hands.
"I can't do it!" He complained, "I've tried over and over and each time it messes up!"
Dick pushed the cube into his face and declared, "Bruce, fix it!"
Bruce wryly rose an eyebrow as he took the offered object and within two minutes, he had it solved.
Dick gaped at him but his eyes were shining with admiration... and Bruce wasn't sure he deserved the admiration of this kid but he had it anyway.
"How'd you do that?!" The kid exclaimed.
"Practice. You have to keep on trying even when you fail... you can't give up."
The boy stretched out his hands and wiggled his fingers, "Okay, okay, let me see!"
Bruce held it out of his reach, "Not until you promise you won't give up."
Dick looked at him seriously, "I won't, I promise!" he said.
Bruce nodded in satisfaction and gave it back to him. The boy immediately messed it up before proceeding to try and solve it. His tongue stuck out in concentration as he twisted the cube over and over and with a small lift of his mouth, Bruce left him to it.
As long as he didn't give up, he'd figure it out.
Bruce grabbed the cube from the floor and studying it - all six sides were the same color.
The kid had done it. He hadn't given up just like he'd promised.
Bruce leaned his back against the wall and slowly lowered himself down.
Staring at the cube in his hands, only one thought ran through his head:
What had he done?
/0\0/0\0/0\
AN: Oops?
(In other news, I got a tumblr! My username is the same one I use here so you can go check it out for updates and/or teasers for future chapters!) (And uh... yeah. Oops. Again. I have a plan! ... *raises eyebrows* Any guesses?)
When the 8 year old son of his former fiancé is suddenly thrust into his hands, Bruce doesn't know what to make of it. But as time passes, he learns there may be more to Dick Grayson than he originally thought. AU where Dick is Bruce's biological son but Bruce doesn't know (little!Team makes appearances as well) (basically, it's a Robin origin story with a twist)
Alfred was overjoyed the young master had been reunited with them but the circumstances that led to that reunion saddened him greatly.
Young master Dick had already gone through so much in his young life, why had the cruel world decided to take his Aunt from him as well?
Regardless, Alfred knew they could not dwell on the why nor on the past; the boy was with them now and they had to move forward.
The day after Dick arrived, Alfred awoke early in the morning and set about making a hearty breakfast—something he had not done since the boy had departed from their household months ago.
Master Bruce’s breakfast would usually consist of a quick coffee and scrambled eggs and bacon spread on two toasts, normally taken to-go.
Alfred knew the kitchen brought painful memories to Master Bruce, just like it did to himself. Memories of a kid sitting on a counter bar stool, chattering and gesturing animatedly.
Likewise, the dining room also held painful memories and for that reason, Master Bruce would ask Alfred to bring his meals to the study or cave.
Alfred put his foot down after the first few times but after seeing the clear misery spelled across Master’s Bruce’s face when he sat down to eat, he didn’t have the heart to refuse anymore.
Now though, Alfred was optimistic things would change. They would probably never be what they once had been but that was perfectly fine; Master Bruce and Master Dick had both changed in many ways and therefore many things would change with them.
And Alfred also understood that Master Dick was grieving and would most likely feel uncomfortable and defensive in this household (for good reason) which was why Alfred would everything in his power to help.
Grief took time though and Alfred would also give him that.
Despite it all, it was comforting to know that at least both of his charges would be eating breakfast in his kitchen.
Master Bruce came in first, looking tired but dressed in the impeccable suit Alfred had laid out earlier nonetheless.
He gave Alfred a half-smile and nod in greeting before eyeing the counter stools. After a moment of consideration, he took a seat and Alfred’s mustache twitched with satisfaction.
Master Dick entered the kitchen a few minutes later, blinking rather rapidly and still dressed in his sleepwear.
He also half-smiled before softly saying, “G’morning, Alfred.” and taking a seat in the stool beside Master Bruce.
He pointedly did not say good morning to Master Bruce.
Master Bruce shot him a panicked glance over the young master’s head but Alfred simply shook his head lightly at him.
If Master Bruce was going to have a crisis every time Master Dick didn’t greet him, his days were going to become very unbearable and it would also not help in the least on his road to reconciliation with the boy.
Master Bruce had to remain steady and firm, show that he would not change, show that he would not move, show that he would not abandon and Master Dick, being the forgiving, caring lad Alfred had come to know, would respond.
Alfred so very much hoped he would eventually respond. His two charges both needed each other, if only they would see it.
After Master Bruce’s small crisis passed, he tried to begin small talk with Master Dick.
When the 8 year old son of his former fiancé is suddenly thrust into his hands, Bruce doesn't know what to make of it. But as time passes, he learns there may be more to Dick Grayson than he originally thought. AU where Dick is Bruce's biological son but Bruce doesn't know (little!Team makes appearances as well) (basically, it's a Robin origin story with a twist)
Bruce resisted the urge to growl and stepped back to sit in one of the waiting chairs and think about his options. He could hack into the hospital's system and find out which room Dick was staying in. Or he could yank of his hat and hope his money and influence were enough to sway the receptionist. Or-
Just then, he saw a woman dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase go up to the receptionist. Her words caused Bruce to launch up to his feet. “My name is Joan Harris and I have been assigned to Richard Grayson’s case. Could you tell me which room he is staying in?”
The receptionist eyebrows lifted in surprise at Dick’s name and for a brief second, her gaze lingered on Bruce. Then her eyes darted back to the stern faced woman and she nodded, “R-Right. I’ll just-”
But before she could say anything else though, Bruce inserted himself into the conversation. “No, you can’t go in there. That boy just lost his aunt and you can’t just go in there and-” He trailed off and shook his head because some indifferent state worker was not going to go in there and tell Dick that- tell Dick that he was going to foster care.
Foster Care. No… no.
Bruce looked away and his eyes caught onto nurse with dark hair and a splotchy face heading in their direction. He looked back to see Joan’s face twist into an incredulous expression as she said, “Pardon?”
Bruce barrelled on forward anyway, “You can’t go in there. I’ll go,” he said, “He knows me and I can- I can-” Bruce floundered helplessly for a moment—what could he do?—and Joan didn’t wait for him to finish.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said, not sounding very sorry at all, “But as the boy is currently a ward of the state, you are not allowed to see him.”
After this, she turned to the receptionist with an expectant gaze, “Now, can I know which room Richard is staying in?”
Ever aware of his surroundings, Bruce noticed that the nurse from before who was now standing a little ways to the side suddenly stiffened. His attention was quickly switched back to the receptionist’s words though.
“Room 314”
Joan nodded and she turned to leave. Blood began to pound inside Bruce’s ears as he watched her, his mind frantic and trying to grasp onto an possible solution because not foster care, not his boy, she couldn’t- Dick wouldn’t-
The answer came to him with a loud clap and before he could even think it all through, he suddenly exclaimed, “I’ll adopt him!”
Could you adopt your own child? Bruce didn’t know but he was going to do it anyway because Dick was not going into foster care and that woman would not be the first person he saw after watching his own aunt die.
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