#richard wayne

“Grandpa, come look. Grandpa, where's Gotham? Grandpa, when my Baba was little…” Richard seemed to never run out of questions to ask. And Bruce loved it. He quickly took to this role and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Answering Richard’s many questions, and playing with him in the league gardens. Holding Alessia and nodding along to her short worded stories, walking her to sleep when her parents were busy. He often would have to sneak the children away from Dick or Jon who were obsessed with being uncles.

Richard loved Dick’s jokes and endless energy that matched his own, and Alessia loved when Jon would fly her around. At low heights of course because Damian would kill him for anything higher than a few feet off the ground.

“Father give me my child, he needs to go to sleep.” Damian huffed, holding Alessia who had already nodded off in his arms. Bruce was holding Richard and reading him yet another bed-time story, “Just leave him here, I’ll put him to bed after this.” Bruce said, not looking up from the book.

“Father—” Damian stopped himself, knowing he wouldn’t win this fight, “By 8, no longer.” He said finally and left to put Alessia to sleep in her bed. Bruce finished the story and began telling Richard about Damian when he was younger, those always being the four year old’s favorite things to hear about.

“Baba got Titus from Mama. Titus runs fast, and I’m almost able to run as fast as him, but only in the garden, because if I fall in the courtyard then I’d get very hurt.” Richard mumbled out, eyes drooping. Bruce smiled and carried Richard to the small bed set up, which he’d done quickly once he found out his non-existent ability to want to separate from his grandchildren.

Two weeks later Damian sat up quickly and walked to the balcony seeing an assassin passed out on the floor. “Raven, someone’s here.” He said quickly tugging on sweatpants as Raven shot up, “The kids.” She said hurriedly running out of the room followed by Damian. As they entered the room closest to theirs they both paused seeing a figure slipping into the room from the window into Alessia and Richard’s shared room–something he insisted as to not be separated from his baby sister for very long.

Damian drew a sword from the wall and stepped forward freezing when the figure was exposed by the moonlight, “Todd?” he asked, sword lowering. Jason landed on the floor with a soft thud, “Hey Akhi.” He mumbled and looked at his niece and nephew, “Heard from Dick that you had reproduced and I had to come see for myself. Cute kids, I better be godfather to one.” he said walking over to his brother.

Jason had been there when Damian grew up in the league, and even though they threatened bodily harm on each other when they were living in the Manor at the same time, they still had a bond that was deeply unbreakable. “You thought the best thing to do was to sneak into their room in the middle of the night?” Raven asked, pulling the blankets over Richard who had twisted and turned out of them in his sleep.

“Well, I was trying to slip into Dick’s room and maybe freak him out when he woke up, but this place is freaking huge.” Damian sighed and led Jason down the hall towards Dick and Kori’s room. Damian figured he couldn’t stop Jason from what he was planning to do, the least he could was speed up the process so he could get back to sleep.

The following day had been one of the best in Richard’s life–in his opinion. Finding out he had so many uncles and a grandfather meant that he was surrounded by more family than he’d ever thought or hoped to have.

Alessia to everyone’s shock and frustration had quickly taken to Jason and would run towards him whenever in the room. “What can I say, I always knew I’d be the favorite one day.” Jason said, holding Alessia as she chewed on some fruit, Dick rolled his eyes and mimicked what Jason said, “Whatever, it’s just cause you act her age.” Bruce was glad to see his second eldest son and pulled Jason into a hug at the first sight of him.

“It’s good to see you, son.” Jason let a smile slide across his face, “You too, old man.” Alessia leaned out of Jason’s arms and into her grandfather’s. Although it was clear she had a favorite uncle, she was attached to Bruce, “Grandpa, nanas?” She asked and Bruce smiles, picking up a banana from the table and walking around talking to Clark while Alessia took small bites.

Jason huffed and slid back into his chair beside Dick, “Heard from Tim yesterday. He said he’ll come as soon as he gets time to. He’s visiting Kon and helping out on Kent farm. His grandparents don’t remember the invasion but they still feel the grief of everyone who does.” He tells them. Damian nods, “That’s good of him.”

Though they had many, many, differences in the past, Damian and Tim had come in contact during the war. After the initial attacks and destruction, Tim helped Damian build a secure system for the League base, especially once Damian learned that Raven was pregnant.

Richard climbed into Damian’s lap and began playing with his father’s hands, “Baba, can I play with Titus in the garden?” Damian smiled and kissed Richard’s head, “Of course, let’s go.” He stood up and offered his hand to Raven who took it as their family, minus Alessia who was asleep in Bruce’s arms, walked outside.

“Not too fast Ricky, Titus gets excited easily, remember.” Raven tells her son gently. When Titus was around the children he was calm and would never try to hurt them, but when playing with Richard–especially with chasing each other–he often got too excited and Richard would end up falling, granted he would laugh after it, but it did cause worry to race through Raven.

“I won’t run too fast, Mama.” He says with a small nod. Damian smiles and sets him down at the front steps, and Richard takes off, Titus following him. Damian and Raven stand on the steps, his arm around her waist, as they watch their son play with the great dane, giggling and screaming with joy. Neither of them had a childhood, neither had time to be children. Running around gardens or having bed time stories. Surrounded by family wherever they walked. Their children would have everything they didn’t.

That was the promise they made to each other the first time they held their son. Even though they knew that was the case in their hearts long before he was born. Bruce walked up beside him, Dick and Jason following. Alessia was now awake and wiggled out of her grandfather’s arms. She walked over to the puddles left by the rain the night before and started hopping in them, a smile wide on her face. “Jaja, come!” She said, grabby hands pointed towards Jason.

Jason gave Dick a smirk and nodded, pointing to himself, “Jaja.” Dick rolled his eyes and pointed to Richard, “Named after me.” Damian rolled his eyes at his brother’s antics but felt a sense of happiness and pride.