Chapter Text
Bruce knew from jump they couldn’t keep things a secret forever. It was never a question of staying hidden, only of how to reveal the truth. He and Dick had settled into their romantic relationship about a few months ago. Really, it wasn’t such a dramatic shift to him. It felt more like the completion of a story- one that’d been in the making for over a decade. As such, he felt it appropriate to break the news first to the man who’d been there since chapter one.
“Alfred.”
They were alone in the parlor. The butler paused with his dusting to look at his ward. “Yes?”
A slight shift. “We have to talk.”
Visible discomfort. That was unusual.
Alfred set his cleaning supplies down and sat in the armchair closest Bruce. If his current suspicions were correct- well, let’s hope they weren’t.
“Is it something I don’t already know?”
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”
In another situation, the response might’ve held humor. The old man sighed and hung his head, slouching in an uncharacteristic break of decorum. Silence hung the air for a long while before Alfred took his handkerchief and wiped a tear from his eye, filling Bruce with a newfound shame. Alfred hadn’t cried in front of him since-
“What would your parents think?”
The question hit hard. In truth, Bruce had often wondered what his parents- his father, especially- would think about his sexuality. As soon as he realized what he was he felt he had to hide it. He’d never even told Alfred he was attracted to men. It was just another unspoken truth held between them. Alfred wasn’t referencing his sexual preference, but his particular choice of partner. Bruce bit his cheek.
“My parents have been dead for thirty years.”
“Thirty-five.”
“I know,” he flared, “But I don’t care about them.”
A lie. Everything he’d become was on their behalf, of course he cared. He’d never once done something he thought would disgrace them. Until now, anyway.
“Right,” Alfred conceded, “So what about the others?”
“They’re not my priority either,” Bruce’s sighed, “You are.” He took a small breath. “Alfred...”
No one would’ve noticed the lip tremble, or the tremor in his voice- except the man who taught him how to hide such things. Suddenly, Bruce wasn’t a grown man seeking a blessing, but a little boy looking for approval.
Alfred’s little boy.
“Are... are you happy?”
“More than ever.”
Alfred took a shaky breath.
“Then I am, too.”
The two came in for a hug. They were hardly ever this open and affectionate with each other, but it felt warranted. Still, not one to indulge in such things, Alfred pulled back.
“I decided a long time ago to support you no matter what,” he explained, “I still feel strange about all this-“
“I know, I-“
“-But I’m not going anywhere.”
The older man let a small smile slip, which he was pleased to have mirrored by Bruce. Again, it was short lived. “Now, with regard to the boys...Bruce, it’ll tear them apart.”
The younger man sat back with a grim expression. They knew that from jump, too.
———————
It was decided Dick would break the news to Tim and Damian. He’d debated on whether to tell them separate or together, but ultimately went with the latter. Getting them in the same room was hard enough, but at least when shit hit the fan, he’d only have to go through it once. Well, twice- still had to tell Jason, after all. Or would it still count as three? Whatever.
As Tim and Damian sat in front of him, Dick realized he had no clue how to approach this. All the rough drafts he’d come up with in his head vanished as reality set in. How was he going to make them understand that what he and Bruce was good, and real?
“So,” he started with false confidence and a clap, “About me and Bruce.”
Tim stared in confusion. “Yeah?”
“Um,” he answered, immediately deflated.
“Hurry up, Grayson,” Damian interjected, boredom already lacing his tone, “I don’t have all day.”
Dick heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on the table in front of them. It put him at their level, with a comfortable distance.
“Bruce and I...” he tried again.
There really was no way to say this, huh?
“Bruce and I are together.”
Dick winced. There was definitely a better way to say that. Tim’s confusion only deepened but Damian was now fully intrigued.
“What?”
“Yeah. It started- well I mean, it started a while ago, but-“
“What?”
Dick halted his rambling to look at Tim. He was hearing Dick, just not comprehending his words. For all his brilliance, Tim had the sort of face where you could see the dots connect in his head, and Dick observed the exact moment it clicked.
“Ro...mantically?”
Dick felt nauseous. This was the calm before the storm, he knew.
“Yes, Timmy.”
And there it was: the moment Tim snapped.
“What the fuck?” Tim shouted, jumping to his feet. Dick flinched and stood up, too. Christ, why did Bruce think he could do this?
“Tell me you’re joking.”
Dick shook his head. “Tim, I-“
He was cut off by a strained sound of disgust as Tim fell to his knees. Dick went immediately to retrieve him, but the boy flinched back at his touch. “Don’t fuck- get off!”
Tim’s face was red, and angry tears were already streaming down his face. He choked and sputtered when he spoke, but managed to be absolutely scathing. Tim was on his feet again, and gripped himself tightly.
“Just-just why? What the fuck!”
Tim wasn’t really going accept any answers, and Dick knew that. He wanted to cry. He wanted to say something, anything to have his little brother calm down. Instead, he stood in silence while Tim shuddered and sobbed. Damian was the first one to speak.
“I think it’s normal-“ And just like that, Tim went off again.
“Normal? What you know about normal? What does anybody in this family know about normal?”
If there was a worse time for Bruce to walk in, Dick didn’t know. Yet there he was, strolling into the sitting room with Alfred in toe. Tim’s eyes immediately darted to the pair, positively filled with hate. Bruce stopped short. “So he told you.”
That infuriating monotone was not the way to handle this, and Dick shot him a look.
“You fucking pervert.” Tim spat.
“Tim-“
“Don’t- just- how could you?”
Bruce’s eyebrow twitched. “Tim, you need to understand-“
“What the fuck don’t I understand?”
Oh, here we go.
“What?” Tim continued, “That you groomed him, fucking brainwashed him into wanting you? Were we next, you fucking-“
“Get out.”
And just like that, the room was quiet. Tim’s chest was heaving, after having his life completely flipped. Bruce might as well have been in the Batsuit. His giant fists were balled, his whole body completely tense and his eyes turned to ice. Tim, tear stained and thin lipped, didn’t even flinch.
He made his way to the door, making a point to push past Bruce on the way out. The air was heavy has Tim could be heard gathering his things. It seemed amazing that a person of such a small frame could have a such heavy footsteps, but his path down the stairs reverberated through the walls, punctuated by the deafening sound of the manor’s door being pulled shut.
And there it was. The family torn apart.