Chapter Text
Bruce sat in the den, quietly observing his children as they went about their everyday activities. Over the years, he found himself doing this more often. His kids were unique, well with being vigilantes and all. They had experiences most people couldn't imagine. Therefore, ordinary moments where his family engaged in normal activities held a special place in his heart.
Damian and Duke focused intently on a game of chess, while Cass and Steph giggled as they painted Dick's nails. Jason, usually engrossed in his books, had opted to spend time with his friend today. But there was another reason Bruce watched them so closely. He often felt a lingering emptiness, a sense that something was missing from his life. This ache weighed on him more heavily than any physical injury he had endured, even the time he broke his back. It mirrored the loneliness he felt back when it was just him and Alfred in the Manor, a feeling that had been nearly unbearable.
Bruce often felt like a ghost, hollow and yearning for something genuine. The arrival of Dick in his life had eased the ache, bringing him a sense of miraculous joy. And as more of his children found their way to him, the ache continued to lessen. Dick, his oldest, was his miracle. Jason embodied his spirit, Cass was his angel, Damian his marvel, Duke his light, and Steph, though not technically his, still brought brightness into his life.
Although the ache had improved over time, it remained a constant presence. Lost in thought, Bruce contemplated how to alleviate it when Jason burst into the room, breathless but wearing an enormous smile. "Jaylad, what's going on?" Bruce glanced around, checking for any signs of danger, only to see Alfred approaching.
"Bruce! Bruce! You'll never believe it. It finally happened, I finally did it."
"What did you do?" Dick inquired while delicately blowing on his freshly painted nails.
Jason squinted his eyes at Dick. "Why did you say it like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like I did something bad."
"Well, did you?" Dick arched an eyebrow in curiosity.
"No! And even if I did, why would I be so excited to share it with you guys?"
"I don't claim to understand the inner workings of your twisted mind, little wing." Dick grinned mischievously.
"Listen here, you little shi-"
"Master Jason," Alfred interrupted, his calm voice diffusing the tension, "I believe you were about to tell us about something you did."
"Yes, right," Jason gives Dick a glare and redirects his attention to Bruce. "B, Tim's coming over for dinner. I finally got him to say yes."
Everyone immediately drops what they're doing and stands up.
"You're lying!" Duke exclaims, though his excitement is palpable.
"Nope, he said yes!"
"How? How did you get Drake to agree?" Damian leans forward, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"I don't know. We were just hanging out, and like always, I asked him if he wanted to come for dinner. I wasn't expecting anything because he always says no, you know?" They all nod. "But this time, he just goes, 'yeah sure.' I didn't even register that he said yes. I was giving him my regular spiel about how 'it's okay if he didn't want to today, maybe some other day,' when it hit me. He said yes. He actually said yes, so I just said great and ran home as fast as possible." They all stare at Jason in amazement.
Interrupting their moment, Alfred chimes in. "Well, it looks like there's a lot of work to be done then. I shall return to the kitchen and begin cooking." He swiftly exits the room.
"Alright, everyone to the Batcave for your mission assignments. There's a lot of research to be done," Bruce declares. By this, he obviously means that they will gather in the Batcave to discuss which topics to bring up, what's appropriate to say, and what isn't.
Tim is a special case. Jason and Tim met in high school, and their friendship developed rapidly from there. Bruce vividly remembers the first time he heard about Tim. It was Jason's first day of senior year and he had burst in just like earlier and exclaimed, "I just met the coolest person ever." Everyone was taken aback by Jason's admission, considering they were vigilantes and had encountered numerous superheroes. So, for Jason to declare that he had met the coolest person ever was nothing short of astounding.
Dick was the first to snap out of his stupor and ask the most crucial question. "Who?"
"Tim motherfucking Drake," Jason had reverently declared.
"Our neighbor?" Bruce had been bewildered.
"He's our neighbor?" Bruce had never seen such unadulterated joy on Jason's face before.
"Yeah, Drake Manor. I'm pretty sure Tim is Jack and Janet's boy. I've seen him at a couple of galas when he was younger, but then he disappeared. Boarding school, his parents said. He's living at the manor?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"His parents died in a plane crash last year. I thought he was in foster care. I saw him at the funeral but then nothing afterwards."
"He said he lives with his uncle."
That's when the mystery began for Bruce because as far as he remembered, neither Jack nor Janet had any siblings.
"Tell me what happened?" Bruce probed for more information, and Jason was all too eager to share.
"So, there's this absolute loser of a kid at school, Jacob Johnson. Thinks he's the shit and better than everyone and all that. He's basically a bully, and B, I want you to know that I was just minding my own business, I really was!"
Jason maintained his stance when Bruce gave him a skeptical look.
"Anyway, this loser comes at me with his little posse, talking all kinds of shit, and I just wanted to deck him. I was barely holding back, and maybe he sensed that because Tim just appeared out of nowhere. He snuck up on me, Bruce, it was scary. He looks at Jacob and goes, 'I think that's enough.' I thought he was crazy because, like, what the hell, and this loser starts laughing. Honestly, I thought it was a bit funny too because you have to see him, Bruce. He's short and skinny as hell, but anyway, the loser's laughing, right? And Tim just pulls out his phone, and I have no idea what the hell is even going on anymore. Now, here's where it gets interesting. He puts the phone on speaker. He's calling someone. Jacob's all like, 'aww, what are you calling your mommy,' ugh, what a jerk. The call connects, a woman picks up, and she's like, 'hello,' and I thought the kid had actually called his mom. That's before I saw Jacob's face. The man is horrified, and I'm confused, and then I finally get my answer because the kid goes, 'Yes, hello Mrs. Johnson, this is Tim Drake speaking. How are you?'"
"No way," Duke gaped at Jason.
"Yes way. Tim called his mother. He just pulled out his phone and called the guy's actual mother. That's not even the best part because his mother is all like, 'Timothy dear, how lovely to hear from you. I'm wonderful, how are you?'
She's talking to Tim as if they're best friends or something, and Tim says, 'I'm doing well, Mrs. Johnson. I'm sorry to call like this, but I just ran into Jacob at school, and he was rather rude to my friends and me. I was just wondering if everything is alright?'
Silence, dude. Crickets. Jacob is getting more and more horrified, and I'm getting more and more overjoyed. I can hear the guy's mother gritting her teeth, and then she says, 'Is that right? I'm really sorry about this, Timothy. I will be talking to him immediately.'
Tim says, "That's alright, Mrs. Johnson. I was just worried about Jacob. I just hope he's doing alright."
The guy's mother says, "Timothy, you're very kind. Thanks for checking in. Let me know if you need anything, alright."
Tim replies, "Yes, Mrs. Johnson. Alright, bye bye now."
He hangs up the phone, looks at Jacob, smiles, and says, 'Your mother says hi.'"
"What the actual hell?" Dick expresses what they were all thinking.
"I know, but wait, that's not the end."
"That's not the end?" Bruce, too, is shocked by the sheer audacity of the kid.
"No, because I thought Jacob was gonna beat the shit out of this kid, right? So I'm getting ready for a fight, but Tim just stands there nonchalant. He does nothing and just smiles. But before Jacob can do anything, his phone starts ringing."
"No."
"Yes. The dude's mother is calling him. He picks up the phone. Oh god, the poor sucker picked up the phone. I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but she was definitely yelling. The sound was spilling out. He ran, clutching his phone. It was hilarious. He looked like he was gonna cry. While Jacob ran, his friends were still there, so Tim looked at them and said, 'I have your mothers' numbers too.' They scramed, dude. It was like the Flash. They were there one second and then gone the next."
"I think you may be right, Jay. I think you did just meet the coolest person ever," Dick said with exhilaration.
That incident had been the starting point of their fascination, which only grew as they researched and heard Jason tell story after story about the strangeness of Tim Drake.
As they gathered in the Batcave, each family member took their assigned seats, ready to delve into the research mission for Tim's upcoming dinner visit. Bruce had prepared a set of questions and topics to discuss, wanting to make the evening enjoyable and comfortable for everyone. They knew Tim had been through a lot, losing his parents and living with his uncle, and they wanted him to feel welcomed and supported.
Bruce began the discussion, "Let's start with some icebreaker questions to lighten the mood. We can ask Tim about his hobbies, interests, and what he's been up to lately."
Duke suggested, "We could also share some of our own hobbies and interests to find common ground and make him feel more included."
Cass raised her hand, a mischievous smile on her face. "Can we tell him embarrassing stories about Jason?"
Jason scowled. "Hey, that's not fair! We should stick to embarrassing stories about Dick. It's only fair."
Laughter filled the Batcave as they continued to plan and prepare for Tim's visit. Bruce couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth and happiness within him. The ache he had been carrying for so long seemed to go away when he was with his family. He was excited about having dinner with Tim because he wanted to connect with the young man who had already made a big impact on Jason and intrigued everyone.
They were going to make new memories and make their family bonds even stronger. And in those normal moments, when they laughed and shared stories, Bruce felt comfort and a sense of happiness. It reminded him how important it is to appreciate and value the people who are most important to him in life.