Oculus | J. Todd ✔

[22]

With Damian being the latest addition to Wayne family, Tim's status of being the youngest was passed down to him instead. And to be frank, Tim didn't mind it much but the ten year old seemed to have a great problem with being treated as a kid.

Back at the League he was always referred to as the Al Ghul heir, the third in command after Ras Al Ghul and Talia. But the drastic change in his life as he lived with the Waynes seemed to drive him off the edge.

The only thing that still kept him staying with them was Talia's order and his own desire to become Robin, the youngest protégé to Batman. However, Bruce was not in favor of that idea since he knew very well that with Damian's training and mindset, he could prove to be more of a danger rather than a city savior.

And that fact cut Dami to the core for each time he saw the others leave for patrol while he was stuck inside the Manor, an intense anger would gnaw at his insides.

To him, it seemed as if his father didn't think him as worthy enough of the title. And he wanted to do all in his power to prove him wrong.

He stepped into Bruce's study and the sight that met his eyes was a strange one to say the least. Bruce was examining case files on the couch while Tim who had probably been explaining his research work to him earlier had dropped asleep out of fatigue, his head resting on the elder man's shoulder.

Bruce didn't seem to mind that as he continued looking through the files in which Tim had highlighted all the important points with his yellow pen, small notes scribbled in the margins pointing out the details.

Damian stepped in but Bruce was immersed in his work and didn't notice him stepping in. He stood there for a while thinking whether or not to leave, green eyes flickering towards Tim's tired form every now and then.

He had never before seen such a sight because back with Ras and Talia there had been no room for affection. The two had trained him and raised him like a warrior and he had never felt any sort of emotional attachment from their side.

But watching Tim and Bruce, an odd feeling kindled in his heart because it was such a father son sight and he felt left out. He wanted to be just as close to Bruce as Tim was, he wanted to be the son he had never gotten the chance of being earlier. 

At times that would make him feel jealous of the boy who was asleep currently but right then he overlooked it and finally making up his mind, he sat down on Bruce's other side, eyes focusing on the files he was examining.

However, he was startled when Bruce's arm dropped onto his shoulder pulling him closer. Damian was shocked and turned to look at his father who hadn't lifted his eyes off the file. And it was then Damian realized that it must have been a very regular situation for Bruce.

And the boy was right in assuming that. Whenever Bruce would have been working on case files, any of the children would come and cuddle next to him and he would not tell them off. 

At first, Richard had started that because he had trouble falling asleep so he would usually sit next to Bruce and watch him work until he would fall asleep. Then Jason too had warmed up to him after a few months and would do the same. Tim wasn't much for showing affection but he would often fall asleep while explaining his extremely detailed and thorough reports to Bruce who would then keep on working and later drop the child back in his room.

Damian was very silent as he sat there as if still waiting for Bruce to realize his presence and tell him off. But nothing of that sort happened. Bruce kept on working as if it was normal for his sons to sit next to him while he worked and Damian kept on thinking why Ras nor Talia had never done that before.

There was an odd sort of warmth and a sense of family in that little gesture and though Damian's heart had been hardened due to years of training and forced ideologies, even he could sense that it felt right to have such contact with parents.

It was a shame he hadn't got to spend time with his paternal side of the family earlier.

It was a shame he hadn't got to experience what having a normal childhood felt like.

Finally Bruce closed the file he was working on and handed it over to Damian who was shaken out of his thoughts at that.

"Damian," he called out softly.

"Yes, Father?"

"Would you like to help me out with the rest of these files?"

He paused staring at him in disbelief, "you want me to help?"

"If you have something else to do, I don't mind."

Damian nodded his head immediately, "not really. I would like to help you out the best I can."

A small smile flickered on Bruce's features and he retrieved his arm from him, "thank you. I will just be back in a while."

Damian was feeling quite weird by then because all of it was so new to him. Those slight traces of affection, the normalcy of things around him and the way Bruce was actually treating him like a son and not like some last minute burden dropped on him by his ex.

He watched as the man got up from the couch then lifted Tim in his arms so that he could carry the boy back to his room. But before he could leave, Damian spoke up, "Father, is Drake not well?"

Bruce looked down at the pale features of the sleeping boy and shook his head, "he overworks himself a lot. Other than that he's fine. I had asked him to go through these files earlier because he's good at filtering information. He was tired so he fell asleep while explaining." 

Damian nodded, "and you don't have a problem with that?"

"Of course not, why would I?"

"Mother and Grandfather made it a priority that nothing should come in between work," he mumbled in a low tone, "not sleep, hunger, exhaustion... Nothing. If I had fallen asleep in the middle of a task, they would have thrown me into the Frozen Lake as a punishment."

Bruce's eyes softened as he replied carefully, "we're all human, Damian. I believe no one should be punished for such a minor thing. I know your Mother and Grandfather have taught you very differently and I am not calling out their methods, but I want you to know that here there are no such punishments as throwing someone in a freezing lake."

"But there are punishments?" Damian asked, eyes shifting slightly.

"Yes," a smile threatened to break out on his face again but he controlled it seeing that the boy was very serious, "there are punishments for breaking rules or disobedience. Mostly, the person who commits the deed is grounded. Alfred sees to that."

Confusion spread on Dami's features, "grounded? Like buried alive underneath the ground?"

"Of course not. I believe Alfred will explain in more detail. And since you're living with us now, you should know all about that," but then he changed the topic, "I'll take Tim to his room then come back, until then you can sort these files out. You will find notes on the cover page, the red markers should go on one side and the yellow on the other."

"Yes, Father," Damian nodded the confusion disappearing as he reverted his attention to the files.

Bruce took one last glance at the boy getting engrossed in the sorting before he stepped out and carried Tim up to his room. Though all the way to Tim's bedroom he was thinking that Talia and Ras had been unnecessarily harsh on Damian, toughing him up but also stripping him of his childhood.

He had to get that fixed and he knew exactly who could help.

Alfred Pennyworth.

***