DP x DC AU — The Boy Damian Loved (Part 2: Bruce Wayne Has Concerns)
Bruce Wayne does not trust the boy.
He doesn’t care that Talia approves.
In fact—
That makes it worse.
Because Talia al Ghul does not approve of people.
She evaluates them.
Finds them useful.
Or dangerous.
And somehow—
Damian’s civilian boyfriend has been placed in the category of:
“acceptable.”
Bruce has questions.
“He drank poison,” Damian says flatly.
Bruce blinks.
“…I’m sorry?”
“At a table. With Mother. Surrounded by assassins.”
“…And?”
“…And he asked for more.”
A long pause.
“…Is he meta?”
“I do not know.”
“…Magic?”
“I do not know.”
“…Immortal?”
“I. Do. Not. Know.”
Bruce exhales slowly.
This is fine.
It is not fine.
“Bring him to the Manor,” Bruce decides.
Damian stiffens.
“…You wish to interrogate him.”
“I wish to meet him.”
“You are going to interrogate him.”
Bruce says nothing.
That is answer enough.
— — —
Danny shows up in a hoodie.
This is, apparently, the boy Talia al Ghul personally approved.
Bruce expected—
Something else.
Not—
This.
“Whoa,” Danny says, looking around. “This place is huge.”
Dick immediately appears.
“Hi! You must be Danny.”
“Yup!”
They shake hands.
Dick leans in slightly.
“So. I heard about the wedding job.”
Danny lights up.
“Oh my god, right? Your idea to livestream was genius.”
Bruce: “…What?”
Damian, from across the room:
“Do not.”
Too late.
“They paid us to emotionally devastate a homophobic uncle,” Danny explains cheerfully.
Bruce closes his eyes.
Dick, delighted:
“We committed so hard.”
“We got applause,” Danny adds.
“…Of course you did,” Tim mutters from the couch, not looking up from his laptop.
Jason snorts.
“I like him.”
“Of course you do,” Bruce says.
Danny finally turns to Bruce.
Bright smile.
“Oh! Hi, you must be Damian’s dad.”
Bruce studies him carefully.
There’s something—
Off.
Not in the way civilians usually are.
Something older.
Quieter.
Watching.
“Yes,” Bruce says. “And you are Daniel Fenton.”
Danny winces.
“Oof. Full name. What did I do?”
“You drank poison.”
Danny pauses.
“…Okay, in my defense, it was really good tea.”
Jason chokes.
Tim finally looks up.
Dick looks like he’s trying not to laugh.
Bruce does not react.
“Explain.”
Danny shrugs.
“I’ve had worse.”
“…Worse than belladonna.”
“Yeah.”
“…How.”
Danny opens his mouth—
Stops.
Glances at Damian.
And for the first time since walking in—
He hesitates.
“…It’s complicated.”
Bruce leans forward slightly.
“There are many complicated things in this family.”
A beat.
“You will fit right in.”
Damian goes still.
Because that—
That was not rejection.
That was not disapproval.
That was—
An invitation.
Danny blinks.
“…Wait, seriously?”
Bruce nods once.
“You care about my son.”
“I do,” Danny says immediately.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just truth.
Bruce watches him for a long moment.
Then—
“Then whatever you are hiding,” Bruce says quietly, “you will tell us when you are ready.”
Damian’s breath catches.
Because he knows what that means.
Bruce already knows.
Not everything.
But enough.
Danny exhales.
Relief.
“…Okay,” he says softly.
Then—
Because he is Danny—
“Cool. So like—hypothetically—how do you feel about ghosts?”
Silence.
Jason: “Oh this just got interesting.”
Tim is already typing.
Dick: “I knew it.”
Bruce does not react.
“…Define ghost.”
Danny grins.
“Oh, you’re gonna love this.”
Damian closes his eyes.
Because somehow—
This is going better than expected.
And also—
So much worse.
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