A/N: Alright, here's Bruce's confrontation of Dick, and I actually like this one. No revision needed. Anyway, enjoy.
Disclaimer: Batman or Naruto don't belong to me unfortunately.
Dick knew Bruce was in one of his moods when he walked into Wayne Manor just before patrol. The look in the man's blue eyes told him he wanted to talk, and without saying anything on his part, Dick followed him upstairs while shooting a reassuring a smile at Alfred who had watched the exchange from his position in front of the door- he was the one that let him in.
It wasn't as if Dick was scared of what Bruce was going to say. After working the man for over ten years, Dick had developed a thick skin and reinforced backbone that not only allowed him to handle Bruce's temper but also fight back when needed. Alfred said it was why Bruce perhaps trusted Dick the most since these qualities accessorizes with his willingness to back down when Bruce brought up a good point showed he could take care of both himself and his younger brothers. Tim was always the soldier that was willing to listen to his commandeer, but he still had to learn to handle pressure a bit better. Jason's problem was his temper and unwillingness to think before he act, which led him to that warehouse with a bomb- Dick still grimaced at the act itself and the after effects. Damian was in the same boat as Jason with the added headache of self-entitlement, but he was slowly breaking away from it all under Dick and even Bruce's influence. In other words, Dick was the one who would most likely inherit the Batman when Bruce retired- something Dick doubt would ever happen even if Bruce was hobbling on a cane- or six feet under- something that wasn't pleasant to think about but more likely to happen.
Bruce led them into his private office and was careful to lock the door after closing it. Dick knew this room, the bedrooms, and of course the Batcave were all soundproof to avoid prying reporters and nosy children living under your roof. A long sigh showing that Bruce was going to have a hard time getting through this conversation meant Dick was going to have a hard time responding to it. The last conversation like this was when he tried to convince him to enroll Damian at school.
"I talked to Damian," Bruce stated as he took a seat at his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. Dick tensed, knowing where there was going already, "Surprisingly enough, he was so wound up that he finally told what was wrong with him."
Dick had to admit that he didn't think Damian's blow out would come in the form of blabbing to his father. Wait, that actually made perfect sense since Damian would never admit to Bruce about his feelings. It was one of the sad after effects of Talia's training, and a constant source of frustration from both the boy and the man Dick was talking with. Under any other circumstances, Dick would have been proud of Damian for actually trusting Bruce with his worries.
"So he told you I was dating his teacher," Dick stated. Bruce gave a stiff nod, "And also that he didn't like it."
Again, Bruce nodded, "I'll be honest with you, I did not expect this," his hand went over his face, "When I enrolled Damian into that school, I expected him to hate the teacher the most considering his need to act and be treated like an adult. A fifth grade teacher would definitely be out of her comfort zone."
There was no denying that Bruce had a good point. Although Dick could completely understand why Hinata was the reason Damian decided to suck it up and endure being in a place he would clearly hated, but she was honestly the last thing Dick expected.
"You know the exact reason why Damian doesn't like me dating her?" Dick asked, curious as to how far Bruce's knowledge on the subject went.
"Clear jealousy," Bruce answered as he chose interlace his fingers together and rest his chin on them, "But it's more towards you than her." Dick had to admit he was impressed Bruce's deduction skills, "Believe it or not, I have met with her. She was concerned with Damian's social development and thought I deserved to know. Of course, she never told me she was involved with you."
Typical Hinata, Dick thought as he ran his own hand over his face. He did want to introduce her to everyone soon, but Damian's behavior and Bruce's own social skills were big hindrances. With his last girlfriends being in the superhero business, they knew of his mentor's reputation and knew what they were getting themselves into. Surprisingly enough, Hinata met with her mentor, and she clearly wasn't intimidated since she hadn't brought it to Dick's attention.
"She seems to take her job seriously, and does care for her students," Bruce went on as his eyes closed in consideration, "That's a change from the teachers you, Jason, and Tim had over the years." meaning she was a female teacher that completely ignored talking about what was wrong with his boys and chose to flirt with Bruce instead, "She also reassured me that Damian was excelling in other areas, but he was having a hard time making friends, especially after the incident with that boy. In other words, she's not putting Damian down because he's lacking in an area or using him as a means to an end," Bruce looked at Dick with the utmost seriousness, "The complete opposite of Talia."
Okay, Dick didn't see that explanation coming. Damian had a crush on his teacher because she was nothing like his mother. After thinking about it for a few seconds- Bruce's training did call for you to process everything quick- he had to admit that Bruce had a point and was mentally beating himself for not actually seeing it. Damian had associated women with either being manipulative flirts or terrorists with perfectionist tendencies, so he was completely floored when he met a woman who actually had a caring heart. For Damian, Hinata was a rare treasure- Dick should kick himself for comparing his girlfriend with an object- that he wanted to protect, and probably felt upset that his older brother grabbed it. God that made him feel like an ass.
"And here I was trying to admit that he just had a simple crush," Dick mumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair, "How much you wanna bet that if you told him this tidbit of information he would literally throw a fit."
"I'm not going to bet because I know it's a fact," Bruce said as he stood up, the ever growing frustration obvious on his face, "Damian still loves his mother and would definitely try to move the Earth if it meant getting an ounce of approval from her. I say it's saddening having to see my son try so hard for something that a mother should just give, but it's been so ingrained in his head that he thinks it's the only way and doesn't want to see it isn't necessary simply because he would have to face the scary reality that maybe Talia didn't love him like most mothers should have."
There were a few things Dick and Bruce agreed on, and this was definitely one of them. Talia's child-rearing were the reason Damian had to feel like he had to work so hard to gain respect when he really didn't have to. The progress to break him out of that mindset was slow and frustrating with Damian fighting them every step of the way. When Dick thought about it, Hinata had probably done more in the few months as Damian's teacher than his own father and brother did in the near year they had him.
"I'm not going to tell you who you should and shouldn't date," Bruce stated as he walked around his desk, being sure to pat Dick on the shoulder, and headed for the door, "But you honestly should be the one to talk to him about this. When I tried to question him further about the subject, he stormed off and locked himself in his room."
"And he clearly avoids me, so what makes you think I'll help much?"
Bruce stopped as he reached out for the doorknob. Dick knew the man was trying to think of a solution. Dick knew breaking it off with Hinata was an option, but he didn't think he could bring himself to do it. Hinata was different from the girls he had dated in the past, and Dick honestly didn't want to loose what he thought was a good thing in a long time. He also knew Hinata would feel guilty since she was aware of Damian's attitude towards her.
"I'll have someone talk to him then," Bruce finally answered, "Someone Damian really can't brush off."
And with that, Bruce opened the door and left. Dick, as he followed behind him, knew who Bruce was talking about.
A/N: Love, Hate, Tolerate? Let me know.