Things nobody knows

There are a lot of things that nobody knows about them. Some are secrets, some are misconceptions, and some are just private. Private jokes, private photos, private words…

Everybody thinks that Dick is the dream child. He has that happy-go-lucky attitude, that huge smile, that hug-cuddle-sweet-funny energy. What people don't know is that he is known as the Temper Tantrum Thrower of the BatFamilly. Yes, he is the one who would cry, scream, kick and punch when things don't go his way. Bruce soon learn that the most effective way to deal with that is wait until Dick calms down. Bruce sits by him and let him cry and scream and rant all that he wants. When the kid calmed down, he would get out of floor and crawl into his new dad's lap. With his head in Bruce's shoulder, he finally apologizes.

Bruce would hold him and talked about things. Usually, he gave him a light punishment for the tantrum and put the kid to sleep. When things escalated to a borderline full panic attack, Bruce would instruct Dick how to breathe and rocked him to sleep.

When Dick got older, the temper tantrums transformed in scream and rant fits. Bruce still sits and waits until his first son finally calms down and sits on the floor with his head in Bruce's lap. Dad will comb his hair with his fingers and talk calmly until he feels sleepy and Bruce instruct him to get in bed. Since the first day, Bruce is the only one who can get him to calm down.

People see Jason as a strong, rude, sarcastic, ironic man. What people don't know is that he is the one who took more time to outgrow his childish ways. Yes, he could kill a grown man with his hands by the age of 12, but later he would ask Bruce to carry him to bed and be with him until he fell asleep.

Maybe it was his rough childhood or the life on the streets or the lack of time to be a little child before Bruce adopted him, but he sucked his thumb until his late teen years. He confessed to Bruce and Dick that he didn't remember to do it when he was little or when he was on the streets. He started when he first came into the mansion. Bruce never tried to stop him, it was just too sweet.

When he came back from the Lazarus' Pit, he still sucked on his thumb and he only slept with his light on. Sometimes, he only would be able to sleep in Bruce's bed, clinging to him, thumb on his mouth, lights on and teddy bear next to his face. The same teddy bear that Dick gave him when he was adopted

He outgrew the thumb sucking phase, but the truth is he never stop sleeping with his teddy bear. If not holding it, it will be next to his bed or hiding under it (if there is a girl on the room). And he stills seeks Bruce when the nightmares became worse.

Everybody thinks that Tim hates being touched. His timid temperament, his love to be by himself, his books and his inteligence seems to be a wall meant to protect him. The truth is: he is the one of them who seeks most human contact. He doesn't exactly ask for it, it's more subtle way of pleading.

He sits by Bruce when he is working on the office or in the batcave. Sometimes he reads, sometimes he plays on the phone, sometimes he works alongside Bruce. Slowly, he starts leaning towards him, resting his head in his legs, if he's sitting on the floor, or in his shoulder.

If Dick is watching TV or reading on the couch, soon he'll feel a head in his lap. Sometimes, Tim crawls in bed with him, when nightmares hit him harder. Tim snuggles into him, rest his head on his chest and sighs contently.

Tim is more open to show affection towards Jason. He is able to ask him to be hold and to cuddle. Tim will run to Jay everytime he feels sad or tired or upset. He will sit on his lap and snuggle to his chest and cry himself to sleep. Or ask him to sing. And Jason never says no to him.

Damian is a hard person to love and will not allow that cuddly, snuggly thing, but he never complains when Tim asks him to watch movies together or play videogames. They sit as close as possible, a blanket over them, popcorn besides them and look at the TV until fell asleep.

With Alfred, he just sits in the kitchen and watches the older man work. His companionship is and a glass of milk or a cookie is all he needs to feel better.

Even when Tim grew up, he never lose these little affectionate gestures or the nicknames or the need of touch. And no one in the mansion complains about it.

Damian is a trained assassin. A cold, controlled person, without emotions. What the outsiders don't know is that he also learned to understand other people's feelings and to correspond to them, when he came to live with his father.

He knows when Dick is close to a panic attack and tries to distract him with work, a spar or a movie. He sees the stiffness on Jason's shoulders after a bad night and gives him back rubs. He recognizes the red eyes and dark circles under them when Tim works for several days in a row and takes him a warm cup of milk and a blanket for a much needed nap.

Everyone saw how he teases his brothers "weaknesses", what no one knows is that he never jokes when Dick throws tantrum or when he catches Jason sucking his thumb or when he saws Tim cuddling with someone. Because he knows that these things are private and only happen on the comfort of the mansion. He also knows that his brother will never tell anyone how much he cries when he watches animal movies or when he founds a dead or sick animal.

Yes, there are a lot of things nobody knows about them. And Bruce loves every single one of the secrets that made his boys unique…