There were strict rules when working with Batman. Some of them made sense and others not so much. One of his rules was that if any of the Batkids was injured badly enough to need to go to the doctors, then they had to stay off patrol until given a clean bill of health by Leslie. Leslie was not the type to hand out approval to fight so this often left a Batkid restless. This time it was both Tim and Damian who were on bedrest. First Damian's ankle had been broken when he was thrown through the sewer while pursuing Two Face and then Tim had suffered a fractured rib when the grapple hook had broken while flying through the air. Luckily, Stephanie had managed to grab onto him before he could plummet down to the street, but falling onto the hard roofing as hard at he did had not been good for Tim's health.
This left both boys out of commission and of course, Dick had to be there to tend to his ailing brothers and naturally Stephanie needed the night off after spending a week straight on patrol. Cassandra decided that she wanted to spend time with her sister and brothers and chose to stay behind and with Batman out on his own for the night, Jason decided it was high time to visit the family and molest Nightwing. Mostly to molest Dick...actually the whole reason he was there was to fondle Dick, but family visiting was a solid excuse.
So that was how the six of them ended up in the living room with way too many pillows and blankets. Damian and Cassandra were seated on the couch while Stephanie sat on the floor, leaning against it. Tim had taken one of the arm chairs while Jason had claimed the other, with Dick sitting on the floor while Jason pretended to be not playing with his hair. When they all decided on watching Disney it was as if a bomb had gone off in the living room. Thank God Alfred's room was far enough away that he wouldn't be woken up. A pile of VHS's sat in the box and both Stephanie and Tim were peering inside. It was an old cardboard box that had been mostly forgotten about until no one could agree on a DVD to watch. Stephanie however seemed to find what she was looking for and made a sound of glee.
"Disney! Yes Disney!" Stephanie declared, tearing the movie from the box as Tim sputtered from beside her. Stephanie ignored him to look towards Damian. "I doubt Damian has even seen Disney." The boy crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'll have you know Fatgirl that Grayson and I have watched Disney movies together." Damian replied testily. It had take a lot of convincing on Dick's art to get the boy to watch them. He had been won over by The Jungle Book. "What is that?" Damian's voice sounded disgusted as he pointed to the cover of the movie Stephanie was holding.
"Snow White!" Stephanie replied while Damian made a face. Both Cass and Jason shook their head.
"If we're watching Disney we need something grittier than some fairytale." Jason griped and for once Damian was nodding in agreement. He moved to look at the movies with Stephanie.
"Bambi?" Damian took the movie out, obviously interested in the deer on the cover. Dick and Stephanie shared quick glances, Dick quickly shaking his head. Damian would become too invested in it. It was too heartbreaking. Damian had only seen a handful of Disney movies. Most of them had been more lighthearted then others. Stephanie quickly reached into the box and pulled out another movie.
"Too soon. Beauty and The Beast?" Stephanie suggested as Cass moved to look through the movies with her. Jason shook his head, hand stroking absently through Dick's hair.
"We watched that last week." He replied and Dick smiled against Jason's leg. Jason on the other hand didn't mind Disney so much. Dick had sung 'Something There' to him as they watched while Jason had been unamused at being made the Beast. He had to admit it fit.
Tim sniggered suddenly, moving lightly to not upset his rib. "You guys still watch Disney movies?" He asked and Jason scowled, glaring at the boy.
"You're still a virgin?" He shot back and Tim stuck out his tongue. Stephanie and Damian ignored the bickering, faced half buried in the box. Tim settled against the chair, looking at ease with the world even as he continued to lightly touch his rib.
Damian seemed invested on looking at each movie. "Hunchback of Notre Dame?" He suddenly spoke up holding the movie to Dick who beamed at him. They had already watched that one together and it was both their personal favorite. A much darker tale but with such a concrete message. Stephanie shook her head, not interested in going too dark.
"Oliver and Company?" Tim handed the movie to Damian who of course at the sight of the animals was hooked. It was a much safer bet for an animal Disney movie then Bambi. The group nodded in approval and Stephanie set it up as Damian hobbled back to the couch, not allowing Cass to help him. Tim settled on his chair, wrapping his blanket around himself with a little smile. It was a feel good Disney movie and even Damian seemed to enjoy it. Cass was engrossed with the movie, barely moving from her corner of the couch.
"That man is utterly barbaric," Damian declared pointing a finger at Sykes with a disgusted look on his face as he blew smoke from his cigar in Fagin's face. "I hope he dies."
"Just watch." Tim replied, legs dangling over the arm of the chair and one hand resting against his side. When the climax of the movie finally occurred Damian sat back with wide eyes not looking at anyone.
"Oh." Was all he said and Tim laughed, stifling a yawn.
"Disney is kind of big on karma." Tim explained.
After they finished Oliver and Company they put in The Lion King. It was a risky move, but to his credit, Damian only got a little testy and if he scooted down to the floor to sit against Dick, no one dared say anything on it. During the music numbers Dick, Tim and Stephanie all sang along. Dick tried to serenade Jason with 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' but Jason refused to sing along, leaving just Stephanie and Dick to wail the lyrics to each other. Damian was trapped between the two who both pressed kisses against his cheek as the musical number ended.
"You with both face my wrath." He threatened with no real venom. After the Lion King, both Stephanie and Cass wanted to watch a Disney princess movie. Mulan won everyone over and Cass moved to put it in, settling on the couch and realizing how tired she was getting. However the movie pulled her attention and she managed to remain awake.
"You think Shang was actually sorta gay?" Jason asked as he watched him interact with the disguised Mulan. He was now sitting with his legs splayed in the chair, Dick still was on the floor but Jason now had him partially pulled between his legs so he could continue to play with his hair.
"Maybe bi?" Dick suggested, smiling against Jason's hands. Tim was the first to fall asleep, cocooned in his blankets with the tip of his toes appearing from over the arm of the chair. When the movie ended it was 2:21 in the morning.
"We can try one more?" Stephanie suggested and Jason shrugged in agreement. His hand was linked with Dick's and the older man seemed to be falling asleep where he sat. Damian was still up, blinking away any tiredness in his need to finish the next movie. Cass slid down to the floor and towards the movie box, picking through them. When she finally picked something she stood up.
"Tarzan." Cass held the movie out, expression solemn and Stephanie grinned at her and nodded.
"Good thinking Cass; then we'll call it a night...or morning." She put the VHS in and rewinded it to the starting title. Once again, Damian had found himself ignoring his bum ankle to move to where Grayson sat, pushing Jason's hand away so he could curl right in his lap. Dick easily wrapped his arms around his brother, humming 'Two Worlds One Family' as Kala held baby Tarzan. Dick had a very sweet voice when he wasn't trying to be obnoxious and Damian always found it soothing when he could just relax and listen to it.
"She is so odd," Damian murmured against Dick's cheek, voice sleepy. "She loves Tarzan even though he isn't hers and despite what anyone else thinks of him." His voice was heavy by then and Dick smiled, rubbing a hand down Damian's back.
"That's what love is, Dami. Love with no conditions. That's why Kala is such a good mother. That's what family is" Damian continued to cuddle into Dick's arms for a moment before he seemed to come back to himself. He gently detached himself from his brother and crawled back onto the couch, not before shooting Dick a genuine smile that was easily returned. The movie went on and by the climax both Damian and Stephanie had both fallen asleep, Damian half hanging off the couch and Stephanie curled on the floor with her nest of blankets. Cass sat curled on her end of the couch, eyes drooping but still awake. She peered from under her eyelashes to the chair Jason was sitting in. By then, Jason had pulled Dick up into his lap, letting the older man rest his head on his shoulder. Jason was watching the credits roll on the screen, humming something softly as he stroked his fingers through Dick's hair. He looked away from the screen to look at Dick, still humming with an uncharacteristically tender expression on his face. He must have assumed they were all asleep because he softly began to sing in his deep baritone voice.
"...My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken..."
Cass was quickly lulled to sleep by the sound of Jason's soothing voice. Jason continued to humming even as Dick's eyes slowly flickered open as he offered the second Robin a sweet smile. He didn't speak, simply reached out to link his fingers with Jason's and listened as the man continued to softly sing to him. Jason met his gaze lips quirking slightly as he finished the lyrics.
"...Cause you'll be in my heart
Believe me you'll be in my heart
I'll be there from this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always..."
As he finished he moved to press his lips against Dick's in a chaste kiss. Dick smiled against him, fingers moving to stroke through his hair. When they pulled away Dick pressed his forehead against Jason's smiling sleepily.
"Bruce might be home soon." He murmured, lips pressing against Jason's shoulder to place a light kiss there.
"Hmm." Jason replied noncommittally. The television was glowing a slight grey and the could hear the other Batkids sleeping soundly.
"We should probably not be found like this." It was not a real argument and Jason knew it.
"Hmm." He pulled Dick closer and the older man snuggled right in with no complaint. For a moment they sat there in the quiet, just content to hold each other. Jason pressed his lips to Dick's temple, openly affectionate when he was tired and Dick enjoyed it. Soon they were both lulled to sleep, curled together in the dimly lit living room. Twenty minutes later Bruce returned home to find all his children sleeping in the living room. He gently rearranged Damian back onto the couch and adjusted the blanket around Stephanie. He stepped back to look them over, a fond smile spreading across his face as he looked at all of them together and happy. He silently backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.