TITLE: The Wayne Family Chronicles: Play Date
AUTHOR: LOTSlove®
CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman
RATING: T
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and if I did things would be much different for them.
SUMMARY: Bruce teaches Nicholas how to build the perfect snowman.
A/N: HUGE shout out to Dinasis for the Beta! Thanks for your help, my friend! You're the bestest! :)
Play Date
Bruce knelt on the floor of the library as he wrestled to put snow pants on a little boy who felt that it was far more important to wiggle and squirm as he held his stuffed bunny in one small hand, his father's old cell phone in the other.
"Mama…mama…" he repeatedly babbled into it, hoping for a response that wasn't going to come on a phone that no longer worked. "Ick? Ick?"
Bruce chuckled. "Sorry, Nicholas, Dick isn't going to answer you either."
Nicholas frowned, a bat glare that could rival his father's forming on his face as he shook the phone in a futile attempt to make it work. "Nana?"
"No, not Donna either."
With a huff, Bruce finally managed to get the stubborn snow pants on over Nicholas's jeans and shirt. "There," he muttered with satisfaction as he sat back on his heels to look down at his handiwork with extreme pride. "Are you ready to go outside and play?"
Nicholas looked up at him from his position lying on the floor, two small teeth peeking out with his adoring grin at the man he favored over everyone else in the family. All Bruce could do was chuckle again in response as his son showed him his favorite stuffed bunny. It was his son's most prized possession in the whole world. Dick had given it to him soon after he'd been born and the two of them became nearly inseparable since.
"I'm afraid your bunny will have to stay inside or you'll lose him in the snow, little man," Bruce informed him.
"What are you two doing?"
Bruce looked up to see Tim standing in the doorway, a bowl of ice cream in his hands and a curious expression on his face. "I'm taking Nicholas outside to teach him how to build his first snowman."
Tim scrunched up his nose. "I think you need to take care of something first before you do. I think Nicholas needs his diaper changed before you can take him outside."
He groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I noticed it just before you walked in," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Can you hand me his diaper bag?"
Tim happily grabbed the bag sitting on the floor and took it over to his father. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, turning his head away from the pair sitting on the floor. "That is ripe, man!"
"You've smelled much worse than this," Bruce reminded him as he struggled to get the snow pants off. "Don't you remember going down into the sewers after Killer Croc a couple of months ago?"
"That was nothing compared to this," Tim maintained, rapidly waving his hand in front of his nose. "What did you feed him for lunch?"
"Just the usual," Bruce replied, thinking back on lunch as he removed the offending diaper to clean his son up. "We had some applesauce, pureed green beans, piece of orange, half of a banana…"
"Bingo," Tim said, cringing as he took the dirty diaper by his fingertips, holding it out away from himself.
"What do you mean 'bingo'?" he asked, trying to corral his young son who was kicking his legs furiously in an attempt to escape another diaper.
"The banana," Tim explained. "Mom thought it might have upset his stomach yesterday."
Bruce gave him an incredulous look. "He seemed fine when he ate it."
"He's obviously not fine now if that awful smell is any indication."
Bruce looked down on his son who was happily chewing on his bunny's ear, his bright blue eyes staring up at his father. "I don't think you know what you're talking about. I'll ask Diana about it later."
"Where is she?" Tim asked, suddenly noticing her absence.
"She's not back from the Watchtower yet," he told him. "She'll be back soon. Besides, I know what I'm doing."
"Fine. Where's Alfred then? We can ask him."
"He's out running errands," Bruce said as he pulled Nick's jean's up before attempting to tackle the snow pants again. "I can handle my son myself, I'll have you know. I'm not incompetent."
"Oh, really?" Tim said with a chuckle. "And where's Kaia? Sleeping in the Batmobile?"
"No. She's with Diana on the Watchtower," Bruce revealed. "Everyone wanted to see the baby, so Diana took Kaia with her for monitor duty."
Tim watched Bruce as he struggled to get the snow pants back on Nicholas, but the toddler was having none of it the second time around. It had suddenly become a game now. Bruce started to get one foot in a leg hole only to have Nicholas kick it free as his father started on the second leg, his giggles and squeals filling the library.
"You know you could help instead of just standing there watching me struggle with this," Bruce growled in frustration.
"I'm holding the dirty diaper," Tim replied with a mischievous grin.
"Throw it out and help me," he ground out.
"I thought you didn't need any help, o' father of the year," Tim teased.
"Tim!"
"Alright…alright," the teenager groused with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be right back."
"Come on, Nicholas," Bruce tried again. "Help daddy out here, buddy."
Nicholas lifted his arms up towards his father, wanting to be held instead. "Dada…dada…"
"Here, give me the snow pants," Tim said as he reentered the room empty-handed.
Bruce stood to his feet, handing Tim the snow pants before leaning down to pick up his youngest son. Tim held the snow pants up as Bruce worked Nicholas's legs inside, finally pulling the straps over his shoulders.
"There," Bruce stated with a pleased smile as his hands came to rest on his hips. "That wasn't so bad."
"You just better hope he doesn't have another diaper like the last one while you're outside," Tim told him.
"Are you coming out with us?" Bruce asked, taking Nicholas into his arms and handing the stuffed bunny and cell phone to Tim.
"Nah, I'm hanging out in here where it's nice and warm," Tim said with a shake of his head. "I'll have to be out in it long enough tonight while we're on patrol. The snowstorm is supposed to get worse after midnight tonight."
"Wimp," Bruce quipped before taking Nicholas to get the rest of his winter clothes on.
XXX
Taking Nicholas's hand, Bruce led his son outside into the freefall of fluffy white flakes. He loved the soft crunching sound of snow beneath their boots as they walked hand-in-hand. It was cold out, but not bitterly so as he took him towards the front yard.
The sky was overcast with grey clouds, snow falling steadily and creating a pristine white blanket over everything. He loved winter. It reminded him of spending time with his father outside, building snow forts and having snowball fights. They were some of his most precious memories, ones that no longer hurt quite so much to remember. Now that he had a son of his own, he was anxious to carry on the tradition with him.
He glanced down at his young son who was staring in awe of the landscape before them, causing him to smile to himself. Nicholas was almost twice his normal size with all the layers that he had bundled him up in. Between his shirt, jeans, sweatshirt, snow pants, winter coat, boot, hat, mittens, and scarf, his son had probably gained ten pounds. He could barely move, each step causing him to teeter this way and that, threatening to take him down as he tried to maneuver through the snow in boots for the first time in his young life.
His bright blue eyes peeked out from beneath his winter hat and above the scarf that Bruce had wrapped around his mouth and nose to keep him warm. The little boy tried to look up at his dad, but could barely move. He chattered something or other to him, but his words were muffled, making it even more indecipherable then they already were.
Bruce couldn't help but laugh, the scene so comical. He almost regretted the fact that Alfred wasn't here to get a picture of this with that damn camera he carried with him everywhere he went. Ever since Nicholas had been born, it had become a permanent appendage.
Kneeling down, he pulled Nicholas's scarf down a little, allowing him to try to talk, not that would be able to understand him much anyway. Diana seemed to be the only one who could truly understand what he was saying or what he wanted…well, her and Alfred of course.
He, however, was in the dark for the most part along with Tim, Dick, and Donna. He was getting a little better, though.
Nicholas held up his mitten-covered hand as the snow fell around him, completely perplexed by what this fluffy white stuff was all about. He watched as the white flakes collected on his blue mitten before suddenly disappearing right before his very eyes.
"Dada?" he mumbled in confusion, holding up his blue mitten in bewilderment.
"It's snow, Nicholas," Bruce told him. "It melted on you mitten. Here, watch this."
Bruce held his tongue straight out, catching a couple of snowflakes on it, much to Nicholas's amazement. His son giggled as he watched, trying to mimic his father by sticking his little tongue out too. Unfortunately, instead of sticking it straight out, his tongue ended up curling towards his nose.
"No, no, Nicholas," Bruce said with a laugh. "Like this."
Nicholas tried again, his tongue ending up down towards his chin and drool began to dribble out of the corner of his mouth. Bruce carefully used his scarf to wipe away the drool before taking his own glove off, using his thumb and forefinger to gently pull his son's tongue straight out.
He watched with amusement as Nicholas's brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes crossing as he tried to watch the snow collecting on his own tongue. The toddler giggled again at the feel of the cold flakes on his warm tongue, finding it funny that his father was holding his tongue out like this.
Releasing his tongue, Bruce put his glove back on before taking Nicholas's hand again and leading him further into the deep snow. Coming to a stop, he knelt down and began to form a snowball. He handed it to Nicholas who took it into his hands in complete wonderment at what his father had just made.
He looked down at it for a moment before looking up at his father kneeling before him. He jabbered something before suddenly sticking his tongue out and licking the snow in his hands. He grinned from ear to ear with how cold it was, his eyes brightening even more with the experience before trying it again.
"You can eat it," Bruce reassured him, taking a piece of snow and popping it into his mouth.
Nicholas looked at the white ball in his hand, tentatively bringing it to his mouth again. His little tongue snuck out to lick it again, humming as if he had just eaten a delicious treat before unexpectedly throwing it down. It landed harmlessly on the snow-covered ground between father and son, causing Nicholas to giggle in amusement.
"Do you want to make a snowman?"
"Noo…noo?" Nicholas mumbled as he looked at his father with such adoration in his eyes that it melted Bruce's heart every single time.
"Snow," Bruce attempted to correct him. "Can you say 'snow'?"
"Noo?"
"Close enough," he decided with a definitive nod of his head. "Here, let's start with this."
Bruce gathered up some more snow in his hands, making a ball before he began rolling it around the yard, collecting more and more snow until it grew to an acceptable size. Turning, he found Nicholas sitting in the snow, trying to pick it up with his mittens with little success. His brow was furrowed with intense concentration, the expression on his face immediately reminding Bruce of Diana when she was intently working at something. There was no denying that they were Nicholas's parents.
He crawled over to his son, helping him up onto his feet before gathering more snow into another ball. Keeping Nicholas between him and the snowball, he put his son's hands on it to help him begin to roll it. It took several attempts and many pauses to pick his son back up off the ground, but they eventually had a second ball of snow large enough for the middle of their snowman's body.
Standing to his feet, Bruce took the middle ball and placed it on top of the large one he'd already made. Stepping back to survey it, he found it was leaning a little to the left, but it still wasn't bad for their first attempt at a snowman together.
Nicholas toddled over to it, patting its belly with a mitten-covered hand as he tried talking to it. "I'm afraid it can't talk to you, Nick," Bruce informed him.
His son turned to look at him, his blue eyes bright with wonder. His nose had already begun to run from the cold, dripping down his upper lip. Using his scarf again, Bruce wiped away the snot while silently scolding himself for forgetting to bring a handkerchief outside with them. When they were finally done, he was going to have to burn his scarf.
"Alright, time for the head," Bruce announced, rubbing his gloves together.
Nicholas quickly bent down, attempting to gather snow into a ball like his father had just done. Unfortunately, when he picked up what little bit of snow he'd gathered, it broke apart, dispersing in the light breeze that had suddenly appeared.
"Here, let's do it together," Bruce offered as he knelt down, helping to gather more snow.
Finally forming a third ball that was smaller than the second, Bruce carefully placed it on top of the other two. "What do you think, Nick?"
Nicholas tilted back to look up at the towering man of snow before him, nearly toppling backwards with the effort. He pointed and jabbered excitedly, his pink tongue sneaking out to run across his upper lip that was wet with more snot. He giggled as he suddenly threw himself back in the snow, looking up at the millions of snowflakes falling down on him.
His father's face unexpectedly came into view as Bruce leaned over to look down at him. "Are you ready to finish our snowman?"
Nicholas held up his arms towards his father, a grin on his face. Bruce affectionately obliged by picking him up, noticing the pink flush to his son's cheeks from the cold. Heading to the small pile of supplies he'd brought out with them, he picked out a brightly colored plaid scarf, giving one end to his son to hold as they began to wrap it around the snowman's neck before tying it.
"Okay, what's next?" Bruce asked his son. "Should we give him a face?"
Nicholas agreed with a babbling reply…or at least something that Bruce thought sounded like an agreement. Picking up a carrot stick, he handed it to Nicholas to stick into the snowman's face. It took several attempts and a lot of direction, but together they finally managed to give it a nose which Nicholas found more than funny. His belly-laugh was contagious, causing Bruce to laugh as well, especially when Nicholas tried to lean in and bite the tip of the carrot off.
"No, Nicholas!" Bruce exclaimed, pulling him back. "Don't eat his nose."
Nicholas looked at him in confusion, pointing at it. "Num?"
"No, we'll have a snack when we go inside," Bruce told him, bending over to pick up two pieces of black coal. "We need eyes now."
Bruce stepped back with Nicholas still in his arms as he studied his son's handiwork. The right coal eye was quite a bit higher than the other and the one on the left was too close to the carrot nose, but it was where Nicholas had insisted they go so he left it as is.
"I think our snowman needs arms, don't you?"
Nicholas clapped his mittened hands together in excitement as they looked for a couple of long sticks. Finally finding two that would be acceptable to use, he helped Nicholas stick the branches on either side of the middle ball of snow.
Taking some smaller pieces of coal, the pair carefully formed a smile on the snowman's face. Stepping back again, they examined their creation with great pride, though Bruce thought it looked rather cross-eyed. Nicholas clapped and squealed at what they'd made, his hand coming to rest on his father's face as he animatedly jabbered on, pointing at the man of snow they'd created.
"Should we give him a name?" Bruce asked him.
"Ick!" Nicholas exclaimed.
"Dick?" Bruce repeated with a chuckle. "You want to name our snowman Dick?"
Nicholas nodded his head excitedly, pointing at their creation as he repeated it. "Ick!"
"Alright, we'll name him Dick," he consented as he set him back down on the ground. "I just can't wait for you to show Dick next time he comes over."
Nicholas fell back in the snow, his little fists picking up bits of snow and throwing it up into the air causing it to sprinkle like powder sugar over him. He giggled as the mist of cold snow tickled his face, his nose continuing to run.
"Here, Nicholas," Bruce said. "Want to make a snow angel?"
Nicholas lifted his head off the ground to look at him, a curious expression lighting his face. He watched in fascination as his father lay down in the untouched snow beside him, moving his arms and legs back and forth. He tried mimic what Bruce was doing, but couldn't quite coordinate his arms and legs to move that way.
Bruce sat up to watch him, laughing at the piles of snow that Nicholas was making. Getting up, he picked his son, taking him over to an area of untouched snow. He carefully laid him down in the snow on his back, moving his arms and then his legs for him before picking him up again.
"See?" Bruce said, pointing at their creation in the snow. "It looks like an angel."
"Alright, what are my boys doing out here?"
Bruce turned at the unexpected sound of Diana's voice to find his beautiful wife standing several feet away from them. She had her boots and coat on, her raven curls cascading down over her shoulders as the snow fell around her. The smile of amusement on her lips and the bright sparkle in her eyes warmed him clear through to the tips of his toes despite the cold that bit at his skin.
"I was teaching Nicholas how to make a snowman," he maintained as Nicholas pointed at the somewhat lop-sided mountain of snow with a scarf that sat to their left. "What do you think? Nicholas named him Dick."
Diana tilted her head as she appraised their creation, walking towards it to inspect it better. "I think you both did a fine job, but I believe Tim and I could have done even better."
Bruce's eyebrow quirked in amusement. "Is that challenge, Princess?"
"Would be if I could get Tim to come out and help me build one," she replied.
They both looked at the window to their left to find Tim standing there inside watching them, Kaia in his arms and a smug grin on his face. He watched them as he brought a mug to his lips, drinking something warm.
"You know I think we need to go in there after him and…"
Before Bruce could finish his sentence, he was hit in the side of his head by a snowball. Nicholas giggled excitedly, his mittens rubbing at the snow that was slowly sliding down the side of his father's face. Unamused, Bruce turned to look at a very self-satisfied Amazon princess standing there, hefting another snowball in her hand.
"You did not just do that," Bruce accused her, setting his son down on the ground and gathering snow into a ball of his own.
"Maybe I did," she taunted, tossing her snowball up in the air. "What are you going to do about it, Wayne?"
"I can think of quite a few things, but maybe we should discuss that later when Nicholas is not around," he shot back with a darkening glare, throwing his snowball at her.
The Amazon warrior quickly ducked, narrowly missing being hit in the face. She swiftly turned and threw her ball, nailing her husband right in the chest. He looked up from his snow covered coat to see a devious smirk gracing his wife's face. He suddenly found he was no longer as cold as he had been a moment ago, a warm desire seeping into his blood.
"You are in so much trouble, Princess," he growled, a mischeivious glint in his azure eyes as he began a vicious snowball assault on his wife.
Diana shrieked as Bruce began to chase her, throwing one snowball after another. The Amazon dodged one ball of snow only to be struck by another in the shoulder. She fought the urge to take to the air as Bruce dove behind a tree, more than happy to continue the war that she had started.
Nicholas giggled and clapped his hands as he watched his parents engage in a fierce snowball fight. He tried to pick up snow with his mittens, but it disintegrated in his small hands. He squealed as his mother let loose a large snowball that broke apart against the trunk of the tree his father had suddenly ducked behind, snow exploding in a shower of white flakes.
"Mama…mama!" Nicholas cheered her on, giggling as his parents pummeled each other with snowballs.
"You are going down, Princess," Bruce threatened her with a smirk that was incongruous to the darkening lustful glare that was focused solely on his beautiful prey.
"You have to catch me first, Wayne," she taunted him, hinting him square in the back between the shoulder blades as he turned to avoid her attack.
Bruce quickly spun around, throwing his cold wet ammunition straight for her head. He rolled in the snow, coming up into a crouched position and ready for her retaliation. Problem was she was nowhere to be found. His brow instantly creased as he swiftly assessed his surroundings, trying to discover where she had gone.
His lips were slightly parted as he breathed heavily, clouds of vapor escaping his mouth as warm breath met cold air. He quickly glanced at his son still sitting in the snow to his right, completely absorbed in trying to pick up more snow with his mitten-covered hands in an effort to make a snowball so he could play too.
Unfortunately, that fleeting look cost him dearly as a playful Amazon suddenly came out of nowhere, flying straight at him and knocking him flat on his back in the snow. "Gotcha!" she victoriously cried as she pinned him to the ground, a mischievous grin on her face.
Stunned, Bruce could barely control himself as he stared up at his beautiful wife, her body keeping him trapped between her and the snow-covered ground. He quickly realized how warm it had become despite the cold winter day.
Large white snowflakes continued to fall down around them, collecting in her long raven hair. Her sapphire eyes were bright with mischief and something more, something dangerous and passionate and hungry as she hovered above him. Her lips were just a breath away from his, practically begging to be kissed.
"Alright, Nicholas," Tim suddenly said, breaking the intimate moment. "I think you had better come inside before things get too out of control out here."
Diana watched as Tim carried his little brother inside, Nicholas babbling and pointing at his snowman. She looked back down at Bruce who was staring intently at her with a look of unmistakable desire. It sent a shiver up her spine.
She leaned in, brushing her lips against his in a teasing kiss. "I win," she murmured against his lips.
"I may be down, but I'm not out yet, Princess," Bruce huskily teased, suddenly taking control and flipping her over onto her back and pinning her with his body.
"Maybe I wanted you on top," she taunted as he roughly gripped her wrists and trapped them on either side of her head. "I've missed you today."
Bruce growled low in his throat in response. It was her only warning before his lips crashed into hers. He kissed her hard, devouring her and wanting more, but not out here. He knew it would have to wait until later, but he couldn't help it. She looked gorgeous lying beneath him, her ebony strands of hair spread out and contrasting with the pristine snow.
Reluctantly, he finally pulled back to sit on his heels, breathing heavily as he ran his tongue across his lips, savoring the taste of her. "Care to continue this inside?"
"I don't know," she thoughtfully teased. "I had other plans, but I guess I could cancel them."
"What other plans?" he demanded to know, jealousy lacing his voice as he stared down at her.
"A cup of hot chocolate along with a nice long bubble bath," she replied with a glint in her eyes.
"I like bubble baths and hot chocolate," he told her as he stood to his feet, offering his hand out to her.
"Since when?" she asked as she allowed her husband to pull her up to her feet.
"Since I married an Amazon who loves luxurious baths," he asserted, holding her hand and leading her towards the manor's front door.
Diana unexpectedly pulled him to a stop. "What is this supposed to be?" she asked with a furrowed brow.
"That's a snow angel," he explained. "Haven't you ever made a snow angel?"
"Yah, in the piles of snow we get on Themyscira each year," she mocked him with a roll of her blue eyes.
Bruce cocked an eyebrow at her, amused and yet taken aback by her sassy response. "You have definitely been spending too much time around Dick."
"Actually, I've learned it from you," she claimed, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "Beat you to the bathtub."
He watched as his wife suddenly ran inside the house, a chuckle on his lips as he shook his head in amusement. Pausing at the front door, he looked back over his shoulder at the snowman that he and Nicholas had built, more than proud of the creation made by father and son. He knew that Nicholas was too young to remember this day, but it was one that he would always treasure.
He knew that his father would have loved this, playing in the snow and having snowball fights. It was one of his fondest memories growing up before that fateful day that his childhood came to a screeching halt. It caused tears to momentarily sting his eyes, but he quickly banished them, refusing to allow them to fully form.
He was not about to let anything ruin this perfect afternoon spent with Nicholas or the memories made. Besides, he had a sexy Amazon waiting for him upstairs in their bathtub…
