So I'm looking through my files and I find a few fics I started and never finished for this series. Here's one of them. Enjoy baby Dami being a brat!
Dick – 17 Damian – 3
Tantrum
"Awfred, I want pudding."
The butler looked down to where the toddler was tugging on his pant leg. Young Master Damian didn't beg, ask, or even say 'please' of late and started demanding everything. It reminded him briefly of his father around the same age, and he was relearning manners then as well. Alfred was in the midst of repairing a tapestry the boy recently tore when he learned he wasn't going to school with everyone else. Usually, Master Bruce took his youngest to work with him – a Wayne tradition until they were old enough for primary school – but he was at that moment in a series of meetings, and had attended such meetings for quite some time.
Wayne Enterprises needed to get it's stock back up and each meeting was necessary to make it happen. If stocks didn't rise, he would be forced to lay off several thousand employees, resulting in even more falling stocks and the cycle would repeat itself. He could not parent his child when many more needed to provide for their own.
Therefore Master Bruce had no idea his child was forgetting his manners. And for pudding of all things! Alfred straightened, being authoritative but not intimidating, before answering. "What do we say when we want something from others, Master Damian?"
"NOW!" The tot scowled almost exactly as his father had at his age, and it wasn't helping. "I want pudding now!"
"And I want you to ask politely."
"But I want pudding!" Young Master Damian balled up his fists and stomped his foot, making his demand again.
"If asked for politely," Alfred reiterated, "in a quiet tone, one might receive pudding."
"Give me pudding!" He stomped his foot again, somehow thinking that would help. "NOW!"
The butler looked over the toddler coldly for a moment before returning to his work. "No."
"But I want PUDDING!" His shouts started to become shrieks. The tot stomped his feet in almost a marching pattern as if willing the pudding to walk into the room by sheer will. It did not help his case.
"Sorry to disappoint. Run along now." Alfred waved off the lad, knowing he may be courting disaster by letting him out of his sight. "Master Richard should be back soon with the others."
"I hate you Awfred! Dick'll gimme pudding!" The boy ran out of the room, determined to get his pudding another way.
The old man sighed and took out his phone. "No doubt he will sir. No doubts at all."
"But I want pudding!" Damian's screeching was almost too much for his siblings to bear. Tim almost ran out of the room trying to get away from it, certain the kid may strike out physically soon and he was the easiest target. Cass followed after him at a much slower pace, wanting to get her homework done more than deal with toddler drama. Jason slunk just out of sight but was still around, somewhere, watching and snickering to himself while Dick squirmed uncomfortably. None of the others acted like this… right?
"But Alfred said not to," Dick tried, hoping to push the blame away from him. "Rule 1 and all that."
"But I want PUDDING!" The kid's screeching reached almost dog-whistle pitches, driving Ace on the ground with his paws over his ears. Damian started pounding his head and stomping as his face became redder and redder with rage. "GIMME PUDDING! GIMME PUDDING! PUDDING PUDDING PUDDING!"
"But..." The teen's strangled voice couldn't be heard over the raging toddler. He really didn't know what to do. Dami was always willful, but he didn't throw tantrums unless he was tired. He didn't look like he was slowing down any time soon.
"PUDDING!"
"Ah… F-"
"Pay him no heed, Master Richard." Like magic, Alfred appeared in the room, finally done with whatever he was working on when they were coming home. Guy was sneakier than Batman, really. The butler gave them both a cool expression, unphased by the tantrum. "He's just acting out because everyone else could leave the house today."
"I WANT PUDDING!"
"Really?" More than a note of desperation squeaked from his voice. Was that the source of all of this?
"Indeed sir." There was a tired air around the man, likely because he dealt with this for longer than they could imagine. Was someone else really like this before? Dick really couldn't remember being this much of a brat. "It will pass soon enough."
"I. WANT. PUDDING!" Soon couldn't come fast enough. Damian really looked like he was going to pass out at any moment. "Awfred's mean and won't gimme pudding! Don't be mean! GIMME PUDDING!"
"Why… can't he have pudding?" Dick was hesitant to ask, but he really didn't want to be 'mean' to Baby Dami.
Alfred's lips tightened slightly before he answered. "He never asked politely. Furthermore, you never give in to a screaming toddler. It only reinforces bad behavior and gives them the attention they think they want."
"Ah..." Maybe he should have taken a child care class in school instead of shop or intro to drama. Dick thought he knew everything about kids after helping with the rest, but Damian always seemed to throw them for loops. He tried to smile apologetically at the kid. "Sorry, Dami. I don't have any pudding to give you."
He thought he saw Jason poke his head out, grinning impishly with his hand outstretched, almost as if he was going to offer some, but he quickly shrank back to his hiding spot after a quick look from their real commander and chief. Damian didn't see a thing. Instead, he fell silent, gaping at his big brother. His bottom lip started to quiver, eyes watering and looking up at him as if his entire world were devastated. Then he started to wail, tears pouring down his cheeks. "But I want PUDDING! PUUUDDIIIING! NO FAIR!"
Dumbfounded, Dick looked to Alfred for help. Was this a trick or part of the tantrum or was it genuinely real? Alfred looked at the boy impassively, holding up a hand to keep Dick where he was. Another part of the tantrum then? He smiled ever so slightly to him before speaking quietly.
"Never give in, but always teach." Straightening his lapels, Alfred stepped forward, closer to the kid bawling his eyes out. For a minute he continued to cry, but soon enough he quieted down, exhausted. He landed on his rear, sobbing and becoming a snotty, blubbering mess… over pudding. When Damian started licking his filthy upper lip, Alfred took out a handkerchief and started cleaning his face. With the cloth over his nose, the butler ordered, "Blow."
Damian blew into it, his sobs getting quieter as he gave in to the inevitable. Tired, the toddler's eyes started to shut and his body started to sway. Was he really just being cranky this entire time? Alfred just smiled gently. "Much better. Shall we lay down now, Master Damian?"
The kid nodded, energy spent, and Alfred picked him up to carry him to the nursery. Dick just watched in amazement. "How did -"
"Shhh…" The old man held up a finger as the tot finally drifted off. His small smile kept Dick following them. After a minute or two, he explained. "Master Bruce would throw the exact same tantrum when he was tired. He could be very rude. Young Damian hadn't taken his nap earlier so I could only assume this was inevitable."
The teen couldn't stop the smile on his face as he watched their grandfather figure lay the boy down in his crib. Wouldn't keep him in when he was awake but at least he'd feel a little more secure. Tucked in, Alfred continued to talk. "Manners are usually the first to go, but if I wasn't firm with him regarding such behaviors, he would learn being a brat is more effective, and easier, than being polite. Not everyone is naturally polite. Many need to learn, over and over again, until it's ingrained into every aspect of their life.
"And the best times to teach," he nodded over to the sleeping child, "is when they're pushing the boundaries you've already set. Now I do believe you have some homework to get to."
Dick looked away guiltily. "Just a little bit."
Alfred kept his stare on him and the teen shrank away, turning to the door. "I'll get right on it."
"Very good, sir." Well, that was one child thoroughly trained not to throw a tantrum when he didn't get his way.
A/N: I imagine that Baby Dami was a lot like Bruce when he was little so Alfred's knowledge helps here. He's also a little more spoiled like his mom. Dick's weak to cute kids so he's having a hard time saying no overall. But Alfred's got people trained to obey him at least (kindly old grandfather's the one really in charge around there) so Dick's gone from being a little brash to decently polite, Jason knows when to leave things alone, and Tim and Cass are naturally polite people who would rather hide in their rooms than give up cookie privileges. yeah, Damian needs to be trained. I refuse for this kid to be a psychobrat in this universe.
Little off-topic, but I've been thinking of revamping an earlier arc that's posted here for my posting on AO3. Any ideas or suggestions for fleshing out the Death in the family arc/DITF around ch20 or so? And what should it be retitled? I mean, Sacrifice got an expanded version and it's HUGE for Dick's character development. SO I thought I'd do something more for Jason as this isn't the Dick Grayson show. Please leave a comment below to help out.
and for others, I'm getting back to work on the DNB Origin stories I promised. I have the outlines for Dick, Jason, and Tim finished, but haven't fully figured out Cass. I'm thinking of Introducing Talia in hers too, just like a name drop or something, and I also want to mention other exes Bruce has that the boys can chase off. If you've got a good summary of Cass' introduction to the canon, please drop a link or something so I can get a better idea of how to get her in the world, along with a list of exes and different ways Talia was introduced (besides Dark Knight Rises and BTAS). Thanks! *goes back to outlines and unfinished shorts*