As soon as the word spread, the manor became a whirlwind of heroes. Of course, Wonder Woman and Superman were the first ones, with the rest of the Justice League following. Even Clark made an appearance to interview both Jason and Bruce. The media circus that followed was not something any of them enjoyed.
Dead Trillionaire (yes, Bruce became a trillionaire after merging LexCorp with WE) son alive? Adopted by a worldwide famous artist and engaged to the heir of Oliver Queen? The media and public ate it up! The whole thing seemed made up, something taken out from a book or movie!
So, the Wayne family decided to stay copped in the manor until things calmed down. At the moment, Jason and Dick were cuddling in Richard's room.
"I never get tired of seeing D's art," Jason thought out loud, observing Dick's portrait on the wall. "I can now truly believe D when he says that this is his greatest masterpiece."
"Mmm, wa she always interested in art?" Dick asked, blushing at Jason's indirect praise.
"No one knows," Jason murmured sadly. "He was treated like Will, given fake memories and a parameter of how to behave." Dick frowned, not being able to compute the gentle artist he knew with a trained assassin. "However, I believe he had always had an artist soul. Kind and always finding the beauty in everything, even the most horrifying places. He is much more like B and grandpa, I mean Thomas Wayne. One of the reasons I was able to convince him to use Thomas as his middle name." Jason confessed. "Taking in strays and healing... it took a while for him to figure it out. Though, it did help that we all lived in the House of Mysteries."
"The House of Mysteries?" Dick asked confused.
"A cursed house filled with magical objects that lives out of space and time," Bruce answered from where he leaning on the door. "It is the house in which Captain Marvel and his adopted father John Constantine live."
"It is more complicated than that, but in a nutshell you are right," Jason replied with a cheeky smirk. "There time runs different, it gives us all the extra time we need to grow into who we are, make all the research we need for missions, or do our homework and still have time for patrol. How else did you expect us all to be able to keep such a good balance of life with everything we've done if not by cheating a little bit?"
"Well, I always did wonder how Delphi had time for everything..." Dick murmured.
"What does surprise me is Constantine allowing you to live there," Bruce commented. "He is known for being antisocial... and that's me saying that."
"Ha! He might whine and complain all the time, but he loves having us there to fill his empty life," Jason cackled. "Also, Billy, Rachel, and Suren are his apprentices and coven. No way, he'll ever kick us out! Though I don't think the animals will have the same luck as us:"
"Animals?" This time it was Bruce the one who asked.
"D picks up strays like you he simply does not limit himself to the human type," Jason chuckled. "But to be fair Rachel was the one to gift him the Dane dog, Titus by the way, and I was the one to give him the black cat, I named him Alfred Pennyworth." They all laughed at that. "However, it was him the one to rescue a dying race, believed to be extinct, of Bat-Dragons, moving them to Lazarus Island and keeping one, Goliath, as a pet. He also rescued Jerry, the turkey, and Bat-cow, the cow."
"Bat-cow?" Dick asked incredulously.
"Lazarus Island?" Bruce inquired, curiously.
"Yeah, that's where the main demon-worshipping happened... once it was cleansed and magically protected, it became our base of operation and second home," Jason answered. "We still haven't gotten to rename it. Bat-cow was rescued here in Gotham during the summer I tried to figure out how to broach the subject of being alive to all of you... and we know how that ended. It was also the main reason D decided to go vegetarian."
After a moment of silence, B decided to speak up: "Did he have anything to do with the sudden influx of abusive partners and parents being arrested? Or the boom of adoptions of abused and orphans Gotham went through that summer? At the time I did not know what had happened, focused on trying to fix the mistakes I'd made. But now I wonder..."
"At first I thought he was helping a few specific kids, but as the summer continued I realized he was just bored and trying to do something productive with his time," Jason chuckled. "That's who D is, always trying to give out an aiding hand... even though, he can come out as pompous and asshole-ish at times."
"Just like someone else we know," Dick murmured with an amused smile, as he looked at Bruce.
"And that's my queue to go," Bruce joked.
Jason was still so surprised by how much he had changed. It was mindblowing, but it also warmed his heart.
Once the two brothers were left alone, Jason asked what he has been wanting to ask since day one: "Do you blame him? For not telling you? For leaving without telling you, leaving you with only the portrait?"
"Not really, I understand..." Dick answered slowly. "I think that I've always known who that little brother Damian was referring to. Ever since I've met him, for some reason, I did not feel you gone. He asked me, you know? What he should do? How could I ever hold it against him, when all he did is follow my advice?"
"You know, he truly fell for you during that summer," Jason told Dick. "You were always his favorite from the stories I told him, and from the research we made. But meeting you... he was a goner!" Jason chuckled, while Dick blushed. "I was very happy you two met... but also felt very guilty," Jason's chuckle was depressing this time around. "He left because he could not stay and lie to you... it was all my fault."
"No Little Wing!" Richard scolded him, holding him tighter. "We both love you and don't blame you for anything. We... I, at least, was not ready for us. If there will be an us... I needed to heal, I needed my family to heal. And look at us now, both saved and aided by Damia! I don't care if he does not put on a mask and fight crime, he is my hero!"
"Mine too," Jason laughed, this time happier. "I have the best goddamn big brothers in the world!"
"Little Wing!" Dick crashed him in a tighter hug while laughing happier and freer than he has ever been since he lost his parents.
By the end of the week, a teary but excited Dick said goodbye to his family and boarded the WE private jet to New York City. They've all decided to allow them to meet in peace and scheduled a meeting for after the art show was over.
Richard made sure to wear his best suit, a blue one fitted to his body, with a metallic grey shirt, black vest, and black tie. He looked gorgeous, and by the looks, he was getting from everyone in the venue, they all thought the same. However, Dick only had eyes for one person. Right there in the middle of the gallery, stood Damian, looking good enough to eat with his black suit, emerald-green shirt, golden vest, and golden tie, not to mention his spiked pitch-black hair was highlighted in gold as well. He looked hot!
He seems to think the same of me, Dick thought, as Damian's hungry gaze sized him up.
"Sorry, I'm late," Dick apologized, linking his arms around Damian's right one.
It felt like the most natural thing to do as if the two of them belonged next to each other. The perfect partner Richard has been looking for his whole life.
"I'm the one who should apologize, my beloved," Damian's light accented tonne had Dick shivering with desire.
None of them cared about the hundred of photographs that were being taken of them. Or that by midnight tonight everyone will know of them and speculate. All they did care about was the fact that they were finally in each other's arms. And this time around they were not letting do.