Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any of its characters. Really, I don't.
I'm kinda nervous about posting this because I feel I unintentionally created too much expectation with how long it took me to get this chapter done, but here we are. I hope you enjoy it and wouldn't be too disappointed. 😬
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Chapter 18: Father's Day Part 2 || Bruce & Conner.
Conner was in his quarters when he heard the zeta system announce Batman's arrival. Just like Robin had promised.
Batman didn't come to the mountain every day and while he had some scheduled visits for training and other things, there were times when he didn't come even then, and other times when he showed up with no warning at all. That was the reason Robin had promised he would ensure Batman came to the mountain today so Conner could give him his present.
The boy glared at the box on the bed, wrapped meticulously with white paper and with a large blood red bow on top.
There was no reason he should hesitate to give it to Batman now. Robin and Kid Flash told him it was okay to do it, and they also told him what he chose was a good present. Robin wasn't Batman's son and he gave him a Father's Day present too, so there was nothing wrong with Conner giving him one as well. Batman was kind of his mentor too, so it was okay.
Still, he stayed right where he was and frowned at the box.
Robin didn't say for how long Batman would stay in the mountain, though, so he needed to get out there already before he left. Conner wiped his hands on his pants before reaching for the box and walking out of his quarters.
The distance to the mission room shouldn't take him long, but he chose to walk at a more sedated pace than he normally used, keeping his super hearing attuned to ensure Batman remained in the mountain.
Bruce sat in front of the large holographic screen and glared at it.
Being summoned to Mount Justice to fix a glitch on a couple of the mountain's security measures wasn't how he had wanted to spend his Sunday morning. Especially today when he had cleared his schedule in and out of the cowl to ensure he could spend the whole day with Dick (and Alfred too, of course).
At least Dick hadn't seemed too disappointed, though Bruce had been surprised when the boy didn't offer to come with him. It didn't matter. The faster he fixed whatever was wrong, the faster he could go back to the Manor.
Conner hesitated one more time once he reached the mission room, watching the back of Batman's cowl as the sound of the man's typing filled his ears. Should he go back to his quarters and wait for Batman to finish whatever he was working on? He didn't like that idea, but he didn't want to be a bother either. He could just leave the present here and go, except there was no way for Batman to know it was for him.
Maybe he could just take a minute to give Batman the present and then get out of his way. Batman still hadn't moved, so Conner cleared his throat awkwardly to get his attention.
"Conner," Bruce acknowledged once the boy finally decided to make his presence known, turning his head slightly to watch him out of the corner of his eye. He did his best to keep the annoyance out of his voice. It wasn't Conner's fault he was called in today, after all. "Do you need anything."
"I guess?"
Bruce swirled his chair to face him properly and studied the boy as he slowly walked closer. The first thought that crossed his mind when he saw the small gift box in his hands and with today's date still present in his head was that he was about to be asked to hand it over to Superman. He resisted the urge to curse under his breath, knowing Conner would hear it.
After what happened with Savage, Clark had tentatively started reaching out to Conner and spent some time with him. It was awkward and slightly forced, but it was progress. Progress that may be undone if Clark freaked out about receiving a Father's Day present from Conner. He wondered if there was a nice and easy way to explain that to the boy before him. Alfred would know, but he wasn't here.
"This is for you. Happy Father's Day," Conner added hesitantly.
Bruce stared at the gift box the boy was holding out to him as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Why would Conner be giving him a present? Maybe he was confused. Father's Day probably wasn't something CADMUS would have considered important enough to 'teach' him. When Bruce looked back at Conner he saw fear and anxiety beginning to appear on the boy's face, so he forced his hands to move.
"Thank you," Bruce said curtly as he held the box gingerly in his hands. It wasn't heavy, but he couldn't even start to guess what was inside. "You understand you were under no obligation to give me a present."
Conner looked down at his shoes and wondered why he even thought this was a good idea. Batman and Robin were close so it made sense for Robin to give his mentor a present. His relationship with Batman wasn't like that, though. The only reason Batman even spent any time with him was that Superman asked him to deal with his unwanted clone.
"I- appreciate the gesture," Bruce said awkwardly as soon as he saw the change in Connor's demeanor. "I just want to make it clear you are not forced to do anything you don't want to here."
"I know that," Conner said gruffly, frowning at the gift box. "I understand clones don't have a father, but Robin and Kid Flash explained to me that Father's Day isn't just for dads. It's also to celebrate men who look after you and teach you stuffs."
Bruce frowned at the clone comment, but the boy continued before he could say anything, and then he was left trying to hold back a sigh, not wanting Conner to think he had caused that reaction. Because of course Dick knew about this. Why was he even surprised. He was probably the reason Bruce was called to the mountain in the first place.
"Did Kid Flash or Robin pressure you to do this."
"No. They asked if I wanted to do it and told me it was alright if I said no."
"Alright. That's good."
Bruce wondered if he was supposed to open the present now. Conner was still standing there so maybe he was waiting for that.
"I paid for it," Conner announced, and Bruce could clearly hear the hint of pride in his voice. It was the same tone he used when he talked about one of his achievements during training.
"Did you."
"I did." A small, hesitant smile crossed Conner's face. "Robin said he could give me money to buy a present, but that would make it his present too and that-" He frowned. "That wasn't good enough."
He wasn't sure he understood why that wasn't good enough, but he didn't press. "And where did you get the money."
"I earned it," Conner replied, a touch of defiance in his tone. He didn't want Batman to think he had done something bad to get it. "When we went to the mall I helped an old lady carry her bags and she gave me money in exchange, so I helped others and they paid me too."
Bruce found himself at a loss for words. Not only had Conner decided he should give him a Father's Day present, but he had worked to earn the money to pay for it. When he looked down at the white box in his hand again it felt as if he was seeing it for the first time. He could understand now just how important and precious this truly was.
He couldn't honestly say he thought of Conner as a son, not like he did Dick, but the idea of the boy seeing him as some type of father figure wasn't exactly unwelcome. It was perfectly understandable, even, that he would seek something like that given the neglect he suffered from the men that should be the closest thing to a father to him.
"It's not that good," Conner blurted out, watching as Batman started unwrapping the box. "I remembered Robin and Kid Flash said self-made gifts were alright and we walked past a store where they teach you how to work with pottery and I know you drink coffee so I thought maybe you could use a new mug."
It didn't look like one of those perfect shiny mugs you could buy in a store or order online. The mug in his hand was black, with what looked like the shadow of a bat messily painted in red. The surface of the mug's body was slightly uneven and the handle too small, but he didn't doubt Conner had put a lot of effort into making it.
"Do you like it?" Conner asked tentatively. The mug Batman was holding was the result of failed attempt after failed attempt until he had no money left to try anymore. It should have been easy, make a decent mug, except he went from using too much force to use too little with each attempt, as well as a couple of frustrated outbursts in between.
He had been close to gave up on the whole thing, but the encouragement from Robin and Kid Flash helped him.
Bruce stared at the hopeful face before him and thought of all the presents he had received over the years. Most of them expensive, of limited edition or exclusive, giving as a show of wealth or a way to gain his favor. He honestly couldn't remember who had given him what or where most of them had ended up. Then, he thought about presents he truly cared about. Every one of the simple but meaningful presents Dick had given him, all of them treasured and kept close. The small things he had been given by some of the Gotham's citizens that had received help from the Wayne Foundation or another charity of his. The trinkets and random things he had been given by kids as Batman.
Conner's present definitely fell into the latter category.
"Of course I like it," Bruce replied softly, his usual grown all but gone as he allowed the corner of his lips to curl up slightly. He put his free hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed slightly. "Thank you, Conner."
The boy ducked his head, a pleased little smile appearing on his face as something warm and soft filled his chest.
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a/n: I'm also really sorry it took me forever to post this. It took me a while to decide on a present to use and then life happened.
With that apology out of the way, I want to thank you so for all the wonderful reviews! There will be a third part (this time focusing on Bruce and Dick) which it's almost finished so it shouldn't take too long to be posted. I hope you're interested in reading it. 😊