Thank you for the amazing response! Thank you, for your amazing reviews, follows and favourites! I did not expect such response and it brightened my day, especially as I am bed-bound for the foreseeable future with a rather nasty cold. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.
(This chapter is dedicated not only to my awesome readers, but also to dedicated parents and older siblings. Because when babies discover what power they hold over us, no force can stop them.)
(2)
"Say 'daddy', Damian. Please?" Bruce looked up from his laptop, sitting on his favourite leather armchair, to watch in amusement his eldest son's attempts to make Damian talk or at least babble a little. The provocation has not come to fruition yet. Bruce thought that when Damian is ready, he will talk. And talk everyone's ears off. Exactly to Bruce's predictions, Damian sucked in his lower lip and shook his head. Dick sighed, disappointed that his endeavour failed yet again. "I could swear he was making noises this morning, though."
Alfred, who was drinking his tea in a sofa nor far from Bruce, added, "When he disturbed young master Damian earlier than he should." Dick blushed and shrugged. "He doesn't mind." Bruce shook his head. Another lecture about not disturbing babies from their sleep is heading their way. Just great. Jason, who was sprawled on his belly in front of said sofa, stopped reading aloud to Cass and Tim, and scoffed. "He would be in the nursery all day and night if he could." Tim frowned at the interruption and Cass patted Jason's wrist, articulating towards the book. "Read," she said slowly, but firmly, and Tim cheered. "Very good, Cass." Jason rolled his eyes. Figures she learns how to be bossy first.
Dick frowned at Jason, embarrassed and Damian, not liking the attention of his favourite big brother is not on him, even for a second, started to crawl towards Bruce. "Where are you going, Dami?" Dick trailed after him, ready for anything. When Damian reached his father, he patted his feet, bouncing a little on diapered bottom. Bruce shut his laptop and looked down at the newest addition to his ever-growing family. "Yes, Damian, what can I do for you?" Bruce never believed in baby talk, least of all to Damian, who resented it for some unfathomable reason, and could stand it only if Dick was the one doing silly faces and noises. Damian just reached out and gripped his trousers in his pretty strong grip, making creases in the expensive fabric. Dick sat down on his left, watching Damian frown. Bruce frowned too, Damian was not one to cling to clothes, he usually went for death grip around the neck of whoever was holding him (usually Dick, Alfred, or Bruce – Jason tried it once, but never repeated the experience, as he claimed the baby tried to kill him and Tim with Cass are too young to try and carry him around like that, they only held him with Bruce and Alfred's help). After few tense seconds when Damian refocused his grip on the trousers, he smiled, revealing his toothless (but teething) gums – and pushed himself up to his feet. Standing. Oh my.
"Look, look!" Tim and Dick shouted at the same time. "He's standing!" Tim exclaimed, shaking Jason's shoulder and Cass looked up at the scene simultaneously with Jason and Alfred. Dick fumbled for his new telephone, turning his camera on.
Damian found his stability and grinned at Bruce, only bending his knees twice. "This is so exciting," gushed Dick and Bruce could see Alfred smiling softly at the lot of them. Damian, noticing everyone's excitement, did something akin to victory dance, out of character for him, and bent his knees few times, swaying from right to left, puffing up his chest. That last part was not really that out of character.
"That's brilliant, Damian," praised Bruce and petted Damian's soft dark hair. Damian grinned one more time before releasing his hold on the fabric and falling on his bottom again. It did not seem to bother him though and crawled to Dick's lap to hug his favourite person – well, favourite person at the moment, Damian was changing opinion rather quickly, but he stuck to the predictable. Sometimes Bruce was not really sure who Damian liked more. His father or Dick? Of course, he liked Alfred the best if he brought him something good to eat, changed his diapers, or found his favourite plush toy. Bruce took Dick's telephone to further document this moment, as Alfred insisted is necessary during moments like these.
"Good one, bat baby," Jason sniggered and Damian turned to send a quick death glare at Jason for the audacity of interrupting the moment. Bruce rolled his eyes. Yes, Damian is his so, alright. He recognizes that face, he throws it at Clark whenever he is feeling especially exasperated with the last Kryptonian's ideas.
"Aw, don't mind Jason, Dami. Now, what did you want to tell me?" Dick jokes to distract Damian, not expecting an answer in the least, but receiving one nevertheless. "Ick!"
("What?" Jason splutters in the background and Tim makes awed noises. Cass wordlessly repeat the word – their eldest brother's name, Bruce realizes with a jolt.) Damian frowns suddenly, probably realizing he said it wrong somehow, "Duh, duh, duh, Dick!" He squeals with joy and let go of Dick's neck and Dick, even if in a surprised stupor, automatically catch him under his arms, so Damian is standing on his brother's thighs. And he does not stop talking. "Dada! Al! Tim! Jay! Cath! … Cath! Cath!" And then the joy turns sour and into frustration, which turns itself into big crocodile tears. "No, no, don't cry, Dami, you did great, kiddo. Why are you crying?" Dick hugs angered Damian, and Bruce sighs as Dick kissed Damian's wet cheeks. Of course, his youngest is a perfectionist. "That was amazing, no reason to cry, see?" It was more than amazing, it was extraordinary. "Cass is overjoyed that you said her name, why the tears? Even she makes mistakes when she is learning to talk, and it was great, you gotta admit, am I right, Cass?" Tim and Cass scrambled from their positions by the sofa and crowded red-faced Damian. Cass reached out and softly patted Damian's head. "Good. Good."
Damian looked at them, sniffing, and then nodded solemnly. Bruce smiled. Alfred was right, it is good to have these moments documented.
(Jason picked himself up more slowly than his siblings, and said, "You do realize what his first word was, right?" Bruce looked at him sharply and Jason grinned unrepentantly. "Young master," Alfred chides him softly and Jason shrugged. "Just saying, his first word is his favourite brother's name which can cause a mischief if Damian calls it out in public." Bruce furrows his eyebrows. "Jason, strike one." Jason rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright. Be a supportive big brother, got it.")
