Damian's Day
The shrill sound of Dick's cell phone ringing is what woke Artemis Crock up at four in the morning. Groaning she rolled over covering her head with the pillow, cursing in her head at whoever the hell was calling this early in the morning on a Saturday. Finally Dick answered the phone with a voice filled with sleep "Hello" Artemis couldn't hear what was being said but she knew it must be serious if it caused him to sit up and start talking in a clear concerned voice "Is everything alright? Do you need my help?" At the sound of concern in his voice Artemis rolled over onto her back taking the pillow off her head squinting at Dick in the dark. "Yeah we can watch him it's not a problem" Dick nodded his head and said "Yeah okay I'll see you in few just use the private elevator" Dick hung up the phone sitting it back on the nightstand.
Dick sighed and put his head in his hands bringing his knees up to his chest. Artemis sat up putting her hand on his back rubbing it up and down "What's wrong babe?"
"That was Babs, Tim is being held by the Joker, and Bruce wants us to watch Damian while there gone searching for him. But they don't need my help" Dick said turning his head so he could look at her even though all he could make out was her grey eyes.
Artemis rested her chin on his shoulder and said "I'm sure he's fine babe. When is Damian coming?"
"Barbara said they would be here in ten minutes" Dick said.
"Okay, I'll go meet them downstairs, you can get the guest bedroom cleaned up a little bit for him to go back to sleep in" Artemis said.
Dick nodded and turned to turn on the night stand light "I'm glad you're here 'Miss".
Artemis smiled and said "Where else am I going to be, I live here now".
Dick laughed and gave her a brief kiss "You might want to put on something other than my old t-shirt that barely covers your butt".
Artemis smiled and stood up on the bed putting her hand on her hip "What I thought you like it when I wore your old shirts".
Dick laughed and said "You know I do 'Mis, but you really want Barbara to see you in nothing but a t-shirt".
Artemis grinned and said "Fine you win". Artemis hopped off the bed and walked towards the dresser pulling on some running shorts. Dick got up and put on a shirt and some pajama pants. Artemis walked downstairs to wait for Barbara and Dick while Dick went to clean up the guest bedroom so that Damian had somewhere to sleep. Right when Artemis got downstairs and turned on the lights the elevator door opened to reveal Barbara dressed in her Bargirl costume carrying a half awake Damian.
Barbara smiled and sat Damian on the ground "I'll see you later Damian, Dick and Artemis are going to watch you okay?"
Damian yawned and nodded his head "Okay Babs" he hugged Barbara before he turned around and walked towards Artemis hugging her legs. "Here's his bag that I packed for him, it's got his clothes and some toys and stuff in them".
Artemis took the bag from Barbara and said "Be safe Babs, and good luck".
Barbara nodded and went into the elevator, Artemis bent down to look at Damian who was barely awake "You want to go upstairs and go back to bed little man?"
"Can I sleep with you Arty?" Damian asked.
Artemis smiled and picked the little boy up, soon she wouldn't be able to do that he was getting to big "Sure little man".
Artemis carried him upstairs stopping in the doorway of the guest bedroom where Dick was throwing all the stuff from the bed into the closet. "You can stop throwing all the stuff in the closet babe, Damian wants to sleep with us".
Dick turned around and said "Of course he does after I get almost everything cleaned up he decides to sleep with us. Come on then, I'm exhausted" Dick took Damian from Artemis and walked towards their bedroom, Artemis sat his bag down on the dresser where it was actually clean and followed Dick to the bedroom.
Dick aid Damian on the bed who crawled onto Dick's side and got underneath the covers "Arty will you sleep next to me?"
Artemis smiled and said "Sure little man".
Artemis lay down in the middle of bed and Dick lay down on the opposite side of her so that she was in the middle of the two adopted Wayne brothers. Artemis lay on her side running her hand through Damian's hair to help him fall asleep; Dick draped his arm over Artemis' stomach pulling her into Dick's back. Quickly Damian fell asleep and Dick whispered in her ear his voice thick with sleep "Love you 'Mis".
"Love you to Dick" Artemis said snuggling into Dick's warm embrace. Artemis was woken up by something tickling her nose, groaning she swatted at it and rolled over but something was still tickling her nose. She swatted at whatever it was again, but this time she heard giggling and someone whispering. She opened her eyes to see the blue eyes of Dick and Damian sitting on their knees on either side of her.
"Good morning" they both yelled when they saw she was awake.
Artemis groaned at the loudness "What are two doing?"
Dick had on his grin that meant he was up to no good and Damian had the same look on his face "Were trying to wake you up, we made you breakfast" Damian said.
Artemis sat up and looked at the time; it was only eight thirty groaning she said "I hope you made coffee".
Dick laughed and said "I'm not smart enough to make my girlfriend coffee when my little brother insists on waking her up before ten".
Artemis smiled and said "You're such a great boyfriend".
Dick grinned and said "I know right" he leaned forward kissing her.
They were broken apart by Damian saying "Eww, you two are sharing cooties".
Dick laughed and said "One day you'll be doing this exact thing".
Dick stood up helping Artemis out of the bed "No I won't I'm never kissing a girl" Damian said crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"You won't even give me a kiss little man" Artemis said faking being hurt.
Damian's eye's widened and said "No, I'll only kiss you and Babs, you two don't have cooties".
"Oh you're so sweet" Artemis said picking the little boy up and kissing him on the cheek. "Now come on you two woke me up way to early so now it's time to feed me".
Artemis sat Damian down and grabbed Dick's hand following the little boy downstairs to the kitchen where eggs, toast, and bacon with coffee and orange juice sat at the island. Artemis sat down between the two brothers and ate her breakfast. "So what do you want to do today Damian?" Dick asked.
Damian swallowed his bacon and said "I want to go to the park".
Artemis laughed and ruffled his hair "Of course you do little man".
After breakfast they all got dressed in semi warm clothes since the weather was starting to get colder, and headed towards the park that was just a couple of blocks away. Once at the park Damian ran off yelling at Dick to push him on the swing. Laughing Dick followed him as Artemis went and sat on a bench watching the two brothers. Artemis sat on the bench looking at all the families playing on the playground; her parents never did this with her or Jade. She always went to the park on her own. She promised herself that if she ever had kids she would not be like her parents, she would be there for her kids and make sure they always came first. Artemis was lost in thought that she didn't notice Dick sat down next to her until he pressed his cold nose against her when he kissed her cheek.
"What are you thinking about 'Mis?" Dick asked.
Artemis laid her head on Dick's shoulder watching Damian chase a little girl around the play structure "I was thinking about my child hood".
Dick rubbed her arm and said "Does the park bring back bad memories?" Dick asked softly.
"No, my parents never brought me to the park I always came on my own. I just promised myself that I would always put our children first, that they would be the most important thing in my life" Artemis said moving her head so she could look at him.
Dick grinned and said "Our kids huh?"
Artemis smiled and said "Yeah our kids, I figured I'm getting too old to keep looking for a future husband so I'm settling on you" Artemis said laughing.
Dick pretended to be hurt and said "And here I thought you really loved me".
Artemis laughed and kissed him softly on the lips "You know I love you Dick Grayson".
Dick smiled and pulled her closer to him "I love you to Artemis Crock. And our kids are going to be awesome".
Artemis laughed and said "They are going to be awesome, but don't you get any ideas Dick I'm not having kids for another couple of years".
"Don't worry 'Mis, were not even engaged yet" Dick said kissing her forehead. Together the two watched Damian play on the playground wrapped in each other's warmth.
Twenty minutes later Damian came up jumping into Dick's lap "I'm cold Dick".
Dick wrapped his arms around the little boy and said "How about we go get some hot chocolate?"
"Yay" Damian yelled.
The three stood up walking hand in hand with Damian in the middle, they walked across the street to a Starbucks where Dick and Artemis got coffee while Damian got a kids hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie, even though Artemis said not to because the kid would be on a sugar high afterwards.
"When he's bouncing off the walls you're taking care of it "Artemis said glaring at Dick.
Dick grinned and said "It'll be fine 'Miss". Thirty minutes later when they were back at the apartment Damian like Artemis said was running around like crazy with Dick chasing after him. Artemis sat on the couch watching TV listening to Dick call after Damian. Finally after thirty minutes of chasing him Dick sat down on the couch breathing heavy with sweat starting to show on his forehead "He is the most dodgiest little kid I've ever meet" Dick said laying down.
Artemis smiled and said "I told you he'd get a sugar high".
Dick narrowed his eyes and said "Don't rub it in 'Mis".
Artemis shrugged "Well what did you expect he's Batman's son, and he's been trained ever since he was born, plus he loves watching you do your acrobatics".
"Is this what it's going to be like with our own kids?" Dicks asked eyes wide.
"No because you aren't going to make our kids high on sugar" Artemis said crossing her arms over her chest.
Dick smiled and said "I can try my best not to" Dick said moving so that his head was in her lap.
Artemis rolled her eyes and started running her hand through his hair while the other rested on chest. Damian came behind the couch flipping over if sitting next to Artemis "I'm tired Arty" Damian said yawning and resting his head against her arm.
Artemis smiled moving her arm so it was around the little boy "I'm sure you are after all that sugar, you can lay here with us and relax, okay little man".
Damian nodded his head closing his eyes, Artemis looked down to see Dick asleep in her lap, Artemis sighed now she was stuck on the couch with two sleeping Wayne's. Artemis looked at the two boys and wondered if this is what it would be like when she and Dick had kids, she smiled hoping it would be. Closing her eyes Artemis carefully scooted down on the couch so she could rest her head on the back, soon she fell asleep listening to the steady breathing of Dick and Damian.