Chapter 26: Father's Day
Wayne Manor
It was 6 am that fine morning and Dick Grayson was still asleep in his comfy little bed, Peanuts snuggled in his arms. However it was soon that a little ray of light from the crack in his curtains started to wake him up. With an adorable yawn and stretch the little boy woke up and was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. But then an important thought popped into his little head making the boy run, still in his footie pajamas and Peanuts in his arms, excitedly to the kitchen. There standing next to the counter was none other than Alfred preparing a waffle recipe.
"Alfred, I'm here!" Dick squealed loudly.
"Ah I was wondering where my little Sue Chef was this morning. Now hurry and put on an apron, you can mix the ingredients together for the waffles, I'll make the syrup and cut the fruit." Alfred instructed.
Dick immediately followed the butlers instructions as he pulled up a chair to reach the counter top. For about an hour the two made waffles, fresh fruit, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Once they were finished they arranged it nicely on a tray, Dick got his gifts, and the two headed upstairs to surprise the man of the Wayne household.
The Master Bedroom
As the clock ticked on to 7:30am Bruce slept heavily in his large bed. It was off this period of time and this period of time only that the dark knight/billionaire philanthropist's mind was racing to solve the latest crime or worry about his responsibilities. He just let his head rest in the pillow and mind be at peace. However soon Bruce began to stir as he thought he heard a steady rattling moving closer to his door and the sound of tiny but heavy feet sprinting down the hall. As he woke up Bruce sat up in his bed confused as to what that noise was. Before he knew it his door was thrown open and in it stood Alfred with a cart and Dick with an excited smile.
"Happy Father's Day Daddy!" Dick squealed as he threw himself at his fathers bed.
With an equally happy smile Bruce caught his baby and hugged him to his bare chest. Dick snuggled lovingly into his fathers warm chest, always loving to rest in his favorite spot that played his favorite lullaby, his father's heart beat.
"Thank you Dickie, now tell me what all this is?" Bruce said with a happy chuckle as he adjusted his son to face forward.
"Me and Alfred made you breakfast daddy!" Dick explained excitedly as he got off his father's lap and sat next to him in his bed.
It was then Alfred happily placed the tray on Bruce's lap presenting him with a spread of crispy waffles, fresh fruit in a bowl, and a glass of squeezed orange juice.
"Happy Father's Day sir." Alfred said with a light smile.
"Happy Father's Day Alfred." Bruce responded to the man who had been a father figure to him since his parents death.
Together the three enjoyed breakfast in bed, each getting a waffle and some fruit. Once it was all finished Dick presented his father with his Father's Day gifts. The first thing Bruce received was a handmade card from Dick made off bright red construction paper, crayon, and stickers. On the front in very juvenile handwriting was Happy Father's Day Daddy with squiggles, scribbles and stickers all around it. Then inside were some nice drawings of Dick and Bruce just as themselves and others of them as Batman and Robin.
To say Bruce was touched was an understatement, this was his first Father's Day as a father and while he'd been told by the other dads in the Justice League that it was always worth it, he didn't expect it to be this much. Bruce lovingly drew his son close to him, kissing him on his forehead, and squeezing him hard.
"Thank you Dickie, this is the best card I've ever received." Bruce said in absolute sincerity.
"You're welcome daddy, but wait I have one more present for you!" The five year old said excitedly.
Dick grabbed the small box off the breakfast tray and gave it to his father. Bruce happily took it and carefully unwrapped it to reveal a small picture frame with a photo of him and Dick when they went on a short fishing trip. They were Dick was standing on a tiny dock holding a fairly small fish on a line as Bruce kneeled next to him with his arm proudly around the small boy. It had been a rather chaotic experience that day and they didn't catch much but you'd never have guessed from the two million dollar smiles on their faces. Bruce looked at the picture fondly lightly stroking the glass covering it.
"It's a picture of you and me for your desk, so you don't have to miss me so much daddy!" Dick said excitedly.
"Thank you Dickie, you got me just what I wanted." Bruce said lovingly as he once more squeezed his son close and kissed the top of his head.
Dick happily accepted the affection and snuggled in deeper into his father.
"Happy Father's Day daddy, I love you!" Dick said with the widest smile imaginable as he wrapped his tiny arms around his father.
"I love you too baby." Bruce said as he gathered the little boy into his arms and held him tightly.
To say they were happy was an understatement, both fulfilled by the other's part in their lives. Making that particular Father's Day the most memorable and special in the Wayne household, for it was the day those two could say without any uncertainty they were loved and were home.
General City
It was 10 in the morning and the sun shined into Barry Allen's bedroom brightly causing the speedster to finally wake up. Though could you blame him, with late nights as the Flash and the long hours being a forensic investigator provided the man was exhausted by the end of the week. So when the weekends arrived he took full advantage of them and slept in as long as possible. But now it was time to get up so Barry stretched and reached across to the other side of the bed to touch his wife.
However, much to his surprise, Iris's place in the bed was empty, which really woke the speedster up. After a few seconds of confusion the smell of food cooking soon greeted Barry's nose telling him his beloved wife was downstairs in the kitchen. So the blonde haired man threw on his robe and made his way to his nephew's bedroom, figuring he must still be sleeping as the late nights of hero work tired the almost eight year old out as well.
But then just like earlier Barry found himself surprised by the lack of a body in the wildly tossed science themed bed sheets. This shocked him most of all as while Iris was more prone to waking up earlier, Wally almost never did. Now slightly concerned, Barry made his way downstairs to the kitchen. As he drew closer to the kitchen he saw Iris mixing up some homemade syrup, her fiery red hair up in a messy bun. Surrounding her was also a large spread of just about every kind of breakfast food, intriguing the speedster more.
"Iris have you seenâ." Barry started to ask before he was suddenly kissed by Iris.
"Good morning love." Iris said as she kissed her husband.
For a second Barry was a little disoriented not expecting a morning kiss so soon. But he quickly came too despite his confusion as to what was going on.
"Iris have you seen Wally? And what's going on, what's with all theâ" Barry started to question before a small force came from behind and about knocked him down.
"Happy Father's Day Uncle Barry!" Wally squealed, holding a large pizza box in his hands as he hugged his uncle's legs.
It was then that Barry realized what was going on as he was reminded that today was Father's Day. With a wide smile Barry scooped up his nephew, hugging him tightly to his chest.
"Awe thank you gingerbread man, I about forgot that was today. Now what's with the pizza, Auntie Iris is making breakfast isn't she?" Barry said as he balanced his little nephew on his hip.
"It's a special breakfast pizza Uncle Barry! I'm not to good at making cards so I got you this instead!" Wally said excitedly as he bounced up and down in his uncles arms, all as he opened the pizza box.
Inside was a large pizza covered in over easy eggs, slices of bacon, chives, potato slices, and cheddar cheese. Though most importantly on the roof of the box spelled out in pizza sauce was Best Dad Ever! At the sight of this Barry teared up and kissed his precious little nephew on the cheek.
"How did I get to be so lucky as to have the best nephew ever." Barry said a little misty.
Wally said nothing in reply, only snuggling affectionately into his Uncle, who he very much saw as his greatest comfort and father figure. As the mini snuggle fest went on Iris made sure to secretly take pictures, finding the moment utterly adorable. Eventually the snuggles turned into playful tickles from Barry causing the tiny speedster in his arms to giggle and try to get away.
"Uncle Barry no more hahaha, Auntie Iris hahaha made breakfast!" Wally giggled relentlessly.
"Alright alright I guess I can cut you some slack this time, can't let all that food go to waste." Barry relented as he placed one more affectionate kiss on his nephew's face.
"You two better not, I spent all morning cooking. It's not easy when you have two men with the appetite of a whole football team." Iris joked as she set the last of the food on the table.
From there the Allen's and their nephew ate the delicious spread of food to their heart's content. After only ten minutes they all finished up, every last crumb gone never to be seen again. After they all worked together to clean up, the family decided to watch a movie together. Wanting something both family friendly and that celebrated fathers they decided on Daddy Day Care.
As the Allens watched the movie they all laughed hysterically at Eddie Murphy's reactions and the toddler's antics. However that wasn't even the best part, about halfway through the movie Wally, since he woke up much earlier than normal, had fallen asleep. At the moment he was snuggled up on Barry's shoulder, cuddling his arm like a teddy bear. With a wide smile on his face Barry scooped the seven year old into his lap, wrapping a blanket around the two. Gently he cradled his sweet little nephew in his arms, holding him to his warm chest.
He admired how peaceful the little boy looked, always loving these moments he got with his nephew. He never expected to have to be put into a father roll so suddenly, when his sister and her husband died so suddenly Barry was distraught. He didn't know how he was going to raise his little nephew or if he was even cut out for fatherhood. Luckily he had Iris there beside him to help him and support him.
Now he didn't know what he would do if he never got the sweet little redhead he held in his arms. Wally was one of the most precious people to him and he promised to care and treasure him forever. So that's what he would do: he would love, care, protect, teach, guide, and raise his nephew to be the best he could be. He would honor his commitment to make sure he earned the love and praise he would receive on Father's Day.
With all this in mind Barry kissed his nephew's head and rocked him gently, eternally grateful he was the one who was trusted with such a precious gift.
Atlantis
All was calm under the sea as Arthur laid in bed with his wife Mira, together the sea king and queen held each other both filled with sweet dreams. But eventually compelled by the sunlight that shined enough into their part of the ocean and royal duties the two woke up.
"Good morning darling, how did you sleep?" Mira asked as she laid against her husband's chest.
"Quite well, and you my Queen?" Arthur asked as he stroked her beautiful long red hair.
"Most excellently, but I'm afraid the time for us to lay in bed must come to an end." Mira said as she then swam out of their bed.
"Unfortunately you're right my love." Arthur confirmed as he got out of the bed as well.
Immediately the two with the help of their staff got ready for the day and to attend breakfast. However, one of the attendants came into the room and said something rather strange.
"Your highness's, if you'd follow me young Kaldur has something special planned this morning." The attendant announced formally.
Mira and Arthur looked at each other curiously, neither sure what their adopted charge was up to. Nonetheless the two thanked the attendant for the announcement and continued their routine. Soon enough the two finished up and headed down to the palace dining room to see what Kaldur had in store for them.
Once the two made it to the dining room they were immediately greeted by kelp decorations draped all around and three plates of a simple Atlantean breakfast on the table, sliced sea cucumber and seaweed chips. They also saw Kaldur swimming about making sure everything was just right. However soon enough the nine year old noticed his queen and king standing there, causing the little boy to blush bashfully.
"Queen Mira! My king, I didn't expect you so soonâ" Kaldur said as he rang his little hands nervously.
"What is all this little one?" Arthur asked not sure what to make of it.
"Ohhhâit's uhhâ meant to celebrate a human holiday my team told me about at our last meeting. It's a holiday for celebrating father's and father figures in one's life, they called itâ Father's Day I believe." Kaldur explained his cheeks bright red.
It was then Arthur suddenly remembered what day it was and flashbacks of celebrating Father's Day just him and his dad back when he lived on the surface. Though Kaldur's idea of how to do so was fairly different, it did remind him of the fun times he and his dad had. Arthur immediately smiled at this, feeling honored and happy to know his protege thought of him in such a close manner.
"Why that is correct, thank you Kaldur, this is a lovely set up. Don't you think so my love?" Arthur said as he guided Mira to her seat and pushed in her chair.
"Yes, I don't think I could have done better myself." Mira answered understanding immediately what Arthur was trying to do.
"Thank you, your majesties." Kaldur said bashfully, as he blushed and smiled faintly.
"My Kaldur, how did you know that sea cucumber was my favorite? You truly are a thoughtful boy." Arthur said with slightly exaggerated excitement as to hype up Kaldur and his efforts.
From there the three of them are the simple breakfast prepared for them happily. Together they all just talked and enjoyed each other's company, a rare opportunity with how busy the life of the sea monarchs and their ward could be. None the less they just enjoyed their time, so much that Kaldur almost forgot his gift.
"Oh my king I almost forgot! I prepared a gift for you!" Kaldur said urgently as he swam under the table.
Both Mira and Arthur's eyes followed the small boy as he swam underneath them, both curious about what he could have had for the king. After a brief moment Kaldur came back up nervously holding a necklace in his hands. The necklace was made of jagged and multi colored pieces of coral all string through a kelp stem. With the necklace in hand the little atlantean swam up to his king and held it out to his king with his head bowed.
"This is for you my king, I know it's not very much but it's a token of my gratitude for taking me in as your protege and acting as my father figure." Kaldur said with trembling hands, desperately hoping his mentor liked it.
Arthur looked at his little protégé with loving eyes as he gathered the boy up in his arms and sat him in his lap.
"It is wonderful my child, I will treasure it always." Arthur said as he put the necklace on and rubbed Kaldur's head affectionately.
"Truly my king." Kaldur said in almost disbelief.
"Truly little one, it has come from you and that is why I love it." Arthur said as he placed a small kiss on the little boy's head.
Kaldur looked at his king speechless, not expecting the king to be so affectionate. But then in a rare moment of acting his age the little boy nuzzled his father figures chest to return the affection. Arthur gladly accepted this proceeding to stroke Kaldur's blonde bristles and hold him closely. Mira watched this with an absolutely full heart for she knew this was how the two truly felt about each other. While neither of them were prone to displaying their affection, she saw the love they had for one another in every training session, mission, and interaction. So to watch them finally let it show a little boy was more than a little satisfying.
From there the two were inseparable for the day, luckily not having to deal with any crisis or royal duties on request of Mira. She watched as the two finally just let their true feelings show for the day, a most welcome sight to her eyes. Though the best and most adorable part of that day was not matter they were doing or where they were, Arthur wore Kaldur's homemade necklace the whole time, proud of what his son made him.
Metropolis
It was 8 in the morning and Clark was lying peacefully in his bed, enjoying his weekend where he got to mostly relax besides the occasional Superman duties he had to perform. He treasured his weekends for this reason, not to mention it gave him time to bond and be with his precious son.
He'd only had Conner for about three months now and he could say without a shadow of a doubt he'd never been happier. It was a bit of a hard adjustment figuring out what to do with the now eight year old since he still had his work obligations at the Daily Planet. But luckily with Bruce's help they found the perfect school to put him in and the boy had now been enjoying 2nd grade for the last 3 months. He'd even got to introduce his baby to his loved ones and each one was absolutely head over heels with Conner.
Lois thought he was absolutely adorable and loved it when he came along on their dates or when she got to read him a bedtime story. Ma and Pa couldn't get enough of their new grandson, spoiling him rotten every time they came to visit. Needless to say Clark couldn't imagine his life without Conner at this point, and he was determined for it to stay that way. The thought that CADMUS would come back to try and take him back still worried him. But even if they did they would have to fight him tooth and nail to even get within miles of his baby boy.
Anyways the kryptonian was peacefully asleep, so much so he didn't hear his door creak open, even with his super hearing. It didn't help there was no pitter patter of tiny feet following the creak, for the person who opened it flew sneakily in. Within the blink of an eye the person in question was a couple feet over Clark's bed with a gleeful smile on his face. As he hovered a little he couldn't help releasing a tiny giggle alerting Clark. In a split second Clark opened his eyes and looked above him to see Conner falling on top of him. As if by instinct the older man shot his arms up and caught the eight year old in his arms.
Well if you hadn't guessed Martian Manhunter's theory was right about Conner. In the three months Conner was exposed to real yellow sun energy his seemingly missing powers finally appeared. The boy could now fly just like his father as well as produce lasers from his eyes. Though at the moment they were more of a faint glow than lasers coming from the young boy's eyes, whether that was from the sun exposure or the fact Conner was still just a young child was debatable.
"Happy Father's Day daddy!" Conner squealed as he wriggled in his father's arms.
With a big smile Clark sat up and cuddled the pajamad boy to his chest lovingly. He didn't necessarily love that Conner loved to test his heart rate with his surprise drops, which he did quite often, but he nonetheless let it slide this time.
"Thank you baby, that was quite a wake up call. Do you think you could have woken up your old man a little more gently? Clark nervously chuckled.
"But this way is so fun!" Conner giggled mischievously.
"Wellâ just try not to hurt yourself in the process Sport." Clark said not knowing quite how to respond to his son.
It was then despite his comfy his fathers chest was, Conner suddenly sat up quickly.
"Daddy come on, I made breakfast, it's gonna get cold!" Conner shouted as he got off the bed and began to pull at his father's arm.
"Alright alright I'm coming!" Clark chuckled as he got out of bed and scooped up his son into his arms.
He walked down his short hallway with his precious cargo and smiled as his eyes saw on their tiny barely three person table two plates with slightly burned toast, a peeled banana, a bottle of honey, a jar of peanut butter, and two glasses of milk. On the table as well was a small vase with a yellow carnation, a handmade card, and a tiny surprisingly well wrapped present.
"Awe you did this all for me, thank you baby it's wonderful." Clark said as he kissed his son's cheek.
"It's Father's Day! I wanted to do something special, daddy!" Conner said ecstatic his father loved his little display.
With compliments exchanged Clark set Conner down in his seat and tied a napkin around his neck, knowing how messy he could be. Then he took his own seat and together the two spread peanut butter and honey on their toast. Then Clark sliced the banana up for the two of them and completed their shared favorite breakfast food peanut butter and banana toast. The two were practically alike in every way which everyone found incredibly adorable as the father and son pair were like two peas in a pod.
Anyways together they enjoyed their breakfast, despite the toast being quite well done, but Clark didn't dare say a thing. After all it was moments like these that Clark truly treasured in his newly found fatherhood. The messy imperfect moments where Clark watched his son try his best and feel so proud of himself. He knew his son had the unfair insecurity pounded into him by CADMUS that he had to prove himself to be loved, that he wasn't enough if he wasn't perfect. Clark would do anything to destroy that insecurity in his little boy, even eat a little burnt toast.
"Mmmmm that was delicious Conner, thank you so much." Clark made sure to say as he wiped the crumbs of his and Conner's face.
"Wait daddy, your present!" Conner shouted with a big smile.
"Oh I almost forgot. Let's see what we got here now." Clark said as he picked up the homemade card and tiny present.
He first opened the card which was made of red construction paper and covered in crayon scribbles. Inside in squiggly but legible letters was Happy Father's Day and underneath it a stick figure drawing of him and Conner in Superman capes holding hands. It also said I love you daddy and thank you for being the best, which of course made Clark's heart explode with joy. After that Clark carefully opened the present wrapped nicely in shiny blue paper to reveal a small box. Clark lifted the lid to reveal a perfectly rolled up tie.
It was a very nice tie too, it was a sleek navy blue silk with small stitched white diamonds and a silver tie pin that was a capital C. For a moment Clark was a little speechless, he'd seen a tie like this before, his father Jonathan wore one almost identical to it when he was kid for church. He remembered always wanting to have one like it when he grew up and here it was. For a while he was quiet which made Conner a little nervous and insecure.
"Do..do you like it." Conner asked nervously as he wrung his pajama shirt.
In that moment Clark looked up and looked at his son.
"I..I love it baby." Clark said with a wide smile as he motioned his son to come over with open arms
Relieved, Conner ran over to his father and was immediately scooped up and sat on his lap. Clark then hugged his boy close, happy to have his precious treasure near.
"This is the best gift I've ever received Conner, and I love your card too. Thank you for making me feel so special." Clark said as he snuggled his child close.
"You're welcome daddy." Conner said with a wide smile as he nuzzled into his fathers neck.
"Who helped you pick out the tie, it's real snazzy." Clark said as he rubbed small circles on his son's back.
"Grandma and Lois helped me, they said you'd like it." Conner said very innocently, unaware it was something his father had always wanted.
"I should have figured, but thank you baby. Thank you for making this the best day ever." Clark said as he kissed his son's head once more.
"I love you daddy." Conner responded.
"I love you too." Clark said as he cradled his son, holding gratefully the best gift he truly ever received.
Middleton
As Martian Manhunter laid peacefully in his bed, his nose was soon greeted by the smell of French toast. This caused his eyes to tiredly open as he rose from his bed. For a second he felt a little confused and disoriented, not sure who was cooking. So he got on his feet and went to investigate who was in the kitchen. Manhunter soon came to the kitchen only to have a smile spread across his face as he saw M'Gann flying about it. She was so adorably focused as she used her telekinesis to keep everything operating at once while manually handling the pan with the eggs.
Now most would not let an eight year old be in the kitchen by themselves, especially near a burning stove. But M'Gann was no ordinary child, actually by earth years she was in her twenties, she was a Martian and their children were able to be more independent at an earlier age. They still very much needed their parents, but allowing them to cook for themselves was a perfectly normal event.
For a few minutes Manhunter just watched as M'Gann used her already quite masterful cooking skills to create a great breakfast feast. After all Martians had multiple stomachs so large meals were the norm to their people. However soon enough the little Martian girl noticed her uncle standing watch and flew over to him.
"Good morning Uncle J'onn!" M'gann squealed as she hugged his neck.
"Good morning child." J'onn responded as he wrapped his arms around the little girl.
"Look I'm making us a breakfast feast! I got pancakes, French toast, eggs, baâ" M'gann began to explain excitedly.
"I can see that little one, better yet I can smell it. Now what is this feast for, it is not my birthday yet." J'onn chuckled as he carried his niece to the kitchen to resume her doings.
"Don't you remember Uncle! It's Father's Day on earth today!" M'gann declared happily as she flew out of her uncle's arms.
"Ah yes, I remember now, your team was talking about it at your training session the other day." J'onn said, just remembering all the protégés talking excitedly about what they were planning.
"Uh huh! Now go sit at the table I'm almost done!" M'gann commanded as she stirred her remaining batter a bit.
J'onn happily obeyed his niece's request and went to sit at their tiny table for two by his apartment's large window. Soon enough M'gann came flying back and forth with mountains of food she prepared. It was a whole spread of breakfast food ranging from sausage to waffles all hot and ready to eat. Before they ate the two prayed to their Martian deity as they did before all meals, then dug in. All the food was delicious of course and the sure amount almost rivaled that of the speedsters Father's Day breakfast. However this feast was eaten in a more mannerly fashion than Barry and Wally were capable of.
It didn't take long for the pair to eat up nearly all the food, J'onn making sure to thank his niece for her hard work. However almost immediately after his expression of gratitude M'gann flew off. At first the older Martian was confused till said little girl quickly came back with a homemade card and mug decorated in slightly messy paint. Both were labeled with Happy Father's Day and obviously made by a child, but the look was not what was important.
J'onn had been on earth for a few years now and every year this holiday came around it made him miss his family on Mars. They had died a long time ago but he still missed his long dead wife and children. But now thanks to his sweet little niece, he felt like he had a small semblance of that happiness again and that his life was more full than it had been in a long time. So he quickly reached out and hugged his niece to his chest, so grateful to have her in his life.
"Thank you M'gann, that was most thoughtful of you." J'onn said with a loving smile as he ran his hands through her soft red hair.
"You're welcome Uncle, thank you for being my family! I love you." The little Martian girl said with the deepest sincerity.
"I love you too child." J'onn responded as he then placed a tiny kiss on her head.
M'gann smiled and then snuggled closer to her beloved uncle, so grateful to have him in her life once more. The two Martians couldn't have been happier, for despite the hardships in their life they knew they had each other and that was all they needed.
Star City
As the sun shined through his bedroom window, Oliver Queen slowly opened his eyes. With a big yawn he looked around his bedroom, feeling like he had forgotten something about today. Unsure of what it was Oliver decided to just go on with his day as usual. So he slipped on a shirt and slippers then made his way downstairs. As he made his way down the hall Oliver thought about getting Roy up for some breakfast, but it was Sunday so he decided to let him sleep in.
Oliver continued down the stairs but by the time he reached the kitchen he was greeted by something he did not expect. The kitchen was an absolute mess, flour everywhere, cracked eggs, spilled sugar, opened butter, dirty dishes, and in the middle of it Roy passed out with his face on the counter. He was covered in flour and what looked like some sort of batter, with a very messy bowl with a whisk in it next to him. Oliver was very confused with what was going on till he saw a little card at the edge of the counter. He picked it up and opened it, making everything become perfectly clear.
On the front was an adorable bear with the words I Love You Beary Much around it and inside was a simple but from the heart message. It said "Happy Father's Day Oliver, thank you for being myâ.dad. I love you, Roy". Immediately Oliver felt all warm inside, he hadn't received such words in a long time, so it felt good to know his little boy still loved him. He felt even more moved when he realized that Roy had probably spent the whole morning trying to make pancakes for him for Father's Day. It clearly didn't go well but it was definitely the thought that counted in this case.
Quietly chuckling Oliver walked over to Roy and scooped him up bridal style into his arms. As he did so Oliver's heart melted as the red head immediately and adorably snuggled into his chest. It reminded him of when Roy was just a scared little six year old boy, desperate to hide his face in Oliver's chest. Whether he'd had a nightmare or just a bad day at school the poor little boy would run to his arms and snuggle as closely as he could to him. After a few minutes of reminiscing he kissed Roy's head and carried him to the couch so the tired boy could nap for a bit.
"I appreciate the effort buddy, but let me handle it this time. You've done more than enough for Father's Day today." Oliver said as he kissed Roy's forehead, laid a blanket on him, and walked back to the kitchen.
It only took him about a half hour to make a proper batch of pancake batter, leaving him to cook them up. He quickly did so, then made a few eggs, made homemade syrup, and cooked some bacon up to perfection. Eventually the aroma flowed from the kitchen to the living room, alerting Roy's nose. Wearily the ten year old opened his eyes only to then wake up with a sudden shock as he found himself not in the place he remembered falling asleep.
"Hey Roy I see you're finally awake, perfect timing too, I just finished up breakfast for you. Come on over before it gets cool." Oliver said as he happily motioned for Roy to come over.
Then in his typical trying to act grown up fashion, Roy got up from the couch and walked over to the dining room table, trying to act as if he'd meant to sleep on the couch. As he walked over Roy "sneakily" grabbed the Father's Day card on the counter and put it in his pocket. After all was completely set up the two sat down at the table and began to eat the freshly made breakfast. For the whole meal it was quiet, Roy feeling a little embarrassed as he realized that he had not only been caught trying to do something for father's day but also miserably blew it and had to be carried to the couch by Oliver. However soon after they were done eating, Roy finally gathered up the courage to speak up.
"Hey Oliver." Roy said his cheeks a little flushed.
"Yes Roy?" Oliver asked with a kind smile, guessing what his adopted son was going to say.
"Thank you for fixing breakfast todayâ..I'm sorry I messed it up." Roy said tears starting to buildup in his eyes.
"Hey now no need to apologize, you've never cooked before but you clearly gave your best effort. I was happy to do it buddy." Oliver said, trying to comfort the little boy, not expecting words like that.
"But Iâ. just wanted to do something nice and I faileddâ" Roy said, trying not to cry.
Immediately Oliver got up from his seat, kneeled in front of Roy and gently grabbed his face.
"Hey now there's no need to cry Roy, you tried your best and that's enough for me. No one's ever tried to make breakfast for me before, I'm honored you made an effort at all." Oliver said as he took Roy's napkin and started to wipe away his silent tears.
"But if Iâ can't even cookâ.some breakfast how can Iâ" Roy said barely able to hold himself together.
"Roy you don't have to be perfect for me, your best is more than enough. You have to stop blaming yourself when things don't go right or if you can't do something right away!" Oliver said as he cupped Roy's face in his hands, knowing all too well what this was actually about.
It took him a bit but Oliver eventually realized that Roy's recent angst was coming from self resentment. Roy was getting to an age where he started to blame himself for everything that went wrong. Whether it was a villain getting away or a mistake during training the boy was throwing stones at himself. But the real source of this started even before he knew Roy, it was when the poor boy's parents died. He blamed himself for their death, ashamed he wasn't able to do more to keep them from dying in front of him. It was Roy's deepest and darkest secret, it was the reason he was so protective over his teammates, the reason he tried to act so grown up.
"But Iâ" Roy tried to argue, having been told it wasn't his fault before.
"No, you're very much still a little boy, you grow through your mistakes, it's how you learn. I'm so proud of you Roy for all you've accomplished and all that you give your best effort to. You don't need to prove anything to me, I'm proud to call you my son, even if you're not or never will be ready to hear that." Oliver told the boy as he looked him directly in the eye.
For a moment Roy was speechless until a faint smile cracked on his face.
"Really?" Roy asked with a hope he'd never had before.
"Really, you try harder than anyone else I know and give more of yourself than anyone will ever know. How could I not be more proud than to call someone like that my son."
Roy's eyes filled with tears only it was the happy kind this time. Thinking this was the best time to do so Roy reached into his pockets to grab the card. However before he could even say a word Oliver took the card and set it aside.
"I already read the note buddy, now come here I think this is a time for more than words." Oliver said as he opened his arms.
Without even thinking about it Roy wrapped his arms around Oliver's neck and his legs around his chest. Oliver smiled and stood up with the boy in his arms, holding him closer than he ever had before. For a few minutes the two just stood there feeling eachother's warmth. Then unexpectedly Roy spoke up.
"I love youâ.dad." Roy said teary eyed.
"I love you too son." Oliver said as he squeezed him a little bit closer.
That was the Father's Day where Oliver got exactly what he wanted and it was even better because it was something he could share with his boy.