Sobbing This Is Precious - Tumblr Posts

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Bruce was hit with the thought mid-chuckle, a forkful of birthday cake halfway to his mouth.

Dick paused in his story, ever the perceptive one. He studied Bruce just a moment, the gray at his temples making the blue of his eyes even brighter. “Everything okay?”

Bruce looked around the lawn again with fresh eyes. Tim, Barbara, Duke, and their partners were sitting at the other picnic table under the canopy, cake all-but-forgotten in lieu of whatever they were talking about.

Jason ran by with a small child on his back – it was Damian’s youngest, and Jason had sworn after their last family outing that he wouldn’t attempt piggy-back rides again, but clearly the little girl had won him over with her doe eyes. They were chased by a puppy. Scamp, if he remembered correctly.

Members of the Justice League were scattered amongst the partygoers. Clark and Lois kicked a soccer ball with some of Bruce’s older grandchildren. Jim Gordon tapped his cane against his knee as Wally recounted an old speedster story.

As if she could feel his eyes on her, Cassandra looked up from her conversation with Damian, Stephanie, and Wonder Woman. She searched him a moment, before smiling softly at him. She had laugh lines around her eyes now, and Bruce cherished the sight of them.

Somewhere between losing his parents and becoming a vigilante, he had given up the idea of a future for himself. Familiar with contingency plans, he had mentally hedged his promises with “if I make it that long.”

He always thought he would die alone in the dark.

“Bruce?” Dick repeated, next to him. He would probably be more worried, if Bruce hadn’t begun to lose his hearing years ago.

The banner strung across the canopy read, Happy 82nd birthday! Someone had added ‘you old fart’ to the end with a marker.

“Yes,” Bruce answered, and found that he meant it. “Everything is okay.”