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green-eyedfirework · 2 days

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Dick stared at the baby in the cradle, frozen to the spot, unable to breathe. He was so…small. Tiny. His little hand was formed into a fist and he was making soft little breaths and some part of Dick was drowning in happiness. It felt like the world had narrowed down to the little curl of the baby’s mouth and his heart rose and fell with the infant’s breaths.

Nothing else mattered. Not the aches and pains throughout his body, not the dread and anxiety twisting his gut, not the ticking clock hanging above his head. His baby was here and that was enough.

“Damian,” Dick sounded out. Not a name he’d picked—it was ill luck to pick a name before the babe was born, and Dick had no time to think of one before it’d been pronounced. “Dami,” Dick shortened, and that felt better. “Baby bat,” he whispered, the forbidden name hanging heavy in the air.

Damian was a part of the Bat pack, no matter what Ra’s al Ghul thought. Dick was a part of the Bat pack. And it was long past time that they went back home.

Dick adjusted the supply pack so it wasn’t cutting into his shoulders and reached into the cradle. “Shh,” he hummed as he carefully scooped Damian up. “Shh, it’s okay, Dami, Mama’s here.” The babe woke up with a fussing sound and Dick hastily brought him closer. “It’s okay,” he crooned, an eye on the door as his heart beat faster. “Shh, it’s okay.”

Damian’s eyes fluttered open, one hand flailing at the movement, but then subsided, yawning wide and curling closer against Dick’s neck, breathing in his scent and relaxing. The babe made a slight smacking sound and fell silent again, falling straight asleep.

Dick let out a shaky breath and fought the urge to cry. He’d been terrified that Damian wouldn’t recognize him—it had been just a handful of days, Dick knew that, but between Ra’s al Ghul’s gloating and the others’ refusal to tell him how much time had passed, Dick had half-feared that the pup would have no idea who he was. It was part of the reason that had spurred Dick into getting them out now.

“We’re going to be okay,” Dick whispered, drawing the cloak around them both.

The keep was silent, the corridors yawning and empty, and every near-silent footfall rose his apprehension. It was the witching hour, late enough that everyone was asleep, and Dick stuck to the shadows as he avoided the patrols. If he got caught now—well, Dick didn’t put it past Ra’s to throw him in a cell now that he’d served his purpose.

Dick kept glancing over his shoulder, worried that this whole thing was a trap, but no one spotted him. No one shouted or raised the alarm. No one stopped him from crossing the courtyard and slipping out of an unlocked wooden gate, Ra’s al Ghul’s precious heir slumbering in his arms.

“We’re going home, Dami,” Dick breathed out when the keep’s walls finally disappeared from sight. The pack he hadn’t seen in nearly a year, his family, his siblings, Bruce, home. Tears pricked at his eyes as he took a wavering breath. “We’re finally going home.”

~#~

Dick was exhausted. He gave birth just days ago, and while fleeing the League pack had been aided by adrenaline, the effects had long worn off. The brief jolt of fear when he'd been captured by the Defiance pack hadn't lasted long after the alpha agreed to let Dick travel with them.

But the alpha had made it clear they wouldn't take any freeloaders. They were aiming to get through the mountains before the winter storms hit, and Dick swore that he wouldn't be a hindrance. Maybe slightly exaggerated how long it'd been since Damian's birth.

But he would do anything to get away from Ra's. Through the mountain meant back to the valley, back to the Bat pack, it had been nearly a year and Dick desperately wished to go home.

His feet ached. The first few days hadn't been that bad, with frequent stops and an easy path, but there were growing clouds on the horizon and it was clear that time was running out. If they didn't make it through the pass before the storm hit, they'd be stuck here till spring.

And Dick had tried to keep up with the increased pace, he really had, but Damian was a heavy weight tight against his chest, and the pack grew heavier by the hour, and Dick's trembling muscles grew weaker and weaker. He'd expected to fall behind, to slip past the other members of the pack, struggling up the path as the others disappeared from view, but he'd kept his position in a small knot at the back of the pack, with a few of the pack's warriors bringing up the rear.

Some of the others had offered to carry Damian for him, with sincere, open expressions, but Dick wasn't ready to let go of his son. Not now. Not when he still remembered the way Ra's ripped him away just moments after his birth.

But now they were stopped for the night, and Dick could take a moment to breathe. Breathe, and ignore the throbbing pain in his feet and the fire in his muscles and the shakiness and the increasing dread of what tomorrow would bring.

Damian made a sharp cry and Dick exhaled.

His baby was moderately well behaved when Dick was holding him, but gods forbid Dick settle him down, even to clean him up. Damian protested shrilly every time. It was a trial to get him to sleep at night and was definitely the reason that Dick arranged his furs away from the others. This pack was already giving him shelter and food and safety, he couldn't repay them with a wailing babe.

Dick finished cleaning Damian and untied enough of his cloak and tunic to bare a breast. Damian immediately began suckling, and Dick's own stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't picked up his dinner ration.

Dick squinted past the fire, towards the mouth of the cave, where laughter and conversation flowed. The very thought of standing back up and limping over there made him dizzy. He needed rest more than food. And better he not take too much, especially after slowing them down today.

Dick gently brushed the wisps of dark hair on Damian's head. His baby. His son. For Damian, everything was worth it.

He was so focused on the babe that he didn't register the footsteps until they stopped right behind him.

Dick half twisted in an immediate jolt of fear, keeping Damian out of view as he looked up. And up.

The alpha was looking down at him, expression a faint scowl, single eye burning.

"You didn't eat dinner," the alpha said. There was a bowl of something hot and smelling mouthwatering in his hand.

"Ah," Dick said, unsure how to continue. Was the alpha looking for acknowledgment? Apology? What—

Dick's train of thought stuttered to a halt when the alpha crouched, placing the bowl next to Dick.

"You need to eat," the alpha said, tone faintly disapproving, "To keep your strength up."

Dick flushed at this reminder of how he'd slowed them down and ducked his head. "Thank you," he said softly. Gruff and terse as it was, it was still kindness, of which Dick had seen none in the League pack.

Only an obsession with power and victory. Ra's hadn't cared for Dick beyond the powerful heir that Dick could birth him. He certainly wouldn't sit with Dick as Damian finally detached and Dick laid him down in the furs while he covered himself back up.

He certainly wouldn't have stayed as Damian realized his mother was no longer holding him and started crying, high and thin.

Dick attempted to shovel the food down his throat as fast as possible, heat creeping up his shoulders the longer the alpha stayed, watching him scream.

"Sorry," Dick said in a breath between spoons, "He doesn't like being put down."

The alpha made no visible sign of his annoyance. "May I hold him?" he asked instead.

Dick almost choked on the stew. No, was the instinctive response, no, no one would ever take Damian away from him again, no, especially not another alpha—

But Dick was keenly aware that he was here on the alpha's sufferance, and Dick ducked his head in a nod.

He couldn't breathe as the alpha reached out and picked up the crying babe.

He was gentle. Practiced, in a way that spoke of long time with babies. A little rocking and Damian quieted, looking with wide eyes up at this new person.

The alpha chuckled. Dick stared.

"What's his name?"

This time, Dick didn't choke, fear worn down to alertness but not panic as the alpha lightly tickled the babe's belly, showing no ill intent.

"Damian."

"Strong name," the alpha hummed, tapping one of Damian's little fists. The babe immediately caught the finger. "For a strong babe," the alpha smiled.

That was too close to what Ra's had said. Dick scraped up his last few spoons of stew to avoid a response.

"How old did you say he was?"

Dick swallowed. The alpha was looking down at the babe, not at him, and Dick frantically tried to remember what he'd said. He'd implied that it had been more than a month for sure.

"Five weeks," Dick said.

"How strange," the alpha looked up, blue eye pinning him in place, gaze level and hard. "Because the last time you told me six weeks."

Dick went cold. He couldn't breathe. Damian was still in the alpha's arms—an angry alpha's arms, a few feet away yet so far from Dick's reach.

"How old is he really?" the alpha demanded, voice even but steely.

Dick's gaze didn't move from his son. "Two weeks. I think."

"You think?"

"I don't—" Dick swallowed, paralyzed, "I don't know. How many days. No—no one told me."

Something flashed in the alpha's eye, angry and dark.

"Please," Dick tried, mouth dry. He couldn't look away from Damian. "Please, I swear I can keep up. I can. Don't make me leave. Please." Ra's was undoubtedly out there, looking for him. Looking for his heir. And if he caught Dick—

Ra's had already gotten what he wanted from Dick. And Dick couldn't leave Damian all alone.

"I do not appreciate being lied to," the alpha said coldly, and Dick made a choked sound. He needed Damian back, please, his baby, Dick wanted him back—"Unexpected information causes delays. And our window for getting through the mountains is short."

"I'm sorry, alpha." Dick couldn't think. His head was ringing and his mouth was dry and his babe was in someone else's arms.

The alpha made a grumbling sound and reached out to hand Damian back. Dick snatched his baby with alacrity.

"Our pace tomorrow will be slower," the alpha said, straightening up, "Get some rest."

Dick stared at his departing back, thoroughly confused.

~#~

Their pace was indeed not as punishing, but Dick got very little rest with a demanding babe. The alpha must've said something to the others, because Dick's rations suddenly increased—he was being fed more than nearly anyone else—and one of the pack's healers approached him to give him a check up, but the alpha made no mention of the punishment for the lie.

They were a few days from the pass, shielded from a flurry of snow by the half tunnels they were walking through, and Dick had used the abundance of fires to take the time to air out his furs and wash his clothes. His little nest was in a corner as always, and he was facing away from the pack as he nursed Damian.

Footsteps, echoing through the stone. Dick glanced back, and froze when he caught sight of Slade.

The alpha's gaze was narrowed on Dick's back. For lack of anything else to wear, Dick was in the loose silks he'd worn in the League pack, too flimsy to do anything but entice. Dick's mouth went dry as the alpha stepped closer and knelt on the edge of the furs.

Dick abruptly turned away, heart rate skyrocketing.

No, was the overriding thought, but Dick was unattached and clearly fertile, and taking up pack resources to boot. It was only reasonable that he had to do something to pay for his place, and Dick knew that he was attractive. This shouldn't be a surprise.

Dick squeezed his eyes shut and suppressed the shaky breath. The alpha's anger at the lie made somewhat more sense—he wanted to know whether Dick was still torn up from the birth. But there were other things they could do, so the alpha didn't have to wait.

Fingers skimmed Dick's shoulder, sliding the sleeve of the silks off. The other sleeve was already off so Damian could feed, and the silks dropped to pool around his waist, leaving his top bare.

Dick choked down the sob. This wasn't Ra's. Slade had never hurt him. This pack was kind. This wouldn't be the League all over again. No one would hurt him here.

Fingers stroked down his back, catching and sliding on the scars that littered his skin, tracing patterns and making Dick shiver. Just scars, Dick reminded himself, shaking off the memory flash of pain, the agony, the way Dick hadn't been able to move for days afterwards—

"Who did this?" growled a very angry alpha.

Dick responded to the tone before the words, half curling around Damian with a shudder, pulling free of Slade's touch in the process. The alpha didn't follow, and when Dick twisted to meet his gaze, the alpha's rage was clearly visible.

Dick could feel the whip strikes against his skin, every last one.

"Those are recent," Slade nearly snarled, "Only months old. Who did this?"

How was Dick supposed to answer that? Slade had made no probes when Dick had asked to cross the mountains with them, and Dick knew that the alpha had assumed that Dick's pack was dead. If he knew that Dick was running...

"I—it was another pack," Dick said slowly.

"Which pack."

Determined to not let him evade this time, then. Dick held Damian tighter. "The League," he said quietly.

~#~

They were at the pass, sheltered in a cave smaller than their usual. A storm had blown in—a weak one, but strong enough to halt their approach before midday. Dick had seen the alpha and his inner circle conferring, all of them visibly agitated, before they'd been given the order to stop.

It was a good decision not to attempt the pass in the middle of a snowstorm. The problem was if another storm followed before this one stopped, they were stuck. Trepidation and frustration ran through the entire pack.

Dick stayed in a corner, back against the wall, tracking the unrest. His arms were aching but he kept rocking Damian—he didn't want to risk frustration turning on a screaming infant.

The pack settled after a few hours, grumbles pacified, order restored to keep moods cheery. Most people dropped off to sleep in preparation for the hard day's trek in front of them.

Dick wasn't one of them.

His instincts had been bad enough after fleeing Ra's' pack, a new mother running on hyperawareness, but Slade's pack had provided a stabilizing effect. Dick had never forgotten that this wasn't his pack though, that he couldn't fully let down his guard, not with a baby to take care of, and the hypervigilance was keeping him awake.

He was exhausted, but something inside him wouldn't let him sleep.

The alpha and his warriors crept through the cramped cave in regular intervals, and Dick dully watched them go. The fires had dimmed down by the time the alpha stopped in front of Dick.

"You aren't sleeping," the alpha said.

"Can't," Dick whispered, because he was so exhausted but he just couldn't. He couldn't even keep looking up at Slade, his head drooped down, too heavy to lift.

"Come with me," the alpha turned on a heel and walked away.

It took a moment for Dick to register the command, and several more to lever up on aching feet. He stumbled after the alpha, drained and aching, and nearly walked into his back in a daze.

"Get in," Slade ordered, and Dick looked past him and at the pile of furs. Slade's pile of furs.

Dick's heart beat stuttered.

It took him a stretching moment to figure out how his limbs worked, but he jerkily crawled into the nest of furs. Damian and his little basket went to the side. He told Slade that he couldn't sleep, it made sense that the alpha wanted to burn off some restlessness, he—

A hand dragged roughly through his hair as he was covered by furs. "Sleep," the alpha said, "No one can touch you here."

No one could. He was in the alpha's nest, no one but the alpha could come after him, and Ra's wasn't the alpha, and Slade was walking away.

Something loosened in Dick's chest. Pack, safety, warmth.

Dick didn't remember closing his eyes.

~#~

Something woke him up a little later, or maybe it was a dream, hazy and dark. The scent of alpha became stronger, the warmth winding around him and pulling him towards the source of heat, and Dick fit comfortably in the hollows. He was out before he could try opening his eyes.

~#~

Dick woke up slowly. He was warm and safe and protected, utterly secure and content. The air smelled like alpha-mine-care and Dick was cradled in warmth.

Something had awoken him though, and Dick resurfaced to hear a thin, hesitant, hiccuping cry. Someone was making shushing sounds as Dick struggled all the way awake, Damian on his lips.

There was a figure crouched over the basket. Dick had a single moment to panic before he recognized the figure, and Emma pushed the basket closer to him with a soft smile.

"He's hungry," she said quietly, and Dick wriggled free of the furs to sit up. There was something wrapped around him, though, and it tightened around his waist as he tried to get up.

Damian made an actual cry, and Dick abandoned getting free to reach for the basket. Emma passed it over, her lips quirking, and Dick had his clothes shifted to allow Damian to latch on and start drinking before he stirred all the way awake.

"Alpha doesn't want to get up," Emma said teasingly, and Dick blinked at her.

These—these weren't his furs. He was sitting in the middle of camp, not a corner. And the pressure snaked around his waist was an arm clutching him tight.

Dick stared down at the sleeping alpha's face with numb surprise. Slade had curved around him, Dick tucked snugly in his grasp, and he didn't let go, even as he cracked open his eye.

"Alpha had a long night," Slade said gruffly, his arm tightening around Dick's waist.

"Of course," Emma agreed too easily, still grinning, and Slade made a low rumble as he pushed upright.

He stayed pressed against Dick, hand moving up to cup Damian's head as the pup sucked busily.

The rumble changed to something distinctly pleased as Slade plastered himself against Dick's back, tucking Dick into his arms and resting his chin on Dick's head for a moment.

"Good morning," he said quietly, and for a moment, Dick was in a different life. A life where he could've woken like this every day, where he didn't have scars, where he wasn't running, where he wasn't terrified that his babe would be ripped from his arms.

"Good morning," Dick returned softly, relishing the moment for as long as it lasted.

~#~

"He's never going to learn to walk if you keep that up," Grant calls out, throwing a handful of grass at Slade. Slade ignores him, hands firmly around Damian as the baby coos at a flower.

Dick snorts from his position in the grass. He can look away from Damian now, can leave him with Slade without the clenching worry, but Slade's taken up the overprotective role in response. "You learned to walk just fine," Wintergreen says dryly, walking over, "Alpha, our scouts have a report."

"Grant can take care of it," Slade says without looking up. Damian is making grasping motions at the flower.

Grant groans but gets up. "Can't believe I've been supplanted as the favorite child," he grumbles as he walks away. Wintergreen goes with him, leaving only Slade, Dick, and Damian in the little meadow.

"Mama!" Damian waves at him. Dick grins and waves back, laughing as Damian attempts to fight Slade's grip to get back to Dick.

Slade leads him back slowly, and his mouth is quirked in a small smile as Damian collapses on Dick's stomach.

"Mama, fo," Damian shows him the tiny fistful of petals and Dick kisses his little forehead. Damian giggles, and Dick could never think he was Ra's' child like this.

Slade stiffens, straightening suddenly.

"Slade?" Dick calls out slowly, tightening his grip on Damian.

"Someone's here," Slade says evenly, staring at the trees and Dick hurriedly sits up, Damian curled in his lap. He can't see anyone, but there's the faintest prickle on the back of his neck, like someone is watching them—

A dark blur drops out of the trees.

Dick scrambles up with Damian immediately, stepping back as Slade steps forward—and freezes when he recognizes the hard green eyes and the flash of white in dark hair. "Jason?"

"You know him?" Slade asks tersely, which on anyone else would be a shout. Jason's watching like he's ready for a fight.

Dick doesn't care about either of them. That's his brother. He's here.

"Jason!" Dick says again, happy and hopeful and desperately worried that this is just a dream, "Jaybird!"

Jason moves forward as Dick moves forward, but Slade steps in between. Jason immediately growls, low and deep, and Dick snaps into alertness.

"Slade, no, he's my brother," Dick explains, a mollifying hand on the alpha's arm. Damian is peering curiously from where he's perched on Dick's hip.

"Brother," Slade repeats, and it doesn't exactly sound happy, but he steps to the side and Dick runs at the first member of his pack he's seen in over a year.

Jason barely manages to catch them instead of letting them tumble over, and Dick goes from smiling to sobbing, clutching at his brother, tightening his grip on Damian, something in him unclenching at the familiar scent of pack, home, safe.

"Dickiebird," Jason says, voice hoarse and cracking, and Dick cries harder.

#my snippets #sladick #omegaverse #pack au #baby fic #protective slade

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green-eyedfirework · 11 hours

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“Are our terms acceptable?” Bruce asked, polite and formal, to end the discussion of payment. The Defiance company wasn’t any random band of mercenaries, but a full-fledged military in their own right, and in addition to money, Bruce promised lands and titles.

It was a very enticing offer. It had to be.

Ra’s al Ghul was on their doorstep and Gotham’s military had never been its strong suit. The old snake’s maneuvering the year Bruce had been missing had destroyed most of their alliances because Dick had been too busy trying to run a kingdom he’d never wanted to rule to notice the trap being set, and now it was sprung.

They needed an army. And they needed one fast.

“The terms are fair,” a low voice answered. Slade Wilson sat in his chair like he spent every day sitting at tables across from kings, utterly at ease and wearing the faintest of smirks. He knew they were desperate. Everyone knew they were desperate. They were running out of options.

Slade Wilson and Defiance would gouge them for every single penny, but Dick knew that Defiance kept their contracts. Ra’s wouldn’t be able to buy them off. And they needed that. No matter the cost.

“But your word is not,” Slade said, and Dick tightened his grip on the table. Slade’s smirk had widened. “Lots of rumors about broken promises, Your Majesty. You can see why I’m hesitant to commit.”

Dick breathed in and out. It was just a ploy to get more out of Bruce. Slade would agree. Slade had to agree.

“Is there something that would make the deal more acceptable?” Bruce asked, voice slightly strained.

“As a matter of fact,” Slade’s gaze switched to Dick, the ice blue eye boring into him, “there is.” A beat of silence, heavy and still. “A binding contract.” Another beat of silence, tension rising—“Marriage.”

Bruce blinked, “Excuse me?”

“Marriage,” Slade repeated, a low murmur spreading out among the assorted councilors. Jason, the only other royal attending, looked abruptly furious. “I don’t have a partner,” Slade spread his arms, “and you have no shortage of children. A royal marriage would be enough to safeguard my interests.”

Dick forced himself to keep breathing. A royal marriage wouldn’t just safeguard his interests, it would catapult Slade to one of the most powerful positions in the country. It was far, far beyond anything Dick thought the man would ask for, and Dick knew that the mercenary was only so bold because he knew they couldn’t say no.

Bruce’s face was set, jaw hard. “I’m not sure—”

“That is my final offer,” Slade said, still staring at Dick with an intensity that made him want to shiver. “I’ll leave you to discuss it. You know where to find us.”

He quirked his lips at Dick, and turned and headed out.

~#~

“Who does he think he is?” Jason was seething. “How dare he come here and dictate terms to—”

“We need him,” Dick said shortly, cutting him off. “We need his men. We have no choice.”

“Bullshit we have no choice, we can negotiate—”

“He won’t agree,” Dick slumped in his chair, abruptly tired. Bruce watched him, frowning. “If he says that’s his final word, that’s his final word. A marriage, or nothing. And we can’t beat Ra’s without him.”

It was Dick’s fault. It was all Dick’s fault. If he’d been paying closer attention—if he’d just listened to Tim and sent men out searching for Bruce earlier—if Ra’s hadn’t capitalized on Dick’s weaknesses—

This was Dick’s fault.

“Are you seriously proposing we just sell off one of our siblings?” Jason’s eyes were glittering with fury. “To a mercenary?”

Dick closed his eyes briefly. The smirk on Slade’s face. The intensity—the same one he’d seen years ago, when Dick ran around with the Titans. He’d known there was interest then too, but Dick hadn’t been quite that rebellious, and Slade had never dared to press the issue. Until now.

“He wants me,” Dick says hollowly. “So draw up the deal and get it signed. We don’t have time to waste.” Dick had already given up his position as heir to Tim, so there was no chance of Slade seizing the crown. The only casualty would be Dick himself.

Jason and Bruce were staring at him, silent. Bruce’s expression was stone-like, Jason was gaping at him.

“Dick—”

“This war is my fault,” Dick stood up from his chair in a fluid, sharp movement. “If this is the only way to fix it, so be it.”

#my snippets #sladick #royalty au #political marriage

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