Chapter 6
“No, go to the back seat,” Bruce instructed Damian.
“I don’t mind sitting in the back,” Harry spoke up, Tim nodding alongside him.
“You’re not legally allowed in the front until you’re seven,” Bruce stood firm.
“I do not see the danger,” Damian pouted, “I have sat in the front before.”
It broke Bruce’s heart a little every time Damian revealed something about his past. The boy didn’t even seem to realise that anything about his upbringing was wrong. Normal six year olds weren’t given knives or trained in combat or sat in the front seat when their weren’t even taller enough to look out the window. He cursed Talia for not bringing Damian to Gotham sooner. Bruce could have raised Damain, watched him say his first words, take his first steps. He would never get to do any of that now.
“Not until you’re older,” Bruce opened the back door for Damian. “Tim or Harry, you can go in the front.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and waited for his children to put their seat belts on. When the car’s monitor screen showed that they safely bucked in, Bruce peeled out of the driveway and towards a strip of Bristol shops. Without Dick and Jason, the car ride was oddly silent. He hated that Tim, Harry and Damian had been raised to be seen and not heard. It was almost a relief whenever Damian argued with him. Bruce would prefer to listen to his kids scream, shout and throw a tantrum than nod obediently at every word he said. To fill the silence, he turned on the radio and dialled it up.
It wasn’t a long drive to the shops. Bruce found a park easily and pulled the doors open for the kids. “I thought we would start in Barlow Menswear. They have a wide variety for children. Do you know what kind of suits you like?” He talked as they moved towards the store, grateful that there weren’t that many other people around. Barlow Menswear was far from fanciest store in Bristol but he had learnt through Dick that there weren't many children who could stand still for three as their suit was personally tailored. Jason had straight up refused to let Bruce spend more than a thousand dollar for a new suit. Barlow Menswear was the compromise.
“My parents always bought Bronson suits,” Tim said, his Bristol accent coming out heavier than usual.
“Did you like them?” Bruce asked. He always found that Bronson suits cared more about brand name recognition than practicality, especially for their children sizes. They had far too many buttons making them difficult to get on and off and he found the fabrics to be stiff and course.
“My mother said they were the best,” Tim plastered on a smile.
“Well,” Bruce kept his voice casual, “why don’t you try some new brands. We can always go back and find a Bronson suit if you don’t like them.”
Bruce pushed open the door to Barlow Menswear and was hit with a burst of scented air conditioned air. A man with a slicked back hairstyle and an impeccable black suit instantly sidled up to them.
“Mr Wayne,” the man said, “and these much be your children.”
In the corner of his eye, Bruce saw Tim and Harry stiffen.
“That’s right,” Bruce allowed himself to slip slightly into his Brucie persona, “we’re looking for new suits for the three of them.”
“Wonderful,” the man smiled, “I’m sure we can find just the right thing.” He led them deeper into the store.
“Thank you…” Bruce checked the man’s nametag, “Daniel. I can never tell these suits apart. They all look the same to me.” He chucked self-deprecatingly.
“Ah, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Daniel stopped at a section at the back lined with suits for children. He looked at Tim, Harry and Damian. “Now, who would like to go first?”
Damian strode past Daniel and ran his fingers over the suits. “I am not familiar with this style,” he said.
“What kind of suits have you worn before?” Daniel asked, “Most of these suits are the traditional men’s cut.”
“They had longer jackets,” Damian said, “most of these stop at the waist.”
“You might like this selection over here,” Daniel went back and forth with Damian, showing him suit after suit. Damian seemed perfectly comfortable requesting changes or turning down suits. Since arriving at the manor, he had always acted so grown up. While, Daniel worked with Damian, Bruce turned to Tim and Harry.
“Want to try some on?” Bruce asked.
“I’ve never had a suit,” Harry admitted it like it was an embarrassing secret.
“That’s ok,” Bruce said, “why don’t I show you the ones I liked as a kid and you can tell me if there’s any you like.” At Harry’s nod, Bruce searched through the children’s suits for ones that felt particularly soft and silky, knowing how much he hated stiff collars and shoulder pads when he was younger. He chose mostly black ones but added in a few green, red or blue suits in case Harry preferred colour.
“Give me a shout if you need help with any of the buttons,” he said, helping Harry carry the suits into a changing room. Harry gave Bruce a small smile and closed the door.
“I am happy with this one,” Tim was already holding a suit. Bruce noticed that it was a simple black cut. Not quite as rigid as a Bronson suit but far from the comfortable fits, Bruce had liked as a kid. If that’s what Tim genuinely wanted, he would get it but he noticed that Tim tended to choose only what he thought other people wanted him to pick. As he held the black suit, his eyes wandered to the more colourful designs. In particular, he focused on an emerald green one complete with a vest and a maroon tie.
“Why don’t you try that one on?” Bruce asked softly.
Tim snapped his head back to look at Bruce. “But that’s not black,” he said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“You don’t have to wear black,” Bruce said, “you can wear whatever you like.”
“But,” Tim seemed to be struggling with something, “it would make a statements. Kids shouldn’t make statements. It would distract from their parents.”
Bruce rested his hands on Tim’s shoulders. “This isn’t just a gala about me. You’re just as important as any of the adults there. The only thing I want you to be is comfortable and happy. Ok?”
Tim still seemed confused but he nodded.
Bruce ruffled his hair. “Go give me a fashion show, chum.”
Looking at Bruce the whole time, Tim cautiously took the green suit off the wall.
Bruce waited by the changing rooms for Harry and Tim. Harry burst out of a stall first in a red suit.
“Do you like it?” He gave Bruce a spin.
“You look great,” Bruce couldn’t stop his wide grin. Harry shifted a little, clearly wavering between whether or not he should say something. “Do you need help with your tie?” Bruce asked.
Harry breathed out in relief. He pulled a green tie out of his pocket. “I tried to do it but…”
“Come here,” Bruce fondly remembered teaching Dick and Jason. It had taken Jason nearly an hour to get the knot right, muttering about rich people nonsense. He knelt down and held his hand out for the tie. Bruce laced it around Harry’s neck and showed him the proper way to tie it.
“Now you try,” he said.
Harry fumbled with it but quickly copied Bruce’s technique. The end result was a little lopsided but when Bruce said he did a good job, Harry’s beam could have rivalled the sun. Tim stepped out of the changing stall and Bruce saw that he was almost the exact inverse of Harry.
“We match,” Harry exclaimed excitedly.
“Is that alright?” Tim checked in with Bruce, fidgeting with the sleeve of his suit.
“I love it,’ Bruce pulled them both into a hug, not caring that he might wrinkle the suits. He could get them dry cleaned.
“Very smart gentlemen,” Daniel had returned with Damian. Bruce’s youngest was wearing a black suit. It had a long jacket that went down to just above his knees and a golden trim. Bruce thought it looked very regal.
“I will get this one, father,” Damian said.
“It suits you,” Bruce smiled down at him, “do you want to get changed back into your other clothes or wear it home.”
Damian perked up. “I can wear it home?”
“Of course,” Bruce said. “We can just get Alfred to tailor it before the gala next week." He turned to Daniel. "We'll get the three suits.”
Daniel stepped behind the counter and added up the costs. That’ll be $3500.” Bruce handed over four thousand dollars from his wallet.
“Keep the change.”
Bruce slung an arm around his three kids. He would count this shopping trip as a success.