Offers

"You can leave Chloe here, if you want," Tim said.

"Oh, no, I couldn't–"

"Don't worry. I have nothing to do anyway."

"Are…you sure?"

"Yep. Today is my break. Most of us, besides Bruce, take at least one day off a week."

"Nah, Tim almost never takes breaks," Dick interjected. "Seriously, he's a workaholic. He's only saying that today because he's slightly hung over from yesterday."

Tim chuckled nervously. Since Chloe was here, they couldn't spell out their vigilantism but they could dance around it. Still, Aaron didn't want to involve Chloe if at all possible. He decided to change subjects and checked his surroundings for something new to talk about. His eyes settled on Dick Grayson, the original adopted steward of the Wayne family. Aaron squinted.

"Dick Grayson…Dick Grayson…" Aaron repeated to himself, eyes narrowed.

"That's my name. What's up?"

"...you know," Aaron began, tilting his head, "that name has been ringing a few bells. Say, were you ever in a circus?"

Aaron had never seen another man brighten up that much.

"Haly's Circus!" Dick nearly stood up. "You heard of it!?"

"Yeah, when I was super young. Like…I think I was five? Six? They offered to perform for my orphanage for free."

"Yeah, yeah, we would sometimes do that!" Dick snapped his fingers and shook his head, grinning. "Oh, man! I can't believe it! Which part was your favourite? The tightrope? The jugglers? Ooh, ooh, how about the animals!? I bet you haven't forgotten about that even after all these years!"

The man was positively beaming. Aaron thought back for a moment, recollecting his memories, and answered his question in sincerity. "I think the Flying Graysons were my favourite. You know, the guy and girl who were flying? I thought that was pretty amazing. It was like Superman, you know?" It was a pretty casual remark. A compliment from his youth, a piece of nostalgia, and not intended to be something greater. Yet Dick softened and smiled the kind of smile a person would see once in a lifetime.

"Really?" Dick asked, suddenly low.

"Hm? Yeah."

From then on, Dick was all smiles. It was like a fundamental aspect of his soul had awakened. Aaron wondered what was going on until he saw Tim's ecstatic expression. Like always, Aaron's deductive mind went into overdrive.

'The Flying Graysons. Dick Grayson. Duh. They were his family…and if Bruce Wayne adopted him…' He glanced at the Wayne patriarch and noticed the mirth in his eyes. The pride as well as the sorrow. '...they died. I see.'

So that was why it meant so much to Dick Grayson. Who knew? Coincidence could be a scary thing but also quite wholesome.

"What's Haley's Circus?" Chloe's voice popped in. Dick shined down at her with a sunny grin.

"Aw, it was just the best. It's closed down now but back in its heyday…oh man! Just pure awesomeness!"

As the breakfast chaos settled and before I could leave, Bruce Wayne motioned for me to join him outside the kitchen. My heart raced a little, unsure of what he wanted to discuss. Bruce always had an air of authority that made even a simple conversation feel significant.

"Hey, Aaron," Bruce said, his voice calm and commanding. "I wanted to talk to you about something important."

Aaron nodded, trying to maintain a composed demeanour. Inside, though, his mind was racing. What could he possibly want to discuss with him? Did he do something wrong? He was the World's Greatest Detective. Maybe he picked up on something impossibly minute…

Once Stephanie and Cassandra had left to take a shower, he snapped his fingers and instantly warped the room back to what it was. No smell of sex, no puddles of cum or female juices, it dissipated like magic. So it couldn't be that. He couldn't have caught onto the fact that he fucked both Cassandra and Stephanie last night…right?

"I've been meaning to talk to you about our meals here at the manor," Bruce continued, his eyes focused. "I've noticed that you have a genuine passion for cooking, and I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in becoming our official chef."

Straight and to the point. Frankly, it caught Aaron off-guard. "Huh?" He did a double-take. "Of…Wayne Manor? Why?"

"You know why."

Aaron did. He knew their secret identities and regardless of whether he was good or bad they needed to keep a close eye on him. The moment Cassandra had hugged, the instant she had told him of her identity, the ship of a normal had sailed. Gone. He was going to be monitored no matter what.

"Carrie can take care of Chloe or, if you want, you can quit your job and stay with us full-time," Bruce explained. "I know it might seem a little…fast, but I believe this arrangement is the best option to bring peace to everyone."

Aaron didn't have a problem with it either. Logically, it was an arrangement with merit to it. He assumed he would get paid, not to mention he would get both a baby-sitter and additional time with Cassandra.

"I'm honoured but…you're right. Isn't this a little too fast?" Aaron asked.

"I'm the World's Greatest Detective. If you were suspicious, I would know. I trust you."

He spoke those words with the timbre of Batman–of a Justice League member. Chills went down Aaron's spine. To be acknowledged by THE Batman was breathtaking. The detective wasn't technically wrong either. Aaron held no ill-will towards Batman. In fact, he admired him. He agreed with his mission.

Standing so close to him as an equal was an interesting perspective as well. Ridiculously defined jawline, broad shoulders, neck muscles; the superhero body type shouldn't be even possible for ordinary humans yet Bruce Wayne stood with said idealized body type like it was nothing. From man to man, Aaron could acknowledge the hard work and dedication he needed to maintain muscles of that calibre. Of course, admiration from fellow males did not equate to female attention. Well, in Bruce Wayne's case, it didn't matter too much since he was rich, but it was an undeniable truth that women did not enjoy absurdly muscular men. Take Bane, for example. While he had seen fangirls for Joker and even the fucking Riddler, never once had he seen someone thirst over the comically brawny, ****-addicted latino.

He suddenly thought about watching a video on the female vs male gaze. The topic seemed intriguing. Maybe at work when there was time he could look it up.

"Plus," Bruce's face crossed with an appreciated smile, "at the party, the food was catered. But it was your cupcakes that stood out. And it's not just me, everyone agrees. I talked to Barbara. She did a lot of research on you. You're safe. You're…normal. It's just what this family needs, if you are willing."

Aaron chewed on his words. Despite how tempting his offer was, he needed to think about it.

"Don't worry, I'm not asking for an answer now," Bruce said. "Just sit on it."