Work Text:
Comfortember 2023: Day 5
Made With Love
Prompt: Treehouse
When Clark said he wanted to build a treehouse for the pups, Bruce was pleasantly surprised. It made sense after all. Kits usually preferred being hidden. It was a well-known fact that bunny hybrids didn’t like being in the open and felt safer having somewhere to hide. A treehouse in the yard could be a fun hideaway for their little ones once they were born. Wolf pups tended to be quite rowdy and adventurous. Having a den all their own in the yard could be a lot of fun for them, a taste of freedom from the pack home.
Whether they were having kits, pups, or both, a treehouse could be a great addition.
When he suggested just getting one installed, he could afford to pay someone to do it after all, Clark argued that they should build it.
“Why?” Bruce had implored, going over a new casefile for Dick. Just because he couldn’t go out as Batman, it didn’t mean he couldn’t still contribute somehow to keeping the city safe.
“Because its more special that way.” Clark explained, gathering tools to take out to the yard. “I drew up the blueprints already and got the wood to build it.”
Bruce pushed his chair back so he could turn around and face the bunny. “It’s just a treehouse, Clark. I can pay someone to make one for us. I’m busy looking into some cases for Dick and Jason, and I know you still have articles to write on top of keeping Metropolis safe. I’ll make a few calls tomorrow.” Having made what he felt was a pretty compelling argument, Bruce had turned back to the computer. He began typing up a new segment of his report but became more aware of the noise in the cave as he went. Or rather, the lack of noise.
He had expected to hear Clark putting away the tools, maybe grumbling light-heartedly about Bruce being a control freak or something. Instead, there was nothing. Looking back over to his mate, Bruce felt his ears fold back in surprise and guilt at the look of hurt and sadness on the bunny’s face. “Clark…?”
“My parents made me a treehouse when I was a kit.” Bruce froze, listening for the first time that day with undivided attention as Clark looked off into the distance with drooping ears and hunched shoulders. “It was nothing special, not like the one our neighbours had. It wasn’t painted, had uneven floorboards and wasn’t pretty to look at but they made it, for me. No matter what, I always remembered that. I wanted our kits to have something like that. Something we made for them, not something we paid someone else to do.”
And, well, what else could Bruce say to that but “Where are these blueprints then?”
And that was how they ended up spending an entire weekend building a treehouse in the back garden of Wayne Manor. When it was done Bruce had a sprained wrist from slipping climbing down the tree and Clark’s favourite flannel was ruined from being coated in paint and lacquer.
The treehouse was fairly big, room enough for several children to fit inside. A rope ladder dangled down from the top and a swing hung off a branch next to it. The walls had meant to be painted a solid colour. Instead, neither could agree on which colour to pick and a mock paint battle had ensued. Now the walls were covered in blue and yellow handprints. Damian added a birdhouse on the side, insisting that if they were going to commandeer the tree for ‘this monstrosity’ the lease they could do is give the local birds somewhere to sleep. Tim suggested adding a cubby hole to store things; books, toys, ect. Dick had been excited to learn about the treehouse and planned on ‘making sure it was cool enough’ for his little siblings when he stopped by on the weekend. Bruce was more than a little concerned about what that could mean but not nearly as suspicious as to what Jason might do. No doubt the fox would want to add his own touch to the treehouse when he next visited.
Ultimately, it wasn’t as grandeurs or flashy as any treehouse he could have afforded to have built. However, it had been made with love and care. A treehouse built with fond memories for them both and would only grow to see more in the years to come.
In the end, it was perfect.