Fic : The Line (Bruce/Dick)
Author: Nightfall_0
Title: The Line
Claim : Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson
Words count: 811
Prompt : Cross the line (table here)
Continuity : Set after the end of “Bruce Wayne : Fugitive” (Batman #605)
Summary : Bruce had risked to cross a very dangerous line…
Disclaimer: I don’t own them. Dc does.
Note: Written for dcu_freeforall and for ladybugkay birthday (I know…I’m very late…forgive me? ;) )
Dick collapsed on the chair in front of the many screens of the Bat-cave, which showed the empty streets of Gotham City. It was three in the morning, and it seemed like criminals have called it a night.
Nightwing didn’t complain about it. He loved to ride Gotham at night, with a jump line through the roofs he knew by heart, but Bruce’s return and Cane’s arrest had made his night full. He just wanted to rest. Tim had gone back to his house, Cass had decided to spend the night at Babs’ place and Alfred was upstairs, preparing Dick’s room for him to spend the night at the Manor, as Bruce had asked him.
“Is it all right?” Batman asked, coming off the car and approaching the big computer.
“Yeah” Nightwing answered, gesturing with one gloved hand towards the monitors, “Nobody’s in the streets, and the bat signal is off” he added.
Batman stopped behind the chair and cleared his throat. Dick turned and lifted his eyes to look at the man, taken aback by his mentor’s strange behaviour : Bruce had clearly something to say, but he hesitated to spit it out. Most of the times, that was not a good sign.
“Well… not with Gotham” Bruce began with a hoarse voice, “I meant: is it all right with you, after all what happened lately?” he asked, searching for Dick’s eyes.
For a slight moment, all Dick could do was staring back at Bruce, his lips dry, at a loss for words. “Oh… that” he said at last, passing a hand through his dark hair, “I don’t know exactly how I feel about it… I mean, over the past six months me, Alfred and the others have been so busy trying to prove your innocence that I didn’t have much time to stop and think”. Bruce didn’t move nor speak, he was simply waiting. “I was very happy tonight when Babs called, and said that you wanted to meet me before you came back to the Cave. We’ve barely spoken after that quarrel we had on the day you left”. Dick smiled, like a child. “And on our way back in the car, you have told me all the truth about Vesper’s murder, before telling the others. All this has made me feel again connected with you, as your partner, as a part of your life, and my life as well. It’s a special sensation, you’re the only one that makes me feel so…alive”.
Dick stood from the chair and neared the new case which contained Robin’s costume. Alfred had replaced it with a new one after that Dick had broken the old one with a punch. “And I’m so sorry I hit you, back then” he said, caressing the glass.
“That wasn’t your fault, I already told you” Batman replied, approaching the former Boy Wonder, “I deserved it, and it was very low of me to bring you to smash the case”.
“You did it on purpose? You brought the fight here and dodged, when you were exactly in front of it?” Dick asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes” Bruce admitted, putting a hand over Dick’s shoulder to comfort him, “I had decided to quit my life as Bruce Wayne and to be Batman full time, and I didn’t want to have second thoughts about it. But when you said those things about us I hesitated, and I had to find a way to stop you”, he paused. “So I’m the one who have to make amends, here. I just hope you’re not mad at me anymore”.
“I wasn’t angry with you that night” Dick corrected him, “Well… I guess I also was, but most of all, I was afraid you had crossed the line”.
“You said that you never believed my guilt on the murder for a second ” Bruce pointed out.
“Not THAT line. I’m sure you’ll never cross that, no matter what” Dick stated, glancing briefly at the case, “I mean the line between Bruce Wayne and Batman”.
A deep silence fell in the cave.
“That night, all I could hear was Batman’s voice and logic, but not Bruce’s heart” Dick reached for Batman’s cowl and took it off him, “You said Bruce Wayne was a mask that you were wearing and not the other way around, but you see, Batman can’t exist without you. His justice is your heart. Batman is so great because Bruce Wayne is under this mantle and I hope you’ll never doubt it again”, Dick concluded.
“In that case” Bruce began with a hint of a smile on his lips “will you be there to bring me back, on the right side of the line?”
Dick matched Bruce’s smile with a larger one:
“Always” he answered, leaning in the waiting arms of his mentor - and lover - for a welcome back hug.