FIC: Drifting between - epilogue
TITLE: Drifting between - epilogue
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
RATING: PG-13
CHARACTERS: Bruce/Dick, Barbara, Dinah, Tim
SUMMARY: Nightwing's down, and the Batclan must pull together to avert tragedy.
WORD COUNT: 500
NOTES: silvertales needed h/c and so this monster evolved to provide.
Thank you all so much for your encouraging words, your laughter and your tears. None of this would have been possible without you and now that we're at the end, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you all and how difficult it is to leave.
Love to you all.
[ Part 1][ Part 2][ Part 3][ Part 4][ Part 5][ Part 6][ Part 7][ Part 8][ Part 9][ Part 10][ Part 11][ Part 12][ Part 13]
Sunlight was just beginning to filter through the curtains when Alfred came in to check on Bruce. With a jolt of surprise and pleasure, he registered that Dick was indeed curled on his side, fully clothed, on top of the covers, hand outstretched to rest in Bruce's open palm as he lay sleeping with his shirt off but covers on.
Realising they could never be trusted to do anything sensible by themselves, Alfred removed the bowl of stone-cold water and the cloth that was still drenching the foot of bed. A butler's work was never done.
~
After he'd set his robotic creation scampering into the Cave to collect bats, Tim made his way to the study - which could now be more accurately termed the nursing home.
"Afternoon," he said and paused on his way to the sandwiches, noted the joined hands beneath the blankets covering their laps, and continued on his way.
"And how are you today, little bro?"
His voice was cautious but Tim raised his head with a smile and walked towards him surely and confidantly. Without thinking too much, he bent down and gave Dick a hug, thrilled at the smile of delight he received in return.
"It's a good day, Dick," Tim said, and meant it.
~
"So I was considering Nycticeius for repopulating the Cave and-"
"Babs, there's something I have to tell you."
A sigh carried down the line.
"Did you finally buy a clue, Hunk Wonder?"
"Uh…I…you knew?!"
She laughed loudly and Dick held the phone away from his ear, with an amused scowl.
"Oh, Dick, I think everyone knew."
"So…we're okay, Babs?"
Silence for a moment, then a low chuckle.
"We were different, Dick. You and Bruce - I could never come between you, and I don't want to."
There was a companionable quiet before a high-pitched squeal broke the peace.
"Oh! I just have to tell Wally!"
"Babs, no!"
The line went dead.
~
"Can I…lie with you a while?"
"Please." Bruce gestured to the space on the bed beside him, his heart hammering out of his chest. It was like being…awake after a long spell of coma, the first patrol after an illness, the moment when Nightwing would do a triple somersault off a fire escape and then smile.
Dick set aside his cane and then shifted off his dressing gown before crawling under the covers. Bruce stared.
"What? I was cold last night," Dick grumbled. Bruce smiled helplessly, his face moving of its own accord. He was completely out of control and perhaps, maybe, he was enjoying it. It was like a curtain had been lifted and he was beginning to see everything as it was, outside the shadow of Gotham.
"Dick…"
But some things would not rest.
Rolling his head to look at Bruce, Dick shot him an uneasy look. "Yes, Bruce?"
He swallowed hard. "You realise that this is the end of what we were…before."
Dick reached out. "Yes, but it's the start of something better."
~fin~
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
RATING: PG-13
CHARACTERS: Bruce/Dick, Barbara, Dinah, Tim
SUMMARY: Nightwing's down, and the Batclan must pull together to avert tragedy.
WORD COUNT: 500
NOTES: silvertales needed h/c and so this monster evolved to provide.
Thank you all so much for your encouraging words, your laughter and your tears. None of this would have been possible without you and now that we're at the end, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you all and how difficult it is to leave.
Love to you all.
[ Part 1][ Part 2][ Part 3][ Part 4][ Part 5][ Part 6][ Part 7][ Part 8][ Part 9][ Part 10][ Part 11][ Part 12][ Part 13]
Sunlight was just beginning to filter through the curtains when Alfred came in to check on Bruce. With a jolt of surprise and pleasure, he registered that Dick was indeed curled on his side, fully clothed, on top of the covers, hand outstretched to rest in Bruce's open palm as he lay sleeping with his shirt off but covers on.
Realising they could never be trusted to do anything sensible by themselves, Alfred removed the bowl of stone-cold water and the cloth that was still drenching the foot of bed. A butler's work was never done.
~
After he'd set his robotic creation scampering into the Cave to collect bats, Tim made his way to the study - which could now be more accurately termed the nursing home.
"Afternoon," he said and paused on his way to the sandwiches, noted the joined hands beneath the blankets covering their laps, and continued on his way.
"And how are you today, little bro?"
His voice was cautious but Tim raised his head with a smile and walked towards him surely and confidantly. Without thinking too much, he bent down and gave Dick a hug, thrilled at the smile of delight he received in return.
"It's a good day, Dick," Tim said, and meant it.
~
"So I was considering Nycticeius for repopulating the Cave and-"
"Babs, there's something I have to tell you."
A sigh carried down the line.
"Did you finally buy a clue, Hunk Wonder?"
"Uh…I…you knew?!"
She laughed loudly and Dick held the phone away from his ear, with an amused scowl.
"Oh, Dick, I think everyone knew."
"So…we're okay, Babs?"
Silence for a moment, then a low chuckle.
"We were different, Dick. You and Bruce - I could never come between you, and I don't want to."
There was a companionable quiet before a high-pitched squeal broke the peace.
"Oh! I just have to tell Wally!"
"Babs, no!"
The line went dead.
~
"Can I…lie with you a while?"
"Please." Bruce gestured to the space on the bed beside him, his heart hammering out of his chest. It was like being…awake after a long spell of coma, the first patrol after an illness, the moment when Nightwing would do a triple somersault off a fire escape and then smile.
Dick set aside his cane and then shifted off his dressing gown before crawling under the covers. Bruce stared.
"What? I was cold last night," Dick grumbled. Bruce smiled helplessly, his face moving of its own accord. He was completely out of control and perhaps, maybe, he was enjoying it. It was like a curtain had been lifted and he was beginning to see everything as it was, outside the shadow of Gotham.
"Dick…"
But some things would not rest.
Rolling his head to look at Bruce, Dick shot him an uneasy look. "Yes, Bruce?"
He swallowed hard. "You realise that this is the end of what we were…before."
Dick reached out. "Yes, but it's the start of something better."
~fin~