Fic: Private Dancer (1/3)
Title: Private Dancer (1/3)
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters: Bruce/Dick
Category: Romance
Rating (this chapter): G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Dick dances for Bruce alone.
Summary (this chapter): Bruce hears music in the Manor.
Date Of Completion: July 15, 2007
Date Of Posting: July 17, 2007
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1062
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author's Note: All chapters can be found here
I
RAINBOW DIAMONDS
Bruce entered the Manor through the front door, laying aside his briefcase and coat on the foyer table. He took out a sheaf of papers from the briefcase and headed for the study, not expecting to see anyone as Alfred was grocery shopping and Dick was in morning class at Gotham U.
He paused as he heard the faint strains of music coming from somewhere. Frowning, he silently walked down the hall, the music growing a little louder as he passed the study and library. He was close to the Grand Ballroom and stopped a few feet from the doorway.
Dick’s class must have been cancelled. He was in the ballroom, a CD player set on a towel on the polished floor, his body clad in cream-colored tights and a matching tank top. White bands encircled his wrists. As the music played, he stretched, his right leg impossibly limber as his hand grasped his ankle, his foot up by his head. He stretched the other leg, then leaned forward, balancing on the toes of one foot, his other leg stretched out behind him.
Bruce was surprised to see that Dick was wearing ballet slippers. They didn’t look new, but they were not well-worn, either. The old slippers he had worn as a child were long gone.
As Dick slowly went through a series of ballet exercises, Bruce recalled the young boy who had briefly taken ballet lessons, giving them up when he had informed Bruce that the lessons were cutting too much into his training time as Robin. The modern dance lessons were also dropped a short time later, but Dick remembered the basic exercises and often used them to stretch and work out.
Bruce had never seen this series of exercises, however, or at least not performed in ballet slippers.
He watched the grace of his young lover’s lithe body, the music a perfect counterpoint to the bronzed muscles. Strong legs combined with delicate balance to perform difficult exercises. Dick performed en pointe again, a brief display of power and skill that took Bruce’s breath away.
But then, watching Dick’s grace had always done that, whether the times he’d seen Dick dance or the magical way he flew across rooftops.
He stayed silent as he watched, Dick putting on a performance that showed real talent, shining brightly through the simple yet powerful moves. The ballroom was a perfect background for him: gold drapes, tall windows, enormous crystal chandeliers, and the polished floor. Golden motes of light streamed in, dancing around his body as prisms of light from the chandeliers created rainbow diamonds on the floor and on cloth and flesh.
His hair was slightly shaggy as he worked, framing a face intent on making the moves as the classical music continued playing. His focused intensity was no surprise to Bruce, who had seen it underneath the playfulness and banter of Robin.
As the music reached a crescendo, Dick went through a flurry of moves that brought him down to the end of the ballroom in quick time, rainbow ribbons of light spiraling around and behind him like shining streamers. The burst of energy was typical.
Bruce smiled, then backed away and down the corridor. As he walked to his study, a slight frown appeared on his face.
Did Dick ever regret not being able to study dance, whether ballet or modern? Bruce had seen enough of both types of performances to know that his lover could have made quite a name for himself in either world. With the proper training and study, he could have danced across the stages of the world, famous in his own right, the toast of the cultured and erudite, instead of spending his evenings battling thugs and dodging bullets.
Bruce sat in his chair behind the large cherrywood desk, laying out his papers. He had asked Dick to give up a lot in his life with him. His life with the circus (though Social Services might not have allowed him to stay), a chance at a normal childhood and adolescence, so many different career plans that did not include flying across the rooftops of a decaying, crime-riddled city at night.
Bruce sighed. He had even asked that Dick suppress his natural exuberance and light by working with a man enamored of the shadows. Despite the bright costume he wore and the quips he threw out, Dick had to melt into the shadows as much as his mentor did, keeping a lid on what could be neverending joy…with someone else.
But Dick loved him, and wanted to stay with him, and continue as Robin. Didn’t he?
“Hey, Bruce.”
Bruce nearly jumped, years of training keeping him from obvious startlement. He turned and smiled at Dick, who was wiping his face with the towel he wore around his neck, carrying his CD player. He set the player on a small table.
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same myself.”
“Joe called and told me class was cancelled. He was at the library and heard about it. Saved me a trip to campus.”
“Same for me. My meeting was cancelled so I decided to come home for lunch.” Bruce admired the gleaming of Dick’s skin as a shaft of sunlight hit him. “Didn’t you say you needed to study at the library, though?”
“I can do that tomorrow. I’m nearly caught up with everything. Look, I’ll rustle us up something to eat after I shower.”
“Alfred’s coming back with the groceries, isn’t he?”
Dick shook his head. “He called a little while ago. He’s going to stay in town and have lunch with Leslie, then he’ll do the shopping and come home.”
“So we’re at the end of our week’s food?”
Dick nodded. “Don’t worry, there’s still enough wheat bread, lettuce and tomato left to make sandwiches if that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds good.”
Dick walked over to Bruce’s chair and kissed him. “Glad to see you home.”
His grin was blinding as he straightened up, and Bruce couldn’t help but smile. “Me, too.”
He watched Dick leave, never tiring of simply watching his young lover move.
His smile faded as he recalled his thoughts from a short time ago, but then put them out of his mind as he concentrated on finishing his paperwork, looking forward to lunch with Dick.
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters: Bruce/Dick
Category: Romance
Rating (this chapter): G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Dick dances for Bruce alone.
Summary (this chapter): Bruce hears music in the Manor.
Date Of Completion: July 15, 2007
Date Of Posting: July 17, 2007
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1062
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author's Note: All chapters can be found here
I
RAINBOW DIAMONDS
Bruce entered the Manor through the front door, laying aside his briefcase and coat on the foyer table. He took out a sheaf of papers from the briefcase and headed for the study, not expecting to see anyone as Alfred was grocery shopping and Dick was in morning class at Gotham U.
He paused as he heard the faint strains of music coming from somewhere. Frowning, he silently walked down the hall, the music growing a little louder as he passed the study and library. He was close to the Grand Ballroom and stopped a few feet from the doorway.
Dick’s class must have been cancelled. He was in the ballroom, a CD player set on a towel on the polished floor, his body clad in cream-colored tights and a matching tank top. White bands encircled his wrists. As the music played, he stretched, his right leg impossibly limber as his hand grasped his ankle, his foot up by his head. He stretched the other leg, then leaned forward, balancing on the toes of one foot, his other leg stretched out behind him.
Bruce was surprised to see that Dick was wearing ballet slippers. They didn’t look new, but they were not well-worn, either. The old slippers he had worn as a child were long gone.
As Dick slowly went through a series of ballet exercises, Bruce recalled the young boy who had briefly taken ballet lessons, giving them up when he had informed Bruce that the lessons were cutting too much into his training time as Robin. The modern dance lessons were also dropped a short time later, but Dick remembered the basic exercises and often used them to stretch and work out.
Bruce had never seen this series of exercises, however, or at least not performed in ballet slippers.
He watched the grace of his young lover’s lithe body, the music a perfect counterpoint to the bronzed muscles. Strong legs combined with delicate balance to perform difficult exercises. Dick performed en pointe again, a brief display of power and skill that took Bruce’s breath away.
But then, watching Dick’s grace had always done that, whether the times he’d seen Dick dance or the magical way he flew across rooftops.
He stayed silent as he watched, Dick putting on a performance that showed real talent, shining brightly through the simple yet powerful moves. The ballroom was a perfect background for him: gold drapes, tall windows, enormous crystal chandeliers, and the polished floor. Golden motes of light streamed in, dancing around his body as prisms of light from the chandeliers created rainbow diamonds on the floor and on cloth and flesh.
His hair was slightly shaggy as he worked, framing a face intent on making the moves as the classical music continued playing. His focused intensity was no surprise to Bruce, who had seen it underneath the playfulness and banter of Robin.
As the music reached a crescendo, Dick went through a flurry of moves that brought him down to the end of the ballroom in quick time, rainbow ribbons of light spiraling around and behind him like shining streamers. The burst of energy was typical.
Bruce smiled, then backed away and down the corridor. As he walked to his study, a slight frown appeared on his face.
Did Dick ever regret not being able to study dance, whether ballet or modern? Bruce had seen enough of both types of performances to know that his lover could have made quite a name for himself in either world. With the proper training and study, he could have danced across the stages of the world, famous in his own right, the toast of the cultured and erudite, instead of spending his evenings battling thugs and dodging bullets.
Bruce sat in his chair behind the large cherrywood desk, laying out his papers. He had asked Dick to give up a lot in his life with him. His life with the circus (though Social Services might not have allowed him to stay), a chance at a normal childhood and adolescence, so many different career plans that did not include flying across the rooftops of a decaying, crime-riddled city at night.
Bruce sighed. He had even asked that Dick suppress his natural exuberance and light by working with a man enamored of the shadows. Despite the bright costume he wore and the quips he threw out, Dick had to melt into the shadows as much as his mentor did, keeping a lid on what could be neverending joy…with someone else.
But Dick loved him, and wanted to stay with him, and continue as Robin. Didn’t he?
“Hey, Bruce.”
Bruce nearly jumped, years of training keeping him from obvious startlement. He turned and smiled at Dick, who was wiping his face with the towel he wore around his neck, carrying his CD player. He set the player on a small table.
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same myself.”
“Joe called and told me class was cancelled. He was at the library and heard about it. Saved me a trip to campus.”
“Same for me. My meeting was cancelled so I decided to come home for lunch.” Bruce admired the gleaming of Dick’s skin as a shaft of sunlight hit him. “Didn’t you say you needed to study at the library, though?”
“I can do that tomorrow. I’m nearly caught up with everything. Look, I’ll rustle us up something to eat after I shower.”
“Alfred’s coming back with the groceries, isn’t he?”
Dick shook his head. “He called a little while ago. He’s going to stay in town and have lunch with Leslie, then he’ll do the shopping and come home.”
“So we’re at the end of our week’s food?”
Dick nodded. “Don’t worry, there’s still enough wheat bread, lettuce and tomato left to make sandwiches if that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds good.”
Dick walked over to Bruce’s chair and kissed him. “Glad to see you home.”
His grin was blinding as he straightened up, and Bruce couldn’t help but smile. “Me, too.”
He watched Dick leave, never tiring of simply watching his young lover move.
His smile faded as he recalled his thoughts from a short time ago, but then put them out of his mind as he concentrated on finishing his paperwork, looking forward to lunch with Dick.