Shadows.
Pairing: Bruce/Dick [Batman]
Date Written: November 13, 2005
Dick crouches at the edge of the roof of one of Bludhaven’s many abandoned warehouses. When he sees the car he’s been tracking for blocks crawling slowly down the alley, he jumps from the edge, catches the flag pole sticking out from the side of building, and flips himself around a few times before landing neatly on the hood of the car. He sways slightly as the car comes to an abrupt stop, trying to keep his balance. As the driver’s side door opens, Dick leaps at the occupant of the car, knocking him to the ground. They struggle for a moment before Dick gets the upper hand and wrenches the other man’s hands behind his back. He quickly ties them together before picking up the man by the ropes and manhandling him into the backseat of the car. The man swears at him, but Dick doesn’t pay him any attention. Instead, Dick closes the door with every intention of driving the car straight to the police station, but as he’s about to get in the driver’s seat, he hears something over the running motor and the other man’s swearing. A small sound, but it sets the hair on the back of Dick’s neck on edge. His eyes scan the dark alley before he calls out.
“Who’s there? Show yourself.”
There’s a slight movement in the shadows next to a dumpster. Dick tenses and waits, but after a second, he notices that it’s only a rat. With a shrug, he turns and gets in the car while admonishing himself mentally for getting spooked.
The next night, as Dick is crouched on yet another rooftop, he hears the same sound as he had the night before, only this time, it’s behind him. Immediately, Dick goes on alert. Rats usually aren’t found on the roofs of buildings. Besides, now that he thinks about it, it sounds more like a footfall. Dick turns slowly and scans the roof, but sees no one in the moonlight. Frowning slightly, Dick leaps from the roof he’s on to the one below it and peers down through the skylight just in time to catch a criminal stealing from the warehouse below. Opening the skylight with as little noise as he can manage, Dick leaps down onto a stack of boxes before diving at the criminal, knocking him to the concrete floor. Over the sounds of the criminal’s harsh breathing, Dick swears he hears the small sound again.
Over the next several nights, Dick hears that small sound of someone’s footfall over and over again. Each time, no one is there in the darkness. Dick begins to think he might need to get his hearing checked until he finally catches the movement of someone out of the corner of his eye. Turning on his knees from his crouched position, Dick runs after the shadow. He chases after it, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until he suddenly runs out of roofs and skids to a stop instead of falling off the edge into the murky water below. Wondering where the shadow went, Dick peers down into the river, but sees nothing at first. Finally, he notices a ledge sticking out from the edge of the building. He slides down the side of the building and onto the ledge, following it around the corner of the building until he gets to a fire escape. That’s when he sees the shadow again. Taking a chance, Dick leaps from the ledge to the fire escape and drops himself down onto the level the shadow is currently climbing down onto. As the shadow reaches him, apparently having not noticed him, Dick grabs at what he thinks is the shadow’s throat and pushes it against the side of building.
“Who are you?” Dick asks as he squints in the dark to try and see the shadow’s features more clearly.
No answer. Dick growls the question again.
“You know who I am.”
Dick recognizes the voice immediately and he drops his hand from the shadow’s throat. “Bruce?”
No answer, but Dick doesn’t need one.
“Why have you been following me?”
Once again, no answer. Dick growls in frustration.
“Talk to me, damn you.”
Bruce’s hand darts out and digs into Dick’s hair before his mouth covers Dick’s in a heated kiss. Surprised, Dick automatically opens his mouth to Bruce and their tongues glide against each other until Dick finally has to come up for air.
“What was that for?”
“I…”
As the clouds part to reveal a full moon, Dick catches a glint of something in Bruce’s eyes.
“I missed you too.”
Date Written: November 13, 2005
Dick crouches at the edge of the roof of one of Bludhaven’s many abandoned warehouses. When he sees the car he’s been tracking for blocks crawling slowly down the alley, he jumps from the edge, catches the flag pole sticking out from the side of building, and flips himself around a few times before landing neatly on the hood of the car. He sways slightly as the car comes to an abrupt stop, trying to keep his balance. As the driver’s side door opens, Dick leaps at the occupant of the car, knocking him to the ground. They struggle for a moment before Dick gets the upper hand and wrenches the other man’s hands behind his back. He quickly ties them together before picking up the man by the ropes and manhandling him into the backseat of the car. The man swears at him, but Dick doesn’t pay him any attention. Instead, Dick closes the door with every intention of driving the car straight to the police station, but as he’s about to get in the driver’s seat, he hears something over the running motor and the other man’s swearing. A small sound, but it sets the hair on the back of Dick’s neck on edge. His eyes scan the dark alley before he calls out.
“Who’s there? Show yourself.”
There’s a slight movement in the shadows next to a dumpster. Dick tenses and waits, but after a second, he notices that it’s only a rat. With a shrug, he turns and gets in the car while admonishing himself mentally for getting spooked.
The next night, as Dick is crouched on yet another rooftop, he hears the same sound as he had the night before, only this time, it’s behind him. Immediately, Dick goes on alert. Rats usually aren’t found on the roofs of buildings. Besides, now that he thinks about it, it sounds more like a footfall. Dick turns slowly and scans the roof, but sees no one in the moonlight. Frowning slightly, Dick leaps from the roof he’s on to the one below it and peers down through the skylight just in time to catch a criminal stealing from the warehouse below. Opening the skylight with as little noise as he can manage, Dick leaps down onto a stack of boxes before diving at the criminal, knocking him to the concrete floor. Over the sounds of the criminal’s harsh breathing, Dick swears he hears the small sound again.
Over the next several nights, Dick hears that small sound of someone’s footfall over and over again. Each time, no one is there in the darkness. Dick begins to think he might need to get his hearing checked until he finally catches the movement of someone out of the corner of his eye. Turning on his knees from his crouched position, Dick runs after the shadow. He chases after it, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until he suddenly runs out of roofs and skids to a stop instead of falling off the edge into the murky water below. Wondering where the shadow went, Dick peers down into the river, but sees nothing at first. Finally, he notices a ledge sticking out from the edge of the building. He slides down the side of the building and onto the ledge, following it around the corner of the building until he gets to a fire escape. That’s when he sees the shadow again. Taking a chance, Dick leaps from the ledge to the fire escape and drops himself down onto the level the shadow is currently climbing down onto. As the shadow reaches him, apparently having not noticed him, Dick grabs at what he thinks is the shadow’s throat and pushes it against the side of building.
“Who are you?” Dick asks as he squints in the dark to try and see the shadow’s features more clearly.
No answer. Dick growls the question again.
“You know who I am.”
Dick recognizes the voice immediately and he drops his hand from the shadow’s throat. “Bruce?”
No answer, but Dick doesn’t need one.
“Why have you been following me?”
Once again, no answer. Dick growls in frustration.
“Talk to me, damn you.”
Bruce’s hand darts out and digs into Dick’s hair before his mouth covers Dick’s in a heated kiss. Surprised, Dick automatically opens his mouth to Bruce and their tongues glide against each other until Dick finally has to come up for air.
“What was that for?”
“I…”
As the clouds part to reveal a full moon, Dick catches a glint of something in Bruce’s eyes.
“I missed you too.”