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”Richard?”
Dick looks up towards the voice at his door from his perch at his desk. He sees a small body that used to belong to a grown man dressed in the tiger footie pajamas complete with a hoodie that Dick had bought for him earlier.
“Is there something you need Bruce?”
Looking shyly up from the stuffed elephant in his arms, Bruce asks, “Would it be any trouble for me to reside by your side tonight?”
Raising an eyebrow, though he shouldn’t be surprised at the eight year olds choice in wording, Dick nods his consent. As Bruce makes his way towards the bed he comes to the realization that he has to either climb or run to be able to make it onto the bed without asking for help. Dick makes a motion like he was about to get up, but Bruce makes the snap decision to run at the bed. Only he didn’t make it.
Smiling to himself in amusement, Dick bends down to place the child on the bed. Placing his hand against the top of Bruce’s head, Dick leans down to ask him, “Does Alfred know that you left your room?”
Bruce nods his head as he wobbles his way up the bed and settles himself under the dark blue comforter. “I have informed Alfred of my new whereabouts when I passed by his quarters.”
“Now why have you made the decision to come to me tonight?”
Instead of gracing Dick with an answer, Bruce glances towards the far wall where the window resides. Following his gaze, the young man takes notice of the brewing storm on the horizon. Quirking an eyebrow, Dick wonders whether or not the grown up Bruce also had trepidation when it came to thunder storms; though to be honest, seeing as how Batman makes it a habit to stand on tall building during thunderstorms to look intimidating, probably not. “Would you like me to lay with you until you fall asleep?”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
Smiling, Dick grabs his laptop from his previous perch before making himself comfortable beside the smaller body. “Would you like to watch a movie?” Dick asks.
Head tilting, Bruce’s eyebrows scrunch in the middle in contemplation. “What movie?”
“Dumbo.”
Leaning back against the headboard, Dick can’t help but smile when Bruce cuddles up to his right side and promptly falls asleep halfway through the movie. Making the decision to watch the whole movie before settling down for the night, predictively, Dick ends up shedding some tears at the exact same scene that he always does while watching this particular film. What wasn’t expected though, was the small, warm hand that places itself against his cheek wiping away a few tear trails. Dick turns his head and stares at the impossibly insightful eyes of a child.
“Don’t cry,” Bruce whispers as he takes the, currently, older boy’s hand in his own, “you still have a family.” Dick watches as Bruce lays back down on the bed, his head settling itself on his chest; Bruce’s fist over Dick’s heart. Smiling to himself, he decides to power down for the night as well. Curling himself around the tiny body of the man he likes to call his father, Dick reminds himself that he should probably give Bruce more hugs this next year in thanks, after he figures out how to get him back to normal. Maybe.