тнєιя ℓαѕт ѕσℓα¢є | A Batfamily Fanfiction

Chapter 8| Light Brown Alstroemerias

2001 -- W A Y N E M A N O R, Gotham

Richard wasn't at all talkative, unlike Will. It had been a month, and even so, Richard still seemed to be pretty closed off. Could Maisara blame him? No. The boy had seen his parents fall from the height of a building and die just a month ago, so it would inevitably take a little longer.

Maisara wanted to help him. She really did. She just didn't know how. On many occasions, he wouldn't eat his food, so she would simply bring it to him. She would knock, let him know it's there and when she heard no reply, she would leave. She would invite him for movies, but once again would hear no reply, so she would leave. Sometimes, after a few minutes, he would come and sit on the opposite end of the couch and they'd watch the movie in silence. But that was about the most interaction they had.

Truth be told, she was starting to see Bruce worry. It made her slightly jealous, he had never worried like so for her, but she convinced herself it was because he had seen his parents die recently and because even as a child, she had stronger mentality than him.

Maisara never slept early, contrary to what (she thought) Bruce thought. (Bruce knew. He was too lazy to enforce anything. And Alfred knows everything.) She was always up doing extra school work to get ahead, or maybe cross-checking contracts-- something like that, but always work.

A knock on the door at about 12:45 A.M surprised her. She jumped slightly at the sound, but got up from her desk and opened the door nonetheless. There stood he, Dick Grayson, in all his glory. His lip was quivering as far as she could see. Immediately she stepped aside.

"Come in." She invited. He didn't think twice before accepting. He entered but stood awkwardly in the middle of the room; his body language shouting uncomfortable, and tears threatening to fall.

Maisara closed the door, and stood unsure for a moment. They weren't very close, so she had no idea what to do to comfort him. Thankfully, he began before she had to ask.

"I dream about them so much." His voice came out hoarse yet squeaky. Maisara just knew who he was talking about.

"It's always the same. They're smiling, and leading me to the ramp and as soon we reach the top... I push them off." He retold. It was evident from the way his shoulders were quivering, the way he was clenching the bottom of his shirt, and the way little droplets pattered to the floor - two at a time - that he was crying. And Maisara didn't shame him for it.

Instead, she went up behind him, turned him around and held him. His hands climbed up and clenched her shirt. He sobbed and sobbed without stopping.

"I was- I was too scared, and I didn't go first. I killed them. If only I had gone first-"Maisara hugged him so tight, he couldn't breathe, let alone talk.

"You never say that again, okay? If you had gone first, I would never have met my big brother, and your parents would be condemned to eternal grieving. Never think you killed them. It was an accident. That's all. And if you say something like that again, I'll hug you as tight as I am right now and no way will I let you go. Understand?" Maisara gave a short speech. In reply she heard a wheeze which she considered a yes, so she let him go.

From the shock of the loss of air, he had stopped crying, and now Dick was embarrassed by the show he had put on. In truth, he didn't know why he came to Maisara. He just felt unnaturally comfortable around her, like she was some sort of messiah. He just knew somehow he could trust her. It was a trust deeply rooted in baseless faith. Even if she was 2 years younger than himself.

"Come on." Maisara beckoned. She walked to her bed and moved beneath her duvet. Dick was quick to move with her. It seemed all he longed for for the entire month was for someone to wrap their arms around him, to tell him it was going to be okay without his parents behind him. The moment he lay with her, she held both his hands with her own and rested them on the pillow.

"Do you mind if I do this?" Asked Maisara with her eyes big and inquiring. It was as if she was telling him that she would be fine no matter what he chose.

"I don't mind at all." He mumbled shyly. Maisara smiled. Despite never being able to sleep with lights on, Dick was in deep slumber in mere minutes.

Their night ended like that; with the two children holding each other's hands as they slept. That night was the first night in a month that Dick didn't have any nightmares.

2001 -- W A Y N E M A N O R, Gotham

It had been 3 months since Dick and Maisara got close. Seeing how comfortable Maisara was around Oliver, eventually he became comfortable too, and then there were three.

Bruce often wondered what happened that made the two now-siblings so close in the first place. Despite being the Caped Crusader, he couldn't figure out why his responsibility got along so well with Dick.

Alfred, on the other hand, was extremely happy. He was glad that the three of them were peas in a pod, and luckily included William when he had time. They were the 4 musketeers, in his opinion. He remembered that when he was young, him and his friends used to call themselves that, and it reminded him of back in the day when he saw them playing together.

Bruce and Dick too had started to spend time together, and the background of that relationship was only observed by everyone except Maisara.

Dick's eyes fluttered open. He looked at the alarm next to him. It was 2 A.M, yet he was parched. He decided to go get a drink of water.

As he went down the hallway, he found the light of the office was still on.

"Bruce is still working?" He thought. "I'd better check in on him."

A child's curiosity won him over, and he decided to check it out. As he approached the office, the light got brighter and brighter. He opened the door, only to find the room vacant except...

There was a hole in the wall where the clock was supposed to be. There was a staircase which lead so far down, Dick couldn't see it's end. 

What was that staircase? What was it doing there? Where did it lead to?

Dick knew the only way to find out was to go in, and so he did. As he descended the spiral staircase, he realized he was surrounded by darkness. It felt as though the steps would never end. He considered going back, but as soon as he did, his foot slipped, and he slid down the rest of the staircase. And he was in the Batcave.

Bruce had just returned from crime fighting. What he saw made him pause, and then flood with rage. Dick stood out like a sore thumb in his pajamas white white bunnies on them. He looked around in wonder, sitting on the floor and moving his head around, his mouth agape like a fish.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked with rage, forgetting he had his helmet was off, but not his costume. Dick's eyes landed on him and his were nearly going to fall out at this point.

"YOU'RE BATMAN?" He screeched. Bruce paused again; this time he adjusted his voice to answer, but before he could- Dick gasped

"Am I in....The Bat room?" Dick's eyes were shining.

"It's called the Batcave-"

"SO YOU ARE BATMAN!"

"Wait- No- That was a TRICK-"

"Did you fight the joker? Wait no, the riddler? How about the-" 

"Shush!" Bruce shouted. "I'll answer all of your questions but first-"

Dick gasped again, this time seemingly in horror.

"Does Maisara know?" He whispered. Bruce thinned his lips at the question.

"No. No she doesn't."

Dick and Bruce didn't talk since then, but Bruce often caught Dick throwing murderous glares at him, practically ordering him to tell her. Bruce ignored them. He just didn't want to tell Maisara. Keeping her safe was a priority, and it wouldn't be easy to do with her trying to help him out on the field.  

Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts would soon be of no use. Maisara would stray farther and farther away until he couldn't see her anymore, let alone keep her safe.