Avoiding Past And Future

(47) Intermediate

October 16, evening

The flight home had been, unsurprisingly, very quiet. Not long after getting seated and making sure neither Danny nor Cujo would mess with the tech on accident, the overall mood dimmed significantly. The adrenaline wore off pretty fast once they were in a safe location, causing both boys' moods to crash rapidly. Bruce hadn't said a word, not trying any more attempts to keep it light as even he knew their eventual downturn was inevitable. It couldn't stay all smiles and happy tears all the time.

Not after everything that happened.

After landing in the Batcave, it only got worse. The boys got out first, greeted by Alfred as the elderly gentleman awaited them with a soft smile. "Good evening, young masters. I do hope you had a pleas- oh my." Alfred cut himself off with a small gasp as Batman also exited the jet. He eyed the boys, their heads hung in shame as they avoided the man's gaze. Neither of them looked up as they silently walked over to the changing rooms.

Locking eyes with Batman's masked ones instead, the hero glared softly. There was no actual malice behind it, never when it's Alfred, but it was enough to make his displeasure known. The air felt heavy, their staring match helping nobody as they both stood their grounds against the other's stare. Neither men saying anything as they waited for the twins to finish up their showers and getting dressed. "We will talk about this," Batman stated firmly, breaking the silence as he nodded over to the boys who walked out now in some comfortable sweats. "But first, we need to set up Danny's room." As Batman headed off to the BatComputer, Alfred led the twins upstairs.

It was quite eerie, he remarked to himself, how the usually quite lively pair were so quiet. He led them straight to the kitchen, a small yet hearty meal already prepared as the man had predicted they'd come home after training. Never would he have guessed they would come back together with Batman however. That in and of itself amplified his gut feeling of something having gone horribly wrong.

They both took a seat at the counter rather than the main table, sitting as close as the chairs would allow them to. Their gaze remained downcast, not even looking up as the man offered them a plate of sandwiches and a light soup. They didn't make a move to start eating, simply staring at the food as Alfred handed Danny his usual medication.

It was only after Alfred placed an encouraging hand on Danny's shoulder that the boy finally spoke. "I...Sorry Alfred, I'm not really hungry." His eyes only briefly ticked up, not even looking for long enough that Alfred could read his expression before wild bangs covered his gaze again.

Glancing over to Dick's plate, it didn't seem like either were too open to the idea of food at the moment. Still, with how pale they looked, he didn't want to leave them before he at least witnessed one singular bite. "Please, young master. Do try to manage a few bites, if only so you may take your medication." He tried to keep his voice gentle, years of practice nearly worthless as he looked at the lifeless boys before him. If anything, it was most imperative that Danny ate something. Both for his overall recovery and so he wouldn't be taking his medication on an empty stomach.

Shaking slightly, Danny reached over for his brother's hand. His stomach turned looking at the food, already knowing it won't sit well later. Dick met his in the middle, giving Danny a tight squeeze before they each reached for a sandwich. They managed a few, painstakingly slow, bites between their sandwich and soup as Alfred finished cleaning up the kitchen. Danny paused his eating, putting down his spoon to switch it out for the cup of medication Alfred had left next to him.

Dick paused as well, glancing over at Danny with a lot more caution than he had previously observed between the pair. Alfred could tell Dick knew something wouldn't go well. Chalking it up to a special twin connection, he patiently waited as Danny stared at the medication with dread all over his face.