Getting to know you

That's new

Dick woke up with the sun in his eyes, a wake up call he hadn't had since his Mami and Tati were still alive. He sat up with a groan, wincing at the pain in his side. The pain killers must have worn off. He looked at the clock and groaned when it read 4:00 am. Too early. Dick groaned as he rolled over and closed his eyes again.

It was very quiet. The house was silent, the others sleeping off their vigilante job. It was that beautiful time Dick loved, when it was quiet, and calm, and no one cared who you were. You were just you. It was still too early to wake up, though.

Dick winced again, his injury prompting him to get up. Maybe there was pain reliever in the bathroom cabinet. He stood shakily and slowly walked over, holding his wound gingerly. He hated injuries.

Unfortunately, the cabinet was empty. Maybe the cave has some. Dick grimaced at the thought of the long travel. He still had to do it, though. I'm gonna die, but I'll do it for pain medicine.

Dick took a deep breath and started walking. It hurt every time he put pressure on his right foot. Nevertheless, he made it through the maze of hallways to the grandfather clock. He inserted the code, which Bruce had told him. He stepped into the elevator and let it take him down.

Bruce looked up as the elevator opened, surprised. Usually it was only him that was awake. He was even more surprised when he saw it was the newest addition to his family. "What are you doing up?" "The pain was starting to come back, and I didn't have any reliever in my room. I thought there might be some down here."

Bruce noticed the slight wince Dick had whenever he walked. Bruce stood up and walked over. He supported some of Dick's weight as they walked over, surprising the boy. When he was injured, he was expected to take care of things himself.

Dick sat down heavily, groaning as he held his side. "Are you ok?" "I'll be fine. I've been through worse." "That's not exactly reassuring." "Sorry." Dick looked down, avoiding Bruce's eyes. "Hey, it's ok. I was just worried." Bruce gently grabbed Dick's hands.

Dick looked up confused. Why wasn't Bruce punishing him? Bruce slowly moved his hand up towards Dick's face, only to see him flinch. A bruise laid on Dick's cheekbone, where a slap might land.

"Dick, what happened?" "Why aren't you punishing me? I showed pain." Dick sounded…scared. Dick was scared. "I'm not going to punish you for showing pain. What kind of sense does that make?" Dick was trembling as he looked into Bruce's eyes. He looked like a kicked puppy that didn't understand why it wasn't being kicked.

Bruce pulled Dick into a hug, causing him to gasp and stiffen up again. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise, I will never hurt you. Show all the pain you need. It doesn't bother us." Dick buried his head in Bruce's shoulder and cried again, wanting more of the love he'd missed.

Bruce sat on the gurney and pulled the sobbing boy into his lap. He gently rocked Dick back and forth, humming a small song. Dick curled and buried himself in Bruce's arms. His pain didn't seem to exist anymore.

Bruce planted a small kiss on Dick's forehead, enough to convince Dick that Bruce really wouldn't hurt him. He sniffed and wiped his tears, making no movement to get out of Bruce's grasp. Instead, he dug in further. "I love you, dad." "I love you, son. Never forget that." The two fell asleep on the gurney, holding each other like there was nothing left.