Catch Me If I Fall || R.Grayson ||

Cookies and Kidnappers:

"My mom says I shouldn't hang out around you," 

Barbara said it so casually as she munched on one of Alfred's cookies. They were waiting on the grass by the front sidewalk for their rides to show.

"Why?" Dick asked, popping the rest of his cookie into his mouth. He absolutely loved those cookies, and no words could describe them. Except maybe magic. "What did I do?"

"I don't know. She just said that I should be friends with kids who are less likely to get in trouble."

Richard frowned softly. He shifted position to cross his legs on the ground. They were sitting under one of the tall trees just outside the front gates, backpacks and shoes cast aside on the new spring grass, which was still a little soggy from the freshly melted snow, but neither of them minded wet bottoms at the moment.

 "Me?" He said, digging through his lunch bag for another cookie. "Why would she think that I'm more likely to get into trouble? You're the one who starts most of the fights."

"Only because you don't."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Babs knew that Dick knew full well what it had to do with it; ever since his panic attack last fall at the beginning of the school year, Tyler Micheals and some of his new buddies had switched from directly picking on her, to targeting him. And it made sense. He was small, and passive, and wasn't one to make a scene on his own free will.

"What time is it?" Dick asked.

"I don't know."

"Alfred should be here by now. I wonder what's taking him so long."

"I need a watch," Babs muttered through a mouthful of cookies.

"I didn't know you could tell time," Dick said, clearly fighting a smile. He was really beginning to loosen up, and that made it easier for Babs to joke around. Now she was confidant that she could call him names without upsetting him.

"Unlike you," she shot back, motioning for him to pass his lunch bag. He handed it over wordlessly, just giggling. She laughed with him. "You should come over."

"Me?" He wondered.

"Yeah, you. Tell you what, if Alfred comes before my mom, we'll ask him and then wait till Mom comes. We'll see if you can come right home with us."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! We could run to the playground and do handstands on top of the monkey bars!"

"Yes!" Dick exclaimed. "Can we? That sounds like so much fun!"

Barbara's mind was suddenly overflowing with ideas, and different activities for them to do at her house. "Yeah! And I could show you my room, and maybe introduce you to Coleen and her brother — they live across the street — or we could jump on the trampoline! You could even ride my bike if you don't mind pink — but don't go too fast cuz I'll have to be on the scooter."

"But what if your mom comes first?"

"We can wait for Alfred, I guess. Probably not though."

"Actually, um, Barbara?" Dick looked suddenly unsure. His brow was furrowing softly. "I've actually ... Never been to a friends house before ..."

Babs gasped. "What?! What do you mean?"

"I ... Uh ..." he brushed his hair back from his forehead, blushing a little. He shrugged. "I've just never been to a friend's house before."