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Bruce flipped to the next chapter, right as Dick pounced onto his back and snatched a peek at Jules Verne.
He scrabbled away but Bruce caught him—reached back, realigned Dick across his shoulder blades—and kept reading.
Dick chose retaliation. He poked a finger between Bruce's shirt buttons, pressed into his skin. Drew slow circles around his breastbone.
Bruce didn't even twitch.
Dick screwed up his nose. Let the scrape of his nail speak instead.
Bruce tilted his head, stretching his broad, biteable neck and mouthed along to the words as he read. He stuck his thumb between his teeth and sucked. The wet tip, he used, to turn the page.
Dick adapted. "We lost . . . so much time."
Bruce finally turned.
In fairness, Bruce probably hadn't forgotten the months he was stuck playing Ms Frizzle through Bat HistoryTM.
The book snapped shut.
Bruce walked them over to the settee and let Dick leap off onto his own cushion before he sat himself.
He set the novel on an armrest, presenting Dick with his full attention.
A shiver trickled along Dick’s spine—Bruce’s uninterrupted gaze was devoted and heady and empowering.
He finally spoke. "I feel the same way."
Dick smiled as Bruce gently took his jaw and leaned close. Kissed him deep. Licked into his mouth, slow and hungry. He ended up halfway across Dick’s lap before Dick batted him away with a smile.
"In the library, Bruce? This is sacred ground! Alfred reads his romance novels in here."
"It had to get christened eventually." Bruce grinned, extra roguish with the flicks of hair across his face, and offered more freely than Before. Damn.
Dick pushed him back, mind buzzing as Bruce reclaimed his own cushion.
"In a little bit." Dick sat upright . . . And then he sidled up next to Bruce. "I want to see if Pierre and the others make it out."
Bruce retrieved the book. "A maelstrom just hit."
"So, a hundredth horrible thing is between them and the way home, I see."
Bruce watched him. "I’m not saying it ends sadly."
"Really?"
Bruce curled an arm around Dick as he draped himself across Bruce's chest.
"Really. They get out alive and . . ."
Dick hugged the bar of Bruce's arm around him.
". . . Grateful."
"I do love a happy ending, B. I knew they’d be all right."
"Yeah. I guess I did too."