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The Mayor. ‘Lies still’. Murder weapon still missing, Why riddles? Why leave a code? And why—
“B!”
Bruce will blame stress, exhaustion, lack of sleep and Dick’s mismatched socks as the reason why the kid has managed to sneak up on him. He barely has the time to close the most explicit photographs before Dick climbs to his chair and tries to look over his shoulder.
“Whatcha working on?”
Bruce doesn’t sigh when he turns to look at Dick, but is a close call. “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”
Dick shrugs.
“I snuck up past Alfred.” He most certainly did not. This is, at least in part, Alfred’s way of telling him he’s been down here for too long. “He looked worried.”
As he should be, as Bruce is, with what just happened. He has half the mind to open the files again, keep working, but the weight of Dick on his lap stops him.
One photograph remains open, though, the one with the code, and Dick doesn’t miss it.
“Is it a new case?” Bruce nods. “Can I help?”
He doesn’t doubt his answer for a second. “Absolutely not.”
He doesn’t want Dick anywhere near this mess.
“Please?”
“No.”
“C’mon B,” he groans, falling dramatically on his chest. “I’ve been training!”
For self-defence, to deal with the attention that comes with being Bruce Wayne’s ward, and because he found the Cave and wouldn’t leave neither Alfred nor Bruce alone until he was allowed to spend time there. Nowhere near enough to deal with whatever this ends up being.
Bruce does sigh this time and does not answer. Dick is still mumbling on his chest, but it’s obvious staying up so late is taking its toll on him, but Bruce knows he won’t leave without him either.
Well played Alfred.
“Okay, up to bed with you.” He picks up Dick by the waist, gently throwing him over his shoulder, like he half-remembers his father doing with him once or twice.
Dick laughs in response, going limp and letting himself hang side to side. For the first time all night, Bruce stops thinking about riddles and the mayor’s murder, an allows himself the tiniest of smiles.
He leaves Dick in his room, almost asleep, but stays until his breathing evens out. He closes the door with a soft click and, just as he’s thinking to go back down and keep working, he finds Alfred waiting right outside Dick’s room.
“You found young Richard I see. Is he asleep?” Bruce nods, knowing he’s caught. “I hope you’ll be following his example soon. You’ve been missed at the breakfast table.”
Alfred’s pointed look says it all, and Bruce gives up. “Goodnight Alfred.”
And if the next day he goes to have breakfast before going down to the Cave, finds Dick smiling brightly at him and Alfred discreetly working on the code, and he lets himself smile a little, lets himself enjoy it a little before going back to Gotham’s madness, well, that is no one’s business but his own.