Work Text:
Dick’s alarm went off at 5am, he begrudgingly woke up to the voice of the NPR newscaster talking about an asteroid being researched at STAR labs. He looked over at his wife, Kori was a deep sleeper and he knew that she would get up in her own time. For most couples this wouldn’t be a problem but Dick and Kori were rather unlike most couples, as Kori was lying perpendicular to Dick with her arms wrapped tightly around him. He knew that he couldn’t get them off of him without waking her which he didn’t want to do.
However he didn’t need to, he simply leaned up and she went up with him. Luckily she had a good dream and was floating. He carefully got out of bed with the alien floating along, anchored to his person. He turned off the radio and gingerly exited the room, taking extra care to not disturb Kori. He made his way to the kitchen and turned on the radio there, the same story was playing and Dick half listened as he filled up the kettle and put coffee into the french press. He poured himself a glass of water and wondered if Wally would be working on the strange extra-terrestrial rock.
Weeeeeee
The water was down boiling and Dick carefully turned around to pour the boiling water into the french press and gently pushed down the plunger. It would be ready soon, so he was content to wait a minute or so in drowsiness. He sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen, he leaned back knowing that Kori would keep him steady. He wrapped his own arms around her in a way that would be rather uncomfortable for anyone else, and was content.
After a few moments he got up and poured himself a cup of coffee, he lifted the mug to his lips and then took a sip almost flinching at the sudden bitterness. He let out a sigh as the drowsiness slowly started to subside. He wanted to get some stuff done so he headed towards the couch. He crouched down beside it and gently and carefully loosened Kori’s grip on him, she usually relaxed after a couple minutes. He then gently guided her over the couch and placed a blanket over her as she floated down. Without Kori wrapped around him he suddenly felt chilly. It was something of a hassle, but Dick wouldn’t want it any other way.
He finished his coffee and got out his Yoga mat, he did a few stretches and then got into his work out. Push ups, crunches, squats, burpees, a whole range of yoga poses, reps, the whole 9 yards and an extra acre for good measure. He did his after-workout stretches and headed back to the couch. He looked at Kori and she was so content in her sleep that he thought that he could maybe get a 20 minute run in before she woke up.
So Dick walked over to the window and pulled beside the curtains to see snow and lots of it. He could barely make out the street from all of the snow falling down.
“I guess I won’t go for a run then.” Dick said absentmindedly as he headed for the bathroom deciding to get in a quick shower.
After leaving the shower he was even colder, realizing the heating wasn’t yet on he headed to the bedroom and quickly put on some sweats and a shirt and also his dressing gown(every Wayne had one, it was like an unspoken rule, Bruce even gave Kori one as a wedding present) he then walked over to the couch and sat in front of it and wrapped himself in a blanket as the radiant heat of his wife warmed him.
He was half listening to the radio as it transitioned out of the STAR labs story to local news, Dick waited eagerly waited for the weather report. After some reports on various miscellaneous occurrence-including one involving superheroes Nightwing and Starfire preventing an explosion-it was time for the weather. And it seemed that Bludhaven was in for roughly a foot of snow today, with special traffic warnings for the roads, many of which would be closed. Dick imagined that the schools would also close today, he leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. As much as he loved his job he could use a short break, especially with how occupied his weekends were.
He sat there listening to the radio, he decided he would wait there till Kori got up. The radio started replaying some stories from the previous days including a piece on Lee Krasner that Dick found very interesting.
After some time had passed Kori woke up, she stretched over the couch which wasn’t very difficult for her. Dick turned around to look at her and Kori couldn’t help but smile at her husband wrapped in a blanket and sitting on the floor.
“Good morning dear.” Kori said as she pulled Dick into a kiss.
“Good morning honey.” Dick replied after Kori had leaned back onto the couch.
“Why are you on the floor?” Kori asked with raised eyebrows.
“Well it was snowing and cold, so I decided to bundle up and sit by you.” Dick said, starting to question exactly why he was on the floor.
“That explains it.” Kori said laughing, “But I do think that the couch is more comfortable.”
“You're probably right.” Dick said as he clumsily pushed himself onto the couch, “Yeah this is more comfortable.” He said as he leaned back as Kori wrapped her arms around him.
“Did you make coffee?” Kori asked half asleep.
“Yeah, wanna finish this cup just poured.” Dick said, offering the mug of still warm coffee.
“Sure.” she said, taking the cup to her lips, “Have you been out running yet.”
“Nope, far too much snow.” Dick said as he rested his head on the back of the couch.
“How much is it?”
“Weather report says we’re in for roughly a foot of snow.”
“By X’hal that is a lot.” Kori exclaimed, “Do you believe that the school will still be open?”
“No way, with that much snow and ice on the road they can’t open.” Dick said, as he moved a strand of his wife's hair.
` “Well then what shall we do?” Kori was quite confused by all this, her work at the school was the first normal job she had ever had so she was confused as to what the procedures for this situation were.
“We wait until the school board makes a statement and then we stay home and work on anything we can do from here.”
“I see that doesn’t seem altogether unpleasant,” Kori remarked, “It has been some time since we have been able to spend time together.”
It was true that between both having full time jobs and also fighting crime and the occasional planetary threat did ensure that the two of them couldn’t spend as much time together as they would’ve liked.
“Yeah that does seem nice.” Dick said as he shut his eyes and snuggled up to his partner.
“Shall we return to bed?” Kori asked as she placed her hand on top of her husbands.
“Nah, then we’d have to get up.” Dick said, letting his eyes fall shut.
“How very wise you are, my love.” Kori said with a smile as she placed the cup of coffee down on the side board and gently closed her eyes.
About an hour later Dick woke up again, this time to find Kori sitting in the kitchen on her laptop. He walked over to her blanket draped around him as the heating had somehow still not come on. He took a cereal box out of the cabinet and made himself a bowl.
“I should probably talk to Mr.Fairfax about the heating.” Dick said as he sat opposite his wife who had food of her own.
“We truly pay more than enough in rent for that.” Kori remarked softly.
Dick took out his phone and checked his email, he noticed that he had received an email from the school board, informing him that the school was in fact closed. The email also said that he should email his students an assignment to complete. Dick sighed and scrolled through his emails, nothing important to read. He checked his email to see a text from Sophia Alvarez who taught English and theater.
“Hey Richard,” it read “making sure you saw the email”
“Yeah I did” He responded quickly.
“Don’t want you showing up at a closed school again”
“That only happened like twice,” Dick responded. “I hope you enjoy the day off Sophia. You deserve it.”
“Thank you, you and Kori do as well. Give her my love.”
“Of course, speak to you soon.” He turned off his phone and continued to eat.
“Sophia sends you her love.” He said addressing Kori.
“It is much appreciated.” Kori said, leaning back from her laptop.
“What are you working on?”
“Nothing of any importance, just organizing shoots around missions and work.”
“Isn’t that your manager's job?”
“Yes, but they have other responsibilities and I can do it just as well.”
“Self-reliant as ever.” Dick said with a smile. Kori closed her laptop and leaned forward grabbing her husband's hand as she lay on the kitchen island.
“It is rather strange.” Kori remarked as such picked up a tangerine.
“What is?” Dick responded as he gently rubbed his wife’s hand with his thumb.
“That I have so much time, yet nothing to do with it.” She seemed almost despondent about that reality.
“Babe you have a physics degree and a plethora of other qualifications, you could get any job you want.”
“In theory,” Kori said, letting go of Dick’s hand and leaning back “but I must also be on constant alert for any emergencies from the watchtower. As such I cannot really have a normal job.”
“I mean we do need people to help tutor at the school.” Dick said, trying to help his wife. “I mean you already know the school and it wouldn’t be that much of an adjustment. It would be difficult to get used to but you could do it.”
Kori looked upwards, the way she always did when she was thinking of something. “Perhaps that could work, perhaps it could.” She said before getting up and walking around to her husband and kissing his cheek. “I will take a shower and consider this.”
As she walked towards the bathroom the loud clanging of the boiler springing to live filled the room. “Finally.” Dick said as he removed the blanket from his shoulders.He wanted to help Kori in a more substantial way but there wasn’t much he could do. He knew how smart she was but many others did not, which always irritated him. She was right about her constraints and he could understand her frustrations.
With a sigh he got up to look for his own laptop, after roughly 15 minutes he found it on the dresser in the bedroom. He went to the couch and composed an email for his students. He sent an online worksheet and a video to his Spanish students, an article to summarize for his history students, and gave all of his students an extra credit assignment to build a snowman and send him a picture. It was silly for high school students but they were still kids after all.