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Dick finished his shower and threw the towel in the hamper. It was half full which was unusual. In fact, the last few times he’d showered in the cave the hamper had been pretty full. Perhaps Alfred had changed his routine and stopped emptying the hamper every day, but something told him that wasn’t the case.
———
Dick was sparring with Bruce whose new found vigour and flexibility was giving him a work out. Normally he could fight Bruce with one hand and text with the other, but since his miracle Oan treatment, Bruce was more than a match for him, which was unsettling. He took a time out to grab a bottle of water from the fridge and was surprised to see a supply of pineapple red bull.
“Hey Bruce, you’re branching out?”
Bruce was scrubbing at his head with a towel and looked puzzled.
“I’ve never seen anything in the cave other than water or black coffee.”
“Oh, that. It’s been pointed out to me that I could be more hospitable.”
“Yeah? Who by?”
But Bruce wasn’t listening any more. He was twirling an escrima stick and beckoning Dick back into the ring, and Dick found this took all his attention now.
———
Dick was dead on his feet. It was possible he was swaying on the spot and Bruce studied him. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and Bruce’s voice, low with concern. “You’re exhausted. Grab a few hours sleep before you drive home.”
It was testimony to how tired he was that he agreed - he’d normally be desperate to get home to Babs, but the appeal of curling up in the dark of the cave bedroom was too tempting. He staggered to the concealed door and collapsed on top of the covers. Surfacing a few hours later he noticed something definitely out of place - a half used packet of gum on the bedside table. Bruce detested gum and banned it from the Manor - one of the reasons Jason was sure to always be chewing it as obnoxiously as possible whenever he saw Bruce. And yet here it was, just lying in the most private room in the whole estate.
He turned it over in his hands, as though staring at the pack could reveal the secret of its origins. Red bull, gum and extra laundry in the cave. Bruce was seeing someone, and they had to be from the League, and someone from the League he liked and respected. That was a limited number of people. Diana? Not with the red bull and gum. zatanna? Too young, Bruce would recoil from dating someone close to his son in age. Clark? Happily married to Lois and too Kansas to cheat, though Dick was fairly sure Bruce would hit that given the chance. He put the gum back where he found it and drove home, pondering the mystery the whole way. In bed that night he mentioned it to Babs, setting out what he’d observed and how he was stuck on who it could be.
“How about Hal?”
“Hal?! Bruce hates Hal. No.” He paused and shook his head. “No, can’t be.”
“Why not?”
“They’re always arguing, Hal irritates Bruce, really gets under his skin.”
“Mmhmm.” Babs just looked at him.
“You think there’s a reason for that?”
“I think for a long time they’ve sparked off each other so much those who stand near them risk getting scorched. You’ve never wondered why that might be?”
“Not really. I try not to think about Bruce’s love life.”
“I’m telling you, it all adds up.”
“Does it though?”
Babe sat up and switched a light on, “Number one, their antagonism is obviously unresolved sexual tension (perhaps now resolved), number two, Hal managed to get an Oan treatment to save Bruce’s life, that’s not standard. Number three, you’ve found red bull and gum in the cave, both Hal Jordan trademarks.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘trademarks’.”
“Do you require a neon sign?”
“But Hal?”
“Hal who’s gorgeous, smart, brave and doesn’t take any crap from Bruce. Yes, that’s a really come out of nowhere, I tell you.”
Dick was propped up on one arm looking at her.
“You’re really convinced on this aren’t you?”
“I’m right on this.” She snapped the light back off and settled back down.
“Bruce and Hal.” Dick murmured in the dark, trying out how it sounded. Barbara dropped a kiss on his forehead.