Work Text:
Dick was leaning against the wall opposite Bruce, his eyes were shining, his mischievous smirk in place as he spoke. Bruce’s stoic mask slipped, crow’s feet gathering and the tension in his jaw easing as he replied. He must have said something funny as well, because Dick looked up grinning, on the cusp of a true laugh. Dick brushed his hair back behind his ear and had to tip his head back a bit to refocus on Bruce’s face. Had the larger man moved closer in the past two seconds?
Bruce stepped closer still, his hand cupped Dick’s cheek. Dick leaned into the touch for only a moment before sighing and pulling back, his smirk had slipping away, his head bumped against the wall as he peered up at Bruce through his long dark lashes, his body tensed. Were they about to fight?
Bruce’s hand was at the nape of Dick’s neck; his thumb was massaging there. Bruce must have said something funny again, because laugher ripped up through Dick, and he was twisting his head left to right as if to get away from the story being told or was it the hold, or both. He put an arm out to keep Bruce from getting closer, but it was hardly a real attempt because as the man gently tugged Dick forward and guided Dick’s head to rest on his chest Dick’s body went easily. There was no pause in the motion, no moment for negotiation, just well hewn pieces slotting back together. A few seconds after contact, Dick seem to have released a long held breath and with it all the tension from both of them ebbed away.
Bruce was talking to him now quietly near his ear. Bruce’s thumb was rubbing at the nape of Dick’s neck. His fingers were lost in the thick black hair; his other hand rested a bit too high to be mistaken for the small of Dick’s back. After a few moments Dick’s hands came up and gripped Bruce’s jacket, just at about his waist. There was still some space between their bodies, but the intimacy in the tableau was undeniable.
Kori’s elegant left eyebrow went up. “Hmnn.”
Beside her Dawn blushed and looked away. “Yeah, I…I’m sorry we didn’t warn you about that. It kinda of happens sometimes.”
“Like freaking magnets.” Donna grumbled.
“Ahh. If the poles are set right, you pull them apart and they circle each other. Let them go and they smash together. Some things are beginning to make sense now.” Kori said continuing to watch the two men saying goodbye at the end of the hallway, it was clear the two were wrapped in their own world.
“Probably … but I’m also sure it can’t be giving the whole picture. Truly who knows shit about that train wreck.” Donna scoffed.
“I don’t know, I might not be human but I know that type of tension when I see it.” Kori said teasingly.
“It’s …” Dawn didn’t have a words.
“Complicated.” All three women said at the same time, and Dawn gave a nervous laugh.
“Compelling aren’t they.” Donna said leaning now against the kitchen island watching them more intently. The open plan concept of the Tower had its benefits.
Kori hummed in agreement.
Bruce left a few minutes later. His words still a riot in Dick’s head. Dick looked back to the kitchen where the others had all clearly been watching his exchange with B. He wasn’t sure what they saw, or even if it mattered now anyways. Face flush, he turned and headed to his room. He needed to be alone for a while.
“So…” Kori said turning to Dawn and Donna. “how complicated?”
“This is going to need vodka.” Dawn said.
“It’s 9:33 am.” Kori laughed.
“And a shit tonne of bourbon” Donna said grabbing it as well from the bar. “Come on, let’s chat in my room.”
They made quick work of cleaning up the kitchen before retreating.
The liquor was present and poured but not one had drunk any yet, but also no one had really said anything either. Finally Kori asked, “So what’s the deal? I mean I knew they were close, I mean you don’t cut all ties with your ‘Dad’ and move halfway across the country because it’s no big deal.”
“Eeeewwww eww ewww.” Dawn cringed and downed her first shot when Kori said ‘dad’. Donna chuckled, took her first drink and refilled their glasses.
“And believe me I know running from familial conflict.” Kori continued then downed her drink.
“Just so our imaginations don’t run away from us too quickly, Bruce never officially adopted him.”
“Oh…really I just thought…” Kori mused.
“First, I guess you have to understand I met Robin first and knew him years before I was allowed to meet Dick. And he had been a hero for years fighting at Batman’s side even before that. For years before we met and became the Titans. Hell, the Titans only even happened because Batman went along with it.” Dawn started to explain.
“Yeah, he always had a really tight hold on Dick, at least with us, Dick had the illusion of freedom.” Donna added.
“So like, was he abusive cause what I saw…” Kori asked.
“God no, I mean, I get it, that’s what we all wondered at times too. But Dick swears he’s been nothing more than an honourable citizen with him.” Dawn said.
“You ask me, that’s half the problem.” Donna said.
“What that supposed to mean?” Dawn asked.
“Think about it, Dick and Bruce were codependent to an extreme and it was worst back then. Can you imagine being a kid in that situation, wanting the attention of the both sides of that mad man. Brucie crazy rich billionaire playboy highest scion of the realm, and on the other The Batman, unacknowledged yet undisputed head of the Justice League. The Perfect non-super Supe. Can you even imagine the pressure? Dick grew up knowing one thing, if he wanted that man’s eyes on him, he had to be perfect. Never any room for mistakes … ever.” Donna spat the words out then filled her glass again.
“Those strong feelings in a teenage mind, that could warp things.” Kori agreed.
“Tell me about it, and we were at ground zero for it. Honestly, I don’t even know, you get that this…” she waved a pointed finger around in a circle, “it is all just opinion and impressions right. Kind of my feelings and what I think I saw when we were younger. Dick, he always denied it, as much as he’d be the first the curse the man into the seventh ring of hell. He’s still always the first to defend him, to protect him from just about anyone else. You’ve seen it. It got old fast. We never knew what to say or do to help.” Dawn said.
“I mean Dick and I are…history now, but it’s good history. I kinda just want him to be happy you know.”
Donna laughed. “Join the club sis.” Donna laughed. “Or is this more of a support group. We could call Wally and Roy.”
“Oh we should call Barbara, she’d have the most tea to spill.” Dawn hiccupped and giggled.
“Hera…none of us could measure up. Though I thought next to Wally, you probably had the best chances with him. He’d grown up so much in Bludhaven, I thought the spell had broken.” Donna admitted.
“There were always parts of Dick he kept so tucked away. Precious things. I just could never get close enough to support him, to care for the precious parts of him. He is sweet and kind to rest of the team and liked to party, and I do love a good party, but we never got to the serious times.” She smiled at their happy memories. “He’s very good at deflecting with humour. These last few missions though and after meeting…him. Truly it makes a lot more sense. I guess Batman was the ghost with the monkey wrench.” Kori explained.
“Ghost in the machine.” Dawn corrected. “Yeah. I guess.”
“Yeah, but there are still fundamental problems right. I always thought Dick had a crush on whatever Bruce represented in his life, but neither as Dick nor as Robin could that ever be possible. The world would crucify Bruce one side, and on the other the Bat Code is both their bible. So things started to go, I don’t know bitter…dark between them.” Donna said
“Come on Donna, it wasn’t so bad … maybe it wasn’t dark as much as sideways. No let me explain.” She hiccupped. “Like when you lose focus or have blurred vision.” Dawn offered.
“That’s an interesting way to think about it. Neither could truly see the other. I don’t know.” Donna said considering it. “For a while it just felt like Dick was trying on different personalities, one minute he was as anti-Bruce as he could, then almost like a mirror image. It was crazy times. And the sleeping around and partying, it wasn’t as much as a mask Dick was wearing, as much as it was acting out to get Bruce’s attention. Or maybe Dick was using it to cope, I don’t know. But having the thing you want more than anything in the world always so close. Yet to always be denied it.” Donna said.
“Yeah, but not like we really know anything, we’re just guessing at shit.” Dawn admitted and downed her next glass of vodka. “We don’t really know what happened but things eventually kind of came to a head. The wilder Dick’s behaviour got the more controlling both Bruce and the Bat got, the crazier stunts Dick would try. Then finally that was it. Batman fired him.” She said sounding like had run out of steam. She laid over on her side against some pillows and closed her eyes. “He was with the team full time for a bit after that, but we knew something wasn’t quite right. It was like they were horrid when together, but god it was so much worst when they tried to stay apart. Then the shit went down with Slade, and after it that...”
Donna took another shot. “Dick was done with the life, moved to Bludhaven and never spoke about either the Bat or the Man. Till well…till Jason.” Donna added.
“Well, I kind of knew some of that but none of that explains what happened in the hall just now.” Kori said.
Donna sighed. “I think things could be changing, thawing between them.”
Dawn then said. “We could pretend and tell you that you’re just over reacting and you didn’t see anything, but there has always been deep feelings between them. And I think Bruce was trying to do the right thing. He distracted himself as much as he could, while Dick was losing his mind and pinning for him when he wasn’t throwing himself at him or danger. It was a mess and after the explosion neither knew how to deal with the other. Dick’s weird relationship with Slade just made things...”
“A million times worse.” Donna sipped from her glass. “The man made it no secret that unlike Bruce who played at being moral he was going to go after what he wanted. And he made it no secret he wanted Dick.” Donna finished.
“You saw him, obsession would be a mild word for it.” Dawn offered. “We all warned Dick he was playing with fire, but Slade was the stand-in he could both have and punish himself with.”
“And one that could actually trip Batman’s trigger.” Donna interjected.
“Plus he was over eighteen Bruce couldn’t actually stop him and if he did he couldn’t be what Dick wanted him to be. In the end none of the three of them were unscathed and Dick blamed himself for all the others hurt in blow out.” Dawn finished.
“So the hallway. Perhaps it’s kind of destined. They are both adults now, the work isn’t what is keeping them together or a part anymore. So maybe this is their time.” Kori smiled at the sentiment, the inevitability of the two. “Wait a minute, was this actually an intervention. You’re both trying to what warn me that getting back together with my ex isn’t in the cards.”
Donna scrunched her nose up. “Would you want to?”
“All of us have stood in the space he holds for Bruce in his soul whether he admits it or not. And yeah it’s warm there, but ultimately a sad and lonely place.” Dawn explained.
“Hmmm.” Kori agreed softly. “So … fucked by destiny once again at least the drinks on this planet are nice.” Kori laughed but unsteadily cracking open the bottle of bourbon and refilled her glass.