Chapter Text
17 years old and kicked out again. Well, Dick couldn't say he didn't see it coming. But he thought, hoped, that Bruce would at least give him until his wardship expired. Dick ran gentle fingers along the bruise around his right eye and sighed. At least he finished high school early so he wouldn't be considered a dropout.
Sitting on a ledge and letting his legs hang over the drop, Dick scrolled through the text messages he'd missed while in space. Many of his civilian friends and acquaintances had sent condolences. He debated replying, but he'd already been non-responsive long enough that the worried messages had trickled to a stop. He sighed and set his phone on the ledge next to him. Dick looked out over the new city he'd found himself in. He'd need to find a job soon as he doubted his trust fund would be accessible until his birthday at the very earliest, and that was still several months away. Any accounts he'd had access to as Bruce Wayne's ward were almost certainly bunk. The man had enough time to completely cut him off between Jason's death and Dick's return to the planet. Not that Dick would be taking any more from the man even if he could. Bruce had made his viewpoint extremely clear over the last few years.
The bruise throbbed. Dick pressed his fingers against it again. It was just pain. He deserved it.
"Hey!" a voice called.
Dick startled and almost fell off the ledge. He caught his balance but heard hurried footsteps heading his way. Dick spun to meet them and set his feet on the roof. The man approaching was bald and white with the typical brown eyes.
"Are you ok?" the man asked, reaching forward to grab hold of Dick's bicep.
"I-Yes, fine," Dick managed.
"That's a nasty bruiser, kid. Your dad kick you out or something?"
"Or something," replied Dick softly. A strange look passed over the man's face in the brief second before the man looked away. He spotted Dick's bag and the phone, which was still on the ledge, and released Dick's bicep in order to take a step back. Then, he shuffled awkwardly.
"Umm. I've got ice? In my apartment, I mean."
Dick stared at him.
"Would you please at least step away from the ledge, kid?" he asked, hovering in Dick's space as if ready to grab him.
After the briefest hesitation, Dick fluidly got to his feet. He took a step to the right, away from the man, and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Would you… I mean, you can come to my apartment? For the ice?"
More hesitation, but it's not like Dick had anything better planned. He shrugged and nodded his assent.
The man smiled, and then he darted over to Dick's bag and hefted it up. "I've got your stuff. I'll show you the way?"
Dick nodded and followed the man into the building and down the stairs.
In his distraction, Dick's phone was left behind. The only clue his friends would find when they came looking.