Heaven's Circus
Story based off of head canon #123 from the Young Justice Head Canons Tumblr page.
Disclaimer: There is no ownage of Young Justice happening here!
A/N at the end.
Lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the shadowy trailer to be as bright as day. Next came the thunder, booming through the air, echoing around the small, enclosed space. And all through the spectacular show, the rain poured down in torrents; cold, sinister, and unrelenting. The pounding rain ricocheting off the trailer was almost as frightening as the lighting and thunder that continued its endless cycle of terror.
Shivering in the corner of the trailer, clutching onto his stuffed elephant Zitka, his knees pulled to his chest on his bed, was a small boy, no older than eight. His raven hair was askew, sticking up at different angles all over his small head. The eyes that normally shone a dazzling azure blue were hidden behind tightly closed lids, squeezed shut as waves of fear wracked his entire body. He coughed and shook again, cold seeping into his entire body. The sheets had fallen away around him. He could pick them up and wrap them up in their warmth again, but the terror still clutching at his chest just makes him cuddle up to Zitka more.
Hesitantly, Dick Grayson opened his eyes just a crack to look at the digital clock in the kitchen. The time read 11:30 PM in neon green letters. Where were they? They said they'd be back by now, he thought. Dick's eyes snapped shut again as another round of lightning and thunder slashed through the night sky.
He hadn't planned to wait up for his parents. Originally, he had planned to accompany them to their performance, down in the circus tent only metres away from where he now sat. That morning, however, Dick had woken up with a constricted chest, a nose that was impossible to breathe through and a terrible cough that made him ache every time the air was forced out of his mouth. His mother had deemed him unable to perform that night and, despite the acrobat's weak protests, he had agreed to stay in his bed. He had been pampered that day, his mother making him chicken noodle soup and his father making him laugh with the stories he told about Haly, the ringmaster and owner of the circus, as well as the Dick's unofficial grandfather. It had pained his chest whenever he laughed but it was well worth it.
When they finally had to leave for the show at 8:30 PM, his mother—his Mami had tucked him into bed, saying, "Dormi bine, pasărea mea." or "Sleep well, my little bird." and kissed him gently on his forehead. Dick had smiled and snuggled beneath the blankets, Zitka pressed against his side. His father—his Tăti had ruffled his hair and told him that they would be back around eleven o'clock, though Dick knew he had only said that to quiet his always curious thoughts. Then they had left, off to perform with his aunt, uncle and older cousin. It had been a nice evening then. No one had been expecting a storm to brew.
Dick's mind was ripped from his thoughts as the door to the trailer started rattling. He cowered farther in his bed as the door abruptly swung open on his hinges and two darkly dressed, soaked-through figures stumbled into the room. Through the dark jackets, Dick caught a glance of a brightly coloured costume.
"Mami?" he croaked out. "Tăti?" The people stripped out of their jackets and flipped the light switch, revealing the faces of his parents. He cried in relief, his new tears re-animating the tracks in his cheeks that had long ago dried up. The arms of his parents wrapped around him, holding him close.
"Shh, Richard," John Grayson whispered. "It's all right. We're here now."
Mary Grayson stroked his hair soothingly, letting the boy cry. "Are you scared of thunderstorms, Dick?" she asked softly. He nodded quickly as another boom of thunder tore through the air.
"Mami, why is there thunder and lightning?" he said slowly, as he was still trying to figure out the English language that his parents were so adamant for him to learn. He sneezed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
She smiled, one of her special, beautiful smiles that could light up any room. "Well, just like down here, up in Heaven they have circuses, too. Fantastic circuses, filled with angels flying and flipping in breathtaking spectacles. Thunder is the beating of the drums and laughter echoing down to Earth, while lightning is stray beams of light from the spotlights shining down."
"Do you think we can go see that circus one day?" Dick asked, innocence shining on his face.
She hesitated, unsure what so say. She exchanged a glance with John before saying, "Of course we can." Mary tapped him gently on the nose, causing him to giggle. "Now go to sleep, my little bird. You don't want to spend another day in bed, do you?" He shook his head vigorously and slipped between the sheets. Both of his parents gave him kisses and moved to the other corner of the trailer.
As he snuggled down into bed, he discovered that he now found the thunder soothing. Dick silently thanked his mother and father for helping him overcome his fear. It was reassuring to know that such scary things were really just the results of circuses up in Heaven. He was intrigued by the idea and resolved as he drifted off into slumber that one day they'd go see it together as a family.
If only he had known that they would soon be leaving for Heaven's Circus without him.
A/N: Nakama no otaku kon'nichiwa! Hello fellow geeks! I thought this story was adorable! Don't know what any of you thought, but I really enjoyed writing this. The ending's a little sad, but the head canon said that this was happening the night before Dick's parents were murdered. Speaking of head canons, this is going to be my second submission in a fanfiction contest being held by the youngjusticeheadcanons Tumblr page (the first one being 'A Chance To Think'). I don't know if it involves voting at all, but my Tumblr username is otakuextrodinaire if you want to go vote for me (I'll update my profile if I find out if you can vote or not). Anyway, as always, please review! Happy reading and stay astrous! ;) (I've finally figured out I've been spelling 'astrous' wrong... oops.)