This was stupid
Dick Grayson stood outside of the bedroom of none other than Bruce Wayne, mentally kicking himself for making the long trip through the mansion to reach the large door.
There was no way in hell that he could go in there
That man wasn't his father. No, his father died over a month ago, he saw him, he was there as he fell from the trapeze...
So why did he feel like he was right here, sleeping on the other side of this door?
He had been happy enough when Bruce offered to take him in. In fact, he would have probably chosen the streets over the rat trap of a juvenile detention center he was placed in. All those nights, hoping that he could leave the next day, that his uncle would wake of from his coma and come save him, that he would...would wake up from this nightmare.
Then the day came.
He remembered the officer who slid open the large metal door, remembered the horrible screeching noise it made as it's rusted joints meshed. He seemed expressionless, like he had done this a million times before. Dick's head shot up and looked wide eyed at the officer, who proceeded to walk into the small, foal smelling room that he had been assigned. He put his hands in his pockets nonchalantly and leaned against the corroded wall as if he didn't care. That's when a man wearing a black suit walked into the room as well. A look of horror and disgust crossed his handsome face as he saw the conditions of the room. The face quickly turned to sorrow once he saw the young boy sitting on the floor, staring up at them with horror.
No child should feel such horror.
The tall man wearing the suit crouched down to Dicks head level and put on the warmest smile that he could muster.
"Hello Richard, my names Bruce Wayne." he said in a deep but somewhat light voice. Dick seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his wall of caution had not yet dropped, so Bruce continued.
"it doesn't seem like your all to happy here, how would you like to come and stay at my place for a little bit? I'd be more than happy to have you, and if you really don't want to stay anymore, your more than welcome to come back here." Dick was young but he was still 8 years old. He could tell that Mr Wayne was trying to make it feel like it was up to him, like he had a real choice on what to do. However, even though he knew it was just an act, it made him feel better any way.
He saw Bruce lean in a bit, waiting for a response. Dick swallowed harshly, his dry through aching, and mustered up enough strength to nod ever so slightly.
He smiled "Now let's go check you out of here." Dick followed Bruce and the officer out of the room and to the main office, where a tall lady sat in a swivel chair, typing away at various computers. It was then that he realized what he had signed up for. Sure, the place was terrible. He got only 2 meals a day, consisting of stale bread and rice, he was constantly picked on by the other boys, especially when his Romani accent slipped out in fear, and the people who worked here made him feel like trash, even though there was no reason for him to be in a juvenile center at all.
However, even with all this, the place was cold. Nothing in this entire building reminded him of what he had lost a month ago, but if this Bruce guy was serious, if this adoption was real, then he would have a new father, a new family. That was one thing Dick didn't think he could handle.
However, Bruce's face seemed so inviting, so soft and caring. He wanted to go with him, even though he didn't... If that made any sense at all. He just,... Just wanted to feel safe again, and he felt like this was his only chance.
Bruce finished signing him out and they walked out to his car... Scratch that, limo.
An older man wearing a tuxedo walked out of the drivers seat and opened the door for the two of them. The older man looked friendly as well. Dick climbed onto the seat, and settled down into the comfortable fabric of the chairs. Bruce climbed in next to him, and Dick watched as he pulled a weird strap over his head and slipped it into a buckle. He looked around and found a distantly similar strap next to him and pulled it awkwardly around his head. He then proceeded to fumble with the buckle until Bruce stepped in, setting the strap across Dicks chest correctly and snapping him in good and safe...safe.
Living in the circus most of your life, didn't really leave much time for driving, so this was the first time the boy had ever been in a car, well... a car other than a trailer. The ebony peered out the crystal clear window as he watched them drive down the long street. He felt a hand on this shoulder which initially made him flinch, but then relaxed.
"Dick, I want you to know that what those people did to you in their was unacceptable, and I would never even dream of hurting you. I am so so sorry for your loss, and I am giving you free will to do whatever you feel most comfortable doing. If you don't feel right staying with me, I assure you I won't make you stay, but I promise that I won't let anything happen to you... I promise to protect you."
Maybe that was why Dick was standing outside his door now, only a day later. He wanted that safe feeling to stay, and even though it hadn't left yet, he feared that it would. The boy crossed his arms, and dug his finger nails into his skin. He couldn't tell if he was shaking because of nervousness, or because of the chill that constantly flowed through the large drafty mansion.
"I promise to protect you." the words still rang in his head. He was pretty sure his father had said something like that before, and maybe that's why the words felt so forceful at the time.
He... He wanted them back. He wanted to feel the warm embrace of his mother, the sweet smelling sent of her perfume. He wanted to go play with his father, laugh at his jokes as they would simply have a good time. That would never happen again.
But he couldn't help but think he was given a second chance here. Turns out Bruce Wayne was the head of Wayne tech., hence the limo and fancy house. He was called Gotham's "white knight", and he was beloved by pretty much everyone in the city. Maybe he was mistaken, maybe he hadn't lost everything. Maybe this Bruce guy would be his new family. He couldn't decide wether he liked the idea, or wether it just made him miss his parents even more.
Dick didn't know he was crying until he felt the glossy drops slide down his cheeks and onto his still crossed arms. He wiped his eyes and held one hand out, using his index finger to make circles around the door knob. He didn't know if he would find comfort on the other side of this door, but he knew he wouldn't find any standing outside of it. So he stopped circling the handle and instead wrapped his small hand around the golden knob, turning it ever so slowly.
The inside of Bruce's room smelled lightly of cologne. He laid in he center of his large king size bed, and Dick could hear his faint breathing under his black silk sheets. Slowly approaching the bedside, the ebony simply tapped the man ever so gingerly, and his eyes opened silently.
"Dick? What's wrong?" the man sounded concerned as he rubbed his tired eyes.
"I- I'm just scared... Can I sleep with you?" They boy said softly, not making eye contact with the stoic man. Bruce's face softened, as he felt for the boy. He knew what a traumatic month it had been for him, and though he wasn't much of a hugger, he was well aware that he was going to have to change that about him when he decided to adopt the boy.
"Of course." he said to the young child, and then helped him climb into the large bed. Dick settled under the silky sheets and snuggled close to Bruce, and the older man instinctively placed a protective arm over the small shivering boy.
Dick now knew he was right in trusting his gut. This man was a good man, and though he want his real father, he knew that Bruce would hurt him. He felt safe, and for the first time in a month, Dick smiled under the warm embrace of Bruce Wayne.
"Thank you" he said in a faint tired voice, as he fell into the first real sleep in over a month.
Bruce smiled and answered. "No problem, son"