Emptiness (a young Robin story)
Empty days, empty nights...
... No sign of his new guardian.
Empty walls, empty rooms...
... Just old paintings looking down.
Empty words, empty hugs...
... Given by them and him.
Empty house, empty garden...
... No one for him to play with.
The once happy boy sat in the large, empty room. He woke with tear covered cheeks, his blue eyes cold and lifeless. He knew it was late but the falling birds made their way into his dreams, crushing and breaking them.
His fragile legs carried him to this room. It had a piano and many books, but that didn't mean that they filleted his empty heart. His bare feet echoing along the halls as he advanced to wards the piano. Running his fingers tips along the keys' brim.
Then he gently pressed them. One by one, slowly adding a melody to the base notes. His timid fingers finding there place without his concentration. The depressing sound enchanted by his slow humming and the quiet 'tump' of his bare foot hitting the polished wooden floor.
Single words escaped his lips at times, hunting the empty hallways. His blues scanned the keys through his lashes, as a small and gentle smile appeared on the boy's face. His eyes focused on quickening pace of the tune more words were let lose into the room...
... The room, just a room.
A room were a boy played a piano.
A room were a boy found a friend.
A room were a boy didn't notice his audience.
Two men stud at its entrance, watching as a broken boy healed. They knew it wasn't for ever, but for now, he could play. The older placed a hand on the taller's shoulder and gave an encouraging smile, after all he already managed to save one broken boy but this time it wasn't his place.
It was his friend's, a friend that had been in that place and crawled out. Leaving the two behind he left for the woken hallways, which had tunes bouncing of them left and right.
The taller man was let alone to watch, he knew how it hurt the boy, he was there already but this boy had it worse. After all, the billionaire had a home to return to. A house that he grew up in...
... A house that was empty
... A house that was now his
... A house that was for another child to run in.
He slowly made his way up to the gifted boy, a smile present on his face. Placing his rough hand on the small and weak shoulder of the playing boy.
With a startled yelp the music stopped and blue eyes met with black. Both smiles were lost in the long exchange of glances. As time passed the older managed to break apart the cold mingled colours and crack a gentle ghost-like smirk.
"Do you think you could go to bed now and finish your little song in the morning?" asked Bruce as the boy's eyes slowly returned to their natural size.
"O-okay" came the boy's quite response.
The two made their way through the now silent halls, each looking back in time...
... To times when they smiled all the time
... To times when the spent days playing
... To time with there families
That lasted a for a calm while, until dick tripped. His feet lost their hold on the ground and with a startled yelp he fell forward just to be stopped by a strong hand.
"Do you know why we fall, Dick?"
The small boy shook his head, black hair spinning around.
With a kind smile Bruce continued." We fall so we can pick ourselves up."
"but they didn't. "
"but you can my little Robin. "