Cold hands, Warm hearts

Summary: Bruce meets Dicky for the first time. Teen!Bruce. Baby!Dick.

Author's Note: I'm still alive, I've just been traveling a lot due to my job. Work is still kicking my ass, and I'm posting this from my office computer. I really hope to get back on track soon…but for now enjoy! Also, no I did not even have time to read thru this to check for mistakes.

Bruce knew he should have brought a thicker jacket, or at the very least he should have brought mittens. He cursed softly as he leaned forward and pulled the scarf tighter around his neck. The action was proved useless as the scarf dropped from his face and left him to fend for the cold. He sighed, giving up the losing battle as he looked up at the darkened sky.

Winters in Gotham had always been harsh, and even without the snow and wind, the cold still found its way through the layer of his clothes, seeming to seep through the miniscule holes in the woven fabric to lay their icy fingers on his skin. He shivered lightly as he brought his naked hands up and cupped them together. He blew on them to warm them up but the action was futile as the cold seemed to attack them once he ran out of breath, instead he buried them in his pockets as he leaned back on his seat.

Not for the first time that day did he wish he had just stayed home, but the thought of being in the empty house so near to that day was something he wanted to avoid this year. He really didn't need those memories to creep up on him this time of the year. He didn't think he could handle them when he had nothing to do but sit and think. So when Alfred had asked if he wanted to accompany him to the market for groceries he had agreed and decided to wait in the limo. Unfortunately the silence of the limo had gotten to him and he figured that walking around the open mall nearby would suffice until Alfred was done, or at least keep his mind occupied enough.

He had decided to sit by a bench next to a drop down where an ice rink was set up. At first he watched as families skated along as they laughed at each other when one fell. It probably wasn't such a good idea as a familiar constricting feeling of longing and jealousy stirred up in his chest as he tried to quell it and had opted to turn away from the scene.

Even turned away from the happy scenes he could feel his hands shake in his pockets as he forced the creeping memories to stop. The thoughts were ruthless though, they flashed through his thoughts like a paparazzi camera, blinding him with emotions he'd been fighting to against since that day.

It's been ten years but the feeling hadn't gone away. The cold only brought back the violent memories and he quickly shook it off before it could overtake him. It was useless; somehow the cold outside had crawled through his skin and settled around his heart. This time the blinding memories seem to go into slow motion. The day ten years ago began to play through his head, the faint aroma of his mothers perfume would forever be tainted with the metallic smell of blood, his fathers breaths fading away as he choked on his own blood. He remembered how the warmth from his body had receded as he stood over them. He didn't think the warmth ever came back after their deaths.

Dammit, he cursed as he hunched over, fighting the sting of tears prickling his eyes. He closed them tightly as he tried to control his emotions but today the fight was not his to win and he could feel a tear slip and feel the familiar bubble lodge itself in his throat. Maybe it was because he had recently turned eighteen and his parents were not there to see him step into adulthood that had him losing it. He let a few more tears slip by before he bit his lips and with sheer will alone was able to painfully swallow the bubble back to where it normally hid.

It was the feeling of a tiny cold hand brushing the tears on his cheeks that had him jerking up as he met with a set with wide blue eyes also filled with tears.

"O..k?" The baby voice asked quietly, his mouth still stumbling over the simple words. The toddler looked no older than two, he was dressed in a thick red jacket that made him look like a baby penguin; a green beanie with a yellow ball of fluff on top covered his head and ears though wisps of black hair peeked through. The baby face was pulled down in a frown, his lips pursed in a pout as his tears continued to run down his chubby cheeks which were already wet and colored pink from the cold. Bruce rubbed his eyes before looking up trying to locate the boys' parents. When he didn't see anyone trying to call for the boy he looked down at the child again.

"W-where are your mom and dad?" He asked looking at the way the toddler brought his hands to fist his jacket, his tiny dimpled hands also looking for warmth. Unconsciously Bruce took those tiny hands into his own as he tried to warm them.

"Mama…? Papa…?" He asked as Bruce nodded. The baby who had calmed down when Bruce had stopped his own tears suddenly started to hiccup as if remembering why he had been crying in the first place.

"I no-no." He sniffled through his tears as Bruce panicked; the words which he had translated as 'I don't know' had him concluding that the toddler was lost.

"Uh…shhh, don't…uh don't cry please." He tried to comfort, laying a hand on the boys head. He had never been around kids before, especially not around kids this young. He was surprised when the toddler suddenly threw himself at him for a hug. Bruce awkwardly pulled the boy up on his lap as he continued to pet him.

"Shhh, I'm sorry…we'll find your mama and papa, ok?" The toddler sniffled and nodded before burying himself in the big chest.

"First, what's your name?"

"—ky." The voice was muffled out on his chest before Bruce pulled back a little to tilt the boys head up.

"I'm sorry?" He asked as the toddler tried again.

"Dicky."

"Ok, Dicky, my name is Bruce."

"Boose?" The toddler tested the name and Bruce chuckled at the butchered pronunciation of his name.

"Yes, Bruce, now do you know where you mama and papa might be?" Bruce didn't know if the toddler understood his question as he continued to stare as him before the tiny hand was back and cupping his face.

"Boose?" The baby said again.

"Yes?" He asked curious at the little boys' actions.

"Boose, sad?" At this Bruce gave a small smile.

"A little." He confessed, not seeing anything wrong with keeping the child calm as he continued to quickly look for any signs of distressed parents looking for their child.

"Why?" The tiny thing asked as he shook his head in answer.

"Nothing baby, just…" He paused before shaking his head again, "nothing you should worry about. We should really look for your parents." At this the toddler mimicked his head shake.

"No, Boose sad. Boose wost?" Bruce turned back to the toddler after looking around for frantic parents again, he stared at those wide blue eyes and saw for the first time sadness that the child had for him. He didn't know how well children could understand about feelings of lost and remembered himself at eight, he took a shaking breath.

"Yeah, Bruce is kind of lost." At this the child nodded.

"Dicky wost. Boose wost?" At the words Bruce nodded, the words hitting exactly where it hurt.

"Yeah…"He whispered out before he saw a flurry of movements where a man with black hair and a woman with blue eyes were looking around calling out the name of the child in his arms, "but you won't be lost for long." At this he stood up and raised a hand to catch the young couples' attention. When he caught the fathers' eyes he pulled the child from his chest to show the man what he was looking for. Even far away he could see the relief in the couples' eyes as they ran toward him.

When Dicky finally noticed his parents he began to bounce in the teens arms and squealed.

"Mama! Papa!" When they were within arms reach he handed the toddler back to the couple as they hugged their son. He watched as he felt a prickle of jealousy at seeing something so intimate between the small family. Quietly he stepped back ready to leave when he felt a heavy hand gently pull him back.

"Please. Don't leave before we can say thank you." Bruce turned to see warm brown eyes of the man looking at him; he nodded quietly before shaking the hand that was offered in thanks. He turned to the woman expecting a handshake when he was suddenly enveloped in a warm one armed hug.

"Thank you so much." The young woman whispered tearfully as Bruce felt Dicky also hugging him in his moms hold. The hug was awkward at first, feeling himself stiffen at the foreign actions, he hadn't been hugged properly in years. It was when the faint smell of a familiar perfume tickled his nose did he relax in the hug, but instead of the smell of blood he knew would follow after he smelt the sweet scent of baby powder that he knew was coming from Dicky. When she pulled back Dicky continued to cling to him. The young couple laughed as the woman let go and Bruce pulled his arms around the toddler to continue the hug.

"May we please have your name?" The woman asked, her voice as musical as he remembered his own mothers voice to be. Her husband stood by her as he wrapped a loving arm around her waist also waiting for his answer.

"It's-."

"Boose!" The toddler answered for him before laughing at himself. Bruce gave him a chuckle before squeezing him slightly before offering him back to his mother.

"Thank you so much Bruce." The woman positioned Dicky in her arms as her soft blue eyes smiled back at him.

"It's no problem ma'am." He blushed as he answered politely remembering his manners; he tried to push the thought of how pretty the young mother was as he told himself that her husband was right there. When he peeked at the man though he only grinned at him knowingly before playfully winking at the teen, as if reading his thoughts.

"Master Bruce." A faint voice called out before he turned back to see Alfred waiting a few feet back, his stance patient.

"I uh…better get going." He turned to leave when Dicky's voice stopped him once again.

"Boose." The toddler stared at him with sad eyes, not wanting his friend to go, "Dicky find Boose mama and papa. Boose no wost. Boose no sad." At this Bruce gave him a genuine smile that surprised even him as he felt a familiar heat returning to his once cold body.

"Don't worry Dicky. Bruce isn't sad anymore, since Bruce met Dicky." At this the child gave a blinding smile.

"Yay! If Boose sad, Dicky make Boose happy alllllll the time!" He squealed in laughter, all the teen could do was nod and walk away from the happy family. The memories of his parents' death that had been haunting him now replaced with the memories of his mothers hugs and his fathers laughter and somewhere along that a happy little boy cocooned in love and warmth.

END.