Footsteps in the Snow
Dick had read all about snow, but when he traveled with the circus they mostly stayed in warm places. No one wants to see a circus in the snow, so he had rarely ever really seen it before. His breath fogged up the window and he had to use his heavy winter jacket's sleeve to wipe it away. He continued to clear the window when he felt a hand grip his shoulder.
"We're still headed on a hike, right?" Bruce started to think it was getting to cold for the ten year old to be outside for so long. 'What am I saying? I let the kid go into hand to hand combat with crimianls with crowbars, but I get worried when it gets to cold?' He paused before correcting himself. 'No, I'm not worried. I am Bruce Wayne, and most importantly Batman. I don't get worried. But I guess when it comes to Dick I should be more careful... '
Dick turned his big blue eyes toward Bruce. A disarming smile was plastered to the boy's face and even Bruce found it impossible to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.
"I thought so? Do you not want to go?" Dick looked the slightest bit upset for a moment.
"Of course I want to go. But there has to be rules," Dick raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, "Cold weather can be dangerous. Stay directly behind me, no wandering. And lastly, just like if Batman and Robin were on patrol, if Robin is hurt, or in this case getting hypothermic, he needs to tell Batman so he can be safe."
Dick gave a solemn nodd.
"I promise, Bruce." After a moment of trying to remain serious, the corners of his mouth betrayed him by turning upwards. He continued to bounce slightly on the balls of his feet. Bruce sighed in happiness.
"Then let's go." They walked out to the path Bruce had selected and started to trek. Dick knew Bruce defanatly wasn't one to be a talker, which is why it surprised him when it was him to break the comfortable silence.
"Dick, have you ever seen snow before?" Dick could not see Bruce's face as he walked ahead, Dick followed in the imprints his shoes made on the ground.
"Yes, a few times, I think. But we didn't stay long, no one wants to see a circus in the snow." He recalled what Mr. Haley had told him when he had asked about seeing snow. Dick had to stop jumping from footstep to footstep of the long strides Bruce made when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned to face Dick.
"So you've never built a snowman? Or a snowfort? Or made snow cones out of real snow?"
"No, I guess not..." Dick trailed off, he hadn't realised there was so much to do in the snow. Bruce stopped and swooped a handful of snow off the ground. Dick mentally prepared himself for a lesson on the chemical compounds and makings of snow and other various forms of precipitation. Bruce is Batman after all.
Which is why he was in complete and utter shock when Bruce took the handful of snow and threw it at Dick's chest.
"Also means, you've never had a snowball fight?" Bruce smirked at Dick now. Instead of letting Dick reply, he scooped another ball of snow into his hand and aimed it to be fired at Dick.
Dick stood in his tracks in the light falling snow and stared at Bruce like he had just gone insane. 'Who are you and where did Bruce go?' An unbeatable smile suddenly broke out on Dick's face. The snowball was launched from Bruce's hand and this time, being prepared, Dick dodged it. He scooped up a handful of snow himself and threw with precision aim to hit Bruce square in the chest.
They began to laugh and launch snowballs at each other and didn't stop until their throwing became sloppy and their laughter drowned out each other's voices. Dick had to stop throwing snowballs wildly in Bruce's direction to double over in laughter. Bruce took the opportunity to grab him by the shoulders and stuff a ball of snow into the back of his head.
Their laughter grew louder until both of them were sitting on the ground in the snow. Bruce wiped away the water that had escaped from his eyes during the fit of laughter. They sat in the snow together until they caught their breath. After a moment of comfortable silence Bruce stood slowly and helped Dick to his feet.
"Let's continue hiking now." They turned and continued walking the path Bruce had intended them to take. Smiles were still plastered on both of their faces. Dick began to realize the snow had continued to fall while they had their snowball fight. In some places the snow was much deeper than others, and Dick decided to walk in the footprints of the man in front of him. The strides were far apart, much to far apart for a ten year old boy to walk in comfortably. But Bruce was facing forward and Dick was trailing behind, he didn't see the young boy, who was now sticking out his toungue in concentration.
'God, I haven't been this happy since... since I did this with my own parents... with my...Dad...' Bruce cringed at the thought of his father and a small stab of pain was mixed in with the happy memories of he and his father throwing snowballs at each other one winter evening long ago.
When he stopped reliving the memories, he began to realise the small sounds coming from behind him, small grunts or puffs of air. It took the World's Greatest Detective all of three seconds to realise that Dick was probably trying to walk in the imprints in the snow he left behind. Dick was once again surprised when it was Bruce who broke the comfortable silence.
"I haven't laughed that hard in a long time." Bruce was almost surprised at his own admission, he had never meant to voice the thought out loud, but now that it was out he didn't regret it. Dick's reply made the statement worth it.
"Me either." he murmered the statement so quietly Bruce had barely heard it, but he had. Bruce could pick up the sincerety in Dick's tone, and he knew by experience Dick had been thinking about his own parents too. Bruce smiled to himself, when he heard another puff of breath from the boy, who he assumed was still jumping into his footsteps, he remembered what he was about to do before. He shortened his stride slightly, not enough for Dick to think he was coming to a stop, but enough to relieve the boy of having to walk so awkwardly through the snow.
Before he knew it, they had reached the top of the snow covered hill. Dick gasped when he saw the landscape before him. The hill framed the Manor and Dick could see where icy frost covered the large windows. He traced his eyes from the Manor, and up the trail they had walked in.
He saw the point where they stopped and threw snowballs at each other, the ground there was covered in inprints on the snow. He continued until he reached the spot midpoint up the hill where he noticed Bruce had shortened his stride. He smiled when he remembered how that felt. Bruce wasn't one for giving out hugs or signs of affection, that fact was very clear to Dick on day one, that didn't mean Bruce didn't care, he just had a different way of showing his love, this was one of those ways. The simple gesture of Bruce shortening his stride so that Dick could walk in them made his heart swell with happiness.
Bruce looked toward the distance Dick was staring at, then back down at the boy. Even Bruce found it impossible to keep a smile from his lips as he studied the ten year old. His raven black hair was lightly dusted in snow, the earmuffs matching the light blue color of his eyes. His cheeks were tinted rosy pink from the cold and stood out plainly on the boy's pale face.
"Let's go home." It was Dick who made the suggestion, and it was whispered. Dick waited for Bruce to walk ahead of him. Bruce smiled at him as he started the walk back.
'I think that's the first time he's called the Manor 'home'...' Since coming to live at the Wayne residence as a result of his parent's death, Bruce could not remember one time that Dick had referred to the Manor as 'home'.
Despite the snow, he was warmed by the thought, and he made sure he kept his footsteps closer together as they descended the hill together.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone! This is my first story so if you have suggestions I'd love to hear them:)
Reviews would be greatly appreciated!