"You're just in time for dinner, Master—good heavens" Alfred said while still maintaining his composure but you can absolutely hear that little shock in his voice as he looked at Richard, now with his mask removed but is still in his uniform, who was carrying a boy who he wouldn't be mistaken as to his identity.

"What happened?" the older man questioned

"They just crashed to the mountain like this on the ship and scared everything out of us" Dick explained

Alfred tried to get Bruce from Dick to give the teenager a chance to change because it was a rule to never eat at the dining table in your uniform. The child hesitated, his grip on Dick's cape near his shoulder tightened. Alfred put his hands down knowing that that's a signal of a child's unwillingness.

"Don't worry, he's our friend" Dick gave Bruce a smile of assurance

"B, this is Alfred"

"Awfwed?"

"Yeah, perfect" then he let out his signature laugh and the younger boy laughed with him

"he still has difficulty in pronouncing "L" and "R" just like he used to when he was this young" Alfred said as Bruce now willingly allowed himself to be carried by the butler

"Now, go change, Master Richard"

"Sure thing, Awfwed"

Dick went to his room still awestruck by the situation. He was half trying to calm himself about what happened and half trying to solve what he'll do for tonight. He kept thinking how the criminals would not be suspicious of Batman going missing. He grabbed a shirt and some comfortable pants then went straight to the dining area where Alfred was still carrying Bruce who was now playing with his tie.

"I'm afraid we don't have a chair for him" Alfred said

"Oooh"

"Err, well, here" Dick patted his legs, "He can sit on my lap"

"Yey! Thank you wichard"

"It's Dick. I don't want to make things hard for you, bud"

Bud? Really? Where did that even come from? If Bruce was to make a list of the worst nicknames that Dick would call him, this really has to be on top of it. Plus that really didn't sound right…like the wrongest thing Dick has ever said in his life. He's calling Bruce Wayne, his guardian, Gotham's Prince, and most of all, The Batman, bud like a kid who asked his help when his balloon flew away and was stuck on a tree and he couldn't reach it.

"Dick"

"Yep, that's me! And you're Bruce"

"Bwuce"

"Never mind, just B will do. But you'll have to call me Robin when we go to the mountain, okay?"

"Wobin?"

"Yeah, that I cannot remedy"

"Dinner is served" Alfred announced

Dick tried to grab his cutlery while trying to keep the young boy seated on him safe. He used his spoon and scooped some mashed potatoes and fed the boy seating on him.

"So totally not asterous" he kept saying himself though admitting that he loved kids but come on. This is Bruce Wayne. This is Batman. And he hated the fact that he finds his mentor spreading cuteness all over the place.

When Bruce finished his meal, Alfred then took him from Dick to allow the teenager to have his dinner. Alfred sat on the chair at Dick's right and let Bruce stand on his legs

"What do you plan on doing for tonight, young sir?"

"I'll just patrol until 2 am so that the villains won't get that all excited thinking that Batman is not around"

"I don't suggest doing that. May I remind you that you and your friends are strictly not allowed to go on patrol unsupervised for the time being considering what you did-"

"Yeah, yeah" DIck cut the butler's statement "I know what we did but relax, Al. I promise I won't do anything crazy and will think before I leap. It won't do Gotham any good if they found out that both of the Dynamic Duo are busy with other stuff that they don't show up for five consecutive nights now."

He then stood up and proceeded to his room to prepare for patrol that night. He changed to his uniform and went to say goodbye to Al and Bruce who were now in the living room.

"Dick" Bruce said excitingly as he raises both his hands gesturing for the teenager to come pick him up

Dick was so turbed by what's happening. He never felt so wanted by Bruce in a way that the latter freely expresses it. Sure, Bruce cares for him but that's just that. He remembered the man giving him a hug but only on exceptional occasions-so rare that Dick could count in his fingers how many times Bruce hugged him from the moment he started living with him.

Again he reminded himself that this Bruce is different. This Bruce constantly wants attention and uuuhhh love? But Dick wasn't sure how he can give it also. He's not just used to being this soft around his mentor.

"I'll be going for a while, B" he said ruffling the boy's hair and then tickling his tummy

"Don't weave me" the kid demanded stretching his arms towards the young hero

"It's okay. I just need to take care of some things. You behave yourself and don't get on Al's nerves"

"You know that is a matter of impossibility, master Richard. I've raised master Bruce ever since he came out of his mother's womb"

"Which made you the perfect babysitter for now, Agent A" Dick said jokingly before rushing to the Batcave and riding his R-cycle.

"I'll be back, B. I promise"

He spent the night taking down some robbers and finding leads on the drug syndicates that Bruce and him were investigating on before Superman called him for the extra-terrestrial mission. He collected data from the city's security camera and searched for the criminals' profiles. He stopped at the information that it was a huge company connected to many parts of the world knowing that Bruce would have wanted them or him to plan it out before attacking.

He hurried back to the manor and saw Alfred reading a story to a half asleep Bruce on his bed.

Dick raised his brow and looked at Alfred, "He's still up?"

"I'm sorry, young sir but master Bruce refused to sleep while you're gone" the man said in monotone

"That's not really good, B" Dick scolded. Eeew I sound old

"I'm sowwy" the young boy said with a pout and he sounded almost about to cry

"No, no,no…it's okay. I appreciate it but it's too late in the night" he said sitting beside Bruce.

"Well, I'm here so please get some sleep"

the acrobat said as he covered his mentor's small body with a blanket.

Bruce yawned and strectched his arms, eyes slowly closing before he looked back at Dick and asked, "Wiw, you stay hewe?"

Dick gave Alfred a confused look and it's not because he didn't understand what Bruce said but because he did understand it—crystal clear. Before Dick could even open his mouth, Alfred answered "He certainly will, Master Bruce"

Of course, Dick wouldn't argue with this. He just washed himself, changed into his navy blue silk pyjamas and went to his mentor's bedroom.

Bruce was already lying on the bed which was humongous for him. He again looked like a frail and sweet little child and his eyes sparkled. Why wouldn't they? These eyes were after all not clouded by the violence and injustice than the child's grown up self has seen.

Dick laid beside Bruce and the latter hugged him.

"Good night"

"Sweet dreams, Bruce"

Then Dick waited for the boy to drift off to dreamland while staring at the ceiling and letting the situation sink to him. He's been to so many weird situations before but this was completely an exception. Bruce was hugging him and he's definitely enjoying it.

"We'll bring you back, B," the Boy Wonder said as he returned the hug back. "If I'll have to remove "I" and "m" from "impossible" I would" he whispered to his guardian's ears.