A/N: So, I couldn't sleep…this popped into my head. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the song "Lullaby for a Stormy Night" or the song "All Through the Night." I suggest you guys look up these songs, they are really pretty! I also don't own Young Justice!
Lullaby for a Stormy Night
"Bruce?" a shaky voice asked as a finger jabbed him in the back. The older man turned toward the source and saw Dick's outline standing beside his bed, fidgeting. Glancing at his alarm clock, Bruce sighed quietly before addressing his young charge.
"Dick what's wrong? It's very late, why are you awake?"
The boy shifted nervously. "It's storming and the loud sounds scare me. It woke me up and now I can't fall back asleep. Can I stay in here with you?" A clap of thunder boomed, as if stressing the young child's point.
Bruce looked at the nine year old in bewilderment. "You do realize that you'll still hear the loud sounds in this room, don't you?" A flash of lightning struck suddenly in response, causing the normally dark room to illuminate, giving the man enough time to see Dick's tear-stained face and fearful, wide blue eyes.
The Dark Knight shook his head, conceding to the boy's wishes. "Just for tonight, okay?" Bruce noticed the outline of his ward's head bob up and down quickly in agreement before running to the other side of the king size bed. In an instant, Dick was in the bed, snuggling close to Bruce's body. Ignoring the presence next to him, Bruce began to drift to sleep. He had almost successfully fallen back asleep when he felt a tug on his nightshirt.
"Yes, Dick?" he inquired, trying to remain patient.
"I hear a scraping sound on the window. What if someone's trying to break in? Or worse…what if it's a monster?" Bruce felt the corners of mouth lift upward at Dick's declaration.
"There are no such things as monsters," he responded firmly, hoping the certainty in his voice would alleviate the child's fears.
Before the boy could respond, the sound of thunder rumbled through the room. Squeaking, he threw his arms around Bruce and buried his head into the older man's chest emphatically.
Bruce wrapped his arms around Dick as he stood up, holding him in place. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he insisted as he walked toward the window. Dick's grasp on him tightened as they approached the window. As Bruce pulled the satin curtain back, Dick noticed the big oak tree that stood next to the window, its branches scraping against the windowpane as the wind howled furiously.
"See? It's just the tree." But the boy seemed to not hear him. Instead, the nine year old stared up at the cloudy sky.
"I wish the moon was out," Dick responded sadly as he gazed out the window. Bruce noticed the child's hold had lessened, much to his relief. The crime-fighter peered out of the window, and sure enough the clouds covered the night sky, creating a barrier of blackness between them and the moon.
"It'll come out once the storm goes away," Bruce reassured him. But the boy continued talking as if he hadn't heard the remark.
"Mommy and I used to look at the moon every night. We would watch the moon as she sang to me. She'd keep singing until I fell asleep. I miss her and Daddy."
He didn't reply to his ward's statement, for it hit close to home. Bruce remembered when his mother would sing to him a night, too. Sometimes, it was uncanny how alike they were. Both had been orphaned at a young age, losing their loving parents to violence and crime. Both had been permanently scarred by the ordeal.
"D-do you think…do you think you could sing to me?" Dick asked tentatively, disrupting his guardian's thoughts.
He paused, taken by surprise. After a few moments, Bruce finally gathered enough of his wits to formulate a reply. "…Sure," he remarked uneasily, "What song would you like to hear?"
Dick didn't even have to think about it. "Do you know 'All Through the Night'?" His tone was hopeful. The title sounded familiar to Bruce, but he couldn't quite recall the lyrics and tune.
"I might, but I don't remember how it goes."
"That's okay," Dick said eagerly, "I'll start it." Inhaling deeply, the young boy began to sing softly.
Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Remembering the lyrics, Bruce joined in, his low baritone voice mixing with his charge's angelic tone, creating a melancholy harmony.
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night
A gentle light fell onto Bruce's face. Looking up, he saw the moon had temporarily emerged from its ethereal captivity, casting a dim glow down toward earth.
"Look Dick, the moon's out."
He didn't receive a response from the boy. Glancing down, Bruce observed that Dick had fallen asleep, his breathing quiet as his head rested against the man's chest. Carefully, Bruce made his way back to the bed and set the sleeping child on the bed lightly. Gently, he pulled the silk covers over the boy before he sat on the bed. Softly, he stroked the young boy's hair as he continued to sing the lullaby.
Angels watching, e'er around thee,
All through the night
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night
Slowly, Bruce wriggled down until he was lying in the bed. Pulling the covers over him, the Dark Knight drifted to sleep, his arm subconsciously draped around the boy's shoulders, as if to protect him in his dreams.
A/N: How was it? I hope I didn't go overboard with the fluff. Let me know if I should write more like this. So far, my Robin and Batman one shots seem to do relatively well, which excites me. Hopefully this one did not disappoint. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
I'm working on Isochronism and Demons, but today (Saturday) might be the last day I have Internet for like a week, so don't expect anything from me this upcoming week. I'll try to have stuff done for the following week, though! Thanks again!