Prompt: Dick visits his circus family with Jason and Kaden and ends up becoming a part of it.
Dick - 38
Jason - 35
Kaden - 13
The Flying Graysons
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day at Gotham Academy. Kaden exited the building, his friends Michael and Melinda on either side of him as the trio made their way out off campus. Kaden looked up and spotted Dick's car, a huge grin spreading across his face. Today was Dick's day off and he'd promised the teen they'd spend the day together, just the two of them. Dick was busy with his work as a police officer and Blüdhaven often, so Kaden always looked forward to his days off. He loved spending time with his Papa.
"Hey, I'll see you guys later!" Kaden called back to his friends, waving them off as he rounded the car, the black Lamborghini that his grandfather had given to his parents as a wedding gift.
"Bye Kaden!" Melinda waved back. Michael playfully shoved the girl and she laughed, punching his arm.
"Don't forget: my place, Saturday, Movie Marathon!" Michael called. Kaden just gave a laugh and a wave back before he jumped into the passenger's seat, dumping his side bag into the back seat of the car, grinning from ear to ear at his Papa. Dick chuckled in amusement as he pulled away from the school, wordlessly gesturing to Kaden's seat belt. The teen gave a curt nod and buckled up, grinning like the Cheshire Cat in excitement.
As a police officer in Blüdhaven, Dick was at work quite a bit; up to ten hours a day, Monday through Friday. Though he was often called in during the weekends as well; Blüdhaven was a crime ridden city, a haven for criminals fleeing Gotham, which only added to the city's own troubles. But at least once a month at the very least, Dick would take one of his days off to spend the whole day with Kaden (or the rest of the day on school days). They'd go out for dinner and just talk, maybe drop by the arcade and play some games. It seemed like such a small thing, but not to Kaden.
"So how was school, kiddo?" Dick asked, glancing over at the teen before turning his attention back on the road.
"Where's dad?" Kaden asked curiously. Dick flashed the youth an apologetic smile and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm sorry little wing, but dad is at the manor, helping Alfred move some furniture around. He's not as young as he used to be," Dick replied, which sounded like a pretty lame excuse as much out loud as it did in his head. Translation: The Red Hood was helping Batman with an investigation into a drug smuggling ring centering around Cape Carmine. Kaden looked a little crestfallen at the news, but Dick nudged him gently with his elbow.
"Hey, no worries, we'll still have fun, right?" Dick asked. Kaden's expression seemed to lighten a bit, his smile returning.
"Yeah, sure! Where are we going?" the boy asked. Dick gestured ahead, nodding toward the pizzeria ahead. It was Kaden's favorite place to eat; he loved pizza because he didn't get it often. Dick and Jason did their best to keep the junk food to a minimum, so their diet mostly consisted of healthier foods. They tried not to be as strict with dietary habits as Bruce was with them, especially since Kaden was most certainly not going to be running around in green tights or yellow capes any time soon.
"Hah! Alright!" Kaden cheered as the car came to a stop in front of the all-too-familiar pizzeria. Kaden couldn't get the seat belt off fast enough, hopping out of the car and glancing over at Dick who laughed at Kaden's impatience.
"Settle down now, the place will still be there in the next five minutes," Dick joked, ruffling the boy's hair playfully. Kaden huffed in equal parts annoyance and playfulness as he shoved his papa's hand away from him.
"So what's the occasion?" Kaden asked as he followed the man inside. Dick glanced down at the pre-teen and noted how much bigger he'd gotten in the last year. It made him feel old, frankly; it felt like just yesterday that the boy barely stood waist high to him, and now he was just above shoulder height. Dick flashed a smirk and ruffled the boy's hair again.
"None at all! Well, maybe a small one," Dick began, stopping before the counter, Kaden looked up at him. "I know I've been really busy the last month, so I just wanted to spend some time with you." Dick smiled down at the boy again and went to ruffle his hair again, but Kaden grabbed his wrist and stuck out his tongue.
"I think twice is enough," he giggled. Dick laughed in amusement, and in a quick move, put the teen in a headlock, ruffling his hair anyway.
"Oh yeah? How 'bout I mess with you as much as I want, huh?" he teased. Kaden laughed and slipped out of the hold, pushing the man playfully. The woman behind the counter cleared her throat, grabbing their attention while Kaden fixed his hair. Dick cleared his throat and reached for his wallet, glancing down at Kaden and gesturing toward the menu.
"Uh. Can we get a medium pizza with bacon, pepperoni, and pineapple? Oh, and two cokes!" Kaden asked, leaning against the counter as the woman plugged in the order. She looked up at Dick, flashing the customary fake smile.
"That'll come to $7.99 and your order will be ready in fifteen minutes," she said. Dick rummaged through his wallet and slid the bills across the counter, grabbing the receipt. He patted Kaden's back and led him to a window seat near the front of the store where the two of them sat, waiting on their order.
"So how's gymnastics going?" Dick asked. From a young age, Kaden showed interest in acrobatics, which Dick was so enthusiastic about; it was something the two of them shared a love for, something they both had in common. And Dick took every opportunity he could to impart some of his skills and knowledge to him.
"Yeah, I'm the top gymnast at the school! All those awesome moves you taught me are really paying off!" Kaden said excitedly. Dick chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, giving a curt nod as he spoke.
"Well I'm glad I could help! So tell me more. I-" Dick began, but Kaden's excitement got the best of him.
"Well, my coach said I'm the best in my class, and he also said he was a high Flying Grayson's fan back in the day," Kaden went on. And the boy kept talking, eager to tell his papa everything about his gymnastics class that'd been going on lately. Dick smiled as the boy spoke, old memories of the little boy who wanted to 'fly like Nightwing' surfacing in his mind. But more than that, in moments like this, he could see his husband in the boy; that same enthusiasm Jason had whenever Dick came to the manor to visit with him and hang out. Kaden was most definitely Jason's son.
Their pizza was served minutes later, alongside their drinks as the two of them continued to converse about acrobatics, school, grades and other things. A nearby tv caught Dick's eye, however. He turned his attention to it and saw the "Haly International Traveling Circus" sign flash across the screen.
"And for the first time in many years, Haly's International Traveling Circus will be making a return to Gotham City!" came an anchor woman's voice. Kaden looked up at the screen, then back to his papa. The two of them shared a look and Kaden glanced back to the screen again, then back to Dick.
"Haly's Circus, that's where you grew up, right?" Kaden asked. Dick smiled at the boy and gave a nod.
"Yeah. Until I was nine, that circus was my whole family," Dick answered. Kaden grinned from ear to ear, excitement rising again.
"Can we go?! Can we?! All of us, I mean. Me, you, and dad?" Kaden asked excitedly. Dick's smile faded a bit as he glanced back at the screen, watching as some of the circus animals paraded by on screen, led by none other than Jack Haly himself. Dick suddenly felt a bit of guilt that he hadn't gone to see his old family in so many years, but more than that, he realized he missed them too. He turned his attention back to Kaden and smiled brightly, ruffling the boy's hair yet again.
"Of course we'll go!"
Jason, Dick and Kaden hopped out of the car and made their way onto the circus grounds. It was closed today and wouldn't be open to the public for at least another week, but Dick was eager to see his family, and for them to see his. Jason enlaced his fingers with Dick's as Kaden went on ahead of them. Dick glanced over at Jason who just flashed him a smirk.
"Hey, thanks for coming with us," Dick aid softly, stealing a kiss. Jason's smirk turned into a smile as he quickly tugged Dick back toward him, their lips only an inch apart.
"Hey, for you? Anything," Jason replied, pressing his lips against Dick's. Dick hummed into the kiss, his hand threading through Jason's hair as the taller man pulled him flush against his body.
"Ew, gross," Kaden complained at the sight of his parents kissing. Jason and Dick broke apart and looked upon the teen in amusement. Jason chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Yeah, yeah. Just wait 'till you find that special someone. You'll be sucking face too," Jason replied. Kaden snorted and playfully shoved his father's hand away from him. He smirked at the man as he fixed his hair.
"Well yeah, but you guys are old," Kaden retorted. Dick and Jason both exchanged a glance, both grinning like the devil.
"Uh oh," Kaden muttered. He turned to run but both his parents lunged forward and grabbed him. Jason ruffled the teen's hair mercilessly while Dick tickled the boy, Kaden bursting into laughter as he tried to escape.
"Okay, okay! You win!" he laughed, his parents finally letting him free. "Losers," Kaden joked, earning a playful shove from his father.
Dick looked out at the circus before them; it was still under construction, but the main tent was already up as well as many of the carnival attractions. It was still under construction, the various circus folk scurrying around to help put it all together. Dick didn't recognize most of them, however. When he left the circus last, many of the faces he was familiar with were pretty old, and now probably retired. But then he caught sight of Haly in his ringmaster outfit, because of course stubborn old Haly wouldn't retire!
"Haly!" Dick called with a smile, jogging over toward the man with Jason and Kaden following behind him. The man was digging through a trunk for and gave a dismissive hand wave.
"Hey kid, you seen my hat?" Haly asked without turning. Dick snickered to himself; Haly hadn't seemed to recognize his voice. He gave a brief look around and saw the hat sitting on top of another trunk just a few feet away. He grabbed it up and tapped Haly's shoulder.
"Here it is, sir," he said casually. Haly grunted and stood up, taking the hat.
"Thanks-Dick Grayson!" he said cheerily when Dick's face came into view. He hugged the man tight and Dick laughed in amusement. The man was showing obvious signs of age, but his hug was still as strong as ever. "Good to see you boy!" the old man said cheerily. He turned to Jason and Kaden and laughed grabbing Jason by the arm and pulling him into a hug. Jason grunted at the sudden jerk forward, and gasped, surprised by the bear hug.
"Damn. You're pretty strong for an old guy," Jason managed as the man finally let him god. Haly laughed and slapped his back.
"Pushing 80 and still fit as a fiddle! Comes with the job," Haly answered with a jovial laugh. The old ringmaster then turned his sights on Kaden. "And who's this fine young man?" Haly asked, stopping before the boy. Dick moved beside Jason and behind Kaden, both their hands on either of the boy's shoulders.
"Haly, I'd like you to meet our son, Kaden," Dick replied as his face split into a grin. "Kaden Todd-Grayson." Kaden smiled and held out his hand to the man, but Haly instead pulled him into a hug.
"Well damn! Welcome to the family Kaden!" Haly shook the boy's hand, then gestured to the circus. "There's an old friend of yours that I'm sure'd be glad to see you." Haly said. Dick's face lit up at that.
"Zitka?! She's still…y'know…"
"Yep. The old girl is pushing forty. But an elephant never forgets!" Haly answered. Dick glanced over at Jason who just chuckled in amusement at his husband's child-like enthusiasm.
"Alright, let's go see her," Jason suggested. Dick enlaced his finger's with Jason's and placed a hand on Kaden's shoulder, leading them to the animal tent. They walked through the tent, past the various circus animals; a lion, some birds, a couple of bears and some elephants.
"Zitka? You here girl?" Dick asked, looking for his old childhood friend. One of the older elephants lumbered forward and when she caught sight of Dick, she lifted her trunk in the air and trumpeted happily. Dick laughed then as she wrapped her trunk around his waist and pulled him forward.
"Glad to see you still remember me! I missed you girl!" Dick admitted, hugging the elephant. Dick parted from Zitka and pushed Jason forward. Jason glanced back at him, then gasped as the elephant suddenly pulled him forward for a hug.
"Uh, hi. Nice to see you too, Zitka," Jason replied, patting her head. As he stepped away, Kaden stepped forward.
"Zitka, this is Kaden. He's my son. Why don't you say hi?" Dick said softly. Kaden smiled as he reached forward tentatively, patting Zitka's trunk. The elephant stared at him but didn't budge.
"Hi," Kaden murmured. Zitka's trunk ruffled his hair and Kaden snorted with laughter. Zitka trumpeted again, softer this time and Dick and Jason joined Kaden, patting the elephant's head.
"Papa, you have the coolest family ever," Kaden said cheerily. Dick smiled at the teen as he led both him and Jason out of the tent, waving goodbye to Ztika, who returned the gesture, waving her trunk.
"I'll be sure to visit again soon, girl!" he called back. Haly intercepted them at the entrance to the tent then with his hat in his hands.
"Listen, Dick, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," Haly murmured. Dick exchanged a glance with Jason and Kaden and gave a shrug.
"Sure, what is it?" Dick asked. Haly fidgeted a bit before putting his hat back on, then he looked Dick right in the eye.
"This is actually a farewell show for me. I'm retiring," Haly admitted. Dick's jaw dropped, shocked by the admission, but also unsurprised. Haly was in his 80s at this point. Retirement was inevitable.
"I see. I understand," Dick said somberly, but Haly held up a hand and stopped him.
"I hate to ask this, but I want to make this show my most spectacular yet, so I was wondering if-"
"Yes!" Dick replied, grinning like a child. Haly chuckled in amusement but he didn't get a chance to speak. "I know what you're going to ask me, and I'd love to perform for your farewell show!"
"Great, great! It'll be a Flying Grayson's Memorial show!" Haly said with a laugh, patting Dick's back.
"Can I perform too?! I've always wanted to be a Flying Grayson!" Kaden asked cheerily. Jason shook his head immediately, placing a hand on Kaden's shoulder.
"Oh no. No, no, no. Way too dangerous. Not a chance," Jason said immediately. Kaden let out a defeated sigh.
"Aw, c'mon!"
"Yeah Jaybird! It'll be fun! And besides, I'll be there with him!" Dick replied, patting Kaden's shoulder and giving Jason the brightest smile he could manage. Jason huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He hated when his boys ganged up on him like this!
"No! It's not that I don't trust you Dick, it's…it's, well…shit happens, y'know?" Jason argued. Dick sighed and raked a hand through his hair. An idea came to mind and he stepped toward his husband and whispered something in his ear.
"So? What do you say?" Dick asked, flashing a seductive grin. Jason frowned, mulling it over in his head a bit.
"Okay, fine," Jason answered, watching as his boys cheered excitedly "but" and then the cheering stopped. "You practice the hell out of this thing for the next few days. Nets, harnesses, the whole nine damn yards, you understand me?!"
"Yes, yes of course! Kaden will be perfectly safe!" Dick said immediately.
"Yeah dad! I'll be fine! I'm already a pretty good acrobat! How hard could the trapeze be?"
The day came and the circus was opening to the public as "Haly's Farewell Show" and "The Flying Grayson's Memorial Show". People showed up in droves for the various acts and carnival games throughout the circus. Jason, Dick, and Kaden were early, of course Jason was in the back watching his boys prepare for their show.
The duo was wearing the old Flying Grayson's uniforms; dark blue leggings with a blood red top with a pair of golden wings emblazoned across the chest. Dick checked both himself and Kaden out; it was a little surreal to be in these costumes again, let alone to see his son wearing one too. He couldn't help but to grin from ear to ear as he patted the teen's shoulder.
"You ready Kades?" Dick asked. Kaden swallowed hard but gave a nod, managing a smile.
"Yeah, just a bit nervous," he admitted, looking out over the crowd. "I've never performed for an audience that big." Dick chuckled in amusement and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"You'll do great, don't worry. Now why don't you go stretch a little. Dad and I have to talk," Dick replied. Kaden gave a nod and retreated out through the back of the tent. Dick turned to Jason who looked a little less than happy about this.
"You be careful out there," Jason began. Dick dragged the man into a hug which he gladly returned.
"We'll be fine, Jaybird. Kaden will be fine. Trust me!"
"Well, one week of practice is hardly-"
"Jason, look at me," Dick said again. Jason huffed but looked at Dick, their eyes meeting. "Kaden is a skilled acrobat, and he learns quickly. I'm asking you to trust me. Do you think I'd let anything happen to that boy?"
"No, but-"
"Then trust me, and enjoy the show," Dick interrupted, placing a gentle, reassuring kiss on the man's lips. Jason sighed, his hands snaking around his husband's waist to pull him flush against his body.
"You, Dick Grayson, are a very bad man," Jason said softly, touching his forehead to Dick's. Dick chuckled low in his throat and leaned forward for another quick kiss.
"Yes, I am. And tonight, you'll see just how bad I can be. Just like I promised," he purred. Then came his queue for him and Kaden to get out there, so he parted from Jason and went to fetch Kaden.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! For my farewell show, I have quite the spectacular performance prepared for you tonight!" Haly called over the microphone. He pointed up to a trapeze platform still mired in shadows as he continued "a show the likes of which hasn't been seen in decades! I give you The Flying Graysons!" The lights flicked on revealing Dick and Kaden in full uniform, waving to the audience.
Jason shuffled into a seat in the stands moments later with a bag of popcorn in hand. As the light shone on his boys, he stared at them with a mix of awe and trepidation; he trusted Dick to keep Kaden safe and he knew Kaden was a skilled acrobat because Dick helped to train him, but he couldn't help but think of the very last performance of the Flying Graysons…
"I give you a veteran of the trapeze, Dick Grayson, and his young son trained by the original Grayson himself" Haly embellished, looking up toward the platform "and the top gymnast of Gotham Academy, Kaden Todd-Grayson!" The crowd cheered wildly, including Jason who looked up at his son with a sense of pride, a huge grin on his face as he stood and clapped. "I give you the Flying Grayson's Memorial act!"
Dick started the show with a few flips and twists on the trapeze as it flew overhead, no net beneath to catch him. The audience 'oh'd' and 'ah'd' as he performed and Jason himself was equally captivated. He'd seen Dick in the field as Nightwing, but this was something different entirely.
And now came the part that had Jason on edge; Kaden's turn to join the man on the trapeze. As Dick swung back from the opposite side from Kaden, the teen jumped off of the platform, Haly commentating everything, and performed a triple somersault, then reached his hands out for Dick. But he was falling, and Dick was so far away.
The audience jumped out of their seats, and Jason's heart caught in his throat. He wanted to shout, but his voice was lost. But it was all for naught, because with a simple move, Dick caught Kaden with ease, and hauled him up, and so the show went on.
After several near-heart attacks and a pretty damn amazing show, the act was over and Jason met his boys in the back. He cuffed them both in the back of the head and glared at them angrily.
"You two idiots nearly gave me a god damn heart attack! I think I died a little inside like, six fucking times!" Jason growled. Dick and Kaden flinched at the man's anger, their expressions crestfallen as the fidgeted in place. Then, Jason grabbed the both of them and hugged them tight.
"But god damn, that was an amazing show!" Jason admitted with a laugh. Dick and Kaden's expressions brightened substantially.
"Really?!" Kaden asked. Jason chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Really. But you're never doing it again, so get the idea out of your head," Jason said sternly. Dick laughed in amusement and patted the teen's shoulder.
"It's okay, I'm not sure there'll be a next time," Dick answered, kissing Jason's jaw. "But thanks for this. It was fun to get out there and perform again. And what about you Kaden? You have fun?"
"Yes! That was amazing!" Kaden cheered, hugging both his parents.
"I want to thank you for making my farewell show really spectacular," Haly said smoothly, a grin on his face as he approached the trio. Dick gave the man a hug, patting his shoulder.
"Of course, anything for family." Haly turned to Jason then and gave the man a broad grin.
"And thank you for letting me borrow your boys! You should be proud, they're a talented pair." Jason chuckled in amusement, shaking the man's hand.
"Yeah, well, I have to admit, it was pretty amazing, watching them perform." Haly laughed as he clapped Jason on the back and gestured toward Dick and Kaden.
"Never gets old, the sight of a Grayson on the trapeze," he said. Haly placed his hat back on his head and retreated out the back of the tent. "You boys take care now," he said with a wave back. He stopped on final time and glanced back at Dick and Kaden, looking them over. "Keep the uniforms. A souvenir, or a gift." Dick sighed contentedly, wrapping his arms around Jason and Kaden's shoulders and leading them out of the tent.
"Well, this was definitely a good day. But I have a promise to keep," Dick said with a seductive grin. Kaden, clueless as ever, looked up at his papa with a quizzical look.
"You do?" he asked. Jason snickered in amusement and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Yes. He does." Realization dawned on Kaden and he pulled a disgusted face.
"Ew, dad. Just…ew."