Chapter Text
Dick Grayson got out of the shower, and jumped onto his bed in cozy PJ’s. In the back of his mind, he knew his friends were looking out for him, and so he felt a twinge of guilt at how he left them. But, if he stayed any longer he would’ve ended up crying or something, and he didn"t want them pitying him more.
Tomorrow he would face his calculus exam, and maybe the next day he would feel like talking to his team about it. Pulling the covers up to his cheek, he just basked in the softness of the fabrics and the warmth of the bed. Nestled in the quiet safety of his home. He heard a knock at the door, and he knew who it was. It was the reason he left the lights on. Hearing the door open, he could make out Bruce Wayne walking towards him and sitting on the edge of his bed.
“Dick…” began his mentor. He put a hand on his arm paternally, making sure his next words were well heeded. “I just heard what happened. If I was aware of the powers your opponent possessed, I would have never let you go. Your team is concerned about you, and so am I. Are you okay?”
Weakly, through the covers, Dick answered, “Yes, I mean not really, but I can get through it. It’s not like anything new happened. It was just memories of my life that everyone saw. They… They will look at me differently now. I… I yelled at them a bit… I just sort of snapped… And…” Words were flowing out of him now just as tears flooded his face. He held it together until right then. Under the protection of Batman, he felt safe enough to break down. “I feel guilty now. They were just concerned about me.”
“You can talk to them about it when you are ready. They don"t blame you.” His mentor said softly.
His voice faded as Bruce kept his arm on the young boy. Dick was sobbing now and shaking a bit. All the while Batman was letting him cry. He was safe and in a vulnerable place right now. Over-exhaustion and stress has done the rest. After an hour his breathing evened out, and he was asleep minutes later. Bruce Wayne patted the boy on his arm and quietly stood up. He knew what it was like to go through life like this.
He tried to make Dick’s life better however possible. Conversation might not be his forte, he needed to be a fatherly presence sometimes. Bruce could forget how young his ward was at times. But he was strong too. And capable. The others had just been blinded by his brilliance and paid the price for their ignorance. The winter wind blew outside the house, but Bruce knew the bird would return soon.