Batbros Forever

Just Like You

When Dick lived at the circus, he had loved watching his parents practice their routines and helping them prepare for performances. Now that he lived at The Manor, he jumped at the chance to help Bruce prepare for patrol or work.

He would often sit somewhere in the room and give his adopted father a possible rundown of his day. At first, it had been a strange ritual for Bruce, having this little boy so excited to be around him, but now it was actually quite a comfort.

This morning Dick sat on the closed toilet seat of the master bathroom chatting away as Bruce slathered on his shaving cream. The boy paused for a moment as his adopted father pulled out his razor. He'd seen his Tati shave back in their trailer, but he hadn't had as many fancy tools as Bruce.

"Can I try?" Dick asked excitedly. Bruce glanced from the boy to the blade in his hand. Dick handled the sharpened edges of batarangs in The Cave all the time, but somehow it didn't feel right to have him messing with a razor just yet. "I don't think so Dick. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Please? I'll be real careful Bruce, I promise." The little boy begged, scrambling from where he sat to pull at the hem of the grownup's shirt. "Maybe when you're a bit older." Bruce told him and continued to prepare for his day while Dick watched in disappointed silence.

III

"Alfred, have you seen Dick this morning?" Bruce asked the following day at breakfast.

Dick had a ravenous appetite for such a little boy and was usually at the table when Alfred presented breakfast. Granted, they had had a late night as Batman and Robin, but even so, the smell of fresh pancakes should have aroused him.

"Master Dick appears to be sleeping in this morning. But if he does decide to make his appearance, I trust you are capable of operating the microwave so that he may enjoy a warm meal." Bruce rolled his eyes good naturally at the older man's insinuation and went to look for his son.

Dick wasn't in his room or his bathroom. Nor was he in the living room, game room, movie room. After not finding him in The Batcave, Bruce was seriously considering calling Commissioner Gordon to report a kidnapping.

Suddenly a scream rang through the halls of The Manor from the one room he had not thought to search. Bruce charged up the stairs to the master bedroom and burst into the bathroom.

There was Dick, standing on his step stool in front of the sink, holding Bruce's razor. His other hand was extended over the basin, a bleeding gash over his palm.

"Richard John Grayson-Wayne, look what you've done!" Bruce yelled. "I specifically told you just yesterday not to touch my razor for this exact reason!" Bruce snatched up a hand towel and pressed it to Dick's palm before roughly scooping him up and marching down to The Cave.

Other than Dick's whimpering and sniffling, the two of them sat in silence as Bruce cleaned and stitched the cut. "Hold still Richard." Bruce grunted when Dick flinched from the antiseptic. Dick swiped at his nose with his free hand and mumbled an apology.

"Honestly, Dick, why didn't you just listen to me? I told you I'd teach you how to shave when you're older." Bruce sighed as he finished the suture.

"Tati said he'd show me when I got big but now he's gone." Dick said softly. "You get to shave now, and I don't wanna lose another Daddy before I can do all the cool stuff. I just wanted to be like you."

Bruce froze at those words. Dick had already had a father, and Bruce by no means thought he was any kind of adequate substitute. Yet still here was this little boy looking up to him, trying to be like him.

Bruce finished packing up the medical supplies before scooping Dick back up in his arms, gentler this time, and carrying him back upstairs to the kitchen. He sat Dick down on the counter for a moment while he began digging in the freezer.