Prompt: dick and Bruce play some games and have a late night after dick has a nightmare, while Alfred wakes up and finds the two running in the halls
Charecters: Bruce, young dick, a small glimpse of Alfred.
The fic:
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It was in the middle of the night and dick was sound asleep in his room, he had been staying with Bruce at the manor now for a year soon and had begun to see Bruce as his dad, of course he still struggled with nightmares and grief sometimes and tonight it was one of those nights where he had a nightmare about that dreadful night.
“No.. mom.. dad.. your going to fall- NO!” Dick said in his sleep tossing and turning before he woke up abruptly and started crying quietly getting up from bed and waking on the cold floor of his room to the carpeted hallway and trying to look for Bruce’s door knowing it wasn’t far from his.
After he found the right door he opened the door and went to Bruce’s bed who was asleep until the door opened and he sat up in bed quickly noticing the small silhouette of dick in the doorway.
Bruce smiled softly and looked at dick “nightmare again?” Bruce asked softly as he looked at dick who nodded and tried to dry his tears with his pyjamas sleeve as Bruce invited him under the covers
“come here,” Bruce said quietly as he watched dick scurry up to the big bed climbing up before Bruce hugged dick close, rubbing the 9 year olds back as they sat up against the bed frame “want to talk about it?” Bruce said gently as he remembered struggling with nightmares too when he was dicks age and lost his parents. After thinking for a little bit dick whispered
“no, but I think I can’t fall sleep again..” quietly as Bruce continued hugging dick “then we will stay up for a bit” Bruce said looking at dick who nodded and they stayed in that hug a few more minutes as bruce rubbed dicks back as he had stopped crying but was still gloomy but a little better as the back rubs and Bruce’s hugs helped as they cuddled for a while just staying warm and comfortable in Bruce’s bed, somehow Bruce’s bed was always warmer in the best way on nights like this.
After a few minutes though dicks stomach started growling making Bruce chuckle softly as he also started to get hungry “are you hungry? Anything you want?” Bruce said smiling softly and dick nodded flashing a little smile “can I have cereal?” Dick asked quietly, showing he was feeling better as they got up to go down to the kitchen to eat.
One staircase and a hallway later they walked into the kitchen and Bruce got the cearel and the milk carton from the fridge before serving the bowl to dick who was sitting at the table “thirsty?” Bruce asked softly as he looked at dick placing a comforting hand on his back as dick nodded and Bruce got him a glass of water.
After a while dick finished the bowl and drank the rest of the milk accidentally giving himself a milk mustache making Bruce chuckle “you got something there” Bruce said as he pointed to over his lips as dick let out a little giggle and wiped it away
“feeling better?” Bruce asked as dick put his bowl in the sink and turned to bruce “yeah, but I don’t think I can sleep yet.. can we play a game?” Dick asked quietly as he was still a little nervous about sleeping and didn’t want to think about it yet
“Hm.. you should try to sleep dick, but a little game I guess won’t hurt. We just have to be quiet so Alfred doesn’t wake up” Bruce said with a playful grin as dick smiled and nodded “okay, well you’re it!” Dick said going up to Bruce and poking him before running away
With Bruce chuckling and following behind him, quickly running dick made his way through the halls and into the library before looping around to the kitchen again a few minutes later where he unexpectedly found Alfred had woken up and was making himself a morning coffee as dick almost bumped into him letting out a shriek as he did not expecting him to be there
“Master dick! What are you doing up at this hour?” Alfred asked, looking down at dick who was a little stunned but grinned as Bruce walked up behind him smiling “Oh- I had a nightmare..” dick said as he twiddled his thumbs as alfred looked at bruce sternly but softened as he glanced at dick again
“wouldn't some milk or tea be better than running around the manor at 6 in the morning?” alfred asked as dick nodded with a giggle responding “yes.. i guess..” dick smiled as he looked behind him up at bruce who shook his head before picking up dick
“i will get him to bed this time alfred” bruce said as he held dick on his hip as alfred nodded “and maybe stay in bed this time” alfred said gently giving dicks knee a squeeze making the boy kick out before nodding smiling a little.
Bruce smiled and walked with dick up to his bedroom so he could be close if dick had another nightmare. Walking down the hallway bruce could hear dick snickering to himself “whats so funny?” bruce asked with a smile looking at dick in his arms as they walked.
“alfreds face when i scared him” dick giggled as the moment must be re playing in his mind as bruce chuckled “well you did scream like a banishee” bruce joked smiling as used his elbow to open the door before playfully dropping dick into the bed before walking back and closing the door,
“yeah- eheheh.. your face was funny too” dick giggled as he got into another giggle fit as the moment when he saw bruces face flashed in his mind meanwhile bruce turned around he saw dick already making himself comfy wrapping up in the sheets but clearly still existed from the game and bumping into alfred.
“sleep” Bruce said, pointing to dick as he sat down, while dick shook his head playfully as he watched bruce get under the covers “but i am wide awake now!” dick smiled as bruce sighed “maybe i will have to tire you out somehow” bruce said sitting up agaist the bedframe looking at dick who was now a burito and bundled up comfy in the sheets giving bruce a idea.
“maybe i will have to tickle it out of you then” bruce said playfully poking dicks stomach through the sheets, making the boy squeak and flinch back with a giggle.
Bruce smiled and just moved his hand poking around the circus boys sides now, chuckling a little himself as dick looked like a stuck caterpillar.
“Ehehe-Hehey! Nohohot thehehere!» dick giggled uncontrollably as Bruce started snaking his fingers up dicks sides towards his ribs and armpits, another tickle spot for the boy making him instinctively curl up trying to protect those spots but Bruce was too strong to to keep out, and the tickling didn’t help either as dick felt like his muscles were melting to jelly.
“What’s wrong with here? Are you injured?” Bruce teased, now pretending to look for bruises while tickling dick, poking and swiping his fingers around where dick “could have” gotten “injuries on patrol”.
“Ihihi am nohohot huhuhurt! Your just tihihickling mehehe!” Dick laughed as he tried to crawl away to the other side of the bed as at this point he had squirmed so much while Bruce tickled him that he was almost loose form the self inflicted blanket trap he was previously wrapped in.
“Ey ey ey, where do you think your going I haven’t got to the end of checking you” Bruce grinned, twisting over to his side to grasp dicks leg and drag the boy back, making sure to tickle the back of his knees while he did.
Meanwhile dick shrieked and cackled as he was dragged back, trying to hold onto anything that would save him from “dying” of laughter due to Bruce. Only getting a little grip on the mattress before his fingers slipped and he shrieked again as Bruce pulled him close.
Pretending again to check his knees, squeezing the caps as if checking reflexes “okahahay okahahay are you dohone?” Dick giggled smiling as Bruce finally slowed down.
His goal was after all to tire his son out but not kill the kid. “Yes I think I covered everything, anything you think I forgot?” Bruce teased smiling as he poked dick belly Button one last time
“nohoho you got everything” dick giggled flinching a little bit before leaning back against Bruce, feeling sleepy and safe enough to almost fall asleep, forgetting the aceing feeling from the nightmare.
Bruce of course noticed this and smiled softly as he shuffled down so the both of them were lying comfortably in bed and tucking dick inn, “get some sleep chum” he said, looking down at dick who at this point was already asleep and nodded in his sleep.
Then as Bruce looked up he saw Alfred had cracked the door open silently asking if Bruce wanted to sleep inn and smiled nodding as Alfred smiled back and closed the door.
A slow day once in a while should be fine. Even if it wasn’t it was worth it
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Don’t know how in charecter this was as it was pretty much the first time I wrote for this pairing but hope someone liked it :)
