Fic: Castle In The Clouds II: Town Criers (2/4)
Title: Castle In The Clouds II: Town Criers (2/4)
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Bruce/Dick, Wally West, Roy Harper, various other Teen Titans
Genre: Drama
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
General Summary: After the Winter Ball, the media storm hits.
Chapter Summary: Wally is worried about Dick’s newly-revealed relationship.
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Date Of Completion: March 8, 2008
Date Of Posting: March 14, 2008
Word Count: 1041
Author’s Note: Dick is over 18 in this story.
The entire series can be found here.
II
ECLIPSE
The Titans were mingling as they usually did before Dick called the meeting to order. He was talking with Kori and Garth, his yellow cape tossed cavalierly over his shoulder.
Dick always had flair, Wally had to admit. His grace and good humor made him a natural as leader, not to mention his sense of responsibility and the level of training he had received from the Bat.
Thoughts of the Batman made him uneasy. Wally had the latest edition of The Gotham Gazette on the table, opened to the political commentary section, but he had already read the articles of the day on the Wayne-Grayson match.
As he watched Dick speaking, smiling and gesturing and making Kori and Garth laugh, he wondered at how such a bright personality could so easily fit into the gloom that was not only Gotham, but his mentor as well. Dick was a bright, sunny personality who could quip and make bad puns even in the worst of times. As leader he was serious but that level of pixie-ish humor was still there, relaxing everyone as they fought their battles.
How could he successfully pull off that bright costume beside the dark Bat? It was a puzzle, that was for sure, and one that while it confounded a lot of people, also seemed to work.
Wally wondered if Dick ever resented suppressing so much of his life for Bruce. He was a Wayne now, by unofficial fiat if not legally, and had been declared Bruce’s heir for years before this sudden announcement. Where did his Grayson past fit in?
The uneasiness grew. Bruce was a forceful, dominant personality. He had taken his young ward and immersed him into his own life, suppressing the brightness while on patrol or in the Manor. Was Dick more subdued at home than here at the Tower, ready to serve Bruce’s every whim? Had Bruce…?
“Hey, you aren’t reading more claptrap on the Wayne-Grayson thing, are you?”
Startled, Wally nearly fell out of his chair. “Uh, no. Just checking the op-ed pages.”
“You?” Roy laughed. “Since when?”
“Since now,” Wally said as he bristled.
Roy’s green eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s buggin’ you, Speedster?”
Victor looked up from his place on the nearby couch, clearly interested in the answer to that question, too.
Wally sighed. Leave it to Roy to figure that something was up. “I’m…” he kept his voice low, glancing over at Dick “…not sure about this…new relationship…of our Fearless Leader’s.”
Roy frowned slightly. “Do you mean that you disapprove because it’s a gay relationship?”
Wally shook his head. “No, even though it does make me a little uncomfortable, if I’m being honest. But that’s my problem, not Dick’s.” He turned the page to a story on Dick and Bruce. “I’m not sure of this relationship.”
“Ahh.” Roy nodded. “After all the crap that’s been said, I can’t blame you. But honestly, Wally, do you really think that Bruce would force Dick into anything he didn’t want?”
Wally looked at Dick again, whose smile was lighting up the room. “We know he’s a good, hell, great leader, Roy, but Bruce is awfully…awfully…”
“…domineering?” At Wally’s nod, Roy laughed. “He is, but don’t you realize that Dick has him wrapped around his little finger?” At Wally’s frown, Roy continued, “Dick lets Bruce take the lead when they’re out on patrol, but surely you know that they’re equals? Even when Dick was a kid?”
“I know he had a lot of responsibility.”
Roy nodded. “Bruce trusted him. And believe me, Bruce doesn’t trust many people.” Wally snorted. “Dick knows what he wants, Wally, and he’s strong enough to get it.”
“Exactly right on with that, Boy Archer.” Victor gave Roy a thumbs-up, and the redhead smiled.
“What does Ollie and Dinah think of this?” Wally asked.
Roy grinned. “Dinah isn’t surprised in the least, and Ollie wonders what took them so long to come out.”
“Oh, brother.” Wally rolled his eyes. “I suppose Hal and the Hawks and Wonder Woman and the whole crew are okay with this?”
“Pretty much. I haven’t heard otherwise.”
“What about Big Blue?”
“He’s the happiest of the bunch.”
Wally threw up his hands. “I give up!”
“What do you give up, Wally?”
Wally turned red as Dick was standing only a few feet away, and a green gloved hand turned the newspaper toward him. “Ahh, I see Bruce and I are still the center of attention. Must be a slow news day.”
“Sorry, Dick,” Wally mumbled.
“Eh, I’m used to it by now.”
Curious, Wally asked, “Are you? Even with that circus of paparazzi that follows you around as the Wayne heir all the time, are you really used to this level of attention?”
“No, but it’ll die down eventually.” Dick smiled and said, “Even Bruce and I will bore them after awhile.”
“Maybe.”
Dick cocked his head. “Wally, is everything all right?”
Wally blushed again. “I…” He took a deep breath. “Is everything okay, Dick? Are you happy?”
All the Titans were listening now. Raven had joined Garth and Kori at the end of the table and Dick looked around at all of them.
“I’m very happy.” His smile was testament to that. “Bruce and I belong together.”
Kori smiled and Raven nodded, Garth copying her. Victor gave another thumbs-up while Roy beamed at his friend, and Dick looked at Wally.
“You don’t feel…stifled?”
“How so?”
Wally waved his hand. “You know. You’re so…different…from Bruce, Dick. You’re bright and sunny and I hate to see you submerge that into the shadows for the rest of your life.” He tactfully did not explain that he didn’t just mean the shadows of Gotham, but of Wayne Manor as well.
Dick laughed gently. “Thank you for your concern, Wally, but honestly, I’m not submerging anything. Bruce and I understand each other. You have no need to worry.”
Dick was so convincing, his smile so bright and his happiness radiating from him like a sun, that Wally felt his concerns ease.
Dick clapped a hand on his shoulder, then turned and walked to the other end of the table to call the meeting to order.
Wally just hoped that Dick’s sunlight wouldn’t be eclipsed by the moon.
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Bruce/Dick, Wally West, Roy Harper, various other Teen Titans
Genre: Drama
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
General Summary: After the Winter Ball, the media storm hits.
Chapter Summary: Wally is worried about Dick’s newly-revealed relationship.
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Date Of Completion: March 8, 2008
Date Of Posting: March 14, 2008
Word Count: 1041
Author’s Note: Dick is over 18 in this story.
The entire series can be found here.
II
ECLIPSE
The Titans were mingling as they usually did before Dick called the meeting to order. He was talking with Kori and Garth, his yellow cape tossed cavalierly over his shoulder.
Dick always had flair, Wally had to admit. His grace and good humor made him a natural as leader, not to mention his sense of responsibility and the level of training he had received from the Bat.
Thoughts of the Batman made him uneasy. Wally had the latest edition of The Gotham Gazette on the table, opened to the political commentary section, but he had already read the articles of the day on the Wayne-Grayson match.
As he watched Dick speaking, smiling and gesturing and making Kori and Garth laugh, he wondered at how such a bright personality could so easily fit into the gloom that was not only Gotham, but his mentor as well. Dick was a bright, sunny personality who could quip and make bad puns even in the worst of times. As leader he was serious but that level of pixie-ish humor was still there, relaxing everyone as they fought their battles.
How could he successfully pull off that bright costume beside the dark Bat? It was a puzzle, that was for sure, and one that while it confounded a lot of people, also seemed to work.
Wally wondered if Dick ever resented suppressing so much of his life for Bruce. He was a Wayne now, by unofficial fiat if not legally, and had been declared Bruce’s heir for years before this sudden announcement. Where did his Grayson past fit in?
The uneasiness grew. Bruce was a forceful, dominant personality. He had taken his young ward and immersed him into his own life, suppressing the brightness while on patrol or in the Manor. Was Dick more subdued at home than here at the Tower, ready to serve Bruce’s every whim? Had Bruce…?
“Hey, you aren’t reading more claptrap on the Wayne-Grayson thing, are you?”
Startled, Wally nearly fell out of his chair. “Uh, no. Just checking the op-ed pages.”
“You?” Roy laughed. “Since when?”
“Since now,” Wally said as he bristled.
Roy’s green eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s buggin’ you, Speedster?”
Victor looked up from his place on the nearby couch, clearly interested in the answer to that question, too.
Wally sighed. Leave it to Roy to figure that something was up. “I’m…” he kept his voice low, glancing over at Dick “…not sure about this…new relationship…of our Fearless Leader’s.”
Roy frowned slightly. “Do you mean that you disapprove because it’s a gay relationship?”
Wally shook his head. “No, even though it does make me a little uncomfortable, if I’m being honest. But that’s my problem, not Dick’s.” He turned the page to a story on Dick and Bruce. “I’m not sure of this relationship.”
“Ahh.” Roy nodded. “After all the crap that’s been said, I can’t blame you. But honestly, Wally, do you really think that Bruce would force Dick into anything he didn’t want?”
Wally looked at Dick again, whose smile was lighting up the room. “We know he’s a good, hell, great leader, Roy, but Bruce is awfully…awfully…”
“…domineering?” At Wally’s nod, Roy laughed. “He is, but don’t you realize that Dick has him wrapped around his little finger?” At Wally’s frown, Roy continued, “Dick lets Bruce take the lead when they’re out on patrol, but surely you know that they’re equals? Even when Dick was a kid?”
“I know he had a lot of responsibility.”
Roy nodded. “Bruce trusted him. And believe me, Bruce doesn’t trust many people.” Wally snorted. “Dick knows what he wants, Wally, and he’s strong enough to get it.”
“Exactly right on with that, Boy Archer.” Victor gave Roy a thumbs-up, and the redhead smiled.
“What does Ollie and Dinah think of this?” Wally asked.
Roy grinned. “Dinah isn’t surprised in the least, and Ollie wonders what took them so long to come out.”
“Oh, brother.” Wally rolled his eyes. “I suppose Hal and the Hawks and Wonder Woman and the whole crew are okay with this?”
“Pretty much. I haven’t heard otherwise.”
“What about Big Blue?”
“He’s the happiest of the bunch.”
Wally threw up his hands. “I give up!”
“What do you give up, Wally?”
Wally turned red as Dick was standing only a few feet away, and a green gloved hand turned the newspaper toward him. “Ahh, I see Bruce and I are still the center of attention. Must be a slow news day.”
“Sorry, Dick,” Wally mumbled.
“Eh, I’m used to it by now.”
Curious, Wally asked, “Are you? Even with that circus of paparazzi that follows you around as the Wayne heir all the time, are you really used to this level of attention?”
“No, but it’ll die down eventually.” Dick smiled and said, “Even Bruce and I will bore them after awhile.”
“Maybe.”
Dick cocked his head. “Wally, is everything all right?”
Wally blushed again. “I…” He took a deep breath. “Is everything okay, Dick? Are you happy?”
All the Titans were listening now. Raven had joined Garth and Kori at the end of the table and Dick looked around at all of them.
“I’m very happy.” His smile was testament to that. “Bruce and I belong together.”
Kori smiled and Raven nodded, Garth copying her. Victor gave another thumbs-up while Roy beamed at his friend, and Dick looked at Wally.
“You don’t feel…stifled?”
“How so?”
Wally waved his hand. “You know. You’re so…different…from Bruce, Dick. You’re bright and sunny and I hate to see you submerge that into the shadows for the rest of your life.” He tactfully did not explain that he didn’t just mean the shadows of Gotham, but of Wayne Manor as well.
Dick laughed gently. “Thank you for your concern, Wally, but honestly, I’m not submerging anything. Bruce and I understand each other. You have no need to worry.”
Dick was so convincing, his smile so bright and his happiness radiating from him like a sun, that Wally felt his concerns ease.
Dick clapped a hand on his shoulder, then turned and walked to the other end of the table to call the meeting to order.
Wally just hoped that Dick’s sunlight wouldn’t be eclipsed by the moon.