“You can’t...” Dick started and stopped. “There isn’t...” Again the words caught. “I don’t...” Tears glistened in his eyes and Tony dragged him into a hug without thinking as Dick crumbled into his arms.
“Shh.” Tony whispered, holding Dick up as he manoeuvred them towards Dick’s car. “It’s going to be ok.”
“No,” Dick hiccupped back a sob as Tony lowered him into the passenger seat and crouched beside him. “No, I don’t think it is.”
Tony for once kept his mouth shut and let Dick cry, leaning in awkwardly to hold him.
After a few minutes Dick slowly pulled himself together, feeling drained but somehow a little better. It’d been nearly two week now since the attack at the show and it was first time he’d let himself cry since waking up in the hotel. Too much was at stake; too many people needed him to be strong.
Tony stroked Dick’s hair back from his face and kissed him softly as Dick got himself back together. “Coffee?”
“Please?”
Tony took the keys without argument and ran inside to order coffees. There was a pretty spot up on the cliffs and he had a feeling this wasn’t a conversation for a crowded cafe. When he came out, there was a man leaning in the passenger window of Dick’s car – all broad shoulders and cheap suit. The man glanced up at him as Tony approached, his eyes unnaturally red.
But Dick’s hand rested on the guy’s sleeve. “It’s ok, really.”
“It really isn’t, Dick. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” The man growled darkly, belying his mild-mannered looks. “If you need me-”
“I’ll call.” Dick promised, squeezing the man’s arm gently. “Thank you.”
“Give Tim my love.” The man stalked away past Tony, his eyes flashing with hate.
“So,” Tony asked as he climbed back in and handed Dick coffees and cookies. “How many of your meta friends are currently baying for my blood.”
“Seventeen, not counting Oracle.” Dick sighed, “But it’s O you need to worry about.”
“The creepy, tinny computer voice who’s been cockblocking me all week?” Tony asked, pulling the car up towards the headland. “Who is he...she...it?”
Dick leant back in his seat. “In the cold war, Oracle would have been a spymaster.”
“And now?”
“An information broker and a very dangerous person to get on the bad side of.” Dick let his head roll to one side to look at Tony. “None of them have killed you because their waiting on O’s orders.”
“Ah.” Tony pulled the car up and came around to help Dick out.
They sat on a picnic bench in silence for a long time. Dick leant across, resting his head on Tony’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“Sure about that?” Tony asked, wrapping an arm around Dick’s waist.
“Not yet.” Dick muttered, “We’re not ready.”
“Is everyone ok?”
Dick gave another chocked off sob and Tony pulled him closer.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
branchandroot
Words wound.
Date: 2010-07-28 12:38 pm (UTC)“Shh.” Tony whispered, holding Dick up as he manoeuvred them towards Dick’s car. “It’s going to be ok.”
“No,” Dick hiccupped back a sob as Tony lowered him into the passenger seat and crouched beside him. “No, I don’t think it is.”
Tony for once kept his mouth shut and let Dick cry, leaning in awkwardly to hold him.
After a few minutes Dick slowly pulled himself together, feeling drained but somehow a little better. It’d been nearly two week now since the attack at the show and it was first time he’d let himself cry since waking up in the hotel. Too much was at stake; too many people needed him to be strong.
Tony stroked Dick’s hair back from his face and kissed him softly as Dick got himself back together. “Coffee?”
“Please?”
Tony took the keys without argument and ran inside to order coffees. There was a pretty spot up on the cliffs and he had a feeling this wasn’t a conversation for a crowded cafe. When he came out, there was a man leaning in the passenger window of Dick’s car – all broad shoulders and cheap suit. The man glanced up at him as Tony approached, his eyes unnaturally red.
But Dick’s hand rested on the guy’s sleeve. “It’s ok, really.”
“It really isn’t, Dick. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” The man growled darkly, belying his mild-mannered looks. “If you need me-”
“I’ll call.” Dick promised, squeezing the man’s arm gently. “Thank you.”
“Give Tim my love.” The man stalked away past Tony, his eyes flashing with hate.
“So,” Tony asked as he climbed back in and handed Dick coffees and cookies. “How many of your meta friends are currently baying for my blood.”
“Seventeen, not counting Oracle.” Dick sighed, “But it’s O you need to worry about.”
“The creepy, tinny computer voice who’s been cockblocking me all week?” Tony asked, pulling the car up towards the headland. “Who is he...she...it?”
Dick leant back in his seat. “In the cold war, Oracle would have been a spymaster.”
“And now?”
“An information broker and a very dangerous person to get on the bad side of.” Dick let his head roll to one side to look at Tony. “None of them have killed you because their waiting on O’s orders.”
“Ah.” Tony pulled the car up and came around to help Dick out.
They sat on a picnic bench in silence for a long time. Dick leant across, resting his head on Tony’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“Sure about that?” Tony asked, wrapping an arm around Dick’s waist.
“Not yet.” Dick muttered, “We’re not ready.”
“Is everyone ok?”
Dick gave another chocked off sob and Tony pulled him closer.