Dick's Suspicious

Avery was honest, rarely holding back the truth unless the topic was difficult to broach.

"I was wondering what you'd do if I left," Avery said. "Who would use magic to heal you every day? Human bodies are so fragile; you might lose a limb or worse."

Batman looked at him. "So, you still want to leave?"

Avery's eyes flickered. "What, am I not allowed?"

Something in Bruce sparked into a sudden frustration. It wasn't that he expected a close relationship to mean the other would prioritize him in all things—that was absurd. But Avery's detachment made it feel as though their relationship meant nothing, as though they were just friends with benefits. "Once it's over, you're you, and I'm still me," Avery's attitude seemed to imply.

But if he'd just wanted someone casual, why would he choose Avery? Such a relationship would only make things awkward, and he had other options.

He thought, perhaps he didn't love Avery in some deep, overwhelming way. For men like them, love was a luxury that rarely came into their lives.

But he certainly liked him.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

Batman never shied away from admitting his own feelings; only cowards did that. Yet when it came to expressing his emotions, he always held back.

He wasn't skilled at expressing love and didn't see the need for it.

So, as he held Avery close, he said nothing more, simply turned Avery's body to face him, cupping his hand behind Avery's head, and kissed him intensely, letting his actions speak instead.

Their breaths mingled in a heated exchange, and Avery, momentarily overwhelmed by Bruce's intensity, tried to push him away. But barely a moment had passed before Bruce pulled him back, and Avery surrendered to the experience once more.

In the stillness of the cave, soft sounds echoed around them.

Gradually, Avery also gave in. He wasn't one to deny his own desires and allowed himself to follow Bruce's lead. The environment around them, however, left him slightly uneasy, though in that brief moment of hesitation, Bruce pressed him firmly onto a nearby table.

The cold metal surface beneath made Avery's body shiver involuntarily, but the sudden warmth that enveloped him soon erased any resistance, pinning him under Bruce's undeniable weight.

At some point, a faint memory came to him of the "original inhabitants" of the cave—bats. The idea that they might be intruding crossed his mind, and he breathlessly voiced it, but Bruce clearly didn't care, showing him just how determined an "invader" could be.

Time blurred in that space, lost in their shared world, until the light at the distant cave entrance began to dim, signaling the day's end.

They had arrived that morning and spent seven to eight hours reorganizing equipment in the Batcave; as for the remaining time, only they truly knew how it had been spent.

Since the Batcave lacked a shower, Avery resorted to using magic to clean up, though this only moved certain "evidence" elsewhere rather than dissolving it. Casting a sidelong look at the one responsible, he calmly managed the cleanup.

By the time Alfred arrived with Dick to find them, both were perfectly composed, as if nothing had transpired in the cave.

"Gentlemen, it's time for dinner. Anything left can wait—Master Richard is already waiting for you both," Alfred announced.

The two glanced at each other, each projecting a calm demeanor. Neither showed any signs of what had happened, leaving Alfred with no visible clues.

Yet, as Alfred stood by the elevator, his sharp intuition sensed something amiss. He looked the two of them over with a scrutinizing gaze but, after a few seconds, could discern no clear evidence. Reluctantly, he let the matter drop.

Avery felt slightly guilty—not for anything specific, but because the Batcave was hardly an appropriate place for... such things. Yet, somehow, it had happened, leaving him a little unsettled.

He cast a discreet glance at Bruce standing beside him, who, as always, wore a perfectly controlled expression, betraying nothing of his thoughts. Catching nothing from Bruce's impassive face, Avery quickly looked away.

The two of them followed Alfred out of the Batcave and entered the elevator one after the other. Compared to taking the stairs, the elevator was significantly faster, whisking them swiftly to the surface. When it opened, they found themselves in a hidden chamber connected to an unoccupied room, and they exited.

Then they almost collided head-on with a curious Dick, who had apparently been peeking around.

"Ah!" cried Dick as he bumped straight into his adoptive father.

"Dick?" Bruce's voice was surprised.

Trailing behind, Avery immediately understood the situation. Dick had been searching for them after their prolonged absence. But continuing to discuss it was risky; if Dick started asking where they had been and why all three had come out of this room, there'd be no simple way to explain it.

So, Avery took the lead and cut in, saying, "You two can stop messing around now. Come on, let's get to dinner before it gets cold."

Dick, who had been just about to ask a question, was momentarily stumped, and as he opened his mouth to try again, the adults had already started moving on. Avery even glanced back and called for him to catch up.

They're definitely doing this on purpose! They're hiding something from me!

Dick fumed quietly.

Once they'd all settled at the dining table, they shared a quiet meal. By the time they'd finished eating, night had fallen.

It was clear that this was Batman's cue to begin his nightly patrol. So, Avery and Bruce made their excuses and left, leaving Alfred to sit with Dick in the living room watching television.

Dick's eyes drifted, staring blankly at the TV, though it was evident his thoughts were miles away.

...

No one knew what the young Wayne family servant, Avery, did in his spare time.

If high-tech gadgets could track a person's every move, these measures were entirely ineffective when it came to Avery.