Fic: The Beat of Bats Wings (5/10)
May. 20th, 2008 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starsandseaTitle: The Beat of Bats Wings (5/10)
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Bruce, Kal, Martha, eventual Bruce/Kal
Word Count: 1287
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Previous parts can be found here. Betaed by the awesome![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jen_in_japan
Bruce woke late. He was in a huge bed, the mattress so soft beneath him, woolen blankets warm around him, a fire flickering in the fireplace. He sighed and closed his eyes. He dozed for a while, enjoying this moment to himself, knowing that it would be broken very soon. He wondered what the Prince would do, if he would send him away, take him back to his cave. Bruce felt a pang at the thought.
There was quiet knocking on the door, then it opened to reveal Kal. Bruce sat up and heard whining, saw Ace get up from where he must have been laying on the floor next to the bed, and greet Kal.
"Hello there," Kal was petting Ace who licking his fingers. Bruce marveled at it. At home Ace only ever let Bruce and his siblings touch him. And Alfred, of course. Alfred... what had happened to the loyal man, what had that woman done to him? He wished with all his heart that he had brought Alfred with them, that he were here with him now.
Bruce felt so alone for a moment.
"Good morning. I hope you slept well."
Bruce looked into Kal's eyes and saw the concern there. He nodded and saw them light up with happiness. He wondered again that Kal could be so giving, to take a half-starved stranger and his dog in... Ace put his paws up on the bed, then lifted himself upon it and came over to lick Bruce's face. Bruce tried to push him off, worrying about all the hairs Ace was bound to get on the blankets, but Kal was laughing.
Bruce looked up at him started. Kal sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Ace's back. "He's a handful, hmm, Blaidd? But very loyal too, I'll bet."
Bruce caressed Ace softly. Ace laid down and rolled into his back, begging for a scratch. Bruce obliged. Kal laughed again, and Bruce glanced up at him.
"I wonder how the two of you met. Or did you find him as a pup?" Bruce nodded. "You got him as a pup?" Bruce nodded again. Kal smiled brilliantly. "Well then, no wonder he's so loyal." Kal stroked Ace again. "How did you end up in that cave? You hadn't been there for very long, only a few months at most."
Bruce looked at Ace. There was silence for long moments. Kal sighed and Bruce looked up. "You are not going to tell me, are you Blaidd?"
Bruce looked down, then felt Kal's hand grasp one of his own. Bruce looked up. "All right. I won't ask again - not until you're ready to tell me." Kal squeezed his hand, then let it go. Bruce felt strangely bereft. "There's a meal ready for your both. I'll let you get dressed."
Bruce nodded, then caught the Prince's hand and squeezed it, hoping he could see the thanks and gratitude in his eyes.
Kal smiled warmly. "You're welcome."
*****
It was mid afternoon and Bruce was sitting in one of the window seats of the main room of Prince Kal's rooms, Ace at his feet. It was raining. He sighed and looked back into the room, watching the woman who had given him his plate of food the day before, who had fussed over him - Martha, she had said her name was - tidy the room.
She was a servant, that much was clear, and yet... Bruce had seen the way she and Kal had been interacting, seen the maternal affection there. It reminded him of his own relationship with Alfred.
He looked out the window again, seeing the castle's gardens, everything starting to green up now, tiny leaves on the trees. It occurred to him, suddenly, that he'd completely missed his birthday. And probably Dick's too.
Bruce sighed again and looked down at his red and still swollen hands. He looked up when he caught a flash of silver from the corner of his eye, and saw Martha sewing.
Sewing.
Bruce was up and kneeling next to her before he could think of anything. Martha started at his sudden movement.
"What's wrong, dear?" She put the shirt she was mending down. Bruce picked it up looking at the needle, the stitches. He looked up at Martha, willing her to understand, pointing first at himself, then at the shirt.
"I'm sure the Prince will let you have it, if you want it..."
Bruce shook his head, feeling desperation welling up as tears. To be so close to starting his task! He pointed at the needle, then made vague sewing motions with his hand, then pointing at himself again, imploring Martha to understand.
She looked at him, and then at the shirt, before looking at him again. "I'm afraid I don't understand, dear. You want me to make you a shirt?"
Bruce shook his head, then repeated his motions from moments ago.
"I think he wants you to teach him how to sew."
Bruce and Martha jumped at the sound of Kal's voice, and turned to see standing in the doorway. Bruce nodded frantically, relief crashing over him that he had been understood, that Kal had understood him.
He looked at Martha who blinked, then smiled at him. "Well. If you really want to learn, dear.." Bruce nodded eagerly. Now, at last, he could start on his task.
*****
Martha taught him how to sew, then Bruce started his real work. She had been appalled when she had seen him using Starwart and Nettles, but a gentle word from Kal let him continue, unhindered.
Bruce saw much of Kal. They came together at eventide, and Bruce sewed while Kal talked, or they just sat in silence. Bruce didn't see Kal's parents again, but he gathered he was being regarded as something of the Prince's pet. Or his bed warmer.
Bruce ignored the whispers, instead concentrating solely on his task. When Spring came fully, he went out and gathered as much Nettles and Starwart as he could. It took an amazing amount to do anything with - he had used up his stockpile on just one shirt. Dick's shirt. Kal had sat with him after his gatherings, and extremely carefully pulled each tiny barb from his hands with pursed lips.
He had sighed and told Bruce how he wished would not continue this. But he didn't attempt to stop him. He and Ace regained their lost weight, and soon Ace was looking healthier than ever, his coat soft and sleek. By the time Summer came, Bruce had nearly finished Dick's shirt. He tried not to think of the months it had taken him, of the months and years it would take to make them all.
Bruce's heart ached for home, and he listened for news of his Father, but never heard any. He hoped he was still alive, that his step-mother hadn't killed him. But he found the pangs of grief eased when he was with Kal. He didn't know what to make of that, that Kal could make his heart lighter, with his brilliant blue eyes and smile.
He found himself dreaming of him, of Kal smiling at him, eyes alight with love. Bruce knew they were friends, knew Kal told him things that he would never tell anyone else, but he also knew that Kal was only telling him because he believed that Bruce couldn't speak, could only communicate through movements of his hands, that only Kal could understand. And Bruce found himself regretting that he couldn't talk - wanted to tell Kal about his task, about his brother and sisters, wanted to ask about his Father.
But he couldn't. He kept working at the shirts.
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Bruce, Kal, Martha, eventual Bruce/Kal
Word Count: 1287
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Previous parts can be found here. Betaed by the awesome
jen_in_japanBruce woke late. He was in a huge bed, the mattress so soft beneath him, woolen blankets warm around him, a fire flickering in the fireplace. He sighed and closed his eyes. He dozed for a while, enjoying this moment to himself, knowing that it would be broken very soon. He wondered what the Prince would do, if he would send him away, take him back to his cave. Bruce felt a pang at the thought.
There was quiet knocking on the door, then it opened to reveal Kal. Bruce sat up and heard whining, saw Ace get up from where he must have been laying on the floor next to the bed, and greet Kal.
"Hello there," Kal was petting Ace who licking his fingers. Bruce marveled at it. At home Ace only ever let Bruce and his siblings touch him. And Alfred, of course. Alfred... what had happened to the loyal man, what had that woman done to him? He wished with all his heart that he had brought Alfred with them, that he were here with him now.
Bruce felt so alone for a moment.
"Good morning. I hope you slept well."
Bruce looked into Kal's eyes and saw the concern there. He nodded and saw them light up with happiness. He wondered again that Kal could be so giving, to take a half-starved stranger and his dog in... Ace put his paws up on the bed, then lifted himself upon it and came over to lick Bruce's face. Bruce tried to push him off, worrying about all the hairs Ace was bound to get on the blankets, but Kal was laughing.
Bruce looked up at him started. Kal sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Ace's back. "He's a handful, hmm, Blaidd? But very loyal too, I'll bet."
Bruce caressed Ace softly. Ace laid down and rolled into his back, begging for a scratch. Bruce obliged. Kal laughed again, and Bruce glanced up at him.
"I wonder how the two of you met. Or did you find him as a pup?" Bruce nodded. "You got him as a pup?" Bruce nodded again. Kal smiled brilliantly. "Well then, no wonder he's so loyal." Kal stroked Ace again. "How did you end up in that cave? You hadn't been there for very long, only a few months at most."
Bruce looked at Ace. There was silence for long moments. Kal sighed and Bruce looked up. "You are not going to tell me, are you Blaidd?"
Bruce looked down, then felt Kal's hand grasp one of his own. Bruce looked up. "All right. I won't ask again - not until you're ready to tell me." Kal squeezed his hand, then let it go. Bruce felt strangely bereft. "There's a meal ready for your both. I'll let you get dressed."
Bruce nodded, then caught the Prince's hand and squeezed it, hoping he could see the thanks and gratitude in his eyes.
Kal smiled warmly. "You're welcome."
*****
It was mid afternoon and Bruce was sitting in one of the window seats of the main room of Prince Kal's rooms, Ace at his feet. It was raining. He sighed and looked back into the room, watching the woman who had given him his plate of food the day before, who had fussed over him - Martha, she had said her name was - tidy the room.
She was a servant, that much was clear, and yet... Bruce had seen the way she and Kal had been interacting, seen the maternal affection there. It reminded him of his own relationship with Alfred.
He looked out the window again, seeing the castle's gardens, everything starting to green up now, tiny leaves on the trees. It occurred to him, suddenly, that he'd completely missed his birthday. And probably Dick's too.
Bruce sighed again and looked down at his red and still swollen hands. He looked up when he caught a flash of silver from the corner of his eye, and saw Martha sewing.
Sewing.
Bruce was up and kneeling next to her before he could think of anything. Martha started at his sudden movement.
"What's wrong, dear?" She put the shirt she was mending down. Bruce picked it up looking at the needle, the stitches. He looked up at Martha, willing her to understand, pointing first at himself, then at the shirt.
"I'm sure the Prince will let you have it, if you want it..."
Bruce shook his head, feeling desperation welling up as tears. To be so close to starting his task! He pointed at the needle, then made vague sewing motions with his hand, then pointing at himself again, imploring Martha to understand.
She looked at him, and then at the shirt, before looking at him again. "I'm afraid I don't understand, dear. You want me to make you a shirt?"
Bruce shook his head, then repeated his motions from moments ago.
"I think he wants you to teach him how to sew."
Bruce and Martha jumped at the sound of Kal's voice, and turned to see standing in the doorway. Bruce nodded frantically, relief crashing over him that he had been understood, that Kal had understood him.
He looked at Martha who blinked, then smiled at him. "Well. If you really want to learn, dear.." Bruce nodded eagerly. Now, at last, he could start on his task.
*****
Martha taught him how to sew, then Bruce started his real work. She had been appalled when she had seen him using Starwart and Nettles, but a gentle word from Kal let him continue, unhindered.
Bruce saw much of Kal. They came together at eventide, and Bruce sewed while Kal talked, or they just sat in silence. Bruce didn't see Kal's parents again, but he gathered he was being regarded as something of the Prince's pet. Or his bed warmer.
Bruce ignored the whispers, instead concentrating solely on his task. When Spring came fully, he went out and gathered as much Nettles and Starwart as he could. It took an amazing amount to do anything with - he had used up his stockpile on just one shirt. Dick's shirt. Kal had sat with him after his gatherings, and extremely carefully pulled each tiny barb from his hands with pursed lips.
He had sighed and told Bruce how he wished would not continue this. But he didn't attempt to stop him. He and Ace regained their lost weight, and soon Ace was looking healthier than ever, his coat soft and sleek. By the time Summer came, Bruce had nearly finished Dick's shirt. He tried not to think of the months it had taken him, of the months and years it would take to make them all.
Bruce's heart ached for home, and he listened for news of his Father, but never heard any. He hoped he was still alive, that his step-mother hadn't killed him. But he found the pangs of grief eased when he was with Kal. He didn't know what to make of that, that Kal could make his heart lighter, with his brilliant blue eyes and smile.
He found himself dreaming of him, of Kal smiling at him, eyes alight with love. Bruce knew they were friends, knew Kal told him things that he would never tell anyone else, but he also knew that Kal was only telling him because he believed that Bruce couldn't speak, could only communicate through movements of his hands, that only Kal could understand. And Bruce found himself regretting that he couldn't talk - wanted to tell Kal about his task, about his brother and sisters, wanted to ask about his Father.
But he couldn't. He kept working at the shirts.
