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"The weather report says we're going to get some more snow while we're there," Tim piped up from the back. "Supposedly, it won't be a blizzard though. Just a light dusting. Shouldn't affect the slopes."
"Ready to lose to a race, Drake?" Damian asked, already geared up.
"You're on!" Tim replied, "I'll beat you with my eyes closed."
"Hah-as if you use them to begin with!"
"Hey you two, look," Dick said, attempting to stop a fight before it started. He pointed to the resort up ahead, shifting in his front seat so the two of them could get a better look past his shoulders.
The cabinesque features were speckled with large open windows, where inside roaring fires cast red and orange shadows out onto the snow and guests mingled around with drinks and blankets, chatting. The dark rich wooden tones were made all the more vibrant against the white snow that settled over the roof and hugged the sides of the building. If it weren't for the sheer size of the lodging, it would look no different than a small cabin in the woods.
"Whoa, it's bigger than I expected. I thought they described the resort as cozy?"
"This is nothing," Damian replied, crossing his arms as he looked out his own window to the snow covered bushes lining the drive towards the main entrance. "Of course you would consider a resort a palace when you've never lived in one before."
Tim rolled his eyes but focused instead on looking out his own window where the evergreens were just as beautiful capped in white.
"I haven't been skiing in forever. Thanks for inviting me along, Bruce."
"Think nothing of it," Bruce replied amicably, glancing over to Dick. Unnoticed by the others, they shared a small smile with each other before Dick shyly looked away and pointed at the valet sign.
"Looks like that's where we stop."
"Is this really a lodge for the elite, father?" Damian asked, unimpressed by the fact that there were no bellmen waiting to take their bags.
"It's a lodge where no one will bother us and we can simply enjoy ourselves. The service will have to do," Bruce replied, glancing over his shoulder before he popped the trunk and began getting out of the rental car.
The wind was crisp but the pressure was dropping. Everyone else began to pile out of the car, each taking turns to grab their bags out the back after the valet key was handed off. They packed mostly light, the three day trip a spur of the moment outing meant to give them a break from Gotham's endless needs.
Dick was grinning ear to ear, clearly enjoying the cold weather with barely a sweater on. It was something that he’d been prone to do even during his young days as Robin, scantily dressed in the snow with just a cape to wrap around him.
Bruce lifted his bag as if to usher them all in the building, "come on, I'll get us checked in, you can all wait by the lobby's fire."
"I'm not sharing a room with Drake am I?"
"No, don't worry, you're sharing with Bruce," Dick said, alleviating Bruce's need to intervene.
"Thank god, now I don't have to listen to you snore," Tim snickered, moving ahead. Damian followed right behind, the two of them bickering as they went inside.
"Do you think they'll get to a point where that stops?" Dick asked with a wistful grin.
"Maybe, but I think they enjoy it more than they hate it at this point. Maybe it’s just how they've come to communicate with each other."
Bruce and Dick stood for a moment in the wind before the smallest hint of red donned Dick's cheeks.
"Are you sure this was a good idea? We needed this, I know, but..."
"The others will take care of Gotham, Dick. Don't worry about it. What I need you to do is unwind and let go for a little while. You've more than earned a small reprieve."
"If you say," Dick sighed, reaching down for another one of the bags they’d set at their feet. Bruce went for the bag too, their hands touching and lingering together before Bruce straightened up and left the bag for Dick. Dick's smile was hardly hidden, and the two of them went to check in. It was stolen moments like that that made Dick wonder if there was something more going on between them, and he took a few breaths to steady his heart.
The resort was warm inside, a welcomed change from a brief moment in the cold, but Dick was bright eyed, scanning first then appreciating all the lodge seemed to offer. The smell of chocolate and coffee was prominent, tantalizing their senses with rich warmth. Bruce handled the receptionist, letting Dick follow his nose to the station on their right where the other two had ended up as well.
"It's delicious," Tim said, making Dick a cup.
"It is acceptable," Damian agreed, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
"That's high praise coming from you," Dick said, taking the cup and inhaling the dark chocolatey aroma. He hummed in approval and took a careful sip so as not to burn his tongue.
Bruce was at their side before they could finish, handing out the extra keys, "I'll be skiing once I get my things settled. Does everyone have an itinerary?"
"Yes, Father, we are all abreast with the current happenings, however I do believe we all wish to ski first, do we not?"
"They've got a karaoke night," Tim said with a grin, "I wonder what kind of music they sing."
"Want to sing Journey? Its tradition."
Bruce shook his head and made himself a black coffee as the three began to eagerly talk about who would embarrass themselves the most for the sport of it. Their conversation made it all the way up the elevator and as they came to their rooms on the top floor, Dick paused after Tim went in and glanced back at Bruce who was watching him.
"Skiing first."
"Before the bad weather hits," Dick agreed, and the two of them shared a smile before they went into their respective rooms. His heart was fluttering all over again, not sure if he was just imagining the softer way that Bruce was looking at him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it with Tim talking a mile a minute about his own excitement. They chatted while they unpacked on their queen sized beds. The crisp white linen matched the snow out the window and complimented the browns and greens in the room where little bears and pictures of bears mounted the wall. The motif made Tim pause and recite facts as though the slopes would take them right next to a den.
"Did you know that the grizzly bears have been extinct here since the 1970's? We don't have to worry about them at least. Only black bears."
"Last I checked, it's hibernation season, Tim. I don't think you'll have to worry about them either way."
"Its not like they can't wake up though," the young man replied with a shrug. He had just finished putting away his clothes when his phone rang. "Don't wait up!, I'm going to take this call and come out when I finish."
"Okay Tim, see you later," Dick said, already dressed in his ski gear. It was black and blue, and though a little on the nose, he couldn't help but have fun with his colors. He was out the door and down the hallway halfway when he heard Damian call out for him from behind.
"Dick! Wait up!"
Damian ran up behind him, taking in his stride, and though Bruce lagged behind, Dick smiled and kept walking them forward.
"Do you know which slope you're going to try first?"
"They've got a double-black diamond I want to try. Do you want to race? Seems Drake is lagging behind as always."
Dick wasn't shocked to find that Damian wanted to race on the hardest track without practice and rustled his hair.
"Quit it!" Damian complained, but sported a smile nonetheless.
By the time they'd rented their gear and got dressed, the clouds on the horizon were coming in.
"I don't think we'll get to race more than twice if we're lucky," Dick said, shielding his eyes with his goggles.
"Then we have to race first, just in case," Damian demanded.
"Alright," Dick conceded with a grin. "Let's do it!"
Bruce made a non committal hum next to them, neither denying nor agreeing to race, however he did follow them both to the starting path of the slope. It looked treacherous even from their position at the top, and while he had hoped they'd all rest, he knew he couldn't take their competitive spirit away.
Damian counted off, bolting into action the moment his voice rang out a "Go!". Dick was quick behind, bending and getting a feel for the snow before he picked up speed. The air rushed past their faces, biting into their cheeks and spiking their blood with adrenaline. Turns and bends came fast, the edges of the lane at times less clear and seeming more of a suggestion than a route. They broke through a few snow piles, Damian jettisoning himself off another, the two of them fighting for headway. Bruce was soon lost behind, clearly not in it the way the other two were, but Dick didn't have time to notice, instead gaining and passing Damian on the next bend.
He could see the side of the mountain out his peripheral as it whizzed by, and just as he noticed Damian might try to cut through it without seeing, Dick called at him to stop, causing the young man to collide with him in confusion when Dick cut him off. Quickly Dick's world went upside down, but Damian was safe as he fell away on the right side of the mountain. He caught rock twice before he landed in the pillowy snow below, but he could feel something wasn't right.
"Dick!"
Damian's voice echoed over the trees, but he was too far away to see anymore, and where exactly Dick had landed, he wasn't sure. He groaned as he tried to move, but the sudden sharp pain in his leg meant he wasn't likely to go anywhere fast. His head ached, but he knew it could have been worse. He glanced around again before he assessed his damage.
Carefully he took off the skis, groaning as he twisted and bent. There was at least a gash on his side, the warm blood cooling quickly. Experience taught him it wasn't fatal, but he needed to clean it as soon as he could. He mustered up his voice to yell, but the sharpness in his ribs told him he'd at least fractured one.
"Be careful! I'm alive!"
"Dick!" The voice came again, snow trickling down off the side of the mountain.
"I'm alive!" Dick tried again harder, louder, more painfully. Silence followed, and he could only assume that Bruce must have shown up. Determined, Dick got up to his feet and stood there with a wobble. He was certain he'd done something to his ankle or leg, or even both with the pain shooting up.
From his new position he couldn't see more than the rocky cliff side and a forest of trees that looked even more precarious, but he decided following the side might get him to help faster than if he waited in the snow. He'd made it only a few excruciating steps when he heard Bruce's voice from above.
"I'm coming round to get you, Dick!"
"Okay!" Dick tried to call back, but Bruce didn't respond one way or another.
The poles were helpful in keeping his balance as the terrain gradually sloped down, but trying as he might to lessen the distance between himself and help, the cliffed side was as tall as it was in the start. He pressed on, tumbling in the cold several times and slipping down on the steep declines before he spotted a small building on more level footing. Like a godsend, Dick was muttering thanks under his breath as he went into the small wooden outpost. It was a rangers station by the looks of it, the bare minimum of a shelter, but still not without its aid.
Cold to the core he wobbled and plopped down in front of a small black stove. Luckily enough there was wood, though not enough to last for more than a day if he could manage a slow burning fire. They'd all been trained for these kinds of things, but being in them was always different than scenarios discussed in front of a television screen.
Once the fire was going he began to look around. A med kit was fixed to the wall and with excruciating pain, he got up and took it over to the small makeshift bed. There was a wool blanket and pillow but it was cold to the touch as everything else had been so far and he opened up the metal box to see if he could find bandages. Salves, lubricants, ointments, tweezers, and scissors; all the things he expected to find alongside the white gauze and tape. It'd have to be enough, and he twisted again to try and see his side.
The black material of his jacket had been ripped, and though the shirt below fared better, it was soaked in blood. More concerning was the coldness of his exposed skin than the gash. He did what he could to patch it up, and finally decided to try and take his boot off. It was painful, ankle throbbing as the plastic buckling was removed and his foot was freed. He took in a few slow breaths, letting them out as he tested his range of motion. He'd injured it more by walking on it, and if he could bet on it, he'd wager it was fractured.
He got back in front of the fire, trying his best to warm up his feet and sit in a way that wouldn't put pressure on his ankle. It only dawned on him then that there might be a radio or two. He scrambled up to his knees, groaning as the world spun a little and began looking over the small little table, cluttered with gear, rope, and other odds and ends. Beneath some papers he found a radio that looked more like a walkie talkie. It renewed the hope that he could find some assistance before the storm hit, but the sound of whistling wind against the structure didn't bode well. Sitting back down next to the fire, he turned it on, testing first to see if there were any open channels already in use.
The static continued across the board, but Dick noticed the device continued to stop at the same channel after scanning. Hoping for the best, he pressed the button and spoke as clear as he could against his chattering teeth.
"My name is Dick Grayson. I fell off the double-black diamond trail and came across a rangers station roughly 2 miles south where I was last seen. Non-life threatening injuries sustained, but in need of assistance to return to the lodging nearby."
He waited for a reply, worrying his lip. The fire was finally starting to warm him up, and he pulled the woolen blanket down around his shoulders. It was in stark contrast to the dropping temperatures outside attempting to seep in.
When he felt enough time passed he tried another channel, and then another, keeping the scanner going for activity between each message.
Silence.
All that came was silence.
Silence and the wind picking up.
He didn't count the hours that passed, only felt them in his bones. He wanted to move around, feeling trapped like a caged animal. It was excruciatingly simple on his part, to radio for help, wait, and after the storm passed, try again and make his way back to the lodge. He hadn't lost his bearings, but the cold was becoming somewhat unbearable in the small cabin.
A loud bang startled him out of the mental revealies, and he was suddenly filled with Tim's facts about black bears. He looked around for something to defend himself when a dragging scrape vibrated the door. Much to his disadvantage, there wasn't anything but his poles and he grabbed one up, getting up to his feet unsteadily. Tim had proclaimed with confidence one only needed to say…
"Hey bear!" Dick growled out, loud as he could.
"Dick?" a deep voice cut through the wind, muted by distance.
"Yes?!"
The door suddenly swung open, snow crumbling in from the side as Bruce came charging in. He pulled it shut but immediately came to pull Dick into a hug.
"Dick!"
"Yah," Dick replied with a grunt. He didn't have the heart to tell Bruce he was hurting but Bruce was already pulling away, and assessing him as if he'd just been in a fight with Killer Croc.
"Tell me what happened."
"Damian was about to go off the side of the mountain, so I intervened and ended up going off myself. Hit the rocks twice-head hurts, gash on my side, and likely a fractured ankle. How did you get here?"
"I came across Damian, he said you went over but we couldn't see or hear you. I sent him back to the lodge for help, but there's a chance they won't be out. The storm is already hitting. I could barely get the door opened from the drift."
"You were coming to find me…?" Dick said, heart warmed by the thought.
"Of course. Dick, what makes you think I wouldn't?" Bruce said, concern etched in his expression.
"I don't know, I just assumed you'd go for the lodge's emergency staff with Damian."
"I'm here now." Bruce took Dick by the shoulders and pulled him in for another hug, his grasp just a bit too tight.
It was more than Dick was used to, and he grasped at Bruce's jacket and finally let himself uncoil. He knew he was safe. Safe and secured. They stood in the hold for longer than they'd ever before, and Dick finally relented when his ankle proved too painful to remain as it was.
"Sorry, I need to sit, my ankle."
"Let me help," Bruce said, helping Dick back down in front of the fire. Bruce came with him, pulling the woolen blanket over his shoulders. They sat in silence for a moment, but Bruce could not sit still for long, turning to Dick's ankle. He checked it over, judging the depth of injury to the faint changes in Dick's breathing. There was confidence it'd mend well, an injury that made it hard to walk, but one that might heal without too much complication.
"I'll carry you back. The base of the trail is a ways away, but there is a lift that can take us back up to the lodge."
"After the storm," Dick interjected, "and I can hobble myself."
"You don't want to break it."
"No, but-"
"No buts. I will carry you. You know I've handled way worse."
"Fine," Dick said with a slight huff, wondering if he could ever really argue with Bruce about anything.
They sat chatting about nothing in particular to pass the time, recalling old stories of their Dynamic Duo days, and more recent cases that had plagued them. Insights were offered, laughs shared, and the two of them found themselves naturally huddling up closer and closer as the temperatures dropped further outside. The sun in the window had long since disappeared, and when Dick's teeth began to chatter, Bruce couldn't sit still any longer.
"We need to share our bodies' warmth."
"You don't mean-" Dick said with a small nervous laugh, and Bruce's unwavering convictions brought pink to his cheeks.
"This is about survival."
"I, I get that much…but I…" Dick's teeth decided to chatter again.
Bruce stood to his feet and began looking around. Spotting the sleeping mat on the makeshift bed, he pulled it off as Dick moved out the way. With it settled in front of the fire, Bruce took off his jacket and pulled his shirt free.
It gave Dick a view of the sculpted skin, marked with countless scars and dusted with black hair. If his cheeks had pinked before, now they were on fire as Bruce laid down the clothes on the mat for a warmer surface and motioned for Dick to get on it. While Bruce took off his boots, Dick carefully took off his jacket while wincing and laid it down for their feet. He scooched onto the mat and laid down, heart hammering as Bruce came in and started taking his shirt off.
"Body to body is best," Bruce said, more clinical than not, but Dick didn't miss the way Bruce's eyes gazed down his body before it landed on his wound. The shirt was laid down and Bruce settled the jacket around their feet before pulling the blanket over them. It was instantly warmer. Bruce pulled Dick into his arms, careful of his wounds so that they were skin to skin, heads under the wool to help keep in their heat.
Dick was unsettled at first, Bruce's bicep cradling his head and furry chest meeting his face. It reminded him of days hiding under Batman's cape in the rain, only now it was far more intimate and he lifted his head to gaze up at Bruce.
"Bruce…?"
"Yes?"
"You're right…it's warmer already," he said, too embarrassed to say what was really on his mind. Bruce's lips were so close.
"The storm shouldn't last long. You should rest."
"Okay," he mumbled, closing his eyes and letting Bruce's warmth lull him into sleep.
His dreams were filled with Bruce, the smell of him, touching, feeling, tasting. It was all encompassing, so much so he was unaware of his squirming, awakening something in Bruce as they laid in the little room. Hands woke him, calloused and warm on his back rubbing down his spine and he moaned, suddenly blinking to the realization it wasn't in his dream. His gaze lifted up, heavy with sleep when he met Bruce's lips and they kissed.
Bruce cradled him close, caring and tenderly, letting their kiss take over his senses. Dick was pliant beneath him, and all their stolen glances and lingering touches seemed to finally mean something more. He wanted the affirmation of Dick's life on his lips, every heated breath a reminder that Dick had survived yet another close encounter with death. It was almost too much to bare and he squeezed the young man tighter in his arms just to feel his heart beat against his chest.
"Bruce," Dick moaned, hips canting and finding they were both aroused. It wasn't a one sided thing; it wasn't just in his imagination, and he threaded his fingers up in the black locks and pulled his leg up around Bruce's thick thigh wanting more of his heat, more of his love.
"I'm right here, sweetheart, I'm right here," Bruce whispered back, affirming Dick's silent plea. They rocked together, an imitation at best of what they wanted from each other, but it was a conversation they hadn't had, plans they hadn't made, and Bruce brought his lips crashing down on Dick's once more, tongue playing at Dick's mouth for entry. It was a sweet heady need, an explosion of warmth as their tongues danced and their bodies swayed. Like an invisible melody drifted on the air and tugged them along in its whimsy desire as if they had been following the pied piper's song all along.
Dick's hands found their way along the expanse of muscle, tracing patterns and old beatings with reverent touches, light and hard in tandem with the flex of his hips. It was as if they were already making love and Dick tilted his chin as Bruce's mouth spoke of feelings untold down his neck through sucking skin and sensual bites. All the ache and pain in his body was lost to the swell of heated passion, save for the aching need in his groin. The friction of their movements wasn't enough and it was if Bruce's hand had read his mind, tugging at his pants.
"Dick…" Bruce questioned, hand hesitating.
"I want it. I want you too," Dick said quickly, rolling them where Bruce's weight was over him.
Their eyes met, an understanding blossoming between them and their mouths met in a flurry of hot wet kisses. Their mimicking movements were harder and more erratic, shifted where Bruce's length rubbed along his underside, pulling deep greedy moans from Dick's lips. It was soon too hot under the blanket, the air steamed from their shared fire but Bruce kept it around them, ensuring their survival even while he slowly took Dick apart into a panting mess.
"Please don't make me wait," Dick whispered, "please, Bruce, I want you."
"There's nothing here-"
"The med kit," Dick remembered, pointing to the side where it'd been set. He pulled his hand back into the warmth and waited while Bruce leaned over him and fished out what they needed. He took the time to kiss the burly chest above him, licking and scraping his teeth.
Bruce groaned, finding it hard to concentrate when Dick was so hell-bent on making him suffer, but he managed to get the tube of lubrication and brought his gaze back to the beautiful man beneath him. His own chest ached, and he reached up, cupping Dick's face as he brushed his thumb across his lips.
"I want it to feel good," he whispered, voice husky.
"It will, it will, if it’s you, Bruce, it will. Please."
Bruce nodded, finally taking Dick's pants off of him. He was careful of the ankle, kissing the tender flesh of it as he pulled the swishing material completely away. Dick's skin was pleasantly warm, easing his own internal worry before he dribbled some of the liquid onto his fingers. It was cold and he massaged it with his thumb to warm it before he touched Dick below.
Dick gasped at the touch, canting his hips for more. It was a slow massage, their mouths finding one another from time to time but Bruce made sure to keep watching his expression, those bright sharp eyes ensuring every touch brought pleasure more than anything else. Just when he thought he might go mad a finger slipped in and drew another moan from him. And though it wasn't a new sensation, it was new with Bruce, and his heart swole, his hands touching wherever he could to connect more with the man he'd never had words to describe. Whatever the connection could be called, words couldn't encapsulate it, and Dick found himself in a sea of sensation as Bruce worked him open, body and soul.
"You're beautiful, Dickie, so beautiful."
Dick flushed, preening under the praise.
"I'll take care of you, as long as you'll let me, I'll take care of you."
"Bruce…" Dick was panting, grasping and when they finally connected as one, Dick let out another moan of his name, "Bruce!"
He was louder than he wanted to be, but he couldn't simply be still as Bruce carved a pathway within him, immortalizing a place in his body that could never be the same. Even as the storm howled around them, they were lost in the sway of each other's desire. The press of skin, the rocking kisses as they gazed at each other, it was more than Dick could handle as the pressure of pleasure erupted within and he tightened harder.
Bruce was soon to follow, giving pieces of himself that he hadn't given any other, pieces just for Dick. He brought them together for another kiss before he pressed their foreheads together while they got their heartbeats under control. Neither wanted to break the spell that had fallen over them, and they kissed and held each other for as long as their bodies would allow.
"Let me clean you up," Bruce said, finally pulling away. He brushed back Dick's hair from his face, caressing as his finger tips moved down.
Dick nodded in return, not willing to trust his voice. Bruce used Dick's tattered shirt, gently wiping away their mess. After, his hands were worshiping, massaging away at what was surely sore muscle until Dick looked like he might fall asleep again. Only then did he lay down with him again and held Dick close. Though they met for a few kisses, Dick's breath was soon evening out when at last a few words slipped unbidden from them.
"I love you."
Bruce's heart was full in ways he never thought possible, and he kissed the top of Dick's head, whispering his reply to his sleeping bird.
"I love you too."
When Dick awoke next, Bruce was moving to get dressed.
"Your shirt," Dick said groggily, half sitting up. It was colder without the mass of heat next to him and the warmth was quickly dispelling from the mat.
"You wear it, since yours is dirty and cut."
Dick couldn't stop the smile on his face and he pulled it on before Bruce handed him the rest of his clothes. It was quick work with Bruce helping, and before he knew it, they'd righted the Ranger's station back up and Dick sat huddled in front of the fire while Bruce worked to remove the build up of snow off the doorway.
The radio crackled to life and Dick hurriedly brought the device closer.
"Ranger station 1 to outpost, crew is readied at the base."
"Hello!" Dick transmitted, holding the button down, "my name is Dick Grayson and I'm with Bruce Wayne. We're at a ranger's station off the side of the double-black diamond trail! Alive and well."
"Thank God! We had a search team deployed the moment the storm passed. Can you follow the mountain side to the base or do you need medical assistance?"
Bruce came to Dick and shook his head, "I'll carry you."
"We can make the trip," Dick said, deciding he'd rather be carried by Bruce after all. They shared a smile when the radio crackled back to life.
"Okay, great. Bring the radio with you in case your status changes. Be careful on the descent. Friends and family are at the lodge waiting for your return. We'll let them know you're on your way back."
"Roger that."
With Bruce's help, and a whole lot of laughing, the two of them made it back to the lodge where Damian and Tim stood waiting.
"I was completely in control of my descent, Grayson-" Damian began, though he looked hesitant when Dick was seen being mostly held up by Bruce and limping.
"Of course, sorry to have gotten in the way," Dick said instead, smiling as he sat down on the ambulances' gurney. It was early afternoon and most of the patrons were busy elsewhere, leaving them and the few officers to talk over the details of the incident.
"I'm glad you're okay Dick, really," Tim said when they'd finished discussing the particulars with the officers. Tim leaned in, giving him a hug.
"I'm glad too. Luckily this is nothing. I'll heal up in no time."
"Can one of you sign this form here? We need to take Mr. Grayson to the hospital for a full checkup as a part of our lodging's policy. We will fully cover the expenses."
"Understandable," Bruce said, signing the form. "I have no intention to sue either."
"Management will be happy to hear that," one of the staff said while another poked them to be quiet.
"I'm coming," Damian announced, lifting his head.
"No, I need you to stay with Tim. I'll go with Dick," Bruce said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I need you two to stick together."
"Very well, I'll make sure Drake does not fall off the side of a mountain either."
"Hey now," Tim started and crossed his arms but Bruce's gaze had him dropping them. "Don't worry Bruce, we'll be okay. We'll stay off the slopes for now."
"Perfect."
Dick was already being loaded into the ambulance when Bruce returned to his side. He came up into the cramped quarters and took Dick's hand just as the doors were shut to hide them.
"Does this mean…" Dick started, needing some kind of confirmation that it wasn't over. That it wasn't just a moment in the storm.
"Yes, Dickie. I'm still here."
"You are, aren't you."
"Yes, sweetheart. Now and forever."