Fic commentary: Dichotomy of Heart (DCU)
Feb. 26th, 2006 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thefroggI had this...I don't know, this whole epic plotted out in response to some slash story I read off of http://offpanel.net - I don't recall which one - and started writing one scene from the end. The rest of the story never got written, although there's another handful that have, at various times, threatened to strangle me if I didn't write them, so they may show up at some point as part of the Dichotomy series. I doubt the whole story will ever be written.
But for now, the scene stands on its own.
It could be called a response to the last-page challenge from who knows how long ago, or just a whim, or something else altogether. I call it Dichotomy of Heart. There's a reference in Dichotomy of Heart to Dichotomy of Soul, but it's not necessary to have read it first, which is a good thing, since it's as of yet unwritten.
The silence echoed dangerously through the cavern, tension edging higher with every passing moment.
Batman took a step towards Robin, who stood motionless, staring after Alfred.
"Don't." Robin's voice was soft, tremulous. "Don't do this, please. I just -- I --" His jaw worked; no more words were forthcoming.
"Robin."
"Robin's not--"
Batman cut him off sharply. "Robin's in there somewhere. You just won't let him speak. You're too afraid he'll tell your secrets."
"Apparently he doesn't have to," Dick shot back bitterly, one hand grappling with the catches to his cape.
"Then let him out."
Batman's matter-of-fact tone made Dick freeze, the catches half-open, hand tangled in the cape. He shook his head slightly. "I can't."
"Dick, I know. There's no reason to keep him--"
A violent tremor shook Dick's body. "No, that's not--I mean, I can't! I haven't been able to since..." Dick swallowed.
'Since you gave HER what should have been his!' Robin snapped. The vigilante crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
Sensing his partner's inner struggle, Batman watched as Dick fumbled the cape off, slung it to the Cave floor, and stood clenching and unclenching his fists.
'I needed that, and you know it. If you're honest with yourself, you did too.'
'I am being honest. WE needed it. Just not from HER!'
"All right, all right!" Dick bit out, not caring that Batman could hear him. "You were right, I was wrong, can we please turn the fucking page now?!"
Stunned by the outburst, at Dick's anger towards Robin, Batman had his cowl off and had taken Dick by the shoulders before the echoes had died.
Dick spun, ripping himself from Batman's grip and stumbling away from him. His booted feet caught in the discarded cape and he fell, scrambling backward until his back hit the wall between the stairs and the Batcomputer. "Don't--" Dick's breath caught in his throat as he pulled himself clumsily to his feet. Chest heaving, he looked away, anywhere but at his partner, at Bruce standing there in the Batsuit, so perfectly mirroring how he himself felt.
"Don't what, Dick?"
Dick squeezed his eyes shut against tears, feeling them spill over and catch behind his mask. "Don't tell me--"
'That it's just a normal reaction for a healthy teenage male?' Robin finished mockingly. 'You really think he'd DO that to you?'
'He did once before.'
'He did nothing of the kind.'
The touch of a gauntleted hand against his jaw jolted him from his internal dialogue.
"Don't tell you that I love you? That I'm in love *with* you? That I want you at my side and in my life and in my bed, and that if you don't want that I'd settle for your friendship and never bring it up again?" It wasn't Batman's voice; it wasn't Bruce's, either. It was something in between, something both, and layered thickly with emotion.
The hand dropped away, and Dick felt more than saw Bruce step back, giving him space. He cringed, seeming to shrink in upon himself as he let out a disconsolate moan. "Don't do this--don't think you have to tell me just because--"
"What does it take to get through to you, Dick?" Bruce's voice this time, soft and coaxing. "I tried patience. I tried telling you that you're wanted here, in my life, under whatever circumstances. I tried offering comfort," and the words shaded into the dark tones of Batman's voice, reminding Dick of a night spent on a rooftop, wrapped in bat's wings.
'They love us,' Robin said softly.
A thin animal whine answered him. Realizing the sound was coming from him, Dick stopped it, swallowing hard. 'This can't be-' Any moment, it would turn into some horrible nightmare. It always did.
Bruce waited, watching Dick wrestle with his doubts. Hope wavered, dying a little with each passing second. Batman's stoic resolve was the only thing that gave him the strength to wait it out. "Dick..."
"Please..." Dick begged as he looked up at him finally, eyes wide and beseeching, searching for something it was obvious he didn't think he would find.
'Time for the trump card,' Batman whispered.
Bruce nodded internally. "Green Lantern's covering Gotham for the next week," he said simply, letting his partner understand what he wasn't saying.
It paralyzed Dick. In all his nightmares, all his wild daydreams, Batman had never given over protection of his city just to--
'Idiot,' Robin said fondly, slipping through the bars of his mental prison and taking control.
'NO!' Dick fought for control, grappled for a hold on Robin, lost his grip on everything else. The feelings he'd been hiding poured through him, lust and fear and anguish and love, and Robin was there to catch him.
Bruce's eyes began to shutter, pain ripping at him as the last dregs of hope guttered out. It had been too long, too silent, surely if his feelings were returned--if what she'd told him were true--Dick would have answered by now.
'Patience,' Batman advised from the shadows.
'Patience be--'
A hard, armored body slammed into him, forcing him back, an arm winding around his waist, the other hand gripping the back of his head. Thin lips took his in a bruising kiss, and he brought his hands up, stroking Robin's back.
Smugly satisfied, Batman relaxed, and let down his guard.
But for now, the scene stands on its own.
It could be called a response to the last-page challenge from who knows how long ago, or just a whim, or something else altogether. I call it Dichotomy of Heart. There's a reference in Dichotomy of Heart to Dichotomy of Soul, but it's not necessary to have read it first, which is a good thing, since it's as of yet unwritten.
The silence echoed dangerously through the cavern, tension edging higher with every passing moment.
Batman took a step towards Robin, who stood motionless, staring after Alfred.
"Don't." Robin's voice was soft, tremulous. "Don't do this, please. I just -- I --" His jaw worked; no more words were forthcoming.
"Robin."
"Robin's not--"
Batman cut him off sharply. "Robin's in there somewhere. You just won't let him speak. You're too afraid he'll tell your secrets."
"Apparently he doesn't have to," Dick shot back bitterly, one hand grappling with the catches to his cape.
"Then let him out."
Batman's matter-of-fact tone made Dick freeze, the catches half-open, hand tangled in the cape. He shook his head slightly. "I can't."
"Dick, I know. There's no reason to keep him--"
A violent tremor shook Dick's body. "No, that's not--I mean, I can't! I haven't been able to since..." Dick swallowed.
'Since you gave HER what should have been his!' Robin snapped. The vigilante crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
Sensing his partner's inner struggle, Batman watched as Dick fumbled the cape off, slung it to the Cave floor, and stood clenching and unclenching his fists.
'I needed that, and you know it. If you're honest with yourself, you did too.'
'I am being honest. WE needed it. Just not from HER!'
"All right, all right!" Dick bit out, not caring that Batman could hear him. "You were right, I was wrong, can we please turn the fucking page now?!"
Stunned by the outburst, at Dick's anger towards Robin, Batman had his cowl off and had taken Dick by the shoulders before the echoes had died.
Dick spun, ripping himself from Batman's grip and stumbling away from him. His booted feet caught in the discarded cape and he fell, scrambling backward until his back hit the wall between the stairs and the Batcomputer. "Don't--" Dick's breath caught in his throat as he pulled himself clumsily to his feet. Chest heaving, he looked away, anywhere but at his partner, at Bruce standing there in the Batsuit, so perfectly mirroring how he himself felt.
"Don't what, Dick?"
Dick squeezed his eyes shut against tears, feeling them spill over and catch behind his mask. "Don't tell me--"
'That it's just a normal reaction for a healthy teenage male?' Robin finished mockingly. 'You really think he'd DO that to you?'
'He did once before.'
'He did nothing of the kind.'
The touch of a gauntleted hand against his jaw jolted him from his internal dialogue.
"Don't tell you that I love you? That I'm in love *with* you? That I want you at my side and in my life and in my bed, and that if you don't want that I'd settle for your friendship and never bring it up again?" It wasn't Batman's voice; it wasn't Bruce's, either. It was something in between, something both, and layered thickly with emotion.
The hand dropped away, and Dick felt more than saw Bruce step back, giving him space. He cringed, seeming to shrink in upon himself as he let out a disconsolate moan. "Don't do this--don't think you have to tell me just because--"
"What does it take to get through to you, Dick?" Bruce's voice this time, soft and coaxing. "I tried patience. I tried telling you that you're wanted here, in my life, under whatever circumstances. I tried offering comfort," and the words shaded into the dark tones of Batman's voice, reminding Dick of a night spent on a rooftop, wrapped in bat's wings.
'They love us,' Robin said softly.
A thin animal whine answered him. Realizing the sound was coming from him, Dick stopped it, swallowing hard. 'This can't be-' Any moment, it would turn into some horrible nightmare. It always did.
Bruce waited, watching Dick wrestle with his doubts. Hope wavered, dying a little with each passing second. Batman's stoic resolve was the only thing that gave him the strength to wait it out. "Dick..."
"Please..." Dick begged as he looked up at him finally, eyes wide and beseeching, searching for something it was obvious he didn't think he would find.
'Time for the trump card,' Batman whispered.
Bruce nodded internally. "Green Lantern's covering Gotham for the next week," he said simply, letting his partner understand what he wasn't saying.
It paralyzed Dick. In all his nightmares, all his wild daydreams, Batman had never given over protection of his city just to--
'Idiot,' Robin said fondly, slipping through the bars of his mental prison and taking control.
'NO!' Dick fought for control, grappled for a hold on Robin, lost his grip on everything else. The feelings he'd been hiding poured through him, lust and fear and anguish and love, and Robin was there to catch him.
Bruce's eyes began to shutter, pain ripping at him as the last dregs of hope guttered out. It had been too long, too silent, surely if his feelings were returned--if what she'd told him were true--Dick would have answered by now.
'Patience,' Batman advised from the shadows.
'Patience be--'
A hard, armored body slammed into him, forcing him back, an arm winding around his waist, the other hand gripping the back of his head. Thin lips took his in a bruising kiss, and he brought his hands up, stroking Robin's back.
Smugly satisfied, Batman relaxed, and let down his guard.
