Falling for Grayson : birdflash

Ch12: Whale

I was awoken by the sensation of sand being poured onto my back. I partially removed my t-shirt from my head and glanced up to find Dick on his knees with two handfuls of sand and a smirk on his face. I turned my head back around, ignoring the nuisance. This seemed to invigorate the deviant as he began to shovel sand directly onto my back with the same energy of shovelling water out of a sinking boat.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Time to get up."

"How long has it been?"

"About half an hour."

"Okay."

"Swim first to wake up, then volleyball?"

"Okay."

"Are you gonna say anything else but 'okay'?"

"...okay."

Dick shoved me on the shoulder. He then got up and began to walk toward the ocean. Before he started to run, Dick yelled, "Last one in the water is officially the slowest person on the team!"

From lying down, dead to the world, I threw myself up and dashed towards the water. I watched in slow motion as Dick was seven feet from the water's edge. When time slows and I'm with the people I love, I feel so fortunate to be with them that much longer. It will be the same time for them, but for me, I get to see their moments of joy for longer, to see their smile, to fully experience every nuance of their expression.

Dick's smile and gaze towards the ocean stood still for me. His soft-looking lips, slightly parted, the sun making his teeth shine even brighter, his smile revealing the dimples of his cheeks, his upturned nose slightly red from the sun, his fine dark brows outlining eyes as blue as midday sky, raven hair flowing yet frozen in the wind—I could gaze upon the joy on Dick Grayson's face for an eternity.

In this moment, his flexed legs hovered in the air with grains of sand kicked up from behind, his arms at ninety degrees, helping define the muscles in his arms and shoulders. The slight turn of his torso extenuating the ridges of muscle from his side, a flattering pose for a boy who had many flattering poses.

His model-like features were lost on the boy who was too focused on helping others. While he was beautiful, the desire to wrap my arms around his waist and bring him close was not due to his beauty, rather it was to bring his heart nearer to my own. Dick Grayson carried with him a lightness in his heart that made me feel that even in the darkest of days, everything would be okay.

By the time Dick set one foot in the water, he noticed me floating about in the ocean.

"I guess I know how to push your buttons," Dick said, stopping ankle-deep in the water.

"Come here so that I can drown you."

Dick swam over to where I was floating. Without the rest of the team to play jackpot or monkey-in-the-middle, there wasn't really anything to do in the water other than to cool off. Dick was also starting to get that impression.

"I have an idea," he said, "Why don't we go a little deeper, we'll swim under, you hold underneath my feet, then torpedo me into the air?"

"You mean do my dolphin technique, but for you?"

"Yeah, but with how high you go, you're more like a whale breaching."

"Are you sure you're a robin and not a bat? Cause' you're blind. I'm basically flying in the air."

"Nope," Dick said confidently, "definitely a whale."

"Dolphin."

"Whale."

"Dolphin."

"Whale. Dolphins are cute."

I splashed water in Dick's face. "You're saying I'm not cute?"

"Not when you're eating, at least."

"Did you just indirectly call me cute?"

Dick, caught with his compliment, quickly looked away before returning my gaze and opting for further teasing. "You lose all sense of civility when you eat. It's amazing, yet horrifying."

"My table manners are superb."

"Ever wonder why after you came over for dinner a few times Bruce started eating before us? You make him lose his appetite!"

"Oh goooooooodddddd, no!!! Really?!"

"Haha, yeahhhhhh..."

"I feel so embarrassed..."

"Don't worry about it, I think it's funny, nobody can eat the way you do. I like it... though, after I recorded you eating at M'gann's birthday last November, you should've figured out your eccentric eating habits needed some refinement." All I heard was Dick saying he liked the way I ate. "Maybe for Bruce's sake, you should eat slower, and not with your hands."

"Hands are nature's forks," I protested.

Dick splashed water in my face. "Ha! Okay, fine—but only for nachos and customs elsewhere. If you want Bruce to eat with us, maybe stick to knives and forks at Wayne Manor."

"Dearly noted. I shall impress Bruce with my etiquette—so much so that he'll be talking about it to Alfred after."

"How about we start with nachos and you can practice eating slower, and not stuffing your face like a chipmunk."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Maybe you can come over the following Friday?"

"Okay," I said, giving a single nod, "Now, about shooting you into the air with my dolphin technique..."

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Author:

Wally embarrassed by Bruce thinking he's a total slob... at least Dick finds it funny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Q: Something you've been grateful for recently?