~Nightmares~

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Nightwing's POV-

My eyes travelled over all the boxcars carefully, I could easily tell which had what animal in which. After scanning each one, I turned to look over at my mommy and daddy. Although I couldn't exactly see their faces, at the moment, that didn't matter to me at all. I rushed right over to them in excitement before pulling at Tati's pant leg.

"When are we doing the act! Tati, when are we doing the act?" I exclaimed in excitement. My 9 year old self jumped up and down with glee.

Tati looked down at me and I slowed to a stop, my jumping becoming tiny hops before fading entirely. "Tati?" I whispered.

His soft look soon turned into a glare and he grabbed me by the hem of my shirt before I was thrown backwards and smashing into the hay bails. I let out small whimper and looked up. Daddy was walking toward me with this evil look on his face.

I got up and my eyes widened when I noticed my mommy coming from behind me, too. She grabbed me from behind and I could feel myself being choked already.

"Mommy, wh-what are y-you doing?" I barely choked out, losing my breath.

Finally, my breathing gave out, and I closed my eyes, darkness swallowing me whole...

When I woke again, I noticed I was somewhere up high. Like, really high. That's when I realized, I was on a trapeze. Or the platform of one anyways. How did I get here?

That's when I saw it..my mommy, my daddy, my family! They were gliding like birds and flipping like acrobats!

I smiled widely, the thought of what had happened in front of the trailers disappearing from my mind.

"Honey, come on!" I heard my mommy exclaim in pure happiness as she reached her hands out to me.

I was about to reach back when I heard a sudden crack. I looked up in panic and saw the trapeze..cracking. I knew what was about to happen. So I tried to stop it from happening.

"Mommy! Tati! Get away from the trapeze! Get off them! Get off them!" I screamed, but them I noticed. I didn't have a mouth! It was gone. Those words were only in my head.

My screams were muffled by nothing but my mind as the cracking became louder, and louder, and 'SNAP'.

I could finally open my mouth! "NO, MOMMY TATI!" I screamed, reaching out for them.

But, I couldn't reach them. I slowly started turning around, startled when I looked up and saw the big great bat looking down at me with narrowed eyes.

"B-Bruce?" I whispered, looking up at him.

He glared at me. The bat glare. Then kicked me. Off the edge.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, falling. Falling into oblivion-

-

I jolted awake, my screaming immediately halting as I stared wide eyed up at my father figure.

"Hey, Dick. It's okay, nobodies gonna hurt you." He whispered, slowly wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a hug.

"I-I'm nineteen now, dad...I shouldn't be having these dreams.." I whisper back, mostly to myself.

Bruce ran his fingers through my hair, "Are you okay?" He asked, looking down at me with concern.

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, as my answer. He put his chin on top of my head and rubbed my back as I felt myself drifting off again.

"Bruce?" I whispered, leaning away again as I looked up at him curiously.

"Hm?" He rose an eyebrow.

"How old were you when you stopped having these nightmares?" I asked, blinking up at him questionably.

Bruce sighed and continued rubbing my back again. "I never stopped, Dick."

My eyes widened slightly at his answer. "Does that mean that I will always be having these dreams, day and night? Because I fell asleep at the mountain the other day..." I shuttered, "I screamed in front of Blue Beetle and Impulse!" I choked out, closing my eyes again in shame.

Bruce shook his head quickly, "No, it's okay. You'll stop when you, yourself is ready to stop. And, I already talked to Blue Beetle and Impulse about this."

I nodded slowly before looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Wait, how did you know? I never told you this until now."

"Don't overreact...but Blue Beetle was concerned and he came to me with Impulse. They were just concerned, Dick." He replied slightly cautious.

"And what did you exactly tell them?" I whispered, not trusting my voice any more.

"I told them the truth." He replied, causing me to look up at in incredulously.

"Y-you what?"

"I told them that you scream in your sleep sometimes, because your always on patrol or homework, or something that keeps you awake. Your mind is always thinking your awake when your not."

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head, "That doesn't explain me screaming..."

"It does, if I told them that you run around the house screaming some days." He chuckled lightly.

I glared at him, "I hate you."

"I know. But I love you." He said, kissing my forehead.

I sighed, slowly falling into a dreamless sleep as I curled into Bruce...

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