Author's Note: This will be a Bruce and Dick bonding piece, with horses. Uber fluffy, and with at least one circus-days flashback. It feels like it's going to be a three-parter, but you all know how good my muse is at making acorns grow into oaks without warning.

For those of you waiting for some more action, as soon as Camp Batman is wrapped up in a week or two we'll dive into 'Tectonic Doom,' the Dick and Tim adventure piece I promised. There will be plenty of mystery and danger mixed in with the bro-bonding, so stay with me!

Happy reading!

It was barely four o'clock, but Dick had had about all he could take of schmoozing businessmen and their flirty debutante daughters for one afternoon. He'd only come to the Gotham's most exclusive country club because he'd sensed that Bruce's sanity might be at risk otherwise; now, however, it was his own state of mind that was in danger. The Chamber of Commerce luncheon had proved to be as banal and colorless as the billionaire had always complained that it was, and he couldn't stand another minute of it.

Fortunately the older man could read him like a neon billboard. When their eyes next met across the crowded room, Bruce sent him a permissive nod, and Dick fled in as unobtrusive a manner as he could. Still carrying his glass of champagne, he crossed the wide, abandoned deck and skipped down the steps to a flawless lawn. The sounds of the gala going on in the air-conditioned ballroom faded, leaving him alone with the mid-summer heat and the distant calls of a pair of unengaged caddies.

He meandered towards the trees in search of a little shade. A gravel walkway intercepted him at the edge of the foliage, enticing him to follow it to a tastefully signposted crossroads. Tennis courts, the golf clubhouse, a restaurant, a pool, a Japanese-style spa, and a boating lake all tempted him, but it was the notice at the very bottom that caught his attention. "Horses," he murmured, raising his sweating flute to his lips to sip. "Wouldn't mind seeing some of those..."

The stables were listed as being a half mile away, but he shrugged off the humidity and headed out at a slow, swinging pace. For a moment he thought of Bruce, who would be looking for him sooner or later. Then he recalled the bevy of women and hopeful associates that had been flocking around the man and sighed in pity. Gotham's king of business wouldn't escape as easily as he had, he knew. If there was one thing he could count on having, it was time for a stroll.

Seeing no point in rushing things, he took the path at his leisure. A few people passed in the opposite direction, some in uniforms, some in outfits that defined them as members of the city's upper crust. The employees greeted him courteously; the polo-clad elite, on the other hand, tossed him looks that ranged from interest to scandal. Perhaps, he reflected, there was some rule against drinking outside of designated areas...if there was, though, the staff was doing a terrible job of enforcing it. Besides, it was a victimless crime, as persons under sixteen weren't allowed through the gates and no one over that age whose parents belonged to an exclusive resort like this one were likely to be strangers to alcohol.

Golf links opened up to the left of him as the path made a gentle ninety-degree arc. Having no interest whatsoever in the sport, he pressed on, intent on his destination. The further from the front of the complex he grew the narrower the way became, dropping from something that could accommodate a bus to a canopied lane suitable for romantic rendezvous. A few flies buzzed in the cooler air, keeping him company as he traveled. Just as the last of his now-warm champagne slid down his throat, he emerged at the base of a pastured hillside and paused.

...Now that's what I'm talking about, a smile slipped across his lips as he took in the dozen or so horses that dotted the fields. Moving straight past the low buildings where a few people could be heard working, he approached the first wooden fence and stopped to watch the handsome forms grazing in the paddock. To his surprise, one lifted its head and studied him. Their gazes locked, and a minute later Dick found himself face-to-face with the creature.

"Well, hello," he said, amused. "Friendly pony, are we?" A low neigh answered him, and the animal extended its neck towards his pockets. "Sorry, buddy," he apologized as he pulled his hands free and wiggled his fingers. "No snacks, see?" There was a disappointed-sounding chuff. "Can I pet you anyway, do you think? Yeah?" Hot breath breezed across his palm as he held it under the velvety nose. "See, I'm okay. Just a friend. There we go..." His fingers brushed against the sleek gray neck, and his grin grew. "That's not so bad, huh?"

Despite his lack of treats, the horse seemed content to let him stroke it as long as he wanted. He could have stood there and held a one-sided conversation all night had they not been interrupted by the arrival of a third party. "Hey, you," he greeted the new arrival, a buckskin-colored stallion that nipped at him as soon as he shifted to introduce himself. "Not as nice as your pal here, huh? That's okay; I'm not going to get all up in your bubble. See?" he moved back and continued to pet the first animal. "No harm. Just niceness."

Before he could lament not having horse-flesh under both of his palms, a medium-brown specimen sidled up on the other side of the gray that was still enjoying his attention. "What's your name?" he queried as his newest acquaintance hesitated and considered him from alongside its compatriot's flank. At the sound of his address, it took one more step and sniffed at the hand he was petting with. "I'm okay," he promised. "If you want to come a little closer, I'll touch you too. What do you think about that?"

A complacent snort came from the first horse. Dick could only assume that it had been a positive opinion of him, because the third animal closed the gap immediately afterward. Setting his empty glass atop the nearest fence post, he extended his second arm. "...You see what you're missing out on?" he asked the standoffish member of the equine trio. "If you change your mind, I've got plenty of love for everyone."

A high-pitched whinny sounded from nearby, and was followed by the pounding of eager hooves. Suddenly a fourth head, this one belonging to a coal-black colt, shoved its way between the shoulders of One and Three. Three stood his ground, but One shuffled over good-naturedly. Two simply turned away and gave his attention to a nearby clump of grass. "Ahh...I've only got two hands, little one," Dick frowned. "Well, let's try this..."

Bringing his fingers down off of the first horse that had greeted him, he offered them to the smallest of the group. For an instant it seemed that he would be snapped at again, but the young one wasn't as antisocial as Two had been and lowered his lips after a few taunting nibbles. "Just a big softie after all, huh? Yeah," he murmured as he began to rub Four's neck. "Sorry, friendly. Hope you don't mind waiting a minute for some more affection."

One turned out to be patient, and stood by until it was his turn again. Dick had no idea how much time had passed when Bruce came up behind him, but he didn't stop petting just because he once again had a human being to talk to. "...Hey."

"Hey." The man appeared in his peripheral vision, his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone. "Thought you might need these," a bundle of carrots was offered.

"Sweet!" Accepting them, Dick offered one to each horse in turn. "I take it that these were not the complimentary gifts from the Chamber party?" he joked. "Hey, quit that, you snot," he added as Four tried to steal Three's snack. "Here, here's yours. Dork."

"No," Bruce chuckled, "they weren't. There were several fashionable young ladies who would have been happy to give you their numbers as a present, though. I think you might have broken some hearts when you vanished."

"Give it a day or two, they'll get over me. Their grandmothers will remind them that I used to be a lowly cop and that I'm not technically a Wayne to boot, and the fragile pedestals they've put me on will crumble."

"...If that hadn't come out so bitter, Dick, I'd think you were trying your hand at poetry."

"I didn't mean it to be bitter. Not at you, at least. Just at them. My name shouldn't matter, and neither should my money, or yours. What should matter," he went on as he knelt down and tried to coax Two to come back to the fence for a carrot, "is that I like animals more than I like people some days. You'd think at least a few of them would be of the same mind, you know?"

"Mm...maybe they are, and just don't know how to show it yet. If you got to know them a little better before you ran off, you might meet someone who surprises you."

He craned his head to look over his shoulder. "Have any of them ever surprised you, Bruce?" he arched an eyebrow, already knowing the answer.

"...No. But that's not my point. You don't let them get to know you."

"You're right. I should follow your example and really bare my soul to them."

Bruce sighed. "Dick, you didn't have to come."

"I know. I wanted to come. I wanted to come for one of the few rich people I've ever met who gave a damn about me even when all of the masks were off. And I'm sorry I skipped out early, but to be fair there wasn't a whole lot I could do to help after the mayor's wife got her claws in you." Finally, finally, Two consented to step a little nearer. "...I'll tell you one thing I like about the well-funded, though."

"What's that?"

"They have gorgeous horses. There we go," he smiled as the standoffish beast accepted his peace offering. "Tasty, huh, buddy?"

"...I should have gotten you horses when you were younger. I don't know why I didn't think of it. Hell, I can't believe Alfred didn't suggest it."

Rising, Dick brushed a few pieces of grass from his knees. "You didn't think of it because you've never been an animal lover. Besides, when would I have had time to enjoy them? Not that I'm complaining about the things I was doing instead, don't get me wrong, but...really, when would I have?"

"You have a point. Still, I wish I'd done it."

There was real regret in the older man's tone, and Dick felt a trace of guilt for having led the conversation around to this point. It had been pure accident, but it had caused distress in the person whose welfare he cared for most in the world, and therefore it needed to be rectified. "You want to make it up to me?" he queried, an idea forming in his head.

"I'll buy you all the horses you could possibly want, but I don't know that you've got more time to ride them now than you did when you were younger."

"Don't buy me horses, Bruce. That would be silly for several reasons. But...you could consent to ride them with me for a little while. If you didn't quaff too much bubbly to stay in the saddle, that is," he jested. "...What do you think?"

The billionaire looked at him for a long moment, then gave a short nod. "Okay."

"Really?" He'd expected some sort of excuse – he was too drunk, or Alfred was waiting, or something – so hearing a simple yes caught him off guard. "You...you actually want to?"

"Yes. I do. Let's find someone to get us saddled and take a ride. The sun's setting; we might be able to see some stars along the way." He paused. "I might have blown my chance to buy you a horse when you were younger, chum, but that doesn't mean I'm going to miss an opportunity to make a memory with you on the back of one now."

"I...okay," Dick agreed, his lip trembling at the billionaire's sincerity even as excitement rose to course through his veins. "Then let's...let's find someone and get going." Horseback riding with Bruce, he hummed to himself as they started towards the stables. No one will ever believe me...