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Dick heard Lara’s laughter before he saw her. He squinted against the morning sunlight streaming in through the hallway window as he made his way past Jon’s door.
He stopped at the open doorway of Clark and Lois’s bedroom, watching Lara “fly” in Clark’s outstretched hands. He and Lois were both lying in bed, grinning up at their baby as Clark moved her back and forth through the air with his hands at varying speeds. Sunlight streamed in from their open balcony door, lighting up Dick’s little family.
“Look at you! You’re so fast!” Clark’s voice was at least two octaves higher than usual.
Lara giggled aloud in response, waving her tiny arms and legs akimbo.
Dick leaned against the doorway, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. He resisted the urge to do a U-turn and leave them be.
This was his family too, after all.
“Good morning, kiddo,” Lois said from the bed with a smile. She was clad in a pair of soft purple pyjamas.
“Dick!” Clark’s smile stretched even wider as he brought Lara down into his lap. “Come on in, son.”
Both father and daughter regarded Dick in matching Superman-themed pyjamas. Lara squealed at the sight of him, smiling her gummy smile and holding up her arms as Dick moved towards the bed.
Dick sat down at the edge of the bed beside Clark and scooped Lara into his arms, pressing a kiss to her nose. She was all chubby cheeks and blue eyes and dark curls. He inhaled the milky new-baby scent of her. “Hi, Lara-bug.”
Lara laughed like he’d said the funniest thing in the world.
“What’s up, baby bird?” said Lois, still smiling at them.
“Just wanted to let you guys know that Kezia is thinking of starting a mom and baby gymnastics class at the gym,” Dick said, smoothing down Lara’s black curls. “Thought you’d want to enroll this one.”
“What about dads? Aren’t they allowed?” Clark asked immediately, beginning to pout.
Dick laughed. “Of course, they are.”
“Lara doesn’t need to sign up for gymnastics class,” said Lois with a put upon frown. “She has you for that.” She held out a finger and Lara grasped on instantly. “Private lessons with phral! Right, honey?”
Lara made bubbles with her mouth in response.
The room filled with warm laughter.
“Although, honestly speaking I don’t know if my heart can handle another gymnast in the family,” said Lois. “With the stunts Jon has been pulling recently.”
“He’s half-Kryptonian,” said Clark, resting a hand on Dick’s leg. “He’ll be fine.”
“Doesn’t stop me from worrying.”
“That’s true,” Dick said from experience.
“Tell Kezia she needs to add dads to the class too,” said Clark.
“Sure thing.” Dick wiped the spit from Lara’s mouth with her bib. “Kory’s thinking of attending just to see all the babies.”
Lois’s smile turned sly. “Maybe one day you and Kory can take your own baby.”
Dick sputtered, the blood rushing to his face. Right. Never mentioning Kory in this house again.
Clark burst out laughing and Lara joined in solidarity.
“Lois.”
“What?” Lois defended, holding up her hands. “You two seemed pretty close at the last showcase.”
Clark threw back his head and laughed harder, the sound bright and clear. Lara clapped her hands.
“Not you too, Lara-bug,” Dick grumbled, his face still warm. He couldn’t have been that obvious, could he? He looked up at Clark. “Dad, stop.”
Clark wiped tears from his eyes. “Is she wrong though?”
Dick rolled his eyes.
“Lois is never wrong, Dickiebird. I learned that the hard way.” His hand squeezed Dick’s leg.
Lois smile was smug.
“Besides,” Clark continued, “there’s nothing wrong with rekindling the flames of something you thought was history.”
“Oh my God, stop talking,” Dick complained, burying his face in his free hand.
This time Clark and Lois both broke down laughing before Lara joined them again.
“What’s so funny?” Jon asked, popping his head into the master bedroom and taking the scene in.
“Your phral has a crush on Kory again,” Lois yelled out.
Dick groaned.
“Mom, that’s old news,” said Jon, flopping backwards onto the bed.
That of course sent both their parents into uproarious laughter again.
Dick stayed where he was even after the laughter began to taper off.
Jon had claimed the far side of the bed, already scrolling through something on his phone. Lois had shifted to sit up against the headboard, one hand still loosely resting on Clark’s arm. Lara had migrated back to Clark, now chewing determinedly on the edge of his sleeve.
The room settled—not quiet, exactly, but softer. Lived-in.
Dick adjusted his hold on the blanket beneath him, fingers brushing over the familiar texture of Clark’s shirt where it stretched across his side.
The House of El emblem.
He hadn’t noticed when his hand had drifted there.
Clark glanced down, not moving away. If anything, he leaned into it slightly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You sticking around?” he asked, voice easy.
Dick hesitated for half a second.
There it was—that instinct. The one that said: leave before you overstay. Before this stops being yours.
He looked at Jon, half-sprawled and comfortable. At Lois, already reaching for her coffee on the nightstand. At Clark, who hadn’t moved his hand from Dick’s leg.
At Lara, who was now trying to eat the emblem off Clark’s chest with great determination.
Dick huffed, something in his chest loosening.
“Yeah,” he said, shifting back a little more securely against the mattress. “Yeah, I think I will.”
Clark’s hand squeezed once, firm and grounding, before returning to its absent rhythm against Dick’s side.
“Good,” he said simply.