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Krypto was a good dog. He knew he was, Kal-El let him watch the television sometimes and Krypto saw what good dogs do. They greet their humans enthusiastically, share meals with their humans, sleep with their humans! And Krypto is enthusiastic about Kal-El, he jumps on him and licks him and tries to play with him! And he tries to share meals with him, too, but Kal-El doesn’t like when Krypto reaches for his meats and breads and tools (Krypto especially liked the crunchy iron ones). Kal-El let Krypto sleep with him once, in the Fortress, where the bed was bigger, but then Kal-El left so soon and Krypto was alone again. He didn’t understand why Kal-El wasn’t pleased with him, why he left Krypto alone at the Fortress with only the bots for company. The bots were nice enough, but they were so cold, and their scritches were never very satisfying.
So, Krypto went to the city where he knows Kal-El lives, as a surprise! Humans on the television seemed to like surprises. Kal-El did not. With a panicked look on his face, and a glance back towards that mean woman he works with, he shooed Krypto away from the window where he was watching Kal-El. Kal-El did not like surprises, evidently, and seemed to not like Krypto. That was fine. If Kal-El didn’t want Krypto around, it was okay. Krypto loved Kal-El enough that he’d go away to make him happy, even if he didn’t want to.
Krypto decided to roam. The big, shining city was not very friendly, and it was starting to rain—Krypto hated rain. The snow at the Fortress was nice and soft and fun to play in, but rain was uncomfortable and made his fur itchy when it dried. So, first priority: get out of the rain! Second priority: ridding himself of the House of El symbol. If Kal-El didn’t want him, Krypto wouldn’t continue to shame his House. He didn’t want to be Houseless, but Kal-El made himself very clear, and Krypto was a good dog.
In a quiet alley, a little off the beaten path, Krypto found an overturned box that was dry(ish). It would work for now, at least until the rain stopped and he could figure out what to do, where to go. Kara wouldn’t be home for a long time, so he had to keep busy until she was back. The box was okay, if a little damp. Krypto craned his face back and to the side, grasping the House of El cloak between his teeth. With a little whimper, he jerked it and his collar off and settled the fabric across the bottom of his box. The collar got pawed into the back corner and under the cloak—it hurt to look at. The cloak was drier than the cardboard, and warm from his body, but something in him railed against seeing the shining symbol of El on the floor like a forgotten rag. With a sniff, Krypto rearranged the cloak so he wouldn’t have to look at his former home’s insignia. He was a good dog, he could be strong for Kal-El. So, Krypto circled in his box, found an acceptably comfortable spot, and curled up on his side. And, if he did all this with the barest hint of a whimper, it didn’t matter—Kal-El wasn't around to hear him crying anyway.
“Hey buddy, are you okay?” The sound of a voice—a human voice—woke Krypto from his light doze. A small human (a child, probably, if humans aged the way Kryptonians did) crouched in front of his box. Krypto raised his head to stare at the boy, which seemed to delight him. A wide, welcoming smile crossed his tiny face, and his large, blue eyes lit up with joy.
“Hi there! My name is Dick, what’s your name?” Krypto yipped. He didn’t speak any human tongues, but he knew it was polite to acknowledge a greeting. The boy looked inordinately pleased. “I don’t think I can say that, I don’t speak dog. How about I call you Haley? That’s the name of the circus I used to… well, never mind, that’s not important,” the boy’s expression changed. He looked sad, the way Kal-El looked when he watched Lara and Jor-El’s message to him.
“Dick! God, Dick, there you are, you can’t run off like that!” Another human voice echoed down the alleyway, accompanied by heavy footfalls. Krypto’s hackles were raised; the voice didn’t sound very nice, but the boy—Dick—didn’t seem scared. Krypto would wait.
“Hey, B! Come here, look!” Dick motioned for the other human to approach. When they did, Krypto realized it was an adult male human, likely the little one’s guardian.
“Dick…” the interloper’s tone was warning as he knelt next to the boy.
“Can we bring him home with us? Look, he’s so sad and cold and alone, we can’t just leave him here!” Home? Bring Krypto Home? These strangers would give him a Home? Krypto turned his gaze towards the adult, hope blossoming in his chest. His box home was serviceable, but he was very lonely.
“Chum, he might not be friendly—” Krypto could be very friendly! He’d show them! But, carefully, because Kal-El told him that humans were very delicate. Krypto jolted out of his box, ignoring the light drizzle of rain, so he could greet the boy properly. He licked the hand that was stretched out in front of him, and when that earned him a thrilled little giggle, he threw his paws over the boy’s shoulders and licked his face, too, just for good measure.
“B, I think he likes me!” The child enthused as small, thin arms wrapped around Krypto’s back. One hand came up to his ears, giving him scritches the exact way Kal-El would when he was pleased with him. Krypto melted into the embrace. He’d been so cold for so long.
“Alfred will kill us if we bring a stray dog home, Dick,” the adult tried again, one hand coming to rest on Dick’s head. Krypto chanced a look up at the man; he was tall, though not as tall as Kal-El, and he wore a serious expression on his pale features. He had dark hair, like Kal-El, but his eyes weren’t the same deep sparkling blue. This man had a steely, gray gaze that reminded Krypto of the glaciers near the Fortress. Krypto was a little afraid of the man, but that was silly, he was just a human! Maybe he was just afraid that he’d take the boy away and Krypto would be alone again.
“But B, he’s all alone, and he can’t take care of himself! You gave me a home when I needed one, and isn’t it Bat—um, your job to take care of innocent people?” Dick wheedled, squeezing Krypto tighter. The man hesitated, clearly reticent. “Please, B?” The man (B?) sighed, and moved his hand from the boy’s hair to Krypto’s head.
“Fine. We’ll take him with us, but if Alfred says no, it means no. We can find him a nice home in Gotham,” Krypto’s little heart sang. He yipped once, full of joy and as much gratitude as he could muster. He would have a Home!
“Thank you thank you thank you!” Dick unwrapped one arm from Krypto so he could hug the man’s leg. That hard, severe expression on that man’s face softened into something akin to fondness—maybe Krypto had been wrong about him. No one that looked at their child like that could be all bad. “Come on Haley, let's get you to the car to warm up!” Dick returned his grasp to Krypto, lifting him carefully and cradling him in the crook of his arms. He was a very small human, and though Krypto wasn’t a very large dog, he still struggled a bit.
“Dick, you’re going to get your clothes—God, fine, you’re already wet anyway. Let’s get out of here, I hate Metropolis.” Krypto couldn’t agree more. He was starting to like this B person.
Krypto learned a lot on the car ride home to Gotham—where his new humans were taking him. His humans! His Home! How exciting! Firstly, this Alfred person was unquestionably the head of the House. Krypto had to be on his best behavior when he met Alfred, or there was a chance they’d take him back to his cardboard box. Well, they didn’t say they’d take him back to the box, but it was implied. So! Krypto listened with rapt attention as the boy gave him very helpful instructions on how to behave.
“Alfred doesn’t like when I track mud into the house,” well, that was bad. Krypto’s white coat was very dingy, and he didn’t see how he could avoid that.
“Alfred is very British. Super polite, very serious. I think he was some kind of super-spy in the Queen’s army or something.” Krypto could be polite! And he knows that human armed forces are very big on rules and standing at attention and all that—Krypto learned about that on the television! He could work with that!
“But, Alfred is always nice to me, even when he makes me eat my greens. He says that I need to so I get big and strong like B, so I think despite it all he just looks out for us, you know?” A serious, severe soldier that values politeness and cleanliness, but that cares about his underlings. Krypto was still nervous, but thought that he had a decent chance at pleasing this Alfred person. He had to.
When they arrived Home—HOME!—B and Dick exited the vehicle. Dick wasn’t carrying Krypto anymore, and he worried a bit about the state of his paws; surely Alfred wouldn’t mind just a little dirt, would he? The little trio entered into a tall, imposing building. It was darker than anything he’d seen in Metropolis, and the swooping spires made Krypto a little anxious. But Krypto was a brave dog, and he got the impression that B cared very much for his little human, so surely it was safe.
“Oh, my.” A stiff voice came from the direction of the staircase. Krypto snapped to attention—this was Alfred? He was so old! The man was of middling height and advanced age, with white hair and a bevy of wrinkles. The suit he wore was sharp and dark, and his expression was bemused at the edges.
“We have a new houseguest,” B intoned dryly, removing his coat and hanging it on the doorside hook.
“I can see that,” Alfred replied, just as dry. Well, now or never! Krypto padded over towards Alfred (who twitched back the barest inch—certainly not large enough of a movement that the other humans would notice, though). Krypto couldn’t puzzle out the reaction, so he stopped several feet away from the man and sat down at attention. He yipped once—it’s polite to greet people—and waited for judgment to be passed. “You know my rule about pets, Master Bruce,” Alfred raised a single eyebrow.
“Yes, well, I thought you’d make an exception for this one. He seems very polite,” B—Bruce?—shot back. Krypto glanced at Bruce and Dick, then back up towards Alfred. He hoped Alfred would say yes. Dick was very kind to him, and very warm. The hour or so he got to spend curled up on the boy’s lap had been the best time he’d had in a very long time, and Krypto didn’t want to go back to being alone. He really did not like that box. Alfred sighed heavily.
“Very well, Master Bruce. Young Master Dick, please take the creature for a bath. I will not abide it tracking dirt all over my freshly mopped floors.” Yes! Yes! Krypto could stay! He had a Home, and his very own people! This was the best day of his life!
Or, well, it was until the bath. Krypto didn’t like baths overly much, and Kal-El had eventually stopped trying to force him—but Dick didn’t know that, and Alfred had said that him staying was conditional upon the completion of this bath so… needs must. Krypto allowed the little human to maneuver him this way and that, and once the water part was done he found that he actually enjoyed the warm towel he got after it was all over.
Krypto loved Dick. The little boy let Krypto follow him all over his new Home, pointing out this thing and that, a steady stream of silly stories and funny anecdotes spilling from his lips. Every once in a while he’d stop for a moment to kneel down next to Krypto and hug him, and really that was the very best part. Krypto thought he’d never get tired of hugs from Dick; this place might be his physical home, but privately he thought that Dick could be his real Home.
It was starting to get late, and the little light that Krypto could see through the tall windows and constant cloud cover was rapidly fading. Dick had wrapped up their tour and brought Krypto to a dining room, where the adults were. Alfred stood sentinel by a door, upright and severe—waiting for an attack? Guarding his clan? Bruce, meanwhile, was already seated and eating.
“Dick, come here before your food goes cold,” Bruce commanded.
“But what about Haley?”
“The dog will eat in the kitchen with me, Young Master Dick,” Alfred spoke from his side of the room. Dick looked down at Krypto hesitantly—Krypto was worried about being alone with the head of the House, and some part of Dick must have sensed that—but when Dick ultimately chose to obey his guardian, Krypto dutifully turned towards his eldest new human. “Come, dog. It’s time for dinner.” Alfred ordered brusquely as Dick took his seat. Krypto allowed himself one last, lingering look at his boy before following Alfred out of the room. He trailed a healthy distance behind, and stayed silent. He didn’t want to anger Alfred. The elderly man led him into a room at the end of the hall, more warmly lit than the rest of the house and smelling of something tasty.
“Now, I have prepared a plain chicken breast for you with a side of wild rice and boiled carrots,” Alfred bent over to set a wide metal bowl on the floor in front of Krypto. It smelled heavenly, but this was people food! Kal-El didn’t like when Krypto ate his people food. Was this some sort of test? Krypto glanced up at Alfred, looking for any signs of deceit, but the old man was already crossing to the small table in the corner, a plate of his own waiting. He sat, unhurried, and began to eat. Krypto stared, and stared, and stared some more until the man looked back at him.
“Well? Go on, then,” Alfred waved a hand, motioning for Krypto to dig in. He was still wary, but Alfred had told him to, so… he took a bite of the chicken. It was delicious, so he tried the lump of brown stuff, which was also delicious, and the bright orange things that looked a little odd, but by Rao they, too, were delicious! Krypto was careful to not make a mess as he ate—Alfred was clear about not liking messes—but he ate as quickly as he could without choking. It was very good, and though Krypto didn’t actually need to eat, he really enjoyed it.
“Hm. You are quite the polite little thing, aren’t you?” Alfred mused. He sounded approving, so Krypto would take it as a win. When he was done with his dish, Krypto slunk over to lie on the ground at Alfred’s feet. He saw on the television that some humans liked that, so he’d give it a shot; it was very important that Alfred like him enough that he’d allow Krypto to stay with his boy.
“You don’t seem like a stray,” Alfred continued. “Entirely too well behaved for that, I believe,” Alfred thought Krypto was well behaved, so why didn’t Kal-El? Krypto tried not to think about it too much, it made him sad. “You may have some challenges living here, dear boy, we’re quite the unusual family. But I think you’re good for Young Master Dick. I’ve not seen him this happy since he came to stay with us. You’ll take good care of him, won’t you?” Krypto seemed to be wrong about Alfred, too. The man was very kind, if a little severe. Krypto would take care of Dick, he wouldn’t let anything happen to his little human! Krypto sat up and reached out with one paw. He laid it very gently on the elderly man’s thigh, and looked into his eyes, doing his best to convey yes, yes my boy! He’s mine and I’ll love him and protect him and keep him forever! Alfred smiled down at him, scritching Krypto behind the ear just the way he liked.
“Yes, you are a very good boy. Why don’t you stay here and relax whilst I clean up. Master Bruce and Young Master Dick will be suiting up soon, and I’m sure the Young Master would love to have you with him downstairs before they leave.” And wasn’t that confusing. Suit up? Leave? To go where, it was so late! But Alfred said Krypto was a good dog, and he was determined to prove him right. So, Krypto lay back down and let himself drift, pleased by the warmth of the kitchen and the soft sounds of Alfred puttering about. Perhaps Alfred was Bruce’s father, like Jonathan was Kal-El’s father. The ages of the humans seemed right, but the way they addressed each other didn’t. But, Alfred had said they were ‘an unusual family,’ so maybe he just didn’t understand things well enough yet. But that’s okay, Krypto would be good, and patient, and kind to his new humans. Krypto was surprised when, several hours later, it seemed, he was awakened by Alfred. The light had changed again, and it appeared he’d actually fallen asleep while waiting.
“Well, boy, are you ready to see the family secret?” Uh-oh. Secrets generally aren’t good things, right? But Dick was so nice, and Alfred, too, if in a quieter way. And Bruce looked at Dick the way Krypto wished Kal-El would look at him—these humans had a lot of love in them, so surely it wasn’t a bad secret, right? Krypto sat up from his spot and followed Alfred from the room. They wound their way through corridors and into a low-lit study, filled with lots of books. Kal-El would love this place, Krypto thought—then shook the thought from his head. Kal-El wasn’t here, his new humans were. Alfred came to a stop in front of a large, wooden thing that was making an odd ticking noise. He opened a piece of glass at the top and fiddled with something, and a soft click sounded across the room. Krypto turned to look.
“Come along, boy,” Alfred motioned for Krypto to join him as he pulled a bookcase aside to reveal a darkened tunnel leading down. Uh-oh. He didn’t move. “It’s alright, nothing to be afraid of,” Alfred spoke again when he noticed Krypto’s stillness. He entered the tunnel and disappeared from view.
Krypto was torn. This all seemed very suspicious, but honestly, what did he know about human customs? Kal-El acted human, but he wasn’t, so maybe he was doing things wrong? And Krypto had never lived with real humans before, so this could be totally normal. That, and Krypto had had a very nice day and desperately wanted to keep his new boy. So, with that in mind, he followed the elderly human into the darkness. It was a deep, narrow, downward staircase that seemed to go on a very long way. The noises from below were echoey and wet, and Krypto could find no sensible justification for it. What was going on? Finally, upon reaching the last step, the passageway opened into a large, cavernous room, sparsely lit and filled with little chirping creatures hanging from above.
“You brought the dog down here?” Bruce’s voice was incredulous.
“You brought my dog!” Dick’s voice was thrilled. Krypto tried not to preen overly much about Dick claiming him as his dog. Krypto turned towards the sounds of his humans and paused. Bruce was wearing a frightening looking suit of all black with sharp, pointy edges. The only familiar thing about him was his head, which poked out from the high collar of the suit. Dick, too, was wearing something strange—a bright and colorful ensemble that left his twiggy little legs bare. Both humans wore cloaks, just like the one Krypto had to leave in his cardboard box—he brightened at this, maybe he’d get a new cloak with his new House symbol on it? But, looking more closely, neither human had any symbols on their cloaks, how strange!
“Yes, well, as you said Master Bruce. He is very polite,” Alfred chuckled, the first hint of levity Krypto had gleaned from the elderly human. This time he did preen at the high praise. Bruce, for his part, still looked mildly skeptical. “I thought he might keep me company whilst on comms,” Alfred suggested mildly.
“Fine. But do not let him near any of the gadgets,” Bruce grunted. Gadgets? What are gadgets? Was that the noisy little creatures on the ceiling? Well, regardless, Krypto would stick close to Alfred and not touch anything. He followed the head of House over to a glowing monitor that reminded Krypto very much of the computer at Kal-El’s fortress. He wondered, briefly, if this one would let him watch television, too.
Krypto sat next to the computer as the humans bustled around the room. He observed them closely, listening as they chatted about where to go and what to do that evening. It seemed like Bruce was trying to stop a penguin from doing something terrible—but that didn’t make too much sense to Krypto, as flightless birds weren’t all that threatening. But, again, what did he know? It didn’t take too terribly long for Krypto’s boy and his guardian to leave the cave—because that’s what this space was, he realized, a cave—and Krypto was left alone with Alfred, who was keeping his own counsel as he tapped away at the keyboard. The sound reminded him of Kal-El working. His heart hurt, just a little. He ignored it.
“I had hoped my boy would do something less dangerous with his life,” Alfred spoke conversationally, breaking the silence. Krypto raised his head to the old man, was he talking to him? “But, he loves what he does, doesn’t he?” He mused, a note of wistfulness in his voice and a melancholy tinge to his smile. Now, that wouldn’t do. Krypto rose and padded closer to the computer chair, where he dutifully sat and rested his head on Alfred’s knee. “Ah, hello there old chap,” Krypto could hear the grin in the old man’s voice. Much better!
“He’s good at it, too,” Alfred continued his previous train of thought, gesturing idly to the screen. A television show Krypto had never seen was playing, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. On the computer, the angle of view seemed to be first person; there was a lot of movement, and it was hard to tell what was going on, but he did see a brutal punch land against the face of a very frightening looking man in black and white face paint. Krypto whimpered, he decided that he didn’t like this show. “It’s alright, Bruce knows what he’s doing,” Alfred said nonsensically. Krypto yipped quietly, hoping the old man would clarify.
It turns out, he didn’t have to. A scant moment later Krypto’s boy flew into view, landing a brutal kick to the side of another scary man’s face. Krypto jolted to alertness, watching the screen with rapt attention. That wasn’t—that couldn’t be his boy, right? The child was so small, so human, he couldn’t possibly be that flying, whirling little thing!
“Didja see that B? I got ‘em real good!” But no, that was Dick’s voice. Krypto barked, alarmed. Human children were not hearty creatures, he knew that much, and that was his boy out there—what were these adults thinking?
“What is it, old chap?” Alfred asked him. What is it? His boy, his human was out putting himself in danger! Krypto jumped up on the counter next to the keyboard and barked again at the screen, looking meaningfully back at Alfred—do something! Why won’t you do something!
“Shh, shh, it’s alright, that’s just Robin,” Alfred soothed, one hand hesitantly reaching towards Krypto’s flank, as if he were afraid he’d be bitten. Robin? That wasn’t a robin, that was Dick! Krypto pawed at the screen, whining high in the back of his throat.
“Batman will take care of him, he always does. You don’t have to worry, boy,” Alfred continued to speak in that low, placating tone. Krypto turned back to the screen and pressed his wet nose against it, right on top of the pixelated form of his boy. With great deliberateness, he turned again to face Alfred and let out a single, sharp bark, hoping against all hope to be understood. Dick had to come back, he had to come Home.
“You want Robin—” Krypto shook his head violently. “... you want Dick to come back?” Krypto yipped, nodding with enthusiasm. Yes, Alfred, yes! “Huh. That is… well. Alright then. Will you please give me some room?” Alfred glanced pointedly at the floor next to the computer. Dutifully, Krypto lept off, circled the spot beside Alfred’s chair, and sat at attention. “Well I’ll be goddamned,” he muttered, before turning his attention back to the machine. He hit a button on the keyboard and leaned closer towards the microphone.
“Batman, please bring Robin home. It appears he has an essay he neglected to tell us about,” Alfred said seriously.
“Heard, Agent A. Robin,” Bruce’s own voice came out of the speakers in that tinny sort of way that all human voices did when transmitted.
“What? No I don’t! B, you gotta believe me, I—”
“Robin, in the Batmobile. Now.” The view on the screen changed as Bruce—Batman? What was a Batman?—led his boy to a sleek looking vehicle. Alfred sat back in the chair and steepled his fingers together. “Heading back, ETA ten minutes.”
“Very good, sir.” Alfred replied in clipped tones. He sighed, then swiveled the chair to face Krypto.
“You aren’t a normal pup, now are you, old chap?” Krypto cocked his head. This human was very perceptive! He yipped in agreement. “Are you a human? Magically transformed?” Krypto sniffed, certainly not! “Hm. Not a robot…” another sniff. “Something… else?” The question was loaded, and Alfred’s face was serious. Oops. Maybe Krypto shouldn’t have confirmed so enthusiastically. Carefully, very carefully, Krypto placed both paws on Alfred’s knee and looked up at him with as much promise as he could. He wasn’t a normal dog, but he could be a good dog. Please, please, let Krypto be a good dog.
“Shh, don’t give me that look,” Alfred’s hand came to rest under Krypto’s chin, lifting his head just a bit to meet the old man’s eyes. “You’re clearly very intelligent, and you seem quite taken with Young Master Dick. I won’t say anything about your… more unique qualities, so long as you promise not to make trouble for my family. Do we have a deal?” Krypto yipped enthusiastically, letting his tongue loll out just enough to swipe at Alfred’s exposed wrist. “Very well. Our boys will be back soon, I promise. Why don’t you wait for Young Master Dick in his bedroom?” Krypto barked happily and bolted towards the stairs, before pausing at the bottom step—where was the bedroom again? He looked back at Alfred for guidance.
“Lets see how you manage, eh? Hit the button to the left of the door at the top. It’s the third floor, first door on the right,” Alfred instructed, before turning back to face the computer, his dismissal clear. Dinner, as it turned out, hadn’t been a test, but this absolutely was—and Krypto was not about to disappoint! He bounded up the stairs (being extremely careful to use human levels of speed and strength—Alfred was so nice, it wouldn’t do to put holes in his walls) and made short order of finding his boy’s room.
And then… he waited. Well, gosh, maybe he shouldn’t have left Alfred so quickly! Krypto disliked being alone, especially now after a full day of being loved, and warm, and happy, and cherished. But the bedroom smelled like his boy, and the bed looked very soft, so Krypto decided to be patient and wait for Dick to return. Alfred promised he would. Thankfully, it didn’t take long at all! Dick flung the bedroom door open, a stormy look on his face that turned joyous upon spying Krypto waiting for him on his bed.
“Haley!” The child enthused, flinging himself onto the mattress. Krypto woofed an equally excited hello and jumped onto Dick’s chest, busying himself with licking every inch of skin he could reach. “Hey! Hi buddy! Didja miss me?” Krypto barked loudly, yes, he did! “Aww, it’s okay boy, I’m back now. Early, as it turns out,” he trailed off, voice bitter. “That essay isn’t even due until Friday, I can’t believe Agent A made me come in so soon!” He despaired. Krypto whimpered. Dick seemed troubled that Alfred made him come home—but how could that be? Those men were so scary, and Dick was so small. Krypto settled, nuzzling his wet nose into the crook of Dick’s neck.
“It’s not all bad, I guess. Now I get to spend more time with you, don’t I?” A tiny hand ran its way down Krypto’s spine, and he rumbled his approval. “I do wish B would wait to handle Penguin together, though,” he continued. “I worry about him going out alone, you know?” Krypto did not know, his boy should be Home, safe, and with him! He whimpered again, disapproval clear (to his own canine ears, at least).
“No, you’re right, it’s not just that. I love going out as Robin. Before, after my parents died and I still didn’t know B was Batman, I was so sad and so angry all the time, it was awful! But then I found out, and became his partner, and it felt like I could smile again for the first time in… well, since I can remember,” Dick’s voice was quiet and wobbly at the edges. Krypto felt moisture at the top of his head and burrowed further into the embrace. “It feels like I’m doing something good with all that anger inside me. It’s still hard, you know, but getting to go out with B, getting to fly—I never thought I’d get to have that again. But now I do.” He concluded, voice heavy with tears. Krypto lifted his head, expecting to see heartbreak on his boy’s face, but it was something more complicated than that. He was melancholy, yes, but there was also hope in that smile, and a deep well of fondness that Krypto desperately hoped included him.
“The essay can wait,” he declared, swiping tears away with the side of his hand. Krypto licked his cheek, trying to be helpful, and his boy laughed, the sound clear and happy as a bell ringing. “C’mon boy, let's go to sleep,” Dick gently moved Krypto off his chest so he could reach the bedside lamp. It was flicked off and the room was bathed in darkness, the only light the weak moon filtering through the clouds outside. Dick squirmed under the sheets, holding them up with an expectant look—yes! Bedtime with his boy! He got to sleep with this small human! Yes, yes, yes! Krypto wasted no time in burrowing under the covers, splaying out his limbs so he covered as much of Dick as he could. Dick was small, and fragile, and his, and he would protect him.
The night was quiet and peaceful, and Dick’s breathing slowed gradually. The little fists holding onto Krypto’s coat began to loosen, and just as he was about to fall asleep, he huffed a small sigh.
“You won’t leave me, boy, will you? Not ever?” Dick’s question was small and sad and uncertain, and it broke Krypto’s heart. No, never, he wanted to say, but contented himself with a hearty lick and warm nuzzle. Dick was his now, and he’d never let go. Even if—when—Kara came back, he’d stay here. Kara was nice, and he loved her very much, but she was gone so frequently that all he ever got to do was miss her. And Kal-El… well, the less said about Kal-El the better. Krypto was a disappointment, and he never wanted to disappoint Kal-El. This was better for everyone. Dick was kind to him, and Dick needed love and a protector, so Krypto would be that for him. Forever, he promised silently, as his boy’s breaths evened out and he finally fell into sleep.
Forever.