True Love

Jason walked in with a bowl of popcorn, “Food has arrived—“

“Sh!” Dick snapped, “This is the best part.” Dick sat up on the couch so his feet were planted on the floor, his elbows on his knees, and his hands holding his chin up.

Jason shook his head and smiled. He put the bowl on the table and climbed onto the couch. He sat with his legs up on the coffee table and one arm draped over Dick’s side of the couch. Jason looked at the T.V. screen at a movie he’d never seen before. Right now Matt Damon and Robin Williams were sitting in a park.

Jason looked over at Dick who seemed mesmerized by the movie.

Dick mouthed each line:

“If I asked you about women you’d probably give me a syllabus of your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can’t tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy.”

Jason sat up, hunching over like Dick was. That last part caught his attention. He hasn’t woken up next to a woman in years; but he’d woken up next to Dick. Every morning he woke up and never felt “truly happy”. He felt blessed that someone so perfect was beside him every night and every morning.

Jason listened closely to Robin Williams' words, hanging off each syllable. Williams was remarkable, a comedy genius who could make people think so hard in one scene. Each of his words was special, not written by him, but enunciated so perfectly no one could have compared.

“You’ve never held your best friend’s head in your lap and watched him gasp his last breath, looking to you for help.”

Jason wondered if that’s how Bruce and Dick felt when he died. Dick wasn’t there, but Jason imagined that’s what Dick would have thought.

Jason tore his eyes away from the screen and looked over at Dick. Dick was still mouthing each word, leaning forward so far, Jason thought he would have to catch him.

“And if I asked you about love you’d probably quote me a sonnet. But you’ve never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone could level you with her eyes. Feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you…who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be her angel and to have that love for her to be there forever. Through anything.”

Jason looked back at Dick who seemed to melt even more with each and every word. He smiled, Robin Williams was a joker, but in that scene he was serious, describing love with perfection. Jason looked at Dick and felt vulnerable, like he would be able to pour his soul out to him. Each time their eyes met, Jason felt like he was knocked off his high horse. He felt like he was his true self with Dick. The next line gave Jason chills.

“Feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you…who could rescue you from the depths of hell.”

Jason wasn’t religious, but he knew Dick was there just for him. Without him, Jason would have no purpose. If it was not for Dick, Jason would be in Hell. He would be trapped inside his own mind trying to remember a past long forgotten. Dick is what pulled him back.

Jason never felt like an angel, if anything he felt like the little devil on everyone’s shoulder. When Dick looked at him, he felt like he was all that mattered. Jason knew that’s what Dick thought when they had conversations without even saying a word. That was what forever love was.

Jason moved closer to Dick and pinched his chin. Dick stopped mimicking Robin Williams and turned his head to face Jason. Jason leaned in and kissed Dick gently. He pulled back and smiled.

“What was that for?” Dick asked, rubbing Jason’s wrist.

Jason looked at Dick, saying nothing; leveling him with his eyes.

Dick only smiled and leaned in to kiss Jason. He started leaning Jason back onto the couch, his hand reaching for the remote. He paused the movie and pulled back from Jason, “I love you.”

Jason caressed the side of Dick’s face, “I love you”.