Excitement thrummed through Dick’s veins as he skipped down the stairs to breakfast. Bruce had recently rekindled with an old friend and when Damian found out this friend owned a ranch, he’d insisted Bruce bring the family down for a week. Dick had decided to head out a day early since he was able to get an extra day off of work.

At breakfast, the couple regretfully informed him that Bruce called and Damian was sick, so neither Bruce nor Damian would be there. Jason and Tim had been reluctant, so both of them were hanging back too… At his disappointed slump, the sweet middle aged couple happily let him know that their kid, around his age, would be getting home around mid-afternoon.

In typical Dick fashion, he’d brought over the top bell bottom jeans, a shirt he liked but didn’t mind getting dirty, some old flannel to layer on top that probably belonged to Jason, and a stupid somewhat cheap cowboy hat. And honestly? He felt dressed to impress. Not to be presumptive, but without his family here, he’d have to entertain himself in other ways… There just so happened to be that rancher around his age. What nice young adult who grew up on the ranch wouldn’t be cute? Maybe he could score a little date for the week. Or at least some fun banter.

The couple led him out to show him how they tended to their livestock and Dick had to say, he was really catching on!...Maybe… He felt like he was doing good, the couple were encouraging. So that meant something, right? Either way, he was already having fun! Even though he was crushed his family wouldn’t be there, he was going to take advantage of his week off and have himself a little party.

Of course, right as he got confident, it wasn’t a heifer or steer or even horse that took him out… It was the dreaded mud pool. He slipped and slid and flailed rather ungracefully, curse the stupid bedazzled cowboy boots he’d bought. Losing the fight, he flops face-first into the mud, right as two beaten-up, real cowboy boots landed in his vision. Oh. Great. The rancher was here…