Dick's Gym

"Oh man, I thought you were kidding about the trapeze," Frank laughed.

"Would I lie to you?" Dick asked, an expression of mock hurt on his face.

"Well, you still haven't told me the secret to your cocoa is," he teased.

"It's more or less a family secret."

"More or less? How can something be more or less a family secret?"

"Well, I learned it from Alfred, who was the butler of my adopted father."

"I guess I can see why you say more or less then."

"Alfred's family in all the ways that count. What I meant was, I don't think Bruce knows the secret."

"Bruce?"

"My adoptive father. He's probably living on microwavable food now that Alfred's dead."

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, it was a few years ago." Dick changed the subject quickly. "So, what do you want to try out first?"

"I have no idea," Frank said, taking the hint. "I mean, I've seen gyms that were less well-stocked than this."

"And I don't even have the stuff I use for physical therapy here. But I get your point. I've had most of this stuff for a long time, since I first moved here. I'd get rid of some of it since I don't need it anymore, but sometimes when my friends come over they use it."

"The trapeze too?"

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes I can talk people up on it, if only for my own nostalgia." It wasn't the good kind of nostalgia, but the kind that renewed his hatred of his knee which was too stiff to bend enough to grab a trapeze bar with.

Frank laughed. "I don't think I'll be going up there, so don't even try to convince me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dick grinned. "You aren't trained for it. And you're too out of shape."

"Out of shape?" Frank asked, outraged. "I'll have you know that I am in perfect shape!"

"Oh really?" Dick asked, a gleam in his eye and a wicked smile on his face.

***

"That's it," Frank panted, collapsing onto the floor. "I'm done."

"I thought you were in perfect shape," Dick taunted, looking like he could go on forever even though he'd been pushing himself even harder than he'd been pushing Frank.

"I am," Frank replied. "You're just a freak."

"Like I haven't heard that one before." Dick rolled his eyes.