the birds and the bats

-💗

I wasn't really sure how to respond to this, but I'm still here, and I still love fanfiction. Things have changed, though, and I just don't really post on this blog anymore.

There is a person behind every fanfic account, and they can grow and change and have different interests. I'm still writing, just not batfam x readers like I used to. Recently I've been really interested in writing for BG3, and some YJ as well.

I still love the batboys, and this blog was an important part of my life for a long time. I created this page for my writing in 2016 and posted one shots on it for several years. Even though I'm working on other things now, I still have a lot of love for my old work and all the people who enjoyed it then and still enjoy it now. I still have some writing mutuals who are a joy to see come across my dash. At some point in the future I may be inspired to come back to it, but for the time being this blog will remain an archive for people to enjoy all the batfam fics I've written while I work on other projects. It's okay to lose interest in something, or be more passionate about something else. If anyone is interested in some of my newer works, I am mostly using AO3 these days, and my user is batshots on there as well!

-(Part 1 here!)

It wasn’t long before you stood in front of Jason’s door. You knocked frantically on it, and when Jason opened it, his whole body read of concern. You were taken aback by how good he smelled-- and how much more powerful your thirst became.

“Y/N? What’s happening? God, you’re covered in blood!” 

“Can I come inside?” you asked, trying not to voice your desperation. You could hear Jason’s heart beating, and the blood coursing through his veins, but tried to distract yourself with the thought of bagged blood you didn’t need to hurt anyone for.

“Uh, yeah? Please, tell me what’s going on.” Immediately, you pushed past him, almost knocking him to the floor as you dashed to his bedroom where you knew he kept blood stored in a hidden refrigerator. 

“What the hell, Y/N?” Jason called after you. You could smell the blood through their plastic bags. You took a bag and bit through the plastic, allowing the dark liquid within to fill your mouth. As it touched your mouth and throat, you were filled with incomparable relief.  Sloppily, you drank, relishing in the coppery taste that finally quenched your thirst. The blood gushed over you and onto the floor as Jason entered the room. He stopped in his tracks and held back a gag. His hand flew over his mouth, and it took a few seconds to collect himself before he could do anything. The bag you held was already empty, and you grabbed another one. Jason stepped forward to take it from you, and a primal snarl thoughtlessly tore from your mouth. He stepped back again, startled, and watched in disgust as you drank. As the bag ran dry, you regained your sense of clarity. You looked down at yourself, covered in blood, and realized what you’d just done. You wanted to vomit but found yourself unable. 

“I- I…” you started. Your words died in your throat. Jason, seemingly having regained composure, gently stepped toward you and took the empty bag from your hands. To his relief, you didn’t try to stop him.

“Okay. So clearly, something happened last night. You need to wash all of that off of you, and I’ll clean this up. Then we can talk.” Wordlessly, you nodded, letting him steer you into the bathroom. After a long shower, you changed into the clothes he’d left for you. 

Miraculously, the floors were already cleaned- of course Jason would know how to get blood out of carpet. You found him in his living room, head in his hands. You silently approached him, and he looked up at you with a piteous smile that broke you a little bit. 

“You’re looking a lot better. Come on, sit down,” he said. You took a seat several feet away from him. Though your thirst was now quenched, you could still hear his heartbeat and came to the realization that your own heart was silent. 

“I need you to tell me what happened,” he stated, his expression surprisingly empathetic. 

“I- I don’t know. I can’t remember. There were these men, and they were following me, and then I woke up in a dark building and was so thirsty I couldn’t even think. And I didn't know what to do, so I ran here, you're the only one who could possibly understand. I… I think they killed me, Jason." Jason's sad look intensified slightly.

"Okay. So… you're undead. Well, that I can understand. I'm so sorry, Y/N. This is my fault, I shouldn't have let you go alone, especially when Bruce suspected that there could be vampires in Gotham."

"Vampires," you echoed, pained with the fact that he had just confirmed what you already knew. 

"I can't believe I was so stupid," Jason continued, "but it'll be alright. We can try to fix this. Never forget, Y/N, I was dead once too. We'll talk to Bruce, and some of his magicky friends in the league, and we'll find a way to bring you back to life." He stood up, moving closer to you. Your heart stung with the memory of his disgust when you drank. Your body moved without even thinking, and in the blink of an eye, you stood across the room. 

"Stay away from me, Jay. I'm a monster." Your words struck Jason like a blow to the chest. 

"Y/N… you're not a monster, you just need help. Trust me, doll. If you need blood, we can get it for you. We’ll make this right.” He stood up, and approached you slowly. You wanted to run, but managed to hold still. His arms opened around you, pulling you into a tight embrace you couldn’t help but sink into. All but collapsing into his arms, your eyes burned with tears you couldn’t cry. 

“What if the thirst comes back and I can’t control it? What if I hurt you?” He shushed you gently, rubbing your back. 

“You won’t. You’re so strong, even if you don’t realize it. And once you’re human again, we’ll find those Transylvanian fuckers and take them down. You’ve got nothing to worry about, okay? You have my word that we will make this right. I promise.” 

Thank you so much!!

You mouthed along to the music in your headphones as you started to stock the books onto the shelves. The bookstore was quiet, especially on a weekday afternoon like today, and the work was calm and methodical. As you moved in tune with your music, you felt a light tap on your shoulder. Startled, you turned and pulled your headphones off, suddenly face to face with a handsome young man. He was taller than you, but not by much, with dark hair and shocking green eyes. He chuckled a bit. 

“Sorry to scare you,” he said, “do you work here?” You breathed out a relieved sigh and chuckled along with him. 

“Yeah, I do. Did you need something?” you answered. He nodded.

“I was just wondering where I could find some texts about animal care.” You thought for a second before answering. 

“Domestic or exotic?” He smiled a bit. 

“Both.” You nodded.

“Alright. I’ll show you the section, right this way.” As he followed behind you, you felt some butterflies growing in your stomach. The thought crossed your mind that you were suddenly relieved you couldn’t see the heartlines, knowing you’d be upset by the sight of his leading undoubtedly away from you. Once you’d showed him where to find the right books, he thanked you. He had an indescribable look in his eyes.

“What was your name?” he asked.

“Y/N,” you replied. He looked almost puzzled, but after a second, smiled slightly.

“I’m Damian. I’m sure we’ll be getting better acquainted.”

—

Damian didn’t necessarily want to call Drake, but given that Grayson didn’t answer and Todd was out on a mission, he felt obligated to tell someone. Tim answered on the first ring.

“Damian?” he said, obvious confusion in his voice. 

“Hello to you too, Drake.” 

“Is something wrong? You normally don’t call.” Damian sighed, unsure whether he should just hang up and keep it to himself.

“No, nothing is wrong. I… met my soulmate today.” The words took a weight off of his chest. There were a few seconds of stunned silence.

“You… met your soulmate? Wow, Dami, that’s really good news! What’s their name? When can I meet them?” 

“Her name’s Y/N. But you can’t meet her,” Damian answered carefully.

“What do you mean, I can’t meet her? Why not?” The confusion was evident in Tim’s tone. “Did you not tell her?” Damian remained silent.

“So let me get this straight. You saw the person your heartline is connected to, but didn’t mention it to her? You just left?” Damian sighed.

“She’s a really sweet girl, Drake. She’s beautiful and kind. The last thing she needs is an assassin coming into her life and putting her in danger.” The words pained him to say. “She’s better off without me. You don’t need your soulmate to fall in love. She’ll find someone normal, someone safe.” 

“I think we both know you don’t really think that. Or maybe you do. All I know is that she, that you, will never love as deeply as you could with your soulmate. You can be happy, but something will always be missing. And if I know you at all, Damian, I know that you’re determined to a fault. Nothing has ever stopped you from getting what you wanted. So what makes you think that anything can stop you from keeping her safe?” 

—

The slight jingle of bells on the door alerted you that someone had entered the store. You turned, hopeful, but tried to hide your disappointment when you saw it wasn’t Damian. He’d come back a few times since you first met a month prior, and to say you were developing a crush on him would be an understatement. His handsome face seemed to rest in a scowl, giving him an almost intimidating appearance, but his smile was absolutely dazzling. He was stuck in your head, working his way into your daydreams more than anyone you’d met. You didn’t know what about him made you feel this way, but his visits to the bookshop had become highlights of your workweek. You put your headphones in again, beginning to take inventory. After a while, you made your way through the shelves, straightening the books and putting them in order. Upon finishing a row, you turned to head back to the front of the store, startled when you found yourself once again face-to-face with Damian. You let out a relieved sigh, putting your head over your heart and taking off your headphones, your stomach filling with butterflies when Damian laughed lightly. 

“You know,” he said, “you should stop wearing headphones while you work. It makes you unobservant.” You rolled your eyes.

“Noted. So did you need anything, or are you just here to say hi?” He stopped smirking, once again serious. If anything, he looked nervous, something you wouldn’t have expected from a guy like him. 

“Neither,” he said. “I am here to tell you something.” With that, you, too, were nervous. You raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the twisting in your gut.

“Oh? Go for it,” you responded.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you, Y/N. I know this might sound strange, but I thought you might be better off not knowing me. I think later you’ll come to understand that my life isn’t quite… normal, and it can be dangerous at times. I thought you would have a better shot at being happy without me,” he started. You looked up at him, utterly lost.

“I’m not understanding, Damian. I’d be better off without you? Where are you going with this?” He took a deep breath.

“You’re my soulmate, Y/N. I can see the heartlines.” Your head swam as you started to understand his words.

“I’m sorry,” he continued, “I realize now that I should have told you. You deserve to know.” 

“I’m your soulmate?” you repeated in disbelief. He nodded, trying to read your expression. 

“Yes, beloved. You are.” The confirmation, as well as the pet name, made you melt. He continued. “All I’m asking is that you give me a chance. To prove myself worthy to you, to keep you safe.” You didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Yes.” You reached your hand out to him, and he took it, squeezing your fingers tightly. You grinned, the bliss you felt easily overcoming any of your confusion and uncertainty. “Of course.”

On a whim, Tim decided to switch it up- although his favorite coffee chain always had his order ready by the time he pulled up to the drive-through window, he chose to visit a different coffee shop. Although it was further out of his way, Dick had highly recommended it, which was good enough to warrant at least one trip. Besides, he thought, I have nothing better to do today. Turning the keys in his car, he started to drive, thoughts pulled to the recent string of robberies that had been tearing through Gotham. When he finally arrived, it started to rain, and he groaned. He pulled up to the drive-through speaker and ordered a large black coffee, trying to ignore the droplets hitting him through his open window. When he got to the window, the breath was pulled from his lungs upon seeing the barista who was holding his drink. She smiled, holding the large cup. Her smile completely took over his thoughts, leaving him entirely mesmerized. 

“Hey, how are you doing today?” she asked. For a second, he was lost in her eyes and the way her stray hairs framed her face. He shook his head to regain awareness, then stumbled over his words. 

“I’m, uh… good. I’m great. Doing great,” he said, immediately filled with regret. God, why do I speak? he thought. The girl laughed, her brilliant smile widening. The sound made Tim question whether he believed in love at first sight. He absentmindedly paid for the coffee, then took the drink from her hand, trying to ignore the static he felt when his fingers brushed against hers. When he made eye contact again, she looked away, her cheeks a bit flushed. His heart pounding, he pulled all the cash from his wallet, dropping it into the tip jar on the window sill. 

“Have a good day,” he said. The girl, looking stunned, stuttered a bit. 

“You too,” she said, her voice musical. With that, Tim drove away, kicking himself for being so awkward. I didn’t even get her name, he thought, chest aching at the thought of never seeing her again. He pulled into a vacant parking lot, holding the cup in both hands relishing its warmth. He took a sip of the coffee, finding it rich with only a twinge of bitterness. He made a mental note to tell Dick he was right about the coffee being good. Mostly, though, his head was occupied by the image of the beautiful girl on the other side of the window. He sat and silently enjoyed his coffee, listening to the sound of the rain and wishing he’d asked her for her name. 

—

“You tipped 47 dollars? Really?” Dick asked, trying not to laugh. Tim sighed. 

“I panicked. It’s like I lost touch with reality when I was looking at her, I don’t know.” He buried his face in his hands. “I didn’t even get her name, Dick! I don’t even know this girl’s name and for some reason I can’t get her out of my head.” Dick shrugged. 

“Have you considered that his girl could be your soulmate? If you want her name, go back later and ask her for it,” he said. Tim’s eyes widened a bit at the prospect. Could she really be my soulmate? The thought made his stomach turn. 

“Really? That wouldn’t be weird?” Dick laughed, patting Tim’s shoulder. 

“Just, uh… Don’t be weird about it?” he offered. Tim rolled his eyes. 

“Thanks.” The gears in his head turned as he thought about the best way to see her again. 

—

Y/N could hardly believe the encounter had happened at all, but the wad of bills in her hand proved it wasn’t just her imagination. Her heart fluttered a bit as she recalled the man’s piercing eyes. She secretly hoped that the mysterious stranger would return- maybe, just maybe, he would find her just as captivating as she found him. The way he occupied her thoughts made her wonder if maybe, just maybe, he could be her soulmate- though she doubted she would be that lucky. Given that she’d never seen him before, he couldn’t have been a regular. For the next several shifts, her ears perked up whenever she heard an order of a plain black coffee, but was always disappointed to learn that it wasn’t him. Why did he have to have such a common order? she thought, frustrated. It crossed her mind that it might have just been a one-time visit- her mysterious stranger might not even be from Gotham. She was at least slightly ashamed to admit how upsetting the thought was, as if the idea of never seeing him again made her chest painfully tight. The look in his eyes was just too genuine, his electric touch too real for that to be their only shared moment. Right?

— 

Several weeks had passed, and Tim’s daily visit to that coffee shop had become a part of his routine. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, whenever he went the girl was nowhere to be found. To some extent, he almost wanted to give up, but for some reason he couldn’t get over the idea of her. Although he couldn’t see the heartlines, he found himself hoping that they connected him to her anyways. He entered the coffee shop, trying to see if she was working that day. After placing his order, he stood in wait, disappointment mounting as minutes passed and he didn’t see her. Another young woman carried his black coffee up to the counter.

“Order for Tim,” she said, stopping in her tracks as soon as she saw him. She looked frantically towards the stockroom, and the coffee fell from her hands and spilled onto the floor.

“Y/N!” She called. “Y/N, come here! Your heartline!” Tim’s heart began to pound inside of his chest. Sure enough, there she was, the girl whose face had been burned on the back of his eyes since he first saw her. She looked confused, but upon seeing him, her face lit up in awe and disbelief. She turned to her coworker.

“Really? That’s him, that’s my soulmate?” she asked. The excitement in her voice made Tim’s heart feel a million tons lighter. The other woman nodded. His head spun as he came to understand what they were saying. Y/N grinned from ear to ear, rushing to the counter to greet him. 

“Hey,” she said, suddenly nervous, as if she couldn’t believe that he was real. “I’m Y/N. It’s so good to see you again.” Tim grinned back at her, reaching out his hand to take hers, and relishing in the sparks he felt when they touched. From close up, looking into her beautiful eyes, he realized that she was even more lovely than he remembered.

“I’m Tim. And I almost can’t believe you’re real,” he said with a chuckle. She laughed.

“So you remember me too, then?” Her eyes seemed to glow with joy and somehow, Tim felt just a bit more complete.

“There’s no way I could ever forget.” 

—

(Inspired by @sassycassie-s-writing and her awesome vampire AU fic!) 

—

It wasn’t the first time you’d been followed. You huffed under your breath, trying to convince yourself that your fear was really just annoyance. Walking home through a rough part of Gotham wasn’t safe, you knew that, but you’d been too stubborn to let Jason take you home after the fight you’d had earlier that day. You sped up, turning yet another corner, which proved again that the two men behind you were on your tail. Your hand dipped into your coat pocket and took hold of the taser you’d wisely left there. You decided to turn and face the man head on.

“Got some kind of problem?” you asked loudly, hoping the confrontation would be enough to make them leave you alone. They stopped for a second, and seemed to look at each other, then one continued forward towards you. When one of the men came into the light of a nearby streetlamp, you immediately tensed up. Something was wrong with your pursuer- he didn’t cast a shadow. His face spread into a panic-inducing grin, revealing incredibly white teeth. As he stepped closer, you swore that they seemed sharp. You immediately fired the taser at him, and although he flinched when it struck, he tore the cords out of his chest with little effort. 

“What the hell,” you whispered, heart pounding in your chest.

“How sweet,” he said, almost sounding amused, “I do so love it when my prey fights back.” Before you even had the chance to react, he was on you- he was fast, faster than any human could be. A scream of both fear and pain left your lips as his fangs sunk into your neck. Your vision swam and your head spun. As if you were underwater, you could hear heavy footsteps, then the warped voice of the other man. 

“Don’t drain this one. Beautiful, spirited… she’ll make a fine addition to the coven. Turn her.” Suddenly it felt like acid was coursing through your veins. You wanted to scream again, all the energy had been sapped from your body, rendering you paralyzed. As your body went limp, he released your neck, easing your limp body onto the pavement. As you looked up at him, fighting to keep your eyes open, you could see him wiping your blood from his mouth. 

“Take her somewhere safe,” the other man said as you started to lose consciousness. “It would be a shame to lose our new sister so soon.”

—

You woke up with a start in a dark building. Your whole body ached and any movement caused pain to radiate from your neck. You sat up and looked around. After overcoming your initial disorientation, you were hyper aware of everything around you- the feeling of the cool concrete underneath you, the amplified echo of rain and traffic that must be coming from outside, the vivid colors that made up the graffiti on the walls. And the thirst. God, the thirst. Your mouth and throat were painfully dry, begging to be quenched. You hoped that you just desperately needed water, but the sinking pit in your stomach told you that wasn’t true. Thinking back, you remembered hearing recent stories of bodies turning up in Gotham, entirely drained of their blood. Your phone vibrated in your coat pocket, capturing your attention. You quickly pulled it out to find several concerned notifications from Jason. You called him, shocked at how loud it was when he quickly answered.

“Y/N?” he said.

“Hey,” you answered, once again overly aware of your thirst. Jason breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank God. You didn’t tell me whether you made it home last night and weren’t responding to my messages. I shouldn’t have let you walk, I was being dumb and stubborn.” 

“Do you have bags of blood for transfusions?” you asked, the dryness in your throat causing your voice to crack. 

“What?” he answered after a few stunned seconds.

“Do you?” you demanded. 

“Uh, yeah, I do. Why?” 

“I lost a lot of blood. I need it.” 

“You lost blood? Y/N, what’s going on? Are you alright?” 

“I’ll be there soon,” you said, ending the call. You stood, ignoring the feeling of dizziness that came with your sudden movement. You made your way to the building's doorway, finding it led to an empty back alley. Rain drizzled from thick clouds overhead. As you moved, you saw that the raindrops almost seemed to fall in slow motion. Startled, you stopped, realizing that you had already reached the street. As you stood still, everything was once again normal. Whoa, you thought. The thought of blood and the relief it would bring took over your mind, and you started to run. The rain fell ever so slowly.

(Part 1 here!)

Y/N looked at him intensely through heavy eyes, and Tim continued to chuckle nervously.

“What? Did I say something funny?” she asked, voice wavering. He shook his head.

“Oh, no. You didn’t, I just-” he started before she cut him off.

“Come here, Timmy,” she whined. Slightly panicked, he sat next to her on the bed, taking hold of her outstretched hand. 

“Cuddle with me.” Tim’s eyes grew wide.

“Really? And that will help you feel better?” he said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. She nodded. With a deep swallow, and a prayer to God for mercy, Tim laid down beside his best friend and took her in his arms. She sighed contentedly at his touch and pulled him close. His heart pounded in his chest. The first time I actually get to hold her like this, which I've dreamed about for ages, and it’s not even romantically. Of course. He couldn’t decide whether or not he was comforted by the fact that Y/N likely wouldn’t be coherent enough to remember the experience. Y/N laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. 

"You're so wonderful, Tim," she said softly as she began to fade out of consciousness. Tim tangled his fingers through her hair.

"Oh, Y/N... You're killing me," he whispered. With his heart hammering painfully in his chest, he held her tight and closed his eyes. Unable to remember how long it had been since he had a full night of sleep, he realized how tired he was.

When his eyes finally opened, he woke up to the early morning sun coming through the window. He realized that Y/N was awake, and looking up at him with a small smile. Even more notably, her arms were still wrapped around him.

"Good morning," she said with a husky voice. 

"Mmm… Good morning," he responded, unsure if he was still dreaming. "How long have you been up? How are you feeling?" She laughed. 

"I'm feeling a lot better, I think I just needed to sleep the gas off. I can't remember everything from yesterday but I shudder to think of the things I was doing. I got up…" she said, glancing at the clock on the wall, "maybe 20 minutes ago or so. I didn't want to disturb you."  

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Tim asked. Y/N shrugged slightly. 

"You looked comfortable," she answered, "plus I couldn't remember the last time you actually slept for a full night and it felt cruel to take that from you." He chuckled, but was set on fire when she lifted her hand and gently set it on his neck. Her smiling face became serious.

"You look handsome in the morning," she mumbled. "Especially when you actually sleep." He blushed.

"Th-thanks." He was suddenly fully awake and aware of their physical contact. She sighed.

"Listen, I don't know if this is a good time or if I'm going to end up regretting it 30 seconds from now, but I need to be honest with you." Ohgodohgodohgod, he thought frantically.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, trying to look collected. Y/N pulled away from him and sat up on the edge of the bed. With flushed cheeks, she looked back at him. 

"I really like you, Tim. Like a lot. It’s not even a crush anymore, to be honest, I think I’m actually in love with you. And I don't know how out of it I must have been yesterday to be confident enough to demand you cuddle with me all night, but it killed me to wake up in your arms. Do you know how long I've dreamed about that? I don't know if you could ever feel the same thing about me, and I'm so sorry if this makes us awkward or ruins our friendship or-" she rambled. He cut her off, sitting up and joining her at the edge of the bed. 

"Whoa, Y/N, it's okay," he said, taking her hand as an uncontrollable grin covered his face. She looked at him, her gaze confused and searching. 

"If I'm dreaming, I need you to pinch me. But if I'm not, I almost can't believe that you actually feel the same way I do," he said. She let out a sigh of relief, which turned into a laugh.

“Unbelievable. You’re a whole detective, Timothy! And you couldn’t figure out why I was always hinting on us having coffee and study dates? Really?” He blushed.

“Hey, hey- as a detective I deduced that you are way out of my league and thus couldn’t reasonably love me back,” he joked. She rolled her eyes. 

“Well, I do. Very much. It only took being drugged by a madwoman to make me admit it.” Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the hall by the sound of the door closing.

“50 dollars, Grayson. I told you she would be the one to admit it first,” they overheard Damian gloat through the door. Tim rolled his eyes as Y/N laughed. She laced her fingers between his and stood up.

(Based on this post, which I promised @sassyshoulderangel319 I would write about eventually)

—

Exhausted, you stumbled from the Zeta tube into the watchtower. You wanted more than anything else to just crash in the living quarters until you began your next mission the next morning, but something caught you off guard. There was the sound of music quietly floating through the room, which was normally quiet, outside of the gentle hum of computers running in the background. Your curiosity led you to follow the source of the sound. You couldn’t recognize the song, being quietly strummed on an acoustic guitar, but somehow it felt lonely. You silently made your way down the hall and realized that it was coming from Nightwing’s quarters. Oh, so he can play the guitar, too? Add that to the ever-growing list of reasons why he’s perfect. You’d been infatuated with your teammate for quite some time and could only imagine the toll this would play on your imagination in the future. You stood in the doorway wordlessly, watching him play. He sat on the floor, leaning up against his wall. Entirely engrossed in the song he was playing, he didn’t realize that you were there. For a minute, you simply watched, taking in the sight of him as the chords pulled at your heart. Although you couldn’t make out the words he was humming, you could feel their hurt. 

With a final few notes, he finished the song, and sighed. He turned to look at the clock, and almost startled at the sight of you in the doorway. 

“Oh. Hey, Y/N. What are you doing there?” he asked, shaking his head as if it would shake his melancholy tone. 

“Just listening in. It was a beautiful song,” you said, lowering yourself next to him on the floor. He smiled. 

“Glad you liked it. I didn’t realize anyone was here, I don’t play in front of other people much anymore,” he said. You couldn’t miss the twinge to his voice. 

“Are you okay, Grayson? It feels like you’re a bit in your feelings, to be honest.” He shrugged. 

“We all have off days. I’m alright, though. I figured I would take some time here before going back to Bludhaven, recharge and all that. Get some time alone after my watch shift.” You nodded in agreement.

“You know… I think you should play more often. And sing, too. You have a really nice voice.” His smile widened.

“Thanks, Y/N. Had you not heard me play before?” You shook your head, and he glanced down, looking a bit lost in nostalgia.

“I used to play for the team sometimes, and for my friends on long car rides. You should have heard Wally sing along.” You grin.

“That sounds incredible. I’m glad I got to hear you, though. I didn’t know you were musically gifted, not that I’m surprised. I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do, Boy Wonder,” you said fondly, ruffling his hair. He laughed lightly, gently pushing you away in response. 

“Not the hair,” he protested. You laughed along with him, acutely aware of the closeness between you. As you leaned against the wall, your arm rested on Dick’s and you relished the feeling. As you slipped into a comfortable silence, you could feel the ache in your muscles and a dull pain spreading through your head. The exhaustion from that night’s mission had finally caught back up to you. You yawned, rubbing your temples.

“Oh, right. You were on a mission tonight. How are you feeling?” he asked you. You shrugged.

“Alright. Really tired, though.” He stood and offered you a hand up, which you gratefully took. 

“Let’s get you into your room, you need some rest. Thanks for cheering me up, Y/N.” You grinned.

“Of course,” you replied, joining him in walking towards your quarters. You chuckled when you realized that Dick was still carrying his guitar. Upon reaching your door, you gestured to the instrument.

“What do you still have that for? Are you planning on singing me to sleep, Grayson?” you asked playfully. He looked down, seemingly not having realized he hadn’t set it down already. He chuckled, but his face softened a bit.

“Do you want me to?” You blushed at his response. 

“Oh. Well, uh-” you said nervously. He looked at you expectantly.