Salty

While you had discussed your friendship with Dick briefly with Steph, Cass, and Tim, you did so with the idea that you wouldn't have to talk to him anytime soon.

Of course, he showed up at the Manor mere hours after your conversation with Steph and Cass.

You had gone another round with Steph, attempting to work on your footing when you heard the echo of footsteps across the cave. You turned to see who entered, only to see the face of—

"Dick?" Your eyes widen, turning to face him completely. He offers a small wave with an oddly strained smile. As a result, Steph takes the chance to knock you down, a firm punch sent straight toward your chest. You yelp out in surprise, stumbling backwards, sending her a sharp look.

She smirks, "Don't lose focus."

Dick walks over to you slowly, Tim following behind him. You try to catch Tim's eyes, but he obstinately avoids your questioning gaze. "I…" he looks you up and down, noting the workout clothes, "wasn't aware you were back."

You chuckle at his dispirited tone, "No need to sound too excited."

Dick's eyebrows raise exaggeratedly at your response, "No- What? Of course, I'm excited to see you—"

Your chuckles turn into laughter, "I was joking. It's not your fault you didn't know." You shrugged, tugging at a loose piece of gauze wrapped around your knuckles.

Dick eyes your hands before looking behind you to Steph and Cass, both blatantly listening to your conversation. "And you're training? Since when did you do that?" He smiles, eyebrows furrowing.

"Couple months ago." You raise your hand in a so-so motion.

Dick whips his head back to you, "Couple months—" He turns back to Tim, who has decidedly not made eye contact with a single person in this room upon entry. Dick slowly turns back to you, looking down at your lightly scuffed hand, "I would've taught you if you asked." He frowns.

You smile sheepishly, "I wanted to get to know Steph and Cass better." Dick looks back towards the girls, who smile smugly back at him.

"Oh," he nods slowly, "yeah, okay." He looks down at your hands. "Are they doing a good job? Because I can always—"

You roll your eyes, "Yeah, they're doing great." You smile at them.

He nods slowly, "Great."

You purse your lips, turning towards Steph and Cass. They smirk at you, and you pretend to ignore their expressions. "So… When'd you get back? I thought you were in Blüdhaven?"

Dick nods, "Yeah, I was, but there was some crossover on a case Tim was looking at in Gotham, so I figured it was easier if I just showed up." He points his thumb back to Tim.

You nod, "Ah, great." You attempt to grin at him. Why does this feel so awkward? "You couldn't say anything?" You lean around Dick, addressing Tim directly.

"Okay, I didn't know he'd be coming here. He kinda just burst into my room—"

"We should catch up!" Dick cut him off, moving in front of you to block your view of Tim.

You blink, "Oh," you smile, "yeah, we should. You free anytime soon?"

"Right now." He slings an arm around your shoulder casually, causing you to falter, letting out a surprised huff under the unexpected weight.

Meanwhile, Tim catches the eye of Steph and Cass. Cass shakes her head, while Steph smiles, walking over to him. "You know what I know, right?" She whispers.

"If you're referring to what I think you're referring to, then yes, yes I do." He whispers back, watching as Dick drags you away.

"Y'know it's funny, we were just talking about him." Steph raises an eyebrow dubiously. "So you knew and still brought him down here?"

"I was not about to say no. You're just lucky you weren't the one he confronted."

"Was he upset that he didn't know she was here?"

"He burst into my room. I think he was a little upset."

Steph crosses her arms as she looks at you. As if sensing their gaze, you turn around, narrowing your eyes at the three of them before refocusing your attention on Dick.

"How'd he figure out she was here?" Steph offers a small wave, with two thumbs up.

"He overheard you guys."

Steph slowly turns to Tim. Cass doesn't even flinch at the statement, still staring at your retreating figure as Dick guides you around the cave.

She throws her punching mitts on the ground, "Damn, I knew something was up."

Tim looked toward the now-grounded mitts, "And… you said nothing to her?"

"Lowkey thought I was losing it." She kicks the mitts lightly.

"Sure, you still aren't?" He retorts, causing her to look at him in offense.

"Why are you insulting me? You're the one who let him down here." She points an accusing finger at him.

"He let himself down here. I just followed to make sure he didn't do anything stupid." They frown at each other in a silent staring contest.

"You wanted to know what'd happen." Steph sighs.

"I wanted to know what'd happen." Tim admits, nodding.

The three look to where Dick has dragged you over to, talking animatedly as you nod along. "Well, it looks like he's having fun catching up."

"Let him have his moment." Tim shrugs.

"—and so I've been Nightwing for a while now." Dick walks by your side as the two of you walk through the cave.

You hum, "I remember you being attached to Robin. I'm surprised that you gave it up." You walk over to Jason's costume on display. Dick winces as you approach it.

"I wasn't happy at first, that's for sure." Dick looks towards the costume.

"You miss it at all?" You gesture to the costume.

"Eh," he shrugs, "There's a couple of things I miss, but I like being Nightwing."

"Like what?" You ask, turning towards him.

"Well, you for one." He meets your gaze.

You bark out a surprised laugh; it was so unapologetically him. "Aw, how sentimental."

Dick snorts, a grin on his face, "Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't enjoy working with me."

"It was probably one of the more interesting experiences in high school." You admit, nodding in agreement.

Dick blinks, taken aback, "I thought that was meeting me?"

"Nah, that was just funny." You chuckle, placing your hand on his arm, he looks down at your hand. "Most interesting was being kidnapped by Batman."

"Kidnapped? If I remember correctly, you willingly got in." He didn't move an inch.

"Yeah, but how exactly do you say no to," you take your hands off his arm, putting your fingers up like his ears, dropping your voice, "'Get in.'"

Dick laughs loudly, "Okay, yeah, that's fair." He rubs his thumb along the spot where your hand was.

Your eyes crinkle in fondness. You forgot how easy it was to be with him. "It's really good to see you."

He seemingly deflates at the comment, "Yeah." He looks down at the costume, then back to where Tim, Cass, and Steph were across the cave, before turning toward you, "Why didn't you try to contact me?"

You blink, okay, straight into it.

You scratch your neck, "I figured I would've seen you sooner or later. I didn't want to distract you."

He scoffs lightly, but there's something hidden underneath it, "I'm pretty sure a quick greeting wouldn't be that big of a distraction."

You frown, "I…" You really didn't have a good excuse, and you knew that. What could you tell him? Heyyy, so I actually had a really big crush on you back in high school, but I grew out of it… Wanna get Bat Burger? Yeah, that'd go great.

He furrows his eyebrows, his gaze deadset on you, "Is… Is there another reason?" He asks softly.

You blink up at him, looking into his expectant eyes. He was frowning, but it almost looked like a pout. His arms were still crossed, and his body language was still stiff. "I—"

"Richard, I wasn't aware of your return." Damian cut you off, causing you to jump in surprise, flinching into the glass. Dick grabs your shoulder to stabilize you.

"What— Damian? When did you get here?" Dick frowns, not taking his hand off your shoulder.

Damian narrows his eyes at the hand on your shoulder. You subtly shift to the side, causing Dick to let go. "Evidently, your observational skills have been compromised since the last time you were here."

"You could just say I was distracted." Dick sighs.

"'Distraction,'" Damian spits the word venomously, "would not aptly describe your current state." He looks between the two of you.

Dick frowns, glancing between you and Damian, "Do I want to know what would describe it?" Dick responds. You shake your head from his left, and Dick's lips twitch in amusement at your exasperation.

Damian glares at the two of you, "I wasn't aware of your prior affections with one another."

You both blink at the kid slowly, (noting that Steph laughs sharply in the background at the comment).

"I believe you've severely misunderstood the situation." You wave your hands casually.

Damian raises an eyebrow, looking at Dick's spaced-out expression. You nudge him, making him refocus. "Tt," Damian scoffs before crossing his arms.

You stand awkwardly behind Dick, watching as he attempts to explain himself to Damian. Turning to the side, you see Steph, Cass, and Tim all looking towards you with varying degrees of mischief on their face.

You aren't entirely sure what Dick and Damian are talking about, but the harsh whispers give you an idea. "I'm gonna go with Steph," you mutter, turning around, thinking that the two arguing wouldn't hear you.

Both of their attention snaps to you, "Go where?" Damian demands.

You blink, "Uhh... Bat Burger?" You hadn't planned on Bat Burger, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

Dick shoves Damian aside, covering him with his larger form, "I'll go with you!" Dick grins, rushing to your side. You furrow your eyebrows, mouth open as you watch Damian fume at the action. Is this their normal?

Damian squawks out something unintelligible, "I will join you as well!"

"Oh," you turn toward Steph, who is struggling to hold in laughter. "Great."

Tim raises his hand, "Can we join too?" He gestures between himself and Cass.

"Tim—" Dick looks towards him, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Of course! The more the merrier." The grin on Steph's face is positively devious.

"Didn't realize you were staging a reunion." Damian huffs, walking up to your unoccupied side.

"Me neither." You slowly walk over to Steph with Dick and Damian at your sides. "Alright, guess we'll head out." You sigh, looking towards Tim, who smiles innocently at you.

It's silent for a moment. "Can I drive?" Damian asks.

The five of you turn toward Damian, exasperated.

—

You sit squished in a booth between Steph and Cass. Across from you are Tim, Dick, and Damian, with Dick directly in front of you. You silently munch on your Jokerized Fries, the only sounds being Dick loudly sipping his straw and the soft chatter of the restaurant.

You look down at your meal before glancing up to Dick, who has not stopped eyeing you this whole time. "So… You guys come here often?"

Damian frowns, his eye twitching at the question, "Rarely, this cash-grab of a company's mediocre food isn't worth our time."

Tim slowly turns to him, looking past Dick squished in between them, "You know you could just tell them they forgot your toy instead of insulting their entire business." The whole table stares down at Damian's Bat-Mite meal, no toy present.

Damian glares at him, "I refuse to beg an underpaid employee for something so trivial as a figure meant to entertain toddlers."

Tim blinks at him, unimpressed, "A 'no' would've sufficed, but okay." You snort.

"Y'know, with how many of us there are here, we should've just invited everybody else." Steph takes a bite out of her burger. "Made it a whole thing."

"Yeah, cause it wouldn't be weird for like ten people to storm a Batburger. They would definitely not be overwhelmed." Tim took a fry from your plate.

"Seriously? You already finished your own." You place your arm in front of your french fry holder, blocking him from it, glaring.

Tim shrugs, "I know, right? Crazy. Anyway, as it is, they taste better from somebody else's plate."

Steph nods solemnly, "He's right…" She nudges your side. "Could Cass and I have one?"

You sigh, shoving the box in their direction.

"I sense bias." Tim shakes his head at you, narrowing his eyes.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eyes, "They didn't buy any."

"You're nicer to them than you were to me!"

"Yeah, 'cause they asked."

Dick chuckles, grabbing your attention. You turn to face him, "Oh, so you're laughing."

Dick, still laughing, waves his hand towards you, "No…" He clears his throat, "Nope." He gives you his best poker face.

You raise an eyebrow, "Got it…" You shake your head, disappointedly. "You're on his side." You put your hand on your chest as if wounded.

"Okay, wow, I never said that." Dick meets your stare, pointing a finger at you, his elbow resting on the table.

"You haven't disproved it." You look down at your fries, picking up a limp one before eating it.

Dick scoffs, an amused smile on his face, before shoving his own fries to you. You look down at his peace offering before looking up to him. Damian and Tim lean back in the booth seat, sharing a knowing glance with each other from behind Dick's head.

"What?" Dick frowns at your befuddled expression.

"Why're you giving me your fries?"

"I thought you liked them?"

"Clearly not as much as Tim."

Both of you turn toward Tim, "Do not involve me in this." He laughs, turning away from you both.

"Consider it a peace offering?"

"So you admit you were on his side." You sigh, trying to fight a smile on your face.

Dick looks so disheartened by your rejection that you almost give in.

"Just accept the fries, for our sake." Damian is covering his eyes with his hands, almost as if he doesn't want to be associated with you guys anymore.

Dick nudges his fries closer to you, a small smile on his face. You snort, "Alright, truce." You slide the fries over to you, and his eyes light up slightly at the action. Damian gives him a troubled glance before looking at you.

Even after spending a couple of months around him, you still struggle to read Damian. This is one of those moments. By the way he's looking between the two of you, you wonder if he knows something you don't.

You began eating your fries again once the conversation settled into normalcy (or whatever is closest to it). However, you quickly ran into an issue. You had finished your meal, but still had the fries that Dick had left you. The issue was that you were full. You look at the daunting fry container.

You look up slightly to see Dick watching you. You slowly pick up one fry and eat it. Dick smiles at you, kicking you slightly from under the table. Narrowing your eyes, you smirk as you kick him under the table. Peace offering your ass.

"Are you playing footsies under the table?" Damian asks, face scrunched scornfully, looking down at the table.

"I would like it on the record that he started it for no good reason." You take another fry, offering the container to Cass and Steph, who eagerly take some.

"Not even gonna take a little bit of the blame? You are just as guilty as I am!" Dick holds his hands up, outraged.

"It was self-defense!" You cross your arms, stepping on his foot for emphasis.

Steph coughs awkwardly, "Not to interrupt your quarrel, but we are being a tiny bit disruptive."

"It's Gotham, no one cares." Tim rolls his eyes.

"It's called being considerate."

"There's nobody here."

"Oh, so we're just ignoring all the workers now?"

Damian mutters something in Arabic, standing up and walking out of the restaurant, momentarily distracting you from your argument with Dick.

"Should we go with him?" You point your thumb at Damian's retreating form.

"He'll find a way home." Tim shrugs.

You frown, "That… sounds wildly irresponsible."

"I'll rephrase: he doesn't want us to follow him home." Dick takes a fry from your container.

"…Didn't you give that to me?"

"Yeah," he chews on the fry unapologetically.

You glance down at the container, then back up to him.

"Oh, don't give me that. I gave it to you. It's fair that I can take a few."

"Kinda defeats the purpose of 'giving.'"

"Think of it as a tax."

You scoff, looking at the nearly empty container of fries. Between the entire table, they had managed to demolish it. You slide the rest of the fries over to Cass.

Dick looks offended, "Why were you mad about me taking one fry when you give it to Cass five seconds later?"

"It's not about the fries, Dick."

On your side, you hear Steph gasps a quiet "Ooooh!"

Tim schools his expression to avoid laughing. You notice Cass smiles under the guise of eating fries. Steph is openly enjoying this display.

Why did you agree to do this? Maybe you should've left with Damian.

Thankfully, Cass proposed that the (now) five of you leave after that comment. Thank goodness for her timing, because Dick suddenly looked like he had a lot more to say after you're "Not about the fries!" comment.

You all return to the cave, and most of them immediately go to get ready for patrol. You frown, turning to your left, where Dick is. "You gonna go on patrol?"

"Yeah," he sounds hesitant, not making eye contact with you.

Sensing his hesitation, you raise an eyebrow, "I sense a 'but.'"

He looks toward you, "Well… Are you planning on staying?"

You blink, "Why… would I do that?" You frown, bemused.

"Well, if you've been here for months," okay, maybe he is still a little upset about you not telling him, "I figured you'd have room here. Bruce certainly has the room."

"Oh," you nod at his logical conclusion, "Well, I don't." You shrug, unbothered.

The tension leaves his shoulders, and he smiles, "Do you want to stay the night? It's pretty late out."

"I wouldn't want to intrude. Plus, it's late, I don't wanna make Alfred have to set up a guest room at the last minute." You politely decline.

"You can just stay in mine." Dick offers, gauging your reaction.

You raise an eyebrow, "Geez, at least take me to dinner first."

Now, Dick would make comments like this all the time when you were teenagers. Over time, you learned how to tune them out, knowing that it was just who Dick Grayson was. Sure, the first couple of times he caught you off guard, but you learned to roll your eyes and laugh it off.

Never in your life have you done the same to him.

It was a throwaway comment, something he'd say in jest. You had said it without much care. However, upon seeing his mouth part in surprise, even coughing to hide his reaction, you couldn't help but stare.

What the hell happened in the years you hadn't seen him? Last you checked, this was not a certified "Dick Grayson Reaction."

You are caught so off guard by his reaction that you momentarily forget he hasn't actually responded.

"I— Well, you don't have to take it. It was just a suggestion. I probably won't be staying here tonight anyway—"

You furrow your eyebrows, "Dick, I was kidding." You cut him off.

He smacks his lips, "Right." He rubs his hands together.

You chuckle, "Sorry, I can't stay, perhaps another time though? I don't wanna drive too late. Just let me know whenever you're around, we can plan something—"

"I'll be around." Dick cuts you off, nodding.

"Oh," you part your mouth in surprise, "Okay… Well, just text me whenever then. Have fun on patrol, punch a bad guy for me." You place your hand on his shoulder before moving to exit the cave.

Dick barely moves as he watches you walk out. Right as you're about to exit his view, you wave, causing him to wave back. He watches as you vanish.

"That was hard to watch." Tim appears.

Dick slowly turns to him, "Where did you come from?"

"Stop trying to change the subject." Tim glares at him, putting a hand on his hip. "What was that?"

Dick blinks innocently, "What was what?"

"Don't play dumb. What was the 'Oh, you can stay in my room!'" Tim mocks him, holding his hand up to his face bashfully.

"I did not sound like that." Dick furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"Might as well have! I thought you were cool just being friends!" Tim crosses his arms.

"I am!" Dick walks over to the computer, taking off his jacket.

Tim raises his eyebrows, unconvinced. "Could've fooled me."

"It's none of your business anyway. Like— Why did you invite yourself to Bat Burger?" Dick crosses his arm over his body, stretching it.

"'Cause I wanted burgers?"

"That's not the reason, and you know it." Dick points an accusing finger at him mid-stretch.

"Am I not allowed to like burgers?"

Dick scoffs, grabbing his jacket before heading to change into his suit. "I know what you're thinking."

"Yeah, can you blame me?"

Dick didn't respond.

—

The drive back was relatively silent. You meant to put music on, but you completely forgot because all you could think of was the day that occurred. First, you stumble onto Dick after not seeing him for years. That is, of course, after you conveniently forget to mention that you've been regularly visiting Wayne Manor for months.

Then, you end up at a Bat Burger at 10pm with half of the eponymous vigilantes. After that, you come back to the Manor and Dick Grayson— the same Dick Grayson you had loved— offers for you to stay in his room. When you make a joke about the comment, he actually gets flustered. Flustered!

Upon arriving in Central Gotham near Coventry, you sigh, getting out of your car.

What a night.

You wonder how they do it sometimes, you feel exhausted, and all you did today was go to work and train. Not even patrol. Upon entering your apartment, you have to use all your willpower to stay standing. Rushing through your night routine, you eventually plop onto bed, letting sleep take you into its grasp.

The next day started out normally.

You had woken up at a reasonable time and gotten ready relatively fast. You had even decided to walk to that one bakery a couple of blocks down that you liked. You were early enough that all the pastries were fresh. You walked out with a chocolate croissant. It was going great.

Then you heard shouting and gunshots.

Of course, living in Gotham, you weren't surprised. However, that didn't mean you were stupid. Usually, when a person senses danger, it's common sense to walk away from it. However, it seemed that the crime started to follow you.

At this point, you were speedwalking— almost running away. The yelling had gotten much closer, and you were not about to get shot today. Just as you thought that maybe it's time to start running, you get tackled to the ground.

What has been going on recently?

You and the criminal, covered in a balaclava, both stared at each other in shock. You turned your gaze to whatever— whoever was chasing them.

"Oh," Red Hood jumps down next to you, addressing you by full name. Is this just going to be a thing between you both now? He stomps his boot onto the guy's throat, causing him to cough loudly, trapping the guy to the ground.

You click your tongue, "It's— uh," well, you can't exactly call him by his full name, "you."

Red Hood holds his hands out in a grand gesture, "Oh yes, me." You don't think you are imagining the smugness in his tone. You watch as he tilts his head down slightly.

You look down at the guy on the ground, who is quickly turning pale, "Hey, uh, I know this may be a big ask, but could you maybe not kill this guy right in front of me?" Your eyes flicker between Red Hood and the criminal.

The sound is distorted, but you think Jason snorts behind his mask. He kicks the man's head, and he stops moving.

You couldn't stop your look of horror if you tried.

"I was aware that it may have been a bit much to ask, but seriously?!" You cover your mouth.

Jason grabs the body, "Relax, he ain't dead. Just unconscious." He slings him over his shoulder.

"Oh, okay…" You nod, watching as he shifts the body on his shoulder. "I thought you're mainly in Crime Alley."

"I am," he answers. Well, somebody isn't very talkative.

"So, why're you here?"

"Because I have free will? What? Do you think I'm locked in Crime Alley?"

You nod, "Absolutely, still aren't sure if I'm imagining you or not."

Now he definitely laughs. You look down at your scattered items, picking up your now smushed croissant.

He's about to walk off when, "Hey, could you buy me a new one?"

Red Hood slowly turns toward you, "You serious?"

You nod, "I know you're rich. You probably got that crime lord money." You do the "money" gesture with your hand.

He remains silent.

"Is that a yes…?" You smile hopefully.

He sighs, walking back over to you, body slung over his shoulder. "Make it quick."

You grin.

-

If you thought yesterday was crazy, then somehow today is even crazier.

You are sitting in that bakery with Red Hood, who is leaning back lazily in a wooden chair that looks tiny in comparison to him. On his left is another chair with the criminal tied up. You take a bite of your croissant slowly, enjoying the scene.

Like you said, quite the morning.

"Y'know, I kinda feel bad that I'm the only one eating." You cross your legs.

Red Hood doesn't move. "You forced me here, and are using my money for this."

"I can't force you. I think you'd win that battle, but it'd be close." You take a bite of your croissant as Red Hood snorts.

"Yeah, real close."

"I'll have you know I've been training." You glare at him defensively.

"Oooh," he holds his hands up, "did your 'not-bestie' train you? You gonna beat me in a backflip competition?"

"Name the time and date." You smile.

Jason shakes his head, crossing his arms.

"No, seriously though, I wasn't joking. Please get something. I feel bad now."

Jason sighs, looking down at your croissant. "What would you recommend?"

You grin, "Any of their croissants are good. Oh, their danishes are pretty good if you like those too."

You two stare at each other for a moment before he gets up and goes to the counter. You have to hold back a snort at how people blatantly let him cut in line. Perhaps you should try dragging him around places, quick service. He eventually orders an almond danish before walking back over to you.

"What's so funny?" He asks, sitting down across from you.

"Nothing. This whole situation is just funny to me." You grin, covering your mouth.

Jason huffs, "You're telling me you don't often invite vigilantes to bakeries?"

"Not typically, no." You smirk, watching as he fidgets with the packaging of the danish. "You… Going to eat it?"

You have a feeling he's glaring at you from under the mask, "Yes, I'm going to unmask myself in front of this entire bakery. Great idea."

"Oh come on— I know you wear a mask under the mask!"

He sits up straighter in his seat. Ha, it seems that you stumped him with that comment.

"Which— I feel obligated to add— I think is silly." You wipe your hands on the napkin on the table.

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Consider it charity, I like giving it away."

Jason laughs, causing you to laugh as well. Fidgeting with the now-empty wrapper, you cautiously speak again, "Y'know you should come by the cave more often."

Jason remains silent for a moment, "I'll pass."

You sigh, "Well, I can't force you." You lean back lazily in your seat, "Consider it a mercy."

"I feel so honored." Jason deadpans.

"They wouldn't mind." You shrug, watching as Jason tilts his head slightly at your comment.

"Mhm, I'm sure." He mutters.

Tapping a finger on the desk, you sigh. "Alright, well, the offer is always there. Don't worry, I'll defend you from the big, scary bat."

Jason clasps his hands together, "Oh, my savior."

Laughing, you notice something shift on your right. "Hey, I think your guy is waking up." Both of you face the criminal.

Jason stands up, grabbing the guy by the scruff of the neck, the ropes around him falling off loosely. You wince at the action. It looks very uncomfortable. "What'd he do anyway?"

"He was trying to recruit kids for his drug trade. Thought he would get far," he punches the man, knocking him out cold again, "he didn't."

"Oh," you scrunch your nose up in disgust, "yikes. Give him a good punch for me." You take the trash from the table.

Jason looks over to you, huffing before walking out.

"Thanks for the food!" You call out to his retreating form, watching as he grapples away, not bothering to respond.

—

Dick paces in his room at the Manor. He had spent the past hour rearranging everything so that it looked perfect.

"This is highly unnecessary." Damian leans on his doorframe.

"…Cleaning rooms?" Dick tilts a photo frame on a dresser slightly.

Damian sighs, unimpressed. "Are you expecting a guest?" He walks over to the dresser, eyeing the photo suspiciously.

Dick hesitates before answering, "No…" He tilts the photo down so Damian can't see it. Damian turns toward him, glaring.

"You aren't even living here anymore."

"It's still my room, I can rearrange whenever I want." Dick crosses his arms, looking down at Damian.

Damian raises an eyebrow, looking back towards the downturned frame. "Right," He narrows his eyes towards Dick.

Dick sighs, "You look like you want to say something."

"Correct."

"Care to share?"

"Not particularly."

Dick rubs his temples, "I know what you're thinking—"

"Do you?" Damian crosses his arms.

Dick hesitates slightly, "Yes…"

Damian scoffs, "So then you know that I find this courting act pathetic."

Dick raises his hand slightly, "Hey now, I thought you said that you didn't want to share—"

"I assumed you were above this." Damian snatches the photo frame the moment Dick lets his guard down. "Pining after ex-lovers."

"We never dated." Dick huffs. Did his entire family think he dated you? He attempts to snatch the photo back from Damian.

Damian looks up from the photo to Dick, "Truly?" He looks down at the photo, "It's worse than I feared then."

"Could you get out?" Dick finally retrieves the frame from Damian, who let him take the item back.

"Is that why you're renovating your room?" Damian looks towards the neatly made bed, giving it a look of disgust. "Is this some seduction scheme?"

"What? No!" Dick frantically shakes his head. "How did you conclude that?"

Damian stares at Dick for a moment before turning away, "Well, it's for her, right?"

"Not like that."

"Answer the question."

Dick pauses before putting the photo frame back up, "She doesn't have a room here." He rubs his thumb against the frame. "I thought that maybe she could use mine to stay the night— you know, if she ever needs it." He looks down at Damian.

"And there's no ulterior motives?" Damian raises a dubious eyebrow.

"No! Why are you still on about that?"

"What else is there to think? You're offering her your bed."

"Damian." Dick sighs, covering his eyes, rubbing his temples.

"You know I'm right, even the others have noticed."

Dick instantly removes his hands from his face, "What'd they say?"

Damian gives him an unimpressed blink. "She liked you. Now she doesn't." At Dick's wounded look, he sighs, "I'll rephrase. She no longer harbors romantic affections for you."

Dick groans, "Did she tell everybody but me?"

"No, I just figured it out."

"You just met her."

"And yet, I was still able to conclude where her affections lie."

Dick clenches his fists, walking over to the bed, "Do you think I messed up?"

"By not knowing? She cannot blame you for your ignorance."

"That… doesn't really make me feel better."

"I wouldn't assume it does. It's too late anyway, she's moved on."

Dick frowns, "With somebody?"

Damian pauses, "Not to my knowledge."

"So there could be somebody?"

Damian sighs, "The possibility is there."

Dick leans back onto his bed, ruining the perfect sheets. "Would she even tell me?"

Damian is silent for a moment, "Unlikely."

Dick lets out a wounded chuckle, "Why didn't any of you guys tell me? At least with her, I can maybe understand, but not a single one of you thought to contact me?"

Damian slowly walks over to the edge of the bed, looking down at Dick, lazily sprawled on the sheets. "I was under the impression that you two had previously… dated. I believe everybody else believed that, too. It wasn't any of our business."

Dick scoffs, "Like that's ever stopped you guys." Damian remains silent at his comment, so Dick continues. "Has she really met everybody while I was gone?"

Damian frowns thoughtfully, "To my knowledge, she hasn't met everybody. From my understanding, she hasn't met Todd."

Dick hums, "Should I confront her?"

"If I knew you'd be languishing in your room, I would have refrained from confronting you about this." Damian takes a few steps back, ready to exit.

"I never... liked her like that." Even to him, the comment sounded weak, as if he was struggling to believe his own words.

Damian pauses, looking down at Dick's pathetic form, "I believe this has dragged on long enough."

"Damian," Dick calls out as he hears Damian's footsteps soften as he moves farther.

"Damian," Dick props his head up, looking at his door wide open.

Dick stares at his open door, frowning. He looks at that photo left on the dresser. Why does it matter so much anyway? It's not like you like him anymore. He walks over to that photo.

It's a photo of when you were first in the cave with him. He was sitting on the medical bed, bandages covering his body, as you grin at the camera. He had argued at the time that too much had happened for him to look happy in any photo. To be fair, he wasn't wrong. He looks exhausted, but there's a fondness in his eyes as he glances out of the corner of his eye. You had taken it on his phone at the time and told him he could delete it after. He could never bring himself to delete it. While he was not thrilled at the prospect of having a photo of him injured lying around, you had seemed so excited, and he couldn't bring himself to dampen that joy.

Did you like him then? He runs his finger over your face.

Who is he kidding? You ran into a fire to pull him out. You had risked your life for him.

He looks into your eyes in the photo, the light glinting off the glass, his hands clenching around the frame.

—

"No way. That's how you found out his identity?" Steph cackles as she spins in the chair, her Spoiler suit on. She isn't wearing the mask, so you observe your reaction with a grin on your face.

"Yep." You smirk, "'Costume party,' he told me." You do air quotes.

She snorted, "He couldn't come up with anything better?"

You shrug, laughing, "Apparently not."

"That was foolish of him." Damian crosses his arms next to Steph.

"It's funny. I mean, come on— Imagine getting caught in the library of your high school." She grabs Damian's arm to stabilize herself as she cracks up again.

Damian glares down at her arm, not nearly as amused by the story as she is, but he doesn't push her arm away.

"Did I miss something?" Duke walks over to you three, suited up, causing you to jump back in your chair. Still, after all these months, every single person here manages to sneak up on you. You'd think you'd have improved your situational awareness by now.

"We were just recounting the story of how I met Dick." You shrug, tapping your finger on the armrest of your chair casually.

"Oh?" Duke raises an eyebrow.

You gape at him, "Did he tell none of you?"

Duke shrugs while Steph grins. Damian, however, is the one who speaks up, "Considering the mortification he must've felt, I imagine he'd be hesitant to narrate said anecdote."

You snort, "Fair enough. So, basically, he was changing in the textbook storage room at the library." At Duke's widened eyes, you hold your hand up to stop him from speaking, "Wait, it gets better. So I had been going in there for some textbook, and I opened the door to see none other than Dick Grayson changing into Robin's costume. So now I'm standing there like 'Uh, you good?' As he tries to convince me that it was for a costume party. Keep in mind, it was around one in the afternoon in the middle of the week."

Duke crosses his arms, his eyes lighting up in amusement, a smirk crosses his face, "I can see why he didn't tell us."

You snicker, "Right?! I mean, it was already bad, but he kept digging himself deeper and deeper. So now I have to smuggle him out, right? And—"

A loud motorcycle roars, echoing throughout the cave. You and Steph share a frown. You turn towards Duke, who looks puzzled at the newcomer. Meanwhile, Damian is already reaching for his katana.

"So we aren't expecting somebody."

"Everybody's already here," Damian responds tersely.

"Could be Dick? I know he was out earlier today. I don't know if he has returned yet." Duke shrugs.

"Doing what?" Steph stands up, grabbing her mask before covering her face. She attempts to subtly cover you, after all, you don't exactly have a secret identity. Still, you frown indignantly at the action.

"I dunno.'" Duke shrugs, narrowing his eyes as the biker parks off in the distance. Damian looks towards Duke at that comment, when suddenly the figure becomes so blaringly obvious. How could you forget?

"Jason Todd?" You frown, standing up.

Duke sighs in relief as Steph and Damian snap their attention to you.

Jason walks over to the four of you, taking off his helmet, addressing you by full name. Behind you, Steph is covering her mouth in surprise before slowly turning to Damian, nudging him. They both share a look.

"I didn't realize you'd take me up on the offer so soon." You raise an eyebrow, putting one hand on your hip.

"That's not why I'm here." He rolls his eyes.

"Well—"

"Wait," Steph cuts you off, causing both you and Jason to turn to her, "since when did you two meet?"

You raise an eyebrow, "Uhh, few weeks back? Actually, he bought me a croissant yesterday."

Damian turns towards Jason, "You what?"

"Y'know the French pastry?" Jason raises an eyebrow at Damian. "Typically flakey, probably has an unhealthy amount of butter in it—"

"I know what a croissant is, Todd."

Jason raises his hands in mock surrender, "Just making sure." He looks down at Damian, unimpressed.

"Let's go back a bit." Steph steps in between them, "Why did he buy you a croissant?"

"I was hungry, and he kinda destroyed the one I bought." You shrug, pointing your thumb at Jason.

"Technically, I didn't. It was that guy that you ran into."

"Well, you were the one chasing him."

"Perhaps you should watch where you're running next time."

"My bad, next time I'll check both ways before walking on the sidewalk. Never know when you're gonna get tackled by a drug dealer."

"Exactly."

Steph and Damian both watch in varying degrees of awe as you two go back and forth. Steph looks almost amused, yet wary of your back and forth. Damian, however, is quiet. Duke looks unsurprised, attempting to hide the growing amusement in his eyes.

"So… You've been hanging out for a while?" Steph asks hesitantly.

"She forced me to 'hang out' with her." Jason gestures his thumb to you. You glare at him indignantly.

"I wanted compensation for my croissant." You defend yourself, pushing his hand down. Jason moves away from you, glaring. "What're you even here for anyway?"

"You said I could come over? What happened to that whole 'I'm gonna defend you from the Bat.'" Jason crosses his arms.

You hold your hand up, "You had already said that's 'not why I'm here.' Oh, and who says I wouldn't defend you?!" You say, knowing full well that Bruce would wipe the floor with you.

"You're not doing a very good job of it."

"He isn't here? Are you fighting invisible bats?" You gesture wildly around the cave at nothing.

"There are actually bats in here." Jason points up at the ceiling, the five of you looking up to the bats resting on the ceiling, barely visible, but there.

"Are you fighting rabies?" You place your hands on your hips.

Jason scoffs, letting the argument die down. "I dropped something a couple weeks back. Figured I'd grab it."

"You know, not answering the rabies question doesn't make me feel better."

"Wasn't supposed to." Jason rolls his eyes.

You hum, "Anyway, you said you dropped something a couple weeks back?" Jason nods silently, and you smirk roguishly. "That's crazy, cause a few weeks ago somebody actually dropped something after I told them it was a risk."

"Crazy. Who would ever do such a thing?" Jason deadpans, avoiding your eyes.

You grin even wider, gesturing for Jason to follow. "You're lucky I was nice enough to keep it. Figured it looked important. You know—"

Damian, Steph, and Duke stare in varying degrees of alarm as you take Jason away to find whatever he was looking for.

"So… They've met." Steph eventually breaks the silence. Damian grunts quietly in response. She turns to Duke, "And you've been awfully quiet."

Duke, avoiding eye contact, stares unyieldingly at your retreating figure.

"You knew, didn't you?" She crosses her arms, nudging him with her elbow.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I just stumbled on them in one of the old storage rooms together." He scratches his neck.

Steph stares blankly at him, mouth agape. Damian stares up at him, lips pursed. "And you told nobody?!" She whisper-yells, shaking Duke's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, my first thought wasn't 'Let me tell everybody in a 10-mile radius what I just stumbled onto!'"

"It should've been!" Steph frowns. "I am not gonna be the one to tell him."

"Nor will I," Damian speaks up.

They both turn towards Duke, "Woah, I sure as hell aren't saying anything."

Steph holds a finger up, "Nuh-uh! You kept this a secret! You gotta tell him."

"How is that fair?! I didn't even know I was supposed to tell anybody!" Duke grabs Steph's shoulders.

"'Tis the burden we have in situations like this." Steph sighs dramatically, patting his hand reassuringly.

"I am not gonna tell him. Since you were so upset at not knowing, you can go and spread the news." Duke shakes his head frantically.

"I already said I'm not gonna do it!" She furrows her eyebrows, turning to Damian for help, who shakes his head in response.

"Well then," Duke crosses his arms, "it appears we've reached a stalemate." Duke sighs, staring resolutely at her.

The three of them turn to you and Jason's distant figures.

It'll be fine

–

Jason didn't linger in the cave after you retrieved the item he was looking for. You didn't expect him to. Truthfully, you're surprised he even showed up, having nearly forgotten the incident a few weeks back. When he left, you tried to ignore the looks that Steph and Damian gave you.

It was strange, you hadn't talked with Damian much in the past, but suddenly the boy was very interested in your love life. You weren't naive enough to assume it was just genuine curiosity.

"And have you considered dating anybody as of late?" He sits on a chair in front of the Batcomputer, hands clasped on his lap.

"Uh…" You frown, "No..?"

Damian hums, tapping his fingers on his lap methodically. "Anybody?" He emphasizes.

You lean against the desk, "You sound like you want me to say a specific answer."

Damian's stare pierces your soul, almost as if he's trying to assess you. "So you do have an answer in mind."

"I don't actually." You shake your head, frowning.

Damian raises an eyebrow at you skeptically, "Think about it."

"I don't think I'm enjoying this conversation." You cross your arms, sighing.

"The quicker you disclose your true intentions, the quicker this will end."

You stare blankly at Damian, "Damian, I have no idea what answer you want."

"Playing yourself the fool is beneath you."

"Then I am a fool," you shrug carelessly, ready to walk away. "Just ask bluntly."

Damian remains silent for a moment, "Are you and Todd courting?"

You stare at Damian, who doesn't break his inscrutable expression. You can't stop the laughter that erupts at your next question, "Why– Why would you ask that?"

"You requested that I ask bluntly. I am merely following your instructions. I had presumed that the name-calling was a flirtatious advancement, not to mention the childish bickering."

"Okay, first off–" you hold your finger up, walking over to Damian, thank goodness everybody left already, "I call him by his name."

"You don't call anybody else by their full name." Damian frowns, eyebrows furrowed.

"He started it!"

Damian blinks at you, unimpressed. "You are not helping your case."

"Why are you acting like this is my fault? Why don't you confront him?"

Damian makes a point to look around the now-empty cave exaggeratedly, "He is not here." He deadpans.

"Oh, so I'm just the convenient option. I feel so loved." You place your hand on your chest mockingly.

"You have yet to answer the question."

"I am not dating Jason. I don't know how one interaction between us convinced you of that, but it's not true." You look away from Damian.

He narrows his eyes, "There was mention of your previous outings with him. He apparently 'bought you a croissant.' A euphemism for more unseemly activities, I imagine."

You attempt to mask your horror at his words, but fail miserably. "If I knew it'd cause me this much trouble, I would've just skipped the damn croissant." You mutter, rubbing your temples.

"So you admit he 'bought you a croissant.'" He sits up straighter in his chair.

"He bought me like an actual croissant, yes! He even clarified that we were talking about the pastry. I never denied that!" You gesture wildly.

"Tt," Damian glares at you, his gaze scrutinizing your entire being. "What was the context for that outing?"

"I…" You begin before pausing, "Wait, why would I tell that to you?"

Damian raises an eyebrow, "Got something to hide?"

You glare at him indignantly, "I know what you're doing." You shake your head at him disapprovingly.

"Really? You are dancing around the question." He taps his fingers slowly, shaking his head at you, disapprovingly.

You groan, "It was an accident, I had accidentally ran into the criminal he was after. Both of us went down, and my croissant was smushed. I, jokingly," you emphasized, making sure Damian understood, "I jokingly told him— Jason, not the criminal— that he should replace my croissant."

"So you asked him out." Damian holds his clasped hands up to his face, concentrated.

You whip around to face him, "I just said it was a joke. I didn't think he'd actually stop what he was doing to sit with me in a bakery!"

Damian looks slightly taken aback, "You sat in a bakery with him?"

You rub your eyes with your hands, "Wait, okay, yes, but it was perfectly fine. It wasn't like that. We just bought a couple of pastries before he had to go."

Damian looks repulsed by your words, standing up. "I have things to attend to."

"Damian, believe me. We aren't dating or courting or whatever you wanna call it!" You attempt to stop him.

Damian remains silent as you look down at him, pleading. He nods once before exiting, not a word extra.

Well, that is not very reassuring.

–

The night had been going smoothly– well, as smoothly as a night in Gotham could go.

Dick, true to his word, decided to stay in Gotham. The night was still young, so perhaps he was judging prematurely, but it was nothing too crazy. There was some drug deal on a roof earlier, and that was about the most intense thing that happened all night. It's been quiet.

Dick decided that he was going to try and stick around Central Gotham that night, for he knew you had gone home earlier. Dick was going to ask if you wanted to hang out alone, and not with half of his family tagging along. When he began searching for you, he eventually ran into Damian, who gave him a conflicted expression. Before Dick got a chance to ask what that meant, Damian shrugged, telling him he had no idea where you were.

Eventually, he found out that you had left the manor earlier that day. Which was fine. It's not like he could control where you went, but he'd been hoping to catch you alone.

So maybe he'd been patrolling around your apartment, and maybe he'd circled around the block a few times, hoping to catch you alone. He wasn't sure when you left, but he hadn't seen your car around, so he figured you were still out.

That night, Babs decided to help out on comms, "Nightwing, there's an armed robbery two blocks over from your current location."

Dick frowns, leaving for five minutes couldn't hurt.

–

You sigh as you exit your car, grabbing your personal items before getting ready for the quick walk to your apartment. There was no parking, so you had parked a couple of streets over. The walk wasn't anything you hadn't done before, so you weren't too worried.

Damian's unexpected interrogation had you stressing for the rest of the day. What if he went around telling people that something was going on between you and Jason? Not like there was, but you know Damian is stubborn. If he believes that you are dating Jason, then it'll take more than a quick conversation to convince him.

Just as you were about to turn onto your street, you hear the sound of a gun's safety being clicked off. Slowly, you turn around to face the criminal. It was a man with long, greasy hair. He had a worn leather jacket on, the gun held lazily in his hand. "Everything on you, now."

Your mouth parts in surprise, well, shit. While Cass and Steph were teaching you how to fight, that did not mean you were confident enough to take out somebody with a gun pointed at your head.

"Okay," you answer slowly, grabbing your phone out of your pocket. He watches as you move slowly to fish the device out of his pocket.

"Hurry up. I don't have all day." He glares at you.

"I'm sorry that robbing me is inconvenient for you." You mutter to yourself, thinking that he won't hear.

"What was that?" He points the gun under your chin, and you feel your heart race at the action.

"I'll hurry up! I'll hurry up!" You hold your hands up in surrender, offering your phone in one of them, watching as he moves closer to take your phone.

Just as he's about to grab your phone, a figure descends from the sky, kneeing the robber in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. The sheer force of the action causes you to flinch back in surprise. Instinctively, you move away from the attacker before you see who it is.

"Oh," you exhale in relief, "you know we keep meeting." You adjust your clothes, brushing off imaginary dust as if you were unbothered by the attack.

"Were you about to give this asshole your phone?" Red Hood gives a "light" kick to the now unconscious criminal.

"Not all of us are trained as well as you are. He had me at gunpoint." You scoff.

Red Hood turns towards you, "Thought you said that you've 'been training.'" He does air quotes. "If I remember correctly, I remember you challenging me." He crosses his arms, tilting his head slightly.

You purse your lips, "I was bullshitting and you knew that."

He chuckles, moving over to you. "Are you hurt?" The amusement from his voice is gone, replaced by something that almost sounds like concern.

You smile at him, "Physically no, but my pride is a little wounded."

"Mm, next time I'll let you get a hit in." He responds dryly.

You grin even wider, "Aw, so thoughtful." You start to walk past him.

"Where're you heading anyway?" He asks, following behind you.

"Home."

"Alone? This late?" He walks up to your right.

"It's nearby, I'll be okay."

"You were almost robbed."

"Keyword: 'almost.'"

Red Hood attempts to rub his temples, but the helmet he has on prevents that. The action is a little funny. "I ain't letting you walk home alone this late."

You blink in surprise, watching as he matches your stride, "Do you not have any important stuff to do? Fight crime? Tackle drug dealers? Crush croissants?"

Red Hood shrugs, the action stiff, "Some of the others can handle it. I think they'll be alright." You smile at him, noting your apartment as it comes into view.

The rest of the walk is pretty short and quiet. You're about to head into your apartment when you notice the right shoulder of his jacket is stained red. "Are you injured?"

"Not from that guy." Red Hood scoffs, crossing his arms, attempting to cover the wound.

"That's not what I asked." You frowned, looking at the maroon stain on his jacket. "Nope, you're coming with me."

Jason says your name softly, the first time he's ever just said just your name. His voice is quiet, and it startles you for a moment, "I'll be fine."

You both stare at each other for a moment, "You know you don't look very tough when your shoulder is bleeding out in front of me, right? Kinda ruins your whole persona."

Jason's posture straightens, and you think he's going to insist, so you cut him off before he gets the chance. "Nope," you grab his (good) arm, pulling him to your apartment. "I may not be as good as Dr. Thompkins or Alfred, but I refuse to let you go out without some sort of first aid."

Jason doesn't say anything as you drag him into your apartment. Turning on the lights, you look towards him, standing at the entrance awkwardly. "I'll go grab the first aid kit. You can head to the couch."

You put all your stuff down, head to the bathroom, wash your hands, and grab the first aid kit and a clean cloth.

When you walk out of the bathroom, Jason is sitting in the living room, helmet off, blatantly staring at the picture frames you have up. "I'm no doctor, but have you at least tried to stop the bleeding?" You dampen the cloth at the sink before walking over to him.

"Bleeding should be stopped by now." Jason responds. He sounds exhausted, and his hand is pressed on his blood-stained jacket where the wound should be.

You nod, "Okay, I'll try and clean the wound, but you're gonna have to take off that jacket." You sit next to him as he slowly removes the jacket. The wound is open, but it's not actively dripping blood. "Sorry if this hurts," you slowly take the cloth and attempt to clean any dirt around it. Jason doesn't react, only wincing on occasion, to which you offer an apology. You work in silence.

Eventually, once it's clean, you look at the first aid kit, searching for the suture. Typically, it isn't something you'd find in a first aid kit, but Alfred and Bruce had insisted you take one of the ones they keep in the cave "just in case."

"Gonna be honest… I have no idea how to do stitches." You grab the thread, frowning.

Jason chuckles quietly, wincing slightly, "I can do it. You've already helped out enough." You frown, but move the first aid kit next to him. "Do you want pain meds or something? I should have some Tylenol lying around."

Jason nods, "That'd be nice."

You stand up, walking over to your medicine cabinet, grabbing a bottle of Tylenol, some water, and bringing it to him. Jason nods in thanks, and you wait anxiously next to him. It doesn't exactly feel great just sitting around while he's stitching his own wound.

"So you've talked with him?" Jason starts the conversation.

You blink, "Sorry?"

"Your 'not-bestie.'" Jason carefully cuts part of the thread.

"Oh," you blink, "a little? He came back yesterday."

Jason snorts, "I'm aware, he's out on patrol tonight around the area."

"Huh," you nod, "he did say he'd be in the area for a bit."

Jason hums, "How'd he react to you being here? You didn't tell him, right?"

You smack your lips, "Yeah,"

He chuckles, looking up from his wound to you, "That bad?"

"Maybe a bit passive-aggressive." You shrug, thinking back to Dick's unreadable expression when he saw you training with Steph and Cass.

Jason nods, "I can imagine." He grabs the pill from the table, using the water to down it. "You know he's been circling around your block for most of the night."

Your mouth parts in surprise, "Really? He knows if he wants to talk to me, he can just call or show up… right?"

Jason shrugs, wincing slightly as the action agitates the wound, "Who knows what he's thinking, I–"

You both turn to the glass door for the balcony, three loud knocks echoing across the room. You couldn't hide your startled expression if you wanted to. Jason snorts, "Speak of the Devil,"

You turn towards Jason, who is focused on his wound. Thinking he's got it handled, you turn your focus back to Dick, and he offers a small wave. Walking over, you unlock the door. "Uh… Hello?"

"Hi! I happened to be in the area–" you hear Jason snort in the background, "–and I thought I could drop by." He smiles at you before looking towards Jason behind you on your couch. His smile strains a bit, "I didn't realize you'd have company over."

"I didn't realize I'd be having company. " You chuckle, walking over to the couch next to Jason. Dick follows next to you.

Dick raises an eyebrow at Jason stitching his wound, "What happened?"

"I got injured." Jason deadpans, pointing a finger to the wound.

"I can see that." Dick frowns, watching as Jason finishes up the last stitch. You grab some Vaseline before placing it next to Jason.

You and Dick watch for a moment as Jason dresses the wound before he turns to you. "Did you two just meet?" Dick asks, turning to you.

You shake your head, feeling your stomach oddly turn in familiarity. For some reason, the conversation feels oddly reminiscent of your conversation with Damian earlier. "Few weeks ago."

"Oh." Dick nods slowly, looking at you. You raise an eyebrow at him, and he turns away. "I… wasn't aware."

You snort, "I didn't know I needed to tell you everybody I met."

Dick opens his mouth, "I– You know I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised." He fidgets behind you, making himself look smaller.

You frown, "I've been around for months? It'd be surprising if I hadn't met everybody yet."

Dick nods, agreeing, "Right, I just thought I heard that… you two hadn't met…. " he pauses, "yet." His last word was almost silent.

You snort, "Who said that?" You turn to Dick, before snapping your fingers, "Wait, let me guess, Damian?"

Dick looks over to you, eyebrows furrowed, "...Yeah, actually."

You sigh, "Of course he would."

Your words seem to catch Dick's attention, "Did… something happen?" He asks hesitantly, occasionally throwing Jason odd glances. Jason seems wholly unbothered by the whole situation, a bit too unbothered.

"With Damian?" You clarify. At Dick's nod, you turn away, "Ask him. He's the one who decided to interview me about my life." You take the scissors and bandage scraps scattered around the first aid kit and put them away before throwing the scraps in the trash.

Dick is silent for a moment, "What?" You can't decipher what his tone was. Horrified? Outraged? His tone shocks you for a moment, "When was that?" He furrows his eyebrows, crossing his arms as he follows you around your apartment as you put the first aid kit away.

"Today." You shrug, closing the cabinet before walking past Dick back out to the living room.

Dick scoffs, "No wonder." He mutters to himself before turning to follow you.

He follows you over to Jason, watching as you offer to refill his water. Jason thanks you with a smirk once you return. Dick's breath hitches, his fists clenching as he watches you sit next to Jason.

"So, how was that danish you got the other day?"

What.

The question was innocent, but it caused a million different questions to run through his mind. You're asking him about a danish? You two have hung out previously. Do you both hang out frequently? Clearly, you trust him enough to be in your apartment, and you aren't afraid to joke with him. Your question is casual enough to suggest you don't think it's a big deal.

Jason pretends to think, "It was alright."

You hunch over in dejection, "Oh, come on, seriously?"

Jason shrugged, a smirk growing on his face as he sat up straighter, "You overhyped it a bit."

You furrow your eyebrows, "Okay, fine," you huffed, "but it was still good enough, right?" You lean closer to him expectantly. At your action, Dick distantly notes that his jaw hurts from clenching his teeth.

Jason snorts, and he doesn't move away. "It was 'good enough.'" His tone is teasing, and your frown immediately turns into a triumphant smile.

Dick clenches his fist, walking over to you both, "Hey, Little Wing, I think Oracle needs our help."

Frowning, you stand up, "Oh, you two should get going then. I wouldn't wanna keep you from going out."

Jason raises an eyebrow at Dick, who grins at him. His expression is uneasy, stiff as Dick walks over to your side.

"It's a shame you can't stay any longer, but you two are always welcome." You smile, grabbing Jason's bloodied jacket. "I can wash this and return it–"

"Thanks," Dick offers you a soft smile, "but we wouldn't wanna keep the crime waiting." He winks at you, and you snort. His eyes drift down to Jason's jacket, clasped between your hands. Jason walks over to your other side, taking the offered jacket.

"Thanks," he nods at you, as he walks over to the balcony Dick entered from. He puts the helmet on before turning to Dick, "Well?"

Dick turns to you once again, "See you around." He walks away from you and over to the balcony. He doesn't break eye contact as he walks over to the ledge. You follow behind them, keeping a bit of distance, watching as Dick hops gracefully onto the ledge of the balcony. The action is so extra, so him, that you can't help the laughter that emerges from your chest. At your laughter, he brightens up.

"You're so extra." You roll your eyes.

"It's part of the charm." He smirks, almost bowing slightly, before flipping off the balcony and onto the building next to your apartment.

You lean against the ledge, watching as Jason and Dick grow smaller the farther they get. Just as you think they'll vanish, Dick turns around and waves. You snort, mirroring the action before he vanishes into the night.

–

Dick rolls onto a roof to cushion his jump, and he props his foot up on a ledge of it, getting a wide view of the street below. Jason follows closely behind him. "What was that?" Jason asks, walking up to Dick's side, looking down at the street.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Dick smiles, still keeping his eyes on the street below, his leg bouncing up and down.

"Nightwing." Jason attempts to catch Dick's attention, moving slightly to try to cover his view of the street.

"We couldn't stay there all night." Dick turns to the opposite direction of Jason, balancing on the ledge casually.

Jason rolls his eyes, knowing that Dick can't see the action, "Obviously, but–"

"Great, glad we agree." Dick smiles before hopping down the building's exterior stairs, maneuvering through them with ease.

"Dick." Jason chases him, with far less grace, but just as efficiently. Below them, there are two groups pitted against each other. Dick doesn't hesitate before diving in. Rushing in, he grabs the shoulders of one of the members, using them to propel himself upward, before dragging him up with him and slamming him onto his buddy.

Jason quickly joins in, shooting the gun out of one of the men's hands before punching him to the ground. The two guys next to him attempt to make a run for it, but Jason trips one of them. Kicking him in the jaw, Jason knocks him out before turning to the last guy.

Just as he's about to attack, Dick jumps down from above, immobilizing the man.

"So we're just gonna pretend that nothing happened." Jason twirls his gun before holstering them.

"Nothing did happen." Dick flourishes his escrima sticks before placing them behind his back.

"Convincing." Jason snorts. Dick climbs back up the roof they were on earlier, expertly scaling the fire escape stairs. "So you have nothing to say?"

"What is there to say? You were injured, she patched you up." Dick sits down on the ledge, propping a knee up, letting one leg hang over the ledge.

Jason props his knee up next to Dick, looking down at him. "And you're cool with that?" He rolls his shoulder.

Dick doesn't look up at him, "Yes."

Jason places his hands on his hips, "Sure doesn't feel like it."

Dick scoffs, "What do you want me to say?" He faces Jason, tense. "That I'm upset that you two were hanging out?" He places an arm lazily on top of his propped-up leg.

Jason tilts his head slightly, crossing his arms.

"Well, I'm not."

Jason grunts, turning away from Dick. Dick elbows Jason's leg, causing him to tilt his head at the action. "What was that for?"

"You don't believe me."

Jason snorts, "Okay, you are not upset." He states, holding his hands up in surrender.

Dick groans, "Now you're mocking me."

"It's too easy not to." Jason smirks, sitting down next to Dick. The two of them look down at the city in silence. "Y'know she told me you two aren't besties."

Dick looks over at Jason, affronted. "She did not."

Jason nods solemnly, "Yep. Think her words were: 'We've never referred to each other as besties.'"

Dick purses his lips, his nails digging into his palms. "No, I guess we didn't."

Jason takes off his helmet, relying on the domino underneath, resting the equipment next to him. "Do you love her?" He asks, the two of them watching the blinding lights of the city below.

Dick opens his mouth, but then closes it. He absentmindedly taps his finger on his knee, not taking his eyes off the city below. "I… think so."

Jason snorts, "You don't know?"

Dick scoffs, "I…" he lets his propped-up leg hang over the edge, placing his hands flat on the ledge, "It's complicated."

Jason hums, "Well, you'd better figure it out fast."

Dick slowly turns to Jason, "What does that mean?" He asks calmly.

"She's not just going to wait for you to come to a decision. If you don't take the opportunity…" Jason trails off, ignoring Dick's pointed stare.

"Are you saying you will?" Dick stiffens as he watches Jason absentmindedly tap his helmet with his index finger.

"I'm saying somebody might if you don't do anything."

Dick stands up, looking down at Jason, who languidly turns to face him, a smirk on his face. "Are you saying that somebody is you?"

Jason shrugs, wincing slightly at the sting of pain in his shoulder, "Not necessarily. Just in general."

"She wouldn't." Dick jumps away from the ledge, back onto the rooftop, facing away from Jason.

Jason turns around to face him, "How could you even know? She didn't even tell you she was back."

Dick turns around, his chest feels like it was pierced by a blade at Jason's words, "Oh, did she tell you that too?"

Jason shrugs, "She told me a lot of things."

"I'm sure she did." Dick glares down at Jason, his disinterest only fueling his frustration.

"Why are you upset? You aren't even sure if you like her." Jason leans over, his elbows resting on his knees, looking up at Dick.

Dick clenches his teeth, trying to find the words to say, but Jason cuts him off before he gets to say anything.

"She's moved on, Dick. You lost your opportunity."

Dick huffs, pointing a finger at Jason's chest, "You do not get to comment about us. You don't know what our relationship was like. If she 'moved on' I want to hear it from her, not from a telephoned message from you."

Jason tilts his head, "But I'm not the first one to say it, am I?" Dick narrows his eyes at Jason, his breath hitching as his words. "Fine, prove me wrong then." Jason stands up, and Dick matches his stare, looking up at his brother.

"I will." Dick resolves.

–

"Come on, it's like a rite of passage, you gotta do it." Tim shakes his head at you, seated in front of the Batcomputer.

"It's a charity gala. Why on Earth do I need to go? It's not like Bruce has adopted me or something. I'm just a random person in the eyes of the public." You wave your hand dismissively.

"Okay, but like you're involved with us often enough, so you gotta do it. Bat rules." Tim shrugs, as if saying "What can you do about it?"

"That's not a thing." You cross your arms, narrowing your eyes suspiciously at Tim.

"It is." Tim nods, reassuringly.

"No, it's not. You aren't gonna convince me." You spin around in your chair, away from him. To your surprise, you see two people walk over.

"It…" you checked the time on your phone, "hasn't even been 24 hours. You two coming in pairs now? No longer sold separately?" You laugh at your own joke, sitting up straighter in the seat as you watch Dick and Jason approach.

"Didn't realize there was a cooldown for when we could approach you." Dick grins at you, walking over to rest his arm on the headrest, looking down at you.

You roll your eyes, but a smile grows on your face, "Well, now you know."

Dick chuckles, his eyes lingering on you for a moment before turning to Tim, "What were you two talking about anyway?"

"Oh my–" You look at Dick, ready to justify yourself, but somebody cuts you off.

"–It's her turn to go to a gala." Tim gestures to you. "She's been here too long without going to one." Tim cuts in helpfully. You, Dick, and Jason turn towards him.

"...He's kind of right," Jason adds.

You turn to him, betrayed, "After everything last night? You will betray me like this?" Tim's eyes widen at your comment towards Jason.

Jason rolls his eyes, "All I did was agree." Tim stares blatantly at Dick, who obstinately refuses to look at him.

"Betrayal." You hiss at Jason. "Come on, Dick, you're on my side, right?" You look at Dick hopefully.

He blinks down at you, still leaning on the headrest of your chair. "Uh…" He looks up to meet Tim and Jason's expectant stare before returning his gaze to you.

Wait…

"How about you go with me? That way you aren't alone the whole time." Dick proposes, offering a small smile to you.

Your eyes widen at Dick, and you open your mouth, sputtering. He was supposed to be on your side, not encouraging you to go. Jason crosses his arms in the back, and Tim purses his lips thoughtfully.

"But I'm not equipped for that kind of scene. I don't even know how to handle myself at such an event." You look up at Dick.

"Then I'll teach you." Dick shrugs, "Just come with me, it'll be like old times."

"What kind of old times are you talking about? I don't remember you ever making me attend one of the Wayne events." You furrow your eyebrows, covering your mouth with your hand in concentration, trying to remember an occurrence.

Dick snorts, "I don't think I ever did. I meant that it'd be us. Just us." He grins, resting his arms over the chair's headrest, before propping his head on top of it.

Tim and Jason share a quick glance, "Are you sure?" You ask cautiously. "I think I remember you complaining about them as a kid."

Dick tilts his head, still resting it on the headrest, "Well, now we'll be able to bond over mutual hatred. It'll be great!"

You sigh, turning your attention to Tim, "See what you've done?"

Tim smiles, "No regrets."

Rolling your eyes, you turn to Dick, "Alright, I guess I'll meet you at the Manor tomorrow."

Dick shakes his head, "I can pick you up. Think you can be ready by 6:30?"

"In the morning?!" You hold a hand against your chest before raising it to your lips in a thoughtful manner. "I dunno, that's a bit early."

Dick exhales, amused, before flicking your head lightly. "Mm, yeah sure, better make sure your alarm is set."

Rolling your eyes, you rub the spot he flicked, "Of course, of course."

—

The next day comes quicker than you thought it would, so now you're staring at your closet. While you've never been to a charity event, you know that they're definitely formal.

After eliminating all the dresses deemed "too casual" or "not good enough for a Wayne event," you are left with one option.

You are left with a dark blue dress that fits your figure nicely. You'd used this dress in the past for some previous work events, but you figured it'd work well for a charity event. You select a pair of heels that suits the dress nicely before doing your makeup for the night. You didn't want to do too much, so you settled for something cute, yet classy.

Once you finish up, you anxiously await Dick's message. The longer he takes, the more anxious you feel. Will they be able to tell that you don't fit in? What if you fuck up and do something stupid?

Thankfully, Dick doesn't take long, knocking on your door on time. "Coming!" You head over to the door and open it.

"Hey," you shuffle the clutch in your hand to your non-dominant one.

Dick blinks, his eyes darting down your figure, "Hey,"

You smile at him, walking out of your apartment, before closing the door. All of this happens while Dick just stares at you.

"Is… something wrong..?" You shift uncomfortably, smoothing the dress down your body.

"You're beautiful," Dick responds softly. You wonder if you even heard the words correctly.

You raise an eyebrow, "Was I not supposed to be?"

Frantically, Dick shakes his head, "No! I just meant that you look gorgeous. You didn't have to do all of this for one of Bruce's charity events."

You frown, "Well, what if I wanted an excuse to dress up?"

Dick straightens up, mouth pursing, "Then I'd ask Bruce to host as many events as he wanted just so you could." He gives you a small smile.

You both stare at each other before you burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Jason was wrong."

Dick tenses up, "What was he wrong about?"

"You are funny." You pat his chest reassuringly. The action causes Dick to look down at your hand.

"Did he tell you I wasn't?" Dick frowns, grabbing your hand and slowly removing it from his chest.

"Hey, I'll have you know I tried defending you." You smirk at him, your hand still in his grasp.

"Oh," he smirks, "what an honor."

You chuckle, "Quite the honor indeed." You look up from your clasped hand to his face.

To your surprise, Dick is already looking down at your eyes, "I… got something for you." He reveals his other hand, presenting you with a dark blue cornflower corsage.

You slowly blink at the bundle of flowers as he smiles gently. He looks down at your hand, silently asking permission. "I… I didn't get you anything." You feel a pit form in your stomach. He offers to help you around the gala, and you didn't even think to get anything? Great, now you feel horrible.

His smile grows, "Hey— No, it's alright. I got something for myself so we could match. The container is in the car. I wanted to do it."

Oh geez, he knew you wouldn't even think to get him something, so he bought himself a boutonnière.

"Hey, none of that." He slides the corsage onto your wrist with care. His hands are soft as they brush against your arm, his touch is light. "Lighten up, I thought it'd make you happy. I can see the guilt on your face."

Scoffing, you look down at your wrist. The flowers are a lighter shade of blue than your dress. "How did you know I'd be wearing blue?"

He grins, "I didn't."

The two of you walk to the car, and you take note of the boutonnière in the passenger seat. You grab it, and just as he is about to start the car, you open it. "You're gonna have to face me for this." You open the container, carefully handling the flower.

"Oh," he inhales, holding his breath unknowingly, "you don't have to…"

You look up to him, "You didn't have to buy us matching flowers, but you did anyway. At least let me pin it onto you."

He looks like he's about to argue, but he sighs, "Alright," he sighs.

Grinning, you carefully grab the flower before gesturing for him to move closer. Stiffly, Dick leans over the center console of the car. You gently grab the lapel of his suit jacket, pinning the flower to him. He remains still the entire time. When you finish, you smooth out any wrinkles, patting the fabric to signal you're done.

Dick lets out a deep breath when you're done, adjusting his collar. "Thanks," he speaks softly before turning towards you, smiling, "you ready?" His voice is a lot brighter.

"As I'll ever be." You grin, prepared for the night.

—

"Thank you for coming!" Bruce puts his arm around you, squeezing you tightly as you exhale what little air is left in your lungs.

"I think you're constricting her…" Dick frowns, crossing his arms as Bruce pats your shoulder.

"Ah, my bad!" Bruce makes a show of acting surprised before using his hand to guide you back to Dick. "She's all yours." Bruce winks before taking a glass of champagne and downing it.

The two of you watch as he walks away, loudly laughing at a joke some guest says.

"That is so weird…" You watch as Bruce walks away. Dick snorts at your side.

"You'll get used to it. Come on, let me show you around."

"Dick, I've been here before."

"But it's been so long since it's been just us. Humor me." He grabs your hand, walking backwards as he pulls you slowly to try and get you to follow him.

You sigh, "You act like you've been deprived or something." You chuckle at the thought.

Dick clutched his hand to his chest, "Have I not? I haven't seen you in ages, let me have this."

You laugh, and his eyes light up at the action, a grin breaking out onto his face. "Alright, I suppose."

Dick grins, grabbing your arm before dragging you away. You can't help the laughter that escapes you. He grins as the two of you run up a set of stairs, passing by a few guests. You had to admit, catching up with Dick was really fun. Being with him made you forget the worries you had before the event.

"You didn't actually swing on the chandeliers, right?" You lean against the railing of the balcony.

Dick smiles in response.

"Of course you did," you sigh. "I don't even know why I asked."

"You make it sound like a bad thing." Dick grins, moving to your left, leaning on the railing next to you.

Smirking, you tilt your head toward him, "It's certainly a you thing."

"The best kind of things." Dick adjusts his suit, brushing off imaginary dust, matching your smirk.

You snort, "Definitely unique. I wouldn't expect it from anybody else."

Dick holds his hands out grandly, "You could say I'm one of a kind."

Rolling your eyes, you're about to make a retort, but you hear the string quartet in the background swell. You turn your attention to the music, watching as the musicians cue each other in for the next piece.

Dick looks at you, then toward the quartet, then back to you. "Come on," he pushes himself off the railing. You raise an eyebrow at him. He grins, "Let's dance,"

You look over to the couples slow dancing on the tiled marble before turning to face Dick, disbelieving. "Seriously?" You cross your arms, suspiciously, "You want to dance?"

Dick smirks, "Well," he looks back towards the crowd of people slowly moving to the piece the quartet plays. "It's your choice, sweetheart. However, I'd appreciate it if you'd do me the honor?" He holds his hand out for you to grab.

You can't help the laugh that escapes your mouth at his words. "Well, I suppose, sweetheart." You smirk, emphasizing the pet name.

Dick somehow brightens even more at your words before pulling you to the dance floor. The music crescendos as the two of you step in coordination along the dance floor. Dick expertly maneuvers you around the crowded dance floor, his eyes on you the entire time. You can't help but smile at him. He mirrors your action softly as the two of you move in sync.

Eventually, the music quiets down to a soft piano, "I wasn't aware you'd be this good. You're making me feel like an amateur."

You smile at him, your hand brushing his chest, "I didn't spend the last couple of months sitting around waiting for you to come back. Steph and Cass have been very thorough in teaching me."

Dick lets out a chuckle, his smile falling slightly, "No… I suppose you didn't." His words were quieter than the soft chords of the strings, but you heard him clearer than ever. They carried a certain weight.

Your mouth parts, feeling compelled to speak, but you aren't sure what to say. Dick smiles at you, reassuringly. "I… I didn't mean not to tell you. It's just…" you look toward his hopeful eyes, "complicated."

He seems to deflate at your words. Perhaps he expected something else. "I know." He responds, matching your whisper. "I know what you meant by it…"

You shake your head, "No… I don't think you do."

Dick purses his lips, as if holding back something. "Right… I don't,"

The two of you move, unspeaking, the music's slower tempo leading your steps. It slowly starts to fade out, and Dick's eyes flicker down to your lips. You stare at his eyes, almost glassy in their state, as the music dissipates, the sound of whispered chattering growing. You inhale, momentarily forgetting to breathe, his hand resting on your chest. Your throat feels dry, your heart unwillingly picks up in pace, your breath shudders as you exhale, and your eyes helplessly flicker over Dick.

Dick leans closer as if sensing your growing apprehension, his hands rub your back gently. His touch is a feather upon your skin, only causing you to hold back a shiver. Frozen in your spot, you barely even notice if you're moving at this point. He leans closer, and now you can see the rise and fall of his chest, the soft sound of his exhale. Meeting your eyes, he blinks at you, swallowing as he gazes at your features.

The music stops, and so do you.

"Thanks, Dick." You pull away from him. His hold takes a bit of effort to squirm out of. By the time you're out of his grasp, all that's left is your hand resting on his.

He stares at you, unblinking, eyes heavy with something. "Of course," he whispers. He slowly retracts his hand, and you lower your own.

You take a deep breath, the tension is thick, it hangs in the air, clinging onto every spoken word. The two of you stare at each other for a brief moment. You barely even notice the bodies meandering around the two of you. All you can focus on is his weighted, almost pleading gaze. What does he need to plead for?

Exhaling, you grab his forearm, "Come on, let's go back out to the balcony. I'm suffocating here. It's so crowded. How does Bruce even know this many people?" You ramble as you drag Dick along. He doesn't give input, he doesn't say anything, but gives you that same thoughtful expression.

You aren't even sure who you're trying to distract. Smiling, you glance at Dick, attempting to shove down the memory of his touch, his gaze, everything about him. You couldn't be angry about it. You know Dick. Even after years apart, you know him. You can't get mad that things have fallen back into the way they used to be. After all, that's why you never said anything, right? To keep things as they were.

You sure as hell aren't letting all that restraint go to waste now. Not when you finally moved on.

"I gotta respect the fact that you attended these 'cause I probably would've started swinging on chandeliers too if I had to deal with that many people with no one to depend upon. Well, I guess there's Bruce, but I don't feel like that's much better." You drag him out to the balcony, leaning against it, the frigid night breeze cooling you.

Dick snorts, but he smiles, "Don't let him hear you say that." You withhold a grin as you watch the tension leave his shoulders.

You smirk, "Yeah, just like you didn't tell him I knew you were Robin."

Dick furrows his eyebrows, standing up straighter, "Hey— I thought you said I was off the hook for that. I never even told him!" He throws his hands up.

You trace your fingers against the smooth metal of the railing, "Mhm,"

Dick frowns, taken aback, "Did you just 'Mhm' me?" He narrows his eyes at you, leaning next to you.

You turn toward him, smirking.

"Don't—"

"Mhm,"

Dick sighs, exasperated. "You are impossible."

"I know, truly nobody could compare." You joke, smirking at Dick. You toss him a smug glance from the corner of your eye.

"Of course, of course. How could I presume such a thing?" Dick smirks back at you.

You click your tongue, "Common mistake. Don't worry, one day you might be able to reach my level."

Dick barks out a surprised laugh, "Wow, okay. I see how it is."

You are about to make a retort, but a middle-aged lady comes over to you two. Her hair is up in an elegant updo, and her dress appears to fit her perfectly, likely tailored. The emerald green fabric catches the warm lights of the Manor radiantly. You don't recognize her, but judging by the way Dick moves slightly closer to you, he does.

"Richard! I haven't seen you at one of these in a minute." She greets him, she's holding a glass of champagne in her hand.

Dick offers her a small, polite smile. "Mrs. Carrington," he nods, "I hope you're doing well."

She waves her free hand at him casually, "Oh, please, call me Meredith. I've known you since you were little." She laughs, and Dick awkwardly joins in. She looks you up and down, and you feel proud that you don't shrink under her judgment. "Who's this? New girl?"

Both you and Dick stiffen, "Oh… Uh—" He starts, but is quickly cut off.

"The other one you introduced me to… Barbara was it? She was quite nice. You two made a good pair." She sips on her champagne. "Didn't hear that you two broke up."

Dick shifts, trying to assess your reaction, but you don't offer it to him. "Yeah," he smacks his lips, "earlier this year."

She hums, "Hmm, shame." You fight the sting of pain threatening to pierce your chest at that moment. You will not fall into that rabbit hole. You told yourself. "Who's the new girl, though?"

"Just a fri—" You fight the rising heat. Embarrassment? Anger? You start talking, but you are never able to finish your statement.

Dick slings his arms around your shoulder, pulling you closer. You stumble on your feet, surprised by the unexpected pull. You look at him, startled, but he doesn't look at you. Instead, he offers your name to Meredith.

"Aw, she's gorgeous!" Meredith fawns over you, and despite your bewilderment at the situation, you instinctively shift closer to Dick. He rubs a hand on your shoulder,

"Isn't she?" You subtly elbow him at his words. What is he doing? Just tell the woman that you aren't dating. It is not this difficult.

"How long have you two been going out for?" She asks, clearly not wanting to leave.

"A couple months. She actually just recently graduated from university." He grins proudly.

"Ah!" Meredith turns to actually face you for the first time. "Smart girl, huh?"

Dick grins, "The smartest." He looks towards you, a soft smile on his face. You mirror the action to him passive-aggressively. You'd actually argue maybe Babs or something, but clearly Dick has decided he's going to do all the talking for this conversation.

"Aw, how'd you two meet?" She asks, her cheeks are flushed, but more importantly, her words are loud. You can see a few people turn their attention to the three of you.

"Haaaa… Funny story," Dick looks down for you, as if prompting you to speak it. You meet his gaze. He made his grave; he will lie in it. You smile at him innocently, and after a long moment of you two staring at each other, he realizes that you aren't going to be helpful.

"She stumbled into me by chance. Complete chance accident." He turns toward you, and you smirk at him, "She had— uh— been having a bad day." Real descriptive. "I caught her alone in one of the storage rooms of a library, and I couldn't let a beautiful lady like herself mope alone. I offered to take her out." Dick rubs your shoulder again, and you raise an eyebrow at him. Why did you have to sound so miserable? Why couldn't it have been him?

"Actually, honey, I'm pretty sure it was you who was moping. You gave me such convincing puppy dog eyes that I just couldn't say no." You interrupt, causing Dick and Meredith to turn to you. "Isn't that right?" You turn towards Dick, smiling.

Dick laughs loudly, but doesn't hesitate, "Oh, you got me. She knows me too well." He rubs the back of his neck, grabbing your hand and clasping it into his own.

Meredith looks amused at the two of you, laughing. "Aw, true love." She gushes.

"The truest." You nod, smiling. Dick glances at you from the corner of his eye, and you make a point not to meet his glance.

"Well," she nods at the two of you, "I best be on my way. It was a pleasure as always, Richard," she smiles at Dick before turning to you and addressing you. You nod back at her with a polite smile as she walks away.

The moment she is gone, you slowly turn towards Dick. You make sure nobody is looking before glaring at him, "What the hell do you think you're—"

"Richard." Damian appears out of thin air.

Dick immediately turns to his younger brother. Meanwhile, you're still staring at him. "Dick." You spit his name out.

"Damian!" Dick grins, ignoring your piercing glare. "I didn't think any of you guys were gonna show up at the gala?"

"I came to address the allegations that have been circling." Damian adjusts his tie.

"Did you?" Dick's grin looks a lot more strained now.

Damian raises an eyebrow at him before turning to him. You cross your arms, "Don't look at me. He's the one who lied to that poor woman."

Dick chuckles softly, his eyes shifting between you and Damian nervously "I wouldn't describe her as 'poor.'"

You and Damian both glare at him, "How'd you even hear about it this fast?" You turn to Damian.

"He danced with you and publicly revealed your 'relationship' to the public." Damian eyes you, unimpressed.

"Okay, to be fair, there were dozens of people dancing, and we only talked to one person." Dick holds his hands up thoughtfully.

Damian scoffs, "One person might as well be the entire planet. Do you know what kind of people are here?" He crosses his arms.

You stare at the ground for a moment as Damian and Dick go back and forth. At a certain point, you aren't even sure what they're arguing about. They are both so distracted by themselves that they don't even notice you walk out of the balcony.

It's easy to slip away from the party, for nobody seems to take note of you as you make your way through the Manor. Eventually, you find your way to the grandfather clock, making your way down to the cave.

Upon entering, you notice that the cave is surprisingly empty, a rare occurrence on nights like these. You find a chair to sit down on, throwing the heels off your aching feet, sighing.

The soft hum of the computer isn't enough to distract you from your thoughts, nor are the quiet squeaks of the bats. Dick had been acting odd recently, but you assumed that was just a result of not seeing each other for years.

Perhaps he figured it out.

Did he figure out you liked him back then? Is this his way of humiliating you? It didn't seem like something he'd do, but perhaps he has changed. What else could've been the purpose of that stunt he pulled?

You sigh again as you lean back in the chair. God, he couldn't leave you be, could he? You were so convinced you were over him after spending years apart. All it took was one grin thrown at you and a spin on the dance floor, and suddenly, you're back in high school, attempting to hide your feelings for Robin, your Robin. He must know. Why else would he be trying so hard to spend every moment with you? Hell, he even offered to be your "date" to this event, bought matching flowers.

Damian was right, you were— are an absolute fool.

Your name echoes across the cave, and you instantly recognize his voice. Dick comes running over, concern evident in his tone, "You had me worried. One second I'm there with Damian, and the next you've vanished." He approaches you with his jacket draped over his arm.

You look up from the ground, up to his troubled eyes. He says your name softly before approaching you, "Was it too much? That's fine. I'll tell Damian off later for that. He shouldn't have confronted us then, especially after the stunt he pulled against you earlier. He and I will talk about privacy." He chuckles, attempting to fill the silence. "We don't have to go back if you don't want to, we can just stay here," he says as he sits in the chair next to you, raising his hand to place it on your lap, "together—"

"Am I a joke to you?" Your voice is quieter than you expected. Nonetheless, the words echo around the cave.

Dick pauses, taking his hand back, "What..?" He hesitates, unsure whether or not to place his hand on you. "What… A joke?" He repeats the words, as if not understanding the concept.

You look up to him, "Yes, Dick, do you think this is funny?"

His lips part, his eyes clouded with that concern, and it makes you feel sick to your stomach. Do you hate it? Love it? "I… don't—" He sputters.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you know what I'm talking about." You sit up straighter, and he leans back away from you. He slowly stands up.

"I…" He says your name, "I really don't know."

"Oh, so you don't know that I used to like you? I find that hard to believe." Your chest shudders, and you look down, unwilling to meet his gaze.

Dick inhales sharply, and that's all the answer you needed. "You did know." You state. It's not a question, and he knows that.

His voice is pleading once again. He whispers your name, "I didn't know until recently."

"'Cause that makes it so much better. You find out that I liked you and decide that you can't live with me not being head over heels for you—"

Dick's head snaps up, "—Don't put words in my mouth." He cuts you off. "I have never once thought that or said anything like that."

"Really? So you didn't have an ulterior motive for taking me out for this tonight?" You glare at him, struggling to meet his eyes.

Dick inhales deeply, and you scoff, turning away. "God, this is why I didn't contact you."

Dick furrows his eyebrows, "What's that supposed to mean?"

You stand up, "Dick, I didn't just like you. I loved you. I cherished any moment we had together. I longed for you to say something, anything."

Dick looked at you as if you slapped him, "I didn't know."

You nod slowly, smiling humorlessly, "I know, and I don't fault you for that, but years after pining uselessly made me realize I have to move on." You stare at him, absently noting that his clothes are disheveled. The once perfectly ironed suit looks like it went through a tornado. "I spent years away, and I used that time to move on, or at least…" You trail off, shaking your head, looking at Dick.

Clearing your throat, you sit back down, "I couldn't contact you when I got back. I couldn't contact you because I'd be proving that I had made no progress. I didn't 'get over you.'" You do air quotes. "All I'd be proving was that getting over you was impossible. If years apart couldn't do it, what could?"

Dick's lip trembled, but his eyes were unreadable. "You avoided me for years to try and get over some— some crush?"

You huff, "I didn't 'avoid you for years—'"

"No," Dick cuts you off, "Don't sugarcoat it. You were avoiding me."

"I was trying to get over you."

"So you decided to— what— ditch me?"

You shake your head, "You weren't short of company." You almost regret your words at the shaky inhale from Dick. You open your mouth, then close it. "I… didn't mean it like that." You mutter softly.

Dick scoffs, running a hand through his hair, loosening the gelled strands. "How did you mean it then?"

You look to Dick, "I— Look, does it matter? We can just move on. Pretend this didn't happen."

Dick stills, "Pretend?" The word drops in his stomach.

"Dick, I knew you'd never like me." You smile painfully, your lips trembling, you look up at him from your chair, "I'm okay with it. I learned to make peace with it."

Dick looks down at you, fist clenched, his eyes darting over you in disbelief. "You're serious?" You nod. "You want to pretend that this conversation never happened? You want to pretend that I didn't wait by your apartment just to catch a glimpse of you? You want to pretend that I didn't make up some excuse to take you out here tonight? You want to pretend that the dance we shared meant nothing?"

You hold back any tearful emotions that threaten to arise. "Dick, it doesn't mean nothing." You take a deep breath, calming your breathing. "It's just… It's not like that. It's never been like that. Believe me, I wanted it to be."

"'Not like that?'" His eyes are wide, as if he can't believe your words. "I almost kissed you, and it's 'not like that'?" He doesn't bother to mask the hurt.

You shake your head, "I thought the same thing, the same thing, Dick. I thought that having a moment like that would be the start of something new, but it wasn't. I thought that maybe after the day I finally got introduced to your life, your real life, that things would change."

Dick remains silent for a moment, you think that maybe he'll let this conversation go, but he decides to ask one question: "What if they can change now?"

His words make you freeze, but your hands tremble. "Are you serious?" Your voice audibly wavers.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

You can't help the appalled scoff that escapes you, "You can't just decide to love me back, Dick. That isn't how it works. You can't just decide to love me after not loving me for years. Genuinely, did you hear the idea of me loving you and idealize what we could've been? Do you actually 'love me back' or are you only saying this because you're confused?

"No! It's not like that." Dick's voice is smaller.

You laugh, your eyes beginning to water against your will, but you refuse to let the tears fall. "Forgive me, but I don't believe you."

Dick stares down at you, seated in the chair next to the computer. He places the jacket onto the desk before turning back to you, "How can I prove it?"

You blink, looking up to face him, "What?"

"That I've loved you."

"Dick," you sigh, you're so tired, "don't—"

"Do you need me to tell you?" He walks closer to you. "Show you?" He persists.

"Dick…" You whisper shakily, turning away from Dick in your swivel chair. Dick grabs the armrest, preventing you from turning away. Your breath hitches, looking him up and down as he looms over you, his eyes desperate. At your assessment, he kneels at your feet, grabbing your hand and gently caressing it.

Horrified, you look down at him from your seated position, "What are you doing?" You ask, anger momentarily forgotten.

"Telling you." He nods resolutely, the words quiet, but strong. "Back then," he starts breathlessly, "Back then, I couldn't figure you out. You matched me in a way that no one had before, I remember—" he chuckles, the action rushed, "I remember thinking that something was different about our friendship. I wasn't sure what it was…" He relaxes once he realizes he has your attention. "I just remember attempting to find a way to get you to react. I wanted something from you, I just wasn't sure what."

You blink down at him, and he looks up at you. "It was stupid. I remember saying such stupid shit to get you to react. I didn't know what type of reaction I wanted. I just kept trying for something." He pauses. "I didn't realize it immediately at the time, but I remember now, the first time it had happened." He looks down at the ground, thoughtfully. "That day you met Bruce, before I went down the subway." Your breath hitched. "I remember you were right there in front of me. I could see how you tensed expectantly, your breath shuddering. I remember looking into your eyes, and for a moment, I couldn't think. I didn't even remember that there was a bomb down in that subway. All I could focus on was you."

Dick looks up from the ground, meeting your eyes. "I didn't know it at the time, but that was what I was looking for. The way you looked at me that day before I went down there."

You frown, closing your eyes and shaking your head. "Dick, you don't—"

"I didn't know at the time, I hadn't figured out what it was that I wanted. However, after that day, something had changed. I couldn't help but look at you differently. I noticed things I previously threw aside. I would catch myself observing you, and I didn't stop. I don't think I could've. It had just become something that I did, a habit."

He exhales deeply. "When you were gone for college, I felt like something was different."

You scoff, the action coming out softer than you intended, "You can just say you missed me."

Dick swallows, blinking up at you, "I missed you." He whispers without hesitation. You have to look away from his eyes to escape the honesty of his words.

"I missed you so much. I thought about you every day. It wasn't like how it was when we were in school together. No." He laughs quietly, "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought that I had just wanted you to return, but then it started to hurt. Absence makes the heart grow fonder or something…" He runs his free hand through his hair, his shoulders tense, "When I heard you had returned…" He trails off.

Sighing, you slowly grab his hand, prompting him to continue. "I… I almost wondered if I had hallucinated your voice. I couldn't— wouldn't believe you'd have returned and not tell me."

You wince at the jab, intentional or not. "I'm sorry…"

He offers you a small, melancholic smile, "I realized something when you returned. You had fallen out of love. You'd fallen out of love before I ever got the chance to tell you I had fallen in love." He huffs, shaking his head.

You mirror his action, "Dick…"

"Please," he slowly stands up, pulling you up from the chair. "I will prove it. Show you I'm not confused." You stare at him, looking at his eyes. You let him pull you closer as he brings his hand up to gently hold your chin. Your lips part in surprise. Holding your breath, you meet his eyes. "Please. Let me show you I mean this."

You are unsure how long the two of you stand there in each other's hold. Slowly, you place your hands over his shoulders, causing his tense shoulders to relax under your touch. Your eyes flicker down to his lips, but he doesn't ever divert his attention from your eyes.

"I waited for a long time." You whisper, the words barely audible.

"I know." His voice breaks slightly.

"I didn't think you'd ever reciprocate." You break eye contact with him, looking down at his chest.

He holds you tighter, "I know." He mutters softly. "I'm sorry."

You shift your downcast gaze to him, meeting his eyes. Slowly leaning forward, you close your eyes as you softly kiss his lips. You didn't draw it out, and Dick remained frozen even after you pulled back. You can't help the small smile on your face when you pull back, his pupils dilated. "I'm tired of waiting." You whisper to him.

Dick continues to stare into your eyes, dazed. You reach your hand up, hesitant to touch his face. At your hesitation, Dick grabs your hand, guiding it to his face. "I'm sorry you had to." He whispers back to you, leaning into your hand.

You hum, amused. The two of you stand there in silence for a moment, "Don't—"

"Oh my— in the cave, really?" Tim interrupts you both, causing you to flinch. Dick immediately turns to him, noting that Damian is standing next to him. "You could go literally anywhere in the manor, and you decide to do this here?"

"How long have you both been standing there?" You ask, subtly shifting away from Dick.

Tim raises an eyebrow, looking between you two. "Not too long."

Damian stares at the two of you, frowning, "I was under the impression that you and Todd had been in cohorts."

You raise your hands in surrender. Well, that moment was ruined. At Damian's words, Dick immediately whips around to you. "Don't listen to him, he misunderstood what I told him." You shake your head at Dick.

Damian narrows his eyes, "He 'bought her a croissant.'" He points at you as if it's your fault.

"Why did you say it like that?" Tim blinks wearily at Damian's odd inflection.

Damian scoffs, turning to Tim on his left, "Don't you understand the implications of such an act?"

Tim blinks down at him, "She was… hungry?"

Damian gives Tim an exasperated look before walking over to you and Dick. "Just because you're dating Richard does not mean I will forget the past." He narrows his eyes at you before turning around and walking off. Tim watches him storm off before sighing and following behind him.

You slowly turn to Dick, "He's exaggerating. Wild imagination."

Dick snorts, "I'm sure."

You grimace at the memory, "He thinks that something was going on between Jason and me."

Dick's smile falls slightly. "Was there?" He almost looks afraid of the answer.

You roll your eyes, "No. After everything we talked about, you still doubt me?" You grab his hand, pulling him towards the exit. You hear him exhale in relief, and you tilt your head. "Wait, that was an actual worry?"

Dick smiles awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with you.

"Oh my goodness, that's why you were being so weird at my apartment. You were jealous."

Dick rolls his eyes as you slowly pull him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

You toss him a smug, knowing glance. "Mhm," You hum, walking on his side. "Wait— where are my heels?" You turn around, momentarily forgetting you took them off in anger earlier.

Dick holds them up casually, you raise an eyebrow, "When'd you grab them?" You thank him before offering him your clutch to hold as you put the heels on.

"You were distracted." He shrugs, watching as you put them on.

You roll your eyes affectionately, "Distracted." You huff, "I'm never distracted." You take your clutch back before looking into Dick's eyes, watching you with just pure adoration. Wait a minute… You recognize that look.

"Dick,"

He tilts his head, "Yeah?"

"Were you distracted that night at the subway?" You slowly turn to him.

He huffs, amused, "I did say all I could focus on was you. Why?"

You feel your smile fall as you part your mouth in horror. "Are you saying I distracted you from the bomb, thus causing you to get caught in the explosion?"

Dick purses his lips before clicking his tongue, his eyes darting around the cave, guiltily. "…It's been a long day."

"Are you saying that I caused you to almost die?!" You furrow your eyebrows in horror.

"Let's go back out there, we've been down here long enough—"

"Dick—"

"Sweetheart?"

"No— No, you can't do that."

"Actually, I think I can, boyfriend rules." He shrugs, smirking unapologetically, planting a quick kiss on your cheek. He grabs your hand before you even get a chance to retort, guiding you up the staircase back to the Manor. You don't bother to fight the small smile growing on your face, Dick's blinding grin mirroring your own.

Perhaps you can get used to this.

> Jason’s ending

A/N: Heyyy, it's me. For those who stuck around to support the first part I love you so much. Every single comment fueled me to get this MONSTER of a fic done. I did NOT think I'd be posting an, essentially, 30k word fic on TUMBLR but here we are I guess. Okay, now to business. I was ASTOUNDED by the amount of people who loved Jason's scene in the previous chapter. I hope that I did him justice in this one. While this is the end of the story for the Reader and Dick, I will throw the idea of writing an alternate ending out there. Basically the entire first chapter would be the same, EXCEPT, the reader would get with Jason instead and everything in this chapter would be different cause it'd be reader and Jason's story, not reader and Dick's. The reader would ACTUALLY move on, rather than lie to herself for 18k words. So yeah, I'm gonna want some feedback for that because I do want to try and make it at least somewhat standalone (as in you don't need the context of chapter 1 but it still applies to the story). I know it will be LONG, so it will take me weeks to write. So let me know if you wanna see that! Thanks for all the support on the last chapter though! I love each like, comment, and reblog I receive. I will update this post/my blog if I decide to write that, but y'all would have to be patient with me. Thanks for all the support :D

Quick update: Yeah okay you all can get the Jason ending oh my 😭😭 Thanks for the support. I know some of you were wanting her to get with him DON’T WORRY I THOUGHT THE SAMEEE THING THATS WHY I PROPOSED THE IDEA. If you want to be on the taglist let me know. I will be taking this taglist and using it for that fic (when it comes out) so if you don’t wanna be tagged for that anymore just lmk I won’t be upset!

Taglist: @a-taken-url @mrs-cactus69 @destinyleka @raitsukii @letssee2468 @mrrayjay @k1w1th3s1r3n @annonymatic @moonologyy @freewastelandstrawberry @code-ghost-cc @sweetpeadc @erinschantaine @shereadsandcries @starsinthepavement @adhxmoony @pixieeee101 @d1lf-loverrr @spectae @wallyluvrxo @nittyg @intergalactic-padawan @givemefinganame @doveotion @lagoonia @missusmoony @fangirlingnerdork @manhwabtch @lust4daya @thedeathmoth07 @winx333-blog @gab15 @peachmartini @rinsluhvr @stargirl9911 @yura-4life @alittlelostalittlefound @spencerreidswifexd @yn-wayne @justanotherweeb666 @mochiclouds @backtonormalthings @meep-merp124 @noodleswastaken