ACEEE

He hums softly in agreement to your previous statement, continuing to get lost in the scene that is playing.

Both of you are ripped out of your cozy atmosphere by the ringing of your doorbell.

“I’ll get it.” you exclaim energetically, wiggling out from under his arm as you get up. Him and you both know that it must be the food you ordered almost an hour ago. Burgers. Jason’s choice, of course.

As you make your way to the door, you can feel Jason’s gaze following your steps. You know that he’s always as careful as he can be, especially when it comes to you. You never know what kind of people may be showing up at your doorstep, even if it’s just to deliver food.

“Jaylove? Do you have cash for a tip?” you question, turning to face where he’s now sitting facing the door, his shoulders squared broad and his legs spread. You know he would look menacing to whoever would stand at the door and see him behind you, glaring.

“My wallet‘s in my jacket pocket.” he answers, his voice soft in comparison to the way he holds his body.

You huff quietly, rolling your eyes at his antics while your turn to where his jacket is hung up next to the door, reaching into his pocket. Even if you think he’s being dramatic, you love him for it. That’s why you can’t help the smile creeping across your face as you turn back around, now with his wallet clutched in your hand.

Before you can make a teasing remark, the whole interaction is cut off with a knock at the door, and you quickly open it to find your delivery driver holding out the bag of food to you.

You exchange a quick greeting as you take the bag and press a five dollar bill in his hand, and he thank you quietly before he’s already on his way again.

With the bag of food in one hand, and Jason’s wallet in the other, you gently nudge the door closed with your hip, turning to make your way into the kitchen, when a small piece of paper catches your eyes.

Maneuvering his wallet into the same hand holding the bag, you quickly bend down and pick it up.

Now that you can see it up close, you recognize that it’s a receipt. Specificity, the receipt of the first time the two of you went out together.

You still remember how nervous you were, finally crossing the line from friends to something more.

You still remember how nervous Jason was, trying not to let it show but failing miserably as he stumbled over his words and almost knocked over his drink.

You still remember insisting that you could split the bill, but he insisted on paying for you the both of you.

And you still remember how the two of you doodled together on the back of the receipt while waiting for the waiter to come back.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jason is now getting plates out of the both of you. When he notices you not moving, he looks up, softly calling out to you. “Baby? You coming?”

You’re snapped out of your memories by his voice, and you look up to find him watching you already. Then his eyes drift down to what you’re holding.

He raises a brow. “What‘d you got there?”

Eyes crinkling, a cheesy smile lights up your face as your mouth forms a subtle pout.

Moving towards him, you set the bag and his wallet down on the counter across from him.

“You kept the receipt from our first date?” you question softly, even though you know the answer already. In a split second, you see his face going from confusion, to embarrassment, finally ending up in a sheepish expression.

“That’s so fucking cute, Jason.” you tell him straight up, already knowing he’s searching for the right way to explain himself. But you don’t need him to.

His eyes widen slightly in surprise. “It is? I thought you’d think it would be… weird.” He confesses.

“What?” you exclaim. “No way! Why would that be weird?”

He just shrugs, shyly avoiding your gaze. You round the counter, now taking his face inbetween the palms of your hands, tilting his head so he’s forced to meet your eyes.

Your smile brightens when you notice the flush on his cheeks. God, he looks so cute you just want to squeeze him.

“That’s really sweet of you, baby. I mean it.“ you express.

Jason mirrors your smile, if somewhat smaller. “I‘m glad.” he admits. “I’ve kept it in my wallet since that night. Right next to the picture of you.”

He swallows before he continues. “Sometimes I take it out and just look at it, and I’m reminded of our first date. That was arguably the best day of my life back then, and it always reminds me what I’m coming home to.” he shrugs sheepishly, like he didn’t just made your eyes well up only with words.

You could melt right there and then at his confession. Instead, you move your hands away from his face and place them around his waist, pressing yourself against him in a hug. You squeeze your eyes shut as you nuzzle your face into his chest.

Jason is a little taken aback, but when he realized what you’re doing, he sees no other option but to wrap his arms around you, too.

The two of you stay like this for a while, before Jason hears a small sniff coming from you. He pulls his head back, trying to catch a glimpse of your face. “Are you crying?”

The only response he gets is silence, that’s then interrupted by another small sniff and a quiet “No.” from you.

He chuckles, shaking his head as he presses a long kiss on top of your head. “Come on, let’s eat.”

You pull back, quickly wiping under your eyes. Then you place on hand in the side of his face as you lean up, placing a quick peck on the opposite cheek. “I love you, Jason.” you smile, before turning to finally unbox the food from the bag.

He's wearing a suit with his button up the exact same color as your gown. His hair is combed through neatly, cuffs a tad bit too long. And there's a slight peek of black under his collar. 

Once he starts getting closer, before he fixes his tie and pushes his hair back flawlessly, you manage to spot the black latex under his dress shirt. Besides the fact that he's definitely wearing his Nightwing suit under that, you're still taking in how breath-taking he looks.

Which is.. new? You would say weird but knowing he's your boyfriend, you can't help but want to burst the buttons off and pull him towards you as he strides over, clearly just as excited as you are to see each other.

“I was hoping you’d text me when you arrived.” He walks beside you as his hand hovers over your back, guiding you. You can't help the smile you try to bite back at the way he avoids touching you, knowing he was cuddled up with you last night on your couch. 

“I usually like to drop in unannounced.” You tease as he huffs a laugh. 

“I'm sure you do.” He drags out his laugh, “I know that better than anybody.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You pinch your brows slightly with a slight shake of your head. 

“You’re full of surprises.” His reply holds a double meaning, you’re not sure what but you can tell by his tone. You eye him as he guides you through the crowd, some people calling his name and greeting him as he gives them a quick nod of acknowledgement. 

You two arrive at a small table. ‘Reserved’ written on a golden slate. You put your purse down, ensuring it stays closed, afraid your suit would peek out. 

“Seems like you never catch a break, even as a Wayne.” You remark as you cross your legs. You notice the way Dick looks over you, dragging his gaze over your gown before landing on  your face. Eyes widening slightly, realizing you just said something. 

He blinks, gaping for a moment, “Yeah,” He tries to collect himself, “Bruce is usually the one running these but he decided to throw the weight on me this time.” He gestures to the ballroom. He stays standing, shoving his hands in his pockets and fidgeting with something in his pocket. 

Dick has many duties tonight, keeping watch, Alfred in his ear about the guests, said guests also on his ass, and wanting to keep you entertained. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t expecting to be completely captivated by you and putting all his focus into trying to stay focused.

Sure, he planned for you to steal the spotlight today, especially in that gown, but he just didn’t think it through. Because now his thoughts are clouded by your appearance. From the style of your hair, the grace of your posture and overall just you. 

It was one thing to see you in your work attire, another to see you in fuzzy pajama pants and a graphic tee (which he could never take in properly because of that frustrating mask), but this was new territory and he wasn’t prepared at all. 

He has you as a friend, a partner, and a lover? 

“Dick?” Shit, he was staring again. 

“You seem lost in thought. Want me to get us drinks? Those guests are practically about to eat me alive for grabbing your attention.” You side glance the crowd with a slight cringe. “And I could use a glass of champagne before… that.” 

He didn’t even notice. He sighs in disapproval and the stares quickly die down after. “Let’s get some together.” He holds out his elbow to you in offering. 

You, who’s secretly loving this, gently rest your hand under his arm as you stand. “Not sure how my boyfriend is gonna react to this.” Tension rises between after that comment. Dick throws you a quick glance but looks away within the same moment. 

“Is he uncomfortable with you here?” He asks. If you hadn’t figured out his identity earlier today, you would’ve fallen for that. It was so innocent and carefree, you would’ve never questioned Dick for asking. That alone had you fighting back a smile. He was good at this. 

“No. He actually encouraged me to come. He’s not worried about it. I’m just wondering if I'll end up on the front page tomorrow for this.” You gesture to your linked arms with a shrug. Dick hums in understanding, like he didn’t take that into consideration. But he did. He most definitely did.

You two walked through the crowd that parted as if we sliced through them with every step. Their eyes lingering no matter how far we were. Might as well pull out the cameras. Dick seems unbothered. Well, this surely isn’t new to him. If anything.. He’s.. enjoying it?

“Dick, I could be mistaken, do correct me if I'm wrong,” a waiter passes by, glasses of sparkling champagne in hand. Two, to be exact. Dick thanks the waiter, who holds his gaze for longer than a normal waiter should, and hands you your glass. 

“What’s up?” His demeanor remains casual. A light sip of his drink followed by an exhale of satisfaction before turning his attention to you. You can see the calculated look in his eyes. Preparing for any question you could ask within the next moment.

“With the whole gala and all, something tells me you planned all of this.” Your eyelids fall lightly as you give him a suspicious glare. A smile is still creeping on your lips. 

He doesn’t miss a beat before answering. “Bruce actually spared me some of that actually. Alfred goes over most of the management with Bruce beforehand and I only was asked to do this last second due to an emergency..” Dick continues on.

You wanted to laugh at how flawlessly he dodged your question. He was Bruce Wayne’s son. What did you expect? 

“Dick, you know what I'm talking about.” Managing to cut him off, he pauses for a second, his expression masking in false confusion, but also mockingly.(?)

“Whatever could you mean?” His eyes flash with mischief for a moment, before he holds out his hand to you abruptly. “The next song is one of my favorites.. Would you?” His eyes point to his hand, encouraging you to take it. 

The music shifts and it picks up into a new song. The singer swaps with another. He takes the stage and two more follow him; backup singers. They begin to harmonize, carrying a melody throughout the ballroom. 

You almost reject him at that moment. But you're quickly reminded of who stands before you. And you take his hand without a second thought. He places your glasses down swiftly before leading you to the dance floor. 

It’s almost impossible to contain the giggles that slip past your lips as he eagerly pulls you with him. 

Once you’ve broken free from the crowd, you two now stand in the center of attention. There are others who are dancing, but all eyes are clearly on you two. An itch crawls up your spine as it ripples through your nerves. Your hands are getting warmer by the second and you can’t stop looking around. Your eyes landing on the band on stage to distract yourself. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea-

“Hey,” Dick calls softly and you manage to snap out of your thoughts for a moment, “Don’t worry about everyone else. They’ll stare whether we dance or not.” Easy for him to say. The spotlight has been on him for years.

“Dick, it is not as easy as it sounds.” You chuckle softly, head dropping in embarrassment. “I am so ending up on the front page after this.” You groan under your breath.

Dick wraps his free arm against your waist, pulling you in as the other lifts your hand that currently occupied his. You follow him, on full auto pilot, as he guides you into a gentle sway. He leans forward- his lips at eye level- whispering.

“Is that really so dreadful to you?”

You nearly stepped on him because of the way your knees partially gave out. You almost knock into his face when you look at him.

(I highly highly recommend listening to “The wonder of you” by Elvis Presly during this scene. Like.. right now.)

His gaze fixates on yours, the distance between you much shorter than you were ready for. Nightwing has been this close. Even closer actually. But this was Dick Grayson. A man of intoxicating charisma that could infect you in an instant. Staring back at that endless gaze he has you trapped in. There was hope in escaping, but you lost it all when his cheeks curved as his lips curled up into a grin. 

You’re unable to formulate words so all you can do is let out a chuckle. What was he doing? Trying to flirt with you as Dick? Does he think you’d fall for this?

He doesn’t push for an answer, instead, he admires you as you sway and dance to the melody.

And you're always there to lend a hand In everything I do That's the wonder The wonder of you

As the singer pours his heart out into the song, Dick takes his chance, now having your attention on him, he mouths the words. Lip syncing to the song.

He watches as your jaw slacks. He smiles harder when you raise your brows. With a tighter grip on your waist, you two glide across the dance floor as the strings and drums guide you. An enchanting nature flowing into the atmosphere. 

And when you smile the world is brighter

The way you looked at him only fed into his fantasy and this was no longer a ballroom full of people. 

You two were dancing to an entrancing rhythm, high in the clouds, and the world in your eyes. 

You notice the way he loses focus, you couldn’t tell if it was because he was thinking about kissing you or trying to remember the words to the song. It was definitely both. 

You touch my hand and I'm a king Your kiss to me is worth a fortune Your love for me is everything

As the second verse of the song passes, you study his features silently. His thoughts are off in another dimension as you two continue to dance. His gaze deep on your lips. You almost want to see how long it’d take for him to snap out of it. 

I guess I'll never know the reason why You love me as you do That's the wonder The wonder of you

The words seem to dance around you two. You can’t help but take in the way he’s melting into the picture and forgetting his surroundings. When was the last time someone had looked at you in that way? Like you were a dream.

It fed into the hypnotizing moment. So, you fall with him. As the stings of guitar hum through the air, you try to fight a smile. But it’s impossible. The flutter in your chest was overpowering any logical thought. You can fix whatever happens after. He may not be Nightwing right now, but he was still the same man you cared for. And so clearly loved. 

So, you follow his lead, even as he moves subconsciously. He notices when you begin leading him into the song. Snapping out of whatever world he was in, his hand now holding yours tighter. He drags his focus back to your eyes. 

I guess I'll never know the reason why You love me as you do That's the wonder The wonder of you

Without saying a word or lip syncing, the singer exposes both of your confessions and your eyes confirm them. 

He leads you into a spin, lightly raising your hand as you twirl softly, your eyes locked with his and never leaving them for a moment. 

Dick didn’t even realize the song was coming to an end until you managed to pull him out of his delusions. He was debating multiple things in that short minute. You made it so hard to decide. But he knew one thing after this. He was going to tell you the truth. 

And as the music slowed, you came to a halt. You had to tell him. This was it. This was all you needed to confirm before you came forth with the truth.

“Dick..” You start and he also goes to say something before the sounds of glass shattering and gun shots fired.

Your heads snap to the ceiling, alert and ready but Dick beats you to it as he shields you from a smoke screen grenade. Swarms of people rush to the doors, the once calm and romantic atmosphere now shattered. 

He pushes you behind a column before looking over his shoulder. “Get somewhere safe. Or just find Alfred. He’s your safest choice.” He advises as the fume fills the area rapidly.

You think, should you tell him to just let you go? If you reveal yourself now it’ll make it easier for the both of you. But he needed to focus, your suit was across the room. If you can get to it, you can help him from the inside.

“Okay, be careful!” But he’s already gone. 

Dick quickly discards his suit and maneuvers his way to the painting on the far left side of the room, where he hid his escrima sticks behind. He didn’t want to leave you alone, but he trusts you enough to take care of yourself. He puts on his mask, now rid of his tux and in his vigilante suit. 

You slowly make your way through the crowds of screams and cries of distress. The thugs who broke in had their weapons raised, ready to attack anyone and anything. Gun shots are being fired but it’s to gain attention. 

You notice the way they avoid shooting anyone. Guns aimed at the people but the only bullets released are the ones positioned to the ceiling. Must be a robbery. They’ll want control of the room before being rash. Hostages and leverage. 

All exits are locked and it seems Alfred must’ve left the room before anything happened. He must be dealing with the intruders outside of the ballroom. 

You break down your surroundings and by the time you’ve figured out the situation, you get to your table and snatch your purse off it.

But you feel a tug. Looking up in confusion, a shadowed figure blurs into existence through the fog. One of these thieves went for your purse. 

“Now hand it over little mis-” Your heel collides with his face before he finishes. Because fuck no?

And he wasn't the last of them. As you make your way to the bathroom, you're taking down one after the other. Once you make it, the door is jammed shut. Fuck. 

By the screams you heard when you shook the door knob, some women were definitely hiding in there. Fine. Then you'll do this no suit style. 

You look down at your gown, it would definitely get in the way. And there's no way you wanna ruin it. Think. 

As the smoke starts to clear, you catch the gun by your feet. Hm..

Dick has cleared a good large portion of thugs now. He can hear the sirens and cops charge into the manor and that was his queue to leave. 

He grabs his grappling gun and aims at the ceiling, he hears a series of grunts and short shouts that get cut off in pain. Then shots ring and he avoids leaving all together. 

Peaking over his shoulder, he catches a glimpse of you knocking down the last few men. A smile spreads across his face. 

A gun in hand but your aim well enough to avoid any major casualties. And once you're done, he watches as you hike up your gown to maneuver your way through the mass of unconscious masked men and weapons, over to him. Wait- why are you coming towards him?

“Hey sweets-?”

“Go go go-”

“Where-?” 

“Ah ah ah,” You raise a finger to his lips, “Go.” 

You’re wrapping your arms over his shoulders, latching onto him. Without wasting a second, Nightwing follows through, aiming his hook up as you two leave the scene. 

Once you two land on a rooftop, a few blocks away from the gala. When Dick puts you down, you dust off your gown frustrated. “I did not want to go through questioning. The last thing I need is to read over my own words tomorrow during work.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Dick hum in realization.

“What did you think we were leaving for?” You place your hands on your hips and he shrugs. 

“I thought you got bored and wanted to go home.”

“But you didn’t take me home.”

“Never said I was going to.” He smirks and you're already rolling your eyes. 

“Well, either way, thank you.” Dropping your arms and tugging your purse over your shoulder, you walk over to the ledge and sigh. “But I'm freezing now.” You add with a mumble before wrapping your arms around yourself.

“For starters, let's take a step back.” He pulls you back by your waist.

“I’ll be fine-”

“Not up for debate, we already went over this.” And his hands move to fold his arms around you, resting your back against his chest. Somehow the suit he’s wearing manages to warm you up instantly. So, you melt into his embrace. 

“You would let me if I had a grappling hook like you.” Your words echo through the breeze. His arms cling to you tighter after your comment. 

You don’t know why you said it but you were already planning on hinting at this earlier. Had that break in not happened, he’d know your true identity right now. The idea of that made you squeeze yourself tighter.

Nightwing smiles and places a soft kiss into your hair. “I don’t let you because I’d rather have you safe. I’m sure if you had one you’d be able to take care of yourself just fine.”

You lean your head back, a soft chuckle escaping. If only he knew, you thought. 

“Is your partner not here with you tonight? Or is she avoiding you because I'm here?” You tease and he shakes his head.

“She’s a bit busy tonight. I’m patrolling alone for now.” He looks off into the distance as he recalls it. 

“Bummer.” You reply, sarcasm lacing your tone. “Give me a grappling hook and a domino mask. I’ll fill in for the night.” And he bursts into a fit of laughter. You join him but add, “I can fight!”

“Never doubted it!” He tries to place a peck on your cheek but he’s smiling through it. “Just.. funny you say that.” 

He places his cheek against your shoulder softly as he rubs his hands against your chilled arms. You stare at the white films of his mask, you know what eyes lay behind them now, had been staring into them moments ago with no barrier, no limits. With a tilt of your head, you shift your body to face him and bring your thumbs to graze over his dimples.

“A fan of the dimples, I see.” He nuzzles into your hands as he tugs you closer. Instead of rolling your eyes, you bore your gaze onto his mask. 

His smile doesn’t falter, like your intense stare only fueled it. When it was you and him as vigilantes, he always wondered what piercing eyes were gazing at him. Now that they were so close to him every night, it cured more than his curiosity. 

Dick felt the way your warm touch hesitated after his comment and once you looked at him, he could see the speculation that occupied your mind. He waited instead of saying something. He knew you were altercating between something. He knew that plotting face, just this time it was not partially covered by a mask. 

Somehow, it was cuter than he imagined.

And when your thumb stops running across his cheeks, he hopes you’d say something, but you continue to stare. His confidence almost slips for a second. What had you so lost in thought?

Did you feel bad about missing patrol? Were you hurt? Or just shivering from the cold?

He removes his hand off your waist to lay it against yours, before turning his head to place a kiss upon your palm. 

And that seemed to help, because he sees your lovely smile return. The wind rushes past you, blowing your styled hair over your features, but he’s already pushing those stray strands behind your ear before some damn wind gets in the way of his chance to admire you. 

You’re going to get sick in this weather. Maybe he should’ve grabbed his coat before leaving. He should take you home now, but he can tell by the look on your face that you were trying to get something off your chest.

A minute has probably passed by now. 

As Dick watches you in anticipation, patiently waiting for you to say what was on your mind, you were too busy in awe. Every gesture, kiss, and word has led you to fall for him. Even now as he showers you in affection…

A mischievous expression creeps onto your face.

“I’m more of a fan of the blue eyes.” You speak so softly he almost misses the meaning behind those words. 

His hand seems to still near your hair, he barely pauses. 

Could you see through his mask? Maybe you figured it out by being you and using that extravagant detective intellect and put the pieces together over time. 

And your eyes dart around his features. “But I'm sure you could tell after today. Right, Dick?”  The amused look on your face then falters after the words slip out of you.

And it’s dead silent.

Nightwing’s grin returns, bit by bit. You weren’t expecting your heart to race.. Or your nerves going haywire. Goosebumps crawl onto your skin and not from the crisp air. When an uneasy feeling starts to settle, it’s as though Nightwing had the advantage, even though you revealed his identity. 

With an eyebrow raised, Dick is biting back a grin. He guides your hand towards his mask, unsure if you're shivering or shaking. But either way, he needs to take you home after this.

Your fingers make their way to the edge of his mask, pausing. Wordlessly waiting for permission. 

And he doesn’t falter, angling his head down as you pull it off. It detaches, and as you gradually move it away, Dick raises his head slightly. Looking at you through his lashes, like he doesn't know how to act. He smiles sheepishly, unsure of what to say, but he’s clearly amused.

You can barely breathe. You inhale sharply, but somehow forgot to exhale. Why? What was making you so anxious? 

“How’d you figure it out?” The shy facade was replaced with his cocky self, finding entertainment in your gradually building panic. 

Your attention switches between his face and the mask in your hands. He was being so cheeky and you weren’t going to let him have the upper hand here. 

“You’re terrible at hiding it.” You wanted to mentally smack yourself for fumbling that line. It was a slur of words with how you mumbled it. You glue your eyes to the mask, somehow unable to look back up. 

Dick nearly scoffs but he lights up to an idea instead. When his hands overlap yours, he pushes up the mask to your face. You look up startled before catching the way he beams at you, dimples flashing and a squint of his eyes. He guides the mask over your features and he almost chuckles. 

He tilts his head, “You aren’t the best at it either.”

And you're dumbfounded… the crushing weight of how shockingly ironic this was left you blank. Then in seconds your features scrunch in response.

“You knew!” You nearly shout, dropping the mask before staggering back. Dick is cracking up, snickering at your baffled reaction. You can’t fight the slight tug of your lips as a smile breaks through. How dare he use that infectious laugh on you right now. 

“Dick! How long have you known!?” 

He folds over, grabbing his mask and trying to break through his own laughter to answer. 

“How about we get you home and talk it out?” As he puts his mask back on, he reaches out for you and rubs his hands against your chilling figure. “You’re freezing.”

You put a finger up, “I’m actually shaking from deception.” and shove it against his chest. 

“And I’ll formally apologize for the treason we both committed after we get you back to your warm and comforting abode.” With that he leans down and places a soft peck on your lips.

You glare at him, in hopes of seeming intimidating but you fail tremendously, and you're wrapping your arms around him as he reaches for his grappling hook. 

“Barbara isn’t listening to all of this, is she?”

“As if I’d give her that opportunity… again.”

When you two arrive, you rush in and grab the thick throw blanket that lays atop the couch and snuggle into it. Shudders of chills coursing through you and Dick walks in after, hands on his hips and his usual smirk. You curl up into your couch as Tikki calls for attention, but you were too busy fighting the icy shivers. 

Dick closes the door and walks to the kitchen, calling Tikki over to hand her food and to arrange hot chocolate. 

“Milk or Dark chocolate?”

“Don’t play dumb, Dick Grayson, I’m sure you know exactly what I like by now.” You say through quivering teeth. 

“Milk it is.”

There’s a restful silence that carries throughout the apartment. You lay still on the couch, still basking in its warmth as Dick walks over with the drinks. He doesn’t say a word yet. Only taking a seat beside you and removing his mask. 

That doesn’t seem to cover much now that you see it before you. How could you have missed this?

“I found out earlier this week. When we got coffee together. When you told me about– well, me.” He starts. You turn to the side, dragging your weight to face him, still wrapped up in the blanket as he continues. “I thought it would be fun to hear about what you were gonna describe me as, and then you practically told me everything I needed to know.”

“That’s lame, I had to figure it out. You got lucky.” You state matter-of-factly. 

“It was the ‘xo’ on the letter wasn’t it?”

“Dick, you're making it really hard to not be petty right now.” 

“I was planning on telling you tonight anyway!” He defends and you scoff. 

“While running a gala and being on duty?” 

“Well it wasn’t supposed to be hard but you are very distracting!”

Your eyes go wide and his copy, “So, it’s my fault?”

He staggers to answer, “No! If anything, it’s Bruce’s fault!”

“Ha! Are you blaming Batman right now!?” You’re shifting yourself up to sit properly and he’s starting to crack a smile again.

“No, I’m blaming Bruce. Very large– huge difference.” And that sends you into a fit of giggles. 

The nerves that were unwelcome earlier have now disappeared. The comforting and intimate dynamic returns with the sound of laughter.

Dick scoots closer, throwing his arm around your shoulders to pull you beside him. As you two go over the moments of subtle flirts, hidden meanings, and hints you dropped through the night. Tikki’s sleeping form rested on your legs as he pet her through her slumber. You two ended the night in soft conversations and light hearted jokes and thanks to Dick’s luck, Bruce had returned to the manor after he left. Leaving him to rest with you for the remainder of the night. 

By the time you joined Tikki in dozing off, Dick took that as his cue to get back home before Barbara loses it. (She already has.)

And when morning arrives, you wake to a note and a pillow where your boyfriend should be. 

As you get up to rinse off and clean up after last night, you call Dick. 

“Why, good morning, bugaboo.” He coos over the phone

“Oh, it's already started.” You mock in fake regret.

“Fortunately for you, it started the day you met me.” 

“Time-travel is not impossible, Grayson.”

“Then let’s be glad you aren’t capable of such.”

“You underestimate me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

When you walk into the station, you catch sight of Dick, standing at his desk in conversation with a cup in hand. You decide to walk up to him, noticing he’s talking to someone you haven’t seen before. 

“Officer Grayson.” You call him and his head snaps towards you with an already plastered smile. 

“Well, isn’t it my favorite detective? I was just talking about you.” He indicates to the person in front of him and you greet her with a nod, holding your hand out before stating your name. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” The woman takes your hand, reciprocating a small smile.

“I was just telling her about how you never know what to expect out of you. Always full of surprises.” He gives you a knowing look before taking a sip of his drink. Then pausing to grab the other one on his desk and handing it to you. 

You take it without question. Giving him a quick smile as a thank you before replying, “I’m sure you would know.” 

He chuckles at that, playing it off as some remark and continuing to conversate with the woman. 

“Well, I should get back to my desk, is it alright if I can take your number down? Incase i have any more questions.” 

You catch the way she pulls out her personal cell instead of the work phone that was strapped right beside it. Dick agrees in understanding and puts his work number in before handing it back and wishing her luck. 

She thanks him with a slight tilt of her head and a grin that’s much to tense to be normal and pats his arm as if he’s been buddies with her for months. And when her hand lingers before turning away and heading back to her desk, you squint at the subtle attempt. 

You glance back at Dick, analyzing the way he continues to drink his coffee unbothered.

“Who’s she?” You ask once she’s out of reach and Dick shrugs. 

“Some newbie. They put her under Lianne but she said she had some questions.” He turns his entire focus and body to you before eyeing you up and down. Once his gaze lands on your face, a smug smirk grows. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m a detective, Dick. It’s my job to ask.”

He places his drink down and crosses his arms, raising his brows at you. You pinch your brows and shrug slightly, unsure what he’s getting at.

“Were you jealous just now?” He eyes you through half closed lids and you pout in astonishment. 

“I was not jealous.” And when you denied it too quickly, you could practically see the way Dick was ready to tease you. 

“You are.”

“No, Dick. I’m not.”

“You so are.”

“Dick-” You cut yourself off, not entertaining his taunting for another second. “I’m gonna go clock in.”

“I only got eyes for you, m’lady.” And you sigh as you walk away. Not turning back or he’d catch the small smile on your lips.

When Barbara found you in the afternoon, let's just say, she gave you both an earful...

After the mission that night, Dick said he had a friend to see before calling it a night. Curious little you decided to join instead of heading home and laying on the couch waiting for him.

You two arrived at a bridge, waiting on the Flash, who Dick informed you was Wally West. Apparently, he asked Dick to wait for him here since he’d bring over something to hand over to Batman. Which unfortunately for Wally, he pissed off Bruce and now he’s avoiding him out of fear. 

And in a blink of an eye, and a flash of light, there stands the speedster. 

“Dick! Didn’t know we were bringing friends! I would’ve worn the new suit instead of this one.” Wally said the second part under his breath before waving at you.

He holds his hand out to shake and you take it softly. “It’s nice to meet you, Wally.”

He blinks in surprise and looks back at Dick in confusion. “Nice to meet you too..?” He drags on as you state your name and he nods in acknowledgement. 

“Beautiful name for a marvelous woman.” He adds. 

You smile, but tensely for a moment because you weren’t expecting him to flirt so openly next to Dick. Who you glance at momentarily and notice the way he stares at Wally. 

“Dickie here somehow always manages to bring the loveliest ladies around when I least expect it.” Wally continues as if he was disappointed in the man before him.

You smirk at the way Dick seems to be.. Annoyed? At his friend and you can’t help but take the opportunity to tease him back. 

“I heard a lot of things about you on the way here, no need to worry.” 

“Good things, I hope?” Wally replies, feeding into the taunt.

“Would you say there’s anything bad?” You ask and Wally’s grin grows.

“Well, I wo-”

“Wally.” Dick cuts him off, his stare directed towards him, even through that mask and Wally startles in remembrance realizing he forgot the briefcase in his hands. 

You snicker at the way Dick sighed and forced Wally to finish up and go home. Which he does, but not without giving you a quick wink and vanishing after. 

You turn back to Dick who looks at the briefcase in his hands then back at you. “You did that to mess with me.” 

“I did that to mess with you.” A few chuckles escape you and Dick rubs his temple, dragging out a long sigh. 

“Wally? Really?” He asks, almost disappointed and you shrug. 

“Hey,” You bump your shoulder into his and he looks up at you before you smirk. “I only have eyes for you and you know that.” 

That cracks his smile through and he’s throwing his arm around you to squeeze your laughing figure into him. The yellow light illuminating from the streetlight above contours your features as he looks down at you. He couldn’t hate a mask more than now, wishing to see those captivating irises.

“You better. The last thing I needed to see was my best friend attempting to flirt with the woman I love.” 

And the way your features melt fondly from his words, has him refraining from stealing another kiss but he fails once you wrap your arms around him, leaning forward and conveying your excitement into words, “She loves you too.” 

And his lips find yours in a surge of emotion filled with intensity. It was truly miraculous.

A/n: yeah, i threw in that corny ending for the shits and giggles lmao, i hope you enjoyed and pls ignore how lazy i got in the end i am so sleep deprived right now, love you guys <3

TAGLIST IS CLOSED !!!

With that Remy was satisfied, laying back once more and turning on his side to face you. He wrapped his arms around you, his nose tucked against your hair as he pulled you close, hoping he could still your movement and sleepy peacefully the rest of the night.

That hope was short lived.

Remy was nearly lost in slumber once more, muscles melting into relaxation, before your knee slammed, sudden and roughly, into his gut. It was hard enough to pull a strangled groan from his throat, torso shifting to roll himself over, hand clutching his stomach.

"Merde, chér- gah!" his complaint was cut short by a sharp gasp of pain, your elbow colliding hard with the back of his head, a soft huff of annoyance escaping your lips, as if he was the bother. "You tryn' to kill Gambit?" he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anything.

With a huff of defeat, he slowly removed himself from your tangled limbs - an arm and leg of yours now wrapped around him as if you weren't the epitome of violence moments before. Leaving the bed pained him, but Remy wasn't one to intentionally endure beatings, at least not in this context, regardless of how much he adored you. So, he gathered up his pillow and padded out of the bedroom with a final glance over his shoulder at your still sleep lulled state.

He found refuge on the couch in the living room of your cozy apartment, settling into the cushions that wouldn't attack him, and soon drifting into the realm of dreams himself.

Remy was awoken in the morning by the soft clinking of mugs in the kitchen, a sign you were awake and seeking coffee. He rubbed his eyes, blinking away the lingering drowsiness as he sat up. Stretching, he felt the back of his head and winced a little, a bruise surely forming. He quickly, however, schooled his expression as you shuffled into the living room, a steaming mug in each hand.

You looked heavenly, he couldn't deny. Hair mussed, features still laced with sleep's softness, glowing with a lovely night's rest as if you hadn't bruised him all night long.

"Mornin' chérie," he murmured, voice still holding a bit of rasp. He held a hand out for you to place the corresponding mug in, to which you did, lips turned in the smallest little pout.

"Morning, Rem," you mumbled, watching as he took a sip, "why're you out here?"

The twinge of sadness in your voice tugged at Remy's heart; he knew you didn't mean to injure him in your sleep, and he didn't want you thinking he'd abandoned you for selfish reasons.

"Ain't nothin' in your control bébé, you dangerous in your sleep, that's all." he responded, accent drawled groggily as he reassured you.

A nearly bashful smile played at your lips, brows knit in concern. "Was I kicking again?"

"Chér, is there ever a time when you not?"

You let out a small huff of laughter, head dropping in subtle embarrassment, "I'm sorry, really, I wish I could help it," you apologized, the tiniest flicker of guilt coloring your expression. "I want to sleep with you, like, normally," you added at the suggestive raise of Remy's brow, "I don't wanna hurt you."

To your surprise, he simply shrugged, all annoyance set aside for the sake that consciously, he did love you to no end. "C'est bon, mon amour, a lil pain never scared Remy away," he winked, coaxing a soft blush from you. "besides, I'd take a beating any day if it was from you ma belle."

To that, you rolled your eyes, Remy taking your hand and gently tugging you down next to him. He kissed you then, lips tasting like coffee and drowsy adoration as he set his mug aside to be able to cup your face. He pulled away, kissing the tip of your nose, ruby eyes gleaming at the star-struck sparkle in yours.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend really quick.” You blurted out as you rushed over to where Gambit was casually leaning against the wall, grabbing onto his arm in order to none too gently pull him away from the wall so you could wrap an arm around his waist, the man’s hand settling on your hip in order to catch his balance right as the door to the rec room swung open.

You barely resisted the urge to sneer when fucking Aiden –otherwise known as the thorn in your ass– strolled through, looking as annoyingly cocky as ever. He gave a bit of pause when he saw you standing intimately close to Gambit, who he knew you had a crush on –considering the two of you used to be friends before he decided that he wanted something romantic and wouldn’t take no for an answer– but he recovered infuriatingly quickly.

“Hey there, gorgeous. I've been looking for you.” Aiden said with a smarmy smile and your stomach churned in equal parts anger and discomfort at being pinned under that look. Your hand on Gambit’s waist tightened as you silently seethed, biting back all the awful things you wanted to say, only for your mind to go blank when you felt Gambit’s thumb begin rubbing soothing circles on your hip.

You took a shaky breath –careful not to look too surprised by the contact with Aiden watching you so closely– and stubbornly repressed all the warm, fuzzy feeling you were getting from being on the receiving end of Gambit’s touch to freak out over later in favor of focusing your attention back onto dealing with Aiden.

“I already told you, I'm not interested in dating you, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped bothering me.” You snapped while baring your teeth in a threatening manner, trying to mimic the same feral energy that you’d seen Logan use to scare the shit out of enemies and misbehaving students alike in the hopes that it would get Aiden to back off.

But, like every other time you attempted to reject him, it didn't work. You could tell he wasn’t taking you seriously just based on the condescending way he laughed and shook his head, as if you were acting like a tantruming toddler.

Though, before you could begin to waste your breath trying to get the message through his thick skull, Gambit finally joined the conversation with an annoyed click of his tongue, the sound drawing both sets of eyes in the room to him.

“So sorry to disappoint, homme, but dis one's taken.” Gambit said with a faux friendly tone while giving Aiden a dangerous smile, falling into the role of loving boyfriend with an ease that made you equal parts light-headed –in a good way– and crestfallen, since it wasn’t real. “Though Gambit might be willin' to demonstrate exactly why if you keep botherin' my beau here.” Gambit pulled a card from his sleeve and held it between two fingers, Aiden's confidence visually wavering as he watched Gambit charge the card in a wordless warning to tread carefully.

“You're dating Gambit? Since when?” Aiden turned his gaze away from Gambit after the man neutralized the kinetic energy that made the card glow a bright pink to instead talk to you, his body tense like he was forcing himself to look away from a predator.

“That's none of your business.” You hissed with far too much venom than was strictly necessary, but you couldn’t help it when the audible disbelief in Aiden’s voice had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach going sour, as if Aiden found the very idea of Gambit wanting you inconceivable.

Aiden blinked at you for a moment –like he had been caught off guard by your defensiveness– before his eyes narrowed as he glanced between you and Gambit with a scrutinizing eye, your stomach dropping out when a slow, knowing grin spread across his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking all to the world like the cat that got the canary.

“I don't believe you. Gambit here isn't exactly known for being the settling down type.” Aiden shrugged, his eyes briefly flicking over to Gambit before settling back onto your scowling face. “So why don’t you just stop playing hard to get and get a coffee with me, or maybe we could see a movie? You, me, a dark room… sounds like a good time to me.” He continued with a leer that had you feeling vaguely nauseous, your body tensing with the desire to either get away from the situation or hit him in the mouth to knock that obnoxious smoldering look off his face.

“Ah, mon ami, you have a bit of nerve to be suggestin' a goo’ time wit someone else's partner.” Gambit snapped as his grip on your hip tightened in a way that felt protective, a sharp edge to his voice that had you glancing at him out of the corner of your eye. His usual friendly demeanor was nowhere to be found, his teeth clenched so tight that the muscle in his jaw jumped and his eyes hard as he began flipping the playing card between his fingers faster, his gaze never leaving Aiden. “But Gambit is more than willin' to show you why there ain't a chance in hell of dat happenin', if you like.” Gambit continued, his tone dripping with thinly veiled ire.

“Then by all means, man. Prove it.” Aiden challenged with a sweeping gesture, watching the two of you with a smug smile that told you that he thought you wouldn't be able to do it. Unfortunately for him, he underestimated just how much you hated him and just how petty you could be if push came to shove.

You turned to Gambit and, without giving yourself any time to try and talk yourself out of your reckless decision, you threw your arms around Gambit’s neck and pulled him down to you, whatever the Cajun had been about to say transitioning into a choked off gasp of surprise when you pressed your lips against his.

You had every intention of lingering only just long enough to convince Aiden that the two of you had done something like this before –to sell that this actually wasn’t the first kiss you’d ever shared– but, when you made to pull away after the appropriate amount of time had passed, Gambit wrapped his arms around you and pulled you flush against him as he tilted his head in order to deepen the kiss.

You inhaled sharply through your nose when Gambit let out a soft moan against your lips, his breaths turning quick and heavy, and you forgot all about Aiden standing there watching the two of you as you threaded your hands into Gambit’s auburn hair in order to pull him harder against you, holding him in place as you took control and forced him to slow his frantic pace.

You hummed your approval against his lips when he obediently followed your lead, savoring finally being able to kiss your crush –even if it didn't happen exactly how you had imagined it– and you felt a keen sense of loss when you inevitably had to break the kiss. Gambit kept you close, nuzzling your temple with a low, satisfied chuckle as you caught your breath before flashing Aiden a dark grin.

“Convinced now, homme? Or should Gambit make it clearer?” He let his fingers trail down your arm, linking your hands together as he tilted his head, silently daring Aiden to say another word.

“Whatever.” Aiden grumbled petulantly, shooting you a sneer full of wounded pride, before stalking out of the recreational room, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the walls. 

You stepped away from Gambit and cautiously approached the door to make sure that Aiden was actually leaving, a triumphant grin spreading across your face when you heard the sound of Aiden’s frustrated footsteps get quieter as he stalked down the hall before disappearing entirely.

“Fuck yeah!” You hollered as you moved away from the door and hopped around in a little celebratory dance at finally having gotten Aiden off your ass about indulging him with a date when you’d rather go drink gasoline. And, in the heat of the moment, you spun and planted a wet, smacking kiss onto Gambit's stunned face.

You were unable to help the delighted laugh that bubbled up and out of you when Gambit muttered under his breath in French and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the spit you left behind off his face. Though you didn't take his moody grumbling personally since the grin teasing at the corner of Gambit's mouth was more than enough to reassure you that the other man meant nothing by his dramatic fussing.

“Dis donc, cher, Gambit didn’t realize he was signin’ up to be slobbered on today,” Gambit said as he finished cleaning his face, the man feigning exasperation as he flicked the card that he was holding at your chest –uncharged obviously since he didn’t want to turn you into a splatter on the wall– grinning when you instinctively caught it before it could make contact. “But if dat’s how you thank him for savin’ you from unwanted suitors, maybe he oughta volunteer more often, non?”

“You say that like you weren’t enjoying yourself.” You said with an eye roll, pushing as much nonchalance as you could muster into your voice as you attempted to ignore how the memory of your shared kiss –and Gambit’s involuntary groan of pleasure, which would burned into your brain for awhile goddamn– made you want to blush and trip over your words.

“Oh, mon cœur, do not worry yourself. Gambit enjoyed every second and wouldn’t mind a repeat performance.” He replied with a wink, his eyes sparkling with amusement as your face flushed a bright red at his words, the man raising a brow at you but –thankfully– remaining silent when you tucked the card he’d tossed at you into the back pocket of your jeans like a precious keepsake.

“I–” You began before the words got caught in your throat, Gambit’s expectant stare like a physical weight pressing into you, and –in a moment of cowardice– you decided you couldn’t make yourself finish the sentence, so you shifted gears after a moment of loaded silence. “I owe you one. Thanks, Remy.” You said –settling for something safer than the confession that you’d been about to make– giving Gambit a soft smile as you reached out to squeeze Gambit's shoulder before you turned on your heel with the intention of leaving, though you were pulled to a halt before you could even take two steps when Gambit grabbed your wrist.

You turned your head to give Gambit a questioning look, your curiosity transitioning into concern when you noticed how lost Gambit looked. But, before you could ask him what was wrong, he realized that you were watching him and he quickly replaced the bizarre expression on his face with a grin that looked far too manic to be completely genuine.

“What about Aiden? Won' he go right back to buzzin’ around you if he thinks we ain't together no more?” Gambit asked, his accent getting thicker as he spoke, and you took a moment to consider the question as you raked your eyes over Gambit, taking in the tension in his shoulders… the fragile look in his red eyes as he gazed at you like he hung onto your every word.

“It's inevitable that he'll find out eventually. It's not like we're actually dating.” You gave Gambit an odd look when the hand holding your wrist twitched –a movement that you would call a flinch if you didn’t know any better– before continuing. “And we can't keep up the charade forever. You have men and women to woo and I’m just…” You trailed off as the knot in your chest, one that formed anytime you thought of Gambit with anyone else, tightened painfully.

Gambit's grip on your wrist loosened slightly, but he didn't let go, his fingers lingering against your pulse point like he wasn't quite ready to let go yet as his eyes searched yours for… something. You felt a spark of hope flicker in your chest when Gambit’s harsh grin softened into something more gentle, his thumb absently tracing circles against the thin skin of your inner wrist.

“Gambit's got plenty of admirers, sure,” He admitted with a shrug, like the fact that he had both men and women falling at his feet on a daily basis was nothing. Meant nothing to him. “But maybe… maybe he's lookin' for somethin' a little more den charmin' strangers these days.” His voice dropped lower, teasing but oddly sincere as he tilted his head, studying your face closely.

“Remy, what are you saying?” You asked quietly, as if raising your voice would ruin the moment, unwilling to make assumptions with something this big since it would kill you if this ended up being just another one of Gambit’s games.

You felt horribly off balance, like someone had pulled the rug out from beneath you, when Gambit’s eyes flashed with a familiar heat and he prowled forward. You immediately began matching him step for step, staring up at him breathlessly as you backpeddled until the door hit your back, leaving you with nowhere to go when Gambit leaned in until your faces were inches apart and you could count each individual eyelash if you wanted to.