#anawsnaps

"I'll think on it after we finish the job." As you roll your eyes, Nightwing stands beside you, pulling open the crate. He whistles as you shine a flashlight on the cargo. "So, it was a cover up."

The boxes that littered the space had been destroyed. "Figured. There weren't nearly enough guards here." You bring your hand to your comms, "Oracle, it's a fake."

"Sending the boys after the other cargo. Good work."

"Alright, clean-up is on you." You turn away and throw a wave over your shoulder.

"What!? Why-"

"Finish it and consider yourself forgiven."

Once you got home, you had a few hours to spare before you had to head to work. As you run a hot shower, you grab your briefcase and empty it out on desk. You organize your papers and put them back in the case to look back at in the lab. Once you've showered, you use the rest of the time to get some sleep in before you're back up and working.

The elevator dings as you step into your department's floor and you're greeted again by none other than Dick Grayson. The task force's golden boy.

"Well isn't it my favorite detective!" And you can feel yourself shrink immediately. Dick makes his way over to you. It's 6AM, you cannot find the words to speak to him. Not because he's insufferable, no no, it's actually the complete opposite.

"Officer Grayson." You turn to him with a tense smile as he gets closer. You grip your briefcase tighter because your palms are now already sweating.

His smile is radiant. So is his skin that's so clear it puts your skincare routine to shame. You would call yourself a cheerful person but when it's compared to Dick? You're as gloomy as the Gotham sky.

It's not your fault though. His laugh manages to cut your breath short every time. His presence alone is so intoxicating you doubt you can even process what he's saying.

"I heard some new evidence came in on that case you're working on."

How is he so cheerful this early in the morning?

"I left it in your lab, also left a letter given to you from one of our night-time vigilantes." That snaps your focus back into place.

"A letter?" Had Nightwing made a stop last night after you left? "From who?"

"Nightwing. Know why?" He tilts his head to the side and all you can see is the way his hair falls with the movement. It shines like silk and all you can think of is raking your fingers through it- "You okay?"

"Hm?" You blink up at him absentmindedly, "Uh- right- Yeah. I think I have a vague idea." You fidget with your briefcase before holding it up in front of your chest. "I'll.. I'll get right on it."

He looks down at the case and nods with another one of those annoying blinding smiles, "I'll leave you to it then." You nod back, tense. You hated how he had to awkwardly walk back to his desk as you slowly make your way into your lab.

As you step inside, you let out a huff, "That was so awkward, oh my god." You grip your briefcase tighter and throw it onto your desk. You spot the letter on your desk and snatch it impatiently. With a sigh you rip it open and read over the paper.

Remembered you were working on this case when I ran into you a while back, here's something I found interesting ;p , no need to thank me.

-NW xoxo

You roll your eyes and sigh. "No need to thank me, xoxo- Like I wasn't doing half the work." You grumble to yourself and make your way to the folder placed beside it containing a ziplock bag and a report from one of the officers.

Hours pass by and once your lunch break starts, you're making your way to the lounge where you spot Dick pouring himself a coffee. He looks up and shoots you a smile.

"You look beat." He smiles and you feel yourself tense once his attention lands on you.

"ha ha, yeah long night.." Laughing timidly, you open the fridge to grab your meal.

"Coffee?" He offers and you nearly bang your head against the fridge door. You turn to him and nod a little too quick. Get yourself together!

As he pours you a cup, you find yourself a spot to sit on the couch and open up your snack.

"How's the case coming along?" Dick passes the coffee to you and your heart nearly skips a beat when your hands make the slightest bit of contact.

"There's progress." You manage to say as you place the cup down and avert your gaze. You know if you look into his eyes, you won't be able to hold up this conversation.

"I'm guessing Nightwing was a huge help?"

"Pshh, him? I'll give him a lollipop for his efforts next time." You're glad he's bringing up a topic your familiar with or you fear you would've been stumbling over your words.

Dick raises a brow, "Not a fan I'm guessing?"

Is he a fan? There's no way you just blew it right now.

"Wha- Nightwing? No!- I mean like- yeah. No. I'm a huge fan!"

HIs eyebrows raise as he takes another sip. You definitely ruined it. Fix it!

"I know him actually!" Not like that.

"You do?" Shock written over his features. You tense when your eyes lock with his. Something so familiar and safe within his gaze.

"Yeah, we- you know- He saved me once while I was following a lead." You look away immediately. You feel like a fraud. Yeah, you've met him, but you don't know him like that. Well.. not as the you right now.

"He was also following the same lead... which is also the case I'm working on." Your hands are occupying themselves with the coffee cup as your eyes dart between your snack and coffee.

"Is that why he left a note?" Dick asked. You nod.

"Must be cool to have a vigilante as a partner." He laughs and you try to force one out in attempt to not seem awkward but it comes out strained.

"I wouldn't say that.. just a great help." Cause that sucker should've gave you some credit. You had to save both their asses cause he couldn't tell between his left and right.

"Don't underestimate yourself. I'm sure he thinks you're a great partner! He's providing you with evidence. He seems eager to help." Okay, he definitely was a Nightwing fan.

"Of course! I'll- I'll definitely thank him next time." You say it like it's obvious. "I thank his partner a lot more though. She's always quick to help me whenever." Throwing in some praise wouldn't hurt.

"You worked with her before!?" His genuine shock and curiosity caught you off guard. "You must be collecting these vigilantes like Pokémon cards if she also decides to work with you."

"What do you mean?"

"She's a tough one. She barely works with the GCPD. I admire her work." He says as he stares off into the distance. Me? I work fine with the GCPD. Was me giving them those reports not enou- wait.

"Y-ou what?"

He blinks and turns his focus back to you. You look up at him and he's smiling again.

"I admire her work. Not many do, but I can tell she's just as amazing as, if not more than, Nightwing."

Your lips part in shock. Hearing that from him, you could barely figure out how to process that before you feel a striking hot sensation over your legs. You flinch before realizing you dropped your coffee all over your trousers.

It might as well kill you with it.

Dick curses under his breath and runs to grab you napkins. He passes you some as he wipes the remaining liquid off the floor.

"Sorry! Sorry... I can't believe I dropped that." The embarrassment is eating you alive and Dick can't help but laugh.

"It's fine, it happens. You okay?"

You sigh in defeat and nod.

That night on patrol, you couldn't wait to go home and sink into your sheets.

"Done for the night, bubblegum?"

Nicknames were never ending with Nightwing; Bubblegum, Sweets, Sweetheart, hon, the list goes on. You eventually accepted it and moved on.

"We agreed that one was a no." You groan as you watch the streets below you. You've been patrolling for a few hours now. Sooner or later, you're going to wrap it up and go home. But of course, company awaits you.

"Something about it suits you. Sugary, bubbly, and so sticky I can't get rid of you." He takes a seat beside you and you roll your eyes.

"That would be you, Wing." You tease.

Even though you and him have never revealed your identities, you've built a bond that seems to be unshakable. Sure, you guys had your moments, but you two honestly couldn't think of working with anybody else. That meant that even though you were in somewhat of a shitty mood, he still managed to lift it.

"If you want to reverse the roles, I have no complaints." He raises his arms in defense and you sigh. "Who burst your bubble, sweets?" He bumps his shoulder into yours, gaining your attention.

"Just a long day."

"How long are we talking?"

"Long enough."

With that you lay your head on his shoulder. This is how you usually finish up your patrols. A sign that you two were about to close in for the night.

"I handed over some evidence from the truck last night to GCPD. Their head detective is working on it, so I thought it would be some help." He mentions and you hum in response.

"As long as you're aren't feeding them everything we know, I don't really care."

"That's a relief. I thought you'd give me the Robin treatment." He chuckled.

"That was entirely different! I know Robin was just starting the whole gig but no one told him that we don't tell the GCPD everything!?" You shouted in defense.

"He said he saw you do it!"

"I did it once! And I spoke to Gordon! Not some random cop!"

Nightwing's shoulders shake as he laughs, and you lift yourself off of them, trying to push down the smile creeping onto your face.

"Batman gave him a long talk after that one. Trust me."

"He's lucky I didn't."

"You had a sword fight-"

"He pulled it out first, Wing! And you know that!" You exaggerated.

"He was 11!"

"And trying to kill me!"

Nightwing throws his head back, laughing so hard all his pearly whites flash in your face. You glare at him and let out a laugh disguised as a scoff.

Moments like these with him were comforting. You felt like yourself when you were in this suit, fighting crime, and with him. You don't think anyone has managed to get this close to you. But that's the thing about him. He's a dickhead sometimes for sure, but you're always reminded why he's your best friend. You wondered in times like these, who was under the mask. Would it be some normal guy working a 9-5 on weekdays? A celebrity? Or worse, some weirdo-

Nightwing calls out to you, and you realize you've been staring. "What's on your mind? You seem distracted."

"Some... guy." You mention as you turn to look back at the street below.

"Woah-ho-ho! Who's the lucky fella?" You cringe at that.

You glance at him and decide if you should tell him or not. He's your best friend, after all. He'd probably think Dick was a great guy. Maybe even help you figure out how to talk to him. But you couldn't risk revealing anything with it came to your civilian lives.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Boy Wonder." You tease with a smirk.

"I'm calling it a night. Call me if you need me before I get home." You grab your grappling hook and hop off the building.

As you swing away, thinking it was a just another normal night. You failed to notice the face of your partner after your remark.

Nightwing watched as you disappeared off into the night. Conflicted.

Nightwing has always held you dear to him. More than a friend. Ever since the first patrol you had together, you've been his first and last thought every day. I mean, could you blame him? Look at you.

From the moment you introduced yourself to him, he was awestruck. He could've sworn careless whisper was playing in the distance. He thinks he also stuttered. Not like he remembers what he said, he was too distracted. That's also how he ended up with a bruise to his side after. You scolded him for being so careless. But he knew he was hooked.

What was he supposed to do with that information now? There was a guy. A guy! If he didn't know any better, he'd think you're fucking with him. But the way you looked at him when he had asked. That longing stare.

He couldn't help but think, was it him?

As your finish up some paperwork, you hear a knock on your door. "Come in!"

It's Dick. Again. What is up with this Peter luck your having?

"Officer Grayson, what brings you here?" You get up from your seat as he once again, grins and holds up a folder. You maneuver your way around your desk, meeting him halfway.

"New evidence. This time, it was Red Robin." He hands you the folder and you take it cautiously. "That's the 3rd vigilante this week. You're gonna have me wondering if you're one of them."

Well, shit.

"As if. I need my 8 hours." You try to play it off. Terribly. Normally, you're great at that. But clearly not in front of him. You open the file and smile to yourself. "Gotta love that kid."

Dick peeks over and asks, "What is it?"

You look up and realize he's much closer now. Frozen in place, he glances up at you and your lungs nearly collapse on you.

Nothing could've prepared you for this. His eyes.

Such a piercing baby blue that replicates the rare clear skies Gotham prays for. They shine with confidence, determination, and something deeper, you wish you could figure out.

Does he know how much his presence suffocates you? How his character is so overwhelmingly admirable you can't help but feel smaller next to how bright he shines?

"J-just.. a case." You show him the paper and he looks down at it like he wasn't inches away from your face a moment ago.

"That's quite the report."

Trying to regain your composure, you nod. Making your way back to behind your desk.

"Red Robin is quite the detective. I did him a few favors. He does me some." Trying to make yourself look busy, you start digging through your papers.

"It seems like you have a way with everyone, detective." He smirks and you don't give yourself the opportunity to glance at him.

"I would hope so, officer." Still digging through piles of paper.

Dick notices the way you avoid his gaze. He's always hated that.

You've always been uncomfortable around him. He can't help but feel like he's the reason why. Everyone has met the fun, witty, and outgoing side of you besides him. You were always tense, quiet, and distant when he tried to talk to you.

He's tried jokes, small talk, even small favors and every time you came in contact with each other, it was like you couldn't wait for him to leave. He's realizing maybe it was no use.

"I'll leave these here then.." He places the files down on the desk and you nod in acknowledgement. Taking that as his sign to leave; Dick walks himself out.

Once the door closes, you finally look up before you fall against your chair, slapping your hands over your face from the mere thought of how that interaction just went. Before the humiliation can eat you alive, the door opens again. You straighten in your seat in a hurry only to spot your friend at the door. Barbara.

"Was Dick just in your office?"

"Yeah, you saw?" Groaning as you slump back into your chair.

"No, you just look like you ruined your life and want the floor to swallow you whole."

"Just about right."

Patrol tonight was quick and easy. Basic robberies, thugs, the whole gig. Once you've done a few laps, you decide to call it a night before spotting NIghtwing on a nearby roof. Without a second thought you make your way over to him.

"Done for the night, bubblegum?" You mock as he turns to you with a shit-eating grin.

"You gonna chew me out if I am?" He says with his hands placed on his hips.

"Depends. You got anything useful?" You nod your head towards him as you look him over with a squint.

"Depends, you got time for one more stop?"

Your face scrunches up in confusion. "Is it a follow up on the toxin?"

"No, but follow me." With that he reaches out for your hand, you take it without a second thought before he pulls you in, throws you two down the building before aiming his grappling hook towards another one.

"It's best if you close your eyes!" He adds, sparking curiosity.

"Don't drop me, bridie!" You laugh as you shut your eyes and let him drag you wherever.

Once you two land, you want to peak but his hands immediately go to shut your eyes.

"Impatient as ever." With his remark, you scoff.

"I'm not going to peak!" You exclaim as he holds one hand over your eyes and does something in the other. He scoffs like that's the dumbest thing he's heard.

"yeah, and I'm not head over heels for you."

Then, a pause. You can feel tension start to rise and quickly, so you exhale dramatically and place your hands over his palm. "I'll keep them closed, Wing." Though, he doesn't let go. His palm remains there. Another pause.. "I won't look till you tell me to."

You stand there quietly as he finishes up, god knows what, and you hear him take a deep breath. "Open 'em." You barely miss it. So, you open your eyes slowly.

"Oh wow." Your lips part in awe.

There, on the rooftop, sits two pillows on the floor. The most adorable setup of snacks, a pair of controllers, and a picnic blanket. The area is dimly lit by the rooftop's yellow lighting, creating a warm atmosphere even in the cold ambience of Gotham.

"Wing, I don't know what girl you're trying to impress, but, trust me," You turn to him, smiling at the thought of his efforts. "You've got this in the bag."

And once he makes eye contact, you're smile almost faltered.

He scratches the back of his neck and rolls his head to the side. "Impessed is one thing."

Then, when he looks back at you, you fail to hold your grin.

"Do you like it?" He asks and you look back at the set up.

He didn't get the wrong idea last night, right? No. There was no way. You're overthinking this. This is just a sweet gesture. Nothing more.

"Yeah! It's amazing!" You quickly reply. Turning back to him with a small, close lipped smile. "What's it for?"

You didn't want to ask. Not really. You actually wanted to just play along and hope your intuition was wrong for once.

But, it never was. "You?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you.."

"Me?" You pointed at yourself.

"Yes.. you. Your record player break or something?" He attempts a laugh, but you're looking back and forth between him and the setup.

"What for?" You ask. You're trying hard not to sound off. It's not what you think it is. There's no way.

Nightwing just stares. His answer is written all over his face.

Okay, you really wish you weren't too comfortable with him to let your face fall like that. It would've saved you the guilt of watching him realize you knew what he was insisting. And you were rejecting it.

The wind blew by, carrying the last bit of hope left.

"Nightwing-"

"Damn, you're never gonna let me live this down now." He laughs as he rolls his head against his shoulder. "I called it, but I blame Oracle for the push." He pointed before making his way over to the setup.

You stand there blankly. Confused, you follow him. "Wing, listen to me, I'm sorry-"

"What for?" He turns, a smirk plastered on his lips. You can tell he's hurt. Shit..

"Wing, I feel bad. I didn't mean to lead you on." And he nearly cringes at that.

"That." He points, "is my issue. Not yours. You didn't do anything wrong, swee-.. don't blame yourself." And your heart nearly shatters at the way he cut himself off from that nickname.

"Do you wanna talk? You know this doesn't bother me like that. I just.. there's already someone I like.." Nightwing may have thought you didn't notice it, but you did. The way his body tensed. Even in the slightest of movements.

"I would be lying if I didn't tell you. That's the last thing I want. You're important to me. I'd never want to lose you to anything. You're my best friend, Wing." He smiles at that and for a second. You feel like it's going to be alright. This wasn't as bad as you thought.

He then goes to grab one of the snacks from the pile, specifically your favorite. He takes a step towards you. Then another. And another. Till he's face to face and he's pressing the snack into your hands.

"This is enough. Our friendship is everything to me. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

And in that moment, you saw someone else.

This wasn't your partner. It was a man who was devoted to keeping what he held dear close to him. One who longs for an inevitable future he can't help but reach for.

And you were the setting it in stone.

"Wing-"

"Good night. I'll see you tomorrow!" With that, he's running past you, off into invasive fog that took over the streets.

With no idea where to start, you turn around and make your way back home.

"Barbara, I told you-"

"She literally is head over heels for you! I'm telling you! I can't take any more hours of flirting over the comms, only for you to tell me she doesn't like you!" Barbara shouts over the phone. Dick groans into his pillow dramatically.

"I ruined everything."

"No, you didn't."

"Barbara."

"You didn't! I promise."

"I'm going to sleep."

"Trust me on t-" he hangs up before she finishes.

That went horribly. Not only did he leave you there stranded. He completely cut you off and made the situation so much more awkward than it needed to be.

He can't believe he let Barbara convince him into doing that. He should've just asked you out normally instead of throwing that in your face. And then you tried to apologize. Of course you did.

He checks the time and shoves his head into the pillow once he realizes he needs to get some sleep.

He's never gonna come back from this.

"Barbara. Where is this coming from-"

"Girl, you have to ask him. Today is the day, I can feel it!" Barbara sits across your desk. Exaggerating over why you should ask out Officer Grayson today.

"Barb. I love you. Like a lot. You're one of the very few I trust. But I am not doing that."

"Doing what?" Yeah. Might as well add a radioactive spider at this point.

"Just your luck!" Barbara turns to Dick is waking through the open door with a boxes in his hands. He walks over and places them on your desk.

He's wearing a baby blue button-up today instead of his usual uniform. Sleeves rolled up. He has sneakers on. Which has you confused; why was his outfit so uncoordinated? You wonder why, but before you can think about it, they both are staring at you. Realizing you blanked out and missed out on what was said.

"Sorry, did you say something?" You ask.

"I was just telling Officer Grayson how you wanted to ask him something!" Barbara beamed.

This little minx. You're glaring at her, already planning to lock the brakes on those wheels.

Dick looks back at you, waiting for a reply, and you can only dig your eyes into the back of Barbara's head as she leaves.

Dick looks down at the papers on your desk and you follow his line of sight.

"These are still the same ones from last week. Nothing new." You wave them off as he nods. He's unusually quiet. You finally take in the way he's put together. Well.. not really. His hair is a slight mess. No color coordination in his outfit what so ever. and.. was that a stain on his button up? Why wasn't he in uniform today?

"You alright?" You ask before thinking.

Dick looks up at you and sighs. He knows he looks like shit, mostly because he feels like it. Though it's the first time you've genuinely asked him something. "Rough night, but I'll be okay."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." You sort of try to look away but end up asking another question. "What's that?" Implying the boxes he had just brought in.

"Chief told me to bring these up and have you look through them. No idea what they are. I'm off the field today, so he's keeping me busy."

"He wants me to look through all of these?" You exaggerated before pulling the box over to your side, mumbling under your breath. "That guy seriously likes to throw things at me because I won't get an assistant."

That perked his interest. "Why not?"

That gets your attention again. You seem to get sidetracked easily. "Oh- um. I just work alone.. It's annoying having someone try to push their rules onto you." You shrug as you pull the stacks of files from the box.

"You don't work well with partners?" He asks. And you wonder if he meant something with that question. But, you only shake you head. "I work fine with other people. It just depends on who." Like Nightwing. You frown slightly at that.

"Mind if i help?" Your head perks up. You weren't expecting him to offer.

"You- You don't have to!"

"No, I want to. Like I said, I'm off the field today. I have nothing better to do." He pulls the chair towards him and takes a seat. "You just give me a job and I'll do it."

And with that, you and him work in tandem for the next 3 hours. It was unexpected but Dick worked well with you. He understood his assignments, didn't ask too many questions, and managed to have some conversations that didn't end with you embarrassing yourself. Well.. yet.

"That's the last of them." You place the papers back into the boxes and turn to Dick.

He was pleasantly surprised how much he enjoyed that. He felt like he actually got a glimpse of the real you today. And you work great together. He couldn't help but wonder why you always avoided him.

"Thanks for the help. I appreciate it."

He nods. "Glad to help." And when he hopes to maintain eye contact for longer than 5 seconds, you're already turning away again. And he can't help but feel like all the process he made with you had went to waste.

"I'll take these back to the office.. Need anything else before i head out?" You turn to him with a smile and shaking your head.

"No, all good." And back behind your desk you go. He deflates at that. He was hoping you'd be more comfortable around him after today. But he guesses his luck was shitty this week.

He doesn't wait any longer and makes his way to the door before you call his name.

"How does coffee together sound? After work?"

He had patrol and no idea if his partner would show up.

Cause why would she? After the shit he pulled last night? He's starting to remember why he was so beat today.

"Dick?" You call again and he snaps out of it quick, quickly replying.

"Yeah, uh- No, sorry. Thanks though." He gives a quick smile before leaving the room. He's a bit annoyed with himself now, because he managed to ruin two friendships in under 24 hours. He would love to go for coffee, but he'd rather not go in a bad mood. He'll reschedule. Today just wasn't his day.

And now neither was it for you. As you watch the door shut behind him, you stand there dumbfound.

He just flat out rejected you. Without even a second thought. You can't help but feel yourself shrink after. You really thought you did well today. You were able to carry out multiple conversations with him. Even maintain eye contact for like 4 whole seconds!

This shouldn't bother you that much. You weren't even close. But still, you slump against your chair and stare off into the void hoping you could rid the feeling of dread that built up with every passing second.

That night, you started patrol early and ended early. Why? Because like it or not, you were avoiding Nightwing. It wasn't because you were too afraid to face him, more because you didn't have the energy to. That whole rejection ruined your night.

So, as you stand at your balcony, staring off into the streets of the city that reflected your mood tonight, you hold a cup of tea in your hands. One thing about Gotham was that there was always going to be a slight breeze in the air, a faint scent of rain, and a drafty fog that carried only in the darkest of nights. Was it a good idea to go out onto your balcony this late? No, and you would advise any person to avoid doing so.

But you're a vigilante. So, you give yourself a pass.

But, not everyone knows that.

"I wouldn't recommend sitting out here in the open this late, miss."

Only one person could sneak up on you like that. And it was Nightwing.

Slightly flinching, you turn to him and place your cup on the tiny coffee table. "And I wouldn't try to balance myself on a slippery railing in the dark."

"I'm a vigilante. I get a pass." He places his hands on his hips, all cocky.

"I'm a citizen who pays rent. I get to use this balcony however and whenever I want." You mimic his gesture and he raises a brow at you.

"Aren't you a little sass ball today? You're usually a little more professional when we meet." You drop your arms after that and sigh.

Even though you weren't in your suit, you needed your best friend right now. And it was much easier talking like this to him than worrying about how awkward things can get.

With all your frustration that piled up since this afternoon, you groan, "It was a total disaster!"

Nightwing looks around in confusion. "What exactl-"

"I was doing great! We laughed for hours! I didn't stutter or shy away the whole time we worked!" Nightwing watched as you threw your arms around with every sentence. He stood there in silence, not knowing how he got wrapped up in hearing your outrage, but he was intrigued. He's never seen this side of you. Was it because you weren't around him anymore?

"Then he just walked out and rejected me like it was noth..ing.." Your words died down as your heart sank. This was how he was probably feeling right now. And here you are complaining to him about another guy.

"Sorry. Ignore me." You put your hand up. He doesn't ignore you.

"Rejected you? Now, what idiot decided to ruin his chances at paradise?" He attempted to lighten the mood, now sitting on the railing as you pick up your cup of tea. You were used to his flirts. Well. vigilante you was.

You didn't have it in you to argue over his flirts. You knew it was his nature at this point. "Some guy at work." You rest your elbows against the railing beside him, and he stares at you, urging you to go on.

"He's an officer. The one you gave the letter to."

"Officer Grayson?" He spits out almost shocked and you nod in embarrassment. Your head drops and you rest the cup against your forehead.

"I've liked him for so long. And believe it or not, I'm the most awkward person when it comes to him." Nightwing doesn't reply, so you continue. "I actually mustered up the courage to ask him out today, and he completely shut me down without a second thought!"

Nightwing blanks for a moment. You were asking him out!?

"No he didn- he probably didn't mean it like that!"

"He immediately told me no and walked out the room. I think he meant it like that, Nightwing." You tilt your head to the side, squinting at him.

"I doubt it. He told me he thought you were cool!"

"Cool is fine! He doesn't like me like that though!"

"You don't know that!" He argues.

"You do?" And that shuts him up quick. No, he didn't like you like that. But he didn't like knowing you thought he was rejecting you. Even if he was being a bit of a dickhead this afternoon.

"Sorry. You're right. But I think you should just talk to him about it." You pull the cup away from your forehead and take a sip.

"If it helps, I also got rejected too." He chuckles as you nearly choke on your tea.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah.. I kind of threw it in her face, though. It was a lot less casual than just a basic hangout. I guess I overwhelmed her. But I got the wrong idea and she had to reject me on the spot." He covers his face with a hand before dragging it down. "I was hoping to talk to her, but I guess she needs to clear her head."

"I think we all do at this point." You sigh before taking another sip. "Not much you can do in Gotham to get a clear head around here." Nightwing hums in agreement.

You both sit in a comfortable silence. A minute passes by and you take one last sip of your tea before exhaling.

"I guess I should head inside and try to fix my mood before it gets late."

"Yeah, I should too..." He agrees.

And as you make your way to get back inside, he says your name.

"Mhm?" Looking over your shoulder, he asks:

"You like video games?"

Part 2 Part 3 TAGLIST IS CLOSED!!

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He leans into your arms, basking in the warmth of your embrace. Winter arrived and he couldn’t thank the cold enough for giving him the excuse of laying on your couch, wrapped up in the fuzzy jumbo Nightwing themed blanket he got you last week. 

You called him self-centered, wrapped it around yourself, then kissed him so sweetly he was ready to head back to the store and sell them out. But you had hot chocolate ready for him, a movie picked out and a smile so captivating it had him planted in his spot. 

He couldn’t resist you. He’d end patrol early just to see you now. Looking forward to getting work done on time so you’d walk through the elevator doors and greet him every morning. He had you day and night, and it still wasn’t enough. 

Was it the facade? The mask? The limit it made? It had him conflicted. He had you both as Dick and Nightwing.

He should tell you. He knows he should but what was holding him back?

You on the other hand, hated you only got him at night. You started seeing a different side of him. You can’t tell if you missed it before but he was so much more than a best friend to you now. And it frustrated you knowing he didn’t know that. 

You wanted to tell him. Every night when you got home before him after patrol. Every time he’d kiss you. Every moment you shared because the past 2 months have been nothing but pure bliss. 

After the first kiss you two shared, you had to avoid him on patrol. Thanks to Barbara, he didn’t question it. You couldn’t explain the busted lip and bruise without being suspicious. But from that point, you had to be smart.

You had to get home before him. Go through your bedroom window, change and start up the hot chocolate, then sit on your couch until you hear the soft knock of glass.

Two months of hiding and you were starting to hate the lies. It felt cowardly. Even Barb was starting to realize it. 

“You okay?” 

You look down at your lap, the soft weight of him laying there felt secure and so perfect. 

“Mhm.”

“You’ve been thinking about something these past few days. What’s occupying that marvelous mind of yours?” He pouts as his finger taps against your temple and you giggle softly before placing a soft peck on his lips. 

“Unsure, but,” Another kiss. “I could tell you what’s occupying these marvelous lips.” 

His hand creeps into your hair and caresses the back of your head softly, holding you against him. There’s a small curve of his lips as you sigh into the kiss. As you softly pull away he’s quickly pulling you back, muttering against your lips.

“Keep occupying them.”

Nightwing pushes himself up, guiding you closer into his embrace.

As the sun rises, you stir awake for some unknown reason. The scent of coffee fills the air and you fully expect to find Nightwing gone and a note on the table based off of the countless times you fell asleep on the couch beside him after a movie. 

But you find that there's only a cup of coffee, Tikki is not next to you and the lights are on.

“Has anyone told you, you talk in your sleep?” You nearly jump off the couch, clenching the blanket in your hands. Right. He's Nightwing. Of course you couldn't sense him. 

He’s leaning against the wall with his hand on his hip and a cup of coffee in the other. He stayed this time. Which you both didn’t expect but if it wasn’t for Tikki waking him up, he would’ve forgotten about work.

He notices the way your shoulders relax after spotting him and the tired smile that spreads across your face. 

“No, but my dreams had quite the story tonight.” You glance at the clock and notice you still had an hour before needing to wake up. You slowly pull off the blanket and push your hair back to hopefully tame the frizz that definitely took over as you slept. 

Nightwing admires you silently before pushing himself off the wall with a playful sneer. 

“Well, I'll make sure that when you're playing superhero in your dreams, you don't try to fight Killer Croc.” He huffs a laugh completely unaware of the way his words smacked you wide awake.

Had you said something that could've revealed your identity? 

There’s a drop in your stomach that causes a rush of nausea to hit you.

“What did I say?” You ask curiously but in reality it was pure fear of what was told.

“It was a ton of incoherent mumbles and random curse words shouted. Something along the lines of ‘Killer Croc’ and ‘Move, I've got this’.” He walked over to you, acting out the way you rolled and tossed in your sleep. 

You laugh softly and reach for your coffee. A slight tremble in your hand. 

“Killer Croc’ and ‘I've got this’ from me in one sentence?” You scoff, “Let that stay a dream.” Then take a small sip of your drink before he leans over next to you.

“I agree.” He plants a soft kiss on your cheek and makes his way to the balcony door. “I wouldn’t want to see you in any sort of danger.” You watch as he places his mug down (yes, his mug. He bought it to match the one you’re holding.) and stretches his arms out. 

When you place the cup back down, you certainly catch the way he slightly flexes his arms and pushes them back in order to display his back muscles. You’re not complaining– the sunrise was perfectly shining against them, contouring every curve and side. You make a mental note to make sure you get a better look when cuddling next time because how did you miss that? 

He looks over his shoulder, as smug as ever, once he finds you staring. “But, it was nice hearing you say my name.” He adds. 

You look away from the absolute art of a shape he has once he says that. Overlooking the way he was smirking because you give him a confused expression and he clarifies, “You clearly needed my help and called my name in the midst of whatever battle you were conjuring up-”

Spotting the way he’s boasting, you grab the throw pillow beside you and chuck it at him before he could finish. He dodges effortlessly and snickers. 

“Nightwing, help! Nightwin-” He mimics and you're up and moving when he starts. He doesn’t even try continuing before he’s doubling over in laughter at your tired figure charging at him. You smack his arm teasingly and try to seem offended but you’re grinning along with him. 

It was that contagious beaming smile of his. That smile that he blinds you with before pulling you in gently, hands warm against your waist, and lips find yours intimately. 

“Good morning.” He says fondly and you reply,

“Good morning.” 

As the sun’s rays gleam through the glass door, illuminating the room in a soft orange hue, Tikki passes by and rubs against your legs, gaining your attention.

“She’s a greedy one. I was spoiling her all morning. Now, she wants to act like she’s being excluded.” His tone is judgmental but playful as he reaches down and scoops her up in his arms. You love how gentle he is with her as he wraps her in his arms and cradles her.

“And who set that system up?” You tease. 

He looks around, behind him, out the window, and then back at you. “Ahh.. right.” He snaps like he’s figured it out, then hands Tikki over to you. “Like mother, Like daughter.” And your jaw falls slack.

“You have a death wish.” 

“And a miraculous woman who can, without a doubt, grant it.” 

The flutter in your chest blooms in quick movements. Your stomach is hollow as the butterflies make their way into your entire nervous system. 

You've been.. seeing each other for 2 months now. How did he still manage to have you all flustered like some lovesick teenage girl? 

You're mouth is still wide open and there was no words you could formulate for a moment until you blurt out,

“Are you insisting that you have me?” 

And that has you picking up your jaw faster than the Flash once the sentence was said. If you thought you were nervous before, forget that, you're walking on a thin line right now with arms tucked in and making it worse with embarrassment that's heavier than you can handle.

Nightwing could laugh from the way your actions were exposing your bashfulness. You were clearly debating using Tikki as some shield in hiding your face but ended up looking away instead. Panic written all over your face. 

“I'm insisting you have me.” He answers. Watching as you ease slightly to his voice; alleviating your embarrassment. 

“So..” You draw out the ‘O’ and pout your lips, “thatbasicallymeansyourmine.” You say so quickly he almost misses it. 

His shoulders shake softly as a soft chuckle rises from his chest. 

“I'm yours, princess.” 

Someone calls your name from across the station and you look up to spot Barbara. 

You beam at her in excitement, crossing over to her in quick strides.

“Barb! What brings you here?” 

She eyes you though her glasses, taking you in for a moment then pushing her lenses up. “I came to check in on something. Can we speak in private?”

With a nod, you two head towards your office and shut the door after you. 

“Is this about the missing tube case? I handed the evidence over to Robin last night.” You ask curiously as Barbara strolls farther into the office. 

“Did you and Nightwing fuck?” 

She said it so casually it catches you off guard when you comprehend what she just asked.

“What?- hold on, let's slow down.” You laugh through your words and hold your palm out. “Where is this coming from?”

“You two were in your apartment till morning.” Barbara states as if she was reading facts given to her through a file. 

“Barb, he can be over and not sleep with me.” 

“You don't know his secret identity?” 

“Why am I being interrogated?” You're pointing at yourself, confused and bewildered. “No, he hasn't told me.”

“And you haven't told him?” She snaps back without missing a beat.

“Barb, we agreed that was a no. Not until I know it won't fuck up this whole thing.”

“Oh, dear god.” She pinches the bridge of her nose with a loud sigh and a wave of her hand. “This shit's gonna drive me crazy.” 

“So, let me get this straight. You're dating him and you have no idea who he is, and he has no idea who you really are.” She announces trying to show you how stupid it sounds. 

“It's just hard beca- wait, how did you know we were dating?” You squint your eyes in suspicion because you haven't said a thing to her. 

“I got here and you were grinning like you don’t live in Gotham, your hair is done, your face is beaming like you've finally got laid after decades, and Nightwing told me literally 5 minutes after because he couldn't contain his excitement. Which gave me perfect blackmail material.”

You forgot how precise and sharp she was. But your face was already flushed and a sheepish smile was growing after hearing that last bit. 

Barbara says your name, “I love that you've been happy, truly. But, you can't hide the truth forever.” 

She's right. You know she is. But..

“But, wouldn't he think it's a dick move to go and date him as another person after I rejected him?” 

She replies with a loud groan before you can even finish your sentence. “What?” You exclaim confused on why she was annoyed. 

“I’m not even gonna try anymore.” She puts her hands up in surrender, as if we’ve been arguing all morning. “I’ll leave it to you.” 

A knock on the door cuts your conversation short and the debate is put on a pause for now. 

Dick worked like he was getting paid twice of Bruce’s net worth this morning. After seeing you walk in just as happy as he was, he had to refrain from going up to your office and spending the rest of his day with you. 

He does sort of regret calling Barbara after he realized she recorded him practically kicking his feet ecstatically after leaving your house. Who could blame him? You two were together now. He’s yours and you're his. 

And he’s shoving his face in his papers, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. The thought itself fueled him with enough excitement for weeks. 

“Grayson?” An angel has called his name. 

He picks his head up, grin still stuck in place, and takes in your standing form. You raise a brow at him and snort. “What’s got you so smiley?” 

“A woman.” He shrugs sheepishly. 

“Okay, lover boy.” With a roll of your eyes, you hand him a copy of names and point to a specific person. “You arrested her three days ago. I want the full report and your body cam footage. Send it over please.”

“She was only trespassing on private property, is there something new?” He asks curiously, still smiling, and you squint your eyes at him with a small smile. The turn of his lips was contagious but was so familiar. 

“Yeah, her son was taken into custody last night and claims his mother was framed. I’m gonna look into it.” He nods in understanding and turns to his computer to pull up his files.

Patrol that night was also joyous. Shocker. 

You and Wing were having the time of your lives. The thugs were offended by the way you two were practically toying with them. 

“You bitch!” A hammer curves past you as you grab his arm and throw him over your shoulder towards Nightwing. Who kicks down the men behind you and electrocutes the man you just threw as he collides with the floor. 

“Is that it?” Unbothered, Nightwing nods. “Oracle, where to?” You ask into the comms and she replies saying two men had driven out of the facility towards the highway. 

You two manage to hunt them down and stop the cargo before it could get any further.

“Pound it!” You chuckle as you to fist bump each other. Nightwing takes the wheel as you sit in the passenger seat. Driving the truck to the spot Batman had instructed to meet. “What a night!”

“You’re in an awfully good mood today.” He smirks and you nod in agreement.

“I could say the same for you. What made you so joyful?” You lean against the car seat, one leg up and your head resting to the side. 

“You first.”

“I asked before you.” and he sighs in defeat.

“..Remember how I told you I was seeing someone?” 

“You briefly mentioned it, yes.” No, he didn't. He actually didn’t shut up one night about how he was trying to finish up to go see you and it pissed you off because you had to keep him there till you could leave.

“No, I didn’t- Anyway!” He cuts himself off before he falls for your tricks. “We sort of..” He trails off and licks his lips nervously. 

“Made it official?” He says it with a wince almost like he couldn’t believe it. 

“No way!” Here comes your hidden talent for acting. “Wing! That’s amazing!” You drag out your words fondly. 

He laughs bashfully and covers his mouth, one hand on the wheel and another hiding his excitement. The way he stares into the distance enamored has your heart melting. You adored him.

“We made it official this morning. You should’ve seen the way she was smiling.” He continued to explain the moment to you, unaware of the way you cherished his every word. “She had her hair in a mess but the cat was in her arms and the sun was shining on her like it was made to emphasize her existence- and her eyes– her eyes were gleaming when I said we were official– like literally sparkling! I practically saw stars in her eyes and-” When he looks over to you for a moment, noticing how quiet you’ve gotten, he asks with a shaky laugh, “What?”

You couldn't help the way you stared at him. So fascinated. He saw you like you were the world. The explanation itself had you in awe. Never would you have expected him to see you in this way. So struck and dear to him. 

“She must mean a lot to you.” 

He smiles at that. 

“Everything.”

When you get home, quickly changing out your suit, you hear Nightwing walk into the living room calling your name. 

“I’ll be right out!” You throw your suit under the bed and swing the door open. “Sorry, I was going to shower but remembered last second you were coming.” You play it off and make your way over to him. Distracting him with a kiss.

“I could wait.” He says with a smirk, that damn smirk, as you turn to head for the kitchen. 

“It’s fine. I’ll start on the hot chocolate and you can pick the movie-” You’re cut off when he’s pulling you back by your waist with his touch cold against your warm skin. Your breath hitches from the freezing contact.

“I was hoping you didn’t make it tonight, I wanna take you somewhere.” He gestures outside and you tilt your head slightly. 

“You want to go out?” You two haven’t gone out together since the night you started talking. 

“Why not? Go grab your coat.” He lets go of you and you’re smiling ear to ear. You’re back in your room not even a minute after you left it, grabbing your coat enthusiastically. 

“Where are we going?” 

“For some hot chocolate.”

So, you kick your feet on the ledge of the roof, waiting for Nightwing to come back.

He lands beside you with two cups in hand. “Please do not sit there when I'm not next to you.” He joins you and takes a seat. 

“I’ll be fine.” You take the cup from him as he sighs like he clearly disagrees. “Thank you for the drinks.” 

“You're treating me to one every night. I might as well do the same.”

Your cup warms your hands as you two chatter into the night. Once you thought your drink was cooled down, you take a small sip as he tells you about his brothers. Who, you already knew, were the robins. 

As you listen, you slightly burn your tongue from drinking too fast, the hot liquid stinging you unexpectedly, you hiss in response. 

“Still too hot?” You nod, pressing a hand to your mouth before removing the lid to let the drink cool down some more. 

“Robin once doubted how hot it would be, believe it or not, he was 11 and never tried hot chocolate.” You turn to him, eyes wide. 

“You failed as a sibling there.” 

“I didn’t even know him before that!” 

“Still. Tell me you warned him?”

He shrugs, “He ignored us and said he always had his tea hot. He must’ve never really tried actual hot tea because he never took a drink from us again for months.” 

“He definitely knows how to hold a grudge.” 

“Tell me about it. One time, we were in a Metropolis…” As he tells the story, you go for another sip, this time more carefully. 

While being invested in his memories, you notice the way the hot chocolate tasted familiar. Without a second thought you glance at the sticker, reading off the ingredients. 

It was exactly how you liked it. 

Still focused on Nightwing, you overlook it. Glad he was able to get something you liked. 

Eventually once the night is over, and the breeze is too cold for you to handle, Nightwing takes you home and kisses you good night. A promise to be over tomorrow too before he makes his way back into the night and you head to bed.

When Dick gets back to the Batcave, Bruce is typing away on the computer. Dick attempts to head inside quietly, careful not to make a sound and avoid capturing Bruce’s attentio-

“Dick.” Shit.

“Hey B.” He groans as his shoulders slump. “I just got back.” He complains as Bruce turns in his chair, clearly ready to ask something of him. 

“The gala this weekend.” He crosses his arms and Dick runs his hand through his hair before pulling off his mask.

“There’s a gala this weekend?” 

“I need you to be present.” Bruce states firmly and Dick is already shaking his head. 

“Just have one of the others go with you.”

“I won’t be there. Everyone else is occupied and Alfred said it has to be you.” 

Dick winces in annoyance. Not the Alfred card. “That’s not fair. Can’t one of them join me at least? Tim?”

“Has a case with Kon-El.”

“Steph?”

“Out of state with Cassandra.”

“Damn it- not even Duke!?”

“Jason warned him, now, he won’t do it.”

“Oh my god- Dami- no. Nevermind.” He’s pinching his temple in frustration. “When is the gala?”

“Saturday.”

He wants the cave to collapse on him right now. He covered for Bruce once and this is what he gets.

“Go ahead and bring yourself a plus one if it helps.” Bruce comments as he turns back to the computer completely unaware of the way Dick brightens up. 

A plus one? 

Once your lunch break starts, you're heading to Dick’s desk. “3:25. Come on, I want a fruit tart.” Dick looks up from his work then at the clock, not noticing how much time has passed. 

“Sorry, I am slumped after this morning’s call in.” You hum in understanding. Based on what you heard, there was a lot of havoc at a restaurant a few miles away. Turned out to be more than just a snobby customer.

“I’m sure a coffee will help. Up you go, come on. We had to ditch last week’s coffee run because you took more hours. And just your luck we have 2 hours before shift rotations.” 

Dick smiles tiredly, but forces himself up, nonetheless. He couldn’t let the opportunity to hang out with you slide so easily. 

So, as you two head to the coffee shop, he tries to introduce the topic of the gala in order to ask..

“But, I kind of don’t want to go because it’ll be a pain in the ass to spend the day alone, so.. I was gonna ask you if, y’know, you were interested in joining me?” 

You stare at him blankly for a moment and shake your head, “Me?” He nods. “You want me to join you? At a Bruce Wayne gala?” Then he nods slower this time. Unsure if you were onboard or not.

“Dick, I’ve never been to one. Not that I'm ungrateful. Thank you. For inviting me. But are you sure?” 

He opens the door to the cafe for you, stepping in after you with a reassuring smile. “I’d rather not go if it meant going alone.” And you stare at him for a moment, still debating. He waits patiently as you two stand in line.

“Okay. I’ll come.” In agreement, Dick is already looking forward to it. 

“That didn’t take much convincing.”

“It’s a Bruce Wayne gala, Dick. Who actually needs convincing?” He points to himself.

After you agreed, a thought lingered in your mind. How would Nightwing feel about this? You'll ask him.

Once you're seated with your drinks, you two are recapping your week to each other. Mainly to get rid of anything bothering you or some work drama. 

“Oh, please. Michael is not holding something against me.. right?” 

Dick sipped his drink with a disapproving frown, “Not what he told me.”

You gasp, “Wait, he said something about it?” Dick shrugs like he has no idea what you're talking about.

“Dick. Tell me he’s holding a grudge. I need to know.” You fold your hands together, begging him to tell you. 

He folds with no hesitation. “He was pissed you were all giddy yesterday after he lost the promotion. Saw it as you trying to annoy him.” And your hand falls against the table with a soft slam before pointing at Dick. 

“He is a two faced liar.” You cross your arms, “He knows damn well why I was having a good day. Not everything is about him you know.” 

Dick raises a brow at that. Obviously he knew why you were in a good mood yesterday. He was just as uplifting as you when your day started. Still, he decides to ask, 

“Say.. Why were you in such a good mood yesterday, anyway?” 

He eyes the way you think back for a moment, then hide your face sheepishly. Something about the way you were flustered in the moment reminded him of when you liked him. Not as Nightwing, but as Dick. He would never get tired of that.

“Just.. Some guy..” You're basically mumbling your words and Dick still has a brow raised. He’s heard those words before.

 “Okay, he’s not just some guy. Yesterday morning was when he and I made our relationship official and it was just a really good morning overall because he stayed over.” 

“How haven’t you told me about this? Now I'm curious!” Dick raises his cup, draining the last drops of his drink then leaning against the back of his chair. “I want to know every detail.” More like, he wants to hear your perspective. You’re clearly excited to talk about it because you don’t waste a second. 

“It started a while back.” You’re already leaning forward in anticipation, like you were about to tell him the gossip of the year. He bites back a smile and leans in as well. Also deciding to play his role in listening to said ‘gossip’.

“Well- if you include how long we’ve been friends, it’s been years.” 

And the noise of chattering and sounds of reality vanish in a moment. The world blurred for a moment. Years?

“We’ve been best friends since… anyway. We-.. you alright?” You ask, noticing the way his gaze was lost for a moment and his expression seemed to slightly slack.

No. No he wasn’t because you were one sentence into this and his whole day just fell apart. His thoughts scrambled to make sense of this.

He manages to reply, “Hm? Yeah, of course. Keep going.”

“Okay, so.. We’ve been friends for a few years now. A few months back, he confessed to me.” 

Confessed? That’s not right. He hasn’t even had the chance to say he loves you. 

“I sorta rejected him at the time, cause, I was.. into someone else.” You decide not to tell him, not sure how he would take the information. “But then the next day, I also was sorta rejected.”

Now, Dick was lost. Were you seeing someone else? 

“I guess after that… I had a different perspective of things.” You press a finger to your chin trying to figure out how to word the situation, “Not because I saw him as some rebound! I just.. Had the opportunity to see him in a different light? It’s complicated.” You wave it off but Dick wanted to push past that complication. 

What was complicated? Wasn’t he the first person you spoke to after getting rejected by him?

He didn’t feel like himself right now. He felt like Nightwing. Not because he was with you, but because of you. He didn’t like the way his mind started to question every possibility. How he was planning ahead. That is the one thing he enjoyed about being with you; not having to feel like he was fighting to survive a normal relationship. 

Was he wrong?

“Him and I have these movie nights. They weren’t really planned at first, just kinda happened.” And the way you smile upon mentioning that, completely cut off his anxiety for just a moment. 

“We had this fresh start.. I don’t think he sees it the way I do though, but it was refreshing. New, in a way. But from that point forward, he’s over every night for hot chocolate and movies.” 

Dick is scrambling to make sense of this. It sounds familiar. Why? What doesn't make sense?

“We knew we liked each other, We kissed and all. Yesterday was just the day we made it official.” You decide to end the story there. Dick hasn’t said a word the whole time. Which is weird because you were expecting more questions out of him.

“You’ve known him for years and you only now started dating?” He says like he’s trying to clarify that. His voice is oddly hollow in a way.

“Yeah. I know, I don’t know how I missed it either. You should’ve heard the way he spoke about me.” Then you're covering your face again. Stopping yourself from saying more. 

“What’d he say?” 

What did I say? He wanted to ask instead because he can’t recall saying something about you before he left, but your next words shock him to his core. 

“He said the sun was shining on me like it was made to emphasize my existence. Then complimented my eyes and called me everything..” And Dick is barely listening now. 

It was like a spotlight shone down on you. The warmth of his coffee reached all the way to his chest as the realization dawned on him.

Has the world just shifted? 

It was like out of those movies you two watched every night. 

The way the pieces fell into place. 

Your smile is now clear as day. Your laugh is now as recognizable as your name. The atmosphere, the love, the dynamic. It was all so new but familiar. He never could put a finger on it till now.

Because you were his.

In and out of costume. 

His surroundings melted away as you went on and on about the way he spoke about you yesterday. When you two were driving back to the city in the truck you stopped together. 

You were his partner. 

“Dick?” You call out his name for the third time and he just blinks before smiling, dimples flashing and teeth beaming. 

“Sorry- just.. Glad to hear you're happy. Sounds like he really loves you.” Slipping his confession past you, you have no idea of the way his heart was pounding against his chest. 

The way he couldn’t thank his overworking mind enough. 

Should he say something? Should he ask? What if he was wrong? No. He couldn’t be. 

Because he could see it now. The similarities. Your laugh, your hair, your interests, your voice, even down to the facial expressions you made. 

Just like now, that knit of your brows you do when you want to deny something but know it’s true.

“Love is a strong word..” You scoff with a wave of your hand but Dick doesn’t seem to think so. 

He meant that with every fiber of his being. His clear blue eyes held a meaning you couldn’t decipher. But it was one of pure honesty. As he holds your gaze, your lips curve upward as you try to force them down. 

“Or we have..? I dunno..” Turning away, you take another sip of your coffee. Which you got instead of a hot chocolate today because Wing had taken you to get some. 

Which brought your thoughts back to last night and your drink. Your focus falls to your cup, a new mystery sparks up in your mind. How did he know your hot chocolate order from this cafe? 

You glance up at Dick who seems to be lost in thought. When you look back down at the drink, your detective gears shift, a hint of a light bulb turning on before it blinks shut. No one even knew you liked hot chocolate at work besides Dick. 

Does he know Nightwing? His family does have connections to Batman, That’s something all of Gotham can figure out. When something happens to the Wayne family, Batman is quick to know. You would know because he’s had you on alert for years when it came to saving Bruce Wayne. 

“What's little Ms. Detective thinking?” Dick teases, now snapping you out of your trance. 

“Just thinking about a case.”

Dick from that point on was.. different. He wasn't really different, but something was.. different. 

The next two days went by and you've had him in the back of your mind. He lingered like an unsolved mystery. You just didn't know what the mystery was yet. 

But this is what being a detective is for.

On your next patrol, you and Nightwing sat on top of Wayne enterprises. Why? Oracle said so. 

So, here you two sit, playing cards, waiting for Oracle to report back on whatever she was doing. 

“You can't place an ace.” You argue and his lips turn downwards defeated before pulling back his ace. “You knew that, don't play dumb.” You snicker.

You hear your names over the comms and your game is cut short. 

“Oracle, we were starting to think you were gonna let us off early tonight.” Wing teases, shooting you a mischievous smirk. You shake your head with a huff as Oracle sighs on the other end.

“You’ll see your girlfriend early tonight, wing. Trust me, I don’t want to be here any longer than you.”

“Your words, not mine.” He shrugs.

“In 3 minutes, Bruce Wayne is going to meet you two.”

“What?” You two snap in unison.

“Batman’s orders.” She adds before she goes radio silent again.

Nightwing drags out a long sigh and lays against the pavement. “He’s gonna ask for a favor.”

“Does Batman just put us in these situations for his entertainment?” You grumble.

“You have no idea.”

“You're gonna have to do it.” Once Bruce left and you two were now alone again, Nightwing wanted to fall back and let the Gotham streets take him. 

“What?” His head snaps at you and you sigh. 

“I hate to do this to you but I’m gonna be busy on Saturday night. I was gonna ask you to cover that day for me.” Crossing your arms, Nightwing seems to be in disbelief but then he sighs in realization. 

“I was also going to ask you to cover me that day.” 

So you’re both fucked. Bruce Wayne has just asked you two to keep watch over his charity gala this weekend because he’s been receiving threats. 

You were conflicted because you planned on going with Dick. 

Nightwing was conflicted because what game was Bruce playing with him? He just asked him to be there in his stead then asked him to keep watch? What plan did he have now? And why is he bringing his girl into this?

“I’ll figure it out.” He says once he catches the way your brows scrunch in thought. He’d figure it out for you. He wanted you to enjoy that gala. 

“Are you sure?”

No. “Leave it to me.” 

Something was brewing. Not in a bad way (you hope) but there was something your mind was pushing you to figure out. 

You decided maybe it was one of your unfinished cases. So, you went over your notes but no. It was something else. 

Dick Grayson.

But also, your boyfriend was off too. 

Did you tell Nightwing about this? You should and you want to. But, you don't. Another mystery to solve. Why wouldn't you tell him?

“Babe, you lost twice now. I'm starting to think you're letting me win and I told you that hurts my precious ego.” Wing is snuggled into your side as you two play video games and he tilts his chin up at you but his focus is still on the screen where the next round begins.

“Sorry, just tired today.” You brush it off quickly before you lose once again. 

“Okay, that's my first winning streak against you and I'm heartbroken it wasn’t my fault.” Rising from your side, he tilts his head to get a better look at you. “Wanna let me into your thoughts, sweets?” 

That's another thing. Nightwing is calling you nicknames. Which isn't new, of course. But the ones he's using now are similar to the ones he used on vigilante you. 

“Sweets? That's a new one.” You question and he pecks your lips lightly in response.

“For a sweet girl like you, it's fitting.” Okay, maybe you were overthinking this. Your job is to overthink and you're probably letting that slip into your daily life. 

But, the thought lingers. What thought? No idea. 

“You remember that guy Dick Grayson?” Maybe you should get it off your chest. Saying things out loud always seems to get your head in the right space. 

“The officer? Yeah. Isn't he your friend now?” 

But now your conflicted again. Because that bothered you. Why was Nightwing so okay with that?

“Yeah. He asked me to be his plus one at a Wayne Gala Saturday.” Surely this will make him second guess Dick. 

“Really? Are you going?” He seems eager. Suspicion bubbles up in your throat when you ask,

“I dunno. I'm debating against it.” 

His face falls slowly. “Why? You should go out more. Clear your head.” 

“Okay, this is weird. Why are you okay with me going to a gala with a guy I told you rejected me?” You furrow your brows in confusion and Wing tilts his head like a lost puppy.

“It's up to you. I trust you. If you want to go and enjoy yourself, who am I to say anything?”

You were definitely overthinking and it's making you rash. You rub your palm against your temple and lay your weight against him.

“Sorry. I don't know what's coming over me.” 

“You don't have to apologize. I understand.” He hums as he plants another kiss to your lips and you two spend the rest of night in each other's arms.

The gala was tonight. Unfortunately for Dick, he was going to be stuck working. In more ways than one. 

When he spoke to Bruce about the gala, Bruce told him that there was a heist planned to take place that night. He unfortunately won't make it back to the gala till midnight. So, Dick had to keep watch from the inside and his partner would keep watch from the outside. 

But what Bruce didn't know (Bruce knows everything) was that his partner was also his plus one. 

How was he going to make this work? 

His plan: have his Nightwing suit under his tux. 

Once there's one sign of danger, he'll leave quickly and take care of it. 

On your end, you've been formulating theories since that coffee run with Dick. 

It's 5pm and the gala is at 9pm. You haven’t even started getting ready. Instead, you're in your office standing in front of your cork board. 

These past few days have been an ongoing breakthrough for you. 

You were suspecting Dick Grayson. And you had no idea why. 

No, you had no conclusion, hypothesis, or even an accusation. But it was itching at you. It made you feel insane!

Once the clock hit 6, you decided to finally go home and get dressed. Which also made you realize, you didn't have a dress. 

You were ready to scramble through your closet once you got home but found a package at your door. 

Once you get inside, you grab a pair of scissors and cut open the package. You usually order things over your lunch break so it could be anything. 

The box opens to reveal a note atop a thick folded dress. Lifting the note, you open it and read the contents. 

-

Let's match! You don’t have to wear it but accept it as a gift from me for joining me.

-DG

-

After you read over the letter. You double-check. Beside his initials was a faint pencil mark. Like he had erased something. You pull the note closer and try to make out the words.

‘Xoxo’

You had to be mistaken. He wouldn't write that knowing you had a boyfriend. He wouldn't do that. 

Then there's a buzz in the back of your mind. That dawning that you feel once you're getting closer to finishing the answer you're looking for. But what?

Being a detective had its cons. The suspicion was unrestricted and endless. You force it down and pull out the dress. It's perfect. Something right out of your Pinterest board. 

Then there's that buzz again. 

You push it back once more. Grabbing the letter Dick wrote you and putting it to the side in a drawer where you keep all the other letters you've gotten. Which has now been filled by Nightwin…

Pause. 

You slam the drawer back open. Snatching the letter Dick wrote you. Your eyes scan it over and over again. 

You know that hand writing. 

You read it every morning before work on your coffee table. 

Stop. Wait. You're getting ahead of yourself. Breathe.

But your already snatching another letter and comparing it to the other. 

Tikki is by your feet in hopes to gain your attention but you're frozen still. Heels planted against the tiles. 

Your eyes dart between the two letters. The two separate notes. The same handwriting. Your mind ran a million miles a minute. 

Could Dick Grayson be Nightwing?

The thought alone was bizarre. Right? 

Dick was a police officer. Nightwing was a vigilante. On top of that, Dick had a life. He tells me about his nights at the manor with his family. There’s no way he…

Then, in waves, the connections clicked. 

The hot chocolate. The apology after rejection. Hanging out more. The way he didn’t mind you being friends with Dick. 

Then the similarities. His smile, his humor, his hair, the build, his personality, and the damn comfort of him. 

It was all like one big joke. Did you seriously end up dating the guy who rejected you? And he ended up dating the girl who rejected him? A laugh escapes you in disbelief. Cause you don’t believe this. 

You look down at Tikki then back at the letters. 

-NW xoxo

-DG xoxo

Then you’re smiling. Cheeks curving with the turn of your lips as you break out in laughter. No wonder he got you a dress that perfectly suited you. You showed him your Pinterest board last week. Every time you thought back further, it all made sense. 

All you needed was proof. Solid proof that it was him. 

You glance back at the dress. An idea sparking to life. He was going to try and keep watch tonight so you could enjoy the event. You, on the other hand, had other ideas. 

You waste no time getting ready. Eventually uncovering more secrets as your mind played with the puzzle pieces. 

Bruce Wayne was Batman. His kids were all robins and Barb has to know this bullshit. Everything just clicked into place and that buzzing in your head has finally subdued. Case closed. 

Now all you worried about was, how were you going to tell him?

It's only fair you revealed your identity. Well.. even though you figured out his. But that's totally on him. 

Now the more you thought about it, the heavier it felt. This wasn't right. You two were completely lying to each other in and out of costumes. 

This is what Barbara was talking about. 

You lower the lipstick you were putting on and stare at your reflection. He didn't know who he was with. 

But he also was dating you as Nightwing after rejecting you as Dick. You scoff and continue getting ready. 

He's pulling the same shit you are! Why would he hate you for it? 

You don't beat yourself up any more about it. Throwing that anxiety away and grabbing your car keys. Before you leave you take one more look around the area to check if you forgot anything and your eyes land on your suit. 

Which you quickly grab and shove into your purse with your mask. Just in case. No gadgets and accessories. Only if you need to help Dick. 

You catch the way you've already associated Dick with Nightwing. A new accommodation you're getting comfortable with quickly. 

You get a message right before heading out your door, from Dick:

-Your ride is outside, can't let my plus one show up without style 😝

You leave your apartment with a cheeky grin and the most anticipating night to look forward to.

Part 4

before you kill me, hear me out. IF U WATCHED THE MIRACULOUS MOVIE YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND I HAD TO CUT IT. Even with all of you being so supportive i felt so anxious about uploading and i kept rushing to get it out asap. I really didn't like that at all so i want to get this out for u guys so i feel like i accomplished something </3 I hope you all understand! Thank you for everything! ^^

TAGLIST IS CLOSED !!!

"Is that gang beasts?" You make your way over to the controllers that sat next to the box. "With chocolates and sour candy?"

Nightwing couldn't tell if you were teasing him or were enjoying this until you looked back with a shit eating grin and a controller in hand. "Sit your ass down. You're about to get demolished."

"It's a losing battle, Nightwing" You lean against the wall with the pillow behind your back.

"You must underestimate my dedication to winning." Nightwing's determination is solid and you can't help but giggle.

"If I did, I would have lost the past 6 rounds."

Then he lost. Again.

"You have to have some stronger character-"

And again.

"Let's do the boxing ring map, that one's a 100% guaranteed win-"

And again.

"Gotham's favorite vigilante 0, GCPD's underpaid detective 11." You laugh as he slumps his head into his hands in frustration.

"You had to have cheated. There's no way! I beat all my brothers in this game!" He exaggerated and you cross your arms proudly.

"I remain unbeatable. I'll accept my reward by cash or another stash of snacks."

"I don't remember talking about rewards." He scrunched his nose, acting oblivious.

"Do you want to go back to the gameplay recordings and watch yourself lose?"

"I gave you an easy win." He points with his controller.

"You gave me an ego boost and a winning streak." A smirk on your face as he sighs in defeat.

"Fine. Whatever." He pouts. Like. Actually, pouts. And you're doubling over in laughter.

"Hey! Don't laugh!" Nightwing watches as you fall over holding your stomach and something in him started bubbling. "I said don't!" But he doesn't know why he's suddenly laughing with you.

He never knew you laughed like this. So contagiously. All he got out of you was soft giggles this afternoon. He can't put a finger on why it felt so nice to hear it.

"Oh yeah." Your laughter dies down and you try to catch your breath. "Yeah.. that should've been recorded. Remind me to play more games with you." Nightwing scoffs at that, but it's more of a chuckle.

"I just might." He comments and you raise a brow at that.

"Not afraid?"

"For starters, I need to clear my name!" And you nearly topple over in laughter again before he continues. "But also because I didn't know how fun you are."

"I hardly ever give off the opposite." You wave the controller around like it's obvious.

"I beg to differ." He raises a finger, "You were scary when we first met."

Okay maybe you were. He had basically ruined your plan, which was to get kidnapped and hopefully take you right to the main source, before he jumped in to save you and you had to play it off by knocking down 3 men and just taking whatever information you could get out of them. You might have been a bit snappy after that towards him.

"That was under different circumstances. I also thought you were a bit.. intimidating." You say looking up as if you were recalling the moment.

"You didn't seem afraid?"

"I never said for how long. Two seconds in, you spoke and I was more worried about the men with skull masks than a man in a spandex suit and two zapping sticks on his back."

"This is not spandex." He deadpans.

"is too."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"I changed that years ago!" He threw his arms up in frustration and you smirked.

"Oh yeah! Discowing! I remember that. What a shit show."

"Shit show!?" He turns to you like you said the most outrageous thing he's ever heard. And it throws you back into a giggling fit. It then hits him that you were teasing him.

He shakes his head embarrassed you managed to get him to fall for that, but he can't help it. He's smiling.

And once your giggles die down, you try to catch your breath.

"Cleared your mind?" He glances over with a nod.

"Yeah, you?" He replies with a smile.

And for a moment, you two appreciate the comforting presence of the other. Nightwing gazes at you as you stare off into the distance. A sense of familiarity overcomes him and he can't seem to find out what sparked it. But he was thankful. This was exactly what he needed. Who knew he'd find that with you.

And when your gaze lands on his, you feel safe. This was your best friend. You knew that. But something in you hoped you could've given him this comfort as his partner and not as someone he just met. Then.. you also love this. You didn't play video games with Nightwing on patrol. He's not this easily swayed by your remarks when you're his partner. It was like you had the chance to see him from a different perspective. But why would you want that?

And for the first time, you wish you could see through that mask. Just enough to catch a glimpse of the eyes that sit behind the white mesh. But you knew they were looking right back at you.

When a slight breeze blows by, you take the chance to look away and check the time.

"It's getting late, let's get you home"

You agree and start cleaning up the mess you two made.

"It's fine, I'm going to come back and pick this all up." He insists and you shake your head.

"You went out of your way to let me enjoy this with you. This is the least I can do." And with that you continue to pick up the leftover wrappers of candy.

Nightwing doesn't try to argue and goes to help you clean. He uses the blanket as a bag and wraps the pillows inside with the controllers. You stuff the wrappers in your pocket to throw out once you get back home.

"You sure you want to hold the bag?" He asks for the third time now.

"Nightwing. I promise you, you're underestimating my grip strength."

So, with that, he's taking you back to your apartment.

You notice the way the city is quieter now. Not because it was late, but because it was early. Gotham had a weird thing where the closer it is to morning, the lower the crime rate.

Nightwing, on the other hand, was thinking about you. For some reason, he held you tighter this time. Telling himself it's because you have things in your hands, and he wouldn't want the extra weight to be the reason he dropped you. But he knew it was more than that.

Once you two land on your balcony. A yawn breaks free and Nightwing chuckles. "Good night, though I doubt you'll be getting your eight hours." And he nearly smacks himself for the slipup.

"A shame. I cherish those hours dearly." You yawn again and make your way over to the door. He takes that as his cue to leave until you call his name.

"And next time you leave a note, put it in the 3rd window to the right in my office. There's a gap between the frame and the wall. That's also what your partner does." You shut the door after you and he's now alone.

He already misses you.

The next morning, you get to work bright and early. It's not like you had a full night's rest anyway. But then again, when do you ever?

You stop dead in your tracks when you see who's standing in front of your office door. Dick types away at his phone as he stands there. Waiting. You completely forgot about yesterday.

You completely forgot.

And for some reason...it comforts you. You had such a good time with Nightwing this was the last thing you could've been worried about last night. Kinda makes the whole situation lighter than before.

Dick must've sensed you there because he looks up and immediately catches your gaze. No choice but to walk over now.

"Officer Grayson, a bit early, don't you think?" Was that.. pettiness in your tone? You unlock the office and he follows you in.

"I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed any help. Though I forgot you start later than me." He played it off, and you set your things on your desk.

"Um. Thank you, but I'll be fine for today."

Dick knew you probably were mad at him this time. He may have thought you didn't like him before, but now he can definitely see the difference between your actual dislike.

He was supposed to apologize first. He needed to make sure you knew he didn't mean to hurt your feelings yesterday. But before he can say a word, his radio goes off.

"Dispatch, unit 47. Code four at Vineyard Alley. We need to start a detective call-out."

You sigh and push back your hair tiredly. "I literally just clocked in."

Dick raises his hand sheepishly and goes, “I’ll drive?”

That’s how you're now seated in the passenger seat beside Dick in a police car as he drives you to the scene. 

Tension fills the car and you avoid saying anything cause you would rather not make a fool of yourself by being petty or stuttering cause you didn’t know how to talk to him after he flat out rejected you yesterday-

His long sigh comes from him. You blink at him like he’s a disturbance, confused on why he’s acting like he’s the one who got turned down. After a second he glances to see if you’re looking and when you are, he’s shuffling to fix his posture. He clears his throat, taking multiple glances around the street and checking his blind spots even though you’re at a red light. 

“Grayson.” 

“Yeah?” His head shoots your direction. 

“The light is green.They’re honking at you.” And he’s stepping on the gas, nearly knocking you against the seat. You grip the side handle and turn to him with wide eyes, but keep your focus on the road because it doesn’t seem like his is. 

Once he reaches the next red light, you try to inhale quietly. Kind of worried about why he was acting that way until he turned to you abruptly and apologized. 

“I’m sorry.” He says it so quickly you barely miss it. 

“Y-yeah, no, It’s- It’s fine. Just lighten up on the gas pedal-” hoping you could ease the tension because the steering wheel looked like it’d snap under his grip on it.

“No, I mean about yesterday.” 

“Oh…oh!” You blank for a moment. Unsure on what to say. There’s a moment of silence before he’s rambling.

“I wasn’t in a good mood and I basically took it out on you, which isn’t fair to you at all- I just had to apologize cause I realized that you were only trying to help and I was being a total jerk- I didn’t realize it in the moment but you didn’t deserve that, and i felt like we were finally becoming friends and I really don’t want to ruin that, so I thought it’d be best to apologize as soon as possible but you seemed angry at me, so I was hoping I could get an apology out as I take you to the crime scene y’know?”

The amount of words he managed to throw in your direction within 30 seconds had you short-circuiting for a bit. 

“Okay..” You start. Trying to find how to continue because you weren’t expecting an apology. “Yeah.. it’s fine.”

“Are you sure? Let me make it up to you? Coffee?” He keeps glancing between you and the road and you feel more anxious with every passing second. 

“Sure.” You manage to say. He beams at that and continues to converse like you were the best of buddies. What a morning. 

When you two arrive at the scene, it's worse than you expected. An entire laboratory of scientists killed in gruesome ways. A cop makes his way over to you and starts explaining the situation.

“Based on what we've gathered, these scientists tried to replicate the fear toxin. One wrong move and the toxin broke free. Unsure of how stable it was, it caused them to commit suicide on the spot. Some had harsher ways of escaping but no survivors inside of this lab.”

After the report you walk into the lab wearing a gas mask. They stated they aren't sure if there are any leftover traces so it's best to be cautious. 

“We have an updated report from Red Robin.” You turn back to the door upon hearing that. 

“Where? Why didn't you show me first?” Immediately walking back out from the lab. If he had got here before you that means there's more to this than what meets the eye. 

Dick also overhears and walks over. “What's this about Red Robin?” He asks as you're already reading over the report. Your eyes widen with each sentence.

“Clear the area. The toxin is still in effect. Anyone who’s walked in that room needs immediate medical attention-” before you can finish, shots are fired and Dick pushes you down behind the cop car. 

“Someone was contaminated,” pulling out your radio to alert the rest. “Maybe more than one. How many people went in there?”

The officer looks over at you as the gun shots go off behind the car. “There were two people before you. Anybody else who was in there wasn't from our unit.” Well, now you know what you'll be doing tonight during patrol.

“I'll disarm him, you two go figure out who else went in there.” You peek over the vehicle, assessing how you're going to take the gun out his hands but you're being pulled back down and face to face with Dick. 

“No. You walked into that lab too. I'll handle this situation, go get yourself checked out.” 

You've never seen him so stern before. It's the first time you've ever seen him act like this. Maybe this is how he was on the field. But he was right. You stepped into that room earlier, even with a mask you could still experience hallucinations or even go into psychosis.

All you can do is nod. He's still holding you down. His hand on your arm as if he's ready to protect you under any circumstance.

“Get her to an ambulance.” He tells the officer beside us. Dick doesn't wait another second and jumps into action. 

You make your way over behind another vehicle as your coworker helps you get inside the car, and he calls over the radio to inform them what we‘ve figured out. 

Once the men disarm the people affected, Dick is quick to look for you. He asks over the radio for someone to update him. So far no one has a clue where you are. 

Then someone answers over the radio. It's you. 

“All clear. Symptoms are a slight tremble.” 

Back at the station, after hundreds of tests, you were finally allowed to go home for the night. The toxin barely had an effect on you. Which was great because you’ve updated Oracle and got home to get ready for patrol. 

“Hey Wing.” You walk up to him at your usual meeting spot and he turns to you with a smile. 

“Why hello. Oracle fill you in?” 

You guys haven’t spoken since that night. As vigilantes of course.. But he seems perfectly fine, so you decide it’s best to just move on.

“Yeah, Red Robin couldn’t join?” You ask and he shakes his head. 

“Was being petty and said he’d finish up his other work instead.”

“Just you and me then?” You raise a fist at him and he bumps it with his own.

“Against the world.”

By the end of the night, you guys managed to find some things until Nightwing offered to take it back to RR to take a look. 

So, you go back home. Just like that. A simple night. Maybe things weren’t so bad after that day. Then again it’s been a long 4 days. And just when you thought you’ve had enough. You hear a thud on your balcony. 

You drew the curtains hours ago. It’s 3 in the morning and you have no idea who stands on the other side. Being in Gotham, you’re going to assume the worst. It could be a trap. If you go next to the door, what if there’s a bomb planted? You grab your bat and crouch behind the sofa. What if it’s a break in? You stay silent to try to hear voices. Or it could be-

A knock. Two more follow. Then your name. And you’re pulling back the curtains-

“Nightwing?” 

He stands stiffly, looking down at the bat in your hands then back at you with a wave. “Did I scare you?” 

He was hoping you were expecting him. Given the fact that you had your lights on this late.

“You should be worried about how I was about to use this bat on you.” You point it at him accusingly. He laughs as you put it away and walk back inside. “Did you miss me already?

“Tremendously.” He places a hand over his chest like he’s in pain.”I was reminded of your marvelous self and made my way over to your residence in hopes that I could confirm your well-being.” You look at him from the kitchen with an eyebrow raised.

You didn’t expect him to come back so soon. He seemed in a lighter mood than earlier when you two were on patrol. You’re curious as to why he came to visit.

“And do enlighten me, what is it you heard?” You mimic his small talk as he walks into your living room.

“Some toxin nearly getting to you. How are you holding up?” He crosses his arms with a nod towards you and you hum. 

“I’m fine. A short case of some jitters but nothing serious.” You say over your shoulder while pouring something into a cup.

“Are you sure? Fear toxin is a lot more dangerous than you think. The smallest amount-”

“I’m sure. Thank you for asking but I had multiple tests and I barely was affected by it.” You could not handle any more worries. You had to reassure the whole office this evening.

He was excited to see you actually. He did want to check up on you but also, he couldn’t wait to be around you again.

He notices the way you're busy in the kitchen and his eyes wander around your apartment. The more he focused on the small details, the more the place reflected you. 

“You’re a fan of movies?” He asks and when you step out the kitchen, you're holding two cups of something.

“Hot coco?” You ask instead and Nightwing has to decline.

“Thanks, not a big fan.” He puts a hand up and you can immediately see through his lies.

“It’s not poisoned. I promise.” You knew that’s what he’d be worried about and you can’t blame him.

“I wasn’t-” You take a sip out of the cup and show it to him. 

“You were. I don’t blame you, you’re a vigilante. It’s only fair that you’re cautious of everything.” With that, he looks down at the cup and takes it from your hand. 

“Yeah, I lied. I’m a big fan.” You chuckle at him and take a sip from your own cup. 

“To answer your question, yes. I love movies.” Walking towards the shelves you have organized beside your tv, you gesture to the stacked DVDs and rows of consoles. “And the games. If you’re still in denial that I beat you.” You say much lower than your first sentence as you take another sip. 

“At this point, you’re bullying me.” He frowns and you shrug with a smirk. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

He goes to say more but spots a small frame on the shelves with a young girl in mid air during a gymnastics tournament. “Is that you?’ he asks. 

“Oh, yeah! My parents were really big fans of acrobatics. They hoped I'd go down that path but it wasn’t my thing.” You tilt your head at the frame with another shrug.

“Skydiving too?” And you notice his attention is now on the other frame beside it. 

“You’d be surprised how many times I went back.” 

“You’re always chasing an adrenaline rush, huh?” He looks over you as he takes a slow sip of his drink.

“That's why I decided to not move.” And he notices the way your gaze softens at the photos.

“Do you regret it?” He finds himself asking.

“No.” Turning towards him. “Not at all actually. Even though my life fell apart the second I stepped into this damned city, I can’t seem to leave it.”

“Sounds about right.” And you raise a brow at that. 

“And you? I’ve seen those flips you love to show off.” He smirks proudly like some kid being praised. 

“I was quite the acrobat myself.” And you can’t help but slightly laugh at his cheeky grin. “I was!” 

You knew that better than anyone. You and him have already had talks about your pasts. Even though they were described vaguely. 

Then with every small comment, you sparked up new conversations. Time passes and you barely notice how long you've been hanging out. Once the sun is nearly rising and you have to get ready for work, that is when you finally realize you've been here for too long.

“Shit, the sun is rising. I have work.” You grumble under your breath and he takes a double glance at the window. 

Had he seriously sat here all night with you? He has work and still has to get home and change.

“Do you want coffee before you go?” You ask and he's still processing how he lost track of time. “Nightwing?” 

“Yeah, I’ll have some, thanks. You’re not worried about losing sleep?” He gets up from the couch and you shrug. 

“Not that big of a deal. I’ve pulled all nighters before.” 

He leaves after. But that wasn’t the last time. Because he’s back over the day after. You managed to sneak a nap in at work then one right before your patrol. This time he stays for an hour. Worried you need to rest. 

Then comes the next day. He’s over with a story of his patrol. You were there, but it was nice hearing him retell it in his own way.

And the day after that. 

“Nightwing.. What’s that?” You point at the soft bundle of fur that tucks itself in his arms. 

“Isn’t it the cutest?”

And that’s how you ended up with a kitten.

Two weeks go by and she’s a hazard.

“Tikki. Down. Dow- No! Stop it!” You shout as she jumps onto the curtains from your dresser and claws her nails into the fabric.

“Tikki!” You yell as you go to grab her off of the covers.

That night you forced Nightwing to help you cut her nails. Which he was surprisingly good at. Claiming he helps his brother cut his pet's nails. Cute.

Then he's over every night after patrol. You don't really stop him either. Even nights when you're tired, he brings snacks and keeps his stay short. He even helped you restock the hot chocolate. Which he always came by to drink. Every night, a cup is waiting for him on the balcony. 

Your relationship as vigilantes continues well. You're nothing more than friends. His nicknames for you on the other hand, shifted to civilian you. On the field, his small remarks of affection had died down, his teasing on the other hand remains the same. 

But when he's over at your apartment..

“Okay, sugarplum. We got two new flavors, white chocolate and mint.” He holds the two packets up and you hum in deep thought. 

“Which one had an emptier stock at the store?” You go to grab the warm milk from the microwave. 

“The mint.” He holds it up.

“Weird.. Mint it is.” 

As winter rolls around, you're now wrapped in a superman themed blanket, Tikki between you and Nightwing as you go over which movie to watch. 

“Please.” 

“We literally just saw that movie last week.” He counters and you roll your eyes. 

“What do you wanna see then?” Tossing the remote at him.

“Lady and the Tramp.” 

“...Fine, only because I love that one too.” 

That night, you barely make it halfway through the movie. You missed some well needed sleep these past few days due to some work you procrastinated on.

Nightwing on the other hand, too invested in the movie, barely notices your resting frame pressing against his side. It wasn't until the movie ended that he grasps the position you two were in.

Tikki sat between you two, her soft purrs filling the silence that carries within the apartment.

In that moment, Nightwing smiles.

He wasn't expecting this. Whatever this is. He hasn't felt this comfort in.. a while. The type that feels nostalgic and warm, like home. Sure he has that back at the manor, but barely. It's rare for all his siblings to be in the same room or to have those quiet moments that speak for themselves. 

But with you? He found it instantly. The second he walks into your living room every night, he's already looking forward to it again.

Was it the hot chocolate? Or the movies? 

No. No, it was definitely you. 

He thought he was coming back because you two were able to connect from being rejected. Now, he's coming back because he can't get enough. 

He wasn't fighting crime when he was with you. He wasn't solving mysteries that gave him migraines the next morning with you. 

He was just here to be himself. For you. 

So, he smiles. He doesn't want to disturb you. He does on the other hand need to get home. But as he tries to detach from you and Tikki, she stirs causing him to halt. 

He hears you groan and shift slightly as he still tries to break free before you grumble something under your breath. 

“It's late, you should get some rest-” He whispers. 

“Stay.” 

He doesn't even give it a second thought and sits his ass right back down. All he needed was an excuse. “Alright.” 

And when you wake up to the sound of your alarm, you're scrambling to shut it off and rise from the couch. Tikki glances at you from the other end, curled up against a pillow. 

You spot a coffee on the table and a note sitting beside the TV remote. 

You chuckle tiredly. Of course he woke up and left before you. You force yourself off the couch and check the time. 

I fed Tikki and made some coffee for myself. Thought I’d make you a cup cause I was feeling generous.

If it's cold, that's on you.

-NW xoxo ;p

You run a nice hot shower and get yourself ready for the day. 

“Grayson, no.” Your eyes go wide in realization.

“Grayson, yes.” He grins and slaps a file onto your desk. All smug. “You owe me a coffee.”

“What!? It had to be suspect 3!” You snatch the file off your desk and laugh in disbelief upon opening it. 

“Confirmed by Batman himself.” He crosses his arms. “At this point, I'm doing your job for you, detective.” 

You shut the file abruptly and glare at him. “We both know you don't even have half the qualifications for this job to get near my level.” 

“You are terribly wrong. See? Already failing at the whole knowing stuff.” He gestures to you like it's palpable. 

“I will order you a cold black coffee.” And he's quick to shut his hand and mouth. 

“No, you can't do that. They have pumpkin spice with extra cinnamon today.” He sounds offended and you are now replicating that smug smirk he had on earlier. 

“That's what I thought.”

You and Dick have also been doing great. After he apologized, you two managed to find equal footing and became good friends. Though coffee runs were now a competition. 

After work, you go for coffee at the cafe across the street. Playing around with their new flavors every week. It was nice and something to look forward to. 

And looking back now? You can only see Dick as a friend. 

Because your mind was now occupied with someone else. 

“Now that's petty.” He shakes his head as you show him the texts between you and the lieutenant. “He was definitely being petty.”

“I have the right to be petty back then!”

“I'll tell you what, I'll throw in a good word but it comes with a cost.” He takes a dramatic sip of his latte followed by a smack of his lips. 

“Grayson, he likes me more than you.” 

“He's weird! I swear he only does that because you're a woman.” He explains like he knows that but can't prove it.

“I was planning on just working overtime tonight or finishing up extra paperwork in my free time to get him off my back.” You wave your hand, not really giving the situation too much effort. 

“Want some help?” He asks without missing a beat and you have to refuse.

“No, you help enough, Grayson. I appreciate it, but I'd be taking advantage of you.” 

“Well, I let you.” 

And you blink at him for a second. He does let you. But you feel bad by the end of it. 

“Thank you, but I'll just take the work home and finish it tonight.” You would love the help but he's been helping you constantly whenever he's free and at this point the only way you've paid him back for his kindness was his extremely sweet pumpkin spice lattes. 

You two go your separate ways, he heads home and you make your way back to your office to retrieve all the paperwork you need to work on tonight. 

Dick gets home and he's quick to suit up and make his way out into the dark streets of Gotham. 

He may have gotten a little carried away and made it to your place before you did. He wasn't expecting you to be so late. Maybe you ended up staying in the office. 

But once gunshots fired 3 blocks away, he knew.

Nightwing is immediately making his way over to the sound of screams and bullets. Once he drops down into an alleyway to stop the fight, he notices only one guy standing, holding his face in pain and a pistol shaking in his hands.

“S-she wasn't lying!” He yelps and before he can turn to run away a heel kicks him square in the face, colliding his skull with the wall. 

“Fuck you.” You spit at him grabbing your things off the ground. 

“Princess?” 

“Look who decided to drop in.” You smirk and Nightwing's gaze immediately catches the blood running down your lips.

A tight tug at his chest has him reaching out for you.

“Are you okay?” He asks, making his way over to you in swift strides. “Did they hurt you?” His face scrunches in worry as he looks over you. Unsure of where else you could be hurt, he's afraid to grab you.

You're caught off guard. The way his concern was so sudden had you stunned. You've never seen him this worried. 

“I'm okay. I'm fine. They were just some low life thugs. I had it handled.” Hoping to light up the mood since this was unexpected for you.

He looks around at the men that littered the floor now. All unconscious or doubled over in pain. 

Once he realizes they all are unarmed, because you were able to disarm them, he's immediately checking over you again. 

This time he looks over face.

His gloved hands, which are warmer than you thought would be, cradle your face. Careful but electric.

“Nightwing?” You ask because something is bubbling in your chest and it's not from the nasty kick you took to your ribs. 

He activates his comms. Letting Oracle know of the thugs and to send the police over. Once she copies, he's deactivating them again. 

Next thing you know is he's pulling you closer, shooting his grappling hook up towards the roofs and you're landing on your balcony in no time. 

You did everything in your power to not wince when he gripped at your waist. Once you land, you sense some sort of tension in the atmosphere. It mainly comes from him.

“Blue Bird, you alright?” You try to laugh it off but he seems.. serious. 

“Are you sure you're okay? Have you looked at yourself?” He asks again and your brows furrow at that.

“I'm fine.” Confused, you open the door and step inside your apartment. 

“You just beat the shit out of 4 armed men because they were thugs! You don't even have a jacket on and it's below 50 outside right now!” He's following right after you as Tikki rubs up against your legs.

You spot yourself in the mirror, noticing the small cut on your lip and grime that came from the hits you took. 

You turn back to Nightwing and reassure him you're okay. Unsure on what to say right now because you’ve never seen him act this way. 

“You can't do that. You have to be careful.” 

Something from those words poke at you uncomfortably and your shield is up. 

“I'm a cop, Nightwing. I may be a detective but I can still enforce the law. Those thugs were just done robbing the shop across the street.” You threw your arm out, gesturing to the outside. 

“They were armed with guns! You could've been shot!” 

“But I wasn’t! I can handle myself.”

“And you got punched in the face at least twice!” 

You don't know why you two were suddenly raising your voices. 

“What is up with you!? I took them down before they could actually open fire on people!” 

He has no problem letting you do this when you're a vigilante. Why was he so focused on it now?

“Damn it,” he mutters your name under his breath. “I know that. It's impressive and I'm really happy you're safe.” He's explaining now,

“But what if you weren't?”

And the way his voice shrinks in dread has you pulling back your defenses. 

“I.. I’m fine, I know how to handle these things.” You want to try to reassure him now. Maybe he was worried. You've been in that situation before. You can't blame him. 

“My heart dropped when I realized you weren't home and I heard the shots.” His head drops as he shoves a hand in his hair. 

“I care about you.” He mumbles followed by your name.

You're not standing too far from him and without a second thought, you wrap your arms around him. Embracing him in a way of stability. 

Nightwing didn't miss a beat, immediately embracing you and releasing a soft sigh. 

“Thank you. For worrying. And I'm sorry I made you worry.” And you feel the way he holds you tighter at that. “I won't apologize for what I did. You know I would do it again if I had to.”  

Unfortunately, you wanted to explain to him why. To explain that this was your duty every night. And because you were late, you feared the idea of someone getting hurt from your carelessness. So you did what you could do on your way home. 

But it wasn't the best idea to do that in your work clothes.  

“I'm sorry. I got worried and took it out on you.” 

Nightwing lightly breaks the hug and brings his hands up to cradle your face, running a thumb over the cut on your lips. 

Your body tenses at that. The hairs on your arms rise and you glance down at his hands. 

Then his mouth. 

And you're nearly melting in his hold when his head slightly lifts as if to meet your eyes. 

The lights haven't been turned on but the fluorescent glow of the moon was enough to highlight the harsh line between his brows. His mask reflects the glow. The eyes that lay hidden beneath it shadow under this darkness. 

His skin is radiant.. and his lips. Those lips. Was there really a moment where you rejected him? 

She was a fool.

You could kiss him right now. 

“Can't believe you let them get a hit.” He taunts and then you push him away with a roll of your eyes. 

“He got lucky.” You snort as you make your way through the apartment to turn on the lights. 

Was it hot? You felt like you were suffocating. Maybe it was the outfit. 

“Tell me, what sick ass punch line did you say before beating the shit out of them?” He crossed his arms, leaning his hips against the couch. 

“I could have just dropped in menacingly and taken them out without a word.” You glance up at him as you put your stuff down and the tension in the room thickens. 

His grin is big. Like he's just won some huge prize. “Please. You had to have said something to them. They looked like they regretted the whole thing right after.” 

You tug your cardigan off. Suddenly very timid. Your shoes are now uncomfortable too, so you take them off. 

“Blue bird. I gave them a taste of my fist an-and they got the hint.” With that you look away, continuing to take off your shoes.

Did you just stutter?

Nightwing takes slow steps towards you, and it feels like an invisible cushion is closing in on you. The atmosphere is getting tighter and you don't like it. It feels oddly familiar in a way you can't describe. 

“Did you threaten them? I got there and that blond guy was crying about your brutal honesty."

You laugh at that. But it comes out strained. Forced. 

Like you were nervous-

And the feeling hits you all too well. The sweating palms, the delaying basic comprehension to process jokes making your laughs stiff.

You haven’t felt this way since you spoke to Dick while having a huge crush on him. 

And you pause within that moment automatically. Your head snaps up as you drop your shoe. Dick is watching you silently, waiting for an answer. 

But you now understood the meaning behind that cocky grin he can't drop now. 

He knew he got you flustered. He knew you were nervous around him and he's teasing you for it.

And a spark comes to life.

“I'm straight forward.. I didn’t say much.” 

Your sentences are low and you mimic the slow strides he took towards you a second ago. 

He doesn't crack. He continues, “You can be mean. Enough to make a grown man get the chills.” 

He doesn't expect it. The sudden confidence that overtook you..

Where was this going? 

He eyes the way your stare is burning into him, the way you're batting your lashes and.. you've got him. 

He should say something. 

Something snarky. Maybe witty. 

He can't think because you're getting closer and he's blanking.

So close that he could-

“My actions just..” And the way your stare falls to his lips, “speak louder than words.” He's dumbfounded. 

And when you look back up, eyeing his mask. You smile softly and turn away. 

“So, hot chocol-?” 

Before you can finish your sentence, his arm grabs at your waist spinning you abruptly.

All at once, his hand hooks itself against your jaw, lifting your face. The other is making its way up your back, pushing you against his chest. 

The nerves run through your body as if you were struck by lightning. 

He's centimeters away. Daring to graze your nose against his. 

“Prove it.”

And you're pulling him in. Your fingers tangling in that hair that you couldn’t believe felt this soft. 

Then you're kissing him. You're kissing the lips you had just been day dreaming about a moment ago. And he's devouring it. 

Your lips collide in a frantic flood of emotion. Pushing and pulling, back and forth and he's not letting go. Neither are you.

The rush of adrenaline courses through you and you're falling back, pulling him towards you as you press your back against the wall. 

Nightwing can't dare to let go. He's inhaling sharply, lips still attached to yours, in hopes to catch some air after you knocked the wind out of him. But he wasn't complaining. 

He felt the way your nails scraped against his scalp makes his lips part to your satisfaction. Now able to slip your tongue past his lips, tilting your head to deepen the kiss. 

Any other thought in your mind ceases to exist at this moment. Evaporating into the back of your mind, to return after you've consumed every last drop of this. 

As he occupies his hands at your waist, holding you firmly-

You wince. 

He breaks away immediately. Breathless. “Are you hurt?” 

“It’s nothing-” But he’s already pulling back examining your side. “Nightwing, I’m fine-”

“No, I knew it. You were stiff earlier. Did you get hit in the ribs?”

And now you’re both on the couch as he wraps your torso. A comfortable silence fills the air as he carefully tapes the bandage.

“Don’t overwork yourself. If it’s as mild as you say, you should be fine by the end of the week.” Putting the things back in the first aid kit, he turns to you with a sigh. “Please be careful next time.”

“I will. I told you this is nothing and you have patrol. You’re wasting your time.” You pull down your sweater and he shakes his head. 

“I’m sure my partner has me covered.” She does not actually because said partner was sitting right in front of him. 

“Yeah, but I'm sure there’s other people who need you right now.” Because you were both here and Oracle must be losing her mind. 

Your phone rings on the table and you go to pick it up. Speak of the devil. 

“Hey Barb. Kinda busy. Can I call you back?” She was going to give you hell for this. 

“Of course. I’m just checking up. Get back to me when you can.” Meaning, ‘I can see your trackers at your apartment and both of your comms are off. Get your asses up before I lose it.’

Once you hang up, Nightwing seems to realize Oracle could be waiting for him. You both knew Barbara was Oracle, of course. It was more of an accident on your end. Though you and Nightwing never learned each other's identities. Even when Barb would recommend it. 

“I’ll be back later. If you go to bed, lock your balcony door so I know you're asleep.” He rises from the couch and you follow after quickly. 

Were you two going to talk about what happened?

“Yeah, I got it. Um.. I’ll see you then.” Trying to keep your talk short because you're late for patrol and in big trouble right now. 

As Nightwing walks to the balcony, he stops right before the door and turns back to you. You perk up, expecting him to say something but he leans forward and places a soft peck against your lips. 

“See you then.” Then he’s gone. 

And Barbara is calling again. 

“Hey Barbs..”

“What the fuck is going on?”

Part 3 a/n: THEY FINALLY KISSED GUYS. if you thought that took look, IMAGINE HOW I FELT WRITING IT, i was ready to cut scenes out to get it in quicker but then realized the buildup was needed. sighhh. but i hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter will be fan-fucking-tastic.

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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 !!!

Because one night, you all decide to go for drinks. It's totally harmless. It wasn't the first time you all went for drinks, of course.. but it was different because this time, because you convinced Dick to drink.

Which also wasn't new! But.. when everyone was out and you were drunk off your ass? Yeah, as if! He would never drink in such a state.

Then again, you somehow managed to convince him. It was your birthday night. You were a 3 minute walk from the hotel. And this was a once in a lifetime experience!

Dick tired to turn you down. When you were holding that shot in your hands and the way you lips pouted and your eyes soaked in unshed tears, it made him falter. But no. He wanted to make sure everyone stayed safe.

Then one of your friends offered to watch over you all. Stating that they only had two shots and were stopping there for the night. And when Dick saw the light sparkle in your eyes, he couldn't say no.

He weighed his options and realized, what could go wrong? If he thought it was getting bad, he'd take you back to the hotel that was 3 mins away by foot. And he wasn't a lightweight, surely he could hold his liquor.

... he clearly underestimated whatever you all ordered. Based of your friends memories of that night, you two went wild.

You two were on each other all night. Hands roaming each other's bodies, laughs so in sync and close it was shocking two didn't kiss.

Everyone knew they could trust Dick with you. Who wouldn't trust him in general? You two were practically together all the time.

So, no one questioned it when you two slipped out the club in drunken giggles. And based of the story you two were told, you and Dick told everyone you were tired and were heading back to the hotel.

You did not go back to the hotel. And you two sure as hell were not tired.

Because even though you woke up in your hotel room, Dick was there too.

That's not bad? You two have sleepovers all the time! And you're aren't naked, so you came to the conclusion that nothing too bad happened. (But would it really be a bad thing?)

It wasn't until you were packing your bags and find a neatly folded envelope. Beside it.. a certificate?

You two got married and you didn't remember one second of it.

"Read it over! Triple check-"

"I already did!"

"Check again!"

You and Dick ended up missing your flight.

For half of that day, you two panicked. Unsure what you did, how you did it, and what tied to your marriage now. What witness did you two even have!?

But the other half, was hysterical. You two were trying to figure out how the whole thing happened but somehow ended up buying rings and planning a honeymoon.

Over time, secrets were revealed, and confessions were told. When you two got past that barrier, it was perfect.

It was all for the heck of it in the moment. Laughing away your worries and true feelings for as long as you two could.

Skip the dating part. You two were married before even knowing you wanted to be.

Fate was in your favor.

The bat fam on the other hand..

It was on a Monday night. Alfred made dinner, and surprisingly, everyone showed up on time. No last-minute patrols, no case that needed solving, no 3 hour power naps were being taken. It was rare.

You and Dick show up together all the time now. No one really started questioning it honestly. You two have been friends ever since Dick became Robin. This wasn't news.

But, what was, is the ring on your finger.

It was halfway through dinner, some had nearly finished plates, some still trying to get down their first few bites. It was when you were laughing and covering your mouth when the ring flashed their eyes.

While you and dick were trying to catch your breath, the table fell silent. Shared looks and squinted eyes now watched you two.

And you could tell there was a certain tension building. You glanced over at the rest and caught onto the stares.

Dick was a laughing fit beside you while you tired to hold your grin down, still confused on why the mood suddenly changed.

"What?" You asked, unsure why you were the main focus, until you saw Cass raise her hand from under the table and point at her ring finger.

You looked down and realized you forgot to take off your ring today. Well, It's not anything crazy anyway. Surely they knew right?

"Oh, yeah.. uh.. what about it?" You asked as Dick began to calm down, only then he turned to face his family once he recognized the tension.

"What about what?" He perked up, now interested on why everyone was staring dumb at them.

"The ring." Tim voiced, like it was obvious.

"Are you married?" Damian questioned, which sounded more like an interrogation.

"Yeah.. I thought you guys knew this by now.." You gave a hesitant smile, eyes darted around the room but jumped to glance at Dick repeatedly.

"That makes no sense what so ever." Tim deadpanned before Jason dropped his utensil dramatically and throwed his arms up.

"I bet money that you were dating Dickwing here!" He commented in frustration and you caught the way Cass chuckled to herself on the side.

"You knew?" Tim's face fell as Cass nodded. "What!?" And Tim turned to his last hope. Bruce.

But Bruce paid no mind. Not even a glance. "You too!?" Shocked, Tim turned to you with wide eyes. "How did B know before me!?"

"So, you're with someone who's.. not Dick?" Duke mumbled.

Before you could shrug, Damian asked, "Who is it?"

And everyone watched Dick go dead silent. You hesitated to answer because the way they were reacting told you enough.

"Um.. you guys don't know him. Plus you wouldn't really want to know." You tossed your hand in a wave, brushing it off.

"The enemy is closer than you think." Bruce voiced before picking up his plate and leaving the table.

Then, the only sound that echoed through the kitchen was the ticking of the clock before the table erupted.

"Dick!?"

"When did this even happen!?"

"How!?"

"Wait, they're married to Dick!?"

"To him? Of all the options you had, unbelievable."

"Bruce!" Dick shouted at the man who walked out of the kitchen unnoticed, pleased with his payback.

"Why does he know and we don't!?" Duke pointed out.

"Does that even matter!? These two are married and we didn't even know they dated!" Jason countered.

"Well, we technically didn't." You added and every head snapped towards you, even Dick's. Who's eyes were blown in warning.

"So, what? You got married on a whim? Two best buddies out to spend their lives together?" Tim grumbled with crossed arms and a slight pout.

"We.. actually got married in Vegas. We didn't even remember it."

Duke's head tilted in shock, Tim was stunned, Jason looked disgusted, Damian glared, and Cass was just enjoying her food.

"You went to Vegas..?" Duke questioned as Tim shouted.

"yeah- 2 years ago!"

Damian pushed himself up off his seat and glared daggers at Dick. "I expected better from you, Richard." Before he grabbed his plate and made his way towards the door.

Dick remained dumbfounded.

"How did Bruce know?" Jason asked with a furrow of his brow.

"Dick used his card to pay for the certificate." You mumbled, and the room breaks into laughter. They point at Dick and throw their heads back like he was in a clown costume.

"I was drunk!" He attempted to argue, but the laughter only increased in volume.

He slumped beside you, offended and hurt, and you softly smiled at him before you placed a hand over his.

"Just give them the chance. It's better than them being mad at you." You whispered to him, and he nodded. Then, sat up straight instantly.

A smirk formed, and you raised a brow in question to what idea just formed in his head. But before you say a word he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on your lips before agreeing.

"You're right, I have you now anyway." Another kiss, and that time, you smiled into it. The room was silent again, like there wasn't anyone else but you two, but you quickly realized it wasn't your mind playing tricks on you.

The boys all eyed you two. Cass finished her plate in silence with a sip of her drink and left the table.

Dick didn't mind them as he walked away as well. Content as he made his way out the room and the boys remained frozen.

"Jason, shoot my eyes."

"Shoot mine first."

"That was tremendously horrific to witness." Damian commented far behind.

"Do I still have to pay up?"

They all reply, "Yes."

It wasn’t planned. Not really. It started with frequent visits, switching books with you after every patrol, complaining about your annotations that you knew he loved. He'd go on and on about each one, countering the small arguments you had written between the pages.

He'd stop by your apartment late at night, no text or call, just a knock on your window. As you’d pull back the curtains, low and behold, it's him again. Still in his suit, grimy and smelly, but he knows you'd forget about it the second he presents to you the takeout he got from your favorite fast-food spot.

He could just go back home... take a shower there, sleep in for the night, maybe even finish stitching back up those pants that ripped on him during a mission the other day.. but now where's the fun in that? 

So, that’s where it all started.

"Jay- I swear if you stain the damn-" You've already got some fries in your mouth as he steps through the window.

"Sheesh, relax. I'll take a shower before the full moon affects you. No need to attack me." He waves you off as he takes off his leather jacket. "Get those sweatpants I left here last time for me, they're my favorite and I want them back." Once he finally removes his helmet, he finally takes you in.

"You'll have to wait on those." You point a fry at him, in the very sweatpants he couldn't wait to get back. "Not my fault you left them here." You shrugged making your way to the couch.

"You know what, that's on me. I should've known." He grumbles under his breath. It's not the first time and he knows it's not the last. "Just grab me the blue shorts then." With a sigh, he made his way to the bathroom.

He'd definitely have his own shampoo and conditioner on the side. You bought it for him when he told you he used a 3 in 1. With the way you ran to the store and forced him to take another shower, he didn't argue.

You became his best friend. The only one he'd let his guard down for. The only one that could argue with him and the usual faint tint of green in his vision would never make an appearance.

But he definitely questioned it. Oh, he laid awake at night just to the thought of it.

Do best friends really act the way you two do?

It's normal for you to have your best friend's clothes in a separate drawer for them and have them shower and sleep at your place.. right?

He shooed those stupid thoughts away immediately. Not giving them an extra chance to pile up. You didn't deserve that.

You, who always manages to understand him, be there for him, and be patient with him even when he doesn't deserve it.

Best friends can basically live with each other.. that's what he'd say that was. 

His books that take up a whole shelf on your wall. The extra shoes he leaves by the door incase he fucks up his shoes again on the field. (You were the one who bought him those, which resulted in him being more careful with his shoes because he'd hate to use those and ruin them too.) Even his toothbrush was there

And dinner was on him that night. But he got lazy and bought the takeout.

"What do you think about moving?"

Jason turned to you, still drying his hair with a towel. You were only halfway through your burger, sitting on the floor instead of the couch.

He was confused, mainly because what made you think he'd leave you?

"Out of Gotham?"

"No, dumbass. Moving in with me."

Oh.. Oh.

"Jaso-"

"Yeah."

That came out so awkward. But then, of course, with you, it never was.

"Awesome, I was sick of carrying the groceries on my own."

...

Roommates it was.

So, as the weeks passed, Jason slowly began to settle in. And with each passing day, you two were basically attached by the hip. 

When he moved all his stuff over to your place, you two realized you’d need more storage space. And suddenly your hangouts turned into furniture shopping. With every outing and as the seasons passed, the apartment grew to fill with your mixed traits. 

The bookshelves around the complex are organized to reflect your interests. A row filled with collectables, the one under it stacked with books, and below it your records lined up together.

Your aesthetics were a mix together. Drawers filled with his different weapons and random ammo in odd places. 

Eventually, sleeping together was a habit too. It started with small naps on the couch after a movie night. Then, one gets sick and hogs the bed for a few days (Jason) and doesn’t want to leave after. Cuddling became second nature. 

Jason would slam the door behind him, kicking it shut before dragging his feet to drop the groceries in the kitchen and turn to face you on the couch munching on his leftover chips. 

“I was looking forward to those you know.” Arms crossed and exhaustion written all over his face. 

You would turn your head towards him slowly, eyes still glued to the screen before humming. “There's some left, c’mere.” Reaching your arm up, creating an open space beside you as he’d walk over and slump into the spot. His head rests against your figure before you wrap your arm around him and pass the chips. 

He’d take it, glancing inside before turning his focus to you. “This is half gone.”

“Never said how much was left.” Not even sparing him a glance. He just grumbles and snuggles deeper into your embrace then shoves a few chips into his mouth. 

“I deposited some money into our account earlier.” He adds after a moment. That’s also a new thing. You have a shared bank account, mainly for bills, but it became another addition to your merged lives now. 

With you two constantly together, it was only a matter of time till you went to the manor. It was after running some errands together early in the morning and Jason said he forgot something at the manor. Since you two weren’t far, you decided to join him. Even after he highly recommended not to. 

But it ended up being great! 

When he said to wait at the front door so he could run to his room real quick to grab his things, you were greeted by Alfred. Meeting the man Jason spoke of so frequently and how “your cookies will never beat his” was lived up to your expectations. It was a bit nerve wracking due to how quiet and void the manor was when Alfred was bringing you further in for some tea and some of those unforgettable cookies. 

Alfred stated that everyone was busy, either at school or work, at that hour so you were lucky enough to try them fresh out the oven. Jason walked in shortly after, relief washing over him when he realized you were with Alfred. 

After that day, you and Jason would make stops at the manor regularly. Only in the morning or early afternoon though. 

You cherished those days the most. You loved the soft chatter between you, Alfred and Jason in the kitchen with the scent of freshly baked sweets. Moments like that made you see Jason in a new light. Not only as family, a best friend, or brother, but almost like something more. But you couldn’t see him accepting or even the thought crossing his mind. So, you lived those moments to the fullest. 

Not knowing the way Jason thought of you twice as much. The way his chest felt crushed by the weight of your overwhelming presence in his childhood home, laughing with one of his loved ones, fitting into his life perfectly, understanding him better than anybody, and just bringing a smile to his face– he could barely breathe. 

He caught a glimpse of what it could be like. You, completely in his life, getting along with those he considered family, being more than just friends…

One late night, during a chaotic long dinner, you called him. 

Without wasting a second, Jason walks out the room, apologizing to Alfred– who knows by now who called based on the ringtone alone– and picks up the call. Once the door shuts behind him, the sound of steel clatters against a plate, and every pair of eyes turns to Tim.

They all watch in curiosity as he pulls out his laptop– from where? No idea– and rapidly goes to type something but Jason’s voice breaks through the questioning and silent atmosphere to shout, “So help me, if you pulled out that laptop, Tim, I will light this place up like it's Christmas!” 

When the now annoyed teen shuts his laptop in defeat, his family share looks of confusion. 

“Damn it.” Tim huffs under his breath as he crosses his arms and slumps back into his seat. “I’ll get him.”

A second passes before Duke is the first to speak up, “What was that about?” 

The rest nod in agreement, now piquing their interest on what had just occurred. 

Tim goes to grab his spoon, mumbling before taking another bite of his food, “Jason’s seeing someone.”

And before anyone can process his words, the star of the show returns. 

“I’ll be heading out. Thanks for the food, Alfred. Is it alright if I take some to go?” Jason shoves his phone into his pocket and Alfred gives him a brief nod before making his way back into the kitchen to grab a container. 

Jason is going to collect his things before an arm wraps around his shoulder, tugging him back.

“Jay..” Dick starts, going to grab both Jason's shoulders with a bittersweet smile and pulls him in for a hug. “You should’ve told us. I'm so happy for you, how'd you meet her, him, or they? I don't judge.” And Jason goes rigid for a moment as he pushes Dick back. He’s unsure what to say, but Dick hardly gives him a chance to reply. 

“Do they know?” 

…

“Know what..?” Is all he can muster. Jason could see the gears turning before he tugs at his lips, eyes squinted slightly, fisted hands resting on his shoulder. Jason shakes his head hesitantly “No.. they don’t know I like them.”

“That too!” he nods enthusiastically, “just the..” Dick makes a helmet gesture with his hands then draws two pointer fingers extended with a soft ‘pew pew’. 

“Shoot your shot” he winks. 

Jason deadpans, “You’re about to be shot.”

He couldn’t ruin what he had with you. So, he pushed away every thought of crossing that line. The line that held a deadly risk, worse than him leaving to fight in the streets of Gotham every night. 

He risked bringing you to the manor every time, afraid he’s putting you in danger. Somehow, you hadn’t run into Bruce, or anyone for that matter. But he’s not complaining. Alfred was enough. More than enough actually. 

You questioned it from time to time, hoping to meet the rest but he dodged your questions occasionally. Alfred on the other hand, was a talking machine all of a sudden during those questions.

He should’ve known Alfred was planning something when you two were getting takeout one night, and he got a text, asking him to come by the manor to pick up his helmet, that was in desperate need of repairs. You saw the message over his shoulder and were overjoyed to head to the manor. 

Blinded by your excitement, Jason completely overlooked the fact that the entire family would be having dinner at that exact time at the manor. But he didn’t grasp that until he parked his bike, forgetting you would instinctively follow him inside, not a thought behind those eyes. Panic was written all over his face as he opened the doors and walked inside, hearing you trail after him. 

He prayed he would get lucky and it was a busy night for the family, but it's in vain once he hears the shouts and obnoxious laughter echo through the halls.  

“Is that.. your family?” You perk up, quickening your steps and Jason tries to formulate some sort of warning but you’re already through the doors before he could get a word out.

“Timothy Drake Wayne, if you refuse to return my belongings-”

“I didn’t take anything.”

(Swear it) “إحلف!”

“I’m not swearing-!”

“Say والله or ياويلك!” (Say swear to God or woe to you)

“Tim, if he finds that katana, he's going to use it on you.” 

“He probably will either way because I didn't take it!”

“Liar!” 

A crash is heard, followed by thuds and Jason is already letting out a long sigh as you step into the dining room. 

“Where’s my phone!? I need to get this!” Stephanie's laughter echoes. Jason is close behind you once you come to stop.

Your eyes scan over the scene– Damian holding down Tim as Dick tries to pry him off, Steph hunched over in laughter as she leans on Cass, and Barbara taking a sip of her drink in the middle of a conversation with duke while Alfred makes his way over to you. 

Alfred greets you softly, “Please, join us for dinner.” And you happily agree. 

When your reply is voiced through the room, everyone comes to an abrupt halt. Sets of wide, glaring and curious eyes land on you then Jason, then you again.

And he suddenly couldn’t breathe until Tim swore under his breath, “I knew it.”

You waved, hoping to say some sort of greeting but everyone beat you to it. 

What Jason hadn’t been expecting was the way you instantly clicked with the family. Because how in the world did Damian crack a joke with you only 20 minutes into dinner!? 

“Todd, you somehow managed to find some decent company in your life besides those imbeciles you call friends.”  

“Jason, you made him out to be a monster. He’s hilarious!” You comment and Jason suddenly short circuts. Are you actually getting along with Damian right now?

Did Tim just close his laptop to answer you?

Surely Cass did not just give you a hug..

Is Dick.. exchanging phone numbers!?

“Dickwing, not on my watch.” Jason didn’t waste a second to pull Dick’s phone out his hands and throw it across the couch. 

“Oh, come on, Jay! I’m tryna help here!” 

“With what?” You ask and Jason shuts down the conversation immediately. 

“Doesn’t matter.” He pulls out his phone and checks the time. “You still need to go grab your things from your friend’s house or?” He added showing you the time.

“Oh, crap! I forgot about that.”

He couldn’t be happier that you agreed and said your goodbyes within the next minute. 

Back in the car, Jason couldn’t help but notice your good mood. He didn’t comment on it, but you managed to say the right thing anyway. Because you always do. 

“Your family was awesome. I wish I could be part of something like that.”

He did too.

And just like that, the air is thick. The leather straps fastened around your waist are tighter. The ones over your chest are practically suffocating you now. He always did that. That stupid thing where he is in your sights and suddenly you’re thinking of nothing but him.

There’s just a man standing there. He’s nothing. Just another target. Another kill and you move on with your day. 

But..

There stands the man you once feared losing. The man who met you in a dark alley. Cracking a joke– just like now– that caught your attention. 

The attention you still can't decide if you regret giving. Is that what it is now?

“I see you've found yourself trailing me even after years, Wing.” But he didn't need to know it was you who found him. Not him who found you.

But it was always like that. When you needed help, he was the first by your side. When you wanted company, he was first to volunteer. When you were looking– he was there to put himself in your field of vision.

You had to reach first. You had to get him first. You had to make the target or else he wouldn't aim for it.

“You're not who I'm after this time.” He clears his throat, turning his head to face the buildings that shrunk below us. “Keith Traminson. 33 year old male. Ginger. Blue eyed-”

“I'm not your intel buddy.” And he doesn't miss the way your arm leans closer to your blade. “We aren’t friends.” 

His eyes trail over your sheathed blade. The realization dawns on him but he doesn’t show it. His arms fall from his hips. His tone is lighter. 

“But we aren’t enemies either.” He looks back up at you. And you knew he could read you like an open book. You were sent to kill him. It wasn’t luck that brought him to you. You had orchestrated this. “Has our past finally caught up to us?” 

“You are nothing but another victim tonight, Nightwing.” The words burn against your tongue. Alongside the hiss of your blade as you unsheathe it. You stand before him tonight as an assassin. Not the woman he once loved. That is what you told yourself. 

He is a target. You have a job. This was inevitable. 

But he thought differently. He always did. That’s what you loved so much about him. 

He saw the woman he loves. Not an assassin. Not an enemy. Just what he lost. 

And he’s calling your name but you’re swinging your blade before he can finish. He’s moving before you can land a strike. 

“Don’t.” So painful and quick, Dick can’t stop himself from looking at you. Expecting the anger and frustration to show– Not the shine of your tearful eyes and the discomfort of restraint that overtook you. “Don’t you dare say my name!” Shouts were ripped straight from your throat. Raw hurt laced with heartache. Your sword cut through the air as he dodged your reckless aim.

“We made a deal.” He didn’t want to pull that card.

“A deal that ends now.” Just do it, Do it. 

Stop talking and do it. But you miss. Again. And again. 

“Then end it.” God, you hated how light his voice carried itself. Like this was any other night. Like this isn’t what you’ve been avoiding for years.

You loved him. You left. You both agreed it was for the best. 

So, why did it feel like the blood drained from your face when the sword got too close? You wanted him to stop dodging. To knock you down. To end this before you end him.

With every swing, slash and thrust, it all comes pouring out. The tears are forced into existence and you can’t stop the way you tremble with every move. It was shameful and cowardly. This isn’t what you were made to be. Emotional and reckless. 

But it felt.. It just felt like everything. You could feel when you were with him. The anger, the hurt, the joy, the need. It was unfamiliar to you, but so comforting when it came from him. 

Dick avoided you with every maneuver of his body as the slash of metal aimed for him. But he wanted to avoid this at all costs. The inevitable. Seeing you break and he’s to blame.

“And who’s the one who keeps coming back, Dick?” Ruin it. Ruin it and don’t look back. 

“You!-” Another swing of your sword.

“Me!?” You hate the way your voice cracks. Like you were being strangled. “You-..” And you have to force down a swallow. Not like it would help the tightness in your throat. “You did this.” 

Dick rips off his mask in frustration. The thin facade felt too casual for the intimacy that was buried beneath it. 

His gaze was wide. The tense furrow of his brows and the curve of his frown attacked you unexpectedly. Those eyes. The same ones that stared at you with more love than you could handle. The ones that held you till you slept. The same blue gaze that drowned you in devotion. 

“You’re the one who doesn’t leave my life.” His hands fist at his sides and your grip falters for a moment. “Look at me.” His palms slam against his chest,”I’m following you like some lost dog.”

You shake your head, “You don’t need–” 

“I keep all your stuff with me! My entire house is a part of you. My plants, my dishes, my fucking decor!” He runs his hand through his hair, the sudden outburst shocking even him but you both were throwing in all your cards now. “You’re everything in my life. I don’t know me without you, damn it!” 

“You can’t sit here and yell at me when you were the one who made me part of it after I warned you! 

“Never did I want you to leave it!” He takes a step closer and you raise your blade without a flinch. 

He doesn’t even spare it a glance. His focus solely on you. Agony and yearning pushes him to move closer, and your pulling back the blade slightly. His eyes lock yours in an boundless longing. 

He’s not going to hide this. Whatever this was, it was everything. He was putting it all on the line, not because his life was in your hands but because he knows. He could see it all. 

He says your name softly, but his words are everything but. 

“Tell me. Every morning, do you look over your couch and expect Haley to jump up expecting a hug?” He takes another step.

“Did you organize your pantry with the same order of light blue bins?” You did. They were your favorite ones.

“I tried cleaning out my closet but every cabinet has the scent of your perfume.” And you could smell his right now. The same one he always had. The one you told him you loved.

“How is it fair–” and he doesn’t even mind the way his skin makes contact with your blade as he steps closer. “Tell me.” 

The desperation in his voice haunts you. It follows you in your dreams and becomes a part of you. 

“You loved me in wa-”

“Love. I love you.” HIs voice falls with each word. He gets quiet. You can hear him breathe– when did he get so close?

“I still do– I’m sick of this shitty idea you have that makes you think I don’t.” 

A sob breaks through. One. Then two. And each time he hears another, the pressure that weighs over his chest gets worse. 

“No, please– don't-” but you barely hear him over your cries and the sound of steel dropping to the floor. 

As you shake your head, hoping to push him away, his arms are pulling you in. You hate how much you love it. The embrace, the kindness, the love that came from him. 

He knew that. All the more reason he holds you tighter.

“You can hate me all you want for this. But I'd rather you feel safe than alert.” He mutters under his breath into your hair. 

As the Gotham winds blow past you, threatening to ruin the warmth that you two shared, Dick held you securely. 

“You.. you have to go.” You manage to say, pushing your hands against his chest. “Leave. Please.” 

“No-”

“No. Listen to me-” Then you shove him in hopes to break contact but your still in arms length. “They- they’ll come for you. Once they're done with me, you're next.” You inhale sharply in hopes of calming your frantic breathing. 

Dick face scrunches in pity, sadness, and hurt. He whispers your name with a shake of his head. “I'm not leaving you again. You know I'll only come looking.” 

“There won't be anything to look for after this.” 

And you watch him shift in his spot. Not nervously, but protectively. 

“Then don't go.”

You stare at your blade that lays on the floor. Unable to look at him because you knew you'd agree. You'd stay. 

You take his arms off you and pick up the blade. He watches you silently. 

“It's either you or me… and we both know who it is.” 

And when the realization hit, Dick pushed past the blade in your hands, not caring for the way it cut into his skin. 

And you yell in frustration. Turning to face him, expecting this to go down in punches and kicks- but it goes down in other painful ways. 

It happens before your mind could process it but your body responds in muscle memory. His hands hold your face close in desperation. The strands of your hair tangled between them. 

Your lips collide against each other. Sharing a weight of loss you both know you'll have to accept. One would think the kiss was painful from the way you two broke under the unforgiving waves of emotion. 

“Please.” He whines. 

And you make the mistake of looking at him. 

His eyes gloss over in unshed tears– they started falling once you looked back at him. 

He looked at you like he had lost the one thing he still had. He's fighting a frown as he cries and it breaks you even more. 

“Dick..” 

“Say my name- whenever you want, never stop- but please, say it because you'll stay.” His thumbs rub against your cheek, wiping the tears that continued to flow. The way his eyes darted between yours had you conflicted. 

What could you say? And you couldn't get the words out, so you pull him back into you, letting your feelings pour out though the shared connection of lips and sobs. 

Because he knew you wouldn't stay. 

You knew he did. 

So, why leave anything untouched before the last goodbye? 

“You won't live next time.” 

“Not without you.”