#dickkaldur

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Kaldur hated Blüdhaven. Sure Gotham put him on edge with its constant haze of pollution and overall feeling of doom but Blüdhaven just felt dirtier, lonelier. He supposed that this part of Blüdhaven was the lesser of some evils. It was right in the middle of the revitalisation project so it at least appeared somewhat inviting. Well, by Blüdhaven standards.

From the outside the cafe looked normal. Not that Kaldur frequented cafes. Upon stepping through the door he conceded that he might be over his head. Babs had tried her best to dress Kaldur in an inconspicuous outfit but it seemed that he needed more plaid. And maybe a beard. At least the upturned collar on his leather jacket hid his gills for the most part.  

It was easy to spot Dick since he was the only person behind the counter of the small cafe. Sure Kaldur had noticed that Dick’s hair was getting on the long side but this… this was inexcusable. He had a man bun. “Oh no...” Kaldur muttered under his breath and considered escaping before he was spotted. However, at that exact moment Dick looked up from behind the counter and locked eyes with him.

“Hey sweetheart, don’t be afraid, come on in!” Dick yelled and beckoned him over to the counter.”

Glancing around the room Kaldur noted that several of the patrons were now watching him and Dick. With a sigh he started moving towards the counter.

“What will it be, handsome?” Dick leaned on the counter and gave Kaldur one of his most dazzling smiles.

Despite his unease Kaldur couldn’t help but give a tentative smile back. “A… little birdie told me that it was prudent I visit this establishment.”

“Oh did he now?” Dick did his best to not look annoyed.

“Yes, and upon further assessment I believe he was correct.”

A soft smile spreads across Dick’s face. “You just wanted to see me.” He gestures dramatically to a table. “Alright take a seat, I’ll be right over with your drink.”

“But I-”

Dick waved him away. “I got this. Now go sit down.”

Somehow Kaldur managed to hold in his sigh as he sat down. This was not going how he expected it to. Sure he’d expected Dick to be preforming but this… the big smiles and exuberance he was currently displaying as he pulled a girl with purple hair out of the back room, well they made Kaldur think of a younger Dick. An exited boy that he’d walked into the Justice League headquarters with just over 7 years ago with. A boy that Kaldur had scarcely seen since Wally’s death.

A few moments later Dick came over and plopped a chipped teacup in front of Kaldur. “There you go, a Blüdhaven Bay special.”

Kaldur looked down at the murky liquid. It was probably tea. There was something floating in it. In an odd way it did look like the water surrounding Blüdhaven. This scared Kaldur more than he wanted to admit.

“I’m really glad you’re here though.” Dick smiled fondly at Kaldur then turned to yell back at the girl behind the counter. “Someone was starting to doubt that I had a boyfriend.”

The girl rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning something behind the counter.

“So, that’s what we are?” Kaldur asked tentatively. Hopefully.

Dick grabbed a chair and scraped it loudly across the floor until he was sitting right up against Kaldur’s side. He sat down and leaned in close so that nobody would overhear them. “Yah, I mean I was kind of hoping. Look I know things have been… I’ve been...” Dick sighed. “What I’m saying is being here, doing this, it’s made me realise how much I’ve cut myself off. How much I’ve been acting like B. And I don’t want that. I want to have good things in my life, things that make me happy.”

Kaldur turned in his chair so that he could see Dick better. The vulnerable look on Dick’s face made his heart break a little. He gently reached up and tucked a few stray hair strands behind Dick’s ear. “I want that as well. And you could never be like B, there’s too much warmth and sunlight in here.” Kaldur gently tapped Dick on the chest over his heart.

“Yah, you’re right.” Dick smiled. It was soft and genuine and made Kaldur’s own heart melt a little. “Look can I...” Dick glanced at Kaldur’s lips.

“Yes, please.” Kaldur said, leaning in.

The kiss was soft and chaste. They’d shared many before now right here, right now, it just felt different. Like a new soft beginning. Of course, with them being in public, someone let out a loud wolf whistle which caused them to break apart and glance around.

“Later?” Dick asked.

“Of course.” Kaldur smiled. “Perhaps you should get back to...” he gestured to the counter.

“Oh, probably. So, uhh, enjoy your tea!” Dick got up, a blush creeping across his face. “I’ll see you around.” He shot quick finger guns at Kaldur before hastily disappearing into the back room.  

“Thank you!” Kaldur yelled after his retreating boyfriend. Huh, boyfriend. He smiled.

Kaldur was glad that Tim had convinced him to come intervene. Well, not so much intervene as just check up on Dick. Regardless it made him smile. And forget about what was really contained in the cup sitting in front of him. He took a sip of the Blüdhaven Bay Special and subtly spat it back in the cup. Somehow it tasted even worse than the water in Blüdhaven Bay.

BONUS SCENE

Dick: Hey everyone! I brought pie!

Kaldur: I thought you were going to be under cover for a while.

Dick: yah I walked into the back room shortly after you left and there was just so much cocaine.

Kaldur: Just sitting there?

Dick: They were packaging it into like little sugar packets. No wonder so many people came and bought cases of sugar packets. I thought it was some weird organic hipster thing. But no, it was cocaine.

Kaldur: You didn’t think to try said sugar at some point…?

Dick: it was some weird organic hipster sugar. Would you really want to try it?

Kaldur: Point. So, pie?

Dick: pie. For my cutie pie boyfriend.

Kaldur: *under his breath* oh no

 Kaldur set down his fountain pen and looked up. “Let me rephrase, is there a legitimate reason as to why you’re in my office Dick? As you can see I have a lot of work to do-”

“ I don’t get it…I just don’t get it. What’s in this for you?”

“ I’m sorry?”

“ This job. What are you getting from it? It can’t be money. At least not enough to keep living as you did before you had your great epiphany. So what is it? Do you just get your jollies off of taking down former allies?” 

 “ I don’t expect you to understand Dick but I’m doing this for the greater good.” 

“ Greater good-? Are you kidding me???” Dick laughed at it’s absurdity.  

“ This city is utter turmoil because of our families. It has to end.” 

“ Our families are the reason this godforsaken city has order! Before them this city was a lawless place. Bruce, David, and the other kingpins got together and ironed out the kinks.” 

“ And by “ironed out” you mean caused unforgivable and unnecessary amounts  of bloodshed. That’s your problem right there. You can’t see the people lost in the crossfire as more than unfortunate casualties.” Kaldur ground out. He had turned a blind eye to what he’s fathers dealings were for too long. Becoming a private investigator was meant to be a means of atonement. 

“ Alright Mr. PI then let me ask you this. Why haven’t you gone after your father yet? Hm? You have all the evidence you need to take him and his organization do but you don’t. Why? Is because you don’t think you can? Or…is because despite all of your bluster you still care about him…or the people who work for him. You know that if he goes down so does everyone else.”

Kaldur’s eyes narrow, he doesn’t answer that question. 

“ You know if you were anyone else he’d crush you and not think anything of it. They both would.” Dick shakes his head. He turns away from the man he secretly still loved. ” Your father still hopes that you’ll come back…” 

And he’s not the only one, Dick thinks. 

Once upon a time he and Kaldur were friends. Almost more than. Or at least Dick thought they were. Then one summer Kaldur went on a trip and came back a different person.  

Dick didn’t know how much longer he could protect Kaldur from the other kingpins. They were getting restless and antsy from how much poking around Kaldur was doing. He had to beg Bruce to calm them down. 

Kaldur looked down at his desk, he knew very well that his father wanted him back. Their complicated relationship aside, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. His work was too important. Too many lives were being disrupted and destroyed. His first mission issued by his father taught him that. That summer changed him and his views on the whole organization. 

There was silence between them, Dick wrapped his arms around himself. His mind was starting to fill up with memories of that summer. 

“ Did I really mean that little to you?” Dick whispered, almost to himself “ You just gave me up…like i was nothing.” 

Kaldur stood up from his chair and walked behind Dick. 

“ I didn’t give you up..I let you go.” 

“ What’s the difference?!” Dick whirled back, upset. 

And just like that they were on the edge of something…just like they had been years before. 

“ I had to get away from that world…it had become so toxic that I had to break ties to everything it was connected to it. I felt like I was drowning…” 

“ What didn’t you say anything? You just disappeared-” Dick watched Kaldur’s face, it looked worn and burdened. The exhaustion of this conversation had finally hit him. 

“ I came to see you the night I left…” The confession shocked him. The next word that left Dick’s was, 

“ Why?” 

“ I…I had wanted to ask you to come with me.” 

“W-what?” 

“ Then i saw you with your family….The look in your eyes. The happiness…the annoyance. The way you all were around each other…i knew that it was where you belonged. I couldn’t ask you leave with me. To give that up. No matter how much you complained about them…you loved them and needed them as they did you. My relationship with my father…it was not like that…it has never been like that.” 

“ The texts…the emails…the phone calls I sent.” He had sent so many without a single response. 

“ I knew that if I had responded even one my resolve to go out on my own would be broken. It is like I said before…I had to let you go.” 

Dick’s head was spinning, this was too much. All this time… He stumbled towards Kaldur and fell onto his chest. He tried to brace himself against the fall but his fists merely grasped and clenched at his lost friend’s dress shirt. 

It wasn’t until he felt familiar unsure and gentle hands touch him he felt like he was going to break. 

“ Would you have come…? If i had asked?” 

Dick stared blankly into Kaldur’s chest. He didn’t know…he honestly didn’t know. 

“ I-I d-”

“ It’s alright…I shouldn’t have asked that.” Kaldur lets go and steps back. 

The space between was literal and symbolic. It felt like a chasm. 

They were on two different sides of the justice system. And there seemed no way for them to remedy it. It looked like the words that were left unsaid in the past would remain buried between them. 

“ I-I have to go-” Eyes and mind frantic, Dick stuttered. How did it come to this? Dick had only come for a bit of teasing. He couldn’t deal with this. He quickly turned towards the door. 

 He couldn’t deal -

Dick felt something grab his wrist and pull him back. He twisted himself to face Kaldur and then felt lips on his own. If it wasn’t as firm as it was Dick would’ve thought it was dream. 

When Kaldur pulled back, Dick could see an apology begin to form. Not wanting to hear it Dick thrusted himself into Kaldur’s arms. He wrapped his arms around Kaldur’s neck and placed a hand at the back of the blonde’s head. 

This was a mistake, they thought simultaneously. This wouldn’t end well. 

And yet, they were helpless. They couldn’t let each other go. Not now. 

They were always going to be in each other’s universe. Be it friend, foe, or something else entirely.

Kaldur haphazardly picked Dick up, causing surprised moan to come out. It had been too long. Nothing seemed close enough. And it seemed that Dick also shared that sentiment. 

Mindlessly, roughly, Kaldur began moving towards a solid surface. The sound of Dick’s back hitting the closest wall managed to snap them out of their stupor. 

Breathing hard. They stared at each other. 

Where did they go from here?

Where could they go from here?

Where could they go where it could just be them? No sides or obligations. 

Dick gripped on Kaldur’s shirt even tighter. 

Even after the years apart… and the differences of opinion…they couldn’t hate each other…not even close. 

Kaldur leaned in slowly and gently kissed Dick. Sweet and chaste. 

“ I have to go..” Dick said suddenly, the tingling on lips not yet fading. There were eyes everywhere. He had stayed too long. His people would start to get suspicious. 

“Kaldur you have to let me down.” Dick weakly demanded although that was very last thing he wanted. Moment passed and they were still in the position they were in before. 

“ Kaldur.” His voiced cracked. 

The sad look on Kaldur’s face almost made him take it back. The investigator nodded, and loosened his hold. Dick straightened out his clothes while not making eye contact with his seemingly star crossed love. They hadn’t said it in words but none the less they both seemed to be on the same page. 

There was an awkward silence until, “ You know…I didn’t think you’d have it in you..”

Kaldur looked at Dick, confused.

“ i mean impulsivity isn’t exactly your thing…i’m surprised.”

“ I’m s-” He had no idea what had gotten into him. 

“ I said ‘surprised’….not ‘sorry’.” Dick quickly cut him off. A mischievous smile graced his face.

“ Dick…”

It was late, the building was pretty much empty but just incase they had eavesdropper inside the building…

“ You caught me a little off guard this time but don’t expect it to happen again.” 

 “ Again?” Kaldur sounded hopeful despite himself.

Putting his hands on his hips, Dick pouted, “ Yes ‘again’. I can’t have you one upping me. I have a reputation to protect you know.”  

“ Repu…tation?”

“ A small time private investigator like you, outmaneuvering me, Dick Grayson Prince of Gotham? It’s just unseen.” 

Kaldur seemed to catch on to Dick’s plan.

“ it wasn’t all that hard Grayson.” 

“ Oh really? Well, expect to see more of me Mr. PI because I don’t lose.” 

“ Hm…I look forward to seeing you fail. Because I also don’t lose. Now get out of my office. I have work to do.”

Dick raised the volume of his voice slightly so that it was clear to possible ousiders“ A private investigator and a workaholic. You’re definition of living needs of a serious revamping.”  

“ Get. Out.” 

It wasn’t perfect. Dick acknowledged. But it was something. 

But as long as they kept things light…they could continue to see one another without rousing suspicion. Again, it was not perfect.