"he stayed." ⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 dick grayson
dick grayson x fem!reader
summary: after losing the person you thought you'd spend forever with, you crumble beneath the weight of self-doubt. thankfully, your best friend is there to remind you that you're worth choosing.
author's note: ahhh thank you guys for all the love on my last two posts!! i was so certain that i wouldn't post again, but all of your kind words have made me reconsider. i hope you guys enjoy this one. ♡
warnings: lowercased, cheating, anxiety/panic symptoms, angst/hurt + comfort, self-blame
word count: 1.5k words
the city of blüdhaven was a bit quieter after midnight. not silent, no, but quiet enough to hear the delicate sounds of rain pattering against your window and the faint police sirens blaring from a block away.
and while it was a nice sound for most, you wished for the opposite--for noise to drown out the ringing in your ears and the storm slowly forming in your chest.
you had thrown your phone across the room after you mistakenly read the screenshots of the messages a fourth time. you thought that, on the last attempt, you’d be able to convince yourself it was an old thread between you and him.
but you don’t text like that.
and he’s never needed you to keep anything a secret.
now you find yourself seated at the foot of your bed with your head in your hands, allowing every insecurity you’ve ever had to swallow you whole.
maybe you weren’t pretty enough.
maybe she was easier to love.
you tried to steady your breathing, but each breath caught halfway up your throat, as though your body had forgotten how to do something so simple. each inhale tightened painfully in your chest, leaving your lungs feeling empty and bruised.
somewhere between trying hard to breathe and trying not to think, you missed the light thud on your window.
“you know, i think i’m finally starting to win my ongoing feud with that gargoyle on fifth street--”
your head snaps up at the familiar voice.
“wow. tough crowd tonight, huh?”
dick hoists himself through your half-opened window with practiced ease, landing softly on the floor of your bedroom. rain clung to the dark strands of his hair, leaving a shine on his suit, as a few droplets trickled onto the hardwood floor beneath his boots.
“anyway,” he sets his escrima sticks against the wall, completely unaware of the chaos swimming in your head, “ i got our tickets for the new movie next weekend. all we have to do is order the matching pajamas, and before you say anything--yes, wally and donna will be wearing them too.”
a small smile almost pulls at your lips.
when dick comes to realize that you’re in a dark room and zeros in on your somber demeanor, his grin falters immediately, and his wit disappears, “hey…”
you refuse to meet his eyes.
he says your name softly, “what’s wrong? what happened?”
“nothing,” you say weakly.
but dick knows you better than that. he’s seen you truly happy before. he knows the way your eyes naturally squint when you smile, and how you beam like sunlight when you’re excited. he tilts his head slightly, studying you. this isn’t just “nothing”.
“mm,” his voice gentle and unbelieving, “and is ‘nothing’ the reason why you’re sitting in the dark alone on a friday night?”
the question quietly shatters something within you, causing a sob to erupt from your chest without warning. in the same beat, dick freezes. not because he’s scared or hesitant, but because it hurts to hear you cry like that.
he immediately crouches down in front of you, gently pulling your hands away from your face.
“hey,” he whispers, urging your glossy eyes to meet his. he says your name again, pleadingly.
you close your eyes with shame, “i should’ve known.”
dick stays still, quietly wracking his brain to piece together possible reasons for your sadness. he moves his head in accordance with yours, following the movement of your eyes until you have no choice but to only look at him.
“he cheated on me,” you admit, your voice cracking beneath the weight of the confession. “and i should’ve realized it was happening the moment he started getting off of work late.”
for a moment, your words are met with deafening silence. dick doesn’t say anything, he just stares at you.
of all the possible things he prepared himself to hear, that wasn’t one of them.
his best friend. who’s kind. who over-apologizes, and ensures the needs of everyone around her are met before she even thinks about tending to her own. who remembers the little things, like favorite songs and smoothie orders.
how could someone do that to you?
dick’s jaw tightens while his blue eyes continue to scan your face, instinctively searching for a version of the story where you tell him this is a misunderstanding.
“what?” you blink through tears.
“i know that’s not how this works, but no. i refuse to believe it.”
exasperation slips through your exhaustion, “dick—”
“i just—” he exhales, “i don’t know. what kind of idiot would do that?”
you look down again, “i really should’ve known. if anything i feel like an idiot. i was too in love to realize he was falling out of it—”
“sweetheart, you’re looking back at this with new information. you couldn’t have known.”
“i just feel so stupid. the red flags were there i just…” you pause, “i honestly just feel like i did this to myself.”
his face falls at the way you’re speaking about yourself, “loving someone isn’t stupid. it could never be.”
“i loved him so much, dick.”
“i really thought we’d get married.”
the confession leaves your heart feeling even heavier than before. and leaves your best friend feeling like air has been knocked from his lungs.
it was now his turn to forget how to breathe.
it wasn’t like he didn’t know the two of you were serious—he did. he tagged along for gift shopping, and helped you plan every anniversary surprise for the past three years. he couldn’t miss the way your face lit up when someone would mention your future.
everyone knew how much you loved your boyfriend.
but you saying it out loud tonight? hearing you mourn a future you were so certain about?
deep down it made his chest ache. especially because you’re saying it through tears this time.
“it’s okay, though.” you force a weak smile. “i guess these things happen.”
that clears his head real quick.
“stop.” the interruption is both gentle and firm. his gloved hand carefully cups your chin, keeping your eyes on his, somehow causing all your words of doubt to dissolve on your tongue.
“we’re not doing that tonight.” he shakes his head, “you couldn’t have known, and i don’t want you convincing yourself that someone else’s betrayal was your fault.”
another tear slips down your cheek and on instinct you turn away before he can see it. he doesn’t let you.
he smiles softly, “do you know what i see when i look at you?”
“i see someone full of love. who gives people second chances even when they don’t deserve them,” his thumb brushes your cheek lightly, “you’re gentle, and you’re caring. you still apologize when people bump into you, and you never hesitate to give the rest of your cash away to help the homeless man outside your apartment building.”
in spite of your sadness, a watery laugh escapes you.
“you’ve been like this ever since i met you,” he says your name softly, “hell, remember when you’d still patch me up after patrol when i didn’t deserve it?”
“dripping blood all over my bedroom.” you mumble.
“yeah,” the corner of his mouth lifts, “and despite how long it’d take you to clean it after, you’d still help me anyway.”
his expression softens even more, letting you feel every word.
“if someone can have all of that and still throw it away,” he takes a pause, as though the thought is unfathomable, “that is a serious loss on their end.”
dick stands from where he’d been kneeling in front you, and pulls you to your feet. you look at him, clad in suit and all, and the realization that he hadn’t even gone home first hits you like a truck. when his arms wrap around you, you fold into him completely, letting more tears fall at the idea of someone caring for you this way.
despite the rain still clinging to his suit and hair, his embrace was warm. his hugs had the power to quiet the city further, leaving the sole sound of his heartbeat against your ear, and your erratic heart tripping over itself to follow suit.
before you know it, you’re tucked beneath your covers, and the sun patiently waits to greet you from behind your curtain.
dick is asleep on your floor.
wedged awkwardly between the wall and your bed, one arm is thrown lazily beneath his face— a poor attempt to make up for the lack of a pillow.
his escrima sticks are still leaning against the wall where he’d left them hours ago, and empty wrappers from the food he tried convincing you to eat sit on the edge of your dresser. you remember how he insisted you eat and drink before bed—something about how dehydrated you might be from all that crying. you smile to yourself.
while the world kept spinning, and the boisterous city of blüdhaven continued, dick grayson stayed.