âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
âWe Donât Talk About Beforeâ
this is a longgg short story lol
Pairing: Dick Grayson (Nightwing) x FemaleReader
Genre: angst, Second-person POV, romance, smut, fluff, domestic chaos, Batfam shenanigans.
Summary: Childhood friends turned strangers, you and Dick Grayson reunite years after your father betrayed Bruce. Now an antihero, you push him awayâuntil missions, old memories, and unspoken feelings pull you back into the Batfamilyâs orbit. One kiss turns into a week of tension, ending in a night you canât take back⊠and a morning where the whole family knows.
Warnings: 18+ content (explicit sex), heavy making out, suggestive touching, minor swearing, Batfam teasing, mild embarrassment, fluffy domestic intimacy, second-person POV, Depression, emotional trauma, parental betrayal, blood, guilt, emotional neglect, grief, bruised romance, mutual pining
-Lover, you should come over - Jeff Buckley
âSo I'll wait for you, love/Broken down and hungry for your loveâ
âThen I hate my reflection for years and years/Cause all of my enemies started out friendsâ
-Whereâs My Love - SYML
âDid you run away? Did you run away?/Just come homeâ
-Still With You - Jungkook
âIf I see you again, I will look into your eyes and say, "I missed youâ
-I wanna be yours - Arctic Monkeys
âMaybe I just wanna be yours/I wanna be yours, I wanna be yoursâ
âCause I don't wanna be in love with another/even in another lifeâ
-Video games - Lana Del Rey
âHe holds me in his big arms/It's you, it's you, it's all for youâ
A/N: this has been in my drafts for a whileâŠenjoy ;)
(I left a scene out on accident but i edited it inđ)
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
THE city hasnât changed.
The sirens still echo up from the alleys like angry lullabies. Steam still bleeds from the sewer grates in hazy plumes. The same neon signs blink out over damp pavement like half-hearted promises.
You forgot how loud Gotham was.
Or maybe you just got good at forgetting.
The soles of your boots are heavy with soot as you perch on the ledge of an old rooftop, half-shielded by a rusted billboard for Dentâs campaign. The wind is cold tonightâsharper than you rememberâand it threads through your jacket like it knows you donât belong here anymore.
You press your fingers to the concrete edge and breathe.
Your hands are gloved, but your knuckles still ache. From the last job. From the way that one guyâs jaw crunched under your elbow. From holding your fists too tight all the time.
Youâre trying not to think.
But Gotham makes that impossible.
Especially when you feel him before you even hear him.
A whisper of wind across your shoulder.
That maddening, familiar silence that always used to come beforeâ
âDidnât think youâd come back.â
His voice is quieter than you remember. Or maybe itâs just been a while since someone said something that wasnât a threat.
Instead, you stare out over the rooftops, where the city gleams like it knows your secrets and is daring you to lie to it again.
âDidnât think youâd be watching.â
âIâm always watching,â he replies.
And you can hear the unspoken part of it.
Iâm always watching you.
You finally glance over your shoulder.
Not by muchâhe still wears the same black and blue armor like itâs a second skin, still moves like shadows part for him. But his face is older now. Tighter. Thereâs tension in his jaw he never used to have, and the stubble along his chin makes him look more like Bruce than he probably wants to admit.
You hate how much that gets to you.
âYou look like shit,â you say instead.
He huffs a breath. âYou always did have a way with words.â
You both let it sit there.
The air between you is thick with things neither of you are brave enough to name.
The stupid smell of rain on brick.
âHow longâs it been?â he finally asks.
You shrug. âSince I left, or since I stopped returning your messages?â
He doesnât answer right away.
When he does, his voice is careful.
âSince I last knew you.â
The ache behind your ribs blooms sharp.
You donât flinch, but itâs a near thing.
You stare at the skyline again. Anything but his face.
âYou shouldnât be up here,â he adds, a little more softly. âTheyâre still looking for you.â
âTheyâll catch you eventually.â
You smirk. âNot if I catch them first.â
That used to work. That cocky little edge in your voice, the recklessness, the way you never let anyone see you shake. It used to make him smile.
Now heâs just watching you like heâs trying to solve a riddle he used to know by heart.
âYou shouldnât be doing this,â he says, stepping closer. âYouâre not like them.â
âNo.â Heâs closer now. You can hear the rain dripping off his hood. âYouâre stillââ
You turn to face him fully for the first time, and the look in your eyes must be something sharp, because he doesnât finish the sentence. Just stands there, jaw clenched, heart wide open behind that stupid mask.
âIâm not whoever you remember,â you tell him.
âI never forgot you.â
You hate how easily he can still do that.
âYou donât know me anymore,â you say, trying to sound cruel, but it comes out hollow.
âI know what happened wasnât your fault.â
His voice is raw now. Just a little. Like heâs tearing pieces of himself off to say this out loud.
âI know what your father did. And I know youâre not him. I know you think pushing everyone away is the only way youâll survive, but youâre wrong.â
âNo, let me finish.â Heâs stepping closer again, his voice risingânot loud, but urgent. âYou think I donât see what youâre doing? Youâve built this wall, and every time someone tries to climb it, you light it on fire.â
You open your mouth, but he barrels forward.
âI get it. Youâre angry. Youâre grieving. You think you have to be this⊠thing. This weapon. Youâre not. You never were.â
You take a shaky step back, but he catches your wrist.
Like youâll break if heâs not careful.
âLet me help,â he whispers.
âI donât want help.â
For a second, everything slows. The sirens, the wind, the noise in your chest.
You just look at himâhis rain-wet hair, the blood on his lip, the pain in his stupid eyes.
Because you want to believe him.
You want to let him back in.
You want to tell him that there are nights you wake up reaching for the sound of his voice.
But instead, you pull your hand back.
And say, âYou should go.â
Because he knows he has to let you push him away.
But his eyes say what his mouth doesnât:
You watch him disappear into the dark, that electric blue symbol on his back flashing once as he vaults off the edge.
And then you sit down again.
You press your palms to the wet stone, tilt your head back, and wonderâ
How many more times can he come back before you finally stop making him leave?
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Gotham Safehouse, 2:14 AM
THE DOOR clicks shut behind you, and for a second, all you hear is the hum of old radiators and the sting in your ribs.
You drop your bloodied jacket to the floor. Sit. Breathe.
The safehouse is quiet. A tucked-away apartment Bruce keeps off-record, with medical supplies and blackout curtains. Youâve bled in worse places.
You peel your suit from your shoulder. Youâre not even sure when the gash happened. Somewhere between the rooftop ambush and the second explosion. Your fingers are shaking.
And then the door opens again.
But you know his footsteps.
You wince, more from the sound of your name than the wound. He says it so softly, like it still means something.
âThought I lost you back there,â Dick murmurs.
He doesnât push. Just walks around the couch and crouches in front of you, eyes scanning your body like heâs looking for damage and counting regrets.
âYeah,â you mutter, shrugging your shoulder higher. âNot really a new thing.â
You expect him to sigh. Or scold you. Or do that thing where he says your name again like itâs supposed to ground you.
Instead, he moves gently â grabbing the med kit from the end table and unscrewing the antiseptic like heâs done it a thousand times before. Which he has. Just⊠not for you. Not for a long time.
âI can do it myself,â you whisper.
But he still doesnât stop.
The silence stretches thin between you. He soaks the gauze. Swabs the wound. You hiss at the sting, and he pauses â looks up.
âStill stubborn,â he says. Itâs almost a smile, but not quite. âI missed that.â
You stare at the opposite wall. âYou donât miss things that try to disappear.â
The words are so soft you almost pretend you didnât hear them.
You hold still while he stitches you up. His fingers are careful. Precise. Gentle in a way that almost makes you cry.
You want to pull away. You want to say stop looking at me like Iâm still her â still the kid who used to wait for you at the end of the manor hallway, still the girl with a future and clean hands and a father who wasnât a liar.
But instead you say, âBruce is gonna be pissed.â
Dick snorts under his breath. âHeâs always pissed.â
âNo. At me. For going off-book. For what happened.
âYou saved three civilians, Y/N. You didnât do anything wrong.â
âDidnât I?â You blink hard, voice tight. âYou think that matters to him?â
Dick finishes the last stitch in silence. He cuts the thread. Looks at you.
His voice is lower this time. Rough around the edges. âIf he says one word to you â one goddamn thing â I swear to god Iâllââ
Your voice breaks. âGet in trouble again? He already thinks Iâm a walking liability.â
âWell, heâs wrong.â
You look at him then. Really look. At the bruise on his jaw. The dried blood in his hairline. The anger simmering low in his throat â not at you, but for you.
And it unravels something.
âI didnât want any of this, Dick,â you whisper. âI didnât ask to be the daughter of a traitor. I didnât ask for you to look at me like I broke your heart.â
He flinches. âYou didnât.â
âThen why does it feel like I did?â
The silence this time is heavy. Too full.
He reaches for your hand.
âIâve never stoppedââ He swallows. Looks away. âYouâre not your father, Y/N. And youâre not broken.â
âYou sure?â Your voice is brittle. ââCause it feels like Iâve been bleeding out for years and no one noticed.â
The knock on the door cuts through the quiet like a blade.
And then the door opens â and Batman steps inside.
He doesnât say hello. Doesnât ask if youâre okay.
He just looks at you like youâre a problem that keeps getting worse.
âYou jeopardized the mission,â Bruce says flatly.
You stand. Wince. Hide the bloodstain as best you can. âI made a judgment call.â
âYou were supposed to wait.â
âThey wouldâve died.â
âAnd now three gang leaders are still on the loose. Because you couldnât follow orders.â
His words hit low. Exact. Like a scalpel. You donât answer.
His voice is sharper than youâve heard in years. âSheâs not your punching bag.â
Bruce turns to him. âSheâs compromised. Emotionally erratic. She acts alone and puts others at risk.â
âSheâs alive. And if it werenât for her, those civilians wouldnât be.â
âSheâs not her father.â
Dickâs voice breaks open. âAnd if you canât see that by now, maybe the problem isnât her.â
The silence after that is the worst kind of heavy.
Bruce looks between you both. His eyes narrow.
The door shuts again. Hard.
âI didnât need you to do that,â you whisper.
âIâm not your problem, Dick.â
He exhales. Walks closer.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
The car ride to the manor is quiet.
Dick doesnât push conversation. You watch the trees blur past the window like youâre on your way to a funeral. Maybe you are â not for a person, but for a past version of yourself that once fit into the place youâre about to walk into.
âSure you wanna do this?â you murmur.
He doesnât look away from the road. âI want you to do this.â
You say nothing. Just grip the inside of your coat a little tighter, hiding the fresh sutures on your side. Youâd fought men with sharper teeth than Bruceâs judgment, but stepping inside that house again feels like opening a wound.
Youâre hit with the scent first â old books, faint cologne, the polished oak of a place that pretends it never changes.
The manor is mostly empty. Alfredâs out. Damian is god knows where. But the grand hallway looks exactly the same â the same staircase, the same chandelier. You blink too fast and the memory hits: you, sitting cross-legged at the base of the steps, bleeding from a busted lip while Dick tried to ice your knuckles and Bruce lectured you about restraint.
Youâd been so sure back then that this place meant home.
âYou okay?â Dick asks softly beside you.
You nod. A lie. âItâs just weird being back.â
His hand lifts â like he wants to touch your back, or your shoulder, something â but instinct overtakes you.
He freezes. Hand hovering.
You exhale shakily. âSorry.â
His eyes soften. âItâs okay.â
You both stand there too long.
He walks in through the kitchen like he owns the place. His gaze lands on you, then on Dick. He scowls. âWell, look who finally showed up. The golden boy and his⊠exâsomething.â
You stiffen. Dickâs jaw tightens.
âNo, Iâm serious,â Jason shrugs, tossing a protein bar in the air. âYou didnât think to maybe give us a heads-up that you were dragging in the caution-tape comeback story?â
You blink slowly. âNice to see you, too.â
Jason gives a crooked grin. âThought you were dead. Or in Arkham. My bad.â
Dick opens his mouth â but you cut in before he can speak.
âSay one more thing and Iâll put you through that grandfather clock.â
You step forward, voice even, not loud. âYou donât get to talk like that. Not when youâre the poster boy for second chances. You know damn well I didnât choose what happened. So if youâre still mad about shit from five years ago, grow up.â
Jasonâs mouth opens. Closes. He looks down. âTch. Whatever.â He pauses. Then mutters: âSorry.â
You raise a brow. âWhat was that?â
He sighs like it physically hurts. âI said Iâm sorry, alright? Jesus.â
Later, in the training room, itâs just you and Dick again.
The tension between you two hasnât eased â itâs shifted. A softer ache now. A quieter kind of electricity.
âYou sure you wanna spar?â he asks, pulling off his hoodie, revealing the slim black tank underneath.
You shrug off your coat. âMight be good to hit something.â
You both move to the mats, circling each other, silent for a long beat.
He lunges first. You dodge. Quick.
Itâs easy to fall back into this rhythm. Fighting him is like muscle memory. Push, spin, counter, breath.
But itâs not like before. Thereâs a crackle under your skin now. Every time his hand brushes your waist. Every time you twist and catch him off guard.
He grabs your wrist, and you twist out of it, swing your leg around â and drop him flat on his back with a breathless oof.
You straddle him before he can recover â thighs tight against his hips, one hand on his chest to keep him pinned.
Your hair falls over your face. His eyes catch yours.
His chest rises beneath your palm. His hands are at your thighs, but not moving. Not pushing you off. Just⊠there.
He looks up at you like heâs caught in the middle of a memory he never wanted to forget.
You realize too late how close you are.
And then you pull back. Hard.
You scramble to your feet. âThatâs enough.â
He sits up slowly, breathing heavier now. âY/Nââ
âI said itâs enough.â
You grab your coat. Your heart is hammering.
He doesnât move to stop you.
Like heâs afraid if he says anything too loud, youâll disappear again.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
You wake to morning light filtering through heavy curtains, warm and soft and too gentle for Gotham. Itâs disorienting, the quiet. For a second you think youâve woken up in your apartment, or somewhere worse â some crumbling rooftop, a cold metal cot in a safehouse. But then you realize.
The one you picked during the summers you used to âsleep over.â Back when Bruce still pretended things were normal. Back when you were still pretending, too. The room next to Dickâs, because even then you felt safer with him close.
You sit up slowly, sore in all the usual places. Your body remembers the mission â the one that went sideways â but it also remembers the sparring match with Dick last night. Youâd pinned him. Briefly. It shouldâve been a win.
Youâre still kicking yourself for getting up so fast.
The manor is quieter than it used to be. No hallway alarms, no Alfred clinking dishes just yet. You dress in silence, your fingers slow on the zipper of your hoodie. The moment your door creaks open, a blur of motion intercepts you.
He throws an arm around your neck, pulling you into a headlock before you can blink. âWhen did you come back, big sis?â he smirks.
You twist and use his own weight against him, flipping him onto his back with a satisfying thud. He groans, stunned.
âYesterday,â you say, amused. âMiss me?â
Damian groans dramatically. âI forgot you do that.â
He looks up at you. âYou got stronger.â
âTime awayâll do that.â
He studies you from the ground like heâs trying to memorize you. Something unreadable passes through his face â something softer. He lifts a brow. ââŠYou staying?â
âI donât know yet.â
âHmph.â He lets you help him up. âYou should.â
âDo I even want to know whatâs going on out here?â a familiar voice calls down the hall.
You look up â and your mouth almost drops.
Dick leans in the doorway to his room, rubbing sleep from his eyes and very intentionally not wearing a shirt. His sweatpants hang low on his hips. His hair is a mess. He looks like something out of a memory youâve tried too hard to bury.
You recover fast, but not fast enough.
He catches it. The pause. The blink. The flinch of your mouth like itâs about to say something dangerous.
He smiles â slow and smug.
âYouâre insufferable,â you mutter, brushing past him.
âGood morning to you too.â
Damianâs bragging about how much he can bench now. âEighty pounds over my body weight,â he says, arms crossed.
âThatâs adorable,â Jason mumbles, half-asleep and moody in the corner. He looks up at you, then back at his coffee.
Dick sits across from you, too close, flipping through a file youâre not supposed to see but letting you see it anyway.
âYou still eat eggs with hot sauce?â Tim asks from the doorway, looking like he hasnât slept in two days.
You glance at him, blinking. âWhen did you get back?â
âLate last night. Heard someone was crashing the manor again.â
His smile is gentler than Jasonâs grumble, but thereâs a weight behind it too. Everyone has questions. No one says them out loud.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Later, you and Dick are in the gym again.
Itâs slower this time. Deliberate. You fall into old rhythms, like your bodies remember before your minds do.
âRemember when we used to sneak in here?â Dick asks between swings. âYou stole my hoodie once and wouldnât give it back for a week.â
âIt was comfortable,â you say, blocking him. âAnd oversized.â
You land a hit. His shoulder dips.
But something in your chest is tightening.
You pause. âDo you ever miss it?â
âThe way things used to be. Before⊠everything.â
His expression shifts, softens. âAll the time.â
The tightness grows. You lower your fists. âMy father sent a letter. From prison.â
Dick straightens, no longer sparring. Listening now.
âHe wants me to visit.â You exhale, shaky. âSays he just wants to talk. That he misses me.â
Dick says nothing, waiting.
âI canât do it,â you whisper. âI canât look at him and not see it â see what he did. What he became.â
The words feel like glass in your throat. You can feel tears climbing, but they stop halfway up. You choke them down.
âI donât know what he sees when he thinks of me,â you add. âIf he still sees his daughter. Or just another failed version of himself.â
Dick takes a step forward, hands twitching â like he wants to touch you, but isnât sure youâll let him.
You pull away before he can try.
âSorry,â you say too quickly.
âItâs okay,â he says gently. âYou never have to apologize for how you feel.â
You blink away the burn in your eyes. âWe should do something else. Distract me.â
You get your distraction.
By evening, the air changes.
Footsteps echo through the foyer. Voices murmur below.
You brace yourself. Expect the explosion. The âwhy is she here?â The cold fury only he can manage.
But when he sees you⊠he just nods.
You freeze. Even Jason straightens a little, surprised.
âGrayson. Todd,â Bruce says, eyes flicking between the two. âMission briefing. Fifteen minutes. Bring her too.â
He doesnât even look at you when he says it.
Dick frowns. âYou sure?â
Bruce glances over his shoulder. âSheâs still capable, isnât she?â
Dick opens his mouth â probably to argue â but you touch his arm.
âI want to go,â you say. âLet me.â
He watches you for a second, then nods.
âSuit up, then,â Bruce says. âWe leave at nightfall.â
You make it to the weapons room and pull on old armor like itâs never left your skin. Dick is quiet while he gets ready beside you.
âYou donât have to prove anything to him,â he says eventually.
You shake your head. âIâm not. Iâm proving it to myself.â
You donât expect Jason to show up. But he does â standing at the door, arms crossed. He wonât meet your eye.
âI was a dick earlier,â he mutters.
âNo kidding,â you reply.
He shifts awkwardly. âIâm glad youâre back.â
âEven if the old man wonât say it,â he adds.
You nod once. âThanks.â
The mission is simple. In theory.
Nothing stays simple for long.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
The city blurs beneath your boots.
You land hard on the rooftop, knees bending into the momentum. Itâs slick from a recent drizzle, steam rising in curls from the vents around you. Gotham below is neon-lit and pulsing, but this buildingâabandoned, fortified, and suspiciously well-guardedâis your target.
âSouth side clear,â you mutter.
âNorth too,â Graysonâs voice answers, low and crisp in your ear. âWeâre good to move.â
You donât say anything. You just move, shadows swallowing you.
The intel came through just hours agoâblack market tech trades, something WayneTech-adjacent. Bruce gave the green light, you volunteered, Grayson hesitated. But you insisted. You needed the distraction. Something real. Something with stakes.
Jasonâs voice cuts in over comms, dry as usual. âHey, anyone else feel like this is a trap?â
âItâs always a trap,â you reply. âThatâs what makes it fun.â
You hear Graysonâs soft exhale. That little sound he makes when you say things that toe the line between reckless and charming. You pretend not to notice it.
Inside the building, everything goes wrong five minutes in.
The guards are enhancedâcybernetically modded, fast, stronger than they look. You duck a punch, slide under another, send a blue-bladed boot to someoneâs chest. Itâs muscle memory, but your focus slips for half a second.
Your ribs crack against the wall, pain blooming sharp under your armor. You grunt but recover, spinning with a flick of flame that throws your attacker off balance. Jason shouts something across the line, Grayson calls your nameâbut then a familiar voice breaks through the static:
Barbara Gordon drops from the rafters like she owns the placeâred hair tied tight, grin wide, body moving in that fluid, confident way she always has. She lands beside Grayson like theyâve been partners all their lives.
âHope Iâm not late,â she says, cracking two batons out from her belt.
âOh great,â you mutter, just loud enough that she probably hears.
Graysonâs voice perks up. âYou werenât briefedâhow did you evenâ?â
âBruce sent me. He thought you could use backup.â She smiles, eyes flicking to you. âAnd clearly, he was right.â
You scowl and refocus, heat flaring under your fingertips.
The fight stretches onâtight corridors, strobing lights, screams over the comms. You and Grayson fall into sync, your old rhythm finding its legs again. But every time you hit your stride, Barbara slips in. Saving him. Covering him. Pressing a hand to his shoulder, too familiar, too easy.
At one point, she laughs at something he says. You grit your teeth and push harder.
By the end of it, youâre standing in a pile of scorched debris, armor scuffed, hair damp with sweat. Jasonâs breathing heavy beside you, muttering about needing a drink. Graysonâs touching a cut on his jaw that wasnât there earlier.
Barbaraâs the one who breaks the silence.
âWell, that was fun,â she chirps, twirling one of her batons and sliding it back into its holster.
You donât answer. Youâre busy wiping blood off your glove.
But she turns to you anyway, all bright-eyed interest. âSo⊠youâre back. For good?â
You glance at her, then away. âDonât know.â
She steps closer. Too close. âYou and Graysonâdid something happen while I was gone?â
Your gut tightens. âNo.â
Her smile sharpens, just a little. âRight. Youâd tell me, right?â
You meet her gaze. Flat. Tired. âWhat exactly are you asking, Barbara?â
âOh, nothing,â she says with a breezy wave of her hand. âJust curious. Itâs just⊠the way he looks at you. Kinda hard to miss.â
She turns to walk away before you can answer. And as she passes Grayson, she touches his arm againâlingering, smiling. Your chest tightens, stupidly. You feel it deep, in places that were supposed to be armored.
You look away before anyone notices.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Back at the safehouse, you strip off your gear in silence.
Graysonâs in the next room talking to Bruce over comms. Jasonâs off grumbling somewhere about cracked ribs and bad leadership. You sit on the edge of a steel cot, staring down at your hands.
But it sticks in your throat anywayâthe way Barbara looked at him, the way he smiled at her. Youâre not together. Youâre not even close. But the ache says otherwise.
Itâs Grayson. Fresh out of armor, still wearing that breathable undersuit, sleeves pushed up, hair damp.
âYou okay?â he asks softly.
You nod, but itâs a lie.
He walks over, crouches in front of you. âYou barely said a word after the mission.â
âBullshit,â he says, gently. âYouâre never this quiet.â
You let out a breath. âI justâBarbara being there threw me off.â
He watches you carefully. âWhy?â
You donât answer right away.
Instead, you say, âShe thinks thereâs something between us.â
âIsnât there?â he asks.
It hangs there, thick in the air.
You look at him. Really look at him. His face is open, waiting. Like he wants you to say something real, something brave. But your ribs still hurt. Your heart even more.
âI donât know what there is,â you whisper.
He doesnât press. He never does.
Instead, he just says, âShe doesnât matter. Not like that.â
And it should comfort you. But it doesnât. Not yet.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
YOU head down to the kitchen for water, barefoot on the cold tile.
Youâre halfway to the fridge when a voice pipes up from the doorway.
Barbara leans against the doorframe, hoodie over her suit, hair loose now. Sheâs holding a mug of tea like sheâs been waiting.
âSomething like that,â you answer, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.
âYou donât like me,â she says matter-of-factly.
You raise a brow. âWeâre doing this at two in the morning?â
She smirks. âYou think Iâm stepping on your toes.â
âDo I have to remind you weâre not in high school?â
âNo,â she says, sipping her tea. âBut I know the look. I know how he looks at you.â
Your jaw tightens. âYou donât know anything about me.â
Her eyes flicker, softer for a split second. âMaybe not. But I know him.â
Thereâs a beat of silence before she says, âHeâs different when youâre around. Whether you want to admit it or not.â She turns toward the hall. âIâm not your enemy. Just remember that.â
And sheâs gone, footsteps fading upstairs.
The voice that comes next is much lower.
âYou gonna keep scowling at the floor, orâŠ?â
Jasonâs leaning against the counter, still in sweats, a bruise blooming along his jaw. You didnât even hear him come in.
âThought youâd be asleep,â you say.
âCouldnât. Too many thoughts.â He grabs a beer from the fridge. âYou looked pissed back there. At her.â
âIâm just saying,â he continues, cracking the cap, âif you like him, maybe⊠I dunno. Tell him before someone else does.â
Your laugh is humorless. âNot that simple.â
He studies you for a moment. âGuess not.â
Youâre halfway to the door when he says, âFor what itâs worth, I think heâs already picked.â
You donât ask what he means. Youâre not sure you want to know.
You pass Bruce in the hall on your way back upstairs.
Heâs out of the cowl, but still in armor, looking like the mission dragged him through glass.
âI heard you held your own tonight,â he says.
You stop. âSurprised?â
He regards you for a long moment. âNo. Iâve always known what youâre capable of.â
Itâs almost a compliment â the Bruce Wayne equivalent of one, anyway.
But you tilt your head. âThat why you wanted me on this mission? Or because you wanted to keep me where you could see me?â
His jaw shifts. âBoth.â
Thereâs a pause before you say, âYou donât have to like that Iâm here. But Iâm not leaving again.â
He nods once. âGood.â
And just like that, heâs walking away, cape trailing the hall.
You close your door, lean against it, and let out a slow breath.
Youâre still not sure what tonight changed. Only that something has shifted, subtly, and you can feel it in the way your chest is too tight to sleep.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
YOU wake like youâve been ripped out of the water.
Your chest is tight, lungs dragging in air that wonât stay. The room is dark but feels too small, walls pressing in. The nightmare fades in jagged pieces â your fatherâs voice, Bruceâs back turned, blood on your hands that wouldnât wash off.
You curl forward on the bed, pressing your palms into your knees until they hurt, until the tremor in your breathing slows enough that you can stand.
You canât stay in here. Not with it still clinging to your skin.
The training room smells like mat cleaner and faint motor oil from the treadmills. No oneâs here yet â not even Damian. You pull off your hoodie, tighten the wraps around your hands, and start throwing jabs at the heavy bag.
Left. Right. Right. Left.
Your shoulders ache, but you welcome it.
You try not to think about Barbaraâs voice â Heâs different when youâre around.
Or Jasonâs â If you like him, tell him before someone else does.
Your knuckles slam harder into the bag.
You donât need to turn to know who it is.
Dickâs hair is damp, like heâs just showered. Heâs in compression gear, gloves in one hand. He takes in the way youâre hitting the bag â sharp, relentless â and frowns a little.
âCouldnât sleep?â he asks.
âDidnât,â you correct.
He steps closer. âNightmare?â
You glance at him. âDrop it, Grayson.â
He doesnât. âYouâve been pushing too hard since you got back. Physically, I mean.â
You snort. âSays the guy who used to break his own ribs just to make a deadline.â
âThatâs different.â
âI wasnât running from something.â
That hits too close. You step back from the bag. âYou think you know everything about me, donât you?â
âNo,â he says, meeting your eyes. âBut I know more than you want me to.â
You stare at him, heat rising under your skin. âLike what?â
He shrugs, but itâs calculated. âLike the way you avoid looking at me when Barbaraâs around.â
Your pulse spikes. âWow. Subtle.â
âAnd the way you donât flinch when I touch your arm anymore, but you do when I ask about how youâre feeling.â
âThatâs notââ you start, but he steps closer, crowding just enough that you can smell his soap.
âI notice,â he says quietly. âWhether you want me to or not.â
Youâre breathing too fast again. Like after the nightmare.
You want to tell him everything â the dream, the panic, the way Barbaraâs hand on his arm made something ugly twist in your chest â but the words stick.
Instead, you shake your head. âWe should spar. I need the distraction.â
YOU circle each other on the mats.
Itâs tense from the start. Every move feels like an argument youâre not having out loud. He grabs your wrist â you twist free. You sweep his leg â he catches himself, flips you instead. You roll, recover, slam him back.
You end up with a knee on his chest, pinning him down.
His hands rest lightly at your thighs â not pushing, just there.
âYouâre distracted,â he says.
âSo are you,â you shoot back.
Something shifts in his gaze â softer, sharper, both at once. âTell me whatâs going on.â
Your heartbeat is too loud in your ears. You could tell him. You almost do.
But you push off instead, standing.
âItâs not,â he says, sitting up. âBut youâre not ready. I get it.â
That almost makes it worse â that he wonât force it, that heâs giving you space you donât know what to do with.
You leave the room before he can see how shaken you are.
But his voice follows you out, quiet and certain:
âIâm not going anywhere.â
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
The dream starts quietly.
Youâre in your childhood home, the one you havenât seen in years. The light is warm, a low hum of a radio somewhere in the kitchen. For a moment, you think itâs safe.
The radio static grows louder, buzzing until it drills into your skull. The windows rattle. And your father steps into the room â but not the version you knew when you were a kid. This one has ash under his nails, his suit blackened, his eyes reflecting fire.
âYou couldâve stood with me,â he says, voice smooth as oil.
The floor shakes. Outside, the world is burning â rooftops collapsing, the sky lit red. Gothamâs screams seep through the walls. You turn to run, but your feet are locked in place.
âItâs in your blood,â he adds, smiling as the flames crawl toward you.
You open your mouth to argue, but smoke pours down your throat.
You wake with a gasp so sharp your chest aches.
The room is pitch black, the sheets clinging to your skin. Your pulse is thundering in your ears, your breath coming in shallow, frantic bursts. You shove the covers off and stumble toward the door before youâve even thought about where youâre going.
The manorâs hallways feel too long. Too narrow. You pass portraits and locked doors, barely aware of your feet on the carpet. The front doors are heavy, but you shove them open, stepping straight into the cold downpour outside.
Rain hits your skin in sharp pinpricks. You tilt your face up, drag in air that tastes like earth and metal, trying to breathe through the panic. It doesnât work.
His voice cuts through the storm.
You turn to see Dick running toward you, barefoot in sweats and a long-sleeve, hair messy from sleep. He doesnât hesitate â just comes down the steps, the rain soaking his clothes in seconds.
âWhat happened?â he asks, already searching your face.
You shake your head. âI had to get out.â
You huff out a humorless laugh. âIf it was just a nightmare, I wouldnât be standing out here like an idiot in the rain.â
âTell me,â he says, softer now.
âIt was him,â you admit, voice shaking. âEvery time I close my eyes lately, I see him â my father â burning everything down. And Iâm just⊠watching. I canât move, I canât stop it. And the worst part?â Your throat tightens. âSome nights, I believe him. I believe itâs in my blood. That no matter what I do, Iâll end up like him.â
âYou wonât,â Dick says firmly.
But the words keep spilling. âIâve been bottling it up because if I let it out, I donât know what happens next. Everyoneâs watching me, waiting for me to mess up. Bruce, Jason⊠hell, even Iâm waiting for it. And Iâm so tired of pretending Iâm fine.â
Rainwater slides down your cheeks â you canât tell where it ends and the tears begin.
âI canât lose control,â you whisper. âI canât loseââ You stop, chest tightening.
He steps closer. âLose what?â
You look at him, the rain blurring the edges of his face. âI canât lose the people I care about. I canât lose you because I love youââ
The words hang there, suspended between raindrops.
Your eyes widen. âI didnât meanââ
But heâs already closing the gap, pulling you against him. His arms are solid around you, his chin resting on your hair, holding you like you might vanish.
âYou donât have to take it back,â he murmurs.
You stand there, soaked to the bone, letting the rain and the weight of him steady you. And for the first time in a long time, you let yourself breathe without forcing it.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Two hours of sleep feels like none at all.
When you wake, the rainâs stopped, sunlight cutting pale lines across your room. Your hair is dry â you mustâve towel-dried it without remembering. Youâre still in the hoodie from last night, the one that now smells faintly of rain and laundry soap.
The dream doesnât come back, but the words you almost said do.
You lie there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, hearing your voice in your head. I canât lose you because I love youâ
Youâd like to believe it didnât happen. But it did. And Dick heard it. And he didnât run.
By the time you make it downstairs, the smell of coffee and toasted bread fills the air.
The kitchen is alive in that strange Batfamily way â everyoneâs here, but no oneâs really talking in full sentences. Damian is dissecting the sports section like it personally offended him. Jasonâs nursing a mug of black coffee like itâs life support. Tim is on his second plate of eggs, laptop propped open beside him.
You hover at the edge for a moment before sliding into a chair.
âMorning,â Tim says without looking up, though his eyes flick toward you in a quick, assessing way. You can feel the weight of it â like heâs noticed something but, for now, is keeping it to himself.
âMorning,â you echo, reaching for the coffee pot.
Across from you, Dickâs leaning against the counter, mug in hand, talking with Alfred about some busted security camera on the east wing. But you can feel him watching you between sentences, like heâs keeping you in his periphery no matter where you move.
When you finally glance up, his mouth quirks â subtle, private, like last nightâs rain is still between you.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Breakfast is a quiet war of glances.
Jason cracks a joke about you looking âless dead than usual,â and you lob a grape at his head without breaking eye contact with your plate. Damian mutters something about immature adults, and Alfred sighs in that patient, suffering way heâs perfected.
Through it all, Dick stays casual. On the surface. But every time he moves around the table â grabbing more coffee, snagging a piece of toast â his hand brushes yours, just enough to be felt, not enough for anyone else to notice.
You donât flinch, but you do grip your mug tighter.
Timâs gaze flickers again â to your hand near Dickâs, to the way you both look away too quickly afterward. His lips twitch, but he says nothing.
Youâre almost finished eating when Dick pulls the move youâve known was coming.
He leans down behind you to grab the sugar jar, close enough that his breath brushes your ear. âWe should talk later,â he says, low enough that itâs meant for you alone.
Your pulse trips. You keep your eyes on your plate, forcing your voice steady. âAbout what?â
Before you can answer, heâs straightening again, sugar in hand, resuming whatever harmless conversation heâs having with Alfred.
And youâre left staring at the last bite of toast like itâs going to give you answers.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
THE training room is quiet except for the dull thud of your fists hitting the heavy bag. Youâve been at it for a while â long enough for sweat to bead at the back of your neck, long enough to know heâs been watching.
You hear his footsteps before you see him. Slow, deliberate, closing the distance like heâs giving you time to notice.
âYouâve been avoiding me,â Dick says.
You keep hitting the bag. âBeen busy.â
âFunny. So have I. Still managed to make time.â
You grit your teeth. âWhat do you want, Grayson?â
He steps into your space, catching the bag mid-swing with one hand. âYou know what I want.â
You finally look at him. Heâs in sweats and a fitted t-shirt, hair a little messy from his own workout. His expression is calm, but his eyes⊠theyâre locked on you like youâre the only thing in the room.
âLast night,â he says, âyou started to say something. In the rain.â
You shake your head. âI was upset. I didnât meanââ
âDonât lie to me.â His voice is soft, but thereâs no give in it. âYou meant it.â
You swallow, hard. âEven if I did, it doesnât matter.â
âBecauseâŠâ Your voice falters. âBecause if I say it out loud, itâs real. And real things can be taken away.â
He studies you, jaw tightening. âIâm not going anywhere. You canât scare me off.â
âYou should,â you say quietly.
The air between you feels charged now, like the seconds are holding their breath. He takes a step closer.
âSay it,â he murmurs.
You shake your head again, but your pulse is pounding, your skin buzzing with adrenaline and something warmer, softer.
His hand comes up, fingers brushing your jaw â not pushing, just waiting. âSay it.â
Your chest feels too tight. âIââ
He leans in, closing the last inches, his mouth finding yours.
Itâs soft at first â careful â but the second you respond, it deepens, heat curling low in your stomach. His other hand finds your waist, steadying you like he knows your knees might give.
You kiss him back without thinking, without caring about who might walk in, without fear. Just the rush of him â his warmth, his scent, the way his lips move against yours like heâs been waiting a long time.
When you finally pull back, your headâs spinning, and thereâs a flutter in your chest so strong itâs almost dizzying.
He smiles, the kind of smile that says he already knows the effect he has on you. âButterflies?â
You roll your eyes, but you canât fight the small, breathless laugh that escapes. âShut up.â
But youâre still smiling.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
Itâs been a week since the kiss, and youâve become very, very aware of Dick Grayson.
The problem is, so has your body.
Youâd like to think youâve been subtle about avoiding him â slipping out of rooms before he enters, keeping conversations clipped, volunteering for errands with Damian just to stay busy. But the second youâre actually in the same room with him, itâs like your brain short-circuits.
Itâs the little things.
The way his t-shirt clings to his chest when he comes back from a workout. The way his damp hair curls at the nape of his neck after a shower. That stupid cocky grin he gives when he catches you looking. And yeah, his six-pack â the one you swear heâs been showing off more lately, under the guise of âjust stretching.â
You keep telling yourself you can handle it. That itâs fine. That avoiding him is the smart move.
But smart moves stop mattering when you hear a knock on your door.
Go away,â you call, though your pulse is already kicking up.
âNot happening,â Dick says from the other side, voice warm, confident. âWe need to talk.â
âPretty sure weâve talked enough.â
âYou kissed me back.â Thereâs no smugness in it â just fact.
You open the door before you can talk yourself out of it. Heâs leaning against the frame, hair slightly mussed, wearing joggers and nothing else. His skin is still faintly flushed from training.
And suddenly, every plan to keep your distance goes up in smoke.
âYouâre not making this easy,â you mutter, stepping back to let him in.
âNot trying to,â he says, closing the door behind him.
You stand there, arms crossed, trying to look unaffected. âSo. Talk.â
He moves closer â slow, like heâs giving you the option to stop him. âA week is a long time,â he says. âToo long.â
You swallow hard, heat pooling low in your stomach. âMaybe I like making you wait.â
His mouth curves. âThen I guess Iâll just have to convince you otherwise.â
Your self-control snaps. You grab his jaw, pulling him down into a kiss thatâs nothing like the cautious one from before. Itâs hard, hungry, your fingers tangling in his hair as you back him toward the bed.
He makes a low sound in his throat â surprise, approval â before his hands slide to your hips, gripping tight.
âYouâre bossy tonight,â he murmurs against your mouth.
âShut up and take your pants off,â you reply, pushing him down to sit on the edge of the bed.
straddle his lap, kissing him again, slower this time, rolling your hips just enough to make him groan. His hands roam your back, your sides, mapping every curve like heâs been waiting for this forever.
âYou have no idea what you do to me,â he says, voice rough.
âPretty sure I do,â you answer, nipping at his jaw.
You let your hands trail down his chest, tracing each line of muscle, the hard planes of his abs. His breath stutters when you slip your fingers under the waistband of his joggers, teasing.
âGonna keep teasing me?â he asks.
âMaybe,â you say with a smirk, before kissing him again â deep, wet, your tongue brushing his until you both break for air.
From there, itâs a blur of heat and skin and breathless laughter between kisses. You guide him back onto the bed, your mouth exploring his neck, his shoulders, the way he shivers when you scrape your nails lightly over his stomach.
When he finally flips you beneath him, itâs not because youâve lost control â itâs because youâve let him, and he knows it.
âYou drive me crazy,â he murmurs, forehead resting against yours as he lines his mouth up with yours again.
And when it happens â slow at first, then faster, harder, until youâre both gasping â itâs everything youâve been avoiding for a week and everything you didnât know you needed, all at once.
He sinks to his knees in front of you.
âMissed you,â he says against your thigh, his breath hot on your skin.
You open your mouth to reply, but it turns into a gasp when his hands slide up under your hoodie, warm palms smoothing over your waist. He pushes it higher, exposing your stomach, your ribs, until you lift your arms and let him pull it off completely.
His eyes darken as they roam over you. âYouâre gorgeous.â
You hook your fingers in his hair and pull him back up into another kiss, this one slower, deeper, your tongues brushing as you shift back onto the bed, letting him follow. He covers your body with his, one knee pressing between your legs until you open for him.
The pressure is maddening. You grind against his thigh without thinking, and he swallows the moan it pulls from you.
His mouth leaves yours to trail down your jaw, your neck, his teeth grazing your skin before his tongue soothes the sting. His hands are everywhere â your sides, your back, your thighs â as if heâs starving for you.
When his fingers slip under the waistband of your shorts, you donât stop him. He pushes them down slowly, watching your face the entire time, like heâs looking for even the smallest sign you want to stop.
He cups you over your panties first, his fingers pressing just enough to make your breath catch.
âSo warm,â he murmurs. âSo wet already.â
Your hips roll against his hand, chasing the friction, and he grins against your neck before sliding your panties aside and touching you directly. The first stroke is light, testing. The second is firmer, his fingertip circling your clit in a rhythm that makes your toes curl.
When he slides one finger inside you, you gasp â and when he adds a second, curling them just right, your back arches off the bed.
âGod, you feel perfect,â he says, his thumb never leaving your clit as his fingers work inside you.
He kisses his way down your body, slow enough to make you squirm, until his mouth replaces his hand.
The first swipe of his tongue against you has your fingers tangling in his hair, a moan slipping out before you can stop it. He licks you like he has all night, alternating between broad strokes and focused flicks against your clit, his fingers sliding in and out of you in a rhythm that matches the movements of his mouth.
You canât think, canât breathe â the only thing youâre aware of is him, the wet heat of his tongue, the way he groans every time you tug his hair.
Your orgasm hits hard, your thighs clamping around his head as you cry out his name. He doesnât stop until youâre gasping, pushing weakly at his shoulder.
He crawls back up your body, kissing you again, letting you taste yourself on his lips.
Youâre still catching your breath when you feel him, thick and hard against your thigh. You reach down, curling your hand around him, stroking slow, and his breath hitches.
His eyes flick to yours. âDo you want one?â
You shake your head. âI want to feel you.â
He lines himself up and pushes in slowly, giving you time to adjust. The stretch has your nails digging into his shoulders, and he drops his forehead to yours with a groan.
âFuck⊠you feel unbelievable.â
When heâs all the way in, you just stay there for a moment, breathing each other in. Then you roll your hips, and he pulls out only to thrust back in, deeper this time.
The pace starts slow â deliberate â every movement making you feel every inch of him. His hands slide under your thighs, lifting them to open you wider, changing the angle until heâs hitting that spot that makes you gasp every time.
You wrap your legs around him, pulling him closer, and the pace picks up. His thrusts are harder now, deeper, the sound of skin against skin loud in the room.
He kisses you between breaths, his mouth hot and desperate against yours. You meet every thrust, chasing the pleasure building low in your stomach, the tension winding tighter and tighter.
When his thumb finds your clit again, you break â clenching around him, your orgasm tearing through you. He follows a heartbeat later, groaning your name as he spills into you, hips pressing deep as he rides it out.
You stay tangled together, sweaty and breathless, his weight a comfort on top of you.
âWorth the wait?â you murmur.
He grins against your cheek. âIâm not waiting that long again.â
And from the way you feel right now, you know you wonât make him.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââ
You wake up to the weight of an arm draped over your waist and the steady rhythm of someone breathing against the back of your neck.
For a second, your pulse spikes â the last shadow of a nightmare still clinging to you â until you register the heat of his body, the faint scent of soap and rain still clinging to his skin.
Your chest loosens. The nightmare fades. The ache in your thighs from last night is a different kind of reminder â one that makes heat pool low in your stomach.
You stay still for a minute, letting yourself soak in the feel of him pressed against you. His hand twitches in his sleep, fingertips brushing your stomach, like even unconscious, heâs holding on.
But if you stay here any longer, youâre going to start something youâre not ready to explain at the breakfast table.
You slip out from under his arm, grabbing one of his shirts on the floor and pulling it over your head. The manorâs floorboards are cool under your feet as you head for the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
Youâve just started brushing when the door creaks open.
âMorning,â Dick says, voice still rough with sleep. His hairâs a mess, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He looks unfairly good for someone who just woke up.
You try to answer with a mouth full of toothpaste foam, which earns you a low chuckle.
He leans against the sink beside you, brushing his teeth too, and you keep your eyes on the mirror instead of on him â which is why you donât expect it when he suddenly scoops you up and sets you on the counter.
Your gasp is muffled by the toothbrush still in your mouth.
He steps between your legs, close enough that your knees instinctively part to make room. His hands settle on your thighs, thumbs rubbing slow circles against bare skin, and your stomach does that ridiculous flutter thing youâd rather not admit to.
You spit into the sink, wipe your mouth, and before you can say anything, his lips are on yours.
Itâs not the wild, desperate kind of kiss from last night â itâs slower, softer, like heâs savoring it. But the fact that youâre sitting on the counter with him standing between your knees adds an edge that has you leaning into him, fingers curling in his shirt.
When he finally pulls back, his grin is lazy, satisfied. âMorning, beautiful.â
You roll your eyes, but your heartâs not in it. âWe should⊠probably go down for breakfast.â
He smirks. âIf we must.â
The kitchenâs already loud when you arrive. Jasonâs complaining about the coffee being âtoo bitter,â Timâs reading something on his tablet, Damianâs trying to prove a point to Alfred about protein intake.
You and Dick take seats next to each other, but youâre careful not to be too obvious. Or at least, you think you are.
Itâs about halfway through Alfred serving eggs when Jason leans back in his chair, smirking. âSo⊠you two have a fun night?â
Your fork freezes halfway to your mouth. âWhat?â
Tim doesnât look up from his tablet, but his mouth twitches. âWe all heard you.â
Damian tilts his head like heâs analyzing evidence. âIt was rather⊠loud.â
Your face burns. âOh my godââ
Dick just grins, utterly unbothered. âGuess we donât have to keep it a secret then.â
Jason laughs. âDidnât think you were.â
Before you can come up with a retort, Bruce walks in, setting a folder on the table. âWeâve got a mission. All of you.â
âEven me?â you ask, grateful for the subject change.
Bruce gives you a once-over â unreadable as ever â and nods. âEspecially you.â
The heat in your cheeks cools instantly.
Dick leans closer, brushing your knee under the table. âDonât worry,â he murmurs. âWeâll handle it. Together.â
And you know he means more than just the mission.
âââŠâàŒ»àŒșââŠââTHE END
the ending is kind of rusheddd, sorry
I hope you enjoyed. I donât read the comics as much but i hope some of the characters where at least a tiny bit accurate