redarrws:
roy flushes a little when he ends up on his back, looking up at dick with a grin. well, alright. if that’s the direction dick’s taking it, who the hell is roy to argue? he hums a noise of easy pleasure into the kiss. roy’s pretty sure he’s been kissed more in the last hour or so than he has in the last several months. not a complaint – it’s just been a slow few months of unparalleled pining.
it’s almost a relief when dick pulls back to speak; roy stands a chance of actually catching his breath now, even if he’d just as happily give up breathing entirely right about now. his heart does a triple beat when dick lays next to him, and that’s not even accounting for everything dick says next.
first of all, roy offered to give the sweet nothings, not receive them. he’s going crimson now, chancing a bashful look over at dick. god, he loves this man, and to hear adoration from him, like this, not hidden under their usual layers, it’s about to make him well up. “ me too, ” is all he manages for a moment, choked up by the thought that he could ever possibly be all of that to dick. to dick. jesus. god himself couldn’t move roy from his spot right here, right now.
he turns his face away for a second, tries to hide just how much a couple sentences can knock him out. when he feels like he’s not going to cry or something else embarrassing, he looks back at dick, fingers playing with the ends of his hair. “ i don’t – how am i ever gonna top that, dick ?? ” he asks, breathlessly. “ you’re the best person i know. the kindest, the bravest. basically anything good about me came from watching you, dick. you make me want to be better – a better man, a better fighter. you getting up for me? that’s crazy talk; that’s all i could ever want. ”
he clears his throat again when his voice wavers, “ s’good you want to be here – i’d follow you wherever you went. ”
it’s not a new feeling, how much love he has for roy, but that doesn’t mean dick isn’t ... stumped, of just how highly roy thinks of him. nor does it stop dick from feeling flushed, or giving into the urge to corral roy into his arms. he doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this uncertain -- thing between them. but he knows how rare it is to see roy with his guards down like this, bittersweet with the dawning knowledge that roy probably doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, if this is how he’s reacting. sweetly red-cheeked, almost... shy.
“ I think that’d be pretty easy, y’know. ” dick starts, gently nudges into roy’s cheek before settling there, easing into making himself right at home. “ to follow me, I mean. half the time i’m trying not to just come find you.” a quiet chuff of laughter follows, and rather than the kisses, dick feels more nervous in blindly finding roy’s hand with his, holding it between them. it’s intimate in a different way, and even given roy’s offer, dick’s almost certain roy didn’t expect to be asked to hold hands and talk about their feelings. but it’s been a busy day. dick’s saved lian, he can afford the chance to be selfish with this much.
“ got one thing wrong though. there’s.. no way. no way everything good about you came from this guy. ” and then dick’s eyes open, try to find roy’s own. even if it leaves dick completely defenseless in the end, even if there’s no taking it back, he loves roy enough to want him to know just how much he’s loved. “ i’ve ... god, i’ve loved you for a long time, so I think i’m at least a little qualified to say this. but you’ve always been good. ” a pause, as dick tries to gather himself, and a thumb gently swipes across the back of roy’s hand. it doesn’t work, all tumbles out in a rush regardless. “ you’ve always been strong. you’ve dragged my head out my ass so often i’m pretty sure i’d just be a standard .. pompous asshole if it weren’t for you. I know how much you care. how much you try to be even stronger, like you’re not -- the strongest person I know. ”
now dick is pretty sure he’s rambling, but some things need an escape. words like this aren’t meant to be kept all stored inside, no matter how certain members of the family might disagree. but he can’t be sure of how comfortable roy is, with all this, even well-intentioned. so, with a smile a lot more confident than he feels, he dredges out the worst joke he’s got. “ so... yeah. you don’t have to top the sweet nothin’s. you’re already the sweetest somethin’ around. ”








