Fake-Dating
His eyes were so wide that Raven thought he looked like a puppy, pleading desperately with her to get her to agree to his ridiculous request. Of course, that look alone nearly broke her steel resolve, but she would never admit that to him out loud. Dick would never let her live it down if he knew the truth. Instead, she gave a dramatic sigh and took a sip of her tea, watching him through the steam curling out of the cup.
He sunk his teeth into his lower lip and leaned forward, expression still soft and begging. “Look. It’s just for tonight. At this stupid gala Bruce is dragging me to.” He pushed a pastry towards her in an obvious attempt to try and goad her into agreeing to this absolutely ridiculous suggestion. “I’ll even pick you up. And, I’ll get you dinner at that new place that opened up on Main.”
“I can’t go there. You know that.” She gave him a flat stare, and tried to ignore the sharp pain of jealousy in her chest. He wasn’t trying to be oblivious to her situation, it was just that things were easier for him. He wasn’t Meta, and he didn’t have to worry about what kind of places he was allowed into or who would be willing to cater to him. Being a rich, normal human was always going to give him a leg up in society, no matter how little he realized it.
Dick winced at the reminder, but still tried to look hopeful. “I’ll order take out from there then.” He snapped his fingers and looked excited. “Or! We can stay at Bruce’s flat in the city. He almost never uses it, and it would be perfect for us. We can order delivery and watch bad movies together. You don’t even have to leave the flat if you don’t want to. It’ll be a sleepover!”
“Doesn’t that negate the purpose of… what was it again? Taking me to this gala as your… pretend girlfriend? Did I understand that right?” She kept her face calm and unreadable, but her heart fluttered at the thought of being his girlfriend - even a pretend one. She didn’t want to admit that she was beginning to have feelings for him, but she was, and it was frustrating. Inconvenient feelings for anyone was bad enough, but having them for a ward of Bruce Wayne was probably the worst-case scenario. He was finding all kinds of cracks in her heart and finding a way in.
They had met at the library every Friday for the last four months, talked books, and then went out for dinner afterwards. Meeting for coffee on Sundays had only been happening for a few weeks, but she found she liked it. She liked the quiet of the coffee shop, and they way Dick always scored her favorite booth by the window. He was charming and funny, and somehow serious. He was patient with her insecurities, giving her space when she needed it, and pushing back against her when he knew he could. He was helping her grow, bringing her out of her own shadows, and helping her find a place in this world.
He was making her a better person - of course she was going to fall for him.
“It’s just… there’s this one girl from another family who drapes herself over me every time we see each other, and I… I need a barrier to keep her away.” Dick gave her that look again, practically melting her heart. “You’re one of my best friends, and if I trust anyone to be my fake girlfriend - it’s you. Please say yes.”
Raven sighed and closed her eyes in defeat, knowing that she would never find the will to resist him. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Dick leaned forward, his eyes somehow growing wider with excitement. Did he have to be so damn cute? “Really?”
“I’ll go. If you want me to pretend to be your fake girlfriend just so I can scare away some socialite, then… I guess I’m your girl.” She shrugged and finished her tea, looking back at Dick. “I don’t have a whole lot to wear though.” In fact she wasn’t entirely sure why she was agreeing to this. She didn’t even know what she was supposed to wear to a gala. “I think I have a black dress in the back of my closet. But I haven’t worn it since my senior year in high school.”
“I’m sure it’ll be perfect. You’ll look great in a paper sack.” Dick smiled at her, his eyes bright.
Raven glanced away, pretending to look out the window so he didn’t see the flush along her cheeks. His compliments always found a way into her heart, and left her feeling more helpless than before.
“Although I don’t know if that’ll be the best thing to wear.” His smile widened and he pitched forward, forcing her to look at him. “I think the dress will be fine. It’s not like a super fancy gala or anything. Just something for the local animal shelters.” He snapped his fingers as if suddenly remembering something. “So, there will be cats you can play with.”
Raven pushed down the sudden bubble of excitement she felt in her chest. Her apartment building didn’t allow pets, and Dick had caught her trying to make friends with the stray cats more than once. He knew exactly what to say to make her excited. She pursed her lips and met his stare. “I’ve already agreed, you don’t need to try and butter me up, you know.”
He propped his chin up on his hand, grinning at her. “It was my trump card in case you put up more of a fight. Besides…” He shrugged, his expression softening just a little. “I get to watch you play with cats. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Raven gave him a flat stare, pretending to be annoyed, but in her chest she could feel her heart doing flips. He said things like that and it made everything between them feel so… complicated. Looking into his face, filled with soft, genuine emotion, she felt herself fall even harder… head-over-heels in love.