Hi! Saw ur request thing and couldn’t pm u cuz u only pm ppl u follow but I was wondering if I could request something with Duke. Literally anything, there’s SO little about my man :(
Like his only content is in those “batboys” fanfics where he gets the shortest bit and it’s completely ooc
U can do whatever u want cuz I’m so desperate but if you want a prompt I was thinking something like Duke finally got with m!reader after having a crush on him for so long and always ranting to his siblings about it so now his siblings keep teasing him over it and bothering Duke and m!reader when they try to spend time tg. Just something nice and fluffy, you can take any creative liberties you want or do ur own prompt if you want tho! I just want something for my man 😭
Sparkle of mischief
Pairing: Duke x m!reader
Wordcount: 669
Summary: He is so glad the siblings didn't ruin this
Warnings: None
A/N: I am so sorry it took this long, I poured all of my writing energy into my thesis for like half a year
Masterlist
-I have been friends with him for a year and crushed on him for just as long, I will not ruin my chances by fighting my oldest brother in a cafe in front of him - is what goes through Duke’s head as he stares at you, while you ramble about your day.
He is so glad you are sitting with your back to the door, as you didn’t see his mess of a family enter, one by one, in increasingly elaborate disguises. Between Tim, who disguised himself so well as a woman the only hint he got was his walk, and Jason, who put on a semi-believable mustache and nothing else, it was clear they raided the batcave’s emergency disguise bin. In total, he counted four hooligans he could see, which means Damian and Cass either didn’t participate, or, more likely, he hasn’t spotted them yet.
Duke’s eyes flick between your own and behind you, looking at Tim. The difference between the warm gaze and the ice-cold glare nearly makes the disguised man laugh.
You both already ordered and haven’t paid yet, so running out of the restaurant to lose his siblings is out of the question. If he tries to pay and leave with you, they will follow you both to wherever you might go. He only half-listens to your words and half plots your joint escape.
But you’re too observant for your own good. The second time Duke looks behind you, even for a second, you trail off in the middle of the sentence to discreetly turn and follow his eyes.
“Is that… your brother and Stephanie on a double date?” you ask, slowly, as if tasting the words on your tongue feels absurd.
Duke closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. “It’s not a double date. That’s Jason, you haven’t met him yet. And the woman next to him is Tim.”
Your head whips around to look at him, trying to detect any hints of sarcasm.
Nothing. His face is passive in that exhausted, second-hand-embarrassed way, where you can tell he is internally screaming.
You stifle a laugh by slapping a hand over your mouth. Your eyes crinkle and your shoulders shake a little with giggles that stay behind your lips, and Duke swears his heart jumps from how adorable you look.
It takes you a minute to calm down, during which his face loses its tired edges and the corners of his mouth turn up just a fraction. When your hand falls down back onto the table, you take a sip of your lemonade and then gently put it down.
“That’s actually impressive. I didn’t take Tim for a crossdresser,” you say, loud enough to barely carry away from your table.
You deliberately turn your head a fraction and motion to your side with your eyes, right to where Duke was previously looking. Your smile is mischievous and he thinks your eyes sparkle as they look back at him.
Duke watches the words land at his siblings in real time. Tim’s jaw drops and Jason does his best to not start slapping his knee in laughter. Stephanie and Dick are giggling, the latter poking Tim in the arm.
“How do they even know you are out on a date?” you ask, this time with voice lowered, not enough to carry.
Another deep sigh and he awkwardly also takes a sip of his lemonade. “I asked Dick and Tim for conversation ideas, some do’s and don’t’s for dates,” he admits sheepishly.
The sparkle in your eyes gets louder. Your smile widens. And Duke swears he will talk about this moment with you years down the line, when you inevitably tie the knot.
“That’s absolutely adorable. But you don’t have to take their advice or search for it,” you shrug, “as cliché as it is, being yourself is enough for the conversation to flow for hours.”
Any anxieties he had about you leaving the date due to his family’s shenanigans evaporate just like that.
You sat with your phone on the couch, listening to the sound of the shower. A soft lavender-honey smell wafting through the air softly lulling you to sleep. You forced yourself to stay awake, waiting for Duke to finish his whole routine so you two could spend the night together.
And just a few minutes later, he walked into your living room, a loose shirt on him and some boxers. His sheepish smile aimed at you as he made his way and sat next to you.
“Hi.” He said simply, wrapping an arm around you. You fitted yourself against his chest sighing contentedly. Duke giggled and placed a soft kiss against the top of your head.
“‘m sorry i couldn’t get home quicker. Patrol dragged a little.” His hand rubbed your back, feeling you drift away further and further.
“It’s okay. Missed you though.” Your voice echoed against his shirt and he chuckled again, letting his head rest on yours. His free hand wrapping around your hips, trying to bring you closer.
“I missed you too, love. How ‘bout i take a day off tomorrow? We could skip town for a weekend? Y’know, relaxing and stuff like that.” He proposed and you nodded your head, not even having the energy to speak. His voice softened more.
“Alright then.”
A few minutes later, when he had made sure you were out, he hooked his hands behind your back and under your knees to pick you up. Subconsciously you wrapped your arms around his neck, making it easier for him to carry you to your bed.
He settled you down as carefully as he could, pulling the duvet over you and leaning down to give you one last kiss before he settled on his own side of the bed, scuttling closer to you. Close enough to have his hand on your hip but far away enough so that you dont overheat during the night.
a/n: i bring thee a small drabble to satiate the drought 300 words ggulp it aint much but i couldnt not post anything 💔💔💔
Content: Day 4 of my Valentine’s Day event , thanks for all the support everyone it means a lot xx
Warnings: Danger
“Isn’t the sunset pretty?” You asked your boyfriend, swinging your joint hands just purely because you knew it annoyed him.
“Hmm, suns showing off today.” He muttered, looking up at the sky.
Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to dissect what that actually meant, instead you just put it down as one of your boyfriends typical snarky sentences.
As you continued walking, the sun continued falling till eventually the sky was nearing a pitch black. Duke was walking you back from your coffee date which ran over an hour, you’d both had a lot of catching up to do especially since he’d been busy these last couple of weeks.
“So… what are you going to do once you get home?” You asked teasingly.
“Sleep. I am tired.” He replied shaking his head.
“Oh yes, so tired from our coffee date, where you were sitting down the entire time.” Playfully you mocked him, enjoying how he rolled his eyes.
You both walked underneath some scaffolding of a new housing estate that was being built, the wind picked up slightly, blustering your hair.
“No, no.” He laughed, “I just mean that it’s been a long week.”
“Well thank you kind sir for making time for me.” Despite being sincere you still skipped a few steps forward to playfully bow, to which he laughed.
A sudden crack split the air as the scaffolding above gave way, crashing down toward you. Metal and wooden beams thundered closer in a violent storm, and you threw your hands over your head, squeezing your eyes shut, before the impact rushed in.
Right as you expected to feel a truckload of pain, you felt a warm feeling brush around your body and heard the crash of all the materials. Yet you didn’t get hit…
Slowly you opened your eyes to the sight of your boyfriend hastily pulling back his hands from what you could only assume was him holding them out.
For a moment you could have sworn that the street lights flickered or some form of light had flashed before your eyes. But those thoughts were banished as Duke quickly came forward to pull you into his arms.
“Are you ok?” He breathed out, methodically scanning you with his eyes to check for injuries.
“Y-yeah.” Your heart was thudding in your ears, but you still managed to nod, instantly regretting it as your head felt it had been turned upside down.
You both breathed together for a few more seconds, he nodded back, seemingly wrestling with the fact he almost lost you.
“I’m fine Duke…” You tried to reassure him, but you were just as spooked. Especially considering that it was some kind of miracle that nothing had hit you. “I’m just lucky I guess.”
Duke’s lips quirked upwards, “Ok… let’s get you home.”
The rest of the walk was spent in silence and Duke’s constant sidelong glances to check you were really ok. But you couldn’t banish the thought from your head, that one of those beams should have definitely hit you.
Thank you to everyone who sent in a request for my Valentine’s event!!! I was completely blown away by how quickly they all went and I am so grateful for your support. The Valentine’s Day event will start on February 7th and last everyday till the 14th. If you haven’t seen the prompts yet, please check my blog!
Duke was staring blankly at the shadowy figure in front of him. His eyes glowed like a cat's in the low lighting as the sun was slowly setting, but even in the low lighting he could clearly see the outline of a stranger in the growing shadows.
The stranger seemed surprised to be seen when they obviously turned into a barely shimmering outline. You have the ability to absorb and redirect light, yet he can see you? You blended into the shadows nearly flawlessly. The shadows caressed you and shielded you like you were in the pocket of an alternate dimension. Why did Duke look like he could see you?
"What are you doing?"
He asked as he stared at you with raised eyebrows. You were baffled as you looked right back at him. You had completely disappeared from existence to everybody surrounding you. You twirled the dagger in your hand with a frown. You were on Court business as a Talon, but this was far more interesting. You could spare a few minutes.
You double-checked your light as if you needed to confirm you were, in fact, invisible to the naked eye. The shadows curled like snakes ready to pounce. There was no mistaking your powers, but maybe you were too sloppy this time. You looked around to see nobody else cast a glance at you.
Duke had never seen shadows move like that. Of course he'd notice something so out of place. His own shadows were betraying him, preventing him from revealing you. How odd. He's never seen something like this before. No meta dares to use their powers in Gotham except him and evidently you.
"You can see me?"
You asked in disbelief. Nobody has seen you in the past. You were a mystery figure and this has never been an issue before. He sounded confused when he said,
"Of course I can."
You smiled sharply. You found Signal accidentally. That's unfortunate. You sheathed your dagger as you watched him carefully. You can tell the Court this and maybe they will let your friend go with this knowledge, or maybe they already know his identity and it would be useless intel that you'd be punished for wasting time to gather.
You never wanted to be a Talon— nobody really does — but you offered yourself as a sacrifice when you were a scared kid in an attempt to save your friend. The Court converted you both anyway. You were lucky to get rid of the control they have over all the other Talons due to your powers and you managed to snap out your friend over time.
"I have a proposition for you. If you'd be so kind as to join me in the shadows."
Nobody can hear you in the shadows unless you let them hear you. The Owls have ears everywhere, so it's a nice perk. Duke hesitated, but accepted your offer to join you.
He regretted that decision instantly. Duke immediately noticed the frigid temperature and the total absence of light. He had never felt this cold and lonely. You seemed close, but not uncomfortably so.
"Relax, I'm calling a truce."
His breath hitched when he saw your warm breath appear like a cloud of smoke. You were getting closer. You were a predator hunting in the shadows. He said worriedly,
"A truce? I didn't realise we were enemies."
You smiled bitterly. You never wanted this life, but you heard Signal is with the Bats and you can make your friend disappear when the Court is thrown into chaos. You can move them right out of Gotham. You have the means, even if it sentences you to death.
"Tonight, the Court of Owls is planning to kidnap a group of children being trafficked from outside of the city. I will give you the address of both the new base for the Court and the location of the children. In return, you will cause as much chaos as humanly possible at the nest."
Duke looked concerned, but agreed to your terms. Who wouldn't agree? The chaos would already be caused when they attack. It would be stupid not to accept free information. Even if it's a ruse, they now know something is going down.
"The deal is happening at 2:45 tonight. Don't disappoint me."
With that said, you shoved him out of your shadows and disappeared as if you never existed. Duke shivered. It was cold outside, but nothing campared to the arctic temperature in your shadows.
Duke told the family immediately when he got home. Nobody said anything for a long moment as Tim pulls up the CCTV footage of the area. What you said is true. There were at least one hundred kids stored away.
"Dick, Jason, and Damian will go to the children. Cass, Duke, Stephanie, and myself will go to the Court and Barbara will stay on comms and keep an eye on the cameras in the area. Tim will infiltrate the ranks to give intel in real time."
Bruce ordered. You had given them your Court outfit for one of them to sneak in without detection. The others nodded their agreement and Tim was sent out.
You had told the Court your cover was blown by Signal, so you were unsuccessful in your kill. Not a lie, but not the whole truth like they demand from you. The boss purred,
"Don't make this a habit, little Talon. We would hate to make an example out of you."
Your friend cried in your arms for hours at the thought of you being killed. You didn't have the words to tell them you are escaping tonight, so you remaind quiet. You merely murmured that everything was going to be okay and you'll be fine. You don't know how true your words will be, but you were able to hold it together. One more hour before the base gets infiltrated.
You didn't dare pack anything besides essentials and spare clothes. There is no getting out of what you are about to do. Your friend will live, and they better live the best life possible compared to this terrible life or your inevitably tortuous death.
In an hour, chaos finally erupted. You heard panic spread among the Talons as they rushed to the source while a small group focused on getting the leaders out of the nest. The best of the best rushed into the centre of the battle, including you.
You gripped your friend's hand tightly as you hid both of you in your shadows. Your hands shook as you shoved your friend out of the nest and dragged them to the nearest train. You secured a safe house in Metropolis. This may be the last time you ever see each other, but you have everything set up. You grabbed their shoulders and said sternly,
"Stay in Metropolis and never leave the city. I will find you again. If the worst happens, I made a deal with Signal to guide you to the safe house I managed to rent."
You promised your safety when they started crying, but you weren't certain what safety truly was anymore. You gave them one final hug before vanishing back to the chaos. The least you could do was help.
You hid as you took out fellow Talons. This was a mercy slaughter you told yourself, but you still had tears in your eyes with every dead body. The Court will be furious, but you can escape in the time it takes for them to regroup.
You almost screamed when a dagger finally hit you and stabbed through your abdomen. The Talon seemed to have panicked when he hit seemingly nothing and removed the blade quickly. So quickly, in fact, that he accidentally twisted the knife on the way out. You hissed in pain, but his throat was slit before he could panic for very long.
You narrowly avoided the heroes as they barrelled through the Court. You had no idea what their mission was, but you didn't particularly care. You had to protect those kids. You were a kid when you were taken in and forced into the assassin role, and you refused to let any more children suffer the way you had to suffer.
You almost cried when the dust settled and you had to shadow travel your way to the kids. They can't be left alone. What if things goes south and those kids are killed? The thought made you walk faster. Duke stopped you, however. He said,
"Wait!"
You turned in time to feel him drag you into a tight embrace. You awkwardly pat his back before the gravity of the situation hit you. You fell apart in his arms. He asked quickly,
"Did you get out who you needed to?"
You nodded against his shoulder. You didn't dare speak. You couldn't. Your muscles ached from exhaustion and your abdomen was screaming with every breath. The Talon definitely punctured an organ on his way to the afterlife.
You couldn't speak, so instead you took his hand and gently let him feel the blood gushing out of your right side. He recoiled back and looked at his hand. You were bleeding. Badly, at that.
"Let us bring you to a doctor."
He pleaded. He couldn't stand the thought of you sacrificing yourself, but that's the kind of person you are. You're sure your friend will be fine and those children will be safe. You managed to hoarsely say,
"You don't have time. Promise to keep them safe."
He can't let you go, but he choked out that he promised. He was so attached already. He's never felt so connected to someone so quickly. You understood his abilities and the dangers that came with them. He whispered in a broken tone,
"I can't lose you."
Not yet. Not this soon. You stepped out of the comfort of your shadows and eyed the approaching heroes forming a circle around you. What are they doing? You softly whispered to Duke,
"Thank you."
They ran to catch you, but you disappeared before they could. Where? You had no idea until you woke up in a hospital on the other side of the city. They would find you. It wrecked Duke to even think about where you would possibly have gone. He was inconsolable. Dick winced in sympathy.
You hissed as you tried to sit upright. Your stab wound throbbed in agony. Yep. You reached to lightly touch the wound. You noted that the nurses dressed you again as you lifted up your shirt to investigate. The stab wound was nothing campared to the surgery scar the doctors left when they crudely stitched you together again. Doctors in Gotham were always assholes regardless of who the patient is, but especially so if they heard you kill people for a living.
"I have so many words for you right now."
You heard none other than Duke Thomas say in a hoarse voice at your bedside. You turned your bleary eyes towards him and grimaced. Evidently, your plans to die not-very-peacefully did not happen.
You sighed and closed your eyes. Your powers have a mind of their own when you fall unconscious, so you shouldn't be surprised. Your body decided by itself to save your life. Flatly, you said,
"I'd rather die than be taken in for questioning or imprisoned."
Duke frowned. That's not why he's here at all. He grieved you and begged Bruce to let you go when they inevitably tracked you down. It was a heated debate about what to do with you, but Duke didn't budge on his stance and Dick backed him. He knew Duke refused to put you in Arkham. Dick is certain Duke would break you out himself if they dared, assuming Arkham could even hold you. You've never been caught before. They didn't have a cell for your powers in mind yet.
"Batman agreed to let you go on the terms you leave Gotham permanently."
Duke finally said after staring at you for far too long. You bit your lip as the thought slowly registered. You're too dangerous to be let go, yet they are all trying to shield you away from the Court. You're a skilled assassin with too much blood on your hands, but Duke was smitten and Bruce was unable to say no.
"Understood."
You groaned as you tried to stand up. You can feel the stitches strain against your movement. Duke ran to you as you walked out after you removed your own IV. You had to get out before the police could catch you. Even without the Bat on your back, you still had an arrest warrant. You needed out as quickly as possible. Nobody in the hospital stopped you as you walked out.
"No! Wait! I'm coming with you!"
You went rigid when Duke said that and froze in place. The Signal can't disappear. Who will protect Gotham during the day? Your hands drifted to your waist in search of the familiar dagger you kept on you at all times. It was obviously missing, but it was a habit to hold the hilt for comfort. You asked,
"What are you talking about?"
Duke caught up to you even as you began walking again. Who knew you could be so fast? Every step ached, but you had to leave the city before Batman had the chance to change his mind. Duke said in a rushed tone,
"I'm coming with you. It's hypocritical to leave one meta behind when the other is chased out."
You eyed him carefully. He looked serious. What kind of game is he playing? Did Batman seriously discard him as if HE was the assassin? Batman would never, right? Signal is one of his own. You replied in a firm tone,
"No."
You can't risk another person. You can't feed three mouths with no job lined up and very little money. He looked confused now. He had the gall to be baffled as if the practical thoughts never once crossed his mind. Maybe they hadn't. He seemed pretty frazzled the entire time he's been by your side. He asked,
"What do you mean "no?" I'm joining you whether you like it or not."
You sighed heavily. You were so exhausted. Everything hurt. Duke looked at you with such a soft expression, so you figured you owed him at least an explanation. For anybody else, you wouldn't have bothered, but Duke looked so genuinely saddened at the thought of your absence. You explained with as much patience as you could muster while in agonising pain,
"None of us have a job and nobody has any money. I can't risk a third person if just two people are going to struggle enough."
Duke tucked his hands into his pockets and found himself too busy admiring you to form a response. You were just on the brink of death and yet here you stood, powerful as ever. You wobbled on your feet like a drunk person failing a sobriety test, but the fire in your eyes refused to blink out. You had a surprisingly clear head despite being pumped full of morphine with lingering traces of ketamine from surgery. You had so much fight in your eyes that left him completely enamoured.
"I have an apartment in Metropolis. You both can live with me. I, uh...I also wanted to ask if you'd maybe want to go on a date. Sometime. Anytime. Whenever."
He said as if Bruce didn't buy the building less than two hours ago. He can't be serious. You were stunned. What do you say to something like that? It was dangerous to put your full trust in him. You said flatly,
"I'm an assassin, not a sex worker. Ex-assassin, I suppose."
A smile tugged at your lips, but you stubbornly refused to reveal your amusement at his suddenly very flustered and horrified expression. He stuttered,
"I'm not asking for— I didn't mean to—"
He didn't know what to say. He was mortified. He had no idea how to respond to a comment like that. He's never tried to date a former villain before. He was clueless on what your mindset would be. You were an assassin, yes, but you can recover. Damian and Cass recovered from the assassin lifestyle. You said,
"Relax. I'm jo—"
You tripped on the edge of the footpath before you could finish your sentence. Duke caught you quickly only to also fall.
"That's one way to ask out your crush."
You groaned under him. You're lucky the stitches held. He looked mortified and scrambled to stand up again. Things have been getting steadily worse. He helped you up when he was able to stand steadily enough to safely keep you in place. You winced and touched your stitches. No blood, no worries.
"If I agree to a date, will you stop injuring me?"
You sounded amused, but there was a flicker of pain in your eyes. You were far more injured than you wanted to show. He looked sheepishly at you, his eyes darting to your stitches as if he could see through your clothes and under the bandages. You know he didn't mean to fall on top of you but the look on his face was worth it. It hurt when you laughed as he managed to apologise,
"I'm SO sorry!"
Before he could start grovelling, you said while shaking your head,
"I'll go on a date with you, calm down, light bulb."
You kissed his cheek with a small smirk. Your friend will love Duke. They might even want to steal him from you. You shadow travelled to the same train station you abandoned your friend at with Duke's hand in yours.
Maybe you'll become his partner if Superman allows more vigilantes in his city. Duke and you will fit in perfectly. With every city light, there is a shadow to vanish into.
cw: reader is a member of the Batfam, some angst? + it's readers birthday,
— requested by my sweet ☘️ anon, request can be found here
froggi yaps -> pls forgive me for using pics from WFA i have a headache & genuinely COULD NOT find any other panels of duke rn </3 if u see this, please wish my sweet ☘️ nonnie a happy birthday!! hope everyone had a great day
It’s an unusually sunny day in Gotham, which is funny given the horrid day you’re having.
The sky is blue, the clouds parting ways for the sun to peak down on you. If it were any other day, you’d be content to sit outside and bask in the last days of sunshine before the rain sets in again.
But it’s not any other day—it’s your birthday, and everyone seems to have forgotten.
You’d been so excited last night. Butterflies in your stomach, thoughts racing on all the fun ways you could spend today, on all of the wishes you were going to wake up to. Yet, you woke up to nothing and those butterflies in your stomach died.
A family full of detectives, detectives you work with and see daily, and not a single one could remember your birthday. Even Duke, who you consider yourself closest to, hadn’t remembered. That stung almost worse than everyone else combined.
You frown at the sunshine outside, pulling the blinds in your living room closed before settling on the couch. Usually around this time of afternoon, you’d make your way down to Wayne Manor and get yourself set up to start practicing.
Today? You’ve decided to skip the training. You’re not sure if you can handle being around them all right now.
-
With your favorite show on and an iced cold can of pop, you almost manage to forget the disappointment of the day. That is until Bruce starts calling you.
You debate ignoring the call, turning off your phone and praying he doesn’t send the cavalry to check on you. But it’s Batman, how can you ignore Batman?
You sigh and pick up the phone, hoping the dryness in your throat leftover from crying doesn’t come through. “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“At home,” you swallow a sip of pop, trying to work some moisture back into your mouth.
“Why?”
“Im—”
You hesitate, spinning the wheel of excuses in your mind of what he’ll find acceptable. Sick and injured are high risk, high reward—the chance he sends someone to check in on you is much too high. Tired almost never works.
The only option left is to be honest about your feelings but telling Batman of all people that you’re upset over them forgetting your birthday feels humiliating.
You down the rest of your drink. “I’m running late. I’ll be there shortly.”
With dread heavy on your chest, you collect your stuff and trade the comfort of your home for the fading sunlight outside. When you get outside the manor, the anxiety spikes and you find yourself stuck standing outside.
Your feet are rooted in place with the thoughts racing around your head. How can you face them and act like everything’s okay right now? Your shoulders tense at the very thought.
There’s a familiar click and suddenly the front door of the mansion is opening and Duke is running outside.
“Hey!” There’s a huge grin on his face, “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”
You frown. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“Very funny,” he throws an arm around you, “c’mon, we’re all waiting.”
You settle beneath his grip, and for a moment, all of the anger and the upset and the bitterness just goes away. Maybe he did forget your birthday, maybe they all did—but they’re in that house and they’re waiting for you, and can’t that be enough?
The manor is unusually dark for this time of night but with the amount of time you’ve spent here, you could navigate it even in your sleep. Which is why you’re so confused when Duke is guiding you to the kitchen and not towards the Batcave.
“Duke, where are we going?” You roll your shoulders to get away but his grip tightens, “I’m already late, just come on—”
“Surprise!”
The chorus of voices has you flinching, stumbling back into his chest. The lights flick on and suddenly you’re staring at the smiling faces of your closest comrades.
Balloons and streamers adorn the kitchen, hung from any and every surface in sight. A cake with your name on it sits on the table, countless delicious snacks spread out like a buffet.
You cover your mouth, suppressing a choked sob. Tears quickly well up in your eyes. They remembered, they remembered, they remembered.
Duke wraps his arms around you completely, kissing your cheek. “Surprise,” he whispers.
“I-I thought you guys forgot.” You wipe at the stray tears that roll down your cheeks, “I was really disappointed I can’t—”
Duke rubs gentle circles up and down your arm, trying to soothe you out of your shock. You lean into his touch.
“We wanted to do something to show you how special you are.” Dick’s smiling ear to ear, clearly happy with your reaction.
Damian scoffs but there’s a smile on his face all the same. “It wasn’t easy. We had to fight Thomas to keep him from texting you today.”
“It’s true. I had a text ready to go at midnight only to find my phone mysteriously out of service.”
Tim shrugs his shoulders. “Wonder how that happened.”
The conversation flows easily from there, your friends—family—giving you their well-wishes, telling you how hard it was to ignore you today. It chokes you up just thinking how much they love you, how much planning went into this.
Duke stays by your side for most of the night, giving you a card and telling you he’ll give you your gift when the two of you are alone. Cake is had, gifts are open and lots of photos are taken by Steph.
When the party is finally over and everyone starts gearing up for patrol, Duke offers to take you home.
You risk a glance at Bruce who nods approvingly. “It’s your birthday. Take the night off.”
“Lead the way,” you slip your hand into his, letting him take you to his bike outside.
Between the city lights, the cool night breeze on your face, and your arms around Duke’s waist, you can’t fathom how the night could get any better. You lean closer to him and rest your helmet-covered head on his back, relaxing for the remainder of the ride.
He walks you to your door, shifting nervously every step of the way until finally you arrive. “I’m sorry we had to pretend to forget.”
“It’s okay.”
“I hope you know we’ve been planning this for like, ever,” he rubs the back of the neck, offering you a guilty smile. “I really wanted your birthday to be special.”
You nod slowly, following along with his words.
He slips a small box from his pocket, adorned in rainbow polka dots and gold ribbons. He hands it to you, watching with bated breath as you shred the paper and open the box.
A small ring sits inside, plain on the outside but printed with a Bat symbol on the inside. You gasp at the sight—it’s absolutely beautiful. Simple enough you could wear it everywhere you go but just dazzling enough to make it stand out.
“I-I love it.” You slip it on your finger, admiring it in the moonlight. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
You throw your arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He’s quick to reciprocate, holding you for as long as you need.
You pull away just enough to look him in the eyes and before you can think much of it, softly kiss his lips. He’s stunned, only for a second, before leaning further into it.
You pull away with a soft smile, “thanks again, Duke.”
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
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thanks for reading & have a wonderful week /ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹♡
summary: after the store you work at is robbed, Signal stays behind to make sure you're okay
cw: armed robbery, canon typical violence, comfort, duke is a cutie pie
— requested by my lovely ☘️ anon, request can be found here
froggi yaps -> been a WHILE since i wrote for duke, lowkey had to reread some of his comics cause like </3 ive lowkey neglected him. enjoy <3
The early morning light blooms over your face as you sit on the curb, the morning cold soaking through your pants. A coffee sits in one hand, a half-eaten breakfast sandwich in the other.
It would be a nice morning if you hadn’t gotten robbed only twenty minutes earlier.
Well, not you exactly, more like the small convenience store you worked at in the heart of Gotham. Still, you’d been the cashier—one of two staff members this morning—when they’d come in, guns blazing.
It was a slow morning before that. You took over for the person on night shift at 6am sharp, made yourself a cheap coffee and settled in behind the counter with a book. Occasionally, whenever the morning stockperson poked his head out, you’d make conversation.
It was a quiet morning until three of them had burst through the door, brandishing hand guns and knives and demanding for you to put your hands up. You’d dropped your book in an instant, nervously raising your hands.
It took two minutes from when they’d come in for The Signal to show up. You’re not sure how he knew to come—whether your coworker who had mysteriously disappeared into the back had called someone, or if you’d just lucked out and he happened to be in the neighbourhood.
Either way, you’ve never been more relieved at the sight of a man in fluorescent yellow armor.
He’d made quick work of the robbers, tying the three of them back to back and locking them in the store while you waited for police to arrive.
You were in shock, then. He was talking to you but the words didn’t quite register, your hands still shaking from the fear that had wracked your body only moments ago.
He’d flashed you a comforting smile, “hang tight for a few minutes, I’ll be right back.”
You couldn’t protest before he was hopping onto his motorcycle and driving away. When he came back, a bag of fast food in one hand and a drink tray in the other, you were sitting on the curb with your face pressed between your knees.
That’s how you got here, sitting on the curb in barely withheld shock and eating breakfast with The Signal.
“Cops sure are taking a while,” you comment, taking a sip of your coffee.
He laughs. “Don’t get me started.”
His laugh, his words, they all put you at ease. There’s just a way about him, a light that glows from within him and warms you—which feels right, given you’ve heard his powers have something to do with light.
The sky turns pink, then gold, and still the police don’t come. You finish your sandwich and your coffee, your pants soak through from the wetness of the sidewalk, and still nothing.
With every passing minute, your anxiety rises into your throat and threatens to choke you. You tap your leg against the concrete, each tap of your foot soothing your nerves.
“Are you okay?”
You still, nodding your head. “Just nervous, I guess. I don’t—I’m not really fond of cops. No offense.”
“Me? A cop?” He snorts, “you don’t even know the half of it.”
You raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs his shoulders, armor flexing with the motion. “Some of them are fine. But goddamn can they be slow and useless sometimes.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
“I’ve had some…run ins before my time as Signal,” he admits, a flustered smile falling over his face. “Even now sometimes when they show up I worry I’m in trouble or something.”
“You have a criminal record?”
The idea is laughable, especially given the Signal has always been one of the tamer Bats.
He scratches the back of his neck. “Well, yeah. But you can’t tell anyone that!”
“It’ll be our secret,” you wink, dissolving in another fit of laughter.
The two of you sit and talk for a while longer, watching as the sky turns blue and morning fully sets in. Despite your insistence that he can go and surely he has more important things to do, he brushes it off.
You’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel a twang of disappointment when the police finally come.
The detective, a nice lady with a metal arm, pulls you to the side to get your statement while Signal helps the uniformed officers get the robbers into the car. You give her short, absent-minded answers, your eyes focused on the yellow-suited man just over her shoulder.
It must be close to an hour of talking, interviewing and the detectives taking photographs, but it flies. Even as the police pull away and give you the ok to open up the store again, Signal lingers.
You smile at him. “Um, I know we just met but would you maybe be open to dropping by sometime? I feel kinda weird about working now—I’ll buy you a coffee too! Not good coffee per se but it’s free so—”
“Id love to.”
You give him an awkward hug, the ridges of his armour digging into your ribs, before you salute him farewell. He hops back on his motorcycle and you stand in the doorway a while longer, watching him disappear into the daylight.
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tysm for reading & have a great night! /ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹
