It’s been over one decade and Dick was still heartbroken about losing you after his parents’ deaths. He felt as if he lost everything that night and he was whisked away before he could even say goodbye to anyone he’s known and loved his entire life. He didn’t have time to make sense of anything nor was he even given a choice on where to go in life. He wished he could have talked to you before he was taken away or even had a chance to say a proper goodbye to his parents.
You had been moved into another circus and Dick was moved into Wayne Manor. With neither of you having any way to keep in contact, you were out of reach. There was nothing that he could do about it and he was too embarrassed to talk to Bruce about it. How do you even say that he wants to find his crush? There was no good way. It was more painful than anything he’s ever experienced. You were gone, his parents were gone, and all of his friends were gone. He felt abandoned and alone for the first time in his life.
Dick did not take this well at all, and he spent years waiting for you to finally stay in one place long enough for him to talk to you again. He clung to this hope of seeing you again and there was always that dream in the back of his head of having a romantic reconnection.
Dick felt weird that he couldn’t let you go despite the years. He kept tabs on you and waited patiently. He knew that you would eventually come to his city, and he was right. He wasn’t going to let you go this time. You had travelled everywhere and were adored by everyone, which was a big problem for Dick. He knew that you loved your friends more than anything. This would not be an easy decision on your end.
Dick looked at a flyer that advertised your performance in Bludhaven with soft eyes. He missed you painfully. Dick didn’t realise it was love until you were ripped away from him. You had to be moved to a different circus or face going into an orphanage, and you weren’t going to let yourself get put into the system.
You had stayed a circus act and Dick had become a hero. He settled down and planted roots while you travelled around the world and continued to do what you loved, as free and wild as a bird. It made you happy to show off your magic as a circus magician. You may even love your magic more than he loved performing his acrobatic routines.
Dick took the flyer in his hand carefully. He traced your face on the flyer as if he was reminding himself of a long forgotten time wistfully. Your smile was as beautiful and bright in the flyer as he remembered. He missed those smiles. If he had known how limited they were, would he have cherished each one even more?
Dick read the information on the flyer again. It was a decision he had made ten years ago that he was going to find you again and his resolve only became stronger as the years went by. He figured out the pattern of where you tended to be sent, so it was simply a matter of time before you came to Bludhaven. Dick considered you a piece of his future rather than a miniscule part of his history.
Dick wanted to keep you in Bludhaven, and he knew exactly how he was going to do this. He’s spent too many years dreaming of a reunion to have no plan when he meets you again. He was going to secure you a job at the local circus and carnival that he had made sure to keep open until you come to Bludhaven. You could live with him like you used to when you were both kids and travelling together. Dick folded up the flyer and placed it carefully in his wallet like it was a precious photograph rather than a promotional poster. He had many plans to execute before the big show.
Dick strolled into your dressing room like he was meant to be there. You jumped in surprise when you felt him place a gentle hand on your shoulder and whipped around, holding up your hairbrush like it was a weapon. Your eyes scanned the man standing in your dressing room like he belonged here.
You think your brain lagged when you noticed that it was Dick Grayson in your dressing room. Is this real? Is he real? You weren’t sure. This was a city with chemical warfare after all, and you weren’t exactly an unreasonable target. You were massively famous and a high-value target considering how easy it would be to kidnap or use you as bait for the city’s hero.
Silently, you poked his chest to test it and only trusted the reality when Dick playfully whacked away your hand with that same smile that you grew up loving. You opened your mouth to say something, but all of your words left you as you stared at him with wide eyes.
Dick aged nicely in the time you have been apart, and Dick was thinking the same about you; you aged beautifully from the time he had met you to the time you stood in front of him. Dick had brought you flowers like he always did as a kid before every big performance. The flowers were always foraged from the nearby woods, but you didn’t care. You were just glad that he didn’t die due to this ritual. He bought flowers this time, but that’s likely only because the city isn’t exactly full of flowers that grew naturally. You missed the unmanicured flowers that only grew in the wild.
You gingerly took the flowers from his hands and set them down on your dresser. He remembered your favourite flowers from all those years ago. Dick seemed to have no ulterior motive. He was simply happy to see you again, but his fidgeting made it clear that he wanted to hug you like he always used to before shows. You obliged him and slowly wrapped him in a hug, giving him every chance to stop it. However, he didn’t. He leaned into it.
The hug almost broke him. Your arms were so familiar and yet so foreign. It was like returning to a friend and also meeting an entirely new person. He missed you more than he allowed himself to. It all rushed through him like a ragged wave from the sea crashing into a rock. It was overwhelming for both of you, but Dick was nearly crushed by his emotions.
You admitted softly, and it brought tears to Dick’s eyes. He was filled with so many emotions that it was impossible to stop at just one. He never wanted to let you go again. He didn’t care if he had to beg for you to stay anymore. He felt like he could breathe finally. Dick said in a choked voice,
“I missed you so much, witchy.”
You smiled at the nickname that you cherished so much. It was only Dick who was ever allowed to call you by that nickname and everybody who worked at Haly’s Circus knew as much. You had no idea Dick lived in Bludhaven now, but you were happy to see him again. You buried your face in his chest while barely resisting the urge to cry yourself.
“What happened to you, chirp? You disappeared after Haly’s disbanded.”
You asked weakly. You had dodged every adult who tried to stop you from entering that tent. By the time you managed to get there, Dick was already gone with only police and two bodies left behind.
Dick needed you in that moment, and you felt like you failed him. Dick felt differently. He knew that you had no way to return to him, but you were the only arms he wanted to be in.
Dick explained what all has happened since he left. His voice stuttered when your hand took his and traced small patterns absentmindedly.
What were you thinking as he spoke? He could tell you were listening closely to his life story thus far. When it was your turn to speak, you were much more hesitant and nervous.
Dick didn’t like seeing you in danger, but you took his spot as the fill-in acrobat because you could always save yourself with your magic.
Dick was, understandably, horrified about all of the tricks they made you do as you explained what you have been up to since he had been gone. He shook his head by the end of your stories and said,
“You should stay in Bludhaven. I’m safer than this circus.”
Dick looked so hopeful that it was hard to say no. Your friends in the circus would understand if you stayed behind if you told him your history with Dick and your massive crush that was rushing back like a vicious storm.
Dick wasn’t holding up any better as he tugged you back into his arms and held you tightly against him. He never wanted to let you go again. He knew he had to eventually leave your arms, but he was cherishing every second that he had together.
You cast a glance outside at the laughing acts passing your dressing room before looking back at Dick. Were you moving too fast to give up everything for Dick?
You sighed softly. You knew you would always find a place back in this circus if you stayed behind to build a life with Dick, but would you make friends as easily as you made them here? Would your new coworkers be as caring? You leaned your forehead against his chest and closed your eyes in thought.
Would you regret this? You haven’t seen each other in an entire decade. Are you even still friends? You weren’t sure, but you were sure that you never wanted to lose Dick again.
“Where would I even stay? Or do? I don’t have a life beyond the circus, Dick. I don’t even have parents to go home to.”
Dick knew this. He knew you thought that you had no one to go home to and no one was there to support you if you did leave the circus life.
You were wrong. Dick wasn’t going to let you down. Don’t you know him better than that? He winced because he understood that he was a memory no. He’d have to fix that.
“You can stay with me, witchy.”
Dick grinned as you rolled your eyes. He knew that you wouldn’t fight him on the matter either; you were each other’s real weakness at the end of the day.
It was no surprise when you agreed, but it did hurt him how hesitant you were to live with him. You knew how he lived based on his time in the circus. Nothing really changed in him beyond his cooking becoming better than microwaving mac n’ cheese cups in a hotel room. You looked at the time and stepped out of his arms. You had to go perform.
“I have to go. The circus closes at three a.m., but my act normally ends around midnight.”
You placed a hand on his chest as his arms fell from around your waist. You gave him a quick kiss to place a simple tracking spell on him so you could see where he ends up tonight. You winked before twirling and disappearing into thin air.
Dick reached out to touch the air to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. He knew you had magic, but he forgot how you used it.
You used your magic like it was all smoke-and-mirrors or genuine circus tricks rather than use the full extent of your powers. This was not to say that your magic wasn’t flashy or popular, but it does mean that you weren’t easy to detect as a genuine magician. Dick whispered into the air,
Dick knew that it’s insane to love someone so soon after reconnecting, but he couldn’t help it. He loved you probably more than when you were kids.
Dick moved your backpack after filling it with everything that you carried. He wanted to stay to see your act, but it was already getting late and Nightwing needed to start patrol for the night. He left your dressing room in disappointment. This wasn’t over.
