Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dick Grayson was nearly perfect in every single way. 

You were eight years old when you met that stupid kid with his stupidly cool backflips. You must’ve talked his ear off the first time you met, asking him to do trick after trick, and he was curious about your boxing. And so, thus began the years of Dick teaching you his gymnastics skills and you teaching him boxing. It became apparent to everyone who saw the two of you that the two of you were as thick as thieves.

And you were. For a while.

You spent every weekend in Gotham, hanging around the manor and being kids outside of being Robin and Lightning Bug. Bruce and namely Alfred adored you, you kept Dick bright and happy. Even if the two of you broke several chandeliers in the process. 

So it was only natural when you both grew up that things didn’t really change. Middle school had its awkward phases, the small period where things got odd when you came out, but nothing was wrong . At least until he was introduced to Barbara Gordon. You’d go over on the weekends, but he wouldn’t be home, only to sleep and shower. The third week that happened, you simply stopped going, and truth be told, you don’t think he noticed. 

It was no surprise when they started dating soon after. 

And that was his issue. 

There was always someone else with Dick Grayson. 

You’d lost your best friend for a girl he’d just met. The same girl who he’d date and then dump, a cycle repeating until they got tired of the back and forth when Dick was fifteen. And suddenly, he remembered you. Remember how he treated you. 

He was at your door, apologizing with gifts and snacks. Promises that he’d never lose sight of your friendship again. And you believed him. You missed your best friend.

When he asked you to move with him, join the Teen Titans, you were hesitant. Your life was in Freeland, and you were a month from graduating from high school at fourteen. But Dick was more than willing to wait that month, leaving a room at the tower for you. 

And then, a week before you left for California, Kory crashed down on Earth. Suddenly, your phone was radio silent. Your mother says it was a sign from God, telling you to focus on your school work and keeping up your grades. Now that you could commit to fully in-person classes instead of the hybrid that you assumed you’d do, you were on track to graduate at the normal pace. 

Meanwhile, the same pattern was happening with Dick. For the sake of your mind and peace, you called him twice. And it only rang once both times before he declined the call. 

You tried not to care, telling yourself that you saw it coming. 

Soon they broke up too. And just like last time, he was back at your door, letting himself inside your house. You never did move the spare key from behind the chair. He once again came with a box of treats. Your favorite foods and drinks. But he added a bouquet of flowers. 

Dick was smart, he knew your family was out. Parents divorced, your sisters and dad were at school while you were home due to your semester break. You didn’t have their stares and small noises of disappointment when you let him back in. 

This time, you were hesitant. You didn’t want to jump the gun, to let yourself accept him back into your life, only to be disappointed again. An arm's length distance was good enough for you until you saw actual change. 

And there was. For a while. 

And then came Wally. They’d actually been friends for a while, a part of his first Titans group, but now they were dating. At that point, you stopped trying. You stopped caring. Dick was someone who prioritized his relationships over a nearly decade long friendship and it was up to you if you wanted him in your life. Ultimately, you didn’t. He was no longer a friend, he was another hero whom you had known since you were a child. 

Nineteen and graduating from college (with a bachelor’s degree in science of nursing, a phlebotomy certification, and an associate's for nursing) was something your parents praised you for. For you, they were signs that you had taken everything to focus on something else. To ignore the burning desire to return to the streets of Freeland as Lightning Bug (although that didn’t last long), to forget the ache that Dick thought you were a back burner friend. Someone not even worth an occasional text. You’d started college while you were still in high school, and work consumed your every waking hour to the point where you couldn’t recall time for yourself outside of forced vacations. 

It all led to this, though. The youngest in your family to graduate from college. So, it was really an exciting time for you. 

They’d invited all of your friends and their colleagues to your graduation party, which, of course, included Dick. 

“How does dad know Bruce Wayne?” Jennifer asks, hiding the fact that she’s talking by sipping her soda. 

“Grants,” Anissa shrugs, watching the man and his son greet your father. Dick was not invited but he also wasn't not invited. Open invitation sort of thing. You were more upset that Alfred didn’t come.

“He’s fine .” Jennifer grins, and you roll your eyes. Who she was talking about, you didn’t want to know. All you knew was that you wanted some of those damn snacks on the table. Oh, cupcakes. 

“Let’s sit, my feet hurt,” She groans and drags you away from the snack table to the family table. 

“I wasn’t done, you ass,” You groan, dragging Anissa with you. She’d been trying to watch the Waynes as they looked around and nearly tripped when you started tugging her along. 

“And my feet hurt!” She whines as she plops down in her seat. “Did I bring spare shoes?” She asks, leaning down to unbuckle the straps of her heels. 

“It’s in the car,” You sigh, getting up. “I’ll go and get it.” With a thank you, you slip out of the venue and look for the car. There are so many cars in the lot, and you’ve been there for so many hours, you’ve all but forgotten where your dad had parked. 

“Skipping your own party?” Dick asks as he joins you. Glancing back at him, you shake your head. 

“My sister wants her shoes,” You explain and head towards a general direction. 

“So you’re not avoiding me?” Following you, Dick manages to walk in stride with you. He’s wearing those fancy loafers with the small heel and stepping loud enough that you hear him. And you’re aware he’s doing it on purpose, Dick knows how to be silent in any type of shoe. 

“Eh,” You shrug, spinning around when you don’t find the family car. It’s definitely one of these rows, you remember that lamp post with the missing turtle poster. Hopefully, they find Mrs Wheelbarrow.

He follows you still, but he keeps a distance of two steps so he could watch you. 

He knows he’s been a… well a dick. But he swears he has a valid reason for the things he’s done; every time he gets into a relationship or even likes someone else, it hurts him to be around you. It makes him feel wrong, as if he’s wronging you in some way. So, in his head, it’s better to just lessen the time he spends with you, pushing the guilt down enough for him to savor the time he spends with his relationships. 

Because he knows deep down that it’s never going to last long. Deep down, Dick knows that no one will ever compare to you and he knows that you deserve better than him. Someone who meets you halfway or makes the distance, not someone who makes you fly across the country every weekend. Someone who… isn’t him. 

He frowns as you walk faster, his steps falling slower until he sucks it up and catches up to you again. This is better than no contact. What’s that thing about kids? Angry kids yearn for a reaction, even if it’s a negative one, because it’s better than being ignored. Something along those lines. 

“You grew,” He puts on a smile as he catches up with you. 

“That’s generally what metahuman puberty does,” You hum when you spot your family car. 

Shit, you didn’t even have the car keys.

“I’ll go and get your dad,” He offers, and you stare at him. He’s grown considerably. He’s grown into an acrobat's build, you suppose being Nightwing means more tricks and flips than it did with being Robin. Not to mention his hair that’s grown into a mullet. 

“I like your hair,” You admit without knowing it. He smiles and grabs some strands, looking down at them. 

“I like yours,” He says, his eyes trailing down the microlocs you’ve been growing out since you were five. When they trail back up, he swallows and tucks his hair behind his ear out of habit. “Do you want me to get the car keys?” He asks again, his voice hardly above a whisper. 

“Oh,” You blink. “Yes, thank you.” He nods and leaves while you watch, your eyes slowly trailing down to his pants. Damn, those squats really do help him. 

When he returns with the keys, he’s smiling and waving them around, and you’re sitting on the hood of your car, barely aware of the light rain as it hits you. 

“I’ve missed you,” He says as you grab the keys from his hand. For a second, his hand holds yours, begging you not to go before he catches himself and relaxes his grip. Rolling your eyes, you unlock the car. 

“You seem more interested in… who is this month? Kory?” Reaching for the bag in the back seat, you slide inside and Dick follows without thinking. 

“(Y/n),” He says as the door closes, and you look back at him, eyebrows raised. “I’ve been real shitty, I know. And you’ve given me more than enough chances, but…” He sighs and thinks about something for a second. “But I swear this time will be different— if… if you let me.” He adds, his eyes darting between yours. They’re so different from what he remembers. 

“Dick,” Grabbing Jennifer’s shoes, you turn to him. “I don’t know what type of friends you have, but I don’t have time for someone who does the shit you did,” He’s not a child and you aren’t going to spell anything out for him, he knows what he’s done. He surely knows how it made you feel, the look on his face makes as much clear. 

“I know, I know!” He rushes out, desperately keeping you close to him. “Just one more chance. I promise, I promise you that I’ll be different.”

“Why would I believe you?” You huff and exit the car through the other side. He panics, throwing the door open on his side when he does possibly the dumbest thing he’s ever done before. 

“Because I love you! I always have!” He nearly shouts as he chases after you. Stopping in the middle of the lot, you look at him with a frown as he’s waiting for you in front of the car. His eyes dart between yours as his chest rises and falls, nervously waiting for your response. 

Stupid wasn’t one of the things you’d call Dick but in that moment, the was the only thing that was popping up with you pictured him. Stupid enough to understand he was in love with someone and pushing them away to date other people. Stupid enough to think that those simple words would have you on your knees, welcoming him back and saying you love him back. 

Namely, because you didn’t love him. You hardly even liked him as a friend. He was the ghost of an old friendship whose memories had been worn down and morphed into ones of sadness. Missing a friendship you can never get back. 

“I don’t believe that,” You tell him, and slowly look towards the venue. Your mother and father are at one of the windows, sneakily talking to each other with small laughs and knowing glances.  “I know love makes you do stupid shit, but what you did is beyond stupid if you do love me.”

“How can I prove it?” He calls out as you start to walk away. Stopping, you look at him and think about it. 

“Show me,” You shrug, and he nods. “Be willing to put the work in and stop running away.”

“I can do that,” He nods again, a genuine smile growing on his face. “I can do that.” He repeats. 

“Prove it.”

—

The next morning, as you’re having breakfast with your family, your mother included because you all but begged to have them both there, you’re all talking about idle chatter when you get a notification. 

“No phones,” They both remind you as you check it. Anissa snickers, even divorced, they’re still in sync. 

“One sec,” You mutter, eyes squinting at the email banner. “It’s from my financial aid.” Reading the email, you sit back in your seat and cover your smile with your hand. “My tuition loans were paid.” You announce, unable to hide a chuckle as you announce what had been oh so important, you broke the breakfast rule. 

“Paid?” Your father echoes. The cost of tuition was insane for your nursing school, and you had to take out a loan for all of the years you went, but the email said they’re processing the entirety of what you had taken out. Basically, the three hundred thousand you’d taken out was paid by someone. “Who paid for it?” He asks, looking at your mother, but she shakes her head. 

“Is this some new scam?” Jennifer asks, and you roll your eyes. As if you’d fall for some scam.  

“Let me call someone real quick.” They nod and beg with their expressions for you not to leave the table, and you don’t. Making the call as you chew on your pancakes, you realize you need more syrup. 

“Hey,” Dick answers almost immediately. 

“Was that you?” You ask the second he stops speaking, pouring more syrup onto the pancakes. 

“You’re going to have to be more specific.” The way he says it makes you roll your eyes. “If you’re asking if the man from your dreams was me— definitely.” 

“The payment ,” Pushing the conversation back in the right direction, Dick makes a oh yeah noise. 

“It went through already? I thought those took a while to go through.” He admits. “I paid it the second you left me in the parking lot.” He says that as if it’s nothing, as if he’s admitting to paying for your coffee in the morning and not your entire tuition loans . Lord Almighty, to be the son of a billionaire. 

“Thank you,” You smile despite yourself. “It’s creepy how you got my information, but considering it’s you, I’m not surprised.”

“Anytime,” He says. “Oh, and be home today. There should be some stuff coming in for you.” More stuff— he has to be taking this money from his father. He’s not even employed! 

“What— Dick?” But he ends the call, and you stare at the phone, blinking.

“Richard paid it?” Your mother asks, and you slowly nod, setting your phone back down on the table. “Why did he pay it?” She asks, and you let out an awkward chuckle. 

“Who’s Richard?” Jennifer asks. Clearing his throat, your father looks at you, and you look at your mother. 

“Bruce Wayne’s son,” He answers, voice tight because he didn’t want to be the one to say it. 

“Oh, so you got a sugar daddy,” Jennifer snorts, and your face drops as everyone stares at her. “What? I’m not wrong— wait, is that why they were at your party?”

“Eat your damn food,” You grumble and your parents don’t tell you to watch your language. 

—

Monetary gifts did nothing to sway you, especially ones that come from the son of one of the richest men alive. So far, Dick has been doing his best for the past four or so weeks. His best gift thus far had been the tuition; how could it not be? 

Then came the flowers, arranged with colors he knew you liked. You’d gotten three of those so far, always timed so when they should start wilting, you could replace them. The mix of those you’d gotten various stuffed animals, a weighted blanket far too big for your bed, a personalized bonnet that had stitching of your favorite animal, compression socks, three pairs of shoes, legos, and a brand new, not even on the market yet, laptop. 

You admittedly love the Legos he picked out. 

But you think the absolute best thing he’s done thus far is when he joined you for your nightly patrol. It’s been years since you’ve done this with someone, filling the gaps of your night with music and helping people walk home in the dead of night. 

You’d just started, picking up your suit from Gambi’s, and started from the heart of Freeland with one ear connected to Gambi and the other open to hear around you. Wednesdays are usually quiet. The 100 collect their taxes every Wednesday, so groups go to their base and stay there for the entire night. 

But tonight you needed the company. 

“Hey, Buggy,” He says as you look over the block. There’s no one there, all the stores are closed, and the streets are empty, so you should probably move along. “What’s wrong?” He places a hand on your shoulder and tilts his head closer to yours. It probably didn’t take a genius to tell something was wrong with you but Dick would attest it to the fact that he knew you. 

Well, he used to, but he’s sure your mannerisms haven’t changed that much. He knows you the same way he knows the theme song to Barney. It hurts a little, the memories of you are so distant— but he’s working on it. He is, really. 

“Tough week,” You inhale before shaking your head. “Dad and the girls got pulled over, Anissa got arrested for going to a protest, and something is wrong with Jen. And I’m not sure what to do with myself.”

“Pulled over?” He makes a face because Jefferson wouldn’t even go one mile over the limit and, if Dick has the room to say this, is a bit of a neat freak when it comes to driving. Especially with his kids in the car. 

“Profiling. The cops were looking for a black man, Dad's black. Yada yada. They only stopped because they realized he was a pillar of the community or something. I wasn’t there, there was a thing happening with the 100 across the city.” 

“Did he get their names?” He asks, crossing his arms. “I can talk to B and—“

“Nightwing,” You stop him. “I appreciate the effort, but can’t exactly get rid of all of Freeland’s racist or corrupt cops. That would leave maybe three left,” Laughing, you inhale and look over the city again. It’s quiet, not the unsettling type of quiet that overtakes the city, but a nice one. The air feels nice and calm. “Besides, Black Lightning had it.”

“Corny,” He grins, knocking his fist against your shoulder. “But your dad mentioned you’re gonna be working at Freelands Hospital, right?” 

“Yeah,” It’s not breaking news that your dad had told Dick this; you know they’ve been in contact since Dick’s been in Freeland. You think he’s using Dick to keep tabs on you during your patrols. “I got accepted last week, the pay is good and the hours are, too. Nurses work around forty hours a week, and hopefully, I get the ten-hour shifts.” 

“Hopefully I’m one of your patients,” He winks, to which you loosely groan and jump off of the roof. 

“You just had to ruin it!”

—

Here’s to day one, first day of many! Luv U Nurse (Y/n)!!!

• Dickie

The note is attached to a metal bottle of still-hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Along with a pair of Nightwing Crocs and Lightning Bug socks. You’re surprised that you’re surprised Dick had managed to sneak inside while you were showering and leave that in your room without anyone noticing. 

“The patients check in here. You will eyeball them, make sure they’re not dying. If not, they’re moved to a triage room for vitals and a quick chair exam where you and a resident can order labs and X-rays, all that fun stuff,” The doctor explains as you and three other new nurses follow her. The waiting room is packed, all the chairs are taken, and some people have decided that sitting on the fake plant pot is better than standing. 

And you can’t exactly blame them. 

You’ve been at hospitals before, obviously, but you haven’t worked at one- let alone Bowman before. And yet, word has spread fast because the charge nurse tells you to call your mother because she’s needed and isn’t answering her pager. Rather than, y’know, calling her down using the proper channels. 

You’re embarrassed as you do so, but things move along quickly as three people come into the ER. You’re given the boring work, along with one of the first-year residents, Dennis. Watching as the others work on the patient. 

The rest of the day continues, and you’ve decided you need to decompress. After getting yelled at for doing your job, getting piss thrown at you because you had to break the news that the woman’s husband had given her crabs, and then a child throwing up on you all within an hour, you were going to scream. 

Tossing the dirty scrubs into the washing bin, you start back to the triage area when you catch something in the corner of your eye and inhale. 

Once again, stupid isn't a word you’d use to describe Dick. But boy was he making it hard not to. You’re aware that as a nurse, your life is going to be different, and you won’t be able to patrol as often as you would like to. 

Your mother clearly loves that. 

Dick, however, has decided that since Bruce now also has Batgirl, Oracle, and Batwoman, who’s apparently his cousin, that he and the newest Robin could help you out a little bit. Only issue is that the new Robin is maybe twelve. He looks younger, though. 

And they’re currently sitting in an open room, in the dark. Hiding from the nurses and doctors that walk by. 

“See, so I don’t want a child helping you take down violent crime rings,” You whisper yell at Dick after closing the door and flicking the light on. You see that Jason is tucked under his arm, with a bullet graze on his left arm. “Because they tend to shoot people!” Jason, to his credit, is taking the bullet graze like a champ. He hardly flinches as you disinfect it and give him three stitches. You don’t think you should be impressed by that, actually. It’s quite concerning. 

“It’s safer than Gotham,” Dick smiles. “Right, bud?”

“Right,” Jason nods, watching as you wrap a gauze around his arm. “Can I get a burger?” Before you can reply, your pager beeps, and you groan, checking it over. 

“I have to go, stay out of sight, please,” You huff, removing the blue latex gloves before shoving them in Dick’s chest. “And put that boy in a bed— a real, apartment bed. It’s late, and he’s already stunted as it is.” Looking Jason up and down, you find it hard to believe he’s twelve. But he just smiles and watches as you leave the room. 

“No wonder you can’t keep a relationship,” Jason taunts as soon as the door clicks shut. “You suck.” Dick glares down at him, hands on his hips before he flicks the wound and Jason yelps, holding his arm. The lights flicker as a warning and Dick smiles at them before helping Jason sneak out of the window again. 

“I’m so telling B,”

“And I’m so not getting you a burger.”

You fully walk away, heading towards where you’re being paged, and head to your charge nurse. On the way, you see another one of the residents with a wicked grin and another looking a little dejected. Although that’s just how he’s always looked. 

“Crash fucking fainted again,” Trinity grins and you high five her. 

“That’s fifty dollars, Dennis.” You point at him, and he sighs, looking between the two of you. He pulls out his wallet, and you snicker with Trinity before she straightens up. 

“We’re not splitting it, Nepotism.” 

—

God hadn’t graced you with amazing ten-hour or even eight-hour shifts like you had preferred. You’d been given the maximum twelve-hour shifts and worked back-to-back days. You swore you were going to forget how your family looked, had it not been for the fact that you can only work forty hours a week before it’s considered overtime. 

But it’s day one of your days off, and you’re intending on catching up on your beauty sleep before you have to patrol for the night. With new bedsheets, freshly washed body and a nice smelling candle that Dick had gotten you still lingering in the room, you curl into your bed and start to fall asleep. 

At least until Jennifer barges into your room with Anissa quickly following behind, scolding Jenn for throwing the door open. You don’t move despite being awake. Hopefully, she’s just there to steal some of your clothes and not to bother you as you catch up on your much-needed sleep. But, no, they weren’t. 

“There was a delivery for you.” Jennifer throws herself onto your back, and you groan, aimlessly slapping behind you in hopes of hitting her. It doesn’t work. Instead, she applies more pressure while talking. “With a note. What does it say, Anissa?” Anissa huffs, but she clearly is also enjoying the drama because she’s holding back a laugh as she reads it. 

“ Heard this was your favorite spot, order your usual —“ She pauses, looking at you with a smile. “Three hearts, filled in, and a smiley face with a tongue out. Also, know your sisters are home, hopefully they like the things I got them, too . Do you think they like me? Do they know about me? And the scratched out is- do you like me? Anyway, enjoy lunch, Buggy! From Dickie! With another heart, not filled in.” She hands you the note, and you quickly take it, tucking it under a notebook on your nightstand. 

“Things between you two getting… warmer?” Jenn asks, folding one leg under the other while opening the bag. “I mean, with all the shit he’s gotten you I hope you’re giving him a little something something,” Anissa raises her eyebrows as she sits next to you. 

“Jennifer, what the fuck?” You smack the side of her head and she laughs an apology. “And no, we aren’t fucking. We’re friends, he’s just a gift giver.”

“The note said, ‘do you like me?’. And don’t act like I didn’t see you two during the party. What happened?” Grabbing your food, you shrug. You’ve never told them about your friendships within the hero world. They don’t know half of your friends, they don’t know why you left every weekend, or why you and your dad had little trips so often. They just assumed it was because you’d come out at such a young age that he was helping you. 

Because they swear that after those weekend trips, you’d come back more boyish. Jennifer used to joke that your dad was slowly swapping you out for a clone. 

“Yeah,” Jennifer agrees, nose scrunched as she recounts that day. “You two definitely have history.”

“We did— we do,” Standing from your bed, you move to a small bookshelf and pull out a photo album. Flipping through it, you see the old digital of your time as a young hero before finding a normal picture. You’re at Wayne manor, hanging out with Dick and Ace while Bruce and your dad are in the background, watching with their arms crossed. It’s that dad stance Bruce swears he doesn’t have. 

Handing it to them, you flop next to Anissa. 

“That’s where I went every weekend. Spent a lot of my free time in Gotham,”

“Why?” Jennifer hands the photo over to Anissa. “I thought you and dad were going fishing or something. Playing catch or whatever,” Licking your lips, you try to think of something. You can’t tell them because your dad was worried about your developing powers, and Gambi had recommended asking Bruce for his opinion. 

“It’s complicated,”

“You wanna know something complicated?” Jennifer snaps her fingers, she’d just remembered something. Something real important, by the way her eyes gleamed. “Dad's Black Lightning!”

“What?” You look between the two of them. Anissa’s head tilts as she takes in your reaction, meanwhile Jenn has no clue. 

“And I mean, me and Anissa have powers too! She holds her breath and gets stronger and invincible— which is kinda lame, if you ask me. I have electric powers like dad, though!” She smiles, her fingers sparking. 

“Does dad know?” Your voice is soft as you ask, bordering on disbelief and happiness. 

“Yeah, he was really cagey about it, though. You’re taking this really well, mom didn’t. Right?” Jenn laughs as she pushes Anissa. But Anissa doesn’t listen, she doesn’t react to Jenn. She’s still watching you, watching your reactions. 

“You’re Lightning Bug,” She finally breathes, her head hanging a little low. “I don’t know why we didn’t piece it together sooner.”

“You’re who?” Jennifer’s eyes bug and you shut yours. Resigning yourself with a nod. “Oh my god— It was so obvious!” She laughs, and you look between them. They’re mostly smiling, they’re not upset. 

They’re not upset. 

“I wanted to tell you guys, I did. Really. But heroes are always like ‘don’t tell your loved ones, cause it’ll put them in danger’ and every time I tried, I just kept getting a picture that you two were dead.” You rush out. “I’ve had my powers since I was a kid, um, they’re like dads but stronger. I’m pretty sure me and Jen have the same ones, they look similar.” Inhaling, you have to remind yourself not to go that long without breathing again. 

“So, you can teach me?” Her eyes twinkle with hope before they dim. “‘Cause dad isn’t. He’s still on the whole, you’re my babygirl, I can't see you hurt thing.” You laugh heartily because you remember that conversation with him. 

“He told me the same thing, but then I was in the bath and nearly killed myself ‘cause I sneezed and sparked the water. Had no choice but to help me after that.” Messing with the straw of your drink, you push your shoulders back. “I’ll be an excellent teacher. On my days off,” 

—

Jenn paces in front of you while you hold a tissue to your still-bleeding nose. She’s ranting about the girl who punched you, apparently, they have issues in school, and she swears if you’d just let her go, she would’ve dealt with her. But you’d rather not have to write an incident report on how you got punched by a sixteen-year-old girl and your sister punched her back during your first month. 

But you listen to her rambling and raving while Dr. Robby checks over your nose, just to make sure nothing is fractured. He assures you that you’re fine, it’ll bruise a little, and your nose will be sore for around a week, but that’s the extent of it. 

Once he walks away, Jennifer takes the seat next to yours and continues. Her leg bounces as she tells you exactly what she would’ve done and how stupid you were to hold her back. You gently remind her that she would’ve been arrested for assault, just as the girl will be once the officers arrive. 

Speaking of which, you can hear their radios crackling as they enter the ED. Looking up, you raise an eyebrow as Dick makes a B-line for you. He ignores the charge nurse and the attending— even the security guard holding the girl in his office tries to find you. His eyes seem almost frantic until they land on you, where he exhales and drops to his knees. 

“You okay, (Y/n)?” He whispers, gently moving the tissue to check the damage. He winces when you do, using his free hand to gently squeeze your leg. 

“I’m fine— why are you here and in a uniform?” You ask, looking away as he shines a flashlight up your nose. 

“No deviation— she’s not a good punch, eh?” He grins, putting the small flashlight back. “And I joined the Freeland police department! Passed my test and the academy with flying colors. Thinking about becoming a detective, whaddya think?” He rests his hands on his legs as he stares up at you, his hair flopping to the side with the movement. 

“You’re ridiculous,”

“And you’re bleeding,” His hand reaches down to pat your knee twice before he stands to his full height. You stare up at him as he scans over the room, his partner is in the guard's office getting the girl's side of the story. 

“So, what happened?” He looks down at you, hands on his hips. “For my official statement.” He adds. 

“Jennifer was giving me my lunch, I asked her to bring it up because I was being called to assist with a patient. I returned, and Jenn was arguing with a different patient. I noticed it was going to get physical and intervened. I must’ve been a second too late because she was already punching.” As dutiful as he can, Dick nods as he writes it down. “Mike separated the girl into the office and I stayed here with Jenn.” 

“Alright, and just some follow-up questions, standard procedure,” He reassures with a grin, and you hum. “Do you want to press chargers, are you free tonight, and have you received proper medical attention?” He intentionally speeds over the second question, and you hear Jennifer laugh from where she’s also being questioned. It’s not only her; you can hear the residents and even the charge nurse giggling. 

“No and yes.” You reply, leaning back in your chair. 

“What time?” He asks, wiping some more blood from your nose with his thumb. 

“My bad,” You hold your hand over your heart. “No, no, and yes.”

“You wound me, Buggy. I’m wounded.” He frowns, clutching his chest. And then he grins. “Maybe you should check me over, in a room where there are no others.”

Rolling your eyes, you watch as he excuses himself and meets up with his partner again. He positions himself so that he still has a clear line of view of you, his eyes constantly shifting between his partner and you while you toss out the bloody tissue before attending to someone who needs to be checked over. 

Maybe Dick isn’t so bad. He has been trying. Aside from the gifts, which have been abundant, he's there for each of your patrols, and once he was invited over for dinner. You think Jennifer got into your dads head that you’ll accept Dick’s numerous proposals and he wanted to give Dick the talk before that happens. But you’re not always present with him. Things have been hectic on your side of the fence, between your sisters discovering their powers, Black Lightning coming back, work, and everything with Tobias, Khalil, and the 100; you felt like you were always busy. 

A couple of times, you’d almost texted or called him, just to get an escape. Maybe take a ride out of the city or just talk in your room. Or his place. He’s since sent Jason back to Gotham because he told Bruce it was a small vacation, not an almost kidnapping. Bruce wasn’t happy when he heard whispers of Dick’s plans to have Jason’s school records transferred over.

It’s been nice having Dick back as a constant in your life. It’s been nearly three months now, and it’s the longest duration of consistent contact you’ve had with him since Barbara came into his life. 

You glance at him one last time, and when your eyes catch, you hold up nine fingers. He grins, nodding once before giving his full attention to his partner.

Chapter Text

Your mother enters the police station with conflicting confidence. She walks like she knows what she’s doing but she’s carrying herself like she’s scared. She is. So are you. You’ve been here before, picking up Anissa after she got arrested, sometimes to visit Henderson, and more recently, to visit Dick. 

This time, you’re here because someone planted drugs in your father's car and he’s been arrested. You didn’t believe Jenn when she texted you, but then you saw the photos. You saw the school's camera footage and you left work with your mom, heading straight to the police station. 

You can vaguely recall texting Dick, something along the lines of: Are you working, I need you right now. So it wasn’t a surprise that when you entered the lobby, he was there waiting for you. 

“What’s wrong, Buggy?” He asks and you turn to him, holding yourself.

You relax a little, dropping your arms as he gets close, close enough that he holds you. “My dad got arrested—“

“Jefferson got arrested?” His eyes widen and you nod, resting your head on his chest. “How— why?” He looks at the receptionist as she talks to your mom as if one of them would give him the answers. 

“Someone planted drugs in his car at school. Jenn and Anissa said everyone watched. Whoever set him up made sure it was this fucking public humiliation thing, They said he’s dealing drugs!” You whisper, pulling away from him. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” He nods. “I got here basically two minutes ago. Inspector Henderson is here, too. He’ll know more than me right now,” Nodding, the two of you join your mom as Henderson does, he gives you a solemn nod as he greets your mother before the four of you head into a separate hallway to talk. 

He was hesitant to bring Dick along but you and your mother vouched for him. He relents without much fuss, he’s known Dick for some time already, vaguely and he knows the other cops keep him at arm's length. They think he’s a trust fund baby in cops' clothes. An airhead with a look on life so naive it’s almost sad. 

You never understood how they got that assumption from him, but now isn’t the time. 

“Bill, you know Jeff. You know he would never ever do anything—“ Your mother's eyes swim with worry while you glance around. All the doors are closed and there’s no one around. 

“Of course, I know. Lynn. But now is not the time and this is not the place.”

“Well… he can’t be there right now. He can’t.” She reaches for your hand, squeezing it. You don’t know if it was for her comfort or your own. “Something so bad could happen.”

“I can check on him,” Dick offers, his hand settling on the small of your back. “Keep him safe.”

“Please,” She nods. “I need to talk to lawyers,” With a gentle squeeze to your arm, your mother walks away and Dick inhales, watching as Henderson rubs his head and walks in the other direction. 

“I’ll put my comm on, you got yours?” He whispers, leaning close to your ear, both of his hands wrapping around you. You know to the cameras it looks like a warm gesture, you play into it, leaning into his touch. 

“It’s in my jacket in the car, I’ll go and get it.”

“And wait there.” He goes to pull away but you pull him back. 

“Dick—“

“In case something happens and we need you, Buggy. Stay in the car.” 

“Fine.” He thanks you, his forehead pressed to the pack of your head before he heads over to the holding cells, digging into his pocket before fake sneezing. You head to the car, slipping into the back and quickly put the comm in. 

Dick managed to switch shifts with one of the officers in the cells, sticking to his side like glue. You stayed clued in for as long as he did, learning updates and giving them to your mother and Gambi until it was time to start his plan that he and Anissa had crafted while you were in front of the precinct. 

So far, the plan was for you and Anissa to draw as enough attention to yourselves as possible. The easiest way to do that, you found, was simply to walk in the street in your suits. And sure enough, the people flocked and followed you like moths to a flame. Cameras were out and word was quickly spreading the more blocks you walked down. 

As planned, a truck pulled out from the alleyway as if it were a getaway car. It’s fast enough that it looks like the truck is trying to run you over, just as planned. But it’s slow enough that it gives you enough time for the two of you to dive out of the way and Gambi to turn on the holographic Black Lightning without anyone noticing. The ‘three’ of you chased after the truck, and he used his ‘powers’ to stop the truck, and the danger that it was going to cause or whatever. You didn’t question the narrative, not when the people around cheered, confirming that they’d seen Black Lightning was out in action while Jefferson Pierce was in police custody. 

By the time you got home, Dick was on the comm line telling you that Henderson had just handed your dad his bag of clothes and the deputy was being arrested for a set of offenses. 

That night, Dick drove your dad back to the safe house. You all huddled around your dad, giving him hugs and maybe shedding a few tears before you turned to Dick. He was standing awkwardly at the door and you smiled, ushering him further into the house and eventually for dinner.

— 

Believe it or not, after your date with Dick, nothing truly happened beyond that. It wasn’t because it wasn’t good, the date was lovely. He’d taken you to a nice restaurant and then the two of you went for a walk, eventually stopping at a gas station for slushies before he drove you home. But then all the stuff with Gambi happened, and then you had to go to the safe house— it was a bunch of stuff. It just wasn’t the best timing, is all. 

And he understood, he was just glad that there was clearly a spark there. A mutual spark.

Nothing was truly going how you wanted it to, you thought that after your sisters found their powers things would be okay. Maybe a little rough because it’s Freeland but nothing compared to this. It seemed like every week there was something, every week you were up to your neck in issues. He’d helped where he could, but he couldn’t be involved as Dick, not without exposing himself as Nightwing. 

He helped you, Jefferson, and Anissa when Khalil attacked the school. He cleared them out of the hallways and kept the area clear while the three of you worked. He knew all too well that the two of you, especially your dad, didn’t like outside help so he kept his distance. And he’s willing to bet that Anissa feels the same way. 

You think that’s when Anissa started getting suspicious about him. You think Jenn started getting suspicious before that. Probably that day when he was allowed to stay for dinner at the safe house. Because, sure, your rich friend who’s trying to date you is also a cop helping out is normal. Henderson helped out. But he definitely wouldn’t have been allowed to stay for dinner. 

And that was partly your fault, you did agree to let him stay.

But what solidified it was when you went to the cabin. 

Everything was hectic and you were working on helping your dad when Dick joined your side. He wasn’t much physical help, truth be told, but he was amazing with the emotional support. You were keeping track of Jefferson's vitals, keeping track of his temporary coma until Dick made you get some fresh air. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home?” You ask, leaning against the banister. “You’ve been in your suit all day.” You add.

“Bug, I’m staying.” He shakes his head, leaning into you. “The suit is very comfortable, I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“Been worse,” You laugh, it’s a bit dry but it’s a laugh. “I know my sisters are taking it harsh. Plus, they’re a bit hesitant around you. Secret identities and all that jazz.” No one’s really changed out of their suits and you know it’s because of Dick. Also partly because no one’s had a moment to relax yet. 

“Do you think I should…?” He points to the mask. 

“They’ll figure out who Batman is,” You carefully say, not wanting to sway him one way or another. 

But you know he’s already made up his mind. “He’ll forgive me.” Even behind the mask you can tell he rolls his eyes before he reaches up and takes it off. Under where the adhesive was is a red line and you chuckle, smoothing it out. He smiles, gently holding your wrist before he pulls you into him. “Is this an inappropriate time to make a move?”

“Probably,” You nod. “But, it’ll be a good distraction.” He grins, teeth flashing before he leans in. Leaning in, you cup his face and then the door opens. 

“Oh,” Gambi breathes as the two of you pull away. “I’m… sorry,”

“It’s fine.” You sigh, leaning against the railing as Dick pulls away, clearing his throat. “Did you need me?” He shakes his head and goes back into the cabin but the mood is ruined. You never thought Gambi of all people would cockblock you. Dragging your eyes back to Dick, you sigh and tilt your head. “Thank you— for being here.” 

“I meant my promise,” His eyes flicker between yours, keeping your focus on him. Gently, he holds your face, his thumbs rubbing across your cheeks and you’re sure he can feel them getting warmer. 

“I’m putting you first; always .”

“You never promised that,” You quietly say and he shrugs. 

“Maybe not to you,” He mutters, pressing his forehead against yours. “But I definitely promised myself.” He pulls away and trails his hand down from your face down to your hand, pulling you back into the cabin. 

No one acknowledges the two of you for a while, so Dick helps you tie your locs up while you take your mask off. You’re getting chaffed in your suit and the adhesive was starting to irritate your skin. 

“Woah,” Anissa pauses as she exits from the bathroom. “Oh my god.”

“What? Is Dad okay?” Jenn looks up, her eyes frantically scratching Jefferson’s body and the tablet showing his vitals. He’s still stable, thankfully, so she relaxes a bit before looking around. It doesn’t take long before she takes note of the two of you. “This makes a lot of sense, actually,”

“Identity reveal over, now can we please put some comfortable clothes on?” You groan, already grabbing your bag. “This binder’s killing me.” Anissa just points to the empty bedroom, looking between the two of you. 

Dick follows after you, his hand reaching for your waist. “Got any clothes for me?” He grins and you look back at him, eyebrows raised. “I didn’t bring any!”

—

Things had settled down since the cabin— sure some stuff with Jenn and some stuff with Anissa happened but things were going good overall. It sort of felt like you were in the calm before the storm— or maybe in the center of a tornado, depending on how the next couple of months play out. On the Dick front of your life, it’s complicated, you haven’t seen much of him after his promotion to detective keeps him busy and you’re still working horrible shifts at the hospital. 

It doesn’t stop Jenn or Anissa from teasing you, though. God forbid you smile at your phone or someone calls you and they’re back to being pre-teens with the way they giggle and whisper. You’ve gotten used to it, besides, they haven’t noticed when Dick climbs in through your window. 

Like right now, with him sitting next to you on your bed as the two of you watch a random reality show he’s been dying to get you to watch. 

Dick never really asks to come over, he’ll just show up and send a quick text along the lines of open the window or look down. Not that you minded, he’s been good company as of late. Obviously. 

He pretended to shift on the bed and you pretended not to notice his hand moving to your exposed thigh. You weren’t scandalous by any means, just in pajama shorts that had ridden further up because you had moved around so much. 

Carefully, he starts squeezing your flesh, his eyes drifting from the laptop screen to your face as you try to focus on the latest drama. Something about the sister telling the boyfriend something the other sister didn’t want him to know. Juicy. “Dick,” You whisper when he squeezes your thigh tighter. 

He just grins, feigning innocence. “Hmm?” Pausing the show, you turn to face him and he eagerly does the same, moving his grip on your thigh to your hips. 

“Is there something you want?” You ask, looking between his eyes. 

“I think we both know the answer to that,” He breathes, inching closer. You scoff a laugh and pin him on his back, watching as his expression goes from barely hidden amusement to… shocked arousal? That’s new for you. Climbing on his lap, Dick holds your hips, chewing on his bottom lip as he stares up at you. 

You lean down, watching as his eyes dart from your eyes to your lips like he was struggling to pick one.  “Is this what you wanted?” You whisper, leaning past his lips to his ear. 

“Baby,” He whines, gripping your flesh. 

“Is it?” You ask again, this time pulling up from his ear and watching his expression. You note that he’s blushing, the type of blush that spreads across his body. 

Dick nods, still chewing on his bottom lip. “It is,” Your eyes dip to his lip, slightly puffy from biting it and glossy.  You grin, deciding you’ve played with him for long enough and lean down. He leans up, not waiting the full second it would’ve taken and crashes his lips into yours. Your hands tangle in his shirt as he lowers back to your pillow, dragging one of his hands to the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your locs. 

He rocks up into you, quite literally moaning into the kiss and you pant, pulling away slightly. He reaches up, chasing your lips as the kiss heats up. Dick’s kissed— made out with a handful of people before, both in relationships and on stupid teenager games like seven minutes in heaven but he’s never worked for those kisses. He’s spent so long wanting this, needing this, picturing this exact moment that he was committed to memorizing it. The way your lips tasted like your favorite chapstick, how your hands felt pulling him close, your hair tickled his skin because you hadn’t put it up yet. 

Fuck. He’s so glad your first kiss wasn’t at the cabin. He doesn’t want anyone to ruin this experience, he doesn’t want it to end. 

When your tongue brushes against his lips, he parts his immediately. He groans when your tongues meet, rolling his hips again and this time he rolls against your core and you whine. You’d felt his dick growing under you but hadn’t paid any mind until now. 

Pulling away to breathe, you don’t miss the way he frowns despite also needing air. He’s softly panting, his chest rising and falling in rhythm with you. Dick waits for you, watching as you go to lean down again before you pause, your head snapping to the hallway. 

It’s Jenn, you know her footsteps. You sit, listening as they draw closer with each passing second, hoping she’s going down to the kitchen since your bedroom is next to the stairs. It’s only when you hear the first step creaking under her weight that you relax, turning back to Dick. He’s still looking at you, dazed and blushing. 

“You’re a really good kisser,” He whispers. 

You chuckle, sliding off of him. “You’re not bad, either,” 

The episode ends and you take the time to close your laptop, setting it on the ground. Dick doesn’t move, instead he gets comfortable under the blankets, leaving your half of your bed open for when you return. “Who said you’re spending the night?” You ask, kneeling on the bed as you climb inside. “Y’know my dad will have a heart attack if he found you here,”

He just grins, shuffling further into your bed. “I know how to be quiet,” 

Somehow Dick manages to convince you that he should spend the night, citing that it’s late and starting up his motorcycle could draw someone’s attention. It would be better to leave in the morning… or maybe the afternoon when everyone is out of the house. You just agreed, locking your door in case someone decided to barge in before you woke up and cleaned up before finally going to bed. 

He was still in your bed when you woke up, his arms securely wrapped around you and his face buried in the space between your shoulder and neck. His hair tickled your face and he’d shifted so his legs were caging you in— you blame his hyper mobility for that. When you went to get up, he whined, pulling you closer and you laughed but you really had to get up. You could smell breakfast and you really had to use the bathroom; you told him as much and he eventually relaxed enough that you could slip from the bed and leave. 

Everyone was downstairs, you could hear them talking about something going on at the high school while you brushed your teeth. Sometimes you were jealous that Anissa and Jenn had a bathroom attached to their bedroom, instead of having to use the ‘guest’ bathroom. The door opens and your head whips over, finding Dick slinking inside. 

He’s always been quiet on his feet, something you’re constantly thankful for, especially now. “Dick,” You hiss after he closes the door, running the water louder just in case. 

“I had to pee!” He whispers back and you groan, spitting the toothpaste into the sink. “Do you work today?” He asks. 

Jesus Christ, you blink away from him. “No, but I’m on call so, maybe.” 

“Do you think I could have breakfast…?” He slowly asks, turning his head to you. “It smells good.”

“You’re pushing it, Dick.”

—

Everyone had left the house soon after; you’d managed to get wrangled into a small breakfast because your parents just wanted to see you before they left out for the day. Dick had waited exactly two minutes before coming downstairs, gleeful as ever when he saw there was still food left. 

“I’m gonna take a shower,” You tell him, watching as he helps himself to your cup of orange juice. 

“Can I join?”

You laugh as you walk towards the staircase. “Shut the fuck up.” Halfway up the stairs you pause, staring at the back of Dick’s head. “Hurry up,” The chair falls back as he rushes after you, kissing your neck the entire way into the shower. 

It’s tough, finding out Dick likes hot showers. He compromised by setting the water warm when you wouldn’t even stand close to him with the heat, apologizing with soft kisses. You don’t have sex— you’re firmly against shower sex. It’s messy and annoying, only good in theory but you don’t miss the way Dick’s eyes travel across your body. The way he’s eager to get your back and how much time he takes doing it. The way he’d gotten close enough that you felt his cock pressing against you the entire time. 

You both were eager to be out of the bathroom, wet footprints rushing from the bathroom to your room as you both hurriedly dried off, not even caring to put on clothes. Once he’s mostly dry, he’s on you, his mouth latching onto your lips as he backs you up to your bed. 

“Am I reading this wrong?” He asks as his hands travel across your body. You pull away from the kiss, staring at him like he’s an idiot. “I like having express consent,” He adds and you smile, looking away. 

“You’re not reading this wrong, Dick.” He waits for a second, just smiling. Your phone rings during that second and you grumble, checking it. Your dad. 

“Shit, give me a sec’,” Dick nods, watching as you answer the phone. 

“Hey, Dad,” You greet, pointing at Dick and then the bed. He promptly sits, leaning back on his elbows while you stare at him, your eyes taking him in like you’re hungry. “Oh, that sucks. What happened?” You hum, removing your phone to check the time. “Okay, um, I’ll clean up. See you guys soon, then. I love you, too.” Hanging up, you groan. 

“There’s a gas leak in the school, they’re closing for the day.” You tell Dick, walking back to him. 

“So… pause on this?” He carefully asks to which you scoff. 

“God just touch me,” You huff, throwing your leg over his torso. He helps you sit on top of him and his hands immediately find their home on your thighs, rubbing the skin. “You’re insufferable, I hope you know that.” He laughs at that, raising his hand to glide his thumb over your bottom lip. He watched with an almost enamored gaze as his thumb collects your chapstick and he’s reminded of the apple pie flavor from earlier. He wonders if your lips just naturally taste like that or if you have a secret stash on you somewhere. 

“How insufferable?” He muses, watching as you lean down, sucking spots on his neck. He groans, digging his blunt nails into the flesh of your thighs and you focus on that one spot. “ Shit— you had practice?” He asks through breathy moans. 

“Don’t ruin the mood.” You grumble, pushing him flat to the bed with your left hand while your right pushes you away from him. “We both know neither of us are virgins. Now, they’ll be back within an hour— enough time for you?” 

“We can make it work,” He nods, watching as you nod back and get up to shut the curtains. Dick moves further onto the bed, slowly laying back as you walk back to him, straddling his hips. “If you want me to stop— just say stop,”

You nod, running your hands down his chest, watching the light red marks appear on his skin. “You, too,” He nods, reaching his hands down to your legs and opening them more, letting you fall on top of his dick. Softly moaning, you start rocking up and down, watching his expression as he pants. He loves feeling your wetness collect on his cock, the way he can feel your folds caging him in and how he’s leaking from just that. Once you feel like there’s enough, you rise up, grabbing the base of his dick and guiding him inside of you. 

His mouth drops open as you sink on him, eyes trained on his face. You’re chest to chest with him at this point, slowly moving your ass up and down on his dick as he lets out broken moans. His hands travel up from your legs to your ass, squeezing and pulling on your flesh as you rest your arms on the pillow under him. 

“Fuck,” His eyes open for a moment, staring at you before he starts kissing your neck again. “Faster, please,” He pants and you grin down at him, slowing down on purpose. 

“Make me, Dick,” You pant and he groans, bucking his hips up before adjusting his grip on your ass. Using his newly discovered leverage, he starts making you go faster on him, soft slaps echoing throughout your room. You moan, dropping your head down to his and he leans higher, kissing you. He keeps that pace, even as you’re moaning into your mouth, hands clenching the pillow case. 

He pulls away first, staring up at you. “ Yeah ,” He moans, slapping your ass and watching as you cry out a moan. “Like that, baby?” He grits, massaging the burning spot on your ass. 

You nod, chewing on your lip. “Just like that, Dick.” He grins, shifting your legs so that he can position his higher and starts ramming up into you. “ Fuck—“ You whine, head dropping and eyes closing. Rocking back and forth, you feel that coil in your stomach and distract yourself by sucking along his neck. You can’t cum first, and not so soon.  But you can tell that he knows, based on the way you're tightening around him, how your moans have gotten louder without you realizing it, how you’re staring at him like he’s holding the one thing you crave. 

“I got you, baby,” He grins. “You wanna cum for me?” You shake your head but don’t stop yourself from rocking on him, making him laugh. “It’s okay, (Y/n). I know I’m making you feel so good. Right? Shit— You’re so tight f’ me,” He moans, closing his eyes as you clench around his cock.

“Here,” He pauses his thrusting, watching as you try and chase his pacing with little results. Dick lifts him, grabbing your back until it hits the bed and flips you onto your stomach. “So you don’t have to do a thing, right, baby?” He asks while rubbing his dick along your folds. 

“Dick,” You whine, staring back at him. He cooes, shifting your locs from your face. 

He kisses your back, trailing up to your neck while his hands trail down to the top of your ass. “Just relax,” He whispers, stuffing himself inside of you. You moan, dropping your head down to your pillow as he starts thrusting. He places himself in a way that he can watch you, watch how you moan and try to say something back to him, only to cut yourself off with your own moans. 

When you start to tighten around him again, he presses his body weight against yours, adding pressure as you fist your pillowcase. “C’mon,” He encourages, still studying you. “I know you want to, (Y/n).” The coil is coming back faster this time, your legs tensing as you feel yourself getting closer and closer with each thrust. 

“Shit!” Your head drops as you cum around him and he waits until your head lifts to kiss you, swallowing your moans as you ride out your high on his cock. He pulls away for a second, his face red. “Can I… fuck… inside of you?” You nod, looking at him as he nods back and gives a couple of shallow thrusts before he spills inside of you. He slowly pulls out and you flip onto your back, taking in a big breath. 

“Shower again?” He asks, rubbing your side as an apology for being a little rough. “I can give you a bath,” He offers. 

“If we hurry,” You nod and he scoops you up, rushing into the bathroom. Dick plugs the tug and makes sure the water is right for you as you sit on the toilet, watching him. 

Once the tub is filled, he picks you up and gently sets you down. “I’ll clean your room, okay?” It takes ten minutes, both the bath and cleaning the room, after all you were on a bit of a time crunch. Especially when you were getting dressed and heard the car door closing. 

You’re cursing as you toss on a hoodie and Dick is fumbling to put a pair of shorts on. “Is that Richard’s bike on the road?”