𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽.

[videostore]

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@ 𝙲𝙾𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙾.

[videostore]

[ steve turns from the stove, wok filled with stir fry, the smell of soy sauce and vegetables filling the kitchen. he's making dinner for both he and dick — but lately, there isn't a for sure way to tell when he'll be back. late nights, bruises, injuries that steve oftentimes wishes away. there's danger in dick's eyes when he returns, and such an exhaustion that steve can't help but worry over him. as he plates the food, his eyebrows knit. he wonders where dick is — and whatever he's doing is safe, or safer than he has been the past few weeks.

as steve prepares for dinner alone, putting dick's portion in the oven for warmth, he pours a glass of wine and walks around the counter. sitting with himself and only himself — he's surprised to hear the door open. the latch is clicked, and steve stands, nearly rushing to the hallway foyer to see dick standing. steve blinks, and it's as if it's some kind of miracle. he isn't injured, there are no visible bruises — but there's a sense of quiet between them that steve doesn't necessarily like. he's fallen in love with dick — more so than he ever thought he was capable of — but seeing him like this, steve licks his lips, then parts them to speak: ]

Hey, I made dinner. You should come eat.

[ he leans against the hallway entrance, hand on the wall, and he feels almost dizzy with what he knows is apprehension. there's a cold streak of anxiety squirming in his insides, the silence deafening. there may not be any visible injuries, but steve can only assume that something, anything, is wrong. he turns slowly, eyeing dick still, before he sidles back to the kitchen. he pulls dick's plate from the oven, setting it out, pouring him his own glass of wine. he lights the candles in the middle of the table, then sits, still caught off-guard. he places his hands flat on the table, closing his eyes for a moment to breathe. he doesn't like the pain he can tell dick's carrying, so he rounds his shoulders, trying to suffocate the thoughts that this? might be it.

he turns his head toward his shoulder, looking back at dick, before he nods with a jerk of his chin toward dick's food. he licks his lips again, trying to focus, and he can hear the pitter-patter sound of rain against the windows. he glances over, a streak of lightning in the sky — followed by the bat symbol. gotham never seems to be safe, but now, he can see it's needed. his eyes find dick's again, and he blinks. ]

It'll get cold if you don't eat, you know.

[cohero]

[How many times had Dick tried this before. He'd mentioned having a serious conversation at least three or four times, and every time he'd get home at night, something would come up, or they'd end up falling together, and it would be wiped from his mind by the end. He was so gone; how was he expected to focus on the most important secret in his life when he could roll over every morning and realize that his heart had finally done it? Dick had found that one person that he would give the world for.

There was no preparation for Steve. It was a whirlwind of emotion, and it seemed like the first time they touched, Dick suddenly knew what it truly was to need another person, to want to be completely selfless. Before, Dick was always so worried about protecting everyone and trying to get ahead of the current problem at hand that he'd scoop up everyone's burdens, problems and become a force of nature that mowed over everything in front of him, not caring about the desires he wrecked or the wants of those who cared about him in the process. It took a group of teenagers to get him to see how to work in a group, as a family.

Now he had Steve, and Dick knew his life was changed forever; tonight had been rough. He'd dropped off a building and fallen halfway down before he had a chance to deploy his grapple. It's not like he's never had it happen that way before, but he's got a life now and someone that truly matters. The jerk at the end of the rope had him thinking harder than ever. It wasn't the bruises tonight, or the slice in his side, which smarted. When he came through the door, he knew he had to talk to Steve, and he was worried about his reaction. Dick's life was a lot, and it wasn't only his secret to tell. Still, he trusted Steve; they both held darkness in them. Dick's came from being killed and raised in the Lazarus pit. He wasn't quite sure where Steve's came from-- they'd started that conversation, but never quite got to the end of it either.

Tonight was going to be the night they finished those conversations. Looking at Steve across the table, Dick caught the glimmer of candlelight and the trepidation in Steve's face. Dick didn't mean to project his nerves. Seeing Steve so worried had all the things he was going to say right away caught in his throat. Walking across the room, Dick moves Steve's chair out and settles down in his lap, loose arms around his neck. ]

I'll eat, but first I want to remind you how much I love you. Tonight, nothing ever is going to change that. You are my one and only Steve. What we talk about tonight is because I have to be honest with you, okay?

[videostore]

[ dick straddles him, and steve rests his hands on his lover's hips. he looks up at him, blinking with large dark eyes, listening. he kisses dick's chin, then nods, understanding that tonight? will be the night they finally finish the conversations they've been holding off on. to steve, talking about hawkins, the upside down — it takes a toll, so much more than being there had. fighting for his life, almost dying several times over — that much he knows dick might understand. his cuts, his bruises, it seems as if they both have the will to live, and with each other? that has become clearer than ever. steve has a reason to carry on, to wake up in dick's arms, to fall with him into bed after a long night. he loves him — really and truly — his hands on dick's back as he speaks. steve nods again, understanding, his lips forming a line.

he's nervous — his stomach does flips, and he's not sure if he can even eat dinner. his body is anxious, stiffening under dick's touch when he usually melts. he glances down at the floor, head turned, and shame washes over him. why hasn't he told dick? is it because of the painful memories that flood during the twilight hours? when the sky looks bruised and the lightning collapses. another flash of it and harder rain appears, and as steve turns back to dick, he licks his bottom lip. he's going to tell him, he's really going to tell him. the thought of losing dick to it makes him swallow hard — not everything is so easily understood, especially when it comes to mirror dimensions and monsters and creatures — ]

We'll talk. I have things to tell you, too. So much —

[ and i hope you believe me. those words get caught short, and steve ends up not saying them at all. his stare finds dick's again, and he looks at him with all of the hope that dick doesn't think he's insane, that he's making it up. steve's abdomen scars are enough to prove it isn't a tall tale, but steve still has apprehension. his hands fall on dick's hips again, and he tilts his head, kissing one of his arms. with a tender move of his chin, steve kisses dick. soft and slow, but with passion, steve's mouth opening as he tries to symbolize his love. it's tangible, floating in the air, the way they kiss always so gloriously beautiful. when he parts from dick, he looks at him — really looks at him, reaching up to run his hand through dick's hair. ]

Whatever it is — I love you.

[cohero]

[It's simple to deduce the influx of tension that rides not only Dick but Steve as well. They both hold their scars and battle wounds. Dick has a blatant one that slices across his neck, and while there is someone that greets them at the Wayne Manor the few times they've visited, Dick hasn't had the heart to tell Steve that it wasn't Alfred, that his Alfred died several years back. When Bruce tried to commit suicide in a horrible incident-- one that Dick would eventually get through in detail; Alfred got sick and never truly got well again.

It was a dark time at the manor, and Dick hated going back. He only goes when he needs big intel. The kind that his middle-sized setup can't hack for him. Running his fingers along the rigid spine of his boyfriend, he lays his head on Steve's shoulder. ]

You know, we don't have to eat. We can talk and order food later when we're all talked out. I think it might be easier for us both. We'll be okay. I promise. Here, I'll start. You know we have a locked room. Follow me.

[Kissing Steve deeply, more deeply than he had in a while, Dick summons up all his courage and departs it as love between them before climbing out of Steve's strong arms and his comfortable lap. Linking their fingers together tightly, Dick goes to the door and states the code out loud so that Steve will have it from now on. It's part random, part the day they got together.

Behind the door is Dick's "office." It starts with a bank of computers and a chair that's in the position to watch them all. Directly opposed to that (unlike the picture), is a large curved desk that serves as Dick's desk and a place to spread out plans. There are several white boards off to the side, and to the other side is the case that holds his Nightwing suit. It sits there on the mannequin, complete with mask. There's an extra spot next to his in case someone comes to visit or he needs it one day. There's an exit to a secret elevator that exits the back of the building and goes all the way to the parking garage from there. It also connects to their training room by a hideaway door.

"This. is. all. mine. Steve. Love. I- I- am Nightwing. I was Robin until a few years ago when I quit, and Batman got a new Robin, and I became Nightwing about a year after that. There's a LOT more to the story, but that's the start."

[videostore]

[ steve follows dick, their hands connected, before he speaks a few numbers that seem to have a random sequence - not until he notices the date, and he can't help the apprehensive smile that spreads. he's nervous, of course he is, but steve didn't expect that kind of tenderness. as they walk into the room - steve's brows knit.

he looks around, seeing the suit first, then the rest. the whiteboards have scribbled plans as well as pictures, and steve recognizes a few of them from the news. gotham has always been troubled, but lately - steve swallows, hard, then blinks to dick as he explains. steve feels nauseous, but it's more that he's dating, he's in love, with a superhero.

he clutches dick's hand, winded. he didn't know that this would be what it was. he figured dick was in some kind of underground fight club, all the bruises lining up with a beating. steve leans against the large desk, then sets his stare onto dick. he isn't angry, far from it, and after gulping down air, steve pushes himself off of the desk and closes the distance between them. he kisses dick, hard, passionate, hands reaching up to cup his face. he pushes dick against the desk, kissing him still, before he finally parts from him. ]

You're Nightwing. I'm... so proud of you.

[ another kiss, this time on dick's forehead. there's a sweetness here, and it makes steve's nervous energy melt. now, in this moment, they trust each other so much that steve can't help but feel touched. he runs his fingers gently down dick's face, tears springing at the corners of his eyes. ]

Yeah, I'm going to be even more worried, but, I really love you. Like, a lot. If you want to help keep Gotham safe, then I can't stop you.

[cohero]

[One of the hardest things Dick's probably had to do was sit there and watch Steve digest everything in the room and the words that came from Dick's lips. Dick had no idea what the reaction would be. There was more news, of course-- that Dick had died and come back to life. That's where the scar on his neck had come from, and he'd saved the world more than a few times. He'd also have to have Steve swear on his life to keep everything a secret from now on because following Dick into this world held a lot of life in balance. Many vigilantes were out there, and many didn't even exist in Gotham. Dick even knew Superman, vaguely-- but he had spent quality time with Superman's cloned half-son—long story.

When Steve finally comes forward from the desk and affixes himself to Dick, the vigilante can only respond in kind. His hands come up and wrap tightly around Steve, holding him as close as possible-- so frightened that he might have lost him only moments ago. He pushes into the kiss, biting and sucking at Steve's mouth, hungering for the needed intimacy and assurance that only this type of desperate kiss can bring. When they do break, Dick keeps Steve close, barely letting him go.]

You're proud? ... Thank you. I- I've been doing this since my parents died when I was young. Bruce Wayne took me in, you know that. He's... Batman. That's why our relationship is so strange. He's there as a mentor but not really a father. I will always work to keep people safe wherever I am. I've done it here, in San Francisco, Metropolis, Bludhaven, and even Detroit for a while.

[Leaning in, Dick kisses the corners of Steve's eyes, so relieved that he doesn't have to hold this secret anymore. It ripped him up inside, keeping it from the man he loved. To have it out makes it easier to breathe. ]

I- I'm so glad you don't hate me. I hated not being able to tell you. Obviously, you can't tell anyone, but I trust you because I love you more than I've ever loved another soul. You ... you've taught me what true love is.

[videostore]

[ the kissing, the breathing, the words that steve hadn't expected. it was enough to make him dizzy, so he puts a hand around the back of dick's neck, pressed to him for gravity. he takes in a breath, nodding, eyes meeting dick's as he plants a kiss on his forehead. he plays with the fine hairs at the back of dick's neck.

this is nightwing he's been dating, and bruce wayne is... batman. it makes sense, it does, but there's something still so shocking in it that steve can hardly believe it. he kisses dick again, then listens to his confession. so many places, so many people - steve feels overwhelmed again, but he holds onto dick. solid, firm. ]

Why did you come back to Gotham? Just to be closer to Bruce?

[ he gets that. sometimes it's hard to leave, and steve certainly understands. his eyes are kissed and steve melts into it, instantly feeling better. he feels so safe with dick, and as he continues - steve blinks at him, brows knitted in surprise. dick's words are so touching, so - ]

I love you. I love you so much, sometimes it scares me. I've never felt like this, and I know what love is, I know I've felt it - but this is so... perfect. You're perfect for me. You're everything - and I love you more than you could ever understand.

[cohero]

[It's in the solidness of Steve's arms, against the firmness of his chest and within the constant of his heartbeat that Dick finds peace-- the peace that has eluded him for so many years. It's not something that the vigilante can easily explain. He's done so many things wrong through the years, but this is the one thing he's done right. Steve. The name is a song written across his entire universe.

Tender digits course over the perfection that are Steve's cheekbones, and along the soft tufts of hair that come down before his ears. He knows that Steve has no idea how attractive, how devastating he is to Dick. One look sends him spinning without recourse. Dark eyes meet those across from him with a small smile. ]

There was some tragedy here a while ago when Scarecrow tried to take over the city, and that's when I ... when I was killed and raised from the dead in the Lazarus pit. After that, the Titans, my small group of teens I'd helped out, had to go to Metropolis to stop the apocalypse... twice. And when we'd done that, everyone went their own ways. Bruce had tried to kill himself when Jason and I almost died, and he's mostly back to full strength, but I decided to help out. Now that both Bruce and Jason patrol the streets of Gotham, I can go anywhere we want. I happen to be here for now....

[There was a small shrug of shoulders. He wanted Steve to know that he wasn't held down to living in Gotham. They could go anywhere they wanted, the pair of them. Dick was completely in love with the man in his arms. He couldn't have put his feelings into better words than the ones Steve professed. Dick sighed deeply and continued to caress Steve's cheeks, then his chest. If they didn't have more to discuss, he might have done more. ]

I feel the same way. You are everything to me. I'd go anywhere, do anything for you. What I have, what I do is for you. I am for you. I am yours, completely. That is why I wanted to have this talk. No more secrets.