Chapter Text
The two of them stroll hand in hand down the street, making their way home from dinner. The night had started with Dick surprising Kory with tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway. She fell in love with the film when Gar chose it for one of their family movie nights. The story hitting close to home for her with its themes of royal family drama and fulfilling destiny. So, when Rachel kindly mentioned to him a few weeks ago that the show was going to be in San Francisco the same weekend as his and Kory’s anniversary, he knew he had to get the tickets.
After the show, he treated her to a rooftop dinner with an amazing view of the pier. He rented out the entire space to ensure they’d have total privacy. They enjoyed a delicious 5 course meal, which ended with some fantastic gourmet donuts. And because she loved them so much, he arranged for two dozen more to be delivered to the tower for her the very next day. To top it off, he hired a violinist to serenade them during their meal.
A lot of planning went into tonight, but watching Kory laugh and smile throughout the night made it all worth it. Even now as they silently walk together, he can see a content grin on her face. And he loves the fact that he’s the one who put it there.
“Did you enjoy the show and dinner?” he asks, finally breaking the silence.
She detaches her hand from his to grab hold of his bicep, drawing him in closer. “I loved it all, Dick. And I love you. Tonight has been magical. Thank you so much.”
“I love you too. And you’re welcome. But the night’s not over yet, babe.”
Kory laughs playfully. “Is that so? What else do you have up your sleeve, Grayson?”
“You’ll see,” he promises with a smirk.
They fall back into their comfortable silence as they approach a nearby park. And this is where the nerves start to creep in. It’s almost showtime. He’d made Donna and the kids go over the plans just about a hundred times. He would’ve done it a hundred more if everyone didn’t get sick of him and start ignoring him. But this had to be perfect. Kory deserves nothing less.
Dick is busy doing one more quick rehearsal of his speech in his head when he feels Kory stop in her tracks.
“Is that Gar?” she asks.
When he turns to her, he sees that she’s pointing just ahead of them. Looking in that direction, Gar is in fact standing a couple feet in front of them, a huge toothy grin plastered on his face as he stands with his arms behind his back. He’s in his usual skinny jeans and sneaker combo, but his t-shirt has a tuxedo design printed on the front of it. The look is topped off with a black blazer that looks a size or two too big for him. Which Dick kindly let him borrow when he asked for it.
“Yea, I guess it is,” Dick offers nonchalantly.
“Well, if it isn’t the two lovebirds!” Gar exclaims as they finally reach him.
“Gar...what are you doing here?” Kory asks, looking a bit confused.
“I was tasked with bringing you a gift.”
He removes his arms from behind his back revealing a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers and a large white envelope.
Kory, pleasantly surprised, turns her attention back to her boyfriend. “Grayson...”
“Open it,” Dick insists.
She opens the envelope to see a photo of the both of them from their very first date. They’re on a bridge standing in front of a balloon stand they had passed on their way home from the carnival they stumbled upon that night. They had asked the owner of the stand to take the photo, to which he enthusiastically agreed. Dick is holding Kory close by the waist and kissing her temple, as she flashes her radiant smile towards the camera.
“I love this photo,” Kory says, her voice filled with fondness.
“Me too. I was so nervous that night. I actually called Donna the day before to get some words of encouragement. Although there was some teasing involved,” Dick confesses.
“Aw, baby, I didn’t know that,” she says as she caresses his face. “How cute. Well, there was nothing to be nervous about. I had a great time. You treated me like a princess.”
“Even though I was nervous, the amount of happiness I felt totally outweighed that. Because I was finally on a date with the woman of my dreams,” Dick says before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.
“Okay, that’s my cue to leave,” Gar says as he runs off. The two of them can’t help but laugh at his uneasiness to their PDA.
“Let’s go,” Dick says, guiding her further into the park.
After another couple of minutes of walking, two more familiar faces come into view.
“Conner...and Krypto? Dick what’s going on?”
He gently holds her elbow to keep her in place. “So, I was talking to the team the other day, and they all kindly informed me of moments when they knew we were in love, essentially. And it got me thinking about some standout moments in our relationship where I felt that too. So, this is just me sharing them with you.”
“Dick...that’s so sweet,” she says, a little in awe at how romantic he’s been tonight. “I can’t wait to hear them.”
“Good evening, guys,” Conner says as the couple make their way over to him and his sidekick. He too is holding a large white envelope, but instead of flowers to go along with it, he has a small heart-shaped tin of chocolates.
“Hi there. Let me guess. Those are for me?” Kory greets sweetly.
“They are,” he answers, handing over the gifts.
Kory eagerly opens the envelope, revealing a photo of her and Dick at a gala in Gotham about 7 months after they started dating. She’s wearing a red trumpet-style gown with a sweetheart neckline, complimenting his black tux perfectly. It wasn’t a dress she’d normally pick. She liked more rich colors like plum, emerald and burgundy. But for needing a dress on such short notice, it was a beautiful find.
“Look at us all dressed up,” Kory says, flashing Dick a bright smile.
“Do you know why I picked this photo?” Dick asks, reciprocating the gesture.
When Kory merely shakes her head, he elaborates. “You weren’t supposed to be there. Not at the gala, and not in Gotham. But after talking to you on the phone the night before, you somehow knew that I needed you next to me. I tried really hard to not sound like I was having a hard time with being back in that city and having to help out Bruce again. I didn’t want to worry you. But you knew. You always do. And you hopped on a jet immediately after the call to be there with me. Even though you hate the place just as much as I do.”
“You never have to pretend to be strong for me,” Kory reminds him.
“I know. I’m still working on that,” he says, placing a gentle kiss on her hand.
“But we’re not stepping foot in that city again for a very long time. I can’t do it.”
Dick chuckles, giving her hand a squeeze. “Oh, absolutely. Not unless the world is ending. And even then...”
Their light banter is disrupted by Conner clearing his throat. “You two should probably get going. There’s a lot more to see. Right, Dick?”
“Right,” he responds.
With their hands still intertwined, Dick once again leads Kory to their next destination. They eventually run into Tim who is enthusiastically waving his arms at them as they approach, almost mimicking one of those inflatable tube men you’d see in front a car dealership.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite couple!” Tim declares when they’re in front of him.
“What about you parents?” Dick wonders.
“I mean they’re cool too. Just not as cool as you guys.”
“I’ll make sure to let them know that the next time they call,” Kory says, a mischievous grin growing on her face.
“Uh...so anyway, these are for you,” he says handing her a stuffed teddy bear wearing a domino mask and a Nightwing t-shirt, and another envelope.
Kory quickly turns her attention to her boyfriend. “Really babe?”
“Saw it at the store and couldn't help myself,” he says with a shrug.
She rolls her eyes then opens the envelope. The photo she removes isn’t a traditional one. It’s an HD screen capture from some surveillance footage from the tower. The two of them are in the living room huddled together on the couch looking extremely exhausted.
“Yea...I’m not sure what to make of this one.”
Dick chuckles, already knowing there’d be a little confusion. “Well, you remember a couple months ago when everything just seemed to be going wrong for the team? Gar had that weird cold that had him transforming uncontrollably, then Rachel started having nightmares again, and Boy Wonder over here broke his ankle?”
“Not my best moment...” Tim whispers under his breath.
“And Conner was away visiting Clark, so it was just us dealing with it all? How could I forget. It was awful,” Kory adds.
“It was. But the silver lining through all of it was that I had you by my side. We were exhausted and a little scared, but we were always there to support each other. Whether it was with encouraging words, a reassuring smile, a gentle squeeze of the shoulder, or even a pat on the leg. It gave me the strength I needed to keep going. Hopefully, it did the same for you,” Dick says, looking at her intently. “Anyway, you’ve always been my partner. Since the beginning. But I don’t know, I guess I really felt the true meaning of that word and how you fit that role during that time. And this photo just seemed to capture that perfectly.”
“Dick, of course I feel the same. We’re partners through all of it. I’ll always be there when you need me.”
“I’m glad. And the same goes for you,” he says, giving her an affectionate smile. “Come on, we’ve got one more stop to make before we head home.”
“Okay. See you, Tim.”
“See you,” the boy says, waving them goodbye.
Dick opts to hold out his elbow for Kory to hold onto rather than his hand this time. He doesn’t want her to feel how sweaty and shaky it is. The final stop on this little adventure is a bit further than the rest. He wanted the scene to be perfect for the big moment, so he had Rachel position herself near the park’s large fountain. There are also beautiful geranium hedges surrounding the area and paper lanterns hanging from some of the trees that really do make for a romantic setting.
As they walk to their final destination, the nerves he had felt at the beginning of all of this quickly start to morph into anxiety and doubt. Is this the right moment for this? The right location? Was the ring the perfect cut and color? Will she even say yes?
Dick knows how silly these thoughts are. He and Kory have had several conversations about their future together, which includes marriage and children. They know how each other feel about those topics. But self-doubt has always been an unhealthy trait he’s carried with him. And even with Kory’s constant help and support to work on it, it still creeps into his mind from time to time. Trying to weigh him down like an anchor. He just wants to be good enough. For Kory, their family, and himself.
He’s brought back to reality when he feels soft, plump lips on his cheek. He turns to his right side to see Kory giving him one of her brilliant signature smiles.
“What was that for?”
“For being amazing. I know you must have put so much time and effort into all of this just to make me happy. And I also know you were probably freaking out about everything being perfect. And it is. So, just know that I appreciate all of it.”
He’s always in awe at how she does it. How Kory is always able to say or do the right thing to put him and his mind at ease without even trying. It’s definitely a superpower of hers, along with the many abilities she already possesses.
Dick is about to respond to Kory when Rachel finally comes into view. Out of all the kids, she’s dressed the fanciest. She’s wearing a black tulle mini dress with a pair of matching black ankle boots that Kory bought her for her birthday.
“Well, don’t you look fancy,” Kory says, admiring her outfit.
“I learned from the best,” she says, giving them a twirl. “Plus, I never get to dress up. So, I seized the opportunity.”
Rachel takes a second to look over at Dick. She doesn’t need her powers to know that he’s mildly panicking over what’s to come. It’s written all over his face despite the smile he’s trying to keep. She decides to give him a little more time to calm down by dragging out the conversation for a bit.
“Sooo...how did you guys like the show?”
“Oh my God, it was amazing!” Kory says, looking between her and her boyfriend. “I still can’t believe you were able to get tickets.”
Dick gives Rachel a small smile, catching on to her gesture. “Well, Rachel here actually helped with that. The show was sold out when I first tried to purchase them. She helped me phone around and search for any resales or cancellations.”
“Yea, it was a group effort,” Rachel adds. “But we never actually found any of those. So, Dick ended up bribing a guy for his set. And let’s just say he paid a pretty penny for them.”
Dick’s smile drops and he gives Rachel a pointed look, letting her know she’s said more than enough. Which makes Kory giggle. She takes the hint immediately.
“...Anyway, here’s your envelope. And as a gift, my hands,” she says, wiggling her fingers in Kory’s direction.
One of Kory’s perfectly arched brows raises as she takes the envelope. “Your hands?”
“To carry everything back to the tower for you,” Rachel says, gathering all the gifts. “I’ll see you two soon. Bye!” She quickly walks of before they can bid her a proper farewell.
Kory opens the envelope and removes the final photo. She stares at it for little while, head tilted and brows furrowed, before turning it over to show her boyfriend.
“Okay, with the other one I saw where you were coming from. But this...I have no clue what this means, Dick. It’s blank,” she says perplexed.
"Yea...yea, that moment hasn’t happened yet,” he responds, looking from the blank card to her.
“Hmmm. Okay... So, when will it?”
He doesn’t answer. He just takes a few moments to look into her impossibly green eyes. This is it. The pinnacle of the night. The moment he’s been waiting for. Every negative feeling and thought he had about tonight dissipates as he watches her watching him. The fear, the doubts, the worries all gone. Because he knows this is the best decision he’s ever made. And everything he’s faced and endured was worth it to get to this point. To be able spend the rest of his life with Kory. He finally takes a few steps back and lowers himself onto his left knee, removing the ring from his suit jacket as he does so.
Kory’s hands immediately cover her mouth, everything starting to click in her mind. Flickers of light come from her left side and she turns to see Donna, not too far in the distance, holding her polaroid camera to her eyes. When she finally lowers it, Kory can see that she’s emotional, which is almost as shocking as this moment between her and Dick. Because Donna Troy doesn’t do emotional.
“Koriand’r?” Dick says, regaining her attention.
“Richard,” she tries to say playfully but gets choked up half way through.
He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I used to think just knowing you was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You came into my life during my darkest moments and filled it with your beautiful light. I haven’t felt lonely since. Even when things get tough or feel impossible, having you by my side has made it all seem manageable. But these past two years with you have shown me that being with you is a thousand times better. I’ve never been happier. It’s a gift and a privilege to spend every day loving and being loved by you. And I want to experience that for the rest of my life. So, Kory Anders, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?”
Tears fill her eyes as she pulls him to his feet, wrapping him in an almost bone-crushing hug.
“Is that a ‘yes’?” he whispers, into her hair.
“Of course, it is,” she replies. Her voice laced with emotion. “I’d love to be your wife.”
Dick responds by capturing her lips with his own, hoping the kiss is enough to convey the immense joy that has filled his heart.
Cheers and applause break out around them as the younger Titans come out of their hiding spots, joining Donna. She snaps a couple more photos before they all approach the newly engaged couple, offering them their congratulations.
“For you,” Donna says, handing Kory and Dick one of the photos.
In the photo, the two hold each other close as they look deeply into each other's eyes. There are tears streaming down both their faces, but they’re ones of pure elation. Their smiles shine brighter than the lights surrounding them. All the love and adoration they have for one another captured in one polaroid.
The perfect moment.