Chapter Text
“Dick have you seen my glasses?” Babs called from the bathroom. He could hear her riffling through drawers and re-arranging shelves.
He threw down the tech magazine he was leafing through and joined the search. He searched for them on the end tables and behind stacks of books. “You know, I always wondered how someone who wears glasses looks for them when they go missing. I mean, don’t you need your glasses in order to find your glasses?”
“So profound. What did you discover?” She moved her search to the bedroom.
“Apparently you do so noisily...and get someone else to help you search.” From the sound she was making in the other room, her search was taking on an urgent quality he didn’t much see the need for. They were already late, so what did a few minutes more mean. No one actually expected him to be on time for the gala.
“Just keep looking, bird boy.” The snarky reply came from the kitchen.
“And now you’re channeling Jason. Take it easy Babs, no one will care if we’re late. All we need to do is put in an appearance, get photographed, make a statement to the press in support of the GCPD, and dance. Then we can leave.”
Babs leaned around the corner and grimaced at him. He was shuffling through items on her computer desk, attempting to uncover the missing glasses. “It’s never that easy. Could we just skip all the press and stick to the dancing?”
“I wish. But you know, we have to keep up appearances. I’m Bruce Wayne’s son, you’re the police commissioners daughter. We’re dating again. That’s going to make some reporter’s day. If we don’t give them something, they’ll start digging.”
“And we don’t want them digging. I know.” There was a sharp exhalation as she ducked back into the kitchen.
“Found them,” Dick said in a sing-song voice as he pulled the glasses out from under a stapled stack of papers written in Arabic. It didn’t surprise him that she could read it. He’d been working on learning the language since Damian entered his life, but he wasn’t a natural linguist. Even though it had been years, he still struggled with the language and Damian often told him he sounded like a child. The boy was also not so secretly pleased that his big brother was attempting it for his sake.
Setting the papers aside, Dick picked up the glasses and headed for Babs. On a whim, he slipped the glasses on as he turned into the kitchen. Surely this would make her lau--
“Woah. Babs!” He blinked behind the frames.
“Give them here.” She smirked and held out her hand. “Not what you were expecting?”
“No.” He pulled them off and studied her through them from the opposite direction. “They’re just glass.”
She took the glasses from Dick and proceeded to clean the lenses. “You know, you’re the first person to figure that out.”
“But...why?”
“Secret identity. I figured if it worked for Clark it could work for me.” She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. “You do realise Batgirl doesn’t wear glasses, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I guess I assumed you wore contacts when you were on patrol.”
She slipped the glasses on, settling the arms over her ears and pushing the bridge up her nose. “How do I look?”
Dick’s breath caught in his throat. He smiled and offered her his hand. He spun her, and then held her close for a kiss. “Beautiful, as always.”
Tonight’s gala would feature the who’s who of Gotham and Dick knew she would outshine them all. Her dress wasn’t new or some haute couture design, but it suited her. The design was a perfect balance between the expected elegance of the evening and the ability to move freely in case there was trouble. Over the years she’d collected a few dresses like this she could wear to such events, all purchased at second-hand shops or on sale at department stores. She saw no reason to spend a small fortune on a dress that would only be worn a few times at most.
When he was younger, he’d witnessed Bruce buy designer gowns for his various dates. Dick had tried it—once. Dick and Babs had just started dating and Bruce had insisted they join him for some charity event. He had ordered a dress for his date and Dick had asked if he could get one for Babs as well. Bruce hadn’t objected and he’d even helped Dick make the selection. When the dress arrived, he’d taken it straight over to her house. At the time he couldn’t wait to see her face.
He hadn’t expected what happened next. As she’d opened the box, her expression turned to stone. In the long moment it took her to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, Dick realised he’d made a mistake. She thanked him for his consideration, but couldn’t accept the dress. If the dress she had already selected wasn’t good enough, then she would stay home. He’d stammered an apology, assuring her that her dress would be fine and he’d see her later. Returning home with the dress, it began to dawn on him just how far he’d drifted from his roots.
Babs wasn’t impressed with a flaunting of wealth. She wasn’t one of Bruce’s dates to woo with fancy dresses and shallow promises. As much as Dick loathed admitting it, those women were as much accessories to Bruce’s playboy billionaire routine as was his bow tie and cuff links. Babs was no one’s accessory and he’d treated her like one. He’d insulted her by insinuating that she wasn’t good enough on her own to mingle with Gotham’s one percent. She was the daughter of Gotham’s honest police commissioner; it meant they were comfortable, but by no means wealthy. In order to save for college, she worked a part time job after school. If Dick’s parents had lived, if Bruce hadn’t taken him in, he’d be closer to Babs’ station in life than Bruce’s.
As far as he knew, Babs had never worn the dress. It probably still hung in the closet of the room Alfred had set aside for Barbara after she joined their mission. A room, as far as he knew she’d never used either.
“Lost in thought?” She laughed and attempted to return the spin. He ducked under her arm to complete the turn.
“What does your dad think about the glasses? You started wearing them in high school. He would have been involved with that.”
“Well, these aren’t my only ones.” She touched the side of her glasses. “I have glasses for reading and computer work. It’s what gave me the idea to wear them all the time. When people look at me, they see a girl with glasses, maybe a geek or an intellectual, anything but a superhero. And, I like how I look in glasses.” She shrugged.
“That’s why you were so panicked about finding your glasses. They’re your mask.”
“Got it in one, Boy Wonder.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “We better head out, we’re risking being beyond fashionably late. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave.”
“Lead on, my love.” He held her hand and followed her out of her apartment.