Archive of Our Own

"We saw the photos from London," Bruce said.

"All of them?" Dick asked. He finished tousling his hair with the towel and then threw it to the side. It hit the wall with a wet squelch and then fell into a heap on the floor of the hotel suite. His heel hit the door which swung shut quietly. "Did you see the one of Big Ben?"

"Yes, we saw the one of Big Ben," Bruce said.

"And the London Eye?" Dick asked.

"The London Eye too," Bruce assured him.

Dick sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Jason's phone resting on the fluffed hotel pillow in the center where Bruce was seated, phone in hand to get an update on their trip and safety. "What about-"

Bruce's laugh, unfamiliar as the sound was, cut Dick off from any further examples of his photographing adventures across Europe. "We saw all of the photos, Dick. I'm glad that the two of you are enjoying your holiday."

"All of Gotham has seen the pictures," Stephanie said. "They're on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr - do you have any idea how many Instagram followers you have, Dick?"

"A few hundred?" Dick suggested, sharing a smirk with Jason.

The blonde disappeared from the screen though her voice was still audible, quiet though as if she might be whispering to someone else. "I hate him. He has thousands."

"How is the nightlife back home?" Jason asked. "Anything we need to be concerned about?"

"The rest of us have it handled, Jason," Bruce said. "Relax. Enjoy yourself."

"I'm a workaholic by nature. I learned from the best," Jason said.

Whatever Bruce might have started to say was cut off by a new voice, distant but still easily recognizable. "Is that Grayson?" Damian's head popped up behind Bruce. "Grayson, are you returning soon?"

"I'm doing well too, kid. Thanks for asking," Jason said.

Dick chuckled at Jason's brotherly annoyance, ruffling the younger man's hair much to Jason's chagrin. "We've got another week, Dames. We only just arrived in Ireland. We're going to drive around the countryside and drink green beer or whatever it is they serve here and then we'll be home."

"Whiskey, babe," Jason said.

"The two of you have already been gone too long," Damian said. "I demand your return at once."

"Give them some space," Bruce warned.

Jason curled his fingers around Dick's hand, rubbing his thumb over the shining stone set in the engagement ring. "I'll bring Dickiebird home safe and sound soon, kid. Give me one more week alone with my fiance before we have to deal with Gotham again."

"Todd-"

Damian vanished from the feed with the help of a pale arm around the waist, like a vaudeville actor pulled offstage by a hook. Stephanie took his place once more. " "You just both better make it home in time for the wedding. Cass, Tim, Alfred and I have put a lot of time into this."

Bruce cleared his throat.

"Oh, and Bruce spent a lot of money. I mean, a lot," Stephanie said.

Bruce's hand curled around Stephanie's shoulder, guiding her out of the screen. "I think it would be best if I talked to the two of you later. This call is becoming a bit crowded."

"Wait, is that Jason and Dick?" Tim asked.

"Did you know that Dick doesn't know how many Instagram followers he has?" Stephanie asked.

"Of course he does," Tim said. "He brags about it all the time."

Bruce rubbed his temple with the hand not holding the phone. "Have fun, you two. Stay out of trouble."

"No promises, old man," Jason said.

"Bye, Bruce," Dick said.

Bruce's hand blocked out the screen and then the call ended.

---

Jason glanced at Dick out of the corner of his eye, the enchanted look overwhelming his face as he took in the beautiful Irish countryside. Blue eyes seemed to stare past the rolling green hills to take in each example of flora and expansive waterfronts - the racing fauna that spirited across the endless clover green and then into the bushes and trees dotting the landscape. His hand hung out the window and, when Jason sped down the slope of the hills, Dick would lift his hand and let the wind slip through his fingers.

"Beautiful," Dick said.

Jason smiled at Dick's fascination with the landscape, the light in his eyes and the glow on his skin under the sunlight and away from the stress of Gotham. "Yeah, beautiful."

The chuckle that left Dick flitted out the window to be pulled along with the wind. His fingers curled around Jason's hand lying between them, squeezing gently.

A few hours into the driving, a water droplet hit the windshield and splattered in an abstract pattern before rolling down the glass to the base. Another and another, and then Jason was rolling up the windows and flipping on the air conditioner. He tapped the lever to turn on the windshield wipers and distantly, thunder rumbled to announce the rolling dark clouds now hanging in the sky above them.

"It was too much to hope that we'd get sun all day," Dick said.

"Ireland gets a lot of rain, babe," Jason replied.

"It's still beautiful," Dick said. "Maybe even more so."

The green darkened under the shadow of the storm, and lit up when streaks of white and purple lightning flashed across the sky. As they peaked on a hill, another streak of lightning lit up the stones of a castle on the edge of the water and the crossing country roads disappearing behind hills and then reappearing from behind the bends of others - like a labyrinth of green and brown.

The road turned slick and muddy beneath his tires and Jason felt the car slide on the road. He clenched his jaw and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, slowing down for cautions sake. "Can you pull up the GPS on your phone and see if you can get us some directions to the nearest gas station or hotel?"

Dick slid the phone out of his pocket. After a beat, "It won't pick up a signal."

"Won't pick up a-"

"It's a civilian phone, Jay. No work phones." Dick cast a narrowed eyed look at him. "Your idea, remember?"

Smart ass. "It's still WayneTech, right? Top of the line, cream of the crop, best technology on the market, WayneTech phone?"

"Which apparently still doesn't get a signal in the middle of the remote Irish countryside," Dick said.

Jason's lips twitched. "Remind me to tell the old man that his tech isn't up to snuff."

"I'm not going to remind you to do that," Dick said. "The two of you are going to agree on everything I tell you to agree on until the wedding. After the wedding, the two of you can argue as much as you want."

Jason rolled his eyes. Dick was so sure that he could maintain peace between Jason and Bruce by sheer force of will. "There's a map in the glovebox. Pull it out and find us someplace to go."

"Old school." Dick must have obeyed, however, because Jason heard the rustle of paper as the car slid on the muddy back road again. He had to keep his eyes focused on the road; even the wipes on their highest setting didn't make it much easier to see through the falling rain. "Looks like there's an exit onto the motorway a few miles south. There should be a bridge up ahead, if you want to cross it and then take the next left we-"

The brakes screeched and the car fishtailed on the road, the back end swinging back and forth. Thump! Jason felt Dick's heart pounding through his chest from where he'd thrown out his arm to keep Dick in his seat. Dick was still rubbing a spot o his head, however, and Jason's chest squeezed when he saw Dick's fingers come away wet and red. "Babe..."

"I'm fine," Dick said. "It's just a little cut. I've had worse."

Jason knew that. Really. But Dick was bleeding and anything from a papercut to a bullet wound made Jason feel like he'd failed his fiance. It was Jason's job to protect him, keep the harm of the world from infringing on Dick's happiness. If that meant stopping gun toting goons in Gotham, so be it. Unfortunately, Jason hadn't figured out how to intimidate the laws of physics into keeping from throwing Dick against the dashboard of the car when Jason made sudden stops, though. Jason turned forward and watched the flood of water rushing over the bridge, frothing where it was separated by the rail and splashing with waves out onto the road where it was turning the ground into mush. "We're not taking the bridge."

Dick grabbed the map from where it had slid onto the floor and then stretched it out. His thumb smeared blood up in the corner. "We'd have to turn around and head an hour, minimum, back in the other direction just to hit a gas station."

"We don't have that much gas," Jason replied, eyeing the gauge.

Dick lowered the map onto his lap and looked around at the rain. Another streak of lightning and Dick tapped the window with his knuckle. "There. See if we can get some shelter with them?" The shelter in question was a stone castle, the tips of which they had seen earlier during their drive.

Jason hesitated and then backed the car up. "Yeah, alright. Your head okay?"

"It's just a little cut," Dick assured him. "I'll be fine. Just get us some place dry to stay."

Jason couldn't let him down, especially after this whole ordeal with getting his head cut open. He pulled back out onto the country road, riding over the hill and then down towards the castle. On closer inspection, the castle was enormous and the central point seemed to be the single stone tower in the center. Jason was glad to see lights coming from inside of the tower, a soft glow to counter the sharp glint of lightning. It was the only building that showed any sign of life in it, the chapel that Jason could see a single bell hanging in being the next largest building and completely empty from what Jason could tell. He pulled the car to a stop on the outside of the black iron gates.

"I'll go see if they open," Dick said. Jason hit the locks before Dick could even get his hand around the door handle. Dick pulled fruitlessly and then huffed, turning back around to face Jason. Jason brushed his thumb over Dick's cheek, getting a good look at the still bleeding cut on his forehead. Slowed, sure, but bleeding nonetheless. "Jason, I'm fine."

"I'll go out and check the gate," Jason said. "Stay in the car."

"Jason-"

"Stay in the car," Jason repeated. "Please."

Dick sighed but he let go of the door handle. "Be careful."

"Always," Jason said. He didn't wait for a response to unlock the car again and then step out. It grumbled beside him, a quiet rumble of the engine barely audible above the rain. Dick's face was lit up by the lights on inside the car and Jason could make out the tightness around his eyes and the pursed lips showing the man's concern. He followed the glow of the headlights to the gate. There didn't appear to be a lock, nothing keeping the gates from opening. He wrapped his fingers around the bars, pushing and then pulling. The bars shook but didn't open. Stepping back, Jason could see the smooth stone walls. No speakers, no buttons to push. He swore and ran his hand through his hair, soaked now with the torrential downpour coming down on him. He climbed back into the car. "It's locked."

"No way to get in?" Dick asked.

"Not that I could see," Jason said. "We might just have to stick it out in the car for a bit."

Dick started bouncing his leg. Jason didn't blame not, not in love with the idea of the boredom stretching out in front of them. It made Jason antsy too. "Well, we'll do what we have to, Jay."

"I'm sorry," Jason said.

"It's not your fault, Jay. It's-" Dick cut off, eyes focused in front of them as a soft creak won over the sound of the rain against the car and the gates opened inward. "Guess someone realized we were out here after all."

Jason put the car into drive and pulled through the gates, towards the large stone castle in front of them. Approach was short and closer inspection made it clear that the term castle might have been somewhat misleading. It stood more as a single tower with a few disconnected buildings around it, reaching up towards the rumbling clouds. Jason stopped and cut the engine.

"Nice place," Dick murmured, peering up through the windshield as the tower was framed by lightning once more.

"You could say the same about the Manor, you know," Jason said. "It has the same creepy feel."

Dick flicked the lock open. "Come on, scaredy cat. I'll protect you."

Jason ran behind Dick, both running the short distance between the car and the castle through the rain. Jason was already soaked but now Dick was wet too. His dark hair hung over his eyes and water droplets beaded on his lips. Jason watched as Dick pulled the t-shirt away from his skin, though the moment he released it the waterlogged fabric clung to his skin again. It outlined each muscle and Jason smirked at the sight.

Dick glanced up and then rolled his eyes. "Pervert."

Jason just chuckled and reached up to grab the knocker.

Dick wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his hands up and down each arm to fend off the cold. "Be nice."

"Why wouldn't I be nice?" Jason asked.

"Because you're you," Dick said. "Just be nice."

"I'm always nice," Jason said.

The door opened. Inside, a man in his mid to late thirties stood in the doorway. Green eyes looked out from a handsome face, dark hair kept short and cropped above it. His gaze flickered over Dick and then Jason before he stepped back and out of their way. "Come in, please."

Jason let Dick go in first and then stepped in behind him. He let out a soft sigh the moment the heat started drying his skin. The door was closed behind them. "Follow me. There's a fire in the sitting room. You need to dry off or it will be all too easy to catch a cold in this storm."

Dick tried his best not to drip on the man's floor. Jason's attempt was more halfhearted, knowing there wasn't a lot he could do to prevent it. He left a trail of water droplets in his wake. "Thank you. Did we miss your name?"

"I don't believe I introduced myself, actually," he said. There was a pause long enough for Jason to stop drying himself and look up, narrowing his eyes on the stranger. "Nugent. Ross Nugent."

"Pleasure," Dick said. He ran a hand through his hair, flicking water around the room in the process. Dick looked appropriately remorseful immediately after. "My name is Dick Grayson. This is my fiance, Jason."

The abandoned last name on Jason's part wasn't Dick's forgetfulness. Dick wasn't that forgetful, for starters, but he was that smart. Even out here, there was a danger of someone looking into Jason too closely. No need to send this stranger tugging on old threads that had best be left not to fray.

"You have a lovely home," Dick said.

"Ross Castle," he supplied, in the same tone that Bruce said Wayne Manor.

Jason arched an eyebrow. "You named your castle after yourself?" Dick stomped hard on his toes.

Nugent's lips twisted into a wry, amused smile. "I was named after the castle, actually."

Silence. Jason didn't let it get to him, content to pull his shirt away from his chest to help dry it. Dick, however, did his best to fill the silence. "Was the castle in the family then?" Dick was so beautifully genuine. It was part of the reason that Jason was so madly in love with him. He could make you feel like you were the whole world. Jason wasn't a fan of that earnest desire to hear more being directed at this Nugent guy.

"For centuries," Nugent replied. "My ancestor built it back in the 1500s, Richard Nugent."

"Ah, another Richard," Dick said. "Good. Jason can't make dick jokes nose for fear of offending you."

"Why would I let that stop me?" Jason asked. He swore when that earned him another sharp stomp on his toes.

A smile stretched the man's face. "Well, I'm glad that I can make your acquaintances. If you'd like to freshen up in one of the guest rooms, I'd be more than happy to have you join me for dinner."

On the next inhale, the sudden scent of food was overwhelming. It smelled delicious and Jason's stomach rumbled. He hadn't realized how hungry he'd grown until he smelled the dinner cooking. Surely it hadn't been that long since he and Dick had stopped for lunch.

"That would be great," Dick said.

"Follow me," Nugent said, motioning them towards the stairs.

There were small ways that the castle seemed royal. The historic quality, the raw stone on the inside. The coat of arms above the fireplace which lent an air of authority, especially when Jason spotted the same symbol on the vest of Nugent's suit. But the small spiral staircase leading up was nothing like the majestic curving staircases that Jason associated with wealth from his time living with Bruce.

"The tower was built for military purposes," Dick said.

"You have a good eye," Nugent praised.

"Not really," Dick said. "I did a bit of reading back at the last hotel while Jason was paying for the rooms. There are a lot of castles out here that were built like this."

"That's correct," Nugent said. "Several parts of the castle were built with military defense in mind."

"I didn't know you did any reading about castles," Jason said, tugging on the belt loop of Dick's pants.

Dick slapped his hand away, smirking. "I got bored waiting for you. Did you think I just sat there and looked pretty whenever you left me on my own?"

"No," Jason said. He tugged harder, managing to tug Dick right into his arms. "Tell me what you learned."

"I learned that the counterclockwise stairs kept invaders at a disadvantage. and the windows kept someone from climbing in," Dick said, pressing close enough that their noses touched.

"Kept at a disadvantage how?" Jason asked

Dick laughed. "Maybe you should do your own reading."

"Unlike you, I've used a sword," Jason whispered. Then, louder, "Counterclockwise stairs would keep their sword arms pinned close to their sides and let the defenders have the room over the railing."

"Fun killer," Dick muttered.

"Do a bit of reading yourself?" Nugent said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you didn't strike me as the type."

There was a right way to take that? Jason's lips thinned. "I actually enjoy reading a lot." Jason's toe caught on the edge of the stairs and he came down hard on his right knee.

Nugent paused. "Ah, perhaps I should have warned you but you seemed to pick up on things so well. The stairs are uneven. It interrupted the gait of invaders as they climbed the stairs."

Jason rubbed his knee as he straightened. "No kidding."

"It's just a bit further," Nugent said, smiling warmly. Jason wanted to wipe the damn thing off his face.

Dick hesitated, taking Jason's hand. "You okay, Jason?"

"I'm fine," Jason said. He let go of Dick's hand to climb up and lightly slap Dick's ass when his fiance didn't move right away. "Dick, I'm fine. Let's just go upstairs."

Dick leaned down, stealing a kiss on the staircase. "Alright. Upstairs." He grinned and whispered next to Jason's ear. "IF this rain keeps up we might ete the chance to do the horizontal mambo right here in an honest to goodness castle."

"I don't know whether to call you a pervert or a child," Jason said. "Who calls it 'the horizontal mambo'?"

Dick jogged up the stairs, laughing the whole way. It didn't pass by Jason's notice that he somehow managed to avoid the same humiliation that Jason had experienced by his nearly supernatural grace.

On the third floor, Nugent led them down to a doorway. Old, wooden - he unlocked it with a key from his pocket. "I apologize if there's any dust in there. I don't see many visitors so the room hasn't gotten much use in many, many years."

There wasn't a spec of dust in the room and man damn well knew it. There was something in his eyes, a tint to the green that had Jason confident that each piece of the house was kept immaculate. That the illusion of a moment in time, a preserved second that had taken place centuries sago, was something that Nugent took great pride in maintaining.

"It's beautiful," Dick said.

"Indeed," Nugent replied. His eyes were on Dick.

The room was beautiful. Raw stone walls, white and pristine clean. The bed in the center was large and softly padded with fine fabrics sewed into intricately designed quilts and comforters. Something warm to stack high on when the winter came in cold and wet. Old antique furniture shined with a restored spark, giving the whole castle just one more note of timelessness.

"Thank you for the time to freshen up," Jason said. He wrapped his arm around Dick's waist to pull him closer.

Nugent smiled indulgently, looking at Jason as if the two of them shared some joke or some secret. Jason wasn't going to be sharing what it felt like the man was implying. "I'll give the two of you a moment."

The door closed behind them but Jason didn't let go until the footsteps receded.

"Jay?" Dick asked.

Dick was still sopping wet. He should have looked like a drowned cat or at least had the decency to shiver. No, Dick was still beautiful. His skin shined form the water and his eyes seemed even more blue with his wet hair hanging over his eyes. Jason hadn't even thought that shade was naturally possible. "Yeah, babe?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, I'm..." Jason trailed off, glancing towards the door. "Doesn't our host seem a bit creepy to you?"

"You mean, have I noticed him watching my ass?" Dick asked. "Because in that case, yeah. I noticed."

Jason's lips thinned. "Well, yeah, that. But also-"

"Jason, I love you," Dick said. The words made Jason choke on what he was going to say. He had to swallow the lump in his throat and breathed out a heavy sigh when Dick stepped close enough to press their chests together. "I love you to the moon and back, but you are the most possessive, paranoid person I have ever met."

"You're mine," Jason muttered, pressing his lips against Dick's forehead.

"I don't belong to anyone," Dick said. "But if I did, it would be to you and you would belong to me."

"I don't like him watching you like that," Jason amended.

"I don't like him watching me like that either," Dick said. "But it's a glance, one in a thousand. It's nothing compared to knowing that I am about to spend the rest of my life with you. If it was more, it might be worth it to sleep in the car instead but for a look?"

"I'm sorry," Jason said.

"Don't be sorry. I love that you care enough to be this upset about it," Dick said. "But he's giving us a place to stay and a stare is nothing that I can't deal with. He knows I'm taken."

"What if he doesn't care?" Jason asked.

"You think I can't fight off one rich boy?" Dick asked.

Jason snorted. "You could fight off a dozen."

"Maybe two dozen," Dick said. "Relax."

Jason wrapped his arms around Dick's waist. He had no concerns over Dick being faithful, but he'd heard enough and seen enough of the way some people became obsessed over his lover that he was worried about the rest of the world. "I'm relaxed."

"How about we let our clothes dry and take a bath in the tub?" Dick suggested. "Doesn't some warm water sound nice?"

Jason glanced at the window, glass pelted by the raindrops, and arched an eyebrow. "I don't know if water will ever sound nice again. Warm, cold, or otherwise."

"You big baby," Dick mocked. "Come on. Bathe with me. We're in a castle. How many chances are we going to get to take a bath in a castle?"

Jason could hardly argue with that.

---

Their clothes were still a little damp when they put them back on, but far from as soaked as they'd been when both of them had climbed into the tub. Jason reached for Dick and Dick danced out of reach. "Come here and let me kiss you."

"You already kissed me," Dick said. "In all sorts of places. We have a dinner waiting for us and, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. The smell coming out of that kitchen was... sublime."

Jason remembered. "I'd rather eat you, if it were up to me."

Dick opened the bedroom door instead of falling into bed with Jason. Answer enough, he supposed.

"You're missing out," Jason warned, though he followed out behind him. 

"I have not doubt," Dick assured him.

The smell grew stronger as they descended the stairs. At this point Jason could make out the familiar scent of fish, baked trout and garlic herbs in large serving dishes on the table. Nugent was already seated at the head of the table, but he stood when Dick and Jason came into the room.

"Richard," he greeted. He pulled a chair out for Dick on his right. "Have a seat."

Dick smiled, warmly, that beautiful bright smile that he could give away so easily. Jason hated it and he loved it. He loved it when it was for him, when Jason got to feel like the rest of the world could wait. He hated when Dick gave that sort of attention to anyone else. He would never stop him, because that was part of what made Dick amazing and because Jason could recognize where the boundary needed to be if he didn't want to become an abusive, overbearing husband. In the quiet of his mind, however, Jason sometimes wanted to take that beautiful man and hide him from a world Jason felt too often took advantage of him.

Dick took a seat and smiled at Jason, smaller. An indulgent smile.

Jason dragged his own chair out, making a point to let the wooden legs screech against the stone floor. The sound made Nugent grimace and turn a cool stare to him. Jason dropped into the seat. "Thanks for dinner, Ross."

"You're welcome," Nugent replied. He took his seat at the head of the table again. "Feel free to begin."

Feel free to begin. Something about that phrasing reminded Jason a bit of Bruce. Jason's stomach soured. Dick was right. Right about Jason being possessive and paranoid, set off by the similarities between the two.

"We took advantage of the bathtub upstairs. Is that antique too? It's absolutely beautiful," Dick said, taking a bite. He quickly went for another and another after that. "Nearly everything seems to be an antique."

"Most of the furniture is antique," Nugent said. "And as much as possible remains from the original."

"Incredible," Dick said. "There are a lot of antiques in the house that I grew up in, but even there so much of it has had to be replaced due to the wear and tear of age. How do you manage to keep them in such impeccable condition?"

Nugent only had eyes for Dick. Jason hated it but he couldn't blame him. To feel so much genuine interest coming from someone who shined... Even now, Jason felt his anger with their host bein carried away like waves pullin back into the seat. It took second to the dimples in Dick's cheeks, the light behind his eyes - the glitter of a diamond on his finger that said Dick was his, would always be his.

"Don't you think so, Jason?" Dick asked.

Jason dragged his eyes up to meet Dick's and then glanced at Nugent. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I missed the question."

"I said that the food was delicious," Dick said. "Don't you agree?"

Jason had yet to actually take a bite. "Um, yeah. Delicious."

Nugent's lips twisted down, but the expression vanished and then he was back to looking at Dick. "I'm glad that the two of you are enjoying. I don't consider myself to be much of a cook, but I relish the opportunity to share a meal with someone else."

"You're an incredible cook," Dick assured him. "I would love the chance to take this recipe home to a family friend of ours. I think he would enjoy the chance to expand his repertoire."

"Do you normally cook so much food for only yourself?" Jason asked.

"My apologies?" Nugent asked.

"I'm just surprised you had enough prepared for Dick and I to sit down at dinner," Jason said. Dick's lips thinned.

Nugent arched a brow. "Perhaps you don't realize how long the two of you were upstairs. While I would never intrude on the personal time between young lovers, it was more than enough time for me to add to the pots."

Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket. There was still no signal but the clock did show several hours having passed. Jason could still hear the rain pounding outside. He clenched his jaw and slid it back into his pocket.

"Jay?" Dick asked.

"It's been about three hours since we got here," Jason said. He pushed his untouched plate away and stood. "Is there a washroom on this floor that I can use?"

Nugent pointed towards the direction of the spiral staircase. "Down the hall, past the staircase. And while you're doing that, I'll get a bottle of wine opened. Richard, you strike me as preferring a sweeter drink than our Irish whiskey."

"I don't drink often, actually," Dick said, eyes following Jason to the entrance of the dining room. He stood. "Jason, do you want me to-"

"Stay," Jason said. He dragged a hand down his face. "I just need to splash some water on my face. I'll be back in a few minutes to enjoy a glass of wine with you."

Pop! The sound drew enough of Dick's attention that Jason could use the opportunity to walk away with any further fight.

The worse part was that Jason knew he was being foolish. Nugent was an ass, maybe even a pervert, but being overprotective of Dick who was more than capable of protecting himself? That was Jason's problem and it wasn't fair to Dick.

The spiral staircase creaked and Jason snapped his attention to it and the fading thump of a footstep. He turned back towards the dining room and heard Nugent's low voice and Dick's answering laughter. Jason gripped the railing and climbed to the second floor. He peered into the halls there. They were empty and carried a chill from the rain outside. Jason blew out a breath, closing his eyes and turning back to go downstairs. Glancing up, a flutter of white caught in the drafty tower before disappearing onto the third floor. Jason was changing directions and racing up to the third floor. He stepped out into the hallway. "Hello?"

Silence was his only greeting. The empty silence of dust falling and the draft of cool air. Rain continued to patter on the thin windows, and somewhere the draft caught the edge of the curtains and lifted them a few inches before they came to rests just as still as the rest of the castle.

"Is someone there?" Jason asked. He stepped further down the hallway, walking pasts the door to their room and glancing into it before stepping past and farther down to the end of the hall. He looked out of the window there, over the hills and the trees. Purple lightning cut the sky in half and lit up the world with an ethereal glow.

The sight of the bedroom door caught his eye, opened to leave the room in clear view. Jason wrapped his hand around the handle, cool to the touch, and looked inside. They had closed the door before they left the room, Jason knew they had. He yanked the door shut hard and walked back down the stairs.

In the dining room, the two were laughing. Dick's chair was tipped back precariously. The wine had been poured and a glass half-filled remained for him. Dick's was nearly empty and Nugent sipped from his before setting it down and smiling. "And that is how I managed to break my arm that summer."

"Having fun, babe?" Jason asked. He stepped up behind him and curled his hands over Dick's shoulders.

Dick reached up and lifted Jason's hand off his shoulder, pulling it down to kiss the back of it. "We'd have had more fun with you here. What took so long? Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I got distracted," Jason said. "There are a lot of interesting things to be found here."

"Indeed," Nugent said. "What interesting thing caught your attention?"

"You said you live alone?" Jason asked, instead of answering.

"Yes," he said. "I have since my parents died."

"No servants or family?" Jason asked.

"No," Nugent said. His voice carried a note of strain. "My family is all gone and, despite the castle, I have not much wealth to accompany it. Servants, especially only for me seemed... frivolous and unnecessary."

"Jay?" Dick asked.

Jason met the green gaze for a long beat and then broke it first. He bent down to kiss Dick's forehead. "Everything is perfect, babe."

Dick didn't believe him for a second. His eyes searched Jason's face, though Jason was careful not to let anything show, but fortunately Dick had enough tact not to call Jason on his lie here and now. "Maybe we should go up to our room..."

"I don't think that's necessary," Jason said. "We're here and we're not going anywhere with the storm. Let's enjoy ourselves. Drink and be merry."

"Perhaps you'd like to take a look around the castle," Nugent suggested. "I'd be more than happy to give you a tour."

"Are you sure we wouldn't be imposing?" Jason asked.

"Not at all," Nugent replied. "Richard has shown a lot of interest in the history of this place. I'm sure he'd quite enjoy the stories."

There was no subtlety in that. Nugent didn't believe that Jason cared a lick. Or, judging from his earlier comment about Jason not reading, probably didn't think Jason had enough brain cells to even comprehend this. Normally Jason would eat this up, probably even more so than Dick, but not today. Not when there was something not right about all of this.

Damn the castle and all its history. Jason wanted to get Dick and himself home in time for their wedding.

"Finish your wine, Richard," Nugent said. He collected both Jason's uneaten plate and untouched glass of wine. "I'll take these to the kitchen and then we can take a walk through the castle."

There was a flush in Dick's cheeks, no doubt a side effect of him not drinking that often. Nothing that Dick didn't know well how to compensate for but something that made Jason nervous nonetheless. "What's wrong? You didn't get distracted and you're acting weird."

"There is someone else in this castle," Jason hissed against Dick's ear. The other man grew tense in his arms. "I heard footsteps going up the stairs and saw someone walk onto the third floor."

"Why would he lie about that?" Dick asked.

"I don't now. He's spent all night watching you, though, and now I'm getting really nervous," Jason said. "Maybe we should take our chances with the car and just wait out the storm out there."

"What exactly did you see? Did you follow them? Dick asked.

Jason chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Well, no. I heard the creaking of someone on the stairs and I saw the edge of a white dress or a skirt. Something. When I got to the third floor, I couldn't figure out where they went."

Dick opened his mouth but just as soon closed it. He was silent a beat and then carefully asked, "That's it?"

"Yes," Jason said.

"Jason, the castle is old. Older than the Manor. Old places creak and groan all the time. I used to be terrified because the house would make noises when I first moved in," Dick said. "You've been a bit reactive since we got here, and seeing a glimpse of something that might have been a white dress sounds a bit-"

"Don't call me crazy," Jason snapped.

"Questionable," Dick said.  "I was going to say questionable."

"I know what I saw," Jason said. "And I know what I heard. The bedroom door was open and I know we closed it. Did I make that up too?"

"I didn't say that you made it up, Jason," Dick said. He took Jason's hand and led him to a chair, pushing him into it. Jason didn't fight. "You believe this and I believe you that you believe this. But I also know what it looks like when your paranoia starts acting up, just like you can tell when I'm getting depressed from what happened with Catalina." He squeezed Jason's hand. "If you want to stay in the car, we'll stay in the car. I would rather you be comfortable."

If it were just that simple, Jason would latch onto that. But Jason knew that storms were a sort of trigger for Dick's depressive episodes. Jason had seen Dick close up on himself enough times after, and he knew enough about what happened to know that it had been raining that night. Inside of the tower, the sound of the rain was muffled somewhat. In the car where the metal would only amplify it that much louder?

Jason knew that was part of the reason that Dick was hesitant to want to stay in the car in the first place.

Dick also wasn't wrong about Jason being paranoid. An after effect of the Pit, Jason was prone to a sort of hyper-vigilance that made him seek plots against him where there were none. Hearing Dick reason through old creaky houses and an unfortunate mental disorder made worse by supernatural effects made Jason force himself to reconsider. "We could use the tour to get more information, look out for signs of anyone else being here."

Dick cupped Jason's cheek and forced him to meet those beautiful blue eyes. The rest of the world faded away. "Jason, do you want to go out to the car? If you want to go out to the car, we will."

"No," Jason said. "No, let's just look around first. You're right."

Dick's lips twitched. "You should be used to that by now." He kissed Jason softly, nipping at his bottom lip before pulling away. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jason said.

Nugent strolled back in, clearing his throat. "Am I interrupting something?"

Jason wanted very much to tell him yes. That this moment was between Dick and Jason, and the rest of the world should have just known to wait for them. Instead he pulled Dick's hand from his cheek. "No."

"Let's begin the tour then," Nugent said.

The castle wasn't all that large, though Nugent said that was common for the area. Smaller Barons, like his many greats grandfather, didn't have or need sprawling castles. They were for military defense, usually, and not as much a symbol of wealth.

More importantly, Jason didn't see anything that made him think that there was anyone living here but one single bachelor. The glimpses of Dick's face, especially as they had climbed to the third floor, left Jason knowing that Dick hadn't seen anything either. His fiance was probably really considering Jason's sanity in the moment and Jason was sort of disgusted with himself.

It wasn't Jason's fault, that's what Dick would say if they were alone. Jason used that reminder to try and push the disgust away.

On the third floor, Dick glanced down at their bedroom door. It was closed this time. "What was this floor used for?"

"Bedrooms for the Baron's family," Nugent said. "The room that you and Jason are using used to be Sabina's room."

"Sabina?" Dick asked.

"Sabina Nugent," he said. "Baron Richard Nugent's oldest daughter."

"So, like, a great great great grandmother," Dick said.

"More of an aunt," he said. "She never married nor had children."

"Why not?" Dick asked.

"Richard Nugent was known as the Black Baron in his time. He could be a cruel man, according to the writings of the time. His daughter, Sabina, fell in love with the son of a local chieftain by the name of Orwin O'Reilly. Their romance ended when Orwin died in a boating accident, according to legend, and Sabina locked herself in her room until she passed," he said.

"Tragic," Jason said.

"There are a lot of tragic love stories in Irish legend," Nugent said. "Irish legend is fraught with tragedy, but what can you expect from the people who believe in the Fair Folk."

"Faeries," Jason said.

Nugent's lips twisted up into a smirk. "There are some that would say you are very brave to use that word." A pause. "Or very foolish."

"I like to think I'm brave," Jason said.

"I'm sure you do," Nugent said.

"We have a large library at home," Jason said. "I've read La Belle Dame sans Merci and faeries make appearances in many classic novels.  But outside of that, I've never run into faeries before and until I do I don't think it's any more brave to use the name."

"And there I shut her wild wild eyes with kisses four," Nugent quoted. "I think that poem really captures the overwhelming power of the Good People. If you believe in that sort of thing."

"Is that a common belief anymore?" Dick asked.

Nugent chuckled. "The Irish are a superstitious lot. They might not believe but they don't mess with faerie rings and some places still leave the bells ringing, to keep the Good Gentlemen of the Hills away. Roads have been built around trees considered faerie trees."

"And is there any fact to it?" Jason asked.

"Power usually resides where power is given. There's enough fear there that I don't believe it truly matters," Nugent said. "There's just an understanding that there is probably something here. Something that has been here a lot longer than we have, that might not particularly like us, is out there."

"What do faeries have to do with Sabina?" Dick asked.

"I've heard tales that Sabina was a changeling, a faery child put in place of the born child, and unknowingly lured Orwin to his death," he replied. "When she realized what she had done to her mortal love, she locked up the tower until she finished grieving and now roams Lough Sheelin searching for the remains of her lost love at the bottom."

Silence greeted that story. Dick reached back and took Jason's hand. "What's on the floor above us?"

"Storage," he said. "There's a fire break between these floors and the floor above. It was to act as a last defense against intruders should the family need to hide up there."

Dick nodded. "Well, thank you for the tour. I wish the rain wasn't so bad. I noticed the other buildings and it would be absolutely incredible to get the chance to see those buildings as well."

"You're not missing out on much," he said. "Stables. The chapel, though it's unused now." He pointed through the window at the church and the bell hanging. It must have been heavy because even the violent wind whipping the trees around didn't budge it. "Perhaps if the rain has let up tomorrow, I can show you those buildings though. If you're truly interested."

"We'll see," Dick said. "We've already fallen a bit behind on our trip, and Jason and I have to get home and finish preparing for our wedding."

"Of course," Nugent said. "Well, I appreciate your warm and generous company this evening, Richard. If the two of you would like to join me downstairs again, you can. I'll play some music and we can chat?"

Jason settled an arm around Dick's waist. "I think we're good. We've done a lot of traveling. I, for one, am exhausted."

"You have free use of Sabina's room, but that shouldn't stop Richard from joining if he wishes," Nugent said.

Dick didn't hesitate to lean his head on Jason's shoulder. "No. I think I'll head to bed with Jason."

Nugent's lips turned down and he was silent for a beat. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be downstairs. Follow the music."

Dick nodded and then took Jason's hand to walk him into the room. He squeezed Jason's hand once and then let go. "Well, Jay... I didn't see anything."

Jason took a seat on the bed. He kicked off his boots and toed off his socks. He set his hands on Dick's hips and pulled him closer. "I know you didn't. I didn't see anything either."

"Are you feeling any better?" Dick asked.

Jason shrugged. "I still don't like him."

"I still don't like him either," Dick offered.

"But you're right," Jason said. "He's just an asshole."

Dick laughed. The sound made Jason smile. He pulled Dick right onto his lap and kissed him.

"We'll be leaving in the morning, Jay," Dick assured him.

Jason fell back against the bed, using his grip around Dick's waist to pull him on top of him. "Good."

"And then we'll find a hotel that doesn't have any tragic love stories or mysterious faeries or creepy men who happen to be incredible cooks - just you, me, a Jacuzzi, and a few hours to not get a lick of sleep." Dick said.

Jason smiled and brushed silky black strands of hair out of his way. "Promise?"

"On my honor," Dick said.

"What little there is left of that," Jason said dryly. He grunted when Dick hit him in the face with a pillow for the remark. He balled a fist up in the pillow and tossed it to the side, rolling over and pinning Dick down to the bed. He kissed him, slowly, and then sat up to strip off his shirt.

"Tease," Dick bemoaned.

"The faster we get to sleep, the faster we get the hell out of here," Jason said.

Dick dragged Jason back, nipping on Jason's shoulder. "Fine. But you are definitely going to make it up to me in that Jacuzzi later."

"Gladly," Jason said.

---

Jason fell asleep with his arms wrapped around Dick's waist and his chin on Dick's shoulder. He waited until Dick's breath became soft and even and then he let his mind drift off.

When Jason woke, he could hear music faintly and it seemed a strange thing to wake him up. Then someone sobbed in the room, a broken low sob of desperation and loss, and Jason rubbed his eyes. "Dickie?"

The sobs continued. He was probably caught in a nightmare. He had them more often during storms and Jason was far too used to waking up like this. "Dickie, babe, it's a bad dream." He reached over, hand feeling along the sheets. The bed was cool and empty in his fiance's place. Jason forced his eyes open. "Dick?"

More crying. Jason sat up. "Dickie?"

His eyes were drawn to the faint glow in the room.  The haze of sleep evaporated at once, the translucent form of a woman sobbing in a chair beside the window dragging him to a painful, if confusing consciousness.

"Dick!" Jason shouted, looking toward the bathroom - door open and room dark and empty - and then the cracked bedroom door - through which Jason could hear the music he'd noticed before. It was strangely enchanting and only the woman sobbing once more drew his attention again. Dick didn't respond.

The woman stood and then glided across the floor. Her bare, pale feet didn't move - just pointed towards the floor that she hovered a few inches above. Her hand pressed against the glass window. "Orwin." It barely even sounded like a voice. More like wind in the branches or the sound of breaking glass against the floor. 

The room was so cold.

"Dick!" Jason shouted again.

Each cry turned into shimmering tears rolling down her cheeks. They rolled off and down onto the floor to land and then turn into smoke. The smoke, a pale blue and white, drifted upwards and then disappeared.

Jason closed his eyes and tried to will himself to wake up. The crying continued and Jason had to reluctantly open his eyes. She was still there, still crying, still whispering that name on her lips in a voice of broken glass and heartbreak. Dream, nightmare, or delusion, it didn't matter. Jason knew who she was.

"Sabina," he said, softly.

The pale face looked at him, unnatural green eyes staring back at him from a see through face and darkness. "Help him."

Jason snapped out of bed. The ghost shimmered like a ripple in the water and then disappeared before his eyes. Jason went to the window, eyes on the lake as the wind and rain tossed the water of Lough Sheelin around. He turned to the empty bed and the open door where Dick had clearly left. He took the spiral staircase down two steps at a time, gripping the railing and coming to a stop in the sitting area.

The empty bottle of wine was tipped over on the floor. A few remaining drops dripped out and stained the carpet. The music playing, soft and bouncy and melodic, was still enchanting. The sound of glass breaking still played in his mind, Sabina's voice like a background noise to disrupt the song playing. Jason stepped back as Nugent spun Dick around to the music. Jason grabbed Dick's arm and pulled him away from Nugent. "What is going on down here?"

The music grew louder. Nugent took Dick's hand and pressed a kiss against the back of it. "Richard grew restless during the night and joined me down here. I told him he was welcome to. Right, Richard."

Jason grabbed Dick's cheek, looking into the glassy eyes and then down to the flush in his cheeks. Far more than earlier, and now a sweetness like honey lingered on Dick's breath. "I'm having fun, Jason."

"You're drunk," Jason said.

Dick shrugged, kissing the inside of Jason's wrist as he stepped away and into Nugent's arms again. Nugent's lips stretched into a wide, smug grin. He spun Dick around again. "You should go up to bed again. I'll take good care of him."

"Like hell you will," Jason growled. He reached for Dick again, fingers curling into a fist when Dick danced farther away from him and Nugent both.

"He's having fun," Nugent pressed.

The music was making Jason's ears ring. He shook his head. "I don't know what the hell this is but Dick and I are leaving. Now."

Nugent's eyes narrowed and he plucked Dick out of his graceful glide across the floor with ease, curling him up in his arms. "I don't think so."

The robotic imitation of a bell tinged in a melody from Dick's phone, glowing from his pocket. Jason caught sight of Nugent flinching from it, letting go of Dick long enough to look down at it before he seemed to realize it was just the phone. The device was pilfered from Dick's pocket and crushed it in a little ball of metal, glass, and sparks before he dropped it on the floor. "I hate these things your kind have created."

Jason rested his hand on Dick's lower back. "What are you?"

The green of Nugent's eyes flashed and the man smirked. If he could be called a man. "I tried to tell you about the overwhelming power of the Good People, Jason Todd. You didn't want to listen."

Jason pulled Dick closer. "Dickie, come on. Listen to me."

"You wouldn't eat of our food," Nugent said. He followed them as Jason tried to guide Dick out of the room, unsuccessful since Dick was mindlessly uncooperative. "You wouldn't drink of our wine. It's no matter. It's not you that I'm interested in anyways."

Dick's eyes drifted closed, tipping back to a swell of the music. Jason lost his grip and Nugent was there to take Dick from him. Like a marionette without strings, Dick collapsed into Nugent's arms all at once. He lifted him up off the ground like Dick weighed nothing. Jason had carried Dick's muscle heavy body before and knew that to be a lie. When Dick was injured and whispering assurances into Jason's ears in between muffled cries of pain, when Jason felt romantic enough to lift him up and drop him playfully on their bed at home despite Dick's protests - Jason had earned each chance to hold the weight of his lover in his arms.

"Dick," Jason pleaded. "Wake up."

Bright blue eyes fluttered and Jason darted forward. He tripped in the mud, falling onto the ground and feeling the water soak into his sleeping pants. He stood, barefoot and shirtless in the rain, looking up at the imposing tower standing before him.

"Motherfucker!" Jason shouted. The sound was eaten up by the downpour, the roll of thunder that came from everywhere. He ran to the door, twisting the handle fruitlessly and listening to the faint sound of music through the wood. "Dick! Dick!"

He banged hard on the door. "Dick!"

Nothing.

Jason slammed his shoulder into the door. It rattled and creaked but held with a force that Jason could recognize as supernatural. It was the same supernatural force that had Dick charmed into dancing in the sitting room with that monster and the reason that Jason had run in the sitting room and then fallen into the mud. The phone was upstairs, useless as it had been so far, and so were the car keys - not that there was anywhere to go.

"Help him."

Jason spun, looking at the shimmering form of Sabina once more. His eyes tightened. "I'm trying."

"Help him."

Jason stepped back, kicking the door next to the latch. It held tight. "I'm fucking trying."

"Help him."

The constant demand grated on his nerves. It was peppering his brain with the sharp clink of broken glass and the shrill whistle of wind. It was a psychic drill to the temple. He turned and found her pointing a thin white finger past the chapel and the graveyard, the stable, and farther to the edge of the lake. "Help him."

Jason stepped away from the door. The mud squished between his toes. Upon the lake, caught in the torrential rain and thrashed by the waves, light flickered on and off like a dying hologram caught in the center of the ocean. It shimmered silver and white, the hull of a boat and then up the mast.

"Orwin," Jason said, remembering the story and Sabina's desperate pleas for help.

"Help him." Sabina vanished with the next flash of lightning.

Jason looked back to the water and found her floating on the edge. He glanced up at the tower and then chased after the spirit. The rain was chilling against his skin. Closer, Jason could make out more of the boat and the desperate figure on it trying to save his ship from the water. He wouldn't - the past couldn't be changed and the man could not be saved. That's all this was, Jason knew. A flicker of the past caught in the loop to play over and over.

"He's gone," Jason said softly.

A tear rolled down her cheek. It stood out among the raindrops in the way it glistened like mercury falling to the ground and then turned into smoke that vanished on the wind. "I know."

Lightning struck the ghostly mast and Jason watched the flames light up from the tip to the deck. Jason had some experience with ghosts. Minimal, but some. Mayb ethat was why he didn't so much question Sabina's presence or the sight of her lover dying on the surface of the water hundreds of years after his body and boat had sunk to the bottom of th ocean.

Some things were more powerful than the test of time, than the absolute of death.

"Did you watch this?" he asked.

Little puffs of smoke rose from each of her tears as they hit the ground. She nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But this is over. This is the past. Right now the love of my life is in danger. I need help."

Pieces of the boat were thrown around by the waves, waves which were crashing against the drowning man and smacking him with the debris.

"Help him."

The waves lapped at Jason's feet and ankles. He stepped in another chilling step but the boat was so far and past even farther. "How?"

Jason was so focused on the water that he didn't realize Sabina had moved closer. Her hand ghosted through his. He pulled back and she followed, setting her hands on either side of his face. Jason could feel the sting of ice against his cheeks where her palms rested. His vision darkened and Jason mumbled Dick's name before the world fell away.

The shadows twisted and glistened like mountain fog. A dog stepped up to the ledge of a window and grabbed a loaf of bread. It ran off before the mist exploded outward and then reformed into a man leaning against a tree in slumber. His clothes were torn and ratty but he smiled in his rest. Hoof beats made those eyes snap open and the glowing green of his eyes stood out against the black and pale mist. Two men argued and then the green eyed man, wearing Nugent's face, swung from a rope hanging in a tree. His toes didn't quite reach the ground.

"My father... he angered a Good Gentleman of the Hills."

Another explosion of mist. The horses and men left. The hanging man swung in the breeze. His eyes opened, glowing brightly, and then the rope hung empty.

Sabina, a beautiful young woman as she lived. Green eyes watched from the darkness. She danced to strange, familiar music. Jason felt her kiss but knew it belonged to Orwin, the man lost at sea.

"My father bargained for mercy - an end to the famine, the storms, the darkness for himself and his people. The Good Gentleman wanted me, and my father offered him body and soul. He didn't know that I had given both to someone else already."

Orwin embraced Sabina. Whispers were shared, kept quiet by the wind in the branches around them. Night came to pass and the young man alone sailed across the lake.

"He didn't realize what power he was facing. He never stood a chance."

The flash of lightning made Jason's lips part. He tasted rain on his tongue before the visions pulled him back in. The roar and crackle of flames just as loud as the thunder and rainfall - all of it working together to pull him down, down, down into the water.

Sabina threw something through the window and broken glass clinked against the stones as it fell from the third story window to the ground below. Arms wrapped around her but she cursed them and wept. Her heart lay at the bottom of the ocean with her lover, and no amount of charmed honey on her lips could change that.

She grew thin and frail and spiteful in her tower room, looking out over Lough Sheelin.

"He is owed a mortal."

Dick's laughter ricocheted off the inside of his mind. Dick kissed Jason, arms wrapped around his neck. 

"Help him."

Sharp pain seared behind Jason's eyes. He bellowed into the empty night air and then sank down onto his knees in the shallow water. He looked down at the smooth stones beneath him, the dark water whipping back and forth over the shore. There was no boat on the water. Sabina was gone, the last remnants of a smokey tear rising up into the sky as proof she was ever there. That too was quickly gone.

"Dick," Jason said, looking back at the tower. He still didn't know how to help him but he sure wasn't going to give up on him now. Wouldn't - couldn't when Dick was his whole world some days.

---

Warmth spread from the hand against Dick's back. It burned too hot but Dick couldn't make himself leave it. If anything, he leaned into it and the heat spread farther and overfilled him. It was the same twitch in his muscles that kept him dancing to the music playing. His legs were sore from dancing and exhaustion was fighting a losing battle to the urge to continue stepping in beat.

"You're beautiful," a voice purred next to Dick's ear.

It didn't sound right. Not to be confused with not sounding good. The low rumble of the voice combined with the warm breath against his neck made Dick tingle from head to toe. But it didn't sound right because it didn't sound like Jason. It wasn't accompanied by the scent of nicotine or even the mint gum Jason had started chewing to try and quit for Dick. It didn't carry the lilt in his voice or Jason's faint Gotham accent.

The side of Dick's foot scuffed against the floor. It slowed down the spinning, twirling, twisting across the floor but he picked up the beat again and let the soft hands-

Jason's hands weren't soft. The callouses of training littered his fingers and palms.

-take his and slide up his arms.

"And you walked right in for me," he whispered. Dick closed his eyes to keep out the swirling colors of the room. Too bright for his eyes. "When I take you home-"

Home. Dick longed for the pile of blankets on their bed and the scent of shampoo on his pillow. Laying against Jason and watching black and white movies until the sun rose and Dick fell asleep to the sound of Jason's even breathing. Kisses shared in the kitchen while dinner cooked on the stove behind them, fights with water from the faucet and then mopping up the mess and making out on the floor. The soft reassurances in Jason's low timbre at two in the morning with rain pelting the windows like the worst kind of background tract that the past was past and Dick was safe now.

"-you'll be mine."

"Jason," Dick murmured.

The grip on his arms tightened, threatening to bruise. "With any luck, the storm will kill him before I have to do it myself."

Dick forced his eyes open. The world didn't stop spinning and the song picked up to a faster beat that Dick could barely keep up with. He tugged against the grip on his arms. "Jason?"

"You're mine, Richard," he said. Lips pressed against Dick's, soft and firm. Dick hated it. Jason's lips were chapped from late patrols in the Gotham cold and chewing on his lips as he looked over case files.

Dick stepped wrong, tripping and falling out of the dance. The floor rushed up to meet him and Dick barely managed to catch himself on the arm of a nearby chair. He recognized the sensation of being drugged. The seductive pull of the music and the heat of a body beside him begged him to step back into the song, press their bodies close in dance. He stumbled away. "Let go of me."

"Richard," he warned.

Dick stood. The room stopped spinning and the colors dulled to the softer shades of reality. He batted away another attempt to grab him. "Jason was right."

"Jason is going to be dead soon," Nugent growled. Hands wrapped around Dick's upper arms, tight. He yanked Dick against his chest. "The storm will kill him out there because it's mine. I control it the same way I will control you."

Dick brought his leg up to strike in the side and simultaneously lifted his elbow towards Nugent's face. Neither hit and there were arms wrapping around him from behind. Nugent tutted in his ear. "Relax, Richard. It will be far less painful for you if you simply relax."

Dick felt the music snake in his ear and ignite his bloodstream to move once more. He held onto the mental image of Jason laying against a sodden, soapy kitchen floor with a laugh stretching his face. Dick jerked away and swung, connection this time with a sharp crack of his hand against Nugent's cheek. "Bring Jason back."

Dick hit the wall and the music cut off. Fingers curled around his throat. "I can see that you won't see reason until he's gone. Let me take care of that."

Dick snarled andd brought his arm up to break the wrist. It was gone just like that and Dick slid to the floor. Not in the sitting room, as before, but in Sabina's room. A different version of it. Here the walls were bare, without the paintings and decor. The remnants of furniture were rotted wood and ratty cloth on the floor. Dick snapped to his feet as the lock clicked in the door.

He threw himself against it but the action proved futile. The strength of the lock was unnatural. He looked to the window, too thin to climb out of, and then down to the waters which lapped at the shore. "Jason!"

"Help him."

---

"Have you realized how pointless your fight is yet?"

Jason lowered the axe he'd found in the stable. It was an old, dulled thing that carved lines into the front door. There never seemed to be enough to get anywhere, as if they healed between Jason blinking the water from his eyes. He turned and found the familiar green eye, lifted the axe again. "Give me Dick back."

"You think you can do any damage to me with that?" Nugent asked.

"It's iron. I'm pretty sure just about anyone knows how dangerous that could be for you," Jason said. He swung down and the creature vanished, reappearing in the same place after the axe passed through. "I read about it. In a book."

Nugent's lips curled into a twisted grin. "Smart boy, but not smart enough."

"If the Black Baron promised you his daughter, you can't take Dick in exchange," Jason said.

"I can take whatever I wish," Nugent said. "I was promised my pick of any of the creatures on his land. You came of your own free will and I have been waiting a very, very long time to take my prize."

"I'm not going to let you have him," Jason said.

"Do you know what Lough Sheelin means?" Nugent demanded.

"Lake of the fairy pool." Broken glass, whispers on the wind. Jason new her voice before he even looked past Nugent's shoulder to find the cold, pale faced young woman standing behind him.

Nugent turned slowly. "Sabina, my beautiful day lily. I've come to miss your companionship these many, many years. Death suits you and that wretch."

"We are not your toys," she said.

Nugent reached forward, fingers tracing her cheek before sliding through her face and causing her image to flicker. "You were a petty child, spited me through your death. It's no matter now. I've chosen your replacement."

"Help him," Sabina said, looking past Nugent to Jason.

"I don't... I don't know how," Jason said.

Nugent turned. "I believe it's time to end you, boy. Just like I did the last lover who stood in my way. I won't let Richard get away so easily."

The wooden handle of the axe exploded in Jason's hand. Splinters dug into the soft flesh of his palm and the axe head fell into the soft mud below with barely a thump. He stepped away from Nugent whose eyes took on that bright, unnatural hue of green.

"Help him," she said. "Help him."

Jason turned and ran away, jolting forward as Nugent leaped towards him. His feet slipped in the mud and he nearly fell, catching himself at the last second to stay on his feet. He dashed to the nearest building, fingers curling around the iron handles and flinging the doors wide open. Pews lined the room inside, one after another in perfect condition. Jason ran to the first one, laying his hand against the back. He felt the soft, wet, rotten wood beneath it.

"The Irish are a superstitious lot. They might not believe but they don't mess with faerie rings and some places still leave the bells ringing, to keep the Good Gentlemen of the Hills away. Roads have been built around trees considered faerie trees."

Sabina stood at the base of a spiral staircase. Jason looked up, imagined the view from their window and the sight of the still, silent bell caught in the rapture of the rain.

"Leave the bells ringing," he repeated.

Sabina's lips curled up and she flickered out of sight again. Jason gripped the railing and climbed the stairs. Footsteps followed immediately, each creak of wet, aged wood reminded him how close his pursuer was.

Jason broke from the stairs and stepped out onto the second floor of the Manor. The scent of Alfred's cookies carried on the air and hands wrapped around hiss waist. "What's wrong, Jay?"

Jason caught his breath there, grip white knuckled around the railing. "I don't... nothing."

"Good," Dick said. He kissed the back of Jason's neck. "Come downstairs with me."

Jason took a step down. The wood creaked beneath his feet. His bare feet.

"Jason" Dick asked, as Jason paused.

Jason took another step down. "I love you." He turned and found Dick, eyes bright, bright blue- they flickered green. Unnatural green. Jason pushed Dick away and stumbled back, returning to climbing up the stairs.

"You fool!" Dick shouted, in a voice that wasn't his.

Jason slid against the wet railing again and then fall to his back on the old wood of the chapel belfry. He climbed to his feet and dashed across the floor, eyes on the rope tied around the iron hook.

"He's mine," Nugent bellowed. Jason freed the rope only to be knocked down. He hit the ground hard and Nugent pinned him down with his weight. Fingers curled around his throat. "You've lost, mortal."

Jason's hands scratched into the skin of his wrist and yet each red welt from his nails stitched up before his eyes. He reached out to the side instead and Nugent squeezed tighter.

"I will have my promised prize, a pretty creature to please me. No mortal will stand in my way," Nugent hissed. "I will take him back with me and I will keep him there as my graceful little dancer to warm my bed at nights long after you are dust here."

Jason heard breaking glass and then, "Jason!"

The voice was so faint, nearly lost in the rain. Nugent looked up and Jason managed to wrap the rope around his fingers. He wound it tighter around his hand as black dots danced in his vision and the fog of suffocation infringed from the edges of the his sight. 

Nugent looked down, rage in his eyes. "He is mine."

Jason gripped it tight and pulled. The rope went taught and the world hung still as the bell slowly tilted and then the deafening clang of the clapper against the sides reverberated through the air. Jason felt it in his bones, under his skin. It took over the beat of his heart as the bell swung back and clanged a second time.

Nugent screamed, eyes snapping green before his entire being vibrated. He stood and backed away, clutching his eyes and ears as both began to drip blood that seeped out between his fingers.

The chapel heaved a mighty sigh as the glamour shifted and left the remnants of a few wooden slabs holding the bare minimum of the building together. The sound struck the stable and the straw foot rotted before his eyes and dropped onto the ground to leave the are roof frame empty.

The ground and grass grew wild and unkempt, ivy crawling up the tower in the distance and the stone wearing down from centuries of aging.

Nugent fell to his knees, blood staining his hands. "Mine, boy. He's..."

He pressed a bloody handprint against the wood and as the third clang of the bell sounded, his form blew away in a flurry of petals carried on the stormy wind.

Jason stepped in the handprint as he ran for the stairs, down innto the aged chapel and past the rotted pews. Drizzle misted the air and Jason raced through it to rip the door of the tower open. The sitting room and dining room, beautifully kept with Nugent's illusion, now looked drab and dreary with none of the furniture or decor. The stairs were a blur and then he stopped at the third floor. "Dickie?"

"Thank you."

The man at the top of the stairs was young, handsome. Jason recognized him from the images that Sabina had played for him in his mind. "Orwin."

Sabina flickered beside him and took Orwin's hand. They both vanished.

Jason walked down the hall and wrapped his fingers around the handle. The door was locked but this time when Jason stepped back and kicked the door the lock instantly buckled from his efforts. 

Dick stood beside the window, broken, and wore a weary smile as he took in Jason's form in the door. "I love you."

Jason walked over, cupping Dick's cheeks between his hands and kissing him deeply. He still tasted sweet but the taste was fading.

"I'm sorry," Dick whispered.

Jason only kissed him again to quiet him.

---

Driving away from the ruined tower, out the hanging gates rusted from years beside the violent storms over the lake, Jason was painfully silent beside Dick. Dick glanced at tower and then looked at Jason when the tower disappeared behind a hill. "You're quiet."

"I did some reading," Jason said. "You ate food from the Fae. You'll be marked. Forever."

"I'll be fine. We'll figure it out, we always do," Dick said.

"I thought I'd lost you," Jason said.

"You'd never lose me. I love you," Dick said.

"I love you too," Jason replied. "But love didn't save Sabina and Orwin."

"It did save them," Dick said. "It saved her from being some creature's pet. She died because her love for Orwin was too strong for her to be charmed by him."

Jason was silent. He pulled to a stop when he got to the bridge. It was clear now, dry. "I was right."

Dick's lips twitched. "That's what you're taking from this trip?"

Jason smirked. "Damn straight."

Dick shook his head and leaned forward to turn on the radio.