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Dick half woke as he rolled over in bed, dragging the blankets with him. When no one protested the theft of the covers or tugged them back across the bed, he was fully awake. He sat bolt upright and groped at Babs’ side of the bed. The sheets were cool to the touch and her pillow showed no indentation of where her head should have been.
“Not again.” He rubbed at his eyes, clearing the last remnants of sleep from them. His wife had clearly not been to bed yet. A strip of golden light pooled under the closed bedroom door. With a groan, Dick scrambled out of bed and followed the clacking of the keyboard. Not that he needed the clue to find her, he didn’t expect her to be anywhere else.
He wandered out of the bedroom with a hand half over his eyes protecting them from the sudden bright light. His leg ached with the promise of coming rain. The floors of their apartment were alway kept immaculate, so even half blinded by the light, he didn’t worry about tripping as he made his way to his wife’s office. By the time he reached the doorway, his eyes had adjusted to the light. A sexy, sleepy smile tugged at his lips as he studied Babs’ profile with tired, half-lidded eyes.
Leaning against the doorway in a feigned insouciance, Dick ran a hand through his sleep tousled hair. It stood at odd angles that no amount of finger combing could soothe. He wasn’t ignorant of how his languid posture, just-out-of-bed appearance, and hungry gaze usually affected his wife. Most of the time it was enough to distract her, even for a moment. Though, it only worked if he could get her to look at him. “Babs?”
“Just a few more minutes, Dick.” Babs’ eyes never left the computer screen. She wore a headset and occasionally responded to a comment he couldn’t hear.
“Darling, I don’t mean to be a broken record, but it’s three in the morning and you told me a few more minutes over an hour ago.” Moving so he stood behind her, Dick wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He idly tugged at the ends of her hair, entangling the loose strands around his fingers.
Startled at his sudden closeness and unexpected touch, her eyes finally left the screen as she looked back and up at her husband’s bare torso. Warmth radiated from his skin and she pressed against him in an attempt to siphon off some of that warmth into her chilled bare arms. Despite the intimacy of the gesture, her movements were stiff like she was holding herself at bay.
With a flick of her hand, she muted her mic. “Sorry. I have Dinah out on a mission…”
Dick plucked the headset away from Babs. He slipped it over his ear and turned the mic back on. “Hey Canary,” Dick said warmly, “How’s it going?”
“Nightwing,” Dinah sounded somewhat surprised to hear Dick’s voice on the other end of the line. “I didn’t realise you were home already.”
“I take it that you’re in a different time zone.” His hands drifted to Babs’ shoulders and massaged the knots from her muscles. It was going to take more than a few moments of work to ease the built up tension that kept her muscles taut as a bowstring.
Dinah didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I’m in…”
“Unless the information is vital to this conversation, it’s probably best that I don’t know exactly where you’re at,” Dick interrupted. He didn’t necessarily want to cut her off, but Babs had always ran the Birds of Prey on a need-to-know basis and he didn’t want to pry into her business. He trusted her. Besides, lately Babs had been playing her cards a bit closer to the chest than usual and he didn’t want to get Black Canary in trouble with Oracle.
“Right. As for your question, yes, I’m in a different time zone.” Dinah paused for a moment. “What time is it in Gotham?”
“Three am.”
“Oracle!” Dinah admonished in a voice loud enough to make Dick wince and allow Babs to hear even though she wasn’t wearing the headset.
“Ow,” Dick rubbed his ear.
“Sorry, Nightwing.” Dinah softened her voice. “Look, things are pretty quiet here, nothing I can’t manage on my own.”
“Glad to hear that. So, you don’t mind if I take my wife to bed?”
Dinah laughed. “I insist. But first, hand the line back to Babs. Please.”
“Will do. Thanks Canary. G’night.” He slipped off the headset and returned it to Babs. Before she could place the headset back over her ears, Dick scooped Babs’ hair up and away from her neck and placed a row of quick kisses along the scoop of her t-shirt.
Despite herself Babs giggled before swatting him away. A clear sign she was more tired than she was willing to admit. Lately she only giggled like that when she was too tired to stop herself.
“Go,” she murmured. “I have work to do.”
“Bed,” he mumbled into her hair, allowing his fingers to linger on her creamy skin for a moment longer before his touch dipped below the collar of her shirt in a flitting, tantalising promise. She inhaled sharply, wanting more. Satisfied that he had finally captured her attention, Dick kissed her lips and allowed his hands to wander. Breaking the kiss, Dick straightened and sauntered to the kitchen leaving her to finish her conversation with Black Canary. He could feel the burn of Babs’ gaze on his backside as he left the room. Good.
Babs’ appreciative gaze followed him until he disappeared around the corner. Though there was always work to do, she was far from resistant to her husband’s charms. Especially when he was trying to tempt her away from the computer.
“Mmm, I’ll be there soon, sexy,” she hummed to herself in a moment of vulnerability.
“I take it that wasn’t meant for me,” Dinah laughed cheekily.
“What?” Babs blushed, realising the mic was still on.
“Oh, I get it. You have a sweet, sexy husband who wants to take you to bed. What in the world are you doing still talking to me?” Her light teasing tone turned serious as she changed the direction of their conversation. “Ba—Oracle, what are you thinking? Why do you keep denying yourself? It isn’t right. I can manage for a few hours on my own. You don’t need to babysit me every moment.”
“Canary, that’s enough,” Babs snapped in a tone that cut sharply across the line. She plucked the Nightwing doll from under a stack of unfiled papers and pressed it to her forehead. After a moment, she propped the doll beside the Batgirl one. There was no Oracle doll.
“Talk to him. Please. He understands and you know it. Stop using the Birds as an excuse to assuage your guilt.” Weariness derived of an argument had too many times and never settled tinged Canary’s voice.
“This is important,” Babs protested.
Dinah gave an exaggerated sigh. “Of course it is. The missions are always important. But, the rendezvous isn’t scheduled for another five hours and I can go to ground until we’re ready to meet. I’ve already reconnoitred the meeting site and probably ought to lay low to avoid suspicion.”
“Are you certain?” Babs rolled back from the desk trying to see into the kitchen. A rhythmic thrumming was coming from the other room. For three in the morning, Dick was making an awful racket.
The line went silent for the count of ten before Canary responded in a forced calm. “Yes. I am more than certain. Go. To. Bed. Think of it this way, I’ll feel better if you’re ready and rested when I actually need you.”
Babs bit her lip and ran her fingers along the places where Dick had recently touched. Would it be so bad to give into desire?
“I probably won’t get much sleep,” she muttered more to herself than to Dinah. Not for the first time, she was glad that the cameras weren’t on. It was easier to pretend when they couldn’t see her face. Her stomach twisted in a swell of anxiety. She wanted him as much as he clearly wanted her, but she wasn’t certain it was a good idea.
Dinah laughed, unaware of Babs’ unease. “Well, at least you’ll be in a better mood. I’m signing off now. Good night Oracle. Sweet dreams.”
Before Babs could respond or protest, Dinah disconnect the line, leaving Oracle alone at the computer.
Torn between the anxiety of leaving her operative unattended and her desire to take Dick up on the promise his caresses, she switched the computer to a passive mode that would alert her to any emergencies while she was away from the monitor. She pushed her chair back from the computer and wheeled her way into the kitchen to discover what Dick was up to. It was unlikely he’d go back to bed without her and he needed his rest. She could spare a few hours to see that he slept.
Dick sat on the counter, thrumming his feet against the cabinets while he dug into a bowl of cereal. He wasn’t exactly hungry, but he needed something to occupy him while he waited for Babs. He figured, if she hadn’t made her way back to him by the time he finished, he’d bring the peppermint tea to her as a subtle reminder that he was still waiting.
By the time there was only a spoonful or two left of soggy o’s left in the bottom of the bowl, Babs turned the corner and manoeuvred her way into the kitchen. As she half yawned, Dick took the opportunity to study her. Since he’d gotten off crutches, it felt like he’d seen more of the back of her head than her face. Behind her glasses, the dark shadows under her eyes stood out in sharp contrast against her pale, freckled face. He was pretty certain she’d lost weight recently, despite his best efforts to make certain she ate on a regular schedule. The corner of her eyes were pinched in a way that usually preceeded an on coming headache. Concern furrowed his brow, but he quickly smoothed it away with an expression of genuine delight at her presence.
“So you’re the one who is making all that noise.” She gestured at his feet before reaching under her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Yup, that’s me.” He stilled his legs and hoped she wouldn’t notice strain etched into the expression behind his lopsided grin. “Ready for bed?”
“Almost,” she said, eyeing the twin mugs on the counter.
He handed her a mug of steaming tea. “Here. This should help.”
“Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around the ceramic mug and breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of peppermint. Her fingers were always freezing after spending so long on the computer. She pressed her fingertip against the surface, allowing the warmth to seep into her skin.
“How are you doing?” He debated whether he should hop off the counter or not. When she shied away, he decided to stay where he was.
Babs dropped a hand from the mug and tapped an uneven tattoo against her leg as she sipped the tea. Dick waited for to answer. After a long pause, she shrugged. “I’m fine. Looks like patrol went all right. How are you?”
Ignoring her attempt at changing the conversation for one they had already played through hours ago when he’d returned home, Dick nudged her with his foot. She looked up and for a moment their eyes met. “Babs, why do you keep doing this?”
“Doing what?” She glanced away from him, choosing instead to stare at wisps of steam wafting from the mug.
He exhaled sharply, emotion leaking through his words. “You’re pulling away. Disappearing before my eyes. I love you Barbara and I don’t want to lose you.” He reached for her hand and ran a calloused thumb over her knuckles. “You go to bed after I do, wake up before me. You’re always on the computer, monitoring everything. You used to have a semblance of a life outside of Oracle, you don’t even have that now…”
“Rio,” she breathed the word in a mere whisper against her lips. She put the tea aside and caught Dick’s leg. Resting his heel on her knee, she rolled up the leg of his pyjama pants. With still cool fingertips, she traced the wicked scar that ran nearly the length of his lower leg. The wound had healed, leaving a furrow of pale scar tissue along his skin. “This wouldn’t have happened if I’d been on duty.”
Dick fought to keep from fidgeting or doing anything else that would cause her to withdraw. Instead, he clasped his hand over hers, holding her hand against his leg. “It wasn’t your fault. I made a bad landing. It happens.”
Rio had been months ago. Bruce had sent him to wrap up some neglected Batman Inc. business. After a few days of sorting through information, Dick had gotten a lead. With nothing else to keep him occupied, he’d went out early, before his scheduled patrol. He’d called Babs, leaving a message about his change of plans, but he hadn’t waited for a response. At first, it had seemed like a good idea. He’d taken care of business early and could be on the next flight home before sunrise. Unfortunately, the situation had turned out to be more complicated than anyone had expected. He’d been ambushed on the rooftops. In the ensuing fight, he’d slipped on a loose tile which sent him careening off the roof. It was due to his acrobatic skills he managed to not break his neck, but his skills hadn’t prevented him from breaking his leg.
“If I hadn’t been distracted…If I’d answered your call…” She snuck her hand out of his grasp. Backing her chair away from the counter, his foot slid off her lap and his heel thumped against the cabinet. “I was supposed to have your back and I was grading papers instead.”
Dick hopped off the counter and crouched in front o her so they were at eye level. Though she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he held both her hands in his. “Babs, it’s okay for you to have a life outside of Oracle. Denying yourself won’t make things better.”
“I know,” she whispered. Reaching for him, she ran a hand through his hair.
Leaning into her touch, he rested his forehead against hers. His hands dropped to her legs and ran light caresses over the place where the twin scars marred her thighs. Her fingers ghosted along the same path as his, recognising without words the significance of the gesture.
He knew how she felt. Like her, he’d blamed himself for not being there for her when she needed him. After the incident, she’d reminded him that it wasn’t his fault and he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He would do the same for her. Swallowing back the lump in his throat, he held her close. “We’ll get through this together, I promise.”
She nodded, her head bobbed against his and he couldn’t help but smile. The guilt wouldn’t be assuaged over night, but she was finally ready to start letting it go.
Dick tried but failed to contain a yawn. “Are you ready for bed now?”
“No.” Babs pulled him into a kiss, her hands wandering down his bare chest and dipping along the waist of his pyjamas.
“Oh,” he said with a mischievous grin. With a nudge of his hip against her shoulder, he stood and led the way to their bedroom. “I think we can manage that.”