Chapter Text
Looking through the glass at the jewelry counter, Dick gazed over the glimmering gold and silver bands. The clerk was already packaging his purchase behind the table, wrapping up the little velvet box in tissue. It was only with a bored sort of fascination that he looked at the diamond rings inside the glass box. He’d first been directed to this side of the store, filled with rows upon delicate rows of Ladies’ jewelry when he’d first walked in and told the clerk he was there to pick out an engagement ring. The poor woman had been halfway through her spiel on diamond cuts and price ranges when Dick had awkwardly intervene to tell her he was picking it out for his boyfriend. She’d turned a shade of deep red before stammering out an apology and ushering him over to the Men’s rings.
Thankfully, it hadn’t taken Dick long to pick it out. He’d stopped by this same counter a dozen times already, casually glancing inside the glass case as he passed. He already had the other ring to make matters better, hanging on the chain around his neck. Finding a match, and something he knew his partner would like, hadn’t taken more than a few minutes.
In an ironic twist, this was probably the easiest gift he’d picked out this holiday season.
Dick shifted his focus to the reflection in the glass, watching the crowds of Christmas shoppers passing through the mall corridor behind him. He knew he had to make this stop quick. Wally was currently on the other side of the mall getting a present of the White Elephant game at M’gann and Conner’s Christmas party. He’d told Wally he was going to try to find something for the twins at the toy store - which just so happened to be right across the corridor from the jewelry store. So long as he hurried, Wally wouldn’t suspect anything, and they would meet up in the Food Court. It was, to his credit, a pretty flawless plan.
“And there you are!” the clerk chirped with a bright smile as she passed Dick the little gift bag. “The receipt’s in the bag. Good luck!”
Dick took the bag, flashing her a smile in return. “Thanks,” he said. Tugging the knit hat down further on his head, he turned and braced himself into the moving crowd. The last thing he needed was someone from the tabloids to recognize him and try to sell a picture of him buying a ring. It was rare that he was recognized in public, but he didn’t want to chance a photo making it into a bullshit magazine before he could actually go through with this.
Further down the corridor, Dick stepped to the side and set the small bag down on a bench. He took the receipt out and tucked it into the inner pocket of his coat - his back pocket wasn’t an option, too subject to Wally slipping his hand in to grope his ass. As he took the velvet box out of the bag next, he couldn’t resist the impulse to open it. The ring was a simple, white gold band with beveled edges. No diamonds or any intricate detail - Wally wouldn’t want anything too... flashy.
Snapping the box shut, Dick took a cautionary glance over his shoulder. He took out a shoe box from another bag and slipped the velvet cube into the toe of a pair of Brogues he’d gotten Damian. That done, he put the shoe box back into its bag, tossed the smaller bag from the jewelry store into a nearby recycling bin, and was on his way with a smug grin all to himself. He was good, and he knew it.
To his surprise and relief, he made it to the Food Court before Wally did. Leaning against a pillar as he scrolled through his phone, he only looked up again when Wally called his name from down the corridor. The mall had already been decorated for the holidays for weeks now, the high ceilings all strung up in gaudy tinsel, garland, and lights, ornaments larger than most small children hanging from each wrung. Wally had to maneuver his way around a large Christmas Tree and awkwardly ignore the Salvation Army bell ringer on the other side just to wave to Dick. Tucking his phone back in his pocket, Dick waved back. He tried not to be too obvious when he nudged the shoe bag further behind him with his foot as he stood.
“Hey, babe,” Dick greeted with a quick peck.
Wally returned the casual kiss, wrapping his arm around Dick’s waist in a brief embrace, shopping bags in either hand. “Hey,” he replied. “Find anything for the twins?”
“Yeah, they’re still into that Paw Patrol thing, right?” Dick asked as he picked up the bag from the toy store. He opened it to show Wally the boxes inside. “I got them each one of the cars and a dog.”
“That oughtta do it,” Wally said as he peered into the bag, before glancing up at Dick with a grin. “But between Rubble and Marshall, they’re both going to fight over Marshall.”
Dick frowned, looking between his partner and the bag. “What’s a Marshall?”
“The dalmatian with the Firefighter hat,” Wally chuckled. “He’s their favourite. Best bet would be to go back and trade that one for another, so it’s even. Donny likes Everest.”
“How am I supposed to know which one that is?”
“By reading the box?”
With a long sigh, Dick shook his head and closed the bag, turning to gather the others. “I’ll do that tomorrow, then. That toy place is a nightmare. Did you want to grab anything to eat before we head out?”
Wally sent a cursory glance around the stalls lining the food court before shrugged. “Nah, I’m still tied over from dinner... for now...”
Dick raised a brow. “Snack on the way home?”
“Snack on the way home.”
Much as he tried, Dick couldn’t contain his relief. “Good,” he sighed, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “I need to get out of here before I get a holly jolly headache.”
Laughing freely at Dick’s expense, Wally shifted his bags into one hand and offered the other to him. Dick took it once he’d gathered all of his things, idly swiping his thumb over Wally’s knuckles as the two of them began the trek out of the mall and toward the parking garage. “Oh, before I forget,” Wally said as they walked. “I got a Waffle Maker for White Elephant. It lets you embed a message into your waffles with these little type-block thingies.”
“Sounds perfect,” Dick commented. “It’ll be nice to use for breakfast, the next morning, no matter who wins it.”
Wally sighed. “Good, I wasn’t sure. It was between that an a Keurig, but there wasn’t anything gag-gifty about it.”
Dick smirked, nudging Wally with his elbow. “You’re still just sore we didn’t win the one we got for your family’s party last year.”
“Damn right I am.”
“You know, we could just buy a Keurig any time of the year.”
“Defeats the whole point, babe. Gotta win it in honorable combat.”
Dropping his head in laughter, Dick swayed slightly with the force of Wally nudging at him in retaliation with his shoulder. All the while, their hands remained clasped. Dick honestly didn’t think much about it at first, until he caught a glimpse of Wally’s hand from the corner of his eyes and imagined the ring on his third finger. It was a thought that crept up on him every once in a while, that old repeat of “had someone told him where he’d be now just a few years ago” coming to the surface. Just walking through the mall, holding Wally’s hand, was something that even as a teenager he’d have thought a long shot. He would never take these things for granted.
Wally caught him staring. Neither of them felt the urge to avert their gazes as Dick squeezed his hand.
Just before they made it to the doors leading out toward the parking garage, a sharp buzz from Wally’s pocket had them stopping. They stood to the side of the doors, as Wally let go to put his bags down and fish his phone out. “Text from Barry,” he groaned. “Trickster’s loose.”
Dick cringed. “I thought he was doing better.”
“So did I,” Wally sighed as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “It’ll be quick.”
Nodding as he brushed his hand over Wally’s shoulder, Dick leaned up to press a chaste kiss to his mouth. “Be safe.”
Wally’s reply was in the return of that kiss, bringing his hand up to briefly caress Dick’s cheek before he was stepping back. He opted for the adjacent set of doors, leading out onto the snow dusted street rather than the parking garage. He turned just before pushing through the glass doors, flashing Dick a smile and that cheesy two-fingers salute, before heading out toward the nearby Zetatube. Even after all this time, there was a part of Dick that found it almost painful not to follow, to make sure he got through to the other side without flashbacks or anxiety, to stick to the shadows and watch to see that he didn’t get hurt on the field - but he’d learned well by now when to let go, and over time, it’d gotten easier. Gathering up their combined bags, Dick hauled everything out to the car and drove home.
It was only a quick stop at the apartment, though. Just long enough for Dick to drop off their gifts, take out his own secret parcel from the shoe box, and head back out. Winter had not yet kicked into full gear, but the city was still coated with soft, powdery white, still falling steadily by the time he revved up his motorcycle and headed across the river into Gotham.
Now, Dick considered himself a pretty expert secret keeper - but even he needed someone to confide in before he exploded, when it came to a secret like this.
Which was why, in no short order, Dick found himself parking his motorcycle on the street of a familiar home in Gotham South. It was just as he was dismounting that Jim Gordon came down the ramp from the front door. “Evening, Commissioner,” he called out as he peeled his helmet off his head.
A little distracted, Gordon didn’t seem to notice Dick until he’d called out, glancing up from the small tablet in his hands. “Hm? Oh, Dick. What brings you?”
Maybe more than a little distracted, Dick thought with some amusement. If he remembered correctly, there’d been a recent leak from inside Arkham that suggested the inmates were planning another mass breakout. The poor man had probably seen about fifty more grey hairs pop up over the past week because of it. Dick smiled, tucking his helmet under his hand as he reached out to shake Gordon’s hand - which the later only did in delay after looking up again from the tablet. “Just stopping by. Is Barbara home?”
“Yeah, she’s in tonight,” Gordon said as he let go. Tucking the tablet under his arm, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his tan trench coat. “Are you on duty tonight, Officer?"
"Not tonight."
"Good," Gordon shook his head. "I have a feeling it's going to be a long one. The whole Department's on high alert. I’ve got to get going, in any case, but you have a good night.”
“See you around, Sir,” Dick grinned. Once Gordon was off, Dick walked up the ramp to knock on the front door.
The clack of the deadbolt unlocking stopped Dick's knuckles just short of the wood. His hand dropped back to his side as it opened from inside, Barbara rolling back with it. The Gordon household was practically glimmering from within with lights from the Christmas Tree and the garland strung up around the home. Even the small elevator to the second floor was festive. Barbara folded her arms over her chest, raising her brow. “What do you want, Grayson?” she asked accusingly, still unable to mask the playfulness in her tone.
Dick raised his hands in surrender. “What, am I not allowed to visit one of my best friends?”
Barbara held off for a moment before shifting her chair out of the doorway. “Debatable,” she replied with a grin as Dick stepped inside. She shut the door behind him, moving the locks back into place. “Where’s Wally?”
“Called out to Central,” Dick replied. “We just finished up all our Christmas shopping before Barry asked him for a hand. Just thought I’d, y’know,” he stretched his arms over his head, “swing by.”
“Right...” Barbara said with a skeptical tone. “Well, do you plan on staying a minute, or are you just going to hang out in your coat?”
Dick beamed down at her. “Actually, I was thinking... it’s a nice night. What would you say to a little change in scenery?”
Barbara knew well what that meant at this point. There was no arguing from her. Only several minutes later, Dick was helping her balance enough to get a tight hold around his shoulders, hanging off his back. They’d improvised, tying her legs together with a spare scarf so that she couldn’t dangle and hurt herself. With more than enough upper body strength to support herself, she fit comfortably against Dick’s back as he held onto the fire escape outside her bedroom window. The night was already dark, illuminated by the ever present city glow, and sparse moonlight streaking in through the snow-heavy clouds.
Bracing himself against the iron rails, Dick turned back over his shoulder to grin at her. “Hold on tight, Spider Monkey.”
Barbara rolled her eyes. “Letting you watch Twilight was a mistake,” she said, shifting her hold on Dick to one arm as she reached back to pull the hood of her winter coat over her head.
Dick could only laugh. “It was your idea!” he defended himself. Pausing to make sure that Barbara was, in fact, holding on tight, Dick climbed up onto the roof, hauling the both of them up onto the shingles. He dusted off a patch of snow for them to sit on, before easing Barbara down beside him and helping her get situated. He took his seat just behind her, allowed her to lean back on him for support.
The second floor of a residential home was hardly a birds eye view, but up there the view was just broad enough to see the suburbs in all their festive splendor, the rooftops rolling up like a sea up to the monoliths of Gotham’s core. Though he couldn’t quite see it, just over the city he knew he’d find Gotham harbour, seeping out into the Atlantic ocean. He could just barely hear it from there, the distant roar of icy waves crashing up against the shore. In that moment, he couldn’t help but think of another night almost like this and at the same time almost the exact opposite, another lifetime. On the opposite coast, on a warmer night, sitting up on a rooftop and staring out at the waves. It’d been clearer that night, and so calm the stars were just as clear as their reflections in the water. Though he felt Barbara leaning her head against his shoulder much the same, he could almost feel the absence of Artemis on his other side if he closed his eyes and ignored the cold. He reached up drawing the gold chain out from under his coat and sweater, letting the ring strung through the end of it fall into his palm.
Barbara rubbed her hands together, breathing hot air onto her skin that clouded from her mouth, before tucking her hands back into her pockets. “So,” she said, shamelessly cuddling in for warmth. “Seriously, what’s up?”
“Hm?” Dick shook himself out of his thoughts.
Barbara sent him a knowing glance. “I can tell when something’s on your mind, Dick. Spill.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“To me you are.”
Duck chuckled under his breath. Reaching back into his coat pocket, he took out the velvet box and tossed it to Barbara.
Barbara caught it with ease, frowning down at the contents in her hand before she’d even had a good look at it. As she opened her palms to see the little black box, her demeanour changed entirely. Her head snapped up to look at Dick in surprise and beaming glee, before she carefully opened it to look at the band inside. She grinned back at him as she snapped it shut. “Well, Dick, this is all so sudden, I don’t know what to say. Of course I’m flattered, but-”
“Oh, knock it off,” Dick laughed, swiping to take the box back. Barbara laughed and held it away, but relented when he made a second grab for it. Once he had it, he opened it again, taking just the simple pleasure of looking at the ring.
Laughing as she leaned against him to gaze down at the band again, Barbara hooked her arm around Dick’s. “You’re really going to ask?”
Dick nodded. “At M’gann and Conner’s Christmas Party.”
“How are you going to do it?” she asked.
Dick grinned, brushing his thumb over the polished metal. “I arranged it with M’gann already-”
“You told her before you told me?”
“I had to!”
“Excuses,” Barbara rolled her eyes.
Dick nudged her with his shoulder. “Are you going to let me finish, or what?” When Barbara merely shrugged and gestured for him to continue, he took it as a good a permission as he was going to get. “Anyway,” he laughed. “She bought Christmas Poppers for the party. I got the company that made from them her and ordered a custom one. It’ll have the big question written on a piece of paper inside.”
Barbara dipped her head against Dick’s shoulder. “God, that’s so corny.”
“That’s the whole point,” Dick grinned. “It’s corny, and cliche, and...” he trailed off, exhaling a clouded breath as he gazed up at the sparse stars shinning through the veil of clouds. “And it’s everything I never thought I’d get to have with him.”
Barbara’s smile softened at that. Nuzzling her head closer, she looked up at him in earnest. “I’m happy for you, Dick...”
Dick didn’t respond aloud to that. He didn’t need to. Shutting the ring box and slipping it back into his pocket, he rested his head on top of Barbara’s and just contented himself with sitting up there with here, thinking of what was to come. Something inside him was slowly beginning to stitch together, an ache so old he’d almost forgotten it was there slowly healing over. In the clouds above Gotham City, the Bat Signal flickered on, shining gold against the clouds. For now, the two of them were content to just stay there, watching the steady snowfall over the violet lights of the city.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
The points on a list of Pros for being in a long term same-sex relationship with your best friend included, but were not limited to, sharing clothes, tastes in crappy Christmas movies, and equally crappy food.
One of the Cons was, at the moment, that neither of them were the type of Gay that knew how to wrap a Christmas present.
Or, at least, wrap it well.
This was the dilemma they found themselves in that night. Dick carried two bowls of half-cold spaghetti (with sauce from a jar, obviously) into the living room, having already stained the pair of Wally’s pajama bottoms that he was currently wearing. Wally, meanwhile, was set up on the living room floor by the coffee table, trying to negotiate two corners of wrapping paper to lie flat as he folded them in. There was already a massacre of ruined tape and paper scraps littering the floor. Wally cursed under his breath as the tape popped back up and the carefully folded paper sprung out of its shape.
“Having any luck there?” Dick laughed as he set Wally’s bowl down on the table beside him. Dropping onto the sofa, he made himself perfectly comfortable watching his partner struggle.
Wally glared up at him. “What does it look like, smart guy?”
Dick shrugged, trying not to smile as he twirled in fork with spaghetti noodles. “Genius level intellect, graduated from one of the top Universities in the country, and you’re still no match for wrapping pa-”
A ball of crunched up wrapping paper and tape hit Dick square in the face before he could even finish the sentence. He shook his head, nearly dropping his fork, Wally’s laughter already filling the apartment. Dick poked Wally with his big toe in retaliation, but otherwise let it go - he deserved that. Chewing around his first bite, Dick watched as Wally continued to struggle to make the paper stick, groaning when once again the tape sprung off.
“You’ve got it wrapped too tight,” Dick pointed out, still chewing.
“I know,” Wally bit out. “But I can make it work.”
Dick rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you just start over, then?”
“Because I already cut this paper, and we don’t have any more of the same kind.”
“Then just use a different kind.”
“I don’t have to, because I can make this one work!”
“What’s the big deal about the kind of paper you use? It’s going to get ripped up anyway!”
“Oh my God, Dick,” Wally snapped, after having finally gotten the corner down with three pieces of tape criss-crossing each other over the edge.
Mouth full of noddles, Dick only shrugged at Wally’s apparent frustration. Alright, maybe he was being a little irritating, but he really didn’t see why Wally was so deadset on struggling when he didn’t have to. Sue him. Wally glared back at him for all of five seconds before looking back at the gift, just in time to see the tap pop off and the corner to unravel completely. Hanging his head in defeat, Wally swiped the gift off the table and tossed it underneath their little Christmas Tree to be dealt with later. Dick caught a glimpse of the unwrapped side as it slid under the faux branches - one of the Puppy Parade toys or whatever they were called. Abandoning the gift wrapping entirely for the time being, Wally took his bowl and shifted up onto the couch. He hip nudged Dick out of the way, half-sitting on top of him until Dick was annoyed enough to move over. He probably deserved that too.
“What are we watching?” Dick asked, once the two of them had settled next to each other.
Wally shrugged, already shoveling a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. “Dunno,” he replied. “Some Hallmark Christmas movie, I think. I haven’t been paying attention.”
Dick only debated flipping through the channels to see if there was anything better on for a moment before deciding otherwise. This was about as good as anything, and neither of them were really watching it anyways. They’d probably end up throwing on The Grinch or something when they were finished eating.
“What time are we leaving for Happy Harbour tomorrow?” Wally asked as he sank back into the sofa cushions.
Dick found himself sinking back against Wally’s side by default, but didn’t mind in the slightest as he shifted to get comfortable. “I was thinking around noon, if that’s good with you. Gives us plenty of time to get out there from the town.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Wally said.
“Oh,” Dick set his fork down in his bowl, laying his hand over Wally’s bicep to get his attention, “and just before I forget, last day of Hanukkah’s on the 30th. Bruce is having dinner at the Manor.”
Wally flashed him a grin. “Alfred’s making those potato pancakes?”
“Latkes, babe,” Dick laughed.
“Score.”
Snorting through a laugh, Dick pressed his head against Wally’s shoulder, hand still resting comfortably on his arm. Wally, even in spite of his earlier sour mood, chuckled and pressed his lips to the top of Dick’s head. Soon enough, they were both settling in again, finishing up their meals - and, in Wally’s case, going for seconds in the time it took Dick to finish one bowl. Like clockwork, the dishes were cleaned and put away, the two of them working in a natural sort of tandem in their routine. By the time they’d found themselves on the couch again, sure enough, The Grinch was on, and they were more than content to take a night off with each other.
And as they lay stretched out over the couch, effortlessly tangled up in each other, Dick couldn’t help but allow his eyes to drift from the screen and up to Wally’s face. This would be their second Christmas together since Wally’s return. It was absolutely crazy to think about. Two years ago, Dick had just been starting to recover, to come to terms with losing him. He remembered sitting in this very apartment, struggling to find the will to decorate for the holidays, rationalizing with himself that there wasn’t much of a point. He’d thrown up a bit of tinsel and shitty Christmas lights that had burned out within a week, and called it even.
Now look at him. He had embroidered stockings. Granted, they were a gift from Mrs. West, but still.
It really seemed like another lifetime ago. Just thinking about how different he had been back then was like looking at another person. Dick knew that his life, his personality, his own separate identity had never relied entirely on his relationship with Wally. He’d always been his own person outside of that, and so had Wally. But still... losing Wally had completely broken something in him. Even today, the cracks were still there,
Dick wasn’t going to waste any more time. They’d both taken the time they needed, hadn’t rushed anything just for the sake of it, and now they were ready. He loved this man more than anything, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. With or without the ring, that much had always been true, but they’d spent too long never truly believing that it would be possible for them. He wanted it all, because they could have it, and that was more than enough.
Wally caught him staring out of the corner of his gaze, turning his head to lock eyes with a soft smile. Dick smiled back before even thinking about it, a reflex every time he saw Wally look at him like that.
The novelty of this all, that he was here, never faded. Not even a little.
“What’re you lookin’ at?’ Wally grinned. A spark ignited in his gaze as it flickered down his body and up again, leaning in for a kiss before Dick could even answer.
Dick laughed against Wally’s mouth. “Nothing special,” he smirked.
“Nothing special, huh?” Wally smirked right back, pulling back from Dick’s mouth in favour of leaving a hot trail of kisses down his jawbone and neck. “Well, if you’re not too busy then,” he continued in a low, husky tone, “mind if I take a few minutes of your time?”
Dick tilted his head back, smoothing his hands up Wally’s back and to his shoulders. “Depends on what you had in mind.”
Wally stopped to nibble at his collarbone. “I had a few things,” he said. Shifting on the sofa cushions, he wrapped his arms around Dick, hands settling on his hips as he lead back, coaxing his partner to straddle him.
Dick was all too eager to comply, thighs slipping over Wally’s waist as the assault on his neck continued. He closed his eyes with a trembling exhale. “Hm... I had no idea Christmas movies got you so frisky.”
“It was the nitpicking at my wrapping, actually. You know how sexy it is when you micromanage me.”
“I do not micromana-”
The words were stolen straight out of his mouth. In a blur of movement, Dick suddenly found himself bare chested, his sweater discarded on the floor, and Wally’s hands already roaming over his chest. His borderline scandalized expression only served to vindicate Wally more. Wally wiggled his eyebrows up at him, entirely too proud of himself. It was only two seconds before Dick was swooping down to kiss that smug grin right off his face.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Safe to say that at some point in the night, the two of them had ended up in bed. Dick hadn’t exactly been looking at the alarm clock by the time he’d fallen asleep, but when he woke up that morning, sore in all the right places, Wally was still passed out on the mattress next to him. The grey winter morning was just lighting up in the window, softly illuminating the room. It took some finesse to untangle himself from Wally, their limbs entangled in the sheets, but once he managed it without waking him, he rolled over to check the clock. It was just past eight, giving them plenty of time to get ready for their weekend in Happy Harbour. As he sat up and stretched, Wally moaned, still half asleep as he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Dick’s waist to drag him back into bed. It was only with the promise of breakfast that Dick managed to free himself, albeit reluctantly on Wally’s part.
He first noticed it in the shower.
As Dick rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, his hand passed over the back of his neck, and felt the absence of the thin gold chain that was usually fixed there. He frowned, looking down at his chest as if he might have missed it. Sure enough, the chain and the ring on the end of it were not there. Not a big deal, he told himself as he reached for the conditioner. It’d probably just come off at some point last night. Dick was always careful with it, making a point to put it somewhere safe on the rare occasions that it came off, but understandably he’d been a little preoccupied. He’d probably find it in the living room.
With that piece of mind, he’d finished up in the shower, and came out dressed and dried just as Wally was peeling himself out of bed. He stopped for a quick kiss, which Wally absolutely took advantage of as he grabbed Dick’s ass with a sleepy grin. Typical. Playfully shoving him away, he headed into the kitchen to make good on that breakfast promise.
By the time Wally was dragging himself out of the bedroom, showered but only dressed in a pair of boxers and a tshirt, yawning and scratching his belly, Dick was just setting two bowls of oatmeal and a pot of coffee on the table. Wally dropped into his chair like someone had cut a string connected to his head.
Dick grinned as he took his seat with a little more ease. “What’s up, babe?” he asked. “You look a little worn out.”
“You would know,” Wally replied over the rim of his coffee mug. He took a long sip before setting it down, starting as if something urgent had just come to mind. “Oh, hey, mind if we stop off at the mall before we head out? There was just something I forgot to pick up yesterday.”
Dick clicked his tongue, glancing up at the clock. “I don’t know, Walls... what did you forget?”
Wally was quick to wave him off. “Nothing big. It was just a card for White Elephant, and some batteries for the twins’ toys. It’ll only take a few minutes.”
“It can’t wait until we get back?” Dick sighed. “I promised M’gann we’d help her and Conner set up. And the mall’s so far out of the way of the Zetatube port, we’d have to take the car and then bring it back.”
Wally shrugged, reaching across the table for the maple syrup. “I’ll run out and do it before we leave then.”
Dick held out only for a moment longer before giving in. “Alright,” he said. “Just don’t take too long, okay?”
Scooping his already empty bowl off the table, Wally rounded to the other side and swept down to kiss Dick’s cheek. “Promise,” he said as he headed into the kitchen for more.
Over the course of the rest of their morning they did, by some miracle, manage to get all of their gifts wrapped. Dick had distracted Wally with a request for a ribbon to cover up his own shitty wrap job in order to slip the ring box out of Damian’s shoes, quickly shoving it into the space between the couch cushions to hide it. He didn’t even try to defend himself when Wally roasted him.
With their gifts done, they packed for the weekend, and cleaned up their mess from last night. As Dick gathered his sweater, he expected to find the chain and ring buried somewhere in the folds - but there was nothing there. He frowned, standing up straight and looking around the room for any sign of it. They’d picked up most of the paper, leaving virtually nothing on the floor, but still there was no sight of either. Dick turned to Wally. “Hey, babe, have you seen my...” he trailed off.
Wally looked back to him. “Your what?” he asked.
Dick couldn’t ask him. The paranoia that he’d suspect something hit him square in the gut and punched the words out with it. If Dick was suddenly ansty about finding his ring before they left for Happy Harbour, Wally would start asking questions. If he didn’t find it before then, on the other hand, how the hell was he supposed to propose without his end of it? Dick retained a neutral expression. “Uh... nothing, nevermind.”
Though Wally did give him a second glance, he seemed perfectly willing to let it go. Taking the clothes from Dick’s hands, he headed into the bedroom and threw them into the hamper. Dick was left standing dumb in the middle of the living room, feeling cold, numbing dread take hold of his chest.
The moment Wally left for the mall, Dick started tearing the apartment apart looking for that ring. He knew he hadn’t taken it off last night, he would have remembered where he’d put it. So, where the hell was it? Sure, he’d been wearing it on that chain on a near constant basis for the past several years, but it was a good quality chain, and he couldn’t fathom it just breaking off without him at least noticing. Dick checked to make sure it hadn’t rolled under the Christmas Tree, the couch, and pretty much covered the entirety of the apartment on his hands and knees looking under furniture. He tore apart the couch, finding only the black velvet box he’d stashed there earlier. He ripped the sheets off the bed. He went through every pocket on every shirt and pair of pants in the hamper.
It wasn’t there.
Four years of keeping that ring. Four fucking years, and he lost it the day he planned to propose.
The panic was setting in at that point. How the hell was he supposed to ask Wally to marry him when he’d gone and lost the very symbol of everything they’d gone through to get to where they were today? How was he supposed to promise commitment when he couldn’t commit to keeping track of one ring? It was so much more than just a piece of jewelry. That ring had been the one thing to get him through those dark years without Wally. Feeling it as a constant presence on his chest had been the closest thing he’d thought he would ever have to Wally again. And he lost it.
Pushing his hands back through his hair in a fit of stress, Dick looked up at the clock. Wally would be back soon. Rushing around the apartment, he tried to put everything back together, leaving no trace of his frantic search. The sheets, he stuffed into the hamper to be washed when they got back, but everything else was returned exactly as it was before Wally left. All the while, he tried to calm down, to retrace his steps. He knew he’d been wearing it yesterday, but then again, it was just always sort of... there. Something he never really took notice of anymore before it was just a part of him. His phone buzzing in his back pocket temporarily broke Dick out of his downward spiral. He pulled it out to check the last message.
Home in five. All ready to go? WW
Dick dropped onto the bed and typed out his reply, all the while wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
Yeah, ready when you are. DG
He was, in essence, fucked. Sitting on the edge of the bare bed, Dick wracked his brain for a back up plan. He was running out of time. Thinking quick, he brought up Barbara’s contact on his phone and just prayed that she would answer. He was about ready to give up on the third tone, when finally the line picked up.
“Hey, Dick, what’s u-”
“Babs, I lost the ring,” he blurted out.
The line went silent for a long moment. “You what?”
“I lost the ring.”
“Dick, you just bought it a week ago, how did you-”
“No,” he groaned, head hanging between his shoulders. “I lost my ring. I’ve been looking all morning, I can’t find it anywhere, and we’re leaving in five minutes!”
The dull sound of wheels over hardwood flooring came over the phone. “Okay, first, calm down,” she instructed evenly. “When did you have it last?”
Dick scrubbed his hand over his forehead. “I already went through all of that. I assume I had it on yesterday, I rarely ever take it off.”
“Is there a chance you left it here last week?”
“No,” Dick answered. “I would have noticed by now if it’d been missing that long.” Footsteps from down the hall had Dick’s back shooting up straight. He cursed under his breath, holding his hand over the receiver and continuing in an urgent, hushed voice. “Listen, do you still have your spare key?”
“Yeah, of course.”
And, as if on cue, Dick could hear the rattling of Wally’s keys outside their front door. “Do you think you’d be able to stop by here and double check before you leave for Happy Harbour? Just in case I missed something. I’d literally owe you my life.”
“Not a problem, Dick,” Barbara agreed without hesitation. “And listen, just take a deep breath. It’d probably hiding in plain sight. The pre-proposal nerves are just getting to you.”
Dick forced himself to take in a full breath, exhaling all at once. It did little to make him feel better about not having the ring, but she was at least correct on the nerves account. “Thanks...”
Barbara just barely got her reply out before the front door opened, and Wally walked in. Dick quickly ended the call, stuffing the phone into his back pocket and practically jumping off the bed.
“Babe! I’m back,” Wally called into the apartment.
Hauling his bag over his shoulder, Dick checked himself over in the mirror to be sure nothing was amiss to tip Wally off, before stepping out of the bedroom. “Ready to go,” he said, forcing himself to stay casual. “Did you get what you needed at the mall?”
“Oh yeah,” Wally smiled, holding up a little paper bag. “All set.” Stepping around Dick into the bedroom, he grabbed his own overnight bag and headed toward the door. “Let’s head out! Raquel’s Egg Nog is calling me.”
“You go ahead and call the Elevator,” Dick nodded toward the still open door. “I’ll lock up.”
Wally shrugged, heading back out into the hall. The moment he was gone, Dick ran over to the sofa and reached into the cushions, pulling out the velvet box. He frowned, holding it tight in his palm, before sending one last glance around the apartment, as if his ring would just appear out of nowhere. No luck. The ding of the Elevator reaching their floor sounded from down the hall. Stuffing the box into his bag, Dick hurried out of the apartment, locking the door behind him.