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The world is ending. And all Barbara can think of is how warm his hand feels in hers.
This is not the first time that they've been threatened by an apocalypse of some sort. A stray meteor, an alien invasion, a world war. It certainly has been a lot of work, trying to keep Earth intact and safe. But they have always survived through it. Superman would stop the meteor, the Justice League would defeat the invaders, and the heroes would always manage to save the world.
But this was the first time that they weren't going to be able to. This is the first time that its actually true.
The world is ending. And she can only think of the warmth he radiates by just being next to her.
Its true this time. Its fucking real. The world is ending and even the Justice League had made their peace that there is nothing more they can do than to go home to their families and enjoy the last few moments left. And its not very Justice League-like, but this isn't the same. Its really happening.
"Dick," she whispers, staring at the skyline, while its still there. "Do you regret anything?"
He tears his gaze away from the view and at her. "No," he replies after a momentary pause. "There's nothing more I could have than this."
"Than having the world ending?" Barbara retorted.
He shook his head, a small smile creeping to his face. "I meant you. Beside me." He rolls his eyes. "Babs, you can be such a vibe-killer."
Barbara finds herself giggling, and she giggles more at the thought that she is giggling. While the world is ending. In a few minutes. It could be in the next second. Or the next hour. All they knew is that it would happen today.
"I regret one thing, though," Dick says. "I regret wasting a shitload of time on putting my feelings for you in some denial chamber. We... we could have had more time."
Barbara lets out a breath, her smile crumbling. "Me too."
"This is for real this time, no?"
Barbara closes her eyes. "Yes."
"It feels weird."
"What is?"
"We're not saving the world."
Barbara opens her eyes. Dick's gaze is fixated at the lake, his brows a little furrowed.
"It does feel weird," she agrees. "But I don't know. The good kind of weird." She pauses. "That sounded bad."
"No, not really," Dick answers. "It does feel weird. You know, the not-doing-anything." He bites his lip. "But I feel... in an odd sort of peace." He smiles a little. "It feels kind of selfish that I'm just standing here, holding the hand of girl I love, looking at the Earth for its last few minutes while the world is ending. But God... I've never felt more peaceful than this."
"The world could end and begin in front of me, and I'd still choose to do any of those in a way just like this," Barbara said. "Holding your hand."
His grip tightens. "This is really it."
"It is."
"What would you have named our baby?"
Barbara halts.
"John Thomas if it was a boy. We would have called him Johnny or Tommy."
"If it was a girl?"
Barbara stopped to think. "I don't have a clue."
"Maybe something earthly and exotic... like Roxanne."
Barbara bursts out laughing. "Stop making me laugh. The world is ending."
"We'll never have kids," he said.
"Maybe in some other universe. A parallel earth, maybe. We'd have a family and it would be perfect."
"I'll miss Bruce," tears start to well in Dick's eyes. "I'll miss him.. he's my dad."
"I know you will."
"I'll miss Damian, and Alfred, and Tim, Jason, Cass, Steph, Duke, and the Titans, and the League, and... I'll miss Tommy. Or Johnny. Or whatever his name would be if he were a girl. I'll miss them. And I'll miss you."
Barbara could feel her own tears closing up her throat. "I'll miss you too."
"Barbara... I'm sorry it took so long."
"I think the delay to our official relationship would be my fault, Grayson."
"No... I'm sorry it took so long before I kissed you."
Barbara smiles. "I'll never forget that kiss."
Dick smiles too. "Me too."
Then the sky started to crumble. The ground beneath them started to shake. The air was growing thin. Her vision quivered. The world was ending.
"Your hand feels warm," Barbara says as the earth dissolves in the background.