Chapter Text
It worked for you, his silence. Well, not initially.
Initially, it was a suffocating feeling, as if he didn’t like you or that he only tolerated your presence. You thought that his laconic speech and lack of introductory warmth previewed what the rest of your relationship would be like.
Just ships passing in the night, noticing each other every once and a while, but still continuing on your way.
And in the beginning, that’s kind of what seeing him was like.
“Hey, Victor.” You greeted, hearing his mechanical step before you actually fixed your gaze on him.
He nodded. “Hi, (name).”
That was the extent of that conversation.
You’d walk into the kitchen at Bruce’s mansion and he’d tip his head in your direction before going back to his business. Most of the time, you’d nod in return, and other times, you’d spice it up with a small smile or a cough.
Victor was very different from Barry’s mile-a-minute speech or how jumpy he could be. Diana even had her moments of brief conversation but she was always warm and open, always inquiring if you needed anything.
Victor always seemed just out of reach, intentionally isolating. It felt cold, not fully human. It wasn’t because he was similar to an android, but like a weight sat on him, sapping away his humanity.
Even Bruce, the Bat himself, would say hello from time to time and check on you.
Most of the time, missions ran pretty smoothly with Batman when you ran back up, both of you communicating just enough to give each other warnings. Sometimes a witty comment would come from your end, but he’d get you back in check pretty easily.
Someone had to keep things interesting when Aquaman wasn’t around. Arthur had to worry about “running the kingdom,” whatever that meant.
This was supposed to be a pretty easy mission, but the bullet wound in your side said otherwise.
You were late to the rendezvous point and by the time you’d actually gotten somewhere safe, Bruce had to evacuate to prevent additional damages to structures nearby. Your coms were down for longer than you’d planned so you hadn’t been able to get a message out.
Bleeding heavily due to the intensive moving required to fight your way out of the thug compound, you stumbled into the rain, collapsing on the sidewalk. The dark of the night hugged you, tucking you into the shadows while the rust color of your blood mixed with the water of the rain.
Rainwater soaked through your black suit, clinging to your knees as you dragged yourself into a limp. The cold of the water droplets from the sky sizzles against the heat radiating from your skin.
It burns slowly, starting to spread through your torso. It’s the adrenaline wearing off and when it does, it’s going to be painful.
You tap your earpiece, gritting the words through your teeth as you huff your leg along. “Bruce, I cleared the building. Need evac.”
Nothing. Not good.
You ran through your options. Diana was away doing god things, Arthur was ruling a kingdom, you were positive that Barry had some sort of homework or projects to work on, and Bruce, well, who knows where Bruce is. You wouldn’t even get yourself started on Superman. You two hadn’t even been formally introduced yet.
That leaves Victor, and you never called Victor.
“Bruce.”
Static.
You grunt in frustration and try to move faster, pressing a hand firmly against your side. The best thing right now would be to get to high ground and hide out for a good amount of time, but getting there might take some time.
From the crimson staining your hands, it would probably be too much time. The trail of red would give you away.
Time for plan B.
“(name) to Batcave. Anyone there?”
“(name)?” It was Victor. Your heart jumped for a second.
“Hi, I didn’t know you were still there.” You tried to stifle a grunt of pain as you started to climb a fire escape, the rain making it significantly harder.
You heard a little shuffling. “Just trying to test out an idea I had.” The line went quiet for a second. “I thought you were on a mission.”
“Still…am.” You hoisted yourself up another fire escape. A hiss that you couldn’t control escaped your lips.
There’s a frown in his tone when he speaks. “Where are you?”
“I’m not quite sure.”
“Where’s Bruce?”
“Hard to say.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be together?”
The fact that he knew made the pain in your side dull in favor of the new surprise that took over. Either everybody paid that much attention to you and the Bat’s movements or he was intentionally observant.
Either way, it shocked you that he knew what was going on in your life.
“That was…the plan.” You hoisted yourself over another banister and collapsed against the side of the railing. “Ran into a few issues.”
Quiet again.
“I’m trying to find you now.”
You nodded, knowing that he couldn’t see you. Letting your head fall back against the metal bars, the rain soaked your face in heavy splashes. Despite your pain, you were becoming increasingly tired.
“(name)?”
“Hmm?” It was a lazy response, but you didn’t have the energy for anything else.
“I approximated your location. Can you tell me what you can see?”
You twisted around, trying to ignore the burning, aching feeling in your side. “I think I can see Happy’s House from here.”
“Okay.”
“Are you gonna send Bruce back around?”
“No, I haven’t been able to reach him.” Great. “I’ll be there soon. Can you get to the roof?”
By then, you would probably be drenched and borderline hypothermic, but if that’s what a rescue would take then that’s what’d you do.
“I’ll be there.”
“Okay.” More shuffling, this time a little faster, a little less organized and put together for the Victor you knew. “Be there soon.”
You weren’t really sure how that was possible but you nodded, holding onto the words as you began your journey up another five flights of stairs. “Thanks, Victor.”
“Keep your coms on in case I need to reach you.”
It took another ten minutes to get up those stairs, your strength leaving you as you fell onto the concrete of the roof, shaking and exhausted.
The pain didn’t matter now.
The wetness of the ground pressed against your cheek, the roaring of the rain a steady presence in the darkness of night. Hopefully, Bruce made it out of whatever happened to deter him.
You weren’t holding out any hope that Victor would get there in time before you slipped into unconsciousness, but maybe he would get there in time before your whole body shut down.
Closing your eyes, you let the water coat your face, you let your limbs fall limp, and you let go.
…
A light shined against your eyes, but dully you registered the warmth around you. It was a weird feeling.
Slowly, you opened your eyelids. Victor rested in the chair next to you and the light you felt pressing against your closed eyes was a fire in front of you. A machine beeped, an I.V. drip connected to your arm.
“Victor?” You croaked and he jumped a little, sitting forward with less coordination than you were used to. “Where am I?”
“You’re okay.” He kept his hands folded in his hoodie you never saw him come out of, but he turned toward you more firmly. “You’re back at Wayne Manor. I found you on the rooftop.” He frowned and looked down. “You were unconscious by the time I got there, but I brought you back here.”
You felt a little guilty. You still hadn’t thanked him for coming to get you, but there was something pressing on your mind that you needed to know. “What about Bruce?”
“His coms got cut.” He looked at you from where his eyes were fixed on the floor. It startled you, triggering a slight fidget of your feet. You can’t remember the last time he looked at you so directly. “He got here about half an hour after I found you.”
You nodded, trying to relax. Cutting eye contact seemed to help, but not all the way, that dull spark in your vein still humming.
“Thank you.” You took a brave step and looked back over at him again. “Thank you for getting to me when you did.”
It was his turn to look away. He took a breath and leaned back in his seat. “I’m glad you called someone.”
“Well, I appreciate you answering.”
He frowned, smirking — a rare sight — a bit as he quizzically looked at you. “You thought I wouldn’t?”
“It’s not that,” you trailed off. But it kinda was. He never said much to you. “It’s just, we’re not really that close.”
He chuckled and his smile was beautiful. “Just because I don’t say much doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”
“Good to know.” You nodded and turned away to catch your breath for a moment.
He cleared his throat. “I might like you a little more than you think.”
Your eyes flashed to his, a warmth stirring in your core, something igniting in a deep place in your soul. You smiled back as best as you could. “That’s good. Glad to know I’m not the only one.”
Chuckling, that smile of his reappeared. “Oh really?”
“Really.”
You closed your eyes then, drowsiness taking over.
But you could still feel him there, right by your side, watching over you. It was silent and quiet, save for the crackling of the fire, but it felt comfortable and safe.
That’s what Victor’s silence was. A comforting force. A reassuring presence just gently tapping against you, letting you know that he was there, but never expecting anything from you.
…
He stayed with you, sitting right next to you through your recovery. And when the time came for readjustment into the field again, you worked next to Victor, not always talking, but always feeling seen and heard, even when he didn’t talk.
“Hey, (name). Come look at this.” There was a little more excitement in his tone than usual.
“Sure.” You stood and walked over, still feeling stiff from your wound but mostly healed.
You hadn’t meant to do it; it just seemed to happen naturally. As you leaned over his scientific creation, your hand fell right on his shoulder, staying there as the reaction played out in front of you.
“That looks awesome, Victor!” You smiled and looked down at him in his chair. He had a grin that matched your own.
“Yeah. It’s cool.” He reached up and placed a hand over yours, grasping it gently. It became clearer what you had done and your lips parted in your own haste and how long it took you to realize it.
Victor didn’t seem to mind as he raised your hand to his lips and kissed it. That jolt came back.
The embarrassed smirk on your face made him laugh. “You’re really cute when you get shy like that.”
“Stop it.” You bumped your hip against his back, forgetting it was partially made of metal. You bounced right off of it. “I’m taking my hand back now.”
“Oh, come on.” He tugged against you, keeping your hand right where it was. “I was just playing.”
Your death glare wasn’t very convincing.
But you stayed like that for a while, just content in silence and in each other.
It felt less like the empty air was icy but a language you began to understand. In that space, you discovered more about him than you ever would have through words.