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Dick knew it was ridiculous to be eavesdropping on his own team, but he also dressed up in a skin tight suit and ran around on rooftops, so he figured this was comparatively normal. He had been turning the corner to enter the Watchtower’s briefing room when he’d heard Wally’s voice.
“Seriously though, I thought he was kidding when he first told me.”
Dick had frozen in place, then ducked into the shadows on reflex. Wally hadn’t been back long, and a lot of that time they’d been separated by a veritable army of scientists trying to figure out what the long term effects of his… absence may be. Telling him about him and Kaldur had been a hurried affair, in between blood samples, and he intuitively knew that it was their relationship Wally was now talking about.
“It was totally news to us too, bro. I mean, I didn’t even know either of them was like, anything but straight.” That sounded like Bart. “Not that I’m not totally cool with it, but it was a legit surprise.”
“I think M’gann knew,” Superboy interjected, his voice thoughtful.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t know D- uh, Nightwing was bi. I mean, I’m his bestie.” Wally again.
“Dude, I know his name’s Dick. Future timeline, remember?”
“Right, right. It’s just I never knew he saw Kaldur that way. I mean like, I can see the appeal, you know. Not that I’m into guys, but he is that strong, tall, leader-type. I dunno. I just never saw it coming.” Wally sighed. “It makes me wonder how much everyone has changed since I’ve been gone.”
“Honestly, a lot of the team felt the same way at first. I mean, at least with the younger heroes. They’re both… kind of intense, you know? And they’ve both been our leaders, which makes it hard to see them as people sometimes. For a while we kind of figured all they would do on dates is strategize or something.”
Dick felt a strange lightness in his body, like he hadn’t eaten enough. He gave the floor an unnecessarily harsh glare. He knew all of this, or at least he had supposed all of this, but it was weird to hear it from the source. For a second he considered interrupting.
“Artemis and Batgirl were less shocked, but I think they both suspected it was a coping mechanism at first.” Superboy’s voice cut into him. Barbara had been understanding, but he’d always suspected she had reservations.
“At first? Wait, how long have they been together?”
“Well, let’s see.” Bart began talking slightly too fast for a normal teenager. “About six months now, because they’d been together for two months before Nightwing came back to the team. It took them like a month after that to tell us, and it’s been three months since then. I think Batgirl knew before then, though, like Miss Martian did.”
“Dick probably told her.”
“Yeah, I guess they’ve got that whole Bat connection. But anyhow, like a month after they told us, I finally got it.” Bart took in a breath. “This one time me and Jaime were about to have a sick Jaws marathon, but when we got to the TV room, the two of them were totally passed out on the couch. They were snuggled together under this stupid blue blanket with flying pigs on it- some relative gave it to Rocket as a baby shower present, but she hates it so it’s been here ever since. Anyways, Kaldur had his arm around Dick, and Dick was totally sleep-drooling on his shirt with his sunglasses all askew. There was some nature documentary playing, which Dick must have only agreed to because he knows Kaldur likes them. They just looked so… normal. And I just kind of got it, you know?”
Dick felt all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings start floating around his body. He hadn’t known anyone had seen them. Normally they kept their relationship on the down low, and had purposefully avoided the Watchtower. It just didn’t feel appropriate, not when they both had flats (in different cities, but near enough by Zeta tube). He had been embarrassed at the time, but they were both so tired from a night of organising several teams to tackle different Riddler clues before something ‘puzzling’ was supposed to blow up, that it had just happened.
“I have never really seen what the confusion was,” said Connor blandly. “I’m just glad they’re happy.”
“I think most people are, after some time to get used to the idea. Dick seems more okay now, you know? More sane.”
And that was Dick’s cue to cut Bart off. He would tell Wally everything, but he didn’t think that the Speedster really needed a teaser trailer right now.
He rounded the corner, trailing his fingers down the steel wall with one hand, and entered the briefing room.
It was empty.
Dick lurched awake, the sheets clinging damply to his body. The blinds were drawn, but a pale morning light was seeping through them, adding a washed-out halo to the contents of the small room. He was breathing quick and shallow, and there was a heavy feeling of absence in his gut. It was like he’d either swallowed a large rock or a small black hole. He lifted up one of his hands. It was trembling.
It was just a dream. It was just a dream.
He rolled over, unsticking himself from the bedding, and got out of bed as quietly as possible. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants he’d left lying on floor.
“What’s wrong?” Kaldur’s voice was gummy with sleep. Apparently he had not been quiet enough.
Dick sat back down on the edge of the thin mattress, as Kaldur propped himself up on one elbow. He didn’t say anything, but reached out one hand. Kaldur took it in his. They sat like that for a timeless period, surrounded by the morning dust motes beginning their daily drifting. This was how they communicated.
“Just a dream. I’m only getting a glass of water. Go back to sleep.”
After he’d made the short trip past the bathroom and into the cramped kitchen, where the tap squeaked and he waited for the water to run for ten seconds before raising his glass to the stream, he placed the cup on the bedside table and tumbled back between the sheets. Kaldur had not returned to sleep. He never did. Instead, he rubbed the mattress beside him. Dick gladly wiggled until his back was flush against Kaldur’s broad chest, and Kaldur wrapped a heavy arm over top of him.
They were silent again. They were silent a lot, Dick realised, but it was always a good silence. They said a lot when they were silent. He’d never known what that meant before now, not really. He knew the sort of silent communication of Batman and Robin, where both knew each other so well they barely had to signal; but really talking was different. This was different. This was with your body and your heart.
Kaldur kissed his neck, twice, and nuzzled underneath his hair. It was getting long, too long.
“What was the dream about?”
Dick was having trouble visualising it, now. It was fading, bleeding like dye off of a paper in the rain. There were only shreds of information, the very tactile sense of smooth steel under his fingers. People talking. Red and yellow. Wally.
He rolled over, so he was looking Kaldur in the face. Their legs tangled together, Dick’s sweatpants getting in the way.
“I don’t remember. But you’re right. We should tell the team. About us.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They kissed, and Dick tucked his head under Kaldur’s chin. They fell asleep like that for a half-hour before Dick’s Saturday morning alarm went off, and for that time everything was alright with the world. Or at least, as alright as it could be.