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15 years ago, Richard Grayson laid his eyes upon Rachel Roth for the very first time.
They both went by different names back then, something necessary considering their line of work. His eyes were covered by the black-and-white domino mask he always wore, while she tried to figure out anything about the man behind it.
There was nothing special about the very day they met. They saw each other for the first time, exchanged names, shook hands, and that was the end of it.
…
5 weeks later, Richard Grayson saw Rachel Roth in a different light.
She was still using a different name back then, but she was no longer a complete stranger. He learned that she didn’t talk much, but despite her aloof behaviour, he knew that she cared about others. She cared about other people the same way he did.
The realization hits him while they’re seated right next to each other on the sofa. They just came back from a particularly tiresome mission, and he can still remember the way she glanced at him after a harsh blow while they were at the battlefield.
A brief glance that conveyed her concern despite how hard she tried not to show it.
There was nothing really special about that day too, but he thinks that he can pinpoint the exact moment he looked at her and saw her as a friend.
…
5 years after that, Richard Grayson has no more difficulty picking out Rachel Roth no matter where they are and who they’re with.
It wasn’t something particularly surprising. They were friends, after all. It was merely a sign of how strong their friendship has become.
The titans east came for a surprise visit, and their living room was quite lively at the time–some might even say it was rowdy. He remembers needing her opinion on something, and before he even thought about it, his feet carried him straight to her.
She only gave him an amused stare as he rapidly discussed whatever it was that occupied his mind at the time. He notices her eyes on him, and before he could complain that she wasn’t listening, she gave out what he could only call a giggle.
He knows that she was thinking about his ‘obsessiveness’ when it came to things he was passionate about, but the more she looked like she was trying to hold back her laughter, the more he found himself not really caring about the teasing.
He tried pretending that he was annoyed, but the corner of his lips betrayed his smile. He did like seeing her smile.
There was still nothing special about that day, except for her. Although, in his mind, he has always known that there’s something special about her.
…
Another 5 years after that, Richard Grayson risks never seeing Rachel Roth again.
There was no certainty whether she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Rachel was his friend, and if it was only him who saw her as something more, he might lose her and never see her again.
Still, he couldn’t help himself from looking at her longingly, knowing that he’d spend his entire life in agony if she never got to know just how much she meant to him.
He takes the risk and hopes for the best. He’d rather get his heart broken than never let her know. He’d be ruined either way.
There are two ways it could end. He either never sees her again, or he’d get to see her as much as he wants.
…
Today, Richard Grayson covers his eyes as the rays of sunlight slip past the blinds in his room.
He realizes that it’s futile, so he decides to just lay his eyes upon the woman caged in his warm embrace. Every single day, after he wakes up in the morning and opens his eyes, he remembers the Rachel Roth he first saw 15 years ago and gives the Rachel Roth currently in his arms a kiss to her forehead.
They have never been openly affectionate around other people, but there was no way they’d start the day in a different manner now. It’s a part of their routine at this point. Richard wakes up, he gives her a kiss, and waits for her to open her eyes. She wakes up, looks at him, and then playfully flicks his forehead. She has always been a light sleeper, so she always knows whenever he gives her a kiss.
Despite how much they have grown from the bantering teenagers they used to be, Rachel would still never admit that she does, in fact, enjoy his kisses. Instead, she hides her head under his chin and pretends his affections have no effect on her even though the both of them know just how untrue that is.
Maybe half an hour more and they’d have to get up. For now, though, they stay pressed against each other, both content with the warmth.
Sometimes he wonders what would’ve happened if he didn’t take the risk, but now that he got to see her more, and he got to see more of her, he doesn’t regret it one bit. He may be the one who can’t keep his eyes off her, but she saw him, too. They have always seen right through each other, after all.
Richard Grayson started his journey on discovering the best way to wake up 15 years ago, by laying his eyes upon the woman he wanted to fall asleep next to.