Chapter Text
i.
Everyone was still holding her when it hit her, a wave of exhaustion so strong her knees almost gave out. In one day she’d visited the mysterious world of the Red, tracked down a CADMUS agent, charged up a volatile weapon, seen Conner dead, been mind controlled, drained of her power against her will and killed a man by unleashing an energy blast that probably almost killed her too.
“Kory? You okay?” Rachel leaned back slightly and looked at her with concern.
Despite her fatigue, Kory couldn’t help the sudden wave of emotion as she looked at her girl standing in front of her. She was no longer the small, scared fifteen year old that Kory had first met almost two years ago. The young woman before her was so different, so much stronger.
“I could sleep for a week,” Kory replied.
Rachel nodded, and Kory felt Dick’s arm circle her waist further, keeping her steady. It felt almost too natural, too normal, and she promised herself that they would talk about it when they were all rested up.
For now, there was nothing to do but find some warm beds for the night. They made their way through the ghost town that was S.T.A.R. Labs, picked up Bernard on the way, and went back to the RV. It was all Kory could do to deactivate her suit and curl up on one the couches in the back of their vehicle. Dick drove and Rachel called shotgun. Tim, Bernard, and Conner gave her a little space, but Krypto settled down with his head in her lap immediately, as if he knew what she’d been through today. Gar, too, sat right next to her and offered a weak smile, and Kory noted his tear-stained face, his tired eyes.
“You okay?” She asked him, and that brought a real smile to his face.
“You’re the one asking me? Yeah, I’m fine. I hated the idea of losing you even for a minute,” he ran a hand through his hair, “But you’re okay. That’s all that matters.”
“Yes, I’m okay,” Kory nudged Gar’s shoulder, “We’re all okay.”
Kory spent the remainder of the short drive forcing herself to stay awake, aware of how desperately she wanted to shower and collapse into a bed. Although everyone had de-suited, they were all smudged and dirty and exhausted, with not just the exertion of a fight, but days of fear and frustration to wash away before they could rest.
When they got to the hotel and parked in the lot, Bernard, the kids, and the dog ran straight out the RV door towards the entrance, but Dick hung back and took Kory by the arm gently.
“I’m going to get three rooms for everyone else. Do you want your own?”
Kory regarded him, the blood on his lip, the dark makeup still staining his eyes, the tiredness. And she smiled, because beneath it all, his expression was so earnest.
In answer, she stepped up and took his face, kissing him for the third time that night. Something that, before today, they hadn’t done in well over a year. He responded fully, hands gently caressing her waist, and Kory held back another smile as she leaned her forehead against his.
“No. We can share.”
Dick smiled then, finally, and reached up to take her by the hand. “Okay.”
They followed everyone else into the lobby hand in hand, and Dick only let go when he went up to the desk to book the rooms. One for Tim and Bernard, one for Gar and Conner and Krypto, one for Rachel, and one for them.
When they got up to the correct floor, Gar and Rachel each gave Kory a last, long hug before they departed to their separate rooms. She was reminded again why she’d done what she did: Brother Blood had been trying to destroy the people and the place she loved. But by killing him, she’d almost taken herself away from them, the two teenagers she loved so dearly, to whom she was the closest thing they had left to a mother. And from him, Dick, who’d do anything for her. Who she’d seen herself having a future with, and it was a future she craved so deeply.
But she was okay, they were all okay, so she let the tiredness and contentment wash over her as she watched everyone enter their rooms and reached for Dick’s hand once more, pulling him to their own door.
Dick’s body screamed with fatigue, he could still taste blood, his head was ringing and his arm ached terribly from where Sebastian had almost broken it. And still, looking at the woman next to him, he knew she was even more tired, even more weary after the weight of the world had been on her shoulders. He told Kory to shower first and she disappeared into the bathroom as he took their things to the bed.
There was probably so much to do, he had to make sure someone was informed about the mass of deaths in S.T.A.R. Labs, Kory’s vitals and stability really should be checked over, and the Titans still needed to get back to San Francisco. But in the moment he felt powerless except to be able to make sure Kory got a good night’s rest after everything.
He quickly found a satiny set of pajamas in her things and approached the bathroom door, where he could already hear the shower running. He knocked lightly and listened as she turned off the water.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got clothes for you here,” he said, opening the door just a crack. The room was steamy and he couldn’t see her, with the shower curtain drawn.
“Oh, thank you. I won’t be long.”
Dick set the folded clothes down on the counter and backed out of the room, pulling the door shut.
As soon as he was back in the bedroom alone, the compulsive urge overcame him to do something, anything. Check on Rachel, call Donna, make sure the RV was safe, anything. But he resisted, waiting for Kory. When she emerged from the bathroom, clothed in her green satin, face clean and bare, eyes heavy, he smiled at her.
“Come on,” he stood and gently reached for her, and she went to him, letting him circle her waist again and walk her over to the bed.
He pulled back the covers and she climbed in without hesitation, cocooning herself in the comforter, her magenta hair spreading out over the pillow. Her eyes were already closing as he knelt by her, reaching out to stroke her face gently.
She was okay. The world was okay and she was okay, and he couldn’t have asked for anything else. She was probably already falling asleep fast, so he took one last look at her before he turned to use the bathroom himself.
Twenty minutes later, showered and in more comfortable clothes, Dick finally joined her, settling himself next to her as she lay there, eyes still shut. They hadn’t shared a bed since the night after the asylum, and Dick remembered that all too clearly. They’d barely sent the kids off to bed when Kory had appeared in his doorway, and he hadn’t questioned it. He hadn’t wanted to be alone either, left with just his thoughts and memories. So they’d helped each other shower and wash away the day’s trauma, and neither had even paused when they inevitably met in the middle, his mouth on hers again. He’d later given her his shirt to wear to sleep so she wouldn’t be cold, and he remembered now almost wanting to hold her as they drifted off to sleep, to keep her close, to let her know that whatever this was, it could be more.
But he hadn’t, and she hadn’t tried to get any closer to him either. They’d slept apart, and woke apart, and even then he’d taken a minute to admire her there in his bed, how she’d looked in his shirt and how beautiful she was even when asleep.
Now, almost a couple years down the line, he finally wasn’t exactly scared of being close to her. Maybe it was because he’d almost watched her die, and the fear of letting her fully in seemed like nothing compared to the fear of losing her forever.
Kory mumbled, opened her eyes slightly, and saw him there. She was still restless, clearly, fighting the deeper pulls of sleep. But she smiled as she looked at him, and that was all the invitation he needed to open his arms to her. She settled right into him, closing her eyes again, and Dick reached over and turned off the dim lamp as he burrowed down into the bed with her.
Finally, with both their heads resting on soft pillows and nothing but the city lights outside illuminating the room ever so slightly, he said what was on his mind. “I’m so glad I didn’t lose you.”
“Mhm,” Kory shifted slightly. “Goodnight, Grayson.”
Dick smiled, and finally let the haze of sleep overcome him.
Kory smelled coffee before she even opened her eyes. When she did, she was surprised to see Rachel rather than Dick; the girl was perched on the bed a foot away, scrolling on her phone. When she noticed Kory sitting up, she smiled wide.
“Morning,” Rachel reached over to the nightstand and picked up a cup. “Here’s yours.”
Kory blinked, adjusting herself on the mattress, and accepted the coffee. “How long have I…?”
Rachel sipped from her own cup and grinned. “It’s almost midday. And before you get mad, Dick told us to let you sleep as long as you needed.”
“Of course he did,” Kory said, shaking her head. “Where is he?”
“He and Tim and Bernard went back to the labs to do damage control. Practically the whole city is swarming the place,” Rachel bit her lip. “It has to get running again so you and Conner can get checked.”
Kory nodded. “Yeah, I guess. But I think I’m fine.”
“Try telling Dick that,” Rachel tilted her head a little. “He really didn’t want to leave you while you were asleep. But I told him I’d take care of you. Gar and Conner are on breakfast duty.”
“Thanks, Rach,” Kory offered a smile. “The coffee was a good start.”
Kory quickly drained her cup and excused herself to use the bathroom and brush her teeth. When she came back into the room, Krypto had made an appearance, making himself comfortable on the bed, nuzzling into Rachel’s leg.
“Is he even allowed to be up here?” Kory asked, sitting back on the bedspread and scratching him between the ears. Rachel shrugged, and Kory could see that she looked like she wanted to say something. “What?”
Rachel hesitated, then it came out in a rush. “I know I said before that it’s none of my business, but I’m happy for you two.”
Kory felt her cheeks warm up, suddenly realizing with a sleep-refreshed clarity that she and Dick really had kissed in front of all the kids yesterday.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Rachel nodded, earnest. “I’ve always been able to feel everything you feel when I’m around you. I mean, all of you.”
Kory smiled, a little abashed. “Oh yeah, there are no secrets with you.”
“No, so I knew it the first time. I knew Dick liked you, I’ve known he has all along.”
Kory resisted the urge to cover her face thinking about Rachel being aware of their little fling the first time around.
“But I really felt it, when I absorbed his visions in the Lazarus pit. That future he wanted.”
Kory nodded. “I felt it when I saw it too. I’m glad we have a chance now to figure it out.”
Rachel leaned over and hugged Kory, who immediately hugged her back. She’d missed her so much more than she’d thought possible when Rachel departed to Themyscira, and having her back gave her this warm, comforting glow in her chest. Knowing she was safe and that, hopefully, she wouldn’t have to worry anymore for a while.
“Are you okay? After everything?” Kory asked when they leaned back.
“I am,” Rachel quirked her mouth sideways. “I mean, I guess I should be sad that my only living relative was, like, evil. And now he’s gone. But… family isn’t just blood, I think we all know that better than anyone.”
Kory gently pushed a lock of hair back from Rachel’s face, looking into those blue eyes, still young, but worlds wiser than they had once been.
“We do. And now we’re going to be a family all together, back at home.”
Rachel froze, there was something right there on her face, something she was trying to hide, and Kory burst out laughing.
“For someone who can read everyone else’s feelings, you’re terrible at hiding your own. Out with it.”
Rachel giggled, shaking her head.
“Whatever!” She smiled, but inhaled deeply. “Okay, so, I was thinking I could apply for college.”
Kory opened her mouth, surprised, then she took Rachel’s hand.
“Rachel, you should! That’s amazing!”
“Yeah,” Rachel looked down, her face shy. “I know I haven’t officially been in school for a while, but I could finish my senior year at home with you guys. Then maybe… if I get into college I could just try to be a normal kid. For a while.”
Kory squeezed her girl’s hand and nodded. “It’s the least you deserve. I’ll do anything I can to help.”
Rachel smiled widely, and Krypto’s head lifted and his tail wagged. Kory took that as approval.
“So true, Krypto. We are going to get Rachel into college.”
The dog barked in agreement. Gar and Conner chose that moment to come strolling into the room, a sweet smelling pastry bag in hand.
“What’s going on?” Gar asked, looking at the two of them with a frown.
Rachel quickly shot Kory a look that told Kory it was a secret for now.
“Nothing,” Kory turned back to Gar and smiled. “Nothing at all.”