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At twenty-six, Dick Grayson had participated in more than his fair share of courtship runs. For most people, the thrill wore off after the first or second time, if they’d been interested in it at all, but not Dick. He attended his first one the year he became eligible for it at sixteen and hadn’t skipped out on any of the runs since. There was something thrilling about it. The opportunity to let go and run, soar, fly away from any Alpha who took the opportunity to pursue him.
He was the Untouchable One, holding the record for most Runs completed without getting caught.
“Why not let someone catch you?” someone had asked him once.
Dick had smiled and ruffled the young Alpha’s hair. “That would take the fun out of it! And besides… I want whoever catches me to do it based on their own skill and not because I’ve taken pity on them. It wouldn’t be fair for either of us otherwise.”
He reminded himself of that fact every time he came out on the other side without a partner.
There was a month to go until his tenth year of running, and Dick was sitting in a local cafe with one of his adoptive brothers, who was agonizing over filling out his own form for the run that year. Tim looked less than his usual polished self, his pin-straight hair teased from the number of times he’d run a hand through it, and his lip gloss smeared from taking overly large gulps of coffee.
“It’s such an archaic tradition and I don’t see why we have to keep putting up with it,” Tim complained, glaring at his phone. “No offense, Dick. I know you enjoy it, but it’s just so… so - you know!”
“You could skip this year,” Dick reminded him.
Of-age Omega’s had until their twenty-first birthday to participate in a Courtship Run. It was a recent change to the law, as the limit had been eighteen when Dick started out, and it was only because of the tireless campaign for Omega rights that they’d made it even that far. Some people viewed it as a fantastic display of progress, while others claimed the fact that the Runs still existed at all to be a threat of how easily the rights they’d fought for could be stripped away again in an instant.
And then there was Tim, catastrophizing over the ordeal.
Tim grumbled into his coffee. “I can’t skip it. Bernard was so excited when I told him I was thinking about going and getting it over with this year. He probably already has his forms submitted! I can’t let him down.”
Ah, Bernard Dowd. The boyfriend.
A sweet guy, if not a bit odd with his conspiracy theories about giant bat men protecting the city under the cover of night and clowns operating smuggling rings out of the sewers. Pretty harmless conspiracies, if you asked Dick, though he and Tim did tend to find their way into trouble because of them more often than not.
Still, Dick knew enough to say that Bernard would never even think to take advantage of Tim’s secondary gender. He’d be a great partner for Tim’s first (and likely only) Run.
Unless…
“Tim, he’s not pressuring you into this, is he?” Dick asked.
“What? No, of course not!” Tim refuted with zero hesitation. “He didn’t even bring it up until I did. And he asked if I wanted him as my partner. We’re dating and he still checked to make sure I didn’t want to ask Conner or Cassie instead.”
Ah, the Fallback Plan. Since only a single date was required for any Omega caught before the end of their run, many Omega’s chose to ask a friend to join them, which eliminated the risk of having to spend time with someone they didn’t like. Dick had utilized his own during his first run and asked an Alpha friend from Camp Titan to be his partner. Funny, in a way, that Tim had considered his own friends from that same camp.
Dick took a sip of his drink as he mulled over the best way to help Tim. “So, you have someone you trust to do the run with. You’ve also got me, also running on the same day. And you’ve got my advice, along with advice from everyone else I’m assuming you asked.”
Tim’s cheeks turned a soft pink.
“Help me understand the problem, because I’m having a hard time seeing what it is.”
Tim took a deep breath. “What if Bernard isn’t the one who catches me? What if someone else jumps ahead of him or he’s sick and can’t make it? What if I get out there and change my mind or start to panic or trip and fall and make a fool of myself during the run? I’ll be an embarrassment to the Wayne name!”
“Okay, first of all, no one is a bigger embarrassment to this family than Bruce himself with his ‘charming himbo’ routine, so you don’t need to worry about that,” Dick said. “And, Tim, there are so many rules and regulations in place to prevent all of those things you’re worried about. If Bernard is, for whatever reason, unable to make it or you change your mind, you’re allowed to drop out at any point before the run starts. Hell, I’ve seen cases where an Omega has dropped out in the middle of a run! If you’re still nervous about that happening, you can still ask one of your friends to sign up as a backup.”
Tim slumped in his seat and seemed to slide down more and more as Dick spoke, a sure sign that he was already aware of all of that and was hoping for a different answer. (He’d probably hoped that Dick would tell him not to attend at all, to give it another year.)
“I’m telling Bruce you called him a himbo,” the teen said quietly.
“I think I’d rather stand up on this table and shout it for everyone to hear. Do you think we could have it circulate TikTok and reach him by dinner?”
Tim cracked a tiny grin, which was exactly what Dick was hoping for.
Dick drained the rest of his coffee and leaned forward conspiratorially. “I know what will make you feel better. You and I are going home to make a battle plan.”
Tim narrowed his eyes. “What kind of battle plan are we talking about?”
“The kind that we’re going to need reinforcements for,” Dick said with a grin, knowing that phrasing it in that way did absolutely nothing to clear things up for Tim.
Was he talking about a plan for messing with Bruce? Was it for the run? Was it for something else entirely?
“Reinforcements?”
“Reinforcements,” Dick agreed as he stood up, loudly scooting his chair across the floor. He drew in a deep breath and barely gave Tim a second to catch on to what he was about to do before shouting —
“Bruce Wayne is a himbo!”
Long gone were the days of requiring Alphas and Omegas participating in the Courtship Run to wear only enough clothing to cover “indecent” body parts. For modern Runs, the choice of what to wear was left to the individual.
Dick had thought he was making the clever choice for his first Run by picking work-out shorts and a tank top, and while it had allowed for greater flexibility in his movements, it also left him vulnerable to the grasping, sharp-tipped branches and thorns of the forest and he ended that first Run with cuts all along his arms and legs. The year after that, he wisely went with long pants and sleeves.
Since then, he’d designed his own uniform for the event. It’d been Bruce’s idea to play up his status as an Unclaimed and Dick was happy to step into the spotlight.
His first uniform was bold, flashy, comprised of bright red, green, and yellow. He’d even included a detachable cape! He wore it for four years with little change to the pattern or colors and then decided to switch it up for something in shades of blue, a gold accent, and a plunging neckline that Bruce nearly grounded him for. It lasted two years before the committee in charge of running the Courtship Run passed a mandate requiring all Omega’s to cover their necks to prevent any biting from occurring.
His third and final uniform started out as solid black with only a bright blue bird plastered over his chest. It had the required high neck and Bruce even made sure it was reinforced to be absolutely sure that no one could take advantage of his oldest son. In its second year, the bird became a chevron, stretching out to his shoulders and mirrored on his back. He added blue soles to his boots and blue palms to his gloves.
Which brought him to his tenth year and the newest iteration of his running uniform. He’d kept most of his changes from the year before, but added a stripe of blue down his arms and extending onto his middle and ring fingers of each hand.
In it, he felt untouchable .
Dick grinned down at Tim, who was clad in the fourth version of the red, green, and yellow uniform he once wore. He seemed to draw some strength from it, as he no longer looked to be seconds away from puking and was instead anxiously scanning the crowd on the other side of the fence, which separated Alphas and Omegas.
“There’s Bernard,” Tim said suddenly. His expression brightened at the sight of his boyfriend.
Dick followed his gaze to see the young blond Alpha, who lifted a hand in greeting and mouthed something that Dick couldn’t quite catch, but that had Tim’s cheeks turning beet red and furiously mouthing something back.
Bernard tossed his head back in a laugh.
Dick chuckled and was about to salute back to Bernard, when his eyes caught on an Alpha just behind the teen. He was tall and broad-shouldered with short dark hair that curled at the ends. The man was dressed in gray cargos and a sleeveless black turtleneck which was covered by an open, red hooded vest.
And he was staring directly at Tim.
Dick bristled and stepped in front of his brother, shielding him from the unwanted attention. He caught sight of a wide smirk just as a gong sounded and he was forced to tear his gaze away to the front gate as a pair of timers began their countdown: ten seconds on the Omega side and twenty for the Alphas.
“Just remember our plan,” Dick reminded his brother. “I’ll stick close until Bernard gets to you.”
“You’re not allowed to sacrifice yourself for me,” Tim reminded him sharply.
Dick just offered him a smile and pushed him forward, joining their fellow Omegas as they spread out across the gate, each vying for the best position to get a clean break.
Beyond the gate stretched roughly three acres of open field, cut down to a manageable height, which backed up against multiple acres of wooded forest. Dick knew from his previous runs that swaths of it were regularly cleared of underbrush, carving winding paths around the trees that were perfect for a clever Omega to take advantage of. And somewhere beyond those trees was the finish line, which Dick would cross unimpeded before the end of the day.
A second gong went off and the gate dropped, releasing the Omegas to begin their run across the field.
Dick matched his pace to Tim’s as they veered to the right, which took them on the longer route to reach the forest, but also away from the pack of Alphas who would soon be on their heels. Together, the pair flew across the field, outpacing the rest of the runners without a stumble in their step and Dick grinned victoriously when the third and final gong echoed behind them just as they passed into the woods.
They followed one of the winding paths for a short distance before Dick led them to veer off-course, carefully pushing their way through thornless plants to reach an area that no one would think to search for - not unless they were already aware of it.
There, they dropped beneath cover and hid, waiting for Bernard to arrive.
“You really don’t have to risk yourself like this,” Tim whispered once he caught his breath. His pale blue eyes were wide as he turned his head to look at Dick.
Dick simply lifted a finger to his lips.
Like hell he’d leave Tim alone, especially when there was a chance that an Alpha who wasn’t Bernard could be trying to track him down. No, Dick would be sticking close to the younger Omega’s side until he was sure it was safe. Then , and only then, would he complete the run by racing for the finish line.
They waited in silence, listening for any sign that someone was approaching where they hid. Dick could hear excited squeals in the distance, the crunch of leaves beneath feet, birds squawking loudly as they were disturbed by runners. And then came a subtle shifting of leaves and a familiar voice whispering:
“Tim?”
“Bernard!”
Tim broke cover before Dick could say a word of warning and ran into his boyfriend’s arms, colliding with him with a soft ooph! Around their wrists, the electronic bracelets they were beeped twice and then glowed green, signifying a proper end to their Run.
Dick broke his own cover as he got to his feet, giving them a nod of acknowledgeable as he prepared to continue, but the look on Bernard’s face gave him pause.
The blond rapidly paled when he saw Dick standing there. “Run!”
Dick didn’t hesitate.
He turned and bolted through the underbrush, his uniform allowing him to cut through it unscathed, and just in time as crunching sounded behind him. He allowed himself a little grin - finally, a challenge .
He hadn’t had a good challenge in years .
Dick pushed through to another path and followed along it, using it to his advantage to put more distance between him and his pursuer. Once he was sure he wasn’t in immediate danger, he chanced a look back.
It was the Alpha who he caught staring at Tim before the start of the Run.
Or rather, who he thought was staring at Tim.
It’d made the most sense at the time. Tim was cute. A slender and soft-looking teen who embodied the traditional look of a male Omega. He’d gotten several looks on their walk into the starting arena and Dick knew even before then that Bernard would have competition - it was why they came up with a plan (and multiple back-up plans).
In comparison, while Dick was an appropriate height, he was muscular in a way that few Alphas genuinely found attractive. He was also older and his record of going unclaimed in the Run for so long turned another slew of Alphas away. There were still those who tried, of course. Bragging rights for anyone who managed to catch him would be astronomical, but it was more about getting to brag about it than any interest in going on a date with Dick that pushed them to chase after him.
Well, if his red-hooded mystery Alpha wanted those bragging rights, he’d have to earn it.
Dick found it within himself to push his legs harder, faster as he took the twists and turns of the path like a pro. But no matter how fast he went or how many sharp turns or leaps he made, cutting across to alternate paths or using low-hanging branches to swing over obstacles in his path, the Alpha remained hot on his heels.
It was exhilarating.
But as good as the Alpha was, Dick was better.
He knew the woods. He knew how much farther he had to go before he reached the end. Victory was well within his grasp.
There was a river that cut through the northeastern corner of the forest. And while there was a bridge along a main path to help cross over it, Dick was leading the Alpha down a smaller path that would lead to what most people would consider a dead end.
But Dick also knew that there was a tree at the end of the path and that it had branches that were the perfect height and strength for him to put all of his acrobatics into play and swing himself to safety - and then victory.
His legs and lungs burned from exertion, his body screaming for him to slow down, but he couldn’t do that. Not when he was so close.
The end was in sight.
He could make it!
Dick saw the branch. He could see the drop down to the river and the sluggishly flowing water below. It wasn’t so deep or so fast that someone couldn’t wade across, but it would slow them down and give Dick all the time he needed to complete his escape.
He leaped for the branch and used the momentum to cross the 8-foot gap, easily landing on the other side of the bank without struggle. He slowed a little, confident that the new obstacle would bring the Alpha to a stop, just like it’d done in the past, but when he risked a look back it was to the sight of the Alpha following along his exact path.
His jaw dropped as the young man grasped the branch and then flipped in midair before landing.
The look the Alpha gave him when he caught his eyes was downright feral with delight.
Dick focused his attention forward.
He could still make it. He just had to push his body a little more.
He could see the edge of the forest ahead. Beyond that, twin flag poles and a chalk line painted across the grass. There was a crowd of people waiting to see who would make it to the end - waiting to see him. A large screen displayed the results thus far, providing what little information it could to the spectators.
His chest hurt.
His legs felt numb.
He was so close!
Dick broke through the boundary of the forest to the sound of excited cheers.
Just a thousand or so feet left.
His vision began to darken at the edges, but he pressed on anyway, driven forward by sheer stubbornness and the need to prove that he could beat his own record.
And then Dick tripped.
And the Alpha was there.
An arm settled around his waist, pulling him flush against a solid chest and then they both went down. Dick braced himself for the impact, tucking his chest against his chest, but instead found himself rolled on top of the Alpha, who took the worst of the fall.
The crowd fell silent.
The bracelets beeped twice and Dick looked at his in utter shock as it glowed green.
It was over.
“You alright?” asked the Alpha, a little breathless.
Dick jerked his head up to stare at the man, taking in his features up close for the first time. He was rather handsome, with his thick black hair and dark blue eyes. A smattering of freckles dusted his nose, crooked in a way that indicated it had been broken at least once before. He seemed more stunned than anything, like he couldn’t quite believe that he was lying on the ground with Dick in his arms.
Or maybe Dick was projecting his own feelings.
The roar of the crowd broke him from his stupor and he mumbled something as he shakily got back to his feet. His legs immediately protested and he deeply considered planting himself right back down in the grass for a well-deserved rest, but it’d be so much nicer to go find a shady area to sit and sip on the complimentary drinks that the committee provided for all of the runners.
After a momentary hesitation, he held his hand out to the Alpha and helped him to his feet.
“You, uh, your flip was really good. Right there at the end. I didn’t expect that,” Dick complimented.
The Alpha’s expression brightened and he offered Dick a grin. “I got into gymnastics during high school. My foster mom encouraged it. Said it’d be better for me than any martial arts program considering how often… um, let’s just say I used to cause a bit of trouble.”
Dick found himself grinning back as they slowly made their way toward the concessions. “I grew up in the circus. Family of aerialists. I’m Dick Grayson, by the way.”
“Jason Todd.”
At last, a name to go along with a handsome face.
Dick blushed a little at the thought and cast another glance at Jason. The Alpha was tall - maybe not the same height as Bruce, but close - and clearly had a workout routine that he adhered to. He was far from the muscle-head out for the glory of catching Dick that the Omega had expected and he was honestly glad for it. There was an honesty to Jason that he liked, and though they’d only met and it was hard to tell what kind of person the Alpha was after exchanging only a few words, Dick had a hunch he was going to enjoy spending time with him.
His smile grew wider when they got to the drink table and Jason made sure Dick got the first pick.
Dick was definitely looking forward to their date.