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The soft drizzle accompanied by distant rumbling of thunder caused Zatanna to stir. Her lashes brushed against the white pillowcase as she cracked an eye open. It was still dark outside, in part due to the stubborn clouds, and the streets remained quiet. This fortunately meant she didn't need to leave her warm, comfortable position any time soon.
She slowly let out a breath when she noticed her window was left open, the wind disturbing her sheer curtains. The echoes of thunder sounded again, and a swift breeze swept through the room. The open window explained the usually dampened noise from outside as well as the arm slung over her waist. Zatanna closed her eyes and smiled to herself as the man beside her breathed softly, fast asleep and entirely unaware of her attention now fixed upon him. She shifted to face him and raised a hand, barely running her thumb across his cheek. His face looked worn down, a slight frown on his lips and faint shadows stretched under his eyes. It wasn't unusual, and more often than not, they were both left exhausted from the never-ending missions and sleepless nights that came with them. Her gaze fell upon his chest, the emblem of his uniform half covered by one of her spare blankets. His other hand rested between them and Zatanna moved to place her hand atop his gently before falling back asleep, her breath slowing and matching his own.
Down below, the city was alive as commuters hustled off to work, the road noise and commotion very much apparent. Multiple little chirps sounded a few windows down, the young blue chicks hungry for their breakfast. Zatanna tried to blink the sleep out of her eyes and felt a body shift beside hers. Dark blue met cyan and she smiled.
“Good morning,” she whispered, brushing some of his dark curls from his eyes.
“Zee,” he hummed before moving to cup her cheek. “Good morning.” Dick sighed happily and shifted closer. He took in her pretty features, the soft curve of her pink lips, twinkle in her bright eyes, faint blush across her nose. “Every morning with you is a good morning.” She closed the distance and melted as he pulled her into his arms, very much in agreement with his statement.
“Long night?” She rested against his chest motioning to his still donned black and blue suit. He sighed and nodded, closing his eyes as he sunk back into the pillows.
“Unfortunately. It was already midmorning by the time I got back and I about passed out on the way as is.” Dick chuckled lightly, stifling a yawn, and ran a hand through his messy hair before drawing little circles on the magician’s back. She hadn’t heard when he arrived but could imagine how exhausted he must still be. Still a little tired herself, Zatanna leaned forward and planted a light kiss on the side of his mouth before lowering herself back onto his solid frame.
“I’m happy you’re home.” As she spoke, her breath tickled his neck and he drew his arms tighter, pulling her ever closer. Zatanna rested her head into the crook of his neck, breathing in the mixture of the city and him.
He had been out almost every night the past couple of weeks and rarely returned before Zatanna turned in for the night. She understood without a doubt all that came with their respective jobs and duties, though she’d still wait up an extra few minutes every time in case he might have an earlier night. Last night was no different.
It had stormed through most of the night, beginning shortly before the magician finally turned in. The leftovers had been put back into the fridge long ago, no word from Dick as he had been called out a few hours earlier. She had been tucked into the corner of her couch, a few pillows positioned behind her in an effort to better support her tired frame. The fireplace across the way flickered and cast long shadows around the expanse of the room. The League had her looking into some assignments that required quite intense sorcery skills. She was putting in additional hours outside of her already busy schedule to read up on what knowledge she was lacking, and it was quickly becoming too much at once for her brain to handle. With a deep sigh, Zatanna set aside the spell books and stretched her legs out from under her. She checked her phone one last time for any word from Dick before heading towards the shower.
Zatanna let the hot water run, almost burning her back as she soaked up the warmth. She lost track of time as her thoughts wandered. Fingers long since pruned and hair soaking wet, she stepped onto the bathroom rug and wrapped a towel around herself. The weather had begun to cool significantly as fall quickly approached. Trees were fading from green to yellow and orange while summer fashion was now layered with sweaters and scarves. Her broken heater had been repaired just last week, and she was no longer shivering every night even with two layers of clothing and a mountain of blankets. Slipping into loose pants and a lavender silk tank, Zatanna buried herself within her cocoon of covers and quilts.
A few quick flashes lit up the room before a low ripple of thunder rolled across the city. She murmured a quick spell turning all the lights out and settled into her mound of pillows, sending a glance toward the window. Falsely, she hoped that Nightwing would be able to retire for the night and slip inside before getting soaked to the bone. When she was proved wrong with no obvious movement past her curtains, Zatanna finally closed her eyes, tucking her arms up near her head under the covers. A few moments passed and the rain falling onto the side of the apartment building provided a restful sleep as she drifted off. The spells practiced repeatedly all evening mingled with the other million thoughts running through her head, and slowly, her worries were swept away with the steady rainstorm.
She snapped out of her thoughts as Dick grabbed one of her hands and began pressing soft kisses to her knuckles. Sunlight was starting to filter into the bedroom as the clouds began to clear. Zatanna was not sure how long she had spaced out, and with Dick remaining motionless for so long, she figured maybe he had fallen back asleep. She held these quiet moments close, tucking the warm feeling away in her heart for safekeeping as they were few and far between. His chest moved beneath her as he took a breath and rested his cheek against her bedhead. “I think I’m feeling rested enough now thanks to my favorite personal heater,” he paused as she raised her head, meeting his eyes. “Maybe after I get cleaned up, we can grab some breakfast?” Dick grinned when Zatanna leaned forward and kissed his nose. His smile was infectious as she moved closer and slipped her arms around his neck, her fingertips messing with the hem of his suit collar.
“I would love that.” Her gaze dropped to his lips and a soft whisper left her own. “But first,” Dick felt the weight of her chest press into his own as she leaned in, the invisible gravitational force pulling her ever closer. He smirked before running his hands along her back and sides, his lips a breath away from hers. Their lips met in the middle, soft and tender before giving way to something deeper. Zatanna dug her fingers farther into his curls and sighed into his open mouth as his touch warmed her to the core.
She’d since long forgotten about the window, allowing the cool morning air to filter into her apartment and chill their flushed skin. In this moment, all she cared about was the man in front of her, safe and warm and loved.