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Clouds lingered in hazy streaks as the sun's rays tried in vain to banish them before it disappeared below the horizon; a cloudless night sky lay in its wake. While it couldn’t be said that Jump City was unpleasant—easy beach access and long warm summers were just a few of its many perks—during the winter, the fog seemed almost tangible, seeping into your bones and refusing to budge.
At least it's not Gotham, Dick thought wryly. He hadn’t ended it well with Batman the last time they talked, but the rift between them wasn’t the only thing pushing them apart. It was as if Gotham herself felt his desire to leave and forced him out with record levels of snow and an ever present ache of cold deep in his bones.
A gust of wind caused him to pull his jacket tighter around him. He had always been sensitive to cold weather and his thin jacket did nothing to stop the crisp breeze from pushing towards him. Seeking warmth, he stepped inside the roof access door. The effect was immediate. Cold darkness was replaced by bright light and a cozy atmosphere. Donna worked hard to try to make the Tower seem more like a home, and Dick couldn’t be more glad for her effort. Bruce wasn’t big on interior decorations in the Batcave, so the change was nice.
“I have the best idea!” Donna's voice reverberated through the halls of the tower, drawing Dick towards the common room.
“We,” she continued, “Should have a game night!” Dick felt a small smile form on his lips, but he did worry that his lack of socialization would be a problem. It's not like he had the most normal upbringing, and while he might be a good leader, that didn’t mean he excelled at small talk or- god forbid- game night.
At least the team is making an effort to bond. To say the Titans had a smooth start is an outright lie. Maybe it was just the sheer amount of pressure from being basically the only public-facing teen superhero group, but while they perform well on the field, in the tower, they sometimes struggled to get along.
Roy shrugged his shoulders. “I'm down.” Garth and Wally quickly agreed as well. With it being decided that a game is to be played, the question of what game became increasingly problematic. Hide and seek wasn’t challenging enough and people got bored too quickly. Truth or dare was overdone, and according to Garth, “trivial.”
“How about Paranoia?” Roy asked, cocking his head.
“Ohh I love that game.” replied Wally.
“Whats that?” Donna's eyebrows shot up at the question.
“Only the best game ever.” She paused as she thought of how she was going to explain the game.
“Ok, so one person will whisper a question into the next player's ear and then the player asked has to say the name of the person who they think it would be. A coin is flipped to see if the question will be revealed. Heads mean it's revealed while tails means it isn’t revealed. To make it better, asking dirty questions is more fun. Oh and the questions have to be about the people present—it can’t be random people. Who wants to go first?” She handed Garth a pair of earmuffs so that he couldn’t hear the questions being asked, as he has super hearing. It was later revealed that the earmuffs didn’t work and Garth was just being a good sport about wearing them, which for Dick, explained why he kept blushing when the questions were being asked.
“Don’t worry I’ll start.” Roy said. If he was trying to reassure Dick, the shit eating grin he sent him did the opposite. He leaned over to Wally and whispered something in his ear. Wally thinks for a moment before saying Garth without hesitation.
“What are you even talking about? It would totally be Donna!” Roy expressed indignantly. Wally just shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head in disagreement.
“Your’re so wrong.” Wally's expression was twisted in mock anger as he flipped the coin.
Tails. The question is not revealed. It was Wally’s turn to come up with a question for Donna now. Donna considered the questions, her lips pursed in though.
“Nightwing.” Wally apparently agreed, as he flipped the coin without any comments.
Heads.
“What was the question?" Roy’s barely contained curiosity was shared with Donna and Garth, who wore matching expressions of intrigue.
“Who’s the most submissive bottom?”
“Oh that’s—I clearly misunderstood how you guys view me as a leader.” Dicks cheeks flushed under the stares of his team.
“It’s not about how you are on the field, it’s about how you are in the Tower. You’re a people-pleaser at best.” Donna’s answer left Dick speechless.
The game went on longer than Dick expected before the team lost interest and the game dissolved into a discussion about who the most useless Leaguers were which then became a mean spirited dispute between Garth and Roy about which of them was more useful to the Titans.
“Ok, ok, lets play fuck, marry, kill,” Wally said desperate to cut the tension.
Donna shot her hand up to get the others' attention and loudly addressed the room.
“I'll start. Fuck, marry, kill: Superman, Batman, and Black Canary.” The group went silent, debating the choices.
“Oooh definitely fuck Batman, marry Black Canary, and kill Superman. He just seems so dull.” Wally's opinion on Superman was shut down by Garth who practically idolized the man. This back and forth continued until Roy announced his list of names.
“Fuck, marry, kill: Richard Grayson, Lex Luthor, and Bruce Wayne.” The question was directed at Donna, but Dick saw all the Titans considering the question.
“Why would you even include Luthor in that? It’s not even a hard choice!” Donna’s voice was indignant.
“I don’t know, I was hoping someone had a controversial opinion,” Roy said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Smash Richard Grayson any day,” Wally said with a sigh, “did you guys see the latest Gotham magazine issue he is in? He looked amazing.” Dick groaned inwardly as everyone nodded around him.
“What about you?” Wally asked Dick.
“Fuck Lex, marry Richard, and kill Bruce.” Dick made a non-committed hum as the jaws of the titans hit the floor around him.
“Oh shut up. It’s not like you guys don’t have controversial opinions.” He said lightly, trying to get the subject changed. They were able to play a few more rounds before inevitably, Wally got bored.
The digital clock on the microwave read 12:34 in bright blue, standing out against the darkness of the room. When it got too dark to be able to walk around without stumbling, Donna had insisted that they only use flashlights ‘for the vibes.’ The flashlights illuminated their faces and cast elongated shadows on the walls around them, creating an eerie atmosphere in the normally cozy room. The piercing blue and green irises of his friends made him keenly aware of the mask that obscured his own. It’s not the first time that Bruce’s rules made him feel isolated from the rest of his team. He knew they understood, but he couldn’t help feeling their disappointment at not knowing who their leader was under the mask.
“Spin the bottle. Spin the bottle.” Wally’s chanting for a new game snapped Dick out of his thoughts, and he laughed as Wally got Roy to join in.
Donna grabbed a half full bottle of sprite nested in between two couch cushions and placed it on its side in the middle of the group.
“Okay, rules of the game: a player spins the bottle and kisses whoever it lands.” The group nodded as they listened, and Donna handed the bottle to Wally to start off the game. The bottle made lazy circles in the carpet until coming to a stop at Garth, who, in response, went bright red. Wally leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Roy was next.
He spun the bottle and it made one, two, three, four circles before landing on Dick.
Oh God. Roy pushed him down, trapping Dick underneath him. His lips brushed over Dick’s neck before lightly biting the lobe of his ear, leaving a trail of kisses along his jaw.
“Wow. That was unnecessarily sexual.” Wally's voice made Dick keenly aware of how close Roy still was to him, and he playfully shoved him off, laughing. If Dick didn’t know any better, he would have thought Wally was jealous. A few more rounds went by—Donna got Roy, and Garth got Donna—until it was Dicks turn to spin the bottle. It stopped on Wally who went as still as Dick had ever seen him. Did he not want Dick to kiss him? Dick hesitantly pressed his lips to Wally's, and he felt Wally’s hands card through his thick black hair, resting at the base of his neck.
Oh, he was jealous. Dick grinned slightly before crushing their lips together again. A chorus of whoops and cheers and clapping at the two broke them apart, both smiling and breathing hard. Wally's fingers lightly brushed the edge of his mask before dropping back to his side. Dick felt a pit in his stomach as the feeling of isolation returned. That feeling, however, was quickly drowned out by the antics the group was getting up to.
They remained in the living room until two am, Garth being the first to leave. He had fallen asleep twice mid-game before Donna forced him to go to bed. Roy and Donna left shortly after leaving Dick and Wally alone. Wally’s head rested gently against Dicks shoulder, and Dick leaned into his warmth. Internally, his mind was a mess, weighing the pros and cons of breaking Bruce’s rules. Why shouldn’t his team know his identity? He isn’t a child anymore, Bruce can’t dictate his life.
You know what, he thought as a wave of anger towards Bruce washed over him, fuck Bruce.
“Hey Wally,” he whispered conspiratorially, “wanna know my civilian identity?” Wally’s head shot up, his eyes widening.
“I mean, only if you're okay with that.” Dick knew how much the team respected his choice to keep his identity secret, and he was grateful for it, but he couldn’t keep it any longer. Dick knew he was being impulsive, but he didn’t care. He took his mask off.
Wally’s gasp was loud enough that Dick slapped a hand over his mouth, giggling like a child.
“The Richard Grayson. Wow! You’re like a celebrity. Even my mom knows who you are.”
“That’s why I have to keep it a secret.”
“What about the others?”
“You can tell them,” Dick shrugged, “I wouldn’t be able to trust someone I didn’t know under the mask and it’s crazy that I ask that of you guys.”
“Oh shut up,” Wally said affectionately, “You’re a great leader.”
“Ya?” Dick questioned, raising his eyebrow. “Am I good at anything else?”
“Don’t be an ass,” Wally laughed, grabbing Dick’s chin and giving him a light kiss. Silence enveloped the room as the two awkwardly tried to address the elephant in the room.
“So are we like…” Dick started.
“Dating?” Wally hesitantly responded.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Wally’s affirmation reverberated around Dicks heart before settling comfortably somewhere near the center.
Wally pushed lightly on Dicks chest, and he let himself be pushed back into the couch cushions. His head fell back, exposing his neck, and he let out a soft whine as Wally gently kissed him. He had never been this vulnerable with anyone in his life. It scared him. In a rush of emotion, he pushed Wally back by the shoulders slightly, his breath harsh in the silence of the room.
“I—I’m sorry. I just…” Dick trailed off, unable to find the words he needed.
“It’s okay. We can take it slow, I’m sorry I rushed you.” Wally clasped their hands together, pressing a kiss on Dicks knuckles. Dicks head fell forward, resting on Wally’s chest.
“Thank you.” The words were almost inaudible, yet they felt like everything. He and Wally would take it slow.
“Ummm why is Richard Grayson sleeping on our couch?” Garth rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, questioning the newcomer.
“Because he’s my boyfriend,” was Wally’s smug reply.
“No. Fucking. Way.” Roy almost dropped his coffee cup at the news, and Donna looked like she was going to have a heart attack.
“What’s going on?” Dicks voice was rough from sleep as he wrapped his arms around Wally’s shoulders.
“Nightwing?” Donna questioned, the voice of her leader unmistakable. Dick just smiled in response.
“I hope you guys weren’t fucking on the couch,” Roy commented. Wally just laughed.
“I’m being so serious right now.”
“Don’t worry Roy, Wally’s just trying to make up drama.” Roy, satisfied with Dick's answer, went back to his cup of coffee.
“So are you guys a thing now?” Donna asked with her eyebrows raised.
“Yes.” Wally’s excited response was drowned out by the shout of joy from Donna.
“Oh my god! I called it. Roy, give me 20 bucks.” Dick sent a questioning look at Donna.
“We made a bet about which Titan you were gonna get with.”
“I thought you were gonna get with me.” Roy crossed his arms in a dramatic show of dismay.
“You guys are horrible,” a smile tugged at his lips, as he punched Roy’s shoulder.