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it was over.
the collective, bated breath that the whole world seemed to have held dissipated with the dust that settled over the battlefield. it was the kind of crisis that had pulled heroes and major teams from nearly every corner of the nation into a single, united force; truly the first of its kind. metahumans, sidekicks, and vigilantes alike momentarily overlooked the sting of their wounds to bask in the blissful silence that followed sweet, sweet victory.
and even in the aftermath of war, earth’s greatest heroes stood tall.
cheers broke out all around, echoing through the demolished streets. triumph and joy rippled across the ruins of metropolis, breaking past the cracks in the pavement like ivy curling toward the light.
amidst it all, a figure broke free from the crowd of civilians and barreled towards superman with a cry of his name. the man of steel tore his cerulean gaze from the distance and set it upon lois lane, eyes crinkling with love as she hurled himself into his hold. he wasted no time in taking to the skies and dipping her in his arms mid-air, silhouetting their kiss against the sunset-drunk clouds.
the hawks followed not soon after with an airborne kiss of their own—carter and shiera’s wings tracing arcs into the hazy breeze. so did starfire, lifting nightwing into the sky as their voices echoed with mirth through the smoke.
celebration carried on around, and impulse flopped himself onto the concrete, chest heaving with every peal of triumphant laughter that tore from his throat.
“we-” he gasped, “-are so getting pizza after this.”
“impulse, would you shut up for once?” wonder girl groaned from nearby, pushing herself up from where she had been faceplanted on the road. her red pants frayed at the seams, and she cradled her throbbing head with a minute wince. yet despite her snappy remark, a small smile bloomed across her face.
“pizza… sounds good,” superboy wheezed, though his usual drawl still managed to bleed through his exhaustion. a corner of his lips quirked up in that signature conner kent manner, and exhilaration glimmered in his eyes. “i think we’ve pretty damn well earned it.”
“that’s only if-” cassie huffed, “-if you pay.”
“oh, please,” kon picked up his broken sunglasses from the rubble. “as if anyone would let us pay after that.”
“hero discounts, finally!” bart cheered, throwing his arms into the air.
robin let out a disastrously heavy sigh at that, grimacing as he studied where his bo staff had been snapped in two. his domino mask was cracked near the temple, and he squinted wearily at the boisterous speedster.
“you guys are so loud,” you complained, wobbling as you tried to steady yourself on trembling legs. “c’mon, look.” you gestured towards the sky, where the flying lovers continued to hold each other in the final rays of daylight pouring through the ashen clouds.
bart wrinkled his nose as a way of readjusting his goggles. “how romantic,” he muttered as cassie let out a coo of endearment. conner merely blinked at the heavens.
“right?” you sighed dreamily, before offhandedly commenting, “man, i wish i had a boyfriend who could fly and kiss me in the sky.”
that earned you a snort from somewhere behind you.
you turned just in time to see tim unhooking a grapple gun from his utility belt, amusement flickering over the exhaustion etched into his face.
the faintest smile tugged at his lips. “i think that can be improvised.”
“robin? what–”
somewhere between a blink of confusion and a breath you never got to take, the cable shot out with a thwip! — and suddenly, his arm was around your waist; his voice a breath against the shell of your ear. “hold still.”
“tim!?”
the world lurched.
before you could think to scream, the two of you soared up, up, upward, through the haze of sunset and past the battered rooftops, just shy of the metropolis skyline.
robin’s cape flared out into the same wind that ruffled his hair and yours. and for a fleeting moment—a heartbeat, really—gravity seemed to remember anyone but you both.
his hold tightened around your waist as the grapple reached its peak. his gaze burned bright through the mask, flickering with the light of the dying sun and something yet to be spoken.
and in the tenderest moment the world had ever offered to him, he kissed you, windswept, reckless, and gentle all at once; quiet with adoration, loud with everything he could never put into words.
the war was won, the breeze blew warm, and soot of battle cleared from the clouds. twilight shimmered somewhere beyond the tangerine horizon, and tim drake loved you.
as he loosened his hold on the grapple’s trigger, you break for air. his throat bobbed with a nervous swallow, breath ghosting across your lips.
“closest i could offer.”