Work Text:
On late nights like these, Dick hated that you stayed up waiting for him. He always felt terrible when he returned home to find you cozied up in bed, eyes wide as they adjusted to the bright light of your tablet. He could see the exhaustion in your drooping eyelids, in the dark bags that were beginning to form.
Only it wasn’t Dick you were staying up for, he quickly realized. You were staying up… just to be on your tablet. You were absolutely enthralled with its contents, swiping and clicking aimlessly like you couldn’t bring yourself to stop. It was an addiction, really. Sometimes you’d be watching your second movie of the night, other times you’d be playing that wretched game, Block Blast. (Dick had found you playing it far too many times to not consider it wretched. It was deteriorating your brain health, he was sure of it!)
Tonight was no different. Slipping through the living room window of your shared apartment— quiet, as to not wake a dozing Haley— Dick slunk his way into your bedroom. And there you were, pretty face illuminated by the light of your tablet. If it wasn’t for that stupid tablet, Dick would consider this an angelic sight. Well, no, it was an angelic sight, obviously, you were an angelic sight. Just… Less so the tablet in your hands.
“Hi, Dickie,” you mumbled, light voice muffled by the blanket pulled up to your chin.
“Hey, baby,” Dick greeted with equal gentleness, stooping to peck your temple. “Just gonna wash up, then join you, m’kay?”
You hummed lazily, blanket hiding your smile. But Dick could see it in the rounding of your cheeks. God, he wanted to smother that grinning face and those rosy cheeks with kisses. And he would gladly do so when he didn’t smell like Gotham’s signature perfume: cigarette smoke and chemical waste.
Dick was quick to shower, not bothering to wash his hair. It was far too late to worry about such menial matters. You would have to live with the smell of rain-slicked hair for the night. Oh well, too bad for you.
While he brushed his teeth, Dick wondered— and hoped— if you had yet gone to bed. Peeking through the half-opened door, he found (much to his disappointment) that you were still awake and doing… whatever it was you were doing on your tablet. Whatever it was seemed to have you truly enraptured. So enraptured that you couldn’t even be bothered to wear your blue light glasses! Dick had bought those for you specifically for moments like these!
“Baby,” Dick called with a mouthful of toothpaste. He tapped the bridge of his nose and gave a garbled, “Glasses.”
You barely took your eyes off the screen as you reached for the bedside table, slipping your glasses on effortlessly. Though he rolled his eyes, Dick couldn’t fight the affectionate smile that raised the corners of his lips.
Pajamas on and cleanly as ever, Dick returned to bed and slipped under the sheets beside you. At least you weren’t so attached to your tablet that you couldn’t acknowledge his presence.
Turning off your tablet for a moment, you turned to face Dick and snuggle into his side. Even in the dark, Dick could see your bright, toothy grin. He had a keen eye for that pretty smile of yours.
“Long night?” you murmured.
“When is it not?”
Your laugh was quiet, warm breath fanning across his cheek. Dick’s smile could only grow at the sound.
“Well, I’d hope when you’re with me.”
“Nights with you are too short and too few,” Dick confessed, still wearing that stupidly giddy grin he always wore around you. “You don’t know what I’d give for a long night with you. So much time to do all kinds of things to—”
“Richard!” you chided, swatting at his chest.
Dick could do nothing but chuckle in response, pulling you closer.
“You’re right, you’re right. Too late for that. Time for us to go to sleep.”
Propping himself up on his elbow, Dick placed his other hand along your jaw, turning your face up towards his. He pressed a tender kiss to your lips, a relieved exhale escaping his lips as he did so. When he pulled away, Dick quickly pecked your nose, wanting to hear that sleepy giggle once more.
“But maybe if we have time in the morning—”
“Richard!”
“Right. Yeah. Sleeping.”
Obediently, Dick nestled into the sheets and pillows, closing his eyes for his long-awaited rest. Unfortunately, it seemed he would have to wait just a little bit longer.
Dick— even with his eyes closed— was blinded by the light of your tablet, engulfing the bedroom in its brilliance. Squinting his eyes open, Dick found that you hadn’t seemed to notice its effects. You— completely unaware of the flash bomb you dropped— continued to scroll on your tablet. Maybe if Dick could actually see he’d know that you were clicking through Pinterest, adding nonsense pictures to whatever boards. (You could get very intense about your Pinterest-ing, he thought it better not to ask.)
Dick tossed his arm over his eyes, scrunching his face with utter dismay. Dramatic as ever. But it was only fair for him to act so when you decided to play God and reenact Genesis. Let there be light and all that.
“Babe.”
Silence.
“Babe.”
Nothing.
“Baby.”
Crickets!
Dick groaned as his efforts proved futile, moving his hand to find its place on your shoulder. He shook you gently as he called your name, careful not to startle you. It was then— finally— that you gave Dick your attention, pulling your headphones out of your ears.
“Hmm?” you cooed.
God, how could Dick ever be mad at you? You were so sweet and gentle and warm. You did nothing wrong! Sure, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to see ever again, but that didn’t matter! Not when you hummed so lovingly, so naively.
Still… Dick did like being able to see. After all, it was only with his eyesight that he was able to admire your beautiful face. So for the good of this relationship— and not just himself— he had to say something!
“Sweetheart,” Dick whispered as he propped himself up on his elbow again. “I love you so, so much… But can we put the tablet down? It’s really bright, baby, and it’s not good for you to be up this late staring at screens anyway. Come on, baby, let’s go to sleep, hmm?”
You were silent as you considered Dick’s offer, pursing your lips in thought. Dick reached over your body to lightly push your tablet aside, encouraging you to put it down for the night. Blessedly, the room was consumed by darkness once more.
Dick mumbled your name in a soft plea, meeting your adorable pout with his own exhausted gaze.
“But I’m not tired yet,” you answered defensively, further pushing your lips into the cutest frown you could muster.
Dick was already weak for you, but it was only worse when you pouted like that. How dare you use it on him when he was already in such a weak, tired state! It really was becoming difficult to deny you.
“Screens aren’t gonna help with that, honey, you know that.”
Again, you frowned and flashed Dick a pleading look.
“Please, baby. Let’s get some sleep.”
You huffed irritably, turning your back to Dick as you grumbled, “You’re just jealous. Whatever.”
Dick paused, brows furrowed in confusion. Maybe his sleep-deprived mind was just struggling to follow, but he was pretty sure there was no sensible reason for him to be jealous. Was he supposed to be jealous about something?
“Jealous?” he questioned as he reached for your shoulder once more, turning you back to him.
Revealing the teasing smirk on your lips.
Okay, so… you weren’t mad at him. That was good, at least. But he was in equally dangerous territory when you were in such a playful mood.
“Yeah,” you said with a shrug. “‘cause I love my tablet more than you.”
“Love your tablet more than… what?!”
Suddenly, Dick was wide awake. He sat up quickly, looming over you to scrutinize you with his narrowed gaze. You were just joking, right? Of course, you were! How could you love an inanimate object more than him? Then again… he had to be sure.
“It’s okay to be jealous, Dick, it’s perfectly reasonable. I can’t fault you for it. It’s okay to admit to yourself that you’re jealous.”
“Of your tablet?”
“Yeah.”
“I am not jealous of your tablet.”
“Sure you’re not.”
Dick blinked at you, waiting for that shit-eating grin— the one he usually wore— to fall from your lips. It didn’t.
“I’m not—”
“Mhm. Sure. Not jealous at all.”
Still, Dick watched you with disbelief, waiting for your bright laughter and the sweet reassurance that you were only joking.
Why weren’t you laughing? You could love your tablet, sure, like a weirdo, but you still loved him more, right? Right?
“I’m not jealous. Why would I be jealous? You love me more, I know you do. Don’t lie to me, babe, I know you. You adore me.”
“Yeah. Okay. Whatever you say, pretty boy.”
Another moment of silence. You and Dick just watched each other, waiting for the other to break. It was moments like these that reminded Dick of the problems with dating an equally stubborn person.
“Okay,” Dick conceded with a sigh.
He reached across you, taking the tablet from your hands. You let him, though not without your usual scowl. He set your tablet on the nightstand beside you, his body enveloping yours as he struggled to reach. Your blue light glasses were next to come off. With a tender caress, Dick pulled the glasses from your face, planting a soft kiss on the bridge of your nose where they had sat.
“See how easy that was? My good girl.”
Defiantly, you crossed your arms over your chest, glaring at Dick with a vicious side-eye that always made him chuckle.
“Yeah, but I’m not happy about it…”
“Can I make it up to you with cuddled?”
Dick flashed you that handsome smile, the one he knew you couldn’t say no to. You met his smile with a skeptical look of your own, pretending to consider his words. As if you didn’t already know your answer…
“Fine,” you growled, like it inconvenienced you to accept the very thing he knew you loved most. After him. Obviously. Him and then cuddles.
Or maybe: him, your tablet, then cuddles. No. No. You were getting to his head. You definitely loved cuddles more than your tablet. Definitely. Maybe? Whatever.
“Come here, beautiful,” Dick mumbled, wrapping his arms around you tightly to tug you close to his side.
Immediately, you turned into him and nuzzled against his chest. Already, you were fighting sleep; Dick could see it in the way you stifled a yawn, adorably scrunching your face to ward it off.
With a warm smile, Dick buried his nose in your hair and pressed feather-light kisses to the top of your head. His hand rubbed slowly across your back, your own hands slipping beneath his shirt to scratch along his skin. He made a pleased hum, the long night’s stress quickly fading at your touch.
You both remained in silence as you reveled in each other’s warm embrace. From the slowing of your breath, Dick knew you were finally finding sleep, no longer fighting it off. His stubborn girl.
Snuggling into the crook of your neck, Dick brought his lips to your ear to whisper a soft, “I love you. Sleep well, pretty girl.”
More than half asleep, your words slurred as you replied, “I love you too, Dickie.”
Once again, that typical, charming smile found Dick’s lips. He couldn’t stop himself from teasing you, even in your poor, tired state.
“More than your tablet?”
There was a beat of silence when Dick worried he would have to fight for your love once more. A panicked look crossed his features before he heard the sweet sound of your quiet giggles.
“Yes, more than my tablet.”
Though he wasn’t entirely convinced, Dick had no doubts about his love for you. Nothing— and he really meant nothing— could come before you. You were the one thing he loved most in the world. You always would be.