Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You have lived in Gotham for a few years now, you don't know exactly why you moved here. You told yourself it was for a “perfect” job opportunity. Was that really true? Probably not. Deep down you wanted to escape your problems. But they followed you all the way to Gotham.

You came here seeking a fresh chance at life, an opportunity to start over. You sought to make new friends, build a social life, and to thrive in your career. None of that was happening. You were swamped as an assistant at a large law firm. No matter what you did, you could never find a way to make things better for yourself.

Now here you are, sitting on the roof of your small apartment building with nothing but your thoughts and some earbuds. This is your way of coping, through music. You have no one close to you that you can confide in about your worries.

This is now a part of your routine: you come home from work exhausted, cook yourself dinner, and head to the roof to disassociate for a few hours, then you finally go to bed. At this point, you have grown content with this routine.

This specific night you were looking up at the gloomy sky, blasting one of your comfort songs through your earbuds. You feel extra lonely, wanting someone to talk to. Despite the music blaring into your ears, you still hear the commotion of Gotham below you, it all feels so irrelevant. You’re able to hear bits of people yelling, cars honking, and other commotion that is basically a part of this city.

You sigh, checking the time on your phone. You had work the next morning, so you know you have to head to sleep soon or you will face the risk of oversleeping tomorrow.

You finally finish getting ready for bed, you close your lights and lock your doors. As you curl up on your bed under your blankets, you mutter “When will things be different?”

Chapter Text

You had the most terrible day at work. Your boss, Mr. Richards, was getting on you for missing deadlines and forgetting to schedule important client meetings. “Im definitely going to get fired,” you thought to yourself. You begin to pack up your bags to head home for the day, it was always a relief to see the clock hit 5:00 P.M. every day.

Before you could head out, Mr. Richards called for you to come into his office. You shyly peak your head in, dreading what he may have to say.

“Ms. L/N, you do realize your performance here is very crucial to how to function in this law firm, correct” he says in a dry and bitter voice.

“Yes, Mr. Richards. I apologize ive just been very overwhelmed lately.” you reply while looking down, unable to hold eye contact with him.

He says a bit more sternly “What exactly is your goal here, Ms. L/N… your ambitions? I can’t say Im seeing much at the moment”

“W-well I have always wanted to be a criminal defense lawyer…that’s why im here” you say.

“I see. If thats what you want, you need to pull it together. Or I think you should look into another line of work” he replies.

You look up at him, meeting his cold gaze. You were left speechless.

“Listen, I will take your word that you have bigger ambitions than what you are doing here right now. Over this weekend figure your stuff out. I want you here back on Monday sharp and ready to tackle these cases. If i see that your not, we will have to speak about your resignation”

You simply nod and wish him a good weekend. You left the office with tears streaming down your face, feeling so defeated. You couldnt believe the words you just heard. You have worked so hard to get here, you had jumped through so many hoops to get through your toughest times. Is it really all for nothing?

When you get home, you change into your favorite shorts and oversized t-shirt. You turn on the lights in your cozy kitchen, hoping that food can fill the void in your chest. The conversation between you and your boss kept replaying in your head as you cooked yourself dinner. You make some beef stew, your comfort food from back home.

You sat alone at your table when it was finished cooking, you had a bit but your appetite was small this evening. You left the rest in a pot, as you were perfectly okay with eating the leftovers for the weekend.

As the television plays the local news station, you are thinking about how youre on the brink of being fired from your job. Your negative thoughts are interrupted by a light thump above you. You lived on the top floor of your apartment building, so you heard any commotion on the roof.

You shrug it off as the wind or maybe some birds as you go back to watching the news. The volume is low, but you can hear them talking about a local criminal gang that has been targeting innocent civilians in Gotham. They said that the police department were investigating and that there were no further details.

You became bored after that story, so you decided to follow your usual routine of sitting on the roof with your headphones. You grab your phone, your tangled headphones, and a small snack as you head towards the fire escape.

As you climb over the ledge, you look down to make sure you don't trip and fall. When you fully get onto the roof you look up and gasp.

There is a man. A masked man. He is here. On your roof. Injured and heavily breathing. He lays his eyes on you but says nothing, should you retreat back into your apartment? What if he is a criminal? Do you risk your life to help him? Screw it, you want to go back inside, not get mixed up in this hero and criminal business.

Just as you turn around you hear a gruff voice call out.

“Wait. Please. I need help I cant move my leg”

You look back, partially scared.

“Please miss. I promise I wont hurt you.”

Chapter Text

Is he lying? He is a complete stranger. Why should you trust his word? Your guard is up, but you still believe the man deserves your kindness; he is still a person afterall.

“May I ask how you found yourself in this predicament? And on my roof?” you question the man.

He continues to stare at you through his black shiny hair and his mask. The look in his eyes is unreadable.

He finally offers a response, “I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss, I truly do. I try to make sure that civilians never get caught up in my affairs. I wouldn’t bother you, but I can't move my leg at the moment.”

Your guard is still up. You're almost a bit amused. This “hero” or whoever he is, is seeking my help? You slowly walk towards him, unsure of what he may have up his sleeve if his intentions are bad. “I will help you until you can walk on your own again. Then you can go. If I sense that you're plotting something, I won't hesitate to call the police,” you say sternly.

You want to offer him your care, but not at the expense of your own safety. You go against your instincts and kneel next to the man. He meets your gaze, but his hair is blocking parts of his eyes, making him seem more suspicious. You gently lift your hand and begin moving the strands of black, slick hair out of his face.

He grows a bit concerned that you are going to try to pull something, like ripping off his mask. When you noticed his concerned look, you moved your hand away from his harm and reached behind his arm.

It took all of your strength to lift him. While he wasn't fully putting all of his weight on you, he was definitely taller and more built than you were, making it a bit difficult. He limped towards the fire escape with you, and you assisted him down. You gently pulled him through your kitchen window.

As he entered your apartment, he took in his surroundings. Being a vigilante, he had to ensure there were no traps or threats before he could fully let his guard down. He looked around your kitchen, noticing you must've just cooked. He looks at the books on your coffee table. “Criminal law, huh?” he thinks to himself. As you make your way with him to the sofa, you notice him analyzing your apartment, but you don't want to say anything right now.

You gently set him down and lifted both of his muscular legs onto the other side of the sofa.

“How are you feeling? Can I get you some water?” You asked, wanting to be hospitable to the stranger.

He only nods in response. You head to the kitchen and fill a glass with cold water. You walk back over, his eyes lingering on you. “Please drink up, mister…” You trail off. He didn't give you a name, did he?

“It’s Nightwing,” he answers coolly. “Yes, Nightwing. As I was saying, drink up, and I will go see if I have a first aid kit lying around". You go into your bedroom, sifting through your somewhat messy closet.

After what felt like a week, you found the first aid kit and made your way back to the living room. You were about to say something about being sorry for taking so long but then you are met with Nightwing, who has his eyes closed on your sofa.

You knew he must've been exhausted from whatever he was doing, but to fall asleep here? In your apartment? You didn't know what to do. You didn't want to wake him up, he looked so peaceful while asleep. You took the moment to kneel down near his upper body and take in his face.

You wondered who he was behind that striking black and blue mask. You noted his visible features, though. Nightwing had a sharp jawline that showed a bit of stubble. A pointed nose. Beautiful soft black hair.

Careful not to wake him, you gently put some bandages on his cuts. You couldn't repair the ruptures in his suit, but you did wrap it along with the bandages to keep it together. You lifted his heavy leg, propping it up on the softest pillow you own.

You couldn't say you felt great about a random man sleeping here, and you still are wondering if you should call the police.

You close the lights and take one last look at the man before heading to your bedroom. Something inside of you told you that he was good. Just a hunch.

You crawled into bed, wanting to sleep but having much on your mind. You open your phone and begin to search the internet. You wanted to know everything you could about this man. Apparently, he is a vigilante who has been associated with putting multiple large-scale criminals behind bars. You find he has no powers, like some heroes you've heard of. You search a bit more, but there isn't too much information on the guy.

As the phone screen dims, you decide it's time to go to sleep. You curl up as usual. Letting out a deep breath before closing your eyes.

When your eyes open again, you are met with beams of sunlight hitting your face. You wanted to turn over and keep sleeping. Then you instantly remembered the events of last night, you jump up, walking quickly to where you left Nightwing.

Gone. He was gone.

You walked over to where he had slept, almost upset to see it empty. You sit down on the sofa, putting your head in your hands and wondering if it was a dream.

When you look up from your hands, you see a small note left next to the empty water glass.

“Unfortunately, I couldn't stick around to officially thank you for your kindness. I owe you one.

-Nightwing”

You stared down at the note. Smiling to yourself a bit. I guess it wasn't a dream.

Chapter Text

The weekend passed, and much lingered on your mind. Your job, your troubles, and especially your unexpected visitor on Friday night.

You sat at your desk, trying to focus on the client contact list sitting on your desk. Your boss, Mr. Roberts, had a close eye on you. Through the glass of his office, he watches you. You spot him.

“He's probably contemplating how he's going to break the news that he's gonna fire me…” You mutter under your breath. Despite the feeling of dread, you try to stay as focused as possible on your tasks. You couldn't lose this job; this was the only lead you had to follow your dream of being a lawyer.

Hours passed and you got most of your things done. Once again, the clock hit 5 P.M. and you felt a bit relieved. Since it was winter, and Gotham never had any sunshine, you looked out your office window to see a dark night sky. You begin putting on your trench coat and collect your belongings. You passed by Mr. Roberts’ office on the way out, seeing him focusing on a recent criminal case. You decide to knock on his door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

You heard a cold and dry voice, “Yes, Ms. L/N, do come in".

You shyly entered his office and closed the door behind you. His bored eyes locked onto you as he lifted his head from his papers. He was waiting for you to say something.

Finally, you did, “I just wanted to apologize for my poor previous performance. I completed all my tasks for today and began organizing client files as well.”

He nods in satisfaction. “Thats nice to hear.”

He was keeping it brief. You grew concerned that he might have something negative to say next. Just as you were about to open your mouth to say something, he continued.

“Don't you want more than that, though, Ms. L/N? Why are you here? You claim you want to be a criminal defence lawyer but I don't see that effort being put in. Your effort today was fine if you want to continue being an assistant. I think if you applied yourself, you could be well.. great,” He sighed.

“I know you're qualified, but it is very difficult to be a criminal defense lawyer here in Gotham. I'm retiring at the end of the year, and frankly, I have no one in mind to fill my spot yet.”

These words hit you like a train. One of the best lawyers in Gotham was retiring? So soon?

“If I can see that this is what you're really made for, and its what you want, I may consider you to take my position.”

You were receiving mixed signals. Last week, you were on the brink of being fired, and now he is suggesting you may take over his role? It didn't make much sense in your head.

“If someone else fills my role, who knows if they plan to keep you on as an assistant. They might just fire you the day they get here.” he finishes.

You dryly reply, “I understand. I will think over everything you've said. Have a good evening, Mr. Roberts.”

You exit the building with more on your mind than when you entered this morning. Everything you have built here is on the line. The cold winter air hits your face, you put your hands in your pockets and begin walking towards your apartment.
Halfway there, you find yourself getting bored and decide to put your headphones in. Nothing soothes your lonely soul as much as music does.

You are about two blocks away from your apartment when you suddenly feel a hand tugging on your coat and then your purse.

“Give it to me, lady, and maybe I won't hurt you,” an angry voice says behind you.

You quickly look around for anyone to yell out to, someone who can help. That street was completely empty. It was just you and this robber.

As he tugs your purse, your headphones fall out, and you feel something sharp against your coat.

“I said give it to me,” the robber says, he is clearly an older man, possibly in his mid fifties.

You begin to freeze up; you don't know how to respond. With the knife still against you, you don't want to make sudden moves.

The man pushes you to the ground, both of you holding a hand on opposite ends of your purse.

“Listen, I don't have money if that's what you are after. I have important stuff for work in here, can you please just leave it?” you begin to say as you feel warm tears stream down your cold face.

He lifts his hand, ready to attack you. You lay on the cold pavement, helpless and defeated. Suddenly, through your sniffling and crying, you hear a commotion in front of you.

When you open your eyes and wipe your tears, you find the robber on the floor and someone standing above him.

The figure turns to the man, “If she says leave it, you leave it. Scum.”
It didn't take a fool to realize who just saved you. You felt so relieved. Nightwing walks over to you, his tone shifting, “Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't see this asshole sooner. I would've taken care of him before he could even approach you.”

Still in shock, you reply weakly, “I-I think im o-okay”. He offers you a slight smile and offers his hand so you can get up off the pavement. You accept his hand and get back up on your feet.

You wanted to say thank you, but Nightwing cut you off. “I'm gonna take this one and leave him at the steps of the police station. You need to get home as quickly as possible, Miss.”

Deep down, you also wanted to ask why he vanished the other morning, but you didn't find this to be the appropriate time. Nightwing steps away from you, his hand leaving yours. Suddenly, your body felt cold at the lack of his touch. He turns back to you before he takes the criminal away. His eyes said something more than “I saved you because that's my job”. Before you could analyze deeper, he vanishes into the shadows with the man.

You swiftly make your way home, making sure to lock your doors.

A few hours had passed, and you didn't follow your usual routine of going to the roof. You were still stunned from the events of this evening, and it was far too cold to go up there.

You begin closing up for the night, changing into your sleepwear. You head to your bedroom, ready to crash onto your soft, plush bed. Before you shut off the lights, you see something in the window. It was taped. A slip of paper? How could that have been taped up here if you lived on the top floor? You make your way past the bed and over to your window, and open it, untapping the note and pulling it into your hands.

You read what it says aloud.

“I guess we are even now. :)

-Nightwing”

You smile to yourself, you found this vigilante intriguing. Why do you keep running into him?

Chapter Text

The following evening after work, you found yourself settling back into your usual routine: Come home, cook dinner, watch TV, relax on the roof, go to bed.

Luckily, this evening was less cold than the previous, meaning you weren’t shivering while sitting up there. You are leaning against the ledge with a sketchbook. You look up at the skyscrapers that engulf the surroundings of your area. You are lazily doodling while listening to relaxing music.

You are grateful for nights like these, being able to decompress and be calm.

After sketching for a while, you decided it is time to head in for the night. You close up your sketchbook and collect your things. When you stand up, you’re met with a tall figure.

Nightwing.

“Hi, Miss… headed in so soon?” He offers you a warm smile as he walks towards you.

“Yes, but… I didn’t even see or hear you coming. How are you so stealthy?” You giggle a bit.

“Years of training and practice. The element of surprise is usually my best advantage,” he said proudly.

You nod and smile at his response. “By the way, I never thanked you for saving me last night. Who knows how things would’ve ended if you hadn’t stepped in. I am truly grateful and in your debt.” You look down towards your feet.

“Don’t worry about it, honestly. I owed you for being so kind to me last week when I ended up injured here. Like I said. You can consider us even now,” he stated kindly.

You must admit his confidence and warm energy were comforting and even contagious.

“I must say you’re pretty good at it” you reply. “But what are you doing back here. Are you looking for someone?” You questioned.

“Yes, I actually came to see you Miss…”

“Y/N. I appreciate the formality, but just call me by my first name. It’s a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance,” you beam at him happily.

Nightwing had never met someone as endearing and kind as you. He was so drawn in. He wanted more. He saw how you were sweet to him from the start, and he noticed it hasn’t faded a bit.

“Want a tour?” He stated abruptly.

“My apologies. I don’t understand. A tour? Of what exactly?” You questioned.

“Gotham”

“Gotham? You do realize I’ve lived here for almost three years now, right?” You replied, confused.

He approaches you, his chest almost meeting yours. “I can show you, Gotham, from a view you’ve never seen before,” he says, holding out his hand.

You were even more intrigued. What game was he playing? Is he just being nice?

How were you supposed to investigate this man further if you didn’t spend a bit more time with him? You gently placed your belongings back onto the floor of the roof. Just as you were about to place your hand in his, he scoops you up bridal style.

You immediately grew flustered as you felt his toned muscles against your side, and his biceps wrapped around you.

“Hold on really tight, okay, Y/N,” he said so sweetly. You could tell it was genuine. That he wanted you to be safe.

You are terrified of heights, as he jumped from building to building, holding you, your eyes were completely shut. After a few minutes of moving around with Nightwing, you feel him begin to slow down and eventually halt. He placed you down on solid ground, a comforting feeling considering your fear.

“You can open your eyes now,” he stated kindly. You open your eyes to see Nightwing standing before you. He stares down at you; despite wearing a mask, you are able to read his expression. You don't know how to describe it, but he looks infatuated with you.

Trying to push down your feelings and thoughts about the handsome man before you, you turn around to see all of Gotham. He carried you all the way to the top of a tall office building. You saw everything from this view.

“Amazing… I don’t have views like this from my roof.” You chuckled.

“I told you, aren’t you glad you agreed to come on the official Nightwing tour?” He said smugly.

“Official tour? You brought me on top of one building, I wouldn’t exactly call that a tour.”

“Alright, Y/N, I just wanted to share this view with someone. And who better than with the girl who took me in and patched me up so kindly?" His chest now against your back, you can feel the vibration of every word. His hands slowly wrap around your waist as his chin rests on the top of your head. "Is this okay?" he asks you. This is all you wanted. You nodded slightly and told him you felt very comfortable. A man has never held you this way before. Was this vigilante developing feelings for you? Even worse, did you reciprocate those feelings?
After standing there with him for a few moments, you slowly turn to face him. His lips looked so inviting. But you knew you couldnt, you barely knew the man or his intentions.

Nightwing lifts his hand and brushes a few strands of your hair behind your ears while admiring your eyes that somehow shine so bright, even in the night.
"Y/N I-" Just as he began to speak, a ringing noise came from behind him. He took his phone from a concealed pocket, pulled away from you, and picked up the phone.

"What?" he said, clearly annoyed.

You weren't able to hear most of the conversation, but you made out that there was an emergency with a criminal, and he had to be there. He hung up, looking disappointed and upset.

"I'm sorry, I'd love to stay here with you and chat all night, but duty calls," he stated. You nodded and said you understood, grateful that you got to spend some time with him.

As he carried you back home, you took in his warm, masculine scent and the warmth of his body. He left you on your fire escape and sweetly wished you a good night.

Before vanishing back into the shadows, he asks suddenly, "Same time tomorrow?"

"That would be lovely. Don't forget about me, I'll be waiting," you answered him sweetly.

"No sane man could forget about you, Y/N"

And he was gone again.

Chapter Text

The following few nights were similar. Nightwing would stop by on your roof promptly at 11 PM. He somehow wiggled his way into your routine and possibly into your heart?

You both would sit on the roof until 2 am every night, talking about your likes, your past, your dreams. Nightwing was a bit more brief when speaking about his past; he didn't want to risk revealing his identity.

It hurt him a bit inside, he wanted you to know him. The real him. The person behind the mask. Nightwing knew he was developing feelings for you. In his eyes, you are a true beauty. He loved how kind and caring you are, the way your eyes squint a bit when you laugh, how you would listen to his dreams and hopes. He couldn't help but fall for you.

The following Friday, it was once again too cold to go up on the roof. When you heard a thumping noise around 11 PM, you knew your favorite visitor was here. You quickly put on a coat and made your way to the fire escape, eager to see his face.

When you reached the top of the steps you saw his tall frame standing there. Not as welcoming as usual. Has something happened?

“Nightwing?” You call out. He doesn't reply. He stands there with a grim look on his face.

“Do you want to talk? Do you want to come inside?” you offered sweetly, trying to ease the tension.

He didn't nod, he didn't say anything, he just made his way to the fire escape. You took that as a “yes” and welcomed him through your kitchen window. Now that you could see him in a better light, you could tell something was bothering him. He looked… angry?

The air between you was thick. Is he upset with me? Have I done something wrong?

“Excuse me for a second, I need to go to the restroom. Make yourself at home and grab something to drink if you'd like” you say.

You go to the restroom and look at your reflection in the mirror. You were contemplating what to do. You splashed some cold water in your face, trying to clear your head. If he didn't want to talk, he didn't have to. He did come here tonight. Maybe he did want to see you?

You exit the bathroom, and find Nightwing sitting on your sofa looking at the black TV screen.

You sit next to him, trying not to disturb whatever he may be thinking about.

Suddenly you hear his voice “I almost fucking had him” he says aggressively. You didnt have much of a clue of what he was talking about.

“I have been on his tail for about a month now, so close to throwing his ass in jail” he continues, sighing.

He didn't elaborate more, but you used context clues to assume that he was talking about a villain or criminal. You had no clue how to respond, you weren't the absolute best at comforting people, especially with situations you haven't faced yourself.

You gently pick up your hand and pat it on your lap. He looks at you, tense and confused.

“Please, lay… lay on my lap” you say shyly, scared to meet his eyes.

You feel the weight of his head rest on your lap, with him facing up to you. He closed his eyes and sighed hard. You began rubbing the side of his face, trying to offer comfort that you're unable to give through words. You make sure not to lift his mask, you wish you could, you wanted to see his face. It was important to you that you respect his privacy. You continue to caress his cheek, noticing that he calmed at your touch.

The tension that was in the air a few moments ago was gone. There was no noise, just the sound of his heavy breathing. After about ten minutes like that, he lifts up his head and smiles a bit. “Youre really nice to lay on, you know that?”.

You can't help but to smile back “Thank you Nightwing, im sorry your plans arent going as expected-”

Before you can finish your sentence, his lips crash into yours. Hot and needy. Soft and passionate. How could this man' s lips be everything you expected and more?

You kiss him back, feeling his muscular arms snake around your waist. With his lips remaining on yours, he picks you up with ease. He carries you towards the wall, you feel your back press against it. He puts you down, his hands still lingering on your waist. His kisses remain intense. After a few moments, you pull away trying to catch your breath.

His face is still so close to yours, you can feel his breath. He looks down at you with a slight blush covering his cheeks.

“Can you stay the night?” you ask out of nowhere.

“You want me to stay here with you tonight?”

“I do. Please don't leave me alone. I don't want you to be alone.”

He smiles “Alright darling, ill stay”

Chapter Text

An hour later, you and he are under your covers watching some movie you didn't care to pay attention to. You were consumed with the man next to you.

He was still in his mask, but switched his suit out for a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants you had lying in the closet. You did want to ask if he was ever going to tell you who he was under the mask, but you didn't find now as a good time. Nightwing came into your apartment angry, then you guys kissed, and now he's staying the night in bed with you. You found that it would be too much to start a difficult conversation right now.

You turn towards him, he is focused on the movie but senses your eyes shifting to him. He clicks the pause button and proceeds to turn his head towards yours.

“What are you thinking about, Y/N?” he asks while brushing your hair behind your ear.

“A lot. It saddened me to see you come in here angry. We kissed, and now you're in my bed. I like you, and I enjoy our time together. Everything is just happening so fast and…” you admit honestly.

“And? Be open with me. I won't ever judge your thoughts,” he follows.

“And… It's weird referring to you as ‘Nightwing’. I want to know the real you. Not only you as some attractive vigilante who hangs out on my roof. I want to know who you really are. I know that breaches the entire anonymity aspect of the identity you're trying to uphold, so I understand if you say no. But if you plan to stick around, I want to understand who you really are,” you say, your lips beginning to wobble.

You felt vulnerable admitting all of that; you were starting to grow emotional.

“I really appreciate you being considerate of me and the need to keep my identity a secret. Only a few people know of me as Nightwing and as my true self. I would love to tell you who I really am and to let my guard down. I have never done so for romantic reasons, so you have to understand why I'd be hesitant.” He looks at you, his own eyes filled with emotion.

You don't reply, trying to process everything you guys are talking about.

Nightwing notices the sadness on your face. He takes time to contemplate how to approach this. He cares for you dearly; he would never want to see a tear fall from your beautiful face. As he said, he had never revealed his identity for romantic purposes. He also wanted you to feel comfortable around him, not always having to be with a masked man in your own home. He finally made his decision.

He quickly jumps out of your bed, changing back into his suit. Your mind starts racing. Is he leaving? Did you scare him off? You grow more emotional.

Nightwing notices your face going pale. After putting on his suit, he eagerly climbs on top of you. He plants a warm kiss on your forehead.

“I thought you were staying the night…” You begin to cry.

“I am. Just trust me. In twenty minutes, you'll hear your doorbell ring. Do me a favor and open it” he says as he heads towards your kitchen.

You were confused. You were upset. Where is he going? Why is he talking about the doorbell? You couldn't ask any questions because he had already left through the window. You sat in your bed, feeling conflicted and defeated. What was his plan?

You continued to lie in bed for a while, alone with your thoughts.

Then you hear the doorbell ring. You get up and head to open it, just as Nightwing had instructed you. He is coming through the door and not the roof?

You place your hand on the cold doorknob, turning it anxiously...

Chapter Text

You open the door slowly and cautiously, and you can hear your heart racing in your chest.

Standing in your hallway was a tall, handsome man with familiar black hair and a smile greeting you. He was wearing a baby blue button-down shirt and dress pants. In one arm, he held a large bouquet of pink and white flowers wrapped in a bow.

You were too stunned to speak. Was it really him? It was strange because he looked so familiar as well. You know you've seen his face somewhere, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

He stares directly into your eyes as he offers you the bouquet. “Miss Y/N?”.

“I-Is it really you… Nightwing?” You grow emotional again.

He nods and continues smiling as you take the flowers into your hands.

You drop them on the floor instantly, pushing yourself into his muscular arms and pressing your lips onto his. He quickly responds by once again holding your waist so tightly as he did when you kissed a few hours ago. After a few heated moments of making out, you pull him into your apartment by his collar.

You could tell he was enjoying this. He was happy you didn't push him away or freak out when you saw him. He felt accepted.

You finally release his collar, you want to kiss him again, but you're still taking in the handsome man before you.
He notices you staring.

He pushes his hair back with his hands. “So… you like what you see?”

“Very much, you're even more charming without your mask,” you admit as your cheeks heat up.

“Well, thank you. Anyways, I’m Dic-”

It clicks. You know who he is.

You cut him off, “Dick Grayson? Right? Like you're Bruce Wayne's son?” You look at him in awe.

“Adoptive son, but yes. It took you a bit to recognize me,” he chuckles.

You were trying to piece it all together. The man who hung out on your roof with you, saved you from a robber, and laid up in bed with you was Dick Grayson?

“Why trust me with this information? Why reveal your identity and bring me flowers..and do all of this?” you question.
Dick takes a step towards you, looking down at you so sweetly. You love how he towered over you.

“Because, Y/N. I'm afraid I'm falling for you…”

You didn't know how to reply. You felt the same; you wouldn't have kissed him so eagerly if you didn't. You were intrigued by him for sure, but you wanted to know more.

"I can admit I'm developing feelings for you as well, but I'd like to get to know you better, as Dick, before we jump into anything," you admit, looking into his deep blue eyes.

"I agree. Thank you for taking a chance on me, Y/N," he says. Dick places a kiss on your forehead.

Chapter Text

Through that entire weekend, you and Dick spend hours together talking openly about your pasts and feelings. He would come late after patrols, eager to see your face and caress your skin. Dick had grown so comfortable in your presence.

When it came to work on Monday, you felt more eager to try harder and aim for your goals. Dick had been encouraging you to go for it, which was all the motivation you needed. He did note how comical it is that he puts criminals behind bars and that you want to defend them in court. It didn't bother him, though; he knew the payout for those types of lawyers in Gotham was great.

While you had more focus than usual, you couldn't help but daydream about your new friend at lunch. You had exchanged numbers after he revealed his identity to you the other night, but you didn't want to be a bother. You just had to wait until tonight, until after his patrol, to see that marvelous masked man on your roof as usual.

The day passed rather quickly, going over case files and organizing around the office. You find a new file on your desk. Mr. Richards hadn't seen this upcoming case yet, and you knew he was extremely busy. You decided to take it into your own hands to begin building a defense for this case, especially since it was for a misdemeanor. You spent about three hours working on it, making sure everything was in order.

Before heading out for the day, you walk over to your boss’s office. Your heels click on the floor as you approach his door. You always felt so anxious speaking to him. After knocking, he tells you to enter and you gently place the file on his desk.

“What is this?” he questions you, slicking his grey hair back with one hand and picking up the file with the other.

“This is a small case that just came in today. I thought I'd work on the defense for the client since you have some bigger ones to worry about,” you admitted.

He looked up from the file, actually looking surprised.

“See… this is exactly the type of initiative we need around here.” He flipped through the case defense that you wrote out, impressed. “You did a phenomenal job building his defense too.”

“Thank you, Mr. Roberts. It was nothing really,” you look away shyly.

“You can do well here. Not just in this office. But in Gotham as well. Keep it up, Ms. L/N” he says, turning back to his computer.

“Thank you again, I'll see you tomorrow, boss.” You exit quietly. You were beaming. Every day you left this office you always felt so poorly about your performance. For once you left with a smile on your face, feeling so proud of yourself. You couldn't wait to tell Dick, you really had no one else to tell anyway.
You quickly headed home, showered, and waited for Dick on the roof while reading one of your law books.

You waited.

And waited.

And kept waiting.

12 AM rolled around, and he had still not shown. You grew concerned, checking your phone to see if he sent a message. There were none. Maybe he forgot? Maybe he was tired and went home? You couldn't say you were too sure. You decided to take initiative and send him a text, simply out of worry.

You quickly type to him “Hey, it's me. Is everything okay? You didn't come tonight, and I'll admit I'm worried about you.”

You knew you sounded needy, but you couldn't help it. You do really care about Dick.

After two minutes, you hear your phone buzz, and you run to pick it up.

“Hey, baby, got caught up with some criminal business. I'm on watch all night, sorry for not texting sooner. Promise I will stop by tomorrow night.”

Your face turned a deep red reading that. He called you “baby”? Dick Grayson? You didn't know how to react; your heart was racing. You couldn't even be upset that he didn't text you to tell you he wasn't coming. You were so hyperfixated on him calling you baby. Why did you like it?

You left the roof, eager to head to sleep. You did really want to share your good news about work with Dick, so you went to bed a little upset. But you knew you could tell him tomorrow. You just want his encouragement, for him to kiss you and tell you how proud he is.

You tuck yourself into bed, staring at his text for a while before finally falling asleep.

Your alarm blares at 6 AM, you peel your covers off of your body and head to the kitchen to make some coffee. While you wait for your coffee to brew, you decide to scroll through your phone. You notice a message from Dick, sent at 4:30 AM. You quickly click on the notification.

“Check the news. We will celebrate later tonight, baby ;) -Dick.”

What was he talking about? The news? You ran over to your television, eagerly turning it on and putting on the news.

At first, the broadcaster was talking about the weather for the week, then they finally got to the important events in Gotham.

“The vigilante known as Nightwing is responsible for the capture of a criminal gang based in Gotham that was tied to different reported drug and violence-related crimes earlier this month. The Gotham Police Department made an official statement that while they are grateful for the criminals being put behind bars, this vigilante does not work with them. The police department would like to put a stop to all vigilante activity by the end of this year, emphasizing that only police officers can make arrests.” The female broadcaster states.

You shut off your TV after that. You were so proud of him for putting an entire gang behind bars in one night. You began blushing at the thought of how strong and capable he is.

Picking up your phone, replying to him, “That’s amazing, I'm so proud of you. Doesn't seem like Gotham PD feels the same, though. We can definitely celebrate later!”

He answers quickly, “Who cares what the police department thinks? I'm putting lawless criminals where they belong.”

You knew he was right. You send him a short and quick reply, beginning to get ready for work.

Guess you both had a reason to celebrate later. And you knew you'd make it worth it.