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“Let’s dance!” Artemis calls over the noise of the music, her voice slurring ever so slightly because of the number of shots she’d done at the Cave before they’d left, and she turns to Dick. “Thank God for your wonderful ID machine!”
The group shush her up before someone hears, but the blonde couldn’t care less. With her final remark the blonde grabbed Zatanna, pulling the magician very closely while leading the way to the dancefloor. The others just chuckle at the archer’s attempts at dancing in her half-gone state. Dick doesn’t fail to notice the way that Wally looks around, like he’s searching for someone, though when he asks the speedster just shakes his head.
“I’ll go get some drinks.” Dick smiles, moving already towards the bar and out of Wally’s embrace, however, Kaldur stops him.
“No, I will get them. It is your birthday after all, it would not be right for you to get them.” The Atlantean smiles.
“I’ll grab us that table, you two go dance.” M’gann insists, followed by Conner to claim an empty booth, while Wally drags the birthday boy to the dancefloor.
Artemis shrieks in delight, grabbing her ex and her friend close into some sort of group hug. The four dance together for a while. Artemis kisses him, the other two as well, fully on the lips. He doesn’t know whether Wally or he looked more comical at watching the archer kiss the other. Then Zatanna pecks him and whisper’s ‘happy birthday’. Wally isn’t really the jealous type, so Dick knows the pout is an act, but nonetheless he gives the speedster a very sensual dance and kiss to make up for it; a show which Zatanna and Artemis loudly appreciate. By the time Kaldur comes to get them, Artemis looked ready to fall on the ground. Yet, the moment drinks were mentioned, the archer was hyper and awake and off like a shot to their table.
“I’m gonna have to tie her up.” Zatanna shook her head.
“Thought you were only that kinky with me.” Dick teased, much to Wally and Zatanna’s amusement and Kaldur’s surprise. “C’mon let’s get some drinks!”
The next hour or so is filled with some more drinks and dancing, which slowly starts to devolve into practically dry humping and playful teasing as they go on. Dick’s probably received the most catcalls in the group, largely that results from Artemis’s drunken cheering though, but it’s good. Very good. It’s such a mundane birthday thing to do and Dick loves it. Loves his team and this night. The only that would make it better would be the addition of one or two people he’s missing. Raquel was at a family event, Babs didn’t know about the hero gig yet, and Roy… well Roy was off on his search. Other than that it was great.
“What’s wrong?” Dick finally asked Wally, having noticed that the speedster kept looking around every few minutes.
“Nothing babe, just admiring the view.” The smooth return comes as Wally looks back to his boyfriend with a grin and Dick just sighs at the cheesiness of it, pulling the redhead down to lock lips. “I’m just going to disappear for a mo, be back in a sec.”
“Sure, I want some air anyway.” The acrobat replies, moving towards the balcony. Stamina or not, dancing like he had with all that heat inside and alcohol in his system had left the hero needing to take a breather.
It was quiet on the balcony with only a couple of people there in small clusters chatting or smoking.
“Want one?” Dick turns to look at the source of the question and surveys the man offering him a cigarette. “Thanks, but I don’t smoke.”
“Yeah, that’s the smart answer. My parents always tell me how I’m going to kill myself with these things, but then, so could a car as I cross the road.” The stranger’s attractive. Not amazingly so, but Dick does note the man’s good cheekbones and seemingly warm smile, yet there’s something in his eyes that Dick doesn’t like. “I’m John.”
He offers a hand that Dick takes. After a few seconds though, John refuses to let go and Dick has to tug his hand free.
“I’m… Dan.” He decides to say instead. There’s something about John that unnerves him the more the man stares at him so he lies.
“You look good when you dance. You wanna…” He trails off and Dick tries not to cringe at the way John’s smile twists, his tone becoming more lecherous.
“Thanks, but no. I’m here with friends. Thanks though, enjoy your night.” The acrobat can’t move quick enough. He’s had blunter people proposition him, few of them though have given him as bad a feeling as this guy though. However, a hand grabs his wrist in a steel grip.
“Listen baby, I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry if I came off a little strong.” The man apologises, yet there isn’t an ounce of sincerity in his voice. It makes Dick panic a little. Hero or not, whether he can take down this guy in five seconds or not, there’s something vulnerable about being out of costume with alcohol in his system and no one he knows in clear sight. “I can make amends more thoroughly, if you let me.”
As he says it his hands wander downwards, one painfully gripping Dick’s hip while the other slides further around.
“Get off.” The hiss comes out as Dick pulls away at the same time, which John doesn’t like because his grip tightens.
“Come on. I was watching you. Grinding all over that redhead. Kissing the blonde and the hot girl. Bending over like you want someone to pin you down and pound you. I could show you a better time than any of them.” Dick doesn’t know whether he’s more horrified or angry at the comments and the realisation that this guy had been watching the group all night. “Come on.”
Dick yanks free, punches the guy and dives back indoors. He can’t see anyone because of the smoke machine, and the air’s so thick and heavy because of the number of people that he can feel a mild panic growing back in him.
Just as goes to move a hand lands on his shoulder behind him.
“Hey Dickie, long time, no see.” He didn’t tell John his real name, and the tone is all wrong, not forceful or lecherous, but Dick’s too caught in the moment to realise. His hand is already clenched as he spins round, only managing to stop himself at the last moment.
“Roy!” It’s a mixture of delight in seeing his friend since God’s knows and relief that someone he knows is now there. Roy’s very small smile had vanished as Dick moved to hit him, becoming a blank canvas thinking that his friend was unhappy to see him, to confusion at the happy tone.
“You okay? What’s wrong?” The concern is unmissable, even if the archer does play it cool, moving his other hand to Dick’s other shoulder in a movement almost too familiar considering how the archer left things between the two of them last time they spoke.
Dick doesn’t want to let the archer know, or at least how much the past few minutes had freaked him out. “Yeah, yeah. Just, just avoiding my…”
He trails off when he sees John coming towards them. His face must be enough for Roy to realise because the redhead looks to follow Dick’s gaze and then look back to his friend.
“Trust me?” The redhead asked, rather pointlessly in the younger boy’s opinion as he immediately nodded, an eyebrow quirked. “Good.”
The acrobat allows the archer to quickly but gently tug him closer and turn him so that his back was now to the Roy’s chest. Calloused hands crisscross Dick’s waist, rough thumbs making soothing circles on his hips as the older hero guided the smaller body to lazily follow his half-swaying, half-grinding motions to the slow beat of the song. Roy rests his head lightly on Dick’s shoulder, pressing small but obvious kisses there. It’s a front to put John off Dick muses, watching with a smug look at the fury on said man’s face when he realises that he’s lost the teenager for the night. For a moment Dick thinks the guy is actually going to push his luck, then Roy lifts his head and gives a look that has John headed in the opposite direction.
They stay like that for a few minutes. Dick thinks it’s just to ensure the creep isn’t watching anymore, though he can’t deny how he enjoys the way the archer is pressed against him. It’s different to Wally, they’re almost the same size now. But Roy? Roy’s still quite a bit taller and as he’s wrapped around Dick there’s a feeling of security and intimacy that differs to when he’s with the speedster.
“Thanks.” Dick whispers into the redhead’s ear, loud enough though so he could hear. He should be asking a multitude of questions, namely why Roy’s there, why he’s so… touchy and to ask the archer to let go now because it’s now two songs later and he hasn’t seen any sign of John. That means bursting the bubble they’re in at the moment though, bringing them back to reality and starting what will probably be a loud argument.
“No problem.” Clearly Roy is on the same wavelength.
So Dick decides to leave things as they were for a little longer. Just enjoy the archer’s presence and comfort that the body was providing. The songs change and Dick begins to ponder why none of the others have come looking yet, he swore he’d seen Conner’s shirt minutes earlier. Part of him is glad though, things would probably become uncomfortable if they started questioning Roy. And he wasn’t ready to chase the archer off yet. As they move to the beats Roy’s grip becomes a little tighter, his movements more precise against Dick’s body and right there, Dick doesn’t care at all. He drinks it in, moving his hands to thread with Roy’s.
“Happy birthday Boy Wonder.” The husky voice whispered into his ear. “Though, I must say, bit risqué isn’t it? Seventeen and sneaking into a club, what happens if you get caught?”
Dick immediately snorts. It’s involuntary, but given everything they get up in their lives, this is the least bad thing they could do.
“What about you? You aren’t worried that taking one night off might mean you lose the ‘real Roy Harper’ forever?” It’s meant to be sarcastic. It’s what he tries for, yet, there’s a bite to it that digs. For three years Roy’s been obsessed with finding his… donor, to the point where he didn’t realise how much he’d actually missed; all he had really noticed was when one-by-one the others gave up the search. It hurt Dick more than he’d like to admit.
Dick regrets saying it the moment the words are out, bowing his head and biting his lip the acrobat tenses slightly. He burst the bubble. Behind him the archer tenses too, thumbs pausing their motions. Dick waits. Waits for the retort of how they all gave up, or how Roy needs to make things right. Waits for the archer to pull away and disappear for another couple of months again with no contact. Waits for Roy to say coming tonight was a mistake.
“I’m sorry.” The birthday boy cuts in before the redhead can say anything, turning I his grip so that they’re now face to face. “Just… please don’t go. You’re my friend and I miss you.”
The redhead had started to pull back, but pauses at the mixture of words and pale hands clutching his arms. Something flickers across Roy’s face, however after a few moments he relents, wrapping his arms back around the acrobat and letting himself move to the music again.
The two say nothing for a bit until the archer breaks the silence.
“You got tall kid. Puberty did you good, I almost don’t have to look right down to talk to you anymore.” It’s said almost seriously, but Dick’s known the man – clone or not – too long to not hear the amusement in the voice and the playful snip. “Wally must love it.”
“Small or not, I’ve always been able to put you on your ass.” The playful taunt draws a quirked eyebrow from Roy, who knows it’s more true than he’d liked to admit but he was not about to give in.
“You wish… Pixie Boots.” Dick groans at that name, punching Roy’s shoulder without any power.
“You promised that would never come up again.” Roy just chuckles, moving slightly faster as the song changes and Dick follows. “Roy… not that I’m not glad to see you, but why are you here?”
“It’s your birthday, I missed the last two and Cheshire told me I needed to take a break, she mentioned that Artemis said you were all coming here. Wally just told me the time.”
Dick decides to file the mention of Cheshire away for later, discussing the assassin will only lead them back to ‘the real Roy’ and he has no intention of going back to that conversation. Also, he makes a note to ask Artemis when her sister started helping the redhead out.
“Wally didn’t mention it.” The acrobat points out rather obviously. He’s going to have words with his speedster later. Actually, where was the speedster? He had been gone from the group too long for the redhead to not come looking for him. Stupid drunk teenagers.
“Clearly. I wanted to apologise too, what I said last time I saw you-”
“Don’t worry about it.” Roy goes to protest, but Dick just shakes his head, smiling when the archer relents. “Tonight’s all about having fun.”
With that Dick pulls back a little, dancing more lively and enthusiastically, like he had been before that creep came onto him. Roy watches him for a minute, picking up a similar pace too. As they dance, the dark haired boy can see Conner and M’gann sitting in a booth, so wrapped up in each other that they don’t notice him. He can’t see the other girls but he has no doubt that Artemis was finally sick and that Kaldur and Zatanna are looking after her. Wally is probably eating food somewhere; the acrobat had noticed a mini ice cream parlour of all things by the club entrance. Still, he’d been gone almost half an hour, was the speedster that useless?
Roy uncharacteristically makes a funny face and Dick laughs, his attention back on the archer. It’s good to dance with Roy. The redhead hasn’t done anything fun with them in too long, the last time the archer had gone out with them was because he and Wally had found him wasted in a grotty apartment on his own birthday, and he had suddenly decided that he wanted to go out. The only reason he and Wally had agreed was because it meant for a few hours that the eldest hero wouldn’t be focused on his search. It’d been fun. Then Roy drank too much and disappeared, causing the younger pair to split up to find him. Dick had found him plastered against some dark haired woman in a tight green jumpsuit leaving little to the imagination. The woman had vanished upon seeing the approaching figure, but Dick was too busy sorting out his friend to care. The next day Roy had left without a word, leaving Wally and Dick to wake up to an empty room. They didn’t see him for weeks afterwards.
“You okay?” The question brings Dick out of his thoughts. Roy’s stopped dancing, moving one hand to Dick’s shoulder with a concerned look again.
“Yeah.” Dick grins easily, throwing both himself and Roy off-guard as he spontaneously throws himself onto the archer for no reason.
The archer makes a noise of protest at being caught unaware, though manages to stop himself falling and catch his friend. “What the hell?”
Dick doesn’t answer, just hugs Roy. Hugs because he knows that Roy is going right back to his search in the morning and as much as Dick wants to go with him, and as much as he believes the donor Roy is still alive, it destroys him to watch one of his best friend’s sink further and further the longer they fail to find the missing teen. Dick wants to tell Roy to give up and come back to the League or Team, but he knows it’s a dead conversation. So instead he just hugs Roy, glad that the archer is here on his birthday and actually living for a few precious moments, because honestly, he doesn’t know when he’ll next see the older hero.
Thankfully the redhead just accepts the lack of answer, returning the hug just as much after a brief pause. They remain like that, ignoring the rest of the world around them.
Dick doesn’t open his eyes until he feels wetness against his skin and for a minute he thinks nothing of it. The club is hot, dozens of people are dancing, the smoke machine is going. For a moment his mind argues that sweat had just fallen off the archer onto his neck. Then a tongue is tracing around the area and he knows it wasn’t sweat. It was Roy’s lips.
Instead of pulling away, the acrobat closes his eyes again, letting his friend indulge himself. Then it comes crashing back. Wally.
“Roy, Roy, stop, stop.” He insists, a growing sense of alarm overriding everything because he’d just let this happen. How could he keep dancing with Roy like that even when he’d been wondering where Wally was? How could he just ignore the fact he was in a relationship with someone else?
He releases a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when the redhead finally stops, pulling back so they’re looking directly at each other. The reprimand is on the tip of Dick’s tongue, only holding back because he doesn’t want Roy to leave, not knowing when they’d see each other again. However, just as he went to speak the archer’s hands moved to grasp his face, thumbs stroking back and forth on his cheeks.
“You got big Grayson. When did you grow up?” The question is so wistful and Dick doesn’t doubt that this isn’t the first time that Roy wishes he could rewind the clock, but things have gone too far now.
“Roy, I-” He can see Roy leaning in ever so slightly and he lets the words die on his tongue. The kiss is tentative, less confident than it had been moments earlier on his neck, and so wrong. Dick knows that Wally’s around, that the whole team could be watching, that he’s risking his relationship for this… this stupid kiss, but it’s Roy and as much as he wishes he didn’t have to face it, he never could let the things he loved go. Artemis would just blame it on his redhead fetish with a snort.
“He certainly got big where it counts.” The new voice comes from the side and Dick yanks back from Roy when he registers that it’s Wally’s voice.
He was expecting anger on the speedster’s face. Hurt. Anything, except a grin.
“Wally-”
“I see you found your birthday present.” The speedster smiles with a sly look and Dick is utterly confused. “I was wondering how long it would take for you guys to do that.”
“Wait, what?” The youngest looks back and forth between the two redheads, impatient for an answer. “You mean because you told him when we’d be here?”
“You think I’d put moves on you without Wally’s permission beforehand?” Roy muses into Dick’s ear, but loud enough that Wally can hear and quirk an eyebrow in amusement. “I’m dumb, I’m obsessive, but I’m not fool enough to try and steal the boyfriend of Kid Flash.”
Dick’s mind flashed with so many questions. Wally was okay with this? Why had Wally decided to do this? When did they plan this, when Wally told him the time they were going out or earlier? How long had they been talking? How had Wally convinced Roy to do this? How did he make the archer be so playful considering his obsession with his donor filled his thoughts constantly? Had they left him out of-
“Hey, babe, stop thinking.” Wally’s voice cuts in again. “I can see your mind going a mile a minute, quit it, you’ll have an aneurysm.”
“So… you both planned this? But… wait, so did you plan for that guy to do that, to refuse to back off? What the hell-” Dick’s tone gets more aggressive at the notion that the pair planned for that creep to touch him up so that Roy could save the day. Roy’s adamant ‘no’ and gentle murmurings as he slides his arms around Dick again calm the youngest down until he nods in acceptance and apologises.
Wally’s face lights up in confusion, shifting into anger to the stranger when he realises what Dick is suggesting, only holding back because Roy gives him a look that says to leave it. For now, anyway.
“Never Dickie. The gift was Roy being ours, well yours, for the night.” Wally explains as he moves to the other side of Dick’s body, trapping the teenager between the older boys and presses reassuring kisses to the acrobat’s hair.
For a minute Dick says nothing, just processes the past few minutes. Eventually, he looks up at the archer with a generally blank expression. “Just for the night?”
Roy knows what he means. He isn’t asking if this is a one-time or not, whether it’s the start of a relationship or not. No. He’s asking Roy once it’s morning that he’ll be gone and off on his search again, no hanging around. There’s a sadness in Roy’s eyes as the question’s asked, and Dick can feel the slight way that Wally slumps in defeat, though the archer’s face hardens a little after a brief pause and he nods. The regret’s still there though. And Dick hates Cadmus, hates The Light, hates them for what they’ve done to them all. For everyone and everything they’ve stolen, because in the end, the heroes still lose. But tonight, tonight is his birthday and he has two of the people he loves the most at his whims.
A grin breaks out on his face, he mentally calls M’gann, briefly telling her that he and Wally were taking off and to enjoy the rest of the night, chuckling at her response. He grabs a hand from each redhead, tugging them towards the door.
“In that case then, let’s make the most of it.”