Work Text:
The pain was fiercer now. Roy grasped his wounded side as he struggled to put the keys in the lock. His vision was becoming hazy. As he turned the key the door opened, and he was met with Dick’s face twisted in concern.
Roy groaned as he pushed past him, collapsing onto the couch. He hoped Lian wasn’t around to see him like this. Dick turned around, immediately scolding.
“Roy, I can’t believe you would— “. He paused seeing the pained look on his friend’s face.
“It’s not what you think.” Roy struggled to say. He moved his hand away from his abdomen which grew wetter every second. His red Speedy uniform was pretty good at hiding things like this.
Dick paled. “Come on we gotta get you help. Where’s your first aid stuff?” Roy gestured limply to the bathroom, and Dick dashed in that direction. He came back a few moments later as Roy was struggling with his shirt.
“Lift your arms up.” Dick commanded as he pulled off Roy’s quiver and shirt. His bow was already on the floor by the door. Dick peeled the fabric off quickly and Roy grimaced. The wound was a diagonal line in his side, blood trickling freely now that the fabric was out of the way. Roy grunted in pain.
“Hold on, it’ll be over soon.” Dick rolled him onto his side, wound facing up. He grabbed a rag from the kit and ran over his skin, wiping the blood off. Next, he pulled out the needle and thread from the kit, stitching up the gash. Roy winced with each stitch. Dick didn’t ask if he wanted anything for the pain, he knew he wouldn’t take it.
Dick pulled out the bandages, wrapping the fabric gently around the wound after a applying a healing ointment. Roy’s breathing was starting to slow. Dick moved to pull off the rest of his gear, placing his armguards and supplies meticulously on the coffee table. The apartment was silent, thankfully Lian hadn’t woken up in the commotion.
“Thanks.” Roy finally whispered. He sat up slowly, wary of his injury as he moved to lean against the side of the couch. “Don’t know if I would’ve been able to do that myself.”
Dick passed him a glass of water as he sat down. “It’s what we do.” Roy nodded, eyes trailing to the dingy carpet before slowly facing his friend.
“What were you doing here?” His voice was careful and restrained.
“The babysitter called, apparently I’m the first emergency contact.”
Roy glanced at the time on his phone, 12:53 and way past her shift. No wonder she’d been worried when she couldn’t reach him. Honestly, Roy had forgotten he’d scribbled Dick’s name down for the new sitter a few weeks ago. But there wasn’t anyone else to put, the rest of the Titans still didn’t know about Lian, and he hadn’t spoken to Ollie and Dinah in a long time. And Jade was well… Jade.
“Sorry you had to come out all this way.” Roy frowned, feeling the tension in the air. Dick must have feared the worst when he got the call.
“I was in the area.” Dick shrugged, rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt back down. He let his arm fall to his side, inches away from Roy who took another sip of water. The muscles in his back creaked as he moved.
Dick tapped his fingers on the rough fabric of the couch as the silence between them pressed inward. “You should be more careful.” He finally said, coming off more scolding than he intended.
“I know.” Roy said with the ease of a kid being nagged to clean his room.
“Roy, I just mean—”
“Don’t you think I know.” Roy’s voice was suddenly serious, his laidback demeanor falling away. “I risk my life every day out there, just like you.” There was a far-away look in his eyes, fingers trembling on the cup. He thought of his biological father, saving lives to the point that it cost him his own and Ollie leaving ‘to save the world’ on his road trip.
His shoulders slumped as he leaned down on his knees. He set the glass down with a sigh.
“Dick, I almost died today.”
He glanced at his friend for a reaction, but he was as emotionless as his mentor, listening intently. Roy knew how important this work was, protecting people, stopping those who want to harm others, but at what cost?
“All I could think about was her.” Roy admitted quietly. “I can’t leave her alone, not like…” He trailed off. Dick nodded in silent understanding. Roy didn’t want her to be like him, growing up without support or taking the wrong turns he had in his life. It scared him today, that he came so close to that. That he almost died and would’ve left her alone.
“I don’t want this life for her.” Roy said. “But everything I’ve ever done seems to take me right back to it.” He was a father now; he couldn’t risk his life in the same way anymore.
“Well, you grew up in it.” Dick said, facing Roy. “We-you don’t know anything else. It’s hard to change.” Roy sighed in affirmation. “Plus, I don’t think a quiet life suits you.” Dick’s voice was laced with fondness.
The corners of Roy’s mouth turned up at his words, but his eyes still faced the floor. Everything was different now. He couldn’t be the lone wolf jumping from mission to mission, team to team, careful of overstaying his welcome. Lian would need something more grounded as she grew up. But he still didn’t know if he could ever leave this life, the thrill of landing a perfect shot, the bonds with other heroes, the satisfaction of helping people. Roy clenched his hands together before looking over at Dick.
“If something ever happened to me, you’d be there for her, right?”
“Of course.” Dick said. Roy knew he was too practical to deny the possibility. It was all too easy, especially with their normal brittle human bodies. Memories flashed through, sounds of cracking bones and dripping blood echoed in his mind. He thought of how easily the knife sank through his skin today. How if Dick hadn’t been there things might not have turned out all right.
Roy gave a slight smile. “That includes letting her see her mom. And don’t you dare turn her into a bat.” He scolded. “I don’t want to see her running around Gotham in the afterlife.”
Dick rolled his eyes with a grin. “Can’t make any promises about that.” His smile dimmed as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. There was something contemplative in his eyes.
“But I promise I won’t leave her alone, and that includes you too.” Dick met his gaze, voice firm. “Maybe I’ll have to come help for more than just emergencies.” Roy glanced at his bandages instinctively, running his fingers across the fabric. His expression shifted in an instant.
“Really? From what I hear you’re the one that needs the help Boy Wonder.” Roy said, shoving him gently with his uninjured side.
“Oh, is that right, Speedy?” Dick elbowed him with a smirk. Ow, Roy gripped his side in mock hurt. The duo sat back against the cushions with shared laughter that fell quiet as late night turned into early morning.
Snores eventually filled the living room. Roy’s chest rose and fell in a thankfully steady rhythm. Dick longed to be asleep too but didn’t dare let his guard down in an unfamiliar place. Eventually he got up, putting away the medical equipment and washing the glasses in the early morning darkness.
He looked down at his friend, the bliss of sleep written on his face. It was nice to see him so peaceful after the ordeal that getting Lian had been. Dick reached under his body, lifting him up. Roy was about his size, so it wasn’t hard with his acrobatic strength, but he wasn’t light. He carried him to the bedroom, pulling a patterned Navajo blanket over Roy’s bare chest. Lian was curled up peacefully in the crib beside his bed, as sound asleep as her father.
Dick smiled at the duo before slipping out through the window. Hopefully, he’d get a chance to honor his promise.