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[ Adjusting to life in the past wasn't the hardest part about any of this. For the most part, Terry could live without the automation and the other conveniences future living brought to Neo Gotham. Of course, he had to learn how to work a coffee maker that wasn't voice activated and use a manual elevator and remember to use cash because he was pretty sure if he tried to swipe his cash card, he'd be arrested. But it wasn't all bad. Not ideal, but not bad.

So if anyone asked, he'd be quick to tell them. It wasn't hard living retro. It was hard living with Bruce friggin Wayne. He'd always thought the old man was a hard ass, no question about it. But he also got a break from him. He got to go to his own home and sleep in his own bed and maybe sometimes have a social life if his own little merry band of misfits decided they'd behave long enough he could see the inside of a night club.

He thought - stupidly, foolishly he knows - that maybe a younger version of Bruce would be. He didn't know. Mellow? Chill? Not so tightly wound? But he was none of those things. If anything, he was more intense than ever. He'd spent hours interrogating Terry, vetting his story, confirmed what he could of it, looking at the suit and checking the tech in it. And at the end of it all, he still suspicious.

Terry supposed he should have been grateful Bruce hadn't just kicked his ass and tossed him into Arkham the second he popped into existence and claimed he was Batman from the future. And he was! He was even more grateful when Bruce agreed to help him get back to where he belonged. But that meant sitting tight. And it also meant no more Batman of the Future.

He tried. Terry really did and for a while, he was kind of glad to have the time off. There was time to catch up on sleep. To see movies and hang out with the other Bats, when they had the chance. He learned how to boil water and make tea from Alfred, instead of relying on a electric kettle to do it for him. It was nice seeing Bruce's life when it had people other than himself in it. But after a while? It got old. Really old and he found himself itching to get back out there again. When Bruce said no, it made Terry feel like he was going to lose it. He didn't have to be Batman, but Bruce couldn't keep him locked up in the manor forever.

But that was exactly what Bruce intended and that's how Terry found himself on the doorstep of Dick Grayson, after his latest clash with Bruce. It'd been a particularly nasty one and he just needed a few days to cool off. So he packed his shit (he didn't have much) and left. He's leaning against the frame of the door when it opens. ]

Got room for one more?

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[ Dick is not pleased.

It's bad enough that he's been running in circles, basically chasing his own tail, trying to pin these guys down, trying to figure out exactly where these weapons have been getting into town and exactly who's behind it. That's par for the course, one of the endless struggles the city's thrown at him, and he wasn't going to tell Terry that he couldn't help, as if he wasn't good enough to tackle anything worse than the average mugger or attempted bodega robbery. And he couldn't expect Terry not to follow a lead either, even though he did say not to dig into it without backup on hand— it doesn't matter. What matters is that Terry is in one piece, and after Dick gets him out then he'll work on making the most out of this break in the case.

They're probably expecting a full on assault, not just a rescue mission. Dick's going for a more subtle approach that may or may not turn into a full on fight. He doesn't really want to dive into an all-out brawl here and now, leaving this place intact will make it easier to track down to the source later, but it all depends on how hard it is to get Terry out of here. If he's gotta do more than knock out a few strategically placed lookouts? He will.

No obvious alarms have gone off by the time he makes it to the cramped space where Terry's tracker is transmitting. After dropping the two guards at the front, with a slightly louder scuffle than he would have liked, he stops to analyze the door itself, checking for any potential tripwires. ]

You done in there, pal?

[ He'll stay vague, just in case Terry is actually somewhere else. ]

[ Terry could admit this had been reckless.

They'd been tracking these guys for weeks and there had been hardly any movement and after too many nights of listening and doing nothing, Terry had decided it was time to force them into some action. It was reckless. It was rash. Maybe even a little boneheaded. And it had worked. Anything to get the job done is what he would have told Bruce. And for the most part, it worked for him. But there were a few times it decidedly didn't. He'd put this little mishap somewhere in the middle.

He knew where the smuggling operation was operating out of it. But only because they'd chucked him into something he could only describe as a utility closet. It's a trap and they couldn't have broadcasted it any louder, considering they hadn't bothered to even restrain Terry or jam his ability to call for help.

They expected Batman - the real one or whatever. Who they were getting would be less inclined to yell at him for being reckless.

He can hear the scuffle outside and when it's quiet, he steps back from the door, half expecting it to swing open wide. But he hears Dick's voice instead and it's honestly the most beautiful sound in the world. ]

My hero.

[ It's way too soon to be relieved that he's found Terry, that he's in one piece and Dick won't catch hell about this later despite the fact that, all teasing aside, he's not actually a kid and he's not a side-kick on his first day. They still have to get out of this place, and then figure out how to dismantle it, unless they're forced into some kind of direct confrontation and they can't risk letting all of this slip through their fingers. Dick didn't plan for that, and while he's not at all averse to improvising this isn't his first rodeo and he knows it's always better to get some recon under his belt before he tries anything drastic.

If possible. Sometimes it's not.

He did kind of manage to put the other conversation they had tonight, before all of this went downhill, aside, focusing instead on the immediate situation, but he definitely hasn't forgotten about it, and hearing Terry's voice, actually seeing him once he's pried the door open, brings that right back into focus. He's... honestly not completely convinced that it wasn't some kind of misunderstanding, maybe some kind of joke? As unrealistic as that would have been. Occam's razor would suggest otherwise.

First things first— ]

Are you alright?

[ Thankfully, Terry isn't a stranger to Kobra and how they operated. This version seemed to be in its infancy, all things considered so dismantling it might not be the daunting task it is for him back home. It may not be all the same, but there seemed to be enough overlap that they could at least slow them down until they figured out how to bring their operation down for good. Aside from that, he's not doing it alone. Most times he prefers the solo act. Right now? When it's Dick? He doesn't mind the company at all.

He grins as the door is pried open and there's Nightwing standing in the glow of the hallway. Terry's only ever seen the suit in the display case back home. Seeing it in action does make his stomach drop somewhere in the vicinity of his knees. He doesn't mean to stare, but god, he didn't expect it to look this nice on him. If Dick thought their previous conversation was a joke, maybe the way he stares now helps put that theory to rest.

One awkward cough later Terry nods to answer his question. ]

Fine. Roughed me up a little, but nothing I'm not used to. Let's get out of here before more of them show up.

[ Dick does plan on following up on the fact that Terry's dealt with these people before, whatever differences they probably have been dimensions and decades it's hard to believe that it would be a coincidence that they would be here after Terry was dropped into their Gotham. And if nothing else they're causing plenty of trouble with or without intentionally yanking people into the wrong dimension, he doesn't intend to let them dig in here. It's already hard to throw a rock in this town without hitting an assassin, they definitely don't need another entire faction of them setting up shop, whether or not the League would take kindly to it. Bad guys fighting bad guys sounds good in theory, it always turns out messy, and gets a lot of innocent people hurt in the crossfire.

It's... a good thing that Terry has his own version of the suit. They all evolve over the years, some more drastically than others, so it makes sense, though it's still hard to imagine Bruce wearing it. In any case Terry's made it his own, it reminds Dick more of Jason than anything else, which makes this less awkward than it would have been if he kept glancing and thinking that it was Bruce at the corner of his eye.

But no, it's definitely Terry under that mask, staring, though not in a way that makes him uncomfortable. It feels complicated, yeah, but he doesn't not like it.

Maybe he likes it more than he should. ]

Right, and I'd rather not spook them into clearing out and relocating.

[ Back out the way he got in then, through the narrowest, dustiest corridors and access panels that he could navigate without getting himself cornered into some dead end. He could call back up if he needed to, but he'd get teased relentlessly for that kind of rookie move. ]

How did they get the drop on you anyway?

[ Kobra and the League of Assassins will clash eventually. In Terry's Gotham, the League had lost much of its influence as Ra's' body had deteriorated and he took over Talia's. So Kobra was essentially an unchallenged presence, outside of Batman of course. They won't find that to be the case here. League aside, there were far more Bats here than in the Gotham they'd come from. They weren't going to have an easy time with whatever they were planning on either side of the coin.

He's grateful Dick doesn't say anything about his staring. It's embarrassing enough to do it while they're out in the field. He'd really rather they didn't talk about it just then. Maybe later when they were back in Dick's apartment. He keeps up with Dick easily enough, the way he moves hallmarks of Bruce's training. He knew Dick's question was coming. You didn't have to be a detective to figure that out. So he's not thrown by it at all. ]

They had a laptop they were hovering over and I assumed it had information on it. Wanted to get a look at it myself. One of the goons wasn't as knocked out as I thought.

[ Beaned him right in the back of the head. He still doesn't know what they hit him with, but he did remember waking up with a massive headache. ]

Still got the intel though.

[ It's a little challenging to carry on a conversation while they're prying themselves through the winding path that Dick took to break in, especially since he's particularly talented at exactly this kind of thing strong and flexible and almost unnaturally good at knowing exactly where the best handholds are, and exactly how to balance his weight to land both silently and steadily. It would have been a challenge to try to navigate someone else through it, but Terry's right behind him and watching his every move, so it works. He's not intentionally showing off, just... doing his usual thing. Which does tend to be pretty indistinct from a performance at times, admittedly. He can't help it.

He's not going at a break-neck pace though, especially not now that he knows Terry's taken a good solid hit of some kind, for all he knows he could have been drugged with something too, it's hard to say what they would do to keep a Bat down for the count. God knows he's had plenty of experience with concussions himself, it's probably a miracle that his brain still seems to be in fairly good condition after how many times it's been severely rattled. ]

We can go over that back at my place.

[ He won't really breathe a sigh of relief until they're back out in the cool night air, and even then it's still cautious. They'll have to make sure that they're not being followed, which is a definite likelihood if their escape has been noticed. He's absolutely not going to lead anyone to his apartment, though that's almost certainly nowhere near as exciting a locale as they would be wanting. ]

... I didn't distract you, did I?

[ Is he actually worried that he was indirectly responsible for this? No. Mostly no. More so he's wondering if they're even going to talk about that, or if it was... a fluke? Somehow? ]

[ A challenge but not impossible. When it was quiet and safe to do so, Bruce and Terry would have debriefs over the comm line, discuss different angles of the case, argue when they disagreed, or if things were personal? Talk through it. It's different having Dick here with him instead of in his ear, but it's familiar enough that it doesn't throw Terry too badly. He can still keep up. He's not as graceful as Dick in how he moves; he lacks the same finesse and ease and fluidity. But he's clearly not an amateur. He's always taken being Batman seriously and kept up his acrobatic training, even after being totally displaced.

What is a challenge, is not stopping to admire Dick. It's not a performance and they're not in a place for it. Terry's gotta keep the quips to himself.

It helps that Dick isn't going so fast that keeping up is impossible. He can follow Dick's lead and wiggle his way through each tight passage until they're out in the open air again. Terry waits until they've cleared the building before he even begins to offer an answer. ]

No. It wasn't you. [ not in a way that Terry could blame him for anything. He should have stayed focused. He knew better and still got caught out. That would never be Dick's fault. ]

I've just had a lot of time to think about this. About us. I mean if there is an us. [ ahem ] Which way we heading?

We're taking the scenic route.

[ Dick has a number of routes back to his apartment that take him through secure spots where he won't be seen vanishing from a clearly observable skyline or ducking down into one particular alley, even the specific location of that corner was calculated. It had to be, because now that his secret identity is properly secret again he has no intention of blurring that line again. But the farther they go the less concerned he is about being followed, and his scans haven't picked up any trackers. It's entirely possible that Terry's sudden absence hasn't been noticed yet at all.

So his focus keeps slipping back to the other thing. So Terry has been thinking about it, unlike him, where he's been entirely oblivious if there have been hints dropped somewhere along the way. In hindsight he can easily see how he could have dismissed any distant or evasive looks or replies as just being a part of Terry adjusting to this, and inevitably thinking about the Gotham back home.

Also in hindsight he does realize that he's been treating Terry a lot more like a Robin than a Batman. Not a kid, as if he can't be trusted to hold his own, maybe at least in part because he's accustomed to Damian, who would bristle at the mere suggestion that he needed help, but... definitely still mindful of the fact that he's young. Actually he didn't even ask how old Terry is, he just assumed it was at least a few years younger than him. Let alone whether he was romantically unattached, or what kind of person he'd be interested in if not.

He's got one hand on the fire escape, back in the familiar narrow alley behind the apartment building, dangling casually as he watches Terry make his way over, considering— well, a lot of things. ]

A lot of time to think about kissing me, huh?

[ The suit thankfully has several tamper proof measures to keep outsiders from getting into the tech or hacking it while Terry's inside of it. The kill switch is a dimension away, but from what he could tell, the rest of the security is still in tact. All of Terry's readouts were clean. Still the scenic route's a good way to go. If only to shake off any would be pursuers in the sprawl of the city.

It really hadn't been an accident that Terry turned to Dick when he had his original falling out with Bruce. He was easy to like. Easy to trust and didn't treat him like he was an outsider and maybe to the others he was. But Dick had welcomed him, embraced him. Let him help. That meant a lot. The routine helped ease the homesickness and it made Terry enjoy Dick's company just that little bit more.

Dick's neighborhood is becoming more and more of a familiar sight. Terry's not sure if it's a good thing that he's been here long enough to recognize so many of the buildings here now, but it doesn't feel to bad to think of it as a sort of second home. It at least felt better being here than at the manor. When he reaches the fire escape, he smiles at Dick. ]

Yeah, well, you should stop looking so kissable.

[ Terry is cute. Straightforward and honest in ways that most people he deals with these days aren't, which isn't a slight against them, it's just... either there's so much history, ups and downs, uncomfortable truths and ugly fights, or it's someone who doesn't even know about this side of their lives, someone who's unarguably better off staying out of it. Terry has mostly a blank slate, so it makes sense. And Dick likes to think that they have a good thing going here anyway, he's tried his best to make it clear that Terry can be honest with him, that he's not going to judge.

He leans forward, nice and casual, a little too close for a normal conversation. It's kind of a shame that he can't see anything of Terry's face underneath that cowl, not really even his mouth. Definitely a suit design that Bruce would have come up with, though he's the last person Dick's thinking about right now. ]

Or what?

[ His own eyes might be obscured, but his lips quirk into a warm, pleased flicker of a smirk. He can be playful, even while he's still kind of catching up on this entire situation. Usually he's better at picking up on it, it's a bit novel to be caught by surprise.

But he'll pull himself up before Terry has too long to think about that answer. ]

Come on. I need to get a good look at you to see how badly they scrambled your brain when they knocked you out.

[ It's good that their rapport seemed near effortless to build. The banter came easy and so did their good-natured humor. Any other feelings that might have followed? It's because Dick made it so easy to just exist around him without feeling like he was being evaluated or judged or sized up. And he likes that. He hoped that Dick felt the same way. Though if he could judge by the way he's leaning toward him and closing the distance a little too much for it to be anything other than flirting (right?), he'd say Dick felt something. If Terry didn't have the cowl on right then, he might have just kissed him right then and there. That's or what.

It's that playful smirk that gets him every time. He slips into the apartment after Dick and shuts the window and moves away from it before he peels the cowl off and checks the back of his head where he'd been struck. He didn't feel a lump, but it was sticky where blood had gathered and it was tender to the touch. He winces but his face smooths out a moment later. It could be worse. ]

Should have told that guy to practice his swing. My head's still attached.

[ While Terry's feeling that out himself Dick's taking off his own mask, setting it aside next to the couch before turning back to get a good look at those eyes so he can gauge exactly how much of a concussion Terry might have going on here. It's almost too perfect of an excuse to reach out with a gloved hand, a gentle touch tipping just at Terry's chin, to draw his gaze. And honestly? He knows what he's opening himself up for, and if he wasn't comfortable with that he wouldn't have done it, but his hand is steady and he's not shying away from the closeness of it, of being regarded by those pale blue eyes.

There's so many reasons he should gently dissuade Terry from thinking about him like that. This. Right now he's circled around to the one that's all about the fact that Terry's presence here isn't going to be forever, they're actively trying to get him home, and there's no reason to expect that they'll ever see him again. And sure, it doesn't have to be that deep, there's nothing wrong with indulging in some companionship, god knows they're all fairly deprived of anything that stable and normal, but...

But he's not good at casual. He knows that. ]

I think I'd rather not encourage them to try to decapitate you.

[ That's not a level of violence they have to deal with too often, not least of all because everyone knows that's off the table with Batman. He's still careful though, and there's much less dramatic ways to a kill a person. ]

[ It's not that going home had stopped being a priority. The Joker situation had left it in a strange sort of limbo, like a powder keg waiting for the next spark to ignite it. Terry had not forgotten that and going back to keep an eye on things is definitely on his to do list. But the longer he's here, the easier it becomes to think about what if he couldn't go back? Could he settle here? Could he make a life here? When Dick turns his head so Terry could look at him, it feels like it. It really, really feels like it.

It didn't have to be deep. It could just be casual and easy and something they could be put to rest when it came time to part ways. But there's a part of him that doesn't want to do that. He wants Dick to always look at him like this. So he puts the thought of leaving away for now. For now, he just wants to be here in the moment. Terry smiles, he can't help himself. ]

Like my face where it is, do you?

Yeah, I do, actually.

[ He can't put his finger on it but sometimes it feels like Terry's been here all along, like he's always been a part of their 'family,' as completely unconventional as it is, like somehow the real displacement was happening before, when Terry was basically isolated from everyone else except Bruce. He can only imagine what kind of drastic change it's been from Terry's side of things though, going from that to suddenly having a whole team to back him up. Dick's pretty much always had that, and on the rare times he didn't it was because he was intentionally going off to do his own thing and had to cut everyone off in the process.

Which almost unanimously turned out to be a bad idea, in the end.

Now that he's assessed Terry's pupils and decided that his brain wasn't rattled too badly those fingertips skim lightly across his jawline, his own gaze flicking down to Terry's lips. He has all the time in the world to step back, or even just to his head away, but Dick knows he won't, he's got to be just as interested in how it'll feel to press their lips together. ]

[ It had been overwhelming at first. So many people to meet and relationships to forge. Bruce hadn't made it easy, but honestly, Terry hadn't expected he would. He never made anything easy. But slotting into the family, like he'd always had a place here felt--well it felt better than Terry had anticipated. He missed home, of course. But it was so easy to think of this place as home too. Maybe even more so now that he knows Dick maybe feels the same way he does.

It still feels surreal, if he's honest. That Dick would even consider this. He probably seemed like an amateur tonight. But he hadn't made him feel foolish or stupid for getting caught. He just swooped in and helped him out of that tight spot without any judgement. It's more than he could have asked for. Terry's lips part as he leans into Dick's touch and it feels like he's only got a moment to decide. Eventually he does. ]

Slag it.

[ Dick's right. He's curious. Curious enough to close up the space between them and press a kiss to his lips. If he's read this all wrong? He'll just blame his head injury. ]

[ Dick could have told Terry that if he didn't want this to happen he wouldn't have been very subtle about it. He wouldn't have been harsh about it, but he's politely declined advances before, and all teasing aside he's never been the type of guy to lead anybody on, not if he can help it. He didn't do that this time, at first because he was surprised, yeah, and then because it took a little while to let it sink in, and now... now he just wants to feel this out. Not just in a physical way, though there's that too, but how that settles deep in his chest, and how Terry feels about it now that those idle or not-so-idle thoughts have manifested in at least a small way.

Never let it be said that Dick Grayson isn't a good kisser though. He's aware that Terry must be sore from that blow to the head, as much as it could have been a lot worse, so he won't risk pressing against a bruise. Instead Dick's fingers continue that line down alone his jaw, a feather-light caress that wanders down alone his neck before that hand comes to a rest on his shoulder, all while Dick's lips are pressing warm and soft against his.

It's definitely not chaste, but it is careful, maybe a little coaxing. If there's any tongue getting involved it'll only be if Terry starts it. Pushing it would feel too much like taking advantage, so he's being particularly attentive.

... He's still human though, and he hasn't kissed anyone in a while, actually. ]

[ If Terry's nervous, it only shows in the slight tremble of his fingers. He brings them up to touch the curve of Dick's neck, right where it connects with his shoulder. It'd been some time since he's kissed anyone either. Back home, Dana had made it pretty clear she never wanted to see him again. And he couldn't blame her, if he was honest. Bruce and Batman made demands on his time that left very little for a social life. So, kissing - and relationships in general - hasn't really been a priority. Not until he met Dick and realized he'd be okay with kissing him. And he's so glad that he did.

He's not new to it, but he is out of practice. Still, the longer it lasts and the gentle way Dick touches him tells him he's doing something right. Or at the very least not doing it terribly. It gives him the confidence he needs to push for more, to slip his tongue between his parted lips to coax Dick open so he could have a taste for himself.

It's all way better than he'd ever imagined it to be and he's spent a fair bit of time imagining it. How warm and soft his lips would be. What angle might be the best. They'd all be fleeting thoughts he'd been a bit too nervous to ever give voice to. He's glad he didn't really have to.

He doesn't want to stop, even when he needs to breathe. But he does. It'd be super embarrassing to faint during their first kiss. There'd be another he tells himself. He allows himself to hope there'll be more. ]

Is there nothing you can't do, Grayson? [ he grins ] Not that I'm complaining.

[ Now that he's fully relaxing into it, letting go of that nebulous feeling that he shouldn't, Dick can really appreciate how that warmth floods through his chest, kissing has always been nice but there's a certain tactile intimacy to it too that he's been lacking, and finding it here in a completely unexpected way is... nice. Very nice. Though that makes it almost too easy to lose himself in it, to part his lips and invite more, despite his previous determination that he wasn't going to get carried away.

He's still got a handle on it, enough to let Terry break for a breath without making that unreasonably difficult, even if the temptation to nuzzle right up against his throat in that pause is there. It's enough that his hands have settled lightly on Terry's hips, holding them both steady maybe, or possibly just to anchor himself right here, all too aware of exactly where Terry's body is in relation to his own. But it also brings to mind several other ways he could be touching Terry right now, and as unreasonable as those are they still send a flush of that heat much further down.

That's a mildly inconvenient problem that could too easily turn into a very obvious one. ]

If there is I haven't found it yet. [ He teases, a soft, low chuckle close to Terry's lips. ] But there's still some things I haven't tried yet so if you wanted to test that...

[ That kissing isn't much of an excuse for letting his mouth get so far ahead of him but here he is, not taking it back. ]

[ There's a lingering shouldn't in the back of Terry's head too and if he's not careful, he could pick at it until it overtook him. He knows he shouldn't, but he did a lot of things he shouldn't all the time. Dressing up like a bat and beat the shit out of people seemed the most egregious. Kissing Dick Grayson? Probably the safest thing he's done since becoming Batman. He spent years sacrificing his life for other people and for Gotham herself. If he wanted to be a little bit selfish, well, maybe he deserved that.

He's well aware of Dick's hands on his hips, holding him just close enough and Terry finds himself wondering what his hands would feel like without all of this kevlar and spandex in the way. The thought makes him shudder a little, and he's sure Dick could feel it. He wants to ask, but he's can't help but wonder if maybe it's too soon for it. ]

I just might. [ He's still close enough to kiss and Terry steals a brief one. ] Tell me something you haven't tried. Maybe you and I can try it together.

[ Dick should be well past the point where he would flush at any kind of flirting or proposition, he's heard it all before and he honestly just invited exactly that response, but somehow that's what happens, though it might be hard to tell when Terry's kissing him again and he's letting that linger long enough to catch that lower lip with his teeth, reflexively, a heated breath hinting rather obviously at something deeper. At impulses that he's keeping under careful restraint, not because he doubts that Terry knows what he wants, he doesn't, but he's barely had a chance to consider where the boundaries should be at this point. They've already blown past the ones he was taking for granted.

So he's catching a breath or two more as he's watching Terry's face, one of his hands sliding a bit further to rest low on his back, his fingertips caressing lightly over the suit, with just enough weight that Terry will definitely feel it. ]

It might make more sense to start with you, I bet you've got a longer list.

[ Even if Terry's had particularly wild teenage years, which... who knows, maybe he has, understandably it hasn't come up in casual conversation.

He does nuzzle in against Terry's neck then, more affectionate than teasing, but mostly inviting. Leaving himself open, giving Terry the space to touch him however he might like to, that's deliberate. If this is just an idle curiosity or a passing urge for something warm and intimate, he's good with that too. If there's genuinely more to it though... ]

[ Honestly, Terry didn't really know what he was stepping into here. He'd likes the way Dick looks at him and the way his teeth catch his bottom lip when they kiss that second time. It makes his heart flutter a little in his chest. Maybe that's a little bit sappy, but Terry's alright with that as long as they're close like this. As long as they stay close like this.

The weight of Dick's hand on his back is welcomed, makes him feel anchored in place. And it makes him feel like Dick really does want him this close and this isn't some fever dream brought on by that blow to the head. ]

I've never really been with a guy before.

[ So he wasn't sure where to start. But he knows what he likes and spends a little bit of time thinking it over. His head tilts back, sighs as Dick nuzzles him there. His hands slide over Dick's shoulders and then down his arms, where he squeezes Dick's muscles gently. ]

Let's start simple. I want to touch you.

[ Dick has plenty of reasons to be careful, some more pressing than others, and he does sense that Terry's following his lead, which isn't surprising either given a professed lack of experience and just the way things have been working out lately. He's been here to help guide Terry along, to give him outlets while staying close enough to watch out for the pitfalls he'd naturally run into while learning a whole new version of the city he knows back home, and unlike some people he's not so fixated on having control over every little detail that he's stifling.

... Usually. He does have his moments, probably at least in part a learned habit, but obviously Terry hasn't been complaining. The bias probably doesn't hurt either, whatever this is it didn't just spring out of nowhere this evening, and maybe he could have seen it sooner if he'd been paying closer attention.

Maybe. ]

With how busy you've been I doubt there's been a lot of time for guys or girls.

[ His chuckle is a warm breath on Terry's neck, and he needs to stop but... it only takes a second to press his lips there for a lingering kiss. But then he does lean back, taking a slightly deeper breath. ]

Come on. I need to get a better look at your head before you get too distracted.

[ The bias certainly helps. Stifling hasn't endeared Terry to Bruce in the way it had with Dick. If only because Dick had also been willing to give him a chance, while Bruce only wanted to keep him locked down, with no room to move. Even without the Batman stuff, Terry needed room to move. He could have pushed harder, he supposed. But things with Bruce were tenuous enough. He didn't want it getting any worse. Because despite everything, Terry still really cared about Bruce and didn't want their differences to wedge them apart.

He's stuck here after all and setting himself at odds with the big Bat in charge wouldn't do him any favors.

Besides, the distance had helped. Being with Dick helped more. ]

You're not wrong. I had a girlfriend but she dumped me not long before I got here. Hard to spend time with her when I'm running off to save the day all the time.

[ He's content when Dick kisses his neck, warmed at the affectionate gesture. Dick's not wrong about him being distracted either. It'd be too easy to forget about that head wound when Dick's close to him like this. It'd be too easy to forget about everything. ]

I feel fine. Just a little sore.

[ But he's obedient, if only so they can get back to kissing. ]

Tell me where you want me.

Edited 2025-04-27 22:35 (UTC)

I know exactly how that feels.

[ Dick's sure that he's picked up on the history between him and Barbara to some extent, whether or not anyone's mentioned it directly. They're still close, they still have a kind of bond that's hard to describe as just friends, but they've missed the boat when it comes to committing to 'more than friends' so many times, and it's almost always because of everything else they're committed to, it's hard to do romantic relationships justice while keeping up with everything.

Granted there's also been times where he... just balked, and couldn't truly blame it all on the vigilante life, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway it's not as if he's got any kind of monopoly on tumultuous romances, that's the point.

Once he's pulled back he's already heading toward the bathroom, it's not a long walk since his apartment isn't exactly huge, and gestures toward the toilet before turning to pull out his first aid kit and some towels from the cabinet. He doesn't think stitches are going to be necessary, but he has to make sure, and it definitely needs to be cleaned at the very least. ]

Have a seat. [ He also has to swap out his suit's gloves for a clean, medical-grade pair before he's poking around Terry's scalp to assess the wound. ] So what happens when you need stitches back home?