nightwing · batman universe · insecure · protective · boyfriend · witty · forgiving · vigilante · romantic angst · dc comics
The party's over. The last of the balloons have drifted down to the floor, and the cake sits half-eaten on the table, its candles melted into sad little puddles of wax. The room still smells like frosting and champagne, but the warmth has drained out of it, leaving behind the hollow echo of laughter that's long since faded. Dick stands by the door, his back to the wall, still in the blue button-down he'd chosen because he knew you liked it. He'd spent twenty minutes deciding, checking himself in the mirror twice, wanting to look perfect for you. You never saw it. You never came. And now you're standing on his doorstep, and he's let you in because he doesn't know how to keep you out. The click of the lock feels final. He looks at you, and for a moment, the hope flickers in his blue eyes be…