Title: Big Brother
Characters: Robin/Dick Grayson, Speedy/Red Arrow/Roy Harper
Rating: K+
Word Count: 868
Warnings: Character Death.
Author's Beginning Notes || º Written for a fill that has been filled twice but both disregarded a certain brooding red clad archer...
º Cause Roy would be sad too! So I tried to fit all the small points given into this...Cept the saying bye to Bruce...
º Prompt: Saying goodbye isn't the hard part, it's what we leave behind that's tough.
On a mission Robin dies, only the team doesn't realize it. Robin's ghost appears in front of each of them, one by one, and he says his goodbyes in a way that they don't realize he's dead.
Maybe he plays one last video game with Wally, tells Artemis that he respects her, gives M'gann his mother's favorite recipe, etc. etc.
I'd just love something extremely heartfelt and painfully heartbreaking.
Extra Bonuses! (use any, all or none)
-Robin reveals his identity to someone.
-He confesses his love for someone (Wally would be my personal fav.)
-He says goodbye to Bruce
-Whoever he visits last figures out he's dead, alerting the others, where he gives one final goodbye.
xx
He woke up to a solid block of ice.
Well...it wasn't a completely solid block of ice.
It was somewhat soft, like a person, curled up against his own warmth.
A small smile stretched at his lips as he kept his eyes closed for a moment, thinking back on the previous events of the night before.
xx
"How the hell did yo-never mind that. What are you doing?" the redhead quirked a brow at the younger male who was now peering over his shoulder to stare at the book he had been reading.
It had been quite a quiet day. Void of action, happiness, sadness, or even just events in general. All in all, it was a rather boring day. That was, until Boy Wonder showed up in all his glory. Well, Robin, in civvies, showed up, randomly, unannounced [as per usual anyways] and makes his would-be-boring-and-uneventful day that much brighter.
"Didn't know you read for fun," he teases. Roy can hear the grin in his voice and feels the younger's presence disappear around him briefly before it reappears against him, leaning on his shoulder affectionately.
He sighs and marks his place, shuts the book, and sets it down on the coffee table before the couch they are seated upon. "Shut up," is all he says, wrapping his arms around the raven-haired boy. They sat there for a bit, Robin leaning back into his chest between the older's legs as his arms held onto the strong ones around his waist.
There's a moment's silence.
"Oh yeah, I came to give you this," Robin shifts a little and pulls out a folded piece of paper out from his jeans pocket. "It's an old recipe my mom used to make for me as comfort food..." he wedges the worn paper out into Roy's hands. "That's the original...I...want you to have it. It's a little hard to read, so I copied it down on a separate sheet to. They're attached," he added quickly.
The archer just looks down at him a bit, tightening his hold around Robin a bit more. Damn that child felt cold... "Huh...leaving me comfort food?" he snorted a bit. He was thankful, his heart warmed a bit despite the cold body pressed against him. "...Thanks, kid."
"...It's Dick. Richard, I mean. Richard Grayson...but they call me Dick," came the smallish voice.
His heart skipped a beat. Oh. OH. "Ah. I see..." he doesn't want to make a big deal out of it, so he just says again, "Thank you, Dick, for the recipe."
Dick is smiling a little wider now. A little happier too. "I uh...I just wanted you to know that. I love you. You know, as a brother. Cause you're always there when I need you...and you put up with me...and Wally too, but," he paused, voice a little more hollow [it makes Roy's heart break a bit], "just wanted you to know that."
Another pause.
"When you left...I know you were angry...I was angry too. But I respected your choice... I didn't follow you, though. I felt like I left you...I just. I wish we could have spent more time together...doing stupid stuff, y'know? With Wally too."
"Yeah, I know."
"..."
"Me too, Dick...me too."
At that, the acrobat in his arms turned around, pulled off his glasses, looked straight into the redhead's eyes, and hugged him. Tight. Around the neck. His cold cheek pressed against Roy's neck, making him shiver.
Beautiful blue eyes. He was smiling again, hugging the young boy back.
xx
The now-on-his-own-and-not-a-sidekick let slip a small chuckle, fondly shifted through the last bits in his head.
They had played some video games, watched a movie, and he had tried making that recipe Dick had brought him. Surprisingly, it turned out quite well...and it was worth the mess now in his kitchen when the younger seemed to glow with happiness.
Letting his eyes open now to greet the sun, and sleeping boy beside him, he shifted into a sitting position and turned to where that cold body was.
Nothing.
He was gone.
Roy sighed a bit, running a hand through his hair.
Figures. He probably had somewhere to run to. Oh well, he'd catch him later on probably. With Wally.
Come to think of it, he remembers a faint 'goodbye' before they went to bed.
xx
Later that day, there's an invitation at his doorstep. A funeral invitation. Dick Grayson's funeral invitation.
His stomach knotted uncomfortably.
Shit.
ShitShitSHIT.
How could he not have noticed. Everything so suddenly.
And there was shame in his heart, a stone sinking into the pits of his stomach.
He failed to be there for him. For the kid who claimed him as an older brother.
Weren't brothers supposed to be protective? Weren't they supposed to be THERE?
Now standing at the younger's grave, after everyone had left [he didn't actually go], he presses a calloused hand against the tombstone and manages a weak smile.
"I love you too, kid. You know...as a brother."
xx
Ending Author's Notes || Aaaahhh I hope you guys enjoyed it. I thank my 5 different BETA for sitting through and correcting my bad grammar! Review make me happy~~