Hey everyone who reads this, first I wanna say thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think!
I'm not really sure how this idea came to me but it did and I ran with it! Hope you enjoy!
Love Bee
For a nine-year-old, Dick Grayson was looking pretty smooth. He had his dark hair gelled back, his tailor-made tux (that just screamed ward of Bruce Wayne) contrasted perfectly with his fair skin and icy blue eyes. Even at that age, Dick had style…and a way with the ladies.
"Come on Gordon! I know you want to!" Dick teasingly insisted to his fiery companion.
"No in a million years Grayson." Barbara snapped back. Her fiery red hair was curled to perfection for this special occasion and her sparkling green dress matched her eyes to a tee. Her white tights were already ripped from climbing under that dessert tables with Dick to try and sneak some goodies (only to be caught by Alfred, that sour-sport). Even at nine, Babs was stunning. And Dick knew it.
"But it's New Years Eve!" Dick protested, not willing to lose this fight. "Everybody needs to have someone to kiss when it strikes midnight!"
"Well go find someone!" Babs protested. "There are plenty of girls for you here."
"Ew! No!" Dick exclaimed. "If I'm gonna kiss a girl I want it to be with one that I don't hate."
"Gee. Thanks." Spat Babs. "I'm going to go find my dad." Babs spun her way through the adult-filled room in Wayne Manor trying to locate her father. The amount of towering grownups was overwhelming but Barbara just treated it like one of her gymnastics routines. Just gotta keep turning till you land on the balance bar. Although she was running at confined-in-a-room-full-of-stuff-adults high speed, the Boy Wonder-in-training soon caught up to her. Dick grabbed her arm.
"Come on Barbara. I'm sorry." Dick told her earnestly. Or, as earnestly as he could.
"Sorry for what?" Barbara asked, testing him. Dick fumbled.
"Uh. I don't know…whatever I am supposed to be…?" Dick admitted, with an already perfected smirk.
"Men." Babs muttered in a huff. With a flip of her hair and a turn on her heel, Babs continued her quest for her father, freckled nose in the air and all. She almost reached the Police Commissioner when the countdown began. Ten. Nine. Eight…
"Come on Babs…" Urged the ever by her side Dick Grayson.
Seven. Six. Five…Babs bit her lips and sighed. Four. Three…
"Fine." She whispered defeated. Two. One. Zero. Happy New Year! Cries of joy and laughter mixed with clinking glasses and warm embraces filled the room. Dick leaned in for his kiss eagerly. Babs, thinking she outsmarted him, turned her head so Dick's lips would meet her cheek. But Dick expected, actually, predicted, that would happen. After all, he was trained by Batman. Dick adjusted his hard so his lips met the lips of the fiery ginger with the green eyes wide with shock. After a few seconds, Dick pulled away grinning satisfactorily to himself. He did it. He actually kissed his best friend Barbara Gordon. His smirk was slapped off his face by a sharp punch to the nose. Barbara's blush was so deep it matched her hair impeccably. Dick's nose started trickling blood and somewhere in the not too distant background James Gordon and Bruce Wayne were saying how they were practically in-laws already.
"So if sine squared theta plus cosine squared theta equals one, then one over sine x equals cosine x over sine x plus one." Babs concluded satisfactorily. "Right?" She looked over to her studying companion who was currently enthralled in balancing on his upper lip.
"What?" Dick asked dazed and confused. Babs groaned and threw her textbook to the side of her on the king sized bed where she was perched. Dick sighed and removed himself from the desk chair and settled himself down next to Babs.
"Babs, lax, we are going to do fine." Dick said in his most comforting tone he could muster.
"Easy for you to say, Boy Genius." She spat back. "I can't relax. You're not almost failing pre-calc." At that Dick burst out laughing, earning himself a glare from his friend.
"Babs, a 93 on one test is not almost failing." Dick reassured her.
"Whatever." She said dismissively while rubbing her eyes. "Here" Babs said passing her textbook off to Dick. "Think of things to quiz me on. I'll be right back." And with that she disappeared behind one of the all-too-familiar doors of Wayne Manor. A moment of two later she returned, eyeballs feeling free.
"Oh good, you're back. So, what is cotangent equal too—what's different about you?" Dick started, confidence slowly dwindling. Babs sighed in combination with a laugh. She pointed at her bespectacled face, laughing as realization crossed Dick's face.
"Oh." He stated bluntly. "Since when do you wear glasses?" Babs put her hand in her hands, exasperated.
"Since always." She answered slowly. "How long have you known me?"
"Since we were eight, but that's besides the point. Really? You've always worn glasses? Does that mean you just go blind all the time or what?"
"Contacts Dick. Contacts." Babs explained slowly as she regained her seat on the edge of the bed.
"Oh, right, duh." Dick nodded along to his thought. He couldn't help but notice the way Bab's frames really highlighted her emerald eyes. A string of ruby hair fell forward into Babs' face and Dick had the urge to push it back in place. So he did. And so did Babs. Their hands touched as Dick pushed the hair back where it belonged, causing Babs' cheeks to flush. The action was then returned by Dick's face. The two of them sat together, cheeks red, eyes unblinking staring into one another for what felt like hours but in all reality was mere seconds. The silence was broken by the awkwardness that was Babs talking.
"We should, uh, get back to math." Babs said breaking eye contact and looking down at her feet.
"Right." Dick sighed, almost dejectedly. The moment was almost perfect. If he just had the smidgen more of courage things could be going differently right now. "So cotangent is equal to…?"
"One over tangent. Come on, give me something challenging." Babs whined, tugging on Dick's sleeve like a small child. God, she was beautiful.
"Umm…" Dick muttered trying to get himself to refocus. He flipped wildly throughout the textbook searching for an adequate problem. "Here—" They went on like that for about 45 minutes before Babs finally broke.
"I can't do this Dick. I am going to fail. And then I am going to lose my scholarship and I can kiss Harvard goodbye." She cried hysterically, pacing around Dick's bedroom like a maniac.
"Babs, calm down. You are going to do absolutely fine! Get whelmed." Dick said trying to reassure his best friend.
"Oh shut up Grayson! You don't have to worry about stuff like this! You could fail all of your classes and not have to worry."
"Whoa, whoa. No need to drop the G-bomb on me now." Dick said I an attempt to lighten the mood. It didn't work. "Just calm down. You are going to do fine. Besides, its not like it's a final or anything. It's just one test."
"Yeah, one test that counts for 50 percent of our grade this semester!" Babs snapped angrily, obviously pissed off at Dick and at the world. No matter how hard Dick tried, he couldn't calm Barbara down. Her tizz seemed to be permanent. Dick couldn't help but realize how Babs eyes glistened when she got passionate about something, angry or not, and how her nose crinkled when she was arguing with him. It was beautiful to him and he wasn't sure why. Pull yourself together man. Dick chided himself. Your best friend is having a major freak-out, now is not the time to be having these thoughts. Focus.
"Babs." Dick began. "Listen to me. It's all going to be okay. I promise. You know all of this stuff forwards and backwards. You are going to be fine so stop worrying. You are not going to blow your scholarship and you need to stop thinking that you are." Babs snuffed and turned her head away to face the opposite wall. A shred of bravery swelled up in Dick in that moment. That exact moment when everything was perfectly in place. Perfect. Dick reached over and cupped Babs' face with his palm. He looked into those watery green eyes without falter.
"Barbara." Dick started slowly, tilting his head in even more slowly.
"Trust me on this." The double meaning apparent to the both of them, however, it was more understood by Dick than Babs.
"Dick, I—"
"Shh." Dick shushed her, leaning in closer, now nose to nose. Slowly, agonizingly so, Dick leaned in, Babs simultaneously pushing forward until the two met at the lips. Warmth flooded the both of them, emotions bubbling over. Lips warm on lips stayed for what felt like an infinite amount of seconds until they parted, allowing the gentle stroke of tongue on teeth. As the kiss deepened all thoughts of school were left behind. Seconds, minutes, days, weeks could have passed but it was all the same to them. Dick Grayson had finally mustered up enough courage to kiss Barbara Gordon and Barbara Gordon had finally mustered up enough courage to let him. It was a beautiful sight. When they finally broke apart both were red and breathless.
"Wow. I—" Babs whispered shortly, forehead against Dick's forehead.
"I know." Dick answered for her breathlessly.
"Wow." Babs repeated, flushed and speechless.
"I know." Dick sighed as he kissed Babs' forehead. They sat like that in complete silence for a few moments before the silence was broken by the inevitable question.
"So, where does this leave us?" Babs asked finally.
"I…I don't know." Dick answered truthfully. Babs looked disappointed at that response. She wasn't expecting a marriage proposal or anything but a solid answer would have been nice. Babs cleared her throat and pulled herself away. She shouldn't be upset but she almost was. Dick reached down and grabbed Babs' hand in his. He gave her hand a squeeze and she looked up at him.
"I really like you Barbara." He answered the unasked question honestly. Babs sighed and leaned into Dick.
"I really like you too, Richard." Babs sighed almost dreamily.
"Babs…?" Dick questioned hesitantly.
"Yeah?"
"Will, um, will you go out with me on Saturday night?"
Silence.
Babs breathed in through her nose and nodded against Dick's shoulder.
"Yeah." She whispered, pausing to swallow before continuing. "I'd love to." Dick, expecting to worst, was taken slightly off guard at the reply.
"Really?" he asked in disbelief. Babs gave a light chuckle.
"Yeah." She repeated once again, smiling to herself all the while.
"Wow." Dick sighed in content. Babs giggled softly as Dick wrapped hos arm around her shoulder.
"So, can I," Dick cleared his throat and continued, "can I kiss you again?" His voice cracked on the last of the sentence. Babs smiled into Dick's shoulder and looked up at him.
"Yeah." She said, pressing her face towards Dick's. Dick smiled and pressed his lips into those of his (hopefully) new girlfriend.
It's safe to say that not much more studying was done that night, however, a fair amount of cuddling was done instead. By the time Babs had to leave, both sets of lips were swollen with kisses. The ride home with Alfred was uncomfortably silent. Alfred wore an all-knowing smirk as he drove Babs home.
"You have arrived Miss Gordon." Alfred announced as they pulled into the drive of the police commissioner's house.
"Thank you Alfred." Babs said with a smile in his direction. Alfred nodded and kept his eyes on the girl until she was safely inside the house. Babs quietly shut the door behind her and waited until the older man drove off. He knows. She thought to herself. He knows everything. Already.
"Daddy, I'm home!" Babs called out before finding her dad in his favourite chair reading police reports. She sighed at the sight and walked over to his chair, pulling the reports out of his hands.
"Dad, you need to leave work at work and bring home home." Babs chided her father. Jim sighed and pit down the files on the coffee table.
"You're right. I'm sorry Barbara." Her father told her kindly. "How was studying with Dick? Did you eat?" He asked his only daughter.
"Yeah, I did. Alfred made us cookies and sandwiches." Babs replied as she moved into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. "Studying was good," she continued, "it was actually really good." Babs sighed dreamily, leaning against the kitchen counter. Jim gave a slight hur-umph to the expression on his daughters face.
"What happened that was so special?" He pondered towards his baby girl.
"Well…" Babs giggled nervously and looked down at her feet. "Dick kissed me." At the news, Jim rapidly got up from his seat and made his way to the coat rack.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Babs asked, concern filling her voice.
"Getting my gun." Jim answered gruffly. "I'm going to have a nice visit with Mr. Grayson."
"Daddy! No! You can't!" Babs said running up to her father. "Daddy relax, it was just a kiss. Nothing more. Besides…I really like him." Babs pleaded with her father, somewhat forcing him to shrug out of his already on coat. "Besides," Babs started up again once her father had calmed down. "You can't kill him. We are going out on Saturday." Jim sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Its just…" Jim began, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "You're only 15 Barbara and—"
"Dad, I'm 16." Babs interrupted. Jim sighed and replaced his glasses on his nose.
"Same difference." Jim insisted. "Anyways, you're still my little girl." Babs sighed and gave her father a warm embrace.
"Daddy, I'm never going to stop being your little girl but you have to accept the fact that I am growing up, too." Babs whispered into her father's shoulder. Jim sighed a deep and heavy sigh and let go of his daughter.
"I know sweetheart. I know." Babs smiled slightly and leaned up to peck her father on the cheek.
"Thanks Daddy." Jim huffed satisfactorily a plopped back down in his chair.
"I'm gonna hit the showers." Babs announced while leaving the kitchen.
"Don't break it." Jim teased. Babs rolled her eyes at her father's corniness.
"Yeah, yeah." Babs retorted sarcastically. Jim chuckled to himself. "Goodnight Daddy."
"Goodnight sweetie." Jim replied affectionately. "Oh! And Babs—" He called out before she totally exited the room. "I wasn't going to kill him you know, just scare the shit out of him."