Another attempt at a Roy/Dick story~! I hope I get their characterizations right.
OMG, I am dying here slowly, waiting for the next YJ episode.
Hopefully CN slips again, and accidentally releases episode 11 on their website. :B


"Is it a bad thing to like someone older than yourself?"

Dick placed his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned against the dining table. Alfred, as dutiful as ever, was standing poised beside him. His presence made the dark atmosphere of the room slightly less daunting.

"Certainly not, sir. I remember when Master Bruce was pursued by young girls your age when he was sixteen."

"Okay... then, did girls... about five years younger than him pursue him too?"

Alfred paused for an unnaturally long time.

"Um... I'm gonna assume that never happened," Dick scratched the back of his head, "Alfred. Alfred?"

A cough, then, "Yes, Master Richard?"

"Don't tell Bruce about this conversation. Promise me you won't."

"I will not utter a word," Alfred said.

Dick relaxed and finally picked up the fork that had been previously untouched. He twirled the utensil into his dish, effectively wrapping pasta strands around it. "Thanks, Alfred," he said before popping the food into his mouth.

It was a Saturday, and for the first time in a long time, Dick was bored to death. Bruce was with the Justice League at the moment, and Dick had been ordered to stay in Gotham rather than meet with his team at Mount Justice. Even though Bruce forbade him from facing the more infamous criminals, like Joker and Penguin, the city would need Robin to at least stop robbers, muggers, and the like.

It was still only the afternoon, and Dick didn't usually go on patrol until well into the night, leaving him to do nothing but write a paper for his English class.

Halfway into writing his essay, a great craving for an ice cream sundae struck him. He hummed happily as he pushed himself away from his desk and the papers strewn around on it. When he passed by Alfred, he waved and told the butler that he would be going out for a bit. With his hair down and a blue jacket hastily put on, Dick looked neither like Robin, boy wonder, nor Dick Grayson, famous ward of Bruce Wayne.

Though Alfred could have easily made him a sundae, Dick had wanted a chance to stretch his legs. The distance between the mansion and the ice cream parlor was perfect for a short walk. Gotham didn't have the perfect atmosphere for taking a stroll, even during the day, but walking along the streets in the city was better than being holed up in a room all day.

Along the way, Dick bumped into a tall, muscular figure. He glanced back as he rubbed at the small pain on his arm, getting a glimpse of the person's face before he was forced to walk with the wave of pedestrians.

Roy Harper.

How peculiar that the day he decided to talk to Alfred about his attraction to Roy was also the day said vigilante came to Gotham.

Dick assumed Roy was on some sort of mission. He wouldn't come by Gotham City for no reason.

Dick ducked into the ice cream parlor, eyes still on Roy. He watched through the glass display window until Roy's figure got lost in the crowd.

"Uh... excuse me?"

Dick whipped his head towards the source of the voice. A blond teenager with a confused smile waved at him from behind the cash register. He asked, "Are you ready to order?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. A cookie's n cream lover's special, please," Dick said as he pulled out his wallet. He handed the cashier a crisp five-dollar bill.

He sat down on a stool near the cashier and in no time at all, his order was done. "Thanks," he smiled as he was handed a pink spoon.

The sundae was really good, he'd have to ask Alfred to make the same type of sundae some other time.

He checked his watch. Only about twenty minutes until the sun would go completely down. There was no time to lose, Roy would most likely change into his Red Arrow costume once night hit. Dick tossed the empty ice cream container into a trash bin and ran back to the mansion.

"Hey, Alfred! Gonna go on patrol a little early tonight!" he yelled as he passed by the butler.

Alfred nodded once, and then returned to tending the living room.

Once Dick, changed into his Robin outfit, was on top of one of the taller buildings in the city, he activated the holographic computer on his wrist to find Roy. A blinking blue dot indicated that the redhead was less than half a mile away. Dick smiled, he could reach Roy's location on foot, no sweat.

He leaped across rooftops, checking the hologram every once in a while. Roy wasn't moving, he was either waiting for his target or was changing into his superhero suit.

The thought of Roy changing caused Dick's faces to become hot. Stupid teenage hormones making him envision Roy shirtless.

Oh, lord, this was not the time to think about something like that. Look at the hologram, look at the hologram...

His eyes widened upon seeing the dot representing Roy move closer to the center of the virtual map. He stopped to make sure he wasn't imagining things. No, the dot was definitely moving, and it was moving towards him.

Dick looked up to see two figures in the distance. They were both sprinting, and the one in front was dodging an arrow. Clear sign of a bad guy.

Dick pressed himself flat against a metal water tank. As he pulled out knock-out gas pellets and a lasso, he peeked around his cover. A wiry man, dressed in all black, was heading his way.

With a flick of his wrist, the lasso went flying. It wrapped around the man's feet, causing him to fall flat on his face. Before he could take out his concealed knife and cut the rope, Dick tossed a handful of knock-out gas pellets. The pellets scattered around the man's head, and when the gas was released, the man was rendered unconscious.

Dick stepped away from his hiding spot as Roy approached. The redhead was panting slightly from the chase earlier. He scowled, "He was mine."

"You're totally welcome," Dick replied jovially, "What are you doing in Gotham?"

"It's none of your business."

"Actually, it is. In case you've forgotten, Gotham is Batman's and my city."

Dick sighed, shifting his weight to his left foot, when Roy only continued to frown. "Look," he tried to reason with the other, "Batman's not too fond of other superheroes entering Gotham. He's a bit of a control freak. If I let him know why you came, he'll be less grumpy the next time he sees you. If I tell him that and that I helped you out, he'll really ease up."

"I... fine."

"Cool. So, why are you here?"

"Cheshire. She's been given a job to take someone out."

"Cheshire, huh? Aqualad told me about what happened last time you faced her. I heard she escaped."

"This time will be different."

"Yeah, because I'm here this time," Dick snickered, "Okay, then, what's the deal with this guy?" He nudged the unconscious man between them with his foot.

"He's an accomplice. I saw him meet with Cheshire earlier," Roy grunted as he crouched down. He sifted through the man's belongings, until a torn piece of paper caught his eye. Upon seeing that the writing scrawled on the paper was in a foreign language, he cursed under his breath.

Dick looked down at the paper. "That's interesting, it has Bruce Wayne's name on it."

"How'd you-"

Dick jabbed a thumb at himself. "Multilingual. My Mandarin's a little shaky, but I know for sure that says Wayne's name."

Roy straightened up, the paper still in his hand. "Bruce Wayne is one of the richest men in Gotham City, but he wouldn't be targeted just because of his money."

"Bruce Wayne's a top contributor for the Justice League. If Cheshire's been hired to take him out... then it's probably the League of Shadow's doing."

"Wayne funds the Justice League? Why?"

"He has this strong belief of bringing justice to criminals. He acts like a total flake though. I don't know how he does it."

"How does he do what?"

Dick's shoulders tensed when he realized he said the last sentence aloud. "Uh, you know, it's weird how he has such a strong sense of right and wrong, but then he acts like some stupid playboy. It's just... unbelievable," he scratched the back of his head.

Roy didn't look convinced with Dick's explanation, but he said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he motioned in the general direction of Wayne Enterprises. "You know this city, you're acting as a guide."

Dick's lips twitched into the beginnings of a smile.

"Alright."


Please review/comment~ :D

And please point out any grammar mistakes!