Just know that I'm always writing a few paragraphs here and there in my notebook when I get the time, especially since I have a sequel to these….
And for those who may have noticed, I do post all my stories now on under the name "goddessXNyx", and also on my Tumblr account .com under the tag "tohaveandtohold". Feel free to follow me if you have a Tumblr account, I mainly blog comic stuff, but also loads more that just catches my fancy. But be warned, I am a diehard slash fangirl (if you haven't noticed from all my stories), so it's all up to you.
Now, I think I've held you up long enough, now let's get on with the story to see if Dick will show up. And prepare you're self for some Dami feels!
A couple things before hand, first, I'm changing the time between when Bruce was gone and Dick was Batman to a few years instead of a few months. Second, I do not own Twitter, or Batman
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So this was it.
Out of all the villains, broken bones, and blood he spilt, this was what was really going to do him in Damian thought morbidly as he looked out at the sea of people coming in to the Wayne manor ballroom.
Standing there at the altar in a fitted silk tuxedo, Minister Jefferson behind him, family and "friends" in front of him, waiting on a groom that may never even come, Damian felt a little more than ridiculous.
Selina, sitting in the front row that was reserved for family with his father, gave him a soft reassuring smile. But he could see the sympathy behind her eyes as she looked to Tim and Jason who were serving as the "best men".
Or well, Jason liked to say Tim was the Man of Honor since he was the one to stand by Damian's side.
It wasn't until he met his father's gaze did Damian really want to curl under a rock and hide for a few millina. His father, who despite the war he could have raged after hearing Damian's idea, actually supported him. Was on his side. And now it looked like all that was for naught. Dick was a no show, and everything he had built between him and his father was now worthless, a waste. When Talia and Ra's boarded that jet to take them back to the Al-Ghul compound Damian would be right there with them.
Damian could see his grandfather's fingers drumming on his knee, a smug look on his face as he checked the time every two minutes, smirk growing slyer every time. The ceremony was suppose to start fifteen minutes ago.
Damian turned away, not being able to stomach watching any longer. He fisted the fabric of his pants on his sides in his hands, feeling as if he might as well be dressed for his funereal.
He heard clicking beside him and saw Tim discreetly typing on his phone, brow furrowed in concentration. He internally rolled his eyes. Great, his life was over and Drake was updating his Twitter status. Then Tim's head snapped up, instantly catching Jason's eye across from Damian, and nodded once slightly, looking back down when Jason copied his move.
Damian arched a brow, opening his mouth to ask what all that was about, when he was interrupted by someone else.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen," Ra's said taking initiative as he stood up from the front row across from the aisle Bruce and Selina were seated, "It seems we have an absent groom who is not coming. Looks to me as if this wedding is not going to happen today." He announced with an obnoxious grin on his face.
"Now, listen here, Ra's," Bruce inputted, standing up as well, "I don't think you have the right to call that."
Ra's turned towards the elder Wayne, grin never slipping from his self satisfied face," Ah, but you see, Bruce, that's where you're wrong."
Damian almost felt like throwing up. Everything that he feared would happen was in fact happening. He was dimly aware of Jason's fists shaking and his jaw clenched so hard it was popping, or that Tim was still frantically typing away on his phone like he was writing the whole play-by-play.
"I am the head of the Al-Ghul house, to which Damian still belongs to since your first born has decided not to-"
The ballroom door's bursted open, heavy brass door knobs slamming into the walls behind them, resonating in a monstrous sound that echoed throughout the massive room, causing everyone's head to whirl around to see the source of it. There was a uniform gasp that sounded off, audible to even those standing at the altar. Though Damian couldn't exactly join in since his jaw had just dropped, eyes widening to the size of the hub caps on the Batmobile.
There, standing in his finely tailored black tux'd glory, was none other than the one and only Dick Grayson.
Dick stalked forwards, hair neatly brushed and coifed, shoes freshly polished, he looked showered and shaved, beautifully handsome in the solid black tuxedo that brought out his stunning baby blues. Baby blues that were hardened as he stared icily at Ra's as he walked up the aisle.
When he was toe to toe with Ra's, he lifted a finger, uttering only five words to him, "The wedding is still on." Before finishing his trek up to the altar, returning Jason's knowing smirk and Tim's relieved smile. His face softened when he met Damian's still shocked face, "Hey, Dami." He said lightly before he turned back to the rest of the wedding on goers who looked a hair's breath away from an uproar.
"Uh, hi, guys. I bet you're all wondering why I took my sweet time getting here, huh?" He gave a nervous chuckle, getting a light affirmation from the murmuring crowd, "Well, uh…it's just, I…" He tried to continue, seeing Ra's purse his lips waiting for Dick's answer. "Well, ya know, those of you who've been married before, cold feet. Had to thaw them out before I could put on my shoes." He gave a charming grin, getting delightful titters back. "But, I'm here now, so let's this show on the road!" He said with a bright grin, grabbing Damian's hand. He got a round of applause as a sign for a go ahead. Giving a small bow, Dick turned to Minister Jefferson and his brothers.
"Nice to see you show up, Dickie." Jason said in his ear, clapping him on the back.
"Almost didn't. But, I'm glad I did too." He said back before beaming at the minister,"Let's get hitched, Padre."
"Minister, Dick. Not Father. This is Minister Jefferson." Tim sighed. Jason had called him Padre too.
Minister Jefferson gave a good natured laugh, "I believe it is time now. If the two of you would to each other, please." He gestured to Dick and Damian.
Damian turned, body on autopilot, finger nails digging into the meat of his palm to make sure that this was really happening. But he was shaken out of it when Dick grabbed both of Damian's hands in his larger, warmer ones, giving them a light squeeze. Chancing a glance, the younger man looked up and met Dick's brilliant blues, his smile reflected back through them, and they were directed at the youngest Wayne.
"Damian?"
There was a whooshing in Damian's stomach, almost as if someone had punched him unsuspectingly in the gut. Eyes snapped to the side where Minister Jefferson stood, apparently he was the one who had uttered his name," Yes, sir?" He asked a bit dumbly.
Minister Jefferson, a kind hearted soul, flashed him a reassuring smile,"I asked if you would repeat after me."
Damian blinked slowly, catching Jason snickering in the corner of his eye as Tim hissed at him to stop. That stupid, warm, skin tingling smile on Dick's face never flattering. "Yes, of course."
Minister Jefferson smiled at him once more, probably thinking something light hearted about young love and what not as he opened his book to the usual vows, and cleared his throat before speaking for the other patrons of the room to hear," Now, Damian, if you would repeat after me: I, Damian, take you, Richard."
"I, Damian, take you, Richard," Damian was actually glad that the most he really had to do was parrot the minister, so much better for his poor frayed psyche. He repeated the words directly, trying not to look Dick in the eye too much.
"To be my lawfully wedded husband,"
"To be my lawfully wedded husband,"
Mister Jefferson continued in a regular beat as Damian followed, "My constant friend, faithful partner, and my lover from this day forward."
"My constant friend, faithful partner, and my lover from this day forward." Damian almost stumbled over the L-word, but he held strong. His mother did not breed a stumbler.
"In the presence of the greater good, our family, and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and joy as well as sorrow."
"In the presence of the greater good, our family, and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and joy as well as sorrow." That last part wasn't as hard to look at Dick since it was the truth, no matter what, he had strived to be the best partner Dick had when Dick wore the cowl. And that transferred over when he dawned the stupid fingerstripes once more, and even more so out of suits.
"I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you,"
"I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you." There was that damned word again!
What frustrated him the most was it wasn't a lie.
"To laugh with you, and cry with you,"
"To laugh with you, and cry with you," Damian wasn't so sure how truthful that'd be. He usually just rolled his eyes when Dick cracked up at his own jokes. And tears were never an option.
"And to cherish you as long as we both shall live."
"To laugh with you, and cry with you." As he uttered the last line he made sure to catch Dick's eye again, if anything, that part was 100% truthful, and he meant it all the way to his very core.
The crowd of onlookers behind them gave polite smiles, and Aww'd in the right places. Now all that was needed was Dick's exact vows and they'd be in the clear!
Minister Jefferson then turned towards the older man, ready to instruct him as well, but was met by Dick's raised hand, "Actually, if it's all the same to everyone else, I've written my own vows."
Damian felt his heart sink, like swallowing a cube of ice on an empty stomach when Dick dropped his hands to dig through his tuxedo pockets. This was it, Dick was going to give them all away, and in front of his grandfather no less. As he watched Dick retrieve a crumpled slip of paper which had painfully obvious portions of it scribbled out and replaced with more ink scratched in Dick's handwriting.
Dick cleared his throat, shifting his feet a bit like he were uncomfortable, but making no move to grab Damian's and again. He swallowed hard before bringing the paper closer up to his face." Damian, the first time I met you I thought you were the biggest brat I had ever come face to face with."
Damian winced, squeezing his eyes tight, this was it. This was exactly what he feared would happen. Maybe if he just screwed his eyes shut it would all go away; the crowd, his father's disappointed look, hi grandfather's know-it-all smile. But nothing could block out Dick laying his faults all out in front of everyone.
"You were a snarky, hot headed, mama's boy. Still are sometimes now that I think about it." Dick continued much to Damian's plea with fate and the laws of physics for the floor to just be done with him and swallow him up whole. "I cannot tell you how many times I thanked my lucky stars that you were Bruce's problem here in Gotham while I could just disappear to Bludhaven." Dick let out a little chuckle as if everything he had said had been at all humorous.
The audience started to mummer in hushed tones, but with enough of them voicing the same thought it wasn't as quiet as they had hoped it would be.
If this was suppose to be a wedding between two lovers then why was one of them putting the other one down? And in the vows of all things?
"But then Bruce got…called away for a bit, and that not only pulled Tim in to it, but also left Jason in his hands as well. What with his extensive period of hopping from Blackgate, to Arkham, and back." Dick shot Jason a look from the corner of his eye.
Said ex-Robin just gave a shrug that wasn't as innocent as it seemed.
"So that left me to step up and step in for Bruce. Not only for his family's company, but for his son too." Dick carried on, looking back up pointedly at the younger bird, "Was it difficult in the beginning? Of course it was. We both came from different backgrounds, stubborn as hell, think we know it all, and most importantly; we were both trying to someone we weren't. We realized we were both trying to fill some really big shoes that were not made for us."
'More like a cowl' Damian thought, but he got Dick's implications. He understood so much that it almost burnt.
"And then, we found out who we were. Together. Step by step, fist to face, kick to gut, we got there. To that point where we could look at ourselves in the mirror and see who we wanted to be, not who we needed to be. But my favorite part was being able to see all that and look over to see you right there beside me. Snarky attitude and all." Dick gave a warm smile, the first time since he started his whole spiel that he called vows. "But then Bruce came back with Tim right behind him, and I realized you didn't need me there anymore. I got to experience you to the fullest joy, and now it was time I played fair and let you get to know your father. So…I stepped aside and went home." Dick frowned, looking down as his arms fell.
The thing that really got Damian was the raw emotion on Dick's face, he looked truly pained.
Jason reached over and patted Dick's shoulder, whispering something in his ear that Damian lipread as "Hes here, Dickie-Bird, hes here to be yours right now."
Nodding once Dick looked back up at Damian," It took a long time for me to admit that going back to my cold, empty apartment wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. That I had a constant ache like I was missing something. Almost as if I had left Gotham without my heart." He dropped the paper, reaching out for Damian's hand, stepping closer, he placed his free hand on lightly on the younger's hip, "I did leave my heart in Gotham. Somehow, during all that time it was just the two of us, you slowly became worth more to me than anything else."
Damian just stared dumb founded, his eyes glistening embarrassingly at Dick's words, shaking his head minutely. No, no, no, no, no, Dick was not doing this to him. He was not confessing his love in front of their family and strangers at their supposedly fake wedding. No. Dick could not do this to him.
Dick moved his hands to cup Damian's face, stroking graceful inherited Wayne cheekbones under his warm thumbs, "Yes, Damian, yes. I fell in love with you. I fell in love with you so hard that I buried it so deep down in so much denial that it took Jason of all people to get me to admit it out loud."
"Hey!" Came an insulted outburst from behind him.
"Jason!" Tim chastised in a hushed whisper, receiving a hurt pout from his lover for his troubles.
Damian tried to shake his head again in refute, eyes looked everywhere but Dick's clear ones, looking for some way out of there. This was too much, Dick was never meant to return his feelings! This was all suppose to be a hoax and he'd take his genuine attraction for Dick to the grave in utter requited silence!
Dick felt the muscles in Damian's neck tense, he saw Damian's skittish trapped animal look as he tried to gaze around at anything but him. Thinking fast Dick leaned in, kissing Damian on the cheek, "I love you, Damian." He said softly, kissing Damian's other cheek, forehead, temple, jaw, repeating his declaration of love over and over again. When he finally felt Damian relax fractionally he then went in for the kill, laying a soft kiss on Damian's pouty, plump lips, testing the waters for Damian's next move as he wrapped an arm slowly around his young love's waist.
Damian immediately tensed back up at the foreign feel of some else's lips against his, but he didn't pull away. Taking that as a good sign, Dick pulled back just enough to whisper to his love once more before he dived right back in, deepening the kiss, getting Damian's tongue to play into it.
Dick was vaguely aware of clapping in the background and the booming voice announcing, "I now pronounce you Man and Husband!"
Even Tim's shout to Jason of, "I can't believe you forgot the rings!" barely registered as Damian wrapped his arms around Dick's neck pulling him closer, which Dick was more than happy to oblige. Now that Dick had him he wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.