Chapter 2: Jason does what he knew he had to do all along.

Dick opened his eyes as the sun peeked through the curtains of his bedroom.

He raised his left hand to shield his eyes from the blinding. As he slowly came to his senses, the first thing Dick did that morning was smile.
He instantly saw the white gold ring on his finger; the reminder of the previous night he knew wasn't a dream he just woke up from.
The reminder of why Jason was holding him closer than ever this morning, spooning Dick from behind with his face pressed against the back of his neck.

And all Dick did was to wallow in his latest memories that would accompany him forever.

oOoOo

"Where are you taking me?" Nightwing asked as he was darting across one of Gotham's roofs, his boyfriend in front of him.

"Just follow me. You'll find out soon," Red Hood answered, his helmet dampening his deep voice.

He was forcing Nightwing through the whole city without wanting to tell him where their little trip would end. He had just told him to follow close behind and nothing more, no matter if Dick used his puppy look on him.

Though Dick didn't admit it was a puppy look; Jason was the one calling it like that.

His lungs already burned from their activities; they had ended a successful patrol night and had been about to go home, but then Jason had seemed to have other plans.

"Red, come on. Unless you're not planning on killing me, tell me where we're going!"

Batclaw. Flying. Next rooftop.

Red Hood scoffed and turned his head while he ran, directed at Nightwing,

"I'm hurt, Big Bird. I would never try to kill you." Nightwing could hear the sarcasm and the smirk in his voice. It would've been cute if he didn't add:

"Would have nobody to fuck if I did."

Nightwing playfully threw a wingding in front of Red Hood's feet and ran faster, the man in front of him chuckling along the way.

He loved nights like those. It were these nights that made him remember why he chose the superhero life over and over again and never fully gave up on it.

Red Hood made him follow him to the next rooftop.

Nightwing used his grapple gun that slipped on the uncharacteristically smooth surface and found himself dangling in the air, his partner's grapple around his wrist.

Once he reached the edge of the roof, Red Hood grabbed his hand and pulled him up until their faces nearly touched.

"Way to get yourself killed, hun. If you wanna break up just tell me, no need to die."

Nightwing grinned despite the precarious position he still was in.

"I'd never break up with you, love. Would have nobody to fuck me if I did."

Red Hood scoffed and pulled him up with a force that made him fall backwards, Nightwing landing on top of him.

"Aw, that hurt you much?" Nightwing teased, but Red Hood only snorted. That was when Nightwing snaked his hands to the back of his partner's neck and clicked open his helmet. He carefully took it off him.

"I hate that helmet. Doesn't let me see the jealousy you won't admit." He smirked and leaned down for a soft kiss.

"So, where's our destination now?"

"Happy to tell you that you arrived. You, on top of me, that's always the destination."

Nightwing groaned. "Red, tell me already!"

Red Hood sighed. "Alright, alright. That's really it."

Nightwing got off him and to his feet. He took a look around: they were standing on some random building. Not the highest to play little games or start competitions, not a special one that would draw people's attention to them. Just a normal building. Nightwing didn't understand.

"What are we doing here?"

"Really?" Red Hood asked incredulously, playfully clutching at his heart as if it had just broken. "I thought you were the sappy one in this relationship."

The other man's words only confused him more. Nightwing frowned, and his partner understood despite the lenses. He wordlessly grabbed Dick's hand and pulled him with him.

They walked around the chimney that had blocked the view of the other side of the rooftop; there Dick saw three lit candles on the ground.

He put one hand on his hip. "Really? You wanna fuck? Here?"

Red Hood paused before turning around to face his lover, and grabbed both his hands, "You don't remember?"

Confusion.

"It's the place we first met."

After those words Dick felt like having been shut off. He didn't register anything for a moment.

"You know, when I became Robin and thought you were part of B's test. When you wore your fancy suit."

Suddenly Nightwing felt his stomach twist and the butterflies, planes, bees or whatever in hell was in there made it impossible for him not to freak out. He only had the following in mind: Jason. Him. The place they first met. Candles. What could that mean?

Nothing, when it came to Jason. Nothing, or everything.

"Wow. That's... that's really nice. I mean, that's wonderful. I like it, I really do."

"I'm not even done, Bluebird."

The next thing Jason did was put out a hand and slightly leaning forward, the other hand behind his back. "May I have this dance?"

There was an unusual warmth in his voice that made Dick's heart skip a beat. He smiled brightly and put his hand in Jason's. Then Dick pressed his body against his lover's and laid his other hand on his shoulder, while Jason clicked off the white of both their lenses and then laid his on the small of Dick's back.

It was so much more beautiful to see each other's eyes.

"Would've almost fallen for it. Almost," Dick joked, because he felt more than unsure.

"You should be happy that I'm doin' this at all, Birdie."

"Now we dance to the rhythm of, what?"

"We dance to the rhythm of my fists if you keep being so impatient."

Nightwing let out a laugh and let his partner guide him through a slow and mute dance.

During the dance, Jason started talking about old memories they shared, or didn't.

Like their first encounter when Jason was 14. The first boner Dick caused. How he was so jealous when Dick rather hung out with his team mates than with him.

He talked about things he usually wouldn't admit; things he'd evade with snarky comments.

What Jason told him, was... intimate. Made him vulnerable. Exposed weak spots.

"I don't know what I did to deserve such a soft treatment from you," Dick nearly whispered when Jason finished talking. His eyes glowed in the dark; he was beautiful.

"You're insane enough to stay with me, that's why."

Jason made him pirouette and wrapped his arms around Dick's waist from behind, resting his head on Dick's shoulder as he kept swaying them around.

"Maybe you're the one who's insane here," Nightwing answered softly and turned his head to kiss the corner of his boyfriend's mouth.

"Maybe we both are," Red Hood retorted against his lover's lips and kissed them.

Nightwing smiled against Red Hood's lips before giving in to the moment and sharing profound, yet innocent kisses, until Jason stopped to lean their foreheads against one another's. It was a gentle gesture in an intimate moment; it was quiet around them, the only light came from the candles Jason had lit.

It was a beautiful moment – it was his moment.

"Marry me," Jason whispered against Dick's lips and opened his eyes to his beloved one's staring at him, big and beautiful, and widely opened.

Jason hoped that he just didn't expect this and wasn't shocked because the one thing he never wanted to happen just happened.

Dick had also stopped moving and Jason felt his pulse rise.

"W-what?" He asked bluntly, his voice soft.

"You're really gonna make me do this, aren't you?" Jason whispered and pulled away.

He turned Dick around to him once again, then slowly got to his knees. They locked eyes; Jason looked so vulnerable…

"I've thought about this, about us. I know I always said I'd never be up to this stuff, but I realized that it's the only thing I want by now. I've always loved you, no matter how many times I tried to fight it and forget about you. All I want is you, and only you. Dick, you're the hand that pulled me out of the dark hole I've fallen into long ago, and you still reach out to me whenever I need you. If it wasn't for you, God knows what I would've become. You're my better half, and I'd be insane if I let you go, so I'm gonna say it again: Marry me, Bluebird."

Dick was near to tears as he was watching his lover pull off his left glove, revealing a white gold ring on his finger. Then he took off Nightwing's and slipped the same on his ring finger, kissing his hand afterwards.

Nightwing still couldn't say anything. After what seemed like an eternity of fear and nervousness on Jason's side, Dick finally acted.

He covered his mouth with his other hand and just nodded. He nodded again, this time faster, and then again, until Jason saw the tears flow down his cheek from underneath the mask.

"Yes," he whispered, "Yes, Jay. Yes...!" It was hard not to cry his eyes out, but he managed. He barely waited for Red Hood to stand up and threw himself onto his boyfriend, no – his fiancée – and hugged him hard enough to crush him.

Jason returned the hug just as hard and let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, shaking slightly. He held Dick close while he sobbed, not able to contain his happiness.

"How long did you need to come up with this?" Dick sobbed against Jason's neck, failing to laugh.

"Actually I just needed to see your face and I knew everything I wanted to say."

"Gosh, I never thought I'd hear something like that from your mouth."

"Better remember it, 'cause I ain't gonna repeat that anytime soon. You don't know how much effort this cost me."

"Forever," Dick confirmed and gave his fiancée – he still freaked out about the thought of calling him like that – the brightest and happiest smile he could manage.

Then both leaned in for a long, deep and breathtaking kiss.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me," Jason whispered when they separated.

"Actually, I do now," Dick answered,

"I love you too."