Alright, so here, have another chapter. I know it's mean to leave you with such a disgusting cliffhanger.

When I had gotten home, a crying awful mess, everyone had been concerned. My mother had asked what happened and I didn't answer any of the questions being fired off at me. I just went to my room, locked the door, fell on my bed and cried.

Why? Why did loving him and wanting him hurt so much? Weren't teenage years supposed to be some of the sweetest and simplest of your life? Was this simple? No, it wasn't. It hurt so much that my chest felt like it was in a compactor.

I cried until my eyes were dry and there was nothing else in me to cry. I laid there unmoving and in complete and total pain until the sun went down and it started getting dark.

Robin was possibly the worst thing that ever happened to me. I had wanted to much to throw myself into his arms countless times, this afternoon included, and beg him to never let me go, insist that I loved him more than he would ever know or understand and kiss him until I had no more oxygen in my lungs. But now that he had actually asked me to take him back, my response had been no.

The facts were now on the table. Robin had been scared shitless by the idea of being in love with me. He was scared of the majestic and magnanimous force that drove Harley Quinn to help The Joker and drove Sha Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. His first instinct at this fear had been to let me go, to put some space and some distance between us in hopes of delaying the feelings from getting their claws in him completely and wresting control from him. He had said that we should have just been friends and had started to make his presence scarce around me and turned his attention to Zatanna as ways to allay the feelings that he had started having for me. But now, after that kiss in the Watchtower which had felt so wrong, he was sorely regretting the mistake of letting me go and now wanted another shot at being with me.

But my objection had been a profound one and I was still a bit puzzled as to how I came to it when all of inside of me felt completely and totally topsy-turvy, tied up, jumbled, confused and senseless. If he hadn't come to me with his fears, his concerns, if he hadn't told me the truth about what was going on, what made me think that things would be any different this time? Having all the cards on the table didn't make love any scarier, did it? If anything, what I had told him I was willing to do for him to my detriment would have only made him more scared.

There was a knock at my door.

"Hyacinth?" Jason called. I didn't answer. "Hy, just talk to me. What happened? Are you hurt? Who did this to you?" I still didn't answer. I just let the seconds pass by in silence. "Damnit, Hy, we're worried about you out here!" Another tear escaped, a tear I didn't think I had to be able to shed. Perhaps I should have told him not to worry. I didn't feel like I could say a word. "Fine. Whatever. Look we're out here waiting for you whenever you want to surface, okay?" After another few seconds, I heard his footsteps move away from the door.

Perhaps I should have gone to pacify the people outside. What sense was it worrying them? But my body felt as if it couldn't move, my will wasn't yet strong enough to get me off the bed.

What were things going to be like between Robin and me now? Would it be awkward? Would he forget everything that transpired now that I had rejected him? Would he try harder to fall for Zatanna? And what about Zatanna in the middle of all this? The poor girl had been dragged into our mess. It wasn't enough that she had to lose her dad and have to uproot her life, but now some punk boy was leading her on, too? Did she know that Robin wasn't actually serious about her or was she just as caught up in his spell as I was? Was she doomed to the same fate that I was, wanting someone that I would never, ever have?

For me, however, he had asked for a second chance. She would never get that chance to accept or reject as she saw fit. Had I just spat at a chance that I was lucky even to get?

More than anything, I did want him back in my life, but I didn't feel like it was right to take him back after all the pain he had caused. I had wanted nothing more than to forgive everything and run into his arms but the shield that I had built up against the pain was reminding me that the risk was too great. I had no guarantee that things would be different this time. All I had were his words. And we all knew that those were cheap.

The sound of footsteps landing on my floor made me bolt up into a sitting position. My eyes widened. My initial thought at the sound was that I had to get Robin out of here but when I looked to see who it was, it wasn't Robin. Although he was dressed a lot like Robin. His eyes were blue but very visible, unhidden by Robin's trademark shades and his hair was styled a lot like Robin's but again, the lack of the shades fooled me.

"How the hell—Who are you and what are you doing in my room? You better get out before I break your—"

"Hyacinth, stop," he said calmly and my eyes widened at the sound of the voice. I was frozen in place, unable to see what I was seeing. The face was familiar, too. It was a face that I had seen before, a face I had dreamt about.

"Robin—"

"My name's Richard. Richard Grayson. I'm the ward of—"

"Bruce Wayne," I completed, feeling like the air in the room was thinner than it was at the top of the Himalayas.

"Yeah. And in my spare time, I run around with Batman as his protégé, Robin. Well, not all the time. I spend a lot of my time as part of a team of other heroes' partners and protégés."

I just stared at him for a long time, sitting on the bed and trying to wrap my head around what was going on here. Had I fallen asleep sometime after crying my eyes out? Was this all some sick, twisted dream-slash-fantasy that I was having? And what was my seeming obsession with dreaming about Richard Grayson, who I didn't even know and wasn't all that important to me?

"What are you doing here, Ro—Richard?"

"Call me Dick."

"I only call guys 'dick' when I mean to cuss them."

He chuckled. "Alright then. I'm here as a show of faith. And to beg for your forgiveness."

"What for, Richard?"

"Because I didn't treat you right."

"I don't know you. My quarrel is with Robin of the Dynamic Duo and the team."

"That's why I'm here. You said you had no proof that I would trust you with my fears. Well, here I am, barefaced and telling you everything about myself. I attend Gotham Academy and I'm a Mathlete. I got a trophy for it, too. I'm scared as hell of loving you. But I realised that though love is scary, it can't really hurt me that much. Being without with you scares me more, and that definitely hurts me. A lot. I don't like being scared or hurting, but if I had to choose one, I'd prefer to be scared and in love with you and with you by my side."

I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my forehead against them. Before, I hadn't had any proof that things would be different. But now, here he was, in my room without his mask, spilling all his secrets to me, practically putting his life in my hands just to barter for a second chance.

I was probably going to start crying again. I wasn't sure if I had any tears but I was certain that if I didn't, I would just start crying blood.

I felt his weight on the bed as he sat down and extended a hand to my back and began rubbing it up and down soothingly.

"Look, I know maybe you don't know now if you can ever take me back but I can wait for your answer. I really hurt you and I deserve to be tortured as much as I hurt you—"

I lifted my head, pulled his face closer and kissed him, pulling him closer with the other hand. He needed to stop talking. He needed to just kiss me. When I let him go, he was looking at me with the warmest expression on his face.

"Forgive me?" he asked.

"Yes, I forgive you."

"And will you give me a second chance?"

"You're the only guy I've ever cried about in my whole life."

"I'm sorry—"

"But you step into my room, tell me your whole life story, reveal your secret ID, probably without The Bat's permission or knowledge, just for me to consider whether or not I'll take you back? That's like giving kidnappers the money before you see if the victim is alive. And that's an awfully valuable thing you've just given away, far too valuable to just ask for another chance with me."

He took my face into his hands and smiled at me. "No, it's not too valuable. Because you're the most valuable thing to me. You're worth more than all the billionaires in the world are worth combined." I shifted my eyes away from his. "No, look at me."

"I'll start crying again."

"Are you crying because you're happy?"

"I'm crying because I love you and it hurts so much."

"I'm sorry," he said, dropping his hands.

"It's okay. I forgive you. All I've wanted was to be with you. Somewhere along the time when we were dating, you became the most important thing to me. When we broke up, I felt so broken and it was the worst pain I'd ever experienced. And you'd said it so suddenly, so coldly, so casually that it had hurt even more. Everything from then was careful half-truths and cryptic sentences. In trying to block this pain and trying to hide the fact that I loved you and that I was in agony because you walked away from me, I had to build up this stupid mask and all it did was make me confused as to who I was. I tried to fill up my schedule so that I wouldn't have time to think about you and so that, in time, I would be so busy that it would be normal to not think about you but it didn't work. Nothing could keep me from thinking about you. Even trying not to think of you was like thinking of you. I would remember every hug, every kiss, every moment and then it would just kill me all over again."

"I'm sorry. If I have to apologise every day for the rest of my life, I swear I will. I swear, if you give me another chance, I'll pick up all of the pieces of your heart and put them back together myself."

I chuckled. "You can't do that. You don't have the power to."

"Yes, I do. If there's anything I've learnt, it's that love gives you an insane amount of power over another person. You do still love me, right?"

"Yes. Undoubtedly. And more than you will ever truly, totally comprehend."

"I think I love you more."

"You couldn't. While you were the one abandoning me, I was trying to set you free and make you happy."

"I'm sorry. Forgive me for being the biggest idiot and the worst fool that ever lived."

"I forgive you. I forgive you because I love you and because I want you back in my life."

"So, you'll take me back?"

"Yes."

"I've never heard more wonderful words in my life." And then my face was in his hands again and he was kissing me. He was kissing me and kissing me and kissing me until we almost suffocated. I sat across his lap like I used to ages ago and held him tightly in my embrace. I didn't care that my bruises and sore muscles were screaming at me. I just wanted to hold him and for him to hold me and to never let me go.

"I have some questions," I said finally, after I was no longer breathing like I'd run a five K.

"Shoot."

"So what's going to happen to you and Zatanna?"

"I already talked to her this morning. I told her I couldn't get involved with her because there was someone else that I loved. I told her she deserved better and I couldn't give her better because I wasn't even good right now. She seemed a little bit sad but I think she'll get over it. She wished me luck."

"Mm-hm. How come every time you called your number was blocked? Were you trying to make sure I couldn't call you?"

"I didn't want you to see the number and hang up on me. I thought that you might do that if you were still mad."

"Did I ever give the impression that I was mad?"

"No, which was why I thought you were and probably just stewing in silence. I would have been. And it's not that I didn't want you to call me. In fact, many nights, I lay in my bed, staring at the phone, hoping that you'd try at least to call me. I caved so many times and called you and then had to scramble to have a conversation before I just blurted out how much I wanted—needed—you back. Especially after you came back from vacation."

Some things started to click into place as he spoke. All the reactions he had had to various things, the guilty falter in step, frozen looks when I spoke about Roy in such a delicate manner, the way he tried to discourage me from starting anything with him and Jason both, kicking invisible stones. He had been hurting just as I had been. He had been regretting his decision and hearing me praise all the other guys around me was killing him.

It wasn't like I didn't experience that when he spoke of Zatanna.

"I've been hurting you, too, haven't I?"

"Yeah, sorta, but it wasn't like I didn't deserve it. I had to sit by and watch as you got close to other guys. But every time I realised that things were getting really bad for you, like after that incident in the hospital, I tried to be there for you. You can't imagine how difficult it was having you there, holding me, your head resting on my shoulder and I just wanted to beg your forgiveness and get back together but I knew I couldn't."

"It was hard for me, too. I realised that it was when I wasn't in your arms that bad things always happened. I need you a lot more than you need you. I'm the weak one."

"Weak? Hardly. There I was, breaking your heart and getting close to Zatanna and you had to find it in you to be friends with her. You even tried to help her after her dad was taken away from her. That's strength that I don't think I can ever have."

"Don't short-change yourself so much."

"And for the record, I probably do need you more. I couldn't sleep for days after we broke up."

"The day you called things off, I was in so much pain that my body knocked me unconscious to save my sanity."

"I'm so sorry."

"Let's just agree that being together is a lot better for each other's health, okay?"

"Agreed."

I released him and pulled back to look at his face, his beautiful, wonderful face. I could barely see my reflection in his eyes.

"I must look like crap after all the crying I did."

"Your nose is red and you're got tear tracks all over your face but I think you're beautiful."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. I'm done lying to you. No more lies. I promise." I pressed a short kiss to his lips. "Hey, I've got some questions of my own."

"Ask away. I'm an open book."

"What was that about, getting close to Roy like that? Were you trying to make me jealous? Because that was certainly the effect it had on me. I kept thinking that I would hate him if he laid a finger on you—"

"He gave me a New Year's Day kiss."

"He what?" he said, freaking out. "I'm going to—"

"Chilax. It was just a kiss on the cheek."

"Doesn't matter. You shouldn't be giving away my kisses like that."

"You didn't want them, remember?"

"I've always wanted them. I just didn't let you know that. I would have preferred to kiss you at midnight though. We could have given Conner and Megan and Wally and Artemis some competition."

I laughed. "Nah, Wally had her in his arms bridal style. Not much beats that for romantic midnight kiss. However, speaking of midnight kisses, if you didn't really like her, then why'd you kiss her?"

"I didn't. She grabbed me and kissed me."

"You were kissing back."

"True. But I was being polite and I also tried to see if there was any possibility of anything between us. But there was no spark. Not like when I kiss you. When we kiss, it's like fireworks in my blood and explosions in my heart."

"I know what you mean."

"And when I realised there was no spark, I knew that there was no future for us and that the only person I could ever want was you. And it's not that I didn't like her. I just didn't like her that way."

"Suppose some, oh, I dunno, random gorgeous alien girl from some other planet comes to Earth and you fall for her?"

"It won't happen. I love you. That poor alien girl's just going to have to find some other sidekick to love her."

There was a knock at my door.

"Honey, are you asleep?" mom called.

"No, mom. I'm awake."

"Are you alright, sweetheart? We're all really worried out here."

"I'm okay. I've…just been holding in a lot of stuff and it finally burst."

"Oh. Alright. Dinner's ready when you want it."

"Thanks, mom."

"Okay, baby."

I looked back at Richard when she walked away. "I think you and my dad are going to have to renew your contract."

"I think he'll kill me before we finish dinner."

"Hold up. So, who am I dating this time? Robin or Richard?"

"Both. You can date us both."

"You know that's going to look highly suspicious, right? It will look like I'm dating two guys at once. Also, who's going to come to dinner?"

"How about Richard come to dinner?"

"That'll be great—Holy frack!"

"What?"

"So that's what you meant by I'll freak out when I find out who your guardian is. Holy shit, you're the ward of Bruce Wayne. Bruce. Wayne. Wow. I am dating a high roller. It seems my subconscious figured out who you were before I did."

"What?"

"I had this dream once about Richard Grayson but he was acting a lot like you."

"I am Richard Grayson."

"Oh, you know what I mean. Richard was acting like my boyfriend at the time, Robin."

"How weird."

"I know, right? I don't even know Richard."

"Yes, you do. You know me a lot better than a lot of people do." He kissed me. "I should go."

"Are you leaving me again?"

He kissed me again. "Not a chance. I'm just going home so you can eat. I'll call you later tonight, okay?"

"Alright."

I started to get off his lap when he stopped me. "Wait." He swept my cheek with the back of his hand before he kissed me breathless again. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I got up and let him pull himself off the bed. The anklet jingled.

"You're wearing his anklet, aren't you? That reminds me." He stuck his hand in his pocket and produced a small, eggshell blue box decorated with ribbon. "Your Christmas present. I guess it's pretty fitting that I'm only now giving it to you, since I've only now explained myself. Go on, open it."

I didn't know what he meant by that but I hesitated to take it from him. Finally, I took it and when I pried off the lid, my eyes locked on the piece of jewellery in the box. I put the cover beneath the box in the other hand and picked up the necklace. He took the box out of my hand and I held the chain with both hands.

It was the most unique thing I had ever seen. It was a silver necklace with two pendants. The one at the centre was a bronze heart with the words 'BE MINE' embossed on it. The other was next to the clasp, a little red, yellow and black robin. I had no words. I was mesmerised by the precious object in my hand. I looked up at him.

"Richard—I—oh, it's breathtaking."

He rested the box on my bed and took the necklace from my hands. "Let me help you put it on." I turned and raised my ponytail for him to put it on. The metal was cold against my skin initially but I was so warm inside that I didn't care. "Since you're letting him weigh down your foot, I figured it would only be fair that I hold onto you, too."

I chuckled. "It's supposed to represent the fact that he keeps me grounded, but, okay. So, now I keep you warm and you encircle me always?"

"Pretty much."

"Oh, gosh, I love this so much. I'll keep it on always...except when I'm in the bathroom. I wouldn't want the water to make the metal turn."

"Tungsten carbide, enamel and titanium don't turn."

My mouth dropped open. "It's magnificent and expensive? Now I feel awful that people sold their kidneys to get me presents."

He chuckled. "I'm a high roller, remember? Besides, even if it was expensive, it can't compare to how much your love is worth. All of Bruce's money couldn't come close. You're more precious than anything that exists on this Earth or in this universe." I hugged him, holding on tight, breathing in his scent and loving him for loving me so much. His arms were tight around me as well, the fingers of one hand tangled in my hair. "It's symbolic. The chain is thin but it's titanium, strong like you. The heart is tungsten carbide and bronze enamel, also strong but warm, like the colour. The robin is also tungsten carbide and coloured enamel and you can wear it either at the back or at the front so you'll know that I have your back and that whether I'm at your back or in front of you, I'm always with you. It's a symbol that I'm yours. Will you be mine?"

I nodded into his shoulder and prayed that I wouldn't start crying again. "I already am." I just continued to hold onto him tightly but his hands moved, stroking the sides of my spine up and down.

"I don't really want to leave."

"I think you have to. You're going to have to tell Batman that I know now anyway."

"Yeah. Fine." After an extra-long moment of us just holding each other in a vise-like hug, I finally let him go and his arms released me as well. "Bye."

"Bye." He leapt out my window and I realised that the cloud that had been making everything hazy, the pain, who I was, what I had to do, had gone away. For the first time in a long time, the world felt right again. And all because I took back a stupid boy into my life. I laughed at how stupid he made me and how much power he had over me. And then I smiled at the thought that I had the same measure of power and that I had made him just as stupid.

I chuckled as I opened my door, going to pacify the worriers outside, and remembered my chat with Henry before I had gone to The Cave. The little blessing of a kid had been right. Everything had turned out alright. It occurred to me that Henry was possibly an angel disguised as a little boy and his darling dog.

After I had apologised for worrying everyone and telling them the same thing I had told mom, that I had been holding in a lot of emotions lately and that they had finally burst, I had some dinner and then went to take a shower. I washed my hair and took my time, erasing all the ugly that I was after having cried for more than an hour. I felt so light, so free, so happy. It was utterly ridiculous. I should have been completely exhausted after having cried so much and being on an emotional rollercoaster but now, just because the guy I was in love with told me that he loved me and that we didn't have to be separated any longer and that he belonged to me as much as I belonged to him, I was the happiest most energetic person on planet Earth.

My chest didn't hurt and it was like all the pain of the past was just an awful shadow. Okay, so it wasn't just a shadow. It still hurt a little to think that it happened. But the pain was so minuscule, so microscopic, that the happiness, wholeness, warmth and security that I was feeling eclipsed it easily and completely. I had a guarantee that he would trust me with his pain and his heart. I knew almost everything to him that there was and I knew that if I asked to know the rest he would gladly explain it to me.

After I got out of the shower, I went into my room, put on my new CDs and admired my necklace. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said.

Jason opened the door and came in, closing it behind him. "Hey."

"Hey," I responded, smiling.

"Well your emotions turned around pretty fast. Are you secretly manic depressive?"

I chuckled. "Nah."

He came closer, sitting on the bed and I noticed that his eyes zeroed in on the necklace at once. "Is that new?"

"Jason, I can explain."

"Explain? Why would you have to explain? It's just a necklace, righ—Wait." He looked up at my face then back down to it then back up to me. "No. It's not. Don't tell me...He gave it you?" He started freaking out.

"I have to explain it to you first."

"Do you mean you have to explain why you let the bastard who broke your heart and didn't even tell you why—"

"Jason—"

"Let me finish—why you accepted something from him that clearly stakes a claim of ownership on you?"

"Think over your question. It doesn't make sense."

"Don't play these games with me, Hyacinth."

"Don't try to be threatening with me, Jason."

"Then stop being a stupid girl, Hy. How could you—"

"I'm trying to tell you that you don't understand!" He looked like he was about to shout his rebuttal but he saw the smile on my face and he swallowed it. I laughed, so happy and so love-drunk. "He loves me."

"No, I love you. He threw you away."

"That's what I'm trying to explain. He actually loves me."

"You're not making any sense."

"It didn't make sense to me at first either but then he explained it. He had started falling for me and that scared him. It scared him really, really badly, that feeling of not being in control of yourself anymore when you're in love. He panicked and broke up with me to put some distance between us. He started dating Zatanna as a way to try to slow down the feelings he had for me but he just couldn't get away from them. When I went to The Cave this afternoon, we finally talked about what he wanted to talk about. He explained everything and he begged me to take him back. I told him no."

His expression read 'shocked' in like fourteen different languages. "You told him no? You rejected him? Oh, wow."

"Well..." I bit my lip. "That's not the end of the story. When I rejected him, I told him that I had no guarantee that he would trust me with his fears if he hadn't the first time around. That was when I came home crying. Then, when I was barricaded in here, he came to see me."

"How did he do that?"

"He came through my window?"

"What? Doesn't he know that's home invasion? Why the hell do you let him—"

"Oh, just shut up and listen. Besides, he doesn't really do that often. Anyway, so he came in and I was going to yell at him to get out when I realised that something was totally different about him."

"What?"

"He came and he told me all the secrets that he was hiding from most of the others and he begged me to at least consider taking him back. He told me some dangerous secrets of his, secrets that will probably get him in a hell of a lot of trouble with Batman. When I realised how much he had given me, how far he had dared to go just to get me to consider giving him a second chance, how much he had to love me to reveal so much to me and to put himself at my mercy, I knew that he meant what he was saying."

"And you took him back."

"Yes. I took him back." He sighed. "I love him, Jase. He's done more than promised to not lie or keep things from me. He's shown me how serious he is about me. He gave me all that information without any assurances that I would take him back. He was willing to trust me with all that even if I decided in the end to just let him go. But I don't want to let him go, Jase. Not then, not now. He loves me and I don't plan on letting him go as long as there's a chance for us."

He studied me with a serious expression for a long time then closed his eyes and sighed. He leaned forward, kissed my forehead and then stood. "Then I'm happy for you, Hy. But if that little shit thinks he can pull a stunt like this ever again—"

"Then I will let you beat him up. If you can even catch him to hit him."

"The bastard's got to get tired of running sometime."

"Sure, but it's a matter of which of you gets tired first and who recovers faster."

He shrugged. "I hope it works out for you two."

"Thanks so much, Jase. I hope so, too. I don't know if I can stand to lose him again."

"He's a lucky bastard. Not a lot of guys ever get a girl to love them as much as you do. He'd be an idiot to throw that away again. Well, a bigger idiot." He turned to leave, got to the door and then looked back. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

I smiled. "What, you think just because he's back in my life that you get off the hook? Not at all. You're still my best friend-slash-girlfriend-slash-husband-slash-parole officer. I'm still going to wear your anklet, too."

"If he tries to get you to stop wearing it, slap him."

"He won't ever get me to do that. He's not the only person in this world important to me and he's just going to have to deal with that."

"Is he a jealous boyfriend?"

"Little bit. That time that Cheshire's dart knocked me out, he wouldn't even let Red carry me. He carried me to the Bioship himself."

"Speaking of that particular incident, you said you'd tell me what happened sometime. Spill."

"Well, when I saw her throw that dart, my body kind of moved on its own. I just didn't want a teammate getting hurt, that's all."

He gave me a dry look. "You're an idiot."

"I love you, too, Jase."

"Goodnight, princess."

"Don't call me princess."

"I won't. Not around him, that is." He chuckled and closed the door before I could throw a pillow at him.

Just as I was in the middle of knitting a dark blue and purple scarf for Raquel, my cell phone rang. It was Robin's number. I paused the music from my spot on the bed and answered.

"Hey."

"Hi there. You sound in better spirits," he commented.

"It's because great things happened to me. Great and terrible things."

"Terrible?"

"Jason's threatening to murder you if you break my heart again."

"You told him?"

"Not everything. Your secrets are still safe with me."

"And my heart?"

"Safe with me, too."

"How turbing."

I laughed. "I just love how you make up your own words."

"And I just love you."

I shook my head. "Oh, my gosh, look at us. We're getting all disgustingly mushy. How creepy."

"It was a lot better the way things were before, weren't they?"

"I wouldn't say that. I guess it's just we haven't gotten to know this new us yet."

"Ah, spoken like a true intellect."

"You spoil me with flattery. I'm already yours, you know. No need to try to win me over."

"Oh, I know you're mine. Down to every breath in your body is mine."

"Is that why every so often you feel the need to take it from me?"

"That's right."

"I see." There was some silence for a few seconds. "Hey, I really appreciate what you did for me today."

"What did I do?"

"You were honest with me. You told me things that you didn't have to. You told me things that you weren't supposed to."

"Keeping things to myself is what got me in this mess in the first place. I figured that if I stopped doing that, I could get myself out of it. I prefer being honest with you. When I started to tell you everything, I just felt free, like this gigantic burden was lifted from my shoulders. And since you've always been so honest with me, it's only fair that I reciprocate, especially when you mean so much to me."

I smiled. "Hm. I appreciate that. A lot."

"Uh…you're welcome. So...is there anything you want to know? I'm an open book now so feel free to ask away."

I didn't want to get off the phone with him and I wanted to truly appreciate what he was offering me. I started to think. I remembered the time on my roof when he told me his parents had been killed. A piece of me was apprehensive about asking the question.

"Hy?"

"Yeah?"

"You got kind of quiet and I got worried. What ya thinking 'bout?"

"I'm...debating something back and forth."

"Just ask the question, Hy. It's alright. I'll answer it."

I shook my head. "You always know. That scares me."

"Join the club. But I heard it's healthy to do something scary every day."

"Well, you're not doing me but—"

"Uh—I-I didn't mean it like that!"

I laughed. "I know. Relax. I don't want to ask you because..."

"Because it's about my parents, isn't it?"

I sighed. "Haven't I told you to stop reading my mind? I want to keep some things to myself, you know."

"What do you want to know?"

"You...said they were murdered."

"Yeah."

"How—What happened?"

"It was back in my old Flying Grayson days."

"Flying Grayson days?"

"You don't know about the Flying Graysons?"

"Sorry, I'm a bit out of the loop about a lot of things."

"It's okay. Haly Circus. Heard of that?"

"Yeah. Travelling circus, right?"

Something flashed into my mind, something I had read in passing on the Internet, something about two trapeze artists dying, leaving behind a son who was adopted by Bruce Wayne. The news report had cited their death as an accident but Richard said it was murder. I believed him over the press any day.

"Oh, God, the trapeze accident that killed two acrobats years ago."

He sighed. "Yes."

"Oh, my God, what happened?"

"Haly was threatened. Some guy was demanding that he pay them for their protection but Haly refused to pay them. The trapeze was sabotaged, the ropes were weakened on purpose. What made The Flying Graysons amazing was the way they performed without safety nets. My parents fell to their death below while the whole crowd watched, while I watched."

I pictured it and it forced me to shut my eyes. "I'm so sorry. I wish you were here right now."

"Why?"

"So I could hold you and never let you go."

"I can make it there in like twenty minutes."

I chuckled. "Nah, that might be too much trouble. It's pretty late. I hate the fact that you're all the way in Gotham. Then again, that might be an adventure for us."

"If we can stand that, then we'll be fine. Thanks for caring so much."

"It comes with loving you so much. Is living with Wayne at least nice?"

"Oh, it's great. Alfred, our butler, is the greatest butler that ever lived and Bruce is a pretty cool guy. He's just like a dad even though he's out so much."

"Do you ever remember them and get real lonely?"

"It happens sometimes, especially on the anniversary of their death. Sometimes on that day, I cry."

It was silent for moment while I felt this awful, crushing pain in my chest. "I-I want to be there for you. Will...will you let me know when the anniversary comes around? I-I want to be with you that day."

"Are you sure? It's a pretty depressing time."

"Well, nothing like someone who loves you there when you're depressed, right? I want to be able to hold your hand and offer you my shoulder when you cry. I wish I could make sure you never have to face anything by yourself ever again."

He chuckled. "How lucky am I to have you?"

"How lucky am I to be dating an acrobat?"

He was silent for a moment before he laughed. "Did you just make an innuendo at me?"

I smirked. "Maybe."

"You're perfect, you know? I'm so stupid for running from you instead of running to you. I just didn't realise how much better things are with you."

"Hey, don't dwell on that. We all make mistakes, okay?"

"Yeah, but such a major mistake shouldn't be brushed off just like that."

"Hey, Jesus' people crucified him because they thought he was a crazy blasphemer and he forgave them. Of course, I'm not saying I'm that important but—"

"If you can forgive me for what I've done, for making such a huge mistake, you and Him have got to have some things in common."

I chuckled. "That's sweet of you to say. Hey, what did The Bat say when you told him..."

"He frowned for a long time and stared at me in silence."

"Crap. Is he going to ambush me when I'm not looking and wipe my memory clean?"

"I told him I love you."

I froze, eyes wide. "What did he say?" I asked after some hesitation.

"He just said, 'Hm' and then went back to what he was doing."

"Crap. Crap, crap, crap. That doesn't sound too great. In fact, that sounds very bad."

"After about two minutes of just sitting there quietly and staring at the screen, he just said, 'Finally, you admit it'. I asked him what he meant by that but he just chuckled and didn't say a word after that."

"I'm so sleeping with my window closed tonight."

He chuckled. "Because that'll keep Batman out, right?"

I sighed. "No. It'll just make two seconds difference as to when he wipes my memory. Will I at least remember my name?"

He laughed. "Oh, chill out. He won't touch you. I promise. I won't let him. Besides, he can't wipe people's memories."

"I hope you're right about that. Hey, do you think he likes me? For you, I mean."

"Well, he hasn't really said anything otherwise. Besides, I mean he was the one who helped you get onto the team. I think he likes you a lot."

"That's different. He could have liked me until I started kissing his partner."

"Somehow, I don't think that would change his feelings about you."

"It might. Wait, how does Mr. Wayne feel about this whole thing? I mean he's your guardian so you have to tell him."

"Bruce and I haven't gotten around to discussing it yet."

"Do you think he'd be okay with it?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure he'll be more or less cool with it. In fact, he might even ask you to dinner."

"That sounds like it would be nice."

"You'd like that?"

"I would jump at any opportunity to get a taste of what your life is like. I want to know everything about you. In time, of course."

"I know what you mean. I feel that way about you, too."

We talked on the phone all night, long after midnight and until the sun came up. It must have been six a.m. when we hung up and went to sleep.