He set the empty glass down on the counter of the bar in the apartment. It was simple, a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and balcony. A small fire crackled in the miniature fireplace that served as the centerpiece for the room. The curtains flowed from the cracked windows that overlooked the skyline of Gotham. Outside on the balcony stood a red-haired young woman dressed in a short, black dress. The man, close in age, watched her intently, undoing the tie on his slim, navy suit, the number of a bachelorette still tucked into the pocket of his jacket hanging on the barstool next to him.
"What are we doing here, Dick?" She asked. She leaned on the balcony, her auburn hair flowing with the slight breeze of the city.
"What we've always done Barb," He said, pouring himself another drink. "Want one?" He offered.
"No thanks. I've had enough of that for a lifetime."
Dick walked out on the balcony next to her, brushing their hands together for a brief second. Together they gazed into the city they had dedicated their lives to protecting.
"Is it bad to want something different, Dick?" Barbara whispered.
"No," Dick said softly, looking down at his feet, "I would give anything to have a normal life."
"I know," Barbara said, bringing their hands together again. "But you won't. The city needs its heroes. And you feel like it has to be you."
"Once upon a time you felt the same."
Barbara took her hand away. "And I changed. Losing him was hard on us all. You plunged yourself into helping Bruce, and I couldn't. I couldn't watch you become what you feared, and you were too stubborn to turn away. You and Bruce drowned yourselves in work like you had death wishes. I couldn't take it, Dick. I left because I couldn't bear to see you two die as well."
Barbara turned from the balcony and walked into the apartment, wiping a tear from her eye. "On second thought, I think I will have that drink."
"I'm sorry. It was hard, Barbara. We had just lost him, and then I turned and you had left me too. Bruce spent his days with Selena, and his nights silent in the cave. You were my anchor, and then you were gone."
"I'm sorry, Dick."
"And then the team. Everyone was sorry, but no one understood. Everyone was apologetic, but no one was there for me. And I don't blame them for it. Connor had Megan. Wally had Artemis, hell, even Kaldur had someone. You were my person, and you left."
A tear streamed down Barbara's cheek. "I'm so sorry Dick. You were turning into Bruce. You told me once that you never wanted to dedicate everything to this life, and I didn't feel as if I could stand by and watch."
"I'm sorry Barb. I thought, somewhere, that I could stop another Jason from breathing their last."
"I know," she whispered, "I'm not blaming you. I just feel as if we grew distant."
"I'm sorry," Dick said, cupping her hand in his, "I let you. I let you walk out of my life. I stood and watched as the most important person to me left. It's all my fault."
"No it isn't," Barbara smiled, caressing his cheek with her free hand, "The right thing to do was to stay. I let fear dictate my actions. Forgive me?"
"Only if you forgive me first," Dick smiled. The two locked eyes for a long moment, before Dick slowly brought his hand up to Barbara's cheek. She smiled, inviting the inevitable, and he brought his lips to meet hers. They stayed in the gentle kiss for a long moment, Dick slowly moving his hand, undoing the zipper down the spine of the smooth, black dress. Barbara's fingers slowly unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, and Dick took that as the invitation to carry her to the bedroom.
A soft snore awoke Dick from his light sleep. He turned his head slightly to see the woman curled next to his bare body. He smiled, watching her sleep, the occasional soft snore edging her to the brink of awakeness. His phone dinged, showing him a text.
Where have you been. Haven't seen you since the police gala's doors opened. Wear protection. -B
Dick sighed, wondering if he should send anything back. He then got another text.
Kaldur and Artemis gone. For good. Please come to MJ. Wally's in pain. -Megan
He hurriedly got out of the bed, being sure not to wake the sleeping woman. He heard her phone go off, but decided to get dressed rather than investigate. In the kitchen, he found a notepad, which he left a letter for Barbara.
Emergency with the Team. Sorry for leaving so fast. I'll explain later. Be safe. -Dick
He keyed a code on a keypad, turning the fireplace into a zeta-tube.
Recognized: Nightwing B-Zero-One