Title: A Hippo for X-mas
Author: Stranj100
Fandom: Outsiders
Pairing: Arsenal/Nightwing
Rating: PG-13 (mild groping)
Summary: Lian wants a hippo for Christmas.
Warnings: Spoilers for Nightwing up to issue 100 and Outsiders up to issue 17
Disclaimer: Arsenal, Nightwing and all related characters are property of Time-Warner unless otherwise stated. The story is intellectual property of the author known as Stranj100.
Archive: Yes, just ask first.
Feedback: Praise strokes my ego and I write more. Helpful Criticism makes me a better writer. Flames are used by ignorant villagers to destroy 'monsters'.
"A Hippo for X-mas"
By
Stranj100
Dick hummed contentedly as he bustled about the kitchen on his stocking feet. He gave the alfredo sauce a stir then the pasta before checking the chicken in the oven with all that done he began chopping up vegetables for the salad.
Dick had gone domestic since moving in with Roy to take care of Lian. It worked for him. He needed to reevaluate his life and a place to stay since his apartment had blown up during his final confrontation with Blockbuster. Roy needed a live-in nanny he could trust after Ron was killed during Lian's kidnapping. It was perfect for now.
"Uncle Dick, how do you spell Hippopotamus?" Lian called out from the living room.
Dick stopped chopping. Had he heard what he thought he heard? "What did you say, Sweetie?"
"I wanna ask Santa for a hippopotamus, but I don't know how to spell it. I wanna make sure he gets it right." She explained as she walked into the kitchen. She held up a sheet of paper.
Dick set the knife down and wiped his hands on his apron before taking the paper. He read it over. It had typical little girl thing on it like Barbie dolls, but it also had not so typical things like footballs and Nerf blasters. She is definitely Roy's daughter. At the bottom of the list crossed out and started over several times were the beginnings of the word hippopotamus. Dick automatically began to spell it out in his head. He did fine with the first five letters after that, he wasn't sure.
To buy himself more time he asked a question. "So, why do you suddenly want a hippo for Christmas?"
"Well, 'cuz we're sing the a song about it in the school pageant and it sounds cool." She explained eagerly.
She went on for quite awhile with all the cool things she could do with it, including having it sit on Billy Snyder who kept on pulling her hair when the class lined up. Dick remembered him as the dark haired little snot that Lian had punched in the eye after he pushed her off the swing.
As Lian continued, Dick realized that she was practically serious about this absurd idea in a way only a child could be. She would be very disappointed if she didn't get her hippo. "What can I do?" he asked himself silently.
"I'm sorry to say this, Sweetie, but I'm afraid Santa won't be able to bring you a Hippo."
"Why not?" Lain asked surprised.
"Why not?" Dick echoed.
"Why not?" he thought to himself.
"How could he fit it in his sleigh?" he asked triumphantly.
"Phff. He'll use Christmas magic, Duh!" Lian shook her head as if he was the densest man in the world.
"Okay, that didn't work. Now what?" he thought to himself.
"If Santa brings it where are you going to keep it?" Dick asked. "This apartment isn't exactly big enough for a hippo."
"Daddy said we're going to move into a house." She said. "We can keep it in the garage."
Dick ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "How am I losing an argument to someone who only comes up to my bellybutton?" he muttered to himself. He could handle psychotic clowns, evil ninja and monsters from the abyss, but he was powerless against a little girl's logic.
He would give it one more try. "What about feeding it? Hippos eat a lot and that takes lots of money. Money your daddy doesn't have."
Lian was quiet.
"I got her." Dick thought gleefully.
"If you married Daddy then we'd have enough."
Dick's brain skipped. When it started again, thoughts of Roy filled it and not just the usual sexual ones. Yes, he had sexual thoughts of Roy. He couldn't help it. Roy was a sexy bastard and Dick was only human. No, these were more than sexual. There were his little fantasies like him and Roy cuddled together in front of a fire on a cold winter's night, them and Lian having dinner with Bruce at the manor, summers together relaxing on a beach watching Lian play in the surf, and his favorite one, waking up next to Roy in the morning.
Dick pushed them away. He knew they would never come true. He tried to think of a response.
Roy saved him the effort. He walked in smiling. "Here are the both of you."
"Daddiee!" Lian squealed as she leaped into his waiting arms.
The redhead hugged her and planted a kiss on the top of her head then turned to Dick. "I take things are good?"
Dick nodded. "You just have to explain to your daughter why she can't have a hippo for Christmas."
"Isn't that a song?" Roy said trying to be clever.
Dick wasn't amused. "Unfortunately it is. Now, both of you, out so I can finish dinner." The brunette said as he pushed them out of the kitchen.
He turned back to his work and sighed in relief.
After they had put Lian to bed, the two men sat on the couch watching Russell Crowe's latest historical drama on cable; it was all they could agree on. Dick wouldn't watch a mystery, because they were always unrealistic. The evidence is shoddy and the revelations are always too convenient. Roy wouldn't watch action movies for similar reasons. Everything explodes too easily and nobody ever runs out of ammo.
During a slow part, Dick asked a question. "Did you convince Lian not to ask for hippo?"
Roy stretched and yawned. "Of course, it was easy. I just convinced her, a puppy is much cuddlier than a hippo."
Dick turned and gave his companion a glare fit for Batman.
The redhead suddenly felt very guilty. "I'm in trouble aren't I?"
"Who's going to take care of the puppy?"
Roy answered hesitantly. "Uhmm, Lian?"
"Not likely."
"I'm sorry." Roy apologized. "I probably should have said something first. I was already looking into getting a guard dog. I thought I was killing two birds with one stone. Don't be angry, Robbie."
"Alright, I'm not angry, but a heads-up would have been nice." The brunette sighed. "At least now you won't have to marry me in order to afford it."
He chuckled then sat back to watch the movie.
After a long silence, Roy said, "Would that be so bad?"
"What?" Dick said confused.
"I mean, we're practically married already."
"Yeah," Dick conceded with a laugh, "except we're not having sex."
"We could always fix that." Roy said as draping an arm around Dick's neck.
Dick went with the flow. "You forget. I don't have your favorite type of parts."
"I don't know," the redhead said. "I think your parts would do just fine."
Dick went suddenly still. "You're serious."
"Absolutely," Roy said with a nod.
"But you don't like men." Dick protested.
Roy leaned in closer. "Not true, I like you. I may even love you."
"Since when?" Dick asked in disbelief.
"Since forever," the redhead answered. "What's not to love? You're smart, confident, caring, and you look great in short pants. Not to mention, despite you knowing me inside and out were still friends. You're everything I could want in a perfect mate. Well, except the creepy father-in-law."
Dick couldn't believe the words coming out of Roy's mouth. "You're straight."
"No," Roy said shaking his head. "I'm bisexual. I have been since we were kids. I used to turn tricks for extra drug money."
"That wasn't you. It was the drugs."
"I have had boyfriend before." Roy countered.
"Really," the brunette said in surprise. "Who was it?"
"I can't say."
"Because he doesn't exist," Dick said confidently.
"No," Roy said, "because you know him and he wants to keep it secret."
"I know him," Dick said as his mind raced.
It had to be someone in the hero community. It most likely wasn't one of the older generation. It had someone he had frequent contact with; otherwise, Roy wouldn't be so guarded. It wasn't Connor Hawke. That's too much like incest. It wasn't Wally. He was the straightest guy on Earth. Kyle Rayner was possibility. There was all that tension between him and Connor, but then again Roy wasn't one to steal his little brother's man. It couldn't be Garth. He was married and wouldn't break his vows. Dick wasn't sure Vic had functioning equipment. Bart, Superboy, and Tim were out. Roy maybe horny all the time, but he wasn't a pedophile.
"Who does that leave?" Dick questioned himself. "Gar. He fit the profile with his long line of unfulfilled relationships."
"It's Gar; isn't it?"
Roy remained silent, but his expression was clear. Dick was right.
"I never noticed." Dick said. "Some detective I am."
"You shouldn't have." Roy explained. "It was two years ago and it only lasted two months. It lasted just long enough for me to realize I couldn't keep on deigning that part of me existed."
"So, Gar is gay?"
"I don't think so," Roy said. "It was mostly a comfort thing. He had just been dumped and was feeling worthless. I showed him that he was worth caring about. He might be bi. We never really talked about it. He left me for a girl. A veterinarian I think."
Dick was thoughtful. Everything he dreamed about might be possible. It was almost too good to be true.
"Why now?" Dick asked hesitantly.
"Simple," Roy answered. "I thought you were straight until recently when Kory picked up the vibes we were giving off and told me about you and Joey. Not to mention I've never asked a guy out before. My johns were business and my thing with Gar just sort of happened. You mean so much to me. I didn't want to fuck it up."
Dick was thoughtful again. Roy decided that that was sexy, but he could tell part of Dick was still resisting. Luckily, Roy knew how to deal with resistance. He pulled the brunette in and kissed him hard. Dick tried to pushing away weakly. The redhead traced his tongue along the other man's lips demanding entrance. Dick relented and the kiss deepened. As tongues darted and danced between mouths, the hand pressing against Roy's chest made its way his shoulder pulling him closer. The other entwined itself in his hair. Not to be out done the redhead's hands explored the other's body. One caressed a cheek and stroked Dick's back before firmly latching onto his ass kneading it while the other teased each nipple into harden peaks before moving along the rock hard plane of abs to claim the crotch. Roy almost crowed in victory as the brunette moaned into his mouth.
Dick grabbed Roy's wrist when he started to undo Dick's pants.
"Stop…Lian…go…bedroom…lock," the brunette panted breathlessly.
"Right," Roy said pulling Dick off the couch and down the hall—Russell Crowe forgotten.
Dick sighed contentedly as he watched Roy sleep in the pale morning light. He thought momentarily of Barbara and her sudden departure from his life. It had hurt him. She cared for him but obviously didn't love him. She had tried to ease the burn, but Dick wouldn't let her. He had tried to take the blame for the relationship's failure. He realized, now here with Roy, how foolish he had been.
Here was a man who loved him for what he was. He had repulsed Babs because he was a reminder of everything she had lost and she couldn't cope. Roy wanted to share his life with him that was obvious now. Roy had been the one to pull him into the Outsiders after Donna's death. He was the one that defended Dick's leadership when Jade pulled her coup. He had taken Dick into his home when he had lost his direction. His love was obvious and some how Dick had missed it. Luckily, Kory hadn't and she set them straight. He would really have to thank her.
Roy stretched and yawned then his eyelids fluttered open to reveal a pair of vibrant green eyes.
"Good morning," Dick greeted.
"Morn'n," mumbled a sleep Roy with a happy grin.
"Do you need coffee?"
"Yes," said a rumpled redhead, "coffee…good…mornings…bad."
Dick smiled and got up from bed. He winced slightly. His bottom was sore but he took solace in the fact the Roy's would be equally sore after last night's sexcapdes. He slipped his underwear on and made his way to the kitchen.
Fortunately, the coffee pot was on a timer, so there was a fresh pot waiting. Dick poured two mugs and went back to the bedroom where he hand one to a still groggy Roy before slipping back under the covers. After their coffee, the two men cuddled happily. They would have done more but Lian would be up soon.
Speaking of the devil, a small voice whined in the hall. "Daddy, I'm hungry and I can't find Uncle Dick. Can you make me breakfast?"
Lian paused when she entered the room. She looked to one man then the other and let out a tremendous squeal before bounding into the bed.
A stream of words poured out of her. "Does this mean you're together? Are you gonna get married? That would be so cool. Then I would have two daddies like Cindy Anderson, which better than two mommies like that stupid Andy Cohen. Katie Rucker has two daddies but that just cuz her parent's are divorced…"
"Whoa, Princess, slow down." Roy said. "Your Uncle Dick and I have just started out so we're just going to have to wait and see where it goes."
"Your daddy is right, Sweetie." Dick added in. "Is that okay?"
"Okay," Lian answered downheartedly, but then she got a gleam in her eye. "Does this mean I can get a Hippo and a puppy?"
fin