Title: The Day After (Part #9 of the My Word series and follows after 'In Public')

Warnings: Well, slash and some potty mouth (but just a bit). Problem? Don't read.

Archive: Fine, but if you want it, please ask first.

Feedback: Hell, yes.

The Day After

"So Grayson, did you frigging believe that interview last night?"

Dick was trying to concentrate on studying for the history test he had next period and which he didn't have time to think about last night. Like he cared about the Teapot Dome scandal. Not. "What interview?"

"It was that show Clark Kent hosts sometimes…anyway, Robin and Speedy were talking about being queers. Batman and Green Arrow were there for moral support or something, too. It was frigging unbelievable."

Dick didn't look up, just kept reading. "What did they say?"

"That they weren't hurting anyone and wanted to be left alone to do what they do."

"Sounds reasonable enough." Dick finally looked over at Steve and shrugged in disinterest. "Who cares?" It was fifth period; the day after the 'Robin and Speedy are gay lovers' story broke with the pictures being broadcast and the interview with Clark Kent to attempt to defuse the mess.

"Yeah, but those two? Man, I never had them pegged as fags—even with those lame ass costumes they walk around in."

"Like I care; they leave me alone and I leave them alone, 'works for me."

"But they're fags, man…you're okay with that?"

"You're not? Like you're ever going to meet them. What? You worried about one of them wanting a piece of your…?"

"Like that would ever happen, okay? It's just weird, y'know? They set themselves up as these heroes, right? My little brother has Robin's frigging poster in his room and then you find out they like butt fucking, F'Chrissake. It's just…it's…"

Dick closed his book and gave up studying, hoping he remembered enough to not tank the test. "It's what?"

"It's not right. It's like they've been lying or something." He was shaking his head, not liking the mental pictures he was getting.

"They weren't lying about anything; they were just keeping their private lives private until some jackass tried to blackmail them for a pile of money. Hell's bells, Steve, I grew up in a circus; gay wasn't any big deal, okay? No one ever hit on me, it wasn't a problem. Not even a small one."

Steve looked at Dick like he was talking gibberish. "You're on their side?"

"It's not something I have a problem with and it's none of my business, anyway. If these two found something that works for them then they should go for it."

Steve gave him a look as if Dick had just said the last thing in the world he'd expected to hear. "You really don't have a problem with queers?"

"No I don't. Evidently you do?"

Steve looked around as if he was afraid someone was listening. "Shit, man, keep a lid on that; you hear me? People already think you and Bruce are…you know. Just watch what you say."

That was enough. "I've been ignoring that one since I was eight, give it a rest, okay?"

By the time Dick got back to the manor he was wondering if the interview had been a mistake. Sure, the information had to come out after the blackmail attempt and the leak to the Internet with the still pictures, but there was out and then there was 'out'. This was no holds barred, full steam ahead out and it was looking like it was going to get intense for a while Okay, he'd been dealing with the press since he could remember, first with Haley, then with the whole Batman and Robin thing. Add the Titans onto that and you had a whole lot of press conferences and articles over his lifetime, but he'd never seen a feeding frenzy like this and he was starting to relate a little too much with Bennifer or something; it seemed like every news agency and magazine and TV show on the planet wanted to add their two cents. Even the ones who weren't outraged were asking questions no one should ever be asked, up to and including who was on top and which one was the girl. No one. They were both male; whatever or whomever they liked to do in bed, or on bed, or in the shower and there was no girl in the relationship…and the details were no one's frigging business.

Then there were the religious right and the moral majority raising a stink. The damn president of the United States had made an unofficial comment caught when he supposedly didn't realize the mics were opened; saying he thought it was an abomination against God and nature and they—and their parents—should be ashamed of themselves because kids looked up to them, they were role models, they influenced people. Even the groups who were supporting them (unasked, thank you), GLAAD, Out, The Advocate, the ACLU and the entire Hollywood community, were a pain because they wanted access for stories, books and more interviews. The Gay Rights Initiative wanted them to publicly sign petitions legalizing Gay Marriage, and that one seriously annoyed Roy; "But we're seventeen for the love of God. Even if we ever did decide to get married, it wouldn't be for at least ten years."

But now he was home and he cold relax with Roy. Thank God he let this kind of stuff roll off his back.

"Do you frigging believe this?" Roy had the evening news on in the study, his leg hooked over the leather arm of the sofa as Dick sat next to him. They were the lead story on every channel and they'd been the hot topic in every damn class today, too. A break, please, give me a frigging break.

"Unexpected news this evening concerning two of the Teen Titans…"

"People around the world are wondering when wedding bells will be ringing for…"

"A storm of controversy tonight involving…"

"Despite the loud criticism, a long list of well known people has come out in public support of Robin and Speedy." This cut to a montage of sound bites from Rosie, Ellen, Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon, and Hilary Clinton.

"And when we come back; should AIDS testing of our super heroes and the public posting of results be made available?"

"…And let's not forget that the suicide rate for teenaged gays is extraordinarily high…"

Taking the remote from Roy's hand, Dick clicked the TV off and flopped down beside him on the couch. "We're also being inundated by interview requests at the Titans headquarters, the JLA and the Gotham PD. Plus everyone we've ever said 'hello' to is being tracked down and questioned."

"Shit. I mean. I knew this would be a deal, but I didn't think it would be like this."

Dick reached for his hand, fingers laced together. "I think it'll blow over in a couple of days. I mean, c'mon, it's not like it's really important or anything, right? How long can this keep up?" But that was a front for Roy's sake. Dick knew this was a big deal and they'd be dragged into church sermons and political campaigns for months to come, if not longer.

"…Shit, Robbie…"

"Yeah, I know." Dick slipped his arm around Roy's shoulders and pulled him close so the two of them were pressed together reflected in the blank screen. "It's going to get better, you'll see."

Roy just shook his head. "Maybe we should send out an announcement, something about how we won't answer any questions and we'd like to be left alone. What do you think?"

"I think that will feed the beast. Play it cool, ignore the crap and do your job. Sooner or later this won't matter. I promise—a month from now it will be old news."

"This sucks."

Dick leaned over and kissed Roy's cheek, causing him to turn his head so their mouths met for a long five minutes. "C'mon." Dick stood up and pulled Roy with him.

"What?"

"What? You have to ask 'what'? You need some serious cheering up and distraction action." Dick was grinning, leering as he led them up the stairs to their room.

"What about dinner?"

That brought the first laugh of the afternoon, "Yeah, we should eat something." Inside with the thick oak door closed, Dick unbuttoned Roy's jeans and pushed him down on the edge of the bed. "You want to sit or lie down for this?"

"Your choice." Oh yeah, today had sucked. Tomorrow would probably suck as well and the odds were on for next week being high on the suck list, but God knew sucking wasn't always a bad thing, especially if Dick was on his knees…

"Alfred, Where are the boys?"

He took Bruce's coat and briefcase. "I believe they are upstairs at the moment, sir. Dinner should be ready in ten minutes, if you'll prepare yourself."

"I need to talk with the kids first." He was about to take the stairs two at a time.

"If I may, I would advise you to first change your clothes for dinner and wash up before you do so and leave them to their privacy for the time being. I plan to remind them of the time via intercom and meal time is soon enough to tell them whatever you have on your mind."

Bruce glanced up the staircase and gave Alfred a look. "Again?"

If it were anyone other than Alfred, his answer would have been a shrug, but all he got was a bland expression and the smallest beginnings of a smile. "I believe that Master Roy needed some cheering up after watching the news this evening."

"No doubt."

Twenty minutes later around the dinner table the conversation was on the expected topic.

"We need to contain this thing; it's getting out of hand. I think you should both go on one of the better talk shows or grant an interview to one of the reputable magazines and answer some questions, show you're just two normal, intelligent young men and all of that."

Dick looked at Bruce like he'd lost his mind. "That would throw more gas on the fire. C'mon Bruce, you know how these things work—this is a one week wonder and as soon as the next story breaks this will be forgotten."

"I think you're underestimating this." Bruce had seen the death threats down at the commissioner's office.

"No I'm not. This is like when Ellen or Rosie came out; no one really cared. They got some publicity and then it was like no big deal." If he said this enough, maybe it would come true. Dick hated this; with everything in him he hated this. He'd always kept his personal life private, even from his family and friends and this was hitting him a lot harder than he as letting on. If he weren't sidetracked supporting Roy, he'd be down in the gym working off his anger about this mess. Okay, sure, he'd known that when the story broke—as he knew it would, there'd be a dust up, but this? He couldn't turn on the TV or open a newspaper or walk down the hall at school without being hit with it. Christ, didn't the world have anything better to do than gossip about their sex life?

"That's what I thought at first, too but this is growing and now that Bush has weighed in it's going to get bigger." Yes, this afternoon the president had finally made official comments about 'family values' and 'setting an example for the young people in this country'. Jerk. It seemed that the feedback from his earlier unscripted remarks was so good that the White House decided to go for the political mileage.

"I'm not going to say anything. Release a statement that we want to maintain out privacy and that we'll have no further comments about this. C'mon, we weren't going to say anything at all until that friggin blackmailer stepped up."

"True, but now it's becoming a distraction to our real work and we can't allow that. Either you two handle this or Ollie and I will have to step in and do something."

Alfred brought in the dessert, using it as an excuse to add his opinion. "I'm afraid that whilst I see both sides of the problem, I have to agree with Master Dick, sir. This is the sort of thing that makes a bit of a splash but as soon as the next scandal comes along it's relegated to the rubbish heap. I'm sure the lads realize they'll have to answer questions about this for a while, but I see no reason to go borrowing trouble. I would suggest laying a bit low for the present and then ease back into the public forum as this fades from the public's consciousness a bit." He stacked the dirty dishes as he spoke. "And as for that element which insists on revisiting this as time goes by, they're easily enough ignored."

"I agree with Alf here, Bruce. We just go about our business and ignore all this crap."

"Master Roy, language, please. We are gentlemen."

Bruce looked at the two young men in front of him. "You're sure this is what you want to do, then?" They both nodded. "This is against my better judgment, but we'll try it for a while and see. Just take it easy, all right?"

"Of course. C'mon, Bruce, no one noticed anything until those pictures came out. We know how to be discrete. Roy? You okay with this?"

"'You kidding? I wear red tights and a Robin Hood hat…you think this is going to bother me?"

Okay, look. I know that a lot of this is my fault. It is. If I hadn't kissed Dick when he was lying on that damn ER gurney, if I hadn't forgotten right for that moment that I was a Titan and he was supposed to be just my friend and leader, if I had kept my fucking fear under wraps like he would have done none of this would be happening.

I know, okay?

This is my frigging fault because I saw him hurt and I was scared but that's no excuse, is it? I'm supposed to be good at this. I'm Speedy, Teen Titan, back half of Green Arrow and… I was raised by the Navaho's and I'm supposed to have it together—and most of the time I do but when I heard about the crash and found out the fucking Batmobile was totaled and Dick had been transported by ambulance…

I freaked, okay? I did and I know I shouldn't have but fuck me; it was Dick and I didn't know if he was dead or alive or at what point in between. And now everybody has to deal with this and, shit—I wish to hell I'd just sucked it up and remembered that we're supposed to just be friends when we're in costume.

Crap.

Well, no chance in hell I'm was going to lay this BS on Dick—he has enough to deal with just getting up in the morning and I'll be damned if I'm going to make this any harder for him than it already is.

I screwed it up, I'll fix it.

"Well, what I want to know is where are these boy's families? Don't they even care? I swear to God that of a child of mine came 'out'—that's what they call it, isn't it? Well if a child of mine did that, well, I'd wear him out and you can bet the bank on that."

"I've heard rumors about Speedy, you know, that he was using for a while. Maybe this is some kind of trade off. Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but Robin is always making drug busts, right? Maybe this is like how it happened; Speedy was hurting for a fix and ol' Robin gives him a sample of his latest evidence. Y'think? Makes sense to me, anyway."

"There've been rumors for years about Batman and that child. Maybe Robin just decided to switch to someone his own age instead of an old man."

"I'd like to know what the parents have to say. That's what I'd like to hear."

"Yeah, well, you go out every night and get shot at, you might want to come home to a nice piece of ass, too, you hear what I'm saying?"

"Omigod—can you picture it? The video? 'Make a fucking fortune!"

"Roy? You awake?" It was three in the morning; Dick had done everything he could to make the rest of the evening as normal as possible. He'd done his homework like he did every night, he'd gone out on Patrol with Batman and then he'd come home and they'd made love for almost an hour in an effort to really connect and get rid of the pent up anger and frustration. Thank God Roy seemed to have snapped out the funk he was going into and was happy and joking when they'd met up in their room an hour and a half ago.

"…Umm…?"

"Never mind, go to sleep. 'Love you." Dick settled back down to sleep.

A few inches away Roy was trying to figure out how to do what he thought was best for everyone involved.

7/24/06

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