(A/N)- Done for my Bad Things Happen Bingo, prompt was "Trying Not To Cry" with Dick Grayson. I used the excuse to write more cute Flying Grayson family.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Mar'i and Jake are, alas, not mine. Neither is the rest of the DCU but hey, a girl can dream.
A Measure Of Grief
The anniversary was always hard.
Bruce called in the morning, as usual. Their conversation was a short exchange, full of silent understanding. Dick pulled his jacket on as he signed off, solemnly.
As he tightened his gun belt, he heard a soft flutter from the office doorway, and turned his head.
Kory stood there, a hand on the doorframe, vibrant green eyes gentle and concerned. Her short cotton nightdress clung to her frame.
"I wish they would let you take today off," she said.
His mood lifted a bit at the sight of her, beautiful in the pre-dawn light, orange skin already beginning to glow.
"I'll be okay," he assured her, coming close and sliding arms around her waist, nuzzling his nose into her hair.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close, her warm embrace sinking into him, unsettling his determined composure.
His smile faltered.
He knew he could be emotionally open with her, always, knew she wouldn't want him to hide his grief, but he was due at the station in twenty minutes and he couldn't afford to show up with red eyes and puffy cheeks.
"I'm okay..." he breathed, his hands creeping higher up her back nonetheless, clinging to her tighter. Her skin was so, so warm under the thin cotton.
Inhaling slowly he managed to hold himself together. Kory pulled back first, touching a hand to his cheek.
"If you need anything today, do not hesitate to call," she urged.
He nodded. "I will." He started moving towards the hallway. "Give the kids kisses for me."
His boots clumped on the wood floor as he made his way to the front door, adjusting his belt and clothes. His steps were already growing more and more reluctant as he passed the blooming Tamaranian flowers on the kitchen table, their fragrant, familiar scent wafting through his nose, the smell of comfort, the smell of home.
He sighed as he turned the latch. Maybe today would be boring. Maybe all he'd have to do was file paperwork.
He didn't know why he was missing them particularly hard this year.
-DC-
His mood did not improve once he got into the precinct. A 4am drive-by shooting had sent bullets into the wrong side of a duplex, killing a husband and wife as they slept. Their three-year-old son was sitting on his aunt's lap in the hallway just outside, babbling, innocently asking after his mom and dad while the aunt waited soberly to give a witness statement.
Dick's pen scratched agitatedly as he filled out the incident report. Two innocent people dead, one orphaned, because of a wrong address. The gangbanger who lived next door to the family didn't even have the decency to be sorry about it.
The pen snapped against his keyboard as he flung it away. Glancing over, his partner paid him a concerned look.
"Okay there, Grayson?" she asked.
"I'm fine, I'm—" Dick broke off, biting his lip, furiously holding back the burning sensation under his eyes. He leaned both elbows on the desk across the form, pressing his fingers into his temples tightly. Don't break, don't break, c'mon don't do this today, don't let it get to you...
"Hey." A hand landed on his shoulder. His partner offered a smile. "Why don't you take an early lunch today? I got this."
Dick blew out a breath, sitting back heavily. "Thanks," he muttered.
The woman swept his form off the desk into her hands and departed, walking out to the hallway and calling for the aunt.
Dick slumped back in his chair, sitting for a moment. He stirred, pulling out his cell phone from his pocket.
He hit the first number on speedial and listened to it ring.
It connected on the second beep.
"Dick?" came Kory's voice, curious and concerned.
"Hey Kory." He couldn't quite keep the tremble out of his voice. The tears still prickled at his eyes but he already felt calmer. "Can I ask a favor?" he said. "Can... can you come up to the station on my lunch break, and bring the kids?" He glanced out the office door, watching his partner speak to the woman, offering a sticker to the little boy on her lap. "I need to see you." Remind myself what I've gained, despite what I had to lose, he thought.
He could hear her smile over the line. "Of course, my love. Shall I bring you tacos from that place on Magnolia?"
"Yeah. That'd be great."
He said goodbye and hung up, and dismissed himself from the office. He took a short walk out to the civic park and waited.
The burning in his eyes faded away entirely as his children ran up to greet him.
"Daddy!" squealed Mar'i happily.
"I found a frog, daddy!" Jake announced with pride, holding it up in a little glass jar.
Dick grinned, bending down to marvel appreciatively. "What a cool little dude, Jake," he said.
The little boy tilted his head. His little green eyes scrunched curiously at him. "Are you sad?" he asked.
Dick felt up and found a wet spot where a stray tear had managed to slip past his control. He quickly wiped it away. "Not anymore," he told the boy, opening his arms so the kids could fling themselves in for a hug.
He held them tightly, his emotions rising again. Today was never going to be easy but...
He looked over their heads at Kory, beaming with her arms full of bags and cups.
At least he would never have to face it alone.
(A/N)- You can request a prompt/character over on Tumblr. See this post: h tt [#]p s: / / tari silmarwen . tu mb lr . c[#]o m / post / 673415204767465472 / im- doing- a-bad-things-happen- bingo- because (delete the spaces and the special characters in the brackets)