(Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one in the DC Universe. I own none of the Bruno Mars songs featured in this fic.)
Richard blinked the sun out of his eyes as he came to. Today was the day. The wedding day. A day filled with joy and happiness. Not a day for sadness or wishing things had turned out differently.
(Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now)
Rolling over, Richard stretched his arm out to touch the person beside him. Empty. Right. A year since the breakup and he still wasn't used to the empty spot.
Someone banged on his door. "Hey, bro! You up yet?" a recognizable voice screamed. Richard groaned as he swung his feet over the side of the bed. Dragging his feet across the floor, Richard finally reached his bedroom door. Swinging it open, he asked in annoyance, "What?" He glared at the 17-year-old, who was nearly his height. "Tim, what?" Richard repeated harshly.
"Just making sure you were awake," Tim slightly sneered, "try to pretend to be a little bit happy." Richard slammed the door in the young man's face in response. Whatever. He'd put on a happy face and smile.
Blinking sleepiness from his eyes, Richard begrudgingly made his way to the bathroom and flicked the light switch. Yikes, he thought as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Dark circles surrounded his eyes. He looked awful. He looked hungover. Oh, well, he shrugged. He'd feel better after a nice hot shower.
(Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same)
Richard began to absently hum a tune as he scrubbed his body with a loofah. His mind wandered back to when it all began.
(Two years ago)
"I love this song!" Starfire jumped up from the bed. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she said, "Dance with me!" Not giving her boyfriend of two years a chance to argue, Starfire yanked Richard to his feet and began spinning him around. Richard laughed hard and loud as Starfire sang the line, "Just the way you are!" at the top of her lungs. Richard smiled as she released him and spun around the room, her silky red hair flying around her; her green eyes lit with nothing but joy. He never wanted this moment to end.
(Present)
Richard angrily ceased humming. He hated that song! Richard slammed his fist against the tile repeatedly. Once he had worked out all his frustration, he left the shower feeling more stressed than before.
(When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down
'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name)
He entered his room to find a tux laid out neatly on his bed. Alfred. One of the few people who understood how wretched this day was going to be. One of the few people who was on his side.
(Fifteen months ago)
"So, have you talked to Kori yet?" Garfield asked Richard at a Titan party at Wayne Manor.
"Really, Gar?" Victor glared at his green friend.
"What?" Garfield asked. Cyborg elbowed his green friend. Hard. "No," Richard answered uncomfortably, looking down into the red cup he was holding. "I…uh…I haven't seen her."
"Dude, it's been a week."
"Garfield," Cyborg said, "go flirt with someone."
"Okay," Garfield shrugged before scurrying away. Once he was out of earshot, Victor turned to his leader and said, "Garfield does have a point. Why haven't you reached out? I'm pretty sure she wants to talk to you."
"She's reached out," Richard admitted, drinking from his plastic cup. He refused to say her name. "But I have nothing to say to her."
"You never told me why you guys broke up."
"I don't know why we broke up," Richard answered, feeling a buzz. Was this his fifth or sixth cup? "She just came to me out of the blue and said it was time to end things. I'm gonna go get a refill," Richard said, rushing away before he could hear his friend's reply.
Heading to the kitchen instead of the backyard where the kegs were, Richard almost jumped in surprise when he saw Alfred. "I thought you were on vacation," Richard spoke. Was he slurring his words?
"Feeling buzzed, Master Dick," Alfred said cheekily.
"I'm here for water," Dick replied.
"Does this massive consumption of alcohol have anything to do with the lovely red-haired alien who's been staring at you all night?"
"I have nothing to say to her," Richard repeated the words he'd said to Cyborg only moments earlier.
"Well, it seems like she has something to say to you," Alfred said.
"Tough," Richard answered, opening the fridge, scanning the shelves for ice-cold water.
"Master Dick-
"Look, Alfred, she left me. Okay? She left me and then ran away to Tameran the next week."
"Why did she break up with you? You never said."
"Because I don't know why she broke up with me," Richard answered exasperatedly. He needed something stronger than water. "She came into my room; said we needed to take a break, and that was it."
"I'm sure there's more to it than that."
"Probably, but I don't care."
(Thirteen months ago)
Richard slammed Jason into the wall, shocking both Tim and Alfred. Bruce stood by and watched silently. "YOU'RE DATING MY EX!" Richard screamed. "HAVE YOU LOST IT!" he slammed Jason into the wall again.
"Master Dick!" Alfred said forcefully…angrily. "A word. Now." Richard released his grip on Jason's collar. "This isn't over," Richard growled out before begrudgingly following Alfred out of the study.
Entering the kitchen, Alfred fixed Richard with a hard stare. "Master Dick-"
"He's dating my ex, Alfred," Richard raised his voice, "friends don't do that to friends. Brothers don't do that to brothers."
"From my understanding, it seems Miss Kori pursued Master Jason. Not vice versa," Alfred tried to calm the irate young man.
"What!" Richard scoffed. "Kori wouldn't go for Jason. He's not…"
"You?" Alfred finished for him, "he's not you?" Richard looked away from Alfred's harsh stare. "It's not right," Richard said.
"Richard, it's okay to feel hurt and jealous-"
"I'm not hurt or jealous," Richard shot back. "If they want each other, they can have each other. I won't stop them."
(Present)
Richard got dressed slowly. He wished he could numb the pain. He wished he could skip the wedding, but he couldn't. Jason was his…brother – for lack of a better term. As mad as he was about today, he wouldn't hurt Jason like that. He couldn't.
(It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize)
Richard finished dressing numbly. Checking himself out in front of his full-length mirror, making sure everything was in place, he gave himself a tentative smile. The one he'd been working on for months. It looked ridiculous, but he didn't care. It was the best he could do.
He made his way to the bedroom door, sighing heavily, mentally preparing himself. Time to smile, he thought wryly. Hopefully, this day would go by fast.
(That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand)
Richard opened his door, and the sight that greeted him was slightly alarming. Bruce had spared no expense. Flowers everywhere. Bright, yellow flowers. Sunflowers, daisies – all of Kori's favorites.
(Twenty-three months ago)
He found Kori in the common room, playing with Silkie. Watching from the doorway, he smiled as she cooed at the ugly thing.
It wasn't until he was a few feet from the couch that Kori noticed him. Her green eyes widened with joy. "You're back!" she squealed, jumping to her feet, nearly knocking Silkie off the couch.
"And I bought you something," Richard smiled, holding one hand behind his back mischievously.
"Really? What?" Kori asked, the curiosity killing her.
"These," Richard whipped out a big bouquet of daisies and sunflowers, her favorite. Her green eyes shone even brighter, if that was possible. "Oh, thank you, boyfriend Robin!" she squealed before pulling him into a tight hug. It was then that Richard decided to leave at least one yellow flower on her pillow every day.
(Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance)
Richard rubbed his tired eyes. He'd been searching for Slade for hours by now. But he couldn't quit now. He was too close. A knock sounded on his door. "Come in," he said, not wanting to be bothered.
"Robin," a soft, feminine voice said his name. He turned to find his girlfriend leaning on the door, studying him with wide, green eyes. Her red, soft curls fell over her shoulder while watching him. "You've been in here for hours. I was wondering if we could maybe…" her voice trailed off as she looked away shyly.
(Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance)
Richard didn't give it a second thought, "How about we go out dancing? I almost forgot, there's a place that does swing dancing thing every Friday. Wanna go?" Kori's green eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously. Richard laughed as he stood from his chair. "Let's go," he smiled.
(Present)
Scowling at the offending flowers causing him so much pain, Richard slammed his room door shut and began the long walk to the stairs. Guests had started to arrive. The other groomsmen were probably waiting in Bruce's study. He started heading there.
Sulking and moping the entire way, Richard placed his hand on the doorknob with a heavy sigh. Time to put on a fake smile and feign happiness.
(Now my baby's dancing
But she's dancing with another man)
The jocular voices on the other side of the door made him want to take a hammer to his skull. He slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. All conversation ceased, and Jason gave him an uneasy, pained expression. Richard would have growled at him, but everyone was looking at him. The atmosphere was tense, and the awkwardness could be sliced with a knife. "Well, it's about time," Garfield broke the silence, and Richard could have kissed him. "Let's get this party started," Victor chimed in, shoving a bourbon into Richard's hand. Richard thanked him and chose to remain in the corner rather than mingle with the other groomsmen. He could get through this.
(My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways
Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life)
Richard rocked back and forth on his heels, staring bitterly at the back of the best man's head. Roy. Roy used to be Richard's best friend. But…that was just another thing of Richard's Jason had managed to steal.
He felt a soft nudging in the back of his head. His eyes snapped over Roy's shoulder, meeting a pair of soft violet eyes. Raven was giving him an indiscernible look. Probably just making sure Richard was behaving. He rolled his eyes and looked away. But then everyone stood as the doors opened, and suddenly she was there, dressed in a beautiful white gown, hair pulled away from her face in an elaborate style.
(Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, oh
And that haunts me every time I close my eyes)
. Richard closed his eyes, trying not to imagine those curves hiding beneath that dress. Tears came to his eyes.
(Seven months ago)
"Eep!" Starfire covered her shriek as she watched the scene take place in horror.
Richard ignored her. He had Jason against the wall by the throat...again. All he saw was red. "You proposed to my girl! And you expect me to be happy for you!"
"Master Dick!" Richard heard Alfred say from behind him.
"She's not your…girl…." Jason croaked out. "And she…hasn't been…for a long time."
"Richard, let him go!" the order wrang out from behind him. Bruce had entered the conversation. Richard released Jason. He turned his enraged glare to Starfire, who had large tears rolling down her face. "You need to calm down," Bruce grabbed Richard by the shoulder and whirled him around.
"Whatever," Richard shook off Bruce's heavy hand before storming out the room. "I'm over it."
(Present)
"You may now kiss the bride," the minister said. Richard averted his eyes as Jason and Starfire leaned towards each other. The place erupted in applause
(It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize)
Richard nearly lost it during the photos. Only the gentle tugging he felt on the back of his mind was keeping him from doing something stupid. At one point, he sent a subtle glare Raven's way; and she sent one right back.
(That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand)
Richard barely paid attention to the toasts and speeches. Raven said something sweet about Starfire. Roy's speech must have been funny since he had the guests in stitches, not that Richard noticed or paid attention. He had willingly tuned out Roy's voice. Bruce said a few words…shockingly. Who knew that one day Jason would be the one to have Bruce's seal of approval over Richard? Wonders never ceased.
(Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance)
The cutting of the cake made Richard want to vomit. The oohs and aahs of the crowd as Jason wiped cake off of Starfire's cheek made him want to vomit. He felt a kick to the gut when someone clanked their glass, and the newlyweds began to kiss…deeply. Again. Ugh. Would this wedding never end?
(Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance
Now my baby's dancing
But she's dancing with another man)
"I'd like to invite the bride and groom onto the floor," the DJ said. "It's time for their first dance." A song began to play – one Richard recognized instantly. He resisted the urge to bang his head on the table as a slower, remixed version of 'Just The Way You Are' began to play. Would someone kill him already?
(Still Present)
Yeah. He was moping. Everyone was on the dance floor having a jolly good time, but he was sitting alone, brooding. He couldn't bear to look at them anymore. He couldn't continue this façade. This was supposed to be his day! Starfire was supposed to marry. The only reason it wasn't him was because Jason was always there for Starfire when Richard – it hit him like a ton of bricks.
(Although it hurts
I'll be the first to say that I was wrong)
Every single time he blew her off, every time he worked on anything instead of spending time with her; those multiple times he stood her up to go dancing, asking Jason to go in his stead because Richard stupidly said, "She'll understand." Every moment he'd hurt her played on repeat his head.
(Oh, I know I'm probably much too late
To try and apologize for my mistakes
But I just want you to know)
He stood from his seat with new resolve. He'd been such an idiot and jerk and nuisance. No more. He ruined his relationship with Kori. Jason didn't. Jason's only crime was being a good friend to Kori. And now that Richard was seeing clearly, he could admit that Kori definitely did the pursuing.
Richard chuckled to himself, looking at the dancing couple, imagining Kori cornering Jason. It was time to stop being an ass. It was time to make things right.
"Mind if I cut in?" Richard asked two newlyweds. If this weren't such a profound moment, Richard would have laughed at their facial expressions.
"Uh," Jason said uneasily.
"Look, I'm not here to profess my undying love or to cause a scene. I promise. I just want…closure." The couple exchanged looks before Jason reluctantly let Richard take his place. "I'll be nearby if you need me," Jason told Kori. Giving Richard a blank look, he walked away.
Richard slowly placed an arm around Kori's waist before grabbing her hand. She stiffened in his arms, clearly not comfortable, and she looked everywhere but him.
They danced in a painfully awkward silence for all of one minute before Kori broke away with tears in her eyes and said, "I'm not doing this with you. This is my wedding. I'm happy; I'm-"
"I'm sorry," Richard interrupted her. "For how things ended, for the way things ended. I'm sorry. And…I'm sorry I never apologized." Kori stared at him in confusion, saying nothing, so Richard continued, his voice shaky. "I'm sorry I stopped buying you flowers. I'm sorry I stopped holding your hand. I'm sorry I spent more time on my computer and in Gotham than I did with you." Tears formed in his eyes. "And I'm especially sorry I never took you out dancing after promising to do so." Now Kori was crying, and that's not what he wanted. "Kori, don't cry anymore," Richard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You've already wasted too many tears on me," he thought back to the weeks after their relationship ended when Kori didn't leave her room for four days. Her wailing could be heard throughout the tower.
"What is going on here?" Jason asked, appearing from thin air. He took one look at his new wife's tear-filled face, and he immediately balled his fists. Whirling around to face Richard with a murderous glare, Jason asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"Jason," Kori said from behind him. "It's not what you think."
"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting," Richard quickly blurted out. Jason took a step back in shock, looking Richard up and down. "What?" Jason asked in confusion.
"I'm sorry. I know you two didn't get together out of spite, and I've been an ass. But," he turned to Jason and very kindly said, "make sure you buy her lots of flowers, and don't be ashamed to hold her hand. Make sure you give her all your hours, and take her out dancing because it's one of her favorite things to do. Basically, do everything I should have done when I was with her."
"He already does," Kori spoke softly, wrapping her arms around Jason's waist, nuzzling his neck.
"Well, good," Richard smiled in relief. "You deserve to be happy. You both do," Richard said, "and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to see that. Have a great honeymoon." The three smiled at each other, the healing finally beginning.
Exiting the dance floor, Richard finally understood why Kori broke up with him. He thought he was the best she could do. Turns out, he was wrong. There was someone way better, and Richard was finally okay with that.
Epilogue
Richard stood in a corner, watching the mingling guests. This time, a genuine smile graced his features. He was truly happy for the two. "Hey," a voice said from next to him. Richard turned his head. Raven. "Hey," he greeted brightly. "You look adorable," he complimented her bridesmaid's dress.
"Don't start with me," she crossed her arms. "I'm wearing pink."
"No," Richard corrected, "it's tulle blush."
"It's going in a furnace," she said. "But I didn't come over here to talk about how much I hate this dress. I saw you talking to Kori and Jason."
"Yes," Richard said, "I was apologizing." Raven's face tried not to show it, but even he could tell she was surprised. "It finally hit me – I was a terrible boyfriend."
"You were," Raven agreed. Richard gave her a raised eyebrow. "It only took you two years to realize that." Richard rolled his eyes as Raven continued. "But you do feel…lighter."
"Lighter?"
"There's no longer a dark cloud over your head. I sense genuine happiness coming from you."
"That's because I am genuinely happy," he smiled. "All that they were the reason for my pain. Turns out it was just me."
"I do think you'll be alright," Raven breathed out softly, staring at him with an expression he couldn't discern. He'd seen that face before – off and on throughout this entire wedding planning process. He thought she was playing bodyguard, making sure Richard didn't do anything stupid. But seeing the expression up close, he wasn't so sure. "Yeah," Richard replied with a big smile, "I will be alright." Raven gave him a small, shy smile as color filled her cheeks. "So," Richard said, not ready for the conversation to end. He'd spent so much time pushing people away, blaming others for his mistakes. It felt good to finally talk. "Are there wedding bells in your future?" he asked.
"Uh…no," Raven answered definitively, "definitely not."
"What?" Richard laughed. "No one. You don't have your eye on anyone?" Raven hesitated for a split second, but it was long enough for Richard to deduce that she was about to lie. "No," she answered as her cheeks turned a dark red.
"Uh-huh," Richard smirked. "Who is he? Do I know him? Does Victor know him? Is it a she?"
"Shut up," Raven gave him a playful nudge, "it's complicated."
"How?"
"He just got out of a relationship. I don't think…he shouldn't step into a relationship so soon," Raven said, "I think he needs time to heal." She once again stared at him with an undeterminable expression. It was beginning to eat at him. "Well," Raven smiled, "I should probably see if Kori needs anything."
"Wait," Richard grabbed her hand. Raven looked down at their conjoined hands, and Richard released her immediately. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Um…while I was busy pouting about this wedding, I remember Tim mentioning you. He said you were thinking of leaving the Titans."
"Oh," Raven folded her arms, "I don't know. I feel out of place with the new Titans, but I…I don't know where I could go. Victor offered me a room in his apartment; Starfire and Jason said I could stay with them, but I have no intention of living with newlyweds. Beast Boy – Changeling, I mean, he's staying." Raven began playing with her fingers. "I don't know what I'm going to do," she concluded with a sigh, watching as Kori laughed when Jason dipped her dramatically.
"Well," Richard turned to her, "maybe you could come with me." Raven looked at him curiously. "I've been planning on moving to Bludhaven for a while now."
"Gotham City criminals not exciting enough for you?" Raven asked humorously. Richard laughed. "Uh...no," Richard smiled. "I just…it's time. Besides, Gotham City is well protected."
"Bruce has what, 20 sidekicks now?"
"Something like that," Richard answered. "But, my offer is serious. You should come with me." Raven stared into Richard's blue eyes. "You really wouldn't mind?" Raven asked quietly. "It wouldn't be for long. Just until I figure things out or something."
"Raven," Richard placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "you can stay with me as long as you like." Raven gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully. Richard smiled back. He reached for her hand and began pulling her onto the dance floor. "What are you doing?" Raven's eyes widened in slight terror as she began slightly resisting.
"It's a wedding," Richard smirked back at her. "We're dancing."
"Richard," Raven warned, "I can't dance. You know that. Everyone knows that."
"So you've said…a lot," Richard faced her once they reached the dance floor. Placing her hands on his shoulder as his hands landed on her waist, he said, "Just follow my lead."
