Peace on earth.
And in Gotham, too. The Joker has fallen silent, and Batman hadn't needed Nightwing the night before. Dick had returned home to Harley, his pregnant fiancée. She herself isn't very happy about being benched, but what can they do?
Selina and Bruce's wedding is in just a few days, and there's plenty of things for all of them to be doing. That means, as much as Dick would like to stay in and watch Christmas movies- he and Harley have tuxedo and dress fittings to get to. Oh the joys of a normal life.
It had snowed even more that night. The street outside was a sparkling carpet of white, indiscernible from the lawns of the picturesque little houses in the neighborhood. The sun had barely risen, gleaming on the snow from the clear blue sky. Dick exhaled slowly, his head propped up against his pillow as he looked out the window. It was peaceful. The curtains were open a bit, snow lining the frame and frost on the windowpane. He glanced down at Harley, listening to her breathing in the silence. His arm was tucked under her neck, her head on his shoulder. Blonde hair spread over the unused pillow in a halo, soft as honey in the light of the sunrise. Dick lifted his hand from under the covers and pulled a strand away from her face, exposing her thin neck accentuated by the wide collar of his button down hung loosely on her torso, her silver necklace shining on her collarbone. He smiled, studying her face. She was so beautiful.
Harley sighed. "Are you staring at me?" she asked, not moving or opening her eyes. Dick smiled a little, and Wally and Clark stirred at their feet.
"Is that weird?"
"Only if you don't judge me when I do it to you." Harley blinked her eyes open, smiling at him. "I fell asleep didn't I?"
"You didn't even eat the watermelon," Dick said, glancing at the bowl beside her glasses on the nightstand. He inhaled deeply, his bare chest rising slowly with the action.
"And you didn't put it in the fridge so it would still be good to have this morning?" Harley laughed. "Only teasing… for the most part." She ran a hand through his messy hair.
"The rest of it is in the fridge," he smirked. "Even though I dropped out of college, I am pretty smart," Dick smiled down at her, wrapping his other arm around her waist.
"I know." Harley kissed his chest before laying her head back on his shoulder, tracing the scar there with the tip of her finger. "I love that about you."
Dick closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Her gentle touch made his heart skip a beat. "What is it about you that makes it so hard to breathe?" he smiled, looking at her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," her eyes softened, "but maybe that's because I'm too distracted by how my heart stops beating when you smile. Or how everytime you touch me it feels like electricity. But breathing, no. That's only when you kiss me." She buried her head in his arm, smiling. Dick laughed a little, his hand guiding her face to his so he could kiss her gently. His lips were sweet and familiar, and she could feel his heart beat faster in his chest when she kissed back. He cut it off too soon, his eyes still closed as he smiled.
"You're right. That does make it a lot harder," Dick said quietly, laughing a bit. Harley rested her chin on his chest.
"And there's that smile." Her blue eyes stared into his. "The one that made me realize I was going to say yes to marrying you, and to buying a house, and having a baby. The one that made me want to be a better person. Be careful with that Mr. Grayson; I think it's your superpower." She grinned.
"If I'd have known that all I had to do was grin at the bad guys, I would've become a vigilante sooner," he smirked, his hand sliding down her waist. It came to rest on the exposed skin at her hip, the button down pulled up a bit.
"I don't know, you were pretty young. Maybe I should have become a villain sooner." She brushed his bangs out of his face. Dick turned his body a bit so that he lay on his side, his arm still supporting her head, his thumb still tracing little circles at her hip. He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead.
"You were pretty young, too. Not as young as me, of course, but pretty young," he pointed out, his voice a whisper with his breath against her skin.
"Good thing too. Can you imagine if we found each other when we were fifty?" Harley smiled against his shoulder.
"I don't know if I'd have lived that long," Dick mused, "without you to take care of me."
"You would be so malnourished," Harley agreed. He laughed and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully, his thumb stroking along her hip gently. Dick pulled her closer and kissed her nose.
"We have all day to do nothing. What do you want to do?" he smiled, and then yawned.
"Just lying around all day sounds amazing, but you're forgetting: fittings today." Harley shook her head. "You guys may get your tuxes done in no time, but there is no way dress fittings are fast."
"Oh come on! Well maybe I can get out of mine early and come to yours. You might need help getting into your dress, after all…" Dick smirked, kissing her cheek. Harley punched him lightly in the ribs.
"It's a good thing you're cute," she warned.
"What? I'm adorable. And you're a liar if you're telling me you don't think it'd be fun to fool around in a dressing room," he grinned, kissing her ear.
"Selina would kill us," Harley laughed. "It's just a couple hours. Cool your jets, stud." Dick mumbled a response, but it was muffled by his smiling lips pressed to her neck. He kissed down her throat and moved back a bit, his lips trailing over her collarbone. She laughed.
"What did I just say?" She grabbed his face, looking into his eyes. "You're going to work yourself up and be frustrated for the rest of the day," she warned. Dick narrowed his eyes and then smiled, taking her hand away from his face and kissing her fingertips. "Now you're just deliberately ignoring me," Harley accused. He smiled and laced his fingers with hers, catching her lips in a gentle kiss as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. She could feel him smiling mischieviously. Harley kissed him back before resting her forehead against his and shaking her head. "You are just asking for trouble."
"Trouble is my middle name," he smirked, and kissed along her jaw.
"I'm pretty sure it's John," Harley told him, rolling her eyes. Dick mumbled against her neck, inhaling deeply as he smiled. He leaned back and looked at her for a moment.
"Fine, that can be Haly's middle name," he laughed, and then kissed her slowly, one hand cradling her face and the other unbuttoning her shirt.
"But I thought you liked the middle name Martha," Harley whispered before kissing his smile. "Trouble was not what we agreed on."
"Martha is good too," he grinned, laughing a little. His hand slid into her shirt and around her waist, and he kissed her passionately. His hand was cold against her back, but his touch was warm and loving.
Harley wrinkled her nose, pulling away. She looked down and put her hand over where Haly started kicking.
"Speak of the devil," she sighed.
Dick smiled lovingly, and then slid out of her arms. He stood and stretched, yawning; glancing out at the snow plow in the street, he smiled. "Well, I'd better text Bruce and remind him about the fitting," he shrugged.
"She's definitely a Grayson." Harley stretched her back out, her hand still on her stomach. "I think she's doing acrobatics in there there. And I swear she has her toes pointed." She laughed.
Dick smiled down at her, his blue eyes soft in the morning light. He sighed and went into the closet, flicking the lights on. "What time is your dress fitting?" he asked, pushing through the hangers of clothes halfheartedly, tugging a t-shirt off and grabbing a pair of jeans.
"Noon." Harley curled up under the covers again. "Barbara's coming to pick me and Ivy up."
"Sounds like a nightmare," Dick laughed, pulling the t-shirt over his head. He winced a bit as he did so. Harley shrugged before sitting up and getting out of bed.
"I should probably see if Red wants some breakfast… or plant grow or something." She started buttoning her shirt back up. Dick yawned again, buckling his belt. He grabbed his phone, muttering about someone texting him. As he looked up, he grinned.
"Are you going to make me some breakfast?" he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling.
"I'm going to guess you want… omelets," Harley sarcastically guessed.
"You read my mind. But I'm not really that hungry." He stretched, pulling his coat on. "Go see if Ivy wants anything," Dick urged, spanking her playfully. He ran out into the hall before she could retaliate, his laugh carrying with him. Harley glared after him before rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She went to the closet, picking out a maternity tank top and yoga pants and a cardigan. Once she'd changed and tamed her unruly hair, she grabbed her glasses and headed to the guest room. She knocked softly.
"Hey Red, are you hungry?"
"I already ate!" Ivy called through the door.
"Okay but don't forget-"
"-Fittings at noon. I know."
Harley laughed. "Okay." She headed downstairs to the kitchen. Dick leaned against the counter with Wally flopped over in his arms, finishing off the waffle that Dick had given him. He grinned, and Clark stared up at him expectantly. Dick tossed him a toaster waffle. Clark caught it and scarfed it down, wagging his tail happily. Dick smiled.
"Can I please come to the dress fitting with you? Everyone has been acting weird around each other since Carrie, and I can't listen to Jason poke Damian about it any longer," he sighed, dropping Wally to the floor. The dog landed on his back, rolled over and sprinted away; only to fall on the carpet again and smash into Clark's hind legs.
"Sorry. No guys allowed." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before going to open the fridge. Dick groaned in frustration and dropped his head back against the cabinets.
"Please? I can blend in. I can girl talk," he pleaded.
"I don't really think the bridesmaid dresses are your style." Harley stacked things on top of the egg carton, closing the fridge door with her hip. "They're just not your color."
"Purple isn't my color? Helena didn't seem to think so, either," he shrugged. "Please?" Dick begged again, wrapping an arm around her hips and pulling her to stand in front of him. He leaned back against the counter. His hands rested on her waist.
"Dick," Harley set everything on the counter, "you know you can't. Barbara and Selina would throw you out on the street."
"Why!? I can't just sit in the waiting area and comment on the dresses? I want to see, too," Dick frowned, moving his head so he was looking her in the eye again.
"Because you have to get your tux fitted. You can't be the hobo groomsman." She brushed his messy bangs out of his eyes. "You'll just have to wait to see the dresses till the wedding like everyone else." She smiled at him. Dick's lips turned down slightly.
"I always look like a hobo. The literal hobo is Jason though, I don't think he lives anywhere-" Dick glanced up as Jason walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, I am not a hobo," he grabbed an apple from the bowl on their counter, "I'm just keeping my options open. Speaking of, can I crash in your guest room till the fitting? Thanks." He walked out of the kitchen, biting the apple. Harley tried to say something, but he was already halfway up the stairs.
"How long until he's back out the door? I'm putting ten dollars on less than four seconds," Dick mused, watching the stairs. "If they don't kill each other first." There was a loud bang and a strangled cry, and Jason was back down the stairs, walking past them without saying a word.
"Glad I didn't take that bet. Maybe we should have seen if he wanted an omelet though."
"Yeah. I'll bring something to the fitting for him." Dick played with the necklace resting on her collarbone.
"Are you going to let me make the food?" She chuckled, putting her hands over his.
"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'll get out of your way. Sorry." He laughed a bit, stepping aside. The coffee pot had been brewing, and he picked up his blue thermos, watching her. Harley nudged his hip with hers.
"Do we have any orange juice left?" she asked, starting making the omelet. She pushed her glasses back up her nose.
"I hope so," Dick opened the refrigerator, glancing around. After a moment, he exclaimed in delight and pulled out the half-empty carton. "Here you are, my dear," he chuckled, setting it on the counter.
"You're a savior, fiance of mine." Harley beamed at him, mixing cheese in with the egg. Dick grinned in response and kissed her cheek, pouring the strong coffee into his thermos. The warm smell filled the kitchen. The egg mixture sizzled as Harley poured it into a pan on the stove; she turned to face Dick.
"Less than a month till the baby's born." She smiled, sighing wistfully as she looked at the coffee. "I miss it."
"I know. You can have it soon," he crossed his arms, leaning against the counter again.
"I'll also be able to tag along on patrol soon. Have you thought about how unbearably anxious you're going to be about that?" One corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Dick shrugged again.
"After feeling bad for Selina being locked away for safekeeping, I don't think I'll forbid you. Just don't die."
"That's the plan." Harley took a sip of juice before tending the the omelet. Dick watched her, thinking about their second date together. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he sipped his coffee.
"Wipe that smile off your face," Harley told him as she scooped the omelet onto a new plate. "It makes me think you're up to something."
"What would I be up to?" Dick smiled broadly.
"I don't know. And that's what scares me." She grabbed two forks, heading to the table. Dick followed, laughing quietly.
"My plans always turn out. I'm smarter than you think," he grinned, taking a bite of the omelet.
"They do not always turn out." Harley pushed his fork out of the way, scooting further forward on her seat. Dick laughed.
"I was just thinking about the first time you made me an omelet."
"And you had to work. Yeah. Well at least you don't keep utensils in the freezer anymore." She grinned, popping a piece of omelet in her mouth.
"I ran out of drawers!" Dick protested.
"You could have gotten hooks to hang them on the walls," Harley pointed out. Dick ignored her, feeding some omelet to Wally and Clark. She cut a small chunk off the omelet and slid the rest of it over to her side of the plate with a smirk. Dick shrugged and took it, dropping it for Wally and finishing his coffee. He pulled his beanie over his dark hair.
"I'll miss you," he smiled. Harley dropped her fork on the plate and stood up.
"Have fun." She gave him a quick kiss. Dick hugged her tight.
"Bruce will be crabby, Damian will be angry, Jason will be an asshole, and Tim will be annoyed. Clark might be some fun, until he runs off to be Superman. That's about as good as it'll get. Have fun with Selina." Dick kissed her nose. Wally jumped up on Harley's pulled out chair and started licking up the last of the omelet.
"I'll try, but she's going to be crazy. The wedding is only two days away. And Red's going to be grumpy now that she just saw Jay. What if we both play hooky?"
"We can ditch and go Christmas shopping. Drink cocoa in the mall and play in the Winter Wonderland setup, go see Santa Claus, maybe go sledding..." Dick wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling.
"That sounds amazing," Harley admitted. Dick's phone buzzed with a text, and he glanced at it.
"And that's my cue. They're already getting frustrated at each other." Harley groaned and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah Ivy and Barb would kill me, but..."
"Last kiss," Dick grinned, his lips meeting her's gently. He stroked her cheek and inhaled deeply; she leaned against his chest, Dick's tongue tied with hers. When he finally leaned away his eyes remained closed for a bit longer, before he opened them and the moment was over. His arms were so warm around her. "I love you, Harles," he smiled a little.
"I love you too." She kissed him again. "Now last kiss," she told him, kissing him one more time. Dick laughed, walking to the door. Wally sprinted over and bit his pant leg, yanking on it, and he picked the dog up, stroking his ears.
"Well now you're making me not want to leave," he grinned, and then cried out as the door hit him in the face.
"Dick, I'm here to-" Tim poked his head in, and then glanced at his brother. "Oh. Oops. We're here to get you," he shrugged, snow on his matching red hat, scarf, and mittens.
"Hey Tim." Harley walked into the hall, smiling at him. Clark trotted up to Tim, sniffing and licking a stain on his pant leg. Jason and Damian were waiting in the car. Jason was glaring at the house, and Damian was glaring at Jason. Tim grinned broadly at her, stepping into the house after brushing the snow off of his peacoat.
"Hi Harley!" he took his hat off, his dark hair sticking up around his head. He smoothed it down, and Dick rubbed his nose sorely. He sniffled. "Sorry, we're gonna steal him from you- trust me, I think we'd all rather not do this today. Bruce and Selina already miss each other, and I'd really rather be with Steph- anyway, send Jay's love to Ivy!" he laughed, grabbing Dick's arm and yanking him out the door. Wally sprinted after him and smashed into the door, and Clark looked up at Harley, wagging his tail.