Chapter Fifty Two

Not Like Old Times

June 17th

"So, tomorrow night's the moment of truth, huh?" Morgan spoke up. They were the first words spoken between them for the past half an hour.

Dick looked up from his dismantled grapple hook. Apparently, it had been experiencing some malfunctions for the past week and he had decided that getting it fixed was in order. Before they took down the Reach and the Light tomorrow.

"Nervous?" He asked her, putting the screwdriver in his hand back on the table. He studied at her with a calculating look on his face, which meant she probably couldn't lie to him even if she wanted.

Morgan actually wasn't entirely sure if she was nervous or not. True, the fate of the entire planet was to be decided, so there were a lot of things to be nervous about. A large portion of the Team could very well lose their lives in their fight for freedom.

And yet, she felt a strange sort of.. calm anticipation, instead of the panic and anxiety she would've expected.

Morgan shrugged. "I dunno. I know I should be, but.. I guess I'm confident in the plan."

She was confident in his plan.

Dick smiled lightly at her. "Good. You'll need a clear head when things go down."

Outside, a flash of lightning, almost immediately followed by a clap of thunder, split the dark sky in two. Morgan could hear the wind howl and the rain pelt at Dick's closed windows. It was a funny thing, how the weather had almost developed into a regular storm, when the heroes were currently experiencing the quiet before the storm. Tomorrow, the real storm, the storm that had nothing to do with the weather, would begin.

Morgan shifted in her spot by his counter. As they'd done so many times before, the two of them were sitting in his apartment, on the barstools by his small semi-island. Only, this time it wasn't really because they had anything on the agenda. This time, there was no fundraiser to prepare for or a dad to stalk or Morgan temporarily living at his apartment because her old home had been blown up.

No, this time it was simply a social visit.

Dick had, quite unexpectedly, approached her and asked if she wanted to come over. Morgan had yet to figure out why he'd invited her. Maybe it had been spurred by their We're-going-on-a-life-threatening-world-saving-mission-tomorrow-and-I-have-no-way-to-guarantee-that-either-of-us-will-survive-so-I-just-want-to-hang-out-for-a-bit situation.

Morgan was glad of it. To be honest, she couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather spend the calm before the storm with.

Except, perhaps, her mom. But she had already been with her, a few hours earlier. Morgan hadn't talked to her mom since Henrik's death, too cowardly and ashamed to approach her.

But now, as she stared uncertainty of her own survival in the face, Morgan had swallowed her pride and her worries and gone to visit her mom.

There'd been a lot of crying and hugging and apologizing. And then Morgan had told her mom about what she was going to do tomorrow. And then there'd been more crying and hugging.

She'd finally come clean. Explained everything to her mom. Answered all her questions with a hundred percent honesty. She'd admitted that the hero life was really dangerous. She'd told her mom about her feelings for her mentor.

She'd told her mom about things she hadn't even talked to Nightwing about yet.

Such as the deep exhaustion she felt from the life she was leading. Morgan had loved the superhero life almost since the very beginning. But now, it felt a lot less glamorous than back then.

She wasn't thinking about leaving the Team. Not at all. But she needed time to seriously rediscover what the life really meant. Which sacrifices she thought were worth making.

She needed to fully realize what it was she truly wanted.

Morgan found herself sighing as she pushed those thoughts from her mind. Her uncertainties were a stupid thing to be pondering the night before they were going to take down the Reach and the Light.

Redirecting her thoughts, Morgan remembered something else that she really ought to tell her mentor.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Morgan gathered the courage to spill the truth.

"I, uh.."

He must've sensed she was about to say something he'd really want to pay attention to because Dick paused his work and looked up at her again.

Morgan tried a second time. "I told La'gaan. About.. the kiss."

Dick seemed frozen for a second as he processed her words. Then he frowned at her. "You what?" He sounded less than pleased. "Why?"

Morgan looked blankly ahead, shrugging half heartedly. She wasn't sure why herself, to be honest. "I'm not sure. He was sad because of the break up and I used the kiss as an example to prove a point."

"What point could you possibly have been hoping to prove?" He asked. He didn't necessarily sound angry, more annoyed and confused.

Morgan bit down on her bottom lip. "Just – Uh.. That.. You know, that just because people our age act all affectionate doesn't mean they necessarily become a couple – or, well, stay a couple in his case."

Dick blinked at her as Morgan chanced a quick look at his face. Then, to her surprise, his face morphed into a look of regret. Another flash of lightning struck almost directly outside his apartment, the roar of the thunder overwhelming. Morgan was glad she wasn't actually afraid of thunder, or she'd be shaking in her seat by now. She was actually tempted to start shaking in her seat, not because of the thunderstorm, but rather from the look on Dick's face.

"Sometimes.." He softly began. "Sometimes life just gets in the way.."

Morgan gnawed at her bottom lip as she nodded at him, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

Her treacherous eyes darted to his lips briefly, and he must've noticed because his did the same. She swore it was unintentional on both of their part, but suddenly the distance between them was much decreased, to the point where she could feel his breath on her face and the warmth from his body.

She wanted very much to kiss him. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not yet. Things were still so complicated. She couldn't kiss him with everything she had, knowing that tomorrow might be her last day alive. Knowing that tomorrow might be his last. Defining their feelings would only make that possibility even more hurtful. What if she admitted to him that she liked him, and then got killed? He'd have to live with that grief. And What if he died? Then she'd be the one grieving.

For a long moment, the furious storm going on outside was the only sound in the small apartment.

Morgan was also very aware of the more present risk of kissing him. They were alone, in his apartment, with very little possibility of getting disturbed. They were reckless, hormonal teenagers with a pretty obvious mutual attraction. And Morgan didn't want to do anything she'd end up regretting.

No, it was far safer to bid him goodnight and then quietly slip away before she did anything stupid. Before he did anything stupid.

She took a deep breath and leaned away, looking at the floor.

"I should go." She mumbled, slipping off the barstool.

She approached the door, horribly aware of the fact that she was, in a sense, leaving him. And that he hadn't said anything since she'd gotten up.

Her shoulders tensed when she could hear him get up himself, the sound of the fabric of his jeans sliding against the bar stool easily identifiable.

"Morgan.." He called for her in a low voice.

She stopped moving for a few seconds, not understanding why she was so worried. Maybe it was because the sexual tension was very easily identifiable between them. Maybe it was because she was utterly terrified that she'd lose control and simply jump him. Maybe it was because making the decision to leave had been difficult enough, and she was afraid she would lose her barely-holding resolve all together.

But she turned around anyway, facing him as she waited for him to speak his mind.

"It's raining cats and dogs outside.." He pointed out, sounding kind of sad and resigned. "You should stay. It's not safe."

Morgan really, really, really thought that staying would be a pretty bad idea, that staying wasn't safe, but she had to admit he was right. The weather was absolute shit right now, and not something she looked forward to enduring once leaving.

"The couch is still here." He shrugged, smirking a bit crookedly as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "And I still haven't moved my towels onto their original shelf yet, if you want a shower."

That last comment made her snort out a small laugh.

Morgan was faced with two choices that were bad in two very different ways. First, she really didn't want to go outside in this sort of weather. With the wind and the rain, she'd get soaked immediately and then blown away quite literally. If she wasn't hit by lightning first. And second, if she chose to stay, she'd probably have a really good time with her mentor, but it would also be absolute torture because she'd be so damn tempted to spill her heart out and then kiss him and then probably more.

Her hesitation was obvious enough for Dick to raise a challenging eyebrow at her, which gave Morgan the impression that he wasn't going to let her out in that storm, even if she wanted to.

Resigning herself to her fate, Morgan sighed at her feet before looking up at him with a small, lopsided smile on her mouth. "Just like old times?"

He nodded, smiling broadly. "Just like old times."

Morgan lay on the floor in Dick's apartment, with her sleeping mentor's arms around her, thinking that this was definitely not like old times.

After Morgan had agreed to stay, the two of them had found that they had no clue what to actually do now that she was staying over. So, Morgan had suggested that they watch the thunderstorm. Due to a lack of something better to do, Dick had eagerly agreed to that plan.

They quickly discovered that turning his couch around to simply sit on it and watch lightning was a tiny bit lame. Also, the angle was all wrong because of the height of their seats. They couldn't see the lightning properly.

So he'd gotten hold of an old blanket and spread it on the floor, where they'd spent the rest of the night shifting between watching the lightning and playing different card games that didn't have to involve more than two people. Morgan had jokingly suggested strip-poker – which, considering her current dilemma, was probably an absolutely moronic suggestion – to which Dick had smirked like he was actually going to take her up on the offer, before saying that that was probably a bad idea.

Then, as the lightning outside gradually became less exciting, and neither teenager was interested in actually go to sleep yet, they'd lain down on their backs, side by side, simply talking.

"Tell me about your parents." Morgan whispered after a short pause in their conversation. She reached to her side and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the tray Dick had placed there earlier. They'd left the tray by her side of the blanket because, truthfully, she ate a much bigger amount than he did. But they were her favorite cookies and she was weak, okay?

She could feel Dick pause beside her, and she worried she'd picked a bad topic.

"Um.. What do you want to know?" He eventually asked uncertainly.

Morgan shrugged, fiddling with her hands, which were resting on top of her stomach. "I dunno. You know practically everything about my family situation. I'm just trying to even the odds." She turned her head so she could gauge his mood. "So.. let's start with the basics. What were they like?"

A fond smile played at his lips as he stared at the ceiling, a small chuckle rumbling in his chest. "They were great. As you may know, we all worked at a circus. I'm pretty sure I never had a single boring day there. Anyway, my mom was the sweetest soul you'd have ever met. But she still accepted absolutely no nonsense. My dad.." The smile grew. "Always had a smile on his face, that man. They taught me everything about acrobatics."

Morgan felt a soft smile on her own face. She wondered when she'd become so soft. The Morgan she was half a year ago would have rolled her eyes at the Morgan she was now.

"They sound great." She spoke softly, feeling like a loud voice would break the complete calm around them.

Dick propped himself up on his elbows and leaned towards her. Morgan found herself completely immobile as her mentor leaned over her, thinking for a nerve wracking and exhilarating moment that he was going to kiss her. Excitement and anxiety battled in her stomach while she had a mental battle about whether she should let him. Embarrassment made her cheeks color when she realized he'd only been reaching for the tray of cookies himself, lying back down again as soon as he'd plucked one off the plate.

"They were the best." He agreed. He took a bite out of the chocolate chip cookie and looked at it as if it reminded him of something. A small fond smile grew on his lips again. "My dad always told me to marry someone who could bake a good chocolate cake, and then I'd be guaranteed an easy marriage."

Morgan decided to keep it to herself that she baked an absolutely delicious chocolate cake. That was completely irrelevant to the conversation.

"So did he? Marry a woman how could bake a good chocolate cake?" She asked instead.

He burst out laughing, much louder than Morgan had expected him to, shaking his head. "My mom was absolute shit at baking." He revealed.

Morgan laughed along with him, more because it was amazing to see her mentor so relaxed and joyous than because what he had said was particularly funny.

"Sometimes, I totally forget you lived at a circus." Morgan admitted. "And then when I remember, it just feels so weird."

"First nine years of my life." He shrugged.

"So did you, like, pet the elephants and get babysat by the clowns?"

"I pet the elephants all the time, though it was usually the human cannon ball that babysat me."

Morgan snorted and looked at him doubtfully. Seeing his totally straight face, hers went slack with disbelief. "Wait, you're serious?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Yeah? We were like one giant family at Haley's Circus. Everybody helped each other out."

"How did that kind of environment manage to produce such a stick-in-the-mud?" Morgan smirked at him.

He rolled his eyes at her. "I guess people change. I used to be a lot less serious."

His earlier life sounded so rad. Then again, so did the newer part of it, the part about being the leader of a superhero team. Really, the only part she didn't think sounded rad was the one where his parents died. She spoke from newly-found experience when she said that wasn't a pleasant experience.

It was as if he'd read her mind because Dick's face fell slightly. "Then of course, they died and I was adopted by Bruce."

Morgan wanted to ask him how he'd even become Robin back in the day. How he'd gone from being a circus artist, to an orphan, to being adopted by a Gotham elite, to becoming the sidekick of the dark knight. She wanted to know how he'd gotten in contact with the masked hero and how that hero had let him become his sidekick. How Robin had been created.

But Morgan knew those were questions she probably wasn't allowed to ask. The Batman and his sidekicks were shrouded in mystery. Out of all the heroes, he was the one most determined to keep his identity a secret. And if Morgan ended up asking questions she couldn't know the answer to, Dick would grow quiet and excuse himself shortly after. And then she'd be left on his floor with her own thoughts, feeling incredibly stupid for having asked those questions.

She settled for another question instead.

"If you had the opportunity to go back.. To change all of this.. Would you chose to still be an acrobatic at the circus with your parents?" She slowly asked. She realized this was probably a question that would make him retreat mentally just as much as the questions she'd chosen to not voice. But she'd asked with her own situation in mind. If she had the chance to go back.. would she have stopped her father from experimenting on her? Would she trade this life for one of safety and predictable happiness and living parents with a good marriage?

"Don't.." Dick didn't sound angry or anything, just.. sad. And a tiny bit stern. "Don't ask me questions like that."

He proper himself up on his elbow, lying on his side and facing her. The apology died on her lips when her eyes traced the completely open look of regret and pain and uncertainty on his face.

She wanted to remove that anguished look so badly, so, as if she could remove it physically, she reached a hand up, letting it linger on his jaw. It had been an instinctive movement, but she knew it had been the right one when his eyes closed and he leaned against the hand just a tiny bit.

The pressure of her thumb moving along his cheek made him open his eyes and look at her again. For a long moment, they simply looked at each other, deep blue eyes on steely grey.

As if rehearsed, the two of them then dropped their gazes onto the other's lips at exactly the same time.

Morgan looked up at his eyes again to find him already looking into hers with an open and honest look about him. She realized the decision of whether or not they should kiss lay entirely with her. He'd let her choose.

It seemed fitting, since he'd been the one to initiate their two previous kisses.

Just as she'd done all evening, she weighed the pros and cons in her mind, knowing how bad of an idea it was.

In a slow and tender movement, Dick brought the arm he wasn't propped up on forwards, brushing a curl away from her face and behind her ear. The hand stayed by her face.

Her skin tingled where his hand had brushed against it.

In the end, the temptation proved too great.

Morgan nervously wet her lips and bit briefly into her lower one before leaning up on her own elbows, letting her mouth brush against his.

That was all the encouragement Dick needed, the hand by the side of her face instantly digging into her curls as he brought his lips down on hers with slightly more pressure than she'd done. All her reasons for not kissing him were immediately forgotten. Honestly, the two of them were in life threatening situations practically every week, why should this one be any different? If she always waited for the 'opportune moment' she'd never get to actually live. No, Morgan would much rather 'seize the moment'.

The first time they'd kissed, it had been glorious and new, but also angry and confusing and terrifying. They'd been shouting at each other only seconds before. Morgan had been close to fainting out of sheer fatigue. Dick had kissed her with a sense of desperation that had made her toes curl with delight but also made her heart flutter with worry. It had been good. But it had also been badly timed and the way they'd dealt with it afterwards had been horrible.

Their second kiss had been far more successful. They'd held each other close and kissed for all they were worth, saying all they'd needed to say by simply letting the kiss do the talking. And Dick hadn't run away immediately afterwards. The kiss had been passionate and possessive in a way that had made Morgan's head spin with delight.

Their third kiss was entirely different from the first two. It was slow and soft and sweet. And so utterly romantic that Morgan almost thought it was a tiny bit over the top. If she'd been someone else, she would've yelled at the couple lying on the floor, kissing deeply, to get a room.

But since she was one half of that couple, she moved her hand into his hair and deepened the kiss instead.

The first two times they'd kissed, the two of them had been showcasing some octopus-like tendencies, what with the way their arms had been wrapped around each other, allowing very little oxygen between their forms. But now, Dick still propped up on his elbow and Morgan still mostly lying on her back, they weren't touching at all, safe for their lips and the hand each had in the other's hair. And Morgan, with a sense of sharp realization, found that she missed the body contact.

She used the hand in his hair to pull herself close, propping herself up higher on her elbow until her entire front touched his.

A slight blush crept up her cheeks when she felt him smile against her lips as if guessing what she'd wanted before leaning down himself, trapping her between his elbows, his torso flush against hers.

Now that Morgan had gotten exactly what she wanted, she realized how terrible of an idea it had actually been. There was a reason she'd wanted to avoid any of this tonight. As she'd mentioned earlier, they were two hormonal teenagers, all alone at his apartment. There was a bed only a few steps and a door away. They were about to go on a really dangerous mission and couldn't know if they'd both come out alright in the end.

Morgan wasn't afraid that he'd pressure her into anything. Not at all. But she was afraid that she would be the one to take the kissing to a not-as-innocent level.

And, to be honest, Morgan really, really wanted to avoid a teen pregnancy. Seriously, that would completely screw over her ability to work on the Team.

Why was she even thinking about this? Just because she probably kind of wanted to do.. stuff.. didn't mean that they were going to! Stop thinking about it you pervert!

Maybe it was just because she was lying down and he was on top of her – though not entirely since their chests and part of their torso's were the only body parts actually touching – that her thoughts kept wandering in that direction. She let the thought go as she focused all of her attention and thoughts on kissing him instead.

Morgan was really glad that Dick had some experience with kissing because she still felt like a total rookie. Which was why she usually let him lead the way. And he was good at it, she thought as her heart kept pounding in her chest. She was sure he could feel it vibrating into his own chest.

Eventually, Dick broke away, leaning his forehead against hers, eyes closed. He let out a long, satisfied sigh and Morgan could feel his breath against her parted lips. She reached up and placed a small peck on his lips one last time before pulling back, letting them stay connected at their foreheads. He smiled slowly and happily.

"When this is all over.." He began, speaking softly, still that pleased smile on his lips. "I'm going to ask you out on a date."

Morgan's heart stopped for a short moment and adrenalin coursed through her system. It was stupid, really, because they'd been kissing far too many times by now to pretend to be only friends, but she still felt so utterly accomplished and giddy at the prospect. A date would mean they were trying for an actual relationship.

The thought terrified and excited her like nothing else. It felt so good but also so nerve wracking.

She smirked slightly. "When all of this is over.. I might just say yes."

He drew back so he could look at her, shifting his arms slightly closer to her, reminding Morgan that she was still pinned between his elbows.

"Might?" He asked doubtfully, frowning at her.

Morgan simply smirked up at him in that signature way that let him know she was only pulling his leg.

"Might." She agreed, forming the word slowly, watching his eyes trace her lips when she spoke.

He quirk a small smile, using only one corner of his mouth – which just looked so damn attractive, oh god – letting his fingers ghost down her sides.

Morgan froze at his touch, momentarily thinking that he was seducing her, when his fingers suddenly dug almost painfully into her skin. She let out an unattractive screeching sound as he started tickling her.

Their laughter mingled in the air as Dick rose to his knees and straddled her to lock her in place, keeping up his torture. Morgan helplessly begged for him to stop between her high pitched – and totally embarrassing – laughter, squirming underneath him in an attempt to get away.

He stopped after maybe ten seconds, leaving Morgan breathing heavily underneath him, staring up at her mentor in surprise and betrayal.

"You utter maniac!" She wheezed between fading laughter and harsh breathing. "Is that how you usually get a date? You tickle the girl into saying yes?"

"Nah," He smiled devilishly at her. "You're just getting special treatment."

Morgan couldn't decide if he was being romantic or just plain weird right now, but one thing she knew for sure was that it was getting her all flustered. So whatever that sneaky weirdo was doing was working.

She swatted her hands out at him, intending to hit him in the chest, but he caught them and placed them on either side of her head, effectively trapping her.

He shifted in his spot, the movement reminding Morgan that he was still straddling her. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that Dick – Nightwing – an attractive, muscular guy was straddling her and peering down at her like she was the only thing worth noticing in his apartment. It got her even more flustered. But she wasn't uncomfortable or scared. Potentially, being trapped underneath a warm-blooded male like this should've felt intimidating, but as long as it was Dick – probably the one person she trusted the most – it wasn't.

Besides, it wasn't like there was anything he could do that Morgan wouldn't want. But she also couldn't actually let him know that right now because the possibility of them going all the way and then regretting it immensely afterwards was still there. Just because she felt incredibly good right now didn't mean she'd stay like that. Something could easily come up.

And, Morgan wondered, would a single night of passion, with no way to know what the next morning would bring, really be worth sacrificing her virginity over?

Eh, probably not.

Morgan blinked up at him, and Dick must've realized some of the thoughts whirling around in her mind because he smiled softly at her and leaned down to place a single kiss on the corner of Morgan's mouth before he slipped off and lay next to her instead. Morgan scooted closer and relaxed completely in his offered embrace. Somehow, his hands on her torso both made her skin tingle hotly and made her relax.

The chest she was leaning her head and small hands against was firm but warm and oddly comfortable, and smelled pleasantly of him. She could feel him breathe out deeply and lean his chin against her temple. The whole thing made Morgan feel safe and warm.

He fell asleep before she did, and now here she was, thinking that tonight had been nothing like old times.

But come on. Like she minded at all.

My story broke the record for most reviews on a Nightwing romance, and most reviews on an OC centered YJ fic. Wow! *Throws confetti* You guys have been such amazing reviews and I'm deeply, truly touched by all of your awesome feedback.

I was surprised this scene actually got long enough to make up an entire chapter, because not a lot happens in it, really. SO, to make up for a plotless chapter, and for being late, I'll post a new chapter tomorrow again.

Also, to the one reviewer stating they were getting frustrated because I wasn't updating (By use for a lot of exclamation points..).. Don't be rude, man. I'm writing for free, so I can update when I like. And compared to a lot of stories, I've been pretty good at updating regularly - you don't often find fics that update every other day.

Anyway, got me some negative reviews last chapter. And don't worry reviewer 'Truther', I won't write a 'cute' little author's note about how you should be nice to my OC - you're allowed to think Morgan doesn't have a personality, just like I'm allowed to disagree.

The thing I do want to comment on, however, is the three reviews wondering how Morgan would've become friends with the others, when she's only talked with them 'maybe twice throughout the story', and I just..?

Guys, she's been living with them and working with them for eight months! Do you honestly think the only times she's talked to them were the scenes I specifically wrote out? Do you want me to show every single conversation they have over breakfast? All the small talk they make before a mission? Every time Morgan and a few on the Team go for ice cream or something? Movie/gaming nights? When she helps out/is helped out with homework? This story is already pretty freaking long, and I'm pretty sure having to write all of that would not only make it annoyingly long, but also really boring and pointless.

Gah, I'm so sorry for that word vomit. It just boggles my mind that some people apparently genuinly assumed this.

Moving on..

Fun fact: I had actually intended for Morgan to be a pretty average height, if not a bit taller, but then I realized a small body would make much more sense because it would take less for her wigns to work then. If Morgan had been really tall, her wings would've had to be ginormous to work.