Author's Note: NightTiger One-shot. Takes place after Son of Batman.

Officer Dick Grayson, a.k.a Nightwing, slipped through his apartment window in Bludhaven, just returning from helping Bruce and the menace (oh sorry, Damian). As soon as he swooped through the window, he was greeted with the sight of Ava Ayala, aka White Tiger and Dick's fiancée, fast asleep on their couch.

Dick smiled at the sight of his beloved Tigress. He remembered the elated feeling he had when Ava said yes to him when he proposed a few months ago. She looked so beautiful that night.

As he trailed a finger down her soft cheek, Ava leaned into the touched and purred. Dick smirked, knowing he was the only person who could make Ava purr. In her sleep and when she was awake. Slipping his arms under her, Dick picked Ava up bridal style and cradled her to his chest. And even though this wasn't the first time Dick has held Ava, he still marveled at how well her body fit against his.

Despite the fact that Dick picked her up gently, Ava stirred lightly and nuzzled his chest and opening her eyes a crack.

Dick smiled apologetically and began walking towards their room. "Hey beautiful. Did I wake you?"

Ava blinked her eyes before nuzzling further info Dick's chest. "No. I was going to wake up anyways."

Dick snorted. They both knew that that wasn't true. If Ava had the option, she'd sleep all day.

After placing her on the bed, Dick turned around and began taking the Nightwing suit off. He could hear Ava shifting around as he took the rest of the suit off before slipping into a pair of pajama pants and joining her in bed.

"I'm guessing your not going back out?"

Dick smirked before pulling Ava closer to him and pressing his bare chest against her back. "Yep. I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

Ava smiled and snuggled backwards into Dick's chest. "Good. I missed you."

He chuckled before placing a kiss just below her ear. "I love you."

Ava smiled and closed her eyes. "I love you too."

-Dream-

He had no idea where he was.

It looked familiar. It sounded familiar.

A blinding light shined down - or should he say up? - at him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I give to you... The Flying Graysons!"

Ah. That's why this was all too familiar. This was Haly's Circus. The place where he grew up.

He saw his parents swooping in the air. Dick realized that this wasn't the first time he's had this dream. This wasn't even a dream. It was a memory.

The memory of his parents death.

He clenched his eyes shut.

Dick waited for himself to open his eyes and see the fraying ropes. To hear his parents screams. He to hear his mother call out his name.

But nothing came.

Dick still heard the amazed cries of the audience. He opened his eyes and saw that his parents still flying in the air. He narrowed his eyes.

What's going on?

Something caught his eye. On the other since of the trapeze, was Ava. She was in a white and black body suit. When she saw him, she smiled and waved at him before griping the trapeze and taking off. Dick watched as Ava and his parents swing and fly through the air. It was a beautiful sight. He smiled and moved to join his family in the air.

He couldn't move.

As much as Dick tried, he couldn't move his legs. Cold dread spread in his chest. When he dared to look up, he saw the fraying ropes. Dick tried desperately to move. To call out to Ava and his parents.

But it was futility.

The ropes snapped, and the three most important people he held dearly to him plummeted to their deaths.

Ava met his eyes as she fell.

She reached out and called his name.

"Dick!"

Then she hit the ground.

-End of Dream-

Dick woke up with a start. Sitting up, he struggled to regain his breath.

Once he calmed himself down, Dick's thoughts immediately flew to Ava. His head jerked to the side. When Dick saw that Ava was sleeping soundly, he sighed in relief. Swinging his legs to the side of the bed. Dick buried his head in his hands. Even though this wasn't the first time he's had this dream, it still hurt. But seeing Ava die with them, it hurt even more.

It killed him when his parents died. But If Ava died... It would obliterate him.

Ava woke up when she smelled salt. Blinking open her eyes, she looked around for the source of the smell. Ava then realized that she could no longer feel her fiancee's body against hers. When Ava sat up, she saw Dick sitting on the edge of their bed. Ava's eyebrows furrowed.

Then she saw his shoulders shake. Ava's eyebrows shot up. The salty smell, Dick's shoulders shaking.

He was crying.

Ava quickly moved towards Dick and wrapped her arms around his wide, shaking shoulders.

"Baby what's wrong?"

He didn't answer. He merely wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled Ava into his lap. Before Ava could repeat her question, Dick buried his face in her hair. It hurt her to see her fiancee like this. As she waited for Dick's heavy sobs to subside, Ava reached up and ran her fingers through his ebony locks. He must have dreamed about his parents. This wasn't the first time he's had this dream. But he's never cried before.

What was different?

When his shoulders stopped shaking, Dick didn't remove his face from her hair. He leaned up into her touch.

"Please don't stop."

Ava smiled gently and continued to run her fingers through her beloved's hair. Dick hummed in pleasure as her fingers rubbed against his scalp. They stayed like that for who knows how long. Finally, Ava's curiosity reached it's peak.

"What's wrong?"

Dick sighed before shaking his head. "I'm fine."

But Ava knew better.

Removing her fingers from Dick's hair - ignoring his whines of protest - Ava shifted in his lap so she was facing him. Staring into his sapphire eyes, she cupped his face in her hands briefly before moving them to his shoulders.

"Come on. Talk to me."

Dick sighed before staring at Ava. After a while, he gave her a small smile and cupped her face in his large hand gently. Even though he wasn't talking, Ava already had a hunch on why he was crying.

"Did you dream about your parents?"

Dick swallowed the lump in his throat before nodding. "It was different this time."

Ava's headed tilted to the side. "How was it different?"

He clenched his eyes shut. When he opened them, Ava saw tears swimming in his sapphire eyes.

"Dick?"

He blinked, but that didn't stop the tears from falling. "You were with them."

Ava stared at her beloved before moving her hands to wipe away the tears. She waited for him to further explain.

"I thought that it was going to be the same dream. I saw the lights, I heard the announcements. I waited for it to happen. But then I saw you. You were there. Flying from trapeze to trapeze with my parents. When I saw the ropes, I tried to call out to the three of you. But I couldn't. Ava, I did nothing but watch as you, Mom, and Dad died. I did nothing!"

More tears spilled from Dick's eyes. Ava felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, but frantically blinked them away, and pulled Dick to her. He sobbed into Ava's shoulder as she held held him to her. Hoping to soothe him, Ava returned her fingers to his hair.

He needed her.

Dick knew that.

Ava knew that.

Gently prying his face away from her shoulder, Ava's light brown eyes stared into Dick's blue ones. Ava moved forwards and gently pressed her lips to his. Dick was surprised for a moment, but didn't hesitate to kiss her back.

Pulling away, Ava resumed staring into Dick's eyes.

"I love you."

Dick smiled and gently stroked her cheek with is thumb. "I love you too."

"I'm always going to be there you."

Dick's smile widened before pressing her to his chest. "I'm counting on that."

Ava smiled and purred into his chest. This time, when they pulled away, Dick was the one who crushed his lips to Ava's in a passionate kiss.

The End.