Why Heroes Can't Sip Champagne and Apples Are a Girl's Best Friend
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Chapter 7: Cupid's Pinch
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VALENTINE'S CHAPTER, LATE SUBMISSION!!! SORRY FOR THE WAIT!!
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Another step through that door to work, and Dick Grayson thought he'd be seeing stars –
But never so many hearts.
The offices, the break room….
Valentine's; or as Damian liked to call it – the illegitimate love child the pagan festival known as Lupercalia.
Debauchery, even when he already had a crush on his team.
Leaden steps brought Grayson to his desk of papers and…
A dump truck load of pink and red envelopes.
Being single, it was an eyesore so early in the morning.
Joe from the office slipped over and knocked on the open frame, seeing the head of the only other occupant in the room bob his up to meet the man's bushy mustache.
"Mr. Grayson; these are all for you? Holy – being young sure does throw them punches kid –
"I have to turn whoever's in here down." He stated very plainly. "Can you make sure…..nothing else gets to this desk EXCPT for my reports? My actual work –
"Hey, it's all fun here. Harmless –
"I just broke up…. I…." He may have exaggerated, but his heart felt it.
"Wanna go wipe your face? Otherwise, you'll be sent home…. would hate to lose you to a few broken hearts, and heck. Your arm doin' any better?"
"Yeah, Joe." Dick smiled, trying to stop the pang in his chest. He had to eat. Had to plan for his future.
"I'll bring you a coffee. How do you like yours?"
"Sugar, very little milk as possible. So, otherwise make it noir for me." Grinned the cocky playboy.
"Got it. See? We'll get past this with some good – ole fashioned paperwork."
"Thanks, Joe." The ebony haired cop picked up a case file on Midnighter and sighed. "So, then let's get busy."
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The hearts followed him everywhere. Dick almost thought there was a baby shower instead of a valentine's décor bandit – was the HR in?
He stopped at the hallway to see that Amanda; the new HR at he precinct was being blasted at by her boss.
"We over blew the budget on this crap! It looks like cupid pulled a clay – face on the entire ward! Are you happy, because I can't even get a dang soda in the break room without tripping over another pom pom from up on the damn ceiling!"
"I…I'm sorry sir…I just…. tried to bring back some emotional empathy to the –
"With pink and red?? Inside a jail cell ?? The inmates are crying that they lost their souls to someone who can't know the difference between the color red and the color of a gunshot wound!" The man kept on forcing Amanda to bob her head. She'd pulled a great deal of work into this to "encourage" the cops here to reflect on the heart of their job. A way to understand how their work was much more…
But paper hearts and string – pom pom banners were something of a joke. This wasn't feng shui. It wouldn't be some eternal meaning behind it, but…
The heart wants…
Dick bit his lip, waiting on the chief to quit fighting, to just back away.
Amanda finally was left alone, her eyes somehow suppressing how disappointed she was in herself.
She was….
"Hi, I um…heard everything…." Dick wasn't smooth. He didn't tease like a cryptic super villain, or barely say a word as his mentor never remained an open book.
He didn't tell a lie, yet he was truthful, caring enough understand.
"You made the place look, different…" He chuckled a bit, but she just sighed. "It was a psychology trick. Using a lot of colors like pink and red…. are supposed to affect us…but not some of us…" She frowned at the boss's door.
"He's got a tough life, so do we all. Oh! Jodie brought brownies in the –
"Sugar is short lived, but so is this…" She sighed again, really bumming out the other cop.
"Look. I got over a hard break up more than once and I got hurt by my friend twice…. that…stung. This whole day is going to be hard on someone like me too, even if I'm having dinner tonight by myself." He spoke.
Amanda raised a brow. "Are you…"
Dick gawked. "No, no! I…I mean when any shows about break ups come on or the radio plays a love song….it just, doesn't feel good. It still hurts every day…. Love has many forms I was told at a young age by my family member…. that love on your agenda is not the same as my or even the chief's idea of love. That's why next year you could do a raffle or something less…. overpowering."
"I, could…" Amanda shifted on her feet, heels not as eager to head back to her computer while her mood had dipped so far south.
"The heart wants, but it doesn't really always know. That's why a brownie would sure cheer me up…I'll bring you one if you can stomach more heart shaped anything?"
She giggled, her brunette head of hair swaying a bit as she turned to return to her work. "I'll let Joe take the message over if I do, Richard."
"Please." The goofy grin had her blush a little. His one super power.
"Call me, Dick. And I'll let Joe know if I send you one to bring home. They won't be there by lunch. Trust me. Jodie could give Alf back in Gotham a run for his money."
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After the day had put Dick in a better spot, trouble came to call.
A very two-sided face of sorts.
And a couple bent on tearing it up.
"Harley! We're going to lose our spot…. don –
"Ivy- bear, you worry too much."
Nightwing's jaw fell open.
At a swanky restaurant….
In Blud.
"We won the contest on the radio so…. we get the v.i.p deluxe package!" Harley Quinn was dressed to kill as Ivy reluctantly left the safety of their red sedan to head for the hottest couture of eats in Blud – of all vacay hot spots…
"This V – day is going to blow you away! We'll have a nice fancy dinner in Chez Vive." She started to spout in a rolling, Harley monogrammed tangent.
While Ivy was there, rolling her eyes.
"Then we can –
"One event at a time. This isn't a vacation we'll be on for a whole week –
"Or…. Is it??"
The laughter died and Dick groaned and expected the paying couple to stand by Batman's agreement.
They were fine…
Now…For the crook who'd blasted Nightwing in –
"Yo, lover boy? Night watching the couples?"
The vigilante turned just in time to see a cool and collected Midnghter. The one who'd pushed too far.
The city's new possible menace.
"I'm keeping the peace." Dick went for his rangs and tossed one to get the crook to start flapping his wings.
"Where is your Ms or Mr? I don't see the proud protector with much on his arm? Am I to be so lucky?"
"Stop trying to turn this into a problem, Midnighter." Dick's tone grew ever more in warning. He hated this discussion, and hoped Harley and Ivy were having a good meal together…
Wait –
"Ahhh, you are so easy to read! Who'd ye break up with? That Oracle, chick?"
"How do you know about my partner??"
"The new or old ones?" The darkly clad soldier stalked the roof with Dick catching his breath. Shit. He was –
"Would be a hoot if you had to go in and reserve a table for a party of one. Sad, real sad." The enemy shook his head, all pity talk on those lips.
"Are you making fun of me??" Dick demanded to know. "Why? I'm not worth picking on. I'm here for me."
"Because I like the faces you make." Grinned the perp as he got out a weapon from by his hip. "Want to just call it quits right now? We can call a truce for today; I'll even give you my contacts if you get lonely." (I'm making him a bully who occasionally flirts with Dick. It's edgy enough so will do!)
"In hell, maybe." Dick snarled back, getting ready to face his assailant.
"Oh. I heard you and my old pal DS used to work –
"Enough talk!!" Dick swung his sticks out as they crackled just out of view of the pedestrians down below.
Turns out the Chez Vive or whatever had live bands playing for special occasions and the occasional holidays.
Yup. Had to love this party town –
"Get back here!!" Dick swung out his grappler as the laughter from Midnighter's lips meant he had to catch up. To get that laugh to cease, as long as love was still in the dang air!
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