Part One
-Athena’s POV-
To be fair, it *had* been a while.
I sat across from a face all too familiar. Candles on the table cast shadows across his features, highlighting the angles, making him even more… captivating. Our table was centered in the room, just the two of us. I carefully folded and refolded the napkin in my lap, a nervous habit. Glancing around the room, my anxiety spiked.
Dick’s eyes remained locked on mine. A bead of sweat trickled down my back, beneath the braid snaking down my spine. How long would the waiter take?
Dick smiled, a strand of hair falling across his forehead. “You don’t have to be anxious around me, you know,” he coaxed, a playful smile playing on his lips. Even though *I* wore the lipstick, his lips held a faint shimmer, a hint of vanilla from the chapstick he favored. Every time he leaned in, it was almost an invitation. Sitting here was torture. Utter torture.
“I’m not,” I lied, resisting the urge to pick at the polish on my nails. “You aren’t *that* much of a swoon, Grayson. Get over yourself.” Panic flared, almost constantly. To avoid his gaze, I let my eyes wander to the decor lining the restaurant walls: recreations of ancient Chinese art. I pretended to be mesmerized, though Diana had shown me countless authentic pieces.
Dick scoffed. “You can look at me, you know,” he said, his voice a low murmur. “Knowing you, those paintings aren’t exactly holding your attention.”
Giving in, I let my gaze drift to his face. Unfortunately, once there, it refused to move. My eyes locked on Dick’s.
“What do you want?” I asked, attempting a tone of indifference. Instead, the dreaded voice crack betrayed me. I could feel Dick notice it, but thankfully, he didn’t address it. Thank God.
“I didn’t invite you out on this date to avoid talking to me, or avoiding looking at me,” Dick said, reaching across the table. My hand gripped the tablecloth. Dick’s fingers gently loosened my grip, lacing our fingers together. My heart rate spiked, even higher than before, yet a wave of worry seemed to melt away.
Dick didn’t look down at our intertwined hands, didn’t acknowledge them. But I did. It seemed to upset him, when I looked. His dopey grin flattened into a smirk, and he pulled his hand back. “Sorry,” Dick mumbled, leaning back in his chair.
My hands were already sweaty, I guess.
Years later, our food finally arrived. I dug into my stir fry ravenously. If I stuffed my face, I’d have an excuse to avoid conversation. I was so jittery, the usually delicious vegetables and rice tasted like cardboard and paste. Still, I continued to eat, keeping my focus on the plate.
As my plate neared completion, a wave of anxiety crashed over me again. Dick was laughing. I glared up at him. He laughed louder. “What is it?” I demanded, wanting to slap him. He was making me nervous, and now he was laughing at me? What an asshole. What a Dick.
“It’s—it’s just—,” Dick wheezed, “you have soy sauce all over your face.” He chuckled.
I reached for my napkin, but Dick had risen from his seat and was kneeling beside me. I reached up to wipe my face, but Dick grabbed my wrist. I rolled my eyes, seeing the napkin he held. “Don’t even try. I can do it myself.”
“Please, Athena,” Dick pleaded, his hand resting on my thigh. “Just let me do this one sappy thing, and then we can leave and you’ll never have to talk to me again. Or for at least a few hours. Please.”
I wanted to say no. I was so… scared. My agreement to this date wasn’t even my own; Artemis had stolen my phone and replied with a perfect imitation of me. I was trying to distance myself from Dick. Jason’s death had proven my own toxicity wasn’t good for others. If I let Dick do one “sappy” act, he’d do another, and another, until I fell right into his arms again. It was his master plan. He’d planned it all out. I could tell. That was one of the things I loved about Dick. He was so determined to make something happen. If he wanted something, he’d bend the world around him to make it so.
I couldn’t refuse, though. My brain tried to answer for me, but I had already spoken. “Fine,” I declared. Dick’s smile faded as he wrapped the napkin around his finger. Slowly, he rose, inching closer. Holding my jaw gently with his other hand, Dick leaned in, his eyes focused and intense. Slowly, smoothly, he wiped at my face. I stared into his eyes, even as they focused on my mouth. The familiar scent of his cologne—the one I’d gotten him for our first anniversary—filled my senses.
Quicker than I wanted, Dick stood and swaggered back to his seat. A hidden smirk played on his lips as he sat. That cocky bastard. I tried to hide the rose gold dreaminess in my eyes.
The rest of the night passed without a second glance. We had fallen into our old rhythm. Conversations—ones I’d tried so hard to avoid—bubbled and popped between us. It was like the old days, like nothing had ever happened between us. My self-control and pride had been swiped away, like the soy sauce on my face. I couldn’t stop myself from being swept into the riptide. I loved the ocean too much.
We talked and laughed for hours. Actually, *hours*. The waiter eventually came to tell us the restaurant was closing. We both looked up, confused, then chuckled at the realization.
Dick escorted me out of the restaurant onto the Gotham streets. He stood beside me, this time without trying anything.
“How did you manage to convince Bruce to give you the night off?” I asked, glancing at the gigantic Bat symbol in the sky. “I heard he was desperate for Robin #1 now that Tim has officially gone solo.”
Dick sighed, running a hand through his hair. Thankfully, he’d cut it short again. “Yeah, he really is. Ever since Jason… he won’t admit it, but I can tell the whole thing really shook him. I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Manor, helping Bruce and Alfred. We all talk about how much we miss having you there,” Dick winked, bumping my shoulder.
“I’m sure,” I rolled my eyes, bumping him back. “Alfred just loved when we baked together.”
“Dough Wars were always fought valiantly and bravely. I’m sure Alfred appreciated his two favorite teenagers going off to serve our country proudly.” Dick faked a salute, swinging around a lamppost.
I giggled—a high-pitched, sweet sound, like a bell. Dick noticed, but didn’t comment. Now he was just acting irrationally. “Yes, and he was probably upset that the Batter Bandits were never caught and brought to justice.”
I wanted to say no. I was so...scared. My agreement to this date wasn't even my own action; Artemis had stolen my phone and replied with her killer impersonation of me. I was trying to distance myself from Dick. The whole thing with Jason had just proved that my own toxic nature wasn't good for others. If I let Dick do one "sappy" act, he'd do another, and then another, and then another until I fell right into his arms again. It was his master plan. It worked the first time and he assumed it would work again. I could tell. That was one of the things I loved about Dick. He was so determined to make something happen. If he wanted something, he would bend the world around him to make it happen.
I couldn't refuse, though. My brain tried to answer for me, but I had already spoken. "Fine," I declared to the world. Dick's smile dispersed as he wrapped the napkin around his finger. He slowly got to his feet, inching closer to me. Holding my jaw gently with his other hand, Dick leaned in, his eyes focused and intense. Slowly, he smoothly wiped at my face. I stared up into his eyes even though they were focused on my mouth. The familiar smell of his favorite cologne -- the one I had gotten him for his birthday when we first started dating -- filled every single one of my senses.
Quicker than I might've wanted to, Dick stood up and swaggered back over to his seat. There was undeniably a hidden smirk as he seated himself. That cocky bastard. I was trying so hard to hide the rose gold dreaminess in my irises.
The rest of the night went by without a second glance. We had fallen into our old rhythm. Conversations -- ones I had tried so hard to stop -- had bubbled and were popping between us. It was like the old days, like nothing between us had ever happened and we were just two fresh adults out on a date for the first time. My self control and pride had been swiped away like the soy sauce on my face. I couldn'