The Last Goodbye

11 Minutes

I'm 11 minutes away and I have missed you all-day
I'm 11 minutes away, so why aren't you here?

Sand crunches under Dick's flip-flops. The beach is always a calming place even if he could never go see it as a kid.

Dick thinks back to Joey, sweet, kind Joey.

He loved the beach too. In Jump, they would sneak away together to watch the pod of dolphins.

There was a day when they had snuck off together. They went to Big Belly Burgers and then the beach. They fought seagulls for their lunch and got sand between their toes. They shared a beach towel.

Joey's fingers danced across his chest with sunscreen. Dick booped sunscreen on his boyfriend's nose. They laughed. Joey told Dick that he loved him.

Joey rubbed his thumb over the angry white marks that marred his body. Dick normally hid such imperfections, but here under the California sun and Joey's watchful eye, he didn't feel damaged like his scars were hideous failings. Joey made him feel like it was just one piece of his past. Joey made him feel worthy.

"Here," Joey said gently and took Dick's hand pulling him to the feet and leading him to the water. They got about waist deep and Joey kissed him.

The Pacific was cold and the boy's bodies together were so warm. The kiss was slow and gentle and Joey's arms wrapped around Dick's body and he imagined for just a moment, that there were no Titans, no supervillains, no Bruce, no Slade, no Rose, no civilians, no one but him and Joey.

He opens his eyes slowly and Joey looks at him and smiles. His thumb traced Dick's cheek. Joey used his powers and the dolphins responded. The pod came closer and started to play with both of them.

They played for a few hours before the dolphins and the boys had to go their separate ways.

When they left the water, they toweled off and watched the sun dip into the ocean. Dick rests his head on his boyfriend's shoulder whispering "I love you too" into Joey's ear.

In the present moment, Dick cries salty tears like the water he watches. A ghost touches his face, the memory of when Dick was happy.

Joey didn't deserve to die like he did. And gods, Dick would do anything to go back to that moment and take his place.

Maybe HIVE was looking for Joesph Wilson son of Deathstroke or maybe they were looking for Jericho, Titan extraordinar. Dick never found out. The only thing he learned after Joey died is what the men who killed him's insides looked like.

He didn't regret it. Not even for a second. Teaming up with Deathstroke, becoming his apprentice to avenge his love was worth every second of it when he got to snuff HIVE out like they snuffed out his innocent boyfriend. They hurt him and for what- knowledge? Because they could?

That's what Bruce never understood about Dick. Sometimes people deserve to die, if by his hand so be it. When he killed the Joker, he freaked out because he did it in front of Bruce- a man who is not known for moral complexity or nuance and had already kicked him out twice. He wished Bruce would have let his ego go for 9 minutes and let the bastard finish his descent into hell.

Dick has loved a lot of people in his life, but he doesn't think he ever has or ever will again love anyone the way he loves Joey or be loved the way Joey loved him.

Again Dick's mind went to the past, but this time he wasn't controlling it.

It was a sunny California day, but it's California so they are all pretty much sunny. It's so different than Gotham, a city that the sun never shines its face on.