heartbeat ➪ d. grayson

006

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CELLA SAT UP IN BED, surprised when she looked down to see dick's arm wrapped around her waist.

the girl had agreed to them sleeping together the night before as she had opened up about how terrified she was of the constant thunder storms and dick didn't need another reason to climb into the girl's bed.

for the most part they'd stayed up talking about what they were afraid of, what they missed about one another and what they felt they needed to work on.

cella had mentioned teaching the boy to better conceal his emotions so people like claude couldn't get in his head.

"i want you to be able to read me." dick had told the girl, it had made her feel special, seen that dick grayson of all people wanted her to be able to read his emotions if not anyone else.

"did i over sleep?" dick groaned, pushing himself up to face the girl.

cella laughed at his messy hair. "a little, i only woke up a few minutes ago."

a knock came from cella's door, "miss cella, master dick isn't in his room do you know where he is?" alfred spoke on the other side of the door.

"he's in here." she called, watching the skinny man open the door with a knowing look though it went missed by the teens.

"master bruce's winter charity gala is tonight." alfred reminded. "he's requested you both be present. cella as master dick's plus one."

the pair nodded, "you'll be given dresses to choose from later tonight miss cella." he finished, closing the door after sending an encouraging wink to dick who only shook his head in embarrassment.

"just like when we were younger." cella thought aloud, playing with her fingers in anticipation. "do you think he'll be there?"

dick turned on his side, watching the girl fidget. "who?"

"claude."

his name made both their bodies momentarily drain of color, cella didn't want to believe they were actually related, she didn't even want to believe he was truly real.

dick shrugged, moving to stop her fidgeting with her hand, "if he does show, we'll figure out what he wants, together."

cella let her eyes wander to their hands, they always found themselves touching and each time it made her more nervous than the last.

"we should tell bruce." she whispered, her gaze not leaving his hand on hers. "he'll want to know."

dick hummed in response, he could feel his heart beating out his chest,  but that didn't stop him from inching closer to the girl, scared of how he felt but loving the closeness of the two.

"we'll tell him later." he breathed out, their breaths mixing in anticipation.

"can i ki —"

"dick!" bruce yelled, his voice echoing throughout the manor.

dick groaned to himself, leaving the room without a word as he tried to regain his composure.

he had almost asked to kiss her, they had almost kissed. he felt dizzy from the thought, but scared at what it really meant for the two.

his greatest fear was losing her, getting this close to her would only be disastrous in the end but he couldn't help how he felt, he didn't want to help how he felt.

he liked being pulled by her — being wanted by her. the boy wanted a reason for her to need him and someone having that much power over him scared him entirely because the second she decided she didn't need him, he wasn't sure how he'd take it.

"be on your best behavior tonight." bruce warned as the boy wandered into the kitchen, picking up an apple and leaning against the counter.

"when am i not?" dick retorted casually.

"i mean it, dick. law enforcement will be here tonight." bruce reiterated, gesturing at the boy with his pinky and pointer finger, "stop the searching for a night."

"i don't know what you're talking about." dick muttered in a subdued tone.

bruce looked at the boy before pouring himself a glass of water tiredly, "do i look stupid to you? i must look stupid if you think i don't know what the two of you have been up to."

"i was going to tell you." dick mumbled.

"oh yeah, when?"

"i asked him not to tell you." cella interjected, appering big eyed in the kitchen. "i didn't want you to know what we were doing until we had actual leads." she explained, "the whole mask thing was my idea, all of it."

"i know he's robin, cella." the man sighed, his stance matching dick's as he drank his water like it was liquor. "you two aren't the quietest coming in here."

"its cella's fault." dick mumbled under his breath, earning a playful pinch in his arm from the curly haired girl.

"i really didn't mean to cause any problem." the girl apologized, watching bruce wave his hand in dismissal.

"it's no trouble cella, really." bruce reaffirmed, "i'm glad to see the two of you getting along again."

cella allowed herself to smile, relishing in the rare approval of bruce wayne.

"we'll talk about what you found after the gala. if something pops off, you two find me first." bruce asserted pointedly, looking at dick more than cella, aware of the boy's tendency to take matters into his own hands. "me first, dick."

"yeah, yeah i heard you." dick waved off, feeling bruce eyeing him on his way out of the kitchen a stack of papers under his arm.

cella and dick exchanged glances, an unspoken tension now between them once more as they had almost felt the feeling of their lips on one another, something that equally scared and intrigued them.

"i should probably find alfred and see about my dress." cella stated, fidgeting with her fingers at the awkward silence, meeting dick's eyes as he grabbed both her hands in his.

"i didnt get to finish my question." he whispered, sending goosebumps down her arms, she could tell he was nervous inside but outside he looked as if he had it all figured out.

"what happens if i kiss you right now?"

dick's question hung in the air waiting to be answered as cella felt her heart race, her mind whirling with uncertainty and curiosity, yet her body moved forward on its own as she watched from the outside.

she wanted to let herself kiss him as their eyes locked in a silent exchange, a flood of emotions swirling through them as their hands remained connected comfortably, she wondered if kissing him would feel as safe as her hands in his.

the decision lingered between them as they contemplated the extent of the question, both knowing it would only change things and they were comfortable believeing that was okay for the moment — even if its not what they truly wanted.