Just Robin Oneshots pt 4

Sicktember: Day Three

Convention/Con Crud (i did have to google wtf crud is)

Ages ago I made an AU for Mute!Dick and I thought I'd bring it back because this challenge is a month long and it's gonna get stale quick if i dont add some spice

Dick didn't really consider Nightwing to be part of the Justice League. If the Justice League called him in for help, he would come but he wasn't involved in the major missions they conducted. He didn't mind not being part of the group. He was at a point in his life where he liked the freedom that came from being his own hero in his own city whilst enjoying the benefits of having connections with different teams. Although he didn't consider himself to be part of the Justice League, he was still invited to the Annual Justice League party held on the anniversary of their first mission. He didn't mind going. It was nice to see people he often wouldn't due to their busy schedules.

These parties were big but he tried his best to try to talk to everyone. He would soon realise that he may have overexerted himself but in the moment he wanted to make the most of it. By the end of the evening, his hands hurt from the constant chattering and he relied on Kori more and more to carry the conversation. Whilst he was incredibly extroverted compared to his family, his social battery ran out like anyone else's. Especially when he noticed more and more people fail to look at his hands and focus on someone else talking. He also noticed that not many heroes actually knew ASL. Some knew it well, those being the people he'd grown up around or was close with like Clark and his family. Others caught every other word and held a constant smile even when he wasn't joking. Then there were those who didn't know what he was saying at all and looked to someone else to translate or slowly backed out of conversations he tried to have with them. He tried not to take it too harshly but it still made him feel a little out of place.

By one in the morning, he knew he was pushing his luck too far. Being a vigilante had prepared him for long nights but parties were another thing entirely. There was so much stimuli coming from all different places and there was no plan to follow to keep his focus. He regrouped with Kori and nodded his head to the Zetatubes, signalling that he wanted to go home. Usually, she would agree and take him home but this time she was hesitant.

"You can go," she suggested instead. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I appreciate you are ready to go but so many aliens have not surrounded me in a very long time. I rarely get the chance to speak of Earth so plainly to those who understand." He nodded in understanding. "Don't stay if it's detrimental to you."

'Don't worry about it. Text me when you're on your way back.' He would've liked to recover from this much social interaction with her but he got why she wanted to stay longer. He had plenty of human friends to relate to but she didn't have the same luxury. He stood on his tiptoes to kiss her on the cheek before heading for the exit. 

When Kori arrived home, she went to excitedly tell Dick about everything she talked about with her new friends and how good it was to finally have people who had similar experiences to her but she quickly bottled it all in when she saw him curled up in bed. She sighed to herself, only a little disappointed that her resident insomniac had chosen tonight as the one time he turned in early. She knew big events like this could take a lot out of him and he'd been worn out before leaving. Quietly, she got ready for bed and joined him under the covers. He made a small questioning noise yet ultimately didn't stir when she put her arm around him. He seemed a little warm to the touch but she didn't think much of it.